Is there an international travel law that requires a person traveling abroad to have travel money before re-entry to the US, UK, or Canada?

Each nation determines its own entry requirements. Countries may have signed reciprocal entry agreements (treaties) that establish different entry requirements for visitors from certain countries. Many nations require that visitors from other countries prove that they have enough money to last for their entire visit. Some may also require that visitors have a ticket to return home or an onward ticket to another country.

These requirements are sometimes waived for visitors (usually from certain countries) for short visits (30 days, for example). In practice, they’re often enforced only when border officials have reason to suspect that a visitor seeking entry may lack sufficient funds. For example, border officials may treat a scruffy backpacker walking up to a land border differently than a well-dressed businessman arriving on an international flight. Basically, countries want to deny entry to people who have little money because they may become vagrants, engage in crimes, attempt to work or immigrate illegally, or otherwise become a burden.

The U.S. State Department provides basic entry requirements for all countries. For an example of a country that may ask visitors to provide proof of sufficient funds, onward/return ticket, and lodging accommodations, check out the entry for Aruba.

What chapter is it in "To Kill a Mockingbird" where Jem says when he grows older he wants to go somewhere and change the law?

In Ch. 23 Jem talks with Atticus about doing away with juries.  Jem thinks it's unfair that Tom was sentenced by a racist jury.  This work to enlighten Jem on several levels. 

Jem is naive.  Atticus tells him: "So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process" (220).  Atticus means that Jem is still able to think clearly.  As he grows up, and his attitudes and ideas become more influenced by his friends and associates, they may change, just as the members of the jury had their ideas shaped by the racist culture of Maycomb.

Jem also doesn't realize that women, like Miss Maudie, cannot sit on juries.  So not only is Maycomb racist but also sexist.  He also comes to see that many prominent citizens of Maycomb, like Link Deas, would not sit on juries because it would be a conflict of interest, given that he is a businessman and might offend his customers.

Finally, Jem is also able to realize that Atticus put one of the Cunninghams on the jury, despite him being part of the lynch mob.  

Ultimately, this encounter causes Jem to declare at the end of the chapter:  "I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time . . . it's because he wants to stay inside" (227). 

In The Sun Also Rises, what is the significance of the title?

The title of Ernest Hemingway's first book is The Sun Also Rises, which comes from a verse in the Bible. The title is an apt depiction both of the despair of the Lost Generation of which Hemingway was a part as well as the potential for optimism in the perpetual rising of the sun. 

Ecclesiastes chapter one begins this way:

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full.

These seven verses paint a picture of despair in which whatever one does is as nothing. Working (laboring) yields nothing, the winds are capricious, and the seas are never full. despite the waters continually pouring into them. The one constant is the earth, as demonstrated by the sun rising, setting, and rising again no matter what else is happening. 

Hemingway was part of what is called the "Lost Generation," a group of expatriate writers and artists who found real meaning in nothing as they spent their time reveling in their sinfulness while living in Europe. The picture of despair surrounding verse five (the sun also rises reference) is typical of what he and the others who were living this life felt, disillusioned by the materialism of post-war America. 

While the context of the verse/title is despair, there is also hope. Though everything seems hopeless, the sun will rise again tomorrow, and then it will do so again the next day...and the next. There is not much hopefulness in this novel, as the final words indicate:

“Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had such a damned good time together.”
Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me.
“Yes,” I said. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”

Despite that hopelessness about what might have been (but never really could have been), there is a glimmer of hope for the future of the Lost Generation in the rising of the sun. 

How does Simon's epilepsy relate to symbolism in "Lord of the Flies"?

Epilepsy was once thought of as a curse or as a condition that gave one prophetic power. Simon's disease separates him from the other boys and helps him represent the spiritual side of goodness and kindness. He stands in stark contrast to Jack, who symbolizes the evil side of mankind. Simon's violent death, which occurs when he tries to bring the truth about "the beast" to the rest the boys, adds to both the Biblical motifs of the story and the idea that mankind often rejects the truth about its own evil nature. "The beast" is, after all, only a human and Simon states asks early in the novel if "maybe the beast is us." This helps symbolize the darkness in the nature of mankind.

What are the moods in the story, "The Devil and Tom Walker"? How does Irving create humor in the story?

Even though the story is one based on a dark legend of one selling his soul to the devil for personal gain, Irving tells it with wry humor.  When Irving describes both Tom Walker and his wife, he does so with a twinkle in his eye, saying, "...they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other." Neither husband nor wife seem to have any fear of the devil because they are both too consumed with greed. Tom's wife sets off to find the devil and make her own pact because Tom doesn't want to give his wife the satisfaction and possible benefit from him selling his soul and so threatens not to go through with the deal.  When she doesn't return, Tom eventually goes in search of her - not because this is his wife who is missing and he misses her, but because when she left, she took some valuable household items with her and Tom wants them back.  Tom finds his wife's apron with only a heart and a liver in it.  So, the reader is told, "Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife, for he was a man of fortitude. He even felt something like gratitude toward the black woodsman, who, he considered, had done him a kindness."  The humor is as unmistakeable as it is old.  The same sense of humor survives to the end of the story when, Tom, now rich from charging outrageous interest rates in his money-lending business, says in anger, "The devil take me if I have made a farthing!"  The devil then takes Tom.

In Antigone, how does Creon act unwise? How does Antigone act wise?

In Antigone, Creon acts unwisely by
refusing to heed the advice of others who try to counsel him.  For example, the blind
prophet Teiresias tries to tell Creon that the people of Thebes stand behind Antigone's
decision to bury Polyneices and that they feel sympathy for her situation.  Teiresias is
known throughout Thebes as a voice of truth, yet Creon does not listen to him.  Instead,
Creon insults Teiresias by assuming that he has been bribed to take Antigone's side in
the matter. 

On the other hand, Antigone acts wisely by not
allowing the baseless threats of others influence her decision to do what she believes
is morally the right thing to do.  Ismene disagrees with her sister about the burial of
Polyneices and tells Antigone that she will suffer terrible consequences as a result of
her decision.  However, Ismene speaks out of fear and a false sense of loyalty to Creon,
so Antigone is wise to disregard Ismene's words.

In Antigone, how does Creon act unwise? How does Antigone act wise?

In Antigone, Creon acts unwisely by refusing to heed the advice of others who try to counsel him.  For example, the blind prophet Teiresias tries to tell Creon that the people of Thebes stand behind Antigone's decision to bury Polyneices and that they feel sympathy for her situation.  Teiresias is known throughout Thebes as a voice of truth, yet Creon does not listen to him.  Instead, Creon insults Teiresias by assuming that he has been bribed to take Antigone's side in the matter. 

On the other hand, Antigone acts wisely by not allowing the baseless threats of others influence her decision to do what she believes is morally the right thing to do.  Ismene disagrees with her sister about the burial of Polyneices and tells Antigone that she will suffer terrible consequences as a result of her decision.  However, Ismene speaks out of fear and a false sense of loyalty to Creon, so Antigone is wise to disregard Ismene's words.

What are the theme, climax, and resolution in Huckleberry Finn?

Huck learns that telling lies can be a good thing, but also a good thing. (He lied to the people looking for runaway slaves, to save Jim, but then the supposed king and duke lied for selfish and greedy reasons)

The Mississippi River is very significant in the novel. It symbolizes freedom, it is the route to freedom. But then, it is also life.

Racism- It is a bad thing.  Mark Twain sort of mentions it. When Huck says, oh a black man was shot, or dead, i forget which, Aunt Sally goes, oh, good thing no one was shot or killed. So basically, she didn't consider the black man a person.

What are the similarities between the poems "Out, Out -" by Robert Frost and "Empty-Cradle Sad" by Bette Wolf Duncan?

1. Both the
poems are based on true life
incidents:

Frost's poem is based on a true
incident which is believed to have happened in April 1915; Raymond Fitzgerald, the son
of Frost’s friend and neighbour, lost his hand to a buzz saw and bled so profusely that
he went into shock, and died of cardiac arrest in spite of the best efforts of the
doctor.  Frost’s title invites us to compare the poem’s shocking story with Macbeth’s
speech on learning of his wife’s death:

The key to
understanding the theme of Frost's "Out, out-" lies in the intertextual reference to
Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Act V Sc.5, where Macbeth
soliloquizes bitterly on the futility of life after he learns of the death of his
wife:

readability="14">

Out, out, brief
candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor
player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is
heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and
fury,
Signifying
nothing.

Frost's poem
ironically comments on the death of a small boy who dies tragically at such a young age
because of an accident when he was sawing wood.  His life is compared to a "brief
candle."

Bette Wolf Duncan's poem deals with an incident
which took place in the life of her late husband's grandmother. The mother in the poem
is her husband's grandmother and the infant is her
father-in-law.

2. Out door
work: Frost's poem describes a group of people sawing wood. Bette Wolf
Duncan's poem describes the mother engaged in agricultural
operations:

readability="7">

Down below, with seeds and hoe,
Emma
sowed the garden
ground.

3.
Children are at the center of both the poems. In Frost's poem it was a
small boy and  in Bette Wolf Duncan's poem it was a new born
baby.

What are the similarities between the poems "Out, Out -" by Robert Frost and "Empty-Cradle Sad" by Bette Wolf Duncan?

1. Both the poems are based on true life incidents:

Frost's poem is based on a true incident which is believed to have happened in April 1915; Raymond Fitzgerald, the son of Frost’s friend and neighbour, lost his hand to a buzz saw and bled so profusely that he went into shock, and died of cardiac arrest in spite of the best efforts of the doctor.  Frost’s title invites us to compare the poem’s shocking story with Macbeth’s speech on learning of his wife’s death:

The key to understanding the theme of Frost's "Out, out-" lies in the intertextual reference to Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Act V Sc.5, where Macbeth soliloquizes bitterly on the futility of life after he learns of the death of his wife:

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Frost's poem ironically comments on the death of a small boy who dies tragically at such a young age because of an accident when he was sawing wood.  His life is compared to a "brief candle."

Bette Wolf Duncan's poem deals with an incident which took place in the life of her late husband's grandmother. The mother in the poem is her husband's grandmother and the infant is her father-in-law.

2. Out door work: Frost's poem describes a group of people sawing wood. Bette Wolf Duncan's poem describes the mother engaged in agricultural operations:

Down below, with seeds and hoe,
Emma sowed the garden ground.

3. Children are at the center of both the poems. In Frost's poem it was a small boy and  in Bette Wolf Duncan's poem it was a new born baby.

In "The Scarlet Ibis", how did Doodle and the bird die in the same way?

Both Doodle and the bird died from exhaustion. Doodle's father says the bird probably was carried by a storm and when the family sees the bird, it is bloodied and battered from its fight to stay alive in the storm. It is far away from home and the struggle has been too much for the bird to survive. Doodle dies when he trying not to be left behind by Brother, who is purposely going too fast for Doodle to keep up. The struggle to keep up with Brother is too much for Doodles' fragile heart and he dies. Thus, both Doodle and the bird were away from home, struggling against forces that were too strong for them when their bodies gave out.

What were Benjamin Franklin's character traits in his autobiography in part one?

Some of the things that I notice when I read this wonderfully entertaining work is that he is wise and very intelligent, and writes with a distinct sense of humor.  I love how he looks at faults in humanity by admitting that many of us are guilty of the things we point out in others.  One way he does this is to say things such as: Indeed, I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," &c., but some vain thing immediately followed. Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves...

Franklin also displays a good work ethic.  He is not afraid to work and work hard.  He had a good many jobs from cloth dyer and candle making to being apprenticed to his brother as printer.  Even if he disliked the work, his work ethic and pride would not allow him to do the job poorly.

He loved reading and discovered early on he had a talent for writing, although he failed arithmetic.

From early on his leadership skills were obvious.  He comments:I was commonly allowed to govern, especially in any case of difficulty; and upon other occasions I was generally a leader among the boys, and sometimes led them into scrapes, of which I will mention one instance, as it shows an early projecting public spirit, tho' not then justly conducted.

He was also from very early on considered a free thinker and of independent mind.  This is proven in his choice to try out a vegetarian diet.

In Dylan's poem "Blowing in the Wind," what is meant by the lines "How many times must a man look up/Before he can see the sky"?

Bob Dylan's song combines the romantic and the political
quite beautifully. The two strands complement each other in the song. In these lines,
Dylan comes back to the central question of what does it take to be human, which he
keeps repeating in different forms throughout the song. He examines the values of human
experience, the limits to human tolerance, indifference and habituality, before it all
breaks free in the revolutionary upsurge--" How many years will it take till we
know/That too many people have died".

These questions are
rather unanswerable and the answer will always be blowing in the wind. In the lines
quoted in the question, Dylan questions the onset of intuition, sensibility and
awareness in temporal terms. How many occasions does a man need to arouse his sense of
insight into his own social responsibility. However, at a more individual level, the
lines may also refer to the timing of epiphanic knowledge. The following lines make the
sense clear--"How many years must one man have/Before he can feel, he can cry". This is
a clarion-call to man's waning sensibility at the wake of social
disasters.

In Dylan's poem "Blowing in the Wind," what is meant by the lines "How many times must a man look up/Before he can see the sky"?

Bob Dylan's song combines the romantic and the political quite beautifully. The two strands complement each other in the song. In these lines, Dylan comes back to the central question of what does it take to be human, which he keeps repeating in different forms throughout the song. He examines the values of human experience, the limits to human tolerance, indifference and habituality, before it all breaks free in the revolutionary upsurge--" How many years will it take till we know/That too many people have died".

These questions are rather unanswerable and the answer will always be blowing in the wind. In the lines quoted in the question, Dylan questions the onset of intuition, sensibility and awareness in temporal terms. How many occasions does a man need to arouse his sense of insight into his own social responsibility. However, at a more individual level, the lines may also refer to the timing of epiphanic knowledge. The following lines make the sense clear--"How many years must one man have/Before he can feel, he can cry". This is a clarion-call to man's waning sensibility at the wake of social disasters.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Atticus call Mrs. Dubose a model of real courage as opposed to “a man with a gun in his hand”?

Mrs. Dubose is a very difficult woman.  She seems to be unkind and generally grumpy.  The children, Jem, Scout, and Dill, are afraid of her.  Not only is she misanthropic, but she is very unappealing physically.  When Jem "decapitates" her flowers, Atticus punishes him by making him read aloud to Mrs. Dubose.  She doesn't seem interested in the stories, but he reads to her a bit more each day.  The children realize only later that Jem's reading was allowing her to pass the time, a bit more each day, while she kicked her morphine habit.  In the end, she dies free of the addiction and not beholden to anyone or anything.  This, Atticus says, is a sign of real courage. 

It turned out that Mrs. Dubose was not the person she seemed to be.  This is also true of Boo Radley and other characters in the novel and speaks to the idea that you never really know someone until you've walked in their shoes- an important theme in the novel and what Atticus says to Scout early on about the Cunninghams. 

In Macbeth, what was life in Scotland like under Macbeth's reign?

There is no doubt as to Malcolm's and Macduff's revulsion
for the usurper of Scotland. At the very outset of the scene, Macduff enthuses Malcolm
to take up arms and defend his inheritance and birthright. Macduff is outraged to see 
dead bodies of young men: widows and orphaned children bereft and grieving the loss of
loved ones. Their screams of agony rending the air and reverberating to the heavens
themselves.

Initially, we sense caution in Malcolm as to
his relationship with Macduff. He is suspicious of Macduff because he openly tells
Macduff that he has been a close friend of the tyrant and a favourite. His assumption is
that Macduff might have arrived in England only to lure the "poor, innocent lamb" into
the traitor's snare. He's of the opinion that Macduff may stand to gain by betraying
him. He quotes the example of Lucifer, who'd been God's favourite angel and yet was
thrown down from heaven because of his rebellious nature. He hints that Macduff too
could fall from grace and turn traitor.

There is no doubt
that Malcolm feels uneasy in casting aspersion on Macduff, but, that is only to protect
himself from being ensnared. He tells Macduff that he must not think of his suspicion as
dishonour to himself, for he may be quite honourable despite what he thinks of
him.

Macduff is appalled and visualizes the end of
Scotland, since its heir and successor, has lost faith even in those men who are loyal
to him. He grieves and says that Scotland will continue to bleed and there will be no
retribution for the evil and the wicked because "goodness dare not check
thee".

Malcolm is aware that Scotland is doomed and each
new day sees a fresh wound inflicted upon it. He knows that the tyranny and oppression
that Macbeth has unleashed upon its hapless people will not cease unless a greater power
is set forth toward Scotland to cower the brute and bring him to his
knees.

In Macbeth, what was life in Scotland like under Macbeth's reign?

There is no doubt as to Malcolm's and Macduff's revulsion for the usurper of Scotland. At the very outset of the scene, Macduff enthuses Malcolm to take up arms and defend his inheritance and birthright. Macduff is outraged to see  dead bodies of young men: widows and orphaned children bereft and grieving the loss of loved ones. Their screams of agony rending the air and reverberating to the heavens themselves.

Initially, we sense caution in Malcolm as to his relationship with Macduff. He is suspicious of Macduff because he openly tells Macduff that he has been a close friend of the tyrant and a favourite. His assumption is that Macduff might have arrived in England only to lure the "poor, innocent lamb" into the traitor's snare. He's of the opinion that Macduff may stand to gain by betraying him. He quotes the example of Lucifer, who'd been God's favourite angel and yet was thrown down from heaven because of his rebellious nature. He hints that Macduff too could fall from grace and turn traitor.

There is no doubt that Malcolm feels uneasy in casting aspersion on Macduff, but, that is only to protect himself from being ensnared. He tells Macduff that he must not think of his suspicion as dishonour to himself, for he may be quite honourable despite what he thinks of him.

Macduff is appalled and visualizes the end of Scotland, since its heir and successor, has lost faith even in those men who are loyal to him. He grieves and says that Scotland will continue to bleed and there will be no retribution for the evil and the wicked because "goodness dare not check thee".

Malcolm is aware that Scotland is doomed and each new day sees a fresh wound inflicted upon it. He knows that the tyranny and oppression that Macbeth has unleashed upon its hapless people will not cease unless a greater power is set forth toward Scotland to cower the brute and bring him to his knees.

"She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her then she went inside there to see what it was" what does it mean?

The "something falling off the shelf" is Janie's illusion/perception of Joe Starks. Up until this point, Janie has held on to her hopeful beliefs that Jody wanted to be a "big voice" and was the man for her. She kept this illusion alive, even after the little signs that she had made a mistake. Jody put her down, forced her to work in the store, and cover up her beautiful hair. But through it all, Janie waited for the man she believed he was in their initial courtship to resurface.

But, after Jody slaps Janie for burning dinner, she lets all her illusions of Jody fall away. Her comment of going to "see what it was" is her own realization that she had been kidding herself about the kind of man her husband was.

In Bronte's Wuthering Heights, what are the ways in which Lockwood compares himself to Heathcliff?

There are a number of ways in which Lockwood reckons himself like Heathcliff, but he notes that there is a difference between them as well. In the first chapter, in which Lockwood is used by Bronte to establish Heathcliff's character traits, there are a number of instances in which Lockwood likens himself and Heathcliff saying they have the same qualities, in fact at one point Lockwood says:

No, I’m running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes over-liberally on him.

Nonetheless, Lockwood declares and demonstrates that while separation from social contact with others is the reason he comes to Thrushcross Grange, it is similarly the reason Heathcliff stays (well, one of the reasons) at Wuthering Heights:

completely removed from the stir of society.  A perfect misanthropist’s heaven: ... such a suitable pair to divide the desolation

In another comparison that is actually a contrastive comparison, Lockwood is commenting upon their individual capacities for sociability after his first visit to Wuthering Heights to show his respects to his new landlord. First, Lockwood declares Heathcliff intelligent, then happily muses about suddenly feeling very sociable when compared to Heathcliff's sour aptitude for sociability:

It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.

How does each sister lose her innocence or faith in the opening chapters of "In the Time of the Butterflies"?

Minerva is the first to lose her innocence.  At boarding school she befriends Sinita, who tells her the unspoken secrets of Trujillo's violent regime, and reveals that all the men in her own family have been killed because of their politics.  Minerva also witnesses the fate of Lina, a schoolmate who is used and disgraced after the lecherous Trujillo becomes infatuated with her (Ch. 2).

Young Mate is close to her sister Minerva.  She learns Minerva is going to secret meetings at a friend's grandfather's house.  The grandfather is in trouble with the police because he won't hang Trujillo's picture on his wall as mandated.  When Mate asks Minerva why she would do such a dangerous thing, Minerva replies that "she want(s) me to grow up in a free country".  Mate recognizes the truth of what her sister says (Ch. 3).

Patria has always had a deep faith in God, and has not paid much attention to the injustices and atrocities Minerva has told her about.  Then her third child is born dead, and in a crisis of faith, Patria is finally able to understand the suffering of the victims Minerva champions (Ch. 4).

Dede's awakening comes when she meets Lio, an "enemy of the state".  Although she never develops a relationship with him, thinking about his subversive beliefs and activities, and about what is right and wrong, causes Dede to understand that they are in fact living "in a police state" (Ch. 5).

In Book 19 of "The Odyssey," after Odysseus told his false story to Penelope, what do her words show about the Greeks' values?

Her words show that the Greeks were not foolish or naïve, for she asks for proof that Odysseus (in disguise) really met her husband. However, when he gives it to her, she weeps, and offers him considerable hospitality:

“Stranger, I was already disposed to pity you, but henceforth you shall be honored and made welcome in my house. It was I who gave Odysseus the clothes you speak of. I took them out of the store room and folded them up myself, and I gave him also the gold brooch to wear as an ornament. Alas! I shall never welcome him home again. It was by an ill fate that he ever set out for that detested city whose very name I cannot bring myself even to mention.”

This accents the Greek value of xenia, the Greek value of guest/host obligation, which we often translate as hospitality. The Greeks valued it highly. (Notice that Penelope also weeps; passion was valued, as was pity.)

Explain: "O, I have bought the mansion of love..." UNTIL "... And may not wear them".

Key point to remember here:

*
That very morning, Romeo and Juliet were married (quickly).  Then, Romeo ran off and got
in the huge street brawl.  Meanwhile, Juliet (the virgin) is back at home waiting for
her wedding night... thinking that due to her husband's rashness, may not in fact happen
now.

"Bought the mansion of a love but not possessed it," =
married legally but not carnally.

"sold, not enjoyed." =
what have I got out of this marriage yet?

"impatient child
that hath new robes and may not wear them..." = like, I've been waiting my entire life
for this moment, and now, it is HERE (I have the "clothes" to celebrate) and I won't get
to because my husband just murdered my cousin... and all I wanted was a honeymoon.  Is
that so much to ask?

Explain: "O, I have bought the mansion of love..." UNTIL "... And may not wear them".

Key point to remember here:

* That very morning, Romeo and Juliet were married (quickly).  Then, Romeo ran off and got in the huge street brawl.  Meanwhile, Juliet (the virgin) is back at home waiting for her wedding night... thinking that due to her husband's rashness, may not in fact happen now.

"Bought the mansion of a love but not possessed it," = married legally but not carnally.

"sold, not enjoyed." = what have I got out of this marriage yet?

"impatient child that hath new robes and may not wear them..." = like, I've been waiting my entire life for this moment, and now, it is HERE (I have the "clothes" to celebrate) and I won't get to because my husband just murdered my cousin... and all I wanted was a honeymoon.  Is that so much to ask?

What date was Romeo and Juliet (play) written by W. Shakespeare?

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet early in his career as a playwright, probably in 1594 or 1595. We don't know the date for certain because there were no copyright laws then and many of his original manuscripts were not written for publication in the first place. Typically one manuscript was written and shared by the entire acting company.

After Shakespeare's death in 1616, two of his fellow actors collected and published his plays in a single volume, called the First Folio, in 1623. Without this collection it is doubtful that many of Shakespeare's plays would have survived over the past four hundred years. 

In "Of Mice and Men," why does Curley wear a glove full of vaseline?

Curley wears a "glove fulla Vaseline" because he's "keepin his han' soft for his wife" according to Candy the swamper. He tells George about it when they arrive at the ranch and he says it with disgust. Curley is a very little man in physical stature who is forever trying to prove himself and he recently married a young beautiful woman who has eyes for other men on the ranch. Curley is jealous and suspicious so he tries to keep his wife content sexually, hence the glove, but he fails to pay attention to her emotional needs which is why she is constantly seeking the attention of anyone on the ranch that will pay it to her.

I need help coming up with some quotes from "Macbeth" and they have to explain each of the following plot elements: Exposition, Exciting/Inciting...

Exposition 

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair" Act I, Scene I

"For brave Macbeth,—well he deserves that
name,—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which smok'd with bloody execution,
Like valour's minion carv'd out his passage"

Exciting or inciting 

"All hail, Macbeth! hall to thee,
Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbetb! that shalt be
king hereafter." Act I, Scene III 

Rising Action 

"The king comes here to-night" Act I, Scene V

"I have done the deed. Didst thou not
hear a noise?" Act II, Scene II

Climax or turning point,

"Ourself will mingle with society
And play the humble host.
Dur hostess keeps her state, but in best time
We will require her welcome." Act III, Scene IV

Falling Action 

"O proper stuff!
This is the very painting of your fear;
This is the air-drawn dagger which, you said,
Led you to Duncan. O! these flaws and starts—
Impostors to true fear—would well become
A woman's story at a winter's fire,
Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make such faces? When all's done
You look but on a stool." Act III, Scene IV

Moment of final suspense: Act V, Scene VII

"Thou wast born of woman:
But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,
Brandish'd by man that's of a woman born."

Catastrophe  Macbeth killed

"Despair thy charm;
And let the angel whom thou still hast serv'd
Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb
Untimely ripp'd." Act V, Scene VII

In "Macbeth," what is revealed about conditions in Scotland?Macbethact3

In Act III, Scene VI, a discussion takes place between  Lennox and another Lord.  They are discussing the fact that Scotland, under Macbeth's rule is suffering.  The country is ruled by a Tyrant and Lennox is hopeful, as he says in this passage, that  Malclom with the help of the English King can take the throne away from Macbeth and return it to its rightful heir, Malcolm.

 Len. "And that well might
Advise him to a caution to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accurs'd!
Lord. I'll send my prayers with him"!

What is the significance of the sun's enmity in Lord of the Flies?

The only way the sun seems to work against the boys is when its rays are MISused carelessly to make fire.  Ralph uses Piggy's glasses to magnify the sun's rays on some dried twigs, making their first fire.  It was intended to be a signal to passing ships in the hope of being rescued.  Because the boys do not care for the fire properly, it gets out of control, burning a significant portion of the island.  Jack also misuses fire when he tries to "smoke" Ralph out of hiding by igniting the jungle at the end of the novel.

In "Lord of the Flies," what do the boys spot in the sand, and what is their first reaction?

Ralph and Piggy spot a conch shell in the weeds and sand of the lagoon. Piggy suggests that Ralph blow it to summon the others. Ralph’s first attempt is unsuccessful, and he and Piggy laugh. Ralph’s next attempt is successful, and he creates a huge trumpet sound. Soon, other boys from the crash, who have heard the sound, begin appearing from the jungle. Eventually, all the boys are assembled and the conch becomes a symbol of authority. Whoever holds the conch has the right to speak. This is one of the first signs the boys are trying to remain civilized despite the fact that they are alone on a tropical island.

What is a summary of "The Necklace"?

Guy de Maupassant's short story is an ironic, didactic tale about Mathilde Loisel, a discontent working-class woman who lives very poorly with her husband, but loves nothing more than fancy dresses, jewelry and balls. One day her husband brings home an invitation to a ball. She convinces him to spend 400 francs on a ball gown, and then complains that she must have fine jewelry to wear as well. She borrows an elaborate diamond necklace from her well off acquaintance, Madame Forestier.

The ball is rapturously lovely, but when she arrives home, she discovers in horror, that the necklace is gone. She delays Mdm. with an excuse, but a week later, the couple finds a necklace that seems the exact same. They scrape together thirty-six thousand francs in loans and inheritance to buy the replacement, which they return to a unsuspecting Mdm. Forestier. Because of the loans, Mathilde and her husband learn the “horrible existence of the needy,” reduced to menial labor for the 10 years it takes to pay it all off, and at now she and her husband look old. She wonders what her life would have been if it were not for that accident.

One day she runs into a still young and beautiful Mdm. Forestier in the park, who doesn’t even recognize Mathilde, who admits her deception. Mdm. Forestier is shocked and reveals that the necklace Mathilde borrowed was made of paste and only worth 500 francs. She has spent her life paying a debt that didn't exist, and all for vanity.

Why doesn't Mayella confess the truth? Consider the circumstances of her life and the social context in which she must continue to live.this was in...

Think about the racial dynamics of those days and think
about what her father is like...

One of the reasons that
Tom is in so much trouble is that black men and white women are not supposed to have
anything to do with each other in that time and place.  So if Mayella has been
voluntarily doing something even a bit physical with a black man, she will be totally
scorned and shunned by other whites.

In addition, her dad
is a pretty violent man.  If he feels like she has humiliated him, he will surely beat
her.

Why doesn't Mayella confess the truth? Consider the circumstances of her life and the social context in which she must continue to live.this was in...

Think about the racial dynamics of those days and think about what her father is like...

One of the reasons that Tom is in so much trouble is that black men and white women are not supposed to have anything to do with each other in that time and place.  So if Mayella has been voluntarily doing something even a bit physical with a black man, she will be totally scorned and shunned by other whites.

In addition, her dad is a pretty violent man.  If he feels like she has humiliated him, he will surely beat her.

What does the author say about the characters and their significance in the story? Use quotes and examples.

We learn a lot about Curley's wife based on what other
characters say of her. Thus, I agree with dstuva, the author doesn't make value
statements but let's the characters display that.

The men
call her a tart and a loo-loo. Not being common slang today, we infer by their use of
these terms that they mean she is flirty, flighty and maybe a little permiscuous. Yet,
her name, Curley's wife, suggests she is actually property. Always seeming to look for
Curley, the men seem to wonder if she's not really either looking for Slim or looking
for a man to be with other than Curley. This is a character I believe looking for an
escape from her current life.

Another way characterization
occurs besides other characters saying something about someone else is from a character
saying something directly about themselves. Curley's wife admits in chapter 4 that she
feels limited by Curley. In chapter 5 she explains that she could have been in
pictures.

Curley's wife symbolizes the desire to be free
from current situations. That is her significance.

What does the author say about the characters and their significance in the story? Use quotes and examples.

We learn a lot about Curley's wife based on what other characters say of her. Thus, I agree with dstuva, the author doesn't make value statements but let's the characters display that.

The men call her a tart and a loo-loo. Not being common slang today, we infer by their use of these terms that they mean she is flirty, flighty and maybe a little permiscuous. Yet, her name, Curley's wife, suggests she is actually property. Always seeming to look for Curley, the men seem to wonder if she's not really either looking for Slim or looking for a man to be with other than Curley. This is a character I believe looking for an escape from her current life.

Another way characterization occurs besides other characters saying something about someone else is from a character saying something directly about themselves. Curley's wife admits in chapter 4 that she feels limited by Curley. In chapter 5 she explains that she could have been in pictures.

Curley's wife symbolizes the desire to be free from current situations. That is her significance.

What are some of the omens that occurred in Act I of "Julius Caesar?"

 In ActI Sc3 a terrified Casca rushes into the street with a drawn sword just as an eathquake is taking place,"all the sway of earth/Shakes like a thing unfirm." Cicero asks him why he is so frightened and upset. Casca atonce tells him all the bizarre and scary incidents that have taken place:

1."A tempest dropping fire," it seemed as though fire dropped straight out of the sky and was being fanned by stormy winds.

2. An ordinary slave's hand caught fire and it burned so brightly, "like twenty torches joined," but yet the slave's hand was not scorched.

3. On his  way to the temple of Jupiter (the Capitol) Casca met a lion on the street, but it so uncharacteristically did not harm him at all.

4. Casca next met "a hundred ghastly women," who told him that they saw men on fire walking up and down the streets.

5. Lastly, Casca says that on the previous  day at noon the owl was heard "hooting and shrieking" at the market place.

Casca is convinced that all these strange events  are bad omens and that  something evil is going to happen in Rome.

Identify and describe the "Harlem Renaissance".

The Harlem Renaissance was the period roughly between World War I and the Great Depression during which there was great cultural achievement among Black Americans.  Harlem was the center for flourishing black artists and writers during this time, but the movement was evident in other cities as well; most notably in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington D.C.

The Harlem Renaissance was fueled by a number of factors.  During the years preceding the first world war, economic conditions resulted in a large number of Black individuals and families migrating to the North and forming communities in major cities.  Intellectuals such as W.E.B. DuBois and Alain Locke were espousing the achievements of Black artists, and African Americans were beginning establish a new identity and to question the discriminatory environment under which they were still forced to live.  Black Americans hoped to educate the general populace and promote an atmosphere of tolerance through their writings, music, and art.

Prominent authors, artists, and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance include Langston Hughes, Nora Zeale Hurston, Aaron Douglas, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.

What was the climax in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

Rather than a tragedy as one might expect from the title, the climax of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" contains a bit of irony or even humor. Prior to the climax, the author paints Ichabod as a less than honorable, rather strange man in pursuit of Katrina, a young and beautiful woman who is also pursued by Brom, a handsome bachelor. After being invited to a party at Katrina's, Ichabod who thought he might have a chance at winning Katrina's heart, realizes that he does not. As Ichabod rides out of town after leaving Katrina's party when she disappoints him, he finds the path dark and the woods frightening. Along the path he sees a dark figure that begins to chase him. Looking behind him during the chase, he realizes the figure on the horse is headless and assumes it is the dreaded "Headless Horseman" of local legend. Ichabod continues to attempt to outrun him but the headless figure on the horse in the final moments of the climax, throws his head at Ichabod, striking him in his own head and knocking him off his horse. It turns out that the head was but a pumpkin. 

Who is "The Bear" in the play by Anton Chekhov?

In "The Bear," the character Grigori Stapanovitch Smirnov is the bear.  He is the gentleman who visits Mrs. Popov seeking payment of her husband's debts.

There are different ways to interpret the title.  As a fan of Chekov, it is interesting to look at his work from different perspectives.

The Bear could be a reference to the man who barges in on the grieving widow.

The Bear could be a reference to the situation that Mrs. Popov finds herself in, being responsible for her husband's debts.

The Bear could be Mrs. Popov, who in a surprise move  challenges Mr. Smirnov to a duel.

Or, as is known with this story, Chekov is making a statement about love at first sight, which is what happens between the two main characters.  Love can be The Bear in this story. 

Near the end of the novel, Bradbury compares man to the phoenix. How is man similar to this mythical bird and how might this provide future hope?

At the end of the novel, Granger tells the dissident group, after the city is destructed by bombs, about a mythical bird, called Phoenix. The special feature of this animal is that it's immortal.It is reincarnated from his own ashes, after burning itself.This could be compared to the human attitude of destroying other civilisations, but in fact we are only fighting ourselves. For example, the two world wars. Germany was nearly ruined, but if you look at it today, you have to recognize that it is some kind of reborn, reborn from it's own ashes.

The "German Reich" can be seen as an example for all human empires, which have raised and fall one time, like the Phoenix. In Fahrenheit 451 the city is no exception and the dissident group wants to build up a new society out of the ruins of the old one. So you can say, that also in this case the circular flow of the Phoenix is not interrupted.

Bradbury's hopes for the future maybe are that humanity stops burning itself by reflecting and thinking about what consequence our acts might have. This is maybe the key to prevent us from further wars. This way the circular flow of the Phoenix would be interrupted, but humanity won't loose it's immortality.

Explain how the monkey's paw got its powers as a talisman.

The monkey's paw, an innocuous little paw which has dried up into a mummy, purportedly received its powers through magic. Sergeant-Major Morris, who got the paw on a visit to India, claims that "an old fakir...a very holy man...wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow". For this purpose, the fakir put a spell on the monkey's paw, so that "three separate men could have three wishes from it". It is intimated that by taking advantage of these wishes, those three men would learn, to their sorrow, that it is not for man to tamper with fate.

The Sergeant reveals that the first man who made three wishes was so devastated by the result that he at last asked for death.  The Sergeant himself has taken advantage of the second three wishes, and his ghastly demeanor in relating this fact indicates that his wishes did not turn out well either.  At the suggestion of his son Herbert, Mr. White, who has secured the monkey's paw from the Sergeant, wishes for two-hundred pounds, just enough to pay off the loan on his house. As predicted, his attempt to alter fate ends in tragedy, when the Whites receive exactly two-hundred pounds the next day in compensation for their son Herbert's accidental death.

What was the Monroe Doctrine?

The Monroe Doctrine was the young United State's response to the turmoil caused by the Napoleonic Wars. After Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808, the Latin American countries under Spanish rule revolted, and by 1822 all of South America (except Guiana) was freed from foreign rule, as were most of the islands in the Caribbean. In North America, only Canada and Alaska were under foreign control. Great Britain supported the revolutions as they opened trade with the Americas. The Quadruple Alliance, consisting of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain, attempted to keep order in Europe after Napoleon; when it began attempts at restoring Spanish colonies in the New World, Great Britain withdrew. In 1821, The Czar of Russia, having established trading posts in Northern California, forbid vessels to sail to the Oregon Coast. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams bluntly asserted American rights to sail in the Pacific, Congress recognized the independence of all the revolutionary governments in Latin America, and President Monroe announced the foreign policy that bears his name, which declared that the Western Hemisphere was no longer open to European colonization, that any attempt to establish colonies would be considered an unfriendly act towards the US, and that the US would not interfere with Latin American governments or European affairs. This Doctrine became a cornerstone of US foreign policy, and was expanded under President Theodore Roosevelt.

In "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl," what are some hobbies and interests Anne has developed since going into hiding?

Anne has discovered a talent for writing--fiction, stories, fantasies about Peter and what their lives might be like once they return to the outside world, and perhaps most importantly, her self-reflections (diary).  She also reads quite a bit and daydreams.  All the hobbies and interests the people in hiding engaged in had to be quiet as noise would call attention to their hiding spot.

In "Fahrenheit 451," why did Montag choose to become a fireman?

It is actually Montag's destiny, it's as if his physical genes have destined him to becoming a fireman. Every fireman, when he begins to think about it, has soot colored hair, dark eyes, and a heavy shadow of beard by the end of the day. It's as if people are stereotyped into their life long professions based on their physical appearances which is just how this society acts- everything is superficial. People do not have any real experiences, they only have simulated experiences. By simulating everything, including the illusion of happiness and contentedness no one becomes upset or depressed anymore, unless and until they find the time away from the TV walls and other distractions of life to really sit and think- then they realize how worthless their existence actually is, which is why there is such a large number of people attempting suicide. It is so large in fact that the society anticipates it to the point they have a machine and technicians to quickly fix these lapses in simulated happiness.

What other names are given to Napoleon in chapter 8? What do these titles suggest about his character?

Napoleon is called by all sorts of names that make him
sound really good.  The book lists some of them.  Here is the quote where you can find
some of these names.

readability="13">

He was always referred to in formal style as
‘our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,’ and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as
Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-fold, Ducklings'
Friend, and the like

To me,
what this shows is that Napoleon is totally drunk on his own power.  He is starting to
try to put together a "cult of personality" where the whole society is based on revering
him.

So he must have a huge ego and he must really want
everyone to think that he is the next thing to a god.

What other names are given to Napoleon in chapter 8? What do these titles suggest about his character?

Napoleon is called by all sorts of names that make him sound really good.  The book lists some of them.  Here is the quote where you can find some of these names.

He was always referred to in formal style as ‘our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,’ and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-fold, Ducklings' Friend, and the like

To me, what this shows is that Napoleon is totally drunk on his own power.  He is starting to try to put together a "cult of personality" where the whole society is based on revering him.

So he must have a huge ego and he must really want everyone to think that he is the next thing to a god.

Please comment in detail about the immorality and hypocrisy of Mr.Wickham in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.Please reply soon !

Wickham's name is no coincidence for he is, indeed,
"wicked".

As Darcy explains to
Elizabeth,

readability="10">

Mr. Wickham is the son of a very respectable man
who had for many years the management of all the Pemberly estates; and whose good
conduct in the discharge of this trust naturally inclined my father to be of service to
him; and on George Wickham, who was his god-son, his kindness was therefore liberally
bestowed.

We know that
Wickham was supported by Darcy's father to even attend college at Cambridge. However,
all it did for him was make him a master of illusions, and a deceitful traitor with the
charm and manners that could fool everyone.

Ad the death of
Mr. Darcy (the father) Wickham's true colors came out. He refused to take on any
profession of which Mr. Darcy Senior would have liked, and he demanded that Mr. Darcy
(the son) would support him monetarily in the pursue of other goals. This, he did with
premeditation and haughtiness, using the affection that Old Mr. Darcy had for him as a
way to shove it to  the Young Darcy, who always figured as
much.

On top of it, Wickham proposed himself to Darcy's
sister Georgiana, and they eloped. Using the same charm and wit, he convinced her of a
lot of follies, and she fell for it only to be saved in reputation later by young
Darcy.

In addition to that, he did the same thing with
Elizabeth's sister Lydia. Lydia, who already was the closest thing to a bubble head, was
infatuated with men in uniform and with the idea of marriage. Wickham proposed that they
also eloped, which she did, ruining her reputation and their chances in society. Darcy
intervened one more time by finding them in Brighton and marrying them off, which
allowed Lydia to return with her head held high (and very snobby
too).

The biggest prroblem with Wickham is that he poses to
be, as Elizabeth says, "the most agreeable man" when, in fact, he is deceitful,
ambitious, immoral, and careless. He did not love any of the women he eloped with, and
his effrontery as a military officer was just a way to attract people into thinking that
he was an honorable man.

Please comment in detail about the immorality and hypocrisy of Mr.Wickham in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.Please reply soon !

Wickham's name is no coincidence for he is, indeed, "wicked".

As Darcy explains to Elizabeth,

Mr. Wickham is the son of a very respectable man who had for many years the management of all the Pemberly estates; and whose good conduct in the discharge of this trust naturally inclined my father to be of service to him; and on George Wickham, who was his god-son, his kindness was therefore liberally bestowed.

We know that Wickham was supported by Darcy's father to even attend college at Cambridge. However, all it did for him was make him a master of illusions, and a deceitful traitor with the charm and manners that could fool everyone.

Ad the death of Mr. Darcy (the father) Wickham's true colors came out. He refused to take on any profession of which Mr. Darcy Senior would have liked, and he demanded that Mr. Darcy (the son) would support him monetarily in the pursue of other goals. This, he did with premeditation and haughtiness, using the affection that Old Mr. Darcy had for him as a way to shove it to  the Young Darcy, who always figured as much.

On top of it, Wickham proposed himself to Darcy's sister Georgiana, and they eloped. Using the same charm and wit, he convinced her of a lot of follies, and she fell for it only to be saved in reputation later by young Darcy.

In addition to that, he did the same thing with Elizabeth's sister Lydia. Lydia, who already was the closest thing to a bubble head, was infatuated with men in uniform and with the idea of marriage. Wickham proposed that they also eloped, which she did, ruining her reputation and their chances in society. Darcy intervened one more time by finding them in Brighton and marrying them off, which allowed Lydia to return with her head held high (and very snobby too).

The biggest prroblem with Wickham is that he poses to be, as Elizabeth says, "the most agreeable man" when, in fact, he is deceitful, ambitious, immoral, and careless. He did not love any of the women he eloped with, and his effrontery as a military officer was just a way to attract people into thinking that he was an honorable man.

In "Julius Caesar," what is the reason for Brutus's ill temper in Act IV, scene 3?

The most immediate cause for Brutus' foul temper in his confrontation with Cassius in Act IV, scene 3, is personal. His wife Portia, despairing of the success of her husband's cause, has committed suicide by the unpleasant method of swallowing fire. Brutus waits until the quarrel is over before telling this news to Cassius, who in astonishment exclaims,

How 'scaped I killing, when I cross'd you so?--
O insupportable and touching loss!--

Nevertheless, the details of the quarrel with Cassius reveal other motivations for Brutus to be ill-tempered. As Mark Antony will remark in his eulogy for the dead Brutus at the end of the play, Brutus is an idealist. Just as he shrunk from killing Mark Antony with Caesar, which would have been practical but immoral, he shrinks from the moral compromises that might be justified in a military emergency. One of Cassius' friends has been condemned for bribery; Cassius argues

In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offense should bear his comment.

but Brutus accuses him of the same crime, and nobly proclaims,

...shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman. 

Brutus' ill temper is thus motivated not only by grief and tension but also by the poor fit between his native honest character and the political maneuvers he has gotten himself involved in.

What are the fates of the characters in "The Count of Monte Cristo"?

In Chapter IV Dantes remarks that happiness can only be attained "by overcoming "dragons [that stand over one's happiness]...."  The dragons that intervene between one's happiness and one's fates are each person's character flaw.

The fates of each character, then, depend upon whether they are able to conquer the dragons of their character.  For instance, Danglars's flaw is his avarice;  failing to conquer his greed, he rejects his wife who has lost sums of money; he seeks to regain money even if it means selling off his family member.  As a result, he loses what really matters: family and his life.

Similarly, de Villefort loses his family because of his dragon:  He seeks power even if he must hide his Bonapartist father and bury his illegitimate son in order to maintain a prestigious reputation.  Because of his deception, he is exposed by Dantes, with tragic results.

Fernando's desire to attain prestige and military position leads him to kill and to betray the trust and love of a Middle Eastern king. His dragon of treachery turns itself on him and he, too, is exposed as the "hyena" that he is.

Only Edmund Dantes overcomes his dragon, his desire for revenge.  He, then, is redeemed by saving the Morrel family and helping a young couple save their love.

What is the plot of "Soldier's Home"?

The plot of "Soldier’s Home" involves Krebs as the
protagonist in conflict with the abstract antagonism of peacetime adjustment. Obviously,
those around him expect him to be the little boy he was, and to be unchanged by the war.
They therefore assume that he can begin life again as though nothing has happened. The
crisis of the story is his conversation with his mother, and the climax is his promise
to be a good boy for his "Mummy" (paragraph 86). This portion of the story indicates
that his disaffection is approaching total alienation. The resolution, in his decision
to go to Kansas City and in his going to watch his sister play ball, suggests a
compromise with his disaffection. Though he will continue to feel like an outsider, in
other words, he will keep his misgivings to himself, and will fit in, at least
externally, with life at home.

What is the plot of "Soldier's Home"?

The plot of "Soldier’s Home" involves Krebs as the protagonist in conflict with the abstract antagonism of peacetime adjustment. Obviously, those around him expect him to be the little boy he was, and to be unchanged by the war. They therefore assume that he can begin life again as though nothing has happened. The crisis of the story is his conversation with his mother, and the climax is his promise to be a good boy for his "Mummy" (paragraph 86). This portion of the story indicates that his disaffection is approaching total alienation. The resolution, in his decision to go to Kansas City and in his going to watch his sister play ball, suggests a compromise with his disaffection. Though he will continue to feel like an outsider, in other words, he will keep his misgivings to himself, and will fit in, at least externally, with life at home.

What is the significance of Italy's invasion of Libya and Greece?

Well, to clarify, Libya was already an Italian colony at
the beginning of World War II, so Italy didn't need to invade it.  You may be thinking
of Ethiopia, which Mussolini attacked in 1936.  While he was successful at conquering
this poor, ill-equipped nation, it demonstrated that his army was no
juggernaut.

He fared even worse in Greece, where a massive
Italian attack was stopped by a few understrength divisions of the Greek Army.  For six
months, Mussolini's forces failed to gain the upper hand.  He called his friend Hitler,
who agreed to help him out by invading both Yugoslavia and Greece in "Operation
Punishment".  German forces conquered both nations in a mere seven
days.

This operation delayed the attack on the Soviet Union
by five weeks, which would become crucial the following December, when German troops
stalled right outside of Moscow as winter set in.  If they had attacked in early May
instead, as planned, they likely would have taken the city.

What is the significance of Italy's invasion of Libya and Greece?

Well, to clarify, Libya was already an Italian colony at the beginning of World War II, so Italy didn't need to invade it.  You may be thinking of Ethiopia, which Mussolini attacked in 1936.  While he was successful at conquering this poor, ill-equipped nation, it demonstrated that his army was no juggernaut.

He fared even worse in Greece, where a massive Italian attack was stopped by a few understrength divisions of the Greek Army.  For six months, Mussolini's forces failed to gain the upper hand.  He called his friend Hitler, who agreed to help him out by invading both Yugoslavia and Greece in "Operation Punishment".  German forces conquered both nations in a mere seven days.

This operation delayed the attack on the Soviet Union by five weeks, which would become crucial the following December, when German troops stalled right outside of Moscow as winter set in.  If they had attacked in early May instead, as planned, they likely would have taken the city.

How did Greek drama originate?

Greek Drama grew out of religious celebrations (as much theatre has over the course of time).  Originally, there was a simple dithyramb, what we might call a hymn.  Then, in order to make these more interesting or relevant to the celebrants, the idea of acting it out came forward.  Thespis is credited with stepping out of the Chorus to do this acting (which is why we call actors Thespians), but there isn't really proof of this.  It's a good story, though!

Anyway - part of the way that the Gods were celebrated was in the retelling of their myths, and this became the subject matter of many of the Greek tragedies.  It began with the single actor, then Aeschylus added the second actor, and finally Sophocles added the third.  The Greek tragedians followed the three actor rule - no more than three actors on stage at any given time.  Euripedes is the third major Greek tragic playwright, and he is considered the most modern of the three, mainly because of his portrayal of women and skeptical treatment of the Gods. 

That's the nutshell version.  Greek Comedy also evolved out of those religious festivals, but dealt more in topical issues of the day (Old Greek Comedy) or domestic issues of the home (New Greek Comedy).

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Atticus explain the term "nigger-lover" to Scout?

Scout has defended the honor of her father, when Francis had called Atticus this at Christmas. Scout didn't know what it meant, but she knew the way Francis said it, that it wasn't a compliment. She asks her father this question one night while they are reading.

"Scout" said Atticus, " nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything- like snotnose. It's hard to explain- ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favouring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody"

Atticus is so patient and understanding with his kids. He hates that his children are being exposed to the ugliness of the world. He has tried his best to protect Jem and Scout. Atticus taking the case of Tom Robbins is now opening the door for his children to be exposed to just how nasty people can be. 

Harper Lee shows us that there are real people in this world who will fight for justice, no matter what. Jem and Scout are learning that sometimes it is hard to stand up for what is right, but the cost is worth it. Atticus makes his children understand that doing the right thing is hard, but it is always best.

In the play "Antony and Cleopatra," does Cleopatra betray Antony?

In Act III of the play, Antony and Cleopatra are fighting Octavian, now called Caesar Augustus, for control of the eastern Roman Empire. Their fleet has been destroyed, and now they face imprisonment or execution. Caesar meets with Antony's ambassador and tells him that Cleopatra will be rewarded if she hands Antony over to him.

In Act III, scene 13, Antony has learned that Cleopatra plans to lay down her crown at Caesar's feet and let him decide Egypt's fate.

Most kind messenger,
Say to great Caesar this:--in deputation
I kiss his conquring hand: tell him I am prompt
To lay my crown at's feet, and there to kneel:
Tell him, from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Egypt.

Antony assumes that she has betrayed him, but she doesn't agree to hand him over. In fact, when he accuses her, she argues with him:

ANTONY.
To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes
With one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA.
Not know me yet?

ANTONY.
Cold-hearted toward me?

CLEOPATRA.
Ah, dear, if I be so,
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
And poison it in the source; and the first stone
Drop in my neck: as it determines, so
Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite!
Till, by degrees, the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm,
Lie graveless,--till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!

Why have the Democratic and Republican parties been so durable so as to maintain exsistence since the Civil War? Explain.

I think pohnpei's response is right on.  Ours has been
designed as a two party system, first by the Founding Fathers in order to avoid what
Washington called "The dangers of faction".  Since that time, the two party system
supports and continues itself, making it very difficult for other interested parties to
enter the race.

We should acknowledge that there are many
more than two parties in the US today.  The Green Party, Socialist Party, Communist
Party and Reform Party to name a few.  These parties always put up candidates for the
Presidency, and always lose badly.  They are not even allowed to attend
debates.

The Democrat and Republican parties have loads of
cash, name recognition, a base of support, and a hammerlock on power.  They also try to
absorb other political movements and would-be parties by including some of the issues
important to them in their party "platforms" adopted at the national
conventions.

Why have the Democratic and Republican parties been so durable so as to maintain exsistence since the Civil War? Explain.

I think pohnpei's response is right on.  Ours has been designed as a two party system, first by the Founding Fathers in order to avoid what Washington called "The dangers of faction".  Since that time, the two party system supports and continues itself, making it very difficult for other interested parties to enter the race.

We should acknowledge that there are many more than two parties in the US today.  The Green Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party and Reform Party to name a few.  These parties always put up candidates for the Presidency, and always lose badly.  They are not even allowed to attend debates.

The Democrat and Republican parties have loads of cash, name recognition, a base of support, and a hammerlock on power.  They also try to absorb other political movements and would-be parties by including some of the issues important to them in their party "platforms" adopted at the national conventions.

When was the railroad locomotive invented and what is its use/ importance?

In the United States, the first locomotive, the "Tom Thumb," ran on the first section of track for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The rails were wooden beams with metal affixed to the top; maximum speed, 10 miles per hour. The construction of this first section of track began on July 4, 1828, the fifty-second anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; Charles Carroll, age 91, attended the festivities, stating that this was the greatest event of his life. Charles was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. By 1830, 23 miles of track had been laid. By 1833, merchants financed a 136-mile long run from Charleston, South Carolina into the interior of the state. At the time, it was the longest privately owned railway in the world. By 1840, 3,000 miles of track had been laid; by 1850, 9,000; and by 1860, 30,000. One of the key reasons the North won the Civil War was its ability to move troops and materiel; the South, having a much smaller percentage of the total miles of track was at a strategic disadvantage. During the invasion, General Sherman, in his “March to the Sea” made it a point to destroy what little railway and equipment the South possessed. Once he captured Atlanta, the center of the Southern railway system, Confederate forces could no longer be resupplied. At the peak of railway activity in the 1920's, the United States possessed 250,000 miles of track.

What is the Hawaiian Emperor Seamount chain and how was it formed?

The Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain is composed of the Hawaiian Ridge, consisting of the islands of the Hawaiian chain northwest to Kure Atoll, and the Emperor Seamounts, a vast underwater mountain region of islands and intervening seamounts, atolls, shallows, banks and reefs along a line trending southeast to northwest beneath the northern Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands are that portion of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain that projects above sea level. The youngest formation in the chain is the volcano island of Hawaii, the big island. All of the chain was created by a hotspot of volcanic activity that was essentially stationary as the Pacific tectonic plate drifted in a northwesterly direction, leaving a trail of increasingly eroded volcanic islands and seamounts in its wake.

In what ways does Sassoon use irony to express his anger through his poem "The Hero"?

Sassoon's "The Hero" focuses on anger, irony of situation,
and hypocrisy.   

Specifically, concerning anger, the
"Brother Officer" is angry at Jack, a "cold-footed, useless swine."  But on a larger
level, the poem reveals anger at a system that perpetuates
war. 

A boy goes to war.  He is scared to death and does
not represent himself or his country well.  He is blown to bits.  A Colonel writes a
letter to the mother of the soldier, "so nicely."  A fellow soldier goes to his mother
and lies about how brave he was.  The mother is gullible and falls for the nicely
written letter and the lies of the fellow soldier.  The fellow soldier is left
regretting what he's done.

The characters are all in no-win
situations, ironical situations.  None of the characters, with the possible exception of
Jack, can be easily blamed for what they do.  The Colonel and the Fellow Officer
certainly can't tell the mother the truth about her cowardly son.  The mother can't help
but want to believe her son was brave and died nobly.

Yet,
all of them are to be blamed for perpetuating the war machine.  The mother, for
instance, falls for the letter partly because of how nicely it is written.  Those are
her first words after she reads it.  She bows her head because she is choking up and is
embarrassed and hurt, not because she doesn't believe what the Colonel and Fellow
Soldier say.  She believes it and is emotionally
moved. 

The Colonel and the Fellow soldier perpetuate the
myth of a close-knit military that cares for its own, of bravery and valor and heroism. 
When the truth is:

readability="12">

...how, at last, he
died,

Blown to small bits.  And no one seemed to
care

Except that lonely woman with white
hair.

Irony
abounds:

• the Colonel and Fellow Soldier don't
  tell the truth to the grieving mother


• the mother believes
  the fabricated version of her son's military service, she believes what she wants to
  believe


• this is seemingly how it has to be, at least from
  the military standpoint


• yet this perpetuates the war
  machine, when telling the truth might help the public understand the truth about war and
  therefore make them less likely to support it


• therefore,
  politeness and consideration, if you give the Colonel and the Fellow Officer the benefit
  of the doubt, actually lead to destruction and
  despair.

In what ways does Sassoon use irony to express his anger through his poem "The Hero"?

Sassoon's "The Hero" focuses on anger, irony of situation, and hypocrisy.   

Specifically, concerning anger, the "Brother Officer" is angry at Jack, a "cold-footed, useless swine."  But on a larger level, the poem reveals anger at a system that perpetuates war. 

A boy goes to war.  He is scared to death and does not represent himself or his country well.  He is blown to bits.  A Colonel writes a letter to the mother of the soldier, "so nicely."  A fellow soldier goes to his mother and lies about how brave he was.  The mother is gullible and falls for the nicely written letter and the lies of the fellow soldier.  The fellow soldier is left regretting what he's done.

The characters are all in no-win situations, ironical situations.  None of the characters, with the possible exception of Jack, can be easily blamed for what they do.  The Colonel and the Fellow Officer certainly can't tell the mother the truth about her cowardly son.  The mother can't help but want to believe her son was brave and died nobly.

Yet, all of them are to be blamed for perpetuating the war machine.  The mother, for instance, falls for the letter partly because of how nicely it is written.  Those are her first words after she reads it.  She bows her head because she is choking up and is embarrassed and hurt, not because she doesn't believe what the Colonel and Fellow Soldier say.  She believes it and is emotionally moved. 

The Colonel and the Fellow soldier perpetuate the myth of a close-knit military that cares for its own, of bravery and valor and heroism.  When the truth is:

...how, at last, he died,

Blown to small bits.  And no one seemed to care

Except that lonely woman with white hair.

Irony abounds:

• the Colonel and Fellow Soldier don't tell the truth to the grieving mother


• the mother believes the fabricated version of her son's military service, she believes what she wants to believe


• this is seemingly how it has to be, at least from the military standpoint


• yet this perpetuates the war machine, when telling the truth might help the public understand the truth about war and therefore make them less likely to support it


• therefore, politeness and consideration, if you give the Colonel and the Fellow Officer the benefit of the doubt, actually lead to destruction and despair.

What are the motivations of Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth?"Her role and motivations

According to literary criticisms of Shakespeare's work, Lady Macbeth is one of the most evil female characters he wrote.  She is manipulative, cunning and more ambitious than Macbeth in the beginning of the play.

After she receives her husband's letter detailing the witches prophecy which predicts that Macbeth will be king, she immediately begins to plan Duncan's murder.

Lady Macbeth, in Act I Scene V, as she reads her husband's letter, she decides that Macbeth:

"Is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way; thou wouldst be
great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it; what thou wouldst
highly,
That thou wouldst holily; wouldst not play
false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win; thou'dst have,
great Glamis,
That which cries, 'Thus thou must do, if thou
have it;'
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee
hither,
That I may pour my spirits In thine ear,
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal"

Deciding that she will instill in him the courage and strength that he will need to kill the king.  She challenges his masculinity, which in the beginning of the play, she defines as aggressive and violent.  Lady Macbeth's role is co-conspirator, accessory to murder, all motivated by unchecked ambition and a lust for power.  

In Book 6 of "The Odyssey", why doesn’t Nausicaa run away when Odysseus comes out of the woods?

Nausicaa does not run away when Odysseus comes out of the woods because "Athena put courage into her heart and took away all fear from her". 

Odysseus is a frightful sight when he emerges out of the bush and encounters the women doing their laundry by the water.  He looks "like some lion of the wilderness that stalks about exulting in his strength...his eyes glare as he prowls in quest of oxen, or sheep, or deer, for he is famished, and will dare break into even a well-fenced homestead".  Odysseus is clothed only with "a bough covered with thick leaves to hide his nakedness", and is "unkempt" and "begrimed with salt water".  The young women flee in all directions when he approaches them at their work, fearful as much of his raw male sexuality as of the physical threat he appears to represent.  Nausicaa, fortified by the strength of the goddess Athena, is the only one who stands firm and faces the menacing-looking figure of Odysseus.

What problems did the colonists face at Jamestown?

The first settlers of Jamestown endured the problems of hostile Indians, starvation, and poor leadership and government. Jamestown was the second English Colony in the New World (Roanoke being the first) and the Indians attacked the settlers within 3 days of arrival in May of 1607. An uneasy truce kept warfare down to periodic guerilla raids on both sides, and by 1609 the settlers have supplies from England and corn from the Indians, with whom they began trade. But by winter, as Indians refuse to trade corn, the 500 settlers are starving, and provide the only examples of European cannibalism in Virginia. By spring, less than 100 are alive. Many Englishmen take refuge with the Indians, under their chief, Powhatan. By summer, the governor of Virginia, Lord De La Warr, attempts to negotiate for their return, but Powhatan replies with "noe other then prowde and disdayneful Answers." The governor raids Indian villages, kills the inhabitants, including the queen of one of the tribes, who was stabbed to death. Throwing her children into the James River, he begins "shoteinge owtt their Braynes in the water." Astonishingly, he also orders all Indian corn to be cut down in the field to induce starvation among them! By 1612, the governor orders Englishmen "...to be hanged Some burned Some to be broken upon wheles others to be staked and some to be shott to death," for leaving Jamestown and living among the Indians.

American Slavery, American Freedom, Morgan, 1975

Here is a video on the subject:

In the novel "The Slave Dancer," what happens in the story from The Bight of Benin to the end?

In "The Slave Dancer," the section of the novel called "The Bight of Benin" is where Jessie's real reason for being brought on board "The Moonlight" really begins. 

"When the ship arrives off the coast of Africa, all the preparations for taking on slaves are completed. They go up and down the coast, and the captain goes out at night in a small boat and deals with the African chiefs who are selling the slaves.

The horrors that Jessie has to endure from this point on in the novel affect him for the rest of his life.  He sees just how terrible humanity can be.  When the ship finally arrives off the coast of Cuba, the captain begins negoeations for the sale of the slaves to the Spaniard.  The ship is attacked by a squall at the same time American sailors try to board.  Jessie and the young black slave are trapped for days until the ship finally crashes and the hold door is opened.  Everyone is dead.  Jessie and Ras swim ashore and are saved by Daniel, an old run-away slave. The emotional climax is when the boys are separated. Ras is sent up north and Jessie walks home.  He tells of his growth and his profession as an apothecary, his service in the Union Army and his marriage.  Jessie also tells us that he can never again listen to music and he spends the rest of his life looking for Ras.  Jessie is never freed from the memories of those terrible months on-board The Moonlight slave ship.

What are some ironic situations in the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

"Irony" is a literary element which describes a discrepancy between what a character says or does and what he or she means.

There are numerous instances of irony in Lee's novel. For example, the primary instance of irony is the farce of Democracy and Scout's having to recite the words "WE ARE A DEMOCRACY," with her class at the orders of Miss Gates. The demand is ironic because Scout has just witnessed an innocent man be both convicted of a crime he did not commit and then murdered for not believing in the appeal system. Justice and "democracy" are revealed to Scout as flawed, so this forced recitation is especially ironic:

"Now class, say it all together, "We are a democracy."

We said it. Then miss Gates said, "That's the difference between America and Germany. We are a democracy and Germany is a dictatorship. Dictator-ship," she said. "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Pre-ju-dice," she enunciated carefully. "There are no better people in the world than the Jews, and why Hitler doesn't think so is a mystery to me...When you get to high school, Cecil, you'll learn that Jews have been persecuted since the beginning of history...It's one of the most terrible stories in history."

How ironic that Miss Gates doesn't see the prejudice and history of persecution in her own country.

What is unusual about Wemmick’s wedding in Chapter 55 of "Great Expectations"?

Wemmick's wedding is unusual because it is so nonchalant and seemingly unplanned.  Wemmick asks Pip to go for a walk with him on Monday, and Pip agrees.  On Monday morning, the two begin their walk, with Wemmick carrying a fishing pole over his shoulder, even though they are not going fishing.  On their walk they happen upon a church, and Wemmick suggests they go in.  He pulls out some gloves which they both don at his direction, and, coincidentally, it seems, the Aged then enters a side door escorting a lady.  Wemmick, feigning surprise, exclaims delightedly, "Halloa!...Here's Miss Skiffins!  Let's have a wedding!"  A clerk and clergyman appear, and Pip, taken completely unawares, finds himself acting "in the capacity of backer or best man" at Wemmick's seemingly spontaneous nuptials!

As they exit the church, Wemmick again shoulders his fishing rod, "triumphantly" exclaiming, "let me ask you whether anybody would suppose this to be a wedding-party!"  After "an excellent breakfast" to celebrate the new union, Wemmick quietly requests that Pip not let Jagger know about his marriage, saying, "this is altogether a Walworth sentiment, please", which Pip understands is "not to be mentioned in Little Britain".

The incident as presented works as brilliant comic relief after the intense events of Magwitch's recapture (Chapter 55).

Did Gatsby really love Daisy or was his aim different from just a love?

First of all, you must remember to place the novel in the age it represented-the Jazz Age when anything seemed possible and women, especially wealthy women, were feeling a power they were never able to previously possess. Gatsby certainly did love Daisy, and all she represented to him - -success, power, and glamor. She was the unattainable, his Dream. However, Gatsby creates this love for Daisy, just as he creates a fantasy life. She is integral to his dream for success. In fact, "her voice was full of money," the symbol of the American Deam.Unfortunately, loving for wealth and power usually amounts to little at the end of the day. And Gatsby and his dream are defeated:"He did not know it [his dream]was already behind him... where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night."

What is ironic about the fact that Farquhar agrees with the saying that, "all is fair in love and war?""An Occurrence at Owl Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce

In Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,"
the irony of the statement to which Farquhar agrees, "all is fair in love and war" is
situational irony.  That is, there is discrepancy between what is expected to happen on
Farquahar's part, and what actually happens.

Thinking that
he is justified in performing whatever service he can in aid of the South, Farquhar
learns from a soldier dressed in grey that the bridge has driftwood now that is dry and
"would burn like tow." In addition to the irony of the soldier being in reality a
Federal scout, the situational irony is that Farquar sets out to burn the bridge when in
actuality it is the bridge that effects his own death:  "A man stood upon a railroad
bridge....the two private soldiers stepped aside and each drew away the plank upon which
he had been standing."  

Farquhar's being hanged on the
bridge which he has intended to burn makes even the choice of words
used by Bierce to describe the phase "all is fair in love and war" ironic.  For, Bierce
writes that the phase is a "frankly villainous dictum."  Obviously, nothing is fair in
love and war.  And, it is here that the central irony of Bierce's story lies.  For,
Peyton Farquhar is the butt of the satire in this story and not the sympathetic hero
that he first seems. As the story unfolds, Bierce develops the "frankly villainous"
nature of war as he contrasts it with Farquar's romanticized, unrealistic view
of "gallant army," "larger life of the soldier," "opportunity for distinction," and "no
adventure too perilous."

Farquar's imagined escape, too, is
ironic as it is a "civilian's dream of war," as well:

readability="14">

'If I could free my hands,' he thought, 'I might
throw off the noose and spring into the stream,  By diving I could evade the bullets
and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods, and get
home.'

The knowledge of war
that Peyton Farquhar has is that of books, not reality.  In fact, his imaginings are
described by one critic as "Walter-Mitty like."  Even his name is ironic: 
Peyton derives from the Scottish Payton, a
form of Patrick, which means of noble birth;
Farquhar derives from the Gaelic Fearachar,
meaning manly or brave.  Clearly, Bierce's theme of the less than glorious condition of
war comes through with all the ironic elements of his story.

What is ironic about the fact that Farquhar agrees with the saying that, "all is fair in love and war?""An Occurrence at Owl Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce

In Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," the irony of the statement to which Farquhar agrees, "all is fair in love and war" is situational irony.  That is, there is discrepancy between what is expected to happen on Farquahar's part, and what actually happens.

Thinking that he is justified in performing whatever service he can in aid of the South, Farquhar learns from a soldier dressed in grey that the bridge has driftwood now that is dry and "would burn like tow." In addition to the irony of the soldier being in reality a Federal scout, the situational irony is that Farquar sets out to burn the bridge when in actuality it is the bridge that effects his own death:  "A man stood upon a railroad bridge....the two private soldiers stepped aside and each drew away the plank upon which he had been standing."  

Farquhar's being hanged on the bridge which he has intended to burn makes even the choice of words used by Bierce to describe the phase "all is fair in love and war" ironic.  For, Bierce writes that the phase is a "frankly villainous dictum."  Obviously, nothing is fair in love and war.  And, it is here that the central irony of Bierce's story lies.  For, Peyton Farquhar is the butt of the satire in this story and not the sympathetic hero that he first seems. As the story unfolds, Bierce develops the "frankly villainous" nature of war as he contrasts it with Farquar's romanticized, unrealistic view of "gallant army," "larger life of the soldier," "opportunity for distinction," and "no adventure too perilous."

Farquar's imagined escape, too, is ironic as it is a "civilian's dream of war," as well:

'If I could free my hands,' he thought, 'I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream,  By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods, and get home.'

The knowledge of war that Peyton Farquhar has is that of books, not reality.  In fact, his imaginings are described by one critic as "Walter-Mitty like."  Even his name is ironic:  Peyton derives from the Scottish Payton, a form of Patrick, which means of noble birth; Farquhar derives from the Gaelic Fearachar, meaning manly or brave.  Clearly, Bierce's theme of the less than glorious condition of war comes through with all the ironic elements of his story.

How does Prospero have control over Caliban?

Prospero has clearly got some control over Caliban.
However the extent of control is substantially lower than you would have thought.  In
act 1 scene 2, Miranda and Prospero visit Caliban. Miranda obviously doesn’t care about
control over him, “I do not love to look on,” all she wants is too stay away from him.
This is not her only vain moment in the play. Prospero however makes a great show of how
much power he has, how he can punish Caliban, yet Caliban is completely used to this
form of abusive behaviour that he replies with a non-sequitur. He is obviously immune to
his punishments by now.  That shows that he just ignores Prospero most of the time, and
doesn’t see him as a threat. However Prospero can control some aspects of Calibans life.
He controls where Caliban lives, what Caliban does, and where he is allowed to go.
Prospero cannot control what Caliban says to him. Prospero taught him their language, so
Caliban must have heard it from Prospero first.  In conclusion, Prospero controls
Caliban in the only way he knows how, with magic.

How does Prospero have control over Caliban?

Prospero has clearly got some control over Caliban. However the extent of control is substantially lower than you would have thought.  In act 1 scene 2, Miranda and Prospero visit Caliban. Miranda obviously doesn’t care about control over him, “I do not love to look on,” all she wants is too stay away from him. This is not her only vain moment in the play. Prospero however makes a great show of how much power he has, how he can punish Caliban, yet Caliban is completely used to this form of abusive behaviour that he replies with a non-sequitur. He is obviously immune to his punishments by now.  That shows that he just ignores Prospero most of the time, and doesn’t see him as a threat. However Prospero can control some aspects of Calibans life. He controls where Caliban lives, what Caliban does, and where he is allowed to go. Prospero cannot control what Caliban says to him. Prospero taught him their language, so Caliban must have heard it from Prospero first.  In conclusion, Prospero controls Caliban in the only way he knows how, with magic.

What happens in Act III of Shakespeare's "Macbeth"?

In Scene 1, Banquo says that Macbeth is now Thane, and the witches' prophesy has come true.  He hopes the prophesy about his sons comes true as well, so his sons can be kings.  Macbeth fears this, and hires men to murder Banquo and Fleance.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth talk in Scene 2, and Macbeth does not tell her that he has arranged for Banquo and Fleance to be killed.

The murderers kill Banquo in Scene 3, but Fleance escapes.

In Scene 4, Macbeth is glad that Banquo is dead and plans to deal with Fleance later.  At a banquet that night, and the ghost of Banquo appears twice to Macbeth while he is sitting at the table; only Macbeth, who reacts with terror, can see him.  Lady Macbeth, afraid that he might confess to killing Duncan, tells the guests her husband is unwell and asks them to leave.  Macbeth, wondering why MacDuff did not attend the banquet, resolves to consult the witches to find out what to do next.

Scene 5 introduces a new witch, Hecate.  She is angry that the other witches did not consult her about Macbeth, and as Macbeth prepares to visit the witches again, she begins to cast a spell to lead to his destruction.

In Scene 6, Lennox suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan and Banquo, even though the general concensus is that Fleance killed his father.  Malcolm has gone to England with Macduff to raise an army and try to regain the crown from Macbeth, and Lennox hopes he will return soon and restore peace to Scotland.

In chapter 3 of "The Great Gatsby," who is Owl Eyes and how does he assume guests get to the party?

"Owl Eyes" (we never learn his real name) is one of the guests at Gatsby's parties. Nick and Jordan encounter him in Gatsby's huge show library, where he has just discovered that the volumes on the shelves have never had their pages cut. He assumes that most of the people at the party have been transported there by someone else:

“Who brought you?” he demanded. “Or did you just come? I was brought. Most people were brought.”
....
“I was brought by a woman named Roosevelt,” he continued. “Mrs. Claud Roosevelt. Do you know her? I met her somewhere last night. I’ve been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library.”

This exchange highlights how haphazard Gatsby has been in collecting the crowds that he assumes he needs to demonstrate great wealth and thus his worthiness as a suitor for Daisy.

In the end, "Owl Eyes" proves himself morally superior to the rest of the accidental crowd when in Chapter 9 he is the only one of Gatsby's former guests to attend his funeral:

Owl-eyes spoke to me by the gate.

“I couldn’t get to the house,” he remarked.

“Neither could anybody else.”

“Go on!” He started. “Why, my God! they used to go there by the hundreds.” He took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in.

“The poor son-of-a-bitch,” he said.

As has been remarked several times, this is Gatsby's true epitaph, spoken by the proverbial "one honest man" in the anonymous mass.

What did Union troops have on their uniforms?

At the very beginning of the war most Federal uniforms
were "frock coats." These were knee-length, somewhat styledcoats that were lined and way
too hot for summer usage. Other than insignia of rank, according to military
specifications, brass insignia was mostly on the leather goods associated with the
uniform. A cartridge box with a leather strap was hanging from the left shoulder, across
the chest, and resting on the right hip. This was kept in place by a leather belt. On
the cartridge box as a shiny brass oval with the letters US on it (for the regular army,
that is). On the front of the strap that crossed the chest was another shiny brass
circle with an eagle on it. As a belt buckle was another shiny brass oval with the
letters US on it. On the head gear would be a Jaegar horn (hunter's horn - a curved horn
which symbolized that the wearer hunted down the enemies of his country) along with a
brass letter and a brass number. These represented company and
regiment.

It didn't take too long for the soldier to
realize all this brass reflected the sunlight pretty well and created easier targets for
the enemy to shoot at. Thyerefore, as much of this stuff was removed as they could get
away with. Also, the stylish frock coat was soon replaced by a very common sack coat
which came in four sizes; size 1, 2, 3, and 4.