Blog: February 2017

In the field of literature, what is the contribution of the novel To Sir With Love?

Despite Alfred Gardner's having challenged E. R. Braithwaite's version of events in his autobiography, An East End Story, To Sir With Love is still an inspiring work.

Even if somewhat fictionalized, biographies and autobiographies are among the most inspiring of literary works because they present a realistic potential for all readers. That is, they afford readers true incidents and experiences that generate ideas and approaches for developing them. This is the value of To...

Despite Alfred Gardner's having challenged E. R. Braithwaite's version of events in his autobiography, An East End Story, To Sir With Love is still an inspiring work.

I tried to relate everything academic to familiar things in their daily lives.

Teachers who read this work discover ideas and approaches that they can employ, or modify for their use. For, in this work a dedicated teacher turns teen-age rebellion to productive use. The teens gain respect for their teacher, and they become eager to learn and express themselves.

This literary work is, in a sense, a sociological work that includes racial and class issues. Braithwaite's approach to these can still aid and inspire others who teach reluctant students.

How can you tell reliable sources of health information from unreliable ones?

As with many other topics, there is a great deal deal of information on health to be found on the internet these days. However, given the nature of the internet, it is necessary to determine the accuracy and reliability of any information one finds. While it is possible that any writer can do sufficient research to provide accurate and reliable information in any article on health issues, the safest bet is to use sources that...

There is also the question of the kind of information one is seeking. It's never a good idea to rely only on an internet website for diagnosing an illness based on symptoms, for example. Even websites like WebMD.com suggest that any readers should consult a doctor for a diagnosis. And yet, websites like WebMD and MayoClinic.org contain very useful general information that is reliable and accessible. If one needs general information to guide one's inquiry, or, for example, to learn more about a disease or condition affecting a loved one, sites like these can be a good place to begin. Medical journals such as The Lancet or the New England Journal of Medicine are respected and reliable sources as well. In journals like these, one finds articles on the latest medical research being done on a wide variety of diseases and conditions, as well as articles about the latest healthcare innovations.

Finally, major newspapers such as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal often report on the newest research found in medical journals. These well-known and respected newspapers which have won awards for journalistic excellence are reliable sources as well, in terms of beginning one's line of inquiry into a health related topic.

How did the Berlin Conference affect various African people?

The effect of the Berlin Conference on African peoples was profound. This was because it played a major role in sparking the so-called "scramble for Africa" among European colonial powers that led to the colonization of almost the entire continent by the end of the nineteenth century. This was true for two reasons. First, by resolving a series of disputes about access to rivers and already existing colonial borders, the Conference created a international legal framework by which the powers of Europe could colonize new territories without worrying about going to war. Second, the agreement reached at the Conference mandated that European powers actually physically colonize territories they claimed by establishing a presence there. This caused countries to rush to build railroads, cities, and military installations in lands they had already claimed. The result of this was a much more intrusive European presence in Africa than had previously existed. So while in some ways the Conference only ratified a trend that had been going on for a long time, it did also encourage increased European presence in Africa, a process that was disastrous for millions of African peoples across the continent.

http://www.greensburgsalem.org/cms/lib4/pa01001409/centricity/domain/96/sonnysbluediscussion.pdf 2. Obviously, a lot of things have happened to...

[Please be advised that only one question should be asked at a time; therefore, this one has been chosen for you from the list on the web site.]*******************

The narrator begins to realize that Sonny's problems and his "blues" are shared, because suffering is part of the human condition.

While he rides on the subway, the narrator reads about Sonny in the newspaper, and he comments that he sees his brother's suffering "in my...

[Please be advised that only one question should be asked at a time; therefore, this one has been chosen for you from the list on the web site.]
*******************

The narrator begins to realize that Sonny's problems and his "blues" are shared, because suffering is part of the human condition.

While he rides on the subway, the narrator reads about Sonny in the newspaper, and he comments that he sees his brother's suffering "in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside." It is then, too, that the narrator observes that his brother Sonny, "became real to me again."

It is especially after his little girl dies that the narrator, now understanding suffering, writes to his brother Sonny. In response to his letter, Sonny tells him how much he has needed to hear from him. For, the suffering of Sonny is such that he needs the understanding of one who has also left something of himself behind in the neighborhood of their childhood. The narrator observes,

It's always at the hour of trouble and confrontation that the missing member aches.

The brother of Sonny realizes that their familial relationship ties them together; furthermore, their lives are tied together also as two parts of the African-American experience. For, they have each fought the "darkness outside" the safety of their home, although in different ways. Evidently, the narrator has been the stronger son as he recalls his mother's asking him to care for Sonny.

After he reunites with Sonny, the narrator comes to realize that Sonny suffers from the chaos in life because he is a very sensitive man. While he has used heroin to lessen his suffering, Sonny must now find another, safer outlet. He returns to his piano and music. So, after he and his brother reunite, the brother accompanies him to a club where Sonny plays the blues one night. There, because Sonny's music is an authentic response to the chaos of life, the brother, who sits in the shadows apprehends that

Freedom lurked around us and I understood at last that he could help us to be free if we would listen, that he would never would be free until we did.

By caring about Sonny, the brother and Sonny both attain meaning and freedom the darkness in their lives.

What are Mrs Granger's nicknames?

Mrs. Granger is called by several different nicknames throughout the book. Usually these names have a negative connotation. Mrs. Granger is different from all the other teachers. She does things her own way. Usually, she is old fashioned. She is known for being a very strict teacher.

Nick calls Mrs. Granger "The Lone Granger." This is in reference to The Lone Ranger, a Texas Ranger who works alone. Mrs. Granger is unlike any other teacher...

Nick calls Mrs. Granger "The Lone Granger." This is in reference to The Lone Ranger, a Texas Ranger who works alone. Mrs. Granger is unlike any other teacher at the school. In a way, she does work alone. The rumors are that you shouldn't "mess around with The Lone Granger" (Frindle, chapter 3).

Mrs. Granger is also called Mrs. G by Nick. Dave, another student at the school, calls her "Dangerous Grangerous." This is in reference to the fact that Mrs. Granger is strict. She gets upset when students do not follow her rules. At first, she is upset when the students in her class start to call pens "frindles." She forbids students from using the new word.

What was Pavel's previous occupation before coming to the concentration camp?

In Chapter 7, Bruno falls from a tire swing, and Pavel rushes out of the house to help him. Pavel carries Bruno inside and cleans the wound on Bruno's knee. Pavel assures Bruno that he will be okay and puts a bandage over his cut. Bruno then comments to Pavel that his mother might want to take him to the doctor just in case. Again, Pavel assures Bruno that he will be alright. Bruno doesn't believe Pavel and says, "You're not a doctor" (Boyne 82). Pavel responds by saying, "Yes I am" (Boyne 82). Bruno does not understand how Pavel can be both a waiter and a doctor, but Pavel insists that he was a doctor. Bruno is naive and does not understand that Pavel was a doctor before he came to the concentration camp. Bruno then asks Pavel why he is peeling vegetables when he should be working in a hospital. Pavel tells Bruno that before he came to "Out-With" he practiced as a doctor. Before Pavel can begin to elaborate on his past life, Bruno's mother walks in the kitchen and their conversation ends.

What are some similarities and differences of Abigail Williams, from The Crucible and Daisy Buchanan, from The Great Gatsby.

Daisy and Abigail are similar in that they are both greedy and selfish. Daisy is unfaithful to her husband, having an affair with Gatsby; however, she then abandons Gatsby when she learns how he's made his fortune. Further, she allows him to take the blame for the death of Myrtle Wilson, who she actually hit with Gatsby's car. She takes as much as she can from him and then abandons him when he has nothing more to offer her. Abigail is also greedy: she longs to have John Proctor, her former lover, to herself, and she doesn't care who else is hurt. She begins the hysteria in the town of Salem, hysteria that leads to the deaths of dozens of innocents, all so that she can remove Proctor's wife and anyone else she doesn't like. Then, realizing that she cannot have him, she abandons Salem to sink further into corruption. Both women allow innocent people to die in pursuit of their own selfish desires.

Daisy and Abigail differ, however, in intention. While Daisy is certainly greedy and selfish, she doesn't seem to really possess an awareness of her flaws; she has a certain innocence, a belief that she can return to the way things were with Gatsby. Though she believes she is cynical in the beginning, she isn't really. Once she is reunited with Gatsby, she does seem to really love him. It's just that when she finds out that he's made his fortune illegally, as a bootlegger, he seems to become sort of subhuman to her: she seems to care as little about his life as she does about Myrtle Wilson's. She intended to be with him out of love, but when she finds out how dramatically lower he is in status than she, it becomes clear that she prioritizes status over love, but she didn't set out to manipulate. Abigail, on the other hand, seems to know exactly what she's doing, manipulating others consciously from the very first. While Daisy seems to be blindly following whatever impulse she thinks will make her happiest, Abigail is very cunning and thoughtful: she is threatening and deceitful and murderous and all for one cause, one goal. Daisy doesn't think ahead the way Abigail does; she isn't as manipulative.

What are the disadvantages of being a librarian?

What the disadvantages are in becoming a librarian depend a great deal on why a person wants to become a librarian in the first place. In other words, the disadvantages seem to lie mostly in individual expectations that may not be met. There are educational and financial aspects to becoming a librarian that are problematical today, as well as possibly some unmet expectations regarding job satisfaction.

Today, it is almost impossible to become a librarian...

Today, it is almost impossible to become a librarian without a master's degree, which for most people means student loans for approximately six years of education. That is a long time and a large investment for a profession in which the average starting salary is not quite $57,000 per year. Furthermore, this is an area in which growth is predicted to be slow, about 2% a year through 2024. Becoming a librarian is not the road to monetary riches.

For the person who loves old-fashioned books and wants to spend the day talking to people about them, being a librarian today could be a disappointment. The offerings of libraries are increasingly digital, with a far greater emphasis on music, movies, and even video games. A librarian must now be technologically proficient and spend far less time making book recommendations and chatting about good books. Probably the closest one can get to the old-fashioned kind of librarian is in a very small town library or in the children's section, where parents sometimes do really seek advice for their children's reading. And story hour is any librarian's delight.

All of this is not to say that becoming a librarian is a bad idea. It is just to say that the expectations of the profession's rewards must be reasonable ones. Most of the librarians I know, and I know quite a few, are perfectly happy people.

I need help writing a critical analysis of a key incident in Othello.

What an interesting assignment. Shakespeare's Othello offers many choices. You can choose an incident that is a turning point in the play--when the incident results in a character's or characters' change in fortune, such as Othello succumbing to Iago's persuasion in Act 3, scene 3, or Cassio getting drunk in Act 2, Scene 3. In this case, you would analyze the causes and effects of the scene and how Shakespeare constructed this scene to show these causes and effects. You might analyze each character's motivations as portrayed in the scene, and the various conflicts that are present. Don't forget to include a discussion of the staging techniques used--which characters are on stage, what they are doing, what tone is created.

Another approach might be to choose a scene that you think is especially key in understanding a particular character's situation or plight. You might discuss such a scene as Othello spying on Iago and Cassio in Act 4. This one works so nicely because it shows a stark contrast to the Othello we saw in Act 1. Instead of standing tall, self-assured of himself and his love, we see him literally hiding and spying on who he thinks is his wife's lover. They dynamics between Othello, Cassio, and Iago have completely changed, and this change is reflected in not only their words, but also their positions on stage. Instead of Cassio being Othello's chosen one, Othello now believes that he deserves to die, and Iago has now become Othello's eyes, ears, and interpreter, as Othello hides and watches as Iago interacts with Cassio. The dramatic irony in this scene intensifies the audience's reaction to these characters. We KNOW that Cassio is discussing Bianca, not Desdemona, and we watch in horror as Iago makes Othello believe what would have been inconceivable to him in the first act. There are more aspects of this scene to discuss-- Othello's changed speech patterns, his feelings of loss and betrayal, Iago's mastermind and methods, Othello's intense and explosive reactions.

When you choose your scene, think first what the purpose of this scene is. Or what would be lost if this scene were omitted. Then look more closely to see how Shakespeare crafted the scene to achieve this purpose. Good luck with this assignment.

Two very important objects for Brian in the novel Hatchet are his hatchet and the survival pack he struggles to retrieve from the sunken plane....

The hatchet has several meanings for Brian. Although it is essential to his survival, it is also a connection to his past. His mother gave it to him, and when he thinks of her, he thinks of The Secret. The Secret is his mother’s affair, and the reason for the divorce. He saw her with a man who was not his father, and that fact ate away at him. He almost said no when she...

He fingered the hatchet at his belt. It was the only weapon he had, but it was something.

He had to have some kind of shelter. No, make that more: He had to have some kind of shelter and he had to have something to eat. (Ch. 5)

The hatchet was useful to Brian as a way to build his shelter, and get food. He tries to make a spear with it. He can chop up wood with it. He feels more comfortable knowing that he has some kind of weapon.

Brian decides to go into the plane to get the survival pack. Getting the survival pack is difficult, but the thought of what it might have sustains him. Getting it out of the plane is even harder, because the pilot’s body frightens him. He didn’t expect it to be half-eaten by fish. The survival pack symbolizes Brian’s connection to the rest of the world. When he finds it, it is a gift.

TREASURE.

Unbelievable riches. He could not believe the contents of the survival pack. (Ch. 19)

The survival kit has a sleeping bag, a gun, food, frying pans, matches, and an emergency transmitter. He turns it on and doesn’t think it works, but it is what finally gets him rescued. A plane hears it, and comes to find him, even though he didn’t know it was Brian he was coming to get. The search for Brian had ended a few months before.

Use your knowledge of heat transfer methods to explain how under floor insulation reduces the loss of heat through the floor. I understand that if...

There are three methods of heat transfer that come to mind.

The first is conduction. Conduction is when the excited particles of one atom or molecule touch the excited particles in the atoms or molecules of another substance. This is how heat goes from one solid to another, or from single particles to other single particles, in typical usage.

The second is convection. Through convection, energy is transferred in the same way as conduction, but instead of a solid absorbing the energy, a fluid, such as a liquid or gas, absorbs the energy. In addition, the absorption of energy causes the fluid to move about, generating convection currents. These convection currents are common in ovens, the ocean, and even the earth's mantle.

Finally, radiation is a way that heat is transferred. This is when the atoms and molecules of the substance eject energized parts of themselves to increase entropy. Common radiation includes alpha, beta, and gamma decay, which you can learn more about . This radiation is physical, and can be stopped by hitting other particles.

To conclude, the floor insulation prevents the escape of heat through all of these methods. The floor is a good insulator, as you mentioned, and is resistant to conductive heat loss. The floor separates the heat in the home from the air outside, which slows down the convection currents beneath the flooring. The floor blocks the radiation emitted in the building, sending it back before it can escape.

As far as your question on what in particular makes the flooring a good insulator, there are a few reasons. The first is that the insulation has molecules that are separated from each other with distance. The second is that the insulation has layers of material. Heat transfers from one object to another and across thin films slower than across single materials. Third, the structure of the material may be lattice oriented in a way that increases resistance to heat transfer. This means amorphous materials, like amorphous silicon, will be more resistant than an aligned block of silicon. Even little things, like the Thermal Hall Effect, can make a difference in the insulation a material provides.

`int root(3)(x)/(root(3)(x) - 1) dx` Find the indefinite integral by u substitution. (let u be the denominator of the integral)

Solving indefinite integral by u-substitution, we follow:

`int f(g(x))*g'(x) = int f(u) *du` where we let `u = g(x)` .

By following the instruction to let "u" be the denominator of the integral,

it means we let: u = `root(3)(x) -1`

Find the derivative of "u" which is` du = 1/(3x^(2/3))dx`

Then `du =1/(3x^(2/3))dx` can be rearrange into `3x^(2/3)du =dx` .

Applying u-substitution using `u =root(3)(x)-1` and `3x^(2/3)du =dx` .

`int root(3)(x)/(root(3)(x)-1) dx = int root(3)(x)/u*3x^(2/3)du`

...

Solving indefinite integral by u-substitution, we follow:

`int f(g(x))*g'(x) = int f(u) *du` where we let `u = g(x)` .

By following the instruction to let "u" be the denominator of the integral,

it means we let: u = `root(3)(x) -1`

Find the derivative of "u" which is` du = 1/(3x^(2/3))dx`

Then `du =1/(3x^(2/3))dx` can be rearrange into `3x^(2/3)du =dx` .

Applying u-substitution using `u =root(3)(x)-1` and `3x^(2/3)du =dx` .

`int root(3)(x)/(root(3)(x)-1) dx = int root(3)(x)/u*3x^(2/3)du`

`= int (x^(1/3)*3x^(2/3))/udu`

` =int (3x^(1/3+2/3))/udu`

` =3 int x/udu`

Note: `x^(1/3+2/3) = x^(3/3)`

`=x^1 or x`

Algebraic techniques:

From` u = root(3)(x)-1` , we can rearrange it into `root(3)(x)=u+1` .

Raising both sides by a power 3:

`(root(3)(x))^3 =(u+1)^3`

`x = (u+1)*(u+1)*(u+1)`

By FOIL: `(u+1)*(u+1) = u*u +u*1+1*u+1*1`

`= u^2+u+u+1`

`= u^2+2u+1`

Then let `(u+1)(u+1) = u^2 +2u +1 in (u+1)(u+1)(u+1)` :

`(u+1)(u+1)(u+1) = (u+1)*(u^2+2u+1)`

Applying distributive property:

`(u+1)(u^2+2u+1) = u *(u^2+2u+1) + 1*(u^2+2u+1)`

`= u^3 +2u^2+u +u^2+2u+1`

`=u^3+3u^2+3u+1`

then `x = (u+1)*(u+1)*(u+1)` is the same as

`x =u^3+3u^2+3u+1`

Substitute` x=u^3+3u^2+3u+1 in 3 int x/udu` :

`3 int x/udu = 3 int (u^3+3u^2+3u+1 )/u du`

` = 3int (u^3/u+(3u^2)/u+(3u)/u+1/u) du`

`=3int (u^2+3u+3+1/u) du`

Evaluating each term in separate integral:

`3 * [ int u^2 *du+ int 3u*du+int 3*du+ int 1/u du]`

where:

`int u^2 *du = u^3/3`

`int 3u*du =(3u^2)/2`

`int 3*du = 3u`

`int 1/u du= ln|u|`

`3 * [ int u^2 *du+ int 3u*du+int 3*du+ int 1/u du]` becomes:

`3*[u^3/3 +(3u^2)/2 +3u+ln|u|] +C= 3u^3/3 +(9u^2)/2 +9u+3ln|u|+C`

Substitute u = root(3)(x)-1:

`3u^3/3 +(9u^2)/2 +9u+3ln|u| +C = (root(3)(x)-1)^3 +(9(root(3)(x)-1)^2)/2 +9(root(3)(x)-1)+3ln|(root(3)(x)-1)| +C`

What is a brief character sketch of Uncle Podger from Jerome's Three Men in a Boat?

I will definitely try to be more brief than the narrator is during his description of Uncle Podger. The narrator begins chapter three with a long description of Uncle Podger. The narrator does this because he tells readers that Harris is exactly like his Uncle Podger, so instead of telling us about Harris, we get to read a long, comical section about his uncle.

That’s Harris all over—so ready to take the burden of everything himself, and put it on the backs of other people.

He always reminds me of my poor Uncle Podger.

Uncle Podger is the kind of person that considers himself a real handyman, and he wants everybody to know that he's working on a particular project.

“Oh, you leave that to me. Don’t you, any of you, worry yourselves about that. I’ll do all that.”

The project in this particular case is the simple act of hanging a picture on the wall. Instead of just getting the tape measure, level, hammer, and nail himself and hanging the picture within ten minutes, Uncle Podger recruits the entire family to help him with the job. He sends a person out to get a nail, a different person to get the hammer, a different person to do something else, etc.

“Now you go and get me my hammer, Will,” he would shout; “and you bring me the rule, Tom; and I shall want the step-ladder, and I had better have a kitchen-chair, too; and, Jim! you run round to Mr. Goggles, and tell him, ‘Pa’s kind regards, and hopes his leg’s better; and will he lend him his spirit-level?’ And don’t you go, Maria, because I shall want somebody to hold me the light; and when the girl comes back, she must go out again for a bit of picture-cord; and Tom! — where’s Tom?—Tom, you come here; I shall want you to hand me up the picture.”

He doesn't perform any task completely by himself, and when he does, he messes it up. In the narrator's example, Uncle Podger finally gets to the point of actually hitting the nail in the wall; however, he hits his finger instead of the nail. Then he puts the hammer through the wall because he hit the nail too hard. By the time the job is finished, hours have passed by, and the picture isn't even on the wall straight.

Then we had to find the rule and the string again, and a new hole was made; and, about midnight, the picture would be up—very crooked and insecure, the wall for yards round looking as if it had been smoothed down with a rake, and everybody dead beat and wretched—except Uncle Podger.

Basically, Uncle Podger is the kind of person that can't do simple tasks, but he thinks he can. Additionally, he's the kind of person that makes simple tasks more complex because of the number of people he recruits to help him do the simple task.

The narrator sees this trait in Harris, so when Harris says that he'll do a simple job and asks for the narrator's help, the narrator immediately puts a stop to what he believes will be an ensuing fiasco.

“Now, the first thing to settle is what to take with us. Now, you get a bit of paper and write down, J., and you get the grocery catalogue, George, and somebody give me a bit of pencil, and then I’ll make out a list.”

[...]

“No; you get the paper, and the pencil, and the catalogue, and George write down, and I’ll do the work.”

In "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde, what does Mrs. Otis want Mrs. Umney to do about the bloodstain?

Mrs. Otis wants Mrs. Umney to clean up and get rid of the bloodstain.

In the first part of the story, Mrs. Umney is taking the Otis family on a brief tour of the Canterville Chase. She leads them into the library, where tea has been set out for everybody to enjoy. While taking the tea break, Mrs. Otis discovers the bloodstain on the floor and demands that it be cleaned up immediately.

"How horrid!"...

Mrs. Otis wants Mrs. Umney to clean up and get rid of the bloodstain.

"How horrid!" cried Mrs. Otis; "I don't at all care for blood-stains in a sitting-room. It must be removed at once."

Mrs. Umney explains that the bloodstain belongs to the former Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered by her husband. The bloodstain has been on the floor for more than 300 years, and nobody can get rid of it.

Washington Otis thinks that is all nonsense and pulls out some special cleaner. Why he carries around special cleaning agents is beyond me, but I digress. Washington drops to his knees and scrubs the floor clean. No more bloodstain.

"That is all nonsense," cried Washington Otis; "Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in no time," and before the terrified housekeeper could interfere, he had fallen upon his knees, and was rapidly scouring the floor with a small stick of what looked like a black cosmetic. In a few moments no trace of the blood-stain could be seen.

Unfortunately, Washington's extreme cleaning only works for that one day, because the bloodstain is back again by the following morning.

An electron is accelerated (from rest) through a potential difference of 20,000 V...

To find the magnitude of the electric field we apply the relationship between the field and the potential for a parallel plates capacitor:

∆V = E*d

∆V is the potential difference between the plates.

E is the intensity of the electric field.

d is the distance between the plates.

E = ∆V/d = 20000/0.04

E = 500000 V/m

As the electron moves from the left plate to the right, the direction of the field...

To find the magnitude of the electric field we apply the relationship between the field and the potential for a parallel plates capacitor:

∆V = E*d

∆V is the potential difference between the plates.

E is the intensity of the electric field.

d is the distance between the plates.

E = ∆V/d = 20000/0.04

E = 500000 V/m

As the electron moves from the left plate to the right, the direction of the field is from the right plate to the left.

To find the speed we apply the conservation of energy. The kinetic energy of the electron when it enter into the magnetic field is equal to the work done by the electric field:

∆V*q= (mv^2)/2

q is the charge of the electron.

m is the mass of the electron.

v is the speed of the electron when it enters in the magnetic field.

v^2 = 2(∆V*q)/m

v = sqrt [2(∆V*q)/m] = sqrt [2(2*10^4*1.602*10^-19)/9.109*10^-31]

v = 8.3*10^7 m/s

To find the magnetic force on the electron we apply the following equation:

Fm = qvB sen θ

B is the induction of the magnetic field.

θ is the angle between the speed and the field.

As the velocity is perpendicular to the magnetic field, we have:

Fm = q*v*B = (1.602*10^-19)(8.3*10^7)(2)

Fm = 2.66*10^-11 N

In accordance with the right-hand rule, we discover that the force is directed down because the charge is negative.

What is the reason why mathematics is taught in school?

I entirely agree with the logical thinking part, also. For instance, you may get a job where you never have to do the quadratic formula. But, you don't know that right now. No one knows that while they are still in school. But, the ability to use the quadratic formula to solve a problem, that's what's important.Or, I describe it this way. Why would a football player lift weights, like the bench press specifically?...

Or, I describe it this way. Why would a football player lift weights, like the bench press specifically? If you consider it, no football player during a game is laying on their back and pushing 300+ pounds multiple times for their work. Then, why do it? Because it makes them stronger. That increase in strength will make them a better football player.

So, why do math? You are going to have problems out in the real world that you are going to have to solve, regardless of the field. Math is the "bench press" right now. "Get good" at solving problems now, then you will be even better at solving problems later in your own field.

What is the difference between a servant and a slave, and how does this relate to Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Peter Wood, a professor of history at Duke University, was asked this very same question. His answer has always surprised me because I always assumed that the difference between a servant and a slave was that a servant could legally choose to quit, while a slave could not do that. Wood's description of the difference between slaves and servants is quite interesting.

A servant could be a white person or black person. Skin color...

A servant could be a white person or black person. Skin color doesn't make a difference. The defining feature of a servant is that he or she is under contract to work for a certain number of years. When the contract time runs out, that person is free to leave and seek out another contract if desired. What I find interesting about Wood's response is that he says owners occasionally treated their servants worse than their slaves because the owner knew that he/she had the servant for a limited time. In essence, the servant was the equivalent of a rental, while the slave was actual property and needed to be taken care of.

In Isabel's situation though, Isabel was treated much more poorly as a slave than Becky was treated as a servant.

In "Two Kinds", Jing-mei’s mother said there are two kinds of daughters. What is the kind of daughter her mother wants?

Jing-Mei’s mother wishes that she would be an obedient daughter.

Jing-Mei and her mother do not always see eye to eye. Jing-Mei’s mother wants to be proud of her daughter, and she wants her to learn that working for something produces results. In trying to teach her daughter that success comes from trying, Jing-Mei’s mother’s tactics backfire.

Jing-Mei’s mother wants her to become really good at something, like the prodigies on television. At first, Jing-Mei...

Jing-Mei’s mother wishes that she would be an obedient daughter.

Jing-Mei’s mother wants her to become really good at something, like the prodigies on television. At first, Jing-Mei is on board. She likes the attention and likes the idea of being a star. Unfortunately, they really don’t stick to anything long enough for her to be good at it. Her mother is trying to find some innate talent that Jing-Mei doesn’t seem to have.

Everything comes to a head when Jing-mei has finally had enough, and tells her mother that she does not want to keep up the prodigy-seeking. She tells her mother that she doesn’t want to play the piano, something she has put little effort into anyway. Her mother reacts in anger.

"I'm not going to play anymore," I said nonchalantly. "Why should I? I'm not a genius." She stood in front of the TV. I saw that her chest was heaving up and down in an angry way. "No!" I said, and I now felt stronger, as if my true self had finally emerged.

It is this fight that results in Jing-Mei’s mother’s proclamation that there are “two kinds” of daughters, in her mind.

"Only two kinds of daughters," she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!"

This statement makes Jing-Mei feel rejected. Her mother is not really listening to her, probably because of the defiant approach she takes. She tells her mother she doesn’t want to be her daughter, and even says, “I wish I were dead! Like them." This is a hurtful reference to the babies her mother left behind in China, a truth that agonizes and saddens her daily. Jing-mei knows what saying this will do to her mother.

In The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare, why is Joel's sister, Malthace, referred to as Thacia later on in the story?

For the first five chapters of the novel The Bronze Bow, Thacia is either referred to by her full name, Malthace, or her nickname, Thace. In Chapter 1, Joel introduces his sister to Daniel as Malthace. Malthace is suspicious of Daniel and is rather distant. In Chapter 2, Daniel tells Joel and Malthace to hide behind a bank of rocks to avoid being seen while Rosh's band attacks a traveling caravan. Joel turns to...

"Thace---you heard him! Get up there---quick---as far as you can...Hurry, Thace!" (Speare 17).

In this situation, Joel refers to his sister informally because Thace is easier to say than Malthace.

Later on in the novel, Daniel visits Joel's home and meets Malthace again. Malthace is rather arrogant towards Daniel and does not go out of her way to talk to him. Joel then tells Daniel,

"Don't mind Thacia...She's putting on city airs lately" (Speare 61).

Thacia is a name that only people very close to her use. Joel is her brother and refers to her as Thacia, while Daniel is a stranger and calls her Malthace. After Malthace cares for Daniel in her home when he escapes from Roman soldiers, she becomes closer to him, and Speare begins to refer to her informally as Thacia. Thacia also takes on a more predominant role in the story, and it is clear that her relationship with Daniel is significant. The change from using Malthace at the beginning of the novel to referring to her as Thacia later on in the story correlates with Thacia's relationship with Daniel and her significance to the plot.

How can Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness not be viewed as a text that emphasizes the hypocrisy of imperialism?

An effective way to avoid analyzing Conrad's Heart of Darkness as emphasizing the hypocrisy of imperialism is to look at it from a Formalist frame of reference.

Seeing that there is some level of advanced degree work at play here, it might be best to find a literary theory that avoids political, social, or historical considerations when analyzing a literary work. If this is the case, then the best approach to analyzing Heart of Darkness...

An effective way to avoid analyzing Conrad's Heart of Darkness as emphasizing the hypocrisy of imperialism is to look at it from a Formalist frame of reference.

Formalism is a literary theory that looks at a work on its own literary merits. When using Formalism, political and historical contexts attached to a literature are devalued. If Heart of Darkness is analyzed from a Formalist point of view, there would not be an emphasis on Conrad's imperialist opinions. In Formalism, such considerations are not a part of the work's literary condition. Rather, the focus is on a close reading of the text. Formalism's emphasis lies in the analysis of elements such as sentence structure and character development. It looks at the literary forces that help "form" the work as a whole. As a result, Conrad's work can be viewed as a text that does not emphasize the hypocrisy of imperialism.

An example of a Formalist approach to analyzing Conrad's work and avoiding his stand on the hypocrisy of imperialism would be to look at the literary elements in specific passages. One such passage takes place early in the story:

What saves us [the British] is efficiency — the devotion to efficiency. But these chaps [the Romans] were not much account, really. They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conqueror, and for that you want only brute force — nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.

The Formalist literary theory would examine the polarities established in the passage. The idea of "strength" and "weakness" represents opposing forces, entities that exert influence on the individual. This exertion is a significant part of the novel's characterizations. In the Formalist approach, techniques such as word choice, point of view, and/ or character development would be emphasized. The Formalist approach would avoid Conrad's perceived beliefs on imperialism because such considerations are not focused on the "form" of the work itself. The driving force of the Formalist approach is about the work, not implications arising outside of it. Accordingly, Formalism would allow Conrad's Heart of Darkness to be seen as a work that does not emphasize the hypocrisy of imperialism.

What are some chapters in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird in which the theme "the effects of poverty and ignorance" are portrayed?

In Chapter 3, Lee portrays the association between poverty and ignorance in the character of Burris Ewell and his family. Burris comes from a poor family and displays his ignorance through his disrespectful comments directed at Miss Caroline. Burris' father does not value education and does not require his children to attend school. Later on in the chapter, Atticus explains to Scout how Bob Ewell spends most of his money on alcohol instead of feeding his children. The Ewells are a prime example of how Lee incorporates the theme of poverty and ignorance. The Ewell children suffer from their father's inability to maintain a steady job and their lack of moral education results in an ignorant attitude towards others.

In Chapter 15, the Old Sarum bunch attempt to lynch Tom Robinson before the trial. The Old Sarum bunch consists of poor, ignorant farmers. Their ignorance is displayed in their prejudiced views towards African Americans. Fortunately, Atticus and his children prevent them from harming Tom Robinson. The mob's ignorance would have been the catalyst for harming the Finch family in order to lynch Tom Robinson. The mob's socioeconomic status is what brings them together, and violence is perpetuated by their ignorance.

To what extent does isolation (physical, emotional, or societal) cause Victor to evaluate his moral beliefs or personal convictions in Mary...

In the end of the chronological story, after the monster has succeeded in alienating Victor by killing just about everyone he has known and loved, Victor reevaluates his earlier choices, indicating he's questioning the personal convictions that underwrote those decisions. He says,

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to...

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

Victor used to believe the acquisition of knowledge was the highest goal he could have, but he realizes now, having been isolated by the deaths of his loved ones, that this conviction has ultimately made him unhappy. In light of this isolation, he now knows he would have been happier if he simply stayed with his family and wife at home.

At the end, the monster says his "blood [still] boils" when he thinks about the injustices done to him; however, he says,

It is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept, and grasped to death his throat who never injured me or any other living thing.

The monster used to be convinced of his righteousness, but, in hindsight — and now isolated — he realizes he became the monster the world thought he was and that his earlier conviction changed him.

Therefore, emotional isolation has a great deal of power to prompt a character to evaluate his or her earlier convictions.

Are Hallows and Horcruxes connected to Celtic mythology?

Author J.K. Rowling has openly stated that parts of the Harry Potter books are based upon Celtic and British mythology, as well as Greek myth and the Bible. Hallowed items are very common parts of the folklore and mythology of the British Isles, with variances on the tale from place to place. The Irish-Celtic tradition tells a story of an ancient race of people who brought Four Treasures from the Otherworld to the island of Ireland. Among these Four Treasures are two items which have counterparts in the Deathly Hallows myth—the stone and the wand. The Stone of Destiny is supposed to "cry out" whenever the true King of Ireland is nearby, and the Spear of Lugh is an unbeatable weapon. The Resurrection Stone, of the Harry Potter series, does not have the same abilities as the Stone of Destiny, but it is quite probable that Rowling liked the idea of a magical stone and incorporated it into her work. The Elder Wand is plainly drawn from the Spear of Lugh, and variations on the myth describe the spear alternately as a staff or wand.

The third Hallow, the Cloak of Invisibility, is drawn from a later mainland British mythology—the Arthurian legends. In this tradition, there are Thirteen Treasures of Britiain, including a mantle (also called a hood or cloak) which gave Arthur the power to be invisible.

As for the Horcruxes, the idea of using a physical object to store a part of one's soul for safekeeping in the event of bodily death is most likely drawn from Slavic mythology—as opposed to British or Celtic—and the tale of Koscei the Deathless. Koscei is a character of Slavic mythology who is known for hiding his soul in various animal or object vessels. In one telling, he hides his soul in a needle inside of an egg inside of a duck inside of a rabbit inside of a locked chest! Only by destroying this vessel can Koscei really be killed. This myth might've made its way to the British Isles in one of the many waves of Northern European migration, or Rowling might've come across it in her own studies.

The items Voldemort chose for his Horcruxes and their respective powers or special qualities may also be drawn from myth. Let's start with one which is reminiscent of the Koscei narrative—Nagini. Voldemort hid a portion of his soul in his magical pet snake, who could fight off or run from attackers. Again, this is a parallel to Slavic mythology, but snakes are such an important creature to Voldemort and the Harry Potter series that there's no better choice for an animal vessel.

As for the other six Horcruxes, several are highly reminiscent of British mythology. The Sword of Godric Gryffindor is special because it can only be summoned by a true Gryffindor and someone who is loyal to Albus Dumbledore. Swords are numerous in British mythology, and Gryffindor's sword has some parallels to the mythic Exaclibur or Caledfwlch. Only the true King of Britian could (variably) use, lift, or summon this sword.

Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, and Marvolo Gaunt's Ring do not have any precise parallels in British mythology, but these sorts of valuable items with special powers are a theme in many myths. Similarly, Hufflepuff's Cup does not have a precise parallel, but it does resemble many a mythic cauldron of British myth. Food and its multiplication are major themes in British myths, with several stories telling of magical cauldrons that multiply and/ or improve the flavor of any food put inside it. Hufflepuff's Cup does not multiply what is inside, but the copies of the cup from Gringotts Wizarding Bank's Vault multiply themselves when touched.

The diary and Harry do not have any parallels I am aware of in British mythology.

Just for fun, let's consider one more part of the Harry Potter series drawn from British mythology—wizard's chess! In the Harry Potter universe, witches and wizards enjoy passing the time by playing chess with figures who move themselves across the board as commanded. In British myth, Gwenddolyn (also spelled Gwenddolau) was a king and friend of Merlin who owned a golden chessboard with silver pieces who would move about it as instructed!

What was the role of Montmorency in packing in Chapter 4 of Jerome's Three Men in a Boat?

Montmorency is a fox terrier, the “dog” in the title. His role in the packing process was to interfere. J., the narrator of the book, first packed all of the clothing and equipment into a large Gladstone suitcase. Then George and Harris packed all of the food and utensils into hampers. Montmorency got in their way. Harris later claimed that J. encouraged the dog to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; but...

He came and sat down on things, just when they were wanted to be packed; and he laboured under the fixed belief that, whenever Harris or George reached out their hand for anything, it was his cold, damp nose that they wanted. He put his leg into the jam, and he worried the teaspoons, and he pretended that the lemons were rats, and got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could land him with the frying-pan.

This scene serves as a precursor to later escapades in which Montmorency takes part. He has an encounter with a cat in Chapter XIII. He argues with the tea kettle and brings a donation to George’s Irish stew in Chapter XIV.

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, how are Holden and his learning style exploited by the schools, and how is he a product of their actions?

Overall, Holden reflects a rejection of the industrial view of education. His learning style fails in this system, but he is still subject to its judgments. This fact adds to Holden's larger worldview that the world is phony. He rejects the education system the same way he rejects the consumer-driven lifestyle of adults later in the novel.

With his expulsion from Pencey Prep, Holden has failed out of every preparatory school he has attended. However,...

With his expulsion from Pencey Prep, Holden has failed out of every preparatory school he has attended. However, it's obvious from his conversation with Mr. Spencer in Chapter 2 that he is an intelligent boy and his teacher is suffering from guilt after failing Holden. But the question remains, why are schools failing Holden?

Holden is clearly a creative person, as evidenced by a) Stradlater's willingness to let Holden write a paper for him, and b) Holden's decision to write a descriptive paper about Allie's baseball mitt. This type of lateral thinking, as opposed to linear thinking, makes Holden an extremely empathetic character. He makes connections that aren't readily present to most. However, this type of lateral thinking is discouraged by teachers. He explains an experience he had in his Oral Expression class to his old English teacher, Mr. Antolini. This is how Holden explains the class:

"It's this course where each boy in class has to get up in class and make a speech. Spontaneous and all. And if the boy digresses at all, you're supposed to yell 'Digression!' at him as fast as you can. It just about drove me crazy. I got an F in it."

Holden goes on to explain that he thinks it's "nice" when someone moves away from a topic to explain something personal. He says that the topics taught in school aren't interesting. Instead, schools should "leave somebody alone if he's at least being interesting and he's getting all excited about something." Then he goes on to explain how this Oral Expression teacher wanted everyone "to unify and simplify all the time," but "you can't hardly ever simplify and unify something just because somebody wants you to."

To look at Holden as a failing student is only partially accurate. He's a failing student in an industrial system that is failing him.

When does Jimmy figure out who the man from the west really is in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?

As soon as Jimmy sees Bob, he recognizes him as the wanted man, rather than his old friend.

In this story, two old friends make an arrangement to meet each other at a restaurant in twenty years. They do meet, but things do not go as planned. Jimmy and Bob have not seen each other for a long time. When Jimmy sees Bob, he does not immediately acknowledge him, but he does recognize him. He...

As soon as Jimmy sees Bob, he recognizes him as the wanted man, rather than his old friend.

Jimmy talks to Bob, pretending to be just another cop. He doesn’t acknowledge that he recognizes him as a wanted man from Chicago. He can’t bring himself to arrest his old friend. They chat, and then he walks off. He gets another cop to pretend to be him.

"...The old restaurant is gone, Bob. I wish it were here, so that we could have another dinner in it. Has the West been good to you?”

“It gave me everything I asked for. You’ve changed, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall.”

“Oh, I grew a little after I was twenty.”

“Are you doing well in New York, Jimmy?”

Bob realizes that something is up because the man has a different kind of nose. He is a little upset at the charade. At this point, Bob is given a note from Jimmy explaining why he did what he did.

“Bob: I was at the place on time. I saw the face of the man wanted by Chicago cops. I didn’t want to arrest you myself. So I went and got another cop and sent him to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Being a cop is important to Jimmy, but so is being a friend. Jimmy found a way to do his duty and still be a good friend. He kept his appointment. He did not betray his friend, at least not to his face.

How do we know that the reaper's song had a lasting effect on the poet ?

The easiest way to know that the solitary reaper's song stays with the speaker of the poem is to look at the last lines of "The Solitary Reaper":

I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more. (29-32)

From these lines, we can tell that the speaker of the poem is continuing to think about the solitary reaper's...

The easiest way to know that the solitary reaper's song stays with the speaker of the poem is to look at the last lines of "The Solitary Reaper":

I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more. (29-32)

From these lines, we can tell that the speaker of the poem is continuing to think about the solitary reaper's song even after he walks away. The connotation here is that the song has deeply affected the speaker (who is a stand-in for the poet's own voice and thoughts and feelings), and that the song continues to move him for a long time afterwards. The song is significant to the speaker because it conjures up an infinite array of transcendent meaning, and so the suggestion is that, through the singing solitary reaper, the speaker has encountered a moment of spiritual/existential significance. The idea that one could encounter ultimate meaning in everyday life (especially everyday life that involved a setting of natural beauty) was a key Romantic ideal.

Have Mr. and Mrs. Mallard loved each other if Mrs. Mallard is relieved that her husband is dead in "The Story of an Hour"? (Or has he been abusive?)

Within the time period of the setting, the reader is given to understand that Mrs. Mallard, who does love her husband, has been repressed under the feme covert laws of the time, and is relieved to be "free" from her subservient social position after learning of Mr. Mallard's purported death.

When Mrs. Mallard, who is "afflicted with a heart trouble," is told gently of her husband's death, she weeps with "wild abandonment," an indication that ...

When Mrs. Mallard, who is "afflicted with a heart trouble," is told gently of her husband's death, she weeps with "wild abandonment," an indication that she does love the man. Then, she ascends to her room alone where she collapses into a comfortable armchair that faces a window. As Mrs. Mallard gazes out this window, which has apparently been her habit, she notices "the delicious breath of rain" and the "new spring life," both suggestive of a rebirth and hope. A young woman, whose face has lines that "bespoke repression," she begins to realize that a change is coming. At last she "abandoned herself" to this realization that she is now "free, free, free!" and no longer under the feme covert laws of the Victorian age in which she lives. Now she relaxes "every inch of her body."

Although knowing that she will weep when she sees her husband in the casket, she now foresees "a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely." She will be able to "live for herself."

There would be no powerful will bending hers [Mr. Mallard dominates her] in that blind persistence with which men and women believe that have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. [This is why she is relieved to be a widow]

After this "moment of illumination," Louise Mallard wonders,

What could [hers and Brently's] love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!

Too soon, she hears her sister Josephine, calling to her, "Louise, open the door!" Louise asks her to go away as she is relishing the idea of her new freedom, praying now that her life will be long. Finally, she emerges from her room holding herself as though she were a goddess. Clasping her sister's waist, the two women descend the stairs together. But, just then, Brently Mallard unlocks the front door with his latchkey. Seeing him alive is "a joy that kills" Louise, who tumbles down the stairs, dying from what the doctor terms heart disease.

Factors That Encourage Pollution

Land pollution is the long term damage, degradation or destruction of the soil and the surface of the earth by the direct or indirect activities of human beings.

Several factors encourage the activities resulting in land pollution. Waste generation is an inevitable end product of several human activities. An unwanted consequence of urbanization is the generation of huge amounts of garbage and industrial waste from factories, offices, homes, schools and hospitals. In spite of the...

Land pollution is the long term damage, degradation or destruction of the soil and the surface of the earth by the direct or indirect activities of human beings.

An increase in demand for food and shelter to meet the needs of a growing population leads to the generation of more waste. Over-intensive agriculture through the use of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers lead to soil contamination and poisoning.

Mining activities and crude oil extraction for economic gains lead to oil spillage and contamination of arable land by toxic chemicals causing land pollution. Nuclear waste produced by energy generating nuclear plants are buried beneath the earth, but the harmful effects of radioactive material to the soil and other living things above it cannot be entirely eliminated.

What are some texts related to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

One text related to Of Mice and Men would be Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. It expands many of the ideas in Of Mice and Men. The Joad family is similar to George and Lennie. In both, we see protagonists who have to struggle to realize their dreams. Both works are very similar in their depiction of people who fight against the crushing reality of poverty. The antagonists in both works use money and influence as a way to crowd out others. In addition to this, "sage-like" figures in both works help to provide a moral compass in a world that lacks it. Slim is very similar to Jim Casy. Finally, both works are similar in that they are sad, but ultimately affirm the power of restoration in a world of condemnation. While The Grapes of Wrath is considerably longer than Of Mice and Men, it would be a good complement to it because it underscores many of the same themes.

A different, but related read is Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing." This story is about a mother's recollections in raising her daughter during the 1930s. The Great Depression is a shared setting in both Olsen's work and Steinbeck's novella. Both works have very distinct approaches to how poverty impacts emotional connection. One could almost envision a conversation between George and the mother in Olsen's story as they both live in a world where poverty impacts emotions. Both of them had to take care of someone who required so much more than they could give. Olsen's and Steinbeck's works both discuss how economic poverty impacts emotional poverty.

Finally, I'll offer a very different suggestion for the last one. One of the major themes in Of Mice and Men is how dreams influence individual identity. Dreams are a significant part of the story. Everyone has them, from George's and Lennie's shared dream, to Candy joining them, to Crooks, who wishes for a moment to be a part of something. Even Curley's wife yearns for her dreams of being in "pitchers." It might be fascinating to contrast the dreams of these people who are poor with the vision of dreams offered in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. While the world of Jay Gatsby is completely different than the "bindle stiff" existence, it is interesting to examine the role that dreams play in both works. In the end, George and Lennie are unable to accomplish their dream. Yet, so is Gatsby. In both settings, the failure of dreams cut across socio-economic lines. It might be powerful to see how broken dreams can be appreciated by both rich and poor. Social class cannot prevent the hurt of our failed dreams.

Bradbury’s story "There Will Come Soft Rains" includes a poem by Sara Teasdale with the same title. Do the poem and story have the same message?...

The main message that the world could continue without humans is the same, but the messages of the story and poem differ slightly. The poem is about the destructive nature of humans, especially due to wars, and the fact that the world would be able to continue without people and be better off. The story focuses on technology, created by humans, as the destructive force.

The story takes place after some kind of apocalypse. The...

The story takes place after some kind of apocalypse. The only remaining signs that people used to live there are their outlines on the side of the house, and that their dog is covered with sores and dying. The house is an automated smart house that meets humans’ every needs. It cooks, cleans, gives reminders, has a security system, and even tries to put out fires.

Until this day, how well the house had kept its peace. How carefully it had inquired, "Who goes there? What's the password?" and, getting no answer from lonely foxes and whining cats, it had shut up its windows and drawn shades in an old maidenly preoccupation with self-protection which bordered on a mechanical paranoia.

The house choosing Teasdale’s poem at a time when there are no humans left is ironic. The house is continuing as if the humans were there, trying to take care of them, not realizing there are no people left to take care of.

And not one will know of the war, not one

Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,

if mankind perished utterly.

Both the poem and the story have the message that nature is nature, and people cannot control it. The house is destroyed by a fire when a tree breaks a window, overturning a can of solvent onto the stove. Despite its technology, the house cannot put out the fire. It is as if nature is taking back the house.

In Julius Caesar, was Brutus responsible for his own downfall?

Brutus was responsible for his own downfall because he was naïve and did not listen to advice.

The main reason that Brutus was responsible for his own downfall was that he did not listen to Cassius. He never took anyone else’s advice on issues such as how best to assassinate Caesar or how to run the military campaign against Antony and Octavius. Instead, he wanted to remain optimistic. Since he did not, they failed. He was naïve, and he paid the price.

An example of this is when Brutus explains to Cassius that they should not kill Antony, because it will hurt their reputation with the Roman people.

BRUTUS

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,
Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;
For Antony is but a limb of Caesar:
Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. (Act 2, Scene 1)

Brutus believed that Antony’s only power was in his relationship to Caesar. He underestimated Antony, but Cassius was concerned that Antony might cause trouble. Cassius turned out to be right.

To Brutus, image was more important than practicality. Even though Cassius had been involved in the conspiracy longer than he had, he did not allow Cassius to have any sway over him and continually overruled his decisions in front of the other members of the group. In addition to this decision, his decision to allow Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral was especially disastrous, resulting in an uprising of public sentiment against the conspirators.

Even when they have their own armies and are fighting the triumvirate, Brutus makes the same mistakes. He argues with Cassius about going to Philippi, and overrules Cassius when he doesn’t want to go. Philippi turns out to be a nightmare for them, and they both end up committing suicide there. Antony and Octavius win and go on to rule Rome.

I need a poem that relates to "My Side of the Mountain."

In this book, young Sam Gribley runs away from his home and family in New York City and goes off to live in a large hollowed-out tree in the Catskill Mountains, north of the city. He learns to live off the land. This desire to leave the city and to go to a more natural place can also be found in William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” The speaker fondly imagines a time when he can move to this isolated and peaceful place. He’ll have a garden to raise beans and a hive to raise bees. He thinks of this place, even as he is in the city and standing or walking “on pavements grey.” But even by the end of the poem, he has yet to move there.

Another set of verses describing a yearning to go to a more natural place can be found in John Denver’s song “To the Wild Country.” Here the narrator feels despondent about the stresses of life, and he dreams of going off to the wilds of Alaska. The chorus says:

To the mountains, I can rest there.

To the river, I will be strong.

To the forest, I’ll find peace there.

To the wild country, where I belong.

Links below will lead you to the text of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” as well as to a performance of “To the Wild Country.”

Can we convert carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms or oxygen atoms? Is it possible with nuclear power to break electron levels or electron numbers?

Atoms can be broken down in several ways. One is radiation bombardment; when an atom is hit with high energy particles, it can become unstable. Unstable atoms will emit radiation in the form of an alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Alpha radiation is when the atom emits a helium-4 atom at high velocity. Alpha radiation takes two protons in the process, however, and can reduce an atoms atomic number. For example, if a carbon atom underwent alpha radiation, it would become beryllium. Beta radiation causes an atom to convert a neutron into a proton and an electron or a proton and a positron. The electron (or positron) is ejected, and a neutrino is released. Beta radiation causes the atomic number to go up by one. Going back to the last example, if a carbon atom underwent beta radiation, it would become nitrogen. Gamma radiation does not affect the nucleus, and is simply the release of a photon.

In addition, atoms can be split through nuclear fission. For example, when U-235 is hit with a low velocity neutron, it breaks into krypton and barium, releasing three free neutrons. Atoms heavier than iron tend to undergo radioactive fission.

Radioactive fusion occurs inside the sun, and is when small atoms are combined together to form larger atoms. This process releases vast energy, and can only be carried out on earth using atomic weapons.

Electron levels, or shells as they are more commonly called, are in constant states of change. When atoms absorb energy, they usually do so by changing the energy state of an electron. Photons can be released by atoms when electrons drop down energy levels. Electric current causes atoms to pass around their valence (top shell) electrons. Atoms with more or less electrons than protons are called ions, and are very common in the world around you.

Here are some links you can use to read up on radioactivity, fusion, fission, and electron shells.

This is a page about fission reactions, showing how atoms can be broken apart.

This is about the proton-proton chain reactions that occur in stars. It details how larger elements are formed.

"My child is yet a stranger in the world, she hath not seen the change of fourteen years" What language technique did Shakespeare use here?

Lord Capulet is speaking to Paris in reply to the young lord's request to marry Juliet in Act 1, scene 2. Shakespeare employs a metaphor, which is a figure of speech used to apply to a thing regarded as symbolic or representative of something else.

In this instance, Capulet is comparing Juliet's naivety, immaturity, inexperience, and youth to the lack of knowledge one has as a stranger to something. Juliet, he suggests, is much too young to consider marriage. She still has to learn about the world and gain the necessary knowledge to understand what it means to be wed. Furthermore, one can infer that Lord Capulet might be afraid that she, because of her youth, might embarrass the family and bring them into disrepute if she is married too young.

Lord Capulet suggests that Paris should give her another two years and win her affections in the interim before he extends his suit again. He declares his love and affection for his daughter and states that "she is the hopeful lady of [his] earth," which means that his hopes are grounded in her to make him proud. He trusts that Juliet will not disappoint him.

It is, therefore, ironic that Lord Capulet soon changes his mind and acquiesces to Paris' request in Act three, scene four.

Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender
Of my child's love: I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not.

Furthermore, he is immensely upset when Juliet later rejects his instruction to get married. He rants and raves and calls her ungrateful. He also threatens to disown her and throw her into the street if she refuses.

More irony lies in the fact that Juliet has already married Romeo at this juncture. In spite of her father's fear about her immaturity, she has taken it upon herself to get married. Her actions, therefore, shatter all hope that her father has had. She and her love's impulsive decisions create greater complications and eventually result in their tragic and untimely demise.

How are contrasts used in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities to convey the theme of morality?

Contrasts are presented from the very first paragraph. Dickens gives several pairs of opposites (including “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”), showing the conflicts of the age. This sets up the theme of goodness versus evil, often shown through various symbols. The two titular cities, London and Paris, are also shown to be opposites, even moral opposites. In London live the people who strive to do the right thing. In Paris are the revolutionaries and the nobility, both of whom are corrupt and violent. Light and shadow are common motifs, one example being the description of the street where the Manettes live. It is a shadowed street except for a bright spot where Doctor Manette and Lucie live (Book Two, Chapter Six). Even the characters of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton are shown to be moral contrasts. Charles is good and noble, while Sydney is dissolute and unmotivated. In the end, however, Sydney brings together the light and the dark, the good and the evil, in his self-sacrifice. His redemption brings justification to himself, if not to the times in which he lives. His quotation from the Bible, “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), reflects this redemption. He has been “recalled to life,” the phrase used concerning Doctor Manette on his release from the Bastille (Book One, Chapter Two). No darkness is so complete that it cannot be redeemed. This is the moral message Dickens gives throughout the novel.

What is the difference between an attorney, lawyer, solicitor, and barrister?

A lawyer is a general term for someone in the United States who has graduated from law school and gives legal advice. A lawyer does not necessarily have to practice law. An attorney, or an attorney-at-law, is a lawyer who represents a client in courtroom matters, such as when pleading or arguing a case. In the United States, the terms lawyer and attorney are often used interchangeably, though there are some distinctions, noted above. A lawyer can use the word "esquire" after his or her name as an honorary title. A person can use this title without the approval of the American Bar Association, so some people use this name without the proper qualifications.

In the United Kingdom, lawyers are divided into barristers and solicitors. A barrister, as the name suggests, can represent a client at the bar, meaning in court. Barristers often have areas in which they specialize, such as criminal law, chancery (trusts and estates), common law, and commercial law, among other areas. A solicitor, on the other hand, provides clients, who may be individuals, groups, or corporations, with legal advice. Solicitors work directly with clients and can provide them with representation in court in case of a dispute; however, they are more likely to refer the case to a barrister if it goes to court.

How did William Golding's life experiences influence the novel Lord of the Flies?

William Golding was an English and philosophy teacher at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury before he joined the Royal Navy in 1940 where he would eventually fight in WWII. Both experiences shaped Golding's perspective on life and served as inspirations for his novel Lord of the Flies. Golding's experience attempting to teach and discipline unruly children influenced the characters in his novel. Golding understood how children behaved and was aware of their disobedient, selfish personalities. Golding also witnessed atrocities and death during WWII when he fought in several battles. Golding commented that he witnessed what man was capable of doing to one another during the war. Golding is quoted as saying,

"Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head."

This pessimistic view of humanity influenced Golding's decision to represent the boys in the novel as being inherently evil. William Golding drew from his experiences as a teacher and soldier to create a novel that portrayed humanity's inherent wickedness.

In The Egypt Game, how does Elizabeth respond to the Egypt Game?

Elizabeth is introduced to readers about a third of the way through the book. April and Melanie are tasked with making her feel welcome. They agree to the task, but they do not agree to share their Egypt Game with her . . . yet. April and Melanie decide to do their own vetting process in order to make sure that Elizabeth can be brought in on their secret game. Elizabeth wins them over, and...

When April and Melanie tell Elizabeth about the Egypt Game, Elizabeth is super positive about the entire thing. She doesn't scoff at it or anything like that. She just jumps right in. Best of all, she immediately begins playing within the rules already established. She doesn't try to change anything about the Game.

Elizabeth turned out to be just what the Egypt Game needed to make it perfect. Of course, she didn’t have many ideas; but then, she was younger and hadn’t had a chance to learn much about ancient history. Besides, April and Melanie had almost more ideas than they could use anyway. Elizabeth helped in other ways.

She was just crazy about every part of the Egypt Game, and she was full of admiring comments.

In "The Most Dangerous Game," what are reasons that support the idea that Zaroff is a psychopath?

A psychopath is a person with a mental disorder highlighted by abnormal or violent social behavior. That General Zaroff hunts down and kills men for no good reason other than his own pleasure is evidence enough to label him as a psychopath. Moreover, he has gone to great lengths to indulge in his sick hobby by buying his own island in a remote area and building a "palatial chateau." Zaroff might also be considered a sociopath in his utter lack of remorse and his extreme egocentric perspective of the world. Up to the very end of his life, Zaroff never seems to realize that what he is doing is wrong and actually believes that it is his right to hunt men. He tells Rainsford,

"The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not hunt? I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships—lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels—a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them."

This total lack of regard for the feelings and fears of others definitely marks Zaroff as a deeply disturbed individual and makes the label psychopath relevant in any discussion of his character. Ironically, in other ways Zaroff is highly cultured and civilized. He even reads from the "works of Marcus Aurelius," the Roman emperor who wrote about ethics and how men should be judged by their treatment of other men.

In Chapter Two, why was Harris against the idea of camping out?

Harris was against the idea of camping out because he didn't relish the prospect of having to deal with rainy weather in the wild.

In Chapter Two, both George and Jerome proposed camping out, but Harris warned about the difficulties rainy weather would impose upon them. As a response, Jerome accused Harris of having "no poetry" and no desire to be "wild and free." Jerome's thought was that, roughing it out in the wild would...

Harris was against the idea of camping out because he didn't relish the prospect of having to deal with rainy weather in the wild.

Meanwhile, Harris was not so easily convinced. For his part, Jerome began to articulate his friend's arguments against camping out. First, setting up a tent in rainy weather would be an ordeal. Then, after the project was finished (assuming it was successful), lighting up a wood fire would be next to impossible, considering the dampness in the atmosphere. A stove would have to do.

Next, one wouldn't be able to have an after-dinner smoke because the tobacco would be too damp. This would then lead the campers to drink copiously in order to comfort themselves. Of course, the resulting intoxication would induce strange nightmares during the night, and the next morning, all the campers would likely be ill-tempered and under the weather.

In the end, the three friends made a compromise. They would camp out in good weather and resort to staying at inns or hotels when it rained. Problem solved!

What is the climax of "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket" by Jack Finney?

Jack Finney creates a suspenseful situation in his short story “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket.” The climax of a piece of literature is the highest point of the conflict or crisis and precedes the resolution and falling action.

In “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” Tom Benecke climbs out his apartment window onto the building’s ledge in order to retrieve a document that flew out the open window. The document contains the evidence of market research he hopes to use to advance his career; therefore, it is extremely important to him. Tom nervously makes his way along the narrow ledge of his apartment building, which is perched eleven stories above Lexington Avenue in New York City. After he successfully rescues the paper, he struggles to make his way back to the apartment window. Unfortunately, he accidentally slams the window shut, making it impossible for him to climb back into the apartment. This is the climax of the story. Tom has his prized paper, but he cannot access his apartment. He will either figure a way to get back in or die trying, as foreshadowed by the title of the story.

His right foot smashed into his left anklebone; he staggered sideways, began falling, and the claw of his hand cracked against glass and wood, slid down it, and his fingertips were pressed hard on the puttyless edging of his window. His right hand smacked gropingly beside it as he fell to his knees; and, under the full weight and direct downward pull of his sagging body, the open window dropped shudderingly in its frame till it closed and his wrists struck the sill and were jarred off.

For a single moment he knelt, knee bones against stone on the very edge of the ledge, body swaying and touching nowhere else, fighting for balance. Then he lost it, his shoulders plunging backward, and he flung his arms forward, his hands smashing against the window casing on either side; and—his body moving backward—his fingers clutched the narrow wood stripping of the upper pane.

After this point, the crisis is resolved, the action falls, and the story comes to its conclusion.

Which rule was useless in Jonas's community?

The rule against children under nine riding bicycles was useless because everyone broke it.

At the age of nine, everyone gets a bicycle in Jonas’s community. It is one of the rites of passages and the ceremony gift given at the Ceremony of Nine. The bicycle is considered an important symbol of growing up and independence, limited though it is.

The bicycle, at Nine, would be the powerful emblem of moving gradually out into the...

The rule against children under nine riding bicycles was useless because everyone broke it.

The bicycle, at Nine, would be the powerful emblem of moving gradually out into the community, away from the protective family unit. (Ch. 6)

Thus, bicycles are very important to the community. Everyone has one. They use them instead of cars, even as adults. The Nines look forward to getting their bicycles, and so do their families. This is why older siblings secretly teach them to ride the bikes while they are still Eights, so they can use the bicycles as soon as they get them at the Ceremony of Nine.

It was one of the few rules that was not taken very seriously and was almost always broken. The children all received their bicycles at Nine; they were not allowed to ride bicycles before then. But almost always, the older brothers and sisters had secretly taught the younger ones. (Ch. 6)

The reason that the rule is so easily broken in a society where there are such strict consequences for rule-breaking is that changing the rules is so difficult in their society that they have to just go the unofficial route and ignore the rule. Supposedly committees have to “study the idea,” and change is so slow that a rule change happens rarely, if ever. So the community makes its own change. Everyone looks the other way, and the simple rule-breaking is considered harmless because it is community-wide. It becomes a joke instead of a serious issue.

What major characteristic of Romanticism is evident in the first 20 lines of the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?

Although Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is not considered to be part of the Romantic canon, its first twenty lines do advance some classic Romantic themes. Most notably, the first twenty lines of Gray's poem describe the kind of isolated world of natural beauty favored by most Romantics.

Though the first twenty lines develop this characteristic, it's pretty completely developed in the first stanza:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

...

Though the first twenty lines develop this characteristic, it's pretty completely developed in the first stanza:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me. (1-4)

Already in this first stanza, we can see that Gray is setting his poem within a world of pastoral beauty. With a wandering herd, an open grassland (the definition of a "lea") and a plowman, Gray skillfully develops a world of natural beauty and hard-working farmers. Moreover, since the world is left to the speaker of the poem, it's suggested that he is alone in this picturesque natural setting. A beautiful and isolated natural setting is a typical characteristic of Romantic literature, as it cultivates an ideal place for the Romantic imagination to become manifest. By using the first twenty lines of his poem to develop this setting, Gray also utilizes a feature that was to become a key part of the Romantic aesthetic.