How would the novel To Kill a Mockingbird be different if the Finch house was not located on the main street?

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird would be drastically different if the Finches did not live on the main street of Maycomb. Many of the memorable moments and important scenes take place in proximity to the Finches' home and include their neighbors, which are also important characters throughout the novel. Miss Rachel Haverford is Dill Harris' aunt who lives next door to the Finches. If the Finches' home was not located next to Miss Rachel's...

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird would be drastically different if the Finches did not live on the main street of Maycomb. Many of the memorable moments and important scenes take place in proximity to the Finches' home and include their neighbors, which are also important characters throughout the novel. Miss Rachel Haverford is Dill Harris' aunt who lives next door to the Finches. If the Finches' home was not located next to Miss Rachel's home, Scout and Jem might not have met their fascinating, imaginative friend. The memorable character, Miss Maudie, who lives across the street from the Finches, might not have interacted with Scout had she not been her neighbor. Maudie provides insight into the true nature of Boo Radley and describes other characters throughout the community. If the Finches did not live on the main road, Jem and Scout would never have walked passed Mrs. Dubose's front yard to be insulted, and Jem would have never destroyed her camellia bush. The significant lesson in true courage would have never taken place had they not interacted with their neighbor, Mrs. Dubose. When Tim Johnson walked down the main road, Jem would not have seen him, and the children would still think Atticus is talentless and boring. Most significantly, if the Finches were to live off of the main road, the children would not have known who Boo Radley was, and the entire plot would be altered. It is important to remember that Jem and Scout are only children. Children can only travel within a proximity of their home, which makes the location of Finches' residence significant and their neighbors important characters. Most of Scout and Jem's experiences take place in their yard, on their neighbors' porches, or a little ways down the road.

In "To Build a Fire," does the man gain knowledge at the end of the story?

Evidence that the man does indeed gain knowledge at the end of “To Build a Fire” can be seen in his last words: “You were right, old hoss; you were right.”  The man is addressing “the old-timer of Sulphur Creek,” a veteran of the Yukon who had given the youngsters a wealth of information on survival back in the fall, before any of the newbies had any idea what seventy-five degrees below zero truly meant.  

The main character in “To Build a Fire” is a straightforward man, content to understand the fact and existence of things, and not to waste any time with the “why” of things.  He takes everything at face value and concerns himself little with anticipation or consequences.  Thus, at the beginning of the story, “Fifty degrees below zero was to him just precisely fifty degrees below zero. That there should be anything more to it than that was a thought that never entered his head.”  Because of this tendency to observe but not analyze, the man does not put himself into context or identify his weaknesses when faced with the power of nature, the power of cold.

The man is therefore cocky and overconfident, applauding himself when he has made a fire in such cold temperatures and survived thus far alone, even when the old-timer had advised no man to travel alone at fifty below.  Before his fire is obliterated by falling snow, he remains short-sighted and proud.

So when he concedes at the end of the story that the old-timer spoke from wisdom, and that he himself should have shown more humility before nature, he is showing that he at last understands the power of the natural forces around him, and that he has made a grave mistake with his lack of forethought. He has learned that humans are not made for such harsh conditions, and that survival in such an environment requires teamwork, research, and careful planning to make up for lack of instinct. Unfortunately for him, this lesson was learned too late.

Even after earth being so big, why is the thinking power of human so small to discriminate?

To rephrase your question, I believe you are asking: "Even though earth is so big, why do humans stoop to the level of discrimination?"

Unfortunately, discrimination has occurred throughout history.  Globally speaking, humans have tried conquering other humans since the beginning of time.  There is always a group somewhere that hates another group for any given reason at any given time.  Sometimes these are isolated, localized events such as those on a school playground.  Others are extremely historical, such as...

To rephrase your question, I believe you are asking: "Even though earth is so big, why do humans stoop to the level of discrimination?"

Unfortunately, discrimination has occurred throughout history.  Globally speaking, humans have tried conquering other humans since the beginning of time.  There is always a group somewhere that hates another group for any given reason at any given time.  Sometimes these are isolated, localized events such as those on a school playground.  Others are extremely historical, such as the Holocaust.  As Dr. Seuss so aptly illustrates in his book, The Sneetches, there are always people who will dislike other people for petty reasons.

Why does this happen?  Maybe it is because the world is so big and there are things so much larger than ourselves, we find that we are uncomfortable with the feelings of insignificance we experience.  Look up into the night sky and see the stars--one gets a sense of awe and of smallness.  Some people have come to terms with this insignificance and live comfortably with it.  Unfortunately, others do not enjoy feeling small in this world.  In order to make themselves feel more important, they begin judging other people who are different than themselves.  It may be a skin color, a language, an appearance, an IQ, or a star on the belly--but there will be something a person decides to judge in order to lift themselves up on a higher mental plane.

Sadly, there has yet to be a solution to discrimination.  Every society faces it, and yet no society has ever fully eliminated it.  The best way to deal with discrimination is to remember that even if a person is trying to feel big in their own mind, it hasn't changed anything on the outside.  Discrimination has never stopped a determined person from accomplishing success.  The biggest danger is that discrimination breeds further discrimination.  Often, as seen in Sneetches, the person or group being discriminated against will retaliate in kind.  Soon, nobody can tell who is the victim and who is the aggressor.  Do not stoop to this level of discrimination, even in revenge.  After all, the discriminator is actually the small one, and the one who rises above discrimination is the successful one.  

The world is indeed very big.  Embrace it.

What is the significance and origin of the title of the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Since the previous answer has already addressed most of the specific relationships between the text and the title, I will try to add some perspective into the thematic significance of these connections. A common theme in Shakespeare is the fragility of love. In many of his plays, love will come suddenly, leave suddenly, or even transform rapidly into violent hatred. This shows the folly of humans who are experiencing a certain type of romantic love....

Since the previous answer has already addressed most of the specific relationships between the text and the title, I will try to add some perspective into the thematic significance of these connections. A common theme in Shakespeare is the fragility of love. In many of his plays, love will come suddenly, leave suddenly, or even transform rapidly into violent hatred. This shows the folly of humans who are experiencing a certain type of romantic love. We meet a person and quickly lose our sense of priorities, reason, and judgment. This is very similar to the love potion we see in the play. It happens all at once, and without logical explanation.

However, once the relationship is over, or the courting phase of the relationship is over, reason sets back in, the normal state of affairs re-continues, and we are left to deal with the benefits or consequences of our action during this intoxicated period. The theme of the dream represents the strange flash of human behavior that occurs while humans are under the influence of romantic emotions. Sometimes we find that all this time we have been fawning over an ass, sometimes we find ourselves marrying a person, sometimes we find ourselves loving a different person than we thought we had. The play explores the nature of romantic love.

What does Buddy remember most fondly about his cousin ?

In this mostly autobiographical account, Truman Capote recalls fondly an elderly cousin whom he lived with as a child; she was truly his friend and, like him, an imaginative and eccentric spirit. 

Key to understanding the connection between Buddy and his unnamed cousin is their unity of spirit. His fondest memory of her is of one Christmas when they each made kites for the other, and once they have these kites "swim[ming] in the wind,"...

In this mostly autobiographical account, Truman Capote recalls fondly an elderly cousin whom he lived with as a child; she was truly his friend and, like him, an imaginative and eccentric spirit. 

Key to understanding the connection between Buddy and his unnamed cousin is their unity of spirit. His fondest memory of her is of one Christmas when they each made kites for the other, and once they have these kites "swim[ming] in the wind," they lie on the cold grass and watch their kites "cavort." As they do so, Buddy listens to his friend reflect upon death's approach as an act of looking through a church stained glass window. She describes it to Buddy as being

"...pretty as colored glass with the sun pouring through, such a shine you don't know it's getting dark."

It is the beauty of her imagination, her flights of fancy, and her spontaneity that endears his friend to Buddy. When "Those Who Know Best" decide that Buddy should be put in a military school, his spirit languishes there in an environment of "bugle-blowing prisons, grim reveille-ridden summers." In his efforts to escape from this rigor and stultification of imagination, the creative Buddy endlessly searches the sky.....

As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven.

There is no doubt that Buddy's unconventional friend was a kindred spirit, a spirit whom he dearly misses. For she fed his soul and warmed his heart as she lifted them both along with their kites into the heavens, far away from the mundane, tedious, and trivial elements of life.  

What are the best ways to work out for health?

There are several major components to physical fitness, including cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and balance. Workouts that emphasize a balance among different aspects of fitness and a wide variety of activities will be better for you than just focusing on one single activity or aspect of fitness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a week and do two strength-training sessions a...

There are several major components to physical fitness, including cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and balance. Workouts that emphasize a balance among different aspects of fitness and a wide variety of activities will be better for you than just focusing on one single activity or aspect of fitness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a week and do two strength-training sessions a week.

Cardiovascular exercise is any sort of continuous activity such as walking, swimming, cycling, or rowing that elevates your heart rate enough so that you are breathing slightly harder than normal and sweating slightly but not so high that you cannot comfortably sustain the activity for at least 15 minutes. Experts recommend that you do what is called "cross-training", meaning balancing walking or jogging with cycling or rowing with swimming to avoid overuse injuries.

Strength training increases the ability of your muscles to exert power. Practically, strength training helps in every aspect of daily life, including carrying groceries, housecleaning, or gardening. A good strength-training program works all major muscle groups in pushing and pulling directions. For basic health, two fifteen-minute sessions a week including 8 to 10 basic exercises are recommended. You can use body weight (as in push-ups and sit-ups), machines, free weights or resistance bands for strength training. 

See the references below for more detailed information.

How does the Constitution establish justice?

One of the goals of the Constitution was to establish justice. There are some ways the Constitution allows for this to happen.

The writers of the Constitution created the judicial branch. This responsibility of this branch of government is to determine what the laws made the legislative branch mean. The judicial branch was aided by the creation of a court system when the Federal Judiciary Act was passed in 1789. The Federal Judiciary Act created...

One of the goals of the Constitution was to establish justice. There are some ways the Constitution allows for this to happen.

The writers of the Constitution created the judicial branch. This responsibility of this branch of government is to determine what the laws made the legislative branch mean. The judicial branch was aided by the creation of a court system when the Federal Judiciary Act was passed in 1789. The Federal Judiciary Act created three levels of federal courts. These courts allow for a place where a state may take its case if it believes another state has done something wrong that harms that state. Before the Constitution was written, there was no place for a state to resolve disputes with another state. The federal courts also hear cases involving individuals that have been accused of violating federal laws. Therefore, through court proceedings, these people have the opportunity to defend themselves against charges made against them. Justice is established by the decisions made by the courts.

Justice was also established in other ways. Some of these were subtle while other ways weren’t so subtle. The Constitution allows for the removal of the President, Vice President, or judges if they have broken laws. In this way, the message is clear that nobody is above the law.

The creation of a bicameral legislature was another example of justice. Allowing states with more people to have more representatives in the House of Representatives gave large states power that was proportionate to their population. The Senate has equal representation, two senators per state, that allowed smaller states to feel their voices would be heard instead of being silenced by the large states that had more representatives. This was a subtle way of establishing justice.

The goal of establishing justice was important when writing the Constitution. Through various methods, the Constitution created a plan of government that established justice.

What is the development of Fanny's relationship with Edmund in Mansfield Park?

When Fanny arrives at Mansfield Park as a frightened 10-year-old, Edmund is the one person in the family who befriends her. By 18, she has fallen in love with Edmund. However, just at this time, a rival, Mary Crawford, appears on the scene. While Fanny has led a timid, quiet life, Mary is beautiful, witty and worldly and quickly catches Edmund's eye. Fanny can do nothing but wait silently for the blow to fall and...

When Fanny arrives at Mansfield Park as a frightened 10-year-old, Edmund is the one person in the family who befriends her. By 18, she has fallen in love with Edmund. However, just at this time, a rival, Mary Crawford, appears on the scene. While Fanny has led a timid, quiet life, Mary is beautiful, witty and worldly and quickly catches Edmund's eye. Fanny can do nothing but wait silently for the blow to fall and Edmund to propose to Mary. In chapter 11, Fanny endures the "mortification of seeing him advance ... by gentle degrees" towards Mary, while she, Fanny, "sighed alone at the window." 

Fanny's only hope lies in the fact that Mary does not want to marry a clergyman, which is Edmund's chosen profession. Because she is such a close friend, Edmund often confides in Fanny about his concerns over Mary's morals and upbringing.

The story takes an unexpected turn when Mary's brother Henry falls in love with Fanny. Fanny loathes Henry as a person of loose morals, a man described by Austen as "ruined by early independence and bad domestic example." When Henry, who is very wealthy, proposes, Edmund urges Fanny to accept. Fanny refuses and is exiled to her family in Portsmouth to think it over. She has begun to weaken when she learns Henry has eloped with her married cousin Maria. Mary takes her brother's side and at that point Edmund breaks with Mary.

Edmund and Fanny both arrive back at Mansfield and at "exactly at the time when it was quite natural that it should be so, and not a week earlier, Edmund did cease to care about Miss Crawford, and became as anxious to marry Fanny as Fanny herself could desire."

Although Fanny and Edmund are first cousins, they marry: for cousins to wed was not considered odd at the time.

What is the tone of "I'm nobody! Who are you?"

The tone of "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a light, humorous one, and one that is also inviting; however, at the same time there is an undertone of satire that is accompanied by sarcasm.

Emily Dickinson's playful invitation to her reader to join her in being a non-entity cleverly disguises her edgy satire so that it is not so stinging. For, she is really telling her readers that being a "somebody" and having fame...

The tone of "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a light, humorous one, and one that is also inviting; however, at the same time there is an undertone of satire that is accompanied by sarcasm.

Emily Dickinson's playful invitation to her reader to join her in being a non-entity cleverly disguises her edgy satire so that it is not so stinging. For, she is really telling her readers that being a "somebody" and having fame is often deceptive in its true value, and, therefore, not something to really admire or envy.

How public--like a Frog--
To tell one's name--the livelong June--
To an admiring Bog!

Satirizing the famous, saying that they must keep their names in the public consciousness lest they be forgotten, and mocking the people who admire the famous, calling them an "admiring Bog," a swamp that is stagnant and without any distinction, suggests that the fans along with the famous people lack any individuality and initiative of their own. Comparing them to a bog is certainly sarcastic in tone.

Clearly, then, Emily Dickinson's tone may be playful, but it is also potent in its underlying satire of the sacrifice of individuality that both the celebrity and the admirer suffer.

 

What is the foreign policy that is supported by the use or threat of military force?

Many foreign policy strategies are supported or backed by the military power of the country employing those strategies. In the Cold War, the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction prevented direct conflicts between the Soviet Union and the United States because behind the actions of both was the threat of nuclear war.

One specific foreign policy strategy that relied on the immediate threat of military force was known as Gunboat Diplomacy or Big Stick diplomacy in...

Many foreign policy strategies are supported or backed by the military power of the country employing those strategies. In the Cold War, the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction prevented direct conflicts between the Soviet Union and the United States because behind the actions of both was the threat of nuclear war.

One specific foreign policy strategy that relied on the immediate threat of military force was known as Gunboat Diplomacy or Big Stick diplomacy in the United States. The strategy relied on using immediate naval power to intimidate weaker nations into granting concessions. Widely employed by European empires in Africa and Asia in the nineteenth century, Gunboat Diplomacy became a way of projecting immediate military power into diplomatic negotiations. The United States employed this strategy when Commodore Perry forced Japan to open itself to American trade through the threat of immediate naval attack. 

Describe the Ghost of Christmas Present. Explain what it shows Scrooge, what it teaches Scrooge, and what Scrooge learns from it.

The Ghost of Christmas Present appears to Scrooge in Dickens' novel as a "jolly giant." The robed Ghost carries a cornucopia-like torch, and he can be seen around a large feast, which reinforces the "jolly giant" theme. The animated Disney film adaptation, "Mickey's Christmas Carol" actually does a good job of depicting the Ghost of Christmas Present and his massive feast in a way that remains pretty true to the Dickens' story, at least in...

The Ghost of Christmas Present appears to Scrooge in Dickens' novel as a "jolly giant." The robed Ghost carries a cornucopia-like torch, and he can be seen around a large feast, which reinforces the "jolly giant" theme. The animated Disney film adaptation, "Mickey's Christmas Carol" actually does a good job of depicting the Ghost of Christmas Present and his massive feast in a way that remains pretty true to the Dickens' story, at least in part.

The Ghost of Christmas Present escorts Scrooge around the city, showing him Christmas warmth, cheer and festive gatherings as well as the misery and deprivation that exist in stark contrast to the holiday merriment. The Ghost shows Scrooge the home of Scrooge's impoverished clerk, Bob Cratchit, father of Tiny Tim, the oft-cited crutches-using character from the novel.

Responding to Scrooge's question about Tiny Tim upon seeing the young boy's crutch, the Ghost tells Ebenezer that Tim will die if, in effect, the future doesn't differ radically from the present. Here, and shortly after when the Ghost shows Scrooge two starving children, the giant apparition throws some of Scrooge's more callous words uttered earlier in the novel back at him in these different contexts. This highlights in a wry way for the wealthy miser how indifferent to human suffering his remarks and actions regarding the mass of poverty-stricken and working poor people had been, teaching him about the heartlessness and consequences of his miserly disposition. 

Fear is one of the dominant themes of The Chrysalids. Explain how this theme motivates the main characters throughout the novel.

You are correct. Fear is a constant theme and motivator for characters in the novel.  The fear is a real fear too.  The Waknuk society doesn't tolerate any kind of genetic abnormalities.  If any kind of unacceptable genetic mutation happens, that person is either killed or expelled from the society entirely.  Because of those fears, Sophie's family keeps her 6 toes a secret from everybody.  David doesn't understand why he must keep it a secret...

You are correct. Fear is a constant theme and motivator for characters in the novel.  The fear is a real fear too.  The Waknuk society doesn't tolerate any kind of genetic abnormalities.  If any kind of unacceptable genetic mutation happens, that person is either killed or expelled from the society entirely.  Because of those fears, Sophie's family keeps her 6 toes a secret from everybody.  David doesn't understand why he must keep it a secret at first.  He does eventually come to understand why Sophie and her family are afraid.  David is put into the same kind of fear and situation when he learns that he is a telepath.  

David isn't the only telepath, and the entire group lives in fear of being found out.  That fear comes to a tipping point in chapter ten.  Anne, a telepath, plans to marry.  The rest of the group fears that her secret will be discovered with her marriage, and in turn the rest of the group will be found out.  Out of fear for David's safety, his Uncle Axel kills Anne's future husband.  

In chapter twelve, two of the telepaths are captured.  The rest of the group is fearful that they will be discovered, so they flee the Waknuk society together.  They figure living on the run is better than being killed.  From this point forward, the telepaths are on the run from the Waknuks and the people who live in the Fringes.   Everything they do is focused on reaching the "Sealand" people who might offer some kind of unknown sanctuary.  

How does Egeus bring his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect from him?

Egeus goes before Theseus because his daughter is refusing to marry the man that he has chosen for her. Demetrius, his choice, accompanies him to plead his case, and Lysander and Hermia also arrive to beg Theseus to let them be married instead. Egeus is doing this as a formality: he knows that he's right, the law is on his side, he can have his daughter marry whomever he chooses. Because Hermia is being obstinate...

Egeus goes before Theseus because his daughter is refusing to marry the man that he has chosen for her. Demetrius, his choice, accompanies him to plead his case, and Lysander and Hermia also arrive to beg Theseus to let them be married instead. Egeus is doing this as a formality: he knows that he's right, the law is on his side, he can have his daughter marry whomever he chooses. Because Hermia is being obstinate he needs Theseus, as the duke, to give official approval for Egeus to take the next step: to force her to submit to marriage with Demetrius or to be executed. It is actually a capital crime in Athens to defy your father in this way. He arrives confident of a ruling in his favor.

What he doesn't expect is for Theseus to offer her a third choice and to give her time to think it over: in addition to either marrying Demetrius or being executed, option three is she can become a nun and cloister herself away for the rest for life. Egeus is not pleased to have judgment deferred in this way, but we should be, because if she hadn’t been given time to decide, there’d be no play.

Of all the characters in Lord of the Flies, it is Piggy who most often has useful ideas and sees the correct way for the boys to organize...

Piggy is the perfect bully-victim archetype. Golding paints him as the typical sort on which bullies apparently seem to thrive. He is obviously overweight, wears glasses, is not physically agile and has a health condition. Furthermore, his repeated references to his aunt, his 'ass-mar' and the fact that he insists on not being called 'Piggy' makes him an object of the boys' mockery. It is for these reasons that he does not gain the respect which is, in fact, his due. Golding uses Piggy to emphasize society's obsession with the strong and its philosophy of 'only the fittest survive.' His death later further epitomizes this approach.     

Piggy is a realist and he uses reason to figure things out. The boys, on the other hand, do not think ahead. They are impulsive and seek only pleasure. It is for this reason that most of them neglect their tasks. The fact that Piggy regularly moans about their ill-discipline and lack of commitment makes him a further target for their abuse. He is generally seen as a nag. The boys resent his adult approach for they wish to be free of that kind of authority. Although he recognizes the danger of an existence without authority, the other boys, especially Jack, do not have the same depth of thought.

Golding uses Piggy as a symbol for order and stability. He acts as a foil to the other boys who lack the desire to maintain a civilized existence as much as he does. In this, the author satirizes the contrasts in human society. Those who seek order and discipline are mostly opposed by the malevolent forces which thrive on chaos and destruction. Piggy seeks rescue and desires a saviour, whilst the other boys are careless and live on instinct. They are driven by an innate lust to hurt and to maim. As such, they become savages.  

Furthermore, even though Piggy is seen as a nuisance by the other boys, it is his presence that creates, at least, a semblance of civilization on the island. He advises Ralph who sometimes responds to his guidance and passes this on to the other boys. Piggy also provides him with some foundation and strengthens his crumbling leadership. 

Piggy's death signifies a dramatic turning-point in the novel. With his demise, chaos takes the upper-hand. Ralph is left vulnerable and Jack and his savages begin hunting him as if he were an animal. Ironically, it is the arrival of an adult, another symbol of authority, that restores order.

What are some examples of metaphors in the Lord's speech to Job?

While the earlier parts of the book of Job are rife with legal metaphors, the Lord’s speech contains metaphors and images linked to the natural world. According to Aristotle’s Poetics, a metaphor “consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from species to species, or on grounds of analogy.”

Let us take a look at some...

While the earlier parts of the book of Job are rife with legal metaphors, the Lord’s speech contains metaphors and images linked to the natural world. According to Aristotle’s Poetics, a metaphor “consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from species to species, or on grounds of analogy.”

Let us take a look at some of the metaphors in the Lord’s speech to Job. I’m excluding those already mentioned in the other answer.

In 38:8 the sea is compared to a new-born infant. This metaphor is then continued in subsequent lines where the clouds are described as swaddling bands that keep it in check.

We have another cloud metaphor at 38:37, different from the one at 38:9. Here, the clouds are described as the containers or water jars of the heavens.

The Leviathan (40-41) can be seen as an elaborate metaphor that describes the objective counterpart of Job’s egocentric perception. 

Why did Bud start thinking that going to California wasn't the right thing to do?

In Chapter 8, Bud and Bugs visit a Hooverville where they eat a meal and do the dishes. After the boys finish doing the dishes, they walk back to the main fire, and a man playing a harmonica asks Bud if they will be hopping on the train to Chicago tomorrow. Bud tells him that they plan on getting on the train, and the man tells them to get as much sleep as they can...

In Chapter 8, Bud and Bugs visit a Hooverville where they eat a meal and do the dishes. After the boys finish doing the dishes, they walk back to the main fire, and a man playing a harmonica asks Bud if they will be hopping on the train to Chicago tomorrow. Bud tells him that they plan on getting on the train, and the man tells them to get as much sleep as they can because it is leaving at five-fifteen. Bud and Bugs then climb into a tent with a few other boys to get some sleep, and Bud begins to think. He thinks about the comment Deza's mother made about the poor kids on the road by themselves, blowing like dust in the wind because they really don't have a home. Bud then begins to wonder if going to California is the right thing to do. Bud is worried that he might not know who his family is when he gets out there, but he is willing to try to find them. Fortunately, Bud never makes it out to California, and finds his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and they are not who he expects them to be at all.

What appeals did the Nazis use? What are some examples?

After World War I, the country of Germany was in a crisis. People were disoriented and looking for answers. As a result, the Nazis were able to use several appeals to encourage people to support them, such as blaming Jews for the country’s problems, lying, and promising peace to the world.

Adolf Hitler, the Nazi and German leader, illustrates a prime example of the appeals that Nazis used. During his stay in prison, Hitler wrote...

After World War I, the country of Germany was in a crisis. People were disoriented and looking for answers. As a result, the Nazis were able to use several appeals to encourage people to support them, such as blaming Jews for the country’s problems, lying, and promising peace to the world.

Adolf Hitler, the Nazi and German leader, illustrates a prime example of the appeals that Nazis used. During his stay in prison, Hitler wrote the book Mein Kampf (or in English, My Struggle). Within in this text, Hitler encouraged the Germans to come together to eradicate the Jewish people. By blaming the Jews, Hitler gave the Germans a common enemy, he reunited the country and gave them a cause to fight. As Hitler said in a speech on April 12, 1922: 

It [part of the German government] has completely forgotten that this Jewish democracy with its majority decisions has always been without exception only a means towards the destruction of any existing Aryan [Hitler’s perfect race] leadership.

The Nazis also appeased the Germans by promising them peace and prosperity. Hitler used prolific and passionate speeches to talk with the people and encourage them to join the Nazi’s side. Hitler believed that if a person continued to lie to the people, they would eventually believe it and follow him.

Not only did the Nazis use appeals for their own countrymen, but they also appealed to the rest of the world. After World War I, the League of Nations (similar to the United Nations today) desired peace and rest. Hitler made promises of peace while invading and taking control of entire countries!

Why does Malcolm lie about himself to Macduff?

The scene between Malcolm and Macduff in Act IV sc iii appears very confusing at first glance until we realize Malcolm is actually testing Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland.  Malcolm tells Macduff that he will be a far worse tyrant than Macbeth will:

“It is myself I mean: in whom I know
All the particulars of vice so grafted
That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth
Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state
Esteem him as a lamb, being compared
With my confineless harms.”

At first Macduff does not believe him, since Macbeth is such an evil, treacherous leader. No one else could possibly be worse.  However, Malcolm claims he is extremely lustful, greedy, and unjust. He would deliberately abuse the powers that come with being king for his own pleasure and gain, completely opposing any action that would be for the good of Scotland. Macduff finally believes him and rebukes him for being such a vile son when King Duncan was such a noble father. He agrees that Malcolm should not govern Scotland, and he weeps because the country he loves has no hope of escaping oppressive tyranny.

At this point Malcolm confesses that everything he said about himself was a lie. He wanted to see how Macduff would react. If Macduff were fine with Malcolm becoming king even though he was as bad (or worse) for Scotland than Macbeth, Malcolm would know that Macduff did not truly love Scotland. Macduff would just be trying to gain advantage by aligning himself with a new tyrant, and therefore could not be trusted.

Macduff passes the test, showing that his love and loyalty are to his country above himself. When Malcolm sees this, he tells Macduff the truth and explains his current plans to dethrone Macbeth. The two become allies.

In the Great Gatsby, why is it that nobody comes to Gatsby's funeral? What does this mean?

After Gatsby's death, Nick, his only true friend, arranges for the funeral and tries desperately to get other people who knew Gatsby to come and show their respects. The only ones who show up are Henry Gatz, Gatsby's father, the owl-eyed man, who Nick had met in the library at one of Gatsby's parties,  the minister and a few servants. None of the hundreds of guests who had attended Gatsby's parties bothered to come, which...

After Gatsby's death, Nick, his only true friend, arranges for the funeral and tries desperately to get other people who knew Gatsby to come and show their respects. The only ones who show up are Henry Gatz, Gatsby's father, the owl-eyed man, who Nick had met in the library at one of Gatsby's parties,  the minister and a few servants. None of the hundreds of guests who had attended Gatsby's parties bothered to come, which is significant because it shows that while he was alive they were very happy to drink his liquor, dance to his music and enjoy his benevolence but now that he is dead, they have no more use for him. Even Gatsby's business partner, Meyer Wolfsheim, doesn't attend and his words to Nick were:

"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead."

It is more likely that Wolfsheim wants to hide his association with Gatsby, especially after the scandal surrounding the death. Most upsetting to Nick is that Daisy does not come to the funeral, nor does she bother to call. She and Tom had quickly left the country for an extended trip abroad, in order to avoid any repercussions regarding Myrtle Wilson's death.

In the end, Gatsby's funeral, unlike his parties, was a somber and lonely affair. No one showed up because Gatsby hadn't really cultivated friendships or personal relationships with anyone, except for Nick and of course, Daisy.

Who were the Federalists and what were their arguments?

The term "Federalist" was used in two different contexts. The first use of the term emerged during the debate over the ratification of the Constitution after the Philadelphia Convention. Supporters of ratification gave themselves the name "Federalists" (and their opponents "Anti-Federalists") to denote their support for the new federal government. Generally, these men were merchants, financiers, and large property owners who believed that the nation needed a more powerful central government. Some examples of leading...

The term "Federalist" was used in two different contexts. The first use of the term emerged during the debate over the ratification of the Constitution after the Philadelphia Convention. Supporters of ratification gave themselves the name "Federalists" (and their opponents "Anti-Federalists") to denote their support for the new federal government. Generally, these men were merchants, financiers, and large property owners who believed that the nation needed a more powerful central government. Some examples of leading Federalists are Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, George Washington, and Gouverneur Morris. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay penned the Federalist Papers, a series of 85 newspaper articles in New York aimed at explaining the Constitution and persuading New Yorkers to support it. 

Shortly after the establishment of the new national government, during the Washington presidency, the nation witnessed the birth of two political parties. This is when "Federalist" took on its second meaning, as the Federalist Party was born. From the 1790s to the end of the War of 1812, Federalists argued for an expansion of the powers of the federal government and policies intended to favor business and emerging manufacturing interests. They were also sympathetic to Great Britain in its war with Revolutionary France. They were still dominated by wealthy easterners, with an increasingly secure power base in New England. Their opponents became known as Democratic-Republicans, and they coalesced around Thomas Jefferson. 

So the term "Federalist" is used to describe the original supporters of the Constitution as well as one of the nation's first two political parties.

What equipment would I need to investigate and compare the quantitative effects of changing 1.) the duration of light physical exercise, and 2.)...

As far as equipment is concerned, you would only need a watch. You can use your fingers to take a person's pulse rate. There are devices which will measure pulse rate, but they can be expensive and your fingers will suffice. 

To calculate pulse rate, find the person's heartbeat on the inside of the wrist with your fingertips. Keeping your eye on your watch, count the beats for fifteen seconds, then multiply the number of...

As far as equipment is concerned, you would only need a watch. You can use your fingers to take a person's pulse rate. There are devices which will measure pulse rate, but they can be expensive and your fingers will suffice. 

To calculate pulse rate, find the person's heartbeat on the inside of the wrist with your fingertips. Keeping your eye on your watch, count the beats for fifteen seconds, then multiply the number of beats by four. This will give you pulse rate in beats per minute (BPM). 

Chose several durations of light exercise. For example, you could ask your subject to jog in place for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Before he/she begins, find their BPM at rest. As soon as the subject finishes the exercise period, find their BPM again. Continue to do so at regular intervals (for example, every two minutes) until their heart rate returns to the resting rate.

To examine the quantitative effects, it might be interesting to plot your results on one graph. You should have BPM on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. Graph your results such that t=0 is equal to the end of the exercise period. You should have three curves on the graph. 

Some interesting characteristics to compare between the three curves will be maximum BPM and time to return to normal BPM.

What is a hyperbole in "The Fall of House of Usher?"

A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally.  My son likes to use hyperbole when he is hungry.  "Dad, I am so hungry!  When are we going to eat?  I'm starving!"  Of course I know it's hyperbole.  I fed him 3 hours earlier.  He's not literally starving.

In Edgar Allen Poe's story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," there are couple of statements that use hyperbole....

A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally.  My son likes to use hyperbole when he is hungry.  "Dad, I am so hungry!  When are we going to eat?  I'm starving!"  Of course I know it's hyperbole.  I fed him 3 hours earlier.  He's not literally starving.

In Edgar Allen Poe's story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," there are couple of statements that use hyperbole.  The first one is from the opening sentence.  

During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, . . .

The day couldn't possibly have been soundless.  That's an exaggeration of how quiet the day might have been, but unless the day is without an atmosphere, there is sound.   

Another hyperbole from this story that teachers like to use is the following:

I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain— upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows— upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium . . 

The statement is an exaggeration that helps the reader understand just how incredibly bleak the scene looks.  It's so bad that he can't find words to express the depression that he feels.  He can't even compare it to anything that he has ever felt before.  That's bleak all right. 

How can "Thank You, M'am" be shortly summarized?

“Thank You M’am” is a heartwarming story by Langston Hughes about a big, strong woman named Luella Bates Washington Jones and a young boy named Roger who tries to steal her purse.  Her purse is as big and heavy as its owner, and instead of getting away he gets tripped up and caught by Mrs. Jones, who takes him to her house in a headlock and makes him wash his face and comb his hair. ...

“Thank You M’am” is a heartwarming story by Langston Hughes about a big, strong woman named Luella Bates Washington Jones and a young boy named Roger who tries to steal her purse.  Her purse is as big and heavy as its owner, and instead of getting away he gets tripped up and caught by Mrs. Jones, who takes him to her house in a headlock and makes him wash his face and comb his hair.  She reprimands him with maternal care and asks him to eat dinner with her, seeing as he has no one at home to make him anything.  It comes out that he wanted to steal her purse so he could get money to buy some blue suede shoes, and so Mrs. Jones gives him ten dollars for that purpose, with the warning not to go stealing anymore, “because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.”  Roger feels immensely sorry and grateful, but before he can fully articulate the words “Thank you Ma’am,” Mrs. Jones has closed her front door and he is left on his own.

This is of course just an example of the sort of thing you could write on your own – the story is short and easy to read, and a summary would take no time at all.  It’s always a good idea to tailor these sorts of things to your own judgment and what you find noteworthy in a story.   After all, there are other important elements that I haven’t mentioned in the five sentences above, such as Mrs. Jones’s past struggles and the boy’s active decision not to run away once his “captor” has released him.

Who is the intended audience for the movie versions of "Macbeth"?

Many would say that Shakespeare is for everyone, but this answer is a little general. There are some groups of people that would specifically benefit from a movie version of Macbeth. Before talking about those people, however, it may be helpful to note the three most recent major movie versions of Macbeth.

Macbeth (2015) - Featuring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard

Macbeth (2006) - Featuring Chloe Armstrong 

Macbeth (1997) - Featuring Jason Connery

These...

Many would say that Shakespeare is for everyone, but this answer is a little general. There are some groups of people that would specifically benefit from a movie version of Macbeth. Before talking about those people, however, it may be helpful to note the three most recent major movie versions of Macbeth.

Macbeth (2015) - Featuring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard

Macbeth (2006) - Featuring Chloe Armstrong 

Macbeth (1997) - Featuring Jason Connery

These three versions ignore the many recorded stage versions, as well as the nearly countless filmed versions since the birth of film. Macbeth is a popular subject. So who (specifically) would benefit from these movies? 

I would suggest there are three groups that might benefit the most from film retellings of Macbeth:

1. 
   People unfamiliar with Shakespeare. Shakespeare can seem very intimidating to people. A movie is a great way for a person to better understand Shakespeare without being frightening of misunderstanding him or feeling dumb.


2. 
   Those looking to better understand Macbeth. Shakespeare can be downright confusing. A film version of Macbeth is a great way to really visualize a play that is causing a reader trouble.


3. 
   Shakespeare aficionados. Shakespeare aficionados love film versions because they offer storytelling techniques that are impossible in a theater. They allow the gore of Macbeth to really be told in a visual way that spans time and place differently from a stage. 

How did the location of the Byzantine Empire affect its development?

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, its capital being Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It is what remained after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and because it lies on the eastern side of the Ancient Roman Empire the official language was Greek, and the empire adopted Orthodox Christianity, distinguishing it from the Latin west.

The capital of Constantinople gave the Byzantine Empire significant strategic advantage, as it was right on the trade routes between Europe and Asia as well as the Mediterranean and Black Seas. 

The division of the empire into east and west often also split the administration of the empire, as was the case under Theodosius I when he left the east to one son and the west to another. This allowed for the east to continue to thrive and defend the empire despite the continuing downfall of the west. Due to its proximity to expanding Germanic nations and overall weakness, the western empire eventually disintegrated altogether in the late 5th century.

The eastern side, due to its proximity to the Huns and later the Sassanids and Persia in the east, often had to pay tribute to these tribes but remained strong. Byzantine borders expanded to their largest after reclaiming some of the western Roman territory during the rule of Justinian I. 

The Germanic invaders to the west and the Persians and Arab Caliphate to the east persisted, however, and after Justinian I died the Byzantine Empire began to lose territory on both fronts. Eventually, in 626, Constantinople fell to a combination of Sassanid Persia, Avar, and the Slavic forces, its strategic location eventually leading to its downfall.

The Arabs continued to raid and wage war against Byzantium, and eventually wars against the Bulgarian Empire, now their neighbors to the west, began as well. By the 11th century they had effectively conquered Bulgaria and annexed parts of Armenia and Southern Italy, and reconquered the important city Antioch. After these geographical gains Constantinople flourished, becoming the wealthiest city in Europe. 

But the gains meant that Byzantium encompassed Catholic and Orthodox Christian territories, causing a split and crisis within the empire. The gain of southern Italy put them next to the advancing Normans, who took advantage of this schism. Meanwhile, the Seljuq Turks from the east began to explore, and advanced through Armenia, nearing Constantinople. 

The empire continued to struggle with the east-west schism, unable to defend its whole without uniting. The west had now achieved some stability, but the east was losing the the Turks, and they asked the Pope of the west for help. He agreed, and thus began the crusades of the 12th century.

Tensions got stronger and the crusaders began to advance over the eastern Byzantine empire, eventually attacking Constantinople in 1204. This split the empire further. Civil war eventually broke out in the early 14th century, allowing Serbia to take much of the empire. After that, an earthquake devastated the fort in Gallipoli, allowing the Ottomans to begin overtaking Europe. The Ottomans defeated the Serbians while Byzantium was busy in civil war. The Byzantine emperors appealed to the Pope in the west again, but this time they didn't receive help. Constantinople finally fell to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453. Their strategic location between east and west caused a perpetual split that eventually brought their downfall.

Why does the author characterize and describe the crowd going to the trial in such detail in To Kill a Mockingbird?

By characterizing the crowd on the day of the trial, the reader gets some more insight into the social makeup of Maycomb County. People from both sides of the issue arrive to either show support for Tom Robinson, or simply to witness a very important social and legal event for their time and for the history of their county. In a way, it's as if Lee shows the reader what type of people would send an innocent man to his eventual death. As for the black community, Lee shows that they all come out respectfully and peacefully to support Tom Robinson.

As far as those who Jem chooses to introduce to Dill, they are as follows:

"As the county went by us, Jem gave Dill the histories and general attitudes of the more prominent figures: Mr. Tensaw Jones voted the straight Prohibition ticket; Miss Emily Davis dipped snuff in private; Mr. Byron Waller could play the violin; Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth" (159).

But the most interesting characters Jem announces are X Billups and Dolphus Raymond. X got his name probably because his parents couldn't read or write, so they signed his birth certificate with an X and that was the end of it. Raymond, on the other hand, is introduced as a drunk with mixed-race children--a symbol for another type of person looked down on by the community. Later, Scout and Dill find out that he's not a drunk, he just lets people believe that so they will leave him alone with his children and way of life. Dill asks Jem why a well-off man like Raymond would sit with the colored folks and act the way he does. Jem explains further as follows:

"That's just his way. . . They say he never got over his weddin'. He was supposed to marry one of the--the Spencer ladies, I think. They were gonna have a huge weddin', but they didn't--after the rehearsal the bride went upstairs and blew her head off. Shot gun. She pulled the trigger with her toes" (161).

The scandal is entertaining and the twist in the end, that he only drinks cola, makes it an even better story. The Raymond story shows another type of person who is ostracized in the community for living differently than the white majority. Jem's introductions of that majority helps the reader see what type of people make up the community. Again, as said before, Lee must have cataloged the community this way to show what types of people would support convicting an innocent man for rape simply because the accuser is white.

Why didn't the police officer tell Bob he was the real Jimmy Wells?

Jimmy Wells fully intended to meet Bob at ten o'clock and to identify himself. He was a little early, so he was taking his time about patrolling his beat and trying all the shop doors to make sure they were securely locked. Bob knows he must look suspicious to a cop because he is standing inside the entranceway to a closed shop in the dark. So he never gives Jimmy a chance to say anything or to ask anything. Bob thinks he knows what this cop would ask, so he tells him before he can do so.

“It's all right, officer,” he said, reassuringly. “I'm just waiting for a friend. It's an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I'll explain if you'd like to make certain it's all straight. About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands— ‘Big Joe’ Brady's restaurant.”

“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. “It was torn down then.”

The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. His scarf pin was a large diamond, oddly set.

Before Jimmy can identify himself to his old friend, Bob lights a match. Jimmy sees immediately that Bob is the man who is wanted by the Chicago police. The telegram from Chicago could not, of course, contain a photo or even a sketch, but is must have given an elaborate description of the wanted man, including the white scar near his right eyebrow and the diamond scarf pin. O. Henry states that the pin was "oddly set." The telegram, however, would have been more detailed. For instance, the diamond might have been surrounded by little rubies. It would have been a one-of-a-kind ornament and a dead giveaway of Bob's identity.

Jimmy doesn't want to arrest Bob himself, but he feels duty-bound to have him arrested. He makes sure that Bob is going to be standing there for a while.

“I'll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going to call time on him sharp?”

“I should say not!” said the other. “I'll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is alive on earth he'll be here by that time. So long, officer.”

Bob will wait for a half-hour. He has just lighted a cigar and it will take him that long to smoke it. He won't want to leave the shelter of the doorway until he is finished with his cigar. It is drizzling outside the doorway. Jimmy knows he has time enough to go back to the precinct station and find someone else to make the arrest.

Jimmy does not tell Bob who he is because he intends to have him arrested once he sees by the light of Bob's match that he is the wanted man. Bob doesn't recognize Jimmy for several reasons. One is that it is dark. Another is that Bob is blinded by the light of his own match. Another is that he never suspected that Jimmy would become a cop. And yet another reason that Bob doesn't recognize Jimmy is that people change a lot in twenty years. Jimmy was twenty when they parted and now he is forty. He has changed from a youth to a middle-aged man (and he has probably put on a lot of extra weight during his years as a beat cop). Jimmy might not have recognized Bob either, after twenty years, but he knows he must be his old friend because he is waiting at the appointed place. Jimmy must be dismayed to realize that his old friend is a fugitive from justice. They couldn't remain friends, but Jimmy still doesn't want to arrest Bob personally, which is what he would be forced to do if he told Bob he was Jimmy Wells. By remaining incognito, Jimmy has time to get to the precinct station and send a substitute to make the arrest.

What is a good title for Chapter 11 in Bud Not Buddy?

A good title for Chapter Eleven of Bud, Not Buddy could be "Lefty Lewis, the Vampire of Grand Rapids."

This title would humorously represent the contents of this chapter, in which Bud tries to drive off in the car of the stranger--later revealed to be Mr. "Lefty" Lewis--who has offered to give him a ride to Grand Rapids. Bud sees vials of blood in Lewis' car and thinks that the man must be a vampire;...

A good title for Chapter Eleven of Bud, Not Buddy could be "Lefty Lewis, the Vampire of Grand Rapids."

This title would humorously represent the contents of this chapter, in which Bud tries to drive off in the car of the stranger--later revealed to be Mr. "Lefty" Lewis--who has offered to give him a ride to Grand Rapids. Bud sees vials of blood in Lewis' car and thinks that the man must be a vampire; after his quick escape attempt fails, Mr. Lewis assures him,

Bud, if I was a vampire I wouldn't have to catch little boys, I'd just stick my fangs into one of those bottles and have my supper. Besides, where've you ever heard of a vampire that knew how to drive a car?

Bud learns that Mr. Lewis is delivering the blood to Hurley Hospital in Flint. He is not a vampire after all! Mr. Lewis kindly offers to drive Bud to Grand Rapids after Bud lies and claims that he ran away from his "home" and father, Herman E. Calloway. Mr. Lewis takes Bud to the city safely, and the two join Mr. Lewis' family for a large breakfast. 

How can I start off an essay about me?

Personal essays can begin in a variety of different ways, and choosing the best method to start can depend on the subject matter. Before starting the essay, it helps to consider what topic the essay will focus on, and create a brief outline or list of points to address. A general rule of essay-writing is to start the paper with broad, universal ideas before narrowing it down to the more specific points of the essay....

Personal essays can begin in a variety of different ways, and choosing the best method to start can depend on the subject matter. Before starting the essay, it helps to consider what topic the essay will focus on, and create a brief outline or list of points to address. A general rule of essay-writing is to start the paper with broad, universal ideas before narrowing it down to the more specific points of the essay. For example, in a paper that discusses a life-changing event, the paper can begin with a universal lesson that you learned through your specific experiences. It might help to develop the specific focus of the essay first, and then consider what universal lessons might apply for your introductory paragraph.

I need five events that happened in the story "Young Goodman Brown."

A lot happens in that story, which is amazing, because it is a fairly short story.  I'll try and pick 5 main events that walk you through some of the highlights.  

Event one: Young Goodman Brown leaves his house.  His wife begs him to stay, but he leaves anyway claiming that his travels need to happen right then.  

My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt...

A lot happens in that story, which is amazing, because it is a fairly short story.  I'll try and pick 5 main events that walk you through some of the highlights.  

Event one: Young Goodman Brown leaves his house.  His wife begs him to stay, but he leaves anyway claiming that his travels need to happen right then.  

My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise.

Event two: Young Goodman Brown comes across a man waiting for him in the forest.  The reader will soon find out that the man is the Devil.  

Event three: The Devil tells Goodman Brown that all kinds of people have communion with the Devil. 

The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me; the selectmen of divers towns make me their chairman; and a majority of the Great and General Court are firm supporters of my interest. The governor and I, too—But these are state secrets.

Event four: Young Goodman Brown is shown all kinds of people that he thought were good Christians.  Each person he is shown has had dealings with the Devil.  People like Goody Cloyse and even the minister have had dealings with the Devil.  

Event five:  Goodman Brown resists the Devil but is mentally and spiritually destroyed when he sees that his wife communes with the devil as well.  

Event six.  Goodman Brown returns to the village a broken man.  He trusts nobody ever again.  Not even his wife.  

When the minister spoke from the pulpit with power and fervid eloquence, and, with his hand on the open Bible, of the sacred truths of our religion, and of saint-like lives and triumphant deaths, and of future bliss or misery unutterable, then did Goodman Brown turn pale, dreading lest the roof should thunder down upon the gray blasphemer and his hearers. Often, waking suddenly at midnight, he shrank from the bosom of Faith; and at morning or eventide, when the family knelt down at prayer, he scowled and muttered to himself, and gazed sternly at his wife, and turned away.

What is the message of Shaw's Pygmalion?

Shaw's Pygmalion is a comedy. To a certain degree, Shaw's purpose in writing it was to entertain people. Shaw, however, even at his most entertaining, does have a polemical streak and tends to return to certain central ideas and themes across all his plays. Shaw's ideas are clearly expressed in the Prefaces to his plays, which are well worth reading carefully. 

First, Shaw was very concerned about reforming and simplifying English spelling. As you read...

Shaw's Pygmalion is a comedy. To a certain degree, Shaw's purpose in writing it was to entertain people. Shaw, however, even at his most entertaining, does have a polemical streak and tends to return to certain central ideas and themes across all his plays. Shaw's ideas are clearly expressed in the Prefaces to his plays, which are well worth reading carefully. 

First, Shaw was very concerned about reforming and simplifying English spelling. As you read the play, you will note several idiosyncratic elements in spelling and word usage; these are not accidental but part of Shaw's theory of language. The sheer importance of language as a tool of reasoning is also a consistent theme of the play. Shaw argues that if you cannot express yourself adequately, you cannot think rationally. That reforming the study of language and the way it was intertwined with the English class system, was the main point of the play is stated at the beginning of the Preface:

The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They spell it so abominably that no man can teach himself what it sounds like. It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.

Next, as is discussed in the afterword, Shaw argues for his own rather peculiar form of feminism in his portrayal of the character of Eliza and his insistence that, irrespective of gender, strong people seek weaker mates and that strong women, rather than wishing to be dominated, choose weak husbands.

What quote can I use to show that Odysseus is smart and heroic?

Odysseus's dealings with Polyphemus, the Cyclops, go a long way in terms of showing how Odysseus is both clever and heroic. When it becomes clear that Polyphemus is savage and brutal and will continue to kill Odysseus's men, Odysseus says that he waited until the Cyclops fell asleep that night, and

"then formed the plan within my daring heart of closing on him, drawing my sharp sword from my thigh, and stabbing him in the...

Odysseus's dealings with Polyphemus, the Cyclops, go a long way in terms of showing how Odysseus is both clever and heroic. When it becomes clear that Polyphemus is savage and brutal and will continue to kill Odysseus's men, Odysseus says that he waited until the Cyclops fell asleep that night, and

"then formed the plan within my daring heart of closing on him, drawing my sharp sword from my thigh, and stabbing him in the breast where the midriff holds the liver [...].  Yet second thoughts restrained me, for then we too had met with utter ruin; for we could never with our hands have pushed from the tall door the enormous stone which he had set against it."

First, these lines show Odysseus's great courage, a requirement of all ancient Greek heroes. He was willing to endanger himself by attacking a creature so many times larger than himself so that he could save his men. Second, these lines also prove that Odysseus exercises forethought and intelligence when making plans, even when he is in grave danger. Rather than behave rashly and thereby sound the death knell for his whole crew, he realizes that they need the Cyclops to roll away the stone door, and so he cannot kill him.

Odysseus's new plan to blind Polyphemus is much sounder because being blind will not stop the Cyclops from rolling away the stone door. Odysseus cleverly tells Polyphemus that his name is "No one" or "No man" (depending on your translation), and then gets him very drunk. When the monster passes out, the crew blinds him with a sharpened olive stake, and when the other Cyclopes come to answer his screams, he shouts that "No one" is hurting him and so they go away! Therefore, when Odysseus speaks to Polyphemus and tells him this lie, he is likewise displaying both his cleverness and heroism. He says, 

"'Cyclops, you asked my noble name, and I will tell it [...].  My name is No man. No man I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades.'"

His cunning and clever planning and sheer bravery are reasons why Odysseus is counted among the most heroic figures in Greek mythology.

What is the analysis of Trifles by Susan Gaspell?

Trifles is a poignant drama of the consequences of feminine repression, loneliness, and deprivation. 

The play begins as the male and female characters arrive at the home of John and Minnie Wright (who is being held in the county jail) on a large farm in Iowa that is distant from other homes. Gordon Henderson, the County Attorney, Sheriff Peters, and a neighbor, Mr. Hale, dismiss the kitchen as insignificant in their search for a motive regarding the murder of Mr. Wright: "Nothing here but kitchen things," says the sheriff. But, before he goes upstairs, Henderson remarks, "Dirty towels! Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies? Further, he criticizes Mrs. Wright's homemaker instinct.

While the men go upstairs after the attorney tells the women to keep an eye out for anything that might be of use to him and the sheriff, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, enter the kitchen, resentful of the remarks made by the county attorney about Mrs. Wright. Instead, they see the dirty towels and the unkempt state of the kitchen as indicative of Mrs. Wright's low spirits. They look around for a time, then Mrs. Hale says she must gather Mrs. Wright's things from the front closet. When they pull out the requested articles of clothing, Mrs. Hale notices how shabby they are. "She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively," she remarks to Mrs. Peters.
As they return to the kitchen, the women discuss the method in which Wright was killed--with a rope around his neck--and they wonder if there were some connection of this method to motive. Looking through cabinets, they find a quilt that Mrs. Wright was piecing. Mrs. Hale wonders,

" I don't know as there's anything so strange, our takin' up our time with little things while we're waiting for them to get evidence."

Further, she notices that the sewing has become erratic in one place. So, Mrs. Hale pulls out the stitching to repair it, wondering why Mrs. Wright was obviously nervous while sewing. Soon, the men descend the stairs and Sheriff Peters overhears the women wondering if Mrs. Wright were going to "quilt" it or just "sew" the quilt. He jokes to the others about the unimportant concerns of the women, a remark that they find offensive.

Upon further searching, Mrs. Peters discovers in a cupboard a birdcage with a hinge broken. She asks Mrs. Hale if Minnie had a bird, but Mrs. Hale replies that she only knows that once a man came around selling birds. Mrs. Hale wonders if Mrs. Wright may have purchased one since Minnie, whom she knew when she was younger, once sang in the church choir and who must have been lonesome living so far removed from other people with no children or anyone to talk to while her husband worked the farm. But, they wonder what might have happened to the bird because Mrs. Hale notes that Mrs. Wright did not like cats or anything that might have killed it.

Later, Mrs. Hale suggests they take the unfinished quilt to the jail for Mrs. Wright to sew. Mrs. Peters agrees and looks for a sewing basket while Mrs. Hale comes upon a pretty red box, thinking it may contain a scissors. To their amazement, they discover the canary inside, with its neck twisted around; the women look at each other in knowing horror. But, when the men reappear, they say nothing about the bird except when the County Attorney notices the cage and asks where the bird may have gone. Mrs. Hale quickly replies, "We think the --cat got it." When he asks if there is a cat, Mrs. Peters quickly says, "...not now. They're superstitious, you know. They leave."

As the men retrace their steps and start upstairs, the two women say nothing to each other, but perceive something intuitively together. They understand Minnie Wright, and in their women's hearts, they have compassion for her, a lonely, desolate woman, who has suffered silently under the cruel coldness of the man she married. Nothing of beauty has survived in this home; so, when he silenced the little bird who sang for her and brought her some little joy, Minnie Wright snapped. They wonder what they would have done in her place: 

"If there's been year and years of nothing, then a bird to sing to you, it would be awful--still, after the bird was still," Mrs. Hale says.

Mrs. Peters commiserates, "I know what stillness is. When...my first baby died--after he was two years old, and me with no other then--"

But, she tells Mrs. Hale that the law must punish crime. Mrs. Hale counters,

"Oh, I wish I'd come over here once in a while. That was a crime! That was a crime! Who's going to punish that!....We all go through the same things--it's all just a different kind of the same thing.

They decide not to tell Mrs. Wright that her jelly that she worked so hard to put up in the summer has all frozen and the jars broken. Mrs. Peters nervously remarks on how they got so worked up about a dead canary. "As if that could have anything to do with--with--wouldn't they laugh! Under her breath Mrs. Hale says, "Maybe they would--maybe they wouldn't." Clearly, both women consider the previous remarks of the men about the trifles with which women concern themselves. Perhaps, they wonder to themselves, the canary is a mere "trifle," too. So, why mention it? 

As the men come downstairs again, the women hear the attorney telling the sheriff that the case is clear except for a reason for the act of doing the crime. There is nothing to connect with the strange "way of doing it." Entering the kitchen, the sheriff asks if the attorney wishes to see what his wife is taking to the jail, but the attorney says no because, after all, she is "married to the law" Mrs. Peter defers, "Not--just that way." While the men step out to examine the windows, the two wives look meaningfully at each other, both disgusted with the chauvinistic remarks of the men. Quickly, Mrs. Peters tries to put the box with the canary in her bag, but it will not fit. She opens the box, but is too nervous to grab the canary, and they hear the door knob turning. Mrs. Hale, then, snatches the box and shoves it into her large pocket of her heavy winter coat in an act of feminine loyalty. Surely, she feels justified when the county attorney facetiously says,

"Well, Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to--what was it you call it, ladies?"

Her hand in her pocket, Mrs. Hale pointedly responds, "We call it--knot it, Mr. Henderson."

And, they do, indeed, "knot" the case for Mr. Henderson, depriving him of a possible motive out of their feminine sympathy and sisterhood. They cannot bring themselves to condemn Minnie Wright, who lived a life of silent, lonely desperation on a remote farm with no laughter and no song in her home to warm her heart. To Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters this deprivation and repression by a cold husband was punishment enough.

However, some critics feel that Glaspell sends "a dubious moral message" with her play since Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters have actually become accomplices in thwarting justice. One critic writes,

Interestingly, in the years since Trifles was first produced, many scholars have found reason after reason to condone the actions of Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. Intentionally or not, Glaspell has encouraged successive generations of critical scofflaws.

Still, in an introduction to the play, Mary Ann Ferguson applauds the actions of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters:

‘Their awareness comes through shared anger at the men’s views, and their actions invalidate the stereotype of women as ‘fuzzy’ thinkers concerned only with trifles. . . . The play shows that ‘sisterhood is powerful’ by belying the conception that women are catty among other women.

Perhaps, viewers and readers should consider this play as just that--a work of literature that presents a feminist perspective which points mainly to male neglect rather than to criminal activity. It is not, and should not be, a manual for moral conduct, that is certain.

Why would Macbeth order Fleance’s death?

In The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth orders Fleance's death in an effort to "tie up loose ends" and prevent any potential threats to his reign. 

From the start of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are very close.  They fight together under Duncan, and they are both known for their courage and valor in battle.  However, once Macbeth is given the Weird Sisters' prophecy that he "shalt be king hereafter" (1.3 33), he...

In The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth orders Fleance's death in an effort to "tie up loose ends" and prevent any potential threats to his reign. 

From the start of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are very close.  They fight together under Duncan, and they are both known for their courage and valor in battle.  However, once Macbeth is given the Weird Sisters' prophecy that he "shalt be king hereafter" (1.3 33), he takes steps to not only become the King of Scotland, but also to eliminate any potential threat to his reign.  Banquo, Fleance's father, was present at the time of the prophecy, and he later begins to suspect Macbeth of foul play in the death of Duncan (rightfully so, as Macbeth murdered Duncan).  Further, during the initial encounter with the Weird Sisters, Banquo received the prophecy that "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (1.3 70).  In other words, Banquo will "father" kings.  A member of his line will eventually be the king of Scotland.  Just as Banquo eventually suspects Macbeth of foul play in the death of Duncan, Macbeth, as his paranoia grows, begins to believe that Banquo will plot against Macbeth's reign in part to ensure Banquo's own line gains the crown.  In Act III, Scene II, Macbeth admits his fears to Lady Macbeth, saying "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!/ Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance lives" (3.2 41-42).  However, he goes on to tell her that "There's comfort yet; they are assailable" (3.2 44).  Unbeknownst to her, he has already enlisted murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance while they are out on an afternoon ride.  His desire to kill Fleance stems from both his desire to end Banquo's line and to prevent any potential act of vengeance by Fleance, after his father has been murdered.  This is essentially Macbeth's attempt to silence two potential threats with one act.  Finally, from a dramatic standpoint, this act is the first time that Macbeth orders the murder of a child.  Early in the play he struggled against his conscience before and after murdering Duncan, an aged king; the ease with which he can now order the death of a child further demonstrates just how far he has fallen.

How do the events in Chapter 6 help develop the relationship between Scout and Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird

Because of what occurs in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout grow closer as they are conspirators together, they confide in one another, and Scout worries about Jem's safety.

On Dill's last night in Maycomb, the children decide upon going over to the Radleys'. At first, Scout does not want to go because Atticus has told them to leave Boo alone. But when the boys ridicule her, she joins them....

Because of what occurs in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout grow closer as they are conspirators together, they confide in one another, and Scout worries about Jem's safety.

On Dill's last night in Maycomb, the children decide upon going over to the Radleys'. At first, Scout does not want to go because Atticus has told them to leave Boo alone. But when the boys ridicule her, she joins them. In fact, she works with Jem in making a "saddle" to raise Dill to the window sill of the house. Then, after Jem loses his pants on the wire fence of the Radleys, Scout remains quiet, too, as Dill tells Atticus a tall tale about having won the pants in a game. Later that night, Jem confides in Scout that he must go back for his pants. She becomes very concerned that he could be hurt or killed and begins to be concerned,

I waited until it was time to worry and listened for Mr. Radley's shotgun. Then I thought I heard the back fence squeak. It was wishful thinking....There he was returning to me. His white shirt bobbed over the back fence and slowly grew larger. 

How does Johnny lose his innocence when his back breaks in The Outsiders?

Loss of innocence is a common theme throughout literature. Loss of innocence typically refers to when a character loses his/her childlike perspective on the world and comes to a realization regarding the environment around them. In the novel The Outsiders, Johnny Cade is a quiet, scared member of a gang called the greasers.

In Chapter 6, Johnny and Ponyboy enter a burning church to save children who are trapped inside, when a flaming beam...

Loss of innocence is a common theme throughout literature. Loss of innocence typically refers to when a character loses his/her childlike perspective on the world and comes to a realization regarding the environment around them. In the novel The Outsiders, Johnny Cade is a quiet, scared member of a gang called the greasers.

In Chapter 6, Johnny and Ponyboy enter a burning church to save children who are trapped inside, when a flaming beam lands on Johnny's back as he is about to exit the building. Johnny is rushed to the hospital where the doctors examine him. They find out that Johnny has a broken back and will likely be paralyzed for the rest of his life. In Chapter 8, Two-Bit and Ponyboy visit Johnny in the hospital. The boys have a conversation about their heroic actions during the fire, and Johnny asks for the book Gone With The Wind. When Two-Bit leaves the room to buy the book, Johnny starts to nod off and close his eyes. Johnny mentions that he cannot feel anything below his waist, and Ponyboy tries to encourage Johnny by telling him he'll get better. Johnny says,

"You want to know something, Ponyboy? I'm scared stiff. I used to talk about killing myself...I don't want to die now. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't long enough. I wouldn't mind it so much if there wasn't so much stuff I ain't done yet and so many things I ain't seen. It's not fair. You know what? That time we were in Windrixville was the only time I've been away from our neighborhood." (Hinton 122)

This scene depicts Johnny's loss of innocence. Johnny comes to the realization that he doesn't want to die because there are so many things he never had the opportunity to experience in life. He realizes that his suicidal wishes were wrong. Johnny is beginning to see how valuable his life really is after he breaks his back.

Another scene that depicts Johnny's newfound awareness and understanding takes place in Chapter 9. When Dally comes to visit, he tells Johnny that they beat the Socs. Johnny says, "Useless...fighting's no good..." (Hinton 148) Johnny understands that fighting does not solve any problems. His mature comment reflects his new perspective on life.

What had not been included in Rosemary's training in The Giver? Why hasn't The Giver given her those memories?

The Giver did not give Rosemary memories of pain in the beginning of her training because he could not bear to hurt her.

During Jonas’s training as Receiver of Memory, he learns that his predecessor’s name was Rosemary.  Rosemary is unique in that she failed her training.  She was replaced after a few years with Jonas.  As Jonas proceeds with his own training, he learns why Rosemary’s failed.  She meant so much to The Giver that he only gave her positive memories.  The result that when she first saw a painful one, she released herself.

Jonas is a little baffled by the case of Rosemary.  During his Ceremony of Twelve he was told that his training would entail considerable pain.  His rules also stated that he could not take medicine for it, and he could not apply for release.  At first, Jonas had no idea why he would want to be released.  He later learned that the rule was in place because Rosemary asked to be released.

At first, The Giver only shares pleasant memories with Jonas.  Soon, though he adds pain.  Sometimes he shares a memory with Jonas at Jonas’s request, when the pain of the memory is unbearable for him.  The Giver confides in Jonas that he did not share painful memories regularly with Rosemary.

"It broke my heart, Jonas, to transfer pain to her. But it was my job. It was what I had to do, the way I've had to do it to you." (Ch. 18)

The Giver explains that he loved Rosemary, and Jonas learns the concept of love through the memories.  He forced himself to give her “anguish of many kinds” and it was enough.  Rosemary asked to be released and they let her.

At the time that Jonas hears this story, he does not know what release really means.  When he sees a release, which happens to be his father killing a newborn infant, he realizes that Rosemary died.

"Rosemary had only those five weeks worth, and most of them were good ones. But there were those few terrible memories, the ones that had overwhelmed her.” (Ch. 18)

The Giver admits to Jonas that Rosemary was his daughter.  She was related to him, just as Jonas is, but they had a deeper connection.  Rosemary clearly loved him, but she could not bear the pain.  She was brave enough to end her life when she realized how tragic her community really was.  She injected herself, and that was that.

Clearly The Giver realized after this incident that he would have to take a different route in training Jonas, and he slowly exposed him to pain before it could become too much.  However, he is also slowly introducing Jonas to the reality of the community.  Jonas and Rosemary both likely thought that they were living in a perfect world.  When they realized what was really happening, they were horrified.  Each reacted differently.  Rosemary committed suicide, and Jonas escaped in order to return the memories to the people and end the atrocities of their community.

Person vs. Conflict |

There are four basic types of conflict. Conflict is what drives the plot of any given piece of literature. 

One prevalent type of conflict is person vs. person, in which a protagonist goes against an antagonist. A good example of this type of conflict occurs in Richard Connel's short story "The Most Dangerous Game" where the evil General Zaroff hunts men and the protagonist Rainsford becomes his prey in the second half of the story. 

...

There are four basic types of conflict. Conflict is what drives the plot of any given piece of literature. 

One prevalent type of conflict is person vs. person, in which a protagonist goes against an antagonist. A good example of this type of conflict occurs in Richard Connel's short story "The Most Dangerous Game" where the evil General Zaroff hunts men and the protagonist Rainsford becomes his prey in the second half of the story. 

Another category of conflict is person vs. nature. This conflict involves the protagonist in a struggle against nature or the outdoors. An example of this conflict occurs in Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" in which a man finds himself hiking in the Yukon wilderness in potentially lethal conditions. When temperatures reach dangerous levels the man accidentally gets wet and fails in building a fire, ultimately freezing to death.

Yet another type of conflict is person vs. society. This conflict puts the protagonist against some injustice in society. An example of this may be found in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Lennie is a mentally challenged character in a society that doesn't understand or sympathize with his disability. When he accidentally commits murder, his best friend George has to kill him in order to avoid a punishment by society which Lennie would not have understood.

While the first three conflicts involve external threats to the protagonist, the last type of conflict is internal, going on in the protagonist's psyche. In this conflict the protagonist struggles with his own feelings or conscience. An example of this occurs in James Hurst's short story "The Scarlet Ibis" in which the narrator struggles with the guilt he feels over causing his disabled brother's death when they were children. Several times in the story the narrator, who is flashing back to the events, comments on how prideful and mean he was to his brother.

Who is Mr. Pitt in The Scarlet Pimpernel?

Mr. Pitt is only referred to in the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel. He is not a character that is physically present in the story. "Mr. Pitt" in the novel is a reference to William Pitt "The Younger," who was the Prime Minister of Britain during the French Revolution. He was Britain's youngest Prime Minister. At first he was sympathetic to the cause of the French Revolution. Later, he changed his stance on the Revolution....

Mr. Pitt is only referred to in the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel. He is not a character that is physically present in the story. "Mr. Pitt" in the novel is a reference to William Pitt "The Younger," who was the Prime Minister of Britain during the French Revolution. He was Britain's youngest Prime Minister. At first he was sympathetic to the cause of the French Revolution. Later, he changed his stance on the Revolution. After the King of France, Louis XVI, was executed by the guillotine at the hands of the revolutionaries, Pitt "expelled the French ambassador" from England. He became a great defender of the established ways of society, which contrasted greatly with the changes in France. Pitt did not want upheaval in his own country.

Why does Lyddie not sign the petition in Lyddie?

The petition that your question references is a petition to improve working conditions in the factories.  While the girls are paid to work in the factories, they are worked extremely hard in conditions that are not always safe for the girls.  These difficult working conditions often result in injuries to the factory girls.  

While Lyddie might agree with the petition in concept, she doesn't sign the petition for two reasons. Fear and selfishness.  

...

The petition that your question references is a petition to improve working conditions in the factories.  While the girls are paid to work in the factories, they are worked extremely hard in conditions that are not always safe for the girls.  These difficult working conditions often result in injuries to the factory girls.  

While Lyddie might agree with the petition in concept, she doesn't sign the petition for two reasons. Fear and selfishness.  

Her fear is a legitimate fear.  Girls that have signed the petition are blacklisted from the factories.  That means that they are fired, and other factory owners will refuse to hire them.  Signing the petition basically guarantees job loss and loss of income.  Throughout the novel, Lyddie is motivated to be financially independent and pay off her family's debt.  She simply cannot bear the thought of being fired.  

Selfishly, Lyddie doesn't sign the petition, because as more and more girls get blacklisted, Lyddie gets more and more work.  That increased work load translates to increased income for Lyddie.  

In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, how does Scout learn to cope with the evils of the world? Please provide a few examples.

Jean Louise Finch is an innocent little girl who is faced with many controversial situations at a young age. Luckily, her innocence and youth might be protective shields that help her to filter the tragic adult issues she faces. For the most part, however, she is lucky to have good, strong role models who show her first-hand how to cope with the harsh vicissitudes of life. Atticus, Jem, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra all teach Scout to remain calm and not worry, keep her head rather than fight, and act like a lady and be an example.

Scout's brother is four years older than she is, but he is the bridge between childhood and understanding adulthood. Jem is not only brave, but generally cool-headed because he keeps himself in check. He also watches Atticus's example and follows suit. For instance, Jem's coping strategy is one he learned from watching his father in challenging situations. If Atticus is calm, then Jem remains calm. He passes this onto Scout while they watch Miss Maudie's house burn down. Both Jem and Scout start to get really scared, but Jem calms down by saying the following:

"'Don't worry, Scout, it ain't time to worry yet, . . . Looka yonder.'

Atticus was standing with his hands in his overcoat pockets. He might have been watching a football game. Miss Maudie was beside him.

'See there, he's not worried yet, . . . Let's don't pester him, he'll know when it's time,' said Jem" (70).

Jem teaches his little sister to watch Atticus to know if it's time to worry or not. He and Atticus both tell her not to worry multiple times, which teaches her to pause, watch and listen before reacting to a crisis.

Next, Atticus always has a keen sense of understanding other people, which also transfers into good advice. The first great advice this father gives to his young daughter is how to get along with people in life. Sometimes people push buttons that can set us off, but we shouldn't be affected by them. Atticus says the following to help Scout cope with other people:

"First of all, . . . if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. . . --until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (30).

This advice is clearly teaching her to see life through other people's eyes and not to react so quickly when people do things she doesn't like. Later, after Scout beats up her cousin for calling her father a bad name, he let's her listen in on a discussion he has about her with Uncle Jack:

"Scout's got to learn to keep her head and learn soon, with what's in store for her these next few months. She's coming along, though. Jem's getting older and she follows his example a good bit now. All she needs is assistance sometimes. . . she know I know she tries. That's what makes the difference. What bothers me is that she and Jem will have to absorb some ugly things pretty soon. I'm not worried about Jem keeping his head, but Scout'd just as soon jump on someone as look at him if her pride's at stake" (88).

By allowing Scout to hear this, she understands what is expected of her and what she needs to work on to be prepared for future problems. The calm way Atticus teaches helps to lock down the expectation, but also gives her room to practice her coping skills.

Finally, Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra provide the feminine touch that Scout needs to bear life's problems like a woman. They teach her patience, logical reasoning, and charity. They teach her to keep her head in front of company during tea parties even though the guests might be outright bigots. Such is the case when Atticus takes Calpurnia away from the party to go tell Helen her husband died. Aunt Alexandra's guests had been gossiping harshly about social status and racism and finding out about Tom's death and all that Atticus had to bear that year takes its toll. Alexandra becomes overwhelmed and leaves the party. Scout then witnesses Maudie coax her back into the room by saying that there are a handful of people in Maycomb who have to bear the burden of being good examples. They all go back to the party and Scout explains what coping strategies she's learned by saying the following:

"Aunt Alexandra looked across the room at me and smiled. She looked at a tray of cookies on the table and nodded at them. . . With my best company manners, I asked [Mrs. Merriweather] if she would have some.

After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (237).

What came first on earth: air or water?

According to the one of the resources I attached, the earth itself was formed from the solar nebula "about 5 billion years ago."  As the earth began to cool somewhat, the atmosphere was the first of these two resources to form and take place.  It is also believed the oceans would have evaporated away, were not a form of atmosphere in place to prevent the water from escaping into space.  The first atmosphere formed as...

According to the one of the resources I attached, the earth itself was formed from the solar nebula "about 5 billion years ago."  As the earth began to cool somewhat, the atmosphere was the first of these two resources to form and take place.  It is also believed the oceans would have evaporated away, were not a form of atmosphere in place to prevent the water from escaping into space.  The first atmosphere formed as a result of "vapor and gasses that were expelled during the degassing of the earth's interior."  This first, early version of earth's atmosphere had "hydrogen, methane, water vapor, and carbon oxides."

The water on the earth, which represents that part of the earth called the hydrosphere, came about as a result of continued earth cooling.  This continued cooling of the earth's surface caused the water vapor in the already present atmosphere to condense.  The earth's oceans were formed from this condensation around four billion years ago.  it was in these early oceans an early life form, blue-green algae, evolved to the point of using the sun's energy to make food through photosynthesis.  This process is what is believed to have initiated the movement to oxygen being present in the present atmosphere.

The atmosphere, or air, was first, followed by the water.