In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, how is Holden Caulfield a hero?

Seeing Holden Caulfield as a hero is tough.  Really tough.  For most of the novel, I wanted to throw Holden out of a window or something.  He complains about everything, and he is never willing to do anything about his complaints.  Additionally, Holden is nothing like a typical noble hero.  He's not honest.  In fact, Holden is a perpetual liar.  For example:

"Oh, how nice!" the lady said. But not corny. She was just nice...

Seeing Holden Caulfield as a hero is tough.  Really tough.  For most of the novel, I wanted to throw Holden out of a window or something.  He complains about everything, and he is never willing to do anything about his complaints.  Additionally, Holden is nothing like a typical noble hero.  He's not honest.  In fact, Holden is a perpetual liar.  For example:

"Oh, how nice!" the lady said. But not corny. She was just nice and all. "I must tell Ernest we met," she said. "May I ask your name, dear?"

"Rudolf Schmidt," I told her. I didn't feel like giving her my whole life history. Rudolf Schmidt was the name of the janitor of our dorm.

There is literally zero reason for Holden to lie here.  He's not in trouble, and saying his real name would carry no consequences, yet Holden lies about it. 

Holden is also not a typical hero, because he's not brave either.  

I'm one of these very yellow guys. . .  Only, I wouldn't have the guts to do it. I'd just stand there, trying to look tough.

Finally, Holden is not a hero because he's completely incapable of making any kind of authoritative decision.  

Like I said, it's tough to see him as a hero.  I've read a character analysis or two that says that Holden is a hero because he is the protagonist.  That's ridiculous, but I can find a way to see Holden as a hero character.  Holden can be viewed as a hero because Holden cares deeply for people that are close to him.  Take Jane, for example. Holden can't screw up the nerve to do anything about his own feelings for Jane, but Holden most definitely wants to protect her from guys like Stradlater.  

"You don't even know if her first name is Jane or Jean, ya goddam moron!"

Holden is equally protective of his sister too.  I don't know if Holden would have followed through with leaving town, but I do believe that the main reason that Holden didn't leave is because he wants to be there for his sister.  That's honorable and heroic in my opinion.  

In Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now, what type of cancer does Lil have?

We don't really know what type of cancer Lillian has in Okay For Now. In fact, the word 'cancer' is never mentioned in the story.

According to the text, we initially discover that Lillian is sick when she cannot play the part of Helen Burns in the Broadway play. At the end of Chapter Nine, Doug finds out that Lil has been admitted to the hospital. He thinks the hospital visit is due to the...

We don't really know what type of cancer Lillian has in Okay For Now. In fact, the word 'cancer' is never mentioned in the story.

According to the text, we initially discover that Lillian is sick when she cannot play the part of Helen Burns in the Broadway play. At the end of Chapter Nine, Doug finds out that Lil has been admitted to the hospital. He thinks the hospital visit is due to the stomachaches Lil has been getting on account of her pencil-chewing habit. However, Lucas mysteriously informs Doug that Lil hasn't been admitted for a simple stomachache.

At the beginning of Chapter Ten, Mr. and Mrs. Spicer have been given a statistic: 'One in four.' This statistic represents a one in four chance of survival for anyone having the disease Lil has. When Doug visits Lil at the hospital, she is hooked up to what appears to be an IV (intravenous) drip. An IV drip lets fluids and medicines be fed directly into the bloodstream. During Doug and Lil's conversation, a nurse comes in to draw some blood from Lil. Although at this point, the word 'cancer' is still not mentioned, many clues in the text lead us to infer that Lil is suffering from some sort of cancer.

Many cancer patients need to have blood drawn before undergoing chemotherapy. This procedure allows doctors to assess blood count levels before treatment. If blood counts are low, doctors can adjust chemotherapy dosages or delay the treatment until blood count levels have stabilized. Some cancer patients also need to have blood drawn periodically so that doctors can assess the effectiveness of any experimental treatment on the patient. In the story, Lillian has lost her hair, a side-effect from chemotherapy. Read about a cancer patient's experience with frequent blood draws.

Although we cannot know for sure why the author chooses not to give a name to Lil's disease, we experience a surge of hope in reading the last lines of the novel:

...I heard all around us, over the sounds of the huge machines in the room, over the sounds of Apollo 11 heading to the moon, I heard, all around us, the beating of strong wings.

The story of Lil's illness and her relationship with Doug illustrates the purpose of enduring courage, the beauty of fidelity in the face of suffering, and the motivation to overcome against all odds. I believe the author wanted us to concentrate on the beauty and resilience of the human spirit instead of the destructiveness of disease. Hope this helps!

In "The Devil and Tom Walker", what would you expect to find in the forest as the story begins? Why?

What one "should expect" is, of course, a matter of opinion, and we should take caution with questions and interpretations such as these that we do not develop an overly strong imperative that a reader "must" feel or think a certain way when experiencing a piece of literature. However, we can develop several reasonable expectations and inferences based on the content of this particular story, and the consistent elements of the genre it is written...

What one "should expect" is, of course, a matter of opinion, and we should take caution with questions and interpretations such as these that we do not develop an overly strong imperative that a reader "must" feel or think a certain way when experiencing a piece of literature. However, we can develop several reasonable expectations and inferences based on the content of this particular story, and the consistent elements of the genre it is written in.

While the exact genre of "The Devil and Tom Walker" is alternately described as Gothic, Romantic, or a simple parable, it does seem fairly consistent throughout the story that appearances are not deceiving; things are as they appear, and that which seems evil, ominous or foreboding, shall be so.

Thus, considering that the forest is described as dark, imposing, and generally not the sort of place you'd want to spend a lot of time around, we can conclude that it is probably an evil place as well, and we should expect to find evil there, or at least things which are consistent with traditional Western depictions and symbols of evil. This manifests in things besides the Devil, such as the appearance of the vulture later in the story, or the black mold which covers part of the ruined Indian fort.

Discuss the Pip-Joe relationship in Great Expectations. What bearing does it have on the theme of the novel?

In terms of the theme of loneliness, Pip and Joe find companionship in each other, against Pip’s sister (Joe’s wife). They are a beleaguered pair, holding on to each other in the face of the physical, verbal, and psychological abuse from Mrs. Joe. She berates them constantly with what she sees as their worthlessness. They both remain strong, however, mainly because of their friendship and father/son-like love for each other.

As for Pip’s search for...

In terms of the theme of loneliness, Pip and Joe find companionship in each other, against Pip’s sister (Joe’s wife). They are a beleaguered pair, holding on to each other in the face of the physical, verbal, and psychological abuse from Mrs. Joe. She berates them constantly with what she sees as their worthlessness. They both remain strong, however, mainly because of their friendship and father/son-like love for each other.

As for Pip’s search for identity, the underlying thread of the novel is that Pip’s true self, which he mistakenly believes is to be found in London in the life of a gentleman, is ultimately found in his appreciation of Joe Gargery. While he does not end up in partnership with Joe in his blacksmith shop, Pip still must come to terms with Joe’s worth, overcoming the shame he felt when his eyes were turned upon his “great expectations.” Joe’s love for Pip is founded on his love for who Pip is on the inside, not on the outside. Joe does not seek to have power over Pip, but freely lets him go, even at the risk of losing him. It is the strength of their relationship, however, that leads Pip back to where he belongs.

In The Outsiders, what does Cherry say is the real separation between the Socs and the greasers?

Cherry and Ponyboy discuss the separation between the Socs and the greasers at the start of chapter 3 of The Outsiders. This discussion comes after Cherry has already told Ponyboy that things are not only bad for the greasers, but for the Socs as well. She goes on to tell him that sometimes when talking to friends she will “realize I don’t mean half of what I’m saying” (Hinton 38). She confides in him...

Cherry and Ponyboy discuss the separation between the Socs and the greasers at the start of chapter 3 of The Outsiders. This discussion comes after Cherry has already told Ponyboy that things are not only bad for the greasers, but for the Socs as well. She goes on to tell him that sometimes when talking to friends she will “realize I don’t mean half of what I’m saying” (Hinton 38). She confides in him why she believes the two groups are separated from one another. She tells Ponyboy the real separation occurs because the greasers have a different set of values from the Socs. The greasers are “more emotional” and the Socs are “sophisticated-cool to the point of not feeling anything” (Hinton 38). She describes Soc life as “always going and going and going, and never asking where" (Hinton 38). Ponyboy builds on this idea when he tells Cherry, “It’s not money, it's feeling—you don’t feel anything and we feel too violently” (Hinton 38). This dialogue between the two shows the real reason behind why the Socs and the greasers are separated from one another.

Hope this helps!

What is the tone in Act 2 of Hamlet?

First, a summary of Act Two of Hamlet:

The act starts out with Polonius talking about his son, Laertes, who has returned to France. He discusses how he wants to know more about how his son is behaving and sends a spy. Ophelia then enters telling how Hamlet is wild. Next, Claudius seeks out the reason behind Hamlet's strange behavior. Polonius claims to understand Hamlet's behavior and states it is due to his love for Ophelia....

First, a summary of Act Two of Hamlet:

The act starts out with Polonius talking about his son, Laertes, who has returned to France. He discusses how he wants to know more about how his son is behaving and sends a spy. Ophelia then enters telling how Hamlet is wild. Next, Claudius seeks out the reason behind Hamlet's strange behavior. Polonius claims to understand Hamlet's behavior and states it is due to his love for Ophelia. Polonius and Claudius decide to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet enters and has many discussions about love, the coming play, and then he delivers some of his greatest lines, musing on his father's ghost and deciding to stage a play that is about the murder of his father. He believes this will show if the king is guilty of the murder.

This act is essentially devoted to the "madness" of Hamlet. While subplots are discussed, most of the characters are curious about the source of Hamlet's strange behavior. Hamlet is also concerned with his feelings, but we are not able to see Hamlet's behavior until we have heard about it from all the other characters. This allows insight into the other characters, as well as the overall mood around Hamlet.

Compared to the rest of the play, the tone of this act is somewhat light. There is a lot of talking about Hamlet's madness, but there are no significant deaths or active events. Everyone is thinking about Hamlet, and there is a lot of confusion, but this act is largely setting up the actions that will occur later in the play.

What theme can I use on my essay about Crooks being the best example of isolation and loneliness in Of Mice and Men?

Even Lennie is at least provisionally accepted as part of the crew on the ranch. George has to watch him and speak for him at times, but Lennie is never ostracized from the men the way that Crooks is. Why is Crooks ostracized in this way? He is segregated because he is black. So, the clear theme here is racism. 

Crooks is also physically handicapped. He was kicked by a horse and his back became...

Even Lennie is at least provisionally accepted as part of the crew on the ranch. George has to watch him and speak for him at times, but Lennie is never ostracized from the men the way that Crooks is. Why is Crooks ostracized in this way? He is segregated because he is black. So, the clear theme here is racism. 

Crooks is also physically handicapped. He was kicked by a horse and his back became crooked. He rubs ointment on it every night. This nightly ritual symbolically underscores his scapegoated position. Every night, he tends to his ailments. In other words, every night, he is reminded of his ailing physical condition and this, perhaps, also reminds him of his segregated social position. 

The narrator says Crooks is "proud and aloof." He is aloof because he has been separated from the others. Therefore, he is also selfish and protective of that space. He thinks that since he can not go to the bunkhouse, why should he allow others into his shed. When Lennie befriends him and asks why he isn't playing cards with the others, Crooks says: 

“’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me.” 

Crooks spends most of his nights reading alone. As proud and despondent as he sometimes is, he is not without hope. When Lennie (and Candy) start talking about the dream of the farm, Crooks actually shows some interest. However, when Curley's wife puts him down with racist justifications, he forgets this hope and returns to his lonely state.