By which means have women become able to exercise greater freedom and liberties throughout history?

While originally both legally and socially subservient to men, women have claimed and exercised both rights and freedom using a variety of means. 

One way women gained more freedom was through the strategic use of money. Some of the feminists from the nineteenth century had money and they made donations in the interest of expanding women's horizons. For example, the Johns Hopkins Medical School failed to open as planned because of a lack of funding. Some wealthy women gave the school money to open with the understanding that women would also be accepted. As a result, women could more easily become doctors. 

Another way women became more equal players in the workforce was through war. During both World Wars, men went off to fight, leaving a gap in the workforce. Industry increased, as there was a need for war machinery. Women filled the gap by going to work. It was much harder to argue that women were too weak to work after so many women had made significant contributions to the war effort. 

Even without the right to vote, women became politically involved. The Abolitionist movement, the Temperance movement, and, of course, the Suffragist movement involved women. Abolitionists sought to free the enslaved people of the south. They wrote articles, books, and even songs (such as Glory Hallelujah). They met in conventions and participated in actions such as the Underground Railroad. 

Because alcohol affected the quality of women's lives (it was associated with domestic violence), women were a large part of the Temperance movement, which ultimately resulted in Prohibition in the United States during the 1920s. Also in 1920, women finally received the right to vote, following 80 years of working in the Suffragist movement. 

Still another way women have become freer is through pioneering women who have taken on unexpected roles. Sally Ride was the first woman in space in 1983 and now it is much more common for women to become astronauts. 

Finally, women have taken to the streets and protested their lack of rights throughout history. During the 1960s and 70s, women took to the streets, demanding equal rights and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. 

The history of the women's movement has demonstrated that an oppressed people can take many forms of actions in order to change their own lives and therefore the world. 

Is Gatsby blind to his pursuit of ambition?

Yes. In a way, Jay Gatsby is not aware of the dangers of becoming corrupted by the pursuit of attaining the American Dream. As a young, naive man, Gatsby is driven to become wealthy and enter the upper-class. Gatsby's ambition blinds his sense of right and wrong and motivates him to enter the illegal bootlegging industry, where he becomes business partners with Meyer Wolfsheim. Essentially, Gatsby believes that he will be able to buy his...

Yes. In a way, Jay Gatsby is not aware of the dangers of becoming corrupted by the pursuit of attaining the American Dream. As a young, naive man, Gatsby is driven to become wealthy and enter the upper-class. Gatsby's ambition blinds his sense of right and wrong and motivates him to enter the illegal bootlegging industry, where he becomes business partners with Meyer Wolfsheim. Essentially, Gatsby believes that he will be able to buy his happiness, and ends up sacrificing his morals and identity. Gatsby then transforms himself into an aristocrat, who hails from a wealthy family. Gatsby's ambition to marry Daisy also blinds him into believing that he will be able to have a genuine relationship with her. Overall, Gatsby's ambition motivates him to sacrifice his morals, integrity, and identity in order to attain the American Dream.

What rhetorical strategies are used by Jonathan Edwards to convince his audience to join the Great Awakening movement? Please use quotes.

Edwards uses many rhetorical devices in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to convince his listeners to repent and join the Great Awakening. For example, he uses several figures of speech, including metaphors. In one example, he compares God's enemies to "Heaps of light Chaff before the Whirlwind; or large Quantities of dry Stubble before devouring Flames." In other words, God's enemies are as weak and helpless as pieces of wheat...

Edwards uses many rhetorical devices in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to convince his listeners to repent and join the Great Awakening. For example, he uses several figures of speech, including metaphors. In one example, he compares God's enemies to "Heaps of light Chaff before the Whirlwind; or large Quantities of dry Stubble before devouring Flames." In other words, God's enemies are as weak and helpless as pieces of wheat before a large wind or dry tinder before a fire. Metaphors create visual images in his audience's mind and help emphasize his message. 

Edwards also makes use of the repetition of words and phrases to drive home his ideas. For example, he writes, "As he that walks in slippery Places is every Moment liable to fall; he can’t foresee one Moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once, without Warning." These lines repeat the word "fall" to emphasize that one who is not saved by God is liable to fall into damnation at any moment, and the repetition of this word serves to emphasize the precarious nature of the unredeemed.

He also uses repeated sounds, or alliteration (starting words that are close together with the same sounds). An example is "Fire is made ready, the Furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the Flames do now rage and glow." The repeated use of the "f" sound at the beginning of words drives home the vision of a fire-filled furnace with flames that awaits the sinner. 

Finally, Edwards uses an appeal to the audience's emotions through techniques such as cataplexis, which is predicting doom for sinners. For example, Edwards says, "And you Children that are unconverted, don’t you know that you are going down to Hell, to bear the dreadful Wrath of that God that is now angry with you every Day, and every Night." He prophecies damnation for those who do not join his movement. 

Is "Salvation" by Langston Hughes a nonfictional work?

"Salvation," by Langston Hughes, is actually a short excerpt from his autobiography, The Big Sea. Autobiography is generally considered a genre of nonfiction; it discusses real people and claims to describe events accurately, in so far as the author can remember them. 

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in 1902. The story recounted in "Salvation" takes place when Hughes was 12 years old. Thus, the setting can be dated to 1914. The Big Sea,...

"Salvation," by Langston Hughes, is actually a short excerpt from his autobiography, The Big Sea. Autobiography is generally considered a genre of nonfiction; it discusses real people and claims to describe events accurately, in so far as the author can remember them. 

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in 1902. The story recounted in "Salvation" takes place when Hughes was 12 years old. Thus, the setting can be dated to 1914. The Big Sea, from which "Salvation" was excerpted, was published in 1940, some 26 years after the events being described. One can then assume that Hughes may not have remembered every detail with perfect accuracy and may have used some of his skills as an imaginative writer to flesh out the details of the story. Although the story is basically nonfiction and we can assume it to be accurate in overall import, it is not a journalistic work (which would emphasize precision of detail) but rather an account of how the author remembers his early life.

Outline how the process of dehumanization was central to the development and implementation of the Holocaust

The process of dehumanization was essential to the overall strategy of the Nazis to exterminate groups they found to be subhuman and a threat to the ‘pure’ “Aryan” race.  Hitler was a social Darwinist who believed that the survival of a race or ethnic group depended on racial purity, which meant that intermingling between different groups was a threat to the overall survival.  This was the basis for the plan to exterminate ‘unwanted’ groups to provide the needed space for the Germans to thrive.  He saw certain races as gifted and at the highest point of the racial hierarchy, while others were flawed.  Therefore, mixing would dilute the strong characteristics of the supreme groups.  The enemies of the Nazis included Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, African Germans, homosexuals, and people with disabilities.  In order to complete his plan of eliminating the ‘undesirable’ groups, Hitler and his followers had to create an atmosphere of fear and hatred and an efficient killing machine that has been described as treating its victims as ‘worse than animals’.  Inhumane treatment was easy for a Nazi to do since they already viewed these groups as disease carrying rats, however, to get the rest of the country to follow the plan they had to undertake a propaganda campaign to dehumanize these groups in the eyes of regular Germans.   

Nazis built upon an already frustrated population who was unable to recover economic and social stability in a struggling post-World War I Germany.  They used propaganda in films, pamphlets, and literature to spread their message. There was a widely distributed weekly newspaper which had “The Jews are our misfortune” in bold print on the first page of every issue and caricatures of Jews as hook nosed and ape-like.  Other cartoons followed this strategy, portraying Jews as subhuman, animalistic, apes, diseased vermin, etc.  The propaganda had a dual purpose: to direct anger and blame for economic woes at the Jews and to portray them as sub-human and separate from German society.  The more people saw and read these portrayals of Jews and other groups deemed to be ‘impure’, the less they saw them as part of the same human race.  The Nazis succeeded in creating a battle in the minds of many Germans, an ‘us versus them’ mentality.  The next step of dehumanization in the eyes of society was to segregate Jews from the rest of the community, first with the Nuremberg Laws, next by confinement in Ghettos, and finally, by transport to the concentration camps for the “Final Solution”.      

Nazi treatment of Jews and other victim groups was inhumane and uncommonly cruel.  The experiments done by ‘scientists’ were abhorrent and wouldn’t even have been considered appropriate on animals.  The transportation used to take victims to Concentration Camps were the infamous cattle cars, in which they were literally treated like cattle.  In marches, anyone who fell behind was shot.  And the large scale killing machines in concentration camps were organized like an extermination, considered appropriate by Nazis who viewed their victims as vermin or an infestation. 

Many who look at the Holocaust ask themselves “How could society let this happen”.  The answer lies in the meticulous process of dehumanization undertaken by a well-organized hate group who effectively turned a country against certain groups and were therefore allowed to commit one of the greatest atrocities seen in human history.

Is Gatsby fair to Daisy throughout the novel? Analyze their relationship in terms of the expectations that each places on the other.

I do not feel that Gatsby is fair to Daisy throughout the novel. Gatsby naively believes that Daisy should leave her husband who she has a child with in order to be with him. He gives her an ultimatum and believes that she should choose him. They have not seen each other in five years, and Gatsby feels that Daisy should ruin her marriage to start a relationship with him. Gatsby had spent years amassing...

I do not feel that Gatsby is fair to Daisy throughout the novel. Gatsby naively believes that Daisy should leave her husband who she has a child with in order to be with him. He gives her an ultimatum and believes that she should choose him. They have not seen each other in five years, and Gatsby feels that Daisy should ruin her marriage to start a relationship with him. Gatsby had spent years amassing a fortune through illegal means to live up to Daisy's high standards. However, Gatsby allows money to corrupt him through his efforts to become rich. When Gatsby finally does become wealthy, he believes that he now has everything that Daisy could possibly want. Despite the fact that Gatsby is wealthy and physically attractive, Daisy does not feel comfortable living an insecure life. Being in a relationship with Gatsby is too risky for Daisy, and she cannot leave her secure life behind. Daisy expects Gatsby to be financially secure at all times, while Gatsby believes that Daisy's decision is simple. The truth is that Daisy's wishes are unrealistic and her decision is very difficult.

In what ways does Frankenstein's monster allude to his Oedipal repressions of rivalry toward his father?

The monster begins to allude to his Oedipal rivalry with his father (his creator, Victor Frankenstein) when he compares himself to Adam from John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost.  He says to Victor, 

[Adam] had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with, and acquire knowledge from beings of a superior nature: but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. . . .  God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of your's [sic], more horrid from its very resemblance.

The creature describes his earliest awareness of his origins, around the time that he found Victor's journal in a pocket of some clothes he had taken from Victor's apartment when he fled.  He reads Paradise Lost, comparing himself to Adam: he realizes that Adam was comparatively lucky, as the creature's father gave him none of the advantages that Adam enjoyed.  Further, the creature realizes that he is hideous, another fault of his creator and not his own.

Oedipus, too, was cast away by his own parents and raised by another family, just as the creature was abandoned by his creator and then raised and educated by the DeLaceys (no matter that they were unaware of his presence).  The only interaction Oedipus ever has with his birth father, Laius, is an altercation at an intersection of three roads not far from the oracle at Delphi.  Laius is abusive to him, and so Oedipus kills Laius, not knowing this man is his father.  

Unlike Oedipus, the creature is able to confront his father, Victor, knowing that Victor is, in fact, his creator.  Even before the creature met Victor, he says, "[he] cursed [Victor]" as his creator.  When they do meet, the creature says, "you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us."  Oedipus, too, was bound to his father; the prophecy he received from the oracle stated that he would kill his father and marry his mother. There was nothing he could do to avoid this fate.  The monster is bound to his creator, as well, as Victor offers him the only opportunity he might have to achieve some measure of happiness in this life in the form of a companion.  Ultimately, the struggle between creator and created becomes a mortal one, and it can only end with one or both of their deaths.  

The creature does not have a "mother" he can marry, but he does request a female companion, someone whom only his creator can supply.  When Victor ultimately refuses the request, ripping apart the female creature he had begun to make, the monster strangles Victor's own bride, Elizabeth.  This has a parallel in the way Oedipus plays a role in his mother's own death.  Jocasta hangs herself when she realizes that her husband, Oedipus, is also her son.  Both women die of strangulation: Elizabeth by the monster's hands and Jocasta by the noose.  

`lim_(x->oo)x^3/e^(x^2)` Evaluate the limit, using L’Hôpital’s Rule if necessary.

Given to solve ,

`lim_(x->oo) x^3/e^(x^2)`

upon `x` tends to` oo` we get `x^3/e^(x^2) = oo/oo`

so, by applying the L'Hopital Rule we get

as for the general equation it is as follows

`lim_(x->a) f(x)/g(x) is = 0/0` or `(+-oo)/(+-oo)` then by using the L'Hopital Rule we get  the solution with the  below form.

`lim_(x->a) (f'(x))/(g'(x))`

so , now evaluating

`lim_(x->oo) x^3/e^(x^2)`

upon using the L'Hopital Rule

=`lim_(x->oo) ((x^3)')/((e^(x^2))')`

=`lim_(x->oo) (3x^2)/(e^(x^2)(2x))`

=>`lim_(x->oo) (3x)/(e^(x^2)(2))`

now...

Given to solve ,

`lim_(x->oo) x^3/e^(x^2)`

upon `x` tends to` oo` we get `x^3/e^(x^2) = oo/oo`

so, by applying the L'Hopital Rule we get

as for the general equation it is as follows

`lim_(x->a) f(x)/g(x) is = 0/0` or `(+-oo)/(+-oo)` then by using the L'Hopital Rule we get  the solution with the  below form.

`lim_(x->a) (f'(x))/(g'(x))`

so , now evaluating

`lim_(x->oo) x^3/e^(x^2)`

upon using the L'Hopital Rule

=`lim_(x->oo) ((x^3)')/((e^(x^2))')`

=`lim_(x->oo) (3x^2)/(e^(x^2)(2x))`

=>`lim_(x->oo) (3x)/(e^(x^2)(2))`

now on` x-> oo` we get `(3x)/(e^(x^2)(2)) =oo/oo`

so,again by applying the L'Hopital Rule we get

`lim_(x->oo) (3x)/(e^(x^2)(2))`

=`lim_(x->oo) ((3x)')/((e^(x^2)(2))')`

=`lim_(x->oo) (3)/(e^(x^2)(2)(2x))`

=`lim_(x->oo) (3)/(e^(x^2) (4x))`

now as `x-> oo`

`3/(e^(x^2) (4x)) =3/(e^(oo^2) (4(oo))) =0`

so

`lim_(x->oo) (3)/((e^(x^2) (4x)))` `=0`

now we can state that

`lim_(x->oo) x^3/e^(x^2)` `=0`

What are the literal and figurative meanings to the Roman fever in Edith Wharton’s short story, "Roman Fever"?

The double meaning of "Roman Fever" is that it refers literally to an feverish ailment to which one is susceptible in the cool air after sunset, and figuratively to a feverish battle for Delphin Slade by two women who were rivals for his love.

On their second trip to Rome, one in which they are the spectators rather than the actors in what occurs, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade sit quietly on the parapet watching...

The double meaning of "Roman Fever" is that it refers literally to an feverish ailment to which one is susceptible in the cool air after sunset, and figuratively to a feverish battle for Delphin Slade by two women who were rivals for his love.

On their second trip to Rome, one in which they are the spectators rather than the actors in what occurs, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade sit quietly on the parapet watching the sun set over the ancient city. They are

...two ladies who had been intimate since childhood [but they] reflected how little they knew each other.

Both ladies have "visualized each other...through the wrong end of her little telescope." Mrs. Slade thinks of how Mrs. Ansley is much less articulate than she; Mrs. Ansley thinks about how "Alida Slade's awfully brilliant, but not as brilliant as she thinks." Clearly, they yet harbor feelings of rivalry between them. For a while they sit without speaking. In fact, they have met by coincidence as they are staying at different hotels, having been unaware of the other's plans to visit Rome. This situation is ironic because so many years ago neither was aware of the other's schemes then, either. For, Grace Ansley had no idea that the note to meet Delphin at the Coliseum was forged by Alida, nor did Alida know that Grace replied to Delphin and he actually met her that night. In fact, she conceived her daughter Barbara that Roman evening, and was later confined at home not because she was sick, as people had thought.

These revelations between the two rivals who were once thought of by others as friends, change the scope of their relationship forever. While their return to Rome has given no one an ailment because of the cool evening air, there has certainly been a fever of emotional honesty. 

How does the use of the below devices and structure help achieve the purpose of second chapter of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass?

As you have already outlined, an important purpose of the second chapter of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is to address the use of slave songs and to deconstruct the white myth that the singing of the slaves implied that they were content and happy. 

Douglass describes how the slaves who had been chosen to go to the Great House Farm would sing "wild songs, revealing at once the highest joy and the deepest sadness" and how odd this music was in that "the most rapturous sentiment" would be sung in "the most pathetic tone" and vice versa. The diction and tone with which Douglass describes the experience of listening to these songs is one of both puzzlement and profound emotion:

The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feelings has already found its way down my cheek. 

Douglass is clear that this music represents the painful, sorrowful existence of slaves who are dehumanized by their status at the hands of cruel white masters. Although the jargon of the songs doesn't necessarily make sense, the implications of their soulfulness does: the life of a slave is a life of misery. It is thus deeply ironic that people (largely, one must assume, white people) have misinterpreted the songs as signifiers of joy. Douglass clarifies:

The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears... The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.

This mythology/misinterpretation is ironic for that very reason--the act of singing is not a sign of contentment but a means of unburdening oneself of the great horrors of enslavement. 

Structurally, these realizations are clarified in the way that Douglass logically presents this information. He first establishes the parameters of life as a slave (the cruel punishments, the poor living conditions, etc.) and then leverages this knowledge to point out the improbability that any slave would be joyfully singing in such a situation. Through diction, structure, and the acknowledgment of irony, Douglass makes a very effective and moving argument about the lives of slaves. 

How is water produced by our body?

Water is produced by our bodies as a byproduct of the metabolism during a process called cellularrespiration, in which glucose and oxygen are used to produce energy for cells. This process is somewhat complicated and involves a number of steps, but water is formed in the final step. This is the same process that produces the carbon dioxide that we exhale. It is also called aerobic respiration because it uses oxygen to produce energy. 

During...

Water is produced by our bodies as a byproduct of the metabolism during a process called cellular respiration, in which glucose and oxygen are used to produce energy for cells. This process is somewhat complicated and involves a number of steps, but water is formed in the final step. This is the same process that produces the carbon dioxide that we exhale. It is also called aerobic respiration because it uses oxygen to produce energy. 

During cellular respiration, first glucose (sugar) from the food that we eat is broken down to create the molecules Pyruvate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the main source of energy for cells and is a powerful energy storage molcule.

Glycolysis utilizes the compounds NAD+ and NADH, two enzymes, to produce some ATP. However, most of the ATP that cells use is made later in cellular respiration. The Pyruvate produced during glycolysis is converted into Acetyl COA. Acetyl COA then enters the mitochondria of the cell to produce further energy in the presence of oxygen. This is when water is produced by the metabolism. In the mitochondria, electrons from the molecules NADH and FADH2 are used for energy to power a set of reactions that will ultimate produce ATP, the powerhouse for the cell.

Toward the end of cellular respiration in the mitochondria, hydrogen and oxygen (`O_2`) react together, producing water in the process. The other oxygen atom from this process is used as the final electron acceptor in the electron chain. This is how water is produced in the body; essentially, hydrogen from various coenzymes in the cell combine with oxygen from the lungs and create water as a byproduct.

What is the conclusion of Bartleby the Scrivener? What is Bartleby's work performance like initially?

Near the end of Bartleby, the Scrivener, Bartleby dies in the Tombs prison, where has been sent because of his homelessness. Bartleby dies of starvation in prison because he prefers not to eat there.

Earlier, when he is first hired as a scrivener, Bartleby's work is exemplary. He is initially very hard-working and productive. Only later does he begin to say "I prefer not to" in reference to his work. "I prefer not to"...

Near the end of Bartleby, the Scrivener, Bartleby dies in the Tombs prison, where has been sent because of his homelessness. Bartleby dies of starvation in prison because he prefers not to eat there.

Earlier, when he is first hired as a scrivener, Bartleby's work is exemplary. He is initially very hard-working and productive. Only later does he begin to say "I prefer not to" in reference to his work. "I prefer not to" then becomes his signature phrase.

At the very end of the story, the narrator hears a "rumor" that Bartleby once worked in the Dead Letter Office in Washington, where letters that for some reason could not be delivered to their proper recipients end up. The narrator ruminates on what it must have been like, day after day, to read and then burn letters that never arrived at their destination. As the narrator puts it:

Sometimes from out the folded paper the pale clerk takes a ring:—the finger it was meant for, perhaps, moulders in the grave; a bank-note sent in swiftest charity:—he whom it would relieve, nor eats nor hungers any more; pardon for those who died despairing; hope for those who died unhoping; good tidings for those who died stifled by unrelieved calamities. On errands of life, these letters speed to death.

The narrator believes that for someone like Bartleby, "prone to a pallid hopelessness," such a job could well have increased his sense of isolation and alienation, leading him in the end to shut down completely. 

`sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^n/(n!)` Determine the convergence or divergence of the series.

We may apply the Ratio Test to determine the convergence or divergence of the series `sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^n/(n!)` .

 In Ratio test, we determine the limit as:

 `lim_(n-gtoo)|a_(n+1)/a_n| = L`

  Then, we follow the conditions:

 a) `L lt1` then the series is absolutely convergent

 b) `Lgt1` then the series is divergent.

 c) `L=1` or does not exist  then the test is inconclusive. The series may be divergent, conditionally convergent, or absolutely convergent.

...

We may apply the Ratio Test to determine the convergence or divergence of the series `sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^n/(n!)` .

 In Ratio test, we determine the limit as:

 `lim_(n-gtoo)|a_(n+1)/a_n| = L`

  Then, we follow the conditions:

 a) `L lt1` then the series is absolutely convergent

 b) `Lgt1` then the series is divergent.

 c) `L=1` or does not exist  then the test is inconclusive. The series may be divergent, conditionally convergent, or absolutely convergent.

For the series `sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^n/(n!)` , we have `a_n=(-1)^n/(n!)` .

Then, we may let `a_(n+1) =(-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!)`

 We set up the limit as:

`lim_(n-gtoo) |((-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!)) /((-1)^n/(n!))|`

  To simplify the function, we flip the bottom and proceed to multiplication:

`|((-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!)) /((-1)^n/(n!))|=|(-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!) * (n!)/(-1)^n|`

Apply Law of Exponent: `x^(n+m) = x^n*x^m` and `(n+1)! = n!(n+1)`

`|((-1)^n(-1)^1)/(n!(n+1)) * (n!)/(-1)^n|`

Cancel out the common factors `(-1)^n` and `n!` .

`|(-1)^1/(n+1)|`

`=|-1/(n+1)|`

`=1/(n+1)`

Applying `|((-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!)) /((-1)^n/(n!))|=1/(n+1)` , we get:

`lim_(n-gtoo) |((-1)^(n+1)/((n+1)!)) /((-1)^n/(n!))|`

`=lim_(n-gtoo)1/(n+1)`

`=(lim_(n-gtoo)1)/(lim_(n-gtoo)(n+1))`

`= 1 /oo`

`= 0`

 The limit value  `L=0` satisfies the condition: `L lt1` .

 Therefore, the series `sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^n/(n!)` is absolutely convergent.

What are the themes of Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing?

The themes of Ted Conover's nonfiction account of the months he spent as a corrections officer in New York State's Sing Sing prison, Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, include:

The dehumanizing nature of the American penal system: Conover's observations of life inside Sing Sing prison are scathing. For prisoners and guards alike, the environment inside prison is unremittingly bleak. For the prisoners, crammed into small confined spaces with few amenities, no privacy, bad food,...

The themes of Ted Conover's nonfiction account of the months he spent as a corrections officer in New York State's Sing Sing prison, Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, include:

The dehumanizing nature of the American penal system: Conover's observations of life inside Sing Sing prison are scathing. For prisoners and guards alike, the environment inside prison is unremittingly bleak. For the prisoners, crammed into small confined spaces with few amenities, no privacy, bad food, and the constant threat of being victimized by other inmates, the daily struggle to survive with even a shred of dignity presents an almost insurmountable challenge. For the guards, the constant threat of being assaulted by criminals with little or nothing to lose (except for confinement in solitary cells as a form of punishment), the low pay and the constant strain from having to police an overcrowded maximum security prison built over one hundred years ago is exceptionally exhausting. In the end, neither guards nor inmates come away from the experience better off.

The excessive reliance on incarceration as a form of punishment: One of Conover's themes is the abuse of the penal system—an abuse that results in the aforementioned overcrowding of prisons—as a means of punishing those who violate laws, especially drug laws. Mandatory sentencing laws for drug crimes are counterproductive and financially costly for a public whose tax dollars pay to incarcerate individuals who would be better left to treatment programs and to penalties that do not require incarceration under dehumanizing conditions.

The first of these two themes is the most important. Conover's perspective, not just as a corrections officer but as a corrections officer with a journalistic background and intent to report, provides for a level of critical analysis not otherwise generally available to the public. The "us versus them" atmosphere in which corrections officers and prisoners exist on a constant basis is draining on both sides and invariably results in some of the more surrealistic experiences Conover witnesses, such as the refusal of some prisoners to submit to mandatory body searches despite the certainty that they will be subjected to such invasive procedures by force if necessary. The point, Conover states, is that the only way inmates can protest excessive or absurd rules is to resist them in any way they can. This is simply a means of retaining some slight measure of individuality and maybe even dignity.

`y=(x^2+3)/(2x^3)` Graph the function.

We are asked to graph the function `y=(x^2+3)/(2x^3) ` :

There is a vertical asymptote at x=0. The horizontal asymptote is y=0. There is no x or y intercept. The function is negative for x<0, and positive for x>0.

The graph:

We are asked to graph the function `y=(x^2+3)/(2x^3) ` :

There is a vertical asymptote at x=0. The horizontal asymptote is y=0. There is no x or y intercept. The function is negative for x<0, and positive for x>0.

The graph:

Where is Matt from in Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry?

Matt lives in an area known as the Fen, which is a lower-class area equivalent to a slum in our culture. Kira lives in the village, and those who live in the Fen are closely associated with village people in that they are part of the same large community. The villagers live in cotts (small homes) in a central area near the marketplace and not far from the Edifice. The Fen is farther removed from...

Matt lives in an area known as the Fen, which is a lower-class area equivalent to a slum in our culture. Kira lives in the village, and those who live in the Fen are closely associated with village people in that they are part of the same large community. The villagers live in cotts (small homes) in a central area near the marketplace and not far from the Edifice. The Fen is farther removed from that area.

When Kira and Thomas venture to the Fen, they first come to an area on the outskirts of their village where the huts are closer together. They then cross a makeshift bridge over a "foul-smelling stream," presumably flowing with human waste and refuse. "Poisonous oleander bushes" border the stream on the Fen side. Kira and Thomas then see a cluster of small cotts. Although the cotts are not that different from the one Kira grew up in, the area in which they are situated is shaded because of the tall trees, and the entire setting is damp and dirty, a breeding ground for disease. The half-clothed children run around with runny noses; the parents seem even more vicious toward their offspring there than in the village.

Kira and Thomas find Matt's cott next to a gnarled, dying, rotted tree, which mirrors the type of home life he has. The cott is in disrepair, and the interior is dark and filthy. The Fen is a place of squalor. Matt's cheerful, buoyant personality stands in stark contrast to his surroundings, making Kira appreciate him even more.

Describe the history of how abortion became an area of Supreme Court jurisprudence. What legal decisions and concepts were central to the case of...

Before the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade (1973), several cases before the court related to the right to privacy. For example, the Supreme Court ruled in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) that the use of birth control was protected by the marital "right to privacy." In Griswold, justices siding with the majority based the right to privacy on the 5th and 9th Amendments to the Constitution.

The Roe v. Wadecase came before...

Before the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade (1973), several cases before the court related to the right to privacy. For example, the Supreme Court ruled in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) that the use of birth control was protected by the marital "right to privacy." In Griswold, justices siding with the majority based the right to privacy on the 5th and 9th Amendments to the Constitution.

The Roe v. Wade case came before the Supreme Court after a district court in Texas ruled that the state law, in which abortion was only legal in the case of rape or incest, violated a woman's right to privacy in the 9th Amendment. The Supreme Court based their ruling on the Griswold v. Connecticut decision and ruled that women have a right to abortion in the first two trimesters of pregnancy and that states can regulate abortion rights in the last trimester. 

In deciding Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court cited the 9th Amendment, which states that rights not given to the federal government or the states belong to the people, and the 14th Amendment's due process clause, which limits state power in relation to individuals. These amendments are likely to be cited by lawyers defending a woman's right to an abortion. They apply to Roe v. Wade because they specify that states cannot interfere with individuals' rights, such as the right to privacy.

Several cases since Roe v. Wade have allowed for restrictions on abortions. In Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989), the court allowed a prohibition on state facilities and state workers to conduct abortions and allowed a requirement for doctors to test a fetus's viability at 20 weeks of pregnancy. In Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992), the court ruled that Pennsylvania could require a 24-hour waiting period for women wanting to receive an abortion, as well as a requirement for informed consent and for minors to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian. The federal government became involved in abortion rights in part because each state had different regulations before the decision, requiring women to often have to travel long distances to obtain an abortion. 

How does Petrocelli discredit Mr. Sawicki's testimony?

Mr. Sawicki runs the film club at Steve Harmon's high school and testifies on Steve's behalf during the trial. When O'Brien questions Mr. Sawicki about Steve's character, Mr. Sawicki says that he thinks Steve is an outstanding young man. He also mentions that Steve is a compassionate, honest individual. When Petrocelli cross-examines Mr. Sawicki, she asks him if he is from Steve's neighborhood. Petrocelli then asks Mr. Sawicki if it is fair to say that...

Mr. Sawicki runs the film club at Steve Harmon's high school and testifies on Steve's behalf during the trial. When O'Brien questions Mr. Sawicki about Steve's character, Mr. Sawicki says that he thinks Steve is an outstanding young man. He also mentions that Steve is a compassionate, honest individual. When Petrocelli cross-examines Mr. Sawicki, she asks him if he is from Steve's neighborhood. Petrocelli then asks Mr. Sawicki if it is fair to say that he doesn't know what Steve does in his neighborhood after school. Mr. Sawicki replies by saying that it would not be fair to make that statement because Steve's films give an accurate depiction of his life outside of school. Petrocelli then asks Mr. Sawicki if he knows what Steve was doing on December 22nd, and Mr. Sawicki comments that Steve did not show him film from that day. When Petrocelli asks Mr. Sawicki if he feels that the ability to make films means that a person is honest, Mr. Sawicki says,

"It is my belief that to make an honest film, one has to be an honest person. I would say that. And I do believe in Steve's honesty" (Myers 241).

Mr. Sawicki then testifies that he is very fond of Steve. Petrocelli discredits Mr. Sawicki's testimony by implying that simply because Steve Harmon has a positive reputation in school it doesn't mean that he acts the same in his neighborhood. She attempts to persuade the jury into believing that Mr. Sawicki is partial towards Steve because he is a good student and that Steve's films do not reflect his true nature.

How can someone own the right to a word?

This is an interesting question and one I've enjoyed looking into. The short answer is there is no legal way for a person to own a word, and without the support of legal recourse, there is no way to enforce repercussions for perceived misuse or infringement. However, businesses and entrepreneurs can trademark common words under certain circumstances. The following two characteristics must be met before a company can own trademark rights to a common word:

1. ...

This is an interesting question and one I've enjoyed looking into. The short answer is there is no legal way for a person to own a word, and without the support of legal recourse, there is no way to enforce repercussions for perceived misuse or infringement. However, businesses and entrepreneurs can trademark common words under certain circumstances. The following two characteristics must be met before a company can own trademark rights to a common word:

1. The word must be an identifying factor of the company in its industry. For example, APPLE could be trademarked by Apple, Inc because people had already come to identify the company by that brand name in the computer and technology industry. It is important to note though that the company's trademark rights only extend to other companies in that industry. Businesses outside of computer and technology still have equal rights to trademark that word if they so desire. 


2. The word must not directly relate to the industry of the business seeking trademark rights. Back to our Apple, Inc example: The word APPLE has absolutely nothing to do with computers or technology so it is available as a term to be trademarked in that industry. It would be inappropriate for an apple farmer to try to trademark the word because it would infringe on the rights of others in the produce industry to properly market their products. If only one fruit company could use the word APPLE in marketing, that fruit company would soon have a monopoly on the apple industry. 

So while you cannot actually own a word, you can trademark one if it helps identify your business to consumers and it doesn't infringe on the rights of others in your industry. 

Explain how Saki makes the surprise ending of "The Interlopers" seem logical.

Georg's and Ulrich's family have been fighting over a piece of land for generations. Ulrich's grandfather wins the land in a lawsuit, but Georg's family continued to poach upon it, regardless of the determination of the court. In a sense, both men have continuously attempted to own and tame the land. This land is in the forest. It is wild. These men have attempted to own, cultivate, and rule over this piece of wild land....

Georg's and Ulrich's family have been fighting over a piece of land for generations. Ulrich's grandfather wins the land in a lawsuit, but Georg's family continued to poach upon it, regardless of the determination of the court. In a sense, both men have continuously attempted to own and tame the land. This land is in the forest. It is wild. These men have attempted to own, cultivate, and rule over this piece of wild land. They have attempted to regulate the land with their civilized laws and notions of "owning land." But this is nature. It seems illogical to impose a law on something that is inherently wild. So, the "civilized" Georg and Ulrich are the interlopers. They are trying to impose their way of life onto nature itself. 

They've spent their lives fighting each other, each thinking that his opponent is the interloper. But nature (the wolves) show that both men have been interloping on their (wolves') land. So, it is morbid but logical that the true interlopers are exposed in the end. This is a classic story of the hunters becoming the hunted. 

`int_0^3 sqrt(x^2+16) dx` Use integration tables to evaluate the definite integral.

Recall indefinite integral follows `int f(x) dx = F(x)+C`

 where:

`f(x)` as the integrand

`F(x)` as the antiderivative of f(x)

`C` as the constant of integration.

From the table of integrals, we follow the formula:

`sqrt(x^2+-a^2) dx = 1/2xsqrt(x^2+-a^2)+-1/2a^2ln|x+sqrt(x^2+-a^2)|`

 From the given problem `int_0^3 sqrt(x^2+16) dx` , we have a  addition sign (+) in between terms inside the square root sign. Then, we follow the formula:

`int sqrt(x^2+a^2) dx = 1/2xsqrt(x^2+a^2)+1/2a^2ln|x+sqrt(x^2+a^2)|`

 Take note that we...

Recall indefinite integral follows `int f(x) dx = F(x)+C`

 where:

`f(x)` as the integrand

`F(x)` as the antiderivative of f(x)

`C` as the constant of integration.

From the table of integrals, we follow the formula:

`sqrt(x^2+-a^2) dx = 1/2xsqrt(x^2+-a^2)+-1/2a^2ln|x+sqrt(x^2+-a^2)|`

 From the given problem `int_0^3 sqrt(x^2+16) dx` , we have a  addition sign (+) in between terms inside the square root sign. Then, we follow the formula:

`int sqrt(x^2+a^2) dx = 1/2xsqrt(x^2+a^2)+1/2a^2ln|x+sqrt(x^2+a^2)|`

 Take note that we can express  `16 = 4^2` then the given problem becomes:`int_0^3 sqrt(x^2+4^2) dx` .

 The `x^2 +4^2` resembles the `x^2 +a^2` in the formula. Then by comparison, the corresponding values are:  `x=x`  and `a=4.`

Plug-in `x=x` and `a=4` on the formula, we get:

`int_0^3 sqrt(x^2+16) dx ` `=[1/2xsqrt(x^2+4^2)+1/2*4^2ln|x+sqrt(x^2+4^2)| ]|_0^3`

`=[1/2xsqrt(x^2+16)+1/2*16ln|x+sqrt(x^2+16)|]|_0^3`

`=[1/2xsqrt(x^2+16)+8ln|x+sqrt(x^2+16)|]|_0^3`

Apply definite integral formula:  `F(x)|_a^b = F(b) - F(a)` .

`[1/2xsqrt(x^2+16)+8ln|x+sqrt(x^2+16)|]|_0^3`

`=[1/2*3sqrt(3^2+16)+8ln|3+sqrt(3^2+16)|]-[1/2*0sqrt(0^2+16)+8ln|0+sqrt(0^2+16)|]`

`=[3/2sqrt(9+16)+8ln|3+sqrt(9+16)|]-[0*sqrt(0+16)+8ln|0+sqrt(0+16)|]`

`=[3/2*5+8ln|3+5|]-[0*4+8ln|0+4|]`

`=[15/2+8ln|8|]-[0+8ln|4|]`

`=15/2+8ln|8| -0-8ln|4|`

`=15/2+8ln|8| - 8ln|4|`

`=15/2+8(ln|8| - ln|4|)`

Apply natural logarithm property: `ln(x)- ln(y) = ln(x/y)` .

`=15/2+8ln|8/4|`

`=15/2+8ln|2|`

Apply natural logarithm property: ` n*ln(x) = ln(x^n)` .

`=15/2+ln|2^8|`

=`15/2+ln|256|`  or `13.05` ( approximated value)

What are two important symbols in "The Guest"? How are these significant to the theme?

Two important symbols in Albert Camus's "The Guest" are the blackboard and the unbinding of the prisoner's hands.

The blackboard with the four rivers of France designated with four different colors of chalk probably indicates the Seine, the Loire, the Rhone, and the Garonne rivers, which essentially cover France from the northern to the southern regions. Had Daru lived in France, he would have likely been on at least one of these rivers. However, although...

Two important symbols in Albert Camus's "The Guest" are the blackboard and the unbinding of the prisoner's hands.

The blackboard with the four rivers of France designated with four different colors of chalk probably indicates the Seine, the Loire, the Rhone, and the Garonne rivers, which essentially cover France from the northern to the southern regions. Had Daru lived in France, he would have likely been on at least one of these rivers. However, although he is French, Daru has not been to the actual country, and the rivers are as foreign to him as they are to the children. Like his students, he is stranded because of the bad weather. He is also isolated because he is French, although not French-born; he is a native of Algeria. Not unlike the prisoner whom he sets free, Daru belongs nowhere now. This symbol of the blackboard connects to the theme of individual alienation.

The unbinding of the prisoner's wrists that frees the prisoner symbolizes Daru's act of rebellion against the colonial rule in Algeria.

That man's stupid crime revolted him, but to hand him over was contrary to honor.

Daru's decision to follow the dictates of his conscience rather than the dictates of the French government is an exercise of his free choice as a man and ties to the theme of moral choice. Unfortunately, after Daru gives the Arab money and instructions on where he can join a group of nomads in the "pasturelands," the Arab chooses to walk to the prison. Then, after Daru arrives at the classroom, he finds a threatening note on the blackboard. Daru's act of kindness to the Arab has ended absurdly as he now finds his life threatened by the Arab's people.

In poem "David" by Earle Birney, what does Bobbie learn from his experience?

Bobbie learns that it is impossible to predict the consequences of one small act of carelessness.

In the poem, Bobbie goes mountain-climbing with his friend, David. The two friends climb a mountain in the Ramparts Range, Sundance Peak, Mount Inglismaldie, the Fortress, and the Finger in the Sawback Range. They also climb Mount Gleam, but it is a fictitious mountain. It is while climbing the Finger that David loses his balance and falls fifty feet....

Bobbie learns that it is impossible to predict the consequences of one small act of carelessness.

In the poem, Bobbie goes mountain-climbing with his friend, David. The two friends climb a mountain in the Ramparts Range, Sundance Peak, Mount Inglismaldie, the Fortress, and the Finger in the Sawback Range. They also climb Mount Gleam, but it is a fictitious mountain. It is while climbing the Finger that David loses his balance and falls fifty feet. The accident occurs when David reaches out to steady Bobbie; in trying to save his friend from certain death, David loses his own foothold.

Later, we learn that the accident happened because Bobbie neglected to test his foothold as he climbed the Finger. Thus, he blames himself bitterly for David's suffering. For his part, David refuses to let Bobbie torture himself. He tries to get Bobbie to see that an unintentional mistake does not make someone a villain.

David bleeds profusely from the fall; from the poem, we can deduce that David has been paralyzed by his accident. Both Bobbie and David know that David will not leave the mountains alive; in the end, David asks his friend to do the unthinkable. He begs Bobbie to push him over the ledge so that he can end his suffering. Although Bobbie is horrified at the implications of his friend's request, he respects David's desire to be freed from his tormenting pain.

His merciful deed done, Bobbie tells us that he lost his youthful innocence forever on the day he pushed his friend to his death. Bobbie learns that unintentional mistakes can result in gruesome consequences that precipitate horrific moral choices.

Why didn't the US enter WWI when it started?

When World War I started, the United States did not enter the war. There were reasons for this. Americans were strongly divided about our involvement in World War I. There were many people of British descent who supported Great Britain. However, there also were many people of German descent that supported Germany. Additionally, many people also believed that the events that led to the start of World War I had nothing to do with the...

When World War I started, the United States did not enter the war. There were reasons for this. Americans were strongly divided about our involvement in World War I. There were many people of British descent who supported Great Britain. However, there also were many people of German descent that supported Germany. Additionally, many people also believed that the events that led to the start of World War I had nothing to do with the United States. President Wilson believed it was in our best interest to stay out of the war at this time.

The Progressive Era was still a very strong movement in the United States in 1914. There still were things that this movement was working to accomplish. Getting involved in World War I would likely have brought the Progressive Movement to an end.

Eventually, events in World War I drew the United States into the conflict. When the Germans began to sink our ships without warning, we eventually joined World War I in 1917.

How is the theme of family explored in Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi?

Family is one of the central themes of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing. (To read more about the themes of Homegoing, check out the .) The novel follows the stories of two families descended from half-sisters who never meet each other. One family is descended from Esi Asara, who was born in Asanteland in what is now the Republic of Ghana; the other is descended from Effia Otcher, who was born in...

Family is one of the central themes of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing. (To read more about the themes of Homegoing, check out the .) The novel follows the stories of two families descended from half-sisters who never meet each other. One family is descended from Esi Asara, who was born in Asanteland in what is now the Republic of Ghana; the other is descended from Effia Otcher, who was born in Fanteland, also in Ghana. Gyasi chronicles the history of each family in alternating chapters, each of which focuses on another generation of either Esi’s or Effia’s descendants. This structure shows the connection as well as the distance between the two families. While Effia marries a British slave trader, Esi is sold into slavery, and this makes all the difference for their descendants. The members of Effia’s side of the family are all born in Africa and eventually choose to move to Alabama, but Esi’s descendants are born into slavery in the United States and are enslaved until the conclusion of the Civil War.

Although the families have very different experiences, they both face personal hardship and tragedy along with racism and, particularly, the terrible legacy of slavery. In the end, the two long-separated families unknowingly reconnect through Esi’s descendant Marcus and Effia’s descendant Marjorie, who meet while attending Stanford. Together they visit Cape Coast Castle, where Effia once lived as the wife of a slave trader and where Esi was imprisoned before being sent to the Americas as a slave, thereby bringing the two families back to the site of the trauma and fateful separation that begins the book. When Marjorie walks into the ocean with Marcus and gives him Effia’s stone necklace, which has been passed down through the generations (unlike Esi’s necklace, which was lost in the slave dungeons), the two families are finally reunited. Gyasi portrays this reunion of families previously divided by traumatic histories as a profoundly healing event. Check out the to read more about the themes Gyasi explores in Homegoing.

`int_0^(pi/2) xsin(2x) dx` Use integration tables to evaluate the definite integral.

To evaluate the integral problem: `int_0^(pi/2) xsin(2x) dx` ,we may first  solve for its indefinite integral. Indefinite integral are written in the form of `int f(x) dx = F(x) +C`

 where: `f(x)` as the integrand

           `F(x)` as the anti-derivative function 

           `C`  as the arbitrary constant known as constant of integration

We follow a formula from basic integration table to determine the indefinite integral function `F(x)`...

To evaluate the integral problem: `int_0^(pi/2) xsin(2x) dx` ,we may first  solve for its indefinite integral. Indefinite integral are written in the form of `int f(x) dx = F(x) +C`

 where: `f(x)` as the integrand

           `F(x)` as the anti-derivative function 

           `C`  as the arbitrary constant known as constant of integration

We follow a formula from basic integration table to determine the indefinite integral function `F(x)` . For the integrals with logarithm, the problem resembles the formula:

`int x sin(ax) dx= -(xcos(ax))/a+sin(ax)/a^2 +C` .

By comparing `x sin(ax) ` with` xsin(2x)` , we determine that  `a= 2` .

 Plug-in `a=2` to the integral formula, we get:

`int_0^(pi/2) xsin(2x) dx=-(xcos((2)x))/(2)+sin((2)x)/(2)^2|_0^(pi/2)`

`=-(xcos(2x))/2+sin(2x)/4|_0^(pi/2)`

After solving the indefinite integral from, we may apply definite integral formula:` F(x)|_a^b = F(b) - F(a)` .

`-(xcos(2x))/2+sin(2x)/4|_0^(pi/2) =[-((pi/2) *cos(2*(pi/2)))/2+sin(2*(pi/2))/4]-[-(0*cos(2*0))/2+sin(2*0)/4 ]`

`=[-((pi/2) *cos(pi ))/2+sin(pi) /4]-[-(0*cos(0))/2+sin(0)/4 ]`

`=[-(pi*(-1))/4+0 /4]-[-(0*1)/2+(0)/4 ]`

`=[pi/4+0]-[0+0]`

`= [pi/4] - [0]`

`=pi/4`

What are the six steps of the Bokanovsky Process in the novel "Brave New World"?

The fertilized ova were taken to the incubators where the Alphas and Betas were separated from the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. The Alphas and Betas were bottled, while the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons were taken through the Bokanovsky process. The Bokanovsky process was carried out to ensure that the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons adapted to their life roles in the society. The process prevented normal developments in the fertilized ova.

1. The first stage in the...

The fertilized ova were taken to the incubators where the Alphas and Betas were separated from the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. The Alphas and Betas were bottled, while the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons were taken through the Bokanovsky process. The Bokanovsky process was carried out to ensure that the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons adapted to their life roles in the society. The process prevented normal developments in the fertilized ova.

1. The first stage in the Bokanovsky process was exposing the ova to eight minutes of hard X-rays and allowing the ova to bud into four or eight buds.


2. The buds were returned to the incubators and allowed to continue with normal growth in the second stage.


3. Two days later, the buds were chilled and checked.


4. In the fourth stage, the buds were given room to continue budding.


5. In the fifth stage, the buds were doused in alcohol and allowed to continue budding.


6. In the sixth stage, the buds were allowed to grow normally having reached their optimum budding point.

Why does Shakespeare chose to omit the title character from the opening scene of Macbeth?

To be precise, Macbeth does not appear in the first two scenes of the play. But by the time he does appear, alongside his friend, comrade, and fellow Scottish noble Banquo, we have learned much about him. From the first scene, for example, we learn that the witches, who are clearly up to no good, plan to meet with Macbeth. In the second scene, we hear an account of a battle involving Macbeth, where he...

To be precise, Macbeth does not appear in the first two scenes of the play. But by the time he does appear, alongside his friend, comrade, and fellow Scottish noble Banquo, we have learned much about him. From the first scene, for example, we learn that the witches, who are clearly up to no good, plan to meet with Macbeth. In the second scene, we hear an account of a battle involving Macbeth, where he is revealed to be a brave and apparently loyal thane to the king, who he defends against a rebellion led by the traitor Macdonwald. We also learn that Macbeth is held in high esteem by King Duncan, who values him as a "valiant cousin" and a "worthy gentleman." We also see that Macbeth is to receive the title of Thane of Cawdor. The former thane, having joined the rebellion, is to be executed at Duncan's order. So even though Macbeth has not appeared on stage by the end of the second scene, we know much about him and his circumstances. Perhaps by waiting until the third scene to introduce the title character, Shakespeare intends to add to the sense in which Macbeth is affected by forces outside his control, especially the witches. It is also true that Duncan's admiration for Macbeth adds to the sense of treachery that accompanies Macbeth's assassination of the king later. Through the witches' incantations that "what's fair is foul/what's foul is fair, the first scene has often been described as setting the stage for the villainy and evil that pervade the entire play. So by leaving Macbeth out of the first two scenes, Shakespeare arguably adds to the depth of the plot.

With what topic is the speaker concerned in this sonnet?

"Bright Star" is widely considered to be the last poem John Keats wrote before he died at the age of twenty-five. Scholars believe the "bright star" addressed in the poem to be a representation of Keats's great love, Fanny Brawne. 

The poem is a love poem and describes the speaker's wish to be as steadfast and as constant as a star in the life of his love. That being the case, there are really two...

"Bright Star" is widely considered to be the last poem John Keats wrote before he died at the age of twenty-five. Scholars believe the "bright star" addressed in the poem to be a representation of Keats's great love, Fanny Brawne. 

The poem is a love poem and describes the speaker's wish to be as steadfast and as constant as a star in the life of his love. That being the case, there are really two main topics with which Keats is concerned: in literal terms, the poem is entirely addressed to a bright star, possibly Polaris, and its "splendour hung aloft the night," "still steadfast, still unchangeable." On a deeper level, however, the sonnet addresses the topic of love: the speaker yearns to stay "pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast/To feel forever its soft fall and swell." The bittersweet final lines of the sonnet—"Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath/And so live ever—or else swoon to death"—give an implication of why the speaker so yearns to possess the steadfast and permanent qualities of the star he so admires. The speaker would love to stay forever pressed against his love, but, the wistful tone implies, he may be prevented from doing so by a death that may come too soon.

The star described in the sonnet is portrayed as a "watching" figure, always alert, always at its "priestlike task" of keeping an eye fixed upon its charge, the Earth. We may infer from the poet's wistful tone that he is particularly loath to depart his position upon his love's "ripening breast" because he feels he is responsible for keeping watch over her and does not want to be denied the opportunity to do this forever.

A rectangular yard has an area of 24m^2. What are the possible perimeters for this yard?

We are given a rectangular yard with area of 24 square meters, and we are asked to find the possible perimeters.

Since the yard is a rectangle (a parallelogram with right angles), we can describe the dimensions as length and width. The area is given by A=lw and the perimeter by P=2l+2w.

Solving the equation of the area for the length l, noting that A=24, yields `w=24/l ` .

The domain for l and w...

We are given a rectangular yard with area of 24 square meters, and we are asked to find the possible perimeters.

Since the yard is a rectangle (a parallelogram with right angles), we can describe the dimensions as length and width. The area is given by A=lw and the perimeter by P=2l+2w.

Solving the equation of the area for the length l, noting that A=24, yields `w=24/l ` .

The domain for l and w is all positive reals.

(1) There are an infinite number of possible perimeters. Start with any positive real number l; then, w is given by 24/l, and the perimeter will be 2l+2w.

For example, if l=6, then w=4, and the perimeter is 20 meters. If l=13, then w=24/13, and the perimeter is 386/13.

Another example would be the following: `l=sqrt(2), w=24/sqrt(2), P=26sqrt(2) `

(2) Possible perimeters with integer (whole number) sides:

1x24   P=50
2x12   P=28
3x8     P=22
4x6     P=20

These are the factorizations of 24.

(3) There is no largest perimeter, but there is a least perimeter.

We have `P=2l+2(24/l) `.

Using calculus, we can find the minimum perimeter to occur when the length and width are both equal to `2sqrt(6) `.

This gives a perimeter of `8sqrt(6) approx 19.5959 `.

(4) We can graph the possible perimeters: `P=2l+48/l `

Who is Eli Rochert?

Jodi Picoult's Second Glance, set in Comtosook, Vermont, is centered in the atmosphere of conflict between a group of Abenaki Native Americans and a developer called Redhook Group that wants to build a strip mall on the group's burial ground. When supernatural occurrences start getting in the way of the construction workers building the mall, Redhook Group brings in Ross Wakeman to figure out what's going on. 

In the story, Eli Rochert is one of multiple...

Jodi Picoult's Second Glance, set in Comtosook, Vermont, is centered in the atmosphere of conflict between a group of Abenaki Native Americans and a developer called Redhook Group that wants to build a strip mall on the group's burial ground. When supernatural occurrences start getting in the way of the construction workers building the mall, Redhook Group brings in Ross Wakeman to figure out what's going on. 

In the story, Eli Rochert is one of multiple side characters that Ross gets involved in his investigation. Eli is a police officer who happens to be half Abenaki. He was divorced by his wife, and in his dreams he now sees a woman that he has never met before. This woman turns out to be Ross's sister, Shelby.

What is an analysis of The Story of American Freedom by Eric Foner?

Eric Foner argues in his book The Story of American Freedom that the Revolution wasn't the only major event prompted by what Americans saw as freedom. Rather, he says that freedom is central to the beliefs and desires of Americans and, as such, has been a major factor in defining the history of the United States.

Foner begins by discussing how the British saw freedom and what made the American view of freedom incompatible with the British view of freedom. From there, he displays the roots of the American Revolution and follows that to the birth of the nation. As he moves from one generation to the next, he uses the priorities of the people—illustrated by the issues that inspired them—to help redefine freedom for each generation. 

The evolving definition of freedom inspires people to fight for new, more inclusive freedoms with each successive generation. For example, where people fought to free the slaves during the Civil War, people fought to give black Americans equal rights 100 years later. The priorities and desires of the people were both changed by and caused the change of freedom.

One example of the redefinition of freedom is how it was seen during the abolitionist movement surrounding the Civil War. According to a Kirkus Review of Foner's book, the abolitionist movement "held that freedom as extended by statute to American citizens had to be broadened to include those who were not citizens—namely, slaves and (in later decades) guest laborers brought from places like Mexico to full in during wartime labor shortages." There was a time when this would have been unthinkable, but freedom, like America itself, evolved over many years.

Though Foner's thesis is based on an extensive knowledge of American history, it isn't necessary for a reader to know American history before starting the book. He lays out different eras in a clear, logical manner while entwining the concept of freedom with each major event that takes place. Whether it's the economic impact of the Great Depression and the New Deal on racial minorities or a discussion of how women drove northern abolition, Foner is able to deftly touch on each concept, explain it, and connect it to the next.

It's not surprising that Foner is able to explain history in a clear and succinct way. Foner, a history professor at Columbia, has been president of the Organization of American Historians, the Society of American Historians, and the American Historical Association. He's also won both the Bancroft and Pulitzer prizes. 

Ultimately, Foner is successful in his argument that freedom drives the course of American history. The strength of his argument lies in Foner's ability to explain how the meaning of freedom changed based on what Americans were experiencing during each time period he covers. By charting specific events and showing how freedom was defined in each generation, he's able to make and sustain his point across hundreds of years of history. 

Why do you think Anna Avalon did not reach out for her husband while he was falling in "The Leap"?

Anna Avalon chose life rather than death as she fell through the air.

Anna always contended that a person can think of many things as he/ she is in the act of falling. As lightning strikes the big top, Anna Avalon realizes she cannot save her tumbling husband. Instead, she turns in the air and twists her body toward the heavily braided wire, saving herself and her unborn child.

Unfortunately, Anna hemorrhages after her fall...

Anna Avalon chose life rather than death as she fell through the air.

Anna always contended that a person can think of many things as he/ she is in the act of falling. As lightning strikes the big top, Anna Avalon realizes she cannot save her tumbling husband. Instead, she turns in the air and twists her body toward the heavily braided wire, saving herself and her unborn child.

Unfortunately, Anna hemorrhages after her fall from the trapeze, and her baby is stillborn. She does regain her health, though, and her broken arm heals well, thanks to the attentive care of her physician, who falls in love with her. They marry, and their only child is the narrator, who declares that her mother's words about being able to think during the brief time that one is falling are absolutely veracious.

Louise Eldrich's narrative soars on its own as the protagonist leaps from one daring act of love to the next, proving the strength and agility of the human spirit that fortifies its existence with the love necessary to make the leap to the next challenge. For, whenever one is in the air "there is always time to think." And, with the impetus of love, there is always time to change the course of one's life.   

In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, what misunderstanding leads to the jouncing incident and what does Gene finally acknowledge to himself...

For the first three chapters we hear about who Finny is from Gene's intimidated perspective. Gene is intimidated by Finny's athleticism and easy social graces. Gene is Finny's foil and the complete opposite—a brainy introvert. Gene feels unequal to Finny on so many levels that he can hardly believe that they are best friends. This is the misunderstanding—that Finny is supposedly some superhero who can do no wrong and will never fail at anything.

Immediately...

For the first three chapters we hear about who Finny is from Gene's intimidated perspective. Gene is intimidated by Finny's athleticism and easy social graces. Gene is Finny's foil and the complete opposite—a brainy introvert. Gene feels unequal to Finny on so many levels that he can hardly believe that they are best friends. This is the misunderstanding—that Finny is supposedly some superhero who can do no wrong and will never fail at anything.

Immediately prior to Gene jouncing Finny off of the tree limb, the two have a fight that reveals to both boys that their perceptions of each other are slightly wrong. Finny thinks that Gene doesn't need to study so hard to get good grades and Gene had thought that Finny was invincible. Gene realizes that Finny looks up to Gene in some ways and also feels vulnerable at times. But the argument preceding the tree incident gives way to some deep, dark feelings in Gene, who follows through with them by hurting Finny.

Gene's words of realization prior to the tree incident:

"Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he" (59).

Why would someone argue that a particular religion is different in every culture in which it takes root?

Religion is influenced by culture because religion exists in  two forms, the ideal and the real. The ideal form of a religion is called the essential. The essentials are the core beliefs of the faith. This is the religion displayed at its best, usually as it is described in the central religious texts of a faith. It is where we find the devotion to peace and compassion that are at the heart of most faiths' most cherished convictions. 

Religions, however, are also embodied. This means they are lived and enacted in the real world, in real time, and almost always imperfectly. They must interact with and coexist with the society in which they are embedded. This inevitably means taking on the color of the culture in which a faith resides. Otherwise, a religion will not be relatable to very people it is trying to help and influence.

Christianity, because it is the largest religion in the world, offers a good example of adapting to various cultures. In countries such as Mexico, for example, the public, communal face of a faith is important, so there are many Christian parades and festivals. In more inward-facing societies, such as the Scandinavian, Christianity is more of a private affair, and less likely to be celebrated communally. In all countries, embodied Christianity, like all religions, often fails to live up to its highest ideals (its essentials) because people are imperfect.

What suspicions does the narrator have about the signalman and why?

Early in "The Signal-Man," the narrator suspects that the signalman might be suffering from mental illness, as he comments in the text:

"I have speculated since, whether there may have been infection in his mind."

In addition, he also wonders if the signalman might, in fact, be a ghost:

"The monstrous thought came into my mind, as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a...

Early in "The Signal-Man," the narrator suspects that the signalman might be suffering from mental illness, as he comments in the text:

"I have speculated since, whether there may have been infection in his mind."

In addition, he also wonders if the signalman might, in fact, be a ghost:

"The monstrous thought came into my mind, as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man."

The narrator suspects these things because of the signalman's unusual demeanour. When he first arrives at the signal box, for example, he notices something "remarkable" in the signalman's manner which has no obvious explanation. Moreover, when the pair come face-to-face, the narrator is struck by the signalman's attitude of "expectation" and "watchfulness." Once again, the narrator is unable to account for such an attitude. Finally, when the signalman directs a "most curious look" towards the red light before looking at the narrator, the narrator's suspicions reach their peak: ghost or patient, the narrator cannot decipher his new friend. 

In Shakespeare's Othello, what does Iago see Cassio do that delights him?

In Act 3, scene 1, Iago derives great pleasure from seeing how Cassio behaves towards Desdemona. This happens shortly after their arrival on the island, Cyprus. In an aside, Iago declares:

He takes her by the palm: ay, well said,whisper: with as little a web as this will Iensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile uponher, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.You say true; 'tis so,...

In Act 3, scene 1, Iago derives great pleasure from seeing how Cassio behaves towards Desdemona. This happens shortly after their arrival on the island, Cyprus. In an aside, Iago declares:

He takes her by the palm: ay, well said,
whisper: with as little a web as this will I
ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon
her, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.
You say true; 'tis so, indeed: if such tricks as
these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had
been better you had not kissed your three fingers so
oft, which now again you are most apt to play the
sir in. Very good; well kissed! an excellent
courtesy! 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers
to your lips? would they were clyster-pipes for your sake!

Iago comments on Cassio's courteous and gentlemanly behaviour towards Desdemona. He loves the idea that Cassio takes Desdemona's hand and whispers in her ear for he will weave a web around yhis behaviour to ensnare Cassio. He has formulated an invidious plan to implicate Cassio as having cuckolded Othello. He wants Cassio to smile at Desdemona for he will trap him in, as he believes, Cassio's own courtship. Cassio's actions will be enough to convince Othello that he is showing affection to Desdemona, further supporting the idea that they are having an affair.

Iago further says that if these actions are enough to make Cassio lose his position as lieutenat, then he would regard having kissed his fingers so consistently (a gentlemanly flourish in apparaisal and courtesy to a lady). All that Cassio is doing is being a gentleman and Iago wants to use these actions as a weapon against him. When Cassio repeats theflourish with his fingers and lips Iago says that Cassio would wish that his fingers were pipes which carry sewage for having implicated himself in this manner.

Iago's deep jealousy and resentment for Cassio is obvious in these lines. He hates him because Cassio occupies the position he so desperately sought. Furthermore, Cassio is a good man, a true gentleman and good-looking to boot. He has a certain virtuous and likeable air about him, which Iago despises.  

In Macbeth, analyze the way in which Banquo serves as a foil to a central character and thus helps to expand your understanding by contrast. Please...

This is a great question, and I would argue that Banquo serves as a foil to Macbeth and helps us more clearly see the mistakes that Macbeth makes. After all, Banquo not only is present for the witches' prophesies regarding Macbeth, but he's also part of the prophesies himself. However, while Macbeth chooses to act on the witches' predictions and tries to forcefully make the prophecy come true, Banquo chooses not to act and to simply allow fate to take its own course. As a result, Banquo can be seen as a foil for Macbeth because he takes the opposite course of action and, though he's murdered halfway through the play, one could argue that he enjoys a better fate than Macbeth.

As a reminder, let's take a look at parts of the witches' predictions regarding Macbeth and Banquo in Act 1, Scene 3. Here's the part of the prophesy that concerns Macbeth (all quotes come from ' online version of the text):

First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!

Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!

Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! (50-52)

Now, here's the part of the prediction that concerns Banquo:

First Witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.

Second Witch: Not so happy, yet much happier.

Third Witch: Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:

So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! (68-71)

So, as we can see, there's clear textual evidence that both Macbeth and Banquo play a part in the witches' predictions. However, the way the two men respond to this prediction is completely different. Macbeth decides to take matters into his own hands and forcefully make his part of the prophecy come true. This decision leads him to murder his way to the crown of Scotland. By extension, Macbeth's rash decisions also lead to his unpopularity and subsequent downfall. Banquo, however, takes a very different course of action. Indeed, he more or less sits back and does nothing, allowing his fate to unfurl naturally. Also, though Banquo dies, it's suggested that his line becomes a royal dynasty (which is totally possible, as Banquo's son narrowly escapes murder). Indeed, in Act 4, Scene 1, Macbeth sees a vision of eight kings accompanied by Banquo, and the implication here is that, though Banquo has died, his family will ultimately become a royal dynasty. Thus, though Banquo dies, he arguably has a better fate than Macbeth, who dies as a hated dictator with no family.

As we can see, Banquo is a foil for Macbeth because, rather than trying to force the witches' predictions to come true, he passively allows fate to take its course. Moreover, Banquo's fate seems to be preferable to Macbeth's. As such, Banquo is a foil not only because his actions (or lack thereof) contrast with Macbeth's actions, but also because his fate suggests that Macbeth might have had a happier fate had he not tried to force the witches' prophecy to come true.  

What does Romeo do in reaction to Mercutio's death?

Mercutio is Romeo's dearest and closest friend. Though he holds a more skeptical, much bawdier view of love than our hero, he's still fiercely loyal to his boon companion. He doesn't take Romeo's fondness for romantic love in the least bit seriously; nor, for that matter, does he have much time for the dominant code of masculine honor expressed in unseemly street brawls and duels. Nevertheless, Mercutio is as quick-tempered as anyone. He is certainly...

Mercutio is Romeo's dearest and closest friend. Though he holds a more skeptical, much bawdier view of love than our hero, he's still fiercely loyal to his boon companion. He doesn't take Romeo's fondness for romantic love in the least bit seriously; nor, for that matter, does he have much time for the dominant code of masculine honor expressed in unseemly street brawls and duels. Nevertheless, Mercutio is as quick-tempered as anyone. He is certainly more of a fighter than a lover, the exact opposite of Romeo.

So when Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel and Romeo refuses, Mercutio is quick to step into the breach and defend his honor. Sadly, in the ensuing duel in Act III Scene I, Mercutio is killed by Tybalt. His fatal wound may not be as deep as a well or as wide as a church door, but it's enough to kill him nonetheless.

Romeo is distraught at the death of his friend, not least because he was partly responsible for it. He stepped between Mercutio and Tybalt to stop the fight, but Tybalt took advantage of this and made a sneaky sword thrust which finished off Mercutio. Tybalt returns to the scene and he and Romeo fight. This time Romeo prevails and Tybalt lies dead. From now on, the tone of the whole play darkens considerably, and there is a tragic inevitability about what subsequently happens.

What is Patrick Maloney referring to when he says "I know it’s kind of a bad time to be telling you"?

Readers are never sure of exactly what Patrick tells Mary, but we do know that it is quite upsetting to her. It is generally assumed that Patrick tells Mary that he wants a divorce or that he is leaving her. Either way, readers can be fairly certain that the marriage is over.

His comment about it being a bad time sends the message that he actually believes that there might be a good time to...

Readers are never sure of exactly what Patrick tells Mary, but we do know that it is quite upsetting to her. It is generally assumed that Patrick tells Mary that he wants a divorce or that he is leaving her. Either way, readers can be fairly certain that the marriage is over.

His comment about it being a bad time sends the message that he actually believes that there might be a good time to share this kind of news with his wife; however, that is not exactly what he means by "bad time." 

Mary is pregnant, and she is going to have the baby in the next few months.  

Her skin—for this was her sixth month with child—had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger and darker than before.

Patrick's comment is referring to her pregnancy and their nearly arrived child. Patrick is not only leaving Mary. His absence not only affects Mary, but his actions now leave a child without a father figure. Yes, Patrick's timing is absolutely terrible.  

Why is The Hound of the Baskervilles a mystery?

Mystery literature involves a puzzling crime of some sort. This crime is often a murder or theft. What elevates such crimes to the realm of mystery is that they are seemingly impossible, or at least not readily understood by those not directly involved. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a great example of how a murder can be a mystery, as the only apparent answer is an impossible one.

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, the men in the Baskerville family are rumored to be haunted by an ancestral curse. Most recently, Sir Charles Baskerville has been found dead and surrounded by the footprints of a giant dog. Dr. Mortimer fears his late friend's nephew and heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, might also be killed by the spectral hound haunting the family. Dr. Mortimer (and Sir Henry) seek the help of Sherlock Holmes to try and prevent this from happening. 

The circumstances of Sir Charles' death are apparently plain — he was frightened to death by the ghostly dog while on a walk. Is it really as simple as that, though? Why would the hound resurface after so many years to target the Baskerville family? The whole setting of the Baskerville estate adds to our sense of mystery and trepidation as we learn Dr. Watson hears sounds in the night, the butler behaves strangely, and a murderer is loose on the moors! 

As with all of Holmes's cases, and with all mysteries, the facts are revealed in the end. Although most people were prepared to accept a supernatural answer in the wake of no other explanation, Holmes reveals that Sir Henry's cousin has been using his massive dog, coated with glowing phosphorous, to quite literally scare the life out of his relatives! This man hoped that if he killed off everyone ahead of him to inherit the estate, he would be named heir and make himself at home on the Baskerville estate. Indeed, Holmes figured out this motive long before he really understood how the murders were being committed. 

Mystery stories often follow a pattern where, after the initial exposition, some evidence is introduced that both answers questions and poses new ones. In almost every Sherlock Holmes story, however, the evidence is not made apparent until the very end.

What is the role of art, including poetry, in the poem "Beowulf?"

Art in the poem "Beowulf" is often a means of honoring kings and warriors. Poetry proclaims the bravery and might of leaders. For example, at the beginning of the poem, the poet writes, "the prowess of people-kings of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, we have heard." In other words, oral stories have been passed down through the years of the feats of the Danes in times gone by. 

When Beowulf dies at the end...

Art in the poem "Beowulf" is often a means of honoring kings and warriors. Poetry proclaims the bravery and might of leaders. For example, at the beginning of the poem, the poet writes, "the prowess of people-kings of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, we have heard." In other words, oral stories have been passed down through the years of the feats of the Danes in times gone by. 

When Beowulf dies at the end of the poem, his people cover his body armor and bury him with treasures, including rings, that they took from the dragon's cave. They bestow their dead leader's grave with objects of art as a way to honor him, and they also chant "dirges," or songs of mourning (which are forms of oral poetry), as a way to remember him.

Art is also a way to build a sense of community. When Hrothgar builds his famous mead hall, Heorot, he uses the hall as a place from which to dispense treasures and art, such as rings. It is also a place where minstrels perform. As the poet writes, "here harps rang out, clear song of the singer." The music and poetry that the minstrels proclaim help knit the community together. It is their sense of community and enjoyment that makes Grendel, a descendant of Cain who lives a lonely life on the moors, particularly jealous and desirous of killing them. After Beowulf and his men arrive to help purge Heorot of Grendel, the poet writes, "Oft minstrels sang blithe in Heorot." The minstrels, who sing stories in poetic forms, were vital in rallying the sprits of Hrothgar's people and the spirits of Beowulf and his Geats as they prepare to do battle with Grendel. Therefore, art, in the form of objects and in the form of poetry, was a way to knit together the community. 

How do the Kumalo family members symbolize the growing tension in South Africa?

The Kumalo family, like South Africa on the eve of apartheid, is deeply fractured. Much of the story revolves around Stephen Kumalo's repeated attempts to keep his family together at a time of great upheaval. The tensions within the family mirror those taking place in society as a whole.

Stephen represents a simpler time, a period of greater stability and certainty. His Zulu tribal heritage provides a network of care and mutual support. Sadly, that heritage is under threat of extinction. More and more young people from the village want to leave and seek new opportunities in Johannesburg. In breaking free from their ancestral homelands, they become atomized and rootless as they attempt to make new lives for themselves in the big city.

Stephen's son Absalom is one of them. His fate symbolizes the damage that city life poses to the traditional Zulu culture. Absalom falls in with the wrong crowd and participates in a botched robbery which ends in death. It does not just result in the death of Arthur Jarvis, it also results in his own death by execution. Every such death is a tragedy. This is the case not just for the individuals concerned, but also for the land that dies a little more each time a member of the tribe leaves it untended and open to exploitation.

The rampant corruption of the big city is also embodied in the figure of John, Stephen's brother. One does not just risk political corruption, one also risks the corruption of the soul, of one's very identity. John has become a politician, a powerful spokesman for the rights of oppressed black South Africans. Yet, in the process of developing a racial consciousness, John has lost sense of his tribal roots and the values they represent. His concern for justice is largely abstract; he has no sense of personal responsibility. He has left his wife to live with another woman, and he is prepared to pull strings to absolve his son Matthew from involvement in Absalom's botched robbery, even if it makes things worse for his nephew.

What is especially tragic here is that there is no obvious solution to the growing tensions within both the Kumalo family and in South Africa as a whole. It is not a simple matter of giving up city life and returning to the land. Gertrude Kumalo, Stephen's younger sister, for example, cannot do so. She is presented as a woman not just corrupted by the city, but also as morally eviscerated. By living such a dissolute lifestyle, she has broken the ancient moral code of the village. Zulu society is traditional, and women are expected to perform the roles of homemaker, mother, and wife. Having tasted the forbidden fruit of Johannesburg, it is impossible for Gertrude to return home, even if she was be accepted by the tribe.

There is undoubtedly a religious element to all this. Perhaps there is no earthly salvation for any of the Kumalo family or the rapidly changing South Africa they inhabit. In their own individual ways, John, Absalom, and Gertrude have tried to achieve salvation of sorts. However, all that their efforts have shown is the futility of doing so and the dangers of idolatry, particularly in relation to wealth, power, and status.

It is the meek, simple faith of Stephen Kumalo that tentatively suggests some resolution. This faith is one of quiet strength in the face of suffering and adversity. Stephen's prayer on the mountainside as his son is executed is also a prayer for South Africa. The country is on the verge of massive change that will intensify the already high levels of injustice, bloodshed, and racial intolerance. Stephen's prayer, however naive or forlorn it may be, allows us a brief glimpse of a still point in a rapidly turning world.

http://web.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Kassin/files/Kassin%20(2014)%20-%20PIBBS%20review.pdf Please summarize the article "False...

The article addresses the problems associated with false confessions and the steps that can be taken to decrease instances of false confessions.

To understand the psychology of confessions, it is important to analyze police interrogation processes and the factors that contribute to false testimonies. 

Most police interrogations follow the two-step "Reid technique." The first phase is an information-gathering interview, where suspects are asked a series of behavior-provoking questions, while the second phase consists of interrogations...

The article addresses the problems associated with false confessions and the steps that can be taken to decrease instances of false confessions.

To understand the psychology of confessions, it is important to analyze police interrogation processes and the factors that contribute to false testimonies. 

Most police interrogations follow the two-step "Reid technique." The first phase is an information-gathering interview, where suspects are asked a series of behavior-provoking questions, while the second phase consists of interrogations fueled by maximization or minimization tactics. There are problems associated with both phases, however.

First-phase interrogators often misread the behavioral cues of suspects. Meanwhile, maximization tactics, where police pressure the suspect by focusing on the certainty of his guilt, produces mixed results. Minimization tactics, where investigators minimize the crime and suspect's guilt, are similarly ineffective. In both cases, the susceptibility of juvenile and mentally-disabled suspects to such manipulative tactics raises the probability of false confessions.

Situational factors such as prolonged interrogations (along with sleep deprivation) and the presenting of false evidences may also raise the frequency of false confessions. A third situational risk, where police minimize the crime and explicitly promise leniency in sentencing, also increases the rate of false confessions.

False confessions are dangerous because they lead to biased assessments by forensic examiners, eyewitnesses, judges, and juries. Adding to the problem is the fact that it is almost impossible to determine without a shadow of doubt the authenticity of a confession.

Clearly, the above factors have inspired the process of reform. To date, at least 17 states and the Department of Justice have instituted requirements to record some or all interrogations. The recordings will increase police accountability and provide accurate means for judges and juries to assess the nature of confessions.

The author notes, however, that two other measures should be taken to decrease the rate of false confessions: admitting the use of expert testimony (without reservations and conditions) and ensuring that eyewitnesses and crime-lab technicians are "blind" to the absence or presence of a confession.

Why did the third estate pay most of the taxes, even though the higher classes had most of the money?

The reason the Third Estate paid all the taxes under the Bourbon monarchy in France is that the kingdom had an inefficient, outdated tax system. Nobles and clergy received many privileges, one of which was that they were exempt from many taxes, in particular the taille, a head tax on each individual. Numerous royal ministers tried to reform this system, but were blocked from doing so by the parlements, courts controlled by nobles....

The reason the Third Estate paid all the taxes under the Bourbon monarchy in France is that the kingdom had an inefficient, outdated tax system. Nobles and clergy received many privileges, one of which was that they were exempt from many taxes, in particular the taille, a head tax on each individual. Numerous royal ministers tried to reform this system, but were blocked from doing so by the parlements, courts controlled by nobles. The inefficiencies and injustice of this system helped cause the fiscal crisis of the late 1780s that spiraled into Revolution. We should note, though, that though it is perhaps correct to say that the first two estates, especially the clergy in the First Estate, controlled a great deal of landed wealth, the Third Estate was not only impoverished peasants and urban workers. Rather, it was the lawyers, merchants, and businessmen, the urban bourgeoisie who were just as angry at the tax system. While there was some degree of fluidity and upward mobility, these men, who viewed themselves as the productive class in France, resented (or in some cases aspired to gain themselves) the privileges of the clergy and the nobility, who they viewed as parasites. They were the ones who dominated the National Assembly that emerged from the Estates-General in 1789, and they dominated the early phases of the Revolution.

3. What role did the issue of slavery play in the Constitutional Convention?

Slavery played a significant role in the Constitutional Convention. One question dealt with whether slaves should be included in the count of a state’s population. Since the population of a state determined representation in the House of Representatives, this was an important issue to resolve. The South wanted slaves to be fully counted because this would give them more representatives in the House of Representatives. The North did not want slaves to be counted at...

Slavery played a significant role in the Constitutional Convention. One question dealt with whether slaves should be included in the count of a state’s population. Since the population of a state determined representation in the House of Representatives, this was an important issue to resolve. The South wanted slaves to be fully counted because this would give them more representatives in the House of Representatives. The North did not want slaves to be counted at all because the slaves were not citizens and had no freedoms. Additionally, if slaves were not counted, the North would have more influence in the House of Representatives. An agreement, called the Three-Fifths Compromise, said five slaves would be counted as three people.

There was also a debate regarding the issue of the trading of slaves. An agreement was made that there would be no restrictions regarding the trading of slaves for twenty years.

Slavery was an important issue that was debated and discussed at the Constitutional Convention.