What were the causes of the East Timor conflict?

Before World War II, East Timor was actually a Portuguese colonial empire, under the Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands had claimed the western part of the island while the Portuguese claimed the eastern part of the island. These two empire was the sole cause for the conflict in east timor during the 17th to 21st Century. They were locked in a battle for supremacy and territorial control, leading to increased tension between the two warring empires. Following the war, the Dutch East Indies called it a day and gained its independence, forming a new country, Indonesia. This cause a unfavorable situation to break out into a bloody mess.

The horrible conflict in that country was due to one main factor, the control of its main oil resources, and Indonesia huge appetite for control and dominion over many territories, showing its power-hungry ambitions to control the whole country. To gain full independence, they used aggressive measures to push the Portuguese part out of their country, until they pulled out in 1975. East Timor later fall under a long period of civil and political unrest, and was crippled with many external and internal problems that caused the structure of its economy to collapse. The Timorese didn't want to be under the brutal Indonesian regime so they rebel and undergo many strikes and demonstrations and frequent attacks and assaults to overthrow the empire. They refused to become part of the new dictatorship regime, so they rebelled, and so start a long-term conflict with many deaths and many wounded.

In "Fahrenheit 451", why doesn't Mrs. Phelps have children? How does Mrs. Bowles deal with her children?

Mrs. Phelps says "children are ruinous...no one in his right mind...would have children".  She is completely self-centered, and having children would require sacrifice on her part that she is not prepared to give.  Mrs. Bowles, who is every bit as self-absorbed as Mrs. Phelps, thinks she has found a way to have children with a minimum amount of inconvenience, however.  She figures that "the world must reproduce", and that it is kind of "nice" when the children "look just like you". She herself has had two children, but even though her doctor assured her she would have no trouble birthing the babies naturally, she "insisted" that they be delivered by Caesarian section to spare herself "all the agony" of labor.  Mrs. Bowles avoids interacting with her children as much as possible, leaving them in school "nine days out of ten", and when they come home for three days a month she just sits them in front of the television, "heav(ing) them into the 'parlor' and turn(ing) the switch".  She says that raising children in this manner is similar to washing clothes - she simply "stuff(s) (them in like) laundry and slam(s) the lid".

There is no love or tenderness in the relationship Mrs. Bowles has with her children.  She says her children would "just as soon kick (her) as kiss (her)".  She is thankful that she "can (at least) kick back" (Section 2).

What is an example of the difference between kinesis and taxis?

Kinesis and Taxis
are both terms that relate to how an organism responds to positive or
negative stimulation.  The difference between the two is that with kinesis the organism
responds by moving either toward or away from
the source of the stimulus.  Taxis has the organism just moving
randomly.

This concept is easier to understand when looking
at examples:

1) A big ugly bug is sitting there and you
shine a flashlight at it.  The bug, because of some instinct, walks toward the light (or
flies, like a moth.)  Its direction is based on where the light is coming from.  This is
kinesis.

2) Different ugly bug doesn't
like the smell of wet dog.  The bug's instinct will make it run around randomly trying
to find a spot where it doesn't have to smell wet dog.  This is
taxis.

Do you see the difference?  One
has movement directly toward or away from a stimulus, while the other one has movement
that is caused by the stimulus but the direction of which is
random.

Hope this helps!

What is an example of the difference between kinesis and taxis?

Kinesis and Taxis are both terms that relate to how an organism responds to positive or negative stimulation.  The difference between the two is that with kinesis the organism responds by moving either toward or away from the source of the stimulus.  Taxis has the organism just moving randomly.

This concept is easier to understand when looking at examples:

1) A big ugly bug is sitting there and you shine a flashlight at it.  The bug, because of some instinct, walks toward the light (or flies, like a moth.)  Its direction is based on where the light is coming from.  This is kinesis.

2) Different ugly bug doesn't like the smell of wet dog.  The bug's instinct will make it run around randomly trying to find a spot where it doesn't have to smell wet dog.  This is taxis.

Do you see the difference?  One has movement directly toward or away from a stimulus, while the other one has movement that is caused by the stimulus but the direction of which is random.

Hope this helps!

What is the summary and theme of the poem "The Listeners" by Walter de la Mare?traveler

This poem by Walter de la Mare describes a Lonely Traveller who had riding on his horse,in midst of a dark forest,reaches a house where he has come to fulfil an unnamed promise.He pounds the door once but gets no response.Only the sound of his horse munching on the grass is to be heard.A bird flies out of the turret and above his head.Again,he pounds the door and shouts "Is there anybody there?"He gets no answer.But he knows inside reside a 'host of phantom listeners' hearing a voice from the world of men.They knew that the Traveller was outside waiting for one of them to answer his call,but they stand still assembling on the staircase.He feels their strangeness in his heart and their silence answering his cries.He stand there still and suddenly he pounds the door on last time shouting "Tell them I came and no one answered,that,I kept my word." His loud voice didn't stir the listeners,though every word spoken by his,felt echoing in the darkness of the still house.As the Traveller climbed his horse and put foot his foot on the stirrup,he looks back one last time and sped off on his horse.And when the sound of the horse's plunging hooves was gone,the silence of the house silently surged backwards.

The poem is a metaphor for the journey of life.We go through life seeking answers to many questions.But,we do not always wether we go looking for them in religion,science or in ourselves.The poem is metaphor for the reader's journey through life with all its unanswered questions.The Traveller calls out for answers but is met with silence.

                                              When in life,we face troubles,we seek God,or knock at his door.This our spiritual self where we are Travellers in search for spiritual satisfaction.God becomes the Silent Listener.The horse depicts the baser nature that seeks physical satisfaction from life.

In chapter 8, why does Fitzgerald choose this point in the novel to present a detailed discussion of the initial love affair between Gatsby and Daisy?

From Ch. 1, when Daisy responds to the mention of Gatsby's name with, "Gatsby?  What Gatsby?"  in such a way that the reader knows she knows this name until Ch. 8, the reader has been given bits and pieces of the former relationship between Jay and Daisy.  In Ch. 4, Jordan tells Nick about the day Daisy married Tom and how Daisy had received a letter which caused her to get drunk and attempt to call off the wedding.  It's clear that this letter was from Jay - but again, the reader is only given a glimpse of the past relationship.  Still, the reader is slowly piecing together the puzzle of Daisy and Jay.  Ch. 5 gives readers another piece when the truth comes out that Jay's money has been earned only recently and that Jay longs to return to the days in Louisville, five years earlier.  In Ch. 6, the reader learns of the first kiss between Jay and Daisy and how Jay fell in love with Daisy and knew then that she was essential to his life.  Ch. 7 is where the reader is taken from the romantic memories to the harsh reality when Jay and Tom nearly come to blows over Daisy.  By the end of Ch. 8 Jay Gatsby is dead.  The reader has to have the final pieces to this picture puzzle to see completely the relationship between Daisy and Jay, so now Fitzgerald gives the reader those final pieces.

What do Banquo's lines ("And oftentimes... deepest consequence") from Act I, Scene III of "Macbeth" mean?

But ’tis strange;
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence—(145)
Cousins, a word, I pray you.

Here are Banquo's lines from Act I, Scene III. The witches have just prophesied that Macbeth will be King, and Banquo's sons will be King - and Macbeth is clearly "rapt withal", absolutely amazed by the prophecy.

Banquo warns Macbeth that evil creatures ("the instruments of darkness") do not necessarily have to lie, but sometimes say true things ("tell us truths" and offer "honest trifles" - a trifle is a ) in order to tempt people into harming themselves (being won "to our harm") and making awful things happen ("betray's / in deepest consequence"). "Trifles" in this instance might mean "pleasant events", and "betray's" is just an elision of "betray us".

Banquo is warning Macbeth that - in line with the theme of the play and their own opening lines of this scene - what seems fair could actually be the work of something foul. In this play, people look like innocent flowers, when they are actually serpents - and Banquo wants his friend to look before he leaps.

Does anybody know where I can get some really good information on the devolpment and evolution of plants? I need some oinfo on the evolution of...

The University of California has several web sites on this, and I would start with the following:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/plantae.html

From there you can move on to the following pages (and lots more):

"Plantae: Systematics" (http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/plantaesy.html) Systematics are evolutionary trees - kind of like an evolutionary road map or family trees.

The "Web Geological Time Machine" (http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html) is an interactive time line. By clicking on the specific era, you are taken to a page with good information about the plant life of that age, as well as geological information.

The Tree of Life Project can be found at (http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html ). Its pages are linked together much like a systematic; that is, they are heirarchical going from the broader groups and moving out to individual branches of species.

Plants, specifically, can be found under Eukaryota, organisms with cells that have a nucleus.

While I have not specifically found a "time line," this information is easily found on the web sites mentioned.

What does Ralph do once at the entrance of the Castle Rock?

As the boys approach Castle Rock, they are very nervous
about the whole situation, the drop to the sea below them, the fact that the other boys
are hiding, etc.  Ralph steps forward as the leader and takes the conch and begins to
blow on it, as though he is calling the boys to an assembly in the old
way.

He tries to tell the boys that he now sees as savages
that he is calling an assembly, expecting that perhaps they will respond out of a sense
of duty.

Once Jack returns from his hunting trip, however,
it becomes apparent that they are not going to be able to resolve their situation.  The
hunters are not willing to give back the glassesand the conflict leads to Piggy's
death.

What does Ralph do once at the entrance of the Castle Rock?

As the boys approach Castle Rock, they are very nervous about the whole situation, the drop to the sea below them, the fact that the other boys are hiding, etc.  Ralph steps forward as the leader and takes the conch and begins to blow on it, as though he is calling the boys to an assembly in the old way.

He tries to tell the boys that he now sees as savages that he is calling an assembly, expecting that perhaps they will respond out of a sense of duty.

Once Jack returns from his hunting trip, however, it becomes apparent that they are not going to be able to resolve their situation.  The hunters are not willing to give back the glassesand the conflict leads to Piggy's death.

Who are Alonso, Gonzalo, and Antonio in Shakespeare's play The Tempest?

Alonso is the King of Naples at the time of the play and the father of Ferdinand, who will become Miranda's husband. He has been involved in the overthrow and banishment of Prospero and Miranda, but after being shipwrecked on the island due to Prospero's magic, he is worn down by grief at the supposed drowning of his son and becomes repentant. Prospero forgives him, and looks forward to their final reconciliation in the union of their children. For more detail, see the first link below.

Gonzalo is the most positive figure (apart from Ferdinand) of those shipwrecked. He is Alonso's adviser, and is moral, honest, and consistently optimistic. It was he who provided Prospero and the infant Miranda with the supplies they needed to survive when they were banished from Milan, including the magic books that are the source of Prospero's present powers. Because of this, Prospero treats Gonzalo more gently than the others involved in his banishment, and commends his morality at the end. For more detail, see the second link below.

Antonio has become Duke of Milan by betraying and exiling his brother, Prospero. He is presented as an immoral and foul-tempered character constantly abusing other people and even suggesting murder. He is thus punished severely by Prospero, and when Prospero relents at the end and pardons him, there remains a very real question as to whether he is truly repentant. For more detail, see the third link below. 

Why does Squealer refer to a "readjustment" in food rather than a "reduction" in "Animal Farm"? Chapter 9

"Readjustment" is a euphemism for "reduction"; it is a term which is much less harsh.  If Squealer had said that there would be "reduction" of food, the animals might understand the fact that they are going to have less to eat, while the pigs and dogs are going to have more.  By using ambiguous words like "readjustment", and by giving pompous explanantions for his actions which are far beyond the average animal's ability to comprehend, Squealer is able to make the animals believe that they are not being victimized so that the pigs can have more for themselves.  Squealer tells the animals that "a too rigid equality in rations...would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism", and that, despite appearances, "in comparison with the days of Jones, the improvement (in their quality of life is) enormous".  The animals, who are accustomed to being followers, don't remember what it was like in the days of Jones and also don't fully understand what Squealer is saying.  They accept their situation, however, because Squealer is their leader and because what he says sounds wise.  By virtue of his position and intelligence, Squealer manipulates words to blur the line between truth and falsehood, and in this way is able to fool the working animals and keep them in subjugation.

How does the plot relate to the title, "The Story of an Hour"?

The author, Kate Chopin is making a statement about life and how it can be drastically altered in as little as an hour.  The main character, figuratively speaking, lives a new life in the space of one hour.

At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Mallard is given the news that her husband is dead.  He was among the victims of a railroad disaster.  Louise Mallard is in shock, she retreats to her room, where she remains.  While in her room, she thinks about the new life she will have free from the domination of her controlling husband. 

She begins to feel a sense of freedom that she never thought she would experience. 

"There would be no one to live for during those coming years: she would live for herself.  There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence." (Chopin)   

She fantasized about the beauty of the days ahead of her, hoping that her new life would be a very long one.

Suddenly, there is a commotion at her door, Louise emerges from her room, and sees her husband, who had arrived home.  He had not been in the railroad crash, no where in the area in fact.

Louise Mallard's longing daydream of a life all her own was over, in fact, in that instant, she dies, having lived the life of freedom only in her mind, for the short space of an hour.     

What was the relationship between the Shimerda family and the Burden household in "My Antonia"?

There is a friendly, companionable atmosphere between the two families, Shimerda and Burden.  When the Shimerda's arrive, Mr. and Mrs. Burden immediately go to them offering friendly hospitality.  The Burden's are met warmly, and Mrs. Shimerda asks Mrs. Burden to teach Antonia English.  Jim and actually begins to do so, and in exchange, Antonia helps his grandmother in the kitchen.  There is encouragement and support given from one family to another, particularly from the Burdens to the Shimerdas.  The Burdens are of a higher class, but they don't often condescend to the Shimerda's.

I say "don't often", but they are guilty of some snobbery.  Mrs. Burden recoils at Mrs. Shimerda's gift of dried mushrooms, believing them to be substandard.  Mr. Burden, while not condoning and certainly not joining in the feud between his hired men and Shimerda's, also does not blantantly join in on the Shimerda's side.  Jim himself, though a friend of Antonia's, gets very angry whenever Antonia adopts a superior attitude; he believes that, as a girl, she has no right.

Really, it is a typical relationship between friends, full of ups and downs, but centered in a mutual respect and understanding.

When the narrator wasn't around Emily how did he get his information?

When the narrator was not directly in Emily's presence
(which, because she isolated herself for so long was much of the time) he gathered his
information about her from other people. Even in his opening description of her, he
sites a tale invented by Colonol Sartoris:

readability="12">

Not that Miss Emily would have accepted charity.
Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily's father had
loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of
repaying. Only a man of Colonel Sartoris' generation and thought could have invented it,
and only a woman could have believed
it.

He sites, too, the tales
told by the ladies of the town who complained about the smell emanating from her home.
He indicates that they were not surprised about it because her house was being kept by a
negro man and, in their eyes, a man could not possibly be expected to keep a kitchen
clean.

In fact, a close reading of the text allows you to
note that the majority of the narrator's information comes from an undefined "they" -
meaning various people of the town ranging from government officials to gossipy women.
He associates himself as a member of the town among a group of people simply known as
"we" such as in this statement:

readability="14">

We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss
Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in
the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the
back-flung front door. So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not
pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have
turned down all of her chances if they had really
materialized.

Note the
repeated use of we in the narrator's observations. It is evidence gathered from the
collective consciousness of a town that has built up a legend around this woman and who
do not become privy to the truth until after her death. If you continue a detailed
examination of the piece, this becomes evident and you are afforded with many other
examples of second-hand information about Emily's actions.

When the narrator wasn't around Emily how did he get his information?

When the narrator was not directly in Emily's presence (which, because she isolated herself for so long was much of the time) he gathered his information about her from other people. Even in his opening description of her, he sites a tale invented by Colonol Sartoris:

Not that Miss Emily would have accepted charity. Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily's father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying. Only a man of Colonel Sartoris' generation and thought could have invented it, and only a woman could have believed it.

He sites, too, the tales told by the ladies of the town who complained about the smell emanating from her home. He indicates that they were not surprised about it because her house was being kept by a negro man and, in their eyes, a man could not possibly be expected to keep a kitchen clean.

In fact, a close reading of the text allows you to note that the majority of the narrator's information comes from an undefined "they" - meaning various people of the town ranging from government officials to gossipy women. He associates himself as a member of the town among a group of people simply known as "we" such as in this statement:

We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door. So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have turned down all of her chances if they had really materialized.

Note the repeated use of we in the narrator's observations. It is evidence gathered from the collective consciousness of a town that has built up a legend around this woman and who do not become privy to the truth until after her death. If you continue a detailed examination of the piece, this becomes evident and you are afforded with many other examples of second-hand information about Emily's actions.

What is the mood as Act III, Scene 1 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opens?

As it opens? The mood of the characters—the rude mechanicals rehearsing for the play—is excited and focused. They want this play to be good, and Bottom wants it to be his way. For the audience, the mood is expectancy, with traces of humor. We know the lovers have gone to the woods. We know the fairies are there. Now that the rehearsal is starting, the train wreck is about to happen. It is tense; what will happen?

Find evidence for McMurphy's leadership, self-preservation, strength, and ingenuity in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".What is the...

McMurphy consciously seeks a leadership position upon entering the ward.  Declaring "I'm accustomed to being top man", he looks for the "bull-goose loony" so he can challenge that man's leadership (Ch.1,Sec.3).  McMurphy best shows the depth of his leadership capabilities in trying to lead the patients, who are paralyzed by fears, beyond their limits by "trying to drag (them) out of the fog, out in the open" (C1/S3).

McMurphy demonstrates self-preservation with self-restraint to keep from suffering dire consequences.  At first, "he thinks he'll just wait a while to see what the story is...before he makes any kind of play".  When he finds out that shock therapy is used as punishment, he decides, "I...don't want to have some...nurse after me with three thousand volts...when there's nothing in it for me but the adventure" (C1/S5).

The strength McMurphy shows is strength of spirit.  He fails to physically lift the control panel, but notes what is important, saying, "I tried, though...I..did that much, now, didn't I?" (C1/S11).

McMuphy consistently shows ingenuity at every occasion.  Examples include addressing his own hand after it has been refused by Big George (C1/S3), shooting a dab of butter at the mess room clock for entertainment (C1/S9), and organizing a basketball team and fishing trip for the patients (C3/S1).

(As pages differ from edition to edition, Chapters/Sections have been used as reference).

How are aspects of Modernism apparent in Araby by James Joyce?How does Araby typify the social and psychological realities of England between the...

Araby as a story seems to be a little too Romantic in
spirit to be a Modernist text. But with deeper examination what we realize its
deep-rooted critique of the Romantic notion of love. Jacques Lacan had defined love as
"giving something that you do not have to someone who does not even want it". The boy
wants to give a gift bought from Araby. The girl had never demanded it from him and he
does not even want it.

The radical conflation of the sacred
and the sexual is another Modernist element in the story. Mangan's Sister is both a
chalice and an object of beauty, arousing a moment of impregnatory orgasm  and that too
in the dead pries's back drawing room.

The story is
definitely concerned with loneliness in the city---a squalid and drab cityscape, typical
of Modernist literature e.g. Ulysses or Eliot's Waste
Land.

The proto-stream of consciousness style, the emphasis
on internal rather than external action, the epiphanic realization of a disillusionment
about the Romantic and Oriental fantasy of Araby.

How are aspects of Modernism apparent in Araby by James Joyce?How does Araby typify the social and psychological realities of England between the...

Araby as a story seems to be a little too Romantic in spirit to be a Modernist text. But with deeper examination what we realize its deep-rooted critique of the Romantic notion of love. Jacques Lacan had defined love as "giving something that you do not have to someone who does not even want it". The boy wants to give a gift bought from Araby. The girl had never demanded it from him and he does not even want it.

The radical conflation of the sacred and the sexual is another Modernist element in the story. Mangan's Sister is both a chalice and an object of beauty, arousing a moment of impregnatory orgasm  and that too in the dead pries's back drawing room.

The story is definitely concerned with loneliness in the city---a squalid and drab cityscape, typical of Modernist literature e.g. Ulysses or Eliot's Waste Land.

The proto-stream of consciousness style, the emphasis on internal rather than external action, the epiphanic realization of a disillusionment about the Romantic and Oriental fantasy of Araby.

How is Parris a bad minister in "The Crucible"?

I don't know what the real-life Samuel Parris was like, but the character in Miller's play is the opposite of what a minister should be. The term "minister" means "to take care of" or "to tend to," to minister to someone. Parris ministers only to himself and his friends. He loves money too much, an example of which is his argument that payment for his firewood should not come out of his salary. He is concerned about appearances. When he discovers that Abigail has run off with all his money, he doesn't worry about her welfare; all he cares about is what people will think of him. John Proctor refuses to go to church, not because he has lost faith in God, but because he does not care for the preacher.

Visit the sites below for more information.

What happened to each of the rocket boys after graduation? Describe each situation.

One of the most powerful elements present in the ending of
the memoir is how it showed the post- "Rocket Boys" life of each.  All of them had gone
to college and wound up doing something that was outside the traditional path of boys
from Coalwood.  We learn early on that some few chosen ones from Coalwood go to college
or university on  football scholarship, while the vast majority go and work in the
mine.  The Rocket Boys forged a different path with college educations and some type of
professional job afterwards.  Insurance salesman, business owners, or Homer joining NASA
and training astronauts all reveal paths that were taken where dreams were pursued and
education being a vital part of this process.

What happened to each of the rocket boys after graduation? Describe each situation.

One of the most powerful elements present in the ending of the memoir is how it showed the post- "Rocket Boys" life of each.  All of them had gone to college and wound up doing something that was outside the traditional path of boys from Coalwood.  We learn early on that some few chosen ones from Coalwood go to college or university on  football scholarship, while the vast majority go and work in the mine.  The Rocket Boys forged a different path with college educations and some type of professional job afterwards.  Insurance salesman, business owners, or Homer joining NASA and training astronauts all reveal paths that were taken where dreams were pursued and education being a vital part of this process.

How do I cite these sources in APA format? I nearly completely forget how to format this correctly in APA format, could anyone...

As noted by the prior poster, APA format has recently
undergone a revision, so be sure that you are using the 6th edition (if that is what
your professor expects). All of the sources that you have listed are electronic sources,
but even electronic sources can be different in terms of the details that you need to
include. You will always begin by citing the author last name, followed by first
initial. Then, in parentheses, follow this with the date of publication. You will then
include the title of the work and the relevant publication information (Retrieval date
and URL for a web page; doi for a database article, city and publisher for a print
source)

For example, a database article would be cited like
this:

Steinbrook, R.. (2009). Lobbying, Campaign
Contributions, and Health Care Reform. The New England Journal of Medicine,
361(23), e52.  doi:1914852231

A web page like
this:

Political Advocacy (2010) Directory of
United States Lobbyists. Retrieved March 17, 2010 from href="http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/kfountain/">http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/kfountain/

And
a book like this:

Bogosian, E. (2008) Talk Radio. New York:
Samuel French.

The absolute best source that I have found
for APA is the OWL. Here is their page for on line
sources:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Also,
don't forget to include an in text citation for each time you use a source - for
example, using your source above: (Paz, 2010).

How do I cite these sources in APA format? I nearly completely forget how to format this correctly in APA format, could anyone...

As noted by the prior poster, APA format has recently undergone a revision, so be sure that you are using the 6th edition (if that is what your professor expects). All of the sources that you have listed are electronic sources, but even electronic sources can be different in terms of the details that you need to include. You will always begin by citing the author last name, followed by first initial. Then, in parentheses, follow this with the date of publication. You will then include the title of the work and the relevant publication information (Retrieval date and URL for a web page; doi for a database article, city and publisher for a print source)

For example, a database article would be cited like this:

Steinbrook, R.. (2009). Lobbying, Campaign Contributions, and Health Care Reform. The New England Journal of Medicine, 361(23), e52.  doi:1914852231

A web page like this:

Political Advocacy (2010) Directory of United States Lobbyists. Retrieved March 17, 2010 from http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/kfountain/

And a book like this:

Bogosian, E. (2008) Talk Radio. New York: Samuel French.

The absolute best source that I have found for APA is the OWL. Here is their page for on line sources:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Also, don't forget to include an in text citation for each time you use a source - for example, using your source above: (Paz, 2010).

How is a pencil sharpener a wheel and axle for a simple machine?

Well, if you look at the simple definition of a wheel and
axle machine, namely that it must have a wheel and axle, the pencil sharpener fits
perfectly, particularly if the pencil sharpener is a non-mechanical one, just one you
have to twist.  As such, the pencil of course acts as the axle and then the sharpener
itself is the wheel as it goes around the pencil.  It gets a tad more complicated if you
are looking at the mechanical version, but likely could still be explained into the
definition if necessary.  The article referenced below has some other good examples of
simple wheel and axle machines.

How is a pencil sharpener a wheel and axle for a simple machine?

Well, if you look at the simple definition of a wheel and axle machine, namely that it must have a wheel and axle, the pencil sharpener fits perfectly, particularly if the pencil sharpener is a non-mechanical one, just one you have to twist.  As such, the pencil of course acts as the axle and then the sharpener itself is the wheel as it goes around the pencil.  It gets a tad more complicated if you are looking at the mechanical version, but likely could still be explained into the definition if necessary.  The article referenced below has some other good examples of simple wheel and axle machines.

Why did Dwight D. Eisenhower win the 1952 presidential election?

Dwight D Eisenhower achieved a landslide victory in the
1952 presidential election and defeated the democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson. The
main election issues were the spread of communism, foreign policy and corruption in the
government. Since the economy was prospering, it did not play much role in the
elections. 

Eisenhower was a five-star general, commander
of the allied forces in Europe during World War II and was the first supreme commander
of NATO. He was seen as a much more decisive personality compared to Stevenson, who was
considered an intellectual and excellent orator. Eisenhower's main election campaign
focused on the failure of the outgoing democrat administrations on Korea, Communism and
Corruption. 

The decisive personality and track record of
Eisenhower coupled with the discontent with previous government, complemented by the
weak democrat candidate, led to Eisenhower's victory. 

Why did Dwight D. Eisenhower win the 1952 presidential election?

Dwight D Eisenhower achieved a landslide victory in the 1952 presidential election and defeated the democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson. The main election issues were the spread of communism, foreign policy and corruption in the government. Since the economy was prospering, it did not play much role in the elections. 

Eisenhower was a five-star general, commander of the allied forces in Europe during World War II and was the first supreme commander of NATO. He was seen as a much more decisive personality compared to Stevenson, who was considered an intellectual and excellent orator. Eisenhower's main election campaign focused on the failure of the outgoing democrat administrations on Korea, Communism and Corruption. 

The decisive personality and track record of Eisenhower coupled with the discontent with previous government, complemented by the weak democrat candidate, led to Eisenhower's victory. 

solve. 4+3x

You do this problem just the same way that you would do it
if it were not an inequality.  What that means is that you need to get the x term on one
side by itself and then simplify it down to where it is just x (instead of
3x).

So, what you do first is to subtract 4 from both
sides.  Then you get

3x <
24

So then you divide both sides by 3 and you
get

x < 8

And that is
your answer.  Plug in a number to check and see if it's right.  We'll choose
7.

4 + 3*7 < 28

4 + 21
< 28

25 <
28

True.  So numbers less than 8 make the inequality
true.

Now we'll try a number bigger than
8.

4 + (3*9) < 28

4 +
27 < 28

Not true.  So numbers bigger than 8 make the
statement false.

solve. 4+3x

You do this problem just the same way that you would do it if it were not an inequality.  What that means is that you need to get the x term on one side by itself and then simplify it down to where it is just x (instead of 3x).

So, what you do first is to subtract 4 from both sides.  Then you get

3x < 24

So then you divide both sides by 3 and you get

x < 8

And that is your answer.  Plug in a number to check and see if it's right.  We'll choose 7.

4 + 3*7 < 28

4 + 21 < 28

25 < 28

True.  So numbers less than 8 make the inequality true.

Now we'll try a number bigger than 8.

4 + (3*9) < 28

4 + 27 < 28

Not true.  So numbers bigger than 8 make the statement false.

Why did the students join the army in All Quiet on the Western Front?

It is clear that the boys joined up at the intense urging of their schoolmaster, Kantorek; as well, the adults in their lives, such as their parents, all stressed the glory of joining up and the duty that the boys had to their country. It is telling that the first one to die, Joseph Behm, was the one who held out the longest from being convinced to join. The fact that Remarque makes this point is evidence that he believes the youths were falsely mislead into believing that the war was about defending the "Fatherland" and all of propaganda that the German government promoted. Instead, the boys led gruesome existences, followed by death, one by one. I would argue that this novel is not a coming of age novel in the classic sense of the term; instead, based on the fact that Paul Baumer repeatedly stresses that he and his friends had "no chance" at their lives, no chance to have a family, no chance to be in love, no chance at life, period, the novel's central message is that was strips young men of everything. They all die.

What is the allegory and what are the metaphors in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?"

I'm not sure I would call Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening" allegorical in any sense.  One might say it's symbolic or that it
involves an extended metaphor, but I don't see it as an
allegory.

If the poem is symbolic or involves an extended
metaphor, it is in the sense that the absent land owner, separated from nature,
symbolizes humans who are separated from nature and don't realize what they're missing. 
Connected to this interpretation is the opposition of the man-made (such as the barn),
with the natural (the snow and woods).  The speaker/character, too, though he
appreciates the natural, cannot stay to admire it because of human
responsibilities. 

The poem may also close with a
metaphor:

And
miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I
sleep.

Some commentators
suggest this is a metaphor for death.  In this interpretation, though the speaker longs
for the peace of death (sleep), he chooses to fulfill his responsibilities and promises,
rather than to seek what he wishes. 

What is the allegory and what are the metaphors in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?"

I'm not sure I would call Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" allegorical in any sense.  One might say it's symbolic or that it involves an extended metaphor, but I don't see it as an allegory.

If the poem is symbolic or involves an extended metaphor, it is in the sense that the absent land owner, separated from nature, symbolizes humans who are separated from nature and don't realize what they're missing.  Connected to this interpretation is the opposition of the man-made (such as the barn), with the natural (the snow and woods).  The speaker/character, too, though he appreciates the natural, cannot stay to admire it because of human responsibilities. 

The poem may also close with a metaphor:

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Some commentators suggest this is a metaphor for death.  In this interpretation, though the speaker longs for the peace of death (sleep), he chooses to fulfill his responsibilities and promises, rather than to seek what he wishes. 

In the camps, Wiesel must struggle to stay alive and to remain human. How well does he succeed with his struggles?

There are two parts to the question.  The first part is
how well Elizer fares in the struggle to stay alive.  The answer is that he does succeed
in this quest.  This is proven by the fact he is alive at the end of the narrative.  The
second part is naturally a bit more complex.  The notion of "remaining human" is
something whose definition changes over the course of the work.  It might be difficult
to suggest that he remains human by the end of the work because of the amount of changes
he undergoes throughout the course of the work.  For example, the typically human
experiences of collectivity through community, connection with family, and faith in
divinity are all repudiated throughout the course of the novel.  It is not as if Eliezer
chose to sever these bonds, but rather such choices were made for him, removing him from
specific aspects of his humanity.  In the end, when he stares at the mirror and is
unable to recognize the face staring back at him, it is because his humanity has been
robbed from him.  I am slightly bothered by saying that he "failed" at his struggle to
remain human because of this precise lack of autonomy.

In the camps, Wiesel must struggle to stay alive and to remain human. How well does he succeed with his struggles?

There are two parts to the question.  The first part is how well Elizer fares in the struggle to stay alive.  The answer is that he does succeed in this quest.  This is proven by the fact he is alive at the end of the narrative.  The second part is naturally a bit more complex.  The notion of "remaining human" is something whose definition changes over the course of the work.  It might be difficult to suggest that he remains human by the end of the work because of the amount of changes he undergoes throughout the course of the work.  For example, the typically human experiences of collectivity through community, connection with family, and faith in divinity are all repudiated throughout the course of the novel.  It is not as if Eliezer chose to sever these bonds, but rather such choices were made for him, removing him from specific aspects of his humanity.  In the end, when he stares at the mirror and is unable to recognize the face staring back at him, it is because his humanity has been robbed from him.  I am slightly bothered by saying that he "failed" at his struggle to remain human because of this precise lack of autonomy.

In "The Scarlet Letter", how is Pearl both Hester's torture and comfort in life?Also, Which characters stayed true to themselves? Which did not?

I'm not sure that Dimmesdale does not remain true to himself ... it's just that it was very destructive.  This somewhat lengthy quote highlights that point:  " Mr. Dimmesdale was a true priest, a true religionist, with the reverential sentiment largely developed, and an order of mind that impelled itself powerfully along the track of a creed, and wore its passage continually deeper with the lapse of time. In no state of society would he have been what is called a man of liberal views; it would always be essential to his peace to feel the pressure of a faith about him, supporting, while it confined him within its iron framework."

Dimmesdale's self was intimately tied up with his sense of religion, supporting him in its unbinding "iron framework."  Just as Hester remained true to her freedom from the censure of the Puritan community, so Dimmesdale remained true to the framework that supported him. 

Many people find Hester a much more sympathetic, true-to-hserself character; I find Dimmesdale to be as true to his values as Hester, although the consequences of this loyalty are not at all admirable in many people's eyes.

What is the meaning of the title The Grapes of Wrath?

The title was suggested by Steinbeck's first wife after hearing the song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord/He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored." The song by Julia Ward Howe is an allusion to Isaiah 63: 4-6. The novel has allusions to vineyards and grapes throughout to continue the allusion. Steinbeck liked the title because it was a march, and he felt this novel was revolutionary. The title gave it a patriotic flavor as well. Steinbeck was hoping to calm critics who would say it had a Communist leaning.

For more on this, go to the site below.

At the party, what truth is revealed to the animal?last chapter

Symbolically what is revealed in the last chapter of Animal Farm is why Communism doesn't work.  An idea, that sounds so good, full of equality and fairness, when it is put in place as illustrated by this book, fails because of the innate corruption that lies in the human/animal soul. 

The author uses the pigs to illustrate how, when they take on human characteristics, they easily fall under the spell of corruption and the misuse of power.  The selfish greed of humans is already present in the pig, a dirty animal that is most interested in self gratification.  It isn't much of a strech for the pigs to resemble humans at the end, because for Orwell, man and pig already share many similarities.   

“To A Mouse”What does Burns say about man’s dominance over animals? What does Burns reveal about carefully laid plans in stanza 7?

To me, Burns is saying that man's domination of the
animals is both unjustified and harmful.

You can see that
Burns thinks that this dominance is not justified from what he says in Stanza 2.  There,
he talks about himself as being a companion of the mouse -- they are both born of the
Earth and therefore he is not better than it is.

He also
acknowledges at length the fact that he has harmed the mouse with his plow.  Stanzas 2-6
all have this idea in them to a greater or lesser
extent.

Stanza 7 simply says that both mice and men have
their plans destroyed by forces bigger than them.

“To A Mouse”What does Burns say about man’s dominance over animals? What does Burns reveal about carefully laid plans in stanza 7?

To me, Burns is saying that man's domination of the animals is both unjustified and harmful.

You can see that Burns thinks that this dominance is not justified from what he says in Stanza 2.  There, he talks about himself as being a companion of the mouse -- they are both born of the Earth and therefore he is not better than it is.

He also acknowledges at length the fact that he has harmed the mouse with his plow.  Stanzas 2-6 all have this idea in them to a greater or lesser extent.

Stanza 7 simply says that both mice and men have their plans destroyed by forces bigger than them.

What is the result/significance of Germany's annexing Austria?

The German expansion into Austria helps to set the stage
for future designs of Hitler and the Nazi party.  The pattern that would be visited
repeatedly was first established in the overtaking of Austria.  On one hand, Hitler laid
out a type of "historical" case as to why expansion was warranted.  This perception of
history was distorted, but since no other versions were being offered (or those who were
offering it were being silenced by Hitler), there became a historical basis for the land
acquisition.  Some slight attempts at diplomacy was pursued, consisting of Hitler
meeting with representatives and essentially bullying his way to his own ends, and then
a military movement complete with social modes of control that emphasize the Nazi notion
of the good being absolute.  All of these were on display with the acquisition of
Austria.  If you believe MGM musicals, the Von Trapp family had much to say, or sing,
about this, as well.

What is the result/significance of Germany's annexing Austria?

The German expansion into Austria helps to set the stage for future designs of Hitler and the Nazi party.  The pattern that would be visited repeatedly was first established in the overtaking of Austria.  On one hand, Hitler laid out a type of "historical" case as to why expansion was warranted.  This perception of history was distorted, but since no other versions were being offered (or those who were offering it were being silenced by Hitler), there became a historical basis for the land acquisition.  Some slight attempts at diplomacy was pursued, consisting of Hitler meeting with representatives and essentially bullying his way to his own ends, and then a military movement complete with social modes of control that emphasize the Nazi notion of the good being absolute.  All of these were on display with the acquisition of Austria.  If you believe MGM musicals, the Von Trapp family had much to say, or sing, about this, as well.

In "Antigone," what does Antigone tell us is her only regret?scene 4

Antigone's one expressed regret seems to be that she will not be able to marry Haemon and be a wife and mother.  Even though this makes her sad, she still will not repent of what she did by burying her brother because she believes she was following the will of the gods:

"For Death who puts to sleep both young and old
Hales my young life,
And beckons me to Acheron's dark fold,
An unwed wife.
No youths have sung the marriage song for me,
My bridal bed
No maids have strewn with flowers from the lea,
'Tis Death I wed."

and

"Thus by the law of conscience I was led
To honor thee, dear brother, and was judged
By Creon guilty of a heinous crime.
And now he drags me like a criminal,
A bride unwed, amerced of marriage-song
And marriage-bed and joys of motherhood,
By friends deserted to a living grave.
What ordinance of heaven have I transgressed?
Hereafter can I look to any god
For succor, call on any man for help?
Alas, my piety is impious deemed.
Well, if such justice is approved of heaven,
I shall be taught by suffering my sin;
But if the sin is theirs, O may they suffer
No worse ills than the wrongs they do to me."

Good luck!

How do you find a theme in a novel?

A theme is a central idea of a work of literature.  Themes usually involve some sort of moral, lesson, or message that the author wishes you to come away with after reading the work.  Often there is a main theme and several sub-themes implicit in the novel, short story, or play. 

For example, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the theme is learning to overcome one's preconceived ideas about the motives of other people. Both of the main characters, Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy, must learn to overcome their class prejudices: Darcy, against those of lower classes, Elizabeth her beliefs about the elite.  As for prejudice, Darcy must learn that Elizabeth, despite her kooky family, is her own person.  Elizabeth that Darcy has laudable intentions despite appearances to the contrary. 

Sometimes a theme is immediately apparent.  In Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," we know early on that ritualized brutality is abhorrent.   But in longer works, it may take some time to absorb all the themes an author intends.  For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's themes include tolerance, guilt, and coming-of-age in America.

In "Fahrenheit 451," why are the characters on the television screen called "The Family?"

When I read the book, I see the television screen walls as equivalent to modern day soap operas.  The people sat home and immersed themselves in the lives of the "people" on the walls.  Those pseudo-people become the be-all in the lives of the brain-dead people who sit and watch them all day.  Montag often commented that his wife sometimes treated the walls as real people and real life while she disregarded him.  The "walls" become more like family and real life than their real life does simply because their real life was so tasteless.  Lack of books, controversy, issues to discuss--all of this results in a horribly boring life.

How does the tree's appearance surprise the narrator in "A Separate Peace"?I know it's at the beginning of the book. I'm pretty sure...

In the narrator's mind, the tree is huge, "tremendous, an irate, steely black steeple beside the river".  When he returns to Devon many years later to look for it, he is shocked to find that there is a whole grove of trees standing on the river bank, and "any one of them might have been the one (he is) looking for...unbelievable that there were other trees which looked like it here".  When he finally does determine which is the particular tree he is looking for, he finds it "not merely smaller in relation to (his) growth, but...absolutely smaller, shrunken by age".

When the narrator had attended Devon as a youth, the tree had seemed a frightening thing, and the tragic events that took place in and around it were not something easily forgotten.  When he sees the tree again as an adult, he is surprised by its unimposing appearance.  The tree seems "weary from age, enfeebled, dry", and makes the narrator realize that "nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence".  Seeing the tree and its physical insignificance now enables the narrator to realize that what had happened there so long ago is over, and it is time to let go of the guilt and trauma he still feels inside.  As the narrator says so succinctly after weeing the tree again, "anybody could see it was time to come in out of the rain" (Chapter 1).

What was the driving force that compelled Amir to transform into the personality that was hidden within?How can I explain that the "cycle of...

Most of the impetus behind Amir's later actions,
particularly his return to Afghanistan to try to "make things right," are driven by the
guilt which has riven him ever since the day that Hassan was raped after chasing down
the kite for Amir.  He stood by and watched while his most loyal friend was brutally
molested, and that inaction has haunted him throughout the rest of his life, no matter
how far or how long he got away from the incident and the place where it
happened.

Particularly once he finds out that Hassan was,
in fact, his half-brother, Amir is desperate to find out whether he might be able to
somehow rectify the wrong he committed or felt he did at the
time.

In terms of a redemption cycle, it may be his
rescuing of Hassan's son from a possible future of constant abuse that he feels he has
finally atoned for his inaction after he is able to bring Sohrab back to the US with
him.

What was the driving force that compelled Amir to transform into the personality that was hidden within?How can I explain that the "cycle of...

Most of the impetus behind Amir's later actions, particularly his return to Afghanistan to try to "make things right," are driven by the guilt which has riven him ever since the day that Hassan was raped after chasing down the kite for Amir.  He stood by and watched while his most loyal friend was brutally molested, and that inaction has haunted him throughout the rest of his life, no matter how far or how long he got away from the incident and the place where it happened.

Particularly once he finds out that Hassan was, in fact, his half-brother, Amir is desperate to find out whether he might be able to somehow rectify the wrong he committed or felt he did at the time.

In terms of a redemption cycle, it may be his rescuing of Hassan's son from a possible future of constant abuse that he feels he has finally atoned for his inaction after he is able to bring Sohrab back to the US with him.

How is the bond between mother and daughter demonstrated between Pearl and Hester in "The Scarlet Letter"?Are there any qoutes to support the...

Hawthorne begins by simply mentioning Hester's desire to give all she could to her child.  Although a skilled seamstress, Hester keeps her own clothing plain and drab (save for the scarlet letter).  However, she makes an effort to dress Pearl up, showing her love:

The child's attire, on the other hand, was distinguished by a fanciful, or, we may rather say, a fantastic ingenuity, which served, indeed, to heighten the airy charm that early began to develop itself in the little girl...

Then we find out that Hester has been very careful in naming her daughter, making the name significant of the child's importance:

But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price ... her mother's only treasure!

Hawthorne suggests that Hester has little control over Pearl, but is clear to enforce that the two have a bond between them, sharing some similar qualities and situations:

All this enmity and passion had Pearl inherited ... out of Hester's heart. Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human society; and in the nature of the child seemed to be perpetuated those unquiet elements that had distracted Hester Prynne before Pearl's birth

When faced with losing Pearl, the bond between them is clearly spoken, and Hester explains how much her own life is wrapped up in her daughters:

God gave me the child!... She is my happiness!—she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!

What are Atticus Finch's traits in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

To add to the excellent response above, I would add empathy. Remember Atticus's mantra - to crawl inside someone else's skin before judging them. Atticus consistently does this in all instances - it is why he has Jem read to Mrs. Dubose, it is why he does not get angry with Mr Ewell when he spits in his face, it is why he puts up with his sister's digs at his parenting skills and his decision to defend Tom, it is why he makes the deal with Scout so they can still read so her first grade teacher doesn't get angry at her. In doing this, Atticus always leads by example and follows through with his actions.

Another trait is that Atticus is honest. I think the best example of this when he believes Jem was responsible for Ewell's death. Atticus doesn't hesitate to begin planning the trial and what will happen. However, it is Tate who finally gets Atticus to believe that Jem did not do it.

How is the house personified in the second paragraph of 'A Rose for Emily'?

The house is personified to represent the "Old South" and Miss Emily. The house "had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street." Now, according to the narrator, industrial progress has "obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood." Here, the house represents the ideals of the "Old South," those of Colonel Sartoris and Miss Emily's father. Even though the house is in decay, it still stands, showing that the attitudes of the "Old South" still remain even in the midst of social and technological progress.

When the narrator says, ". . . Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps," the house personifies Miss Emily. She is a forced remnant of the "Old South" because of her father's treatment of her and Colonel Sartoris' allowing her not to pay taxes because of her family's name and place in society. Emily, herself, is stubborn and refuses to give in to the community's demand that she pay taxes, just as the house refuses to fall to modernization. 

Beatty always told Montag not to face a problem, but to burn it. What becomes ironic about this statement?

The statement is ironic, because when Millie calls in the authorities and reports Montag, and his house is to be burned, he feels like he is burning his old life which, for him, was a problem. 

Even though Beatty does not understand how this is significant, Montag watches his house burn with a sense of relief that he is rid of his old life.  Therefore, it is ironic, because Beatty would not understand Montag's desire to be a book reader. So Beatty's advice which applies to the commonly defined problem of "books" actually serves Montag in the opposite way, freeing him from the society that he no longer feels he belongs in and severing his relationship with his wife. 

What is the meaning and purpose of the simile "the room was black as pitch" in Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Pitch is the color of tar, which is a deep dark black.  The  full lines in which this simile occurs read:  His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

"Pitch," alludes to the lack of light in the room in a literal sense.  In the gothic sense, pitch is also often used in reference to midnight, to things satanic, and to evil in general.  By employing the similie in this way, Poe brings a sense of both physical and emotional doom to the story. 

Briefly summarize how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conspire to murder Duncan.

Macbeth has the idea of the murder put into his head by the witches, but he is hesitant about going through with it. He sends a message to his wife telling her what the witches have said and also communicating his misgivings. His wife, who has a poor opinion of her husband's initiative, immediately becomes a strong proponent of the murder. She overrides Macbeth's scruples (which were never very strong) and the two of them decide to murder the king while he is staying at their castle that night.

When the time for the murder comes, Macbeth is nearly paralyzed by his conscience, and has hallucinations of a bloody dagger in the air. His wife, realizing that there is no going back now, forces him to finish the deed and herself goes back to the murder scene to establish an alibi by smearing the king's servants with blood. Nevertheless, she is acting beyond her natural limits, as evidenced by her comment about how much the king’s sleeping form reminded her of her father.

After the murder is discovered, both the Macbeths manage to pretend it is a surprise to them. Macbeth kills the grooms to prevent them explaining their innocence, and Lady Macbeth faints at a critical moment to distract the onlookers. Through the close and interactive cooperation of both Macbeth and his wife, the plot thus attains a temporary success, with the king’s sons frightened into flight and Macbeth, for the time, secure on the throne.

Analyze the book's final chapter and its theme(s).Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper
Lee, the sympathy motif is introduced in Chapter 1 when Atticus instructs
Scout

'You
never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view-....until you climb into his skin and walk around in
it.'

Now, in the final
chapter this motif comes to fruition as Scout, as she stands on the porch of Boo Radley
and surveys the neighborhood from his point of view, arrives at an understanding of the
reclusive "mockingbird" that is Boo Radley as a man like any other
man:

Atticus
was right.  One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes
and walk around in them.  Just standing on the Radley porch was enough....I had never
seen our neighborhood from this
angle.

She also understands
how much Boo has done for her and Jem and Dill, while at the same time they have not
reciprocated:

readability="7">

We never put back into the tree what we took out
of it:  we had given him nothing, and it made me
sad.

This remark touches upon
the mockingbird motif which acts as a device by which the two plot elements are
unified.  For, the first part of the novel and the Boo Radley mystery, parallels the
second part which is concerned with the Tom Robinson trial. Harmless members of society,
both of these characters can be viewed as a mockingbird; for, while both are innocent
people, they both are persecuted by society.

And, as Scout
recalls that she feels very old, and there "wasn't much else for us to learn," the novel
ends with the maturation of Scout, thus defining To Kill a
Mockingbird as a bildungsroman, or novel of maturation. 
For, Scout and Jem have come to understand why their father has taught them what he has,
as well as why their father has chosen certain courses of
action.

Another motif present in Chapter 31 that is tied to
the first part of the novel is the recurring idea of education.  In Chapters 1 and 2 the
reader understands that the education that Atticus gives his children surpasses that of
the rigid classroom.  They learn much from Atticus--humility, fortitude, honesty,
fairness; they learn that simple observation of human nature brings great
knowledge. 

With Scout and Jem's new knowledge comes the
end of their superstitions and fears.  As Scout and Jem have learned more about their
world their fear of "haints" has disappeared as well as their fear of Boo Radley.  (The
bildingsroman theme is also
here.)

Clearly, the final chapter ties together the two
parts of the novel as well as underscoring certain motifs and
themes.

Analyze the book's final chapter and its theme(s).Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the sympathy motif is introduced in Chapter 1 when Atticus instructs Scout

'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-....until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'

Now, in the final chapter this motif comes to fruition as Scout, as she stands on the porch of Boo Radley and surveys the neighborhood from his point of view, arrives at an understanding of the reclusive "mockingbird" that is Boo Radley as a man like any other man:

Atticus was right.  One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.  Just standing on the Radley porch was enough....I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle.

She also understands how much Boo has done for her and Jem and Dill, while at the same time they have not reciprocated:

We never put back into the tree what we took out of it:  we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.

This remark touches upon the mockingbird motif which acts as a device by which the two plot elements are unified.  For, the first part of the novel and the Boo Radley mystery, parallels the second part which is concerned with the Tom Robinson trial. Harmless members of society, both of these characters can be viewed as a mockingbird; for, while both are innocent people, they both are persecuted by society.

And, as Scout recalls that she feels very old, and there "wasn't much else for us to learn," the novel ends with the maturation of Scout, thus defining To Kill a Mockingbird as a bildungsroman, or novel of maturation.  For, Scout and Jem have come to understand why their father has taught them what he has, as well as why their father has chosen certain courses of action.

Another motif present in Chapter 31 that is tied to the first part of the novel is the recurring idea of education.  In Chapters 1 and 2 the reader understands that the education that Atticus gives his children surpasses that of the rigid classroom.  They learn much from Atticus--humility, fortitude, honesty, fairness; they learn that simple observation of human nature brings great knowledge. 

With Scout and Jem's new knowledge comes the end of their superstitions and fears.  As Scout and Jem have learned more about their world their fear of "haints" has disappeared as well as their fear of Boo Radley.  (The bildingsroman theme is also here.)

Clearly, the final chapter ties together the two parts of the novel as well as underscoring certain motifs and themes.

What books should be followed to get through the NET exam for environmental sciences?

No books can really help you really ace the NET exam, it depends on how well you study and how SMART you study with it, simply studying for the whole day doesn't help matters, it will wear you down, and you will lose your concentration. Try and study the topics that you are weaker in first, the "easy-score-As" ones can be left at the end just for a refresher course. Go to their main website and see the guidelines on the structure of the exam paper, and also the main syllabus to get a brief idea on what you need to do. Make sure you get friends who had went through this paper before and ask them to share with you their experience in tackling the paper, the likely questions that might come out, or you can approach the teachers for advice. There are some websites that gives you a sample of past NET exam questions, so look out for them and try to ace these papers to gauge the difficulty level of the papers.

Why does Montresor seek revenge on Fortunato, and why does he say, "A wrong is undressed when retribution overtakes its redresser"?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the
narrator, like so many of Poe's narrators, is unreliable in that he does not provide any
reason for his revenge other than the vague
statement,

The
thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon
insult,I vowed revenge.

Then,
ironically, the narrator assumes that readers know
him: 

You who
so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to
a threat.

Obviously, then,
there is a great deal of ambiguity about Montresor's "revenge" that he feels (1) he must
seek and perform with impunity as well as (2) receive acknowlegement of this revenge on
the part of the victim.  Both of these goals of revenge are attained:  Montresor walls
in Fortunato in the tomb/catacombs, and Fortunato is well aware of what Montresor has
done as he calls to him, asking to be allowed to return to the carnival, and finally
crying "For the love of God, Montresor!"

Why does Montresor seek revenge on Fortunato, and why does he say, "A wrong is undressed when retribution overtakes its redresser"?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator, like so many of Poe's narrators, is unreliable in that he does not provide any reason for his revenge other than the vague statement,

The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult,I vowed revenge.

Then, ironically, the narrator assumes that readers know him: 

You who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.

Obviously, then, there is a great deal of ambiguity about Montresor's "revenge" that he feels (1) he must seek and perform with impunity as well as (2) receive acknowlegement of this revenge on the part of the victim.  Both of these goals of revenge are attained:  Montresor walls in Fortunato in the tomb/catacombs, and Fortunato is well aware of what Montresor has done as he calls to him, asking to be allowed to return to the carnival, and finally crying "For the love of God, Montresor!"

What is the imagery of sight and sound in "To Build a Fire" by Jack London?

From the very beginning of the story, imagery is used
(like many of London's stories) to convey the feeling of the place and at times to also
foreshadow events to come.  In the first paragraph, London
writes:

There
was no sun nor hint of sun, though there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day,
and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that
made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of
sun.

The fact that this
absence of sun does not concern our intrepid traveler is a clue as to what will happen
to him down the trail.  It also helps to build the idea that this "intangible pall" will
likely bring about some future tragedy that no one can quite put a finger on yet, but
will become clear.

London uses images like this throughout
the story.

What is the imagery of sight and sound in "To Build a Fire" by Jack London?

From the very beginning of the story, imagery is used (like many of London's stories) to convey the feeling of the place and at times to also foreshadow events to come.  In the first paragraph, London writes:

There was no sun nor hint of sun, though there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of sun.

The fact that this absence of sun does not concern our intrepid traveler is a clue as to what will happen to him down the trail.  It also helps to build the idea that this "intangible pall" will likely bring about some future tragedy that no one can quite put a finger on yet, but will become clear.

London uses images like this throughout the story.

In "Into the Wild," why did McCandless reject his parents' lifestyle?

Chris was an intense, stubborn and determined young man, much like his father.  When he and his sister were young, their parents worked long hours at an aerospace business that Walt had started, which left little time to spend with the children, but brought a lot of money to the household, making Chris a child of some privilege.  The real difficulty arose when Chris discovered the truth behind his father's divorce from his first marriage.  Walt began a relationship with Billie (Chris' mother) and fathered Chris, while still being romantically involved with his first wife.  Walt lived a double life, even fathering another child with his first wife despite having a life with Billie and his new family.  When Chris found all of this out he considered his father to be a hypocrit, and never forgave him. (Krakauer, Chapter 12)

For what purpose does Jack want his choir used in "Lord of the Flies"?

Jack wants "his" choir to be hunters. In order to placate Jack for having lost the chief's election, Ralph agrees to Jack's request. Ralph does not understand Jack's thirst for power and by putting Jack in charge of the hunters, Ralph is making a huge tactile mistake. Jack will be able to use "his" hunters and his position to help undermine Ralph's authority.

What concerns does Friar Laurence have about Romeo and Juliet's relationship in Romeo and Juliet?

To me, Friar Lawrence's concerns about the relationship
between these two is that they are totally rushing into it.  I think you can sum up his
concern in the following line.  It comes from Act II, Scene 3.  He says to
Romeo:

Wisely
and slow; they stumble that run
fast.

Friar Lawrence is
concerned because up until this point, Romeo had been so hopelessly in love with
Rosaline.  The friar could not believe that Romeo could really fall in love with someone
else so quickly.  He counseled patience.  Too bad they didn't listen to him... maybe
they would not have died if they had taken it a bit slower.

What concerns does Friar Laurence have about Romeo and Juliet's relationship in Romeo and Juliet?

To me, Friar Lawrence's concerns about the relationship between these two is that they are totally rushing into it.  I think you can sum up his concern in the following line.  It comes from Act II, Scene 3.  He says to Romeo:

Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.

Friar Lawrence is concerned because up until this point, Romeo had been so hopelessly in love with Rosaline.  The friar could not believe that Romeo could really fall in love with someone else so quickly.  He counseled patience.  Too bad they didn't listen to him... maybe they would not have died if they had taken it a bit slower.

In "The Crucible", whom does Elizabeth call, “A mouse no more," and what does she mean by this metaphor?

Elizabeth is referring to her servant girl, Mary Warren with this statement.  Elizabeth's husband John Proctor had forbid Mary to go to Salem because of the trials taking place.  While John was out, Mary informed Elizabeth that she was going to the trials because she is now an official of the court.  Previously, Mary Warren was a meek, shy girl who was often overlooked and no one really paid much attention to her.  John Proctor refers to Mary Warren as a mouse.  Once Mary gets a taste of attention through her involvement with the witch trials, she stands up to Elizabeth, leading her to comment that Mary is "a mouse no more".  Mice are meek, timid creatures, and the metaphor fit Mary's personality before she became an "important" member of the court.

What is the significance of the animals' names in "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County"?

Three of the animals in this story are named:

The Fifteen Minute Nag, Andrew Jackson, and Dan'l Webster;

The horse gets her name from being so slow in races--at least at first--but somehow, she always wins. Of course, she doesn't really take a full 15 minutes to run, but her slow starts earn her the nickname anyway.

Andrew Jackson is Jim Smiley's fighting dog. He is probably named for the former president and famous general because they are both extremely tough and unstoppable in a battle. The real Jackson earned the nicknam "Old Hickory" becaue he was so tough. It is only a fluke situation that results in Andrew Jackson (the dog) losing his last dogfight.

Dan'l Webster is the jumping frog that Smiley bets on. He is named after Daniel Webster, a great American statesman and orator. Smiley says that his frog is very educatated (at least as much as frogs can be). So he may have named him because both the frog and the man were exceptionally brilliant.

For mor information about characters and biographies on the real Andrew Jackson and Daniel Webster, see the links below: 

Why is Esperanza afraid of Sire? What do her parents think of him? Why is she so curious about what he does with Lois?The House on Mango Street

I don't know that Esperanza is so much afraid of Sire
(though he does have a bad boy reputation) as she is afraid of her feelings for him.
He's her first real crush and feeling those feelings for the first time as a young girl
can be overwhelming. Her parents think he's a punk, which probably adds to his allure to
her. She's curious about what he does with Lois because she wonders what it would be
like to be Lois, to have someone tie your shoes for you and to ride on someone's bike.
But she's probably also curious as to what her parents mean when they say she's the type
of girl who goes into back alleys.

Why is Esperanza afraid of Sire? What do her parents think of him? Why is she so curious about what he does with Lois?The House on Mango Street

I don't know that Esperanza is so much afraid of Sire (though he does have a bad boy reputation) as she is afraid of her feelings for him. He's her first real crush and feeling those feelings for the first time as a young girl can be overwhelming. Her parents think he's a punk, which probably adds to his allure to her. She's curious about what he does with Lois because she wonders what it would be like to be Lois, to have someone tie your shoes for you and to ride on someone's bike. But she's probably also curious as to what her parents mean when they say she's the type of girl who goes into back alleys.

In the book The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler, what kind of person is Phillip Marlowe?

Marlowe is very much a loner. He lives alone and works
alone. He does not employ a secretary, so most of the time he is alone in his office
when he is there. He has a strong sense of independence and a strong sense of honor.
Being a private detective should expose him to all sorts of opportunities to make money
illicitly. For example, Vivian offers him a lot of money to remain silent about the fact
that Carmen killed Rusty Regan, but he refuses to accept it. He is not a happy man or he
would not be doing so much drinking; but in this respect he resembles his creator
Raymond Chandler, who was an alcoholic. Chandler used to work for the Los Angeles
District Attorney, but he tells General Sternwood he was fired for insubordination. Then
he adds that he tests very high on insubordination. He is guided more by his feelings
than his San Francisco counterpart Sam Spade. Marlowe likes some people and dislikes
others, and he takes his feelings about people seriously. For instance, he likes Harry
Jones, although Jones is just a grifter. He likes Norris the butler. He likes General
Sternwood very much. He dislikes Carmen and Geiger, among others. He gets emotionally
involved with clients in "The Big Sleep" and in other novels. Dashiell Hammett's Sam
Spade seems relatively cold and selfish by comparison.

In the book The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler, what kind of person is Phillip Marlowe?

Marlowe is very much a loner. He lives alone and works alone. He does not employ a secretary, so most of the time he is alone in his office when he is there. He has a strong sense of independence and a strong sense of honor. Being a private detective should expose him to all sorts of opportunities to make money illicitly. For example, Vivian offers him a lot of money to remain silent about the fact that Carmen killed Rusty Regan, but he refuses to accept it. He is not a happy man or he would not be doing so much drinking; but in this respect he resembles his creator Raymond Chandler, who was an alcoholic. Chandler used to work for the Los Angeles District Attorney, but he tells General Sternwood he was fired for insubordination. Then he adds that he tests very high on insubordination. He is guided more by his feelings than his San Francisco counterpart Sam Spade. Marlowe likes some people and dislikes others, and he takes his feelings about people seriously. For instance, he likes Harry Jones, although Jones is just a grifter. He likes Norris the butler. He likes General Sternwood very much. He dislikes Carmen and Geiger, among others. He gets emotionally involved with clients in "The Big Sleep" and in other novels. Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade seems relatively cold and selfish by comparison.

How does Shakespeare use images of light and darkness to reinforce an idea about the duality of love in Act 3?Please list a quote or two.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses
chiaroscuro, "an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by
light" as symbolic imagery used to contrast the other dualities in the play: "love and
hate"; "life and death"; and love-sickness and
mating.

"Light" is mentioned 46 times in the play; "day,"
its synonym, is used 88 times:

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Away from the light steals home my heavy
son,
And private in his chamber pens
himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight
out

Here, Montague
describes Romeo not in terms of darkness (that's not very nice), but in terms of light
(the lack of it) to show his melancholic love-sickness over
Rosalind.

"Dark" and "darkness" are used only 9 times.
 Other words, though, stand for it, namely "night," used 100
times.

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Earth-treading stars that make dark
heaven light:
Such comfort as do lusty young men
feel
When well-apparell'd April on the
heel
Of limping winter treads, even such
delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this
night
Inherit at my
house

Here, Capulet
uses the whole gamut: "dark," "light," and "night" to show how "lusty young men feel"
during April's mating season.

All in all, "light" and
"dark" reinforce the dualities of emotional and physical love.

How does Shakespeare use images of light and darkness to reinforce an idea about the duality of love in Act 3?Please list a quote or two.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses chiaroscuro, "an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light" as symbolic imagery used to contrast the other dualities in the play: "love and hate"; "life and death"; and love-sickness and mating.

"Light" is mentioned 46 times in the play; "day," its synonym, is used 88 times:

Away from the light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out

Here, Montague describes Romeo not in terms of darkness (that's not very nice), but in terms of light (the lack of it) to show his melancholic love-sickness over Rosalind.

"Dark" and "darkness" are used only 9 times.  Other words, though, stand for it, namely "night," used 100 times.

Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light:
Such comfort as do lusty young men feel
When well-apparell'd April on the heel
Of limping winter treads, even such delight
Among fresh female buds shall you this night
Inherit at my house

Here, Capulet uses the whole gamut: "dark," "light," and "night" to show how "lusty young men feel" during April's mating season.

All in all, "light" and "dark" reinforce the dualities of emotional and physical love.

When Henry is sprinting to the trees in one of the last battles it said "he ducked low like a football player" but they didn't have football back...

As pohnpei397 has tried to point out, formal 'American
Football' (I presume you are asking about this, as 'Soccer football' hs been around very
long indeed!) began in the 1850s and 1860s, and the Rutgers vs Princeton game (see
above) was supposedly the first proper one played in the USA. In addition it hs also
been pointed out that Crane wrote his novel rather later and so, by that time American
football was around.

However, informally speaking, even if
we consider that the Civil War soldiers knew the game, it was probably played in some
rough form or the other for quite some time and no doubt, was probably derived from
English Rugby football. Rugby is very much like American football to look at you know,
'ducking low' et al.

Hope this helps a bit to put things
into simpler perspective! Good luck

When Henry is sprinting to the trees in one of the last battles it said "he ducked low like a football player" but they didn't have football back...

As pohnpei397 has tried to point out, formal 'American Football' (I presume you are asking about this, as 'Soccer football' hs been around very long indeed!) began in the 1850s and 1860s, and the Rutgers vs Princeton game (see above) was supposedly the first proper one played in the USA. In addition it hs also been pointed out that Crane wrote his novel rather later and so, by that time American football was around.

However, informally speaking, even if we consider that the Civil War soldiers knew the game, it was probably played in some rough form or the other for quite some time and no doubt, was probably derived from English Rugby football. Rugby is very much like American football to look at you know, 'ducking low' et al.

Hope this helps a bit to put things into simpler perspective! Good luck

In "Fahrenheit 451," why was the selection "Dover Beach" chosen? Review the poem and its relation to the theme of the novel.

"The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night."

From these two stanzas of the poem "Dover Beach" there are references to the world that Montag inhabits, a world where there is no joy, or love or help for the pain, only emptiness.

There is a religious theme running through the book that the poem is used to remind Mildred and her friends about what is missing from life.  This society has lost all emotional connection made through the passion and love of reading and sharing one's feelings.  Mildred's friend gets upset because of the line that refers to armies clashing which reminds her about her husband.  

Montag loves to read, and has remained faithful to the old way of life, like a religious devotion.

In "Rules of the Game," how does Waverly start playing chess?

In "Rules of the Game," Waverly begins playing chess when
she agrees to let her brothers use her Lifesaver candies as replacements for the missing
chess pieces in their chess set.  The children have received gifts from an annual
Christmas party, and the chess set that Waverly's brother receives has missing pieces. 
Their mother instructs them to discard the game, but Waverly's two brothers refuse to
give up the chess set, and they instead read the rules and learn how to play.   Waverly
wants to be included; however, her brothers do not want her to play.  She uses the
Lifesavers (her gift from the Christmas party) as a bribe to be let into the game. 
Afterwards, she learns the rules of the game and goes on to continue playing
chess.

In "Rules of the Game," how does Waverly start playing chess?

In "Rules of the Game," Waverly begins playing chess when she agrees to let her brothers use her Lifesaver candies as replacements for the missing chess pieces in their chess set.  The children have received gifts from an annual Christmas party, and the chess set that Waverly's brother receives has missing pieces.  Their mother instructs them to discard the game, but Waverly's two brothers refuse to give up the chess set, and they instead read the rules and learn how to play.   Waverly wants to be included; however, her brothers do not want her to play.  She uses the Lifesavers (her gift from the Christmas party) as a bribe to be let into the game.  Afterwards, she learns the rules of the game and goes on to continue playing chess.

In Chapter 8 of "Lord of the Flies", what clues show that the pig's head is not speaking?

There are a number of cues that the pig's head is not really speaking in Chapter 8. Simon mentions having a "little headache," letting us know he is not well. He realizes that the head "appeared to agree with him" about what's going on—meaning, it really doesn't. The biggest clue is probably the line "so that what was real seemed illusive and without definition." That's pretty much saying that what Simon sees isn't really what is happening, and that includes the pig's head speaking. Due to his personal state, and the emotional upheaval on the island, he's imagining it.

Why were President Ford & Carter considered ineffective leaders? Is the criticism valid/invalid?

I think the statements is more justified with President
Carter than with Ford.  Jimmy Carter was an exceptional diplomat and negotiator, with
the Camp David Accords and nuclear disarmament as real and lasting achievements during
his administration.  Most Presidents get blamed for the economy during their term, and
it usually isn't their fault, but Carter was a little timid on dealing with inflation
and job creation.  He was a micromanager, handling things that the President shouldn't
handle, like assigning parking spots at the White House, and some say he waited far too
long to act in the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Ford on the
other hand never ran for President. He was handed a shattered Oval Office by disgraced
outgoing President Richard Nixon.  As a member of the same party as Nixon, it was
difficult for him to fix the damage.  He pardoned Nixon, perhaps for a valid reason - to
protect the Office of President and not Nixon himself - but it sure looked bad to the
public who wanted him held accountable.  As if that wasn't enough, Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia fell in one month in 1975, and our long national tragedy in Vietnam appeared
pointless, and Ford impotent to do anything about it.  In this case, I feel he was more
a victim of circumstance than lack of talent.

Why were President Ford & Carter considered ineffective leaders? Is the criticism valid/invalid?

I think the statements is more justified with President Carter than with Ford.  Jimmy Carter was an exceptional diplomat and negotiator, with the Camp David Accords and nuclear disarmament as real and lasting achievements during his administration.  Most Presidents get blamed for the economy during their term, and it usually isn't their fault, but Carter was a little timid on dealing with inflation and job creation.  He was a micromanager, handling things that the President shouldn't handle, like assigning parking spots at the White House, and some say he waited far too long to act in the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Ford on the other hand never ran for President. He was handed a shattered Oval Office by disgraced outgoing President Richard Nixon.  As a member of the same party as Nixon, it was difficult for him to fix the damage.  He pardoned Nixon, perhaps for a valid reason - to protect the Office of President and not Nixon himself - but it sure looked bad to the public who wanted him held accountable.  As if that wasn't enough, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia fell in one month in 1975, and our long national tragedy in Vietnam appeared pointless, and Ford impotent to do anything about it.  In this case, I feel he was more a victim of circumstance than lack of talent.

What were three obstacles in Chapt. 8-16 in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"? What was the solution and who proposed it?

In Chapter 8, Huck must make the decision of whether of not to help Jim escape. Huck encounters this moral dilemma several times throughout the novel. In fact, the choice between the hypocritical values of society and Huck’s friendship with Jim form the central conflict of the novel.In Chapter 12, we can see the affect the relationship with Jim is having on Huck. As Huck and Jim escape from the steamboat, the Walter Scott, they leave the robbers to die. However, Huck’s conscience begins to bother him, and he decides to find help for them. He finds a watchman on a ferryboat and convinces the watchman that he will get a large reward if he goes checks out the Walter Scott. In Chapter 14, Huck makes the momentous decision to apologize to Jim, a Black man, for playing a cruel joke on Jim and making Jim feel like a fool. But Huck says "I warn't never sorry for it. . ." [the apology]. At this point, Mark Twain stopped writing the book because he had an untenable situation. He had a white boy apologizing to a black man for the first time in American literature. It was three years before Twain started writing the book again, but as you read, you'll notice the novel is much darker and more serious in content as Twain explores the relationship between Jim and Huck and society, itself.

In "Heart of Darkness", who said, "Ah, my boy...trust to this-I say, trust to this."

This quote was given by the uncle of the station manager while talking to his nephew and pointing towards the forest. Thus,the word "this" refers to the forest. What he is implying is that his nephew should trust in the dangers and climate of the forest to take care of those he fears, including Kurtz and Marlow.

Who is the main character in The John Grisham's novel The Rainmaker?define the answer

This is one of my favorite books--and movies. The main character is Rudy Baylor, a brand-new law school graduate who takes a job at a law firm that has a shady reputation. A "rainmaker" is a lawyer who can generate a lot of business for a law firm, and Rudy certainly does his best with his case against the Great Benefits Insurance Company.

I highly recommend the movie version as well. It is very faithful to the book. The audiobook is good as well; no one can read Grisham's books better than Michael Beck.

Visit the links below for more information.

Give a brief, clear concept of what "Politics and the English Language" written by George Orwell is about.

In a brief summary, George Orwell's objective in " title="Politics and the English Language. George Orwell. www.orwell.ru"
href="http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit">Politics in the
English Language" is twofold. First, he intends to illustrate and prove that
the academic and political English language of his day was "in a bad way." His
contention is that meaning was being either intentionally or inadvertently obscured. In
the case of politics, the obscuring of meaning was intentional. In academia, it was
seemingly inadvertent.

One of his central points of
persuasion to gain credibility for his argument is that cause produces effects that
themselves also become cause of similar effects. This is relevant to a discussion of
language because of the theory that language is beyond control and that things just
happen to language along the way.

Orwell's major concern,
as reflected by his title, is how this obscuring of meaning is used in political
situations. A precise example of his concern and point regarding what he describes as
"The inflated style [that] itself is a kind of euphemism" is as
follows:

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Orwell: Consider
for instance some comfortable English professor defending Russian totalitarianism. He
cannot say outright, ‘I believe in killing off your opponents when you can get good
results by doing so’. Probably, therefore, he will say something like
this:
"While freely conceding that the Soviet regime exhibits certain features
which the humanitarian may be inclined to deplore, we must, I think, agree that a
certain curtailment of the right to political opposition is an unavoidable concomitant
of transitional periods, and that the rigors which the Russian people have been called
upon to undergo have been amply justified in the sphere of concrete
achievement."

Orwell offers
concrete steps for avoiding inflated stylistic euphemisms. The first and most important
is to visualize your meaning until you have it clearly in your mind and then select
words that best describe what you visualize. He gives a list of rules to use to help
steer away from the vague and euphemistic toward the specific and concrete, which is a
path illustrated by his paraphrase that
follows:

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Orwell: Here is a well-known verse
from Ecclesiastes:
I returned and saw
under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither
yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of
skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Orwell: Here
it is in modern English:
Objective considerations of
contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive
activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a
considerable element of the unpredictable must invariably be taken into
account.

Orwell's rules for
clarity are:

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1.  Never use a metaphor, simile, or other
figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long
word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always
cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the
active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if
you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules
sooner than say anything outright
barbarous.