What is so important about the ending scene in The Last Lecture?

The final scene of The Last Lecture is so important because it reveals Randy's real purpose.

Randy opens The Last Lectureby saying his work is "not about dying." Rather, the lecture is about how to live. Randy accentuates this with talking about his life experiences and the lessons he learned. Throughout the work, the feeling is that Randy is trying to give a primer to the audience as to how life should be lived...

The final scene of The Last Lecture is so important because it reveals Randy's real purpose.

Randy opens The Last Lecture by saying his work is "not about dying." Rather, the lecture is about how to live. Randy accentuates this with talking about his life experiences and the lessons he learned. Throughout the work, the feeling is that Randy is trying to give a primer to the audience as to how life should be lived and what should be done in it to make it more meaningful.

The final scene challenges this idea. It is so important because Randy tells us the real reason why he decided to give the talk: "The talk wasn’t just for those in the room. It was for my kids.” When Randy tells us the talk was intended for his children, we understand he truly is going to die. What we witnessed was a dying father's wish for his children because he will never get to see them grow up. The lecture is a way for Randy to transcend his own limitations and speak to his kids after he is unable to do so. When this revelation dawns on the reader in the final scene, it adds poignancy to a work that is replete with it.

What are examples of direct and indirect characterizations of Crooks in Of Mice and Men?

Direct characterization occurs when an author explicitly states what a character is like: happy, humble, impetuous, angry, and so on. Indirect characterization occurs when a character is revealed through descriptions of their looks, by listening to what the character says as well as his private thoughts, how other characters react to that character and the character's actions. In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, much of the characterization is done indirectly. For example, Steinbeck never...

Direct characterization occurs when an author explicitly states what a character is like: happy, humble, impetuous, angry, and so on. Indirect characterization occurs when a character is revealed through descriptions of their looks, by listening to what the character says as well as his private thoughts, how other characters react to that character and the character's actions. In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, much of the characterization is done indirectly. For example, Steinbeck never comes right out and states that Lennie is mentally disabled. Rather, he reveals Lennie's character through what he does, how he talks and what others say about him.

In the case of Crooks, Steinbeck chose to use both direct and indirect characterization. He is indirectly characterized in Chapter Two when Candy talks about him. He describes him physically as a black man who has a crooked back because he was kicked by a horse. He further relates that Crooks is a good horseshoe player, reads books, and is something of a fighter (because he wins a fight against "Smitty"). Candy seems to like Crooks although he does refer to him with a derogatory name for a black person, which would have been a common label at that time. In Chapter Three, Crooks is also characterized as having a face "lined with pain." 

In Chapter Four, Steinbeck uses direct characterization to inform the reader that Crooks was "proud and aloof." The reader later understands that Crooks is aloof because he is often ostracized from the white workers on the ranch and that he spends a great deal of time by himself. In the same chapter, Steinbeck again uses indirect characterization to reveal that Crooks is terribly lonely and frustrated by his position on the ranch. He temporarily takes out this frustration on Lennie by suggesting that George might leave Lennie alone. Finally, the reader also understands that Crooks has the same dreams as the other men when he suggests that he could go with George, Lennie and Candy to the dream farm and work and live with them. Unfortunately, Curley's wife spoils this dream by reminding Crooks that, as a black man, he is virtually a second class citizen without the same rights as the white men.

How do I make a newspaper article about causes and results of World War II?

When making any news article, you want to be able to answer the following questions. Who was involved? What happened? Why did it happen? When did it happen? What were the results of the action?

In looking at the causes of World War II, we can look at these questions individually.

Who: The countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan, called the Axis Powers, were fighting Great Britain, France, and eventually the United States and the...

When making any news article, you want to be able to answer the following questions. Who was involved? What happened? Why did it happen? When did it happen? What were the results of the action?

In looking at the causes of World War II, we can look at these questions individually.

Who: The countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan, called the Axis Powers, were fighting Great Britain, France, and eventually the United States and the Soviet Union, called the Allied Powers.

What: The Axis Powers began to invade other countries to get land and resources. After Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and France declared war on the Germany. After the Japanese attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, we declared war on Japan. In each instance, other alliance members joined the war. The Soviet Union joined the war after being invaded by Germany when Germany broke the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union.

Why: The Axis Powers wanted land and resources. Germany wanted revenge for the harsh Versailles Treaty.

When: World War II began in Europe in September 1939. The United States joined the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor that occurred on December 7, 1941.

Results: Germany and Italy controlled much of Europe at the start of the war. The Axis advance was stopped when they failed to capture Great Britain in 1940. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Germany made a major military mistake that weakened them significantly. The Axis Powers were on the retreat in Europe after 1942, and they surrendered on May 8, 1945. The Japanese controlled much of the western and the central Pacific Ocean and parts of Asia until June of 1942. After the Battle at Midway Island, a battle that Japan lost, the Japanese were now on the retreat as the Allies began the policy of island hopping. Eventually, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, ending the war. After the war ended, the United States and the Soviet Union became the two superpowers, and they entered a period of confrontation and competition known as the Cold War.

Now you are able to write an informed news article!

What would be a good introductory paragraph for an essay about Bud not Buddy?

I am going to assume that the essay is not a basic book summary.  The first thing to figure out for the entire essay is a thesis statement.  What is your essay going to argue, and what is it trying to prove?  A thesis statement cannot be a statement of fact, so be sure to come up with a thesis that is debatable.  Once you have a thesis figured out, it will guide the entire paper as well as the introductory paragraph.  I would come up with a thesis that focuses on a theme or a character's development over the course of the novel.  One example could be the following:

"Although Bud has gained his real grandfather by the story's conclusion, it is the people that Bud met along the way that are likely to have the longest lasting impacts on his life."  

If this is your thesis, the opening paragraph should briefly focus on some of the most important people that Bud met over the course of the story.  It is up to you to choose who you feel is most valuable, but I would seriously consider Lefty Lewis, Deza Malone, Steady Eddie, and Bugs. 

There is one other part of an introductory paragraph that needs to be given a lot of attention: the first sentence.  I call it the "attention getter."  It needs to grab your reader's attention right away and motivate him or her to keep reading.  A reader that is bored from the first sentence is not motivated to keep reading.  

Asking the reader a question is always an effective way to get the reader's attention.  It forces the reader to think about the question and come up with possible answers.  The reader will also likely be curious about what your answer might be.  

Another effective attention getter is to use a quote.  This could easily be done with this book because Bud is full of great one-liners and rules for life.  You could probably pick any of his rules and relate it to the thesis about the importance of family and relationships to Bud. 

Rules and Things Number 29: When you wake up and don't know for sure where you're at and there's a bunch of people standing around you, it's best to pretend you're still asleep until you can figure out what's going on and what you should do.

`y = 3/(1+x) , y = 0 , x =3` Find the volume of the solid generated by revolving the region bounded by the graphs of the equations about the...

For the region bounded by `y=3/(1+x)` , `y=0` , and `x=3` revolved  about the line `x=4` , we may apply Washer method for the integral application for the volume of a solid. Note: We consider a region bounded at the first quadrant.

 The formula for the Washer Method  is:

`V = pi int_a^b [(f(x))^2-(g(x))^2]dx`

or

`V = pi int_a^b [(f(y))^2-(g(y))^2]dy`

where f as function of the outer radius 

         g as a function of the inner radius

 To determine which form we use, we consider the vertical rectangular strip representation that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation as shown on the attached image. The given strip will have a thickness of "`dx` " which is our clue to use the formula:

`V = pi int_a^b [(f(x))^2-(g(x))^2]dx`

For each radius, we follow the `y_(above)-y_(below)` . 

For the inner radius, we have: `g(x) = 4-3/(1+x)`

For the outer radius, we have: `f(x) = 4-0 =4`

Then the boundary values of x  is ` a=0` and `b =3` .

The integral will be:

`V = pi int_0^3 [4^2 -(4-3/(1+x))^2]dx`

Expand using the FOIL method on:`(4-3/(1+x))^2= 9/(x + 1)^2 - 24/(x + 1) + 16` and `4^2 =16` .

The integral becomes: 

`V = pi int_0^3 [16 -(9/(x + 1)^2 - 24/(x + 1) + 16)]dx`

`V = pi int_0^3 [16 -9/(x + 1)^2 + 24/(x + 1) -16]dx`

Simplify: `V = pi int_0^3 [-9/(x + 1)^2+ 24/(x + 1) ]dx` or

`V = pi int_0^3 [ 24/(x + 1) -9/(x + 1)^2 ]dx`

Apply basic integration property:

`int (u-v)dx = int (u)dx-int (v)dx.`

`V = pi [int_0^3 24/(x + 1)dx -int_0^3 9/(x + 1)^2dx ]`

For the indefinite integral, may apply u-substitution by letting:  `u=x+1` then `du=dx`

`V = pi [int 24/(u)du -int 9/(u)^2du]`

For the integral of `int 24/(u)du` , we follow the integration formula for logarithm:

`int 24/(u)du= 24ln|u|`

For the integral of `int 9/(u)^2du` , we follow the Law of Exponent: `1/x^n = x^-n` and Power rule for integration formula : `int x^n dx =x^(n+1)/(n+1)` .

`int 9/(u)^2du =int 9u^(-2)du`

                 ` = 9u^(-2+1)/(-2+1)`

                 ` = 9 u^(-1)/(-1)`

                  `= -9/u`

 Then, the integral becomes:

`V = pi [int 24/(u)du -int 9/(u)^2du]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|u| -(-9/u)]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|u| +9/u]`

 Plug-in `u=x+1` on `V = pi [ 24ln|u| +9/u]` , we get:

`V = pi [ 24ln|(x+1)| +9/(x+1)]|_0^3`

Apply the definite integral formula: `int _a^b f(x) dx = F(b) - F(a)` .

`V = pi [ 24ln|(3+1)| +9/(3+1)] -pi [ 24ln|(0+1)| +9/(0+1)]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|4| +9/4] -pi [ 24ln|(1)| +9/(1)]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|4| +9/4] -pi [ 24*0 +9]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|4| +9/4 -9]`

`V = pi [ 24ln|4| -27/4 ]`

What is the rule against perpetuities?

The Wex legal dictionary states that the Rule Against Perpetuities is:

“A common law property rule that states that no interest in land is good unless it must vest, if at all, not later than twenty-one years after some life in being at the creation of the interest.”

Basically, this means that an individual’s interest in a piece of property is good so long as that individual: A) was born within the life of someone who...

The Wex legal dictionary states that the Rule Against Perpetuities is:

“A common law property rule that states that no interest in land is good unless it must vest, if at all, not later than twenty-one years after some life in being at the creation of the interest.”

Basically, this means that an individual’s interest in a piece of property is good so long as that individual: A) was born within the life of someone who was alive at the creation of the interest, and B) can claim that interest no more than 21 years after the person alive at the creation of the interest has passed away.

Let’s look at an example:

Mr. Smith has a large piece of land. He also has one child named Bill, who is two years old. Mr. Smith decides to write his last will and testament in which he states, “The land shall be inherited by my son, Bill, and then pass to any child Bill has after Bill’s death, and after that child graduates from college.” Mr. Smith dies a day after writing his will. 

This violates the rule.

The grandchild’s interest was created through Bill, who was the “life at being” (alive) when the will was written. But since Bill is only two, there is no way to know if or when he will have children. But that’s only half of the problem: There is no way to know if Bill's yet-to-be-born child will graduate from college. This would be viewed as a violation of the rule because it puts too many restrictions on the land’s use.

The Rule Against Perpetuities, therefore, prevents individuals from determining how land is to be used long after they die. Courts are reluctant to rule against a person’s last wishes unless, of course, those wishes are clearly illegal. However, courts also do not look favorably on property being controlled by a “dead hand.” In the above case, Mr. Smith’s “dead hand” would be controlling the property far too long into the future.

Analyze Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried and Jayne Anne Phillips's Machine Dreams as responses to trauma as well as forms of narrative...

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a central concept in trauma theory. Cathy Caruth's trauma theory in Unclaimed Experience appears to be based on Freud's conception of the subject. To Freud, trauma constituted the consciousness's rejection of a violent or intense event. This rejection is coupled with belated attempts by the mind (latency) to reconcile the conflict through repetitively intrusive flashbacks or dreams. Essentially, Caruth's definition of PTSD is similar; one can argue that trauma theory originated in the foundational intellectual theories behind the science of psychoanalysis.

In light of this, the survivor's testimony becomes a literary and social analysis tool. Freud discovered that survivors of war or soldiers often experienced flashbacks in all their literality (completeness). It is important to note how this type of traumatic memory differs from what is normally characterized as ordinary memory. Basically, traumatic memory is disassociated from the symbolization and meaning that characterizes ordinary memory. Trauma theorists argue that PTSD sufferers cannot adequately express their trauma in normative language; Caruth characterizes the gap between what has been experienced and what is written/said as a type of aporia.

In The Things They Carried and Machine Dreams, the narratives act as both traumatic and ordinary memorials. While it is true that these narratives may constitute war fiction, the larger issue is whether we shall be guilty of cross-transference in characterizing these works as such. In psychoanalysis, cross-transference occurs when the therapist transfers his/her experiences and personal emotions onto the patient.

In terms of these works representing psycho-therapeutic discourse, the narrator is the patient, while we, the readers, are the therapists. If we allow our personal biases to color our judgment of the narratives, then the war survivor is not just at the mercy of the linguistic limitations of his culture but also our individual perceptions.

Instead, it is possible to approach the gap between the war survivor's testimony and our perception of his trauma in a unique way. Trauma theorists argue that the flexibility of literature allows us to accept both the comprehensible and incomprehensible, hence its importance as therapeutic discourse; literature allows for linguistic and cognitive failure or malfunction. Survivors crave acceptance and understanding; in other words, our ability to listen (and sympathize) is more important than whether we accept the basis of the testimony or narrative memorial. When we succeed in accepting the survivor's testimony (however disjointed and incomprehensible to our psyches), we become successful "literary" therapists.

In The Things They Carried, some will argue that Tim O'Brien's narrative is just that: disjointed, non-linear, and often hovering somewhere between reality and magical realism. In the book, he argues that a "true war story is never moral"; instead, it is a stark truth in itself, characterized by its "uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil." Let's further compare his statements below:

In any war story, but especially a true one, it's difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen.

When a guy dies, like Curt Lemon, you look away and then look back for a moment and then look away again...And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed.

In many cases a true war story cannot be believed. If you believe it, be skeptical. It's a question of credibility. Often the crazy stuff is true and the normal stuff isn't, because the normal stuff is necessary to make you believe the truly incredible craziness.

Here, O'Brien acknowledges the reality of traumatic memory intruding on ordinary memory. He acknowledges how linguistic limitations can distort truth. He argues that a war story can be true and untrue at the same time; his words reinforce literature as a powerful means for readers to embrace the war veteran's trauma.

Similarly, Machine Dreams also uses testimony as part of its narrative memorial. In the book, Mitchell Hampson's obsession with machines (even after the war) is a testament to his trauma. The war machines and the machines of his post-war concrete factory represent his mechanized, masculine alter-ego. Mitchell feels lost and marginalized without them. The testimonies of his war years and post-war years allow us to explore his conception of masculine identity and security. When he returns from the war, Mitchell has disturbing flashbacks and dreams about bulldozing lifeless Japanese corpses. He doesn't tell the women in his life about his nightmares.

The war machines perpetuate the myth of Mitchell's invincibility; he is dependent on the machines. Additionally, his trauma makes it difficult for him to conceptualize life without them. Phillips's novel also addresses the reality of strained relationships as part of the experience of war veterans who suffer from PTSD. Mitchell's alienation from his wife is evident during his post-war years. When their son, Billy, is reported missing in action during the Vietnam War, the trauma becomes entrenched in the family. For more, please refer to the excellent links below.

Source: Reviewed Works: Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History by Cathy Caruth; Representing the Holocaust: History, Theory, Trauma by Dominick LaCapra; Worlds of Hurt: Reading the Literatures of Trauma by Kalí Tal; Review by James Berger, Contemporary Literature, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Autumn, 1997), pp. 569-582