What effect does the ghost of Christmas past have on Scrooge?

Initially, Scrooge feels a strong desire to see the ghost put on its extinguisher cap. He "begged him to be covered." Something about the light is painful or, at least, uncomfortable for Scrooge and he "had a special desire to see the Spirit in his cap." Next, Scrooge wants to know why the spirit has come, interrupting his sleep, in the first place, and he scoffs when the Ghost says that concern for Scrooge's welfare...

Initially, Scrooge feels a strong desire to see the ghost put on its extinguisher cap. He "begged him to be covered." Something about the light is painful or, at least, uncomfortable for Scrooge and he "had a special desire to see the Spirit in his cap." Next, Scrooge wants to know why the spirit has come, interrupting his sleep, in the first place, and he scoffs when the Ghost says that concern for Scrooge's welfare is what brought him. 

Almost immediately, when the spirit removes Scrooge from the present and takes him into the past, Scrooge becomes aware of smells that bring back all kinds of memories. The Ghost sees that the old man's "'lip is trembling'" and he asks about a tear on Scrooge's cheek.   Then, when Scrooge is reminded of the fact that he spent his holidays alone, neglected by friends and family, "he sobbed."

When Scrooge sees the shadows of his lonely childhood, he "wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be." His weeping continues until he is reminded of the books he used to read and the characters with which he used to populate his imaginative world. Later, he cries again over his poor childhood and remembers the "'boy singing a Christmas Carol at [his] door last night'" and he now feels that he "'should like to have given him something.'" It is clear that, even at this early stage, Scrooge's goodness is being rekindled by the Ghost of Christmas Past. He still has a long way to go before he will be totally reclaimed, but his regret about how he treated the young boy at his door, as well as his copious and sincere tears, shows that he's begun to change already.

Was there a global effort to influence or stop the human rights abuses in East Timor? Map credit:...

The crisis in East Timor refers to a history of human rights abuses targeted at their population by the Indonesian government and military. Indonesia assumed control of East Timor in 1975, shortly after Portugal left the colony. Indonesia invaded East Timor because it was likely that a communist state was going to be instituted there. The result of Indonesian invasion and over twenty years of war were brutal on the population of East Timor with...

The crisis in East Timor refers to a history of human rights abuses targeted at their population by the Indonesian government and military. Indonesia assumed control of East Timor in 1975, shortly after Portugal left the colony. Indonesia invaded East Timor because it was likely that a communist state was going to be instituted there. The result of Indonesian invasion and over twenty years of war were brutal on the population of East Timor with roughly half of the country's population perishing from the unrest. Very little was done on the international level to stop the violence.

Because of the Cold War politics of the day, relief for the East Timorese population was nearly non-existent. The United States and the United Kingdom supported the Indonesian efforts. It has even been alleged that the United States trained killing squads under the Bill Clinton administration. Because of the prominent role of the United States in the United Nations, little was done through this organization to stop the killings. In 1999, the issue of independence caused even greater violence and despair in East Timor. When the United Nations finally brokered a popular election for independence, violence reached a fevered pitch. Australia sent a contingency to reach peace and the United Nations arrived and independence was granted in 2002.

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, what values and lessons does Junior's grandmother teach him by her examples, both in life and...

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior's grandmother is largely representative of the moral compass by which Junior is charged to live. Although many of the Indians around him, including his own father, have become alcoholics in response to the intense poverty and lack of opportunity on the reservation, Junior's grandmother never drank, and instead focuses her energy on her family. Junior's grandmother, in life, teaches him that he needs to...

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior's grandmother is largely representative of the moral compass by which Junior is charged to live. Although many of the Indians around him, including his own father, have become alcoholics in response to the intense poverty and lack of opportunity on the reservation, Junior's grandmother never drank, and instead focuses her energy on her family. Junior's grandmother, in life, teaches him that he needs to try to understand the trials and tribulations of others so that he can empathize with others. She also teaches him that he should not hold onto anger and that he should stand up for himself and chase opportunities that come his way. When she tragically (and ironically) dies as the result of an accident caused by a drunk driver, Junior refuses to be angry because he knows that his grandmother would want him to show forgiveness to the person who caused the accident. So Junior's grandmother, both in life and in death, teaches Junior the gift of empathy.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the significance of Mrs. Dubose's addiction to morphine, and why was she so irritable?

After Mrs. Dubose's death, Atticus stated that she was the bravest woman he ever knew. This utterly confused Jem because all he ever witnessed was how mean she had been. In fact, every single time he and Scout walked by her house, she would yell "philippics" at them:

"Don’t you contradict me!...And you—what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways—a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café—hah!"

The last straw for Jem was when Mrs. Dubose insulted Atticus by saying that he was "in the courthouse lawing for niggers," and he was sent him in a fit of anger which ended with Jem destroying Mrs. Dubose's camellias. Jem's punishment was to read to Mrs. Dubose for an extended period of time. When he and Scout first entered her home, "she was lying under a pile of quilts and looked almost friendly." However, that amiability didn't last long before Mrs. Dubose called Scout "dirty."

During their time at her home, the children noticed that Mrs. Dubose would often have "fits" and then doze off. Usually an alarm clock would go off around this time. Over time, Mrs. Dubose stayed awake longer and longer and listened to more of Jem's reading. The day came when Atticus arrived to pick up the children, and Mrs. Dubose triumphantly exclaimed, "Do you
know what time it is, Atticus?...Exactly fourteen minutes past five. The
alarm clock’s set for five-thirty. I want you to know that." The significance of time was a mystery to the children.

Mrs. Dubose died about a month after Jem's "sentence" was over which was something Jem had conflicted feelings about. On one hand, Mrs. Dubose had been rotten to him and his sister. On the other, she had passed away. Atticus says to Jem that she was "not suffering any more. She was sick for a long time," and asks his son if he knew "what her fits were." It was then that Jem learned the truth about Mrs. Dubose and her nasty temper: She was a morphine addict. A doctor had prescribed the drug as a pain killer and she had gotten hooked. Jem's reading distracted her from the withdrawal. She could've died pain-free, but she chose to die without addiction. Atticus then handed Jem a perfect camellia in a box, a gift from the deceased and a sign that everything was now okay. She was at peace.

Jem now understood why Mrs. Dubose was so nasty: she was in pain and going through withdrawals. Choosing to die experiencing so much suffering especially when she didn't have to was certainly a very courageous feat.

I need help finding a imagery quote that shows the loss of innocence for Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. For example, I have this one on Jem: "I...

A lot of Scout's development, which corresponds to her losing innocence and gaining knowledge, has to do with a growing awareness of others around her. In Chapter 12, Calpurnia takes the children to the African-American church. Scout gets a closer look at this other community that exists in Maycomb. She gets a better idea of the racial divide. She also considers, for the first time, that Cal has a life outside of their household: 

That...

A lot of Scout's development, which corresponds to her losing innocence and gaining knowledge, has to do with a growing awareness of others around her. In Chapter 12, Calpurnia takes the children to the African-American church. Scout gets a closer look at this other community that exists in Maycomb. She gets a better idea of the racial divide. She also considers, for the first time, that Cal has a life outside of their household: 

That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages. 

This is like seeing a teacher outside of the classroom for the first time. It seems so out of context if we've never considered that people have lives all their own: lives which do not revolve around us. The difference here is that Cal truly leads a double life. The cultural divide between black and white in Maycomb is such that the communities even seem to speak in different languages. 

Another prime example of Scout's growing awareness occurs at the end of the novel. When she stands on Boo Radley's front porch, she literally sees the town from his perspective. This is one of Atticus's ongoing lessons. He teaches the children to consider the perspective of others. This applies to Boo, Bob Ewell, Mayella, Tom Robinson, and so on. When Scout ponders her encounters with Boo, she demonstrates wisdom and a loss of innocent or ignorant thinking: 

Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad. 

What are Tituba's motives? |

Tituba is largely motivated by her fear of being punished.  When Abigail first accuses her of witchcraft, Reverend Parris threatens to "whip [her] to [her] death" and Mr. Putnam calls for her to "be taken and hanged."  Immediately after these threats, she confesses to being coerced by the Devil to work for him.

Tituba is also probably motivated by a desire to please Mr. Hale, the only person in this community who has ever treated...

Tituba is largely motivated by her fear of being punished.  When Abigail first accuses her of witchcraft, Reverend Parris threatens to "whip [her] to [her] death" and Mr. Putnam calls for her to "be taken and hanged."  Immediately after these threats, she confesses to being coerced by the Devil to work for him.

Tituba is also probably motivated by a desire to please Mr. Hale, the only person in this community who has ever treated her gently.  He "takes her hand," surprising her when he speaks "kindly" to her.  He tells her that she's "God's instrument" put into their hands to help them root out the evil in Salem; he says that she has a special purpose, and she likely wants to give him what he wants: a confession.

Finally, Tituba probably feels that this is an opportunity to scare Parris, a man who is obviously quite willing to abuse her.  She says that the Devil wanted her to kill Parris, that he's "no goodly man, [that he's a] mean man and no gentle man," and that the Devil bid Tituba to cut Parris's throat.  Such a threat might make him think twice before he beats her again.

Someone has left a bottle of cognac and roses on Edgar Allan Poe’s grave since 1949. Has anyone ever discovered who it is and why? Any ideas? ...

As the 207th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe falls on the 19th of January, 2016, speculation again revolves around the identity of the individual or individuals responsible for a decades-long tradition of placing three roses and half-empty bottle of cognac on the late poet and author’s grave. The mystery as to the identity of the individual(s) responsible for this tradition remains, as no credible suspect has emerged to claim title to this rather poignant and touching remembrance of Poe. What little information on this mysterious figure that exists is that of a single individual dressed in black, wearing a white scarf and wide-brimmed hat. While the identity of this individual(s) remains unknown, he or she has become popularly known as "the Poe Toaster," as in, "let’s drink a toast to Poe."

The best source of information on “the Poe Toaster” is the website maintained by the Edgar Allan Poe Society, a link to which is provided below. According to the Poe Society, the appearance of the three roses and bottle of cognac began in 1949 on the anniversary of Poe’s birth, and the practice continued until 2009, when the heretofore annual arrival of the roses and cognac ceased for unknown reasons. There are two main possibilities explaining why the roses and cognac are no longer placed on Poe’s gravesite. The first, and most obvious, is that the individual responsible died. The second, and also credible theory is that public fascination with uncovering the identity of the mystery person(s) drove the responsible party away. As Poe fans and others simply interested in spying the mystery person(s) began staking out the cemetery where Poe is buried, the responsible person(s) may have decided that it was no longer worth continuing what had been a sincere, heartfelt display of admiration and appreciation for the long-deceased writer. Either way, the roses and cognac are no longer delivered, although imposters (known as “Faux Toasters”) have attempted to usurp the mystery person(s) persona.

So, who might have been responsible for the annual display of appreciation for Edgar Allan Poe? One can only surmise, but the pool of possible candidates could run into the thousands, or more. Public fascination with Poe remains strong, although it is not as prominent as it was in early periods, especially during the years when film director Roger Corman was making low-budget movies ostensibly based upon—and using the titles of—Poe’s short stories and poems. Obviously, the individual or individuals responsible greatly admired Poe’s body of work, as well as the tragedy that befell this master of the macabre. That, however, as noted, could be any one of thousands of Poe’s admirers. There is no obvious explanation for the specific items left at the grave, although members of the Poe Society believe that the three roses are for the three people buried at the gravesite: Poe, his wife Virginia, and Virginia’s mother, Maria Clemm. The reason for cognac is a complete mystery, as that particular alcoholic beverage plays no prominent role in any of Poe’s stories or poems.

As the roses and brandy first appeared in 1949 and continued until 2009, whoever it is, he or she has almost certainly died by now, as that 60-year span of time (logically assuming that the individual or individuals in question were adults in 1949) would make the original individual at least 80 years old, and probably older, although some college student of the time could have begun the tradition. In any event, there is no way to know the person’s identity. The Poe Society’s website notes the following:

“A note left for Jeff Jerome (curator of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore) in 1993 stated somewhat cryptically that “the torch will be passed,” and another note left in 1999 indicated that the original “Toaster” had died within a few months before the annual event. After 1993, sightings of the visitor suggested two younger persons were exchanging the obligation between themselves, presumably in honor of their father.”

So, there you have it. An individual began and continued the tradition until he or she was no longer physically capable of carrying it out, at which time someone else continued the tradition until 2009.

How does market structure affect the firm's ability to set the price for its products?

There are varies different ways that market structure affects how a firm can set prices.

Monopolies: Certain types of businesses are "natural monopolies" such as the airport in a small fairly remote city or many utilities. As monopolies do not have competition, they might appear free to set prices as they wish. Realistically, though, they are limited by buyers willingness to pay for a service. For example, if an airport charges extremely high landing fees,...

There are varies different ways that market structure affects how a firm can set prices.

Monopolies: Certain types of businesses are "natural monopolies" such as the airport in a small fairly remote city or many utilities. As monopolies do not have competition, they might appear free to set prices as they wish. Realistically, though, they are limited by buyers willingness to pay for a service. For example, if an airport charges extremely high landing fees, airlines might decide not to land there or people might drive rather than fly. Also, many monopolies, such as utilities, are highly regulated in return for being granted monopolies on specific products or services.

Oligopolies: Oligopolies can either be competitive or form cartels such as OPEC to sustain prices. The particular pricing issues facing oligopolies are slightly more complex than those facing monopolies, as small disruptive companies may enter into a market if prices are set substantially higher than the cost of production and also it is necessary to adjust prices with respect to the wishes of other members of a cartel or oligopoly.

Perfect Competition: In the case of perfect competition, the laws of supply and demand affect pricing as does the pricing of competitors. 

How was Malcolm X positive to the world?

Near the end of his life, in 1964, Malcolm X took a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia that transformed him. For the first time, he was treated as an equal, not a second class citizen. As he would later note, he saw "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" getting along in harmony and equality. He began to see that racial reconciliation between whites and blacks was possible and that not all...

Near the end of his life, in 1964, Malcolm X took a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia that transformed him. For the first time, he was treated as an equal, not a second class citizen. As he would later note, he saw "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" getting along in harmony and equality. He began to see that racial reconciliation between whites and blacks was possible and that not all whites were devils.

He wrote that “the Holy City of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of All and felt like a complete human being.”

Not only did he rethink his hatred of whites, he revised his ideas of black separatism. Brotherhood, he realized, was possible, for he had experienced it.

Malcolm X's courage in openly changing his views was an inspiration to many. If he had previously made a contribution to black pride by encouraging blacks to embrace their identity and independence, he now showed that it was possible to embrace a wider vision that included all of humanity.  

In Julius Caesar, how does Calpurnia finally get him to agree to stay with her?

Calpurnia has repeatedly had dreams in which Caesar was murdered, and begs Caesar not to leave the house on the Ides of March out of fear that these dreams will come true. Caesar is determined not to allow these fears to influence him, and he resolves to leave. He is especially concerned that he will be viewed as a coward if he leaves. Even when his priests conduct an augury that suggests there may be...

Calpurnia has repeatedly had dreams in which Caesar was murdered, and begs Caesar not to leave the house on the Ides of March out of fear that these dreams will come true. Caesar is determined not to allow these fears to influence him, and he resolves to leave. He is especially concerned that he will be viewed as a coward if he leaves. Even when his priests conduct an augury that suggests there may be something to Calpurnia's fears, Caesar says he is still determined to go about his business. Finally, she persuades him to stay at home by telling him to say that it was her fear and not his that kept him from leaving. She proposes that Marc Antony should go to the Senate and tell the senators that Caesar is not well. He temporarily agrees, saying that he will stay home for Calpurnia's "humor" and not out of fear, and orders Decius to tell them that he "will not" attend, not to falsely say he is sick. He is careful to stipulate that "cannot" is "false" and "dare not" is "falser."  But when Decius (who is involved in the plot against Caesar) tells him that Calpurnia's dreams have been misinterpreted, and he will receive a crown if he goes to the Senate, he resolves to go in spite of her fears. This is, of course, a fateful decision that results in his murder. He has, as Calpurnia fears, allowed "wisdom" to be "consumed by confidence" and permitted himself to be led astray by Decius, who cleverly manipulates his ego--indeed he does a better job of it than Calpurnia was able to do.

Compute the overall standard potential (in V) for transfer of electrons from the following pairs of donors and acceptors. Rank them from most...

All you have to do is find a reference table for the known standard potentials of some substances. When you do that, you just add the reduction and oxidation potentials of the pair (if a substance is going through oxidation, remember to reverse its sign, as the tables are made with the reduction potential).

I did my search and below is all the calculations done for each pair.

1. H2/Fe3+ = -0.41 + 0.77 = 0.36


2. ...

All you have to do is find a reference table for the known standard potentials of some substances. When you do that, you just add the reduction and oxidation potentials of the pair (if a substance is going through oxidation, remember to reverse its sign, as the tables are made with the reduction potential).

I did my search and below is all the calculations done for each pair.

1. H2/Fe3+ = -0.41 + 0.77 = 0.36


2. H2S/O2 = -0.22 + 0.82 = 0.60


3. CH4/NO3- = -0.24 + 0.75 = 0.51


4. H2/O2 = -0.41 + 0.82 = 0.41


5. Fe2+/O2 = 0.77 + 0.82 = 1.59


6. H2S/NO3 = -0.22 + 0.75 = 0.53

With all the potentials known for each pair, you just have to order them. Thus, we get:

Fe2+/O2 > H2S/O2 > H2S/NO3 > CH4/NO3- > H2/O2 > H2/Fe3+

Take a moment to see that the ones paired with O2 are the most energetic. This is due to oxygen being a highly oxidizing agent (the reason why rust is such a big problem).

Also, note that these calculations may vary, as the standard potential depends on the temperature/external conditions, so some tables may present you with different values for the standard potential of a substance!

What are the conflicts between John Proctor and the two women in his life—Elizabeth and Abigail? How do their personal conflicts contribute to...

The conflicts arose because John had been involved in an adulterous relationship with Abigail, who used to be their maid. When Elizabeth discovered the affair, she immediately dismissed Abigail. This obviously created tension between husband and wife and resulted in Abigail resenting first Elizabeth, for her humiliating dismissal, and second John, since he later rejected her advances.

Abigail believed that Elizabeth despised her and when they conversed in Reverend Parris' house, soon after rumors of witchcraft in Salem surfaced, she told John:

She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a—

John threatened her with a whipping but Abigail was insistent. She desperately wished for a resumption of their relationship and passionately cried out:

I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! He turns abruptly to go out.She rushes to him. John, pity me, pity me!

John's abruptly cold rejection became a turning point for Abigail. She then decided to plot against Elizabeth, using the witch trials to exact her revenge and also to finally get rid of Elizabeth and perhaps reclaim John as a lover. When she witnessed Mary Warren fashioning a doll whilst they were in court, she saw that as an opportunity to perform her evil. She later cried out at supper, seemingly suffering terrible pain. On investigation, a needle was found stuck in her stomach. Abigail then accused Elizabeth of having sent out her spirit to hurt her and that she used a poppet to do so.

A search warrant was then issued to Ezekiel Cheever to look for the poppet and to arrest Elizabeth if the incriminating evidence was discovered. Indeed, the poppet, which Mary Warren gave to Elizabeth as a gift, was found in the Proctor house. More remarkably, a needle was seen protruding from its stomach. The evidence was damning and so convincing that even reverend Hale was persuaded. When Elizabeth learned about the true nature of Abigail's accusation that it was she who had sent her spirit to stab her with a needle, she ardently cried out:

Why - ! The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of the world!

Ezekiel Cheever saw this outburst as further proof of Elizabeth's guilt and wanted to proceed with her arrest. John tore up the warrant, but Elizabeth later calmed him down and said that she believed that she had to go with the arresting officers. She was then taken into custody and chained. This event signified a major turning point in the play, for John later implicated himself when he went to court to defend his wife. He confessed to lechery and was incarcerated. 

Evidence of the tension between Elizabeth and her husband arose from the fact that John believed that Elizabeth did not trust that he had completely broken with Abigail. Firstly, he lied about his meeting with Abigail claiming that they had been among others when they spoke, but later saying that they had been alone. Secondly, he seemed unwilling to go to court at his wife's insistence and testify that Abigail was a fraud. Elizabeth saw that as an indication that he still harbored a soft spot for Abigail, for she said:

John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not.

John was clearly upset about Elizabeth's suspicions and at one point cried out in anger:

No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.

In the end though, John did his best to save his wife from the gallows and essentially put himself at great risk in the process. His actions eventually resulted in his execution. 

In "Winter Dreams," what are some of the fantasies about summer that Dexter indulges in at the Sherry Island golf club?

In "Winter Dreams," Dexter's fantasies relate to his acceptance by established members of the Sherry Island golf club.

Dexter was not poor.  However, it is very clear that as a caddy, he is not part of the socially accepted elite that populate the Sherry Island golf club.  He might caddy "only for pocket money," but he finds the world of the Sherry Island Golf Club extremely appealing.  It helps to fuel his "winter dreams" that...

In "Winter Dreams," Dexter's fantasies relate to his acceptance by established members of the Sherry Island golf club.

Dexter was not poor.  However, it is very clear that as a caddy, he is not part of the socially accepted elite that populate the Sherry Island golf club.  He might caddy "only for pocket money," but he finds the world of the Sherry Island Golf Club extremely appealing.  It helps to fuel his "winter dreams" that "command imaginary audiences and armies."  

One of Dexter's fantasies involves his his talent at golf.  He defeats "Mr. T.A. Hedrick in a marvelous match played a hundred times over the fairways of his imagination."  This fantasy sometimes unfolds with defeating Hedrick in a dominant manner or coming from far behind to best him.  Another fantasy involves his swimming abilities.  He fantasizes about how he would astonish members with his swimming abilities by giving "an exhibition of fancy diving from the spring- board of the club raft."  As he astonishes the crowd, Dexter imagines that club members like Mr. Mortimer Jones would watch him in "open-mouthed wonder."  

In Dexter's fantasies, his impressive presence at the Sherry Island golf club enables others to view him with wonder and awe.  Dexter's fantasies move him from being an "outsider" to a part of the established and elite members of the Sherry Island golf club.

Why does Ralph complain about the fact that Jack's hunters "came back hours ago" and have been swimming? What do you think causes the "madness"...

1. At this point in "The Lord of the Flies," the boys have created a set of rules and have begun a system necessary for survival. Ralph has been voted chief and wants the boys to work on collecting food, building shelters, keeping the fire going (the hunter's job), etc. Ralph is upset because the hunters know their responsibility, yet went off to go swimming before doing their work.

2. Part of what William Golding is...

1. At this point in "The Lord of the Flies," the boys have created a set of rules and have begun a system necessary for survival. Ralph has been voted chief and wants the boys to work on collecting food, building shelters, keeping the fire going (the hunter's job), etc. Ralph is upset because the hunters know their responsibility, yet went off to go swimming before doing their work.

2. Part of what William Golding is questioning in the novel is man's tendency for savagery. When Jack and hunters begin acting like hunters, they are becoming transformed and descending into darkness. Jack and the hunters begin taking on animal-like qualities, and cannot rid themselves of their savagery:

"He [Jack] tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. 'I went on. I thought, by myself—'

The madness came into his eyes again. 'I thought I might kill.'" (Chapter 3)

3. The basic cause of this disagreement is that Ralph feels that Jack and his hunters are not pulling their weight. Jack feels like he needs to contribute to the group in a way that provides as much validation as being chief (Ralph's job). Since Jack is not as good of a hunter yet, he is quick to be defensive. 

Do you agree or disagree with Thoreau's opinion on civil disobedience?

In 1849, Thoreau, a Transcendentalist writer in Concord, Massachusetts, wrote the essay "Civil Disobedience" (first published as "Resistance to Civil Government") about the right of people to resist following laws they considered unjust. Thoreau had served one night in prison in 1846 for refusing to pay the poll tax to protest American involvement in the Mexican War. He and other abolitionists thought the war was a means of expanding American slavery. He wrote of this time:

"I have paid no poll-tax for six years. I was put into a jail once on this account, for one night; and, as I stood considering the walls of solid stone, two or three feet thick, the door of wood and iron, a foot thick, and the iron grating which strained the light, I could not help being struck with the foolishness of that institution which treated me as if I were mere flesh and blood and bones, to be locked up. I wondered that it should have concluded at length that this was the best use it could put me to, and had never thought to avail itself of my services in some way."

Thoreau's means of protest was peaceful, and he found it ironic that the country should imprison him for following his conscience. He asked, "Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience? — in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable?" In other words, Thoreau envisioned a government in which the majorities only decide issues that need to be taken care of, such as road building, but in which larger issues are left to individual conscience. 

When he wrote this essay, he and others were outraged by the Compromise of 1850, which concluded the Mexican War. One of the terms of the compromise was a new and more forceful Fugitive Slave Law, which required northerners to return escaped slaves to the south and hence to the horrors of slavery. Thoreau felt that slavery was a great evil and that people had to resist it.

When considering whether or not to agree with Thoreau, the reader must decide which issues are important enough to provoke resistance to government laws. In addition, the reader must decide how to protest these laws. Thoreau's means of resistance were peaceful. Thoreau's peaceful resistance inspired later civil rights leaders, such as Gandhi in India and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States. 

In A People's History of the United States are the acts of Columbus and the Spanish explorers considered genocide?

"any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part1 ; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of...

"any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part1 ; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."  --United Nations definition on genocide

A significant portion of Howard Zinn's first chapter of A People's History of the United States is dedicated to proving Christopher Columbus as guilty of genocide.  Many of the elements of the UN definition of genocide are discussed in the chapter including military and biological warfare against the natives.  Zinn uses the word genocide no less than four times in the chapter to describe Columbus.  The Harvard historian Samuel Eliot Morison, a renowned writer on Columbus, is quoted as calling the acts of Columbus "complete genocide."  Zinn routinely describes the actions of Columbus in this way himself, but he is not as upset about the fact that they happened, but that historians have glossed over that part of the story.  He discusses that it is wrong to promote progress without the discussion of the unpleasant nature of how progress is made.  Without a doubt, Zinn believes that the atrocities committed are acts of genocide.  

What had Torres previously ordered (before coming to the barber's shop)? Why did he want the town people to see this? According to Torres, what...

According to the story, Captain Torres had ordered the execution and the hanging of four rebels at the local school prior to coming to the barbershop. On that particular day, he had made the whole town file into the patio of the school to witness the mutilated bodies of the rebels. Captain Torres' aim was to ensure that the whole town understood what the fate of those who rebelled would be.

As Captain Torres sits...

According to the story, Captain Torres had ordered the execution and the hanging of four rebels at the local school prior to coming to the barbershop. On that particular day, he had made the whole town file into the patio of the school to witness the mutilated bodies of the rebels. Captain Torres' aim was to ensure that the whole town understood what the fate of those who rebelled would be.

As Captain Torres sits for a shave in the barber's chair, he engages in conversation with the barber. He invites the nervous barber to the school at six o'clock that evening. When the barber questions Captain Torres' intentions, Captain Torres tells him that he plans to have a newly captured group of fourteen rebels executed. The captain answers cryptically, however, when questioned as to how he plans to execute the rebels.

"Come to the school today at six o'clock." "The same thing as the other day?" I asked horrified. "It could be better," he replied. "What do you plan to do?" "I don't know yet. But we'll amuse ourselves."

When the barber timidly asks whether Captain Torres intends to execute the whole lot, the captain replies in the affirmative. The story ends with Captain Torres admitting that he came to test the barber, implying that he knows all about the barber's secret revolutionary activities.

What are some of Gertrude's qualities in Hamlet?

Gertrude is one of the most complex characters in Hamlet. As Hamlet's mother, Gertrude is discussed frequently in Hamlet. However, her lines do not necessarily piece together a solid characterization. She is often in the background of many scenes, although even an absence of presence can say something about her character. Since Gertrude is not particularly vocal, a person studying Hamlet must rely on what others say about Gertrude.

First, she is a powerful...

Gertrude is one of the most complex characters in Hamlet. As Hamlet's mother, Gertrude is discussed frequently in Hamlet. However, her lines do not necessarily piece together a solid characterization. She is often in the background of many scenes, although even an absence of presence can say something about her character. Since Gertrude is not particularly vocal, a person studying Hamlet must rely on what others say about Gertrude.

First, she is a powerful character. Described as "th'imperial jointress," Gertrude is one of the leaders of Denmark. Hamlet thinks Gertrude is particularly weak, despite her power, but this may say more about Hamlet's childlike angst than Gertrude's actual character. If the audience member or reader is to believe Hamlet, then Gertrude is a fickle character. She is allied with different lovers each day and she is consistently changing her word. Her love and politics are always mixed, and it is not clear (at least within the text) if she knows that Claudius is a criminal. If she knows that Claudius is a criminal, then she is an unsympathetic character. However, if she is manipulated by Claudius, then she is a more sympathetic character. Her grief could possibly explain her fickle nature during the course of the play. 

It is difficult to make firm conclusions about Gertrude, which is one of the exciting things about her character. However, there are definitely certain characteristics that can be agreed on, such as her shadowy nature and fickleness.  

Who is more honorable, Antigone or Creon?

The question of whether Creon or Antigone acts with greater honor is a central issue in Sophocles' tragedy. The area of disagreement between the two characters is whether Polyneices, Antigone's brother, deserves a proper burial, as Antigone maintains, or whether he should be denied burial, as Creon decrees. 

We can use the responses of the Chorus to sort through this conflict. First Creon states that Polyneices, for his treachery against Thebes, must not receive an...

The question of whether Creon or Antigone acts with greater honor is a central issue in Sophocles' tragedy. The area of disagreement between the two characters is whether Polyneices, Antigone's brother, deserves a proper burial, as Antigone maintains, or whether he should be denied burial, as Creon decrees. 

We can use the responses of the Chorus to sort through this conflict. First Creon states that Polyneices, for his treachery against Thebes, must not receive an honorable burial. Creon asserts that if he valued his family more than the state, he would dishonor his fatherland. The Chorus acknowledges that Creon has the power to make such laws and therefore acknowledges that he acts honorably. 

After Antigone is brought in and explains that she cannot submit to a law from a mere mortal when the pre-existing laws of the gods requires otherwise, the Chorus does not agree with her. After Haemon's attempt at intercession, the Chorus attributes his arguments to his love for Antigone.

As Antigone is led forth to the tomb, the Chorus tells her that she can be praised for her reverence toward the gods, but that Creon can't be blamed for not allowing his laws to be violated. So the Chorus seems to be attributing more honor to Antigone than at first, but still gives more honor to Creon.

Then, after Teiresias comes and warns that Creon is dishonoring the gods by refusing to bury Polyneices, the Chorus changes its tune. The Leader advises Creon to bury Polyneices as quickly as possible and release Antigone to avoid the prophesied judgments. The Chorus has now swung over fully to Antigone's side. When Creon reaps the judgment of his son's death, the Chorus exclaims, "Ah me, how all too late thou seemest to see the right!" They blame Creon for not seeing "the right" earlier. The ending line from the Chorus Leader states: "Reverence towards the gods must be inviolate." This was Antigone's position from the beginning.

The Chorus in this tragedy performs the role of interpreting the action for the audience. Since the Chorus moves from first believing Creon to be in the right or more honorable, to respecting Antigone's position, to advocating for her side, we must conclude that Antigone actually displayed more honor in her beliefs and actions than did Creon.

In "The Red Headed League" what is a detail that suggests that Holmes already knows who Vincent Spaulding is?

Holmes and Watson listen to Mr. Jabez Wilson tell his story of the Red-Headed League.  They both found the story to be fantastic and humorous.  However, Sherlock tells Mr. Wilson that his problem is “refreshingly unusual.”  It appears that the whole situation has been set up by the man’s assistant, known as Vincent Spaulding.   When Sherlock asks for a description of this assistant, Mr. Wilson tells him,

“Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no...

Holmes and Watson listen to Mr. Jabez Wilson tell his story of the Red-Headed League.  They both found the story to be fantastic and humorous.  However, Sherlock tells Mr. Wilson that his problem is “refreshingly unusual.”  It appears that the whole situation has been set up by the man’s assistant, known as Vincent Spaulding.   When Sherlock asks for a description of this assistant, Mr. Wilson tells him,

“Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face, though he’s not short of thirty.  Has a white splash of acid upon his forehead.”  (pg 16)

This last piece of information gets Holmes excited, and he asks if this man also has his ears pierced.  When he receives an affirmative reply, Holmes knows who Vincent Spalding is.  He tells Watson,

“Smart fellow, that, ….. He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third.  I have known something of him before.” (pg 18)

Holmes has dealt with this man before.  The man is identified by Detective Jones of Scotland Yard as Mr. John Clay.

“His brain is as cunning as his fingers, and though we meet signs of him at every turn, we never know where to find the man himself.” (pg 22)

Sherlock admits, “I’ve had one or two little turns also with Mr. John Clay, and I agree with you that he is at the head of his profession. (pg. 22)

However, Holmes had never set eyes on John Clay. When Mr. Clay is captured, Sherlock compliments him on the Red-Headed League and his scheme to get Mr. Wilson out of his pawnbroker’s office.  Mr. Clay returns the compliment concerning his capture.  

“You seem to have done the thing very completely.” (pg 26)

My copy of the story is off the internet, so the pages may not coincide with your copy.  However, they should be close.

Is there anyway that Akaky could have avoided death in "The Overcoat"? What might have happened if he never had his coat stolen? What if he never...

In "The Overcoat," Akaky Akayevitch's greatest downfall is his meekness, or inability to become something. Even after working so hard to earn his precious overcoat, he remains unable to truly enter in to the social world that his overcoat would permit him. In that line of thinking, it is plausible to think that even if Akaky had not had his coat stolen, he would have died, though it takes some details from the text to...

In "The Overcoat," Akaky Akayevitch's greatest downfall is his meekness, or inability to become something. Even after working so hard to earn his precious overcoat, he remains unable to truly enter in to the social world that his overcoat would permit him. In that line of thinking, it is plausible to think that even if Akaky had not had his coat stolen, he would have died, though it takes some details from the text to be sure.

In the world of "The Overcoat," status is important, and as Akaky is thought to "have been born as copying clerk...no respect at all was shown to him in the department." Akaky is fine to live with no respect ("he behaved as if there were no one there"), and clings to his impoverished life. The coat alone has no real power to help him improve his status and instead makes him more dependent on the thought of new fulfillment ("his whole existence had in a sense become fuller, as though he had married"). Consider how Akaky retreats into himself during the part after he has his new coat; had his coat not been stolen, it is likely that he would continue to live this way ("He simply did not know how to behave").

It is very likely that even if Akaky had not even bought the new coat he would still be left to live the same way:

He stopped very awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking about and truing this think what to do...as [his colleagues] all went at once into the entry and again took a look at his overcoat...Then of course they they all abandoned him and his coat, and turned their attention.

This inability in himself to form connections and feel secure in his identity is truly what kills Akaky in the end. Note the "spirit" in the end who seems to avenge Akaky's death could, in fact, be representative of all those who lived in obscurity the way Akaky does. While the coat brings to him a glimpse of the social life he could have, Akaky does not have it in himself to live like others, which, in the harsh Russian weather, naturally leads to death.

How are George and Hazel characterized? That is, why has Hazel not been handicapped? How and why does George feel about his handicaps?

Hazel is average and fits perfectly into the society of Vonnegut's story, "Harrison Bergeron." On the other hand, George has much innate intelligence; therefore, he must wear the headgear that equalizes him. Also, he must wear handicaps on his body since by nature he is superior in strength and agility.

The society in which George and Hazel live values equality at the cost of excellence. So, in order to maintain this equal mediocrity, people are...

Hazel is average and fits perfectly into the society of Vonnegut's story, "Harrison Bergeron." On the other hand, George has much innate intelligence; therefore, he must wear the headgear that equalizes him. Also, he must wear handicaps on his body since by nature he is superior in strength and agility.

The society in which George and Hazel live values equality at the cost of excellence. So, in order to maintain this equal mediocrity, people are fitted with handicaps if they are naturally superior to others. Since Hazel has no stellar characteristics, she wears no handicaps. "Who knows better'n I do what normal is" she asks her husband. Her thoughts are simple, her ideas quotations from something she may have heard. For instance, when the television announcer tries to say "Ladies and gentlemen," but he falters and stumbles because of a speech impediment, Hazel remarks, 

"That's all right...he tried. That's the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him."

George's thoughts, however, are often interrupted by his mental-handicap radio in his ear that intercepts any logical, complex, or subversive thought. When, for instance, he regards the ballerinas on the television broadcast, he reasons that, perhaps, ballerinas should not be handicapped so that they could really be graceful and thereby provide beautiful entertainment. But, his radio sends shocks to this subversive thought about the notion of the necessity for superiority in some areas, and his head rings and tears fill his eyes. 

George's body, too, is handicapped: He wears a forty-seven pound canvas bag filled with birdshot. About his handicap George bravely comments, "I don't notice it any more. It's just a part of me." Some explanation for this remark is the fact that George fears the penalty for removing it: "Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every gall I took out....I don't call that a bargain." Because George is well aware that his rebellious son, Harrison, is imprisoned because of his lack of compliance with the rules of their society, he resigns himself to a modern version of a ball and chains in his own home.

There is no question that the futuristic society of what should be harmonious equality lacks greatly in such harmony. For, people must accept oppressive measures in the name of "equality," and the individual civil rights of citizens have been greatly compromised in this desensitized society.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, what does Romeo think will be better than banishment?

The answer to this question can be found in Act Three, Scene Two of Romeo and Juliet. When the Friar tells Romeo that the Prince has given him the sentence of banishment instead of death for the murder of Tybalt (as Lady Capulet in particular had demanded), Romeo responds by saying "exile hath more terror in his look, much more than death." In other words, he would prefer, he says, death to banishment. He is,...

The answer to this question can be found in Act Three, Scene Two of Romeo and Juliet. When the Friar tells Romeo that the Prince has given him the sentence of banishment instead of death for the murder of Tybalt (as Lady Capulet in particular had demanded), Romeo responds by saying "exile hath more terror in his look, much more than death." In other words, he would prefer, he says, death to banishment. He is, in fact, hysterical over the prospect, saying that the world outside Verona is "purgatory, torture, hell itself." Of course, his grief really stems from the knowledge that he will be separated from his new wife, Juliet, as he makes clear:

Heaven is here,
Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog
And little mouse, every unworthy thing,
Live here in heaven and may look on her;
But Romeo may not.

The Friar thinks this is madness, and that Romeo should be grateful to have received what he regards as a fairly lenient sentence. He bitterly chastises the weeping Romeo, telling him that all is not lost. Assuring him that he will come up with a plan to bring the couple together, he tells him to visit Juliet before departing the town. His plan, of course, will not come to fruition, as the audience has known since the Prologue. Romeo's banishment will result in his death as well as that of his beloved Juliet.

From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, what are the specific actions by Lysander that Egeus cites as “bewitching”?

In the opening scene of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Egeus brings Demetrius, Lysander, and his daughter Hermia to the presence of Duke Theseus to settle the matter of who will marry his daughter. Egeus feels as if Demetrius is the better match for his daughter, but Lysander has already stolen her heart. By Athenian law, a father owns his daughter and has a right to determine whom she will marry, or exercise the right...

In the opening scene of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Egeus brings Demetrius, Lysander, and his daughter Hermia to the presence of Duke Theseus to settle the matter of who will marry his daughter. Egeus feels as if Demetrius is the better match for his daughter, but Lysander has already stolen her heart. By Athenian law, a father owns his daughter and has a right to determine whom she will marry, or exercise the right to have her executed for disobedience. In an effort to strengthen his case, Egeus names all of the things that Lysander has done to capture Hermia's love. Lysander's bewitching spells and tricks according to Egeus are as follows:

"This hath bewitched the bosom of my child.

Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,

And interchanged love tokens with my child.

Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung

With feigning voice verses of feigning love,

And stol'n the impression of her fantasy

With bracelets of they hair, rings, gauds, conceits,

Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats--messengers

Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth. 

With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart,

Turned her obedience which is due to me

To stubborn harshness" (I.i.27-38).

In summary, and by order of appearance, Lysander did the following: he wrote Hermia love poems; exchanged tokens of love; serenaded her at her window; stole her fantasy of love; gave her lockets of his hair, rings, trinkets, and clever gifts; gave her knick-knacks, bouquets of flowers, and candies; as well as the fact that he frequently sent her messengers/messages to persuade her to fancy him. Thus, in the process, Lysander won Hermia's heart and also her obedience. Egeus seems to be more upset that he lost Hermia's obedience because he cannot control her now.

What does Mr.Myles and Nora use to plant?

Nora is Mr. Myles’ caretaker in Seedfolks, and she is determined to get him involved in life again.  Mr. Myles is in a wheelchair and just observes the world without engaging with people or participating in events outside his home.  Nora decides to get Mr. Myles involved in the garden that is springing to life around them.  She buys a big, plastic trash bin, wheels Mr. Myles out to the garden, cuts holes in...

Nora is Mr. Myles’ caretaker in Seedfolks, and she is determined to get him involved in life again.  Mr. Myles is in a wheelchair and just observes the world without engaging with people or participating in events outside his home.  Nora decides to get Mr. Myles involved in the garden that is springing to life around them.  She buys a big, plastic trash bin, wheels Mr. Myles out to the garden, cuts holes in the bottom, and fills it full of dirt.  She has also bought packets of seeds, and she gets him to plant them in the barrel.

This simple act by Nora gets Mr. Myles interested in the garden and his life as well.  Once again, we see the garden begin to change peoples’ outlooks on life. Not only does the garden get Mr. Myles out in the community, it also gives him hope by tending to and nourishing the seeds that he plants. 

Where is Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe's location of death?

In the spring of 1846, Edgar Allan Poe moved his young wife and aunt to the Fordham neighborhood in the Bronx, which is in New York City to the north of Manhattan.  The house was called Poe Cottage and it is still standing today at the corner of E. Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse.  It was is small two story house with a front porch.  Virginia had suffered from consumption (tuberculosis) for several years before...

In the spring of 1846, Edgar Allan Poe moved his young wife and aunt to the Fordham neighborhood in the Bronx, which is in New York City to the north of Manhattan.  The house was called Poe Cottage and it is still standing today at the corner of E. Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse.  It was is small two story house with a front porch.  Virginia had suffered from consumption (tuberculosis) for several years before her death.  She was not even twenty-one years old when she was diagnosed.  Virginia was at home playing the piano one day when she began to cough up blood. This occurrence led to her diagnosis.  Poe became a workaholic as he struggled to earn enough money to care for his sickly wife.  Her condition worsened.  Virginia finally passed away at the young age of twenty-four in a bedroom on the first floor of the cottage in Fordham.  Poe often visited his wife's grave.

What does the title "Heart of Darkness" mean?

Joseph Conrad's masterful novella "Heart of Darkness" is about a steamboat captain named Marlow who narrates his harrowing trip into the heart or center of the Congo Free State in Africa. Marlow describes his long fascination with the Congo River, a body of water he likens to a "snake" that winds its way through Africa. His interest in the river motivates him to sign on as a captain with a European ivory trading company that is brutally exploiting local people to reap large profits.

The phrase "heart of darkness" has many meanings. Africa was known to Europeans and Americans as "the dark continent" in part because its land and ways were mysterious to outsiders. In addition, the phrase has a pejorative or negative connotation because the "darkness" of Africans was, in the minds of Europeans, associated with darkness in their souls and their supposed inferiority. However, Conrad's point is that the darkness lies not with the Africans but with the brutal European traders.

As Marlow, Conrad's narrator, goes deeper into the heart of Africa, he finds the darkness in the Europeans he encounters, particularly Kurtz, the station master who Marlow is looking for. While other members of the trading company speak of Kurtz in glowing terms, it becomes clear to Marlow that Kurtz has actually become corrupted by the evils of slavery. He writes of Kurtz, "his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad." Kurtz has made himself into a type of god worshipped by the locals, and he is clearly charismatic. However, he has used his power to enslave the local people. When Marlow meets him, Kurtz is near death, and, when he perishes, his final words are, "The horror! The horror." With these words, Kurtz tries to repent of his evils. It is clear that slavery and the brutality of European colonialism have corrupted Kurtz and turned his heart to darkness. It is he, not the African people, who has become the embodiment of darkness in the book. 

In "The Minister's Black Veil," who is Mr. Hooper and what is he like?

Mr. Hooper is a Puritan minister who has a significant realization that compels him to wear a black veil that covers most of his face.  When he begins to wear this veil, his congregation starts to think of him very differently from the way they did before, and they treat him differently as well.  He becomes a rather terrible presence, despite his gentleness and reputation for goodness. 

Mr. Hooper's first sermon after putting on the...

Mr. Hooper is a Puritan minister who has a significant realization that compels him to wear a black veil that covers most of his face.  When he begins to wear this veil, his congregation starts to think of him very differently from the way they did before, and they treat him differently as well.  He becomes a rather terrible presence, despite his gentleness and reputation for goodness. 

Mr. Hooper's first sermon after putting on the veil addressed "secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness" if we could.  His congregation feels as though he has "discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought."  Now that they feel vulnerable, they neglect to return Mr. Hooper's greetings in the street or invite him to Sunday dinner as they used to do.  He becomes somewhat of an outcast because he has essentially admitted to everyone that he has a secret sinful nature as well as insinuated that they do as well, and this makes people extremely uncomfortable.  However, he feels that he must continue to wear the veil, likely because it is the only way to attempt to tell the truth about the thing we all try to hide: the fact that we are sinful.  In wearing the veil, he at least admits this truth about himself where everyone else tries to hide it.

`(3x)/(x - 3)^2` Write the partial fraction decomposition of the rational expression. Check your result algebraically.

`(3x)/(x-3)^2`

Let`(3x)/(x-3)^2=A/(x-3)+B/(x-3)^2`

`(3x)/(x-3)^2=(A(x-3)+B)/(x-3)^2`

`:.3x=A(x-3)+B`

`3x=Ax-3A+B`

equating the coefficients of the like terms,

`A=3`

`-3A+B=0`

plug the value of the A in the above equation,

`-3(3)+B=0`

`-9+B=0`

`B=9`

`:.(3x)/(x-3)^2=3/(x-3)+9/(x-3)^2`

`(3x)/(x-3)^2`

Let`(3x)/(x-3)^2=A/(x-3)+B/(x-3)^2`

`(3x)/(x-3)^2=(A(x-3)+B)/(x-3)^2`

`:.3x=A(x-3)+B`

`3x=Ax-3A+B`

equating the coefficients of the like terms,

`A=3`

`-3A+B=0`

plug the value of the A in the above equation,

`-3(3)+B=0`

`-9+B=0`

`B=9`

`:.(3x)/(x-3)^2=3/(x-3)+9/(x-3)^2`

How does Jem Finch's justifiable and tolerant character in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' make him a significant character in the novel?

Jem Finch's justifiable and tolerant character make him significant throughout the novel because he parallels Scout's moral development and embodies Atticus' beliefs and teachings. Jem looks up to his father, Atticus, who is the morally upright character and the epitome of justice and tolerance. Jem is much more than Scout's older brother and playmate. He is a leader, caretaker, and loyal son throughout the novel. Since Jem is older than Scout, he experiences different situations...

Jem Finch's justifiable and tolerant character make him significant throughout the novel because he parallels Scout's moral development and embodies Atticus' beliefs and teachings. Jem looks up to his father, Atticus, who is the morally upright character and the epitome of justice and tolerance. Jem is much more than Scout's older brother and playmate. He is a leader, caretaker, and loyal son throughout the novel. Since Jem is older than Scout, he experiences different situations and provides an additional perspective to many rememberable scenes. The reader views Jem's maturation from a young, imaginative boy to a pre-teen infatuated with sports. Jem learns valuable lessons throughout the novel, such as courage and tolerance. Jem's experience with Mrs. Dubose gives him insight into the duality of human nature and teaches him the true definition of courage. Jem is the first to understand that adults lie when Nathan Radley fills the knothole in the tree with cement. Jem also loses his childhood innocence after witnessing Tom Robinson's wrongful conviction. Atticus raised Jem to be a fair, tolerant, understanding individual, which is why Jem is so distraught when he witnesses injustice. Jem's actions, perspective, and maturation compliment Scout's character, as well as Atticus' tutelage. 

Why did Kevin make up a story about the bionic body?

There could be several reasons why Freak made up the story regarding his bionic body. After he dies, Max is clearly distraught, and even slightly hurt, that Freak lied to him. This is where the idea of a "justifiable" lie comes in.

Freak may have imagined this story in his head in order to protect himself and those who love him. 

In one of my favorite quotes from Freak, he explains that you can remember...

There could be several reasons why Freak made up the story regarding his bionic body. After he dies, Max is clearly distraught, and even slightly hurt, that Freak lied to him. This is where the idea of a "justifiable" lie comes in.

Freak may have imagined this story in his head in order to protect himself and those who love him. 

In one of my favorite quotes from Freak, he explains that you can remember anything, whether it really happened or not. 

With this philosophy, we can understand why Freak may have made up this story in order to protect himself. He knows his time is limited, so in order to make the most out of the moments he has left, he makes up adventures to save damsals in distress and he makes up a story in order to alter his reality. With a bionic body, he is able to cope with his reality and fate. 

We also understand why Freak may also create this story to protect his loved ones, but particularly Max. Freak may have been afraid that Max wouldn't want to be his friend if he knew that he would die soon. On the other hand, Freak may not have wanted to elicit the sympathy of others that Max frequently receives. Another alternative could be that Freak knew he could help Max overcome some of his personal obstacles before he leaves, therefore leaving his mark on the world. 

What time of year is it at the beginning of "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier?

At the very beginning of the story, we read:

On December third, the wind changed overnight and it was winter. Until then the autumn had been mellow, soft. The earth was rich where the plow had turned it.

This indicates that the season is the cusp between late fall and the start of winter. The calendar has not yet marked the official beginning of winter, but the area is experiencing a sudden cold snap in...

At the very beginning of the story, we read:

On December third, the wind changed overnight and it was winter. Until then the autumn had been mellow, soft. The earth was rich where the plow had turned it.

This indicates that the season is the cusp between late fall and the start of winter. The calendar has not yet marked the official beginning of winter, but the area is experiencing a sudden cold snap in early December.

On the first night described in the story, Nat Hocken opens a rattling window and is attacked by birds; cries from his children's bedrooms alert him that they are under attack as well. The next morning, Nat looks out on the peninsula where the action of the story takes place:

Nat went to the window and looked out. The sky was hard and leaden, and the brown hills that had gleamed in the sun the day before looked dark and bare. Black winter had descended in a single night.

In this way, we see that the sudden change in the season echoes the sudden strange actions of the birds, and adds a level of foreboding to the atmosphere of the story.

How are Europeans presented in the poem "White Man's Burden?"

First, we must remember that Kipling's intended readers were American, not European. Kipling's poem was urging the United States to take up the "burden" of annexing the Philippines, recently won by the US in the war against Spain. But the "burden" of imperialism is one that had been undertaken by many European nations. Kipling views imperialists as possessing a superior culture and level of civilization compared to native peoples, who he characterizes as "half-devil and...

First, we must remember that Kipling's intended readers were American, not European. Kipling's poem was urging the United States to take up the "burden" of annexing the Philippines, recently won by the US in the war against Spain. But the "burden" of imperialism is one that had been undertaken by many European nations. Kipling views imperialists as possessing a superior culture and level of civilization compared to native peoples, who he characterizes as "half-devil and half child." He thinks that this confers upon Europeans and Americans the "burden" of bringing civilization to colonial peoples, whether they want it or not. They will build ports, roads, and "fill full the mouth of Famine," all of which, Kipling believes, will help the people of the Philippines. Kipling thinks, though, that the American imperialists will never appreciate the sacrifice. They will hate their benefactors, even trying to kill them. But Europeans and Americans, he believes should still take up the burden, if only to secure the esteem of other whites--the "judgment of your peers". 

Explain the implied assumption underlying the statement in the first sentence.

In the opening line of "Shooting an Elephant," the implied assumption relates to colonialism. Specifically, Orwell makes the assumption that because he was living and working in Burma, his reader would understand two key points. The first point is that he was "hated" because, to the Burmese people, he represented the authority of the British Empire. As a subjugated people, it is expected that the Burmese would feel some resentment toward the British Empire and, as a result, would project this onto Orwell, a police officer.

Secondly, Orwell also expects that people will understand what he means by the following phrase:

The only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me.

Orwell expects people to understand that, as an imperial officer, he had a higher status than the Burmese. In fact, he was at the very top of the social ladder because he worked on behalf of the British Empire. The native population, the Burmese, were at the very bottom.

Orwell, therefore, works on the assumption that his readers understand the power relationship between the imperial class and the native, inferior class.

What is an explanation of the cause of the feud between the families of Ulrich von Gadwitz and George Znaeym?

Despite a court ruling, the Znaeyms have never accepted the judgment that a particular strip of forestland is no longer theirs, and is, instead, the property of the von Gradwitz family.

The feud that has locked the families of von Gradwitz and Znaeym for generations began over a particular strip of woodland belonging to the von Gradwitz family that was wrested from the unlawful possession of the Znaeym family in a famous lawsuit. However, the...

Despite a court ruling, the Znaeyms have never accepted the judgment that a particular strip of forestland is no longer theirs, and is, instead, the property of the von Gradwitz family.

The feud that has locked the families of von Gradwitz and Znaeym for generations began over a particular strip of woodland belonging to the von Gradwitz family that was wrested from the unlawful possession of the Znaeym family in a famous lawsuit. However, the Znaeym family has never relented in their claim that the land belongs to them. As a result, the von Gradwitz family has continued to vehemently accuse their foes of poaching on their woodland. In fact, these quarrels have embittered the two families for three generations. Now, with Ulrich von Gradwitz as the head of his family, the quarrels have become extremely personal between him and his boyhood enemy Georg Znaeym, whom he views as "a tireless game snatcher and raider of the disputed border forest." Certainly, the vitriolic hatred between these two men has perpetuated the feud.

...as boys they had thirsted for one another's blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other....

Therefore, each night that the wildlife might be moving about, von Gradwitz and his men patrol this famous strip of woodland in the hopes of ensnaring the poachers.

What is the character or personality of the narrator in the story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"?

The narration in "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas" is given in the first person using a written voice that is very commanding and present. Where many first person narratives are designed to draw the reader into the story, the narrator in this story is herself external to the story, observing, commenting, and examining. 

LeGuin employs a very dry, ironic voice for this piece, demanding the reader question all the elments she offers up....

The narration in "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas" is given in the first person using a written voice that is very commanding and present. Where many first person narratives are designed to draw the reader into the story, the narrator in this story is herself external to the story, observing, commenting, and examining. 

LeGuin employs a very dry, ironic voice for this piece, demanding the reader question all the elments she offers up. Her narrator is ironic, even cynical, constantly breaking the fourth-wall, addressing the reader directly, casting doubts on the very things being told. The narrator has a sense of humor, but leans more toward wit than belly-laughs.

The narrator presents "facts": a culture dependent on the suffering of a single child scapegoat. But through the narrator's own cynical questioning the reader is forced to ask if the survival of the culture is worth the suffering of the sacrifice--and even more, if that need is real, or imagined.

The narrator of the story fits LeGuin's goals. It is deceptive in its open quality, making it easy to ignore how powerfully the narrator guides the eye and mind of the reader, demanding questions and inisting on evaluations of everything--including the nature of the narrator.

What is the problem with Ralph and Piggy's plan in Chapter 8?

In Chapter 8, Jack leaves Ralph's group to start his own tribe on the other end of the island. When he leaves, Piggy suggests that they build a signal fire between the bathing pool and the platform. There are a few problems with this plan. The first being that they fire they eventually build it too large to maintain. Since the fire is not on top of the mountain surrounded by dry wood, they need...

In Chapter 8, Jack leaves Ralph's group to start his own tribe on the other end of the island. When he leaves, Piggy suggests that they build a signal fire between the bathing pool and the platform. There are a few problems with this plan. The first being that they fire they eventually build it too large to maintain. Since the fire is not on top of the mountain surrounded by dry wood, they need to travel distances to gather enough wood to maintain such a large fire. The second problem is that there are not enough boys to maintain the fire. The majority of the boys snuck off to join Jack's tribe while they were gathering driftwood. The third problem with their plan deals with the location of the fire. Later on in the novel, Jack and several hunters easily steal burning logs from Ralph's fire because it is not protected and is an easy target.

What valuable lessons did Roger learn from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones?

The lesson of compassion is one of the most important lessons that Roger learns from Mrs. Jones.

To be compassionate means to show sympathy towards another person.  Mrs. Jones shows tremendous compassion towards Roger.  When she catches him as he tries to steal her purse, she could have turned him over to the police. She could have abused him for what he did.  However, she displays a tremendous amount of compassion in taking him home,...

The lesson of compassion is one of the most important lessons that Roger learns from Mrs. Jones.

To be compassionate means to show sympathy towards another person.  Mrs. Jones shows tremendous compassion towards Roger.  When she catches him as he tries to steal her purse, she could have turned him over to the police. She could have abused him for what he did.  However, she displays a tremendous amount of compassion in taking him home, feeding him, cleaning him up, and teaching him that he should not steal from others. Finally, she gives him the money that compelled him to steal in the first place.  At the end of the story, Roger stands in the hallway and it is clear that he has learned the lesson of grace and compassion from Mrs. Jones.  While we don't know what will become of him, it's logical to presume that she has impressed upon him how important it is to treat human beings with compassion.

Roger has learned the lesson of seeing people as more than they appear to be.  Initially, Roger saw Mrs. Jones as a target for a robbery.  However, when she takes him in, he sees her as something more. He volunteers to go to the store for her, eats her food, and listens to her story.  When she says to him, “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know," it has an effect on Roger. As a result, Roger wants to earn her trust:

But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

Roger has learned the lesson of seeing people as more than they appear to be.  Every person has a story and this allows them to connect to other people. Roger has learned this lesson in the way he wants to be seen by Mrs. Jones after he gets to know her.

In Julius Caesar, how has Brutus been feeling at the beginning of the play and how does this open the door for Cassius to draw him into his plot?

Cassius is the first to notice that Brutus is in a perturbed state and comments on his mood in Act 1, scene 2:

Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

Brutus replies:

Cassius,
Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors;...

...Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cassius believes that Brutus has an issue with him but Brutus assures him that although he is troubled, it is an issue that he has to resolve within himself. He is, in essence, in a quarrel with himself and has, therefore, forgotten to show courtesy to others.

Cassius perceives that Brutus is disturbed and thus easy fodder for his manipulation. He apologises for being wrong and immediately starts complimenting him, softening him up. He, for example, mentions that many esteemed Romans except Caesar have wished that Brutus could see himself through their eyes, suggesting that they see much good in him, something that he can't quite seem to quite notice himself. 

It is apparent that Cassius wants to paint a negative image of Caesar early in their conversation because he wishes to later ask Brutus to join his conspiracy. He mocks the general by referring to him as 'immortal' and saying that Caesar is not one of those who see the good in Brutus. Brutus, though, is aware of what Cassius is attempting and asks him:

Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me

Cassius then mentions that he will hold a mirror to Brutus and inform him about his inner goodness and that if Brutus should know him as a mere flatterer who later turns against those whom he complimented, then he should see him as dangerous. He is clearly attempting to manipulate Brutus.  

When they hear shouting and Brutus expresses fear that the populace wishes to choose Caesar as king, Cassius pounces and asks if Brutus fears it and he suggests that, therefore, he does not welcome it. Brutus agrees and wants to know what Cassius wants of him. He asks if what Cassius is getting at is for the general good then he could offer him both honour and death and he would be indifferent to both. He further mentions that he loves honour more than he fears death. This means that he is prepared to sacrifice his life for the honour and good of Rome.

Cassius knows that Brutus is ready for his suggestion of a plot and he goes into a long discussion about Caesar's weaknesses, contrasting his frailty with their strengths. He expresses fear that Caesar might abuse his power if he should gain more status. He ends his entreaty with another flattering comment about Brutus:

O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.

Brutus retorts by saying that he will consider what Cassius has said, but asks him not too work himself up too much. He gives him the following instruction:

...my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

Brutus is evidently not prepared to allow Rome to fall under 'hard conditions,' as he calls it, that may ensue if Caesar should become its emperor. Thus the scene is laid for the conspiracy to progress and plot its bloody mischief. 

In the play How I Learned To Drive by Paula Vogel, who is Cousin Bobby, and how does he fit into the family tree?

In the play How I Learned To Drive, Cousin Bobby, also know as B.B. for "Blue Balls," is the protagonist Li'l Bit's cousin. He has no lines in the play and is essentially a flat, static character. The reader does not know much about him other than the fact that Uncle Peck gave him a a fishing lesson when he was young, similar to the way he would give Li'l Bit driving lessons, so we can infer that he was...

In the play How I Learned To Drive, Cousin Bobby, also know as B.B. for "Blue Balls," is the protagonist Li'l Bit's cousin. He has no lines in the play and is essentially a flat, static character. The reader does not know much about him other than the fact that Uncle Peck gave him a a fishing lesson when he was young, similar to the way he would give Li'l Bit driving lessons, so we can infer that he was molested as well.

We can also assume that Cousin Bobby comes from Lil Bits' mother's side of the family. First, like the rest of Li'l Bit's side of the family, he is nicknamed after genitalia: "Blue Balls." Next, because Uncle Peck has access to him, he must be from the mother's side.

There is no way, however, to determine who exactly his parents are as it is never explicitly stated, but we can infer that Aunt Mary is not his mother as this would mean that he was molested by his own father, and this is never suggested. We can, on the other hand, assume that he is the child of one of Lucy's sisters or cousins, probably a single mother since Bobby's uncle is the one to give him fishing lessons.  

What are the disadvantages of improved productivity of a company's employees?

In general, it is highly unlikely that a company would be harmed in any way if the productivity of its employees increased.  Companies are constantly trying to increase productivity because this is a way to increase profits.

Productivity can be defined as the value of the goods or services that can be produced using each input of labor.  In other words, it is the value of the things a worker can produce in, for example,...

In general, it is highly unlikely that a company would be harmed in any way if the productivity of its employees increased.  Companies are constantly trying to increase productivity because this is a way to increase profits.

Productivity can be defined as the value of the goods or services that can be produced using each input of labor.  In other words, it is the value of the things a worker can produce in, for example, one hour of work.  A company will typically want to increase productivity.  This is because the company can make more money if its workers create more value for each hour that they work.  This is good for a company and there really are not any disadvantages.

However, an increase in productivity could be bad for individual workers. This is because it could put those workers out of a job.  Let us imagine that a fast food restaurant currently needs 3 cooks in order to make 300 hamburgers in an hour.  Then imagine that productivity increases drastically and now 2 cooks can make 300 hamburgers in an hour. The third cook is going to be out of a job unless the company can get more people to buy their hamburgers.

In this way, an increase in productivity is good for a company, but it can be bad for individual workers.

What do Montresor and Fortunato have in common?

There are several strong indications that Montresor and Fortunato both earn their livings by dealing in things that appeal to wealthy buyers. Montresor mentions Austrian and British millionaires in the highly suggestive second paragraph of the story. Both these men refer to Montresor's imaginary Amontillado as a "pipe." This is a barrel containing 126 gallons. Montresor would never buy 126 gallons of a gourmet sherry for private consumption, and neither would Fortunato. That amounts to 500 quart bottles of Amontillado. Fortunato is only interested in it because Montresor says he got it at a bargain price. Obviously he must intend to bottle it and sell it off at a profit. He is anxious to get an expert opinion of the wine because he would like to buy more while he can still get a bargain. That is why Montresor pretends to be in such a hurry.

What these two men have in common is that they are sometimes competitors but often partners in business transactions. Many old Venetian aristocrats have to sell off family treasures in order to stay alive. They deal with men like Montresor and Fortunato who know the values of paintings, antiques, jewelry, and other one-of-a-kind luxury items and who know where to sell them. Montresor is a poor man and Fortunato is rich. Montresor must often ask Fortunato to go into partnerships with him, or borrow money from him, or collect finder's fees from him. No doubt the "thousand injuries" Montresor has suffered have been in business dealings. This would explain why Montresor maintains relations with Fortunato although he hates him. It could also explain why nobody knows about these thousand injuries. If people knew Fortunato had injured Montresor so many times, then Montresor would become a suspect after Fortunato disappeared--and Montresor wants to be above suspicion. So he continues to act as if Fortunato is his best friend, and he has conditioned himself always to refer to Fortunato as "my friend," "my best friend," "my good friend," etc., as he does many times throughout the story.

There is a symbiotic relationship between these two men. Montresor needs Fortunato for making money. Fortunato gets tips on potentially profitable deals from Montresor. For example, Montresor might know that a certain Venetian nobleman would like to sell an oil painting by an Italian Renaissance master. If the nobleman wants cash rather than having Montresor act as a broker, then Montresor might refer the nobleman to Fortunato, who could come up with the cash and resell the painting for a big profit. Montresor would expect a finder's fee, but he might often get a smaller fee than he thinks he deserves--or in some cases he might not get any fee at all. Fortunato wears a jester's costume during the carnival because he considers himself a clever jester. He may pull many dirty tricks on Montresor and laugh them off as clever jests. 

Both Montresor and Fortunato are connoisseurs. The sellers and buyers trust them to know about such things as authenticity and especially values. Money is the all-important factor in these men's relationship.

What do the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnagians have in common?

Both the Lilliputians and Brobdingnagians ultimately think poorly of Gulliver and his society.  The Lilliputians accuse Gulliver of treason because he peed on the palace (to put out the fire there), he wouldn't demolish Blefuscu (Lilliput's enemy), he did "aid, abet, comfort, and divert" the Blefuscudian ambassadors, and he only received verbal permission to visit Blefuscu from the Emperor of Lilliput and they believe that he will aid the Emperor of Blefuscu on this visit....

Both the Lilliputians and Brobdingnagians ultimately think poorly of Gulliver and his society.  The Lilliputians accuse Gulliver of treason because he peed on the palace (to put out the fire there), he wouldn't demolish Blefuscu (Lilliput's enemy), he did "aid, abet, comfort, and divert" the Blefuscudian ambassadors, and he only received verbal permission to visit Blefuscu from the Emperor of Lilliput and they believe that he will aid the Emperor of Blefuscu on this visit.  They desire to put him to "the most painful and ignominious Death."  

In Brobdingnag, after Gulliver explains his home and its customs to the king, the King says, "'I cannot but conclude the Bulk of your Natives, to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth.'"  Once he learns of the warlike tendencies and the savage behaviors of the English, the king feels that Gulliver and his countrymen are lower than rats or roaches.  While the Lilliputians would hardly describe Gulliver, a giant to them, in this way, their behavior and his conviction of treason indicates the extent to which they have a problem with him and his customs.

What are passages in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that show how Scout has come to understand that judging others is dangerous because it...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one example of Scout demonstrating how she has learned that judgement can lead to immoral behavior can be seen in her guilty feelings concerning her treatment of Arthur (Boo) Radley. Due to rumors and myths, Scout, Jem, and Dill have judged Arthur, whom they call Boo, to be an insane, dangerous person who piques their curiosity because they want to see just how insane and dangerous he is. Since their curiosity is piqued, especially Dill's, the two boys undertake several stunts to try and get a look at Arthur, and Scout goes along for the ride. Later, Scout feels very guilty about their behavior, showing us that she has been able to understand how much judgement can lead to immoral behavior.

Soon after the trial, Scout begins the third grade and opens Chapter 26 by reflecting on the progress of the start of the new school year. One of her reflections concerns the fact that she no longer fears walking past the Radley Place even though she still sees it as being "no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting." More importantly, she reflects upon how guilty she feels about having participated in activities aimed at invading Arthur's privacy, activities she became involved in just because she, along with others, had judged him to be an insane curiosity, worthy of poking fun at:

I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur Radley--what reasonable recluse wants children peeping through his shutters, delivering greetings on the end of a fishing pole, wandering in his collards at night? (Ch. 26)

A second example of Scout realizing judgement can lead to immoral behavior concerns her reflections of her third-grade teacher, Miss Gates. Early in the new school year, Scout's third-grade class enters into a discussion about Hitler's treatment of the Jews. Scout is very dismayed to hear Miss Gates say something very hypocritical. Miss Gates speaks out against Hitler's treatment of the Jews and speaks in favor of democracies because the people within democracies do not "believe in persecuting anybody." And yet, when leaving the courthouse on the day of the trial, Scout very distinctly remembers hearing Miss Gates say to Miss Stephanie Crawford,

"[I]t's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us" (Ch. 26).

Scout recognizes that Miss Gates's action of speaking out against persecution while also persecuting people in her own town is hypocritical and, therefore, immoral. She also recognizes that Miss Gates's immoral behavior stems from wrongly judging African Americans, as Scout shows when she asks her brother,

"Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home--" (Ch. 26).

Hence, Scout's comment to her brother further shows just how much Scout has come to recognize that judgement leads to immoral behavior.

To what extent was the expansion of slavery into the territories the primary cause of the American Civil War?

The primary (i.e., immediate) cause of the Civil War was the secession of the Deep South states, and the decision of the Confederate government to fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. But I would argue that the political issue of slavery's expansion was the most important factor that led to secession. The issue of expansion hit a crisis point in the aftermath of the Mexican War, when Southern states demanded that slavery be allowed...

The primary (i.e., immediate) cause of the Civil War was the secession of the Deep South states, and the decision of the Confederate government to fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. But I would argue that the political issue of slavery's expansion was the most important factor that led to secession. The issue of expansion hit a crisis point in the aftermath of the Mexican War, when Southern states demanded that slavery be allowed in the Mexican Cession, particularly California, which was set to become a state in 1850. While the Compromise of 1850 temporarily forestalled immediate conflict, the issue raised its head again with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which opened Kansas and Nebraska to at least the possibility of slavery through the implementation of popular sovereignty. One result of this law was that Kansas exploded in conflict between anti-slavery settlers and pro-slavery "border ruffians" who attempted to establish a pro-slavery constitution there. Another result of particular relevance to this question is that the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the rise of a new party, the Republicans, whose main issue was opposition to the spread of slavery. Many events happened to drag the nation toward disunion and civil war, but the election of a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, to the office of President was the single event that precipitated the secession of South Carolina and the rest of the Deep South. So it certainly could be argued that the issue of slavery's expansion was a major factor in driving the nation toward the Civil War. 

Explore Foucault's idea of panopticism and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this theory.

In the beginning of Discipline and Punish: Birth of the Prison, Michel Foucault describes the public torture of an attempted regicide in the mid-18th century. The extreme and spectacular way in which this man was humiliated, brutalized, and killed typifies, in Foucault's view, the pre-modern logic of punishment—that is, punishment as spectacle, or a public re-assertion of the total ruler's power (in this case, the French King).

Next, Foucault argues that such spectacles of punishment have been replaced, in modern nation-states, with a mode best encapsulated by the notion of the panopticon. The panopticon is a prison designed so that a prisoner can always be seen, but cannot see the warden. The prisoner is aware of the warden's presence; he is also aware of his own ability to see that person, who could be anywhere, at any time, ready to dispense his awful power. Hence, the prisoner will police himself; he internalizes this (hidden, yet so very palpable) panoptic power. He will "behave" even in the (visual, physical) absence of those who imprison him.

This transition—from pre-modern to modern, from spectacle to panopticon—is linked to, and necessitated by, the emergence of nation-states. In pre-modern times, entire populations were, in Foucault's terms, illegible; their lives, deaths, and activities were quite unknown to ruling elites, who had no need of such information. Of what interest would the health of a peasant be to a (divine) French King, safe in his opulent, well-guarded castle?

All of this would change with the rise of nation-states, which, by definition, require bureaucracy, order, and (well-kept, in-depth) knowledge. Let's take, for example, a budding nation-state whose wars demand a standing army. In order to consolidate such a group, government officials, bureaucrats, and military generals would have to know the following: 

1) The total number of young, healthy men in the country

2) The total number of generals, or otherwise experienced men, available to train these new recruits

3) The availability of weapons, and machines with which to build them

4) The cost of such weapons

5) The nation-state's capacity to build such weapons (in factories, and so on)

6) The amount of skilled workers needed to run these factories

7) The type, and scale, of education needed to train these workers

These figures, if collected, would constitute only a tiny fraction of the information needed to create and maintain a standing army, much less engage in trade or diplomacy with other nation-states. We see that, in order for a nation-state to thrive, or even exist, it must collect information; it must render all of its assets, human and non-human alike, legible and ready for use.

Thus, modern governments collect and store data in the form of birth, death, and public health records; they also build schools, hospitals, prisons, all of which constitute, for Foucault, the "panoptic society" in which citizens police themselves. Gone are the days of the public torture-spectacle; they have been replaced by the hidden, palpable, and nearly omnipotent power of the panoptic society.

Foucault's notion of the panopticon is incredibly powerful in the sense that it shows how modes of punishment and power can change in response to broader social transitions (that is, the transition from pre-modern to modern, from secluded village to bustling city). It also helps us conceive of how power is distributed throughout society, and how individual people respond to (and internalize) that power.

Critics, however, have pointed out that Foucault's discussion of the panoptic society does not explain how, and why, that society often fails to subjugate its citizens. There are always rebels, criminals, and countless other people who challenge the status quo, and who even succeed in toppling institutions. Clearly, the panopticon is not as all-seeing as it—or Foucault—believes.