What is the moral lesson in the story "The Lady or the Tiger"?

The theme of this story revolves around the power of choice.  The young man and the princess made a choice to become involved with one another.  The King made a choice to avoid punishing the young man by allowing the young man to choose his own punishment (in a way).  The young man chooses to trust the princess, who chooses to give him guidance in his choice between doors.  In many stories, the characters are emphasized as being under the influence of fate and uncontrollable events.  Here, the characters have all the power - they must use their judgment and choose wisely.  The power is shown in the description of the princess:

Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done - she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors.

The element of choice is emphasized even more in the last paragraph, when the author turns the choice upon the audience, asking them to determine what the decision of the princess, using their own judgement and knowledge:

The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered, and it is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door - the lady, or the tiger?

What are some important characters in Shakespeare's plays and how were these characters different from similar characters in other Elizabethan plays?

I'm guessing it wouldn't help you to list important characters in Shakespeare's plays as many of the tragedies state their important characters in their titles (Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Timon of Athens, Coriolanus... and so on) and many of the comedies have dramatis personae with several important characters (I'd argue, for example, that Twelfth Night has no 'lead' character: but that Viola, Malvolio, Olivia, Feste and Sir Toby all occupy central positions).

But if, as your second question suggests, you want to compare characters from Shakespeare's plays to characters from other Elizabethan works, then I can offer you some good points of comparison.

Shakespeare's Shylock (The Merchant of Venice) against Marlowe's Barabas (The Jew of Malta) - a far more worked out version of the 'evil Jew' literary stereotype that was dominant at the time.

Shakespeare's Coriolanus (Coriolanus) against Marlowe's Tamburlaine (Tamburlaine the Great) or Jonson's Sejanus (Sejanus) - Coriolanus is undoubtedly a more psychologically complex figure than either of the others.

Shakespeare's King Lear against King Cambises: a comparison which hardly bears making, but will show you how much more humanity and detail Shakespeare invested into his characters than earlier dramatists had done.

In The Crucible: how important is it that individuals have faith in themselves if they are to resist oppression?

Individual strength is crucial to stay strong in the face of hysteria in Salem. John Proctor's faith in himself is returned by his refusal to confess to something he did not do. He will lose his life for it, but his faith in himself is more important to him.

Elizabeth Proctor has faith in God and her husband in staying strong and supporting his decision to refuse to confess. The state of his soul is more important than whether he lives another day. She has found her husband and their marriage again, even as he is sentenced to die.

Giles Corey's faith carries him through hours of torture until his death. He refuses to participate, and is slowly crushed by the weight of the stones. He allows his faith to give him the strength to endure, and this is evidenced by his last words "more weight".

Rebecca Nurse also relies on her faith and strength of character, when she refuses, as John Proctor does, to confess to something she did not do. 

What is the extended metaphor of the poem "A Poison Tree"?

The extended metaphor in the poem is the metaphor of the poison tree being a tree. The poem explores the malignant nature of hate as a living object which can grow and flourish as seen in line nine, “And it grew both day and night.” Blake subverts the natural image of a tree and growth, using this to emphasize how hatred is also a living and growing force. The description of hate as one which “grew both day and night,” and, “bore an apple bright,” illustrates Blake’s idea that like the slow growth of a tree, anger and wrath, when not controlled, can transform into something as mighty and deadly as a poison tree.

In Kindred, why is Dana able to survive while Alice is not? Back up your answer with evidence from the novel. Cite examples from the book.

Dana is from the future, so she knows what is going to happen.  This gives her the strength to continue fighting.

Dana is in a completely different situation from any of the characters that live in the past.  She understands the big picture in a way they never can.  From the old Bible, she has an idea of the family tree.  She knows who has a child with whom.  She knows what is going to happen.

When Dana saves Rufus the second time, from the fire, she asks him about Alice.  Dana assumes Alice is a slave, but Rufus explains that she is free.  He tells Dana that Alice is a friend.

I looked over at the boy who would be Hagar’s father.  There was nothing in him that reminded me of any of my relatives.  Looking at him confused me.  (“The Fire”, 2, p. 29)

Dana gets sent into the past with Kevin.  At this point, Rufus and Alice are older.  Kevin leaves, and Dana does not know where he has gone.  She tries to write him letters, and Rufus swears he is sending them.

Rufus became talkative and happy, openly affectionate to a quietly tolerant Alice.  He drank more than he should have sometimes, and one morning after he had really overdone it, Alice came downstairs with her whole face swollen and bruised. (“The Fight,” p. 169)

Alice is a slave, and Dana is not.  Although Alice is free when she is younger, Rufus is able to buy her and sell her husband.  He even forces her to have sex with him by threatening to beat her until she does.  Alice has no choice.  When Rufus tells her her children are sold, she feels she has nothing left.  She kills herself.

In chapter 12, what new things does Scout learn at the First Purchase Church about how the black people live?

One of the first things Scout learns is that prejudice is a two-way street.  When the children and Calpurnia encounter a disgruntled church member named Lula who questions Calpurnia about bringing white children to their church and says that they don't belong there.  Scout also sees how Lula's prejudice upsets Calpurnia.  Calpurnia's church is much simpler than the church that the Finch's attend and Scout discovers "linin'" which is when one person sings a line of the hymn and the rest of the congregation repeats it.  They do this because most of them can't read even if they could afford hymnals.  Scout finds out that Calpurnia speaks differently at church among the other blacks than she does when she's with the Finch family explaining to Scout that to speak in her perfect English to friends (the way she speaks at the Finch household) would be considered "uppity".  Scout also learns more about Tom Robinson and the case that Atticus is taking on.  She finds out that Helen, Tom's wife, has no income now that Tom's in jail and that Rev. Sykes will "sweat" the money out of the congregation keeping them in church until enough money has been raised by the congregation. After church Scout finds out that Calpurnia was taught to read by Miss Maudie's aunt, Miss Buford, and that's why she speaks so well. 

What point of view is employed in the novel the Great Gatsby?1st person 2nd 3rd,t

I'll add a few things as well, concerning narration in
The Great Gatsby. 

First, almost all
fiction is told in the past tense.  Very little fiction uses present tense and tries to
make readers pretend that the story is occurring simultaneously with their reading of
it.  It just doesn't work well.

Telling a story in the past
tense, after the events have occurred, doesn't make for a story told in flashback. It
makes for a story told in past tense.  Nick's narration is no different from most other
fiction in this respect.  He openly talks about the fact that he is writing about the
events after they've occurred, but that doesn't make the story
flashback.

A flashback reveals occurrences previous to the
present in the novel.  When Nick describes Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy five years before
the novel opens, he is using flashback.  The entire novel is not flashback,
however.

To add to what you know about the first-person
point of view, Nick is an unreliable narrator.  That is always a possibility with any
narrator, but especially with a first-person
narrator. 

Nick makes a point to inform the reader at the
beginning of the novel that he is objective and doesn't judge people.  He uses an
anecdote to explain to the reader that his father taught him to not judge people,
because others didn't necessarily have all the advantages that he had.  Nick emphasizes
that he always tries not to judge people.

Of course, this
shows that he often judges people.  You don't have to excuse people for their
backgrounds if you don't judge them negatively to begin with.  And you don't have to
concentrate on not judging people, if you don't judge
people.

And Nick often judges people.  He condemns Tom
immediately, the first time he describes him, going back to his days at Yale with him. 
He also judges Jordan when they first meet.  He makes value judgments throughout the
novel.   

What point of view is employed in the novel the Great Gatsby?1st person 2nd 3rd,t

I'll add a few things as well, concerning narration in The Great Gatsby. 

First, almost all fiction is told in the past tense.  Very little fiction uses present tense and tries to make readers pretend that the story is occurring simultaneously with their reading of it.  It just doesn't work well.

Telling a story in the past tense, after the events have occurred, doesn't make for a story told in flashback. It makes for a story told in past tense.  Nick's narration is no different from most other fiction in this respect.  He openly talks about the fact that he is writing about the events after they've occurred, but that doesn't make the story flashback.

A flashback reveals occurrences previous to the present in the novel.  When Nick describes Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy five years before the novel opens, he is using flashback.  The entire novel is not flashback, however.

To add to what you know about the first-person point of view, Nick is an unreliable narrator.  That is always a possibility with any narrator, but especially with a first-person narrator. 

Nick makes a point to inform the reader at the beginning of the novel that he is objective and doesn't judge people.  He uses an anecdote to explain to the reader that his father taught him to not judge people, because others didn't necessarily have all the advantages that he had.  Nick emphasizes that he always tries not to judge people.

Of course, this shows that he often judges people.  You don't have to excuse people for their backgrounds if you don't judge them negatively to begin with.  And you don't have to concentrate on not judging people, if you don't judge people.

And Nick often judges people.  He condemns Tom immediately, the first time he describes him, going back to his days at Yale with him.  He also judges Jordan when they first meet.  He makes value judgments throughout the novel.   

What does the novel say about science?

It says that at the borders of our knowledge there is both brilliant triumph and disaster. Every time a scientists makes a discovery, part of society panics. Microwave Ovens were 'radioactive machines that would kill people'. The first trains were 'too fast and would pull your head off'. Cellphones give you brain cancer.

Last year, The Europeans started The Large Hadron Collidar, a massive physics experiment in Switzerland. The newspapers started claiming it will "destroy the entire planet if it goes wrong" and "the mad scientists are playing God with everyone's lives" and people panicked. But it was pure hysterical nonsense. There was no danger.

Beware of anyone who accuses scientists of 'playing God'. It is a meaningless phrase only designed to scare you. Science does have dangers and can be wrong. But we are all using their beautiful machines that have come from the work of geniuses struggling at the frontiers of knowledge (The internet, airplanes, cellphones, advanced healthcare, space exploration, etc etc.) In my experience, scientists are some of the most rational, responsible and careful members of society. They are also some of the most educated.

In the book Victor reanimates a dead body! The guy's a genius on the edge of knowledge using barely understood science and trying to kick start dead cells. The public says its 'playing God' and scientists are dangerous maniacs!?! But go to any hospital today and you'll see emergency medics using a machine called a defribrillator (see link). It does what Victor was trying to do. It uses electricity to reanimate people whose hearts have just died. It is Victor's experiment in action.

Are they are playing God or saving lives?

What are some metaphors in the book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?

A metaphor is a direct comparison of two things by saying that object 1 is or was object 2. For instance, "my love is a rose." I'll identify a few metaphors in the novel to help you get started on finding others for yourself.

Although it is not written exactly like the metaphor I gave you as an example, the very first one you'll encounter is the title: Marguerite knows how the caged bird sings because she feels caged in herself.

Another metaphor appears in the Preface: "If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat."

In chap. 29: "Instead they used their intelligence to pry open the door of rejection and not only became wealthy but got revenge in the bargain."

Now, there are three metaphors for you. You try to find some more.

Who is more responsible for the tragic events in "Macbeth" - Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? I have to write an argumentative paper clarifying who is more...

Both share culpability, but Macbeth is the most responsible, for it is he who murders Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth does everything in her power to make it happen. Much like Eve with the apple, events may not have occurred had Lady Macbeth not taken such sure steps to assure Duncan's death, but it is ultimately Adam/Macbeth who puts the apple to his own lips.

As to Lady Macbeth's guilt, when Duncan arrives, she builds up her husband's courage to carry through with the plan to kill him. She instructs Macbeth to beguile Duncan with charm: "(b)ear welcome in your eye / Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't" (1.6.60-64). She warns Macbeth not to change his expression as doing so might alert their prey: "Only look up clear / To alter favor is to alter fear. / Leave all the rest to me" (69-71).

Encouraged by his wife's collusion, Macbeth makes up his mind to carry through with the killing. The striking of a bell by Lady Macbeth announces that the time has come. Macbeth growls to himself: "The bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or to hell" (2.1.62-64). Macbeth ambushes Duncan and stabs him to death.

Later, Lady Macbeth will realize her own guilt. She imagines her hands covered with blood that cannot be washed away.

What is the difference between a Hollywood and an Indie Film? What is the difference between a Dolly Zoom and a Dolly Shot? And what exactly are...

Indie films are usually more artistic, though that fact is often overshadowed by their smaller budgets and lack of upscale production facilities. A fine example would be "The Legend of 1900," which was an independent film that won various awards for its stellar storytelling and creative effects. It was not produced by Universal, MGM, or the other mainstay studios of Hollywood, but rather, by a small operation run by a few select people.

Hollywood or mainstream pictures usually have all the technological effects and glitzy "tricks of the trade" to draw in viewers, while indies are largely responsible for their own success through the basics of quality filmmaking. In addition, mainstream flicks also include enormous advertising budgets, while indies are normally limited in their promotional efforts.

What passages in the poem "The Seafarer" explain why the speaker seeks the rigors of the sea rather than the delights of the land?

The speaker of the poem longs for the sea...it is his heart, his soul, his very being.  No matter how much he may want to settle down and enjoy the warm comforts of land, food, drink, and female companionship, his inner being seeks the open sea.

I put myself back on the paths of the sea.

No matter how cold and uncomfortable the sea sometimes may be, he continues to return.

how my heart
Would begin to beat, knowing once more
The salt waves tossing and the towering sea!
The time for journeys would come and my soul
Called me eagerly out, sent me over
The horizon, seeking foreigners' homes.

He only feels truly free and alive when on the waves seeking foreign lands and adventure.

Nothing, only the ocean's heave;
But longing wraps itself around him.

Even when on land, safe from harm and enjoying many comforts, his heart longs for the the openness of the sea and the movement of the waves beneath him.

And yet my heart wanders away,
My soul roams with the sea, the whales'
Home, wandering to the widest corners
Of the world, returning ravenous with desire,
Flying solitary, screaming, exciting me
To the open ocean, breaking oaths
On the curve of a wave.

Despite solitude (or perhaps in need of it), despite being away from earthly comforts and loved ones, his soul roams with the sea creatures and excites a passion in him that has created so strong a bond that he is unable to willingly break it.  As long as he is able, he will sail.

 

Jack and Ralph represent two variant roles in society. What are they? Be specific.

Jack is the natural, instinctive leader and Ralph is the fair-haired boy who doesn't know how to lead.  Jack represents the defects of human nature that lead to the downfall of the boys on the island - savagery.  Ralph represents morality and order. Jack is the leader of the choir at the beginning of the story, a role which lets the reader know he has leadership abilities.  He is tall and that helps him lead others by intimidation.  Ralph is more reasonable and is nicer to the boys, so he is elected leader.  It isn't long, however, before the boys are peeled away from Ralph's leadership to go follow Jack.  Ralph does not have the natural ability to lead that Jack possesses. The moral, reasonable way to solve problems isn't always the popular way and that leads to the disintegration of Ralph's troop of boys and society as a whole.  Jack instinctively knows to play on the boys' desires for fun and meat, and he knows to surround himself with protective ranks of big, strong boys to intimidate others.  He is a natural dictator.

In The House on Mango Street, why does Geraldo have no last name?From the information Cisneros provides, do you believe that his death was...

In The House on Mango Street,
Esperanza describes a guy whom Marin meets one night at a party.  Marin does
not have a chance to get to know him; all she knows is that his name is Geraldo.  Later
that night, he is in a car accident and rushed to the hospital.  Marin goes with him,
but she cannot tell the doctors any details about him.  On the literal level of the
story, Geraldo does not have a last name because he only has a brief relationship with
Marin at a local dance.  However, on a figurative level, Geraldo is symbolic of many
young men who leave their home countries to find better lives in America.  Near the end
of the vignette, there are references to men working any job they can get, living
frugally, and sending money home to family.  This is the reality for many people, and
Geraldo is representative of this population.  He, like many others, tries to find some
dreams in the Mango Street area, but loses his dreams to harsh
reality.

In The House on Mango Street, why does Geraldo have no last name?From the information Cisneros provides, do you believe that his death was...

In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza describes a guy whom Marin meets one night at a party.  Marin does not have a chance to get to know him; all she knows is that his name is Geraldo.  Later that night, he is in a car accident and rushed to the hospital.  Marin goes with him, but she cannot tell the doctors any details about him.  On the literal level of the story, Geraldo does not have a last name because he only has a brief relationship with Marin at a local dance.  However, on a figurative level, Geraldo is symbolic of many young men who leave their home countries to find better lives in America.  Near the end of the vignette, there are references to men working any job they can get, living frugally, and sending money home to family.  This is the reality for many people, and Geraldo is representative of this population.  He, like many others, tries to find some dreams in the Mango Street area, but loses his dreams to harsh reality.

In "The Life of Pi," what is the significance of Pi's unusual name?

Pi's full name is Piscine Molitor Patel. He was named after a family friend, who loved to swim and whose favorite swimming pool was the Piscine Molitor in Paris. Instead of giving their son their friend's name, Pi's parents named him after the pool! Because he is constantly teased about his name ("Pissing Patel"), he decides to shorten it simply to Pi.

I'm not great at math, but I do know that pi is a mathematical figure that represents the number 3.14. According to Math Forum (linked below), it is an irrational number because it cannot be expressed as a fraction. It is also a constant: "Pi is always the same number, no matter which circle you use to compute it." It is also an ancient number, known to the Egyptians and the Babylonians.

In changing his name, Pi goes from being a joke to being a significant "number"--maybe a little irrational, but constant as well. 

What are Alberti's ideas about the three divisions of painting?

In his treatise on painting, titled Della Pittura ("On Painting"), Alberti proposes that "the whole of painting" consists of three parts: circumscription, composition and the reception of light.

Circumscription, according to Alberti, is "the recording of the outlines, and if it is done with a very visible line, they will look in the painting, not like the margins of surfaces, but like cracks. I want only the external outlines to be set down in circumscription; and this should be practised assiduously."

Composition is the way everything in the painting fits together, "all the surfaces in their correct relationship."

The reception of light is connected with observation of the colors in the painting. Alberti said that color cannot be perceived without light, that it "receives all its variations from light."

Visit the links below for more information.

Who are the protagonist and the antagonist in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

A protagonist is a character who is at the center of the conflict, driving the story.  The antagonist is the person or force working against that character.

The protagonist of this story is Monstresor.  First of all, he is the narrator - it is his story that he is telling.  That doesn't always make the narrator the protagonist, but it often does.  Secondly, he is the only character with any depth.  Fortunato is a flat character, given little background and no opportunity to "grow" or expand.  He does not drive the conflict - he does not even feel the conflict.  For him, everything is fine, up to the moment he realizes he's being buried in a wall.  The lack of detail about Fortunato - and about the supposed "insult" that he gave to Montresor - makes him too unimportant to be the protagonist.

It would seem that the antagonist is Fortunato, however.  In Monstresor's mind, it is the force working against him, insulting him.  Therefore, Monstresor must act out against Fortunato, as he does in murdering him.  However, as said above, no detail is given about Fortunato's "insult", and readers are left with the impression that it either didn't happen or wasn't that serious.  That makes Montresor his own antagonist - his resentment towards Fortunato, whatever the cause, is what is causing him to be conflicted and to act out in such a violent way.

Where does Wang Lung decide to move his family in The Good Earth?

In The Good Earth, Wang Lung does
decide to move his family south when a drought takes over the land, but this happens
earlier in the novel.  In Chapter 29, Wang Lung and his family have already returned to
their land, and they have met prosperous harvests over the years.  Wang Lung has taken
Lotus as his second wife, and his sons are older--the eldest married and his wife is
soon expecting a child.  Wang Lung buys the House of Hwang and decides to move his
family from the farm to the courts at the big house.  The women continually fight, and
Wang Lung wants peace, so he figures that moving them to separate courts in the House
will be a good decision. 

Where does Wang Lung decide to move his family in The Good Earth?

In The Good Earth, Wang Lung does decide to move his family south when a drought takes over the land, but this happens earlier in the novel.  In Chapter 29, Wang Lung and his family have already returned to their land, and they have met prosperous harvests over the years.  Wang Lung has taken Lotus as his second wife, and his sons are older--the eldest married and his wife is soon expecting a child.  Wang Lung buys the House of Hwang and decides to move his family from the farm to the courts at the big house.  The women continually fight, and Wang Lung wants peace, so he figures that moving them to separate courts in the House will be a good decision. 

How many Crusades were there and what was the defining characteristic of each one?

Definition of a Crusade - Christian Military Expedition against Mussulman states or heretics.

Display of Crusades - XI - XIII centuries, Europe and Asia.

Crusades Causes:

• politics:  affirmation of Seljuk Turks and their conquering campaigns;

• religious:  Seljuk Turks obstructed the pilgrimages to holy lands;

The Number of Crusades:

Crusade I (1096-1099): Preaching at the Council of Clermont,in 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade to regain the Holy Land.

At the first Crusade participate forces from Germany, Italy and France.The First Crusade conquered a narrow strip of land stretching from Antioch to Jerusalem. It was created the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem.

Crusade II (1147-1149): Edessa is conquered by Muslims. In the Second Crusade, participate the king of France, Ludovic the VIIth and the german Emperor, Conrad the IIIrd. The Second Crusade ends with a failure.

Crusade III (1189-1192): Saladin, the Kurdish sultan of Egypt and Syria, conquers Jerusalem. Pope Clement IIIrd is the organizer of the Third Crusade. In the Third Crusade, participate the king of France,Filip IInd, the King of England,Richard the Lion-Heart, the german Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. The Accra town is conquered.

Crusade IV (1202-1204): Pope Innocent III is the organizer.

What happens in chapter 7 of the book, "Adam of the Road"?

Chapter 7 opens with Adam, Hugh, and Martin discussing which squire they like the best.  Hugh likes the squire of the stable, while Adam's hero is Simon Talbot.  The boys know Simon loves Emilie, but Simon is poor, and Hugh says Emilie is going to marry Sir Gervase.  Hugh emphasizes that Emilie's must marry Gervase even if she prefers Simon, because her father wishes it, and being "only a girl", she must obey.  Adam is puzzled, because ladies are held in such high esteem by knights and in stories, but in real life, they really have no status at all.  Emilie does indeed marry Sir Gervaise, and minstrels come from all around to entertain at the wedding.

Roger tells Adam that after the wedding, they will have to take to the road again.  Adam will miss the de Lisles, but remembers that his father always said that "the road is home to the minstrel".  He decides that as long as he has Roger and Nick, things will be all right.  At the end of the festivities, the minstrels are each given a purse "heavy with pennies" in appreciation of their work.  As they receive their gifts, Adam notices a minstrel named Jankin, "a little, dark-haired man with sharp black eyes".  Adam likes Jankin because he has taken an interest in Nick.  That night however, the older minstrels play at dice, and Roger loses both his purse and his horse Bayard to Jankin in the gambling.

What are five incidents within the plot of Hamlet that help to define Hamlet's character?

First of all, there is the ever-important death of his
father, and his mother's marriage to his uncle only weeks afterwards.  That event sends
Hamlet into a downward spiral of rage and depression, causing him to mope about the
castle, break up with his girlfriend, reject his friends, and want to kill himself,
essentially.  Those events are the foundational groundstone for all else in the play;
they help to define him as a deeply emotional and disturbed young
man.

Then, we have the fact that he sees his father's ghost
and is told by said ghost that he was murdered by the hated uncle and to top it all of,
he wants Hamlet to enact revenge. That shakes Hamlet's world, first of all by revealing
that his uncle is a conniving murderer and manipulator of women, and secondly, by giving
him command to commit murder himself.  He spends the rest of the play mulling over this
task of revenge, and trying to decide how, when or even if to do it.  The entire play is
centered around Hamlet's moral quandary and hesitation to act out that revenge; this
incident defines him as a contemplative, hesitant and thoughtful person who is tentative
about killing someone.

The next significant event is the
play that he stages, in which it becomes quite clear that his uncle is guilty of
murder.  This event defines Hamlet in a couple ways.  First of all, it defines him as
clever; he was pretty smart to set up that play.  Secondly, it shows that he wants to be
totally sure that the man is guilty before taking his life.  This defines Hamlet as a
moral, conscience-driven person who has set boundaries and rules of
conduct.

Another event that defines Hamlet is his refusal
to kill Claudius while he is praying.  This shows that Hamlet is a very religious person
who has the fear of God in him, and that he truly believes in Hell, and wants to ensure
Claudius goes there.  It also defines him in a negative way as it highlights his
cowardice; he is assured of his uncle's guilt and has the perfect opportunity to kill
him, but doesn't.  He's kind-of a chicken.

I think one
significant even that often gets overlooked is his reaction to seeing the dead Ophelia
being lowered into her grave.  In a moment of true candor, he jumps into the grave and
declares that he loved her with all his  heart, more than any brother could have loved
her.  This is incredibly defining, because it shows that when he was rude to Ophelia
before, it was all a show, a farce, and that he wasn't being sincere.  It also shows him
revealing a bit of sadness and remorse over the fact that his actions might have harmed
someone else.  We see him exposed, vulnerable, and for once, not putting on a show for
someone else's benefit.  It defines him as a deeply feeling
individual.

I hope that those give you a couple ideas; good
luck!

What are five incidents within the plot of Hamlet that help to define Hamlet's character?

First of all, there is the ever-important death of his father, and his mother's marriage to his uncle only weeks afterwards.  That event sends Hamlet into a downward spiral of rage and depression, causing him to mope about the castle, break up with his girlfriend, reject his friends, and want to kill himself, essentially.  Those events are the foundational groundstone for all else in the play; they help to define him as a deeply emotional and disturbed young man.

Then, we have the fact that he sees his father's ghost and is told by said ghost that he was murdered by the hated uncle and to top it all of, he wants Hamlet to enact revenge. That shakes Hamlet's world, first of all by revealing that his uncle is a conniving murderer and manipulator of women, and secondly, by giving him command to commit murder himself.  He spends the rest of the play mulling over this task of revenge, and trying to decide how, when or even if to do it.  The entire play is centered around Hamlet's moral quandary and hesitation to act out that revenge; this incident defines him as a contemplative, hesitant and thoughtful person who is tentative about killing someone.

The next significant event is the play that he stages, in which it becomes quite clear that his uncle is guilty of murder.  This event defines Hamlet in a couple ways.  First of all, it defines him as clever; he was pretty smart to set up that play.  Secondly, it shows that he wants to be totally sure that the man is guilty before taking his life.  This defines Hamlet as a moral, conscience-driven person who has set boundaries and rules of conduct.

Another event that defines Hamlet is his refusal to kill Claudius while he is praying.  This shows that Hamlet is a very religious person who has the fear of God in him, and that he truly believes in Hell, and wants to ensure Claudius goes there.  It also defines him in a negative way as it highlights his cowardice; he is assured of his uncle's guilt and has the perfect opportunity to kill him, but doesn't.  He's kind-of a chicken.

I think one significant even that often gets overlooked is his reaction to seeing the dead Ophelia being lowered into her grave.  In a moment of true candor, he jumps into the grave and declares that he loved her with all his  heart, more than any brother could have loved her.  This is incredibly defining, because it shows that when he was rude to Ophelia before, it was all a show, a farce, and that he wasn't being sincere.  It also shows him revealing a bit of sadness and remorse over the fact that his actions might have harmed someone else.  We see him exposed, vulnerable, and for once, not putting on a show for someone else's benefit.  It defines him as a deeply feeling individual.

I hope that those give you a couple ideas; good luck!

In Animal Farm what is Mr. Jones personality, philosophy, and physical appearance?

Mr. Jones was not a good farmer and leader to his farm which is why he lost it all to the animals. Mr. Jones allegorically represented the last czar of Russia, Nicholas II. He was a lazy farmer who cared more for his own satisfaction than he did for the well being of the animals who produced on his farm. It was for this reason that the animals revolted, they had not been fed and became fed up with Mr. Jones' neglect. His physical appearance was that of a drunkard. He was always messy looking, tired, and angry. He tried to retake his farm, but he did so unsuccessfully because like everything else he did there was little planning for success and he and his men were run off.

How does the meaning of the scarlet letter change throughout the book for Hester, the Villagers, and Pearl?

The scarlet letter is meant to be a mark of shame for Hester, for the "A" represents her adultery, and initially it ostracizes her from the community of Boston. Later because of her kind, thoughtful nature and willingness to tend the sick, the citizens begin to regard the "A" as "Able"; Hester, however, continues to feel cut off, enclosed in a "sphere of her own" created by the letter to the extent that she develops a "marble coldness" as her passion disappears. Pearl knows her mother only with the "A" on her dress; without it, it seems that Hester is not her mother. When Hester removes the letter in the forest after reconnecting with the minister, Pearl insists her mother put it back on; her attitude toward the letter does not change. Her mother complies and doesn't take it off again apparently until she leaves Boston. Hester resumes wearing the letter after she returns to Boston in the years following Dimmesdale's and Chillingworth's deaths. The "A" is no longer a stigma as Hester becomes the "angel" foreshadowed perhaps by the "A" seen in the sky on the night the governor died. Hester's goodness changes the townspeople's attitude toward the letter.

What actions does Octavius take at the end of the play?

Brutus and his men have lost the war. After Brutus's suicide, he and Antony talk about honor. They recognize that Brutus acted out of what he believed was right. Octavius plans to bury all the dead men, even Brutus, as honorable soldiers. He also pledges to grant the soldiers who fought against them amnesty. This is a noble gesture on his part. He and Antony then set about to spread the news of their victory.

Octavius is now the new Caesar and things are restored to order and peace-at least for the time being.

What purpose do the descriptive passages from Berwick's History of British Birds serve at this stage of the text?

Jane reads Bewick's History of British Birds in Volume One, Chapter One of Jane Eyre. This history describes the habitats of wild "sea-fowl" as cold, isolated places where the tumultuous ocean "whirls" and "boils" around the shore. These images not only feed the young Jane's imagination, but also serve as a symbol for Jane's separateness and isolation in Mrs. Reed's home. While Mrs. Reed's own children are treated with warmth, Jane is coldly treated as an outsider. This bird imagery, however, also brings up the theme of freedom, which is something Jane will later pursue. 

What is the significance of Pearl in "The Scarlet Letter"? What are some traits of Pearl and some quotes that support that information?

Pearl is the result of Hester and Dimmesdale's sin and a symbol of their love. Though Pearl is a result of and a reminder of sin, she brings great joy to Hester's life.

Pearl is an active, joyful, unrestrained young girl. Pearl also has an intimate connection with nature. She is not afraid to run, get dirty or speak her mind, and is, at times, uncannily astute (making the connection between Hester and Dimmesdale.) The Puritans associated evil, wrong-doing and witches with the woods (on the edge of which Hester and Pearl live), so Pearl was often seen as a mischievous and ill-behaved child that wasn't being taught or living by Puritan doctrine.

"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, but which appeared to have also a deeper meaning." ~ Chapter 4

"Her Pearl!—For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother's only treasure! " ~ Chapter 6 (This entire chapter is about Pearl as is most of Chapter 15.)

"Pearl, whose activity of spirit never flagged, had been at no loss for amusement while her mother talked with the old gatherer of herbs." ~ Chapter 15

Does anyone have a basic definition for "individual pay equity"?

Individual pay equity refers to a remuneration rate that has been determined through fair and impartial means. Pay equity involves the establishment of remuneration that is commensurate to the work being done. Individual pay equity should be based on duties and responsibilities performed which translate to value for the business.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 proscribes (that is prohibits, forbids) differences in pay based on gender. Further, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 prohibits difference in pay based on religion, sex, color, race, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy and veteran status. This directs that personal bias with regards to individual differences may not form the basis for remuneration.

Compensation practice under individual pay equity, therefore, is to focus on remuneration based on value. Payment is thus to be harmonized and commensurate with value to ensure the compensation system is equitable for all workers.

How does Iago intend to dispose of Cassio and Roderigo in Act V of Othello? What actually transpires?

Iago's speech in Act V, scene i, lines 11-21 reveals his feelings about Roderigo and Cassio, while at the same time illustrating Iago's character.  He says about Rodrigo, "whether he kills Cassio, or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, Every way makes my gain."  Iago does not feel gratitude toward Roderigo for his help in the scheme.  He knows that if Roderigo lives, he will "call me to a restitution large of gold and jewels I bobb'd (stole) from him as gifts to Desdemona."  Iago also reveals in this speech that he wants Cassio dead because he has a "beauty" in his life (an integrity) that makes Iago look inferior in comparison.  And, of course, if Othello confronts Cassio, Iagos's treachery will come out.   Iago says "He must die."  The audience should feel disgusted with Iago's motivations, and it becomes clear that Iago is willing to let  people die to cover his lies.

Where did Shakespeare get the ideas for his plays?

To offer a specific instance of Shakespeare's inspiration for one of his plays, we might look to the rather well-known essay by T.S. Eliot on Hamlet. In this essay, one of Eliot's first attacks on Shakespeare's most widely regarded tragedy is to suggest that the play is not at all original with Shakespeare. 

"The Hamlet of Shakespeare will appear to us very differently if, instead of treating the whole action of the play as due to Shakespeare’s design, we perceive his Hamlet to be superposed upon much cruder material which persists even in the final form" (Eliot, 1920).

Eliot attributes the original design to a writer named Thomas Kyd, author of The Spanish Tragedy, and mounts an argument that Shakespeare fails in Hamlet to fully contextualize or explain the extreme behavior of Hamlet (the character). The reason for this, according to Eliot, is that, in borrowing from Kyd, Shakespeare simply fails to do enough adaptation. 

"Shakespeare’s Hamlet, so far as it is Shakespeare’s, is a play dealing with the effect of a mother’s guilt upon her son, and that Shakespeare was unable to impose this motive successfully upon the “intractable” material of the old play" (Eliot).

When Eliot makes the memorable claim that Shakespeare's Hamlet is "the 'Mona Lisa' of literature" it is due to the fact that the play is not interesting because it is a work of art, but, he suggests, is seen as a work of art because it is so intriguing. 

Whether one agrees or disagrees with Eliot as to the qualities of Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is difficult not to accept his argument about the ways in which Shakespeare leans heavily on references and existing material to underpin the plots of his plays. Where the Bard's sources are somewhat obvious in his "histories" like Henry V, Richard III, and even Julius Caesar, there are also strong and clear resonances with source material in his tragedies. 

Hamlet shares many themes and conflicts with the Greek tragedy of Electra (not to mention the Antigone). In Electra, a king is killed by his wife and her lover. The children feel that they must act to avenge their father's death, yet to do so would mean to commit matricide - an act that goes against the gods. In the end, a sense of justice wins out and the children kill their mother (only to be harried by the Furies soon afterwards).

The parallels to Hamlet are immediately striking and certainly serve to suggest that Shakespeare's plays may contain reference to works older than those of Thomas Kyd. 

What cities in Japan were bombed by atomic bombs in World War II, as recounted in Richard Rhodes's The Making of the Atomic Bomb?What city was...

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man", was dropped on the city of Nagasaki.  The carnage was horrific - more than 140,000 people were killed in the first bombing, and 70,000 in the second. Both cities were largely destroyed. 

How was September 11th a TERRORIST attack?

For the reasons stated above, to be sure.  I would add
that the method of attack, using hijacked planes full of involuntary victims as a
suicide bomb, was designed to be high profile and to spread
terror.

Hitting the World Trade Center was intentional, in
that it panicked our financial markets and was instrumental in causing a recession.  In
other words, the fear they caused with these attacks hurt our economy, exactly as
planned.

Al-Qaeda was not sponsored by any nation state,
they were acting as an independent group with unconventional methods of
fighting.

The attacks were designed to topple the WTC
buildings (bin Laden is a civil engineer by training), and timed separately, so that one
strike would look like a horrible accident, and the second strike would instantly spread
the terrible knowledge that we were under attack.

How was September 11th a TERRORIST attack?

For the reasons stated above, to be sure.  I would add that the method of attack, using hijacked planes full of involuntary victims as a suicide bomb, was designed to be high profile and to spread terror.

Hitting the World Trade Center was intentional, in that it panicked our financial markets and was instrumental in causing a recession.  In other words, the fear they caused with these attacks hurt our economy, exactly as planned.

Al-Qaeda was not sponsored by any nation state, they were acting as an independent group with unconventional methods of fighting.

The attacks were designed to topple the WTC buildings (bin Laden is a civil engineer by training), and timed separately, so that one strike would look like a horrible accident, and the second strike would instantly spread the terrible knowledge that we were under attack.

How did Buck show love for John Thornton in The Call of the Wild?

Buck shows his love for John Thornton by twice saving his life and by obeying him when he tells him to jump over a cliff.  Thornton, in turn, loves Buck and does not abuse him like the other men had.  There is a genuine respect and love between them, and Buck senses this.  Unfortunately, Thornton is killed, but Buck continues to show his love for him by visiting his grave each year.

Why did some Federalists oppose the Louisiana Purchase?

The Federalists opposed the Louisiana Purchase because they better favored close relations with Britain, and not with France, under Napoleon, believing the treaty to be unconstitutional, and more likely spending tons of money to use it as a opportunity to attack Spain if it successfully purchased Louisiana. They feared the rising power from the West, threatened by the new citizens there, so rejected the proposal, fearing political power from the Atlantic seaboard states within the perimeter. Of course, some of them hate Jefferson, who is a non-Federalist so is just pure dislike of the other political group.

In The Kite Runner, what is the significance of the statement "For you, a thousand times over"?

There is also a class and ethic dynamic in The
Kite Runner that I believe is reflected in the use of this statement, first
by Hassan to Amir and then later by Amir to Sohrab.  Amir and Hassan are not from the
same class or ethnic group, and this difference is central to the plot and themes.
 

Amir is a Pashtun, and Hassan is a Hazara.  The Pashtuns
are the ruling class in Afghanistan, and it is clear that the Hazaras are a lower class
and ethic group, historically treated quite poorly, and also shown as treated quite
poorly in the setting of the novel. Hassan and his father Ali are servants in the
household of Baba and Amir, and while Amir and Hassan are raised together, there is a
clear line in Amir's mind of their differences.  Amir
notes,

But in
none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend. ... I never thought of
Hassan and me as friends either
(25).

Amir looks down upon
Hassan, and the relationship is such that Hassan saying "For you, a thousand times over"
is really what Amir expects from Hassan, because he perceives him to be an inferior
servant.  He really does not see that Hassan is a true friend and is saying this out of
love, not out of duty as a servant.  

On his long journey
of learning and repentance, as Amir finds himself and his father looked down upon in the
new land, the shoe is on the other foot. They are subject to small, daily humiliations
in the United States, for example, Baba's humiliation at collecting any kind of benefits
and Amir's concern about not being quite good enough to wed Soraya, whose father is a
general. Amir begins to understand what it feels like to be regarded as inferior.  By
the time he rescues Sohrab and says to him, "For you, a thousand times over," this is
meant to represent not only his repentance for what he had done to Sohrab's father, but
also his understanding that we must all be servants to one another and that class and
ethnicity should play no part in our willingness to do so. He is saying this out of love
and friendship, as Hassan had said it to him. 

So, while
there is no question that the use of this declaration represents Amir's repentance for
all he has done wrong to Hassan (and Ali), I do think that the class and ethnic tension
are part of the meaning behind its use, too.

In The Kite Runner, what is the significance of the statement "For you, a thousand times over"?

There is also a class and ethic dynamic in The Kite Runner that I believe is reflected in the use of this statement, first by Hassan to Amir and then later by Amir to Sohrab.  Amir and Hassan are not from the same class or ethnic group, and this difference is central to the plot and themes.  

Amir is a Pashtun, and Hassan is a Hazara.  The Pashtuns are the ruling class in Afghanistan, and it is clear that the Hazaras are a lower class and ethic group, historically treated quite poorly, and also shown as treated quite poorly in the setting of the novel. Hassan and his father Ali are servants in the household of Baba and Amir, and while Amir and Hassan are raised together, there is a clear line in Amir's mind of their differences.  Amir notes,

But in none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend. ... I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either (25).

Amir looks down upon Hassan, and the relationship is such that Hassan saying "For you, a thousand times over" is really what Amir expects from Hassan, because he perceives him to be an inferior servant.  He really does not see that Hassan is a true friend and is saying this out of love, not out of duty as a servant.  

On his long journey of learning and repentance, as Amir finds himself and his father looked down upon in the new land, the shoe is on the other foot. They are subject to small, daily humiliations in the United States, for example, Baba's humiliation at collecting any kind of benefits and Amir's concern about not being quite good enough to wed Soraya, whose father is a general. Amir begins to understand what it feels like to be regarded as inferior.  By the time he rescues Sohrab and says to him, "For you, a thousand times over," this is meant to represent not only his repentance for what he had done to Sohrab's father, but also his understanding that we must all be servants to one another and that class and ethnicity should play no part in our willingness to do so. He is saying this out of love and friendship, as Hassan had said it to him. 

So, while there is no question that the use of this declaration represents Amir's repentance for all he has done wrong to Hassan (and Ali), I do think that the class and ethnic tension are part of the meaning behind its use, too.

What are some of the literary/figurative devices used in "The Open Window"?

Additionally, most of the narrative, the framed story, is in the form of a tall-tale.  That is, it is a fabricated narrative that describes people and events in an exaggerated form.  Vera uses the husband of Mrs. Stappleton and her brothers, who are real, but creates a fantastical story around them.  She exaggerates the importance of the open window by making it the passage to a tale of tragic loss.

Another literary device employed is connotation.  The use of the open window with which to frame the tall-tale deludes the listener, Framton Nuttel, into believing the story because the openness of the window itself connotes lack of deception and candor.  Of course, Vera's name also connotes honesty and candor as it is a derivative of the Latin word for truth, veritas.

Why did Jonas feel powerless and alone when Fiona and Asher rode off on their bicycles in "The Giver"?What was the euphemism for death in Jonas's...

The experiences and knowledge Jonas is gaining as a result of his training as Receiver of Memory has driven a wedge between himself and his friends.  Jonas is changing in ways that they cannot understand.  People in the community are carefully raised to be the same, and they are sheltered from feelings and events that might make them rebel against the carefully structured controls of their society.  Through the lessons of the Giver, Jonas has experienced the depth of emotions and sensations such as love, desire, and pain; elements which are systematically denied the regular citizens.  Because he now has the memory of these things, he can understand the horror and pathos behind phenomena such as war.  His friends, who that very day had played a game of war and had gotten angry when Jonas had pleaded with them to stop, have no such perception of what these concepts really mean.

As Fiona and Asher ride off, Jonas knows he will be forever separate from them.  He remembers sharing good times with them, but he knows "that such times had been taken from him now".  He experiences an "overwhelm(ing) feeling of loss...he felt such love for Asher and for Fiona, but they could not feel it back, without the memories" (Chapter 17).

The euphemism for death in Jonas's community is "Release".  Those who are released are believed to enter into "Elsewhere", an undefined state with positive connotations.

In a Tale of Two Cities, how do Darnay + Stryver speak of their desire to Lucie, and who seems more likely to marry Lucie?A Tale of Two Cities by...

In Book the Second, Chapter 10 of A Tale of
Two Cities, Charles Darnay displays a certain
obsequiousness toward Dr. Manette.  Having established himself in England as a teacher
of the French language, Darnay yet expects to work hard.  So, as he approaches Dr.
Manette to ask permission to marry Lucie, Darnay is very respectful toward the old
doctor.  Having waited a year to declare his love, Darnay approaches
with acknowledgement of his and Lucie's closeness, and Manette expresses gratitude for
this show of respect.  Darnay apologizes,

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Dear Doctor Manette, ...always seeing her and
you with this hallowed light about you, I have forborne, and forborne, as long ...and do
even now feel, that to bring my love--even mine--between you , is to touch your history
with something no quite so good as itself.  But I love her.  Heaven is my witness that I
love her!

However, when
Darnay tries to reveal his real name and explain, Manette stops him, asking Darnay not
to tell him anymore until Lucie's and his wedding day.  The poor doctor has been
disturbed by Darnay's announcements and regresses to his work table at night, cobbling
shoes.

On this same evening, in contrast to the
respectfulness of Darnay and Manette to each other, Stryver works Sydney Carton late
into the night.  He boldly announces that he intends to marry Lucie
Manette:

readability="17">

Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long
Vacation with a formal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; that failing,
to Ranelaigh; that unaccountable failing too, it behoved him to present himself in Soho,
and there declare his noble mind.

Toward Soho, therefore,
Mr. Stryver shouldered his way from the Temple...bursting in his full-blown way along
the pavement, to the jostlement of all weaker
people...

Also, in his
"shouldering way," Stryver announces to Mr. Lorry his intentions.  Distraught at the
news, Mr. Lorry tells Stryver, "you know there really is so much, too much of you!"  As
crass as ever, Stryver does not understand when Lorry asks him to postpone his asking
Lucie to marry him, but Stryver perceives himself a suitable match.  Nevertheless, Lorry
persuades Stryver to wait until he talks with Dr. Manette and Lucie.  Later that night,
Mr. Lorry confers with Stryver, telling him that they would refuse his proposal.  As
Stryver listens,

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The necessity of being angry in a suppressed tone
had put Mr. Stryver's blood-vessels into a dangerous
state....

Mr. Stryver tells
Mr. Lorry that this news "beats everthing past, present, and to come," and he
rationalizes that this decision of Lucie to reject Stryver of King's Bar is a "vanity"
of an "empty-headed " girl; then he storms out of Tellson's Bank after requesting that
Lorry say nothing of this affair.  He vows to "put you all in the
wrong."

The sharp contrast between the suave and perceptive
Darnay and the brazen and obtuse Stryver is easily apparent.  In fact, Chapter 12 of
Book the Second offers much comic relief from a serious tale with the satiric
descriptions of Mr. Stryver. 

In a Tale of Two Cities, how do Darnay + Stryver speak of their desire to Lucie, and who seems more likely to marry Lucie?A Tale of Two Cities by...

In Book the Second, Chapter 10 of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Darnay displays a certain obsequiousness toward Dr. Manette.  Having established himself in England as a teacher of the French language, Darnay yet expects to work hard.  So, as he approaches Dr. Manette to ask permission to marry Lucie, Darnay is very respectful toward the old doctor.  Having waited a year to declare his love, Darnay approaches with acknowledgement of his and Lucie's closeness, and Manette expresses gratitude for this show of respect.  Darnay apologizes,

Dear Doctor Manette, ...always seeing her and you with this hallowed light about you, I have forborne, and forborne, as long ...and do even now feel, that to bring my love--even mine--between you , is to touch your history with something no quite so good as itself.  But I love her.  Heaven is my witness that I love her!

However, when Darnay tries to reveal his real name and explain, Manette stops him, asking Darnay not to tell him anymore until Lucie's and his wedding day.  The poor doctor has been disturbed by Darnay's announcements and regresses to his work table at night, cobbling shoes.

On this same evening, in contrast to the respectfulness of Darnay and Manette to each other, Stryver works Sydney Carton late into the night.  He boldly announces that he intends to marry Lucie Manette:

Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long Vacation with a formal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; that failing, to Ranelaigh; that unaccountable failing too, it behoved him to present himself in Soho, and there declare his noble mind.

Toward Soho, therefore, Mr. Stryver shouldered his way from the Temple...bursting in his full-blown way along the pavement, to the jostlement of all weaker people...

Also, in his "shouldering way," Stryver announces to Mr. Lorry his intentions.  Distraught at the news, Mr. Lorry tells Stryver, "you know there really is so much, too much of you!"  As crass as ever, Stryver does not understand when Lorry asks him to postpone his asking Lucie to marry him, but Stryver perceives himself a suitable match.  Nevertheless, Lorry persuades Stryver to wait until he talks with Dr. Manette and Lucie.  Later that night, Mr. Lorry confers with Stryver, telling him that they would refuse his proposal.  As Stryver listens,

The necessity of being angry in a suppressed tone had put Mr. Stryver's blood-vessels into a dangerous state....

Mr. Stryver tells Mr. Lorry that this news "beats everthing past, present, and to come," and he rationalizes that this decision of Lucie to reject Stryver of King's Bar is a "vanity" of an "empty-headed " girl; then he storms out of Tellson's Bank after requesting that Lorry say nothing of this affair.  He vows to "put you all in the wrong."

The sharp contrast between the suave and perceptive Darnay and the brazen and obtuse Stryver is easily apparent.  In fact, Chapter 12 of Book the Second offers much comic relief from a serious tale with the satiric descriptions of Mr. Stryver. 

Paraphrase an epigram (e.g. "Life only avails, not the having lived.") from Emerson's "Nature."

"Life only avails, not the having lived." The word "avail" means "to use to one's advantage." So this saying could be paraphrased as: Life itself is what's important, not the fact that you lived it. You could say that this is an argument against despair that leads to suicide.

"Power ceases in the instant of repose." The word "repose" means "to rest" or "to sleep." So a paraphrase might be: "No one is powerful when asleep."

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think." This one shouldn't need any paraphrasing for understanding, but you might restate it as: "It doesn't matter what people think, I'll do what I have to do."

"Travelling is a fool's paradise." Paraphrase: You have to be crazy to like to travel!

What you think are the key concepts in understanding biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variation that exists within a group
and can be generalized to a population, ecosystem or the biosphere.  Biodiversity is not
consistent across the globe and it is dependent on genetic
variation.

Think of the different types of biomes that
exist (desert, tundra, tropical to name a few) and think of the types of organisms that
live in these environments.  Each environment hosts its own biodiversity and as you
expand to the entire earth the diversity increases.  The organisms best suited to live
in each environment are able to survive and reproduce; increased ecological variation
leads to increased biological diversity.  As humans continue to destroy various
environments biodiversity is lost.

Genetic variation leads
to new adaptations and creates differences within a species and creates new species. 
Genetic variation is a result of sexual reproduction.  Without sexual reproduction DNA
would not be "mixed up" and therefore would not lead to differences with in species,
natural selection and evolution which in turn would not develop a world rich in
biodiversity.

What you think are the key concepts in understanding biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variation that exists within a group and can be generalized to a population, ecosystem or the biosphere.  Biodiversity is not consistent across the globe and it is dependent on genetic variation.

Think of the different types of biomes that exist (desert, tundra, tropical to name a few) and think of the types of organisms that live in these environments.  Each environment hosts its own biodiversity and as you expand to the entire earth the diversity increases.  The organisms best suited to live in each environment are able to survive and reproduce; increased ecological variation leads to increased biological diversity.  As humans continue to destroy various environments biodiversity is lost.

Genetic variation leads to new adaptations and creates differences within a species and creates new species.  Genetic variation is a result of sexual reproduction.  Without sexual reproduction DNA would not be "mixed up" and therefore would not lead to differences with in species, natural selection and evolution which in turn would not develop a world rich in biodiversity.

What is the difference between the success achieved by power and the success achieved by hard work?please help me in my question if u can .... i...

Success comes in many forms and from many directions.
Often it does not come easily and all the obstacles and distractions thrown in our
direction will do their best to stop us from acting on our dream and achieving the
success we want.

I find it helpful, when I'm going through
a difficult time and the obstacles look insurmountable, to read about how others have
succeeded -- in whatever way they were pursuing their dream and working to make it
real.

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Opportunity is missed by most
people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
-- Thomas
Edison

As
I find them, I'll be posting success quotes here from the famous and not so famous.
Perhaps you'll find one or more of them to be inspirational and maybe this will be a
small help in motivating yourself to act on your
dream.

When I started thinking about this page, I was
thinking of success quotes like the ones that follow this poem. But, when I ran across
this beautiful poem about success written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, I knew I had to
include it first. In just a few short phrases, he has illustrated a successful life that
isn't defined by wealth, power, and fame. Using this as a guide, any of us can change
our life and achieve the level of success we
want.

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To laugh often and much;
to win the
respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn
the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false
friends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in
others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life
has breathed
easier because you have lived.
This is to have
succeeded.

Ralph Waldo
Emerson

Many
of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when
they gave up. --Thomas
Edison

readability="5">

Victory belongs to the most persevering.
-- Napoleon
Bonaparte

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It is a rough road that
leads to the heights of greatness.
-- Seneca

Success
is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. -- General George
Patton

A man is not
finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. -- Richard
Nixon

Sometimes our best
is simply not enough.... We have to do what is required. -- Sir Winston
Churchill

What is the difference between the success achieved by power and the success achieved by hard work?please help me in my question if u can .... i...

Success comes in many forms and from many directions. Often it does not come easily and all the obstacles and distractions thrown in our direction will do their best to stop us from acting on our dream and achieving the success we want.

I find it helpful, when I'm going through a difficult time and the obstacles look insurmountable, to read about how others have succeeded -- in whatever way they were pursuing their dream and working to make it real.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -- Thomas Edison

As I find them, I'll be posting success quotes here from the famous and not so famous. Perhaps you'll find one or more of them to be inspirational and maybe this will be a small help in motivating yourself to act on your dream.

When I started thinking about this page, I was thinking of success quotes like the ones that follow this poem. But, when I ran across this beautiful poem about success written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, I knew I had to include it first. In just a few short phrases, he has illustrated a successful life that isn't defined by wealth, power, and fame. Using this as a guide, any of us can change our life and achieve the level of success we want.

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. --Thomas Edison

Victory belongs to the most persevering. -- Napoleon Bonaparte

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. -- Seneca

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. -- General George Patton

A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. -- Richard Nixon

Sometimes our best is simply not enough.... We have to do what is required. -- Sir Winston Churchill

What are some comparisons between "Bliss" and Mrs. Dalloway?

The narratives of both "Bliss" and Mrs.
Dalloway cover a day in the life of the heroine and both center on the day's
major event, that being a dinner party hosted by the heroine. In "Bliss," Bertha goes
through her day with a wonderful sense of peace and happiness. She contemplates the pear
tree in her garden and sees that its beauty symbolizes her life and her expansive
happiness. While she admires the projection of herself in her pear tree, cats run across
the yard, and Bertha views their presence as a marring
one.

In contrast, Mrs. Dalloway goes
through her day in a contemplative mood, not exactly unhappy but thoughtful. At home,
she has words with her daughter, has to mend her dress, and is surprised by the visit of
a past suitor.

After Bertha's dinner party, during which
she is filled with a wonderful sense of happiness with her life and husband, she
unhappily discovers that her husband is having an affair with the woman whom she has
just shared a special bond with--the woman named Pearl. Her first instinct is to run to
the window to look out at her pear tree, seemingly expecting to see it withered and
dead. However it looks just as it did when she shared the bond of the beauty of it with
Pearl earlier.

Similarly, Mrs. Dalloway is exceptionally
pleased with the progress of her dinner party, feeling that her hostessing of parties
such as these fills a good service in the lives of her guests. She too receives a shock
in the news of the violent and sudden self-inflicted death of a young man (ironically
one she had shared a park with earlier in the day). However, Mrs. Dalloway's party ends
with self-confirmation rather than self-deterioration because she confirms her choices
in life and reappears at her party after retreating for a moment of adjustment to the
entrance of death at her party. The narrative ends with the confirming statement: "For
there she was."

What are some comparisons between "Bliss" and Mrs. Dalloway?

The narratives of both "Bliss" and Mrs. Dalloway cover a day in the life of the heroine and both center on the day's major event, that being a dinner party hosted by the heroine. In "Bliss," Bertha goes through her day with a wonderful sense of peace and happiness. She contemplates the pear tree in her garden and sees that its beauty symbolizes her life and her expansive happiness. While she admires the projection of herself in her pear tree, cats run across the yard, and Bertha views their presence as a marring one.

In contrast, Mrs. Dalloway goes through her day in a contemplative mood, not exactly unhappy but thoughtful. At home, she has words with her daughter, has to mend her dress, and is surprised by the visit of a past suitor.

After Bertha's dinner party, during which she is filled with a wonderful sense of happiness with her life and husband, she unhappily discovers that her husband is having an affair with the woman whom she has just shared a special bond with--the woman named Pearl. Her first instinct is to run to the window to look out at her pear tree, seemingly expecting to see it withered and dead. However it looks just as it did when she shared the bond of the beauty of it with Pearl earlier.

Similarly, Mrs. Dalloway is exceptionally pleased with the progress of her dinner party, feeling that her hostessing of parties such as these fills a good service in the lives of her guests. She too receives a shock in the news of the violent and sudden self-inflicted death of a young man (ironically one she had shared a park with earlier in the day). However, Mrs. Dalloway's party ends with self-confirmation rather than self-deterioration because she confirms her choices in life and reappears at her party after retreating for a moment of adjustment to the entrance of death at her party. The narrative ends with the confirming statement: "For there she was."

Discuss elaborately plot and subplot in Twelfth Night.

Of course, the best way for you to find out the answer to
your question is to read or see the play. There are some very good film editions
available as well which can also help. But remember that these are no subtitute to good,
rigorous textual analysis. Rather than give you a complete breakdown of the play, I am
going to talk you through one of the chief features of the play - the central confusion
of love between three characters in the main plot - which you can then go back to and
"flesh out" with your own reading.

Typically as one of
Shakespeare's comedies, this play involves mistaken identities, cross-dressing,
disguises and people falling in love with people they shouldn't fall in love with. Thus
it is that we are introduced in Act I scene i to the Duke Orsino, who is swift to
declare his undying love for Lady Olivia:

readability="16">

O, when mine eyes did see Olivia
first,

Methought she purged the air of
pestilence.

That instant was I turned into a
hart,

And my desires, like fell and cruel
hounds,

E'er since pursued
me.

This situation is
immediately complicated by news of Olivia's unremitting resolution to not marry for love
of her dead brother:

readability="12">

The element itself, till seven years'
heat,

Shall not behold her face at ample
view,

But like a cloistress she will veiled
walk...

So, it is clear that
Olivia does not return these feelings, as we see from her distaste of being forced to
listen to them once more from Cesario. However, this situation is further complicated in
Act I scene iv by the irony of Viola dressed as Cesario being forced to take messages of
love from her master to Olivia when she is in love with Orsino
herself!

Yet a
barful strife!

Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his
wife.

Then of course note
Olivia's response to Cesario in Act I scene v:

readability="11">

Even so quickly may one catch the
plague?

Methinks I feel this youth's
perfections

With an invisible and subtle
stealth

To creep in at mine
eyes.

So, three characters,
each involved in a crazy tangled up relationship involving disguises, secret loves and
unrequited love. The real question of course is how on earth is Shakespeare going to
resolve this situation in this "comedy". Now, as you read through the play, make sure
you pay attention to how the subplot relates to the overall plot - how do characters
such as Sir Toby relate to the confusion in the main plot? What about the relationship
between Sir Toby and Maria? This will help you think through how the subplot and plot
relate in this great play.

Discuss elaborately plot and subplot in Twelfth Night.

Of course, the best way for you to find out the answer to your question is to read or see the play. There are some very good film editions available as well which can also help. But remember that these are no subtitute to good, rigorous textual analysis. Rather than give you a complete breakdown of the play, I am going to talk you through one of the chief features of the play - the central confusion of love between three characters in the main plot - which you can then go back to and "flesh out" with your own reading.

Typically as one of Shakespeare's comedies, this play involves mistaken identities, cross-dressing, disguises and people falling in love with people they shouldn't fall in love with. Thus it is that we are introduced in Act I scene i to the Duke Orsino, who is swift to declare his undying love for Lady Olivia:

O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first,

Methought she purged the air of pestilence.

That instant was I turned into a hart,

And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds,

E'er since pursued me.

This situation is immediately complicated by news of Olivia's unremitting resolution to not marry for love of her dead brother:

The element itself, till seven years' heat,

Shall not behold her face at ample view,

But like a cloistress she will veiled walk...

So, it is clear that Olivia does not return these feelings, as we see from her distaste of being forced to listen to them once more from Cesario. However, this situation is further complicated in Act I scene iv by the irony of Viola dressed as Cesario being forced to take messages of love from her master to Olivia when she is in love with Orsino herself!

Yet a barful strife!

Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife.

Then of course note Olivia's response to Cesario in Act I scene v:

Even so quickly may one catch the plague?

Methinks I feel this youth's perfections

With an invisible and subtle stealth

To creep in at mine eyes.

So, three characters, each involved in a crazy tangled up relationship involving disguises, secret loves and unrequited love. The real question of course is how on earth is Shakespeare going to resolve this situation in this "comedy". Now, as you read through the play, make sure you pay attention to how the subplot relates to the overall plot - how do characters such as Sir Toby relate to the confusion in the main plot? What about the relationship between Sir Toby and Maria? This will help you think through how the subplot and plot relate in this great play.

What do you think of Atticus's rule: "You mind Jem whenever he can make you?" What problems might it cause and what advantages does such a rule have?

"'Who
started it?' asked Atticus, in resignation.

'Jem did. He
was tryin' to tell me what to do. I don't have to mind him now, do
I?'

Atticus smiled. 'Let's leave it at this:
you mind Jem whenever he can make you. Fair enough?'"
(138).

This new declaration
of policy between Jem and Scout helps to even the playing field in a way. Jem is older
and more mature, but Atticus knows that it is difficult to obey a sibling. In this case,
Jem had taken Scout aside to reason with her about not ruffling Aunt Alexandra's
feathers. He may have persuaded Scout to mind him in this endeavor had he not said that
he would spank her the next time she behaved that way. Jem will have to "make" Scout
mind him in clever ways, not physical ones. If, however, Jem does resort to using
physical means to "make" Scout mind him, he knows that she will fight back--and there
was at least one time she was able to land a strong punch on him. Be that as it may, Jem
is still older and stronger. If he became truly upset, he could hurt Scout pretty badly
if he ever resorted to physical violence to make her
mind.

Fortunately, Atticus must trust Jem not to physically
hurt Scout, even if he does threaten it. Atticus must also know that tempers flare, but
his kids tend to get over it pretty quickly, too. In the end, this ambiguous rule leaves
the sibling relationship in the hands of the brother and sister who must now work
together more effectively if they are to get along. Fortunately, Jem never takes
advantage of his physical advantage over his sister and this rule never really has to be
addressed again.

What do you think of Atticus's rule: "You mind Jem whenever he can make you?" What problems might it cause and what advantages does such a rule have?

"'Who started it?' asked Atticus, in resignation.

'Jem did. He was tryin' to tell me what to do. I don't have to mind him now, do I?'

Atticus smiled. 'Let's leave it at this: you mind Jem whenever he can make you. Fair enough?'" (138).

This new declaration of policy between Jem and Scout helps to even the playing field in a way. Jem is older and more mature, but Atticus knows that it is difficult to obey a sibling. In this case, Jem had taken Scout aside to reason with her about not ruffling Aunt Alexandra's feathers. He may have persuaded Scout to mind him in this endeavor had he not said that he would spank her the next time she behaved that way. Jem will have to "make" Scout mind him in clever ways, not physical ones. If, however, Jem does resort to using physical means to "make" Scout mind him, he knows that she will fight back--and there was at least one time she was able to land a strong punch on him. Be that as it may, Jem is still older and stronger. If he became truly upset, he could hurt Scout pretty badly if he ever resorted to physical violence to make her mind.

Fortunately, Atticus must trust Jem not to physically hurt Scout, even if he does threaten it. Atticus must also know that tempers flare, but his kids tend to get over it pretty quickly, too. In the end, this ambiguous rule leaves the sibling relationship in the hands of the brother and sister who must now work together more effectively if they are to get along. Fortunately, Jem never takes advantage of his physical advantage over his sister and this rule never really has to be addressed again.

What is Gregor's role in the family, why does he have so much responsibility, and how does this role change?

As gpane's very clear and thorough answer shows, Gregor
brings in the only income in the single-income family, supporting his mother, father and
sister.

The pressure on him suggests the family's lack of
resources and, perhaps, its lack of resourcefulness. Should we see the Samsa family as
lacking imagination or should we see them as a family that would like to shirk work?
Should we see them as a family adhering to social forms and so unwilling to entertain
the notion that anyone but the lone son should be a part of the labor
force? 

There is an implication that the family is
concerned with perceived social forms in addition to its practical
concerns. 

readability="7">

"...what mainly prevented the family from moving
was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a
misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been
hit."

Gregor's disturbing
transformation is socially awkward, of course, but its greatest impact is a negative
shift in the family's financial situation. This fact is arguably the most prominent
element of the story and informs Gregor's emotional situation to a considerable
degree. 

The family's willingness to rely on Gregor - then
turn on him - suggests a willingness to also exploit him. However we characterize the
family's mentality, the fact remains that when we meet them they rely on an implied
assertion - only Gregor should work. 

The firm he works for
appears as demanding as the family. 

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"What a fate: to be condemned to work for a firm
where the slightest negligence at once gave rise to the gravest
suspicion!"

Gregor's value as
a person, it seems, is derived entirely from his willingness to submit to toil. Taken
for granted as a wage-earner and as an employee, Gregor is just a "bug" in the system,
as it were, identified with a function and not attributed any qualities of humanity.
While we may certainly want to be more sympathetic to the family in reading the story,
there is ample evidence to suggest that the commercial and social expectations of the
family lack a sense of humanity and instead focus on the
perfunctory and the superficial. 

What is Gregor's role in the family, why does he have so much responsibility, and how does this role change?

As gpane's very clear and thorough answer shows, Gregor brings in the only income in the single-income family, supporting his mother, father and sister.

The pressure on him suggests the family's lack of resources and, perhaps, its lack of resourcefulness. Should we see the Samsa family as lacking imagination or should we see them as a family that would like to shirk work? Should we see them as a family adhering to social forms and so unwilling to entertain the notion that anyone but the lone son should be a part of the labor force? 

There is an implication that the family is concerned with perceived social forms in addition to its practical concerns. 

"...what mainly prevented the family from moving was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been hit."

Gregor's disturbing transformation is socially awkward, of course, but its greatest impact is a negative shift in the family's financial situation. This fact is arguably the most prominent element of the story and informs Gregor's emotional situation to a considerable degree. 

The family's willingness to rely on Gregor - then turn on him - suggests a willingness to also exploit him. However we characterize the family's mentality, the fact remains that when we meet them they rely on an implied assertion - only Gregor should work. 

The firm he works for appears as demanding as the family. 

"What a fate: to be condemned to work for a firm where the slightest negligence at once gave rise to the gravest suspicion!"

Gregor's value as a person, it seems, is derived entirely from his willingness to submit to toil. Taken for granted as a wage-earner and as an employee, Gregor is just a "bug" in the system, as it were, identified with a function and not attributed any qualities of humanity. While we may certainly want to be more sympathetic to the family in reading the story, there is ample evidence to suggest that the commercial and social expectations of the family lack a sense of humanity and instead focus on the perfunctory and the superficial. 

In "Animal Farm," why are the animals so easily fooled, even when they find Squealer with a ladder and white paint beside the barn at night?

Remember that the book states repeatedly that the pigs are among the smartest animals on the farm.  Not all the animals could read, but they were read the commandments and rules under which the animals would live together.  There are a few others who are smart (Benjamin the donkey, perhaps), but the pigs convince them through Snowball, Squealer, and other propaganda artists that their memories are faulty.  It seems that this could possibly be true since the animals all remembered certain parts of the commandments but not the entire thing.  It never occurred to them that they had been altered to allow certain behaviors for the pigs or other animals.

For example:  Clover thought she remembered the commandment about sleeping in beds.  (Chapter VI, page 69 of the Signet Classic version).

"Muriel," she said, "read me the Fourth Commandment.  Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?"

With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out.

"It says, 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,'" she announced finally. 

Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so.

Simply put, it is easier for the animals to allow their leaders to "fool" them than it is to think for themselves and stand up against the majority.  This is especially true in the chapter where the "confessors" are slaughtered in front of the rest of the animals. 

What led to the formation of the Progressive party in U.S. politics?

The Progressive Party, also called the BULL MOOSE PARTY, was  a political party that was formed at 1912 during its presidential elections, where Theodore Roosevelt lost the Republican votes to William Tart, his once hand-picked successor for presidency, after stepping down as President of USA. Feeling that the President now was weak and incapable of handling his task, Roosevelt challenged his position and his bid for re-election of Presidency for a second term. This cause a major divide between the Republican party, causing Roosevelt to pull his delegates out of the convention and forming a new party, the Progressive Party. His main policy and motive for this new party was to "dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt businesses and politics". This gave Woodrow Wilson, another political candidate for the Democrats to use the opportunity to garner support and votes for his philosophy of "New Freedom", and allowed him to become President of USA in 1912.

Later on, the Progressive Part did terribly at the 1914 Elections and soon faded into oblivion. Roosevelt soon returned to the Republican Party.

what is this poem about?what are 5 symbols in this poem and what are their significance?what season is referred in this poem? does it reflect...

I will help you get started on this, but it will be more
fun for you to figure out all of the symbols.

I think
that this poem is a lament for a lost love. The poem is written in the past tense, as a
memory. The speaker states that she was thinking about her love "on that day" but now,
that day is only a memory, just like the memory of her grandmother. The memory of the
love is not bitter or angry, but nostalgic, just like her memories of her
grandmother.

It is springtime, when everything is green and
new growth is appearing, but there is also rain, which is usually a symbol or metaphor
for tears, or sadness. The rain is like "long veils" - again, a veil is a symbol of
mourning, probably for things that no longer exist -- like her love and like her
grandmother.

So, now that I have explained this, look at
the second stanza. There are several things that could be symbols: green carpets,
geraniums, a trilling canary (notice, it is NOT a silent canary), the parlour (which IS
silent), rain and wind.....Can you see how these elements of nature are used in the poem
to convey different feelings towards the love and towards the
grandmother?

Good luck!

what is this poem about?what are 5 symbols in this poem and what are their significance?what season is referred in this poem? does it reflect...

I will help you get started on this, but it will be more fun for you to figure out all of the symbols.

I think that this poem is a lament for a lost love. The poem is written in the past tense, as a memory. The speaker states that she was thinking about her love "on that day" but now, that day is only a memory, just like the memory of her grandmother. The memory of the love is not bitter or angry, but nostalgic, just like her memories of her grandmother.

It is springtime, when everything is green and new growth is appearing, but there is also rain, which is usually a symbol or metaphor for tears, or sadness. The rain is like "long veils" - again, a veil is a symbol of mourning, probably for things that no longer exist -- like her love and like her grandmother.

So, now that I have explained this, look at the second stanza. There are several things that could be symbols: green carpets, geraniums, a trilling canary (notice, it is NOT a silent canary), the parlour (which IS silent), rain and wind.....Can you see how these elements of nature are used in the poem to convey different feelings towards the love and towards the grandmother?

Good luck!

I have to describe the tone for the poem "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes? And I dont understand the concept of descibing the tone..

'Tone' in a poem deals with the perspective and the view point of the poet.

Langston Hughes' tone in this poem "Theme for English B" could be described as 'mildly ironical' as he reveals his difficulty in sincerely expressing his own feelings at the instruction of his white English tutor. The irony is that although he begins by saying "I wonder if it's that simple," by the end of the poem, however, he has succeeded in doing just that in a very effective manner: "This is my page for English B."

His true inner self is madeup of two contrasting aspects: 1.He is a black and hence diferent from his white English instructor. 2. He is an American just like every other American, including his white English instructor. Hughes' adopts a conciliatory tone which synthesises the difference: "you are white--/Yet a part of me, as I am part of you/That's American...That's true."

However, the poem ends on a tone of regret: "somewhat more free." The poem was written by Langston Hughes in 1951 when racial discrimination had peaked. Only after Martin Luther King's Civil Rights' Movement of the 60s there was an improvement in the relationship between the whites and blacks.

What is the summary to Chapter 5 in Adam of the Road?

In Chapter 5, Adam and his father Roger are on the road to London with a group of travelers, the party of Sir Edmund de Lisle.  Towards the end of the day, they are rudely summoned by Hugh to tell stories to the women in Lady Richenda's carriage.  Margery, the girl about his own age whom Adam noticed earlier, requests that Adam and Nick be allowed to ride in the carriage awhile also, because she knows they must be tired.  Adam tries to help his father by playing his harp, but he has forgotten to tune it, and everyone laughs.  Although the ladies are kind, Adam is humiliated, and jumps off the carriage to walk.  He meets a young squire named Simon, who is in love with Emilie, one of the ladies in the carriage.  Adam teaches Simon a song to sing and play on his flute, while Adam accompanies him with his harp.

The party finally arrives in London, and Adam, Roger, and Nick have a swim in the river.  They are to stay at the de Lisle's fine house, and after a generous meal, Adam curls up with his dog Nick and falls fast asleep.

Who are the members of the Seraphim mentioned in the book "Angels and Demons"?

The seraphim do not have names. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the seraphim (pl.; seraph, sing.) are angelic beings that hover around the throne of God, singing praises.

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and His train filled the sanctuary. Above Him stood the Seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. (Isa 6:1-3)

They must be a strange sight to see because each has 3 sets of wings: 1 used to fly, 1 used to cover their faces, and 1 used to cover their feet. Before Isaiah could begin his prophetic ministry, he had to be purified. This was done by a seraph, who touched a burning coal to Isaiah's lips to cleanse him.

The seraphim are not named in the Bible. They exist to worship and praise God. The book of Revelation notes that they are always in the presence of God, "Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come' " (Rev 4:8).

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