In chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, what is Nick's attitude towards Gatsby?

At the beginning of the chapter, Nick expresses his concern and care for Gatsby. He noticed that the parties had ended and those who visited, stayed briefly in his driveway and left. He then went over to enquire:

"Wondering if he were sick I went over to find out."

Later in the day, when Tom questions Jay about his being at Oxford, Nick expresses his admiration for the manner in which he manages Tom's cynical inquisition. Nick mentions that the verbal altercation renewed his faith in Gatsby. He trusted that Gatsby could manage whatever negative idea Tom wished to create of him.

"I wanted to get up and slap him on the back. I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I’d experienced before."

Nick further expresses admiration for Jay's initial calm demeanour during his verbal altercation with Tom. Tom obviously loses control, whilst Jay remains polite and is "content". Even when Tom hurls accusations of criminal activity at Jay, he remains calm.

Nick later expresses pity for Jay when he sees how he reacts to Daisy telling him that she "loved him too" and further that, "you want too much!" Jay is clearly hurt and confused. Even so, he remains calm.

Tom's relentless pursuit does affect Jay eventually and Nick notices that he looked:

'as if he had “killed a man.”'

Nick's thoughts make it clear that he feels sorry for Jay when he attempts to explain all Tom's accusations to Daisy, denying everything. Nick states that:

"But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room."

At the end of the chapter, after the accident which killed Myrtle, Nick finds Jay outside the Buchanan home, "just standing there". Nick finds this despicable. When jay tells him that they had parked his car in his garage and that nobody had seen them, Nick's thinking is:

"I disliked him so much by this time that I didn’t find it necessary to tell him he was wrong."

He is, at this point disgusted by Gatsby and what he had done. Nick however, remains loyal to his friend, going so far as to establish what Tom and Daisy were up to and reporting back to Jay. He recommends that Jay leave and go to bed, but he insists on staying. Nick then leaves.  

Who are the ten characters invited to Indian Island? What crimes are they are accused of?

The guests invited to Indian Island
are:

1. Justice Lawrence Wargrave -Justice Wargrave was
known for for giving out the death penalty pretty freely.  He was accused of unfairly
convincing a jury to convict Edward Seton of murder when there was limited
evidence.

2. Vera Claythorne -She was the former governess
to Cyril Hamilton.  She was responsible for allowing him to swim out to sea and drown
because she hoped that his Uncle Hugo Hamilton would marry her after he inherited
Cyril's fortune.

3. Phillip Lombard -Lomard stole food from
an African tribe, causing them to starve to death.

4. Emily
Brent - Brent was a very strict religious woman who dismissed her maid, Beatrice Taylor,
because she was pregnant and unmarried.  Because of this, Beatrice committed suicide by
throwing herself into the river.

5. General John MacArthur
- MacArthur was a jealous husband.  He assigned a suicide mission to his wife's lover,
Arthur Richmond.

6. Dr. Edward Armstrong -Armstrong was a
surgeon who operated while intoxicated, causing the death of Louisa
Clees.

7. Anthony Marston - Marston like to drive fast.  He
ran over and killed two children

8. William Blore - Blore
was a former police inspector, turned private detective.  After being bribed, he was
responsible for James Lander being sentenced to life in prison even though he was an
innocent man.

9. Ethel Rogers - Helped her husband, Thomas,
kill her employer, Jennifer Brady, by not giving her the medication she needed so that
they could inherit money

10. Thomas Rogers - An overbearing
man who dominated his wife, Ethel, and caused Jennifer Brady to succomb to heart failure
by withholding her medication.

Who are the ten characters invited to Indian Island? What crimes are they are accused of?

The guests invited to Indian Island are:

1. Justice Lawrence Wargrave -Justice Wargrave was known for for giving out the death penalty pretty freely.  He was accused of unfairly convincing a jury to convict Edward Seton of murder when there was limited evidence.

2. Vera Claythorne -She was the former governess to Cyril Hamilton.  She was responsible for allowing him to swim out to sea and drown because she hoped that his Uncle Hugo Hamilton would marry her after he inherited Cyril's fortune.

3. Phillip Lombard -Lomard stole food from an African tribe, causing them to starve to death.

4. Emily Brent - Brent was a very strict religious woman who dismissed her maid, Beatrice Taylor, because she was pregnant and unmarried.  Because of this, Beatrice committed suicide by throwing herself into the river.

5. General John MacArthur - MacArthur was a jealous husband.  He assigned a suicide mission to his wife's lover, Arthur Richmond.

6. Dr. Edward Armstrong -Armstrong was a surgeon who operated while intoxicated, causing the death of Louisa Clees.

7. Anthony Marston - Marston like to drive fast.  He ran over and killed two children

8. William Blore - Blore was a former police inspector, turned private detective.  After being bribed, he was responsible for James Lander being sentenced to life in prison even though he was an innocent man.

9. Ethel Rogers - Helped her husband, Thomas, kill her employer, Jennifer Brady, by not giving her the medication she needed so that they could inherit money

10. Thomas Rogers - An overbearing man who dominated his wife, Ethel, and caused Jennifer Brady to succomb to heart failure by withholding her medication.

What are the themes of Dead Souls?

Like much of Gogol's works, the themes are centered around the problems that are so prevalent in the Russia of his time.  He uses the characters to demonstrate the corruption and theivery that was so common at the time.  His characters are set up as examples of the usual people that were so willing to take part in corruption and the story shows some of the incredible situations that would result, and though it is somewhat satirical, there are moments of clear honesty and even poignant ones where Gogol makes it clear how much he cares about his country of Russia and how sad it is that these awful people are bringing it straight to ruin.

If you wanted them in a short sentence, you could simply say that the themes are obsessive paranoia, rampant greed, and even more rampant corruption.

Who was the first king of England?Who was the first kings nationality?

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written in the 9th century AD, the first king of a united England was Alfred: "all of the English people (all Angelcyn) not subject to the Danes submitted themselves to King Alfred." Before that time, England was divided into several small "kingdoms," each headed by its own king. When the Danes invaded England, many of these kingdoms united under Alfred in order to better defend themselves against the Danes.

The first king to rule over all of England--that is, with no areas under Danish control--was Edward the Confessor. Edward was the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings to rule before William the Conqueror invaded in 1066 and brought the nation under Norman rule.

Click on any of the links below for more information.

Why do you think The Alchemist tells the story of the two sons? (The poet and the soldier?)

The story that the alchemist tells Santiago about Emperor Tiberius and his sons appears to hold the lesson that, although a person may not have a destiny he expects or even desires, if that person acts in accordance with his own desires, he will serve a purpose greater than himself. In the story, which appears in the Bible in Matthew 8:5-8, a centurion demonstrates his faith in Jesus, acknowledging that if Jesus just speaks a word he can heal the centurion’s servant, who is paralyzed and suffering. The angel tells Tiberius that, although the centurion did not intend to be remembered for this speech, his words have become immortal. This story reiterates the notion that in living out his Personal Legend, Santiago served not only himself but also the Soul of the World. Also, just like the Narcissus story from the beginning of The Alchemist, this story takes a well-known narrative, this time a story from the Bible, and adds another dimension to it, giving it a new meaning in the context of the novel.

In "As You Like it", who was Orlando? Why did he decide to fight with a wrestler?

Orlando is the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys.  In Shakespeare's time, primogeniture was custom, which gave all inheritance to the oldest son and left the younger sons to find their own fortune.  However, it was commonplace for a father's will to include something towards the education and sustenance of those younger sons.  This is the case with the will of the deceased de Boys.  However, Oliver, the oldest son, has withheld from Orlando the money that he should have.  Thus, Orlando has not been able to receive the education he should have as a gentleman.  Orlando can not go out to make his fortune, therefore, and is totally at the mercy of Oliver.

In Act I, scene ii, Orlando decides to fight Charles the wrestler.  His explanation to the ladies is as follows:  "I come
but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth."  Audiences are left to assume that Orlando, having nothing else to his name, is eager to prove himself in any way that he can - and he does.

I need references about Michael Corleone's character and his changes of attitude towards family business in The Godfather.

His "characters"? I believe you mean his character. Michael initially feels at least a distance and at most a degree of shame over the manner that his family conducts its business. Over time and through the attacks the family endures, Michael's feelings change and his moral absolute point of reference becomes more pragmatic and relativistic. His time in Sicily allows him to born again into his family heritage and the struggles they have overcome.

Batter my heart, three-personed God...How can I explain the contradictions in lines 2, 3, 13, and 14? And i don't know the meanings of "enthrall"...

1. Blake decries the burden of free will, for his reason ('your viceroy in me') is 'weak or untrue'. His emotions, although leaning towards God, are impotent, for Blake is "betroth'd unto [God's] enemy'.

2. Blake thus wants God to take him by force, and uses the metaphors of a town and of a woman, both captive to an usurper. Their defenses should be battered and overwhelmed, so that both can be saved from the clutches of the enemy.

3. Blake makes liberal use of paradox and oxymoron, very effective literary devises in painting the human condition as one of uncertainty and mystery: "break, blow, burn and make me new." "that I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me". "Except you enthrall (enslave) me, [I] never shall be free". "Nor [will I] ever [be] chaste, unless you ravish (take by force) me."

Composition of functions ( f * g )( x ) = ? ( g * f)( x ) = ? f( x ) = 1/( x + 3 ) ; g( x ) = x

In order to find the value of the composition of 2
functions, in our case f and g, we have to follow the
steps:

Step 1: First, we have to find out the expression of
the composition of the 2 functions:

(f*g)(x) =
f(g(x))

To find f(g(x)) we have to substitute x by g(x) in
the expression of f(x):

f(g(x)) = 1/(g(x) +
3)

Now, we'll substitute g(x) by it's
expression:

1/(g(x) + 3) = 1/(x +
3)

f(g(x)) = 1/(x +
3) 

The next step is to calculate
(g*f)(x).

g(f(x)) =
f(x)

g(f(x)) = 1/( x + 3
)

Though the composition of 2
functions is not commutative, in this case the results of (f*g)(x) and (g*f)(x) are
equal.

Composition of functions ( f * g )( x ) = ? ( g * f)( x ) = ? f( x ) = 1/( x + 3 ) ; g( x ) = x

In order to find the value of the composition of 2 functions, in our case f and g, we have to follow the steps:

Step 1: First, we have to find out the expression of the composition of the 2 functions:

(f*g)(x) = f(g(x))

To find f(g(x)) we have to substitute x by g(x) in the expression of f(x):

f(g(x)) = 1/(g(x) + 3)

Now, we'll substitute g(x) by it's expression:

1/(g(x) + 3) = 1/(x + 3)

f(g(x)) = 1/(x + 3) 

The next step is to calculate (g*f)(x).

g(f(x)) = f(x)

g(f(x)) = 1/( x + 3 )

Though the composition of 2 functions is not commutative, in this case the results of (f*g)(x) and (g*f)(x) are equal.

What effect is described in the above story? Why would such an extreme reaction help reader understand what is happening in the story. The...

The passage that you are referring to is the escape by Mr. Nuttel from the Sappleton home at lightening speed.  He is running away from, what he thinks, are the ghosts of Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brothers who have just risen from the dead out of the bog.

It is amusing to think that Vera, has so altered Frampton Nuttel's perception of reality, that he believes her story so thoroughly, that he is terrified beyond his wits when he sees the three men approaching the open window. He thinks they are ghosts. 

He not only gets up and runs for his life, he leaves behind a perception for Mrs. Sappleton that he is rude and a bit crazy.  Running out of the Sappleton's home provides an opening for Vera to tell another tall tale, this time about how frightened Mr. Nuttel is of dogs. 

Saki is telling the reader that perception is reality.  He is telling the reader that, if an individual is convincing enough in her conveyance of a story or situation, that the story can shape or alter the perception of the listener, thereby creating a new version of reality.  Such as in Frampton Nuttel's world, where ghosts rise from the swamp to return home on the anniversary of their deaths.

In "Autumn in the Oak Woods," how can we see the antagonistic sides of the two characters?

"Autumn in the Oak Woods" was written by Yuri Pavlovich at
a time in Soviet history when censorship has eased somewhat and writers revived the
prerogative of authors to criticize their cities and cultures as well as idealize the
country life that exists in opposition to industrialized cities. This time was known as
the "thaw period" and extended from the 1950s to the 1970s. Yuri Pavlovich forged his
own path in this period and neither fell in with the detractors of city life and culture
nor with the idealizers of the antithetical country life. On the contrary, Pavlovich
offers a balanced view that doesn't denigrate the city nor idealize the country, but
rather offers the country life as an alternative to those who seek solace and a quieter
life than what the city offers.

In light of this, Pavlovich
paints both the hero and heroine with equal, balanced strokes because he represents the
country and she represents the city. Pavlov uses them to show the balance he both
perceives and reveals. Therefore, there are no demonstrable antagonistic qualities to
either one, the hero or heroine. If there were, Pavlovich's message would be radically
altered. Either they would represent superiority of country or city over the other, when
his express purpose is to show balance, or they would represent opposition between
equally problematic country and city, when his other purpose is to offer the country as
a viable option to those who seek quietude and
naturalness.

The lack of antagonistic qualities to each
character is demonstrated by her willingness to understand his explanation of why he
won't care about killing the fox; by his willingness to turn his back while she dressed
and to agree to turn the lights out; and by her later comforting remarks that indeed
everything she is seeing is good.

In "Autumn in the Oak Woods," how can we see the antagonistic sides of the two characters?

"Autumn in the Oak Woods" was written by Yuri Pavlovich at a time in Soviet history when censorship has eased somewhat and writers revived the prerogative of authors to criticize their cities and cultures as well as idealize the country life that exists in opposition to industrialized cities. This time was known as the "thaw period" and extended from the 1950s to the 1970s. Yuri Pavlovich forged his own path in this period and neither fell in with the detractors of city life and culture nor with the idealizers of the antithetical country life. On the contrary, Pavlovich offers a balanced view that doesn't denigrate the city nor idealize the country, but rather offers the country life as an alternative to those who seek solace and a quieter life than what the city offers.

In light of this, Pavlovich paints both the hero and heroine with equal, balanced strokes because he represents the country and she represents the city. Pavlov uses them to show the balance he both perceives and reveals. Therefore, there are no demonstrable antagonistic qualities to either one, the hero or heroine. If there were, Pavlovich's message would be radically altered. Either they would represent superiority of country or city over the other, when his express purpose is to show balance, or they would represent opposition between equally problematic country and city, when his other purpose is to offer the country as a viable option to those who seek quietude and naturalness.

The lack of antagonistic qualities to each character is demonstrated by her willingness to understand his explanation of why he won't care about killing the fox; by his willingness to turn his back while she dressed and to agree to turn the lights out; and by her later comforting remarks that indeed everything she is seeing is good.

Express the given function as a composition of 2 simple functions (x^3-x^2+2)^7.

In odrer to express the function into two dsimple
fuctions, you need to to:

1. Assume that (x^3 - x^2 + 2)=
f(x)

Now, assume g(x) = x^7

by
replacing x with f(x) you will get g(f(x)) =
[f(x)]^7

  but,  (x^3-x^2+2)^7 = [f(x)]^7 )= g(f(x)so we
can compose the function as follow:

g(f(x)) =
(x^3-x^2+2)^7, while f(x)= 9x^3-x^2+2)^7

Express the given function as a composition of 2 simple functions (x^3-x^2+2)^7.

In odrer to express the function into two dsimple fuctions, you need to to:

1. Assume that (x^3 - x^2 + 2)= f(x)

Now, assume g(x) = x^7

by replacing x with f(x) you will get g(f(x)) = [f(x)]^7

  but,  (x^3-x^2+2)^7 = [f(x)]^7 )= g(f(x)so we can compose the function as follow:

g(f(x)) = (x^3-x^2+2)^7, while f(x)= 9x^3-x^2+2)^7

Why did so many Americans end up opposing US participation in the Vietnam War?no

Someextra points to add to the many above.  The Vietnam
War was the first truly televised war for Americans.  Instead of gathering by the radio
and listening to motivating speeches and following the Allied forces' progress (as
Americans did during World War II), Americans watched--almost in real time--what was
going on in Vietnam.  The images of bleeding, burned, mutilated, or dead soldiers were
powerful and caused many to question if these losses (which now needed no imagination to
consider) were worth whatever the purpose of the war was supposed to
be.

Similarly, while the war was still in progress,
veterans began speaking out against it publicly.  Some told of the constant changes in
the war's purpose (at least how it was presented to them) which caused them to question
why they were in Vietnam. Others discussed the rules of engagement which differed
greatly from other American wars.  Instead of focusing on offense and victory, soldiers
were told to not fire unless fired upon.

Finally, we have
to remember that many of the men sent to Vietnam were baby boomers (the children of
World War II vets), and many of their parents raised them in the idyllic setting of the
1950s when Americans wanted to put war behind them and give their children everything
that they didn't have.  This type of upbringing resulted in a much different type of
American young person--not one who saw patriotism as all important or who was willing to
go wherever his country called--but one who had already established different goals for
himself or herself which didn't involve military service.  This is not true, of course,
of everyone of that generation (my dad voluntarily signed up and served a tour in
Vietnam), but it does reflect the contrast between generations.

Why did so many Americans end up opposing US participation in the Vietnam War?no

Someextra points to add to the many above.  The Vietnam War was the first truly televised war for Americans.  Instead of gathering by the radio and listening to motivating speeches and following the Allied forces' progress (as Americans did during World War II), Americans watched--almost in real time--what was going on in Vietnam.  The images of bleeding, burned, mutilated, or dead soldiers were powerful and caused many to question if these losses (which now needed no imagination to consider) were worth whatever the purpose of the war was supposed to be.

Similarly, while the war was still in progress, veterans began speaking out against it publicly.  Some told of the constant changes in the war's purpose (at least how it was presented to them) which caused them to question why they were in Vietnam. Others discussed the rules of engagement which differed greatly from other American wars.  Instead of focusing on offense and victory, soldiers were told to not fire unless fired upon.

Finally, we have to remember that many of the men sent to Vietnam were baby boomers (the children of World War II vets), and many of their parents raised them in the idyllic setting of the 1950s when Americans wanted to put war behind them and give their children everything that they didn't have.  This type of upbringing resulted in a much different type of American young person--not one who saw patriotism as all important or who was willing to go wherever his country called--but one who had already established different goals for himself or herself which didn't involve military service.  This is not true, of course, of everyone of that generation (my dad voluntarily signed up and served a tour in Vietnam), but it does reflect the contrast between generations.

There is a close relationship between plot and setting in act 1. What are three examples that reflect the decline into evil?

The most obvious element of setting which sets the scene for the evil that follows is the rain and thunder which accompanies the witches' appearance and predictions.  Soon after we meet them and they tell of their intention to see Macbeth later, Macbeth himself comments that he has not seen so foul and fair a day before in his life--the weather has an effect on him, yet it has not kept him from winning the battle and the titles to come.

After Macbeth's meeting with the witches, Macbeth writes a letter to inform his wife of their prophecy to become Cawdor and King.  Within minutes of their prophecy, Ross rides in to bestow upon Macbeth the title of Cawdor.

Before Macbeth even gets home, his wife is planning Duncan's death.

Shakespeare often uses weather and animal imagery to show us the inner feelings and conflicts of his characters.  The rain, thunder, and the unsettled events of animals and weather on the night of Duncan's murder tell us that God, the Earth, and all of nature disapprove of Macbeth's decision and actions.

This weather sets the tone for the evil in all of Act 1 which continues through the entire play.

Why was Buck happy running with the wolf? Why does Buck leave the wolf?

In Chapter 7, Buck spends a long time running with a wolf
at one point.  The reason that he is happy to run with the wolf is that he is becoming
more and more interested in being a wild animal.  The old memories (from the distant
past, not his own life) are coming back to him and he is feeling the call of the
wild.

But for now, John Thornton is still a powerful
influence on him.  When Buck remembers Thornton, he leaves the wolf and goes back to be
with the man who he loves so much.

Why was Buck happy running with the wolf? Why does Buck leave the wolf?

In Chapter 7, Buck spends a long time running with a wolf at one point.  The reason that he is happy to run with the wolf is that he is becoming more and more interested in being a wild animal.  The old memories (from the distant past, not his own life) are coming back to him and he is feeling the call of the wild.

But for now, John Thornton is still a powerful influence on him.  When Buck remembers Thornton, he leaves the wolf and goes back to be with the man who he loves so much.

Can someone give me a summary of Chapter 6 of "The Upstairs Room"? How she grew, and what lessons she learned in the Chapter?

Annie and Sini try to adjust to life in the upstairs room, where they have been living for a month.  Annie realizes that she doesn't even know what the outside of the house looks like, but Johan describes it to her.  To help them pass the time, Dientje borrows a book for the girls to read, the fattest one she can find, War and Peace.  The tide of the war is turning, but now planes thunder over the house every night on their way to bomb Germany. 

To celebrate Opoe's birthday, Annie and Sini are allowed to eat downstairs with the family.  They must return to their hiding place upstairs when guests arrive, however, and the Hanninks, who are among the visitors, come up to see the girls there.

In this Chapter, Annie learns to appreciate little things.  The opportunity to celebrate Opoe's birthday becomes a tremendous priviledge and something to look forward to, and although they get on each others' nerves and are frustrated and angry at having to hide, Annie and Sini are thankful that they at least have each other, unlike their sister Rachel, who is alone among strangers.  Annie is getting to know the Oosterveldts, and to recognize their little foibles - hard-working Dientje who cares for everyone and endures Opoe's criticisms, courageous Johan who has taken the girls in at great risk, and especially Opoe, who is gruff and complaining, but has a heart to be able to recognize that the enemy "(have) got mothers too" (Chapter 6).

What often happened at antiwar demonstrations in the early 1970s?Looking to find (2 or 3) specific examples to support your answer.

Colleges were often places where demonstrations were held
and they often turned violent, especially after the Kent State shootings. Some things
that occurred were arson, bombings, and vandalism. An example of the violence that
occurred is what happened at Kent State on May 4, 1970. Four peaceful protesters were
killed by National Guardsmen during a rally, and others were injured. This greatly
angered people.

In response to the Kent State shootings
there was a protest called the Kent State/Cambodia Incursion Protest. It happened in
Washington DC. Thousands of people marched even though it was put together very
quickly.

Strikes were often a result of opposition to the
war as well. An example is the National Student Strike. During this protest, more than
four million students refused to go to school resulting in many colleges being shut down
for the duration. Four hundred and fifty colleges were involved.

What often happened at antiwar demonstrations in the early 1970s?Looking to find (2 or 3) specific examples to support your answer.

Colleges were often places where demonstrations were held and they often turned violent, especially after the Kent State shootings. Some things that occurred were arson, bombings, and vandalism. An example of the violence that occurred is what happened at Kent State on May 4, 1970. Four peaceful protesters were killed by National Guardsmen during a rally, and others were injured. This greatly angered people.

In response to the Kent State shootings there was a protest called the Kent State/Cambodia Incursion Protest. It happened in Washington DC. Thousands of people marched even though it was put together very quickly.

Strikes were often a result of opposition to the war as well. An example is the National Student Strike. During this protest, more than four million students refused to go to school resulting in many colleges being shut down for the duration. Four hundred and fifty colleges were involved.

In Act 1 of "The Crucible," why do Putman and Proctor get into an argument?

Thomas Putnam and John Proctor disagree on many issues, but in Act 1, one of their main arguments is about some lumber than John Proctor has hauled from his forest.  Putnam, who throughout the play is concerned with getting more land, claims that the woods from which Proctor got the wood, was his.  Proctor tells Putnam he bought the land five months ago from Giles Corey.  Putnam goes on to say that Corey never owned the land to sell because Putnam's grandfather willed the land to him, Thomas Putnam.  Proctor and Corey both point out that Putnam's grandfather may have written that in his will, but it was never his to bequeath to someone else in the first place.

Think about whether or not Montresor is an unreliable narrator in "The Cask of Amontillado." Think about whether or not Montresor is an unreliable...

Montresor is an unreliable narrator, yes, because he is clearly mentally unstable.  He cannot be trusted.  In addition, there is no evidence that Forunato did, in fact, insult or do anything of great harm to Montresor at all in the story.  Poe provides no details.  Because the narrator is unreliable, we cannot trust him when he says that Fortunato has wronged him.  We do not know if this is true at all.  EVen if Montresor HAD provided evidence, we still could not trust him because he is an unreliable narrator.  For all we know, he could be making it up.  It does not take long to look for evidence to support the fact that Montresor cannot be trusted and is unreliable because of his murderous plot and because he is emotionless and remorseless for what he is doing.  He has no regrets and is happy with his plans.

Why is Catherine trapped haunting Wuthering Heights? Can you give me 2 causes?

Excellent question, and to answer it you need to be aware of some of the symbolism in the novel as well as thinking about the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.

One of the key divides or tensions in the novel is between Nature in its full untrammelled beauty and might and also culture. These two extremes are represented by firstly Wuthering Heights and the Earnshaw family and then secondly Thrushcross Grange and the Lintons. Catherine is obviously, as an Earnshaw, a product of Nature - we see that the moors are incredibly important to her and she is governed more by the changeable nature of the weather and the landscape than she is by social conventions. We know she feels a deep attachment to Wuthering Heights as a location, and although she apparently becomes "civilised", as is symbolised by her marriage to Edgar and her living in Thrushcross Grange, the return of Heathcliff exposes where her real loyalties lie. Remember her dream when she imagines she was in heaven but begs to be allowed to return to Wuthering Heights. And think too of Chapter 12 where she imagines she can see her former home. This Chapter also contains her promise to Heathcliff:

"I'll not lie there by myself: they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me, but I won't rest till you are with me. I never will!"

So not only is Catherine still around because she is waiting to be re-united with Heathcliff, but also she has an intense connection to Wuthering Heights as a place. There is clearly unfinished business in the novel as the cycle of repetition shows. It is only when a "happy ending" puts some of these wrongs to rights with the marriage of Hareton and the younger Catherine, that, supposedly, the ghosts can be laid to rest, though note how the last few pages interestingly deny this assurance whilst trying to reinforce it.

In "Master and Margarita," why does the master have no name?

The symbolism of a "generic" name such as "The Master" is that it represents a whole class of people. The Master has no name because he is a figure who is intended to represent any true artist who undergoes trials and persecutions in the cause of his art.

In being symbolic, "The Master" is only one example of Bulgakov using symbolic or allusive naming in his novel. The name of the Master's mistress and disciple, Margerita, alludes to the Faust legend, as does the nom de guerre the Devil adopts, Woland (mentioned by Goethe in Faust). The poet who becomes another follower of the Master, Ivan Bezdomniy, might be more literally called "Ivan Homeless." The Devil's followers also have names with multiple layers of meaning: the cat Behemoth alludes to the Biblical monster as well as evoking the Russian word for hippopotamus; Azazello reminds us of Azrael, another demon; while the references in the names of Abadonna and Hella are obvious. These multiple examples make it clear that the generic labeling of "The Master" was intended to evoke something beyond its surface meaning.

What was the Kutchin's Indian tribe's traditional clothing?native american tribe called "Kutchin"

The outer skirt of the Kitchin was made of skins of reindeer, decorated with hair from other animals. The men wore these skirts in front and behind; the women wore larger black shirts. In winter, rabbit skins were worn and they made pants from deer skin with the fur next to the skin. A broad band of beads was worn across the shoulders and breasts and the lower part of the dress was fringed with tassels wound round with dyed porcupine quills and strung with a fruit called oleaster, A stripe of beads, strung with red and white squares, were sewn on the seams of trousers and bands of beads encircled the ankles. The poor Kutchin's tried to wear at least a string of beads and bead were used a a medium of exchange among the Kutchin.

To what Puritan doctrine does Judge Hathorne attribute John’s decision to confess in Act IV of "The Crucible"?

In Act IV, Proctor tells Hathorne he wants to keep living, and Hathorne asks if he will confess to being a witch. Proctor again tells Hathorne, "I will have my life." At that point, Hathorne yells, "God be praised! It is a providence!" The doctrine Hathorne refers to is the belief in Providence. The Puritans saw God as the ultimate ruler of the universe, and God's Providence was when He planned and carried out everything in the universe in order to achieve his divine ends. Providence is God's will that extends to all his creatures in the universe. Hathorne, therefore, thinks Proctor is confessing because it is God's will that he do so.

Why did the pilgrims go to North America?

Many of the passengers of the Mayflower (but not all) are considered pilgrims because they left their home mainly for religious reasons.  Those passengers who did seek religious freedom were separatists and disagreed with the Church of England and the Catholic Church in many ways.  They believed that both were corrupt.  They believed in a different approach to Christianity, which included the "personal study of the Scriptures."  

Deciding that they were unable to practice their religion as they chose, a group of these separatists moved first to Amsterdam and then to Leiden in Holland.  In Leiden, many of the pilgrims worked hard as weavers.  A group of French Huguenots had also settled in Leiden to seek religious freedom, and some of the pilgrims attended church with them.  

In Holland, the work was difficult.  While they were able to practice their religion with more freedom, the separatists still felt concerned.  Some of their children began to conform to Dutch culture.  Others left to become soldiers.  They felt that their traditions as Englishmen and Englishwomen were fading.  Also, war between the Dutch and the Spanish loomed.  They feared a repeat of the Spanish Inquisition in Holland, where surely they would be a target (for defying the Roman Catholic Church).  Because of these and other reasons, some decided to sail to the New World.

How are the languages different in chapters 6 through 9 and chapters 1 through 5 of "Night"?

In chapters 1-5, Elie Weisel and the Jews he is with are still hopeful and full of faith.  They continue to believe that nothing horrible will happen, that they will be saved, that life will return to normal.  In these chapters, everyone is still human.  They are still full of human kindness and caring for those who are suffering.  They have not yet sunk to the level of animals, even though they are treated in this manner.

By chapters 6-9, reality has set in and the language is darker, more depressing and lacking that hope of salvation.  Elie has lost his faith in God, as many of the Jews who have witnessed such atrocities against humanity (babies, children, the elderly) have. At this point in the book, it is everyone for himself.  All bonds between friends and family members no longer exist.  Survival is everything, and one may sacrifice his own father for a small piece of bread to calm his aching stomach.  They have succumbed to the de-humanization of the Nazis in these atrocious camps.

In "The Alchemist," what significant role does the gypsy woman that Santiago met play in helping to reach his goal?

The gypsy woman merely reiterates that the boy, who dreamed that he went to the Pyramids of Egypt and found a great treasure, must go on his quest.  The reason Santiago went to see her was because he'd had the same dream twice, and he was hoping for a more in-depth explanation.  When she merely reiterated the obvious message of the dream (go to the Pyramids), he at first was discouraged in her so-called abilities (but happy that he didn't have to pay for her services because she'd requested 10% of the treasure if and when he found it..and he did not take the dream seriously at that point).  However, like many ideas, once they have been brought to mind and then confirmed by another, they have a way of growing on a person's imagination.  After speaking with her, the dream seemed to become more real to Santiago, and then his chance meeting with the King of Salem further confirmed that he should go to the Pyramids.  If he had not spoken with the gypsy woman, he might have just ignored the dream and would never have sought out to fulfill his Personal Legend.  Happily, when Santiago eventually does find the treasure, he remembers his promise to the old woman and gives her 10%.

What are some judgments and conclusions that Joe Keller can impact on readers of All My Sons?

Joe Keller's character causes readers to make several
judgments and draw a variety of conclusions.  For example, a reader could judge Joe's
decision to ship the faulty airplane parts as immoral because the decision ultimately
caused the death of many young pilots.  Rather than standing up to the pressure being
put on his business by the government, Joe decides to take a risk.  From this decision,
one might conclude that Joe feels comfortable taking such risks and believes that what
he considers a minor flaw will not have such a big impact.  Joe is a businessman, one
who must take risks of varying proportions on a daily
basis. 

Through Joe's character, Miller asks the reader to
analyze and evaluate priorities.  Joe feels an immediate responsibility to his family,
and he holds their well-being as a priority.  He wants his business to be successful so
that he can support his family and leave a legacy for his children.  However, this
decision led to the death of others.  Should Joe have felt a responsibility for unknown
men as well?  These types of judgments are left to the reader.

What are some judgments and conclusions that Joe Keller can impact on readers of All My Sons?

Joe Keller's character causes readers to make several judgments and draw a variety of conclusions.  For example, a reader could judge Joe's decision to ship the faulty airplane parts as immoral because the decision ultimately caused the death of many young pilots.  Rather than standing up to the pressure being put on his business by the government, Joe decides to take a risk.  From this decision, one might conclude that Joe feels comfortable taking such risks and believes that what he considers a minor flaw will not have such a big impact.  Joe is a businessman, one who must take risks of varying proportions on a daily basis. 

Through Joe's character, Miller asks the reader to analyze and evaluate priorities.  Joe feels an immediate responsibility to his family, and he holds their well-being as a priority.  He wants his business to be successful so that he can support his family and leave a legacy for his children.  However, this decision led to the death of others.  Should Joe have felt a responsibility for unknown men as well?  These types of judgments are left to the reader.

What is the difference between force and pressure?

The way I would explain it is that the two are closely
related but that pressure depends on how much of an area the force is being exerted
upon.

To find force, you have to know the mass of the
object and its acceleration.  Once you know that, you have the force because Force =
mass times acceleration.

To convert force into pressure,
you have to know how much of an area the force is acting upon.  Stated mathematically, P
= F/A where P is the pressure, F is the force, and A is the
area.

So the identical amount of force exerts a lot of
pressure on a small area or a little pressure on a large area.  This is why you wouldn't
want to sit on one nail but you could lie on a bed of nails.

What is the difference between force and pressure?

The way I would explain it is that the two are closely related but that pressure depends on how much of an area the force is being exerted upon.

To find force, you have to know the mass of the object and its acceleration.  Once you know that, you have the force because Force = mass times acceleration.

To convert force into pressure, you have to know how much of an area the force is acting upon.  Stated mathematically, P = F/A where P is the pressure, F is the force, and A is the area.

So the identical amount of force exerts a lot of pressure on a small area or a little pressure on a large area.  This is why you wouldn't want to sit on one nail but you could lie on a bed of nails.

Who are the major and minor characters of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?

The major character in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are the four Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.  The most predominant of the four, though, are Lucy and Edmund.  It is Lucy who first enters the wardrobe and meets Mr. Tumnus the faun.  Edmund acts as a foil for Lucy and also enters the wardrobe only to meet the White Witch.  Jadis, the White Witch is the self-proclaimed "Queen" of Narnia and acts as the antagonist of the novel.  Aslan, the lion, leads Narnia to breaking free from the White Witch's power after he offers himself in sacrifice. 

Minor characters include Mr. Tumnus the Faun, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Maugrim the Captain of the Witch's Guard, and the Professor who accepts charge of the Pevensie children after their evacuation from London.

In the last chapters of the book, Tea Cake bites Janie. Does she then have rabies, and is she coming home to die?

My opinion is that, since the author made no reference to Janie getting the rabies treatment shots, that she, in fact, does contract rabies and chooses not to get treatment because she doesn't want to live without the love of her life, Tea Cake.  Perhaps Hurston purposely left that part in ambiguity so the reader could write their own ending. 

In the book "Fahrenheit 451," was Montag's death normal?

Montag does not actually die within the pages of Fahrenheit 451. At the end, he has joined a new society of "book people," who live in the woods. His death is staged, however, by his old society. The mechanical dog attacks a man walking on the street, which is aired on live tv. They say that the man is Montag, so that all the viewers believe they are safe.

The way the attack is presented does seem normal. The people blindly accept whatever is fed to them, so they believe Montag is bad and that his death is good. It does not seem that they even question whether murder itself is wrong.

In "1984", why does Winston find the obese, hardened woman of fifty, who is hanging clothes behind the antique shop, beautiful?

Seeing her as beautiful, Winston was committing an act of rebellion, in a way.  The "approved" definition of beauty, according to the Thought Police, would probably mean that this woman would not be beautiful.  Yet, she was natural.  She was what she was, rather than what she was t"told" to be by the society.  She herself was rebelling, or so Winston thought.  You might say "Ugly is Beautiful." 

Winston was appreciating the obese woman, not for her physical appreance, but for her noncomformity.  Interesting thought: Did the world of 1984 have supermodels?  In our day and age, this is the "acceptable" appearance for a woman, which many women try to conform to.  Orwell was perhaps presaging the intense focus on the "importance" of physical appearance as a means of being "acceptable."

In Chapter 58 of "Great Expectations", what does Pumblechook publicy instruct Pip to tell Joe?

At the Blue Boar, Pumblechook publicly instructs Pip to return to Joe Gargery and tell him that Pip has seen Pumblechook, who claims to be Pip's "earliest benefactor and the founder of (his) fortunes".  Pip is to tell Joe that Pumblechook bears neither Pip nor Joe any malice, despite the fact that Joe has treated him with "pigheadedness and ignorance" and Pip shows a "total deficiency of common human gratitoode".  In reality, Pumblechook is a hypocritical opportunist who tormented Pip when he was poor and befriended him only when he thought he had money.  His words are a boldfaced lie, and Pip, astounded by the man's aplomb, retorts that he sees no "benefactor".  Pumblechook then addresses the patrons of the Blue Boar, calling attention to Pip's purported demonstration of ingratitude and asserts that despite Pip's ungratefulness, he, the magnanimous Pumblechook, would repeat his unselfish acts of largesse again (Chapter 58).

What does Candide learn through the book?

That's a good and tough question. In the beginning of the novel, Candide simply learns that the world is not what he had thought it was—that it was more, and more rugged. He starts naïve, and sees the world.

He then learns fate and mercy, when he is forced into the military, and then saved from a whipping.

He learns that there are more complex ways to view the world when he talks with the philosopher, and, more generally, that there are many views of the world.

His final lesson, which may not be the book's lesson, comes in the end of the novel, where he learns that this is, as Pangloss taught, the best of all possible worlds, and that we must all "cultivate our garden."

Why and for how long does Athena want Odysseus to be in disguise?In book 13

Athena wants Odysseus to disguise himself because she knows that it is in his nature to want to know the exact attitudes and crimes of those who took advantage of his disappearance.  She wants him to be in disguise until he knows exactly what each suitors crime is and to develop a way to appropriately punish them for their behavior.    This way Odysseus could also test his servants and his family for their loyalty as well as testing the suitors for their crimes.  A deception would also make his homecoming more dramatic than if he just entered the palace and announced he was home.  Finally, it was safer for him to enter in disguise.  The suitors were not going to be happy that he had returned and they outnumbered him.  By using a disguise, Odysseus could use his cleverness and timing to bear on the situation and insure a good outcome for himself and his family.

In The Call of the Wild, what was the name of the Indian group that attacked John Thorton?

The name of the ferocious tribe was the "Yeehats."  The attack occurs in Chapter 7.  Buck comes upon the maurading band:

"The Yeehats were dancing about the wreckage of the spurce-bough lodge when they heard a fearful roaring and saw rushing upon them an animal which they had never seen before.  It was Buck, a live hurricane of fury, hurling himself upon them in a frenzy to destroy....It was a fateful day for the Yeehats.  They scattered far and wide over the country and it was not until a week later that the last of the survivors gathered together in a lower valley and counted their losses.  As for Buck...he found Pete where he had been killed...Thornton's desperate struggle was fresh-written on the earth..."

What is the significance of The Battle of Gettysberg?i need a lot of info

The Battle of Gettysburg was the largest and most significant of the war.  Around 160,000 Americans faced each other over a 3 day period.  When it was over, more than 50,000 Americans were dead.  The Confederate army brought 75,000 men to the battle, losing 28,000 soldiers. The Union Army brought 90,000 soldiers to the battle, losing 23,000.

The Battle of Gettysburg, although not the end of the war, is known as the turning point of the Civil War.  It was at this time that the Confederate forces were forced to give up their plan to move the war further north.

The Battle of Gettysburg took place over three days in July 1863.  The war did not end until 1865.

Are magic realism and urban fantasy the same?

Magical Realism (magic realism) refers to a movement in literature started by Latin American authors that combines literary subject matter, realism or a non-romantic view of the world, with speculaitve elements. In other words, it takes a realistic glance at the speculative phenomenon, while advancing literary stories (non-mainstream, non-plot driven, non-genre stories). Aimee Bender comes to mind as an American writing Magical Realism. If you read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, you can see the vast difference between it and Fantasy novels. 

Urban Fantasy is a subgenre of Contemporary Fantasy. It describes fiction that uses the common tropes found in Fantasy, but in contemporary times and in a real-world city or urban setting--sometimes referred to as urbanized fantasy. As with most Fantasy, UF is plot driven and places vast importance on its speculative elements. In this sense, it has more in common with Comic Books than with Magical Realism. It is very rare for an Urban Fantasy novel to not be plot driven. 

Magical Realism and Urban Fantasy are worlds apart. Their labels are not interchangeable in any way, even while they share some similarities. One is literary and the other is genre fiction--I hope you know what both mean. 

What is the significance of John’s re-seasoning the soup in "The Crucible"?

John Proctor enters the empty kitchen as Act II, Scene 1 opens.  He lifts the ladle from a pot of stew which is brewing, tastes it, finds it not quite to his liking, and adds a pinch of salt.  A few minutes later, his wife serves him from the pot.  Proctor tastes the stew and compliments her, saying, "It's well seasoned", and she responds with obvious pleasure, "I took great care".  The significance of Proctor's surreptitious re-seasoning of the soup and subsequent praise to his wife illustrates his careful efforts to please her in every way.  As the scene progresses, there is evidence of definite tension between them, brought about by Proctor's admission of infidelity with Abigail Williams seven months before.  Proctor is completely repentant, however, and his efforts to make up for his transgressions against her are proof of his sincerity.

How did the French Revolution divide Americans?

The French Revolution was in many ways an outgrowth of the American Revolution, based on many of the same democratic ideals. France had also been a valuable ally in the American Revolution, without which victory against Britain might have been impossible. For these reasons, Americans were broadly supportive of the French Revolution initially.

However, as the revolution dragged on, the instability in France got worse, and some of the revolutionaries in France were too radical even for the American revolutionaries.

Attitudes toward France became linked to existing political divisions in the US.

Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party was in favor of the French Revolution, based on its democratic ideals.

Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party was largely opposed to the French Revolution, due to the disorder it had created. Hamilton was also interested in restoring ties to Britain as a valuable trading partner.

In the 1790s, the French became increasingly radical and several monarchic countries in Europe (including Britain) rose up against them.

American sentiment turned against France when in 1794, during the infamous Terror, the French arrested and detained Thomas Paine, who was an American citizen and an important activist. The Federalists took control of the US government and severed ties to France, resulting in a series of diplomatic incidents culminating in a cold war with France called the Quasi-War.

A few years after that, Napoleon seized power over France, and hardly anyone in the US was willing to support France anymore.

What is the central purpose of the poem, "Dulce et Decorum Est"?

Wilfred Owen, like so many other people, was deeply affected by the experience of World War I. In previous wars, the armies would line up and charge one another. In WWI, however, chaos and destruction were the only rules.

In "Dulce et Decorum Est," Owen decribes what it was like for men who had been attacked with mustard gas; it is not made from mustard but got its name because of its odor. This gas attacks the lungs:

Exposure to low concentrations of mustard gas classically causes the reddening and blistering of skin and epithelial tissue. On inhalation, the gas causes the lining of the lungs to blister and leads to chronic respiratory impairment. Higher concentrations of mustard gas will attack the corneas of the eyes and can cause blindness.

When the soldiers in the poem detect the gas, the scramble to put on their gas masks. All but one manage to do so. Owen describes how that lone soldier dies in agony.

Masterplots states the author's purpose well:

That memory prompts the narrator to offer in the final verse paragraph some bitter advice to readers about the nature of warfare and the outcome of blind patriotism. In the last twelve lines of the poem, Owen describes his experience of walking behind the wagon in which the dead man has been placed, seeing the corpse frozen in the twisted agony of its death throes. That sight, he says, would prevent any man from adopting glibly the notion that dying for one’s country is somehow noble.

Who is the protagonist in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

Rainsford is, by definition, the protagonist in this story. As the main character and conceptual "good guy," Rainsford fills the role of protagonist well. The antagonist, in contrast, would be General Zaroff, as he is considered to be the adversary or "bad guy" in the context of the short story.

One can typically identify a protagonist by examining the character's actions, description, and the tone the author uses when writing about him/her. If the above criteria all point toward a character being the main, positive focus of the story, chances are, that character is your protagonist, just as Rainsford is.

Describe Joe Keller from All My Sons as a father, husband, neighbour, and friend.

As a father, Joe Keller thinks that he is sacrificing all
that he has to be a strong provider for his sons.  He keeps the family business strong
so that he can pass it on to Chris and Larry once he is too old to manage it.  Joe tells
Chris that he this went through his head when he ordered Steve Deever to ship the faulty
machine parts--Joe did not want to risk having the business go under for failing to
comply with an order.  On the other hand, one could argue that Joe is not setting a good
example for his sons because he acts in an immoral fashion because he knowingly creates
a deadly situation for the pilots whose planes were equipped with the faulty
parts.

As a husband, Joe uses Kate as a support system.  He
expects that she will keep his secret, which she does, with little regard to her
loyalty.

Joe's neighbors regard him as friendly and
welcoming; however, they do not really trust him.  They are happy to keep his company,
but also hold him on the outskirts of their acquaintance.  Joe, on the other hand, feels
that the neighbors have accepted him as "innocent" and does not understand the inner
workings of the neighbors' true feelings about
him.

Finally, as a friend, Joe's concerns lie only on the
surface.  Steve is serving much time in prison because Joe has lied, and even though Joe
has promised both Steve and his son George a job with his company, nothing can make up
for the years that Steve has spent in prison on account of Joe's
lies.

Describe Joe Keller from All My Sons as a father, husband, neighbour, and friend.

As a father, Joe Keller thinks that he is sacrificing all that he has to be a strong provider for his sons.  He keeps the family business strong so that he can pass it on to Chris and Larry once he is too old to manage it.  Joe tells Chris that he this went through his head when he ordered Steve Deever to ship the faulty machine parts--Joe did not want to risk having the business go under for failing to comply with an order.  On the other hand, one could argue that Joe is not setting a good example for his sons because he acts in an immoral fashion because he knowingly creates a deadly situation for the pilots whose planes were equipped with the faulty parts.

As a husband, Joe uses Kate as a support system.  He expects that she will keep his secret, which she does, with little regard to her loyalty.

Joe's neighbors regard him as friendly and welcoming; however, they do not really trust him.  They are happy to keep his company, but also hold him on the outskirts of their acquaintance.  Joe, on the other hand, feels that the neighbors have accepted him as "innocent" and does not understand the inner workings of the neighbors' true feelings about him.

Finally, as a friend, Joe's concerns lie only on the surface.  Steve is serving much time in prison because Joe has lied, and even though Joe has promised both Steve and his son George a job with his company, nothing can make up for the years that Steve has spent in prison on account of Joe's lies.

In Flowers For Algernon, why does Charlie move to New York? Was he sad or depressed?

Charlie doesn't move to New York.  He moves away from it at the very end, after his intelligence has disintegrated.  "Thats why Im going away from New York for good.  I dont want to do nothing like that agen." 

He's definitely been changed by his experience as a genius, but I don't see anger or hostility at all.  His journals have been pretty honest throughout the whole tale, starting because of his ignorance, and continuing because he wants to remember after Algernon regresses.  One of the main differences in Charlie at the end is that he now knows when people are making fun of him, and no one would call that pleasant.

Charlie's determined spirit that got him chosen for the experiment shows at the end, and while I do see sadness, I don't see anger.  He says he's grateful that he got to experience everything that he did, and he blames himself for losing it because maybe he "dint try hard enuff." He sends messages to the people he cares about in his journal, and even tells Miss Kinnian not to feel sorry for him.  He recognizes that maybe he did something special "for all the dumb pepul like me."  He says he's going to take books and try to read and be smart, even if he doesn't remember.  He sends advice to Dr. Nemur on how to make more friends.  

Charlie just knows he can't go back to being a genus, so he wants to go where no one knows he "was once a genius and now he cant even reed a book or rite good." 

How does the black community show appreciation to Atticus?

They do this in two ways. First, all of the black people who are sitting in the balcony stand up as Atticus is leaving the courtroom. It's a particularly moving scene in the movie, as the lower courtroom is empty, and the balcony is completely full of black people, just standing in silence as Atticus walks out.

The other thing they do is send over a lot of food to the Finch house. Atticus mentions something about dinner or food to Calpurnia, and she responds that they have more than enough food--the black community has been sending it to him to thank him for what he did. Atticus, being the honorable man he is, insists it's not necessary.

In chapter 7 of "The Great Gatsby", why are Tom and Daisy reconciled?

Consider this passage from the end of the chapter: 

They weren’t happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or the ale—and yet they weren’t unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together.

Tom and Daisy are cut from the same cloth, so to speak.  They both want to status and recognition that come from wealth, particularly old wealth.  They are fashionable.  When Daisy hears of Gatsby's illegal dealings, she begins to doubt him and to be turned off of him.  Then, when the accident happens, Daisy and Gatsby are thrown further apart and Tom and Daisy closer together - conspiring together.  Also, Daisy herself says earlier in the chapter that she does love Tom.  So, faced with two men she loves, she chooses to stay with the one who a) has the respectable money;  and b) to whom she is already married.  It is the easier path.

What is the significance of Calpurnia in the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

First, Cal fills the role of a mother figure for Jem and Scout.  While Scout and Cal may clash at times, Cal is deeply protective of Scout and loves her dearly.  

Cal also reinforces one of the main themes of the novel - to crawl inside someone else's skin before you judge them.  This is evident early in the novel when Scout has Walter Cunningham Jr. over for lunch.  He pours syrup all over his lunch.  Scout is shocked and makes Walter feel foolish.  Cal calls her into the kitchen and tells her that she has no right to shame a guest.  Here Scout begins to see that her view of the world is not the only one, for Walter never has syrup to put on any of his meals, so when he is offered the chance, he takes it.

Cal also serves to represent another key theme - race.  This is evident when Cal takes Jem and Scout to her church.  Here Scout learns more of the background concerning the Tom Robinson trial.  She also sees how the African American community has come together to support Tom and his family.  Here too Scout sees that Cal resides in two different worlds (much like Scout herself, for she is straddling the worlds of youth and adulthood and childhood and womanhood).  In the 'white' world, Cal is their educated mother-figure.  In the 'black' world, Cal is a mother to her own children and a member of the church.  This latter world is one Jem and Scout really never knew existed.

How do Jack and Ralph use power differently in "Lord of the Flies"?how does jackuse 'power' to control the tribe different than ralph?

Jack uses his power to gain more power for himself. He seeks to build up his power so everyone follows and obeys him - so everyone does his bidding, and he becomes essentially a dictator. The reason Jack desires power is to make himself feel more powerful.

Ralph uses power for the good of the group. He wants people to listen to him because he believes he offers the best solution for the group as a whole. He is more interested in creating a functional "society" than amassing power for his own well-being. The problem is that Ralph does not possess the charisma that Jack does. Jack has more drive because of his personal goal of power.

"With the sleep of dreams comes nightmares" - Is this a Shakespeare quote and if so, which play is it from (the Act and Scene). Thanks.

This particular quote is not a direct quote from
Shakespeare.  The word "nightmare" only appears once in Shakespeare's plays and it is
not in a context anything like this quote.  (This is according to a couple of sites
where you can search all of Shakespeare's works at once.)

I
think that you may be thinking of a famous line that is from Shakespeare and has a
somewhat similar meaning.  It is from Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy in Act
III, Scene 1 of Hamlet.  In that passage, Hamlet
says

To sleep-
perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub!
For in that sleep of death what
dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal
coil

That sort of means the
same thing -- if you dream, you may have nightmares.

"With the sleep of dreams comes nightmares" - Is this a Shakespeare quote and if so, which play is it from (the Act and Scene). Thanks.

This particular quote is not a direct quote from Shakespeare.  The word "nightmare" only appears once in Shakespeare's plays and it is not in a context anything like this quote.  (This is according to a couple of sites where you can search all of Shakespeare's works at once.)

I think that you may be thinking of a famous line that is from Shakespeare and has a somewhat similar meaning.  It is from Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy in Act III, Scene 1 of Hamlet.  In that passage, Hamlet says

To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub!
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil

That sort of means the same thing -- if you dream, you may have nightmares.

Why was Europe industrialized faster than the other continents?

Pace of industrialization has varied in different regions
of the world at different periods. It is not as if pace of industrialization has been
always fastest in Europe. In pre-industrial revolution era the pace of development of
industrialization in Europe was not the fastest in the world. Also this has not remained
like that ever after. For example, there have been times when the growth of
industrialization has been higher in USA. Then In second half of twentieth century Japan
led the world in industrial growth. Even today the rate of growth of industries in
countries like China and India is higher than that in
Europe.

However, perhaps the question is referring to the
period when the rate of Industrialization was highest in Europe. This is the period of
industrial revolution. One of the major contributor to this is the political domination
of the world by Great Britain at that time which helped it to accumulate capital
required for its industries, and also provided market for its product. Presence of large
deposits of iron and coal also helped industrial growth of Great Britain. In addition It
had easy access to cheap raw material from its
colonies.

The growth of industry in Great Britain than
provided encouragement to other western European countries
also.

A second reason was the faster growth of science and
technology in western European countries during this period. This growth had slowed down
in countries that had earlier led the world in this field partly because of degeneration
of their social system and partly because of political domination of European
countries.

The social sustem such as the feudal system, and
the guild system also contributed to the development of industry in
Europe.

Why was Europe industrialized faster than the other continents?

Pace of industrialization has varied in different regions of the world at different periods. It is not as if pace of industrialization has been always fastest in Europe. In pre-industrial revolution era the pace of development of industrialization in Europe was not the fastest in the world. Also this has not remained like that ever after. For example, there have been times when the growth of industrialization has been higher in USA. Then In second half of twentieth century Japan led the world in industrial growth. Even today the rate of growth of industries in countries like China and India is higher than that in Europe.

However, perhaps the question is referring to the period when the rate of Industrialization was highest in Europe. This is the period of industrial revolution. One of the major contributor to this is the political domination of the world by Great Britain at that time which helped it to accumulate capital required for its industries, and also provided market for its product. Presence of large deposits of iron and coal also helped industrial growth of Great Britain. In addition It had easy access to cheap raw material from its colonies.

The growth of industry in Great Britain than provided encouragement to other western European countries also.

A second reason was the faster growth of science and technology in western European countries during this period. This growth had slowed down in countries that had earlier led the world in this field partly because of degeneration of their social system and partly because of political domination of European countries.

The social sustem such as the feudal system, and the guild system also contributed to the development of industry in Europe.

Please give a quote with the scene and act from "Much Ado About Nothing" on how Hero tricked Claudio into thinking she was dead.

Remember, first of all, that Hero was not the originator of this plan.  She agreed to it, with as much say as she had, but the plan was that of the Friar's and created mostly on behalf of Leonato's shame and the truth of Hero's innocence.  I'm including some quotes below from various characters that surround this plot development:

FRIAR FRANCIS   (this is announcing the plan)

Pause awhile,
And let my counsel sway you in this case.
Your daughter here the princes left for dead:
Let her awhile be secretly kept in,
And publish it that she is dead indeed;
Maintain a mourning ostentation
And on your family's old monument
Hang mournful epitaphs and do all rites
That appertain unto a burial........ Marry, this well carried shall on her behalf
Change slander to remorse

LEONATO (this is when he informs Claudio of Hero's "death")
Canst thou so daff me? Thou hast kill'd my child;
If thou kill'st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man.

BENEDICK (this is his challenge to Claudio for "killing" Hero)
You are a villain, I jest not: I will make it good how you dare,
with what you dare, and when you dare. Do me right, or I will protest
your cowardice. You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall
fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you.

HERO  (revealing herself alive)
And when I lived, I was your other wife:  And when you loved, you were my other husband....   One Hero died defiled, but I do live,
And surely as I live, I am a maid.

Give three reasons for Elizabeth's suspicions concerning her husband in "The Crucible".

One reason Elizabeth is suspicious is because John Proctor had told her he last saw Abigail "with a crowd".  He then admits that when Abigail told him that what had happened in the woods "had naught to do with witchcraft", he had been with her "in a room alone".  Although he argues that they were only alone "for a moment...the others come in soon after", Elizabeth feels that he has not been "open", or honest, with her.

When Elizabeth tells John he must go to Salem and reveal to the court what Abigail confided to him, John replies that he "will think on it...wondering how (he) may prove what she told (him)".  Elizabeth sees it differently, asking him, "if it were not Abigail that (he) must go to hurt, would (he) falter now?"  She believes he hesitates because deep down inside, he still has feelings for Abigail and doesn't want to hurt her.

Abigail then accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft, and Elizabeth concludes that Abigail wants her out of the way so she can "take (her) place".  She tells John that he has given Abigail "hope" that he still cares for her, because when John passes her in church he "will blush".  When John says he blushes only for his shame, Elizabeth tells him "then go and tell her she's a whore".  He agrees to do so, but angrily, which Elizabeth interprets to mean he is unwilling (Act 2)

What is the role of catharsis in Macbeth?I just need a few examples of it and how it relates to Macbeth as a story in general. thanks!

Another way in which many of the audience of Shakespeare's
Macbeth pity the tragic figure of Macbeth in his destructive
obsession with ambition.  When he is made Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan in Act I, he is
a hero, admired for his bravery and skill.  But, like so many, he becomes seduced by
ambition and the preternatural world as well, losing his integrity, his wife, and,
finally, his life.  The temptress of ambition takes from him the essence of his being as
a human, leaving him with a meaningless life.  Sadly, Macbeth realizes this in his
soliloquy in Act V as he speaks of life as

readability="13">

...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
(5.5.24-28)

This condition of
the seductiveness of power is also one that is feared by people, for so often the
attainment of power leaves people empty as they have sold their souls to the other world
of evil, sacrificing much of their humanity as does Lady Macbeth in her life as "a
walking shadow." 

In Act IV, Scene 3, it is this very fear
of the evil of power and its effects that Malcolm exhibits in his distrust of the
motives of Macduff who has come to England to seek Malcolm's help in restoring the
rightful ruler to Scotland.  For, he wonders if Macduff is a paid agent of Macbeth; he
questions Macduff as a result and feigns corruption in himself in order to elicit
Macduff's true feelings.  When Macduff exclaims, "O, Scotland!" Malcolm realizes that
the man loves his country and is loyal, so he tell Macduff the truth about
himself.

What is the role of catharsis in Macbeth?I just need a few examples of it and how it relates to Macbeth as a story in general. thanks!

Another way in which many of the audience of Shakespeare's Macbeth pity the tragic figure of Macbeth in his destructive obsession with ambition.  When he is made Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan in Act I, he is a hero, admired for his bravery and skill.  But, like so many, he becomes seduced by ambition and the preternatural world as well, losing his integrity, his wife, and, finally, his life.  The temptress of ambition takes from him the essence of his being as a human, leaving him with a meaningless life.  Sadly, Macbeth realizes this in his soliloquy in Act V as he speaks of life as

...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 (5.5.24-28)

This condition of the seductiveness of power is also one that is feared by people, for so often the attainment of power leaves people empty as they have sold their souls to the other world of evil, sacrificing much of their humanity as does Lady Macbeth in her life as "a walking shadow." 

In Act IV, Scene 3, it is this very fear of the evil of power and its effects that Malcolm exhibits in his distrust of the motives of Macduff who has come to England to seek Malcolm's help in restoring the rightful ruler to Scotland.  For, he wonders if Macduff is a paid agent of Macbeth; he questions Macduff as a result and feigns corruption in himself in order to elicit Macduff's true feelings.  When Macduff exclaims, "O, Scotland!" Malcolm realizes that the man loves his country and is loyal, so he tell Macduff the truth about himself.

List Nick's advantages as mentioned in the first chapter of "The Great Gatsby."

 Nick's father tells him,"a sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth." Some of Nick's "unequal" advantages  are:

1. Family background: "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations."

2. Education: Both his father and he graduated from  one of the most prestigious universities in America-Yale University in New Haven.

3. Financial freedom: Since his father looks after the lucrative family wholesale hardware business Nick is free "to go east and learn the bond business."

4. Luxurious and independent lifestyle: Nick has the money to rent an entire house for himself after his co-tenant is transferred to Washington. A Finnish housekeeper looks after the house and does the cooking. He has his own car and he buys up many books about the "bond business" but is in no hurry to learn the business.

All these "advantages" which his father keeps reminding him of frequently, have made Nick to be tolerant of others' shortcomings and more importantly a sympathetic and non-judgemental listener. It is this second quality which attracts Gatsby to Nick and persuades him to reveal the truth about his antecedents and shady past in Ch.6: "James Gatz-that was really or at least legally his name............the vague contour of Jay Gatsby had filled out to the substantiality of a man. He told me all this very much later."

Why does Holden look for Phoebe in the park and then hesitate to find her in "Catcher in the Rye"?

Holden is drunk, and very cold when he enters the park to look for Phoebe.  He breaks the record he has brought for her, and just feels "blue as hell".  He looks for the lagoon and the ducks he used to so enjoy, but he has trouble finding the lagoon, and when he does, the ducks are no longer there.  The park is not as he remembers it from his childhood.

After finding the lagoon, Holden sits on a bench to wait for Phoebe, but he is "shivering like a bastard, and the back of his hair...(is) sort of full of little hunks of ice".  Holden begins to worry about catching pneumonia, and maybe even dying.  He becomes spooked by the thought of a "whole bunch of them sticking (him) in a...cemetery and all", as they did with his brother, Allie, and, remembering the trauma his parents experienced at Allie's death, begins to feel sorry for them because of the sorrow they would have to revisit if he died too.  Holden cannot get the thought of the ultimate loneliness of death out of his mind, and he starts to think too about "how old Phoebe would feel if (he) got pneumonia and died".  Unable to escape his morbid thoughts, Holden figures he'd better just "sneak home and see (Phoebe)", being proactive "in case (he) died and all".  Holden leaves the park, and heads for home (Chapter 20).

In "The Odyssey", what sign does Zeus send to assembly, and what is its meaning? How did Penelope hold off the suitors?

In Book 20 Zeus sends a bird omen, an eagle clutching a trembling dove, as the suitors plot the death of Telemachus, and Amphinomous warns the others to give up the plot. In Book 21 just as Odysseus, disguised as the beggar, strings the bow, Zeus "cracked the sky with a bolt," terrifying the suitors before Odysseus shoots the arrow through the twelve ax-handles.

Penelope has held off the suitors for three years by a simple trick. She told them she would choose a successor to Odysseus when she had completed weaving a funeral shroud for Laertes, her father-in-law. A shroud is the garment he would be buried in (or cremated, depending on the custom). Every day she would weave some of the fabric on her loom, and the suitors could see her; at night, however, she would unravel part of what she had woven during the day. Her progress, therefore, was slow. The suitors failed to notice this fact because they were busy partying, eating her beef and drinking her wine, abusing her hospitality. When they discover the trick, they are angry and demand she make her choice immediately.

How do we see Nick's coming to understand the totality of Gatsby's vision?Homework help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All through out the novel, we see Nick learning more and more about Gatsby and about his vision.  This does not happen all at once but in a series of events.  Initially, Nick hears Gatsby's parties next door to him but it is not until he attends one himself that he realises that all the people Gatsby surrounds himself with do not care about him.  He is alone and lonely even though he is surrounded by people

As the novel progresses, we see Nick becoming more and more aware that Gatsby's persuit of Daisy is what motivates him in all decisions.  He has the house and the parties to lure Daisy back into his life.  He is separated from reality.  I think the pinnacle of Nick's understanding comes when Gatsby confides in Nick that it is possible to change the past.  I think in this exchange we see Nick coming to understand the entirety of Gatsby's fictions, his hopes and his dreams.   

Is there any other solar system in this Milky Way Galaxy?

Let's compare definitions here astronomically.  A solar
system is a set of planetary bodies orbiting a star.  A galaxy is a massive collection
of stars.  The Milky Way is the name for the galaxy in which our solar system
resides.

So the answer to your question is not only yes,
but repeatedly yes.  Hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of solar systems exist
within our galaxy, and within every galaxy in the
universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope has already identified
more than 400 planets outside of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy, including
some which appear to have atmospheres and water or ice.

Is there any other solar system in this Milky Way Galaxy?

Let's compare definitions here astronomically.  A solar system is a set of planetary bodies orbiting a star.  A galaxy is a massive collection of stars.  The Milky Way is the name for the galaxy in which our solar system resides.

So the answer to your question is not only yes, but repeatedly yes.  Hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of solar systems exist within our galaxy, and within every galaxy in the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope has already identified more than 400 planets outside of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy, including some which appear to have atmospheres and water or ice.

What are some leadership qualities shared by Atticus Finch, in "To Kill a Mockingbird," and Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Both Atticus and Martin Luther King, Jr. are moral, strong, and courageous men. Both men were well educated and held positions in the community where they could work for the betterment of mankind. Both men stood up against racism; Atticus in his defense of Tom Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. for the rights of all African Americans. Both men struggled in the South. Maycomb, Alabama is the setting of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and Martin Luther king Jr. spent most of his time in the Southern states, especially Selma, Alabama, where racism was at its worst. Both men stood up for what was morally right whether or not it meant putting oneself at personal risk. Atticus is shunned by the town. Unfortunately, our real-life hero was assassinated.

How would you characterize the drover's wife?

The narrator describes the drover's wife as a "gaunt, sun-browned bushwoman." The story is set in the Outback of Australia, hence the term "bushwoman." Life in the bush is hard, so she has to be strong in body and will. When her son spots a snake, she doesn't panic; instead she makes a safe place for herself and her children until she knows the snake is gone. Although her husband has been away for 6 months, she isn't afraid or worried that he won't return. A drover's job takes him away for months at a time, and she's used to being alone. She must be educated because she reads the Young Ladies' Journal; we know she dreams of a different life because she enjoys looking at the fashions.

She has faced fires and floods and sickness and other problems all on her own, but the narrator says she seems to be content with her life:

She seems contented with her lot. She loves her children, but has no time to show it. She seems harsh to them. Her surroundings are not favourable to the development of the “womanly” or sentimental side of nature.

What is the rising action of "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

The rising action in "The Devil and Tom Walker" by
Washington Irving consists of all the events that take place between the devil and Tom
before the turning point of the story when Tom refuses to pay the devil his due share of
the profits.  Tom first meets the devil while walking through a detour in the swamp, and
here their relationship begins.  Later, the devil presumably kills Tom's wife and men in
town who are guilty of bad acts.  The devil senses Tom's greed and proposes that they
strike a bargain.  The action rises as Tom agrees to become a usurer for the devil--Tom
believes that he is going to get rich, while the reader understands that Tom has made an
unbreakable pact with the devil.  Tom does become wealthy, and his greedy acts continue
to make the action of the story rise.  This heightened tension is then challenged when
the devil comes to reclaim the money and Tom must make a choice.  His refusal to submit
to the devil ends the rising action and the turning point in the story
occurs.

What is the rising action of "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

The rising action in "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving consists of all the events that take place between the devil and Tom before the turning point of the story when Tom refuses to pay the devil his due share of the profits.  Tom first meets the devil while walking through a detour in the swamp, and here their relationship begins.  Later, the devil presumably kills Tom's wife and men in town who are guilty of bad acts.  The devil senses Tom's greed and proposes that they strike a bargain.  The action rises as Tom agrees to become a usurer for the devil--Tom believes that he is going to get rich, while the reader understands that Tom has made an unbreakable pact with the devil.  Tom does become wealthy, and his greedy acts continue to make the action of the story rise.  This heightened tension is then challenged when the devil comes to reclaim the money and Tom must make a choice.  His refusal to submit to the devil ends the rising action and the turning point in the story occurs.

Why do Ralph and Piggy join the dance in Lord of the Flies?

Plain and simple: Peer Pressure.  They needed to be part of this social activity which is easy to get caught up in with the rhythmic "beating" of their voices like drums as they sing and dance around the fire.  Remember, they have been on the outside in their small group for quite some time, and it is a wonderful feeling to be part of something larger--to belong and not be targeted.  There is safety in numbers.  It is also very primitive in bonding and preparing for the hunt or celebrating the victory of a hunt, which is the case here.  They were reenacting the hunt for the boar, celebrating their success, cooking the meat, and eating.  Maybe moreso than anything else, Ralph and Piggy were hungry for good, hot, nourishing protein.

What happened to Miss Maudie's house in chapters 8-9 of To Kill a Mockingbird? What was her reaction?

On the night of the unseasonable snow in Maycomb, Jem and
Scout were awakened by Atticus and hurried from their home. Outside they saw that Miss
Maudie's house was on fire. Neighbors were busy saving furniture from the fire, but the
house was nearly a total loss. Miss Maudie seemed surprisingly calm and
unconcerned.

readability="8">

"Why, I hated that old cow barn. Thought of
settin' fire to it a hundred times myself, 'cept they'd lock me
up."

Cecil Jacobs was one of
Scout's classmates. He became another one of her victims (apparently) after he claimed
that "Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers." Cecil will reappear in one of the final
chapters of the novel.

What happened to Miss Maudie's house in chapters 8-9 of To Kill a Mockingbird? What was her reaction?

On the night of the unseasonable snow in Maycomb, Jem and Scout were awakened by Atticus and hurried from their home. Outside they saw that Miss Maudie's house was on fire. Neighbors were busy saving furniture from the fire, but the house was nearly a total loss. Miss Maudie seemed surprisingly calm and unconcerned.

"Why, I hated that old cow barn. Thought of settin' fire to it a hundred times myself, 'cept they'd lock me up."

Cecil Jacobs was one of Scout's classmates. He became another one of her victims (apparently) after he claimed that "Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers." Cecil will reappear in one of the final chapters of the novel.

What is the exact age difference between Romeo and Juliet? I know she was older than him, but what are their ages?

In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the exact age of Romeo is never explicitly stated. 

Juliet's age is 13, and she is almost about to turn 14. Based on puberty (girls hit puberty around 11-13, while it takes a few years longer for boys), we can definitely assume that Romeo is not younger than Juliet, but older. 

How much older though?

He could be anywhere from 13 / 14 to his early twenties. We know he is "young" because several characters, including Friar Lawrence and the Nurse, state this adjective about him. Although "young" is relative, we can assume that in this time period and culture, "young" has to be younger than early twenties. 

What aspects of Napoleon's character are revealed to us in "Animal Farm"?~FROM THE LATER SECTION~

By the end of the book, Napoleon develops into a fully tyrannical character, more like a human than a pig.  After he has Snowball run off the farm using his attack dogs, Napoleon starts to take on characteristics of a human. 

Napoleon starts to drink whiskey, sleep in a bed and even walk upright.  He begins to make deals with the other farmers, ignoring the commandments of animalism that he and Snowball and Squealer established as the rules of Animal Farm.

Napoleon becomes a master manipulator and liar.  He becomes worse than the worst human that the animals had to deal with before they took over the farm.

He loses his identity in his quest for absolute power, becoming completely corrupted by his unchecked ambition.

Please explain this quote from "Night": "The ghetto was ruled by neither German nor Jew; it was ruled by delusion."

Perhaps this poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller might help you understand:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

The laws that were imposed on the Jews did not seem so bad...the wearing of stars, the closing of businesses, the moving to ghettos...none of this meant death.  It was a gradual process that the Jews didn't realize the seriousness of until it was much too late to act.  As a peaceful people, the Jews expected that the restrictions put on them were tolerable and would soon end.  They did not in their wildest dreams think of the possibilities of concentration camps, torture, starvation, and death.  Had they seen a glimpse into this future, I am quite certain they would have rebelled most violently.

What plan is devised by Truth and her uncle to locate Robert up north and why are they blindfolded in Who Comes with Cannons?

Truth and her uncle plan to travel north on the
Underground Railroad to locate Robert and bring him back home. Truth, who speaks with an
Illinois accent, will accompany her uncle on the dangerous quest to be his spokesman, as
his Southern accent will arouse suspicion above the Mason-Dixon line. The Underground
Railroad, which is a network of safehomes connected by brave individuals sympathetic to
the abolitionist cause, is by necessity a secret operation. Great care is taken to
preserve this secrecy, and it is for this reason that Truth and her uncle are
blindfolded during their journey. It is important that the two Friends not know the
details of where the safehouses are on the journey, nor should they be able to identify
the people who help them on the way. By scrupulously keeping these details secret, the
operators of the Underground Railroad hope to avoid detection by the authorities, so
that they can continue their work of helping slaves escape to
freedom.

Truth and her uncle have heard that Robert is
being held in a Yankee prison in Elmira, New York. Truth's uncle wants to see for
himself that Robert is there, then he plans to appeal directly to President Lincoln, who
is known to be sympathetic towards Quakers, and who will hopefully secure Robert's
release. As things turn out, Truth and her uncle are attacked by an
angry, Quaker-hating mob in New York, and her uncle is injured badly enough that he
cannot continue on their mission. Truth presses on alone, and, with the invaluable help
of an escaped slave named Squire, she manages to get audiences first with Mr. Frederick
Douglass, and then with the President's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln appeals to
her husband on Truth's behalf, and the President gives Truth a letter, instructing the
establishment at Elmira to release Robert. Truth goes on to Elmira, where the
authenticity of the letter is confirmed. Robert is set free, and he and Truth return
home on the Underground Railroad.

What plan is devised by Truth and her uncle to locate Robert up north and why are they blindfolded in Who Comes with Cannons?

Truth and her uncle plan to travel north on the Underground Railroad to locate Robert and bring him back home. Truth, who speaks with an Illinois accent, will accompany her uncle on the dangerous quest to be his spokesman, as his Southern accent will arouse suspicion above the Mason-Dixon line. The Underground Railroad, which is a network of safehomes connected by brave individuals sympathetic to the abolitionist cause, is by necessity a secret operation. Great care is taken to preserve this secrecy, and it is for this reason that Truth and her uncle are blindfolded during their journey. It is important that the two Friends not know the details of where the safehouses are on the journey, nor should they be able to identify the people who help them on the way. By scrupulously keeping these details secret, the operators of the Underground Railroad hope to avoid detection by the authorities, so that they can continue their work of helping slaves escape to freedom.

Truth and her uncle have heard that Robert is being held in a Yankee prison in Elmira, New York. Truth's uncle wants to see for himself that Robert is there, then he plans to appeal directly to President Lincoln, who is known to be sympathetic towards Quakers, and who will hopefully secure Robert's release. As things turn out, Truth and her uncle are attacked by an angry, Quaker-hating mob in New York, and her uncle is injured badly enough that he cannot continue on their mission. Truth presses on alone, and, with the invaluable help of an escaped slave named Squire, she manages to get audiences first with Mr. Frederick Douglass, and then with the President's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln appeals to her husband on Truth's behalf, and the President gives Truth a letter, instructing the establishment at Elmira to release Robert. Truth goes on to Elmira, where the authenticity of the letter is confirmed. Robert is set free, and he and Truth return home on the Underground Railroad.

Do you, as a late twentieth-century reader, find the story humorous, or is it too outdated to be funny to us today? Explain your response.from the...

This question requires a personal response, yet in today's world we are flooded with sit-coms on television that deal primarily with the same theme-the lazy husband and the nagging wife, always a humorous theme to see how the husband avoids the wife's nagging! How many can you name? I think of "The Simpsons," the classic, "All in the Family," and even earlier, "The Honeymooners." Therefore, the reason this tale has withstood the test of time is that it is timeless. Whenever you have marriages, you will find spouses who bicker and nag, the general stereotype is that is the wife! Another ageless theme is that of escape. Rip is allowed to escape the dreariness of his existence by drinking magic liquid and sleep away his drudgery. I would imagine many of us would have chosen to escape once in awhile! Again, I would think you could name quite a few movies that deal with this theme!

Describe the "arrangement" the pearl sellers make between themselves in order to cheat Kino in Chapter 4 of "The Pearl"?

All the pearl buyers are working for each other: they are part of a monopoly to control the market. Basically, the idea is that Kino goes to sell the pearl to one pearl buyer, who low-balls Kino (giving him an offer that is well below what the pearl is worth). Kino then thinks he can go to another buyer to get a better, higher offer for his pearl.

This usually works when there are competeing buyers; however, since all the pearl buyers work together, they all try to get him to sell it for much less than it is worth. The second pearl buyer will offer less than the first for the pearl, while still another buyer will tell Kino it is practically worthless, because it is suposedly too big. They try to make Kino feel like he was lucky to get the previous offer(s). This is because the pearl buyers work together, they want any of their fellow buyers to acquire the pearl for as little as possible in order for the one monopoly to get the most profit possible when they resell it. So every time Kino goes to get a better offer, the buyers will offer him only worse and worse offers. Kino will eventually have to give in, and sell for less than the pearl is worth. 

What is the bedroom that Montag enters in the first part of Fahrenheit 451 like, and which character does it represent?

Montag's bedroom is repeatedly compared to a tomb. One of the elements that I had to remind myself of while visualizing the room is that it is described as completely dark, with no light at all, as though it were sealed shut. Montag isn't even able to see that his wife is nearly dead. 

The room is described as having windows and could easily be a much more pleasant place if it were open to the moonlight, but Montag knows not to bother.

I think the room is largely meant to represent his wife, Mildred, who spends virtually all of her time with small radios in her ears, sealed off from the outside world, just like the room itself. However it also represents their marriage: cold, lifeless, and sealed shut, an ironic mirror image of what a marriage should be.

In The Outsiders, why is Ponyboy worried that he did not call out for Darry while he was sick?

Remember that by the time we get to Chapter 10 there is a
pretty serious amount of tension between Ponyboy and Darry.  Darry is, of course, Pony's
big brother and he has been raising Pony and their other brother Sodapop ever since
their parents died.  Pony has felt that Darry is too harsh with him and they have been
kind of mad at each other.

So Pony is worried now that he
did not call out for Darry while he was delirious.  He is worried that Darry will think
that Pony does not love him or care about him.