How do you think WWII might have ended if the United States didn't drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Agreed with the statements above, but let's also be
clear.  The war would have ended the same way - with a Japanese surrender to the United
States.  Consider the military position Japan was in by early August 1945, with no
remaining air force or much of a navy to protect the home islands with.  Vulnerable to
all other kinds of bombing as well, as they had been for a year or
more. 

While historians consistently argue that the war
ended sooner with a lower cost in lives, we will never know this for sure.  The war
ended not because of the atomic bombs, but because the Emperor of Japan told the
military to lay down their weapons.  Who is to say that the Emperor would not have done
so after five more firebombings of Tokyo?  How can we accurately say what was in his
mind in early August before the bombs were dropped, or how strong his will was by that
moment?  We will never know, and at least part of why we argue that the bombs saved
lives, in my opinion, is because we find a need to justify our actions as the only
country ever to use nuclear weapons in war.

Describe the first line of the poem, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning."Describe the sentence: "As virtuous men pass mildly away."

This poem's meaning is in its title:  A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.  Vale= Latin for "farewell" and Diction= "speaking".  Thus, "A speaking farewell but forbidding mourning".  Knowing this, the first line of the poem makes so much more sense.  In this first stanza, Donne writes of a funeral.  Virtuous men pass mildly away into the next life because they do not fear what is on the other side.  They are virtuous, true, and God-fearing and well-behaved. In fact, they pass away so mildly that the people in the room argue about the exact moment of passing--"Whilst some of their sad friends do say, The breath goes now, and some say, No".

So, as they leave without fear of the future, so must the speaker of the poem and his wife leave one another without fear of their future. 

In the remainder of the poem, he assures his wife that they are not the normal lovers--they are connected in more ways than just the physical.  They are connected mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.  Therefore, a brief absence will not cause their relationship to be damaged in any way, but only make it stronger.

Two metaphorical conceits he uses to compare their connection is that of a compass--she is the fixed foot and he the part with the pencil which travels out and returns to her after completing his circle back to the one who completes him.

The other is of gold--a malleable metal that only thins as it is beaten, never breaking

What is the real reason that Mary can’t do what Parris and Danforth ask in Act III of The Crucible?

I think you are referring to the part in Act III when Mary is asked to faint like she had done in court on the other days. Mary now says she was pretending to faint, so Danforth wants her to pretend to faint now. Mary can't pretend to faint at this point because she isn't caught up in the moment of court when the other girls are screaming, and "the whole world cried spirits, spirits,. . ." Mary follows the lead of the other girls, screaming and crying and pretending to see spirits. "I--I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I--It were only sport in the beginning, sir,. . ." It was fun at first for Mary, but she never dreamed the girls would be believed by the adults. When the ministers and judges believed what they were saying, the girls took it farther because now they had power, something Puritan children usually did not have. Mary realizes she can't convince the court it was all pretense when Abby and the other girls start accusing her of being a witch.

The Jazz Age (roaring twenties) and what role it had on Fitzgerald's perceptions of America.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's
perceptions of the roaring twenties can probably be best seen in chapter three, the
chapter that contains the elaborate descriptions of one of Gatsby's
parties.

Nick says:

readability="6">

At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers
came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a
Christmas tree of Gatsby's enormous garden.
(44)

The buffet tables are
"garnished with glistening hors d'oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of
harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold" 44). 
Extravagance is also evident in the bar, which is stocked with "gins and liquors and
with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know
one from another (44), and the band is no band, but an orchestra, with "a whole pit full
of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos and low and
high drums" (44).

And the people at the party appear to be
wealthy, to have a great deal of idle time, to be freeloaders, to come to the party even
though they are not invited, and to be extremely reckless and
careless. 

The majority of people at the party "were not
invited" (45) and "conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated
with amusement parks" (45).  Lucille is one example:  "I never care what I do, so I
always have a good time " (45).  And recklessness and carelessness are further
demonstrated in the final party scene with its drunk driving and wrecked car and hurt
driver and gawking spectators.  This, apparently, reveals the author's perception of the
roaring twenties.   

The novel as a whole shows the
American Dream to be a sordid myth--one achieves it only at great personal and ethical
costs, and it is in some ways an illusion and hollow.

What is the purpose of Hecate's interview with the witches in "Macbeth"?Macbeth act3 of Shakespeare's

Hecate appears in Act III, because she is angry with them for wasting their efforts on someone like Macbeth.  She feels that they have not used enough mischief with Macbeth and also, the fact that Macbeth has not been grateful to the witches for what they have given him.  She feels that he is ungrateful and selfish.  Hecate, therefore, decides to take charge of Macbeth's fate.  She will conjure up more chaos, and greater turmoil for Macbeth.

Hecate's purpose is to make Macbeth feel over confident, she says that over confidence is man's worst enemy. Therefore, the second prophecy that is given to Macbeth holds two very important exceptions, which he does not figure out until it is too late to change his actions.

Hecate sets up Macbeth for his ultimate undoing.  It is Hecate's purpose to unleash more evil into the world to create more suffering.

What can you tell in Act 2 about the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor?

In the beginning of Act 2, there is some obvious tension between John and Elizabeth.  They don't seem that warm with each other.  We of course find out later that this is because John had an affair with Abigail during Elizabeth's extended illness.  This is also of course why Elizabeth fired Abigail.

In this act we see John making an effort to please Elizabeth.  As the act starts, John tastes the dinner Elizabeth has cooking on the fire.  He adds salt to it, but then later tells her "It's well seasoned."  He talks about the crops and buying a heifer and asks "How would that please you?" Clearly, he wants to make Elizabeth happy.  But just as clear is the strain of their relationship.

Just a few pages later, John and Elizabeth argue.  Elizabeth wants John to go to Salem immediately and tell what he knows about Abigail.  In the same discussion she finds out that Proctor had been alone with Abigail.  She says, "Why then it is not as you told me."  John is immediately defensive and says "Woman.  I'll not have your suspicion anymore."    The argument continues and John expresses that he feels that Elizabeth will never forgive him.  He says, "You will not judge me more, Elizabeth."  They continue to argue until Mary Warren arrives.

What techniques are used to establish a feeling of mystery in the first chapter of "To Kill a Mockingbird," and what point of view is it?

The point of view is Scout's but looking back on events, rather than living through them. This leads to one of the main techniques for introducing a sense of mystery, which was foreshadowing. Scout drops in mention of things yet to come.

There are some other techniques. Mentioning Dill's entrance into their life so specifically cues readers that this is important; a minor mystery of why is introduced. The other method for introducing mystery is to, well, introduce mystery. That is to say, Boo Radley's story is partially told. Since Scout doesn't know it all, it creates mystery.

Why does the Director choose the Fertilizing Room to meet Bernard, and why are people more curious about John than Linda? Chapter 10 of The...

In Chapter 10 of Brave New World, a
reading of this chapter reveals other reasons for the Director's choosing the
Fertilizing Room are that he may wish to remind Bernard's of his birth "accidents" which
have caused him to be somewhat of an aberration from the other Alphas, who also will
witness this confrontation between the Director and Bernard, thus effecting even more
humiliation for Bernard.  He tells Henry Foster that he is
going to make Bernard

readability="7">

'A public example...In this room, because it
contains more high-caste workers than an other in the Centre.  I have told him [Bernard]
to me me here at half-past
two.'

When Bernard arrives,
the D.H.C. announces before everyone there
his intention to transfer Bernard to a "Sub-Centre of the lowest order,"
explaining that Bernard has "grossly betrayed the trust imposed in him" and
that Bernard's unorthodox attitudes and
behavior threaten Society as he tells an inquiring Henry
Foster,

'The
greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray.  It is better than one
should suffer than that many should be corrupted.  Consider the matter dispassionately,
Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offence is so heinous as unorthodoxy of
behaviour....'

Of course,
the main motivation of the D.H.C.'s is his concern
about Bernard's revealing his past.  But, of course, his
efforts are too late. For Linda appears, running to the Director, who repels her. 
Desperately, she clings to him, calling him "Tomakin," saying, "You made me have a
baby."  With these words there is "an appalling hush."  Then, when John appears, he
hurries to the Director, falling on his knees before him, exclaiming, "My
father!"

The
word (for "father" was not so much obscene as--with its connotation of something at one
remove from the moral obliquity of child-bearing--merely gross, a scatological rather
than a pornographic impropriety); the comically smutty word relieved what had become a
quite intolerable tension.  Laughter broke out, enormous, almost hysterical,...as though
it would never stop.

Because
of their conditioning, to the people of the New World, John is something ridiculous,
something like a bathroom joke.  The people of the New World would certainly be curious
about this man born in the obscene process of human intercourse since they have never
before encountered such a creature.  Thus, they would prefer seeing John instead of
Linda, who has aged and grown fat with a "blotched and sagging face" that the Alphas
would find grotesque and repulsive, rather than obscenely interesting and
curious.

[please note that what John believes in has not
yet been revealed in this chapter.]

In Hamlet Act III scene iii Claudius is found "praying" and Hamlet comes upon him doing so. Does Claudius know Hamlet is there?I ask this because a...

Well, according to the stage directions in the play,
Hamlet enters after Claudius gives his soliloquy, which is intensely spiritual and
focused on his soul and the afterlife.  Observe:

readability="0">

O, my offence is rank it smells to
heaven;

AND

readability="0">

O, what form of
prayer
Can serve my
turn?

AND

readability="0">

O wretched state! O bosom black as
death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be
free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make
assay!

You can't
have Hamlet step on those lines with an entry.  They are full of apostrophes to pain and
suffering, and to have another body on stage will diminish their power and
relevancy.

Hamlet enters and says his monologue, so the
audience should be watching and listening to it, for it is a response to the soliloquy.
 You can't have the audience's eye drawn to Claudius acting like he knows Hamlet is
there.  It's just too hoaky.

Plus, there's not enough time.
 Claudius only has a couple of lines after that, and then he's gone.  Not to mention
that when Claudius says, "My words fly up...," he's talking about the silent ones in
prayer, so he's obviously busy praying.  His praying is dramatic irony enough: the main
thing is that we know Hamlet is there, not him.  You can't have him praying and noticing
Hamlet.  Too busy.

The scene is about spiritual crisis for
both Claudius and Hamlet, not about the closeness of two actors.  It's about Claudius
worrying about his soul, maybe for the first time.  Hamlet, too, is worried about
Claudius' soul: he doesn't want to send him to heaven, only hell.  He realizes that it's
spiritually not the right time to kill, which is ironic and
funny.

Let the audience focus on the words, not some
non-verbal action on stage.  Shakespeare's all about the language, not the action, and
certainly not subtext and subtleties.  I wouldn't diminish those words for anything.
 That's what a movie adaptation is for.  You might be able to do it with a close-up, but
not on stage, not even in the round.  Too much can go wrong.

How do Shakespeare's "Sonnet 31" and Donne's "Holy Sonnet 10" compare and contrast with each other? It's just to give me an overview, which...

The sonnets contrast with each other on subject,
underlying metaphor, entity being addressed along with problem and solution.  On the
other hand, they compare with each other in regard to optimistic tone and on the
thematic topic of eternal life, although they contrast once again on the means of
attaining eternal life.

In Donne's sonnet, "Death Be not
Proud, Holy Sonnet 10," the subject is the real or feigned power of a personified Death.
Donne asserts that Death's power is feigned. The underlying metaphor is the comparison
of Death to a pleasant refreshing sleep. The entity being addressed by the poem is
Death, itself. The problem or situation presented in the octave is that Death has no
power to kill the speaker and that those who Death takes are only resting. The solution
presented in the sestet is that Death is the pawn of fate and kings and that when the
dead awake to eternal life, then Death itself shall die.

In
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 31," the subject is the nature of the poetic speaker's beloved in
whom all hearts reside and who is Love personified. The underlying metaphor compares
past loves lost to death with the quality of all-encompassing love in the present
beloved. The person being addressed is the living beloved. The problem or situation
presented in the octave is the tears of mourning shed for lost loves that now are
accumulated in the beloved. The solution presented in the sestet is that the beloved,
who embodies all who have preceded, is now the sole recipient of the speaker's love and
devotion.

Both speak of eternal life, Donne's of eternal
life through victory over Death, a victory in which Death will die, and Shakespeare's of
eternal life through metaphorical resurrection through the all-encompassing qualities of
the newly beloved one. The final contrast is that Donne is theologically serious while
Shakespeare is entirely metaphorical.

The rhyme scheme of
Donne's marks it as a Petrarchan sonnet in an a b b a a b b a  c d d c  e f scheme with
no rhyming end couplet, while the rhyme scheme of Shakespeare's marks it as a
Shakespearean sonnet, which is an innovation on the Petrarchan sonnet. It is in an a b a
b c d c d   e f e f  gg scheme with a rhyming end couplet. Both sonnets have subject
changes at the fifth and ninth lines as established by Petrarch as the definitive sonnet
structure. In Donne's the changes, or turns (called voltas), are
from those who have died to (5) the metaphor of sleep for death to (9) Death being the
slave of kings and chance, etc. In Shakespeare's, the turns are from Love to (5) the
speaker's tears for those past to (9) the new love being the grave of the past loves,
their embodiment, their completion.

What are the important points to note while doing psychoanalysis criticism of the kite runner by Khaled Hosseini?

This novel touches upon some issues that have
psychological ramifications. For example, the destructive effect of abuse. When Hassan
is raped, it affects him in a profound way psychologically. Also, later, when his little
son is kidnapped and raped by the Taliban member (who turns out to be Assef), this
abusive treatment has almost destroyed the boy mentally. The complex relationships
between fathers and sons is important to discuss. Amir's relationship with his father as
a child while they are in Afghanistan differs from their relationship as men, when Amir
is grown and can understand his father's actions from an adult perspective. Growing up
as a child, however, Amir never felt accepted by his father. He always felt that his
father loved Hassan more, so this can be explored. How did this constant striving to be
accepted by his father affect Amir's adulthood relationship with his father? Also, how
does finding out the truth about Hassan, that he is really Amir's half brother, affect
Amir psychologically? Finally, I think it is interesting to explore why Hassan was so
devoted to Amir. What made him, as a child, grow up with such fierce devotion? Amir
mistreats Hassan and even frames him for stealing, and yet Hassan never wavers in his
adulation of Amir. Amir does not deserve this admiration, and yet Hassan is steadfast
and keeps trying to win back Amir's favor.

How can I get of stretch marks naturally?I have stretch marks, and some are so red. How can I make them disappear forever?

Stretch marks, or striae, are lesions that tend to form in
the dermis during periods of hormonal flux, with weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and
other periods of hormone change.

Due to loss of elasticity
in the fibers found under the epidermis,these marks
emerge.

These are difficult to remove but their appearance
can be improved greatly using:

chemical peels: The skin is
cleansed with an agent that removes excess oils and the eyes and hair are protected. One
or more chemical solutions, such as glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid,
lactic acid or (phenol), are applied to small areas on the skin. These applications
produce a controlled wound, enabling new, regenerated skin to
appear.

   microdermabrasion:
The affected area is thoroughly cleansed with an antiseptic cleansing agent and then
your doctor will apply a special spray is applied that freezes the
skin.

A high-speed rotary instrument with an abrasive wheel
or brush is used to remove the outer layers of the skin and improve any irregularities
in the skin surface.

lotions and creams :
with retinoids - specifically, retinaldehyde, tretinoin or isotretinoin
trigger skin's regeneration, promoting new skin growth to repair and replace the lost
tissues.

 diet  and
exercise: Be sure to consume foods that promote skin health: foods rich
in zinc, such as nuts or fish; foods high in vitamin A & Cwhich are natural
antioxidants, such as carrots and citrus fruits and milk; protein-rich foods, such as
eggs.

What do the names carved into the trees represent in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

The names carved into the trees represent those who've sold their souls to the devil.  Tom doesn't notice the names on the trees until the black man begins telling him that the land Tom is on belongs to the black man.  Also, as proof that Deacon Peabody, the one who Tom believed to be the owner of the land, is not doing well, the black man points to a tree that is large and flourishing at the outer areas, but is rotten at the core.  On this tree was written the name, "Deacon Peabody".  The black man tells Tom, "Deacon Peabody be d--d...as I flatter myself he will be, if he does not look more to his own sins and less to those of his neighbors."  The reader shortly discovers that the identity of the black man is the devil.  Furthermore, the black man indicates that as he takes each soul, he cuts down the tree with that man's name on it.  He tells Tom that he'll have lots of firewood for the winter.

What would be the best description of the relationship between Walter and his wife?

I think they fit the cliche, "agree to disagree" to a tee.
Each have determined their own ways to deal with their irritations of one another and
have agreed to stay together. I think all marriages have to be this way to a degree, but
theirs certainly does not appear positive.

Although it's
pretty sad, at least they have a commitment they are keeping in spite of
struggle.

They are like water and oil, they don't mix well,
but if you throw a lot of other ingredients into the mix, you just might be able to get
water and oil working for the benefit of the consumer. This works in cars (as long as
the water's in the radiator and oil is going through the engine) and salad dressings
(throw in some sugar and vinegar and the water and oil will play nicely when
stirred).

Were there successful farming plantations during the Great Depression?

Lanterns on the Levee is a memoir
about a plantation owner, his principles and ideals, and his plantation that existed
before and during the Great Depression.  It is by William Alexander Percy.  It was first
published in 1941.  (A memoir is a book that recounts personal knowledge of the
author.)  Lanterns on the Levee is a very highly regarded
memoir.

An excerpt from the memoir is found in vol. II of
Major Problems in the History of the American South by Paul D.
Escott and David R. Goldfield (1990, 110-114).  This excerpt is about the plantation
during the Great Depression.  It was a cotton plantation in
Mississippi.

Perhaps your public library can borrow one or
both of these books for you.

The link that I have provided
below, gives short reviews of the book.

You asked about
plantations; plantations are large farms that devote all of their resources to the
production of one crop for market.  Coffee plantation, cotton plantations, banana
plantations, and so on.

In the short story "Charles", do Laurie's parents have good parenting skills? Why or why not?

The answer would seem to be yes and no.  In one way they are good parents.  They provide food, shelter, love and caring for their children.  It is evident when Laurie "swaggers off" to school how much the mom misses having her "little boy" at home.  They also seem to understand that negative behavior at school can be a bad influence and they show genuine concern about it.  Also, the mom is involved in the PTO, at least as her schedule allows.

The second part of this answer would be no, in regard to their attitude to Laurie's behavior at home.  He spills his sister's milk, he talks back to his father, he calls his father a "dust mop".  Very little is done to reprimand this behavior.  The one time the father does reprimand him, he continues his deplorable behavior.  I think they may also be sending a mixed message in their zeal for the next tale of Charles because all that is doing is allowing Laurie to relive and enjoy his school time antics.

They seem like loving, caring parents but they are a bit naive and a bit thick when it comes to their own child's behavior.

What would be good topic for a compare-and-contrast paper on Robert Frost's "Birches" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

Regarding Robert Frost's two poems, "Birches" and
"Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening," perhaps you could compare and contrast the
speaker's involvement with nature as he observes it. 

For
instance, in "Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening," the speaker's main desire is to
contemplate the beauty of nature, to take a respite from his obligations--"I have
promises to keep"--and simply revel in the peace and beauty of the woods.  However, in
"Birches," the speaker does not approach the observation of the trees from an aesthetic
perspective; instead, he is more analytical.  The pliable quality of the birches--"I
like to think some boy's been swinging them"--initiates an involved meditation on the
part of the speaker.  Unlike the contemplation of nature in the other poem, the
speaker's contemplation is the appreciation of the beauty of the birches is not the
final thing that interests the speaker; rather it is the strange association of the
trees with his reasoning that is most central to "Birches."  The tension between what
has actually happened and what the poet would like to have happened is central to this
poem.  Thus, the lines

readability="9">

We may as well go patiently on with our
life

And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and
sun

For the shocks and changes we need to keep us
sane

while ostensibly similar
to the refrain "I have promises to keep" have a much different
implication.

Be sure to check out the sites below which
will assist you in more interpretation.  And, do not forget that in comparing and
contrasting poems, one always should examine how poetic devices are employed in each
poem.

In "A Summer Tragedy", what is the setting of the story? When and where does the story took place?I understand it is in the south but I want to...

The story "A Summer Tragedy" takes place in the Mississippi River Delta.  This is the rich, fertile area where the Mississippi River runs into the Gulf of Mexico, in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana.  The story takes place around 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression.  A clue to the time the events take place is given in the fact that the Pattons drive through the countryside in an old Model T Ford, an automobile that was  manufactured only during the early part of the 1900s. 

The setting of the story is critical to its theme - the untenable suffering of its two protagonists, Jeff and Jennie Patton.  The Pattons, who are African-American, have been sharecroppers on the Greenbriar Plantation on the Delta for forty-five years.  The time of slavery is over, but the South is still a hotbed of racism; although the land is productive and fertile, the work has been exhausting, and the sharecropper system keeps its farmers mired in poverty.  Grieving for their lost children and crippled by ill-health, encroaching old age, and dwindling financial resources, Jeff and Jennie see little hope for the future.  Their best recourse in the face of insurmountable odds appears to them to be the oblivion of death.

What are Nick's morals that could allow others to confide in him, and how his morals have the effectiveness of Nick as the narrator?

Nick is "inclined to reserve all judgements" and this leads others to feel comfortable confiding in him. Unlike Tom, Daisy, or Jordan, Nick is never quick to judge another character's actions. He is not vocal about the way others conduct their lives.

It is this quality that makes him a reliable narrator. He does not quickly come across as accusatory or condescending, so his observations are easily trusted. For Nick, there is no "bad" guy. For most of the novel, he lets people make their own choices and mistakes without trying to interfere. The only break in this habit is when he tries to get Gatsby to go away for awhile, after Myrtle is killed. He is doing this for Gatsby's own good, but he does not push him when Gatsby refuses.

Nick is cognizant of people's free will. He does not feel it is his right to pass judgement on another person's life or action.

Have technologized mass cultural forms (cinema and TV) enhanced or impeded the scope of literary studies?

There's a flaw, I think, in the nature of the question:
cinema and TV are types of literature.  I teach a class called Film Literature.  They're
not great literature, but literature nonetheless.  (Video games, I'll give you, are not
literature).

So, you're saying, "Does low-grade mass
literature impede or enhance literary studies?"  A bit of circular logic,
no?

They're all part of the study of literature.  Visual
mass media influences the mainstream culture in ways unimaginable.  Young people are
born into it.  It shapes their worldview.  Students must move through the visual to get
to the written.  The early visual literature is synthesized into the written literature.
 You can't distinguish them once they're all swimming around in there together, can you?
 So, how can they enhance or detract each other?  It's like saying what you see detracts
from what you hear.

Early cinema influenced the modernists
this way.  Steinbeck, Faulkner, and Camus were all influenced by silent film and early
talkies.  Visual rhetoric is very powerful.  Cubist painting, for example, lead to much
of Faulkner's free-style narration and use of stream-of-consiousness.  Lately, mass
media has creeped into the graphic novels and fictions of young novelists (e.g.,
Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly
Close).

For further study, you should read the
chapters on the written vs. visual in Annie Dillard's The Writing
Life.  She says:

readability="11">

The written word is weak.  Many people prefer
life to it...Film and television stimulate the body's senses too, in big ways...The
printed word cannot compete with the movies on their ground, and should not....Why
should anyone read a book instead of watching big people move on a screen?  Because a
book can be literature.  It is a subtle thing--poor thing, but our
own.

Why does the mariner compare himself to the snakes in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"?

It is in Part IV, where the Mariner, all alone on the ship and suffering because of having killed the albatross, finally sees nature for its beauty.  He describes the snakes in lines 272-281 as moving in "tracks of shining white" and as having "rich attire: / Blue, glossy green, and velvet black" and as moving with a "flash of golden fire".  Before this the snakes and other creatures in the sea were described as "slimy things" (l. 125) because he did not yet see them as part of the natural world with as much right as he has to be in the world.  It is at the end of Part IV, after having described the water snakes, that the albatross finally falls off the Mariner's neck.  He is free now that he has come to appreciate all of God's creatures.  The water snakes he describes are free and are moving with beauty and grace which the Mariner himself now can do since he has come to his new realization.

What were the effects of the Salem Witch Trials on American society?American society in general.

From a theoretical or intellectual historian's point of
view, Salem shows the danger of homogeneous social setting committed to a singular
notion of the good.  The impact of Salem might have been negligent in terms of pure
history.  Yet, in tracing the development of American consciousness and how one
understands what it means to be "American," Salem plays a significant function.  The
notion of a social and political climate dominated by fear and silence, as opposed to
vocal advocacy and the spirit of dissent can only lead to bad things.  America,
consciously or not, used the moment of Salem to define itself as standing against these
values.  When America has reverted back to Salem form, "bad things" have not been far
off the pace, and a corrective measure has taken place afterwards to ensure that a
spirit of free discourse, heterogeneity, and individual dissent remains as part of the
blueprint of American identity.

What are some of Hamlet's internal conflicts?

One internal conflict is his seeming fear of action; this results from his confusion over expectations of the Ghost and expectations of his religion.  He wants to avenge his father's death, but questions whether or not the Ghost is truly his father.  Because of this question and his religious beliefs, he suffers from inaction, from his failure to make a move.  He eventually compares himself to Fortinbras who can make a decision and act almost instantly, and this causes him considerable distress. 

He is also struggling internally with his love for his mother.  On the one hand, he truly loves his mother; on the other, he despises her for marrying her husband's brother and so soon after his father's death.  Her actions condemn her in the eyes of their Church and doom her in Hamlet's eyes

He is also having trouble dealing with Ophelia's betrayal.  Again, he loves her but is disgusted by her behavior: her trickery in refusing to keep his tokens of affection and her unwillingness to be honest with him reveal her betrayal.  For all of this, he reacts violently and cruelly, only to find out later that he has made a grave mistake. 

In all, Hamlet is suffering internally.  His father, mother, uncle, and lover have all caused him to doubt his own decision making, and for this he is thrown into terrible fits of internal depression.  

In "Old Woman Magoon", who is the biggest beast?Who has the most flaws and who is the most evil inside?

This is a very poignant question given the Naturalistic
perspective by which the story was written. Typical Naturalistic pieces exemplified the
importance of "man as a beast", or animalistic behavior by man. Therefore, your question
poses one which can be looked at as simplistic or
theoretical.

To begin, let us look at the simplistic answer
to your question. Many would argue that old woman Magoun is by far the biggest beast in
Freeman's story "Old Woman Magoun". There are many reason as to why one would consider
her behavior beastly.

First, Magoun keeps Lily, her
granddaughter under lock and key. To say that Lily is sheltered is an understatement.
The one time in which Magoun allows Lily to leave on her own is the turning point of the
story (she meets her father Nelson Barry for the first time on her life). Lily's life,
and that of Magoun, is changed forever.

Second, the fact
that Lily is sheltered pales to the fact that she remains childlike in her appearance
and actions (Lily still, at almost 14, plays with dolls). Lily is described through a
conversation of Magoun and a friend of Magoun's (Sally Jinks) in the following
way:

“Some
girls at her age is thinkin' about beaux instead of rag dolls” said Sally
Jinks.

The grandmother bristled. “Lily ain't big nor old
for her age,” said she. “I ain't in any hurry to have her git married. She ain't none
too strong.”

“She's got a good colour,” said Sally Jinks.
She was crocheting white cotton lace, making her thick fingers fly. She really knew how
to do scarcely anything except to crochet that coarse lace; somehow her heavy brain or
her fingers had mastered that.

“I know she's got a
beautiful colour,” replied Old Woman Magoun, with an odd mixture of pride and anxiety,
“but it comes an' goes.”

“I've heard that was a bad sign,”
remarked Sally Jinks, loosening some thread from her
spool.

One can tell from this
conversation that Lily is not necessarily healthy. This, again, can be contributed to
the care that Magoun takes in the girl.

Lastly, and perhaps
the most poignant example of Magoun's beastliness is the fact that she poisons Lily.
Magoun cannot bear to think of Lily living a life with her father and believes that
death would be better for Lily.

Now, onto the more
theoretical answer to the question. Naturalists believed in the power of nature over
man. Nature "decided" the outcome of all which happened in life. Therefore, one could
justify an argument that Nature (used capitalized because of personification typical in
the movement's texts) is the "biggest beast" in the story "Old Woman
Magoun".

Nature is not concerned with anything. It simply
exists and what happens as a result of Nature's powers is simply because of the theory
of the survival of the fittest (Charles Darwin and Herbert Spenser greatly influenced
Naturalistic writers). That being said, one could interpret the "cruelty" of Nature in
allowing a young girl to die as representing the grandest beast in the
text.

It is not Magoun who takes the life of young Lily; it
is, rather, the nightshade berry. Magoun did not create the berry- Nature did. Magoun
even, earlier in the story, told Lily that she could not have the berries. (Although her
exact words were "You can't have any now.")

So, depending
on your school of thought, either Magoun or Nature can be defined as the "biggest beast"
in the story "Old Woman Magoun".

What does Napoleon do to chase Snowball off the farm?

Napoleon does not really do all that much to chase
Snowball off the farm.  Instead, he relies on his dogs to do it for
him.

At one point, Snowball is speaking at a meeting. 
Napoleon decides it is time to get rid of him and he emits a high pitched sound.  That,
apparently, is the signal for the nine dogs to chase Snowball.  Snowball runs for his
life and leaves the farm.

So all Napoleon really does right
then is to emit the high pitched sound.  Other than that, it's just that he had trained
the dogs.

What are the rules for an elegy? I can not find any

Elegy in the beginning was related to a particular kind of
prosodic or metrical structure that was called the elegiac rhythm but now it is regarded
as a thematic notion. It is a lyric poem/song of lament, mourning the death of a near
one or beloved or at a deeper level even a phenomenon, an emotion, a state of the
matter, an ideology or an era.

Some of the conventions of
pastoral elegy are--

1. The mourning in the form of a
dialogue between two shepherds.

2. The active participation
of rural nature in the mourning.

3. The idealization of the
dead figure of the shepherd.

4. The description of some
funeral procession or other commemorative measure.

5. The
rather Christian conclusion where the elegiac emotions of mourning and melancholia are
undercut by the Christian rhetoric of belief where death is a happy occasion, a true
homecoming of the soul after the finite sojourn of mortal life on the earth or a reunion
with the God. This divine optimism is made to counter the elegiac mood in this final
movement of transcendence.

How did the events of the 1950s and 1960s help bring equal rights to those who deserved them?

People of all races fought for equality during this time
period. Not only did they risk their standing in their communities, but they risked
their lives as well.

"The Movement" consisted of many
people and groups including African Americans, college students, and religious groups.
They organized marches, sits ins, and freedom rides all with the intentions of bringing
awareness to the fact that equality was not a reality in the
US.

The events that happened during this time period
brought awareness out in to the open. Thanks to people like Martin Luther King who
advocated for peacefulness and non-violence, blacks were able to achieve equal
rights.

What are some causes and effects of the Battle of Little Bighorn?

The various Indian tribes of the Black Hills region had
been given until January 31, 1876 to voluntarily report to their new assigned
reservations. The U. S. military was assigned to round up all delinquent tribes,
including the Sioux, Arapaho and Cheyenne. Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull had called
a meeting of these holdouts along the Little Bighorn River. It was part of Lt. Colonel
George Armstrong Custer's detachment of the 7th Cavalry Regiment that stumbled upon this
large group of hostiles. Custer had less than 600 troops separated into three large
battalions and several other small detachments. Combined Indian forces range from
1000-5000; in any case, the usually thorough Custer was heavily outnumbered when he
ordered the ill-timed assault.

Following the massacre at
Custer's Last Stand, the Lakota and Cheyenne regrouped and attacked the remnants
of Custer's command led by Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen. They held
off the attacks (until reinforcements under General Alfred Terrry arrived), and both of
these officers survived the fighting. The victory was a hollow one for the Native
Americans, however. A renewed effort by the military forced Sitting Bull's followers
into Canada, where they remained exiled for nearly four years. The remaining 200 Lakota
headed south, where they surrendered in July 1881. They were housed at the Dakota
Standing Rock Reservation after some shuttling for fear of another
uprising.

Sitting Bull eventually appeared in Buffalo
Bill's Wild West Show, while Custer's death cemented his place in American military
lore.

In "Animal Farm," why does Napoleon revive the threat of the farm being sabotaged by Snowball?Chapters 6 and 7

Napoleon convinces the other animals that Snowball is the cause of all their troubles.  He makes sure that the other animals believe that Snowball was a traitor and he was going to help the farmer get the farm back.

“Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon…has stated categorically…that Snowball was Jones’s agent from the very beginning…and from long before the Rebellion was ever thought of.”  

Napoleon makes it seem to the other animals that Snowball was against them and blames all their hardships on his traitorous behavior.

In "Of Mice and Men", why do you think George is not angry with Lennie despite the trouble his killing of Curley's wife has caused?no

George understands Lennie's mental limitations and accepts the fact that he cannot be held responsible for his acts. He also has seen the tender side of Lennie - who like a child needs contact with soft things; whose need to "cuddle" is not even sexual but rather stems from a visceral need to love and to be loved.

George knows that Lennie "didn't mean it," but he also knows how Lennie can get out of control when provoked. Curley's wife told him he was "like a big baby" but unfortunately didn't see the dangerous side of his 'infantile' nature until it was too late.

As when they were escaping from the town of Weed, George doesn't blame Lennie, whose limited reason is no match against his brute strength.

In Act IV, scene 1 of "Macbeth" why is the witches' chant given in detail?macbeth act 4

First, remember that Shakespeare wrote "Macbeth" to compliment King James I, who had become the patron of Shakespeare's acting company in 1603. Shakespeare referenced many of the King's ideas about government and religion in the play. One of King James' interests was witchcraft, about which he wrote extensively. Shakespeare took information from two of the King's accounts on witchcraft and incorporated these ideas in the play. For example, in 1.2 the idea that witches sail in sieves or that they can cause storms on sea is taken from the two sources on witchcraft authored by King James. Also, in 4.1 the details of the charm elaborated upon by the witches is taken directly from the King's account of a witch concocting a potion to be used against the King himself.
Secondly, the detail used to describe the spell in 4.1 helps to show the progression of Macbeth's downfall. In the play's first scene, the witches briefly plan a meeting with Macbeth. In 1.3 they meet with Macbeth and pronounce their alluring prophecies. By the end of 3.5 Macbeth determines to seek the witches himself for the truth of his destiny. He is willing to put his soul at risk by putting his faith in the evil witches. So in 4.1, the last time we see the witches, the spell will bring forth the 3 apparitions which beguile Macbeth into his final descent into evil.

In Act II of "The Miracle Worker," what is Captain Keller's reaction to Annie's work with Helen?

Captain Keller's reaction to Annie's work with Helen is a combination of disapproval and anger.  His approach to Helen is to ignore her completely, even when she is disrupting the table during meals, so as to complete his meal and have a conversation. 

Annie has a totally different view on how to deal with Helen, and she believes that Captain Keller's attitude and behavior have a direct impact on Helen's out of control behavior. 

"The Captain, angry at Annie and her treatment of his daughter, wants to fire the young teacher but is persuaded by Kate and Aunt Ev to grant Annie's request to isolate herself and Helen in the garden house for an entire week."

How can I find the Southern tradition that Faulkner adored in "A Rose for Emily"?

William Faulkner adored the Southern tradition and wrote about it so often, because he was born in Mississippi.   In "A Rose for Emily," the author based his characters on real people that he heard stories about from his great-grandfather.  He often used the same characters in his short stories and his novels.

"Colonel Satoris was modeled after Faulkner's great-grandfather, Colonel William C. Falkner, a colorful adventurer of the periods before, during, and after the Civil War."

"Many of Faulkner's novels and short stories are set in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional area reflecting the geographical and cultural background of his native Mississippi. Faulkner's works frequently reflect the tumultuous history of the South while developing perceptive explorations of the human character."

"Derived from the southern oral tradition and existing somewhere between storyteller and listener, Faulkner's novels together form one larger work, the saga of a single imaginary world in which the characters are both sustained and contained by the region—more philosophical than geographical—that is Faulkner's deep South."

William Faulkner felt a deep responsibility to write about the decadent South that was a part of his own family history.   

I have consulted the sources below for information about the author, for further information click on the links below.   

Comment on the significance of the drum-beating in "The Emperor Jones"?

The drum beating in "The Emperor Jones" is an indication that the natives are preparing to attack the Emperor.  They beat the drum and perform a war dance to get into the right frame of mind to kill the Emperor.

As the natives perform their ritual ceremony, the beating of the drum begins to take on a symbolic meaning.  The drum beats appear to mimic a human heart beat, that of Emperor Jones. 

"Fatigued from his afternoon hike in the hot sun, Jones rests, listening to the steady beat of the drum, pulsating at a little more than 72 beats a minute, the rate of the normal heart beat."

As Jones, begins to become more exhausted and frightened, he hallucinates all types of images.  The drum beats follow his rising and falling fear, the sound alone terrifies him, it puts a spell on him.

Therefore, you could say that as a form of black magic the drum beats appear to be chasing Jones, and responding to his anxiety.  It is as if the natives who declared war on him with their dance are spiritually hunting him through the sound of the drum beats, killing him without ever touching him. When the drum beat catches him, it overtakes him, killing him, the drum beats stop, so does the Emperor's heart beat.     

From the movie Swing Kids, when Peter and Thomas steal a radio that they saw a Nazi steal from a "traitor's" home, did this scene actually...

Swing Kids is a historical fiction
film.  This means that the story itself is not explicitly factual but the events in the
film could have taken place in real life - and likely did.
Events and people in the movie were based on actual
history.

There were real swing kids.  Peter and Thomas are
probably based on actual people and real experiences - but they were not meant to be
historical figures.  The original scene of the Nazis confiscating the radio was also a
realistic portrayal of actual events.  Many times, Nazis stole valuable items from the
homes of "traitors" and Jews.  The music played and jazz musicians mentioned were also
factual.  The HJ was real.  The costumes were realistic replicas of the actual uniforms
of different Nazi groups.

What does John Proctor mean when he asks "...What is John Proctor?"

 Proctor is a sharply intelligent man who can easily detect foolishness in others and expose it, but he questions his own moral sense, because of his affair with Abigail Williams.

In the quote above, Proctor questions whether or not he is a moral man, yet this past event is the only major flaw attributed to Proctor, who is in all other respects honorable and ethical.

It is a sign of his morality that he does not feel himself adequate to place himself as a martyr for the cause of justice when he is given the choice to save himself at the end of the play.

Proctor’s character contains a caustic blend of pride and self-loathing, a very puritanical combination indeed! His self-esteem sets him apart from other members of the town, such as the Putnams, who feel one must obey authority at all costs. Instead, John Proctor speaks his mind when he sees injustice. Throughout the play, he openly disagrees with the actions of Reverend Parris, an action that ultimately leads to his execution.

Despite his prideful ways, John Proctor describes himself as a "sinner."

What is the origin of an ode, and what are its characteristics?

Hi richi,

An ode is a lyric poem, usually written in a formal, heightened style, and usually with a dignified theme. Its purpose is to praise and glorify. Odes tend to be reasonably difficult, intellectual poems (rather than emotional, personal poems) and are often extremely long, consisting of a succession of stanzas in lines of varying length and meter.

The term comes from the Greek oide or aoide, which was derived from aeidein, meaning “to sing.”

Originally, an ode was a poem meant to be sung. The earliest ode-like poems were written by Sappho c. 600 B.C. and Alcaeus c. 611 – 580 B.C., while the modern ode dates from the Renaissance.

Famous odes in English include Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn," "Ode to a Nightingale," and "Ode to Autumn," Wordsworth's "Intimations of Immortality," and Allen Tate's "Ode to the Confederate Dead."

What is the theme?

This is a deceptively simple question. A theme, in short,
is the main idea of a story. However, you have to keep in mind that stories, especially
good ones have many themes, and some of the best stories have two or more themes that
may even compete with each other. In this way, it leaves the reader to decide for
himself or herself what the theme is. Let me give you an
example.

In the tragedy, Antigone,
there are many themes. On the one hand, loyalty to family is a theme. This is why
Antigone wants to bury her brother even at the expense of the law of Creon. Creon, the
ruler of Thebes does not want anyone to buy Polynices, the brother of Antigone, because
he attacked the city.

 On the other hand, there is a theme
of obeying the laws of the land. So, what should a person do? This is not an easy
question. So, here is an example of many themes and in this situation there are two
themes that oppose each other.

What contest does Odysseus win among the Phaeacians after being taunted that he is no athlete?

In Book 8 when the Phaeacians hold games in honor of Odysseus, the athletes ask Prince Laodamas, the favorite son of King Alcinous, to invite Odysseus to compete. Initially Odysseus declines, saying he has his mind on going home rather than on playing games, but when he is insulted by one of the brash young athletes who suggests that Odysseus is not capable of competing, Odysseus angrily snatches up a discus and flings it farther than anyone else had previously thrown it. Disguised, Athena declares him the winner of this contest.

What causes Puck to think that Lysander is the Athenian youth whose eyes he is to anoint?

Oberon wants to steal a changeling child from Titania, so he tells Puck to bring him a special flower. When the juice of the flower is dropped into someone's eyes, that person will instantly fall in love with the first person he or she sees. Oberon wants Titania to fall madly in love with him so that she will be unable to refuse anything he asks. Oberon has also overheard a conversation between Demetrius and Helena. She loves him, but Demetrius doesn't love her. So Oberon tells Puck to put a drop of the juice into Demetrius's eye, and describes him as the man wearing Athenian clothing, probably meaning that he is dressed in long robes or a toga. When Puck sees a similarly dressed Lysander, he mistakes him for Demetrius and puts the flower juice in his eye.

What is the exposition, complication, climax and resolution?Please help me.

EXPOSITION.  This is the
background information regarding the two characters and their previous relationship. We
find that Fortunato has in some way offended Montressor, who has decided that he must
seek retribution against
Fortunato.

COMPLICATION. 
Montressor must find a way to kill Fortunato, but without the possibility of being
caught by authorities. He decides to lure him into the Montressor family catacombs
located beneath his home. But how will he do this without arousing Fortunato's
suspicion?

CLIMAX.  Montressor
suddenly thrusts chains upon Fortunato and secures him to the floor in a far corner of
the catacombs. Montressor begins to wall Fortunato up--building a wall of bricks that
will leave his chained prisoner no chance of
escape.

RESOLUTION.  Many
decades later, the older Montressor relates his story, assuring the reader that
Fortunato's body has never been found and that his revenge is
complete.

Explain what the following quote tells us about Bernard's character. Explain what the quotations given below show us about each character....

Bernard Marx is something of a malcontent in the society
in which he lives.  He has something that went wrong with him (it seems) in his process
of being "bottled."  Therefore, he is a little too small and too dark.  This makes him
unhappy and his unhappiness shows up in this quote.

In this
society, everyone should be happy to be useful and to be in their proper place.  But
Bernard is not.  He is willing to say something as radical as that he wishes he wasn't
useful.

However, he is just a whiner, really, and I think
you can see that in this quote.  He doesn't do anything to be less useful -- he just
wishes he were.

In The Outsiders, what does Ponyboy end up doing for his English assignment?

Ponyboy's assignment is to write a theme about "anything (he) think(s) is important enough to write about...it isn't a reference theme...(it is his) own ideas and...experiences".  The length of the assignment is "not less than five pages".  In the last lines of the book, Ponyboy reflects upon the deaths of Bob, Johnny, and Dally over the past week and decides "I could tell peopole, beginning with my English teacher".  He goes on to describe how he began writing his assignment:

"I finally began like this:  When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind:  Paul Newmand and a ride home..." (Chapter 12).

This line happens to be the very first line in Chapter 1 of the book you have just read, The Outsiders.  The end of the book refers back to the beginning, and what the author is trying to tell us is that it is Ponyboy who is the fictional writer of the story.  For his English assignment, Ponyboy wrote the theme, or story, The Outsiders. 

What exactly is Macbeth saying in his soliloquy in Act 1, scene 7, in Shakespeare's Macbeth?I'd like it "translated" into modern English.

Macbeth lists 7 reasons why killing Duncan would be wrong:

-vengeance - the killer will be killed (lines 8-12)
-kinship - you don't kill your relatives (lines 13-14)
-loyalty - you don't kill your king (lines 13-14)
-hospitality - a host doesn't kill your guest (lines 14-16)
-Duncan's goodness - you don't kill a virtuous king (lines 16-20)
-pity and horror - murder is unnatural to innocent humanity and to heaven (lines 21-25)

In the soliloquy he also mentions at the beginning how if there were no consequences resulting from the murder, he would risk it, not worrying about the future. (1-7) At the end of the soliloquy he mentions how ambition is his only motivation to kill Duncan. (25-28)

Notes taken from my Cambridge School Shakespeare copy of Macbeth.

What is the mood and tone of "The Stranger"?

Mood and Tone in the book are also highly affected by one's initial translation of the title 'L'etranger' - which is often translated as one of two things: 'The Outsider' or 'The Stranger'. For example, one might argue that the title of 'The Outsider' indicates a much more detached character for Meursault, one that is almost ostracised. Whereas 'The Stranger' seems to conjure images, more specifically, of his behaviour. Rather than of his overall place within society.

In response to 'kirstens' answer, you might also wish to question/disagree as to whether Meursault ever does feel remorse for his actions. Does he see his death as simply another effect in a chain of causation, or does it truly move him to sorrow? His denial to turn to religion is contextually interesting and reflects a society, which at the time, was looking to become increasingly secular. We also see this theme highlighted during the opening of the book, during the funeral, when all he can concentrate upon is the image of the sun bearing down upon him. However, it is up to you how you might interpret this image.

What is the basic life cycle of a plant?

The variety of plant really dictates its life cycle. The basic life cycle refers to how long a plant will take to grow, flower, and seed (or grow and die, depending on the variety). Plants can be annual (a plant that grows, flowers, and dies within a year), perennial (a plant that lives for years, going dormant during the winter months and coming back in the spring), or biennial (plants that live like perennials the first year, but in the second year they will grow, flower, and die).

Whose role in the play "Julius Caesar" is more important-Calpurnia or Portia?

This is an excellent question...since these two characters are the only women in the play, and they are married to key male characters--Calpurnia to Caesar and Portia to Brutus--it is worth examining.

First, Calpurnia's role is mostly to warn Caesar about going to the the Senate on March 15.  She has had terrible dreams and fears for her husband's life...rightly so.  However, she fails in her endeavor since Caesar is bullied into going by alternate interpretations of Calpurnia's dream.

Portia, on the other hand, has the role of friend and partner.  She gets Brutus to agree to open up to her by slashing her thigh open and challenging him to trust her with the problems he is facing as she can withstand the pain of her wound.  He agrees, but the assassination takes place before they have a chance to talk.  Brutus is forced to flee after Antony's moving speech, and Portia never has the opportunity to talk with her husband and guide him through his problems.

Ultimately, both wives fail in their goals, but I would vote for Portia as more important since she seems to have a more equal foothold in her marital relationship and would have had a positive effect on Brutus' actions had the timing been right and they had the chance to sit down and discuss matters. 

How is the idea of order vs. chaos or the natural vs. unnatural order consistent with the themes in "Macbeth"?Specifically based on Act IV.

Both order versus chaos and natural world versus unnatural world are dominant themes throughout "Macbeth," but we definitely see it strongly throughout Act IV.

Act IV begins with the witches and their famous "Double, double, toil and trouble" scene, which is the ultimate in chaos and unnaturalness in this play. Macbeth arrives, demanding that the hags show him what is going to happen. This was a guy who, when the play started, was being hailed as the great war hero, a loyal subject of King Duncan, and now we see that he has fallen so far that he is resorting to gaining information from witches and apparitions.

Scene 2 shows us a different scene - a household scene between Lady Macduff and her son. This is a 180 degree shift from the unnaturalness contained in scene 1, but soon we see that the order and natural world contained in the Macduff household is about to come crashing down...caused by the chaos that Macbeth has jumped into. He sends men to murder this woman, her child, and servants, which again is horrible unnatural.

Scene 3 then shows us two good men - Malcolm and Macduff - who are taking measure of one another to see if they can be trusted. Malcolm is unsure of Macduff until some questioning has taken place, and we see that the rightful heir to the throne (Malcolm) is going to try to go back and set things right in Scotland.

This act is full of chaos and order both, and definitely shows the two as opposing forces to one another.

What is an example of personification in Sonnet 18?

Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to things that are non-human. In this sonnet, we see the personification of natural forces.

The use of the adjective 'darling' to describe the plants in May is an example of personification. This kind of adjective is more usually applied to people. Even the image of the 'rough winds' that shake the plants could be regarded as personification to a degree, as it comes across rather as though the winds are deliberately shaking the plants, as a person might.

An obvious example of personification is that of the sun, referred to obliquely as 'the eye of heaven' and said to have a 'gold complexion'. Also, personification here is evident with the use of the word 'his', instead of 'its'.

Death, an abstract noun, is also personified here with the use of 'his', and the image of death 'bragging' about claiming the life of the beloved.

The sonnet itself 'lives', according to the poet, as though it were a person.

Overall, we may observe that the season of summer is also being personified in a way, as it is invoked as a point of comparison with the poet's beloved.

What is the significance of the transition from street to catacombs in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

The significance of the transition from street to catacombs in "The Cask of Amontillado" is to heighten the suspense and create a atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.  Poe is a master at finding a way to frighten us when we least expect it.  He draws us into a story only to transition us into horror.  I don't care for straight horror.  I like the creative, unexpected horror that you find in Poe and in Sci-Fi like Twilight Zone.  

The ordinary, in "The Cask of Amontillado" suddenly becomes  horrific, when we realize that Fortunato is to be murdered, much more frightening than a simple slasher type murder. 

When Montressor brings Fortunato down into the Catacombs under the pretense of tasting a fine wine, this is ordinary.  What really awaits this hapless victim, is his merciless death.  What could be more horrific or frightening, certainly more so that a direct assault on the senses. 

The sneaky, deceitful murder is much scarier than the one that is clearly identified as a threat.  This is what Poe does for us in his work, he is subtle, lulling the reader into the story, then wham, he brings out the macabre and the reader is caught unexpectedly terrified.     

"My heart grew sick - on account of the dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to make an end of my labor. I forced the last stone into its position ; I plastered it up."

What is the climax of story, "The Boarding House" by James Joyce? I mean that where is the most important part of this story?

"The Boarding House" is yet another story by Joyce that is told through flashbacks, something Joyce did quite often.  Because of this, it is difficult to decipher the question of a climax in many of his stories.  However, if I had to pick a moment of highest tension, it would be near the end of the story when Mrs. Mooney has brought Doran in to discuss his affair with her daughter and to pressure him into marrying her.  Previously, Doran has feebly assured Mrs. Mooney's daughter, Polly, that everything will be ok and that he'll do the right thing.  He realizes, though, that he's been "had" because he's fallen victim to a seduction. 

How does Tennessee Williams use light in A Streetcar Named Desire to convey the themes?

Tennessee Williams actually uses light reversely by playing with shadows in several scenes.  From the moment she "moves in" to the Kowalski household, Blanche immediately tries to use shadows to help her create the fantasy world she prefers to live in by covering the naked lightbulb with a pretty Chinese paper lantern, thus masking the harsh reality the naked lightbulb displays/emphasizes.  This reflects her struggle with reality and fantasy.  This paper lantern and its effects are literally ripped away by Mitch who she tried to seduce with her beauty when he rips the paper lantern off the bulb, stating "I've never had a real good look at you, Blanche. Let's turn the light on here" (Scene 8). At this point, he is figuratively ripping her fantasy world away and is using the light to show her for what she really is: a woman with a dark sexual past. The Chinse paper lantern again comes up at the end as Blanche is being taken out by the medics from the asylum when Stanley asks if she wants to take it with her. This suggests that Stanley is offering what is left of her fantasy world to her, knowing she has completely lost her mind at this point and can no longer discern between fantasy and reality. Finally, the shadows near the end of the prostitute, the drunk, and the police officer also show the "shadows" of her past which she is trying to keep hidden and out of the light.

Who was the informant on Montag's home in "Fahrenheit 451"?

Mildred is the informant on Montag.  Although she has been reading with him and letting him read to her, Mildred's mind and consciousness can not be penetrated.  She believes firmly in the "social order".  She doesn't want to think.  She is happy just to exist.  Of course, this is an oxymoron - for she isn't happy and she doesn't really "exist."  Mildred despairs, finding no pleasure in life and seeming to not want to find pleasure.  Montag's new pursuits scare her.

It's perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did. . . . It's a mystery. . . . Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences . . . clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical.  - Beatty to Montag, just before Montag kills him.

In your opinion, why is it important to live with people who share similarities with you?Please elaborate and explain in a journal response form...

The two points that clairewait has mentioned are vital to
harmony in being roommates.  College students, in their own journal writing, have
underscored these points repeatedly, and from personal experience, this is the
truth!

If the person who is a lark, gets up and leaves the
room or apartment, things are all right; likewise, if the night owl, just stays out
somewhere else and is quiet about returning and retiring, there can be no problem.  But,
even then, it is difficult not to disturb someone.

Another
point that is important for females, especially:  Do not room with someone who wears the
same size.  That favorite outfit or those favorite shoes may be ruined or gone when you
want them.

Certainly, mutual respect and consideration for
others is the best assuredness of harmony with a roommate. If two people are from the
same socio-economic class they often have similar values, which helps. Surprisingly,
only children sometimes make better roommates than others if they are eager to have
a sibling type of relationship. At any rate, learning to think about others is good
preparation for marriage, indeed.

In "Animal Farm", what plans does Snowball make for the farm? What is important to him?

Snowball is full of ideas. In Chapter Two, Snowball's importance is obvious:"Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM. This was to be the name of the
farm from now onwards". 

He continues to organize the animals so that there will be maximum efficiency on the farm, he creates  "the Egg Production Committee for the hens, the Clean Tails League for the cows,... the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, and various others…."

Snowball also defends the farm against Mr. Jones and the other humans, he is recognized for his bravery.  He is a very capacable military leader.

In Where the Lilies Bloom, why did Mary Call visit Kiser Pease in the hospital?Chapters 12-13

Mary Call visits Kiser Pease in the hospital to see if she can get him to marry her.

Mary Call is desperate.  Kiser Pease's sister Goldie claims that the land Kiser signed over to the Luthers really belongs to her, and that the papers are thus invalid.  Goldie wants to rent the land to someone who will make her some money, and the Luther children, who are hiding the fact that their father has died, have nowhere to go.  Mary Call knows Kiser wants to marry her sister Devola, but Mary Call has promised her father never to let that happen.  She decides there is no way out for her family but for her to marry Kiser herself.  Her plan is to then make him pay Goldie for the land and sign it over to Devola, and then, when her family is secure, to leave him.  Mary Call goes to the hospital with the intention of convincing Kiser to marry her in a last ditch effort to keep her family together.

In the novel Under the Volcano, can the Consul be classified as an anti-hero?

The Consul is a classic example of an anti-hero, according to the traditional definition. He lacks heroic qualities such as a moral code, altruist tendencies, and courage; despite this, he is the central character of the novel around which all events and characters revolve. According to Gale Cengage, anti-heroes:

...typically distrust conventional values and are unable to commit themselves to any ideals. They generally feel helpless in a world over which they have no control.

This perfectly describes the Consul, who feels fated to his failures due to a deterministic universe. In his eyes, he cannot take any individual steps to change his fate, and so he embraces it through his alcoholism and depression. His refusal to take action shows his failure as an individual; he has convinced himself that he is destined for Hell, so he sees no purpose in attempting to change himself or his situation.

Even though here was God's moment, the chance to agree, to produce the card, to change everything, or there was but a moment left... Too late. The Consul had controlled his tongue.
(Lowry, Under the Volcano, Google Books)

The Consul here explicitly refuses to "change everything" by holding back important information. He does this because he inherently believes himself to be unworthy of good things; his life is worthless and so he has no right to try and better himself or his situations. Without that ambition to grow and change, the Consul cannot be seen as anything but an anti-hero, and in fact is almost an antagonist.

Note: the modern use of anti-hero increasingly refers to a protagonist who is unlikeable but still does the right thing in the end; many modern protagonists are intentionally unsympathetic so as to provide a character arc. The Consul would not be seen as an anti-hero under this cultural definition.

Discuss the significance of the three-pillory scenes in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter?

The platform of the pillory, or the scaffold, is an actual
platform that a guilty person must stand on for a length of time in order to be put on
display for their sins and suffer public humiliation.

1st
scene:

who: Hester and (baby)
Pearl. 
when:
Noon
reason: Hester's punishment as dictated by
the laws of the colony for comitting adultery
significant
spectators: the entire colony, the magistrates and ministers,
Chillingworth (who has just arrived)
outcome:
Hester will not reveal who the father of the baby is, even when persuaded by Dimmesdale
himself (sit. irony); Hester shows no signs of remorse nor fear - looks very
proud.

2nd
scene:

who: Dimmesdale then
Hester and Pearl with him
when: middle of the
night about 7 years later
reasons: Dimmesdale
seeks resolution and forgiveness for hiding his secret sin; in this symbolic act of
repentance (in front of no one) he believes this will provide his soul with
relief
significant spectators: no one, but
Chillingworth shows up at the very end and it is a mystery how long he's been there and
how much he has seen
outcome: Pearl and Hester
join Dimmesdale and for a moment he has an unusual feeling of strength; Pearl asks him,
"Will you stand with us, we three together, tommorrow noon-tide?"  She continues to
condemn him for keeping the secret; a shooting star then bursts through the sky leaving
what looks like a large letter "A" behind it; the next morning the townspeople who saw
it say it was an A for "angel" as the great Gov. Winthrop died the night before; also,
Dimmesdale forgets his glove on the steps, and when it is found the next morning the
townspeople say that Satan himself must have taken it and placed it
there.

3rd
scene:

who: Dimmesdale, Pearl,
Hester
when: middle of the day, just after the
annual election day speech made by
Dimmesdale
reason: Hester and Dimmesdale plan to
board a boat and leave for England; this is Dimmesdale's final action to absolve himself
of his sin; he climbs the steps first then encourages Hester and Pearl to join
him
significant spectators: the entire colony
plus a bunch of visitors
outcome: Dimmesdale rips
his shirt off and although it is not said exactly what is there, it is assumed he has
his own scarlet letter on his chest; the entire colony finally
knows the truth of who the father is; Chillingworth approaches the steps and tries to
get Dimmesdale to come down, then says, basically, this is the one and only place you
could have escaped me - confirming that the only way for Dimmesdale to truly repent was
to come clean before the people; oh yes, and Dimmesdale dies.

What is the main problem in the book "The Fighting Ground"?

Jonathan's major conflict is deciding whom to trust, the American soldiers he is with or the Hessian soldiers he meets. Prior to meeting the Hessians, Jonathan has heard terrible stories about them, but once he meets them, he realizes they are good men that he can trust. Jonathan tries to save the Hessians in the end, but he's unable to do so. As Jonathan tries to come to terms with the terrible things he has seen that day, he realizes that men who fight wars are all humans and not necessarily evil. War forces humans to kill other humans, and this is the tragedy of war.

Why is it that Tom and Becky have the cave excursion in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"?

Becky has hosted a picnic for her friends.  During the picnic, which is at the "woody hollow", the group went to explore McDougal's Cave.  Like all children, they are fascinated by the mystery of the cave and excited by the sense of discovery in exploring the cave.  Here is a passage from Chapter 31 describing their excursion:

They tripped along the murky aisles with the rest of the company, visiting the familiar wonders of the cave—wonders dubbed with rather over-descriptive names, such as “The Drawing-Room,” “The Cathedral,” “Aladdin's Palace,” and so on. Presently the hide-and-seek frolicking began, and Tom and Becky engaged in it with zeal until the exertion began to grow a trifle wearisome; then they wandered down a sinuous avenue holding their candles aloft and reading the tangled web-work of names, dates, post-office addresses, and mottoes with which the rocky walls had been frescoed (in candle-smoke). Still drifting along and talking, they scarcely noticed that they were now in a part of the cave whose walls were not frescoed.

While the rest of group stays near the opening and easily find their way out, Tom and Becky wander into the depth of the cave.  They explore windy and twisting passages, and eventually end up getting scared by a bunch of bats.  After running from the bats in panic, the two are lost and have no idea how to find their way out again.

In "Things Fall Apart", what is the crime that causes Okonkwo and his family to be banished?

Ezendu was the oldest man is Okonkwo's village. Earlier, he warned Okonkwo not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna, a warning Okonkwo ignores. When Ezendu dies, Okonkwo’s gun accidentally explodes during the Ezendu's funeral rite, The shot accidently kills Ezeudu’s son. Okonkwo’s crimes enrage the Earth Goddess Ani, for he has consciously and unconsciously chosen death by beating his wife, killing Ikemefuna, and now, killing Ezeudu’s son. His rash actions are destroying the moral fabric of traditional life. Therefore, Ani banishes Okonkwo to Mbanta, his mother’s village, for seven years.

Are there any symbols in "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer"?

Yes, Keats uses symbolism in this sonnet. I'll identify one of them for you.

A symbol is a term used to represent something else by association. In lines 1-2, the narrator says "Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold,/ And many goodly states and kingdoms seen." We can assume that the speaker of this poem is Keats himself. When he says he has traveled to many states and kingdoms, he doesn't mean that he has literally been to other countries. He is using them to symbolize the act of reading or using the imagination. When you read, you travel to the world of the novel or the poem or the story.

Now, what symbols can you find?

MUCH have I travell'd in the realms of gold,   And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;   Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told         5  That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne:   Yet did I never breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies   When a new planet swims into his ken;  10Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes   He stared at the Pacific—and all his men Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—   Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Prove the identity 1+3+5+...+(2n-1)=n^2

For demonstrating the identity, we'll use the method of
mathematical induction, which consists in 3
steps:

1) verify that the method works for the number
1;

2) assume that the method works for an arbitrary number,
k;

3) prove that if the method works for an arbitrary
number k, then it work for the number k+1, too.

4) after
the 3 steps were completed, then the formula works for any
number.

Now, we'll start the first
step:

1) 1=1^2 => 1=1
true.

2) 1+3+5+...+(2k-1)=k^2 ,
true.

3) If 1+3+5+...+(2k-1)=k^2,
then

1+3+5+...+(2k-1)+(2k+2-1)=(k+1)^2

Let's
see if it is true.

For the beginning, we notice that the
sum from the left contains the assumed true equality, 1+3+5+...+(2k-1)=k^2. So, we'll
re-write the sum by substituting 1+3+5+...+(2k-1) with
k^2.

k^2 + (2k+1) =
(k+1)^2

We'll open the
brackets:

k^2 + 2k+1 = k^2 + 2k+1
true.

4) The 3 steps were completed, so the identity is tru
for any value of
n.

1+3+5+...+(2n-1)=n^2

In "Of Mice and Men", what did Curley's wife say to Crooks?

Curley's wife, who was angry because Crooks told her to leave his room, tells Crooks to shut up because she could have him lynched. "Of Mice and Men" was one of the few books of its time to deal with the plight of African Americans during the depression. Although Crooks is obviously good at his job and an asset to the ranch, he is still forced to live in a separate room and cannot associate with the other ranch hands, who are white. His main entertainment is reading books and so he is lonely. He tells Lennie and Curley's wife to leave him alone, not only because he feels his space has been violated, but because he is also afraid of having a white woman, especially Curley's wife, discovered in his room. Curley's wife sees this is one of the few places on the ranch where she can feel superior and let's Crooks know it.

Why was Turtle startled when she looked in the coffin in "The Westing House"?

Turtle had entered the mysterious and foreboding Westing house a few nights earlier.  It had been Halloween, and she went into the house on a dare.  Dressed as a witch, Turtle had her pockets full of miscellaneous items, among them "her mother's silver cross to ward off vampires".  Lured by "a throbbing whisper", Turtle had ventured to the second floor of the house, and had discovered a corpse "tucked in a four-poster bed" (Chapter 4).

When Turtle returns to the Westing house a few days later for the reading of the will, she notices  "an open coffin draped in bunting rest(ing) on a raised platform at the far corner of the room".  She is startled when she looks into the coffin - "in it lay the dead man, looking exactly as she had found him, except now he (is) dressed in the costume of Uncle Sam...including the tall hat...(and) between the waxy hands, folded across his chest, lay her mother's silver cross" (Chapter 5).

Who is the messenger in "Macbeth"? Macbeth act4

The exact identity of the messenger is never revealed. One can surmise, though, that during these horrendous times, a period in which Macbeth has become an absolute tyrant, overwhelmed by evil and a lust for blood, a bit of good still prevails. Those who therefore have even a little knowledge of impending doom would warn others whose lives are in peril at great risk to themselves, as in this instance.

The fact that the messenger is unknown emphasises the depth of Macbeth's ruthlessness - everyone is affected: if you're not with Macbeth, you are against him and you will be persecuted.

We can gauge from the messenger's language that Lady Macduff is not familiar with him, but that he is fully aware of her position and status. He says:

"I am not to you known,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect."

The messenger is humble and kind, referring to himself as "homely". We can therefore conclude that he is not of very high rank or royalty, for Lady Macduff would have been familiar with him. He is kind-hearted enough to apologise to her for delivering such a frightening message, stating that to have done less would have been even worse. He passionately calls for heavenly protection over Lady Macduff and her children and, realising the danger to himself, states that he dare not tarry any longer.

The messenger is obviously loyal to Macduff and his family and might even be a soldier who has fought under his leadership or even someone in his employ. The fact that he delivers the warning so late suggests that he had probably only just recently learnt about the impending attack or had just seen Macbeth's assassins on their way to Macduff's castle.

Be that as it may, his admonition has come too late and this futile warning  adds to the horrifically dramatic denouement of this scene. 

How does society trick the Savage in "Brave New World"?Please a summerized answer for the question Chapter 18

The Brave New World tricks John by letting him believe he
is free to come and go in society as he pleases. However, when he wants to go to the
free islands with his friends Bernard and Helmholtz, Mustafa Mond refuses telling him
that the "experiment" isn't over.

John is not a welcome
guest, but an experimental rat being moved about by the leaders to study what happens
when an unconditioned person enters into the conditioned
world.

He is allowed to go by himself to the lighthouse to
live out his days (or so he thinks). The media is allowed to find him and make movies
about him so the rest of society shows up to harass him.

In
short, the Brave New World drove John to his death by forcing the dystopia on
him.

What is the meaning of the quote "Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. . .If they could make me...

What is meant by the quote is that in this society, like everything else what you say and do is not enough, it is what you think that really counts. That is why this society is policed by the Thought Police and not by typical law enforcement because the only thing that matters to the Party and Big Brother is absolute loyalty within which can only be monitored through the thoughts. The quote is quite literal in its meaning, confessing with your tongue is not betrayal, you can say anything they want to hear and it is not true betrayal. The same goes for ones actions, you can act as though you betray someone, but in this society even that is not proof enough of betrayal. You have to think it and feel it with your entire being to make it so. When Winston finally betrays Julia he wishes the worst thing in the world for him upon her and in that wish, with his entire being, he finally betrayed her.

What is suggested by Dee’s kissing her mother on the forehead in "Everyday Use"?

I disagree completely with the previous post. Dee's kissing her mother on the forehead is not an act of love. It is an act of condescension. Adults kiss children on the forehead, standing in a position of power and authority. An act of love would have been to throw her arms around her mother and kiss her on the cheek.

Of course Dee doesn't express any sign of hatred for the current house. She doesn't have to live there. She is a fancy lady now. She doesn't have to live in a dirt-floor shack with tarpaper window coverings. She is educated and lives in the city. Her mother and sister are almost strangers to her, as quaint as the churn and quilts and other things Dee wants to take home with her.

Dee has always considered herself better than her mother and sister, and her actions upon returning home make that clear. Why change her name? Why dress differently? Why ask for things to take home, not as mementoes or keepsakes, but as signs of how enlightened she has become?

Dee is not a good person, and her kiss in not a token of affection.

Describe the way Krebs spends his days in Hemingway's "Soldier's Home".

Krebs is mired in a state of inertia and withdrawal upon his return home from the war.  He quickly settles into a routine of

"sleeping late in bed, getting up to walk down town to the library to get a book, eating lunch at home, reading on the front porch until he became bored and then walking down through the town to spend the hottest hours of the day in the cool dark of the pool room...in the evening he practised on his clarinet, strolled down town, read and went to bed".

Krebs avoids involvement with other people, who do not understand him and with whom he finds he must be fake.  He wants his life just to be "uncomplicated", and finds himself devoid of emotion and feeling.  He realizes that his experiences in the war have changed him too much, and he can no longer find a place to fit in at home with his family in his old hometown.  At the conclusion of the story, Krebs decides to leave, and try to start life anew in Kansas City.

What is the function of the comic sub plot in "Measure for Measure?"

As is true in most cases of comic relief, the existence of a comic character or subplot in a story fraught with dramatic tension helps to establish a pacing for the story's mood.  If too much tension and suspense is built upon the audience, then the later scenes lose their dramatic impact.  However, if the dramatic moments are lightened by comedic elements, then the audience is put at ease.  Then, when the next moment of drama occurs, the mood shift is more dramatic and the scene has more emphasis.

Mistress Overdone, Pompey, and the Constable help to provide this break.  They appear in each act to present contrast to the dramatic characters.  Not only this, but the subplot provides some reinforcement for the themes of morality and justice.  Each character is stuck in a situation based upon the main plot.  Mistress Overdone and Pompey are victims of the new morality laws, and the Constable an unwitting accomplice to the enforcement of these laws.  If this play is to portray the hypocrisy of society and government, than these comic characters provide an undercurrent for that. 

• The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,
  May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
  Guiltier than him they try. (Act II, scene i)

Chapter 7: What is significant about Simon's confusion regarding "Berengaria"? What is he requesting?

On a very literal level, Simon is requesting that Ralph suck his wound.  A person would supposedly do this if the wound is poisoned, which Ralph's would is not.  He was gored by a pig/boar; he was not poisoned by a snake or anything like that.  Sucking on the wound won't do anything. In fact, even if it were a snake bite, sucking the wound wouldn't do anything.  That's urban myth. 

It's possible that Simon is confusing Berengaria with Eleanor of Castile.  She was English royalty that supposedly saved her husband's life by sucking the poison out of the wound.  Berengaria, on the other hand, has nothing to do with poison.  She was the wife of Richard I of England.  She was also rumored to be homosexual, which means she married for political reasons vs. romantic reasons.  

Why Golding put the mistaken reference in is unknown.  I think the significance of the mistake is to make readers research both women and make comparisons to characters in the novel.  Eleanor of Castile is like Ralph because both characters are willing to do whatever it takes to save another human.  Berengaria is like Jack, because he will do whatever it takes to get more power.  

Why does Caroline think that Auntie Braxton and the Captain should marry in Jacob Have I Loved?It is in between Chapters 13-15.

Caroline thinks that Auntie Braxton and the Captain should
marry because it is the practical thing to do. Auntie Braxton has been ill, and while
she was in the hospital, the Captain had stayed at her house, as he had no place to live
after his own house was ruined in a storm. Now that Auntie Braxton is getting out of the
hospital, she is going to need someone to take care of her, and the Captain needs a
place to stay. The Captain is fond of Trudy Braxton and is a skilled and gentle
caregiver, but if he stays with Trudy when she comes back home, people will talk about
them; in the staid, Puritan New England philosophy which is predominant in the area, it
is not considered proper for a man and a woman to live in the same house if they are not
married. Even though it is clear that the two would be living together as a matter of
practicality and convenience only, they would be opening themselves up to the censure of
the society. As Sara Louise says,

readability="6">

It's how it looks. People don't think it looks
right for people who aren't married to live together in the same
house."

To Caroline, the
solution is simple - the Captain and Auntie Braxton should just get married. As she so
logically reasons, Trudy Braxton

readability="7">

"needs someone to take care of her and her house,
and (the Captain) need(s) a house to live in. It would be a marriage of convenience"
(Chapter 13).

Chapters Ten and Eleven are the last two chapters in the first part of the book. Explain why Harper Lee chooses to end the first part here.From the...

Chapters 10 and 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird
prove to be turning points in the lives of Atticus' children. In Chapter 10,
Jem and Scout discover that Atticus is not "feeble"; he has two special
skills--marksmanship and humility. Chapter 11 is particularly important to Jem's
approaching adolescence and maturity. He learns several lessons from his stay with Mrs.
Dubose--that people are not always what they seem and that an act of seeming drudgery
can have positive implications--and also has to deal with the death of someone who he
has come to know.

The second part of the book begins with
Jem's growth into young manhood and how Scout must deal with her brother's changes. It
also detours from their infatuations with Boo Radley to the second major plot of the
story--the Tom Robinson trial.

Describe John and Lenina’s relationship and how does that relationship compare to his relationship with his mother?

John was infatuated with Lenina, and at one point he confessed his love for her. Lenina felt the same way about John (as seen when she is very happy with him), and she even made sexual overtures to John after he confessed his feelings. However, because of their different backgrounds, they were unable to proceed with their feelings because John wanted marriage as this is how he had been conditioned. On the other hand, Lenina had been conditioned against marriage, and the “civilized” world supported promiscuity. This made it difficult for the two to establish a relationship. Lenina ended up rejecting John’s marriage proposal.

The relationship between John and Lenina and the one between John and his mother are very different. Lenina wanted a relationship with John, but the mother (Linda) did not want to work on the relationship with her son. Linda was more infatuated with the drug Soma than she was with her son until her death.