How did the US government encourage mobilization for war on the home front?

Based on your question, I am assuming you are referring to World War I and World War II. There were several things the government did to encourage mobilization for each war within the United States. In World War I and in World War II some of the encouraging was through actions of Congress. The Selective Service Act allowed for the drafting of troops to fight in World War I. In World War II, the law...

Based on your question, I am assuming you are referring to World War I and World War II. There were several things the government did to encourage mobilization for each war within the United States. In World War I and in World War II some of the encouraging was through actions of Congress. The Selective Service Act allowed for the drafting of troops to fight in World War I. In World War II, the law was called the Selective Training and Service Act. With these laws, troops were drafted to prepare to fight in both world wars.

Besides drafting soldiers, other actions were taken. In World War I, the Committee on Public Information was created to shape public opinion in favor of the war. Through posters, speeches, and pamphlets, Americans were encouraged to support the war effort. In World War II, similar actions were taken. Posters saying “Loose Lips Sink Ships” were used to remind Americans to be careful about speaking publically about the war and about what we were doing. In both wars, Americans were encouraged by the government to grow their own crops by planting victory gardens. This would help provide more food for the soldiers. The government also encouraged Americans to support the war financially by buying war bonds. In World War I, the government borrowed over $20 billion while in World War II it was over $150 billion. Americans willingly reduced their consumption of some kinds of food during both wars. Additionally, many people went to work in the industries making war materials. They had to replace the soldiers who were drafted. Americans who didn’t go and fight in the war also made many sacrifices for the war.

What does Gatsby hope to attain by repeating the past?

Since Gatsby met Daisy, while he was a soldier during World War I, she has been his dream.  All of his efforts since have been with this in mind.  All of his wealth has been acquired so he can win her, believing that it is only his lack of wealth that caused her to marry Tom Buchanan instead of him. He loves her and believes that she loves him.  For Gatsby, she is the American...

Since Gatsby met Daisy, while he was a soldier during World War I, she has been his dream.  All of his efforts since have been with this in mind.  All of his wealth has been acquired so he can win her, believing that it is only his lack of wealth that caused her to marry Tom Buchanan instead of him. He loves her and believes that she loves him.  For Gatsby, she is the American Dream.

Gatsby wishes to repeat the past so that he can win Daisy again. When Nick tells him he cannot repeat the past, "Gatsby cried out incredulously, 'Why of course you can'" (116) and looked about "wildly, as if the past were lurking here...just out reach of his hand" (116-117).  He says,"I'm going to fix everything just the was before"(117).

Gatsby cannot afford to believe that he cannot repeat the past because his entire being is consumed with having Daisy, and if he cannot go back somehow, he cannot have her and cannot get his life back. He conveniently disregards the fact that she has chosen to marry Tom Buchanan, with his buckets of money, rather than waiting for Gatsby, that she has a young child, and that there is no "do over" for his or her life.  Daisy is his dream, and he is blinded by it. As Nick says, "he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy" (117).

Gatsby is a fool, but he is a heroic one, always true to his vision of a dream, and at the end, sacrificing himself for his dream of Daisy.   

The political alignment that was in place when Andrew Jackson was inaugurated has become known as the “second party system.” Explain: How the...

When Andrew Jackson entered office in 1829, he inaugurated the Second Party System. The First Party System traces its roots to the differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the early Republic. As the name suggests, the Federalists favored a strong federal government, a federal bank, and the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists were opposed to the Constitution and federal bank and supported states' rights. In the 1790s, the Anti-Federalists eventually became the Democratic-Republicans (called the...

When Andrew Jackson entered office in 1829, he inaugurated the Second Party System. The First Party System traces its roots to the differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the early Republic. As the name suggests, the Federalists favored a strong federal government, a federal bank, and the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists were opposed to the Constitution and federal bank and supported states' rights. In the 1790s, the Anti-Federalists eventually became the Democratic-Republicans (called the "Republican Party" for short). Jefferson and Madison were members of the Democratic-Republican party. They supported states' rights and the development of agrarian, or farmers' interests, as opposed to industrialization. The Democratic-Republicans were mainly the party of farmers and those in the south and west, while northern industrialists favored the Federalists. 

During the short-lived Era of Good Feelings, partisanship, or political differences, faded after 1816. During the Second Party System, Jackson's Democratic party ushered in a period of greater political representation when more white men were able to vote. Jackson's party favored states' rights and supported a policy of westward expansion while trying to avoid battles over slavery. The Whig party developed in opposition to the Democratic party during the Second Party System. In general, Democrats were supported by farmers and by southerners and westerners, while Whigs drew their support from the Northeast.

Continued battles over expansion and the fate of slavery caused the demise of the Second Party System. Parties such as the Free Soil Party developed in the late 1840s to oppose the expansion of slavery into new western territories in the hopes that slavery would eventually die out if it were not allowed to expand. By the early 1850s, the Whig party collapsed, and Republicans developed in opposition to slavery. The first Republican President was Lincoln, who took office in 1861 and who opposed the expansion of slavery and eventually slavery itself during the Civil War. Lincoln also supported a strong federal government, and he increased the power of the federal government during the Civil War. Thus began the Third Party System with Democrats and Republicans. 

Does Odysseus want to stay with Calypso or go home?

Odysseus comes to the goddess Calypso's island, Ogygia, after Zeus destroys his ship and leaves him and his men shipwrecked (Zeus' action was punishment for Odysseus' men sacrificing the sacred cattle which belonged to the sun god, Helios). Odysseus wants to go home to Ithaca, where he is king, and where his family (wife Penelope and son Telemachus) resides. However, Calypso quickly falls in love with Odysseus and refuses to let him leave. She desires...

Odysseus comes to the goddess Calypso's island, Ogygia, after Zeus destroys his ship and leaves him and his men shipwrecked (Zeus' action was punishment for Odysseus' men sacrificing the sacred cattle which belonged to the sun god, Helios). Odysseus wants to go home to Ithaca, where he is king, and where his family (wife Penelope and son Telemachus) resides. However, Calypso quickly falls in love with Odysseus and refuses to let him leave. She desires to marry him and make him immortal. She imprisons him for seven years, hoping to weaken his resolve and change his mind. Thankfully for Odysseus, Athena has compassion on him and convinces Zeus to tell Calypso to let Odysseus leave her island and make the journey home to Greece.

What causes the shiny, clean line on the otherwise dull wire of Scout's costume?

The shiny, clean line found on Scout's ham costume came from the knife of Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell, Maycomb's most despicable character, carried a grudge against Atticus since Tom Robinson's trial. Bob Ewell threatened to seek revenge on Atticus for exposing the ugly truth that Mayella, Bob's daughter, tempted Tom Robinson, and Bob physically assaulted his daughter after finding out. On Halloween night, Jem and Scout were leaving from the school's auditorium following an organized...

The shiny, clean line found on Scout's ham costume came from the knife of Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell, Maycomb's most despicable character, carried a grudge against Atticus since Tom Robinson's trial. Bob Ewell threatened to seek revenge on Atticus for exposing the ugly truth that Mayella, Bob's daughter, tempted Tom Robinson, and Bob physically assaulted his daughter after finding out. On Halloween night, Jem and Scout were leaving from the school's auditorium following an organized Maycomb Haloween event, which included a pageant entitled Maycomb County: Ad Astra Per Aspera. Scout played the role of a ham in the pageant which displayed Maycomb's agricultural products. Mrs. Crenshaw made her costume out of bent chicken wire and brown cloth to resemble a ham. Scout's bulky costume hampered her movement but acted as a protective barrier during Ewell's attack. After examining Scout's battered costume following the attack, Sheriff Tate says, "This thing probably saved her life." (Lee 360)

What did the contents of the envelope reveal in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The only envelope I'm aware of in the novel is the one Calpurnia interrupts court proceedings to deliver to Atticus. She comes up the middle aisle, waits for Judge Taylor to acknowledge her, then reassures him that she needs to pass the envelope to Atticus and "it hasn't got anything to do with--with the trial." It is a message from Aunt Alexandra that says Atticus's children "are missing, haven't turned up since noon." 

Atticus is...

The only envelope I'm aware of in the novel is the one Calpurnia interrupts court proceedings to deliver to Atticus. She comes up the middle aisle, waits for Judge Taylor to acknowledge her, then reassures him that she needs to pass the envelope to Atticus and "it hasn't got anything to do with--with the trial." It is a message from Aunt Alexandra that says Atticus's children "are missing, haven't turned up since noon." 

Atticus is about to ask the judge for a recess when Mr. Underwood, the owner and editor of the Tribune, says, "I know where they are, Atticus. They're right up yonder in the colored balcony--been there since precisely one-eighteen P.M." 

This is a big deal, not just because they'd not told Calpurnia or Aunt Alexandra where they were going (of course, because neither of the ladies would have let them go), but because they were sitting in the colored balcony. The horror!

What is the metaphor in "A Poison Tree" describing the speaker's wrath?

This poem is an extended metaphor, meaning that the metaphor is maintained at length, in this case, through the entire poem.  The metaphor is that the narrator's wrath is a seed that grows into a tree. The narrator is saying that he has chosen to keep his wrath towards a foe to himself, and in doing so, nurtures it until it grows into a tree that bears a poisonous apple, which kills the friend he...

This poem is an extended metaphor, meaning that the metaphor is maintained at length, in this case, through the entire poem.  The metaphor is that the narrator's wrath is a seed that grows into a tree. The narrator is saying that he has chosen to keep his wrath towards a foe to himself, and in doing so, nurtures it until it grows into a tree that bears a poisonous apple, which kills the friend he is angry with.

In the first verse, he hints at the metaphor, saying "My wrath did grow" (line 4). In the second verse, the metaphor is extended further. The narrator "waterd it in fears" (line 5) and with his tears.  He provided it with sunshine in his false smiles, and finally the tree bears fruit in the third verse, "an apple bright" (line 10). His foe sees the shining apple, consumes it, and dies.  It is the poison of the narrator's wrath that has caused the foe to die. 

This metaphor is a particularly good one, since our anger, held inside, does bear poisonous fruit, although I find that the poisonous fruit often tends to harm the one bearing the anger, rather than the one against whom the anger is directed. Be that as it may, wrath held and nurtured is toxic, and the poem is telling us to beware of this in the form of a powerful metaphor.

In "The Monkey's Paw," why is Morris so afraid after he makes his third wish upon the monkey's paw?

Unless I am mistaken, you did not mean "Morris" in your question but Mr. White. Sergeant-Major Morris made three wishes while he was in India, but he does not seem afraid in the story, only revolted. And he does not say anything about being afraid after making his last wish while in India. On the other hand, Mr. White is terrified when he makes his third and last wish, and he still seems afraid after...

Unless I am mistaken, you did not mean "Morris" in your question but Mr. White. Sergeant-Major Morris made three wishes while he was in India, but he does not seem afraid in the story, only revolted. And he does not say anything about being afraid after making his last wish while in India. On the other hand, Mr. White is terrified when he makes his third and last wish, and he still seems afraid after it seems as if his wish has been granted. He does not even venture outside after the knocking ceases until his wife goes out. It seems completely understandable that White would be so afraid even after the knocking had stopped. In fact, he could be even more afraid.

The fact that the knocking has stopped does not mean that the thing outside has gone away. The narrator does not tell us what White's third wish was, although we have a good idea without being told. No doubt White wished for two things: (1) for the knocking to stop, and (2) for whoever is doing that knocking to go away forever. But White doesn't have complete faith in the monkey's paw. The horrible creature he imagines--and we imagine!--standing right outside his front door might be cunning as well as hideous. It might have stopped knocking in order to entice the old couple to come out. It might be waiting in silence right beside the front door, ready to pounce when the couple emerges.

We can feel just as frightened by a dead silence as by a loud knocking. We are identified with Mr. White, and we don't like the idea of risking our lives by going out into that dark, cold night with him in our imaginations. Mrs. White is not frightened because she has never been afraid of her own son. And she has never been afraid of him because she never saw him when he was dead. That is why she goes out first. Then, when nothing happens to her, 

...a long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.

The "long loud wail of disappointment and misery" is pathetic, but it tells Mr. White that there is nobody out there, and this is what calms his fears and gives him courage to venture out himself. He goes all the way down to the gate and sees that his last wish has been fully granted. We will never know for sure whether it was Herbert or some stranger who was lost in this dark, isolated suburb and trying to get directions. The fact that there is no one visible on the road suggests that it was more likely Herbert and that he vanished by magic.

Would evaporation happen faster in a thick liquid? Explain.

Evaporation would happen slower in a thick liquid as compared to a thin liquid.

The property of a liquid that makes it thick is viscosity. Viscosity is resistance to flow. It's caused by friction within the liquid due to cohesion between the molecules.

When comparing liquids, one that is thicker, or more viscous, is also less volatile, meaning that it evaporates more slowly. Viscosity and volatility are caused by the same phenomenon, intermolecular attractions. The...

Evaporation would happen slower in a thick liquid as compared to a thin liquid.

The property of a liquid that makes it thick is viscosity. Viscosity is resistance to flow. It's caused by friction within the liquid due to cohesion between the molecules.

When comparing liquids, one that is thicker, or more viscous, is also less volatile, meaning that it evaporates more slowly. Viscosity and volatility are caused by the same phenomenon, intermolecular attractions. The cohesion between particles in a viscous liquid is due to strong attractions between them. Volatile liquids have weaker attractions between the particles.

The vapor pressure of a substance gives an indication of its volatility. Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor at the surface of its liquid phase when the two phases are in equilibrium. Vapor pressure depends on temperature and atmospheric pressure. At the same temperature and pressure a substance with a higher vapor pressure evaporates more easily, meaning that particles escape into the gas phase more readily. This is volatility. A viscous or thick substance has a lower vapor pressure because its strong intermolecular attractions keep the molecules from evaporating as easily.

What is Howard Zinn's main statement or argument in Chapter One of The People's History of the United States?

In Chapter One, Howard Zinn challenges the reader to view the history of the United States through a different lens. Zinn argues that most histories are told through the perspective of the elite. The elite can be defined as those that are in power or those that benefit from the actions of those in power. Zinn explains that this does not paint a complete picture of the how events unfold. In fact, this way of...

In Chapter One, Howard Zinn challenges the reader to view the history of the United States through a different lens. Zinn argues that most histories are told through the perspective of the elite. The elite can be defined as those that are in power or those that benefit from the actions of those in power. Zinn explains that this does not paint a complete picture of the how events unfold. In fact, this way of narrating history can be considered flawed at best, and dishonest at worst.

To illuminate his message, his narrative examines the exploration of the New World. Traditionally, the story of Christopher Columbus is delivered in a way that glorifies is expeditions. Christopher Columbus is presented as a seminal figure in the progress of mankind. Chapter One dispels this notion in a provocative way. Zinn skillfully tells the story from the perspective of the Arawak Indians that Columbus interacted with. From this lens, the reader realizes that the colonization of the New World came at a great cost to the natives that inhabited these lands.

In "Everyday Use," what inference can you make about what the narrator wants from Dee?

One thing Mama wants from Dee is respect. In the beginning of the story, as Mama and Maggie await Dee's arrival, Mama shares her dream about meeting Dee on a famous television show. Dee will have "made it" or become successful in some way. And Dee will have an emotional reunion with Mama on a famous show in which Dee will thank Mama for raising her to be the success that she has become. 

In real life, Mama is large, accustomed to hard work, and hardly glamorous in the way Dee would probably wish her to be. In fact, Mama imagines that she is more glamorous in this television daydream. Mama re-imagines herself in this way because this is the stereotypical presentation of the successful child's proud mother. But she also imagines herself in this way because, in this scenario, Dee would respect her. 

Dee has always had her own style. That is, she has always been interested in what is in style. Now that African culture is fashionable in the social world Dee has experienced in college, she wants the quilts. Mama and Maggie know that the quilts have sentimental value because of how they were made, how they look, and because of how they were designed: to be used. Dee wants them for superficial reasons. It seems that Mama has always wanted Dee's approval, but in the end she will not agree to Dee's superficial request to take the quilts to simply hang them on the wall. This is significant because Mama says "No" to Dee. At this point, Mama changes. She is no longer interested in Dee's approval and/or respect. She would rather have Maggie's approval: 

I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands, and dumped them into Maggie's lap. 

How do Keith's parents and Ralph know Keith is really sick in Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle?

In chapter 10 of The Mouse and the Motorcycle, author Beverly Cleary describes many symptoms that show Keith is very ill, symptoms that Ralph, the mouse, is the first to notice.Ralph begins to suspectsomething is wrong with Keith when, after Keith returns to the hotel room to get ready for dinner, Keith washes his face, then sits back down on the bed and "stare[s] at the wall." Keith doesn't play with...

In chapter 10 of The Mouse and the Motorcycle, author Beverly Cleary describes many symptoms that show Keith is very ill, symptoms that Ralph, the mouse, is the first to notice.

Ralph begins to suspect something is wrong with Keith when, after Keith returns to the hotel room to get ready for dinner, Keith washes his face, then sits back down on the bed and "stare[s] at the wall." Keith doesn't play with any of his toys or eat anything. When Ralph asks what's wrong, Keith says, "I feel sort of awful." Keith leaves for dinner but returns very early, having been unable to eat anything but soup and crackers, and goes straight to bed. When Keith's parents come into his room after dinner, they only note that he has a slight fever. But, soon after Keith falls asleep in bed, Ralph hears Keith moving around restlessly and mumbling. Keith's mother hears Keith too and returns to check his temperature, seeing that he's now "burning up." Keith's movements and mumbling are a sign that his fever is very high.

The climax of the story begins to develop the moment Keith's parents are unable to find any aspirin to give Keith. His father goes down to the hotel desk to see if he can get an aspirin, but the night clerk is unable to find any. The nearest pharmacy is 25 miles away and had already closed for the night. The doctor is telephoned, but he is busy tending to victims of a car accident and cannot come to the hotel. All the Gridley family can do is wait until the morning and hope the milkman can bring aspirin when he comes. Ralph, understanding the danger of the situation, decides he should go out and search among the hotel rooms to find and bring an aspirin.

What is the reason for the loss of the innocence of the children in Lord of the Flies?

The major reason for the loss of innocence that is suffered by the boys is the inherent (in Golding's mind and his portrayal in the novel) evil present in all men, or boys as the case is here. Golding is careful to start the boys acting in the way that any of us would expect "civilized" boys to act. They discuss things, choose a leader, and begin to organize things in order to accomplish the...

The major reason for the loss of innocence that is suffered by the boys is the inherent (in Golding's mind and his portrayal in the novel) evil present in all men, or boys as the case is here. Golding is careful to start the boys acting in the way that any of us would expect "civilized" boys to act. They discuss things, choose a leader, and begin to organize things in order to accomplish the goals of building shelter and getting rescued.

Golding then begins to introduce the idea of evil and a thirst for violence and a way to fight back against the unknown. Jack and his hunters are hesitant at first, unable to actually strike out and kill a pig. As time goes on the hesitation is lost and they quickly reach a point where they are actually able to kill each other with the same ease as they kill the pigs.

This propensity for evil is what leads the boys to see themselves in such a stark light. As Ralph weeps in front of the naval officer, he weeps not in relief at being rescued or because of the fear he had of being killed but at the loss of innocence they had all suffered.

What is the time period of this story and what evidence shows it?

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930s.  There are several references to the Great Depression in the story.  The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s.  Atticus tells Jem and Scout why so many people in Maycomb are poor, including them:

Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor. As Maycomb County was farm country, nickels and dimes were hard to come by for doctors and dentists...

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930s.  There are several references to the Great Depression in the story.  The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s.  Atticus tells Jem and Scout why so many people in Maycomb are poor, including them:

Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor. As Maycomb County was farm country, nickels and dimes were hard to come by for doctors and dentists and lawyers (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).

Atticus also tells his children that "the Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest."  Everyone in town is suffering from the Depression, from the poor farmers to the educated professionals.

The WPA is also mentioned in the story.  The WPA was the Works Progress Administration.  It was a nationwide program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs for the unemployed. Those employed by the WPA did work ranging from building roads and bridges to creating art and writing.  Bob Ewell is the only person Scout knows of "who was fired from the WPA for laziness" (Chapter 27).

How does Richard Conell use organisation in "The Most Dangerous Game" to establish mood?

Richard Conell begins "The Most Dangerous Game" with direct dialogue to involve readers immediately in the story. He uses the character's dialogue to establish setting - the tropical Caribbean. It is "like moist dark velvet," and all is surrounded in "thick warm blackness" due to the moonless night. The setting and lush descriptions instantly create a creepy, ominous mood. 

As the story continues, the superstitious talk of tangible evil raises tension. The events of the...

Richard Conell begins "The Most Dangerous Game" with direct dialogue to involve readers immediately in the story. He uses the character's dialogue to establish setting - the tropical Caribbean. It is "like moist dark velvet," and all is surrounded in "thick warm blackness" due to the moonless night. The setting and lush descriptions instantly create a creepy, ominous mood. 

As the story continues, the superstitious talk of tangible evil raises tension. The events of the story - Rainsford falling off the yacht, swimming to the brink of exhaustion, finally being rescued by General Zaroff - are points of building and falling tension. The realisation that General Zaroff hunts men is a turning point in the story, for the mood is solidified and the reader is certain that something terrible will happen. 

As for organisation, the hunt occurs over three days. Each day is detailed, and each day holds new challenges and new terrors for Rainsford. Each plan (the complicated trail, the man-catching trap, the tiger trap, the knife) brings new hope, but each one fails. The mood is still ominous, but the story is constantly exciting and new. Rainsford's final plan, to swim to the chateau and win the hunt, succeeds! The suspense in the final line, "He had never slept better in a bed, Rainsford decided," allows the suspense to linger until the penultimate word of the story. Story organisation and even sentence structure contribute to the ominous yet exciting mood of the tale. 

Why does George stay with Lennie in the novel Of Mice and Men?

George stays with Lennie, because they are friends.  This might sound like a simplistic answer, but it is actually profound in the world of Of Mice and Men. In this world, there are very few friendships.  Alienation reigns supreme. All the men on the ranch are alone.  Even the men who have been on the ranch for a long time are alone. Candy is alone; he only has his dog. Crooks is completely alone...

George stays with Lennie, because they are friends.  This might sound like a simplistic answer, but it is actually profound in the world of Of Mice and Men. In this world, there are very few friendships.  Alienation reigns supreme. All the men on the ranch are alone.  Even the men who have been on the ranch for a long time are alone. Candy is alone; he only has his dog. Crooks is completely alone as a black man.  In fact, he has had no visitors from the other men.  Lennie was one of the first people to visit him.  Curley and his wife have a horrible relationship, even though they have been married a few weeks. 

Within this context, George and Lennie has something special and amazing - companionship. 

Here is conversation between Slim and George that makes this point:

Slim looked through George and beyond him. “Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other."

“It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,” said George.

In conclusion, one of the main themes in the book is the friendship that Lennie and George share together. 

In Night, summarize the story Moishe the Beadle told Wiesel on his return from being deported. Why did he say he returned to Sighet?

Moshe the Beadle believes that he has returned to Sighet to warn the townspeople of the Nazi threat.

Moshe's story starts with being expelled from Sighet.  When he returns, Moshe talks to anyone who will listen his story.  His story consists of how Jewish people like himself were ordered to dig trenches.  Then, one by one, the Nazis killed them.  The Nazis used infants as target practice.  Moshe hid amongst the dead bodies, and pretended...

Moshe the Beadle believes that he has returned to Sighet to warn the townspeople of the Nazi threat.

Moshe's story starts with being expelled from Sighet.  When he returns, Moshe talks to anyone who will listen his story.  His story consists of how Jewish people like himself were ordered to dig trenches.  Then, one by one, the Nazis killed them.  The Nazis used infants as target practice.  Moshe hid amongst the dead bodies, and pretended he was dead. He believed that he was chosen to live so he could warn others of his experience. 

However, when the people of Sighet heard his story, they refused to believe him.  Some said that Moshe made up the story because he wanted pity. Others claimed that he had "gone mad" or that Moshe wanted money.  Moshe ends weeping because he is not believed and leaves Sighet once and for all.

Wiesel uses the story of Moshe the Beadle to show how dehumanization was a significant aspect of the Holocaust.  The Nazis dehumanized their victims, and, in turn, Wiesel suggests that some of the victims dehumanized one another. In the presentation of Moshe's story, Wiesel argues that the Holocaust is the net result of human cruelty towards one another.  

What are the quotes that show how Danforth represents Senator McCarthy?

In trying to find quotes that can link Danforth to McCarthy, you would want to find ideas that emphasize power.

Miller is skilled in how he makes power a character trait of Danforth.  In Act III, Danforth emphasizes that his court is "the highest court" and represents "the supreme government."  This is similar to how McCarthy felt that his proceedings of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee were above all else.  

When describing his work,...

In trying to find quotes that can link Danforth to McCarthy, you would want to find ideas that emphasize power.

Miller is skilled in how he makes power a character trait of Danforth.  In Act III, Danforth emphasizes that his court is "the highest court" and represents "the supreme government."  This is similar to how McCarthy felt that his proceedings of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee were above all else.  

When describing his work, McCarthy spoke about the extent to which he felt Communists had infiltrated into the American government:

"I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department."

In a similar way, Danforth says that as a result of his proceedings, "near to four hundred are in the jails...and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature."  

Finally, Danforth suggests, like McCarthy, that those who are "innocent" have nothing to fear in his court.  McCarthy insisted if someone was "innocent" of Communist sympathies or affiliations, they had nothing to fear in being called in front of the committee.  In much the same way, Danforth says that, "a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it...no uncorrupted man may fear this court."  In these quotes, Danforth is shown to represent McCarthy and shown as similar because of their possession of great power and control.

In December 2009, world leaders met in Copenhagen, Denmark, and reached a new agreement on GHG emissions. Prime Minister Stephen Harper of...

One of the largest limitations on the agreement is it is not legally binding on any of the countries that took part in it.  This was an attempt to continue to address the development of global warming, which is an increase in temperature world-wide.  One would think an attempt would be made to which all parties involved would at least swear legally to uphold.  Another limitation worthy of noting was there were only five countries...

One of the largest limitations on the agreement is it is not legally binding on any of the countries that took part in it.  This was an attempt to continue to address the development of global warming, which is an increase in temperature world-wide.  One would think an attempt would be made to which all parties involved would at least swear legally to uphold.  Another limitation worthy of noting was there were only five countries that upheld the agreement.  We are in a day and age where there are certainly more than five major players on the world scene, players that contribute to the aggregate buildup of greenhouse gases that promote global warming. A third limitation that would impend the success of the agreement was there were no clear targets or mechanisms established to achieve the goal in mind, that being to reduce global warming.  An agreement on the world stage of this type would, at the very least, identify specific ways or ideas related to the overlapping theme of reducing the things that cause the phenomenon known as global warming.

In the play The Crucible, were the Puritans good or bad? What was ironic about their actions?

It can be difficult to assign simplistic descriptions such as "good" or "bad" to human behavior; most people's actions fall somewhere between these two extremes. However, literature, and dramatic literature in particular, seeks to illuminate the human experience by portraying ordinary people in extreme situations. The Crucible was intended as a commentary upon contemporary events (the McCarthy hearings and the blacklisting that followed); but it also manages to shed light upon the Salem Witch Trials by portraying the human angle of what we know from recorded history.

Dramatic literature also works with themes, to help emphasize certain ideas, and one of the strongest themes in this play is one of hypocrisy. Though the residents of Salem are primarily Puritans in their beliefs, their behavior belies the vaunted morality of their religion. Puritanism was a fairly extreme sect of Christianity that was discriminated against in England where it originated; the Puritans sought to live by the words of scripture, and wanted to remove elements of Catholicism such as additional liturgy, ceremonies or rituals not found in the Bible. Therein lies one example of irony: in finding Catholic practices perverse or sinful, some of the Puritans of Salem became obsessed with the supernatural, in particular communion with Satan, and in these superstitious obsessions the rumors of witchcraft were born.

The "good" or "bad" behavior of the residents of Salem Village, as portrayed in the play, shows that some people claim to be pious but engage in many different sinful activities, the worst of which is lying. The girls who accuse their neighbors of witchcraft lie repeatedly, both in and out of the courtroom. There is also the suggestion of dishonesty among the magistrates. Even when people do not intentionally lie, their willingness to believe accusations against their neighbors belies their Puritanical practices.

It seems that some of the characters portrayed (most of them based on actual people) were truly good and pious individuals. Rebecca Nurse was one such person; a kind and pious woman, she refused to confess to being a witch when accused by the girls. Giles Corey was known to be opinionated but honest, and also refused to confess when accused. John Proctor was stubborn and outspoken, and even though he admitted to committing adultery in court, he refused to sign his name to a false confession to save his own life. All three of these people, in refusing to lie to save themselves, exemplify what was "good" in their religious outlook, even as they ironically were accused of, and executed for, the "crime" of witchcraft.

What's the point of studying the past? I need both arguments for and against.

As I see it, there are three main reasons for studying the past.

First, when we study our own country’s past, we learn more about who we are.  We learn about our shared heritage.  That can help create a sense of solidarity as citizens of our country.

Second, when we study the past, we learn more about how other people have lived.  As human beings, we only get (so far as we know) one life...

As I see it, there are three main reasons for studying the past.

First, when we study our own country’s past, we learn more about who we are.  We learn about our shared heritage.  That can help create a sense of solidarity as citizens of our country.

Second, when we study the past, we learn more about how other people have lived.  As human beings, we only get (so far as we know) one life on earth.  We only gain one set of experiences.  By studying history, we can experience others’ lives to some degree.  We can try to understand what it was like to be different people in different times and places.

Finally, we can say that we should study history so that we can learn from it.  The famous saying argues that people who do not study the past are doomed to repeat it.  This implies that, by studying the past, we can learn from the mistakes made by people in other times and places so we do not have to make those mistakes ourselves.

Of course, people can argue that there is no point to studying the past.  The main argument for this point of view is that the past is irrelevant.  The situations that arose in the past are not really the same as those we encounter today so they cannot teach us anything.  If the past cannot teach us anything, the only reason to study it is for fun.  If we do not think that it is fun, there is no reason to study it.

`tan(pi/4 - theta) = (1 - tan(theta))/(1 + tan(theta))` Prove the identity.

`tan(pi/4-theta)=(1-tan(theta))/(1+tan(theta))`

we will use the following formula to prove the identity,

`tan(A-B)=(tanA-tanB)/(1+tanAtanB)` 

LHS=`tan(pi/4-theta)`

`=(tan(pi/4)-tan(theta))/(1+tan(pi/4)tan(theta))`

plug in the value of tan(pi/4)=1,

`=(1-tan(theta))/(1+tan(theta))`

LHS=RHS, Hence proved.

`tan(pi/4-theta)=(1-tan(theta))/(1+tan(theta))`

we will use the following formula to prove the identity,

`tan(A-B)=(tanA-tanB)/(1+tanAtanB)` 

LHS=`tan(pi/4-theta)`

`=(tan(pi/4)-tan(theta))/(1+tan(pi/4)tan(theta))`

plug in the value of tan(pi/4)=1,

`=(1-tan(theta))/(1+tan(theta))`

LHS=RHS, Hence proved.

`195^@ = 225^@ - 30^@` Find the exact values of the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle.

`sin(u-v)=sin(u)cos(v)-cos(u)sin(v)`

`sin(225-30)=sin(225)cos(30)-cos(225)sin(30)`

`sin(225-30)=(-sqrt2/2)(sqrt3/2)-(-sqrt2/2)(1/2)=-sqrt2/4(sqrt3-1)`

`cos(u-v)=cos(u)cos(v)+sin(u)sin(v)`

`cos(225-30)=cos(225)cos(30)+sin(225)sin(30)`

`cos(225-30)=(-sqrt2/2)(sqrt3/2)+(-sqrt2/2)(1/2)=-sqrt2/4(sqrt3+1)`

`tan(u-v)=(tan(u)-tan(v))/(1+tan(u)tan(v))`

`tan(225-30)=(tan(225)-tan(30))/(1+tan(225)tan(30))=(1-(sqrt3/3))/(1+(1)(sqrt3/3))=(3-sqrt3)/(3+sqrt3)`

The rationalized answer is `2-sqrt3.`

`sin(u-v)=sin(u)cos(v)-cos(u)sin(v)`

`sin(225-30)=sin(225)cos(30)-cos(225)sin(30)`

`sin(225-30)=(-sqrt2/2)(sqrt3/2)-(-sqrt2/2)(1/2)=-sqrt2/4(sqrt3-1)`

`cos(u-v)=cos(u)cos(v)+sin(u)sin(v)`

`cos(225-30)=cos(225)cos(30)+sin(225)sin(30)`

`cos(225-30)=(-sqrt2/2)(sqrt3/2)+(-sqrt2/2)(1/2)=-sqrt2/4(sqrt3+1)`

`tan(u-v)=(tan(u)-tan(v))/(1+tan(u)tan(v))`

`tan(225-30)=(tan(225)-tan(30))/(1+tan(225)tan(30))=(1-(sqrt3/3))/(1+(1)(sqrt3/3))=(3-sqrt3)/(3+sqrt3)`

The rationalized answer is `2-sqrt3.`

If mere luck is not responsible for Bilbo's success, what is?

Although luck is a factor, most of Bilbo's success can be attributed to how clever and capable he is. His whole journey is started because Gandalf believes that he is the most qualified person (Hobbit) for the job; and even though he does not believe it at first, he eventually lives up to Gandalf's expectations because of his cleverness.

The first really clever thing he does is when he and the dwarves are captured by...

Although luck is a factor, most of Bilbo's success can be attributed to how clever and capable he is. His whole journey is started because Gandalf believes that he is the most qualified person (Hobbit) for the job; and even though he does not believe it at first, he eventually lives up to Gandalf's expectations because of his cleverness.

The first really clever thing he does is when he and the dwarves are captured by the goblins. He gets separated from his companions and ends up in Gollum's cave. This is an example where luck plays a part (ie. Bilbo accidentally stumbles upon the One Ring), but it is his cleverness that saves him from Gollum and gets him out of the goblin tunnels (ie. the riddles in the dark and tricking Gollum into leading him to the exit).

His next really clever moment is in Mirkwood, when he saves the dwarves from the spiders. His luck is that he has the One Ring, his cleverness is that he uses it to hide while he sings songs insulting the spiders, throwing rocks and using Sting to kill them. Also in Mirkwood, Bilbo uses the One Ring to sneak around in secret, eventually freeing his companions from their prisons.

Another of his most clever moments is with Smaug. He had learned after Gollum not to give out his name or any other information like that, so when Smaug was asking him questions in an attempt to figure out what Bilbo was, Bilbo only answered in riddles. And when Smaug left the mountain to go destroy Lake Town, Bilbo sent a thrush (a bird) to tell Bard the Bowman of Smaug's weak spot.

In the end, the biggest part luck played in Bilbo's successes was in the form of the One Ring: because he found it, he was able to do the things he did. But simply being invisible was not enough to make his plans work; he also had to be clever and resourceful.

`-6 + 8i` Plot the complex number and find its absolute value.

The absolute value of a complex number `z = a + b*i` is `|z| = sqrt(a^2 + b^2)` . According to this formula, you need to determine a and b, such that:

`a = -6, b = 8`

`|z| = sqrt((-6)^2 + 8^2)`

`|z| = sqrt(36 + 64)`

`|z| = sqrt 100`

`|z| = 10`

Hence, the distance of the complex number `z = -6 + 8i` from the origin is given by its absolute...

The absolute value of a complex number `z = a + b*i` is `|z| = sqrt(a^2 + b^2)` . According to this formula, you need to determine a and b, such that:

`a = -6, b = 8`

`|z| = sqrt((-6)^2 + 8^2)`

`|z| = sqrt(36 + 64)`

`|z| = sqrt 100`

`|z| = 10`

Hence, the distance of the complex number `z = -6 + 8i` from the origin is given by its absolute value `|z| = 10` .

In the Argand diagram, the complex number` z = -6 + 8i` is the point `(-6,8)` or the vector from the origin to the point `(-6,8)` .

Green Energy: Should every community be responsible for generating its own electricity? What are the risks and benefits of such energy production?

Ideally, yes, each and every community probably should be responsible for developing and administrating it's own power supply.  That probably will not happen until the current cost of traditional commercial production of electricity becomes exorbitantly expensive.  The only time the public gets "properly motivated" is when a commodity, such as electricity, becomes scarce or so expensive most people can not afford it.  So far, those conditions do not exist.  It makes for entertaining discussion and...

Ideally, yes, each and every community probably should be responsible for developing and administrating it's own power supply.  That probably will not happen until the current cost of traditional commercial production of electricity becomes exorbitantly expensive.  The only time the public gets "properly motivated" is when a commodity, such as electricity, becomes scarce or so expensive most people can not afford it.  So far, those conditions do not exist.  It makes for entertaining discussion and debate, but until the consumer gets hit in his or her pocketbook, the status quo will probably continue, unabated.  After the people in the community get motivated to adapt a new energy production method, they must examine their raw materials to see which one is better suited to what exists in their section of the planet.  Solar power is great, if you have extended exposure to the sun.  What if you don't?  Then, we must turn our attention to one of the other alternative energy production techniques, such as wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or biomass energy.  Each specific area will have to see which one is more conducive to their locale.

In Lord of the Flies, what's the author's attitude towards the characters (i.e. Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Jack, etc.) and what are some examples in the...

The descriptors Golding uses to portray the characters defines his attitude toward them. He presents Ralph, for example, in a very positive light. In chapter one he describes him as "the boy with fair hair" and later "the fair boy." His view of Piggy, though, is less positive. The descriptions Golding gives of him are in stark contrast to those of Ralph and are not very complimentary. Golding describes him wearing a "greasy wind-breaker" and states that "the naked crooks of his knees were plump...." He furthermore states that "he was shorter than the fair boy and very fat."    

In his later description of Ralph, Golding conveys a very positive image of him and mentions the following:

You could see now that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil.

When Golding describes Jack, he uses language that contrasts with what he says of Ralph. At first, Jack is not particularly marked out, but the description points out that he is part of a menacing and sinister group of approaching boys.

...something dark was fumbling along.

Then the creature stepped from mirage on to clear sand, and they saw that the darkness was not all shadow but mostly clothing. The creature was a party of boys, marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing.

Further descriptions of Jack depict a lean, aggressive individual. The fact that he is wearing a cloak adds to the mystery and accentuates his sinister appearance. Golding says the following about him:

Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness. Out of this face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now, and turning, or ready to turn, to anger.

Golding's description of Simon suggests a physically weak but striking individual.

Now that the pallor of his faint was over, he was a skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse.

Simon is later, in chapter 3, described thus:

He was a small, skinny boy, his chin pointed, and his eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked. The coarse mop of black hair was long and swung down, almost concealing a low, broad forehead.

The focus on his glance and the brightness of his eyes suggests that Simon can (and will) see things that others cannot.

The twins, Sam and Eric, are described as bullet-headed, which clearly implies that Golding wishes to portray them as not particularly intelligent. The novel depicts them as secondary individuals who are always ready to follow instructions.  

The descriptions of the littluns present them as weak, afraid, playful, and careless. Their fear becomes a metaphor for not only the boys' fear in general but also humankind's fear of everything it cannot or refuses to understand.

When Golding focuses on specific individuals, he wishes to make clear what they represent. He describes Roger as "dark" and "furtive." The description paints a picture of someone who is more animal than human.

...the shock of black hair, down his nape and low on his forehead, seemed to suit his gloomy face and made what had seemed at first an unsociable remoteness into something forbidding.

This portrayal suggests malice and is illustrated later when Roger throws stones at the unsuspecting littluns and, in chapter 11, releases the boulder that kills Piggy and smashes the conch.

Golding's purpose is clear. The physical and other descriptions of the characters denote their function in the novel and allude to their natures. The narrative suggests that humankind intrinsically possesses both good and evil qualities and that we have a choice about which of the two we will allow to dominate us.

How important is democracy today?

Democracy is very important today. If we look at the past and the present, we can see why democracies must exist. In both world wars, countries led by dictatorships or monarchs were responsible for the start of each war. Several countries that had some form of democracy were being attacked. The people who lived in these nondemocratic countries, Germany, Japan, and Italy, had far fewer freedoms than the people who lived in democratic countries such...

Democracy is very important today. If we look at the past and the present, we can see why democracies must exist. In both world wars, countries led by dictatorships or monarchs were responsible for the start of each war. Several countries that had some form of democracy were being attacked. The people who lived in these nondemocratic countries, Germany, Japan, and Italy, had far fewer freedoms than the people who lived in democratic countries such as the United States.

As we fast-forward to today, we see something similar. It is the countries where some form of democracy exists that are fighting the spread of terrorism. The people who live in countries that support terrorism have far fewer rights than the people who live in democratic countries. The same is true in countries that don't have democratic governments. The standard of living and the economy tend to be better in countries where some form of democracy exists. Countries like the United States, Great Britain, and Canada are examples. It is fair to conclude that without democracy, the world would be a much less free place than it is today. If we look at countries like Cuba, North Korea, and China, we see people living in poor conditions with very few rights. A handful of people controls much of what occurs in these countries while the masses live in fear of expressing themselves religiously, politically, and economically.

How is sexuality a theme throughout these letters?

Letters to a Young Poet consists of ten letters written by the poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, to an aspiring writer, Franz Xaver Kappus.

Although Rilke advises Kappus on matters pertaining to life and to the true authorial voice, the theme of sexuality is both a latent and driving force behind every piece of valuable counsel in the letters.

You have characterized him quite well with the phrase: "living and writing in heat." And in fact the artist's experience lies so unbelievably close to the sexual, to its pain and its pleasure, that the two phenomena are really just different forms of one and the same longing and bliss... His poetic power is great and as strong as a primal instinct; it has its own relentless rhythms in itself and explodes from him like a volcano. (from the Third Letter).

Throughout the letters, Rilke tells Kappus not to be so anxious to write well that he forgets to experience life and to be open to new influences and lessons which will enrich his writing.

I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them... Sex is difficult; yes. But those tasks that have been entrusted to us are difficult; almost everything serious is difficult; and everything is serious. (from the Fourth Letter).

In Rilke's words, good sex takes effort and 'relentless rhythms' to achieve that frenzy of agonizing pleasure that is savored at the apex of desire. Likewise, good writing involves a similar struggle. In fact, Rilke hypothesizes that anything worthy of achievement in life involves patient, formidable struggle:

Most people have (with the help of conventions) turned their solutions toward what is easy and toward the easiest side of the easy; but it is clear that we must trust in what is difficult; everything alive trusts in it, everything, in Nature grows and defends itself any way it can and is spontaneously itself, tries to be itself at all costs and against all opposition. It is also good to love: because love is difficult... (from the Seventh Letter).

Furthermore, in order to prepare to love, one must learn how to love. This, in itself, is often a solitary process of self-examination and contemplation before one can consider 'merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person.' Likewise, every good piece of writing involves a quiet seeking of the self; it is this silent virtue of achieving personal equilibrium which births written works of the greatest beauty and emotion.

...your solitude will expand and become a place where you can live in the twilight, where the noise of other people passes by, far in the distance. And if out of , this turning within, out of this immersion in your own world, poems come, then you will not think of asking anyone whether they are good or not. (from the First Letter).

So, you can see that the theme of sexuality recapitulates the personal struggles of every good writer who eventually produces works of the greatest clarity and beauty.

What special preparation does Gatsby make for having tea with Daisy at Nick's cottage?

Gatsby is extremely nervous about his forthcoming meeting with Daisy. He has the grass cut in front of Nick's home and then fills the cottage with flowers from his greenhouse. All of Gatsby's agitation is largely intended to explain why he has taken such roundabout means of obtaining a meeting with Daisy. He has built a mansion and holds extravagant parties every week with the hope that Daisy might show up at one of them. This, of course, gives F. Scott Fitzgerald an opportunity to describes the kind of behavior that is so much associated with the Roaring Twenties,, a spree which itself was doomed to end in disillusionment and disaster.

Gatsby is supposed to be a tough guy, and ordinarily he is cool and poised. But Daisy makes him feel and act like a high-school boy on his first date. She is a dream, an illusion, a fantasy. He has a totally unrealistic picture of her. She never really does or says anything out of the ordinary. She is just a pretty girl, but she represents the upper class to which Gatsby aspires to rise and to which he knows he does not really belong. 

It is possible to climb one rung up the social ladder in American life. It is even possible to climb two. But it is impossible for any young man from the bottom class to climb all the way to the top in one lifetime. We see how Clyde Griffiths' life ends tragically in Theodore Dreiser's great masterpiece An American Tragedy (1925). William Dean Howells writes about the same internal and external obstacles to upward social mobility in The Rise of Silas Lapham  (1885). William Makepeace Thackeray dealt with the theme in The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844), as did Stendhal in Le Rouge et Le Noir (The Red and the Black) in that 1830 novel.

All of Gatsby's preparations for his long-awaited meeting with Daisy show his inferiority complex and his false position in Daisy's world. He never had a chance to fulfill his dreams about winning her away from her husband and daughter or from the Olympian world in which she was one of the demigoddesses.  

Was the killing of Julius Caesar moral or not moral?

This is a major debate throughout the play. Brutus fears that Caesar will become king, which would destroy the republic of Rome and turn it into a monarchy. It is a possibility: Mark Antony offers Caesar the crown three times in front of a cheering crowd, and Casca claims that the people would praise Caesar even if he “had stabbed their mothers.”

Brutus spends much of Julius Caesar convincing himself to kill his friend. He worries about whether power would corrupt Caesar: “He would be crown'd: / How that might change his nature, there's the question.” Perhaps making him king would “put a sting in him.” Brutus decides that killing Caesar is not personal: “Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers ... / We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar.”

At Caesar’s funeral, Brutus and Antony give speeches that support and condemn Caesar’s murder. Brutus announces that he cared for Caesar: “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” He killed him for the Roman people, not for himself. (The other conspirators do not seem to have such noble motives.)

Antony argues that Caesar was a dear friend, to him and the people of Rome. Caesar refused the crown the three times it was offered, a sign that he wasn’t as ambitious as Brutus claimed. Caesar also donated money to every Roman citizen in his will, again demonstrating that maybe he was a more salutary than dangerous to the Roman people.

Even if Caesar did aim for the throne, there is also the question as to whether it is moral to conspire to murder one’s friend for political purposes. Antony emphasizes Brutus’s personal betrayal of Caesar:

For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all…

Unfortunately for Brutus, Caesar is not simply an idea. He is a man. When the conspirators stabbed him, Caesar had not yet taken the throne or been corrupted by it. Brutus is tormented by guilt, and Rome is eventually ruled by a series of emperors. Perhaps he was on the right side of history by aiming for a more equal society, but Brutus as well as the republic of Rome could not live with the decision that Brutus made.

What is Fitzgerald's purpose in contrasting the images of "hard rock" and "wet marshes" in the following passage from The Great Gatsby? "And,...

In this passage from The Great Gatsby, Nick employs contrasting metaphors to explore the lack of morality present in the Old Money characters, particularly Daisy and Tom Buchanan, whose "careless" behavior Nick rebukes at the end of the novel.

The phrase “Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes” is a metaphor that explores two different foundations, like that of a building. Conduct, or, as Nick implies here, behavior based on...

In this passage from The Great Gatsby, Nick employs contrasting metaphors to explore the lack of morality present in the Old Money characters, particularly Daisy and Tom Buchanan, whose "careless" behavior Nick rebukes at the end of the novel.

The phrase “Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes” is a metaphor that explores two different foundations, like that of a building. Conduct, or, as Nick implies here, behavior based on morals, can be solid and unshakeable if founded on “hard rock,” while the conduct of those who have it founded on “wet marshes” really lack a moral compass.

Throughout the novel, Daisy, Tom and Jordan Baker exert a certain carelessness about their activities. Tom flaunts his affair with a poor woman and doesn’t care about smashing her nose in when she upsets him. Daisy jumps right into an affair with Gatsby without concern for how it will affect those around her. (It’s interesting to note that Nick does not hold Gatsby to the same moral standards as Daisy despite him engaging in just as immoral behavior.) Jordan explains that she's a “rotten driver” but that other people will “keep out of [her] way,” so she doesn't have to be more careful.

At the end of the novel, Nick explains the result of these characters’ conduct that was built on “wet marshes”: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and people and retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let others clean up the mess they made . . .”

Nick, meanwhile, seems to believe his conduct was built on “solid rock,” but this belief is hard to justify as he was implicit in his approval of Daisy’s, Gatsby’s and Tom’s behavior throughout. Unfortunately for Nick, his behavior seems to be built on the same “wet marshes” as the others major characters.

What cautionary messages is Washington Irving sending through Rip Van Winkle’s mishaps?

The message or moral presented in "Rip Van Winkle" is that if you don't work while you are young and don't make something of yourself, you will wake up one day and find that you have grown old, you can no longer do anything to make a decent living, you are dependent on others to take care of you, and that life has passed you by. Time passes so quickly in life that it can...

The message or moral presented in "Rip Van Winkle" is that if you don't work while you are young and don't make something of yourself, you will wake up one day and find that you have grown old, you can no longer do anything to make a decent living, you are dependent on others to take care of you, and that life has passed you by. Time passes so quickly in life that it can seem as if you have grown old overnight just like Rip Van Winkle. You look in the mirror and you don't even recognize yourself with those gray hairs and all those lines and wrinkles. You realize too late that you wasted your life on nothing but frivolities. You thought you had all the time in the world, but now you realize that all of your precious time has run out. Henry James alludes to these feelings in the phrase "the retribution of time." Life is a struggle for existence for almost all living creatures. The wise man, like the ant in the fable of "The Grasshopper and the Ant," prepares ahead of time. The Bible says:

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
                                        Proverbs 6:6-8 (King James Version)

The narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum" is often uncertain about how much time has elapsed and about the physical details of the prison. What...

At the beginning of the story, this unfortunately does not indicate much about the state of the narrator's mind because he is stuck in absolute darkness in his cell, and thus it is impossible for him to see anything or know anything for sure about the physical details of his prison. However, despite how difficult it was, he attempted to measure out his prison, trying to determine the size and shape of the cell in which he was being held. Unfortunately, he passes out in the middle of his measuring, and when he wakes up, his "confusion of mind" has him measuring the entire cell again and thinking it was only the other half rather than a redoubling of his previous measurements. Of course, he is also drugged by his food at a couple of points, so this does not help his state of mind either.

As for the passage of time, without any windows to the outside world to allow him to see the sun, even if he was in the best state of mind, he would have had to count the seconds to know exactly how much time had passed. In absolute darkness, one can only guess at how much time has passed, and that gets harder as the time gets longer, especially when bouts of unconsciousness are thrown in to the mix.

The narrator's uncertainty can suggest that he is a bit confused, but that is most likely from the absolute darkness that he finds himself trapped in.

How do humans affect the leadership of Napoleon?

In the first two chapters of Animal Farm, humans inspire Napoleon to become a leader in the revolution. Moved by Major's speech in Chapter One, Napoleon realises that humans exploit animals for their own benefit and he, along with the other pigs, develops the theory of Animalism and prepares for the revolution which follows.

But Napoleon's desire to make positive changes on the farm does not last. Through his association with humans, Napoleon becomes...

In the first two chapters of Animal Farm, humans inspire Napoleon to become a leader in the revolution. Moved by Major's speech in Chapter One, Napoleon realises that humans exploit animals for their own benefit and he, along with the other pigs, develops the theory of Animalism and prepares for the revolution which follows.

But Napoleon's desire to make positive changes on the farm does not last. Through his association with humans, Napoleon becomes increasingly self-interested and tyrannical. In Chapter Six, for example, he hires Mr Whymper, a solicitor, to work as an intermediary between himself and other humans so that he can maximise his profits on the farm. Later, in Chapter Nine, Napoleon colludes with Alfred Simmonds, a horse slaughterer, to sell Boxer, while claiming to the other animals that he is a vet. 

In addition, humans have a profound effect on Napoleon's sense of identity. He appears to view humans as the ultimate leaders and transforms himself accordingly. In Chapter Six, for instance, Napoleon and the pigs leave the barn and begin sleeping in the farmhouse. We see further evidence of this in the closing chapter of the book. Napoleon is wearing clothes, carrying a whip and walking on two legs. 

In an ironic twist, then, Napoleon has become the very human that he sought to eradicate, and Animal Farm is ultimately the story of his grotesque transformation.

How did the Civil War affect its people?

The Civil War had a big impact on the American people. One impact is that it split families. There were families who had members fighting on both sides of the war. Some of these divided families faced the death of family members from the fighting on both sides of the war. This issue also divided families whose members saw the critical issues in different ways.

Many friendships also ended as a result of the Civil...

The Civil War had a big impact on the American people. One impact is that it split families. There were families who had members fighting on both sides of the war. Some of these divided families faced the death of family members from the fighting on both sides of the war. This issue also divided families whose members saw the critical issues in different ways.

Many friendships also ended as a result of the Civil War. People who lived and worked in Washington, D.C. who were from the South had to leave the capital to return to their home states. This ended many social and political friendships. Additionally, individuals lost contact with friends in each region. It wasn’t safe to travel between the North and the South. Mail service was no longer reliable.

Many northern farms got raided by Confederate rebels during the war. These rebels came to the North in search of food. They would raid these farmers in order to get needed food supplies. Toward the end of the war, the South was totally destroyed by the Union armies. There was devastation throughout the South.

Two other impacts were the loss of life and the emotional toll the war took on people from both sides. Over 600,000 Americans died. It was difficult for Americans to accept that they would kill each other because they couldn’t agree on issues. From the founding of our country up to the Civil War, we were able to resolve our differences peacefully. It was an emotional blow to see Americans fighting Americans. The Civil War had a tremendous impact on our people.

Why was the discovery of America so significant?

The "discovery of the Americas" is perhaps more accurately described as a collision of European and American peoples and cultures. This had profound long-term effects. It led to the exploration and colonization of both continents by Europeans, a process that proceeded along with the expropriation of lands from Native Americans. It also played a role in the rise of European powers, notably Spain and later England, whose power was derived in no small part from...

The "discovery of the Americas" is perhaps more accurately described as a collision of European and American peoples and cultures. This had profound long-term effects. It led to the exploration and colonization of both continents by Europeans, a process that proceeded along with the expropriation of lands from Native Americans. It also played a role in the rise of European powers, notably Spain and later England, whose power was derived in no small part from the wealth they extracted from their American empire. The colonies played a prominent role in European wars, especially between Britain and France, in the eighteenth century. Of course, in the long run, the major result of the "discovery" of the Americas was an event that nobody at the time could have foreseen--the rise of the nations of the Americas as independent countries.

At the time, though, the main significance of the event was what modern historians call the "Columbian Exchange." This was the exchange of animals, plants, and diseases between two continents separated by millions of years of evolution. The most striking and tragic aspect of this exchange was the exposure of Native Americans to European diseases like smallpox and typhus, to which they had no immunity. These diseases wiped out millions of people throughout the Americas, destroying ancient civilizations. Europeans also introduced animals like swine, chickens, cattle, and horses which were not native to the Americas. Meanwhile, maize, potatoes and other crops made their way to Europe.  

What was Alexander Hamilton's program for dealing with national and state debt?

After the Constitution was ratified, one issue we had to face was our debt. Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, developed a plan to pay our debt. Alexander Hamilton wanted to combine the debts of the state governments and the national government into one, large federal debt. He wanted to issue new bonds and also use tax revenue to pay off the debt. This plan was very controversial.

The controversy centered on several issues....

After the Constitution was ratified, one issue we had to face was our debt. Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, developed a plan to pay our debt. Alexander Hamilton wanted to combine the debts of the state governments and the national government into one, large federal debt. He wanted to issue new bonds and also use tax revenue to pay off the debt. This plan was very controversial.

The controversy centered on several issues. Some states, mainly southern states, had paid their debt. Now they were going to have to cover the debt of other states. They weren’t happy about this scenario. Some people believed the plan was unconstitutional since the Constitution said nothing about the federal government paying off debts with such a plan. Also, there was significant concern about redeeming the old bonds, issued during the Revolutionary War, at full value. Many people sold those bonds to northern speculators for a fraction of the full value of the bond. Now the speculators would make a lot of money if Hamilton’s plan went through. The northerners would benefit more than southerners.

To pass the plan, a compromise was reached. In order for southerners to support the plan, the capital would move to Washington, D.C. from New York. Virginia and Maryland would donate the land for the capital. This compromise was accepted, the debt plan went into effect, and the capital eventually moved to Washington, D.C.

What do rats symbolize in the book 1984?

In 1984, the rats represent Winston's deepest fears because he is more afraid of them than of anything else. On a deeper level, however, the rats also symbolize the extent of the Party's control over the people of Oceania. In Part Three, Chapter Five, for example, O'Brien describes the rats as being "intelligent" and deliberately preying on the "sick and dying." Just like the rats, the Party also uses its intelligence to prey...

In 1984, the rats represent Winston's deepest fears because he is more afraid of them than of anything else. On a deeper level, however, the rats also symbolize the extent of the Party's control over the people of Oceania. In Part Three, Chapter Five, for example, O'Brien describes the rats as being "intelligent" and deliberately preying on the "sick and dying." Just like the rats, the Party also uses its intelligence to prey on and manipulate Party members. The Thought Police, the telescreens, and Room 101 are the instruments of violence and terror (much like the rats' claws and teeth). The rats are a particularly appropriate symbol of the Party's power because they illustrate how the Party has been able to dig deep into Winston's most private thoughts and fears to find the thing that will terrorize him most.

The rats, too, are single-minded in their pursuit of prey. O'Brien, for example, tells Winston that a baby cannot be left alone in the poor quarter, even for five minutes, because the rats are certain to attack it. This is symbolic of the Party's relentless pursuit of power: the Party will never let go of power and control, just as the rats will never relinquish an opportunity to feed or attack. 

How does David Sedaris establish a humorous tone in the first two paragraphs? What details contribute to this tone?

In order to establish a humorous tone in the first two paragraphs of his essay "Me Talk Pretty One Day," David Sedaris does two things: 1. He creates an absurd character (himself), and 2. He places this character in an uncomfortable setting.

In the opening paragraph, Sedaris establishes himself as an absurd character. He opens the essay with his age ("At the age of forty-one...") and then goes on to call himself a "true debutant." He explains that he's moved to France to go back to school to learn French, but he's really excited about having a student ID which allows him discounts at places, particularly an amusement park with an advertisement that really excites him (it "advertises with billboards picturing a cartoon stegosaurus sitting in a canoe and eating what appears to be a ham sandwich.").

Then Sedaris creates an intimidating setting that he is entering. Everyone who attends the school, except for himself, spoke French well. In addition, the students were all "young, attractive, and well dressed." He explains that he feels completely out of place "not unlike Pa Kettle trapped backstage after a fashion show."

By placing an absurd character in an intimidating situation, Sedaris is telling his readers to expect the unexpected.

How did music change during the Harlem Renaissance?

To understand how music changed during the Harlem Renaissance, you also need to understand how the Great Migration impacted the culture of the North.  Around the turn of the 20th century, a huge population of blacks started migrating from the South to the North in search of jobs, education, and other opportunities not found in the South.  The South was still a place of oppression and racism with its Jim Crow laws and incidents of...

To understand how music changed during the Harlem Renaissance, you also need to understand how the Great Migration impacted the culture of the North.  Around the turn of the 20th century, a huge population of blacks started migrating from the South to the North in search of jobs, education, and other opportunities not found in the South.  The South was still a place of oppression and racism with its Jim Crow laws and incidents of lynching.  Blacks were looking for a safer place to live, and one where they could get ahead financially.  The larger industrial cities in the North received the most migrants and include, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburg, and of course, New York City. 

With them, migrants brought the Blues and instruments of the South.  Primarily acoustical instruments like guitars, banjos, and homemade instruments, they were packed and brought along with their clothing and material possessions.  Blues was the predominant style of music in the South while the North was revving up with Ragtime music like that of Scott Joplin.  Because the North had electricity everywhere, the electric guitar was invented, and the two different music genres combined to form a new one, jazz. 

The meeting of the urban Northern black culture with the rural Southern black culture caused a beautiful melding of the styles, themes, and experiences into a new, unique black experience.   Born from two styles of music, jazz became overwhelmingly popular across all cultures in the United States.

In Ernest Rutherford’s gold foil experiment, most positively charged particles passed through the foil, but a few particles were deflected...

Rutherford inferred from the results of his gold foil experiment that the positive charge and mass of an atom are concentrated in a very small area in the center, and that atoms are mostly empty space. This led to the first nuclear model of the atom with the protons in what's now called the nucleus and electrons outside the nucleus. 

Rutherford used a radioactive source to bombard a thin sheet of gold foil with positive...

Rutherford inferred from the results of his gold foil experiment that the positive charge and mass of an atom are concentrated in a very small area in the center, and that atoms are mostly empty space. This led to the first nuclear model of the atom with the protons in what's now called the nucleus and electrons outside the nucleus. 

Rutherford used a radioactive source to bombard a thin sheet of gold foil with positive alpha particles. A screen similar to a photographic film detected the particles. The paths of the particles could be determined by where they hit the screen. Since most alpha particles passed through undeflected, Rutherford concluded that most of the space of the atom did not contain positive charge or significant mass. Very few deflected straight back, indicating that they had been directed toward a positive area of the atom. (Positive charges repel each other.) This led to the conclusion that the positive area is a very small part of the atom. Some particles were deflected at other angles, as if they had interacted with the positive area but not hit it straight on. Rutherford concluded the regions deflecting the alpha particles must be not only positively charged, but also heavier than the rest of the atom in order to deflect the relatively large alpha particles. 

Explain any three principles of Behaviourism.

Behaviourism is an approach to studying animal and human psychology that focuses on observable characteristics or behaviour only. Behaviourism grew in response to 17th and 18th century Mentalism that believed all source of knowledge to be derived from innate and intuitive mechanisms inside the mind. The behavioural approach was propounded by John Watson and later supported by psychologists like Skinner. Behaviourism ruled psychology (and even had a profound impact on fields like linguistics) during the early 20th century, but lost popularity after the mid-20th century paradigm shift towards Cognitivism. Some of the main behavioural assumptions and principles are as follows:

The source of truth and knowledge is only that which is observable and can be proven with empirical evidence. Behaviourism does not engage itself with events that happen inside the mind like intuition, thinking and other mental faculties, as these cannot be objectively studied and measured in any way.

All observable behaviour is an outcome of a person’s environment. In other words, response is conditioned by stimulus. Behaviourists try to study and measure these stimuli and responses under controlled laboratory experiments. The behavioural assumptions were even extended to emotional responses and language (verbal behaviour) by Skinner.

All behaviour is learnt from the environment alone. At birth, the mind is like an empty slate (tabula rasa).

One of the main behavioural principles is that the response from the environment has consequences on the possibility or intensity of behaviour (operant conditioning). Hence, a reward from the environment leads to positive reinforcement (increased or repeated behaviour). Punishment has an opposite effect of that of reinforcement (weakened or suppressed behaviour).

In James Joyce's "Eveline," what does Eveline's father think about Frank?

In James Joyce's story "Eveline," Eveline's father forbids her from having anything to do with Frank because, as he says, "I know these sailor chaps." There are two ways in which this can be interpreted:

1. Eveline's father is attempting to protect his daughter from  this "sailor chap." 


2. Eveline's father would object to anyone who courts his daughter because it would disrupt his lifestyle.

Like all Joyce stories, the answer is probably not simple and is...

In James Joyce's story "Eveline," Eveline's father forbids her from having anything to do with Frank because, as he says, "I know these sailor chaps." There are two ways in which this can be interpreted:

1. Eveline's father is attempting to protect his daughter from  this "sailor chap." 


2. Eveline's father would object to anyone who courts his daughter because it would disrupt his lifestyle.

Like all Joyce stories, the answer is probably not simple and is perhaps a combination of the two possibilities. 

Eveline's father is dependent on his daughter as he counts on her to keep the household together. He would take all of Eveline's wages and then after spending much of them as he would come home "fairly bad of a Saturday night" (drunk), he relies on the girl to do Sunday's shopping. In addition, he counts on her "to keep the house together and to see that the two young children who had been left to her charge went to school regularly and got their meals regularly. If Eveline leaves with Frank, all of this stops and her father must figure out how to make it on his own.

However, it's also possible that Eveline's father is right about Frank being one of those "sailor chaps." Throughout Dubliners, the collection of stories that includes "Eveline," sailors are seen as perhaps untrustworthy. In one of the book's previous stories, "An Encounter," the boys go on a boat looking for adventure. In recent analysis of the story, some experts believe it is possible that Frank was not attempting to woo Eveline toward a marriage, but was tricking her into becoming a sex slave.

How does Fitzgerald present love as a destructive force?

F. Scott Fitzgerald showed how love was destructive primarily through what Jay Gatsby gave up to win the heart of Daisy Buchanan.  Gatsby was so obsessed with Daisy, it was all he was focused on.  His entire existence at the beginning of the novel was to tempt her to one of his lavish parties so he would see her again.  Throughout the novel, everything he did, from planning the perfect lunch to buying the most...

F. Scott Fitzgerald showed how love was destructive primarily through what Jay Gatsby gave up to win the heart of Daisy Buchanan.  Gatsby was so obsessed with Daisy, it was all he was focused on.  His entire existence at the beginning of the novel was to tempt her to one of his lavish parties so he would see her again.  Throughout the novel, everything he did, from planning the perfect lunch to buying the most beautiful pale pink shirts, was to impress her.  The obsession destroyed his life.

He also denied his past and family by changing his name from Gatz to Gatsby.  Gatsby originally came from a poor family and was not part of Daisy’s social class.  At the end of the novel, Gatsby’s father showed up to the funeral, and Nick was amazed to meet him because Gatsby never talked about his family.  Gatsby was ashamed of his family and destroyed that love to achieve Daisy’s affection.

Another thing that his love for Daisy destroyed was his integrity and honesty.  In order to become rich, Gatsby was involved in illegal activities of some sort with Wolfshiem.   Since the novel was set in the 1920s, bootlegging liquor could be the business he was in to make his money. 

Because of his love for Daisy, Gatsby gave up and destroyed his ideals, his family values, and his integrity.  He destroyed his old self to become the new Gatsby in hopes of impressing a love he could never attain.  

What are three things that Jacob Marley teaches Scrooge?

In Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol,Jacob Marley, and the three ghosts that manifest, teach Scrooge a number of life lessons during their nocturnal visitation. Jacob Marley is tormented in the afterlife because of his miserly ways. The first ghost reminds Scrooge of Christmas scenes from his past, the second examines those of the present, and the third enlightens him to the future. As they look at scenes from his childhood and young adulthood, they...

In Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley, and the three ghosts that manifest, teach Scrooge a number of life lessons during their nocturnal visitation. Jacob Marley is tormented in the afterlife because of his miserly ways. The first ghost reminds Scrooge of Christmas scenes from his past, the second examines those of the present, and the third enlightens him to the future. As they look at scenes from his childhood and young adulthood, they see Scrooge as a neglected child who turns into a young businessman who loves money. Scrooge learns that his love for money cost him the chance to have a family as he sees his former girlfriend celebrating Christmas with her new family. As they examine the present Christmas, Scrooge sees home scenes of his employee Bob Cratchit. Although the family can barely make ends meet, they are happy with each other’s company as they celebrate a meager Christmas. The Cratchit family has concerns for the life of their son, Tiny Tim, who will die if he does not receive the proper medical care. Scrooge learns that family relationships and love are more important than the outward trappings of Christmas. The family is happy in their togetherness while Scrooge is alone and lonely. As they move into the future, Scrooge sees himself alone in death. He learns that he can change his ways and he does. He provides a raise for Bob Cratchit, care for Tiny Tim, and celebrates Christmas by taking to the streets and sharing his cheer.

There are many moral lessons to be gleaned from the story about the importance of relationships and human interaction, how to use money as a tool, and the ability to mend past discretions.

If the velocity of light 'C', the gravitational constant 'G' and Planck's constant 'h' are chosen as the fundamental units,...

What an interesting question! In the current system of measurements, the fundamental units are the units of length [L] = meters, time [t] = seconds, and mass [M] = kilograms. (There is also the unit of electric charge, Coulomb, but this is not relevant to this question.) All other quantities are measured in the units that are composed from the fundamental units.

For example, velocity is measured in meters per second, m/s, force is measured...

What an interesting question! In the current system of measurements, the fundamental units are the units of length [L] = meters, time [t] = seconds, and mass [M] = kilograms. (There is also the unit of electric charge, Coulomb, but this is not relevant to this question.) All other quantities are measured in the units that are composed from the fundamental units.

For example, velocity is measured in meters per second, m/s, force is measured in Newtons: `1 N = (kg*m)/s^2` , and work is measured in Joules: `1J= (kg*m^2)/s^2` .

Now, we are going to assume that the units in which the speed of light c, gravitational constant G and Plank's constant h are measured are the fundamental units, and compose the units of measurement of mass, kilograms, from them.

The speed of light is `c = 3*10^8 m/s` ; [c] = m/s.

The gravitational constant is `G = 6.67*10^(-11) m^3/(kg*s^2)` ; `[G] = m^3/(kg*s^2)`

The Planck's constant is `h = 6.63*10^(-34) (m^2*kg)/s` ; `[h] = (m^2*kg)/s`

Note that the kilograms, the unit we need to express through [c], [G], and [h], is found in the denominator of [G] and the numerator of [h]. So the only way to produce kilograms while involving both is to divide one by another:

`([h])/([G]) = (m^2*kg)/s / (m^3/(kg*s^2)) = (m^2*kg)/s * (kg*s^2)/m^3`

Simplifying this results in `([h])/([G]) = (kg^2*s)/m` .

Notice that s/m is the reciprocal of the units of velocity: [c] = m/s, so

`([h])/([G]) = (kg^2)/([c])`

Now we can express the kilograms in terms of the new "fundamental" units:

`kg^2 = ([h]*[c])/([G])` and

`kg = sqrt(([h]*[c])/([G]))`

So the dimensions of mass will be

`([h]^(1/2) * [c]^(1/2))/([G]^(1/2))` .

What are some recurrent themes in Emily Dickinson’s poetry? How does her poetic format differ from that of other poets?

Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet who wrote on a wide variety of topics; however, some of her recurrent themes are nature, death, love, and emotions, especially grief. Examples of her nature poems are 1096, which describes a meeting with a snake, and 359, which describes a bird eating a worm. Some of her most famous poems about death are ones in which she seems to describe her own demise, such as "Because I could...

Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet who wrote on a wide variety of topics; however, some of her recurrent themes are nature, death, love, and emotions, especially grief. Examples of her nature poems are 1096, which describes a meeting with a snake, and 359, which describes a bird eating a worm. Some of her most famous poems about death are ones in which she seems to describe her own demise, such as "Because I could not stop for Death" (479) and "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" (591). Dickinson's love poetry has engendered much interest, because she never married, and the object(s) of these poems remain a mystery. They include "I'm 'wife' - I've finished that" (225) and "Wild nights - Wild nights!" (269). Two poems that powerfully describe the grief of loss are "I felt a Funeral in my Brain" (340) and "After great pain, a formal feeling comes" (372). Yet Dickinson wrote of ecstasy as well, as in "I taste a liquor never brewed" (207). Regarding the formatting of her poems, Dickinson commonly wrote in iambic in a form called "fourteeners," meaning alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. However, many poems use very short lines and irregular meter. One hallmark of her poetry is slant rhyme--using rhymes that are not exact, but "near" rhymes. Finally, erratic capitalization and liberal use of the dash within and at the ends of lines differentiate Dickinson's poetry from other poets of her time, or before or after her, making her poetry unique. 

What is a potential response for an essay on the topic: How does power corrupt Macbeth?

The essay topic given to you has a number of different responses that one can give.  The most robust response will discuss the corruption of a man one was given the chance to become powerful and then he continued to commit terrible actions in order to remain powerful. Macbeth, in the early part of the play, commits an act that is extraordinarily out of character in order to gain power and fulfill the witches' prophecies....

The essay topic given to you has a number of different responses that one can give.  The most robust response will discuss the corruption of a man one was given the chance to become powerful and then he continued to commit terrible actions in order to remain powerful. Macbeth, in the early part of the play, commits an act that is extraordinarily out of character in order to gain power and fulfill the witches' prophecies.  When the reader first meets Macbeth, he is a strong and noble man who is a fierce warrior and a loyal subject.  Along these lines, the murder of King Duncan is far out of character for Macbeth.  This first murder and the power that comes with attaining the title of king allows Macbeth to pursue more and more evildoing in order to secure further power.  For example, he kills his close friend Banquo to ensure that Banquo's blood line will not take over the crown.  Then he murders MacDuff's family in order to fend off the possibility that MacDuff might bring him harm.  From the moment that Macbeth is enticed by the witches' prophecy, his pursuit of power (blind ambition) leads him to commit more and more bloodshed.  

A sample thesis statement that you might consider would be: Shakespeare's Macbeth demonstrates that the pursuit of power will inevitably lead to the loss of oneself as one continues to commit more and more evil deeds to secure the power one desires. 

I don't understand Norman Silver's poem "The Pigeon." How can a pigeon's father be standing outside his house waiting for a train?

Your question refers to some of the figurative language that is used in this poem. The poem is about humans rather than actual pigeons, but the poet uses the word "pigeon" in his description of the child in order to make us think of the child in a particular way. For example, if we try to imagine a real pigeon in our minds, we probably visualize a small, grey bird. Often times people consider pigeons...

Your question refers to some of the figurative language that is used in this poem. The poem is about humans rather than actual pigeons, but the poet uses the word "pigeon" in his description of the child in order to make us think of the child in a particular way. For example, if we try to imagine a real pigeon in our minds, we probably visualize a small, grey bird. Often times people consider pigeons to be pests that are underfoot all the time. If the child in the poem is being made to feel like a pigeon, then perhaps the poet is trying to say that he feels small and like people just want him to get out of their way. The color of a pigeon may also be meaningful here. Grey is gloomy and dull, and so is the situation of a child whose father is "leaving" under the circumstances in the poem. The line about being "Perched on a high ledge" also brings to mind some thoughts about how the child feels. Perching is not the most stable way of sitting somewhere, and a high ledge would probably be a frightening place for a child to be. These descriptions paint a rather sad picture overall.

As the father leaves with his "tormented suitcase", the human child is left behind. Perhaps this scene describes a father leaving, but perhaps it may even hold a deeper meaning if it is considered to represent the relationship of the child to his father. The "attic room" the child sits in may be his mind, and the father's departure may represent a disconnect in their relationship. Poetry is often subjective, so your interpretation of it may depend on how you look at what the poet has described. After considering that the speaker of the poem is not really a bird, you can begin to examine what he is thinking and feeling in his self-description of being pigeon-like.