What is the conflict in "Sweat"?

The conflict is mainly between the protagonist, Delia, and her husband, Sykes, who is horribly mean and cruel to her.  He is cheating on her and has before and treats her as if she is a servant.  He also beats her.  

She has taken all that she can handle, but is limited by her race and gender as to what she can do about it.  This is why when the snake bites Sykes, she simply watches him die...she can't make herself save him.  Anyone could understand why she would have done what she did, really. 

At the end,

Sykes, whose head is clearing from gin, hears nothing until he reaches behind the stove to look for a match. But they are all gone, and Sykes hears the rattling right beneath him, so he leaps up on the bed. Delia can hear a horrible scream as Sykes is being attacked, and she becomes ill. While lying down to recover, she hears Sykes moan her name and gets up to walk towards the door. He crawls towards her and realizes that she had been there the whole time.

Because of this, Sykes dies, realizing, though, that Delia had seen him get bitten and that she did nothing about it.  Perhaps then Sykes might have realized the many errors of his ways.

What is the difference between Frankenstein's inner self and his outward appearance?

In addition to the above answer, the monster is the combination of many different humans - but he has his own unique personality.  He has clear rationale for his plan and what he intends to do.  He has specific goals just for himself.  He does not see himself as a "mixed" being - he sees himself as an independent and sovereign being.  As an individual, he goes through the life process of a human - as a "newborn", he deals with the sensations of his body:

and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses.

He learns speech, like a toddler:

I discovered the names that were given to some of the most familiar objects of discourse; I learned and applied the words,

He learns emotions, and sharing emotions with others:

when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys

And he comes to the point where he begins to think critically:

Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind when it has once seized on it like a lichen on the rock.

Shelley strongly suggests, through the contrast between inner and outer, that the soul is separate from the vessel that carries it through the world.

How Did John Proctor impact "The Crucible", and how is he considered an American hero?

John Proctor is the main character, or the Protagonist of The Crucible.  He is at the center, along with Abigail Williams, of the witch trials hysteria.  Even though Proctor attempts to stay out of the middle of the fear and paranoia that grips Salem, he is dragged into it by Abigail's accusation against Elizabeth Proctor.

Proctor's affair with Abigail has set the entire accusation process in motion.  It is because of Abigail's desire to get back together with Proctor and to eliminate his wife, that she takes control of the group of girls leading them in pretending to see spirits in court. 

She advances her plan to get rid of Elizabeth by accusing her of witchcraft. Once Elizabeth is arrested, Proctor has no choice but to go to court and fight for her life.

 "When the accusations fly at the trials, he is determined to tell the truth, even if it means criticizing and antagonizing the investigators. His determination to expose Abigail's false accusations eventually leads him to admit his own adultery to the court."

John Proctor is considered a tragic hero, and an American hero, because he makes the ultimate sacrifice, giving up his life for his beliefs.

Proctor surrenders his earthly life rather than give up his name and reputation in Salem.  He gets some of his dignity back by confessing his sin with Abigail and then decides to protect his family by not saving his life by confessing to witchcraft.

Why doesn't Stephen Crane name all of his characters in "Red Badge of Courage"?

One of reasons Crane does not name all his characers is because a primary theme of "The Red Badge of Courage" is the anonymity of war, or how the individual is lost in the machinery of combat.  In the opening pages of Section 1, Crane speaks of the army unit as an entity unto itself, telling the reader that "the army awakened", and that "the army might start on the march".  The names of the characters who make up the unit are not important, just as the individual himself is not important once he has surrendered himself to the inexorable machine. 

"The Red Badge of Courage", as a naturalistic work, focuses on the powerlessness of men in the face of nature and outside forces.  Man is insignificant, so it really doesn't much matter who a person is in the greater scheme of things.  Especially in combat, Crane is saying that individuals have little choice in how they conduct themselves.  Although their goals and aspirations may be lofty at first, once they are "part of (the) blue demonstration" (Section 2), they pretty much end up either doing what they are told, or what everyone else is doing.  As Jim Conklin, one of the few named characters observes, "if a whole lot of boys started and run, why, I s'pose I'd start and run...but is everybody was a-standing and a-fighting, why, I'd stand and fight" (Section 1).

What major changes happened between 1940 and 1970 for education?

Well, that's a thirty year time period, and a lot happened
in those thirty years, so it's hard to say if this is the information you are looking
for.

I'll concentrate on two major changes.  In 1954, the
Supreme Court ordered schools to be desegregated.  The government enforced the ruling
and across the South, schools were forced to open their doors to black students as
well.  By 1970, that process was largely complete.

After
Sputnik, a Russian satellite, was launched in 1957, the US passed the National Defense
Education Act, which changed all of the graduation requirements, placed an emphasis on
math and science, and created the AP program.  High school moved away from basic job
preparation towards college preparation.

In the book, "The Miracle Worker" what does Annie feel is her greatest obstacle with Helen?

I haven't read this book for years, since I was in high
school, but my son just finished it in his 9th grade English class.  This gave me a
chance to rethink what was going on when he and I discussed it for his
assignments.

I think, as most agree, that the biggest
obstacle Annie faces in trying to teach Helen is her parents, Captain and Mrs. Keller. 
While they obviously love their daughter, they do not know what to do with her.  They do
not understand her disabilities as we do in today's society.  The prevailing attitudes
of the time were to put these children away in institutions, or hide them away at home. 
They were not thought to be teachable so they were left basically on their own -
provided only the basic necessities to sustain
life.

Captain Keller, and to a lesser extent the rest of
the family, hinder Helen's growth and development from early childhood.  They allow her
to roam wildly around the house, especially at mealtime, taking what she wants and
shoving it in her mouth to eat.  She is not given any direction and allowed to roam
the home and yard.  Helen has to teach herself how to get around.  She has no way of
communicating her needs other than grunting, groaning, taking things, or hitting and
screaming when she is frustrated and doesn't get what she wants.  Helen is not taught
that there are appropriate ways to communicate her needs even when she doesn't have the
benefit of sight and speech. 

Annie, with her own
disability, has a unique perspective on Helen's situation.  She has faith in Helen and
believes that she can learn to communicate her wants, needs, and desires.  "Annie truly
is a Miracle Worker.  With love, dedication, and a few kicks to the shins, Annie is
successful in teaching Helen many of the things she needs to know how to do to get along
in life and be able to do so independently.

What's the theme for "Sonnet 40" by Shakespeare?

The themes of this sonnet, and of the two that follow, are both love and infidelity.  The thematic question posed by the poet is "How should I react when I am betrayed by my friend?"  The person of "youth" mentioned in the poem has begun an affair with the poet's mistress - this relationship is explained further in sonnet 41 - and the poet is reacting to it.  Despite the disloyalty, the poet is proclaiming his love for the youth.  Love encourages humans to give of themselves, and the poet is encouraging the youth to take all he has.  The youth is his friend - although the poet is angry, the love he has allows him to forgive.  He encourages the youth to take everything he himself has, but insists that they remain friends.

This sonnet follows the theme of love that echoes throughout them all.  Shakespeare explores the meaning of true and lasting love, suggesting through various poems that it is not held back by time or beauty, that is the work of deep friendship and not just attraction.  Sonnet 40 shows this by displaying how it can survive betrayal.

How does Keats use form and structure in "The Eve of St. Agnes" in his presntation of love?my premise is that he presents love positively in...

In the poem "The Eve Of st Agnes" by John Keats, the poet
presents a vivid depiction of love. He tries to keep an elevated state of mind right
through the love story. This romantic story takes place in the context of medieval
times, and we see familiar fairy tale-like characters displaying all the charming
eccentricities of their historical surroundings.The old-fashioned way that they speak
adds a new charm all of its own.The verse form in which this is expressed is the fluent
but challenging Spenserian stanza. The hint of an asymmetric rhyme scheme is a change
from predictable couplets or quatrain. An extension of the ninth line reminds us of
ordinary speaking voices which are naturally irregular.The introductory stanzas contrast
the Beadsman, coldly praying, against the “argent revelry” of the more festive great
hall. Images of heat and cold, silver and red, chastity and indulgence, indoors and
outdoors, run through the poem, a silent opinion on the plot.

How does Richard Llewellyn reveal his characters in How Green Was My Valley?

One of the primary techniques Llewellyn uses to reveal his characters and develop them is describing their actions and circumstances. Through this, we learn their inner character traits, their thoughts, their motives, and their feelings. An example of this is the first paragraphs of Chapter One. Beginning in medias res, Huw Morgan is preparing for his secret departure from the Valley.

He tells us his action: he is going to pack his "two shirts with [his] other socks and ... best suit." Now we know his background is an economically modest one. He tells us the immediate circumstance: he is using his mother's "little blue cloth" and doesn't want to go get his basket from Mrs. Tom Harries. Now we know he is leaving in silence, probably in sorrow. He tells us another circumstance: the blue cloth is too valuable to be used for packing, but he has "promised it a good wash and iron." Now we know how he feels about his mother and that he was raised in a careful and tidy household.

Another example in the same chapter is the introduction of Huw's father. His actions are described. He left the farm. He came to town. He whistled down the street. He saw a servant girl pull the curtains. He stopped whistling. He fell in love. Now we know his father is light-hearted, quick to love, perhaps impractical, and optimistic. We also have a foreshadowing of upcoming difficulty because of the possibility of impracticality.

My father met [my mother] when she was sixteen ... he came whistling ... he saw my mother drawing curtains .... He stopped whistling ... they looked and fell in love.

Llewellyn's emphasis on actions and circumstances is part of what creates the mood of melancholy in the story, and it does a thorough job of revealing and developing characters and their mental and emotional states and processes.

I have stood outside ... seeing in my mind all the men coming up black with dust, and laughing ... walking bent-backed because the street is steep ....

What happens in chapters 5 & 6 of "Lyddie"?

In Chapter 5, Lyddie continues to struggle with work in the tavern, so when Mistress Cutler takes a trip to Massachusetts to sell the maple sugar, Triphena makes a suggestion to Lyddie:  go visit your family!  Lyddie agrees and sets off on her way. 

First, she goes to visit Charlie at the mill, but he is at school at the time.  This makes Lyddie feel torn about this new family who takes care of Charlie.  Thinking about another family for Charlie disgusts Lyddie.  Lyddie finally reaches her parents' old farm and is surprised to find a runaway slave hiding out inside by the fireplace. 

Chapter 6 recounts Lyddie's encounter (and learning experience) with the runaway slave.  Lyddie soon learns his name is Ezekiel Abernathy, and that he is running from slavery to freedom.  It isn't long before Lyddie is connecting her own journey to freedom to Ezekiel's journey to freedom.  In a gesture of true compassion, Lyddie gives Ezekiel all of the money she has from the sale of their calf from the farm.

Lyddie returns to the tavern to find she no longer has a job.  (Mistress Cutler believes she has left her post without permission while she went to Boston.)  With nothing left for her at the tavern, and with Charlie "safely" stowed with another family, Lyddie decides to set off for Lowell to become a factory girl.  And, in so doing, she becomes a living symbol of the Industrial Revolution in full swing.

Comment on this quote about a life of security and a passion for adventure from Into the Wild."So many people live within unhappy circumstances and...

In this quote, Chris McCandless is making two observations.  First, he is asserting that the goals society upholds as the keys to success and happiness - "a life of security, conformity, and conservatism" - are ultimately unfulfilling.  Secondly, he is saying that people who have a lot to lose in a traditionally accepted sense are much less likely to take risks and be adventurous, and because of this they are missing out on something that is basic to their fulfillment.  For example, someone who has a stable home, access to a good education, and the opportunity to get into a rewarding career is not as inclined to put it all on the line to do something like McCandless did in challenging the wilderness, than someone who has none of those things - the first man has too much to lose.  McCandless lived his life according to the advice he gave in this quote, remaining true to "the very basic core of (his) living spirit".  He could have enjoyed all the things which society holds up as the basis of happiness, but he risked it all to answer a call deep within his spirit, the longing for adventure.  Even though things did not work out the way he planned, and in taking the gamble he forfeited his life, losing everything, in looking at his life and examining his journals, I think it can be argued that  McCandless lived his life the way he wanted to, and in the final analysis, he might have said it was worth it.

What evidence supports the idea that Keats is talking to a Grecian Urn in his poem?

Keats neatly sandwiches his stanzas between the first and last lines which both address the urn:  Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,  and  O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede...Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity

The first stanza is an introduction, addressing the urn itself.  Who are these people and what are they doing on your sides? What can it mean for those of us just now laying eyes upong you?

The second stanza introduces the theme of imagination, but by addressing the musician on the urn.  The music we can all hear may not be liked by everyone, but the music we imagine will please us all simply because we imagine that which we like. 

The third stanza addresses the lover, the musician, the trees which will forever remain in love, young, playing without tiring, and full of green leaves for eternity.  There is nothing to worry about here in this stanza...no sunburn, parched tongue, or broken hearts.

The fourth stanza questions the priest leading the cow to sacrifice and the absent townspeople about where they are going and what they will do, which all leads to the question: What is the truth about all of this?  We can see and appreciate the beauty, as will many to come.  "Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty,"—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

What are the main conflicts that Salieri has in Amadeus?Explain his external conflict of man vs. man.

Salieri's main conflict is with himself because he can't get past his envy and feelings of inadequacy when comparing himself to Mozart. This then leads him to a perceived conflict with Mozart, the man vs. man conflict. Salieri wants to be famous, rising above mediocrity, but in the end, he can't. He declares war on God as well, feeling that God is making fun of him "through his preferred Creature--Mozart. . . in the waging of which, of course, the Creature had to be destroyed."  He decides if he can't be famous, then he will be infamous, known for his bad deeds rather than for his music. At least he will be immortal, and when people "say Mozart with love, they will say Salieri with loathing. . ." His attempt at immortality fails when his attempt at suicide fails. No one will then believe his false confession.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR THEMES IN "A & P" by John Updike?

In my opinion, the main theme of this short story is
individualism.  It is a story about what happens when people try to do "their own thing"
rather than doing what society expects them to do.

In this
story, the three girls are, to some extent, doing their own thing.  Queenie has gotten
them to go to the store in their bathing suits, which was completely unacceptable at the
time.  They pay for this by being humiliated by the
manager.

Sammy also tries to be an individual.  In his
case, he tries to stand up for the girls against his boss.  He, too, pays for his choice
by losing his job and having nothing to show for it.

So I
think the theme is that in our society, you have to do what is expected or pay the
price.

What is Tom Robinson's contribution to the novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

The character of Tom Robinson serves several functions. First, the Robinson trial provides the conflict and suspense to drive the plot of the book forward. Everyone in the town is involved in or is following the case, and the trial allows Lee to pull together diverse groups of characters into one courtroom.

Second, Tom's character reflects the dangers of white racism. He is a generous, caring person, but he does not stand a chance for a fair trial because of his color. His kindness to Mayella Ewell is repaid with an accusation of rape.

Finally, Tom, along with Boo Radley, is the best example of a "mockingbird" as referred to in the title. Atticus tells his children that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" because they cause no trouble and only bring happiness with their singing. Tom ultimately becomes a "mockingbird" after he is shot trying to escape prison.

How does the Bill of Rights and the US Supreme Court regulate the police?

Neither Bill of Rights or the US supreme Court directly
regulate the activities of police. The actual regulation of police, or for that matter,
of any government institution or process are regulated by separate laws, rules and
regulations, enacted separately for different fields.

The
main purpose of the bill of rights is to ensure that such laws, rules and regulations do
not violate the bill of rights. For example consider the fist clause of Bill of Rights
forming the first amendment to the constitution. It
says:

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Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances.

Also the function
of supreme court, in relation to bill of rights is to decide if any action by government
or any law passed by the it violates the bill of rights. This is also done by supreme
court only when referred it following the laid down procedures. In deciding on such
matters, the supreme court also interprets the provisions of law that are open to
ambiguity. For example, the fifth amendment uses the term "due process of law", which
can be interpreted to mean different things by different people. Supreme court
interprets and clarifies such provisions of bills of rights as and when
required.

Describe the consequences of 'warrants e.g. PACE Act 1984'?IMPORTANT NOTE - Relate the consequences to a student working with IT within a High...

Great question!

The PACE 84
was an act passed in the UK Parliament which is the American equivalent of the Search
and Seizure rights as they appear in the American Bill of
Rights.

Prior to the Act, there was no specific protocol
for searches and arrests made on people in the UK. Anything that was considered, as the
Act itself says, "arrestable" would indeed become so. Comparatively, in America we have
to read Miranda rights, obtain warrants, get judge orders from court, and go through a
specific procedure prior to enter a home, arrest a person, and thinks of that
kind.

The Pace 84 basically establishes guidelines, or what
they call "benchmarks", that must be followed prior to conducting a search and seizure,
and even for making an arrest upon suspicion. It even offers procedures for interviews
and interrogations.

 An IT student working in a high school
has to be specifically careful not to break any confidentiality codes, especially when
prompted by a school administrator to crack into student accounts to obtain information
about possible undisciplined activity. No matter how pressing for information a teacher,
parent, or administrator is, the IT person most maintain the same rules of action when
accessing information. A specific school protocol must be in place and signed by
personnel, students, and parents, understanding the limits to their computer usage, and
the extent to which the information entered will be protected by the
law.

In the United States a judge is able to accuse and
find someone guilty of numerous offenses done by false data collection, intrusion in
people's personal files, and by obtaining information for purposes not regulated. Among
the consequences, a person doing things of this sort could be expelled from a learning
institution, from the workforce, licenses can be revoked, jail time could be pending, or
the accusation of felony in the case of identity theft, or invasion of privacy. That can
also include civil suits made from person to person on behalf of their rights to
privacy.

Are there scientific explanations for the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle?

The Bermuda Triangle continues to be a magnet for
questions for believers and non-believers alike.  I agree that while there is no
scientific "proof" that the triangle caused planes, people, and ships there are a number
of theories.

One is that the area is known for very
unpredictable weather.  Sudden and fierce storms are common there as well as weather
conditions that cause water spouts.  These are so powerful that they would destroy
anything in the air or on the waters surface.  Any wreckage would quickly be washed away
by the Gulf Stream currents.  Alternatively, if a ship sank just a few miles from the
coast of the US, it would sink in more than 5,000 feet of water making it almost
impossible to find.

The triangle is also one of 2 places on
Earth where a compass points to true north rather than magnetic north.  This makes it
difficult for some navigators to know where they really are.  This loss of compass
heading was experienced by the space shuttle when flying over this
area.

There are many more bizarre theories which you can
research if you like but scientific proof...not there!

Where was Maniac living after he left Amanda's home in "Maniac Magee"? Chapters 22-26

After Maniac leaves Amanda's home, there is a short span of time where the reader does not know for sure where Maniac lives.  It appears that he must have just been living out on the streets, because when the story picks up again, he is filthy and starving.  Maniac is found unconscious in the buffalo pen by the old zoo caretaker, Earl Grayson.  He has apparently been living in the pen for awhile, hiding from "some kids...somewhere out there...some other town" (Chapter 22).   

Grayson takes Maniac to the baseball equipment room behind the bandshell in Elmwood Park, where the Zoo is located.  He feeds the voraciously hungry boy, and cleans him up.  Grayson himself lives at the Two Mills YMCA, but although he suggests that Maniac stay with him there, Maniac, afraid that he will bring bad luck to Grayson like he has to the other people he has lived with, declines.  Maniac chooses instead to make his home in the baseball equipment room, and Grayson visits him there and brings him food everyday.  Soon, Maniac is going out each afternoon to help Grayson with his work, and the two learn about each other and strike up a deep friendship.  Their ability to fill a void in each other's lives is mutual - Grayson takes care of Maniac's needs and is a father-figure to him, and Maniac provides much-appreciated companionship to Grayson, and teaches him to read.

What is the message of the poem "Burning a Book" by William Stafford?

According to William Stafford,in his poem "Burning a Book"  the creative process of writing a book  can sometimes  be unsatisfactory. Quite often when a writer begins writing he tends to get carried away by his imaginative  inspiration and  the result may not be just as he had planned or expected.  The result is a poor piece of work which fails to please aesthetically.According to William Stafford it is better that such books are destroyed forever by burning.

The beginning of the poem describes minutely the process of burning one such book. The "truth" value, that is its aesthetic worth is merely "brittle and faint" and it rightly merits the treatment that it gets-it is only fit to be burnt. All that remains after it is burnt are only "a few charred words in the ashes" which have little or no value at all.

In the second stanza William Stafford says that most certainly those books which outwardly appear to be of great value-"character"- but have actually been faked deliberately by their authors deserve to be burnt. More dangerous than an author deliberately faking and trying to fool the reading public is the existence of many false and corrupt ideas which never get to be written out in books. Because if they are written out, at least then these false and corrupt ideas can be permanently destroyed by being burnt. Otherwise,"ignorance can dance in the absence of fire."

how does Attean become a man and how does Matt become a man?

Attean begins his manhood ritual when he kills the bear
that was attacking Matt and him. This is a sign to his grandfather that he is old enough
and skilled enough to begin the ritual. During the ritual, he must go into the woods
alone and survive, awaiting a sign from his manitou. His manitou will become his spirit
guide, helping him as he grows to face the challenges of
life.

Matt has no such ritual clearly showing he is a man.
His survival throughout the absence of his father is part of the route to manhood. What
he learns from the Beaver clan enables him to survive the winter, when all of his native
American friends have departed to the hunting grounds. When his family finally arrives
months late, Matt has harvested the crops, preserved the cabin, and is alive and well,
although a little thin. If he can survive alone in the wilderness (much like Attean),
then he is a man.

In what ways has Connie's worldview been shaped by her culture, and how do her character traits make her an easy target for Arnold Friend?

Personally, I think it was both Connie's naive nature and vanity and a little bit of societal expectations that made Connie an easy target.  Connie is a typical teenager for this time period in America. She is into boys and music and her looks, but she is also very vain, deceitful, and manipulative because she is attractive.  Her vanity helps set her up for Arnold Friend because he is able to get her attention by flattering her.  She is not distrusting at first when she should have been alarmed from the beginning!  I believe her vanity and inability to look past the flattery is what "did" Connie in, not societal expectations and/or roles. 

Young women were expected to be proper, studious, and to have manners.  Women were primarily expected to be at home taking care of children and the home.  Because of this, perhaps many women were naive because they were not out in society that much and were not exposed to much of what was bad; therefore, they were more trusting.  

How is the poem, "Ode to the West Wind" an embodiment of the romantic period? How is the writer an embodiment of the romantic period?

Percy Bysshe Shelley's 1820 poem focuses on nature, one of the primary concerns of the Romantic poets. It was during this time in British history that England was undergoing a massive social change from an agrarian society to a modern industrial society. The Romantic poets saw this shift as a serious loss, as they attributed an almost supernatural power to the natural world. According to M.H. Abrams, "Romantic poems habitually endow the landscape with human life, passion, and expressiveness." Shelley not only gives the west wind these qualities but also sees the wind as an instrument of his own artistic vision:

"Be thou, spirit fierce, / My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one! / Drive my dead thoughts over the universe / Like withered leaves to quicken a new birth! / And, by the incantation of this verse, / Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth / Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!"

Explain why Sheriff Tate insists on declaring Bob Ewell's death an accident. Do you agree or disagree with the way he handles the situation?...

Sheriff Tate is aware of the problems that will arise if
he decides to charge Boo Radley with murder (albeit in self-defense). Boo will have to
make appearances in court, as will Jem and Scout, and the sheriff decides that justice
will be best served by calling Bob Ewell's death a self-inflicted
accident.

"To
my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, takin' the one man who's done you and this town a great
service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me that's a sin. It's
a sin and I'm not about to have it on my
head."

As Sheriff Tate says,
"let the dead bury the dead." He believes that Ewell got what he deservea by trying to
harm Jem and Scout and that Boo was only protecting the children. His decision is best
for all involved.

How does the narrator reveal his powers of concentration throughout the course of his crime in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?I don't understand how he...

The narrator is a first-person one, the protagonist of the story, who is clearly mentally unstable.  This also makes him an unreliable narrator, one a reader cannot really trust to tell him/her the entire truth.  

In this story, the narrator reveals his powers of concentration through two methods:  1) by telling the reader what he has done, and 2) boasting about his meticulous nature and his cleverness.  He observes the the old man's eye that he is obsessed with and repulsed by night after night, standing perfectly still for hours upon end.  How anyone could stand still and peep through a crack in the door to stare at an eye for hours is beyond comprehension.  

In addition, the narrator has taken great care to clean up after the murder and dismember the body in order to cover his crime.  He is quite proud of his tidiness.  His confidence (arrogance, really) about his own ability to get away with this murder allows him to concentrate on doing the job the way he wants it done.  

Give examples of three metaphors in "Buried Onions."

The title of the book is a metaphor: Eddie imagines that a giant onion is buried beneath his neighborhood. This onion, he believes, brings sadness and pain to the people, causing them to cry. The vapors that rise off the hot asphalt are evidence of that onion's existence to him.

The sun was climbing over the trees of City College and soon the black asphalt would shimmer with vapors. I had a theory about those vapors, which were not released by the sun’s heat but by a huge onion buried under the city. This onion made us cry. Tears leapt from our eyelashes and stained our faces. Babies in strollers pinched up their faces and wailed for no reason. Perhaps as practice for the coming years. I thought about the giant onion, that remarkable bulb of sadness.

Eddie creates another metaphor when he is talking to his aunt (his tia) later in the story. He says that the "east was one large bruise that was slowly becoming the night." Can you imagine the color of that sunset?

A third metaphor appears in Eddie's statement: "If hard work is the road to salvation, heaven must be packed with a lot of people from Fresno." In this metaphor, he is comparing work to a road that people travel.

What are the main ideas presented in the prologue in Act II?

As I have told the theatre four class when we studied
Romeo and Juliet (again) “Back in Shakespear’s time, they went to the theatre all the
time-well, as much as they could- so, they knew the play by heart, so, they didn’t have
to have a “SPOILER ALERT!!!” because they knew the story all
ready.”

So, the common people as well as the royals had
been to the theatre and probably saw the same play; six, seven times a month. If money
would allow them.

With Love and
Care,

Alice.

Do you have an analysis of "Blasted" written by Sarah Kane?

"Blasted" is known for a number of qualities. Marin Ireland, who acted in the play when it was produced by the SoHo Rep, found it "violent and scary."  Reviewing that production for The New York Times, Mark Blankeship said that the play subjected viewers to " Jacobean-style horror." It is known to drawn metaphorical parallels between sexual violence and the violence of war. The Literary Encyclopedia called the play "raw" due to explicit violence, and notes that it was quite controversial when first produced. A final defining quality is that the play's world splits into two parts, one that is largely realistic, and one that is a nightmarish dreamscape.

Please explain Bassanio's speech in Act III, scene 2 of The Merchant of Venice.How many cowards whose hearts are all as false as stairs of sand...

Here is more of the speech you're asking about:

There is no vice so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts.
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;
Who, inward search'd, have livers white as milk;

In this scene, Bassanio has to choose from among the three caskets, or chests, the one that will grant permission to marry Portia. In this speech, Bassanio is talking to himself about how to make his choice. The gist of the speech is that appearances can be deceiving. There is one gold box, one silver box, and one lead box. Just like the cowards who put on the appearance of being brave by dressing and acting like Hercules or Mars, the boxes made of precious metals might contain nothing. So he reasons that what he wants is in the box made of lead, and he is right.

How do Tom and Daisy treat Gatsby in a despicable manner?

In The Great Gatsby, first of all, if
by destruction you mean death, Wilson is responsible for Gatsby's death--he pulls the
trigger.  And Tom tells Wilson that Gatsby owns the car that hit Myrtle, so Tom plays a
part as well.  Furthermore, Daisy lets Gatsby take the blame and doesn't tell Tom, as
far as evidence in the novel suggests, that she was actually driving the car.  So she is
responsible, too.

In terms of his death, Gatsby is
responsible for his own death only in that he takes the blame for the accident for
Daisy.  His act of love and protection gets him killed, you could
say.

If you're asking about more than just the death, Daisy
says she loves Gatsby but then withdraws from him because, as she says, Gatsby asks too
much--he demands that she announce that she always loved him and never loved Tom, and
she refuses to do that. 

Tom slanders Gatsby with
speculation about his past, etc., in an effort to keep
Daisy.

Gatsby, if you're asking about more than just the
death, causes his own failure by dedicating himself to an illusion, and trying to
recapture a past that never was. 

The Porter is on one level a naturalistic portrait of working class living conditions. What could make us feel a certain sympathy for him?act 2...

Working class citizens in this time period were not given much consideration.  The lower class were considered equal with animals...especially if they were from Ireland or Scotland.  The English opinion of people from these countries was (and some may say still is) one of contempt and loathing. 

We may feel sympathy for the Porter not only because he is a member of the working class, but also because it is his job--regardless of the state of his health or how much sleep he has had--to answer the door as well as perform any other duties assigned to him.  One may also feel sorry for him because he is obviously inebriated and carries on in vulgarities regarding the effects of drink on his ability to perform his duties (double meanings are everywhere) which were common and expected of the lower classes.  He is pretending to be the gatekeeper to Hell.  Living in such a place where evil such as murder is so flippantly committed is enough to feel sympathy for any and all of the servants who must endure it.

The Porter plays his "gatekeeper" role well, and Shakespeare's audiences would have immediately recognized that he was portraying a part from the Medieval Morality Plays--the gatekeeper of hell who admits Christ to Limbo in the ancient legend of the "Harrowing of Hell".

It is clear that we are to see Macbeth's castle as Hell and that Macbeth has lost his soul. Even so, the Porter is much needed comic relief.

When Nick asks Gatsby what business he is in, Gatsby responds "that's my affair." Why does he give that answer?And why is it not an appropriate reply?

Because one of the themes of Gatsby's life is this attempt
to break into the posh set and of course in the end to work things out so that Daisy
runs off with him, he is incredibly concerned about his image.  He has worked so hard to
cultivate this very cultured image and he could ruin that by allowing others to know how
he got his money.

It is absolutely unacceptable among
Daisy's crowd to have had to work for your money, especially if it is tied to anything
improper or illegal.  It is perfectly acceptable to have huge parties with alcohol,
etc., but to be connected to smuggling it would be a mark on his character that nothing
could undo.

As the previous post says, definitely rude, but
Gatsby can ill afford to tell the truth.  Of course we know that he also struggles to
lie to Nick (as everyone does according to Nick) so he also can't just make something
up, so the response is a rude one instead.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, why is Scout so anxious to begin school?

Like so many young children who have watched their older siblings and friends go off to school each day, Scout wants to be included.  She is used to the companionship of other children, and when the older ones are in school she is left alone to play by herself each day.  She recalls sitting alone in a treehouse overlooking the schoolyard, "spying on multitudes of children...learning their games, following Jem's red jacket through wriggling circles of blind man's buff, secretly sharing their misfortunes and minor victories...I longed to join them" (Chapter 2).  She doesn't really have a concept of what school entails other than the fact that the students, who seem to be having fun on the playground, go there everyday and she is not allowed to be with them.

My teacher giving a test on the story The Mark of the Beast by Rudyard Kipling could you give me a summary or just explain it to me please?

In this story, some soldiers go out drinking together and
get drunk. One of the men, Fleete, does not know very much about India. On the way home
he desecrates an Indian god, Hanuman the Monkey God, by stubbing out his cigar on the
statue. A weird priest, who has the disease leprosy, grabs him and bites him on the
chest, leaving a large and ugly mark. As the men laugh and leave the temple, another
priest warns them that Hanuman will get his revenge.

Soon
after, Fleete begins to act crazy. He is possessed. The monkey god has put a spell on
him. His friend, Strickland, is familiar with the mark of the beast from the Bible (the
number 666) and believes that if his friend does not get better, they will have to take
drastic measures. Finally,

readability="6">

"Watch!" said Strickland. "If this happens six
times I shall take the law into my own hands. I order you to help
me."

Fleete's two friends
kidnap the leper priest and force him to remove the spell on Fleete. Fleete recovers and
has no memory of being possessed.

In the Bible, in the book
of Revelation, the number 666 is called "the mark of the beast." It is the number of the
Antichrist. Anyone that does not get this number stamped on his hand will not be able to
survive. It symbolizes that one belongs to Satan, not God. When Fleete is bitten by the
leper priest, he becomes a beast himself. He belongs to the
beast.

Now -- what do you think the story means? I will
give you a hint: it is an allegory of British colonialism in India. Think about this as
you figure out the theme of the story.

Who was Smitty in "Of Mice and Men"?Because I don't know who he was.

Smitty was the skinner who got in the fight with Crooks, the "Stable Buck," at the Christmas party. He doesn't play a major part in the book. He mainly shows up when George and Lennie are listening to stories about what the ranch and boss are like at the beginning of the book, before they've met most of the men who work the ranch and are just settling in.

In Chapter 6, why does Fitzgerald reveal the truth about Gatby's background at this particular point in the novel?

In Chapter Six, Nick advises Gatsby not to ask too much of Daisy, not to ask her to repudiate her love for Tom:  “You can’t repeat the past,” he says. Gatsby disagrees:  “Why of course you can!” (116). Even the exclamation mark is significant here because it indicates the enthusiasm and certainty of Gatsby’s response. His life since he lost Daisy in his youth has been directed to this moment of being able to “get her back” so that he can relive the dream he had made her into when they first met, captured especially in their first kiss. Fitzgerald tells us about Gatsby’s past at this particular moment because doing so coincides with Gatsby’s opportunity to recreate it. In other words, Fitzgerald and his character recreate the past together, the author by the structure of his novel, and the character by the life he has led and the dreams he has nurtured up to this point.

How is satire used in the "Franklin's Tale"?

Satire is defined as the opposite of what is expected either in oral or written work.  In the Franklin's case, he is revealed in the general Prologue as a wealthy man who likes to be well thought of as a host--generous and always ready to give freely of his food and wine.  He is also, however, quick to temper, dominated by the "blood humor"--in Medieval days the four humors were considered the basis of health and an imbalance of any of them caused a behavior problem.  He beats the cook if the sauce isn't just right.  One gets the impression that he is quick to punish all faults in his employees who must not  love the Franklin much, no matter how generous or "worthy" he is.

The story this important and wealthy man tells is one of honor and noble behavior, regardless of social rank.  He tells of a knight who woos a lady and establishes marriage on the basis of equality.  They wed and love each other very much.  When he must leave for an extended time period, she is left watching the horizon and longing for his ship's appearance.  A squire tricks her into promising herself to him if he can make the jagged rocks which threaten her husband's ship to disappear.  He does, and when her husband returns, he says she must keep her promise.  The squire releases her from her vow, embarrassed by his behavior.

The satire is that the Franklin does not act nobly in his daily life, but he preaches it.

Why do Dill and Jem want to give Boo Radley a note? What does Atticus say when he finds out about their plan?

The reason that they want to do this is that they are
fascinated with the idea of Boo Radley.  To them, he is like some sort of a monster.  He
is not a real person -- just someone to make up stories about and use as the basis for
games.  So they think that they can prove their bravery and daring by getting a note to
him.

Atticus makes them stop when he finds out what they
are doing.  He tells them to stop tormenting Boo.  This, to me, is because he expects
them to treat people like people -- not to use them as playthings and treat them as
monsters.

Disadvantages of productivity improvement?principles of management t y baf university exam question

I do not know what your particular textbook says and you
probably ought to look in it for the exact answer that you are expected to put on the
exam.

To me, the disadvantages of productivity improvement
are closely tied to the disadvantages of capitalism in general because capitalism and
productivity improvement go hand in hand.

When productivity
improves, people in that industry tend to lose their jobs.  This is certainly a
disadvantage.  As productivity improves, there comes to be a race between firms to cut
costs and gain profits.  This leads, in the modern, world, to outsourcing.  Outsourcing
is certainly a problem for the people whose jobs are lost.

Who made up Buddhism?

Buddhism is one of the major religious and philosophical
traditions in the world.  It began over 2,500 years ago in northeast India, with the
teachings of Buddha.

Buddha (563? to 483? B.C.) was son of
king Shuddhodana of Kapilvastu. He was named Siddhartha Gautama by his father.
Disenchanted by seeing the miseries of the world in form of old age, disease, and death,
at the age of 29, he gave up his princely life including his wife and son in quest of
peace and deliverance from miseries of life.

After
wandering, learning from other great teachers of his time, practicing asceticism and
seeking the the peace for 6 years, the right path or means of attaining true peace and
happiness in life dawned upon him with absolute clarity while he was meditating under a
tree on the outskirts of village Gaya.. This event is describes as reaching
enlightenment or realization as per Hindu philosophy and tradition. He was conferred the
title of Buddha, meaning the enlightened one, in recognition of this
enlightenment.

Buddha spent the next 45 years travelling
round northeast India preaching to people, and debating with many other religious
teachers. He spread hi teaching with the help of five men who became hi close
disciples.

Buddha was able o spread his teaching
considerably within Northern India during his life time. His work was continued after
his death by his disciples and a fairly well developed organization of monks. However
the credit for spreading Buddhism beyond India goes to a great extent to King
Ashoka.

King Ashoka (272?-232 B.C.) ruled the Maurya Empire
in India from about 272 B.C. until his death. He waged many wars to extend his empire.
However he conquest of Kalinga, in which his armies killed about 100,000 people 150,000
prisoners brought a sudden change in his life and thinking. Horrified at the Kalinga
carnage he renounce warfare, adopted Buddhism, which among other principles was based on
practice of non-violence. For the rest of his life played a very important role in
popularising Buddhism in India and many other countries.

What is the Creel Committe?Include organizations in the context of the roles and Images of women during war-time.

The Creel Committee or the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was an independent agency of the United States of America intended to influence American public opinion regarding American intervention in World War I.  It was established by President Woodrow Wilson through executive order 2594 on April 13th 1919. The chairman of the committee was George Creel.

The main purpose of the committee was to influence American public opinion to support the American government's intervention in World War I. The CPI used all the available media of that time-newsprint,posters, telegraph and cinema-to influence public opinion. Initially facts were given a spin to support the war effort, soon however the CPI began churning out raw propaganda which portaryed the Germans as monsters. The committee was abolished in 1919.

Most of the  women's organisations supported the war effort by extending their traditional domestic services like running canteens for the soldiers or providing nursing care to the wounded soldiers. They also supported the war effort by their fundraising.

Two of the prominent women's groups were-The women's wing of the Red Cross and the National League for Women's Service.

How does Shakespeare build up the feeling of tension and suspense in Act 2 Scene 2?

This is an extremely dramatic scene and Shakespeare sets the stage for the bloody murder with the "owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman," as even nature cries out against the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth fears that the murder is unaccomplished, yet when Macbeth enters, he says, "I have done the deed." Suspense is heightened here by the quick exchange of dialogue between husband and wife:

"Did you not speak?" 

"When?"

"Now."

"As I descended?"

Through these brief interchanges, the urgency of the moment is apparent. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fear someone has heard them and the fear the guards will reawaken. The audience also wonders whether they will be caught or get away with their heinous crime. Next, Lady Macbeth must revisit the death chamber to dispatch the guards. Both husband and wife have Duncan's blood on their hands, literally and metaphorically! Again, Shakespeare uses sound to engage the audience in the suspense, as a knocking is heard...and more knocking. At this point, they must quickly retire to their bedchambers to appear as if they have been asleep. The immediacy of the situation is created with Macduff knocking at the castle and entering in the ensuing scene.

In Chapter 4-7, how did Jem get even with Scout for contradicting him about "Hot steams"?

Hot steams is a supersition. Jem explains it to Dill in
chapter 4:

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"Haven't you ever walked along a lonesome road
at night and passed by a hot place?" Jem asked Dill. A Hot Steam's somebody who can't
get to heaven, just wallows around on lonesome roads an' if you walk through him, when
you die you'll be one too, an, you'll go around at night suckin' people's
breath."

The children are on
summer vacation and they are trying to figure out a game to play. In front of the Radley
house, Dill says "I smell death" and then he proceeds to tell how it is possible to know
when someone is going to die. This conversation brings up the topic of hot steams. When
Jem tells Dill what hot steams are, Scout contradicts him, telling him that they are not
real, and that Calpurnia has told the children that hot steams "is nigger talk." Jem
gets angry about this, so when the children decide to play with an old tire, Jem is too
big to get into the tire, so Scout gets in, Jem pushes her too hard because he is angry,
and she winds up rolling right in front of Boo Radley's
house:

The
tire bumped on gravel, skeetered across the road, crashed into a barrier and popped me
like a cork onto pavement. Dizzy and nauseated, I lay on the cement and shook my head
still, pounded my ears to silence, and heard Jem's voice: "Scout, get away from there,
come on!"

In The Awakening, how is Edna's father, the Kentucky Colonel, relavent to the story, and what is his role?I'd like to know how The Colonel affects...

The obvious answer, of course, is that he's her father, so
he's influenced her simply by living in the same household as her.  However, the picture
we get of him is not a particularly pleasant one.  He's a man who enjoys drinking, tells
rather outlandish stories of the past, likes to gamble, and believes women were meant to
be servants to men. It's clear he treated his wife poorly, as Edna's husband assures
us:

The
Colonel was perhaps unaware that he had coerced his own wife into her
grave 

Edna, rather than
seeing him as a blustering bully, now sees him as something amusing, something to watch
and listen to and enjoy.

readability="9">

She had not much of anything to say to her
father...; but he did not antagonize her. She discovered that he interested her, though
she realized that he might not interest her long; and for the first time in her life she
felt as if she were thoroughly acquainted with him. He kept her busy serving him and
ministering to his wants. It amused her to do
so.

Edna's father serves as
an example in The Awakening of how Edna has come to view all men,
even the one who believes women are lesser beings, meant to serve, and who must have
treated her that way throughout her life.  She has become independent and refuses to be
subservient unless it suits her to do so. 

In "Of Mice and Men," Lennie's death at the end mirrors the killing of Candy's dog. Explain how in detail.

At the end of the novel, George kills Lennie in much the same way as Carlson kills Candy's dog. The dog is seen as useless and smelly, therefore it was seen as more of a nuisance to Carlson and the others in the bunk house. The men argue that the dog is miserable and in pain, which convinces Candy to let Carlson shoot the dog. After the dog is killed, however, Candy tells George of his regret for letting someone else shoot his dog. The dog was Candy's responsibility, and Candy feels he let the dog down by not taking its life himself.

George is determined not to let this happen to him. George knows that Lennie will be killed by Curley and the other men if they find him, and George wants to protect Lennie from the others. George sees Lennie as his responsibility, and George feels that he must take action to look after Lennie, even if this action leads to Lennie's death.

Lennie's death also reflects the killing of Candy's dog in the actual manner of the shooting. George shoots Lennie in the back of the head, just where Carlson told Candy he would shoot the dog, promising that the dog would die instantly and would feel no pain. George wants this "pain-free" death for his friend.

In "The Leader of the People" what is the significance of "the crossing" for Jody's grandfather?

For Jody's grandfather, the "crossing" represents his youth and opportunities to be both protector and conqueror.  In Grandfather's day, the frontier was still open.   There were wars to be fought, land to be acquired, adventures to be had.  He remembers when he was the leader of the party heading West, into the danger of the great unknown.  It was he who had to protect his group.  He tells Jody,

"I was the leader, and I kept my eyes open.  Know why?  Well, just the minute the people began to get hungry they'd start slaughtering the team of oxen....The leader of a party had to keep them from doing that."

And,

"Did I ever tell you how I wanted each wagon to carry a long iron plate?....  I thought that if every wagon carried a long iron plate with rifle holes, the men could stand the plates on the outside of the wheels when the wagons were in the circle and they would be protected."

Jody's father, Carl becomes impatient with Grandfather and says, (thinking the old man is out of earshot):  "All right!  Now it's finished.  Nobody wants to hear about it over and over."

Carl does feel badly that Grandfather hears his angry words.  "I'm sorry I said it." 

Grandfather looked sidewise.  "I'm not being mad.  I don't mind what you said, but it might be true, and I would mind that."

It is hard to realize, for anyone, that their "glory days" have passed. 

How does Dewey Dell explain why she got pregnant in "As I Lay Dying"?

Dewey Dell rationalizes that her pregnancy was not her fault. She and Lafe were picking cotton near the woods "and the secret shade," and she said, "will I or wont I [have sex] when the sack was half full because ... if the sack is full when we get to the woods [as they pick down the cotton rows] it wont be me. She means it is inevitable that she has sex with Lafe: "if the sack is full, I cannot help it." Lafe cleverly adds the cotton he picks into her sack, not his, so that her sack is full when they come to the end of the row. Therefore, they have sex, and it's not her fault in Dewey Dell's mind.

Dewey Dell's thought process here reveals her simplicity and gullibility. Her surprise pregnancy is something she doesn't want to take responsibility for, but she doesn't hold Lafe accountable either. It just happened in the way that life will continue to happen to Dewey Dell, who doesn't think she has any control over what she experiences.

What are some other descriptive names for Nepal besides "land of the thunder dragon"?

Nepal is often called the "roof of the world" because of its high elevation. According to the web site asiatravel.com, some other "nicknames" for the Himalayan country are "A Root Between Two Stones" and "Mother of the Universe" (Sagarmatha), specifically referring to the country's most famous landmark, Mt. Everest.

Identify the setting and explain its significance. Is the drama a historical account of the trial?

The setting in many ways is vital to the story as it was
chosen by the real town that they would be the place to have this debate take place in
the form of a trial.  It provides a great deal of drama for the movie as well given that
it takes place in the South, always seen as a hotbed for revivalist and evangelical
religious feeling, some of the main opposing forces to the idea of teaching evolution in
schools at the time.

The setting also provides another
element of conflict as it pits the Northern lawyer against the southern one, and two
mindsets of the two different regions against each other as
well.

What bothers Winston Smith?

Winston was bothered by many things.  On the personal level, he was bothered by his behavior toward his mother and his sister when he selfishly made off with the family's chocolate ration; but he remembers that his mother continued to love him despite his behavior.  This lack of simple human contact is something that he admires in the Proles who live simple lives that seem to be full of love and human contact; his error is believing that this makes them capable of revolt. 

 Winston is mostly bothered by the lack of "freedom" in his society.  He is something of an ideologue.  He is fascinated by the "Theory and Practice of Collective Oligarchy" which represents a criticism of the structure of the society of Oceania (the world?).  Julia, on the other hand, doesn't have his interest in the ideas; she falls asleep while he is reading "The Book" to her.  She is bothered on a more personal, less ideological level, than Winston.  When he starts writing in his diary, Winston remarks that freedom is the right to say that 2 + 2 = 4.  When he learns that 2 + 2 can equal anything the Inner Party says it does, his dream of freedom has gone the way of the equation.

In chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby, what is ironic about Dan Cody?

The irony is that the lessons Jay Gatz learns from Dan Cody, far from helping him attain his goals, actually serve to seal his fate.

Gatz had already thought up the Gatsby persona before Cody appeared in his yacht, but, in meeting Cody, Gatz felt as if he had finally arrived in the sphere to which he belonged. For Gatz, “resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, the yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world.” Cody had earned his millions in mining; despite his gift for making the astute business deal, he was nevertheless "on the verge of soft-mindedness," an easy target for fortune-hunting women. Despite his money, Cody never acquired the polish of the truly upper class. He was "the pioneer debauchee, who during one phase of American life brought back to the Eastern seaboard the savage violence of the frontier brothel and saloon." Cody lacked the snobbishness of someone like Tom, which perhaps explains his willingness to take Gatsby aboard his yacht and, eventually, to trust him implicitly.

Gatsby is never able to make his outside appearance match his inner desires. Perhaps his problems—the lesson that Cody was unable to give him—are the "inner desires" themselves. In the end, the difference between Gatsby and Tom, perhaps, is the difference between wanting and having.

Does a parent of a 13 year old girl have the right to find out what the child has discussed with a counselor?

The doctor-patient privilege is a form of a right to privacy that is derived from the U.S. constitution. This rule would apply generally to the counselor/patient relationship as well.  The individual states each have in place their own set of rules regarding the right to privacy.  Some states may deem it necessary for the patient to be entitled to the privilege even to the exclusion of the minor patient's parents.  However, it is also the case in some states that doctors (or counselors) will be given some latitude to discuss with the child's parents the scope of the conversation in counseling.

This type of right to privacy is, at its roots, derived more from ethics than it is from the law.  Thus, if the circumstances would call for disclosure by the counselor, then such disclosure to the parents (or otherwise) would likely be permissible.  For instance, if the counselor had knowledge that the child was subject to forthcoming danger or legal trouble, this kind of information can often be disclosed to protect the child or to protect others.

But whether the counselor may divulge the substance of the conversation with the patient is going to be a rule of state law.

What does Scout learn from Aunt Alexandra? Do you like her or not? Why?

Scout learns many negative aspects about her Aunt
Alexandra during the course of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
Scout begs Atticus to skip the Christmas visit to Finch Landing because of her dislike
of Alexandra and her grandson, Francis (Scout's cousin). Scout recognizes her aunt's
high and mighty ways, especially concerning her misplaced pride concerning previous
generations of the Finch family. Scout hates Alexandra's attempts to make her more
lady-like, and she resents her aunt's haughty presence when she comes to stay with
Atticus during the Tom Robinson trial. Alexandra is particularly cruel to Scout when she
refuses to allow Walter Cunningham Jr. to visit the Finch home, calling him
"trash."

However, Aunt Alexandra is not all bad. Scout sees
her good side at the Missionary Circle meeting after Atticus reveals that Tom Robinson
has been killed. Scout even determines that "if Aunty can be a lady at a time like this,
so could I." Perhaps Alexandra's best moment comes after the children have been attacked
by Bob Ewell. When her aunt brings clothes to put on afterward, Scout is stunned to see
that

... Aunty
brought me my overalls. "Put these on, darling," she said, handing me the garments which
she most despised.

Describe the features of the following animals: fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Fishes

Fishes are
vertebrate animals that live in water. Various kind of differ widely in shape colour and
size. Thus different kind of fishes number more than all other kind of land and water
vertebrates put together.

Some fish look like lumpy rocks,
and others like wriggly worms.  Some fish are nearly as flat as pancakes, and others can
blow themselves up like balloons. Many have many different colours that are as bright as
those of the most brightly coloured birds.

All fish have
two main features in common. (1) They have a backbone, and so they are vertebrates. (2)
They breathe mainly by means of gills.  Nearly all fish are also cold-blooded animals.In
addition, almost all fish have fins, which they use for swimming.  All other water
animals differ from fish in at least one of these
ways.

Amphibians

Amphibians
are a class of animals within the vertebrates. There are about 3,200 kinds of
amphibians, which include species such as frogs, toads, salamanders, and
caecilians.

Amphibians - with a few exceptions - live part
of their life in water and part on land. They hatch from eggs laid in water or moist
ground, and begin life as water-dwelling larvae. Over a period the larvae change into
adults which  look very different from the larvae. Most adults spend their lives on
land. while some continue to live in water  But almost all return to water to for
mating.

Amphibians are divided into three groups: (1) frogs
and toads; (2) salamanders; and (3)
caecilians.

Reptiles

Reptiles
are cold blooded vertebrate animals with dry, scaly skin, who breathe by means of lungs
There are about 6,500 species of reptiles, Reptiles include alligators, crocodiles,
lizards, snakes, turtles, and the tuatara.

Many reptiles
live a long time, and some turtles have lived in captivity for more than 100 years.
Reptiles live on every continent except Antarctica and in all the oceans except those of
the polar
regions.

Birds

Birds
are animals with feathers. There are no other animals with feathers. Bird are generally
able to fly and achieve great speed. The fastest birds can fly at speed exceeding 160
kilometers per hour. However, not all birds can fly.

There
are about 9,300 species of birds.  The smallest bird is the bee hummingbird, which is
about 5 centimetres long.  The largest bird is the ostrich, which may grow to about 2.5
metres
height.

Mammals

Mammals
are vertebrates that feeds its young on the mother's milk.  There are about 4,500 kinds
of mammals including human beings.

Mammals live almost everywhere on
land as well as in water. Blue whale, the largest animal that ever lived, is a mammal,
measuring more than 30 metres long and weighing more than 150 tons.  The smallest mammal
is the Kitti's hog-nosed bat of Thailand which weighs only about 2
grams.

Mammals differ from all or most other animals in
five major ways.

1. Mammals feed their babies on
   the mother's milk.


2. Most mammals give their young more
   protection and training than other animals do.


3. Only
   mammals have hair.  All mammals have hair at some time in their
   life.


4. Mammals are
   warm-blooded


5. Mammals have a larger, more well-developed
   brain than other animals do.

In what way does Walter Cunningham's (Scout's classmate) behavior reflect his family's values?

Because Walter Cunningham, from To Kill a Mockingbird, is exposed to the adult world of work at a young age (he must help his father with the family farm), he seems to have matured more quickly than Scout or even Jem.  Walter does not engage in much playtime, like the Finch children or Dill do, and because of his knowledge about farming, he is able to carry on an "adult" conversation with Atticus.  He is resepectful to Atticus, demonstrating that the Cunninghams raised Walter to be a fine young man in spite of their financial situation.  The Cunninghams are juxtaposed by the Ewell family, another poor white family in the South; however, the Ewells do not exhibit the manners and values that young Walter has been exposed to.  

A reminder to the reader that Walter is still a young boy despite his adult demeanor comes when Walter pours syrup over his supper.  We remember that he is a boy living in the adult world of work and not in the childhood world of play.  When chastised by Scout for "spoiling his dinner", Walter does not get into a childish argument with her, but instead becomes silent.  Although he is uncomfortable, he knows enough to not be rude when he is a guest in someone's house.

Is Holden himself guilty of being a phony?I want more than 3 quotes to prove this...

Since the novel is satire, Salinger's focus is more on the
society as phony rather than the individual.  Of course Holden is a phony, but it is
only because he is a victim of the phony culture.

On the
phony scale, though, Holden is pretty low: he is materialistic and obsessed with sex.
 But, he's tame compared to Stradlater, for instance.  Here are the major
phonies:

1. Glad-handing adults
(headmaster)

2. Over-sexed teens
(Stradlater)

3. Pretentious snobs
(Luce)

4. Celebrity-obsessed girls (in Lavender
room)

5. Materialistic artists
(D.B.)

Now that he is given a choice as a young adult,
Holden is deciding whether or not to drop out of the phony culture.  He doesn't know if
he is courageous enough to live as a non-phony for the rest of his
life.

Holden fears being a hypocrite, or a phony.  He wants
to live a quiet life surrounded by books instead of people and money, but he's afraid
that he'll be the "wrong kind of monk," a "stupid
bastard."

Later, on his run-away journey in the city,
Holden sees two nuns and their dilapidated suitcases.  The nuns also are symbols of
holiness, and their suitcases are symbols of modesty, humility, and anti-materialism.
 Holden likes the way they look and the way they "never [go] anywhere swanky for lunch."
 As such, nuns are some of the few non-phonies in the entire
novel.

All this is echoed near the end of the novel when
Holden gets advice from Mr. Antolini, an Italian and--like Mercutio and the nuns--likely
a Catholic.  He says Holden is “in for a terrible
fall”:

"The
mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of
the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for
one."

Was Mercutio a noble
man?  Are the nuns noble?  Would Holden be noble if he becomes Catholic?  Or joins a
monastery?  What is Holden's noble cause?

Holden could end
up like Mercutio or the nuns.  He could die for a noble cause, like Mercutio and James
Castle, both of whom committed suicide.  Or, he would live humbly for one, like the
nuns.

In Waiting for Godot," why does the playwright name a character "Lucky" when he isn't?

Beckett wrote Lucky on purpose- after all, no playwright writes anything by accident. Lucky is meant to be compared to the likes of Vladimir and Estragon, who are caught in limbo. Because Lucky is out of this limbo, it can be said he is indeed lucky- he does not have to repeat the process of waiting that Vladimir and Estragon have to repeat. Lucky always has a definite role within the text. Even though this role is being a slave and puppet under Pozzo, he always has a task to complete. This is why Beckett named Lucky, well, Lucky, as it draws attention to the fact that Vladimir and Estragon are forever waiting- after all, '"Nothing ever changes, no one ever comes, it's awful!"

What symbolism and irony did Andre Dubus use in his opening paragraph of "Killings"?

In the first paragraph of his story "Killings," Dubus introduces readers to the Fowler family. They have not gathered for a happy occasion, but for the funeral of the youngest son, Frank. So the symbolism we see in the opening paragraph is that of a funeral: the limousine, the casket, the grave, the minister, the pallbearers, the grieving family. As for irony, I really don't see anything ironic in this first paragraph, unless you consider that the apple trees are lined up symmetrically, just as grave markers are lined up in a cemetery. But that would be more imagery than irony. Perhaps it is ironic that Steve, the oldest Fowler son, says to his father, "I should kill him." At this point in the story, the reader doesn't know who the "him" he's referring to is. So it could be ironic that he is talking about killing someone when he's standing near a fresh grave.

I hope this helps you.

What does Lennie have in his pocket?

The mentally disabled Lennie finds pleasure and comfort in stroking soft things.  Like a child with a favorite blanket, soft things tend to calm him down. Lennie carries a dead mouse in his pocket; however, Lennie’s constant petting and strength kills the mouse, and George makes Lennie throw it away.   This obsessive behavior is carried throughout the novel with Lennie killing a puppy and through the stroking of Curley’s wife’s hair who he also kills.  Lennie dreams of having rabbits when he and George get their own ranch, but we know what the outcome of that would be! 

Lennie’s behavior scares George, and Lennie’s obsession indicates just how truly child-like he is.  George putting Lennie out of his misery at the end of the novel also matches with Lennie’s destructive behavior of soft, furry things.

How does Prufrock relate to a lobster in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?

He is actually comparing himself to a crab in this line, not a lobster. Not only is this comparison a metaphor, but it is also an example of what Eliot called the "objective correlative." That is, in Eliot's words, "a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events which shall be the formula for that particular emotion; such that when the external facts, which must terminate in a sensory experience, are given, the emotion is immediately evoked" (see the link to The Literary Encyclopedia below).

The objective correlative evokes in the reader an emotional response without directly stating what the speaker is feeling.  As one critic has said: "It is a means of communicating feeling, giving the 'internal world' a correlative relation in the 'external world,' and doing so in a way that was definit, impersonal, and concrete" (see the link below).

Eliot uses the image of a crab scuttling across the ocean floor to describe Prufrock's loneliness and desolation without coming out and saying, "I'm lonely." 

There are other examples of the objective correlative in this poem. Visit the links below for more information.

What happens when Rainsford refuses to hunt with Zaroff in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

At first there is an interesting interplay with Sanger Rainsford and General Zaroff as they dine together in the Russian's chateau on Ship-Trap Island. Believing that he has been rescued by the mute, Ivan, the wizened hunter Rainsford ironically senses no threats to his person from the distinguished-looking man with the "cultivated voice" who considers it an honor to welcome such a "celebrated hunter" to his home.

However, after the general's admission that he hunts "more dangerous game" and has "invented a new sensation," Rainsford is appalled,

"But you can't mean---"gasped Rainsford.
"And why not?"
"I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke."
"Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting."
"Hunting? General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder."

The general scoffs at Rainsford's "mid-Victorian" perspective, and continues expostulating on his theories of the hunt. However, the repulsed Rainsford wishes to remove himself from this brutal man, asking to be excused this night because he is not feeling well. The general tells him that after his long swim to shore of the previous evening, he understands that Rainsford will need a good sleep:"Tomorrow you'll feel like a new man, I'll wager," Zaroff says with hidden irony. "Then we'll hunt, eh? I've one rather promising prospect."

This "promising prospect" turns out to be Rainsford himself. For, the next day when he asks to leave the island, Zaroff rebuffs his request, subtly saying, "you've only just come. You've had no hunting--"

Rainsford shook his head. "No, general...I will not hunt."

General Zaroff shrugs his shoulders very casually, saying "As you wish..." but he adds that Rainsford may wish to consider his only other alternative is being hunted by Ivan with the vicious dogs.

Comprehending the full meaning of Zaroff's words, Rainsford asks, "You don't mean--" and the general responds that he always speaks frankly about hunting. "This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel--at last."

Why did Dimmesdale say, before his death, that God was merciful to him?

In Chapter 23 of The Scarlet Letter,
after the Reverend Dimmesdale finishes his Election Sermon he addresses the people of
the Puritan colony, confessing to his "sin and infamy."  Calling to Hester and Pearl to
join him, he mounts the stairs to the scaffold against the pleas of Roger Chillingworth
who tells him he can still save him. 

Dimmesdale calls
himself a sinner and reveals his chest with "a flush of triumph" while the sinister
Chillingworth complains, "Thou hast escaped me!"  To this, Dimmesdale replies, "May God
forgive thee!.... Thou, too, hast deeply sinned!"  As he then kisses Pearl, she is
humanized and pledges that she will grow up amid joy and sorrow and not constantly
battle the world.

After the minister bids her "farewell,"
Hester asks, "Shall we not meet again?"  The minister
replies,

readability="16">

'Hush, Hester, hush!....The law we broke!--the
sin here so awfully revealed!--let these alone be in thy thoughts!  I fear!  I
fear! ...it was thenceforth vain to hope that we could meet herafter, in an everlasting
and pure reunion.  God knows and He is merciful!  He hath proved his
mercy, most of all, in my afflictions.  By
giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast!  By sending yonder dark and
terrible old man, to keep the torture always at red-heat!  By bringing me hither, to die
this death of triumphant ignominy before the people!  Had either of these agonies been
wanting, I had been lost for ever!  praise be his name!  His will be done!
Farewell!

Oddly, Mr.
Dimmesdale's declarations are not those of a Puritan minister. And, it is here that
Hawthorne's greatest invective is given against Puritanism which will allow no sin.,
which will forgive no sin.  For, in the speech of the Reverend Dimmesdale is revealed
more the concept of forgiveness for sins after confession--a concept of the Anglican
church from which the Puritans had broken.

Dimmesdale says
that God is merciful because he has been allowed to confess his sin, and so now he can
make atonement and receive the mercy of God, the forgiveness of his sin.  "By giving me
this burning torture to bear upon my breast!" means that Dimmesdale feels God is kind
and merciful because He gave him a penance to do for his sins. [Remember that Dimmesdale
has begun scourging himself with ropes in atonement for his
sins.]

By suffering here on earth, the Reverend Dimmesdale
feels that he can still be rewarded for his good deeds on earth--God is
merciful--another concept in direct contradiction of Puritanism that holds that some are
just chosen as the elect.  "God is merciful; God will
forgive sins is a holdover from the old country; the church of England. 
There is redemption.

What is the meaning of the line "That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne" in "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer"?

John Keats(1795-1821) the English Romantic poet was the son of an ostler-a person who looked after the horses in a stable. He had a rudimentary school education and never went to university. Nevertheless, he was fascinated by ancient Greek classical poetry. The only way he could read Homer's epics was in an English translation.

George Chapaman (1559-1634) the Elizabethan poet and dramatist had translated Homer's epics into English. In October 1816 Keats read this translation throughout the night and then wrote the sonnet "On First Looking Into Chapman's Homer." The sonnet expresses Keats' intense joy and amazement on reading the great epics of Homer in English for the first time.

"deep-browed" refers to the intellect of Homer. Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are the seminal works of western literature which continue to influence writers even today.

"demesne" is a medieval word meaning 'domain.' The word reveals Keats' love for all things medieval and colours the poem with an archaic tinge.

Keats,the reader and lover of poetry, compares himself to an explorer who has travelled far and wide and that in the course of his voyages he has heard of Homer's famous 'domain' but that he couldn't visit it and experience its beauties till he had read the English translation of Chapman.

Explain stanza eight of "The Raven" in great detail.

Then the black bird began to deceive my sadness by making me smile because he worse such a serious face, it is really a smile of almost fear. I said to him, "Shocking, serious, and old raven wandering around the shore (or his house). Tell me what is Pluto (the god of the underworld in Roman mythology) doing on the shore tonight?" and the raven says to him, "Nevermore".

It is strange because the man already knows that the bird only know this one answer, this one word. "Some unhappy master" told him this was all the bird could say but he's looking to understand why his wife is dead and gone and where she might be in the afterlife.

What is the dramatic significance of Act I, Scene 1 in Macbeth?

We also learn that the play will be full of paradoxes.  "Fair is foul and foul is fair"--the witches are planning something funky, and it will be interesting to say the least to se how things will play out.  Macbeth is the hero for now, but will he be for long?  What is Banquo's purpose in this whole paradoxical play?  The battle is won for Scotland, but who loses? 

The themes and mood of the play are set here.  Macbeth has won the battle and the titles, but in the end he will lose because of his ambition.  Banquo is also hero, but not recognized or rewarded as openly and lucratively as Macbeth.  However, he is the real winner in this situation...he is not as well ranked as Macbeth, but he is happier and living a more pure and moral life. 

The witches add a touch of evil and the supernatural to the play.  We know they will be involved every step of the way.  The opening scene is paramount for setting us up for all the cool stuff that's coming...

What lines in Oedipus the King explain about crossroads?

The internet is great for line searches.  Once you find an electronic version of the play, use the "Edit" menu on your toolbar and locate the command "Find" or "Find In."  Type into the search box whatever you're looking for.  "Crossroads" doesn't bring anything up, but if you type in "roads," then you find...

Jocasta:

Now Laius—so at least report affirmed—
Was murdered on a day by highwaymen,
No natives, at a spot where three roads meet.

Jocasta:

Phocis the land is called; the spot is where
Branch roads from Delphi and from Daulis meet.

Oedipus:

As I drew near the triple-branching roads,
A herald met me and a man who sat
In a car drawn by colts—as in thy tale—
The man in front and the old man himself
Threatened to thrust me rudely from the path,
Then jostled by the charioteer in wrath
I struck him, and the old man, seeing this,
Watched till I passed and from his car brought down
Full on my head the double-pointed goad.

Oedipus:

Ye triple high-roads, and thou hidden glen,
Coppice, and pass where meet the three-branched ways,
Ye drank my blood, the life-blood these hands spilt,
My father's

What is the symbolism behind the title "Winter Dreams"?

The use of the word "Winter" in the title of this F. Scott Fitzgerald story hides several meanings. There is the surface meaning: the main character has met the woman of his "dreams" in wintertime. Symbolically, winter is usually used to indicate aging and death. Throughout the story, the protagonist ages and the reader follows along with him through his journey. By the end, he has experienced a kind of "death": the death of his youthful idealism, his "winter dream". The woman that he was so enamored with has left him far behind, and he finds out that she is not the girl that he once knew: in fact, a part of her has died as well. Fitzgerald's title shows us that the dreams of the protagonist have withered with his age.

“Kitchenette building” provide insight into reality vs dreams. We amply see the reality, but what are the dreams?

"Kitchenette Building" from Gwendolyn Brooks' first volume of poetry "A Street in Bronzeville" (1945) is a starkly realistic description of urban poverty. The inmates of the 'kitchenette building' are trapped physically,socially and psychologically.

Gwendolyn Brooks does not elaborate what the "dream" is because,

1. The readers  can easily guess what would have obviously been the dreams and aspirations of these marginalised black people caged in within this urban ghetto: civil rights and equality and most definitely a prosperous lifestyle.

2. The dream is just that-only a dream. It is so weak and "giddy" that it is easily overwhelmed and crushed  by the mundane things the urban poor worry about daily, like "rent" for instance.

That the tone of Brooks' protest is muted and ironic, is emphasised by her use of the singular "a dream." The  residents of the building are so dejected that they don't have dreams about their future but only a  dream and  even that  single  dream fails to  take shape  in their mind because  its time to get into the "lukewarm water" in the bathroom.

What is the theme in the short story "The Doll's House" by Katherine Mansfield?

Mansfield's main theme in "The Doll's House" is the injustices and cruelty associated with class distinctions. Set in colonial New Zealand, Mansfield shows that differences set along class lines are rigidly adhered to. She also shows that those in a higher class take an almost perverse pleasure in being cruel to those of lower classes.

Along with these ideas, Mansfield does show that there is some hope because the classes are forced to deal with each other in everyday situations. This is shown through the character of Kezia and the lamp.

Who speaks with Titania's quartet of attendants in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

I'm assuming you are referring to Act 3, scene 1, when Titania's four named fairies - Peaseblossom, Mote, Cobweb, and Mustardseed - come in with Titania and Bottom, whose head has been turned into that of a donkey.  Titania is in love with Bottom and has bid her fairies do anything Bottom asks of them.  So he is conversing with this quartet of fairies, asking them to fetch him a variety of things, rub his ears, etc.

Check the link below for more information, and give the play a more careful re-read to find answers to questions like this.  Good luck!

What is the purpose of the Dawn Treader?

Upon viewing the previous editor's answer, which is addressing the specific situations involved in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I would approach the question with a broader understanding of the entire Chronicles of Narnia as a series. It is important to understand the author's intent when writing the series as a whole, and then think about the possible purpose of The Dawn Treader.

It has been said that, "Lewis's most immediate and conscious concern in writing The Chronicles of Narnia was to write a really good story—to be, first and foremost, entertaining, while simultaneously possessing all those characteristics that great stories had in Lewis's mind—including myth, adventure, and far-off worlds which impact on our own". These aspects of myth and adventure were tools to create an effective allegory and tell an engaging tale. This allegory running through the entire Narnia series speaks of common themes from the Christian worldview and mythology combined; morality and truth, salvation and redemption, sacrifice, heaven and eternal life. These would be seen as the overriding principles the author was striving to represent through his characters and plots in Dawn Treader and the other Narnia chronicles.

What does Homer Barron's name represent in "A Rose for Emily"?

The name Homer Barron can be interpreted within the context of the story, "A Rose for Emily", as the author's sublime way of telling the reader that this man is trouble for Emily.

"His relationship with Emily is considered scandalous because he is a Northerner and because it doesn't appear as if they will ever be married. In fact, it is known that he drinks with younger men in the Elks’ Club and he has remarked that he is not a marrying man."

The man is a thief who steals Emily's heart, as in Robber Baron, one who acts in an unscrupulous manner in business.  And, the fact that he is a homosexual, "Homer" play on words or a reference to the ancient Greeks where homosexuality was openly practiced in society.

"Faulkner based part of the character of Emily on a cousin, Mary Louise Neilson, who had married a Yankee street paver named Jack Barron."

In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, what is the significance of the scar?

William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies is quite symbolic, so anything which plays a significant role in the novel also has a significant symbolism to be examined. The answer above, given by tropicof, is excellent; I would only add several other considerations.

The first description of the jungle which Golding gives us is the image of the scar: "All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat." Despite the lush beauty of this tropical setting, it is the scar which Golding immediately highlights, setting the tone for the rest of the novel.

The three boys who explore the mountain (Ralph, Jack, and Simon) can clearly see the scar from above; throughout the novel, these three characters are the most aware that something is wrong on this island. Ralph has trouble articulating the evil he senses, but he knows it exists, like the scar. Simon, too, recognizes the evil and is able to identify it as themselves; however, no one listens to him. Jack is less obviously aware that things are not right on the island (probably because he is the primary cause of the evil), but he has just been shocked that he was not elected chief (something which was a given in his mind), so he is wounded and aggressive.

The scar is also a symbol of what happens when something beautiful is destroyed, and other examples of that can be found throughout the novel: the innocent little boy with the mulberry birthmark who died in the initial fire, the sensitive Simon who only wanted to share his revelation with everyone, the intelligent boy (Piggy) who was ignored and tormented because of physical attributes, some of which were beyond his control.

The other children will go on to live their lives but will always carry the scars of this experience.

In A Tale of Two Cities, comment on the character Miss Pross.

From her first entrance, which startles Mr. Lorry
exceedingly, Miss Pross establishes herself as a comic character but also a character
that represents loyalty and and love to her "Ladybird", Lucie Manette, of course
culminating in her terrific struggle with Madame Defarge towards the end of the
novel.

In Chapter 4 of Book I, Miss Pross is described as
the character who bursts in when Lucie faints upon hearing the news that her father is
still alive:

readability="19">

A wild-looking woman, whom even in his
agitation, Mr. Lorry observed to be all of a red colour, and to have red hair, and to be
dressed in some extraordinary tight-fitting fashion, and to have on her head a most
wonderful bonnet like a Grenadier wooden measure, and good measure too, or a great
Stilton cheese, came running into the room in advance of the inn servants, and soon
settled the question of his detachment from the poor young lady, by laying a brawny hand
upon his chest, and sending him flying back against the nearest
wall.

So aggressive is her
entrance, in fact, that Mr. Lorry assumes her to be a man, but she quickly shows her
compassion to Lucie whilst at the same time ordering around Mr. Lorry ("you in brown")
and the inn servants. Her attachment and affection for Lucie continues to be established
in the tale, perhaps most amusingly when she assures Mr. Lorry that there are "hundreds
of visitors" all paying suit to Lucie, when in fact there are only three. She, with Mr.
Lorry, is responsible for the destruction of Dr. Manette's work bench and tools, which
again demonstrates her love and care of Lucie's family.

Of
course, Miss Pross's love comes into its own as she fights Madame Defarge at the end of
the novel to ensure Lucie's escape. Consider how a part of this struggle is
related:

readability="15">

Madame Defarge made at the door. Miss Pross, on
the instinct of the moment, seized her round the waist in both her arms, and held her
tight. It was in vain for Madame Defarge to struggle and strike; Miss Pross, with the
vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate, clasped her tight, and
even lifted her from the floor in the struggle that they
had.

Even though she loses
her hearing in the struggle, Miss Pross, in her own words, "does not care tuppence" for
her life, and willingly shows herself as a loyal loving servant willing to sacrifice
herself for those she loves (just as Carton lays down his life for
Darnay).

What does Hale mean when he says, "Why, it is all simple. I come to do the Devil's work...Can you not see the blood on my head!"

Here is the full quote for reference:

"Why, it is all simple. I come to do the Devil's work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves (his sarcasm collapses)There is blood on my head. Can you not see the blood on my head!"

Reverend Hale has returned to Salem at this point in the play, Act IV.  He feels a great deal of guilt about having contributed to the hysteria in Salem regarding the accusations of witchcraft.

He specifically returns to Salem to convince the remaining accused to confess, and thus save their lives.  He feels the weight of those who have already been executed on his own head.  He feels a deep responsibility for his contribution to the deaths of others.

The blood he refers to is the blood of the innocent who have been put to death.  

Reverend Hale goes through a transformation in the play, at first enjoying his role as authority on witches, but then he feels great remorse and guilt due to the lengths the people in Salem go to rid their town of "witches."