Blog: January 2017

What Romanticism characteristics can we see in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Aside from individualism, one classic characteristic of Romanticism is the belief in the inherent goodness of man and children. Rather than believing all of mankind is naturally evil, Romantics believe mankind is naturally good, but the urban lifestyle hampers that goodness.In To Kill a Mockingbird, we see author Harper Lee reflect this Romantic view in the beliefs of Atticus, who asserts that all people are generally good. One clear...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, we see author Harper Lee reflect this Romantic view in the beliefs of Atticus, who asserts that all people are generally good. One clear example of his belief can be found in his assessments of Walter Cunningham. The morning after facing the lynch mob led by Walter Cunningham, Scout feels very confused about how to judge Cunningham as a person and asks her father, "I thought Mr. Cunningham was a fried of ours. You told me a long time ago he was" (Chapter 16). Atticus replies, "He still is," and gives his daughter an explanation about Walter Cunningham's character that reveals Atticus's belief in the general goodness of people:

Mr. Cunningham's basically a good man... he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us (Chapter 16).

If we were to relate Cunningham's character to Romanticism, we might argue Cunningham is a good person when out on his farm but becomes influenced by the racial prejudices commonly found in the urban society in Maycomb. These racial prejudices that drove him to want to lynch Tom Robinson.

What are the consequences of Brutus not taking Cassius's advice to let Cicero be part of the conspiracy in Julius Caesar?

Cicero is killed in Antony’s proscription.

Cassius seeks out Brutus to join his conspiracy against Julius Caesar because he feels that his name will lend them legitimacy. Brutus takes the position seriously. He takes charge right away, and when the conspirators join him at his house he makes it clear that he is in charge. One example of this is his reaction to Cassius’s suggestion that Cicero be included.

CASSIUS

But what of Cicero? shall we sound him?
I think he will stand very strong with us. (Act 2, Scene 1)

There is a big discussion about whether or not Cicero should be included in the conspiracy. After Cassius suggests him, Casca and Cinna are all for it. Metellus Cimber says that “his silver hairs/Will purchase us a good opinion.” They seem to think that people trust Cicero’s opinion, and with him seeming to lead the group people will be more likely to follow them.

Brutus does not like this idea. After all, he wants to be in charge. He doesn’t want Cicero telling him what to do. Cicero was a very important person in Rome. He could threaten Brutus’s authority.

BRUTUS

O, name him not: let us not break with him;
For he will never follow any thing
That other men begin.

CASSIUS

Then leave him out. (Act 2, Scene 1)

Brutus is basically saying that Cicero would not go along with them because it wasn’t his idea. The conspirators therefore do not include Cicero, even though he might have been on their side.

Clearly, Antony thinks that Cicero is a supporter of the conspirators. He has him proscripted when the triumvirate is preparing for war against Brutus and Cassius. Brutus and Cassius are horrified to learn that Cicero has been killed.

BRUTUS

Therein our letters do not well agree;
Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

CASSIUS

Cicero one!

MESSALA

Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription. (Act 4, Scene 3)

Cicero wasn’t saved from death by not being part of the group. He is clearly seen with several of the conspirators, so Antony would have thought he was one of them. If he had been part of the group, he might have gone with Brutus and Cassius and would not have been killed in the proscription, but of course he might have been killed or committed suicide later.

The incident with Cicero shows how badly Brutus wanted to be in charge. He did not take Cassius's advice on this or many other matters. If Cicero had been with them, he probably would have taken charge. This would not have been a bad thing for anyone but Brutus. Cicero was respected and was a renowned public speaker. Things might have gone differently for the conspirators if they had Cicero speaking publicly for them, rather than Brutus.

Why do plants in water-logged soil have to use anaerobic respiration?

Aerobic respiration is when a cell uses oxygen molecules to generate usable energy for itself. Anaerobic respiration is when a plant is using something besides oxygen molecules to generate usable energy. The reason a plant submerged in water needs anaerobic respiration is because the plant has no oxygen molecules available.

Plants prefer aerobic respiration, as anaerobic respiration provides much less usable energy than its oxygen powered counterpart, but in a pinch can resort to anaerobic...

Plants prefer aerobic respiration, as anaerobic respiration provides much less usable energy than its oxygen powered counterpart, but in a pinch can resort to anaerobic respiration.

Other creatures can use anaerobic respiration as well. Yeasts, for example, produce alcohol when engaging anaerobic respiration. This is one method used to make alcoholic drinks.

Some other organisms use anaerobic respiration as their primary method of generating usable energy, like archeabacteria. Rather than oxygen, these processes use chemicals like sulfates and nitrates.

Suppose a father of blood type A and a mother of blood type B have a child of type O. What types are possible in their subsequent children?

A child with blood type O must be homozygous for this trait. The only possible combination of genes that can produce blood type O is if an individual receives two O genes--one from each parent.

We already know that one parent is blood type A and the other is blood type B. Since the genes for type A and type B are co-dominant and the gene for type O is recessive, each parent must be...

A child with blood type O must be homozygous for this trait. The only possible combination of genes that can produce blood type O is if an individual receives two O genes--one from each parent.

We already know that one parent is blood type A and the other is blood type B. Since the genes for type A and type B are co-dominant and the gene for type O is recessive, each parent must be heterozygous for blood type.

This implies that one parent has the gene combination AO and the other parent has the gene combination BO. In a Punnet square, there are four possible offspring that this couple could produce. AO which is type A, BO which is type B, AB which results in type AB or OO which results in type O.

Therefore, if this couple ever produces more offspring there is a 25% chance of producing each of the four blood types.

I have included a link which shows how the Punnett square is solved for this problem.

Light shines through atomic hydrogen gas. It is seen that the gas absorbs light readily at a wavelength of 91.63 nm. What is the value of n at the...

The Rydberg equation should be used to solve this problem:

`1/lambda = R(1/n_i^2 -1/n_f^2)`

where lambda is the wavelength, R is the Rydberg constant, n-subf is the final n-level, and n-subi is the initial n-level.

We know that lambda = 91.63nm, R = 1.097 x 10e7, and n-subi = 1.

So, `1/(91.63x10^-9) = (1.097x10^7) (1 - 1/n_f^2)`

`(91.63x10^-9) x (1.097x10^7) = 1.005`

1/1.005 = .995

`.995 = 1 - 1/n_f^2`

1/n_fe2 = .005

1/.005 = n_fe2

sqrt (200) = n_f

The square root...

The Rydberg equation should be used to solve this problem:

`1/lambda = R(1/n_i^2 -1/n_f^2)`

where lambda is the wavelength, R is the Rydberg constant, n-subf is the final n-level, and n-subi is the initial n-level.

We know that lambda = 91.63nm, R = 1.097 x 10e7, and n-subi = 1.

So, `1/(91.63x10^-9) = (1.097x10^7) (1 - 1/n_f^2)`

`(91.63x10^-9) x (1.097x10^7) = 1.005`

1/1.005 = .995

`.995 = 1 - 1/n_f^2`

1/n_fe2 = .005

1/.005 = n_fe2

sqrt (200) = n_f

The square root of 200 is closer to 14.14, so there's some rounding in the final answer, since n must be an integer. This error is mostly due to the inconsistent significant figures and abbreviated forms of the values for R and lambda.

In "An Astrologer's Day," what details and techniques does Narayan use to describe the astrologer?

The astrologer is an impressive character. As the narrator says, if he had stayed in his village

...he would have carried on the work of his forefathers--namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

The astrologer is an impressive character. As the narrator says, if he had stayed in his village

...he would have carried on the work of his forefathers--namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

But when he was forced to flee the village, he was able to develop a whole new personality and survive in a densely populated urban environment by using his intelligence. The story suggests that many people who live in primitive rural conditions could likewise develop all sorts of hidden talents if they had the opportunities.

The astrologer lives by his wits. He knows how to put on a show to attract passers-by, and he knows what to tell them, even though he is well aware that he has no mystical knowledge. He has no education and is probably illiterate. But he has "street smarts," "moxie."

He had a working analysis of mankind's troubles: marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception.

He only collects small coins for his consultations, no doubt because most of the people who stroll in the park for recreation have little extra spending money. It is apparent that he must sit for long hours in order to collect enough to keep himself and his family alive from day to day.

...his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted.

Money is of great importance to him in his precarious profession. In addition to his superior intelligence, he is courageous and determined. When he is dealing with Guru Nayak and his life is in imminent danger, the astrologer still insists on haggling over money. He brings every single coin home to his wife so that she can buy food for the family. Evidently he is a devoted husband and father.

"An Astrologer's Day" is a study in the vicissitudes of life and of one type of adaptation. The astrologer would have been an ignorant peasant if he had remained in his village, but the big city forced him to adapt to entirely new conditions, and he managed to find a niche in which to survive, marry, and reproduce. He is a survivor. We can identify with him because we all have to learn to survive in this world by adapting to our environment.

Who created Mona Lisa?

Mona Lisa is the title of a painting created by the Italian artist and polymath Leonardo da Vinci.

Born on April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was the illegitimate son of a minor bureaucrat. He was born in Tuscany and first lived in the countryside and then in the city of Florence. Despite his illegitimacy, he was acknowledged by his father and raised in his father's household.

In this period, Florence under the rule of the...

Mona Lisa is the title of a painting created by the Italian artist and polymath Leonardo da Vinci.

In this period, Florence under the rule of the Medici family, was a great center of the Renaissance in arts and learning. Leonardo was probably apprenticed to the distinguished painter Andrea del Verrocchio, and later set up his own workshop in Florence in 1472. He moved to Milan where he worked from 1482 until 1499, and then spent time in Hungary, returned to Florence, and also worked in Rome. He moved to France in 1516, where he worked for King Francis I, and he died there on 2 May 1519.

One of Leonardo's best known paintings is Mona Lisa (also called La Gioconda) which is a three-quarter length seated portrait, most probably of Lisa Gherardini, wife of a wealthy Tuscan merchant.

What are the two opposite attitudes towards tradition in the poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost?

In Robert Frost's "Mending Wall," the speaker and the speaker's neighbor meet each year to mend a stone wall that separates their properties. Through the speaker, the reader learns the annual maintenance is, in the speaker’s mind, unnecessary because the wall does not serve a practical purpose. The speaker also reveals the annual tradition of mending the wall is important to the neighbor not for the wall itself, but for what the neighbor believes the...

The speaker's attitude toward this annual tradition seems to range from bemusement to irreverence. The speaker questions not only the purpose of the shared annual labor, but also the neighbor's rationale for continuing the tradition in the face of the lack of practical need for the wall's continued existence. The speaker wants to make light of the tradition, even pondering suggesting that elves are responsible for the yearly damage to the wall, but in the end acquiesces to the neighbor’s determination to follow the tradition.

The speaker's neighbor, on the other hand, does not seem to question the tradition. Rather, the neighbor dogmatically follows the platitude, “Good fences make good neighbors,” a saying the speaker attributes to the neighbor’s father. For the neighbor, the wall and the annual mending both represent traditions to be followed for their own sake, not for their practical purposes. Further, the tradition of annually mending the wall seems to represent to the neighbor a necessary tradition for maintaining their relationship as neighbors.

What would be a resistant/alternate reading of the character Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet?

Friar Laurence is usually seen as a kindly character who advises Romeo and Juliet, helps them get married, and tries unsuccessfully to avert their tragic fates at the end of the play. There's plenty of textual evidence for this interpretation, and such a reading would not be wrong. However, it's possible to view Friar Laurence in an alternate light. Indeed, the Friar could be blamed, at least in part, for much of the play's tragic happenings. First of all, he's the one who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet secretly in the first place, and one of the reasons he does so is because he wants to help ease the tension between the warring Montague and Capulet families. Second, he convinces Juliet to drink the potion that makes her appear as if she's dead. As we all know, this potion works, but it also leads to the tragic deaths of the play's protagonists. As such, Friar Laurence might not be as helpful as he seems.

There are two alternate readings here: first, we could hypothesize that Laurence actively wanted to sabotage Romeo and Juliet's love. While this idea is possible, it's also pretty unlikely; it's hard to read Laurence as entirely evil, no matter how you interpret the text. A more likely interpretation is that Laurence is not a helpful counselor, but is actually an inept character whose attempts to "help" Romeo and Juliet do more harm than good. In this alternate reading, Friar Laurence becomes less of a valuable counselor and more of a misguided fool who is responsible for most of the play's final catastrophe.

When Nettie tells Samuel and Corinne the entire story about Celie, what shocks Samuel the most?

When Nettie tells Samuel and Corinne the entire story about Celie, the thing that shocks Samuel the most is that Celie's children, Olivia and Adam, are the result of Celie's rape at her own father's hands.

In the beginning of the story, the "Dear God" letters tell us that Celie's father raped her when he couldn't get Celie's mother to have sex with him. Immediately after Olivia and Adam were born, Celie's father took the babies away from Celie. Samuel and Corinne eventually adopted the children, but as time went by, Corinne began to suspect that the children were the product of an affair between Nettie and Samuel.

Nettie tries to reason with Corinne, but to no avail. She points out to Corrine that Corinne has seen the lack of stretch marks on her stomach. Nettie argues that stretch marks are not something that can be wiped out; only women who have ever experienced pregnancies get stretch marks, and she doesn't have any. Nettie also tries to remind Corinne of the time she met Celie in town. She believes that, if Corinne can just remember, she will see how the children actually resemble Celie.

To jolt her memory, Nettie pulls out a quilt that Corinne had made. She asks Corinne whether she remembers buying the cloth for the quilt. With tears in her eyes, Corinne eventually admits that she remembers. She confesses that Olivia had looked so much like Celie that she was afraid. Her fear was that Celie would want her children back. Even though she suspected then that Celie might have been the real mother of the children, Corinne didn't want to face the truth. Instead, she decided to forget about Celie.

Corinne eventually dies after her admission, but not before she tells Samuel and Nettie that she now believes the truth about the children's maternal heritage.

How does the government obtain and maintain power over the populous in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451?

The government in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 doesn't have to force the populous to be submissive to its desires. In fact, the government simply capitalizes on the weaknesses of the populace to take control and maintain its manipulative power. When people stopped reading, educating themselves, and caring about anything other than having fun, the government easily stepped in by creating a system where people could tattle on their neighbors for having books. Faber explains it as follows:

"Remember, the firemen are rarely necessary. The public itself stopped reading of its own accord. You firemen provide a circus now and then at which buildings are set off and crowds gather for the pretty blaze, but it's a small sideshow indeed, and hardly necessary to keep things in line. So few want to be rebels any more" (87).

This passage proves that the firemen system of control is intended to be an intimidation tool for the government, which it is to an extent, but it isn't necessary. Those who dare to read books do it in secret and don't try to take over the government. However, the government also provides many distractions for its citizens in order to maintain power. Radio seashells, parlor walls, sleeping pills, and fast cars are a few examples of what people use to distract themselves from the manipulation going on in their society. Captain Beatty verifies the concept of distraction as a tool for manipulation as follows:

"More sports for everyone, group spirit, fun, and you don't have to think, eh? Organize and organize and super organize super-super sports. More cartoons in books. More pictures. The mind drinks less and less" (57).

The government wants the people to be distracted with sports and other mindless activities so they won't worry life's difficult issues or changing their society. Beatty explains the government's policy in other words:

"Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy" (61).

Captain Beatty freely gives this information to Montag because people wouldn't care even if the truth about the government manipulating society got out. As long as the government keeps people in the dark about what matters in life, and people think they are happy, then nothing more needs to be done to maintain power and control.

What are some adjectives that describe Anton in Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene?

In the book, Anton is handsome, charming, courageous, kind, and humble.

He treats Patty with great kindness and old-world courtesy. When Patty presents a shirt to her father as a Father's Day gift, her father is barely civil in his response. Hurt by his indifference, Patty gives the shirt to Anton. For his part, Anton responds with affection and appreciation; his grateful response overwhelms Patty with emotion.

When Patty's father beats her for playing with...

In the book, Anton is handsome, charming, courageous, kind, and humble.

When Patty's father beats her for playing with Freddy Dowd, a poor white boy, Anton tries to save his friend. For her part, Patty screams at Anton to go away when she sees that he's about to reveal himself. Anton's courageous behavior is demonstrated in his willingness to assume a huge risk on Patty's behalf.

Despite his courageous behavior, however, Anton doesn't gloat. He feels that he's been a coward for too long, and he's glad that he's finally acting with courage:

"After almost two years of being as inconspicuous a coward as possible I had no idea that I would voluntarily risk my life for anyone...But I'm glad I could. I'm glad I still could."

Anton's humility disarms Patty, and she finds herself falling in love with the German soldier. Before he leaves, Anton bequeaths Patty his most prized possession: his great-grandfather's university ring. Anton's great-grandfather was once the president of the University of Gottingen, and Anton gives Patty the ring because he wants her to know her own value.

"Am I still your teacher?...Then, I want you to learn this, our last, lesson. Even if you forget everything else, I want you to always remember that you are a person of value, and you have a friend who loved you enough to give you his most valued possession."

The question below has an answer and an explanation. Please explain the explanation. Statement: Should India encourage exports, when most things...

I can explain the explanation, though I am not convinced that it is correct in all its aspects.

The explanation is based on the assumption that India will only export goods that it does not need. That is, it assumes that India will not import anything if there is still unfulfilled domestic demand for that good. For example, this assumes that India will not export any rice until all domestic buyers have been able to...

I can explain the explanation, though I am not convinced that it is correct in all its aspects.

So, we are assuming that India will only export goods that it does not need at home. Therefore, there is no way that exporting will lead to shortages. If India satisfies, for example, its domestic demand for rice, then no shortages can occur if it exports the rest of the rice. India is only exporting things that it does not need at home. This is why Argument II is invalid.

When India exports goods, it gains foreign currency. The countries that buy the Indian goods must give their currency to Indian merchants in exchange for rupees that can be used to buy the Indian goods. When India builds up foreign currency reserves, that helps it pay for imports. It can use the foreign currency to buy goods from those or other countries. This is what Argument I is saying.

The explanation you have given is sound if it is based on sound assumptions. I am not sure that its assumptions are sound, but whoever created the answer clearly believes that they are.

Which events in Iago's deception of Othello were planned and which were opportunistic?

The first incident, featured in Act I, Scene 1, in which Iago and his sidekick Roderigo inform Brabantio that Othello stole his daughter Desdemona was definitely planned. When the upset Brabantio, who is awoken from sleep in the middle of the night, discovers his daughter is indeed missing, he immediately takes steps to have Othello arrested, as indicated in his question to Roderigo:

Do you know
Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

Secondly, Iago disappeared during Brabantio's discourse with Roderigo in the above incident in order to be with Othello. This, too, was planned, as he told Roderigo:

Yet, for necessity of present life,
I must show out a flag and sign of love,
Which is indeed but sign.

Iago wanted to convince the general that he is there for him and purposely bad-mouths Brabantio in the process. Othello believed his so-called "faithful" ensign.

In Act II, Scene 3, in Cyprus, Iago and Roderigo set up Cassio and he is dismissed from his post as lieutenant by Othello. In this scene, Iago deliberately creates the impression that he is most loyal and trustworthy by speaking well of Cassio, when he had, in fact, set him up. Othello falls for his trickery and says,

Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,
Making it light to Cassio.

Iago then opportunistically uses Cassio's dismissal to advise him to seek redress through Desdemona by asking her to speak to Othello on his behalf. He is not satisfied with Cassio's dismissal. He wants to destroy Cassio completely and, in the process, destroy Desdemona and Othello. Once again, he sets up Cassio to create the impression in Othello's mind that he is being cuckolded by his erstwhile lieutenant and Desdemona.

In the fourth instance, Iago comments, 'Ha! I like not that,' when he and Othello chance to see Cassio slipping away from Desdemona's company on their arrival. Othello is immediately intrigued by Iago's comment and asks about it. Iago is very evasive but finally persuades Othello to pay close attention to interactions between Cassio and Desdemona. He also makes the general aware of a so-called "custom" Venetian women have of keeping a secret lover. He also makes Othello note that Desdemona betrayed her father and might do the same to him.

Othello is deeply troubled by Iago's assertions and treats Desdemona with disdain, brushing aside her napkin when she tries to wipe his brow. Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's maidservant, picks it up and gives it to Iago. Othello later confronts Iago, threatening him if he should be deliberately tainting his wife's honor. Othello tells him he wants "ocular proof" of Desdemona's infidelity.

Once again, Iago smoothly slips out of a difficult situation by deliberately lying about an occasion when he had, supposedly, shared a bed with Cassio and he had, in a dream, cried out Desdemona's name, kissed him passionately and then extended a leg over his thigh. Othello is in shock and threatens to tear Desdemona into pieces. The pernicious Iago, seeing his advantage, refers to the handkerchief Othello gave Desdemona as a first gift, saying that he saw Cassio wiping his beard with it.

This is opportunistic, for Emilia gave Iago the napkin and he had planted it in Cassio's room where he would obviously find it, with no idea of how it got there or to whom it belonged. At this point, Othello is convinced of Cassio and Desdemona's guilt and vows to take vengeance. He kneels to make a pledge and Iago kneels with him, promising absolute allegiance to the general.

In one final, maliciously deliberate act, Iago sets Othello up to see the ocular proof he required. He arranges a meeting with Cassio and asks Othello to stay hidden and eavesdrop on their conversation. Iago then entices Cassio to speak about Bianca. Othello believes that they are talking about Desdemona and grows angrier the more he hears Cassio supposedly bragging about his affair with his wife.

It is also opportunistic for Iago that Bianca turns up, angrily waving Desdemona's napkin at Cassio and asking why he could insult her by asking her to 'take out the work' of his mistress's napkin. Othello is overwhelmed. He decides to kill Desdemona by smothering her in her bed, at Iago's suggestion, and makes Iago promise to kill Cassio within three days.

I need help with the following assignment: Identify the part of speech of the bolded word in each of the sentences below. There was...

In order to complete this assignment, you may need to review the basic parts of speech. They include:

Nouns: Nouns denote one or more people, animals, place, things, or ideas. They can serve as subjects or objects of sentences or of prepositions.

Pronouns: Pronouns stand in for nouns and have nouns as antecedents. They can function in any of the roles in a sentence that nouns can.

Adjectives:Adjectives modify or describe nouns. Thus we can...

In order to complete this assignment, you may need to review the basic parts of speech. They include:

Nouns: Nouns denote one or more people, animals, place, things, or ideas. They can serve as subjects or objects of sentences or of prepositions.

Pronouns: Pronouns stand in for nouns and have nouns as antecedents. They can function in any of the roles in a sentence that nouns can.

Adjectives: Adjectives modify or describe nouns. Thus we can have a "beautiful flower" or a "fast runner."

Verbs: Verbs describe an action and are the main part of a sentence's predicate. All sentences require a finite verb.

Adverbs: Adverbs can modify verbs or adjectives, e.g. "The young man graciously offered his seat to the elderly woman" or "extremely loud music".

There was a huge basket in the dining hall.: The bolded word describes the noun "basket".

This type of sport is very dangerous.: The bolded word describes the adjective dangerous.

Give me your e-mail address.: The bolded word describes an action.

Give me your e-mail address.

In A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck, what story does Grandma tell regarding the phantom brakeman?

Grandma claims that the ghost of the brakeman still haunts the scene of his death years after his demise. According to Grandma, the brakeman died in 1871 when a train full of firefighters collided with a freight train. The brakeman died a gruesome death as a result of the collision.

Grandma claims that, on hazy nights, "somebody'll see the brakeman down there between the rails, swinging an old-time railroad lantern. Or they'll spot a dim...

Grandma claims that, on hazy nights, "somebody'll see the brakeman down there between the rails, swinging an old-time railroad lantern. Or they'll spot a dim yellow light deep in the timber, like he's a wandering soul, still trying to head off the oncoming train." By all indications, the phantom brakeman makes his appearance when people least expect him to. As for Grandma, she tells Joey and Mary Alice that she can't confirm the existence of the phantom brakeman, but she knows that some superstitious people actually avoid the railroad at night, for fear of running into the brakeman's ghost.

Why did some American colonists engage in smuggling and piracy?

The main reason why some American colonists turned to smuggling (more common) and piracy (less common) was economic. Simply put, it was a good way to make money. In addition, many people had so little respect for the laws they were breaking that they did not feel that it was morally wrong to do so.

In many (perhaps all) times and places, people have been motivated by the desire to get rich. When people find...

In many (perhaps all) times and places, people have been motivated by the desire to get rich. When people find a way that they can make money, they will want to pursue it. Smuggling and piracy were good ways to make money. Goods that were legally imported into the colonies tended to be expensive. American goods sold through legal channels tended to get a lower price than smugglers could get if they sold directly to foreign buyers. In other words, people could make a lot more money by smuggling or engaging in piracy than they could by obeying the law. This is always a strong incentive to break the law.

It is also easier for most people to break the law if they do not have much respect for that law. If people do not believe that laws are just, they will not feel morally bound to obey them. Many colonists did not feel that the laws they were breaking were just. They felt that it was wrong for the British government to be able to tell them who they had to buy from and sell to. They did not feel it was all that wrong to rob foreigners, many of whom were their country’s enemies anyway. Because they did not feel the laws were just, they were more willing to break them so long as they felt they could do so without getting caught.

In colonial times, many Americans smuggled and/or turned to piracy because those were lucrative things to do and because they did not feel morally bound by the laws that banned those activities.

In "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde, where had the ghost taken the bottle of oil?

In Chapter Two of "The Canterville Ghost," Mr Otis is disturbed by the sound of the ghost rattling his chains in the early hours of the morning. In response, Mr Otis offers the ghost some oil called Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. He leaves it by "the bedroom candles" and offers to bring the ghost more oil, should he require it. When Mr Otis returns to his room, the ghost picks up the oil but then throws...

By Chapter Four, however, the ghost has a fresh bottle of oil. According to the narrator, the ghost retrieved this new bottle of oil from Mr Otis's bedroom while the family is downstairs having dinner. This time, he takes Mr Otis's advice and the ghost oils his chains so that he can walk around the house without being detected.

In The Dispossessed by Le Guin, to what extent are the social structures of Urras and Anarres influenced by their different material reality?...

"The Dispossessed" serves as a testing chamber for many of Marx's and Engels' ideas. In fact, the society of Anarres is an example of many of Marx's ideals, such as communal living and dispossession, being lived out. In rebellion against the decadence of Urras, the colonists of Anarres strove to create a society in which ownership was all but an obsolete concept.

Examine the material reality of these worlds. To what extent is the social...

Examine the material reality of these worlds. To what extent is the social structure of these worlds influenced by their different material reality?

The stark contrast between the material realities of Anarres and Urras significantly affects their social structure. Anarres is a harsh desert moon with sparse resources, which makes the values of shared labor and communal living essential. Anarres rewards the mundane and those who fall into the status quo, praising their efforts while meeting their basic needs. The flaws Shevek notices in the society of Anarres play heavily into many of the criticisms that have been leveled against Marx's ideal of material reality's importance over consciousness.

While the unrelenting equality of life on Anarres makes sense in context of limited physical resources, it allows brilliant individuals like Shevek and Bedap to fall through the cracks. Thus, by conforming only to the demands of materiality, Anarres abandons any chance it has of making significant progress. The society is stable, but it punishes the extraordinary.

In contrast, the lush landscape of Urras provides ample fuel for the society's decadence. Despite plentiful resources, Shevek soon learns that Urras' bounty does not make its way to many of the workers and poor who inhabit the planet. The material reality of Anarres necessitates a Spartan government, but the corruption on Urras thrives despite its material reality.

Could the social structure of Anarres survive on Urras? Why or why not?

The social structure of Anarres could never survive on Urras, because the structure of Anarres, much like communism, thrives on limited resources. The communal work ethic and values of abnegation found on Anarres could only survive on a planet where cooperation is the key to survival. An often-slighted flaw of Engels' idealism is that dialectical materialism would crumble if resources were unlimited and human greed could take over, as it has on Urras.

Do you think leadership is more important or less important in today’s flatter management structures?

I do not think that one can make a blanket claim about all types of leadership in all industries or even assume that the management structures in all companies in the world are necessarily flatter than they were at some unspecified period in the past.

A good or bad CEO can either harm or hinder a business. A company founded on innovation or disruption requires leaders with innovative ideas and the willingness and power to...

A good or bad CEO can either harm or hinder a business. A company founded on innovation or disruption requires leaders with innovative ideas and the willingness and power to pursue unconventional ideas. Amazon, for example, could not have achieved it current position without a leader willing to forego short term profitability to build market share. On the other hand, powerful executives who command huge salaries and sacrifice R&D investment for short term profits to boost their own stock options can harm a company. Both of these are equally true in more and less flat management structures.

On the level of middle management, flatter management structures mean more people reporting to a single manager, and thus the effects of bad and good management practices will impact more people. However, part of the philosophy behind flatter management structures is empowering workers and increasing collaborative rather than top-down management. Thus a good manager in such an environment should be less concerned with "leadership" and more concerned with being a facilitator.

Do you think that the poet is clever in taking the other road? Why?

Cleverness can be defined as innovation, which means doing something people have not done before you. In that case, the poet has done something clever when he took a road no one else had, or that few people had. It may not be that no one has taken the road, but just that fewer people have.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and...

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same …

To extend the metaphor, because this is what the poem is really about, it is brave to take risks, and can also be interpreted as clever. It depends on what you do once you take the road. Just the act of taking the road is not much. It is an initial choice to do something different. It is what you do that is different that matters.

We can interpret the speaker’s words in the last stanza of the poem to mean that when he took this less-traveled road and did something different from everyone else, he was happy with his choice.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Of course “all the difference” is open to interpretation. I guess if you are a pessimist you could say that it could be a bad difference instead of a good difference. However, given the context of the poem it seems like the speaker took a different road and is happy with his choice, so it was a good difference for him. Whatever decision he made and innovation he decided on, it worked out and he had a successful and happy life after all of it.

What literary device is used in the phrase "with crooked hands" in "The Eagle" by Lord Tennyson?

In this brief poem, "crooked hands" is being used to describe an eagle's crooked claws. The eagle, often described as a noble and regal creature, is old and decrepit. The eagle still sits high on a crag (a steep rocky cliff), so it still appears to be in a "lofty" position. But it's age is significant here. The eagle is still high ("close to the sun") but it is about to fall, presumably to its death. This notion does conjure the myth of Icarus. But in paying more attention to the subject of age, the poem shows how even the strongest, most regal of creatures inevitably ages and dies. With that aging, the eagle's strength diminishes and its appearance and abilities decay as well. Although this is downright pessimistic, one could infer that an additional theme is how fleeting life is. Therefore, one should appreciate life because, as the poem shows, nothing is permanent.

When the speaker uses "crooked hands" to describe the eagle's arthritic claws, he is using personification. This is a literary device in which a writer gives human qualities to an animal, some other object, or an idea. By using personification, the writer suggests that a human being will suffer the same fate as the eagle. No matter how noble or strong one may be in life, aging affects everyone.

What literary device is used in "The Cask of Amontillado" how does it develop the message of the story?

Though his dark subject matter is not universally appealing, Edgar Allan Poe was a superb technician and his skill in crafting this revenge tale through the use of symbolism is undeniable.

A single example among the many uses of symbolism is found in the names of the principal characters, Montresor ( French for "my treasure") and Fortunato (ltalian for "fortunate one"). Montresor is pathologically angry with Fortunato for a series of slights that are described...

Though his dark subject matter is not universally appealing, Edgar Allan Poe was a superb technician and his skill in crafting this revenge tale through the use of symbolism is undeniable.

Fortunato, symbolically costumed as a fool for Carnival, is merrily oblivious to Montresor's anger and readily follows him underground to sample a rare sherry. When Montresor overpowers and entombs Fortunato, he literally buries his "treasure." Fortunato's name, then, can only be deemed ironic.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado"

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/poe/cask.html

You want to prove that trees lower air temperature under the leaves because of the shade. You stand under a tree, hold out a thermometer under the...

The experimental set up contains the variable that you are attempting to test. Based on the information given, it seems that the hypothesis is stating that tree shade creates lower air temperatures. From that hypothesis, an experimenter could predict the following: "If the thermometer is held under the trees in the shade, it will display a lower temperature than in the sunlight."

Because the experimenter is testing the effect of shade on temperature, the...

Because the experimenter is testing the effect of shade on temperature, the shade is the variable. That makes any measurements done in the shade part of the experimental set up. Those measurements will be compared to temperature measurements from the control set up. The control set up will not contain the variable being tested. In this case, any measurements done in direct sunlight (no shade) are part of the control set up.

What is the significance of ''Men should be what they seem; / Or those that be not, would they might seem none" in light of events unfolding...

This quote is significant because it represents Iago's efforts to convince Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Because Cassio is supposedly involved with Desdemona behind Othello's back, Iago asserts that the apparently trusty lieutenant is not what he seems. It's worth noting this passage is terribly, tragically ironic, as Iago uses deception to convince Othello that Cassio is deceiving the general and is not what he seems to be. In that case, it is actually Iago who is not the person he seems to be, as he is truly a manipulative villain masquerading as a trusted advisor. Meanwhile, Cassio is exactly what he seems to be: an honorable friend and soldier. As such, more than any other part of the play, this statement underlines the tragic reality of Othello's downfall.

What is happening to the value of the U.S. dollar these days?

It's possible to answer this question in any number of ways. There are many influences that affect the value of currency in international markets; and the dollar, being the standard and most widely-used and traded currency around the world, is affected by activity in other currencies.

For example, the recent BREXIT decision in the UK has affected world currency values, as this decision on the part of Great Britain to leave the European Union means...

For example, the recent BREXIT decision in the UK has affected world currency values, as this decision on the part of Great Britain to leave the European Union means there will be changes in their banking system. The value of the pound against the dollar experienced dramatic change when the results of this vote were announced a few weeks ago, and it is believed that as the process of leaving the European Union continues, the value of the pound will continue to be unstable. Because London is a major banking and commerce capital of the world, it is a hub for world markets and the US-based markets respond accordingly to developments in the UK.

The dollar is currently fairly strong, possibly because the recent jobs report was fairly positive. The state of jobs and new construction are factors that afec the value of the dollar, as well as world events linked to terrorism. The reason terrorism affects world markets is that states of emergency affect world travel and tourism, which then impacts commerce directly.

The decision of the Federal Reserve to raise or lower interest rates is also a factor that affects the value of the dollar. The Fed has declined to raise interest rates for a number of years but financial forecasters are generally in agreement that interest rates will be going up fairly soon.

Why did the USA fight Germany in WWII?

After Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan as an act of self-defense. Hitler, not even aware that Japan was planning such a strike, declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941. The United States had long criticized German aggression in Europe but few people wanted to fight another world war on the continent, especially after the squabbling that took place after WWI. Roosevelt realized that Germany would be a threat to U.S. security in the future, so he negotiated Lend-Lease agreements with Britain. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill soon stated that German submarines were sinking American goods going to Britain. When American destroyers started escorting British supplies, Germany and America fought an unofficial naval war on the Atlantic before December 7, 1941.

To answer your question concisely, America fought Germany because it viewed Germany as a threat to its Allies, its markets, and perhaps one day itself. German submarines had already shown a capacity to attack in American coastal waters, and Roosevelt (correctly) viewed a war against Germany as a war for the nation's survival.

How would you analyze Ishmael Reed's The C above C above High C?

The C above C above High Cis a nuanced play that takes place in 1957 in the United States Capitol. The central character, Louis Armstrong, is an African American butler in the White House. Armstrong gets an audience with President Eisenhower, which he uses to discuss civil rights issues in Little Rock, Arkansas. The play's central act discusses Eisenhower's controversial refusal to act when white nationalist mobs prevented young black schoolchildren from attending class...

The C above C above High C is a nuanced play that takes place in 1957 in the United States Capitol. The central character, Louis Armstrong, is an African American butler in the White House. Armstrong gets an audience with President Eisenhower, which he uses to discuss civil rights issues in Little Rock, Arkansas. The play's central act discusses Eisenhower's controversial refusal to act when white nationalist mobs prevented young black schoolchildren from attending class in newly desegregated schools.

The play's central themes are courage, racism, and the nature of hatred. Although Armstrong's character is often criticized as being an Uncle Tom, he uses his position in the White House to reason with the President. The situation in Little Rock is contrasted with World War II, and Armstrong explains to the President that although Hitler's physical body was killed, his hatred lives on on the bigoted men fighting against the desegregation of the Arkansas school district. By standing up to this new wave of bigotry, Eisenhower can take his place in history as a President who stood up to hatred.

The play gets its title from a line delivered by Armstrong, who tells the president that he can achieve the full potential of his office, hitting "the C above C above high C," if he defends the young students in Arkansas and stands up to bigotry.

In addition to bigotry and the responsibility of power, The C above C above High C also features themes of discontented marriage, infidelity, and drug addiction. Ishmael Reed uses dry wit to convey a sense of humor that contrasts with the serious themes of the play.

What are some wicked deeds of the Canterville ghost?

I hope that this is okay, but the most wicked deed of Sir Simon occurs before he ever became a ghost. Three hundred years prior to the Otis family taking over the Canterville Chase, Sir Simon murdered his wife. I would say that is quite wicked. As punishment, his brothers-in-law starved Sir Simon to death. Sir Simon has been haunting the Canterville Chase ever since. The story focuses a great deal on the deeds of the Otis family toward Sir Simon, but readers are told that Sir Simon's haunting has driven other owners out of the house. Sir Simon has been able to do this because he can take on different scary forms. For example, he has scared people as a black dog, a skeleton, and even a vampire monk. Intentionally driving people from their own home is fairly wicked too in my opinion.

Is there hidden meaning in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?

In a sense, yes. The poem appears to be so simple, and yet it seems possible to come up with a figurative interpretation because of the final two lines: "And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep." The first of these lines seems as though it can simply be read literally: the speaker is in the woods, enjoying the beauty of the tranquil scene, and he wishes to remain there; however, he is keenly aware of his responsibilities, and he knows that he has to keep moving if he is to do everything he must. When the line is repeated, on the other hand, it seems to take on more than literal meaning. Sleep is often symbolic of death, and this symbolism seems appropriate here: the traveler in the wood is world-weary, wishing he could simply spend the rest of his life in these woods, that he could rest here, die here, but he has “miles to go” – too much to do – before he can rest, before he can die. Therefore, you might call this symbolism a hidden meaning, and, then, we can reread the rest of the poem in light of this symbolic interpretation.

What page does it say that the fire burns low in Lord of the Flies?

There are several occasions where the fire burns low or burns out in Lord of the Flies. The first fire the boys make in chapter 2 is a huge bonfire that reaches twenty feet high, but it "diminished quickly; then the pile fell inwards with a soft, cindery sound." This is on page 46 in my copy, but if you have a different version, it's just over halfway through chapter 2. Unfortunately, the fact that this fire has burned low is deceptive; it soon catches again when it spreads to the "great patch where they had found dead wood" and engulfs a huge section of the island, killing one of the little boys.

In chapter 4 Jack takes Samneric away from tending the signal fire, and Ralph finds that it has died just as a ship passes the island. In my version, on page 77, it says, "The fire was dead." This is just over halfway through chapter 4.

At the beginning of chapter 6, Samneric have been on night duty tending the fire, and it almost goes out while they sleep. One of them says, "I believe it's out." However, the twins work together and get it going again.

On page 194 (my version), about halfway into chapter 10, the remnant of Ralph's tribe tries to keep the fire going, but it's too much for them. Although three boys have just loaded the fire with rotten wood, producing smoke, by the time they get back from gathering fruit, "only embers glowed in the fire, and there was no smoke."

Keeping the fire going is a difficult job, and there are several times during the book when the fire burns low.

In Shakespeare's Henry V, what is the bill that Ely and Canterbury are talking about, and why are they against it? In what way is Henry dependent...

In Act 1, Scene 1, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely are discussing an old bill that has resurfaced in King Henry's court. Both the Archbishop and the Bishop are against this bill because it will reduce their land holdings and overall wealth.

Essentially, if the bill passes, all the land that "devout" men have bequeathed to the church will be confiscated and appropriated for the king's use. The confiscated wealth will allow the king to maintain fifteen earls, fifteen hundred knights, and six thousand two hundred squires.

Aside from this, the lepers, the aged, and the poor will be "well supplied" with their needs from this confiscated treasury. To add insult to injury, the Archbishop maintains that the bill provides for a yearly sum of a thousand pounds to be paid into the king's coffers. This will, in all effect, dilute the Church's wealth, power, and political influence; so, the Archbishop and the Bishop are against the bill.

The Bishop of Ely questions whether King Henry is amenable to what the House of Commons proposes, and the Archbishop confides in him that he's already proposed a way to thwart the king's purposes. Essentially, the Archbishop has offered Henry more money than the Church has ever given any of his predecessors. He means to tempt Henry with financial support from the Church to bolster Henry's claim to the throne of France. With Henry thus occupied, the king will have no reason to confiscate the Church's property.

When the two clerics later meet with King Henry, the Archbishop and Bishop reassure the monarch that there is no valid legal obstacle to thwart his claim to the French throne. They flatter him and tell him that he is "in the very May-morn of his youth, / Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises." Upon hearing this, Henry is persuaded that he does indeed deserve the French throne and that he can mount a military campaign successfully.

We must remember that Henry is dependent upon the Church for its material and social support in his campaign to take back the throne of France.

Without the Church's coffers, Henry cannot mount a successful military campaign on two fronts. When he invades France, he will also need an army to push back against Scotland (which always attacks when England is at war with another power). Henry is not only dependent on the Church for material support, but he must also rely on the clergy to justify his French invasion to the people. Since the Church's coffers are filled by the populace, the people must be convinced that the king is acting in England's best interests. So, the Church and the king have a precarious relationship that's predicated on the ability of both to leverage wealth and power to protect their political interests.

How does urban ethnography challenge assumptions about urban life and urban myths ?

Great question!

Urban ethnography challenges assumptions about urban life and urban myths through its very nature, and through its practices.

Ethnography applies direct, intense observation to cultural practices. Urban ethnography applies the techniques and methods of anthropology, which were traditionally applied to distant peoples (usually those considered primitive), to contemporary, urban populations. It can be applied here at home, rather than having to be practiced far away.

One of the goals of ethnography is to...

Great question!

Urban ethnography challenges assumptions about urban life and urban myths through its very nature, and through its practices.

One of the goals of ethnography is to describe culture, and to do so with as much objectivity as possible. In that statement you see two distinct goals that would transform how people see urban life. The first is that it treats urban practices as a culture. When this happens, some urban activity (like, say, the use of gang tags) changes. It is no longer just vandalism, something criminal or senseless to be dismissed. It is a social practice with cultural meaning for those involved. The second is the objective, even scientific, approach involved. It is relatively easy to be objective about something distant from you. You aren't directly involved in the rings of Saturn, for example. However, it is much harder to be objective if you are actively involved in something, like a family or relationship. That's the case in many urban settings. People are part of what they are trying to understand, and so urban ethnography offers new possibilities for objectivity.

In the poem, which phrases describe the song of the solitary reaper?

William Wordsworth's poem "The Solitary Reaper" describes a girl, alone, off in the distance ("Yon solitary Highland Lass") who is working in a field and singing.

The phrases from the poem that most directly describe the song are "a melancholy strain," "welcome notes," "plaintive numbers," and "humble lay."

Here is a complete list of the phrases that describe her song:

1. "a melancholy strain"

"Melancholy" means "sad and mournful," and a "strain" is...

William Wordsworth's poem "The Solitary Reaper" describes a girl, alone, off in the distance ("Yon solitary Highland Lass") who is working in a field and singing.

The phrases from the poem that most directly describe the song are "a melancholy strain," "welcome notes," "plaintive numbers," and "humble lay."

Here is a complete list of the phrases that describe her song:

1. "a melancholy strain"

"Melancholy" means "sad and mournful," and a "strain" is a piece of music. So this phrase describes the song as a sad little tune.

2. "the Vale profound / Is overflowing with the sound."

These lines mean that the deep surrounding land is filled (even over-filled) with the sound of the reaper's song.

3. "No Nightingale did ever chaunt / More welcome notes to weary bands / Of travellers in some shady haunt, / Among Arabian sands:"

Above, the speaker describes the song as made up of "welcome notes," or musical notes that are a joy to hear.

4. "A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard / In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,"

This means that the song is being sung with a voice that thrills, or excites and enchants, the listener, even more so than the song of a cuckoo-bird would.

5. "Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow / For old, unhappy, far-off things, /And battles long ago:"

Above, the sections of the song are described as "plaintive numbers," meaning they are sad, mournful songs, specifically songs about sad things from the past.

6. "Or is it some more humble lay, / Familiar matter of to-day?"

One meaning of "lay" is a song that tells a narrative story, so in the line above, the speaker describes the song as perhaps an everyday little song about normal life--nothing overly proud or showy.

7. "Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang / As if her song could have no ending;"

Above, the speaker means that the song seems never-ending. Even though it does end, it continues to echo in the speaker's mind:

8. "The music in my heart I bore, / Long after it was heard no more."

Will Purify Parasite Cleanse get rid of topical parasites?

The Purify Parasite Cleanse is an herbal tonic taken to rid the body of parasites like tapeworms and pinworms. This herbal tonic contains ingredients like black walnut hull, clove, peppermint, and fennel. Many of these herbs are stomach-soothing or have anti-emetic qualities. This tonic is intended to clear the digestive tract of parasites, so unfortunately I do not think it will help you be rid of topical parasites on the skin or in hair. Additionally,...

If you are experiencing parasites of any kind, please see a physician! They can recommend and prescribe a safe, regulated, and effective treatment.

Why did Pip not enjoy the Christmas dinner in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens?

The Christmas dinner is described in Chapter 4 of Great Expectations. Pip does not enjoy it because all of the adults, with the exception of the kindly Joe Gargary, make derogatory comments about him. He tells the reader:

But they wouldn't leave me alone. They seemed to think the opportunity lost, if they failed to point the conversation at me, every now and then, and stick the point into me.

Unfortunately, there are many adults who make mealtimes unpleasant for children by using these occasions to instruct them on good table manners and other aspects of deportment. The fact that Pip's sister permits and encourages this at the Christmas dinner characterizes her as a woman who aspires to social advancement. This will explain why she attaches so much importance to the fact that Pip has the opportunity to become acquainted with the wealthy Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella. It also explains why Pip's sister is so unhappy about being married to a humble working man like Joe Gargary.

The following excerpts from the dinner-table conversation are examples of the way Pip's sister and her guests displayed their own bad manners by "sticking the points" of their moralizing into Pip.

My sister fixed me with her eye, and said, in a low reproachful voice, “Do you hear that? Be grateful.”

“Especially,” said Mr. Pumblechook, “be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand.”

Mrs. Hubble shook her head, and contemplating me with a mournful presentiment that I should come to no good, asked, “Why is it that the young are never grateful?”

In addition to suffering under the disapproving scrutiny of all the adults except his good friend Joe, Pip is not delighted with his dinner because his sister serves him the meanest portions.

I was regaled with the scaly tips of the drumsticks of the fowls, and with those obscure corners of pork of which the pig, when living, had had the least reason to be vain.

Pip also has a guilty conscience because he stole so many things from his sister's larder to give to the convict, as described in Chapter 3, and stole a file from Joe for the same purpose. The poor boy is living in dread of the moment when his sister will discover the pork pie is missing.

It is no wonder that Pip is shy, sensitive, inhibited, and solitary, considering the kind of environment he has to grow up in. He is fortunate to have one good friend in Joe Gargary. Although Joe cannot protect Pip from all the cruel digs he receives during this unhappy Christmas meal, Joe does his best to soften them.

Joe's station and influence were something feebler (if possible) when there was company, than when there was none. But he always aided and comforted me when he could, in some way of his own, and he always did so at dinnertime by giving me gravy, if there were any. There being plenty of gravy to-day, Joe spooned into my plate, at this point, about half a pint.

Define ignoble, specious, ersatz, debacle, collateral, and demean.

Below are definitions for the following words: ignoble, specious, ersatz, debacle, collateral, and demean.

ignobleadjective

1. not honorable either in purpose or in character. "The brother had ignoble feelings of desire for his sister-in-law." 2. of low origin or status. "The ignoble beggar continued to peddle his wares."

Synonyms: dishonorable, degenerate, sordid, low

specious

adjective

1. plausible on the surface, but actually wrong. "The banker provided a specious explanation as to why their loan...

Below are definitions for the following words: ignoble, specious, ersatz, debacle, collateral, and demean.

ignoble
adjective

1. not honorable either in purpose or in character. "The brother had ignoble feelings of desire for his sister-in-law." 2. of low origin or status. "The ignoble beggar continued to peddle his wares."

Synonyms: dishonorable, degenerate, sordid, low

specious

adjective

1. plausible on the surface, but actually wrong. "The banker provided a specious explanation as to why their loan was denied." 2. misleading in appearance. "The theme park gives their attractions a specious appearance of originality."
Synonyms: false, misleading, deceptive

ersatz

adjective

1. not genuine, a knock-off. "The aspiring actress wore a coat of tacky ersatz fur."

Synonyms: fake, substitute, faux

debacle

noun

1. a sudden, ungraceful failure. "The media flocked to report on the politician's latest personal debacle."

Synonyms: fiasco, mess, failure

collateral

noun

1. security pledged for the payment of a debt. "The pawn shop held the title of his car as collateral. They would hold it as security in the event that he was unable to complete the payment plan for his purchase." 2. a side branch, as of a vessel or nerve.

Synonyms: Assurance, pledge, secondary

demean

verb

1. to speak extremely poorly of. "The mayor demeaned his opponent during the debate." 2. to do something that shames oneself. "As a professional musician, he found the singing of campfire songs demeaning."

Synonyms: decry, belittle, humiliate

In what way are Portia's romanticism and leadership qualities in Act III, Scene 2 contemporary to Jessica's in The Merchant of Venice?

In the first half of the Act III, Scene 2, Bassanio shows up to choose one of the three caskets. The only way to marry Portia is to choose the correct casket between the options of gold, silver, and lead. Bassanio chooses the lead casket, which turns out to be the correct one.

In this first part of the scene, we see Portia's romanticism. It is obvious she and Bassanio are very much in love. Portia even urges him to delay choosing for a month or two so she can enjoy his company in case he chooses incorrectly. Bassanio is in great suspense ("on the rack") until he knows whether he can marry Portia, so he insists on selecting a casket shortly after his arrival.

In lines 10 -19, Portia is talking to Bassanio, but really thinking out loud, about her dilemma. She could give him a hint about which casket to choose, but then she would be "forsworn" (breaking her word). She refuses to do that, but she fears that, if Bassanio chooses wrong, she will "wish a sin — / That I had been forsworn." She is torn between keeping her word and winning the man she loves.

Jessica is not quite as scrupulous as Portia. She is willing to betray her father, even taking some of his money, so she can run away with Lorenzo. Jessica never explicitly gave her father a promise that she would not run off and marry a Christian. Her "betrayal" is more a betrayal of Shylock's unreasonable expectations of her than it is of any real duty. Shylock is a harsh and repressive father who makes some form of rebellion a necessary part of growing up. Portia's father (who stipulated the casket test in his will) was a loving father who, though his methods might have been strange, had his daughter's best interests at heart.

Jessica certainly loves Lorenzo, but she expresses herself in a less ardent and more lighthearted way than Portia does toward Bassanio (see Act V, Scene 1).

In the second half of Act III, Scene 2, the tone changes dramatically. Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salerio show up, with a letter from Antonio saying all his ships have been wrecked, he has no way to pay his debts, and he is about to die because Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh. Jessica is able to confirm this.

Now there is a crisis, and Portia's leadership ability comes to the fore.

Portia notices Bassanio blanch as he reads the letter and realizes something is very wrong. Once she understands the situation, she urges Bassanio to go at once, taking her money worth several times Antonio's debt to Shylock, and gets Bassanio's friend out of trouble. She recognizes the urgency of the situation and will not let him stay even one night after they marry, saying,

First go with me to church and call me wife,

And then away to Venice to your friend. . .

My maid Nerissa and myself meantime

Will live as maids and widows. Come away!

Of course, the reader knows, though Bassanio does not, that Portia has a contingency plan in mind in case Shylock does not accept money as payment of his debt. Her quick action, in this scene and in later scenes, saves Antonio's life.

Jessica is never put in a position comparable to this one, but she is certainly willing to take quick and decisive action (disguising herself and running away with Lorenzo) to be with her love and get herself out of a bad situation.

Who represents the past in The Cherry Orchard?

In The Cherry Orchard, there are several characters that represent the past. One of the characters is the mother, Lyubov Ranevskaya. Although her life is falling apart and she is losing her beloved cherry orchard, she refuses to accept reality, believing that everything will remain the same as it was in her past. One scene that is a very good example of this is in Act I, when she is looking out at the orchard and she says, “Oh my childhood! My purity! This was the nursery I slept in, those were the windows through which I gazed out at the orchard, each morning happiness woke with me, and the orchard was exactly the same back then, nothing has changed” (Act I). The audience knows that everything has changed. Ranevskaya herself ran away from her family to escape reality. She lost a son. The family is in a dire financial crisis. Things are not at all the same.

Ghayev also represents the past. He is also ignoring the financial situation of the family, acknowledging only vaguely that he should get a job. In Act I, he talks to an antique bookcase as if the bookcase is alive. He says, “Our dear, our valuable, our greatly respected bookcase! I welcome your presence, your existence among us, that for one hundred years or more now has been directed to the bright ideals of kindness and justice (Act I).” Ghayev’s respect for and dedication to the past is evident in his admiration for the bookcase, an antique object.

Compare Mr. White's feelings about the monkey's paw when he makes his first, second and third wishes. How does his attitude change?

When Mr. White makes his first wish he does not have much faith in the power of the monkey's paw. He did, however, pay Sergeant-Major Morris a small sum of money for it, so he must have some small credence. He makes a wish for two hundred pounds at the suggestion of his son Herbert. His first wish is modest because he wants to test the paw. The fact that he makes such a modest wish shows that he does not have much faith in the thing. He is aghast at the outcome. His modest wish for two hundred pounds is apparently granted, but at the cost of his son's horrible death at the textile mill.

Mr. White has no desire to make another wish. He is afraid of the monkey's paw because of the consequences of his first wish. But at his wife's insistence he wishes for his son to return to them. Now he is hoping against hope that the paw has no real power and that his wish will not come true. After all, the idea of a shriveled paw possessing any power to grant any kind of wish is fantastic. He tries to make himself believe it must have been a pure coincidence that he received two hundred pounds as compensation for his son's fatal accident.

When Mr. and Mrs. White hear the knocking at their door, both of them feel sure that it is Herbert who has returned to them from the dead. But only Herbert's mother wants to let him in. Herbert's father doesn't want to have to look at his son, who must be a monster. Mr. White had previously told his wife, when she forced him to make his second wish:

"He has been dead ten days, and besides he--I would not tell you else, but--I could only recognize him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, how now?"

By the time he makes his third wish, Mr. White loathes the monkey's paw but believes completely in its supernatural power. He uses it to cancel out his second wish, so to speak, and seems to succeed in causing the person outside to stop knocking and go away. The paw has now lost its power, if it ever had any, because the Indian fakir had only specified three wishes for three owners, and Mr. White was the last owner. So there would be no way of testing the paw further.

The reader is left to wonder whether that was really Herbert knocking at the door or some stranger who finally gave up and went away just as Mr. White was making his final wish.

What were the major foreign policy objectives of the United States between 1815 and 1824? In what ways did the transportation revolution...

I will answer the first few questions and leave you to think about the final two. The theme that ties these questions together is the growth of American nationalism following the War of 1812.

The War of 1812, which ended in 1815, caused the United States to develop a new nationalist foreign policy. In addition to acquiring Florida from Spain in 1819 (with the Adams-Onís Treaty), the United States developed the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. Formulated from a speech that President Monroe delivered to the Congress during that year, the Monroe Doctrine declared that the United States opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere at a time when many Latin American nations were becoming independent from Portugal and Spain. In return, the U.S. vowed not to interfere in European affairs. This document had a lasting effect on foreign policy and was cited by Presidents such as Kennedy and Reagan well into the next century.

After the War of 1812, the United States also turned to building a strong economy, part of its nationalist agenda not to be dependent on European nations for imports. The transportation revolution, including the construction of roads, canals, and railroads, helped support the market revolution in which products could be efficiently exchanged between different markets. For example, the Erie Canal helped create a water route between New York City and the Great Lakes and helped bring agricultural products from the Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard.

During this time, the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall handed down decisions that supported a strong federal government. For example, in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the court upheld the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States and stated that states could not tax federal institutions such as the bank. These decisions supported the idea of a strong nation.

According to the beloved, what may change the minds of the lovers in "Sonnet XIV" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning??

Certain emotions and thoughts, even ideas, may easily change the minds of the lovers and then love may be lost.

The speaker of Sonnet 14 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning urges the lover to not feel love for her because of the sweetness of her smile, or for her beauty, her manner of speaking, her voice, or for a special turn of thought that "falls in well" with his own. Nor should he love her out pity as she may in time weary of such pity and "forget to weep," thus losing his love. For, all these qualities are temporal and subject to change. Instead, the speaker suggests, he should love her for love's sake alone; that is, for the joy that the ideal of love brings to one's own heart, the fulfillment that genuine emotion can bring.

But love me for love’s sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love’s eternity.

The speaker desires that her lover reach to the ideal. The words of the first line--"If thou must love me"--suggest that it is fated that the lover feel the way he does. Since this is so, she urges him then to attain the highest ideal of love, and love for love's sake alone. In this way, his love can be eternal, not temporal, as when there is an object of the love.

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, what are some significant life lessons that Jem, Scout, and Dill learn from growing up in Maycomb, Alabama?

Throughout the novel, Jem, Scout, and Dill learn several significant life lessons from their experiences in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus teaches both Jem and Scout the importance of respecting and standing up for innocent beings. He not only tells them that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird but also valiantly defends Tom Robinson in front of a prejudiced jury. They also learn what "real courage" is through their interactions with Mrs. Dubose and from watching Atticus accept an unwinnable case. Jem and Scout learn the importance of being tolerant of other people's opinions even when they disagree with them, and how to maintain self-control in adverse situations. Following their experience with the Old Sarum bunch, Atticus shares with them the concept of mob mentality. Early in the novel, Scout learns the significance of viewing situations from other people's point of view, and that a person's conscience doesn't abide by majority rule. Miss Maudie teaches Scout how people can manipulate and twist religion, as well as the importance of not believing rumors.

Following the wrongful conviction of Tom Robinson, Jem, Scout, and Dill learn the negative, harmful effects of prejudice. They also realize that their openly magnanimous neighbors are racist against African Americans. Scout and Dill learn that some citizens, like Dolphus Raymond, go to extreme lengths to conceal their true feelings. Later on in the novel, Scout and Jem learn about Maycomb's caste system and compare their father's beliefs to the values of their community members. Jem, Scout, and Dill learn that in order to do the right thing and treat all people fairly, they must challenge the typical conceptions of Maycomb, Alabama.

How did Aram justify Mourad's act of stealing the white horse in "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse?"

To understand this question, take a look at Aram's thoughts and feelings when he is first offered the chance to ride the horse by his cousin, Mourad:

Well, it seemed to me stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money. For all I knew, maybe it wasn't stealing at all. If you were crazy about horses the way my cousin Mourad and I were, it...

To understand this question, take a look at Aram's thoughts and feelings when he is first offered the chance to ride the horse by his cousin, Mourad:

Well, it seemed to me stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money. For all I knew, maybe it wasn't stealing at all. If you were crazy about horses the way my cousin Mourad and I were, it wasn't stealing.

In Aram's mind, when Mourad took this horse, he had no intention of selling it to make a profit and, therefore, his actions cannot be described as theft. As such, he does not need to justify what has happened because he does not believe that his cousin, Mourad, has broken the law.

Moreover, Aram is easily able to justify his own riding of the horse. He allows himself to ride because he is "crazy" about horses and this provides him with a rare opportunity to indulge his passion. His family is so poor that this chance might not come about again so he must seize it, before it is time to return the horse to its rightful owner.

What is the significance of Gatsby's obsession with Daisy and living in the past?

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "There are no second acts." It is helpful to analyze Gatsby's obsession with Daisy, and his insistence on "living in the past," in light of this statement.

What Fitzgerald meant was that one cannot be transformed into someone else in a single lifetime. Gatsby believes that, because he is now wealthy and fashionable, he can win Daisy's love and claim her. However, she knew him when he had little and...

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "There are no second acts." It is helpful to analyze Gatsby's obsession with Daisy, and his insistence on "living in the past," in light of this statement.

I would not say that Gatsby "lives in the past," but instead that he believes that the past can be revised. He wants to start over from the time at which he met Daisy, while a lieutenant stationed in Louisville.

He is "obsessed" with her because she is the one thing he cannot have. One wonders at times, while reading the novel, if Gatsby really loves Daisy or if she is the ultimate class marker. Perhaps he thinks that, if only he can win her, he can prove to himself that he has finally joined the class of people that once shunned him.

How does Voltaire address the Enlightenment notions of rationalism, skepticism and romanticism in Candide?

All three of these schools of thought are definitely portrayed in Voltaire's classic satire Candide.

Voltaire shows these schools in different ways, however.

You can see the young Candide as an embodiment of Romanticism. He is also romantic. That is to say, he is romantic in his love for Cunegonde. He is also a very Romantic figure. He is the sort of innocent Rousseau celebrated in his work, and goes out to meet the...

All three of these schools of thought are definitely portrayed in Voltaire's classic satire Candide.

Voltaire shows these schools in different ways, however.

Dr. Pangloss is very much a figure of rationalism. Again, he embodies rationalism, much as Candide does Romanticism. He has a rational reason and a theory for everything. All that happens is explained, even explained away, and he meets the world with his theories first, his emotions a distant second.

More than one reader has seen Pangloss as a satire on the philosopher Leibniz. You can see what happens to Candide, and what happens to Pangloss and his theories, as Voltaire's position, which you could call a deep, even profound, skepticism. This is reinforced by the way that no system is allowed to stand unchallenged, and no public explanation of the way the world works is allowed to go unskewered.

Candide may be a Romantic figure (and again, a romantic one), and Dr. Pangloss may celebrate rationalism, but Voltaire can be seen in the workings of the plot and the novel's events, and his world view is very skeptical.

How is gender constructed in Bollywood movies and Indian cinema?

Gender construction in Bollywood films and Indian cinema is as complex an issue as gender-based identity is in India today.

We need to define some terms before delving into the issue of gender construction. "Bollywood movies" reflect the lucrative film industry for which India is known. These films are distributed out of Mumbai. Hindi is their primary language. "Indian cinema" reflects the regional filmmaking industry that represents a significant portion of Indian filmgoers and filmmakers. For example, "Indian cinema" reflects Tamil-, Telegu-, and Malayalam-speaking populations. It is more regional, localized in specific Indian states. For example, most Tamil films are distributed out of Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu in the Southern part of India. These distinctions are important to understand what is being discussed when we talk about the Indian film industry.

As with most media, gender construction is related to commercial profit. For example, both Bollywood and Indian cinema utilize "item songs." These are songs where a woman performs for an audience of men. The item song represents a particular construction of feminine identity. The woman featured is dressed in a provocative way, dances for men, and does not speak outside of the lyrics she sings. She has no depth to her presentation. Women in these songs are seen as objects for men. They are designed to elicit a specific response both in the film's scene and in the audience. Item songs are employed because of their commercial marketability. They are a way to generate "buzz" and publicity for a specific film. In other words, commerce dictates one way in which women are presented in Bollywood films and Indian cinema.

Commercial expectations further affect gender construction in Bollywood films and Indian cinema. Films aimed at mass appeal are designed to generate profit and feature a more conventional and/ or objectified depiction of women. This is based on commercial expectations. A significant number of areas India tend to view women in a "traditional" way. In these areas, a more conventional depiction of women on the screen will generate greater sums of money. In many instances, the filmmakers and producers are not inclined to put forth a message that preaches universal empowerment for women if it cuts into a film's profits. These individuals are more likely to present women in a particular way through particular roles in order to maintain the film's commercial viability.

At the same time, there are examples of films that view themselves as "art" over a vehicle for commercial production. For example, filmmakers like Deepa Mehta are willing to depict a relationship between two women in Earth or a film about the mobilization of widows in Varanasi in Water. These are examples of films that might not experience a wide distribution because they are not intended to profit substantially. Profit is not these films' primary motivation. They are intended to make a statement about social conditions in India. The people who would watch either of these films are fundamentally different than a more traditional Indian film audience member. These audiences are more likely to embrace a challenging of existing social attitudes about gender identity. These audiences will be found in metropolitan centers like Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Calcutta. They are less likely to exist in the small villages that comprise so much of India. Commercial viability plays an important role in gender construction in both Indian cinema and Bollywood films. There is also a growing subsection of artistic films in India that want to challenge how gender identity is perceived, though.

Part of the reason for this divergence is because India is in the midst of questioning its understanding of gender identity. Indian society is wrestling with issues like domestic violence and sexual assault. For a very long time, these issues were seen as "private issues." They were realities that women had to confront silently, away from public view. Through social media and emerging markets, however, globalization has brought different cultural attitudes. As India has become a very active participant on the world stage, new attitudes have entered into the Indian social mindset. This has prompted previously held mores and values regarding gender identity to be challenged. There is an emergence of organizations and collective attitudes which argue that violence against women must be a public issue. It must be legislated in the public arena and should no longer be relegated into silence. It is for this reason that when Bollywood actor Salman Khan compares a difficult film shoot schedule to a "woman being raped," he provoked intense reactions from different parts of society. It is also why Amitabh Bachchan, quite possibly Bollywood's biggest star, makes news when he takes the role of a lawyer defending girls who have been sexually assaulted in the upcoming film, Pink. Gender depiction is a complex reality in Indian films because it is a complex issue in Indian society.