What does Reverend Sykes say about his experiences in court in To Kill a Mockingbird?

During the trial, Jem discusses the court proceedings with Reverend Sykes.

In Chapter 21, Reverend Sykes says Judge Taylor has been fair in his address to the jury. In the Reverend's opinion, the judge refrained from publicly taking sides on the case; instead, he has merely charged the members of the jury to vote according to their best judgement. Reverend Sykes's direct quote is,

Oh, he did right well. I ain’t complainin‘ one bit—he was...

During the trial, Jem discusses the court proceedings with Reverend Sykes.

In Chapter 21, Reverend Sykes says Judge Taylor has been fair in his address to the jury. In the Reverend's opinion, the judge refrained from publicly taking sides on the case; instead, he has merely charged the members of the jury to vote according to their best judgement. Reverend Sykes's direct quote is,

Oh, he did right well. I ain’t complainin‘ one bit—he was mighty fair-minded. He sorta said if you believe this, then you’ll have to return one verdict, but if you believe this, you’ll have to return another one.

Reverend Sykes believes Judge Taylor leans a little toward their side in the matter of Tom's innocence. Upon hearing this, Jem pipes up that as an arbiter of justice, Judge Taylor is supposed to be impartial. Jem also states he's confident Tom will win his case.

For his part, Reverend Sykes isn't especially hopeful. He says his experiences in court have been largely the same: he's never seen any jury decide in favor of a black man over a white man.

What are three instances from book 12 of the Odyssey that proves Odysseus is being a hero?

There are many instances throughout The Odyssey where Odysseus acts heroically. A hero, according to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, is "a ​person ​admired for ​bravery, ​great ​achievements, or good ​qualities." In Book 12, we can find three such examples of Odysseus acting as a hero.

The first example of Odysseus being a hero is when he and his men face the Sirens. Circe told Odysseus that he must be the only one to listen to the Sirens, so Odysseus...

There are many instances throughout The Odyssey where Odysseus acts heroically. A hero, according to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, is "a ​person ​admired for ​bravery, ​great ​achievements, or good ​qualities." In Book 12, we can find three such examples of Odysseus acting as a hero.

The first example of Odysseus being a hero is when he and his men face the Sirens. Circe told Odysseus that he must be the only one to listen to the Sirens, so Odysseus melts wax for all the men to plug their ears, and then he orders his men to tie him up to the mast and not release him under any circumstances until they are safely past the Sirens. This is heroic because Odysseus acts bravely; the Sirens tempt Odysseus to go to them and leave his ship and it is far from easy to resist, even while tied, but he does.

A second example where Odysseus acts as a hero is when he boosts the morale of his men throughout the difficulties they face on the ship. Odysseus "went through the ship, cheering up the crew, standing beside each man and speaking words of reassurance." This is heroic because Odysseus cares for his crew, not just himself, and it is far from easy to be a leader, but Odysseus successfully leads his men. It is an example of a good quality, as we see in the definition above.

A third example of Odysseus as a hero in Book 12 is when he survives, even after all his men are killed. The men angered the gods when they killed and ate the cattle of Helios, and after they set sail, their ship is attacked. He makes it once again through Scylla and Charybdis and then floats for nine days until he reaches land. The fact that he survives on his own for so long and through such perils is a great achievement and therefore certainly heroic, according to our definition above. (Also, it is important to note that Odysseus tried to warn his men and told them not to eat the cattle, but the men did not listen, so it is not Odysseus' fault when they die because of the wrath of the gods.)

What year was "Endymion" published?

One of John Keats' most well-loved poems, "Endymion" was first published in 1818, three years before Keats' untimely death at the age of 26. The first line of the poem, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" speaks to a thematic element that runs through much of this poet's work, and solidified his reputation as one of the finest of the Romantic writers. This theme of beauty and joy was a constant one, as...

One of John Keats' most well-loved poems, "Endymion" was first published in 1818, three years before Keats' untimely death at the age of 26. The first line of the poem, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" speaks to a thematic element that runs through much of this poet's work, and solidified his reputation as one of the finest of the Romantic writers. This theme of beauty and joy was a constant one, as Keats wrote many poems and odes praising the beauty of nature and the sublime emotions one could experience when contemplating it or spending time outdoors.

Endymion is also a poem in the pastoral tradition; that is, it glorifies and valorizes the live simply lived in the outdoors, quite literally the life of the pasture, such as the life lived by shepherds, hunters and farmers. The concept of Arcadia, a natural paradise of Greco-Roman mythology, is also described in this poem, along with the forest god Pan. Endymion refers to a shepherd and hunter who was said to rule in Olympia, the land of the ancient gods whose stories were beloved by the Romantics, including Keats.

How is Isabel from Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson a metaphor for America during the Revolutionary War period?

Isabel is a wonderful metaphor for the fledgling America.  A metaphor is simply an unusual comparison.  Sure enough, the idea of a young slave girl being compared to young America seems odd; however, when one looks at Isabel's situation and America's history, the reader can see the resemblance.  

Isabel is a young slave girl who originally believes she will be free.  Unfortunately, her freedom falls through and she is sold to a master who...

Isabel is a wonderful metaphor for the fledgling America.  A metaphor is simply an unusual comparison.  Sure enough, the idea of a young slave girl being compared to young America seems odd; however, when one looks at Isabel's situation and America's history, the reader can see the resemblance.  

Isabel is a young slave girl who originally believes she will be free.  Unfortunately, her freedom falls through and she is sold to a master who abuses her.  Although Isabel feels somewhat loyal to her master (Mr. Lockton), she values her freedom more.  Isabel beings to take steps towards her freedom with the help of her friend, Curzon.  Eventually, Isabel escapes and is free to go where she likes (which happens to be to Charleston to look for her sister, Ruth).

Now let us look at how this compares to America's story.  America began as a British colony that hoped to receive help from England as the new colony grew.  The colony's freedom is threatened by George III, who continually abuses his power.  Although the colonists feel somewhat loyal to England because of its original help, the colonists value their freedom more and begin to consider themselves Patriots.  The Patriots begin to take steps towards freedom, initially drafting the Declaration of Independence.  Just like Isabel, the colonists receive help, too, from the French.  Eventually, the Patriots defeat the British and the United States of America is free to become its own country.

Why does Bilbo leave to join Bard and his men?

Bilbo leaves Thorin and co. to join Bard and the other people of Lake-town because Thorin forced him to do so. After the dragon Smaug destroyed part of their town, Bard and his people went to the Lonely Mountain to demand that Thorin and the Dwarves give them money, both for help they had given the Dwarves in the past and for damages done by Smaug. However, Thorin had already become entranced by the large...

Bilbo leaves Thorin and co. to join Bard and the other people of Lake-town because Thorin forced him to do so. After the dragon Smaug destroyed part of their town, Bard and his people went to the Lonely Mountain to demand that Thorin and the Dwarves give them money, both for help they had given the Dwarves in the past and for damages done by Smaug. However, Thorin had already become entranced by the large amount of gold in the mountain, so he steadfastly refused to give the Men anything, despite how warmly they were treated when they first arrived in the town after escaping Mirkwood. At the same time, Thranduil and the Elves demand that Thorin and the Dwarves give them money for services rendered in the past. Thorin refused them as well.

This infuriated both Men and Elves, and Bilbo realized that a war was about to ensue when Thorin called upon his cousin Dain for help. In order to avoid war, Bilbo used the One Ring to sneak out of the mountain with the Arkenstone, which was a family heirloom and what Thorin was seeking most of all. Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to Bard and Thranduil as a way for them to negotiate peace with the Dwarves, and then he returns to the mountain as if nothing had happened. When Bard and Thranduil arrive at the mountain with the Arkenstone, it comes out that Bilbo had given it to them, and Thorin is furious about this betrayal, so he casts Bilbo out of the mountain. Once he was out of the mountain, he decided to join Bard and his men in order to help in whatever way he could.

Genes are found on ___?

Genes are located on chromosomes.

Genes direct the production of proteins that are needed by the body for life activities. Proteins can act as structural parts, enzymes, hormones, signaling molecules and more.

What is a gene exactly? DNA is a very long molecule and it makes up our chromosomes. We get our DNA from both of our parents.Located along a chromosome can be hundreds or thousands of genes which are distinct units of...

Genes are located on chromosomes.

Genes direct the production of proteins that are needed by the body for life activities. Proteins can act as structural parts, enzymes, hormones, signaling molecules and more.

What is a gene exactly? DNA is a very long molecule and it makes up our chromosomes. We get our DNA from both of our parents. Located along a chromosome can be hundreds or thousands of genes which are distinct units of heredity. The genes direct the synthesis of messenger RNA which carries this message to a ribosome which acts like a protein factory. The RNA is used to direct the correct assembly of amino acids to form a functional protein according to the genetic code.

A way to think about genes along a chromosome is to envision a strand of beads which represents the entire chromosome and each bead located on that necklace would represent a gene. Although this is somewhat simplistic, it is a good analogy.

Why do you think Saki avoided giving Georg and Ulrich distinct personalities? ("The Interlopers")

The feud between Ulrich and Georg initially stemmed from a land dispute. But that feud became more of a personal conflict. Ulrich is the legal, wealthy landowner and Georg is the illegal poacher. However, the narrator does not suggest that Georg is more wrong in any sense. The narrator simply presents the feud as it is. Refusing to give particular personality traits to either man, the narrator/author puts the focus on the absurdity of the...

The feud between Ulrich and Georg initially stemmed from a land dispute. But that feud became more of a personal conflict. Ulrich is the legal, wealthy landowner and Georg is the illegal poacher. However, the narrator does not suggest that Georg is more wrong in any sense. The narrator simply presents the feud as it is. Refusing to give particular personality traits to either man, the narrator/author puts the focus on the absurdity of the ongoing feud. 

With no other characteristics, the reader is left with two bitter rivals. Ulrich is hunting Georg and Georg is hunting on his land. Both men are hunters. This sets up the ironic twist at the end when they both become hunted by the wolves. The narrator thus simply focuses on roles. These men are bitter rivals and hunters. These roles will switch in the end. This shows how the author focuses on roles as well as the conflict. The role one chooses to play determines the relationship and the outcome of the story. 

With no indications, there is nothing to suggest which man will make the first move to ending the feud. Even though Ulrich makes the first gesture, ending the feud can not be complete without Georg's agreement. So, the truce is only completed when both men put the rivalry to rest. Here, the focus shifts from the feud to the truce. The feud and the truce require the participation of both men. The point is that both men are to blame for perpetuating the conflict. It is not necessary to suggest that one man is more wrong than the other. 

Perhaps Saki did not want the reader to take a side. He therefore emphasizes that both men are to blame. Therefore, he did not position one man as protagonist and the other as antagonist. So, he left out details about personalities to underscore this idea. In this way, the story is about the futility of the feud: not about who is right, who is wrong, or who started it.