Prove that if two non-vertical lines are perpendicular, then the product of their slopes is -1.

One way to prove this is by using Pythagorean theorem.

Let's label the coordinates of point of the intersection of the two perpendicular lines as `(x_0, y_0)` . Then, since the lines are perpendicular, if we pick any point on the first line with the coordinates `(x_1, y_1)` , and a point on the second line with the coordinates `(x_2, y_2)` , the line segments connecting these three points will form a right triangle, with the right angle at the point `(x_0, y_0)` .

The lengths of the sides of a right triangle must obey Pythagorean theorem. So, for our right triangle, the hypotenuse is the segment connecting points 1 and 2 an it has the length

`d_(12)^2 =(x_2-x_1)^2 + (y_2-y_1)^2`

The other sides' lengths are the distances between the point of the intersection of the two lines and points 1 and 2, respectively. They are equal

`d_(10)^2 = (x_1-x_0)^2 + (y_1-y_0)^2` and

`d_(20)^2 = (x_2-x_0)^2+(y_2-y_0)^2`

According to Pythagorean Theorem, `d_(10)^2 + d_(20)^2 = d_(12)^2` . If we now plug in the expressions for the d's in terms of the coordinates x and y, then by doing a lot of algebra, we can show that the resultant equation will lead to the required relationship between the slopes.

First, rewrite the equation above as

`d_(10)^2 - d_(12)^2 + d_(20)^2 = 0`

For now, I will work with the part of the equation that involves x-coordinates only, because the part involving y-coordinates will be identical.

The part involving x-coordinates is

`(x_1-x_0)^2 -(x_2-x_1)^2 + (x_2-x_0)^2 `

The first two terms make up a difference of two squares and can be factored as such:

`[(x_1-x_0)-(x_2-x_1)]*[(x_1-x_0)+(x_2-x_1)]+(x_2-x_0)^2`

Opening parenthesis and combining like terms in square brackets, we get:

`(2x_1-x_0-x_2)(x_2-x_0) +(x_2-x_0)^2`

Notice that these two terms have a common binomial factor, which can be factored out:

`(x_2-x_0)(2x_1-x_0-x_2+x_2-x_0) = (x_2-x_0)(2x_1-2x_0)` , or

`2(x_2-x_0)(x_1-x_0)`

Again, working with the y-coordinates will yield identical result, so the equation of Pythagorean Theorem will become

`2(x_2-x_0)(x_1-x_0)+2(y_2-y_0)(y_1-y_0) = 0`

The factor of 2 can be canceled, and now we can separate the coordinates:

`(y_2-y_0)(y_1-y_0) = -(x_2-x_0)(x_1-x_0)`

Divide both sides by `(x_2-x_0)(y_1-y_0)` :

`(y_2-y_0)/(x_2-x_0) = -(x_1-x_0)/(y_1-y_0)`

We can recognize that the left side is the slope of the line passing through the points with the coordinates `(x_0, y_0)` and `(x_2, y_2)` (let's call it `m_2` ), and the right side is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the line passing through the points with the coordinates `(x_0,y_0)` and `(x_1, y_1)`  (call it `m_1` ). So what we get is

`m_2 = -1/m_1` , which can also be written as `m_1*m_2 = -1`

The product of the slopes of the two perpendicular lines is -1.

At what point in To Kill a Mockingbird, after Aunt Alexandra tries to make Scout behave in a more feminine way, does Scout think that maybe she...

Scout does not explicitly say or think that she will change her behavior when in different company, but she does learn to do just that. Scout seems to evolve into that way of thinking throughout the book. At first, she learns that she must wear different clothing at different times. For example, she learns that she must wear a dress to school, but she is allowed to wear pants with family and at home. If Atticus would have forced her to wear a dress at all times, then she may have gotten the message to be a little lady earlier. This fact is exactly where Aunt Alexandra disagrees with Atticus. Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout would behave more like a little girl if she were forced to wear dresses all of the time rather than allowed to wear pants at home. One discussion about clothing and behavior takes place at Christmas time as in the following passage:

"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. . . furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, that I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year" (81).

This passage shows that Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout's behavior is associated mostly with her way of dress. She doesn't necessarily argue with Scout that she couldn't be a ray of sunshine in pants, but avidly points out that her behavior must change. It's almost as if Alexandra agrees that it's not all about the pants, but that's the place to start. Scout also demonstrates the fact that she does not want to change her pants for a dress, but she does start to think about her behavior more after this point.

The biggest revelation for Scout as far as behavior around different company is concerned, however, is expressed when she is at a missionary tea party with Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie and other women of the community. The boys are out playing so Scout puts on a dress and joins the women. It is here that she practices being a lady by watching and learning from the other women. This is also the scene when Atticus comes home to get Calpurnia to go tell Helen that Tom Robinson had died. Alexandra almost breaks down with anxiety and Scout can't stop shaking. It is Miss Maudie who snaps both of them back into proper behavior so they can properly face their company. Scout learns that she must pull herself together when in social situations and go on with dignity, no matter what. Scout says something profound about her behavior at this point, as follows:

"Aunt Alexandra looked across the room at me and smiled. She looked at a tray of cookies on the table and nodded at them. I carefully picked up the tray and watched myself walk to Mrs. Merriweather. With my best company manners, I asked her if she would have some. After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (237).

This has got to be the turning point when Scout understands that she can behave like a lady when she's with formal company and then go play with the boys outside. She's seen her father demonstrate dignity in front of different types of people in the community; she's seen Maudie and Alexandra pull it together for dignity's sake; and she is learning about how she wants to behave when different situations call for different behavior.

What are some symbols tracked throughout the play of Macbeth?

There are a handful of symbols that reappear throughout Macbeth, but the following symbols are the most commonly found. 

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? (MACBETH. II.ii.58-59)

Out, damned spot; out I say... who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him? (LADY MACBETH. V.i.30-34)

Blood reappears throughout the play and often signifies guilt, shame or paranoia. Macbeth speaks of blood...

There are a handful of symbols that reappear throughout Macbeth, but the following symbols are the most commonly found. 

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? (MACBETH. II.ii.58-59)

Out, damned spot; out I say... who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him? (LADY MACBETH. V.i.30-34)

Blood reappears throughout the play and often signifies guilt, shame or paranoia. Macbeth speaks of blood when he kills Duncan, wondering if Neptune's ocean can wash the blood clean from his hand. He is not literally asking for Neptune to rise and wash his hands, but rather for his sin to be forgiven. Lady Macbeth continues this relationship with the blood symbolism by frantically trying to scrub imaginary blood from her hands in the fifth act. 

• Night and The Weather.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair; / Hover through the fog and filthy air. (WITCHES. I.i.12-13)

Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, / That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, / Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark / To cry 'Hold, hold!' (LADY MACBETH. I.v.56-60)

The weather is mentioned from the very beginning of Macbeth and often is used to create a mood over the stage. The Witches all mention the weather in the first scene, describing how the weather must be right for the prophecies and deeds to occur. Night, specifically, is used to achieve things in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth frequently mentions night, wishing it to surround her and her husband so they may commit their acts. 

In Night, what does author Elie Wiesel say is left behind in the trains other than the Jewish people's last valuables? What does he mean by this?

In Night, upon arriving at Auschwitz, author Elie Wiesel says,

"The cherished objects we had brought with us thus far were left behind in the train, and with them, at last, our illusions" (Wiesel 27).

Before the train pulled into Auschwitz, the Jewish people from Sighet still had hope. There was talk about "resettlement camps," where the men would work, and conditions might be hard but tolerable. Some even thought wherever they were going...

In Night, upon arriving at Auschwitz, author Elie Wiesel says,

"The cherished objects we had brought with us thus far were left behind in the train, and with them, at last, our illusions" (Wiesel 27).

Before the train pulled into Auschwitz, the Jewish people from Sighet still had hope. There was talk about "resettlement camps," where the men would work, and conditions might be hard but tolerable. Some even thought wherever they were going might not be bad at all. They would be able to continue their lives much as they had before, and eventually they would be able to go back home to their village. These were the illusions about which Wiesel wrote. The Jews had no idea how bad things were about to become; but as they stepped off the train at Auschwitz, they could see the fires, they could smell flesh burning, they could feel the Nazis' truncheons hitting their bodies. They had no choice but to leave their illusions behind once the reality of Auschwitz struck them. 

In Freak the Mighty, what was Max's nickname in daycare? Give an example from the book that shows why he was called that.

In the first chapter of Freak the Mighty, we learn that over time, Max has earned several nicknames from others and he has even given himself some nicknames.

On page 1, Max says, "Called me Kicker for a time - this was day care, the year Gram and Grim took me over - and I had a thing about booting anyone who dared to touch me. Because they were alwaystrying to throw a...

In the first chapter of Freak the Mighty, we learn that over time, Max has earned several nicknames from others and he has even given himself some nicknames.

On page 1, Max says, "Called me Kicker for a time - this was day care, the year Gram and Grim took me over - and I had a thing about booting anyone who dared to touch me. Because they were always trying to throw a hug on me, like it was a medicine I needed."

In other words, Max is saying that the other kids in day care would call him "Kicker" since he had a habit of kicking anyone who would attempt to touch him, which, according to Max, happened quite often. 

Max says, "I invented games like kick-boxing and kick-knees and kick-faces, and kick-teachers, and kick-the-other-little-day-care-critters, because I knew what a rotten lie that hug stuff was. Oh, I knew." 

This shows that Max was mostly upset for the unsolicited hugs and affection because he thought that were out of pity (at this point in the novel, we don't exactly know what for, but we eventually learn that people may have felt sorry for Max due to his mother's death and father's imprisonment). 

As mentioned, Max not only earns nicknames, but he also gives himself harsh nicknames. For example, in that very same chapter, he calls himself a "butthead," which might reflect on his low self-esteem. 

What kind of animal is the ascaris?

Ascaris is a roundworm which is classified in the Phylum Nematoda, which is in the Animal Kingdom.

Features of Nematode worms include bodies which are not segmented and appear smooth on the outside. They are thin bodied worms. Some can be found in the soil living freely while others are parasitic and rely on a host organism as a way to obtain food.

They contain a body cavity or space between the inner cells (endoderm)...

Ascaris is a roundworm which is classified in the Phylum Nematoda, which is in the Animal Kingdom.

Features of Nematode worms include bodies which are not segmented and appear smooth on the outside. They are thin bodied worms. Some can be found in the soil living freely while others are parasitic and rely on a host organism as a way to obtain food.

They contain a body cavity or space between the inner cells (endoderm) and middle cells (mesoderm) however, this cavity is only partially lined with mesoderm and this cavity is not a true body cavity. It is referred to as a pseudocoelom.

They have two openings to their body consisting of an anterior mouth and a posterior anus.  

They don't have a true skeleton but fluid in their coelom and the muscles of the body wall help to support their body structure.

Diffusion is the method that gases enter and leave their body, and it provides the way for materials to slowly circulate throughout their body and for wastes to exit.

Ascarid worms are parasites that affect Humans and other animals. One example is the hookworm, which infect about one fourth of people on Earth. 

Someone needs to swallow fertile eggs that hatch into a larval stage in the small intestine where they can later be transported by the bloodstream to the lungs. 

The larvae complete their development and eventually can be coughed up and swallowed again. These will pass back to the intestine and develop into adults capable of producing more offspring. Thousands of eggs are produced by females daily which exit the host's body when they defecate. These can then be transmitted to other hosts.

A diagram has been provided to illustrate the life cycle of Ascaris lumbricoides.

What are some white-leaved Senecio bicolor adaptations?

An adaptation is a mechanism that provides an organism a way to deal with existence in an environment that it would normally struggle in.  The use of color in the white-leafed Dusty Miller Senecio Cineraria may help it attract insects such as bees.  This would help facilitate pollination where it might not normally occur.  Dusty Miller is usually known as an ornamental plant with silvery-white velvet foliage.  This particular variety has yellow flowerets that blossom as the plant achieves maturity.

Senecio aureus, Golden Ragwort, is another member of the Senecio family that has yellow flowering blooms.  The blossoms this time more closely resemble those of the daisy in design, but with a golden middle from which petals radiate.  The stems are hairless with long oblate green foliage.  The blossoms may also be white or purple.

Finally, Senecio integerrimus, also known as White Groundsel, is another member of the Senecio family that has white blossoms.  The blossoms may range to yellow or purple, but usually are white.  The flowers act individually to cluster as a larger bloom together.  From a distance they resemble one large flower.

What is the summary of San Francisco by Amy Hempel?

"San Francisco" is one of Amy Hempel's short stories that can be found in her collection entitled The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel.  This particular story is a wonderful attempt of a young girl to deal with grief and loss of a close family member.

We learn early on in the story that the narrator's mother has died.  The narrator continues to ask her dead mother hypothetical questions in order to deal with the...

"San Francisco" is one of Amy Hempel's short stories that can be found in her collection entitled The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel.  This particular story is a wonderful attempt of a young girl to deal with grief and loss of a close family member.

We learn early on in the story that the narrator's mother has died.  The narrator continues to ask her dead mother hypothetical questions in order to deal with the grief.  There are very few things that "happen" in the story as a result.  The entire story is simply this girl's recollection of memories that connect to one particular item of her mother's:  a watch. 

In this story, then, the watch becomes a prominent symbol.  This watch helps the narrator connect her past memories of her mother (and her sister, Maidy) to the different earthquakes in San Francisco (hence the title) and, therefore, allows the narrator to remember even more about her family.  The irony here is that the narrator's mother's death is never actually mentioned and, yet, the reader knows it has happened.  She talks about "where" they were when "it" happened as well as which daughter actually "found" the body.  In this way, the mother's death becomes clear.

In a story as short as this (only three pages), it is a masterful piece of work that deals in the first person with a young girl's grief and loss of her mother through one of her mother's possessions:  a watch.

What did Richmond think about General Macarthur? Why is Richmond willing to anger his general?

Arthur Richmond was one of the officers under General MacArthur’s command.  The general is accused of killing Arthur Richmond on purpose.  The general initially denies it stating that it was a,

“Natural course of events in wartime.” (pg 54)

However, General MacArthur knew better, and it was keeping him awake at night.  When General MacArthur first met Arthur Richmond,

"He liked Arthur ----- he’d been damned fond of Arthur.  He’d been pleased that Leslie liked...

Arthur Richmond was one of the officers under General MacArthur’s command.  The general is accused of killing Arthur Richmond on purpose.  The general initially denies it stating that it was a,

“Natural course of events in wartime.” (pg 54)

However, General MacArthur knew better, and it was keeping him awake at night.  When General MacArthur first met Arthur Richmond,

"He liked Arthur ----- he’d been damned fond of Arthur.  He’d been pleased that Leslie liked him too.” (pg 67)

Arthur Richmond liked them too. He spent a great deal of time in the company of the general and his wife, Leslie.  The general felt great that Leslie took a “motherly” interest in Arthur.  But the fact of the matter was that Arthur was twenty-eight years old and Leslie was twenty-nine.  Far from a “motherly” age.  They began an affair.  Both Leslie and Arthur kept the affair a secret out of respect for the general.  Unfortunately, the general found out because Leslie placed a letter to Arthur in an envelope addressed to the general. 

Arthur had a respect for the general, but he was in love with Leslie.  That was the reason he was willing to anger the general, and anger the general he did.  The general sent him on a mission that

 “Only a miracle could have brought him through unhurt.” (pg 68)

He still went, and he died.  That is why the general is now being accused of murder.

How does Lorraine explain the reason for her mother's attitude toward men in chapters 10, 11, and 12 of The Pigman?

 The chapters in Paul Zindel's The Pigmanalternate between narrators John and Lorraine, so nothing is said by John about Lorraine's mother in chapter 11. Chapter 10, however, is where Lorraine explicitly mentions what happened in her mother's past. Apparently, while her mother was pregnant with Lorraine, the doctor told her mother not to let her husband touch her until his "disease" was gone. Then Lorraine's mother discovered there was a girlfriend on the side and she...

 The chapters in Paul Zindel's The Pigman alternate between narrators John and Lorraine, so nothing is said by John about Lorraine's mother in chapter 11. Chapter 10, however, is where Lorraine explicitly mentions what happened in her mother's past. Apparently, while her mother was pregnant with Lorraine, the doctor told her mother not to let her husband touch her until his "disease" was gone. Then Lorraine's mother discovered there was a girlfriend on the side and she soon filed for a legal separation. Her father's infidelity hurt her mother deeply because they had been childhood sweethearts (107). One could infer that Lorraine's mother may not have dated anyone else; and since they had known each other for so long, the cut was deep and left a wound that never really healed--even after her husband died.

Lorraine's experiences with her mother include behavior such as the following:

"When she goes to work on a night shift, she constantly reminds me to lock the doors and windows. . . Beware of men is what she's really saying. They  have dirty minds, and they're only after one thing. Rapists are roaming the earth" (106).

It's as if her mother is overcompensating for her own mistakes in life. Surely she wants to protect her daughter, but much of what she says to Lorraine comes across as bitter, negative, and mistrusting rather than protective. For example, in chapter 12, Lorraine's mother tells her about a client's husband who seemed to be flirting with her that day and how much men like that disgust her. Then, almost in the same breath, she projects her views onto her daughter by asking the following:

"Lorraine, don't you think that skirt is a little too short? . . . Just because all the other girls have sex on their minds, doesn't mean you have to" (136).

Lorraine has learned to limit her responses so not to make the situation with her mother worse. Lorraine discusses her mother in other chapters as well, but chapter 10 is the one with the most descriptive reason for her mother's behavior and views towards men.

In the short story "Charles" by Shirley Jackson, why were Laurie's parents looking forward to meeting the kindergarten teacher?

Laurie’s parents were looking forward to meeting his teacher so that they could find out more about Charles.

Laurie did not adjust well to kindergarten.  He was a spoiled child, and the rules and order of school did not suit him.  He came from school each day complaining about a classmate named Charles who got into a lot of trouble.  Laurie and his parents thought that Charles was a lot of fun.

“Well,” he said, “Charles was bad again today.” He grinned. “Today Charles hit the teacher,” he said.

“Good heavens,” I said. “I suppose he got spanked again?”

“He sure did,” Laurie said.

As Laurie continues to come home day after day and describe the horrible things Charles does, his parents are curious but not overly concerned.  After all, their son is no angel.  He talks back, harasses the baby, and generally wreaks havoc.

When the night of the Parent-Teachers meeting comes, Laurie’s mother stays home because the baby is sick.  As a result, she does not get to meet Laurie’s teacher.  She continues to listen to his reports about Charles, the scourge of the kindergarten.

When Laurie’s mother finally makes it to the PTA meeting, she looks for any woman who might be Charles’s mother and then seeks out the kindergarten teacher.  The teacher is polite and they discuss Laurie.

“He’s had some trouble getting used to school,” she said. “But I think he’ll be all right.”

Laurie’s mother asks about Charles, and learns that there is no Charles.  Then she realizes the truth.  Charles is not real.  Her son made him up.  Everything that he has described has been his own behavior.

Of course, it is truly ironic that Laurie’s mother is so judgmental when, overwhelmed with a baby, she has not really been paying attention.  Both of Laurie’s parents have let his behavior go, when they should have realized that it would have an effect on his school life.  Charles was his way of telling them that he needed help, and they missed it completely.

Using children’s books is a great way to teach math and science concepts across the curriculum. Find three children’s books that could be used...

There is a wide variety of excellent children's books available to stimulate interest in both math and science. I have picked three of my personal favorites.  

Everyone Poops by the renowned Japanese children's author, Taro Gomi, is so popular that it has published in the United States as part of the series "My Body Science".  Briefly, it acknowledges that all creatures participate in the process whereby their bodies eliminate waste from their system.  While...

There is a wide variety of excellent children's books available to stimulate interest in both math and science. I have picked three of my personal favorites.  

Everyone Poops by the renowned Japanese children's author, Taro Gomi, is so popular that it has published in the United States as part of the series "My Body Science".  Briefly, it acknowledges that all creatures participate in the process whereby their bodies eliminate waste from their system.  While it may be viewed by some as a "potty training" primer, it actually relates a much deeper meaning.  It can be used to show that all life is interconnected.  Whether that lifeform is fish, insect, fowl, or human we all share necessary life functions.  In order to prevent the possibility of having the students actually interacting with feces, activities would best be applied to how poop is dealt with once it leaves the body.  This could be accomplished by a variety of field trips. You could visit a pet store and view the plethora of products available for dealing with your pet's output. You could make posters showing the products that humans use for their personal hygiene. Maybe, you could even visit a waste treatment plant.

Go, Dog, Go by P. D. Eastman is a wonderful book to show children the concepts of mechanics. While it may use dogs to illustrate these concepts, the activities are common to all walks of life.  Up vs. down, in vs. out, over vs. under - all are scientific terms used to define placement.  An added bonus is the concept of rudimentary counting.  A short play would be an excellent way to illustrate the myriad of positions in which the dog's find themselves.  This would incorporate the use of wedges, levers, hoists, etc.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle may be a simple picture book, but it speaks volumes.  It beautifully illustrates metamorphosis.  It teaches that living things do not start out as they end up.  Caterpillars become pupae and finally butterflies.  One obvious activity would be to grow some butterflies (thebutterflysite, insectlore, ordercaterpillars,etc.).  However, you could also grow plants from seeds, or discuss the various stages of human development.

What does Cherry throw into Dally's face in The Outsiders?

In Chapter of 2 of the novel The Outsiders, Dally gives Cherry a Coke, and she throws it back in his face. When Dally first snuck into the drive-in, he spotted Cherry and her friend Marcia sitting by themselves. He sat down behind them and began making inappropriate comments loud enough to annoy the two girls. Ponyboy mentions that Dally can talk awfully dirty when he wants to. When the girls pretend not to hear...

In Chapter of 2 of the novel The Outsiders, Dally gives Cherry a Coke, and she throws it back in his face. When Dally first snuck into the drive-in, he spotted Cherry and her friend Marcia sitting by themselves. He sat down behind them and began making inappropriate comments loud enough to annoy the two girls. Ponyboy mentions that Dally can talk awfully dirty when he wants to. When the girls pretend not to hear Dally, he kicks his feet up on the back of Cherry's seat and continues to curse loudly. After Dally says, "Who's gonna make out with me?" the girls recognize him from the rodeo and ask Dally to leave them alone (Hinton 21). Dally laughs and offers to buy the girls a Coke. Cherry tells him she'll never drink a Coke from him, even if she was starving in the desert. After Dally leaves, Cherry and Ponyboy enjoy a pleasant conversation. When Dally returns with two Cokes, he gives them to the girls and says, "This might cool you off" (Hinton 24). Cherry then throws her Coke back in his face, while Marcia holds onto to hers. 

Who are the noblemen that joined Malcolm and Macduff in the fight against Macbeth?

In Act 5, Scene 2, the audience witnesses a conversation among a number of noblemen still in Scotland who are waiting for Malcolm's army to arrive from England.  These men are Menteith, Caithness, Angus, and Lennox.  They discuss the movements of the English army (brought by Malcolm) as well as the current activities of "the tyrant," Macbeth (5.2.13).  They say that "Those he commands move only in command / Nothing in love." (5.2.22-23).  In other...

In Act 5, Scene 2, the audience witnesses a conversation among a number of noblemen still in Scotland who are waiting for Malcolm's army to arrive from England.  These men are Menteith, Caithness, Angus, and Lennox.  They discuss the movements of the English army (brought by Malcolm) as well as the current activities of "the tyrant," Macbeth (5.2.13).  They say that "Those he commands move only in command / Nothing in love." (5.2.22-23).  In other words, even Macbeth's own army does not want to fight for him; they do it only because they have been ordered to.

In Act 5, Scene 4, Siward and Young Siward are added to this group, which now accompanies Malcolm and Macduff as they march toward Dunsinane, the location of Macbeth's fortress.  The purpose of this scene is to show Malcolm's strategic way of concealing their army's numbers: each soldier is to "hew him down a bough" and hold it up in front of him (5.4.6).  This is also the way one of the Weird Sisters statements to Macbeth comes to fruition: he cannot be harmed until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill, and -- lo and behold -- it now appears that such a thing is happening!

What point of view is Gary D. Schmidt's Okay for Now written in?

Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now is narrated in what we call first-person-protagonist point of view. This point of view is told from the perspective of the main character who relays his/ her own story using first-person pronouns like I and me.

We can tell the story is written in first person protagonist because the protagonist Doug relays what happened to him as the story unfolds. To do so, he uses pronouns like I and me. Examples are seen all throughout the story, but one interesting example is the moment he starts to become friends with Lil at the end of the first chapter. After Lil challenges him to try to drink the coke she brings him in an uninterrupted series of gulps, she makes him laugh by commenting on his Adam's apple. Doug then relays the following events using first-person pronouns:

The fireworks exploded—and I mean exploded.
Everything that was fizzing and bubbling and sparkling went straight up my nose and Coke started to come out all over the library steps and it wasn't just coming out my mouth. I'm not lying (Chapter 2).

What's fascinating is that Doug, as a narrator, treats his reader as an audience by occasionally addressing his reader using the second-person pronoun you. He has multiple purposes in doing so, but one of those purposes is to invite the reader into the story by creating a dialogue between himself and the reader. He particularly creates a dialogue whenever he challenges the reader to be interested in or believe his story. Multiple examples can be seen throughout, but one example is seen when he relays the outcome of the fights he was bullied into during the month of October:

Twelve near-fights. Probable record: Eight wins. Four losses. You don't believe me? So what? So what? (Chapter 5)

As we can see, by occasionally using second-person pronouns, Doug becomes a very interactive narrator; however, since he is still relaying his story from the perspective of I and me, he is still a first-person narrator.

Compare Scout and Atticus to Burris and Bob Ewell. What can we conclude about the relationship between adults and children in To Kill a Mockingbird...

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, we see two distinct parent-child relationships that couldn't be in sharper contrast to each other. The relationship between Scout and her father, Atticus, is one of tenderness and love, mingled with moments of paternal wisdom taught during important stages of Scout's childhood. He teaches her compassion and caring for others less fortunate, as well as great empathy. He does this by way of his actions and through his...

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, we see two distinct parent-child relationships that couldn't be in sharper contrast to each other. The relationship between Scout and her father, Atticus, is one of tenderness and love, mingled with moments of paternal wisdom taught during important stages of Scout's childhood. He teaches her compassion and caring for others less fortunate, as well as great empathy. He does this by way of his actions and through his own words.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

In several instances throughout the novel, Atticus turns many situations into teachable moments and Scout learns valuable lessons about integrity, respect for others, as well as an understanding of society, both the good and the bad that affects everyone. As a result of her father's positive guidance, Scout matures and grows into a more thoughtful person, who learns, among other things, to embrace people in her community as individuals, with all of their flaws and complexities.

In sharp contrast, we see the relationship of Bob Ewell with his children as one of a bullying, neglectful and abusive father. Ewell is the opposite of Atticus, who is gentle, civilized and noble in character. Bob Ewell is an ignorant, ignoble drunk, who threatens and intimidates his own children, as well as the other townspeople. It is no wonder that his son Burris rarely comes to school and when he does, he is sent home by the teacher because his hair is infested with "cooties." Mayella, his young adult daughter, feels so very lonely and abused that when Tom Robinson shows kindness to her she responds effusively, which leads to the tragic event of Tom's trial and subsequent killing. While Atticus is shown as a nurturing parent, Bob Ewell is a brutish, dysfunctional one.  

Did monarchy change after Napoleon?

The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire instilled fear in the hearts of every European monarch. Once he was finally removed from power, they sought to prevent this turn of events from ever happening again in Europe. Toward this end, they passed a number of reactionary policies, such as Great Britain's 1815 Corn Law, which secured profits for British nobles and prevented competition from imports.

Such laws--designed to protect the power of the elite--hurt the...

The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire instilled fear in the hearts of every European monarch. Once he was finally removed from power, they sought to prevent this turn of events from ever happening again in Europe. Toward this end, they passed a number of reactionary policies, such as Great Britain's 1815 Corn Law, which secured profits for British nobles and prevented competition from imports.

Such laws--designed to protect the power of the elite--hurt the middle and lower classes by raising food prices. This hurt the poor because they could not afford to survive, and it hurt the middle class businessmen because they were forced to pay their employees higher wages so they could afford food.

Consequently, the middle and lower classes began to team up to attack the European monarchies and aristocracies. This political movement gave poor workers their first taste of political organization, and Karl Marx believed it prepared them to overthrow the middle class, along with the monarchs (as he and Engels wrote in the Communist Manifesto). Thus, the reactionary policies of the post-Napoleonic European monarchs actually resulted in the Marxist revolutions of 1848.

I've read the short story "Tickets, Please!" by D.H.Lawrence, but I did not understand it very well. Would you help me please, with more detailed...

Ticket, Please! was published in 1922. The story is set during the aftermath of World War 1, so that's the historical context. Remember that the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 1920, and on Election Day in 1920, women exercised their right to vote for the very first time.

Read all about the fight for women's suffrage here.

D.H. Lawrence's short story exemplifies the change in women's status in the aftermath of the war and of women's suffrage. In the story, we see that Annie Stone is a conductress on the Midlands line. She belongs to the new group of working women who are newly empowered and independent. However, the women's new found social relevance becomes a curse: their enthusiastic embrace of masculine energy renders them unintentionally clumsy caricatures of femininity:

The girls are fearless young hussies. In their ugly blue uniforms, skirts up to their knees, shapeless old peaked caps on their heads, they have all the sang-froid of an old non-commissioned officer.

They pounce on the youths who try to evade their ticket-machine. They push off the men at the end of their distance. They are not going to be done in the eye—not they. They fear nobody—and everybody fears them.

On the other hand, the tram drivers seem to be 'rash young men, or else... invalids who creep forward in terror.' Here, Lawrence is drawing our attention to the price that we may pay for progress: the loss of gender differentiation. We are led to question whether modern concepts of gender are superior to those necessitated by traditional ideals. No where is the debate more heated than in the area of romance.

In the story, we are told that the chief inspector of the tram lines is one John Joseph Raynor. He's a good-looking cad who seduces all the female conductresses, confident in his ability to extract sexual favors from each one. Notice that he usually moves on to the next girl when the current one gets too clingy for his liking:

When she started to take an intelligent interest in him and his life and his character, he sheered off. He hated intelligent interest. And he knew that the only way to stop it was to avoid it. The possessive female was aroused in Annie. So he left her.

Here, Lawrence is highlighting the plight of the modern woman. Traditionally, a woman preserved her sexual purity for marriage, while prospective suitors had to display definitive proof that they were worthy supplicants for a woman's loyalty. However, now that women have achieved political and economic independence, men have correspondingly rejected their own traditional obligations to women. You can see this in John Raynor's nonchalance; he's not the least bit perturbed by his callous treatment of the women.

Lawrence also highlights the fact that only the cosmetic, outward conventions of gender reciprocity and respect are preserved. John Joseph pays Annie's way at the fair, but this is a very superficial sort of gallantry. It's only designed to capture Annie's interest in a sexual dalliance. Annie, on the other hand, doesn't just want a 'nocturnal presence' in her life; she wants a real companion by her side, something John Joseph isn't about to submit to.

In the end, the female conductresses get their revenge. They lure John Joseph to their dressing room at the depot station. While pretending to engage in social pleasantries, they soon turn on him and attack him brutally. The women's actions stem from their pain at being marginalized. They have given up sexual favors with little to show for them. Also, despite their revenge, the mere act of physical retribution fails to provide them the complete catharsis their hearts desire. They are still left bereft of the kind of commitment and love they desperately want.

And they began to put themselves tidy, taking down their hair, and arranging it. Annie unlocked the door. John Joseph looked round for his things. He picked up the tatters, and did not quite know what to do with them. Then he found his cap, and put it on, and then his overcoat. He rolled his ragged tunic into a bundle. And he went silently out of the room, into the night.

The girls continued in silence to dress their hair and adjust their clothing, as if he had never existed.

In the above passage, John Joseph is reduced to a pitiful, emasculated figure. The women themselves are paralyzed by their vulnerabilities and pain. In the face of social/economic progress and the aftermath of the war, both genders have failed to attain a corresponding new shift towards greater understanding and respect. This is what Lawrence highlights in his short story.

How do we know that the house in "The Listeners" was very old and no one lived there?

I'd like to start by saying that readers can't know that the house is old and/or deserted.  There are lines that suggest that the house is old and empty, but those lines don't guarantee that fact.  

Let's start with old.  I believe that the best indication that the house is old is the mentioning of the turret.  A turret is reminiscent of old castles, but the design and use of turrets gained popularity again...

I'd like to start by saying that readers can't know that the house is old and/or deserted.  There are lines that suggest that the house is old and empty, but those lines don't guarantee that fact.  

Let's start with old.  I believe that the best indication that the house is old is the mentioning of the turret.  A turret is reminiscent of old castles, but the design and use of turrets gained popularity again during the Victorian era.  That period of history covers the second half of the 1800's.  The problem is that readers don't know a specific date for the poem's setting.  It's possible that the home was built in 1860, and the traveler in the story is visiting the home in 1880.  I wouldn't call a 20 year old home old.  

The poem does tell readers that birds flew out of the turret, and that the windows are "leaf-fringed." Both of those details make it seem like nature is taking back the home.  That does take some time, but even homes that have sat empty for even as little as a year are subject to ecological succession taking back the house.  I do believe that the house is old because it makes it creepier and more haunted feeling; however, I could defend the idea that the house is newer and has been recently deserted.  

As for the home being empty, I believe that is easier to support.  The narrator tells readers that the halls are empty.  Silence is a repeated motif in the poem.  Reader attention is drawn to the fact that the house is unusually quiet and still.  That suggests to me that the house is devoid of inhabitants.  The use of the word "phantom" also alerts readers to the lack of living souls in the house.  

But only a host of phantom listeners   

   That dwelt in the lone house then 

Whether you believe in ghosts or not doesn't really matter.  Ghosts would not be considered living, which supports the idea that no humans live in the house anymore. No humans in the house would also help explain why nature seems to be taking back the house.  There are no people around to stop nature's slow assault.  

What elements of the narrative of Into the Wild indicate that it is based on research?

Many parts of the narrative are based on Krakauer's research into McCandless and his life.  

Unwilling to let McCandless go, I spent more than a year retracing the convoluted path that led to his death in the Alaska taiga, chasing down details of his peregrinations with an interest that bordered on obsession.

Krakauer explains in the book's opening author's note that he spent a great deal of time trying to retrace McCandless's journey.  Frequently,...

Many parts of the narrative are based on Krakauer's research into McCandless and his life.  

Unwilling to let McCandless go, I spent more than a year retracing the convoluted path that led to his death in the Alaska taiga, chasing down details of his peregrinations with an interest that bordered on obsession.

Krakauer explains in the book's opening author's note that he spent a great deal of time trying to retrace McCandless's journey.  Frequently, Krakauer incorporates into his narrative letters that McCandless wrote to various people during his travels.  Krakauer also recounts many interviews he conducted with people that knew McCandless as more than a passing vagrant. All of those are examples of Krakauer's research. 

Chapters 8 and 9 are the two most glaring pieces of evidence that Krakauer's narrative is based on research.  That's because those chapters focus on men that came years before McCandless and lived or died in similar fashions to McCandless.  For example, the last piece of first hand evidence regarding the disappearance of Everett Ruess is dated 1934.  That's well before either McCandless or Krakauer was alive.  The only way for Krakauer to include so much detail regarding that man was to do extensive research.  

Who was Delphine's mother? |

Your question refers to the 2003 novel by Louise Erdrich, The Master Butchers Singing Club. This story is about the separate lives of Delphine Watzka and her partner Cyprian, as well as Fidelis Waldvogel and his family. They all live in Argus, North Dakota. 

Throughout the story Delphine’s mother is unknown. All that is known is her father Roy Watzka, a severe alcholic. At the end of the book it is revealed that her...

Your question refers to the 2003 novel by Louise Erdrich, The Master Butchers Singing Club. This story is about the separate lives of Delphine Watzka and her partner Cyprian, as well as Fidelis Waldvogel and his family. They all live in Argus, North Dakota. 

Throughout the story Delphine’s mother is unknown. All that is known is her father Roy Watzka, a severe alcholic. At the end of the book it is revealed that her biological mother is actually Mazarine Shimek’s mother (a close friend of Delphine’s), Mrs. Shimez. Step-and-a-Half, the town scrap collector, found her abandoned in an outhouse and gave her to Roy to raise.

But this book focuses on showing non-biological familial ties as well. So when answering your question, who is Delphine’s mother, it is also important to point out non-biological mothering figures in the text. Eva Waldvogel, who helps run the butcher shop, becomes a role model for Delphine. She teaches her many domestic and other skills that a mother traditionally would.

Erdrich, L. (2003). The Master Butchers Singing Club. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers.

What caused Bob Ewell's death?

Bob Ewell died from a knife wound. The cause of death given by Heck Tate was that Bob Ewell fell on his knife. At first, Atticus thought that Jem had stabbed Bob Ewell. Atticus was prepared for his son to go to trial. Then Mr. Tate informed him that it was Boo Radley who killed Bob Ewell. This was when Mr. Tate decided that they should simply conclude that Bob Ewell fell on his knife....

Bob Ewell died from a knife wound. The cause of death given by Heck Tate was that Bob Ewell fell on his knife. At first, Atticus thought that Jem had stabbed Bob Ewell. Atticus was prepared for his son to go to trial. Then Mr. Tate informed him that it was Boo Radley who killed Bob Ewell. This was when Mr. Tate decided that they should simply conclude that Bob Ewell fell on his knife. This would protect Boo Radley from going to trial for murder.

This did not sit well with Atticus. He felt that it was dishonest. Scout, however, understood. She agreed with Mr. Tate's decision to not place the blame on Boo Radley. When she thought of Boo, she thought of innocence. She knew he was just trying to save her and Jem's lives. She did not think it was fair for Boo to go to jail for what happened:

"Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 31).

What is the cause and effect in Chapter 14 of Lyddie?

Lyddie worries about her family, so she desperately tries to make as much money as she can.

Lyddie is a factory worker because there is a large debt owed on the family farm.  She is constantly worried about money, and every decision she makes is designed to get her enough money to pay off the debt.

Lyddie had been hurt in an accident when a shuttle from the loom hit her in the head.

By Saturday afternoon she was back in her own room, and by Sunday the pain had dulled. Dr. Craven had cut her hair away from the wound and bound her head in a proper bandage, but she took it off. She was going back to work the next day, bald spot and all. (Ch. 14)

Lyddie is more concerned about her family than herself.  She feels like she is responsible for them, and if anything happens to her they will not get the money.  Her mother is with her uncle and has her two little sisters, and her brother works for a mill.  Lyddie still feels like the debt is her responsibility.

Diana took Lyddie to a doctor who was a friend of hers, Dr. Craven.  Lyddie is curious about the relationship, but considers Dr. Craven a good doctor because he did not give her a bill.  He clearly treated her as a favor to Diana.

Lyddie returns to work, and the overseer Mr. Marsden asks her if she is all right.  He tells her that she is his best girl.  Lyddie is definitely a hard worker.  Before the accident, Mr. Marsden added a loom so that she had four.

Mr. Marsden gives her a new girl to train named Brigid, who is Irish.  Lyddie is not thrilled, because she does not want the new girl to slow her down.

By the end of the first day, the girl was far from ready to operate her own machine, but Lyddie had run out of patience. She told Mr. Marsden to assign the girl a loom next to her own. "I'll watch out for her and tend my own machines as well." (Ch. 14)

Lyddie is not kind to Brigid.  She yells at her and the girl bursts into tears.  Diana is able to patiently explain things to the girl.  She thanks Diana for helping her with the doctor, and Diana asks Lyddie if she will sign the petition.  She still refuses.

Lyddie sees her neighbor Luke Stevens and hardly recognizes him.  He gives her a letter from Ezekial, the slave she lent money to.  In it is a check for $50 in repayment.  She writes a letter to her mother asking her what the debt is, because she thinks she may have enough money to pay it back.

Could you try to name a few problems of Sociology that can be solved with the use of mathematical methods and models?

As is the case with most “soft sciences” the application of scientific/mathematical methods is tentative at best, because the individual items enclosed in the term are not consistent in content (for example, paleontology and cosmology are “hard sciences” dealing with and obeying all rules of physics; cosmetology, the study of beauty enhancement, has personal and aesthetic elements as well as chemical elements). Sociology can incorporate mathematical elements, such as statistics, percentages, fractions, and probabilities, in...

As is the case with most “soft sciences” the application of scientific/mathematical methods is tentative at best, because the individual items enclosed in the term are not consistent in content (for example, paleontology and cosmology are “hard sciences” dealing with and obeying all rules of physics; cosmetology, the study of beauty enhancement, has personal and aesthetic elements as well as chemical elements). Sociology can incorporate mathematical elements, such as statistics, percentages, fractions, and probabilities, in such areas as social prediction, historical trends, cultural predilections, memory retention studies, heredity factors, income generation, etc.

Perhaps the best use of mathematics is in studies of historical population shifts, migration, exile distribution, and the like, since these studies can count physical bodies on the move. When Sociology deals with human behavior, however (the “why” of human action), mathematics goes by the wayside.

But none of these studies can claim the physical surety of say, an architectural study of stresses and weight distribution in a skyscraper. Perhaps the best use of mathematics is in studies of historical population shifts, migration, exile distribution, and the like, since these studies can count physical bodies on the move. When Sociology deals with human behavior, however (the “why” of human action), mathematics goes by the wayside.

What does the road symbolize in "The Road Not Taken"? What about the woods?

The road in Frost's famous poem is symbolic of the path that one takes in life. One chooses a particular direction, and the choice determines every other event that one may encounter. One's decision of a particular route, therefore, determines one's destiny. It is difficult to determine exactly where the route will lead, and a calculated guess or assumption is all one has, unlike a physical path that one knows will lead to a specific destination. 

...

The road in Frost's famous poem is symbolic of the path that one takes in life. One chooses a particular direction, and the choice determines every other event that one may encounter. One's decision of a particular route, therefore, determines one's destiny. It is difficult to determine exactly where the route will lead, and a calculated guess or assumption is all one has, unlike a physical path that one knows will lead to a specific destination. 

Furthermore, the split in the road is suggestive of the choices we are faced with on our life's journey. In the poem, the speaker chooses the route "less traveled by." The only distinctive contrast between this road and the other that "it was grassy and wanted wear" (line 8). Other than that, the two roads were mostly similar. The speaker regrets the fact that he cannot travel both roads at the same time and is compelled to decide between the two. The speaker's difficulty is emblematic of the challenges we face when having to make life decisions. Although the differences between the options we have are often very small, we have to choose and may, in future, wonder what our lives would have been like if we had decided differently—just as the speaker in the poem does.  

Once a particular choice has been made, it is difficult and even impossible to return to one's original position for "way leads on to way" which means that an initial decision determines every other event that follows. The speaker affirms the fact that one might regret or feel sad about not knowing where the other choice might have lead to:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

The last line of the poem "And that has made all the difference" has been interpreted to mean many different things. One of these assumes that the message is inspirational and that the speaker is saying that having chosen the less common or ordinary direction has resulted in high reward. The line is understood to mean that being different and accepting the greater challenge is more beneficial. Many scholars, however, also contend that just the mere act of having made a choice is what has brought a difference and not the fact that the speaker has chosen a particular route. It takes greater courage and conviction to make a choice than to remain indecisive and noncommittal. 

The woods allude to the barriers and difficulties one may encounter in life. One's life path has to circumvent these obstacles just as the paths through the forest go around the trees and avoid all other hindrances. 

Can I say "I have several homework"?

Ideas can be expressed in many different sentence forms in English, but your sentence choice is incorrect for two reasons: (1) homework is an uncountable noun and (2) several is a quantifier that cannot be used with an uncountable noun.

Uncountable nouns are those that refer to something as an indivisible group or quantity; they are also called mass nouns because they refer to large masses, quantities or amounts of something. For example, furniture, advice and luggage are uncountable mass nouns, which are used in the singular form because a plural form is unavailable for use, that refer to all of something thought of or to a single piece of something: 

• The air-carrier porters hauled the luggage, all 2,000 pieces of it, to the airplane.


• The airport porter told him to check his luggage, even though he had only one piece of it, at the check-in desk.

Uncountable mass nouns can be modified by a select few quantifying determiners. In contrast, countable nouns, those nouns that have plural forms (e.g., one horse, 500 horses, two horses) and are thus said to be countable, can be modified by a different selection of quantifying determiners. Some important kinds of noun quantifiers answer the questions: How many/much? How many/much more? How many/much fewer/less?

Uncountable nouns answer these questions with the quantifiers: much (How much?), much (How much more?), and less (How much less?).

In contrast, countable nouns, those that can be pluralized hence counted, answer these questions with different quantifiers: many (How many?), many or several (How many more?), and fewer (How many less?). 

Looking at this, we see that the quantifying modifier "several" belongs with a countable noun, like cats or pencils or cars (i.e., many or several cats, many or several pencils, many or several cars). Since "homework" is an uncountable mass noun, having no possibility of pluralization, "several" cannot be used to modify "homework": "several homework" in not grammatical because of (1) the uncountability of the noun and because of (2) the prescribed association of different modifying quantifiers with uncountable (mass) and countable (pluralizable) nouns. 

The simple change from the countable noun quantifier "several" to the correct uncountable noun quantifier "much" will make your sentence grammatical: not "I have several homework" but "I have much homework." This then answers "How much homework do you have?" You answer, "I have much homework." [You can also answer, among other things, "I have little homework" or "I have some homework."] 

What is the summary of the meeting of the Estates General of 1789?

The Estates-General was a key event in the French Revolution. This began as a meeting of the "three estates" of French society (the nobility, clergy, and peasantry) to try and solve the issues troubling the nation. The government was in extreme debt due to their involvement in a number of wars and several years of crop failure. The peasant class (called the third estate) had been angered by the rise in prices of bread, which exacerbated pre-existing tensions between the land-holding nobility and the laborers who worked the land. 

At the Estates-General of 1789, conflict arose when the three estates could not decide how to vote. If the Estates were to vote independently of one another, it would give an advantage to the nobility and clergy, who made up a relatively small part of society. If the three were to vote all together, the votes of the peasantry were sure to overpower the nobility and clergy. Naturally, the nobility were reluctant to let their decision-making power be overwhelmed by the laboring class!

When a solution to the dispute over voting could not be achieved, the representatives of the Third Estate formed the National Assembly with the intent of solving France's problems with the peoples' interests at heart. They invited the other two Estates to join, and though the King initially resisted, the nobility and clergy eventually had no option but to join the National Assembly. The peasant class could easily have overpowered the First and Second Estate, so resisting did not make much sense.

Later that year, the combined Estates (now known as the National Constituent Assembly,) would pass the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This document effectively put an end to the feudal system (and rule by nobility) in France, promoting the values of equality, liberty, and brotherhood for all.

How does Juliet lose her innocence in Act II of Romeo and Juliet?

In Act II, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the two young lovers meet on the girl's balcony. They have fallen instantly in love with each other only an hour or two earlier when they met at Capulet's party. Before she knows Romeo is below her balcony Juliet professes her love for him and wishes they were not from feuding families. She says,

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?Deny thy father and...

In Act II, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the two young lovers meet on the girl's balcony. They have fallen instantly in love with each other only an hour or two earlier when they met at Capulet's party. Before she knows Romeo is below her balcony Juliet professes her love for him and wishes they were not from feuding families. She says,

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name,
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

When Romeo appears, Juliet is at first reticent but soon warms to his affectionate words and they confirm their love for each other. Juliet still wants to wait because she fears the relationship may be moving too fast. She advises Romeo to go home and let a little time pass for them to consider these sudden emotions. She says,

Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight.
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.

Of course, Romeo is not to be put off. He talks of marriage and, in a decision which the reader might view as her loss of innocence, she agrees to Romeo's request. In that instant she goes from being a young girl, obedient to her parents, to a woman able to make her own decisions. She must know that her parents would never approve of her love for a Montague, their sworn enemy. Her life is forever changed by this loss of innocence. At the end of Act II Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet. And, in Act III the two consummate the marriage. In literal terms, this honeymoon in Juliet's room could also be seen as a loss of innocence.

Are there example of figurative language in Julia Alvarez's poem "Woman's work"?

Yes, there is figurative language in Julia Alvarez's poem "Woman's Work."

There is a range of this language. There are visual images (like her scrubbing the floor). There are analogies ("keep house as if the address were your heart").There are metaphors that are vivid and logically impossible (keeping the narrator prisoner in a heart). There are images that are also metaphors, like when the sun bars the floor. The sunlight falls in lines across the...

Yes, there is figurative language in Julia Alvarez's poem "Woman's Work."

There is a range of this language. There are visual images (like her scrubbing the floor). There are analogies ("keep house as if the address were your heart").There are metaphors that are vivid and logically impossible (keeping the narrator prisoner in a heart). There are images that are also metaphors, like when the sun bars the floor. The sunlight falls in lines across the floor, like literal bars, but it is also part of the metaphor of being in prison.

What's striking about the figurative language in this poem is how well it fits together. It blends domestic scenes with geometric structures and images/metaphors of containment and imprisonment. For example, the lattice cut into the pie is literal (that's one way to shape a pie crust) and a metaphor of crossed bars, like a jail.

I need to write two 15 line poems about the novel Crabbe by William Bell. One poem must be about a major character and one about a minor character....

This sounds like an interesting assignment. The first step should be to choose the two characters. Choosing Crabbe as the main character would be practical and give you the most to write about. He also has a very clear journey from the time he runs away to the time he comes home, so tracing it would be fairly simple as long as you don't try to include everythingthat happened to him while he was...

This sounds like an interesting assignment. The first step should be to choose the two characters. Choosing Crabbe as the main character would be practical and give you the most to write about. He also has a very clear journey from the time he runs away to the time he comes home, so tracing it would be fairly simple as long as you don't try to include everything that happened to him while he was gone. As for the minor character you choose, you might consider one of his parents or someone else affected by him running away. Just as he goes through multiple feelings and experiences while he is gone, so do those who are left at home and worried about him.

Since each poem must be fifteen lines long, consider breaking each poem up into three sections. For example, the first five lines examines the beginning of Crabbe's journey, the next five look at the middle of his journey, and the last five examine the resolution of his journey. 

Avoiding acrostic poetry should be fairly simple, as this would probably take you more work to actually craft. If you want the piece to rhyme, consider a format and rhyme scheme. Here is a link to a website that gives some pointers on why you might choose to rhyme and how to begin to do so: Creative Writing Now.

How do Phillip and Timothy show courage in two ways?

The Cay is a tale of growth, change, and survival. It tells the story of Phillip Enright, a young boy and Timothy, an older, Caribbean sailor who are forced to survive after their ship is sunk during World War II. The two characters and a cat are forced to survive on a small island while waiting for rescue.

Both characters show courage in several ways as the story unfolds. Timothy shows courage by helping to...

The Cay is a tale of growth, change, and survival. It tells the story of Phillip Enright, a young boy and Timothy, an older, Caribbean sailor who are forced to survive after their ship is sunk during World War II. The two characters and a cat are forced to survive on a small island while waiting for rescue.

Both characters show courage in several ways as the story unfolds. Timothy shows courage by helping to rescue Phillip in the midst of the ship sinking. When Phillip eventually loses his eyesight (temporarily), Timothy shows courage by helping Phillip cope and become independent on their small island. Timothy shows the ultimate courage by the end of the story when he sacrifices his life in the hurricane to save Phillip.

Phillip is also able to show courage throughout the book. He is able to deal with the fact that his parents might have been lost in the sinking of the ship. He copes with the fact that he loses his eyesight and, with Timothy’s prompting, is able to climb a coconut tree, which is a challenge considering his lost vision. This proves to be the ultimate symbol of Phillip’s growing independence. Finally, Phillip shows true courage when he is forced to survive on the island alone following the hurricane.

What forms of figurative language are found in Fahrenheit 451? Give examples and explain please.

There are lots of forms of figurative language in Fahrenheit 451. Here are some examples.

Bradbury uses a metaphor to describe Montag's fire hose. He compares it to a "great python," for example, which not only gives the reader an idea of its size and shape but also of its power.

There is an example of personification when Montag comes home to find that Mildred has taken an overdose. In this line, Bradbury says that the "sky" above the house "screamed." This figure of speech reinforces Montag's sense of anguish as he realizes what Mildred has done.

There is an example of alliteration in the advertisement which Montag hears while he is in the underground train:

Denham's Dandy Dental Detergent, Denham's Dentifrice Dentifrice Dentifrice, one two, one two three.

By repeating the D sound, Bradbury creates a sense of rhythm in the text while also emphasizing the love of mindless entertainment in this society. Looking deeper, then, Montag's efforts to get this song out of his head are symbolic of his wider struggles to overcome censorship.

In the "The Sniper," how does the author contrast war and a lovely summer night in the beginning of the story. Write the lines that show this...

Liam O'Flaherty's anti-war short story "The Sniper" is set in the Irish capital during the Battle of Dublin, which was waged at the beginning of the Irish Civil War. The battle was waged on the streets and lasted about a week. At this time the Four Courts, a government building, was under siege by Free State troops who were being armed and financed by Great Britain.

In the first paragraph O'Flaherty begins with two sentences...

Liam O'Flaherty's anti-war short story "The Sniper" is set in the Irish capital during the Battle of Dublin, which was waged at the beginning of the Irish Civil War. The battle was waged on the streets and lasted about a week. At this time the Four Courts, a government building, was under siege by Free State troops who were being armed and financed by Great Britain.

In the first paragraph O'Flaherty begins with two sentences that describe an idyllic Dublin summer night with "fleecy clouds" mirroring light on the Liffey River which runs through the center of the city just to the south of the Four Courts. This beautiful and serene summer night is abruptly interrupted by "heavy guns," "machine guns and rifles" and "dogs barking."

War is raging in this beautiful capital of the "Emerald Isle" and soon the reader is introduced to the main character, a Republican sniper on a rooftop. He is there to protect his comrades in the Four Courts as they are under attack from British aided Free State troops.

The novel Treasure Island is considered to be one of R.L. Stevenson's greatest works and has had a major impact on piracy-related literature ever...

This question is meant to be a subjective one, and no one can “give your view on the topic” but you. However, I can give you more information on the ways in which Treasure Island has influenced pirate lore, as well as how it was influenced by popular stories of the day.

Very many of the conceptions we have of “pirates” as such -that is, seafaring pirates of the eighteenth century - are drawn from Stevenson’s characterizations. Most notably, Stevenson created the character Long John Silver, a fearsome pirate with a peg leg, a crutch, and a parrot who often squawks such topical phrases as “pieces of eight.” The black spot was also an invention of RLS, as well as the popular rhyme “Dead Man’s Chest,” which in recent years has leant itself to the title of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Most of the details we take for granted as being associated with pirates, including the concept of the treasure map with “X marks the spot" and the idea that pirates are scalawags who engage in cutlass fights and drink lots and lots of rum, are all thanks to Robert Louis Stevenson.

The sheer number of television, film, and radio adaptations of the novel is testament to its popularity, and naturally when a work becomes so canonical it ends up defining its genre. Take The Lord of the Rings, for example – the movie version, specifically. This immensely popular trilogy of films took all the elements of Tolkien’s fantasy world, which has very much in common with other fantasy stories, and applied elements that had never before been seen on screen – epic CGI battle scenes, immaculate costuming and hair. Fast-forward fifteen years and every single Hollywood movie with any ties to fantasy or myth is implementing the same techniques. We witness them everywhere, and yet the work with the most lasting power, arguably the work that has executed these techniques with the best results, was the original. The same can be said of Treasure Island. All the pirate lore and the pirate stereotypes that have been adopted by countless stories across an infinity of media can be traced back to the most popular, the most artful and original.

Treasure Island wasn’t completely a work of imagination, of course – Stevenson borrowed heavily from the existing pirate histories of the day, thus lending a thrilling realism to his work. In addition, at the time RLS was writing, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe had long popularized the story of the desert island, and the idea of the “noble savage” proposed by Rousseau and Chateaubriand in various works likely contributed to later trends in which the main conflict often centered around clashes with the native peoples in foreign lands. Stevenson’s work was merely the high-water mark for such tales, the culmination of a dozen fronds of trope and convention in the genre twisted into a masterpiece of invention. And when a topic has been conceptualized to such an exhaustive degree, and reaches such a degree of popularity, there is no doubt that the most iconic elements will seep into popular culture and become as fact themselves. A good comparison could be the vampire mythos – after Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, a wealth of stories centering on the blood-sucking creatures has been continuously recycled over the years using the same themes and elements of the original, whose background was derived from existing lore.

Why do multicellular organisms need a very efficient waste removal system?

The thing about the process of living that most people forget about is waste removal.  When you talk about what it takes for a person to live a healthy life (multicellular level), most people think about eating good food, breathing good air.  While those are necessary prerequisites for a person to live, at the same time, waste products are being created by a process of energy production called cellular respiration.  It is just as important...

The thing about the process of living that most people forget about is waste removal.  When you talk about what it takes for a person to live a healthy life (multicellular level), most people think about eating good food, breathing good air.  While those are necessary prerequisites for a person to live, at the same time, waste products are being created by a process of energy production called cellular respiration.  It is just as important to get those waste products out of the body as it is to import the things necessary to live, food and oxygen.  I explain it to my students like this: "Someone at your house is responsible for getting the trash out to the curb on garbage day (usually, it is them!).   Has that person every forgotten to take the trash out?  If that happens on a regular basis, what happens to the internal environment of the home?"  Of course, if the trash starts piling up, it won't be too long until all sorts of vermin come in to secure their new food source.  These vermin make waste products too, so the trash problem starts compounding.  Needless to say, some of these waste products are gases, and they don't have a very fragrant aroma to them.  The point is, the overall quality of the environment degrades, and in many cases, decomposes to a point of bad existence.  Stop and think about how many times you have to go the restroom in the course of just one day, and you get an idea of how much waste your body creates as it conducts it's life processes.

As the Greeks studied science, how did they begin to change their relationship to their religion and to other gods?

I'm not sure it's quite accurate to say that the Greeks studied "science", since they were far from formalizing the Scientific Method as we know it today. But they did make many significant advances in philosophy and mathematics, which laid a foundation for later developments in science.In any case, it's quite clear that the intellectuals of classical Greece did not believe in religion. They were atheists; in fact, the word "atheist" is originally from...

I'm not sure it's quite accurate to say that the Greeks studied "science", since they were far from formalizing the Scientific Method as we know it today. But they did make many significant advances in philosophy and mathematics, which laid a foundation for later developments in science.

In any case, it's quite clear that the intellectuals of classical Greece did not believe in religion. They were atheists; in fact, the word "atheist" is originally from the Greek atheos. There were many different schools of thought among the Greeks: Stoicism, Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Sophism, and more. They disagreed on just about everything---but were remarkably uniform in their rejection of all theistic religions. Only a handful of Greek philosophers ever wrote anything suggesting that they believed in literal gods such as Zeus or Apollo.

One particular Greek philosopher who wrote a great deal about religion (all of it negative) was Epicurus; he wrote the first recorded use of the Problem of Evil. Note that he was writing in the 4th century BC, centuries before Jesus was even born.

Most of the population of Greece was illiterate, however, and knew very little about the intellectual traditions that were forming among their elite. It is quite likely that most of the population continued to believe in the classic Greek pantheon (Zeus, Hera, Apollo, etc.) even as the intellectuals rejected it.

In Ayn Rand's Anthem, the author uses color as a symbol, how is this interpreted?

Just like many other authors, Ayn Rand uses color to suggest to the mind images for the reader to understand. There are colors that are associated with seasons, for example. If an author describes the setting where the trees have red and yellow leaves, then the reader can know that the time is set in autumn without the author explicitly saying so. Literary devices such as these entice the reader to participate in the story by interpreting the author's descriptive language. One of the first colors that Rand uses in Anthem is black, as in the following passage:

"The walls are cracked and water runs upon them in thin threads without sound, black and glistening as blood" (18).

Equality 7-2521 is writing in the tunnel that he found and describes the walls in an interesting way. At this point in the story he is desperate for knowledge and fulfillment. He lives in a society that is dark intellectually, but also generally because they only have candles and no electric lights. Life for him is dark and frustrating and so the character associates the water running down the walls as having dark qualities such as "black" and "glistening as blood".

Another example of Rand's use of color is when Equality describes the carved out words over the Palace of the World Council, as follows:

"These words were cut long ago. There is green mould in the grooves of the letters and yellow streaks on the marble, which come from more years than men could count" (19).

The green mold symbolizes that no one has bothered to clean up the exterior of the building, or they simply don't have the resources to do so. Both the yellowing marble and the green mold also symbolize age--that this society has existed for a very long time. These are simple devices used to give added hints to the reader as to the characteristics of the community. 

Another color associated with the community is within the sleeping halls. At least the place that Equality sleeps is clean. White can symbolize purity, but in this case, it symbolizes cleanliness and the demand for the citizens to be clean as well. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but it also means that Equality's life does not have vibrant or happy colors. It's the absence of color in this case that symbolizes a bland, boring, and unfulfilling life.

Finally, and probably the most important color used in Anthem is gold. Out of all of the white (clean and boring), black, green, and yellow (dirty) colors, comes the most radiant one. Equality uses the word "golden" to identify with a woman he falls in love with. The golden images come from the first time he meets her, and with subsequent meetings, as follows:

"Their hair was golden as the sun; their hair flew in the wind, shining and wild, as if it defied men to restrain it" (39).

"The Golden One were kneeling alone at the moat which runs through the field. And the drops of water falling from their hands, as they raised the water to their lips, were like sparks of fire in the sun" (42)."

Golden is the color of his love's hair and the light of the sun associated with everything about her! Before meeting Liberty, Equality sought the light of knowledge; but now, he also seeks to have the light of love in his life and the color that represents that love is gold.

In "A White Heron," how has the child changed upon arriving home from her night on the tree? How does this storyline, though deceptively simple,...

On the surface "A White Heron" is about a little girl who becomes tempted by money, but eventually decides that she'd rather allow a bird to live. Upon further analysis, however, it becomes clear that the story is much more than it seems. Sylvia, also known as Sylvy, is a young girl who used to live in a big, crowded town, but now lives separate from all that on a farm, surrounded by nature. The story even refers to Sylvy as a "woods-girl," implying that she has now become a part of her wild environment. 

The hunter is never named but is given makeshift titles like "the ornithologist," "the stranger," and even "the enemy" at one point. This man butts his way into Sylvy and her grandmother's life quite rudely, in my opinion, and imposes upon them for food and a place to spend the night. He informs them that he collects and performs taxidermy on birds, with a special emphasis on rare ones. He then proceeds to ask them if either of them might have seen an uncommon white heron bird nearby and offers them ten dollars if they can find it for him. 

Thus begins Sylvy's dilemma. She thinks she knows where the heron has made its nest and she is instantly enticed by the prospect of ten dollars, which would be a great deal of money to her at the time. She does not tell the hunter right away where the bird might be, as some children might have done out of excitement, because she is uncertain of the precise location and is implied to be more than a little shy. That night she goes out searching for the bird, the thought of the money urging her on. After an arduous climb that almost certainly put her life at risk, she catches a glimpse of the bird. But when Sylvy returns home she refuses to tell the hunter anything. 

Something Sylvy saw when she searched for the heron's nest that night made her change her mind about wanting the money. The obvious assumption is that she was awed by the beauty and wonder of nature and realized that the life of a rare and lovely bird wasn't worth money that wouldn't even last. However, the story means a great deal more when the parallels are taken into account. 

Like the heron, Sylvy is a creature out of the environment she was born in, inherently wild, and pursued in some fashion by the hunter. When she first encounters the hunter she is instantly wary and afraid of him, much like a wild animal might be. She even remarks that his bird whistle is "somewhat aggressive."

The hunter represents the cold, hard town that Sylvy came from and the obsession with power and possession in a rapidly modernizing world. He symbolizes all the people, perhaps men in particular, who might come to Sylvy throughout her life and try to buy, possess, or keep her in some way. He also represents how greed can lead to the needless destruction of nature.

Sylvy, on the other hand, is nature. An untamable, un-buyable, and increasingly-rare being that is better left alone. 

In the book Hatchet, how does Brian learn so much about turtles?

According to the text, Brian learned about turtles from a television program. In the story, his curiosity is piqued when he realizes that there are clawed marks on the sand going towards the lake and back towards a pile of sand further inland.

When Brian investigates by brushing aside the top pile of sand and digging down, he comes across a small chamber underground where seventeen eggs are nestling safely. He infers that the eggs...

According to the text, Brian learned about turtles from a television program. In the story, his curiosity is piqued when he realizes that there are clawed marks on the sand going towards the lake and back towards a pile of sand further inland.

When Brian investigates by brushing aside the top pile of sand and digging down, he comes across a small chamber underground where seventeen eggs are nestling safely. He infers that the eggs must have been laid by the turtle which made the marks in the sand. Brian is fairly sure that a turtle made the marks because he remembers a television program about freshwater turtles that laid their eggs on land. Brian is extremely pleased to find the eggs as they will serve as necessary nourishment for his body.

In "Ozymandias," what is referred as boundless and bare in line 13? Is it Ozymandias' kingdom or is it the destruction?

Here is the quote you are referring to: 

"Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away."

The "colossal wreck" refers to the fallen statue of Ozymandias, the once-great ruler of Egypt who commissioned an image of himself so that the mighty should look on his works and despair. The word "colossal" echoes the word "vast" from line 2, identifying the colossal wreck as the vast...

Here is the quote you are referring to: 

"Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

The "colossal wreck" refers to the fallen statue of Ozymandias, the once-great ruler of Egypt who commissioned an image of himself so that the mighty should look on his works and despair. The word "colossal" echoes the word "vast" from line 2, identifying the colossal wreck as the vast stone sculpture. The words "boundless and bare" do not modify the statue, nor do they modify the king's empire. If a comma was placed after "bare," the meaning would be ambiguous, and the words could modify either the "wreck," the preceding noun, or the "lone and level sands," the following phrase. Without the comma, however, the words must be read to modify the "sands." The poetic word order might lead to confusion. To clarify, put the words into the word order normally used in speech, like this: "The lone and level sands stretch far away, boundless and bare." This means that the only thing surrounding the fallen statue is a barren wasteland of desert. The word "bare" means that nothing stands on the sands--no city, no temple, no shrine, no gardens, no fountain--not a single stone testifies to the great kingdom over which Ozymandias once ruled with his "sneer of cold command." 

Explain Mary Shelly's purpose in beginning Frankenstein with a letter. Why do you think she uses this strategy to frame the novel? Do you think it...

Mary Shelly had varied reasons to include letters at the beginning of Frankenstein. The author brought Walton into focus in order to provide an appropriate ending for the story. Walton as a character was important in telling the monster’s story after Victor’s death.

“And do you dream?” said the daemon; “do you think that I was then dead to agony and remorse?—He,” he continued, pointing to the corpse, “he suffered not in the consummation of the deed—Oh! not the ten-thousandth portion of the anguish that was mine during the lingering detail of its execution. A frightful selfishness hurried me on, while my heart was poisoned with remorse. Think you that the groans of Clerval were music to my ears?" –Monster to Walton

The letters in the beginning are also in keeping with the storytelling tradition from which the novel was developed.  Walton writes letters to his sister about his adventures, which include the contact with Victor and his story. The letters told the story to his sister, and they were meant to have the same effect on the reader. As a reader, one is not only reading but listening to the story as told by the character.

The letters also draw parallels between Walton and Victor’s life pursuits. Walton went on a voyage in uncharted parts of the North Pole in his attempt at discovery and exploration. He exposed his crew and himself to grave risks in the pursuit. On the other hand, Victor created a monster in an attempt to play God. Like Walton, Victor does not think of the consequences and is only focused on the results.

Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction. - Victor

Walton learned from Victor’s mistakes in pursuing the unnatural path and stopped his voyage. This also shaped the letters and the story to follow as a cautionary tale to warn readers of the dangers of pursuing the unnatural path.

The die is cast; I have consented to return if we are not destroyed. Thus are my hopes blasted by cowardice and indecision; I come back ignorant and disappointed. It requires more philosophy than I possess to bear this injustice with patience. - Walton

Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries.

The author styles the story as a cautionary tale through the letters, and further develops the narrative of the story by introducing Walton, who would eventually provide an ending to the story. The strategy is useful because it does not give away the contents of Victor and the monster’s story. Instead, it lends credibility to the story about to be told.

The letters are an effective tool because they shape the reader’s perspective while developing the plot and the style of the story.

How might computer systems change the future?

Computer systems have advanced quite a bit over the last few decades and enabled a number of innovations that have enhanced our standard of life. Some of the areas in which computer systems will affect our lives and change the future are communication, transportation, housing and medical care, etc. Better communication facilities are expected in the future through more advanced computer systems. We can expect better bandwidths for instant data transfer to enable faster communication,...

Computer systems have advanced quite a bit over the last few decades and enabled a number of innovations that have enhanced our standard of life. Some of the areas in which computer systems will affect our lives and change the future are communication, transportation, housing and medical care, etc. Better communication facilities are expected in the future through more advanced computer systems. We can expect better bandwidths for instant data transfer to enable faster communication, navigation, records management, etc. Smart transportation through advanced computer systems is also expected. We already have driverless cars in San Francisco (a project by Google). In the future, our entire transport system maybe driverless and thus less prone to accidents and more comfortable to people. Smart housing and smart cities are also being developed with the help of computer systems. These homes and communities have not only lower environmental footprints but better living standards as well. We can also expect enhancements in medical care through the use of computer systems for more precise surgeries and better detection and treatment of disease. One particular example is a wearable device that can send data directly to doctors and, with future advances, may be able to treat us (by providing the right dosages, controlling diet, etc.).

Hence computer systems are, hopefully, going to improve our living standards in the future.

Hope this helps. 

Compare and contrast Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.

I teach comparative religions and so see what a huge question this is. How do we begin, when even within themselves, these important religions carry so many contradictions and iterations?  But to speak in broad strokes, as noted above, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can be categorized together because they share a common root in Judaism. All three revere Abraham and Moses and trust the Hebrew Bible as the word of God. Christians believe Jesus is the fulfillment of messianic prophecy in the Hebrew Bible, while Muslims believe that Muhammed is God's final prophet and bearer of the ultimate word of truth.

Buddha was Indian and Buddhism roots in Hindu concepts, such as trying to achieve nirvana. Both faiths emphasize that a person with the most developed spiritual consciousness  cares about the wider world and the rest of humanity to the largest extent and tries to serve humanity. Hindus believe that all religions are different paths up the same mountain, and even within Hinduism, they believe that different people are born to pursue different paths. If your path means you can't move beyond seeking personal pleasure, that is OK, because pleasure is legitimate and worthy, if not the highest goal in life.  If you can only get the second level, caring about your family and career, that is fine as well: you can still make important contributions to society and find personal growth, and satisfaction. Buddhism, in contrast, emphasizes ridding oneself of all desire, as desire is the source of unhappiness. 

Many debate whether Confucianism is a religion or philosophy. It is highly rooted in how we live in this world. It believes that right relationships between people, such as rulers and subjects, husband and wives, and older and younger siblings, will lead to a peaceful, prosperous and creative society in line with a larger moral universe.

In contrast to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, the Abrahamic religions are exclusivist, meaning they don't tolerate religious diversity. Christianity and Islam, in particular, emphasize that their faith is the only path to God. In contrast to the Asian religions, as well, the Abrahamic religions all share a linear view of time. The earth had a definitive starting point and is progressing toward a definitive end point in which God's reign will be established. Because of their linearity, they are called teleological: time, as we understand it, will come to an end. The Asian religions in contrast, see time as a circle. Ages end, a new cycle begins, and this repeats without end. 

What were the working conditions like at the tavern in the book Lyddie?

Lyddie does not enjoy working at the tavern because the mistress is mean to her.

When Lyddie’s mother leaves the farm, Lyddie and her little brother Charlie try to keep it going.  Her mother, staying at Lyddie’s uncles, lets Lyddie know that she is going to lease out the land to pay off debts.  She leases her children too.  Mrs. Worthen arranges for Lyddie to work at Cutler’s tavern and Charlie at a mill.

Lyddie...

Lyddie does not enjoy working at the tavern because the mistress is mean to her.

When Lyddie’s mother leaves the farm, Lyddie and her little brother Charlie try to keep it going.  Her mother, staying at Lyddie’s uncles, lets Lyddie know that she is going to lease out the land to pay off debts.  She leases her children too.  Mrs. Worthen arranges for Lyddie to work at Cutler’s tavern and Charlie at a mill.

Lyddie is not thrilled with the idea of working at the Tavern.  Before she even steps foot in it, she feels like she is enslaved. It does not help that Mrs. Cutler treats her horribly from the moment she first lays eyes on her.

"Well, I've no time to bother with you now," the woman said. "Go into the kitchen and ask Triphena to tell you where you can wash. We keep a clean place here." (Ch. 3)

At first, Lyddie does not get a warm welcome from Triphena either.  She is “as busy as the mistress and not eager to involve herself with a dirty new servant.”

Mrs. Cutler is miserly and suspicious.

The mistress was large in body and seemed to be everywhere on watch. How could a woman so obviously rich in this world's goods be so mean in the use of them? Her eyes were narrow and close and always on the sharp for the least bit of spilt flour or the odd crumb on the lip. (Ch. 3)

The tavern owner watches her constantly, but Lyddie works hard and is determined to stay out of trouble.  She sleeps in a “hot and airless” windowless passage and has to go to bed late and get up early so none of the guests will see her. 

When Lyddie is put in charge of the fire, she sleeps on the hearth for fear that it might go out while she is up in her windowless room.  This causes the cook Triphena to feel sorry for her and they form a friendship.

Most of Lyddie’s chores are difficult.  She has to churn butter and help with the syrup and sugar making.  She never gets enough time off even to visit her brother.  When she does leave while her mistress is away, at Triphena's suggestion, she is fired when she gets back.