Why does the man in the yellow suit go to the Fosters? What does the constable's remark about the gallows seem to predict for the Tucks?

The man in the yellow suit goes to the Foster household to blackmail them.  The Fosters know that Winnie is missing.  They do not know if she has run away or been kidnapped.  The man in the yellow suit goes to the Foster home to tell them that he knows where Winnie is and who has her.  The Fosters are immediately relieved that this seeming good Samaritan is willing to help them out; however, they quickly discover that the man in the yellow suit has a hidden agenda.  He wants to own the woods that the Foster family owns.  He will tell them where Winnie is, if they give him the woods in return.  

"I've got what you want, and you've got what I want. Of course, you might find that child without me, but . . . you might not find her in time. So: I want the wood and you want the child. It's a trade. A simple, clear-cut trade."

The Fosters agree to the trade, and the constable is immediately brought into the situation.  

The man in the yellow suit and the constable both begin riding toward the Tuck home.  The constable is a talkative man, and so he begins trying to strike up a conversation with the man in the yellow suit.  At one point, the constable mentions the gallows.  

"'Course, we got a gallows of our own, if we ever need it. Keeps down trouble, I think, just having it there. Ain't ever used it yet."

The constable's remark about the gallows foreshadows the coming trouble to the Tuck family.  The reader learns that the town has a jail and a gallows.  The gallows information is a useless extra detail, unless for some reason it will be important.  After Mae kills the man in the yellow suit, the gallows becomes a deadly important part of the story.  

Could the United States ever be a place where all citizens are actually equal?

The United States could be a country where all people are equal. For this to happen, there would need to be a major shift in attitudes in our country. Throughout our history, many people have believed that racial and religious minorities, women, and those with different lifestyles should have fewer opportunities in life. African-Americans and women were denied the right to vote for many years. Eventually, with the passage of the 19th amendment for women...

The United States could be a country where all people are equal. For this to happen, there would need to be a major shift in attitudes in our country. Throughout our history, many people have believed that racial and religious minorities, women, and those with different lifestyles should have fewer opportunities in life. African-Americans and women were denied the right to vote for many years. Eventually, with the passage of the 19th amendment for women and the passage of the Voting Rights Act mainly for African-Americans, more people from these groups are voting. Attitudes have slowly changed in this area.

We are seeing some progress in other areas also. We now have women and racial minorities running for and winning contested elected offices, including President of the United States. We are seeing more diversity with executives of different companies. We are seeing more opportunities for people of color than in the past. There are more educational and career opportunities available. Religion seems to be less of an issue. We have elected Catholic presidents. While there still is room for improvement, for example with the pay of women compared to the pay of men, progress is being made.

As people become more accepting and change their attitudes and viewpoints, more progress will be made. There is no reason why everybody can’t be equal in our country. It is up to the American people to make this happen.

In regards to World War I, what are the risks and benefits of neutrality and foreign intervention?

When World War I began, there was a sentiment in the United States to stay out of the war. However, as events unfolded, there were risks of neutrality as well as some benefits. The risks of staying neutral meant that Germany would continue to violate our rights as a neutral nation by sinking our ships without warning. As a neutral nation, we had a right to trade with any country. When Germany used submarines and...

When World War I began, there was a sentiment in the United States to stay out of the war. However, as events unfolded, there were risks of neutrality as well as some benefits. The risks of staying neutral meant that Germany would continue to violate our rights as a neutral nation by sinking our ships without warning. As a neutral nation, we had a right to trade with any country. When Germany used submarines and sunk our ships without searching them and warning them, they violated our rights to trade with other countries. Staying neutral could have created additional problems for us. Germany was trying to get Mexico to attack us. By staying neutral, this attack could have become a reality. Finally, if the Central Powers had been victorious in World War I, the world would have become less safe for democracies. Non-democratic governments existed in the Central Powers. 

There were advantages of staying neutral. One would have been we would have saved many American lives and American property. Many American soldiers died in this conflict. Many Americans also made sacrifices at home to help with the war effort. They loaned the government money, grew their own food, and consumed less meat and wheat. There was a great deal of concern after the war that we entered the war to help our businesses make money. This led to strong demands for isolationism and neutrality in the 1920s and 1930s when events turned much more serious. Finally, by joining World War I with very idealist goals, such as making the world safe for democracy and making this the last war ever, there was a good chance we would have a difficult time accomplishing these idealistic goals of the long run.

The debate over whether we should join World War I was a serious one. There were advantages and disadvantages to getting involved in the conflict.

How does the narrator's point of view help make Roger the protagonist of this story?

The short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is told from an omniscient third person perspective. In other words, Hughes tells us the story in a way in which we can gain the thoughts and feelings of both Mrs. Bates and Roger. We traditionally think of protagonists as the main characters in the story, which leaves us with a bit of a problem - exactly who is the main character in this story? While...

The short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is told from an omniscient third person perspective. In other words, Hughes tells us the story in a way in which we can gain the thoughts and feelings of both Mrs. Bates and Roger. We traditionally think of protagonists as the main characters in the story, which leaves us with a bit of a problem - exactly who is the main character in this story? While omniscient third person offers readers insight to both of the main characters, the way in which Hughes develops the point of view makes Roger our protagonist. 

Third person points-of-view allow readers to focus on the action, thus, allowing them to form their own opinion of the meaning of the work. If the story was told from a first person point-of-view, we would have ended up with a subjective piece of work: Roger would tell us about the unfortunate night where he got caught stealing but learned a lesson or Mrs. Bates would tell us about the unfortunate night where someone tried to steal her purse but she taught him a lesson. Being subjective means that we wouldn't be able to know what Roger's thoughts were when he was at her house at critical moments - for example, when he was deciding to do as he was told or run for the door. By telling it from a third person perspective, readers are able to look at each piece of action, evaluate it, and make something of it. 

A protagonist is never without flaws - that character tends to change and develop throughout the text. In "Thank You, Ma'am," we see Roger as the character that changes or develops by the end of the text because of the actions of Mrs. Bates. 

In Lord of the Flies, how does Ralph manage to survive once the hunt begins?

In the final chapter of the novel, Ralph is forced to run and hide from Jack and his savage group of hunters in order to survive. At first, Samneric give Ralph a piece of meat to help him before the hunt begins. Ralph starts off by hiding in a thicket close to Castle Rock because he thinks that the boys won't expect him to be hiding so close to their headquarters. Ralph crawls into the...

In the final chapter of the novel, Ralph is forced to run and hide from Jack and his savage group of hunters in order to survive. At first, Samneric give Ralph a piece of meat to help him before the hunt begins. Ralph starts off by hiding in a thicket close to Castle Rock because he thinks that the boys won't expect him to be hiding so close to their headquarters. Ralph crawls into the twisted vines and foliage next to Castle Rock, covering himself with ferns and leaves to wait for the search party to pass him. The next morning he sees several savages near his hiding spot attempting to find him. Ralph wiggles his way further into the ticket and finds a small space to hide in the spot where the boulder had smashed into the forest. Ralph hears Samneric tell Jack where he is hiding, but feels secure that they won't enter the thicket. All of a sudden Ralph hears crashing through the forest as the boys roll boulders down from Castle Rock's hill. The final boulder rolls straight towards Ralph's hiding spot, and he is flung into the air as the massive rock rolls past him.

Ralph then smells smoke. He begins to crawl through the forest beneath the smoke. Ralph spots a savage standing in between him and the rest of the forest. He launches himself at the savage and stabs him with his spear. Ralph then sprints a hundred yards down a pig-run before swerving off the path. Ralph debates on what to do next. He could climb a tree, break the line, or hide and the let the group pass him. Ralph decides to hide in a small crevice about a foot from the ground and lays flat, facing the opening with his spear. As the fire rapidly spreads through the forest, a savage approaches Ralph's hiding spot and crouches down to peer into the crevice. Ralph leaps out and stabs the boy. Then, he dodges the spears thrown by the other savages. He races through the burning forest and stumbles upon the sand where he encounters a naval officer. The boys stop chasing him and stand in silence looking at the naval officer who thinks they are playing a game. Ralph is lucky to be alive and narrowly escapes Jack's band of savages.

What attitudes toward justice and the justice system are expressed in Frankenstein, and by whom ?

Throughout Frankenstein, there are many examples and implications regarding justice and the justice system. Some of the most significant examples include the injustice that the creature experiences and the execution of Justine.

One of the most profound and significant examples of injustice involves the creature. At his very creation, he experienced injustice when Victor abandoned him. Furthermore, he continued to feel injustice as he was rejected by the cottagers and the rest of society, not...

Throughout Frankenstein, there are many examples and implications regarding justice and the justice system. Some of the most significant examples include the injustice that the creature experiences and the execution of Justine.

One of the most profound and significant examples of injustice involves the creature. At his very creation, he experienced injustice when Victor abandoned him. Furthermore, he continued to feel injustice as he was rejected by the cottagers and the rest of society, not because of his actions, but because of how he was perceived by humanity. As the creature himself states:

The guilty are allowed, by human laws, bloody as they are, to speak in their own defence before they are condemned. Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!

Thus, the creature experiences much injustice because he is perceived by society as “not human” or less than human. Furthermore, it appears unjust that the creature cannot destroy life without being condemned, but Victor has the ability to destroy the creature’s life without guilt or recompense.

Furthermore, other examples of injustice are shown throughout Frankenstein, such as with Justine’s execution. Although the creature killed William, Justine was tried for the murder and convicted. Despite her innocence, the justice system failed and punished the wrong person for the murder. Justine herself expressed how this false blame was unjust and Victor echoed the sentiment as well.

Therefore, throughout the novel, there are numerous examples of how society is unjust and how the justice system fails. These two examples represent some of the most pivotal moments in the book. Due to this overwhelming theme, it is interesting to consider what point the author was making by including so many examples of injustice in the world.

What are the names of all the music pieces Robert Neville listens to?

In I Am Legend, the protagonist, Robert Neville, plays music in order to retain his sanity while living among vampires. As he listens, he is thankful to his mother for having taught him to appreciate classical and symphonic music. As the novel begins, he is listening to Beethoven's Third, Seventh, and Ninth symphonies while he makes stakes for killing the inactive vampires he sees during the day. Every night Neville must barricade himself in the house; during this time, he is forced to resort to crucifixes, mirrors, and strings of garlic in order to keep the marauding groups of vampires away. 

Another piece of music we see mentioned is Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht (or Transfigured Night), a string sextet. Later, as he listens to Roger Leie's The Year of the Plague, Neville loses his temper. The fury of instrumental chaos and 'atonal melodies' which assault his ears remind him of his present abysmal situation, and he breaks the record in a display of frustration.

In Chapter Three, Neville listens to Brahms' Piano Concerto no. 2 as he reads Bram Stoker's Dracula, drinks whiskey, and smokes a cigarette. Later, after having cut his hand when he crushes the whiskey glass he is holding, Neville changes the record to Leonard Bernstein's Symphony no. 2 (The Age of Anxiety).

In Chapter Six, after cleaning up house and garage and making some improvements on his house, Neville settles down to listen to Mozart's Symphony no. 41, the Jupiter. In Chapter 9, Neville recalls the day his wife, Virginia, died. He remembers going to his neighbor, Ben Cortman's house, to borrow his car so that he can bury his wife quietly. At Ben's house, the door chimes play How Dry I Am by Irving Berlin.

In Chapter 11, Neville thinks that he has found the cause for the presence of vampires: the 'vampiris' germ. Alas, despite this new and hard-won knowledge, he has no way of finding an immediate cure; he doesn't know enough about bacteria to concoct a defense against the germ. As he sits down and ponders his predicament, he listens to Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Suites One and Two.

In Chapter 17, Neville promises Ruth, the sole infected survivor he finds, that he will do everything he can to cure her. They listen to Schubert's Fourth Symphony as they ponder the ramifications of their experiment; Ruth reluctantly agrees to let Neville test her blood to determine whether she is infected with the bacillus germ. Later, Ruth asks whether she can play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 2 on the record player. Neville replies in the affirmative, and Ruth soon settles down to ask him some personal questions.

The novel ends with Neville being given some pills by Ruth so that he can die without being executed by members of the new, infected society.

What are two themes and their explanations from "The Darling" by Anton Chekhov?

Two themes that are in Anton Chekhov's "The Darling" are Conformity to Others and the Nature of Love.

• Conformity to Others and Dependency

A vapid character, Olenka Semyonovna assumes the personality of the men in her life, becoming but an extension of her husbands. When she marries her first husband, Snookin, the proprietor of the Tivoli Pleasure Gardens, loves true drama, so Olenka loves drama, also. When she speaks to her friends, she informs her friends that 

...nothing in the world was so remarkable, so important and necessary as the theatre, and only in the theatre could you experience real enjoyment and become an educated, civilized human being.

Whatever Snookin says about the theatre, Olenka echoes his opinions.

But, after Snookin dies while away on a business trip, Olenka is inconsolable. Soon, however, she meets Vasily Andreich Pustovalov, manager of Babakayev's lumber yard. She falls in love and is married shortly thereafter. Soon, she helps her husband, managing the accounts and dispatching orders. Now, Olenka feels that timber is the most important thing in life. "Whatever thoughts her husband had, she had also." Even when some friends suggest she go to the theatre, which she has claimed that she has always loved, Olenka replies, "Me and Vasya have no time for theatres." Because her new husband has no refinement, she now has none. Whenever he does express himself, Olenka mimics his opinions. But, when Pustovalov suddenly dies after having a cold, Olenka is again alone, and without opinions.

It was a horrible, bitter sensation....she saw objects round her and understood everything that was going on, but she could not form opinions about anything  or ...know what to talk about.

Emptiness and bitterness overcome Olenka. Finally, one day she meets a military veterinarian, Vladimir Platonich Smirnin, who rents a room from Olenka. Soon, they become friends, but he has an estranged wife and a child, called Sasha. 
Olenka becomes happy again, repeating the opinions of the veterinarian, much to his discomfort. So, he scolds Olenka and tell her to keep quiet when he speaks with his associates. Olenka is hurt, but soon she has a purpose in life as she watches the boy Sasha. Soon, she adopts the opinions of the boy, mimicking his complaints about homework and teachers. 
Later, when Sasha's mother calls for the boy to come live with her, Olenka is devastated, but she hears the voice of the vet returning. "Oh, thank God" she thinks. Foreshadowing more problems, though, are Sasha's talking in his sleep, "I'll show you! Get out! Stop fighting!"

• The Nature of Love

Loves seems illusory in all of Olenka's relations as she is dependent upon the men she loves and nothing without them. There is something lacking in this kind of love that seeks nurture from those with whom she is in love. While she gives the men companionship and support, mirroring their sentiments, there is a selfishness to this love that makes it questionable. The boy Sasha senses this selfishness as he feels stifled by Olenka's love and cries out in his sleep, "I'll show you! Get out! Stop fighting!"

How did the Blacks in the southern states feel different from the North?

Over the years, scholars have considered the differences between Southern states and Northern states’ treatment of slaves. Although there were some differences, many scholars speculate that many slaves were treated as unequal or abused in the Northern states and even in Canada. As a result, some differences between the states can be seen, such as during the Civil War; however, many similarities remained including poor education.

In the North during the Civil War, the 54th...

Over the years, scholars have considered the differences between Southern states and Northern states’ treatment of slaves. Although there were some differences, many scholars speculate that many slaves were treated as unequal or abused in the Northern states and even in Canada. As a result, some differences between the states can be seen, such as during the Civil War; however, many similarities remained including poor education.

In the North during the Civil War, the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was comprised of African-American soldiers. For this regiment, the soldiers were trained to fight; however, they often lacked pay, shoes, and food compared to the white Northern troops. The regiment had to not only fight against the South, but also against the racist attitudes of the North. Despite these struggles, they still overcame and played in important role in the Civil War.

This was not the only example of maltreatment that the African-Americans confronted during the Civil War. Unfortunately, in the North, only a few schools for African-American children existed and few would hardly be considered “educational” today. For example, even in Canada, teachers of African-American children would not educate the students. There are even stories of the teachers being intoxicated while teaching.

Therefore, although differences existed in the North, such as actually having an African-American regiment, the slaves still had to confront many barriers. Some of the slaves continued heading North into Canada for hopes of a better future while others (if they financially were able) left America altogether and went to France for more freedom.

Sources 

Bodden, Donna, and Eleanor Lang. The Eloquent War: Personal and Public Writings from the Civil War. St. James, NY: Brandywine, 1999. Print.

How does Grandma get away with lying in Richard Peck's A Long Way from Chicago?

In the story, Grandma Dowdel gets away with lying by using her age and life experience to her advantage.

Throughout the book, Grandma often uses white lies to maneuver her way around difficulties. In the story about Shotgun Cheatham, she manages to lie to the reporter because she's able to turn his biased perception about country folk to her advantage. Additionally, because of her shrewd ability to correctly assess the characters of others, she's able...

In the story, Grandma Dowdel gets away with lying by using her age and life experience to her advantage.

Throughout the book, Grandma often uses white lies to maneuver her way around difficulties. In the story about Shotgun Cheatham, she manages to lie to the reporter because she's able to turn his biased perception about country folk to her advantage. Additionally, because of her shrewd ability to correctly assess the characters of others, she's able to tailor her lies so as to appear credible to her listeners.

Playing upon the reporter's presuppositions about gossipy country housewives, she tells the reporter that Shotgun Cheatham served with the Illinois Volunteers in the Civil War and that he was with General Grant when the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi fell to Union control. On top of these two lies, she maintains that it was General Grant who gave Shotgun his nickname. So, in one instance, Grandma Dowdel manages to change Shotgun from a "kill-crazy gunslinger" to a Civil War "war-hero marksman." While this is no mean feat, Grandma Dowdel only gets away with lying because she knows how desperate the reporter is to craft a newsworthy story for the sake of his career.

Later in the book, Joey is horrified when Grandma Dowdel tells Ernie Cowgill he's part of a Chicago gang and "meaner than he looks." After all, Ernie, although the smallest of his brothers, is still an intimidating figure, and Joey is afraid of the repercussions that may result from Grandma's lies. Grandma Dowdel is unperturbed. She insists she only lied to protect Joey and since Ernie Cowgill is only in the fourth grade (despite being almost sixteen), he'll believe anything he hears. The implication is that Ernie is too unintelligent to comprehend she lied to him.

Grandma Dowdel gets away with lying by shrewdly assessing the nature of her victims and using others' perception of her to her advantage.

What kind of objects may Scout have or represent her in Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird? Please explain each.

A character's personal objects and treasures say a lot about his or her personality. For Scout, some of those objects include her overalls, her air rifle, and the objects she receives from Boo Radley. First, the overalls are a symbol of Scout's tomboy/childhood self. She is free to romp and play with the boys in pants where she would be less free in a dress. It is always a source of discomfort for Aunt Alexandra, though.

"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" (81).

Second, her air rifle that she receives at Christmas also symbolizes her personality as a tomboy; but also, Scout is like a gun because she can attack verbally, physically, and just as violently and quickly as one. She attacks Walter Cunningham, Jr., Cecil Jacobs, Francis and Jem just like a quick trigger when she wants to defend herself or her father. The best one is when she pops Francis as follows:

"This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth. My left impaired, I sailed in with my right, but not for long. Uncle Jack pinned my arms to my sides and said, "Stand still!" (84).

The other objects are the ones she receives from Boo Radley. She keeps these objects to remind her of him, but they are also great to symbolize who Scout is:

"He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives" (278).

Boo Radley also gave her a blanket to keep warm on a winter night while Miss Maudie's house burned down. But the two soap dolls and the pennies represent her running around with Jem, just the two of them; and the broken watch and chain could symbolize how time seemed to stop for Boo and for Scout. Memories seem to exist in our minds forever, and are never erased by time. Scout also talks about time as she reflects back on her childhood in the following passage:

"People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but it seemed longer" (5).

Thus, as the watch is broken, then it is as if her childhood time has stopped; but the memories of her childhood are suspended in time through her older self and the book.

What evidence illustrates how metaphor and imagery are used in the poem "Song for a Dark Girl"?

Langston Hughes’ emotional poem about a lynching and the loss of a black girl’s lover uses several examples of metaphors and imagery to get across a message.  First, the title is ambiguous in its meaning.  “Song for a Dark Girl” sounds as if it is a girl who is lynched in the poem; however, it is just the opposite.  The girl’s lover is the one who is hanged and the dark girl (and all dark...

Langston Hughes’ emotional poem about a lynching and the loss of a black girl’s lover uses several examples of metaphors and imagery to get across a message.  First, the title is ambiguous in its meaning.  “Song for a Dark Girl” sounds as if it is a girl who is lynched in the poem; however, it is just the opposite.  The girl’s lover is the one who is hanged and the dark girl (and all dark girls) sing the same song, “Break the heart of me,” for all of the black men who have been lynched.  The dark girls are witnesses to the “bruised” and beaten bodies of the black men who are hanged.

In addition, there is religious imagery and symbolism in the poem.  The black man is hanged in a tree at a crossroads.  This image suggests a crucifixion in nature, and even Jesus can’t answer the prayers of the dark girl.  Jesus, in fact, has forsaken the black man and prayers are useless, much like God forsook Jesus at his time of crucifixion.  The fact that it is white men who pray to a white Jesus hanging this man is also ironic and shows their lack of faith and love for all people.

Finally, the main metaphor of the poem is “Love is a naked shadow.”  Love is being compared to a shadow, something that is fleeting and lacks substance. It also represents the physical shadow of the hanging man as it is cast on the “gnarled and naked tree" from the branch where he is hanging.

What is a good topic sentence related to the human condition and based on Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

When looking for evidence of the human condition, look for themes that permeate the story. Themes help to shed light on what is being learned or experienced by the characters. Since To Kill a Mockingbirdis a coming-of-age story (or bildungsroman) look for themes centered around Scout or Jem maturing, losing or building their faith in humanity, or discovering something new that they hadn't noticed before. There are so many different episodes in the novel,...

When looking for evidence of the human condition, look for themes that permeate the story. Themes help to shed light on what is being learned or experienced by the characters. Since To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story (or bildungsroman) look for themes centered around Scout or Jem maturing, losing or building their faith in humanity, or discovering something new that they hadn't noticed before. There are so many different episodes in the novel, that many of these themes happen again and again until a resolution is found. For example, Scout is an overalls-wearing, fighting tomboy at the beginning of the book, but she is a practicing little lady in a dress by the end of it. The events in between both images of Scout help her to learn, grow, and develop just like most people go through in life. This is a human condition that most girls can relate to--often called a rite of passage. 

Topic sentences are usually found at the beginning of a paragraph. It is the sentence that guides the paragraph's thought. An essay, though, is led by a thesis statement which every paragraph thereafter must discuss in detail and with examples. If you are writing an essay on the human condition in To Kill a Mockingbird, first discover your thesis statement and then the topic sentences for the following paragraphs should follow in a systematic and organized way. Examples are provided below:

Thesis:  Scout Finch develops from an overall-wearing, fighting tomboy to a well-mannered dress-wearing lady in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Topic Sentence P1: Scout wears overalls in the summer because they are comfortable and they are easier to wear while playing with boys in the neighborhood.

Topic Sentence P2: Aunt Alexandra later comes to live with Scout's family and she pressures her to wear more dresses and act like a lady.

Topic Sentence P3: By the end of the book, Scout shows how she has matured by serving ladies at Aunt Alexandra's tea-parties while wearing a pretty dress.

The rest of these paragraphs would provide details, insights and textual evidence to support the topic sentences. 

Where do the boys have to go to get away from their pursuers?

The first time Max and Freak are pursued begins in Chapter 6 titled "Close Encounter of the Turd Kind." Max and Freak have been reunited recently, and they go to the fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July together. Once there, they run into a bunch of "punks," as Max puts it - Tony D. (Blade) and his gang. Freak insults Tony D. by calling him a cretin, and that upsets him. Just in time,...

The first time Max and Freak are pursued begins in Chapter 6 titled "Close Encounter of the Turd Kind." Max and Freak have been reunited recently, and they go to the fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July together. Once there, they run into a bunch of "punks," as Max puts it - Tony D. (Blade) and his gang. Freak insults Tony D. by calling him a cretin, and that upsets him. Just in time, though, a police car comes, scaring the gang away. 

Later in the evening though, in Chapter 7 titled "Walking High Above the World," Tony D. and his gang return, wanting to physically harm them. However, Max and Freak have an advantage. Max has placed Freak on his shoulders, and he is able to use him for directions - like a personal GPS. Freak instructs him to escape by running into the "H20," or the pond. The pond is very deep and muddy, but due to Max's size, he is able to cross it. On the other hand, when Tony D. jumped in the pond, he sunk into the mud and only his head was above water. Once the gang frees themselves from the pond, the cops arrive. 

In Wole Soyinka's The Lion and the Jewel, what happens in the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace?

In the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace, Lakunle is cursing at Sadiku for sharing the Bale's secret, when Sidi runs onto the stage and throws herself on the ground. Sadiku asks her what is wrong, and Sidi pushes her away. Lakunle then attempts to console Sidi, but Sidi also pushes him away. Lakunle immediately thinks that Baroka physically assaulted Sidi and swears to kill the Bale. Sidi calls him a fool and tells...

In the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace, Lakunle is cursing at Sadiku for sharing the Bale's secret, when Sidi runs onto the stage and throws herself on the ground. Sadiku asks her what is wrong, and Sidi pushes her away. Lakunle then attempts to console Sidi, but Sidi also pushes him away. Lakunle immediately thinks that Baroka physically assaulted Sidi and swears to kill the Bale. Sidi calls him a fool and tells both Lakunle and Sadiku that Baroka lied. Sidi says that Baroka lied about being impotent and gloated about his cunning trick after he had taken her virginity. Sidi then admits that she hates Baroka and wishes to kill him. Lakunle and Sadiku both want to know if Sidi is still a "maid," and Sidi shakes her head. Lakunle is shocked, but Sadiku is rather optimistic and tells Sidi to cheer up. Lakunle initially laments before mentioning that he shouldn't have to pay the bride-price now that Sidi has lost her virginity. Sidi seems rather surprised that Lakunle still considers marrying her, then runs off of the stage. Sadiku then tells Lakunle that Sidi is packing her things and preparing to get married. Lakunle goes crazy because he didn't expect Sidi to be ready to marry immediately. Amusingly, Lakunle misinterprets Sidi's actions and Sidi ends up marrying Baroka, but only after she mocks Lakunle for his lack of masculinity.

Between Ca and Cl which atom would lose electrons and why? Which atom would receive electrons and why? Which one is the cation and which is the...

Calcium and chlorine react to form the ionic compound calcium chloride, which has the formula `CaCl_2` . 

Calcium loses two electrons, forming the cation `Ca^(2+)`  and each chlorine atom gains one electron, forming the anion `Cl^-` .  Positive ions are called cations and negative ions are called anions. When an element loses electrons to form an anion the ending of the name is changed to -ide, which is why the compound is named calcium chloride and not calcium chorine.

The formula is based on the fact that ionic compounds are neutral, or have an equal amount of positive and negative charge. Since the calcium ion has two positive charges and the chlorine ion has one negative charge, the formula `CaCl_2` results in two positive and two negative charges for a net charge of zero.

Now let's look at why calcium loses two electrons and chlorine gains one. When elements react to form compounds, they gain, lose or share electrons to achieve the same number of valence (outer) electrons as a noble gas. This is called the Octet Rule, because all noble gases except helium have eight outer electrons. Helium only has two. Noble gases are stable (don't react easily) because they have a complete outer energy level of electrons. Calcium atoms have 20 electrons of which two are valence electrons. When a calcium atom loses two electrons it ends up with the same number of electrons as argon, which is a stable noble gas. Chlorine has 17 electrons of which 7 are valence electrons. When in gains one electron it also has the same number as argon.

Here's the pattern for ions formed by main group elements according to the Octet Rule:

Group 1A elements have one valence electron which they lose to form +1 ions.

Group 2A elements have two valence electrons and form +2 ions.

B and Al in Group 3A have three valence electrons and form +3 ions.

Elements in the carbon family form molecular (covalently bonded) compounds more often that ionic compounds..

Elements in Group 5A, the nitrogen family, have five valence electrons and gain three to form -3 ions.

Elements in Group 6A, the oxygen family, have six valence electrons and gain 2 two to form -2 ions.

Elements in Group 7A, the halogens, have seven valence electrons and gain one to from -1 ions. 

Group 8A, the noble gases, are stable and don't form ions.

`int e^(2 theta) sin(3 theta) d theta` Evaluate the integral

`inte^2thetasin(3theta)d theta`

If f(x) and g(x) are differentiable functions, then

`intf(x)g'(x)=f(x)g(x)-intf'(x)g(x)dx`

If we rewrite f(x)=u and g'(x)=v, then

`intuvdx=uintvdx-int(u'intvdx)dx`

Let's integrate using the above method of integration by parts,

Let `u=e^2theta, v=sin(3theta)`

`inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=e^(2theta)intsin(3theta)d theta-int(d/(d theta)(e^(2theta))intsin(3theta)d theta)d theta`

`=e^(2theta)(-1/3cos(3theta)-int(e^(2theta)2(-1/3cos(3theta))d theta`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3inte^(2theta)cos(3theta)d theta` 

apply again integration by parts,

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3(e^(2theta)*intcos(3theta)d theta-int(e^(2theta)*2intcos(3theta) d theta)`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3(e^(2theta)1/3sin(3theta)-int2e^(2theta)(sin(3theta)/3)d theta)`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta)-4/9inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta`

Isolate `inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta`

`(1+4/9)inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta)`

`inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=9/13(-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta))`

`=-3/13e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/13e^(2theta)sin(3theta)`

add a constant C to the solution,

`=-3/13e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/13e^(2theta)sin(3theta)+C`

`inte^2thetasin(3theta)d theta`

If f(x) and g(x) are differentiable functions, then

`intf(x)g'(x)=f(x)g(x)-intf'(x)g(x)dx`

If we rewrite f(x)=u and g'(x)=v, then

`intuvdx=uintvdx-int(u'intvdx)dx`

Let's integrate using the above method of integration by parts,

Let `u=e^2theta, v=sin(3theta)`

`inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=e^(2theta)intsin(3theta)d theta-int(d/(d theta)(e^(2theta))intsin(3theta)d theta)d theta`

`=e^(2theta)(-1/3cos(3theta)-int(e^(2theta)2(-1/3cos(3theta))d theta`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3inte^(2theta)cos(3theta)d theta` 

apply again integration by parts,

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3(e^(2theta)*intcos(3theta)d theta-int(e^(2theta)*2intcos(3theta) d theta)`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/3(e^(2theta)1/3sin(3theta)-int2e^(2theta)(sin(3theta)/3)d theta)`

`=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta)-4/9inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta`

Isolate `inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta`

`(1+4/9)inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta)`

`inte^(2theta)sin(3theta)d theta=9/13(-1/3e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/9e^(2theta)sin(3theta))`

`=-3/13e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/13e^(2theta)sin(3theta)`

add a constant C to the solution,

`=-3/13e^(2theta)cos(3theta)+2/13e^(2theta)sin(3theta)+C`

Who does Grim say Maxwell looks like?

It's more than just the way Maxwell resembles him, Grim says that night in the kitchen, the boy is like him, . . . "

The above quote is taken from Chapter One of Freak the Mighty. Max is introducing readers to himself and to his grandparents.  Max's grandparents are Gram and Grim, and Max lives in their basement. The reason that Max lives with his grandparents is because his mom was brutally murdered.  That's...

It's more than just the way Maxwell resembles him, Grim says that night in the kitchen, the boy is like him, . . . "

The above quote is taken from Chapter One of Freak the Mighty. Max is introducing readers to himself and to his grandparents.  Max's grandparents are Gram and Grim, and Max lives in their basement. The reason that Max lives with his grandparents is because his mom was brutally murdered.  That's awful enough, but later in the book, the reader discovers that the murderer was Max's father. That's who Grim says that Max is starting to look like.  Max looks just like his father, which is not a great thing for Max's already low self esteem.  Max is a big kid, so he sticks out that way.  Plus, Max isn't that smart, so he stands out at school for being a terrible student too.  All of that adds up to give Max a very low opinion of himself.  He calls himself a "butthead" multiple times in the first chapter, so looking like his murderous father is just one more knock against poor Max.  

How could the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass be summarized? What are the most important issues Douglass addresses in his narrative?

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is Douglass's own account of his escape from slavery, written in 1845. The most important issues he addresses in his account are the horrors of slavery, the corrupting effect that slavery has on white slaveowners, and the need for slavery to be abolished. He makes the point that true Christians abhor slavery and that the Christianity practiced by slaveowners does not represent true Christianity. His book became a bestseller, though many people at first doubted that a slave could write such an eloquent work. However, Douglass's speeches proved that he was a brilliant man who was capable of writing and thinking, and he therefore did a great deal to show the potential of African-Americans. 

Douglass narrates his early childhood on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland, including his separation from his mother at a young age and his presumption that the slave master, Captain Anthony, was his biological father. He recounts the abuses his aunt suffered from the overseer, probably because he was jealous of her relationship with another slave.

He then tells of his experience as an urban slave in Baltimore, Maryland. His slave mistress, Sophia Auld, begins to teach him to read, but then she is roundly criticized for doing so and stops. He makes the point that slavery corrupts slaveowners and makes them abusive and inhuman. He bribes local children into teaching him to read, as he always has bread in his pocket, and he realizes that reading will give him the arguments to defeat slavery. His life as an urban slave is very different from those of most slaves, who were on plantations.

In the third section, he is returned to the plantation, where he contends with a cruel slave master. In one critical passage, a fellow slave gives him a root, and though Douglass states that he does not believe in slave superstitions, the root clearly gives him the psychological strength to take on the overseer. The overseer, Mr. Covey, does not bother Douglass again. Douglass is sent to another plantation, where he teaches the other slaves to read and begins to feel like they are the family he never had. However, they are all sent to jail when their plotted escape fails.

Douglass is then sent back to Baltimore, where he learns how to caulk boats, which gives him a skill he can use when he escapes north. He has to turn all his wages over to his master, Hugh Auld, but he can at times earn his own money. Douglass faces continual harassment and intimidation from his fellow dock workers, who are white. Eventually, he escapes north from Baltimore to Philadelphia and then to New York by disguising himself as a sailor, though he declines to give many details of his escape (so that he will not endanger the route for future slaves who try to escape). He eventually became a skilled orator on the abolitionist circuit as well as a writer and reformer, and settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where there was a community of free African-Americans at the time.

How did the role of women change during the high middle ages?

During the High Middle Ages, women began to have a more important role in society partly because of the Church's endorsement of marriage as a sacrament - i.e. an outward sign of a spiritual truth through which God reveals himself. This idea of marriage as a sacrament was really propounded upon by Saint John Chrysostom, who even went on to say that marriage was what holds society together ("Homily on Marriage"). Of course, Saint John was...

During the High Middle Ages, women began to have a more important role in society partly because of the Church's endorsement of marriage as a sacrament - i.e. an outward sign of a spiritual truth through which God reveals himself. This idea of marriage as a sacrament was really propounded upon by Saint John Chrysostom, who even went on to say that marriage was what holds society together ("Homily on Marriage"). Of course, Saint John was significantly earlier than the high middle ages, but during that time period, churches were the central guiding force within the towns and therefore set the tone for the way life functioned.
Additionally, the rise of convents and monasteries was at its height during the middle ages and that also gave women a new high place in society which was formerly reserved for men. Although women had taken vows of celibacy very early on in history, it wasn't until the middle ages that they began to practice monastic aestheticism, which is what has led to modern monasticism. The rise of female monasticism in both the eastern and western world also led to the rise of female sainthood, which furthered the reverences place of women in the church.
In the political sphere, the middle ages had a number of empresses, especially in the eastern empire, come into power. In The Chronographia, written by Michael Psellus around the twelfth century, five out of the sixteen rulers he discusses were women. Although the rulers Psellus discusses ruled during the earlier middle ages, the trend did continue throughout the period, giving rise to a new area of life for women: politics.
So, although women's station was certainly not up to 21st century standards during the middle ages, the time period did bring about a more reverenced place for women in society through both the church and the state.

If you're interested in reading more about women in power, check out Women and Power in the Middle Ages by Mary Erler and Maryanne Kowaleski. It's a great read.

Give examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail."

King's Letter from Birmingham Jail shows how a skilled writer can use the Aristotlean elements of rhetoric to tremendous effect. First, the context: King is writing in 1963. He has been jailed for engaging in protests in Birmingham against "Whites only" signs in city stores. By 1963, he had become a national figure in the civil rights movement. So the letter is written by a great man, who is in jail for protesting against racism, who seeks to defend his actions and answer his critics.

Ethos is the credibility of the speaker and can be the trickiest rhetorical element to identify. This is because so often one's credibility lies in actions, not words. King does go to some trouble to establish his authority within the movement when he explains that he has "organizational ties" that bring him to Birmingham; he also connects his work to the work of the apostles in spreading the gospel. But what truly establishes his credibility is not anything that he says, per se, but what he has done. Think, for a moment, about how the impact of this letter might change if it were known as "Letter from the Birmingham Hyatt Regency" instead of "Letter from Birmingham Jail"!

Logos is persuasion through the use of facts. One example of this approach can be found in King's painstakingly detailed explanation of why he chose to stage his protests when he did: he lays out, very specifically, the chronology of events, how he decided to not act during the mayoral election cycle, and the training that was provided for the demonstrators. In recounting these facts, he is arguing that his decisions were clearly thought out and logical.

Pathos is persuasion through the appeal to the emotions, but what this really means is writing in such a way that your reader feels what you feel. Out of many passages, perhaps the most affecting is when he explains why it is essential not to "wait" for change. King is able to explain the degradation of racism in a single, incredible sentence:

Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

It is important to note that often students think of ethos, logos, and pathos as being separate things, like different kinds of rocks, but this is really not the case. The sentence above, for example, is meant to explain in clear terms the black experience‚—it is meant to make the reader empathize with blacks. But, although it is not referring to any specific fact, it also has power because it alludes to things we agree are factual: people were lynched; amusement parks were segregated. In that sense it can be thought of as logos. And, the power of the sentence, the clarity of King's thought, the rhythm of his prose style—these things mark the author as someone of exceptional gifts, not only as a writer, but as a leader. So, it also serves to establish his ethos.

Explain the various factors that contributed to the growth of hybrid cultures in the Americas during this 1500–1780 and how similar and...

From the sixteenth century to the long eighteenth century, European colonialism dominated the Americas, and in turn, various hybrid cultures developed. Arguably, European military efforts, as well as efforts to civilize the natives, forced these same natives (Amerindians and Africans who were in the Americas) to adopt European values, culture, and religion in order to survive. While many Catholic missionaries, for example, employed military force for the purpose of conversion, the natives often assimilated these...

From the sixteenth century to the long eighteenth century, European colonialism dominated the Americas, and in turn, various hybrid cultures developed. Arguably, European military efforts, as well as efforts to civilize the natives, forced these same natives (Amerindians and Africans who were in the Americas) to adopt European values, culture, and religion in order to survive. While many Catholic missionaries, for example, employed military force for the purpose of conversion, the natives often assimilated these religious practices, but still adhered to their own religions. Thus, a sort of hybrid culture developed for these natives, which allowed them to blend with the colonizer and vice versa.

African slaves in North America demonstrate this notion of hybridization quite well. European Catholic missionaries, for one, desired to Christianize slaves, but often failed in their efforts. In an ironic twist, many slaves used the very religious propaganda of the colonizer to challenge slavery by way of revolt, or used these materials to engage in literary practices (reading and writing, namely, which were prohibited for slaves).

By the same token, Creoles (who were native to South America), had a similar experience in terms of attempting to define their own identities after Spain colonized South America. Relegated to the lowest part of society because of their native status, the Creoles eventually revolted against the Spanish and Portuguese crown in an effort to reclaim their culture. Like the slaves of North America, the Creoles became increasingly tired of defending, in a sense, what was already theirs: language, land, religion, and culture.

To some extent, European imperialism did foster hybrid cultures due to the fact that Africans, Amerindians, and Europeans interacted in complex  ways. However, European colonial efforts were not based on creating hybrid cultures, but rather their intentions were to conquer the New World through military force and religious ideology with a view to exterminate native culture(s). Hybrid cultures of any sort, I would argue, were incidental to Europe's larger imperialistic project.

What symptoms did Henrietta Lacks have before she went to the doctor for testing?

In 1951, shortly after the birth of her daughter Deborah, Henrietta Lacks noticed something wrong with her womb--a sensation which she described as a "knot" inside of her. She did not see a doctor at that time and found out shortly thereafter that she was pregnant once again, this time with her fifth child. Although her friends suggested that this must be the explanation for the "knot," Henrietta did not feel this was true. 

After the birth of Joe, her fifth child, Henrietta experienced vaginal bleeding outside of her menstrual cycle. While taking a bath, she found a hard lump to the left of the opening of her womb. This discovery finally prompted her to visit a gynecological clinic at Johns Hopkins hospital, at which point the source of all these symptoms was discovered: a cervical tumor. 

How did technology prolong the First World War?

Technology prolonged the war because both sides focused heavily on defensive postures, especially on the Western Front.  After the Marne campaign in 1914 when the German Schlieffen Plan was bogged down, both sides dug in and would remain in these trenches for the next three years.  The machine gun also put the defender at an unfair advantage.  Both sides developed tanks, but neither side could press home the advantage, as there was little tank-infantry cooperation....

Technology prolonged the war because both sides focused heavily on defensive postures, especially on the Western Front.  After the Marne campaign in 1914 when the German Schlieffen Plan was bogged down, both sides dug in and would remain in these trenches for the next three years.  The machine gun also put the defender at an unfair advantage.  Both sides developed tanks, but neither side could press home the advantage, as there was little tank-infantry cooperation.  In terms of naval strength, both Germany and Britain developed enormous fleets of battleships that they would not risk in a winner-takes-all battle, though Jutland in 1916 was the closest they came to fighting this battle.  Diplomatically, neither side would budge.  Politicians worried that if they had a settled peace, then civilians back home would wonder what the war was about.  This was especially true after the Russian Revolution in 1917 took Russia out of the Eastern front; part of the reason for the overthrow of the czar was dissatisfaction with how the war was going.  Germany, France, and Britain realized that the people needed to feel that the war was a fight to maintain civilization and their way of life--simply negotiating with the enemy was out of the question in light of the millions of casualties inflicted by the war.  

Should persons who are declared to be “Enemy Combatants” be able to contest their detention before a judge?

There are, of course, arguments for both sides of this issue.  I will provide an argument for each side and let you decide which argument makes more sense to you.

On the one hand, it seems clear that people who are named as enemy combatants should be able to bring their case before a judge.  The United States is a country that is based on the rule of law.  We do not believe in arbitrarily...

There are, of course, arguments for both sides of this issue.  I will provide an argument for each side and let you decide which argument makes more sense to you.

On the one hand, it seems clear that people who are named as enemy combatants should be able to bring their case before a judge.  The United States is a country that is based on the rule of law.  We do not believe in arbitrarily putting people in prison simply because a police officer says that they have committed a crime.  Therefore, we should not be in the business of putting foreigners in prison for indefinite periods just because our military says that they are enemy combatants.  This is contrary to the precepts on which our system of government is based.

On the other hand, we can argue that it is ridiculous to say that accused enemy combatants should have their day in an American court.  The most compelling reason for this is that it would be impossible to conduct a proper trial in the United States on this issue.  Imagine, for example, a man taken prisoner in Afghanistan.  If he were tried in the US, there is no way his lawyers (or the prosecutors, for that matter) would be able to call the witnesses they needed to determine the man’s guilt or innocence.  Our system of trials depends on witnesses being easily available to help provide evidence.  There is no way that this could happen with an enemy combatant from a lawless part of a foreign country.  For this reason, even if giving the accused a chance to defend himself would be the right thing to do, it is simply impractical.

Which of these arguments do you find more persuasive?

What is the main point of Chapter 1 in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapter 1 is the narrative exposition of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Important information regarding the novel's main characters, setting, historical context, and plot are introduced throughout the exposition. In Chapter 1, we read that Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the narrator of the novel who begins to tell the story explaining how her brother Jem broke his elbow. Scout gives a brief history on her family's background by explaining how Simon Finch immigrated...

Chapter 1 is the narrative exposition of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Important information regarding the novel's main characters, setting, historical context, and plot are introduced throughout the exposition. In Chapter 1, we read that Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the narrator of the novel who begins to tell the story explaining how her brother Jem broke his elbow. Scout gives a brief history on her family's background by explaining how Simon Finch immigrated and settled in Maycomb, Alabama. Scout provides the audience with details regarding her father's background and gives a description of the town of Maycomb, which is the setting of the novel. The audience learns about the Finch family dynamics throughout the first chapter and is introduced to Scout's friend, Dill Harris. The story begins the summer when Dill arrives in Maycomb. We read about the rumors surrounding the Finch's neighbor Boo Radley, which is essential to the plot of the story, and gain an understanding of how the children feel about him. Harper Lee introduces the main characters, describes the setting of the novel, and begins to set the plot in motion throughout the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird. 

What is the falling action in the plot of the film, A Christmas Story?

The falling action of the film, A Christmas Story, takes place after the climactic scene on Christmas morning. Ralphie received the gift he had been wishing for all Christmas season-- a Red Ryder BB Gun. He promptly takes the model air rifle outside, and upon firing his first shot, the pellet ricochets off of a metal sign and hits him in the face. This scene mirrors something he has been warned of all throughout the...

The falling action of the film, A Christmas Story, takes place after the climactic scene on Christmas morning. Ralphie received the gift he had been wishing for all Christmas season-- a Red Ryder BB Gun. He promptly takes the model air rifle outside, and upon firing his first shot, the pellet ricochets off of a metal sign and hits him in the face. This scene mirrors something he has been warned of all throughout the film-- "You'll shoot your eye out!" Though Ralphie's glasses protect his eyes, it is certainly a frightening moment for the characters and viewers of the film.

After Ralphie's incident with "shooting his eye out," the tension and expectation in the film begins to drop, but it is by no means less eventful! Having ruined his glasses and caused minor injury to his face, Ralphie pretends that the cause was an icicle falling on him. This wins the sympathy of his mother, who takes him to the upstairs bathroom to console him and tend to the small wound left  by the pellet. Unknowingly, they have left the downstairs door open and the neighbors' many dogs are sneaking in! They ravage the Christmas dinner Ralphie's mother has been working so hard to prepare, and the family is devastated. 

This leads us to the resolution of the film. Ralphie and his family go out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner because it is the only place open on Christmas. Though their day has been disastrous, their relationships to one another are reaffirmed.

What does Shylock's recognition of Antonio's hypocrisy reveal about Shylock?

In Shylock's recognition of Antonio's hypocrisy, we see that Shylock has an eye for spotting contradiction.

These men are merchants, not theologians engaging in religious debate. Nevertheless, in what would otherwise be a neutral market of barter and exchange, where the highest bidder would simply acquire the desired item, we find economic decisions hinging upon religion and race. The market is tainted by racism. Shylock draws attention to this by pointing out Antonio's contradictory behavior....

In Shylock's recognition of Antonio's hypocrisy, we see that Shylock has an eye for spotting contradiction.

These men are merchants, not theologians engaging in religious debate. Nevertheless, in what would otherwise be a neutral market of barter and exchange, where the highest bidder would simply acquire the desired item, we find economic decisions hinging upon religion and race. The market is tainted by racism. Shylock draws attention to this by pointing out Antonio's contradictory behavior. By borrowing from Shylock, Antonio enters into a contract with a man he has publicly abused: "many a time and oft / In the Rialto you [,Antonio,] have rated me / About my moneys and my usances. . . You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, / And spet upon my Jewish Gaberdine, / And all for use of that which is mine own" (1.3.116-123).

Shylock's ability to spot this contradiction indicates that he is a socially aware merchant who wants to draw attention to the injustice that inhabits the Venetian market.

What is the most important allusion in A Separate Peace?

An allusion is a literary device used to make a connection between the story or characters to someone or something else known by the reader. Characters can also be aware of the allusion, as is the narrator, Gene Forrester. The most important allusion in A Separate Peace is the one associated with World War II; that is to say, the war is referenced continually throughout the story, so it is the allusion.

The senior class of 1942 at Devon all face being drafted into the war after graduation. The characters know it; they discuss it; and they think about it all through the story. Readers would also know about the history of World War II, and, judging from the story's time period, they would be able to connect with the characters through their own knowledge of the war. This connection helps readers to feel empathy for the boys as they progress towards graduation.

The next part of the allusion is in the title itself--A Separate Peace. The boys are separated from the war and seem to experience a peace separate from world events. The setting outside is peaceful, the school runs on a schedule, and all the boys really need to worry about is school work and graduating.

Ironically, however, there is a war waging inside each of them. Leper must fight the inner conflict with himself, which is the fact that he seems not to fit in anywhere. Phineas fights a physical and mental war after he breaks his leg. For example, Finny must struggle to find his place in life and the war without the strong, invincible body that he was used to. And Gene, the protagonist, fights a war within himself over feelings of jealousy and anger towards his best friend, Gene, and Gene must win his personal battles before he can move on after graduation as well. Hence, the allusion applies to World War II, but also, through the related discussion of peace, connects the characters with the war inside themselves.

Gene eventually remarks about the connection between World War II and the war within himself by the end of the book by saying the following:

"I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there" (204).

Again, Gene is alluding to World War II by making a war reference to his own experiences. And as mentioned above, all of the boys seem to wage an inner war within themselves throughout the novel; so, the on-going reference to World War II is the most important allusion in A Separate Peace.

What are John's special differences in "By the Waters of Babylon"?

John can touch metal without getting hurt and has a vision about the gods.

John’s father is a priest.  He tests whether his son will also be a priest by going into one of the Dead Places and finding a piece of metal to bring to John.  If John is able to touch it, he will be a priest too.

He gave me the metal to hold—I took it and did not die. So he...

John can touch metal without getting hurt and has a vision about the gods.

John’s father is a priest.  He tests whether his son will also be a priest by going into one of the Dead Places and finding a piece of metal to bring to John.  If John is able to touch it, he will be a priest too.

He gave me the metal to hold—I took it and did not die. So he knew that I was truly his son and would be a priest in my time.

John is also special because he does not fear the Dead Places.  He actually has a vision that takes him to the land of the Gods, which turns out to be New York.  John’s people are a post-apocalyptic society that is not very advanced.  They fear New York and the Dead Places.  It takes John’s special vision and determination to find out the truth.

John has a dream about the gods, who supposedly inhabit the Dead Places.  His father questions him about the dream, saying it might eat him up.  John’s dream seems to be about the past.

He asked me how the gods were dressed and I told him how they were dressed. We know how they were dressed from the book, but I saw them as if they were before me. When I had finished, he threw the sticks three times and studied them as they fell.

Since John has the special gift, and has visions, he is able to go on a sort of vision quest to newyork, the land of the gods.  Once there, he is intelligent enough to realize that he is not seeing dead gods.  He is seeing dead people.  The people were never gods; they are ancestors.

John’s destiny is to bring back this knowledge to his people so that they can move forward with the understanding of the people who lived before them.  If John’s people can avoid being afraid of the technology and learn what happened, then they can move beyond their fear of the past.

How did Orpheus try to use music to save his dear Eurydice?

Orpheus was given the gift of music by his mother, a Muse, goddess of the arts.  It was a special gift, and no one who heard him play his wonderful lyre could resist him. 

“There was no limit to his power when he played and sang. No one and nothing could resist him.” (page 1)

He fell in love with Eurydice, but right after the wedding, she walked into a meadow and a snake bit...

Orpheus was given the gift of music by his mother, a Muse, goddess of the arts.  It was a special gift, and no one who heard him play his wonderful lyre could resist him. 

“There was no limit to his power when he played and sang. No one and nothing could resist him.” (page 1)

He fell in love with Eurydice, but right after the wedding, she walked into a meadow and a snake bit her and she died.  When people died in mythology, they went to the Underworld, which was ruled by Hades(Pluto in the Roman version). 

Orpheus decided that he would travel to the Underworld and charm Hades and Demeter, Hades’s wife,with his music.  It was a terrible and frightful journey, but he charmed everyone in the Underworld with his music. When he did, they summoned Eurydice and told Orpheus that he would be allowed to escort her out of the Underworld under one condition.  He could not look back at her while she followed him out of the Underworld until they reached the daylight of the Upper World. Orpheus led the way, and Eurydice followed.  He knew she must be behind him, but he wasn’t sure.  He wanted desperately to check.  As he exited the cave and traveled into the sunlight, he turned to see her.  However, it was too soon.  She was still in the cave.  He reached out to clasp her, but she was gone. 

Orpheus tried desperately to follow her back into the Underworld, but he was not allowed to enter again.  He spent the rest of his days alone.

How can you reduce the friction and air resistance of a car?

The motion of a car is resisted by air, since the car will experience collision with air molecules, which will resist any change in their state of motion. There are few factors which affect the air resistance of a moving car. These include, shape of the car, its surface finish and velocity of the car. We tend to avoid edges when making cars and try to make them as streamlined or smooth as possible. Any...

The motion of a car is resisted by air, since the car will experience collision with air molecules, which will resist any change in their state of motion. There are few factors which affect the air resistance of a moving car. These include, shape of the car, its surface finish and velocity of the car. We tend to avoid edges when making cars and try to make them as streamlined or smooth as possible. Any abrupt edge or corner, will simply the air resistance. That is the reason, we have so many curves on the car. We also keep the car surface smooth to provide a smoother passage for air flow and hence use paints and polish. At higher speeds, more air resistance is experienced, however, it would be impractical to slow down to reduce air resistance. We can however take some steps, such as keeping windows closed, while traveling at high speeds. 

The friction in a car can be reduced by using proper lubrication in various parts. 

Hope this helps. 

How do the themes of "Miss Brill" play out in the text?

"Miss Brill" conveys several themes, but the most important one is that human beings feel a deep-seated need to belong, and this need is so powerful that it can prompt us to create elaborate fictions in order to keep ourselves from feeling isolated.

The mood of this story is established early on, and we should feel somewhat uneasy by the details that we learn.  First, though the air is still, "when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip." A chill is almost never a good thing: we often feel chilled when we are scared, we keep our homes warm to drive away the chill, someone who is described as "chilly" seems insensitive or emotionless. But Miss Brill (whose first name we never get, as her behavior seems to invite only chilly formality) is happy for the chance to wear her fox fur. Although she seems to believe that it is somewhat fancy and quite fetching -- she refers to it as a "little rogue" -- we get a number of clues that the reality doesn't match her perception of it. It just came out of moth-powder, with dim eyes, and has a nose that has almost become detached. It sounds as though it has clearly seen better days. Though Miss Brill seems somewhat playful as she considers her fur, as "she breathed, something light and sad - no, not sad, exactly - something gentle seemed to move in her bosom." By now, we can tell that all is not as it seems to Miss Brill. She is excited to leave her home, but there is an uncomfortable chill in the air; she feels fetching in her fur, but it is clear that it is quite old and decrepit; and she feels some kind of discontent within herself despite all of her attempts to keep it at bay.

When she arrives at the park, an older couple sits next to her, but

They did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation. She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.

Miss Brill has no one to talk to. Apparently this has been the case for so long that she has had to become "expert" at eavesdropping on others in order to be a part, so to speak, of any conversation. But rather than recognize her loneliness for what it is, she instead turns it into a compliment to herself, that she has become adept at something most other people can't do. 

She watches everything going on around her, noting the people, the colors, the music, the animals, everything as though it were happening just for her.

How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play [....]. But it wasn't till a little brown dog trotted on solemn and then slowly trotted off, like a little "theatre" dog, a little dog that had been drugged, that Miss Brill discovered what it was that made it so exciting. They were all on the stage. They weren't only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part of the performance after all.

In order to avoid the recognition that she is utterly isolated and alone, Miss Brill invents a fantasy in which she has become an actress; of course this means that she plays an integral role in the "production." For that reason, she convinces herself that she would be missed if she didn't come, and this allows her to feel a sense of belonging. 

She maintains this fantasy until the young lovers come to sit by her. She imagines them to be the hero and heroine of this play, but as she eavesdrops, she hears them refer to her as "that stupid old thing at the end there," and the girl says that her fur looks like "a fried whiting." Although Mansfield doesn't show us Miss Brill's immediate reaction to this conversation, we do find that Miss Brill breaks with her tradition today. Typically she stops on the way home for a slice of cake, but today she does not. Instead, she hurries home, and when she gets there,

The box that the fur came out of was on the bed. She unclasped the necklet quickly; quickly, without looking, laid it inside.  But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying.

It is, of course, Miss Brill who is crying, but something seems to prevent her from realizing it. She was so anxious to think of herself as a person who was noticed and wanted that she actually convinced herself that she was a vital, interesting, vivid part of the world. In the end, she is like her fox, which we can now read as a symbol of her and her illusions. Just as she thought of her fox as fetching, she thought of herself as "dashing." She couldn't see that it was musty and old and sort of repugnant, and she couldn't see that she belonged to that colorful and interesting world no more than her fox did.

What might Frost be referring to when he declares, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back”? (lines 13-15)

In these lines, Frost is referring to choice. Once a person has decided on a particular route, it is doubtful whether one would ever have the opportunity to return to the original choice and thus decide again. This is because once a decision has been made, one is taken on a route where other choices have to be made based on the original decision. One route leads to another and another and so on. In the end, one could be left so far from the original choice that the chance of starting over becomes nearly impossible.

It is this doubtfulness of an original decision that Frost questions in the poem. One can never be quite certain that an initial choice was the right one. There is only the question of, 'What if I had decided differently and taken the other route?' This is true in both a literal and figurative sense. The poem, however, uses the two roads as symbols for life-choices. 

Frost explores the doubtfulness of the choice that he has made in the line:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

The use of 'sigh' is clearly an expression of regret since the speaker has previously exclaimed:

 Oh, I kept the first for another day!

This is further emphasized by the title, 'The Road not Taken.' The focus is, therefore, not on the route the speaker actually took, but on the other. The speaker wonders what the outcome would have been if he had taken the alternative route. There is a tinge of regret that he will never know the answer since he took 'the one less traveled' by.

It is difficult to define what the speaker means by 

And that has made all the difference

since a comparison could not have been made. Because he had decided on a particular route, his choice led to other routes which were determined by his original choice. It is, therefore, impossible that he could have known the difference between the two and what the outcome of taking the other route would have been.

The 'difference' probably lies in the fact that the speaker had actually made a choice. Although he later expresses regret about not knowing what the outcome of deciding on a different path would have been, he stuck to his decision. The difference is that he chose, instead of being bogged down by indecision and not making a choice at all.

When does the reader begin to realize that "A Modest Proposal" is ironic/satirical?

It is at paragraph eight that the reader would begin to realize that this essay is satirical. Up until this point, the narrator sounds like a completely reasonable and humane person, concerned with finding a solution to the pressing problem of poverty in Ireland. He opens by describing the poor in moving terms, calling it "melancholy" to see women in rags begging, followed by their children, and explaining the difficult problem people find themselves in...

It is at paragraph eight that the reader would begin to realize that this essay is satirical. Up until this point, the narrator sounds like a completely reasonable and humane person, concerned with finding a solution to the pressing problem of poverty in Ireland. He opens by describing the poor in moving terms, calling it "melancholy" to see women in rags begging, followed by their children, and explaining the difficult problem people find themselves in when they can't find work and don't want to become thieves or sell themselves into slavery. A normal reader would agree that this is a sad situation, and agree that it would be a good idea to find " a fair, cheap and easy method" of making hungry young children "useful members" of society. This narrator continues to sound compassionate as he talks about wanting to take care of more than just the children of beggars and when he mentions that he has spent many years thinking about the problem of poverty.

The "turn" in the essay comes as the narrator as the narrator "humbly" offers his own thoughts, which he says cannot be in the least objectionable.

Then, in the very next paragraph, having softened us up with his seeming compassion towards the poor, he hits us with the surprise whammy: his "modest" idea is to note that a well-nourished child at a year old is a "most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled." He want to sell babies as food. At this point, a reader, recoiling with shock, would be saying "this can't be serious." Of course, it's not, and from now on the irony becomes heavier and heavier as the narrator goes into greater detail to outline all the benefits of his plan.

What do the humans do that makes them evil in Old Major's eyes?

Old Major's speech to the animals occurs in Chapter One of Animal Farm. In it, he argues that "Man is the only real enemy we have," and lists a number of grievances intended to get the animals to see this (7). Essentially, he says that the humans, who are not productive in their own right, exploit the labor of animals to enrich themselves. Man "does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is...

Old Major's speech to the animals occurs in Chapter One of Animal Farm. In it, he argues that "Man is the only real enemy we have," and lists a number of grievances intended to get the animals to see this (7). Essentially, he says that the humans, who are not productive in their own right, exploit the labor of animals to enrich themselves. Man "does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals" (8). To illustrate the point, he reminds the cows that they have given thousands of gallons of milk to men. Most of the eggs laid by hens go to market, sold for the profit of Jones.

The animals' lives are, Old Major says, miserable, and when they are used up they are simply cast aside, or, in the case of the "young porkers," they will "scream their lives out block within a year." When Boxer is no longer strong enough to do his work, he will be sold to the knacker, who will kill him. So, Old Major says in conclusion, "all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings" (9). He says that the animals must realize this truth, and rise up to claim what is rightfully theirs--the fruits of their labor. This speech is intended to echo the writings of Karl Marx, who wrote in the nineteenth century that industrial workers were being exploited by the bourgeoisie, the owners of the mills and factories where they worked. Marx's writings were inspirational to the communist revolutionaries who established the Soviet Union in the wake of World War One. 

List each character in the story and their relationship with Scrooge.

A Christmas Carol is a story with many characters.  Here are the main characters aside from Ebenezer Scrooge himself:

Fred:  Fred is Scrooge's nephew by his sister.  He is cheerful and he loves Christmas.  He is patient with his negative and rude uncle.

Bob Cratchit:  Bob is Scrooge's employee.  He works for him as a clerk.  He has a large family.  He is also patient with Scrooge.

Jacob Marley:  Jacob was Scrooge's business partner, who...

A Christmas Carol is a story with many characters.  Here are the main characters aside from Ebenezer Scrooge himself:

Fred:  Fred is Scrooge's nephew by his sister.  He is cheerful and he loves Christmas.  He is patient with his negative and rude uncle.

Bob Cratchit:  Bob is Scrooge's employee.  He works for him as a clerk.  He has a large family.  He is also patient with Scrooge.

Jacob Marley:  Jacob was Scrooge's business partner, who died years before the beginning of the story.  He was also a miserly man.  He comes back to haunt Scrooge, warning him that he must change his ways before it is too late.

The Ghost of Christmas Past:  This spirit comes to show Scrooge his past, so that he can see where his selfish decisions have led him.

The Ghost of Christmas Present:  This spirit visits Scrooge to show him all that he is missing in the present.  The ghost shows him the suffering of the people around him.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come:  This last spirit shows Scrooge what will happen if he does not change his ways.  Scrooge sees that his future will be bleak if he does not transform his character.

Tiny Tim:  Tiny Tim is the young crippled son of Bob Cratchit.  Scrooge takes pity on the boy and has a special connection with him.  Tiny Tim has a positive attitude despite his struggles.  

What is the main argument in Wolf Hall?

Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel's novel about Thomas Cromwell, who advised King Henry VIII. It is the first of a trilogy, followed by Bring Up the Bodies and the third, as yet unpublished, The Mirror and the Light. In Wolf Hall, Mantel traces the rise of Cromwell from a secretary to Cardinal Wolsey to chief minister to Henry. He is also portrayed as an enlightened, Renaissance man who is sympathetic to the reformation...

Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel's novel about Thomas Cromwell, who advised King Henry VIII. It is the first of a trilogy, followed by Bring Up the Bodies and the third, as yet unpublished, The Mirror and the Light. In Wolf Hall, Mantel traces the rise of Cromwell from a secretary to Cardinal Wolsey to chief minister to Henry. He is also portrayed as an enlightened, Renaissance man who is sympathetic to the reformation and against the abuses of the Catholic church. 

The main argument, which is contrary to many historical interpretations of Henry's reign, is to show Cromwell as a hero. Cromwell is seen as a benevolent father who takes the deaths, from sleeping sickness, of his wife and daughters very hard. He's also seen as a loyal adviser, first to Wolsey, and then to the king and the king's second wife Anne Boleyn. Contrary to many histories and studies of the period, Cromwell is the good guy in opposition to Sir Thomas More, who comes across as evil and dogmatic in his opposition to those who wish to bring the Protestant Reformation to England. In the novel, More is a torturer and a man who will do virtually anything to sustain Catholicism in England.

Cromwell, on the other hand, is open minded and reasonable when it comes to the changes which seem inevitable for England. One particularly poignant scene depicts Cromwell as a young boy witnessing the burning of a heretic. This memory stays with him as More begins persecuting those who would defy the Catholic church and bring in the ideas of Luther and English translations of the Bible. The novel closes with the beheading of More at the Tower of London. 

Who benefited from the Henrietta Lacks study? How?

We all have, tremendously. Sadly, Ms. Lacks herself really didn't.Henrietta Lacks was suffering---indeed, dying---from cervical cancer and being treated at Johns Hopkins, where a researcher by the name of George Gey covertly took one of her biopsy samples and began replicating it in petri dishes---cloning it in a sense, but mostly really using the cancer's own power of exponential replication.This was the first time anyone had successfully created an "immortal cell culture",...

We all have, tremendously. Sadly, Ms. Lacks herself really didn't.

Henrietta Lacks was suffering---indeed, dying---from cervical cancer and being treated at Johns Hopkins, where a researcher by the name of George Gey covertly took one of her biopsy samples and began replicating it in petri dishes---cloning it in a sense, but mostly really using the cancer's own power of exponential replication.

This was the first time anyone had successfully created an "immortal cell culture", a colony of human cells that had the power to grow and multiply indefinitely.

The cell line is now called HeLa (shortened from Henrietta Lacks of course). It has been used for numerous purposes in biology and medicine, from the polio vaccine to space research. HeLa has been used to develop treatments for Parkinson's disease, leukemia, and even influenza. The development of immortal cell cultures was a major breakthrough in medical science.

And of course pharmaceutical companies have made millions of dollars selling patented drugs that used HeLa in their development, and neither Lacks nor her family will ever see a dime of those profits. It is likely that Henrietta Lacks herself never even knew her biopsy sample had been used in this way. Many of her family members were even tricked into giving DNA samples that researchers later used without their knowledge.

Therein lies the paradox: The creation of HeLa was therefore at once a major breakthrough in medical science and a grievous breach of medical ethics. Its benefits for humanity have been enormous, and it is likely that Lacks would have consented to this research if she had ever been asked to---but she was not. Racism and classism clearly played a role in convincing scientists that they didn't need to get her consent in order to use her cells in this way. The good news is that this particularly egregious case has spurred a new debate on medical ethics and informed consent, so that hopefully something like this will never happen again.

Is plate tetonics a cycle?

Plate tectonics refers to the idea of Earth's outer layer being divided into a number of fragments or plates, all of which are in constant motion. These fragments or plates are known as tectonic plates and the Earth's crust is composed of such plates. 

We can think of plate tectonics as a recurring cycle. To understand it, think about what happens at the plate boundaries. At converging boundaries, plates come towards each other, with one...

Plate tectonics refers to the idea of Earth's outer layer being divided into a number of fragments or plates, all of which are in constant motion. These fragments or plates are known as tectonic plates and the Earth's crust is composed of such plates. 

We can think of plate tectonics as a recurring cycle. To understand it, think about what happens at the plate boundaries. At converging boundaries, plates come towards each other, with one plate slipping underneath the other. At diverging boundaries, plates move away from each other. At transform boundaries, plates slide over each other. Thus, we can see that plate material is lost at some places, whereas at other places the new material is added onto the plates, thus bringing cyclic nature to this process and renewing the plates.

At a much larger time scale, on the order of 100's of millions of years, we can think about supercontinent cycling. It has been indicated that all the continents were a single massive continent known as Pangea, which broke up into a number of continents. Similar to this supercontinent, a number of other supercontinents have also been part of Earth's history (each spaced out by about half a billion years). And this supercontinent cycling causes periodicity in plate tectonics (breaking and formation of plates). 

Thus, the plate tectonics can be thought off as a cyclic process.

Hope this helps. 

Why do dogs and cats look different?

Cats and dogs have different numbers and types of genes and chromosomes. This causes dogs and cats to look different.

The physical traits of a species are a result of their genes. Genes are segments of DNA that code for a specific protein. Proteins are involved in the expression of traits.

DNA is a nucleic acid. In fact, DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is composed of smaller building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists...

Cats and dogs have different numbers and types of genes and chromosomes. This causes dogs and cats to look different.

The physical traits of a species are a result of their genes. Genes are segments of DNA that code for a specific protein. Proteins are involved in the expression of traits.

DNA is a nucleic acid. In fact, DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is composed of smaller building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. There are four kinds of nitrogenous bases in DNA. DNA’s nitrogenous bases are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The order of the nucleotides determines the genes that an individual will have. Dogs and cats have different genes, thus dogs and cats make different proteins and look different from one another.

Furthermore, each species has a unique number of chromosomes. Chromosomes are composed of DNA that is wound around proteins. Chromosomes look like thread-like strands. Dogs have 78 diploid chromosomes. Cats have 38 diploid chromosomes. Again, this results in a different physical appearance of dogs and cats.

On a larger scale, we can see that these differences in genes is a result of the individual genetic adaptations each species has experienced over time.

Why did Black Beauty's master send him to the neighbor's meadow?

In Chapter 3, "My Breaking In," Black Beauty describes how his master decides to break him in after Squire Gordon comes to visit him and decides that he will take Black Beauty after the horse is broken in. After Black Beauty gets used to his bit, bridle, saddle, shoes, and other equipment, his master sends him to a neighbor's meadow that runs alongside the railroad. When the first train passes Black Beauty by, he remains...

In Chapter 3, "My Breaking In," Black Beauty describes how his master decides to break him in after Squire Gordon comes to visit him and decides that he will take Black Beauty after the horse is broken in. After Black Beauty gets used to his bit, bridle, saddle, shoes, and other equipment, his master sends him to a neighbor's meadow that runs alongside the railroad. When the first train passes Black Beauty by, he remains "snorting with astonishment and fear" and runs to the other side of the meadow. However, after the train passes several times and Black Beauty realizes that he remains unharmed, he grows used to the train and is no longer afraid of it. He remarks that many horses are afraid of steam engines, but, thanks to his master's training, he is not at all fearful at railroad stations. 

Can you balance the equation hydrochloric acid + sodium hydroxide -> sodium chloride + water? Also show how to calculate the yield in grams and in...

For the mentioned reaction, the balanced chemical equation is:

` ` `HCl+NaOH->NaCl+H_2O`

The reactants are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and the products are sodium chloride and water.

We can use the atomic masses of hydrogen, chlorine, sodium and oxygen to determine the molar masses of these compounds. Hydrochloric acid has a molar mass of 36.5 g/mole, sodium hydroxide has a molar mass of 40 g/mole, sodium chloride has a molar mass of...

For the mentioned reaction, the balanced chemical equation is:

` ` `HCl+NaOH->NaCl+H_2O`

The reactants are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and the products are sodium chloride and water.

We can use the atomic masses of hydrogen, chlorine, sodium and oxygen to determine the molar masses of these compounds. Hydrochloric acid has a molar mass of 36.5 g/mole, sodium hydroxide has a molar mass of 40 g/mole, sodium chloride has a molar mass of 58.5 g/mole and water has a molar mass of 18 g/mole.

Using stoichiometry,

1 mole of hydrochloric acid reacts with 1 mole of sodium hydroxide to produce 1 mole of sodium chloride and 1 mole of water. 

Given any mass of the reactants, we can convert it to moles and use stoichiometry to determine the moles of product that will be produced and convert it to grams.

For example, say we start with 40 g of sodium hydroxide, which is equal to 1 mole of the compound (molar mass = 40 g/mole). Using stoichiometry, 1 mole of sodium hydroxide produces 1 mole of sodium chlroide. Since the molar mass of sodium chloride is 58.5 g, we will obtain 58.5 g sodium chloride as the product.

Hope this helps.