What was the Black Plague?

The Black Death, the generalized name given to the plague-ridden period in Europe between the years of 1348-1350, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. The pathogen responsible, a combination of the bubonic and pneumonic plague, is believed to have begun in China or central Asia.

A main stream of passage for the disease was probably through the expansion of the Ottoman Empire from Asia to Europe along trade routes such as the Silk Road. The pathogen most likely attached to the Mongol armies and traders on the routes and transferred to Oriental rat fleas living on black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, which then led to the spread of the pathogen throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.

Furthermore, the people in Europe were particularly susceptible to the disease for a variety of reasons. Climate change leading to much colder winters than the Europeans were used to meant that plantation technology such as the heavy plough and the “three-field” system were not as effective, because the soil was much more clay-like. As a result, there were widespread food shortages and rapidly inflating prices made everyday life difficult and malnutrition ran rampant. This made people susceptible due to weakened immunity.

The spread of the disease was encouraged due to a lack of personal and general hygiene among cities and streets. The importance of personal hygiene was not realized until the 19th century.

The results of the Black Death were vast and widespread. Firstly, there was an upsurge of renewed religious fervor. The “mechanism of infection” of diseases was not common knowledge in the 1300’s. As a result, people turned to religious meaning and many people believed that only the anger of an all-powerful being could have caused it.

The plague also had a massive impact on the art and literature that came out of the generation that went through it. It was often more melancholy and depicted sorrowful scenes of death and destruction, even in poetry and other forms of writing.

In the long run, lots of Europeans lost their faith in any kind of religion during and after the Black Death. This was because they spent days praying for their god to remove them of the punishment they believed was the plague, and asked for forgiveness of sins they believed had caused it. In stark contrast to the times of Roman conquest, when Christianity spread to the poor with promise of reward for a good life, the people affected by plague heard no response and felt no passion, and saw no reason to continue. Hundreds of thousands of people went through this at the same time there was a religious upsurge. The effects rippled through Europe and religion was no longer the biggest focus of people’s lives. Instead of living for an afterlife, they began to live for “the now”, which was also reflected in the art of later periods, going into the 15th century.

Can you give me a brief summary of "War and Peace"?

War and Peace starts in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1805.  Napoleon has conquered much of Europe and troops are being mobilized to defend Russia.  Two characters, Andrew and Nicholas go to the front.  His friend Pierre is made sole heir of his father’s fortune and marries.  His wife cheats on him.  Andrew returns home just as his wife dies in childbirth.  Pierre leaves his wife for spiritual pursuits.  Nicholas comes home with gambling debts.  His family wants him to marry rich, but he has promised himself to his cousin Sonya, and resists.  Nicholas’ sister Natasha becomes attached to Andrew, but Andrew’s father Andrew’s father stalls the marriage.  Natasha falls for another and plans to elope – Andrew finds out and rejects her.  In 1812, Napoleon invades Russia.  Andrew returns to service and gets hurt.  Nicholas saves his sister Mary, who has been carrying for the child, from angry peasants and the two fall in love.   The Russians and French fight at Borodino, where the smaller Russian army wins.  Nicholas’ family prepares to evacuate, and take Andrew with them.  Pierre has become half-crazed, and wanders Moscow convinced he is supposed to kill Napoleon.  Andrew declares his love for Natasha before dying.  Pierre is captured but eventually liberated by from the French, and marries Natasha.  Nicholas weds Mary, and the two have a happy life.  

What is TB of the backbone in detail? Please define its cause, symptoms, occurrence, spreading details, diagnosis, treatment and curing percentage.

Tuberculosis of the Spine is also known as Pott's disease. It is a very rare condition in which a TB infection spreads from another part of the body (usually the lungs) into two neighboring vertebrae. As a result, the disk between the two effected vertebra cannot receive the necessary nutrients and begins to deteriorate and die.  The destruction of the disk is often accompanied by swelling and visible masses of soft tissue or puss under the skin near the spine.

Symptoms of Pott's disease are similar to more typical cases of  TB but also may include back pain and swelling, a sharp bend near the middle of the spine along with a deepening of the chest.  Radiographs are more helpful in the early diagnosis of Pott's disease then X-rays, as the latter may not show the deteriaration of the disk until late into the disease.

The infection side of Pott's Disease can be treated in the same manner as more typical cases of Tuberculosis. However, the spinal damage caused by the disease can require surgery, and even then may leave permanent damage in the patients.

For more information on Pott's disease, see the sites below. 

I need help comparing the tradition in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker to the tradition in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

Both "traditions" are done almost absent-mindedly.  Maggie churns the butter and sews the quilts as easily as she breathes--it is part of her as much as her arm or leg.  It represents a set of skills that have been passed down from generation to generation as a means of survival and part of daily living.

Likewise, the lottery is almost forgotten until the time of year comes to perform it.  The box is a shambles and although meant to be replaced, it is always placed on the shelf until the next year--shabbier and shabbier.  It is performed also as a rite of survival, a fertility rite for a good and bountiful harvest.

Both traditions are very much an integral part of the lives of the participants.  For Maggie and Momma, it defines their lives; for the inhabitants of the town in "The Lottery," it  colors their lives once a year although the aftermath lasts longer.  In both stories, the actions are second nature--not likely to be given up without much of a fight.  Maggie refuses to forego her grandmother's quilts just because Dee is suddenly interested in them.  The elderly members of the community in "The Lottery" are adamant about keeping the lottery since they believe in its successful outcome for the harvest.  Moreso, they do the lottery just because it is what they have always done.  Those who refute or challenge it are quickly silenced, as illustrated by Mrs. Hutchinson's death.

Why does Hamlet delay? Give three instances and the reasons in his own language.

That's the timeless question of the play.  At the end of
Act 1, Hamlet accepts his ghost-father's command to get revenge against Claudius because
Claudius killed Hamlet's father. In Act 1, sc. 5, Hamlet tells Horatio, "It is an honest
ghost-". Later, though, in Act 2, sc. 2, Hamlet says, "The spirit I have seen / May be a
devil, and the devil hath power / T'assume a pleasing shape..." which indicates that
Hamlet isn't sure the ghost he spoke to was truly the spirit of his dead father and
that's the reason he hasn't carried out his revenge.  He goes on to say that he will
have the players perform a re-enactment of the killing as described by the ghost. 
Later, in Act 3, sc. 3, when Hamlet has seen by the king's reaction that he is guilty of
what the ghost described, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius when Claudius is
all alone in the chapel.  Hamlet doesn't kill him though because, as he says in lines
72-78, if he kills Claudius while Claudius is prayer, Hamlet fears Claudius's soul will
go to Heaven and Hamlet does not want that.  He wants Claudius's soul to go to hell.  In
Act 4, sc. 4, Hamlet once again rails against himself and his lack of action saying that
he is not sure why he has delayed except that he overthinks the situation: "...Now
whether it be / Bestial oblivion or some craven scruple / Or thinking too precisely on
th' event....".  Even Hamlet does not seem to be clear about why he delays in getting
revenge.

Calculate lim (x-2)/(x^2-4), x->2.

To calculate the limit, we'll apply the dividing out
technique.

We'll apply the direct substitution, by
substituting the unknown x, by the value 2 and we'll see that it fails, because both,
numerator and denominator, are cancelling for x=2. That means x=2 is a root for both,
that means that (x-2) is a common factor for both.

We'll
write the denominator using the
formula:

a^2-b^2=(a-b)(a+b)

x^2-4
= (x-2)(x+2)

Now, we'll evaluate the
limit:

lim (x-2)/(x^2-4)= lim
(x-2)/(x-2)(x+2)

Now, we can divide out like
factor:

lim (x-2)/(x^2-4) = lim
1/(x+2)

We can apply the replacement theorem and we'll
get:

lim 1/(x+2) = 1/(2+2) =
1/4

So, lim (x-2)/(x^2-4) =
1/4

In "The Leap," what does the author’s use of flashback add to the story that a strict chronological telling would not accomplish?

The story is told by a narrator, not the principal character in the flashbacks.  The narrator, unlike Anna, the principal character, would not tell the story of her heroic, courageous actions as a mother the same way that a grateful daughter can and does.

She recalls her mother's life, as it relates to her, saying that her mother saved her three times, that is how the story is told through the unveiling of the three incidents.

The three flashbacks begin before the narrator was born, when Anna tried to protect her then unborn child, not the narrator, when lightening struck during her highwire act.  Anna chose to protect her unborn child, and not grab for her then husband's hand.

This led to the second flashback, when Anna went into the hospital before her baby was born, and met the narrator's father, a doctor.

The third flashback occurs when the narrator remembers her mother's courageous rescue of her from their burning house.  Anna never hesitated, even though the firemen believed that their was no rescue for the little girl in her upstairs bedroom. Anna uses her skills as a trapeze artist to swing onto the roof of the house, climb in the window and rescue her daughter.

Anna leaps out the window with her daughter held tightly against her body aiming for the fireman's net below.

In Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Address he advised to "cast down your bucket where you are." What does this phrase mean?He advised...

Booker T. Washington was one of the most politically powerful African Americans at the beginning of the of the 20th century. He delivered his now famous "Exposition Address"  at the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta on September 18, 1895.

His address is  an earnest plea to the blacks not to engage in any form of militant protest to secure their civil rights and equality with their white neighbours: "The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly." On the contrary, he urges them to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the field of agriculture, business and commerce and succeed  in life: "no race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin and not at the top."

He emphasises his message to his audience with an anecdote of a ship which had been lost at sea right at the very mouth of the river Amazon and whose sailors were dying of thirst. They managed to survive after they listened to the advice of the skipper of a friendly vessel who told them to "cast down their bucket" into the sea and draw up the fresh water.

The blacks are also like the distressed sailors: they are ignorant of their very means of survival which are readily available so close at hand. He urges them to be practical and utilize the easily accessible commercial opportunities and better their status.

Whats does "The Road" ultimately suggest about good and evil? Which forces seems to have greater power in the novel?

Remember that a road, when used in literature, often symbolizes choices more than anything else.  It's the choice of which road we take which ultimately leads to where we end.  In The Road, the choice of paths taken is the difference between the path of good, and the path of evil.  Good being sacrificing for others (selflessness) for the greater good, and following the moral code.  There is also consequently a road of evil which is selfishness and immorality. Often writers use Evil as a stronger power so that when the character chooses good, it's a fight.   

How does the title "Of Mice and Men" relate to the story?

The title of the book comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is about a mouse, which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, only for it to be destroyed by a ploughman. The mouse had dreamed of a safe, warm winter and is now faced with the harsh reality of cold, loneliness and possible death. Part of the poem goes:

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, 
Gang aft a-gley, 
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, 
For promised joy!

Which pretty much means:

(The best laid schemes of mice and men
Often go wrong
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
Instead of promised joy!)

This is an appropriate title for the novel because George and Lennie had the same dreams and plans as the mouse. They wanted to have their own place and live their life free of society’s harsh grasp. But, as the poem states, the best plans often go wrong and leave them with nothing but sorrow and pain. When Lennie accidently killed the puppy, he was deeply disappointed, thinking that George will not let him have the rabbits he so loved. However, when Lennie killed Curley’s wife he was forced to run to the safety of the bush near the river, where George would come looking for him.

From the moment Lennie killed Curley’s wife, George and Lennie’s dreams were shattered and left George grieving, as he had to kill Lennie in order to protect him from Curley’s madness and anger.

What does Marguerite do to the "powhitetrash" children that come near her in the store in Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?

Because they were instructed to do so by their Momma, Bailey and Marguerite for the most part stood by quietly when the ill-behaved "powhitetrash" children came into the store.  If one of them happened to get close to her, however, Marguerite admits, "I pinched it...partly out of angry frustration and partly because I didn't believe in its flesh reality".

It was not the fact that the children were unruly, "crawl(ing) over the shelves and into the...bins" that disturbed Marguerite the most.  It was the disrespect with which they treated her family which infuriated her, and the subservient way her family was forced to respond.  Without really understanding its full extent, Marguerite was feeling the effects of the racist hierarchy of the Southern social structure of the times.  It did not matter that Marguerite's Momma, grandmother, and uncle owned the store and, as adults, were deserving of respect.  By "virtue" of their color, the "powhitetrash" children were allowed to condescendingly call them by their first names and order them around, and the Negroes had to "take it" (Chapter 5).

What effect does the point of view have on the story?

The narrator of Virginia Woolf's short story, "A Haunted
House", is most probably a married woman who is living in a house formerly occupied by
the ghost couple when they were living.  Virginia Woolf is most notably known by her
stream of consciousness narration.  This means that the thoughts and emotions of the
narrator flow from one to the next.  The effect it has on this story is two-fold: one,
the reader experiences the thoughts and feelings of the ghosts through the narrator;
two, the reader also gets the thoughts and feelings of the actual narrator.  I believe
Woolf approached the point of view of this story in this way because it conveys the lack
of fear the narrator feels toward the ghosts, and the connection she has with
them. Sometimes the thoughts of the narrator are intertwined with those of the
ghosts. Also, while one expects the story to be "scary" because of the title, the ending
of the story, when the narrator realizes the ghosts have found the love they lost
through death in the relationship she shares with her husband.  It's actually a very
touching and heartwarming story. 

Who was the oldest U.S. President?

The oldest president to be elected to office was Ronald Reagan, who was 69 when he took office in 1981. 

Some more interesting facts about the ages of US presidents:

The oldest elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president—he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated. THE OLDEST LIVING former president was Gerald Ford, who was born on July 14, 1913, and died on Dec.27, 2006, at age 93. The second oldest was Ronald Reagan, who also lived to be 93 years. ("Presidential Trivia")

Explain Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot, as tragicomedy.

By definition, a Tragicomedy is a play that employs a plot suitable to tragedy but ends happily like a comedy.  The action seems to be leading to a tragic catastrophe until the unexpected turn of events bring about the happy ending.

Beckett himself called this play a tragicomedy in two acts mostly because of the black humor--humor caused by something truly painful.

With Waiting for Godot, we have what's called Theatre of the Absurd.  This type of drama focuses on a view of the absurdity of the human condition by abandoning usual or rational devices.  The form is usually nonrealistic.  Two old friends are waiting by a tree for a man named Godot to come along.  We never meet Godot, but we exist as the men do--sitting, listening to their conversation about how bleak their lives are and why didn't they kill themselves years ago before things got so bad.  A boy comes to tell them Godot will not be coming, and still they sit.

Once you get over the initial boredom of the play, you realize that it is very funny.  Nothing really happens--just events they recall through conversation.  However, no one dies, either, which is usually the sign of a tragedy.

What might be the intention of the story "The Flowers"?

Walker's intention was to remind readers of racism in this country, and that the racism has a base in history.  If we forget the history, we are doomed to repeat it.  The history comes in the mention of the sharecropper's cabin and the dead body.  Sharecropping was prevalent after the Civil War.  It is an agricultural system in which a family would farm a certain part of land and share the crops/profits with the owner of the land.  Many claim that it was an economic way to keep the freed slaves in servitude.  At its heart, sharecropping was similar to indentured servitude. 

In addition to this allusion to African-American discrimination, the body found by the girl has clearly been lynched.  Lynching was a far too accepted practice in post-Civil War America.  It was a vicious example of the discriminatory acts of whites against blacks.

The young girl in this story is happy, enjoying the summer, innocent.  However, in stumbling upon the dead body, she and the readers are forced to see that not everything is so good.  No matter how much "better" it seems, racism is still too prevalent in this country.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," why does Tate say, "there's a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible is dead"?

That's his way of saying that he knows that Tom Robinson's death was unjust, even if he was found guilty via a trial, and that Bob Ewell's death, by contrast, was just, even if the courts never had a chance to rule on it.

 

By coming back to it, as he does in a number of ways, Tate is also letting Atticus know how firmly he's committed to his position. He's refusing to prosecute Boo Radley, period. In this Mr. Tate is showing that Atticus' efforts at trial have had some effect, and that he's not the only man willing to stand up for what is right: Mr. Tate is too.

Examine the external environment by naming and explaining.answer please

In business, environment refers collectively to all the
influences outside the organization that impact a business or a firm. Thus environment
always refers to the external environment. Of course we can think of environment as
consisting of several layers surrounding the form in its center. Moving from the most
inner layer to outer layers we can group them in three
groups.

Strategic group and markets:
This consists primarily with the customers, suppliers, channel partners and other
organization with whom the business has regular transactions. This layer has an almost
direct influence on the firm.
Industry or sector: This is
a layer that envelops the strategic group and market layer and embraces the complete
industry or sector of which the firm is a part, irrespective of whether it has any
business dealing with them. Some of the organization in this layer ma be direct
competitor of the firm. This layer affect the firm within the same industry or sector
more than those outside.
Macro-environment: This is the
most general environmental layer. All the firm and all the firms exist within this layer
and are affected by it. However each firm may be influenced differently by specific
features of macro-environment.

The macro-environment of a
firm is generally classified in six different kinds of influences.These are political,
economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental and legal. These six are
collectively referred as PESTEL framework.

Please describe the setting.

The entire story of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"
takes place on a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama during the American Civil War.
Other events happen in the condemned man's (Peyton Farquar) mind, but the all of the
actual action takes place on the bridge.

The railroad
bridge is situated above Owl Creek (not a river!) with a small military fort located at
one end. The tracks disappear into a forest about 100 yards away. The bank of the stream
opposite the forest included

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... a gentle slope topped with a stockade of
vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which
protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon commanding the
bridge.

A temporary
scaffolding was placed upon the tracks in a manner in which the condemned man would
fall between the crossties. Farquar noticed mists downriver below
the bridge.

Told in a flashback fashion, Chapter II reverts
to Farquar's Alabama plantation some 30 miles away where he meets a thirsty soldier
while sitting on a "rustic bench" on the edge of his property. Chapter III then
flash-forwards to Farquar's imagined escape. After surviving the hanging, he manages to
swim downstream and disappear into the forest, in which he travels all night before
arriving back at his plantation home.

How does John Updike use symbolism in the short story "A & P"?

Updike's "A & P" is rich in symbolism and begins in the very first paragraph.  Sammy is eyeing the three bikini-clad girls who walk into his supermarket where he is a checker.  His reverie is interrupted, however, by a "witch" whose "feathers" Sammy has to smooth.  The older generation are typically symbolized in negative terms throughout the story, those women who cannot and will not understand youth.

Queenie, on the other hand, is symbolic of all that is alluring about women and life that might be possible for Sammy on the outside, a life that seems palatable yet unattainable to Sammy.

Stokesie, Sammy's older co-worker, is symbolic of the life Sammy may well be headed for:  married, tied down with children, and few options for another life. 

Lengel, the manger, is symbolic of those too-far-gone, the adults who, like the witches, could not care less about youthful ambition.

Finally, and perhaps most symbolically, is the supermarket itself.  It is symbolic of the consumer culture that has a definite heirarchy:  the "witches" by bland "HiHo" crackers while Queenie purchases "Fancy Herring Snacks." 

How does Dana influence Rufus and his attitudes toward slavery in "Kindred"?

Dana influences Rufus to different degrees throughout the novel. When she first appears, she can plant the seed of magical powers, appearing from nowhere as she does. When she returns, her willingness to stand up for herself, her intelligence, and her protection of Rufus all shift his perception of slavery…to a degree. He becomes willing to grant her provisional status as his intellectual equal, though he still assumes he has the right to do what he wants with her, and with Alice. Only her ability to leave, and her connection with Kevin, protect her at those times. The limits to how much she's changed him are shown in their final encounter, when he tries to force sex on her and she has to kill him.

Explain the imprisonment of the birds in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."

The image of the caged bird in the title is an allusion to a Paul Laurence Dunbar poem entitled "Sympathy."  In this poem, the bird beats its wings against the bars of its cage to no avail and then sings from its heart.  The cage is, of course, a reference to the institutional social and personal oppression that African-Americans suffered during the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century.  The bird's song represents the desire to be free from these constrictions.  In the autobiography itself, there are no real references to imprisoned birds apart from this allusion.  However, Angelou's use of this allusion is intended to draw a parallel between the poem's theme and her early childhood experiences as a poor African-American female living in the South during the 1930s and 1940s.  Her "cage" is made of issues arising from class, race, and gender--all of which prevent her from the truest expression of her sense of self.  Her autobiography attempts to chart her growth into an assured young woman who breaks free from these restrictions.

Throughout the book, how did Charlie change? What were his personality and relationships like at each point in his growth process?

At the beginning of the story Charlie was mentally
handicapped and diagnosed with an IQ of 68. He was 32.

For
a man with mental retardation (as explained in the story), he was incredibly motivated,
making sure he worked hard at a Special university and making tasks to be selected for a
surgery which would triple his IQ.

After the surgery, the
first sign you see is that he is operating complex machines, and his IQ begins to
increase. Most importantly, he beat Algernon in completing a maze: Algernon is a rat who
underwent the same operation as a test variable.

Yet when
you put into perspective that Charlie went from two completely different sides of life
(from mentally challenged to genius) in just months, you can imagine the changes that
impacted his personality.

First of all, he would see people
for who they really were. He understood now all the digs that were thrown at him in the
beginning, and the double entendre of many jokes. He changed, because he wanted
desperately to be taken seriously. In a way, he shun everyone who was one his friend so
that he could eradicate that part of his life.

Equally, he
fell in love. When he did, he overanalyzed and over complicated things because his mind
would work so fast and with such complexity that he was now losing friends, and his
attitude continued to change.

When he realized the mistake
in the hypothesis that would contribute to his increase in IQ, his anger was not just
directed at the doctors, but at himself, at the society who laughed at him once, and at
all of those whom he once loved.

As his condition
deteriorated again, he came back to being a simple man, almost childish, still in pain
for what was gone, but most importantly, he was returned to a state of innocence that
begged for the mercy of Algernon, rather than for his own.

Who comes to Beowulf's aid in the final battle with the dragon? Why does he help Beowulf?

In Anglo-Saxon culture, several things are most important:  a belief in fate ("wyrd"--the old English word for fate which eventually becomes "weird" as in the Weird Sisters of Macbeth), loyalty to kinsmen, loyalty pledged to kings/lords, and fame.

Wiglaf comes to Beowulf's aid for all of these reasons.  He is related by blood to Beowulf, he has pledged his loyalty as a warrior to Beowulf, and he wants to be famous so he can live forever in the songs and stories told by the bards long after he is dead.  Although they are greatly outnumbered by the skill and danger factor of the dragon, the two of them fight bravely while the other warriors simper in cowardice and watch from the safety of the woods. 

After the battle, Beowulf names Wiglaf his heir and gives him two commands knowing Beowulf is on his deathbed:  1) claim the dragon's treasure as payment for winning the battle and give it to his people 2) build a grand tower so that all who see it will forever remember Beowulf (the fame thing again).

Wiglaf also harshly reprimands those warriors who ran for being without a sense of honor and duty and for going back on their pledges to the king.

How does the strand of hair sum up what is important in "A Rose For Emily"?

The important thing about the strand of hair is that it is "iron-gray".  On a literal level, this indicates that Emily has been laying her head beside the bones of her dead husband recently.  When Homer Barron was last seen alive, Emily was a comparatively young woman; after he disappeared, she herself was not seen for six months, after which she emerged, fat and beginning to gray.  The fact that she has kept his body hidden there in her house all these years is made even more horrendous by the insinuation that she has been sleeping by his side during the time that has elapsed since his demise.

On a deeper level, the strand of gray hair signifies age, and the passing of time.  Decades have passed since Miss Emily was young; the times have changed, as has the town, and the once proud South has undergone a complete decline.  Generations have come and gone, and the only thing that hasn't changed is Miss Emily. She is an anachronism, and the townspeople look upon her with an attitude of curiosity.  Emily Grierson is a "fallen monument", an aging symbol of an era that is no longer in existence.

In "The Outsiders", why does Johnny decide to turn himself in?

Johnny has given a lot of thought to the the idea of turning himself in, and has good reasons for his decision.  He is tired of hiding out in the church, and thinks he has "a good chance of bein' let off easy" because he doesn't have a police record and he had acted in self-defense.  Also, even though his own parents do not care about him, he knows that "it ain't fair for Ponyboy to have to stay up in that church with Darry and Soda worrying about him all the time".  Dally points out that the law is harder on Greasers than they are on other people, and says,  "You get hardened in jail...I don't want that to happen to you...like it happened to me", but Johnny responds, "Would you rather have me living in hide-outs for the rest of my life, always on the run?"  In the final analysis, turning himself in is really the only realistic thing to do, and Johnny is wise enough to see that and courageous enough to carry it through (Chapter 6).

What is the plot of "By the Waters of Babylon"?

John, a young man destined to be a priest in his village, goes on a quest to the Place of the Gods to gain knowledge.  Even though it is forbidden by the priests of his village to go there, his dreams have told him that he must.  After traveling through the woods and avoiding the enemy Forest People, he comes to the Oudison River and struggles to cross it.  Once he reaches the Place of the Gods, he finds that it is in ruins.  After exploring the god roads and going into one of the buildings, John has a vision in which he sees that those who once lived in this place were men, not gods, and that they were destroyed by fire that fell from the sky.  In actuality, this is New York City in the far distant future, and it has been destroyed by bombs.  John's people are decendants of the survivors of the blast, and their stories speak of "the ground that burns forever" and warn children that if they were to touch metal they would die.  This is because those in the past had picked up metal holding radiation and died from radiation poisoning.  Many years have passed, but the tales that holding metal will kill a person still survive.  Once John learns that the gods were men, he returns home where his father warns him not to tell his people the truth.  Too much truth all at once could destroy their society.

Is the poem "To His Coy Mistress" a satire?Heroic couplets are often used for satirical subject matter. Is this poem a satire? Of what?

Satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. (See links below for more information.)

The poem, To His Coy Mistress, is a satire in that it uses sarcasm to point out the fact that time is short, and to argue the point of the narrator that the young lady he is interested in should not deny his advances before time runs out on them.  He starts out by exaggerating that if he had all the time in the world, he could take his sweet time and slowly woo her over thousands of years.  However, the reality is that the clock is ticking and the narrator realizes that "time's winged chariot [is] hurrying near" and they need to speed up the process before death is knocking at their door.  To compel her further, he comically states that, "The grave's a fine and private place, but none I think there do embrace." 

In conclusion, the author uses sarcasm to denounce the young woman for being so coy with him, and uses the satire in his poem to politely build his argument for her to embrace him without reserve. 

What is Johnson saying about Charles XII in "The Vanity of Human Wishes"?

Here is the stanza you're asking about:

    On what foundation stands the warrior's Pride?
How just his hopes let Swedish Charles decide;
A frame of adamant, a soul of fire,
No Dangers fright him, and no labours tire;
O'er love, o'er force, extends his wide domain,
Unconquered lord of pleasure and of pain;
No joys to him pacific scepters yield,
War sounds the trump, he rushes to the field;
Behold surrounding kings their power combine,
And one capitulate, and one resign...
...............................
"Think Nothing gained," he cries, "till nought remain,
On Moscow's walls till Gothic standards fly,
And all is mine beneath the polar sky."...
...............................
Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound?
Or hostile millions press him to the ground?
His fall was destined to a barren strand,
A petty fortress, and a dubious hand;
He left the name, at which the world grew pale,
To point a moral, or adorn a tale.

Charles XII was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. During his reign Sweden was involved in the Great Northern War with Peter the Great of Russia. Before that war, Sweden was the leading power in the Baltic, but Charles's army was defeated in 1718 and he was forced to go into exile.

Johnson is telling us that despite how heroically Charles began his battles, and regardless of his bravado in taunting Moscow, fate decreed a different outcome for him: "To point a moral, or adorn a tale."

In Lord of the Flies how did the kids get to the island, and did they all make it there?

In this work, a group of British schoolboys are stranded on an island somewhere in the Pacific after their plane crashes. Piggy says at the opening of the novel, "I expect there's a lot more of us scattered about." It is not made clear by Golding whether or not there were other children who died in the crash. The reader does know for certain, however, that the pilot was killed in the crash. The different groups of boys join up and there becomes a struggle for leadership between Ralph and Jack. As the plot progresses, it explores the journey the boys take into the heart of evil.

How does Nick characterize Gatsby's state of mind before he is killed?

Nick stays with Gatsby until Nick has to go to work the next morning, and they have breakfast together. Gatsby wants to talk about Daisy, how they met, and what had happened the day before. He tells Nick that Daisy had been confused and excited by the exchange between Gatsby and Tom, and Tom had frightened her. Gatsby says he doesn't think she ever loved Tom, but she might have when they were first married. So you can tell what happened is weighing heavily on Gatsby's mind. He's trying to convince himself that Daisy will be calling him that day, and they'll get together in the afternoon as always. He wants Nick to confirm that Daisy will call Gatsby as well, but Nick doesn't know what to say. Gatsby refuses to leave Daisy, wanting to stay there and take care of her. Gatsby still sees himself as Daisy's knight in shining armor to protect and defend her honor. He has no idea that Daisy and Tom are packing their bags to leave that very day. Just before Nick leaves, he tells Gatsby, "You're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Nick was always glad he told Gatsby that, especially since he was shot by Wilson a few hours later.

In "Animal Farm," what are some tactics that Napoleon uses to gain more power and keep his power?

To gain and consolidate his power, Napoleon uses several techniques. With Snowball, he adapts Old Major's political philosophy. That's the first step. He fights the human farmer, a direct blow for power. He gives orders, starting with the order to harvest the crops. He and Snowball put forth resolutions on a regular basis, getting the animals used to them organizing things. He grooms the dogs to serve him, using direct violence on his followers to keep power. He lies, of course, and changes history, and makes alliances with humans.

What is the theme of "The Gift of the Magi"?

Two aspects of one theme that run together in this story are sacrifice and love.  Jim and Della already possess the greatest gifts they can ever possess: they have each other's love, a love that is willing to sacrifice for that love. 

They are compared to the Magi, who knelt at the manger where the infant Jesus lay and brought gifts to honor him.  But they knew, the Magi, that their gifts were small insignificant tokens compared to what this infant child would give to them.

They honored him, just as Della and Jim honor each other by sacrificing their prize possessions to buy the other a worthy gift for Christmas.  It is the sacrifice involved in this process that is at the heart of the theme--unselfish love, which is rare and should be cherished.

How do the Magi relate to the meaning of the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The allusion to the Magi of the Bible, extends to the idea
that these men traveled from afar to be in the presence of the greatest gift of God to
mankind, His only Son:

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For God so loved the world that He gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting
life. [John 3:16]

Clearly, O.
Henry's story is one with a very Christian theme, the theme of love as meaning that one
is willing to sacrifice one's own desires for the happiness (or safety) of another. 
Like the Magi, Della and Jim understand the true meaning of love, and they understand
that sacrifices are often necessary in order to experience true love.  Like the Magi who
traveled from great distances under strenuous conditions, Della sacrifices her prized
possession of her luxurious hair in order to buy a present for Jim, and Jim does
likewise for Della; in the end, they give each other the richest gift of love, just as
the Magi bring the baby Jesus rich gifts.

What is a summary of chapter 1 of The Twenty-One Balloons?

Chapter one opens with an introduction to the main
character of the book, Professor William Waterman Sherman, who has been rescued out of
the Atlantic Ocean, where he was found nearly dead in the wreckage of twenty balloons. 
The captain of the boat which picked him up orders that he be placed on bedrest and
nursed back to health.  Once Professor Sherman has gained enough strength to talk, the
captain wants to know exactly how he came to be stranded in the middle of the Atlantic
surrounded by the balloons.

Professor Sherman, despite his
weakness, announces that the first telling of his great adventure is reserved for "The
Western American Explorer's Club," a fraternity to which he belongs back at home and to
which, he is most loyal.  Professor Sherman not only refuses to tell his tale to his
rescuers on the ship, but when the captain deposits him in a hotel in New York and sells
his version of the story to a local newspaper, Professor Sherman further refuses to give
any clues to the reporters who show up at his hotel door.  The short, one-sided story of
the captain makes it all the way to the President of the United States, who's secretary
writes a letter to Professor Sherman, personally requesting his presence at the White
House to announce his story to the world.  Professor Sherman sends a quick and negative
reply to the President's secretary.  The chapter concludes with a final note from the
secretary of understanding, as well as the provision of the Presidential train to
transport Sherman back to his home in San Francisco.

What was the last Major League Baseball team to integrate?

The last major league baseball team to sign an African-American player was the Boston Red Sox. The team passed on such great players as Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson.

Although they made half-hearted attempts to sign Black players in the 1960's, the team could not be said to be completely integrated until 1967, far later then any other team. The 1967 season was the first time in years that the Sox reached the World Series, but after that, a committment to integration faded until it was revived in the late 1970's.

Explain why DNA is a store of genetic information, and how the base pairings are important?

I will answer your two questions in reverse, because it
makes more sense that way.

The base pairings are important,
because each 3 base sequence gets transcribed into a 3 base Codon on an mRNA molecule. 
This mRNA molecule leaves the nucleus of the cell and travels to a ribosome.  The
ribosome reads each Codon and pairs it up with the Anticodon of a specific tRNA
molecule.  For eacmple:

DNA:  ACG --> mRNA:  UGC
---> tRNA: ACG 

Each specific tRNA molecule (in this
case, ACG) carries a specific amino acid (in this case, threonine).  As the mRNA
molecule is thus translated by the ribosome, a long chain of amino acids, arranged in a
specific order, is synthesized.  This chain of amino acids, called a polypeptide, will
then be transported to the Golgi Body where it is processed and will become part of a
protein.  And proteins are used by your body to build structures (hair, muscle,
hemoglobin, etc) and enzymes (which regulate all the metabolic
processes).

So, the short answer:  DNA stores the
information used to build proteins.  The specific base pairings code for specific amino
acids that build these specific proteins.  If you have the wrong base pairing, you will
most likely get the wrong amino acid, and thus the wrong protein.  This is called a...
mutation!

Who are the protagonists and antagonists for the framework and the framed story?

As the framed story is written in the first person, the protagonist is simply "I."  He is not named.  The antagonist, also unnamed, is a friend who has sent the protagonist on what turns out to be a fools errand.  The antagonist/friend has sent the protagonist in search of information on Leonidas Smiley.  The framework antagonist knows that mentioning the name Smiley will lead the framed antagonist, Simon Wheeler, to begin telling ridiculous and long-winded stories about Jim Smiley.  Thus we have two conflicts, the protagonist vs. his friend and the protagonist vs the storyteller, Simon Wheeler.

I need a short summary of Chapter 14 of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.I need summary of Chapter 14 only - thanks a lot.

In Chapter 14, Okonkwo returns in disgrace to his mother's
kinsmen with his wives and children. He is accepted by Uchendu, the wise patriarch of
the family, and, after the requisite sacrifices have been offered, he is given a plot of
ground on which to build his huts, and some land to farm. Each of Uchendu's sons also
give him seed-yams to plant. Soon the rains come, a welcome respite after a long period
of drought. The earth comes to life, and the people are "happy, refreshed, and
thankful."

Okonkwo, like the others, works hard on his
fields, but his work brings him no joy. When there is nothing to do he sits around
lethargically, essentially cursing his fate and feeling sorry for himself. Uchendu sees
this, and resolves to talk to Okonkwo. First, however, his youngest son is about to be
married, and the "final ceremony of confession" must be performed. In this ceremony, the
bride-to-be sits in the center of a circle of her betrothed's family, holding a hen in
her right hand. She is then asked how many men she has lain with since being engaged,
and she must answer truthfully, or great calamity will befall her. The young woman
answers that she has been with no man, and when she swears that her words are true, the
hen is killed and she becomes a bride. The next day, with his son happily married,
Uchendu calls Okonkwo and the men of the tribe to a meeting. Uchendu asks Okonkwo why it
is said that "Mother is Supreme" and why a woman is returned to her own kinsmen when she
dies. When Okonkwo and the others cannot answer, he explains that "a man belongs to his
fatherland when things are good and life is sweet," but when things are hard, "he finds
refuge in his motherland." Uchendu then chides Okonkwo for allowing his sorrow to weigh
him down and refusing to be comforted by his mother's kinsmen. He points out that
everyone suffers, and tells Okonkwo to stop feeling sorry for
himself.

Justify the title, "The Gift of the Maji".

According to the Christian tradition, the wise men or magi
who travelled from afar to place their gifts at the baby Jesus' feet as he lay in the
manger were the first gift givers.  Therefore the title of the story is meant to reflect
that tradition as well as the unselfishness of the givers in that the magi travelled
such great distances to give their gifts to the newborn baby.  In some ways they are
also linked to the story in that their gifts were in some ways less practical to a baby
but were meant to signify their willingness to sacrifice, just as Jim and Delia were
willing to sacrifice for each other, even if it meant giving up their most prized
possession.

What page does in 'Twilight' does Bella realize Edward is a vampire?What kind of things does she think about? What exactly does it say when she...

Bella comes to the conclusion that Edward is a vampire
right around page 138-139. She realizes the truth but doesn't quite fully admit it to
herself yet. When she realizes that he is a vampire, she thinks about two options: the
first option is that she could tell him to leave her alone, run away from him, refuse to
see him, and never talk to him again. The second option is to continue to act as she had
been, to see him, to talk to him, to be with him, and accept him. She thinks that if he
were going to hurt her, he would have done it already, and she believes that he is good.
She makes her decision rather easily, because she is already falling in love with him.
She really can't stay away. 

When she tells him she knows,
she explains how she heard the story from Jacob Black, and he freezes, only barely
hiding his nervousness. She tells him, "I decided it didn't matter." This happens in
chapter 9, on page 184 of my edition. When this happens, the truth is out in the open,
and she makes it clear to Edward that she trusts him and is willing to work things out
to be near him, even though he believes this is wrong. Neither of them can bring
themselves to stay away from each other. 

In Chapter 25 of "Great Expectations", how can I compare Drummle and Startop?

Bentley Drummle is a member of the minor aristocracy from Somersetshire: "the next heir but one to a baronetcy," and is "an old-looking young man;"  whereas Startop in contrast is "younger in years and appearance." Ch.23.

Moreover, Bentley Drummle is a "sulky" fellow who "was idle,proud,niggardly,reserved, and suspicious. Startop on the contrary "had a woman's delicacy of feature, and was...-exactly like his mother." Ch.25.

Both of them are his mates in Mr.Matthew Pocket's 'tuition academy.'  Needless to say Pip was attracted to Startop who later on in Chs.52-4 plays a very useful role in  assisting  Pip to  help Magwitch escape from London.

On the contrary, Pip detested Drummle. He  had contempt for Drummle because Drummle belonged to the idle rich aristocracy. For Pip, Drummle was proof enough of the arbitrary nature of class distinctions: social advancement and prosperity had no connection to moral worth or intelligence leave alone hard work and self reliance.

Furthermore, when Estella is determined to marry Bentley Drummle Pip does his best to prevent her from doing so by describing him "as ungainly within , as without. A deficient, ill-tempered,lowering stupid fellow....[with] nothing to recommend him but money, and a ridiculous roll of addle-headed predecessors." Ch.38. Clearly emphasising the fact that he is an unromantic lout unlike himself who passionately adores her.

Why hasn't the curse died away in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"?

The curse cannot die, because the Mariner must retell his story in an attempt to teach others about the dangers of impulsive sinning.  When the Mariner sinned, it was on impulse and for his benefit--his motives were purely selfish.  Thus, his chance for salvation was destroyed, dooming him to an eternal living death.  His soul can never be free from its sin.  However, each time he retells his story to an attentive listener, he comes one step closer to the atonement needed for true salvation.  The ultimate question Coleridge leaves us is whether that atonement can ever truly be performed.

What is Detente?

Detente comes from the French word, loosen or
relax.

Within the context of history, the word has been
used notably during the Cold War period of the 20th Century. Richard Nixon, president of
the United States and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissenger began a period of easing
the strained relations between the West and East (Soviet Union) during the
1970s.

To this point, this was a major foreign policy shift
of the United States. Since the end of World War II, the foreign policy of the US and
its allies had been one of Containment towards the Soviet Union and its allies. The idea
of detente was a concession by Nixon and Kissenger that Containment had
failed.

There were other periods of detente throughout
European history. During the 19th Century Napoleonic Wars, detente between Czarist
Russia and Austria for example or Sweden and Prussia during the same period. Finally,
also during the 18th Century the easing of tensions between Spain and
Portugal.

There are other examples, but I believe the
intent of your question has been answered in my first
part.

Hope it helps.

What happens to John when the crowd begins to imitate his behavior?Chapter 18 Brave New World

What happens to John at this point in the book is that he
completely loses his head and, because of it, he will soon lose his
life.

When the crowd starts to imitate him, they get caught
up in a frenzy.  For them, the only kind of frenzy that is familiar is the "orgy-porgy"
sexual frenzy.  So that is what they do.  John is already quite emotionally charged and
in something of a frenzy himself.  So it is not surprising that he loses control and
participates in the orgy.

This leads to him killing himself
out of shame.

What could the non sustainable business do to reduce its global footprint?

Non-sustainable business means a business that cannot
expect to continue to do business and grow for long because of the environmental damage
and other cost to the society caused by its manufacturing and other activities, and by
the consumption and disposal of its products.

There are no
clear criteria for qualifying a business as non-sustainable. For example, do we consider
the business cigarette manufacturing business as non-sustainable because of the harm
caused by smoking to the health of direct smokers as well as passive
smokers?

Different types of businesses may be considered
non-sustainable for many different reasons. Accordingly the the step they need to take
to reduce their global foot print - that is, adverse impact of their activity on global
environment - will also needs to be different. A company manufacturing newsprint paper
is non-sustainable because the wood it uses for making the paper is reducing the forest
cover. A company like this could undertake a tree plantation program to become
sustainable. A power utility may be considered non-sustainable because of high
environmental pollution created by its coal operated power plants. This company may have
to improve its coal combustion and power generation technology, and introduce equipment
to improve the quality of its exhaust. Such company may also benefit by adopting
generating electricity from renewable sources of energy and nuclear energy. A petroleum
company may find is advisable to go in for development of alternative bio fuels. Thus
each business must decide appropriate method of reducing global footprint suitable for
its business and its situation.

Given that (x-2) and (x+3) are factors of 2x^4-ax^3-10x^2+bx-54, find a and b.

We'll apply the division of polynomials. Considering the
fact that x-2 and x+3 are factors, that means that 2 and -3 are the roots of the
polynomial 2x^4-ax^3-10x^2+bx-54. We know that we could write a polynomial as a product
of linear factors, depending on it's
roots.

2x^4-ax^3-10x^2+bx-54=(x-2)(x+3)(cx^2+dx+e)

We've
noticed that multiplying (x-2)(x+3), we'll obtain a second degree polynomial. But the
given polynomial has the fourth degree, so we have to multiply (x-2)(x+3) with another
polynomial of second degree.

We'll do the math, to the
right side and the result will be:

(x-2)(x+3) =
x^2+x-6

(x-2)(x+3)(cx^2+dx+e) =
(x^2+x-6)(cx^2+dx+e)

(x^2+x-6)(cx^2+dx+e) =
cx^4+dx^3+ex^2+cx^3+dx^2+ex-6cx^2-6dx-6e

If 2 polynomials
are identically, that means that the corresponding coefficients are
equal.

2x^4= cx^4, so
c=2

-ax^3=(d+c)x^3, so d+c=-a,
where c=2,
d+2=-a

-10x^2=(e+d-6c)x^2

-10=e+d-6c

e+d=-10+12

e+d=2,
where e=8, so d=2-8,
d=-6

bx=(e-6d)x

b=e-6d

-6e=-54

e=8

d+2=-a,
a=-2-d, where
d=-6

a=-2-(-6)

a=6-2

a=4

b=e-6d,
where d=-6 and
e=8

b=8-6(-6)

b=8+36

b=44

In To Kill a Mockingbird, using lots of details and descriptions, explain how Atticus deals with problems. Quotes would be nice, too.Harper Lee, To...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus
Finch is unquestionably a character who represents an educated man in the true sense of
the word.  For, he is able to step back from his selfish desires and perform noble,
altruistic acts instead.  Because of his character, Miss Maudie tells the children that
Atticus is the conscience of the town, doing what they could not do. When he is assigned
the position of defender for Tom Robinson, his sister asks him if he cannot eschew the
task; however, Atticus replies that he is obligated to fulfill the assignment if he
would keep his children from acquiring the "disease of Macomb county."  In another
instance, the nobility of his character is evidence when Atticus ignores the vitriolic
insults of Mrs. DuBose, instructing Jem to read to her in retribution for destroying her
camellias.  After Mrs. DuBose dies, Atticus explains to Jem that she has been addicted
to morphine, but wanted to die without its dependency.  He tells
Jem,

I wanted
you to see something about her--I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of
getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand....She was the bravest
person I know.

That Atticus
is also brave and a man of principle is indicated in his acceptance of the position of
defender to Tom Robinson.  For when his sister asks him if he could not have declined to
be this defender, Atticus replies that he is obligated to fulfill the assignment if he
would ensure that his children not contract "Maycomb's usual disease."  Later, when
Alexandra worries about the stress that the trial has upon Atticus as the other members
of the community make him do what they lack the courage to do, Miss Maudie wisely
cautions her to be quiet, saying, "...We're paying the highest tribute we can pay a
man.  We trust him to do right."

And, while Aunt Alexandra
has the theatrics of her missionary teas, it is Atticus who is the veritable Christian.
This charitableness of Atticus is demonstrated early in the novel when Atticus scolds
Scout and tells her that one must "climb into [another's] and walk around in it" in
order to really understand that person.  Similarly, he reprimands the children for
taunting Boo Radley and invading his privacy which should be
respected.

Atticus Finch is also humble.  He has been known
as the best shot in town, but the children do not discover this attribute until Atticus
must shoot a rabid dog one day.  Afterwards, Miss Maudie tells the children the reason
Atticus has not boasted of his talent:  "People in their right minds never take pride in
their talents." 

After the children are saved from Bob
Ewell's attack, Atticus Finch, with humility, expresses his gratitude to Boo Radley: 
"Thank you for my children."

Atticus Finch deals with
problems with fortitude, charity, reasson, and love.  Always he is an example to his
children, loving but firm in what he believes is the right thing to teach them.  With
the community he is fair and objective.

Contrast Dill's family situation to that of the Finches.

Dill comes from a family with both parents living in the house. Yet, they don't seem to spend much time or attention on their son. He does not appear to be out-rightly neglected, and certainly not abused, but there does not appear to be much evidence that they spend much time nurturing him either.

Atticus takes his parenting seriously. Even more so because the children are left without a mother. He works hard, but his role of father is given much time and attention.

Dill spends time every year with his aunt, who lives next door to the Finches. He even has to run away one summer to spend with Jem and Scout. His aunt is a good woman, but not very skilled at keeping an eye on a precocious young boy. It is easier for Dill to run free, while Jem and Scout have  plenty of adult supervision to monitor their activities. Calpurnia, their aunt, and Atticus form a solid team to keep an eye on the kids.

How is Candide a satire of the philosophy of optimism?

Candide satirizes the ideology of philosophical optimism by using exaggeration, by making everything ridicule and absurd. Also, the limitations of the characters satirizes this idea.

First of all, when this idea is proposed - when Pangloss is presented in the book-, the proof for such a though is absurd. (chapter 1)- there is no effect without cause, thats why noses were made to the use of spectacles, therefore, we use spectacle, etc. Therefore, the optimism is stirized, by the reasoning of Pangloss.

Also, exaggeration is used throughout the book. Pangloss and Candide pass through horrible catastrohpes in this book, such as a disease, rape, brutallity, earthquacke, etc. And, eveytime they look at these "scenarios" they think about it possitivly, and try to find a cause for such an effect. ( Good example, when Pangloss has syphilis, his body is distroyed and he is missing an ear and nose, he says that such a disease is " it is an indispensable feature of the best of all possible worlds, a necessary ingredient: for if Columbus, on an island off the Americas, had not contracted this disease- which poisons the source of all procreation, and often even prevents procreation, contrary though this be to nature’s great plan- we would have neither chocolate nor cochineal(…)” (Voltaire, 11)

Also, you could talk about Martin. How the author uses comparaison in between these two; pessimism always get the characters out of trouble, and optimism gets them in trouble...

If you need more ideas, don't hesitate to write back (:

what does the grade of joint movement of S1/T1/L2 indicate?

Neurologic level of
injury

The NLOI is defined as the most
caudal (ie, lowest) level of the href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567856">spinal cord that has
normal motor and sensory function. The motor level, which is a better predictor of the
patient's functional abilities, is determined by the manual testing of key muscle groups
on both sides of the body. These groups represent neurologic levels, and findings are
graded 0-5, as follows:

• Grade 5 - Normal; muscle
  movement through the complete range of motion (ROM) against gravity and full resistance
  


• Grade 4 - Good; muscle movement through the complete ROM
  against gravity and moderate resistance


• Grade 3 - Fair;
  muscle movement through the full ROM against gravity alone
  


• Grade 2 - Poor; muscle movement through the full ROM
  with gravity eliminated


• Grade 1 (Trace) - Palpable
  muscle contraction or joint movement, but not through complete ROM, even with gravity
  eliminated


• Grade 0 - Zero; no muscle movement or
  palpable
  contraction

Motor levels
representing upper and lower extremity function (and key muscles) are as
follows:

• C5 - Elbow flexion (biceps)
  


• C6 - Wrist extension (extensor carpi radialis)
  


• C7 - Elbow extension (triceps)
  


• C8 - Finger flexion (flexor digitorum profundus)
  


• T1 - Small finger abductors (abductor digiti minimi)
  


• L2 - Hip flexion (iliopsoas)
  


• L3 - Knee extension (quadriceps)
  


• L4 - Ankle dorsiflexion (tibialis anterior)
  


• L5 - Great toe extension (extensor hallucis longus)
  


• S1 - Ankle plantar flexion (gastrocsoleus
  complex)

Sensory function is determined by
examining 28 key sensory points on both sides of the body. These points are designated
within dermatomes for light touch and pin prick. They are graded as follows: 2 = normal,
1 = impaired, and 0 = absent.

Sensory levels are designated
as follows:

• C2 - Occipital protuberance
  


• C3 - Supraclavicular fossa
  


• C4 - Top of acromioclavicular joint
  


• C5 - Lateral antecubital fossa
  


• C6 - Thumb


• C7 - Middle
  finger


• C8 - Little finger
  


• T1 - Medial antecubital fossa
  


• T2 - Apex of axilla


• T3
  - Third intercostal space (IS)


• T4 - Fourth IS (nipple
  line)


• T5 - Fifth IS (midway T4-T6)
  


• T6 - Sixth IS (xiphisternum)
  


• T7 - Seventh IS (midway T6-T8)
  


• T8 -  Eighth IS (midway T6-T10)
  


• T9 - Ninth IS (midway T8-T10)
  


• T10 - Tenth IS (umbilicus)
  


• T11 - 11th IS (midway T10-T12)
  


• T12 - Inguinal ligament (midpoint)
  


• L1 - Half the distance T12-L2
  


• L2 - Midanterior thigh
  


• L3 - Medial femoral condyle
  


• L4 - Medial malleolus


• L5
  - Dorsum of foot (3rd metatarsophalangeal joint)


• S1
  - Lateral heel


• S2 - Popliteal fossa (midline)
  


• S3 - Ischial tuberosity
  


• S4-5 - Peri-anal
  area

ASIA Impairment
Scale

The ASIA Impairment Scale classifies
the completeness of SCI on a scale from A-E, as
follows2,3,4,5
:

• A - Complete; no sacral motor or sensory
  sensation in segments S4-5


• B - Sensory incomplete;
  preservation of sensation below the level of injury, extending through sacral segments
  S4-5


• C - Motor incomplete; voluntary anal sphincter
  contraction or sensory sacral sparing with sparing of motor function distal to 3 levels
  below the motor level of injury, with the majority of key muscles having a strength
  grade of less than 3


• D - Motor incomplete; voluntary
  anal sphincter contraction or sensory sacral sparing with sparing of motor function
  distal to 3 levels below the motor level of injury, with the majority of key muscles
  having a strength grade of 3 or greater


• E - Normal;
  normal motor and sensory recovery (hyperreflexia may be
  present)

What unusual conditions does Pip observe on his way to Joe's place in Chapter 58 of "Great Expectations"?

As he makes his way to Joe's place, Pip finds the area curiously quiet.  The school-house where Biddy is mistress is on holiday; no children are there, and the nearby house where Pip believes Biddy lives is silent.  Pip proceeds to the forge, and as he approaches it he listens for the familiar "clink" of Joe's hammer, but oddly, he hears nothing.  As the forge comes into view, Pip is dismayed to note that it is closed - "no gleam of fire, no glittering shower of sparks, no roar of bellows; all shut up, and still".

Joe's house, however, is not deserted, and it seems that "the best parlour" is in use this day, for there are "white curtains fluttering in its window, and the window (is) open and gay with flowers".  Pip finally then sees Joe and Biddy, "arm in arm"; for it is their wedding day!" (Chapter 58).

In Chapter 7 to 9, how does Tuck explain the spring in "Tuck Everlasting"?

In Chapters 7 through 9 it is Mrs. Tuck and the boys who explain the spring to Winnie, not Angus Tuck.  They relate how, many years ago, as they were passing through the area looking for a place to settle, they stopped to quench their thirst at the spring, and, except for the cat, "everyone took a drink, even the horse".  They noticed that the water "tasted - sort of strange", but thought no more about it, and proceeded on.  After a time, they became aware that they seemed to be unaffected by injury; accidents did not seem to hurt them a bit.  Also, although the cat eventually died at a ripe old age, the rest of them did not seem to be aging.  The Tucks traced their inexplicable longevity to the spring, and at first "went sort of crazy" at the thought that they would apparently live forever.  After thinking about it more deeply, however, they realized the drawbacks of being "stop(ped) right where (they were)", and decided that it would "be very bad if everyone knowed about that spring".  To this day, the Tucks do not understand "how (the spring) works, or even why".  Angus Tuck "thinks it's something left over from...some other plan for the way the world should be...some plan that didn't work out too good...and so everything was changed...except that the spring was passed over, somehow or other" (Chapter 7).

What is the relationship between Hamm and Clov in "Endgame"? I think they are more than owner and servant.

There are definitely different ways to interpret their relationship and the play as a whole, for that matter, but I don't think there is much to insinuate a sexual relationship despite the kiss.  Beckett would probably tell us that it is absurd to try to find much meaning in this play or ANYTHING else for that matter.  There are a few ways that you can look at their relationship that doesn't involve a master/servant relationship OR a sexual one. 

For one, it is hinted that perhaps Hamm is Clov's father or adopted father.  This might better explain the kiss than physical desire.

Another way to look at their dynamic is to view them as symbols, even though they try to defy that view.  In one interpretation, Hamm could be likened to the ego or brain of an aging individual while Clov could be the senses and faculties of the same individual.  (he is Hamm's only connection to the outside world, without Clov, he is utterly isolated inside their skull of a room).

There are too many various interpretations to list here, but perhaps this can get you thinking.

Are there any symbols in the story "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

First, it should be noted that this story is an allegory meant to represent a larger or morally significant idea.  The moral in this story is that of greed and the negative consequences of it.  What happens to Tom Walker is symbolic of what can happen to any human consumed by greed - he/she will lose their soul to the obsession.

More specifically, the woods in this story are a symbol of Tom and his conscience.   The woods are dark and hard to navigate.  It would be easy to get lost in them.  Similarly, Tom's conscience is dark and muddled.  He easily gets lost in it, lost in the greed for money and power, and this makes him susceptible to "getting lost".  He loses to the power of the devil.

Why is the village called Sleepy Hollow in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

The location of the place, its ambience and the character of its inhabitants are the reasons why the place is known as SLEEPY HOLLOW.

1. The location: It is an isolated "glen" situated two miles away from Tarry Town. "It is one of the quietest places in the whole world."

2. The ambience: A small brook which murmurs along through the land seems to lull every one to sleep and "a drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the  land and pervade the very atmosphere." Rumour has it that the place is bewitched and is  under the spell of either a high German doctor  or an Indian Chief, "Certain it is,the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie."

3. The "peculiar character" of the people: The isolation of the place and its charmed and sleepy atmosphere have rendered its inhabitants dull and lethargic, so much so they are known as the "Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighbouring country."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what other character would be the best choice to give Jem advice apart from Calpurnia, Atticus, and Miss Maudie?

Jem didn't get to meet Dolphus Raymond along with Dill and Scout on the day of the trial, but I'm sure the children never forgot their visit with the evil but fascinating man. It was clear that Dolphus had great respect for Atticus, telling Scout that

"... you don't know your pa's not a run-of-the-mill man, it'll take a few years for that to sink in--you haven't seen enough of the world yet."

But Jem was a bit older, and he may have benefited from a long conversation with Dolphus--and a sip of Coca-Cola from the sack. Like Atticus, Dolphus knew beforehand what kind of verdict  would be rendered, and Jem and Mr. Raymond could have shared their views on the jury--and Jem may have learned a few more secrets about his father from the eccentric man from one of Maycomb's oldest families.

What is the tone in John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"?

Tone is typically defined as the author's attitude towards the subject matter of his/her work.  The tone of "The Chrysanthemums" is one of oppression and confinement.  Elisa is very confined and isolated, both physically and emotionally, and this is revealed through Steinbeck's description of the Elisa and her husband's homestead.  It is not close to other houses and it isolated.  Her beloved garden is enclosed in fencing.  The homestead is surrounded by a low-lying fog.  Elisa's husband believes in practicality and doesn't see the aesthetic beauty of things in life.  Elisa longs to have her husband relate to her on an emotional level, but he isn't equipped to do so.  He loves her, but cannot relate to her need for emotional closeness.  Also adding to the tone is the tinker.  His visit simply reminds Elisa of how confined and isolated she is.  She points out how wonderful it must be to travel around to different places and meet new people, etc. 

In "Romeo and Juliet," why does Samson bite his thumb at two of Montague's servants?The question is from romeo and juliet

Samson bites his thumb at the Montague's servants because in that time it was a gesture of insult.  Rather like "flipping a bird" is in our society or other hand gestures in other cultures are used to indicate insult, anger, and perhaps an invitation to violence.

Samson and Capulet servants like him would have taken on their master's feuds as if they were their own.  So, the feud would be fought from the highest head of the family to the lowest servant of one family against the same for the other family in question.

Check out the links below to help you understand gestures and their meanings in different cultures and time periods.

In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," how does Hippolyta come to be betrothed to Theseus?

Theseus has conquered Hippolyta's Amazon nation and has, in essence, "won" her.  Hippolyta, it is argued by some critics, is not extremely happy about her marriage to Theseus because she remains silent through much of Act I.  I can imagine she wouldn't be too happy about having to marry a man who conquered her people: 

They believe that this silence does not reflect Hippolyta's happy acceptance of her marriage to Theseus. Rather, her reticence suggests that she has been coerced into the marriage (remember, she has been taken captive), and that she seems to regard it with resignation and sadness.

What social attitudes and cultural practices related to “A Rose for Emily” were prevalent during the time it was written?I am trying to write...

Prior to the Civil War, the South was more like its own
country than it was a part of the United States.  After the Civil War and
Reconstruction, both major defeats for the South, it was left rather vacuous, without
identity, "Christ-haunted" according to Flannery O'Connor, but still very much aware of
its former glory according to Faulkner, who didn't believe in the concept of
past:

The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
(Requiem for a
Nun)

And

“[T]o
me,” Faulkner remarked, “no man is himself, he is the sum of his past. There is no such
thing really as was because the past is. It is a part of every man, every woman, and
every moment. All of his and her ancestry, background, is all a part of himself and
herself at any moment.”

As it relates to "A Rose
for Emily," the South (Emily) is trying to recapture and morbidly maintain the Old and
the Dead.  So, what the South was still very much aware of were the
following:

• Fundamentalist Protestant and
  evangelical zeal


• Chevalier
  heritage


• Agrarian virtue and plantation
  aristocracy


• White
  supremacy


• Purity of
  womanhood


• Birthplace of jazz, blues, and rock 'n
  roll


• Hotbed of sports
  (football)


• A "lost cause"; illegitimate; full of
  contradictions


• A fragmented, bi-polar culture
  

I've got two favorite quotes about the South.
 The first is from W. J. Cash and Lillian Smith from
everything2.com:

readability="12.212844036697">

href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Extant">Extant and not (as a
href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=cultural">cultural title="construct"
href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=construct">construct), the title="South" href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=South">South
continues to constitute a profound problem: how to resolve its contradictions? It is a
distinct and wonderful place, the source of href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=jazz">jazz and the title="Southern novel"
href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Southern%20novel">Southern
novel; it is also the site of href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=slavery">slavery, title="lynchings"
href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=lynchings">lynchings, and
hyper- href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=conservative">conservative
delusions of href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Christianity">Christianity. In
short, it is a href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=bipolar">bipolar culture
suffering a grave href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=existential">existential crisis,
and her residents posses the same href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=fragmentation">fragmentation of
identity, the same duality of existence, which makes the href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=South">South such a difficult
place to consider without href="http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=anxiety">anxiety.146

The
other is from John Shelton Reed's My Tears Spoiled My
Aim:

You're in the American South now,
a proud region with a distinctive history and culture. A place that echoes with names
like Thomas Jefferson and Robert E. Lee, Scarlett O'Hara and Uncle Remus, Martin Luther
King and William Faulkner, Billy Graham, Mahalia Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley.
Home of the country blues and country music, bluegrass and Dixieland jazz, gospel music
and rock and roll. Where menus offer both down-home biscuits and gravy and uptown shrimp
and grits. Where churches preach against "cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women"
(all Southern products) and where American football is a
religion.

What is the overall theme of "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

One very strong overall theme is that of tradition.  The "Usher" family is a symbol in itself.  Over and over in the story, the narrator mentions how long Ushers have lived in the house, aptly named "The House OF Usher"--not of Smith, Jones, etc.  The narrator also mentions multiple times that Roderick and his sister are the last of the Ushers.  Once they die out, it stands to reason that the House can no longer exist.  They are connected...remember how Roderick and Madeline are feeling ill? As their mental and physical health declines, the house itself "feels" ill and displays it in the hairline cracks of the foundation, the overgrown weeds, the darkness that has overtaken it.  The Ushers and the house are one being...and have been for many years...tradition.  Once the Ushers die, the house also crumbles and is swallowed by the ground on which it has stood for years and years.

In "Death, be not proud," identify the sound devices used and comment on their contribution towards the subject matter of the poem.comment on the...

The ABBA rhyme scheme gives Donne's poem a measured tone that serves as something like a respectful yet gleeful triumph over the anthropomorphized "Death." 

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

Donne also uses alliteration, first to impart a tone of gravity:  "Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow."   Then, again, to convey a tone of triumph in the final lines:  "short sleep" and "wee wake,' and most importantly, the last line, "death, thou shalt die."

When was the printing press invented?

Well, we're not precisely sure. Gutenberg seems to have invented the printing press, but the earliest official record of his doing so is a lawsuit against him from 1439: usually given as the defeinite date of its invention. But we think he probably teamed up with Andreas Dritzehan and Andreas Heilmann in 1436: though we're not sure whether that was to start building a press from the already-completed designs, or to start designing one.

And then Caxton famously brought the press to England in 1476, enabling the Elizabethan golden age of literature which followed (more people could read more books).

But perhaps the most accurate date to give for its invention is "between 1435 - 1440"!

In Macbeth Act III, what is the importance of the escape made by Fleance?

It is not only the threat that Fleance's escape from death poses for Macbeth, but it is also the fact that the witches' predictions have verity. Now, for Macbeth "Nothing is what is not," and Macbeth's anxiety and paranoia increase, for if Fleance lives, so may Birnam Wood move.

Macbeth's perception of reality and fantasy seem to merge now and as "blood will have blood," the more that Macbeth becomes mired in his bloody deeds, the more horrified and violent he becomes as the pressure to dissemble and to eliminate his enemies presses upon him. For, after he learns that Fleance has escaped death, Macbeth, in his horror, begins to see the ghost of Banquo and imagines him seated at the table with the guests. To the dismayed guests, Lady Macbeth excuses her husband's behavior as an old childhood delusion that recurs on occasion so they depart. After they leave, Macbeth tells his wife that his fears come from lack of experience and will harden with further malevolent deeds

...My strange and self-abuse
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use.
We are yet but young in deed.

Furthermore, he decides to visit the witches again.

How did Fortunato insult Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

The insult is never named, or rather the "thousand injuries" were never named by Fortunato. We know that Montresor is an unreliable narrator because he never names the insults and his account of the entire story is so one-sided he cannot be entirely believed. Montresor tells the reader that he's tried to hide his true feelings of animosity from Fortunato when he says, "neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued . . . to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation."

We do know, however, that Fortunato thinks of Montresor as a friend and has no idea the way that Montresor feels about him. We know this because Fortunato goes freely with Montresor to the catacombs beneath Montresor's estate to taste the rare amontillado. If Fortunato thought them enemies he would never have gone with him in the first place.

There was a movie made based on the Poe story in 1972 which is narrated by Vincent Price and in that version of the story the "thousand injuries" amounted to Fortunato having an affair with Montresor's beautiful wife. Ultimately the purpose of the story has little to do with the injuries and more to do with the suspense, the horror of burying a man alive behind a brick wall, the "perfect" murder.

Based on its title, what do you predict will happen in "The Most Dangerous Game?"

Student , this is a prediction question, meaning you are allowed to speculate, or make your best guess. What do you think of when you hear the words "dangerous" and "game," for instance? Different pictures may come to mind, such as fire or sports, but in the end, when a teacher asks you to "predict" something, whatever you feel might happen is your best answer.

In this case, one might predict that the characters are going to engage in a competition that is hazardous, even fatal. If you have not yet read the story, there is no way you will know just what that competition is, therefore, feel free to offer your own opinion within your answer.

What kind of wife does Helmer want Nora to be? He affectionately calls her names such as "lark" and "squirrel."

The character of Torvald was, in part, designed to be an
extension of Nora's father. Although Nora's father is not an active character, but we do
know that he used Nora as a doll to play with. As Nora stated herself, she went from
"her father's hands to those of Torvald". In the end, Helmer treated her just as her
father did.

Hence, a wife is expected to nurture,
entertain, obey, accept, become educated, be protected, be needy, and be temperamental.
All these qualities are the ones that Torvald kept repeating over and over to Nora.
After the issue with Krogstaad, she realized that her husband was no different than her
father, and that she had wasted her time and care for no reason on both. This is when
she decided that, rather than submitting to their expectations of her, she would go out
and find out who she really is.

Why doesn't Jack kill the pig in Chapter 1 of Lord of the Flies?

In Chapter One of William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, the reader is introduced to the characters, the young boys stranded on a deserted island, and the first glimmers of divisions and conflicts to come are exposed.  Among those conflicts is the one between Ralph and Jack, the latter accustomed to being the leader among the boys in the choir and prone to displays of anger and meanness.  Early in the story, the boys have assembled for what will be their first meeting, and Jack’s wastes no time revealing the nature of his character.  Addressing Piggy, a sensitive, overweight boy with glasses, Jack interrupts saying, “You’re talking too much . . . Shut up, Fatty.”  And, when the boys decide to elect a leader, it is Jack who immediately announces his intentions: “I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.”

For all of Jack’s obvious character flaws, however, Golding reminds us that these are children, and that the challenges that confront them will expose the weaknesses that boys like Jack try desperately to conceal.  Having stumbled upon a piglet “caught in a curtain of creepers,” the boys approach it as a the potential source of food it is.  Jack’s reluctance to engage in the barbaric act of killing the small animal with his knife, however, is described as follows:

“The three boys rushed forward and Jack drew his knife again with a flourish. He raised his arm in the air. There came a pause, a hiatus, the pig continued to scream and the creepers to jerk, and the blade continued to flash at the end of a bony arm. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be. Then the piglet tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth. They were left looking at each other and the place of terror. Jack’s face was white under the freckles.”

He can’t admit it, of course, but Jack is afraid of the actual act of killing a living being, even an animal that can provide sustenance.  The thought of the bloody mess associated with stabbing and slaughtering the piglet is more than he can bare.

Why shouldn't you eat in a chemistry lab area, even when there is no lab?

In addition to the first response, you should never eat in
a chemistry lab simply because those are the rules. I have worked in many science labs
and they all had stated "no food or drink allowed".

For
example, thermometers are frequently used in labs. Thermometers are fragile and break
often. They contain mercury which is very lethal when ingested. If you place food near
on mercury that may have spilled on the counter top and then you eat that food you may
become very ill.

Other chemicals that spill may also leave
residue that may linger for some time.

What is the role of women in The Things They Carried?

In "The Things They Carried," women play a supporting role, not seen, but very much on the mind of the men. Lieutenant Cross,  although he is in charge of his men's safety, he is also distracted thinking a girl, Martha, who writes letters to him.  They are just friends, but Cross imagines that there could be more between them and these thoughts transport him from the battlefield  to the sandy beaches of New Jersey, in his mind.  

"As hard as he tries to concentrate on Strunk and the tunnel, Cross can think only of Martha, imagining the two of them together "under the white sand at the Jersey shore.’’ Strunk finally emerges, ‘‘filthy but alive,’’ but ‘‘right then Ted Lavender is shot in the head on his way back from peeing.’’

As a result of his daydreaming, Lieutenant Cross feels responsible for the death of one of his men, Ted Lavender.

Why does the author call Jim and Delia the magi? Is the description justified?THE GIFT OF MAGI BY O.HENRY

The Magi are also known as "the Wise men". As far as O
Henry, he used the play on words by calling them "foolish" at the beginning because of
their youth, their seeming immaturity, and their
situation.

However, it makes all the most sense at the end
to understand how these three qualities are precisely what makes them so wise as far as
love, commitment, and sacrifice. These latter are three characteristics that many people
lack, and yet, they not only have them, but took them to the utmost for each other. This
is how Jim and Della are magi (wise).

What genre is the novel The Color Purple?

Well, first of all The Color Purple falls under the broadest genre of fiction.  The three primary genres are poetry, drama, and fiction.  Once assigned a broad genre, a work is then subcategorized:  in this case, the subgenre is the novel (as opposed to the short story, for example.)  The novel follows certain conventions (expectations), such as the rising action, climax, and denoument (falling action), to which Walker's novel adheres.

If you were to further subcategorize her work, you might then classify The Color Purple into African-American fiction or feminist fiction.  It is also possible to think of this work as a mildly historical novel, as the conflicts the characters contend with are based in reality (the aftermath of slavery, racism, poverty, etc., in America.)  Another way to understand the genre is as epistolary, which means written letters, as the entire novel is told through the correspondences of Celie to God. 

If you were to write an essay on the novel, choose one of the sub-sub-categories to explore.  You might try to fit Walker's work into the context of other epistolary novels, seeing what conventions she adheres to and where she diverges.  You could even take a psycholanalytic approach, which would explore the ways in which Celie is affected by her environment and experiences. 

Do you believe the narrator of "A & P" is a static or a dynamic character?

Let me explain what dynamic and static characters look like and give you a couple examples of each. then you'll be able to answer this question for yourself.

A dynamic character undergoes some kind of significant change in the course of the story. It may be what we call a change of heart, or a moral change. This change does not include a change in physical appearance but in personality, attitude, morality, and the like. An example is Ebenezer Scrooge, who is a mean old miser at the beginning of the story and a kind, generous, loving man at the end. Another example is Edmund in The Chronicles of Narnia.

A static character remains the same at the end of the story as he or she was at the beginning of the story. No matter what happens to these characters, their personalities and attitudes don't change at all. The fact that they don't undergo any kind of change is not necessarily a bad thing. It could be that there is no lesson they need to learn or change to make. In A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchit is a static character. He remains the same loyal employee to Scrooge from beginning to end.

Now, which kind of character do you think Sammy is?

I have to write an essay about The Old Man and the Sea in general, including plot summary, themes, style, symbols.Thank you.

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea
is a modern morality tale and allegory that reveals the
following:

Plot: Santiago is
an old Cuban fisherman who has had an unlucky streak.  To redeem himself, he ventures
far out and catches a great marlin.  When hauling it to shore, the carcass is ravaged by
sharks.  Santiago returns to shore with only a
skeleton.

Themes: Man's
ability to deal with suffering, pain, and age.  Man's communal journey hows how man's
journey into nature leads to suffering and self-knowledge.  The skill of an old
fisherman can inspire a youthful
disciple.

Style: the novella
is written in the plain, tough style of a biblical parable: few adjectives, short
sentences, an objective and matter-of-fact tone, and an honest and ethical narrative
voice.

Symbols: nature (air,
water, land); fish (marlin vs. sharks); Santiago's hands; the great DiMaggio; Manolin
(the disciple); the cross-like mast he carries home

Why does the impetus for Macbeth's quest for power set the tone for rule by an unnatural or illegitimate power source?

In Act 1, scene I, when the witches respond as one: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," they have set up the premise upon which Macbeth's quest for power that does not, by rights, belong to him, is based. For Macbeth will go against his better instincts, listening to his greed, but also to his wife, Lady Macbeth, whose amorality urges him ever on to his doom. For anyone of Shakespeare's time to upset, or undo, the social order, was punishable by death, and a fitting end for those who would make use not only of treason, but also of witchcraft, to further their aims, would have told the Elizabethan audience immediately that there would be a necessary punishment in store for Macbeth, or for anyone who dared to upend the "natural" order of what had been decreed or fated.

As soon as Macbeth starts meddling with the natural order, he is doomed, in other words. His power will always be "unnatural" and "illegitimate" because he was not born to the role. Many of Shakespeare's characters share a tragic end when they tempt fate: Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Shylock, in "The Merchant of Venice"; it is a recurring theme for Shakespeare, and any character who is shown to spit in the eye of fate generally doesn't fare well.

It's an interesting conundrum, because Shakespeare reveals himself as both credulous and skeptical at the same time. In many of his plays, you'll see this dichotomy explored in great detail.