Why did Salem need a theocracy?

The Puritans came to America because of their religion, so therefore, they established their colony in Massachusetts under a theocratic system of governing, which is all they knew.

Puritanism is not just a religion, but a lifestyle.  Therefore, it is natural that the governing body of the community would be the church.  Under church officials leadership the Puritans struggled to establish their community in the harsh conditions of the northeast.

The colony established in America encountered almost intolerable hardship, cold, brutal winters, attacks by Indians, Pirates, a lack of food, shelter, death of loved ones.  Their ability to survive was challenged and their faith, which propelled them to travel to America sustained them.

"Their religion required them to act honorably towards their fellow men and to help each other. They were expected to meet regularly at the Meeting House."

"A strong work ethic was also part of their theology. All of these things contributed to their survival."

The theocracy that the Puritans formed in Salem actually sustained them because of the unity and care of neighbor that their religious beliefs require them to practice. 

Can anyone write a report of information on World War I for me?I really want to now how it started because after my teacher talked about i wanted...

I teach my students a simple quote that is easy to
remember that covers the four underlying causes of World War I in
Europe:

"I want your land, I'm better than you, I've got
guns and I've got friends"

I want your land - Imperialism -
the competition between six European empires for control of the world's colonies and
resources.

I'm better than you - Nationalism -the
hyperpatriotism that existed in each of these six empires prior to the
war

I've got guns - the arms race between the six countries
to produce massive military machines, with millions of soldiers and huge
navies

I've got friends - the system of alliances that
these empires cooperated under, which gave them an overconfidence in their ability to
win the war, and dragged them into it once it started.

Can anyone write a report of information on World War I for me?I really want to now how it started because after my teacher talked about i wanted...

I teach my students a simple quote that is easy to remember that covers the four underlying causes of World War I in Europe:

"I want your land, I'm better than you, I've got guns and I've got friends"

I want your land - Imperialism - the competition between six European empires for control of the world's colonies and resources.

I'm better than you - Nationalism -the hyperpatriotism that existed in each of these six empires prior to the war

I've got guns - the arms race between the six countries to produce massive military machines, with millions of soldiers and huge navies

I've got friends - the system of alliances that these empires cooperated under, which gave them an overconfidence in their ability to win the war, and dragged them into it once it started.

The novel "Pride and Prejudice" is a romance, yet it is very much rooted in the social realities of its time. Elaborate.

One of the social realities explored in this book, beyond the need for a woman to secure financial security through marriage, was the importance of reputation and adhering to social standards.  When Lydia runs off with Wickham, the family is distraught not only because Lydia's reputation will be hurt, but also because the entire family will be wrapped up in her disgrace.  Mary's comments on the subject adequately explain the feelings of the times:

Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson: that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin; that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful;

Mr. Collins' comments also show the seriousness of this breach of decency:

The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this......had it been otherwise, I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace.

When Lady Catherine comes to Elizabeth to try to scare her away from Darcy, she also uses Lydia's elopement as a serious strike against any alliance:

And is such a girl to be my nephew's sister? .... Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?"

At this time, a family could get by without riches, but it was impossible to get by without reputation.

When Amir returns to his old home he makes a comment, "I don't want to forget anymore." What does he mean by that?

When Amir says, "I don't want to forget anymore," he is saying that he is ready to face what happened to Hassan the day Amir won the kite championship and Hassan ran it for him. Hassan was raped and Amir stood by and watched in the shadows not helping his only true friend in the world. Amir never mentions the incident and he tried so hard to bury it. He even went so far as to accuse Hassan of stealing his birthday gifts so that his father would send Hassan and his father away. He didn't want to have to look at him or be friends with him any longer because Amir could barely stand his own reflection when he was faced with what happened to Hassan.

After living with the guilt and shame of what he had done to Hassan he was finally ready, as an adult, to face it and try to redeem himself in some way. Rahim Kahn, Baba's trusted friend, calls upon Amir and tells him, "there is a way to be good again." Amir cannot resist the offer at a chance to make things right and it is then that he admits to himself that he does not want to forget anymore.

Is "Oedipus Rex" premised on the notion that Oedipus is bound or free? Is he the puppet of fate or the creator of his own fate?

The pull between fate (or destiny) and free will is a primary theme of the trilogy.  While modern thinking typically scorns the idea of a pre-determined fate, there seems to be something that attracts audiences to the idea that some things will go wrong, no matter what we do to try to redirect or change our lives. 

Freud wrote about this topic in The Interpretation of Dreams and the Oedipal dilemma. "There must be something, " Freud argues,

which makes a voice within us ready to recognize the compelling force of destiny in the Oedipus...His destiny moves us only because it might have been ours." 

Oedipus cannot escape some of his fate:  he does marry his mother and kill his father as predicted.  But what he does with his life after the prophecy is fulfilled is his decision.  He could have killed himself, but he chooses to go on.  He might have spurned his daughters, but chooses to embrace them. 

As Robert Fagles points out, "We expect to be made to feel that there is a meaningful relation between the hero's action and his suffering, and this is possible only if that action is free, so that he is responsible for the consequences." 

Sophocles' play, therefore, is a combination of both created and creator fate. 

What literary devices make "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" a good poem?

Frost's poem is tightly constructed, imbued with multiple layers of meaning, and thematically important in its treatment of both the individual and the environment.

From the first line, we see Frost's deft touch: "Whose woods are these, I think I know." We have the alliteration of whose and woods, these and think, I and I. We also know that the place he wanders through is familiar, but that he is probably a trespasser.

Notice how the word "woods" is repeated four times. Each time "woods" appears, one senses the speaker's isolation, both physically and spiritually. The woods separate the speaker from humans and place him within the coldness of the natural world: "Whose woods are these I think I know / His house is in the village though"; the woods "fill up with snow" and are on a "frozen lake"; the woods are "lovely, dark, and deep."

The natural world may be harsh but the speaker finds beauty there as well. For example, the snow that falls is given the beautiful description of "downy flakes." The woods, though cold and frozen, are also "lovely."

The use of figurative language is another device Frost uses. We do not know what "promises" the speaker has made, but the twice repeated "miles to go before I sleep" may mean that it is a long time before the man will die and that there is much to do before his time on earth comes to an end.

Why is Percival unable to remember his name in Chapter 12 of Lord of the Flies?

As one of the two smallest littleuns, Percival's ability to recite his name and address as he has been taught is a sign of the morals and civilized manners ingrained in him by nurturing in his former life.  In Chapter 4, his rote repetition of this information reminds him and the other youngest children of their homes and families, and they begin to wail in miserable longing for their past situations.  Percival is representative of the boys' gradual and progressive loss of all they have learned previously, the longer they run wild on the island.  When Percival is unable to remember his name in Chapter 12, it is indicative of the total loss of innocence of all the boys, and is illustrative of how far they have come from their former reality in their descent into savagery.

What is the significance of jealousy in Othello?

In addition to the answers above, jealousy is tied to
sexism, misogyny and the male and female reputations in the play
Othello.  The double standards of this patriarchal honor culture
are such: males had the right to be jealous of women, but women had no right to be
jealous of men.  More, men were jealous of each other's rank, status and
reputation.

I believe Othello is more jealous of Cassio
than he is of Desdemona.  Cassio is the ideal male, and he represents everything that
Othello is not.  He is young, white, Christian, well-spoken, and
handsome.

Not only are males jealous of other males, but
females are jealous of each other.  Emilia and Bianca are jealous of Desdemona.  Why do
you think Emilia steals the handkerchief from Desdemona?  Why do you think Bianca gives
it back to Cassio?  They hate what it represents: Desdemona's status as the highest
ranking woman.

What is the significance of jealousy in Othello?

In addition to the answers above, jealousy is tied to sexism, misogyny and the male and female reputations in the play Othello.  The double standards of this patriarchal honor culture are such: males had the right to be jealous of women, but women had no right to be jealous of men.  More, men were jealous of each other's rank, status and reputation.

I believe Othello is more jealous of Cassio than he is of Desdemona.  Cassio is the ideal male, and he represents everything that Othello is not.  He is young, white, Christian, well-spoken, and handsome.

Not only are males jealous of other males, but females are jealous of each other.  Emilia and Bianca are jealous of Desdemona.  Why do you think Emilia steals the handkerchief from Desdemona?  Why do you think Bianca gives it back to Cassio?  They hate what it represents: Desdemona's status as the highest ranking woman.

What is the tone of "The Swimmer" by John Cheever?

The tone of "The Swimmer" is ironic.  Nothing is as it seems, and the opposite meanings of events and situations are emphasized.  The hero, Neddy, is old, disoriented, alienated, and worn, not at all like the traditional hero of lore.  His attempt to revive his youth and gain notoriety by swimming home across the city through a series of pools is not the significant endeavor he believes it to be, but a meaningless task.  Neddy's homecoming is uncelebrated, cold, and empty, not triumphant as he had hoped.

The ironic tone contributes strongly to the development of the primary themes of the story, which are that traditional values of wealth, poplularity, and athletic prowess are fleeting and hollow, and ultimately unsatisfying in their superficiality.

What are the Achaean ideals that Eumaeus, the swineherder of Odysseus, exemplifies in The Odyssey?It's supposed to be in book 14, if that helps.

One of the first is that he immediately sees to the needs
of his guest without asking questions, etc.  It was important to the Achaeans that
guests be taken care of, even when unannounced.

Another is
his intense and long-suffering loyalty to his master Odysseus.  One of the main themes
of the story, particularly upon Odysseus' return, is the question of who has been loyal
and who has forgotten him or attempted to move in on his wife and his lands after he has
been gone for so long.  Eumaeus has remained loyal to him despite the length of his
absence.

A third might be his somewhat hidden wisdom, the
fact that he can see right through Odysseus and picks his lies out from the stories he
is telling immediately.

What are the Achaean ideals that Eumaeus, the swineherder of Odysseus, exemplifies in The Odyssey?It's supposed to be in book 14, if that helps.

One of the first is that he immediately sees to the needs of his guest without asking questions, etc.  It was important to the Achaeans that guests be taken care of, even when unannounced.

Another is his intense and long-suffering loyalty to his master Odysseus.  One of the main themes of the story, particularly upon Odysseus' return, is the question of who has been loyal and who has forgotten him or attempted to move in on his wife and his lands after he has been gone for so long.  Eumaeus has remained loyal to him despite the length of his absence.

A third might be his somewhat hidden wisdom, the fact that he can see right through Odysseus and picks his lies out from the stories he is telling immediately.

A Raisin in the Sun: Does this play have a "happy ending"? Why or why not? What do the Youngers have in store for them, once they move?

I would say that the ending is a relatively happy one.
Walter has stood up for his family, showing more commitment and veracity than he had
previously shown at any other time in the work.  At the same time, the family getting
out of its condition and moving to the suburbs is a move that is done out of the
family's best interests.  While there are so many social and personal circumstances that
are besieging the Younger family, it becomes redemptive to see them embrace the move
together and not show fear about.  The taking care of the plant, something that was a
challenge throughout the play, will now be facilitated much easier with this in mind. 
Additionally, I think that the expecting addition to the family also provides hope.
Certainly, they will face challenges in Clybourne Park and there is little to believe
that these elements will not be present.  Yet, the family is aware of that and still is
willing to take the risk for it is worth the reward.  This becomes the essence of what
immigration and movement in America is about, a reason for optimism at the end of the
play.

A Raisin in the Sun: Does this play have a "happy ending"? Why or why not? What do the Youngers have in store for them, once they move?

I would say that the ending is a relatively happy one. Walter has stood up for his family, showing more commitment and veracity than he had previously shown at any other time in the work.  At the same time, the family getting out of its condition and moving to the suburbs is a move that is done out of the family's best interests.  While there are so many social and personal circumstances that are besieging the Younger family, it becomes redemptive to see them embrace the move together and not show fear about.  The taking care of the plant, something that was a challenge throughout the play, will now be facilitated much easier with this in mind.  Additionally, I think that the expecting addition to the family also provides hope. Certainly, they will face challenges in Clybourne Park and there is little to believe that these elements will not be present.  Yet, the family is aware of that and still is willing to take the risk for it is worth the reward.  This becomes the essence of what immigration and movement in America is about, a reason for optimism at the end of the play.

What “revolutionary action” took place at the revival in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?

The "revolutionary action" that took place was that the minister who was leading the revival, himself a member of the Church of God in Christ, was taking in members for other churches.  This action, which exemplified the Biblical essence of Charity, was unheard of, and was a "first look at Charity among preachers". 

The revival was attended by members of all the different denominations of black Christians in the town.  

"Everyone attended...members of the hoity-toity Mount Zion Baptist Church mingled with the intellectual members of the African Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal Zion, and the plain working people of the Christian Methodist Episcopal.  These gatherings provided the one time in the year when all of those good village people associated with the followers of the Church of God in Christ".

After a rousing sermon on the nature of Charity, the minister asked those who felt the call to come forward and accept salvation.  He said that he was not recruiting members for the Church of God in Christ; rather, each person who would be saved should indicate which Church they would like to be affiliated with.  The minister's action was truly revolutionary in the spirit of tolerance and unity it demonstrated (Chapter 18).

Describe Mrs. Turner and her attitude towards black folk in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Mrs. Turner is a light skinned black woman who can pass for white.  She despises her black features, and embraces her white features, such as her thin nose and lips.  It is Mrs. Turner's belief that white people would be accepting of light skinned black people if the darker blacks did not act so loud and vulgar.

She also believes that dark blacks are ignorant.  She has a distinct prejudice toward dark blacks and she tries to convince Janie to marry her brother.  She feels that if light blacks married white people or light skinned blacks that they would be more accepted by white people.

Mrs. Turner does everything that she can to avoid contact with the black community, she won't shop in black stores. She despises how they laugh, how they act rowdy and uncivilized.

what is learned about macbeths battlefield deeds and activities of the thane of cawdor in act 1?

In Act I, we learn tht Macbeth has been very courageous on the battlefield.  He has led the King's forces against the traitor, the Thane of Cawdor.  When the King learns how Macbeth has excelled in bravery on behalf of Scotland, he awards him the title of Thane of Cawdor. The former Thane of Cawdor is scheduled to be executed for treason. 

"Victory was not assured, but then Macbeth entered the fray, "For brave Macbeth,-well he deserves that name,- / Disdaining fortune [ignoring the dangers], with his brandish'd steel [with his sword]… carv'd out his passage [carved his way through the battle / entered the fight]" (Lines 16-20).

Later we learn that Macbeth killed Macdonwald himself.

How is title of the novel "Persuasion" an appropriate one?

Persuasion is a novel about second chances.  It was Jane Austen's last work.  She wrote it during her illness which led to the end of her life at the young age of 42.

Jane Austen, was perhaps thinking about her own life when she wrote Persuasion, about her missed chances at love and marriage. About the nature of relationships in her society, and how love was secondary if allowed in the decision to marry at all.  I think the examination of Austen's society in this book is very thorough and insightful. 

Jane Austen reminisces in this book and as always, gives her characters a chance to find each other again, a chance that she did not have herself in her lifetime. 

The title of the book is very appropriate.  Jane Austen has succeeded in persuading the reader that love in marriage does matter and that life is about second chances. All her books teach the reader, Persuasion, as her last, gives us that happy ending that we so crave, along with Jane, who did not succeed in attaining for herself.  But she never disappoints with her characters. 

Who is the queen in The Secret Life of Bees and what does she produce? The quote at the beginning of the chapter says the queen produces something...

The queen bee serves the same purpose to her hive as the mother in society does. The queen gives the hive life and purpose, a reason for existing. If each bee didn't perform its job in the hive, it would cease to exist. The hive's job is to produce honey. Without motherhood, society would also cease to exist. Lily, so hungry for a mother's love, represents what happens when a person doesn't have the love and guidance of a mother. This is what a mother produces, both life and purpose. The Daughters of Mary feel the same sense of community that the bees do within their hive.

August Boatwright has gained her understanding of life from observing the bees and other things in nature, and she imparts this knowledge to Lily. The honey the bees produce is used not only in the religious rituals of the women, but also in every other part of their lives. It's necessary for both their spiritual and physical needs. This makes the religious imagery inseparable from the nature symbolism.

Name three scenes in which rain appears in In the Time of the Butterflies. What does it symbolize?

Rain is used as a symbol of tragic or disastrous events, or as a foreshadowing of doom.  The first scene in which it is mentioned is at the end of Chapter 1, "a clear moonlit night before the future begins".  The family is all together, and Mama is chiding Minerva for her radical and dangerous political views.  Although the sky is clear, it is "as if drops of rain had started falling", and the family ends their conversation and hurries inside.  The girls are still innocent and uninvolved directly with revolution, but the course of their fateful trajectories is beginning.

Chapter 6, in which Minerva describes the Discovery Day Ball and her disastrous encounter with Trujillo, is drenched with rain.  After Minerva spurns El Jefe, the family flees the Ball, and "the rain comes down hard, slapping sheets of it".  The following days, when Papa is arrested and Minerva and Mama are trying to obtain his release, are characterized by unremitting rain - "the rain comes down...beating against the shutters, blurring the sounds inside the house...every corner of (the country) is wet, every river overflows its banks...every wall washed clean of writing no one knows how to read anyway".

In Chapter 7, it is raining on the day of Minerva's and Manolo's wedding, signifying the turbulent path that lies ahead for the two, both in their marital relationship and their politics.

In Chapter 28 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", how does the reader get the sense that Jem and Scout are in danger?

At the beginning of Chapter 28, Scout and Jem experience a "false" attack from Cecil Jacobs on the way to the pageant. Cecil's prank, along with the fact that it is Halloween night and they are walking past the Radley place, create an ominous mood that will extend through the entire chapter.

Lee juxtaposes the "fun" dangers such as Cecil's attack and the House of Horrors at the pageant with the real terror of Bob Ewell's attack. Prior to Bob's attack, Lee builds anticipation and tension with his quiet footsteps following the children home. As Scout and Jem try to figure out what is happening to them, the reader already knows they are in mortal danger.

In what manner do the 'lists' in Gulliver's Travels help to strengthen his arguments?Pg. 174-175 in Oxford Edition; list of politicians' illnesses.

The use of lists is a statistical device to create a sense
of truth and believability in any written work. One of Swift's primary strengths as a
writer is his propensity for using "factual" techniques to support or even exaggerate
the fictitious aspects of his works. His lists seem clinical, precise, and well reasoned
while at the same time exposing the ridiculous nature of the situation. Using
statistical devices increases our trust in the author's information; one of a satirists
greatest tactics.

In what manner do the 'lists' in Gulliver's Travels help to strengthen his arguments?Pg. 174-175 in Oxford Edition; list of politicians' illnesses.

The use of lists is a statistical device to create a sense of truth and believability in any written work. One of Swift's primary strengths as a writer is his propensity for using "factual" techniques to support or even exaggerate the fictitious aspects of his works. His lists seem clinical, precise, and well reasoned while at the same time exposing the ridiculous nature of the situation. Using statistical devices increases our trust in the author's information; one of a satirists greatest tactics.

Compare the life before the revolution and after the revolution in Animal Farm.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION

As it
was stated in the book by squealer, there were a couple of “readjustments” in their food
portions Squealer always spoke of it as a "readjustment," never as a "reduction", and he
always compaired with the days of Jones. Reading out the figures he proved to the other
animals that they had more oats, more hay, more turnips then they had had in Jones's
day, that they worked shorter hours, that their drinking water was of better quality,
that they lived longer, that a larger proportion of their young ones survived infancy,
and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas. The animals
believed every word of it. The reason for this being that they had forgotten what it was
like in the Jones´s days. They had forgotten their how much food they received, how many
hours they worked and if their young survived or not. Squealer put false memories into
their heads and as the animals weren´t clever enough to realise that it was all a lie.
Which caused them to accepted whatever Squealer told them as they didn't know any
better. Hence “Knowledge is power”- Sir Frances Bacon.

Compare the life before the revolution and after the revolution in Animal Farm.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION

As it was stated in the book by squealer, there were a couple of “readjustments” in their food portions Squealer always spoke of it as a "readjustment," never as a "reduction", and he always compaired with the days of Jones. Reading out the figures he proved to the other animals that they had more oats, more hay, more turnips then they had had in Jones's day, that they worked shorter hours, that their drinking water was of better quality, that they lived longer, that a larger proportion of their young ones survived infancy, and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas. The animals believed every word of it. The reason for this being that they had forgotten what it was like in the Jones´s days. They had forgotten their how much food they received, how many hours they worked and if their young survived or not. Squealer put false memories into their heads and as the animals weren´t clever enough to realise that it was all a lie. Which caused them to accepted whatever Squealer told them as they didn't know any better. Hence “Knowledge is power”- Sir Frances Bacon.

Contrast Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca in their ideas about men and their relationships with their lovers in Othello.

Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca have different opinions
about men and these opinions are manifest in the types of relationships that the three
women have with their lovers.  Desdemona feels a sense of pity for Othello after he
reveals to her the hardships of his early life.  She recognizes the fragility of
Othello's heart and character, and she tends to his weaknesses by devoting herself to
him so that he knows that she truly loves him.  Their relationship, as a result, is one
of mutual adoration.

Emilia, on the other hand, sees Iago
as her provider and superior.  Their relationship is closed and volatile--Iago hides his
schemes and intentions from his wife even though he uses her as a pawn in his
plans.

Finally, Bianca breaks the preconceived notions of
"the prostitute" and falls in love with Cassio.  Her view of love is naive, and she does
not accept that Cassio has no loving feelings towards her.  Their relationship is
superficial, one that exists for pleasure only.

Contrast Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca in their ideas about men and their relationships with their lovers in Othello.

Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca have different opinions about men and these opinions are manifest in the types of relationships that the three women have with their lovers.  Desdemona feels a sense of pity for Othello after he reveals to her the hardships of his early life.  She recognizes the fragility of Othello's heart and character, and she tends to his weaknesses by devoting herself to him so that he knows that she truly loves him.  Their relationship, as a result, is one of mutual adoration.

Emilia, on the other hand, sees Iago as her provider and superior.  Their relationship is closed and volatile--Iago hides his schemes and intentions from his wife even though he uses her as a pawn in his plans.

Finally, Bianca breaks the preconceived notions of "the prostitute" and falls in love with Cassio.  Her view of love is naive, and she does not accept that Cassio has no loving feelings towards her.  Their relationship is superficial, one that exists for pleasure only.

What is the main theme in "Macbeth"?

The main theme that dominates Macbeth is a complex study of man's nature, particularly Macbeth when he is given a piece of information that presents a tremendous temptation.  Shakespeare was a student of humanity, he observed human interactions and in his day it could be very brutal.  Lots of plots, murders and vicious battles.  So when Macbeth is given the prophecy by the witches, his secret desire to be king is brought to the surface.  The question is what is he going to do about it. 

Macbeth chooses, along with his wife to align himself with evil.  Part of the theme centers on the forces of good and evil in nature.  Both the physical world and the interactions between human beings.

Macbeth, through his choices to pursue his goal, to be king, through unchecked ambition that acts outside the order of nature, outside of laws, ethics and morality, unleashes into the physical world a power evil that disrupts everything.

Macbeth makes a choice to harness the power of evil, both by acting on the witches prophecy and by killing everyone in his way to the throne. Therefore, the lesson of Macbeth that Shakespeare leaves us with is simple: be mindful of the gifts that evil bestows, the joy will quickly turn to sorrow when the forces of darkness collect their fee.  Don't make deals with the devil, the price is too high, most likely your humanity, your sanity, your soul. Its not worth it! 

What happened to Desdemona in "Middlesex"? Why did she take to her bed for 10 years after Lefty died?

Desdemona is an interesting character who is deeply superstitious and riddled by guilt for having married her brother, Lefty.  She also is almost hilariously dramatic when things go wrong, as evidenced by her habit of fanning herself with "six atrocity fans" when agitated.  Throughout her life, Desdemona tries to stop the bad luck she believes she inflicted upon her family through her sin of incest, even to the point of having herself sterilized.  She withdraws from her husband and, eventually, from the world.  When she takes to her bed after Lefty dies, there is nothing wrong with her physically, so her action is essentially hysterical.  Cal describes the situation perfectly, calling her grandmother "a sick person imprisoned in a healthy body".

What are the three main happenings in To Kill a Mockingbird?

This may be a matter of opinion, because every teacher
likes to focus on different aspects of a novel like this one. When I take a look with my
students, I find the book to demonstrate innocence in several ways, but three in
particular.

1. There is this storyline of Boo Radley
throughout the book. From the beginning, the children find him to be the persona that
the town believes: a phantom. The mystery of his character seems to turn out to be
different than their original suspicions. In fact, he ends up being a
hero.

2. The story of Tom Robinson's accusation and our
experience of his innocence as facts are revealed throughout the trial and beyond seems
to be a second major purpose of the novel.

3. Finally, the
loss of the children's innocence as they discover the problem of humanity's judgement
and Maycomb's prejudice occupies the majority of the book. This is important because
these children seemed to live a life in which they can learn from the mistakes of the
generation before them.

Your teacher may be looking for
something different, but in short, this is one way to divide the book into 3 major
happenings.

What are the three main happenings in To Kill a Mockingbird?

This may be a matter of opinion, because every teacher likes to focus on different aspects of a novel like this one. When I take a look with my students, I find the book to demonstrate innocence in several ways, but three in particular.

1. There is this storyline of Boo Radley throughout the book. From the beginning, the children find him to be the persona that the town believes: a phantom. The mystery of his character seems to turn out to be different than their original suspicions. In fact, he ends up being a hero.

2. The story of Tom Robinson's accusation and our experience of his innocence as facts are revealed throughout the trial and beyond seems to be a second major purpose of the novel.

3. Finally, the loss of the children's innocence as they discover the problem of humanity's judgement and Maycomb's prejudice occupies the majority of the book. This is important because these children seemed to live a life in which they can learn from the mistakes of the generation before them.

Your teacher may be looking for something different, but in short, this is one way to divide the book into 3 major happenings.

Who are the main characters in Julie of the Wolves?

By far the main character in this story is the girl the
book is named for.  She is called Julie (her white people name) or Miyax (her native
name).

The only other real human character in my mind is
Miyax's father, Kapugen.  Most of the time, he is not actually seen in the story except
in Julie's mind.

In my opinion, the most important
characters other than Miyax herself are the wolves.  I would say that there are three
major wolf characters.  The first is Amaroq, who is the leader of Miyax's pack.  The
second is the pup that she names Kapugen after her father.  Finally, there is the bad
guy among the wolves.  His name is Jello.

To me, these are
the important characters in this book.

Who are the main characters in Julie of the Wolves?

By far the main character in this story is the girl the book is named for.  She is called Julie (her white people name) or Miyax (her native name).

The only other real human character in my mind is Miyax's father, Kapugen.  Most of the time, he is not actually seen in the story except in Julie's mind.

In my opinion, the most important characters other than Miyax herself are the wolves.  I would say that there are three major wolf characters.  The first is Amaroq, who is the leader of Miyax's pack.  The second is the pup that she names Kapugen after her father.  Finally, there is the bad guy among the wolves.  His name is Jello.

To me, these are the important characters in this book.

What are some examples of imagery in "Cat in the Rain"?

As many of his other stories, Hemmingway has portrayed an
American couple as being unable to get in touch with their emotions.  The husband is
busy ignoring the wife's worries.  The cat in many ways serves as the image and the
symbol of this lack of connection between the couple.  The wife, unnamed, indicates that
she worries about the cat and does not want it to be hurt or confined by the rain.  Her
inability to free it from those constraints coincides with the fact that she is kept
confined by her husband and unable to pursue her own interests or her own
life.

In many ways Hemmingway is suggesting that the wife
feels the same way as the cat.  She cannot grow her hair out the way she wants, she
cannot go out and pursue things as she desires, just as the cat is limited by the rain. 
Of course, both of them could go out and risk getting wet or breaking all kinds of
social constraints, but at the time, this really was as unthinkable for the wife as it
was for the cat.

What are some examples of imagery in "Cat in the Rain"?

As many of his other stories, Hemmingway has portrayed an American couple as being unable to get in touch with their emotions.  The husband is busy ignoring the wife's worries.  The cat in many ways serves as the image and the symbol of this lack of connection between the couple.  The wife, unnamed, indicates that she worries about the cat and does not want it to be hurt or confined by the rain.  Her inability to free it from those constraints coincides with the fact that she is kept confined by her husband and unable to pursue her own interests or her own life.

In many ways Hemmingway is suggesting that the wife feels the same way as the cat.  She cannot grow her hair out the way she wants, she cannot go out and pursue things as she desires, just as the cat is limited by the rain.  Of course, both of them could go out and risk getting wet or breaking all kinds of social constraints, but at the time, this really was as unthinkable for the wife as it was for the cat.

In "Great Expectations," what is the purpose of Estella’s London visit and how does she feel about it?

Miss Havisham had been cheated by Compeyson on her marriage day. In order to avenge her humiliation she has adopted Estella and has carefully groomed her to become a diabolical  instrument of retribution to break the hearts of all young men. To fulfil this purpose Estella is sent to France  where she is groomed into a very cultured and elegant lady and when she returns from France  she is so much changed that Pip is not able to recognize her  (Ch.29).

As a futher step to advance her plans of vengeance Miss Havisham has decided to let loose Estella amongst the rich and aristocratic young men of London. So in Ch.33 Estella arrives in London where Pip is instructed to meet her and accompany her to her place of residence in Richmond in the outskirts of London.  Estella is to stay with Mrs.Brandley a former friend of Miss Havisham.

Pip is all excited to chaperone  such an attractive lady like Estella,but Estella herself is cold and aloof and remarks matter of  factly "we have no choice, you and I but to obey our instructions. We are not free to follow our own devices, you and I." (Ch.33) when she refuses Pip's offer to pay for the carriage which is to take her to Richmond.

Estella is fully aware of the evil designs of Miss Havisham and knows that she has no choice but to obey Miss Havisham  and accepts her unhappy situation very stoically: "her calm face was like a statue's." Ch.33.

How did slaves live in the nineteenth century in Maryland? Give one example in the novel Kindred.

Slaves in the 1800s were treated harshly. Their lives were hard. Family members were sold away from their families. Alice's father works on a different plantation, and he was beaten for going to see his wife without permission. White masters could do whatever they wanted with their slaves, and many had children by their female slaves. Trying to escape meant a beating or death, as happens when Alice tries to escape with Isaac. Nothing happens to Rufus for raping Alice even though she was a free black.

I need to know the use/effects of irony in "Just Lather, That's All." Anyone have any clues? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

In this short story we meet a Barber who is also a secret revolutionary. His enemy comes in for a shave and through this first person narration from the Barber, we find out about Captain Torres, who has killed and tortured many of the revolutionaries. The Barber shaves Torres as he contemplates cutting his throat while he is in the barber's chair, but he cannot go through with it. However, ironically, the shave actually rejuvenates Torres and makes him even look younger, rather than harm him.The most important irony of all, however, comes at the end of the story when Torres leaves unharmed and tells the Barber that everyone had thought that the Barber would kill him, but murder is a difficult task. Thus, the irony lies in the fact that all along the Captain knew the Barber wished to kill him and knew he was a revolutionary. Irony is responsible for the twist at the end which makes this a good story!

What are the similarities and differences between Tybalt and Mercutio? What are the Similarities and Differences between Tybalt and Mercutio in...

To me, the main similarity between these two characters is
that they both kind of like violence.  Tybalt is always ready to fight.  His first words
and his last words in the play are about fighting.  He has to be restrained from going
after Romeo at the ball.  Mercutio also is kind of hot headed.  In the scene where he
dies, he cannot wait to get at Tybalt and fight him.

The
difference between them (at least so far as we can see in their words) is that Tybalt
has no thoughts except violent ones.  By contrast, Mercutio is funny -- as in how he
makes fun of the Nurse in Act II, Scene 4.  He also talks all kinds of silly stuff in
his "Queen Mab" speech in Act I, Scene 4.

What are the similarities and differences between Tybalt and Mercutio? What are the Similarities and Differences between Tybalt and Mercutio in...

To me, the main similarity between these two characters is that they both kind of like violence.  Tybalt is always ready to fight.  His first words and his last words in the play are about fighting.  He has to be restrained from going after Romeo at the ball.  Mercutio also is kind of hot headed.  In the scene where he dies, he cannot wait to get at Tybalt and fight him.

The difference between them (at least so far as we can see in their words) is that Tybalt has no thoughts except violent ones.  By contrast, Mercutio is funny -- as in how he makes fun of the Nurse in Act II, Scene 4.  He also talks all kinds of silly stuff in his "Queen Mab" speech in Act I, Scene 4.

In Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby, who rides a motorcycle alongside Gatsby's car?

In Chapter 4, while Gatsby and Nick are taking a drive to the city in Gatsby's car, an unnamed policeman rides alongside on a motorcycle, and Gatsby must pull over.  Gatsby takes a card from his wallet and waves it at the officer, who immediately lets him go, saying, "Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby.  Excuse me!"  When the policeman leaves, Nick asks about the card, and Gatsby responds that he "was able to do the commissioner a favor once, and he sends me a Christmas card every year".

The incident is significant because it supports the suspicion that Gatsby is involved in some undertaking, most likely illegal, which gives him a tremendous amount of power and prestige.  This adds to the atmosphere of mystery and dangerous allure which surrounds him in the community, and to which he has contributed with the cryptic story of his life as revealed to Nick earlier in the chapter.

What literary/artisitic movement(s) did Matthew Arnold belong to in "Dover Beach"? why did he choose dover beach for a title of the poem, what does...

Arnold was heavily influenced by Wordsworth, but his poetry is chiefly notable for its confrontation with the challenges of the modern world, particularly the collapse of religious faith. In general, he took up a rationalistic and modernistic approach set within Romantic contexts.

"Dover Beach" is both the scene of the poem and a bridge into its most important metaphor, that which sees the unquestioned verities of religion inexorably receding just as the tide draws away from the shore, leaving "the vast edges drear / and naked shingles of the world." The theme is that human beings have been thrown onto their own resources in the modern world and have nothing left to hope in or rely on but themselves. With the truths of religion no longer available, just like the light which "gleams and is gone," there can be nothing but a bleak war of all against all, "where ignorant armies clash by night." The only refuge for human beings in such a situation is to be found in human society, in mutual love and faith in each other: "let us be true / to one another". 

Why does Connie tell her friends to beat up Mike Chambers in That Was Then, This Is Now?

She was very scared and angry when the other members of Mike's gang started picking on her. They are from a different neighborhood, a different gang, and have nothing in common. I'm sure she never understood why Mike took up for her and then took her home. Retaliation was just the way things were done. If you did something to one gang, that gang had to retaliate to make sure they weren't viewed as being weak. Mike was more than likely the only gang member she got a good look at so her friends would know who to go after.

This incident is important because Mike tells Bryon that he doesn't blame the girl for telling her friends. Mike says he had to do it because the violence has to stop. This makes a deep impression on Bryon throughout the book.

What is the current situation in Iraq?

The United States is in the process of drawing down the
number of troops we have stationed there, although that is a slow process.  American
troops have handed over control of the major cities to the Iraqi Army, and violence,
though still present, has decreased greatly.

The Sunni
Insurgency has, for the past two years, agreed to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq instead of the
US, and we have hired 80,000 of them as soldiers in what is called the "Awakening
Councils".  This was a spectacularly successful move, as they eradicated most of the
terror group in Iraq in about four months in 2007.

The
country is in the midst of elections, and the last vote was close, between the current
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and a challenger.

The Shia
militias (The Mehdi Army) has disarmed for now, and are not pursuing violence, but
instead are participating in the election process.

Two of
the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq were killed by US forces there last week, as reported in
the news, so gains are still being made.

The country is
recovering, and there is now hope that a stable Iraq can emerge, but they have a long
way to go.  Most analysts expect an American troop presence of 30,000 - 50,000 for some
time to come.

What is the current situation in Iraq?

The United States is in the process of drawing down the number of troops we have stationed there, although that is a slow process.  American troops have handed over control of the major cities to the Iraqi Army, and violence, though still present, has decreased greatly.

The Sunni Insurgency has, for the past two years, agreed to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq instead of the US, and we have hired 80,000 of them as soldiers in what is called the "Awakening Councils".  This was a spectacularly successful move, as they eradicated most of the terror group in Iraq in about four months in 2007.

The country is in the midst of elections, and the last vote was close, between the current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and a challenger.

The Shia militias (The Mehdi Army) has disarmed for now, and are not pursuing violence, but instead are participating in the election process.

Two of the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq were killed by US forces there last week, as reported in the news, so gains are still being made.

The country is recovering, and there is now hope that a stable Iraq can emerge, but they have a long way to go.  Most analysts expect an American troop presence of 30,000 - 50,000 for some time to come.

How do the characters’ views of one another differ from the way the reader is encouraged to view them?How does this ironic technique help to...

The narration of the story is third-person with a limited point of view, meaning that the external narrator only knows the internal thoughts and feelings of one person: Mr. Kapasi. All information about the Das family comes through the "filter" of Mr. Kapasi's consciousness. That is why Mrs. Das's intimate secret near the end of the story shocks both Mr. Kapasi and the audience--he is not expecting her to say such a thing, and, thus, neither are we.  

The reader is given access to Mr. Kapasi's thoughts and feelings as he takes the Das family on tour, but again, we are limited to Mr. Kapasi's view of himself. It is up to the reader to realize that Mr. Kapasi may not view himself as he really is. The irony in the story arises when Mr. Kapasi behaves in a way that contradicts his inner thoughts, suggesting that he may not know himself as well as he thinks he does.

How would you describe Romeo from "Romeo and Juliet" and his attitude towards love?

Romeo is a rash and emotional young man.  He feels deeply and acts quickly, often without thinking through his actions.  Case(s) in point - he charges into Juliet's garden, even though he could be killed; he rushed to marry her; he rushed to attack Tybalt after Mercutio's death; he rushed to kill himself.

His attitude towards love is over-enthusiastic.  Romeo believes that love is what makes life worthwhile - which is why he is so desperate to be in love.  He stays in love with Rosaline, even after she rejects him, up to the point when he falls in love with Juliet.  He is in love with being in love.

Romeo also believes that love is combined with hate.  After the quarrel in Act 1, scene 1, Romeo has this to say:

• Here's much to do with hate, but more with love:--
  Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
  O anything, of nothing first create!
  O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
  Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
  Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!
  Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!--
  This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

In this speech, he lists many oxymorons (contradictions): brawling love, loving hate, heavy lightness, etc..  This shows that in order to hate anything, you must also love it - otherwise, you can have no emotion for it. 

Why is the play titled A Doll's House?

In this male-dominated society, women were treated as inferior property. They went from their father's home to their husband's home and were expected to behave in a certain way. Torvald, Nora's husband, treats Nora like a child, a little doll. He has disparaging names for her, such as "little lark" or "little featherbrain". Torvald makes all decisions for Nora and establishes rules for her to follow. She's expected to play the part of the "little woman" who does as she's told, expressing no opinion and displaying no intelligence. Nora even behaves like a spoiled child because this is what Torvald expects of her.  Nora is an extension of her husband, known only as Torvald's wife who reflects his values and beliefs. As such, the title then refers to Torvald's treatment of his wife as a doll and their home as a "doll's house".

Nora's change occurs when she sees her husband's true nature. Torvald throws a huge fit, displaying his own childish nature, when he reads the first letter from Krogstad. He's only concerned about himself, and Nora refuses to accept his domination any longer. She walks out of the "doll's house" to establish herself as a woman who will be recognized for what she does and what she thinks.

Why are Emilia and Bianca so important in the play Othello?

In additions to the points mstultz72 has made, it is
important to consider their functions in the plot or story of the
play.

Both do contrast with Desdemona:  Emilia's less than
ideal relationship with her husband, Iago, contrasts strongly with the deep passion
between Othello and Desdemona; while Bianca is spoken about by Cassio as a mere
plaything and certainly not wife material in any sense.

But
they also serve the plot of the play as characters in their own rights, especially as
concerns the event surrounding the handkerchief.

Emilia
finds the handkerchief that Desdemona drops and, instead of returning it to her
mistress, she gives it to Iago.  She then lies to Desdemona, claiming she doesn't know
where it is.  This one action sets into motion the escalation of Othello's jealousy and
the supposed proof that Desdemona has been unfaithful with
Cassio.

This "proof" comes from Bianca.  Iago has given the
handkerchief to Cassio, who gives it to Bianca.  It is a pivotal turning point in
Othello's jealousy when Bianca (while Othello watches in hiding) returns the
handkerchief to Cassio.  What should Othello think now?  Clearly, Desdemona has lied
about "having" the handkerchief and has given it to
Cassio??!!

This sequence of events surrounding the
whereabouts of the handkerchief are key to the development of Othello's "evidence"
against Desdemona, and Emilia and Bianca are key players in these
events.

Why are Emilia and Bianca so important in the play Othello?

In additions to the points mstultz72 has made, it is important to consider their functions in the plot or story of the play.

Both do contrast with Desdemona:  Emilia's less than ideal relationship with her husband, Iago, contrasts strongly with the deep passion between Othello and Desdemona; while Bianca is spoken about by Cassio as a mere plaything and certainly not wife material in any sense.

But they also serve the plot of the play as characters in their own rights, especially as concerns the event surrounding the handkerchief.

Emilia finds the handkerchief that Desdemona drops and, instead of returning it to her mistress, she gives it to Iago.  She then lies to Desdemona, claiming she doesn't know where it is.  This one action sets into motion the escalation of Othello's jealousy and the supposed proof that Desdemona has been unfaithful with Cassio.

This "proof" comes from Bianca.  Iago has given the handkerchief to Cassio, who gives it to Bianca.  It is a pivotal turning point in Othello's jealousy when Bianca (while Othello watches in hiding) returns the handkerchief to Cassio.  What should Othello think now?  Clearly, Desdemona has lied about "having" the handkerchief and has given it to Cassio??!!

This sequence of events surrounding the whereabouts of the handkerchief are key to the development of Othello's "evidence" against Desdemona, and Emilia and Bianca are key players in these events.

What are three images used by the poet of "The Seafarer" in the first stanza to convey a sense of isolation? Give an example of each.

In the first selection, the narrator is portrayed as a prisoner in his surroundings, alone in his personal and icy dungeon. 

My feet were cast
In icy bands, bound with frost,

In the second example, the image is of the narrator beset upon by storms, having no shelter from the dangerous conditions and no one to protect him from them.

How wretched I was, drifting through winter
On an ice-cold sea, whirled in sorrow,
Alone in a world blown clear of love,
Hung with icicles. The hailstorms flew.
The only sound was the roaring sea,
The freezing waves.

In this last image, readers see the narrator as surrounded only by rocky cliffs, with the screams of birds as his only company.

Storms beat on the rocky cliffs and were echoed
By icy-feathered terns and the eagle's screams;
No kinsman could offer comfort there,
To a soul left drowning in desolation.

The poet uses the weather, the cries of birds, and the unwelcoming rocky cliffs to portray the alienation felt by the Seafarer.

In "Lord of the Flies", who are the boys that appear out of the jungle and what do they do?

Your question is difficult to answer without a more direct indication of what part of the book you are referring to.  If you are referring to the very beginning of the book, then the boys who first appear out of the jungle are Ralph and Piggy, who begin exploring at once, Ralph excitedly and Piggy cautiously.  They proceed to have a dialogue about the island and we learn of Piggy's unfortunate nickname for the first time. 

Be sure to ask more specific questions in the future.  Refer to specific chapters or characters.  Good luck!

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," is Irving implying that there are degrees of sinfulness?irvings degrees of sinfullness

Yes, Irving does imply that there are degrees of sinfulness.  One of the more obvious examples of this implication is when the devil suggests to Tom that he make his fortune by slave-trading and Tom refuses.  Tom is shown to be a heartless man (his only concern when his wife goes missing is the return of the valuables she took with her), but even he won't commit a sin that great.  Earlier in the story, when the devil and Tom Walker first meet in the forest, Tom notes that some trees had been "more or less scored by the axe".  This seems to indicate that perhaps the greater the score by the axe, the greater the sinner.

What may be foreshadowed by Caesar's ghost appearing to Brutus and saying he will see Brutus at Philippi?

Caesar's ghost is a manifestation of Brutus' guilty conscience.  Only Brutus sees it, so it is possible that the ghost only exists in Brutus' mind.  It is at Philippi where Brutus becomes reiterates that he would give his life for his country, and seeing how he was part of the civil war that broke out in Rome, Brutus believes he deserves to die.  He had honestly believed that assassinating Caesar was in Rome's best interest.   However, after misjudging Marc Antony by thinking that he was not a threat and then becoming partners with someone like Cassius who has been reported to have accepted bribes, Brutus realizes his role in the destuction of what he loved more than friends (like Caesar) and family (like Portia)...Rome.  The appearance of Caesar's ghost forshadows the realization in Brutus as well as his suicide.

Why are all the men portrayed so poorly in "Who Do You Think You Are"? ex. clifford, patrick, tom etcex. clifford, patrick, tom etc

This book is a story about two women trying to find happiness and success in the world they live in.  That world is not pleasant.  It is filled with injustice, poverty, and abuse.  Discrimination, between classes and sexes, runs rampant.  Flo and Rose, particularly Rose, must realize that she does not have to be held back by that world.  She must make the world her own.  She starts to do this through acting, making a different life for herself.  Finally, she understands that she must take her own life for what it is and make the most of it.

The abusive father, insensitive husband, and the numerous portrayals of the violence of men throughout the story are done to alienate Rose.  The setting - Ireland in the early 1970s - is not kind to woman.  They are still held to different social standards than men and still have a harder time getting ahead than men.  Socially, women are lower.  Munro makes all the men "evil" in order to highlight this truth and show that it is one of the things that Rose must choose to live with, not run from.

Does anyone know a famous civil war quote about leadership and taking responsibility by James Longstreet?

Here are several to consider.

In the following quote, we see the General having to make both strategic and difficult choices in battle.   

As full lines of battle could not be handled through the thick wood, I ordered the advance of the six brigades by heavy skirmish lines, to be followed by stronger supporting lines. 

On the difficulty of having to wait for rewards and/or satisfaction for having assumed a leadership role:

I hope to live long enough to see my surviving comrades march side by side with the Union veterans along Pennsylvania Avenue, and then I will die happy.

On the downside of leadership:

If the blame (if there is any) can be shifted from him to me, I shall help him and our cause by taking it. I desire, therefore, that all the responsibility that can be put upon me shall go there and shall remain there.

What is the initial incident in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

In my opinion, the initial incident in this story is not
really even seen in the story.  To me, the initial incident is whatever Fortunato did in
the past to Montresor.

The initial incident is the thing
that leads to the rising action in the story.  To me, the rising action in this story is
the interaction between Montresor and Fortunato as Montresor maneuvers Fortunato into
going down into Montresor's wine cellars.

So the initial
incident has to be whatever caused this to happen.  In my opinion, that is the conflict
between them that is only referred to in this story.

What is the initial incident in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

In my opinion, the initial incident in this story is not really even seen in the story.  To me, the initial incident is whatever Fortunato did in the past to Montresor.

The initial incident is the thing that leads to the rising action in the story.  To me, the rising action in this story is the interaction between Montresor and Fortunato as Montresor maneuvers Fortunato into going down into Montresor's wine cellars.

So the initial incident has to be whatever caused this to happen.  In my opinion, that is the conflict between them that is only referred to in this story.

Characterize Snowball as a leader in "Animal Farm".

Snowball is a pretty popular leader on Animal Farm.  (In terms of the book's allegorical references, he represents Leon Trotsky.)  Snowball devises several plans for the future of Animal Farm, most notably his plans for the windmill, which sparks a debate amongst the animals.  Just as Snowball begins to gain too much popularity, Napoleon has him exiled from the farm, never to be seen again.  Typically, Snowball is seen as the better of the two possible leaders (himself and Napoleon, who represents Joseph Stalin).  Howver, both pigs step up to try to seize power once Mr. Jones is overthrown, and both do abuse power fairly early on.  For example, they partake in the eating of the windfall apples by the pigs, justifying it because they are the brain workers of the farm and need better food than the other animals.

In Tom Sawyer, how does Huck inadvertently inform the Welshman of the true identity of the "deaf and dumb" Spaniard?

As Huck Finn is describing the intruders to the Welshman, he makes the mistake of describing the speech of the deaf and mute Spaniard.  The Welshman realizes now that Huck knows more than he is letting on.  The older man reassures Huck of his safety, and Huck whispers the true name of the Spaniard in the Welshman's ear.

"'Taint a Spaniard - it's Injun Joe!"

Why is the book called Like Water for Chocolate? Does it mean necessary? Does it mean hot?

The title is a simile for Tita's passion for Pedro. Her love for him is as hot as water needs to be to melt chocolate. Don't think of the powdered mixes we use but a chocolate bar. When Pedro marries her sister, Tita's only way to express her love is through her food, which somehow magically conveys her feelings. The author considers cooking to be an act of love:

And I am convinced that cooking ... is an inversion of the couple's sexual role. This nurturing that our essence carries, and that our love carries and all these emotions, where we are all contained—this is how the woman can, in fact, penetrate the man, this is how it converts, and the man is the passive one, he receives this, and for me it is very intense and very erotic.

In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," why is Peyton anonymous until the second part of the story?

A central theme of Naturalism is the indifference of Nature to what happens to the individual.  This indifference is conveyed by Bierce's objective narration in part I in which only an observation of the setting and character is provided.  The focus of the reader falls to the setting and action of the instruments of war who observe military etiquette in "silence and fixity," at least until the man ponders his death as he becomes conscious of his watch ticking.  Thus, the anonymity of the character conveys the coldness of war and indifference of Nature.

With this focus now on an individual, the observations of part II are from within the character of Peyton Farquhar as well as outside him; thus, the narration switches to omniscient narration in part II; the narrator knows everything, the inner thoughts of  his character as well as his actions.  In part III the narrator switches to limited third person as the narrator focuses solely on the thoughts and feelings of one character.  With this narration, the reader begins to identify with the character.

However, the stark ending returns the reader to the very indifference of life and the brutality of war.  As he is in the beginning of the story, Peyton Farquhar becomes just a man, a prisoner now dead.

In "Home Burial," name three things the wife is upset about. Which will be the hardest for her husband to address?

I think the three things the wife is upset about is, of course, the death of her child, her husbands seeming callousness towards the catastrophe, or, at least his inability to express his grief about it, and finally, the utter final loneliness and finality of death itself.

The husband tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to address the first two of his wife's concerns.  He tries to console her in her grief, saying, "Let me into your grief", even while he admits, "My words are nearly always an offence, I don't know how to speak of anything so as to please you.  But I might be taught".  Although he is unable to reach her, he is able to at least address the issues, and makes an attempt to understand.

The last of his wife's complaints is something the husband cannot do anything about, because it concerns the very nature of humankind.  The wife laments, "from the time when one is sick to death, one is alone, and he dies more alone...the world's evil".  She is expressing the sense that true communication is impossible ("You couldn't care!), and that man is doomed to live life in isolation, a condition that only becomes worse after death.

What do you think Lois Lowry meant when she said this book is for all the children to whom we entrust the future?

The line you mention is the dedication of the book.  I
think that the author dedicated the book in this way to show that she means the book to
be a warning to people.  She hopes that children will read the book and be inspired to
prevent our society from becoming like that of Jonas's
community.

In this book, the author is warning about the
dangers of trying to make our communities too homogeneous.  She is trying to show that
making everyone be like everyone else (and taking the danger out of our lives) is
something that will make us less human.

By dedicating this
to "children" she is trying (I think) to emphasize that the book is meant to tell us
what is valuable in human life and society.

What do you think Lois Lowry meant when she said this book is for all the children to whom we entrust the future?

The line you mention is the dedication of the book.  I think that the author dedicated the book in this way to show that she means the book to be a warning to people.  She hopes that children will read the book and be inspired to prevent our society from becoming like that of Jonas's community.

In this book, the author is warning about the dangers of trying to make our communities too homogeneous.  She is trying to show that making everyone be like everyone else (and taking the danger out of our lives) is something that will make us less human.

By dedicating this to "children" she is trying (I think) to emphasize that the book is meant to tell us what is valuable in human life and society.

What do you think Chillingworth means when he says of the father of Hester's child "I shall read (the letter of infamy) on his heart"?

I do not disagree with what has already been said, but I think that the original state of Chillingworth's "heart" is not as bent on revenge as it later becomes. Admittedly, he starts out to find out who the father is, and he has been hurt by Hester's behavior --- although he realizes that part of it is his fault. One of the things the story is about, however, is how the obsession with revenge corrupts the one seeking it to where Hester can say, "That man's sin is blacker than our own --- he has violated in cold blood the sanctity of the human soul." From seeking to reveal the father, perhaps for revenge, perhaps to make him own up to what he has done, Chillingworth becomes the most evil (?) character in the book ... but it is the transformation that is interesting, not the evil.

In chapter 5, what is ironic about the cottage owner's refusal to put thatched roofs on their homes?

The Great Gatsby shows how, in the world in which the characters resided, class lines were strict and could not be completely crossed.  The old-money East Eggers might party with the nouveau riche West Eggers, but they felt superior to the West Eggers and wouldn't do more than occasionally rub elbows with them.  Certainly, neither the East Egg residents nor the West Egg residents had much to do with the people who lived in the area of town where the Wilson's lived, beyond, that is, using them the way Tom used Myrtle.  The brewer who built Gatsby's house and wanted the area residents to put thatched roofs on their cottages wanted them to do that so he could feel like the Lord of the Manor with his own little village of peasantry to rule.  Their refusal shows that they might work for the rich, but they had enough pride to refuse to be ruled by them.  Similarly, Myrtle might allow Tom to use her, but she refused to be completely subservient to him as she proved when she kept repeating Daisy's name.

In "Animal Farm" how does Napoleon create a common and absent enemy?

The common and absent enemy is Snowball. Napoleon manages to paint him as such because he had him run off the farm. Napoleon took the nine puppies born to one of the dogs and raised those puppies himself to be his body guards and his mechanism for striking fear into the hearts and minds of the animals who might also be dissidents. When the dogs were first debuted to the farm it was in order to run Snowball off the farm. With Snowball gone, unable to defend his actions, Napoleon begins to blame all the problems of the farm on him, using him as a scapegoat. He was perfect for the job because he was no where to be seen or found so the animals began to believe it too. Napoleon used Squealer, a dynamic speaker, and the animals' poor memories and lack of intelligence to paint Snowball into the enemy he needed in order to get things done on the farm.

How would you summarize Frankenstein in less than ten sentences?The major points of the book

(1)Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is
a macbre tale that resonates with many moral implications in which there is a
complication of good versus evil as ambition versus social responsibility.  (2)Victor
Frankenstein, whose obsession to know the wonders of science, drives him to perform
something never done before--the creation of a living being--leads him onto a path in
which his "vaulting ambition" collides with his moral responsibilities.  (3)When he
rejects the creature he had made as it is so hideous, Frankenstein unleashes misery. 
(4)Alone and isolated from human company, the creature seeks the warmth of friendship;
however, when all who see him are terrified and repulsed, in anger against his creator,
the creature retaliates by killing them.  (5)Victor refuses to acknowledge that these
murders have been committed by a creature he has made; instead, he holds his guilt
within his heart and watches his loved ones be murdered by the monster he has made. 
(6)But, it is he who is truly monstrous, for he has rejected his creature and made him
so hideous that all others reject him, too.  (7)Nevertheless. Victor's extreme pride
prevents him from confessing his and the creature's guilt, and he dies after trying
desperately to reach the creature so that he can avenge himself and his loved ones upon
it.  (8)Rescued by Captain Walton who is on his way to the North Pole, Victor
Frankenstein dies aboard ship; his creature, who has followed him, weeps openly and begs
Victor to forgive him, leaving to end his own miserable life as
well.

How would you summarize Frankenstein in less than ten sentences?The major points of the book

(1)Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a macbre tale that resonates with many moral implications in which there is a complication of good versus evil as ambition versus social responsibility.  (2)Victor Frankenstein, whose obsession to know the wonders of science, drives him to perform something never done before--the creation of a living being--leads him onto a path in which his "vaulting ambition" collides with his moral responsibilities.  (3)When he rejects the creature he had made as it is so hideous, Frankenstein unleashes misery.  (4)Alone and isolated from human company, the creature seeks the warmth of friendship; however, when all who see him are terrified and repulsed, in anger against his creator, the creature retaliates by killing them.  (5)Victor refuses to acknowledge that these murders have been committed by a creature he has made; instead, he holds his guilt within his heart and watches his loved ones be murdered by the monster he has made.  (6)But, it is he who is truly monstrous, for he has rejected his creature and made him so hideous that all others reject him, too.  (7)Nevertheless. Victor's extreme pride prevents him from confessing his and the creature's guilt, and he dies after trying desperately to reach the creature so that he can avenge himself and his loved ones upon it.  (8)Rescued by Captain Walton who is on his way to the North Pole, Victor Frankenstein dies aboard ship; his creature, who has followed him, weeps openly and begs Victor to forgive him, leaving to end his own miserable life as well.

Who does Hector Negron shoot in the post office in "Miracle at St. Anna"?

In the scene in the prologue, it appears that Hector is shooting an innocent customer in the face.  The customer appears at his window asking for a 20 cent stamp.  Hector shoots him in response.  It is not until the epilogue that the reader understands why this has happened.

The customer, you see, is actually Rudolfo, the Italian villager who betrays his peers and the African-American soldiers to the Germans and puts everyone's lives in danger.  Hector is the only one of his group to survive.  Rudolfo also remains protected and untouched at the time. 

The coming together of two men at the end, in the post office, is meant by McBride to be a signal of God's divine will and justice.  Like the arrival at the church during the German seige in St. Anna, the arrival of Rudolfo in Hector's post office is part of a larger plan.  God is giving Hector the chance to avenge his fallen comrades, and Hector seizes that opportunity without pause.

In "Lord of the Flies", can the symbol of creepers be symbolized as immunization? everybody hate's shot's just like in the begining of the book the...

Given the theme of the novel, the creepers probably probably represent serpents or snakes which are associated with the devil and evil. Snakes creep along and resemble the long tentacles of the plants which grab at the boys' legs. Since one of the themes of the novel is the evil which exists in mankind, the creepers seem to represent a symbol of that evil which is grabbing hold of the boys and slows their progress along the island just as the evil inside of the boys slows their progress towards forming some kind of civilized society. The sound of the word "creepers" is also a clue to its meaning. The word is very close to "creepy"--again something that suggests possible evil.

Please explain how the greenhouse effect works on Venus.help

Venus has an atmosphere that is 96% carbon dioxide.  The heat is trapped in the atmosphere, it can't escape to allow for the plant to cool naturally.  As the Sun heats up the surface, that heat is absorbed by the gases and radiated back to the surface.

"Venus has no ocean. Venus is covered by thick, rapidly spinning clouds that trap surface heat, creating a scorched greenhouse-like world with temperatures hot enough to melt lead and pressure so intense that standing on Venus would feel like the pressure felt 900 meters deep in Earth's oceans."

"These clouds reflect sunlight in addition to trapping heat. Because Venus reflects so much sunlight, it is usually the brightest planet in the night sky."  

"Venus provides a perfect example of the greenhouse effect. Heat from the Sun penetrates the planet's atmosphere and reaches the surface. The heat is then prevented from escaping back into space by atmospheric carbon dioxide (similar to heat in a greenhouse)."

"The result is that Venus has a surface temperature of 900°F (482°C), even hotter than that of Mercury, the closet planet to the Sun."

What is the family background of Ponyboy and Johnny in The Outsiders?

Johnny lives with his parents.  Neither of them is very
nice to him at all.  If you want to see her attitude towards him, look at the part where
he is in the hospital and she is trying to visit him.  In Chapter 1, Pony says that
Johnny is often beaten by his father and that he only the gang loves him -- not his
parents.

Pony lives with his two brothers.  Their parents
both died some years ago leaving Darry, the oldest brother, to have to get a job to
support his younger brothers.

They both have family
problems, but Pony's is a loving family, unlike Johnny's.

What is the family background of Ponyboy and Johnny in The Outsiders?

Johnny lives with his parents.  Neither of them is very nice to him at all.  If you want to see her attitude towards him, look at the part where he is in the hospital and she is trying to visit him.  In Chapter 1, Pony says that Johnny is often beaten by his father and that he only the gang loves him -- not his parents.

Pony lives with his two brothers.  Their parents both died some years ago leaving Darry, the oldest brother, to have to get a job to support his younger brothers.

They both have family problems, but Pony's is a loving family, unlike Johnny's.

I dont understanding dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Can someone explain them or give some examples?

Irony is when something happens or is said that is opposite of what you expect.  The three basic types are situational, verbal, and dramatic irony.

Situational--something happens that is opposite of the expected outcome.  Example:  A couple have been dating for years.  He plans to propose and takes her to a romantic restaurant.  He drops to one knee, and pops the question.  She laughs out loud and says, "You've got to be kidding.  You're just my way of killing time."  Expected outcome:  she says yes and they live happily ever after.  The actual outcome is a shocker.

Verbal irony--something is said that is unexpected. Two gangsters from rival gangs meet unexpectedly in an alley.  One pulls out a gun and says, "I'll send you to hell."  The other says, "I love you."  Totally opposite of what one would expect.

Dramatic irony--when the audience knows more than the actors.  Example:  Romeo is in the bushes while Juliet is speaking.  We know he's there while she is pledging her love to him, but SHE doesn't.

In The Hiding Place, what almost happens to Corrie during a night of bombing raids?

I am assuming you mean the night that the Germans invade
Holland and the family is sitting around frightened by the sound of the
bombs?

In this case, Corrie eventually fell asleep despite
the commotion and she had a long dream which foreshadowed many of the events that would
take place after the German invasion.  She saw her family and others that she knew
riding in a wagon through the town square.  Her sister informed her that no matter what
this was a good thing as it indicated that things were in God's hands and he would guide
things according to his will.

In The Hiding Place, what almost happens to Corrie during a night of bombing raids?

I am assuming you mean the night that the Germans invade Holland and the family is sitting around frightened by the sound of the bombs?

In this case, Corrie eventually fell asleep despite the commotion and she had a long dream which foreshadowed many of the events that would take place after the German invasion.  She saw her family and others that she knew riding in a wagon through the town square.  Her sister informed her that no matter what this was a good thing as it indicated that things were in God's hands and he would guide things according to his will.

What happens in Chapters 7, 8, and 9 in the book In the Time of the Butterflies?

In Chapter 7, it is revealed that Papa has died and Minerva has gone to the University to study law, where she meets Manolo and becomes active in the underground.  While visiting her, Mate begins to have recurring dreams about a coffin, in which she sees the faces of her father and other men.  Minerva marries Manolo, and Mate meets and marries Leandro, becoming active in the movement as well.

In Chapter 8, Patria, who has been married 18 years, reflects on how different her life is from her sisters.  Newly pregnant, Patria attends a religious retreat in the mountains and is caught in the middle of a battle between rebels and government forces.  When she sees a young boy gunned down before her eyes, Patria, who has tried to keep her oldest son from joining the revolution, is galvanized into action herself.  Her home becomes the headquarters for the 14th of June Movement, which seeks to overthrow the government from within.

In Chapter 9, Dede explains that she was forbidden by her husband to join her sisters in revolution.  At one point she decides to defy his wishes and leave him, but first she seeks counsel at the church, and learns that even the church is part of the movement.  Dede soon realizes that she is involved in the underground by association with her family, whether she actually joins in their activities or not.  Within a short time, Trujillo's police begin to round up the family one by one.

What is the name of the Indian toy in "Night of the Twisters"?

The "toy" that Arthur makes for his arts and crafts class is called a bull-roarer (sometimes it is spelled without the hyphen). The teacher wanted the students to think of something "indiany" to make, and that was his suggestion. Later in the novel when the tornadoes hit, Arthur thinks he caused the bad weather because he actually made a bull-roarer and tested it out. He tells Dan that the Hopi Indians never allow their children to play with one in the springtime because the sound can bring on death and destruction. He tells Dan that he knew about the legend, but he swung the toy anyway, and their art teacher's house was "ripped apart worse than anybody's."

A bull-roarer is a flat piece of wood attached to a string. When it is swung, it makes a whirring noise that sounds like a bull. Some Native Americans believed that this device could be used to control the weather.

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Is the theme of "Thirteen ways if looking at a Black bird" is that there is only one possible truth?

In "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," I believe
the author's theme is to look beyond outer characteristics. Just in the title itself,
the author encourages or suggests that there is more than one way to look at one thing.
The fact that the author chooses a blackbird for his multiple observations is ironic in
that a blackbird has no distinctiveness in its appearance, in comparison to another type
of bird, such as a peacock. The blackbird is just black with no variation in shades of
color. How ironic that the author would write of thirteen ways of looking at such a
plain, ordinary bird. For this reason, it is apparent the author is challenging the
reader to look at such an ordinary part of life in many different ways. Such a varied
study would prove to the reader that life may seem ordinary, but beyond the typical, jet
black feathers, there are interesting actions associated with the blackbird that account
for at least thirteen different ways to look at it.

Perhaps
your first interpretation of there being only one truth could be changed to thirteen
possible truths. Why would the author suggests thirteen ways of looking at something?
Why only thirteen? Why not ten as in the children's song "Ten little blackbirds sitting
in a tree?" Why not "four and twenty blackbirds" as were "baked in a pie?" Wallace
challenges the reader to look at one simple blackbird thirteen ways, not twelve which
would at least be an even, balanced number.

Even more
interesting, why does the author choose of all birds a blackbird, which has very little,
if any, outstanding features? The only thing I can really perceive, infer, is that the
author's theme is an underlying one of look beyond what you see with the physical eye.
Since reading the poem, I am now more curious than ever about what Stevens sees in a
blackbird. If this simple, yet complex, poem can so arouse my curiosity, perhaps the
author's point is well taken. Look at something again and again and again and one may
have a different perspective.

Stevens alludes to this in
stanza II..."I was of three minds, like a tree in which there are three blackbirds. How
can one person have three minds?

If you study each stanza,
the reader will see that Stevens is indicating that there is more than one way to look
at something. My favorite is stanza VII when Stevens questions the "thin men of Haddam"
about their imagining gold birds. Stevens alerts them to the fact the the simple,
ordinary blackbird brushes the feet of their women around
them.

Again in stanza VIII, Stevens "[knows] noble accents,
but he points out that "the blackbird is involved in what [he knows] as well. Here is it
inferred that the blackbird is involved in Stevens' noble knowings. Perhaps I have given
you a number of ways to look at Stevens' poem. Maybe not thirteen, but hopefully enough
to help you better understand the poem.

Is the theme of "Thirteen ways if looking at a Black bird" is that there is only one possible truth?

In "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," I believe the author's theme is to look beyond outer characteristics. Just in the title itself, the author encourages or suggests that there is more than one way to look at one thing. The fact that the author chooses a blackbird for his multiple observations is ironic in that a blackbird has no distinctiveness in its appearance, in comparison to another type of bird, such as a peacock. The blackbird is just black with no variation in shades of color. How ironic that the author would write of thirteen ways of looking at such a plain, ordinary bird. For this reason, it is apparent the author is challenging the reader to look at such an ordinary part of life in many different ways. Such a varied study would prove to the reader that life may seem ordinary, but beyond the typical, jet black feathers, there are interesting actions associated with the blackbird that account for at least thirteen different ways to look at it.

Perhaps your first interpretation of there being only one truth could be changed to thirteen possible truths. Why would the author suggests thirteen ways of looking at something? Why only thirteen? Why not ten as in the children's song "Ten little blackbirds sitting in a tree?" Why not "four and twenty blackbirds" as were "baked in a pie?" Wallace challenges the reader to look at one simple blackbird thirteen ways, not twelve which would at least be an even, balanced number.

Even more interesting, why does the author choose of all birds a blackbird, which has very little, if any, outstanding features? The only thing I can really perceive, infer, is that the author's theme is an underlying one of look beyond what you see with the physical eye. Since reading the poem, I am now more curious than ever about what Stevens sees in a blackbird. If this simple, yet complex, poem can so arouse my curiosity, perhaps the author's point is well taken. Look at something again and again and again and one may have a different perspective.

Stevens alludes to this in stanza II..."I was of three minds, like a tree in which there are three blackbirds. How can one person have three minds?

If you study each stanza, the reader will see that Stevens is indicating that there is more than one way to look at something. My favorite is stanza VII when Stevens questions the "thin men of Haddam" about their imagining gold birds. Stevens alerts them to the fact the the simple, ordinary blackbird brushes the feet of their women around them.

Again in stanza VIII, Stevens "[knows] noble accents, but he points out that "the blackbird is involved in what [he knows] as well. Here is it inferred that the blackbird is involved in Stevens' noble knowings. Perhaps I have given you a number of ways to look at Stevens' poem. Maybe not thirteen, but hopefully enough to help you better understand the poem.

In "1984," is Julia a spy? Please provide specific examples from the book.My teacher says that he knows of 17 pieces of evidence which proves that...

That's a lot of evidence. I never read the book as if she were a spy, but from that point of view I can give you some help.

1. Julia was outwardly an active member of the Party. She was in the Junior Anti Sex League, she spent countless hours in the Community Center.

2. In Part One when he sees her outside Charrington's shop, she might have followed him there as part of her spying.

3. She knew how to "travel" so they wouldn't get caught, for example coming two separate ways and going home two entirely different ways- not common knowledge to Party members and Winston is impressed by her knowledge and planning.

4. She already knew his name before she met him, even though they had never really crossed paths or spoken before.

5. At their first meeting she gave him a piece of authentic chocolate, not Victory chocolate, which she says she got on the "black market".

6. She gets several items from the "black market" for almost all of their meetings, coffee, chocolate, jam, sugar.

7. When she was young she was a Troop leader in the Spies.

8. She admits to total promiscuity with Party members, although no Inner Party members she does confess to having hundreds of sexual partners (possibly people she has turned in before if she's a spy).

9. He talks to her about his memories of changing records and she asks him questions, particularly if he was friends with Rutherford, Jones, and Aaronson.

How does Montag foil the hound in "Fahrenheit 451"?

Montag foils two mechanical hounds. Just as he turns the flamethrower on Beatty, the Mechanical Hound appears. Montag turns the flamethrower onto it, burning its circuitry. Nevertheless, the Hound manages to get a partial injection of anesthetic into Montag. He continues to try to escape, and makes it to Faber's house. Then, another, more sophisticated, Hound appears. To prevent the Hound from following his scent into Faber's house, he and Faber take measures to confuse the Hound's sense of smell. Montag manages to stay ahead of the manhunt and makes it to the river. He plunges into the river where his scent cannot be detected any longer.

What's the difference between foot-washing Baptist and Baptist, as mentioned in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

The term "foot-washing Baptist" is used in Chapter 5 of the novel to describe both Boo's father and Nathan Radley, Boo's brother.  Here is the quote from the novel:

Miss Maudie settled her bridgework. "You know old Mr. Radley was a foot-washing Baptist-" 
        "That's what you are, ain't it?"
        "My shell's not that hard, child. I'm just a Baptist." 
        ....
        Apparently deciding that it was easier to define primitive baptistry than closed communion, Miss Maudie said: "Foot-washers believe anything that's pleasure is a sin. Did you know some of 'em came out of the woods one Saturday and passed by this place and told me me  and my flowers were going to hell?"

      Scout is at first confused, thinking that foot-washing means what it says.  However, as Miss Maudie explains, it is a reference to a strict adherence to "cleaniness" of the soul.  As humans, we should not experience pleasure, for that takes away from God's power and our worship of him.  A "just" Baptist, like Miss Maudie, is a Christian who follows Baptist rules, but believe that it is ok to take in pleasure in the experiences of life.

How does the concept of honor manifest itself in "Othello"?I'm doing a essay on Othello so I need help with it.

Honor manifest in Othello in several ways. Some are positive; some are not. Othello faces the charges Brabantio hurls against him openly and in public, in part because of his honor. This leads him to honorable action. On the other hand, Othello's offended honor, with his sense that Desdemona has cheated on him, is part of what drives him to kill her. A third position on honor is Iago's. When he is talking to Roderigo, Iago tells him that virtue (and by extension honor) are meaningless. What matters is the ability to get what you want.

How did Rosa Parks contribute to society?

I think the most important contribution Rosa Parks made
was that, in her act of defiance, she proved that it is possible for a person to make a
stand against an unjust law. She may not have meant to become the figure that she did in
history, and in the greater scheme of things her action was not that huge, but what she
did was act instead of sitting idly by and allowing an unjust law to continue to
exist.

What Parks did is not much different from many other
important figures who have gotten their name into our history text books. She saw
something that was wrong with society and instead of just allowing it to continue she
did something about it. This is how revolutions begin - with one person who is wiling to
issue a challenge, to be a leader. It does not matter how many people disagree with
something if none of them are willing to take the risk and stand against what they don't
agree with.

How did Rosa Parks contribute to society?

I think the most important contribution Rosa Parks made was that, in her act of defiance, she proved that it is possible for a person to make a stand against an unjust law. She may not have meant to become the figure that she did in history, and in the greater scheme of things her action was not that huge, but what she did was act instead of sitting idly by and allowing an unjust law to continue to exist.

What Parks did is not much different from many other important figures who have gotten their name into our history text books. She saw something that was wrong with society and instead of just allowing it to continue she did something about it. This is how revolutions begin - with one person who is wiling to issue a challenge, to be a leader. It does not matter how many people disagree with something if none of them are willing to take the risk and stand against what they don't agree with.

What does Winston's recollection about a prostitute reveal about him in "1984"?

Winston's encounter with the prostitute is one of the events that foreshadows his eventual failure and destruction. It shows that Winston is driven by instinct and feeling as much as by reason, and that he can be tempted by his mere physical desires into taking actions that put him at risk for no real long-term advantage. It is a precursor of his sexual relationship with Julia, which although a much more attractive and healthier affair, was equally imprudent if Winston were really interested in resisting the rule of the Party effectively. 

As his name indicates ("Winston Smith," from the hero Winston Churchill and the most ordinary of surnames, Smith), the protagonist of Nineteen Eighty-Four is presented as a very mixed bag of good and bad qualities. The prostitute incident is an early alert to the reader of one of his greatest flaws and a warning that he is doomed to fail because of his own inadequacy.

Why did Macbeth's character change from hero to villain?

A couple of reasons came to mind as I read your question. First of all, the witches are an enormous influence on Macbeth's decision to pursue an evil, dark path toward murder. Had they kept their mouths shut and not done their prophecies about him becoming king, he MIGHT have remained a loyal subject to King Duncan (I say MIGHT because we really don't know...he seems to be so easily influenced by outside forces that something else might have sent him down the road to treason at a later date).

A second reason is Lady Macbeth, his wife. She could very easily have said, "Now, now, dear, let's just wait and see what happens. Maybe the witches mean that Duncan is going to name you heir, so we'll just wait and see what happens." But no, she all but pushes him into the bedroom to murder Duncan in his sleep, mocking Macbeth whenever he shows any weakness at all.

Interestingly, it's the women in his life - three witches and his wife - who set Macbeth on the path from heroism and loyalty to treason and villainy.

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In The Freedom Writers Diary, why does Erin refer to the Nazis as the most famous gang in history?

She refers to them as a gang to demonstrate to her
students, almost all of whom are gang members or most likely future gang members, that
gangs abuse power and that they do not improve a community.  She knows that by
introducing them in such a way, her students will be interested, and then as she starts
to tell them of the atrocities that the Nazi "gang" committed against Anne Frank and her
family, she hopes that her students will start to consider what their involvement in a
gang might do to the innocent.

Similarly, after she builds
up the Nazis as one of the most powerful gangs in history, she can demonstrate through
Miep Gies (the woman who helped hide Anne and her family) that even someone who appears
to be weak and insignificant can stand up against a huge gang.

In The Freedom Writers Diary, why does Erin refer to the Nazis as the most famous gang in history?

She refers to them as a gang to demonstrate to her students, almost all of whom are gang members or most likely future gang members, that gangs abuse power and that they do not improve a community.  She knows that by introducing them in such a way, her students will be interested, and then as she starts to tell them of the atrocities that the Nazi "gang" committed against Anne Frank and her family, she hopes that her students will start to consider what their involvement in a gang might do to the innocent.

Similarly, after she builds up the Nazis as one of the most powerful gangs in history, she can demonstrate through Miep Gies (the woman who helped hide Anne and her family) that even someone who appears to be weak and insignificant can stand up against a huge gang.

Is Tea Cake acting out of character when he beats Janie? Why do you suppose Janie remains silent in the face of Tea Cake's physical abuse?

Perhaps Tea Cake does act out of character when he beats Janie because, until the incident, he appears to be an atypical man of the time period. He has treated Janie as an equal and truly loves her as his partner rather than as someone inferior to him. When Mrs. Turner brings her brother to Tea Cake's house in chapter 17, however, the stereotypical and societal expectations of a black man's behavior with his wife surface and pressure Tea Cake to conform to these expectations so that he feels he must assert his dominance over Janie "tuh show dem Turners who is boss" (141).

Perhaps Janie remains silent because she understands the way society, at that time, worked. She loves Tea Cake and knows he is not beathing her because of anything SHE has done, so her silence might actually be an expression of her love for him.

Why does True Son contemplate suicide in The Light in the Forest?What does the old sycamore at the forks of the Muskingum symbolize?

True Son is determined not to be taken back to live among
the white men, but his father is unyielding, and says that he must go. When he learns
that he must leave his home the next day for Pennsylvania, he is filled with despair,
and cannot imagine living among the people he so despises. He
thinks,

"Never
would he go to this enemy land. How could he exist among a race of aliens with such
slouching ways and undignified speech! How could he live and breathe and not be an
Indian!"

Feeling that he has
no way out, True Son remembers his father's friend, Make Daylight, who had been forsaken
by his squaw, and had eaten the root of the May apple so as not to have to live with his
disgrace. Since he had been a brave warrior, the tribe had not condemned Make Daylight
for his action, and True Son feels that they would act in the same way towards him. True
Son is determined not to be taken to Pennsylvania to live among the white man. To him,
death is a far better and more honorable alternative.

The
ancient sycamore that stands at the forks of the Muskigum is symbolic of the parting of
trails that True Son must face. The tree has "one dead limb pointing to the gloomy trace
to Pennsylvania," and, on the far side, "a live branch indicat(ing) the path running
bright and free toward home." It is significant that the dead limb points toward the
land of the white man, where True Son dreads to go, while the live branch points the way
home, where True Son might live in happiness and freedom (Chapter
3).