How is empirical observation / an empirical approach used to critique systems of classification in 'View with a Grain of Sand'? So far I have...

What a fine and well-developed question!

Let me start with the simplest part of it first. You mentioned the use of colloquialism. That in itself would not make this poem scientific. That simply means the language used is common or ordinary.

No, rather than that, there are several elements that show empirical observation is used. Look at the first lines. They reject verbal labels, showing the gap between language and reality (and therefore pushing readers...

What a fine and well-developed question!

Let me start with the simplest part of it first. You mentioned the use of colloquialism. That in itself would not make this poem scientific. That simply means the language used is common or ordinary.

No, rather than that, there are several elements that show empirical observation is used. Look at the first lines. They reject verbal labels, showing the gap between language and reality (and therefore pushing readers toward direct sensory observation).

The third stanza takes this rejection of human, social, and linguistic classification further, saying that the view exists without color, shape, etc. All of these things exist only in the human mind.

The fifth stanza may be the most explicit rejection of human conceptual structures. It is easy to think of something like a second as being objective, existing in the world, but as this stanza indicates, seconds only exist for humans, and only in the human mind. This peeling away of imposed concepts is almost Zen in its implications, removing misconceptions in order to push us to see clearly. In that sense, the poem walks all readers to direct observation.

What key idea did Copernicus contribute to the Renaissance?

The key idea contributed by Copernicus is that the earth revolved around the sun rather than the other way around. This theory, known as "heliocentrism" was very radical. Copernicus's contemporaries, and most importantly the Catholic Church, accepted the ancient Ptolemaic theory, a "geocentric" model that placed the earth at the center of the universe. According to this model, the Earth was stationary. This view accorded with a literal understanding of the Bible, which, in several...

The key idea contributed by Copernicus is that the earth revolved around the sun rather than the other way around. This theory, known as "heliocentrism" was very radical. Copernicus's contemporaries, and most importantly the Catholic Church, accepted the ancient Ptolemaic theory, a "geocentric" model that placed the earth at the center of the universe. According to this model, the Earth was stationary. This view accorded with a literal understanding of the Bible, which, in several passages, seems to portray the Earth as a non-moving body. Copernicus's theory, published in the last year of his life in a book entitled De Revolutionibus, thus flew in the face of Church doctrine, and was banned by the Church. It should be noted that Copernicus's model needed significant revision, as it argued that the sun was at the center of the universe, with all the stars and other heavenly bodies revolving around it as well. Like Ptolemy, he thought orbits were traced along perfect spheres. Later astronomers, working from observation, showed that orbits were in fact elliptical, and that the sun was not the center of the universe. 

Who used the alias Vincent Spaulding? a. Sherlock Holmes b. Dr. Watson c. Mr. Merryweather d. John Clay

The answer to your multiple choice question is d. John Clay. Sherlock Holmes first hears this name when he asks his prospective client Jabez Wilson:

“What is the name of this obliging youth?”

Wilson's reply makes Holmes, who is already suspicious, become even more suspicious of the assistant.

“His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth, either. It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter assistant, Mr. Holmes; and I know very well that he could better himself and earn twice what I am able to give him. But, after all, if he is satisfied, why should I put ideas in his head?”

The idea of Wilson putting ideas into Spaulding's head is unintentionally ironic, since Spaulding has put such fantastic ideas into Wilson's head. Before the interview with Wilson is over, Sherlock Holmes is already positive that the man who is calling himself Vincent Spaulding must be none other than the elusive criminal whose real name is John Clay. Later in the story Peter Jones, the man from Scotland Yard, will describe him to the bank director as follows:

“John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He's a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on any criminal in London. He's a remarkable man, is young John Clay. His grandfather was a royal duke, and he himself has been to Eton and Oxford. His brain is as cunning as his fingers, and though we meet signs of him at every turn, we never know where to find the man himself.

John Clay is wanted for many crimes, including murder, but neither Sherlock Holmes nor Scotland Yard has been able to catch up with him. Holmes is more than willing to take Wilson's case on a pro bono basis because this seems like a golden opportunity, not only to catch John Clay, but to catch him red-handed in a crime for which he will certainly be hanged. 

Jabez Wilson is fortunate that he never had enough curiosity to go down into his own cellar to see what Vincent Spaulding was up to down there. The author, Arthur Conan Doyle, portrays Wilson as old, overweight, and apparently suffering from high blood pressure. This would explain why Wilson never went down those dark wooden steps, which would be much harder to climb back up. He is also addicted to snuff, which is a powdered tobacco and which could affect his breathing in the same way as tobacco smoked in a pipe, cigar or cigarette. If Wilson had caught this "Vincent Spaulding" digging a tunnel, John Clay would have had no qualms about murdering him with his shovel and burying him in his own cellar.

Because of the ingenious way in which this story is told, the reader does not actually meet the notorious and dangerous John Clay until he pops out of his tunnel through the flooring and into the bank's strongroom. He proves to be a very cool customer, even though he has been trapped and faces hanging in those strict Victorian times. His attempted burglary alone would be enough to get him hanged, but he has a long list of prior crimes for which to answer.

Why is it that when a group follows tradition without thinking about the consequences, bad things will happen?

First of all, I have to disagree with the global premise of your question.  When people follow a tradition without thinking of the consequences, bad things do not necessarily happen.  They can and they do, certainly, from time to time, but whether or not this is the case is dependent upon the purpose and nature of the tradition and its potential consequences.   

A literary example that comes to mind is a story in which...

First of all, I have to disagree with the global premise of your question.  When people follow a tradition without thinking of the consequences, bad things do not necessarily happen.  They can and they do, certainly, from time to time, but whether or not this is the case is dependent upon the purpose and nature of the tradition and its potential consequences.   

A literary example that comes to mind is a story in which this is the situation, "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson.  The ritual is to hold a lottery annually and stone to death the "winner."  It is not clear what the purpose of the tradition is, although it seems to have its roots in some pagan harvest sacrificial ritual.   The people in the story mindlessly adhere to the tradition, disregarding its consequence of death for one person in the village.  So, this is a fictional case of "something bad" happening.

There are real-life examples, too, of course.  Fraternity initiations are one example that comes to me, as is the "tradition" of having 21 shots of alcohol as one turns 21 and is legally permitted to consume alcoholic beverages.  These are rituals that are thoughtlessly carried out with no concern for the consequences, which are physical harm and even death.  There are no doubt other equally idiotic and tragic examples.

However, many people perform rituals that have no bad consequences at all, whether they think about them or not and no matter what their motives are in participating in them. This is true of many religious rituals, for example, taking communion, becoming bar or bat mitzvah, or bringing gifts for the gods in a Hindu temple.  The marriage ceremony is a ritual, too, although this could just as easily be a counter-example, since some people seem to marry thoughtlessly, with less than happy consequence. 

What beliefs about the "sentience" of matter does Usher express to the narrator in The Fall of the House of Usher?

Roderick Usher's observation of "the sentience of all vegetable things" extends to his conviction that even inorganic things, such as the stones of his mansion, take on a certain consciousness of their environment and those who dwell within.  

Usher is convinced that non-living things of the natural world, as well as the living things, have "molded the destinies of his family" and made him what he is. While the narrator declares that he will...

Roderick Usher's observation of "the sentience of all vegetable things" extends to his conviction that even inorganic things, such as the stones of his mansion, take on a certain consciousness of their environment and those who dwell within.  

Usher is convinced that non-living things of the natural world, as well as the living things, have "molded the destinies of his family" and made him what he is. While the narrator declares that he will make no comment on this opinion, the idea of pathetic fallacy enters the narrative at this point. Usher believes the arrangement of the stones, the fungi growing on the stones, and the decaying trees that surround the house have had a longstanding effect upon the destinies of the Usher family; furthermore, they have even affected the formation of his own being.

In this part of his narrative, Poe seems to extend the concept of the influence of one's environment as one that has not just a psychological effect, but also exerts a physical one. That is, Roderick believes the outward decay and conditions have affected the lives of the Ushers. Interestingly, ancient peoples attributed the ravages of fungi to the wrath of the gods, so they, too, felt an influence upon their lives by such growth.

What's a summary of "Once Upon a Time"?

"Once Upon a Time" begins with the author somewhat irritated by a presumption that she "ought" to write a children's book. That night, she awakens from a sound sleep, disturbed by something unknown, and she fears that it is a burglar. This is where historical context is needed: Gordimer lived in South Africa during apartheid and frequently wrote about how the nation could work toward a post-apartheid future. Violence was not uncommon; she fears that she will be murdered, a fate that has befallen neighbors.

She realizes that the sound was not derived from footsteps, but was rather a result of the mine underneath her house that shifts the structure around her. Still, she is unable to sleep, and so she tells herself a bedtime story. 

There was a family who was living "happily ever after" in a suburb: a husband, a wife, and their small son. They began to follow the advice of the husband's mother, an "old witch," who warned them not to take people in off the street. They acquiesced and implemented security measures such as insurance, a gate around the pool, and a neighborhood watch program which came with a YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED sign to be hung on the gate. The sign also contained a picture of a masked burglar, and it is said that because it is masked, it could not possibly be racist.

Soon, the family no longer felt that this was enough and riots outside the suburb convinced them to install electronically controlled gates with an intercom system. The maid was still concerned about the security, and so they had burglar bars installed on all the windows and put in sensitive burglar alarms. The alarms were not particularly useful: they were so sensitive that the cat could set them off, and thieves used the cover of the noise to break into the houses.

The wife stopped supplying the people outside the gates with food after the housemaid warned her against it. They decided to build the wall higher, and the mother-in-law supplied them with the extra bricks and a book of fairy tales for the son. Eventually, they decided to add security measures to the top of the fence, and chose a coil of vicious wire to be installed by a company called Dragon's Teeth.

One day, inspired by the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the little boy decided to make his way through the thicket of thorns. He took a ladder over to the wall and climbed into the razor-sharp coil of wire. It is heavily implied that he died, as the parents, the gardener, and the housemaid hacked the "bleeding mass of the little boy" out of the security wire with saws.

What is the purpose of the thermal expansion of water?

Thermal expansion occurs to some degree in all substances. The density of liquids typically decreases as temperature increases, with most liquids having the highest density near their freezing points and the lowest density near their boiling points. In other words, substances tend to expand when heated and contract when cooled. This is because the particles in a liquid move more rapidly as they absorb thermal energy and when they move faster they tend to move...

Thermal expansion occurs to some degree in all substances. The density of liquids typically decreases as temperature increases, with most liquids having the highest density near their freezing points and the lowest density near their boiling points. In other words, substances tend to expand when heated and contract when cooled. This is because the particles in a liquid move more rapidly as they absorb thermal energy and when they move faster they tend to move farther apart. Collisions between particles are more energetic and cause more separation.

Water, however, is an exception to this trend. Liquid water decreases in density or contracts as the temperature is lowered until it reaches a temperature of about 4 degrees C. At this temperature it begins to expand again. This is called the density anomaly, and it’s due to hydrogen bonding in water. The attractions between oppositely charged ends of different molecules result in the molecules arranging in a very open formation when they get close together. We’re aware that ice floats in water while most solids are less dense than their liquid phase. Water continues to expand until it solidifies into a structure based on hexagonal crystals that contain a lot of empty space. The image below shows this open structure.

What were two advantages the Hittite soldiers had over their enemies?

The Hittite Army was one of the most feared units in all of the ancient world. The brutality that they exacted on their enemies had a profound psychological effect. One of the reasons for their success was the use of superior weapons. The Hittites were able to manufacture and utilize iron weapons. Imagine the disadvantage that you faced when doing battle with bronze shields and your enemy has iron. The Hittites also made use of...

The Hittite Army was one of the most feared units in all of the ancient world. The brutality that they exacted on their enemies had a profound psychological effect. One of the reasons for their success was the use of superior weapons. The Hittites were able to manufacture and utilize iron weapons. Imagine the disadvantage that you faced when doing battle with bronze shields and your enemy has iron. The Hittites also made use of the chariot which put them at a great advantage over their enemies.

Another reason for the success of the Hittite military is due to its organization. The Hittites were the first military to commission officers. The Hittites recognized seven different ranks of officers. They organized their troops into evenly numbered units with an officer in charge of each outfit. Within the Hittite military, there were four different branches. The four branches included chariotry, infantry, cavarly, and navy. The organization of the Hittite military was unprecedented for that time period.

What is the importance of history in education studies?

I am going to assume that you are asking about why the history of education is important within the discipline of education.  The history of any discipline is important, but when it comes to education, it is even more so because the future of any country lies in its education. When we understand the history of education, it allows us to make better judgements, to succeed where previous philosophies and endeavors have failed and to capitalize on the historical successes, too. In other words, we learn from our failures and our triumphs.

To give just one powerful example, historically the education of children with disabilities, to the degree they were educated at all, was to isolate them, often without the amenities that other children had. I remember that when I was in elementary school, "special ed" classes were held in the basement, next to the boiler room. We knew these children were different and perceived them to be somehow inferior to us. This was how it was, not all that long ago, really. And we have learned from our knowledge of this history what a dreadful mistake this was educationally.

On the other hand, we have John Dewey, who was thinking and writing about education over a hundred years ago. His ideas on hands-on learning are just as fresh and important today as they were when he wrote them.  Trends have come and gone in education, but John Dewey is not simply a historical footnote.  His thoughts are of vital importance today in every classroom.

Looking back, there was a time when schools were racially segregated. It was not until 1955 that the Supreme Court held this to be unconstitutional.  As we review this history, it teaches us how damaging segregated education was, for all children, and we have been working ever since on how to provide for educational integration. 

Another valuable aspect of educational history is the history of its aims. Historically, universal education was intended to mold students into good citizens who could participate intelligently in a democracy. Today, it appears that society's aim is to see to it that people have the requisite skills for employment.  That is not necessarily a bad aim, but revisiting the history of previous goals should give us pause, I think, to consider our present priorities. If everyone has a job but is ill-prepared to vote thoughtfully and intelligently and to participate fully in a democratic society, it is my believe that education has failed and that democracy fails as well.  

History shows us where we have been, and the history of education has important lessons to teach us, about what has been done well and what has been done horribly.  We can use our historical knowledge to go forward as much better educators. 

Atticus gave the children air rifles and with them some very important advice. What was the advice? Relate that advice and explain the significance...

When Atticus gave the children the air rifles, he gave them advice that is the source of the name of the book. He tells them that it is all right to kill blue jays, but to 

Remember that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.

This is a theme of To Kill a Mockingbird--that creatures that do no harm and only...

When Atticus gave the children the air rifles, he gave them advice that is the source of the name of the book. He tells them that it is all right to kill blue jays, but to 

Remember that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.

This is a theme of To Kill a Mockingbird--that creatures that do no harm and only bring good to others should be valued and cared for. There are multiple people in Harper Lee's novel who can be considered mockingbirds. Boo Radley is harassed for being different but eventually saves the children. Tom Robinson tries to help Mayella but dies for it. Atticus tries to do the right thing despite threats to himself and his family. Jem and Scout are innocent children, targeted because of their father's defense of Tom. All deserve protection, but only some receive it.

Where are Malcolm and Macduff in Macbeth?

In Act IV, Scene 3, Macduff and Malcolm are in England at the court of King Edward the Confessor. Malcolm has been there since fleeing from Macbeth's castle at Dunsinane. Macduff is only newly arrived, having come to Scotland to help raise an army to overthrow Macbeth. Both Macduff and Malcolm are very important characters, but Shakespeare must have felt that he needed to impress them more strongly on his audience, since Macduff had only appeared in the scene in which he discovered Duncan's murdered body and Malcolm, who is destined to become king, had hardly any exposure to the audience at all. 

The part of Act IV, Scene 3 that involves the long conversation between Macduff and Malcolm really accomplishes very little except to make the audience aware that they are important characters who will become antagonists against Macbeth. Malcolm tells Macduff that he doesn't feel qualified to be king of Scotland because of all his vices. He says:

Better Macbeth
Than such an one to reign [as himself].

This seems intended to explain why Malcolm didn't stay at Dunsinane and make an effort to be elected to inherit his father's throne. After all, he was named Prince of Cumberland and was the heir apparent. His election as King of Scotland would have been unanimous. The audience has a right to be suspicious about why Malcolm fled. Evidently he was not only afraid there was a plot against him and his brother, but he didn't really want to be king because he felt unworthy of the office. Macduff has to talk him into asserting his right to rule--and then Malcolm tells him he was lying about his vices in order to test Macduff, whom he suspected of being one of Macbeth's secret agents. 

Devilish Macbeth
By many of these trains hath sought to win me
Into his power, and modest wisdom plucks me
From over-credulous haste. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My first false speaking
Was this upon myself. What I am truly,
Is thine and my poor country's to command:

What he means by "My first false speaking" is that the first time in his life he ever told a lie was when he told Macduff about his nonexistent vices. All this dialogue accomplishes very little except to impress the identities of these two characters on the viewers' minds. (In modern media parlance this would be called "face time.") Later in Act IV, Scene 3, Macduff will learn from Ross that Macbeth has had his soldiers storm Macduff's castle and murder his wife and children along with everyone else inside. This, of course, is important news and augments Macduff's already strong motivation to kill Macbeth in hand-to-hand combat.

O, I could play the woman with mine eyes,
And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,
Heaven forgive him too!

The finale would be much less effective if the audience did not know these two characters better. Malcolm is to become leader of the English army, and Macduff is to have the satisfaction of killing Macbeth on the battlefield and displaying his severed head. At that point Macduff and all the soldiers shout "Hail, King of Scotland!" The audience is satisfied. Malcolm has become not only king but the legitimate and worthy king.

How does Howard Zinn discuss the class struggles that become apparent during the Progressive Era in Chapter 13 of A People's History of the United...

Zinn takes time in the chapter to discuss the grievances that several groups have at the beginning of the 20th Century. These groups include unskilled workers, new immigrants, women, and African-Americans. Zinn goes into great detail about how these groups are responding to their place at the bottom of society. The first decade of the Twentieth Century saw an increase in strikes, most of them becoming violent at some point in time. Many at the...

Zinn takes time in the chapter to discuss the grievances that several groups have at the beginning of the 20th Century. These groups include unskilled workers, new immigrants, women, and African-Americans. Zinn goes into great detail about how these groups are responding to their place at the bottom of society. The first decade of the Twentieth Century saw an increase in strikes, most of them becoming violent at some point in time. Many at the bottom of society have turned to socialism, as it has become mainstreamed. The problems of society are now being reported by a group of journalists known as the muckrakers. The decade is one of overt class struggle.

Through this class struggle, the lower classes have turned to more radical organizations to fight the establishment. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a more aggressive and inclusive labor union, has orchestrated strikes for unskilled laborers across the nation. Most of their activities become violent, through no fault of their own. African-Americans have organized themselves with the formation of the Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Women are becoming more involved in the union movement and the fight for suffrage. The period between 1890 and the beginning of World War I was a very turbulent time on the domestic front in the United States.

While history books tell of a great reform movement that targeted the excesses of corporate America, Zinn sees the Progressive Movement differently. Zinn views Progressivism as the upper-class response in this struggle. In other words, the government, guided by the hand of corporate leadership, made reforms in an effort to stem the tide of socialism and radicalism in the United States. This was done to protect the capitalist system that made them wealthy. The hope was that a middle-class would be established to buffer the pressures being exerted on the upper-class, by the lower-class. In this way, business leadership actually became more powerful during the Progressive Era of reform.

In what ways is Herman Melville's Moby Dick an allegory? What enlightenment does the ending of the novel reveal?

Moby Dick has been interpreted in several ways as an allegory, a narrative in which the characters and events are symbolic or metaphoric for deeply meaningful abstract ideas or qualities; that is, "a figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another."

• An Allegory of Democracy and Racial Diversity

The Pequod and the sea represent a small, metaphoric nation in which few differences of class and rank count, and one's lineage and past no longer governs one’s life. Filled with sailors from the world over of various races, the Pequod depicts a democratic vision. In Chapter 3, Ismael finds himself doubled up in bed with a bizarre harpooneer, a South Seas Islander, who is a cannibal covered with tattoos and who totes a shrunken head in his bag. Initially terrified by him, Ismael finds that it is "[B]etter[to] sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian."
Later, aboard the Pequod there are sailors from all over the world, but all in the crew are equal. In Chapter 72, "Monkey Ropes," Ismael describes how the crew descend upon the whale and "cut in and attend" to the flesh. As Queeque balances himself upon the moving whale's back, Ismael likens him to a highlander dancing in long socks upon the mammoth's back as Ismael holds onto him with what is called the Monkey Rope. In addition, Ismael is tied in life or death to him:

...should poor Queequeq sink to rise no more, then both usage and honor demanded, that instead of cutting the cord, it should drag me down in his wake.

Further, Ismael underlines this "joint stock company of two" in which he and Quequeeq are involved as he recognizes that which the metaphysical poet Donne wrote of when he noted "No man is an island unto himself." For, Ismael observes that 

...every mortal that breathes...one way or other has this Siamese connexion with a plurality of mortals. If your banker breaks, you snap; if your apothecary by mistake sends you poison in your pills, you die.

As they are paired together in their work, Ishmael even refers to his partner as his brother.

•  Biblical and Metaphysical Allegory

Much like the king of Israel in the Old Testament, Captain Ahab is arrogant and self-serving in his demands. He is also monomaniacal in his desire for revenge against the great white whale Moby Dick of whom he remarks,

He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. 

On the ship Elijah, like the prophet of the Bible, foretells Ahab's death. And, Ishmael is like his Biblical nomenclature, a wanderer.
Much like the Bible stories, Moby Dick chronicles hypocrisies in religious fanaticism and the tragedy that pride inevitably wreaks upon its owner. Also, much like Ahab of the Old Testament, Captain Ahab suffers a tragic end.

In Chapter 36, "The Quarter Deck," Ahab ponders aloud the metaphysical aspects of living creatures:

....All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event--in the the living act, the undoubted deed--there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the moldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask!

His perception of Moby Dick, who has taken from him his leg, is that of more than mammal; it is a metaphysical force that he finds evil, and Ahab challenges this preternatural white whale. Ishmael describes Ahab in Chapter 41 as an "ungodly old man chasing with curses a Job's whale" who is "intent on an audacious, immitigable, and supernatural revenge." Further, in Chapter 135, Ishmael remarks,

...Ahab never thinks, he only feels, feels, feels; that tingling enough for mortal man! To think's audacity. God only has that right and privilege.

The Quaker and dutiful mate Starbuck despairingly remarks, "I misdoubt me that I disobey my God in obeying him." He finds himself following the man who he knows is wrong in his vengeful desires, yet, he feels driven by some force he is unable to control.

Having blasphemed Nature and God, as Starbuck acknowledges, Ahab dies wrapped in the harpoon lines, a "shroud of the sea," finding nothing behind the "pasteboard mask" and no meaning in his life.

In her article, "The Adamic Myth," critic Karen Tanguma calls Ahab a "tragic Adam" who suffers "the unfortunate fall" since he renounces God in his vengeance against Moby Dick; on the other hand, Ishmael, who does not seek revenge upon this white symbol of a spiritual power, is the "Old World Adam," whose suffering leads him to spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Like Job of the Old Testament, Ishmael is "escaped along to tell thee" [Job 1:16] the tale of himself and the others. 

The ending thus enlightens the reader that vengeance is, indeed, the province of God, not man. At the same time, there is much that, as Ahab observes, is inscrutable about life.

The Adamic Myth in American Literature (pp 9, 11)

Give an example of a metaphor in Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet.

Act 2, Scene 2, of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous scenes in all of theater history. It is the balcony scene, where Romeo and Juliet become infatuated with one another. There are many metaphors in this scene. I will list two of the famous metaphors and give a description of what they suggest.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!...

Act 2, Scene 2, of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous scenes in all of theater history. It is the balcony scene, where Romeo and Juliet become infatuated with one another. There are many metaphors in this scene. I will list two of the famous metaphors and give a description of what they suggest.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! (II.ii.2-3)

In this line, Romeo proclaims that the light breaking in the window is "the East," and Juliet is "the sun." This is a metaphor, as he is describing Juliet as the sun. In this metaphor, Juliet is given natural, dynamic qualities. Furthermore, the sun was an important image in Renaissance times, and comparing Juliet to it is a high compliment.

This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, / May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. (II.ii.127-128)

Juliet describes their love as a flower. In this meeting, their love is only a bud, but time will grow their love in the same way that summer ripens and opens the bud of a flower. 

Are there any articles that discuss the issues mentioned in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma?

Michael Pollan's writings on food, nutrition and botany are very popular and have been instrumental in fomenting a food revolution in recent years. In addition to writing books on these topics (including The Botany of Desire, which looked closely at four common plants to determine their impact on humanity and history: the apple, the tulip, the potato, and marijuana), he has authored many articles and been featured in a number of documentary films. His...

Michael Pollan's writings on food, nutrition and botany are very popular and have been instrumental in fomenting a food revolution in recent years. In addition to writing books on these topics (including The Botany of Desire, which looked closely at four common plants to determine their impact on humanity and history: the apple, the tulip, the potato, and marijuana), he has authored many articles and been featured in a number of documentary films. His work incorporates research and writing on environmental issues as well. His articles have been featured in Newsweek, The New Yorker, The Nation, and the New York Times.

One of his first high-profile articles on food systems appeared in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, entitled "The Vegetable Industrial Complex." This article looks at many of the issues explored in The Omnivore's Dilemma, including the impact of modern agricultural practices on the foods we eat, the impact upon consumers of corporate agriculture, and the implications for farming in the future, as well as issues such as bacterial contamination (such as e. coli and listeria) in the foods we purchase in stores and restaurants.

The website michaelpollan.com contains information about the author's work and links to articles published in many online magazines. This is one of the best sources for finding writings by Pollan.

I need help analyzing the poem "Love and Life" by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester.

The poem "Love and Life" by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647-1680) consists of three five-line stanzas. The metrical pattern of all three stanzas is:

• Line 1: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 2: Iambic trimeter; B rhyme


• Line 3: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 4: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 5: Iambic trimeter; B rhyme

In other words, the iambic tetrameter lines (1, 3, and 4) rhyme with each other, as do the trimeter lines. 

It is written...

The poem "Love and Life" by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647-1680) consists of three five-line stanzas. The metrical pattern of all three stanzas is:

• Line 1: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 2: Iambic trimeter; B rhyme


• Line 3: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 4: Iambic tetrameter; A rhyme


• Line 5: Iambic trimeter; B rhyme

In other words, the iambic tetrameter lines (1, 3, and 4) rhyme with each other, as do the trimeter lines. 

It is written in the first person, with a male narrator directly addressing a female beloved named Phyllis.

Thematically, it is a "carpe diem" poem. It argues that time is constantly moving forward, with the past disappearing into memory, the present fleeting and the future unknown. Thus Phyllis should not insist on constancy or wedding vows, but instead yield to his overtures in the present, because the present is all one can have; the poem thus concludes:

If I, by miracle, can be

This live-long minute true to thee,

 'Tis all that Heav'n allows.

What is the significance of this quote from Fahrenheit 451: “And on either side of the river was there a tree of life, which bare twelve manner...

In the closing paragraphs of Fahrenheit 451, Montag suddenly recalls a passage from the Bible which he decides to save "for noon." This quote is taken from the Book of Revelation (22:2), one of the books that Montag has memorised, and is significant for a number of reasons.

First of all, the blossoming of fruit on the "tree of life" evokes a strong image of new beginnings which is particularly apt at this stage...

In the closing paragraphs of Fahrenheit 451, Montag suddenly recalls a passage from the Bible which he decides to save "for noon." This quote is taken from the Book of Revelation (22:2), one of the books that Montag has memorised, and is significant for a number of reasons.

First of all, the blossoming of fruit on the "tree of life" evokes a strong image of new beginnings which is particularly apt at this stage in the novel. This is because Montag and his friends have just witnessed the total destruction of the city and are now preparing to rebuild their society from scratch.

Furthermore, the allusion to the tree which bears fruit is a symbol of hope and optimism. It implies that Montag and his friends will be successful in their endeavours. This is further supported by the reference to the "healing of nations" which suggests that Montag's society will undergo a revitalization and a rebirth, washing away the censorship of the past and making way for a new, uncensored and liberated future. This is also supported by Granger's allusion to the Phoenix which appears just before this quote. This symbol evokes a potent image of a cleansing fire which will renew the spirits of those left behind and prepare them for the challenges ahead.

What does Jem say that shows he learned courage at the end of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus equates being courageous with being a gentleman. By the end of the novel, Jem shows he also understands the connection between bravery and courteous behavior when he tells Scout not to squash a roly-poly bug.

Jem first understands his father's philosophy of associating courage with courteous behavior when he apprehends why Atticus kept his sharpshooting skills a secret. As Miss Maudie explains, Atticus gave up shooting because he realized his expert marksmanship placed him at an "unfair advantage over most living things" (Ch. 10). Yet Scout, being young, still has difficulty understanding why Atticus isn't proud of his sharpshooting skills and why he hesitates to kill living things. Jem, on the other hand, understands that both Atticus's refusal to boast about his skill and hesitancy to kill is because, as Jem exclaims, "Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!" (Ch. 10). In other words, Atticus neither kills nor boasts about his ability to kill because he believes in being gentlemanly, or courteous, towards all living things. Since most of society doesn't hold the same views about killing and boasting, it takes a great deal of courage to always respect life and behave courteously.

Later, Atticus further demonstrates courage by addressing Mrs. Dubose in a gentlemanly manner, despite her own ill manners. Even his ability to see Mrs. Dubose's value as a courageous person herself demonstrates his own ability to act with courage. It takes a great deal of courage to always be respectful and find the value in others, especially when the rest of society is disinclined to be respectful and value others. By the end of the novel, we see that Jem has taken these lessons of demonstrating courage through respecting and valuing others to heart.

In Chapter 25, soon after Tom Robinson is shot to death by prison guards, Jem demonstrates his lessons of courage by telling Scout, just as she is about to squash a roly-poly bug after playing with it, "Don't do that, Scout. Set him out on the back steps," and by further explaining, "... they don't bother you." Jem's protection of the roly-poly directly reflects his father's lesson concerning it being sinful to kill innocent things and his lesson concerning respecting and valuing others. Hence, the moment Jem commands Scout not to kill the bug is the moment he says something that most demonstrates the lessons of courage he has learned throughout the book.

Why was Framton Nuttel's sister worried about his going to the country?

In addition to having a nerve problem, or neurosis, Framton Nuttel appears to be a shy, reclusive man who spends much of his time alone. His sister knows him well, and she has presented him with a batch of letters of introduction in order to try to force him to get around and meet people while he is staying in the country for an attempted nerve cure on doctor's order. 

"I know how it will be,"...

In addition to having a nerve problem, or neurosis, Framton Nuttel appears to be a shy, reclusive man who spends much of his time alone. His sister knows him well, and she has presented him with a batch of letters of introduction in order to try to force him to get around and meet people while he is staying in the country for an attempted nerve cure on doctor's order. 

"I know how it will be," his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; "you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

Framton's sister seems much more confident and aggressive than her brother. She worries about him because she doesn't believe the countryside will do him any good if he just hides in a rented room somewhere, as she feels sure he is likely to do. This is an effective way for Saki, the author, to plunge his shy, nervous viewpoint character into an English country household where he doesn't know anything about the people upon whom he is calling. It is, of course, essential that he should not know anything about the Sappletons in order for Vera's story to have the effect she desires. She makes sure Framton knows nothing about her family and virtually nothing about anybody else in the region by asking him just two questions.

"Do you know many of the people round here?" asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.

"Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" pursued the self-possessed young lady.

Her leading questions when she first meets him are intended to inform the reader, along with Vera, that Framton is the perfect patsy for her practical joke.

What is the model of the solar system called in which earth and the outer planets revolve around the sun?

The heliocentricmodel of the solar system is the model in which the sun is at the center of the solar system and the planets revolve around it. This model was first proposed by Nikolai Copernicus in the 16th century, and is also called the Copernican model. Galileo provided evidence for the heliocentric model in the 17th century. He made observations of the motion of the planets using a telescope, which was invented after Copernicus'...

The heliocentric model of the solar system is the model in which the sun is at the center of the solar system and the planets revolve around it. This model was first proposed by Nikolai Copernicus in the 16th century, and is also called the Copernican model. Galileo provided evidence for the heliocentric model in the 17th century. He made observations of the motion of the planets using a telescope, which was invented after Copernicus' death. Galileo observed moons orbiting Jupiter which showed that everything didn't orbit the earth. People of Galileo's time weren't convinced by his evidence because it opposed their religious beliefs. Galileo was sentenced to house arrest for the last few years of his life because of his scientific work. 

Prior to acceptance of the heliocentric model most people had believed since ancient times that the celestial bodies orbited the earth. It seemed this way from their perspective. The geocentric theory is the idea that the entire universe revolves around the earth. This idea was first proposed by Aristotle and furthered by Ptolemy in 140 AD.

In Frindle, why did the picture have to stay that way?

The class picture had to stay that way, with every kid in the fifth grade holding up a pen while saying "Frindle!" instead of "Cheese!", because the photographer was out of film. It would have been impossible to retake the photo at that point--the photographer was using a film camera, with a limited amount of shots, rather than a digital camera, which can usually take thousands of pictures or more in one day.

We find...

The class picture had to stay that way, with every kid in the fifth grade holding up a pen while saying "Frindle!" instead of "Cheese!", because the photographer was out of film. It would have been impossible to retake the photo at that point--the photographer was using a film camera, with a limited amount of shots, rather than a digital camera, which can usually take thousands of pictures or more in one day.

We find this out in Chapter 8: "Mightier Than the Sword," as Nick and his fifth grade classmates are getting their group photo taken. He and his "secret agents" had spread the word to the entire fifth grade class, and they'd planned to whip out their pens and yell "Frindle" all at once for the photo.

Although the photo probably seemed quirky and cute to the students' parents, and though it probably showed how well the class worked together as a team when they were inspired to do so, the fifth grade teachers were actually very angry about how the photo turned out. Mrs. Granger, the narrator explains, was furious.

So, we can understand that this class photo incident is important in the novel because it inspires Mrs. Granger to threaten detention to anyone who utters the word "frindle" and to sit Nick down for a frank chat about why he should stop causing a disturbance in the school. In a sense, the class photo contributes to the escalation of the whole "frindle" trend.

Is Goodman Brown a heroic character?

I would not describe Goodman Brown as a heroic character, and I don't think Hawthorne wants us to think of him this way either, because Goodman Brown is a hypocrite. As a Puritan, a position indicated by his title, time period, and location, Brown ought to be fully committed to living a godly life, a life as close to sinless as he can muster. Instead, however, he chooses to privilege his desire to commit sin...

I would not describe Goodman Brown as a heroic character, and I don't think Hawthorne wants us to think of him this way either, because Goodman Brown is a hypocrite. As a Puritan, a position indicated by his title, time period, and location, Brown ought to be fully committed to living a godly life, a life as close to sinless as he can muster. Instead, however, he chooses to privilege his desire to commit sin ahead of his faith, represented by his wife, Faith, whom he leaves behind when he goes into the woods. He claims that "'after this one night, [he'll] cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven.'" In other words, he purposely plans to be bad, so to speak, for just one more night, and then he'll let her (standing in for his faith in God) do the work for him; he doesn't plan to be good, really, he just plans to be faithful. He relies on faith to simply be there whenever he has decided to return to it, and this is not how faith is supposed to work: either one has faith and acts on it, or one doesn't. Christians are not supposed to pick and choose to have faith whenever it suits them. Therefore, due to his hypocrisy, I would not classify Brown as a heroic character.

In his soliloquy at the beginning of scene vii, what arguments against killing Duncan does Macbeth express? Which of these arguments seems to...

At the beginning of Act One Scene 7, the audience witnesses an extended soliloquy by Macbeth in which he expresses deep doubts about carrying out the murder of Duncan. Fundamentally, he realizes that the murder of Duncan is a fundamentally unjust act, one which makes the throne of Scotland which he will receive a "poison'd chalice." Duncan is both Macbeth's king and his cousin, which makes the murder not just treasonous but a violation of...

At the beginning of Act One Scene 7, the audience witnesses an extended soliloquy by Macbeth in which he expresses deep doubts about carrying out the murder of Duncan. Fundamentally, he realizes that the murder of Duncan is a fundamentally unjust act, one which makes the throne of Scotland which he will receive a "poison'd chalice." Duncan is both Macbeth's king and his cousin, which makes the murder not just treasonous but a violation of the bonds of kinship. Macbeth says these facts alone should make him "shut the door" against his murderer, not "bear the knife" himself. Also, Duncan is a good man, much beloved of the people of Scotland, and indeed of Macbeth himself:

...this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against
The deep damnation of his taking-off...

Once people hear of the murder, Macbeth realizes, their "tears shall drown the wind." Finally, after this bout of soul-searching, the title character comes to the conclusion that there is really nothing motivating him to kill the King except his own "vaulting ambition." This realization seems to have convinced him to abandon, or at least put off, his plot to murder Duncan. When Lady Macbeth discovers that her husband is vacillating, she mocks him, appealing to his masculinity and his courage to goad him into proceeding with the murder.

What are some of the main struggles of Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee?

The novel takes place within the span of a few years. For this reason, Scout matures (as do the other characters).  Therefore, Scout's struggles change. At first, Scout struggles with seeing things from the perspective of others.  Scout is always well-intentioned, but she cannot see outside of her own world. Atticus, therefore, tries to help her to walk into the shoes of another person. We see this struggle in her interaction with Walter Cunningham and...

The novel takes place within the span of a few years. For this reason, Scout matures (as do the other characters).  Therefore, Scout's struggles change. At first, Scout struggles with seeing things from the perspective of others.  Scout is always well-intentioned, but she cannot see outside of her own world. Atticus, therefore, tries to help her to walk into the shoes of another person. We see this struggle in her interaction with Walter Cunningham and Boo Radley. Here is what Atticus says to her:

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”

“Sir?”
“-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

As the book progresses, she has another struggle, the racism of Maycomb. Atticus, therefore, warns her by saying that there will be some ugly things that happen on account of the trial of Tom Robinson.  Atticus was not exaggerating. In fact, Tom Robinson, an innocent man, is condemned and later dies, and Bob Ewell even attacks her. Yet through all this, Jem and Scout both emerge as good people, and they, like Atticus, still hope for the best.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how do Scout's morals change in Chapters 1-12?

As early as chapter three, Scout begins to learn the lesson of seeing things from another's perspective.  She learns this lesson from Atticus after a horrible day at school, where she got in trouble even though she tried her best to be helpful.  Atticus uses Scout's discouragement to teach her a lesson about understanding people.  He wants her to understand Miss Caroline. He says:

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple...

As early as chapter three, Scout begins to learn the lesson of seeing things from another's perspective.  She learns this lesson from Atticus after a horrible day at school, where she got in trouble even though she tried her best to be helpful.  Atticus uses Scout's discouragement to teach her a lesson about understanding people.  He wants her to understand Miss Caroline. He says:

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—”

“Sir?”

“—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

It takes time, but by the end of chapter twelve, Scout is beginning to learn this lesson.  For example, she makes peace with Walter Cunningham. 

Another important lesson is to protect mockingbirds. In chapter ten, Scout relearns this lesson from Miss Maudie.  Miss Maudie says:

“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

Which of O'Henry's short stories include the same theme or are comparable? Do you know any short stories that are by the same author which have...

Two stories of O. Henry that share a common theme are "The Last Leaf" and "A Retrieved Reformation." This theme is one that illustrates the power of unselfish love.

In "The Last Leaf" two people who live in Greenwich Village, home to aspiring artists, Sue and Mr. Behrman, love Johnsy who has contracted pneumonia in the New York winter and begins to lose her will to live. When  the bedridden and ailing Johnsy tells Sue that like the falling ivy leaves outside her window, when the last one falls she "must go, too," Sue tells her friend that she must draw in this room where the light is good. She makes Johnsy promise that she will keep her eyes closed until she is finished. While Johnsy lies quietly, Sue rushes downstairs to speak with old Mr. Behrman, another painter, who is "a failure." Because he has never painted his "masterpiece," he earns a little money modeling, so Sue asks him to model for her.

Sue also tells Behrman of Johnsy's foolish fancy; Behrman becomes angered,

"Gott! dis is not any blace in which one so goot as Miss Yohnsy shall lie sick."

He accompanies Sue upstairs and looks at Johnsy for whom he has great tenderness. Secretly that night Mr. Behrman paints a leaf on the window by climbing a ladder in the cold and wet outdoors. So, when Johnsy awakens the next day and she sees the leaf still in place, her perspective of the tenacity of the leaf motivates her to get well, and she searches within herself for the mental strength to return to health. However, Mr. Behrman's "masterpiece" of love painted in the wretched cold, gives him pneumonia. Unfortunately, the old man dies as a result of his love for another.

While Behrman's love transforms Johnsy, Jimmy Valentine's unselfish love for Annabel Adams transforms his life, and, like Behrman, Jimmy risks his own safety in a heroic act of love.

Having been released from prison for bank robberies, Valentine resumes his former life of crime until he comes to a small town in Arkansas to break a new safe being installed in the local bank. While he waits on the installment of this safe, Valentine enters the bank and sees the lovely daughter of the bank's owner. 

Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man.

After falling in love with Annabel, Valentine assumes a new identity with the intention of leaving his life of crime behind him. He opens a shoe store and has a good business. Further, he decides to give away his professional tools and plans to meet a former associate in Little Rock with his "kit of tools." However, when he accompanies the Adams family to the bank where they are to inspect the new safe, one of the little girls of the family shuts another child in the vault, "in a spirit of play," not realizing the import of what she does. Since the safe is on a timer, no one can open it. Annabel looks at her fiance and asks if he can do something.

He looked at her with a queer, soft smile on his lips and in his keen eyes.
"Annabel," he said, give me that rose you are wearing, will you?"

Jimmy--now known as Ralph--realizes that if he opens the safe, his criminal past will be exposed. But, he loves Annabel and the little relative is in danger, so he sacrifices his chances of marrying Annabel and cracks the safe with the tools that, ironically, he has with him.

As Valentine walks out of the bank after rescuing the little girl, a detective, who has watched the entire operation stands in the doorway. Since he is the detective who arrested Jimmy years ago, Valentine resigns himself to his immediate arrest. However, Detective Ben Price says he does not know him, and lets him pass.

So, in both stories two characters act selfishly out of love for another. Valentine is rewarded by being freed from a life of crime; Behrman has finally created "his masterpiece" with the ivy leaf that saves Johnsy.

"The Most Dangerous Game" portrays good and evil using the two main characters: Rainsford and General Zaroff. Which one of them is good and...

What a good question.  Generally speaking, general Zaroff is evil.  The extent of his evil is seen in his brazen desire to hunt humans for his own pleasure, or to put it another way to hunt humans to get over his boredom.  Here is what the text says:

To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Boredom."

From this perspective, Zaroff is the epitome of evil in this story. When it comes to Rainsford, we...

What a good question.  Generally speaking, general Zaroff is evil.  The extent of his evil is seen in his brazen desire to hunt humans for his own pleasure, or to put it another way to hunt humans to get over his boredom.  Here is what the text says:

To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Boredom."

From this perspective, Zaroff is the epitome of evil in this story. When it comes to Rainsford, we might think that he is the opposite of Zaroff, but he is not. He is not completely good. In the beginning of the story, Rainsford comes off as a arrogant hunter.  When his friend, Whitney, said that animals might have feelings, Rainsford dismissed it without hesitation.  He says:

"Bah! They've no understanding."

"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."

At the end of the story, Rainsford becomes a hunter again.  He kills Zaroff.  Some might say that he had to do so, but this is not clear.  

In conclusion, no one comes off as good.  Zaroff is evil. Rainsford is better than Zaroff, but not good.  This is a story where no one is good.

In the book Monster, who said "I can see me at that moment, just when Mr. Nesbitt knew he was going to die, walking down the street trying to make...

Steve Harmon says this quote, writing in the journal he keeps while in jail waiting for his trial to finish. One big reason why the quote is important is because it provides another piece of evidence that Steve was likely involved in the convenience store robbery that led to Mr. Nesbitt's death – the death that he is on trial for. Remember, the novel – framed as Steve's screenplay – is partly a way for Steve to hide...

Steve Harmon says this quote, writing in the journal he keeps while in jail waiting for his trial to finish. One big reason why the quote is important is because it provides another piece of evidence that Steve was likely involved in the convenience store robbery that led to Mr. Nesbitt's death – the death that he is on trial for. Remember, the novel – framed as Steve's screenplay – is partly a way for Steve to hide (from the world and from himself) the facts of his bad decision to join in the robbery. At another point in the story, during one of the scenes with James King, Steve chooses to fade the camera out right when King asks him if he's willing to be a lookout for the robbery. He does this before the on-screen Steve can reply. This quote shows him doing the same sort of thing in his mind, immediately after the robbery went wrong. He is trying to fade out of the scene in his real life, imagining that it is all over, or maybe even that it never happened. 

What was Martin Luther King's approach to the Civil Rights Movement?

Martin Luther King's approach, or strategy, for fighting for civil rights is best described as nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience. King, influenced especially by Indian protest leader Mohandas Gandhi, believed in building pressure for social change by leading marches through hostile segregated areas, violating segregation laws (civil disobedience) and otherwise directly challenging Jim Crow. He recognized that this strategy would place activists in considerable danger, both of arrest and physical abuse, but this was,...

Martin Luther King's approach, or strategy, for fighting for civil rights is best described as nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience. King, influenced especially by Indian protest leader Mohandas Gandhi, believed in building pressure for social change by leading marches through hostile segregated areas, violating segregation laws (civil disobedience) and otherwise directly challenging Jim Crow. He recognized that this strategy would place activists in considerable danger, both of arrest and physical abuse, but this was, in some ways, the point. The Civil Rights Movement emerged in the age of television, and King hoped to use nonviolence in the face of violence to win public support for his cause. This, in turn, would put pressure on the federal government to enforce existing laws and court decisions and pass new ones, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

King and other leaders also used direct action to create a state of crisis for local governments, who lacked the resources to deal with the scale of many of the protests he organized. "Flood the jails!" was a rallying cry for many civil rights protesters who put pressure on governments lacking jail space to deal with them to give in to their demands. So while King advocated peaceful nonviolent protest as a means of creating a moral contrast between his cause and that of the segregationists, this approach should not be mistaken for passivity. Rather, King advocated attacking segregation at its heart.

In "Sonny's Blues" is Sonny a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

In "Sonny's Blues," the narrator's brother Sonny is a sympathetic character.  At the beginning of the story, the narrator learns that Sonny has yet again been arrested for being involved with heroin, and the narrator just cannot understand why his brother cannot work himself out of a life of drug abuse.  As the story unfolds, the reader learns about the harsh past that Sonny and the narrator have had, including the abuse and death faced...

In "Sonny's Blues," the narrator's brother Sonny is a sympathetic character.  At the beginning of the story, the narrator learns that Sonny has yet again been arrested for being involved with heroin, and the narrator just cannot understand why his brother cannot work himself out of a life of drug abuse.  As the story unfolds, the reader learns about the harsh past that Sonny and the narrator have had, including the abuse and death faced by their uncle.  Sonny's way of escape is drugs, which the narrator does not understand.  Sonny wants his brother to understand that not everyone handles problems in the same way, and Sonny feels most alive when he is able to play the piano and make music.  It is not until the end of the story that the narrator understands through the music the pain that Sonny has been dealing with too.  The narrator eventually feels sympathy for his brother, and depending on the reader, Sonny has become a sympathetic character long before the end of the story as his character has been juxtaposed against the cold nature of the narrator.

What are the questions in the speaker's mind?

Basically, the entire poem is a stream of the speaker's thoughts.  He starts the poem with the rhetorical question, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," the ambiguous "something" revealing that he does not quite understand why the wall continues to crumble season after season.  

When he and his neighbor are repairing the fence in the spring, he thinks the pivotal question of the poem: "Whydo they [fences] make good neighbors?"...

Basically, the entire poem is a stream of the speaker's thoughts.  He starts the poem with the rhetorical question, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," the ambiguous "something" revealing that he does not quite understand why the wall continues to crumble season after season.  

When he and his neighbor are repairing the fence in the spring, he thinks the pivotal question of the poem: "Why do they [fences] make good neighbors?" (l. 30).  The speaker does not understand why there is a need for a fence when there are no animals to keep in or out (ll. 30-31); there are only pine trees on the neighbor's side and apple trees on the speaker's (ll. 24-26).  The speaker then circles back to his original question about the "Something" that keeps knocking down the wall, that wants to break the barrier between the speaker and his neighbor.  While he jokes that it is elves (l. 36), he really wants to push against the norm, the old saying that his neighbor repeats from "his father's saying, / And he likes having thought of it so well" (ll. 43-44).  The neighbor, however, will not buck the system, so he and the speaker will continue to rebuild the wall, season after season.

How can you explain the poem "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson?

In the first stanza, the speaker announces he will be going on some voyage ("out to sea"). He notes (to himself and perhaps the reader) that he will not moan about the "bar" as he leaves on this voyage. He notes that he is being called to this voyage. The setting sun suggests an end to something and the mention of the evening star (a bright star that is like a guide) suggests that he is being guided. 

In the third stanza, we see notions of darkness and night. He hopes there will be no sadness when he makes his exit ("embark"). Given the notions of a voyage, the end of something, and the hope for a peaceful transition of "crossing" a bar, the poem's metaphor emerges as a transition from life to death. 

The speaker notes that this transition is peaceful and without sadness. The idea here is that death is a natural transition and not something to be feared. Therefore, "crossing the bar" is akin to saying "crossing over" from life to death. 

In the final stanza, he notes that the water ("flood") will carry him far from the place he was born. He concludes with the hope that he will see the "Pilot" when he crosses the bar. Since "Pilot" is capitalized, it is an allusion to God. The only clear Christian reference is the "cross" in the title. But overall, the poem is not about a particularly Christian afterlife, nor is it about being judged by God. Rather, it is about death being a natural, peaceful transition with broad notions of meeting a "Pilot" after the crossing. 

Great Britain passed the Stamp Act to collect what from the colonies?

The British Parliament, led by Prime Minister George Grenville, passed the Stamp Act to collect revenue, or money, from the colonies. The British had just fought a long, exhausting, and very expensive war against France, known as the French and Indian War in the colonies and the Seven Years' War in Europe. They argued (justifiably) that they had fought to protect the colonies from their French and Indian neighbors. The French had been driven off,...

The British Parliament, led by Prime Minister George Grenville, passed the Stamp Act to collect revenue, or money, from the colonies. The British had just fought a long, exhausting, and very expensive war against France, known as the French and Indian War in the colonies and the Seven Years' War in Europe. They argued (justifiably) that they had fought to protect the colonies from their French and Indian neighbors. The French had been driven off, and the British stationed troops on the frontier to deal with the threat posed by Native peoples (or more accurately by American settlers moving into Indian lands). Stationing these soldiers in America cost money, and, for the reasons mentioned above, the British government had an enormous war debt already. So the ministry of King George decided to try to make the colonists foot some of the bill by imposing a stamp tax that was basically a tax on certain types of documents. The colonists protested that this tax was illegal because they had no representatives in Parliament. The tax was repealed a year later due to the protests, which caught the British very much by surprise, but a host of new measures followed.

What is a character analysis of Buddy in "A Christmas Memory"?

As you read Truman Capote’s retrospective short story “A Christmas Memory,” you will find an adult Buddy looking back at his life as a seven year old child. As a child, Buddy is a compassionate soul who befriends his child-like sixty year old cousin. Together they make a life of adventures and traditions. Buddy is a sensitive child who cries when some of the other relatives get involved. For the most part he complies with...

As you read Truman Capote’s retrospective short story “A Christmas Memory,” you will find an adult Buddy looking back at his life as a seven year old child. As a child, Buddy is a compassionate soul who befriends his child-like sixty year old cousin. Together they make a life of adventures and traditions. Buddy is a sensitive child who cries when some of the other relatives get involved. For the most part he complies with his cousin’s wishes and assists her as they endeavor to keep the tradition of making their annual Christmas fruitcakes. He does not speak of playing with other children but does say that he likes to attend movies. This seems to be the one thing that indicates his need for contact with the outside world.

When his cousin is reprimanded for giving him some of the leftover whiskey, Buddy is the one to comfort her, showing how compassionate he was even at the young age of seven. When he is sent off to military boarding school he stays in touch with her through letters. Although he never sees her again, upon her death he feels like a piece of himself is missing. In keeping with their tradition of flying kites, he speaks of expecting to see two kites flying heavenward as he trudges across the school grounds. He is heartbroken by her passing, which indicates the deep bond he formed with her.

From the story - A Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry: Do you think Jimmy returned to his life of crime? If so, do you think he will get caught?...

It does not seem likely that Jimmy Valentine returned to a life of crime. He had too many reasons for wanting to reform and stay reformed.

• He had a narrow escape when Ben Price decided not to arrest him. Price wanted him for three safecracking jobs in Indiana. Jimmy had been sentenced to four years in prison just for one such job, so he could have gotten as much as twelve years in prison for three. This experience should have taught Jimmy how much he values freedom and the good life on the outside.


• Jimmy could still have married Annabel Adams even though she had found out that he was a professional safecracker. If Ben Price could forgive him, then Annabel and her father could too. There would be a lot of explaining to do, but she loves Jimmy and would trust him to reform, especially in view of the heroic sacrifice he had made when he freed the little girl trapped in the bank vault.  


• Jimmy was giving up his set of safecracking tools.


• Jimmy was making a good living in the shoe business in Elmore.


• Jimmy was deeply in love with Annabel. They would be married and have children. He would become a family man and a pillar of society.


• Jimmy was beginning to realize that his life of crime was getting harder and harder to maintain. He thought he would get pardoned after serving only four months of his sentence, but he actually served ten months. His friend Mike Dolan tells him: "Sorry we couldn't make it sooner, Jimmy, me boy,” said Mike. “But we had that protest from Springfield to buck against, and the governor nearly balked. Feeling all right?” This is significant. It shows that Jimmy will find it easier and easier to get arrested and harder and harder to get pardoned or paroled. He is building a big reputation as the best safecracker in the business, but this is becoming a serious handicap. Ben Price recognizes his handiwork and has no trouble tracking him to Elmore. Everybody knows about Jimmy and talks about Jimmy, in spite of the fact that he tries to keep a low profile.


• Jimmy knows his reformation is a last chance for him to change his ways. His reformation was like a miracle. He fell in love at first sight. He started a successful shoe business. He established a whole new identity. Everything worked out perfectly for him in Elmore. Such miracles do not occur often. Jimmy was on a slippery slope and didn't realize it until it was almost too late. O. Henry's story is intended to show that it isn't easy for a criminal to reform. Jimmy is still a young man. He can still change his attitude, and that is the most important part of reformation. 

If Jimmy returned to a life of crime he would be sure to get caught. O. Henry makes that clear in various ways. Jimmy is the first person every cop would suspect for every safecracking job in the Midwest. His success has depended on his remaining anonymous. He flees to Elmore, Arkansas, because he is trying to establish a "front" and a new identity. But Ben Price finds him there. Jimmy couldn't remain married to Annabel and resume a life of crime. She wouldn't tolerate it. He would have little to gain from burglarizing banks and a lot to lose. The best evidence of Jimmy's real reformation is contained in the letter he sends to an old pal to whom he plans to give his custom-made safecracking tools.

Say, Billy, I've quit the old business—a year ago. I've got a nice store. I'm making an honest living, and I'm going to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now. It's the only life, Billy—the straight one. I wouldn't touch a dollar of another man's money now for a million. After I get married I'm going to sell out and go West, where there won't be so much danger of having old scores brought up against me. I tell you, Billy, she's an angel. She believes in me; and I wouldn't do another crooked thing for the whole world. 

`cos(pi/16)cos((3pi)/16) - sin(pi/16)sin((3pi)/16)` Find the exact value of the expression.

You need to evaluate the expression using the formula `cos a*cos b - sin a*sin b = cos (a + b)` . You need to put `a = pi/16` and `b = (3pi)/16,` such that:

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos (pi/16 + (3pi)/16)`

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos ((4pi)/16)`

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos (pi/4) = sqrt2/2`

Hence, evaluating the...

You need to evaluate the expression using the formula `cos a*cos b - sin a*sin b = cos (a + b)` . You need to put `a = pi/16` and `b = (3pi)/16,` such that:

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos (pi/16 + (3pi)/16)`

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos ((4pi)/16)`

`cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos (pi/4) = sqrt2/2`

Hence, evaluating the given expression yields that it is the cosine of the sum of the angles `a = pi/16` and `b = (3pi)/16` , such that `cos (pi/16)*cos ((3pi)/16) - sin (pi/16) *sin ((3pi)/16) = cos (pi/4) = sqrt2/2.`

Concerning declarations of war, the A. power to declare war rests with the president only. B. National Security Council votes to declare war. C....

The answer to this question can be found in Clause 11 of Section 8 in Article I of the Constitution of the United States.  That clause says that one of the powers that Congress has is the power “to declare War.”  When the Constitution says that, it means that the Congress does not have to share that power with any other group or person.

The Framers of the Constitution did not want the president to...

The answer to this question can be found in Clause 11 of Section 8 in Article I of the Constitution of the United States.  That clause says that one of the powers that Congress has is the power “to declare War.”  When the Constitution says that, it means that the Congress does not have to share that power with any other group or person.

The Framers of the Constitution did not want the president to have too much power.  They worried that a president who was too strong would become more like a king or tyrant.  Therefore, they did not give the president the power to declare war.  They wanted war to be declared only if there was strong support for war in the country.  For this reason, the Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war.

Candy's relationship to his dog can be compared to George's relationship with Lennie. What are some similarities between the two relationships,...

George and Lennie have been buddies for a long time. George has gotten attached to Lennie just as Candy is attached to his old dog. George feels a sense of responsibility for Lennie, just as Candy feels for the dog. Lennie could not survive without George, and the old dog could not survive without Candy. George is emotionally moved by Lennie's trust and devotion. The same applies to Candy's feelings about his dog. 

There is...

George and Lennie have been buddies for a long time. George has gotten attached to Lennie just as Candy is attached to his old dog. George feels a sense of responsibility for Lennie, just as Candy feels for the dog. Lennie could not survive without George, and the old dog could not survive without Candy. George is emotionally moved by Lennie's trust and devotion. The same applies to Candy's feelings about his dog. 

There is definitely a strong implicit analogy between George's relationship with Lennie, on the one hand, and Candy's relationship with his old dog, on the other. However, Steinbeck had another reason for inserting the episode in which Carlson pressures Candy into letting him shoot his dog. George is going to shoot Lennie in the last chapter. He will have to have a gun. He can't risk using any other kind of weapon because Lennie is much bigger and stronger than he is. He might end up getting killed himself. When Carlson shoots Candy's dog he reveals where he keeps his German Luger. After the shooting, Carlson carefully cleans the Luger and puts it away. George is able to observe how this complicated German automatic pistol works. The bullets are contained in a clip that fits inside the handle. The first bullet is jacked into firing position by pulling back on the ejecting mechanism.  

Steinbeck called his book "a playable novel." He had an arrangement to adapt the book into a play immediately, which explains why all the exposition is contained in the dialogue. Both book and play came out in 1937. Steinbeck wanted the theater audience to realize when George pulled the distinctive-looking Luger out of his coat-pocket that he had stolen it from under Carlson's bunk. All the men in the mob thought Lennie had stolen it, and the audience did not know otherwise until they see it in George's hand. Then they understood that George had intended to kill his friend ever since he saw the girl's dead body in the barn. Lennie was getting to be a menace, a potential serial killer of young girls. He had to go.

So the scenes in which Carlson kills the old dog and then cleans his Luger were primarily intended to show the gun and show George how to shoot it. Carlson even explains how he will kill the dog painlessly with one shot by firing into the back of its head. So George knows how to kill his friend painlessly by shooting him in the same place. This also is the conclusion of the analogy with Carlson and his old dog.

What was Chris's relationship with his parents like?

Chris had a strained relationship with his parents and was estranged (alienated and separated) from them in the last few years of his life.

He rebelled and wanted a complete separation from them, so he left home without telling anyone, even his beloved sister, where he was going. He wanted to be free of their values. Though they eventually hired a private detective to try to find him, he eluded their grasp.

Chris principally rejected...

Chris had a strained relationship with his parents and was estranged (alienated and separated) from them in the last few years of his life.

He rebelled and wanted a complete separation from them, so he left home without telling anyone, even his beloved sister, where he was going. He wanted to be free of their values. Though they eventually hired a private detective to try to find him, he eluded their grasp.

Chris principally rejected his parents' materialism. They had worked hard to build a successful business, and he believed they placed too much emphasis on money and material things. He believed his father, in particular, used money to control him. Chris went along with his parent's desires and graduated from Emory University, but as soon as he could, he broke away. He gave a $20,000 inheritance to Oxfam that his parents thought he would use to pay for law school. He burned his cash and abandoned his car. He worked on a farm and at McDonald's to earn what little income he needed. 

Chris also rebelled against his parents by attempting to live honestly. He was upset that they had lied to him about being married when he was born and that they had kept information from him about another family that Chris's father had had with another wife.

Chris might have reconciled with his parents as he got older, but he died too soon. 

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people that they don't like.” Explain the successes...

This answer is almost completely a matter of opinion.  This is because there is no way to objectively determine which aspects of a culture are a “success” and which are a “failure.”  Aspects of culture are good and bad only as seen from a given observer’s perspective.

One possible answer is to say that consumerist culture has succeeded because it has helped to bring a higher material standard of living to people all over the...

This answer is almost completely a matter of opinion.  This is because there is no way to objectively determine which aspects of a culture are a “success” and which are a “failure.”  Aspects of culture are good and bad only as seen from a given observer’s perspective.

One possible answer is to say that consumerist culture has succeeded because it has helped to bring a higher material standard of living to people all over the world.  If it were not for consumerist culture, people would not want to have as many material goods.  If people did not want as many material goods, companies would have less incentive to create new goods because they would be less likely to make money by selling them.  This might have meant that things like smart phones that have an impact on our quality of life might never have been invented.  Thus, consumerism helps to create the demand that gives companies an incentive to make the products that increase our material quality of life.

A possible way to describe the failures of this culture is to say that it has lost sight of what is important in human life.  In many cultures, dedication to institutions like religion and family is declining.  People no longer build a strong sense of community between themselves and others who live around them.  They care more about gaining possessions than they do about having relationships with other people.  They feel that the greatest imperative in life is to gain material possessions, not to be moral people who treat others well.  All of these are seen by some as important ways in which consumerist culture has failed.

What was the Agricultural Revolution and how did it contribute to the distribution to goods?

The Agricultural Revolution occurred after the conclusion of the last ice age, roughly 10,000 years ago. It was marked by the planting of seeds for later harvest and the taming of animals for human utilization. The earliest Neolithic villages were established around rivers throughout the world, including the Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, and Huang He Rivers. The introduction of farming had dramatic effects and was one of the most important developments in the history of mankind....

The Agricultural Revolution occurred after the conclusion of the last ice age, roughly 10,000 years ago. It was marked by the planting of seeds for later harvest and the taming of animals for human utilization. The earliest Neolithic villages were established around rivers throughout the world, including the Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, and Huang He Rivers. The introduction of farming had dramatic effects and was one of the most important developments in the history of mankind. Farming allowed populations to grow and cities to develop. It led to social classes and powerful kings. Without the Agricultural Revolution, it is unlikely that civilization would be possible.

The Neolithic Revolution also changed how goods were distributed. Before farming, humans were required to hunt their food or gather seeds, nuts, fruits, or vegetables that were in nature. This was very difficult work that required a large percentage of the population to be successful. For this reason, humans traveled in small groups or tribes from place to place as food supplies dwindled. Whatever was gathered was shared with the tribe. With farming, more food is produced than what is needed. This extra food called a surplus. Over time, powerful people controlled the surplus created by farmers. They could use this surplus to trade with other villages, kingdoms, or empires. Farming allowed for people to develop other crafts and goods outside of food production as well. These goods could be traded with surpluses of food. A social structure developed that would determine what types of goods each group would be responsible for producing.

How were Jewish people's rights slowly taken away by the Nazi Party?

Before World War II began, the Jewish people of Germany slowly saw their rights being taken away by the Nazi Party. In 1935, a series of laws were passed called the Nuremberg Laws. These laws restricted what the Jewish people could do. For example, marriage between Germans and the Jewish people was forbidden. The Jewish people lost their citizenship meaning they couldn’t run for political office or vote. Eventually, the Jewish people were banned from...

Before World War II began, the Jewish people of Germany slowly saw their rights being taken away by the Nazi Party. In 1935, a series of laws were passed called the Nuremberg Laws. These laws restricted what the Jewish people could do. For example, marriage between Germans and the Jewish people was forbidden. The Jewish people lost their citizenship meaning they couldn’t run for political office or vote. Eventually, the Jewish people were banned from working in certain professions including journalism, education, law, medicine, and government. The Jewish people couldn’t hire women under the age of 35 as servants. These laws eroded many of the rights the Jewish people had as citizens of Germany.

The situation worsened in 1938. An event called Kristallnacht occurred. This word means the night of the broken glass. On this night, there was a massive destruction of anything Jewish. Jewish homes, property, and synagogues were destroyed in Germany. Many Jewish people died and were injured. The secret police stood by and did nothing. Many Jewish people were arrested the next day.

Eventually, the Jewish people were rounded up and placed in concentration camps. Six million Jews were killed in these camps. This is known as the Holocaust. The Nazi Party tried to eliminate the Jewish people from lands they controlled.

What lesson did Scrooge learn from the first spirit?

The first spirit to visit Scrooge after the ghost of Jacob Marley has visited him is the Ghost of Christmas Past. When Scrooge asks the first spirit why he came to visit, the spirit informs Scrooge he is there to improve his welfare. The spirit then takes Scrooge back in time to see his former self at times in his life when he was a different, more hopeful, and less greedy person. The spirit also...

The first spirit to visit Scrooge after the ghost of Jacob Marley has visited him is the Ghost of Christmas Past. When Scrooge asks the first spirit why he came to visit, the spirit informs Scrooge he is there to improve his welfare. The spirit then takes Scrooge back in time to see his former self at times in his life when he was a different, more hopeful, and less greedy person. The spirit also reveals that at one point, Scrooge was a lonely boy living in less than ideal conditions. However, at later points in his life, the Spirit of Christmas Past reminds Scrooge of the choices he made, often guided by greed, that have led Scrooge to the lonely life he has now. The lesson the Spirit of Christmas Past brings to Scrooge reminds him that there were once things in his life more important than money, but his choices have left him lonely and alone. The memories the spirit brings to Scrooge distress him to the point that he begs to be released from them.

“Spirit!” said Scrooge in a broken voice, “remove me from this place.”

“I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,” said the Ghost. “That they are what they are, do not blame me!”

How does Pi draw upon his culture and use his intelligence to help him survive life at sea?

Culture can be defined as the education, beliefs, and behaviors associated with a certain group of people. Pi grew up in India and is influenced by what he learned in his father's zoo and at school, but he has also learned and accepted beliefs from Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. All of these institutions helped to shape Pi's culture and education, and he draws upon them all while surviving life at sea. One of the ways that Pi...

Culture can be defined as the education, beliefs, and behaviors associated with a certain group of people. Pi grew up in India and is influenced by what he learned in his father's zoo and at school, but he has also learned and accepted beliefs from Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. All of these institutions helped to shape Pi's culture and education, and he draws upon them all while surviving life at sea. One of the ways that Pi draws upon what he learned from his father's zoo is when he applies what he knows about animals, enclosures, and territorial boundaries to "tame" the tiger, Richard Parker.

As Pi finds himself on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a Bengal tiger, he must figure out how to get rid of it or live with it. In chapter 54, Pi uses his intelligence to come up with six ways he might be able to kill or lose Richard Parker. All six ideas seem probable, but he eventually discards them for logical reasons. By chapter 57, though, he intelligently comes up with the idea to tame the tiger like a lion tamer in a circus. He uses a whistle to condition Richard Parker to accept Pi's existence and dominance in the boat. Pi also uses the whistle when feeding and watering Richard Parker to establish his importance as provider and caregiver. Urinating on a certain section of the boat to establish his territory helps to draw physical boundaries as well. Therefore, Pi draws upon his culture and intelligence through how he handles and manages Richard Parker on the lifeboat.

Another way that Pi draws from his culture to keep him alive is when he remembers the story he learned from Christianity about Christ on the cross. Once Pi realizes that he hasn't paid attention to his eating or drinking during the first couple of days at sea, he realizes the following:

"Look: Christ on the Cross died of suffocation, but His only complaint was of thirst. If thirst can be so taxing that even God Incarnate complains about it, imagine the effect on a regular human" (135).

Pi then uses his intelligence to apply the story to his own situation on the boat. He needs to get something to drink, and quickly. This realization sets him on the path to search the boat for supplies. Without this moment, he may have wallowed in suffering for a longer period of time and could have died.

One more example of Pi using his culture and his wits to help him on the boat is when he reads the survival manual and applies its information to a daily schedule in chapter 63. Pi says, "I kept myself busy. That was one key to my survival" (190). His schedule is broken up into five parts and each part has chores he needs to accomplish. He also prays during each part of the day. He mentally plans and follows through with maintaining the boat, himself, and Richard Parker. He keeps his mind active rather than dwelling on tragic events by managing the boat like his father's zoo. He then applies what he has learned from his three religions through meditation, prayer, and practicing religious rituals to keep him anchored and hopeful.

`y = sqrt(x - 1), x - y = 1` Sketch the region enclosed by the given curves and find its area.

First, you need to find the point of intersection between the curves `y = sqrt(x-1)` and `y = x - 1` , by solving the equation:

`sqrt(x-1) = x-1 => x - 1 = (x-1)^2 => (x-1)^2 - (x-1) = 0`

Factoring out (x-1) yields:

`(x-1)(x-1-1) = 0 => (x-1)(x-2) = 0 => x - 1 = 0 or x - 2 = 0`

Hence, x = 1 and x = 2 and these values...

First, you need to find the point of intersection between the curves `y = sqrt(x-1)` and `y = x - 1` , by solving the equation:

`sqrt(x-1) = x-1 => x - 1 = (x-1)^2 => (x-1)^2 - (x-1) = 0`

Factoring out (x-1) yields:

`(x-1)(x-1-1) = 0 => (x-1)(x-2) = 0 => x - 1 = 0 or x - 2 = 0`

Hence, x = 1 and x = 2 and these values are the endpoints of the definite integral you need to evaluate to find the area enclosed by the given curves.

You must check what curve is greater than the other on interval [1,2] and you may notice that `y = x - 1 ` is greater that `y = sqrt(x-1)` on interval [1,2].

`x - 1 > sqrt(x - 1)`

You may evaluate the area such that:

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = int_1^2 xdx - int_1^2 dx - int_1^2 sqrt(x - 1) dx`

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |(x^2)/2|_1^2 - x|_1^2 - (2/3)(x-1)^(3/2)|_1^2|`

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |4/2 - 1/2 - 2 + 1 - (2/3) + 0|`

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |3/2 - 1 - 2/3|`

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |(9 - 6 - 4)/6|`

`int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |-1/6| = 1/6`

Hence, evaluating the area enclosed by the curves yields `int_1^2 |((x - 1) - sqrt(x - 1))|dx = |-1/6| = 1/6.`

The area evaluated above is the area of the region between the red line and orange curve, for `x in [1,2].`

`(sin(2x) + cos(2x))^2 = 1` Find the exact solutions of the equation in the interval [0, 2pi).

You need to evaluate the solution to the equation `(cos 2x + sin 2x)^2 = 1` , such that:

`cos^2 2x + 2cos 2x*sin 2x + sin^2 2x = 1`

You need to use the formula `cos^2 2x + sin^2 2x = 1` , such that:

`1 + 2cos 2x*sin 2x = 1`

Reducing like terms yields:

`2cos 2x*sin 2x = 0`

You need to use the double angle formula such that:

`2cos 2x*sin 2x...

You need to evaluate the solution to the equation `(cos 2x + sin 2x)^2 = 1` , such that:

`cos^2 2x + 2cos 2x*sin 2x + sin^2 2x = 1`

You need to use the formula `cos^2 2x + sin^2 2x = 1` , such that:

`1 + 2cos 2x*sin 2x = 1`

Reducing like terms yields:

`2cos 2x*sin 2x = 0`

You need to use the double angle formula such that:

`2cos 2x*sin 2x = sin 4x`

`sin 4x = 0 => 4x = 0 => x = 0`

`sin 4x = 0 => 4x = pi => x = pi/4`

Hence, the solution to the equation, in `[0,2pi)` , are `x = 0, x = pi/4.`