Notes

Saturday, 2 November 2013

What happens when Juliet goes to confession in Romeo and Juliet?

There are two scenes where Juliet goes to confession in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The first instance occurs in Act 2, scene 6, when Juliet meets Romeo secretly to be married. In order to get permission to leave the house and go to the church, Juliet pretends to go to confession. In Act 2, scene 5, the Nurse confirms the marriage plans to Juliet by saying, "Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’s cell. There stays a...

The second instance where Juliet attends confession is in Act 4, scene 1. At this point in the play, Juliet has just learned that she is being forced into a marriage with Paris. Despite her pleas to stay the marriage, Juliet's father and mother are insistent that she follow their wishes. When Juliet turned to the Nurse for comfort and advice, her best friend advises her to forget her marriage to Romeo and to marry Paris as her parents wish. This leaves Juliet feeling isolated and desperate. She immediately pretends to listen to the Nurse, but in an aside lets the audience know that she no longer trusts the Nurse to give her good advice. She visits Friar Lawrence again under the guise of confession, but she actually wants his advice on how to escape her impending marriage to Paris.

Upon her arrival at the church, Juliet encounters Paris, who is there to arrange their wedding ceremony. In an awkward exchange fraught with double meanings, Juliet and Paris converse about their upcoming marriage and true feelings. Once alone with Friar Lawrence, Juliet threatens to commit suicide if he cannot come up with a plan to help her escape her marriage to Paris.

What is the Central Metaphor in Robert Frost's "The Most of It?"

Taken literally, the "he" of the poem wishes that the universe and nature are there to provide him some kind of emotional and spiritual support. He wants more than just the return of his own voice (in echo). This is an allusion to the myth of Narcissus and Echo. Hera cursed Echo, making Echo only able to repeat the words of others. Narcissus is famous for falling in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Frost seems to be using these allusions to show how there is a tendency for a person to be selfish in expecting more from nature (more than an echo). The selfish man might get his own reflection or echo in return, but this is selfish thinking if he actually thinks this is nature giving love back particularly to him. This critique is summed up as, "the world doesn't revolve around you."

It is therefore more logical to simply "make the most of it," to make the most of what nature offers us. If we see something beautiful or stirring in nature, it is not necessarily nature answering our cries or prayers. (This is the Naturalist interpretation of nature). It is simply nature being nature, a spatio-temporal field of events we can experience and interpret in our own ways. A thunderstorm, a rainbow, or a calming breeze are all just "there." These are not responses to a single person's cries. But these are all there for each and every person to experience in whichever way they choose.

You could suggest that in addition to the literal meaning, nature could also be a metaphor for society. In other words, the "he" of the poem wants more out of life than he believes life is giving him. He selfishly thinks "he kept the universe alone," as if to say he is the center of the universe. He knows that the deer is just doing its own thing but he likes to think that this event is there for him to experience. Think of this metaphorically in terms of this man and other people in his life. He wants to think that all others exist to be parts of his life; they exist to fill the world of his existence. But if he was more open-minded and selfless, he would understand that each person ("each buck") and each event in life is not necessarily in existence for his own personal gain or enjoyment. He has to realize that he is only one part of this large interactive (ecological) community. He should consider that the buck (metaphorically, another person) has a story, desires, dreams just as much as he does. In this metaphor, nature can also be thought of as a social world and the buck can represent any other person in the man's life.

A number of characters disappeared during the journey, either died or left the family. It looks like the novelist John Steinback removed them on...

The deaths of Grandpa (soon after the Joad family left home) and Grandma (as they crossed into California) are understandable. Not only are they weakened by age, but their spirits remain back in Oklahoma with the land. Seemingly, the new home is only for the young. The departures of Connie and Noah can also be viewed as the weeding out of the weak. Al leaves the family to start his own, hinting at the small hope of a future somewhere for the Joad line. It is the departure of Tom, the protagonist, that is surprising. Tom has been the voice of reality amidst the turmoil of a life falling apart for the family. From the beginning, though, Tom’s presence has carried with it a hint of the possibility of his leaving, since he is on parole and not allowed to leave the state. His voluntary departure, however, even though it is to save himself from being caught, makes the reader wonder what the family is left to count on. With Ma, Pa, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharon (along with Ruthie and Winfield), only the bare bones of the clan are left. There is not much hope that Tom or Al will return, so the Joad family’s future is unclear. At the time of the writing of the novel, the Depression was still going on, so Steinbeck could not see the hope of a better future any more than the Joads could.

Do you think Faust ever really loves Gretchen, or do you think his intention all along is to seduce and abandon her? Or does he love the idea of...

When to the moment I shall say,/ “Linger awhile! so fair thou art!”/ Then mayst thou fetter me straightway,/ Then to the abyss will I depart!

In Goethe's masterpiece, Faust's damning pact with Mephistopheles is what dooms his relationship with Gretchen. In his newly youthful guise (courtesy of the witch), he can now taste the sensual pleasures of the world to his heart's content; Gretchen just happens to be one of those pleasures. She is, by all accounts, a noble and faithful daughter to a widowed mother. Innocent of guile and bereft of her father and little sister at a young age, she is housekeeper of the home she shares with her mother.

Faust is immediately smitten when he sees Gretchen, or rather, he finds his lust inflamed by the sight of her. When Faust and Gretchen part in the garden, without any promise of the consummation of Faust's desires, Mephistopheles goads him to distraction by intentionally weaving sexual imagery into his sly monologue. He tells Faust that Gretchen will be left 'love-sick evermore' by Faust's lack of masculine fortitude in procuring the sensual experience both of them desire. At this point, Mephistopheles just wants Faust to bed Gretchen so that he can win the pact.

She loves thee with an all-devouring flame./ First came thy passion with o’erpowering rush,/Like mountain torrent, swollen by the melted snow;/ Full in her heart didst pour the sudden gush,/Now has thy brooklet ceased to flow./

As to whether Faust really loves Gretchen, the evidence is to the contrary. Yes, he is fascinated by Gretchen's goodness and innocence; that all her positive attributes are enshrined in a visually attractive package doesn't hurt either. But we must not forget Faust's original desire for self-actualization or self-fulfillment; this is what originally drove him to make a pact with Mephistopheles. His desire to slake his sexual appetite is a microcosmic part of that all-pervading desire. He is searching for meaning; he hasn't found it yet in Part 1, where most of Gretchen's interaction with Faust is delineated. If you read Faust' conversation with Gretchen regarding faith in God, you will see that Faust's present focus is not so much cerebral as it is visceral. He wants to feel; he doesn't want to think about the consequences of bedding a nubile, young woman.

Then call it, what thou wilt,/— Call it Bliss! Heart! Love! God!/ I have no name for it!/ ’Tis feeling all;/

So, we find that, after impregnating Gretchen and killing Gretchen's brother, Valentine, in a duel, Faust escapes to indulge in the macabrely decadent pleasures afforded at the Witches Celebration on Walpurgis Night. He leaves Gretchen to face the aftermath of a night of sensual pleasure on her own, agonizing in the cathedral about her sins and grieving over her own brother's death. Faust doesn't instinctively set out to abandon Gretchen, but he doesn't plan for a future together with her either. So, on this point alone, his love (if it can be called that) for Gretchen is superficial at best, and gratuitous at worst.

His conscience is only pricked when he realizes that Gretchen is in prison for her part in drowning their child. He tries to pin the blame on Mephistopheles for Gretchen's plight, but Mephistopheles will have none of it. He tells Faust that all responsibility really lies with him. Meanwhile, Faust begs Gretchen to leave the prison with him, but Gretchen chooses not to do so. She grieves that the day of judgment, which should have been the day of her 'bridal,' has come for her. Helpless, Faust has to leave Gretchen to her fate. Gretchen's willingness to face judgment for her sins ensures her salvation. It is from this experience that Faust begins to see that sensual gratification alone will not ensure his self-fulfillment.

Friday, 1 November 2013

Why is potential difference the same in a parallel combination?

The work done by the electric field to move a unit of electrical charge between two points in a circuit represents the potential difference between these points.

This relationship is expressed in the following equation:

ΔV = W/q

On the other hand we have, that the electric field is a conservative field; This means that the work carried out by the field, between two points, does not depend on the path followed by the electric charge between these points.

When connecting several components between two points in a circuit (parallel connection), the electric charge moves through several paths between these two points but the work performed by the field, or the potential difference between the points, is the same for all paths. So in this type of connection, the potential difference is the same for all components.

How does color affect temperature? I've looked at every website, and I don't find anything to show which color is the hottest.

The answer depends on whether energy absorbed by an opaque object, or the energy emitted by an object that is producing light, is being measured.

Visible light is composed of the colors of the rainbow. The acronym ROYBIV Is used to remember these colors in the order that they appear in the rainbow- red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, and violet. Each color has a unique wavelength and frequency that determines its energy. Energy is directly related to a color’s frequency and inversely related to its wavelength. Because red has the longest wavelength and slowest frequency, it has the least amount of energy. Likewise, because violet has the highest frequency and shortest wavelength, it has the highest energy.

The color that we see is the color that is reflected off of an opaque object. All other colors within the visible spectrum are absorbed by the opaque object. The energy absorbed is transformed into heat energy.

An opaque white object reflects all colors of visible light. Thus, an opaque white object absorbs none of the energy that corresponds the different color’s wavelengths and frequencies. Therefore, opaque items that are white in color tend to have low temperatures.

The opposite is true of opaque black objects. An opaque object that is black absorbs all colors of the visible spectrum. Thus all the energies associated with the colors’ wavelengths and frequencies are absorbed. Therefore, opaque black items are associated with higher temperatures.

Likewise, the temperatures of remaining opaque colors of the rainbow are associated with the sum of the energies of the colors that they absorb.

However, the opposite is true of the light emitted by an object. If a charged particle vibrates fast enough, light will be emitted. Temperature is a reflection of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Therefore, higher temperatures are associated with more vibrations. Since white light reflects all colors of the visible spectrum, it is associated with the highest energy emission. Likewise, because black objects absorb all colors of the visible spectrum, it is associated with the lowest energy emission. This color/temperature relationship enables steelmakers to estimate the temperature range of heated metals based on the colors that they emit. Likewise, the temperatures of stars are also indicative of the colors they emit.

What are some quotes that portray Tom's innocence in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Throughout the novel, Tom Robinson is portrayed as an innocent individual who becomes a victim of racial injustice. There are several quotes throughout the novel that portray his innocence. While Tom is on the witness stand, he is questioned about whether he was paid for helping Mayella Ewell. Tom says, "No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn't seem to help her none, and neither did the chillun, and I knowed she didn't have no nickels to spare." (Lee 256) Tom shows sympathy for Mayella, and selflessly offers her assistance without any pay. Tom was also poor, but found the time to help out another person who was struggling.

When Atticus asks Tom Robinson if he resisted her advances, Tom says, "Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothin'." (Lee 260) In this scene, Tom displays his manners and polite disposition despite Mayella's inappropriate advances. Tom knew he was in a precarious situation, but still showed concern for Mayella's well-being before choosing to run out of the house.

After Atticus finishes questioning Tom Robinson, Mr. Link Deas shouts from the crowd, "I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy's worked for me eight years an' I ain't had a speck o'trouble outa him. Not a speck." (Lee 261) Mr. Link Deas' statement about Tom's character portrays Tom as an innocent man. Tom was a caring, selfless individual, who was respected throughout his community. His employer's testimony depicts Tom as a moral, hard working individual. These several comments portray Tom Robinson as an innocent individual who became a victim of prejudice.