In To Kill A Mockingbird, who is an example of a stock character and who is an example of a static character?

First, let's looks at what a stock character is: 

"a character in literature, theater, or film of a type quickly recognized and accepted by the reader or viewer and requiring no development by the writer" (dictionary.reference.com).

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are several stock characters, but one of the most prominent is Calpurnia. Because so many stories taking place in the South include "Mammy" characters, Calpurinia is already familiar to the reader. The name "Mammy"...

First, let's looks at what a stock character is: 

"a character in literature, theater, or film of a type quickly recognized and accepted by the reader or viewer and requiring no development by the writer" (dictionary.reference.com).

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are several stock characters, but one of the most prominent is Calpurnia. Because so many stories taking place in the South include "Mammy" characters, Calpurinia is already familiar to the reader. The name "Mammy" brings back memories of the character, Mammy, from Gone with the Wind. "Mammy" characters are often large, motherly black women who are either servants or slaves in a white household. Typically, they mind the children, do the housework, and are in charge of the kitchen. They are usually beloved by the audience as well, and often the white family whom they serve. Calpurnia fits all of these descriptors.

Next, let's look at what a static character is:

A static character, in this vocabulary, is one that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end as he or she was at the beginning. A dynamic character, in contrast, is one that does undergo an important change in the course of the story" (Static and Dynamic Characterizations).

In To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the primary static characters is Bob Ewell. He is a racist from the beginning  of the novel to the end. He is the bad guy throughout the novel, first as the antagonist to Tom and even his daughter, Mayella, and later to Scout and Jem when he attacks them in the woods. His character never changes and each of his actions are predictable according to his character.

In A Christmas Carol, what does this quote mean: “I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have...

The quote from A Christmas Carolis a typical answer from Ebenezer Scrooge.  He is saying that he will not contribute money or anything else to help individuals in need in his community.  He does help support the large establishments such as jails or the poor houses for those who cannot pay their debts, which costs him a lot of money.  Then he explains his true attitude by saying that those who cannot support their...

The quote from A Christmas Carol is a typical answer from Ebenezer Scrooge.  He is saying that he will not contribute money or anything else to help individuals in need in his community.  He does help support the large establishments such as jails or the poor houses for those who cannot pay their debts, which costs him a lot of money.  Then he explains his true attitude by saying that those who cannot support their families or are "badly off" for whatever reason should go to the poor house.   This quote shows the tight with his money Scrooge who sees no obligation to help his fellow citizens when they are in need.

This quote clearly delineates Scrooge at his worst--his lack of mercy for those who need help while he hangs onto every penny he can. This shows why Scrooge will be visited in the night to change his ways while he still can.  The reason this play has resonated with people for many years is that this is a lesson we all need to learn or be reminded of--that those of us more fortunate need to help those less fortunate instead of thinking only of ourselves.

In what way does Maya Angelou describe “The Store”? Find an example of figurative language that helps to explain how she feels. Explain the...

In the book, Marguerite uses a metaphor to explain how she feels about her grandmother's store. She likens the store to "an unopened present from a stranger" when it stands "alone and empty in the mornings."

She explains that "opening the front doors was (like) pulling the ribbon off the unexpected gift." To Marguerite, the store is a fascinating place, filled with delightful items. She tells us that, as the sunlight streams into the store...

In the book, Marguerite uses a metaphor to explain how she feels about her grandmother's store. She likens the store to "an unopened present from a stranger" when it stands "alone and empty in the mornings."

She explains that "opening the front doors was (like) pulling the ribbon off the unexpected gift." To Marguerite, the store is a fascinating place, filled with delightful items. She tells us that, as the sunlight streams into the store every morning, the shelves of "mackerel, salmon, tobacco, thread" reveal themselves to the human eye. The sunlight illuminates everything, including the "big vat of lard" which often softens to a "thick soup" in the summer afternoons.

Marguerite compares the 'store" to an "unexpected gift," likely referencing the fact that the store provides her with a sense of belonging. Ever since her parents' divorce and her exile to Stamps, the store has become a sort of lifeline for her; it is the one place Marguerite can count on seeing every morning. In the evenings, it is where she, Bailey, their grandmother, and Uncle Willie can share boxes of crispy crackers and cans of sardines for their evening meal.

Marguerite relates that the "peace of a day's ending" at the rear of the store is a great reminder that God will continue to keep his promises to "children, Negroes, and the crippled." So, to Marguerite, the store is an "unexpected gift" in the midst of the tragedy in her life.

What is the Valley of the Kings?

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt; it is in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile across from ancient Thebes (which is now called Luxor). The Valley of the Kings is a burial place for Egyptian royalty and nobility from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties (these took place from the 16th to the 11th centuries BCE). It is a little uncertain what the range of burials is,...

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt; it is in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile across from ancient Thebes (which is now called Luxor). The Valley of the Kings is a burial place for Egyptian royalty and nobility from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties (these took place from the 16th to the 11th centuries BCE). It is a little uncertain what the range of burials is, but scholars believe that it started either with Amenhotep I (who began ruling in 1526 BCE and is less likely) or Thutmose I (who began ruling in 1506 BCE and is a little more likely); it ended with Ramesses X or XI (it is unclear which is the more likely). Although wives and family of the royalty and the nobility were buried in the Valley of the Kings, there was also the Valley of the Queens, where the wives of pharaohs were buried separately.

The Valley of the Kings is regarded as the most famous because it contains the tomb of Tutankhamun (King Tut), which provided the world with a vast amount of his wealth and antiquities, letting us learn even more about the world back then.

112g of iron reacted completely with 64g of sulfur. What mass of iron sulfide was made?

There are two common sulfides of iron:

Iron(II)sulfide is FeS

Iron(III)sulfide is Fe2S3

Since we're told that 112 grams of iron reacts completely with 64 grams of sulfur, we can determine which compound formed by the mole ratio of Fe to S. Find the number of moles of each reactant using their molar mases:

112 g Fe x 1mol/55.8 g = 2.01 moles

64 g S x 1 mol/32.1 g = 1.99 moles S

Since...

There are two common sulfides of iron:

Iron(II)sulfide is FeS

Iron(III)sulfide is Fe2S3

Since we're told that 112 grams of iron reacts completely with 64 grams of sulfur, we can determine which compound formed by the mole ratio of Fe to S. Find the number of moles of each reactant using their molar mases:

112 g Fe x 1mol/55.8 g = 2.01 moles

64 g S x 1 mol/32.1 g = 1.99 moles S

Since the mole ratio is about 1:1, the formula is FeS and the equation is:

`Fe + S -> FeS`

According to the law of consevation of mass, the mass of the product(s) equals the mass of reactant(s) so the mass of FeS that formed is:

112 g + 64 g = 176 g

This method works because there's only one product and we know that both reactants reacted completely. If there's more than one product or there's an excess of one reactant, you could use dimensional analysis to convert from grams of the limiting reactant to moles, then to moles of the product in question, then to grams of the product. 

How would you describe Jonas in the book/movie The Giver?

Jonas's character does not change substantially from the book to the film, so the description of him in both remains the same. 

We know that the Elders in his community see him as intelligent, courageous, and as having integrity. They also feel strongly that he has "the ability to acquire wisdom" (Ch.8). All of these traits are why he is chosen as the new Receiver of Memory.

Based on his actions in the book, we...

Jonas's character does not change substantially from the book to the film, so the description of him in both remains the same. 

We know that the Elders in his community see him as intelligent, courageous, and as having integrity. They also feel strongly that he has "the ability to acquire wisdom" (Ch.8). All of these traits are why he is chosen as the new Receiver of Memory.

Based on his actions in the book, we can also describe Jonas in the following ways (with a few examples of each):

• compassionate (his interactions with several characters, including the Giver and Gabe)


• empathetic (his interactions with several, including Larissa in Ch. 4)


• a critical thinker (his questioning of the community)


• unique (being chosen as the Receiver of Memory)


• loving (especially in his interactions with Gabe)


• sensitive (his ability to feel the memories so deeply)


• risk-taking (he leaves the community)


• self-sacrificing (he risks everything to save Gabe from release)


• self-aware (he knows his own weaknesses and tries to avoid them)


• reflective (he constantly evaluates his own behavior and thoughts)


• contemplative (an extension of his reflections)


• gifted (he can see beyond)

What are the Dionysian and Apollonian perspectives found in Lord of the Flies by Golding?

Dionysian and Apollonian perspectives are literary devices, their names deriving from the Greek gods whose qualities they represent. Apollo and Dionysus were both sons of Zeus, and thus might be considered equals in terms of hierarchy in the Greek pantheon. Apollo is interpreted to represent order and reason, whereas Dionysus represents chaos and emotionalism: two sides of human nature, neither in conflict with each other nor truly harmonious.

Thus, the Apollonian perspectives are all those...

Dionysian and Apollonian perspectives are literary devices, their names deriving from the Greek gods whose qualities they represent. Apollo and Dionysus were both sons of Zeus, and thus might be considered equals in terms of hierarchy in the Greek pantheon. Apollo is interpreted to represent order and reason, whereas Dionysus represents chaos and emotionalism: two sides of human nature, neither in conflict with each other nor truly harmonious.

Thus, the Apollonian perspectives are all those qualities in Lord of the Flies which relate to "law and order"--for example, the assemblies, the conch, Ralph's democratic election, and the idea of the fire as a tool to return to civilization. In contrast, Dionysian perspectives are largely embodied by Jack and his ideals, which are particularly illuminated on two occasions. First, when Jack attempts to unseat Ralph as chief, but finds no support, he runs away crying, saying that he won't "play" with the others anymore. Second, when Jack forms his own rudimentary tribe, in his first meeting he establishes one of the guiding principles of the group as being "having fun." Clearly among Jack's priorities are emotional fulfillment, even and and almost especially at the expense of abstract reasoning, which is the essence of a Dionysian quality. 

What are three similes from the first three chapters of Lyddie?

A simile is a type of figurative language that uses a direct comparison.  You say that something is like something else.  Similes usually have the words “like” or “as” used to compare two normally unlike things.  They can be used to describe settings or characterize.

A good example of a simile is in the description of the bear.  When Lyddie, her mother, and her siblings are home, a bear wanders into their cabin.  The bear is hungry and repeatedly searches for some kind of food.  He finds some oatmeal cooking on the fire.

He thrust his head deep into the kettle and howled with pain as his nose met the boiling porridge. He threw back his head, but in doing so jerked the kettle off the hook, and when he turned, he was wearing it over his head like a black pumpkin. (Ch. 1)

The comparison here is between the kettle and a pumpkin.  I am not sure how often people wear pumpkins on their heads, but apparently to Lyddie the bear with the kettle on his head resembles a person wearing a black pumpkin on his head.

The next simile is actually from a Bible verse.  In this one, Lyddie’s mother compares the bear to the devil by quoting a verse comparing the devil to a lion.

'Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (Ch. 1)

Lyddie points out that the bear was just a bear, but her mother takes it as a sign.  Ever since Lyddie’s youngest sister was born and her father left to go out west to find his fortune, Lyddie’s mother has not been right.  She uses the bear as an excuse to leave the farm and go stay with her sister, Aunt Clarissa.

Lyddie likes similes.  When she goes to sell her calf to her Quaker neighbor, she is impressed by how much better off they seem to be than her family.

Envy crept up like a noxious vine. Lyddie snapped it off, but the roots were deep and beyond her reach. (Ch. 2)

Lyddie compares the envy she feels to a vine because it seems to grow as she looks around the farm and sees how prosperous the Stevens family has been while her family has suffered.  Lyddie does not want to give up her farm, but at this point she has nothing left.  She has been sold off to work at the tavern.

One of the best similes is the description of the tavern the first time Lyddie sees it.

Addition after addition, porch, shed, and a couple of barns, the end one at least four stories high. The whole complex, recently painted with a mix of red ochre and buttermilk, stood against the sky like a row of giant beets popped clear of the earth. (Ch. 3)

Lyddie compares the bright, freshly painted red buildings to new beets.  This demonstrates how impressed she is with the place, but also how intimidating it is.  It symbolizes her desire to remain on the farm rather than work at the tavern, where she feels she is being enslaved.

`y = sqrt(x), x = 0, y = 2` Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by...

The shell has the radius y, the cricumference is `2pi*y` and the height is `y^2 - 0` , hence, the volume can be evaluated, using the method of cylindrical shells, such that:

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y*(y^2 - 0) dy`

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y^3 dy`

Using the formula `int y^n dy = (y^(n+1))/(n+1) ` yields:

`V = 2pi*(y^4)/4|_0^2`

`V = pi*(y^4)/2|_0^2`

`V = pi*(2^4 - 0^4)/2`

`V = 8pi`

Hence, evaluating the volume, using the method...

The shell has the radius y, the cricumference is `2pi*y` and the height is `y^2 - 0` , hence, the volume can be evaluated, using the method of cylindrical shells, such that:

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y*(y^2 - 0) dy`

`V = 2pi*int_0^2 y^3 dy`

Using the formula `int y^n dy = (y^(n+1))/(n+1) ` yields:

`V = 2pi*(y^4)/4|_0^2`

`V = pi*(y^4)/2|_0^2`

`V = pi*(2^4 - 0^4)/2`

`V = 8pi`

Hence, evaluating the volume, using the method of cylindrical shells, yields `V = 8pi.`

What will happen if Atticus and Tom lose the appeal?

I’m a little confused by your question because there is no appeal in the case against Tom in the rape of Mayella Ewell.  After the initial trial, Tom is immediately sent to the state prison where he attempts to escape.  Tom is shot 17 times and is killed trying to scale the prison fence.  There is a little mystery surrounding why Tom would try to escape.  I think Tom realizes that even an appeal will...

I’m a little confused by your question because there is no appeal in the case against Tom in the rape of Mayella Ewell.  After the initial trial, Tom is immediately sent to the state prison where he attempts to escape.  Tom is shot 17 times and is killed trying to scale the prison fence.  There is a little mystery surrounding why Tom would try to escape.  I think Tom realizes that even an appeal will not be enough to find him innocent of the charges.  Despite Atticus’ encouragement, as a black man, Tom knows he doesn’t have a chance convincing a jury of his innocence because of the institutionalized racism in places like the justice system in the South. If there had been an appeal, and Tom was still found guilty, he would have been sent to the electric chair for the rape of a white woman. Tom also knows that he is leaving his family behind to struggle without him to help provide for them.  Perhaps he feels that he can somehow escape with his family to a better place.  It is not told why Tom tries to escape, but as readers, we know that it is not because he is guilty.

In The Odyssey, is the cyclops a good host or bad host? Why?

Polyphemus, the Cyclops and son of Poseidon, is a terrible host.  He is described as "lawless," but that doesn't quite do justice to his true nature.  In Ancient Greece, the highest law was known as Xenia.  Xenia is the ancient Greek word for "hospitality."  This law declares that any traveler is to be fed, sheltered, and taken care of by the inhabitants of a home.  It is protected by Zeus himself.  In many stories, people attempt to "get around" the concept by sending guests off on what are thought to be impossible tasks, hoping that the guests die in the process.  However, Polyphemus takes it to an entirely different level, and suffers terribly for it.  

This law is so well known and universally obeyed that Odysseus naturally assumes that entering Polyphemus's cave and eating from his table is perfectly acceptable, even though the Cyclops isn't at home when he and his men arrive.  In fact, when his men wish to return to the boat, he wants to wait for the Cyclops to return because he believes that Polyphemus, being a good host, will also present Odysseus with a gift.  When Polyphemus returns to his cave, he rolls a huge rock in front of the door to keep his sheep in.  He then notices Odysseus and his men.  Odysseus introduces himself and says

"But chancing here, we come before your knees to ask that you will offer hospitality, and in other ways as well will give the gift which is the stranger's due.  O mighty one, respect the gods.  We are your suppliants, and Zeus is the avenger of the suppliant and the stranger; he is the stranger's friend, attending the deserving."

Odysseus asks for Xenia, evening invoking the name of Zeus, but the Cyclops responds that his race "pay no need to aegis-bearing Zeus, nor to the blessed gods; because we are much stronger than themselves."  Polyphemus then eats two of the men; he eats two more for breakfast the next morning and two for dinner.  This is not the behavior of a good host, or even a mediocre host.  Polyphemus eats his guests, directly defying Zeus, and says that he is stronger than the most powerful god.

Polyphemus ends up paying for his actions and words as Odysseus thinks of a way to trick him.  Odysseus shares his wine with Polyphemus, eventually getting him drunk.  Once the Cyclops falls asleep, Odysseus and his men pull out a piece of the Cyclops's club they had sharpened, charred, and hid in the dung around the cave.  They then reheat it and use it to stab him in the eye.  There's a lengthy description of how terribly the Cyclops suffers as a result of being stabbed with the flaming stick, and Odysseus and his men sneak out of the cave by attaching themselves to the underside of the Cyclops's giant sheep.  Unable to see them because he is now blind, Polyphemus has no idea they are under the livestock, and the men quickly escape to the sea.

If Polyphemus had simply shown respect to the gods by obeying Zeus's law of Xenia, things would have turned out much differently for him.  Instead, he is one of the worst hosts ever and is left blinded, humbled, and sheepless because of it.

What thematic statement does Yolen explore in The Devil's Arithmetic?

A thematic statement, of course, is one simple sentence about what the author is trying to convey about his or her particular subject.  This statement will often contain some kind of generalization about human nature or life in general. The thematic statement that Yolen explored in The Devil’s Arithmeticis as follows:  memory is both powerful and important.  This thematic statement is especially important in regards to the extermination of the Jews that the Nazis...

A thematic statement, of course, is one simple sentence about what the author is trying to convey about his or her particular subject.  This statement will often contain some kind of generalization about human nature or life in general. The thematic statement that Yolen explored in The Devil’s Arithmetic is as follows:  memory is both powerful and important.  This thematic statement is especially important in regards to the extermination of the Jews that the Nazis attempted during World War II.  This attempted extermination is appropriately called the Holocaust.  At the beginning of the story, Hannah is annoyed by her relatives’ desire to focus on memory (both in regards to remembering Jewish traditions and remembering the horrors of the Holocaust).  It is only through Hannah’s personal experience with the Holocaust that she learns how important and powerful memory is.  In this regard, The Devil's Arithmetic is truly a coming-of-age story.  In fact, as Hannah makes a decision to sacrifice her own life, she tells Rivka:

Run for your life, Rivka ... for your future.  Run ... and remember.

Is there any hyperbole in A Christmas Carol?

Hyperbole is a literary term to describe the use of exaggerated or over-embellished language by a writer. In A Christmas Carol, we see many instances of hyperbole in Dickens' writing as he seeks to create a strong impression on the reader.

Looking at stave one, for example, Dickens uses hyperbole when he describes the physical appearance of Scrooge:

"The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his...

Hyperbole is a literary term to describe the use of exaggerated or over-embellished language by a writer. In A Christmas Carol, we see many instances of hyperbole in Dickens' writing as he seeks to create a strong impression on the reader.

Looking at stave one, for example, Dickens uses hyperbole when he describes the physical appearance of Scrooge:

"The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice."

Of course, Scrooge doesn't really have cold inside him that has affected his features. This is a deliberate exaggeration which is used to emphasise Dickens' point that Scrooge is a cold-hearted and mean person. 

Similarly, Dickens also uses hyperbole to describe particular locations in A Christmas Carol. We see this, for instance, in the neighbourhood surrounding Old Joe's shop, in stave four:

"Alleys and archways, like so many cesspools, disgorged their offences of smell, and dirt, and life, upon the straggling streets; and the whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth, and misery."

Crime doesn't really have a smell but this exaggerated description goes a long way in building an atmosphere. By using this embellished language, Dickens is engaging the reader's senses and creating an image which is so strong that it is virtually tangible. 

`(7pi)/12 = pi/3 + pi/4` Find the exact values of the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle.

You need to evaluate the sine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `sin(a+b) = sin a*cos b + sin b*cos a` such that:

`sin ((7pi)/12)= sin(pi/3 + pi/4) = sin (pi/3)*cos (pi/4) + sin (pi/4)*cos (pi/3)`

`sin ((7pi)/12)=(sqrt3)/2*(sqrt2)/2 + (sqrt2)/2*1/2`

`sin ((7pi)/12) = (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2`

You need to evaluate the cosine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `cos(a+b) = cos a*cos b - sin b*sin a` such that:

`cos ((7pi)/12) = cos (pi/3 +...

You need to evaluate the sine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `sin(a+b) = sin a*cos b + sin b*cos a` such that:

`sin ((7pi)/12)= sin(pi/3 + pi/4) = sin (pi/3)*cos (pi/4) + sin (pi/4)*cos (pi/3)`

`sin ((7pi)/12)=(sqrt3)/2*(sqrt2)/2 + (sqrt2)/2*1/2`

`sin ((7pi)/12) = (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2`

You need to evaluate the cosine of `(7pi)/12` , using the formula `cos(a+b) = cos a*cos b - sin b*sin a` such that:

`cos ((7pi)/12) = cos (pi/3 + pi/4) = cos (pi/3)*cos (pi/4)- sin ( pi/4)*sin (pi/3)`

`cos ((7pi)/12)= 1/2*(sqrt2)/2 - (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3)/2`

`cos((7pi)/12) = (sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2`

You need to evaluate the tangent of `(7pi)/12` , such that:

`tan ((7pi)/12) = (sin((7pi)/12))/(cos ((7pi)/12))`

`tan ((7pi)/12) = ((sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2)/((sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2)`

`tan((7pi)/12) = (sqrt3 + 1)/(1 - sqrt3)`

`tan((7pi)/12) = ((sqrt3 + 1)*(1 + sqrt3))/(1 - 3)`

`tan((7pi)/12)) = -((sqrt3 + 1)^2)/2`

Hence, evaluating the sine, cosine and tangent of `tan(7pi)/12` , yields `sin((7pi)/12 ) = (sqrt2)/2*(sqrt3 + 1)/2, cos ( (7pi)/12 ) = (sqrt2)/2*(1 - sqrt3)/2, tan (7pi)/12 = -((sqrt3 + 1)^2)/2.`

Which elements of literature support the theme of innocence in The Catcher in the Rye?

The "elements of literature" include many different tools and techniques used by authors to tell a story in the most effective way. Elements of literature include using figures of speech, using symbolism, deciding on a particular point of view from which to tell the story, and using devices such as foreshadowing and flashbacks to organize the conflict and plot. The theme of innocence is most likely supported whenever Holden interacts with children and when flashbacks are used to expose the happy times of his childhood. For example, Holden notices a poor family walking by whose son was singing "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" and he says, "It made me feel not so depressed any more" (115). This suggests that innocence can bring peace.

Another example of Holden interacting with the innocence of life is when he walks around the Museum of Natural History with two young boys who a tell him school was out for the day. He responds,

"He was lying, sure as I'm alive, the little bastard. I didn't have anything to do, though, till old Phoebe showed up, so I helped them find the place where the mummies were" (203). 

Holden had a good time with the boys, but had they been adults, he probably would have called them phonies. But since they were innocent children, he hung out with them and had a good time. 

Finally, symbolism is also used to portray innocence and that can be seen through Phoebe, Holden's sister. She is the innocent reason that he stays to face his problems rather than running away like he imagined he would. She's the hope in the future and the innocence worth protecting for Holden. When he realizes that he would break her heart if he ran away, he finds a way to be a catcher in the rye. He realizes that he is happiest around innocent Phoebe. His moment of awakening is when she is riding around on the carousel in the park and he says the following:

". . . I got soaked anyway. I didn't care, though. I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth" (213).

In what ways are the characters in "The Lottery" differentiated from one another?

The characters in "The Lottery" are not developed in any great depth. They all seem like rural American "types." Shirley Jackson uses the age-old method of differentiating them mainly by age and sex. Old Man Warner is a good example. He differs from all the males by age and from all the females by age and sex. He is the oldest male in the community, while little Dave Hutchinson is the youngest.

Authors will usually "orchestrate" their characters by creating a cast of young, middle-aged, and old men and women. In Hamlet, for example, Hamlet and Ophelia are young and of opposite sexes. Gertrude and Claudius are middle-aged and of opposite sexes. Polonius is old. Shakespeare makes all of them stand out by contrast with all the others. The term "orchestration" derives from opera, in which there are different voices and different characters to suit them. The young hero is the tenor. The ingenue is the soprano. The older woman is the contralto. The villain may be the basso profundo. And so on. 

There are a number of middle-aged women like Tessie Hutchinson in "The Lottery." They all seem to look, think, and act pretty much alike. There are also a number of middle-aged men.

Soon the men began to gather. surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times.

There are also plenty of children in the assemblage. The author apparently wanted to emphasize the fact that these children are being taught to honor and preserve the lottery. Most of the male children are little boys, but the girls are older types like Nancy Hutchinson.

"Nancy next," Mr. Summers said. Nancy was twelve, and her school friends breathed heavily as she went forward switching her skirt, and took a slip daintily from the box.

Most of the people in the crowd of about three hundred are farmers who have come into town for this special event. A few of the men are in business in town and have homes there. They are differentiated from the farm people by the fact that they wear suits and take charge of everything.

The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities. He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him. because he had no children and his wife was a scold.

Mr. Graves is the village postmaster. He always assists Mr. Summers in conducting the lottery. In this case he also assists little Davie Hutchinson in participating in the drawing. Davie is only about two years old, but he will be stoned to death if he draws the fatal slip, and he will be encouraged to participate in stoning his mother to death when she draws it.

Graves and Summers have to be differentiated because they are working closely together. Summers is "round-faced" and "jovial," as his name suggests. Graves is presumably quiet and serious, as his name suggests. But the characterization here as elsewhere throughout the story is superficial. It could hardly be otherwise with such a big cast of people.

Shirley Jackson does not attempt to differentiate her characters too sharply because she intends to convey the impression that these are very ordinary people doing something very extraordinary. Tessie Hutchinson will be strongly differentiated at the end when she is the one chosen to be this year's scapegoat. She will be portrayed in vivid contrast to all her relatives, friends, and neighbors who, moving as one pitiless and relentless army, approach from all sides to stone her to death.

Explain why mud guards are used on the wheels of cycles, motor cars and other driving vehicles. Give reasons why in terms of physics.

Mud guards are used to stop mud, water and gravel that becomes unstuck to the surface of the tire, flies off and travels in a straight line. The mud guard stops the flying mud from making a mess and flying rocks from causing damage to the vehicle or other vehicles. If you ride a bicycle without mud guards or fenders through a puddle you'll end up with mud on your back as it flies off...

Mud guards are used to stop mud, water and gravel that becomes unstuck to the surface of the tire, flies off and travels in a straight line. The mud guard stops the flying mud from making a mess and flying rocks from causing damage to the vehicle or other vehicles. If you ride a bicycle without mud guards or fenders through a puddle you'll end up with mud on your back as it flies off the top of the rotating back wheel.

Centripetal force is the force that makes a body follow a curved path. It's directed toward the center of the circle. When the centripetal force acting on a body is eliminated, as when the mud becomes detached from the tire, the body will cease to move in a circular path and will instead move in a straight line. Imagine that you are twirling a string with a weight attached in a circular path. If the string breaks, the weight will move in a straight line from the point where it was released, tangential to the circle its path was forming. In doing so it's following Newton's first law, an object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by a force. Mudguards provide a force to stop the debris from continuing in a straight line. 

Why was Okonkwo forbidden to beat his wife?

Beating is forbidden during the Week of Peace, as is all fighting and violence. There is a custom in this region to observe a week of neighborliness and good cheer before the sowing season begins.

When Okonkwo beats his wife, Ojiuigo, during the Week of Peace he is punished for "breaking the peace of Ani," the goddess of the village and the spirit that oversees the farming and its results. 

Okonkwo is reminded for the...

Beating is forbidden during the Week of Peace, as is all fighting and violence. There is a custom in this region to observe a week of neighborliness and good cheer before the sowing season begins.

When Okonkwo beats his wife, Ojiuigo, during the Week of Peace he is punished for "breaking the peace of Ani," the goddess of the village and the spirit that oversees the farming and its results. 

Okonkwo is reminded for the reason of his punishment when Ezeani comes to speak with him. 

"You are not a stranger in Umuofia. You know as well as I do that our forefathers ordained that before we plant any crops in the earth we should observe a week in which a man does not say a harsh word to his neighbor. We live in peace with our fellows to honor our great goddess of the earth without whose blessing our crops will not grow. You have committed a great evil."

Okonkwo is told to make a sacrifice to the goddess.

This episode demonstrates a few things about Okonkwo's character. He is short-tempered and feels that he must maintain strict control over his family life. He is afraid of appearing weak and so acts quickly and rashly. 

Violence is his first impulse and it springs from a fear that deep down he is weak like his father. In the killing of Ikemefuna, this violence erupts again. 

Yet, Okonkwo is repentant. He is willing to make the sacrifice to pay for his mistakes. Above all, Okonkwo desires the acceptance and respect of his peers. His behaviors are largely designed to keep well within the strictures of his culture and community, to show himself as a good man fulfilling his duties to his family and his village. 

Despite his best efforts, Okonkwo's lack of self-control puts him at odds with cultural norms from time to time, with drastic consequences. 

In beating his wife, Okonkwo allows his temper and his desire to avoid weakness overwhelm his sense of duty to the village. 

Why might Cubans have resented the Platt Amendment?

The Platt Amendment was attached to an act of Congress in 1901. It basically established Cuba as a protectorate of the United States. It forbade Cuba from going into debt and entering into treaties that the United States opposed, and it asserted the right of the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs under certain vaguely defined conditions. Many Cubans resented the Platt Amendment because they hoped that the Spanish-American war, which had its roots...

The Platt Amendment was attached to an act of Congress in 1901. It basically established Cuba as a protectorate of the United States. It forbade Cuba from going into debt and entering into treaties that the United States opposed, and it asserted the right of the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs under certain vaguely defined conditions. Many Cubans resented the Platt Amendment because they hoped that the Spanish-American war, which had its roots in their struggle for independence from Spain, would result in Cuba's becoming a fully sovereign nation. In fact, the United States had stipulated in the so-called Teller Amendment at the beginning of the war that they had no desire to annex Cuba. The Platt Amendment sent a clear message that the United States regarded Cuba as essentially a client state, independent only insofar as its interests were the same as those of its larger neighbor. Many Cubans did in fact resent the Amendment, which was rejected by the Cuban government when it was first proposed. In the wake of the war and the Platt Amendment, as one historian has said, "thousands of impoverished [Cuban] veterans wandered aimlessly about, muttering among themselves, 'What have we gained by this war?'"

Why do Romeo and Juliet both think that Romeo's banishment is worse than death?

Romeo is banished from Verona by the Prince, at the risk of forfeiting his life if he should return. This is punishment for Romeo killing Tybalt, a Capulet, in a duel in vengeance for the death of his friend Mercutio, at Tybalt's hand.

When Juliet's nurse informs her about Romeo's sanction, she cries out in anguish:

That 'banished,' that one word 'banished,'
Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt's death
Was woe enough, if it had ended there:

... But with a rear-ward folloThat 'banished,' that one word 'banished,' Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt's death Was woe enough, if it had ended there:wing Tybalt's death,
'Romeo is banished,' to speak that word,
Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet,
All slain, all dead. 'Romeo is banished!'
There is no end, no limit, measure, bound,
In that word's death; no words can that woe sound.

Juliet sees her lover's banishement as something worse than all sorrows put together and multiplied. She is overwrought by the thought and cannot contain herself. She feels that she is widowed and will die a maiden.

... die maiden-widowed.
Come, cords, come, nurse; I'll to my wedding-bed;
And death, not Romeo, take my maidenhead!

The cords which Romeo had procured so that he may gain entry to her bedroom have now become worthless, for Romeo will not be able to use them.

Romeo's response is similar to Juliet's. When friar Lawrence informs him of his banishment, he responds:

Ha, banishment! be merciful, say 'death;'
For exile hath more terror in his look,
Much more than death: do not say 'banishment.'

In similar vein he damns the punishement:

There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish'd from the world,
And world's exile is death: then banished,
Is death mis-term'd: calling death banishment,
Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe,
And smilest upon the stroke that murders me.

Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here,
Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog
And little mouse, every unworthy thing,
Live here in heaven and may look on her;
But Romeo may not: more validity,
More honourable state, more courtship lives
In carrion-flies than Romeo: they my seize
On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand
And steal immortal blessing from her lips,
Who even in pure and vestal modesty,
Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin;
But Romeo may not; he is banished:
Flies may do this, but I from this must fly:
They are free men, but I am banished.
And say'st thou yet that exile is not death?
Hadst thou no poison mix'd, no sharp-ground knife,
No sudden mean of death, though ne'er so mean,
But 'banished' to kill me?--'banished'?
O friar, the damned use that word in hell;
Howlings attend it: how hast thou the heart,
Being a divine, a ghostly confessor,
A sin-absolver, and my friend profess'd,
To mangle me with that word 'banished'?

Romeo is much more vociferous in his response to the word. He feels that it will be torture to be alive and without his love. He cannot bear the thought of not being able to see, touch, hear or kiss her when carrion flies can sit on her hand and 'steal immortal blessings from her lips. ' The thought of such a situation is much too painful for him to bear and he asks the friar not to even mention the word and hearing it will bring him further torment. It is better to be dead than in exile.

The two lovers' responses clearly indicate that they see Romeo's exile as more hurtful and damaging than anything and would rather prefer death. The reason for this is that they cannot bear the thought of knowing and loving one another and not being able to be together. In this regard, death would be a better option for they both would not exist and would thus not have to deal with the second to second torture for the rest of their lives of knowing about each other, but not being able to do anything about it.

Describe the uninvited guest in "The Masque of the Red Death."

The masked figure appears suddenly at twelve midnight. Neither Prospero nor any of his guests had noticed this figure prior to this moment. The guests are initially disapproving, and then quickly move to feelings of terror and horror. 

Even though there are many people dressed up, this figure stands out. The narrator says he "out-Heroded Herod." This is a reference to the Biblical figure Herod, but also a nod to Hamlet, in which Hamlet...

The masked figure appears suddenly at twelve midnight. Neither Prospero nor any of his guests had noticed this figure prior to this moment. The guests are initially disapproving, and then quickly move to feelings of terror and horror. 

Even though there are many people dressed up, this figure stands out. The narrator says he "out-Heroded Herod." This is a reference to the Biblical figure Herod, but also a nod to Hamlet, in which Hamlet mocks the actors for being too dramatic. In short, the figure conjures the image of an unsavory and dramatic character. 

The mask itself looks quite similar to that of a "stiffened corpse." He also has the signs and symptoms of the red death: 

His vesture was dabbled in blood—and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror. 

The masked figure looks like a victim of the red death. The red death is precisely what the guests are trying to escape and (selfishly) ignore. Prospero orders his guests to unmask the figure. They make an initial move, but stop, too terrified to approach. Prospero dies when trying to confront this personified Red Death. The guests finally confront him, only to find the figure has no tangible, physical form under the disguise. The figure had been like a ghost or perhaps a collective hallucination on the part of Prospero and his guests. From the reader's perspective, the figure might also be a metaphor. In other words, his personified form is Poe's way of giving death a willful, maniacal presence. 

Explain the different action of a lymphocyte and phagocyte in destroying a pathogen?

A pathogen is something that enters the body and can cause a disease by killing body cells, releasing substances that are harmful known as toxins or by interrupting homeostasis by upsetting the proper functioning of the body.

When a pathogen like a bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite enters the body, the immune system will begin to defend the body. First, nonspecific defenses like unbroken skin, saliva, tears, mucus try to trap or block the entry...

A pathogen is something that enters the body and can cause a disease by killing body cells, releasing substances that are harmful known as toxins or by interrupting homeostasis by upsetting the proper functioning of the body.

When a pathogen like a bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite enters the body, the immune system will begin to defend the body. First, nonspecific defenses like unbroken skin, saliva, tears, mucus try to trap or block the entry of pathogens. Next, the inflammatory response occurs if tissue is injured. This involves extra blood flow to the area along with raising the body temperature to produce a fever, another defense against pathogens.

The next line of defense are cells that will engulf and "eat" foreign cells. Phagocytes are important white blood cells that can kill invading pathogens by detecting foreign cells, then binding to them and eventually surrounding and engulfing them. Phagocytes can creep about the body and surround and engulf foreign proteins that are not recognized as "self" and don't belong in the body.  Enzymes inside the phagocyte are used to break down and kill the pathogen. Remains of the pathogen are kept by the phagocyte to flag other immune cells to help recognize and fight that pathogen.

If all the nonspecific responses fail, specific defenses are launched against the invader in what is known as the immune response. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that include B cells and killer T cells. B cells produce antibodies that attack pathogens in the blood. The antibodies are proteins that recognize a specific pathogen-- (antigen or foreign protein)  which they then bind to. Then, T cells, another white blood cell, track down and destroy the germ. Memory cells  made by B or T cells after they have fought a pathogen remain in the body in the event the same pathogen returns. In that case, the body will have the ability to quickly respond--this is what is known as building active immunity.

Both phagocytes and lymphocytes are types of white blood cells whose different functions help to contribute to keeping the body safe from invading pathogens.

Discuss how Dickens presents responsibility in Stave I and throughout the story, "A Christmas Carol."

The most obvious example of responsibility in Stave I is when Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by two men soliciting for charity to support the poor and Scrooge refuses to donate. Not only does he refuse to donate money, he asks if the prisons and work houses are still open, which indicates he sees the poor as a burden to society and that they already have their basic needs being met by these institutions. This shows a general lack of personal responsibility, as well as a lack of empathy. 

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned—they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides—excuse me—I don’t know that.”

So, from the beginning we understand that Scrooge feels he is already doing his part to be socially responsible, even though he only does so out of obligation. If he was not required to pay tax, which is what keeps those institutions open, it is obvious he would not be helping these "idle" people. By calling them "idle" he also does not truly understand why they are poor or the complexity of poverty. He sees himself as financially responsible and them as financially irresponsible.

As the story continues, responsibility is show in many other areas by other characters. The two men who are requesting money for charity show their own social responsibility. We see responsibility to family in Bob Cratchit and how he takes care of his family and puts them first above everything. We see responsibility for being a good employer and friend in Fezziwig and his holiday party. We see Scrooge becoming responsible later when he decides to give to the charity, to Bob Cratchit, and to Fred.

The overall message of the story is that one can be entirely selfish and not responsible for anyone but themselves, but that only brings a life of misery. To be truly happy one must embrace others and their responsibilities (both financial and personal) to them.

What caused scrooge to feel sad for Fred when the Ghost of Christmas Past visits him?

We first see Fred, nephew of Scrooge, in Stave One, when he arrives at Scrooge's work on Christmas Eve to invite his uncle to a Christmas party.  Not being thrilled with the prospect of celebrating Christmas, Scrooge, of course, refuses to attend the party.  In fact, he goes so far as to criticize the partygoers, who should be using the day to work off their debts.

Flash forward to Stave Two.  In it, as Scrooge...

We first see Fred, nephew of Scrooge, in Stave One, when he arrives at Scrooge's work on Christmas Eve to invite his uncle to a Christmas party.  Not being thrilled with the prospect of celebrating Christmas, Scrooge, of course, refuses to attend the party.  In fact, he goes so far as to criticize the partygoers, who should be using the day to work off their debts.

Flash forward to Stave Two.  In it, as Scrooge is taken on tour with the Ghost of Christmas Past, he sees, among other things, a vision of his sister.  His sister, Fan, was kind and generous, and it is obvious that he misses her.  It becomes clear that Fan has since died.  At that point, Scrooge feels sorry for his nephew (Fan's son), as he now sees Fred in the context of a young man without a mother.  He regrets the way he acted in refusing to attend the party.

What is a summary of The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks?

The Guardian, by Nicholas Sparks, is a romantic thriller featuring 29-year-old widow Julie Barenson. Four years prior, Julie's young husband Jim died of cancer. Before his death, he wrote her a letter promising to always protect her and encouraging her to find someone new who would make her happy. Julie's protection came in the form of a Great Dane puppy Jim had arranged to be delivered to her the Christmas Day after he had passed away. Julie felt grateful for the dog, named Singer, because she knew that Jim understood the dog would become part of the family Julie never really had, other than Jim, and help her move on. Singer certainly did help her move forward with her life, and now that four years have passed, she no longer feels the "searing ache" she used to when she thought of her husband soon after his death (p. 1). She also feels ready to try and find someone new to make her happy.

Julie begins dating Richard Franklin, whom she finds interesting and enjoys the amount of attention he devotes to her, especially his surprise visits to her beauty salon where she works as a hairdresser. However, she begins feeling smothered by his attention, and Singer growls in Richards' presence. Meanwhile, Mike Harris, Julie's late husband's best friend, who has had a crush on Julie for years, finally gets the nerve to ask her out. When Julie begins dating Mike, she tells Richard she is no longer interested. Soon, the reader learns just how obsessed Richard is with Julie and that Richard's childhood has helped him develop into a very dangerous person.

Richard begins stalking Julie, and a police investigation uncovers that Richard Franklin is actually the identity of a missing man. Richard's identity had been stolen by Robert Bonham, who had also been missing since the disappearance of Robert's own wife. Robert had murdered both his wife and Richard and assumed Richard's identity.

As Richard's stalking continues, Mike and Julie run for their lives, but Richard is able to find their hideout. In the end, Singer, on the brink of death after having been poisoned by Richard, finds enough strength to attack Richard and defend Julie long enough for the police to arrive.

Who does Max live with in the book Freak the Mighty?

Max Kane lives with his grandparents, Gram and Grim.  More specifically, Max lives in the basement of his grandparent's house.  That sounds a bit depressing, but Max seems to like it just fine.  

That summer, let's see, I'm still living in the basement, my own private down under, in the little room Grim built for me there. Glued up this cheap paneling, right? It sort of buckles away from the concrete cellar walls, a...

Max Kane lives with his grandparents, Gram and Grim.  More specifically, Max lives in the basement of his grandparent's house.  That sounds a bit depressing, but Max seems to like it just fine.  

That summer, let's see, I'm still living in the basement, my own private down under, in the little room Grim built for me there. Glued up this cheap paneling, right? It sort of buckles away from the concrete cellar walls, a regular ripple effect, but do I complain about the crummy paneling, or the rug that smells like low tide? I do not. Because I like it in the down under, got the place all to myself and no fear of Gram - sticking her head in the door and saying Maxwell dear, what are you doing?

The reason that Max has to live with his grandparents is because his mom is dead, and his father is in jail.  Now here's the real kicker.  Max's father, Kenny Kane, is in prison for murdering his own wife.  That is horrible, and what is worse is that Max witnessed the murder of his own mother.

Max is a traumatized kid, and he suffers from low self esteem.  For those two reasons alone, it makes a lot of sense why Max Kane prefers the basement of his grandparent's house to just about anywhere else.  It is his sanctuary and his hiding place.   

Why can a person with AIDS die from a simple flu that would not kill a healthy person?

The common infections, such as cold, flu, etc. are fought by the immune system of our body. Specifically, the white blood cells or WBCs are the fighters against foreign infections.

When a person becomes infected with HIV or human immunodeficiency virus, the count of these fighters start decreasing. More specifically, HIV starts destroying the CD4+ T cells, thus damaging the body's natural immunity. A healthy human being contains 600-1200 CD4+ T cells per cubic...

The common infections, such as cold, flu, etc. are fought by the immune system of our body. Specifically, the white blood cells or WBCs are the fighters against foreign infections.

When a person becomes infected with HIV or human immunodeficiency virus, the count of these fighters start decreasing. More specifically, HIV starts destroying the CD4+ T cells, thus damaging the body's natural immunity. A healthy human being contains 600-1200 CD4+ T cells per cubic millimeter of blood. However, this count starts falling when the body is infected with HIV.

AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the final stage of HIV infection. An AIDS patient has less than 200 CD4+ T cells per cubic millimeter of blood. At this stage, the body's natural immunity is more or less destroyed and simple infections are fatal. A healthy human body (HIV negative) can fight these infections easily, an AIDS patient cannot. 

Kindly note that HIV infection is different from AIDS (it is only the advanced stage of infection). An HIV-positive person can live for a number of years before being diagnosed with AIDS. 

Hope this helps.

Describe Anju and Sudha's schooling and how they get married in "Sister of My Heart." What are the differences between their fates in marriage?

In the story, Sudha and Anju live with their mothers, Nalini and Gouri, and their aunt Pishi. The girls attend a convent school together and consider themselves sisters even though they are really second cousins. In due time, the nuns notice the unusual relationship the girls share; to Anju and Sudha's consternation, the nuns decide to separate the girls into different classrooms because they consider such closeness unbecoming for girls. Both girls end up planning and carrying out afternoon escapades so that they can be together. They return when the school bell rings, in time to be picked up by the family driver, Singhji. The girls are put back into the same classroom eventually when Anju's mother, Gouri, intervenes and speaks to the principal on their behalf.

As for marriage, Sudha's mother, Nalini threatens Sudha with an early marriage when both girls are discovered to have skipped afternoon classes to go to the cinema. Nalini is further incensed when she discovers that both girls have put on make-up and worn sexually alluring clothing on their escapade. To make matters worse, a young man, Ashok, sits next to Sudha during the movie, and the self-righteous Nalini immediately decides that her daughter is a loose woman and should be married as soon as she finishes high school.

Anju is incensed on Sudha's behalf and tries to persuade her to fight for her right to attend college. However, Sudha does not want to hurt her mother's feelings; she would rather just do what her mother wants. Besides, Ashok belongs to a lower caste, and Sudha knows that her mother will never consent to their marriage. So, despite her attraction to Ashok, she decides to humor her mother by marrying Ramesh.

Meanwhile, Anju's mother, Gouri has a heart attack. To make matters worse, the family bookstore is struggling financially. Gouri finally comes to the conclusion that the only way to provide for Anju would be to marry her off. She decides that Sunil, a computer programmer who works in the United States, would be a good match for Anju. In the meantime, Gouri tries to find a buyer for the bookstore.

With events spiraling out of control, both girls find themselves marrying on the same day. Despite this, both girls are not entirely happy. Although Anju is pleasantly surprised at her attraction to Sunil, she soon discovers that Sunil is deeply attracted to Sudha, and this distresses her. Meanwhile, Sudha is miserable after turning down Ashok's offer to elope; she knows that she doesn't love Ramesh but will have to go through with the marriage anyway.

After marriage, both girls find that their problems have not entirely disappeared. Sunil and Anju eventually leave for America, and Anju finds herself missing Sudha terribly. Both women become pregnant in due time. Sunil is not initially happy with Anju's pregnancy but soon warms up to the idea of having a son. Meanwhile, Sudha's mother-in-law is angry when she finds out that her grandchild will be a girl. She orders Sudha to have an abortion, but Sudha refuses. Her mother-in-law's misogyny causes Sudha to agree to a divorce from Ramesh, who refuses to fight for the right to keep the baby.

Anju decides to bring Sudha and the baby, Dayita, to America. She secretly works at the college library to earn enough money for Sudha's airfare. However, Sunil is furious when he finds out; he is not especially enthusiastic about Sudha coming to America, as he realizes that his attraction for Sudha has never really gone away. Also, he worries that Anju is taking on too much during the pregnancy. In the end, when Anju loses the baby she is carrying, she blames herself; however, Sunil refuses to let her continue on such a destructive path. Eventually, Sunil comes to accept that Sudha and Dayita will be coming to America.

At the airport, a stranger mistakes Sudha for Sunil's wife and exclaims how lucky Sunil is to have such a beautiful wife. Sunil does not correct the stranger, and this creates a pang in Anju's heart. So, in the marital area, Sudha never really finds happiness with the man she loves. Instead, she is forced to agree to a divorce just to keep her daughter. On the other hand, Anju finds that, although she is deeply attracted to her husband, she must endure her husband's attraction for Sudha, the sister of her heart. What a difficult trial! Interestingly, the author does not tell us what happens after the three return to Anju and Sunil's home; instead we are left to imagine for ourselves what ultimate fate these two women, closer than sisters, will face.

What are some repeated images or phrases in Macbeth and how do they affect Macbeth?

There are many, many different motifs throughout the play that represent important thematic elements within the story.  The most prominent references are to sleep, masculinity, blood and hands (birds also play an important but subtle role as well).  In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth uses references to masculinity to suggest both violence in herself and others but also as a tool for manipulating Macbeth.  Macbeth in turn also uses references to masculinity throughout...

There are many, many different motifs throughout the play that represent important thematic elements within the story.  The most prominent references are to sleep, masculinity, blood and hands (birds also play an important but subtle role as well).  In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth uses references to masculinity to suggest both violence in herself and others but also as a tool for manipulating Macbeth.  Macbeth in turn also uses references to masculinity throughout the remainder of the play in order to suggest that he is in control of the situation such as when Banquo's ghost appears in Act 3.  When Macbeth regains control of himself at the dinner table he states "I am a man again."  These references clearly play a large role in motivating Macbeth to commit the murder of Duncan and also continue to fuel his madness later in the play.  References to blood and sleep play a huge role in signifying guilt throughout the play after Macbeth commits the first murder.  For example, when Macbeth commits the murder he believes that someone in the adjacent chamber yells out "Macbeth shall sleep no more."  This motif is continued into Act 3 when Lady Macbeth yells at Macbeth that he must sleep in order to regain his sanity.  Finally, as Macbeth grapples with the murders that he has committed he continuously references blood over and over again throughout the remainder of the play.  At first he imagines a bloody dagger at the end of Act 1, then he talks about Neptune's great sea not being able to wash the blood from his hands in Act 2, and finally in scene 3 he speaks about being "steeped in blood" so far that he cannot possibly wade out of it.  This image of being covered in blood signifies Macbeth's deep guilt for the murders he has committed and also demonstrates that Macbeth slowly descends into madness.  

Why is the movement of each gas essentially in one direction only (including appropriate numerical values)? Is the oxygen pressure inside cells...

The gas exchange process happening between the alveoli and the surrounding capillary bed is driven by diffusion.  Diffusion is a passive transport mechanism that causes gasses to move from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration.  

The blood being pumped to the lungs is low in oxygen content and high in carbon dioxide content because it's oxygen and glucose has been converted to carbon dioxide through the process of cellular respiration at...

The gas exchange process happening between the alveoli and the surrounding capillary bed is driven by diffusion.  Diffusion is a passive transport mechanism that causes gasses to move from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration.  

The blood being pumped to the lungs is low in oxygen content and high in carbon dioxide content because it's oxygen and glucose has been converted to carbon dioxide through the process of cellular respiration at each cell.  That carbon dioxide needs to be removed from the body, so it is carried to the lungs in order to be exhaled.  

Upon inhalation, the alveoli become filled with outside air.  It's mostly nitrogen, but about 20% of the inhaled breath contains oxygen and almost zero carbon dioxide.  The surrounding capillaries contain a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the alveoli, so the gas diffuses out of the capillaries and into the alveoli.  The oxygen does the opposite. While the capillary blood does contain some oxygen, it is around 10-14 percent.  That's lower than what's in the alveoli, so oxygen diffuses out of the alveoli and into the capillary blood.  

The oxygen pressure in most cells will be lower than the oxygen pressure in the blood.  That's why the oxygen moves out of the blood and into the cells.  They need it to perform cellular respiration in order to produce ATP.

What are important objects in Gathering Blue?

Lowry describes five significant objects in Gathering Blue. These objects are described in detail and/or are referenced multiple times. Each of them has a symbolic meaning as well as being important to the plot and characterization in the novel.

Kira's walking stickappears early in the story. Because of Kira's congenital disability, she cannot walk without the aid of the stick she leans on. This object represents Kira's disability and her "otherness." She barely...

Lowry describes five significant objects in Gathering Blue. These objects are described in detail and/or are referenced multiple times. Each of them has a symbolic meaning as well as being important to the plot and characterization in the novel.

Kira's walking stick appears early in the story. Because of Kira's congenital disability, she cannot walk without the aid of the stick she leans on. This object represents Kira's disability and her "otherness." She barely escaped infanticide--the normal consequence of disability in her culture. Yet her mother taught her that her pain made her strong, so ironically, the stick represents Kira's strength as well.

Kira's scrap of cloth that speaks to her and reflects her mood and warns her of danger is another important object. This little stitched square represents Kira's unique talent as an artist. It also shows her intuitive nature.

Kira's mother's pendant that Kira now wears around her neck anchors Kira to those who once loved her and protected her. Unlike most people in the village, Kira's parents seemed to truly love each other, and Kira's mother and grandfather protected Kira, not allowing the community to euthanize her as a baby. When Kira's father appears, wearing the matching necklace, Kira is able to identify him immediately. Though they have never met, they bond instantly, as represented by the matching pendants.

The singer's robe and the singer's staff are the other two important objects in the story. They are the reasons Kira and Thomas have been taken by the Council to live and work in the Edifice. They represent the life of the community, with its good qualities and bad qualities. They also represent the future since each has a blank portion which Kira and Thomas will fill when the time comes. 

These five objects further the plot and characterization of the story while acting as important symbols that reinforce the novel's themes.

How did the human race evolve? What happened to the skeleton?

Based on the second part of your question, I don't think that you want social and cultural evolutionary changes.  I'll stick with a few changes that have happened specifically to the human skeleton.  

Foot changes: Humans move via bipedal motion.  That means our feet have to have changed in order to maximize the efficiency of that kind of movement.  Our feet have evolved in order to bear the full weight of our bodies.  Other...

Based on the second part of your question, I don't think that you want social and cultural evolutionary changes.  I'll stick with a few changes that have happened specifically to the human skeleton.  

Foot changes: Humans move via bipedal motion.  That means our feet have to have changed in order to maximize the efficiency of that kind of movement.  Our feet have evolved in order to bear the full weight of our bodies.  Other primates still move primarily on four limbs, so their feet are not structured to constantly bear the full load.  A specific structural change that can be seen is an enlarged heel in human skeletons.  Also, humans have much shorter toes than other primates.  That's because our feet are for walking, not for grasping. 

Hip changes: Hip changes have also occurred to further allow humans to walk upright.  Human hips tend to be shorter and broader than other species.  That shape change in turn caused the vertebral column to be located closer to the hips.  

Knee changes: This change reads almost identical to hip changes.  The knee joint is slightly enlarged in order to further allow bipedal walking.  Because all of our weight is distributed on two "platforms," human skeletons have been beefed up in the lower body joint areas to take on the increased load.  

How do the characters Davies from The Caretaker, Stanley from The Birthday Party, and Max from The Homecoming all by Harold Pinter avoid or try to...

To understand Harold Pinter's plays, we must first understand the 'theater of the absurd.' This is because Pinter is one of the few playwrights connected to this absurdist movement in theater.

The word 'absurd' as defined by this movement, takes its context from the idea that life is largely meaningless. The absurdist movement questions why we live and why we die, but provides no answers for such a state of affairs. With the advent of the two world wars, absurdist philosophers further highlighted the hopelessness of life under the absurdity of Soviet-style Marxist rule.

On the one hand, proponents of Marxism heralded its doctrines as the potential answer to mankind's every problem; on the other hand, the tenets of Marxism brought about untold suffering and degradation to millions. None who lived under the system dared to question the validity of such an ideology. All were expected to acknowledge (even at the expense of their own sanity), the benefits of such a system. Any who dared to veer from this path were touted as subversives and traitors. Hence, the absurdity of the situation.

Many found, even as they suffered under totalitarian regimes, that their religious faith fell far short in according them the answers they desperately needed.

Theater of the absurd conventions.

Harold Pinter and the theater of the absurd.

Hence, absurdist theater is all about presenting snapshots of certain situations in an individual character's life. Absurdist plays do not debate morality or philosophies; the authorial voice is not lent to designing the kind of neat plot-lines theater goers have come to expect from traditional theater. No, the purpose of an absurdist play is to paint an unvarnished truth of the bewilderment and confusion human beings endure when their lives are deprived of the certainties which previously characterized their existence. So, when an individual is deprived of the comforts of a rational existence, what becomes of his ability to express himself and to extricate himself from such an irrational state of affairs?

It is no wonder that all three of the plays you mention are characterized by a disturbing lack of cohesion in terms of language and structure. We are disturbed that we can't make heads or tails out of Davies, Max, and Stanley's lives; however, Pinter is subtly trying to tell us that neither of these three men can either. The famous Pinter pregnant pause or silence is clearly utilized to symbolize utter detachment, confusion, and the volatility inherent in numerous conversations.

Language of silence in the plays of Harold Pinter.

In The Homecoming, Max is a cantankerous, old man. He hides his fear of irrelevance through an outwardly intimidating demeanor; his bravado and loud recriminations causes him to have a contentious relationship with his sons (Lenny, Joey, and Teddy). His rapport (if it can be called that) with his sons is characteristically dysfunctional. Max is as apt to be physically abusive as he is to be physically affectionate. After Max punches Joey in the stomach (because Joey apologized for Max's crude characterization of Ruth as a 'smelly scruffer' and a 'stinking pox-ridden slut.'), he is openly affectionate with Teddy.

Pinter portrays Max as a man who is afraid, both for the loss of his virility and for his fast eroding sexual relevance to any woman. He struggles to maintain his dominance in a household of men through intimidation and callous manipulation of everyone's emotions. The play ends with Max, crawling towards Ruth, begging for some semblance of feminine affection from the calculating woman.

In The Birthday Party, Stanley Webber must protect himself from some unknown, nebulous past. He lodges with Petey and Meg Boles in a seaside town. Stanley allows himself to indulge in a flirtation of sorts with his married landlady whenever Petey is not at home. However, we get the idea that he is also somewhat repulsed by Meg's sexually suggestive bantering and that he only participates to insulate himself from an honest assessment of his own precarious situation in life. Pinter never really tells us what Stanley fears, but both McCann and Goldberg soon introduce a sinister element into the story.

As the play continues, it becomes apparent to us that Stanley is afraid of the two men. He tries to get them to leave through equivocation and subterfuge, but is unsuccessful. In the end, both men's bizarre and disturbing interrogation techniques drive Stanley to mental oblivion; because of their verbal onslaught, Stanley suffers a nervous breakdown, his speech becomes characterized by unintelligible grunting, and he becomes a shadow of himself.

As with our initial meeting of Stanley, this is a man who evades trouble through denial and mental detachment. He is also emotionally weak and impressionable and is reduced to the level of an imbecile as a result of McCann's and Goldberg's machinations. He is no match, physically or mentally for both men, and one can only guess what his coming fate is at the hands of Monty's 'special treatment.'

Six rectangles, each with the common base width of 2, have lengths of 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and 36. What is the sum of the areas of the six rectangles?

Hello!

The area of a rectangle with sides a and b is a*b. Here we have six rectangles, all of them have a=2 and the second sides are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and 36. Therefore the sum of the areas is equal to

2*1+2*4+2*9+2*16+2*25+2*36.

By the distributive law this is equal to

2*(1+4+9+16+25+36).

Note that the lengths have a form of n^2 for n from 1 to 6. There is a formula for such...

Hello!

The area of a rectangle with sides a and b is a*b. Here we have six rectangles, all of them have a=2 and the second sides are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and 36. Therefore the sum of the areas is equal to

2*1+2*4+2*9+2*16+2*25+2*36.

By the distributive law this is equal to

2*(1+4+9+16+25+36).

Note that the lengths have a form of n^2 for n from 1 to 6. There is a formula for such a sum, but in this case it is simpler to sum directly.

1+4+9+16+25+36=(1+9)+(4+16)+(25+36)=10+20+61=91.

And 2*91=182 (square units). This is the answer.

What are the effects of materialism on Pip?

Though Pip was born in a working-class environment, he is still used to some measure of comfort. He is not hungry or cold, but he does not have as much as he learns to want. With his introduction to the higher social class of Miss Havisham and Estella, he sees a lifestyle that he greatly desires. Once Estella shames him for his clothes and manners, he wants more than he’s got. With the revelation of...

Though Pip was born in a working-class environment, he is still used to some measure of comfort. He is not hungry or cold, but he does not have as much as he learns to want. With his introduction to the higher social class of Miss Havisham and Estella, he sees a lifestyle that he greatly desires. Once Estella shames him for his clothes and manners, he wants more than he’s got. With the revelation of his “great expectations,” Pip sees the chance to become a gentleman, which was very important in the Victorian social world. While his lifestyle improves greatly, it is not enough. He falls heavily into debt as he tries to live up to the materialistic world of his new companions. Interestingly, his desire for the treasured goods of society are not brought on by his closest companions (Henry Pocket, the Pocket family, Mr. Wemmick and his Aged Parent). It is through his connection to them that he eventually walks away from the materialistic life into one that is more in keeping with the friendship that has saved him from tragedy.

What are some of the characteristics of the first Christmas spirit

The first Christmas Spirit is a "strange figure. This spirit has the proportions of a child, but resembles an old man, although there are no wrinkles on its face. Dressed in a tunic of white that is cinched with a glorious belt of a beautiful sheen. The oddest thing about this small spirit is the bright light that jets out from the crown of its head.

Scrooge is amazed when he sees this spirit whose...

The first Christmas Spirit is a "strange figure. This spirit has the proportions of a child, but resembles an old man, although there are no wrinkles on its face. Dressed in a tunic of white that is cinched with a glorious belt of a beautiful sheen. The oddest thing about this small spirit is the bright light that jets out from the crown of its head.

Scrooge is amazed when he sees this spirit whose hair is white, but has a face that is without wrinkle and has the bloom of youth on its skin. The spirit's arms are exceptionally long and muscular, and the hands, too, seem uncommonly strong; in one hand is a branch of holly in contrast to the bottom of the tunic that is trimmed with summer flowers. Like the arms, the legs and feet are bare. Under the one arm is an extinguisher for a cap, to cover the light emanating from its head.
Then, when Scrooge examines the belt, he notices that one area lights up, then another and the first area is dark so that the spirit seems to be dissolving in one place and reappearing in another. Then, the spirit would appear whole again. 
When Scrooge asks this strange spirit if it is the one he has been told to expect, and the spirit affirms that it is: "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." 

How confident is Atticus that he will win Tom Robison's case?

Atticus was a really smart man and had lived in the South and Maycomb long enough to know that Tom Robinson would never be acquitted of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman.  Sadly, that just didn’t happen during this racist time.  Throughout our history, there are many real court cases that show the unfair treatment of blacks in America’s court system.  As a matter of fact, the famous Scottsboro Boys trial in Alabama during the...

Atticus was a really smart man and had lived in the South and Maycomb long enough to know that Tom Robinson would never be acquitted of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman.  Sadly, that just didn’t happen during this racist time.  Throughout our history, there are many real court cases that show the unfair treatment of blacks in America’s court system.  As a matter of fact, the famous Scottsboro Boys trial in Alabama during the same time period in which To Kill a Mockingbird took place, the 1930’s, found nine young black men guilty of raping two white women on a train.  They were all innocent of the charges.

The important thing about Atticus was that even though he knew he would lose, he tried his very best to defend Tom.  In Chapter 9, Atticus tells Scout that he will not win the trial.  Scout asks why, and Atticus tells Scout that, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.”  His defense showing how it would be impossible for Tom to hit Mayella Ewell with his injured left hand should have been enough to get Tom set free.  However, the social climate of the time was that you would never believe or side with a black over the testimony of a white.  Tom was doomed from the very beginning. 

Atticus was able to have a small victory, however, when it took the jury several hours to come to a decision.  This showed that Atticus was able to place doubt into the jury’s mind, but it was still not enough to acquit a black man.  Unfortunately, before an appeal could be fought, Tom Robinson was killed trying to escape prison. 

Why did John Adams believe the soldiers in the Boston Massacre were innocent?

“The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the...

“The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right.”   –John Adams

John Adams decided to defend the soldiers and commander of the troops in the Boston Massacre.  He did so at a time when tensions were high in Massachusetts and political fallout was very possible.  As a lawyer, it is not your job to judge guilt or innocence about your clients.  The duty of the attorney is to ensure that clients are given a solid defense.  What can be said about Adam's defense of the British soldiers is that it was very effective.  In the case of the commander, Thomas Gage, Adams and his legal team were able to prove reasonable doubt about whether he was the man that yelled "fire" to his troops.  Adams believed that members of the mob may have yelled the command which resulted in the deaths of American colonists.  In the case of the soldiers, Adams painted a scene of chaos and violence in which the troops had to fight for their lives.  Adams believed that it was the right of the British soldiers to defend themselves from imminent bodily harm or even death.  

Describe the kidnapped boy? |

One might compare the kidnapped boy in O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief" with the boys in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The English boys marooned on the island find themselves liberated from adult control and turn into savages. Something similar happens to Red Chief. The experience of being kidnapped by criminals is exhilarating. They can't discipline him. They can't serve as role models. How could they? They are kidnappers. He likes them. He identifies with them. They are outside the law themselves. They are worse than wild Indians.

Red Chief is described as follows:

The kid was a boy of ten, with bas-relief freckles, and hair the colour of the cover of the magazine you buy at the news-stand when you want to catch a train. 

He is really just an ordinary American boy but given all the attributes that make boys sometimes seem like wild Indians. Boys will be boys. Red Chief is enough of a problem for his parents to handle, but once he is freed from their control he turns into a hellcat. Sam and Bill, of course, know nothing about supervising ten-year-old boys. Red Chief senses their inadequacy and takes advantage of it. He is a little bit like some boys who torment a substitute teacher if she looks the least bit apprehensive and vulnerable. 

Sam and Bill do not realize they are giving their young victim the opportunity of a lifetime. They have released the tiger from its cage. Instead of being subdued and frightened, this boy sees his experience as the ultimate adventure. His imagination runs wild. It is amusing that Sam and Bill have to play his games. They don't want to hurt him because, for one thing, that would make their already serious crime all the more serious. They know they can't return him to his father with bruises. They can't lecture him on his behavior because they themselves are kidnappers. If they had any morality they wouldn't have kidnapped him in the first place--and he knows it. They have lost the authority and the gravitas of being adults. They are all outlaws together.  

How did Sergeant-Major Morris acquire the monkey's paw?

Sergeant-Major Morris does not say exactly how he got the paw, although he says he got it from the first owner.

"The first man had his three wishes. Yes," was the reply; "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw."

In answer to Herbert's question, Morris says that he too has had his three wishes, so there is only one more set of wishes...

Sergeant-Major Morris does not say exactly how he got the paw, although he says he got it from the first owner.

"The first man had his three wishes. Yes," was the reply; "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw."

In answer to Herbert's question, Morris says that he too has had his three wishes, so there is only one more set of wishes left. It is possible that Morris bought the paw from the first owner, or had it given to him by that unfortunate man, or even that Morris killed him in some kind of military skirmish and took the paw. It would seem that Morris is not the kind of man who would buy such a thing just on the basis of a sales pitch from a stranger. He must have had some knowledge about its powers if he bought it. Maybe he knew the first owner. Evidently he knows more about what happened to that man than he is telling the Whites.

Morris indicates that he has kept the paw because he was thinking about selling it to someone but has recently changed his mind because "it has caused enough mischief already." This suggests that he would be open to an offer by Mr. White, who ends up becoming the third owner. Mr. White is therefore the only member of the family who can make wishes. This is a good thing, because Herbert would be likely to create disaster by wishing for a million pounds or something equally extravagant. And Mrs. White, who says she would like four pairs of hands, might wish for something truly outlandish. She does in fact persuade her husband to wish for Herbert to return from out of the grave.

W. W. Jacobs was clever in selecting a mummified monkey's paw as the talisman for his story because it suggests that there might still be some vitality in the thing. Also, it suggests a far-away place like India, because there are no native monkeys in England. And furthermore, it is a loathsome object which suggests sinister potential. Mr. White doesn't want to touch it at first, but Herbert picks it up. The father is older and wiser. The son is young and impulsive. White has premonitions of danger. Herbert is a character who could get himself caught in the machinery at the textile plant where he works--especially since he will stay up later than usual, drinking more than usual with Sergeant-Major Morris, who is perceptibly a heavy whiskey-drinker.

So the reader will never know exactly how Sergeant-Major Morris acquired the monkey's paw. But this is not terribly important, because the introductory part is mainly concerned with explaining how Mr. White acquires it. What happens after Morris relinquishes control of the diabolical thing and leaves the Whites to their fate is the dramatic essence of the tale. A lot in the story depends on the unknown. For instance, the reader will never know whether what happened to the family was fate or coincidence. 

What are the strengths and weaknesses of cognitivism?

Cognitivism evolved in opposition to behaviorism. While behaviorist theories viewed human learning and development primarily in terms of conditioned responses to external stimuli, and treated the minds of individuals as black boxes, simply transforming inputs into outputs, cognitivism looked inside the black boxes, and was concerned with mental processes. In particular, in education, it focused on the learning process, resulting in a pedagogical orientation towards active learning.  

While this focus on student engagement and...

Cognitivism evolved in opposition to behaviorism. While behaviorist theories viewed human learning and development primarily in terms of conditioned responses to external stimuli, and treated the minds of individuals as black boxes, simply transforming inputs into outputs, cognitivism looked inside the black boxes, and was concerned with mental processes. In particular, in education, it focused on the learning process, resulting in a pedagogical orientation towards active learning.  

While this focus on student engagement and active learning has been quite positive, especially in understanding the need to adapt curricula to the abilities and interests of individual learners, cognitivism has certain limitations. First, some scholars assert that it downplays important external factors such as cultural traditions and socioeconomic circumstances that also affect learning. Other educators find that the emphasis on learning process tends to make education almost content free, and argue that teachers trained in cognitivist traditions of education of sacrifice essential expertise in subject matter.

Choose the appositive or appositive phrase in the sentence. If the sentence has no appositive or appositive phrase, choose none. "Some of them...

This sentence has a relative clause and not an appositive.  A relative clause will have a subject and verb, begin with a relative pronoun like who, whom, whose, or which and is considered an adjective clause that answers a question.  In the sentence, “who” is the subject, “is” is the verb, and the clause answers the question, “which one.” 

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that modifies or gives more information about a...

This sentence has a relative clause and not an appositive.  A relative clause will have a subject and verb, begin with a relative pronoun like who, whom, whose, or which and is considered an adjective clause that answers a question.  In the sentence, “who” is the subject, “is” is the verb, and the clause answers the question, “which one.” 

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that modifies or gives more information about a noun and usually comes after a noun in the sentence. 

If this sentence said, “Some of them say that Nelson, a sculptor, made a bad choice this time”, you would have a sentence with an appositive.   Notice that there isn’t a subject or a verb in an appositive. 

Here are some other examples of appositives:

Miss Smith, my first grade teacher, was very influential.

Lady Gaga, a famous singer, is having a concert in town today.

Why is low birth weight in the progeny of beetles not considered evolution?

Evolution can be defined simply as a change in gene (allele) frequency in a population.  Evolution can occur due to selection for or against certain traits due to how they interact with the environment (natural selection), due to random events like natural disasters or bottlenecks (drift), or gene flow between populations (migration).  

In order for evolution to occur, heritable variation for the trait being investigated must be present in a population.  In the situation...

Evolution can be defined simply as a change in gene (allele) frequency in a population.  Evolution can occur due to selection for or against certain traits due to how they interact with the environment (natural selection), due to random events like natural disasters or bottlenecks (drift), or gene flow between populations (migration).  

In order for evolution to occur, heritable variation for the trait being investigated must be present in a population.  In the situation that you have presented, some beetles have progeny of low birth weight while others may have progeny of average birth weight and still others may have progeny of high birth weight.  There is likely variation in birth weight of the progeny of these beetles.  However, in order for evolution of the trait to occur, the propensity to produce beetles of smaller size must be heritable--capable of being passed on (genetically) to offspring so that the trait can be transmitted from generation to generation.  In your case, you did not specify that the low birth weight was due to a genetic change.  More likely, the low birth weight was environmentally-induced.  If the low birth weight was due to lack of nutrition obtained by the mother prior to egg-laying, then the trait was environmental rather than genetically caused and, therefore, cannot be passed on to the next generation.

What is the woman's heart compared to in "A Christmas Memory"?

In Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” he ends the story with these words,

That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven.

Capote expresses Buddy’s feeling of loss over his cousin’s death. Their friendship was odd due to the age difference, but not in their feelings of love toward...

In Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” he ends the story with these words,

That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven.

Capote expresses Buddy’s feeling of loss over his cousin’s death. Their friendship was odd due to the age difference, but not in their feelings of love toward each other. Throughout the years, when they lived in the same house, each Christmas Buddy and his cousin exchanged hand-made kites. Buddy thinks back to the contented times when he and his cousin flew their kites in the pasture as a means of escaping the confines of their restrictive home life. He feels like he lost a piece of his heart as a result of his friend’s death. As Buddy trudges across the school campus, he looks heavenward thinking about a lost pair of kites, which represents the friends. Her heart is compared to a lost kite and he imagines that his is drifting off to heaven along with hers.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were many, and it is important to remember that they were, in large part, deliberate. The Articles were written in the midst of the American Revolution, and its framers were understandably reluctant to replace Crown rule with another powerful government. But many of these weaknesses compromised the ability of the government to meet the challenges that confronted the new nation. They included:

• a lack of an independent executive...

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were many, and it is important to remember that they were, in large part, deliberate. The Articles were written in the midst of the American Revolution, and its framers were understandably reluctant to replace Crown rule with another powerful government. But many of these weaknesses compromised the ability of the government to meet the challenges that confronted the new nation. They included:

• a lack of an independent executive or judiciary. This made it difficult for the government to enforce its own laws.


• the fact that the delegations of nine out of the thirteen states had to approve a law before it went into effect. This made it very difficult to pass laws.


• Congress lacked the power to tax. While it could essentially request money from the states, this meant that the national government struggled to finance the nation's mounting debt from the Revolutionary war.


• Amending the Articles required unanimous approval of all of the states. This made the government inflexible and unable to respond to the needs of the nation. This was especially true of the issue of taxation, which was often before the Congress and usually overruled by a small minority of the state delegations.