Beowulf is able to defeat evil in the form of Grendel and Grendel’s mother, yet he loses his life when he battles the dragon. What theme does...

A possible theme would be that the struggle between good and evil often results in a Pyrrhic victory.

The word "Pyrrhic" refers to the results of the conflict, where the victor's losses are almost as great as those sustained by the conquered. In a Pyrrhic victory, there is the sense that the victor's gains have been nullified by the extreme losses incurred. If you're interested, please refer to the link below about the origins of...

A possible theme would be that the struggle between good and evil often results in a Pyrrhic victory.

The word "Pyrrhic" refers to the results of the conflict, where the victor's losses are almost as great as those sustained by the conquered. In a Pyrrhic victory, there is the sense that the victor's gains have been nullified by the extreme losses incurred. If you're interested, please refer to the link below about the origins of the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" and a history of such victories on the battlefield.

In Beowulf, the protagonist's final victory is won at great cost to himself. He kills the dragon but sustains a fatal wound. In his final moments, Beowulf voices his regret that he has no son to bequeath his legacy to. Yet, he comforts himself that, during his fifty-year reign as king, no other monarch dared to openly challenge him in battle. During his last moments on earth, Beowulf also rejoices that his death will not leave his people helpless; the dragon's hoard will enrich his subjects. So, the conflict between Beowulf and the dragon suggests that evil is often defeated at great cost to the good.

In A Short History of Nearly Everything, who has the power? How was the power achieved and maintained? I'm a parent trying to help my child with...

The starting point here is to explain that Bill Bryson is a popular journalist and travel writer trying to write a travelogue of ideas and science. He writes with a journalist's eye for anecdote, and many readers find his accounts of scientists, as opposed to their discoveries, the most riveting elements of the book. 

A useful way to think about how power functions in the book is to analyze the "great man" version of the...

The starting point here is to explain that Bill Bryson is a popular journalist and travel writer trying to write a travelogue of ideas and science. He writes with a journalist's eye for anecdote, and many readers find his accounts of scientists, as opposed to their discoveries, the most riveting elements of the book. 

A useful way to think about how power functions in the book is to analyze the "great man" version of the history of science. Consider the major discoveries in the history of science. For each discovery, you would investigate how we tie that discovery to an origin story centered on a "great man": Einstein and relativity, Newton and gravitation, Copernicus and the heliocentric solar system, Darwin and evolution, etc. Even though Bryson often debunks "great man" and "great moment" foundation stories, emphasizing the accidental nature of discovery and the human quirks and foibles of discoverers, his history of modern science is one of people, and people who are overwhelmingly white, male Europeans. 

As you consider, for example, the discovery of cosmic background radiation, you might ask how many other people who are not named or even suggested by the book are involved in the discovery. Think about who manufacturers the equipment, maintains the facilities, and funds researcher salaries or the armies of graduate assistants and lab technicians involved in academic science. As you think about this, you can address power in two ways. The first would be to work through the book thinking about the names that are not mentioned and the degree to which science requires vast amounts of collaboration. By recounting science as anecdote Bryson recapitulates an inequality of power and credit within the scientific world. Next, as you look at various scientific discoveries, you might think about how scientific knowledge and discovery are enabled and funded by wealth and power and serve to replicate it. Scientific discoveries and technological advances create a virtuous cycle that benefits certain nations and classes and may contribute to a widening of inequality. The country with an atom bomb is far more powerful than the country with only daggers and spears. 

How is Slim lonely?

Slim is lonely in the sense that he is completely different from those around him. He is the voice of reason and restraint amid all the turmoil and conflict on the ranch. People automatically look up to him in a way they simply don't do with anyone else. His evident wisdom and dignity make him widely respected, and it is difficult to find anyone on the ranch who can command similar levels of respect.

But...

Slim is lonely in the sense that he is completely different from those around him. He is the voice of reason and restraint amid all the turmoil and conflict on the ranch. People automatically look up to him in a way they simply don't do with anyone else. His evident wisdom and dignity make him widely respected, and it is difficult to find anyone on the ranch who can command similar levels of respect.

But Slim is also lonely in more conventional terms. He doesn't appear to have anyone you could call a friend. The men approach him with their problems, trusting him as a confidant, but there is nothing really deeper between them. However, when Slim comforts George he shoots Lennie, telling George that he's done the right thing, we sense that this loneliness may change. There is a suggestion here of a possible future friendship between the two men, one forged in mutual respect, understanding, and shared experience.

Why did Major Morris tell the Whites to throw the paw in the fire? Why did Mr. White grab it out?

Major Morris already knows the way the Monkey's Paw works as he has seen the results of making wishes on it. He saw the first man wish for death with his third wish and he is open about his desire that he'd never seen it. He "solemnly" tells Mr. White that he "better let it burn." Once Mr. White snatches it out of the fire, Major Morris again suggests that he ought to "pitch it...

Major Morris already knows the way the Monkey's Paw works as he has seen the results of making wishes on it. He saw the first man wish for death with his third wish and he is open about his desire that he'd never seen it. He "solemnly" tells Mr. White that he "better let it burn." Once Mr. White snatches it out of the fire, Major Morris again suggests that he ought to "pitch it on the fire like a sensible man."

But Mr. White has not seen these consequences first hand. He cannot understand the terror that awaits and feels more of what his wife does about how it seems like "Arabian Nights," something exciting with great possibility. Despite the fact that he has "all [he] want[s]," he cannot throw away the opportunity the paw represents. He even recounts that Major Morris told him a third time that he ought to throw it away before he left but Mr. White simply couldn't do it.

I have an essay about Annie John (approximatively 3 pages) and I have to answer to this question: How does AJ's relationship with her parents...

Annie's relationship with her mother is arguably the most important relationship in the book. At the start of the story, Annie is as close to her mom as any child could be. The whole world revolves around her; she is the sun, the moon, and the stars. They are more like best pals than mother and daughter, and they are always doing something together, whether that means going clothes shopping or just hanging out. They really are inseparable.

Then, Annie hits puberty. Her relationship with her mother changes dramatically; her whole outlook on relationships changes too. When Annie starts menstruating, her mother backs off immediately. Sure, she has the best of intentions; she wants Annie to put away childish things and start behaving like a grown-up. Annie does not understand. She just does not understand why her mom is so distant all of a sudden. Mom does not even want her to dress the same way as she does anymore. It is all rather bewildering for Annie. Her whole identity has always been intimately linked to her mother, but now she has to start over by constructing a totally new identity from scratch. Adolescence is supposed to be hard, but this is painful.

This one relationship is seemingly gone forever. What now? Annie seizes the opportunity to establish some new relationships. Her new school is just the place to do it. Her new school allows her to foster new relationships. It all makes perfect sense. However, new beginnings in this story are also associated with death. Annie does not just hate her mom now, she also wishes she were dead. Already obsessed with dead bodies in coffins, she now fantasizes about her mom being one of them. The death of one relationship leads to the birth of another. In her end there is also a new beginning.

The intense, passionate love that Annie once had for her mom is now transferred to Gwen, her new best friend. To any dispassionate observer it is blindingly obvious that Annie is on the rebound from the break-up with her mom. Annie is blissfully unaware of all this; she has fallen for Gwen in a big way. Still traumatized by the sudden split with her mom, she is desperately trying to get back that all-consuming love she hoped would last forever.

Unfortunately, Gwen cannot act as a mother substitute for very long. For one thing, she is not very mature and soon starts to annoy Annie with her childish ways. What Annie fervently hoped was a new, large helping of mother love turns out to be just another girlish infatuation.

It is at this point that Annie realizes that she cannot ever hope to reclaim that extra special feeling of love and security she once had with her mom. She may well have broken up with her mom, but in her brief platonic friendship with Gwen she still tried to hang on to some of the things that characterized their seemingly unbreakable bond. Once things with Gwen turn sour, she rejects everything associated with her mom. Mom is dead to her now.

As a result, it is high time for a little juvenile rebellion. What better person to guide Annie than the mysterious Red Girl, an uber cool tomboy who can climb trees better than any boy, plays marbles, and loves sneaking into abandoned buildings. If Gwen was a surrogate mother for Annie, the Red Girl is a kind of anti-mom, someone who represents everything her mom hates. Love doesn't really enter into the equation here; Annie's connection with the Red Girl is a relationship of convenience, nothing more. Ultimately, it is Mom who puts an end to Annie's brief acquaintance with the Red Girl, but it would've fizzled out before long anyway. Of that we can be reasonably sure.

We do not have to play at being amateur psychologists to realize that the relationship between Annie and her mom has hampered her ability to form meaningful relationships of her own. Ironically, this means that Annie is still deeply connected to her mother, despite the formal split between them. So long as she cannot establish strong connections with other people, she will always in some way remain tied to her mom's apron strings. Unless she can truly break free, she will never be a person in her own right. She will forever be defined by not being her mother, rather than being Annie John.

In what ways are Marlow and Kurtz considered to be "morally ambiguous" characters, and how does this illuminate the overall meaning of the story?

Marlow's story is meant to shed light on imperialism and the true nature of what Europeans refer to as civilization. Marlow begins his story by mentioning that Europe was at one time a dark, primitive place and challenges conceptions that Europeans are morally and intellectually superior by saying, "strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others" (1.12). This ambiguity between civilization and savagery is also reflected in the characters of Marlow and Kurtz. Both men hail from relatively wealthy families, are obsessive individuals, lose touch with reality, and are attracted to the primitive nature of the Africans.

While Marlow is portrayed as a relatively positive, civilized character, a close examination reveals inconsistencies in his behavior and beliefs. Marlow has a negative perception of women, does not openly oppose the Company's brutal treatment of slaves, lies to Kurtz's Intended, and mentions several times that he wishes to experience life as a Native. During his discussion with the manager, Marlow mentions that he is "getting savage," an intriguing and enigmatic statement. He also wonders why he does not "go ashore for a howl and a dance" when he listens to the natives' ritual. His love/hate relationship with Kurtz is also ambiguous and makes the reader question his true feelings about Kurtz.

Similar to Marlow, Kurtz is also a morally ambiguous character. Initially, Kurtz is depicted as a talented, articulate ivory trader, who is admired for his success throughout the Company. Kurtz began his journey into the heart of darkness with the intention of bringing civilization to the natives while simultaneously becoming wealthy in the ivory industry. However, Kurtz descends into savagery after discovering that the natives perceive him as a god. Kurtz becomes corrupted by his supreme power and influence over the natives and essentially transforms into a greedy, maniacal tyrant. Despite Kurtz's depravity, Marlow interprets his last words as recognition for his crimes. Marlow ends up sympathizing with Kurtz, which again presents his ambiguous feelings.

Overall, both characters' moral ambiguity mimics Conrad's argument concerning civilization and savagery. While Europe is depicted as being the epitome of civilization, the Company's inefficient, destructive nature reveals its true makeup. Likewise, both Marlow and Kurtz's complexity demonstrates their propensity to act civil and savage at various times. Marlow's perception of Kurtz also clouds the reader's portrayal of the enigmatic figure and creates a dichotomy between his positive and negative traits. Similar to how the reader interprets Marlow and Kurtz's character, Conrad's story challenges the reader's perception of civilization, imperialism, and nature.

In Tangerine, how did Luis die?

In Edward Bloor's novel Tangerine, Luis Cruz is killed by a blow to the head from a blackjack wielded by Erik Fisher's friend, Arthur Bauer. 

The head wound doesn't kill Luis right away. Luis had an aneurysm, which is a weakening in the wall of an artery; it causes the artery to stretch out, making it susceptible to bursting spontaneously or in response to an injury. He was hit on a Tuesday, and six days...

In Edward Bloor's novel Tangerine, Luis Cruz is killed by a blow to the head from a blackjack wielded by Erik Fisher's friend, Arthur Bauer. 

The head wound doesn't kill Luis right away. Luis had an aneurysm, which is a weakening in the wall of an artery; it causes the artery to stretch out, making it susceptible to bursting spontaneously or in response to an injury. He was hit on a Tuesday, and six days later, he was dead. 

Paul Fisher, the narrator and younger brother of Erik Fisher, saw Arthur Bauer assault Luis. Luis had shown up at football practice looking for Erik. He was there to confront him about hitting his relative, Tino, in the face. When he finds Erik and tells him the reason he is there, Erik directs Arthur to take care of Luis. In response, Arthur fishes a "blackjack" out of his gym bag. This is a sock filled with lead. He uses it to hit Luis in the side of the head while Erik keeps moving, saying "Arthur takes care of all of my light work." That incident occurs on page two hundred and eleven. 

His actual death is reported as happening on Monday, November 27th. 

"Luis Cruz is dead. When I walked into first period this morning, there was a group of kids standing around and whispering. Henry D. came up to me and said, 'Did you hear what happened?'

'No.'

'Tino and Theresa were waiting outside yesterday for Luis to pick them up, but he never came. Theresa called home and told their father. He went out into the grove and found him lying there dead.'"

How does Arthur Miller show isolation in The Crucible? Besides the land being far from anywhere, is it the characters that are isolated from one...

John Proctor has certainly become more isolated. He tells Abigail that he's hardly left his farm in the last seven months, likely as a result of his affair with her being found out by his wife. It seems as though he's been trying to prove to her that the affair and the feelings that went with it are over. We also learn that Proctor does not care for the Reverend Parris; he makes it quite...

John Proctor has certainly become more isolated. He tells Abigail that he's hardly left his farm in the last seven months, likely as a result of his affair with her being found out by his wife. It seems as though he's been trying to prove to her that the affair and the feelings that went with it are over. We also learn that Proctor does not care for the Reverend Parris; he makes it quite clear in Act One while at Parris's house to observe the ailing Betty. However, in Act Two, Reverend Hale comes to the Proctor home to ask some questions, and he reproaches Proctor with his habitual failure to attend church: he's been to services only twenty-six times in seventeen months. Moreover, his third child has not been baptized. Proctor's severe dislike of Parris has kept him isolated. It is also, likely, his embarrassment about his affair with Abigail that has kept him distant; even his wife says that Abigail cannot pass Proctor in church without him blushing.

What are three symbols in "Rappaccini's Daughter"?

Giovanni sees "the ruin of a marble fountain in the centre [of the garden], sculptured with rare art, but so wofully shattered that it was impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of remaining fragments.  The water, however, continued to gush and sparkle in to the sunbeams as cheerfully as ever."  It inspires Giovanni with a sense that it is an "immortal spirit," which sings its song without ceasing or taking any notice...

Giovanni sees "the ruin of a marble fountain in the centre [of the garden], sculptured with rare art, but so wofully shattered that it was impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of remaining fragments.  The water, however, continued to gush and sparkle in to the sunbeams as cheerfully as ever."  It inspires Giovanni with a sense that it is an "immortal spirit," which sings its song without ceasing or taking any notice of the comings and goings of life around it.  We might interpret this fountain and its "immortal spirit" as symbolic of God, a God who watches the world become more and more corrupt around him and yet does nothing to stop it.  God continues to exist and watch, but he does not stifle or prevent the danger and corruption bred around him.

Further, we find symbolism in the shrub with gigantic "purple blossoms, each of which had the lustre and richness of a gem"; this plant seems to be symbolic of Beatrice herself.  She, too, is gorgeous, but—like the beautiful purple flowers—she, too, is deadly.  Also, like the flowering plant, she is not purposefully deadly; she bears no ill will toward anyone or anything she might hurt.  It is just a part of her nature, a nature that has been corrupted, as the plants have, by her father.

Likewise, the narrator says, "Every portion of the soil was peopled with plants and herbs."  Some are in rich urns and others in simple pots, some creep low like snakes and others climb high.  Giovanni then wonders if this garden is "the Eden of the present world."  The garden seems to be symbolic of the world in general; some plants are fancy and rich-looking, others not.  Some plants are high and some are low.  The garden's variety seems to echo the world's variety.  For Giovanni to wonder if this garden is the new Eden makes it seem as though, in the world of the story, corruption pervades paradise.  Real paradise is gone and what exists now is only that which perverts it.

The story "Zaabalawi" by Naguib Mahfouz can be interpreted as: a. a spiritual quest b. a portrait of mental illness/obsession...

While all of these answers have some validity, the most convincing answer is that the story "Zaabalawi" can be interpreted as answer A, a spiritual quest. The narrator is "afflicted by that illness for which no one possesses a remedy." He is "overcome with despair," so he goes in search of Sheikh Zaabalawi, a saint who takes away people's troubles. 

Most people the narrator encounters are disinterested in finding Zaabalawi. The lawyer, named Sheikh Qamar,...

While all of these answers have some validity, the most convincing answer is that the story "Zaabalawi" can be interpreted as answer A, a spiritual quest. The narrator is "afflicted by that illness for which no one possesses a remedy." He is "overcome with despair," so he goes in search of Sheikh Zaabalawi, a saint who takes away people's troubles. 

Most people the narrator encounters are disinterested in finding Zaabalawi. The lawyer, named Sheikh Qamar, does not even recall the saint, as the lawyer lives a life of material luxury that occupies his mind. The shopkeeper, who sells books of theology and mysticism from the entrance of a dilapidated house that is filled with garbage, is too tired and careworn to search for the saint. The sheikh of the district approaches the task of finding the saint in a systematic way that deprives it of its spiritual quality. He says he has been too preoccupied with "the cares of the world" to think about the saint lately. The only people who seem interested in finding Zaabalawi are the calligrapher and musician, who are both spiritual men.

When the narrator goes to a bar in search of the saint and gets drunk, he has a beautiful and serene dream, and when he wakes, he hears that Zaabalawi has been with him. In his state of drunkenness, he has entered a spiritual state in which the saint can visit him. He vows to continue to search for Zaabalawi at the end of the story. It is clear the saint is not a material presence but a spiritual presence who only visits people who are spiritual in nature and who are carried away, as the narrator was by drink, into a state of ecstasy or mysticism. The other characters are too focused on earthly matters to find the saint, but the narrator, carried into the spiritual realm, finds his saint. The tale is one of a spiritual quest.

What is the relationship between disease and art or aesthetics in Thomas Mann's Death in Venice and Tristan? How does this relationship reflect...

Thomas Mann's Death In Venice is, at its heart, entirely concerned with the relationship with disease and art, as symbolised by the setting of Venice itself. As the disease progresses through the story and towards Venice, so does Aschenbach's moral and personal decay and his obsession with the symbol of the aesthetic in the story: the boy, Tadzio. Mann's message is fairly overt. Aschenbach has been in a state of repression for much of his life, incubating, as it were, the "disease" of his naturally artistic nature. Having been restrained for so long, when Aschenbach finally allows his inclinations to break free, they overtake him completely, like a fever pushing him towards insanity. The appearance of Tadzio is only a carrier for Aschenbach's metaphorical disease, rather than the contagion itself. Meanwhile Venice, the city of culture and art, is shown to be sinking deeper daily into its own decay. Venice represents not only the lie that is art—a beautiful front that deceives us into believing there is not something ugly beneath—but also the lie that was Aschenbach's life before he fell into his final two illnesses: the literal sickness that killed him and the passion for aesthetics that drove him mad. 

A similar attitude of distaste towards the so-called "artist" can be seen in the short story "Tristan", in which the artist, Spinell, is described similarly to Aschenbach in his period of decay: as effeminate, affected, and staying in a sanatorium because he "likes the décor". The implication here is evident: an "artist" without morals will wander into the most unhealthy place because of an appreciation for its appearance, without any concern about how it might negatively affect him. Spinell, in the story, is in love with a dying woman who also lives in the sanatorium, the wife of another man. He accuses the other man, Kloterjahn, of having only interest in his wife's body, while Spinell has a deeper appreciation for her soul. This is shown by the narrative to be a falsehood, however, as the two men end up arguing with each other while their supposed beloved, Gabriele, dies in the garden. Thus, a fixation upon art for art's sake in this story is shown to be, as in Death in Venice, a mere cover for moral decay. What is interesting, however, is that "Tristan" also suggests that the opposite extreme--brutish men obsessed with the physical--are also morally corrupt. He seems to indicate that an appreciation for art is important, as is an appreciation for the physically, but that one must include a balance in order to approach to world in a moral way. 

Let F(x, y, z) = (y, -3x, y z) and G = F. Calculate the surface integral I = G dS, where the surface S is the triangular portion of the plane...

Denote the given points:

First, find the unit vector orthogonal to (for a plane it is a constant vector). An orthogonal vector is

Its unit vector is 

a)

Therefore the equation of the plane is

or

b) The parametrization of is 

Therefore 

c) To find the integral, find first:

Then compute the dot product 

To finally find the surface integral, note that on the -plane under the variable  is from to 

and...

Denote the given points:

First, find the unit vector orthogonal to (for a plane it is a constant vector). An orthogonal vector is

Its unit vector is 

a)

Therefore the equation of the plane is

or

b) The parametrization of is 

Therefore 

c) To find the integral, find first:

Then compute the dot product 

To finally find the surface integral, note that on the -plane under the variable  is from to 

and the variable is from to

Also note that and the surface integral becomes

What were your impressions when reading Being Mortal. What (if any) impact do you think this book may have on the way you care for persons facing...

Atul Gawande’s 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the Endwill cause many readers to rethink the role of medicine and other issues surrounding end of life choices. As a surgeon, writer, and professor, Gawande states that the goal of medical professionals should not be to ensure health and survival. Rather, the medical field and society need to accept the body’s eventual decline and work to “enable well-being” at all stages of...

Atul Gawande’s 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End will cause many readers to rethink the role of medicine and other issues surrounding end of life choices. As a surgeon, writer, and professor, Gawande states that the goal of medical professionals should not be to ensure health and survival. Rather, the medical field and society need to accept the body’s eventual decline and work to “enable well-being” at all stages of life, to focus on living rather than disease. Gawande challenges the treatment at all cost model that has so often prevailed in modern medicine. Instead, he asks the reader to grapple with the more complex questions of when it is appropriate to treat a disease when discontinuing treatment may be the more humane route. The book advocates a system of shared decision making in which doctors aim to understand their patients’ priorities and then help them achieve these.

Because Gawande includes personal stories and experiences drawn from his patients and even his own family throughout the book, Being Mortal reads more like a memoir than a medical textbook. Gawande also takes care to tell the stories of those living with declining health, rather than relying on healthcare professionals and family members to describe their experiences. These firsthand accounts provide valuable perspective for helping patients or family members and for considering what is important in our own end of life choices.  

Why might religious people from Chaucer's time have been upset with Chaucer's view of the Monk and the way he described him in The Canterbury...

In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the author paints a less-than-complimentary view of "the Monk," one who has sworn to serve the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. The Church was the central authority at the time, with no separation between church and state. The Church not only made the laws that governed the people, but it also set the tone for the people's spiritual welfare. With this in mind, the Monk should have made himself humble, selling all that he had to give it to, and serve, the people. The Monk is one of several members of the clergy on the pilgrimage, although only the Parson is a true man of God.

In that the people completely supported and did not question the authority of the Church, many believers of the time might have felt Chaucer's writing was disrespectful. It is important to note that some people may have been aware of the Monk's behavior (or that of other clergy members in their parishes), however, and might have applauded Chaucer's exposure of these sneaky, greedy, and unethical members of the cloth. (Chaucer was a student of human nature; rather than creating problems, he wanted simply to describe the kinds of people he met in real life: those who were what they espoused to be, and others who lied and took advantage.)

Chaucer describes the Monk. The Monk was a man of venery (he had a deep love of hunting). He owned a horse, and the horse wore a fine harness (which was not cheap). By not living in a cloister, his time was not spent in service to others as much as it was spent following his own pleasures. The narrator sarcastically questions why a monk would ever spend time studying—to what end? What good would he do breaking a sweat?

Hunting was dear to his heart:

Therefore he was a rider day and night;
Greyhounds he had, as swift as fowl in flight.
Since riding and the hunting of the hare
Were all his love, for no cost would he spare (25-28).

The Monk had greyhound dogs (known for their speed). He also had no qualms about spending as much money as necessary in his hunting exploits. He was, however, a man who was supposed to have given up his worldly goods and serve God's people.

The Monk wore clothes that were expensive (only the best for him): his cloak (fur-lined) was adorned with a pin—a gold love-knot. Why would a man of God be dressed in such expensive clothes, and why would he wear a love-knot pin?

I saw his sleeves were lined around the hand
With fur of grey, the finest in the land;
Also, to fasten hood beneath his chin,
He had of good wrought gold a curious pin:
A love-knot in the larger end there was (29-33).

There seemed little time or interest on the part of the Monk to serve others. Chaucer does not come right out and censor the Monk. He makes observations and lets the reader make his or her own decisions.

People of the time might have sensed criticism from the author; they might have resented what seemed to be fault-finding. Students of human nature (like Chaucer) would be able to identify the contradictions in behavior among many members of the clergy. Some might have seen these observations as a reflection of the Church's lost of control over its people, a poor reflection on the Roman Catholic Church.

At that time, the Church was in charge of every aspect of life. With those clerics in Chaucer's writings far outside the guidelines by which they were to live their lives, one wonders if they should not have been watched more closely.

How does the White family first react to the monkey’s paw?

When the Sergeant-Major first mentions the power of the monkey's paw, the White family is very curious and eager to know more. Both Mr. White and Herbert, for example, pick up the paw to examine it further.

As the Sergeant tells the story, the White family is full of disbelief. They are conscious, for example, that their "light laughter" might irritate or offend the Sergeant.

Nevertheless, their curiosity regarding the power of the monkey's paw...

When the Sergeant-Major first mentions the power of the monkey's paw, the White family is very curious and eager to know more. Both Mr. White and Herbert, for example, pick up the paw to examine it further.

As the Sergeant tells the story, the White family is full of disbelief. They are conscious, for example, that their "light laughter" might irritate or offend the Sergeant.

Nevertheless, their curiosity regarding the power of the monkey's paw is enough to make them want to keep it. When the Sergeant throws it on the fire, Mr. White rescues it and asks how to make a wish. Similarly, Herbert tells his father to wish for £200.

Despite the Sergeant's warnings, the family does not listen. They are so captivated by the paw's potential power that they use it to make a wish. It is only when Herbert dies at work that they come to realize the true nature of the monkey's paw, but by then it is too late.

Who decides what words get added into the dictionary in Andrew Clements' Frindle?

In the book Frindle, author Andrew Clements shows us that society decides what words get added to the dictionary.The question of how dictionaries are created begins being explored in chapter 3 when Nick tries to distract his fifth-grade English teacher from assigning homework by asking what he thinks is a "perfect thought-grenade":

.. where did all those words [in the dictionaries] come from? (p. 17)

Nick is then assigned to explore the...

In the book Frindle, author Andrew Clements shows us that society decides what words get added to the dictionary.

The question of how dictionaries are created begins being explored in chapter 3 when Nick tries to distract his fifth-grade English teacher from assigning homework by asking what he thinks is a "perfect thought-grenade":

.. where did all those words [in the dictionaries] come from? (p. 17)

Nick is then assigned to explore the answer to his own question by writing and presenting a report on the dictionary. Nick's research shows him that scholars, like Samuel Johnson in the 1700s, compiled dictionaries, but Johnson's dictionary was compiled from many other English dictionaries before him. When Nick asks his next "thought-grenade" concerning who decides what words mean, Mrs. Granger explains the role ordinary people and the rest of society play in deciding what words mean and what words get added to the dictionary. Mrs. Granger explains the role society plays in her following answer to Nick's question:

Who says dog means dog? You do, Nicholas. You and I and everyone in this class and this school and in this town and this state and this country. We all agree. (p. 27-28)

In other words, as soon as all of society agrees on the meaning of a specific word and begins using that word to mean that thing frequently enough, the word gets added to the dictionary, which has been compiled for centuries by scholars.

Nick demonstrates society's role in adding words to the dictionary when he invents a new word to mean pen, frindle, and convinces all of society around him to use the word instead of the word pen. By the time he is 21 years old, Nick discovers that his made-up word has been added to the dictionary.

What is a summary of Crime and Punishment?

To summarize, the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is about how the mechanism of a person’s conscience as well as their beliefs about morality, humanity, and God can affect their subsequent actions and behavior. The novel explores the use of rationalization to justify a criminal act: murder. Finally, the novel also acts as a literary statement on how a capitalist system can influence some people to commit crimes like theft, prostitution and murder in order to survive.

The main protagonist is Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, an ex-student and former teacher lamenting the fact that he is in debt to his landlord. He plans to pawn his father’s watch and then thinks of killing the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, and stealing her possessions. However, Raskolnikov begins to suffer psychologically from the first moment he thinks of committing the murder, as he is unsure of whether or not he can even go through with it:

And how could such an atrocious thing come into my head?  What filthy things my heart is capable of.

When Raskolnikov discovers his sister, Dounia, is planning to marry a man named Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin, he gets upset, believing Dounia’s motivation to get married is purely financial, thus, giving him more of a rationalization for murdering the pawn broker and stealing her things.

Raskolnikov further rationalizes the homicide by believing all of the many bad deeds Ivanovna has done outweighs Raskolnikov’s single bad deed:

“When reason fails, the devil helps!” Raskolnikov thought with a strange grin.

Raskolnikov eventually does decide to go through with the murder, borrowing an axe to kill Ivanovna. However, Ivanovna’s sister, Lizaveta, walks in on him, and he kills her as well. He then clumsily tries to cover up the evidence.

Raskolnikov’s guilt manifests in various ways. He becomes physically ill and feverish. He entertains suicidal thoughts for a time. His energy level plummets and he frequently succumbs to exhaustion. He acts strange in front of his family members and in front of Porfiry, a police officer who suspects Raskolnikov is the killer.

Raskolnikov’s rationalization for his actions is further illuminated when Porfiry discovers an old article authored by Raskolnikov in which he argues that any crime or any transgression may be justified if the person committing the crime is deemed extraordinary:

I don’t contend that extraordinary people are always bound to commit breaches of morals, as you call it. I simply hinted that an extraordinary man has the right, that is not an official right, but an inner right to decide in his own conscience to overstep certain obstacles, and only in case it is essential for the practical fulfillment of his idea.

Though Raskolnikov succeeds in stopping Dounia from marrying Luzhin, he witnesses a tragic event and eventually succumbs to the pangs of his conscience and turns himself in to the police. He is sentenced to seven years in Siberia, but he remains hopeful he can start a new life when he gets out. 

How old was Victor Frankenstein when he died?

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, many characters die, including the main character, Victor Frankenstein. In fact, Victor is the last one to die. Some might call this poetic justice, since he was the cause of so much grief and death to begin with. Victor is the "mad scientist" of the story, the one who creates the monster that comes back to haunt him. 

In the book, Victor is obsessed with cheating death. His mother has died...

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, many characters die, including the main character, Victor Frankenstein. In fact, Victor is the last one to die. Some might call this poetic justice, since he was the cause of so much grief and death to begin with. Victor is the "mad scientist" of the story, the one who creates the monster that comes back to haunt him. 

In the book, Victor is obsessed with cheating death. His mother has died of scarlet fever, and he wants to not have to experience death. He soon learns that is a terrible idea, however, as the corpse parts he pieces together spark into life and wreak havoc, not knowing how to master human emotions. After the murder of his brother, Victor goes to find the monster, who tells him that he just wants a companion.  Victor takes pity on him and makes one but second-guesses this decision. He ends up killing the she-monster. Later, he goes to jail for the murder Clerval for which he is framed. When he gets out, he is all set to go back and marry his adoptive sister and love of his life, Elizabeth, but discovers that she has also been murdered by the monster.

Finally, Frankenstein Sr. dies, depressed after the death of his daughter. Victor vows to pursue the monster to the ends of the earth. He tracks him to the Arctic Ocean, where he boards a ship run by Captain Walton. The ship is stuck in the ice. Victor tells him his entire story and, filled with regret and sadness, dies on the ship. His exact age at the time of death is unknown, as Mary Shelley intentionally left the dates of his life vague. There is, however, speculation that a certain German scientist named Johann Dippel is the man off of whom the character of Frankenstein was based. He died in 1734 at the age of 61.

Who is the loneliest character in Of Mice and Men?

While it's difficult to say who the loneliest character in the novel is, there are two prime candidates: Curley's wife and Crooks.

In order to show why these two are better candidates for loneliest than the others on the ranch, it's important to look at how Curley's wife and Crooks are different than the others. The most obvious way in which these two are different is the fact that they are not white males. Curley's...

While it's difficult to say who the loneliest character in the novel is, there are two prime candidates: Curley's wife and Crooks.

In order to show why these two are better candidates for loneliest than the others on the ranch, it's important to look at how Curley's wife and Crooks are different than the others. The most obvious way in which these two are different is the fact that they are not white males. Curley's wife is the only woman in the novel, and Crooks, "the negro stable buck," is the only black man in the novel. The others are all able to have at least a little bit of company. Crooks says the major difference between him and the other men perfectly in Chapter 3 of the novel: "They play cards in [the bunkhouse], but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink."

As the only woman in the book, Curley's wife suffers a similar type of loneliness that Crooks suffers from. While she is married to Curley, the boss's son, she seems to have no relationship with the man. Near the end of the novel, she tells Lennie she doesn't like being around her husband because "He ain't a nice fella."  She is always looking for him while he is always looking for her. There is not one part of the novel when the two are seen together. She deals with her loneliness in looking for comfort from the other men. She goes into the bunkhouse and into Crooks's stable to flirt. The men call her a "tart," but "lonely" seems to be a more appropriate term for her in these instances.

While each of the white men in the novel suffer from a type of loneliness, they all have each other. Even George seems to find friendship with Slim in the few pages that occur after he shoots Lennie. 

Even though the extent to which Crooks and Curley's wife experience loneliness is abundant, I would probably argue that Curley's wife is the loneliest character. While Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse with the white men, he is allowed to mingle with them outside. He is needed on the ranch. Curley's wife, however, is not needed. Curley goes to whores instead of going to his wife and the other men on the ranch are afraid to talk to her. Instead, the only person on the ranch who is willing to be around her turns out to be the same person who kills her.

What is the difference between the manager and the leader in an organization?

A manager is a fairly precise term, referring to a specific form of supervisory role. Part of what defines a manager is a job description that includes the responsibility of acting as a bridge between higher level figures, such as executives, and workers. Normally several people report to a manager and a manager reports to someone higher in the corporate hierarchy. Managerial responsibilities may include hiring, staffing, monitoring employee performance, planning, and working out operational...

A manager is a fairly precise term, referring to a specific form of supervisory role. Part of what defines a manager is a job description that includes the responsibility of acting as a bridge between higher level figures, such as executives, and workers. Normally several people report to a manager and a manager reports to someone higher in the corporate hierarchy. Managerial responsibilities may include hiring, staffing, monitoring employee performance, planning, and working out operational details.

The term "leader" is actually quite vague. It does not refer to a designated job description or specific set of responsibilities. Sometimes it is simply used as a term of praise for a good manager. Sometimes it refers to a person who motivates, inspires, or influences other people in an organization regardless of nominal job description. Often the term "leadership" is associated with charisma.

What are some advantages of consumers having private property?

I'm not really clear on the context in which this question is being asked, since it is listed under "Business," which presupposes a capitalistic system of some sort, I would think. If consumers do not own private property, they are far less likely to want to consume many goods and services, and they have no assets upon which they can draw if need be. If I own a house, I am more likely to buy...

I'm not really clear on the context in which this question is being asked, since it is listed under "Business," which presupposes a capitalistic system of some sort, I would think. If consumers do not own private property, they are far less likely to want to consume many goods and services, and they have no assets upon which they can draw if need be. If I own a house, I am more likely to buy carpeting and paint to fix it up and buy a few trees and perennials to plant. If I rent, I have no stake in the place I live, and I am not going to acquire a significant number of goods and services to improve the property. If I own a house, I build equity in it, upon which I can borrow, to remodel, to send a child to college, or to finance my senior years. It is difficult to conceptualize an economy in which there are businesses and no one is permitted to own private property.

Which organ of government is known as the judiciary?

I think you are referring to the form of government that the United States and some other countries have, with a legislative organ, an executive organ, and a judicial organ.  We usually refer to these as branches of government.  When we make reference to the judiciary, we often mean the Supreme Court of the United States, which is meant to have nine members, although there is a vacancy at the moment.   The Supreme Court was...

I think you are referring to the form of government that the United States and some other countries have, with a legislative organ, an executive organ, and a judicial organ.  We usually refer to these as branches of government.  When we make reference to the judiciary, we often mean the Supreme Court of the United States, which is meant to have nine members, although there is a vacancy at the moment.   The Supreme Court was established by Article III of the Constitution.  The legislative branch, Congress, has established other courts below the Supreme Court, federal district courts and federal circuit courts.  The district courts are throughout the United States, and they are trial courts to make determinations about federal laws and the Constitution.  The circuit courts are appellate courts, and anyone has the right to appeal a district court decision to the circuit court.  From the circuit court, one may ask the Supreme Court to review the decision, but it is up to the Supreme Court to agree to do so or not.  At the state level, there is also a judiciary, established by each state's constitution.  There are three levels here as well, a trial court level, an appellate court level, and a state supreme court level.  As in the federal judiciary, one has the right to appeal the decision from the trial court to the appellate court, but the state supreme court decides whether or not to hear an appeal from the appellate court decision. 

What type of energy holds molecules together to form matter?

Everything that we see around us -- plants, water, animals, metals, etc. -- is all matter; that is, they occupy space and have mass. The matter is composed of molecules and these molecules are held together by forces known as intermolecular forces. These forces are attractive in nature and can be any of the following:

1. Dipole-dipole forces


2. London dispersion forces


3. hydrogen bonding forces


4. induced dipole forces 

A great example of hydrogen bonding holding molecules together...

Everything that we see around us -- plants, water, animals, metals, etc. -- is all matter; that is, they occupy space and have mass. The matter is composed of molecules and these molecules are held together by forces known as intermolecular forces. These forces are attractive in nature and can be any of the following:

1. Dipole-dipole forces


2. London dispersion forces


3. hydrogen bonding forces


4. induced dipole forces 

A great example of hydrogen bonding holding molecules together to form matter is water. Each water molecule contains an oxygen atom (with partial negative charge) and two hydrogen atoms (with a partial positive charge on each). Each of these atoms is attracted to an oppositely-charged atom of a neighboring water molecule, overall forming four hydrogen bonds with neighboring water molecules. All these molecules held together is what we see as water. 

Interestingly, depending on the magnitude of these intermolecular forces and the kinetic energy of the molecules, the matter may be solid, liquid or gas. For example, if the intermolecular forces between the molecules are strong enough to overcome the kinetic energy of the molecules, the matter will likely be a liquid or a solid.

Hope this helps. 

Why would there likely be low humidity when there is high pressure system in your area.

Humidity is defined as the amount of water vapor in the air. Air pressure is defined as the force that is exerted on Earth’s surface by the weight of air. On average, air consists of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon. The rest of air is composed of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, neon, and helium. When the humidity is high, the amount of water in the air is higher than normal....

Humidity is defined as the amount of water vapor in the air. Air pressure is defined as the force that is exerted on Earth’s surface by the weight of air. On average, air consists of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon. The rest of air is composed of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, neon, and helium. When the humidity is high, the amount of water in the air is higher than normal. As the amount of water vapor in the air increases, the amount of oxygen and nitrogen in the air decrease. Water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O). The mass of water vapor molecules is less than the mass of the diatomic oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2). Therefore, there is less force that is exerted on Earth’s surface. This results in a lower air pressure. Thus, as the humidity increases, the air pressure decreases.

The opposite is also true. As humidity decreases, the amount of water vapor in the air decreases. Thus, there is more of the heavy nitrogen and oxygen, which results in an increased air pressure. Therefore, low humidity results in a higher air pressure and vice versa.

Who is Tariq in A Thousand Splendid Suns most similar to in The Kite Runner and The Thorn Birds?

I would argue that Tariq is most similar to Dane in The Thorn Birds and Hassan in The Kite Runner.

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Tariq is the quintessential hero, courageous and always ready to defend those he loves. We get a glimpse of Tariq's fierce loyalty in Part Two, Chapter 18. When Khadim squirts urine all over Laila, Tariq confronts the bully. He takes off his prosthetic leg and beats Khadim with it while hopping on his one good leg. In Part Two, Chapter 25, Tariq fully demonstrates his capacity for loyalty when he pledges to return for Laila, even after she rejects his offer to marry.

There is no bitterness in Tariq because he understands Laila's reasons for rejecting him. He knows that Laila can't "wipe away the obligations of her life" any more than he can his. Tariq's ability to love, forgive, and trust exemplifies his moral stature.

Later, in Part Three, Chapter 44, we get further glimpses of Tariq's sterling nature. At the refugee camp in Nasir Bagh, Tariq's father dies, and his mother almost succumbs to pneumonia. Determined to save his mother from further suffering, Tariq does everything he can to secure employment. His main purpose is to earn enough so that he can move his mother into an apartment in Peshawar, preferably one that has "heating and clean water." However, no one will hire Tariq because of his crippled leg. In the end, Tariq takes on a dangerous job which lands him in prison.

Despite his difficult life, Tariq continues to stay positive. Even when he discovers that his Laila is a married woman, he betrays no ill-will towards the woman he loves. He understands why Laila married Rasheed, and his only regret is that he had to leave Laila behind years ago.

In The Thorn Birds, Dane is most similar to Tariq. Dane is an interesting character, actually. He is morally idealistic and fiercely committed to his Catholic faith. Like Tariq, he harbors deep convictions about life, truth, and religion. While Tariq is obviously Muslim and Dane is Catholic, both are similar in the sense that both are able to love unequivocally and without judgment. Both men are also willing to sacrifice their own comfort for others. In The Thorn Birds, Dane is also the perfect brother to Justine: he's supportive and loving. He loves his sister without reservation.

At the end of the novel, Dane dies of a heart attack after he valiantly saves two German women from drowning. Essentially, Dane made the ultimate sacrifice to his God. While Tariq doesn't die in A Thousand Splendid Suns, he and Dane share a compelling character trait: both are self-sacrificial in nature.

In The Kite Runner, Hassan comes closest to resembling Tariq. We are given glimpses of Hassan's self-sacrificing nature very early in the novel. Hassan serves Amir without reservation despite the latter's private contempt for him. Even after Amir betrays him by neglecting to come to his aid during his moment of greatest need, Hassan never displays any bitterness towards his friend. Like Tariq, Hassan is utterly incapable of holding grudges. In fact, Hassan suffers greatly after Assef rapes him, but he never reproaches Amir for his shameful betrayal. Later, Hassan takes the rap after Amir falsely accuses him of being a thief. Hassan sacrifices himself so that Amir can save his reputation before Baba.

Tariq, Dane, and Hassan exemplify all that is good and moral in the masculine soul; indeed, their collective humanity restores our faith in human nature.

Why the Medieval Period is a significant period that needs to be studied to understand the evolution of human society ?

The Middle Ages spanned a one-thousand year period, from 500 to 1500, and were a time of great change and upheaval. In terms of our social evolution, some of the most important concepts were born in this period, a few of which can be summarised as below:

• Freedom: ancient civilisations relied on slave labour and, while the Middle Ages had many unfree peasants, they respected and valued their labour. This is based on a passage...

The Middle Ages spanned a one-thousand year period, from 500 to 1500, and were a time of great change and upheaval. In terms of our social evolution, some of the most important concepts were born in this period, a few of which can be summarised as below:

• Freedom: ancient civilisations relied on slave labour and, while the Middle Ages had many unfree peasants, they respected and valued their labour. This is based on a passage from the Bible: "the labourer is worthy of his hire." After the Black Death killed around one-third of the population of Europe, labourers experienced somewhat of a 'golden age' in which they were able to be far more selective when it came to pay and conditions. Within a century, serfdom was all but extinct.


• Constitutional law: this idea is completely medieval in its essence. Scholars like Thomas Aquinas argued that God established universal laws and that no single person held absolute power over others. This idea would later be echoed by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. 


• Exploration: while ancient civilisations had built great empires, medieval exploration enabled the discovery of new lands and people and, more importantly, cultural exchanges. The Columbian Exchange, for example, brought new flora and fauna to Europe which would forever change our diet and landscape.  

Describe the differences and similarities between the societies and economies of the southern, middle, and New England colonies.

There were differences and similarities between the southern, middle and New England colonies. One difference was economic. The New England colonies had lots of industries. Because of the rocky soil and the cooler climate, many people worked in the shipping, lumber, fishing, and manufacturing industries. The southern colonies were mainly agricultural. With fertile soil and a mild climate, a lot of farming was done. Crops such as rice, tobacco, and indigo were grown. The middle...

There were differences and similarities between the southern, middle and New England colonies. One difference was economic. The New England colonies had lots of industries. Because of the rocky soil and the cooler climate, many people worked in the shipping, lumber, fishing, and manufacturing industries. The southern colonies were mainly agricultural. With fertile soil and a mild climate, a lot of farming was done. Crops such as rice, tobacco, and indigo were grown. The middle colonies had both manufacturing and farming. The colonies closer to New England had more industry, while those closer to the South had more farming.

The societies were also different. Southern colonies depended on slaves to help them with the farming. The slaves had no rights and were not free to do what they wanted to do. The white plantation owner dominated southern society. The middle colonies had some slaves. Religious freedom was more common in the middle colonies. In New England, there were few slaves. People tended to live in towns, and the town meeting was a common part of the government structure.

There were similarities between the regions. Each region was fairly self-sufficient economically. Trade was an important activity of each area. Each region depended on trade with Europe, especially with Great Britain. Religion also played a role to some degree in the lives of the people in each region. Men, unlike women, were more likely to get a formal education. Each region eventually had some form of government.

There were differences and similarities between the southern, middle, and New England colonies.

What is the letter writer intending to do/beginning to do? Is this a noble undertaking?

The letter writer, Captain Walton, is intending to sail to the North Pole, a "country of eternal light," in order to find "a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite"; in other words, he is hoping to find the Northwest Passage.  Such a passage would provide a shipping route that bypasses North America and connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Captain Walton is also interested...

The letter writer, Captain Walton, is intending to sail to the North Pole, a "country of eternal light," in order to find "a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite"; in other words, he is hoping to find the Northwest Passage.  Such a passage would provide a shipping route that bypasses North America and connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Captain Walton is also interested in "ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be effected by an undertaking such as [his]."  

The captain has a great desire for adventure and glory.  He even says to his sister, Mrs. Saville, the intended recipient of his letters, "And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose.  My life might have passed in ease and luxury; but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path."  Thus, I think this undertaking can be described as noble.  On one hand, Captain Walton has a clear desire to improve life for humanity, finding a new shipping route would greatly benefit his country: this seems noble.  On the other hand, he wishes to accomplish these things not only to assist humanity but also to bring himself personal glory: this seems less noble than a pure desire to help one's fellow human beings.  

What is the main problem in No More Dead Dogs and how was it solved?

No More Dead Dogs, written by Gordon Korman, is a novel for younger readers focused on a boy in middle school named Wallace Wallace (that's right, first and last name). Because his touchdown won his school football team the championship, he has recently become popular with other students.

Problems start off in the book when Wallace, who doesn't like to lie, writes a book report truthfully saying how much he hated the book Old Shep,...

No More Dead Dogs, written by Gordon Korman, is a novel for younger readers focused on a boy in middle school named Wallace Wallace (that's right, first and last name). Because his touchdown won his school football team the championship, he has recently become popular with other students.

Problems start off in the book when Wallace, who doesn't like to lie, writes a book report truthfully saying how much he hated the book Old Shep, My Pal. His teacher, Mr. Fogelman, gives him detention until he writes new report, and he requires Wallace to go to rehearsals of the drama club for detention. This keeps Wallace from going to football practice, and he eventually realizes that he'd rather be in drama club than on the football team.

While there are other things going on in the plot, I would say the main problem in No More Dead Dogs is that someone is trying to sabotage the school play, and Wallace is being blamed for it. Wallace has been making friends in rehearsals and making suggestions to change the show, but he is banished from the play when he is suspected for the vandalism. This problem is eventually solved when Rachel realizes that her brother Dylan, who was upset that Wallace left the football team, was responsible for the sabotage. Everything works out, and Rachel and Wallace decide to go on a date. 

In the New York City Police Department 1) Summarize what can be done and to fix when crime victims are being mishandled by the police ...

In recent years, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has come under fire for pressuring victims to downgrade the crimes they report. For example, the police have reportedly asked women to report sexual assault as simply assault, and they have told victims of sexual crimes that their cases would not stand up in court. To rectify these types of abuses, the NYPD has recently added the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) to put advocates for crime...

In recent years, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has come under fire for pressuring victims to downgrade the crimes they report. For example, the police have reportedly asked women to report sexual assault as simply assault, and they have told victims of sexual crimes that their cases would not stand up in court. To rectify these types of abuses, the NYPD has recently added the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) to put advocates for crime victims in police precincts across the city. This program works with an agency called Safe Horizons to provide assistance for victims' needs as soon after the crime as possible. This agency is particularly important in the aftermath of domestic abuse crimes, sexual assaults, and other sexual crimes. 

You can think about what other changes you would recommend to handle police corruption. It seems important to have a monitoring agency involved to ensure the police are not asking victims to downgrade the reporting of crimes and to ensure they are not mishandling the victims of crimes, namely, sensitive sexual assault crimes. In addition, the police should receive training on how to handle the victims of sexual assault crimes, how to refer victims for help, and how to respond in a sensitive way to their experiences. 

Even though the drama is full of verbal deception, physical disguise only happens twice. First is when masked Bosola tries to capture the Duchess....

In the first case, when Bosola tries to capture the Duchess, he's wearing a mask. This is a sign that he's simply carrying out Ferdinand's orders. He personally has come to admire the Duchess for the remarkable fortitude she has so graciously displayed in the midst of all her various troubles. But at the same time, he still remains a loyal, faithful servant to his master. Bosola's wearing of the mask is his way of...

In the first case, when Bosola tries to capture the Duchess, he's wearing a mask. This is a sign that he's simply carrying out Ferdinand's orders. He personally has come to admire the Duchess for the remarkable fortitude she has so graciously displayed in the midst of all her various troubles. But at the same time, he still remains a loyal, faithful servant to his master. Bosola's wearing of the mask is his way of distancing himself from a deed he finds especially disagreeable.

Much the same rationale is behind Bosola's disguised appearance in Act III. Here Bosola enters, disguised as an old man, and tells the Duchess that he's come to measure her for a tomb. Once again, Bosola has been given a very unpleasant duty to carry out by Ferdinand; and once again he does as he's told. But, as previously, he's adopted a disguise as a way of trying to reconcile his growing admiration of the Duchess with his professed loyalty to Ferdinand.

What is the importance of marketing?

The importance of marketing can be addressed from the 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion, and Place). Marketing is a bridge connecting the business and the customer. In regards to the elements mentioned, marketing is expected to gather information about the business’s financial expectations and the customers' purchase ability. This information, among other strategies, would enable the business to set a price that is acceptable to the customer and that achieves profits for the business. Marketing ensures...

The importance of marketing can be addressed from the 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion, and Place). Marketing is a bridge connecting the business and the customer. In regards to the elements mentioned, marketing is expected to gather information about the business’s financial expectations and the customers' purchase ability. This information, among other strategies, would enable the business to set a price that is acceptable to the customer and that achieves profits for the business. Marketing ensures that the product developed can adequately satisfy the needs of the customer. Through promotions, marketing is expected to inform, educate and create awareness about the products and services which are produced as solutions to different consumer problems. Marketing is also expected to ensure availability of the products in the market by establishing the most efficient and effective route to reach the customer through distribution (Place).

Why don't the children have birth mothers?

In Lois Lowry's dystopian novel The Giver, the characters do not have birth mothers in the normal sense. Rather than staying with and being raised by their biological mothers, children are assigned to a family unit. In fact, the role of "birthmother" is a job that is assigned to female individuals when vocations are handed down at the Ceremony of Twelve. These women are known as "Vessels," and they are not permitted to have...

In Lois Lowry's dystopian novel The Giver, the characters do not have birth mothers in the normal sense. Rather than staying with and being raised by their biological mothers, children are assigned to a family unit. In fact, the role of "birthmother" is a job that is assigned to female individuals when vocations are handed down at the Ceremony of Twelve. These women are known as "Vessels," and they are not permitted to have children of their own or spouses after their procreative role is complete. They serve in their pregnancy capacity for three years and then transition into work as Laborers. This vocation is considered low status. 

Another interesting fact is that birthmothers are not allowed to see or interact with the children they give birth to in any way. This is ultimately done to further repress the feelings, emotions, and human connections (which may result in pain and unpleasantness) within the Community.

What are three characteristics of Usher?

The narrator of the story says that Roderick's "reserve had been always excessive and habitual." This means that he has always been likely to check his true feelings and impulses around other people, exercising restraint and self-command. The narrator also says that

his very ancient family had been noted, time out of mind, for a peculiar sensibility of temperament, displaying itself, through long ages, in many works of exalted art, and manifested, of late, in...

The narrator of the story says that Roderick's "reserve had been always excessive and habitual." This means that he has always been likely to check his true feelings and impulses around other people, exercising restraint and self-command. The narrator also says that

his very ancient family had been noted, time out of mind, for a peculiar sensibility of temperament, displaying itself, through long ages, in many works of exalted art, and manifested, of late, in repeated deeds of munificent yet unobtrusive charity, as well as in a passionate devotion to the intricacies, perhaps even more than to the orthodox and easily recognizable beauties of musical science.

Thus, it seems as though Roderick Usher has been quite generous in providing charity to others, and he has been passionately devoted to the arts and music as well. The narrator also discusses the fact that the entirety of the Usher family lays "in the direct line of descent." In other words, the Ushers have long married and had children with their close relatives, and this means that Roderick is also the product of incest and may conduct an incestuous relationship of his own.  

In addition, Roderick tells the narrator about the illness that has so altered his physical appearance since the last time they were together.  He says it is "a constitutional a family evil . . . —a mere nervous affection . . . which would undoubtedly soon pass off." This malady shows itself as a severe acuteness of sense: his senses are working in overdrive, so to speak: faint light is too bright, floral odor is too intense, and so forth. He wants to die rather than continue suffering in this way.  

Describe the types of styles of European art and architecture during the Middle Ages.

The style of architecture mostly closely associated with the Middle Ages is the Gothic. Gothic architecture was developed in France in the twelfth century and spread across most of Europe. It is characterized by pointed arches, flying buttresses, and ribbed vaulting. Ribbed vaulting was an innovation that allowed a building to support windows higher up. Windows in the upper or clerestory level of a building are particularly associated with Gothic cathedrals. Flying buttresses support a...

The style of architecture mostly closely associated with the Middle Ages is the Gothic. Gothic architecture was developed in France in the twelfth century and spread across most of Europe. It is characterized by pointed arches, flying buttresses, and ribbed vaulting. Ribbed vaulting was an innovation that allowed a building to support windows higher up. Windows in the upper or clerestory level of a building are particularly associated with Gothic cathedrals. Flying buttresses support a building from its outside, so they can be seen extending out from the walls of a cathedral or other large building. Gothic architecture is also characterized by decorative features such as gargoyles.

A form of medieval architecture that predates the Gothic is the Romanesque. If pointed arches are the chief distinguishing feature of the Gothic, rounded arches characterize the Romanesque. Romanesque architecture has thick walls, solid rounded towers, and other rounded surfaces. It evolved between the sixth and eleventh centuries from the architecture of the Roman Empire. 

Art in the Middle Ages was primarily devoted to Christian subjects and evolved over the course of time from stiff, flat, and static to more realistic. It also developed a greater sense of perspective or depth.

How does Northanger Abbey employ comedy in its examination of character? Refer to text or a passage from the novel to show an example.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen functions in many ways as a parody of the unrealistic conventions of the Gothic novel. Austen often highlights the nature of her characters by contrasting them with Gothic ideals in a humorous fashion. In particular, the character of Catherine Morland is often illustrated by invoking the iconic Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolphoby Ann Radcliffe. First, Catherine and her friend, the immoral Isabella Thorpe, are portrayed as reading copies...

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen functions in many ways as a parody of the unrealistic conventions of the Gothic novel. Austen often highlights the nature of her characters by contrasting them with Gothic ideals in a humorous fashion. In particular, the character of Catherine Morland is often illustrated by invoking the iconic Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. First, Catherine and her friend, the immoral Isabella Thorpe, are portrayed as reading copies the three volumes of The Mysteries of Udolpho from a circulating library over the course of Northanger Abbey and being influenced by its assumptions. Secondly, Catherine is frequently explicitly contrasted with the typical Gothic heroine in a humorous manner. 

The first comic contrast between Catherine and the Gothic heroine occurs in the opening of the book, where Catherine is contrasted with the Gothic heroine in a manner that makes the absurdity and improbability of the traditional heroine apparent and also highlights Catherine's basic decency and normality. For example, Austen mentions:

[Catherine] was fond of all boys' plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush.

This uses comedy to show that Catherine was a normal young girl, rather than an improbably idealized one, and makes the typical images of the Gothic heroine seem absurd. In fact, despite being average at lessons with none of the striking artistic genius or taste attributed to the Gothic heroines: 

 ... she had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper; was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny;

A second scene using comedy to delineate Catherine's character occurs before she goes to bed at Northanger Abbey. It is a dark and stormy night. Just as she finds a sheaf of papers tucked in the back of an old cabinet, a gust of wind blows out her candle. She imagines this some mysterious diary revealing a Gothic tale of horror, showing how much the fiction she has been reading has influenced her imagination. The overwrought language that describes what she imagines is bitingly parodic, as is the moment when she wakes up and discovers that the mysterious papers are merely a forgotten laundry list. 

In Henry V is war seen as a just way of settling disputes or a demonstration of human violence?

One of the brilliant things about Shakespeare’s plays, and one of the reasons they still continue to be performed century after century, is the fact that Shakespeare is not a moralist. His plays portray people and events without passing judgment on them, and so each succeeding generation of playgoers and actors and directors find new and often contradictory things in them.

“Henry V” is a very stark example of this. The play has been interpreted...

One of the brilliant things about Shakespeare’s plays, and one of the reasons they still continue to be performed century after century, is the fact that Shakespeare is not a moralist. His plays portray people and events without passing judgment on them, and so each succeeding generation of playgoers and actors and directors find new and often contradictory things in them.

“Henry V” is a very stark example of this. The play has been interpreted and staged both as a jingoistic nationalist fantasy of a just war being carried out and leading to a noble victory (see Laurence Olivier’s film version of 1944), and it's also been portrayed as a story of an awful, brutal, unjust war full of horror and death, as in Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film. The fascinating thing is the play contains both possibilities at the same time: the play contains moments of tremendous heroism and justice and also horrible violence and cruelty and injustice. The play never articulates an opinion. Perhaps one of the primary explanations for Shakespeare’s endurance in our culture is that whatever he thought of war, or anything else, he kept those feelings to himself.

What would John Rawls say about Plato's conception of social justice depicted in The Republic, and what would Plato say about John Rawls's theory...

Plato's sense of justice came from his desire to make Athens less corrupt and to rectify what he saw as the degeneracy of the world around him. He defined justice as "Dikaisyne," which roughly means "righteousness," and stated that it involved setting aside one's desire to achieve only selfish aims and get benefit out of every situation—instead, one should think of the greater good.

Plato believed that the human soul contained the elements of reason,...

Plato's sense of justice came from his desire to make Athens less corrupt and to rectify what he saw as the degeneracy of the world around him. He defined justice as "Dikaisyne," which roughly means "righteousness," and stated that it involved setting aside one's desire to achieve only selfish aims and get benefit out of every situation—instead, one should think of the greater good.

Plato believed that the human soul contained the elements of reason, spirit, and appetite, and that people were able to exercise justice when none of these elements was supreme over the others. Similarly, he saw society as divided into three classes, the philosopher (similar to the individual function of reason), the warrior (similar to spirit), and the farmer (similar to the appetite). For society to achieve justice, each group had to do its duty, or specialize, without interfering with other groups. Each individual had to follow his or her duty to pursue justice, just as each group in society had to follow its own special role to achieve justice and make society function well. 

Rawls's two principles of justice were 1) each individual should have at the least the most basic liberties that others have, and 2) social opportunities should be arranged so that those with the greatest need benefit the most. Rawls's idea of the "original position" is that everyone must determine principles of justice from behind what he calls "a veil of ignorance," not knowing if they are privileged or not privileged in status. 

Rawls and Plato might disagree on some points. For example, Plato was a defender of totalitarianism, while Rawls was a liberal democrat. However, in the Republic, Plato speaks of specialization, of each person fulfilling a responsibility in society, that is similar to what Rawls speaks of in the "original position," as it's not clear what roles people have when they agree to work together to create a just and harmonious society through specialization. In the Republic, Plato speaks of Cleinias of Knossos organizing a Pan-Hellenistic society in which people must come together, and these people occupy a form of the "original position" that Rawls writes about because they don't know the status of the other people. They all must agree to the rule of Law (713-715), and the power of the many is not above the power of the few. In this sense, Plato endorses the kind of "original position" that Rawls advocates, and they are in agreement about Rawls's two principles of justice. Rawls might say that Plato's description of this society meets his two principles and the requirements of the "original position." 

Why does Atticus like reading the newspaper?

Like many men at the end of the day, besides wanting to news, Atticus enjoys retreating into the other world of the newspaper. He also uses the opened newspaper to shield him while he ponders personal and professional problems that he needs to resolve; with this shield before him, Atticus prevents his children from seeing the consternation on his face.

• In Chapter 2, when Scout is scolded for having been taught to read an improper...

Like many men at the end of the day, besides wanting to news, Atticus enjoys retreating into the other world of the newspaper. He also uses the opened newspaper to shield him while he ponders personal and professional problems that he needs to resolve; with this shield before him, Atticus prevents his children from seeing the consternation on his face.

• In Chapter 2, when Scout is scolded for having been taught to read an improper way, Scout demurs, "Atticus ain't got time to teach me anything." Somebody did. You weren't born reading The Mobile Register." Evidently, then, on those many evenings when his little girl curls up on his lap, Atticus has probably read aloud so that he can both digest the news and pacify her.


• At other times when he is rather disturbed by the events of the day, Atticus shields himself behind his newspaper. For instance, in Chapter 15, after the men who have come to the front yard to ask Atticus to have Tom Robinson's trial moved depart, Atticus reenters his home and goes to his chair and picks up the evening paper. Scout remarks,

I sometimes think Atticus subjected every crisis of his life to tranquil evaluation behind The Mobile Register, The Birmingham News, and The Montgomery Advertiser. [These papers are publications of the major cities of Alabama].

• Further in this same chapter, fearing a lynch mob may come to the jail, Atticus stations himself outside before the cell of Tom Robinson. Sitting on a chair propped against the jailhouse, Atticus shields himself behind the newspaper so that the Old Sarum bunch will not think he is worried.


• In Chapter 22, after the Tom Robinson verdict, Atticus is up early, sitting behind his newspaper, attempting to relax and distract himself for a while from his concerns. 

What theme does the author of the History of Plymouth Plantation want to convey? How does this theme relate to God's providence?

One of the major themes of the History of Plymouth Plantationis, in fact, God's divine Providence. Throughout the book, Bradford interprets every event that occurs, both good and bad for the Pilgrims, as God's will, and connected to some divine purpose that was usually impossible for human beings to understand. On the voyage to Plymouth, for example, a very profane young man, who was given to blasphemy and insulting the pious Pilgrims, got very...

One of the major themes of the History of Plymouth Plantation is, in fact, God's divine Providence. Throughout the book, Bradford interprets every event that occurs, both good and bad for the Pilgrims, as God's will, and connected to some divine purpose that was usually impossible for human beings to understand. On the voyage to Plymouth, for example, a very profane young man, who was given to blasphemy and insulting the pious Pilgrims, got very sick and died. Bradford reflects that this was surely God's way of chastening the people, reminding them of proper behavior for a Christian:

Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.

Bradford believed that whatever successes the Plymouth settlement experienced were the result of God's mercy and Providence, which would be extended to them only as long as they maintained their faith in God. Almost every event, good or bad, is prefaced by the phrase "it pleased God." "It pleased God," for example, "to visit them this year with an infectious fever," or to "send home a great quantity of beaver." Everything that happened to and around the Pilgrims portrayed by William Bradford was an example of God's will. So essentially, the main theme of the book is in fact God's providence.

What effects does authorial intrusion yield in "The Crucible"?

Arthur Miller's intrusions into the play help readers to better understand these complicated characters because he offers us quite a bit of insight into their fictional lives.  For example, he tells readers that Abigail Williams is a fantastic liar and master manipulator, and this helps us to read into her behaviors and get to know her much more quickly that we might otherwise.  Likewise, we quickly develop an understanding of the complexities of John Proctor's...

Arthur Miller's intrusions into the play help readers to better understand these complicated characters because he offers us quite a bit of insight into their fictional lives.  For example, he tells readers that Abigail Williams is a fantastic liar and master manipulator, and this helps us to read into her behaviors and get to know her much more quickly that we might otherwise.  Likewise, we quickly develop an understanding of the complexities of John Proctor's character as a result of Miller's exposition on him (exposition is the presentation of background information that usually occurs toward the beginning of texts as a way to help the reader quickly get to know the people and places).  This helps us to contextualize Proctor's and Abigail's conversation with one another in Act I, and our opinions of these characters can begin to crystallize much more quickly.

Additionally, Miller's comments -- in acquainting us with these fictional characters -- help readers to understand how Miller has differentiated and changed them from their real-life counterparts.  Many of these names were real players in this tragic era of American history, and Miller makes some important changes (such as bringing Abigail and John closer together in age and creating their sexual affair).  His intrusions into the text allow us to quickly ascertain what changes he's made to the history.

Calculate the electric field above a ring of charge of radius `R` and charge density `lambda` at a point `P` centered on the axis of the ring.

In general, the contribution to the total electric field `E` from an infinitesimal piece of charge `dE` is

`dE=(k*dq)/r^2`

The total field is then calculated by integrating over all the charge:

`E=int(k*dq)/r^2`

Where `k=1/(4pi epsilon_0)` and `r` is the distance from `dq` to the point `P` . 

For this problem, if the point `P` is a distance `z` above the ring then we can set up a triangle to get a relationship between `z`and...

In general, the contribution to the total electric field `E` from an infinitesimal piece of charge `dE` is

`dE=(k*dq)/r^2`

The total field is then calculated by integrating over all the charge:

`E=int(k*dq)/r^2`

Where `k=1/(4pi epsilon_0)` and `r` is the distance from `dq` to the point `P` . 

For this problem, if the point `P` is a distance `z` above the ring then we can set up a triangle to get a relationship between `z` and the distance `r`.

`r^2=z^2+R^2`

The vector `dE` pointing at point `P` from a chunk of charge, can be broken up into two components, one in the radial direction and one in the vertical direction.

`dE=dE_r+dE_z`

When considering the total electric field contribution from the ring, the radial contribution of every piece of charge will sum to zero and only the `z` contribution will be left due to the symmetry of the ring.

`dE_z=dE*cos(phi)=dE*(z/r)=(k*dq)/r^2*(z/r)`

`E_z=int(k*dq)/r^2 *(z/r)`

`E_z=int (k*z*dq)/r^3`

`lambda` is the piece of charge divided by a piece of length along the ring.

`lambda=(dq)/(dl)`

From the fact that `r*theta` is equal to the arc length around a circle we can say that

`dl=R*d(theta)`

Therefore,

`E_z=int (k*z*lambda dl)/r^3`

`E_z=int (k*z*lambda R d(theta))/r^3`

Now substitute for `r` and integrate theta from `[0,2pi]` .

`E_z=int_0^(2pi) (k*z*lambda R d(theta))/(sqrt(z^2+R^2))^3`

`E_z=(k*z*lambda R)/(sqrt(z^2+R^2))^3 int_0^(2pi) d(theta) `

`E_z=(2pi k*z*lambda*R )/(sqrt(z^2+R^2))^3`

Therefore the electric field at point `P` is entirely in the `z` -direction with magnitude:

`E_z=(z*lambda*R)/(2epsilon_0(sqrt(z^2+R^2))^3)`

Has the growth of presidential powers been positive for American democracy, or does increased executive power infringe upon the duties of the...

The increased powers of the executive, particularly with regard to war powers, and the ability to issue executive order to various departments within the executive branch, have resulted in a less powerful legislative branch than our founders had anticipated. That does not necessarily mean that increased executive authority is bad for our democracy, but it does pose some worrying problems.

Despite The War Powers Act of 1973, which forces the President to notify congress within 48 hours of sending troops into an armed conflict, Presidents have continued to engage in military operations without getting a Declaration of War from congress, mostly because, as Commander in Chief, the President can mobilize forces on his own, and once he does, it is politically unpalatable for congress to then refuse to fund those ongoing operations, with troops in the theater of battle.

This power of the president to begin a military action unilaterally certainly infringes on the constitutional authority of congress, which is supposed to “advise and consent” over matters such as war. The ability and proclivity of modern presidents to begin armed conflicts and only then ask for congressional approval limits the ability of congress (and therefore, of the people) to check the president's powers. In the modern era, once the people elect a president, that president has remarkably free reign to wage war for the next four years, despite what happens in the intervening congressional elections. Unless congress is unified in its opposition to a president’s decision to wage war, which it almost never is, due the fact of divided government, the ability of congress to exercise its power to consent, is greatly diminished.

Likewise, because the federal government has grown exponentially in size and in the magnitude of services it is responsible for carrying out on a daily basis, the President's cabinet has grown from just a handful of secretaries to an entire roomful. Each of those secretaries reports directly to the President, and each secretary oversees thousands or hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Consequently, the daily business of governing is now conducting by millions of technocrats who report not to congress, but to their respective department heads, who in turn report those cabinet members who serve at the pleasure of the president. While this is inevitable in a large country with a modern, diversified economy and enormous civil service, it means that the ability of congress to oversee such a massive and complex bureaucracy is severely curbed.

 The president, meanwhile, has a great deal of leeway to issue executive orders that direct that same, vast civil service in how to perform their duties and how to allocate the resources that congress initially appropriates. Although congress still passes the laws of the land and has the power of the purse in theory, the daily doling out of funds, and thus the prioritization of objectives within in each department, has become the purview of the executive branch, rather than the legislative branch. This development is not necessarily a bad thing, because the country could not operate if members of Congress had to oversee ever decision made by millions of technocrats tasked with the daily functioning of the government.  

Yet this increased remoteness between those civil servants who interact daily with American citizens, and the representatives those citizens choose to govern, exponentially lessens the responsiveness of government and erodes the ability of individual citizens to affect change through the ballot box.

When and why did the ancient mariner set sail with his crew in the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"?

The poem doesn't explicitly answer the questions of when and why the mariner and his crew set sail in the first place. We can assume that the weather was fair when they set out, for "

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill,

Below the lighthouse top.

The sun comes up and down in its diurnal rhythms, and there's enough wind for the ship to...

The poem doesn't explicitly answer the questions of when and why the mariner and his crew set sail in the first place. We can assume that the weather was fair when they set out, for "

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill,

Below the lighthouse top.

The sun comes up and down in its diurnal rhythms, and there's enough wind for the ship to make good time. Otherwise, we aren't told what time of year it is, what year, or where they were going. 

Bill Whelen, author of Captain Cook's Navigator and Coleridge's Poem: William Wales, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," suggests that Coleridge based his poem on the adventures of Captain Cook, a British explorer, and cartographer who sailed and mapped the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, going as far south as Antarctica. Coleridge took a class from Cook's retired navigator and had access to his journals, and Whelan speculates that Coleridge wrote his famous poem based on them. This would suggest that the goal of the mariner's fictional journey was exploration. 

Is Zeus mortal or immortal?

Zeus is immortal. This simply means that he cannot die, as opposed to mortals, who can. He is the god of sky and thunder, as well as lightning, law, order, and justice. He's the father of the gods in the Greek pantheon, the one whom all the other gods fear and respect. He's also the object of veneration from human beings, or mortals, who honor him with countless sacrifices and rituals. Zeus, like all the...

Zeus is immortal. This simply means that he cannot die, as opposed to mortals, who can. He is the god of sky and thunder, as well as lightning, law, order, and justice. He's the father of the gods in the Greek pantheon, the one whom all the other gods fear and respect. He's also the object of veneration from human beings, or mortals, who honor him with countless sacrifices and rituals. Zeus, like all the gods, regularly intervenes in human affairs—taking sides in conflicts, sending down bolts of thunder to destroy those mortals foolish enough to defy him, taking on the form of animals to allow him to mate with mortal females. He's certainly not someone to be trifled with, by either god or man. He is truly the first of the gods.

In the book You Are Not So Smart by McRaney, what are some factors that influence decision making?

It is important to realize that McRaney calls these factors "cognitive biases."  It is also important to realize the full title of the book:  You are Not So Smart:  Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself. 

McRaney admits that these factors or "cognitive biases" are actually "predictable patterns of thought or behavior" that lead people "to draw incorrect conclusions."...

It is important to realize that McRaney calls these factors "cognitive biases."  It is also important to realize the full title of the book:  You are Not So Smart:  Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself. 

McRaney admits that these factors or "cognitive biases" are actually "predictable patterns of thought or behavior" that lead people "to draw incorrect conclusions."  McRaney also admits that we come "pre-loaded" with these biases.  In fact, there are so many that humans do not even notice them.  McRaney's best example of one of these factors has to do with confirmation.  McRaney calls this factor "confirmation bias."  In making decisions, McRaney says that people do research in order to find information to confirm their outlandish beliefs.  At the same time, they ignore whatever they find that would prove their outlandish beliefs to be wrong.  Any books found on a bookshelf or any bookmarks you have on your computer are the result of this. Another example McRaney gives of our functioning is the Wason Selection Task which involve people selecting one or more cards out of four.  Without going into the vast number of specifics of this task, suffice to say that due to our "cognitive biases" most people choose only one of the cards in order to prove the rule while, in reality, it takes two cards to prove it.  

Finally, it is important to realize the function of these factors.  They help continue with "maintenance of a positive self-image."  These factors that help influence your decisions are designed "to make you feel awesome about yourself."  The unfortunate thing is that these "cognitive biases" are false.