In William Faulkner's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, what does he say young writers of the day have forgotten about in their writing?

William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949, just four years after the end of World War II, when the Atomic Age was in full swing and the Cold War was a deep red sunrise on the horizon. In this war-ravaged era of anticipatory fear, Faulkner laments in his speech that “There are no longer problems of the spirit. There is only the question: When will I be blown up?”  The youth of the age had been forced outside themselves - due to the political and moral conflicts of their era, young people’s emotions and struggles, and their relationship with these things, were all coming from an external place. The state of the world they lived in overshadowed anything that could have been going on within them, and this loss of introspection – fear, perhaps, of introspection – had led to young writers forgetting where good, honest writing comes from – within. 

Faulkner says this quite plainly in his speech: “The young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.”

He goes on to say that these inner conflicts, those which alone make writing worthwhile, do so because they alone are universal – the internal trappings of man, emotions which stem from a place deep within the individual, are what resonate with readers. And by ignoring these things in their writing, young people are creating empty fiction, words without truth – because it is these human truths that have permeated literature for centuries. The age-old tales of valor and bravery, of fear and sacrifice and love – what are these things without their human elements? And how can one write about them if one cannot understand their effects within oneself?

Faulkner says of the writer that “it is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart….” And harkening back to the old adage, write what you know, the young writers he is addressing must first re-learn what it means to examine the self and the conflicts found within, before being able to commit these truths to the page. 

Studies have shown that the demand for tobacco tends to be highly price inelastic. Evaluate the view that government can best reduce smoking by...

When a good or service is highly price inelastic, its demand will stay high no matter how expensive it is (within reason). If a government raises taxes on a particular good, that tax will be passed on to the consumer, meaning it will become more expensive. In this case, because cigarettes are bad for us, increasing spending on healthcare among other social costs, governments might try to limit smoking by putting a large tax on...

When a good or service is highly price inelastic, its demand will stay high no matter how expensive it is (within reason). If a government raises taxes on a particular good, that tax will be passed on to the consumer, meaning it will become more expensive. In this case, because cigarettes are bad for us, increasing spending on healthcare among other social costs, governments might try to limit smoking by putting a large tax on tobacco, which would make cigarettes so expensive that many smokers might quit because they are no longer able to afford to buy cigarettes. The fact that tobacco is price inelastic suggests that this approach will be of limited effectiveness. Cigarettes are highly addictive, and people will continue to buy them (again, within reason) even if they are very expensive. This does not mean a government should not tax cigarettes--in fact, it might mean that cigarettes could become an important source of revenue. It simply means that taxation with the purpose of curbing smoking may not be as effective as planned. 

Why did Shakespeare start Macbeth with the short scene of the witches?

Shakespeare begins Macbeth with a very intriguing scene involving the three Witches. This scene immediately draws in the viewer, as the Witches speak in confusing words accompanied by lightning and thunder. Shakespeare's job as a playwright was to immediately set an interesting scene and plot that would compel the audience to stay for the rest of the drama, and so he brought in the three Witches with their electrifying words and presence.

In addition, Shakespeare's...

Shakespeare begins Macbeth with a very intriguing scene involving the three Witches. This scene immediately draws in the viewer, as the Witches speak in confusing words accompanied by lightning and thunder. Shakespeare's job as a playwright was to immediately set an interesting scene and plot that would compel the audience to stay for the rest of the drama, and so he brought in the three Witches with their electrifying words and presence.

In addition, Shakespeare's patron, King James I, was very interested in witchcraft, so Shakespeare's first scene was designed to appeal to his patron. The use of witchcraft and the supernatural were likely of great interest to many members of the public as well, as Macbeth was written during a time when many people believed in witches and their power. 

Finally, the scene sets up the importance of the supernatural in the play and conveys the idea that what is to come is not natural. After all, the drama involves regicide, or the killing of the king, and Shakespeare had to convey to his audience that killing the king was neither natural nor right. 

What stops Nick from calling to Gatsby at the end of chapter one? What does Gatsby’s “trembling” suggest?

The end of Chapter I of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is the first time we actually see Gatsby. He is standing alone on his lawn, looking out over the water. Nick describes him as emerging from the shadow of his house, and describes his movements as "leisurely" (25). His hands are in his pockets and "the secure position of his feet upon the lawn" tell Nick this is Gatsby, the lord of all he surveys...

The end of Chapter I of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is the first time we actually see Gatsby. He is standing alone on his lawn, looking out over the water. Nick describes him as emerging from the shadow of his house, and describes his movements as "leisurely" (25). His hands are in his pockets and "the secure position of his feet upon the lawn" tell Nick this is Gatsby, the lord of all he surveys (25). Nick is about to call out to him, to introduce himself to his neighbor, but then Gatsby stretches out his arms toward the water, in the direction of a distant green light across the bay. He seems to be trembling. Nick sees this is clearly an intensely private moment and decides to leave Gatsby to it. Then Gatsby, having emerged from a shadow, slips back into one, and Nick is left alone in the night. We do not know why Gatsby might be trembling at this point, but we can feel in that tremble that he is yearning intensely for something, and that something is represented by the green light across the bay.

What hardships did colonists face during the Revolutionary War?

The colonists faced many hardships during the Revolutionary War. One of the hardships was that many colonists were loyalists. These loyalists supported the British for many reasons. Some believed there would be chaos if the colonists won the war. Others depended on Great Britain for their jobs. Some people believed the British could do as they please with their colonies.

Another hardship the colonists faced was a lack of supplies. The colonists faced shortages of...

The colonists faced many hardships during the Revolutionary War. One of the hardships was that many colonists were loyalists. These loyalists supported the British for many reasons. Some believed there would be chaos if the colonists won the war. Others depended on Great Britain for their jobs. Some people believed the British could do as they please with their colonies.

Another hardship the colonists faced was a lack of supplies. The colonists faced shortages of basic supplies such as food, weapons, and blankets. Some of the shortages were due to a lack of money. The British blockade also was successful in limiting the supplies we could get from other countries.

The colonists also didn’t have enough soldiers. Some soldiers signed up for one year and didn’t renew their term. Pay also was low for the soldiers. Others deserted during the cold winter months. Additionally, at the start of the war, the soldiers weren’t well trained. The lack of soldiers was an issue for the colonists.

At the beginning of the war, the colonists received little help from foreign countries or from the Native Americans. Countries like France and Spain were waiting to see if we could win a major victory against the British before committing to help us. The colonists lost the first few battles of the Revolutionary War. It wasn’t until the colonists defeated the British at the Battle of Saratoga that significant foreign help arrived. Most Native Americans believed the British would treat them better than the colonists would treat them. Thus, the Native Americans supported the British during the war.

Despite the hardships, the colonists overcame them and won the Revolutionary War.

In Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D. Houston, why is Jeanne's father "suddenly a man with no rights"?

This happens in the first chapter of the novel. Jeanne's father is a Japanese immigrant, a longtime resident of the United States who had raised a family there, and his children are American citizens, since they were born on American soil. But World War II was going on, meaning the US was at war with Japan, and suddenly everyone was turning a suspicious eye on Japanese people living in the US. US government officials worried...

This happens in the first chapter of the novel. Jeanne's father is a Japanese immigrant, a longtime resident of the United States who had raised a family there, and his children are American citizens, since they were born on American soil. But World War II was going on, meaning the US was at war with Japan, and suddenly everyone was turning a suspicious eye on Japanese people living in the US. US government officials worried that people of Japanese heritage would sympathize with the Japanese government and that they would commit treason against the US, damaging the war effort.

Normally, people living in the US have certain rights: the police can't take you into custody unless they have a good reason; they can't imprison you for no good reason, certainly not for an extended period of time. But as the narrator, Jeanne, explains, all these rights fell by the wayside when government officials (hastily deputized) took Jeanne's father into custody although he had done nothing wrong. He was only "guilty" of owning a boat-based business, and the US government was especially suspicious of him, imagining that he could use his equipment to communicate with enemy ships.

So, Jeanne's father is taken away for an entire year, creating a terrible upheaval in the family. If this situation happened to a US citizen, there would be an outcry about that citizen's rights: we have a right to a lawyer, a right to a speedy trial, a right to be protected from false imprisonment. But as Jeanne explains, her father was suddenly "a man with no rights."

What rebuke does Jeth receive when he casually refers to the president as "old Abe"?

In Chapter 4, Jethro's mother is so shaken after reading Tom's letter that she sends Jethro over to spend the evening with Shadrach Yale (Shad).

Shad is the local schoolteacher, and definitely a hero to Jethro. Upon hearing that he may get to spend the night with his favorite teacher, Jethro is ecstatic. He doesn't think too much about walking the mile to Shad's log cabin, which adjoins the schoolroom. When he gets there, Jethro...

In Chapter 4, Jethro's mother is so shaken after reading Tom's letter that she sends Jethro over to spend the evening with Shadrach Yale (Shad).

Shad is the local schoolteacher, and definitely a hero to Jethro. Upon hearing that he may get to spend the night with his favorite teacher, Jethro is ecstatic. He doesn't think too much about walking the mile to Shad's log cabin, which adjoins the schoolroom. When he gets there, Jethro tells Shad that his mother has sent along a loaf of fresh, white bread. Shad is grateful, telling Jeth that the bread will go nicely with the chicken he's roasting.

Shad and Jeth talk about many things, among them, Shad's desire to marry Jenny, Jeth's fourteen year old sister. As Shad is only twenty, Jeth's father isn't too keen on the marriage. Also, Shad is making preparations to go to war. As Shad and Jeth converse, Shad teaches his student about battlefield logistics and warfare. Jeth finds the conversation especially invigorating until the moment he addresses Abraham Lincoln as Ol' Abe. The text tells us that Shad's response is just a quiet "Mr.Lincoln, Jeth."

However, Jeth obviously thinks of this as a rebuke presumably because he feels that his faux pas (blunder) has lowered himself in his idol's estimation. However, like the consummate teacher that he is, Shad merely continues in conversation with Jeth, acting as if Jeth never made the unintended error. Shad never embarrasses Jeth, and we can clearly see why Jeth idolizes Shad.

What is the author's purpose in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

While a fun and entertaining story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has many layers and many interpretations. This story is part of a larger book entitled The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gentleman. Irving uses this fictional gentleman as the "collector" of a number of humorous stories and retellings of old legends.

The narrator is this story is the fictional Diedrich Knickerbocker, a scholar invented by Irving to tell the story of Dutch people in America....

While a fun and entertaining story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has many layers and many interpretations. This story is part of a larger book entitled The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gentleman. Irving uses this fictional gentleman as the "collector" of a number of humorous stories and retellings of old legends.

The narrator is this story is the fictional Diedrich Knickerbocker, a scholar invented by Irving to tell the story of Dutch people in America. Knickerbocker satirizes the Dutch, poking fun at their lifestyles and behaviors, and Irving uses the persona here to do just that. Irving is doing more than just telling an old tale.  The tone of the story is full of irony and sarcasm. Ichabod Crane is a ridiculous figure, overly superstitious, full of his own importance, and at odds with the people of this rural town. He is a greedy man, hungry for food and for wealth, which is why he sets his eyes on the local girl Katrina Van Tassel. He admires her not only for her looks but "more especially after he had visited her in her paternal mansion." Ichabod is an outsider looking to take advantage of the rural people, but he gets run out of town by his own superstition. Brom Bones, Ichabod's rival, is a stereotype of the all-brawn country guy, so much so that he is described as possessing the "gentle caresses and endearments of a bear."

The sense of irony is reinforced in the postscript, where we see that Knickerbocker is telling this story of the country from the city of Manhattan. The narrator clearly thinks the story is a joke, saying to his audience, "Faith, sir . . . As to that matter, I don't believe one-half of it myself."

So while Irving is entertaining us all, he is also poking fun at the lifestyles of the American people. He takes away any belief we may have had in the ghost story and leaves us with a fun story about an arrogant teacher and the popular town guy who scared him off.

How does the time period shape both the storyline and protagonist in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars?

Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars is set in 1967 against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. American involvement in the Vietnam War started in 1955, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent military aid to South Vietnam to fend off attacks from North Vietnam. In 1963, President Kennedy spoke of pulling out, but after Kennedy's assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson began escalating the war in 1964, upon taking over the Oval Office ("Vietnam," John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum). The war is one of the bloodiest in history and the first war the United States lost. The setting of the destructiveness of the war and of people's need to prevail despite such destruction parallels a conflict Holling faces with his father.

Mr. Hoodhood parallels American sentiments toward the war in the 1960s in several ways. America had entered the war with a history of being undefeated, arrogantly believing the war would be a very speedy victory for the Americans. They had entered with the purpose of defeating the newly established communist North Vietnamese government, encroaching upon the developing democratic South Vietnamese government, with the hope of containing the spread of communism. Since America in the 1960s saw itself as a technological superpower and saw the Vietnamese, who lived in grass huts, as a backwards society, the Americans couldn't believe the war would be anything less than a swift victory. They were astonished to see how resourceful the Viet Cong of South Vietnam truly was. As the war continued, it escalated until Lyndon B. Johnson was conducting massive bombings that led to 1,000 civilian casualties per week (O'Malley, M., "The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment," George Mason University). The war led the the deaths of a total of 58,156 American troops, or as Heather states in the story: "Two hundred soldiers die every week" ("January"). While the war first seemed like a perfect tactic to the arrogant Americans, the reality is that the war was a devastating defeat.

Mr. Hoodhood displays similar arrogance in his own life. He believes himself to be perfect, having the "Perfect House," the perfect successful job, and the perfect reputation. Due to his success and reputation, he is elected the Chamber of Commerce Businessman of 1967 and is obsessed with maintaining his status. In his obsession with his reputation and job, he ignores his children's needs by breaking promises to Holling and denying Heather a college education. As a result, his children and wife grow to dislike and distance themselves from him, showing readers that, though Mr. Hoodhood arrogantly believes his life is perfect, his belief is actually destroying his home life, just as the arrogant behavior of the Americans during the Vietnam War destroyed many lives.

Against this backdrop of the war and of his father behaving in an arrogant and self-serving manner, Holling learns to stand up to his father.

Is salt water homogeneous or heterogeneous?

Salt water is made by mixing salt (NaCl) in water. It is a homogeneous mixture and a heterogeneous one. A difference between the two is that concentration is same everywhere in case of a homogeneous mixture, whereas, in case of a heterogeneous mixture, the concentration varies from place to place within a mixture. An easy test to check the homogeneous or heterogeneous nature of salt water is by tasting salt water taken from different points...

Salt water is made by mixing salt (NaCl) in water. It is a homogeneous mixture and a heterogeneous one. A difference between the two is that concentration is same everywhere in case of a homogeneous mixture, whereas, in case of a heterogeneous mixture, the concentration varies from place to place within a mixture. An easy test to check the homogeneous or heterogeneous nature of salt water is by tasting salt water taken from different points within the sample. A similar example of a homogeneous mixture is sugar water, that is, water containing sugar. An example of a heterogeneous mixture is trail mix, where we can mix various components in any fraction and after mixing find heterogeneity in component distribution. Same is the case with fruit salad.

Hope this helps.

What inspired Harper Lee to write the novel To Kill a Mockingbird? What were her feelings toward the society she has seen?

Harper Lee has led a very private life since the success of To Kill a Mockingbird. That being the case, we don't have many interviews with her we can use to better understand her source of inspiration for the book and her views on Southern society as she presents it. However, we certainly do have a little knowledge.

One thing we know is that she based the character Atticus Finch off of her own father, Amasa Coleman Lee, who married Frances Cunningham Finch. Like Atticus, A. C. Lee practiced law in Alabama. We have evidence that A. C. both tried and had knowledge of cases that inspired the story of To Kill a Mockingbird. His very first case in 1919 was defending a black man and son of murdering a white storekeeper. Like Atticus, Lee put his all into his defense but was unable to incite the all-white jury to return anything but a "guilty" verdict, resulting in the hanging of both defendants (Talmage Boston, "Who Was Atticus Finch?," State Bar of Texas).

Also during Lee's life, between 1933 and 1934, a black man named Walter Lett was put on trial whose case was very similar to Tom Robinson's. Though Lee did not act as defense attorney for this particular case, he followed the case very closely as the editor and publisher of the Monroe Journal, the town's newspaper. We can speculate that young Nelle Harper Lee learned of the case herself through the newspaper and her father. Just like Tom Robinson, Lett was accused or raping a white woman even though all evidence strongly pointed to his innocence. Also, just like Robinson, Lett was again convicted by the all-white jury and sentenced to death. Finally, just as Atticus had hoped to achieve for Robinson, Lett's case was appealed to the higher court, and his sentence was changed from execution to life imprisonment (Talmage Boston).

Based on these trials, we know that Harper Lee grew up being well-exposed to the social injustices that are a product of racism, and based on the similarities between the cases her father was involved in or had knowledge of, we are able to speculate that these racist, unjust sentences inspired her to write the book.

How can I compare and contrast the structure and poetic elements of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43 and Gerald Manley Hopkins' "God's...

Most of the themes of both poems are different from one another, and this would be a stark contrast between the two. Where "Sonnet 43" focuses on love and mortality, "God's Grandeur" examines the cost of the Industrial Revolution on the natural world. However, it is worth noting that the two can also be seen as love poems. Browning's is a poem directed at her lover and Hopkins' poem is directed at God (he was a priest after all).

Although both poems were written within a generation of one another, the changes that have happened in technology have made their worlds far different. For example, "Sonnet 43" was written in 1850 and "God's Grandeur" was written in 1877 just as the Industrial Revolution was beginning to really gather steam (pun intended!). Browning's more traditional rhyme scheme makes sense in 1850, whereas Hopkins' use of a more modern and free rhythm may have been more successful in the timeframe he wrote it rather than in Browning's.

What do the two wealthy gentlemen offer Henry?

The two wealthy English gentlemen have a bet of twenty-thousand pounds which the narrator explains as follows:

Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn't. Brother A said he couldn't offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up.

They take a long time to select the man to whom they will entrust the million-pound bank-note. Finally they choose the narrator, whose name is Henry Adams, because he looks intelligent and trustworthy, even though he is penniless and nearly starving to death. Henry really is a trustworthy man. When he finds that they have apparently given him a million-pound bank-note by mistake, he goes back to their offices and tries to return it. But he is told they will be out of town for a month, and he is given a letter from one of the two brothers which reads as follows:

"You are an intelligent and honest man, as one may see by your face. We conceive you to be poor and a stranger. Enclosed you will find a sum of money. It is lent to you for thirty days, without interest....I have a bet on you. If I win it you shall have any situation that is in my gift - any, that is, that you shall be able to prove yourself familiar with and competent to fill."

Mark Twain manages to make this preposterous premise credible. Henry Adams has no money except for a bank-note worth a million pounds. He quickly finds out that the mere sight of it makes a staggering impression on anyone he offers it to as payment for some relatively trivial purchase. Nobody can cash such a bank-note, but everybody is more than willing to give Henry anything he wants on credit. At first he is taken for an eccentric millionaire because of his shabby clothing, but he soon changes his appearance by ordering a whole new wardrobe of tailor-made clothes, along with some ready-made clothes which had been left there by his Serene Highness the Hospodar of Halifax.

By the end of the story, Henry Adams has become a millionaire and is married to a beautiful girl who turns out to be the stepdaughter of one of the two fabulously wealthy brothers who initially entrusted him with the million-pound bank-note.

Mark Twain's premise has been copied innumerable times since the story was published in 1893. Brewster's Millions, for example, a novel by George Barr McCutcheon published in 1902, has been adapted into films ten times.

In a triangle ABC, AC = 40 cm, BC = 4 cm. Find AB.

Hello!

There are no sufficient data to find AB. By the triangle inequality it can be of any length between 40 cm - 4 cm = 36 cm and 40 cm + 4 cm = 44 cm (excluding the endpoints). Please look at the picture.

If we would know the measure of the angle ACB (denote it as `gamma`), then we could find AB by the law of cosines:

`AB = sqrt(AC^2+BC^2-2*AC*BC*cos(gamma)).`

Some other data...

Hello!

There are no sufficient data to find AB. By the triangle inequality it can be of any length between 40 cm - 4 cm = 36 cm and 40 cm + 4 cm = 44 cm (excluding the endpoints). Please look at the picture.

If we would know the measure of the angle ACB (denote it as `gamma`), then we could find AB by the law of cosines:

`AB = sqrt(AC^2+BC^2-2*AC*BC*cos(gamma)).`

Some other data may also help us to find AB.

In the story "Harrison Bergon," how does Harrison convey the conflict between the ideals of society and the realities of the actual people?

The defining characteristic in the society of "Harrison Bergeron" is physical equality, in intelligence, strength, and beauty. Three constitutional amendments and Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, ensure that people are made artificially equal through the use of handicaps. Intelligent people like George have aural devices that send loud noises into their ears to disrupt their thoughts. Strong people have to wear bags of bird shot, small metal balls, and beautiful people have to wear...

The defining characteristic in the society of "Harrison Bergeron" is physical equality, in intelligence, strength, and beauty. Three constitutional amendments and Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, ensure that people are made artificially equal through the use of handicaps. Intelligent people like George have aural devices that send loud noises into their ears to disrupt their thoughts. Strong people have to wear bags of bird shot, small metal balls, and beautiful people have to wear masks.

The conflict arises with the fact that people are not naturally equal, but that does not make others feel bad. Vonnegut alludes to this idea when George wonders "that maybe the dancers shouldn't be handicapped." This musing suggests that George would enjoy watching the dancers moving gracefully, even though they would be better at dancing than he is.

The stern penalties also suggest that the reality of the people does not align with the quest for equality. When Hazel suggests that George take out a few of the metal balls, he reminds her that the penalty is "two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball [he] took out." In the end, the killing of Harrison and his Empress underscores this tension. Their only crimes include being strong and beautiful, but they are shot dead by Diana Moon Glampers. Any law that must be upheld with such force must be contrary to the inner desire of the public.

How is Oedipus being idealized in his discussion with the priest?

The nature of the tragic hero is that he is a person greater than average in terms of power, intellect, and strength, who ends up enduring suffering, partially due to fate and partially due to the nature of his own character. Thus the play begins presenting Oedipus at the height of his power, as the man who saved Thebes by answering the riddle of the Sphinx. 

The priest wants Oedipus' help in defeating the plague.To...

The nature of the tragic hero is that he is a person greater than average in terms of power, intellect, and strength, who ends up enduring suffering, partially due to fate and partially due to the nature of his own character. Thus the play begins presenting Oedipus at the height of his power, as the man who saved Thebes by answering the riddle of the Sphinx. 

The priest wants Oedipus' help in defeating the plague.To obtain it, he uses flattery in three ways. First, his emphasis on how Thebans look up to and depend upon Oedipus flatters his ego. Next, in praising Oedipus, the priest holds up a mirror to how Oedipus should behave in this crisis. Finally, he appeals to Oedipus by suggesting that he will become an ideal to posterity as well as to the present if he saves Thebes from the plague, and thus portrays the present ideal as something that could be tarnished if Oedipus does not continue to benefit Thebes, saying

Don’t let our memory of your ruling here

declare that we were first set right again

and later fell.

How were CFCs discovered as the cause of the ozone depletion?

In the 1970's, scientist Mario Molina set out to discover exactly what happened to the copious amounts of chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) that had been released into the atmosphere since their invention in the 1930's and especially after World War II where the popularity of CFC use skyrocketed. In 1973, a colleague of Molina's, F. Sherwood Rowland, suggested that Molina theorize what would happen if the chemicals had dispersed into the atmosphere. Molina hypothesized that if the CFCs...

In the 1970's, scientist Mario Molina set out to discover exactly what happened to the copious amounts of chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) that had been released into the atmosphere since their invention in the 1930's and especially after World War II where the popularity of CFC use skyrocketed. In 1973, a colleague of Molina's, F. Sherwood Rowland, suggested that Molina theorize what would happen if the chemicals had dispersed into the atmosphere. Molina hypothesized that if the CFCs were to get into the atmosphere, it would take so long for them to decompose that UV light from the sun would break them down with one of the byproducts, chlorine, reacting with ozone to cause ozone depletion.

 Upon gathering data from the atmosphere, not only did Molina and Rowland find CFCs that had not broken down yet, but they found confirmation that after breaking down, the byproducts did react with ozone and had been contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. After this discovery, other scientist were able to verify the accuracy of Molina's and Rowland's work as well as perform further research on CFCs and their role in causing ozone depletion. While it was confirmed in 1987 that chlorine was directly responsible for the deterioration of the ozone, it was not until 1996 that CFCs were officially named as a major contributor of the chlorine in the atmosphere. 

The allele for arched feet is dominant over the allele for flat feet. Write the genotype of someone who has flat feet

If we allow “A” to represent the dominant allele for arched feet and “a” to represent the recessive allele for flat feet, then an individual that has flat feet must be homozygous recessive for the trait. The individual’s genotype could be represented as “aa."

Alleles are varieties of genes. Alleles can be dominant or recessive. A dominant allele is the “stronger” variety of a gene. Dominant alleles are indicated by a capital letter. The capital...

If we allow “A” to represent the dominant allele for arched feet and “a” to represent the recessive allele for flat feet, then an individual that has flat feet must be homozygous recessive for the trait. The individual’s genotype could be represented as “aa."

Alleles are varieties of genes. Alleles can be dominant or recessive. A dominant allele is the “stronger” variety of a gene. Dominant alleles are indicated by a capital letter. The capital letter used is often the first letter of the dominant trait that is being represented. A recessive allele is the “weaker” variety of the gene. Recessive alleles are represented by lowercase letters. The lowercase letter that is used is usually the first letter of the dominant allele that is being represented.

Humans are called diploid because they have two alleles at most of their genetic loci (“di” = two). Humans inherit one allele from each of their parents.

 A genotype is the genetic combination of alleles that an individual has for a trait.  Phenotypes are the physical representation of a genotype.  Because dominant alleles are “stronger” than recessive alleles, only one dominant allele is needed to produce a dominant phenotype.

Genotypes can be homozygous dominant, heterozygous, or homozygous recessive. Homozygous dominant genotypes have two dominant alleles and will show the dominant phenotype. A heterozygous genotype has one dominant and one recessive allele. Because a heterozygous genotype contains a dominant allele, it will also show the dominant phenotype. Homozygous recessive genotypes contain two recessive alleles. Having a homozygous recessive genotype is the only way an individual can show the recessive phenotype.

Reread lines 12-24 and restate the central idea from Emerson's "Self-Reliance."

In lines 12-24, Emerson states that self-reliance starts, as we might imagine, with the individual's decision that he must work hard to develop his talents: "no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till." 

But self-reliance means more than simply doing hard work. It also involves discerning what particular task God has called you as an individual to...

In lines 12-24, Emerson states that self-reliance starts, as we might imagine, with the individual's decision that he must work hard to develop his talents: "no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till." 

But self-reliance means more than simply doing hard work. It also involves discerning what particular task God has called you as an individual to do and then accepting that call. It means being original: "imitation is suicide." In Emerson's view, God has planted into each one of us a particular gift, what he calls a "preestablished harmony...that divine idea which each one of us represents." To develop this divine idea or gift means understanding who one is as a unique individual, and daring to be a nonconformist in pursuit of one's goals: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." For that reason, self-reliance requires courage. In contrast, ignoring one's God-given call, no matter how hard a person might try to run away from it, will leave that individual tormented. " A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work," but not otherwise. 

In a nutshell, the self-reliant person must work hard, have the courage to find and follow the path God has laid out for him, and have faith that the only real peace of mind comes from following one's destiny, no matter what it might be.  

What does Candy realize that makes him particularly angry towards Curley's wife?

In the next-to-last chapter of the novel, both Candy and George agree that Curley will want Lennie lynched for killing his wife, and that the other men will go along with Curley. 

Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. "You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George?" You an' me can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we?"

Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the...

In the next-to-last chapter of the novel, both Candy and George agree that Curley will want Lennie lynched for killing his wife, and that the other men will go along with Curley. 

Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. "You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George?" You an' me can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we?"

Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew.

Candy realizes that without Lennie, George would have no interest in buying the little farm. It was a shared dream, and without Lennie the dream is dead. George and Lennie could have shared all the hard work. Candy would be nothing but a liability. George would have to do all the hard work by himself, as Candy is already an old man and has an injury. Even if he had the use of both his hands, he couldn't take Lennie's place because of his age and the fact that he and George have never been friends and never could be friends like George and Lennie.

When Candy realizes the dream is dead, he becomes angry at Curley's dead wife. After George leaves him alone with her, he takes his anger out on her, saying,

You done it, di'n't you? I s'pose you're glad. Ever'body knowed you'd mess things up. You wasn't no good. You ain't no good now, you lousy tart.

The old man's wrath is understandable, even though the lonely girl is hardly to blame for her own death. Candy is devastated because he will never have such an opportunity to attain independence and security again. 

His eyes blinded with tears and he turned and went weakly out of the barn, and he rubbed his bristly whiskers with his wrist stump.

What topics does Thucydides discuss in Book 2 of the History of the Peloponnesian War?

In the first book of his History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides gave the background information for the conflict, culminating with Pericles' first speech in Athens. In book 2, he gets into the meat of the narrative, depicting the events of the war which took place from 431-428 BC.

Both the Delians--led by Athens--and the Peloponnesians--led by Sparta--begin to mobilize their armies. Led by Archidamus, the Peloponnesians invade Attica (the section of Greece where...

In the first book of his History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides gave the background information for the conflict, culminating with Pericles' first speech in Athens. In book 2, he gets into the meat of the narrative, depicting the events of the war which took place from 431-428 BC.

Both the Delians--led by Athens--and the Peloponnesians--led by Sparta--begin to mobilize their armies. Led by Archidamus, the Peloponnesians invade Attica (the section of Greece where Athens is located), but the Athenians subvert the attack by launching naval counterattacks near the Spartan homeland on the Peloponnese. 

Pericles rallies the Athenians with his famous "Funeral Oration," but Athens is struck by a terrible plague which kills many of its citizens and cripples its army (Pericles was among its many victims). To make matters worse, the Peloponnesians invade the Attica again. 

Thucydides narrates several more skirmishes and battles and ends the book with the Thracian campaign in Macedonia.

How does Dickens present Scrooge's character in stave one of A Christmas Carol?

Dickens presents Scrooge's character through exposition, dialogue, and point of view.  Early on in the stave, Dickens gives us some background information about the main character, referred to as exposition, including that the feeling he most cherished on the day of his sole friend's funeral was the satisfaction that he "solemnised it with an undoubted bargain" on the ceremony and proceedings.  Scrooge is further described as being unaffected by either heat or cold.  In fact, 

No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him.  No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.  

Thus, we learn fairly quickly that Scrooge is uncompassionate, marked by bitterness, inexorable, and inflexible.

The dialogue with his nephew—as well as the dialogue with the two gentlemen soliciting donations for the poor—helps us to understand Scrooge's character.  He calls Christmas a "humbug," insults his nephew, and suggests that every "idiot" who goes about wishing people a "Merry Christmas" should be murdered with dessert.  To the gentlemen, he insists that he pays enough for public institutions like the prisons and workhouses (both truly terrible places), and he says that poor people should go there if they need help—a rather cruel perspective.

Finally, Dickens also uses a third-person omniscient point of view to help us further understand Scrooge's thoughts and feelings.  We do get the thoughts and feelings of many characters, and this has the effect of helping us to better understand all of them.  

How do I write an introduction for a research paper on blood pressure?

The introduction of a research paper is the first paragraph or paragraphs of your paper. The introduction should introduce the topic that will be addressed within the research paper. The introduction paragraph should also grab the attention of your readers so they will want to continue reading the rest of your report. This can be done via the use of shocking statistics, quotations, an anecdote, or a posing question. A research paper’s introduction should address...

The introduction of a research paper is the first paragraph or paragraphs of your paper. The introduction should introduce the topic that will be addressed within the research paper. The introduction paragraph should also grab the attention of your readers so they will want to continue reading the rest of your report. This can be done via the use of shocking statistics, quotations, an anecdote, or a posing question. A research paper’s introduction should address what the main objective(s) is/are within the paper’s body. Thus, the introduction needs to include a topic sentence or thesis statement whose focus will be maintained throughout the rest of the paper. Although there has been recent debate over the topic, passive voice is generally used within scientific research. And, as always, credit should be given where credit is due by citing your sources properly.

Who attacked Ponyboy in The Outsiders? What kind of car were they driving? What did they threaten to do? What was Ponyboy's reaction? Who rescued...

Ponyboy was attacked by Bob Sheldon and his friends in a blue mustang.  Johnny rescued him by killing Bob.

According to Ponyboy, Socs drive fancy cars and jump greasers for fun.  Bob Sheldon seems to fit the bill.  He attacked Johnny before, and when he pulls up with a car full of friends he attacks Ponboy and Johnny.  Sheldon drives a blue mustang.

When Pony and Johnny are talking to Cherry, the blue mustang drives...

Ponyboy was attacked by Bob Sheldon and his friends in a blue mustang.  Johnny rescued him by killing Bob.

According to Ponyboy, Socs drive fancy cars and jump greasers for fun.  Bob Sheldon seems to fit the bill.  He attacked Johnny before, and when he pulls up with a car full of friends he attacks Ponboy and Johnny.  Sheldon drives a blue mustang.

When Pony and Johnny are talking to Cherry, the blue mustang drives by and Johnny becomes frightened.  Cherry tells them that it is Bob and Randy.  Bob asks Cherry to listen to him.  Pony realizes that Bob is the one who attacked Johnny before.  He gets a glass bottle to use as a weapon.

Johnny was breathing heavily and I noticed he was staring at the Soc's hand. H was wearing three heavy rings. I looked quickly at Johnny, an idea dawning on me.  remembered that it was a blue Mustang that had pulled up beside the vacant lot and that Johnny's face had been cut up by someone wearing rings... (Ch. 3)

Two-bit does not back down as the Socs insult them.  He says he doesn’t care that they outnumber the greasers.  Cherry does not want a fight though.  She agrees to go with the boys in the car.  Pony tells her he would not have used the broken bottle.  He wants her to understand he is not a bad person.

Pony and Johnny accidentally fall asleep in an empty lot, causing Pony to go home late.  Darry is angry because he was worried something had happened to Pony, and they argue.  Pony talks back to Darry, and Darry slaps him.  Pony runs away, upset.  He finds Johnny, and Johnny does not need an excuse to run away from home.  He is used to being hit.

They go to the park, and that’s where the trouble happens.  The blue mustang returns, and this time Bob is drunk and not backing down. 

It was Randy and Bob and three other Socs, and they recognized us. I knew Johnny recognized them; he was watching the moonlight glint off Bob's rings with huge eyes. (Ch. 4)

Bob is angry about having seen Pony with Soc girls, especially his girlfriend Cherry.  He attacks Pony, telling him he needs a bath.  Johnny kills Bob as he is trying to drown Pony in a fountain.  Johnny had a switchblade, and he used it to protect Pony.

Johnny is horrified by what he has done.  He saved Pony’s life, but he can hardly believe he killed Bob.  Johnny has post-traumatic stress disorder from being jumped by the Socs, and the entire incident was too much for him.  This event is the turning point in both of their lives.

What is a brief account of the historical evolution of Indian classical dance?

Indian classical dance is a tradition that extends back more than 5000 years, making it one of the oldest sustained art forms in existence. Images of Indian classical dance can be found on the sculptures of ancient Indian temples, as well as monuments. Unlike modern dance forms, which rely on continued innovation and abstract expression, Indian classical dance is often a strict, preserved dance form that has little variation across time. The dance is often...

Indian classical dance is a tradition that extends back more than 5000 years, making it one of the oldest sustained art forms in existence. Images of Indian classical dance can be found on the sculptures of ancient Indian temples, as well as monuments. Unlike modern dance forms, which rely on continued innovation and abstract expression, Indian classical dance is often a strict, preserved dance form that has little variation across time. The dance is often learned visually, with dancers taking cues from the sculptures and drawings of classical dancers. These drawings often come from ancient Indian temples. 

One of the oldest Indian scriptures is called the "Natya Shastra," and it is nearly 2000 years old. The Natya Shastra is potentially the oldest surviving text on Indian classical dance, and it has a detailed list of rules that cover nearly all aspects of the art form. When a person is discussing Indian classical dance, they are typically discussing the movements and techniques described in the Natya Shastra. There have been variations on the Natya Shastra, with many contemporary dancers expanding on the stories, depictions and techniques described in the text. However, many of the contemporary Indian dance forms remain similar to the original movements.

Why does a hurricane lose strength as it passes over land?

Hurricanes may lose strength over land because of cool temperatures, a lack of moisture, and/or friction.

Hurricanes form over low pressure regions with warm temperatures over large bodies of water. The warm temperature causes the ocean water to evaporate. The moisture is what fuels a hurricane. As the hurricane moves over land, the hurricane is no longer fueled by this moisture. Therefore, the hurricane begins to slow down and die as it moves further inland.

Secondly, hurricanes...

Hurricanes may lose strength over land because of cool temperatures, a lack of moisture, and/or friction.

Hurricanes form over low pressure regions with warm temperatures over large bodies of water. The warm temperature causes the ocean water to evaporate. The moisture is what fuels a hurricane. As the hurricane moves over land, the hurricane is no longer fueled by this moisture. Therefore, the hurricane begins to slow down and die as it moves further inland.

Secondly, hurricanes experience more friction over land than over the ocean water. This also slows down hurricanes.

Hurricanes do not only dissipate over land. Cool waters and strong winds may also decrease the strength of a hurricane.  A hurricane will begin to dissipate over cooler waters because cooler waters do not evaporate as much and, therefore, provide less moisture. Hurricanes need light winds at high levels in the atmosphere. A hurricane may be ripped apart by strong winds at high levels.

What are the similarities and differences between Israel and Babylonian?

Babylon was an ancient city in what was Mesopotamia.  Nebuchadnezzar II was a powerful king of Babylon who sought to claim more land for his kingdom.  He is also known for having the Hanging Gardens of Babylon built.  The city expanded under his rule.  Trade was essential in ancient Babylon, and its location along the Euphrates River promoted that.  Babylon was older than Israel by about one thousand years.

The Kingdom of Israel was established...

Babylon was an ancient city in what was Mesopotamia.  Nebuchadnezzar II was a powerful king of Babylon who sought to claim more land for his kingdom.  He is also known for having the Hanging Gardens of Babylon built.  The city expanded under his rule.  Trade was essential in ancient Babylon, and its location along the Euphrates River promoted that.  Babylon was older than Israel by about one thousand years.

The Kingdom of Israel was established under King Saul.  Agriculture and trade were essential to the economy of ancient Israel.  Israel had a larger kingdom than Babylon.  The third king of Israel, Solomon, built a large temple.  The kingdom eventually split into two.  It became the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, making them less powerful.  The Kingdom of Judah was eventually conquered by the Babylonians.  

Both were ancient kingdoms with powerful kings.  Both relied on trade as a foundation for their economies.  They both existed at the same time in ancient history and were in the same region.

Israel covered a larger area than Babylon.  Israel had many cities and Babylon had one.  Israel split into two kingdoms, while Babylon did not.  Babylon was much older than Israel as an established kingdom.  

100 grams of water at 80 degrees Celsius comes in contact with 100 grams of water at 40 degrees Celsius. Show that energy is conserved if the final...

Energy is conserved if the amount of heat lost by one fluid is the same as the heat gained by the second fluid. The heat loss may result in a decrease in the temperature of a fluid while temperature of the second fluid may increase after gaining the heat.

The heat lost by fluid 1 = mass of fluid x specific heat of fluid x temperature change 

= 100 g x specific heat of water...

Energy is conserved if the amount of heat lost by one fluid is the same as the heat gained by the second fluid. The heat loss may result in a decrease in the temperature of a fluid while temperature of the second fluid may increase after gaining the heat.

The heat lost by fluid 1 = mass of fluid x specific heat of fluid x temperature change 

= 100 g x specific heat of water x (80 - 60) J

Similarly, heat gained by fluid 2 =  mass of fluid x specific heat of fluid x temperature change 

= 100 g x specific heat of water x (40 - 60) J 

A comparison of the two equations show that they are basically the same (ignore the sign, since heat loss is considered negative). Since the values for temperature change, grams of water, and specific heat are the same in the equations, the amount of heat lost by fluid 1 is the same amount as the heat gained by fluid 2. Since the heat lost by fluid 1 is same as the heat gained by fluid 2, there is no loss of energy in this system and hence the total energy of the system is conserved.

Hope this helps. 

In Lord of the Flies, what did Jack promise?

When Jack, who has been tasked to provide food for the "tribe" of boys on the island, first has an opportunity to kill a piglet, he cannot bring himself to slaughter the animal.  When the boys talk about the hunt, Jack explains away his inability to kill the pig this way:

"I was choosing a place," said Jack. "I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him."

But the other boys...

When Jack, who has been tasked to provide food for the "tribe" of boys on the island, first has an opportunity to kill a piglet, he cannot bring himself to slaughter the animal.  When the boys talk about the hunt, Jack explains away his inability to kill the pig this way:

"I was choosing a place," said Jack. "I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him."

But the other boys know better. They know the real reason that Jack could not kill the pig is

because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.

Jack is humiliated by his self-defeat. Ralph has recently won out over Jack as leader of the boys, and Jack wants desperately to prove himself. He becomes even more determined to succeed:

"I was choosing a place. Next time--!"  He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk.  Next time there would be no mercy. He looked round fiercely, daring them to contradict.

His promise of killing a pig "next time" is fulfilled, as he goes on to kill several pigs--and, indirectly, a lonely boy named Piggy.

The U.S. Congress is greatly influenced by the ___?

The way this question is worded, there can be several possible answers. I will summarize a few possible answers.

The United States Congress is influenced by the shifts in our population. As our population moves from one region of the country to another region of the country, there has been a shift in the number of representatives in the House of Representatives from regions that are growing. States that are located in the Sun Belt,...

The way this question is worded, there can be several possible answers. I will summarize a few possible answers.

The United States Congress is influenced by the shifts in our population. As our population moves from one region of the country to another region of the country, there has been a shift in the number of representatives in the House of Representatives from regions that are growing. States that are located in the Sun Belt, the South and West, are gaining more seats in the House of Representatives than states that are located in the Rust Belt, the North and East. People in these regions want different policies to occur. Thus, a shifting population may mean shifting policies taking place in our country.

The United States Congress is also influenced by our changing demographics. As Hispanic and African American population grow, more Hispanics and African Americans are being elected to Congress. The voices of these groups are also being heard more often and more clearly as they meet with and/or contact their elected representatives.

The United States Congress is also influenced by how districts are created to determine representation in the House of Representatives. When district lines are drawn so that a candidate from a given party is practically guaranteed to win a seat in the House of Representatives, these representatives don’t need to compromise on issues. They know as long as they support what the vast majority of people in their district support, they will get reelected. We have seen this happen in Congress today. There is less and less compromising because more and more seats in the House of Representatives are guaranteed to go to a certain political party because of how the boundary lines for that district are drawn.

Some people would say the United States Congress is greatly influenced by special interest groups and money. These groups are well funded, and they can spend a lot of money supporting or attacking a candidate or a particular issue facing the country. These groups may be able to convince elected officials to vote a certain way by promoting, accurately or inaccurately, one side of a particular issue.

Congress is influenced by many different factors today.

Are there any character interactions in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, that strongly reveals or demonstrates racial discrimination?

There are several scenes throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird where characters racially discriminate against one another. One such scene takes place at First Purchase African M.E. Church. When Calpurnia decides to take Jem and Scout to her African American church, the first person they interact with is a church member named Lula. Lula is ornery and views Calpurnia with contempt for bringing the Finch children to their church. Lula says to Calpurnia,

"You...

There are several scenes throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird where characters racially discriminate against one another. One such scene takes place at First Purchase African M.E. Church. When Calpurnia decides to take Jem and Scout to her African American church, the first person they interact with is a church member named Lula. Lula is ornery and views Calpurnia with contempt for bringing the Finch children to their church. Lula says to Calpurnia,

"You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here---they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?" (Lee 158)

Jem tells Calpurnia that they should leave because they don't want them at their church, but Calpurnia insists they stay. Lula is racially discriminating against Jem and Scout because they are white children in a black church. During the 1930's, Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans and white people from occupying and using the same public facilities. Segregation was commonplace, and Lula noticed that white children were in the "wrong" place. Her attitude toward the Finch children expresses her displeasure with the white community and the system of segregation. Typically, it is white people who complain about African Americans occupying their facilities, but in this case, it is white children who trespass into the black community's church. Lula is quick to chastise Calpurnia for bringing Jem and Scout and makes the children feel awkward and unwelcome in doing so.

What reasons does Atticus give for saying he will not "hush up" about the situation of Bob Ewell dying in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

That scene takes place in Chapter 30.  Jem and Scout have been attacked by Bob Ewell on their way home from school after the Halloween play. Jem's arm was broken, and he is unconscious.  Boo Radley comes to their rescue, carrying Jem into the house.  The sheriff, Heck Tate, is called.  When he investigates, he finds Bob Ewell dead under the old tree, with a kitchen knife stuck in him.

There follows an argument between...

That scene takes place in Chapter 30.  Jem and Scout have been attacked by Bob Ewell on their way home from school after the Halloween play. Jem's arm was broken, and he is unconscious.  Boo Radley comes to their rescue, carrying Jem into the house.  The sheriff, Heck Tate, is called.  When he investigates, he finds Bob Ewell dead under the old tree, with a kitchen knife stuck in him.

There follows an argument between Heck Tate and Atticus.  Heck keeps insisting that "Bob Ewell fell on that knife and killed himself."  This is his proposed cover-up. Atticus says, "Nobody's hushing this up.  I don't live that way." 

Atticus is refusing to hush the matter up because he thinks that it was Jem who stabbed Ewell, in self-defense.  If Jem has killed a man, Atticus wants the matter brought out into the open and settled, or the rumors of it will haunt Jem for the rest of his life.  Also, Atticus feels that he can't let his children see him agree to spread a falsehood.  This would undo everything he's been trying to teach them.  "If they don't trust me they won't trust anybody."

Heck Tate, though, has realized that it wasn't Jem who stabbed Bob Ewell.  It was Boo Radley.  

When it finally dawns on Atticus that the one who stabbed Ewell was not Jem, but Boo, he feels differently about hushing the matter up.  Jem is just beginning his life and he needs a clean record and a solid foundation of integrity on which to go forward. But Boo is a shy, reclusive man who hasn't been outside of his house in years.  Public scrutiny would destroy him.  

Atticus is still bothered by the need to lie about what happened. He is worried that his children will lose respect for him, and for the value of truth.  But Scout assures him that she understands: outing Boo Radley would be "like killing a mockingbird." 

Why is the knowledge of growth and development necessary in the educative process?

Without a working knowledge of human growth and development, a teacher cannot know if a curriculum or objective is developmentally appropriate. While it is true that most educators are guided by local, state or national curriculum goals and objectives already developmentally aligned to grade levels, not all educators have access to such curriculum. Educators left to create their own curriculum must understand the developmental building blocks of learning that create, for example, number sense in...

Without a working knowledge of human growth and development, a teacher cannot know if a curriculum or objective is developmentally appropriate. While it is true that most educators are guided by local, state or national curriculum goals and objectives already developmentally aligned to grade levels, not all educators have access to such curriculum. Educators left to create their own curriculum must understand the developmental building blocks of learning that create, for example, number sense in math, without which students cannot be successful in higher level math. Even when provided a developmentally correct curriculum, educators must understand the stages of growth and development and be prepared assess where along a curriculum continuum a student is at so that a starting point for teaching can be determined. It is possible that a student has succeeded in attaining promotion to a grade level without having mastered the prerequisite skills he should have in order to be successful. If this is the case, the teacher must be prepared to determine a starting point for reteaching a student those prerequisite skills and locate resources with which to teach them.

What does Rikki do when Nagaina asks him to spare her last egg in "Rikki-tikki-tavi"?

Rikki tells Nagaina that he is not going to spare her egg and he will kill her.

The mongoose is the natural enemy of the snake.  As soon as Rikki shows up, the cobras Nag and Nagaina immediately feel threatened.  They know that Rikki is a danger to them.

Nag was thinking to himself, and watching the least little movement in the grass behind Rikki-tikki. He knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family, but he wanted to get Rikki-tikki off his guard.

Nag tries to fight Rikki by targeting the family.  This backfires because Rikki is quick and clever.  Once he kills Nag he goes after Nagaina.  First, he kills all of the little baby cobras in their shells.  He leaves one to use as leverage.

When Nagaina learns what has happened she fixates on the one member of her family she has left, just as Rikki suspected she would.  She begs Rikki to let her keep her last baby, telling him that she will go away and never come back if he just gives her the egg.

Rikki refuses the offer.

“Yes, you will go away, and you will never come back; for you will go to the rubbish-heap with Nag. Fight, widow! The big man has gone for his gun! Fight!''

Rikki is probably thinking that Nagaina is trying to trick him again.  He forgets about the egg, though, and she grabs it and runs.  He follows her—into her hole.  The other animals assume that he is dead.  You just don’t follow a cobra into her hole and be the one who comes out again.

Rikki does succeed though.  In doing so, he has killed the last of the snakes and ensured that there will be no new ones.  Nagaina was just trying to defend her family.  It was possible that she was telling the truth about taking her baby and not coming back, but unlikely. Rikki could not take that chance.

The incident with the egg is a perfect example of how this story is not one of clear-cut heroes and villains.  While we are tempted to root for the mongoose, Rikki kills innocent baby cobras in their shell.  Nag and Nagaina do target the family and Rikki, but their actions are designed for self-preservation.  Both sides have to defeat the other in order to survive.

What does Macbeth complain is acting to "shake us nightly"?

Macbeth is telling his wife in Act III, Scene 2 that he is having "terrible dreams" which "shake us nightly." By "us," Macbeth is referring to himself in the manner of monarchs. His wife is unhappy, also. The Macbeths have achieved what they hoped to achieve, but they are not satisfied, mainly because of the witches' prophesy that Banquo would be "not so happy but much happier" than Macbeth because he would be the sire...

Macbeth is telling his wife in Act III, Scene 2 that he is having "terrible dreams" which "shake us nightly." By "us," Macbeth is referring to himself in the manner of monarchs. His wife is unhappy, also. The Macbeths have achieved what they hoped to achieve, but they are not satisfied, mainly because of the witches' prophesy that Banquo would be "not so happy but much happier" than Macbeth because he would be the sire of a whole dynasty of Scottish kings. Macbeth has already made plans to have Banquo and his son Fleance ambushed near the castle on their way to the banquet, but he doesn't tell his wife about that, partly because he is not completely sure the ambush will be successful, and partly because the audience already knows about the ambush and it would be redundant to go over it again.

Lady Macbeth's unhappiness seems to mirror her husband's. She tells herself before his arrival:

Nought's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content.
’Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.

This is like saying we have wasted all our money if we buy something expensive and then find we don't like it. She seems to be suggesting that it is better to be dead than unhappy with what we have acquired through killing someone else. Her husband echoes the same ideas when he tells her:

We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it.
She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,
Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead,
Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further (Act III, Scene 2).

Act III, Scene 2 seems intended to establish Macbeth's strong motivation to dispose of Banquo. His wife's concern about Banquo mainly augments her husband's and gives him someone with whom he can discuss his feelings. The first two acts of the play led up to the assassination of King Duncan. Now the play must proceed with a new motivation, which will lead Macbeth into deeper waters. He is on his way to becoming a tyrant, and it is his tyranny much more than his regicide that will lead to his downfall. The English king will send an army of some ten thousand men to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth because his misrule of his country is creating serious problems for England. The English king is more concerned about restoring tranquility in both countries than restoring Malcolm to the Scottish throne as the rightful heir.

What do ancient sources, other than the New Testament and other Christian writings, tell us about Jesus?

In one of his best known passages, A. Conan Doyle has his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes point out that the most curious aspect of a crime was the behavior of the dog. His interlocutor replies that the dog did nothing, and Holmes says that the non-action was itself the most interesting feature of the case. The same can be said about Jesus.

The single most important piece of information we have about Jesus from non-Christians sources is that he was almost unknown outside a very small group of followers in the first century. Although the Christian movement grew in the second century, it was still a fairly small cult, and Jesus only starts to show up in non-Christian literature towards the very end of the first century and in the second century, primarily as a response to the growth of Christianity. Only a few passages in non-Christian materials refer to Jesus.

Josephus, a Jewish historian writing in 93 AD, mentions Jesus in three places. He mentions James a brother of Jesus at one point and in a second passage mentions a group of followers of Christus whose leader Jesus was crucified during the reign of Tiberius under Pontius Pilate and who were particularly despised by Nero. This is solid evidence for the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion, and gives some insight into the origins of persecutions of Christians. The most important passage from Josephus is known as the Testimonium Flavianum. It states: 

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared. (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3)

Pliny, in the second century, mentions a group of followers of Christ and discusses some of their ceremonies. but adds no independent information about Jesus, only that early Christians believed him to be both an historical person and a god.

Tacitus, writing in the early second century, refers to Nero's persecutions of Christians and mention that they are a group that worships Jesus, a man crucified under Pilate. 

Second century satirist Lucian includes Christians among the groups of superstitious peoples and strange cults he mocks in The Passing of Peregrinus but does not provide historical information about Jesus. 

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

First, we should acknowledge what the Emancipation Proclamation did not do. It did not immediately result in freedom for enslaved people. This is because Lincoln, in the Proclamation, declared freedom for only those slaves who lived in areas under Confederate control. In the border states and even in some areas occupied by Union forces, the Proclamation pointedly did not grant enslaved people their freedom. But this does not mean that the Emancipation Proclamation was not...

First, we should acknowledge what the Emancipation Proclamation did not do. It did not immediately result in freedom for enslaved people. This is because Lincoln, in the Proclamation, declared freedom for only those slaves who lived in areas under Confederate control. In the border states and even in some areas occupied by Union forces, the Proclamation pointedly did not grant enslaved people their freedom. But this does not mean that the Emancipation Proclamation was not an important document, and to understand why, we have to look a few things that it actually did. 

The Emancipation Proclamation was framed as a wartime measure, and Lincoln justified it by asserting his powers as commander in chief. One thing it did was to allow African-American men to enlist in the Union Army. Almost a quarter of a million black men seized this opportunity to fight for the freedom of enslaved people, and Lincoln claimed shortly before his death that they helped turn the tide of war. 

Another thing the Proclamation did was to redefine the purpose of the war, which had previously been conducted primarily to maintain the Union against secession. While no slaves were freed when Lincoln issued the proclamation, the question of whether slavery would persist after the war was resolved. The war became a war to end slavery. This had important consequences. First, it meant that the war would be a war to the death, as the South was fighting to protect its social and economic structures, based as they were on slavery. It also meant that Great Britain, which had long contemplated recognizing the Confederacy and intervening to negotiate an end to the war, abandoned this idea. Having abolished slavery in the British Empire in 1838, the idea of intervening in a foreign conflict on behalf of a Confederacy explicitly fighting to defend slavery was no longer politically tenable. 

So the Emancipation Proclamation, despite not granting immediate freedom to enslaved people, was a document of profound importance.

What passages in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird deal with racism? What are the page numbers?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, aside from all of the various places in which the Finch children are insulted by individuals who call Atticus a "nigger-lover"--such as by Cecil Jacobs in Chapter 9, by the Finches' cousin Francis in Chapter 9, and by Mrs. Dubose in Chapter 11--some of the most noteworthy racist remarks can be found in Chapter 24, during the meeting of Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle in the Finches' home.

During the meeting, the women had been discussing an African tribe that very few missionaries had attended to. Mrs. Merriweather calls the area of Africa a land of "nothing but sin and squalor." While we don't hear Gertrude's comment in reply, we can assume Gertrude noted that Maycomb is full of just as much "sin and squalor," since African Americans like Tom Robinson commit such heinous crimes and corrupt the rest of the African-American society. We can assume what Gertrude's remark was based on Mrs. Merriweathers very racist reply:

Oh that. Well, I always say forgive and forget, forgive and forget. Thing that church ought to do is help her lead a Christian life for those children from here on out. (Ch. 24)

The remark is racist because it assumes Tom Robinson's wife, Helen, has done something that requires being forgiven and forgotten. In other words, it assumes that just because Mr. Robinson was found guilty by a jury, despite all evidence pointing to the opposite, Mrs. Robinson must be equally guilty of sinful behavior due to Mr. Robinson's influence. Hence, Mrs. Merriweather is assuming Mrs. Robinson isn't truly a Christian, despite the Robinson's devoted attendance of church. Mrs. Merriweather makes this assumption based on the racist belief that all African Americans are evil by nature.

The above racist belief is revealed by Mrs. Farrow, who responds to Mrs. Merriweather:

... looks like we're fighting a losing battle, a losing battle. ... We can educate 'em till we're blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of 'em, but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights. (Ch. 24)

As we can see, Mrs. Farrow's racist remark assumes that African Americans cannot be educated and cannot be taught Christianity, all because they are evil by nature even though, ironically, Maycomb's African-American citizens are far more humble Christians than those in Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle.

Page numbers will vary per version of the book; however, the passages in question are located in the middle of Chapter 24, approximately 5 to 6 pages from the beginning of the chapter.

Who is to blame for the second world war?

There are many factors to blame for the start of World War II. Individuals and governments are responsible for some of the blame while various events are responsible for the rest of the blame.

Some of the Allied leaders at the end of World War I deserve some of the blame for World War II. The leaders of France, Great Britain, and Italy were told by President Wilson not to have a harsh peace treaty...

There are many factors to blame for the start of World War II. Individuals and governments are responsible for some of the blame while various events are responsible for the rest of the blame.

Some of the Allied leaders at the end of World War I deserve some of the blame for World War II. The leaders of France, Great Britain, and Italy were told by President Wilson not to have a harsh peace treaty on the Central Powers. Wilson believed that a harsh peace treaty would come back to haunt us, and he was right. The Versailles Treaty was very harsh. This led to many problems in Germany that ultimately brought Adolf Hitler to power looking for revenge.

The Allied nations during the 1930s ignored violations of the Versailles Treaty by Germany. German built up its military and moved its military into the Rhineland. Germany invaded Austria. Nothing was done about this. Other actions also occurred. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Again, nothing was done about these invasions. Italy invaded Ethiopia and Albania with no responses from the Allies. The lack of action by the Allies encouraged the leaders of these countries to continue to be aggressive. While the Allied leaders were dealing with the worst economic crisis ever, they still had an obligation to be aware of what was happening in the world and how those events could cause many problems for their countries if nothing was done about them.

Certainly much of the blame must go to Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and the Emperor as well as the military dictatorship that controlled Japan. These leaders broke agreements, invaded countries, and formed an alliance in order to pursue their aggressive military, economic, and political goals. The Allies were left little choice but to draw a line in the sand after Hitler broke the Munich Pact and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939. They had no choice but to say that any more aggression would lead to war. The United States had no choice but to declare war on Japan after Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. Therefore, the largest share of the blame for World War II must go to the leaders of Germany, Japan, and Italy.

When a metal reacts with oxygen why does the mass of the oxide produced appear to be greater than the mass of the metal?

When a metal atom reacts with an oxygen atom, a new compound is formed. A compound that is composed of a metal and oxygen is called a metal oxide. 

For example, when magnesium metal reacts with oxygen, it produces the oxide compound magnesium oxide:

               `2Mg + ~O_2 -gt 2MgO`

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that the total mass of the reactants is equal to the...

When a metal atom reacts with an oxygen atom, a new compound is formed. A compound that is composed of a metal and oxygen is called a metal oxide. 

For example, when magnesium metal reacts with oxygen, it produces the oxide compound magnesium oxide:

               `2Mg + ~O_2 -gt 2MgO`

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that the total mass of the reactants is equal to the total mass of the products. Although oxygen is a gas and is invisible, it still has mass. 

The mass of the oxide which is composed of both magnesium and oxygen is greater than the mass of the magnesium metal alone; however, if you add up the mass of the reactants (the magnesium metal and the oxygen gas), you will find that they have the same mass as the product (magnesium oxide).

What is the internal and external conflict in "Charles" by Shirley Jackson?

Internal conflict is conflict that happens within the character's mind. Essentially, he or she is fighting with himself over choices or a decision. In "Charles", the main character Laurie experiences inner conflict. The reader does not find this out immediately but rather at the end of the story when we realize that the character Charles who is causing trouble in Laurie's class is not another student but is Laurie himself. A conflict between doing right...

Internal conflict is conflict that happens within the character's mind. Essentially, he or she is fighting with himself over choices or a decision. In "Charles", the main character Laurie experiences inner conflict. The reader does not find this out immediately but rather at the end of the story when we realize that the character Charles who is causing trouble in Laurie's class is not another student but is Laurie himself. A conflict between doing right and wrong waged inside Laurie and as a kindergarten student, he decided to make up a character.

An external conflict, one that happens between a character and another person, the world or nature, is that between Laurie and his parents. While not always an outward manifestation of arguments, the parents and Laurie struggle to maintain a calm relationship and to effectively communicate. Additionally, the simple fact that the parents do not realize that Laurie has fabricated Charles, provides an example of conflict in this constant struggle to communicate that exists between Laurie and his parents.

To whom could one attribute the peaceful solution to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very tense time in United States history and world history. The Soviet Union had built missile sites and had placed missiles in Cuba that could attack the United States and other areas in the western hemisphere. We wanted those missiles out of Cuba and the missile sites dismantled. President Kennedy announced that the United States would establish a naval blockade around Cuba. We would stop ships from entering the waters around Cuba. The Soviet Union responded by saying they were sending their ships to the Cuban harbors and would not allow us to stop them. People were very concerned that nuclear war could occur.

Ultimately, a peaceful solution was reached. While many figures on both sides were involved with the behind-the-scenes discussions and the planning regarding how to deal with this crisis, from the perspective of the United States, it was President Kennedy that was responsible for a peaceful solution to the crisis. There were many options presented to President Kennedy, and some of them weren’t so peaceful. By publicly taking a tough stance and privately working for a peaceful solution, President Kennedy is the one who gets the credit for a peaceful resolution to this situation. If we responded weakly when the crisis first began, the peaceful option might not have been a viable option available to us. It also was the President who worked for a peaceful solution instead of settling for a more aggressive, warlike option.

In the end, the crisis was ended when the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba if we removed our missiles from Turkey. From this point on, both sides realized how dangerously close we had come to a nuclear war. Steps were later taken to reduce that threat. For example, both sides agreed to ban the above ground testing of nuclear weapons.

Which characters appear to be the antagonists to Macbeth in Act Three?

In Act 3, Macbeth has been crowned king, and instead of allaying his fears and his ambitions, his new crown is only increasing both. He begins especially to worry about Banquo, who becomes his antagonist in this act. He finds himself unsatisfied in his new position as king because he still feels threatened: "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus" [emphasis mine]. The witches prophesied that Banquo's children would eventually become kings...

In Act 3, Macbeth has been crowned king, and instead of allaying his fears and his ambitions, his new crown is only increasing both. He begins especially to worry about Banquo, who becomes his antagonist in this act. He finds himself unsatisfied in his new position as king because he still feels threatened: "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus" [emphasis mine]. The witches prophesied that Banquo's children would eventually become kings themselves, and that means that Macbeth will be unable to pass his crown to his own children—should he have them—and could possibly mean that Banquo's son Fleance will one day overthrow him. Macbeth sees it clearly: Banquo is now his enemy, and he and his son have to die. Unbeknownst to Macbeth, Banquo himself has also begun to suspect that Macbeth may have had a hand in Duncan's murder. Macbeth sends men to dispatch his new chief antagonists, but Banquo will still manage to haunt him—literally.

What would the vesicle of a cell be if it were a part of the school?

When comparing a cell and its organelles to a human organization, some analogies are fairly obvious. You've chosen a school, and comparisons such as mitochondria being like the furnaces burning fuel to warm the school are clear. Vesicles are more difficult due to the job they perform in the cell. Vesicles take proteins and other molecules produced by the cell and move them either to other parts of the cell, or take them to the...

When comparing a cell and its organelles to a human organization, some analogies are fairly obvious. You've chosen a school, and comparisons such as mitochondria being like the furnaces burning fuel to warm the school are clear. Vesicles are more difficult due to the job they perform in the cell. Vesicles take proteins and other molecules produced by the cell and move them either to other parts of the cell, or take them to the cell membrane. There, the membrane of the vesicle fuses with the cell membrane, opening to outside the cell and releasing the contents to the environment outside the cell.

You could make an argument for vesicles being like the large wheeled trashcans that take trash to the dumpsters outside. They are containers of items produced by the school, that serve to take them to outside of the walls. A more positive analogy might be that the graduates of the school are like vesicles--they are loaded with knowledge and skills provided by the school, and leave with that knowledge as a part of themselves.

In what ways did the Gulag help the Soviet regime in terms of gathering allegiances, crushing dissent, and economically?

The Gulag was the penal system of the former Soviet Union. Prisoners were sent to labor camps and were forced to work without pay for long periods of time. Citizens could be sent to the Gulag for serious crimes, but also for petty infractions like missing work, showing up late for work, or stealing food from the fields for your starving family. Many prisoners were also there for political purposes. If you spoke out against...

The Gulag was the penal system of the former Soviet Union. Prisoners were sent to labor camps and were forced to work without pay for long periods of time. Citizens could be sent to the Gulag for serious crimes, but also for petty infractions like missing work, showing up late for work, or stealing food from the fields for your starving family. Many prisoners were also there for political purposes. If you spoke out against the government, or if party officials saw you as a threat to their power, you could be sentenced to forced labor in the Gulag.

The Gulag was very effective at creating allegiance to the state and also for crushing dissent. The reason for its effectiveness in this end was because of the cruel conditions in the camps. The Gulag was located in isolated parts of Russia where it was very cold. The workers were tasked with difficult menial tasks and worked long hours with only simple tools. It was likely that you could die if you were sent to the camps as food rations were meager and conditions were very unsanitary. Violence upon the workers was common. For this reason, you dared not do anything to draw the suspicion of the Soviet party officials. Fear can be an effective tool for gaining loyalty and crushing dissent.

The economic benefits for the party are obvious: the use of free labor to draw profit. The Gulags performed many essential economic functions such as the mining of coal, deforested areas for lumber, mining copper, and sometimes large scale projects like the construction of canals. The cost of acquiring and maintaining this labor force was very low. For this reason, the Gulags provided an economic advantage for the Soviet Union.

How does the history of chess relate to this story?

Chess is a major part of the story.  Waverly admits this from the beginning.  She says that she applied to chess what her mother taught her, namely, the art of invisible strength, a way to win arguments and respect from people. 

As the story progresses, Waverly learns chess and more importantly she excels.  At one point, she gains national recognition.  Some critics even say that she might be the first female Grandmaster.  In one of...

Chess is a major part of the story.  Waverly admits this from the beginning.  She says that she applied to chess what her mother taught her, namely, the art of invisible strength, a way to win arguments and respect from people. 

As the story progresses, Waverly learns chess and more importantly she excels.  At one point, she gains national recognition.  Some critics even say that she might be the first female Grandmaster.  In one of her matches, she describes her strategy in terms of the art of invisible strength.  Here is an excerpt:

As I began to play, the boy disappeared, the color ran out of the room, and I saw only my white pieces and his black ones waiting on the other side. A light wind began blowing past my ears. It whispered secrets only I could hear. "Blow from the South," it murmured. "The wind leaves no trail." I saw a clear path, the traps to avoid.

By the end of the story, Waverly sees her life as a chess game, especially in her relationship with her mother.  Waverly increasingly wants independence, but her mother is not ready to let her go.  At the end, a conflict ensues.  Waverly runs away and when see comes back, she knows that she will have to confront her mother.  She lies in bed and contemplates her next move.  The way she describes this is through a game of chess. 

Her black men advanced across the plane, slowly marching to each successive level as a single unit. My white pieces screamed as they scurried and fell off the board one by one.

Hence, the game of chess frames the story. It is a metaphor about Waverly's life and relationships. 

In The Hunger Games, in what ways is Katniss prepared to be a contestant in the Hunger Games?

Katniss is prepared for the games because she knows how to use a bow and arrow and she has good survival instincts.

Even before the Hunger Games, Katniss is tough.  She is probably the one person from her district who had a chance of winning.  Her skill with a bow and arrow is very useful, but more importantly she is independent, strong-willed, and a fighter.

Katniss desires to survive.  She has never had much, so...

Katniss is prepared for the games because she knows how to use a bow and arrow and she has good survival instincts.

Even before the Hunger Games, Katniss is tough.  She is probably the one person from her district who had a chance of winning.  Her skill with a bow and arrow is very useful, but more importantly she is independent, strong-willed, and a fighter.

Katniss desires to survive.  She has never had much, so surviving is what she has done all her life.  She would illegally hunt in the forests outside of her village to feed her family.  Her skill with a bow and arrow ensured that she could catch food, but it also gave her an edge in the games.

Independence is an important trait for survival in the games.  Katniss does not need to rely on anyone but herself.  She is quick-witted and learns fast.  This helps her evade or defeat her enemies and understand how the games work.

Katniss’s empathy also helps her, ironically.  She may not love Peeta, but she cares about him and wants him to survive.  She plays along with his star-crossed lovers act in order to win sponsorship and support, and it gives Haymitch something to use to get them valuable supplies.

How does this affect the betting odds? Will we lose sponsors? Do we even have sponsors? Yes, I feel certain we do, or did. (Ch. 12)

If Katniss had not been daring enough to risk the double suicide with the berries, either she or Peeta would have died.  This act prevented her from having to fight to the death, but it also marked her as a revolutionary.  By surviving as an underdog and defying the Capital, Katniss made herself a symbol of hope to everyone in Panem, whether she meant to do it or not.

what are characteristics of shylock in merchant of venice

Shylock's character in Merchant of Venice is very complicated, especially in today's post-holocaust age. First, during the beginning of the play, Shylock's personality traits include very negative things such as greed and vindictiveness, which go along with the point of view of Antonio, Bessanio, Portia, and Gratiano, as well as Shylock's daughter who flees the Jewish community for love. Shakespeare used the source play The Jew of Malta, however, he portrays a must more three-dimensional...

Shylock's character in Merchant of Venice is very complicated, especially in today's post-holocaust age. First, during the beginning of the play, Shylock's personality traits include very negative things such as greed and vindictiveness, which go along with the point of view of Antonio, Bessanio, Portia, and Gratiano, as well as Shylock's daughter who flees the Jewish community for love. Shakespeare used the source play The Jew of Malta, however, he portrays a must more three-dimensional character in Shylock than is portrayed in Malta. During the trial of Antonio and the whole "pound of flesh" bit, the audience doesn't see much other than the vindictiveness in Shylock's character, which is chocked up to an overweening focus on justice. Shylock's focus on "justice" as he sees it neglects the need for mercy. Of course, Portia's great "The quality of mercy" speech (Act 4, Scene 1) is an answer to this focus on justice alone. 

However, you have to remember that Shylock is not just a mustache-twirling-villainous picture of antisemitism. Shylock's character is actually a lot deeper than that. One of Shylock's greatest speeches is the "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech (Act 3, Scene 1), which calls the audience and the other characters to a remembrance of their common humanity. At the end of it all, Portia's mercy speech wins out in Antonio's favor, but not in Shylock's. The forcing of Shylock's "conversion" to Christianity, actually ostracizes him from both the Jewish community he belongs to and the Christian community, since he's not a true convert and is from a Jewish background. At the end of it all, Shakespeare has to abandon Shylock in Act 4 to maintain the comedy as a comedy. So, as far as Shylock's characteristics, Shakespeare shows a range of traits from vindictiveness, justice-loving, greed (as evidenced in his usury), all the way to his love for his daughter and need for a community that he is ultimately deprived of. 

If you're interested in an interesting look at Shylock's character, I would suggest the newer movie rendition of Merchant, which came out in 2004. It gives Shylock depth which his counterpart character in The Jew of Malta would never have.