Thursday 31 December 2015

What early indications suggest why Laurie has behaved so badly at school in "Charles" by Shirley Jackson?

The bad behavior of Laurie in the exposition of the story "Charles" foreshadows the way in which he will conduct himself at school. For, it is apparent that he is undisciplined.


Laurie's willfulness and disrespect is suggested in the verbs renounced and swaggered when the mother narrates that the boy decides on his own to dress in blue jeans and a belt rather than his usual overalls with bibs. Then, too, he walks with an...

The bad behavior of Laurie in the exposition of the story "Charles" foreshadows the way in which he will conduct himself at school. For, it is apparent that he is undisciplined.


Laurie's willfulness and disrespect is suggested in the verbs renounced and swaggered when the mother narrates that the boy decides on his own to dress in blue jeans and a belt rather than his usual overalls with bibs. Then, too, he walks with an older girl to school without even waving good-by to his mother. After the school day is finished, Laurie returns home in "the same way" that he has departed. He lets the door slam behind him and in a "raucous" voice Laurie shouts, "Isn't anybody here?"
While the family has lunch, Laurie speaks "insolently to his father" and he knocks over his baby sister's milk. He tells his parents "not to take the name of the Lord in vain." This statement, of course, indicates that Laurie must have cursed and then excused himself to the teacher by saying that his parents do this at home.


It is quite apparent that Laurie's parents are permissive as the mother describes his behavior without mentioning any discipline having been given to her boy. For instance, she has not called to him to wave good-by, nor does she later scold him for slamming the door, or for  spilling his sister's milk, as well as for speaking in an insolent tone. Also, she does not ask him what words he has used at school to have caused the teacher to say that his parents must not use the name of the Lord.
Further, Laurie casually mentions "with his mouth full" that the teacher spanked "a boy" for "being fresh." When his father asks him what this boy has done, Laurie ignores the question; instead, he takes a cookie, and slides off his chair without his father's reprimanding him for not answering.

4. How was the issue of slavery dealt with in the final version of the Constitution?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a positive move toward banning slavery in the United States. The Proclamation made in 1863 was bolstered by the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States. However, efforts and progress made by the Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment were watered down by the Jim Crow laws that instituted segregation in the southern United States.


Prior to the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery, the...

The Emancipation Proclamation was a positive move toward banning slavery in the United States. The Proclamation made in 1863 was bolstered by the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States. However, efforts and progress made by the Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment were watered down by the Jim Crow laws that instituted segregation in the southern United States.


Prior to the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery, the Union was split between states that accepted slavery and those that rejected slavery. The Constitution also made provisions for the continued practice of slavery by stating how slaves would be factored into the determination of representative seats in Congress (Three-Fifths Compromise). The Thirteenth Amendment officially and legally freed all slaves in the Union and also voided the Three-Fifths Compromise, which made it possible for the continuity of slavery.


The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments sought to address the challenges of segregation and the Black Codes by making their existence and enforcement illegal.

Ms. Sullivan understood Helen and taught her according to her abilities and needs. Comment on this statement in light of the innovative methods...

Ms. Sullivan did not arrive to teach Helen using traditional methods.  Helen could not see or hear, so she could not use those senses to learn.  Ms. Sullivan could not teach Helen to read letters or words on a page.  She could not tell her young pupil the letters of the alphabet and their accompanying sounds.


Ms. Sullivan instead taught Helen to communicate and to read using the manual alphabet.  This alphabet involved a hand...

Ms. Sullivan did not arrive to teach Helen using traditional methods.  Helen could not see or hear, so she could not use those senses to learn.  Ms. Sullivan could not teach Helen to read letters or words on a page.  She could not tell her young pupil the letters of the alphabet and their accompanying sounds.


Ms. Sullivan instead taught Helen to communicate and to read using the manual alphabet.  This alphabet involved a hand sign for each letter of the alphabet.  Each sign was pressed into Helen's palm.  The letters formed words.  When Helen learned how to communicate using the manual alphabet, she pressed the letters into the palms of other people to speak to them.


In addition to teaching Helen how to communicate, Ms. Sullivan taught the girl how to behave.  When Helen wanted to take food off of Ms. Sullivan's plate using her bare hands, the teacher refused to let her.  Helen became enraged, but Ms. Sullivan was firm.  She insisted that Helen use a fork to eat off her own plate.

In Freak the Mighty, how can I illustrate what the word "swilling" means? What's an example? What are some synonyms and antonyms?

Well, if you need to give an example of the word "swilling" from Freak the Mighty, the character that comes to mind immediately is Loretta Lee.  The reason why is that Loretta Lee is known for being a drunk.  She is most often shown as having both a drink and a cigarette in her hands.  Loretta, then, is someone who could be seen as "swilling" most often in Freak the Mighty. 


If you have to...

Well, if you need to give an example of the word "swilling" from Freak the Mighty, the character that comes to mind immediately is Loretta Lee.  The reason why is that Loretta Lee is known for being a drunk.  She is most often shown as having both a drink and a cigarette in her hands.  Loretta, then, is someone who could be seen as "swilling" most often in Freak the Mighty. 


If you have to draw a picture of one of the characters "swilling" a drink, I would try to draw the picture of when Loretta Lee opens the door to both Kevin and Max (when they try to return her purse).  I would draw the two standing together (with Kevin on Max's shoulders) as Freak the Mighty and Loretta Lee standing in the open door with a cigarette in one hand and "swilling" her drink in the other.  This is not only an accurate depiction but also an example from the book.


In regards to synonyms and antonyms, they are many and varied.  Two synonyms of "swilling" are "guzzling" and "slurping."  In regards to antonyms, two are "sipping" and "tasting."  Both of these words indicate someone drinking quite daintily (which would be the opposite of drinking greedily).

Wednesday 30 December 2015

What is the summary of chapters 20 and 21 in Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en?

In Chapter 20 of Monkey, the prince hears from his mother that the king hasn't been himself for the past three years. The Prince returns to the priest Tripitaka and enlists Monkey to retrieve his drowned father. Monkey coerces Pigsy into assisting him. Pigsy collects the King from the Dragon. In Chapter 21, Monkey and Pigsy take the resuscitated King back to Crow-cock to displace, capture and punish the imposter king. They discover that the imposter had been sent there three years ago as retribution for a crime committed by the true king.

In Chapter 20, during an emotional reunion, the prince's mother confesses that she has for three years wondered about the nature of her husband (his father, the King) who seemed, three years ago, to have suddenly changed so much. Having Tripitaka's story about an imposter king confirmed, the prince returns to him and requests Monkey's assistance in rescuing the true king from his underwater grave. Monkey--who displays his magical powers for the prince--tricks Pigsy into coming along to help by promising him full possession of treasure "worth more than an army of ten thousand men."


After Monkey provides the prince with plenty of game to fulfill the hunt he earlier told the imposter king he was going on (without game, the king might accuse and imprison him), then, when Monkey and Pigsy arrive at the banana-plant and find the well under a "slab of stone," Pigsy is lowered into the well by Monkey's magically stretched cudgel. After more of Monkey's trickery, Pigsy consents to dive down to find the "treasure," which is really the drowned king. On the other side of a guarded under-water portal, Pigsy talks to the "Dragon King of the Well" in his "Crystal Palace."


Pigsy refuses to carry the king--who has been preserved for three years by the Dragon King through a magical pearl--out of his death chamber (because he won't be paid a fee), but the Dragon ejects the king's body along with Pigsy and, upon the Dragon's removing the magical "water-fending pearls," the gate to the Crystal Palace vanishes. Monkey forces Pigsy to bring up the body, which, as Monkey confirms, has been for three years wonderfully preserved by the magical pearl. They return to the temple "to show him to Tripitaka." Pigsy, feeling "very ill-used" by Monkey "thought of a plan to revenge himself," which will make things worse for Monkey later when Tripitaka, tricked by Pigsy, gives Monkey a "head-ache spell."


In Chapter 21, despite the feud Pigsy carries on against Monkey, Tripitaka supervises while Monkey--with the power of Lao Tzu's "Nine Times Sublimated Life Restoring Elixir" from the "Trayaśimstra Courtyard of the heavenly palace of Quit Grief" in the "thirty-third heaven"--restores the king through the breath of life. 



Monkey stepped forward, and putting his wide mouth against the Emperor’s lips he blew hard into [the king's] throat.



The three, Monkey, Tripitaka and vengeful Pigsy (with Sandy also), take the true king, now called the "Emperor," on his journey back to Crow-cock. After an emotional entrance to the city (without the "five hundred priests in gorgeous procession, blowing conches"), the false king questions their papers and motives, though they are saved by Monkey's magic and by the prince of Crow-cock who speaks for them. Monkey now has his chance to triumphantly disclose that they have with them the true king and that the one on the throne is an imposter!



I raised him from the dead and restored him to life without hurt or harm. He earnestly begged to be admitted to our faith, and act as carrier on the road, to join with us in our quest and journey to the Western Land. The false king who sits on the throne is that foul magician; he that now carries our load is Crow-cock’s rightful king!



A battle ensues between Monkey and the shape-shifting wizard imposter, who turns himself into the image of Tripitaka. With the help of deities Monkey magically summons, he avoids slaying his priest master and pursues the imposter to the clouds, where a second recitation of the "head-ache spell" separates the imposter from the real Tripitaka. Just as Monkey is about to victoriously end the fight, Bodhisattva Manjuśrī appears commanding Monkey to stop. In a magic mirror Bodhisattva shows that the false king and wizard is really Bodhisattva Manjuśrī’s lion, which he rides upon.


Bodhisattva reveals that the true king had three years ago thrown a disguised Bodhisattva (disguised as a begging priest) into the river to die, but Bodhisattva had then been rescued by "a guardian spirit" after three nights. When he afterward complained to Buddha about what the king had done, Buddha sent the lion as a wizard to replace the king and throw the king in the well for three years as retribution. Monkey, now satisfied with the reason for the imposter's role and that the imposter never hurt anyone (including the king's wives), allows Bodhisattva to take the lion and leave.



‘Very well then,’ said Monkey. ‘Take him away. If you had not come just in time, he’d have been dead by now.’ Manjuśrī then recited a spell and said, ‘Creature, back to your true shape and look sharp about it!’ ... [Bodhisattva] Manjuśrī, putting down the lotus that he carried in his hand, harnessed the lion, mounted him and rode away over the clouds.



[Image: Wu Cheng'en (Ch'êng-ên) (United States public domain).]

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Is "A Day's Wait" a good title?

"A Day's Wait" is an appropriate title for the story because the passage of a certain day makes all the difference in the psyche of the boy Schatz. 

Hemingway's "A Day's Wait" is what is called a slice of life story—a narrative that opens a brief window into real life and examines the philosophical implications of these moments. The narrative of "A Day's Wait" revolves around a boy's fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit that the child misinterprets as 102 degrees Celsius because he has gone to school in France.


When his father leaves Schatz alone to rest, he does not realize that his son thinks he will soon die: Poor Schatz lies awake in his room, waiting throughout the day in the belief that he will not be alive the next day.



He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached from what was going on. . . [he] refused to let any one come into the room.



When Schatz's father returns, he takes his son's temperature, and Schatz asks him what the thermometer has read. "Something like a hundred," the father lies. "It was a hundred and two," Schatz counters. Then, the father notices that Schatz has been "holding tight onto himself about something."


When the father gets Schatz to reveal what he has been thinking, he realizes that Schatz "had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o'clock in the morning." Sadly, Schatz's "day's wait" has been unnecessarily stressful because his fever is not dangerous. His father explains the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit, and although Schatz is relieved and "the hold over himself relaxed, too," the boy is no longer the same, and he cries easily.

Monday 28 December 2015

How can you find the volume of a rock that floats in water?

You can still use volume displacement to find the volume of a rock that floats in water. You will just have to use a sinker of a known volume to submerge the rock. The procedure would look like this:


1. Fill a graduated container partly with water. Note the volume.


2. Add the sinker and note the change in water level. The water displaced by the sinker will be equal in volume to the sinker....

You can still use volume displacement to find the volume of a rock that floats in water. You will just have to use a sinker of a known volume to submerge the rock. The procedure would look like this:


1. Fill a graduated container partly with water. Note the volume.


2. Add the sinker and note the change in water level. The water displaced by the sinker will be equal in volume to the sinker. So if you added the sinker and the water rose by 5ml, the volume of the sinker is 5 ml.


3. Attach the sinker to the rock and submerge both in the water. Note the volume of water displaced by both objects together.


4. Subtract the volume of the sinker found in #2 from the volume found in #3 to find the volume of the rock alone.

How could Mrs. Jones give her ten dollars to Roger, who wasn't just a stranger to her but also had tried to get away with her purse?

Though a small-time thief, Roger is still a young boy. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, an affectionate and sensitive woman, would like to see a positive change in Roger.


Instead of handing Roger over to the police, she takes him to her home. Roger is baffled by her motherly affection. With her every word and gesture, he experiences the warmth of human love, so far unknown to him.


Your question is quite reasonable as to...

Though a small-time thief, Roger is still a young boy. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, an affectionate and sensitive woman, would like to see a positive change in Roger.


Instead of handing Roger over to the police, she takes him to her home. Roger is baffled by her motherly affection. With her every word and gesture, he experiences the warmth of human love, so far unknown to him.


Your question is quite reasonable as to why one would be so generous to a stranger, and especially to someone who has just tried to snatch your purse.


But Mrs. Jones is one of those few people who are unusually caring and big-hearted. She is the type of woman who would do good to even them that intend to harm her. However, Roger was just a boy and she understood he is not a bad person.


Instead of being angry with Roger, she seems worried about him. To her, he is only a misguided lad. Being a thief, he is sure to land up in a jail, sooner or later. She knows the path that he’s taken is self-destructive.


Here’s your answer. By being so good and kind to Roger, Mrs. Jones is taking a chance. Through her love and motherly affection, she wants to appeal to the good side of Roger’s nature with the hope that this could bring about a positive transformation in him.


When she says to him, “You could of asked me,” she means he didn't need to steal. The point that she drives home is Roger doesn’t need to be a thief to make money and fulfill his wishes. There are other ways to do so, much more dignified and self-satisfying ways.

Sunday 27 December 2015

How does Scrooge's attitude towards Bob Cratchit and their relationship change at the end of A Christmas Carol?

In Stave One of A Christmas Carol, we meet Scrooge and his employee, Bob Cratchit, for the first time. From their conversation, it is clear Scrooge's attitude towards Bob is cold and uncaring and that their relationship is strained. Scrooge accuses Bob of "picking his pockets," for example, when he asks to take Christmas Day as a vacation. Also, Scrooge expects Bob to work in the cold office without a decent fire to keep...

In Stave One of A Christmas Carol, we meet Scrooge and his employee, Bob Cratchit, for the first time. From their conversation, it is clear Scrooge's attitude towards Bob is cold and uncaring and that their relationship is strained. Scrooge accuses Bob of "picking his pockets," for example, when he asks to take Christmas Day as a vacation. Also, Scrooge expects Bob to work in the cold office without a decent fire to keep his hands warm.


By the final stave of the story, however, Scrooge's attitude has changed significantly. Scrooge gives Bob a pay rise, for instance, and he donates a large turkey to the family for their Christmas Day meal. This kind attitude is coupled with a growing friendship between the two men, demonstrated most clearly by Scrooge's relationship with Tiny Tim, to whom he becomes a "second father."

What were the effects of WWII on the United States?

There were several effects of WWII on the United States, and I will summarize them below in terms of social and economic changes.


Economic Changes


The biggest impact of WWII on the United States was economic stimulation.  In order to prepare for war, industry experienced a boom and continued to grow after the war ended.


Social Changes


After the war ended, there was a shift from urban, city life back to rural life—this time, however,...

There were several effects of WWII on the United States, and I will summarize them below in terms of social and economic changes.


Economic Changes


The biggest impact of WWII on the United States was economic stimulation.  In order to prepare for war, industry experienced a boom and continued to grow after the war ended.


Social Changes


After the war ended, there was a shift from urban, city life back to rural life—this time, however, in the form of suburbs.  Families, supported by a strong and growing economy, were able to start purchasing homes outside the city and rely on either public transportation or cars to commute to jobs.  Women were also working more, a result of their efforts to work to help support American troops during wartime.  With a transition to suburban life came the growth of mass consumerism, as a better economy and growth in technology and industry led to a desire for new goods.  This was also the period where the "baby boomer" generation was born; in a stable, post-war United States, populations exploded.


It should be noted, however, that African Americans did not enjoy the same prosperity. Racial tensions and divides, segregation, and Jim Crow laws in the South among other things encouraged the Civil Rights Movement.

Saturday 26 December 2015

In what sense do Bruno and Shmuel disagree about the soldiers?

In chapter 13, Bruno and Shmuel have a rare disagreement. The subject of soldiers is a sensitive one, and neither boy can find common ground with the other. In other words, Bruno and Shmuel disagree without reservation on the subject of soldiers. 


While Bruno believes that there are some good soldiers, Shmuel believes otherwise. Because of his experiences, Shmuel is wary of soldiers. Unlike Bruno, he has never met a soldier who treated him kindly...

In chapter 13, Bruno and Shmuel have a rare disagreement. The subject of soldiers is a sensitive one, and neither boy can find common ground with the other. In other words, Bruno and Shmuel disagree without reservation on the subject of soldiers. 


While Bruno believes that there are some good soldiers, Shmuel believes otherwise. Because of his experiences, Shmuel is wary of soldiers. Unlike Bruno, he has never met a soldier who treated him kindly or with any consideration for his humanity.


On the other hand, Bruno has never experienced explicitly cruel treatment from a soldier. His only conception of a good soldier is his father. Although Bruno's father remains a detached figure in his life, he does share a bond with Bruno.  As a consequence, Bruno thinks that his father is a shining example of a "good" soldier. Additionally, Bruno's father also dresses impressively, has the respect of his fellow soldiers, and the regard of "The Fury." Because of these factors, Bruno concludes that his father is a good soldier.


Of course, this is a very biased assumption on Bruno's part. However, Shmuel's assumptions are also biased: since he has only experienced cruelty from soldiers, he cannot conceive of there ever being such a thing as a "good" soldier.

What did Eliezer care about after his father passed away?

In Chapter 8, Eliezer and his father arrive Buchenwald. Throughout the chapter, Eliezer's father gets weaker each day until he is unable to move. Despite his father's declining physical condition, Eliezer remains loyal to him and continues to bring his father soup and coffee. Eliezer is even tempted to stop feeding and caring for his father when someone advises him to keep the food for himself, but Eliezer continues to look after his father. On...

In Chapter 8, Eliezer and his father arrive Buchenwald. Throughout the chapter, Eliezer's father gets weaker each day until he is unable to move. Despite his father's declining physical condition, Eliezer remains loyal to him and continues to bring his father soup and coffee. Eliezer is even tempted to stop feeding and caring for his father when someone advises him to keep the food for himself, but Eliezer continues to look after his father. On the night of January 28, 1945, Eliezer's father dies and is taken away before daybreak. When Eliezer gets up on the morning of January 29, 1945, he knows that his father has died because his cot is empty. Eliezer mentions that there were no prayers said over his father's tomb or candles lit in his memory. After his father's death, Eliezer said that he did not weep and that nothing mattered to him anymore. Eliezer loses all hope and essentially becomes numb after his father's death. The traumatic experiences have left Eliezer emotionless.

Friday 25 December 2015

What is an analysis from The Ones who walk away from Omelas?

Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" can be interpreted as a commentary on capitalistic society and the ignorance of the upper class to the strife of the lower class. In this sense, "Omelas" is allegorical in nature, meant to reveal the dilemma of an uneven economic system. If we analyze Le Guin's story through this lens, we can draw similarities between the citizens of Omelas and people of the middle to upper...

Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" can be interpreted as a commentary on capitalistic society and the ignorance of the upper class to the strife of the lower class. In this sense, "Omelas" is allegorical in nature, meant to reveal the dilemma of an uneven economic system. If we analyze Le Guin's story through this lens, we can draw similarities between the citizens of Omelas and people of the middle to upper class. These individuals seemingly live in a utopian society, however, the very nature of their ease of living is dependent upon the suffering of a singular individual (the lower class). The following passage from the story shows support for this analysis:



They all know that it has to be there. Some of them understand why, and some do not, but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children, the wisdom of their scholars, the skill of their makers, even the abundance of their harvest and the kindly weathers of their skies, depend wholly on this child's abominable misery. 



The people of Omelas understand the presence of this individual, yet they do nothing about it. The ones that are most impacted by the presence of this child choose to simply walk away from Omelas. They don't fight back against the system, nor do they voice their opinions of it. In this way, Le Guin is recognizing those who do not speak out against economic injustices, and she, perhaps, is even calling them out. "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas," then, can also be interpreted as a call-to-action.

Using examples, compare the story "The Flowers" by Alice Walker to the movie "Crash" by Paul Haggis.

Alice Walker's story "The Flowers" is similar to Paul Haggis' Crash in the sense that both works explore the theme of racism and its effects on society.

In "The Flowers," a little girl's innocence is shattered when she encounters the body of a man who has been lynched. After discovering the almost rotted remains of the noose, Myop lays down her flowers: to take the flowers home would be to ignore the import of what she has just seen. Thus, a joyously carefree afternoon becomes marred when the reality of Jim Crow America stares into the face of an innocent girl.


In Crash, an African-American power couple (television director Cameron Thayer, and his wife, Christine) are harassed by racist LAPD officer, John Ryan. Meanwhile, Farhad (a Middle Eastern shop owner) and his daughter, Dorri, have to endure racially-tinged insults when they try to purchase a weapon at a gun store. The store owner is persuaded that Farhad has evil intentions, and he does not hesitate to let Farhad know what he thinks of him.


In yet another incident of racial animus, Daniel Ruiz (an Hispanic locksmith) finds himself facing distrust from Jean Cabot (the wife of the district attorney, Rick Cabot). Jean is visibly uncomfortable when she sees Daniel's tattoos; she thinks that he belongs to a gang and that he will lead his gang-banger friends to their home (to rob them).


So, both works explore the theme of racism and how it affects those who are exposed to it. In laying down her flowers, Myop lays down her innocence as well as her trust that she can lead a safe life. Similarly, minority characters in Crash have to navigate a treacherous social landscape due to recent events that have ignited the fears of mainstream American society.


Unlike "The Flowers," however, Crash also illustrates that racism is not exclusive to any particular segment of society: in the movie, various characters demonstrate instances of racial intolerance that mirror the challenges of race relations in America. For instance, after two black carjackers, Anthony and Peter, hit a Korean man, Peter immediately labels the man a "Chinaman." The two carjackers then unceremoniously dump the injured Korean man in front of an emergency room entrance before making their getaway.


In another incident, Farhad angrily harasses Daniel (the Hispanic locksmith), because he thinks that Daniel is trying to cheat him. Farhad accuses Daniel of not wanting to fix the lock on his shop door, while Daniel tries to tell him that a new door would be a better investment. Because his English skills are limited, Farhad has a difficult time understanding Daniel. Later, Farhad's store is robbed, and he discovers that his insurance company will not cover the damages. Farhad bitterly blames Daniel for his predicament and lies in wait to shoot the Hispanic locksmith.


In many ways, Crash demonstrates the intricacy of race relations in America, a topic which is not addressed in "The Flowers." When Cameron and Anthony are surrounded by white police officers, Officer Hanson tries to defuse the tense situation by vouching for Cameron. For his part, Cameron basically tells Anthony that he is embarrassed to be associated with black men like him (who commit crimes and lead dangerous lives). The delicate issue of race relations is further highlighted when Rick (the district attorney) laments that the two carjackers are black; he's afraid that if he prosecutes them, he will lose the black vote. Conversely, if he doesn't, he will lose the "law and order" vote.

Thursday 24 December 2015

What was the role of cotton production and slavery in the South's economic and social development?

Cotton production was critical to the economic success of the South, and slavery was a crucial (albeit horrific and inhumane) means of meeting the high demands of that industry. 


The American South evolved as an agrarian society in which crops like tobacco, sugar, rice, wheat, hemp, and, of course, cotton supported the economy. Cotton, in particular, was in huge demand in the nineteenth century. It was largely responsible for the boom in the production of...

Cotton production was critical to the economic success of the South, and slavery was a crucial (albeit horrific and inhumane) means of meeting the high demands of that industry. 


The American South evolved as an agrarian society in which crops like tobacco, sugar, rice, wheat, hemp, and, of course, cotton supported the economy. Cotton, in particular, was in huge demand in the nineteenth century. It was largely responsible for the boom in the production of textiles overseas.


In fact, cotton served as the leading American export from 1803 to 1937 and was foundational to the Industrial Revolution; 77 percent of the 800 million pounds of cotton being used in Great Britain were directly produced in the South. The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney expedited this process, but it was truly slavery that made it possible in the first place.


Karl Marx once commented, "Without slavery, you have no cotton."


In order to keep up with the European demand for cotton, the transatlantic slave trade provided forced laborers directly from Africa. In addition to this tragic violation of human rights and life, over a million African Americans living in the Upper South were sold off to the Deep South to feed "King Cotton." 


Socially speaking, it is clear that the demand for cotton prolonged slavery and, in doing so, arguably contributed to causing the Civil War. However, it also kept America in good standing with Europe because of the European market's dependency on cotton exports.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

What happens to the rest of the crew after the Mariner kills the albatross?

After the Mariner shoots and kills the albatross, the rest of the crew hang the albatross around the Mariner's neck to symbolize and punish the sailor for his crime, which they believe is responsible for their declining fortunes on the windless sea. After idling for some time, the Mariner and the rest of the crew encounter a ghostly ship carrying Death and his mate, an equally terrifying woman. This woman brings about the death of...

After the Mariner shoots and kills the albatross, the rest of the crew hang the albatross around the Mariner's neck to symbolize and punish the sailor for his crime, which they believe is responsible for their declining fortunes on the windless sea. After idling for some time, the Mariner and the rest of the crew encounter a ghostly ship carrying Death and his mate, an equally terrifying woman. This woman brings about the death of every member of the crew except for the Mariner, leaving him alone and isolated. As such, after the Mariner kills the albatross, the rest of the crew suffers death at the hands of ghostly and supernatural figures. However, this is not technically the last we see of the crew, as their dead bodies are fantastically animated with supernatural powers to sail the Mariner home later on in the poem.

Tuesday 22 December 2015

When and why do individuals and groups stop believing in a political process and turn to terror and violence to achieve what they see as justice?

Individuals and groups may resort to violence when they realize that the government or the administration will not make any concessions towards their demands. Noticeable breakdowns in the political process lead to loss of confidence among the people. For instance, political processes are seen to be breaking down when the governing institution imposes itself on the governed through force, coercion, and intimidation. In such governments, the leadership would want to increase administrative powers or extend...

Individuals and groups may resort to violence when they realize that the government or the administration will not make any concessions towards their demands. Noticeable breakdowns in the political process lead to loss of confidence among the people. For instance, political processes are seen to be breaking down when the governing institution imposes itself on the governed through force, coercion, and intimidation. In such governments, the leadership would want to increase administrative powers or extend leadership terms against the will of the people. In such a situation, public protests would ensue to fight against the undemocratic practices of the leadership. The protests might start off peacefully but turn violent, forcing the government to respond through police action. A meeting of the protesters and the police on the streets can increase the chance of violence between the two groups.


A real-life example of such a situation occurred in Ukraine in 2013. President Viktor Yanukovich failed to pay attention to the demands of the people through the opposition. The opposition proposed a reduction of presidential powers, constitutional reforms, and changes in the governing system.  Yanukovich rejected the proposal and held on to the excessive presidential powers. He stifled parliamentary processes to pass amendments by coercing and intimidating the members of parliament. The stalemate led to the spread of violence from Kiev to the rest of Ukraine. The situation led to his self-imposed exile to Russia and ouster as president of Ukraine.

In Hemingway's "A Clean and Well Lighted Place," who are the protagonist and antagonist?

The protagonist is the older waiter. He is the character who embodies the story's overriding theme of existential angst in the face of nothingness. He is a world weary soul who's abandoned the certainties of faith and succumbed to despair. We see this in his parody of the Lord's Prayer, where he inserts the word nada (nothing) into various places.


But how to escape from this crushing sense of despair in a bleak and seemingly...

The protagonist is the older waiter. He is the character who embodies the story's overriding theme of existential angst in the face of nothingness. He is a world weary soul who's abandoned the certainties of faith and succumbed to despair. We see this in his parody of the Lord's Prayer, where he inserts the word nada (nothing) into various places.


But how to escape from this crushing sense of despair in a bleak and seemingly Godless universe? The cafe in which he works provides a place of refuge. It is "a clean, well-lighted place" where a sense of order and stability prevails. Yet this can only be a brief respite, and no more. At some point the older waiter will need to go home to bed, where he will be alone with this thoughts once more and also bitterly aware that he is all alone in the universe as he struggles to impose some meaning on an inherently meaningless existence. The futility of the attempt merely adds to his crushing sense of despair.


The younger waiter is the antagonist. His youthful naivety and ignorance of the ways of the world give him a radically different perspective from that of his older work colleague. He doesn't openly acknowledge the fundamental nothingness at the heart of life, but the valuation he puts on worldly goods shows that he is unknowingly seeking to avoid the question of his death by losing himself in endless distractions. Unlike the older waiter and the deaf old man, he has a wife. His marriage provides him with a link to the world of other selves, a world from which the other two men in the story have been almost completely cut off. In short, he appears to have something to live for. His world is indeed "clean and well-lighted."


The younger waiter cannot understand why someone as rich as the deaf old man would ever contemplate taking his own life. Nor can he begin to comprehend the cynicism and depression of the older waiter. But perhaps in the story's protagonist we can catch a glimpse of what the antagonist will become once his worldly attachments no longer constitute the "clean, well-lighted place" he thinks they do.

Did Oedipus need to be taught modesty through suffering? Are there any quotations that support this?

One account of tragedy argues that it follows a pattern in which the hero, who is otherwise a great and noble character, suffers from a tragic flaw of arrogance or overwhelming pride leading to his inevitable downfall. This account is somewhat of an oversimplification, as the hero is sometimes caught in a forced choice scenario—often due to an inherited curse—and whatever path the hero chooses will lead to a downfall.


The important thing to note...

One account of tragedy argues that it follows a pattern in which the hero, who is otherwise a great and noble character, suffers from a tragic flaw of arrogance or overwhelming pride leading to his inevitable downfall. This account is somewhat of an oversimplification, as the hero is sometimes caught in a forced choice scenario—often due to an inherited curse—and whatever path the hero chooses will lead to a downfall.


The important thing to note is that human pride or arrogance in Greek tragedy is often seen as an affront to the gods. Because the Greek pantheon is anthropomorphic, the difference between god and human is one of degree (of skill, power, strength, etc.), and thus human overreach is seen as a mortal challenging or impinging on the domain of the gods.



The tyrant is a child of Pride...


Until from his high crest headlong


He plummets to the dust of hope.



A tyrant was a ruler by popular acclaim or by force, while a king was an hereditary ruler. Because the people and Oedipus himself do not know Oedipus's birth circumstances until the end of the play, he is a tyrant; only when his parentage is discovered do we realize he was actually a king as well as tyrant. This quotation suggests that tyrants are proud and powerful and, because of that, endure a spectacular downfall.



Count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.



Even when one is wealthy or powerful, one is not immune to the power of the gods and fortune and should not become complacent.



If a man's contemptuous, and goes along with acts and speaks without respect for what is right and doesn't revere statues of gods, then let a sorry fate destroy him.



This quotation suggests that if someone is arrogant and does not display adequate respect for the gods, the gods will teach him modesty by destroying him.

Monday 21 December 2015

Despite the fact that all of the authors for the realism and naturalism unit seem to seek the same aim—to represent things as they really...

To some extent, James's Daisy Miller: A Study and London's "To Build a Fire" share the same truth: that humans misjudge the world and people around them. In Daisy Miller, Winterbourne believes he understands the effervescent Daisy Miller. When he first meets her, he thinks:


"He had a great relish for feminine beauty; he was addicted to observing and analyzing it; and as regards this young lady's face he made several observations. It was not at all insipid, but it was not exactly expressive; and though it was eminently delicate, Winterbourne mentally accused it—very forgivingly—of a want of finish. He thought it very possible that Master Randolph's sister [Daisy] was a coquette."



Winterbourne appraises Daisy as if she were an object of art or a painting, but he doesn't understand her interior at all. Mr. Giovanelli, the Italian man who courts Daisy, has a better understanding of her. After she dies, Giovanelli says of Daisy, "She was the most beautiful young lady I ever saw, and the most amiable...and she was the most innocent." Winterbourne is aghast that Giovanelli would describe Daisy as innocent—a quality that he has never perceived in Daisy. Though Winterbourne admires her beauty, he never comprehends her fundamental innocence and falsely considers her a shameless flirt.


Like Winterbourne, the unnamed main character in "To Build a Fire" does not understand the world around him or his companion, a husky dog. The man disregards advice not to venture out on such a cold day in the Yukon; however, the dog beside him is keenly aware of the peril of being out in the cold. As London writes:



"This man did not know cold. Possibly all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of real cold, of cold one hundred and seven degrees below freezing-point. But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge. And it knew that it was not good to walk abroad in such fearful cold."



The dog could be a useful companion to the man, but he instead decides to slay the dog. As London writes:



"He would kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until the numbness went out of them. Then he could build another fire. He spoke to the dog, calling it to him; but in his voice was a strange note of fear that frightened the animal, who had never known the man to speak in such way before. Something was the matter, and its suspicious nature sensed danger—it knew not what danger, but somewhere, somehow, in its brain arose an apprehension of the man."



The dog understands the reality of the situation far better than the man, who has underestimated the deadliness of the Yukon in the cold and failed to rely on the dog beside him. Even as the man is freezing to death, he curses the warmth and security that the dog could provide him. In the end, he, like Winterbourne, has misjudged his companion.


The differences between the two stories are that Winterbourne's companion, a woman, dies, while in "To Build a Fire," the man dies while his companion, a husky, lives on. The truth in Daisy Miller is that misjudging others results in others' demise, but in "To Build a Fire," misjudgment results in one's own death.

What do you think is the single best explanation for homicide?

Looking for a "single best" explanation for homicide is problematic. There are many different motives for homicide, perhaps as many as there are criminals.


First, we should note that homicide is not a new phenomenon. We have archaeological evidence for a murder that occurred 430,000 years ago. There is considerable space devoted to homicide in ancient law codes, something that is evidence of the ubiquity of this crime through human history.


Despite tremendous variation across...

Looking for a "single best" explanation for homicide is problematic. There are many different motives for homicide, perhaps as many as there are criminals.


First, we should note that homicide is not a new phenomenon. We have archaeological evidence for a murder that occurred 430,000 years ago. There is considerable space devoted to homicide in ancient law codes, something that is evidence of the ubiquity of this crime through human history.


Despite tremendous variation across cultures and periods, there are a few consistent things we know about homicide. First, across all periods for which we have data, the majority of perpetrators are male. However, correlation is not necessarily causation, and though people with Y chromosomes are more likely to commit homicide, one cannot claim for certain that Y chromosomes explain homicide. 


Next, the perpetrators of homicide tend to be socially disadvantaged in some way. They may be people living in poverty, members of minority groups, or otherwise marginalized. There is also a solid correlation between homicide rates and GINI coefficient (a measure of economic inequality within a society). Thus one could also argue that inequality and social injustice tend to cause homicide. Of course, this sort of statistical analysis does not explain why one person may commit homicide and another not. 


Interpersonal conflicts are a common motivation for homicide. The wide availability of guns in certain societies, such as that of the United States, also correlates with an increase in homicide rates.

Brave New World vs Modern Society

There are various ways in which modern society mimics that of Brave New World.

Medical Science


While there is nothing to parallel the activities of the CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE of Huxley's novel, there has been cloning of animals. Genetic engineering, such as producing human insulin, and genome therapy are also realities.  Certain genes have been isolated as well.


Conditioning


In the New World children are conditioned to think in certain ways and to feel that "everyone belongs to everyone." The children play naked so that as adults they will think nothing of many sexual partners. 


People in modern times are conditioned by exposure to movies, television, news media, social media, current trends, and peer and social pressures. There is little or no independent thought among many who follow certain trends of thought.


Desensitization


In Brave New World, the children play near the dying so that death will be of little meaning to them. This activity is called death conditioning. But everyone looks young, even the dying. So, when the children see John's mother, they are shocked because she looks old. 



They had never seen a face like hers before-had never seen a face that was not youthful and taut-skinned, a body that had ceased to be slim and upright.... At forty-four, Linda seemed, by contrast, a monster of flaccid and distorted senility



People in modern times are so exposed to violence that they have become desensitized to it. With movies and other media, people are desensitized to death and others' misery.


Drugs


People of the New World take an entertainment drug called soma. Real emotions are purged because any time that people feel the least bit unsatisfied, they merely take soma. 


In modern society drug use is prevalent as a reliever of stress or pain because people have trouble dealing with reality.


Sex as Recreation


Children of the New World play with one another naked. In this way, they are conditioned to play little attention to sexual differences. "Everyone belongs to everyone" is a slogan taught to them. In this way they do not experience erotic love or feel any personal attachments.


Likewise, in the real world, people have become more desensitized to sexual relations. They engage in these relationships on casual levels as they often see recreational and casual sex in movies. 


An All-Powerful Elite


The New World has people who are bred to be leaders; these are the Alphas, and they are the ones in control of the others.


In modern society, the wealthy owners of certain companies such as media companies exert a power over citizens because they control what information goes out. They have the opportunity to alter this information, as well. 

Saturday 19 December 2015

How would I summarize The Art of the Commonplace?

The Art of the Commonplace is a collection of essays split into five sections. In this volume, Wendell Berry uses his writing and farming experience to discuss the benefits of agrarianism. His argument stems from the belief that once people become more connected to the land, societal and personal ills will be reduced as a result.


Essentially, if someone is interested in learning more about Berry’s agrarian principles, then each essay will provide a glimpse...

The Art of the Commonplace is a collection of essays split into five sections. In this volume, Wendell Berry uses his writing and farming experience to discuss the benefits of agrarianism. His argument stems from the belief that once people become more connected to the land, societal and personal ills will be reduced as a result.


Essentially, if someone is interested in learning more about Berry’s agrarian principles, then each essay will provide a glimpse into why he endorses agrarianism. His career, ancestry, historical knowledge, and observations about the current culture all play a part in his vision for where humankind should be headed. Since the environment belongs to everyone, it is necessary that we do our best to preserve the land and prevent current problems from affecting future generations.

What political issue divided the people living along the Kansas-Missouri border?

Prior to the Civil War (the time period of Rifles for Watie), there was frequent conflict between Kansas (where Jeff is from) and Missouri. In 1821, Missouri was admitted to the United States as a state where slavery was legal. However, according to the Missouri Compromise, no future state north of the latitude that marked Missouri’s southern border could be a slave state. In 1854, the Missouri Compromise was repealed, opening Kansas to those...

Prior to the Civil War (the time period of Rifles for Watie), there was frequent conflict between Kansas (where Jeff is from) and Missouri. In 1821, Missouri was admitted to the United States as a state where slavery was legal. However, according to the Missouri Compromise, no future state north of the latitude that marked Missouri’s southern border could be a slave state. In 1854, the Missouri Compromise was repealed, opening Kansas to those who wanted the territory to become a future slave state. Many people from the North moved to Kansas in order to make it free. The struggle between these two groups continued throughout the Civil War. The Bushwackers from Missouri often crossed the border to attack towns where abolitionists held sway, such as Lawrence. People from Kansas, called Jayhawkers, entered Missouri to attack slave-holding families. This conflict led to Kansas becoming known as “Bleeding Kansas.” After the Civil War started in 1861, Kansas became a free state, and Missouri, though it did not legally secede and join the Confederacy, was the center for many battles, making it the third-most state fought over, after Virginia and Tennessee. It is in this conflict that the novel takes place and in which Jeff finds himself fighting on both sides.

Friday 18 December 2015

How can I compose a scene between Okonkwo and his father Unoka discussing the theme of power and masculinity in the novel Things Fall Apart by...

As you work on writing this scene, your primary focus should be the contrast in beliefs and actions of the two men and the way Okonkwo resents his father. You might want to frame the scene as a dream vision in which Okonkwo, shortly after his father's death, converses with Unoka's spirit in a dream. 

The beginning of the conversation might be Okonkwo talking about his lack of inheritance and how his father's debts and lack of title have made life difficult for his family even after his death. Next, Okonkwo should accuse his father of not being a good man and failing to live up to the standards of masculinity.


As a spirit, Unoka should display a sort of wisdom and self knowledge that he might not have had in life. He should admit that he lacked physical strength and the sort of assertiveness and aggressiveness admired in the warlike Igbo society. He should acknowledge that he is quite different from his son and that he understands his son's perspective. You might quote the following passage:



Even as a little boy [Okonkwo] had resented his father's failure and weakness.... And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion-- to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness.



Nonetheless, Unoka might point out that his aversion to war and dislike of the sight of blood, although despised in his society, did not mean that he was a failure as a man, but rather that Igbo notions of masculinity, especially as understood by Okonkwo, are limiting.


Unoka might briefly play the flute in the scene and point out that his flute playing brought peace and contentment to himself and joy to his community. Although his buying wine and entertaining left him poor, it also brought happiness. He would argue that his lack of interest in material possessions, generosity, peacefulness, and dedication to bringing pleasure to the village even in the face of disapproval were a different kind of strength, and that Okonkwo's obsession with power and material goods was a weakness. 


Unoka might also point out that Igbo tradition emphasizes a balance between the masculine and feminine in each person and that it is precisely Okonkwo's rejection of the feminine that leads to his conflict with the Earth Goddess. He would argue that within each person, masculine and feminine need to be in balance. 


Another major difference between the two men was 



[…] he [Okonkwo] was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head. 



In the scene you are writing, you could have Okonkwo boast of this. Unoka might respond by saying that it is this hypermasculinity and aggressiveness that lead Okonkwo eventually to harm his own family. If Unoka has in some sense failed by lacking the warrior spirit, Okonkwo fails by possessing it in too great measure. The dialogue could conclude with Unoka talking with the wisdom he has gained in the spirit world about the need for a balance within every person of the strong and the gentle, the artistic and the practical, happiness and striving, and masculine and feminine. 

What would be an example of a scenario or conversation between a therapist who is treating someone who has histrionic personality disorder with a...

Since DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition), hysterical personality disorder has been known as histrionic personality disorder. Individuals who suffer from this disorder enjoy being the center of attention. In fact, they thrive on being dramatic or provocative in their behavior, all for the purpose of gaining the attention they crave from others. The psychodynamic approach would address self-esteem issues resulting from past conflicts or emotionally-stifling experiences. A therapist using such an approach may seek to address the patient's incomplete resolution of the oral or Oedipal stage. Freud stated that infants should get adequate and regular oral stimulus at this early stage, whether it's through breastfeeding or the bottle. He believed that infants who lacked adequate and regular stimulation at the oral stage would be at a disadvantage; they could not then advance to the next developmental stage (the anal stage). Essentially, a patient who was neglected at this stage in life would mature into an adult who seeks constant validation of his/her worth from others. Such an individual may also be a good manipulator, intent only upon securing the praise and adulation he/she desires.

Psychodynamic therapy would focus on how the patient's unconscious processes affected his/her actions. Therapists who use this approach believe that a thorough and honest evaluation of past conflicts or undesirable experiences would help patients understand how the past affects the present. The idea is that, once patients receive clarity or insight about unresolved, past conflicts, they will be able to live happier and more constructive lives.


So, a possible scenario surrounding such an approach to histrionic personality disorder is:


1) Brief therapy sessions with one major focus for each of the sessions, rather than traditional, longer sessions where the patient freely discusses any and all topics he desires. Sessions may range from between 25-40 sessions.


2) In the first or second sessions, the therapist brainstorms with the patient and discusses what the central topic will constitute. Doing this allows the therapist to address the patient's most pressing issues during therapy sessions. At this early stage of the therapy process, the therapist can help the patient identify the main issues and map out a goal for the sessions.


3) Sessions may incorporate different therapeutic techniques to achieve the main goals of the treatment. For example, the therapist may use what is called dream analysis (favored by many who advocate the psychodynamic approach). During initial sessions, the therapist may ask the patient to write down the recent dreams he/she has had. Usually, these dreams are challenging to the patient in the sense that they are frightening or disturbing in nature. After the patient writes down these dreams, the therapist will help the patient interpret the dreams. Here, the therapist hopes to uncover the disguised, latent content of the patient's dream, so he can help the patient process his repressed feelings.


4) In other sessions, the therapist may use transference analysis to help the patient understand his unconscious habits. For example, the patient may experience difficulty in relating to women. The therapist can help the patient uncover the reasons for this. Perhaps, the patient had a very difficult relationship with his own mother. So, he relates to women today in the same way that he related to his mother in the past. Transference analysis can help this patient discover why he finds it difficult to communicate clearly and effectively with women.


5) In some sessions, the therapist may use the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) to address how childhood experiences continue to affect the patient today. Most importantly, the therapist will address how and why the patient is unaware of these influences. The above is an example of a likely scenario between a therapist and a patient in psychodynamic-structured therapy sessions.

According to Montresor, what makes a perfect crime?

In the opening paragraph of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado," the first-person narrator Montresor vows revenge against the perceived insults he has endured at the hands of Fortunato. Montresor has planned to murder his so-called friend. For Montresor, the crime of killing Fortunato can only be considered a perfect crime if two things are part of the plan. First, the crime must be undetected; second, the victim must understand exactly who...

In the opening paragraph of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado," the first-person narrator Montresor vows revenge against the perceived insults he has endured at the hands of Fortunato. Montresor has planned to murder his so-called friend. For Montresor, the crime of killing Fortunato can only be considered a perfect crime if two things are part of the plan. First, the crime must be undetected; second, the victim must understand exactly who is perpetrating the crime against him. Montresor's crime should go unnoticed and, moreover, he needs Fortunato to recognize Montresor is the one killing him. He indicates this by saying,



I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. 



In the first sentence of this statement, Montresor uses the word "impunity," which is defined as being without fear of punishment. In the third sentence, he makes it clear that, as the "avenger," he needs to make certain the victim understands exactly what is happening. In the end, Montresor's plan works to perfection, and he claims in the final line that the bones of Fortunato were never discovered.

Thursday 17 December 2015

Who gave Ancient Egypt a new religion?

In ancient Egypt, the people believed in many gods. Individuals could join cults for whatever god they chose, but still revered all of the gods. Egyptians were accustomed to respecting each other's belief systems and rituals. The most popular religious sects in the Egyptian system were the Cults of Ra, Osiris, and Amun. By the Eighteenth Dynasty when Amenhotep IV came to power as pharaoh, the Amun Cult was very prestigious and wielded significant political...

In ancient Egypt, the people believed in many gods. Individuals could join cults for whatever god they chose, but still revered all of the gods. Egyptians were accustomed to respecting each other's belief systems and rituals. The most popular religious sects in the Egyptian system were the Cults of Ra, Osiris, and Amun. By the Eighteenth Dynasty when Amenhotep IV came to power as pharaoh, the Amun Cult was very prestigious and wielded significant political influence. The Aten Cult did exist also but was not as popular.


Amenhotep was not pleased with this fact and found it unfathomable that the priests of the cult would own more land than the pharaoh. Amenhotep resolved this situation by moving the capital from Thebes, changing his name, and introducing a new religion.


Amenhotep changed his name to Akhenaten in honor of the sun disk. He elevated Aten to become the official god of the state. He essentially instituted a monotheistic religion and discredited the priests of the other cults. As you can imagine, this did not go over well with the elite priest class. The lower classes were not on board either. After Akhenaten died, King Tutankhamen reinstituted the traditional religious traditions.

What was Oedipus's tragic flaw?

For many years there's been a fairly intense debate raging in academia as to precisely what constitutes Oedipus's tragic flaw. It's not possible to provide a definitive answer to the question here, but there are a couple of possibilities that we can examine.

The first of these is pride, or hubris, as the Greeks called it. When Oedipus visits the Oracle at Delphi, she tells him that one day he will kill his father and marry his mother. Understandably, Oedipus is shocked at hearing this, as anyone would be. Less understandably, however, he chooses to defy fate, displaying extraordinary hubris in the process. Ironically, his act of overweening pride ultimately leads to his downfall. It's precisely because Oedipus refuses to return to Corinth that he ends up meeting his birth father, Laius, on the road, where he subsequently kills him.


A slightly less convincing case could be made for anger as Oedipus's tragic flaw. After all, it's anger that leads Oedipus to kill his father. There are two problems with this approach, however. First of all, although anger does indeed lead directly to Laius's death, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the other part of the Oracle's prophecy: that Oedipus will marry his mother. In fact, this has more to do with the hubris that Oedipus displayed in solving the riddle of the Sphinx, for which he was rewarded with Jocasta's hand in marriage.


The second problem with the anger case is that Oedipus's killing of Laius could reasonably be justified on the grounds of self-defense. Certainly, most of the audience watching Oedipus Rex will have arrived at the same conclusion. After all, Oedipus, like Laius himself, is a king, and as such would be expected to defend his honor, by force if necessary.


On balance, then, hubris would seem to be the most likely answer to your question. However, the matter is far from settled. The important thing is to read the play carefully and make up your own mind.

You are at a point on Earth. You travel exactly 100 miles due south. You turn and travel exactly 100 miles due west. You then turn and travel...

The question you posed is a famous brainteaser. It is often used in the technology industry. The key idea to grasp in this question is that the earth is a sphere. Therefore, if a person is at the North Pole and travels 100 miles to the south, then heads 100 miles to the west, and then travels 100 miles to the north, the person would be at the North Pole. The travel route will actually...

The question you posed is a famous brainteaser. It is often used in the technology industry. The key idea to grasp in this question is that the earth is a sphere. Therefore, if a person is at the North Pole and travels 100 miles to the south, then heads 100 miles to the west, and then travels 100 miles to the north, the person would be at the North Pole. The travel route will actually look triangular in shape.


There are many other answers to this question. Actually, there is an infinite number of answers and they all involve traveling near the South Pole. In this situation, think of a circle 100 miles in circumference near the South Pole. If a person starts 100 miles north of this point, then travels 100 miles to the south, followed by 100 miles to the west, and then goes 100 miles to the north, you will end up where you began. There is an infinite number of points a person can start from this line of latitude and end up in the same place. The travel route will be circular in shape.


If you click here, you will go to a page that has a YouTube video that explains this process in detail.

Wednesday 16 December 2015

What are the similarities between Ralph and Jack's style of leadership in Lord of the Flies by William Golding?

Both Ralph and Jack choose to lead by example, and they both aggressively stand up to challenges in front of their group members in order to elevate their status as leaders. Also, Ralph and Jack both demand a lot from the members of their tribes. Ralph insists on maintaining a signal fire, building shelters, collecting water, and following the rules. Jack also insists that his tribe hunt pigs and follow his directives without questioning him....

Both Ralph and Jack choose to lead by example, and they both aggressively stand up to challenges in front of their group members in order to elevate their status as leaders. Also, Ralph and Jack both demand a lot from the members of their tribes. Ralph insists on maintaining a signal fire, building shelters, collecting water, and following the rules. Jack also insists that his tribe hunt pigs and follow his directives without questioning him. Both boys get upset when their members do not follow their instructions. Ralph and Jack also share a misunderstanding of how to lead a group of young boys properly. Ralph does not make individuals accountable for their actions. Jack uses fear to control his tribe. Although Ralph and Jack have drastically different agendas, they both wish to be respected leaders and have high expectations for the members of their tribes.

Why can't the Tucks stay in any one place for very long?

I believe that this question is asking about the book Tuck Everlasting.  


The Tuck family can not stay in one place for very long because other people would eventually become suspicious of the Tuck family.  The entire family is immortal.  They have stopped aging.  If they were to stay in one place for a long time, people would begin to wonder why nobody in the family ever appears to age.  The Tucks could probably...

I believe that this question is asking about the book Tuck Everlasting.  


The Tuck family can not stay in one place for very long because other people would eventually become suspicious of the Tuck family.  The entire family is immortal.  They have stopped aging.  If they were to stay in one place for a long time, people would begin to wonder why nobody in the family ever appears to age.  The Tucks could probably get away with staying in a single place for a decade or two, but after that it would be fairly obvious to other townspeople that something is definitely different about the Tucks.  All of this is explained to Winnie (and readers) in chapter 10.  Mae admits that they have been in their present location for about as long as they dare stay anywhere -- 20 years.  



"But they can't stay on in any one place for long, you know. None of us can. People get to wondering." She sighed. "We been in this house about as long as we dare, going on twenty years."


What is the syntactic function of the noun phrases above in their respective clauses (see text)? a) The media is one of...

 Syntax refers to the arrangement of different parts of speech according to a set of rules about patterns and order. That is, in English syntactical function refers to the grammatical constructions of words and their arrangement in a sentence. For, as a syntactic language, English makes use of this system of ordering words (especially nouns) to indicate relationships that convey meaning. (Other languages sometimes change the spelling of nouns in order to convey meaning or case, a process called declension.)


Here is the syntactic function of the following noun phrases given above: 


(a) (This one has been completed as described above.)


(b) The most important thing is to decide what the purpose of the interview is for you.


This sentence is also a simple sentence composed of one main clause. The syntactic function of the words in bold is that of the subject of the sentence. The noun thing is the simple subject, and "The most important" modify this subject. [The=an article, most=adverb of degree which qualifies important, and important = an adjective]


(c)  If another colleague is better than you on television and radio, then push him or her forward. 


This is a complex sentence (an independent clause and a subordinate clause=a complex sentence). another colleague functions as the subject of the subordinate clause which begins with the subordinating conjunction if. [another=adjective, colleague=noun]


(d)  You should insist on meeting the other people involved before the discussion starts.



Since "the other people involved" is all in bold together, the implication here is that "involved" is attached to people as a past participle acting as a limiting adjective for this noun. The words in bold are part of a participial phrase:"meeting the other people involved." 
Thereforethe syntactical function of the words in bold are as the object of a participle. (meeting the other people involved = a participial phrase.)  As verbals, participles can take objects. [http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/partphraseterm.htm}


(Note: Qualifying the type of sentence is a little tricky because traditionalists may argue that this sentence is elliptical because who are is understood, not stated, after the word people and, therefore, begins a subordinate clause. So, according to this argument, the sentence can be read as a complex sentence, rather than a simple sentence with only one main clause as it appears to be when read with "involved" as past participle used as an adjective.) 

Find the volume above the cone `z=sqrt(x^2+y^2)` and below the sphere `x^2+y^2+z^2=1`

The volume between two surfaces can be calculated by


`V=int int_D (z_(t o p)-z_(b o t)) dA`


Where `D` is the area contained by the boundary of the volume projected onto the xy-plane.


To find `D` we need to solve when they two surfaces meet. Solve for `z` on both equations and set them equal to each other.


We have `z=sqrt(x^2+y^2)`


and


`z^2+x^2+y^2=1`


`z=+-sqrt(1-(x^2+y^2))`


Notice that the bottom half of the sphere `z=-sqrt(1-(x^2+y^2))` is irrelevant here because it does not intersect with the cone. The following condition is true to find the curve of intersection.


`z=z`


`sqrt(x^2+y^2)=sqrt(1-(x^2+y^2))`


Switch to polar coordinates to simplify the problem.


`r=sqrt(1-r^2)`


`2r^2=1`


`r=1/sqrt(2)`


The boundary of the volume is a circle of radius `1/sqrt(2)` . Then `D` is


`D={(r,theta)|0lt= r =lt1/sqrt(2), 0lt= theta lt= 2pi}`


Now preform the double integral.


`V=int int_D [(sqrt(1-(x^2+y^2)))-(sqrt(x^2+y^2))] dxdy`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2)) ((sqrt(1-r^2))-r)r dr d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))((1-r^2)^(3/2)-r^2)dr d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))(r(1-r^2)^(1/2)-r^2)dr d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))(r(1-r^2)^(1/2))dr d(theta)-int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))r^2dr d(theta)`


On the first integral, let `u=1-r^2` `->` `du=-2r dr`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2)) r(u)^(1/2)((du)/(-2r)) d(theta)-int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))r^2dr d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2)) (-1/2)(u)^(1/2) du d(theta)-int_0^(2pi) int_0^(1/sqrt(2))r^2dr d(theta)`


Integrate `u` and substitute back in for `r` .


`V=int_0^(2pi) [(-1/3)(1-r^2)^(3/2)-(1/3)r^3]|_0^(1/sqrt(2)) d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) [(-1/3)(1-(1/sqrt(2))^2)^(3/2)-(1/3)(1/sqrt(2))^3+(1/3)]d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) [(-1/3)(1/(2sqrt(2)))-(1/(6sqrt(2)))+(1/3)]d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) [-1/(6sqrt(2))-1/(6sqrt(2))+(2sqrt(2))/(6sqrt(2))] d(theta)`


`V=int_0^(2pi) (-2+2sqrt(2))/(6sqrt(2))d(theta)`


`V=(2pi)((-2+2sqrt(2))/(6sqrt(2)))`


`V=(2pi)/6*2((-1+sqrt(2))/sqrt(2))`


`V=(2pi)/3*(1-1/sqrt(2))`

Tuesday 15 December 2015

How did westward migration impact American Indians living in the Ohio Valley and Mississippi Territory?

Westward migration of European Americans to the western part of the United States in the late 1700s and into the 1800s was terrible for American Indians living in the Ohio Valley and Mississippi territory. European Americans believed they had a more advanced society than the American Indians' societies. As a result, they forced American Indians out of their land using legislation and violence.


For example, in 1823, the Supreme Court agreed that American Indians did...

Westward migration of European Americans to the western part of the United States in the late 1700s and into the 1800s was terrible for American Indians living in the Ohio Valley and Mississippi territory. European Americans believed they had a more advanced society than the American Indians' societies. As a result, they forced American Indians out of their land using legislation and violence.


For example, in 1823, the Supreme Court agreed that American Indians did not truly own their land and therefore could not sell it themselves, even though they had been living there for decades. Then, in 1830, President Andrew Jackson wanted Congress to pass an act called the Indian Removal Act, which would force all American Indians to give up their land and migrate west of the Mississippi River. The plan was to have them live on so-called Indian Reservations: plots of land reserved for American Indians. The government offered small sums of money called annuities in exchange for the move, which were not always paid on time.


Once this bill was proposed, various Cherokee tribes came together to protest the legislation. They supposedly won the fight in 1832, but some tribes still signed contracts allowing the government to "help" them move westward. Then, in 1838, when the deadline for removal of American Indians was supposed to happen, European American soldiers moved west anyway and removed the Indians by murdering, raping, and imprisoning them.


Those who made it out alive were captured, imprisoned, and forced to walk one thousand miles west toward their new western territory. This walk is now called the Trail of Tears, as over four thousand American Indians died during the inhumane trek. As you can see, westward expansion was more like an American Indian genocide than a positive move for America. Unfortunately, we often still fail to recognize the horrible ways in which European Americans developed the country on the backs of American Indians and African American slaves.

What were the social impacts that slave trade had on Africa?

The Atlantic slave trade had a variety of negative social effects on Africa. The European exploitation of African resources and human labor, as well as the constant demand for slaves to export to North America, was devastating to African society. Millions of Africans were taken as slaves, and local leaders waged war on neighboring groups to take prisoners of war to sell as slaves to Europeans. The slave raids within Africa resulted in famine, and...

The Atlantic slave trade had a variety of negative social effects on Africa. The European exploitation of African resources and human labor, as well as the constant demand for slaves to export to North America, was devastating to African society. Millions of Africans were taken as slaves, and local leaders waged war on neighboring groups to take prisoners of war to sell as slaves to Europeans. The slave raids within Africa resulted in famine, and many taken as slaves died on the route to the coast or on slave ships. Inter-ethnic conflict increased as a result of the slave raids, and African society was increasingly dominated by warlords who sold slaves for personal profit at the expense of Africa's economy. The fear of neighboring warlords caused some ethnic groups to migrate, resulting in economic and technological regression for the migrants. African society also restructured itself by creating a more rigidly hierarchical and authoritarian society in the hopes of protecting themselves against the slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade damaged Africa's economy, changed its governmental structures to predatory or authoritarian systems, caused mass displacement, and greatly reduced the population as people were taken as slaves or died in the process. Overall, the slave trade severely damaged African society.

Sunday 13 December 2015

How does the Epic of Gilgamesh represent society?

Although many elements of the Epic of Gilgamesh are mythical or fictional, the protagonist Gilgamesh was an historical king of Uruk whose rulership is attested by ancient king lists. Many aspects of the epic are consistent with information obtained from archaeological and other non-literary sources. 


The epic represents the society of Uruk as one in which the monarch has absolute power. Even when subjects disapprove of his actions or he acts in a manner that...

Although many elements of the Epic of Gilgamesh are mythical or fictional, the protagonist Gilgamesh was an historical king of Uruk whose rulership is attested by ancient king lists. Many aspects of the epic are consistent with information obtained from archaeological and other non-literary sources. 


The epic represents the society of Uruk as one in which the monarch has absolute power. Even when subjects disapprove of his actions or he acts in a manner that violates social norms, there is no mechanism by which ordinary people can prevent him from doing as he pleases. 


Religion is an important element in Gilgamesh's society, which is ordered as a theocracy, with there being no clear distinction between secular and religious authority. The portrait of the constant intervention of the gods in human affairs reflects the actual importance of temples in the administration of Uruk.


The society is represented as having very distinct gender roles and strong social stratification. The society is extremely hierarchical. As well as class distinctions, the society is highly urbanized with a strong division between city and countryside. The society is also strongly militaristic, and in a constant state of potential conflict with neighboring kingdoms.

Saturday 12 December 2015

what type of character is gandalf

Gandalf is a good wizard, a kind, often humorous, but wise leader. He recruits Bilbo, an unassuming Hobbit, to join a group of Dwarves on a journey because he discerns that Bilbo has potential. Gandalf is a very powerful wizard who could solve almost all problems himself if he wanted, but he prefers to develop the talents of other creatures when he can. 


Gandalf has a marked tendency to flit here and there to take...

Gandalf is a good wizard, a kind, often humorous, but wise leader. He recruits Bilbo, an unassuming Hobbit, to join a group of Dwarves on a journey because he discerns that Bilbo has potential. Gandalf is a very powerful wizard who could solve almost all problems himself if he wanted, but he prefers to develop the talents of other creatures when he can. 


Gandalf has a marked tendency to flit here and there to take care of other responsibilities. This leaves Bilbo on his own to cope with dangerous situations without his help. While this may seem unreliable on Gandalf's part, it allows Bilbo to learn to think for himself and hone his leadership skills. 


Adventure always seems to emerge alongside of Gandalf. As the text says:



Gandalf! If you had heard only a quarter of what I have heard about him, and I have only heard a very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale. Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion.


Friday 11 December 2015

`sum_(n=1)^oo arctan(n)/(n^2+1)` Confirm that the Integral Test can be applied to the series. Then use the Integral Test to determine the...

`sum_(n=1)^ooarctan(n)/(n^2+1)`


Integral test is applicable if f is positive, continuous and decreasing function on infinite interval `[k,oo)` where `k>=1` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=1)^ooa_n`  converges or diverges if and only if the improper integral `int_1^oof(x)dx` converges or diverges.


For the given series `a_n=arctan(n)/(n^2+1)`


Consider `f(x)=arctan(x)/(x^2+1)`


Refer the attached graph of the function. From the graph, we observe that the function is positive , continuous and decreasing for `x>=1`


We an apply integral test as the function...

`sum_(n=1)^ooarctan(n)/(n^2+1)`


Integral test is applicable if f is positive, continuous and decreasing function on infinite interval `[k,oo)` where `k>=1` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=1)^ooa_n`  converges or diverges if and only if the improper integral `int_1^oof(x)dx` converges or diverges.


For the given series `a_n=arctan(n)/(n^2+1)`


Consider `f(x)=arctan(x)/(x^2+1)`


Refer the attached graph of the function. From the graph, we observe that the function is positive , continuous and decreasing for `x>=1`


We an apply integral test as the function satisfies all the conditions for the integral test.


Now let's determine whether the corresponding improper integral `int_1^ooarctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx` converges or diverges.


`int_1^ooarctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx=lim_(b->oo)int_1^b arctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx`


Let's first evaluate the indefinite integral `intarctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx` ,


Apply integral substitution:`u=arctan(x)`


`du=1/(x^2+1)dx`


`=intudu`


Apply power rule,


`=u^2/2`


Substitute back `u=arctan(x)`


`=1/2(arctan(x))^2+C` where C is a constant


`int_1^ooarctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx=lim_(b->oo)[1/2(arctan(x))^2]_1^b`


`=lim_(b->oo)1/2[(arctan(b))^2-(arctan(1))^2]`


`=1/2[(pi/2)^2-(pi/4)^2]`


`=1/2(pi^2/4-pi^2/16)`


`=1/2((4pi^2-pi^2)/16)`


`=3/32pi^2`


Since the integral `int_1^ooarctan(x)/(x^2+1)dx` converges, we conclude from the integral test that the series converges.

How does Hans Christian Anderson make us feel sympathetic toward the little girl in the short story "The Little Match Girl"?

First, Andersen establishes a brutal setting for her: "It was dreadfully cold; it was snowing fast, and was almost dark."  To make matters worse, she is bareheaded and barefooted, having lost her excessively large slippers running across a street to escape the carriages that "were passing terribly fast."  Now, her feet are "red and blue with cold."  As if these descriptions of the dreadful cold, the terriblespeed of the frightening carriages, and the painful...

First, Andersen establishes a brutal setting for her: "It was dreadfully cold; it was snowing fast, and was almost dark."  To make matters worse, she is bareheaded and barefooted, having lost her excessively large slippers running across a street to escape the carriages that "were passing terribly fast."  Now, her feet are "red and blue with cold."  As if these descriptions of the dreadful cold, the terrible speed of the frightening carriages, and the painful visual imagery of her frozen feet are not enough, the narrator tells us, "Poor little girl!  Shivering with cold and hunger she crept along, a perfect picture of misery." 


Not only is the child rendered terribly sympathetic by word choices such as these, she also begins to smell savory roasted goose from a house she is passing, contrasting painfully with her hunger and need.  She huddles against a wall, and, to warm herself, she lights her matches one by one, imagining the feast inside the home, the beautifully trimmed Christmas tree, and, finally—lighting an entire bundle so the vision will not fade—her grandmother, "the only person who had loved her."  The child goes to God in the arms of her grandmother, with "neither hunger nor cold, nor care."  She is found smiling—and dead—in the morning.


Thus, Andersen elicits our sympathy with the harsh winter setting, the child's abject poverty, careful word choice, vivid description and imagery, and the juxtaposition of the child's reality with her fantasy.  Even the fact that he chooses a child as the main character elicits more sympathy than would an adult protagonist.

Wednesday 9 December 2015

To what extent does Shakespeare present Macbeth as hubristic in Act 4 Scene 1?

First of all, he demonstrates his arrogance by demanding that the witches answer his questions. One might think Macbeth would express some humility or even cautiousness before these supernatural beings who have led him to a path of murder and corruption. 


The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware Macduff. Macbeth should simply take this warning and heed it. Greedily, he asks for more. The apparition will give no more answers. 


The second apparition tells Macbeth...

First of all, he demonstrates his arrogance by demanding that the witches answer his questions. One might think Macbeth would express some humility or even cautiousness before these supernatural beings who have led him to a path of murder and corruption. 


The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware Macduff. Macbeth should simply take this warning and heed it. Greedily, he asks for more. The apparition will give no more answers. 


The second apparition tells Macbeth that he will not be harmed by a man given birth to by a woman. Macbeth ignores the first apparition's warning and says Macduff will be left alive. Macbeth assumes that Macduff is "of woman born" and is therefore nothing to be afraid of. But then he plans to kill Macduff anyway. 


The third apparition tells him not to worry because he will never be defeated until the forest (Birnam Wood) comes to Dunsinane Hill against him. Macbeth doesn't think outside the box again. He concludes that such a thing could never happen. Macbeth expresses his pride (hubris) and arrogance here, believing that he can not be defeated. He is tricked into thinking this. Macbeth's usual attitude is based upon ambition and fear, but pride plays a larger role here. 

I need to write a short research paper on Hiroshima. The subtopic I choose is wide open. Do you have any suggestions? I considered writing about...

There are endless possibilities for a research paper on Hiroshima, depending on your area of interest. There were several Jesuits in Hiroshima at the time the bomb exploded in 1945. In addition, Pope John Paul II visited Hiroshima in 1981 and was clearly affected by his visit (there's a New Yorkerarticle about his visit in the links below). Obama was the first U.S. President to visit the Hiroshima War Memorial in 2016, and your...

There are endless possibilities for a research paper on Hiroshima, depending on your area of interest. There were several Jesuits in Hiroshima at the time the bomb exploded in 1945. In addition, Pope John Paul II visited Hiroshima in 1981 and was clearly affected by his visit (there's a New Yorker article about his visit in the links below). Obama was the first U.S. President to visit the Hiroshima War Memorial in 2016, and your paper might explore why US Presidents did not visit the site before that time.


Other possible research paper topics include a study of the memoirs of the survivors (see the link to the research library at the University of Washington below), including the commonalities and differences in their accounts. Another topic to explore is the research conducted on the medical effects of the bomb, both in the immediate aftermath of the explosion and in the months afterward. John Hersey's book Hiroshima, published in 1946, is an account of several survivors of the atomic bomb detonation from the moment the bomb exploded to one year after the event.  

What does Coach's tattoo say?

Coach has a tattoo on his back that says, "The Good Shepherd." The phrase is taken from the Gospel of John 10:11-18, where Jesus says:


I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (KJV).


The tattoo is important as it symbolizes Coach's role in the story. He's not quite a Christlike figure, but he's certainly a good man who sees it as his responsibility to show kids in the...

Coach has a tattoo on his back that says, "The Good Shepherd." The phrase is taken from the Gospel of John 10:11-18, where Jesus says:



I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (KJV).



The tattoo is important as it symbolizes Coach's role in the story. He's not quite a Christlike figure, but he's certainly a good man who sees it as his responsibility to show kids in the neighborhood that there is a world beyond the poverty and crime of the barrio. Coach grew up in the neighborhood himself so he knows all about the struggles that Eddie and his friends encounter on a daily basis. Unlike many in the barrio, Coach has experience of the wider world. His service in Vietnam is an example of this. In fact, Coach had his tattoo done just before he headed overseas; and though the tattoo is a perfect expression of Coach's personality, he still regrets having it done.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

What event should take place for the minister but does not?

The minister of Milford, Mr. Hooper, is supposed to be soon married, but his marriage will never take place.  His fiancee, Elizabeth, feels that "it should be her privilege to know what the black veil concealed," and so she is the only person in the village who dares to approach Mr. Hooper and inquire directly.


She first asks him to take the veil off and let her see his face, but he will not.  He...

The minister of Milford, Mr. Hooper, is supposed to be soon married, but his marriage will never take place.  His fiancee, Elizabeth, feels that "it should be her privilege to know what the black veil concealed," and so she is the only person in the village who dares to approach Mr. Hooper and inquire directly.


She first asks him to take the veil off and let her see his face, but he will not.  He says, "'this veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, solitude and before the gaze of multitudes [...].  No mortal eye will see it withdrawn."  He refuses her request to see his face, even one more time, for he says that no one in the world, even her -- his most beloved -- can come behind the veil. 


Elizabeth tells him what rumors are circulating in the village about him -- that he has committed some terrible, hidden sin that he longs to conceal -- and he asks, "'If I cover my face for sorrow, there is cause enough, [...] and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same?'"  It is this response that helps Elizabeth to understand what the veil symbolizes, and "her eyes were fixed insensibly on the black veil, when, like a sudden twilight in the air, its terrors fell around her."  She comes to understand that that the veil symbolizes the secret sin that every mortal has and feels compelled to hide from everyone else.  Her knowledge that she will always be separated from her future husband by both this secret sin as well as its symbolic reminder in the form of the terrible veil is too much for her, and she abandons him.

At the end of "The Most Dangerous Game," how does the reader know that Rainsford and Zaroff will fight to the death?

Toward the end of Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," the protagonist Sanger Rainsford leaps from a cliff across from General Zaroff's chateau in order to avoid certain death at the hands of the general and his pack of dogs. The reader is initially unsure of Rainsford's fate. The general obviously believes him to be dead because he returns to the chateau, has dinner and goes to his bedroom. Rainsford, who has survived...

Toward the end of Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," the protagonist Sanger Rainsford leaps from a cliff across from General Zaroff's chateau in order to avoid certain death at the hands of the general and his pack of dogs. The reader is initially unsure of Rainsford's fate. The general obviously believes him to be dead because he returns to the chateau, has dinner and goes to his bedroom. Rainsford, who has survived the swim across the cove, reveals himself to Zaroff after hiding behind the curtains. The general is shocked but quickly congratulates Rainsford, telling him that he has "won the game." Rainsford spurns Zaroff's declaration, indicating that he is still a "beast at bay" and that the "game" between the two men can only end in the death of one of the men. The general confirms this and is even joyful in the prospect. He says,



"Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford..."



The term repast is defined as a meal and so the general suggests that the man who loses the duel will be thrown to the dogs. The other one will sleep in the general's bed. The final line confirms that Rainsford has killed the general because he comments on the comfort of the bed. 

`int tan^3(3x) dx` Find the indefinite integral

Before we can begin to find the integral, we must do some rearranging using some trig identities so that we have integrals that we can work with. We will need to remember the following identities as we work through this problem:


`tan^2(x)=sec^2(x)-1`


`tan(x)=(sin(x))/(cos(x))`


So, to begin, we will split up the `tan^3` like so:


`int tan^3(3x)dx=int tan(3x)*tan^2(3x)dx`


Next, we will use the first identity above to rewrite tan^2:


`int tan(3x)*tan^2(3x)dx=int tan(3x)(sec^2(3x)-1)dx`


We will then distribute...

Before we can begin to find the integral, we must do some rearranging using some trig identities so that we have integrals that we can work with. We will need to remember the following identities as we work through this problem:


`tan^2(x)=sec^2(x)-1`


`tan(x)=(sin(x))/(cos(x))`


So, to begin, we will split up the `tan^3` like so:


`int tan^3(3x)dx=int tan(3x)*tan^2(3x)dx`


Next, we will use the first identity above to rewrite tan^2:


`int tan(3x)*tan^2(3x)dx=int tan(3x)(sec^2(3x)-1)dx`


We will then distribute and separate it into two integrals:


`int tan(3x)sec^2(3x)-tan(3x)dx=`


`= int tan(3x)sec^2(3x)dx-int tan(3x)dx`


Now we can use the second trig identity above to rewrite the second integrand:


`int tan(3x)sec^2(3x)dx-int (sin(3x))/(cos(3x))dx`


We can now use u-substitution on each integral.  We will also need the chain rule on the 3x when finding du. So the u-substitution for the first integral is:


`u=tan(3x)`


`du=sec^2(3x)*3dx`


`1/3 du=sec^2(3x)dx`


For the second integral, we will use a v for our u-substitution so as not to confuse the two as we work through them.  So the "v"-substitution for the second integral is:


`v=cos(3x)`


`dv=-sin(3x)*3dx`


`-1/3dv=sin(3x)dx`


Now, we will substitute these back into the integrals and integrate, as shown below:


`1/3 int udu-(-1/3)int (1/v)dv=(1/3)(u^2/2)+(1/3)ln|v|+C`


We can now substitute back in for u and v to find our final indefinite integral:


`int tan^3(3x)dx=1/6tan^2(3x)+1/3ln|cos(3x)|+C`

How are race, gender, and class addressed in Oliver Optic's Rich and Humble?

While class does play a role in Rich and Humble , race and class aren't addressed by William Taylor Adams (Oliver Opic's real name) ...