Who is the Porter in Macbeth?

The Porter is a minor character in "Macbeth" who serves as the doorkeeper at Macbeth's castle.  Immediately after the murder of King Duncan, the Porter appears in response to the knock at the gate.  He is still drunk from the festivities of the night before, and he serves as a humorous break in the play from the tension and gory bloodshed the murder of Duncan produced.  He pretends to be the gatekeeper of Hell in his drunken state, which is not too far from the truth since Macbeth and his wife should have been excellent hosts instead of heartless murderers.  This parallism of Macbeth's castle with Hell also underlines the fact that Macbeth has just lost his soul in murdering his King and cousin.

Who does the line, "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark," (Act I, Scene iv) refer to and who says it?

Since the Ghost is first seen by the watchmen, Shakespeare sets up the entire theme for this play in the quote spoken by Marcellus. He refers to King Claudius when he speaks of rottenness in Denmark, which can mean any kinds of moral evils and political corruptions.

Seeing the Ghost becomes a more developed point further in the play. The Ghost is, obviously, not a figment of Hamlet's imagination but an entity seen by others outside the royal house, for example, by the watchmen.

There is much "rotten in the State of Denmark" including the murder of King Hamlet by his brother, Claudius. Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, has wedded and bedded Claudius when the King is "but two months dead!"

Hamlet, then, is forced to deal with his father's murder and what he believes is his mother's adultery. At the close of the play, the 'rottenness' in Denmark leads to the demise of all the Royals and the end of the royal lineage.

What is the theme of the play "A Raisin in the Sun"?

There are a few different themes that run together.  The idea of holding onto your dreams, in the presence of racism, which is the main theme in the work.

"What happens to a person whose dreams grow more and more passionate--while his hopes of ever achieving those dreams grow dimmer each day?"

The struggle for African Americans to gain civil rights and the prejudice that existed and intolerance in society before the laws were changed in the 1960s.  

Can someone paraphrase each line of "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" by John Keats?MUCH have I travell'd in the realms of gold, And many...

First two lines: I've travelled around and seen many rich
kingdoms

Next two:  I've been around many of the islands of
Greece (held by poets who are faithful to Apollo).

Next
two: I'd heard alot about a place that Homer ruled as his
own.

Next two:  But I never understood about this until I
read Chapman's translation.

But when I did, I felt like
some astronomer who has discovered a new planet or like Cortez felt when he first
discovered the Pacific (it was Balboa, not
Cortez...)

Overall, he is saying that reading Chapman's
translation of Homer opened up whole new worlds to his mind.

Can someone paraphrase each line of "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" by John Keats?MUCH have I travell'd in the realms of gold, And many...

First two lines: I've travelled around and seen many rich kingdoms

Next two:  I've been around many of the islands of Greece (held by poets who are faithful to Apollo).

Next two: I'd heard alot about a place that Homer ruled as his own.

Next two:  But I never understood about this until I read Chapman's translation.

But when I did, I felt like some astronomer who has discovered a new planet or like Cortez felt when he first discovered the Pacific (it was Balboa, not Cortez...)

Overall, he is saying that reading Chapman's translation of Homer opened up whole new worlds to his mind.

Give evidence that shows Johnny Cade being cruel, timid and caring from Chapters 1 to 4.nope

In The Outsiders, Johny Cade is the
smallest and weakest member of the Greasers gang.  I would say that timid and caring are
his major character traits.

We can see that he is timid (or
at least nervous) in two places at least.  First, in Chapter 1, Pony describes him as
having nervous eyes.  Second, in Chapter 2, Pony and Johnny are talking to Cherry and
Marcia.  All Johnny can say is "hi," which he says shyly.  Then he gets nervous and
tries to just watch the movie.

You can see that he is
caring from this same episode.  That is where he stops Dally from harassing Cherry. 
This shows he cares about Cherry's feelings.

Give evidence that shows Johnny Cade being cruel, timid and caring from Chapters 1 to 4.nope

In The Outsiders, Johny Cade is the smallest and weakest member of the Greasers gang.  I would say that timid and caring are his major character traits.

We can see that he is timid (or at least nervous) in two places at least.  First, in Chapter 1, Pony describes him as having nervous eyes.  Second, in Chapter 2, Pony and Johnny are talking to Cherry and Marcia.  All Johnny can say is "hi," which he says shyly.  Then he gets nervous and tries to just watch the movie.

You can see that he is caring from this same episode.  That is where he stops Dally from harassing Cherry.  This shows he cares about Cherry's feelings.

Can productivity be achieved by sacrificing quality?ty baf exam question

Productivity is defined as quantity produced per unit of
input. The input used for calculating productivity could be any factor of production
such as material, equipment, manpower or some combination of different types of factors
of production. But most often productivity refer so productivity of
manpower.

Whether productivity can be improved by
sacrificing will depend on two factors. One, to what extent production can be increased
by sacrificing quality. Also, to the extent reduction in quality will lead to acceptance
of the output produced.

In some cases, minor changes
concessions in quality requirement can result in substantial increase in rate of
production. In other cases this difference may not be much. For example, Take the case
of making packets containing 100 grams of groundnuts. If the the groundnuts have to be
weighed very accurately, the process could be slow. This process can be speeded up
considerably by designing a container of suitable size which will accommodate on average
100 grams of ground nuts. Using the system the rate of packing can be improved
considerably. However this process will involve higher variation in the weight of
groundnuts in each packet.

Coming to the second factor, the
acceptability of the reduced quality level, when increase in production by relaxing
quality is more than offset by reduction in value of out put due to poor quality,
production can be increased by sacrificing quality. Otherwise productivity may actually
decrease. For example, in case of the packets of groundnuts a variation of, say, 2% in
weight of individual packets is not going to reduce the value of packets. It will be
still possible to sell the packets at the designated price of 100 grams packets. But 2%
variation in dimension of precision product would mean production of too many components
that will be unusable and therefore will be rejected. IN a case like this perhaps trying
to increase productivity be relaxing quality will not be a very good
idea.

Can productivity be achieved by sacrificing quality?ty baf exam question

Productivity is defined as quantity produced per unit of input. The input used for calculating productivity could be any factor of production such as material, equipment, manpower or some combination of different types of factors of production. But most often productivity refer so productivity of manpower.

Whether productivity can be improved by sacrificing will depend on two factors. One, to what extent production can be increased by sacrificing quality. Also, to the extent reduction in quality will lead to acceptance of the output produced.

In some cases, minor changes concessions in quality requirement can result in substantial increase in rate of production. In other cases this difference may not be much. For example, Take the case of making packets containing 100 grams of groundnuts. If the the groundnuts have to be weighed very accurately, the process could be slow. This process can be speeded up considerably by designing a container of suitable size which will accommodate on average 100 grams of ground nuts. Using the system the rate of packing can be improved considerably. However this process will involve higher variation in the weight of groundnuts in each packet.

Coming to the second factor, the acceptability of the reduced quality level, when increase in production by relaxing quality is more than offset by reduction in value of out put due to poor quality, production can be increased by sacrificing quality. Otherwise productivity may actually decrease. For example, in case of the packets of groundnuts a variation of, say, 2% in weight of individual packets is not going to reduce the value of packets. It will be still possible to sell the packets at the designated price of 100 grams packets. But 2% variation in dimension of precision product would mean production of too many components that will be unusable and therefore will be rejected. IN a case like this perhaps trying to increase productivity be relaxing quality will not be a very good idea.

In The Merchant of Venice, how does Jessica spend Shylock’s money and how is this a reaction to her upbringing?

Jessica has been brought up very strictly according to  the Jewish traditions by her miserly father Shylock leading her to remark:"Our house is hell." ActII sc.3.  She soon decides to elope with her lover Lorenzo and says: "But though I am a daughter to his blood/I am not to his manners......I shall end this strife/Become a Christian and thy (Lorenzo) loving wife." ActII Sc.3.

Jessica steals all of her father's jewels and money and elopes with Lorenzo when Shylock had gone to Bassanio's house for dinner. When Shylock discovers that his own daughter has stolen all his wealth he angrily excalims: "I would my daughter/ were dead at my foot." ActIII Sc.1.

In Act II Sc1 We hear from Tubal another Jew who reports to Shylock about the extravagant ways of Jessica. In Genoa she spent 80 ducats in one night and in Venice she bought a monkey with a very expensive ring.

Jessica's actions in stealing her own father's money and jewels and eloping with and marrying a person from another community-a communitywhich her father detests- is her way of protesting and rebelling agianst the cruel and stifling way in which she has been brought up.

It is however questionable whether her actions are right or wrong. Is she an ungrateful daugher? or a conscientious right thinkng individiual?

Could you please explain the conflicts in Chapters 9 - 12 of The Catcher in the Rye?

To me, there are a couple of conflicts going on in these
chapters and they are really just the same conflicts that dominate the book as a whole. 
I think there is an internal conflict within Holden and I think there is a conflict
between Holden and society.

All of the conflict that
appears to be between Holden and people in these chapters is really Holden vs. society
in my opinion.  When he tries to talk to Faith, the women from Seattle, and the taxi
driver, he is trying to act in ways that he finds interesting.  But the other people
don't really approve.

At the same time, it seems like
there's a conflict inside of Holden about whether he really rejects society or not. 
Otherwise, why would he keep looking for these "phony" interactions instead of just
calling Jane?

Could you please explain the conflicts in Chapters 9 - 12 of The Catcher in the Rye?

To me, there are a couple of conflicts going on in these chapters and they are really just the same conflicts that dominate the book as a whole.  I think there is an internal conflict within Holden and I think there is a conflict between Holden and society.

All of the conflict that appears to be between Holden and people in these chapters is really Holden vs. society in my opinion.  When he tries to talk to Faith, the women from Seattle, and the taxi driver, he is trying to act in ways that he finds interesting.  But the other people don't really approve.

At the same time, it seems like there's a conflict inside of Holden about whether he really rejects society or not.  Otherwise, why would he keep looking for these "phony" interactions instead of just calling Jane?

In "In the Shadow of War," how do the soldiers treat the woman when they find her?

It is clear that when the soldiers find the woman they
have called a "spy" that they are very violent and threatening. Remember this is
narrated using the third person limited point of view - everything is seen from Omovo's
vision, which heightens the shock of seeing a woman treated in this fashion with the
threat of impending violence. The soldiers call the woman a witch and one of them begins
to slap her to try and make her tell where the "others" are. Then a soldier rips the
woman's veil from her:

readability="7">

Her head was bald, and disfigured with a deep
corrugation. There was a livid gash along the side of her face. The bare-chested soldier
pushed her. She fell on her face and lay
still.

It is interesting that
at this point Omovo recognises that what he thought were dead animals on the river banks
were actually dead men - seeing this violence has opened his eyes to other acts of
violence that he had previously been blind to. The woman then gets up, and spits at the
soldier in the face. The soldier then shoots the woman in cold blood and Omovo
flees.

The shock of these events is heightened by the use
of the narrative style - these events are shared with us just as they are with Omovo -
we are silent observers of these atrocities and therefore share the same shock and
feelings of guilt and horror that Omovo feels.

In "In the Shadow of War," how do the soldiers treat the woman when they find her?

It is clear that when the soldiers find the woman they have called a "spy" that they are very violent and threatening. Remember this is narrated using the third person limited point of view - everything is seen from Omovo's vision, which heightens the shock of seeing a woman treated in this fashion with the threat of impending violence. The soldiers call the woman a witch and one of them begins to slap her to try and make her tell where the "others" are. Then a soldier rips the woman's veil from her:

Her head was bald, and disfigured with a deep corrugation. There was a livid gash along the side of her face. The bare-chested soldier pushed her. She fell on her face and lay still.

It is interesting that at this point Omovo recognises that what he thought were dead animals on the river banks were actually dead men - seeing this violence has opened his eyes to other acts of violence that he had previously been blind to. The woman then gets up, and spits at the soldier in the face. The soldier then shoots the woman in cold blood and Omovo flees.

The shock of these events is heightened by the use of the narrative style - these events are shared with us just as they are with Omovo - we are silent observers of these atrocities and therefore share the same shock and feelings of guilt and horror that Omovo feels.

What happened in Chapter 17 of The Devil's Arithmetic?

Gitl tells Chaya that there is a plan to escape. Yitzchak
and Shmuel are a part of it, as will Chaya be, because she is their "only flesh and
blood." Gitl makes Chaya promise that if something happens to her and the others, she
will remember. Gitl will not give Chaya any more information at this time, for her own
safety. Gitl does confirm that Yitzchak is taking this risk because his children are
gone, and he has nothing left to lose. As for herself and Shmuel, Gitl says, "If not us,
who? If not now, when?" These words are part of the Seder ceremony celebrated by the
Jews on the Sabbath.

A few nights later, when Chaya least
expects it, Gitl tells her, "Chaya, it is now." Gitl hands her a pair of shoes and the
two creep silently through the women's barracks to the door. Chaya asks, "what about
Fayge," to which Gitl responds that despite her love for Shmuel, Fayge "has come to love
her next bowl of soup more." When Gitl and Chaya get outside, they hear a shout, some
shots, and the horrible screaming of a man. Realizing that the plan has been
unsuccessful, she quickly drags Chaya back into the barracks. When the blokova
sleepily asks what is going on, Gitl tells her she went to get her bowl to
relieve herself, but dropped it when she heard shots outside. The blokova
believes her story, and lets the matter drop after a short
reprimand.

Back on their sleeping shelf, Chaya can feel
Gitl sobbing. An awful thought comes to her - she has left the shoes Gitl had handed her
outside. When she tells Gitl, however, the older woman is unworried. The shoes belonged
to the blokova; when they are discovered, it is the
blokova who will be in trouble, not them (Chapter
17).

What happened in Chapter 17 of The Devil's Arithmetic?

Gitl tells Chaya that there is a plan to escape. Yitzchak and Shmuel are a part of it, as will Chaya be, because she is their "only flesh and blood." Gitl makes Chaya promise that if something happens to her and the others, she will remember. Gitl will not give Chaya any more information at this time, for her own safety. Gitl does confirm that Yitzchak is taking this risk because his children are gone, and he has nothing left to lose. As for herself and Shmuel, Gitl says, "If not us, who? If not now, when?" These words are part of the Seder ceremony celebrated by the Jews on the Sabbath.

A few nights later, when Chaya least expects it, Gitl tells her, "Chaya, it is now." Gitl hands her a pair of shoes and the two creep silently through the women's barracks to the door. Chaya asks, "what about Fayge," to which Gitl responds that despite her love for Shmuel, Fayge "has come to love her next bowl of soup more." When Gitl and Chaya get outside, they hear a shout, some shots, and the horrible screaming of a man. Realizing that the plan has been unsuccessful, she quickly drags Chaya back into the barracks. When the blokova sleepily asks what is going on, Gitl tells her she went to get her bowl to relieve herself, but dropped it when she heard shots outside. The blokova believes her story, and lets the matter drop after a short reprimand.

Back on their sleeping shelf, Chaya can feel Gitl sobbing. An awful thought comes to her - she has left the shoes Gitl had handed her outside. When she tells Gitl, however, the older woman is unworried. The shoes belonged to the blokova; when they are discovered, it is the blokova who will be in trouble, not them (Chapter 17).

Who besides Polyphemus and Circe is an unnatural mortal being whom Odysseus meets in his journeys?

Charybdis and Scylla, the sirens were certainly unnatural creatures who could lure men to death through their song. Failing luring by song Charybdis would induce her deadly maelstrom, or whirlpool three times a day and Scylla was a hideous twelve headed beast that would take one man for each of her heads of any passing ship. In order for Odysseus' men to avoid the maelstrom of Charybdis they had to steer far away from her directly into the path of Scylla, right into their trap. This is certainly not an occurrence one would find in nature.

Can you give me a summary for "An American Childhood"?

"An American Childhood"(1987) by Annie Dillard is an autobiography-an account of her own life, hence it would be difficult to summarise it.

Annie Dillard (maiden name Doak) was born in 1945 in Pittsburgh to Frank and Pam Doak. She published her autobiography in 1987 in which she records the events of her life from 1950 to her adolescence.

Her autobiography is not chronological but impressionistic, that is, it is not a day to day accoount of her life but rather a collection of the vivid memories of her childhood and the lasting impressions they left on her mind and how these impressions shaped her psyche.

The book begins with a prologue which reveals to us the two important factors which influenced her life greatly: 1. The Pittsburgh of the 1950s 2. The moment of awakening when her father left home on a river jouney to New Orleans.

Part I of the book deals with her early childhood from 1950 onwards. It gives us all the details of her family life and her childhood activities and the influence of the natural environment.

Part II deals with her life from the age of 10 to 15. In this section she records her impressions on the joys of reading. It also contains an account of her religious experiences.

Part III describes her years of rebellious adolescence just before  she left for college. She tells us how she quit and then rejoined the Church.

The Epilogue contains her adult reflections on her early childhood.

In "The Cask of Amontillado", what are the symbolic implications of the descent into the wine cellar?

The decent into the cellar or the catacombs beneath Montresor's estate symbolically imply the decent into death for Fortunato. Dying is the winding down of life and the two wind down the halls of the catacombs to Fortunato's final resting place. Even more symbolic is that it is not a wine cellar he leads him into, but the catacombs beneath his estate. Centuries ago Christians buried their dead in catacombs or long winding underground tunnels. Later on wealthy families constructed catacombs beneath the grounds of their own estates. It was also customary and an ideal place to store fine wines like amontillado. It is actually fitting to bury Fortunato alive in the catacombs because anyone who might uncover the body would think nothing of it because it is essentially a tomb itself where people also store wine. This was good planning on Montresor's part.

What would be the main events in a timeline for "Rules of the Road"?Can anyone put together the main events in a timeline for me? I really need it.

A timeline for the story would include many of the following events -

- Jenna starts working at Gladstone Shoestore during her sophomore year.

- Jenna gets her drivers' license.

- Jenna's alcoholic father returns and makes a scene at the shoestore.

- Mrs. Gladstone hires Jenna to be her driver, and the two set out to visit the stores in the chain, with the ultimate destination Texas.

- Jenna learns that Mrs. Gladstone's son wants to push her out of the business and take over, lowering the company's standards and principles to increase profit.

- Mrs. Gladstone and her son Elden have a confrontation in St. Louis.

- In Texas, Jenna meets Harry Bender, "world's greatest shoe salesman".

- With the help of Jenna, Harry, and a friend, Alice Lovett, Mrs. Gladstone tries to rally stockholders to keep Elden from taking over.

- Alice gets Jenna a haircut and changes her wardrobe, and for the first time, Jenna sees herself as "a pretty young woman".

- Harry Bender dies.

- Elder accosts Jenna before the stockholders' meeting, fires her, and tries to put her on a plane back to Chicago.

- Jenna runs away, sneaks into the meeting, and stands up to speak for Mrs. Gladstone.

- Mrs. Gladtone is voted out, but the new partner, Ken Woldman, hires her to oversee quality control because of Jenna's speech.

- Jenna goes home, recognizes changes in herself and her family, and resolves to love her father but to cease being an enabler for his drunkenness.

What are the allegorical representations in Gulliver's Travels in general and in part one in particular?

Gulliver's Travels is a parody of the travel journals famous during Swift's time.  In the story, divided into four book, he satirizes everything from British government to science, politics, religion, and society's vanity in general.

An allegory is a story when a character or event in the story represents both itself in the literal sense and something else in the figurative sense.  It could be actual people, events, ideas, or places that it represents.

In Book I of Gulliver's Travels, many places, people, and events represent actual things in Swift's time.  For instance, Lilliput is England and Blefescu is France. The arguements and silliness of the Low Heels and High Heels represent political factions of the Whigs and Tories.  The disagreement between the Big Enders and the Little Enders over which end of the egg is the proper end to break represents actual problems between the Protestants and Catholics at the time.

There are also definite correlations between particular characters in the Lilliput community with political figures in the British political system.  These connections take a little work for us to figure out today, but to Swift's audiences, these would have been as obvious as the objects of editorial cartoons are to us.  They would have been a source of much laughter.

Why did Tobe stay the whole time with Emily... but then left?for love

Presumably, in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Tobe stays
with Emily until her death because he needs a job, or out of a mistaken sense of
loyalty.  But, really, that is just speculation.  We can only
guess.

Before Emily's death, the speaker really couldn't
elaborate on why Tobe stays without ruining the surprise ending.  And there's no reason
to explain his staying until the body upstairs is revealed.  There's nothing unusual
about his staying until we find out about Homer.

He leaves
in a hurry, of course, so he doesn't have to answer questions about the body or take
responsibility for what's been going on in the
house.

Once Emily dies, the only thing revealed is that
Tobe skips out the back door.  This, of course, heightens the suspense as the reader
wonders why he so urgently leaves.

As far as is revealed,
no, there is no love, at least not romantic love, between Emily and her
servant.

Why did Tobe stay the whole time with Emily... but then left?for love

Presumably, in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Tobe stays with Emily until her death because he needs a job, or out of a mistaken sense of loyalty.  But, really, that is just speculation.  We can only guess.

Before Emily's death, the speaker really couldn't elaborate on why Tobe stays without ruining the surprise ending.  And there's no reason to explain his staying until the body upstairs is revealed.  There's nothing unusual about his staying until we find out about Homer.

He leaves in a hurry, of course, so he doesn't have to answer questions about the body or take responsibility for what's been going on in the house.

Once Emily dies, the only thing revealed is that Tobe skips out the back door.  This, of course, heightens the suspense as the reader wonders why he so urgently leaves.

As far as is revealed, no, there is no love, at least not romantic love, between Emily and her servant.

In Ender's Game, how long does Ender train his army before its battle?

That is a difficult question because it is unclear which army you are talking about. Is this referring to Ender's time at school, or Ender when he is unknowingly preparing to lead an army against the Bugger's?

The answer to the first question is just a few weeks. He was supposed to have a few months, but the leaders are trying to prepare him to deal with extreme odds.

With his reunited army at the International Fleet's command post, Ender has only a few short months to train before his big "final exam". This exam, of course, is the battle against the Bugger planet.

Briefly describe how we could find the focal length of a concave mirror.

To determine the focal length of concave
mirror.

We require a concave mirror preferably mounted on a
stand, a lighted candle and a white screen to catch the image after
reflection

Keep the mounted concave mirror on a plane
surface (say a long table). Keep in front of the reflecting surface a bright candle at
sufficient distance from the concave mirror  on the principal axis so that we can get a
clear image somewhere. Now adjust the screen ,candle and the mounted concave mirror so
that they are all on the principal axis. Move the screen back and forth and determine
the position for the brightest clearest  image.

Note down
for the clear image distance v and the corresponding object distance u from the pole of
the mirror along the principal axis. Then, if f is the the focal length of the mirror,
solve for f = uv/(u+v) which determines the focal length f on one single
trial.

You make the following table of observation for
repeated trials varying object distance u and the image distance
v:

Trial no:  Dist u of object from the pole . Distance v
of image from the pole. Focal legnth f = uv/((u+v)

After
doing different trials you can find the average focal length from the last
column.

Briefly describe how we could find the focal length of a concave mirror.

To determine the focal length of concave mirror.

We require a concave mirror preferably mounted on a stand, a lighted candle and a white screen to catch the image after reflection

Keep the mounted concave mirror on a plane surface (say a long table). Keep in front of the reflecting surface a bright candle at sufficient distance from the concave mirror  on the principal axis so that we can get a clear image somewhere. Now adjust the screen ,candle and the mounted concave mirror so that they are all on the principal axis. Move the screen back and forth and determine the position for the brightest clearest  image.

Note down for the clear image distance v and the corresponding object distance u from the pole of the mirror along the principal axis. Then, if f is the the focal length of the mirror, solve for f = uv/(u+v) which determines the focal length f on one single trial.

You make the following table of observation for repeated trials varying object distance u and the image distance v:

Trial no:  Dist u of object from the pole . Distance v of image from the pole. Focal legnth f = uv/((u+v)

After doing different trials you can find the average focal length from the last column.

What part does Tobe, the manservant, play in Miss Emily's history?

Tobe enables Miss Emily's fantasy life; he is the most immediate representative of the town, which serves her without challenging her.

Tobe is also a sign of how far she's let herself go, for he does things that male servants should not, such as keep the kitchen up.

 

Finally, Tobe is a marker of Miss Emily's position in history. That is to say, their relationship is a residue of the race relations of the South, and would not have existed elsewhere in this form.

What are some issues with ethics in business advertising? Can you analyze and reflect on ethics in advertising?

One aspect of ethics in advertising is the concept of pure truth or useful truth.  Pure truth very often cannot illustrate the product's best qualities, for example.  Volvo cars are built on a steel cage which makes them safer than cars that are not constructed this way. 

Therefore, in order to illustrate this truth about Volvo, the company has to formulate advertising in a way that will get the customer's attention and convey this very important message, about Volvo's superior construction. 

So Volvo has to stage a crash of some kind to compare their car to other makes and models to illustrate how the Volvo will hold up and protect the passengers.  This is known as useful truth in advertising.  Even though the ad is rigged to make sure the Volvo comes out of the simulated accident intact, the ad is still ethical and essentially true.

"Volvo's ad agency thought this would be a great idea for a commercial.  So they reinforced the beams inside the car to stand repeated assaults by the monster truck. When this came out in the press, Volvo was pilloried and the ad agency got fired, ultimately going out of business. Did that serve them right? Or was it a bum rap? In real life, a Volvo would stand up to one squashing by a monster truck. No question the TV demo was rigged. But what it showed was the truth."  

What is Twain satirizing in the episode where Colonel Sherburn shoots Boggs?

In my opinion, Mark Twain is satirizing the pre Civil War
tendency of Southerners to be very concerned with their personal
honor.

The South had evolved a society where the highest
classes saw themselves as similar to the aristocrats of old Europe.  They felt that
their personal honor was so important that it was not at all uncommon for them to fight
duels when they felt they had been insulted.  This was part of the society that was
responsible for slavery as well.

Twain satirizes this by
having Colonel Sherburne be so jealous of his reputation that he shoots Boggs for being
disrespectful.

What is Twain satirizing in the episode where Colonel Sherburn shoots Boggs?

In my opinion, Mark Twain is satirizing the pre Civil War tendency of Southerners to be very concerned with their personal honor.

The South had evolved a society where the highest classes saw themselves as similar to the aristocrats of old Europe.  They felt that their personal honor was so important that it was not at all uncommon for them to fight duels when they felt they had been insulted.  This was part of the society that was responsible for slavery as well.

Twain satirizes this by having Colonel Sherburne be so jealous of his reputation that he shoots Boggs for being disrespectful.

When did the hurricane hit in "The Cay"?

Phillip and Timothy, the two survivors of the boat that was torpedoed, are stranded on a small island.  While there, they build a shelter and forage for food to survive.  After settling in, Timothy becomes very sick with malaria.  It is after this that the hurricane hits.  They tie themselves to palm trees in order to survive the deadly winds, and are forced to rebuild their shelter after the storm passes.  In the book, this takes place in Chapter 14.

Why does Orwell think that language has degenerated so much?

George Orwell, in his 1946 essay, "Politics and the
English Language," says that

readability="5">

it is clear that the decline of a language must
ultimately have political and economic
causes:

Among the problems of
modern English are:

1. The first is staleness of
   imagery ("Dying metaphors.")


2. the
   other is lack of precision ("Pretentious diction." and
   problems picking out appropriate verbs and
   nouns

What causes these two problems?  From the
book 1984, I would
suggest:

• censorship: by the state, church, or
  other institution


• overuse of technical jargon and
  nomenclature


• overuse of politically correct language
  (euphemism and litote)


• general laziness in thought:
  thought corrupts language and language corrupts
  thought.


• too much information, so the public cannot
  recognize misinformation and propaganda from good
  information


• fear of surveillance, profiling, and
  violation of freedoms of speech by the
  government


• technology and entertainment replacing
  books

Orwell's advice to correcting these
problems:

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure
of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never
us a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is
possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never
use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use
a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday
English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner
than say anything outright barbarous.

Why does Orwell think that language has degenerated so much?

George Orwell, in his 1946 essay, "Politics and the English Language," says that

it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes:

Among the problems of modern English are:

1. The first is staleness of imagery ("Dying metaphors.")


2. the other is lack of precision ("Pretentious diction." and problems picking out appropriate verbs and nouns

What causes these two problems?  From the book 1984, I would suggest:

• censorship: by the state, church, or other institution


• overuse of technical jargon and nomenclature


• overuse of politically correct language (euphemism and litote)


• general laziness in thought: thought corrupts language and language corrupts thought.


• too much information, so the public cannot recognize misinformation and propaganda from good information


• fear of surveillance, profiling, and violation of freedoms of speech by the government


• technology and entertainment replacing books

Orwell's advice to correcting these problems:

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never us a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

What sport does Ponyboy excel in?

In this book, Ponyboy is a pretty good track athlete at
his high school.  I do not know that he is a star, but he is quite good at it.  He
mentions this a number of times in the book.

One place we
see this is in the part where the newspaper has an article about Pony and Johnny
rescuing the kids.  It talks about their home lives and, in Pony's case, it talks about
how he is a good student and a possible future track star.  Pony says at this point that
he is the youngest kid on the varsity track team.

What sport does Ponyboy excel in?

In this book, Ponyboy is a pretty good track athlete at his high school.  I do not know that he is a star, but he is quite good at it.  He mentions this a number of times in the book.

One place we see this is in the part where the newspaper has an article about Pony and Johnny rescuing the kids.  It talks about their home lives and, in Pony's case, it talks about how he is a good student and a possible future track star.  Pony says at this point that he is the youngest kid on the varsity track team.

What is the totality of the story "Homesick: My Own Story" by Jean Fritz? I am asking for the setting, character, plot, theme, nd point of view of...

The setting of this story is China, in the early 20th century, the story takes place between 1925-1927

The main characters are Jean, a 12 year old girl, her parents, Arthur and Myrtle, who are Christian missionaries.  The Hull family, also missionaries, along with their children, Andrea and David, who is adopted.

The plot of this story involves Jean's struggle growing up in China.  She has never seen her home country, America. 

"Jean has only her imagination and the letters from her grandmother in Pennsylvania upon which to base her image of "home." As she dreams about the U.S., she almost forgets how much she cares about China."

"Images of home and roots fill the episodes in this book, developing ideas about what it means to be a foreigner and what it means to belong. Jean's own journey of self-discovery complements this theme."

The story is somewhat autobiographical combined together with fiction.  The narrative emerges through the voice of 12 year old Jean. 

Is it okay to use only a part of a poem when you are writing an essay about it?for example, if you were to write about John Donne's attitude...

If you are being asked to write about John Donne's
attitude toward love in the above referenced poem, that sounds like the prompt is asking
you to look at a theme. Theme, tone, voice, mood, and author's purpose are all related
to your task and generally do take shape throughout a
piece.

I agree that if citing lines or using examples from
the poem you should carefully watch how this changes over the course of the piece and
pick quotes from the beginning, middle, and end. Often, a lesson learned and displayed
through a work like that is presented in one light in the beginning, but changes by the
end.

If after reading the entire poem you find there is no
change in attitude and the best quotes or references come from the beginning, I would
use those.

Is it okay to use only a part of a poem when you are writing an essay about it?for example, if you were to write about John Donne's attitude...

If you are being asked to write about John Donne's attitude toward love in the above referenced poem, that sounds like the prompt is asking you to look at a theme. Theme, tone, voice, mood, and author's purpose are all related to your task and generally do take shape throughout a piece.

I agree that if citing lines or using examples from the poem you should carefully watch how this changes over the course of the piece and pick quotes from the beginning, middle, and end. Often, a lesson learned and displayed through a work like that is presented in one light in the beginning, but changes by the end.

If after reading the entire poem you find there is no change in attitude and the best quotes or references come from the beginning, I would use those.

What are the conflicts in the story "To Build a Fire"?

There is an obvious external conflict in the story, To Build a Fire. which is man vs. nature. The "Newcomer" as he is referred to is battling the harsh temperatures for the entire story and trying to stay alive by building a fire. He struggles with wet feet, matches, snow, even the dog, in his attempts to combat the cold. An internal conflict would be his underestimation of his own ability to stay alive in such extreme weather: he ignored advice of the Old Timer who warned him that the temperature was too cold. Additionally, he had never traveled this route before, so he in essence was in conflict with himself (not recognizing his limitations).

What is the conflict of the story, "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts"?what is the climax?

Shirley Jackson's story "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" does not follow the typical pattern of most short stories. There is no true conflict in the story, no person vs. person or person vs. nature or the like. You could possibly find person vs. society in this story, but only when you've reflected on the way it ends.

You might add a different kind of conflict to describe this story: appearance vs. reality. On the surface, Mr. Johnson appears to be a kindly man who spends his day doing good for other people. The reality, however, is that his good deeds are just a facade. We learn from the surprise ending that his wife has spent the day being mean to other people and that, surprisingly, they take turns being the good guy and the bad guy.

Was the author successful getting the tone of the poem across to you, the reader? What are the metaphors and Symbols in this poem? Whats it about?...

In this poem by Longfellow, "the children's hour" is that
time:

Between
the dark and the daylight,
   When the night is beginning to
lower

When it is time for
children to go to bed. The children are getting ready for bed -- their father hears them
getting ready in the room above, and soon they are scrambling onto his lap for a bedtime
story.

Yet I
know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
  
To take me by surprise.

The
children are planning to coerce their father into telling them a bedtime story. The the
Bishop of Bingen is a character in a story that the father has no doubt told to the
children before. It is probably a tale of romance, of knights and princesses that need
to be rescued from high "turrets" and "fortresses". The castle imagery is a metaphor for
the fairy-tale stores the father has told and the children enjoy. "Blue eyed banditi" is
a metaphor for the children - bandits with blue eyes, that are forcing him to tell them
a story, but they are no match for him, because he loves them and wants to tell them a
story anyway.

He continues with the castle imagery to
describe his love for the children"

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I have you fast in my fortress,
   And
will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
   In the
round-tower of my heart.

His
fortress is his armchair, or his study, and while they are there, he can love them, tell
them stories, and keep them in his heart.

Longfellow had
five children and was known to be a tender and loving father. I think this comes across
in the poem, and it is succesful, don't you agree?

Was the author successful getting the tone of the poem across to you, the reader? What are the metaphors and Symbols in this poem? Whats it about?...

In this poem by Longfellow, "the children's hour" is that time:

Between the dark and the daylight,
   When the night is beginning to lower

When it is time for children to go to bed. The children are getting ready for bed -- their father hears them getting ready in the room above, and soon they are scrambling onto his lap for a bedtime story.

Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
   To take me by surprise.

The children are planning to coerce their father into telling them a bedtime story. The the Bishop of Bingen is a character in a story that the father has no doubt told to the children before. It is probably a tale of romance, of knights and princesses that need to be rescued from high "turrets" and "fortresses". The castle imagery is a metaphor for the fairy-tale stores the father has told and the children enjoy. "Blue eyed banditi" is a metaphor for the children - bandits with blue eyes, that are forcing him to tell them a story, but they are no match for him, because he loves them and wants to tell them a story anyway.

He continues with the castle imagery to describe his love for the children"

I have you fast in my fortress,
   And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
   In the round-tower of my heart.

His fortress is his armchair, or his study, and while they are there, he can love them, tell them stories, and keep them in his heart.

Longfellow had five children and was known to be a tender and loving father. I think this comes across in the poem, and it is succesful, don't you agree?

Neddy is alive at the end of "The Swimmer," so what happens to him after he finds his house for sale and family gone?

This story is full of wonderful themes like illusion vs. reality and alienation and loneliness.  Neddy is an interesting character because he prides himself on being a little "odd" and because he has this vision of how others see him and how he sees himself.  What is ironic about Neddy's journey through the pools he swims is that he gets lonlier the more he swims!  He is utterly alone and cold and wet by the time he arrives home. There is no one there and the reader is left with him pounding on his door although no one is home.

Personally, I see Neddy having a complete and utter breakdown.  I don't find him to be a particularly redeemable character, so in my opinion, he is reaping what he has sown, so to speak.  He is now going to pay for the attitude he has had and for the affairs he's partaken in, among other things.  This episode at the end is only the beginning of his miseries.

In "The Raven" what specific words serve to establish mood? What lines and phrases occurring later in the poem sustain this mood?mood or atmosphere

In the beginning, I like the words midnight
dreary, weary, nearly napping, bleak December, and dying ember.
For me, these words make me feel that late night quiet, cold outside but warm
inside atmosphere. They also make me feel that almost asleep place of
comfort.

In the third stanza,
the lines "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me -
filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before" make me feel a mood of
terror or fright.

In the last
four stanzas, references to demons, the devil, evil, a fiend, and a shadow maintain that
terror or fear, because fear generally comes from
evil.

The comfort from the
beginning is referenced by his question, "Is there - is there balm
in Gilead?" This balm of Gilead is an allusion to substance noted in the bible that
comforts, soothes and restores. The raven tells the speaker no,
nevermore.

In "The Raven" what specific words serve to establish mood? What lines and phrases occurring later in the poem sustain this mood?mood or atmosphere

In the beginning, I like the words midnight dreary, weary, nearly napping, bleak December, and dying ember. For me, these words make me feel that late night quiet, cold outside but warm inside atmosphere. They also make me feel that almost asleep place of comfort.

In the third stanza, the lines "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before" make me feel a mood of terror or fright.

In the last four stanzas, references to demons, the devil, evil, a fiend, and a shadow maintain that terror or fear, because fear generally comes from evil.

The comfort from the beginning is referenced by his question, "Is there - is there balm in Gilead?" This balm of Gilead is an allusion to substance noted in the bible that comforts, soothes and restores. The raven tells the speaker no, nevermore.

Why do the animals suffer in "Animal Farm"? Is it because of Napoleon's behavior or their own weaknesses?

Very good question. 

 In reality, neither are the primary cause for the animal's suffering in the story.  While Napoleon has obviously molded himself into a tyrant worse than any human the animals have dealt with before their revolution, alot of the problems are only allowed to continue do to the animal's own weaknesses.  Granted the attack dogs are a deterrent, but they've dealt with armed farmers, what had stopped them from rising up again?  Boxer's death should've been the most obvious wake up call.  

For example, take the charactere Benjamin.  He's lived a long time, and its no secret that he takes no sort of enthusiasm from any promises made by either Snowball or Napoleon.  Unlike alot of the other animals, he has an insight that allows him to think outside of the 'herd'.  The chapter with Boxer's departure is the first time he ever really does anything close to disent, yet he's known the whole time pretty much what the pigs are up to.  Its his own stubborness that keeps him from reading the changing commandments when he is one of the few who can read as well.

You also have more naive characters like Boxer and Clover, who really want whats best for the farm, and are the very sort of hard working people someone can manipulate.  The sheep don't think for themselves, and its almost as if the animals are in denial, which could be way they so easily dismiss their own suspicions.  

So I would say it would be both. 

How does the Watergate, Iran-contra, and Clinton impeachment scandals compare?

Public vs. private is the major distinction of the three
political scandals. Only one of the scandals, the Iran-Contra affair, involved scandal
on an international scale. However, each scandal made an impact on U.S.
history.

Watergate has been
called the greatest political scandal of all time. It was a scandal of epic proportions,
even though it only involved Americans directly. Pres. Nixon, who held the most power
and influence in the U.S., directed and funded (using taxpayer money) a break-in. All of
the evidence pointed to Nixon, including wire taps he had installed in his own office.
After being found guilty of the actual and related crimes, Pres. Nixon was forced into a
humiliating, public resignation.

President
Clinton faced impeachment and removal from office after it became obvious
that he used carefully-worded language to lie about an affair. During that time, many
people stated that Clinton's lies hurt no one but his family. The belief was that the
president's behavior was his own business. However, the affair did tarnish the world had
of the U.S; jokes about the president were
common.

Government officials normally refuse to negotiate
with individuals who hold captives however the Iran-Contra
affair was a case of indirect negotiation. The Iran-Contra affair had an impact on the
U.S. international standing. Not only was diversion of government funds and cover-up
exposed, but this affair was on an international scale. The situation began innocently
enough with an attempt to help Iran, but the effort fell through. No evidence of the
unethical act points directly to President Reagan.

Pres.
Nixon's offense is the most offensive because he willfully committed a crime and then
covered it up.

How does the Watergate, Iran-contra, and Clinton impeachment scandals compare?

Public vs. private is the major distinction of the three political scandals. Only one of the scandals, the Iran-Contra affair, involved scandal on an international scale. However, each scandal made an impact on U.S. history.

Watergate has been called the greatest political scandal of all time. It was a scandal of epic proportions, even though it only involved Americans directly. Pres. Nixon, who held the most power and influence in the U.S., directed and funded (using taxpayer money) a break-in. All of the evidence pointed to Nixon, including wire taps he had installed in his own office. After being found guilty of the actual and related crimes, Pres. Nixon was forced into a humiliating, public resignation.

President Clinton faced impeachment and removal from office after it became obvious that he used carefully-worded language to lie about an affair. During that time, many people stated that Clinton's lies hurt no one but his family. The belief was that the president's behavior was his own business. However, the affair did tarnish the world had of the U.S; jokes about the president were common.

Government officials normally refuse to negotiate with individuals who hold captives however the Iran-Contra affair was a case of indirect negotiation. The Iran-Contra affair had an impact on the U.S. international standing. Not only was diversion of government funds and cover-up exposed, but this affair was on an international scale. The situation began innocently enough with an attempt to help Iran, but the effort fell through. No evidence of the unethical act points directly to President Reagan.

Pres. Nixon's offense is the most offensive because he willfully committed a crime and then covered it up.

For "The Things They Carried," list the things the men carried as they moved through the Vietnamese country side.

The things the soldiers carry are far too many to list here.  It might work better to categorize the things the men carry.  For instance, the men carry personal items from home (letters and pictures), items of personal necessity (toot brushes, pocket knives, Kool Aid, and desserts), items belonging to soldiers (machine guns, boots, helmets, flack jackets), items based on rank and expertise (Henry Dobbins was a large man so he carried a larger weapon and Rat Kiley was the medic so he carried morphine), items that varied based on their missions (machetes and bug juice), items based on superstition (a Bible, a sling shot, dope). 

In addition to these, O'Brien observes they also carry themselves, ghosts, the land itself, emotional baggage, and - the heaviest burdens of all - the memories of the fear they experienced and the things they did.

The second link below takes you to an excellent critical source that analyzes the physical and mental burden the war has on the men.

What is Juliet feeling in the soliloquy, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"?

Juliet feels thwarted initially. When she says "wherefore art thou Romeo," it is as if she is railing against fate for making her fall for an enemy. After that, she feels the way most of us feel when we realize life is unfair: angry, frustrated, and resistant. If family is the problem, then she rejects her family obligations, telling Romeo to "Deny thy father and refuse thy name;" or, failing that, offering to do the same for him. I don't think she's thought this through at this point. She is very much like a teenager who sees black and white, and hasn't thought about the implications of what she calls for. So her impulse is to reject their identies. This shows how deeply troubled she is.

She knows that the Romeo she has fallen for has none of the markings of an enemy, certainly not any of his body parts. So she has two options: change reality "O be some other name!" or argue herself into rejecting the possibility that the family feud could extend to him. So she experiences conflict between doing right by her family and having her heart's desire.

And she wants her way.

In "Farhenheit 451," why does Captain Beatty view the books he's read with such contempt?

Captain Beatty is a member of the majority of the society who rationalize the burning of books.  As Fire Chief, he enjoys his work. 

Captain Beatty, obviously well read, misses his books, but would never outwardly admit it to anyone.  He is a contradiction.  He sounds like a man rejected in a romantic relationship when he talks about books. He feels abandoned by the books, giving them human qualities, even though he accepts the policy of book burning. 

"What traitors books can be! You think they're backing you up, and they turn on you. Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives." (Bradbury, pg. 107)

He covers up the fact that books had real value to him, and pretends that he fully embraces his life as Fire Chief.   

In George Eliot's Silas Marner, what three events most affect Silas' character development (growth and change)?

In Ch.I George Eliot tells us  that "Silas Marner's inward life, had been a history and a metamorphosis."  The novel traces three important stages in the life of  Silas Marner.

1. "The lot declared that Silas was guilty." ch.1.Based on circumstantial evidence, the church in Lantern Yard mistakenly judges Silas to be guilty of stealing the church money. Silas' fiancee Sarah refuses to marry him and instead marries his friend William. Soon, Silas Marner leaves Lantern Yard permanently.

2. In Ch.5 Silas discovers that the money which he has worked hard and saved has been stolen. On New year's day Silas discovers an infant girl who has crawled unnoticed into his house Ch.12. The baby girl is actually Dunstan and Molly's daughter. Molly is now dead and Dunstan does not reveal that he is the father. In Ch.13 Silas decides to adopt the child:"No,no I can't part with it,I can't let it go" said Silas abruptly,"It's come to me I've a right to keep it." Silas becomes increasingly attached  to the baby girl and names her Eppie after his mother and sister.

3. In Ch.19 Silas Marner recovers his lost gold but instead of feeling happy he feels uneasy and tells Eppie that he has a premonition that he might lose her. Just then Dunstan and Nancy enter his house and request him to allow them to adopt to adopt Eppie. Silas agrees but Eppie firmly refuses:"But I can't leave my father, nor own anybody nearer than him."

What is the significance of the "Little Shirley Beans" record and the fact that Holden breaks it?

The record, "Little Shirley Beans", is symbolic of childhood and the sense of innocence of which Holden is afraid to let go.  Fittingly, the song is "about a little kid that wouldn't go out of the house because two of her front teeth were out and she was ashamed to".  Like Holden, the little girl in the song is afraid of the changes that accompany growing older, in her case, the loss of her baby teeth. Holden pays five dollars for the record, which is a lot of money. Symbolically, he would pay dearly to be able to avoid the reality of growing up (Chapter 16). 

When the record breaks "into about fifty pieces", it represents the dissolution of Holden's dream of being able to avoid entering the world of adulthood.  Holden had tried to protect his dream of childhood and innocence, keeping it carefully "in a big envelope and all", but despite his best efforts, the record still shatters.  This indicates that, try as he might, Holden is going to be forced to let go of the past and face the future, leaving the security of childhood behind (Chapter 20).

What do you think C. S. Lewis wants the reader to learn from the change that Digory undergoes in The Magician's Nephew?

All of the books in the Narnia series have strong moral
lessons, and in this one the main character, Digory (the professors' nephew) grows from
a self-centered boy into a young man with principles. In the beginning of the novel,
Digory is a miserable, whiny kid that is feeling sorry for himself because he is in
London with his uncle and sickly mother. He likes to do risky things and does not think
about the consequences. As a result, he and his friend, Polly, get into a lot of
trouble.

However, as the novel progresses, Digory changes.
He starts to think more about his actions. He matures. He learns to put people ahead of
his own selfish wants. When his uncle Andrew comes under the spell of Jadis, the evil
witch, Digory is the one who decides to bring her into Narnia. In doing this, he
releases sin into that world (similar to the Adam and Eve story in the Bible). Luckily,
though, Narnia is ruled by Aslan, whom Jadis cannot defeat. Aslan gives Digory a chance
to redeem himself and sends him to retrieve a magic apple. Digory resists eating the
apple, even though he wants to eat it very much and take one for his mother as well. In
the past, he would not have hesitated to eat it. He now realizes that his mother would
not approve of him stealing something, even if it will heal
her.

In making the choice not to eat the apple, Digory
illustrates that he has learned one of life's most important lessons: sometimes doing
the right thing is hard and requires extreme sacrifice. Since Digory makes the right
decision, Aslan rewards him and gives him the apple. Digory's mother is cured, and
Digory plants the apple which grows into a tree, the wood of which he uses to build the
famous WARDROBE that begins the other stories.

Lewis'
message, I believe, reflects the Biblical truth that just because something is difficult
does not mean we should not do it, if it is the right thing to
do.

What do you think C. S. Lewis wants the reader to learn from the change that Digory undergoes in The Magician's Nephew?

All of the books in the Narnia series have strong moral lessons, and in this one the main character, Digory (the professors' nephew) grows from a self-centered boy into a young man with principles. In the beginning of the novel, Digory is a miserable, whiny kid that is feeling sorry for himself because he is in London with his uncle and sickly mother. He likes to do risky things and does not think about the consequences. As a result, he and his friend, Polly, get into a lot of trouble.

However, as the novel progresses, Digory changes. He starts to think more about his actions. He matures. He learns to put people ahead of his own selfish wants. When his uncle Andrew comes under the spell of Jadis, the evil witch, Digory is the one who decides to bring her into Narnia. In doing this, he releases sin into that world (similar to the Adam and Eve story in the Bible). Luckily, though, Narnia is ruled by Aslan, whom Jadis cannot defeat. Aslan gives Digory a chance to redeem himself and sends him to retrieve a magic apple. Digory resists eating the apple, even though he wants to eat it very much and take one for his mother as well. In the past, he would not have hesitated to eat it. He now realizes that his mother would not approve of him stealing something, even if it will heal her.

In making the choice not to eat the apple, Digory illustrates that he has learned one of life's most important lessons: sometimes doing the right thing is hard and requires extreme sacrifice. Since Digory makes the right decision, Aslan rewards him and gives him the apple. Digory's mother is cured, and Digory plants the apple which grows into a tree, the wood of which he uses to build the famous WARDROBE that begins the other stories.

Lewis' message, I believe, reflects the Biblical truth that just because something is difficult does not mean we should not do it, if it is the right thing to do.

In "The Tale-Tell Heart," how is suspense created by the writer?

Poe was a master at creating suspense. He is able to create suspense by introducing us to an unstable narrator (what we can an unreliable narrator) who clearly is mentally ill. Because of this, the reader does not know what to expect from him. This definitely builds suspense when the reader can bet on the unexpected from a narrator.

One of the main events that builds suspense is when the narrator watches the boarding house owner at night, staying still for the entire night. The reader is there with him while he does this and while he plots to kill the boarding house owner.

Also, Poe uses stream of consciousness in this story and as the narrator lets the police into the boarding house, the narrator's thoughts become more and more fragmented until the narrator screams his admission of guilt.

Why was the book "The Color Purple" banned? What was done to allow the book "The Color Purple" not to be banned?

"The Color Purple" has been banned for a variety of reasons. Some of them include: homosexuality, sexual explicitness, offensive language, and "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." As far as "The Color Purple" not being banned, it depends on the specific case as to why it was or was not allowed to be taught, read or left in a library. Usually some sort of committee will decide whether the literary merits of the book out weight the "negative" aspects of the book.

What is the difference between communicative language teaching approach and the traditional approach?

Great question!

As of the
advent of the 21st century teaching and learning paradigm, the word "traditional" is a
bit taboo. We are expected to break away from traditional teaching models and become
facilitators, rather than instructors. However, this has not quite been the case in EFL
OR FL language programs because the current research intends for regular classroom
teachers to have every resource available in the classroom for the purposes of
differentiation, and not enough focus has been placed on ESL learners. In fact, we have
a myriad of "quick fix its" that assure fast results per purchase. Unfortunately, not
enough qualitative research has been placed upon EFL/FL programs, and not enough
quantitative research is available to determine whether those countless and new "hip"
language programs are indeed effective in terms of accuracy, retention, and the very
important aspect of inferencing, which is prime when learning a second
language.

That being said, the two teaching methods that
your question addresses can basically be labeled as "the old and the not so
old."

In the past, we believed as educators that the way to
engage the senses in the process of language learning was to have the students "hear",
"see" and "repeat". This was evident in how many spelling and vocabulary words we would
assign students to memorize.  When Stephen Krashen (1987) provided us with his "natural
language" and "monitor language" hypotheses, he basically stated that we were wrong
because language is acquired in two different ways: Casually and formally. THAT is the
difference between the two methods you ask about.

The
cloze-filling, rote method was the traditional, old school way. As I explained, it
involved repetition and quick recall. It left out mannerisms, culture, intonation, and
inferencing.

The CLT method (Communicative Language
Teaching) filled in those gaps way back. It was one of the first methods that advocated
for open dialogue, and allowed mistakes to happen. It is a quasi real-life approach in
which the teacher basically talks to the student in the target language (a la immersion)
and has the student talk back using as much of the target language as possible. Special
emphasis is given to personal life experiences and situations that are relevant to the
student. It is way more effective than the cloze/rote method because the student is
actually engaged in the process, and the engagement causes the student to maintain
focus.

These days we know about extensive reading, blogs,
and technology as the best ways to casually learn a target language because in the
process of trying to understand a situation the student has to problem solve and infer.
THOSE are powerful cognitive tools that lead to acquiring and storing information in the
long term memory.

Hope this helps!

What is the difference between communicative language teaching approach and the traditional approach?

Great question!

As of the advent of the 21st century teaching and learning paradigm, the word "traditional" is a bit taboo. We are expected to break away from traditional teaching models and become facilitators, rather than instructors. However, this has not quite been the case in EFL OR FL language programs because the current research intends for regular classroom teachers to have every resource available in the classroom for the purposes of differentiation, and not enough focus has been placed on ESL learners. In fact, we have a myriad of "quick fix its" that assure fast results per purchase. Unfortunately, not enough qualitative research has been placed upon EFL/FL programs, and not enough quantitative research is available to determine whether those countless and new "hip" language programs are indeed effective in terms of accuracy, retention, and the very important aspect of inferencing, which is prime when learning a second language.

That being said, the two teaching methods that your question addresses can basically be labeled as "the old and the not so old."

In the past, we believed as educators that the way to engage the senses in the process of language learning was to have the students "hear", "see" and "repeat". This was evident in how many spelling and vocabulary words we would assign students to memorize.  When Stephen Krashen (1987) provided us with his "natural language" and "monitor language" hypotheses, he basically stated that we were wrong because language is acquired in two different ways: Casually and formally. THAT is the difference between the two methods you ask about.

The cloze-filling, rote method was the traditional, old school way. As I explained, it involved repetition and quick recall. It left out mannerisms, culture, intonation, and inferencing.

The CLT method (Communicative Language Teaching) filled in those gaps way back. It was one of the first methods that advocated for open dialogue, and allowed mistakes to happen. It is a quasi real-life approach in which the teacher basically talks to the student in the target language (a la immersion) and has the student talk back using as much of the target language as possible. Special emphasis is given to personal life experiences and situations that are relevant to the student. It is way more effective than the cloze/rote method because the student is actually engaged in the process, and the engagement causes the student to maintain focus.

These days we know about extensive reading, blogs, and technology as the best ways to casually learn a target language because in the process of trying to understand a situation the student has to problem solve and infer. THOSE are powerful cognitive tools that lead to acquiring and storing information in the long term memory.

Hope this helps!

In "To His Coy Mistress," why does the speaker leave behind the biblical frame as he moves beyond the poem's beginning?the beginning refers to a...

The speaker refers to the sense of biblical time in the beginning of the poem because at the time it was written most people were aware of the contents of the Bible and knew about such events as Noah's ark during the flood (in the first book of the Bible, Genesis) and the "conversion of the Jews" which is told about in the book of Revelation (the last book of the Bible).  Since the young lady (and the reader) would understand the content that he is referring to, it substantiates his plea that if he had all that time (from the beginning of the earth, to the end) that he would use the thousands of years at his disposal to win her over.  He changes from this biblical time frame at the beginning to emphasize the here and now, or life at the present time.  His poem is interrupted in the next two stanzas by emphasizing the present tense.  Each begins with a dramatic contrast that leads into the present time at hand, such as "But at my back I always hear, time's winged chariot hurrying near;"  and "Now therefore, while the youthful hue, sits on thy skin like morning dew..."

His argument stands that, in fact, they do not have all the time in the world, from the days of creation to the return of Christ, and that they should use the time that they have to pursue each other passionately before the hour glass of their lives together runs out.   

What are three ways Pygmalion differs from My Fair Lady?

One difference is that in the play Pygmalion, Eliza enters the room when her father is finishing his busines of "letting her go" for a sum of five pounds.  She is dressed in a Japanese kimono and Doolittle does not recognize her.  In the musical, Eliza is cleaned up and dressed in Victorian clothing, not a kimono.

The ballroom scene is an "optional" scene which Shaw wrote for the screen version.  Here, Pickering and Higgins are worried that the Hungarian interpreter (Nepommuck) and former student of Higgins' will discover their game.  Eliza wins him over with flying colors since she is proclaimed to be royalty of some nature.  This scene is not in the original play.

There is another "optional" scene in Act four when Eliza storms angrily out of Higgins' house since he has failed to recognize her part in his successes with Nepommuck.  She runs into Freddy, who has been spending many of his nights gazing up at her window from the street. They kiss passionately and she suggests they ride around in a cab all night since they have been interrupted by several police officers.

In Act five, it is unclear in the film version what Eliza will do at the play's end.  There is a hint that she will stay and run Higgins' household affairs and even that the two of them may become romantically involved.

In the original play, Eliza claims she will marry Freddy, but Higgins seems to think she will stay with him.

In the book "Bronze Bow", what is the significance of the quote about the bronze bow on page 87, Chapter 7?

The quote is significant because it symbolizes the union of Joel and Thacia with Daniel, joined together with the common purpose of working to free the Jewish people from Roman subjugation.  Daniel, whose father was crucified by the Romans, has vowed to do whatever he can to rid the land of the oppressors, and has "longed to share the burden that he (has) carried alone for so many years".  Joel and Thacia are galvanized into action after hearing Daniel's story, and join him in resolving to "do anything...to make the country free again".  The three young people swear on the Book of Enoch to "fight for Israel...for God's Victory", and the bronze bow acclaimed in the Book of Enoch will be the sign by which they will communicate.

The quote about the bronze bow,

"He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze",

has a direct meaning for Daniel, Joel, and Thacia as well.  Bronze is a metal known for its hardness; Daniel notes that, taken literally, "the strongest man could not bend a bow of bronze".  It is Thacia who grasps the deeper meaning of the quote.  She explains that "when God strengthens us we can do something that seems impossible" - like bend a bow that is known to be made of a material that man cannot bend, or free the land of Israel from under mighty Roman rule (Chapter 7).

What is Hardy's philosophy of life in "The Return of the Native"? Why can't the main characters of Return of the Native be called "rustic...

. While we take an attempt to  peep into Hardy's philosophy of life , we must bring into account the  role and function of chance, co-incidence and accident in a noble of Hardy, we should certainly look into Hardy’s pessimistic cum tragic vision of life .To Hardy ‘happiness is but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain’. Fatalism and its predominating influence on human life are the other factors that lead Hardy to conclude that life is summation of chance, co-incidence and accident. Irony of fate, situation and environment as expounded in Greek tragedies recur in Hardy’s novel. Hardy’s penetrative vision could read the heart-beat of fate and there by he did not find any surety and security in man’s life.

“The Return of the Native” in particular and the other novels in general exhibit the concept of fatalism through the instrument of fate,- as chance, co-incidence and accident. The major character’s of ‘The Return of the Native’, - we may mention Eustacia and Wildeve and with some extent the minor characters, like Thomasin and Mrs. Yeobright, simply become the prey of Egdon who symbolizes first of all fate of Greek tragedy and secondly ‘nature incarnate’.

Egdon, the fate of puts traps on the ways of the aforesaid characters that show sense, intellect feeling, whim or disgust of their own. The devices chance, co-incidence and accident in this novel are in the hands of Egdon just as the rope or string remains in the invisible hand of the puppet dancing master who at this will alters, moves, and shifts these puppets in a stage. Life is a stage and fate controls, guides, and moves human beings as she wills. And understudy of Hardy’s novel ‘The Return of the Native’ presents before us the following chances, co-incidence and accident.

Expect the characters ,- Eustacia , and Wild eve all other characters are rustics .They are the product of Egdon .These two characters are foreigners . Clym ,-the hero of the novel is sin to the soil .

What is the theme of the story, "The Catbird Seat"?

In this story about a meek, mild-mannered obsessive-compulsive man who sees his neat, ordered world that he loves falling apart due to a woman who is his polar opposite.  Mr. Martin fears that his job is about to be eliminated from the company where he works because Mrs. Barrows, a corporate re-organizer, doesn't see him as necessary.  In this way, there is a conflict between the two of them.  Martin has to figure a way to discredit Mrs. Barrows.  He hits upon the perfect plan - kill her.  When he can't find a murder weapon, he hits upon an even more diabolical plan - make her appear to be crazy.  Everyone knows Martin is a man who is addicted to his very conservative ways.  He never drinks or smokes.  He does all this and more in front of Mrs. Barrows, and then says he is going to blow up the boss, so the next day when she tells everyone about what she saw and heard, she is relieved of her position because she is believed to be crazy.  A theme shown by could be expressed: don't assume because someone looks like an easy mark, that he is.  Sometimes, it really is the quiet ones who are the most surprising.

How does Rowlandson portray the Wompanoag in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson?

I agree one hundred percent with the original answerer. 
The Wompanoag ARE portrayed as "devilish creatures," . . . for the most part.  I say
this because one of my very favorite research papers I did in my college years was on
this literary piece and how ironic it was that Rowlandson included so many incidences of
compassion from the Wompanoag.  Therefore, take this with a grain of salt, . . . or at
least for an opposition paragraph someday at the beginning of a
paper.

Let me give a few examples that might guild that
opposition paragraph, however.  First, one of them actually gives Mary Rowlandson a
Bible out of the kindness of his heart:

readability="17">

I cannot but take notice of the wonderful mercy
of God to me in those afflictions, in sending me a Bible.  One of the Indians that came
from Medfield fight, had brought some plunder, came to me, and asked me, if I would have
a Bible, he had got one in his basket.  I was glad of it, and asked him, whether he
thought they would let me read?  He answered,
yes.

Very appropriate, of
course, that she gives GOD the credit for giving her the Bible (considering the graphic
context of the story).  Yet another example of compassion is Rowlandson's "light" load
she was given compared to the other captives:

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In this travel, because of my wound, I was
somewhat favored in my load; I carried only my knitting work and two quarts of parched
meal.

Other members of the
tribe give her good amounts of food at various times during the narrative (such as horse
liver, peas, cake, venison, nuts, broth, horse feet, beans, biscuits, and meal) just to
"comfort" her.  And, of course, there is the fact that her "master" of the Wampanoag
"showed me the way to my son," again, not necessary.

My
final conclusion was that, although the Wompanoag showed compassion, it was no different
than the compassion a white master showed to his African-American slaves on the
plantation.  Yet, the compassion still exists, . . . for what it's
worth.

How does Rowlandson portray the Wompanoag in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson?

I agree one hundred percent with the original answerer.  The Wompanoag ARE portrayed as "devilish creatures," . . . for the most part.  I say this because one of my very favorite research papers I did in my college years was on this literary piece and how ironic it was that Rowlandson included so many incidences of compassion from the Wompanoag.  Therefore, take this with a grain of salt, . . . or at least for an opposition paragraph someday at the beginning of a paper.

Let me give a few examples that might guild that opposition paragraph, however.  First, one of them actually gives Mary Rowlandson a Bible out of the kindness of his heart:

I cannot but take notice of the wonderful mercy of God to me in those afflictions, in sending me a Bible.  One of the Indians that came from Medfield fight, had brought some plunder, came to me, and asked me, if I would have a Bible, he had got one in his basket.  I was glad of it, and asked him, whether he thought they would let me read?  He answered, yes.

Very appropriate, of course, that she gives GOD the credit for giving her the Bible (considering the graphic context of the story).  Yet another example of compassion is Rowlandson's "light" load she was given compared to the other captives:

In this travel, because of my wound, I was somewhat favored in my load; I carried only my knitting work and two quarts of parched meal.

Other members of the tribe give her good amounts of food at various times during the narrative (such as horse liver, peas, cake, venison, nuts, broth, horse feet, beans, biscuits, and meal) just to "comfort" her.  And, of course, there is the fact that her "master" of the Wampanoag "showed me the way to my son," again, not necessary.

My final conclusion was that, although the Wompanoag showed compassion, it was no different than the compassion a white master showed to his African-American slaves on the plantation.  Yet, the compassion still exists, . . . for what it's worth.

What are the comparisons between Hamlet's speech 'Now might i do it, now is a praying..' and Claudius' speech 'Oh my offence is rank'?

The speeches occur in Act 3, sc. 3 shortly after the play that Hamlet had contrived for the players to perfom enacting the way in which, according to the ghost of King Hamlet, Claudius killed his brother. Claudius's reaction is proof to Hamlet that the ghost told him the truth.  Hamlet passes the chapel and notes that Claudius is alone in there. Claudius, while in the chapel, confesses his sins.  He admits (to no human ear) that he killed his brother.  He realizes that praying may not do him much good since he still reaps the benefits of his crime: the crown and Gertrude.  He appears to be truly sorry for killing King Hamlet, but he's not sorry for what he's gained.  Hamlet comes in unseen by Claudius.  He hasn't heard Claudius's words.  He knows he has an opportunity to kill Claudius, thus fulfilling his father's ghost request to get vengeance, but he doesn't want to let Claudius be in the act of praying and possibly receiving forgiveness because that would enable Claudius to go to heaven.  Hamlet says that his father was killed without being given the chance to repent his sins. Apparently, King Hamlet had some noteworthy sins because Hamlet doesn't think his father's chances of getting to heaven are good without repentance.  He doesn't want Claudius to have the chance for heaven when his own father was denied that chance.  Hamlet wants to catch Claudius sinning so that he goes to hell.

In "The Most Dangerous Game," what happens to Ivan ?

Ivan falls victim to Rainsford's knife, which was used as a spring trap released when walked upon. Zaroff is sorry to lose such a faithful servant and "henchman"; in the same way he laments the loss of his favourite hunting dog, which falls into a staked pit Rainsford had also prepared.

This parallel reinforces the fact that Zaroff makes no distinction between the status of a man and that of an animal. He regards them both in purely a utilitarian way - to satisfy his own compulsive need to kill.

In the story "The Rising of the Moon", whom does the singer reveal himself to be?

The singer, a man in ragged clothing, first identifies himself as "Jimmy Walsh", a ballad singer who only wants to sell some songs to sailors landing at the wharf.  By the end of the story, he reveals himself to be an escaped political criminal, an Irish rebel whose face is displayed on wanted posters and who is the object of an intense manhunt being conducted by the English government.  The irony of the story is that through the bulk of the narrative, the singer is speaking with a Sergeant who is involved in the search but does not recognize that the ragged man with whom he is conversing is the fugitive.  By the end of the story, the singer has brought the Sergeant to recognize unacknowledged Irish sympathies within himself, so when the rebel reveals whom he really is, the Sergeant allows him to escape.

In the short story "Greasy Lake" what exactly is the symbolic role of the biker in the story, and how does it contribute to the theme?

The biker, "Al," is symbolic of consequences for actions.  We're assuming that "Al" is the dead body in the murky, trash-filled lake.  His bike is parked at the edge of it and the boys do not know whose bike it is or where the person is that it belongs to.  However, after the narrator is forced to go into the lake to hide for fear of losing his life, he happens to run into the dead body that is floating in the lake.  He describes in detail how the body feels and this is when he has his epiphany (moment of enlightenment).  He realizes that he and his friends have been trying to be something they aren't..."bad" troublemakers.  The narrator knows that this isn't his true nature.  He and his friends are doing so because it is cool and they want to be seen as being cool.  They quickly realize, however, that almost raping a young woman and beating someone up with a tire iron are NOT cool things to do and that they all could have been killed because of their irresponsible and reprehensible actions.  Because running into the body of the biker initiates the narrator's epiphany, we can see this event as symbolic of the possible consequences of his and his friends' actions.

Does "The Destructors" have a happy ending? Why or why not?

No, this story doesn't have a happy ending.  It is a sad story of teenage boys whose mission is to destroy an innocent man's home for no reason other than it is still standing in the town that has been destroyed by World War II bombing.  The boys carefully plan how to destroy the house and do so over a couple of days, methodically and meticulously.  At the end of the story, a truck driver starts his truck and hears a crash behind him as he pulls off.  He doesn't realize that his truck has been tied to a main beam in the home and that he brought the entire home crashing to the ground until he steps out of his truck to look at it.  Mr. Thomas (the homeowner) is devastated when he sees it, but the truck driver laughs at the situation, which adds to the sadness and sheer meanness of what the boys did. 

In Dana Gioia's poem about money, what does "Greenbacks, double eagles, megabucks and Ginnie Mae" mean?

The poem in which these terms appears is titled "Money" and begins with a quotation from Wallace Stevens: "Money is a kind of poetry."

Each one of the terms you've asked about is used to refer to money:

Greenbacks originally referred to paper currency issued in 1861 to help pay for the Civil War. They were so green that people started calling them "greenbacks." Today, the term is used to mean any US paper money.

Double eagles are $20 US gold coins. They are called double eagles because the $10 coin is called an "eagle." The double eagle today is very valuable because it is rare.

Megabucks refers to having lots and lots of money.

Ginnie Mae is an acronym--GNMA--for the Government National Mortgage Association, which provides guarantees on mortgage-backed securities.

Visit the links below for more information.

Do you agree that Shakespeare is careful to balance the characters of Shylock and Antonio so that we do not feel more sympathy for one over the other?

Shakespeare gives Antonio a decidedly unsavory side to his
character while showing the persecution that Shylock justly feels a reaction to, so it
is possible, from one perspective, to read The Merchant of Venice
with very little sympathy for Antonio and much for Shylock. Granted, Shylock,
takes extreme measures in writing up his loan contract but Antonio displays extreme
arrogance in cavalierly agreeing to it even though Bassanio has the sense to protest
it.

Shylock accuses Antonio of unchristian and uncivil,
truly deplorable behavior, which Antonio not only doesn't deny, but claims he'll commit
again, and worse, if given the chance. In the opening scene Antonio tells his friends
that he is not gloomy about finances because he is not dependent on the success or
failure of his present shipping venture. Yet, a few moments later, he tells Bessanio
that he has nothing with which to provide him a loan, thus forcing the conflict of the
play caused by an appeal to Shylock for a loan. One reading of Antonio's words
recognizes that he lies to his friends about his finances and then is forced to confess
the truth to Bassanio.

Do you agree that Shakespeare is careful to balance the characters of Shylock and Antonio so that we do not feel more sympathy for one over the other?

Shakespeare gives Antonio a decidedly unsavory side to his character while showing the persecution that Shylock justly feels a reaction to, so it is possible, from one perspective, to read The Merchant of Venice with very little sympathy for Antonio and much for Shylock. Granted, Shylock, takes extreme measures in writing up his loan contract but Antonio displays extreme arrogance in cavalierly agreeing to it even though Bassanio has the sense to protest it.

Shylock accuses Antonio of unchristian and uncivil, truly deplorable behavior, which Antonio not only doesn't deny, but claims he'll commit again, and worse, if given the chance. In the opening scene Antonio tells his friends that he is not gloomy about finances because he is not dependent on the success or failure of his present shipping venture. Yet, a few moments later, he tells Bessanio that he has nothing with which to provide him a loan, thus forcing the conflict of the play caused by an appeal to Shylock for a loan. One reading of Antonio's words recognizes that he lies to his friends about his finances and then is forced to confess the truth to Bassanio.

Who are the most/least influential characters in "Of Mice and Men"? Explain why.

In a way, all of the characters are influential, as everyone's actions affect another in some fashion.  This ripple effect is what Steinbeck deemed a "phalanx theory", that is, all parts work together to influence the whole. Some groups, like the phalanx of Curley's world, are warped and the phalanx itself reflects the trauma. 

George and Lennie have the most influence on one another.  Although Lennie is mentally impaired, he gives George a sense of purpose in that Lennie could not survive without him.  Together, they influence each other by keeping their dream of living without the oversight of a boss, and "livin' off th' fatta the lan'" alive.

Curley is influential because it is he who dictates who will live comfortably and who will be miserable.  His cronies, like Carlton and Slim, have less influence but under his direction, they too can make the lives of the hands good or bad. 

The character who on some levels who has the least influence is Curley's wife.  Notice that she has so little value in her group that she is not even given a name.  Her influence on others is derived solely from her sexuality.

Candy is not influential because he is old and useless, much like his decrepit dog.  He can no longer be a part of Slim's masculine team, and his lack of value makes his influence negligible.

Who is "influential" will depend on your interpretation; for good or ill, all characters affect others. 

What is the exposition of this story?i neeed help(: thanks.

In a piece of literature, the exposition serves to kind of
set the scene.  It is meant to give the reader the background to the story.  It gives
them information that they need to understand the rest of the story and it sets up the
conflict.

To me, the exposition of this story consists of
the first six paragraphs.  In this part of the story we learn that Jim and Della are
poor.  We learn that in some detail (how much he makes, how much she has left).  Then we
learn about the main conflict -- we learn that she wants to buy him a Christmas present
with that paltry amount of money.

What is the exposition of this story?i neeed help(: thanks.

In a piece of literature, the exposition serves to kind of set the scene.  It is meant to give the reader the background to the story.  It gives them information that they need to understand the rest of the story and it sets up the conflict.

To me, the exposition of this story consists of the first six paragraphs.  In this part of the story we learn that Jim and Della are poor.  We learn that in some detail (how much he makes, how much she has left).  Then we learn about the main conflict -- we learn that she wants to buy him a Christmas present with that paltry amount of money.

What evidence is there for Macbeth to do what he wants to achieve the power he thinks he deserves?a quote would be helpful thankyou

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the
evidence that Macbeth uses to convince himself that he deserves the power and authority
he obviously wants (to be king) comes in two parts. 

First,
the witches predict that he will be Thane of Cawdor and
king:

All
hail, Macbeth!  Hail to thee, Thane of
Cawdor!

and

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All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! 
(Act 1.3.49-51)

The idea of
being king may or may not be present in Macbeth's mind before these predictions, but it
is certainly in his mind after these predictions.  The witches predict that he will be
king, and he definitely is interested in being so.  This is step
one.

Step two comes when the first prediction, that he will
be Thane of Cawdor, comes true:

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...for an earnest [a deposit] of a greater
honor,

He [the king] bade me, from him, call thee Thane of
Cawdor;

In which addition, hail, most worthy
thane,

For it is thine.  (Act
1.3.105-108)

Macbeth uses the
coming true of this first prediction, as evidence that the second prediction will also
come true.

Of course, the witches are equivocating (telling
him half-truths, or telling him truths that can be interpreted multiple
ways). 

Ironically, Baquo warns him just a few lines later
that sometimes "the instruments of darkness" tell us a little thing that comes true, in
order to make us believe something larger will come true, and thereby doom us, but
Macbeth completely ignores this, and interprets the evidence exactly as he wants
to.