How are Frankenstein and Lolita similar?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do the townspeople feel about Richard Cory?

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

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

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He...

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

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

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He was a gentleman from sole to crown,

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

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

Next, in stanza two, the speaker tells us:

And he was always quietly arrayed,

And he was always human when he talked;

But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

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

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

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

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

And admirably schooled in every grace:

In fine, we thought that he was everything

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

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

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

So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;

And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rearranging the problem:

`yln(x)-xy'=0`

`yln(x)=xy'`  or `xy' = y ln(x)`

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rearranging the problem:

`yln(x)-xy'=0`

`yln(x)=xy'`  or `xy' = y ln(x)`

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

          `=u^2/2+C`

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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