Is there any personification in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Personification is a literary device in which the author attributes human characteristics and features to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals. Personification allows the reader to connect and identify with nonhuman or inanimate objects, which offers a better image of what is happening throughout the text. Edgar Allan Poe personifies the old man's eye throughout the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by referring to it as the "Evil Eye." Poe gives the eye the human attribute of being evil, which evokes the terrible, wicked emotions that the narrator feels toward the old man's eye.

Poe also personifies the "world" by writing, "Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept" (3). The world cannot literally sleep, but this gives the reader the feeling of a calm, quiet night. By personifying the night, the reader has a better understanding of the atmosphere of the night that the narrator is describing.

Poe once again utilizes personification by writing,

All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim (5).

Death is given human attributes and referred to by the personal pronoun "him." Personifying death signifies an ominous image of a malevolent criminal who stalks his victims before taking their lives.

In Animal Farm, how do the pigs become what they hated?

George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945) is a political allegory about the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Stalin's subsequent rule over the Soviet Union. The story begins with Old Major, a representation of the creator of communism, Karl Marx, assembling the farm animals to revolt against the humans. The revolt is successful, and the pigs establish the Seven Commandments of Animalism to help secure their new society.

After the animals defend the farm from a human...

George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945) is a political allegory about the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Stalin's subsequent rule over the Soviet Union. The story begins with Old Major, a representation of the creator of communism, Karl Marx, assembling the farm animals to revolt against the humans. The revolt is successful, and the pigs establish the Seven Commandments of Animalism to help secure their new society.

After the animals defend the farm from a human attack, Napoleon begins to subvert Snowball. Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, the tyrannical dictator of the Soviet Union from the 1920s until 1953. Snowball, on the other hand, represents Leon Trotsky, a one-time compatriot and later opponent and vocal critic of Stalin's. Napoleon argues for Snowball's removal from the farm and begins adopting human characteristics himself. He wears clothes, walks on two legs, and, with the death of Boxer, suppresses the other animals to advance his own interests. He eventually becomes as oppressive as the animals' former human master, Mr. Jones. This results in the novel's haunting last line: "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" (Orwell). This represents how the communist revolution in Russia, intended to elevate the working classes, ultimately resulted in the degradation of the proletariat under Stalin's rule. The communist leaders became the very thing that they intended to destroy.

The pigs, meaning Napoleon and his followers, become what they hated by gradually adopting the tyrannical practices of the very humans they initially sought to overthrow. With this, Orwell establishes the corrupting nature of political power through the case study of the communist revolution in Russia.

For more information, please explore the guide to Animal Farm linked below!

Where can I find quotes about depression in Act 1 of Hamlet?

Hamlet's depression is pretty well documented throughout the play, beginning as early as Act 1, scene 2, where his uncle and his mother ask him to take off his dark mourning clothes. Queen Gertrude states,

"Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark..." (1,2,68-70)

Hamlet refuses Gertrude's request, indicating that what others see on the surface is only a hint at the great pool of depression that...

Hamlet's depression is pretty well documented throughout the play, beginning as early as Act 1, scene 2, where his uncle and his mother ask him to take off his dark mourning clothes. Queen Gertrude states,

"Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark..." (1,2,68-70)

Hamlet refuses Gertrude's request, indicating that what others see on the surface is only a hint at the great pool of depression that he's currently wallowing in. He realizes how he comes across to others, but quite literally can't help it. He knows that other people want him to behave normally, but he can't believe that his mother could marry his uncle so quickly after his father's death, and he's still reeling from the loss of his father. 

"'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,” For they are actions that a man might play. But I have that within which passeth show,

These but the trappings and the suits of woe." (1,2, 76-86)

How does Steinbeck present the brutality of ranch life at the time Of Mice and Men is set?

In Of Mice and Men, the brutality of ranch life is depicted through characterization.

• In Chapter One as George and Lennie camp out before heading to their new job, and George alludes to the reason they have to start anew: Lennie wanted to feel a girl's dress.

She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark...

In Of Mice and Men, the brutality of ranch life is depicted through characterization.

• In Chapter One as George and Lennie camp out before heading to their new job, and George alludes to the reason they have to start anew: Lennie wanted to feel a girl's dress.

She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country.

• In Chapter Two, after Candy gossips about Curley, the son of the boss with George and Lennie, he begs them not to repeat what he has said because "[H]e'd slough me. He just don't give a damn."


• When Curley enters the bunkhouse, he is immediately hostile toward Lennie, shouting, "By Christ, he's gotta talk when he's spoke to."


• After Curley leaves, Candy explains how pugnacious Curley is, "Seems like Curley ain't givin' nobody a chance."


• In Chapter Three Carlson heartlessly offers to shoot Candy's old dog.


• In this chapter when Curley antagonizes Slim, Whit becomes excited and leaves the bunkhouse to watch the "fireworks."


• Lennie suggests his propensity for violence when he imagines that some might try to take his dream rabbits: "I'll break their God damn necks." Later, he breaks every bone in Curley's hand when Curley comes at him.


• In Chapter Four, Crooks takes a sadistic delight in telling Lennie that George, who has gone to town, may not return. "Crooks's face lighted with pleasure in his torture."


• In Chapter Five, Curley is ready to wreak vengeance on Lennie after learning of his wife's death. Candy tells George, "Curley gon'ta wanta get 'im lynched. Curley'll get 'im killed."


• When Carlson runs into the barn, shouting that his Luger is gone, Curley tells him that Crooks has a shotgun and to take it.


• Then, when George asks Curley not to shoot Lennie. "Don't shoot 'im?" Curley cried. "He got Carlson's Luger. 'Course we'll shoot 'im."

Why does Jeanne decide that if she faces hostility, she will "have to allow it"?

Although Jeanne makes that comment in Chapter 16, when she says that she'll have to allow hostility because something about her deserves it, we'll find a more detailed explanation of that idea in Chapter 20: "A Double Impulse," when Jeanne reflects on the way in which her experiences have shaped her attitudes and her sense of self.

In that chapter, she describes the victims of internment (such as herself and her family) as somewhat...

Although Jeanne makes that comment in Chapter 16, when she says that she'll have to allow hostility because something about her deserves it, we'll find a more detailed explanation of that idea in Chapter 20: "A Double Impulse," when Jeanne reflects on the way in which her experiences have shaped her attitudes and her sense of self.

In that chapter, she describes the victims of internment (such as herself and her family) as somewhat at fault for allowing it to happen. She says that in order for the 110,000 people to allow themselves to be locked up in the camps, those people have to have some kind of "acquiescence," some small belief that they actually deserved to be locked away in the camps.

Consider how Jeanne's elders would tell each other "Shikata ga nai," or "It must be done"/"It can't be helped" when Jeanne's father was wrongly imprisoned and when the family was experiencing the chaos of being moved around. This idea of acquiescence, of interpreting injustice as unavoidable and allowing it to happen, has been bred into Jeanne. "I had inherited it," she tells us in Chapter 20.

So when people see Jeanne as someone foreign and strange, or someone not worth associating with, she doesn't fight back. For example, when she's rejected from participating in the Girl Scouts simply because she's Japanese, she simply accepts it. She simply allows that hostility to exist, although on the inside, she yearns for both invisibility and self-assertion (the "double impulse" mentioned in the chapter title).

Krakauer observes that it is not unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders. Identify an example from...

Recklessness can be thought of in terms of both what you do and how you do it. On the "how", for example, driving to the store under the speed limit on major roads in good weather is not reckless, but getting drunk and then driving very fast on icy roads in the dark is reckless. Extreme sports or solo wilderness travel are by their nature dangerous. This means that most people who do them (especially those...

Recklessness can be thought of in terms of both what you do and how you do it. On the "how", for example, driving to the store under the speed limit on major roads in good weather is not reckless, but getting drunk and then driving very fast on icy roads in the dark is reckless. Extreme sports or solo wilderness travel are by their nature dangerous. This means that most people who do them (especially those who survive doing them for many years) take an extremely cautious, almost scientific, approach to planning and execution. 

First, this includes building up skills on shorter trips, especially navigation skills using topographic maps, compasses, and altimeters. Next, one gradually adjusts one's gear to suit the environment and learns how to create safe, comfortable campsites protected from the weather. Most people involved in extreme wilderness travel carry satellite phones for emergencies. 

McCandless did none of these things. Most important to the material discussed in Chapter 17, he did not have a good map or compass nor even the basic common sense needed to follow a river downstream to find a good spot to ford. Thus he chose what is a dangerous activity and rather than minimize the dangers by learning the necessary skills and having the correct equipment, he went about his journey into the wild in a reckless manner. 

Why does Winnie get reminded about her grandfather's funeral when talking to the stranger?

But Winnie, though she was half charmed, was suddenly reminded of the stiff black ribbons they had hung on the door of the cottage for her grandfather's funeral.

Winnie meets the man in the yellow suit in chapter 4.  The man is perfectly cordial and friendly to Winnie.  In fact, he is even a bit charming, and those are Winnie's initial feelings about the man; however, Winnie does not fully trust the man.  She feels...

But Winnie, though she was half charmed, was suddenly reminded of the stiff black ribbons they had hung on the door of the cottage for her grandfather's funeral.

Winnie meets the man in the yellow suit in chapter 4.  The man is perfectly cordial and friendly to Winnie.  In fact, he is even a bit charming, and those are Winnie's initial feelings about the man; however, Winnie does not fully trust the man.  She feels as if something is "off" about the guy.  The black ribbons and the funeral thoughts help the reader and Winnie better understand that the man in the yellow suit isn't what he seems.  The black ribbons at a funeral might look nice and neat, but they represent a terribly sad situation.  A loved one has died.  Like the ribbons, the man in the yellow suit might appear and sound nice and neat, but he most definitely represents a dark, evil force in the novel.  Winnie being reminded of her grandfather's funeral is her internal warning system going off about the stranger. 

In "The Story of My Life," what was the incident of "The Frost King?" What was the controversy?

Helen Keller's "The Story of My Life" gives an account of many of Helen's experiences up to the age of twenty two. It includes the highlights, such as Helen's first word- W-A-T-E-R and Miss Sullivan's inspiring teaching methods which allow Helen to "learn from life itself," (chapter 7). It also includes some of the worst experiences imaginable and which changed Helen's life forever. Helen feels that it is necessary to include challenging and saddening events...

Helen Keller's "The Story of My Life" gives an account of many of Helen's experiences up to the age of twenty two. It includes the highlights, such as Helen's first word- W-A-T-E-R and Miss Sullivan's inspiring teaching methods which allow Helen to "learn from life itself," (chapter 7). It also includes some of the worst experiences imaginable and which changed Helen's life forever. Helen feels that it is necessary to include challenging and saddening events because she grasps every opportunity to learn, and even painful memories can be beneficial to learning.

"The Frost King" is one such opportunity. When Helen is twelve, she writes a story and sends it to Mr Anagnos for his birthday. Mr Anagnos is so delighted and impressed by it that he publishes it in The Perkins' Institute report. Before long, it is being compared to "The Frost Fairies" which is a published story by Miss Margaret T. Canby from her book "Birdie and His Friends" and Helen is accused of plagiarism.

Helen vows that she has no recollection of ever having had the story told to her and Mr Anagnos believes Helen at first but when Helen says something about Jack Frost she rouses suspicion and loses the trust of her beloved Mr Anagnos. There is an inquiry and Helen and Miss Sullivan are questioned vigorously. Unfortunately, the controversy remains and Helen is never able to regain Mr Anagnos's trust and she says, "I felt so cold, I imagined I should die before morning." Helen is cleared of any wrongdoing but the loss of her friendship with Mr Anagnos leaves Helen full of regret. 

How do the various characters respond to the events of the story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings?"

For the most part, the old man (alleged angel) is mistreated and variously misunderstood. 

Even though the man has wings, Pelayo and Elisenda think he is a castaway from some ship. Their neighbor notes the wings and concludes that he is, in fact, an angel. The neighbor believes that the angel is part of some "celestial conspiracy" and should be clubbed to death, but in their wisdom (or indifference), the couple refuse to do this....

For the most part, the old man (alleged angel) is mistreated and variously misunderstood. 

Even though the man has wings, Pelayo and Elisenda think he is a castaway from some ship. Their neighbor notes the wings and concludes that he is, in fact, an angel. The neighbor believes that the angel is part of some "celestial conspiracy" and should be clubbed to death, but in their wisdom (or indifference), the couple refuse to do this. Still, Pelayo locks the man in the chicken coop, thus treating him like a farm animal. In spite of the miracle of finding a man with wings in their midst, the first responses are ignorant, dismissive, reactionary, and abusive. 

By the next morning, other people in the neighborhood have arrived and treat the angel "as if he weren’t a supernatural creature but a circus animal." Father Gonzaga arrives to find that even though these people are mistreating the old man, they offer suggestions such as making the old man mayor of the world or promoting him to a high official position. Gonzaga tells the people not to be naive (ingenuous) and that the old man might not be an angel. Now, he doesn't tell them to start treating the angel better (just in case he is an angel or out of common Christian decency). He simply says he will ask the bishop. 

In the meantime, Pelayo and Elisenda start charging people to see the old man (angel). They make a lot of money. Then a carnival arrives and the people flock to see a human spider. The old man is no longer the star attraction and he is abandoned. Pelayo doesn't clean or keep the chicken coop repaired. Even though the old man had made them relatively rich, he becomes like a burden to them. When he finally leaves, they are only too happy to see him go. Elisenda is glad "because then he was no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea." 

Who is the solitary child in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?

In Stave II of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Ebenezer Scrooge to visit his past. They come to a boarding school where a solitary child has been left behind while his schoolmates head home for Christmas. That child is Ebenezer Scrooge himself. When he sees his younger self sitting at a desk reading, Scrooge breaks down into tears, remembering how he felt at that time. Soon though, he...

In Stave II of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Ebenezer Scrooge to visit his past. They come to a boarding school where a solitary child has been left behind while his schoolmates head home for Christmas. That child is Ebenezer Scrooge himself. When he sees his younger self sitting at a desk reading, Scrooge breaks down into tears, remembering how he felt at that time. Soon though, he also remembers the joy he felt from reading and the way his imagination allowed visits from his favorite storybook characters like Ali Baba and Robinson Crusoe. He also remembers when his little sister, Fan, came to the boarding school to take him home and how joyous it was to see her. 

What sort of growth of characters do we see in Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw?

In one sense, we can think of the play Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw as a sort of dramatic bildungsroman, documenting the growth of the character Raina towards a greater self-knowledge and understanding of the world. Both of the central characters in the play grow as people.

Raina: As we first encounter her, she has naive views about both the nature of war and the nature of love, based to a...

In one sense, we can think of the play Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw as a sort of dramatic bildungsroman, documenting the growth of the character Raina towards a greater self-knowledge and understanding of the world. Both of the central characters in the play grow as people.

Raina: As we first encounter her, she has naive views about both the nature of war and the nature of love, based to a large degree on her reading (especially of Byron) and the opera. Her encounter with Captain Bluntschli educates her in two ways. First, in conversation, he tells her about the reality of war, giving her a more realistic view of it than she had from her reading. Second, in saving him from the pursuing soldiers, she has the opportunity to use and develop her genuine intelligence and strength of character, something that leads to her replacing the romantic infatuation with Sergius with a more solid relationship.

Captain Bluntschli: If Raina learns about war from Captain Bluntschli, he learns something about love from her. As he is both charmed by her and grateful to her, he falls in love, uncovering the true romantic under his blunt, pragmatic exterior.

How is Jem similar to Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In one specific episode in Chapter 10, Jem declares that his father is just like him: he is a gentleman who does not take advantage of others.

When the children are given air-rifles for Christmas, Atticus will not teach them to shoot, so Uncle Jack instructs them in the basic operation of their guns. He tells them that their father does not like guns. Later on, they learn why. 

One Saturday Jem and Scout decide...

In one specific episode in Chapter 10, Jem declares that his father is just like him: he is a gentleman who does not take advantage of others.

When the children are given air-rifles for Christmas, Atticus will not teach them to shoot, so Uncle Jack instructs them in the basic operation of their guns. He tells them that their father does not like guns. Later on, they learn why. 

One Saturday Jem and Scout decide to explore the area with their air-rifles to see if they can find a squirrel or rabbit. Instead, Jem spots a dog staggering down the street. Scout recognizes it as Tim Johnson, the liver-colored dog of Mr. Harry Johnson, the driver of the Mobile bus. Because the dog is staggering, Jem decides to alert Calpurnia. When the maid sees this dog, she hurries the children home and immediately phones Atticus who soon arrives with Sheriff Tate. After the men see the dog, they realize that he is rabid and must be shot.

"Take him, Mr. Finch." Mr. Tate handed the rifle to Atticus; Jem and I nearly fainted. 
"Don't waste time, Heck," said Atticus. "Go on."
"Mr. Finch, this is a one-shot job."

Sheriff Tate implies that he is not as accurate a shot as is Atticus. Then, he tosses the rifle at Atticus, who complains that he has not fired a gun in thirty years. Nevertheless, he pushes his glasses up to his forehead, takes aim, and fires a shot; this shot is a direct hit, and the poor dog crumples onto the sidewalk. Jem is amazed.

"I saw that, One-Shot Finch!" calls Miss Maudie. Jem remains in "numb confusion" for a few moments, then he recounts aloud what has just happened. In response to his amazement, Miss Maudie explains to Jem why she has referred to Atticus as "One-Shot," adding that Atticus began to think that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living creatures. Therefore, he decided not to shoot anything unless he had to do so.

"Looks like he'd be proud of it," Scout says. But, Miss Maudie disagrees: "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents." When she says this, Jem realizes something important about his father. With great admiration, he exclaims, "Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!"

How does Charles Dickens relate Christmas Carol to the Victorian Era?

A Christmas Carol is one of Dickens' most popular stories but, beneath its message of reformation, is a strong indictment of Victorian society. That Dickens was inspired to write the book after reading a report, about the working conditions of children in the Staffordshire potteries, speaks volumes about its social message. He wanted to bring to light the darker side of industrial Britain; a place where poverty and deprivation were widespread and, quite often, ignored. 

...

A Christmas Carol is one of Dickens' most popular stories but, beneath its message of reformation, is a strong indictment of Victorian society. That Dickens was inspired to write the book after reading a report, about the working conditions of children in the Staffordshire potteries, speaks volumes about its social message. He wanted to bring to light the darker side of industrial Britain; a place where poverty and deprivation were widespread and, quite often, ignored. 

Nowhere is Dickens' social message more evident than in the first chapter when two gentlemen call on Scrooge and ask him to make a donation to their charitable fund for London's paupers. These people, banished to prisons and workhouses, were not based on fiction. Poverty was a genuine problem in the city and efforts to alleviate the problem were minimal. Scrooge's cold response represents the unhelpful attitude of much of the Victorian establishment: 

(Scrooge)"I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''

"If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

This last line is repeated to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Present in the third chapter. By reinforcing this point, Dickens sought to make people aware of the problem of poverty and its humanitarian implications. He wanted people to feel the plight of others and to help them, not to ignore their very existence. 

What is the molar mass of magnesium oxide? I want the answer not to be round and to be used by this periodic chart

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a compound. One mole is 6.02x10^23 molecules of that compound.

The formula for magnesium oxide is MgO. This means every molecule of magnesium oxide contains one magnesium atom and one oxygen atom. In order to find the molar mass of a compound, you must sum the individual molar masses of the atoms which form that compound.

The molar mass of an element is the atomic weight...

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a compound. One mole is 6.02x10^23 molecules of that compound.

The formula for magnesium oxide is MgO. This means every molecule of magnesium oxide contains one magnesium atom and one oxygen atom. In order to find the molar mass of a compound, you must sum the individual molar masses of the atoms which form that compound.

The molar mass of an element is the atomic weight of that element. Using the table you provided, we find the molar masses of Mg and O are 24.305 grams/mol and 15.999 grams/mol, respectively. 

So the molar mass of magnesium oxide is (24.305 + 15.999) = 40.304 grams/mole.

Now, with regards to rounding, 40.304 is a correct answer with respect to significant digits. 

In the novel "The Outsiders" by S.E Hinton, the Socs beat up Ponyboy and Johnny. Is Ponyboy innocent or guilty of assisting in the murder of Bob...

Ponyboy is innocent of assisting in the murder of Bob Sheldon. He was unaware that Johnny stabbed and killed him, and later on in the novel when they are hiding out, Johnny comments that Pony is not guilty of anything.

In Chapter 4, Johnny and Ponyboy are jumped by a group of five Socs at a local park around 2:30 am. During the scuffle, a Soc named Bob Sheldon grabs Ponyboy and attempts to drown...

Ponyboy is innocent of assisting in the murder of Bob Sheldon. He was unaware that Johnny stabbed and killed him, and later on in the novel when they are hiding out, Johnny comments that Pony is not guilty of anything.

In Chapter 4, Johnny and Ponyboy are jumped by a group of five Socs at a local park around 2:30 am. During the scuffle, a Soc named Bob Sheldon grabs Ponyboy and attempts to drown him in the fountain. Pony comments on how he felt while Bob had his head underneath the water and said,

"I'm drowning I thought, they've gone too far...A red haze filled my mind and I slowly relaxed. The next thing I knew I was lying on the pavement beside the fountain, coughing water and gasping." (Hinton 56)

Ponyboy was unconscious when Johnny stabbed Bob Sheldon, and was unaware of what happened until he became conscious again. In Chapter 5, Johnny and Pony begin arguing about their difficult situation. Johnny admits that it is his fault the boys are wanted for murder. Johnny says,

"For bringin' a little thirteen-year-old kid along. You ought to go home. You can't get into trouble. You didn't kill him." (Hinton 74)

Johnny knows that Pony had nothing to do with the decision he made to stab Bob Sheldon.

What is the word when you reduce air resistance?

When we reduce the air resistance on a body, we say that the body has been streamlined. Streamliningis a concept commonly used in fluid mechanics and has been adopted by automobile industry, among others. Streamlining allows us to achieve high speeds and power. This generally refers to, in simplest terms, smooth surfaces and unbroken corners. For example, look at the surface of any car, it is very smooth and its edges and corners are...

When we reduce the air resistance on a body, we say that the body has been streamlined. Streamlining is a concept commonly used in fluid mechanics and has been adopted by automobile industry, among others. Streamlining allows us to achieve high speeds and power. This generally refers to, in simplest terms, smooth surfaces and unbroken corners. For example, look at the surface of any car, it is very smooth and its edges and corners are also smooth. In other words, the surface does not allows much scope for air resistance. This allows us to achieve high speeds, thereby reducing our travel times. Similar concepts are also used in design of trains, airplanes, ships, tall buildings, etc. A commonly used facility to check the streamlining of a body (or a small scale model) is wind tunnel. 

Hope this helps. 

What are direct quotes from Fahrenheit 451 that give insight into Montag?

The following quotes were picked in chronological order to show Montag's dynamic journey from being a fireman who burns books to a reader who wants to defend them:

"It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed" (3).

The above passage demonstrates that Montag starts out being all things fireman. He likes his job; he fulfills his duties; and he doesn't think twice about it. Once he meets Clarisse, though, things change. She starts to make him think about what firemen used to really do. Montag slips at work, though, and wonders these things aloud as in the following quote:

"Montag hesitated. 'Was--was it always like this? The firehouse ,our work? I mean, well, once upon a time. . .'

'Once upon a time!' Beatty said. 'What kind of talk is that?'" (34).

This vocal slip lets his boss Captain Beatty know what he's probably already been guessing--that Montag is reading. No one would have used that phrase without having read some fairy tales.

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing" (51).

A turning point for Montag, though, is when a lady burns herself with her books and her house. It is unfathomable to Montag for someone actually to choose to die by fire all in protest over some books! When once he dabbled in reading, now he wants to know what books can really offer him; and, he wants to see if they have something that will improve his life.

"Nobody listens any more. I can't talk to the walls because they're yelling at me. I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense" (82).

Montag's life, he realizes, is depressing because he doesn't have children, he doesn't know and love his wife like he feels he should, and he doesn't know what direction he should be heading. He's amazed that TV and radio have distracted him and his wife so much that they have forgotten how, when, and where they first met.

"'Well,' said Beatty, 'now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why'" (113).

This last quote finds Montag caught for his crimes of owning and reading books. Again, these five quotes could be used to show Montag's dissention from being a law-abiding fireman to a criminal within Bradbury's dystopian society.

Why does Zeus disdain the offering and what does he have planned for Odysseus and his men in The Odyssey?

It was foretold both by Tiresias in the Kingdom of the Dead chapter (page 253), as well as by Circe in The Cattle of the Sun chapter (page 275) that if Odysseus' men were to eat the sun god, Helios', sheep or cattle, then Odysseus' crew and ship would be destroyed.

Odysseus tries to lead his men away from the island with the cattle of the sun god; however, his men persuade him that they...

It was foretold both by Tiresias in the Kingdom of the Dead chapter (page 253), as well as by Circe in The Cattle of the Sun chapter (page 275) that if Odysseus' men were to eat the sun god, Helios', sheep or cattle, then Odysseus' crew and ship would be destroyed.

Odysseus tries to lead his men away from the island with the cattle of the sun god; however, his men persuade him that they can row no further, because they are exhausted from constant rowing and lack of sleep. Odysseus tells his crew of the warning he received twice from two different people, and his crew are relentless. Odysseus gives in, but warns his crew not to eat any of the sheep nor cattle.

Zeus causes powerful winds in the middle of the night, causing such terrible waves and weather that Odysseus and his men are stuck on the island for a month. By the end of the month, Odysseus and his crew have eaten all of their provisions, and even with fishing and foraging, the men are starving. While Odysseus is off praying to the gods on a mountain top, Odysseus' men decide to kill and eat some of the cattle. The crew does offer up the innards and bones of the cattle they killed (page 282); however, Lampetie (who was in charge of taking care of her father's cattle) told Zeus what happened to the cattle, including an ultimatum that basically said, you better help me get my revenge, or the sun will never rise again: "Unless they pay me back in blood for the butchery of my herds, down I go to the House of Death and blaze among the dead!" (283). Zeus' response was "Sun, you keep shinning...on the wine-dark sea I'll hit their racing ship with a white-hot bolt, I'll tear it into splinters" (283).

So essentially, it was already prophesied that Odysseus' crew was going to kill and eat some of the cattle of the sun god, and they would be destroyed. When the event came to be, Zeus' loyalty was not with the few mortals offering up part of the cattle to him, but to his fellow immortal who gave him an ultimatum.

In what ways is "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" a humorous story?

Twain uses three elements classic to comedy to create a humorous story. First, as anyone who has read the Lemony Snickett stories knows, warning a reader from the outset that a story will be too terrible or boring to read is sure to have the opposite effect and catch his or her interest. The narrator in this story declares that he thinks his friend's intention in asking him to ask about Smiley is to bore...

Twain uses three elements classic to comedy to create a humorous story. First, as anyone who has read the Lemony Snickett stories knows, warning a reader from the outset that a story will be too terrible or boring to read is sure to have the opposite effect and catch his or her interest. The narrator in this story declares that he thinks his friend's intention in asking him to ask about Smiley is to bore him "nearly to death with some infernal reminiscence of him as long and tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it certainly succeeded." Of course, what follows is a story that turns out to be anything but tedious.

Exaggeration is a key to comedy, and Twain uses the device of the tall tale to tell the over-the-top story of a man, Jim Smiley, who would bet on anything. It is hard not to smile at a man willing to bet on which of two birds on a fence will fly off first. Surprise is a third important element of comedic writing and Twain employs this too. After emphasizing how lucky Smiley is in his betting life and singing the praises of his frog, who can outjump any other, the story introduces a trickster, in the form of a stranger, who outsmarts Smiley. When the stranger takes advantage of Smiley's absence to load his frog, Daniel Webster, down with buckshot, surprise enters what we expected to be a predictable tale and the joke is on Smiley. 

Bud has a very active imagination. How does this help him throughout the book? Does it ever get him in trouble? Why do you think imagination is so...

Bud's active imagination gives him hope throughout the novel and encourages him to continue his journey during difficult times. Bud compares his thoughts to tiny seeds that grow into massive maple trees. Bud's initial thoughts about his father develop into an obsession to find him. The thought of living a carefree life with his father motivates Bud to travel across Michigan to find him. Bud's imagination also soothes him in unfamiliar environments. Memories of Bud's mother calm him down and make him comfortable no matter where he is at.

Sometimes, Bud's imagination gets him into trouble. At the beginning of the novel when Bud is locked inside the Amos' shed, Bud thinks that there is a vampire bat hanging from the ceiling. Bud fears that the vampire bat will suck his blood, so Bud picks up a rake, and swings at it as hard as he can. The "vampire bat" turns out to be a hornet's nest and Bud gets stung badly. Another moment where Bud's imagination gets him into trouble is when Lefty Lewis offers him a ride. Bud sees an icebox labeled "URGENT: CONTAINS HUMAN BLOOD," and thinks that Lefty must be a vampire. Bud locks Lefty out of the car and attempts to drive away. Fortunately, Bud does not make it very far before the car shuts off.

Having an active imagination would benefit individuals who lived during the Depression. The Depression, aptly named, was a rough period to be alive. In order for people to have hope and maintain a positive outlook on life, they would need to have an active imagination to counter the dismal realities of the world around them.

There have been numerous difficult moments throughout my life where my imagination has helped distract my attention and relieve my stress. From imagining a picturesque beach when its cold and rainy outside, to thinking about playing catch with my father to soothe my mind before taking an important test, my imagination helps me through difficult situations each day.