What are the negative and positive aspects of life in the city in the early 1800s?

Depending on where you were in the world during the early 19th century, city life had differing particularities. There were some general similarities, though, as urbanization was rapidly increasing during and after the Industrial Revolution. In general, people in cities had more opportunities available to them and a relatively more stable lifestyle than someone from the country. However, living conditions were very poor for all but the upper class.

First, it is important to address...

Depending on where you were in the world during the early 19th century, city life had differing particularities. There were some general similarities, though, as urbanization was rapidly increasing during and after the Industrial Revolution. In general, people in cities had more opportunities available to them and a relatively more stable lifestyle than someone from the country. However, living conditions were very poor for all but the upper class.

First, it is important to address the population growth in cities. During the Industrial Revolution, many people moved to cities to find work in a factory or other industrial setting. One of the positive aspects of population growth was that employment rates also went up. Demand for and production of goods was increasing, which is good in a capitalist economy. People were also receiving a wage for their work, as opposed to subsistence-based work and economy.

Unfortunately, work in early industrial settings was highly dangerous. Children were often employed in large numbers because they demanded a lower wage and could fit inside machinery for cleaning and repairs. Wages for both adults and children were quite low, and this sparked the development of labor unions. Labor conditions were also made dangerous by the materials being used- dangerous substances like asbestos, arsenic, and phosphorous were commonplace in factories.

Urban spaces were unable to keep up with the rapid influx of people from the countryside, and cramped housing and work spaces were veritable cesspools. Poor and working class people did not have very good hygiene, so disease was common and spread quickly. Cholera killed many in the United States and United Kingdom.

As I mentioned above, there were some differing factors in city life depending on the location. There was an increasing push for bettering public health standards during this time, and in 1801, Philadelphia became the first city to provide clean water for drinking throughout the entire city.

Due to the boom in production and trade, more jobs were available in cities, as were goods which might not be available in the countryside. Unfortunately, many people were unable to afford the wealth of goods available to them due to low wages.

Massive fires were also problematic as people and buildings were crowded together. One small, accidental fire could quickly spread and take out several buildings, as in the Great Fire of 1835 in New York.

Give a brief description of a daydream and what caused it by reality?

Walter Mitty's daydream which opens the story is a good example of how he translates reality into fantasy. 

"We're going through!” The Commander’s voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye. “We can’t make it, sir. It’s spoiling for a hurricane, if you ask me.” “I’m not asking you, Lieutenant Berg,” said the Commander. 

This daydream is especially interesting for several reasons. One is that it shows how Mitty puts himself in roles that are appropriate to his age. In order to have reached the rank of Commander he would have to be middle-aged. Many young people indulge in fantasies regularly, but they fantasize about being football or baseball heroes or, in the case of girls, perhaps as Cinderella types or lead singers with rock groups. Mitty has no youthful fantasies anymore, which shows he is something of a realist even in his daydreams.

The reality that triggers his daydream of piloting a powerful hydroplane through hurricane weather is in the fact that he sees a storm coming and the fact that he knows he is going to have to drive through wet weather to get himself and his wife to Waterbury for their shopping trip and back again to their country home. At the end of the story the storm will finally hit. He will be standing with his back against the wall of a drugstore smoking a cigarette. The cigarette and his standing against a wall will trigger the idea that he is standing bravely before a firing squad.

“To hell with the handkerchief,” said Walter Mitty scornfully. He took one last drag on his cigarette and snapped it away. Then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the Undefeated, inscrutable to the last. 

What snaps him out of his fantasy role as Commander Mitty piloting the hydroplane is his wife's voice--the voice of reason, reality, caution, and authority.

“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. “What are you driving so fast for?”

She is one of those women who repeats everything.

“You were up to fifty-five,” she said. “You know I don’t like to go more than forty. You were up to fifty-five.” 

When Mitty was mentally giving orders to increase the power of the hydroplane engines, he unconsciously pressed a little harder on the car's accelerator and was soon going fifty-five miles an hour. His wife probably had her eye on the speedometer and didn't squawk until the needle reached 55. He was courting danger, not only in his imaginary hydroplane, but in his automobile. 

Thurber's story just gives a glimpse into Walter Mitty's mind. He has many other fantasies, but the one triggered by the approaching storm clouds and one triggered by the rain and sleet when they hit put a frame around the story by giving it a sense of a beginning and an end. 

What theme do you see throughout the text of the Mayflower Compact?

The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620, was the first governing document of Plymouth County, written by separatist Congregationalists. The original document has been lost, but three versions still exist. The document contained heavy themes of Christianity, democracy, liberty and religious freedom. 

The Mayflower was originally headed for the already established Colony of Virginia but did not make it, and instead the pilgrims had to anchor down and live in what is now Cape Cod, MA. Because...

The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620, was the first governing document of Plymouth County, written by separatist Congregationalists. The original document has been lost, but three versions still exist. The document contained heavy themes of Christianity, democracy, liberty and religious freedom. 

The Mayflower was originally headed for the already established Colony of Virginia but did not make it, and instead the pilgrims had to anchor down and live in what is now Cape Cod, MA. Because they were in new land with no established rulers, they took it upon themselves to establish their own government so that no one from outside could rule them. This is why the document, based on a majoritarian model (although women and children could not vote), contains many themes of liberty and democracy.

"Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience."

The document was essentially a social contract.

In Inside Out and Back Again, Hà's mother has Quang bless the house on Tết before Hà can. How is this symbolic?

Tết happens twice in the story: once near the very beginning, when Hà very sneakily touches her toe to the tile floor of the house to bless the house first, and once at the end of the story, when--knowing what her daughter had done the year before--Hà's mom gets Quang to bless the house this time before Hà can have a chance to repeat her little act of defiance.

So how is this blessing symbolic?

"Only male...

Tết happens twice in the story: once near the very beginning, when Hà very sneakily touches her toe to the tile floor of the house to bless the house first, and once at the end of the story, when--knowing what her daughter had done the year before--Hà's mom gets Quang to bless the house this time before Hà can have a chance to repeat her little act of defiance.

So how is this blessing symbolic?

"Only male feet can bring good luck," Hà explains to us near the beginning of the story. By allowing a male in the family to be the first in the new year to touch his bare feet to the floor of the home, Hà's family believes that luck will come to them throughout that year. In other words, the action of male feet touching the floor of the home at the start of the new year is a symbol of blessing and luck.

Being the only sister in the family, though, Hà hates this. The unfairness of being a girl and not having the special touch to bless a house rises up as "an old, angry knot" in Hà's throat. Flash forward toward the end of this book, and Hà shouts, "I hate being told I can't do something because I'm a girl!" For this reason, we can understand her act of defiance, which is also important to the plot of the story as the turbulent year makes Hà wonder if her toe touching the floor brought on all the troubles that year.

But her confession about touching her toe to the floor the previous Tết prompts her mother to admit the limitations of the symbolism of that tradition: "I was superstitious, that's all. If anything, you gave us luck because we got out and we're here."

What is Santiago’s reaction to the Portuguese-Man-of-War in the novel The Old Man and The Sea? How is his reaction different from any we have...

Santiago had a strong respect for nature.  He had learned to read natural signs to help him with his fishing.  He followed the birds in the sky and the smaller fish of the sea to locate his big fish.  However, he hates the Portuguese-man-of-war.  When he sees it near his boat, he says,

“Agua mala….You whore.”  (pg 35)

“Agua mala” means bad water.   The Portuguese-man-of-war was swimming so close to the boat that Santiago could...

Santiago had a strong respect for nature.  He had learned to read natural signs to help him with his fishing.  He followed the birds in the sky and the smaller fish of the sea to locate his big fish.  However, he hates the Portuguese-man-of-war.  When he sees it near his boat, he says,

“Agua mala….You whore.”  (pg 35)

“Agua mala” means bad water.   The Portuguese-man-of-war was swimming so close to the boat that Santiago could see the tiny fish that were swimming between the filaments.  These fish were immune to the poison of the Portuguese-man-of-war, but humans were not.  Some of the filaments would catch on the fishing lines of the boats, and when the fishermen brought in the lines, they would still get stung, even when the filaments were no longer attached to the gelatinous body.  Santiago would get

“….welts and sores on his arms and hands of the sort that poison ivy or poison oak can give” (pg 36)

The only difference was that the poison of the Portuguese-man-of-war was quick, similar to a whiplash.  The old man enjoyed watching turtles eat the agua mala and, after a storm, he loved to walk on the beach and pop them with his feet.  However, that practice is NOT recommended by those who know that a Portuguese-man-of-war can sting you with its filaments even after it is dead.  There was definitely no love lost there.    

Check out the reference below from National Geographic for some stunning pictures of a Portuguese-man-of-war.

What is the relevance of the title Games at Twilight?

The title of this story bugged me the first time that I read the story.  It bugged me because when I started reading the story, it was clear that the children were not playing any games at twilight.  

They faced the afternoon. It was too hot. Too bright. The white walls of the veranda glared stridently in the sun.

The story starts out during the early to mid afternoon.  It starts out at the...

The title of this story bugged me the first time that I read the story.  It bugged me because when I started reading the story, it was clear that the children were not playing any games at twilight.  

They faced the afternoon. It was too hot. Too bright. The white walls of the veranda glared stridently in the sun.

The story starts out during the early to mid afternoon.  It starts out at the hottest and brightest part of the day.  Despite the heat and brightness though, the kids beg to be let out to play in the garden.  The game that they choose to play is hide and seek.  As the game progresses, Ravi becomes more and more determined to win, so he hides himself very well.  Nobody can find him, but Ravi also isn't willing to risk revealing himself and make the run to the "den" in order to win. He sits and sits and sits until . . . twilight. 

Here is where the title makes sense, and it makes sense in two ways. First, Ravi is the only child still playing hide and seek at this time.  He is the only child playing the first game at twilight.  He's envisioning himself being victorious in a spectacular fashion.  In a way, he's playing games with himself.  If that explanation of the title sounds weak, I think I may know why.  Technically, Ravi is playing a game.  Singular.  So why would the title be plural?  

The title is "games" at twilight because as the day progresses and cools down, the other children play a bunch of different games.  

There had been a fight about who was to be It next. It had been so fierce that their mother had emerged from her bath and made them change to another game. Then they had played another and another.

All of the other children really are playing many games at twilight.  Only Ravi is left playing the first game all by himself.  

Sometimes the government does not act as a producer of goods and services but still influences private producers. Explain how it might do this?

While the government does not always act as a producer of goods and services, it still influences private producers in the following three ways:

Legislation

The government, in its desire to finance its specific initiatives and programs, will sometimes enact new legislation to raise taxes. This influences the decisions and actions of individuals and companies, private or publicly-traded.

For example, it may legislate a new tax on trucking and other enterprises for tires – their...

While the government does not always act as a producer of goods and services, it still influences private producers in the following three ways:

Legislation

The government, in its desire to finance its specific initiatives and programs, will sometimes enact new legislation to raise taxes. This influences the decisions and actions of individuals and companies, private or publicly-traded.

For example, it may legislate a new tax on trucking and other enterprises for tires – their environmentally-proper disposal of, for example. Therefore, this may cause a company to put off re-jigging its fleet of trucks until absolutely necessary. It may also cause a company to refrain from purchasing additional trucks for its fleet right now, due to paying more taxes on replacement costs of parts for its current fleet of vehicles.

The government can institute all sorts of legislation that can have a direct effect on the operations of businesses. Just ask the tobacco industry.

Programs that spur innovation

The government can put in place incentive programs designed to help businesses that provide useful goods and services to innovate. For example, it may give grants or tax breaks to companies that are in the alternative energy business. This may be to help them pioneer new wind technology or solar technology that can decrease the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. As a result, this financial help from the federal, state, or local governments, enables a company to grow as they innovate. The result may be that the company becomes very profitable, and this may only have happened because of the initiative of the government to help the company.

Programs that spur more employment

Furthermore, the government may give funds or tax breaks to businesses to permit them to hire new employees at a reduced cost to the business. The government is trying to spur employment so that they can receive more payroll taxes and spend less on unemployment payouts. The business can hire more employees to further their initiatives such as increasing production. Therefore, a business may sign on for the government program to drive growth and maybe would not have hired any new employees without this government program, so, certainly, the government is influencing a business’s actions in a significant way.

What is the difference between how Miles and Jesse view their immortality?

"Maybe. But we don't know them," Jesse pointed out. "We've never had anyone but us to talk about it to. Winnie—isn't it peculiar? And kind of wonderful? Just think of all the things we've seen in the world! All the things we're going to see!"

"That kind of talk'll make her want to rush back and drink a gallon of the stuff," warned Miles. "There's a whole lot more to it than Jesse Tuck's good times, you know."

"Oh, stuff," said Jesse with a shrug. "We might as well enjoy it, long as we can't change it. You don't have to be such a parson all the time."

"I'm not being a parson," said Miles. "I just think you ought to take it more serious."

The above exchange happens between Miles Tuck and Jesse Tuck in chapter 8.  They have just finished explaining to Winnie Foster that the fresh water spring in the Foster woods granted them eternal life almost a century earlier.  Miles and Jesse Tuck have polar opposite opinions on the ramifications of eternal life.  Miles Tuck sees his eternal life as a big responsibility.  He sees it as something to be taken care of carefully and used as a tool.  

"Someday," said Miles, "I'll find a way to do something important."

Jesse, on the other hand, sees his eternal life as a way to extend his fun and enjoyment of life indefinitely.  Jesse's eternal life isn't so much a tool to be used (as it is to Miles) as it is a toy to be played with.  He plans to use his eternal life for perpetual fun.  It's important to note that Jesse is the only Tuck family member that sees eternal life in this fashion.  He's also the only Tuck family member that encourages Winnie to consider drinking from the spring at some point in her life.  

What are two good quotes from Chapter 5, and three good quotes from Chapter 6 in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapter 5

"There are just some kind of men who---who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results." (Lee 60)

In this quote, Miss Maudie is explaining to Scout why Mr. Radley, who is a "foot-washing Baptist," is such a strict man. She tells Scout that "foot-washing Baptists" believe that anything that causes pleasure is a sin....

Chapter 5

"There are just some kind of men who---who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results." (Lee 60)

In this quote, Miss Maudie is explaining to Scout why Mr. Radley, who is a "foot-washing Baptist," is such a strict man. She tells Scout that "foot-washing Baptists" believe that anything that causes pleasure is a sin. Maudie attempts to explain how some people take the Bible literally and become callous towards others in their pursuit of faithfulness.

"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets." (Lee 61)

Miss Maudie is describing Atticus' personality. Atticus is the morally upright character throughout the novel who is the epitome of integrity and honesty. Unlike many of the citizens in Maycomb who harbor prejudice behind their friendly dispositions, Atticus is the same regardless of where he is, or who he's around. ___________________________________________________________

Chapter 6

"Mr. Radley shot at a negro in his collard patch." (Lee 72)

This quote reflects the racist attitudes of the community members. No one is sure who infiltrated Nathan's yard, yet they automatically blame an African American. 

"Atticus ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way." (Lee 75)

Jem displays his reverence for his father by risking his life to retrieve his pants to avoid a beating from Atticus. Jem looks up to his father and is afraid of disappointing Atticus.

"Sometimes I did not understand him, but my periods of bewilderment were short-lived. This was just beyond me." (Lee 75)

Scout struggles to understand why her brother is taking the risk of getting shot to retrieve his pants. This quote reflects Scout's naive childhood innocence by not fully understanding Jem's feelings towards his father.

In the play adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank, what are some references to historical actions taken against Jewish people in Amsterdam?

The dramatic adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frankby Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett premiered in 1955, just ten years after the end of World War II and the horrific events of the Holocaust. The play opens with Anne’s father, Otto Frank, returning after the war to the attic hiding place where his family and the Van Daan family spent two years trying to avoid capture in German occupied Holland. When the families first...

The dramatic adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett premiered in 1955, just ten years after the end of World War II and the horrific events of the Holocaust. The play opens with Anne’s father, Otto Frank, returning after the war to the attic hiding place where his family and the Van Daan family spent two years trying to avoid capture in German occupied Holland. When the families first go into hiding, the play refers to the “Green Police”—Nazi police who were known by their green uniforms. The play also refers to the Star of David that Jewish people were required to wear on their clothing at all times. In the tense, emotional close of the play, the audience hears German voices and the door below being broken down. Mr. Frank shares the reassuring thought, “For the past two years we have lived in fear. Now we can live in hope.” Anne’s diary ends with their capture. The play, however, has a frame structure that begins with Mr. Frank returning to the attic after the war, flashes back to the period of hiding in the attic, and returns to Mr. Frank speaking with Miep about the events after their capture. The family was first sent to a concentration camp in Holland. Later, they were sent to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Anne and her sister Margot were later transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany where they died of typhus. Less than two months later, the camp was liberated. Anne’s father Otto Frank was the only survivor of the two families.
    

In The Way To Rainy Mountain, in what ways do the activities at Momaday's grandma's house connect to a vanishing way of life?

There is a very pertinent quotation from The Way to Rainy Mountain that has to do with these "activities" you speak of at Momaday's grandmother's house.  From this quotation, readers can certainly connect the Kiowa's "vanishing way of life" with prayer:

I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her: standing at the wood stove on a winter morning . . . sitting at the south window, bent above her beadwork . . . going out upon a cane, very slowly as she did when the weight of age came upon her; praying. I remember her most often at prayer.

This quotation is extremely important because it connects Momaday's grandmother directly to the decline of the Kiowa tribe in relation to their worship of Tai-me, the Sun Dance god.  When Momaday's grandmother is "often at prayer," she is praying to Tai-me. 

Throughout the book, Momaday's grandmother was often present during significant events of the Kiowa tribe.  Most significantly, Momaday's grandmother actually participated and performed in the Sun Dance on one particular day that was an important part of their worship each year to Tai-me. 

According to Momaday's historical information, Momaday's grandmother was seven years of age when she went to the very last Kiowa Sun Dance which was in 1887 above Rainy Mountain Creek along the Washita River.  Then, when she was ten, Momaday's grandmother saw the Kiowa people disperse during a Sun Dance without being able to complete their religious rituals.  Momaday gives us the specific date this time:  July 20, 1890.  This was the day that the Fort Sill soldiers ended the Sun Dance for the entire Kiowa tribe. 

In conclusion, the most important activity that connects Momaday's grandmother with the vanishing Kiowa way of life is prayer.  As referenced in the quotation above, the author has a vivid memory of his grandmother at prayer.  Her prayers were often very long, anguished, and rambling.  They are full of her grief for the decline of the Kiowa tribe.

What happens in The Giver?

The Giver tells the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in a dystopian, unnamed society. He is eleven when the story starts and is getting anxious about turning twelve because in his society that is when children become adults and are told what their assignment (career) will be. In his society the Council of Elders makes all of the decisions and rules for the society, including who marries who, which couples can have children, what careers each individual has, and so on. The society is very orderly and we get the impression it is cut off from other communities.

Jonas is assigned to be the next Receiver of Memory, a very honored position in his society, but one which he is completely unfamiliar with. When he meets the current Receiver of Memory, a very old man, he is told to call him the Giver (hence the title of the book) because he is now going to train Jonas and "give" him the memories of the entire world. This confuses Jonas, but as the Giver explains, every person in the community only knows what they need to know and nothing more. Even the Council of Elders does not have memories of its own society from generations past. As a community they all agreed that only one person, the Receiver of Memory, should hold all of the memories for the community and that person acts as an advisor to the Council when the community experiences something new that it does not know how to handle.

Jonas begins his training and finds that his new position allows for him to break some of the rules everyone else is held to. He can ask questions of anyone and he can life, for instance. The training is very difficult, emotionally and physically, and as the training goes on, Jonas realizes that the society he lives in is not perfect. No one in the community has free will or choice or knowledge to make choices, which he becomes aware of as he is exposed to the world before "Sameness". Sameness is the policy they passed in the community to keep everyone and everything as uniform as possible. But now Jonas questions it. 

One ritual in the society that Jonas also learns the dark truth about is something called "Release." This is a euphemism for lethal injection, and in his society it is treated as something that is either celebrated (for old people) or required for those who do not meet the community's standards. This is not a ritual anyone questions and no one except the people who carry it out really know what it actually means.  Toward the end of the novel Jonas knows his father has participated in the release of a newborn twin and he wants to see the video of the ceremony, thinking it will be a positive thing to watch. When he sees the reality of what release is, he is horrified and immediately decides he can never return home and doesn't even want to stay in his community anymore. 

The Giver helps Jonas comes up with a way to escape the community. They agree that the Giver will remain behind and help the community deal with all of the terrible memories that are going to come flooding back to them once Jonas escapes. Apparently, once before when a Receive of Memory died, all of her memories came back to the joint consciousness of the community and it was "Chaos." The Giver knows they will face this again and he must stay to help them.

Jonas goes home and after everyone has fallen asleep he packs up his things, and the toddler that his family has been fostering since the beginning of the novel. The toddler is scheduled for release the following day, and Jonas has grown quite close to him. Now that he knows what release is, there is no way he can let the baby stay in the community. So, he takes his things and the baby, Gabriel, and steals his father's because it has a baby seat on it. He rides out of town. It takes a very long time to get out of the community's boundaries and once they realize he is missing they send out search planes. He bikes for days and avoids the planes and eventually they stop or he travels far enough away beyond their search area. The story ends with Jonas coming up on a house lit up with Christmas lights. He and Gabe are very weak from traveling so long with so little food and shelter and in the middle of winter, but the final scene shows them heading toward this house and hopeful that this is a new start.

For more information on specific scenes, characters, and themes make sure to look at the study guide.

Discuss the quarrel between Cassuis and Brutus. How is their conflict resolved? What are the deeper issues and the misunderstandings between them?

In Act IV of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius are engaged in a civil war against Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus. Brutus and Cassius meet to discuss problems in their ranks. Cassius is upset with Brutus because Brutus condemns a man that Cassius defends. Brutus is upset with Cassius because when Brutus requests money from Cassius, he does not send it. 

This is the superficial argument between them. The root of the argument is based in their roles in the conspiracy and assassination as well as their relationships with Julius Caesar.

Throughout the course of the play, it is evident that Cassius is jealous of Caesar. In Act I, Cassius describes Caesar as a "colossus" that "bestrides the narrow world." When he recounts a day that he and Caesar both attempted to swim across the Tiber River, he portrays Caesar as weak and crying " 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'"(I,i, 201). When Cassius is trying to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy, he states that Caesar's name is not more respected than Brutus' (or Cassius' for that matter). It is this jealousy that motivates Cassius to plot against Caesar and turn Brutus against him as well. 

While arguing with Brutus in his tent, Brutus questions Cassius' motives (for the first time). He says, 

Remember March, the Ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?
What villain touch’d his body, that did stab,
And not for justice?

These doubts resonate with Cassius, who once again feels as if he competing with a dead man. Brutus then explains that he is not afraid of Cassius' temper and he is annoyed that when he requested money from Cassius, he was denied. Cassius is visibly upset, and responds 

I did not. He was but a fool
That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:
A friend should bear his friend’s infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are (IV, iii)

Cassius becomes incensed by the accusation that his motives and actions are not noble, and bears his chest to Brutus while offering his dagger. Cassius then declares 

I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
Than ever thou lovedst Cassius (IV, iii).

Once again, it is evident that the root of the conflict between Cassius and Brutus does not have to do with money or gold. It is about the dynamic between Brutus, Caesar, and Cassius.

Explain the themes and theology in the Book of Exodus.

The Book of Exodus follows a sustained narrative beginning first with the life of Moses, a Hebrew raised among Egyptian royalty, before showing how God used Moses to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage and lead them towards the country promised to Abraham, the ancient patriarch of the Hebrew people. At the end of the story, God delivers his Law to the Israelites.

Themes

• 
  Covenantand Promises– A covenant is a relationship between two...

The Book of Exodus follows a sustained narrative beginning first with the life of Moses, a Hebrew raised among Egyptian royalty, before showing how God used Moses to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage and lead them towards the country promised to Abraham, the ancient patriarch of the Hebrew people. At the end of the story, God delivers his Law to the Israelites.

Themes

• 
  Covenant and Promises – A covenant is a relationship between two parties that may be conditional or unconditional. This idea of a covenant between God and humanity has precedence in the Book of Genesis, where many times God establishes a sequence of covenants with characters like Adam, Noah, and Abraham. In Exodus, the covenant specifically between God and the Israelites comes into fruition with the coming of the Law, and is distinct from the covenants in Genesis in that it is conditional on the Hebrews keeping the Law. The Law and the Covenant form the basis for the Hebrew understanding of the rest of the events in the Hebrew Bible – God will bless his chosen people, and his chosen people will keep the Law. When Israel is blessed, it is because the people have been faithful to the Law, and when Israel is punished, it is because the people have been unfaithful to the Law. This dynamic is demonstrated in Exodus, as the entire act of God delivering the Hebrews from Egypt is representative of a fulfillment of his promises to the Israelites.


• 
  Redemption and Punishment – The Jewish holiday of Passover has its roots in the narrative of Exodus as a remembrance of how God spared the Israelites from the punishments of the plagues, specifically the last plague (the death of all firstborn sons). The plagues were sent to the Egyptians to punish them (and especially Pharaoh) for their enslavement of the Israelites. God also redeemed the Israelites physically from their bondage in Egypt, an act that is seen by Christians as foreshadowing for the redemption of all humanity through Jesus.

Theology

Theology is the formal study of the nature of God. In Exodus, God is shown to be both merciful and just, dealing out blessings and punishment. Although in the context of the written work the name “Yahweh” had been used frequently prior to Exodus, in the context of the narrative itself God first reveals his personal name as Yahweh in Exodus while speaking with Moses. In this conversation, God identifies himself as the same God who spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then tells Moses his true name. Though the etymology of the name Yahweh is uncertain, it has been traditionally associated with the Hebrew word for “to be”, signifying the Hebrew God’s character as “living” and “present.” Through this act of personal revelation and through the further development of the Covenant, God’s character as loving and merciful is show, and through his punishment of the Egyptians, his character as just is shown. 

How do Esperanza's vivid similes set the tone throughout the novel? Consider "the nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an...

The way Cisneros uses similes in The House on Mango Streethelps to create concrete imagery that solidifies the image in the reader's brain. For example, in "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin," the simile "The nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator's" (25) gives a solid mental picture of the front of that car crunched up and looking like an alligator. This visual image is so vivid, unlikely that...

The way Cisneros uses similes in The House on Mango Street helps to create concrete imagery that solidifies the image in the reader's brain. For example, in "Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin," the simile "The nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator's" (25) gives a solid mental picture of the front of that car crunched up and looking like an alligator. This visual image is so vivid, unlikely that a reader would misunderstand what the car looks like after it crashes into a wall or a building as it tried to escape a cop. 

Another simile found in "Laughter" also help to create concrete imagery for sound. For instance, Esperanza says that the way she laughs with her sister is "all of a sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking" (17). Immediately, the reader can mentally picture and hear dishes falling in the kitchen and smashing on the floor. When a simile relates to something that most humans have experienced, they will work for the benefit of the story and for the reader at the same time.

In contrast, Esperanza says that Rachel and Lucy's family laugh like "shy ice cream bells' giggle." The structure of the sentence in the book does not use the words like or as when mentioning "bells' giggle," so one could say that part is a metaphor. To be more specific, it could also be personification because inanimate objects like bells can't giggle. But the imagery is still there as one might mentally picture a couple of cute, little bells ringing to represent Rachel and Lucy's laughter.

The result of similes such as these, and found throughout the novel, add an intelligent, sensitive, and credible tone. As a result, Esperanza comes off as insightful and smart and the reader gets an authentic, empathetic feeling for the people and events in the story.

How does Bradford's analysis of the events relate to the purpose of the book History of Plymouth Plantation?

To answer this question we need to carefully consider the purpose of William Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation. This book is generally thought of as a history of life in early colonial New England. Because it is the only work of it's kind to address this time and place, it is usually studied in school as an example of colonial literature and an important historical document. However, we need to keep in mind that students, especially high school students, are typically exposed to only a small portion of the book.

The oft-used high school textbook Elements of Literature—Fifth Course has only excerpts from Chapters 9 and 11 of the book. Entirely omitted is the story of the Puritans in Holland and England prior to their journey to America. This part of the book, which covers about 14 years of Puritan history, details their difficulties in finding a place to worship. By the time the finally reach the New England shore in September, 1620, they have already faced many hardships and deprivations.

Bradford's purpose is not so much to illustrate an important aspect of America's origin and development, but to show how the Puritans are working in accordance with God's will to establish a Godly settlement in which they can live according to their own beliefs.

We see this religious emphasis in Bradford's interpretation of events. When relating the fate of a particularly unlikable non-Puritan sailor, Bradford writes:

But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner.

Bradford attributes the death of the sailor to God's vengeance. In fact, just about everything is attributed to God's will in one way or another. It is entirely natural for Bradford and the Puritans to look at life this way, so we see quite a few similar instances throughout History of Plymouth Plantation. Bradford wants to show the that the Plymouth colony has successfully fulfilled God's plan.  

How is "A White Heron," by Sarah Orne Jewett, a work of literary realism?

An author of a work of literary realism aims to depict the everyday world in a realistic -- as opposed to idealistic -- way.  This is what Jewett attempts to do through her description of the banal, commonplace activities of life on a farm: Sylvia's nighttime, muddy search for Mistress Moolly at the story's beginning, cow-milking, berry-picking, toad-watching, and keeping company with chickens.  Nothing is idealized or romanticized; the effect of nature on Sylvia is...

An author of a work of literary realism aims to depict the everyday world in a realistic -- as opposed to idealistic -- way.  This is what Jewett attempts to do through her description of the banal, commonplace activities of life on a farm: Sylvia's nighttime, muddy search for Mistress Moolly at the story's beginning, cow-milking, berry-picking, toad-watching, and keeping company with chickens.  Nothing is idealized or romanticized; the effect of nature on Sylvia is immense, to be sure, but there are no descriptions of, for example, some blissfulness that nature imparts to the child.  Rather, Jewett simply talks about Sylvia as though she were a part of the nature she so loves, comparing her throughout the story to a flower, a bird, even a star. 

Further, the opposition Jewett establishes between Sylvia, a representative of nature, and the stranger, representative of "civilization," helps to establish the story's realism.  She depicts the steady encroachment of the city on the wild and the damage to nature that such trespass inflicts.  The stranger nearly corrupts the innocent Sylvia into betraying the heron by offering her money and gifts, by flattering and charming her.  He isn't evil, but it seems as though he does not understand the danger he, and his way of life, pose to her and her woods.  By the end, after Sylvia has decided not to tell him where the heron is, and he leaves, she thinks of "the piteous sight of thrushes and sparrows dropping silent to the ground, their songs hushed and their pretty feathers stained and wet with blood."  Such a true-to-life, matter-of-fact description of the stranger's way of appreciating nature helps to further mark this text as a work of realism.

Describe a chemical analysis method such as mass spectrometry and discuss the sampling, detection level, precision and error sources. Regarding the...

I will describe a very common chemical analysis method used throughout academia and industry alike.  High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is commonly used to analyze chemical compounds for purity and assay value.  Sampling for an HPLC analysis is usually very easy since only micrograms of sample are required.  The tiny amount of sample is dissolved in a solvent that the HPLC instrument injects into the system.  This makes HPLC an ideal method for analyzing chemical...

I will describe a very common chemical analysis method used throughout academia and industry alike.  High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is commonly used to analyze chemical compounds for purity and assay value.  Sampling for an HPLC analysis is usually very easy since only micrograms of sample are required.  The tiny amount of sample is dissolved in a solvent that the HPLC instrument injects into the system.  This makes HPLC an ideal method for analyzing chemical reactions since they are already dissolved in solvent.  The detection level for a quality system is down to the ppb level (parts per billion).  Precision is usually very high, with percent relative standard deviations among replicate groups of analyses well below 0.5%.  Sources of error include sample preparation (since this is the main part of the human component), or using low grade solvent systems (high grade solvent is required), a damaged column, or an out-of-calibration detector.

The main components of an HPLC system include:

• the solvent system (mobile phase)


• a degasser (to remove dissolved gasses in the solvent)


• a solvent pump that can mix and meter solvent mixtures with a high degree of specificity


• an autosampler to inject the sample


• the HPLC column (stationary phase)to perform the actual chemical separation


• a type of detector (usually some type of light absorbance based detector). 

Applications include measuring the purity of most any soluble substance that absorbs some wavelength of light.  Assay performance is very high.  In fact, regulatory agencies like the FDA and ICH have established common limits for different assay parameters that are considered universally acceptable.

How did Brutus manipulate the conspirators in Act II Scene 1 of Julius Caesar?

Brutus’s tragic flaw is his idealism, and his blindness to the potential for evil in man.  He himself is honorable, and strives to justify his actions against Caesar in an honorable manner.  Likewise he paints the conspirators as well as murdering for honorable reasons, though this is not necessarily reality.  Given these propensities of our hero, we can see that as he is speaking to his fellow conspirators in Act II, Scene 1, one could argue that he isn’t so much manipulating others as he is manipulating himself, and persuading his allies to conform to his idea of an honorable murder for the betterment of Roman society.

When Cassius suggests that they take an oath of secrecy, Brutus dissents, and calls upon this honor as rendering any oath superfluous.  He protests,

…do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor th’insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think that or our cause or our performance
Did need an oath;

Thus he persuades the conspirators to forego any secret oaths to each other or to their cause, since the cause and the men themselves are noble, and such a virtuous act, among virtuous men, does itself solidify each man’s dedication to the plan.  And so Brutus compliments the others, and challenges their own moral fiber not only as honorable citizens, but also as Romans; the necessity of an oath is only for lesser men than they, for citizens of lesser civilizations.  This challenge forces the others to accept his suggestion, for fear of compromising their own reputations.

Brutus uses a similar tactic in lines 162 to 183 to dissuade the conspirators from assassinating Mark Antony.  “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers,” he implores to Cassius, “for Antony is but a limb of Caesar.”  He believes that Antony is harmless without Caesar’s leadership and support, and would have Caesar’s death be clean and honorable.  He will not have them contribute to a limb-hacking bloodbath, and calls upon the men’s reverence of the divine, asking them to “carve him as a dish fit for the gods,” and behave in a manner that will “make our purpose necessary, and not envious; …we shall be called purgers, not muderers.”  In this manner he seeks to persuade the conspirators to temperance in their deed, and therefore he, Brutus, will maintain his reputation for honesty and he can continue to live in his bubble of idealism and honor.  Which, of course, turns out after the fact to be impossible.

Many Americans wanted a new plan of government because the Articles of Confederation was too A. hard to understand. B. strong. C. expensive. D. weak

Many people wanted a new plan of government because the Articles of Confederation was too weak. The government created by the Articles of Confederation was made weak on purpose because we were afraid of having too strong of a government like we had when Great Britain ruled us. Thus, the government under the Articles of Confederation wasn’t able to tax its people. It couldn’t make people join the military. It had trouble keeping order at home. It also couldn’t resolve disputes between states.

These weaknesses led to financial issues. We had trouble paying our debts to other countries because it was hard for the government to raise money. Our paper money was not always accepted because both the state governments and the federal government printed paper money.

The government had issues with other countries. When Great Britain wouldn’t leave the forts in the West, there was little the government could about it militarily because it couldn’t require our citizens to join the army. The same was true when Great Britain and Spain interfered with our trade.

The government had trouble maintaining order within the country. When Shays Rebellion occurred, the federal government didn’t respond to the rebellion. It was the state militia of Massachusetts that ended the rebellion. There also was no place where states could resolve disputes they had with each other.

Because of these issues, people realized we needed a new plan of government. As a result, our current plan of government, the Constitution, was developed.

What is the role of the ocean in the formation of weather systems?

The oceans play a role in the earth's weather systems through interactions with the atmosphere and the sun. First, the ocean, especially near the equator, which is the part of the earth closest to the sun, absorbs most of the sunlight. As water heats up, it evaporates into water vapor into the atmosphere. Again, this occurs the most in the tropics, near the equator. The evaporated water vapor condenses back into water droplets and eventually...

The oceans play a role in the earth's weather systems through interactions with the atmosphere and the sun. First, the ocean, especially near the equator, which is the part of the earth closest to the sun, absorbs most of the sunlight. As water heats up, it evaporates into water vapor into the atmosphere. Again, this occurs the most in the tropics, near the equator. The evaporated water vapor condenses back into water droplets and eventually precipitates as rain. The process of condensation releases heat, which warms the air and draws more warm, wet air in. This drawing of air, due to the difference in air pressure, causes winds, which can carry weather systems away from where the water originally evaporated. 

Water and land receiving the same amount of sunlight heat up differently. Water is better at storing heat, meaning a lot of sunlight is required to cause a change in water temperature. This is what drives monsoons. In the summer, the land is much warmer than water, causing moist air to be drawn inland and heavy rains to occur.

What does the word reform mean?

On a literal level, the word "reform" means to "reshape" or change. It usually carries a sense of improvement, often of something that is corrupt or functioning badly. Thus one might say "We need to reform voting procedures in country X due to evidence of widespread corruption." It is used in the context of human beings or political structures, but not of inanimate objects. One can speak of a "reformed drug addict" who has been...

On a literal level, the word "reform" means to "reshape" or change. It usually carries a sense of improvement, often of something that is corrupt or functioning badly. Thus one might say "We need to reform voting procedures in country X due to evidence of widespread corruption." It is used in the context of human beings or political structures, but not of inanimate objects. One can speak of a "reformed drug addict" who has been rehabilitated but not a "reformed car" after an oil change and tune up.

In English literary studies, there are two specially significant uses of the term "reform". One use refers to the Reformation, or birth of Protestantism, in 1517. This was a movement within Christianity to "reform" what were considered the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. The term "reformed" church means a Protestant one.

Next, in Victorian literature, the term "Reform", often capitalized, refers to the Reform bills in English Parliament, especially the Reform Bill of 1832, that widened the voting franchise. When characters in Victorian novels discuss reform, they mean a set of political changes that give more political power to the middle and later working classes and make government more representative.

What is the procedure in the story "The Lottery" if the head of the house cannot attend?

This problem has undoubtedly come up numerous times over the years. The author has provided an example in her story in order to show that every household must be represented in every annual lottery. In this case, Clyde Dunbar is laid up with a broken leg. He is either lying in bed at home or sitting up in a chair. When Mr. Summers asks, "Anybody ain't here?" several people say, "Dunbar, Dunbar." Everybody knows everybody in this town.

Mr. Summers consulted his list. "Clyde Dunbar." he said. "That's right. He's broke his leg, hasn't he? Who's drawing for him?"

"Me. I guess," a woman said. and Mr. Summers turned to look at her. "Wife draws for her husband," Mr. Summers said. "Don't you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?" Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the business of the official of the lottery to ask such questions formally. Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interest while Mrs. Dunbar answered.

"Horace's not but sixteen vet." Mrs. Dunbar said regretfully. "Guess I gotta fill in for the old man this year."

This dialogue suggests two things. One is that this is a patriarchal society in which the husbands rule their families. The other is that women don't like to do the drawing because it is a rather grisly business. They may either be drawing a slip that will doom themselves or a family member to some punishment which has not yet been revealed to the reader, or else they will be drawing a blank slip which will save their household from tragedy but increase the chances of it happening to somebody else. There is an implication throughout the story that this lottery is a male ritual which would have have been allowed to fade away if the women had had anything to say about it. If and when the lottery is finally to perish, it will be because the women's "felt values" of kindness and compassion will eventually prevail. One clue that this may be happening in the not-too-distant future is perhaps implicit in the following dialogue after it turns out that Bill Hutchinson has drawn the fatal slip for his family.

The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope it's not Nancy," and the sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd.

The girl has to whisper because it wouldn't do for anyone to show sympathy or mercy for any participant in the lottery. But someday this girl, who is around the same age as twelve-year-old Nancy Hutchinson, may speak in a louder voice for all to hear. And if she does so, there will be a number of other female voices raised in her support. By that time Old Man Warner will be dead, and there will be few men in the town who will care to insist that this futile and savage superstition be prolonged. Tessie Hutchinson sees the truth at the last minute, but it is too late for her to have any influence on her friends, neighbors, and the four family members who are closing in on her with their stones.

"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her

What was the quote that Atticus Finch told Scout when she was mad at her teacher?

When Scout's new teacher, Miss Caroline, found out that the little girl could read, she was appalled.  She told Scout to stop reading nightly with her father.  Later that evening, Atticus asked Scout if she was ready to read with him.  She was hesitant because of her teacher's command.  

Scout told Atticus that she was feeling ill and wished not to return to school.  She asked him to teach her at home.  Atticus had...

When Scout's new teacher, Miss Caroline, found out that the little girl could read, she was appalled.  She told Scout to stop reading nightly with her father.  Later that evening, Atticus asked Scout if she was ready to read with him.  She was hesitant because of her teacher's command.  

Scout told Atticus that she was feeling ill and wished not to return to school.  She asked him to teach her at home.  Atticus had been educated at home, and so had his brother.  They had gone on to be a doctor and a lawyer.  Atticus refused to teach her at home.  With hesitation, Scout told her father what had happened at school.

Not only had Miss Caroline told Scout to stop reading, but she also punished her for explaining why the Cunninghams do not borrow money.  Instead of being upset with Miss Caroline, Atticus asked Scout to be understanding:

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.  You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 3).

Atticus also told Scout that Miss Caroline had learned some lessons herself.  She had learned not to offer a loan of money to a Cunningham, not even a quarter.  Atticus wanted his daughter to show empathy to others.

According to the Gospel of Wealth, what are three specific examples of philanthropy?

According to the Gospel of Wealth, wealthy people had an obligation to use their wealth to help people in need. The Gospel of Wealth didn’t refer to giving handouts to people, but, instead, to provide them with the things that would help them to help themselves. Andrew Carnegie was a big believer in the Gospel of Wealth.

One example of philanthropy that was part of the Gospel of Wealth was building libraries. Andrew Carnegie provided...

According to the Gospel of Wealth, wealthy people had an obligation to use their wealth to help people in need. The Gospel of Wealth didn’t refer to giving handouts to people, but, instead, to provide them with the things that would help them to help themselves. Andrew Carnegie was a big believer in the Gospel of Wealth.

One example of philanthropy that was part of the Gospel of Wealth was building libraries. Andrew Carnegie provided lots of money to build many libraries. The purpose of building libraries is to allow people to read books and to obtain materials that would further their education and their studies. If people could get an education, they would have a much greater chance of improving their condition in life.

Another Gospel of Wealth-related example of philanthropy was to build concert halls or provide funds for churches to buy the pipes for their organs. By building concert halls, musicians would have a place to perform and earn a living. People would have a place to go to be entertained by these musicians. People would be able to enjoy the religious services and possibly be inspired by religious values if they attended churches where music could accompany prayer.

A final example of philanthropy related to the Gospel of Wealth is providing money to fund universities. If people could pursue a higher education and get a college degree, they would have a better chance of improving their place in life.

Andrew Carnegie believed in the concepts of the Gospel of Wealth. He believed the wealthy should use their money to help people who want to help themselves improve their position in life.

How is Phillip courageous in The Cay by Theodore Taylor?

Phillip is courageous in The Cay by Theodore Taylor several times. First of all, he showed courage when the ship he and his mother were on was torpedoed. It took a lot of courage for a boy to do what he had to do at that moment. Many children would panic under the same circumstances. Many adults would too. 

Once he and Timothy reached their cay, at first Phillip acted like a spoiled brat and...

Phillip is courageous in The Cay by Theodore Taylor several times. First of all, he showed courage when the ship he and his mother were on was torpedoed. It took a lot of courage for a boy to do what he had to do at that moment. Many children would panic under the same circumstances. Many adults would too. 

Once he and Timothy reached their cay, at first Phillip acted like a spoiled brat and used his new blindness as an excuse, but when he realized Timothy was trying to teach him how to survive, he changed. Phillip had been afraid to climb a tree to get coconuts, but one day he decided that he was going to do it. It definitely took courage for him to climb without the benefit of sight!

Phillip showed the most courage after Timothy died, and he was left alone. He had to do everything for himself. Timothy had warned him about the danger of the pond where he could find langosta (small lobster), and Phillip had not tried to catch any before Timothy's death, but when he no longer had Timothy there to do it for him, Phillip was able to catch them himself.  He survived all alone until he was finally rescued, and that takes a lot of courage!

What order does Jem give Scout on the first day of school?

Because Jem is older than Scout, and she is in the first grade while he is in the 5th grade, he doesn’t want Scout to bother him or embarrass him at school.  He doesn’t want her to ask him to play games or even talk to him. Jem is at the age where peer pressure is starting to affect him, and he would be embarrassed if she interrupted time with his friends with silly games. ...

Because Jem is older than Scout, and she is in the first grade while he is in the 5th grade, he doesn’t want Scout to bother him or embarrass him at school.  He doesn’t want her to ask him to play games or even talk to him. Jem is at the age where peer pressure is starting to affect him, and he would be embarrassed if she interrupted time with his friends with silly games.  He probably doesn’t want his friends to know that he still plays with his little sister.  And besides, Jem is a little perturbed that Scout won’t act more like a girl.

Scout tells us that Jem gives her these orders on the first day of school:

During school hours I was not to bother him, I was not to approach him with requests to enact a chapter of Tarzan and the Ant Men, to embarrass him with references to his private life, or tag along behind him at recess and noon.  I was to stick with the first grade and he would stick with the fifth.  In short, I was to leave him alone.

Jem is growing up, and can’t risk the other fellows in his class thinking he is still playing childish games with his baby sister; and therefore, he sets some ground rules for Scout to follow.

The details of the photo leads Thibault to believe that the girl had done what in The Lucky One?

The details of the photograph leads Thibault to believe that the girl had gone to a fair in North Carolina with someone who had been deployed to Iraq.

In the photograph, there is a banner directly behind the blonde girl which reads Hampton Fairgrounds.A German shepherd stands by her side, and there are two young men in the background standing in line to buy tickets; on the back of the photograph is a handwritten...

The details of the photograph leads Thibault to believe that the girl had gone to a fair in North Carolina with someone who had been deployed to Iraq.

In the photograph, there is a banner directly behind the blonde girl which reads Hampton Fairgrounds. A German shepherd stands by her side, and there are two young men in the background standing in line to buy tickets; on the back of the photograph is a handwritten message which reads 'Keep safe! E.'

Logan Thibault found the photograph while out on one of his morning runs during his deployment in Iraq. When he returns to Colorado, he decides to search for the woman. From the photograph, he is led to believe that the girl lives in North Carolina; one of the two young men in the photograph is wearing a shirt with the words 'Davidson' on the front. An internet search turns up information about a reputable college in North Carolina named Davidson College.

When a call to the Hampton Chamber of Commerce confirms that the Hampton Fair is held every summer, Thibault thinks that he is on the right track. He resolves to find the fairgrounds so that he can confirm that the photograph was taken there. Thibault believes that this will lead him to the woman in the photograph.

What significance does the title Of Mice and Men have?

The title of Of Mice and Men is taken from a poem written by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, in 1785, called "To A Mouse." The following lines of this poem are highly significant in illuminating the novel's key themes (a translation is provided in brackets):

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, [The best laid plans of mice and men],

Gang aft agley, [Often go wrong],

An' lea'e us nought but grief an'...

The title of Of Mice and Men is taken from a poem written by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, in 1785, called "To A Mouse." The following lines of this poem are highly significant in illuminating the novel's key themes (a translation is provided in brackets):

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, [The best laid plans of mice and men],

Gang aft agley, [Often go wrong],

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, [And leave us nothing but joy and pain],

For promis'd joy! [For promised joy!]

Like Burn's mouse, George and Lennie have a dream for their future: to own their own piece of land and run their own farm, as George comments in Chapter One:

Someday—we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs. 

But once the men find work on Tyler Ranch, their dream begins to unravel, just like the plans of the mouse in Burns' poem. Their conflicts with Curley and the (accidental) death of Curley's wife have a dramatic and enduring impact on the two men and the course of their lives. 

In this understanding, then, Steinbeck has deliberately taken the title from this quote because it symbolizes the destruction of the American Dream and sends the important message that, sometimes, things go wrong and there is nothing you can do to stop that from happening. 

How does his congregation regard Mr. Hooper before he began wearing the veil? How does the veil reflect his relationship with his congregation?

Before he began to wear the black veil, Mr. Hooper's congregation regarded him as "a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word."  In other words, Mr. Hooper was never a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher; he was more gentle than that, and he was thought of as being rather easygoing and placid.  Now,...

Before he began to wear the black veil, Mr. Hooper's congregation regarded him as "a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word."  In other words, Mr. Hooper was never a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher; he was more gentle than that, and he was thought of as being rather easygoing and placid.  Now, however, all that's changed.  the first sermon he gave wearing the veil, was "greatly the most powerful effort that [his congregation] had ever heard from their pastor's lips."  Mr. Hooper suddenly seems a great deal more sober, and less peaceful, than before.

Further it used to be that Old Squire Saunders would "invite Mr. Hooper to his table, where the good clergyman had been wont to bless the food, almost every Sunday since his settlement," but no more.  His parishioners' sense of awe and wonder and even fright now overshadows all of their dealings with their minister.  Where once he seemed like a kindly man one might ask to dinner, he now inspires a sense of dread as a result of the "terrible thing" on his face.

When did the Kiowas surrender?

In short, the answer to your question is July 20, 1890. Just keep in mind that the organization of The Way to Rainy Mountainmust be understood before the answer can be easily found.  The major parts of the book are called "The Setting Out," "The Going On," and "The Closing In."  These major parts are also separated into twenty-four sections with each section divided into three separate voices:  one having to do with myth,...

In short, the answer to your question is July 20, 1890. Just keep in mind that the organization of The Way to Rainy Mountain must be understood before the answer can be easily found.  The major parts of the book are called "The Setting Out," "The Going On," and "The Closing In."  These major parts are also separated into twenty-four sections with each section divided into three separate voices:  one having to do with myth, one having to do with history, and one having to do with Momaday's personal story.  Your question has to do with the historical voice (always found in the middle of the three).

One particular historical section deals with Aho (Momaday's own grandmother) and her experiences with the Sun Dances in her young life.  Aho participated in the last, full Sun Dance in 1887 above the Rainy Mountain Creek along Washita River.  It was when Aho was ten that she witnessed the Kiowa people both surrender and disperse during a Sun Dance without being able to complete their important religious rituals.  Why was the Sun Dance left incomplete?  The soldiers from Fort Sill showed up on July 20, 1890 and stopped all proceedings.  This, then, is the date of the Kiowa surrender.

Which 3 symbols in the novel Lord of the Flies are best used to enrich the themes of the book?

Conch: The conch symbolizes democracy, order, and civility throughout the novel. During the assemblies, the person holding the conch has the right to speak. This represents the democratic process of granting equal voice to any individual on the island, even a littlun. When someone is holding the conch, they are the only person allowed to talk. If any of the boys attempts to interrupt the person speaking, the conch is held in the air,...

Conch: The conch symbolizes democracy, order, and civility throughout the novel. During the assemblies, the person holding the conch has the right to speak. This represents the democratic process of granting equal voice to any individual on the island, even a littlun. When someone is holding the conch, they are the only person allowed to talk. If any of the boys attempts to interrupt the person speaking, the conch is held in the air, and everyone becomes silent. As Ralph says, it's the same as "Hands Up" in school. Whenever an assembly is called, the conch is blown. The conch signals the boys to come to the assembly. Piggy and Ralph value the conch which represents their affinity for civilization while Jack dismisses the significance of the conch.

Ralph's Hair: His hair symbolizes savagery and barbarism on the island. The longer Ralph's hair gets, the further he grows apart from civilization. Ralph's hair is a daily reminder that he is on an abandoned island surrounded by boys who are slowly descending into savagery. Ralph is continually pushing his hair back out of his face, which represents his growing angst with the immorality on the island and his departure from civilization.

The Beast: The boys fear the unknown beast throughout the novel. Towards the beginning of the novel, the littlun with a mulberry birthmark comments that he saw a snake like "beastie." The image of a snake alludes to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. As the novel progresses, the boys debate on the existence of the beast and discuss its actual identity. The beast symbolizes the inherent evil individuals possess on the island. Only Simon realizes the true nature of the beast. Golding suggests that humans are inherently evil and without restrictions and regulations, primitive savage nature reigns.

Calculate how the past famine and war may have contributed to the community’s structure.

The Giver explained to Jonas that centuries before, there was a famine:

"The population had gotten so big that hunger was everywhere.  Excruciating hunger and starvation.  It was followed by warfare."

The reader can assume that this grim situation described by The Giver led to the strict rules of the Community.  In the Community, everything is closely regulated.  One of the things that is regulated is the Community's population.  Centuries before, the population had become...

The Giver explained to Jonas that centuries before, there was a famine:

"The population had gotten so big that hunger was everywhere.  Excruciating hunger and starvation.  It was followed by warfare."

The reader can assume that this grim situation described by The Giver led to the strict rules of the Community.  In the Community, everything is closely regulated.  One of the things that is regulated is the Community's population.  Centuries before, the population had become so large that there was not enough food.  In the Community, birthmothers are the only people who can have babies.  These children are then assigned to parents.  The population cannot grow unintentionally because of this system.  Because of this, there is always enough food.  Also, because of sameness there is no war.  All of the other neighboring communities also have similar rules for sameness.

Why is it in the history of civil rights movements, do some leaders (e.g. W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X)...

I do not know of any specific examples of any of the people mentioned in the question referring to others as "Uncle Toms," but these men are certainly representative of the diversity of opinion among African-American political leaders at both the turn of the century (when DuBois and Washington had their disagreement) and the 1960s (when King and Malcolm X had theirs). DuBois' chief complaint about Washington was that his "accommodationist" strategy--accepting social discrimination in...

I do not know of any specific examples of any of the people mentioned in the question referring to others as "Uncle Toms," but these men are certainly representative of the diversity of opinion among African-American political leaders at both the turn of the century (when DuBois and Washington had their disagreement) and the 1960s (when King and Malcolm X had theirs). DuBois' chief complaint about Washington was that his "accommodationist" strategy--accepting social discrimination in return for economic equality in the South--would not lead to real progress for African-Americans. Washington, on the other hand, thought that without economic progress, blacks would continue to be marginalized in every way that mattered in the United States. As for Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, the former deemed King's strategy of nonviolence in search of political reform insufficient, though he did not really promote violence as is commonly believed. He also believed that King's message of racial cooperation was naive, and advocated African-American solidarity in the face of racial injustice. Other groups, like the young civil rights workers of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) resented King's perceived control of the movement (many SNCC activists mockingly called him "de Lawd"). Robert Williams of Monroe, North Carolina, argued for "armed self-defense" in addition to nonviolent protest. Even King himself moved toward increasingly radical, fundamental social change in the years before his death. All of the above were skeptical of the legalistic approach taken by the NAACP. Ultimately, the movement for civil rights in the twentieth century was very complex, involving interaction between national leaders (who usually get the credit) and hundreds of thousands of local people (who are usually forgotten). Naturally such a multi-faceted movement would involve the kinds of disagreements referenced in the question.

What are some quotes throughout Lord of the Flies that represent bullying on the island?

There are numerous scenes throughout the novel Lord of the Flies that depict the boys bullying each other. Piggy, the heavy-set character with glasses, is by far the most bullied child on the island. In Chapter 1, Piggy mentions to Jack that he got most of the boys' names, and Jack says, "You're talking too much...Shut up, Fatty." (Golding 21) Throughout the novel, Jack bullies Piggy every chance he gets. In Chapter 2,...

There are numerous scenes throughout the novel Lord of the Flies that depict the boys bullying each other. Piggy, the heavy-set character with glasses, is by far the most bullied child on the island. In Chapter 1, Piggy mentions to Jack that he got most of the boys' names, and Jack says, "You're talking too much...Shut up, Fatty." (Golding 21) Throughout the novel, Jack bullies Piggy every chance he gets. In Chapter 2, Jack rudely snatches Piggy's glasses off his face to start a fire, and when Piggy suggests that the boys be more careful the next time they build one, Jack says, "You're always scared. Yah---Fatty!" (Golding 45) Later on, Jack breaks Piggy's glasses by slapping them off his face. Jack continually interrupts Piggy when he attempts to speak during assemblies, and even steals his glasses to start his own fire towards the end of the novel.

However, Piggy is not the only child subjected to bullying. Simon is called "batty" and laughed at by the boys throughout the novel. In Chapter 4, when the boys are eating the pig Jack killed, Simon gives a piece of meat to Piggy. Jack slices off another piece of meat and throws it at Simon's feet and says, "Eat! Damn you!" (Golding 74)

In Chapter 4, Maurice and Roger bully the littluns who are building sandcastles on the beach. Both the hunters run through and destroy the littluns' sandcastles.

"Roger led the way straight through the castles, kicking them over, burying the flowers, scattering the chosen stones. Maurice followed, laughing, and added to the destruction." (Golding 60)

Even the littluns throw sand in Percival's eyes throughout the chapter.

"Henry and Johnny were throwing sand at Percival who was crying quietly again..." (Golding 67)

Jack not only disrespects Simon and Piggy but also bullies his hunters. In Chapter 7, the boys begin to mess around and pretend that Robert is a pig. The boys go too far and begin to stab and hurt Robert. This moment depicts all the hunters bullying one child.

"The circle moved in and round. Robert squealed in mock terror, then in real pain. "Ow! Stop it! You're hurting!" (Golding 114)

Golding conveys the boys' gradual descent into savagery by depicting them bullying one another as the novel progresses. Without boundaries and restrictions, the boys have no respect for one another and bullying becomes prevalent on the island.

Why can't the Indians and the British be friends?

In A Passage to India, Forster suggests that culture clash is one reason why Indians and the British cannot be friends.

Life in Chandrapore is filled with colliding values between Indians and the British.  Neither side is able to overcome the differences that exist.  Turton speaks to the challenges when both sides try to befriend the other one socially: "I have never known anything but disaster result when English people and Indians attempt to be...

In A Passage to India, Forster suggests that culture clash is one reason why Indians and the British cannot be friends.

Life in Chandrapore is filled with colliding values between Indians and the British.  Neither side is able to overcome the differences that exist.  Turton speaks to the challenges when both sides try to befriend the other one socially: "I have never known anything but disaster result when English people and Indians attempt to be intimate socially." Many of the English who have settled in India refuse to see their role as being hospitable. When Ronny Heaslop expresses sentiments such as "India is not home" and "we don't intend to be pleasant. We've something more important to do," it reflects the British perception of their role in India.  The British are not interested in making lasting connections with Indians.  They are more concerned with consolidating their power over the land and its people.   

Resentment over being subjugated is the reason why the Indians cannot befriend the British.  For example, Mahmoud Ali and Amritrao are convinced that their happiness is only possible when the British leave India. The congeniality that Aziz offers towards many of the British, and in particular, to Fielding, might be a chance of friendship.  However, he is unable to overcome the humiliation and pain of living under British rule.  Aziz cannot relinquish the anger he feels over what happened to him in Chandrapore.  The symbolism of this is evident in the ending of the novel when the Earth seems to divide Fielding and Aziz from being close to one another.  When Fielding offers his friendship, it is almost as if the world, one filled with Anglo-Indian strife, refuses: “No, not yet, and the sky said, No, not there.”  Forster suggests that as long as both sides cling to the clash of cultures that defines India under British rule, friendship is impossible to achieve.

Did Grandma switch the pie cards so Rupert Pennypacker could win or because she thought she had a better chance to win with his pie?

In A Long Way from Chicago, Rupert Pennypacker is supposedly the "best home-baker in the state of Illinois." Along with Grandma Dowdel, Rupert enters a gooseberry pie for the Fruit Pies and Cobblers competition at the county fair. When Grandma catches a glimpse of Rupert, she exclaims "I'm a goner." She thinks she might just lose to Rupert.

When Barnie Buchanan distracts everyone by flying his plane over the fair during the judging period,...

In A Long Way from Chicago, Rupert Pennypacker is supposedly the "best home-baker in the state of Illinois." Along with Grandma Dowdel, Rupert enters a gooseberry pie for the Fruit Pies and Cobblers competition at the county fair. When Grandma catches a glimpse of Rupert, she exclaims "I'm a goner." She thinks she might just lose to Rupert.

When Barnie Buchanan distracts everyone by flying his plane over the fair during the judging period, Grandma Dowdel switches her name card with Rupert's. Barnie Buchanan is the pilot who's offering free rides to all blue ribbon winners at the fair. Joey realizes that, if Grandma wins, he can get a ride in Barnie Buchanan's plane. Because of this, he doesn't say anything when he sees Grandma Dowdel switch the cards. After all, "desperate times" call for a "desperate act."

Ironically, in the end, Grandma wins the red ribbon (second place) for her pie, despite the fact that she switched the name cards. The text tells us that Grandma Dowdel did think she had a better chance of winning with Rupert's pie. In her conversation with Joey, she admits this:

"And another thing. I've got a confession to make," I said. "I know you wanted first prize on the pie. You wanted it bad. And I thought you'd switched the card on Mr. Pennypacker's pie with yours so you could win with his pie."

She shot me her sternest look. But then, easing back in the platform rocker, she said, "I did."

From the story, we can deduce that Grandma Dowdel's pie was actually judged to be better than Rupert's, and if she hadn't switched the card, she would have won the blue ribbon.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how does Romeo react to the news that Juliet is a Capulet, and how does Juliet react to the news that Romeo is a...

When Romeo discovers, via the Nurse, that Juliet is a Capulet, he says that his "life is my foe's debt." He means, basically, that his bitter enemy has given him his sole reason to live. He is absolutely smitten with Juliet, and in this line, he acknowledges the complexities that will result from this fact. A few lines later, Juliet asks the Nurse to identify Romeo, saying that "if he be married, my grave is...

When Romeo discovers, via the Nurse, that Juliet is a Capulet, he says that his "life is my foe's debt." He means, basically, that his bitter enemy has given him his sole reason to live. He is absolutely smitten with Juliet, and in this line, he acknowledges the complexities that will result from this fact. A few lines later, Juliet asks the Nurse to identify Romeo, saying that "if he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed." In other words, she says she will die unmarried if she cannot marry Romeo. When the Nurse reveals that Romeo is in fact a Montague, Juliet bemoans the fact that her "only love" is "sprung from [her] only hate!" Later, she reflects on the tragedy of this fact, asking rhetorically "What's in a name?" She says that if Romeo's name were any different, he would still be the same person--"a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"--and begs, in her soliloquy, for Romeo to "doff" his family name. She, like Romeo, realizes the implications of her love for a man who is denied to her by her birth. 

In Freak the Mighty, what qualities of Max and Kevin allow them to become friends?

Max and Kevin are as different as two people can be, yet the qualities that one lacks, the other has.  When the two of them form a friendship, they form a bond that creates the persona they both love--Freak the Mighty.  

Max is huge.  But as big as he is physically, he is equally small mentally.  He has convinced himself that he is stupid and slow, although this academic weakness is largely due to...

Max and Kevin are as different as two people can be, yet the qualities that one lacks, the other has.  When the two of them form a friendship, they form a bond that creates the persona they both love--Freak the Mighty.  

Max is huge.  But as big as he is physically, he is equally small mentally.  He has convinced himself that he is stupid and slow, although this academic weakness is largely due to his traumatic childhood.  Kevin, on the other hand, is physically extremely small.  Yet mentally, he is a giant.  He is most confident in his intellectual abilities.  What joins the two boys is not what they have in common physically or mentally, but instead their shared life experiences.  Both boys have been shunned by their peers, made fun of, mocked, and teased.  Both have lost one of their parents.  And both boys, above all, have incredibly huge kind hearts that long to change their present circumstances.  The friendship they share allows each to achieve dreams that neither would have accomplished alone.