What has Buddy's friend never done?

Buddy tells his readers on page four that his much older friend/cousin has not done a great many things in her life that most people take for granted. Buddy begins by telling us that she has never been to the movies. Her reason is that watching movies is not good for her eyes and that she likes listening to stories better anyway: 

"I'd rather hear you tell the story, Buddy. That way I can imagine it more. Besides, a person my age shouldn't squander their eyes. When the Lord comes, let me see him clear."

Buddy immediately begins listing a few more things that his friend has never done:

. . . she has never: eaten in a restaurant, traveled more than five miles from home, received or sent a telegram, read anything except funny papers and the Bible, worn cosmetics, cursed, wished someone harm, told a lie on purpose, let a hungry dog go hungry.

The list does a nice job of illustrating the point that Buddy's friend is used to simple living. What is great about her is that her spirit for life has not been lessened by not doing those things.  

I would like to point out that Buddy immediately follows up his narration about what she has not done with a list of things that she has done:

. . . killed with a hoe the biggest rattlesnake ever seen in this county (sixteen rattles), dip snuff (secretly), tame hummingbirds (just try it) till they balance on her finger, tell ghost stories (we both believe in ghosts) so tingling they chill you in July, talk to herself, take walks in the rain, grow the prettiest japonicas in town, know the recipe for every sort of oldtime Indian cure . . . 

This list further illustrates her uniqueness and spirit for life. What I like about both lists is that Buddy feels that the things his cousin has not done and has done both serve to make her more awesome and unique. He loves all of those things about her.  

Why are we always in search of alternative sources of energy?

There are two reasons we must focus on alternate and renewable sources of energy. First, most of the energy sources we use now are harming the earth and all of its denizens, and second, most of the sources of energy we use now are finite.

Our primary sources of energy now are coal, gas, and oil, often referred to as fossil fuels, since they are created by the pressures of the earth upon fossilized remains....

There are two reasons we must focus on alternate and renewable sources of energy. First, most of the energy sources we use now are harming the earth and all of its denizens, and second, most of the sources of energy we use now are finite.

Our primary sources of energy now are coal, gas, and oil, often referred to as fossil fuels, since they are created by the pressures of the earth upon fossilized remains. All of these must be burned in some way to create energy, and it is in the burning that the earth is harmed and that the environment is polluted, which has health implications for people (and animals, although no one ever mentions that very much.) In China, for example, a country highly dependent on fossil fuels, people in some cities must stay indoors and cannot even see across the street because of the haze from the burning of these fuels. Carbon dioxide as well as other gases and dangerous particles are released into the atmosphere. These are referred to as greenhouse gases, and they disturb the earth's balance as more and more heat is held within earth's atmosphere. This is what creates global warming, or climate change. The implications of this are staggering. Warmer temperatures mean our icecaps are melting, our seas are rising, and agriculture becomes a very uncertain endeavor. Most of the animals we raise and the plants we grow to feed ourselves thrive in very narrow temperature ranges and as these shift, we cannot produce as we have before. The gases and particles also harms people's health, especially their respiratory systems. These are the fuels we need to replace in order to save the earth from their destructive forces.

At the same time, there is a powerful economic incentive to find other sources of energy because fossil fuels are not limitless. The earth holds only so much coal, gas, and oil, and when it is gone, it's gone. Thus, we need to have other means of generating energy, and it is renewable sources that we need to focus on. Renewable resources of the earth are sun, wind, and water. The sun comes up every day, the wind is always blowing somewhere, and the waves continue to break on the shore and tumble over falls. All of this is energy that can be captured, stored, and used to create electricity and heat. I believe that the cities of Niagara Falls and Buffalo are largely fueled by the force of the water that goes over Niagara Falls. We know how to do this, but we don't know how to do it as efficiently as we need to, and it requires significant investment to develop the technologies needed. Bear in mind that the technology and infrastructure for fossil fuel energies are already in place, so there is no large capital investment needed to continue with these, while there is a need for a great deal of capital investment to reap the benefit of the renewable resources. 
There is no question that fossil fuels are what have driven the development of the United States and many other countries, but when the Industrial Revolution began, no one had any idea how harmful these fuels were to the earth.  Now we know, and it is time to move on to a renewable resource revolution. 

What are some ideas for writing a response to the story Unwind?

I think that you could pick any two characters in the novel and structure your response like this: "I find the relationship between...and...interesting/confusing...because...." It's not important which two characters that you pick.  What is important is your explanation of why you think that the relationship is interesting or confusing.  

For me, Lev has always been the most confusing character in the novel.  Even in the following short story that Shusterman wrote to explain what...

I think that you could pick any two characters in the novel and structure your response like this: "I find the relationship between...and...interesting/confusing...because...." It's not important which two characters that you pick.  What is important is your explanation of why you think that the relationship is interesting or confusing.  

For me, Lev has always been the most confusing character in the novel.  Even in the following short story that Shusterman wrote to explain what happened to Lev after leaving CyFi, I was still confused by is his character.  I guess I just never bought into Lev being such a blindly willing tithe in the beginning.  Lev's relationship with just about everybody seems odd to me, but I will pick CyFi as the main relationship.  

I find that relationship interesting and odd at the same time, because very shortly before Lev wanted nothing more than to get away from Connor and Risa and return to his family so that he could go back to being a tithe.  But then he meets CyFi, and Lev is incredibly willing to follow this kid across the country.  Granted, Lev has come to regret his betrayal of Connor and Risa; however, CyFi is so unlike anything that Lev knows and understands that I find it odd that he would gravitate so strongly toward CyFi.  People say that opposites attract, but I just don't see that too often in reality, which is why Lev's strong devotion to CyFi never seemed genuine to me.  

Referring to the novel Fahrenheit 451... In the opening scene, why are the books compared to birds?

In the opening scene of Fahrenheit 451, Montag is in the process of burning a house full of books.  Montag notes that the burning books are “flapping pigeon-winged books [that] died on the porch and lawn of the house.  While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.”

To understand this metaphor, you need to picture what a pile of burning books would look like. ...

In the opening scene of Fahrenheit 451, Montag is in the process of burning a house full of books.  Montag notes that the burning books are “flapping pigeon-winged books [that] died on the porch and lawn of the house.  While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.”

To understand this metaphor, you need to picture what a pile of burning books would look like.  The pages are like the wings of a bird flapping in a burning pile.  Picture the pages of a book blowing in the wind and burning as if you opened the book’s spine and spread out the pages.  The ashes and burning pages take off to the sky like a flock of birds lifted off by the wind of the fire.  The remains of the books blow away with the wind much like birds would disappear into a dark sky.  Once the pages are burned, the books are just dead shells scattered around the house’s lawn. 

It is a powerful use of personification that Bradbury uses in the opening scene of the book.  He also describes the fire hose as a “python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world.”  The literary device of personification gives these inanimate objects life, and therefore, makes the visual image more powerful by painting a picture of the scene for the reader.

Why does Mrs. Bennet state that it is impossible for her and her daughters to visit Mr. Bingley if Mr. Bennet does not visit him first?

The reason Mrs. Bennet says this is because, in the Regency era, no unmarried woman must visit an unmarried gentleman at his place of residence without invitation. This is especially true if the gentleman is one who has not been previously introduced to the lady in question. While Mrs. Bennet could conceivably visit Mr. Bingley first, as Mr. Bennet cheekily suggests, the results would be disastrous.

Mrs. Bennet, as a married woman ushering her unmarried...

The reason Mrs. Bennet says this is because, in the Regency era, no unmarried woman must visit an unmarried gentleman at his place of residence without invitation. This is especially true if the gentleman is one who has not been previously introduced to the lady in question. While Mrs. Bennet could conceivably visit Mr. Bingley first, as Mr. Bennet cheekily suggests, the results would be disastrous.

Mrs. Bennet, as a married woman ushering her unmarried daughters into the home of a strange gentleman, would likely be ostracized by good society. Her actions would show a disregard for the kind of proper feminine behavior Regency society prizes. As such, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters would likely become fodder for neighborhood gossip, which in turn, would tarnish the girls' reputations. It's a tough era to live in.

A young lady's reputation was carefully protected in the Regency period, as prospective suitors were most concerned with the sexual purity of potential brides. The idea is that a wealthy or powerful man must be sure of his offspring's paternal heritage in order to ensure that no illegitimate offspring inherits his estate or title. So, sexual reputation can make or break a young woman's chance to secure a good marriage.

Additionally, rank comes into play here as well. Ideally, the person of lower rank would be introduced to the person of higher rank. In the novel, we read that Mr. Bingley's family had acquired its fortune through trade; this would make the Bingleys middle or upper middle class.

They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade...Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly a hundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it.

On the other hand, Mr. Bennet was gentry; he owned the Longbourne estate. So, according to convention and societal custom, Mr. Bingley would be introduced to the Bennet girls, after Mr. Bennet paves the way, of course.

In "Once Upon a Time," why does Gordimer mention that the narrator's house is located above a mine? How does her inclusion of the description of...

Nadine Gordimer uses the narrator's explanation of why her house settles and makes creaking noises even when no intruder is present as a symbol and foreshadowing. Symbolically, the house sitting atop the gold mine represents the white culture that was built on the work and labor of the black servant class in South Africa. The Dutch settlers (Afrikaners), who began to rise to political power in 1914, promoted their own economic interests over the interests...

Nadine Gordimer uses the narrator's explanation of why her house settles and makes creaking noises even when no intruder is present as a symbol and foreshadowing. Symbolically, the house sitting atop the gold mine represents the white culture that was built on the work and labor of the black servant class in South Africa. The Dutch settlers (Afrikaners), who began to rise to political power in 1914, promoted their own economic interests over the interests of other ethnic groups. In 1948, the Afrikaners' Nationalist Party became the ruling party and instituted apartheid, a vigorous system of legal discrimination against non-whites. Thus, the "uneasy strain to the balance and counterbalance" described between the gold mine and the house represents the imbalance of the apartheid social system. The narrator describes the hardships of the miners, who are invisible and whose struggles are not even apparent to those on the surface. The miners' plight represents non-white people's struggles, which are ignored by or not even evident to white people during apartheid.

The description of the mine also foreshadows the fear and prejudice the bedtime story deals with. Just as the narrator fears the unknown and speculates about what terrors are occurring in the subterranean mine, so too does the family in the bedtime story imagine all kinds of horrors that will come to them if their culture crosses paths with the "people of another color." The bedtime story ends with the little white boy enmeshed in the Dragon's Teeth fence, which was foreshadowed by the description of the miners who "might now be interred there in the most profound of tombs." 

What seems a simple explanation of why the narrator hears creaking in her home becomes a meaningful symbol and means of foreshadowing the plot and theme of the bedtime story that follows.

The description of the mine shows that white people in South Africa are afraid of people of color because they don't understand their lives and struggles and because they know that the people of color have been taken advantage of. The white culture has been built on top of the backs of people of color, and such an unstable system is sure to crack and eventually crumble. At the time of the story's writing, white people feared not only the loss of their own fortunes but also the vengeance of those they had exploited. Eventually the apartheid regime ended in 1994 after much social unrest, and currently laws are in place to favor those who were once discriminated against.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the community from Lois Lowry's The Giver?

This is an interesting topic because each society must decide what its priorities are in order to live full and happy lives. People must determine what personal or individual sacrifices must be made in order to achieve happiness and peace. Many ask if it is worth giving up personal freedoms in order to secure a peaceful society. For example, must a person be asked to give up rights to privacy in order to secure a safe and peaceful environment for everyone as a whole? In Lois Lowry's The Giver, the society in which Jonas lives decided to give up many personal freedoms in order to achieve a happy, peaceful, and secure lifestyle.

Advantages - First, Jonas is able to live within a strong, respectful, and educated family unit. This gives a child the senses of security, stability, and peace in order to learn and grow to become a productive member of society. Secondly, along with the beautiful weather he enjoys everyday, there is no violence or crime. For instance, he can go outside his home every day and not worry about being kidnapped or mugged. Finally, he does not have to worry about money, food, or healthcare because it is all provided by the community. 

The Giver explains one trade off between giving up experiences like snow sledding for the greater good when Jonas asks why there's no snow:

"Climate Control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited the agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn't a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness" (83-84).

Through this law of Sameness, as far as the weather is concerned, they were able to people eliminate world hunger by extending and controlling the growing seasons.

Disadvantages - In order to enjoy all of the advantages mentioned above, however, the people of this society gave up personal freedoms such as choosing one's life-long profession, partner, and family. Further, because of the law of "Sameness," the people live without color, personal preferences, the ability to accomplish one's own dreams, and historical memories. Living without personal experiences and memories, though, prohibits people from understanding the highs and lows of humanity. Without difficult trials and pain, for example, people cannot show true sympathy or empathy. People who do not understand deep pain cannot contemplate the difference between right and wrong; nor do they value human life as deeply. This makes it easier for people like Jonas's dad do inhuman things, like killing babies, without blinking an eye.

"To his surprise, his father began very carefully to direct the needle into the top of newchild's forehead, puncturing the place where the fragile skin pulsed. The newborn squirmed, and wailed faintly. . .

He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself, stunned at what he was realizing. He continued to stare at the screen. . .

The Giver turned to him. 'Well, there you are, Jonas. You were wondering about release,' he said in a bitter voice" (149-151).

The society calls death being Released. This is another downside to the community--whoever doesn't fit their ideal picture of a human is "released". 

I am writing a research paper about why the number of sexual assaults is so high in India. How can I write a thesis statement about this?

Read papers on the subject from a multitude of sources, newspapers, magazines, op-ed, and scholarly journal articles.  (As an aside, make sure you keep track of each article for reference purposes.)  Each will provide you with the authors point of view.  It would probably behoove you to read papers on rape from different countries and not limit your research to just India -- you might find a common thread, or you might be surprised at...

Read papers on the subject from a multitude of sources, newspapers, magazines, op-ed, and scholarly journal articles.  (As an aside, make sure you keep track of each article for reference purposes.)  Each will provide you with the authors point of view.  It would probably behoove you to read papers on rape from different countries and not limit your research to just India -- you might find a common thread, or you might be surprised at the statistics you discover.  From these different view points and approaches to the problem, you should be able to come to your own conclusion and write your thesis statement -- why do you think the number of rape cases in India is so high.  So for example, after reading you might decide the high rape rates in India are due to societal mores.  Based on this statement, your paper would be centered around evidence, what are the social mores which contribute, statistics, what are the numbers, and possible solutions, what is needed to change society.

Hope that helps. 

In "Once Upon a Time," what was the character motivation for the housemaid?

The housemaid is a complex character, for all that she occupies little space within the story. As a housemaid, it is inferred that she is from "outside the city, where people of another color were quartered," and yet she echoes the beliefs of her employers and sometimes encourages them. The first time she is mentioned, she advocates for more security measures:

The trusted housemaid of the man and wife and little boy was so upset...

The housemaid is a complex character, for all that she occupies little space within the story. As a housemaid, it is inferred that she is from "outside the city, where people of another color were quartered," and yet she echoes the beliefs of her employers and sometimes encourages them. The first time she is mentioned, she advocates for more security measures:

The trusted housemaid of the man and wife and little boy was so upset by this misfortune befalling a friend left, as she herself often was, with responsibility for the possessions of the man and his wife and the little boy that she implored her employers to have burglar bars attached to the doors and windows of the house, and an alarm system installed.

Her loyalty is very much evident in her desire to protect her employers' belongings, and, perhaps encouraged to have their need for security reinforced by a woman from outside the suburb, the family complies with her request.

Later, when the wife cannot bear to see the people on the street go hungry, she sends out the maid. The maid, however, is less sympathetic than the wife. She calls the people outside loafers and tsotsis (hooligans) and encourages her to stop feeding them. She is as afraid of them as her employers are, perhaps more so: while they fear the loss of their possessions, she is terrified of being tied up and shut in a cupboard.

She is mentioned once more, at the end of the story, as she helps carry the corpse of the little boy into the house. She is "hysterical," in contrast to the parents, whose emotional states are not described. 

The housemaid is, like her employers, motivated largely by fear. She fears for her safety should intruders invade the house. She is very loyal to the family, as can be seen. But she must also be motivated by job security as people around her starve, unemployed. She straddles the divide between the suburb and the outside city, and it appears to be an uncomfortable place. 

I need a few quotations for my essay on the book 'How to Kill a Mockingbird'. My essay is about how Boo Radley is like a second father to the...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, since fathers often typically express love by giving their children gifts, it can be argued that Boo Radley acts as a second father to the children by leaving them gifts in the knot-hole of an oak tree that stands on the Radley property. The most substantial point of proof that Radley is leaving gifts because he cares is the moment he leaves bars of soap hand carved in the children's images. Prior to this moment, he left more trivial things such as tinfoil and chewing gum, things that were difficult to tie directly to Radley. When Jem sees the soap figurines, he notes that they were done with excellent skill. Scout also notes in her narrative that they were carved to look just like the children:

The boy had on shorts, and a shock of soapy hair fell to his eyebrows. ... Jem looked from the girl-doll to me. The girl-doll wore bangs. So did I. (Ch. 7)

Only someone who cares like a father would take the time to carve figurines out of soap that look just like the children he cares for. In addition, we know for sure that Radley made the soap carvings because he is the only one in the neighborhood known to be able to carve with any skill.

Beyond the gifts left in the tree, the moment Radley sneaks out of his house to place a blanket around Scout's shoulders even more significantly indicates that Radley is a second father figure for the children. In Chapter 8, while the children are observing the town putting out Miss Maudie's fire from the safe distance of the gate in front of the Radleys' place, Radley, thinking Scout might be cold and scared and wanting to comfort her, sneaked out of his house behind her and draped a blanket around her shoulders without her even noticing. We particularly learn Boo Radley gave Scout the blanket when Atticus says hopefully Scout can thank him someday and, in answer to her question, "Thank who?," Atticus replies, "Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he put the blanket around you" (Ch. 8). Boo Radley's thoughtfulness and care in this moment definitely shows he is acting like a second father figure to the children.

What is the lifespan of the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by his deceased partner, Jacob Marley, and by three spirits. We find out near the end of the book that all three visitations took place in the span of one night. When the Ghost of Christmas Present is about to leave, Scrooge notices how much the spirit has aged since he first arrived and asks him about his lifespan. The Ghost of Christmas Present...

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by his deceased partner, Jacob Marley, and by three spirits. We find out near the end of the book that all three visitations took place in the span of one night. When the Ghost of Christmas Present is about to leave, Scrooge notices how much the spirit has aged since he first arrived and asks him about his lifespan. The Ghost of Christmas Present says,

"'My life upon this globe is very brief," replied the Ghost. "It ends tonight.'" (Dickens 85)

He goes on to say that his life will be over at midnight. Earlier in the stave, the Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge that he has "more than eighteen hundred" brothers, and he is very young. This possibly hints at the idea that he and his brothers are only here for a very short time to impart a lesson such as the one he is giving Scrooge.

Find the present value of the decreasing annuity necessary to fund the withdrawals. $ 1530 per quarter for 25 years, if the annuity earns 6% per...

To solve, apply the formula of present value of annuity.

`PV= (PMT[1-(1+r/n)^(-nt)])/(r/n)`

where

PV is the present value

PMT is the periodic payment

r is the rate

n is the number of deposits/withdrawals in a year, and

t is the number of years.

Since $1530 per quarter is to be withdrawn for 25 years, then PMT=1530, n=4 and t=25. And the given rate is s r=6%.

Plugging them to the formula yields:

`PV=(1530*[1-(1+0.06/4)^(-4*25)])/(0.06/4)`

`PV =...

To solve, apply the formula of present value of annuity.

`PV= (PMT[1-(1+r/n)^(-nt)])/(r/n)`

where

PV is the present value

PMT is the periodic payment

r is the rate

n is the number of deposits/withdrawals in a year, and

t is the number of years.

Since $1530 per quarter is to be withdrawn for 25 years, then PMT=1530, n=4 and t=25. And the given rate is s r=6%.

Plugging them to the formula yields:

`PV=(1530*[1-(1+0.06/4)^(-4*25)])/(0.06/4)`

`PV = (1530(1-1.015^(-100)))/0.015`

`PV = 78985.79661`

Rounding off to nearest hundredths, it becomes 78985.80.

Therefore, the present value is $78985.80 .

In "The Minister's Black Veil," what parts of Hooper's face are covered by the veil?

The story opens with the surprising and shocking appearance of Parson Hooper wearing a black veil. The veil is described as two layers of crape, a crisp and folded material traditionally associated with mourning. The veil covers Hooper's eyes, but not his mouth or chin, so we might assume that it terminates somewhere around the level of his nose. The material is apparently thin enough that Hooper can see out of it, though it must...

The story opens with the surprising and shocking appearance of Parson Hooper wearing a black veil. The veil is described as two layers of crape, a crisp and folded material traditionally associated with mourning. The veil covers Hooper's eyes, but not his mouth or chin, so we might assume that it terminates somewhere around the level of his nose. The material is apparently thin enough that Hooper can see out of it, though it must cast everything he sees in dark tones. 

The exact reasons for leaving his mouth and chin exposed are not stated. Aspects of the story such as this are the source of much discussion and interpretation that largely depends upon the reader - for example, because the veil is interpreted by many as a symbol of mourning, and because Hooper reveals at the end of the story that he "sees" veils on everyone's faces, the fact that he is only half-veiled allows him to speak for the truth that he sees from the other side - he is, in a sense, a messenger between the worlds of what is, and what appears to be. By hiding his eyes, and with them the majority of his identity and humanity, he instead becomes a living vessel for the messages that others need to hear.

How is leadership shown throughout the story Animal Farm?

George Orwell's Animal Farm demonstrates the rapaciousness of leadership when it is provided power.

This is the irony of Communism: While its ideal is worthwhile, human nature is such that it really does not desire equality with all; therefore, corruption of the ideal occurs. The animals revolt against Mr. Jones who is despotic only to have their truly socialist leader (the ideal=Snowball) replaced by a dictator (corruption of the ideal=Napoleon) who is far crueler than...

George Orwell's Animal Farm demonstrates the rapaciousness of leadership when it is provided power.

This is the irony of Communism: While its ideal is worthwhile, human nature is such that it really does not desire equality with all; therefore, corruption of the ideal occurs. The animals revolt against Mr. Jones who is despotic only to have their truly socialist leader (the ideal=Snowball) replaced by a dictator (corruption of the ideal=Napoleon) who is far crueler than Mr. Jones.

During the progression of the narrative of Animal Farm, once Snowball is ousted and Napoleon takes charge, tenets of the Seven Commandments are gradually altered until they are reduced to virtually nothing and the animals live under the dictatorship of Napoleon. Symbolizing this erosion of equality for the animals and totalitarianism is Napoleon's progressive acquiring of the traits of Mr. Jones, such as his drinking, sleeping in a bed, and, finally his walking on two legs. 

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

The acquired human nature of the pigs is what defeats them because it is the human trait of cupidity that propels Napoleon and Squealer to seek absolute power, which history proves is always destructive.

Why does James Joyce describe Eveline as a "helpless animal"?

James Joyce, author of the short story "Eveline," uses the simile "like a helpless animal" in order to describe Eveline's spiritual paralysis.

Throughout the narrative of Joyce's story, the main character, Eveline, dreams of escaping her repressive environment, in which she is subjected to humiliation by her superior at work, Miss Gavan, who "had always had an edge on her," and by her oppressive father, whose violence she fears and to whom she "always gave...

James Joyce, author of the short story "Eveline," uses the simile "like a helpless animal" in order to describe Eveline's spiritual paralysis.

Throughout the narrative of Joyce's story, the main character, Eveline, dreams of escaping her repressive environment, in which she is subjected to humiliation by her superior at work, Miss Gavan, who "had always had an edge on her," and by her oppressive father, whose violence she fears and to whom she "always gave her entire wages."

Despite her father's having forbidden her to see a sailor after learning of her involvement with this young man, Eveline plans to "explore another life with Frank." He has asked her to go away with him by the night-boat to Buenos Ayres, where he has a home. The sailor's tales of distant lands have enchanted Eveline, and she perceives life with Frank as offering her excitement and escape from Ireland and the spiritually and culturally impoverished life she has been living.

However, on the night that they are to leave Ireland, and Eveline is to escape her unhappy life, Eveline begins to feel distressed. She prays to God "to direct her, to show her what was her duty." It is then that she seems to hear "[A] bell clang in her heart," and she feels that Frank "would drown her" as he urges her to board the ship. In fear and spiritual paralysis Eveline clutches the iron railing:

She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition.

Paralyzed by her sense of obligation to her mother's memory and by her duty to protect her little brother and obey her father, Eveline is rendered helpless to break from her old life and begin a new one.

What happened in the "Night" scene in the play The Lion and the Jewel?

Sadiku enters the village at the beginning of the scene and is laughing as she recounts her experience with Okiki, Baroka's father. Sadiku was able to make Okiki impotent and gloats at the fact that she successfully did the same thing to Baroka. Sidi overhears Sadiku and sees her dancing, then asks why Sadiku is so overjoyed. Sadiku tells Sidi that Baroka is impotent, and Sidi mentions her plans to attend Baroka's feast to mock...

Sadiku enters the village at the beginning of the scene and is laughing as she recounts her experience with Okiki, Baroka's father. Sadiku was able to make Okiki impotent and gloats at the fact that she successfully did the same thing to Baroka. Sidi overhears Sadiku and sees her dancing, then asks why Sadiku is so overjoyed. Sadiku tells Sidi that Baroka is impotent, and Sidi mentions her plans to attend Baroka's feast to mock him. Lakunle scolds Sidi and warns her of the Bale's deceptive techniques. Sidi dismisses Lakunle and leaves for the palace. Lakunle begins discussing the future of Ilujinle and how he wishes to do away with the bride-price, build a road through the village, create parks for lovers, and introduce other elements of modern civilization to Ilujinle. He displays contempt for Sadiku and insults her for obeying the Bale and for her traditional outlook on life.

The scene shifts to Baroka's palace where Baroka is in the middle of wrestling. Sidi begins to have a conversation with Baroka and slightly teases him for his old age and negative attitude. Her comments get a reaction out of Baroka, who flings the wrestler, displaying his strength. Baroka laments his lack of opportunity to display his kindness and eventually shows Sidi an envelope with a stamp on it. Sidi tells Baroka that she knows the significance of a stamp and the Bale shows Sidi a machine that makes stamps. He mentions that when the machine is fixed, every stamp leaving Ilujinle will have Sidi's image on it. Sidi is awestruck with the idea of having her image on every stamp, and Baroka continues to woo Sidi by complementing her and displaying his intellect. Eventually, Sidi gives in and sleeps with Baroka.

Meanwhile, Lakunle and Sadiku are waiting in the village, and Lakunle is convinced that the Bale has harmed Sidi. Suddenly, Sidi runs into the village and falls on the ground, cursing Baroka. She tells Sadiku and Lakunle that she has lost her virginity. Lakunle is initially upset but becomes rather optimistic. He agrees to still marry Sidi because he now has a reason not to pay the bride-price. Sidi seems surprised that Lakunle will still marry her and runs offstage. Sadiku brings word back to Lakunle that Sidi is getting ready for a wedding ceremony. Lakunle is shocked and mentions that he cannot get married this quickly. When Sidi returns wearing her wedding attire, she gives Lakunle a gift and invites him to the wedding. Lakunle is confused because he believes that he will be Sidi's groom. Sidi laughs in his face and insults him for his lack of masculinity. Sidi has chosen to marry Baroka, and then the ceremony takes place. After the ceremony, a young girl teases Lakunle, and he chases after her as the play ends.

Why do Atticus' eyes fill with tears when he sees the food offerings from the African American community?

The African American community experienced something miraculous when they witnessed Atticus defend a black man to the best of his ability.  That was why they all stood up for him in the courtroom when he passed under the balcony where they were sitting.  They knew that no other lawyer would have defended a black man like Atticus did.  He prepared a logical defense that should have set Tom free, and in a just court system,...

The African American community experienced something miraculous when they witnessed Atticus defend a black man to the best of his ability.  That was why they all stood up for him in the courtroom when he passed under the balcony where they were sitting.  They knew that no other lawyer would have defended a black man like Atticus did.  He prepared a logical defense that should have set Tom free, and in a just court system, Tom would have been found innocent.  Unfortunately, the jury condemned Tom to prison simply because he was a black man.  This was something the black community would have been used to; the justice system of the South often convicted black men without a fair trial. 

Atticus cried because he was not only touched by the respect they showed him, but because he also knew that it was probably a hardship for them to bring him food.  The rural black community was very poor in Maycomb, and their offering of food to Atticus showed their thankfulness and their respect for the one white man who defended Tom with integrity and honesty. 

How should I study for chemistry?

This is a great question. As a chemistry instructor for many years, I've had the opportunity to observe the habits of the smost successful students. There are several that contribute to success in learning chemistry:

1. Stay ahead of the class. By this I mean read the relevant sections of your text before the content is presented in class. Although it might be more difficult to understand, the concepts will then make more sense when...

This is a great question. As a chemistry instructor for many years, I've had the opportunity to observe the habits of the smost successful students. There are several that contribute to success in learning chemistry:

1. Stay ahead of the class. By this I mean read the relevant sections of your text before the content is presented in class. Although it might be more difficult to understand, the concepts will then make more sense when presented in class. When doing assigned reading, be sure to look at all photos, diagrams and graphs. Interpreting graphs will increase your comprehension of relationships in chemistry. 

2. Take notes. This probably seems a bit old-fashioned in today's information world, but it's helpful. The act of writing something down yourself helps you to remember it. If you make note cards of relevant equations you won't have to spend time later looking for them in the text.

3. I think this is the most important: Work out all assigned problems, even if they aren't scored. Too often students just read through example problems or find solutions without attempting the problems at hand. If you got help or found the solution to a problem, make a second attempt on your own to be sure you understand the process, or work out a similar problem. Think problems through and be aware that there's often more than one way to solve them.

4. Learn from your mistakes. When you get exams back, go through them and try to understand why you missed any problems that you did. The nature of chemistry is that concepts tend to build on each other and you will be using many concepts again in the future. 

5. Be organized. Keep your class materials in order and easy to access. Have data tables that you use readily available, either bookmarked in your text, as paper copies with your other class materials, or easy to find on your phone if you use mobile apps. 

6. Study with classmates. This helps you in two ways: You will have someone to ask questions of and your comprehension of a concept is increased by explaining it to others. 

How does Ralph in Lord of the Flies show initiative?

Although Ralph is not a natural born leader like Jack is and is not as naturally intelligent as Piggy is, he nevertheless shows significant initiative in the first half of the book. In the first chapter, he is the first to suggest the boys "have a chief to decide things." After being elected chief, he organizes an expedition to explore their location and determine whether it is an island. He sets the rules for using...

Although Ralph is not a natural born leader like Jack is and is not as naturally intelligent as Piggy is, he nevertheless shows significant initiative in the first half of the book. In the first chapter, he is the first to suggest the boys "have a chief to decide things." After being elected chief, he organizes an expedition to explore their location and determine whether it is an island. He sets the rules for using the conch to maintain order in the meetings, and he suggests having a signal fire. He takes the initiative to build shelters for all the boys, even though by the time the third one is built, only he and Simon are committed to it.

During the meeting at dusk after the signal fire has gone out, Ralph takes the initiative to address the fear that is troubling the boys, but that ends up backfiring on him. Also in that meeting, he takes the initiative to address the use of fire to assure everyone that there will be no more runaway fires like the one they had on the first day. When a group of boys goes to look for the "beast from air," Ralph takes the initiative to go by himself to the area where they believe the beast may be.

However, beginning in chapter 8, Ralph loses hope, saying, "So we can't have a signal fire...We're beaten." Especially after Jack's rebellion and Simon's death, Ralph becomes significantly weakened and depends more and more on Piggy to help him remain focused. His fear and discouragement keep him from continuing to take initiative.

Why are the colonists' complaints about "taxation without representation" unjustified?

There are several reasons why some people believed the colonists complaint of “taxation without representation” was unjustified. One reason was that some people believed the British were free to do whatever they wanted with their colonies. If the British felt the colonists should pay some of the costs of operating the colonies, the British were able to require this. Some people in the colonies believed this was a right the British government had.

Other people...

There are several reasons why some people believed the colonists complaint of “taxation without representation” was unjustified. One reason was that some people believed the British were free to do whatever they wanted with their colonies. If the British felt the colonists should pay some of the costs of operating the colonies, the British were able to require this. Some people in the colonies believed this was a right the British government had.

Other people felt the colonies were receiving benefits from being British colonies. For example, the British protected the colonies when attacks occurred. The British also helped the colonial economy develop. Thus, the colonists should share in some of the costs of receiving these benefits.

There were some in Great Britain, including members of Parliament, who believed in the idea of “virtual representation.” They believed they were representing the colonists even though the members of Parliament lived in Great Britain. Therefore, these people argued, the colonists didn’t have to elect members from their colony to serve in Parliament since they already had representation in Parliament. There were reasons why some people believed “taxation without representation” was unjustified.

What revolution in Europe was influenced by the American Revolution?

The revolution in Europe that was most explicitly influenced by the American Revolution was the French Revolution, at least its early stages. In its beginnings, the French Revolution was based on many of the same liberal ideas about natural rights and representative government that the Americans had articulated in such documents as the Declaration of Independence. For example, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, issued in 1789 by the revolutionary...

The revolution in Europe that was most explicitly influenced by the American Revolution was the French Revolution, at least its early stages. In its beginnings, the French Revolution was based on many of the same liberal ideas about natural rights and representative government that the Americans had articulated in such documents as the Declaration of Independence. For example, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, issued in 1789 by the revolutionary National Assembly, asserted such "natural and imprescriptable rights of man" as "liberty, property," and that "all men are born and remain free and equal in rights." Moreover, many French revolutionaries, especially the reform-minded nobility, had actually served as officers in the American colonies during the Revolution. The most famous of these men, the Marquis de Lafayette, actually consulted with Thomas Jefferson, in person while Jefferson was in France, and by letters after he returned home, throughout the early days of the Revolution. The Revolution in France was influenced by the American Revolution in another way, this one unintended: one of its causes was a fiscal crisis that was precipitated by the inability to service debts incurred while fighting on the side of the Americans during the Revolutionary War. 

To what degree is Henry V by Shakespeare historically accurate?

William Shakespeare's play, Henry V, is loosely based on actual historical events, but also includes invented material and compresses the actual time sequence of the events.

The single most important source for the play is Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland(1587 second edition). Although this work attempted to be a reliable chronicle, and is broadly accurate, at times the work presents self-contradictory accounts of the motivations and characters of the major figures...

William Shakespeare's play, Henry V, is loosely based on actual historical events, but also includes invented material and compresses the actual time sequence of the events.

The single most important source for the play is Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1587 second edition). Although this work attempted to be a reliable chronicle, and is broadly accurate, at times the work presents self-contradictory accounts of the motivations and characters of the major figures of the period. Shakespeare also made use of an anonymous play, The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth, which like Shakespeare's subsequent work balances verisimilitude with artistic license. We do not actually have accurate historical data on the number of people involved in the battle of Agincourt. While Henry's forces were outnumbered, we do not have accurate information on the precise size of the armies nor the number of people killed and wounded., nor could Shakespeare have know precise numbers.

The time sequence of the siege of Harfleur and its proximity to the Battle of Agincourt is compressed; the siege actually lasted for several months and the Battle of Agincourt began a month after the siege. The British victory at Agincourt and Henry's subsequent marriage to Catherine are both historical events, but the battle actually took place in 1415 and the treaty and marriage in 1420, despite the two events being portrayed as occurring quite close together in the play.

The  story concerning the war being caused by the French Dauphin sending tennis balls to Henry is pure invention. The causes of the war probably had more to do with economics than with honor. 

`cos(130)cos(40) - sin(130)sin(40)` Write the expression as a sine, cosine, or tangent of an angle.

You need to recognize the formula `cos(a+b) = cos a*cos b - sin a*sin b.` You need to put a = `130^o` and b = `40^o` , such that:

`cos 130^o*cos 40^o - sin 130^o sin 40^o = cos (130^o+40^o)`

`cos (130^o +40^o) = cos 170^o `

Hence, the given expression could be evaluated as the cosine of the sum of angles `130^o` and` 40^o,` such that `cos (130^o + 40^o) = cos 170^o ` .

You need to recognize the formula `cos(a+b) = cos a*cos b - sin a*sin b.` You need to put a = `130^o` and b = `40^o` , such that:

`cos 130^o*cos 40^o - sin 130^o sin 40^o = cos (130^o+40^o)`

`cos (130^o +40^o) = cos 170^o `

Hence, the given expression could be evaluated as the cosine of the sum of angles `130^o` and` 40^o,` such that `cos (130^o + 40^o) = cos 170^o ` .

What does Pickering offer to do in Pygmalion?

Act Two of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalionopens on Colonel Pickering and Professor Henry Higgins reviewing the vowel sounds they both can pronounce in Higgin's home laboratory on Wimpole Street. They are surprised when Liza, the flower girl who they had encountered in Covent Garden the previous day, arrives at Higgin's home and insists to his housekeeper that she needs to speak with him. When given the opportunity to do so, Liza informs Higgins that...

Act Two of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion opens on Colonel Pickering and Professor Henry Higgins reviewing the vowel sounds they both can pronounce in Higgin's home laboratory on Wimpole Street. They are surprised when Liza, the flower girl who they had encountered in Covent Garden the previous day, arrives at Higgin's home and insists to his housekeeper that she needs to speak with him. When given the opportunity to do so, Liza informs Higgins that she would like to pay him for speech lessons so that she can learn to "talk more genteel" and eventually obtain a position as a lady in a flower shop.

Both Liza and Colonel Pickering are enchanted by Higgin's earlier claim that in the space of three months, he could provide enough polishing to Liza's English to pass her off as a duchess at an ambassador's garden party. Impressed by Higgin's phonetic skills and research, but desiring to see him actively at work, Colonel Pickering creates a wager with him: Pickering offers to cover all of the expenses of the "experiment" and to pay for Liza's speech lessons if Higgins can successfully do as he bragged he could do and pass Liza off as a duchess at the ambassador's garden party. This, Colonel Pickering claims, would make Higgins "the greatest teacher alive." 

Higgins agrees to these terms, stating, "Yes: in six months--in three if she has a good ear and a quick tongue--I'll take her anywhere and pass her off as anything."

`y = cos(x), y = x + 2sin^4 (x)` Graph the region between the curves and use your calculator to compute the area correct to five decimal places.

To graph the area between curves, we determine the boundary values based on the intersection points.

In the xy-plane, the graph of `y=cos(x)` is plotted in red color while the graph of `y=x+2sin^(4)(x)` is plotted in blue color.

Using TI-84 calculator, you can solve for the intersection points as:

(-1.911917,-0.3345439), (-1.223676,0.34019093), and (0.60794574,0.82082311).

To solve for these points, use the option Calc/5: intersect in your TI-84 calculator.

You may position the cursor along the blue...

To graph the area between curves, we determine the boundary values based on the intersection points.

In the xy-plane, the graph of `y=cos(x)` is plotted in red color while the graph of `y=x+2sin^(4)(x)` is plotted in blue color.

Using TI-84 calculator, you can solve for the intersection points as:

(-1.911917,-0.3345439), (-1.223676,0.34019093), and (0.60794574,0.82082311).

To solve for these points, use the option Calc/5: intersect in your TI-84 calculator.

You may position the cursor along the blue graph for the first curve  and  let the cursor be along the red graph for the second curve. The cursor should be near or before the intersection point you want to solve. Then press Enter for the Guess. X=#  and Y=# will appear below your calculator screen for the ordered pair of a certain intersection point. Repeat the steps until you have determined the three intersection points.

 The x-values from the intersection points will be used as the boundary values of your integral or the limits of integration.

The formula to solve the bounded area between two curves follows:

 A = ` int_a^bf(x)dx`

where` f(x) = y_(above) - y_(below)`

or  `f(x) = y_(upper) - y_(lower)`

It can also be written as A = `int_a^bf(x)-g(x)dx`

such that` f(x)gt=g(x) ` on the interval [a,b].

For the first bounded region, the upper curve is `y=x+2sin^(4)(x)` and the lower curve is ` y=cos(x) `  from x= -1.911917 to x=-1.223676.

`A_1 =` `int_-1.911917^-1.223676[x+2sin^(4)(x)-cos(x)]dx`

`A_1= 0.1949657715 ~~ 0.19497` ` `

For the second bounded region, the upper curve is ` ` y=cos(x) and the lower curve is `y=x+2sin^(4)(x)`  from x=-1.223676 to x=0.60794574.

`A_2 =` `int_-1.223676^0.60794574[cos(x)-x-2sin^(4)(x)]dx`

`A_2=1.511189263~~1.51119`

Total Area = `A_1 + A_2`

               = 0.19497+1.51119

              =1.70616

Note: We set-up two separate integrals since the position of each curve varies between the two bounded regions. 

What does Atticus think of Boo?

Always respectful of everyone, Atticus feels that Arthur Radley's privacy should not be invaded by the children, and he understands that Boo is a mockingbird, who should not be harmed by the curious and gossips and predatory types. Later on, he is also extremely grateful to Boo for having protected the children from Bob Ewell.

Early in the narrative when the children's curiosity moves them to invade the privacy of the Radley yard, Atticus scolds...

Always respectful of everyone, Atticus feels that Arthur Radley's privacy should not be invaded by the children, and he understands that Boo is a mockingbird, who should not be harmed by the curious and gossips and predatory types. Later on, he is also extremely grateful to Boo for having protected the children from Bob Ewell.

Early in the narrative when the children's curiosity moves them to invade the privacy of the Radley yard, Atticus scolds them after Jem tries to put a note on the window sill.

"Son,...I'm going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you."

Further, Atticus informs the children that what Mr. Radley did was his own business. He instructs them that the proper way to communicate with someone is to go to the front door, not to put a note on a window sill. Finally, he tells the children to stay away unless they are invited.

In the final chapters, after Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell in order to save Jem and Scout from his attack with a knife, Boo is brought into the Finch home. When Scout greets him, saying "Hey, Boo," she is corrected by her father to call him "Mr. Arthur." In addition, when Sheriff Tate makes his argument to say that Ewell fell on his knife rather than implicate Arthur Radley, Atticus agrees with Tate's words that

"...taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me it's a sin."

Considering Tate's words, Atticus turns to Arthur, "Thank you for my children, Arthur." Clearly, then, Atticus has great respect for the privacy of Arthur Radley; moreover, he is extremely grateful to him for having protected the children from great harm.

In The Crucible, Abigail Williams was selfish and accused other people of witchcraft. What are some quotes showing she did this?

There are a couple of factors that motivated Abigail's behavior as portrayed in the play. First, she knew she might get into trouble for engaging in dancing and other activities in the woods (conjuring spirits, etc.), and that if she accused others of having bewitched her it would transfer the blame onto them. Secondly, she thinks that if she can somehow remove Elizabeth Proctor from the picture, John Proctor will fall in love with her...

There are a couple of factors that motivated Abigail's behavior as portrayed in the play. First, she knew she might get into trouble for engaging in dancing and other activities in the woods (conjuring spirits, etc.), and that if she accused others of having bewitched her it would transfer the blame onto them. Secondly, she thinks that if she can somehow remove Elizabeth Proctor from the picture, John Proctor will fall in love with her and rekindle their affair, as she hopes to marry him. Her obsession with Proctor motivates her to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.

Abigail is emboldened by her position of power as an official of the court, and sees her self as a sort of martyr figure. In Act II, Scene 2, the longest courtroom scene, Justice Danforth suggests she might be deluded, and she answers:

"I have been hurt, Mister Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin‘ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil‘s people—and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a... "

When he tries to reassure her that he does not mistrust her, she speaks boldly, trying to impugn his authority: 

"Let you beware, Mister Danforth—think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits?!— beware of it!"

She then begins to act as if a cold wind has entered the courtroom, and then, as Reverend Hale begins to state that he doubts her honesty, she pretends she sees a yellow bird on the rafters, which she thinks is a familiar sent by Mary Warren to attack her (Mary had earlier decided, at the insistence of John Proctor, to tell the truth in court about how the girls were only play-acting). She tries to declare her duty to God in accusing others.

"Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it‘s God‘s work I do...". 

The other girls (Susannah and Mercy) join in on the game and the Justice is convinced that she is being bewitched. Finally Mary can't take it any more, and in order to be put back in Abigail's good graces, she turns on John Proctor, accusing him of being in league with the devil. Because Proctor has earlier confessed to committing adultery with Abigail, humiliating her, she allows Mary to condemn him. It becomes clear how selfish and mean-spirited her motivations are, because she ultimately only wants to protect herself, even if it costs others their lives.

South says that we need to enforce the constitution, but what irony does Lincoln find?

The Constitution sought to capture American values and beliefs as communicated in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration declared all men as created equal with divine unalienable rights.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

According to Abraham Lincoln, support by the Southern states to adopt the...

The Constitution sought to capture American values and beliefs as communicated in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration declared all men as created equal with divine unalienable rights.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

According to Abraham Lincoln, support by the Southern states to adopt the Constitution while at the same time supporting slavery was ironic. This was because, the Declaration of Independence communicated American values and beliefs. Further, the American Revolution was a push for sovereignty and freedom. Ironically, the same freedom was being denied for the slaves and other minority groups. This level of duplicity made no sense to Lincoln. Eventually, the Constitution would have to communicate the same values as captured in the Declaration. In this regard, the issue of slavery became a bone of contention between Lincoln/ Union and the Southern states.

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves in rebelling states to be free.

"all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free"

This was followed by the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that legally abolished slavery. These changes secured American values and beliefs in the Constitution as envisioned in the Declaration.

Please describe the tone of Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess."

[ educators are only permitted to answer one question per posting. Additional questions need to be asked in a separate post.]

Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" is my favorite of this author's poems. Perhaps one of the reasons is the tone of the poem.

More often than not, we (as readers) are quick to react to the mood—which is the author's intention. However, some people think that the mood and tone are the same. There actually is a significant difference. While the mood is how the audience is supposed to feel about the subject of the writing, the tone is how the author feels about the subject. In this poem, it is an interesting distinction. The speaker in the poem is actually a raging, jealous and murderous man—however, at first reading, the reader might only come away with a sense of distaste. (It is important to always read a poem at least twice, carefully, to get what you missed in the previous reading.)

Upon closer study, the reader may be able to perceive (especially by the reaction of the narrator's audience to his speech) that the author is probably insane. Specifically, by the end of the poem, the Count's envoy is ready to leave and the Duke of Ferrara tells him that he will go with the man and greet the Count; then a second time the Duke has to insist he will accompany the man. (We may infer that the envoy does not like what he hears from the Duke and is anxious to part company with his host.)

So, if the mood (how the reader feels) is one of disgust or even horror, is the author (Browning) feeling the same way? In my opinion, the author is repulsed and offended by the narrator's (the Duke's) behavior; we can see this in the details the speaker offers as he comments on the behavior of his wife. However, more importantly by far, are the details we can glean as Browning provides telling descriptions of the Duke's responses.

Of Browning's poem it is said:

In [the poem, Browning] paints a devastating self-portrait of royalty, a portrait that doubtless reveals more of the duke’s personality than [the Duke of] Ferrara intends.

The Duke of Ferrara is the speaker. Ironically, his criticism of his wife reflects poorly on him, not on her.

We learn that the Duke hires a monk to paint his wife's portrait—in one day. We sense that he was jealous of her and would not allow her alone in the company of another, even if it were a man who had vowed to live a chaste life. He notes that the monk's compliments, and not only her husband's presence, brought "that spot / Of joy" (14-15) to her cheeks. He complains that she was kind to everyone—which is irksome to him. It seems unreasonable that a man would be angry that his wife was a nice person—for there is never any indication that she was ever behaved inappropriately with anyone. The only real problem is the Duke's skewed perceptions.

The Duke points out that it was small things that she prized:

My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace -- all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,  
Or blush, at least. She thanked men, -- good! but thanked
Somehow -- I know not how -- as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. (25-34)

He places his "favour" or approval, of her at the top of the list of things for which she should be thankful. He also points out that she was happy to see a sunset, to receive a "bough of cherries" and or ride on her "white mule," but he finds no joy in his wife's delight in the world around her. A husband might complain if his wife was never happy, but the Duke is annoyed not only that she was happy, but also because she found anything wonderful other than being married to him. He is exceedingly miffed that she found equal satisfaction in having his age-old family name that she also experienced with a sunset or a white mule. His over-inflated ego perceives that she is not as impressed with his title and name as he thinks she should be—but that she shows equal pleasure in all things.

Browning draws for us a mental picture of a member of the aristocracy that believes himself to be by far the most important person in the world, who demanded that his wife believe the same.  

Undoubtedly, though, the most dominant feature of the duke’s personality is a godlike desire for total control of his environment [...] the duke sees himself as a god who has tamed/will tame his duchess.

Unfairly, Ferrara would not stoop to tell his wife what about her "disgusts" him. She angered him without knowing why. She smiled at him the same way she smiled at everyone, and he resented this.

However, then everything changes:

Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. (43-47)

It should not be missed that the Duchess must be dead for how else would he be able to arrange for a second marriage? We can infer that the more she smiled at others (which would seem to be her natural character—being pleasant to all she met), the angrier the Duke became until he gave "commands." We read that all her smiles stopped completely, and we can infer that she did not experience depression or shed tears, but that she died. We can also infer that his command was the order to have her murdered! Even more appalling is that he does not miss a beat in his conversation as he slides from this statement smoothly on to the image of the painting, where (he notes) its subject stands as if alive.

Browning's tone seems to be this: here is a man who expects the world to bow to him. Here is a man who will not be dominated by law or morality: he uses his position and wealth to live as he pleases, answerable to no one. Even now he plans to marry again to receive a rich dowry to further support his lifestyle. We can assume that Browning detested members of the nobility who saw themselves as gods and treated others without concern, were accountable to no one, and were capable of criminal behavior without fear of punishment or censure.

Browning's structure of the poem also supports the tone:

Interestingly, unlike the traditional neoclassic heroic couplet, where lines are end-stopped, Browning favors enjambment, and the run-on line suggests the duke’s inability to control everything—his inability to be a god.

Browning artfully passes judgment on the Duke of Ferrara—the man whose own words find him guilty—while also providing a glimpse into the tyrannical power practiced by some members of the aristocracy, living a life of privilege during the 19th Century.

What is the relationship between Kit and and William in The Witch of Blackbird Pond? How do they feel about each other?

When William first sees Kit at Meeting, he is impressed and entranced by Kit. Kit is different from any of the girls in Wethersfield, and he is especially impressed by her manner of dress, as she is dressed in beautiful, opulent, and colorful clothes, unlike any of the modestly dressed townsfolk in Wethersfield. Upon seeing her and falling instantly "in love," William asks permission to call on Kit. 

However, when William calls on Saturday evenings...

When William first sees Kit at Meeting, he is impressed and entranced by Kit. Kit is different from any of the girls in Wethersfield, and he is especially impressed by her manner of dress, as she is dressed in beautiful, opulent, and colorful clothes, unlike any of the modestly dressed townsfolk in Wethersfield. Upon seeing her and falling instantly "in love," William asks permission to call on Kit. 

However, when William calls on Saturday evenings Kit finds him boring and has trouble making conversation. William is content to sit quietly and look at her, but Kit is bored and annoyed that he is there most evenings. The only time that Kit shows any admiration for William is when he stands up to Matthew.

William, who is wealthy and of high social standing, takes it for granted that Kit will want to marry him and begins building a large house for them.

When Kit is accused of being a witch, she hopes that William will come to her rescue; however, he doesn't want any association with her that might damage his social status.

Once Kit is acquitted, William returns to call on Kit, but she no longer wants anything to do with him, knowing that she can't depend on him. 

What does Nick mean when, after sitting down at a table with a group of drunks who had amused him two weeks ago, he remarks, "I'd enjoyed these...

In this scene in The Great Gatsby(Fitzgerald), Nick is experiencing one of Gatsby's parties with Tom in attendance for the first time.  The beginning of this section reveals that the entire evening has a "peculiar quality of oppressiveness..." (Fitzgerald 110). He feels "an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness" (110) he hadn't felt before.  So he speculates a bit about this, whether he is jaded from these parties, or whether he is somehow...

In this scene in The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), Nick is experiencing one of Gatsby's parties with Tom in attendance for the first time.  The beginning of this section reveals that the entire evening has a "peculiar quality of oppressiveness..." (Fitzgerald 110). He feels "an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness" (110) he hadn't felt before.  So he speculates a bit about this, whether he is jaded from these parties, or whether he is somehow seeing them through Daisy's eyes. As the scene goes on, though, it is clear that there is ample reason for Tom, who is an unpleasant character on his good days, to be unhappy and be having some impact on the general mood.  Daisy dances with Gatsby.  Gatsby insists upon introducing Tom as a polo player, which he does not appreciate, and it seems that Daisy is not having a particularly good time, either, except for when she had been able to be alone briefly with Gatsby.  They sit at this drunken table, and the experience turns sour for Nick. He might also be more sober than the people at the table. If you have never experienced being sober in a room full of drunken people, I don't recommend it.  Everyone but you is obnoxious and having a wonderful time.  It does grate.  All in all, there is ample reason for Nick to not be having his usual good time, although in my opinion, it is Tom who is causing most of the oppressive atmosphere, which he does in most scenes in the book. 

What is a thesis and theory?

Believe it or not, there are not a great many rules in essay writing. The rules that there are are meant to keep you organized while you write and to keep the reader organized as he or she reads.

Every essay needs to have a first paragraph that is an introduction. That should include a little overview of what you are going to discuss, a way to get the reader's attention, sometimes called "a hook," and a thesis statement. So, for example, if I were writing an essay about education, I would make a few general statements about education and perhaps say something about how everyone has strong opinions about it. 

A thesis statement, which should be the last sentence in your introduction, should state what the main idea in your essay is and list the ways you are going to support that idea. For example, you might be writing an argumentative essay on capital punishment. Your main idea might be that you think there should be capital punishment. Or your main idea might be that there should not be capital punishment. Either way, the thesis statement needs to let the reader know what your thought is on this issue. The other part of the thesis statement needs to let the reader know what the points are you are going to make to support your idea on this subject. In other words, you need to say "There should be capital punishment because of A, B, and C" or you need to say "There should not be capital punishment because of A, B, and C."  That is the form that a thesis statement can take, stating your main idea and the reasons for that idea.

What happens next is that you need to write a paragraph for each of those reasons.  These paragraphs should be in the order in which you list the reasons in the thesis statement.  Reason A would be your first body paragraph, Reason B would be your second body paragraph, and Reason C would be your third body paragraph.

Each body paragraph needs to begin with a topic sentence that lets the reader know which point is going to be discussed in that paragraph. The rest of the paragraph needs to have evidence to support that point. You might have statistics or some opinions from experts or support your point with logic.  To keep each body paragraph organized, you must use evidence that is about the point of the paragraph, not about the point of some other paragraph.  Each should be focused on just that one point.

Finally, you need a paragraph that is a conclusion to the essay.  In the conclusion, you remind the reader what your main idea is, not in the same words as the thesis statement, though, using another way to express that idea.  You also need to review for the reader the points you have made, so the reader has a reminder of all you have had to say.

Whether you are writing a literary analysis, a persuasive essay, an argumentative essay, a problem/solution essay, a cause and effect essay, or a compare and contrast essay, these are the basic rules for writing. You can see that most of these rules are a way to get you and keep you organized as you write and that when you follow these rules, you make it easier for the reader to stay organized, too, which helps the reader to understand and follow along very easily.

Which type of organisms developed first due to the early environmental conditions on earth?

The first cells are thought to have been similar to Archaea of today. Archaea is a group of single-celled prokaryotic cells. Being prokaryotic, Archaea lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles that are characteristic of more developed eukaryotic cells. Archaea are able to live in extreme environments. Halophiles are a group of Archaea that are able live in extremely salty environments. Thermophiles are a group Archaea that are able to live in extremely hot temperatures....

The first cells are thought to have been similar to Archaea of today. Archaea is a group of single-celled prokaryotic cells. Being prokaryotic, Archaea lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles that are characteristic of more developed eukaryotic cells. Archaea are able to live in extreme environments. Halophiles are a group of Archaea that are able live in extremely salty environments. Thermophiles are a group Archaea that are able to live in extremely hot temperatures. Because Archaea are primitive in structure and are able to survive in such harsh environments, they are thought to resemble the cells that developed during Earth’s extreme and prehistoric conditions.

The first cell is thought to have developed 3.8 billion years ago. At that time, Earth had little free oxygen in its atmosphere. Instead, the atmosphere was mainly composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Other trace gases were also present such as hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. The presence of carbon dioxide is thought to have made any water that was present fairly acidic. The temperature is suspected to have been much hotter than it is today. Therefore, cells could have that developed during such a time would have needed to be able to sustain such conditions.

Is loss a theme in The Tempest by Shakespeare?

Yes, loss is an important theme in The Tempest. The mariners believe their ship is going to be destroyed in the storm and cry “all lost!” Prospero loses his dukedom, Ferdinand believes that his father, Alonso, has drowned (Ariel sings, “Full fathom five thy father lies”), and Alonso thinks that both his daughter and son are lost:

My son is lost and, in my rate, she too, Who is so far from Italy removed...

Yes, loss is an important theme in The Tempest. The mariners believe their ship is going to be destroyed in the storm and cry “all lost!” Prospero loses his dukedom, Ferdinand believes that his father, Alonso, has drowned (Ariel sings, “Full fathom five thy father lies”), and Alonso thinks that both his daughter and son are lost:

My son is lost and, in my rate, she too,
Who is so far from Italy removed
I ne'er again shall see her.

Alonso mourns the probable death of Ferdinand and the marriage of his “daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis” across the sea. In addition, the castaways all lose their way due to Prospero’s machinations as delivered by Ariel. Prospero even pretends to lose Miranda, and, in a way, Caliban also loses his island to Prospero.

However, The Tempest is ultimately about regaining that which was lost or about how it was never lost in the first place. Prospero reclaims his dukedom, and Ferdinand and Alonso reunite. The sailors sleep safely in their ship. Prospero has not lost Miranda, who “did preserve” him when he almost lost his life so many years before. Though Caliban’s fate is unknown, overall, The Tempest is imbued with a sense of discovery and grace rather than loss.

Explain the similarities and differences between small and high mass star life cycles in terms of forces and energy.

Low mass stars and high mass stars share similarities and differences.  One of the similarities is they both start the same way, with a huge collection of gases, primarily hydrogen and helium.  Another similarity would be the way they generate their energy, through a process known as nuclear fusion.  Under extreme pressure and high temperature, two hydrogen nuclei fuse together to form a helium nucleus.  Energy is released in this process.  Over the small star's...

Low mass stars and high mass stars share similarities and differences.  One of the similarities is they both start the same way, with a huge collection of gases, primarily hydrogen and helium.  Another similarity would be the way they generate their energy, through a process known as nuclear fusion.  Under extreme pressure and high temperature, two hydrogen nuclei fuse together to form a helium nucleus.  Energy is released in this process.  Over the small star's lifetime, the core shrinks as the hydrogen is converted to helium, while the outer envelope of gases expand into what is known as a red giant.  Small stars rotate, sometimes very quickly, producing solar eruptions of x-rays.The core continues to get hotter, converting helium nuclei to carbon, the end product.  Temperatures may get as high as 100 million degrees Kelvin in this process.  Eventually, the remaining gases are ejected from the core, due to low gravity, resulting in a circular effect known as a planetary nebula.  The carbon core cools, first into a white dwarf, then a black dwarf.  The material from a white dwarf is extremely dense, a small amount (teaspoon) brought back to earth would weigh tons.

The differences between the small mass star and high mass star are not as numerous as the similarities.  The primary difference is the amount of time it takes for the nuclear fusion to occur.  The above described nuclear fusion process happens at a much faster progression, resulting in higher temperatures, pressure, and conversion to other elemental products, such as carbon, then nitrogen, then oxygen.  Ultimately, the oxygen gets converted to silicon, then silicon to iron, the terminal star element.  There is also enough gravity to hold the outer gas layers in to the star's core, so it is not ejected as it is in a small mass star.

Is malleability a chemical or physical property?

Malleability is a physical property because it can be observed without a change in composition of a substance. Chemical properties are those which are observed during a chemical reaction, for example the tendency of iron to rust and form iron oxide, a new substance.

Malleability is a typical property of metals. It's the ability to be shaped or flattened by compressive stress, such as hammering or rolling. In metallic bonding the valence electrons are free...

Malleability is a physical property because it can be observed without a change in composition of a substance. Chemical properties are those which are observed during a chemical reaction, for example the tendency of iron to rust and form iron oxide, a new substance.

Malleability is a typical property of metals. It's the ability to be shaped or flattened by compressive stress, such as hammering or rolling. In metallic bonding the valence electrons are free to move around. This allows atoms to change position under stress without fracturing the material. This shifting of position of atoms relative to other atoms doesn't produce a different substance.

A roll of aluminum foil is an example of the malleability of metals. Gold is the most malleable metals, with the ability to be flattened into extremely thin sheets.

In Stephen Crane's short story "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," what are three symbols?

Stephen Crane uses symbolism in his story “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” to represent the westward expansion or eastern encroachment into small town Texas. As the newlywed town marshal of Yellow Sky, Jack Potter, and his wife travel westward on the Pullman train it is described as if the “plains of Texas were pouring eastward.” The couple married in San Antonio and were heading west back to his little town where he knew his marriage would change the town’s dynamics. Therefore, the train is a symbol of bringing the more refined culture of the east to western Texas.

As the couple is traveling, there is trouble in the saloon back in Yellow Sky. One of the locals, Scratchy Wilson, has taken it upon himself to over imbibe and is on a shooting rampage in the town. In the saloon, there is a salesman from the east who is quite shocked by the ongoings. The men of the town take the shooting rampage in stride while the salesman does not know what to make of it. Again, symbolism points to how the eastern influence and lack of understanding of the western ways, is evident. The salesman is symbolic of someone who does not know the ways of the “wild” west, and how the small towns will change as the eastern influence becomes more apparent.

The bride herself is a symbol for the change that the town of Yellow Sky is about to experience. When Scratchy goes out to Jack Potter’s house, he is met by the newlyweds sneaking quietly back into town. When he sees the bride, he loses his urge to fight and shuffles away. The bride symbolizes a new civilized way of life does not include such things as drunken gun fights.

"Well, I ‘low it’s off, Jack," said Wilson. He was looking at the ground. "Married!" He was not a student of chivalry; it was merely that in the presence of this foreign condition he was a simple child of the earlier plains. He picked up his starboard revolver, and placing both weapons in their holsters, he went away. His feet made funnel-shaped tracks in the heavy sand.

What part of a cell helps animals to produce energy?

The major organelle in an animal cell that helps generate energy, in the form of ATP, is the mitochondrion (plural Mitochondria). This interesting organelle is unique in that it carries its own DNA, and is only inherited from the mother, but not the father, of an animal. The process through which mitochondria generate ATP is a three-step process. First, food molecules must be broken down by enzymes into simpler sugars either in the intestines, or...

The major organelle in an animal cell that helps generate energy, in the form of ATP, is the mitochondrion (plural Mitochondria). This interesting organelle is unique in that it carries its own DNA, and is only inherited from the mother, but not the father, of an animal. The process through which mitochondria generate ATP is a three-step process. First, food molecules must be broken down by enzymes into simpler sugars either in the intestines, or in specific organelles of the cell known as lysosomes. The second step of this energy process, known as glycolysis, occurs inside the cell, but outside the mitochondria. In this step, glucose, a simple sugar, is broken down to generate a net gain of 2 ATP molecules. It is these small amounts of ATP, generated outside the cell, that provide the energy to begin the third step of energy generation. This third step consists of two parts known as the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, respectively. Both of these processes occur inside the cells mitochondria and consist of a complex set of reactions. The final step of the electron transport chain, involving oxidation, is where the vast majority of the cells energy, or ATP, is generated. This oxidative step is the reason why animals need oxygen to survive, and is required in order to generate sufficient energy to sustain cellular function and life. Interestingly, This process is able to recover almost half of all the theoretically possible energy that can be generated, making it a very efficient system. Hope this helps!  

How is Macbeth presented in a positive way at the beginning of the play?

Macbeth is portrayed as a valiant, honorable Scottish noble at the beginning of the play. The first description we get of the play's title character is given by a sergeant to King Duncan. The sergeant describes a rebellion by Macdonwald, a rebellious nobleman who apparently seeks to overthrow Duncan. Macbeth, a Scottish thane (nobleman), fights his way through the rebel army before slashing Macdonwald "from the nave to the chaps" with his sword and decapitating...

Macbeth is portrayed as a valiant, honorable Scottish noble at the beginning of the play. The first description we get of the play's title character is given by a sergeant to King Duncan. The sergeant describes a rebellion by Macdonwald, a rebellious nobleman who apparently seeks to overthrow Duncan. Macbeth, a Scottish thane (nobleman), fights his way through the rebel army before slashing Macdonwald "from the nave to the chaps" with his sword and decapitating him. Of course modern readers might be shocked by the violence of this act (which, it might be argued, foreshadows some of the violent deeds Macbeth commits later, in addition to his own demise at the hands of Macduff) but Duncan is impressed by the bravery and loyalty of his kinsman. He calls him a "valiant cousin" and "noble kinsman." Macbeth then leads his forces against an attempted invasion by a "Norweyan lord," again emerging victorious. So Macbeth is respected, even viewed as a hero, by the King and by his peers. This positive portrayal of the man early in the play makes his descent into murder and treachery all the more dramatic.

What was the British policy of salutary neglect? Why did the British follow this policy? What consequences did it have to the British colonies in...

Salutary neglect refers to Britain's unofficial policy of not strictly enforcing Parliamentary laws in the colonies. Britain practised salutary neglect throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and for practical reasons: America's distance from Britain made it impossible for the government to keep a constant eye on the colonists. They knew, for example, that the colonists bought goods from France and Spain and did nothing to stop it - even though it was technically against British...

Salutary neglect refers to Britain's unofficial policy of not strictly enforcing Parliamentary laws in the colonies. Britain practised salutary neglect throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and for practical reasons: America's distance from Britain made it impossible for the government to keep a constant eye on the colonists. They knew, for example, that the colonists bought goods from France and Spain and did nothing to stop it - even though it was technically against British law. Quite simply, it was too expensive for Britain to maintain a full and constant presence in America when it had so many other affairs to tend to. 

As a result of salutary neglect, the colonists enjoyed a degree of self-government which, over time, they cherished and would fiercely protect. They were not accustomed to Britain enforcing trade laws in the colonies so, when this began to happen in the 1763 with the passing of the Navigation Act, they felt that Britain's actions were a direct threat to their liberties and freedoms. Britain continued to pass and enforce restrictive trade laws throughout the 1760s, like the Intolerable Acts, which set many Americans thinking strongly about independence. 

How important is it that the effectiveness of a training program be measured in dollar terms?

The importance of measuring the effectiveness of a training program in dollar terms is related to the target market for the training. As with any product, a training will be valued differently by different markets. In a personal growth market, the dollar terms are less important than the educational effectiveness, where as if the target market is a business, the business will want to know what the return on investment will be for purchasing the...

The importance of measuring the effectiveness of a training program in dollar terms is related to the target market for the training. As with any product, a training will be valued differently by different markets. In a personal growth market, the dollar terms are less important than the educational effectiveness, where as if the target market is a business, the business will want to know what the return on investment will be for purchasing the training.

Most businesses operate by calculating if anything the company acquires, including employees, will be profitable for the company. When determining the dollar value of a training, it is important to be mindful of the costs incurred by NOT receiving the training. For example, people in a medical setting are usually trained in basic medical safety protocols including the use of personal safety equipment, proper disposal of medical waste and what to do in the event that exposure to a disease has occurred. The training may cost the company a certain amount per session for the instructor's time and materials, but it can potentially save the company in lawsuits, employee leave and medical expenses if the employees apply what they learn in the working environment. Similarly, an individual taking the training for a future job may weigh whether or not the cost of the training is sufficiently offset by the potential wage.

On the other side of the spectrum, employers may offer trainings to employees to boost moral (another way to boost productivity and income), taking the focus off of dollar value and on to trainee satisfaction. The same rule goes towards the personal growth market. A person may take the training less for monetary gain and more for the experience. 

In what ways did African Americans shape the course and consequences of the Civil War?

African Americans played an important role in the Civil War. At the very beginning of the war, African Americans weren’t allowed to fight for the North. However, that changed, and by 1862, 10% of the army was African American. African Americans also served in the navy. They made up slightly less than 20% of the navy. Additionally, some runaway slaves helped the North by being guides and spies. African Americans played an important role for...

African Americans played an important role in the Civil War. At the very beginning of the war, African Americans weren’t allowed to fight for the North. However, that changed, and by 1862, 10% of the army was African American. African Americans also served in the navy. They made up slightly less than 20% of the navy. Additionally, some runaway slaves helped the North by being guides and spies. African Americans played an important role for the North.

African Americans weren’t allowed to fight for the South until the very end of the war. The southerners were too afraid that the slaves would use the weapons and revolt against the slave owners. African Americans worked on the plantations during the Civil War. For every African American that worked on the plantation, that allowed another white southerner to go and fight. African Americans did serve the southern army by being cooks or nurses, but they weren’t allowed to fight until the very end of the war.

One of the reasons why President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation was that he knew it could weaken the South militarily. While it was mainly symbolic, it was viewed as a military action against the South that could potentially weaken the South’s war effort.

What are the different types of pencils used for sketching?

The best pencils for sketching depends on the type of drawing being made, the the type of paper being used, as well as the artist's preferred technique. For quick sketching, such as those done in a figure drawing class, softer pencils are best. Harder pencils are best to use for finer drawing and things like crosshatching. Most pencils are made of graphite, and there are a number of different levels of hardness that  create a...

The best pencils for sketching depends on the type of drawing being made, the the type of paper being used, as well as the artist's preferred technique. For quick sketching, such as those done in a figure drawing class, softer pencils are best. Harder pencils are best to use for finer drawing and things like crosshatching. Most pencils are made of graphite, and there are a number of different levels of hardness that  create a different kind of mark on paper; this softness to hardness scale is indicated by letters on the pencils themselves, such as 4H for very hard to 9B for very soft; 2B is in the middle and is the usual "school pencil" we are all familiar with. The softer the pencil, the darker the mark it makes, and the easier it is to blend that mark with one's fingers or a gum eraser. The softer pencil makes a slightly thicker mark too, if not sharpened to a point constantly. Rougher paper surfaces will accept the pencil's mark more readily than smoother paper; but for more precision, smoother paper works better. These are all decisions the artist makes in creating the desired effect, and experimenting with different materials is part of the joy of making art.

Colored pencils can be used for sketching too, but normally artists use these in a layered effect to create colorful forms and shading, and colored pencils are not usually used for quick sketching. For one thing, they tend to cost more than graphite pencils, because they are made with pigments which can be quite costly. Some colored pencils are made with oil pigments and can create very painterly effects.

How does Jonas's development in The Giver contribute to our understanding of the theme - individual -vs- the community?

At the beginning of the book and through more than half of it, Jonas is a obedient and unquestioning member of his community. He is also very community-minded, in the sense that he fully understands everyone's actions contribute to the community's efficiency and success as a whole. Every member of the community has this same mindset. There is very little room in the community for individual thought or expression. Whatever individuality is allowed, is fairly...

At the beginning of the book and through more than half of it, Jonas is a obedient and unquestioning member of his community. He is also very community-minded, in the sense that he fully understands everyone's actions contribute to the community's efficiency and success as a whole. Every member of the community has this same mindset. There is very little room in the community for individual thought or expression. Whatever individuality is allowed, is fairly minimal. Community members are encouraged to participate in a sharing of feelings each evening with their families and sharing of their dreams each morning. Obviously each of these would be individual; however, we also get the impression these ceremonies help keep the community in line. For example, in Chapter Five when Jonas shares his dream about Fiona, he inadvertently reveals that he has begun the "stirrings" and he is promptly put on pills to suppress them.

As Jonas begins to receive memories and learn more about the world before Sameness, he naturally begins to think more independently. He becomes frustrated and angry by rituals and people in his community that he never would have questioned or been upset by before. He notices that there are real disadvantages to to the world they live in now, but he still feels obligated by his position and feels there is no way out of the community. It is not until he witnesses the video of the release that he realizes he cannot stand to be in the community any longer. He and the Giver decide to help him escape. In spite of their detailed planning, Jonas changes it at the last minute when he finds out that Gabriel is scheduled for release the next day. Jonas then does the most individual and independent thinking he has done for the entire book and decides to leave that night. This is a decision made against the community. It is an individual decision and is made for individual reasons.

As readers we want to believe the community is a good place at the beginning, but we quickly feel something is wrong. It is a little too perfect and a little too uniform and very controlled. So, Lois Lowry is subtly sending the message that acting as a community without questioning the reasoning for the group decisions can be dangerous. She then develops Jonas as someone who becomes one of the only individuals and our hero, thus encouraging us to root for him and for thinking for one's self!