Why does Connie go off with Arnold Friend

In Joyce Carol Oat's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," Arnold seems to have some kind of hypnotic control over Connie. It is not so much that he does something purposeful as if literally waving something shiny before her eyes, but the pull he has is almost palpable.

Her first impression of him at the restaurant includes his car:

...a convertible jalopy painted gold.

When he arrives at her house, the author describes Arnold's speech:

...he spoke in a fast bright monotone.

Arnold and his friend are both wearing sunglasses, but Arnold's glasses are noteworthy:

The driver's glasses were metallic and mirrored everything in miniature.

Like a child drawn to bright and shiny things, Arnold's car, glasses and even his speech seem to create a wave that Connie is unsuspectingly swept into.

There is more to this boy than Connie could imagine, and nothing for which she is prepared. A sense of something unnatural, even supernatural, is introduced—something beyond the natural world as she knows it. 

...the tiny metallic world in his glasses slowing down like gelatin hardening...

Talking to her as he rests against his car, he makes his "sign" in the air as if over her— that of an "X."

After his hand fell back to his side the X was still in the air, almost invisible.

Soon, a physical threat slowly comes to light. Arnold has already informed her that he knows where her family is and that she is home alone. Then he begins to lose the gloss, the shine:

"Maybe you better step out here," he said, and this last was in a different voice. It was a little flatter...

The more Connie looks at and listens to Arnold, the more upset she gets: dizzy and fearful. He seems to have appeared out of nowhere before coming up the drive; her vision blurs. His voice is lilting, almost like a chant.

When Connie refuses to come out and threatens to call the police, Arnold becomes more menacing. Eventually he says:

...if you don't come out we're gonna wait till your people come home and then they're all going to get it.

His message is clear.

When Arnold first arrives, Connie toys with the idea of being flattered or annoyed. For her, inexperienced as she is, it is a game. However, one can assume that as soon as Arnold first saw her at the drive-in restaurant her fate was sealed. The reader learns that he has been watching her since that night. By the time he arrives at her home, it's only a matter of time before she will leave with him. Like the spell a snake put its prey under, Arnold weaves his own spell. She realizes there is no escape for her. Her fear turns into emptiness and she listens as he gives her instructions. As she opens the door, it's almost as if she has an out-of-body experience (like someone who has died), watching herself move out into the sunlight and into Arnold's expectant and dreadful presence. 

I need to write a research paper on "The Fall of the House of Usher," but I cannot come up with a good thesis. Any ideas?

There are, arguably, some autobiographical elements of Poe's own life woven into "The Fall of the House of Usher."  An interesting research paper could result in noting the similarities between Roderick Usher and Edgar Allan Poe.  One could look into Poe's interest and talents in other forms of art besides writing short stories and poetry, particularly drawing and music.  Because the story has a theme of incest and its disastrous results, one could research the...

There are, arguably, some autobiographical elements of Poe's own life woven into "The Fall of the House of Usher."  An interesting research paper could result in noting the similarities between Roderick Usher and Edgar Allan Poe.  One could look into Poe's interest and talents in other forms of art besides writing short stories and poetry, particularly drawing and music.  Because the story has a theme of incest and its disastrous results, one could research the facts of Poe's marriage and childlessness.  The mysterious illness from which Madeline suffered could be related to the deaths of women in Poe's life.  Poe's own tastes in literature could be compared to the books in Roderick's library.

For a thesis statement, something along the lines of this example could be effective:  Though "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a work of fiction, its protagonist has many of the character traits and interests of Edgar Allan Poe himself, which suggests autobiographical connections.

How does Iago's envy contribute to the downfall of Othello?

It is Iago's envy that causes him to hatch his scheme to destroy Othello. This scheme forms the basis for the entire plot. The audience discovers in the first scene of the play that Othello has passed over Iago for a promotion, choosing instead to promote Michael Cassio. Iago and Rodrigo go to Brabantio's house (Brabantio is Desdemona's father) to tell him that Othello and his daughter are sleeping together. This, it turns out, is...

It is Iago's envy that causes him to hatch his scheme to destroy Othello. This scheme forms the basis for the entire plot. The audience discovers in the first scene of the play that Othello has passed over Iago for a promotion, choosing instead to promote Michael Cassio. Iago and Rodrigo go to Brabantio's house (Brabantio is Desdemona's father) to tell him that Othello and his daughter are sleeping together. This, it turns out, is just the beginning of Iago's scheming. In a soliloquy to end the scene, he resolves to "show out a flag and sign of love" to the Moor, though he says he hates him as he does "hell-pains." Iago's jealousy and scheming sets in motion a series of tragic events that consume Othello, his innocent wife Desdemona, Iago's wife Emilia, and others. Iago's scheme is so vicious and cunning that it seems entirely out of proportion to the grievance that he airs at the beginning of the play. 

What is the formula mass of (NH4)2O?

The formula mass of an ionic compound is the mass, in grams, of one mole of the formula unit. To find this value, find the sum of the mass of each atom in the formula. When a polyatomic ion (such as the NH4+ in this formula) has parentheses with a subscript outside, multiply everything inside the parentheses by the subscript:

2(N) + 8(H) + O 

2(14.0 g/mol) + 8(1.00 g/mol) + 16.0 g/mol = 52.0...

The formula mass of an ionic compound is the mass, in grams, of one mole of the formula unit. To find this value, find the sum of the mass of each atom in the formula. When a polyatomic ion (such as the NH4+ in this formula) has parentheses with a subscript outside, multiply everything inside the parentheses by the subscript:

2(N) + 8(H) + O 

2(14.0 g/mol) + 8(1.00 g/mol) + 16.0 g/mol = 52.0 g/mol

Molar mass is expressed in grams per mole for practical purposes such as calculations. The mass numbers from the periodic table that were used to arrive at the formula mass represent two things:

1) The mass of 6.02 x 0^23 (1 mole) atoms of the element, in grams

2) The mass of an individual atom of the element in atomic mass units (amu).

Avogadro's number, 6.02 x 10^23, is the quantity that relates the grams to atomic mass units. 

The mass numbers were originally assigned as relative masses. Hydrogen, the lightest element, was given a mass number of 1 and the mass numbers assigned to other elements were their masses as compared to hydrogen's. The masses are now based on the carbon-12 atom having a mass number of 12.000.

Why is Jimmy going to Little Rock?

In "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy Valentine, now known as Ralph D. Spencer, intends to travel to Little Rock and meet an "old pal" at Sullivan's place. There he plans on giving this man his case of safe-breaking tools.

Ralph Spencer wants the criminal safe burglar named Jimmy Valentine to go out of business and disappear from life. For he wants to make a new life as a respectable citizen of Elmore, where love has transformed him....

In "A Retrieved Reformation," Jimmy Valentine, now known as Ralph D. Spencer, intends to travel to Little Rock and meet an "old pal" at Sullivan's place. There he plans on giving this man his case of safe-breaking tools.

Ralph Spencer wants the criminal safe burglar named Jimmy Valentine to go out of business and disappear from life. For he wants to make a new life as a respectable citizen of Elmore, where love has transformed him. Ironically, he has come to Elmore, Arkansas, after learning of the town's new bank-safe, but he has been immediately smitten by the beautiful daughter of the man who owns the town bank. When he first arrives, this young woman crosses the street and passes him on a street corner; there "Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man" in order to woo beautiful Annabel Adams.

No longer interested in safe-cracking, Jimmy goes to the local hotel and registers as Ralph D. Spencer. He then asks the hotel clerk about the shoe business in town, pretending that he is thinking of opening a store in Elmore. Soon after his decision to remain in Elmore a few days, "the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine's ashes—ashes left by the flame of a sudden and alternative attack of love—remained in Elmore and prospered" as a respectable store owner. He succeeds in winning the heart of Annabel as well, and they plan to be married. Because he wants a new life, Ralph knows he must cast off everything connected to his old life as Jimmy Valentine.

What is the style, technique, and language of "Sonnet 18"?

William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" is an English or Elizabethan sonnet; as such, it is written in iambic pentameter and contains fourteen lines comprised of three quatrains with a rhymed couplet at the end. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.

Techniques in the poem include:

• A rhetorical question - "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" 


• Metaphors - In comparing the poem's subject, thought to be a youth, to a summer's day, the narrator...

William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" is an English or Elizabethan sonnet; as such, it is written in iambic pentameter and contains fourteen lines comprised of three quatrains with a rhymed couplet at the end. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.

Techniques in the poem include:

• A rhetorical question - "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" 


• Metaphors - In comparing the poem's subject, thought to be a youth, to a summer's day, the narrator finds him "more lovely and temperate"; he also likens his youth to an "eternal summer" and says that he will achieve immortality through his poem's "eternal lines."


• Personification - The sun is described in human terms. It has an "eye" and a "gold complexion."

Shakespeare's language is largely figurative in the sonnet; moreover, it is Early Modern English, which succeeded Middle English in the fifteenth century. 

In the late 19th century, the emergence of a national market economy and rapid industrialization profoundly affected the politics, economy, and...

While some writing about the Gilded Age or Second Industrial Revolution in the United States emphasize that this period was one of great progress in wealth creation and industrial output, more recent studies have tended to emphasize that many different groups were harmed by these changes. Bellamy's novel and the Populist movement were among the expressions of frustration that industrialization did not benefit everyone equally; income inequality was rising rapidly, and workers and farmers were being exploited. 

If one thinks of the growth of transport systems, for example, one can argue that roads, canals, and railroads were beneficial forms of infrastructure that enabled US economic growth. On the other hand, the railroads were cutthroat monopolies in which a few owners and investors could become wealthy, while indentured or "coolie" laborers, especially the Chinese, lived in extreme poverty and inhumane working situations. The building of railroads also involved the displacement of Native Americans and encroachment on their traditional hunting grounds. Buffalo Bill Cody's slaughter of buffalo was a project to feed railroad workers—and deprive Native Americans of a food supply. Several groups opposed the excesses of railroads. The Populists, especially in Kansas, advocated for railroads being owned and run by the government, arguing that railroad owners overcharged farmers, creating unfair monopolies that made a few railroad owners rich while impoverishing small farmers; for more details see the discussion in the Kansas Historical Quarterly. The People's Party or Populist movement was a major political response by small farmers to exploitation by banks and railroads. 

Another major issue was the treatment of laborers in factories and mines, which often involved low wages and dangerous working conditions. The major responses to this were strikes and unionization, which attempted to use collective bargaining power to offset the wealth and controlling interests of factory owners. There were numerous labor battles in this period.

For Bellamy, the growth of industry could lead to a Utopian socialist future in which increased productivity would lead to shorter working hours, earlier retirement, and a system of public housing and food distribution that would reward workers instead of simply funnelling money into the pockets of a limited number of business owners. Rather than opposing industry, he argued that its growth should be used for the common good. 

`(3x^(-2)+(2x-1)^(-1))/(6/(x^-1+2)+3x^-1)` Simplify the complex fraction.

`(3x^(-2)+(2x-1)^(-1))/(6/(x^(-1)+2)+3x^(-1))`

First, apply the negative exponent rule `a^(-m)=1/a^m` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/(6/(1/x+2) + 3/x)`

Then, simplify the fraction `6/(1/x+2)` . To do so, multiply it by `x/x` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/(6/(1/x+2) *x/x+ 3/x)`

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(1+2x) + 3/x)`

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(2x+1) + 3/x)`

Then, multiply the top and bottom of the complex fraction by the LCD of the four fractions present.  The LCD is `x^2(2x - 1)(2x + 1)` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(2x+1) + 3/x)*(x^2(2x-1)(2x+1))/(x^2(2x-1)(2x+1))`

`=(3(2x-1)(2x+1) + x^2(2x+1))/(6x(x^2)(2x-1)+3x(2x-1)(2x+1))`

To simplify...

`(3x^(-2)+(2x-1)^(-1))/(6/(x^(-1)+2)+3x^(-1))`

First, apply the negative exponent rule `a^(-m)=1/a^m` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/(6/(1/x+2) + 3/x)`

Then, simplify the fraction `6/(1/x+2)` . To do so, multiply it by `x/x` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/(6/(1/x+2) *x/x+ 3/x)`

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(1+2x) + 3/x)`

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(2x+1) + 3/x)`

Then, multiply the top and bottom of the complex fraction by the LCD of the four fractions present.  The LCD is `x^2(2x - 1)(2x + 1)` .

`=(3/x^2+ 1/(2x-1))/((6x)/(2x+1) + 3/x)*(x^2(2x-1)(2x+1))/(x^2(2x-1)(2x+1))`

`=(3(2x-1)(2x+1) + x^2(2x+1))/(6x(x^2)(2x-1)+3x(2x-1)(2x+1))`

To simplify it further, factor out the GCF in the numerator. Also, factor out the GCF of the denominator.

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

`=((2x+1)(6x-3+x^2))/(3x(2x-1)(2x^2+2x+1))`

`= ((2x+1)(x^2+6x-3))/(3x(2x-1)(2x^2+2x+1))`

Both numerator and denominator are now in factored form. Since there is no common factor between them, no factors are cancelled.

Therefore, the simplified form is

 `(3x^(-2)+(2x-1)^(-1))/(6/(x^(-1)+2)+3x^(-1))= ((2x+1)(x^2+6x-3))/(3x(2x-1)(2x^2+2x+1))` .

What are three reasons that support Jimmy Valentine getting arrested?

In the opening part of the story, Jimmy Valentine receives a pardon from the governor and is released from state prison. He has now paid for the "Springfield job" which got him a four-sentence, and he is in the clear. But it is of great importance to the story that O. Henry describes how Jimmy immediately goes back to work with his suitcase full of custom-designed safecracking tools.

A week after the release of Valentine, 9762, there was a neat job of safe-burglary done in Richmond, Indiana, with no clue to the author. A scant eight hundred dollars was all that was secured. Two weeks after that a patented, improved, burglar-proof safe in Logansport was opened like a cheese to the tune of fifteen hundred dollars, currency; securities and silver untouched. That began to interest the rogue-catchers. Then an old-fashioned bank-safe in Jefferson City became active and threw out of its crater an eruption of bank-notes amounting to five thousand dollars. The losses were now high enough to bring the matter up into Ben Price's class of work. By comparing notes, a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries was noticed. Ben Price investigated the scenes of the robberies, and was heard to remark:

“That's Dandy Jim Valentine's autograph. He's resumed business. Look at that combination knob—jerked out as easy as pulling up a radish in wet weather. He's got the only clamps that can do it. And look how clean those tumblers were punched out! Jimmy never has to drill but one hole. Yes, I guess I want Mr. Valentine. He'll do his bit next time without any short-time or clemency foolishness.”

Nothing further is said about these crimes, but this elaborate description is intended to explain, and perhaps foreshadow, how Ben Price happens to be in the bank in Elmore, Arkansas when Jimmy, who now calls himself Ralph Spencer, opens the supposedly burglar-proof vault and saves the life of the little girl trapped inside. The three bank jobs Jimmy pulled after his release from prison are going to come back to haunt him. He has fallen in love and become a respected citizen and prosperous honest businessman. He is planning to get married within a very short time. Then retribution in the form of Ben Price appears on the scene to destroy all of Jimmy's hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. The message of this story is that it is extremely hard to reform after a person has traveled too far down the wrong road. Jimmy is ready to accept this truth when he approaches Price expecting to be arrested and convicted for three safecracking jobs.

Three reasons that explain why Jimmy is on the brink of getting arrested might be just the three safecracking jobs he pulled after his release from prison. But yet another reason is that Jimmy has gotten too famous as the smartest and most talented safecracker in the business. Ben Price identifies the culprit in all three bank jobs just by their professionalism. Only Dandy Jimmy Valentine could have perpetrated them. Another reason is that Jimmy is building up a prison record. It is easier for him to get arrested and harder for him to get released. O. Henry specifies early in the story that Jimmy has been serving ten months in prison when he expected to get released after serving only four. One of his underworld connections tells him:

“Sorry we couldn't make it sooner, Jimmy, me boy,” said Mike. “But we had that protest from Springfield to buck against, and the governor nearly balked." 

Jimmy moves to Elmore, Arkansas because he is getting too notorious in his old area of operations, which is around the state of Indiana and general vicinity. Moving to that little town changes his whole life, because he falls in love at first sight with Annabel Adams and becomes "a new man." But it isn't the new man but the old man who is in danger of getting sent to prison for a long stretch. It is hard to change. Just changing your name doesn't change your identity, and it doesn't erase your past.

The US exited WWII with an enormous debt level, but was able to reduce it in the following decades. Which of the following enabled that to happen?...

The best answer to this question is Option B.  Option A is also a possible answer, but I would argue that Option B is better.  The other two options are definitely not correct.

Option C cannot be true because US defense spending did not continually drop over the decades after WWII.  Spending did of course drop right after WWII, but it went back up and stayed relatively high (though not as high as during WWII)...

The best answer to this question is Option B.  Option A is also a possible answer, but I would argue that Option B is better.  The other two options are definitely not correct.

Option C cannot be true because US defense spending did not continually drop over the decades after WWII.  Spending did of course drop right after WWII, but it went back up and stayed relatively high (though not as high as during WWII) because of the Cold War.  Since spending did not constantly drop, this cannot have caused the reduction in the debt.

Option D is not correct because this commission did not exist until the 1990s.  This means it could not have caused the debt to drop.

Option A could be the correct answer.  As you can see in the link below, tax revenues did go up in the years after WWII.  This would have helped cause the debt to go down.  However, I would say that Option B is the better answer.  Tax revenues were able to go up in large part because of economic growth.  Because people and companies made more money, they were able to pay more in taxes.  The economic growth caused the tax revenues to increase.  Because of this, I think that Option B is the best answer.

What genre is Robinson Crusoe?

Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe, is a novel. A novel is a genre defined as a long imaginative work of literature written in prose. In other words, it is fictional rather than based on a true story and is written in prose rather than verse.

One can also talk about "subgenre" or what type of novel it is. First, it is a type of travel fiction, set in an exotic local. Next, it is a realistic story, rather than a fantasy or romance, in that it describes relatively plausible behavior by an ordinary person rather than heroic acts of someone with supernatural powers. 

In some ways it resembles a spiritual autobiography, as it shows the development of the religious and spiritual thought of its protagonist, but it is not autobiographical per se because it is fictional and autobiography is factual. 

How do I effectively introduce an article title in a critical argumentative essay?

In any academic paper, article titles should be introduced in quotation marks. It is okay to use ellipses in the article title if you feel that it disrupts the flow (as long as you cite the full title in your works cited page). Since you're writing an argumentative paper, you should make sure that your sources are reliable. Facts—objective and verifiable—will best support your argument.

If you mention the publication source of the article—The...

In any academic paper, article titles should be introduced in quotation marks. It is okay to use ellipses in the article title if you feel that it disrupts the flow (as long as you cite the full title in your works cited page). Since you're writing an argumentative paper, you should make sure that your sources are reliable. Facts—objective and verifiable—will best support your argument.

If you mention the publication source of the article—The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc.—in the text, make sure it's in italics. As far as your works cited page, make sure you are consistent with whatever format you choose (MLA, Chicago, etc.).

Is Angelou a strong woman in "Gather Together in My Name"? How can I support that with evidence from the text?

It can certainly be said that Angelou is a strong woman in this book. That is not to say that she is a paragon of virtue—on the contrary, this volume of her autobiography sets out the many and varied mistakes of her early life, because she feels that it is only by acknowledging the mistakes that she can grow and learn from them. But the choices Angelou makes mark her as a strong woman, a...

It can certainly be said that Angelou is a strong woman in this book. That is not to say that she is a paragon of virtue—on the contrary, this volume of her autobiography sets out the many and varied mistakes of her early life, because she feels that it is only by acknowledging the mistakes that she can grow and learn from them. But the choices Angelou makes mark her as a strong woman, a survivor, from the very beginning. 

In the first instance, purely in deciding to "take my beautiful son and go out into the world," Angelou risks the criticism and disapproval of her peers, as he is illegitimate. But Angelou is determined to prove herself "equal to my pride" and move out from under the feeling of guilt that she is a burden to her mother (prologue). 

Another indication of the writer's strength is when she approaches the Creole restaurant (Chapter 2) with "a lie as soft as butter" and pretends that the answer to the question "Can you cook Creole?" is "yes." It is a seventeen year old with a strong belief in herself who can spin such a lie and support it with the self-belief to go on and successfully prove herself in her determination to rise above a minimum-wage job. 

Perhaps Angelou's greatest triumph in this book, though, is her successful overhaul of her "little whorehouse." This section, from Chapter 12, gives countless examples of Angelou as a strong businesswoman, despite her lack of training. Angelou is unconventional, but hers is a story of survival against the odds. 

How does Antonio and Bassanio's friendship set the whole basis of play?

Antonio and Bassanio's friendship gets Antonio into serious trouble with Shylock, but it also rescues him from that trouble.

The main plot of the play has to do with the "bond" (legal contract) Antonio signs with Shylock: if Antonio does not pay his debt on time, Shylock is entitled to a pound of his flesh. Antonio does not take out the loan from Shylock for himself. He does it so he can give a loan to his friend Bassanio.

Antonio has lent Bassanio money in the past, and Bassanio for various reasons has always been unable to pay him back. For most friendships, this would cause the person in Antonio's position to end the friendship, or at least stop lending. Many people in Bassanio's position would hesitate to ask for yet another loan from Antonio. These two are very confident in each other's friendship, though. Bassanio asks for a loan so he can woo Portia, and Antonio gives it and even says not to worry about the past defaults.

At the time of his bond with Shylock, Antonio does not dream that he'll be unable to pay; he is very rich and has many ships out on moneymaking ventures. Only when every single one of his ships are wrecked is he in danger of having to pay a pound of flesh. 

By this time, Bassanio has married Portia, who is an heiress. Bassanio now has the money, and he is willing to pay Shylock back the amount of the debt. When Shylock insists on having Antonio's flesh instead, Bassanio offers to pay up to ten times what Shylock lent, but Shylock will not accept it.

Bassanio is unable to save Antonio financially. He does, however, save him indirectly, by being married to Portia. When Portia learns of the trouble her husband's friend is in, she sneaks off to Venice, dresses up as a young lawyer, and saves Antonio in a court of law by proving the bond does not allow Shylock to draw any blood.  

Bassanio is unaware until afterward that the young lawyer is Portia, so he certainly is not in on the plan. Nevertheless, it is the fact of his being Antonio's friend that brings Portia to Antonio's aid. She wants to help her husband's best friend. In fact, she insists he be helped at once.

If Bassanio had not married Portia, she would not have heard about Antonio's plight. On the other hand, it was in order to marry Portia that Bassanio caused Antonio to take the fateful loan from Shylock. So it is the friendship between the two men, as well as the love between Bassanio and Portia, that cause the trouble and later solve it. These relationships drive a large part of the plot.

"I drink...to the buried that repose around us." / "and I to your long life." Why is the toast ironic? How is foreshadowing evident?

Montresor speaks of "the thousand injuries of Fortunato" in the opening sentence. Since he does not describe any of these injuries, it is to be expected that he will come out with a few exemplary ones in the course of the story. In other words, if Fortunato is always injuring him, then he will probably do so during the time they are together. It would appear that these injuries are jests and disingenuous questions, slurs, snubs--that sort of thing. 

Montresor's French name indicates that he is a relative newcomer to Venice, where the story is very obviously set. Although he lives in a palazzo, he is poor. Those old palazzi could be rented cheap by the nineteenth century because they were hundreds of years old, decaying, expensive to maintain, requiring many house servants, and few people wanted such big dwellings. Montresor describes the differences between himself and his intended victim in one paragraph of dialogue.

“Come,” I said, with decision, “we will go back; your health is precious.You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible."

All the bones under Montresor's home are not those of his ancestors. When he rented the palazzo he had to take the bones along with it. They belong to former owners, and Fortunato knows it because he regards Montresor as a johnny-come-lately. So when he says, "I drink to the buried that repose around us," he is being hurtfully disingenuous. This is an example of the types of injuries Montresor has had to put up with. When Montresor replies, "And I to your long life," he is showing that he feels the sting of Fortunato's toast and is being equally disingenuous. Fortunato's toast is disingenuous but not ironic, whereas Montresor's toast is ironic because he means just the opposite of what he says. Montresor can tell Fortunato anything because he knows his victim is as good as dead. He will never live to check the fact.

Another example of the types of injuries Fortunato inflicts on Montresor, who must put up with them because he is financially dependent on him, is contained in the following dialogue.

“The Montresors,” I replied, “were a great and numerous family.”

“I forget your arms.”

“A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.”

“And the motto?”

“Nemo me impune lacessit.”

“Good!” he said.

Here again Fortunato is being disingenuous. He believes Montresor to be of inferior social status and doubts he has a family coat of arms.  He wants to embarrass his host. He enjoys that sort of thing. The bizarre coat of arms Montresor invents on the spur of the moment, featuring a huge golden human foot is a total lie. He can tell Fortunato such things because his intended victim is so drunk. Besides that, Montresor is a little drunk himself. The same is true of the motto. It translates as "No one injures me with impunity," and it foreshadows Fortunato's doom. When Fortunato replies, "Good!" it suggests that he not only doesn't understand the threat but that he probably doesn't even understand Latin.

Fortunato considers himself a funny fellow. That is why he wears a jester's costume for the carnival. He has probably been tossing confetti in people's faces and squirting them with water. He doesn't think of himself as a fool but as a clever jester.But he is wrong about himself. He is a crude and rather brutal man, as so many chronic jokers are. (A good example of another such character is Soldier Bartlett in Ernest Hemingway''s great story "Fifty Grand.") Fortunato's cruel questions not only exemplify the "thousand injuries,' but they will strengthen Montresor's motivation to kill him.

`(x-1)y' + y = x^2 -1` Solve the first-order differential equation

Given` (x-1)y'+y=x^2-1`

when the first order linear ordinary differential equation has the form of

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)`

then the general solution is,

`y(x)=((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x) dx)`

so,

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

=> `(x-1)[y' + y/(x-1)] = x^2 -1`

=> `y'+y/(x-1)= ((x+1)(x-1))/(x-1)`

=> `y'+y/(x-1)= (x+1)` --------(1)`

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)---------(2)`

on comparing both we get,

`p(x) = 1/(x-1) and q(x)=(x+1)`

so on solving with the above general solution we get:

y(x)=`((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x)...

Given` (x-1)y'+y=x^2-1`

when the first order linear ordinary differential equation has the form of

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)`

then the general solution is,

`y(x)=((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x) dx)`

so,

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

=> `(x-1)[y' + y/(x-1)] = x^2 -1`

=> `y'+y/(x-1)= ((x+1)(x-1))/(x-1)`

=> `y'+y/(x-1)= (x+1)` --------(1)`

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)---------(2)`

on comparing both we get,

`p(x) = 1/(x-1) and q(x)=(x+1)`

so on solving with the above general solution we get:

y(x)=`((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x) dx)`

=`((int e^(int (1/(x-1))dx) *(x+1)) dx +c)/e^(int(1/(x-1)) dx)`

first we shall solve

`e^(int (1/(x-1)) dx)=e^(ln|x-1|) = |x-1|`  

When `x-1<=0 ` then `ln(x-1)` is undefined , so  

`e^(int(1/(x-1)) dx)=x-1`

so

proceeding further, we get

y(x) =`((int e^(int (1/(x-1))dx) *(x+1)) dx +c)/e^(int(1/(x-1)) dx)`

=`((int (x-1)*(x+1)) dx +c)/(x-1)`

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

= `(x^3/3 -x  +c)/(x-1)`

` y(x)=(x^3/3 -x +c)/(x-1)`

The narrator sees Doodle as the scarlet ibis at the end, but doodle identifies with the exotic bird immediately. To explore this symbolic...

In James Hurst's heart-rending short story, there are several similarities between Doodle and the scarlet ibis. 

Like the scarlet ibis, when Doodle is born he is out-of-the-ordinary. He is exceptionally frail and "shriveled like an old man." Also, he enters the world in a caul, an amniotic membrane that encloses his tiny body from which he must be removed. Although the scarlet ibis hatches from an egg formed from calcium, he, too, must emerge from his cover...

In James Hurst's heart-rending short story, there are several similarities between Doodle and the scarlet ibis. 

Like the scarlet ibis, when Doodle is born he is out-of-the-ordinary. He is exceptionally frail and "shriveled like an old man." Also, he enters the world in a caul, an amniotic membrane that encloses his tiny body from which he must be removed. Although the scarlet ibis hatches from an egg formed from calcium, he, too, must emerge from his cover as a very delicate creature.

Also, like the scarlet ibis, Doodle seems to be in an environment not suited for him. When his brother tries to make Doodle do things that others can do, Doodle does succeed in walking and swimming. But when he is forced to row against waves, Doodle's weak heart is strained. Then, after the boys pull the boat onto the shore, Doodle tries to keep up with his angered brother who runs ahead of him. Like the scarlet ibis who cannot withstand the storm winds and 

...tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree and landing...with a thud....its legs were crossed and its claw-like feet were delicately curved at rest... [as] it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers....

Doodle also collapses, huddled under a red bush on the side of the road. He seems to be sitting with his face resting upon his folded arms, not unlike the crossed legs of the bird. When his brother turns back to find Doodle, the small boy again resembles the delicate scarlet ibis:

He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained with a brilliant red.

The brother, who acts as narrator, calls Doodle's name, weeping and "sheltering [his] fallen scarlet ibis" from what he thinks is the mockery of the rain. 

`int sin(theta)sin(3theta) d theta` Find the indefinite integral

Indefinite integrals are written in the form of` int f(x) dx = F(x) +C`

 where: `f(x)` as the integrand

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

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

For the given problem `int sin(theta)sin(3theta) d theta`  or  `int sin(3theta)sin(theta) d theta`   has a integrand in a form of trigonometric function. To evaluate this, we apply the identity:

`sin(A)sin(B) =[-cos(A+B) +cos(A-B)]/2`

The integral becomes:

`intsin(3theta)sin(theta)d theta= int[-cos(3theta+theta) + cos(3theta -theta)]/2 d theta`

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

`int[-cos(3theta+theta) + cos(3theta -theta)]/2 d theta= 1/2int[-cos(3theta+theta) + cos(3theta -theta)] d theta`

 Apply the basic integration property: `int (u+v) dx = int (u) dx + int (v) dx` .

`1/2 *[int -cos(3theta+theta)d theta+cos(3theta -theta)d theta]`

Then apply u-substitution to be able to apply integration formula for cosine function: `int cos(u) du= sin(u) +C` .

For the integral: `int -cos(3theta+theta)d theta` , we let` u =3theta +theta =4theta` then `du= 4 d theta` or `(du)/4 =d theta` .

`int -cos(3theta+theta)d theta=int -cos(4theta)d theta`

                                 `=int -cos(u) *(du)/4`

                                `= -1/4 int cos(u)du`

                                `= -1/4 sin(u) +C`

Plug-in `u =4theta` on `-1/4 sin(u) +C` , we get:

`int -cos(3theta+theta)d theta= -1/4 sin(4theta) +C`

 For the integral: `intcos(3theta -theta)d theta` , we let `u =3theta -theta =2theta` then `du= 2 d theta` or `(du)/2 =d theta` .

`intcos(3theta -theta)d theta = intcos(2theta) d theta`

                              `=intcos(u) *(du)/2`

                              `= 1/2 int cos(u)du`

                              `= 1/2 sin(u) +C`

Plug-in` u =2 theta` on `1/2 sin(u) +C` , we get:

`intcos(3theta -theta)d theta =1/2 sin(2theta) +C`

Combining the results, we get the indefinite integral as:

`intsin(theta)sin(3theta)d theta = 1/2*[ -1/4 sin(4theta) +1/2 sin(2theta)] +C`

or  `- 1/8 sin(4theta) +1/4 sin(2theta) +C`

`f(x)=cos(pix) , n=4` Find the n'th Maclaurin polynomial for the function.

Maclaurin series is a special case of Taylor series that is centered at `c=0` . The expansion of the function about 0 follows the formula:

`f(x)=sum_(n=0)^oo (f^n(0))/(n!) x^n`

 or

`f(x)= f(0)+(f'(0))/(1!)x+(f^2(0))/(2!)x^2+(f^3(0))/(3!)x^3+(f^4(0))/(4!)x^4 +...`

To determine the Maclaurin polynomial of degree `n=4` for the given function `f(x)=cos(pix)` , we may apply the formula for Maclaurin series.

To list `f^n(x)` up to `n=4` , we may apply the derivative formula for trigonometric functions: `d/(dx) sin(u) = cos(u) *(du)/(dx)`  and `d/(dx) cos(u) = -sin(u) *(du)/(dx)` .

Let `u =pix` then `(du)/(dx) =pi` .

`f(x) =cos(pix)`

`f'(x) = d/(dx) cos(pix)`

           `= -sin(pix) *pi`

           `=-pisin(pix)`

`f^2(x) = d/(dx)-pisin(pix)`

            `=-pi*d/(dx) sin(pix)`

            `= -pi * (cos(pi)* pi)`

            `= -pi^2cos(pix)`

`f^3(x) = d/(dx)-pi^2cos(pix)`

            `=-pi^2*d/(dx) cos(pix)`

            `= -pi^2 * (-sin(pix)*pi)`

            `= pi^3sin(pix)`

`f^4(x) = d/(dx)pi^3sin(pix)`

              `= pi^3d/(dx) sin(pix)`

             `= pi^3(cos(pix) *pi) `

             `=pi^4cos(pix)`

Plug-in` x=0` on each `f^n(x)` , we get:

`f(0)= cos(pi*0) =1`

`f'(0)= -pisin(pi*0) =0`

`f^2(0)= -pi^2cos(pi*0)=-pi^2`

`f^3(0)= pi^3sin(pi*0)=0`

`f^4(0) =pi^4cos(pi*0) =pi^4`

Note: `cos(pi*0) = cos(0)=1` and `sin(pi*0)=sin(0)=0` .

Plug-in the values on the formula for Maclaurin series, we get:

`sum_(n=0)^4 (f^n(0))/(n!)x^n`

        ` =f(0)+(f'(0))/(1!)x+(f^2(0))/(2!)x^2+(f^3(0))/(3!)x^3+(f^4(0))/(4!)x^4`

        ` =1+0/(1!)x+(-pi^2)/(2!)x^2+0/(3!)x^3+(pi^4)/(4!)x^4`

        `=1+0/1x-pi^2/2x^2+0/6x^3+pi^4/24x^4`

        `=1-pi^2/2x^2+pi^4/24x^4`

The Maclaurin polynomial of degree `n=4` for the given function `f(x)=cos(pix)` will be:

`P(x)=1-pi^2/2x^2+pi^4/24x^4`

What was the XYZ Affair and how did it affect the US?

The United States and France were having some difficulties, partly because of the Jay Treaty (which George Washington signed to prevent a war with Great Britain). The Jay Treaty limited France's ability to trade in US ports. In retaliation to the newly signed treaty, France began seizing American ships. In 1797, President John Adams sent a diplomatic commission, including Elbridge Gerry, John Marshall, and Charles Pinckney, to Paris to negotiate with the French and come...

The United States and France were having some difficulties, partly because of the Jay Treaty (which George Washington signed to prevent a war with Great Britain). The Jay Treaty limited France's ability to trade in US ports. In retaliation to the newly signed treaty, France began seizing American ships. In 1797, President John Adams sent a diplomatic commission, including Elbridge Gerry, John Marshall, and Charles Pinckney, to Paris to negotiate with the French and come to some sort of compromise. Agents of Talleyrand, the French Foreign Minister, approached the American diplomats and demanded a US loan as well as a personal bribe for Talleyrand if they wanted to meet with him. Marshall, one of the US diplomats, sent dispatches from Paris to John Adams, who began to prepare for war since exchanging money was not going to happen.  

This diplomatic incident between the United States and France is called the XYZ Affair. It was coined the XYZ affair because when then-president John Adams released the documents—Marshall’s dispatches—to Congress, he replaced the names of the three French diplomats, Hottinguer, Bellamny, and Hauteval, with the letters X, Y, and Z. 

The XYZ Affair caused outrage and a political firestorm among Americans, and it resulted in an undeclared Quasi-War from 1798–1800 between the United States and France, mostly fought by sea. By December of 1801, both the United States and France had ratified the Treaty of Mortefontaine—which was the result of the Convention of 1800, which came about after Talleyrand accepted a new American Commission to try to prevent a full-scale war. 

What was the impact of the Enlightenment?

The Age of Enlightenment saw the rise of a group of thinkers and philosophers who sought to understand and explain the external world through scientific methods and reason. These thinkers sought to contribute to social progress and to answer questions of morality and common concern through independent thought that did not rely on received tradition and dogma. The impact of this period can be observed in the following ways:

(1) In government, in ideas such...

The Age of Enlightenment saw the rise of a group of thinkers and philosophers who sought to understand and explain the external world through scientific methods and reason. These thinkers sought to contribute to social progress and to answer questions of morality and common concern through independent thought that did not rely on received tradition and dogma. The impact of this period can be observed in the following ways:

(1) In government, in ideas such as the separation of powers and the rights of personal liberty and public representation;

(2) In the development of empirically grounded scientific practices that replaced traditional Aristotelian ideas on the natural world;

(3) In economics, in ideas of free markets and trade. Adam Smith’s ideas, particularly, had a significant influence on the development of modern capitalism.

Many of the ideas developed during the Age of Enlightenment came to affect major historic events such as the French and American revolutions.

In Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, what choice does Archie want Leo to make? How does he try to help him make this important decision?

In Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, Archie is an old professor who helps Leo make sense of his relationship with Stargirl. In chapter 7, when Leo and Kevin first ask him about the new girl at school, Archie provides positive and open-minded information about Stargirl. The boys think he speaks in riddles, but like a good teacher, Archie wants them to make their own choices based on factual information and kind-heartedness. For example, when Kevin suggests...

In Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, Archie is an old professor who helps Leo make sense of his relationship with Stargirl. In chapter 7, when Leo and Kevin first ask him about the new girl at school, Archie provides positive and open-minded information about Stargirl. The boys think he speaks in riddles, but like a good teacher, Archie wants them to make their own choices based on factual information and kind-heartedness. For example, when Kevin suggests that Stargirl is an alien, Archie replies by suggesting that she is more human that most as in the following passages:

"On the contrary, she is one of us. Most decidedly. She is us more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are" (32).

"You'll know her more by your questions than by her answers. Keep looking at her long enough. One day you might see someone you know" (35).

Archie does not want the boys to stay away from Stargirl. He wants them to analyze the questions they have about her in order to get to know and understand her better. Later, when Leo falls in love with Stargirl, he is faced with making another choice about her. The whole school turns on Stargirl after she cheers for another school's team; as a result, they shun her and Leo.

Leo goes to Archie for help because he doesn't want to be treated like a leper by his classmates, but he loves Stargirl. To help Leo come to a decision about how to handle this situation, Archie suggests they consult his cactus, Senor Saguaro. A poignant question to help Leo make his decision in chapter 17 is revealed as follows:

"As Archie spoke, he looked up toward the elf owl hole. Now he turned back to me and whispered, 'I asked for questions' . . . 'Questions?' I whispered. 'What about answers?'

"But he was turning from me, tilting his head toward the great cactus, his finger on his lips--'Shh'--his eyes closed. . . 'The esteemed Senor says there is only one question. . . 'Whose affection do you value more, hers or the others'?" (104).

Archie teaches Leo to make his own choices through inquiry. As a professor, he knows that asking questions is a good way to discover answers. Therefore, Archie helps Leo to realize that the answer to his dilemma--choosing between friends at school and his relationship with Stargirl--is found in the answer that comes from his heart. Archie probably hopes that Leo will choose Stargirl over the conformist attitude of his schoolmates because that would mean that Leo does not care what others think about whom he loves. However, Leo decides conformity with the majority rather than to stand as an individual for the girl he loves. For Leo, she is too different from what he wants in his life to choose her over his schoolmates. 

What are the parallels between Victor Frankenstein and God?

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, perhaps the most notable of all the many themes of this supernatural tale is man acting like God. It is Victor's hubris that eventually destroys the lives of almost everyone he cares for and consequently leads to Victor's death.

Victor, like God, has created life where there was none. He brings into existence a creature of his making. In Chapter Four he warns Walton of repeating his own mistake:

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

He acknowledges that "nature" does not "allow" for the things he felt compelled to do, and this led to his downfall. It was the knowledge of the secret of life and death, which only God can command, that Victor discovered. And with this knowledge, he eventually created his creature.

Like God, Victor creates an "Adam"—the beginning of a race, the first of its kind. In Chapter Ten, the monster tells Victor:

Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam . . .

Victor's animation of flesh might be seen as a resurrection of sorts—bringing dead flesh back to life. Victor speaks of the "beauty and strength" of man, something God experienced upon looking at His creations, noting that they were "good" (Genesis 1:31). In Chapter Four Victor recalls:

Darkness had no effect upon my fancy, and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life . . . the seat of beauty and strength . . .

In Chapter Fifteen, the creature compares Victor to God in recognizing Victor's ability to create life. However, he also notes that God showed pity, an emotion the monster questions ever being present in Victor.

God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.

For a short time, Victor does begin to feel pity for the thing he has brought to life, sorry that it must exist forever alone in the world. In Chapter Twenty, he even begins to commence the construction of a mate for the monster, but is so disgusted by what he is doing that he destroys his work, which enrages the creature.

Like God, Victor assumes the guise of judge. He decides the monster must be destroyed because of the evil it has visited upon mankind. In Chapter Ten, the creature speaks of this to Victor in the cave:

The guilty are allowed, by human laws . . . to speak in their own defence before they are condemned. Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder, and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man! . . . listen to me, and then, if you can, and if you will, destroy the work of your hands.

Victor, like God, has created life. However, he does not have the wisdom, compassion, and love of God. One might argue that if he had indeed been more God-like, he would have known not to assume the responsibility of the Creator. However, after doing so, having God's compassion and love, he would never have rejected the creature, which caused so much destruction and loss of life. Although Victor began with intentions of serving humankind, he was not the Almighty and so suffered the consequences of attempting to be like God.

What can be understood about the traditional roles of women by examining Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath and Catherine in A Farewell to Arms?

In both A Farewell to Arms and The Grapes of Wrath, the traditional roles of men are abandoned by demoralized men; consequently, the women assume the roles of healers and leaders as they adapt to situations, and they break from traditional roles.

In The Grapes of Wrath, once Pa has lost his land, his sense of identity and pride as the provider is taken from him and he becomes impotent. As a result, Ma...

In both A Farewell to Arms and The Grapes of Wrath, the traditional roles of men are abandoned by demoralized men; consequently, the women assume the roles of healers and leaders as they adapt to situations, and they break from traditional roles.

In The Grapes of Wrath, once Pa has lost his land, his sense of identity and pride as the provider is taken from him and he becomes impotent. As a result, Ma progressively asserts her leadership; so, while her power does not really increase, it does become more overt in its expression as Pa loses his independence. Thus, Ma is described as being aware of and accepting

her position as healer . . . her position as arbiter. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook and if she wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone. (Chapter 10)

Similarly, in A Farewell to Arms, Catherine emerges as more courageous than Frederic. Frederic tries to be a hero in the war effort by saving people as an ambulance driver, but he fails. Instead, he kills a sergeant and he runs away from the army. He becomes psychologically impotent.

"I'm not brave any more, darling. I'm all broken. They've broken me, I know it now." (Chapter 41)

On the other hand, Catherine is brave and strong; she is, like Steinbeck's Ma, representative of the transforming power of love. Whereas at first she does not believe in the traditional structures of marriage and religion, she later finds meaning and identity in the love she shares with Frederic, claiming he is her "religion." Further, she brings value to both their lives with the transforming power of her love, a love that provides him the strength to continue living after she is lost to him.

Steinbeck's Ma depicts this transforming power of love, as well, as she ensures the survival of the family unit and the continuity of life. For instance, she shares her meager meal for her family with the starving children of the work camp, and she has Rose of Sharon give her dead baby's milk to the weak and ailing man. Ma adapts to situations, and so does Catherine, although in different ways.

What was the role of the American Indians in the creation of European colonies?

Because Native Americans were the existing community of people in the Americas before the arrival of European colonizers, their presence certainly influenced the way colonization occurred. Colonization occurred in a broad manner, with the Spanish, British, Portuguese, French and other countries all seeking to establish themselves in the Americas, and each of them encountering different indigenous people groups depending on the location they were colonizing. 

The Native Americans shaped the land prior to the arrival...

Because Native Americans were the existing community of people in the Americas before the arrival of European colonizers, their presence certainly influenced the way colonization occurred. Colonization occurred in a broad manner, with the Spanish, British, Portuguese, French and other countries all seeking to establish themselves in the Americas, and each of them encountering different indigenous people groups depending on the location they were colonizing. 

The Native Americans shaped the land prior to the arrival of Europeans, and their presence also shaped the development of the newly rooting colonies. The settlers' interactions with Native Americans initially spanned a spectrum from positive to extremely negative. At first arrival, interactions could be pleasant, such as in the quintessential example of the Native Americans assisting starving colonists by providing food for them in Virginia and Massachusetts. At the other end of the spectrum, settler–Native American relations were fraught with skirmishes and bloodshed as the two groups battled over territory and access to resources. In the middle of the spectrum, settler-Native relations were business-oriented, with the establishment of trade agreements between tribes and colonies. These types of agreements greatly benefitted European settlers who, as new arrivals, were often in need of goods and information about the local land.

Early in the process of colonization, Native Americans shared resources, knowledge, and territory with the settlers. However, the two groups also fought each other viciously in certain locations. The presence of existing groups of people in the "New World" certainly made matters more complicated for the settlers, but ultimately, it could be argued that the Native American influence on colonization was a net gain for the settlers, who gained possession of the lands they desired and greatly benefitted from the goods the Native Americans had to offer. The Native Americans lost the conflict and faced grave damage to their people and their way of life. The tragedy serves as a reminder of the terrible consequences of colonization and imperialism.

how could the third estate lower high taxes

The reason the Third Estate faced high taxes was that they lacked the legal privileges that the First and Second Estate had under the Bourbon monarchy. The clergy and the nobility were essentially exempt from most taxes. So in order to reduce the tax burden on themselves, the people of the Third Estate needed to enact taxes on the other two estates. A series of ministers under Louis XVI had attempted to make this happen,...

The reason the Third Estate faced high taxes was that they lacked the legal privileges that the First and Second Estate had under the Bourbon monarchy. The clergy and the nobility were essentially exempt from most taxes. So in order to reduce the tax burden on themselves, the people of the Third Estate needed to enact taxes on the other two estates. A series of ministers under Louis XVI had attempted to make this happen, but these efforts were consistently voted down by the ultra-conservative Parlement of Paris, which was dominated by nobles. When the fiscal crisis of 1789 forced Louis to summon the Estates-General, a meeting of representatives from each of the three estates, the Third Estate delegates realized that their efforts to enact more equitable taxation would be defeated. This is why they formed the National Assembly and forced (aided by the constant threat of crowd violence) Louis to accept a series of reforms establishing a constitutional monarchy. Key to those reforms was the elimination of tax privileges that favored the nobility and the clergy. So as it turned out, the only way to establish more equitable taxation was through a fundamental alteration of the social and political order in France. This alteration marked the outbreak of the French Revolution, one of the most cataclysmic events in Western history.

What were the effects of the Boxer Protocol?

The Boxer Protocol, which was signed in 1901, was a treaty between China's Qing Empire and the Eight-Nation Alliance, the international coalition of eight countries who sent military aid to China during the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-Christian, anti-foreign uprising in China, and it was shut down with aid from the U.S., Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. The Boxer Protocol ensured the execution of pro-uprising government officials, and allowed...

The Boxer Protocol, which was signed in 1901, was a treaty between China's Qing Empire and the Eight-Nation Alliance, the international coalition of eight countries who sent military aid to China during the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-Christian, anti-foreign uprising in China, and it was shut down with aid from the U.S., Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. The Boxer Protocol ensured the execution of pro-uprising government officials, and allowed the Eight-Nation Alliance to station troops and collect war reparations in exchange for the aid the nations had provided. The reparations demanded by these nations cost more than a year of tax revenue to the Chinese government, so they raised taxes in order to try to pay the massive debt. For Europe, the impact of the Boxer Rebellion was the knowledge that colonizing China would not be the best approach. The European imperial powers chose reparations as an outcome to gain resources from China without the fear of another uprising, and even assisted China in one war against the Japanese in order to maintain the Chinese government's autonomy and ensure the continual payment of reparations.

`(dr)/(d theta) = sin^4(pitheta)` Solve the differential equation.

Separate the r and `theta` variables and integrate both sides:

`int dr = int sin(pi*theta)^4 d(theta)`

`r + c_1=int sin(pi*theta)^4 d(theta)`

Let `pi*theta=u, and pi*d(theta)=du`

`r + c_1=int sin(u)^4 d(theta)`

`r + c_1=(1/pi)int sin(u)^4 du`

`r+c_1=(1/pi)int sin(u)^2*sin(u)^2 du`

Use a trigonometric identity:

`r+c_1=(1/pi) int (1/2)(1-cos(2u))(1/2)(1-cos(2u)) du`

`r+c_1=1/(4pi)int (1-2cos(2u)+cos(2u)^2) du`

Let `2u=t, and 2du=dt`

`r+c_1=1/(4pi) int (1-2cos(t)+cos(t)^2)(dt/2)`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi) int (1-2cos(t)+(1/2)(1+cos(2t))) dt`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[int 1dt-2int cos(t) dt+(1/2)int dt+(1/2)int cos(2t) dt]`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[t-2sin(t)+1/2t+(1/2)(1/2)sin(2t)+c_2]`

Substitute back in `t=2u=2(pi*theta)`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[2pi*theta-2sin(2pi*theta)+pi*theta+(1/4)sin(4pi*theta)+c_2]`

`r+c_1=(2pi*theta)/(8pi)-2sin(2pi*theta)/(8pi)+(pi*theta)/(8pi)+1/(32pi)sin(4pi*theta)+c_2/(8pi)`

Simplify...

Separate the r and `theta` variables and integrate both sides:

`int dr = int sin(pi*theta)^4 d(theta)`

`r + c_1=int sin(pi*theta)^4 d(theta)`

Let `pi*theta=u, and pi*d(theta)=du`

`r + c_1=int sin(u)^4 d(theta)`

`r + c_1=(1/pi)int sin(u)^4 du`

`r+c_1=(1/pi)int sin(u)^2*sin(u)^2 du`

Use a trigonometric identity:

`r+c_1=(1/pi) int (1/2)(1-cos(2u))(1/2)(1-cos(2u)) du`

`r+c_1=1/(4pi)int (1-2cos(2u)+cos(2u)^2) du`

Let `2u=t, and 2du=dt`

`r+c_1=1/(4pi) int (1-2cos(t)+cos(t)^2)(dt/2)`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi) int (1-2cos(t)+(1/2)(1+cos(2t))) dt`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[int 1dt-2int cos(t) dt+(1/2)int dt+(1/2)int cos(2t) dt]`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[t-2sin(t)+1/2t+(1/2)(1/2)sin(2t)+c_2]`

Substitute back in `t=2u=2(pi*theta)`

`r+c_1=1/(8pi)[2pi*theta-2sin(2pi*theta)+pi*theta+(1/4)sin(4pi*theta)+c_2]`

`r+c_1=(2pi*theta)/(8pi)-2sin(2pi*theta)/(8pi)+(pi*theta)/(8pi)+1/(32pi)sin(4pi*theta)+c_2/(8pi)`

Simplify terms and combine the constants `c_1` and `c_2` into a new constant `c` :

`r=theta/(4)-1/(4pi)sin(2pi*theta)+theta/8+1/(32pi)sin(4pi*theta)+c`

Your general solution is then:

`r(theta)=(3pi)/4-1/(4pi)sin(2pi*theta)+1/(32pi)sin(4pi*theta)+c`

Below is a plot from `0` to `2pi` of a particular solution when `c=0` .

In what ways did the French and Indian War pave the way for the Revolution?

The French and Indian War helped pave the way for the American Revolutionary War. After the French and Indian War ended, the British gained a great deal of land from France east of the Mississippi River. However, the Native Americans weren’t pleased with this development because most Native American tribes were friendly with the French. Pontiac’s Rebellion sent a message that the Native Americans wouldn’t hesitate to attack the British. As a result, the British...

The French and Indian War helped pave the way for the American Revolutionary War. After the French and Indian War ended, the British gained a great deal of land from France east of the Mississippi River. However, the Native Americans weren’t pleased with this development because most Native American tribes were friendly with the French. Pontiac’s Rebellion sent a message that the Native Americans wouldn’t hesitate to attack the British. As a result, the British banned colonial settlement in these new lands. This angered the colonists who wanted to settle in these areas gained from France. They believed the British were trying to control them.

As the colonies became more expensive to run, in part because of the threats posed by the possibility of Native American attacks, the British wanted the colonists to help pay for the cost of running the colonies. The British passed tax laws, such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, to help raise money to run the colonies. The colonists objected because they didn’t have representatives in Parliament that could speak about and vote on the proposed tax laws. The British also required that the colonists provide housing and supplies for the British soldiers who were enforcing the Proclamation of 1763. These actions made the colonists unhappy.

Eventually, there were clashes between the British soldiers and the colonists. After five colonists were killed at the Boston Massacre, some people believed a line had been crossed. After the Boston Tea Party, the British passed the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonists for destroying the tea. Eventually, there was fighting at Lexington and at Concord, with both sides suffering casualties. It was only a matter of time before the colonists would declare their independence from Great Britain.

Do you think Brave New World could happen today?

Brave New World is a work of fiction based on scientific and psychological ideas that are obsolete at best. It does not describe what even Huxley would have considered a probable future and was not intended as a work of prediction but rather intended as a cautionary tale about certain social ideas and trends. It glamorizes the primitive and underestimates the potential of automation. It doesn't make sense to ask if a completely imaginary world intended as the setting for a piece of fiction could "happen today." Instead, we could think about whether some of the trends that Huxley was criticizing are still in evidence and whether those trends are likely to persist or not.

The first worrisome trend that Huxley did get right is the growth of inequality, with an educated elite enjoying the advantages of technological progress and people who are less educated having fewer opportunities. As genetic engineering becomes more sophisticated, one can imagine a class divide widening between those who can afford genetically engineered offspring and those who cannot. We also do seem to be seeing an increase in assortative mating, which has a similar effect. 

What Huxley underestimates is developments in robotics and artificial intelligence. Increasingly, simple manual tasks will be done by machines, not a subclass of humans.

As for mindless entertainment and psychoactive chemicals substituting for human interactions and a hook-up culture taking the place of long term relationships, that may indeed be happening among some groups, but it is hard to predict whether it will be universal or in any way encouraged by the state. 

How can I write an essay about Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard?

You go about writing an essay about a play the same way as for a poem or another piece of literature. First read the play and watch a version, if you can find one, but be sure to reference the written play in your paper, as sometimes directors make changes in pursuit of their own point. You will want, of course, to understand the plot of the play, which is, as you know, what happens,...

You go about writing an essay about a play the same way as for a poem or another piece of literature. First read the play and watch a version, if you can find one, but be sure to reference the written play in your paper, as sometimes directors make changes in pursuit of their own point. You will want, of course, to understand the plot of the play, which is, as you know, what happens, but you will want to focus most of your attention on the theme, or, in other words, what Chekhov is trying to say about society and human behavior. You can also talk about the tone of the play, meaning how it makes you feel. Does it make you laugh or cry, feel uplifted or sad? Why? 

Most literature is, broadly speaking, about five themes: love, loss, death, suffering, and identity. Do any of these themes jump out at you in The Cherry Orchard?

Many critics have understood the play to be about identity and loss, about how people can lose everything because of an inability to adjust to a changing world, in this case one in which the serfs are free and aristocratic families no longer have the wealth they once did. If you were to focus on this theme (and there are many others to choose from), you would go through the play and gather quotes to support this point. What do characters say and do that shows they are caught in the past and not facing reality? Gathering these quotes is all important, because once you make a statement, you need to be able to back it up with a quote from the play.

When you have your material gathered, write your thesis, which should be an opinion. Be bold: at this point you have gathered the evidence to back yourself up. Pretend you are a lawyer arguing your case and lay out your charge (the thesis) and back it up with your evidence (quotes from the play). Perhaps you are attacking the family and saying they don't live in reality. State that and then say why. First they do A (quote to back it up), then B (quote), then C (quote). Finally sum up and leave the reader with an added thought. How might the situation in late 19th century Russia relate to today? Also, look at the guide to this play: it has some good information! Best of luck! 

What are court cases and laws surrounding the Fourth Amendment?

The Fourth Amendment traditionally protects citizens against the unreasonable search and seizure of personal spaces and belongings. Since its inception, the Fourth Amendment has been subjected to unique tests beyond the vision of its original proponents. Today, we can say that judicial interpretation (or what some term activism) from the bench has rendered the United States Constitution a "living" document.

• Under the Fourth Amendment, warrantless searches are not prohibited if it can be shown that there is probable cause for such a search. There are a few major exceptions to the warrant rule, however, including the following:


• Plain view searches: This allows police officers to seize for evidence any object in "plain view" that may be connected to a crime.


• Stop and frisk searches: This allows police officers to pat down an individual for weapons if they have reason to believe the individual may be armed and dangerous.


• The motor vehicle exception: This allows a police officer to search an automobile without a warrant; the officer must have reasonable suspicion about the presence of contraband or illegal items in the automobile. If the car is mobile, the Fourth Amendment does not protect against a warrantless search if police officers deem the vehicle a possible harbor for weapons or contraband pertaining to a crime.


• Consent searches: Police officers can search an individual without a warrant if the individual provides his/ her consent to such a search.


• Search Incident to Arrest (SITA) doctrine: Under this doctrine, police officers may search the vicinity of a crime scene for contraband or weapons after a lawful arrest.

Gant vs. Arizona changed SITA slightly. In its decision on the case, the Supreme Court maintained that the SITA doctrine can only apply in two circumstances. First, the arrestee must be within reaching distance of his vehicle, and second, the officers must have probable cause to believe that the automobile contains evidence that points to the arrest.

In the case of Terry vs. Ohio, a Cleveland detective (McFadden) frisked three men after he suspected them of criminal intent. Weapons were found upon two of the men; one of them, Terry, was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and sentenced to three years in jail. In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court affirmed McFadden's right to search for weapons (in defense of his own personal safety).

Prior to Terry vs. Ohio, New York State passed criminal procedure law 140.50, which stated that a police officer has full rights to detain and search any individual the officer suspects of criminal intent within that officer's jurisdiction. The police officer also has full rights to search such an individual for dangerous weapons if the officer suspects that the officer is in danger of physical injury.

How did the Depression challenge the traditional belief of Hoover and other Americans in “rugged individualism”?

Herbert Hoover first coined the expression "rugged individualism" in a speech on the campaign trail in the 1928 presidential election. With this phrase, he articulated a long-standing American tradition, almost a civic religion, based upon a passionate belief in the value of hard work and self-reliance in which people looked to themselves to get ahead in life, instead of relying on the state to support them.

Rugged individualism certainly caught the attitude of the times. With the American economy booming and the good times seemingly set to stay, Hoover's classic statement of conservative moral and economic philosophy attained dominance in the marketplace of ideas.

However, with the onset of the Great Depression, all that changed. There had been economic depressions before, but none quite like this. In the face of this unprecedented downturn in the American economy, the whole concept of rugged individualism seemed woefully inadequate. At best, it was widely perceived as naive and unrealistic; at worst, it appeared to display a heartlessness toward the millions of impoverished Americans now struggling to eke out an existence against the backdrop of an economy in free fall. In the minds of many people, rugged individualism was now exposed as a sham; simply a nice way of describing greed and rampant self-interest.

Yet, despite all this, Hoover still clung stubbornly to the old faith. There is little evidence to suggest that he ever once felt rugged individualism to be mistaken or in any way out of date. This is not altogether surprising. For Hoover, rugged individualism was not some abstract idea; it was an abiding creed by which he had lived his whole life.

At the same time, Hoover, though undoubtedly committed to his guiding principle, did not display a narrow, ideological commitment. In his famous speech, he openly acknowledged that there was sometimes a need for increased government involvement in the economy. It all depended on the circumstances. However, Hoover also made it clear that those circumstances must be truly exceptional, such as those arising during the First World War.

The Great Depression, however, was a different matter entirely. There was no need, thought Hoover, for a fundamental shift in American economic policy and its underlying values. However, as the country plunged further into economic catastrophe, Hoover finally heeded a growing chorus of disapproval with the prevailing approach and agreed to sanction increased federal aid for the hard-pressed states.

Even so, the sums made available proved totally inadequate for the sheer scale of the task. Ironically, the problem was made worse by the actions of Republican state governors and state legislatures. Many of them refused to spend the sums they had been granted, true believers in the faith of rugged individualism.

What is the effect on everyone when he wears his black veil

When the minister, Parson Hooper, appears at the meeting house wearing a black veil over his face, his parishioners experience a number of effects. Firstly, Goodman Gray wonders if it really is Parson Hooper because he cannot see the minister's face.

Secondly, the parishioners, who are waiting on the steps, are described as "being wonder-stuck." They are so dumbfounded by his veil that many of them do not even greet the parson when he speaks...

When the minister, Parson Hooper, appears at the meeting house wearing a black veil over his face, his parishioners experience a number of effects. Firstly, Goodman Gray wonders if it really is Parson Hooper because he cannot see the minister's face.

Secondly, the parishioners, who are waiting on the steps, are described as "being wonder-stuck." They are so dumbfounded by his veil that many of them do not even greet the parson when he speaks to them.

Thirdly, for some members of the congregation, the black veil puts them ill at ease. One woman, described as having "delicate nerves," leaves the meeting house. Others are described as being "pale-faced," meaning that the veil makes them feel nervous and afraid. The village physician, for example, suggests that the parson looks "ghost-like" as a result of wearing the veil.

The veil provokes such a strong response that much of the congregation avoids the parson. Nobody wants the honor of walking beside him, for instance, and nobody wants to converse with him.

Over time, however, the congregation changes its opinion of the veil, believing that it helps the parson to better understand their sins:

Its gloom, indeed, enabled him to sympathize with all dark affections.

The effect of the black veil, therefore, changes throughout the story, beginning with confusion and dread and later becoming a welcome sight for dying sinners.

Based on The Travels of Marco Polo, explain how the movements of people, ideas, goods, and religions can produce conflict and resistance across...

Marco Polo relates descriptions in his Travels of lands that are defended by their inhabitants. For example, he relates descriptions of the conquests of the Tartars at places such as Vochang over the King of Mien and Bangala. Though the troops of the King of Mien and Bangala possess elephants, their troops are quickly overrun by the arrows of the Tartars. As Polo writes:

"But their ramparts were soon demolished by the Tartars, who slew many of them, and with the assistance of the persons accustomed to the management of the elephants, they possessed themselves of these to the number of two hundred or more. From the period of this battle the grand khan has always chosen to employ elephants in his armies, which before that time he had not done. The consequences of the victory were, that he acquired possession of the whole of the territories of the king of Bangala and Mien, and annexed them to his dominions."

Therefore, in this example, the movement of people through military conquest resulted in conflict and resistance. In addition, the movement of people (Tartars to this region) caused the dissemination of ideas, as the Tartars learned how to use elephants for military purposes. However, even this idea spread further conflict rather than peace, as the Tartars used elephants to conquer other lands.

Polo also discusses how the Kalif of Baldach (or Baghdad) persecuted Christians in his realm:

"From the time of his accession in 1225, his daily thoughts were employed on the means of converting to his religion those who resided within his dominions, or, upon their refusal, in forming pretenses for putting them to death."

Apparently, when the Kalif was about to put the Christians in his realm to death, they performed a miracle by which a mountain was moved. As a result, the Kalif and some of his people converted to Christianity. However, the movement of religions often resulted in conflict. While the great Kublai was himself tolerant of other religions and asks the Polos to have the Pope send Christian missionaries to his lands, the spread of Christianity and Islam, as related in the Travels, often results in conflict rather than in peace. 

Existentialism is a common theme in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Albert Camus's The Stranger, and Steve McQueen's film, Hunger. How do these...

Existentialism plays a significant role in each of these works, although its role is perhaps most obvious in The Stranger.

The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosisuses a strange metaphorical transformation to illustrate the themes of existentialism and its role in the human condition. The main character, Gregor, discovers that he is undergoing a grotesque transformation into a giant insect. This transformation is used to illustrate Gregor's alienation from society and his family, which is a...

Existentialism plays a significant role in each of these works, although its role is perhaps most obvious in The Stranger.

The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis uses a strange metaphorical transformation to illustrate the themes of existentialism and its role in the human condition. The main character, Gregor, discovers that he is undergoing a grotesque transformation into a giant insect. This transformation is used to illustrate Gregor's alienation from society and his family, which is a common theme in existentialist thought. The existentialist theme of consequence presents itself as well. Gregor chooses to do meaningless work he hates in order to care for his family and, by doing so, creates his own meaning in life. This story illustrates the painful aspect of alienation in the human condition. In doing what he believes is right, Gregor becomes isolated from his fellow man and loses his humanity. This story could also be considered an example of Absurdism (closely related to Existentialism) with the bizzare and uncontrollable events in the story representing the idea that there is no order or reason in the universe.

The Stranger

The Stranger is one of the strongest examples of existentialist thought in literature and, though Camus rejected the existentialist label, his works are often classified as such. The story follows Meursault, who learns of his mother's death through a telegram and travels to attend her funeral. He exhibits no grief or emotion during the funeral, and after a series of events and acquaintances, he commits a meaningless murder. In the face of execution, Meursault asserts that there is no greater meaning to human life and denies the existence of God, serving as a mouthpiece for many of Camus' existentialist philosophies. In this sense, The Stranger holds that the human condition is a result of human creation and insists that the only true peace to be found lies in accepting that life has no inherent meaning.

Hunger

Hunger is a film that deals with the existential ideas of faith, imprisonment, and consequences. The story focuses on a prisoner who starves himself as a political protest against his imprisonment and the government regime he opposed. It is through this dark event that Hunger explores the nature of choice and consequence, two themes that are essential to existentialist philosophy. Hunger shows the worst of the human condition in a dark prison devoid of comfort or hope. Despite their squalid circumstances, the prisoners find ways to express their ingenuity and anger.

How does Major Sholto's house represent 19th century society?

"Major Sholto's house" is Pondicherry Lodge. In what way does do this residence evoke themes representative of 19th century society? In answering this question, I will focus on elements of the home -- physical and social -- that pertain to themes that were especially important to the 19th century, as opposed to other historical periods:

• The house as a fortress to protect treasures stolen from native peoples


• A social system in the house that reflects 19th central ideals of master-servant relationships


• An exterior appearance that evokes industrialism


• Surrounding grounds that have been dug up in order to find treasure -- evoking the theme of destroying the environment for economic rewards

Note that Major Sholto is already dead before the novel begins, but we are provided with background information from his son and Jonathan Small.

1. Major Sholto, who was hoarding in his house a vast treasure that had been stolen from an Indian rajah, was fearful of his British competitors, and took steps to turn that house into a kind of fortress.  

The years between 1815-1915 have been called Britain's "Imperial Century." Empire -- and the exploitation of native peoples -- defined British society as never before. In this story, Major Sholto is a guilty participant in this exploitation, and his moral concerns and worries don't concern native peoples, but the other British men he has competed with and cheated. He doesn't fear reprisals from the Indian rajah, or any Indians. He fears that another Englishman -- the man who originally stole the treasure -- is going to come after him.

So he hires prizefighters to act as house porters and body guards. His grounds are protected by a gate. He himself has shot at a trespasser. The reader is left with the picture of a fortress that protects a privileged, anxious imperialist against threats from other imperialists.

2. The social system in the house reflects 19th central ideals of master-servant relationships: Sholto's own servant believed him to be guilty of murder, yet was willing to serve him faithfully.

Nineteenth century society depended on strict hierarchical relationships between servants and masters, and it was no longer just aristocrats who employed servants. Middle class families did too, so loyal servant-master relationships were a concern for a much larger part of the population than ever before.

Major Sholto didn't actually kill the man. He tries and fails to convince his servant of this fact, but ultimately it doesn't matter to the servant. He doesn't mind, and is ready to Sholto him dispose of the body. The servant tells Major Sholto:

"I heard it all, Sahib," said he. "I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. But my lips are sealed. All are asleep in the house. Let us put him away together."

Thus, the running of Pondicherry lodge evokes the theme of intense loyalty from servants -- a theme of great concern for a sizeable part of 19th century society.

3. The exterior of the house evokes the utilitarian ugliness of the industrial age.

During the 19th century, society was greatly affected by the Industrial Revolution. Crafts were no longer done by individuals at home, but instead in huge, centralized factories. And the factories themselves were designed for efficiency, not aesthetics. In this context, the house's exterior could be considered representative of the industrial forces that have been transforming the 19th century world, particularly given the expectations a reader might have for a story of this kind.

After passing through the gate, we might expect to see an ornately decorated house that fits with our expectations of a gothic mystery -- something suggestive of medieval architecture. Or, failing that, we might expect to see a stately, Georgian home from a Jane Austen novel. Instead, we are presented with a building that is notable for its extreme plainness:

"…a huge clump of a house, square and prosaic, all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner and glimmered in a garret window. The vast size of the building, with its gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart."

This is a big, ugly box, characterless except for its immensity, gloom, and lack of character.

4. The grounds of the house have been dug up and blighted in order to find the treasure.

The people of 19th century Britain were accustomed to the transformation of the natural environment in order to further economic aims. After his death, Sholto's sons are frantic to find the hidden treasure. In their greed they transform the land around the house into a sight that looks "resembles a gravel pit" and looks as though prospectors have mined it. This reinforces the impression of a domestic world that reflects the primacy of industry and economic exploitation of the environment.

Write a synopsis of the fight between Old Yeller and the loafer wolf.

In the book, Old Yeller battles a rabid, loafer wolf. Travis is alerted to what Old Yeller is up against when his mother warns him about the mad wolf.

As he runs outside to help his mother and Lisbeth to safety, Travis sees Old Yeller wrestling with another animal. He describes the animal as a fierce and savage wolf. As Old Yeller fights bravely, he lets out a prolonged, savage yell, indicating that he will...

In the book, Old Yeller battles a rabid, loafer wolf. Travis is alerted to what Old Yeller is up against when his mother warns him about the mad wolf.

As he runs outside to help his mother and Lisbeth to safety, Travis sees Old Yeller wrestling with another animal. He describes the animal as a fierce and savage wolf. As Old Yeller fights bravely, he lets out a prolonged, savage yell, indicating that he will fight to the death to protect his human family.

Travis's mother tells him to get his gun to shoot down the wolf. To give himself light, he drops a live coal onto a pile of bear grass clumps. However, Travis is disappointed when he is unable to get a good shot at the wolf. At this point, the bodies of Old Yeller and the loafer wolf are entwined in a ferocious wrestle to the death.

Eventually, the tumbling stops. The wolf manages to get on top of Old Yeller and to lock his powerful jaws onto Old Yeller's neck. Knowing that Old Yeller will die if he does not shoot, Travis takes aim. After the shot, he thinks that he has killed both the loafer wolf and Old Yeller. However, Travis is relieved when Old Yeller lifts up his head and begins licking his hand. The chapter ends on a sad note: knowing that Old Yeller has been bitten by a rabid wolf, Travis shoots his beloved pet.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what were three ways the education system limited Scout's learning?

It could be argued that one of the main problems with the school system that makes it difficult for the young narrator of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbirdto learn is the endemic poverty in Maycomb County, Alabama. Lee's fictional county in the Deep South of Depression-era America is desperately poor, and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch's new teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, is ill-prepared for the challenges such endemic poverty entails. As Scout suggests early...

It could be argued that one of the main problems with the school system that makes it difficult for the young narrator of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to learn is the endemic poverty in Maycomb County, Alabama. Lee's fictional county in the Deep South of Depression-era America is desperately poor, and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch's new teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, is ill-prepared for the challenges such endemic poverty entails. As Scout suggests early in Chapter 2 regarding her fresh-out-of-college teacher's efforts at enlightening her students by reading to them,

"Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature."

Lee's town lacks the resources to provide a quality education. This problem is compounded by Miss Caroline's inexperience as a teacher. She is not only unprepared for the challenges posed by the meager resources allocated to this school, but she is equally unprepared for the effects of endemic poverty on some students' families commitment to education. The principal example of this is the Ewell family. Burris Ewell is in Scout's class and rejects Miss Caroline's efforts at assimilating him into the classroom's structure and curriculum. While the most extreme case of poverty challenging the educational process, Burris is not the only such case for which the young teacher is ill-prepared. Walter Cunningham's lack of proper clothing also puzzles Miss Caroline, whose more upper-class background apparently insulated her from the characteristics of this level of poverty, evident when she is frightened by a mouse that runs across the classroom floor.

Another obstacle to Scout's learning, discussed early in Chapter 4, is the State of Alabama's "fruitless efforts" at teaching "Group Dynamics." Scout's brother Jem had earlier warned his younger sister that the Dewey Decimal System was being introduced into the school system and Scout later complains that she had "no chance to compare it to other teaching techniques," a considerable factor for a child already admonished by her teacher for learning to read ahead of the system (courtesy of Atticus's attention to his children's education). Scout's discussion of the school system's shortcomings focus greatly on her teacher's inability to accept that a student has already learned to read through an ad hoc process involving her natural curiosity and her father's educated background.

In conclusion, one could suggest that three obstacles within the school system to Scout's ability to learn are the socioeconomic status of the community, the new and narrow-minded teacher's lack of preparation and experience, and the school system's adoption of a new program (Group Dynamics and the Dewey Decimal System) that is very different from what came before.

I need assistance answering an Intro to Statistics question about interpreting scatterplots. I am including a pdf screenshot of the question (4.5...

The negative trend in this scatterplot indicates that the two variables, weight and desired weight change, are negatively correlated. That means as a student's weight goes up, his or her desired weight change goes down (meaning that it is a negative number). If you draw a line of best fit through the data (meaning a straight line that approximately goes through the center of the data), students who weight 100 pounds will want to gain...

The negative trend in this scatterplot indicates that the two variables, weight and desired weight change, are negatively correlated. That means as a student's weight goes up, his or her desired weight change goes down (meaning that it is a negative number). If you draw a line of best fit through the data (meaning a straight line that approximately goes through the center of the data), students who weight 100 pounds will want to gain about 10 pounds (positive ten), while students who weigh about 130 will not want to lose any weight (meaning a value of 0). As students' weights increase, their desired weights become negative because they want to lose weight. For example, a student who weighs 180 pounds will have a desired weight change of approximately negative 40. Therefore, as a student's weight increases, the desired weight change becomes increasingly negative, meaning that the variables are negatively correlated and there is a negative trend in the data. 

What is the difference between "character" and "characterization" according to the paragraph below? Character is essential to plot. Without...

Based on the included paragraph, it is a bit tough to specifically nail down the definition of "character" because the paragraph doesn't include a definition.  The paragraph states that characters are "essential to plot" and "influenced by events," but that doesn't concretely tell readers what a character is.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a character as follows:

one of the persons of a drama or novel

That works okay, but I believe that the definition should...

Based on the included paragraph, it is a bit tough to specifically nail down the definition of "character" because the paragraph doesn't include a definition.  The paragraph states that characters are "essential to plot" and "influenced by events," but that doesn't concretely tell readers what a character is.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a character as follows:

one of the persons of a drama or novel

That works okay, but I believe that the definition should be expanded a little bit.  The above definition seems a bit too limited to me because it gives the connotation that a character must be human.  I like to define a character as follows: a character is a person, an animal, or an imaginary being that participates in the action of a story.  

Characterization is what makes a character feel real and alive.  Characterization is the tool that authors use to make a character something more than a proper noun.  The paragraph that the question provides ends with a statement about authors using various characterization methods to build a character.  

The two methods of characterization are direct and indirect characterization.  Direct characterization happens when the narrator or another character directly tells readers information about a character.  This kind of characterization usually occurs early in a story.  The narrator will tell readers that a particular character has blond hair and blue eyes.  There isn't anything for a reader to deduce about the character.  That's what indirect characterization requires.  A reader or viewer must deduce the characteristics of a character based on that character's behavior, speech, appearance, etc.