What evidence is there in "Ulysses" that the speaker does not wish for a life of adventure but instead wishes for death?

There is a fundamental tension throughout the poem between Ulysses's continuing taste for adventure and exploration, and a desire to face up to his old age and mortality. Ulysses (or Odysseus as he was known to the Greeks) was a great warrior, a noble explorer who undertook many dangerous, perilous journeys and voyages throughout the known world. It's not surprising, then, that Ulysses should still retain a strong sense of wanderlust.

But Ulysses is also...

There is a fundamental tension throughout the poem between Ulysses's continuing taste for adventure and exploration, and a desire to face up to his old age and mortality. Ulysses (or Odysseus as he was known to the Greeks) was a great warrior, a noble explorer who undertook many dangerous, perilous journeys and voyages throughout the known world. It's not surprising, then, that Ulysses should still retain a strong sense of wanderlust.

But Ulysses is also mortal, so he's getting older. He's now confronted with the question of how to live out the rest of his days. Should he slip quietly into a stale, yet comfortable dotage? Or should he ignore death altogether and continue on with a life of adventure until his body finally gives up on him? As a dignified old warrior, with the blood of adventure coursing through his withered veins, there can only be one answer.

Then, what of death? I'd argue that there's no evidence in the poem to suggest that Ulysses longs for death as such. It would be more accurate to say that Ulysses seeks a new life in death, a new adventure in the afterlife, despite the fact that Ulysses is uncertain as to whether or not it even exists:

"It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: 

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, 

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew."

But no matter. Ulysses and his men are explorers, after all, and so there's always an element of risk involved in any voyage. Exploring the afterlife, if it does indeed exist, will be the ultimate adventure. But until the day of death finally arrives, we must all of us, brave explorers or not, in the meantime carry on our lives with vigor, purpose, and strength of will:

"One equal temper of heroic hearts, 

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will 

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Why does Crooks tell Lennie that George isn't coming back?

It is not stated why Crooks does this.  However, if we read the text carefully, there are a few clues. 

Crooks is the low man on the farm.  He is a black man in the midst of white men who are racist.  We get a sense of this racism in Candy's retelling of what happened one Christmas.  The men watched Crooks fight a white man for the amusement of the men.  Also the boss yells...

It is not stated why Crooks does this.  However, if we read the text carefully, there are a few clues. 

Crooks is the low man on the farm.  He is a black man in the midst of white men who are racist.  We get a sense of this racism in Candy's retelling of what happened one Christmas.  The men watched Crooks fight a white man for the amusement of the men.  Also the boss yells at Crooks as an outlet for his anger. 

In light of these points, Crooks is beaten down emotionally and socially.  So, when there is someone who is arguably lower, Crooks takes advantage of him.  The one who is abused takes delight in abusing.  There is one sentence that makes this point.

Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture. “Nobody can’t tell what a guy’ll do,” he observed calmly. “Le’s say he wants to come back and can’t. S’pose he gets killed or hurt so he can’t come back.”

In this world, there is a twisted sense of pleasure.  Crooks is an example of this point.  Fortunately, Crooks stepped back when he saw Lennie's anger. 

What was Braverman's struggle and how did he overcome it?

In the story, Braverman struggles with his anger after Millstone hires three men to beat him up. 

We get an idea of how upset he is in chapter 13. In that chapter, Hope is in Braverman's home; she is visiting him in the aftermath of the attack. During their conversation, Braverman admits that, if he had been able to break free, he might have killed any one of the men who held him down. 

Braverman...

In the story, Braverman struggles with his anger after Millstone hires three men to beat him up. 

We get an idea of how upset he is in chapter 13. In that chapter, Hope is in Braverman's home; she is visiting him in the aftermath of the attack. During their conversation, Braverman admits that, if he had been able to break free, he might have killed any one of the men who held him down. 

Braverman tells Hope that his anger frightens him, and he has begun taking out his anger on his mother and little sisters. He is not proud of the fact that he yells at them, but he feels helpless. It's clear that he is struggling to process his anger in a way that is constructive.

Since Braverman isn't one to let difficulties cripple his motivation, he decides to channel his energy towards getting G.T. Stoop elected. He takes the first step of writing an article for the Mulhoney Messenger, detailing his attack and reaffirming his support for G.T. Stoop. Through his article, Braverman lets Millstone know that he won't be intimidated by the latter's corrupt tactics. 

Braverman also takes the courageous step of confronting Millstone after his speech at a Methodist church picnic. Braverman is joined by fifty-seven teenagers, who turn up to show their support for him.

In all, Braverman overcomes his struggle with anger by channeling his energy towards getting G.T. Stoop elected, rather than submitting to self-pity or other types of destructive behavior.

What does it mean to include a larger context when offering suggestions for social interventions for the Hispanic population?

The Latino population in the United States is the most heterogeneous cultural group in the nation. Not only is the population derived from different countries, such as Puerto Rico (a U.S. commonwealth), Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Panama, among many others, but it is also ethnically diverse.

Latinos are, collectively, of European—mainly Spanish—ancestry, as well as African and indigenous ancestry. Some Latinos also claim East Asian and Middle Eastern heritages. Linguistically, they are united...

The Latino population in the United States is the most heterogeneous cultural group in the nation. Not only is the population derived from different countries, such as Puerto Rico (a U.S. commonwealth), Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Panama, among many others, but it is also ethnically diverse.

Latinos are, collectively, of European—mainly Spanish—ancestry, as well as African and indigenous ancestry. Some Latinos also claim East Asian and Middle Eastern heritages. Linguistically, they are united by the Spanish language, though Brazilians, who speak Portuguese, are also identified as Latino.

This mixture of ethnic and cultural diversity is a great strength, especially when one considers the emerging political power of the Latino population. However, it would be a mistake to think that all of their political concerns are the same. For example, the Mexican American population would have more concerns about immigration reform than those who are Puerto Rican. Similarly, America's repeal of the Cuban embargo more directly impacts and concerns Cuban-Americans than it does other Latino populations.

Furthermore, it is important to address the existences of racism and "colorism" in Latino communities. Colorism is intraracial discrimination that results when people with lighter skin are given more privilege and respect than those with darker skin. A study conducted among Puerto Rican volunteers found that those who reported having an "upper" socioeconomic status had 9.1% less African ancestry and 9.2% more European ancestry. Those who self-identified as Black had lower household income and were more likely to live below the poverty line. Similarly, among Mexican-Americans, those who looked more indigenous than European were more likely to face discrimination, "receive less education, and hold occupations with lower prestige than their counterparts with light skin / European appearance." Economic discrimination based on color creates very different experience and modes of identification within a community that the mainstream population frequently speaks of as a monolith.

Generally, Latinos are less likely to have access to adequate healthcare compared to white, non-Hispanic people. They use fewer healthcare services and, due to employment options, are more likely to work for employers who do not provide insurance. Much of this is related to citizenship status; once again, Puerto Ricans are less likely to be impacted by a lack of access to healthcare than Mexicans, for example.

These are just a handful of examples illustrating the differences between Latino groups which make it necessary to account for variations among nationalities, even when addressing concerns within the group as a whole.

`y = sqrt(9-x^2) , -2

The function `y = sqrt(9-x^2) ` is rotated about the x-axis and the surface area that is created in this way is a surface of revolution.

The area to be calculated is definite, since we consider only the region of the x-axis `x in [0,3] `, ie `x ` between 0 and 3.

The formula for a surface of revolution A is given by

`A = int_a^b (2pi y) sqrt(1 + (frac(dy)(dx))^2) dx`

The circumference...

The function `y = sqrt(9-x^2) ` is rotated about the x-axis and the surface area that is created in this way is a surface of revolution.

The area to be calculated is definite, since we consider only the region of the x-axis `x in [0,3] `, ie `x ` between 0 and 3.

The formula for a surface of revolution A is given by

`A = int_a^b (2pi y) sqrt(1 + (frac(dy)(dx))^2) dx`

The circumference of the surface at each point along the x-axis is `2pi y ` and this is added up (integrated) along the x-axis by cutting the function into infinitessimal lengths of `sqrt(1 + (frac(dy)(dx))^2) dx`

ie, the arc length of the function in a segment of the x-axis `dx `in length, which is the hypotenuse of a tiny triangle with width `dx `, height `dy `. These lengths are then multiplied by the circumference of the surface at that point, `2pi y `to give the surface area of rings around the x-axis that have tiny width `dx ` yet have edges that slope towards or away from the x-axis. The tiny sloped rings are added up to give the full sloped surface area of revolution. In this case,

`frac(dy)(dx) = -frac(x)(sqrt(9 -x^2)) ` 

and since the range over which to take the arc length is `[-2,2] ` we have `a = -2 ` and `b=2 ` . Therefore, the area required, A, is given by

`A= int_(-2)^2 2pi sqrt(9-x^2) sqrt(1 + frac(x^2)(9-x^2)) dx `

which can be simplified to

`A = int_(-2)^2 2pi sqrt(9-x^2 + x^2) dx = int_(-2)^2 6 pi dx `

so that 

`A = 6pi x|_(-2)^2 = 6 pi (2 + 2) = 24pi `

Read "Freedom" by Rabindranath Tagore. Provide relevant background information about the poet as well as his country and culture during the period...

Rabindranath Tagore's Background and Beliefs

The poem "Freedom" illustrates many of its author's political ideals as an Indian philosopher and political activist. Rabindranath Tagore was an active part of the Indian national movement, and a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian nationalist movement was a direct reaction to British colonial control and influence in India at the time of Tagore's writings. For a significant portion of India's history, the British government taxed Indian citizens and imposed restrictions that prevented the country from operating as a sovereign nation. Tagore and the other Indian nationalist thinkers longed for a free, independently ruled India that did not owe the British government money through taxation nor any part in its national identification.

The entire body of Tagore's work can be seen as an extension of his political thoughts and beliefs. His work focuses on India as a nation and "Freedom" is no exception. Consider the following excerpt from the poem:

I claim for you my motherland!
Freedom from the burden of the ages, bending your head

In this excerpt, Tagore is describing his longing for his motherland, India, to break free from Colonial rule. The "burden of the ages" refers to the long subjugation of the Indian people and government by a foreign power. Tagore also suggests that the Indian people must break free of the subjugation within their own minds as well as that which comes from external forces.

Freedom from the shackles of slumber wherewith
you fasten yourself in night's stillness,
mistrusting the star that speaks of truth's adventurous paths;
freedom from the anarchy of destiny

Here, the reader is encouraged to break free of the "shackles of slumber" that accompany political oppression. When Tagore mentions "mistrusting the star that speaks of truth's adventurous paths," he is referring to his belief that his nation has forgotten the promise that freedom holds if it stands peacefully against the occupying British forces. Tagore believed in peaceful activism and the tenets of Hinduism can be found throughout his work, complementing his political ideals. 

What's the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

Memorial Day, which we celebrate on the last Monday of May, is a holiday where Americans celebrate those who died while serving in the military. It stems back to the Civil War, where a day was decided for decorating the graves of those who died during the War. Why May? Flowers would be more likely to be in bloom in late May.

Veteran's Day, which we celebrate on November 11, is a holiday where Americans...

Memorial Day, which we celebrate on the last Monday of May, is a holiday where Americans celebrate those who died while serving in the military. It stems back to the Civil War, where a day was decided for decorating the graves of those who died during the War. Why May? Flowers would be more likely to be in bloom in late May.

Veteran's Day, which we celebrate on November 11, is a holiday where Americans celebrate all those who served in the military, not just those who died while serving. The reason for the date (11/11) goes back to World War I; WWI ended on November 11th and was initially known as Armistice Day.

What personal belongings do George and Lydia find in the nursery? Why are they there? How do they work as a literary device And which one(s) in the...

The parents first find the father's, George Hadley's,  wallet in the nursery. It has been chewed by the lions, has the lions' saliva on it and is bloody. Later, they find the mother's bloody scarf on the nursery floor. Finding these items frightens the parents, who can't figure out how they got there. The parents are so unnerved by this, along with children's fixation with Veldtland, that they decide to shut down the nursery, which...

The parents first find the father's, George Hadley's,  wallet in the nursery. It has been chewed by the lions, has the lions' saliva on it and is bloody. Later, they find the mother's bloody scarf on the nursery floor. Finding these items frightens the parents, who can't figure out how they got there. The parents are so unnerved by this, along with children's fixation with Veldtland, that they decide to shut down the nursery, which badly upsets the children. The two bloody items represent examples of the literary device of foreshadowing, suggesting to the reader before it happens that George and Lydia will be killed and eaten by the supposedly imaginary lions in the nursery. 

In American Gods by Neil Gaiman, what is the significance of Wednesday getting mead for Shadow at the bar?

Wednesday's action of getting mead for Shadow is significant because the drink is  symbolic of who and what Wednesday represents.

Shadow later discovers that Wednesday is an incarnation of Odin, the god of war, knowledge, poetry, and death. In Norse mythology, mead was the drink of warriors and gods. Accordingly, two warring factions of gods made peace by collectively spitting into a cauldron, effectively birthing a special being named Kvasir. Kvasir was later murdered by...

Wednesday's action of getting mead for Shadow is significant because the drink is  symbolic of who and what Wednesday represents.

Shadow later discovers that Wednesday is an incarnation of Odin, the god of war, knowledge, poetry, and death. In Norse mythology, mead was the drink of warriors and gods. Accordingly, two warring factions of gods made peace by collectively spitting into a cauldron, effectively birthing a special being named Kvasir. Kvasir was later murdered by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar. The two mixed Kvasir's blood with honey to create the "mead of poetry." This mead was supposed to bequeath wisdom to all who drank it.

Odin was said to have later obtained this potent mead. The Norse warriors drank mead during important occasions; it was a drink that sealed the bonds of camaraderie and loyalty.

In the story, Wednesday makes Shadow drink mead three times.

The drinking of the mead seals the bargain between Shadow and Wednesday. Shadow is to protect his new employer, run errands for him, and transport him to wherever he wishes to go. When the situation calls for it, Shadow is also supposed to "hurt people who need to be hurt." In return, Wednesday promises to make sure that Shadow's needs are adequately provided for.

So, Wednesday's action of getting mead for Shadow is significant in that the drink symbolizes who and what Wednesday represents: an incarnation of the god Odin, who will lead the Old Gods into battle against the new American Gods.

`int 1/(2-3sin(theta)) d theta` Find or evaluate the integral

`int1/(2-3sin(theta))d theta` 

Apply integral substitution:`u=tan(theta/2)`

`=>du=1/2sec^2(theta/2)d theta`

Use the trigonometric identity:`sec^2(x)=1+tan^2(x)`

`sec^2(theta/2)=1+tan^2(theta/2)`

`sec^2(theta/2)=1+u^2`

`du=1/2(1+u^2)d theta`

`d theta=2/(1+u^2)du`

From integral substitution:`u=tan(theta/2)`

`=>sin(theta/2)=u/sqrt(u^2+1)`

`cos(theta/2)=1/sqrt(u^2+1)`

`sin(theta)=2sin(theta/2)cos(theta/2)`

`sin(theta)=2(u/sqrt(u^2+1))(1/sqrt(u^2+1))`

`sin(theta)=(2u)/(u^2+1)`

Now the integrand can be written as :

`int1/(2-3sin(theta))d theta=int1/(2-3((2u)/(u^2+1)))(2/(1+u^2))du`

`=int1/((2(u^2+1)-3(2u))/(u^2+1))(2/(1+u^2))du`

`=int2/(2u^2+2-6u)du`

`=int2/(2(u^2-3u+1))du`

`=int1/(u^2-3u+1)du`

Complete the square of the denominator,

`=int1/((u-3/2)^2-5/4)du`

Again apply integral substitution:`v=u-3/2`

`=>dv=1du`

`=int1/(v^2-(sqrt(5)/2)^2)dv`

`=int1/(-1((sqrt(5)/2)^2-v^2))dv`

Take the constant out,

`=-1int1/((sqrt(5)/2)^2-v^2)dv`

Now use the standard table integral:`int1/(a^2-x^2)dx=1/(2a)ln|(a+x)/(a-x)|+C`

`=-1(1/(2(sqrt(5)/2))ln|(sqrt(5)/2+v)/(sqrt(5)/2-v)|)+C`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2v)/(sqrt(5)-2v)|+C`

Substitute back `v=u-3/2`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2(u-3/2))/(sqrt(5)-2(u-3/2))|+C`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2u-6)/(sqrt(5)-2u+6)|+C`

Substitute back `u=tan(theta/2)`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2tan(theta/2)-6)/(sqrt(5)-2tan(theta/2)+6)|+C`

`int1/(2-3sin(theta))d theta` 

Apply integral substitution:`u=tan(theta/2)`

`=>du=1/2sec^2(theta/2)d theta`

Use the trigonometric identity:`sec^2(x)=1+tan^2(x)`

`sec^2(theta/2)=1+tan^2(theta/2)`

`sec^2(theta/2)=1+u^2`

`du=1/2(1+u^2)d theta`

`d theta=2/(1+u^2)du`

From integral substitution:`u=tan(theta/2)`

`=>sin(theta/2)=u/sqrt(u^2+1)`

`cos(theta/2)=1/sqrt(u^2+1)`

`sin(theta)=2sin(theta/2)cos(theta/2)`

`sin(theta)=2(u/sqrt(u^2+1))(1/sqrt(u^2+1))`

`sin(theta)=(2u)/(u^2+1)`

Now the integrand can be written as :

`int1/(2-3sin(theta))d theta=int1/(2-3((2u)/(u^2+1)))(2/(1+u^2))du`

`=int1/((2(u^2+1)-3(2u))/(u^2+1))(2/(1+u^2))du`

`=int2/(2u^2+2-6u)du`

`=int2/(2(u^2-3u+1))du`

`=int1/(u^2-3u+1)du`

Complete the square of the denominator,

`=int1/((u-3/2)^2-5/4)du`

Again apply integral substitution:`v=u-3/2`

`=>dv=1du`

`=int1/(v^2-(sqrt(5)/2)^2)dv`

`=int1/(-1((sqrt(5)/2)^2-v^2))dv`

Take the constant out,

`=-1int1/((sqrt(5)/2)^2-v^2)dv`

Now use the standard table integral:`int1/(a^2-x^2)dx=1/(2a)ln|(a+x)/(a-x)|+C`

`=-1(1/(2(sqrt(5)/2))ln|(sqrt(5)/2+v)/(sqrt(5)/2-v)|)+C`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2v)/(sqrt(5)-2v)|+C`

Substitute back `v=u-3/2`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2(u-3/2))/(sqrt(5)-2(u-3/2))|+C`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2u-6)/(sqrt(5)-2u+6)|+C`

Substitute back `u=tan(theta/2)`

`=(-1/sqrt(5))ln|(sqrt(5)+2tan(theta/2)-6)/(sqrt(5)-2tan(theta/2)+6)|+C`

`int 2/(9x^2-1) dx` Use partial fractions to find the indefinite integral

`int 2/(9x^2-1)`

To solve using partial fraction method, the denominator of the integrand should be factored.

`2/(9x^2-1) = 2/((3x-1)(3x+1))`

Then, express it as sum of fractions.

`2/((3x-1)(3x+1))=A/(3x-1)+B/(3x+1)`

To solve for the values of A and B, multiply both sides by the LCD of the fractions present.

`(3x-1)(3x+1)*2/((3x-1)(3x+1))=(A/(3x-1)+B/(3x+1))*(3x-1)(3x+1)`

`2 = A(3x+1) + B(3x-1)`

Then, assign values to x in which either (3x+1) or (3x-1) will become zero.

So plug-in x=1/3 to get the value of A.

...

`int 2/(9x^2-1)`

To solve using partial fraction method, the denominator of the integrand should be factored.

`2/(9x^2-1) = 2/((3x-1)(3x+1))`

Then, express it as sum of fractions.

`2/((3x-1)(3x+1))=A/(3x-1)+B/(3x+1)`

To solve for the values of A and B, multiply both sides by the LCD of the fractions present.

`(3x-1)(3x+1)*2/((3x-1)(3x+1))=(A/(3x-1)+B/(3x+1))*(3x-1)(3x+1)`

`2 = A(3x+1) + B(3x-1)`

Then, assign values to x in which either (3x+1) or (3x-1) will become zero.

So plug-in x=1/3 to get the value of A.

`2=A(3*1/3+1) +B(3*1/3-1)`

`2=A(1+1) + B(1-1)`

`2=A(2) + B(0)`

`2=2A`

`1=A`

Also, plug-in `x=-1/3` to get the value of B.

`2=A(3*(-1/3)+1)+B(3*(-1/3)-1)`

`2=A(-1+1)+B(-1-1)`

`2=A(0) + B(-2)`

`2=-2B`

`-1=B`

So the partial fraction decomposition of the integrand is

`int 2/(9x^2-1)dx`

`= int (2/((3x-1)(3x+1))dx`

`= int (1/(3x-1)-1/(3x+1))dx`

Then, express it as difference of two integrals.

`= int 1/(3x-1)dx - int 1/(3x+1)dx`

To evaluate each integral, apply substitution method.

`u=3x-1`
`du=3dx`
`1/3du=dx`

`w=3x+1`
`dw=3dx`
`1/3dw=dx`

Expressing the two integrals in terms of u and w, it becomes:

`=int 1/u * 1/3du - int 1/w*1/3dw`

`=1/3 int 1/u du - 1/3int 1/w dw`

To take the integral of this, apply the formula `int 1/x dx = ln|x|+C` .

`=1/3ln|u| - 1/3ln|w| + C`

And, substitute back u=3x-1 and w=3x+1.

`=1/3ln|3x-1| -1/3ln|3x+1|+C`

Therefore, `int 2/(9x^2-1)=1/3ln|3x-1| -1/3ln|3x+1|+C` .

What did Jem put on the note to Boo Radley?

Jem is so anxious to meet Boo Radley that he and Dill devise a plan to invite Boo out for ice cream.  Their plan is to hook a note onto a fishing pole and poke it through the window for Boo to find.  Asking Boo out for ice cream is just one of the things they cook up to see Boo Radley.  After playing “Boo Radley”, a game that makes up plays about events going...

Jem is so anxious to meet Boo Radley that he and Dill devise a plan to invite Boo out for ice cream.  Their plan is to hook a note onto a fishing pole and poke it through the window for Boo to find.  Asking Boo out for ice cream is just one of the things they cook up to see Boo Radley.  After playing “Boo Radley”, a game that makes up plays about events going on in the Radley house, Jem and Dill are even more obsessed with meeting Boo.  Not only do they try to sneak the ice cream invitation to Boo on the fishing pole, Jem also sneaks up onto the Radley porch to peek in the window.  It turns out badly for Jem, as he gets run off by Nathan Radley by a shotgun fired over his head and gets his pants caught on the Radley fence.  In order to escape, Jem takes off his pants and leaves his pants behind.

The children’s fascination with Boo is innocent and in good fun, and it’s humorous that they ask Boo out for ice cream since he is an adult.   Despite Atticus’ warning to leave Boo alone, the children continue to “haunt” Boo until Scout meets him at the end of the novel.

C.S. Lewis writes that Uncle Andrew was "vain as a peacock" and that was why he had become a magician. What connection can you make between vanity...

The first connection that comes to mind between vanity and being a magician is power. Someone who believes they are better than everyone else is also likely to believe they should be able to have access to more power as a reflection of their greatness. In the book, for example, Uncle Andrew is able to use his powers to access the other world, which he expects will give him considerably more knowledge and influence (both...

The first connection that comes to mind between vanity and being a magician is power. Someone who believes they are better than everyone else is also likely to believe they should be able to have access to more power as a reflection of their greatness. In the book, for example, Uncle Andrew is able to use his powers to access the other world, which he expects will give him considerably more knowledge and influence (both forms of power) than if he were not a magician. Of course in the book we see that instead of giving him power, it brings Jadis into his life, who enslaves him in spite of his magical abilities.

The second connection I see between vanity and becoming a magician is control. Again, individuals who exhibit vanity would not want things to be outside of their control because it might affect their power or station. Uncle Andrew views learning magic as an additional tool to provide him with a greater ability to control what is happening to him.

1. What is your reaction to Junot Díaz’s “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie”? Did you enjoy reading this story? Why,...

What you think of this story is up to you. Did you find yourself relating to Yunior, or did you find him too cynical? Many readers enjoy the story's sense of realism; Yunior seems like a real guy who has ulterior motives and tries to sweet talk girls into giving him sexual favors. For example, he says, "It must have been hard" when trying to romance "halfies" whose parents met in the Movement. It's clear...

What you think of this story is up to you. Did you find yourself relating to Yunior, or did you find him too cynical? Many readers enjoy the story's sense of realism; Yunior seems like a real guy who has ulterior motives and tries to sweet talk girls into giving him sexual favors. For example, he says, "It must have been hard" when trying to romance "halfies" whose parents met in the Movement. It's clear that a lot of what he says isn't sincere, but the reader feels sorry for him nonetheless because he has to hide a lot about himself. For example, he has to hide the "government cheese" (a term for food provided by the government to poor people) from his date, no matter what the color of her skin. These types of insecurities make Yunior seem real and make the story enjoyable to read.

The themes in this story include the need to lie to others, symbolized by Yunior's attempt to hide the government cheese. He feels that he has to change himself for the person he is dating and that he can't present his true self. Another theme is the self-hatred Yunior feels as a Latino. He says of his white date's skin and hair, "you love them more than you love your own." He is drawn to white girls over other girls, perhaps because he feels a sense of racial inferiority. In this sense, Yunior is an ironic character. He at first seems arrogant and ready to deceive girls to make them want to sleep with him. Underneath this bravado, however, the reader realizes that Yunior is in fact vulnerable and insecure. 

`y=(2x)/(x^2-1)` Graph the function.

We are asked to graph the function `y=(2x)/(x^2-1) ` :

Factoring the denominator we get:

`y=(2x)/((x+1)(x-1)) `

The graph has vertical asymptotes at x=1 and x=-1. The horizontal asymptote is y=0.

The y-intercept is 0 as is the only x-intercept.

The first derivative is ` y'=(-2(x^2+1))/((x^2-1)^2) ` so the function is decreasing on its domain.

The graph:

We are asked to graph the function `y=(2x)/(x^2-1) ` :

Factoring the denominator we get:

`y=(2x)/((x+1)(x-1)) `

The graph has vertical asymptotes at x=1 and x=-1. The horizontal asymptote is y=0.

The y-intercept is 0 as is the only x-intercept.

The first derivative is ` y'=(-2(x^2+1))/((x^2-1)^2) ` so the function is decreasing on its domain.

The graph:

Why does Danforth rejoice when Proctor confesses, and what does this imply about the purpose of the trials and Danforth himself?

If Proctor confesses to witchcraft, his confession will seem to legitimize both the executions that have already taken place as well as those scheduled to take place on this day. This is why Danforth rejoices when Proctor confesses; it seems to confirm everything else the court has done, no matter how unpopular. Reverend Parris points out that those who will hang today are not like the others who have previously been hanged. He says,

...

If Proctor confesses to witchcraft, his confession will seem to legitimize both the executions that have already taken place as well as those scheduled to take place on this day. This is why Danforth rejoices when Proctor confesses; it seems to confirm everything else the court has done, no matter how unpopular. Reverend Parris points out that those who will hang today are not like the others who have previously been hanged. He says,

Rebecca Nurse is no Bridget that lived three year with Bishop before she married him. John Proctor is not Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin. I would to God it were not so . . . but these people have great weight yet in the town.  

The townspeople are beginning to lose faith in the court, and officials fear they may riot if the hangings occur. Parris requests a postponement of the executions, as does Hale.  However, Danforth refuses all such requests, saying,

Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. If retaliation is your fear, know this—I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes.

In other words, according to Danforth, because twelve people have already been hanged for this crime, they must continue with the hanging of these seven. If they do not, it will look like they are suggesting that these condemned might really be innocent, which would lead to questions about the innocence of the others who have already been executed. This will make the court look not only ridiculous but also murderous. It will also completely undermine Danforth's own authority, something he is absolutely unwilling to risk. In fact, he would rather—in his own words—hang ten thousand people simply because they dared to protest the court's actions. He is resolved to hang Proctor because it is the only way to maintain his authority and power.  

Discuss in depth the expansion of power obtained by Congress, the presidency and the judiciary paying close attention to the original outlines...

The powers of the three branches have expanded dramatically since the ratification of the Constitution. These changes have been the result of a number of different factors (including the addition of formal amendments mentioned in the question,) but they generally have stemmed from the establishment of precedents. From the earliest actions of George Washington, for example, presidents have acted in ways that expanded the powers of the presidency. When Thomas Jefferson gave his approval to...

The powers of the three branches have expanded dramatically since the ratification of the Constitution. These changes have been the result of a number of different factors (including the addition of formal amendments mentioned in the question,) but they generally have stemmed from the establishment of precedents. From the earliest actions of George Washington, for example, presidents have acted in ways that expanded the powers of the presidency. When Thomas Jefferson gave his approval to the Louisiana Purchase, for instance, he acted outside the formal boundaries of the Constitution, which does not give the executive the power to conclude such land purchases. Subsequent presidents, however, could draw on this example to do so. Jefferson also sent naval forces to the Mediterranean to combat pirates there, and subsequent presidents could cite this as a precedent for committing troops to combat without a congressional declaration of war. The Supreme Court has expanded the powers of the judiciary by asserting the power of judicial review, which claimed for the court the ability to rule acts of Congress unconstitutional. This power, not expressly granted in the Constitution, is nevertheless a major source of power for the Court. Congress expands its powers simply through making laws, each of which entails an expanded interpretation of the Constitution. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, for example, which banned segregation, was based in part on Congress's expressed power to regulate interstate commerce. The Framers could have envisioned no such intent for the law, and Congress thus expanded its powers by passing it. Future Congresses could look to this law to justify others.

Compare and contrast Sojourner Truth’s “Woman’s Rights” to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s “Woman’s Political Future.” Focus on the...

One problem we encounter in comparing these two speeches is that the record of Sojourner Truth's speech is disputed. There are two speeches on the record. One was written and recalled by Marcus Robinson, an anti-slavery journalist, editor, and personal friend of Sojourner Truth. It was recalled and written down in the June 1851 edition of Anti-Slavery Bulge. A second version was recalled by abolitionist and suffragette Frances Dana Barker Gage in 1863, over a decade after the speech was originally given. For the purposes of this analysis, I will be referring to the speech as written and recalled by Marcus Robinson.

Both Truth and Harper were influenced by the temperance movement. The temperance movement was primarily about the prohibition of alcohol, but the movement also advocated for woman's suffrage, conservative family values, and moral uplift in an increasingly industrialized age. Both Truth and Harper emphasized that having women more active in political life would have a wholesome and moralizing effect on social progress. In this way, both women accepted the idea that women were responsible for the morality of family and of society.

For Truth, women's responsibility for the moral state of family and society seemed to be rooted in religious beliefs: “I can't read,” she stated, “but I can hear. I have heard the bible and have learned that Eve caused man to sin. Well, if woman upset the world, do give her a chance to set it right side up.” Harper likewise emphasized the role of women in maintaining values: “So close is the bond between man and woman,” she said, “that you can not raise one without lifting the other. The world can not move without woman's sharing in the movement, and to help give a right impetus to that movement is woman's highest privilege.” Harper went on to claim that women's social and political advancement would not “make the home less happy but society more holy.”

In terms of tone, Sojourner Truth's comments were extemporaneous, whereas Harper's were prepared. Truth spoke in a meandering fashion, while Harper was more intentional, arguing for universal suffrage as a means of social progress. Both struck a hopeful tone, noting that the advancement of women seemed almost inevitable. Harper noted that: “As the saffron tints and crimson flushes of morn herald the coming day, so the social and political advancement which woman has already gained bears the promise of the rising of the full-orbed sun of emancipation.” Truth likewise felt that the abolitionist and suffrage movements were forcing social change at a rapid pace. “[M]an is in a tight place,” she stated, “the poor slave is on him, woman is coming on him, he is surely between a hawk and a buzzard.” Based on their shared hopeful tone, it seems that both women believed that, despite challenges and resistance, radical social change was imminent.

In simple English terms, how did Charles S. Peirce, William James, John Dewey, and Richard Rorty contribute to pragmatism?

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What is the role and function of Lakunle in the play The Lion and the Jewel?

Lakunle is the village's school teacher who has an affinity for Western civilization and culture. He wishes to modernize Ilujinle and attempts to marry Sidi without paying the bride-price. He is Baroka's foil, and his character helps develop the theme of modernity versus traditional African culture.Lakunle is an outspoken conservative who speaks out against Yoruba culture. Although he claims to love Sidi, he is being insincere. At the end of the play, Lakunle's true...

Lakunle is the village's school teacher who has an affinity for Western civilization and culture. He wishes to modernize Ilujinle and attempts to marry Sidi without paying the bride-price. He is Baroka's foil, and his character helps develop the theme of modernity versus traditional African culture. Lakunle is an outspoken conservative who speaks out against Yoruba culture. Although he claims to love Sidi, he is being insincere. At the end of the play, Lakunle's true intentions of not paying the bride-price are revealed. He simply wishes to avoid payment under the pretense that it is a savage custom. Eventually, Baroka wins Sidi's heart and ends up marrying her at the end of the play. Baroka's wisdom and cunning are no match for Lakunle, and the Bale's victory suggests that traditional African culture is stronger than Western ways of life.

`int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x) dx` Use integration tables to evaluate the definite integral.

 To evaluate the given integral problem:  `int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx` , we determine first the indefinite integral function F(x). From the table of indefinite integrals, we may consider the formula for integrals with roots as:

`int u/sqrt(u+-a) du = 2/3(u-+2a)sqrt(u+-a)+C`

 Take note that we have "`+` " sign inside the square root on `int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx`  then  we will follow: 

`int u/sqrt(u+a) du = 2/3(u-2a)sqrt(u+a) +C.`

 We may let `a = 3` and `u = 2x`  or `x=...

 To evaluate the given integral problem:  `int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx` , we determine first the indefinite integral function F(x). From the table of indefinite integrals, we may consider the formula for integrals with roots as:

`int u/sqrt(u+-a) du = 2/3(u-+2a)sqrt(u+-a)+C`

 Take note that we have "`+` " sign inside the square root on `int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx`  then  we will follow: 

`int u/sqrt(u+a) du = 2/3(u-2a)sqrt(u+a) +C.`

 We may let `a = 3` and `u = 2x`  or `x= u/2`

For the derivative of u, we get `du = 2 dx` or `(du)/2 = dx` .

Plug-in the values: `u = 2x` or `x=u/2` ,and `(du)/2 = dx` , we get:

`int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx =int_0^4 (u/2)/sqrt(3+u)* (du)/2`

                        `=int_0^4 (u du)/(4sqrt(3+u))`

 Apply the basic properties of integration:` int c*f(x) dx= c int f(x) dx` .

`int_0^4 (u du)/(4sqrt(3+u)) =1/4 int_0^4 (u du)/sqrt(3+u)`

Apply the aforementioned integral formula from the table of integrals, we get:

`1/4 int_0^4 (u du)/sqrt(3+u) =1/4*[2/3(u-2(3))sqrt(u+3)]|_0^4`

                 `=1/4*[2/3(u-6)sqrt(u+3)]|_0^4`

                ` =2/12(u-6)sqrt(u+3)|_0^4`

                ` =1/6(u-6)sqrt(u+3)] |_0^4or((u-6)sqrt(u+3))/6|_0^4`

Plug-in `u = 2x ` on`((u-6)sqrt(u+3))/6 +C` , we get:

`int_0^4 x/sqrt(3+2x)dx =((2x-6)sqrt(2x+3))/6|_0^4`

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

`((2x-6)sqrt(2x+3))/6|_0^4 =((2(4)-6)sqrt(2(4)+3))/6-((2(0)-6)sqrt(2(0)+3))/6`

`=((8-6)sqrt(8+3))/6- ((0-6)sqrt(0+3))/6`

`=(2*sqrt(11))/6- (-6sqrt(3))/6`

`= sqrt(11)/3-(-sqrt(3))`

`= sqrt(11)/3+sqrt(3) `

`= (sqrt(11)+3sqrt(3))/3` or `2.84` (approximated value).

What is the message in chapter 1 of April Morning

The story begins on April 18th, 1775 at the onset of the American Revolution. In the first chapter of April Morning, we are introduced to the Cooper family and, more specifically, to Adam Cooper, a 15-year-old boy. Adam goes out to the well to fetch some water, but he has a dark premonition. He says a prayer over the well to banish these dark thoughts and feelings of impending doom. 

Throughout the first chapter, we...

The story begins on April 18th, 1775 at the onset of the American Revolution. In the first chapter of April Morning, we are introduced to the Cooper family and, more specifically, to Adam Cooper, a 15-year-old boy. Adam goes out to the well to fetch some water, but he has a dark premonition. He says a prayer over the well to banish these dark thoughts and feelings of impending doom. 

Throughout the first chapter, we see a sort of "coming of age" scenario begin to play out. Adam is annoyed at his younger brother, Levi, who threatens to tell their father about Adam's recitation of the spell. Adam can be characterized as the quintessential rebellious youth, going again his family's wishes and beliefs. Here we see that Adam is defiant in comparison to his brother: Adam is chastised for reciting spells and he challenges his Granny's—and his other schoolmates'—belief in God.  Adam longs to be taken seriously as a man, and he is angry at the fact that his father, Moses, criticizes him for his beliefs and ideas and disregards his view points by claiming that he is too young and not mature enough to reason as a man does. 

Adam's bitterness toward his father can be seen clearly, and he manifests these bitter feelings into the idea that his father hates him, even after it is explained by his mother and Granny that his father is just headstrong, which is something the two have in common. 

By the end of the chapter, we are able to see the clear contempt that Adam has for his father, paving the way for a father-son conflict to unfold in the coming pages. 

In addition, we learn in this chapter that Moses Cooper is part of a group of men who will be drafting their arguments against British rule. Adam's premonition of impending doom acts as a type of foreshadowing for the events that are about to come. 

Why did S.E. Hinton create Johnny as a character in The Outsiders?

Johnny Cade plays a significant role in the novel The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton created the character of Johnny to drive the plot of the story and develop other characters in the novel.When Johnny stabs and kills Bob Sheldon, the plot advances, as he and Ponyboy are forced to hide out on Jay Mountain. During their time spent hiding out in the abandoned church, Ponyboy and Johnny become close friends. Through their conversations and...

Johnny Cade plays a significant role in the novel The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton created the character of Johnny to drive the plot of the story and develop other characters in the novel. When Johnny stabs and kills Bob Sheldon, the plot advances, as he and Ponyboy are forced to hide out on Jay Mountain. During their time spent hiding out in the abandoned church, Ponyboy and Johnny become close friends. Through their conversations and experiences, Ponyboy gains perspective on life and becomes a more empathetic character. After Johnny is seriously injured in the church fire, Ponyboy visits him in the hospital. Hinton invokes emotion by depicting Johnny's tragic condition, and Dally is negatively affected by the death of his close friend. Dally ends up losing his mind and is killed by the police after he robs a store. Following Johnny and Dally's deaths, Ponyboy becomes extremely depressed until he reads a note Johnny wrote to him in the hospital. Johnny's note significantly influences Ponyboy and motivates him to tell the story of the Greasers. Hinton created the character of Johnny Cade in order to develop Ponyboy's character, evoke emotion from the reader, and drive the plot of the novel.

What was Borachio and Margaret's Relationship in Much Ado About Nothing?

Borachio and Margaret have an affair in Much Ado About Nothing. Borachio purposely times having sex with Margaret in view of a window as a part of Don John's plan to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero has given her virginity to someone else while being engaged to Claudio. 

Margaret is Hero's servant, and the two are supposed to look somewhat similar, at least as much so that from behind and...

Borachio and Margaret have an affair in Much Ado About Nothing. Borachio purposely times having sex with Margaret in view of a window as a part of Don John's plan to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero has given her virginity to someone else while being engaged to Claudio. 

Margaret is Hero's servant, and the two are supposed to look somewhat similar, at least as much so that from behind and in the dark, you might think that Margaret is Hero. When Don John takes Don Pedro and Claudio to where Borachio and Margaret are, Borachio calls out Hero's name loud enough for them to hear. Thus, Claudio and Don Pedro think that Hero is the one having an affair with Borachio.

Margaret was not in on the scheme, so she is also tricked by Borachio. She is devastated when she finds out about her inadvertent involvement in Don John's plot. 

We do not really know if the two have feelings for each other, so you could say that they have a sexual relationship (if that is too blunt for you, you can just say they are having an affair). 

How does Abigail Williams use pathos when accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft in the Crucible?

Pathos is a rhetorical device concerned with making an appeal to the emotions. Abigail Williams, in The Crucible, is a character whose wild accusations of witchcraft are based purely and solely on emotional foundations. This distinguishes her from Reverend Hale, among others, who tries to use logos or logical argument to persuade others that the accused are guilty.

While eating at Parris's house Abigail screams and falls to the floor, claiming she has been...

Pathos is a rhetorical device concerned with making an appeal to the emotions. Abigail Williams, in The Crucible, is a character whose wild accusations of witchcraft are based purely and solely on emotional foundations. This distinguishes her from Reverend Hale, among others, who tries to use logos or logical argument to persuade others that the accused are guilty.

While eating at Parris's house Abigail screams and falls to the floor, claiming she has been stabbed by Elizabeth's evil spirit using the doll that Mary Warren had given her. (She actually stabbed herself; this shows just how much she wants to destroy Elizabeth). She is effectively accusing Elizabeth of being a witch and using the seventeenth century equivalent of a voodoo doll to harm her.

The accusation is obviously ridiculous; the needle is used for sewing and has been stuck into the doll by Mary to keep it from being lost. However, Abigail is not trying to convince anyone on logical, rational grounds; she is appealing to the emotions. By this point in the play, emotions in Salem are running very high, so high, in fact, that in an atmosphere of near total hysteria people are prepared to believe just about any accusation of witchcraft no matter how demonstrably ridiculous.

In Part One of "The Dialogues on Natural Religion" by David Hume, Cleanthes accuses Philo of attempting to erect religious faith on philosophical...

In Part One, Cleanthes means to expose what he believes are flaws in philosophical skepticism. Philosophical skepticism is the belief that human reason is fallible and therefore cannot be used as a benchmark to determine the reality of established truths. Philosophical skeptics doubt whether they can ever obtain enough convincing evidence (or justification) to support popular assumptions.

Philo maintains that human reason alone is insufficient to determine the validity of religious claims:

Let us become thoroughly sensible of the weakness, blindness, and narrow limits of human reason: Let us duly consider its uncertainty and endless contrarieties, even in subjects of common life and practice...When these topics are displayed in their full light...who can retain such confidence in this frail faculty of reason as to pay any regard to its determinations in points so sublime, so abstruse, so remote from common life and experience?

Philo claims that it's fine to rely on "common sense and experience" when it comes to mundane matters such as "trade, or morals, or politics, or criticism." After all, we're dealing with tangible concepts here. However, he argues that human reason can't accurately determine how "the creation and formation of the universe" really came about. Philo questions how we can prove with any degree of certainty "the existence and properties of spirits; the powers and operations of one universal Spirit existing without beginning and without end; omnipotent, omniscient, immutable, infinite, and incomprehensible..."

It should be noted that Philo isn't proposing absolute skepticism here (absolute skepticism is the belief that truth cannot be determined). However, he is arguing that, in matters of theology, we humans have no concrete way of determining the validity of absolute truths.

For his part, Cleanthes argues that faith is essential when it comes to matters of theology. He aims to point out the hypocrisy in Philo's position of philosophical skepticism, especially in this area. Cleanthes puts forth the argument that Philo accepts scientific truths that are speculative in nature (for the time, at least). So, he questions why Philo cannot transfer this openness to matters of theology. Here are his words:

In reality, would not a man be ridiculous, who pretended to reject NEWTON's explication of the wonderful phenomenon of the rainbow, because that explication gives a minute anatomy of the rays of light; a subject, forsooth, too refined for human comprehension? And what would you say to one, who, having nothing particular to object to the arguments of COPERNICUS and GALILEO for the motion of the earth, should withhold his assent, on that general principle, that these subjects were too magnificent and remote to be explained by the narrow and fallacious reason of mankind?

So, in questioning Philo's attempt to erect religious faith on philosophical skepticism, Cleanthes aims to expose the dangers of a "brutish and ignorant skepticism" that will "reject every principle which requires elaborate reasoning to prove and establish it." Cleanthes contends that such skepticism is "fatal to knowledge." He invites Philo to reconsider his views.

How did the authors and signers of the Declaration of Independence justify their action?

The people who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence believed they were justified in so. The believed the King of England had abused his power and had violated their rights. They believed the King was unwilling to listen to their numerous concerns.

The Declaration of Independence states that the role of a government is to protect the rights of the people. They believed all people have certain rights. These rights include the right to...

The people who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence believed they were justified in so. The believed the King of England had abused his power and had violated their rights. They believed the King was unwilling to listen to their numerous concerns.

The Declaration of Independence states that the role of a government is to protect the rights of the people. They believed all people have certain rights. These rights include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights can’t be taken away or given up. They believed that when a government stops protecting the people’s rights, the people have no choice but to replace that government. Since the people who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence believed that the King and the British government were no longer protecting their rights, the colonists had to declare their independence from Great Britain. Therefore, the colonists were justified in declaring their independence from Great Britain.

Consider the title and the first sentence of the narrative essay "Salvation." Explain how these are ironic? What is the thesis/theme of this essay?

The title and first line of Langston Hughes's "Salvation," which reads, "I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen," are ironic because he was not in fact saved at his aunt's church. The irony is that rather than being saved and "coming to Jesus," the young Langston Hughes instead just pretends that he is saved to spare himself trouble and because he is ashamed of holding up everyone else. He cries after...

The title and first line of Langston Hughes's "Salvation," which reads, "I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen," are ironic because he was not in fact saved at his aunt's church. The irony is that rather than being saved and "coming to Jesus," the young Langston Hughes instead just pretends that he is saved to spare himself trouble and because he is ashamed of holding up everyone else. He cries after his supposed salvation, which his devout aunt interprets as a sign that he has seen Jesus, but instead, as he writes, "I was really crying because I couldn't bear to tell her that I had lied, that I had deceived everybody in the church, that I hadn't seen Jesus." An additional irony is that rather than bolstering his faith in Jesus, his supposed salvation has lessened his faith, as Jesus did not help him when he needed help.

The thesis of this essay is that people often coerce others into feigning belief and that people pretend to be faithful or believers in something solely as a result of social pressure, not out of true faith. Hughes only pretends to be saved to ease his way in the world, not because he experiences a true conversion. This mock conversion only lessens his faith.

What is the significance of the twins baby girls in the short story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan?

When the narrator's mother arrives in San Francisco in 1949, she has left behind a life a tragedy in China. Her entire family perished there, including her parents, her first husband, and her twin girls. The girls stand for everything that she has lost and all the hopes she has now transferred to her life in the United States. The mother hopes that her daughter, Jing-Mei, will in some ways make up for what she...

When the narrator's mother arrives in San Francisco in 1949, she has left behind a life a tragedy in China. Her entire family perished there, including her parents, her first husband, and her twin girls. The girls stand for everything that she has lost and all the hopes she has now transferred to her life in the United States. The mother hopes that her daughter, Jing-Mei, will in some ways make up for what she lost in China by becoming a prodigy and that her daughter will live up to the promise of America. The loss of her twin girls motivates the mother to put all her hopes and dreams onto her daughter, and she burdens Jing-Mei with the expectation that she will become something great merely because she exists in a country that offers a great deal of opportunity. 

In what way does Emilia’s role develop in Othello?

At the start of the play, Emilia appears to be subservient and manipulated by her husband, Iago, but by the end she has gained in self-confidence and has seen him for the villain he is; finally, she denounces him and reveals his evil to the world. Initially, Emilia does what Iago bids her, despite his lack of warmth to her. Although she feels guilty, she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief for Iago to use as evidence of...

At the start of the play, Emilia appears to be subservient and manipulated by her husband, Iago, but by the end she has gained in self-confidence and has seen him for the villain he is; finally, she denounces him and reveals his evil to the world. Initially, Emilia does what Iago bids her, despite his lack of warmth to her. Although she feels guilty, she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief for Iago to use as evidence of Desdemona’s infidelity. The audience can understand that Emilia simply wants to please Iago in doing this, saying "I nothing but to please his fantasy," which she quickly regrets when he fails to praise her and she feels remorseful about deceiving her friend Desdemona. It is this friendship that seems to move Emilia to find her moral compass, even though she becomes bitter about her marriage.

 By the end of the play, the submissive Emilia criticizes men in a way that would have been seen as powerful and almost heretical to the Jacobean audience of Shakespeare’s time.  She says "But I do think it is their husbands’ faults/If wives do fall," thus blaming men for leading women astray, which would be unusually opinionated for a woman in the male-dominated patriarchal society of the time. It is ironic that Iago underestimates Emilia, as she finally exposes him for being the cause of so many deaths. Iago has made a mistake based on his own lack of morality and assumptions of others; he never thought that Emilia would betray him and sacrifice herself to "love and duty," which is precisely what she does.

`r = 5%` Find the time necessary for $1000 to double when it is invested at a rate of r compounded (a) anually, (b) monthly, (c) daily, and...

Formula for compounding n times per year: `A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

Formula for compounding continuously: `A=Pe^(rt)`

A=Final Amount

P=Initial Amount

r=rate of investment expressed as a percent

n=number of compoundings per year

t=time in years

a) r=5% n=1 (annually)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/1)^(1*t)`

`2=1.05^t`

`ln(2)=tln(1.05)`

`ln(2)/ln(1.05)=t`

`14.21=t`

Final Answer: 14.21 years

b) r=5% n=12 (monthly)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/12)^(12*t)`

`2=(1.00416)^(12t)`

`ln(2)=12tln(1.00416)`

`ln(2)/[12ln(1.00416)]=t`

`13.89=t`

Final Answer: 13.89 years

c) r=5% n=365 (daily)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/365)^(365*t)`

`2=(1.000136)^(365t)`

`ln(2)=365tln(1.00136)`

`ln(2)/[365ln(1.00136)]=t`

`13.86=t`

Final Answer:...

Formula for compounding n times per year: `A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

Formula for compounding continuously: `A=Pe^(rt)`

A=Final Amount

P=Initial Amount

r=rate of investment expressed as a percent

n=number of compoundings per year

t=time in years

a) r=5% n=1 (annually)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/1)^(1*t)`

`2=1.05^t`

`ln(2)=tln(1.05)`

`ln(2)/ln(1.05)=t`

`14.21=t`

Final Answer: 14.21 years

b) r=5% n=12 (monthly)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/12)^(12*t)`

`2=(1.00416)^(12t)`

`ln(2)=12tln(1.00416)`

`ln(2)/[12ln(1.00416)]=t`

`13.89=t`

Final Answer: 13.89 years

c) r=5% n=365 (daily)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/365)^(365*t)`

`2=(1.000136)^(365t)`

`ln(2)=365tln(1.00136)`

`ln(2)/[365ln(1.00136)]=t`

`13.86=t`

Final Answer: 13.86 years

d)`A=Pe^(rt)`

`2000=1000e^(.05*t)`

`2=e^(.05t)`

`ln(2)=.05tlne`

`ln(2)/[.05lne]=t`

`13.86=t`

Final Answer: 13.86 years

What were the different subjects that Helen learned during the first year of her education? Describe her learning process.

After Helen learns the words for things, having had Miss Sullivan spell them into her hand, Helen's teacher then uses squares of cardboard and punches the braille spelling of the word into one of the squares. Helen takes the cardboard squares and pins them to the object for which they stand. Naturally, she has trouble with abstract concepts since there is nothing to touch in those cases. One day, though, Helen strings beads in a...

After Helen learns the words for things, having had Miss Sullivan spell them into her hand, Helen's teacher then uses squares of cardboard and punches the braille spelling of the word into one of the squares. Helen takes the cardboard squares and pins them to the object for which they stand. Naturally, she has trouble with abstract concepts since there is nothing to touch in those cases. One day, though, Helen strings beads in a pattern of two of one kind, then three of another kind. When she makes an error in this pattern, Miss Sullivan corrects her, and Helen restrings the beads. Then as Helen tries to figure out if she is stringing the beads correctly, Miss Sullivan touches her forehead and spells out in Helen's hand the word "think." This abstract concept is the first that Helen learns.

Whenever Miss Sullivan talks with Helen, she spells into the girl's hand. When Helen responds, sometimes she does not know the right word or idiom that will convey her thoughts, so her teacher supplies her with the new words and urges her to continue in their conversation even if she cannot keep up her part of the dialogue. Helen writes in her autobiography that this process goes on for several years because, being deaf, she cannot hear the idiomatic expressions that are in constant use in even the simplest conversations and are picked up unconsciously by children who can hear. She explains to her readers,

The little hearing child learns these from constant repetition and imitation. The conversation he hears in his home stimulates his mind and suggests topics and calls forth the spontaneous expression of his own thoughts. This natural exchange of ideas is denied to the deaf child. My teacher, realizing this, determined to supply the kinds of stimulus I lacked (Chapter 7).

Repeating to Helen as much of what she hears as possible, Miss Sullivan even demonstrates how Helen can be part of the conversation by spelling out what she wants to say into her teacher's hand. But, Helen is reluctant to partake in conversations with others, and for a long time, she searches for words that are appropriate for the occasions in which she finds herself.

When Miss Sullivan takes Helen to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Helen is surprised to learn that all the children cannot see either. They spell out words in her hands just as her teacher has, and Helen is delighted. One day the students go to Bunker Hill, and Helen has her first history lesson. The following day she rides on a steamer to Plymouth and visits the area where the Pilgrims landed. Helen states that she acquires a little model of Plymouth Rock with the embossed numbers "1620" on it. She delights in holding this memento as "[I] turned over in my mind all that I knew about the wonderful story of the Pilgrims" (Chapter 9). 

Who is the main character in the Graveyard Book?

The main character of The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is Nobody Owens. Nobody, called Bod, is an orphan who escaped the murder of his family. His parents and siblings were killed by "the man Jack," and Bod survived by wandering away and into a graveyard. When he arrived there, a lady ghost protected him and decided that he should live in the graveyard but have the freedom to walk among both living and dead....

The main character of The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is Nobody Owens. Nobody, called Bod, is an orphan who escaped the murder of his family. His parents and siblings were killed by "the man Jack," and Bod survived by wandering away and into a graveyard. When he arrived there, a lady ghost protected him and decided that he should live in the graveyard but have the freedom to walk among both living and dead. This lady ghost and her equally spectral husband raise Bod in the graveyard, and he learns many supernatural powers from his ghost companions. Though Bod's childhood is unusual, he makes friends with both the living and the dead, and is well provided for by Silas, who can move among the living with ease. Throughout the course of the book, Bod must confront the man who killed his family as well as the fact that he cannot stay among the dead forever.

The ghost‘s appearance as the "Headless Earl" to frighten the twins was not very successful. What actions of the twins made the ghost flee? What...

The ghost decides to appear as Reckless Rupert, the Headless Earl, a trick that he found successful in the past in scaring people. He spends three hours applying his make-up and costume to get ready, but when he enters the twins' room, also called the Blue Bed Chamber, by flinging the door open, a jug of water falls on him. His clothes are soaked, and the twins are laughing at him. He is so shocked...

The ghost decides to appear as Reckless Rupert, the Headless Earl, a trick that he found successful in the past in scaring people. He spends three hours applying his make-up and costume to get ready, but when he enters the twins' room, also called the Blue Bed Chamber, by flinging the door open, a jug of water falls on him. His clothes are soaked, and the twins are laughing at him. He is so shocked that he runs away back to his room as fast as he can. His only consolation is that he did not bring his head, as that would have become soaked as well. After this incident, he despairs of ever scaring the American family, and he resorts to creeping about the hallways in slippers. He seems more afraid of the twins than they are of him. 

By the end of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Scout reconcile the pressure on her to be a ''southern lady'' with the fact that she...

By Chapter 24 we see that Scout has realized she "must" become a part of the "southern lady" group, but recognizes her preference for her "father's world."

"There was no doubt about it, I must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water."

By using the word "must" it is as though she is resigned to the fact that there are no other options for her...

By Chapter 24 we see that Scout has realized she "must" become a part of the "southern lady" group, but recognizes her preference for her "father's world."

"There was no doubt about it, I must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water."

By using the word "must" it is as though she is resigned to the fact that there are no other options for her because she is female, but she is certainly self-aware of the fact that she will not be at home there.

"I was more at home in my father's world... [where men] did not trap you with innocent questions to make fun of you. Ladies seemed to live in faint horror of men, seemed unwilling to approve wholeheartedly of them."

We must remember, too, that Scout lives in a time and place where gender roles are strictly enforced. We see this time and again with Aunt Alexandra's pressure on her to be a "lady." There simply are few other options for a woman unless she wants to be a bit of an outcast—think Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie is not a perfect Southern lady, and as a result she has a very small circle of friends, keeps mostly to herself, and prefers to spend her time on activities outside of the circles of the Southern ladies. We do have hope that since Scout is friends with her, she may see an alternative to the world of Aunt Alexandra.

Explain how General Custer lost the Battle of Little Big Horn.

One of the first reasons that Custer lost the battle had to do with incorrect intelligence estimates of the enemy forces. He and his men were operating under the assumption that there were fewer than 1000 hostile Native Americans operating in the area when in fact the numbers were likely somewhere between 1500-2500.

One of the other factors had to do with the fact that Custer's force had been effectively split when he sent Reno...

One of the first reasons that Custer lost the battle had to do with incorrect intelligence estimates of the enemy forces. He and his men were operating under the assumption that there were fewer than 1000 hostile Native Americans operating in the area when in fact the numbers were likely somewhere between 1500-2500.

One of the other factors had to do with the fact that Custer's force had been effectively split when he sent Reno to attack the village and both Reno's troopers and Bentee's men were unable to rejoin Custer's main group before they were crushed by the Native American forces.

Although it is impossible to know exactly what happened because of the various accounts and the fact that none of the men directly under Custer's command survived, there are also indications that the men had panicked and were not responding to orders during the onslaught by the Native Americans. Though there is some evidence that officers were able to reassert some control prior to the final stand, this confusion and lack of organization would also contribute to the loss, particularly when added to the other factors listed above.

Why do Connie and her mother clash?

Connie's mother has a tendency to compare Connie to her older sister, June, and that comparison seems to manifest with Connie being considered inferior.  In the story's first paragraph, Connie's mother asks why Connie cannot keep her room clean like June does, and why she uses stinky hair spray even though June does not.

Connie's vanity is also a sore spot between mother and daughter.  Connie is fond of looking at herself in the mirror,...

Connie's mother has a tendency to compare Connie to her older sister, June, and that comparison seems to manifest with Connie being considered inferior.  In the story's first paragraph, Connie's mother asks why Connie cannot keep her room clean like June does, and why she uses stinky hair spray even though June does not.

Connie's vanity is also a sore spot between mother and daughter.  Connie is fond of looking at herself in the mirror, and her mother criticizes her for it, asking "you think you're so pretty?" Connie believes that her mother is jealous of her beauty because she was once beautiful but "now her looks were gone."

On the fateful day of her aunt's barbecue, Connie opts to stay home and wash her hair to let it dry in the sun all day.  When she rolls her eyes at her mother in response to the invitation to go to the barbecue, her mother sharply responds, "stay home alone, then."

Generally speaking, Connie is a typically rebellious teenager who is testing boundaries, and her mother is a parent struggling with the transition. 

What is a detailed analysis of Elizabeth Jennings's "Poem in Winter" in terms of language, structure, tone, imagery, themes, and symbols?

In twentieth-century British poet Elizabeth Jennings's "Poem in Winter," the persona, or poem's speaker, contemplates how children understand the world. The children look forward to playing in the snow, and when the snow finally arrives, they think that the snow came only because they wished for it. The persona then concludes that believing the world is shaped by one's own desires is better than "hiding in the mind's corner as we do" (14).

The poem's mystical language reveals its central theme to be mystical modes of understanding the world. The persona says the children look for "auguries" and "omens" and place "their image" in the snowdrifts, and she concludes that it's "better to believe" (2, 3, 9, 11-12). Through these religious phrases, the persona explores our relationship to the world. Is it in fact, like she says, better to think that our surroundings are "created by a wish, a shaping hand," or our own desires, than to "hide in the mind's corner"? Or is it better to realize through our use of reason that we really have no control over our environment? (12-13, 14). She calls the former a "wise illusion"; with this paradoxical phrase, the persona suggests that the former notion is more sensible—but a lie (15).

As the poem progresses, its tone shifts from upbeat to dispirited. It begins happily, with children looking forward to the wintertime. The next few lines, however, are more downcast: the persona repeats "not" three times and emphasizes sulky words such as "settled," "slow," "falling," and "lie" (3-5). The poem's tone descends further as the persona watches the children from "behind a pane of glass," or from inside her own home (7). With her concluding two lines, the persona suggests that adults are unable to enjoy the world as children do; we live "as though there were no world, no fall of snow" (15). The poem then reproduces our loss of fantastical thought that occurs through aging by shifting the poem's tone from initially optimistic to ultimately depressing.

Snowflakes are the poem's prominent image. Since snowflakes are beautiful but eventually melt, they symbolize our initial conceptions of the world; in childhood we have the wonderful idea that the world is meant for us, but as we grow up, we learn that this actually isn't the case.

I hope this helps!

In Measure for Measure, how, and by what means, does our attitude to one of the following change in the course of the play: Angelo, Isabella, the...

1) In answer to this question, I will focus on the Duke. First, I recommend providing a brief background about the Duke. In the play, Duke Vincentio is the Duke of Vienna. Long disturbed by the sinful elements in his beloved city, the Duke thinks that it's high time the city gets cleaned up (morally, that is). So, he tasks Lord Angelo with enforcing all the laws of Vienna, while he supposedly leaves town.

By now, audiences are probably not very impressed with Duke Vincentio. He seems to be abdicating his responsibilities here. After all, as the embodiment of civic power and moral authority, shouldn't he be the one to enforce the laws? However, as the play progresses, Shakespeare presents Duke Vincentio as an altogether different personality. The Duke doesn't really leave town; instead, he disguises himself as Friar Lodowick, and he uses his disguise to engage in some hefty spying work. Additionally, he's not just a strict moralist; he genuinely wants to help people live moral lives (unlike Duke Angelo, who is really a hypocrite in practice).

Here, it would be a great idea to describe how Shakespeare progressively portrays Duke Vincentio, aka Friar Lodowick, as a compassionate authority figure. First, he visits the pregnant Juliet in prison and engages in conversation with her about her "sin." He asks whether Juliet had welcomed Claudio's sexual advances and whether she now repents of the premarital sex. Then, he visits Claudio and later listens in on the conversation between Claudio and Isabella.

During the conversation, both brother and sister are at an impasse. Claudio doesn't want to die, but Isabella doesn't want to give up her virginity either. So, the Duke (Friar Lodowick) proposes that Isabella tell Angelo that she will consent to sleep with him. However, in a twist, Mariana will take Isabella's place during her sexual assignation with Angelo. Here, it would be a great idea to state that Mariana was once betrothed to Angelo himself (Angelo cruelly set Mariana aside when she lost her dowry after her brother's ship sank at sea). So, the Duke imagines that, when Angelo discovers he has slept with Mariana, he will be forced to marry her and to let Claudio go.

Basically, provide examples for how Duke Vincentio displays his compassion and wisdom as the play progresses. By comparing his initial actions with what he manages to accomplish as the play progresses, you will be able to note how your attitudes towards Duke Vincentio change in the course of the play.

2) Lucio is the initial liaison between Claudio and Isabella. In the play, Claudio has been sentenced to death for engaging in premarital sex with Juliet and impregnating her. He begs Lucio to find Isabella and to ask her to intercede on his behalf before Lord Angelo. Lucio does speak to Isabella and after flattering her that men have a soft spot for virgins (Isabella is a novice nun), Isabella promises to speak to Lord Angelo. At this point, Lucio seems a sympathetic and likable character. He even stands in the shadows to "advise" Isabella, as she argues Claudio's case before Angelo.

Despite Lucio's tendency to frequent brothels and to cavort with prostitutes, Lucio comes across as a loyal friend. Through Lucio, Shakespeare portrays the dissolution of the youth of Vienna, but he is also careful to clothe the character with some semblance of humanity. Later in the play, however, Lucio's role serves a different purpose. He is seen to insult the Duke during his conversations with Friar Lodowick (who is, of course, the Duke himself).

Lucio tells Friar Lodowick that the Duke basically indulges in debauchery in private (that he gets drunk on occasion and loves his women). He announces that the Duke is actually "A very superficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow" (Act 3, Scene 2). You can find Lucio's conversation with Friar Lodowick in Act 3, Scene 2. In Act 5, Scene 1, Duke Vincentio (Friar Lodowick) accuses Lucio of calling him a "fool, a coward, One all of luxury, an ass, a madman..." To slander a sovereign or authority figure in Shakespeare's time was considered a very grave offense, one worthy of punishment. In this play, Lucio is made an example of by Shakespeare. That's one of Lucio's main roles in the play.

First, the Duke condemns Lucio to be whipped and then hanged for his slander. Later, however, when it is determined that he has jilted Kate Keepdown, Lucio is ordered by the Duke to marry her. Lucio asserts that being forced to marry Kate is like being subjected to whipping and hanging ("...marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging..."). However, the Duke proclaims that "slandering a prince deserves it." So, Lucio has to fulfill his obligations to Kate, however much he disagrees with the "punishment."

Source: Measure for Measure and Lucio, William W. Lawrence, Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Autumn, 1958), pp. 443-453

How many bones does an adult human have?

An adult human has 206 named bones; as a normal human being ages, certain bones fuse together. As a result of the fusing, a baby who is born with 300 bones will have about 206 bones by adulthood. Bones largely protect our organs and form a supportive frame for our body. Our red and white blood cells are produced in our bones, and bones also store the important minerals and fats our bodies need.

Bones are made up of three layers. The outer layer is the compact bone, the hardest type of bone in our bodies. It makes up about 80% of our bones and is instrumental in supporting our bodies when we walk or run. In the meantime, 20% of the bones in our body are made of spongy bone (which isn't actually spongy at all). Spongy bone contains marrow and the blood vessels that carry specific nutrients to different sections of our body.

The innermost bone layer is the bone marrow, which consists of yellow and red marrow. Red marrow is found in the center of flat bones such as ribs. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are made in red marrow. Yellow marrow is predominantly made of fat and is found in long bones such as thigh bones. Incidentally, thigh bones—otherwise known as femurs—are said to be the longest bones in the human body. They usually measure some 20 inches long. Unlike red marrow, yellow marrow does not produce red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

Bones are made up of four kinds of cells: osteocytes, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and lining cells. Lining cells cover the surfaces of all bones, while osteoblasts are responsible for making new bones and rebuilding broken, existing bones. Osteocytes are old osteoblasts which have stopped making new bone; osteocytes are mostly found in compact bone. Meanwhile, osteoclasts work with osteoblasts to reshape and reabsorb existing bone.

Our bones are part of either the axial skeleton or appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton supports our main body frame, while the appendicular skeleton supports our extremities (arms and legs). The axial skeleton consists of some 80 bones. It is made up of the cranial bones, facial bones, vertebral column bones, and thorax bones. Meanwhile, the appendicular skeleton is made up of the remaining 126 bones.

As mentioned above, the adult human has 206 named bones. We also have unnamed bones in the adult body, such as the sutural bones. Sutural bones are located within the sutural joints between cranial bones. The exact number of sutural bones differs between individuals.

Describe the reasons for the changes in Lincoln’s thinking with the progression of the Civil War. It initially focused on preserving the Union...

Lincoln's goal was first and foremost to preserve the Union.  He did not want to come out too strong against slavery because this would cause the border states—Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware—to secede and join the Confederacy.  Lincoln realized that if Maryland joined the Confederacy, Washington, DC, would be surrounded, and the war would be over.  As the war progressed, Lincoln initially thought it acceptable if armies in the field freed the slaves of secessionists...

Lincoln's goal was first and foremost to preserve the Union.  He did not want to come out too strong against slavery because this would cause the border states—Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware—to secede and join the Confederacy.  Lincoln realized that if Maryland joined the Confederacy, Washington, DC, would be surrounded, and the war would be over.  As the war progressed, Lincoln initially thought it acceptable if armies in the field freed the slaves of secessionists and claimed the newly freed people as "contraband" in war.  Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 in order to demonstrate that he was in control over the "states in rebellion," as this law did not cover slaves living in loyal states.  Lincoln hoped that such a move would scare hardened slaveowners back into the Unionist fold, but he had no such luck.  Another reason for this decree was that it gave the war a higher cause— now Britain and France would hopefully not agitate for mediation between the two warring factions.  Lincoln finally relented and put African Americans into active combat roles at the behest of Frederick Douglass, who thought that this was the only way for African American to achieve any semblance of equality after the war.  Lincoln did not believe that the former slaves would get a fair chance in the United States after the war, so he wanted to create a colony in the Western Hemisphere for them similar to Liberia.  Frederick Douglass and other black leaders talked him out of this.  The valor of black soldiers in battles such as The Crater and Fort Wagner also demonstrated to Lincoln that black soldiers were just as capable as white soldiers.  After the war, Lincoln saw that freeing all the slaves was the right thing to do, and it would also galvanize his party's abolitionist core to go along with him on other parts of his large domestic agenda to get the nation together.  Lincoln was a man of his time, and he did not quickly embrace civil rights. However, he was starting to become more accepting right before his untimely assassination. 

In Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, what does the concept of housekeeping mean to Sylvie? To the girls' grandma? To Lucille? Why is the idea of...

In Robinson's novel, housekeeping means different things to different people. To the unconventional, offbeat Sylvie, a free-spirited drifter who arrives to care for her nieces, conventional middle-class notions of housekeeping don't compute. Sylvie marches to her own beat, caring for the girls in her own, odd way. She buys them pretty, sparkly shoes that fall apart quickly, rather than sturdy, sensible ones. She hoards newspapers and doesn't repair things that begin to fall apart. She...

In Robinson's novel, housekeeping means different things to different people. To the unconventional, offbeat Sylvie, a free-spirited drifter who arrives to care for her nieces, conventional middle-class notions of housekeeping don't compute. Sylvie marches to her own beat, caring for the girls in her own, odd way. She buys them pretty, sparkly shoes that fall apart quickly, rather than sturdy, sensible ones. She hoards newspapers and doesn't repair things that begin to fall apart. She doesn't feed the girls a healthy, balanced diet. She does share her senses of joy and sorrow with them. She gives them freedom and, rather than sacrificing her life to them, maintains her autonomy, sometimes wandering away for a long time. Lucille, the younger sister of the narrator, Ruth, comes increasingly to reject and hate Sylvie's erratic housekeeping. She wants a completely conventional life and eventually moves in with a "normal" family. Her notion of housekeeping is akin to what you might see on a 1950s sitcom: orderly and repressed. The girls' religious grandmother, who raises them in the early part of the novel, is also conventional in her housekeeping. Robinson questions conventional norms of housekeeping. While the townspeople eventually try to remove the girls from Sylvie, seeing her as unfit, Robinson shows us a quirky but compelling Sylvie, a woman with parenting deficits but also positive qualities. It is a different form of housekeeping. Lucille's very conventional yearnings, while understandable, seem dull and stifling within the context of the novel. Robinson encourages us to interrogate what a home is and what it means to keep one's house. Sometimes, she suggests, the best way to keep house is to burn the house down.

Who are the characters in Yvain by Chrétien de Troyes?

Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet who lived and wrote in the twelfth century. One of his best known works is Yvain, ou le Chevalier au lion, which in English translates to Yvain, or the Knight of the Lion.

The romance is set in the world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, so, as is to be expected, King Arthur himself is one of the characters. Yvain, the title character,...

Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet who lived and wrote in the twelfth century. One of his best known works is Yvain, ou le Chevalier au lion, which in English translates to Yvain, or the Knight of the Lion.

The romance is set in the world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, so, as is to be expected, King Arthur himself is one of the characters. Yvain, the title character, is one of the Knights of the Round Table. In addition to Arthur and Yvain, other characters in the tale would be:

• Guinevere, Arthur's wife and queen


• Sir Gawain, a knight and nephew of King Arthur


• Sir Kay, a knight


• Laudine de Landuc, who marries Yvain 


• Lunete, Laudine's servant 


• Calogrenant, Yvain's cousin 


• Harpin of the Mountain


• Lady Noroison


• Count Alier


• The knight/lord at the magic spring 


• The hermit who finds Yvain in the woods


• Sir Gawain's brother-in-law, a Baron


• An evil seneschal and his two brothers 


• The older daughter of the Lord of Noire Espine


• The younger daughter of the Lord of Noire Espine


• The damsel who helps bring Yvain to the younger daughter


• A lord and the 300 maidens being kept hostage in his a castle 


• Two half-devils that Yvain and his lion fight 

There is also the lion that Yvain saves from a dragon and becomes Yvain's companion, who may not exactly be considered a character but is a very important figure in the tale.

What are three scenarios in The Great Gatsby that portray how some characters imagine and live out their dream? What does this suggest about the...

In The Great Gatsby, the characters have different ways of expressing and living out their dream lives. Gatsby, for example, is chiefly concerned with winning back Daisy, his lost love. He believes that the only way to achieve this is to become as rich and successful as possible. In Gatsby's scenarios, he throws lavish parties each week in the hope of drawing her in and convincing her of his merit. While the pair are...

In The Great Gatsby, the characters have different ways of expressing and living out their dream lives. Gatsby, for example, is chiefly concerned with winning back Daisy, his lost love. He believes that the only way to achieve this is to become as rich and successful as possible. In Gatsby's scenarios, he throws lavish parties each week in the hope of drawing her in and convincing her of his merit. While the pair are briefly reconnected, Daisy has no intention of leaving her husband, which suggests that Gatsby's dream is ill-founded. But Gatsby believes that money and success are the only way to "recreate the past" and get ahead.

In contrast, for Myrtle, the dream is to escape Wilson's garage and to live like a wealthy socialite in New York. We see this briefly in Chapter Two when she throws a party for her friends and her demeanor is completely changed. For Myrtle, this dream is only possible through being Tom's mistress, but her death brings her dream to a violent end. Her brief life shows that her dream is founded on her desire to escape the humdrum life she has cultivated with Wilson.

Finally, for Nick, the dream is based on building a successful life in New York as a bondsman. But he quickly realizes that life in the city is superficial and materialistic. After Gatsby's death, Nick decides to leave New York because he realizes, through Gatsby's experiences, that dreams often come with a hefty price. This demonstrates that Nick is the most realistic and down-to-earth of all the characters, and it is for this reason that he becomes disillusioned with the idea of the American Dream and of getting ahead more generally. At the end of the novel, therefore, he decides to leave New York and return to his hometown.

What physical trait does she receive complements about from the two men that had some sexual involvement with her?

Sophie Treadwell's play Machinal is based on the real story of a woman named Ruth Snyder, who murdered her husband in the year 1927. Snyder went to trial and was sentenced to death by electric chair.

In the play, the main character, Helen, usually referred to as the Young Woman, marries a man she works for, despite the fact that she finds the thought of him touching her suffocating and repulsive. Not long after getting...

Sophie Treadwell's play Machinal is based on the real story of a woman named Ruth Snyder, who murdered her husband in the year 1927. Snyder went to trial and was sentenced to death by electric chair.

In the play, the main character, Helen, usually referred to as the Young Woman, marries a man she works for, despite the fact that she finds the thought of him touching her suffocating and repulsive. Not long after getting married and having a child, she meets another man who seems to be a stranger to the stifling world she lives in, and she spends the night with him.

Both men compliment the Young Woman on her "pretty little hands." In fact, when she goes home from work and tells her mother that Mr. J wants to marry her, she tells her mother, "He says he fell in love with my hands."

What is the historical context for All the Light We Cannot See?

The novel All The Light We Cannot See is set in the context of World War Two. It is the story of how the lives of Marie-Laure LeBlanc (who is French) and Werner Pfennig (who is German) converge.

The timeline of the story ranges from 1934 to 2014. The book begins with the Allied bombing of France in August 1944. In the first chapters of the book, we are introduced to the protagonists, eighteen-year-old Werner Pfennig and sixteen-year-old Marie-Laure LeBlanc.

The Allied planes are on the way to unleash bombs on Saint-Malo. Marie and Werner are still in Saint-Malo, despite Allied warnings to flee the area. Marie is in her uncle Etienne's house, while Werner is hiding out at a hotel (on his superior's orders).

The story then goes back ten years to 1934, to Marie's and Werner's childhood days. Marie is blind but determined to live life on her own terms. She becomes fascinated by the mysterious Sea of Flames diamond, which is kept at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Her father, Daniel, works there. The diamond is said to bequeath eternal life to its owner. However, the jewel is cursed: it is rumored to unleash great suffering on the owner's family.

In Germany, Werner's childhood pastime is listening to radio broadcasts with his sister, Jutta. In his teenage years, his predilection for mechanics and technology leads to his enrollment at the German National Institute.

Werner is a star student there, but an unfortunate incident causes him to leave the school in disgrace. Werner is soon signed up to fight for Germany, and he uses his skills to track down enemy broadcasters.

Werner and Marie eventually meet just as Allied planes are bombing St. Malo. Unknowingly, Werner is given a copy of the Sea of Flames diamond for safe-keeping. While Marie lives to a ripe old age, Werner dies after stepping on a German landmine.

The story's war scenes reinforce the horrors of World War Two, but they also constitute an important backdrop against which the stories of forgotten German civilians like Werner are told. The novel shows that not all Germans supported Hitler's hegemonic ambitions and inherently racist policies. Werner and Marie's brief interactions highlight the humanity in both the German soldier and besieged civilian.

In what ways can Thomas Gray's poems be considered Romantic in tone?

Nominally, Thomas Gray is considered as a neo-Classical poet. Yet, there are elements in his work which are proto-Romantic, that point towards the radical departure of Wordsworth, Coleridge et al. 

Gray's most famous work is "Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard." In this, there are certain tonal and stylistic traits that will come to be developed more fully by the Romantics. For instance, the elegy is in part a tribute to the ordinary, unlamented...

Nominally, Thomas Gray is considered as a neo-Classical poet. Yet, there are elements in his work which are proto-Romantic, that point towards the radical departure of Wordsworth, Coleridge et al. 

Gray's most famous work is "Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard." In this, there are certain tonal and stylistic traits that will come to be developed more fully by the Romantics. For instance, the elegy is in part a tribute to the ordinary, unlamented rural folk lying in their graves beneath the churchyard. This concern with the common folk prefigures the approach of Wordsworth and Coleridge in Lyrical Ballads, where they stated their avowed intent to use the ordinary language of everyday people to convey their radical poetic vision. In the "Elegy" Gray gestures towards a theme that the Romantics would consistently explore.

The voice of Gray's "Elegy" is a lonely, isolated one. The farmers have wended their weary way home; the bell of the church tower tolls; and the world is "left to darkness and to me." By using "me," rather than "us," Gray is separating himself from his audience. He is all alone in the approaching darkness, composing his elegy in the gloomy churchyard. There are shades here of the isolated individual of Romantic poetry, a lonely figure standing apart from society and its rules and customs. Gray reaches beyond the present and back into the dark and distant past to commune with the dead:

Nor you, ye proud, impute to these fault.

The churchyard dead may have been humble rural folk, but we have no right to judge them for their simple lives and lack of ambition. Gray understands this, as Wordsworth subsequently did— this is why they both separate themselves from us as they lead us towards a greater empathy and understanding. In fact, Gray originally intended to give the last word in his poem to a "hoary-headed swain," or farm laborer. The roles have been reversed; now it is an ordinary rural-dweller who reflects upon the life of a dead poet.

Yet, under pressure from his publishers, Gray tacked on an epitaph, which not only restores the traditional social order, but makes the theme of death more general and less immediate than it would have been had the farm laborer been allowed the last word. But Gray's initial instincts were surely correct, and in any case pointed towards a new tone of poetry that would one day find a home in Romanticism.