What would the United States be like if cotton gin wasn't invented?

This question is one that requires some speculation about a possible future event if something hadn't occurred earlier. The cotton gin was a machine that made it easier to separate the seeds from short staple cotton. Prior to the development of the cotton gin, long staple cotton was grown. This kind of cotton was grown along the coast. This limited the areas where cotton could be profitably grown. When the cotton gin was invented, it...

This question is one that requires some speculation about a possible future event if something hadn't occurred earlier. The cotton gin was a machine that made it easier to separate the seeds from short staple cotton. Prior to the development of the cotton gin, long staple cotton was grown. This kind of cotton was grown along the coast. This limited the areas where cotton could be profitably grown. When the cotton gin was invented, it opened up much more of the South for the growing of cotton.

Since cotton could now be grown anywhere, it became a very important crop in the South. It also increased the need for slaves, since so much cotton was being grown and more money could be made.

While there is some thought that slavery might have disappeared if the cotton gin wasn't invented, it is unlikely that this would have happened. Many people in the South believed that the Europeans were superior to the Africans. It is unlikely that slavery would have disappeared even if the cotton gin weren’t developed. Even after slavery ended in the 1860s, the attitudes of many southerners didn’t change regarding race relations. Segregation existed and African-Americans were harassed.

It is also possible that some other invention might have been developed to enhance the growing and the harvesting of cotton. New inventions were occurring in the 1800s, and it is possible that one may have been invented, impacting the growing and the harvesting of cotton.

How are imperialist countries supposed to help native peoples according to the poem "The White Man's Burden?"

First, it should be noted that Kipling is writing specifically about the Philippines in this poem. The United States had recently acquired the Philippines in the treaty that ended the Spanish-American War just before the turn of the century(they had long been a Spanish colony). In general, Kipling exhorts the United States to take on the "burden" of an imperial power, but warns that the cost will be heavy. He suggests that the American imperialists...

First, it should be noted that Kipling is writing specifically about the Philippines in this poem. The United States had recently acquired the Philippines in the treaty that ended the Spanish-American War just before the turn of the century(they had long been a Spanish colony). In general, Kipling exhorts the United States to take on the "burden" of an imperial power, but warns that the cost will be heavy. He suggests that the American imperialists will "help" the people of the Philippines, referred to as "new-caught, sullen peoples," by supplying the basics of modernity. The Americans would "fill full the mouth of Famine/And bid the sickness cease." They would also build "ports" and "roads" that they would never "enter" or "tread" upon. The United States did, despite significant opposition from many different sources, annex the Philippines. Annexation resulted in a lengthy and brutal war in which American troops quelled multiple rebellions from Filipino rebels who desired freedom. There were, in fact, numerous efforts to eradicate diseases like smallpox, and American governors oversaw the construction of infrastructure like roads in the Philippines. Most observers, however, especially after the Filipino-American War, would perhaps have suggested that the "burden" of empire rested not on the conquerors, as Kipling predicts, but on the people of the Philippines themselves.

Since "The Perfect Storm" was published in 1991 the phrase "a perfect storm" has entered the English language. What does it mean?

The way this phrase has taken hold is truly remarkable. But it so perfectly describes so many different circumstances, well beyond the literal storm in the book, and its use as a kind of metaphor for so much else has made it a very effective phrase. 

In the book, the perfect storm is a combination of natural elements that converge to create a powerful storm.  But there is also an underlying combination of elements that...

The way this phrase has taken hold is truly remarkable. But it so perfectly describes so many different circumstances, well beyond the literal storm in the book, and its use as a kind of metaphor for so much else has made it a very effective phrase. 

In the book, the perfect storm is a combination of natural elements that converge to create a powerful storm.  But there is also an underlying combination of elements that are created by man, hubris being one, the idea that the men have the wit and strength to conquer the elements. These elements also are part of what creates this perfect storm.

Thus, we use this idea as a metaphor to suggest a convergence of circumstances, natural, man-made, or even both, that create a situation of great danger and/or destruction.  The term is used for all manner of situations. I have heard it used within the context of the invasion of Iraq, where it has been used to describe the situation in which Iraq imploded into a civil war after the removal of its dictator.  I have heard it used to describe the failure of businesses in situations, for example, in which a business recklessly expanded just as the recession hit. I have heard it used to describe the dynamics in a family in which a divorce was imminent.  In any context in which we might use the word "storm" as a metaphor, the idea of the perfect storm is a way of heightening the metaphor to show something well beyond an ordinary storm. Of course, it has been overused to such a degree that it is in danger of becoming a cliche, and perhaps it is already considered one by many people.

What are three ways in which "To Kill a Mockingbird" is used as a metaphor in the story and two ways it's used in the film?

The title of the book refers to the moment in which Atticus tells the children that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird," by which he means that it's a sin to kill something that's innocent and is trying to do something nice.

This metaphor is present throughout the story in many different ways. For instance, when Jem, Scout, and Dill sneak out to follow Atticus to the jail, they are shocked to find him...

The title of the book refers to the moment in which Atticus tells the children that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird," by which he means that it's a sin to kill something that's innocent and is trying to do something nice.

This metaphor is present throughout the story in many different ways. For instance, when Jem, Scout, and Dill sneak out to follow Atticus to the jail, they are shocked to find him being confronted by a mob. Among the reasons that this is jarring is because they knew many of the people in the mob and had thought them to be good people. For Scout, this is one of the first times that she realizes how someone you think you know can change so dramatically and become a source of confusion or danger, which chips away at her innocence.

A very strong example of this metaphor is the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial. When Tom goes into Mayella's yard, he is innocently trying to help her until she starts making advances. Despite Atticus' strong defense that proves his innocence, Tom is still found guilty by the white community. In this case, Tom was trying to do something to help another person, which ends up costing him his life.

Finally, Scout and Jem being attacked at the end of the book is perhaps the most obvious example of the title. Throughout the story, the children are symbolic of innocence and the slow erosion of innocence that takes place as we grow up. Given that, their being attacked by another person in the community shatters the illusion of safety and the innocence that they can never get back.

Because the film is more or less faithful to the book, any examples found in the movie are also in the novel. Nevertheless, some things are more powerful when depicted visually, such as Jem's strong reaction to outcome of the trial. Throughout the novel, Atticus teaches the children the importance of doing the right thing and he is a hero to Scout and Jem. For that reason, Jem becomes very upset when Tom is found guilty despite his obvious innocence. Jem's view of the world is less innocent than Scout's but he had put his faith in people doing the right thing. The outcome of the trial is the first time that he sees how unfair the world can be, which takes away a great deal of his innocence and harms his faith in doing what's right.

Finally, the film does an excellent job of using the title as metaphor when Scout is finally introduced to Boo. For the duration of the film (and novel), Boo is a mysterious but obviously emotionally fragile person. By saving Jem and Scout, he puts his physical and emotional safety at risk, particularly if he is forced to endure a trial. In this case, Boo was doing something to help another person, which could have ultimately led to his whole world collapsing around him. This scene is particularly powerful given the ways in which he is almost literally dragged out of the shadows and thrust into a very dangerous world.

`cos(3x)cos(2y) + sin(3x)sin(2y)` 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 = 3x ` and `b = 2y` , such that:

`cos 3x*cos 2y + sin 3x*sin 2y = cos (3x - 2y)`

Hence, the given expression could be evaluated as the cosine of the sum of angles 3x and 2y, such that `cos 3x*cos 2y + sin 3x*sin 2y = cos (3x - 2y).`

You need to recognize the formula `cos(a-b) = cos a*cos b + sin a*sin b` . You need to put `a = 3x ` and `b = 2y` , such that:

`cos 3x*cos 2y + sin 3x*sin 2y = cos (3x - 2y)`

Hence, the given expression could be evaluated as the cosine of the sum of angles 3x and 2y, such that `cos 3x*cos 2y + sin 3x*sin 2y = cos (3x - 2y).`

What do you think the author means by the term "evil eye"? Why do you think the narrator of the story is so disturbed by the old man's eye? And why...

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator and the old man appear to live together because the narrator is a caretaker for the old man.  Either they are family members, or the narrator works for the old man.  The narrator appears to be so vexed by the old man's eye because the old man probably "sees" who the narrator really is--one who has gone mad.  At the beginning of the story, the narrator tries to convince...

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator and the old man appear to live together because the narrator is a caretaker for the old man.  Either they are family members, or the narrator works for the old man.  The narrator appears to be so vexed by the old man's eye because the old man probably "sees" who the narrator really is--one who has gone mad.  At the beginning of the story, the narrator tries to convince the reader that he is not mad and that he just suffers from acute senses.  However, as the plot unfolds, the reader sees that the narrator is in fact mad as he fixates on the old man's eye and plots to kill him to rid the house of the eye.  The old man is not an active character in the story, so the reader cannot confirm whether or not he knows about the narrator's mental instability, but we can assume that he does know given that they live together.  The narrator is likely also aware that the old man suspects his insanity, and the eye "sees" through the facade that the narrator attempts to build to hide his true identity.

What's a theme for 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry?

There are many themes in the short story, "Gift of the Magi."  For example, love, sacrifice, and generosity are all important themes.  However, if I had to pick the central theme and my favorite, I would pick the idea of self-forgetfulness. 

Both Jim and Della are thinking about each other, instead of themselves.  The proof of this is their desire to get gifts for one another by selling what is most valuable to them. 

Della sells her hair for Jim.  She wants to buy him a chain for his watch. Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della's flowing hair.  Of course, in the end they possess gifts that they cannot use, but in the process they forget about themselves.  They learn the true meaning of Christmas - giving, generosity, and sacrifice.  For this reason, they are wise.