A geostationary satellite is positioned 35,800 km above earths surface. It takes 24 h to complete one orbit. The radius of the earth is approx....

Hello!

We may suppose that the orbit is a circumference, Earth is a ball (sphere) and the speed of a satellite is constant.

The radius `R` of the orbit is the Earth's radius plus the given height, 6400+35800=42200 (km). The length of the orbit is `2 pi R approx265150` km.

The distance travelled in one hour is 1/24 of the entire orbit's length (it is given that it takes 24 h to complete one orbit...

Hello!

We may suppose that the orbit is a circumference, Earth is a ball (sphere) and the speed of a satellite is constant.

The radius `R` of the orbit is the Earth's radius plus the given height, 6400+35800=42200 (km). The length of the orbit is `2 pi R approx265150` km.

The distance travelled in one hour is 1/24 of the entire orbit's length (it is given that it takes 24 h to complete one orbit, "geostationary" also means that). It is

`(2 pi R)/24=(pi R)/12 approx11048` km. This is the answer.

What plan does Romeo share with the Nurse in Scene 4?

In Act II, Scene IV, of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is out joking with his friends when Nurse comes to speak to him. Juliet has sent her with a message, but Nurse is protective of Juliet and wants to make sure that Romeo is true to her. She is relieved when he says that he has no intentions to make a fool of Juliet, and she promises to share this with Juliet. Essentially, Nurse is...

In Act II, Scene IV, of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is out joking with his friends when Nurse comes to speak to him. Juliet has sent her with a message, but Nurse is protective of Juliet and wants to make sure that Romeo is true to her. She is relieved when he says that he has no intentions to make a fool of Juliet, and she promises to share this with Juliet. Essentially, Nurse is giving her blessing to their relationship. Romeo goes on to ask Nurse to send Juliet to confession with Friar Laurence that afternoon, where the two young lovers may be married. He also instructs Nurse to wait nearby so that Romeo's servant may give her a rope-ladder. The rope-ladder is for Juliet to hang out of her window so that, in the dark of night, Romeo can sneak into her room for the consummation of their marriage.

In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, what further details do we learn about the incident in Weed? How do we find out?

The first information about the incident in Weed comes out in Chapter One when George's suppressed anger at Lennie explodes and he tells him--and the reader--everything he feels about their relationship in a page-long tirade:

"Jus' wanted to feel that girl's dress--'jus wanted to pet it like it was a mouse--Well, how the hell did she know you jus' wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country."

Then, in Chapter Three, George tells Slim about the Weed incident, and we readers get a few further details. George was not with Lennie when the incident started. He came running but had to hit Lennie over the head with a fence picket before he could make him let go. George explains that Lennie became confused and "scairt" when the girl started screaming. 

"So he reaches out to feel this red dress an' the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on 'cause that's the only thing he can think to do."

The Weed incident foreshadows what will happen in the barn when Lennie can't or won't let go of Curley's wife's soft hair. Only, this time, George is not present to interfere. What happens to Curley's wife in the barn might have happened to the girl in Weed right on the main street of town if George hadn't been there to force Lennie to let go of her red dress. 

When George sees the dead body of Curley's wife in the barn, he realizes that he can't trust Lennie out of his sight anymore.

"I should of knew," George said hopelessly. "I guess maybe way back in my head I did."

The word "hopelessly" tells how George feels. He is worn out with looking after this giant with a child's brain. We do not understand how he resolves his inner conflict until the last chapter, when it turns out that it was he who took Carlson's Luger, and not Lennie, as everybody else assumes. We realize at this point that George had made a decision to kill his friend rather than let him be tortured and killed by Curley's lynch mob. 

What did the Florida landscape look like to Paul?

Paul’s opinion of Florida’s landscape changes as he and his mom drive closer to Tangerine. At first, Paul passes “miles and miles of green fields overflowing with tomatoes and onions and watermelons.” The landscape is so lush and beautiful that Paul wants to jump out the car and run through the beautiful fields.

As Paul and his mom get closer to Tangerine County, they see perfectly symmetrical tangerine fields that look like “squares in a...

Paul’s opinion of Florida’s landscape changes as he and his mom drive closer to Tangerine. At first, Paul passes “miles and miles of green fields overflowing with tomatoes and onions and watermelons.” The landscape is so lush and beautiful that Paul wants to jump out the car and run through the beautiful fields.

As Paul and his mom get closer to Tangerine County, they see perfectly symmetrical tangerine fields that look like “squares in a million square grid.”

Eventually, once they get extremely close to their new home, the landscape changes to manicured lawns and expensive yet soulless housing developments. The wild beauty of the farmers’ fields yields to perfect but boring suburbs.

This change foreshadows one of the novel’s main themes, the difference between the “old” Florida and the “new” Florida. The old Florida has natural beauty; the new Florida has fancy developments. Paul is part of the new Florida, but desperately wants to connect with the old Florida. He feels more at home in nature than in his brand-new house.

What quotes from Crime and Punishment support the recurring motif of bridges and crossroads?

You've chosen a very interesting motif, and you're right, there are many examples throughout the novel of this motif. In fact, we have a bridge appear in the very first sentence of the novel:

"On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge."

Raskolnikov is thinking about attempting something but with hesitation. So the question is, will he "cross this bridge," will he attempt what he is thinking about? 

Later on, he does indeed cross the bridge, and gets a sense of relief, of freedom, from doing so:

"Crossing the bridge, he gazed quietly and calmly at the Neva, at the glowing red sun setting in the glowing sky...Freedom, freedom! He was free from that spell, that sorcery, that obsession!"

An interesting quote that discusses R.'s relationship with roads describes how he often wanders down roads without knowing where he is going, so the roads in this case could symbolize his general state of confusion and uncertainty. Dostoevsky writes,

"It had happened to him many times going home
not to notice the road by which he was going, and he was accustomed to walk like that."

In another passage, R. is not at a crossroads persay, but is in a doorway/gateway and is hesitating. R. often hesitates at crucial points, and at roads, doors, and bridges:

"He stood hesitating in the gateway. To go into the street, to go a
walk for appearance' sake was revolting; to go back to his room, even more revolting."

At one point, R. has a dream, and in that dream there is a road leading to a graveyard:

"Near the tavern the road became a dusty track, the dust
of which was always black. It was a winding road, and about a hundred paces further on, it turned to the right to the graveyard."

When he awakes from the dream, he asks himself if he is really going to commit the murder, so the road in the dream could represent a pathway to death.

Here are two more quotes discussing a bridge:

"This reminded him of the bridge over the Little Neva and he felt cold again as he had when standing there. 'I never have liked water,' he thought, 'even in a landscape...'"

And then a short while later, R. thinks,

"'In another week, another month I shall be driven in a prison van over this bridge, how shall I look at the canal then?'"

In these quotes, R. contemplates the bridge and the water underneath, and he doesn't have a good feeling about the bridge or where it is leading.

There is a quote mentioning a crossroads in addition to the one you mentioned:

"They had just reached the cross-roads. The man turned to the left without looking behind him. Raskolnikov remained standing, gazing after him."

The man who accuses R. as being the murderer goes one way and R. just stands there, once again stuck at a crossroads.

Later on in the book, R. is trying to convince Sonia to take a certain "road" or "path" with him: "So we must go together on the same road!"

There is yet another mention of crossroads, by Sonia, who says to R.,

"'Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, 'I am a murderer!' Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go?'"

Sonia sees the crossroads as an opportunity for R. to redeem himself and confess.

There are certainly other mentions of bridges and roads in the novel, but hopefully these are enough to get you started on your essay. And of course you can write a much more detailed analysis of how you interpret the quotes.

What are compounds? |

Substances can be classified into three categories: elements, compounds and mixtures. An element is a pure form of matter and is composed of atoms of only one type and cannot be further divided. A compound is made up of two or more elements in a specific ratio and can be further divided. A mixture is a combination of different elements and/or compounds. 

A compound can be divided into elements by using chemical means. The properties...

Substances can be classified into three categories: elements, compounds and mixtures. An element is a pure form of matter and is composed of atoms of only one type and cannot be further divided. A compound is made up of two or more elements in a specific ratio and can be further divided. A mixture is a combination of different elements and/or compounds. 

A compound can be divided into elements by using chemical means. The properties of a compound are different from those of its individual constituent elements. An example of a compound is water (`H_2O` ), in which two elements, hydrogen and oxygen are mixed in a 2:1 ratio. Irrespective of the amount of water, all its molecules will always have this fixed ratio. Also, hydrogen is combustible, whereas oxygen is necessary for combustion. In comparison, water is used for extinguishing fires (and hence has different properties than hydrogen or water).

Hope this helps. 

What do readers learn about the Ewells from Atticus?

In Chapter 3, Scout says that "Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work in his recollection." Atticus had also told her that the Ewell children could miss school if they wanted to and that Bob Ewell could hunt out of season. The reason is that since Bob has no income and since he spends his relief checks on whiskey, the only hope of his children getting fed is if the town allows him to hunt at any time. The people of Maycomb reluctantly tolerate the Ewells' way of life and they have a sympathy for the children. 

In Chapter 17, when Atticus is questioning Bob Ewell, he reveals that Bob is left-handed and is therefore more likely to have beaten Mayella. This is one of many instances where Atticus demonstrates what a corrupt man Bob Ewell is. He drinks, abuses his children, and is a useless member of society. From Atticus's questioning of Bob, Mayella, and Tom Robinson, we learn that Mayella is quite lonely and basically has to run the Ewell household and raise the children. It is clear that she had been reaching out to Tom as a friend or companion. Scout adds: 

As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her. (Chapter 19) 

In Chapter 23, Atticus explains to Jem why he did not retaliate when Bob Ewell spat in his face. Atticus notes that he was thinking of Mayella. Even though Atticus and most of Maycomb's citizens think the Ewells are "trash," there is sympathy for the children for being born into the Ewell family through no fault of their own. That is why Bob is allowed to hunt in the off season. That is also why Atticus takes Bob's abuse. In discussing it with Jem, he says: 

So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. 

How can we apply figures of speech in our life?

A figure of speech is a way of expressing yourself so that what you are saying is not literal, meaning not using words that reflect reality. Metaphors and similes are figures of speech, and I will give you some examples of each. Then we can look at ways to use them in your life.

A metaphor is saying something is something else, in a way that makes the reader or listener understand that the quality of the something else reflects some "truth."  For example, if I say, "He is a rock," I am not saying that the person is literally a rock. I might be saying that this is a strong person I can count on.  Or I might be saying this is someone who just stands there saying nothing, like a rock.  I might say, "Her smile is sunshine."  We know that a smile cannot be sunshine. But what we take from that is that the person has a warm and glowing smile, just like the sun.  If we say "It's raining cats and dogs," we know that there are no cats and dogs dropping from the skies, but that it is raining really hard. These are all metaphors.

A simile is an expression in which you say something is like something else, usually using the word "like" or "as," a comparison.  So I might say "Her smile is like sunshine."  Or I could say, "He is like a rock."  The reader or listener will get the impression of sunshine or the quality of a rock from my simile.  I could say,"I am as happy as a lark."  That tells the reader that I am so happy I could be singing like a lark. 

You can see now that our language is filled with figures of speech, and you have probably been using many, using them frequently, without even realizing it.  When you explain something in terms of something else, whether in a metaphor or a simile, you are using figures of speech.  You might want to describe a friend or a classmate in terms of something else, for example, as a flower or an animal like a fox. These might convey an image of colorful beauty or slyness. You might describe your feelings this way, perhaps saying, "I am as hungry as a wolf."  When you are writing, you can use figures of speech in a way that gives your readers a wonderful picture of some kind. When I read or hear these figures of speech, they always give me an image in my mind. We want our readers and listeners to have images in their minds that make our meaning clearer, and that also makes for a more enjoyable experience. 

Does bond length affect bond angle?

Yes, for fundamental geometric reasons. If you have three atoms bonded in a triangle, and you make one of those bonds longer, you will make the corresponding bond angle larger.That said, it doesn't always matter. If you have two atoms bonded to a third but not bonded to each other (e.g. H2O), changing the bond length wouldn't have much effect on the bond angle, because the geometry has no need to change.In general,...

Yes, for fundamental geometric reasons. If you have three atoms bonded in a triangle, and you make one of those bonds longer, you will make the corresponding bond angle larger.

That said, it doesn't always matter. If you have two atoms bonded to a third but not bonded to each other (e.g. H2O), changing the bond length wouldn't have much effect on the bond angle, because the geometry has no need to change.

In general, bond length is a more stable property than bond angle.

Bond length depends primarily on the two atoms being bonded (and whether it is a single, double, or triple bond), rather than on the structure of the molecule as a whole. This is why bond length is considered a transferable property; you can in effect "transfer" the bond length of say a C-H bond to other molecules with C-H bonds (a C-H bond is typically about 110 picometers, if you're curious). In practice, the transfer is not exact; there are still ways that the bond length can change as a result of the structure of the overall molecule, but as a general rule bond lengths are fairly consistent.

Bond angles, on the other hand, can vary tremendously, and are much more dependent on the structure of the molecule as a whole. There is no such thing as a "typical angle for a C-H bond"; it depends on what molecule that C-H bond is in.

We can often estimate the bond angle based on valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR), which is based on the assumption that valence electrons will repel each other by electrostatic force, and seek an equilibrium that minimizes the repulsion. Of course, the real world is always more complicated, and the true structure of molecules deviates from VSEPR due to the wild world of quantum mechanics.

How does Miss Adela Strangeworth betray herself in "The Possibility of Evil?"

Miss Adela Strangeworth writes her anonymous letters on various-colored papers and puts them in matching-colored envelopes. In the scene in the story in which she is writing three new letters, 

...she wrote on a pink sheet: Didn’t you every see an idiot child before? Some people just shouldn’t have children, should they?

Then on a green sheet she writes a note intended for Mrs. Harper.

Have you found out yet what they were all laughing about after you left the bridge club on Thursday? Or is the wife really the last one to know?

It is important for the reader to remember the colors of these letters in order to understand what happens at the post office.

She addressed an envelope to Don Crane after a moment’s thought,… using a pink envelope to match the pink paper. Then she addressed a second envelope, green, to Mrs. Harper. Then an idea came to her and she selected a blue sheet and wrote: You never know about doctors. Remember they’re only human and need money like the rest of us. Suppose the knife slipped accidentally. Would Doctor Burns get his fee and a little extra from that nephew of yours? She addressed the blue envelope to old Mrs. Foster, who was having an operation next month.

After finishing her three letters she eats lunch and then takes a nap. When she wakes up she sets off on her regular evening walk with the letters in her purse. She never mails her poison-pen letters at any place but the post office. The outside of this building happens to be a hangout for children and teenagers. Miss Strangeworth overhears two of her victims talking and stops to eavesdrop on the conversation. She has made both of them unhappy by writing to Linda Stewart's parents suggesting that Dave Harris is carrying the romance with their daughter beyond the usual teenage hugging and kissing. 

“I can’t tell you, Dave,” Linda was saying – so she was talking to the Harris boy, as Miss Strangeworth had supposed – “I just can’t. It’s just nasty.”

The mail slot for depositing letters after hours is in the front door of the post office. Miss Strangeworth opens her purse and slips two of her letters inside. But she doesn't notice that the third letter doesn't go all the way through the slot. It falls to the ground. Ironically, Dave Harris whom she has caused so much unhappiness, picks it up and decides to hand-carry it to the addressee, Don Crane. The reader may not realize immediately that Don Crane is the husband of Helen Crane, the young mother who told Miss Strangeworth earlier that she and her husband were worried about their six-month-old daughter's apparent slow development. But the color of the envelope will reveal everything.

Sadly, holding hands, they wandered off down the dark street, the Harris boy carrying Miss Strangeworth’s pink envelope in his hand.

The reader knows that Dave will tell Don Crane that Miss Strangeworth accidentally dropped the letter at the post office. And Dave's girlfriend will be with him to confirm it. Miss Strangeworth will never know who it was that chopped all her precious rose bushes to pieces and sent her the anonymous letter reading:

Look out at what used to be your roses.

How do the boys start the fire in Lord of the Flies?

As the boys' first day on the island draws to a close, Ralph holds a second meeting to report on the findings of the boys who went exploring. He then suggests that they can help themselves get rescued by making a signal fire. The boys go wild, and everyone works together to make a huge mound of sticks and branches for the fire. However, when it comes time to light it, Ralph sheepishly realizes he...

As the boys' first day on the island draws to a close, Ralph holds a second meeting to report on the findings of the boys who went exploring. He then suggests that they can help themselves get rescued by making a signal fire. The boys go wild, and everyone works together to make a huge mound of sticks and branches for the fire. However, when it comes time to light it, Ralph sheepishly realizes he has no way to do so. He asks if anyone has a match, and some boys discuss the process of rubbing two sticks together to make sparks, but no one is quite sure how to do that.

Piggy has been the only boy not involved in the boisterous wood gathering. As he comes huffing up to the place where the other boys are, Ralph asks him if he has matches. Jack suddenly points at him, saying, "His specs--use them as burning glasses!" The boys surround Piggy, and Jack snatches the glasses off his face. Ralph uses the lenses to focus light on a rotten piece of wood. It begins to smoke, and a flame appears. The dry fuel burns quickly, and soon the flame reaches 20 feet into the air. 

When was the very first video game console invented?

In 1966, Ralph Baer, a television engineer by profession, sketched the design for the first video game console. It was to be used interactively with a television set; it was then called the "brown box." In other words, Baer's Brown Box (later renamed Odyssey) is credited with being the first video game console, and it operated a console-box-controlled, television implemented video game.

Baer and Sanders Associates (his employer and research sponsor) commercialized the Brown Box console--meaning manufactured and marketed--and successfully recruited Magnavox as their first licensee to further develop the commercialization of the Brown Box as the Magnavox Odyssey. Later Atari, the inventor of the highly popular Pong console-controlled video game, became Sanders Associates' second licensee after losing a Magnavox patent infringement law suit.

So, the very first video console was designed in 1966, with the prototype Brown Box built in 1967-68, by television engineer and German immigrant Ralph Baer. The first Brown Box patent application was submitted in 1971 and granted in 1973. Sanders Associates, with Baer and his colleagues, William Harrison and William Rusch, inaugurated a license agreement with Magnavox in 1971, and Magnavox first re-released the Brown Box as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 (a year before the 1973 patent was granted).

Earlier, William Higinbotham, working at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, invented Tennis for Two, the first interactive computer game (as opposed to Baer's later television-interactive console-controlled video game). Had Tennis for Two been commercialized as successfully as Baer's Brown Box had been through Magnavox, the unfolding of the interactive electronic game market may have taken a different turn.

In 1966, Ralph Baer, a television engineer by profession, sketched the design for the first video game console. It was to be used interactively with a television set; it was then called the "brown box." In other words, Baer's Brown Box is credited with being the first video game console, and it operated an interactive console-box-controlled, television implemented video game. Baer and Sanders Associates (his employer and research sponsor) commercialized the Brown Box console--meaning manufactured and marketed--and successfully recruited Magnavox as their first licensee to further develop the commercialization of the Brown Box as the Magnavox Odyssey. Later Atari, the inventor of the highly popular "Pong" console-controlled video game, became Sanders Associates' second licensee after losing a Magnavox patent infringement law suit.

So, the very first video console was designed in 1966, with the prototype Brown Box built in 1967-68, by television engineer and German immigrant Ralph Baer. The first Brown Box patent application was submitted in 1971 and granted in 1973. Sanders Associates, with Baer and his colleagues, William Harrison and William Rusch, inaugurated a license agreement with Magnavox in 1971, and Magnavox first re-released the Brown Box as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 (a year before the 1973 patent was granted). Earlier, William Higinbotham, working at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, invented "Tennis for Two," the first interactive computer game (as opposed to Baer's later television-interactive console-controlled video game). Had "Tennis for Two" been commercialized as successfully as Baer's Brown Box had later been through Magnavox, the unfolding of the interactive electronic game market may have taken a different turn.

What are the expressions that reflect the poet's sense of futility in the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

"Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by poet D.H. Lawrence quite holistically reflects the poet's sense of futility in that it showcases the complaints of a teacher who feels that his work is no longer productive or significant to his poorly behaved and disinterested students. 

We can see this futility specifically in the language chosen in this poem. For example, Lawrence uses the metaphor of a "pack of unruly hounds" to represent the students who "hate...

"Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by poet D.H. Lawrence quite holistically reflects the poet's sense of futility in that it showcases the complaints of a teacher who feels that his work is no longer productive or significant to his poorly behaved and disinterested students. 

We can see this futility specifically in the language chosen in this poem. For example, Lawrence uses the metaphor of a "pack of unruly hounds" to represent the students who "hate to hunt" (in other words, who have no desire to learn the lessons the teacher is offering up to them), which seems to exaggerate the students' behaviors to the reader. These students are not just children, but beasts--and uncontrollable ones at that! This same hyperbolic language can be detected in the second stanza when Lawrence refers to the written work of the teacher's pupils as the "insults of blotted pages." The teacher is not only recognizing that his students are failing in their coursework, but taking this fact as a personal blow and characterizing it as something done intentionally to cause him harm. 

Throughout the poem, Lawrence also uses a series of rhetorical questions to indicate the futility of the teacher's work. The teacher asks, "What is the point of this teaching of mine, and of this / Learning of theirs?" and "Why should we beat our heads against the wall / Of each other?" It is clear that the teacher already knows the answers to these questions; in his opinion at least, there is no point in any of it! 

Why does Maxwell love his grandparents?

Maxwell loves his grandparents because they are loving and supportive. There's no language to suggest that he hates his grandparents in the story. In fact, on the very first page Max says, "bless their pointed little heads." He's very happy that they gave him his own space down in the basement, too. When Killer Kane comes to kidnap Max on Christmas Eve, he makes a fuss that the old geezers put his son in a...

Maxwell loves his grandparents because they are loving and supportive. There's no language to suggest that he hates his grandparents in the story. In fact, on the very first page Max says, "bless their pointed little heads." He's very happy that they gave him his own space down in the basement, too. When Killer Kane comes to kidnap Max on Christmas Eve, he makes a fuss that the old geezers put his son in a basement like a second-class citizen; but Max likes it.

"I'm still living in the basement, my own private down under, in the little room Grim built for me there. Glued up this cheap paneling, right? It sort of buckles away from the concrete cellar walls. . . but do I complain about the crummy paneling, or the rug that smells like low tide? I do not. Because I like it in the down under, got the place all to myself and no fear of Gram sticking her head in the door. . ." (5).

Even though his killer father doesn't like his room when he sees it, Max loves it! He has a room to call his own and his privacy is respected. This shows that Max isn't greedy or high-maintenance--he's a good kid who appreciates what he has.

Another reason Max loves his grandparents is because they support and believe in him. When he and Freak get caught in mud during the Fourth of July festivities, the police paint him to be a real hero and his grandparents don't mock or doubt him for it. Instead, they give him ice-cream and real coffee. They do their best to treat him like a hero which can do wonders for a teenage boy's ego. His grandmother also treats him like a mother by toweling him off and making a fuss over his well-being. Some guardians ignore or downplay what children do--they could have been angry at him, too, like some other adults might have been-- but they treat him with love and respect all of the time. This makes it a lot easier for Max to love his grandparents.

Finally, Grim and Gram do everything they can to protect Max from his father, Killer Kane. When they hear that Kane is to be released from prison, they slap a restraining order on him so he can't come to the house without legal consequences. Grim even considers getting a gun to defend Gram and Max from Kane breaking into the house. There's nothing Max's grandparents wouldn't do for him, so there's no reason for him not to love them.  

Why did they want to sell the Louisiana Territory?

France decided to the sell the Louisiana Territory to us in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of country extending the land we controlled from the Atlantic Ocean, west to the Rocky Mountains, North to Canada, and South to the New Orleans and the border with Spanish Florida.

Napoleon was gearing up for a major war in Europe. While at one time Napoleon hoped to extend his control in North America, that was no...

France decided to the sell the Louisiana Territory to us in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of country extending the land we controlled from the Atlantic Ocean, west to the Rocky Mountains, North to Canada, and South to the New Orleans and the border with Spanish Florida.

Napoleon was gearing up for a major war in Europe. While at one time Napoleon hoped to extend his control in North America, that was no longer an option by 1803. Napoleon really had no use for the land he controlled in North America. He also needed money to finance the war he would be fighting in Europe.

When the Americans approached with an offer to buy New Orleans and West Florida for $10 million, he decided to counter the offer with one of his own. He offered the entire Louisiana Territory to us for $15 million. While there was some hesitancy by President Jefferson to make the purchase because of constitutional concerns since President Jefferson didn’t believe the Constitution gave him the authority to buy land, President Jefferson was persuaded to agree to make the Louisiana Purchase and all of this land became American territory in 1803.

What is the evidence of Bud never giving up in Bud, Not Buddy?

One theme running through the novel is that of never giving up. This theme became Bud's mantra partly because of a saying his mother told him. The author writes that Bud's mother always said that when one door closes, another door opens. This saying reflects the attitude of his mother and it was instilled in Bud.

Throughout the story, Bud never gives up the quest to locate the man he believes is his father. With...

One theme running through the novel is that of never giving up. This theme became Bud's mantra partly because of a saying his mother told him. The author writes that Bud's mother always said that when one door closes, another door opens. This saying reflects the attitude of his mother and it was instilled in Bud.

Throughout the story, Bud never gives up the quest to locate the man he believes is his father. With each obstacle placed in his way, Bud lives the quote he heard repeated by his mother, and moved on looking for the next open door.

When Bud was placed in a new foster home where he was mistreated, he managed to get away and find a familiar resource, the library. Once he realized the librarian had moved, he followed a friend to a new location, a shanty town where he attempted to get on a train out of town to find his father. This did not work out, so Bud set out walking. However, a man picked him up, fed him and eventually got Bud to the place where the man he believed was his father, Calloway, was playing with his band. Bud never gave up believing that Calloway would accept him as his own. Through Bud's persistence in getting to know Calloway, he finds that he is his grandson, not his son. Bud finds a new home with his grandfather.

What is the theme of the short story "The Lottery Ticket"?

The theme of "The Lottery Ticket" by Anton Chekhov is the insidiously exciting but destructive nature of envy and desire for material possessions. 

In the exposition of Chekhov's story, Ivan Dmitritch and his wife Masha are quite content with the existing economic state in which they reside. But, when his wife mentions that she is in possession of a lottery ticket and her number may be in the newspaper this day, things begin to change. Ivan Dmitritch looks in the paper and discovers that his wife's series number matches the series number posted in the paper. "'Masha, 9,499 is there!' he said in a hollow voice." She, too, becomes excited just to know that part of their number matches the winning one for 75,000:

[T]o torment and tantalize oneself with hopes of possible fortune is so sweet, so thrilling!

Ivan Dmitritch tells his wife how he would like to purchase property and pay the immediate expenses, purchase new furnishings, engage in some travel, and make payment of all debts. He would save perhaps 40,000 in the bank and draw interest on it. Further, he engages in a more detailed reverie of how he would spend his days while his wife merely repeats absently "Yes, it would be nice to buy an estate," but seems to have her own thoughts as he develops his. In addition, he decides that he would like to travel abroad and visit various interesting places in Europe and enjoy the company of cosmopolitan people.

Suddenly, it occurs to him that his wife would not be interested in such travel, perhaps complaining that the train's rumblings make her head ache as she clutches her many parcels as they make their journeys. He reflects,

"She would only be in my way. I should be dependent upon her. I can fancy how, like a regular woman, she will lock the money up as soon as she gets it.... She will look after her relations and grudge me every farthing."

As he engages in these thoughts about her relatives, those "wretched detestable people," Masha's thoughts move in another direction as she considers that her husband will desire to grab all her winnings.

Now they look at each other with hatred and anger. As though out of spite, Ivan Dmitritch grabs the newspaper and turns to the page that has the other number. It is not hers. Suddenly, both their hopes and their sprouting hatred for each other disappear. But their home seems to appear differently to the husband and wife as a certain discontent settles upon them now because

...their rooms were dark and small and low-pitched, ...the supper they had been eating was not doing them good, but lying heavy on their stomachs, ...the evenings were long and wearisome.

In an ill-humor, Ivan Dmitritch looks around in discontent and complains of the condition of their rooms. He shouts that he is forced to go out. Rising, he curses and threatens to hang himself on the aspen tree.

His desire for more has changed the appearance of his life, his home.  His prospects pale in comparison to the greedy imaginings of just a short while ago as the seeds of envy for wealth and material possessions have consumed him.

Many scholars argue that Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his tendency toward inaction—his inability to act. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Yes, indeed. If Hamlet had acted immediately and decisively as he had promised the ghost to do, none of the tragic outcomes later would have occurred. His procrastination is what led to the deaths of so many innocents, including his own tragic demise.

When Hamlet is confronted by his father's ghost and learns about its untimely and horrific death, he is truly distraught and passionately promises:

Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge. 

When he is informed of the heinous nature of his father's death he once again asserts:

O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart;
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up.

The words imply that Hamlet is ready to act and that his heart should not give in but give him the strength to perform his revenge. Truly the words of one who wants to take charge. This, however, is not so. Even though he is all fire and brimstone in the moment, it becomes clear later that Hamlet is not a man of action. He informs Horatio that he will adopt an 'antic disposition' which suggests that he will assume some form of odd behaviour to mislead and trick those whom he wishes to punish. Some commentators call it feigned madness. This is an obvious indication that he wishes to have time to plot his revenge.

It is also evident that Hamlet resents the duty that has now been imposed upon him:

The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!

He states here that he was born at the wrong time and curses the malevolent forces which have now made this atrocious task his destiny. Hamlet is obviously not a ruthless killer, but one who holds high moral values. He prefers to think things through and plan his actions and would therefore not be able to act impulsively.

This incapacity to act troubles Hamlet deeply and he is quite critical of himself, and at one point he even considers suicide, but even that is not an option, for just as murder is a crime, so is the act of taking ones own life. He however, still delays. He is faced with a dilemma and he struggles to deal with the duty imposed upon him. He really does not know how to proceed. In the process, his procrastination worsens the situation until he finally decides to act by staging a play to entrap the wily Claudius.

Hamlet had an opportunity to kill Claudius when he was vulnerable, but he couldn't, using the fact that Claudius was at prayer as an excuse not to commit the deed.

Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven...

He believed that it would be inappropriate to send Claudius to heaven when his father had not been given an opportunity to redeem his soul, since he was asleep when he was murdered. He later in this soliloquy promised that if he should find Claudius in a situation where he is committing some kind of sin, he would then kill him so that he (Claudius) may burn in the fires of hell.

If he had avenged his father's assassination at that point, none of the other tragedies would have unfolded. 

 

Chapter 4 - pp. 45-62 of Night 1. What were the objectives of the medical examinations?2. Why were the Jewish musicians not allowed to play...

The objectives of the medical examinations were to determine if the inmates were in good health capable of discharging their duties as required by the Germans. The dental examination, on the other hand, was for the sole purpose of looking for inmates with gold crowns so they can be removed.

The Jewish musicians were not allowed to play Beethoven because the Jews were prohibited from playing German music.

One of Idek’s bout of madness occurred...

The objectives of the medical examinations were to determine if the inmates were in good health capable of discharging their duties as required by the Germans. The dental examination, on the other hand, was for the sole purpose of looking for inmates with gold crowns so they can be removed.

The Jewish musicians were not allowed to play Beethoven because the Jews were prohibited from playing German music.

One of Idek’s bout of madness occurred when he physically assaulted Elie. He later calmed down and asked Elie to resume his duties like nothing had happened.

Elie feigned sickness to avoid losing his gold crown. He informed the dentist that he had a fever, and so the dentist postponed the procedure. He did this until the dentist’s office was shut down.

Years later, on the Paris Metro, Elie met the French lady who worked at the electrical warehouse as a forced laborer. The lady comforted Elie after his first encounter with Idek.

After Elie refused to give Franek his gold crown, Franek took to harassing Elie’s father because he could not march in step as required in the camps. He physically assaulted Elie’s father until Elie decided to teach his father how to march correctly. Eventually, Elie was forced to give away his gold crown because the assault persisted.

During an alert, all inmates and officers took cover in the buildings leaving behind two cauldrons of soup unattended. The inmates saw this, but they also understood that they risked their lives if they dared venture outside during an alert. However, one of the inmates made his way to the cauldrons of soup by crawling on his belly. He made it to the cauldrons, but he was shot dead before having its contents.

Juliek whispered that “They’re expecting trouble” because the inmates were surrounded by the SS. They were just about to witness the hanging of one of their fellow inmates.

Elie and other inmates cried during the hanging of the pipel belonging to the Dutch Oberkapo. They cried because the pipel was just a child.

Why did the townspeople remain complacent with the German army in Night by Elie Wiesel?

The townspeople in Night by Elie Wiesel remained complacent when the German army first came into town because they really did not know what was happening. Sure Moshe the Beadle had warned them, but nobody believed him. How could anything so terrible really happen in that day and age?  Furthermore, when the Germans arrived in Sighet, they initially treated the townspeople well, and they were respectful to everyone. The officers were housed with families--some of...

The townspeople in Night by Elie Wiesel remained complacent when the German army first came into town because they really did not know what was happening. Sure Moshe the Beadle had warned them, but nobody believed him. How could anything so terrible really happen in that day and age?  Furthermore, when the Germans arrived in Sighet, they initially treated the townspeople well, and they were respectful to everyone. The officers were housed with families--some of them even in Jewish households. Wiesel wrote about an officer who stayed with neighbors of theirs. The officer was kind to them. He even bought the lady of the house a box of chocolates. Those who believed things were not going to get worse were pleased.

"Well, there you are, you see! What did we tell you? You wouldn't believe us. There they are your Germans! What do you think of them? Where is their famous cruelty" (Wiesel 7)?

When one hasn't been subject to terrible cruelty, it is hard to imagine it might happen to you, and the Jews of Sighet felt this way. It didn't take long for the Germans to show their real faces. On the last day of Passover, several leaders in the Jewish community were arrested, and as Wiesel wrote, "The race toward death had begun" (Wiesel 8).

Explain Odysseus' success in taking the suitors by surprise. What is the purpose of Odysseus' speech in line 34-40? Explain why Eurymachus responds...

With Athena's help, Odysseus is able to return to his palace unrecognized and gauge the loyalty of his suitors. While mingling among them as a beggar, he becomes aware of the fact that the "leaders" of the suitors are the least loyal and this makes him angry; he wants to slay them on the spot. However, this tactic would not prove successful. Through constant encouragement from Athena and support from the loyal swineherd, goatherd, and his son, Odysseus is able to hold his tongue until the time to speak is appropriate.

This occurs in Book XXII: "The Battle in the Hall." After the suitors decide to put the bow away for the day and try to bend it again tomorrow, Odysseus reveals his true identity:"Now Odysseus stript off his rags, and leapt upon the great doorstone, holding the bow and the quiver full of arrows," (lines 1-2).

His success in taking the suitors by surprise is immense, especially in their realization that he meant to kill Antinous and didn't do so accidentally. "Poor fools, they did not realize that the cords of death were made fast about them all." (Book XXII, lines 31-33).

The speech he delivers (lines 34-40) is meant to inform the suitors exactly of his motives and to warn them of their impending doom:

"Dogs! you thought I would never come back from Troy, so you have been carving up my substance, forcing the women to lie with you, courting my wife before I was dead, not fearing the gods who rule the broad heavens, nor the execration of man which follows you for ever. And now the cords of death are made fast about you all!"

Since Antinous (leader of the suitors) is already dead, Eurymachus speaks up in an effort to pacify Odysseus and save his own life by blaming the dead man. He agrees with Odysseus that was he's said is "just and right," but insists the man to blame for these misdeeds is already dead, "But there lies the guilty man, Antinous, who is answerable for everything. He was the ringleader..." (lines 45-47). However, in doing so, he only succeeds in speeding the progression of Odysseus's revenge. "Now the choice lies before you, fight or flight, if you wish to save your lives; but I do not think any one of you will escape sudden death," (lines 62-63).

Odysseus's words are prolific, as he succeeds in avenging their misdeeds and securing ownership of his palace once again.

Why did the Americans buy the Philippines?

As we approached the end of the 1800s, the United States was looking to expand the concept of Manifest Destiny worldwide. We also wanted to become a world power. Since other countries already controlled most of the lands suitable for colonization, we most likely were going to gain this land by going to war.

When the Spanish were mistreating the Cubans, American newspapers over-exaggerated this event. Newspapers used a practice called yellow journalism to whip...

As we approached the end of the 1800s, the United States was looking to expand the concept of Manifest Destiny worldwide. We also wanted to become a world power. Since other countries already controlled most of the lands suitable for colonization, we most likely were going to gain this land by going to war.

When the Spanish were mistreating the Cubans, American newspapers over-exaggerated this event. Newspapers used a practice called yellow journalism to whip up anti-Spanish sentiment in our country. When the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana harbor, people blamed Spain. The pressure to declare war against Spain was very high. Eventually, we did go to war against Spain in what is known as the Spanish-American War.

The United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. As a result of the peace treaty ending this war, the United States got control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. We paid Spain $20 million specifically for the Philippines. Thus, the United States got control of the Philippines as a result of the treaty ending the ending the Spanish-American War.

Why is it possible for an oxygen atom to form a double covalent bond, but it is not possible for a chlorine atom to form a double covalent bond?

An oxygen atom has six valence electrons, like all elements in group 6A of the periodic table. A chlorine atom has seven valence electrons, like all elements in group 7A. The octet rule states that atoms will gain, lose or share enough electrons to have eight valence electrons. This results in the stable electron configuration of a noble gas.

Oxygen therefore needs to gain two electrons to be stable. When two oxygen atoms come together...

An oxygen atom has six valence electrons, like all elements in group 6A of the periodic table. A chlorine atom has seven valence electrons, like all elements in group 7A. The octet rule states that atoms will gain, lose or share enough electrons to have eight valence electrons. This results in the stable electron configuration of a noble gas.

Oxygen therefore needs to gain two electrons to be stable. When two oxygen atoms come together they share two pairs of electrons between them, resulting in a double bond and a complete octet for each atom. The shared or bonding pairs of electrons complete the octet for both atoms. Oxygen can form a double covalent bond with any atom that tends to share two valance electrons. In carbon dioxde, for examaple, there's a double covalent bond between the central carbon and each oxgen. 

Each chlorine atom needs to gain just one electron to achieve a noble gas electron configuration. When two chlorine atoms come together they share one pair of electrons between them, resulting in a single bond. Since the single bond completes the octet for both chlorine atoms they don't have any other valence electrons available to share in additional bonds.  This is also true of bonds between chorine and other atoms that need an additional valence electron. For example, carbon tetrachloride has a central carbon atom that's single bonded to each of four different chlorine atoms.

How does demand change?

To answer this, we first have to understand what demand is.  Demand is defined as the amount of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at each potential price.  In other words, demand is represented by a line or a curve, not by a single point on a graph.  In order for demand to change, consumers have to come to be willing and able to buy more or less of...

To answer this, we first have to understand what demand is.  Demand is defined as the amount of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at each potential price.  In other words, demand is represented by a line or a curve, not by a single point on a graph.  In order for demand to change, consumers have to come to be willing and able to buy more or less of a product at a given price. 

So, what could cause consumers to want a product more or less if the product’s price does not change?  There are a number of factors that can do this.  I will list them and discuss them briefly.

1. Consumer incomes.  This affects how much people are able to buy (as opposed to how much they are willing to buy).  For example, as the income of consumers in a country rises, they will tend to demand more cars, more meat, and more luxury goods.  These are things that they might always have wanted, but have been unable to afford.  When their income rises, they are able to afford more of these goods.


2. Number of consumers.  If there are more people in a given market, there will be more demand for any particular good.


3. Price of competing goods.  Let us say that a person likes Pepsi a little better than they like Coke.  Now let us imagine that the price of Pepsi goes up while the price of Coke does not.  The person might be more likely to buy Coke more often because it has become less expensive relative to its competitor, Pepsi.  So, the demand for a good can rise when the price of a competing good rises.


4. Price of complementary goods.  Some goods are often used together.  Tennis rackets and tennis balls, for example, must generally be used together.  A change in the price of one can affect demand for the other.  Imagine that tennis rackets become much more expensive.  Fewer people purchase rackets and play tennis.  This leads to a decrease in the demand for tennis balls.


5. Consumer expectations. This affects exactly when buyers are likely to buy a product.  Therefore, it tends to cause short term changes in demand.  For example, if you think that the price of houses is going to go down next year, you will be less likely to buy a house today and demand for houses will go down.  Conversely, if a company that uses iron ore thinks the price of ore will soon increase, they will buy more of it now while the price is low.


6. Consumer tastes.  In short, this one says that demand will change based on what people like.  If people decide that meat is healthier than grains, demand for grains will drop and demand for meat will rise. If people decide that Manchester United is a cooler team than Barcelona, demand for Barcelona shirts will decline and demand for United shirts will increase.

These are the factors that can cause demand to change.

What characteristics does Harrison Bergeron possess?

Harrison Bergeron is almost super-human: He is a genius, extremely good-looking, seven feet tall, able to see and hear exceptionally well, strong and athletic, but overbearing.

Because Harrison's attributes are so exceptional he is severely handicapped in order to make him "equal" to all others in his society; for instance, he is forced to wear "a tremendous pair of earphones" and glasses to distort his keen vision and give him "whanging headaches besides."

Having rebelled...

Harrison Bergeron is almost super-human: He is a genius, extremely good-looking, seven feet tall, able to see and hear exceptionally well, strong and athletic, but overbearing.

Because Harrison's attributes are so exceptional he is severely handicapped in order to make him "equal" to all others in his society; for instance, he is forced to wear "a tremendous pair of earphones" and glasses to distort his keen vision and give him "whanging headaches besides."

Having rebelled against the severe handicaps weighing three hundred pounds that he is forced to wear and the painful shocks to his head to arrest his intelligent thoughts and mar his superior vision, Harrison has been put into prison. But, he escapes, frees himself from his handicaps, and attempts a coup d'état by invading the television station and taking off the handicaps of others.

"I am the Emperor!" cried Harrison. "Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once!"

Harrison continues his boasting; then, he declares that he will select his Empress, and he calls for the woman who dares to rise and claim her mate. A ballerina comes forward, and when her handicaps are removed, her beauty is dazzling. But, as they dance, the Handicapper General, Diana Moon, who bears a resemblance to Hazel and needs no handicaps, fires twice a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun at the couple, killing the Emperor and Empress.

With reference to Mike Royko's Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago, how did Mayor Richard Daley maintain his tight control over the city of Chicago...

The late Chicago reporter and columnist Mike Royko was what one could consider “old school.” He covered Chicago politics, a notoriously corrupt and vicious form of politics, for many years. His 1971 biography of the quintessential Chicago politician, the long-serving and enormously powerful mayor of that city, Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago, is, as it could only be, a pointed description of what it took for one person, Richard J. Daley, to serve...

The late Chicago reporter and columnist Mike Royko was what one could consider “old school.” He covered Chicago politics, a notoriously corrupt and vicious form of politics, for many years. His 1971 biography of the quintessential Chicago politician, the long-serving and enormously powerful mayor of that city, Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago, is, as it could only be, a pointed description of what it took for one person, Richard J. Daley, to serve at the pinnacle of Cook County politics for 20 years, and what it took was a combination of patronage and payback, the former to help allies and friends while adding to both categories, the latter to exact a measure of vengeance against anybody who sought to oppose him. In other words, it was a bit of a ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach to politics and governing that was hardly unique to Chicago and Cook County but which was most vibrantly manifested in those particular locales, and Richard Daley was the master. Royko’s biography is replete with discussions of the role of patronage in maintaining control of Chicago, and the late reporter’s discussion of Daley’s predecessor in office, Martin Kennelly, served to illuminate the manner in which Daley would come to control Chicago politics for so many years. Kennelly, who served as mayor from 1947 to 1955, was popular, but not known for being particularly effective. He was neither the reformer his supporters had envisioned, but neither did he make matters worse with respect to corruption and incompetence in city government. At one point, Royko quotes a Chicago Police Department captain as stating about the then-incumbent mayor who had earned his fortune in the furniture moving business before the city council, “[t]he trouble with Mayor Kennelly is that the only thing he ever learned in the moving business is never to lift the heavy end.” Kennelly, Royko notes, made insufficient use of the patronage system that was key to controlling the city and to advancing one’s agenda. As Royko wrote, this was “deadly for a political machine that lives through patronage.”

The flip side to patronage, and the “stick” wielded by Daley, was the threat: The threat to withhold lucrative contracts for city projects and the threat to ignore pressing needs in communities that failed to support him politically. Royko’s biography makes clear that threats were a part of the natural order of business, and that Daley was adroit at issuing ultimatums that helped preserve his and his allies’ positions.

Royko’s biography is, as any good biography should be, a study of context as well as a depiction of the life of its subject. The context in which Richard Daley served as mayor was one of endemic corruption in city government, including in the police department, a major problem about which the mayor did nothing. The police under such a regime serve almost as a praetorian guard for the master that enriches it, and Daley’s control over the city owned more than a little to his willingness to countenance police corruption.

In conclusion, Mayor Daley survived for so many years at the pinnacle of Chicago and Cook County politics because he played the game as much of that city expected of a strong leader. Chicago is series of political fiefdoms, with aldermen and councilors wielding power within their respective fiefdoms. To succeed as king of Cook County for so many years, Daley had to prove adept at manipulating these officials through the system of patronage and threats that he mastered.

In "Self-Reliance," Emerson lists several men who defied unjust laws and suffered the consequences. Who were they?

In the fourteenth paragraph of his essay “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes:

Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

Pythagoras (570-495 B.C.) was an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician. Socrates (470?-399 B.C.) was a Greek philosopher and teacher. Jesus (8-4 B.C.-29? A.D.)...

In the fourteenth paragraph of his essay “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes:

Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

Pythagoras (570-495 B.C.) was an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician. Socrates (470?-399 B.C.) was a Greek philosopher and teacher. Jesus (8-4 B.C.-29? A.D.) was a Jewish preacher who founded the religion of Christianity. Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German theologian who led the Protestant Reformation in Germany and founded the Lutheran religion. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer who proved that the sun, not the earth, was at the center of our universe. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, and physicist. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was an English mathematician, known for discovering the law of gravity. Emerson’s point is that these major discoverers, inventors, and philosophers were chastised during their lifetimes for thinking “outside of the box,” so to speak. But history has proven their theories to be correct, after all.

At the same time, Henry Thoreau has a similar list in the 16th paragraph of "Civil Disobedience."

Why does [the American government] not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them? Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?

It's interesting that he uses some of the same personalities as examples of people who protested against the norm or who rallied against widely-held belief systems. Thoreau's lecture and essay were written a few years after Emerson's "Self-Reliance."

How does the catastrophe of the Great Depression affect the actions of Walter Cunningham Sr.?

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Walter Cunningham Sr. works on his farm and struggles to make end meets during the Great Depression. In Chapter 2, Scout describes Walter Cunningham Jr. and mentions that he has hookworms because he doesn't own any shoes. During lunchtime, Walter Cunningham doesn't have a packed lunch, nor does he have a quarter to buy one. Walter Cunningham Sr. does not have enough money buy...

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Walter Cunningham Sr. works on his farm and struggles to make end meets during the Great Depression. In Chapter 2, Scout describes Walter Cunningham Jr. and mentions that he has hookworms because he doesn't own any shoes. During lunchtime, Walter Cunningham doesn't have a packed lunch, nor does he have a quarter to buy one. Walter Cunningham Sr. does not have enough money buy his son food, much less a pair of shoes. The Great Depression has limited his funds extensively, and essential items such as food and clothing are scarce. Walter Cunningham Sr. has been forced to barter for services throughout Maycomb because he has no money. Scout explains that he paid Atticus' lawyer fees using stovewood, hickory nuts, a crate a smilax and holly, and a sack of turnip greens. Walter's son tells Atticus that the reason he can't pass first grade is because he has to help his father on the farm every spring. Walter Cunningham Sr. has been forced to sacrifice his son's education because he needs the extra help on the farm to make ends meet. The Great Depression has affected Walter Cunningham's family in many negative ways, but despite the rough economic situation, Walter Cunningham Sr. is able to make payments and survive through hard work and sacrifice.

What are the teaching strategies used in Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide?

The teaching methods Conroy employs are unconventional to say the least. The students whom he encounters were unfamiliar with standard written and spoken English, thus he had to adjust his methods accordingly. Rather than utilizing outdated textbooks, or corporal punishment, Conroy offered his students an experiential education. While the students were won over by this approach, their parents and the administrators at the school were far from pleased.

Ultimately, Conroy's approach challenged the divide between...

The teaching methods Conroy employs are unconventional to say the least. The students whom he encounters were unfamiliar with standard written and spoken English, thus he had to adjust his methods accordingly. Rather than utilizing outdated textbooks, or corporal punishment, Conroy offered his students an experiential education. While the students were won over by this approach, their parents and the administrators at the school were far from pleased.

Ultimately, Conroy's approach challenged the divide between the islanders (the students) and those who lived on the mainland because he dared to question the power dynamics at play. One of the most liberating examples in the text happens when Conroy had his students memorize significant classical musicians and their compositions, and then invited inhabitants from the mainland to the classroom so that the students could explain what they had learned. Such an unorthodox approach proved to be successful in that the students were encouraged to enter into a dialogue with otherwise inaccessible people. 

What lines are repeated in the poem "Mending Wall"?

The lines “something there is that doesn’t love a wall” and “good fences make good neighbors” are repeated.

Repetition is used in poems to add emphasis and highlight significant themes.  In this case, the poem is about a pair of neighbors who disagree on whether there should be a wall between their farms.  One thinks that it is better to keep your neighbor at a distance, and the other does not see the point of the wall and prefers more contact between neighbors.

The first and last lines of the poem are parts of the repetition.  Each of these are related to the main theme of the poem, which is that we put up walls against other people because we feel that we are better off keeping others at a distance.

The speaker does not like maintaining the wall between the two farms.  He feels that it is unnecessary, using the fact that the wall seems to crumble as proof that it should not be there.

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offense.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,

That wants it down.

The neighbor, on the other hand, carefully reconstructs the wall each year.  The speaker wants to be a good neighbor by getting to know his neighbor, but the neighbor wants to be a good neighbor by avoiding his neighbor.  It is two different approaches to the act of coexisting with others.

The neighbor has a policy that seems to support keeping the wall intact.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father’s saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.'

The two positions seem to have no middle ground.  The speaker feels that since neither of them have livestock, there is no reason to have a wall.  The neighbor prefers tradition.  He likes to keep himself isolated from his neighbors.

It should be noted that both neighbors work to rebuild the wall.  This is a metaphor too.  Although the speaker's neighbor prefers the wall, keeping it there is a collaboration between the two of them.  When others shut us out, we need to cooperate in order for them to really keep us out.

Why can characters be likened to mockingbirds in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells Scout and Jem, “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout is confused by her father's reference to sin, a word he rarely uses, and she asks Miss Maudie to clarify what Atticus means. Miss Maudie tells her that since mockingbirds do nothing other than sing, it's a crime to hurt them. In other words, mockingbirds are pure, innocent, defenseless creatures, so it...

In Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells Scout and Jem, “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout is confused by her father's reference to sin, a word he rarely uses, and she asks Miss Maudie to clarify what Atticus means. Miss Maudie tells her that since mockingbirds do nothing other than sing, it's a crime to hurt them. In other words, mockingbirds are pure, innocent, defenseless creatures, so it is a sin to hurt them.

The mockingbirds in the novel are the characters who are in a weak position so that harming them is indefensible. Boo Radley is one of these characters. Although people are afraid of him, he is in reality a gentle man who is probably a bit mentally disabled. In the end, he proves that he is really stronger and more principled than people think when he saves Jem's and Scout's life. 

In addition, Tom Robinson, the African-American man who Atticus defends, can be considered a mockingbird, as he is in a weak position in society and in the trial because of racial prejudice in Maycomb. It is a sin to accuse him of a crime he did not commit because he is in a weak (and innocent) state. Finally, Jem and Scout can be considered mockingbirds because they are children and innocent, so it is indefensible for Bob Ewell to attack them at the end of the novel.

What happens in Chapters 7, 8 and 9 of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe?

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a book set in Nigeria, using fictional characters to examine the lives of the Igbo people under British colonial role in the 1890s. The protagonist of the book is Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior.

In Chapter 7, the hostage Ikemefuna has been living with Okonkwo's family and is a good influence on Nwoye, Okonkwo's son. The Oracle of Hills and Caves has decreed that the goddess insists that the village kill Ikemefuna. Although the...

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a book set in Nigeria, using fictional characters to examine the lives of the Igbo people under British colonial role in the 1890s. The protagonist of the book is Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior.

In Chapter 7, the hostage Ikemefuna has been living with Okonkwo's family and is a good influence on Nwoye, Okonkwo's son. The Oracle of Hills and Caves has decreed that the goddess insists that the village kill Ikemefuna. Although the elder Ogbuefi Ezeudu suggests Okonkwo stay away from the ceremony, Okonkwo participates and ends up being the one to actually kill the boy who he has come to love. 

In Chapter 8, Okonkwo is deeply disturbed by his own part in the death of Nwoye. He visits Obierika who explains that Okonkwo should have stayed home and that he may have offended the earth goddess. In the discussion between the two, we see more evidence that Okonkwo is failing to fully develop his feminine side, and thus is by Igbo standards failing to become the ideal man who is supposed to balance masculine and feminine. Ibe and his family arrive to negotiate the bride price of Obierika's daughter Akueke.

In Chapter 9, Ezinma, Okonkwo and Ekwefi’s daughter falls ill. The chapter deals with this in the context of traditional religion in terms of the ogbanje, a child who dies and is then reborn.

What were the two choices Wegener saw concerning climate zones of the past?

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist who was the founding father of the theory of continental drift.  As far as climate was concerned, Wegener found glacial deposits, the remains of drifts of debris compiled by glacial action in tropical areas of the earth, where it was much too warm for glaciers to exist.  Likewise, he found the remains of tropical plants and animals that were located in areas much too cold to foster such life...

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist who was the founding father of the theory of continental drift.  As far as climate was concerned, Wegener found glacial deposits, the remains of drifts of debris compiled by glacial action in tropical areas of the earth, where it was much too warm for glaciers to exist.  Likewise, he found the remains of tropical plants and animals that were located in areas much too cold to foster such life forms.  Wegener correctly postulated the continents must have been in different climatic environments at one time.  Then, they drifted, largely by the rotational spin of the earth to their present locations in totally different climates.  Wegener's idea of continental drift had a hard time gaining acceptance among the scientific community, as he had a weak mechanism explaining what could cause large land masses, such as the continents, to drift across large bodies of oceanic water to totally different climatic conditions.

How can I differentiate between organic and inorganic compounds in the laboratory? By flame or solubility in water? What should I do first?

There is no 100% definition to differentiate between organic and inorganic compounds.  There are some general ways to tell the difference between them.  Organic compounds tend to be composed of the elements carbon and hydrogen.  Inorganic compounds are less carbon, more oxygen and hydrogen, and incorporate a lot of the metallic elements.  Another difference would be that organic compounds are the building blocks of living things, while inorganic compounds may or may not be involved...

There is no 100% definition to differentiate between organic and inorganic compounds.  There are some general ways to tell the difference between them.  Organic compounds tend to be composed of the elements carbon and hydrogen.  Inorganic compounds are less carbon, more oxygen and hydrogen, and incorporate a lot of the metallic elements.  Another difference would be that organic compounds are the building blocks of living things, while inorganic compounds may or may not be involved with living organisms.

To answer your question directly, there is an old saying, "oil and water don't mix."  Oil is an organic compound, composed of the carbon and hydrogen atoms mentioned in the first paragraph.  Water, while it is necessary to life as we know it on earth, has an inorganic composition, H2O, and will not mix with organic compounds.  I would vote first for the solubility test, to see if the compound will mix with water.  If it will, it is probably inorganic; if not, it is organic.  For flammability, organic compounds will combine with oxygen as they burn, while inorganic compounds, depending on the chemical composition, may or may not burn. 

How can adults be naive? Give examples from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

According the Webster, naiveté “implies a genuine, innocent, simplicity”. The adults in this book may not be naïve, but instead they know what is happening but CHOOSE not to recognize it, or they justify certain actions as patriotism.  One of those adults would be Bruno’s grandfather.  When Grandmother starts to bring up the subject of Ralf’s position, Grandfather says,

“Now, Mother…..You know this isn’t the time.” (pg 90)

He knows what Grandmother is going to say, but he CHOOSES to avoid the topic.  To get Grandmother off the topic, he reminisces about the day that Ralf, Bruno’s father, enlisted.  He is proud of his son, not for what he does but for what position he has attained. 

“It makes me so proud to see you elevated to such a responsible position.  Helping your country reclaim her pride after all the great wrongs that were done to her.” (pg 91)

His son is killing thousands of Jews, but he hides the terrible actions under the term “Patriotism”.  They are fighting for their country and terrible things happen in war.  He is choosing not to deal with the issue.  Grandmother, on the other hand, is ashamed and doesn’t hide her shame at all.

Bruno’s mother sometimes seems unaware of what is happening.  That is far from the truth. She is torn between the role of the Commandant’s wife and her conscience.  She is trying to protect her children from knowing what is going on at Auswitz.

At the end of the book, Bruno hears his father and mother arguing.  Mother says,

“It’s horrible…..Just horrible.  I can’t stand it anymore. “(pg. 187)                                                                              

His father justifies the killing of Jews when he says,

“We don’t have a choice.  This is our assignment and ----“(pg 187)

When mother wants to return to Berlin, father remarks,

“And what will people think….if I permit you and the children to return to Berlin without me?  They will ask questions about my commitment to the work here.” (pg 187)

He sees the extermination of the Jews as a job, and others allow him to continue it.

What led Sam and Bill to kidnap the young boy in "The Ransom of Red Chief"? Why did they sign the letter as "Two Desperate Men" even when as...

Bill and Sam are a pair of bumbling criminals.  Home Alone had a pair of criminals just like Bill and Sam.  Thought they were smart, but lost badly to a little kid.  

The text tells the reader that Bill and Sam have $600 to their name and they need $200 more.  

Bill and me had a joint capital of about six hundred dollars, and we needed just two thousand dollars more to...

Bill and Sam are a pair of bumbling criminals.  Home Alone had a pair of criminals just like Bill and Sam.  Thought they were smart, but lost badly to a little kid.  

The text tells the reader that Bill and Sam have $600 to their name and they need $200 more.  

Bill and me had a joint capital of about six hundred dollars, and we needed just two thousand dollars more to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois with.

In other words, Bill and Sam need more money in order to pull off a real estate scheme in Illinois.  They figured that kidnapping a kid from a small town would be easy ransom money.  

Bill and Sam chose to do their kidnapping in the town of Summit.  They chose Summit because it was big enough to have a population to spread the news, but it was also small enough to not have decent law enforcement.  

We knew that Summit couldn’t get after us with anything stronger than constables and, maybe, some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers’ Budget. So, it looked good.

Once the town was selected, Bill and Sam had to pick the victim.  They decided on Johnny Dorset for a few reasons.  One reason is that he is an only child.  His father is more likely to pay to get his one kid back.  A second reason is that Ebenezer Dorset is a fairly affluent member of the town.  He can afford to pay a small ransom to get Johnny back.  

We selected for our victim the only child of a prominent citizen named Ebenezer Dorset. The father was respectable and tight, a mortgage fancier and a stern, upright collectionplate passer and forecloser.

Unfortunately for Bill and Sam, little Johnny Dorset is no easy child.  He terrorizes Bill and Sam, and they eventually pay Ebenezer to take his own son back.  They are "desperate men" because they desperately want to get rid of this kid . . . not because they are desperately dangerous.  

What passage from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird shows Dill following the Golden Rule?

The term the Golden Rule refers to a commonly believed moral principle that stems from the following biblical verse: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matt. 7:12). The principle can be interpreted to mean that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. There are certainly a couple of different moments in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird when Dill acts based upon the Golden Rule.

One moment when Dill acts in accordance with the Golden Rule is found in Chapter 6. In this chapter, Dill and Jem decide to try and sneak on to the Radleys' property to try and get a glimpse of Arthur (Boo) Radley through a window. When shots ring out, the children flee for their lives. During the escape process, Jem gets his pants caught on a barbed-wire fence and must abandon them to escape. When the children reach the Finches' front yard, they see that all their neighbors have gathered around Nathan Radley, Arthur's brother, in front of the Radley gate to discuss what had happened. Jem argues that it will look suspicious if the children don't join their neighbors to see what all of the commotion was, so Jem arrives sans pants. When Miss Stephanie notices his lack of pants, the kids know they must do some fast thinking to prevent Atticus from finding out what they had been up to. Dill, always the quickest thinker, is the first one to come up with an excuse to offer, as we see when he explains the following to Atticus:

Ah--I won 'em from him. ... We were playin' strip poker up yonder by the fishpool. (Ch. 6)

In taking the initiative to save Jem's neck, Dill is demonstrating that he is treating Jem in the same way Dill wishes to be treated, and Dill gets his wish. When it looks like Dill will be in trouble with his Aunt Rachel for playing strip poker, Atticus is able to talk her out of her tirade, saying it's a phase all children go through and not a big deal.

The second moment Dill demonstrates he is a firm believer in the Golden Rule is when he breaks out into sobs during Tom Robinson's trial and must be escorted out of the courtroom by Scout. Dill explains his reasons for crying to Scout in the following:

It was just him I couldn't stand. ... That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him-- (Ch. 19)

In other words, Dill didn't fail to notice just how antagonistically Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney, was speaking to Robinson during Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination of Robinson, and it made Dill feel sick inside. Dill's feelings and reaction clearly stem from the fact that he firmly believes in adhering to the Golden Rule, as he demonstrates when he further says the following to Scout:

It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that--it just makes me sick. (Ch. 19)

Since Dill demonstrates he firmly believes all people deserve the same amount of respect, he further demonstrates that he believes in adhering to the Golden Rule.

Describe the geography, including the climate and landforms of Jamestown.

Jamestown, Virginia’s absolute location is 37.2267° N latitude, 76.7863° W longitude. It was established on a peninsula fifty miles up the James River from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The colonists named the river after the King of England. The peninsula was situated so that the colonists were able to see ships approaching which made the location safe from a waterway attack. A piece of land in its northwest corner attached the peninsula to...

Jamestown, Virginia’s absolute location is 37.2267° N latitude, 76.7863° W longitude. It was established on a peninsula fifty miles up the James River from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The colonists named the river after the King of England. The peninsula was situated so that the colonists were able to see ships approaching which made the location safe from a waterway attack. A piece of land in its northwest corner attached the peninsula to the mainland. Woodlands on the mainland provided natural resources for the colony. Unfortunately for the colonists, the area surrounding the peninsula was infested swampland, and the water was brackish from a mix of sea water in the river.

With hot tropical summers and frigid winters, the climate of early Jamestown was very different than what the colonists were accustomed to in England. They were ill prepared to survive the winters in the rudimentary dwellings they built. In addition, they did not understand the growing season of the area or the threat of illness from the insects that bred in the hot, humid conditions.

`int e^(-theta) cos(2 theta) d theta` Evaluate the integral

We have to find the integral `\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta`

We can do this by integration by parts i.e.

`\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta=e^{-\theta}\int cos(2\theta) d\theta -\int( \frac{d}{d\theta}(e^{-\theta})\int cos(2\theta) d\theta )d\theta`

                       `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}-\int-e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2} d\theta`

                        `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}\int e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta) d\theta`

                         `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}[e^{-\theta}\int sin(2\theta) d\theta-\int -e^{-\theta}.\int sin(2\theta) d\theta]`

                          `=\frac{e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}[\frac{-e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)}{2}-\frac{1}{2}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta )d\theta]`

                          `=\frac{e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta)}{2}-\frac{e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)}{4}-\frac{1}{4}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta`

i.e. `\frac{5}{4}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)d\theta= \frac{e^{-\theta}(2sin(2\theta)-cos(2\theta))}{4}`

i.e. `\int e^{-\theta }cos(2\theta) d\theta= \frac{e^{-\theta}}{5} (2sin(2\theta)-cos(2\theta)) +C`

``

We have to find the integral `\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta`

We can do this by integration by parts i.e.

`\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta=e^{-\theta}\int cos(2\theta) d\theta -\int( \frac{d}{d\theta}(e^{-\theta})\int cos(2\theta) d\theta )d\theta`

                       `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}-\int-e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2} d\theta`

                        `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}\int e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta) d\theta`

                         `=e^{-\theta}.\frac{sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}[e^{-\theta}\int sin(2\theta) d\theta-\int -e^{-\theta}.\int sin(2\theta) d\theta]`

                          `=\frac{e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta)}{2}+\frac{1}{2}[\frac{-e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)}{2}-\frac{1}{2}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta )d\theta]`

                          `=\frac{e^{-\theta}sin(2\theta)}{2}-\frac{e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)}{4}-\frac{1}{4}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta) d\theta`

i.e. `\frac{5}{4}\int e^{-\theta}cos(2\theta)d\theta= \frac{e^{-\theta}(2sin(2\theta)-cos(2\theta))}{4}`

i.e. `\int e^{-\theta }cos(2\theta) d\theta= \frac{e^{-\theta}}{5} (2sin(2\theta)-cos(2\theta)) +C`

``

What are the necessary conditions for cloud formation?

A number of conditions are required for cloud formation. Chief among them are the presence of moisture, lift and nucleating surfaces. When the sun shines on water bodies, it heats the water and causes it to evaporate (the conversion from liquid water to water vapor). These water vapors need to be lifted high enough into the atmosphere for cloud formation. This lift may be provided by fronts associated with low pressure systems, convection, convergence, etc....

A number of conditions are required for cloud formation. Chief among them are the presence of moisture, lift and nucleating surfaces. When the sun shines on water bodies, it heats the water and causes it to evaporate (the conversion from liquid water to water vapor). These water vapors need to be lifted high enough into the atmosphere for cloud formation. This lift may be provided by fronts associated with low pressure systems, convection, convergence, etc. As the air rises, it cools. Once it reaches the condensation level, water starts condensing. To nucleate, water vapors need solid surfaces. These surfaces could be something as simple as dust blown by wind and are known as cloud condensation nuclei. The nucleated water drops form larger droplets and fall down in the form of precipitation.

Hope this helps. 

How does Kit feel upon first seeing America and then upon landing in Wethersfield?

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, Katherine Tyler, known as Kit, leaves Barbados in 1687 to live with her aunt in Puritan Connecticut. When her boat, the Dolphin, docks first in Saybrook, Connecticut, in the first chapter of the book, Kit is incredibly disappointed. "She didn't want to admit how disappointing she found this first glimpse of America. The bleak line of shore surrounding the gray harbor was a disheartening contrast...

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, Katherine Tyler, known as Kit, leaves Barbados in 1687 to live with her aunt in Puritan Connecticut. When her boat, the Dolphin, docks first in Saybrook, Connecticut, in the first chapter of the book, Kit is incredibly disappointed. "She didn't want to admit how disappointing she found this first glimpse of America. The bleak line of shore surrounding the gray harbor was a disheartening contrast to the shimmering green and white that fringed the turquoise bay of Barbados that was her home." Kit is used to the beautiful tropical waters of Barbados, and she finds Saybrook cold, gray, and sparse. 

When Mistress Eaton, Kit's fellow passenger, goes ashore, Kit wonders why Mistress Eaton is so excited to disembark at Saybrook. "Kit glanced at the forbidding shore. She could see nothing about it to put such a twinkle of anticipation in anyone's eye." Kit notices when a young girl who is on board a rowboat coming to the Dolphin drops her doll into the water. In response, Kit dives into the water to rescue the doll, and the girl's mother brands Kit a witch because only witches were believed to know how to swim, according to Puritan beliefs. 

In Chapter Two, the Dolphin reaches Kit's new home in Wethersfield, which Kit also finds deeply disappointing. "Her heart sank. This was Wethersfield! Just a narrow sandy stretch of shoreline, a few piles sunk in the river with rough planking for a platform." She finds the town uninspiring and simple, and it is clear that Kit's new home is very different than her former home in Barbados and that she will have difficulty adapting to her new surroundings in Connecticut.  

What is Mrs. Strangeworth's motivation in the story "The Possibility of Evil"?

Miss Strangeworth apparently does not understand how much trouble she is causing with her anonymous letters, nor does she seem to be aware of the real reason she is writing them. She tells herself she is doing her civic duty as the oldest person in the community and as the only surviving member of the family that founded the town. It would appear, from what we know of the people to whom she has been sending her letters, that she is motivated by envy, jealousy, and bitterness. She is a lonely old maid, and she feels embittered when she sees anyone who has another person to love. Her letters invariably damage human relationships. Perhaps, like Miss Emily Grierson in William Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily," Miss Strangeworth has never in her entire life had anyone to love and to love her.

A good example of people victimized by Miss Strangeworth's unconscious jealousy is the high-school kids Linda Stewart and Dave Harris, who are very much in love. Miss Strangeworth has poisoned their innocent romance by writing an anonymous letter to Linda's parents hinting that Dave is carrying the relationship far beyond the usual hugging and kissing of kids their age.

Miss Strangeworth is probably jealous of Martha Harper because she has a husband. The letter to Mrs. Harper plants seeds of suspicion by hinting that everybody knows her husband is having an affair with another women in the town. Mrs. Harper is apparently a prime target. When Miss Strangeworth is writing her letters that day, we learn that she has written poison-pen letters to this woman before.

After thinking for a minute, she decided that she would like to write another letter, perhaps to go to Mrs. Harper, to follow up the ones she had already mailed. She selected a green sheet this time and wrote quickly: Have you found out yet what they were all laughing about after you left the bridge club on Thursday? Or is the wife really the last one to know?

Don and Helen Crane are not only happily married but have a six-months-old daughter they adore. Miss Strangeworth tries to increase their worries about their baby's development by sending a letter reading:

Didn't you ever see an idiot child before? Some people just shouldn't have children, should they?

This is intended to poison the Cranes' marital relations and prevent them from having any more children. 

Old Mrs. Foster has a nephew who is probably very important to her because he is apparently her only living relative. Miss Strangeworth sends her an anonymous letter reading:

You never know about doctors. Remember they're only human and need money like the rest of us. Suppose the knife slipped accidentally. Would Doctor Burns get his fee and a little extra from that nephew of yours?

This will make the old woman mistrustful of both her nephew and her doctor. Mrs. Foster is probably already sufficiently worried about undergoing a major operation at her age and may decide to cancel it. 

Mr. Lewis the grocer has a grandson who helps out in the store. 

Mr. Lewis would never have imagined for a minute that his grandson might be lifting petty cash from the store register if he had not had one of Miss Strangeworth’s letters.

We can feel sorry for Miss Strangeworth, as we do for Faulkner's Emily Grierson and for the lonely Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. Miss Strangeworth is obviously unaware of the jealousy and bitterness that so many other people in her town cause her just by being happy in having someone to care for. She keeps her feelings hidden from herself until the very end of the story.

She began to cry silently for the wickedness of the world when she read the words: Look out at what used to be your roses.

She is not really crying for the wickedness of the world but crying for all her years of unrequited longing for love. Her roses were a poor substitute for love, but they were the only substitute she had.