What is the function of the skull?

The chief purpose of the skull is to protect the brain. 

The main control center of the body, the brain is a complex and fragile organ composed of countless neurons arranged into numerous lobes and cortices. The hard, bony cranium surrounds the brain to shield it from damage. The skull also holds in the fluids that allow our brain to function. Those fluids serve a secondary purpose as well—they are the brain's "cushion," because we...

The chief purpose of the skull is to protect the brain. 

The main control center of the body, the brain is a complex and fragile organ composed of countless neurons arranged into numerous lobes and cortices. The hard, bony cranium surrounds the brain to shield it from damage. The skull also holds in the fluids that allow our brain to function. Those fluids serve a secondary purpose as well—they are the brain's "cushion," because we don't want our soft brains knocking against the inside of our hard heads!

An additional purpose of the skull is to give our face its shape. Human faces evolved to their current form for a reason. Our eyes need to be a certain distance apart to enable binocular vision; our ears need to be in specific places to allow binaural hearing; and our faces need anchors for dozens of muscles to allow us to make facial expressions.

What is Chernobyl like today?

The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi incident in Japan are the only two level 7 (major accident) events on the International Nuclear Event Scale to have occurred. Level 7 is the most severe level of civilian nuclear accident. 

Chernobyl was a power plant located in Pripyat, a village in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union having...

The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi incident in Japan are the only two level 7 (major accident) events on the International Nuclear Event Scale to have occurred. Level 7 is the most severe level of civilian nuclear accident. 

Chernobyl was a power plant located in Pripyat, a village in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union having collapsed in the interim, Ukraine is now a sovereign state. Pripyat is located in northern Ukraine near the border of Belarus. 

After the nuclear accident, the contaminated region surrounding the power plant was evacuated, creating the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area that is now a ghost town, visited only by a few intrepid tourists and scientists studying the long-term effects of radiation on the ecosystem. Much of it is now a wildlife reserve.

In the absence of human habitation, the ecosystem has proven surprisingly robust, with small animal populations recovering within a decade of the disaster. Although scientific studies are still in progress and long-term effects on animal genetics may only show up in future generations, wildlife now appears to be thriving in the area. The fear of radiation that keeps people (even poachers) from returning to the area—as well as the laws protecting it from trespassing—have proven a net positive for wolf and other predator populations.

How does the setting of " A Good Man Is Hard To Find" control the conflict, characters, and point of view?

The story's setting in the American South in what is probably the 1950s informs the conflict between the grandmother and her society. She seems to be at odds with just about everyone else: her son, his family, and the Misfit. The only person she does not conflict with is Red Sammy, who happens to be the only other character that shares her perspective. She feels as though society has changed dramatically and for the worse—that...

The story's setting in the American South in what is probably the 1950s informs the conflict between the grandmother and her society. She seems to be at odds with just about everyone else: her son, his family, and the Misfit. The only person she does not conflict with is Red Sammy, who happens to be the only other character that shares her perspective. She feels as though society has changed dramatically and for the worse—that people no longer have the same values they once did. Some would view this fact positively, but not so for the grandmother (who is never given a name, as though her age and generation are her defining characteristics).

The story is told from a third person limited omniscient perspective. It is important that we understand what the grandmother is thinking in order to really understand her character. Therefore, we get her thoughts and feelings. Typically, an author will choose to use a limited omniscient perspective in order to bring readers closer to a particular character, to decrease the distance between us and them.  Perhaps O'Connor wants to draw us closer to this character because she knows that her audience will be inclined to judge the grandmother harshly as a result of her age and time (setting). In allowing us to come to know her better, we can better understand her conflict with just about everyone around her.

Is the sentence "But he was still on the watch" in the short story "The Wrong Category" ambiguous? Can the reader infer that Barry is on the watch...

Mystery author Ruth Rendell is a masterful writer of plot twists.  She knows exactly how to make everything seem obvious, right up until the very last moment.  In her short story "The Wrong Category," it is evident that she has singled Barry out as the most probable culprit of the recent murders that have been committed in town. Every piece of evidence seems to support him as the killer; he walks around at night, he...

Mystery author Ruth Rendell is a masterful writer of plot twists.  She knows exactly how to make everything seem obvious, right up until the very last moment.  In her short story "The Wrong Category," it is evident that she has singled Barry out as the most probable culprit of the recent murders that have been committed in town. Every piece of evidence seems to support him as the killer; he walks around at night, he visits the crime scenes, he watches women which fit the killer's "type," and he is lonely, awkward, ugly, and weird. Barry has all the makings of a murderer.

Because Rendell is so masterful, however, she leaves just the slightest bit of doubt that Barry is in fact the killer.  That is why this line from the story is so ambiguous. "What if he is not the killer?" we ask ourselves.  What if he just likes playing weird games because he has nothing better to do?  However, most of us do not go around at night to spots where murders have been committed to try to pick up girls, especially if we are not trying to get killed.

Why would Barry, a normally awkward guy, choose to get his thrills by imagining who the killer's next victim might be? We have to remember that Barry is already a strange guy, so it is not entirely implausible that he would do so. However, interfering with a murderer's case when you are not the murderer puts you directly on the actual murderer's radar and could also get you killed. I would say we can certainly use these lines to surmise that Barry might be a killer who is on the hunt for his next victim.  However, as I pointed out before, Rendell leaves a bit of doubt. She leaves just enough to confuse the reader and cause him or her to question what seems obvious.

How is the theme of loss presented in "Out, Out--" and "Disabled"?

In Robert Frost's poem "Out, Out--" loss has many meanings. First, the boy sawing wood feels the loss of his free time and his freedom when he isn't dismissed a half hour early from work. As Frost writes, "Call it a day, I wish they might have said / To please the boy by giving him the half hour / That a boy counts so much when saved from work." The boy loses this vital half hour, and it is then that he loses his hand. Suddenly, with the loss of his hand, the boy knows that he has lost all the promise of his young life. As Frost writes, "He saw all spoiled." The boy fears losing his land and sadly loses his life. 

Frost's poem details a series of losses that build to the loss of life. The boy first loses his freedom and then his hand and then his life. There is a connection between the loss of the boy's freedom and youth while working in a mill and the subsequent loss of his life, implying that once the boy goes to work cutting wood, he has begun to lose his vital youth and that everything soon will be taken away from him, including his life.

In Wilfred Owen's poem "Disabled," a maimed veteran acutely feels the loss of his legs and arm (or arms). With the loss of his arm and leg, the veteran has also, like the young man in "Out, Out--", lost his youth and vitality. Though the character in "Disabled" still is alive, he has lost much of what he had to live for. Owen writes, "Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn." The voices sound sad to the veteran because they force him to think about how he can no longer run. 

The veteran cannot dance with a girl, and he feels this loss most acutely. As Owen writes: "Now he will never feel again how slim / Girls' waists are, or how warm their subtle hands, / All of them touch him like some queer disease." The veteran feels much less masculine, and he notices how women's eyes pass over him on the way to "strong men that were whole." In the end, he merely wants to go to bed, as the loss of his limbs has made him lose hope for the future. 

What are some points showing Juliet's maturity?

Arguably, Juliet demonstrates rational and mature thinking, but this maturity is, for the most part, demonstrated before she gives her heart to Romeo. 

In Act I, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet, Lady Capulet asks her daughter if she can consider Count Paris as a husband; she also informs Juliet that Paris will be at their feast. Juliet replies that she will take a look at Paris and try to like him if what she sees is worth liking. But, she adds that she will not let herself fall for Paris any more than her mother's permission allows. In other words, Juliet has a sense of moderation at this point:

I’ll look to like if looking liking move.

But no more deep will I endart mine eye

Than your consent gives strength to make it fly (1.3.99-101)

Certainly, this sense of moderation demonstrates a degree of maturity.

Further, in the famous balcony scene of Act II, Scene 2, when the passionate and impetuous Romeo swears his love and desire for Juliet, it is she who urges caution:

Oh, swear not by the moon, th' inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. (2.2.116-118)

Then, when Romeo asks what it is that he should swear by, she tells him not to swear at all. Instead, she urges caution, saying that her agreement to a betrothal is

...too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say "It lightens." (2.2.118-120)

Juliet maturely adds that their love is like a bud that will prove to be a beautiful flower if it is allowed to ripen, so they must be patient.

Despite her rather mature and cautionary behavior in the beginning of their relationship, Juliet is later influenced by Romeo's passion, and her love transforms into a "violent delight." That is, the love of Romeo and Juliet becomes the dangerous love about which Friar Lawrence prophetically warns Romeo when he tells the passionate lover,

These violent delights have violent ends.
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder
Which as they kiss consume. (2.6.9-11)

So, while Juliet is cautionary and sensible initially in her approach to love, she later grows more impetuous in both her feelings and actions after secretly marrying Romeo.

In Montana 1948 and To Kill a Mockingbird, how is justice undermined by prejudice?

In Montana 1948 prejudice plays a major role in Wesley's decision to punish Frank for his wrongdoing. Frank's position of privilege in the community has shielded him from the natural consequences of his criminal activities. David's family sees the Native Americans in their community as lower in legal stature than white people; what Frank has done is not a crime in their opinion since it happened to an Indian woman.

The official all-white jury in ...

In Montana 1948 prejudice plays a major role in Wesley's decision to punish Frank for his wrongdoing. Frank's position of privilege in the community has shielded him from the natural consequences of his criminal activities. David's family sees the Native Americans in their community as lower in legal stature than white people; what Frank has done is not a crime in their opinion since it happened to an Indian woman.

The official all-white jury in To Kill a Mockingbird finds Tom guilty although Atticus has proven him innocent of rape. After being wrongfully jailed, Tom is shot to death attempting to escape from prison. For all Atticus tried to do, he could not save Tom from the prejudice of a racist segment of his town. Their actions and perceived threats led to Tom's demise.

"Allegory of the Cave" Working from the perspective that Plato's view on the nature of reality—as allegorized in the Allegory of the Cave—is...

1. The allegory of the cave presents the idea that, to people who have spent their entire lives in a "cave" or restricted environment watching images projected on a wall as if they are real, it is difficult and even undesirable to be asked to examine the truth behind these figures. In the modern era of television and the internet, this is a very relevant concept. The best strict examples might include, for example, people...

1. The allegory of the cave presents the idea that, to people who have spent their entire lives in a "cave" or restricted environment watching images projected on a wall as if they are real, it is difficult and even undesirable to be asked to examine the truth behind these figures. In the modern era of television and the internet, this is a very relevant concept. The best strict examples might include, for example, people who lived under the Soviet Union and who saw the world only as the Communist Party wanted them to see it. The Communist newspaper, Pravda, presented a filtered version of the truth. During his time as leader, Stalin was presented to the people as being capable of absolutely anything. Those living under Communist rule expressed that they thought "if Stalin wanted to be a brain surgeon, he would be the best brain surgeon anyone could ask for." Stalin was worshipped almost as a godly figure. This was not realistic, but when Communism crumbled, people found it difficult to readjust to the reality beyond the cave the USSR had provided (see the film Goodbye Lenin). Less extreme versions of this can be seen in smaller propaganda campaigns, such as when the British government, after the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, turned the defeat into a "propaganda victory" or morale booster. 

2. Perhaps the largest problem with Plato's allegory is that it suggests someone external to the cave must enter it in order to free the people trapped inside. Returning to the example above, we can see that this is not always the case. The USSR was not brought down by people external to it, such as the United States and Great Britain, but, instead, largely by people living under it. Anti-Communist resistance in Poland was a major cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union: in the 1960s, anti-communist revolutions (like the Prague Spring) spread across the USSR. These people had not been freed from the cave. Instead, while living inside it, they had come to understand that the shadows were only shadows. The Allegory of the Cave is problematic because it suggests that people are not responsible for making up their own minds when presented with false information. In reality, if this were true, political shifts would not happen.

What is an analysis of Hunger by Roxane Gay?

In Hunger, Roxane Gay uses her past to explain how she used food to cope with trauma and all the ways that coping mechanism affected her life. Gay is able to trace her unhealthy eating habits to a traumatic childhood incident. Along the way, she makes a case for acceptance and loving people as they are without expecting them to change.

Gay is able to drive home the trauma of her gang rape with...

In Hunger, Roxane Gay uses her past to explain how she used food to cope with trauma and all the ways that coping mechanism affected her life. Gay is able to trace her unhealthy eating habits to a traumatic childhood incident. Along the way, she makes a case for acceptance and loving people as they are without expecting them to change.

Gay is able to drive home the trauma of her gang rape with her vivid description. For example, she explains how Christopher—a pseudonym she uses for the friend who brought her to the cabin where it happened—spit in her face after he was done. Though it's wrenching to read, it helps the reader better identify with Gay and empathize with the shame and pain she felt as a 12-year-old Catholic girl who didn't have a good understanding of what exactly was happening.

That shame is internalized because she is unable to speak of the rape for most of her life. Instead, she keeps it to herself and begins to eat for both protection and comfort. As she grows larger, her weight affects her everyday life and her view of herself. She details her interactions with potential partners and her feelings about the choices she makes clearly. This allows readers who have never had an eating disorder to see her life through the lens of her experience.

Gay writes about her life from her birth into a loving family with two brothers to her more recent years as a professor and author. She was not able to love herself for most of her life, she explains. Doing so took a lot of time and required that she set boundaries even with the people she loves. For example, she couldn't visit her family without them policing her food intake. She had to explain to them why that wasn't healthy for their relationship and work with them to improve.

Hunger isn't just about Gay's experience, though. She also discusses the way society views fat people—especially fat women—and how damaging it can be to be dismissed for her size. One story she tells is of her best friend offering her chips before a plane ride; Gay had to refuse, saying that women who look like her can't eat chips in public. Her experiences serve as examples of concepts she seeks to share with her readers. It helps make the consequences of the rejection fat women face clearer. 

What is an analysis of The Other Wes Moore?

This book sets out to figure out why the author wound up as a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran of the armed forces, and a person with a promising future, while another man named Wes Moore wound up in jail. The author spends a great deal of time dissecting the childhoods of Wes Moore and his own childhood. In many ways, the two men, both African American, grew up in similar circumstances. The author's father died...

This book sets out to figure out why the author wound up as a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran of the armed forces, and a person with a promising future, while another man named Wes Moore wound up in jail. The author spends a great deal of time dissecting the childhoods of Wes Moore and his own childhood. In many ways, the two men, both African American, grew up in similar circumstances. The author's father died when the author was very young, and the other Wes Moore's father was not in the picture. While the author was born in Baltimore, he moved to the Bronx and lived with his mother and grandparents, while the other Wes Moore remained in Baltimore and turned to selling drugs. The other Wes Moore also started having children at a very young age.

The author does not pinpoint one single variable that differentiated his life from that of the other Wes Moore. However, he writes about some factors that might have made a difference. The author benefited from the upbringing of his mother and grandparents, who were a close-knit family. His mother had attended college, while the other Wes Moore's mother had not. The author was able to attend a private school in New York and then a private military school, while the other Wes Moore attended failing public schools. In the end, though, their lives were so similar at their starts, yet bifurcated so greatly, that the reader is left wondering whether chance also played a role in their outcomes.

Radioactive radium has a half-life of approximately 1599 years. What percent of a given amount remains after 100 years?

Formula: `y=Ce^(kt)` where y is the amount of radioactive radium at time t, k is the decay constant, and C is the initial amount of radium

`1/2C=Ce^(k*1599)`

`1/2=e^(k*1599)`

`ln(1/2)=1599klne`

`ln(1/2)=1599k`

`ln(1/2)/1599=k`

`k=-4.3349x10^-4`

`y=Ce^(kt)`

`y=Ce^[(-4.3349x10^-4)(100)]`

`y=.9576C`

Final Answer: 95.76% of radioactive radium is left after 100 years.

Formula: `y=Ce^(kt)` where y is the amount of radioactive radium at time t, k is the decay constant, and C is the initial amount of radium

`1/2C=Ce^(k*1599)`

`1/2=e^(k*1599)`

`ln(1/2)=1599klne`

`ln(1/2)=1599k`

`ln(1/2)/1599=k`

`k=-4.3349x10^-4`

`y=Ce^(kt)`

`y=Ce^[(-4.3349x10^-4)(100)]`

`y=.9576C`

Final Answer: 95.76% of radioactive radium is left after 100 years.

What is Montaigne's perspective on the relationship between human nature and society?

Montaigne believed that society both reflected human nature and helped to refine it. Society reflects human nature because what we see socially is a mirror of how we view ourselves as individuals. A person who is trustworthy, for example, will find it easy to trust others: “Confidence in others' honesty,” he writes, “is no light testimony of one's own integrity.” A society has a symbiotic relationship with the individuals within it: the more self-realized each...

Montaigne believed that society both reflected human nature and helped to refine it. Society reflects human nature because what we see socially is a mirror of how we view ourselves as individuals. A person who is trustworthy, for example, will find it easy to trust others: “Confidence in others' honesty,” he writes, “is no light testimony of one's own integrity.” A society has a symbiotic relationship with the individuals within it: the more self-realized each person is, the more productive and successful the society as a whole will be.

According to Montaigne, we fulfill our human nature and reach our highest potential through interacting with our fellow man. He believed that the best pursuits of the intellect involved working in community: “The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation,” he said.

Montaigne believed human nature to be both deeply problematic and full of promise. He famously noted: “I have seen no greater monster or miracle than myself.” For Montaigne, the purpose of society is to help humans develop our positive qualities and to help us exercise restraint in expressing our worst.

When are we going to return to the Moon?

This question is a bit unclear, because it doesn't specify if returning to the Moon means a manned mission to the Moon's surface, a manned Moon orbital mission, or an unmanned mission to the Moon.  

If the question is asking about a manned mission to the lunar surface, then there is no definitive date.  The only countries that currently have a public declaration of a possiblemanned mission to the lunar surface are China and...

This question is a bit unclear, because it doesn't specify if returning to the Moon means a manned mission to the Moon's surface, a manned Moon orbital mission, or an unmanned mission to the Moon.  

If the question is asking about a manned mission to the lunar surface, then there is no definitive date.  The only countries that currently have a public declaration of a possible manned mission to the lunar surface are China and Russia.  Those are "tentative proposals," and the stated date is sometime in the 2030's.  

China has some definite plans to return to the Moon, but those missions are unmanned missions.  Chang'e 4 is scheduled to launch in 2018 and land on the far side of the Moon. Chang'e 5 was scheduled to launch in late 2017, but it is now slotted for a 2019 departure.  It will land on the Moon, collect samples, and return to Earth. This will be the first lunar sample return mission since 1976.

Currently, NASA is trying get humans on Mars.  While NASA has no current plans to land humans on the moon, NASA is looking at a lunar orbit as a possible staging ground for future Mars missions.  According to Space.com, "a group of astronauts may spend a year in orbit around the moon in the late 2020's as part of NASA's plan to send humans to Mars in the 2030's."

Express how the use of diction and structure help achieve the purpose of Chapter 4 in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. How do...

The rhetorical devices and structure of Chapter 4 emphasize the brutality of slavery. The main rhetorical device used is that of verbal irony, in that Frederick Douglass praises the cruel overseer, Mr. Gore, and calls him "a first-rate overseer." Douglass writes that "Mr. Gore is just the man for such a place, and it was just the place for such a man." Douglass's statements are ironic because by being a first-rate overseer, Mr. Gore is...

The rhetorical devices and structure of Chapter 4 emphasize the brutality of slavery. The main rhetorical device used is that of verbal irony, in that Frederick Douglass praises the cruel overseer, Mr. Gore, and calls him "a first-rate overseer." Douglass writes that "Mr. Gore is just the man for such a place, and it was just the place for such a man." Douglass's statements are ironic because by being a first-rate overseer, Mr. Gore is a barbaric and horrible man. For example, the reasons he is a top-notch overseer are that he is "proud enough to demand the most debasing homage of the slave" and nasty and ambitious enough to be extremely cruel to the slaves under his control. In other words, he is good at his job because he is so mean and inhumane. Douglass's diction, or choice of words, also emphasizes Gore's cruelty and the irony of Gore's reputation as a fine overseer. Douglass chooses words that show this irony, such as describing Gore as "proud, ambitious, and persevering." These are presumably good qualities, but Gore uses them to achieve evil aims. 

The structure of the chapter also achieves Douglass's aim of exposing the cruelty of slavery because after he ironically praises Mr. Gore's fineness as an overseer, Douglass shows the brutal effects of Gore's treatment of the slaves. For example, Gore whips a slave named Denby, who tries to soothe his wounds by running into a creek. When Denby refuses to come out of the creek after three calls, Gore raises his musket, "and poor Denby was no more." Douglass writes that when Gore kills Denby, "a thrill of horror flashed through every soul upon the plantation," and this example provides ample evidence of Gore's cruelty, which Douglass discusses at the beginning of the chapter.

The example of Denby can be juxtaposed with Douglass's claim in Chapter 3 that a slave never admits how much he or she hates slavery because "a still tongue makes a wise head." Any slave who complains will suffer mercilessly as a result. However, just because slaves do not complain does not mean that they do not suffer horribly, which Douglass shows in Chapter 4. 

In T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel A Friend of the Earth, both Ty's first wife, Jane, and his daughter die from accidents that are both...

A Friend of the Earth, written in 2000 byT. Coraghessan Boyle, depicts a bleak future of environmental destruction. The novel flashes back between 2025 and the 1990s, revealing the back story of the main character Ty O’Shaughnessy Tierwater. The personal tragedies he experiences form his personality and feelings about nature and himself.

On a camping trip, Ty’s wife Jane dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting when their daughter Sierra is only...

A Friend of the Earth, written in 2000 byT. Coraghessan Boyle, depicts a bleak future of environmental destruction. The novel flashes back between 2025 and the 1990s, revealing the back story of the main character Ty O’Shaughnessy Tierwater. The personal tragedies he experiences form his personality and feelings about nature and himself.

On a camping trip, Ty’s wife Jane dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting when their daughter Sierra is only three years old. Ty raises Sierra to be an environmental activist, following in her father’s footsteps. This activism leads to Sierra being taken away from his care and placed with a foster family and Ty being imprisoned for various felonies. When Sierra is 25, she dies as a martyr to the environmental cause, falling from a tree that was her home for three years. Ty’s daughter literally falls dead at his feet.

These accidental deaths are caused by the natural world that Ty has made it his life’s work to protect. This irony lends a sense of futility to Ty’s activist efforts. Similarly, the deaths of Teo by meteor and his parents by a falling girder add to a sense of lack of control. The natural world seems to wreak havoc almost capriciously on Ty and his loved ones.

These personal tragedies Ty suffers lead him to become a cynical hermit later in life when Andrea, his second wife, reunites with him at a singer’s estate turned private menagerie. Again, ironically, the very people trying to protect the planet’s dwindling biodiversity die at the hand of nature when lions get loose and kill the singer and several employees. However, the novel ends on an optimistic note with Andrea and Ty again calling themselves husband and wife and living in a cabin in the woods.

Can I have a detailed analysis of the poem "Care-charmer Sleep" by Samuel Daniel in terms of language/style/tone/imagery and themes?

The theme of the poem, which is a sonnet (a poem of fourteen lines with ten syllables in each line), is the solace that the poet seeks in sleep and perhaps in death. The poet begins the poem by directly addressing sleep and personifying sleep as a person. He addresses sleep as a "care-charmer" and "son of the sable Night," using alliteration, or the repetition of the initial sounds of each word. He also refers...

The theme of the poem, which is a sonnet (a poem of fourteen lines with ten syllables in each line), is the solace that the poet seeks in sleep and perhaps in death. The poet begins the poem by directly addressing sleep and personifying sleep as a person. He addresses sleep as a "care-charmer" and "son of the sable Night," using alliteration, or the repetition of the initial sounds of each word. He also refers to sleep in a metaphorical way as "Brother to Death," meaning that sleep is similar to death.

He then calls on sleep to relieve his woes and to be a time when he can achieve peace, unlike the daytime, when he grieves over what he calls, in a metaphorical way, "the shipwreck of my ill-adventur'd youth." In other words, he does not want to think about the ways his youth was misspent, and he presents the image of his youth as a shipwreck. He says that he wants to sleep without dreaming, which he refers to as presenting images of our "day-desires," another alliteration that refers to the wants and needs we experience during the day. In the final couplet, he seems to yearn for death, which would put an end to the discomfort and pain he feels during the day. The tone of the poem is dark and wistful, as the poet yearns for a different past and the relief from his thoughts that comes from sleep or death.

Discuss one theme in "Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed'" by Ding Ling related to the Cultural Revolution and another theme related to a more...

"Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed'" explores a variety of themes through the lens of the Cultural Revolution, most notably isolation and identity. In this semi-autobiographical story, the author is able to communicate her own emotions and perspectives in a unique way.

The Cultural Revolution and Isolation

In "Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed,'" author Ding Ling explores the horrors of being locked away in solitary confinement. This story focuses on her life as a Communist woman...

"Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed'" explores a variety of themes through the lens of the Cultural Revolution, most notably isolation and identity. In this semi-autobiographical story, the author is able to communicate her own emotions and perspectives in a unique way.

The Cultural Revolution and Isolation

In "Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed,'" author Ding Ling explores the horrors of being locked away in solitary confinement. This story focuses on her life as a Communist woman who was persecuted as a result of her political beliefs and activism. Her experience was relatively common for the Chinese Cultural Revolution as those who had newly been placed in power sought to dispose of former authorities and often punish their followers. Ding Ling's experience in this story is used to delve into the themes of isolation and loneliness. Despite the terrible circumstances it describes, the story's overall theme is one of hope and positivity. Ling posits that hope through isolation and the darkest times is the only true path to peace.

The Theme of Identity

Ding Ling's hardships provide the unique opportunity for the author to explore the theme of identity. This theme is developed as she faces internment, a punishment that makes every attempt to strip her identity from her. Her captors attempt not only to punish her for her political ideals but to break her down so they can reshape her identity in a way that is more palatable to their cause. Ding Ling shows a different kind of resistance by remaining true to herself and her beliefs in the face of cruelty without becoming cruel herself. Since "Sketches from the 'Cattle Shed'" was a partly autobiographical work, Ding Ling was in a unique position to fully explore the ways in which her internment both threatened and strengthened her identity.

Another aspect of identity that was developed throughout the story was womanhood during the Cultural Revolution. Throughout her career, the author expressed the difficulties associated with being a Chinese woman, including the expectations and limitations of gender. Through this painful yet hopeful work, she emphasizes the dual nature of beauty and pain in her identity as a woman.

http://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1550&context=lawreview Please write a summary of the article

This article argues that the Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio(1968) was not necessary (in New York state) in order to allow police officers to search or frisk someone abut whom they had a "reasonable suspicion." The law was unnecessary because these types of frisk procedures were already largely allowed in the state. Instead, the law allowed the police to submit what they had seized during stop and frisk activities in a court of...

This article argues that the Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio (1968) was not necessary (in New York state) in order to allow police officers to search or frisk someone abut whom they had a "reasonable suspicion." The law was unnecessary because these types of frisk procedures were already largely allowed in the state. Instead, the law allowed the police to submit what they had seized during stop and frisk activities in a court of law as admissible evidence. The author of this article, Raymond, argues against an article by Professor Fyfe, who states that the best way to stop the abuses inherent in stop and frisk activities by the police is supervision by the police department. Instead, Raymond believes that the best way to prevent abuses is to use the courts to "police the police," as she calls it. She believes that police officers often lie and that the police are not capable of developing a sound system of internal review. Instead, the court system, she believes, must play a role in limiting the discretion that the police have in conducting stop and frisk procedures. 

What are the customs and traditions of the UAE?

To discuss all of the customs and traditions of the United Arab Emirates would require an entire book, if not more than one, but I can certainly describe a few cultural practices here which are distinctive to the UAE.

A custom may be thought of as particularities in everyday behaviors and actions that is shared by an ethnic or national group. Traditions are slightly different because they are the enactment of rituals within a particular...

To discuss all of the customs and traditions of the United Arab Emirates would require an entire book, if not more than one, but I can certainly describe a few cultural practices here which are distinctive to the UAE.

A custom may be thought of as particularities in everyday behaviors and actions that is shared by an ethnic or national group. Traditions are slightly different because they are the enactment of rituals within a particular space and time. Sometimes the two can overlap, as in the Arab custom of hospitality. In the Arab world, and especially the UAE, hospitality and generosity are taken very seriously. If you were to visit a person's home or place of work in the UAE, they would demonstrate this custom of hospitality through the tradition of offering you coffee or tea and perhaps something sweet to eat. It is very unusual for even a casual visit to not involve sitting down to share something to eat and drink. 

A custom which some Westerners may find unusual involves handling food with only the right hand. In Muslim culture, the left hand is used for ritual cleansing before prayer and is considered unclean for handling food. It is a violation of social norms to take food or eat with the left hand, so if you ever visit the UAE, be sure to only eat with your right!

A custom unique to the UAE is a kind of nose-rubbing greeting. When good friends or family members greet each other, they may rub noses together rather than (or in addition to) shaking hands or hugging. The nose is considered a noble, beautiful, and personal part of the body in Emirati culture, so to rub noses with someone implies a lot of trust and respect for one another.

The UAE is a Muslim-majority nation, so there are many traditions surrounding Muslim holidays. For example, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) is a major celebration where most people have the day off and will spend it with family and friends. This holiday carries the same importance in the UAE as Christmas does in the United Kingdom. Children may receive a gift such as a doll or other toy, and most people are gifted or purchase a new outfit for the occasion. It is also traditional to have a big meal with your family to celebrate.

What is satire in A Christmas Carol?

Charles Dickens’ satire is always based upon the issues of the industrial revolution and how it specifically affected Victorian England.  Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is no exception.  During the industrial revolution the rich become richer (in that they own the workhouses and factories) while the poor become poorer (in that they are left to work in the factories for low pay and are often unable to feed their families while they grow ever sicker because of poor conditions).  Scrooge, of course, is an example of the rich in society.  Luckily, he has a grand transformation to see the error of his ways.  The poor are exemplified by many characters such as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. 

Satire, of course, is the use of elements such as humor, irony, and exaggeration in order to highlight the problems in society.  In my opinion, the best examples of satire are provided by the ghost of Christmas present quoting Scrooge’s own words.  Earlier in the novel, Scrooge tells a couple of humanitarians that the poor, if they want to, should simply die to “decrease the surplus population.”  Later in the novel, Scrooge becomes well acquainted with the poverty stricken (and crippled) Tiny Tim.  The second spirit wastes no time in telling Scrooge that Tiny Tim is the very kind of person for whom Scrooge suggested death to decrease that surplus in the population.  The spirit then reprimands Scrooge severely by using exaggeration saying the following:

Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child.

It is examples just like this one (that often make the reader chuckle) that show Dickens’ satire of the rich in Victorian England in order to indicate the plight of the poor.

How did Bright Morning feel when she heard the river running?

Bright Morning is the main character and narrator in Scott O'Dell's 1970 novel entitled Sing Down The Moon. Bright Morning is part of the Navajo (spelled Navaho in the novel) tribe. The novel is set in 1864, and it is a wonderful portrayal a difficult part of American history. I love getting a glimpse of Navajo life, as well as seeing a historical event from the perspective of those who were victimized. It is a Newbery Honor award winner, as well.

It is beautiful to see the characters' relationship to nature in this novel. They depend on nature, and they revere it as well. Nature is often depicted as having a sort of supernatural power. For example, when her brother shoots the six prong deer and was singing with happiness because of this, lightning struck him and he died. Bright Morning believes this happened because the gods do not like to see people showing happiness by singing and they punish those who do not obey. 

When Bright Morning hears the river running in chapter one, she says she felt like singing. She said she wanted to leap and dance with joy because hearing the water of the river rushing is a sign that spring has begun. The first line of the novel indicates that spring came early that year, so hearing the river run when she did would have been somewhat of a surprise, as well. She describes it in the following way: 

The day the waters came was a wonderful day. I heard the first sounds of their coming while I lay awake in the night. At first it was a whisper, like a wind among the dry stalks of our cornfield. After a while it was a sound like the feet of warriors dancing. Then it was a roar that shook the earth. I could hardly wait until the sun rose.

A little later, she describes her feelings about the river running and the sounds and sights of spring:

I felt like singing. I wanted to leap and dance with joy, yet I stood quietly and watched the river running between the greening cottonwood trees, for I knew that it is bad luck to be so happy.

What is the total number of hydrogen bonds in a DNA that has 200 Adenines and 500 Guanines?

DNA is a double-helix formed from two complementary strands that are attached by hydrogen bonds connecting the nitrogenous base pairs in the middle.

The rules for base-pairing in DNA are as follows: adenine pairs to thymine and cytosine pairs to guanine. If there are 200 adenines in the DNA, it follows there must also be 200 thymines. Each adenine and thymine are held together by a hydrogen bond. Therefore, there must be 200 hydrogen...

DNA is a double-helix formed from two complementary strands that are attached by hydrogen bonds connecting the nitrogenous base pairs in the middle.

The rules for base-pairing in DNA are as follows: adenine pairs to thymine and cytosine pairs to guanine. If there are 200 adenines in the DNA, it follows there must also be 200 thymines. Each adenine and thymine are held together by a hydrogen bond. Therefore, there must be 200 hydrogen bonds between them.

If there are 500 guanines, there are also 500 cytosines because they are complementary and form base pairs. Again, there must be 500 hydrogen bonds holding each guanine to each cytosine.

The total amount of hydrogen bonds in this molecule of DNA is 700. And, when DNA replicates, these weak bonds are broken, the double helix unwinds and separates, and either half can be used as a template for replication.

I have included a link showing the placement of hydrogen bonds in the DNA double helix.

What are harmful short-term and long-term effects of excessive alcohol use? How can you reduce your intake of refined sugars each day and replace...

The short-term effects of alcohol use include nausea/vomiting and impaired judgment. Two long-term effects of excessive alcohol use include liver disease and higher blood pressure, which can lead to potential heart disease. Excessive alcohol use has an overall negative effect on health in many ways, including also the potential to cause brain disease. 

Ways to reduce your intake of refined sugars include eating fruit instead of candy or cookies and eating whole-grain breads instead of...

The short-term effects of alcohol use include nausea/vomiting and impaired judgment. Two long-term effects of excessive alcohol use include liver disease and higher blood pressure, which can lead to potential heart disease. Excessive alcohol use has an overall negative effect on health in many ways, including also the potential to cause brain disease. 

Ways to reduce your intake of refined sugars include eating fruit instead of candy or cookies and eating whole-grain breads instead of white breads that have added sugars. Can you think of another method that would reduce sugar and improve your diet?

The typical American diet includes meals such as a beef hamburger on a white bread bun and french fries. Ways to reduce the saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium in this meal include substituting a baked sweet potato instead of french fries and eating a turkey burger instead of a beef burger. What else do you think could improve the quality of the meal (including, perhaps, adding a salad on the side)? Meat eaters can add leaner protein to their diets by consuming fish, poultry, and other proteins based on soy (such as tofu).

Why did the political structures in nations created out of British and French colonial territories change so drastically during the decades...

Decolonization was the primary reason for the dramatic change in political structures among formerly British and French territories. In 1960, also known as "the Year of Africa," multiple African territories gained their independence from European colonial rule. Even in 1960, colonial rule had a significant impact on the political structure of many African nations. The collapse of the colonial rule led to a political restructure that eventually placed more power in the hands of the native African populations.

The Sharpeville Massacre

Another major event that affected the political structure of formerly British and French colonies was the Sharpeville massacre that took place in South Africa. South African police, given power and authority by the white minority rule in the region, opened fire on a crowd of peaceful protestors. Sixty-nine protestors were killed, sparking an international controversy and turning many against the European colonial rule of African nations. Seventeen African nations that had been under European rule became recognized as part of the United Nation's General Assembly, forever changing the political structure of the region.

The Effects of Decolonization

While South Africa served as a focal point for the racial tensions that developed as a response to British and French colonial rule in Africa, the entire continent was affected. Support for African independence around the world not only led to greater self-governing authority within these regions but a better understanding of the complex and diverse political structures across African nations. The effects of decolonization continued all throughout the Cold War, when fears of Soviet influence led the United States to take a greater interest in African political systems. The absence of British and French authority was seen as an opening for Soviet influence, and many African leaders were polarized in their alliances.

Lack of Structure

There was no unified process of decolonization, which made it difficult for decolonized nations to adjust and transfer authority. In some nations, decolonization was peaceful, while in others it was chaotic. The growing influence of the United Nations gave a voice to advocates of continued decolonization, especially as membership expanded in the 1970s, but it was a slow and arduous process. Nonetheless, it was the first time that leaders from "third world" nations had been heard by such a wide audience on an international stage.

The Neo-Colonialism of the 1960s

Anti-colonial intellectuals of the 1960s described neo-colonialism as a new form of European exploitation of African people and natural resources. Newly appointed African leaders faced difficulty in having their authority recognized, which threatened the nascent political structures of all decolonized African nations. Strained relations with the former rule of the British and French nations made political alliances and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa difficult to navigate. On an internal level, many newly sovereign African nations found it difficult to extricate themselves from the lingering political structures of their colonial authorities. While these nations were independent in a technical sense, there were still deeply ingrained factions based on regional alignment and ethnicity that made it difficult for them to exercise their sovereignty. This is an issue that persists in many modern-day African countries. With an absence of national identities that were separate from colonial influence, the political structures of these countries remained vulnerable to foreign influence.

I have been assigned to write an essay about Kathy Knapp's analysis of T. C. Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain. She says the novel "captures the...

Kathy Knapp writes in "Ain't No Friend of Mine" (see the source below) that the gated community in The Tortilla Curtain "embodies in miniature the nation's schizophrenic relationship with its undocumented community" (page 122). Knapp states that homeowner associations, such as the gated community where Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher live in the novel The Tortilla Curtain,generally allow undocumented immigrants into the community to perform chores such as housework and gardening. In other words, the...

Kathy Knapp writes in "Ain't No Friend of Mine" (see the source below) that the gated community in The Tortilla Curtain "embodies in miniature the nation's schizophrenic relationship with its undocumented community" (page 122). Knapp states that homeowner associations, such as the gated community where Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher live in the novel The Tortilla Curtain, generally allow undocumented immigrants into the community to perform chores such as housework and gardening. In other words, the white community only recognizes undocumented workers when they want work done, such as having their children cared for or having their pool cleaned.

In the novel The Tortilla Curtain, Cándido Rincón and his wife, América, undocumented immigrants from Mexico struggling to survive around Los Angeles, are invisible to the wealthy suburbanites in the Arroyo Blanco gated community. When Delaney Mossbacher, a resident of Arroyo Blanco, hits Cándido with his car, Delaney gives Cándido $20, later stating that it's sufficient compensation because the man is Mexican. In other words, Cándido's life is of little value to Delaney. However, residents of the Arroyo Blanco gated community employ América as a cleaning lady and pay her very little in return for her work, and they employ other undocumented immigrants as gardeners. The characters in the novel practice the ethos that Knapp discusses as they only value and see undocumented immigrants when the immigrants can be helpful to them as very low-paid workers. Otherwise, the characters do not recognize or try to help undocumented immigrants such as Cándido Rincón and his pregnant wife, América.

Source:

Knapp, Kathy. “‘Ain’t No Friend Of Mine’: Immigration Policy The Gated Community, And The Problem With The Disposable Worker In T. C. Boyle’s Tortilla Curtain.” Atenea 28.2 (2008): 121-34. Print.

In the final section of Moby Dick, why does Ahab die, and why does Ishmael live? Consider the human cost of the Pequod's sinking, what forces save...

With Ishmael and Ahab there is clearly a dichotomy: the humble man of no family or special rank, a godly man who develops relationships with other men and of the spirit, and the ungodly, god-like man who refuses to subject himself to any higher power. Ahab dies because, as Ishmael notes,

For all men tragically great are made so through a certain morbidness....All mortal greatness is but disease.

On the other hand, Ismael, who develops...

With Ishmael and Ahab there is clearly a dichotomy: the humble man of no family or special rank, a godly man who develops relationships with other men and of the spirit, and the ungodly, god-like man who refuses to subject himself to any higher power. Ahab dies because, as Ishmael notes,

For all men tragically great are made so through a certain morbidness....All mortal greatness is but disease.

On the other hand, Ismael, who develops relationships on his voyage, grows spiritually.

Herman Melville's dark philosophical novel bears resemblance to many a religious and classic tale in which hubris plays a great role. Whereas the innocent Ishmael, takes to the sea because he has "nothing particular" to interest him on land, Captain Ahab, a blasphemous man, is driven to avenge himself upon Moby-Dick, a great white whale upon whom he imbues a certain inscrutability, a force that Ahab is certain is evil if he can but "strike through the mask" and find what metaphysical force lies beneath.

One explanation of Ishmael's survival as opposed to Ahab's death is proffered by Professor Karen Tanguma of Coastal Bend College, who writes in her criticism about the "Adamic Myth" of nineteenth century American literature:

Ishmael (Adam) suffered into knowledge and spiritual rebirth and returned to the human race. Melville enhanced Ahab's unfortunate fall, through the novel's dark elements of evil, fear, and dark history.... Ahab (tragic Adam) became consumed with rage after his encounter with the whale and emerged as a dead man. 

Certainly, in some ways. also, Moby Dick rings of Paradise Lost, which addresses how man endures in a fallen world. Whereas Ishmael, who declares, "There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness," finds his wisdom in the midst of the tragic events of the death of the crew and destruction of the ship at the end. By exerting his free will, he takes life from the symbol of death, Queequeg's coffin, and is saved by holding on to what once belonged to his spiritual friend. On the other hand, Ahab perceives the ship as "the second hearse" and goes to his lonely death--"Thus I give up the spear"--having challenged "madness personified" in the great white whale and failed.

 

How are Frankenstein and Lolita similar?

In a sense, it would be far easier to say how the novels differ than to discuss in what ways they are similar.

One might be able to argue that both novels attack overreach and complacency on the part of the well-educated and intelligent who seek to push the boundaries of experience and knowledge without fully considering the consequences of their actions. Both novels have some form of framed narration, with fictional editors interposing themselves...

In a sense, it would be far easier to say how the novels differ than to discuss in what ways they are similar.

One might be able to argue that both novels attack overreach and complacency on the part of the well-educated and intelligent who seek to push the boundaries of experience and knowledge without fully considering the consequences of their actions. Both novels have some form of framed narration, with fictional editors interposing themselves between the narrators and the readers. Both novels are quite sophisticated and allusive in their style and voice and aimed towards an educated readership. Both also, it can be argued, are satirical, attacking the sophisticated intellectual consensus of their respective periods.

The central figures of both novels are well-educated white European males who are obsessed with pursuing their own interests to a degree that leads them outside the boundaries of what is conventionally acceptable, often ignoring common sense and ethics in the pursuit of their obsessions. Both are often shown as hyper-rational. The least morally repugnant characters in both works are not the narrators or protagonists but rather the innocent bystanders, such as Justine and Elizabeth in Shelley's novel and to a degree Charlotte and Richard in Lolita (although Nabokov's work does not portray anyone in a favorable light, many readers might think that a woman who is married to a pedophile who is interested in seducing her daughter deserves some sympathy). 

Another characteristic shared by the novels is the distortion of sexual relationships. Humbert and Clare are pedophiles; Lolita, a very deeply disturbed teenager. Although Victor himself is fairly conventional, the notion of creating a wife for the monster invokes the potential of a rather problematic relationship.

How do the townspeople feel about Richard Cory?

In "Richard Cory," the title character is admired by the townspeople. They envy him and wish to be him. The way Robinson establishes this main idea in the first three stanzas makes the ironic ending even more shocking to the reader.

The speaker describes Richard Cory in a positive manner from the start of the poem. The first stanza reads,

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He...

In "Richard Cory," the title character is admired by the townspeople. They envy him and wish to be him. The way Robinson establishes this main idea in the first three stanzas makes the ironic ending even more shocking to the reader.

The speaker describes Richard Cory in a positive manner from the start of the poem. The first stanza reads,

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean favored, and imperially slim. (lines 1–4)

All of the townspeople look at Richard Cory when he walks around town. He is described as the quintessential "gentleman." The adjective "clean" and the adverb "imperially" add to the positive perspective of the speaker and townsfolk.

Next, in stanza two, the speaker tells us:

And he was always quietly arrayed,

And he was always human when he talked;

But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked. (lines 5–8)

Richard seems unassuming and "human," so he is personable and not arrogant. However, when he speaks to someone, "he fluttered pulses"; the town is quite taken with him, almost like they are in love with Richard. The description of how Richard "glittered when he walked" also shows that the townspeople see Richard as special and better than they are.

That idea continues in stanza three, as the speaker relays,

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—

And admirably schooled in every grace:

In fine, we thought that he was everything

To make us wish that we were in his place. (lines 9–12)

More of Richard's positive qualities are discussed here. We now know he is "richer than a king" and graceful. The speaker says that "In fine," or in summary, "he was everything / To make us wish that we were in his place" (11–12). The implied main idea that we've seen to this point is now made explicit: the townspeople envy him and want to be him.

The poem takes a dark turn in the final stanza, though. The speaker writes, 

So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;

And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head. (13–16)

The townspeople are described as poor and "curs[ing]" their bad luck to be in such a worse position than Richard. However, on a "calm summer night," a setting that belies what will happen next, Richard "put a bullet through his head." Despite all appearances, Richard was apparently suicidal. This is ironic because all of the townsfolk think he leads the perfect life. They think they are much worse off than he is, but in fact, he must've been unhappy despite his seeming advantages. We do not hear what the townspeople think about Richard's suicide in this poem, so we can only guess. Do they feel as shocked as we, the readers, are? Do they appreciate their own lives more, even though they have less than Richard had? We can only speculate.

Describe the role of women in "The Death of Ivan Ilych," "Yellow Woman," and "Death and the King's Horseman."

In all three works, the authors portray women as supporting characters on the stage of life. 

In Yellow Woman, the Pueblo Indian woman follows her mysterious lover's lead. She is drawn to his sexual and physical potency, and it is clear that she enjoys fulfilling his needs. In Death and the Kings Horseman, Iyaloja (the Mother of the Market) is both Elesin's greatest supporter and critic. She plays a supportive role in Elesin's life.

In The Death of Ivan Ilych, however, the author reinforces the idea of a woman's supportive role by portraying the main female character, Praskovya Fedorovna, in a negative light. In the story, Tolstoy delineates the suffering of a husband who enjoys little emotional support from his wife. We get the idea that Praskovya Federovna is Tolstoy's idea of a bad wife, one who withholds her support from her husband. It is important to note that Tolstoy himself spent many unhappy years with his wife, Sofia. Although she was initially a supportive wife (just like Praskovya Fedorovna), Sofia eventually came to despise Tolstoy's slavish commitment to his rigid social and religious convictions. To Sofia, Tolstoy showed little regard for her own suffering, despite his devotion to social justice.

So, in all three works (in varied ways), women play the role of comforters, confidants, and supporters. In Yellow Woman, the Pueblo Indian woman moves in with Silva, her supposed ka'tsina lover. She takes care of all the domestic chores; invariably, she cooks, cleans, and takes care of Silva's sexual needs. She does whatever Silva says because she believes that he has the power to "destroy" her. Also, she is excited by the fact that he has little fear of the white man. In this story, the woman is subordinate to a powerful man; her role is strictly supportive in nature.

In Death and the King's Horseman, Iyaloja leads the female adulation of Elesin in the marketplace. Elesin is slated to die with his master, and all the women are awed by his courageous sacrifice. When Elesin asks for a night of pleasure with Iyaloja's own future daughter-in-law, Iyaloja complies with his outrageous request. However, when a series of missteps by Elesin lead to his arrest, Iyaloja becomes critical of what she views as Elesin's cowardice. Iyaloja's change in attitude and temperament demonstrate that women in Soyinka's world are not one-dimensional in nature; they may play largely supportive roles, but that support comes with conditions. The women will not hesitate to withdraw their support if the men do not uphold their end of the bargain.

Now, in The Death of Ivan Ilych, Tolstoy focuses on an unhappy marriage from the perspective of the husband, Ivan. Ivan is moderately content with Praskovya Fedorovna at the beginning of their marriage. After all, she is "well connected" and is a "sweet, pretty, and thoroughly correct young woman." The two enjoy a "pleasant" marriage until the birth of their child. With each successive child, Praskovya Fedorovna becomes more embittered, caustic, and ill-tempered. It never occurs to Ivan that his wife is in need of his emotional support and that she has valid concerns of her own. Instead, he reasons that his wife's behavior is inexplicable and devoid of any rationale.

His wife, without any reason—de gaiete de coeur as Ivan Ilyich expressed it to himself—began to disturb the pleasure and propriety of their life. She began to be jealous without any cause, expected him to devote his whole attention to her, found fault with everything, and made coarse and ill-mannered scenes.

In Tolstoy's story, Praskovya Fedorovna has failed to play the role of the supportive wife. Tolstoy highlights the fact that her lack of support leads to Ivan feeling marginalized and impotent. Praskovya may have her counterpart in Tolstoy's real wife, Sofia, whom he felt was deficient in her duty to him. So, in this third work, the author indirectly stresses the necessity of women fulfilling their marital role as supporters. Whether we agree or disagree with his interpretation of marital duty, it is clear that Tolstoy had strong views about a woman's role in a marriage.

In "The Story of an Hour," what was Mrs. Mallard's husband involved in?

In Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," a wife is apparently left widowed when informed sources reveal her husband Mr. Brently Mallard was killed in a "railroad disaster." Although the character of Mr. Mallard pervades the telling of the story, very little is really known about him. The reader might presume that he was a successful and common sense man who, like most men of the patriarchal Victorian era, made the majority...

In Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," a wife is apparently left widowed when informed sources reveal her husband Mr. Brently Mallard was killed in a "railroad disaster." Although the character of Mr. Mallard pervades the telling of the story, very little is really known about him. The reader might presume that he was a successful and common sense man who, like most men of the patriarchal Victorian era, made the majority of the decisions when it came to his wife and home.

The story goes on to employ both situational and dramatic irony. Instead of spending her days in grief over her loss, it doesn't take long for Mrs. Mallard to realize she is now "free" from the kindly "repression" she has endured as a Victorian woman. She looks forward to a long life that now holds many different possibilities. In the end, however, her husband reappears no worse for wear and seemingly unaware of any accident. When he comes through the door, Mrs. Mallard drops dead of an apparent heart attack. In a case of dramatic irony (the reader knows more than the characters), the doctors conclude she died because her heart could not take the joy of having her husband back.

What happens to Esi and her descendants in Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi?

In the novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (of which you can read a full summary in the ), Esi Asara is born in Asanteland in what is now the Republic of Ghana. After a comfortable childhood, she is sold into slavery, imprisoned in Cape Coast Castle, and raped by soldiers before being shipped to a plantation in the American South. There Esi gives birth to a daughter, Ness, who is sold to...

In the novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (of which you can read a full summary in the ), Esi Asara is born in Asanteland in what is now the Republic of Ghana. After a comfortable childhood, she is sold into slavery, imprisoned in Cape Coast Castle, and raped by soldiers before being shipped to a plantation in the American South. There Esi gives birth to a daughter, Ness, who is sold to a different slave owner when she is only ten years old. As an adult, Ness works on a plantation she calls “Hell,” where she marries a slave named Sam. With the help of a woman named Aku, Ness and Sam attempt to escape with their son, Kojo. While Aku and Kojo manage to escape, Ness and Sam are caught and punished: Sam is killed, and Ness is ruthlessly whipped. Ness goes on to work on a less brutal plantation, where she meets a man named TimTam and becomes close with his daughter, Pinky. Kojo lives with Aku in Baltimore and grows up to marry a woman named Anna. While pregnant, Anna is kidnapped and sold into slavery; she gives birth to their son, H, on a plantation. After the Civil War, H is arrested on trumped-up charges and forced to labor in a coal mine, where he works hard enough to have his sentence reduced. After his release, he moves to Pratt City, where he continues to work as a coal miner and has two children with a woman named Ethe. Their daughter Willie, a singer, moves to Harlem with a man named Robert and works as a housekeeper and custodian. When Robert eventually leaves her and their son, Sonny, Willie joins a church where she meets a poet named Eli. Willie and Eli have a daughter, Josephine. After her birth, Eli starts being absent for long periods of time, a circumstance to which Willie resigns herself. Sonny grows up to be an activist, working for the NAACP and often having to ask Willie to bail him out of jail. Eventually he loses his faith in activism and becomes addicted to drugs. During this time he works at a jazz club and has three children by three different women. Willie later helps Sonny raise his children and overcome his addiction. Sonny’s son Marcus studies sociology at Stanford, where he begins dating Marjorie, who—though they don’t know it—is descended from his ancestor Esi’s half-sister, Effia. Together Marcus and Marjorie visit Pratt City, where Marcus researches his family history, and then Ghana, where Marjorie was born and their two families originated.

`ylnx - xy' = 0` Find the general solution of the differential equation

For the given problem: `yln(x)-xy'=0` , we can evaluate this by applying variable separable differential equation in which we express it in a form of `f(y) dy = f(x)dx` .

to able to apply direct integration:  `int f(y) dy = int f(x)dx` .

Rearranging the problem:

`yln(x)-xy'=0`

`yln(x)=xy'`  or `xy' = y ln(x)`

`(xy')/(yx) = (y ln(x))/(yx)`

`(y') /y = ln(x)/x`

Applying direct integration, we denote `y' = (dy)/(dx)` :

`int (y') /y = int...

For the given problem: `yln(x)-xy'=0` , we can evaluate this by applying variable separable differential equation in which we express it in a form of `f(y) dy = f(x)dx` .

to able to apply direct integration:  `int f(y) dy = int f(x)dx` .

Rearranging the problem:

`yln(x)-xy'=0`

`yln(x)=xy'`  or `xy' = y ln(x)`

`(xy')/(yx) = (y ln(x))/(yx)`

`(y') /y = ln(x)/x`

Applying direct integration, we denote `y' = (dy)/(dx)` :

`int (y') /y = int ln(x)/x`

`int 1 /y (dy)/(dx) = int ln(x)/x`

`int 1 /y (dy)= int ln(x)/x dx`

For the left side, we apply the basic integration formula for logarithm: `int (du)/u = ln|u|+C`

`int 1 /y (dy) = ln|y|`

For the right side, we apply u-substitution by letting `u= ln(x)` then `du = 1/x dx` .

`int ln(x)/x dx=int udu`

 Applying the Power Rule for integration : `int x^n= x^(n+1)/(n+1)+C` .

`int udu=u^(1+1)/(1+1)+C`

          `=u^2/2+C`

Plug-in `u = ln(x)` in `u^2/2+C` , we get:

`int ln(x)/x dx =(ln(x))^2/2+C`

Combining the results, we get the general solution for differential equation `(yln(x)-xy'=0)`  as:

`ln|y|=(ln|x|)^2/2+C`

The general solution:` ln|y|=(ln|x|)^2/2+C` can be expressed as:

`y = C_1e^((ln|x|)^2/2)+C` .

Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, but he owned hundreds of slaves. He believed in a weak federal government, but...

Thomas Jefferson probably did not consider himself a hypocrite. While he wrote that all men were created equal, this, to the founding fathers, meant that all white men who owned property were created equal. Slavery was commonly used throughout the South, and it was an acceptable form of labor for that time period in southern society.

Jefferson also wanted a weak federal government and in some ways, this occurred. He did reduce taxes. For example,...

Thomas Jefferson probably did not consider himself a hypocrite. While he wrote that all men were created equal, this, to the founding fathers, meant that all white men who owned property were created equal. Slavery was commonly used throughout the South, and it was an acceptable form of labor for that time period in southern society.

Jefferson also wanted a weak federal government and in some ways, this occurred. He did reduce taxes. For example, the tax on whiskey ended. He also reduced the size of the military and reduced the number of federal workers. While the Louisiana Purchase increased the power of the federal government since he used a power not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, it shows that there are times when a president needs to make decisions that go against his personal beliefs if the action is in the best interests of the country. Abraham Lincoln was against slavery, yet he allowed slavery to exist where it was already established when he took office. There are times when the President must put aside his own beliefs and do what is best for the country.

How do the ideas in A Midsummer Night’s Dream make it enjoyable and entertaining?

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dreamis about love, dreams, and perceptions of reality (and, by extension, perceptions of the fantastical). These ideas manifest themselves in a variety of ways: young lovers chase each other through a Greek forest and become entangled in the misplaced magical schemes of fairies, while "rude mechanicals" bumble about and struggle to practice a crude play-within-a-play. It is a story where nothing is as it seems, reality is a dreamy haze,...

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is about love, dreams, and perceptions of reality (and, by extension, perceptions of the fantastical). These ideas manifest themselves in a variety of ways: young lovers chase each other through a Greek forest and become entangled in the misplaced magical schemes of fairies, while "rude mechanicals" bumble about and struggle to practice a crude play-within-a-play. It is a story where nothing is as it seems, reality is a dreamy haze, and love dominates drowsy psyches.

It's hard to say exactly how these ideas make the play enjoyable to read, especially since different readers will find different aspects enjoyable (I, for one, think that Bottom is one of Shakespeare's most ingenious creations). It's possible to guess that the play's dreamy atmosphere, preoccupation with mischievous fairies and quarreling lovers, and commentary on the nature of narrative, are above all funny. Indeed, A Midsummer Night's Dream is probably one of Shakespeare's funniest plays, as its fantastical nature conjures some truly hilarious scenes. As such, though it's hard to say with objective certainty why the play is enjoyable, it's possible to guess that the dream-like atmosphere and the depiction of love's complications are quite simply funny to read or watch.

How were the works of female writers like the Bronte sisters looked upon by 19th century society?

Though the works of the Bronte sisters, and other female writers like Jane Austen, were undeniably good, they were looked upon with some criticism or even disregard during the 19th century. The gender norms of the time prevented most women from attaining higher education or becoming involved in academic pursuits. The Bronte sisters were really exceptional not only for the extent of their education but also their boldness in becoming published authors. During the 19th...

Though the works of the Bronte sisters, and other female writers like Jane Austen, were undeniably good, they were looked upon with some criticism or even disregard during the 19th century. The gender norms of the time prevented most women from attaining higher education or becoming involved in academic pursuits. The Bronte sisters were really exceptional not only for the extent of their education but also their boldness in becoming published authors. During the 19th century, an Englishwoman's highest potential was to become a wife and mother. Any other accomplishments, even becoming a best-selling author, were easily overlooked or simply considered a nice addition to a woman's primarily maternal skill set. The Bronte sisters were aware of the predicament their gender posed for them in society, so for their first publication, they chose to use masculine pseudonyms.

After further publications and the rising success of Charlotte's Jane Eyre, rumors arose that the authors Ellis, Currer, and Acton Bell (their chosen pseudonyms) were actually one person. Charlotte and Emily went in person to London to settle the dispute, revealing they were actually three persons and young women. Authorship aside, the works of the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and Louisa May Alcott were highly criticized for their feminist themes and challenges to the strict social order of 19th century society. Such controversial material did little to impede the sales of their books—in fact, these famous female authors sold well because their books were controversial. Here were authors unafraid to call out the patriarchal structure of their societies and detail the private sorrows of women. Their books provide a counter-narrative to the ideal of the time that women should be wives and mothers who were seen and not heard.

Show that the length of one arch of the sine curve is equal to the length of one arch of the cosine curve.

There are multiple ways to solve this problem but I will just compute the arc length of sine and cosine over half a period, or one hump. The arc length formula for a function is:

`L=int_a^b sqrt(1+f'(x)^2) dx`

Let f(x)=cos(x) and g(x)=sin(x). Then we want to see if:

`int_a^b sqrt(1+f'(x)^2) dx=int_c^d sqrt(1+g'(x)^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1+cos(x)'^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(1+sin(x)'^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1+sin(x)^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(1+cos(x)^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(2-cos(x)^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(2-sin(x)^2) dx`

`sqrt(2) int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 cos(x)^2) dx=sqrt(2) int_0^pi sqrt(1-1/2...

There are multiple ways to solve this problem but I will just compute the arc length of sine and cosine over half a period, or one hump. The arc length formula for a function is:

`L=int_a^b sqrt(1+f'(x)^2) dx`

Let f(x)=cos(x) and g(x)=sin(x). Then we want to see if:

`int_a^b sqrt(1+f'(x)^2) dx=int_c^d sqrt(1+g'(x)^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1+cos(x)'^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(1+sin(x)'^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1+sin(x)^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(1+cos(x)^2) dx`

`int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(2-cos(x)^2) dx=int_0^pi sqrt(2-sin(x)^2) dx`

`sqrt(2) int_(-pi/2)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 cos(x)^2) dx=sqrt(2) int_0^pi sqrt(1-1/2 sin(x)^2) dx`

Use symmetry to change the bounds of integration.

`2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 cos(x)^2) dx=2 sqrt(2) int_0^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(x)^2) dx`

We need to manipulate the left hand side (LHS) to get it into a similar form as the right hand side. Make a dummie variable u-substitution and then use a trigonometric identity:`x=pi/2-u, dx=-du`

`LHS: 2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 cos(pi/2-u)^2) (-du)= -2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(u)^2) du`

Change bounds of of integration to be in terms of u so we can drop the dummie variable.

`LHS: -2 sqrt(2) int_(pi/2)^(0) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(u)^2) du=2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(u)^2)`

Therefore,

`LHS=RHS`

`2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(u)^2)=2 sqrt(2) int_(0)^(pi/2) sqrt(1-1/2 sin(u)^2)`

This is an elliptic integral of the second kind with the form:

`E(phi,k)=int_0^phi sqrt(1-k^2 sin(theta)^2) d(theta), 0<k<1`

Where in this case `E(phi,k)=E(pi/2,1/2)`

This needs to be evaluated numerically but you will find that both sides are equal to:

`2 sqrt(2) E(pi/2,1/2)~~3.8202`

In "The Garden Party," why was the main character undeveloped?

Katherine Mansfield leaves the character of Laura Sheridan relatively undeveloped because writers of this period, Modernism, were experimenting with a new, different style. World War I had recently ended, and the war had produced a very destabilizing effect on modern society.  Modernist writers wanted to capture that destabilization in their work, so many were leaving out expositions, character development, and tidy resolutions at the end of the story.  

Modernist writers wanted their readers to...

Katherine Mansfield leaves the character of Laura Sheridan relatively undeveloped because writers of this period, Modernism, were experimenting with a new, different style. World War I had recently ended, and the war had produced a very destabilizing effect on modern society.  Modernist writers wanted to capture that destabilization in their work, so many were leaving out expositions, character development, and tidy resolutions at the end of the story.  

Modernist writers wanted their readers to become their partners in creating meaning.  What Laura learned about separations between social classes, reality and illusion, and life and death is left unexplained.  Through observing what Laura saw and heard in the wake of her neighbor's death, Mansfield wants readers to draw their own conclusions about these essential conflicts, rather than using Laura to deliver a conclusive message.  Laura's inability to express herself with regard to what she saw at the Scott's house mirrors the inability of modern people to express what they felt about the experience of World War I and the uncertainties of modern life.

Once Congress declares war and the president assumes the role of Commander in Chief, who decides how the war ends?

In Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States, it discusses the role of the president as Commander in Chief of the U.S. military forces. The current president, even after he assumes the role of president and takes office, does not actually assume control of the military until "called into service" by the Congress.  According to Article 1, Section 8, only Congress can decide to declare war on another country.  Until such...

In Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States, it discusses the role of the president as Commander in Chief of the U.S. military forces. The current president, even after he assumes the role of president and takes office, does not actually assume control of the military until "called into service" by the Congress.  According to Article 1, Section 8, only Congress can decide to declare war on another country.  Until such time as they call on the president, he actually has no active role in the military proceedings of the country.  However, many presidents have historically sent troops to war without actually formally declaring war.  Therefore, presidents have often ignored or bypassed the rules intended by the authors of the Constitution.

This angered many legislators, so under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, it was decided that presidents could only send troops to battle in the case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." The resolution also specified that the president must withdraw troops sixty to ninety days after beginning combat in a foreign territory, unless Congress authorized the continuation of troops there. The legislature does not fully address how conflicts will be ended, however. 

Legal experts and constitutional scholars agree that although the Constitution originally handed Congress the power to make and end wars, it only intended for the president to hold the power to wage war effectively, under whatever circumstances war was declared. While Congress was intended to have the sole power to formally end a war, once the commander in chief is authorized to take control of the troops, they must actively work together to make an end to war happen. This contributes to the balance of power that is necessary to both check the power of the president as well as the power of Congress.

Congress may set limits for troop withdrawal, as in the case of the deployment of troops in 1983 to Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission.  That power was never tested, as they withdrew the troops early after a suicide bombing occurred in the area. To this day, U.S. presidents have loosely acknowledged the agreed upon time limits for troop withdrawal, but not in all cases. In fact, the president may refuse to withdraw troops if he does not agree with the limit imposed, and Congress may only stop him from doing so by passing a law that commands him to do so—a law that is subject to presidential veto.  He or she would only need 34 senators to back him, and as most presidents can achieve this easily, he would ultimately hold the power in deciding when the war is officially over.  

What are the 5 keys to ERP project management success and its functions?

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management involves using software to manage the integration of different business functions, including resources such as cash, production capacity, and raw materials, and commitments such as purchase orders, orders, and payroll. ERP involves integrating business activities such as purchasing, production, manufacturing, marketing and sales, materials, inventory, finance, and shipping.

Five keys to implementing ERP successfully include the following:

• Critical functions need to be identified. An organization should focus on the functions...

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management involves using software to manage the integration of different business functions, including resources such as cash, production capacity, and raw materials, and commitments such as purchase orders, orders, and payroll. ERP involves integrating business activities such as purchasing, production, manufacturing, marketing and sales, materials, inventory, finance, and shipping.

Five keys to implementing ERP successfully include the following:

• Critical functions need to be identified. An organization should focus on the functions that are most important for their business, including functions that are critical to customer satisfaction and to securing their place in the market, rather than concentrating on all functions.


• An ERP project has to be headed by a function-led department. In other words, it must be led by a core business function that is important to the company's success and return. However, this department must also work with the IT department to ensure the successful implementation of the project.


• An ERP implementation must have the right leadership. The leadership team must direct the successful implementation of the project and be committed to change management. The Project Manager should be experienced in implementing this type of project and should develop a realistic timetable for its completion as well as a realistic estimate of the resources needed to complete the project. 


• Change management is a vital part of an ERP project. People must be committed to changing their roles or changing the procedures and processes of the company for the project to meet with success. Key stakeholders have to buy into the success of the project. The Project Manager is critical in communicating with people throughout the process and assessing their readiness for change. 


• People involved in the project must have the right training and support to critically examine their roles and the reasons behind why their areas function as they do. They need to understand the functions of their area and be willing to change them if necessary.

`7^(3x+4)=49^(2x+1)` Solve the equation.

`7^(3x+4)=49^(2x+1)`

To solve, factor the 49.

`7^(3x+4)=(7^2)^(2x+1)`

To simplify the right side, apply the exponent property `(a^m)^n=a^(m*n)` .

`7^(3x+4)=7^(4x+2)`

Since the two sides have the same base, to solve for the value of x, set the exponent at the left equal to the exponent at the right side.

`3x + 4= 4x + 2`

`3x - 4x = 2 - 4`

`-x=-2`

`x=2`

Therefore, the solution is `x = 2` .

`7^(3x+4)=49^(2x+1)`

To solve, factor the 49.

`7^(3x+4)=(7^2)^(2x+1)`

To simplify the right side, apply the exponent property `(a^m)^n=a^(m*n)` .

`7^(3x+4)=7^(4x+2)`

Since the two sides have the same base, to solve for the value of x, set the exponent at the left equal to the exponent at the right side.

`3x + 4= 4x + 2`

`3x - 4x = 2 - 4`

`-x=-2`

`x=2`

Therefore, the solution is `x = 2` .

What is an example of a lesson Holling learns in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars?

Holling learns multiple lessons throughout Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars. The more Holling learns about Shakespeare, the more Holling is able to apply Shakespeare's lessons to his own life. One of the early lessons Holling learns concerns Shakespeare's characterization of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Holling realizes that Shylock isn't actually a true villain; he's a product of his environment. Holling is then later able to apply the lesson to better understand his own father.

The very first play Holling reads with Mrs. Baker is The Merchant of Venice. When Mrs. Baker asks Holling about his thoughts on Shylock, Holling notes that Shylock "isn't really a villain" in the proper sense because Shylock is "[s]omeone who wants to become who he's supposed to be," but he is prevented by society around him ("November"). Members of society have "decided he had to be a certain way, and he was trapped. He couldn't be anything except for what he was" ("November").

Later, in February, he begins reading Romeo and Juliet with Mrs. Baker. During this same month, he asks Meryl Lee Kowalski out on a Valentine's Day date. Meryl Lee's father is the owner of Kowalski and Associates, the architecture firm Holling's own father is competing against for the contract to design the new junior high school. After their date, while waiting for Mr. Kowalski to pick them up, Holling and Meryl Lee enter a friendly, relaxed conversation about the amount of work their fathers are putting into their designs for the school. Holling feels so comfortable with Meryl Lee that he draws her a picture of his father's modern design. Unfortunately, when he attends the school board meeting with his father, he witnesses Mr. Kowalski showcase Mr. Hoodhood's design as if it was his own. At first, Holling feels betrayed by Meryl Lee but comes to believe she is innocent and that her own father had betrayed her. When Mr. Kowalski withdraws his design, leaving the contract in Mr. Hoodhood's hands, Holling witnesses his father be jubilant, even jubilant about the fact that Kowalski and Associates, the livelihood of Holling's dear friend's father, is likely to go out of business. Having read The Merchant of Venice, Holling is able to reflect that his father, like Shylock, is not necessarily power hungry because he's money hungry. Instead, like Shylock, his father may behave like a power-hungry animal because he believes it is what society expects of him:

I suddenly wondered if my father was really like Shylock. Not because he loved ducats, but because he had become the person that everyone expected him to become. I wondered if he had ever had a choice, or if he had ever felt trapped. Or if he had ever imagined a different life. ("February")

Associating his father with Shylock helps Holling better understand his father, to see him as less of a villain and as more of a person trapped by circumstances and society's expectations. Hence, reading The Merchant of Venice served as a good lesson that taught Holling a new perspective and a new understanding of those who appear to be villains. Later, because of his lesson from The Merchant of Venice, Holling even stands up to his father by saying that to become a man is to choose whom you want to be.

How do the witch trials in The Crucible empower some individuals who were previously powerless? Is it possible that the situation that happened in...

Throughout the Puritan town of Salem, young women were expected to be obedient, quiet, and God-fearing. Living in a society where males were culturally and economically dominant, young females were essentially powerless. Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris and is treated as an afterthought before the witch trials begin. She is dismissed from working at John Proctor's home and lives in the shadow of her uncle. Mary Warren is another young girl who...

Throughout the Puritan town of Salem, young women were expected to be obedient, quiet, and God-fearing. Living in a society where males were culturally and economically dominant, young females were essentially powerless. Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris and is treated as an afterthought before the witch trials begin. She is dismissed from working at John Proctor's home and lives in the shadow of her uncle. Mary Warren is another young girl who goes unnoticed throughout the community before the witch trials begin. However, both characters find prestige and influence by accusing others of witchcraft. Abigail is the ringleader of the group of girls that are accusing citizens of witchcraft. She is respected by the judges and enjoys the power of manipulating Salem's community. Mary Warren also enjoys her position as an official of the court. She even brags to John Proctor at the beginning of Act Two about the importance of her position. Abigail, who was somewhat of a social outcast, and Mary Warren, a timid young girl, both are empowered by their positions in the Salem court.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that a situation similar to the events that transpired in Salem would happen in today's society. Arthur Miller's play was inspired by the second Red Scare, which was when Senator Joseph McCarthy falsely accused many citizens of having communist ties. Miller explores the concept of hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts, which parallels McCarthy's 1950s communist "witch-hunt." Although citizens would probably not be accused of witchcraft in today's society, it is possible that hysteria could result in false confessions from innocent individuals. The government could utilize propaganda to stir American citizens into a state of hysteria and create a situation where innocent individuals are forced to falsely accuse their neighbors of various crimes.

Why does Roger wash his face instead of running in "Thank You Ma'am"?

In Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You M'am," a teen boy named Roger attempts to steal the purse of a large lady named Mrs. Jones. Roger claims that he is stealing the purse because he would like to buy some "blue suede shoes." Like most teens, Roger is obviously very much aware of how he appears to the world and wearing such trendy shoes would make him seem worldly and important rather than poor and...

In Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You M'am," a teen boy named Roger attempts to steal the purse of a large lady named Mrs. Jones. Roger claims that he is stealing the purse because he would like to buy some "blue suede shoes." Like most teens, Roger is obviously very much aware of how he appears to the world and wearing such trendy shoes would make him seem worldly and important rather than poor and insignificant. His unsuccessful attempt at stealing the purse leads to the unforeseen events which follow. Instead of hauling him off to the police, Mrs. Jones drags Roger to her modest apartment, insisting that he wash his face. When they get inside the "large kitchenette furnished room" Mrs. Jones leaves the door open while pointing to the sink where the boy can wash.

The boy quickly contemplates his choices: "Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink." For possibly the first time in his life someone is actually taking an interest him. It is a crucial point in the story and a crucial point in Roger's life. Had he run, he may have been committed to a life of crime and never again accepted the overtures of friendship which Mrs. Jones is now offering. He very much wants to be acknowledged and cared for. It was a principal reason why he was willing to steal in order to buy a pair of flashy shoes. He admits that there is no one at home at his house and, when Mrs. Jones tells him she will share her dinner with him, he becomes even more willing to please her even though he has ample opportunity to run. Because Mrs. Jones has treated him as a human being Roger is motivated to prove that he is worthy of her kindness and trust:

The woman got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the daybed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.