In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how is Bruno's father presented and what is his personality like?

Bruno's father is depicted as a proud Nazi, who is determined to climb the ranks in the German Army. He makes significant sacrifices, like moving his family from Berlin to Auschwitz because of his job. Bruno describes his father a strict man who has many rules. If Bruno breaks these rules, he must endure a "serious talking to." Bruno's father treats the maids and housekeepers with contempt. The other soldiers at Auschwitz look up to...

Bruno's father is depicted as a proud Nazi, who is determined to climb the ranks in the German Army. He makes significant sacrifices, like moving his family from Berlin to Auschwitz because of his job. Bruno describes his father a strict man who has many rules. If Bruno breaks these rules, he must endure a "serious talking to." Bruno's father treats the maids and housekeepers with contempt. The other soldiers at Auschwitz look up to Bruno's father and are continually trying to find favor with him. He is rather controversial throughout the novel and is always fighting with his wife and arguing with his mother. Although he is proud of his position as Commandant and all of his military accomplishments, he is scared to say "no" to Hitler, which is why he moves his family to Auschwitz. He is stressed out most of the time and even finds out his wife has been cheating on him. He struggles with his personal life and loses his mind after Bruno disappears. Bruno's father is a tragic character throughout the novel The Boy in The Striped Pajamas.

In The Crucible, how does Hale persuade Tituba to confess? How is his approach different from the others'?

For us to understand and appreciate Reverend Hale's methods, we need to know something of his background and the status he enjoys. In his notes, Arthur Miller tells us:

Mr. Hale is nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for.  Like almost all men of learning, he spent a good deal of his time pondering the invisible world, especially since he had himself encountered a witch in his parish not long before ...

Coming into Salem now, Reverend Hale conceives of himself much as a young doctor on his first call. His painfully acquired armory of symptoms, catchwords, and diagnostic procedures are now to be put to use at last... His goal is light, goodness and its preservation, and he knows the exaltation of the blessed whose intelligence, sharpened by minute examinations of enormous tracts, is finally called upon to face what may be a bloody fight with the Fiend himself. 

Reverend Hale approach is therefore quite scientific and not based on any predetermined judgment at all. He is objective in his approach and is not driven by any personal agenda. It can thus be truthfully said that he is intent on establishing the truth, as can be gauged from his remark that,

We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her.

These words clearly define the purpose of his visit. he is not blatantly going to seek evidence for the devil only, but will be open-minded enough in his investigation to accept that Satan is not around, if the evidence clearly points thereto.

When he starts questioning Betty, she does not respond, not even when he declares a blessing over her. It is only when he confronts Abigail after Reverend Parris points to her and mentions that he saw them dancing in the forest, that he makes some progress . Once Reverend Hale confronts her, Abigail declares her innocence and blames Tituba.

Tituba is then brought before him and denies everything. Reverend Hale employs a direct-questioning technique, but Tituba initially does not falter, stating that she never 'trucked' with the devil.

Hale: Woman, have you enlisted these children for the Devil? Tituba: No, no, sir, I don't truck with no Devil!

Reverend Hale then adopts a more demanding and accusatory tone:

Why can she not wake? Are you silencing this child?

Hale, (resolved now): Tituba, I want you to wake this child.

Hale: You most certainly do, and you will free her from it now! When did you compact with the Devil?

It is clear that the Reverend is convinced of Tituba's guilt at this point and wishes to squeeze a confession out of her. When the Reverend Parris and Mr Putnam alternatively threaten to beat and hang her, Tituba breaks down terrified:

No, no, don't hang Tituba! I tell him I don't desire to work for him, sir.

It is in this moment of weakness that the Reverend sees an opportunity:

Then you saw him! (Tituba weeps). Now Tituba, I know that when we bind ourselves to Hell it is very hard to break with it. We are going to help you tear yourself free -

The floodgates are now open and Tituba starts blabbering out names and giving her audience whatever they want. This 'confession' encourages Abigail who starts doing the same. This, in turn, leads to Betty's miraculous recovery and she follows suit. The offer of redemption has suddenly encouraged them to confess so that they may be off the hook. 

It is evident that Reverend Hale's initial approach is different from that of others since he does not take an accusatory stance, but wants to use reason. This, however, devolves into a more direct, demanding and accusatory style of questioning once he believes he has pinpointed the origin of the ailment which has so suddenly afflicted Salem - Tituba. The resulting clamour from Abigail, Betty and later the other girls, is what eventually leads to the pernicious tragedy that befalls Salem.

What are two things Max likes about his room in the basement?

Max calls his basement area "The Down Under."  Max tells his audience about it in chapter 2 of the novel.  A reader might assume that a kid wouldn't like living in a dim, worn basement, but that would be wrong.  Max likes his basement just fine.  

Because I like it in the down under, got the place all to myself and no fear of Gram - sticking her head in the door and saying...

Max calls his basement area "The Down Under."  Max tells his audience about it in chapter 2 of the novel.  A reader might assume that a kid wouldn't like living in a dim, worn basement, but that would be wrong.  Max likes his basement just fine.  

Because I like it in the down under, got the place all to myself and no fear of Gram - sticking her head in the door and saying Maxwell dear, what are you doing?

The above quote provides two reasons why Max likes it.  First, he likes his alone time.  Second he doesn't like his grandma checking in on him every second of every day.  

Max likes his alone time in the basement, because he's been through some really rough stuff.  He watched his father brutally murder his mother.  His dad is now in prison, and Max has to live with his grandparents.  Unfortunately, Max looks a lot like his dad, which means anywhere Max goes, people are reminded of his horrible father.  The basement is a sanctuary for Max.  It's peaceful to him, because there is nobody there to bother him or for him to bother by his mere presence.  

What is the resolution in "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway?

"The Killers" seems to have been intentionally left unresolved by the author Ernest Hemingway. Readers are left wondering what will happen to Ole Andreson. It seems likely that he will eventually be killed by gangsters, but Max and Al are "through with it," as Max says to Al just before they leave the diner. If "The Killers" is read as Nick Adams' story, then there is a resolution as far as he is concerned. 

"I'm...

"The Killers" seems to have been intentionally left unresolved by the author Ernest Hemingway. Readers are left wondering what will happen to Ole Andreson. It seems likely that he will eventually be killed by gangsters, but Max and Al are "through with it," as Max says to Al just before they leave the diner. If "The Killers" is read as Nick Adams' story, then there is a resolution as far as he is concerned. 

"I'm going to get out of this town," Nick said.

"Yes," said George. "That's a good thing to do."

There are many unanswered questions raised by Hemingway's famous story. One of them is raised by George when they are waiting to see if Ole will show up. George asks Max:

"What you going to do with us afterward?"

"That'll depend," Max said. "That's one of those things you never know at the time."

Yet there is a good indication that Max and Al fully intended to wipe out all witnesses after they shotgunned Ole while he was seated at the counter. George was the only one who could offer any resistance. Nick and Sam were tied up in the kitchen. Max would have had one more shell in his shotgun, and then he could have reloaded to take care of Nick and Sam. But there was no point in killing the witnesses if they hadn't witnessed anything. The indication that Max and Al intended to kill George, Nick and Sam is contained in one bit of Al's dialogue and one observation from Max.

"So long, bright boy," he said to George. "You got a lot of luck."

"That's the truth," Max said. "You ought to play the races, bright boy."

Did the princess choose the lady or the tiger?

This is an excellent opportunity to stretch your mind in three directions: First, there is no tiger, no door, no choice. Like Magritte’s painting of a pipe (called “This is not a pipe”) , it is time to distinguish between the “signified” and the “signifier” – between the actual object or physical reality, and its “symbol,” whether a word or a drawing or gesture. Man’s mind has the ability to put the world into communicable...

This is an excellent opportunity to stretch your mind in three directions: First, there is no tiger, no door, no choice. Like Magritte’s painting of a pipe (called “This is not a pipe”) , it is time to distinguish between the “signified” and the “signifier” – between the actual object or physical reality, and its “symbol,” whether a word or a drawing or gesture. Man’s mind has the ability to put the world into communicable form; we have even progressed to finding signifiers for abstractions – look at the “heart” gesture “made with the hands” that you see at music concerts. We all know it means “I am loving this musical moment, and you the musician.” In the anecdotal story of the lady and the tiger, the author is using these words – lady, tiger, door – to signify the difficult and character-revealing choice the “protagonist” has to make. The fact that the author chooses not to “signify” the actual choice is because he/she wants the story to be “about the difficulty.” It’s like asking “Why does the whale not die?” in Moby Dick – that’s not what Melville was trying to articulate. Second, the art and craft of fiction-writing are complicated skills, and you, the reader, have an opportunity here to examine how you were drawn into believing, for a moment, that such an incident actually happened. We can feel the tension, even hear the breathing, as the fictional story is told. Thirdly, you can analytically compare this choice-making story with such literature as Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” or any number of tales of difficult-choice stories, and glean some psychological solace out of knowing you are not alone in your Angst when confronted with a difficult choice.

What choice is Jerry faced with that presents him with an internal conflict in the beginning of "Through the Tunnel"?

As the story opens, Jerry is faced with a dilemma. He wants something different on this vacation. Looking down at the 'wild and rocky bay,' Jerry sees promise and adventure. Although he is old enough to wonder at the possibilities the bay presents to his boyish eyes, he is still young enough to be ambivalent about leaving his mother's side.

Jerry's mother is a widow, conscious of her need to protect her son as well...

As the story opens, Jerry is faced with a dilemma. He wants something different on this vacation. Looking down at the 'wild and rocky bay,' Jerry sees promise and adventure. Although he is old enough to wonder at the possibilities the bay presents to his boyish eyes, he is still young enough to be ambivalent about leaving his mother's side.

Jerry's mother is a widow, conscious of her need to protect her son as well as her son's need to savor the kind of independence every boy his age longs for. On the first day of their vacation, Jerry decides to stay with his mother; his consideration of his mother's feelings is a 'sort of chivalry' on his part. However, the next day, the call of the mysterious bay beckons him, and his mother consents to let him explore the bay by himself. Although he is ecstatic at this opportunity, he finds it sad that his mother, who he has always accompanied, must walk back by herself.

However, he does not change his mind, and this fateful decision seals Jerry's fate and strengthens his resolve to swim the tunnel. By the end of the story, all his work and discipline bears fruit: Jerry manages to swim the tunnel just like the bigger boys did earlier. The sense of accomplishment is palpable.

in "Harrison Bergeron", what does the author assume about the attitudes of the audience in this piece?

In "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut assumes the readers all have a positive attitude about the word "equality" and a similar image of what that would look like in action. So when the story begins, "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal," the reader assumes a different type of equal. An equal that means the same opportunities for everyone. However, Vonnegut flips this idea on its head and goes on to explain that "Nobody...

In "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut assumes the readers all have a positive attitude about the word "equality" and a similar image of what that would look like in action. So when the story begins, "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal," the reader assumes a different type of equal. An equal that means the same opportunities for everyone. However, Vonnegut flips this idea on its head and goes on to explain that "Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else." So, in this world, equality does not mean equal rights, but means a lowering of everyone's ability.

Vonnegut's play on the idea of equality is really what makes "Harrison Bergeron" a classic short story. Without this idea, the reader does not shake his head when George Bergeron reacts negatively when his wife suggests he take out a few of the birdshot in his physical handicap. He defends this idea of equality because "we'd be right back in the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else."

It's relatively safe to assume Vonnegut, like his readers, does not share the definition of equality he presents in this story. Instead, he uses this term ironically in order to demonstrate what happens in a society in which people seem afraid to compete and surpass one another.

In 1951,the Iranian Prime Minister placed the oil industry in Iran under the Iranian government’s control. What was US reaction?

The US Reaction to Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh's nationalization of the oil industry was to participate in his removal from power.

Upon being democratically elected, Prime Minister Mossadgegh started to make significant moves to nationalize the Iranian oil supply. This was in direct opposition to the British.  The American Secretary of State Dean Acheson remarked Mossadegh's nationalization efforts helped to spur a British approach that was "destructive, and determined on a rule-or-ruin policy in Iran."  British...

The US Reaction to Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh's nationalization of the oil industry was to participate in his removal from power.

Upon being democratically elected, Prime Minister Mossadgegh started to make significant moves to nationalize the Iranian oil supply. This was in direct opposition to the British.  The American Secretary of State Dean Acheson remarked Mossadegh's nationalization efforts helped to spur a British approach that was "destructive, and determined on a rule-or-ruin policy in Iran."  British leaders soon employed the help of the United States.

Fearful that Mossadegh's nationalization of oil would move Iran closer to Soviet-style rule, American President Eisenhower supported the British plan to remove the Prime Minister from power.  In a letter written to Mossadegh about a month before the coup, Eisenhower displayed the US reaction to Iranian nationalization of oil reserves:

The failure of Iran and of the United Kingdom to reach an agreement with regard to compensation and handicapped the Government of the United States in its efforts to help Iran.  There is a strong feeling in the United Stats... that it would not be fair to the American taxpayers for the United States Government to extend any considerable amount of economic aid to Iran so long as Iran could have access to funds derived from the sail of its oil...

American reaction to Iranian nationalization was to recognize that its own interests were being threatened.  It is for this reason that American intelligence orchestrated and participated in the Mossadegh's removal from power.   Upon the declassification of documents that reflected such American involvement, President Obama said that "In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government."  

Who was to blame for the Cold War in the traditional interpretation?

The "traditional, or "orthodox" interpretation of the origins of the Cold War, at least in American historiography, was born in the midst of the conflict itself. This interpretation emphasized the aggressive and expansionist nature of Communism, which was assumed to be a major threat to the Western-style democracies. In short, these writers, who included such intellectuals as George Kennan (also a member of the US diplomatic corps and an important foreign policy analyst), journalist Walter...

The "traditional, or "orthodox" interpretation of the origins of the Cold War, at least in American historiography, was born in the midst of the conflict itself. This interpretation emphasized the aggressive and expansionist nature of Communism, which was assumed to be a major threat to the Western-style democracies. In short, these writers, who included such intellectuals as George Kennan (also a member of the US diplomatic corps and an important foreign policy analyst), journalist Walter Lippmann, and historian Thomas Bailey, blamed not just the nature of communism but Soviet premier Joseph Stalin himself. They emphasized his duplicity on the question of democratic elections in Poland in the immediate aftermath of World War II. According to this interpretation, which again emerged in the midst of the Cold War itself, only firm action on the part of the United States in the form of the Truman Doctrine prevented the spread of Communism throughout Europe. Stalin's aggressiveness, like that of Hitler, was assumed to be almost unlimited except in the face of force. Subsequent interpretations, especially from historians who have access to documents from Soviet/Russian archives, had shown that Stalin was actually quite cautious and somewhat fearful of war with the United States. But early historians and other interpreters of the conflict didn't--perhaps couldn't--see it that way. Even today there are many historians who accept the broad outlines of this interpretation.

Where did Bud go when he left the Amos' home?

When Bud escaped the Amos' home, his main focus was simply getting away from the cruel, abusive family. He exacted a bit of revenge by creating a situation that would get the Amos' son in trouble, and then left the home. It was late as Bud walked the street with his suitcase. His mind was focused on avoiding getting caught and sent back to his orphanage home. Bud remembered a librarian who had been kind...

When Bud escaped the Amos' home, his main focus was simply getting away from the cruel, abusive family. He exacted a bit of revenge by creating a situation that would get the Amos' son in trouble, and then left the home.

It was late as Bud walked the street with his suitcase. His mind was focused on avoiding getting caught and sent back to his orphanage home. Bud remembered a librarian who had been kind to him before and headed to the library. In the past, a side window had been accessible so he planned to sneak in and spend the night there so he could talk to the librarian in the morning. However, bars had been placed on the windows and Bud could not get in.

Bud spent his first night of freedom away from foster homes and the orphanage, sleeping under a large tree adjacent to the library. Bud's resourcefulness was evident in this early plot twist. With him, he had a suitcase in which he kept a blanket. He wrapped up in it and settled down under the tree to sleep.

What domestic policy issues did George Washington address?

George Washington faced several domestic issues while he was President. One was dealing with the national debt. Alexander Hamilton, his Secretary of the Treasury, proposed a plan that would combine state debts with federal debts. The government would issue new bonds to pay the debt as well as using tax revenues. This plan was somewhat controversial, but it eventually passed. Southern states that had paid their debts didn’t want to pay debts of other states....

George Washington faced several domestic issues while he was President. One was dealing with the national debt. Alexander Hamilton, his Secretary of the Treasury, proposed a plan that would combine state debts with federal debts. The government would issue new bonds to pay the debt as well as using tax revenues. This plan was somewhat controversial, but it eventually passed. Southern states that had paid their debts didn’t want to pay debts of other states. There was also the question if this was even legal for the federal government to do. As a compromise, the South accepted the plan, and the capital would to Washington, D.C. from New York City.

Washington had to deal with the internal rebellion created by Hamilton's tax plan. When farmers in western Pennsylvania rebelled about having to pay a tax on whiskey, President Washington sent the military to the area to end the rebellion. There would be no question about the power of the federal government in ending disputes such as this.

Washington also had to deal with attacks by Native Americans. Our military responded and fought the Native Americans at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The Native Americans were defeated. In the Treaty of Greenville, the Native Americans agreed to give up land and to move west.

Of course, Washington had to get the government created by the Constitution up and running. He appointed capable people to his cabinet including Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. It was no easy task to get the new government operational, but Washington, using his knowledge and skills, navigated us through this demanding period of time.

How is Heathcliff described as a devil?

Heathcliff is one of the most villainous characters in all of literature.  He is referred to as a devil over and over again throughout Wuthering Heights.  

When he is first adopted by the Earnshaws, Mr. Earnshaw notices that "it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil’" (IV).  Despite his rough childhood, Heathcliff seeks Nelly out to help him become more attractive to Catherine.  She responds by noting his "thick brows" and his eyes like "black fiends"  and "devil's spies" (VII). She seems to be saying that he will never be able to mask his devilish appearance. 

Later, his personality becomes evil as well.  His wife, Isabella, finds out soon after her wedding that Heathcliff is more than unkind.  She asks "Is Mr. Heathcliff a man?  If so, is he mad?  And if not, is he a devil?" and later notes that no matter when it happened, his "... devilish nature would have revealed its existence somehow" (XIII)

Heathcliff even frightens his son, claiming to be "the devil himself" to scare his son so much in front of Cathy.

Ultimately, Heathcliff forces Cathy to marry his son or perhaps never see her ailing father again.  Nelly shows her rage when she asserts that she would fetch Cathy home even "... if that devil be killed on his own doorstones in trying to prevent it!(XVII).

The final time Heathcliff is refered to as the devil comes from Cathy.  After he has taken everything from her and made her a prisoner, she is still able to recognize "You are miserable, are you not?  Lonely, like the devil, and envious like him?  Nobody loves you—nobody will cry for you when you die!  I wouldn’t be you!’ "(SVIII).

Heathcliff lets his passions get the better of him and dies lonely and sad, if not a devil.

Please provide a few examples of metaphors from the second part of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

There are several examples of metaphors in Part II, "The Sieve and the Sand." One example is the following: "Poor Millie, he thought. Poor Montag, it's mud to you, too." In this example, Montag is using a metaphor, or a comparison that does not use "like" or "as," to compare his reading, which he does not understand, to mud. He has not been educated to read, so reading is like mud to him. 

Another example of a metaphor is Beatty's description of burning books: "Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly." Using a metaphor, Beatty compares the burning books to black butterflies, and he uses a simile (a comparison using "like" or "as") to compare the burning books to the petals of a a flower.

Later,  Montag thinks, "Even the smile, he thought, the old burnt-in smile, that's gone. I'm lost without it." He compares his forced smile to a smile that's been burned into a doll, for example, to express that his old smile was fake and forced upon him.

Faber says of Jesus in their society, "He's a regular peppermint stick now, all sugar-crystal and saccharine when he isn't making veiled references to certain commercial products that every worshipper absolutely needs." In other words, God has been subverted in their society and turned into something sweet, like a candy, and without substance. God is used to sell goods and has been hollowed out. 

What are some adjectives that describe Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar, who was born in Rome in 100 BC, is best known as a Roman general and statesman who helped establish the Roman Empire. Based on the details we know about Caesar's life, some of the adjectives that might be apt to describe him include:

Ambitious: Caesar made a specific effort to align with Rome's nobility as a young man. This early effort set the tone for the power he would obtain during the...

Julius Caesar, who was born in Rome in 100 BC, is best known as a Roman general and statesman who helped establish the Roman Empire. Based on the details we know about Caesar's life, some of the adjectives that might be apt to describe him include:

Ambitious: Caesar made a specific effort to align with Rome's nobility as a young man. This early effort set the tone for the power he would obtain during the rest of his life.

Shrewd: When Caesar was kidnapped by pirates seeking ransom, he convinced them that they should be asking for more. When Caesar sent his associates to gather the additional money, he also had them organize a counter-attack. Caesar got his money back and saw to the execution of the pirates.

Impatient: As a general, Caesar was well known as an individual who would make a decision and go with it—even if this meant moving forward more quickly than his supply lines. This sometimes was a detriment to military maneuvers.

How does Dickens present the emotion of love in Great Expectations?

Dickens presents two different kinds of love in Great Expectations: romantic love and friendship love. Through Pip’s infatuation with Estella, Dickens examines the nature of this romantic love. Is it true love, or is it shallow love? Pip falls for Estella in the midst of her contempt of him. Despite the fact that she is less than kind, Pip sets his hopes on eventually marrying her. It is basically a love-hate relationship, until Pip learns...

Dickens presents two different kinds of love in Great Expectations: romantic love and friendship love. Through Pip’s infatuation with Estella, Dickens examines the nature of this romantic love. Is it true love, or is it shallow love? Pip falls for Estella in the midst of her contempt of him. Despite the fact that she is less than kind, Pip sets his hopes on eventually marrying her. It is basically a love-hate relationship, until Pip learns that Miss Havisham is not his benefactor, nor is she training him to be an acceptable mate for Estella. He gives up all hope when he rejects Magwitch’s money, but he still holds out some feelings for Estella. In the final chapter, when the two of them meet after being separated for some years, there is a hint that Pip falls in love with this new Estella, who has dropped her contempt and her arrogance, making her worthy of the hero’s love.

Pip’s friendship with Joe also shows a tortured path. The two of them are close companions, until Pip takes up the role of gentleman and feels ashamed of Joe’s coarseness. However, like his relationship with Estella, Pip learns the true worth of Joe, reclaiming their friendship once Pip discovers the nature of what it is to be a gentleman. In a sense, Pip has to learn what Estella did, to get over an inflated opinion in order to find a genuine relationship with someone else.

What are examples of symbolism, imagery, allusion, irony, tone, mood, style, inference, and resolution in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Examples of many literary devices can be found all throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. One example of symbolism can be seen in references to the oak trees on the Radleys' property.

In Chapter 4, on their way home from school, Scout and Jem begin finding gifts stashed in a knothole of an oak tree on the Radleys' lot. Scout is the first to make a discovery, and her newfound treasure is two pieces of wrapped chewing gum. Their discoveries continue in Chapter 7 and include such treasures as two highly polished pennies dating back to 1906 and two bars of soap carved to look exactly like the children. What is particularly significant is that the children find these items in an oak tree.

Oak trees have a great deal of symbolic meaning. They are particularly known for their resilience, which permits them to live a very long time, growing massive in size. Due to their endurance, oak trees have become known to symbolize life, strength, and wisdom. Plus, since longevity allows for a great deal of fertility, oak trees have even become know to symbolize family and loyalty. As the novel progresses, the children learn that their beliefs about who their neighbor Arthur (Boo) Radley is as a person have been wrong, and his true character is actually symbolized in the oak tree.

Due to myths and rumors, the children believe Arthur is an insane and dangerous person. Their beliefs about Arthur have particularly been shaped by Miss Stephanie Crawford, the neighborhood gossip, who once said, according to Jem, that "she woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her" (Ch. 1).

Yet, contrary to these rumors and myths, Arthur demonstrates throughout the book that he is actually a very caring and loyal person. He especially cares for Jem and Scout, whom he seems to care as much for as if they were his own children. The gifts he leaves for the children in the oak tree are indicators of how much he cares, showing us just how much the oak tree symbolizes Arthur's sense of family and loyalty. By the end of the novel, just like the oak tree, Arthur demonstrates his strength, his wisdom, and how much he values life by putting his own life in jeopardy to save the lives of Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell.

How can we prevent the Holocaust from happening again?

There are lessons to be learned from the Holocaust. One of these lessons is to learn how to prevent an event like this from happening again. There are several ways to do this. One way is to prevent conditions from existing in countries where they feel they have to turn to a dictator to solve problems. Because of the heavy reparations imposed by the terms of the Versailles Treaty, Germany went into a severe depression in the 1920s. This gave Hitler the opportunity to rise to power. Since Germany had little experience in its history with a democratic government, Hitler was able to seize power relatively easily.

A second factor in preventing these events from reoccurring is to avoid severely punishing countries for their previous actions. The terms of the Versailles Treaty were very harsh for Germany. This allowed feelings of resentment and anger to build. Hitler used that anger to seize power and to get revenge for how the Germans were treated by the terms of this treaty.

It is also necessary for countries to stand up to a country like Germany when it began mistreating the Jewish people and violating the terms of the Versailles Treaty. Not much was done when Germany began violated the terms of the treaty. Not much was done when Germany passed the Nuremberg Laws denying basic rights to the Jewish people. Individuals and countries must act when actions like these occur. While it may appear to be easier to look the other way, it isn’t the right or the moral thing to do. Plus, it could lead to more serious and costly actions in the future. Imagine how things might have been different if countries responded to German aggression and the German mistreating of the Jewish people when it first began.

Finally, it is necessary for survivors to tell their stories and to videotape their stories so future generations will have primary source evidence of what happened in the Holocaust. Families of survivors must also do the same thing. There are people who want to deny the Holocaust ever occurred. If these stories aren’t told and preserved, they will be lost as fewer and fewer survivors remain alive. People must hear and see firsthand what happened during the Holocaust.

The sad thing is that since the Holocaust occurred, there have been other mass killings of people. The killing of the Tutsi in Rwanda and the Ethnic Cleansing of Bosnian Muslims and Croatians in the former Yugoslavia are examples of fairly recent mass killings of people.

What quote in "The Gift of the Magi" displays situational irony?

Situational irony is defined as an incongruity between what is expected and what actually happens. Both Della and Jim have expectations about the Christmas presents they have bought for each other. But this is really Della's story, so the situational irony would have to pertain to her expectations. She has sold her hair in order to raise twenty dollars to buy Jim an expensive platinum fob for his prized gold watch. The best quote illustrating...

Situational irony is defined as an incongruity between what is expected and what actually happens. Both Della and Jim have expectations about the Christmas presents they have bought for each other. But this is really Della's story, so the situational irony would have to pertain to her expectations. She has sold her hair in order to raise twenty dollars to buy Jim an expensive platinum fob for his prized gold watch. The best quote illustrating situational irony occurs after Jim has seen her without her hair and after he has presented her with the set of tortoise shell combs. She gives him the beautiful watch-fob which has cost her such a sacrifice. In one of O. Henry's famous surprise endings he responds as follows:

“Dell,” said he, “let's put our Christmas presents away and keep ’em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on.”

Irony is usually like a joke that would be funny if it were not so painful to the person or persons affected. Here we have two foolish young people who sacrificed their most treasured possessions for nothing. They must look and feel foolish. Della would look especially foolish because her loss is so conspicuous. But the reader does not feel like laughing at them. Only the Devil himself would laugh at Della and Jim. It would be "sardonic laughter." 

Examine how A Christmas Carol is a moral tale or, in other words, how it teaches a lesson.

Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” teaches a number of life lessons or morals. In reality, Scrooge is a lucky man because he receives a second chance at life. Dickens uses a series of encounters with spirits from Scrooge’s past, present, and future that allow him to examine missteps he made along the way, and to see the consequences of his actions before all is lost. The spirits show him how his love of money turned...

Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” teaches a number of life lessons or morals. In reality, Scrooge is a lucky man because he receives a second chance at life. Dickens uses a series of encounters with spirits from Scrooge’s past, present, and future that allow him to examine missteps he made along the way, and to see the consequences of his actions before all is lost. The spirits show him how his love of money turned him into a sad, lonely old man. They also, show him the value of human relationships by showing him how Belle moved onto a loving relationship, how Bob Cratchit’s family enjoys their Christmas celebration in spite of their meager surroundings, and how he has the opportunity to change the life of Tiny Tim. He sees that Tiny Tim will not live unless he receives proper medical care, which the family cannot afford on the salary Scrooge pays. In essence, Scrooge realizes his ability to use his wealth for altruistic purposes, and that meaningful human relationships are more important than being a miserable, lonely miser.

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, how has the U.S. foreign policy led to the continuing chaos in Afghanistan?

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, one way that American foreign policy has led to continuing chaos in Afghanistan is by continuing war.

The characters in Hosseini's work have known nothing other than war. Its presence has uprooted their lives.  It has forced them to leave Afghanistan. If the remained, they have seen war result in continual changes of government. From Soviet-backed communists to the rise of the Muhjaideen to the emergence of the Taliban to the...

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, one way that American foreign policy has led to continuing chaos in Afghanistan is by continuing war.

The characters in Hosseini's work have known nothing other than war. Its presence has uprooted their lives.  It has forced them to leave Afghanistan. If the remained, they have seen war result in continual changes of government. From Soviet-backed communists to the rise of the Muhjaideen to the emergence of the Taliban to the presence of American forces, war has been constant in the lives of the people in A Thousand Splendid Suns.  

War has not resolved anything for the lives of the Afghan people.  They have not known peace and the stability that is a part of it.  Instead, the turbulent destruction of war was always been a part of their world.  American foreign policy perpetuates this condition.  The novel makes it clear that American intervention is probably better for Afghanistan than Taliban rule.  However, there is not much in way of clarity as to what will happen once the American forces enter.  When Laila and Tariq return to Afghanistan, hope in American military intervention is communicated.   Yet, there is also the reality that American military operations will simply continue a life of war that has become commonplace for Afghan people.  This chaos seems to be the only constant, something that continues even with the American forces entering the region.

In "Still I Rise," what are the inherited "gifts" that the writer brings with her?

While this poem is noted for its rousing singular voice, Maya Angelou does not forget to give credit where credit is due. Through the following quote from "Still I Rise," she pays homage to her ancestors, who struggled much more than she does and helped enable Angelou's own freedom.

I riseBringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

The main theme of this poem is triumph...

While this poem is noted for its rousing singular voice, Maya Angelou does not forget to give credit where credit is due. Through the following quote from "Still I Rise," she pays homage to her ancestors, who struggled much more than she does and helped enable Angelou's own freedom.

I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

The main theme of this poem is triumph over oppression. Through the above lines from the poem, Angelou connects her struggle--and ultimate triumph--to the pain and struggles of her ancestors. They survived through insurmountable and inhumane circumstances when activism was not an option. When it became possible to act, they worked tirelessly to ensure that she and the rest of their people would be free and have equal rights. The author recognizes that without these gifts inherited from her ancestors, she wouldn't be here as a free woman. Angelou creates a metaphor here, calling herself "the dream and the hope of the slave." This shows that as a free black woman with equal rights, her existence is the actualization of her ancestor's hopes and dreams.

Why did the US economy lurch from boom to bust between 1920 and 1930?

The economy went from "boom" to "bust" during the Twenties because of a number of factors. In short, most of them had to do with the fact that the prosperity of the 1920s was for many people a bit of a mirage. In reality, the economy was weak in several key areas.

For one thing, the farming sector, which still represented a significant portion of the American economy, was faltering throughout the Twenties. This was...

The economy went from "boom" to "bust" during the Twenties because of a number of factors. In short, most of them had to do with the fact that the prosperity of the 1920s was for many people a bit of a mirage. In reality, the economy was weak in several key areas.

For one thing, the farming sector, which still represented a significant portion of the American economy, was faltering throughout the Twenties. This was due, in short, to declining farm prices after World War I. Having borrowed heavily to invest in equipment and land during the war (when prices were high) farmers faced ruin when they fell rapidly after the war. The pattern of foreclosures and farm failures that many associate with the Depression of the 1930s actually began a decade earlier.

Also, industries that had been the bedrock of the American economy were foundering. Railroads in particular shed jobs as it struggled to compete with the emerging automobile industry, and the coal and steel industries, tied to railroad construction, slowed accordingly. 

This pointed to another cause of the economic collapse. The economic expansion of the Twenties was based largely on consumer consumption and the manufacture of consumer goods. This in turn was fueled by consumer credit, where individuals borrowed money to purchase items such as automobiles and household appliances. Retailers, backed by banks, offered installment plans to consumers, who piled on considerable debts even as real wages declined. 

Finally, the consumption economy of the Twenties masked a reality about the economy. Free of regulation and largely free of significant taxation, a gap between the nation's wealthy and the rest of Americans developed. A very small percentage of the nation's people controlled a very large portion of its wealth, a situation that would prove untenable. Ordinary people just didn't have the spending power to sustain the new consumption economy. 

Please explain the poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening."

In this poem, a man rides through the woods. It's dark and there is someplace he needs to be. However, he stops for a moment to watch the snow fall. He doesn't tell us why he stops, but we can surmise he is suddenly struck by the beauty of the snowflakes swirling in the darkness and stillness of the woods.

In the next two stanzas, his horse acts surprised, which indicates how unusual it is...

In this poem, a man rides through the woods. It's dark and there is someplace he needs to be. However, he stops for a moment to watch the snow fall. He doesn't tell us why he stops, but we can surmise he is suddenly struck by the beauty of the snowflakes swirling in the darkness and stillness of the woods.

In the next two stanzas, his horse acts surprised, which indicates how unusual it is for this man to pause and enjoy the beauty of a moment. The horse seems to be used to his owner hurrying to and fro, eager to get on with the business of life. "My little horse must think it queer" the man muses in stanza two. In stanza three, the horse shakes his harness bells "to ask if there is some mistake." The repetition of the horse's surprise underscores how odd it is for this man to indulge in enjoying life's momentary pleasures. 

The last stanza is filled with longings and regrets. The man would love to prolong this magical moment of beauty and oneness with nature, but he must move on. He writes:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. 

The poem thus reveals the tension between living in the moment and living to fulfill goals and responsibilities. 

Whose family owned possession of the disputed land after the lawsuit?

According to the short story, there was a famous court case a few generations ago between the grandfathers of Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym over a tract of land. The courts favored Ulrich's family.  This ruling is not surprising, because Ulrich's family was wealthy.  Therefore, the land belonged to them, even though the land was not particularly good.

However, the Znaeyms never accepted the ruling. They continued to use the land. When they did...

According to the short story, there was a famous court case a few generations ago between the grandfathers of Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym over a tract of land. The courts favored Ulrich's family.  This ruling is not surprising, because Ulrich's family was wealthy.  Therefore, the land belonged to them, even though the land was not particularly good.

However, the Znaeyms never accepted the ruling. They continued to use the land. When they did this, Ulrich's family saw them an interlopers and a great feud began. Here is what the text says:

A famous lawsuit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the ille- gal possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the courts, and a long series of poaching affrays and similar scandals had embittered the relationships between the families for hree generations.

The irony of the whole dispute is that neither party considered the fact that the land might not belong to either of them.  In their worldview, land could be owned, but in the end the real inhabitants of that tract of land, wolves, came and killed them both. 

What is the dramatic significance of Act 1 of Arms and the Man?

George Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man is a play about both love and war. In a sense, Shaw sees these two themes as connected, in that romantic attitudes, which glamorize war and relationships rather than looking at them realistically, lead to bad outcomes in both the relationships among individuals and nations.

The first Act of Arms and the Mansets up the major conflict in the play between romantic ideals and reality, a...

George Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man is a play about both love and war. In a sense, Shaw sees these two themes as connected, in that romantic attitudes, which glamorize war and relationships rather than looking at them realistically, lead to bad outcomes in both the relationships among individuals and nations.

The first Act of Arms and the Man sets up the major conflict in the play between romantic ideals and reality, a conflict that plays out in the growth of the central character, Raina. At the opening of the play, Raina's mother is presented as enthralled with the glamour of war and of Sergius, the young hero to whom Raina is engaged. Raina is somewhat more ambivalent, but has no alternative models of either military or romantic ideals with which to compare her mother's views.

With the intrusion of Captain Bluntschli, not only does Shaw introduce a romantic alternative but also an ideological one. Thus the first act not only introduces the main characters and conflicts of the play, but also the ideas about war that Shaw wants to investigate through the vehicle of the play. Captain Bluntschli will serve almost as a mouthpiece for Shaw in the play.

Provide a summary of Arthur and George by Julian Barnes.

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes is a novel based on an actual series of historical events in which George Edalji, who has been falsely accused of mutilating  animals, asks for the help of Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels, to clear his name of the false accusation. 

George Ernest Thompson Edalji (March 1876 – 17 June 1953) was the son of Sharpurji Edalji, a man of Parsi descent from Bombay who converted to...

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes is a novel based on an actual series of historical events in which George Edalji, who has been falsely accused of mutilating  animals, asks for the help of Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels, to clear his name of the false accusation. 

George Ernest Thompson Edalji (March 1876 – 17 June 1953) was the son of Sharpurji Edalji, a man of Parsi descent from Bombay who converted to the Church of England, married the daughter of an Anglican priest, and was the Vicar of St Mark's, Great Wyrley. In this period, Indians were rarely found in rural English villages, and the family is subject to xenophobia and racism. In 1893, the family receives threats and hate mail, which cease after they fire a servant, and in 1903 the hate mail resumes and someone begins mutilating farm animals in the region. George, at this point a 27-year old lawyer, is convicted of the mutilations. 

George requests that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, help him try to overturn the conviction. Doyle takes on the role of his own fictional creation and the conviction is overturned. Much of the story focuses on the character and ideas of Doyle himself, the process of investigation, and the relationship between the two men as both liminal characters (Doyle was actually Irish rather than English) in England. 

What does Mercedes do to help the dogs that only ends up to harming them in The Call of the Wild?

Mercedes steals from the fish sacks and feeds the dogs more than their rations when no one is watching; this action proves detrimental because it creates a food shortage later on.

Mercedes, the sister of Hal, the cruel man who obtains Buck is a soft, pretty woman accustomed to being pampered. Because of this condition, she brings too much on their trip, weighing down the sled; in addition, she insists upon riding in one of...

Mercedes steals from the fish sacks and feeds the dogs more than their rations when no one is watching; this action proves detrimental because it creates a food shortage later on.

Mercedes, the sister of Hal, the cruel man who obtains Buck is a soft, pretty woman accustomed to being pampered. Because of this condition, she brings too much on their trip, weighing down the sled; in addition, she insists upon riding in one of the sleds, adding another one hundred and twenty pounds to the pulling load. Obviously, she does not understand the merciless conditions of the Yukon, and what must be done for survival because "the heavy load they [the dogs] dragged sapped their strength severely."

Then, because of Mercedes's overfeeding, the food rations are depleted and Hal must underfeed the dogs as there is nowhere for him to obtain more food. Besides this condition, the dogs were made to go farther, and the men did not no how to adjust to other conditions. "Not only did they not know how to work dogs, but they did not know how to work themselves." These instances of incompetence point to the naturalistic themes of Jack London in which man is conditioned and controlled by environment, instinct, or chance.

In A Christmas Carol, how does Scrooge feel about his girlfriend in the image shown to him by the Ghost of Christmas Past?

When the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the image of his former fiancée, Belle, he is overcome with hurt and regret. We can see this from Scrooge's conversation with the ghost:

"Spirit!'' said Scrooge, ``show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?''

"One shadow more!'' exclaimed the Ghost.

"No more!'' cried Scrooge. ``No more. I don't wish to see it. Show me no more!''

Belle had broken off...

When the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the image of his former fiancée, Belle, he is overcome with hurt and regret. We can see this from Scrooge's conversation with the ghost:

"Spirit!'' said Scrooge, ``show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?''

"One shadow more!'' exclaimed the Ghost.

"No more!'' cried Scrooge. ``No more. I don't wish to see it. Show me no more!''

Belle had broken off her engagement to Scrooge because she felt that he had changed. In her words, Scrooge was "in a changed nature; in an altered spirit; in another atmosphere of life." In the few years she had known him, Scrooge had transformed into a man driven by wealth and the pursuit of material gains. It is clear from Scrooge's reaction to this image that losing Belle was one of the biggest regrets of his life and it provides strong evidence that he is beginning to realise the error of his past ways. This paves the way for the important process of transformation. We should view this scene, then, as a turning point in the book which sets Scrooge on the road to redemption and helps him to realise that life is better when you share it with others. 

What are the similarities and differences between Macbeth and Miss Havisham from Great Expectations?

On the most basic level, both Macbeth and Miss Havisham are the creators of their own doom. A situation is presented to both of them: the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will be king; Miss Havisham’s being jilted by her fiancé. It is through their own responses to these situations that lead them to their deaths.

Macbeth is aided in his path to destruction by his wife, who continually goads him to take action to fulfill...

On the most basic level, both Macbeth and Miss Havisham are the creators of their own doom. A situation is presented to both of them: the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will be king; Miss Havisham’s being jilted by her fiancé. It is through their own responses to these situations that lead them to their deaths.

Macbeth is aided in his path to destruction by his wife, who continually goads him to take action to fulfill the prophecy, though Macbeth considers the idea that it will come to pass even if he takes no action whatsoever. He knows the future, but he has decided how he will meet that future.

Miss Havisham has been humiliated in love, like many people before her. However, she decides to stop all time and sets about training Estella to exact her revenge on men, specifically on Pip. Her own prophecy about her death (being laid out on the table where her wedding supper still stands) is brought about, not directly by any action she takes, however. It is a result of an accident but is a side effect of her locking herself away in her chamber in the moldering rags of her wedding gown.

It is the downfall of both Macbeth and Miss Havisham through their fatal flaw: hubris. It is not through their circumstances but rather their responses to their circumstances that lead them to their doom.

What is the president’s inner circle of foreign policy advisers called?

The correct answer is the National Security Council. The National Security Council advises the president on national security and foreign policies and assists the president in  coordinating these policies among government agencies.

The NSC was established by the National Security Act of 1947 while President Harry S. Truman was in office. It is made up of senior national security advisors and cabinet officials, including the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the...

The correct answer is the National Security Council. The National Security Council advises the president on national security and foreign policies and assists the president in  coordinating these policies among government agencies.

The NSC was established by the National Security Act of 1947 while President Harry S. Truman was in office. It is made up of senior national security advisors and cabinet officials, including the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The position of statutory military advisor to the Council is filled by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of National Intelligence serves as the intelligence advisor to the council. Others, like the Attorney General, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC if items on the agenda pertain to their responsibilities.

What are two explanations for why some RNA molecules are cut and spliced?

The main reason some RNA is cut and spliced is to remove duplicate or inactive sections after the mRNA (messenger RNA) is transcribed from DNA. DNA contains the instructions for making proteins. When it is transcribed by mRNA, the mRNA contains areas that are not needed in order to make the resulting proteins. These unnecessary segments are called introns. They are removed, leaving the entrons, which are the segments that are then read and translated...

The main reason some RNA is cut and spliced is to remove duplicate or inactive sections after the mRNA (messenger RNA) is transcribed from DNA. DNA contains the instructions for making proteins. When it is transcribed by mRNA, the mRNA contains areas that are not needed in order to make the resulting proteins. These unnecessary segments are called introns. They are removed, leaving the entrons, which are the segments that are then read and translated into the protein. The mechanism by which the cutting and splicing occurs is through a spliceosome. The first link below contains an animation of this process.

The second reason mRNA is cut and spliced is that it makes it possible for one segment of DNA to code for several different proteins, depending on what is kept as part of the mRNA, and what is eliminated.

If an incision is found on the inner face of the ilium, what can be determined about the type and size of the causative implement and the direction...

The ilium is the large, elephant ear shaped part of the pelvis.  It resembles two hemispheres of a valentine's day heart, split in two to make a left ilium and a right ilium.  In the ilia (plural), there is an indentation, a natural curvature to the structure of the body of the ilia.  This is the inner face of the ilia, so if an incision were made in this area, the implement used came in...

The ilium is the large, elephant ear shaped part of the pelvis.  It resembles two hemispheres of a valentine's day heart, split in two to make a left ilium and a right ilium.  In the ilia (plural), there is an indentation, a natural curvature to the structure of the body of the ilia.  This is the inner face of the ilia, so if an incision were made in this area, the implement used came in from the person's front.  The positioning of the ilium in regard to the body itself would indicate a thrust at a downward angle, probably around thirty degrees, or so.  As far as the type and size of the causative implement, that would depend on the size of the incision, the depth into the ilium it penetrated, and collateral damage to surrounding tissues, such as the muscles and skin.  A small, slim incision, with neat penetration of the surrounding tissues would indicate a smaller bladed implement, such as a surgeon's scalpel, while a larger, deeper, more jagged insertion would indicate an implement of heavier, rougher nature, like a hunting knife.

On the last page of 1984, Winston says, ”But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over...

After Winston is captured by the Thought Police, he is taken to the Ministry of Love, where O'Brien tortures and brainwashes him. O'Brien continually tortures and lectures Winston for seven years in the Ministry of Love. O'Brien hopes to one day convert Winston into a faithful, loving follower of Big Brother. However, Winston struggles to accept Big Brother because he believes that the Party is fundamentally wrong and malevolent. Initially, Winston cannot reject logic and...

After Winston is captured by the Thought Police, he is taken to the Ministry of Love, where O'Brien tortures and brainwashes him. O'Brien continually tortures and lectures Winston for seven years in the Ministry of Love. O'Brien hopes to one day convert Winston into a faithful, loving follower of Big Brother. However, Winston struggles to accept Big Brother because he believes that the Party is fundamentally wrong and malevolent. Initially, Winston cannot reject logic and perceive reality the way the Party expects him to. Eventually, Winston capitulates after O'Brien takes him into Room 101 and tortures him with rats.

At the end of the novel, Orwell writes that Winston had won a victory over himself. Winston's victory was his ability to fully accept the Party's political agenda and genuinely love Big Brother. Winston forced himself to neglect logic and learned the technique of simultaneously believing two contradicting ideas, which is known as "doublethink." Winston has overcome his hate for Big Brother and has become a loyal follower of the Party. 

What are three things that inspire Nick Allen in Andrew Clements's Frindle?

As a creative thinker, Nick draws on a lot of inspiration in order to invent his new word frindle in Andrew Clements' story. He draws on inspiration from his teacher Mrs. Granger, his friend Janet, and a news anchorman.

Nick's first inspiration is Mrs. Granger's response when he asks, "Who decides what words should mean?" Mrs. Granger responds,

Who says dogmeans dog? You do, Nicholas. You and I and everyone in this class and this...

As a creative thinker, Nick draws on a lot of inspiration in order to invent his new word frindle in Andrew Clements' story. He draws on inspiration from his teacher Mrs. Granger, his friend Janet, and a news anchorman.

Nick's first inspiration is Mrs. Granger's response when he asks, "Who decides what words should mean?" Mrs. Granger responds,

Who says dog means dog? You do, Nicholas. You and I and everyone in this class and this town and this state and this country. We all agree (28).

Hearing that he has the authority to decide the meanings of words inspires Nick to exercise his authority to make up his own word.

His second inspiration is when his friend Janet finds a gold pen. While walking home from school together, playing a game in which they are only allowed to walk along the curb, Nick keeps thinking about how Mrs. Granger said he has the power to determine meanings of words. When Janet jumps off the curb to pick up an expensive gold pen she sees, Nick is instantly inspired to call it something other than a pen; he calls it a frindle, which is the moment his new made-up word is born.

His third point of inspiration is the word quiz. While watching the news report on CBS given about his made-up word, he hears the news anchorman give the history of the word "quiz." According to the anchorman, the word was made up in 1791 when a theater manager in Dublin "bet someone that he could invent a brand-new word in the English language" (66). The news anchorman further makes the following inspiring comment:

Quiz is the only word in English that was invented by one person for no particular reason—that is until now. Now there is a new word, frindle, and here is Alice Lunderson in Westfield, New Hampshire, with the story (67).

Learning the word "quiz" was invented for no reason helps Nick feel inspired to continue using his own made-up word.

What is the "best" and the "worst" in the poem "The Second Coming"?

This Yeats poem does everything a poem is meant to do. As “concentrated word magic” the poem speaks to a deep-felt anxiety in all Christians, that Christ’s appearance on Earth has somehow failed to redeem us all, and the chaos of the present time (referring not only to the political/military complications in Ireland in Yeats’ time, but in all the post-Nativity history of Man) signaled a need for another miracle, another sign of a right...

This Yeats poem does everything a poem is meant to do. As “concentrated word magic” the poem speaks to a deep-felt anxiety in all Christians, that Christ’s appearance on Earth has somehow failed to redeem us all, and the chaos of the present time (referring not only to the political/military complications in Ireland in Yeats’ time, but in all the post-Nativity history of Man) signaled a need for another miracle, another sign of a right direction for humanity. "Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand." The best of the poem is its clarity of metaphor: the reference, for example, to the “ever-widening gyre” to illustrate how we are drifting farther and farther from the “center” of Christian dogma – the “falconer” (Jesus). If there is any weakness in this poem, it is the absence of an identifiable narrative voice, the singular narrator (most often expressed in the pronoun “I”). What this does is universalize the chaos: “And everywhere/ The ceremony of innocence is drowned.”

What is the theme/purpose of a fable?

The ultimate purpose of a fable is to teach the reader a lesson or moral.  Fables often use satire to get across or point out flaws in man or human experiences.  Many fables rely on animals to tell their stories, and those animals usually symbolize a human characteristic or trait the author wants to criticize for the purposes of teaching a moral.  Famous fables include Aesop’s Fables and the Uncle Remus/Brer Rabbit series of stories...

The ultimate purpose of a fable is to teach the reader a lesson or moral.  Fables often use satire to get across or point out flaws in man or human experiences.  Many fables rely on animals to tell their stories, and those animals usually symbolize a human characteristic or trait the author wants to criticize for the purposes of teaching a moral.  Famous fables include Aesop’s Fables and the Uncle Remus/Brer Rabbit series of stories by Joel Chandler Harris.  For example, in one of the famous Brer Rabbit stories, “Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby,” Brer Rabbit comes across a doll made by Brer Fox on the road one day.  When Brer Rabbit talks to it, it doesn’t answer.  Brer Rabbit beats up the doll for its lack of manners and gets stuck to the tar the doll is coated in.  It’s a trap Brer Fox has set to catch Brer Rabbit.  Brer Rabbit pleads to Brer Fox to kill him by throwing him in the briar patch, and Brer Fox agrees.  Little does Brer Fox know that the briar patch is the place Brer Rabbit was born and lives.  Brer Rabbit survives being killed by Brer Fox by trickery because Brer Fox can’t chase him through the briar patch full of thorns.

In Chandler’s trickster stories about Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit, Brer Rabbit represents a weak slave from the South who is able to out trick his master by playing on the master’s ignorance.  It is a story with origins in Africa, and they chronicle lessons on how to survive in life.  It is also a story about how even the weakest can out maneuver and manipulate those stronger through trickery. 

Almost all fables are written to provide a moral lesson to the reader.  Usually written for children, they teach about life through the use of animals who symbolically represent human traits and flaws. 

What happened in Russia that led Germany to change its war strategy in World War I?

What happened was the Russian Revolution. In 1917, angry at the deprivations caused by the war, Russian people in Petrograd, the imperial capital, took to the streets in protest. When Russian soldiers joined them, the position of Tsar Nicholas II became untenable, and he abdicated. He was replaced by a provisional government that disappointed the people by keeping Russia in the war. Continued anger at the war effort led to another stage of the revolution...

What happened was the Russian Revolution. In 1917, angry at the deprivations caused by the war, Russian people in Petrograd, the imperial capital, took to the streets in protest. When Russian soldiers joined them, the position of Tsar Nicholas II became untenable, and he abdicated. He was replaced by a provisional government that disappointed the people by keeping Russia in the war. Continued anger at the war effort led to another stage of the revolution led by Bolsheviks, Communist insurgents under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin (with some clandestine assistance from Germany) overthrew the provisional government and eventually gained control. 

This affected German strategy because the Bolsheviks quickly sought a treaty to get out of the war. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, concluded in 1918, concluded Russia's involvement while giving vast swaths of land to Germany. For the Germans, who had been fighting a two-front war, this treaty allowed them to focus on the Western Front. Unfortunately for them, their offensive in the spring was driven back by the Allies, recently reinforced by the American Expeditionary Force, and the German war effort collapsed. But the Russian Revolution briefly allowed the Germans to put their full effort into fighting in western Europe.

How is the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth presented at the start of the play?

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are presented in an interesting manner at the beginning of the play.  It is clear that they have a very passionate relationship and that Lady Macbeth is seductive in the way that she speaks with Macbeth.  Moreover, she is very much interested in supporting Macbeth's ambition and search for power throughout the beginning of the play. When Lady Macbeth reads the letter detailing the witches' prophecy she is excited about what...

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are presented in an interesting manner at the beginning of the play.  It is clear that they have a very passionate relationship and that Lady Macbeth is seductive in the way that she speaks with Macbeth.  Moreover, she is very much interested in supporting Macbeth's ambition and search for power throughout the beginning of the play. When Lady Macbeth reads the letter detailing the witches' prophecy she is excited about what he has been promised and vows to make this dream a reality.  However, this relationship, while it seems loving and possibly even supportive at first is truly a dysfunctional relationship at heart.  As Lady Macbeth attempts to persuade Macbeth to act on the prophecy in order to ensure the outcome he desires, it becomes clear that Lady Macbeth is extremely controlling and manipulating.  As Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth to complete the murder it becomes evident that it is not Macbeth's best interests that she has in mind but her own advancement in position that she seeks to gain.  Moreover, as Macbeth begins to unravel and lose control it is clear that he no longer consults or includes Lady Macbeth in his plans.  This dysfunction carries through to the final scenes of the play when Macbeth barely pauses a moment to mourn Lady Macbeth's illness and eventual suicide.  

What would be a reason for recommending Great Expectations?

The only way to answer this question is to quote from the book in order to show the appeal of Charles Dickens' writing. The best example of his writing to be found anywhere in all his extensive works is Chapter 39 of Great Expectations. Characteristically, he opens his chapter with a passage of description to set the place and mood of the scene. The description may be of the interior of a room, or of the weather outside, or of an individual character. In Chapter 39 he begins, quite appropriately, with a description of the stormy night out of which the excepted convict emerges like a ghost of the past.

It was wretched weather; stormy and wet, stormy and wet; mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets. Day after day, a vast heavy veil had been driving over London from the East, and it drove still, as if in the East there were an eternity of cloud and wind. So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these rages of wind, and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all. 

In the next paragraph Pip adds further description of the violent storm:

I saw that the lamps in the court were blown out, and that the lamps on the bridges and the shore were shuddering, and that the coal fires in barges on the river were being carried away before the wind like red-hot splashes in the rain.

Many modern readers are impatient and skip descriptions in order to get on with the story, but they are missing some of the best Dickens has to offer. People had more patience in Victorian times because there were so few alternatives for leisure-time recreation. Charles Dickens himself read his works on the stage in England and America for many years. Audiences loved to hear him recite such passages as those quoted above. His descriptions are almost like Impressionistic paintings. Note the vivid image conveyed by the line:

...coal fires in barges on the river were being carried away before the wind like red-hot splashes in the rain.

But this is only the beginning. From out of the distant past Abel Magwitch appears. He seems totally indifferent to the storm because of the life he has lived in England and in far-off Australia. He is there to destroy all of Pip's illusions and to claim him as his foster son. Pip has become a gentleman, and the storm means little to him because he is seated in a comfortable chair, reading a good book in front of a blazing fireplace. He realizes not only how his own comfort and security have depended on the privations and suffering of a lower-class man, but how all ladies and gentlemen of the leisure class are equally helpless, and useless, without the support of the men and women they consider far beneath them.

The dialogue in Chapter 39 is simply marvelous. Stephen Leacock compared Dickens to Shakespeare in Charles Dickens: His Life and Work (1933). Here is one of the best examples of dialogue from Great Expectations:

“Yes, Pip, dear boy, I've made a gentleman on you! It's me wot has done it! I swore that time, sure as ever I earned a guinea, that guinea should go to you. I swore arterwards, sure as ever I spec'lated and got rich, you should get rich. I lived rough, that you should live smooth; I worked hard that you should be above work. I tell it, fur you to know as that there hunted dunghill dog wot you kep life in, got his head so high that he could make a gentleman—and, Pip, you're him!”

Pip knows he was only motivated by fear when he brought the vittles and the file to the convict on the marshes. But Abel Magwitch has experienced so little human kindness that he remembers it all his life. The poor man thinks that a gentleman is the finest specimen of humanity and is proud that he has created one by himself. But Pip knows from his own example that a gentleman is all show and no substance. He is living on the hard-earned money of another man who not only thinks that he acted "nobly" there on the marshes, but that he has become an even more noble person with his fine clothes, fine manners, fine lodging, esoteric books, and perfect command of the King's English. Pip is thoroughly humiliated and has all his dreams destroyed in this magnificent chapter by the great Charles Dickens.

Is there a work of literature, similar to Beowulf, where the hero fights a monster to save his kingdom?

Beowulf inspired a number of similar stories, especially Tolkien's--which share several literary and cultural elements--and particularly The Hobbit.

The point of view in The Hobbitis shifted away from the traditional hero's perspective, and is instead told from the least powerful and least aggressive character. Bilbo Baggins is essentially conscripted by a wizard and a group of dwarves to accompany them to their ancestral home, a mountain, which has been taken over by a...

Beowulf inspired a number of similar stories, especially Tolkien's--which share several literary and cultural elements--and particularly The Hobbit.

The point of view in The Hobbit is shifted away from the traditional hero's perspective, and is instead told from the least powerful and least aggressive character. Bilbo Baggins is essentially conscripted by a wizard and a group of dwarves to accompany them to their ancestral home, a mountain, which has been taken over by a dragon. After encountering numerous challenges on their way, they arrive at the mountain and encounter the dragon, only to accidentally implicate the nearby town in having helped them. The dragon attacks the town and is killed by the local hero, who then attempts to lay a claim to the dragon's treasure. Corruption poisons the relationships between many characters until a greater threat (orcs, the traditional enemy of all) interrupts them and they manage to unite against this threat, though not without the deaths of several important protagonists. Bilbo returns home a "changed hobbit," no longer the person he was. While Bilbo undergoes the traditional "hero's journey," there isn't really a hero who is central to both the narration and the plot itself, in the way that Beowulf is.

Several generalized plot points, as well as specific details, are shared between The Hobbit and Beowulf, which Tolkien specifically resourced when writing it;

• Bilbo is commonly called the "burglar" of the party, for his small size and ability to move silently, even though he has no practical experience in burgling. This a direct reference to the thief in Beowulf, who is pressed into joining Beowulf's part to lead them to the dragon.


• The dragons in both stories are said to hoard treasure for no obvious reason other than that it's in their nature, to be able to fly, and breathe fire.


• In both stories, the theft of a cup is immediately noticed by the dragon. 


• Bard, the human who actually kills the dragon in The Hobbit, "inherits" several abilities, such as being able to understand the bird who tells him of the dragon's weak spot. This is akin to many of the important genealogical elements of Beowulf, wherein greatness is tied to one's birth.


• Thorin, the leader of the dwarves, dies at the end of the story, reflecting Beowulf's death at the end of his own. Thorin also recants his own greed, recognizing how it brought him nothing but trouble, in the same way that the Beowulf author frequently points to personal flaws and sins as the source of many conflicts.

In Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, is Colonel Graff more of an effective leader who cares about Ender or a selfish manipulative war criminal? Why?

Graff is undoubtedly manipulative. He intentionally drives the other kids away from Ender to isolate him, he convinces Ender that his fight against the Buggers is a simulation, and he frequently plays emotional games with the young boy. He also freely uses children in order to win the war, and does not hesitate to arm Ender with the weaponry to destroy an entire planet. All of this aside, I still believe that Graff is not...

Graff is undoubtedly manipulative. He intentionally drives the other kids away from Ender to isolate him, he convinces Ender that his fight against the Buggers is a simulation, and he frequently plays emotional games with the young boy. He also freely uses children in order to win the war, and does not hesitate to arm Ender with the weaponry to destroy an entire planet. All of this aside, I still believe that Graff is not selfishly motivated. He shows no signs of enjoying any of it. He is simply a military man forced to take extreme measures. All of these actions would be horrible in other circumstances, but consider the stakes. Graff is tasked with training leaders who can potentially save the entire human race. His actions harm Ender and the other children, but Graff believes this is crucial to winning the war. Graff has devoted his life to keeping others safe. In war massive sacrifices are often made. Ender unknowingly allows thousands to die in his assault of the Bugger planet. Graff is merely doing what he believes he needs to in order to preserve human life. Ender must be ready. The stakes are too high for men like Graff to put one boy's happiness over the success of the mission. He might not be justified, but his motivations are good.

Where does it specify in Of Mice and Men that Curley's wife is expected to be at home?

Curley's wife is an incredibly interesting character in Of Mice and Men.  Her real name is never given to the reader, reducing her to an extension of Curley and her role as his wife. Her physical attributes are described in great detail and she clearly wants them noticed by the men on the ranch. Her behavior is considered questionable by the majority of the men, including Curley, who is always searching for her when...

Curley's wife is an incredibly interesting character in Of Mice and Men.  Her real name is never given to the reader, reducing her to an extension of Curley and her role as his wife. Her physical attributes are described in great detail and she clearly wants them noticed by the men on the ranch. Her behavior is considered questionable by the majority of the men, including Curley, who is always searching for her when she isn't at home. The men on the ranch are pretty clear about how they believe married women ought to behave and Curley's wife doesn't fit the bill. Curley responds to her flirtatious behavior by breaking her records later on in the story to teach her a lesson about how to respect him. Despite that, Curley's wife continues to sneak around the ranch. She knows that the prevailing attitude says wives should stay at home, but she finds it too boring: 

The girl flared up. "Sure I gotta husban'. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain't he? Spends all his time sayin' what he's gonna do to guys he don't like, and he don't like nobody. Think I'm gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley's gonna lead with his left twicet, and then bring in the ol' right cross? 'One-two,' he says. 'Jus' the ol' one-two an' he'll go down.'" (38)

In this scene in chapter four, Curley's wife reveals that she knows how Curley's hand became mangled and she also reveals how mean spirited she can actually be. Lashing out, she threatens Crooks and is finally chased away by Candy's promise to tell Curley on her if she won't leave. 

In what ways did meeting the Crow change the Kiowas' way of life?

When one speaks about the Crow, one is speaking about the second part of the Kiowa creation myth, imperative to the Kiowa religion. The Kiowa creation myth actually has two parts: one about "Boy Medicine," otherwise known as the Talyi-da-i bundles, and one about the sacred Tai-me bundle. The wisdom of the Crow has to do with the way the Tai-me bundle became sacred.

The Crow can be considered a minor character in the Kiowa...

When one speaks about the Crow, one is speaking about the second part of the Kiowa creation myth, imperative to the Kiowa religion. The Kiowa creation myth actually has two parts: one about "Boy Medicine," otherwise known as the Talyi-da-i bundles, and one about the sacred Tai-me bundle. The wisdom of the Crow has to do with the way the Tai-me bundle became sacred.

The Crow can be considered a minor character in the Kiowa creation myth. The Crow comes as a messenger in order for the Kiowa to learn about the importance of the Sun. The Kiowa tribe learns quickly, and befriends a strange and wild creature named Tai-me which becomes the main focus of their Sun Dance. In fact, Tai-me is often considered the "god of the Sun Dance." Even though Tai-me flew back to the Sun, Tai-me remains with the Kiowa in the form of a stone statue that is kept in a bundle all year. This special statue is revealed only on one day a year: the day of the Sun Dance. On this day, the statue of Tai-me is suspended from a pole in the Sun Dance lodge for the people to worship. 

In conclusion, meeting the Crow changed the Kiowa way of life by teaching the tribe to worship the Sun, providing the tribe with a sacred object (the statue) for veneration, and suggesting a special form of worship: the Sun Dance.

Iodine is used to test a leaf for starch. What happens to the iodine if starch is present?

Iodine test is used to determine the presence of starch in leaves. This test is very frequently used to demonstrate if the leaves or which part of leaves are photosynthetic. When covered with iodine solution, the portion of leaves that contain starch turns blue-black. The exact changes that take place are not yet fully understood, however it is believed that the iodide ions get stuck in the amylose molecule and that a starch-iodine complex is...

Iodine test is used to determine the presence of starch in leaves. This test is very frequently used to demonstrate if the leaves or which part of leaves are photosynthetic. When covered with iodine solution, the portion of leaves that contain starch turns blue-black. The exact changes that take place are not yet fully understood, however it is believed that the iodide ions get stuck in the amylose molecule and that a starch-iodine complex is formed, which gives this blue-black color. 

The iodine test is used with a number of variations, such as for leaves of plants grown in light versus grown in dark; with portions of leaves covered with aluminum foil; with variegated leaves (that have both green and white color), etc. The green leaves contain chlorophyll and, in the presence of sunlight, carry out photosynthesis, thus forming starch. When dipped in iodine solution, the iodine on these green leaves will turn blue-black because of how iodine reacts with amylose in the plant.

Hope this helps. 

What does the quote "Bob Ewell meant business" mean in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

After Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout on their way home from the school pageant, Heck Tate did some investigative work.  He examined Scout's ham costume.  It was made from barbed wire, fabric, and paint.  She had worn it in the pageant that night, and she had also worn it home.  She had been wearing it when she and Jem were attacked by Bob Ewell.  Heck discovered a slice through part of the costume, which...

After Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout on their way home from the school pageant, Heck Tate did some investigative work.  He examined Scout's ham costume.  It was made from barbed wire, fabric, and paint.  She had worn it in the pageant that night, and she had also worn it home.  She had been wearing it when she and Jem were attacked by Bob Ewell.  Heck discovered a slice through part of the costume, which had been made with Bob Ewell's knife.  Upon examining it, Heck announced that "Bob Ewell meant business" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 29).  He said this to mean that Bob Ewell had intended to physically harm the children.  He had wanted to kill them to get back at Atticus for defending Tom Robinson.  Atticus expressed his opinion about Bob Ewell, which was that the man was insane.  Heck disagreed.  He thought that Bob Ewell's mean spirit had led him to attempt violence against the children.

Discuss the concept of predetermined destiny and how it relates to the story of Romeo and Juliet.

Predestination and fate are very similar in concept, so a reader could use the two terms almost interchangeably.  Many readers feel that Romeo and Juliet were fated/predestined to end up committing suicide together.  That idea isn't exactly a big secret in the play either. Shakespeare is always dropping hints that Romeo and Juliet are going to soon die.  Look at the opening prologue.  

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Shakespeare flat out tells his audience that an in love couple is going to die.  

That sense of a predetermined destiny oozes throughout the play as well.  Before Romeo crashes the Capulet party he says this:

I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.

In the above lines, Romeo is announcing that he has some misgiving feelings about the events that are about to be put into place.  It's almost like he can feel that he is being led down a path of destruction.  He feels like he is being "steered."  

Juliet isn't immune to dropping hints of her fated death either.  The first time that she sees Romeo, Juliet announces that her wedding bed will also be her deathbed.  

Go ask his name. The Nurse goes. If he be marrièd.
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.

This line works too for Juliet:

O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.
Either my eyesight fails or thou look'st pale.

The above quotes are just some of the hints that Shakespeare continually drops throughout the play to emphasize the predetermined deaths of Romeo and Juliet.  It always amazes me that despite all of the hints at their deaths, audiences still are incredibly emotional when the deaths actually happen.  Audiences are still shocked that the two lovers died, despite the constant hinting.  

Why does Aunt Alexandra think that Scout should change her behavior?

Aunt Alexandra is very traditional and her view of gender roles is also. Scout does not behave like a typical girl, and this is alarming to Aunt Alexandra because she is worried that she will be ill-prepared as she grows up and has to take on the duties and roles that women do. 

Scout is far more interested in playing with her brother, Jem, and her best friend, Dill. She is a tomboy through and...

Aunt Alexandra is very traditional and her view of gender roles is also. Scout does not behave like a typical girl, and this is alarming to Aunt Alexandra because she is worried that she will be ill-prepared as she grows up and has to take on the duties and roles that women do. 

Scout is far more interested in playing with her brother, Jem, and her best friend, Dill. She is a tomboy through and through.  

"I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born" (Ch.9)

Note the type of behavior Alexandra is hoping for relates to female domesticity. 

"During the years in which Lee grew up and set her novel, America advocated the home as a woman’s domain" (Scouting for a Tomboy: Gender-Bending Behaviors in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird).

Aunt Alexandra feels that the lack of a mother figure in the Finch home has caused Scout to be more masculine than feminine and she is trying to help "right the ship," so to speak, before it is too late and Scout grows up set in her ways. She is, in her own way, trying to exert a positive, feminine influence on Scout.

After her husband's death, explain the difficulties that Helen Robinson had to face.

After her husband's death, Helen Robinson didn't have the privilege of mourning quietly. She was now her children's sole support, both financially and emotionally. Link Deas had given her a job to help the family, but Helen found herself at Bob Ewell's mercy every day.

Accordingly, Helen had to walk a mile out her way to get to work. It was next to impossible to use the public road, as Bob Ewell and some members...

After her husband's death, Helen Robinson didn't have the privilege of mourning quietly. She was now her children's sole support, both financially and emotionally. Link Deas had given her a job to help the family, but Helen found herself at Bob Ewell's mercy every day.

Accordingly, Helen had to walk a mile out her way to get to work. It was next to impossible to use the public road, as Bob Ewell and some members of his family often lay in wait to harass her. For his part, Mr. Link Deas had to speak to Bob Ewell twice about harassing Helen.

The first instance happened when Mr. Link Deas walked Helen home. On the way past the Ewell home, he stopped to warn the Ewell family against further antagonizing and harassing his cook. The second instance happened when Link spoke to Bob Ewell about following Helen from afar and "crooning foul words" in the distance.

For his part, Bob Ewell denied any wrongdoing. He crudely claimed that he would never think of violating Helen. In response, Link asserted that Bob Ewell didn't need to physically violate Helen for him (Link) to pursue charges against him. As a warning, Link proclaimed that he would resort to having Bob charged under the Ladies' Law if he had to.

Although Bob Ewell eventually stopped harassing Helen, we can see that Helen had many difficulties to face after Tom's death. Not only did she have to navigate a new and precarious life with her children, she also had to face ugly attitudes and harassment from the Ewell family on a daily basis. It was only when Link Deas intervened that she received any measure of peace at all.

What is lightning? |

Lightning is an electrical discharge between charged particles in a cloud and charged particles within the ground or in another cloud. This results in the bright streak of light that is seen in the sky that is known as lightning.

When liquid water gains enough energy, the water particles move faster and break away from one another. The water's volume increases. This is how water vapor forms. Water vapor has a lower density than liquid water, so it moves...

Lightning is an electrical discharge between charged particles in a cloud and charged particles within the ground or in another cloud. This results in the bright streak of light that is seen in the sky that is known as lightning.

When liquid water gains enough energy, the water particles move faster and break away from one another. The water's volume increases. This is how water vapor forms. Water vapor has a lower density than liquid water, so it moves upward in the sky. Some water vapor condenses onto dust particles in the air. When there are enough dust particles surrounded by condensation, a cloud forms.

The water droplets that make up clouds are not stationary. Rather, they move around and may bump into one another. This movement may result in the droplets becoming charged. Opposite charges migrate towards opposite sections of a cloud. The positively charged particles move to the top of the cloud, and the negatively charged particles move to the bottom of the cloud. Once the division of opposite charges becomes extreme enough, the opposite charges attract one another at the same time that the "electrical potential" develops between earth and cloud. The result is a an electrical discharge and the spark that we know as lightning.