In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the
climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the proof that Claudius is guilty
leads to Hamlet's decision to not kill Claudius while he's at prayer--and that is the
climax of the play.

Hamlet, until he sees Claudius's
reaction to the "play within the play," isn't entirely sure Claudius is guilty.  He has
no real proof--only the word of a ghost, who, he says in Act 2.2.565-572, could be a
devil trying to deceive him (as, by the way, the witches do to Macbeth in his play of
the same name).  Hamlet needs proof.  He is too reasonable to act like Fortinbras or
Laertes and just jump into revenge without thinking it
through.

The king's reaction to the murder scene in the
play gives Hamlet the proof he needs, though, and he sets off to kill the king.  He gets
an opportunity but decides not to take it.  Why?  Because he thinks Claudius is
confessing (he isn't, but Hamlet doesn't know that), and killing him immediately after
he confesses his sins would send Claudius straight to heaven.  And Hamlet doesn't want
to send Claudius to heaven, not when his father is suffering in a purgatory-like state,
and when Hamlet might be sent to hell because he kills
Claudius. 

The problem is, though, that when Hamlet decides
not to kill Claudius because he doesn't want to contribute to his salvation, he is
playing God.  Salvation is God's business, not Hamlet's.  Hamlet is messing where he
shouldn't be messing.

The result--you see it in Act 5:  the
sight Fortinbras says doesn't belong in a castle, only on a battlefield.  Death
everywhere. 

When Hamlet walks away from his rightful
revenge, by playing God, he dooms himself and so many others.  This is the climax. 
His receiving proof of Claudius's death could be considered the crisis, and Hamlet's
refusal to kill Claudius while the king's at prayer is the climax.  One leads to the
other.  

Please answer these questions about Lennie and the deaths he causes in Chapter 5 of Of Mice and MenONLYCHAPTER 5,How does Lennie react to...

In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men,
Lennie also tries to cover the puppy up and hide it.  If he can keep George from finding
out that he has killed the puppy, he won't get into trouble.  He is also somewhat
comforted by Curley's wife, who tells him the pup is nothing and can easily be
replaced.

In contrast, Lennie, after killing Curley's
wife, very quickly sneaks out of the barn and, the reader learns later, goes to the spot
George told him to go to if he gets in trouble. 

This does
demonstrate that Lennie understands the difference between killing a puppy and killing a
human being.

What is the relationship between Joe and Pip in Chapter 57 of "Great Expectations"?

While Pip is sick and helpless in Chapter 57, his relationship with Joe is like it was when he was a child.  Joe, "good Christian man" that he is, cares for Pip's every need with joy and gentle, unconditional love.  Pip says,

"the tenderness of Joe was so beautifully proportioned to my need that I was like a child in his hands...he would sit and talk to me in the old confidence, and with the old simplicity, and in the old unassertive protecting way".

Pip, remembering how badly he had treated Joe when he came into his "expectations", feels grateful and terribly guilty, but when he tries to explain, Joe stops him, observing,

"ever the best of friends; ain't us, Pip?  Then why go into subjects...which as betweixt two sech must be for ever onnecessary?" 

Joe, with a forgiving heart, is content to enjoy the present, when he and Pip can be like before, with no questions asked.

As Pip gets better, his relationship with Joe changes.  Joe becomes more distant, and starts calling Pip "sir", and although Pip wants to tell Joe that he has learned from his experiences and wants their old friendship to continue as it was before, he does not speak what is in his heart.  After making sure that Pip is indeed well on the mend, Joe, not wanting his presence to become intrusive, leaves Pip and goes home, having, with infinite love, given Pip care and companionship when he was in need, and even paying off all his debts (Chapter 57).

What is the irony in "Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid?

The story is ironic because Jamaica Kincaid writes from a mother's perspective giving her daughter information on how she is to live her life.  The daughter rejects the information as being too confining and is determined to act rebellious.

Kincaid, from the Caribbean Island of Antigua, had a very conflictual relationship with her mother.  She left the island at age 17 partly to escape her mother and the lifestyle.

The author writes a story about a mother who imposes on her daughter ideas that seem old fashioned and restricting. 

"The mother is a woman in Antigua who understands a woman's "place." She lives in a culture that looks to both Christianity and obeah, an African-based religion, and that holds women in a position of subservience to men. She recites a catalog of advice and warnings to help her daughter learn all a woman should know. "

What hints are there in Chapter 4 of "A Tale of Two Cities" that Mr. Lorry's secret mission resurrects some issues from his own past?

The author gives us a clear hint that Mr. Lorry's mission resurrects issues from his own past through metaphor.  He describes the gentleman's thoughts as he awaits dinner, noting that "his mind was busily digging, digging, digging, in the live red coals".  The phrase "live red coals" expresses the idea that the memories recalled because of his mission, whatever they are, are still sensitive and perhaps very painful.

As Mr. Lorry awaits the arrival of Lucie Manette and commences his explanations when she does come, he strives to appear calm and nonchalant, but his actions betray the turmoil he feels.  When Lucie is presented, he perceives "a sudden vivd likeness...of a child whom he had held in his arms" long ago, and when the vision passes, he "cast(s) a troubled look" towards the place where it appeared.  Mr. Lorry is troubled by the story he must tell Lucie; he says, "it is very difficult to begin", and is tormented by "indecision".  Once he begins his tale, he insists that he is not emotionally involved, reiterating that he acts in a business capacity only -"Feelings!  I have no time for them, no chance of them".  His nervous mannerisms contradict his protestations, however, as he "flatten(s) his flaxen wig upon his head...which is most unnecessary", and is "exceedingly disconcerted" when Lucie questions him on what he has said. 

Discuss the role of the U.S. in political affairs of other countries and the U.S. and Soviet responses to each other during the Cold War.i need...

The topics that are the focus of your paper seem to take
US history from the time of early imperialism under Teddy Roosevelt in the first decade
of the 1900s to the time when the Cold War was beginning to heat up in the late 1940s
and early 1950s.

So with those two larger topics in mind -
imperialism and the Cold War, you may want to talk about the development of the
first:

* how the United States became an empire and
expanded its territories to include the Panama Canal, control over the Caribbean, with
heavy influence over Latin America and the Philippines.  Include why the US would do
this - for world power in competition with other empires, and for control of resources
which would aid our economy

And the beginning of the Cold
War second:

*how our goal of expanding our control as an
empire changed into a foreign policy of containing the Soviet empire's expansion, and
controlling more resources and influencing other countries with economic and military
aid so they wouldn't be communist, or so the Soviet Union would not gain access to their
resources.

What are five of Minerva's strengths in the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies?

Minerva is intelligent and determined.  From a young age, she desires to become a lawyer, but her ambitions are thwarted because her father dispproves.  She does eventually achieve her law degree, but is denied a license to practice by the dictator Trujillo.

Minerva is also passionately committed to the revolution in her country.  Her activism is born when she hears from a quiet schoolmate that her brothers were all murdered because they dared to resist Trujillo's regime, and from then on her involvement in the movement shapes the course of her life. 

There are a number of incidents in the book which show that Minerva is resourceful, and adept at salvaging the good out of bad circumstances.  While still in school she diffuses a dangerous situation by diverting attention from a classmate who had directed criticism toward Trujillo during a play, and when she discovers her father has fathered daughters out of wedlock, she accepts them and arranges for their education.  Later, while in prison, she organizes classes for the women in her cell. 

Finally, Minerva has a fierce sense of integrity, and is true to her beliefs.  When she is offered a pardon while in prison she refuses to accept it, because to do so would be an admission of guilt. 

Beside the work on the windmill, what other hardships do the animals have to face in Chapter VII in Animal Farm?

Chapter 7 is really one of the low points for the animals
of Animal Farm.  As you mentioned, they have to work really hard trying to build the
windmill.  But there are other things going on as
well.

• The winter is a really hard one --
  terrible weather.


• They did not have enough food.  Their
  corn ration was cut back and the potatoes that were supposed to make up for that
  spoiled.


• The other thing that I see as a hardship is all
  the executions and the fact that Napoleon is forcing the hens to allow their eggs to be
  sold.

What makes Touchstone a character of importance in As You Like It?

Touchstone takes on importance in As You Like It because his role, as devised by Shakespeare, is to bring out the true nature, values and thoughts of each character he speaks with. An example of this is his parodic conversation (conversation that parodies the other speaker) with Corin, the shepherd, which can be contrasted to his equally parodic conversation with Jaques.

When speaking with Corin, Corin's true heart and values are revealed and the audience/reader learns of Corin's sincerity and genuine feelings. When speaking with Jacques, Jaques' more urbane sentiments are revealed and his opinions laid open to examination.

Shakespeare uses Touchstone in the same role in which he uses his other "fools" (urban characters who serve the lead characters and entertain with wit that tells the truth and reveals significant information about the protagonists and other important characters) but with a variation: Touchstone keeps the play grounded in reality, preventing it from being lost in an idyllic pastoral celebration in Arden Forest.

In "The Lord of the Flies," what trait do Jack, Roger, Johnny, Henry, and Maurice share?Beginning to chapter 5: is it distinguishable in degrees...

Up to Chapter 5, Jack, Roger, Johnny, Henry and Maurice all share a conditioning by society that is beginning to break down. Jack and Roger are, of course, the first to allow their evil side to show and to break away from the confines of civilization. Percival, Johnny, and Henry, are three littluns who suffer from fear of the beast at night but play happily during the day. At the beginning of Chapter 4, they are playing on the beach. Soon Roger and Maurice begin to harass the boys, kicking over their sand-castles and throwing stones near them. These events foreshadow the actual violence Roger and Maurice will use later in the novel to threaten Ralph and Piggy. All of these boys' conditioning by society will break down eventually as they turn more and more into little savages.

What happens to aggregate demand when the dollar depreciates?and what happens when households expect lower prices in the future?

When the dollar depreciates against foreign currencies,
exports should increase and imports should decrease.  This is because our products get
cheaper for foreigners and their products get to me more expensive for
us.

In such a case, there gets to be increased demand for
American products.  That means that aggregate demand goes
up.

If households expect lower prices (I assume for all
goods and services) in the future, AD goes down because people will wait to buy until
the prices actually do drop.  In other words, if you think the car that you can buy for
$25,000 is going to cost $20,000 in 6 months, you really ought to wait if you
can.

Consider the idea of social class as exemplified in "Richard Cory." In what ways does this poem appear to be an American poem?"Richard Cory" by...

This poem, "Richard Cory," was written by Edward Arlington Robinson after the 1893 Depression when the average person in America could not afford meat and had a diet consisting mainly of bread. Thus, during this period and during the period of the 1920's Great Depression, there was a very sharp divide between the "haves" and the "have nots." 

When the wealthy Richard Cory goes downtown, although the people admire him, they do not speak to him, for he is in a place apart from them, an enviable place because in the United States there was once  the "American Dream" that promised anyone he/she could rise out of poverty.  With the depression, this dream now seems unattainable and Richard Cory appears distantly "imperial" and a gentleman from "sole to crown" to the disenfranchised of the 1893 American depression who do not understand that one who has food and comfort can be desperate enough to commit suicide. 

What is the significance of the opening and ending scenes of "A Thousand Splendid Suns"?

The story begins with a description of the first time Mariam heard the word “harami”. She was five at the time and living with her mother in a small hut outside Herat. Her father would visit her once every week. This was because Mariam was a bastard child who would cause embarrassment to the rest of her father’s legitimate family, thus she was banished together with her mum to the outskirts of Herat. During one of her father’s visits, Mariam broke her mother’s Chinese sugar bowl, left to her by her own mother as inheritance. Mariam’s mother is very annoyed and calls her “harami” and even though she does not know what it means, she can tell it is an offensive word. This opening shows the position Mariam is in, with regards to the prevailing social structures, and the word signifies the myriad of problems that Mariam would encounter throughout her life, coupled with her inability to change her situation.

In the closing, Laila would have wished to know where the Taliban buried Mariam and, although, she does not have this information, she believes Mariam to be alive in the rebuilding process and in her heart. She considers her among the people who died in order to restore hope to the people of Afghanistan.

In the opening Mariam is condemned to her fate because of her background but in the end she is revered as a martyr and the source of hope for Laila’s family.

What is the theme of the entire story of "Astronomers Wife"?

This is the story of wife waking up one morning and realizing that she is unhappy.  It is about the true meaning of marriage, but it is also about the true meaning of life.  Although her husband is "there" for her physically, he is not emotionally supportive.   They do not have a real connection and do not understand one another.  In marriage, a partnership and a friendship should be the central focus - these two have neither.

But as she realizes this, and watches the plumber working "with" the world and not just in it, she realizes that she needs to have the same relationship with the world around her.  She needs to feel that she is really a part of something, contributing and receiving.  Both in her marriage and in her life as a whole.  It can't all be about intellectual experience - it has to be about physical experience and interaction as well.

What is the difference between "assigned" and "selected"?

In chapter seven, the ceremony of twelve shows everyone in Jonas's class receiving assignments to their appointed careers. Fiona is assigned to serve in the Home of the Old taking care of the elderly. Asher is assigned to work in the recreation department. Instead of college, Fiona and Asher will finish out their teen years going to school, but also learning in their assigned fields of work, like apprentices. After graduating from school, they will continue on for the rest of their lives in their assigned fields. 

Jonas, on the other hand, is selected for a special appointment as the Receiver of Memory. This special calling is not only an honor, but he will eventually be an Elder of the community. Elders must be selected, whereas people working in regular jobs are only assigned. It is most likely that Asher and Fiona will not serve as Elders, for instance; but Jonas has been selected for a more important role in the community. The chief elder says it this way:

"Jonas has not been assigned. . . Jonas has been selected. . . Such a selection is very, very rare. . . Our community has only one Receiver. It is he who trains his successor. . . But the Receiver-in-training cannot be observed, cannot be modified. That is stated quite clearly in the rules. He is to be alone, apart, while he is prepared by the current Receiver for the job which is the most honored in our community" (60-61).

Thus, this isn't a run-of-the-mill assignment to just any job. A selection is more important and reserved for someone who is special. For a community who strives for Sameness, they must have one who bears their burdens alone and they take this seriously because the weight of the community's happiness will be placed on his shoulders.

Please describle briefly the main characters in chapter 2 of "The Hiding Place."

Chapter 2, "Full Table," describes Corrie ten Boom's childhood. The main characters in the chapter are:

Corrie--the author and protagonist, or person who the story is about.

Casper ten Boom--Corrie's father. He is well-loved in the Haarlem community. He works as a watchmaker and repairer. In this chapter, Corrie recalls how she loved to go to Amsterdam with him, where he would buy parts for watches.

Mama ten Boom--Corrie's mother. Mama would often visit the poor, and Corrie tells of visiting a home in which a baby had died. That was the first time Corrie had been faced with death.

Tante Jens, Tante Bep, and Tante Anna--Corrie's aunt, her mother's sisters. The aunts are very disappointed in Corrie's behavior on the first day of school. Corrie didn't want to go, and refused to budge from the front steps. Her father had to unwind her fingers from the rail. The aunts disapproved and talked about what how defiant she was.

Chapter 21 summary?chapter 21

In chapter 21 of the novel Beka Lamb,
Beka and her family visit her friend Toycie in the Belize Mental Asylum.
Toycie has been expelled from school for being pregnant, her boyfriend refused to marry
her, and she has lost her mind. She acts like she is sitll in school, waiting for the
recess bell. Beka's Granny Ivy is dismayed that Toycie has lost her mind just because
she has become pregnant and the reader finds out later that Granny herself had the same
thing happen to her, and yet she did not "degrade herself" like Toycie seems to be
doing. Beka reminisces back about how she and Toycie used to take walks along the sea
wall. Beka remembers how Toycie's Aunt Eila told them folktales - about the evil
Tataduhende who goes around tearing thumbs off little girls and
boys.

Aunt Eila wants to move Toycie out of the mental
institution to her brother's home at Sibun River, a Creole settlement that Beka refers
to as "the bush." Eila thinks Toycie will get better there, among her people, where she
belongs.

Toward the end of the chapter, Granny Ivy
decorates the Lamb house with the blue and white flags of the Peoples' Independent Party
but Daddy Bill makes her take them down and put up the flags of the British colonial
empire, the Union Jack.

This is an important chapter
because it shows the continuing conflict of "be'fo time" and "nowadays" in Belize,
illustrates the continuing conflict of Creoles vs Panias (represented by Emilio and
Toycie), and the political conflict of colonialism vs
independence.

In Act III, scene 2 of "Macbeth," is Lady Macbeth enjoying her new position?

No, not really.Consider these lines: "Naught's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content:
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy,
Than, by destruction, dwell in doubtful joy"Here she's saying, we got everything we wanted, but we're not happy.  They don't have a chance to enjoy everything they've gotten—it's all crumbling away. Despite that, though, she's holding on to her chosen path, nudging Macbeth to put on a happy face and charm the guests so that they can hold on to the position they've won by their brutal methods.

What does Polonius mean when he says " I would fain prove so"? Why is he called Jepthah?

Polonius is simply responding to Claudius' assessment of his character: a man 'faithful and honourable'. 'Fain' means 'happily', so Polonius is simply saying: 'I would be very happy to be proved to be as good as you say I am'.

The comparison to Jepthah is more complex: Jepthah is an Old Testament Judge (see the book of Judges, below) who promised God that, in return for victory in battle, he would sacrifice the first creature that came to him when he returned to his native land. Of course, it was Jepthah's daughter who greeted him, but the Old Testament is unclear about precisely whether or not Jepthah did go through with the sacrifice. The mythological figure of Jepthah does sacrifice his daughter, but commentators disagree about the biblical one.

Might we see Polonius as sacrificing his daughter? He certainly isn't cautious about planting her where Hamlet might discover her, so that he and Claudius can spy on Hamlet (who is, so they think, mad). He also reads Hamlet's love letter to her out without any regard for her privacy or feelings.

Is it Polonius' fault that Ophelia goes mad and eventually commits suicide? It depends entirely how you interpret the character: Shakespeare is very ambiguous about exactly what sends Ophelia insane. But the reference to Jepthah opens up the possibility that Polonius, the wretched, rash, intruding fool, might - where Ophelia is concerned, at least - be a rather more sinister character.

Anthony Robbins , the peak performance coach, once said,``I dont motivate the people , I just inspire them.``What is the difference between inspire...

Motiviating means to propel people to act, to impel them
to move, to provide incentive. To motivate seems to suggest that people will receive a
reward from the performance that they do for their
motivator.

Inspiring has to do with arousing, influencing,
producing, or animating (making come alive). This to me, sounds like gaining an
intrinsic or internal value from the speaker that drives one to work or perform from
within. Motivation sounds more like an external or extrinsic force must act upon a
person to make the work or performance occur.

A coach would
be happy with inspiration as opposed to motivation because once you get inside someone,
they continue to motivate themselves.

In Chapter 9 of The Great Gatsby, what does Nick mean when he says, "I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor"?

Nick means that the experiences of the past five years have taught him to see things as they really are.  He will no longer rationalize and make excuses for himself, allowing himself to be swept into the corrupt and immoral lifestyle of the people he has encountered in the East.  He is thoroughly disillusioned by his "friends'" behavior - when he is honest with himself he knows "they (are) careless people...they (Smash) up things and creatures and then (retreat)...and let other people clean up the mess".  Nick says, "After Gatsby's death the East was haunted for me...distorted beyond my eyes' power of correction...so...I decided to come back home".

Nick's quote is directed at Jordan Baker.  Although he has decried her shallowness and amorality throughout the novel, he allowed himself to be drawn into her way of life by having an affair with her, and even in Chapter 9 her allure for him is such that he briefly wonder(s) if (he isn't) making a mistake" in letting her go.  After thinking about it for a minute though, he sticks to his resolve to leave behind all the decadence and corruption, because he is "five years too old to lie to (him)self and call it honor" (Chapter 9).

Can someone analyze the significance of Marbury vs. Madison?i need it for tomorrow please help!

When Thomas Jefferson (a Republican) won the election of
1800, John Adams (a Federalist) quickly appointed a number of his own party members to
fill key positions as his outgoing action. John Marshall, his Secretary of State, was
supposed to fill out papers finalizing these appointments and give them to the people
who had been appointed. Their appointments weren't official until they got their papers.
Marshall did not get the papers to several of the appointees in time but he assumed that
Madison, who would be taking his place in the new administration, would do it for him.
Jefferson, seeing an opportunity, told Madison not to give them their papers,
essentially making those appointments invalid leaving him with the ability to fill those
positions with members of his party, One of those people who did not get his papers was
Marbury. Marbury sued Madison and took the case all the way to the Supreme Court in an
attempt to force Madison to deliver his paperwork to him as Adams had promised. This
case is significant because it established a precedence of judicial review. It also
established that Marbury had a right to his commission, even though he didn't get it,
and that there was a means by which he could argue his case in the courts. Essentially,
this means that the Supreme Court is entitled to review acts of Congress. In this case,
however, it was a no-win situation for the court because even if they found in favor of
Marbury, Jefferson would not honor the decision and that would lead to animosity between
the President and the Supreme Court. The answer they finally came up with was brilliant
in that they acknowledged in writing that yes, in fact Marbury deserved his commission,
but they could not force Jefferson to acknowledge it. It was Marshall's error that cause
him to not get the commission, and the courts would be acting unconstitutionally if they
attempted to force Jefferson to honor Adams' unfinished
appointments.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," what makes Atticus Finch the moral center of the story?

Atticus Finch is the moral center of the novel for a number of reasons. The reason that stretches throughout the novel is that he tries to teach Jem and Scout what it means to be a good person. However, he could do that and just be preachy.

 

Three major things make him the moral center of the novel. First, his response to the rabid dog. Atticus steps up to do his duty when the dog threatens people, and at risk to himself. That's a symbolic lead up to the second thing, which is Atticus' defense of Tom. He tackles a complex political issue, he does the right thing, and he does it with class. Third, his influence on others. Look at Mr. Tate's dealings with Atticus in Chapter 30.

Quelles choses étranges Sherlock Holmes voient-ils dans la chambre d'helen ?

Puis-je répondre en anglais? Si tu ne comprends pas,
dites-moi et je répondrai encore une fois en
français.

Holmes and Watson do not go into Helen’s room.
They go into the sister’s former room where Helen is now sleeping and they discover some
strange things. First, they notice that there is a bell rope on the ceiling that is
supposed to be used for calling a butler. However, when they pull the rope, they realize
that it is fake. It is not attached to anything and does not ring any bell. Next, they
notice a ventilator in the room. Holmes decides he and Watson must spend the night in
Helen’s room because they suspect her stepfather is planning some evil deed. So, Holmes
and Watson then spend the night in the room where Helen is now
sleeping (her sister’s former room). Helen has not been sleeping in her original room
because her stepfather has told her he needs to make some repairs, which is a ploy to
get her out of her room and into her sister’s former room. At the end of the story, the
reader learns that the rope is for the poisonous snake to crawl down through the
ventilator, bite the girls and kill them. Holmes suspects this and when he hears the
snake hiss, jumps up, hits it, it flees up the rope through the ventilator and bites the
stepfather, killing him. Elementary, my dear
Watson!

Ooops........sorry.........two teachers must have
been working on the answer to this at the same time.

Please answer these questions from this poem. What image of death do you get from it? in third stanza of the poem, the carriage passes the...

Contrary to what is often published about Emily Dickinson,
after having studied her life through her letters and journals in order to play her on
stage and after taking graduate seminars in her poems, I have come to the understanding
that she is quite often misunderstood. She was definitely a woman ahead of her time both
with regard to her feminist leanings as well as her educational level and intellect.
That said, while she was occasionally depressed by life and by the fact that her sister
Vinnie was the pretty one, and while she decided to leave the church and was labeled as
one without hope of salvation by her boarding school marm, she was actually very
spiritual, believed in God, and felt that the saddest part about death (particularly
after the loss of her father and an unknown man who she loved who is only referred to as
master) was felt by those who were left behind. The message of the poem, then, is that
death will come for us all, whether we want him to or not. When he comes, he will be
civil, a gentleman, and he will take us on one last pleasant journey before taking us to
our new home. The key to the hopefulness in the poem lies in the final
lines:

readability="7">

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet
each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses'
heads
Were toward
eternity.

Time is said to fly
when we are having fun, and it appears that Emily feels that time will pass so quickly
for her after death that it will seem shorter than a day when in reality centuries have
passed.

As to your question regarding the specific objects,
these are things that Emily would have been familiar with. The school represents
childhood, the fields of grain the maturing part of the season or middle life, and the
setting sun represents the end of the cycle of her life and the promise of a new day
tomorrow in the afterlife.

What was Fortunato's crime?

As Poe's "The Cask of Amantillado" begins, Montressor
says:

THE
THOUSAND INJURIES of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon
insult.

During the story,
however, Montressor neither divulges any of the injuries nor the insult.  Since
Montressor is Italian and has a coat of arms whose symbol and motto are symbolic of
revenge, the reader must assume that Montressor comes from an honor culture which prides
itself on revenge in response to any individual or familial insults.  The crime could
have been something as trivial as a breech of manners; regardless, it is so negligible
that Fortunato never suspects any offense, even when he finally realizes his
doom.

Just as Iago never gives a good enough reason to take
revenge on Othello, so too does Montressor never divulge his motivation.  In this way,
he is a vice character who prides himself on duping and taking advantage against his
supposed enemies purely out of spite.  It's a kind of
game.

The reader must admit that Fortunato's crime during
the story is drunkenness and gullibility.  He arrives at Montressor's catacombs
inebriated and with a bad cough.  To venture far into the vaults, given the nitre, is
foolish.  In this way, he puts his health in jeopardy.

His
main crime is materialism: he must have the amontillado.  It is a rare possession that
he, a connoisseur, must have, at all costs.  To put his life in danger for the sake of a
vintage wine violates the cardinal sins of pride and envy.

At the beginning of Act II, Polonius asks Reynaldo to spy on his son. This request parallels Claudius’ request of whom?

This request parallel Claudius' request of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet, Claudius' stepson. The requests are a bit different, though. Laertes is in Paris, far away from his father and his father wants to know what his son is doing. The request is to determine Laertes moral and financial behavior. Hamlet, on the other hand is in the same castle as Claudius and Claudius can see him everyday. Yet, he is not close enough to his step-son/nephew to really understand why Hamlet's behavior is so strange and melancholy. It is Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, who suspects Hamlet may be upset over the death of his father and quick marriage of she and Claudius. It seems that neither" father" completely trusts their son but Claudius does not even realize what's right in front of him.

Can you give me two quotes which describe "Fahrenheit 451's" society as fast-paced?

In the first chapter, "The Hearth and the Salamander", Guy and Clarisse, having just met, are talking.  Clarisse says, "I sometimes think drivers don't know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly."  She's referring to how fast the cars go and recalls how her uncle once was arrested and jailed for two days for the crime of driving at too low a speed, 40 mph.  A littler further into the conversation, Clarisse asks Guy if he's noticed that billboards are now 200 ft. long.  The reason, she says is, "...But cars started rushing by so quickly they had to stretch the advertising out so it would last."  There are other references to the fast pace of the civilization, including the high-speed train which Guy takes to and from the fire station and more of Clarisse's comments about high school age students who drive fast and have little concern for the value of life.

Why are we feeling hot when outside temperature is 36C? Isn't our body temperature 36C?

In normal health, our body maintains internal temperature
of about 37 degrees celsius, irespective of the temperature around us. Thus our feeling
hot or cold is not related to the temperature of the body, but to the amount of extra
heat we need to generate to keep the body warm in cold environment, and the extra heat
we need to remove from the body to keep it cool in hot
environments.

Our body is constantly generating energy to
maintain its internal functions as well as for doing external work. Additional heat
generated in this process must be released to the environment to to maintain the body
temperature at 37 degrees Celsius, even when the outside temperature is 37 degrees or
lower.

Humans, wearing light clothing, and not engaged in
any vigorous physical activity, feel most comfortable when the environmental temperature
is about 20 degrees Celsius. At temperatures lower than this, we feel cold and need to
protect ourselves by means such as extra clothing. As the environmental temperature
rises above 20 degrees we start feeling less comfortable, as body needs to employ
additional mechanisms such as air circulation and sweating to maintain the body
temperature at the optimum level.

What are the reasons Indian families continue to have large numbers of children?

For a long long time, Indian family system has been very
traditional and unified.Only in the last couple of decades, things are showing some
changes. At the back of Indian families being big and having large number of children,
you may find the following reasons:

1) traditionally
agriculture-based society, and more hands are required to work in the fields and at
home;

2) lack of education>lack of awareness in
family planning>lack of motivation in using
cotraception;

3) families being run by patriarchs, women
don't have freedom to exercise choice in the matter of
child-birth;

4) prevailing preference for a boy rather than
a girl-child, may also be a reason of giving birth to more children if the first issue
happens to be a girl;

5) long-cherished cultural values
associated with family love and relationships may be a good reason as
well.

On the whole, old, agriculture-based,
not-so-modernised, male-dominated societies like the Indian society do tend to have
families with a large number of children.

I need Critical appreciation of the story 'The postmaster' by Rabindranath Tagore.

Excerpt from:

Lago, Mary M. "Tagore's
Short Fiction." Rabindranath Tagore. Twayne, 1976. 80-114. Rpt. in
Short Story Criticism. Ed. Justin Karr. Vol. 48. Detroit: Gale
Group, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Apr.
2010.

Examinations of the psychological
distance between the rural and urban appear again and again in
Tagore's stories, of which three may be considered here as
being splendidly representative: "The Postmaster"
["Postmastar"] (1891),
"The Return of Khokababu"
["Khokababur Pratyabartan"] (1891),
and "The Troublemaker"
["Apada"] (1895).8 All three convey
the message that not all of society's strengths are to be found in the Westernized
society of the cities. Each of these stories brings a citizen of Calcutta into close
contact with a person from the countryside, in a situation with possibilities for
genuine communication; in each, for various reasons, the opportunity is
wasted.

"The
Postmaster" has particular importance as the first of
Tagore's East Bengal stories to speak out clearly with the
voice of Rabindranath, the writer of modern short fiction. The genesis of the story is
well documented. At Shelaidaha the estate post office was in the
Tagore house. The only circumstance transferred literally
to the story is that the Shelaidaha postmaster was a lonely
young man from Calcutta. In 1936 Rabindranath recalled that the Shelaidaha
postmaster "didn't like his surroundings. He thought he was
forced to live among barbarians. And his desire to get leave was so intense that he even
thought of resigning from his post. He used to relate to me the happenings of village
life. He thus gave me material for a character in my story:
Postmaster."9 To this rusticated young man, Rabindranath
added details from the rural scene and a village orphan waif like so many he had
observed during his travels from one part of the estate to
another.

The Shelaidaha
postmaster had Rabindranath to talk to. The fictional
postmaster has no
one:

 Our
postmaster belonged to Calcutta. He felt like a fish out of
water in this remote village. ...The men employed in the indigo factory had no leisure;
moreover, they were hardly desirable companions for decent folk. Nor is a Calcutta boy
an adept in the art of associating with others. Among strangers he appears either proud
or ill at ease. At any rate, the postmaster had but little
company; nor had he much to do.At times he tried his hand at writing a verse or two.
That the movement of the leaves and the clouds of the sky were enough to fill life with
joy--such were the sentiments to which he sought to give expression. But God knows that
the poor fellow would have felt it as the gift of a new life, if some genie of the
Arabian Nights had in one night swept away the trees, leaves and
all, and replaced them with a macadamised road, hiding the clouds from view with rows of
tall houses.

In The Merchant of Venice, why does Antonio never smile?

Shakespeare never reveals why Antonio is so
melancholy--even from the play's beginning.  Personally, I believe that his depression
results from loneliness and from his realizing that he has spent his life making money
and belittling his competition (Shylock) and has nothing to show for it. Even though
Antonio seems to be well-respected and considers Bassanio a friend, the audience must
wonder if he has any true friends.  Bassanio is always asking something from Antonio,
and the only time that he tries to help Antonio is when Antonio is put in the dangerous
position of forfeiting a pound of flesh (a position that he is in because of his own
foolishness and because of Bassanio's borrowing money from
him).

Similarly, at the end of the play when Antonio's
suggestion for Shylock is upheld and all the couples are reunited, Antonio has no one. 
Granted, he still has his wealth, but he has no one to share it with, not even a
friend.  I think that Antonio realizes that he is not unlike Shylock, someone whom he
constantly berated and disdained. For, like Shylock, Antonio is wifeless, childless, and
perhaps even a little faithless after the trial.

In "By the Waters of Babylon", how did the civilization of the gods end? How can John's people avoid repeating the destruction of the civilization?

The civilization ended in a catastrophic war that included huge explosions and a "poisonous mist". It's important to understand the this story was written eight years before the atomic bomb was first exploded, so the author was somewhat prophetic in his explanation of society's end. However, John's explanation for the god's destruction was that they "ate knowledge too fast". In other words, they didn't know how to control the knowledge they had gained and it ending up destroying them. John thinks that his people can avoid repeating the mistakes of the old civilization. The author is thus commenting on the cycle of history where one civilization rises and then falls and another civilization takes its place. We don't know if John's people can avoid repeating the mistakes of the "gods", but given human nature, and John's excited comments about sharing his knowledge with his people, one would doubt that they could avoid the same mistakes.

How can I find the text of Death and the King's Horsemen online?

I'm afraid you're not going to be able to read the text online free of charge. Copyrighted texts are protected by law for the author's lifetime plus 75 years. To make such texts available for free access to all would infringe on the author's rights and be punishable by law.

You can purchase a printed book or a downloadable etext from either Barnes and Noble (bn.com) or Amazon (amazon.com) among other resources. Alibris offers previously used books at discount prices (alibris.com). You can purchase Derek Walcott's works there as well.

What is the summary to Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in Adam of the Road?

While Adam sleeps in Chapter 10, his dog Nick is stolen by Jankin the Minstrel.  Adam and his father Roger search everywhere for Nick, but to no avail.  Roger finds a stable boy who talked to the thief, and the boy tells them Jankin is headed toward Ranmore Common, over the bridge.  Since their horse is lame, Adam and Roger set off on foot to find Nick.  They meet some travelers on the road who tell them that Jankin and the dog are heading for Guildford.

When they get to Guildford in Chapter 11, Adam catches a glimpse of Jankin and the dog, and, without thinking, runs away from his father to pursue them.  Tired from his journey, Adam is unable to keep up, but when he sees that the thief and Nick have jumped on a ferry to cross the river, he leaps into the water and swims after them. 

In Chapter 12, an exhausted Adam, realizing he has now lost both his dog and his father, falls asleep outside the Ferryman's house.  The Ferryman and his wife are kind and care for Adam, and recommend that he return to Guildford, find his father, and return to resume the search for his dog.  Adam complies, and discovers back in Guildford that Roger has spent the night entertaining at the castle, but has now gone on to Farnham, where Adam believes Jankin has gone also.  Adam spends the night with a porter, and sets off for Farnham in the morning.

How has DNA technology improved methods of identification?fact

One of the newest processes used of establishing identity
of persons is DNA Fingerprinting. This process uses analysis of genetic material
contained in some substances such as blood, hair, or semen to identify the person from
whom these substances have come.

DNA is the genetic
material, called deoxyribonucleic acid present in most cells of living organisms. The
DNA structure varies greatly from person to person, and it is highly unlikely that DNA
structure of two person will be exactly alike. However the variation in DNA structures
is not random. Rather thee is close resemblance in DNA structure of a person with his
parents, children and siblings. Utilizing these characteristics of DNA, the technique of
DNA fingerprinting analyses and classifies the structure of DNA extracted from evidence.
This pattern can then be compared with similar pattern of known person to identify the
original source of the evidence.

This techniques is used
for various purposes such as identifying criminals or victims of crimes. This techniques
is also used to establish parentage of of people.

In the 1954 version of Lord of The Flies, where is the quote, "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away?"

The 1954 version of William Golding's Lord of
the Flies is the first edition and there have been many editions since and
two movies; one in 1963 and another in 1990. The book's ability to expose human nature
and its failings, regardless of the generation in which the story takes place, ensures
that this novel is a piece of classic literature. 

By the
time the story reaches chapter five, Beasts from Water, the boys have certainly faced
many uncertainties and difficulties. In chapter one, there is the conch and all it
stands for; good order and civilization;  and there is Ralph, the natural leader. In
chapter two, with no "grown ups," and having established that the island is
"uninhabited," there is a need for shelter and a rescue fire. There is also the first
mention of a "beastie," a "snake-thing," and Jack's ironic comment that "After all,
we're not savages. We're English..." Things are already showing signs of getting out of
control, such as the fire and the presumed loss of the "littlun" with the mark on his
face. 

In chapter three, Jack begins to unsettle the group
with talk of meat and is anxious to make his first "kill." The rescue seems secondary to
Jack and his hunters. Jack, in chapter four, paints his face to camouflage himself and
is delighted that he looks like "an awesome stranger." He has neglected the fire and
there is no way, therefore, of alerting a passing ship to their whereabouts. He has
however, killed his first pig. 

Now believing that the
beast may come out of the sea, there is much discussion and even the possibility that
the beast is "a ghost." Ralph is anxious to "stick to the rules" but talk of the beast
and the approaching darkness have intensified the problem, at this point in chapter
five, and Ralph feels despondent as he considers: "The world, that understandable and
lawful world, was slipping away."

How does Shakespeare capture Juliet's awkwardness and isolation from Paris at Friar Laurence's cell in Romeo and Juliet?

In this scene (Act IV scene 1), Juliet's lack of interest
in Paris--and in fact her frustration with his professions of love--is apparent in her
ambiguous speech.  Juliet's comments upon finding Paris with the Friar may sound
courteous on the surface, but they mostly serve as a screen for her true feelings.  If
you look closely you will find that many of Juliet's lines have a double meaning, often
revealing her true indifference to Paris and her loyalty to
Romeo.

After expressing concern that Juliet's tears have
marred her face, Paris adds, "They face is mine, and thou hast slandered it." Juliet
replies, "It may be so, for it is not mine own" (ln
37).

In the above line Juliet admits she is not being
herself--that she has presented a false face to Paris.  The dashes that follow indicate
that she quickly turns to the Friar as a means to escape further conversation with
Paris.

Is there symbolism in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

The major symbolism is this story is in its title. The story is about Brother and his relationship with his disabled brother, Doodle. However, the title of the story is the name of a bird. The point the author is trying to make is that Doodle and the Scarlet Ibis have much in common. Both have "flown" beyond expectations, the bird is hundreds of miles from its home and Doodle functions way above the expectations for him. Both have been injured on their life's journeys. The ibis is bloody and near death when Doodle notices him. Doodle's heart has been weakened by the strain Brother puts on him. Doodle is the only person to really care about the bird and buries him carefully. He and the bird both die on the same day, indicating a connection that lies deeper than just compassion. Thus, the scarlet ibis is a symbol for Doodle and his struggle to fly beyond expectations.

What is the significance of Jane choosing Elliott as her last name alias in Jane Eyre?

This is a difficult question, but it is most likely an homage to Mary Ann Evans, known more commonly by her psuedonym, George Eliot. Eliot was a contemporary of Bronte, and the two authors (along with Emily Bronte) stand as the greatest female authors of the Victorian Age.

All three women used male psuedonyms to validate their writings, because the novels would most likely have been dismissed out of hand as the work of women. Eliot's most famous novels are Middlemarch and Silas Marner. 

What do Piggy's glasses and the conch have in common in the book, specifically for Chapters 1-2?

Both the glasses and the conch serve as a reminder of the
civilized world that the boys in Lord of the Flies have left
behind. Piggy's glasses serve two purposes: They allow him to see clearly, and they
serve as the all-important fire-starter to keep the signal smoke going. The conch also
symbolizes democracy and civilized behavior, allowing the person who holds it to be
heard and his words recognized by the others. They also become important objects for
whoever possesses them. When the boys take the glasses from Piggy, they leave him weaker
and unable to see clearly; the new owners then possess the power of the
fire.

In "The Old Man and the Sea", why wasn't the old man worried about the weather or about getting lost at sea?Please also give page number.

On page 61, Santiago says, "He thought of how some men feared being out of sight of land in a small boat and knew they were right in the months of sudden bad weather. But now they were in hurricane months and, when there are no hurricanes, the weather of hurricane months is the best of all the year. If there is a hurricane you always see the signs of it in the sky for days ahead, if you are at sea.... But we have no hurricane coming now." This shows that Santiago knows his work and monitors the weather closely. He knows that he will be safe and has nothing to worry about as there are no signs of inclement weather.

As for getting lost at sea, going so far out is a risk Santiago must take. He has to break his bad streak, and taking a risk like this is a necessary step towards achieving that.

What are the important events of the book "Farming of the Bones" by Edwidge Danticat?

Talking to Haitian workers in Dominican landowner Don Ignacio's sugar cane fields, Amabelle, a young Haitian housemaid to the Don, learns that the Dominican dictator Trujillo is against them, and that their lives are worthless.

The roundup and killing of Haitians begins.

Amabelle, along with many others, are pursued as they flee toward Haiti over the mountains.  Many are killed before they can reach the border.

By the Massacre River, which marks the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Amabelle and other refugees are herded together, attacked, and choked with parsley.  The attackers identify the Haitians by their inability to say the word "perejil", which means "parsley", with a Dominican pronunciation.

The attackers are distracted by the arrival of Trujillo, allowing Amabelle and others to get away.

As they swim across the river, a refugee is shot; Amabelle covers the mouth and nose of his wife to keep her from screaming and giving them away, inadvertently smothering her.

The Dominican government offers to pay off survivors of the massacre, and Amabelle goes to the city only to find there will be no compensation after all.

Amabelle returns to the Domincan region where she used to live, but everything has changed, and things are unfamiliar.

Amabelle returns to the river and, surrendering to fate with the river's forward flow, finds faith for a new life.

Check out the reference below for a more comprehensive summary.

I need some help listing major events from 1960-1965.

The Civil Rights Movement heats up in the 1960s.

"On 1 February 1960 four black college students from North Carolina A&T University seated themselves at a whites-only lunch counter in a Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth's store and refused to leave until served. By the end of the year some 70,000 participants had staged lunch-counter sit-ins in 150 towns and cities, and more than 3,600 had been arrested."

In 1960, John F. Kennedy became the youngest man elected to the office of the presidency.  He was 43 years old.

On November 22, 1963, JFK was assassinated while touring the city of Dallas, Texas. 

"The accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald (1939–1963), was murdered two days later by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby (1911–1967). Oswald was an avowed Marxist and once attempted to become a Soviet citizen."

"On January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General issues a warning that cigarette smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, bronchitis, heart and other diseases. He says that "remedial action" is needed to combat this health hazard. In June the Federal Trade Commission announces that warning labels will be required on all cigarette packs starting in 1965."

For more information, click on the links below.

What was Jem's punishment? What did Jem learn from his encounter with Mrs. Dubose and following her death?

Jem destroys all of Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes, which
she adores, because she is an unlikeable person who is constantly criticizing Scout and
Jem and berating Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, who is African-American. To punish
him, Atticus makes Jem read to her every day for a
month.

At the beginning of Chapter 11, Scout narrates the
following about Mrs. Dubose:

readability="12">

"Jem and I hated her. If she was on the porch
when we passed, we would be raked by her wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless
interrogation regarding our behavior, and given a melancholy prediction on what we would
amount to when we grew up, which was always nothing" (page numbers vary according to the
edition).

Mrs. Dubose seems
like a hateful woman, and she regards Scout and Jem as entirely
unpromising. 

When Jem has to read to her, Scout and Jem
regard her with distaste. Her house smells bad, and she has saliva on her mouth. She
also spends a great deal of time berating the children. After Jem spends a month reading
to her, his penance is over. 

Atticus tells Scout and Jem a
short while later that Mrs. Dubose has died and that she was addicted to the drug
morphine but kicked her addiction before she died. Atticus explains in Chapter
11: 

“She
said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem, when you’re
sick as she was, it’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t all
right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s
what she did” (page numbers vary according to the
edition).

Mrs. Dubose could
have taken morphine until she died, but she decided to go through a great deal of pain
and agony by choosing to quit. Jem's reading to her to help her pass the time and forget
about her pain. Through his experience with Mrs. Dubose, Jem realizes that even people
who seem detestable have secret struggles that others don't know about and that everyone
deserves empathy and understanding, even those who don't at first seem likable or
understandable. 

What are the distinctive use of parables used in Luke's gospel using quotations?

There are many parables, or stories that convey a moral truth in Luke, around 20.

"Judge Not Lest You Be Judged" Luke 6:37-42

"He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?  [40] A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.  [41] "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"  [42] 

"Think Before You Act" Luke 14:28-33  

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  [29] For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, [30] saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'" [31]

"Help The Poor And God Will Bless You"  Luke 14:12-14  

[12] "Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid."

"The Prodigal Son"  Luke 15:29 11-32  

[31] " `My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  [32] But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"  

How did Annie in "The Miracle Worker" get out of Tewksbury?

Tewksbury was the location of a public institution for the poor near Boston, where Annie Sullivan and her brother were sent after the death of their mother.  The Tewksbury Almshouse was notorious for its harsh living conditions and questionable practices in its treatment of the needy. 

After the death of her brother Jimmy, Annie was sent briefly to a hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts, where an unsuccessful surgery was performed on her eyes.  Upon being returned to Tewksbury, Annie resolved to secure her release from the institution.  When a government official came to observe living conditions at Tewksbury, she threw herself upon his mercy and begged him to give her a chance to attend the Perkins Institute, a school for blind children of which she had heard.  Surprisingly, her plea was granted, and Annie was allowed to leave Tewksbury to advance her education.

Cather uses the flowers as symbols in "Paul's Case". Explain the symbolism of the flowers in the following instances: The red carnation in Paul’s...

It is also significant that the flowers represent artificiality:  the flowers Paul sees as he rides through New York are growing under glass, in an artificial environment.  Paul tends to find natural things (or flowers in their natural state) ugly and observes that "the natural nearly always wore the guise of ugliness." This is significant because Paul can't love himself as he is.  Rather, he loves and nurtures the artificial illusion of himself that he creates.

The flower in Paul's lapel is his attempt to be something he is not--to appear flippant and "better than" his teachers, to show that he doesn't care about being disciplined.  Later, when the flower begins to droop, it is as if the brief period of glory Paul experiences is also ending.  He remembers the flowers under glass and thinks that they, too, have faded by now, having experienced evanescent glory. His final act of burying the flower under the snow, of course, foreshadows Paul's own death.

Paul believes that he appears more beautiful in his new attire and way of living though it is all false--artificial.  The tragedy of this story is that Paul is never able to learn who he really is and to love that person.