Braxton Bragg Underwood is one of the more interesting of
the minor characters of To Kill a Mockingbird. Underwood was
named--"in a fey fit of humor" by his father--for one of the most inept and hated of all
the Confederate generals of the Civil War, Braxton Bragg; Scout mentions that rumor had
it that Underwood had been determined to "live it down." The owner and editor of
The Maycomb Tribune, Underwood was an "intense, profane little man"
who apparently was quite a drinker, since Atticus commented that "naming people after
Confederate generals made slow steady drinkers." Atticus also said that Underwood
"despises Negroes," yet, on the night that the lynch mob came to take Tom Robinson from
the jail, he stood guard over Atticus with his shotgun from the window above the
newspaper office. Despite his feelings about the black man, he vehemently lamented Tom's
death, likening it to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds." Scout decided that
Underwood did not approve of the killing of cripples, be they black or
white.
Monday, February 29, 2016
What do we find out about Mr. Underwood in To Kill a Mockingbird?
In Macbeth, is Macbeth's chief fear punishment after death?Does Malcolm knows Macbeth better than Duncan does?
If you read Macbeth's soliloquy in the beginning of act 1
scene 7, you will know that while examining the pros and cons of Duncan's murder,
Macbeth was more seriously concerned about the punishment he would have to receive in
this world itself, rather than in the world to come after death. Macbeth was very much
conscious of the retributive justice in this world and, had it been a question of
punishment after death, he would have easily and quickly killed
Duncan.
Yes, Malcolm knows Macbeth better than his father,
King Duncan. Duncan was overwhelmed by his general Macbeth's valorous loyalty, and was
all praise for him in whom he could put absolute trust. On the other hand, Malcolm saw
how the fair Macbeth turned foul, killed his good old king, usurped the throne, and
unleashed a reign of terror. Having taken an asylum in the English King's court, having
received the details of Macbeth's bloody tyranny, Malcolm came to realize that Macbeth
was a "(dead) butcher".
How does Salman Rushdie use characterization in the novel The Satanic Verses to explore the issue of self-creation?
Despite the different social conditions and time periods
in which the characters in Rushdie's work appear, there is a fairly dominant end in
which they display the idea of self- creation. Chamcha is in strong possession of self-
creation and self- definition. While he is born an Indian, he lives most of his life in
denial of this reality, seeking to be a "good Englishman." This is something that he
feels he is able to do through his own creation and his own sense of identity formation,
something that exists in his own hands. It is represented in his own life through his
struggles with his ethnicity and is also present in his ability to forge voices that can
reflect different people, an act of self- creation that spells the doom of Farishta at
the end. His counterpart, Gibreel Farishta, is another product of his own notion of
self- creation. He is able to enter films at an early age, define his own notion of
identity, and even reject any notion of spirituality in the process. The fact that he
lives his life with so much in terms of freedom and self- choice reflects this, as he
really never has to be bound to anything. The opening of the novel where he is free-
falling through the air is reflective of his own freedom and state of being, subject to
his own self- creation. To a great extent, the controversy the book caused reflects
this as Mahound is a product of self- creation, as he is able to create his own
messages, altering them to what will suit his own notion of the spiritual good. To this
end, there is a level of self- creation evident in the characters and their ability to
define themselves and their world in accordance to their own subjectivity is critical to
the novel's development.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Throughout history, were the descendants of the Israelites Jewish?Abraham was selected by God to populate the Earth with God's "Chosen People". ...
All people of Jewish heritage are descendants of Abraham
according to the Old Testament; but not all descendants of Abraham are Jewish. Abraham
had a son by his wife Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar, who was named Ishmael. Tradition holds
that Ishmael, whom Abraham sent away with his mother, was the father of the Arabic
people.
The Israelites were so called as they were
Abraham's descendants through Jacob, the son of Abraham's son Isaac. After Jacob
wrestled with the Angel of God, his name was changed to Israel. His descendants were
thereafter known as the Children of Israel, or simply Israelites. Jacob had twelve sons,
and each son's descendants became a "tribe;" with the exception of Joseph. There was no
tribe of Joseph, rather two tribes developed from his two sons: the tribes of Manessah
and Ephraim. When they entered the promised land of Canaan, the Israeilites established
the nation of Israel which had only three kings: Saul, David and Solomon. After the
death of Solomon, the kingdom split into two: Israel and Judah. The residents of Judah
were later called Jews, a corruption of Judahite.
What is the warning/point that Aldous Huxley is giving his readers in Brave New World?Please give me some key ideas and examples, including quotes...
In the foreword of Brave New World by
Aldous Huxley states explicitly his theme as the "advancement of science as it affects
human individuals." Here are some key points of this
theme:
1. Scientific advances to life are
what change the quality of life. In Brave New World
there is no longer natural procreation by humans; in fact, the words mother
and father are considered obscene. In the CENTRAL
LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, eugenics is used to "predestine and condition"
human beings. There is a caste system, a system in which people are relatively
content. This genetic engineering is the truly "revolutionary revolution" that is
acquired in the soul and flesh of the residents of the New World. For instance, Lenina
tells Henry Foster how repulsive she finds the clothes of the Deltas--"What a hideous
color khaki is"; and, she also finds Epsilons
repellent,
"I'm glad I'm not an
Epsilon."
"And if you were an Epsilon," said Henry, "your
conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren't a Beta or an
Alpha."
In order to make
people love the castes in which they are fashioned, this "deep, personal revolution in
human minds and bodies," sleep conditioning, known as hypnopoedia, is conducted;
children are taught to love their castes, to believe that "everyone belongs to everyone
else," and to believe in consumption and detest nature. As insurance for this
contentment, soma is distributed so people can go on "holidays"
from reality. When Lenina and Henry go to the Westminster night club, for instance,
soma is served with their coffee.
2.
Social Stability must be established in order to control
people. In order to deal with dissent and confusion, power must
be centralized and government control increased. In the New World, there are ten World
Controllers of the totalitarian state, one of whom is Mustapha Mond. People are
kept "stable in contentment" through their conditioning, and by means of silence about
the truth. No one reads literature, no one knows any history other than what is
taught. Time is measured after the year of Our Ford, the year that Henry Ford created
the assembly line method of manufacture.
Sexual freedom
compensates for diminished economic and social freedom. Sex is encouraged among people
because it helps people reconcile themselves the "the servitude" which is their fate.
All individuality has been eliminated as it is dangerous to social
stability.
To make people love their servitude, the
ministries of propaganda control the dissemination of information. One character,
Helmholtz Watson, named by Huxley after the founder of the Behaviorist School of
psychology, John B. Watson, has a distinguished career as an emotional engineer and
writer. He composes slogans and simplistic rhymes designed to promote the values of
society and pacify people. And, although he feels that there is more that he could
write, his conditioning prohibits him from appreciating Romeo and
Juliet when John the Savage reads to him in Chapter 12. He laughs at the
idea of a person loving one person so much.
3.
Despite all the conditioning and stability, man cannot be happy without a
struggle, without suffering.
The character
of John the Savage, born naturally, literate, and human is in total opposition to the
New World. He alone understands that sorrow must exist if one would be
human,
"All right then...I'm claiming the right to
be unhappy."
solve for x and y : 3x-7y = -12 2x+4y = 3
3x -7y =
-12..........(1)
2x+4y =
3.............(2)
We need to find x and y by solving the
system.
We will use the elimination method to find x and
y.
We will multiply (1) with -2 and (2) with
3.
==> -2*(1) ==> -6x +14y =
24
==> 3 *(2) ==> 6x + 12y =
9
Now we will add both
equations.
==> 26y=
33
==> y=
33/26
==> Now we will substitute into (2) to find
x.
==> 2x + 4y =
3
==> 2x + 4( 33/26) =
3
==> 2x + 132/26 =
3
==> 2x = 3- 132/26 =
-54/26
==> x = -54/52
=-27/26
Then the answer is the pair ( -27/26,
33/26)
Does Harper Lee create Mr Cunningham appropriatly for the time and place of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?
The America of the 1930s had much fewer people like the
shiftless, immoral Bob Ewell than it does today. Since this period was before the Great
Society and the welfare state created in the sixties, people had no choice but to work
if they wanted to eat and have shelter. Having worked for everything that he had--be it
ever so humble--Mr. Cunningham, who is representative of poor people of the Great
Depression, yet has a work ethic and pride. He will not accept the WPA checks as does
the worthless Ewell; he refuses to be a parasite of society, even for a short time. So,
yes, he is appropriately created.
Because of his manly
dignity, Mr. Cunningham pays people in whatever way he can (he gives Atticus Finch
potatoes) as he does not wish to be "beholden to anyone," to use an expression of that
time. And, it is because of this dignity that Mr. Cunningham possesses that he feels
shame when little Scout speaks to him and reminds him of "entailments," for it recalls
the kindness that Atticus has shown him. Recognizing that he owes Atticus Finch
respect, therefore, Mr. Cunningham tells the other men that they all need to withdraw
from the area outside the jail house: "Let's clear out."
Describe the purpose of David Thompson's voyage.
David Thompson made several trips to map western Canada.
His first major exploration voyages, made under the banner of the Northwest Company,
were intended to survey the border with the US from the Great Lakes to the headwaters of
the Mississippi. The border had been disputed after the revolution and Jay's Treaty, and
mapping the region was his first major contribution.
After
Lewis and Clark's voyage into the Northwest on behalf of the US government, Thompson was
commissioned to lead an expedition into the Northwest, with the hopes of finding the
long sought-after Northwest Passage. (This had been one of Lewis and Clark's primary
objectives as well.) In his search, he became the first European to travel the entire
length of the Columbia River from the Rockies to the Pacific, a huge and lucrative
breakthrough for the hotly contested fur trade and reason enough to pronounce his series
of missions a success.
Along the way, he claimed territory
in the region for Great Britain and announced the intention of the Northwest Company to
build a fur trading depot close to the Snake River. But his lasting legacy, and a big
part of his mission to the Northwest, was to map out huge swaths of Alberta and British
Columbia.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
If you were in the audience at Caesar’s funeral, would you have been persuaded by Brutus’s justification of his betrayal?"Julius Caesar" by...
In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar,
there are indications of the tyranny of Caesar as well as his epilepsy and compromised
health, two factors which point to his questionable leadership. In real history, too,
of which the Romans would be aware, the Senate of Rome in 49 B.C. had ordered Caesar to
hand over his army to their control, but he refused; instead, he advanced upon Italy,
stopping at the border to Gaul because a Roman governor was not allowed to leave his
province. Nevertheless, he later crossed the Rubicon River to confront his enemies, an
act that the Senate considered as treason. One by one, Caesar brutally killed his
enemies. As mentioned in the play, Caesar killed Pompey. And, for the next three
years, he killed more.
With these facts in mind, the
audience listening to Brutus's declaration that he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar
could easily have been swayed to think that the assassination of such a tyrant was
necessary, especially with his history of arrogance and desire for power and eagerness
to accept the crown when he parades through the streets of
Rome.
Here are some actual statements from Roman statesmen
that may help in deciding how an audience could agree with
Brutus:
"Our tyrant deserved to die. Here
was a man who wanted to be king of the Roman people and master of the whole world. Those
who agree with an ambition like this must also accept the destruction of existing laws
and freedoms. It is not right or fair to want to be king in a state that used to be free
and ought to be free today."
Cicero.
"People blame me for
mourning the death of my friend. They say my country should be preferred to my friends,
as if they had proved that killing him was good for the state. I did not abandon him as
a friend however much I disapproved of what he was doing." Gaius
Matius.
How can I discuss theme of wisdom in madness and madness in wisdom in "King Lear"?
There is wisdom in madness. King Lear has finally become
wise in his later state in life. He is losing his mind, but finding his wisdom. He
realizes that life is not about appearances. He has learned that the hard
way.
To explain the quote, there is wisdom in madness. King
Lear has learned what is important in life. By learning how superficial his two older
daughters are, it is enough to drive one mad. Learning the truth about his daughters has
literally driven King Lear mad. That explains the quote that there is madness in wisdom.
Learning the truth about his daughters drives King Lear over the edge. He gains wisdom
but loses his mind. One could say he finally finds his mind, but is losing his sanity.
That is one way to deal with the harsh reality of the
truth.
Learning the truth is often so disturbing. The only
way to deal with it is to become mad. It is often so shocking to face the truth until it
leaves one in total disarray. The quote is true. There is wisdom in madness and madness
in wisdom.
Learning that his two daughters have never
really loved him is a bit of wisdom that Ling Lear could have lived without knowing.
Nonetheless, he does know the truth. Now, he is driven to madness in knowing the tragic
truth.
The only way King Lear can survive the horrible
truth he has learned is to totally lose his mind. There is madness in wisdom.
Did Rainsford kill Zaroff in "The Most Dangerous Game"?
When General Zaroff went to his bed, Rainsford was hiding
behind the curtain. Then, Rainsford challenged the General. The General accepted his
challenge, adding that the winner would sleep in the bed. At the story's end, Rainsford
claims he had never slept in a better bed. Though not specifically stated, it is implied
that Rainsford killed General Zaroff. Of course, the reader will have to decide based on
what is written:
A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of
the bed, was standing there.
"Rainsford!" screamed the
general. "How in God's name did you get here?"
"Swam," said
Rainsford. "I found it quicker than walking through the
jungle."
The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I
congratulate you," he said. "You have won the
game."
Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at
bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice. "Get ready, General
Zaroff."
The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see,"
he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will
sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford." . .
.
He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford
decided.
Please give an analysis of the character of Oliver in Oliver Twist.
The overall emphasis concerning the character of Oliver is
the way in which he is presented as a pure and innocent boy, who, in spite of the
efforts of evil characters such as Fagin and Bill Sykes, remains unspotted and
uncorrupted in an evil environment. In fact, some critics have argued that Oliver is
just too good to be true, as he, from the very start of the novel, remains a static
character, maintaining his characteristics of being sensitive, loyal, gentle and loving
no matter what experiences he endures or what is done to him. In particular, he has a
strong belief in the central goodness of every person, no matter their outward
appearance and acts. This is of course expressed most clearly at the end of the novel,
when Oliver goes to visit Fagin in his cell and begs him to become reconciled to his
death. Note what he says in Chapter 52 to Fagin:
Let me say a prayer. Do! Let me say one prayer.
Say only one, upon your knees, with me, and we will talk till
morning.
He is presented as
rather a naive and clueless character. He enjoys the "game" of seeing the Artful Dodger
and his cronies practising stealing handkerchiefs from Fagin but has no sense of the
more sinister meaning implicit in such activity until he faces the consequences of being
involved, at least by association, in a crime. His goodness is shown by the way in which
he is used and abused by so many characters during the course of the novel, but he never
bears them any ill feeling. The best example of this is the way in which Oliver
willingly shares his inheritance with Monks, even though Monks has spent his entire life
trying to destroy Oliver and he has no legal right to receive
anything.
What are some quotes from the book The Outsiders that show Ponyboy has become more street-smart and listens more after Johnny had died?
At first, Ponyboy tries to convince himself that Johnny's
death was not real. He tries to avoid thinking about Johnny's death in the hospital and
Dally's death on the street.
... don't think. Blank your mind. Don't
remember.
Later, when Randy
visits him at his home, Pony tries to convince himself that none of the previous events
had happened. He himself killed Bob, the Soc, and not Johnny, Pony told himself; and he
wanted to believe that Johnny was still alive.
"Johnny is not dead... Johnny is not
dead."
Pony promised Soda
that he would be "more careful," but instead, after the court hearing, Pony seemed to
stop caring about everything. His grades went down and he stopped eating ("Everything
tasted like baloney.") When he was approached by a group of Socs at a neighborhood
grocery story, he took a tougher stance than he ever had
before.
I
busted the end off my bottle and held on to the neck... "You get back into your car, or
you'll get split."
Pony then
advanced toward the Socs, and they returned to their car and drove away. Two-Bit, who
was with him, begged him
"... don't get tough. You're not like the rest of
us and don't try to be...
But
Pony had a new viewpoint.
... if you got tough, you didn't get hurt. Get
smart and nothing can touch
you...
Pony threatened to
drop out of school and get a job, but after reading the letter Johnny had written him,
his outlook became clearer and more positive.
What does Ahab hope to achieve by battling nature's mysteries in Moby Dick?
The pursuit of the great white whale, in whom Ahab imbues
preternatual powers, is a metaphor for the conflict between man and the power of nature,
between man and his own fate. For Ahab, orphaned at a young age and having lived on
ships most of his life, the sea represents the universe. In Chapter 36, "The Quarter
Deck," of Moby Dick, Ahab tells his
crew,
"All
visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event--in the living act,
the undoubted deed--there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the
moldings of its feature from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike
through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the
wall? To me, the White Whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think
there's naught beyond. But 'tis enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him
outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable thing is
chiefly what I hate."
Ahab
would know the mysteries of nature, a nature that is often a dark force against man. By
breaking through the "pasteboard mask" of the whale and other natural forces, Ahab hopes
to understand existential meanings, to make some sense of existence and man's role in
this mysterious world. He pursues Moby Dick, a metaphysical force that knows the depths
of the sea, a symbol of existential consciousness, to whatever destiny may bring. Thus,
Ahab's quest is biblical and epic in nature.
Thinking about the role that the matador plays in the novel, what is the role of a hero in a world disillusioned by war?
The protagonist, Jake, can be interpreted as a hero of a
sort, but not a creative hero. One way to read the role of the matador in this novel is
to see this figure as a "person of attraction" and Jake as one of several characters
whose flaws make him succeptible to that person.
Romero
draws Brett in ways that can be seen as similar to the way a matador attracts a bull -
with no real prospect for success for the bull. This can also be applied to the way
Brett attracts Jake, continually, desperately, and almost
fatally.
Taking a narrow reading of the bull fight
situation as a metaphor, we might say that the "tragic hero" of the novel is the
bull/Jake, constantly attracted and compelled by the matador/Brett. The actions of the
bull/Jake might appear to be generous or even chivalrous and
heroic.
Considering the outcome of most bull fights,
however, the heroism of the bull becomes mere bravery in the face of a challenge. The
heroism becomes a willingness to submit to injury.
Jake
comes to Brett's rescue as often as she calls, much like the bull charges the matador
when the cape is waved. If Jake were a redemptive hero, we would expect him to redeem
something with his repeated efforts, either Brett or
himself.
The closest character to an actual redemptive,
rejuvenating hero would have to be Romero, the young bull fighter. He is part of the
city's ritual. He is young. He is talented. But instead of coordinating the souls of
those around him into a single pattern, he breaks the pattern of tradition and loses his
status as a hero.
If we want to relate Campbell's idea of a
"coordinated soul" to this novel, we might say that the
Afficionados are the collective hero, participating in a
time-honored, culturally rigid ritual and receiving spiritual pleasure from this ritual.
Jake and his friends, however, stand outside this collective hero group and reap no
spiritual benefit from the bull fights.
"Discovery consists in seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." What does this quote mean?
This quote means that the essence of true discovery is an
internal one. A person does not need to be an explorer or conquer the world over in
order to be worth of "discovery." It simply involves being able to fundamentally see
and think things that others have not been able to formulate. Think of a chess game
between two people. They stare at the board for a while and contemplate their next move
in order to be victorious. They stare and continue to stare until someone from the
outside takes a gander at the game and "sees" a sequence of moves that one player can
take to easily checkmate the other. The outsider represents this concept of "discovery"
because they "see" what others "see" and "think" what no one, in this case the two
players in our chess game," had been able to think before. This is where discovery
rests. The quote suggests that discovery is in the heart and mind of each person, in
the capacity of each individual in order to transform their
world.
Solve for x given that : 0= -(2/3)x+30
We have to solve 0=
-(2/3)x+30
0=
-(2/3)x+30
subtract 30 from both the
sides
=> 0 -30 = -(2/3)x + 30
-30
=> -30 =
-(2/3)x
multiply both the sides with
-3/2
=> -30*(-3/2) =
(-3/2)(-2/3)x
=> 90/2 =
x
=> x =
45
The equation 0= -(2/3)x+30 is in this way
solved to give x = 45
Verify if the limits of the functions (1-cos x)/x and (1-cos x)/x^2 give equal values?
No, the values of the two limits are not
equal.
The value of the 1st limit is 0 and the value of the
2nd limit is 1/2.
But, let's see
why.
We'll determine the value of the 1st
limit.
If we'll replace x by the 0 value, we'll get an
indetermination, "0/0" type, therefore, we'll apply L'Hospital's
rule.
lim (1-cos x)/x = lim (1-cos
x)'/x'
lim (1-cos x)'/x' = lim sin x/1 = lim sin
x
lim sin x = sin 0 = 0
lim
(1-cos x)/x = 0
We'll determine the vlaue of the 2nd
limit:
lim (1-cos x)/x^2
If
we'll replace x by the 0 value, we'll get an indetermination, "0/0" type, therefore,
we'll apply L'Hospital's rule.
lim (1-cos x)/x^2 = lim
(1-cos x)'/(x^2)'
lim (1-cos x)'/(x^2)' = lim sin
x/2x
If we'll replace x by the 0 value, we'll get "0/0"
type indetermination, again.
lim sin x/2x = lim (sin
x)'/(2x)'
lim (sin x)'/(2x)' = lim (cos
x)/2
lim (cos x)/2 = cos
0/2
lim (cos x)/2 = 1/2
lim
(1-cos x)/x^2 = 1/2
Therefore, the values of
the limits of the given functions, when x approaches to 0, are not
equal.
Friday, February 26, 2016
What are the positive and negative aspects of group dynamics?
This is such an interesting question! Group dynamics are
quite complex, and as you have noticed, there are positive and negative aspects to
them.
Let's start with the positive. Group dynamics can
allow a group to be far more productive than any one individual. This happens when a
group explores the strengths and weaknesses of its members and allows people to
capitalize on their strengths. For example, if a group is expected to write a report,
someone might be quite good at statistics and focus on that piece of the report. Someone
else might be quite good at the mechanics of writing and be responsible for writing and
proofreading the finished project. Someone else might have great organization skills
and be able to allocate tasks well and keep everyone on schedule. In a group that has
positive dynamics, everyone will pitch in and
cooperate.
Negative dynamics create dysfunctional groups
that have a difficult time accomplishing anything. In some instances, more than one
person wants to be "in charge," which does not work out very well for anyone because a
group should be focused on its goals, not on a power struggle. In instances in which
someone is appointed as the group leader, that person's leadership style may or may not
be compatible with the group's makeup or mission. A group in which the members cannot
reach any concensus is not a good group. In some situtations, there is not a "getting
to know you" period that would allow people to explore their strengths and use them
productively. When tasks are assigned by a leader who has no idea what people are
capable of, this can create resentments and poor cooperation, too. Still another
negative aspect of the group is the situation in which one person does not carry his or
her weight, for whatever the reason may be. Sometimes the rest of the members will work
past this, but this often causes resentments, too.
Think
back on any groups you have been part of. What worked well? What didn't work well?
Even if you had no exposure to the theory of group dynamics, my guess is that you have a
very good idea what was good and what was not so good.
What are the goals and concerns of the modern Islamist movement?
There are many possible ways to define the goals and
concerns of the modern Islamist movement. One possibility is to say that this movement
is an attempt to bring about a Muslim world that is politically united under Islamic
religious law.
If we look at Islamism in this way, we can
see that many countries around the world have instituted some aspects of Islamist
ideas. For example, countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran place various restrictions on
what women may or may not do. These restrictions are based on their views of Islamic
law. As another instance of Islamism, countries like Pakistan have very stringent laws
against Muslims leaving the faith (apostasy).
By this view,
then, Islamism is an attempt to create a Pan-Islamic society that would be ruled not by
secular and nationalistic leaders, but by religious leaders who are committed to Islam
before their separate countries.
Discuss the supernatural element as portrayed by Charles Dickens in "The Signalman"
The supernatural element in this excellent short story
seems to take the form of how ghosts or other supernatural beings interact with the
human world to warn--either before or after the event--humans about a tragedy that is
about to occur or has just occurred. Note how the signalman describes the first
apparition that he tells the narrator about:
"One moonlight night," said the man, "I was
sitting here, when I heard a voice cry, "Halloa! Below there!" I started up, looked from
that door, and saw this someone else standing by the red light near the tunnel, waving
as I just now showed you. The voice seemed hoarse with shouting, and it cried: "Look
out! Look out!""
The strange
appearance of this figure combined with the fact that in six hours after this
apparition, a terrible accident occurred and the dead and wounded were placed on
precisely the spot where the apparition had appeared. The supernatural element of this
story thus seems to take the role of a warning of imminent danger or accidents, which
tortures the signalman because of his inability to use these warnings to prevent these
accidents occurring. Chillingly, at the end, the supernatural visitor indicates the
death of the signalman himself.
For a brief essay, analyze Cassius's persuasive techniques from Act I, Scene ii in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
While I cannot write an essay on Cassius's persuasiveness
for you, I can suggest you start your essay on the general theme of the power of words
in Julius Caesar. There are several instances in the play where men
are compelled by the power of the words of others to act with varying degrees of
severity and with varying impact on the outcome of the
tragedy.
Cassius in particular is constantly manipulating
the early plot by pulling Brutus over to his side. He does so through flattery,
manipulation (fake letters), and false comparison (Brutus's name with Caesar to show
equality of character) among other tricks, as this example
shows:
Why should that name be sounded more
than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a
name;
I would think
these three headings would make solid body paragraphs for an essay, as you should be
able to find plenty of textual examples from the first act to support each
one.
Discuss Amir's heroic qualities in The Kite Runner.
Several heroic qualities are evident in Amir’s character.
The most overwhelming is the one that begins the entire narrative. Amir is incapable of
escaping from the need to right that which is wrong and “to be good again.” His sense
of ethical duty and responsibility, characteristics that were not as evident as an
adolescent, are traits that have matured along with him. His need to go back to
Afghanistan when things in America were fine and well is representative of the heroic
quality of duty and responsibility to others. I think that the heroic quality of
bravery is evident in his confrontation with Assef. There is much here that would
indicate that he should leave or flee. His background with Assef, the fact that Assef
holds power with the Taliban, and the fact that Assef has more weapons at his disposal
in both a literal and figurative sense are all reasons for Amir to evade conflict. Yet,
he willingly engages in a literal battle between good and evil and suffers greatly for
it. The bravery he shows in the face of overwhelmingly negative odds represents
heroism. Finally, Amir “saves” a life in Sohrab. There is little more heroic than his
ability to give Sohrab a new life, to pray for him, to care for him, and to be his kite
runner at the end of the story. It is this role as a savior that makes Amir a hero,
embodying the heroic quality of preservation of life despite overwhelming
odds.
How does Animal Farm reflect the Russian revolution?
Animal Farm is an allegory which uses a fable to pretty
much retell the Russian revolution and give comment on it. If you use the link below,
you will see how most of the characters in the novel correspond to the major players in
the revolution. Farmer Jones represents Czar Nicholas and the way Orwell saw that he
treated his people (neglected them in favor of treating himself well). Old Major
symbolized Karl Marx, who gave the people a vision of communism where everyone would be
equal to everyone else and the people would be in charge of their own destinies.
Orwell's feeling about the revolution can be summed up in how he ended the story...where
the leaders of the "animalist" group became just as corrupt as the people they
overthrew.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
In what way did Poe contribute to the development of psychoanalytical fiction?
In answering this question you will want to refer to the
way in which Poe creates personas and characters and manages to enter their minds,
telling their stories using the first person perspective, and thus giving us as readers
privileged access into the madness, insanity and phobias of his characters. Certainly
examples of his work that you will want to look at that are perfect demonstrations of
this are "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Black Cat" and "The Raven," though these is by no
means an exhaustive list. I will respond to your question by talking briefly about "The
Tell-Tale Heart."
Clearly, from the very beginning of this
excellent story, we are invited to analyse the character of the narrator, whom, from the
very start, is shown to be a profoundly unreliable narrator. Note how the story begins
and the kind of claims that the narrator makes:
True!--nervous--very, very dreadfully nervous I
had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my
senses--not destroyed--not dulled them. above all was the sense of hearing acute. I
heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then,
am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily--how calmly I can tell you the whole
story.
Clearly the narrator
feels that he is able to make such grandiose claims at the beginning of the story, and
yet by insisting on such claims we only doubt his account and his veracity yet further.
The idea that he is able to hear "all things" in heaven and on earth and "many things in
hell" immediately presents to us the idea that he is mad, and his obsession with the old
man's eye and how he presents himself only confirms our suspicions. Through the
presentation of unreliable narrators, Poe contributed greatly to the development of
psychoanalysis in fiction.
What are the main characteristics of Type A and B personalities?
Type A personalities are generally thought of as
high-energy, high-strung, high-risk for heart attacks. Everything must be perfect, on
time (preferably early), and in order. They are goal-driven people who are often told
they need to "slow down." Failure is essentially forbidden to these types--they work
extremely hard and are highly competitive. They like to succeed, but more than that,
many often claim a need to succeed. They function under extremely
high stress rates, but this can be detrimental to the health of a Type
A.
Type Bs, on the other hand, are more relaxed. They work
toward deadlines but do not stress over them, and if they are achieved, this is
acceptable. If they are not, Type Bs typically do not become overwrought. They are also
nowhere near as competitive as Type As, often simply enjoying the activity or just not
participating. Usually Type Bs take more time to reflect on things, whereas Type As are
more likely to take immediate action.
What is Harper Lee's concept of family and her presentation of the American family in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Harper Lee's depiction of the family in the deep South of
the United States is certainly a realistic one, although in some ways the Finch family
is not typical, especially with Atticus's leniency in how the children address him and
in his liberal attitudes about many things. Yet, the importance of family loyalty is one
trait that is greatly stressed in Southern families and the Finches clearly exemplify
this attribute. Even when she does not agree with her brother's action of defending Tom
Robinson, for instance, Aunt Alexandra will hear no disparagement of him. For, she is
grateful when Miss Maudie cuts short the innuendos against Atticus by Mrs.
Merriweather who attends the missionary tea. Likewise, Scout and Jem's loyal actions of
speaking up for their father at the jailhouse and when Atticus is in the front lawn with
many men demonstrate the strong family ties that they have. The fondness for their maid
Calpurnia, who acts as a surrogate mother to Jem and Scout is very credible, especially
since the mother has died. And, that she would scold and spank Scout is also within the
realm of the norm for Southern families of the time of the
setting.
Also, in the families such as the Finches, pride
in their lineage is not untypical. Aunt Alexandra's insistence upon Scout's wearing
dresses and adhering to certain standards of behavior is consistent with the area and
type of family in which the Finches live, as well. Again, it is Atticus's more
nonchalant attitude that is not typical.
In her depiction
of families, Harper Lee, is certainly realistic in her illustration of the Cunninghams
and even the Ewell family, too. The poor, but honest Mr. Cunningham and his son Walter
illustrate well the many American families that suffered during the Great Depression.
The dysfunctional Ewells who live by the garbage dump typlify the poor white trash
family of the deep South. These are probably the despicable progeny of the indentured
servants and criminals who were sent or migrated from the British Isles to such places
as Georgia's penal colony and its neighbor state, Alabama.
How did Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo’s relationships with their partners affect their subject matter? Georgia O'Keeffe was married to Alfred...
Both Georgia O’Keeffe and Frida Kahlo had very rocky
relationships with their partners, and it can certainly be argued that the subject
matter of their work was affected by these
relationships.
Much of Frida Kahlo’s work dealt with here
less than flattering feelings about herself and her body. This self image was partly
caused by an accident that disfigured Frida’s body when she was young, but there is no
doubt that her emotional state was also greatly affected by the fact that her partner,
Diego Rivera, was continuously unfaithful to her. Many of her paintings deal with her
feelings about her husband and their relationship in a surreal way. The painting
The Two Fridas can be interpreted as a depiction of Frida trying to
sever herself from the part of her that dearly loves her husband because of the pain and
humiliation involved. The painting depicts two full body self portraits connected by
veins flowing to two exposed hearts. The Frida on the right holds a small portrait of
Diego, confirming the above interpretation while the Frida on the left tries to sever
herself by cutting the connecting vein.
It could be argued
that Georgia O’Keeffe’s sexually suggestive Jack-in-the-Pulpit
series of flower details that resemble female genitalia could have been a
reaction to the fact that her partner Alfred Stieglitz used her as the subject for
countless portraits. Many of these portraits were very revealing and sexual in nature,
and one can’t help but come to the conclusion that O’Keeffe’s flowers were a way of
embracing the beauty and power of the female body after her’s had been put on display by
Steiglitz.
O’Keeffe discovered the beautiful deserts of New
Mexico while searching for a change from her life in New York City with Stieglitz. The
New Mexico deserts became the subject matter of some of O’Keeffe’s most well known
work.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Does Ralph Waldo Emerson reference anything relating to religion or God in his essay "Self-Reliance"?
In Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay, "Self-Reliance," I am
uncertain if you are referring to organized religion or a belief in
God.
Emerson mentions God in this outstanding essay.
Emerson's mantra in this piece is "Trust thyself." He stresses the importance of moving
forward with a genuine belief in what one is able to accomplish in this world. Emerson
presents the belief that we are individually and distinctively made by the hand of God,
with God's purpose inherent in our beings. Emerson believes that when we honor our
purpose, we honor God.
Emerson advises the reader that in
being different, the world will punish you; conformity makes other
people comfortable.
He insists that we do not remain
consistent because the world expects it. If one changes his mind, he should not worry
what others will say. Speak this new truth without
apology.
Speak what you think now in hard words, and
to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every
thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad,
then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and
Luther...To be great is to be
misunderstood.
Emerson speaks
directly of God, and the soul and spirit of man. He states that there is no one needed
between God and his connection with men because the "relations of the soul to the divine
spirit are so pure..."
Nothing and no one else is necessary
with God; he seems to defy organized religion to pursue a pure and natural connection
between man and God, without religious "labels" or
doctrines.
....no intermediaries—priest, doctrine, church,
scripture, etc.—are needed or
helpful.
Emerson contends
that the connection between God and man is not based on things of the past. "Old things
pass away," he states, as well as those who educate us, religious buildings, and even
miracles of the past.
...teachers, texts, temples fall; it lives now,
and absorbs past and future into the present hour....All things are dissolved to their
centre by their cause, and, in the universal miracle, petty and particular miracles
disappear...
Emerson purports
that those who have a true and pure connection with God will see this. Beware of those
who might mislead. Emerson declares that the small beginnings of the past are
unimportant when compared to the achievements by forward movement
over time.
If, therefore, a man claims to know and speak of
God, and carries you backward to...some old mouldered nation in another country, in
another world, believe him not. Is the acorn better than the oak which is its
fulness and
completion?
Emerson's
perception of God and the soul are based on the here and now, and what is to come.
Believers must move with one's eye on the final prize, not looking backward. His closing
statement to this section of the essay is that the soul must look to God today, avoiding
elements of what is in the past.
...the soul is light; where it
is, is day; where it was, is
night
(Emerson began his
career with organized religion; tragedy made him doubt his faith. American
transcendentalism, which he "helped fashion," stood against, among other things,
materialism and institutionalized religion, but
not loss of faith in God.)
[He believed in] the idea that truth resides
throughout creation and is grasped
intuitively...
It would
appear that though he did not support organized religion, he did believe man
was tied to God through the elements of creation.
The ability to do a task need not result in optimal performance. What else do you think necessary?no
There are at least two other things that need to be
present in order for performance to be optimized.
First,
the process of performing the task must be organized in an efficient way. If the steps
of a task are organized inefficiently, the worker will not be able to do the task as
quickly as would be possible if the organization were
better.
Second, there must also be motivation. A person
who has the ability to do a task will not necessarily perform the task to the best of
their ability. If they are motivated to perform well, however, they will be more likely
to perform in a more optimal fashion.
These are some
reasons why management is so important. Tasks need to be well organized and planned and
workers need to be motivated. When managers do these things, performance is more likely
to be optimal.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
After the assassination of Julius Caesar, the protagonist appears. Who is this person, and what does he want?How have we been prepared for his...
Marc Antony is the protagonist after Caesar is
assassinated. He is bent on destroying the cold-blooded murderers. Brutus and the other
conspirators flee, escaping with their lives. Fully aware that Antony is determined to
avenge Caesar's death, Brutus leads the conspirators in trying to save their
lives.
Antony will stop at nothing to see that Caesar's
murderers are brought to justice. Antony truly loved Caesar. He is not power hungry as
Caesar was. Although Brutus felt compelled to kill Caesar because he was too ambitious,
the act has now caused turmoil and endangered the conspirators'
lives.
Antony wants justice. He wants Brutus and the other
conspirators to pay for the death of Caesar. He wants their blood to spill as did they
spill Caesar's blood.
Is Antony justified for desiring the
conspirators blood is the question. Did Brutus and the other conspirators have a right
to kill Caesar? I believe they did. I believe Brutus was indeed an honorable man who
desired to protect the freedoms of his countrymen.
Antony
is acting out of hurt for his dear friend Caesar.
For a triangle ABC if C=106.2, a=8.3 and b=11.78, what is c?
Since we know two lengths of the sides of triangle ABC and
the angle enclosed by them, then the length of the side c could be evaluated using the
law of cosines.
c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2a*b*cos
C
We'll replace a and b by its
values:
c^2 = (8.3)^2 + (11.78)^2 - 2*8.3*11.78*cos
106.2
Since the angle 106.2 is in the 2nd quadrant, the
value of the function cosine is negative.
cos 106.2 =
-0.27
c^2 = 68.89 + 138.76 +
54.55
c^2 = 262.20
c = sqrt
262.20 => c = 16.19
We'll keep only the positive
value since the length of a side cannot be
negative.
Therefore, the requested length of
the side c is c = 16.19 units.
In Pride and Prejudice, how does Elizabeth’s image created by Austen match with her refusal to marry Darcy?Help please
As the character of Elizabeth Bennet unveils before the
reader's eye, there are specific traits which stand out quite
strongly.
First, there is Elizabeth's independent thinking.
She does not abide by the social expectations of "marrying well" in order to fit in
society. She is determined to find a man whom she will love, regardless of financial
status. She also has no hurry to marry, in contrast to Charlotte Lucas, for example. All
these qualities denote a young woman who was ahead of her peers in terms of
self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-respect.
This
being said, we can easily conclude that Elizabeth's image, created by Jane Austen,
certainly matches the fact that she would refuse to marry Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Darcy
proposed to Elizabeth he did it in the most awkward way. He even pointed out that she
belonged him, socially speaking, and that marrying her would be doing a disservice to
his family.
Any woman who would be desperate enough to
marry, especially to marry an aristocrat like Mr. Darcy, would have taken that as an
honor. Yet, Elizabeth could not care less about rank or position: Her family, her
dignity, and her sister's happiness came before any desire of her own. Therefore, her
refusal to marry Mr. Darcy is not only foreseen, but also
expected.
In "The Lady or the Tiger," of what crime is the young man accused?
Looking at the story carefully, we see that the "crime"
that the young man was accused of was actually loving the daughter of the king. It was
only the discovery of the relationship between the daughter of the king and the young
man that brought about this accusation. For us, this "crime" seems rather unfair as it
is not actually a crime, but the text is careful to tell us why this was regarded as a
crime in this particular time:
Never before had such a case occurred; never
before had a subject dared to love the daughter of a king. In after-years such things
became commonplace enough; but then they were, in no slight degree, novel and
startling.
Thus, from this
quote, the precise nature of the crime that the young man is accused of is falling in
love with somebody that was regarded as socially being his superior. We can see from the
quote that "daring" to love the daughter of the ruler was an unheard of event, and was
regarded as a crime because persumably the king was the one to decide who would marry
his daughter.
I need a short paragraph giving at least three of the plot developments in the textbook's excerpt from Romeo and Juliet.Write at least five...
I assume you mean Act I, Scene
II.
First, Paris approaches Lord Capulet about his interest
in marrying Juliet. He likes Paris and would welcome Paris as a son-in-law, but he
wants him to wait until Juliet is older and wants to see if Juliet likes him back. He
invites Paris to his party that evening to give her a chance to meet and attempt to woo
Juliet. This leads to the second plot point where Capulet orders his illiterate servant
to deliver the invitations to the party. Meanwhile, the third plot point, Benvolio
encourages Romeo to forget about his love for Roseline and try to find another girl.
These two conversations become connected when the servant interrupts Romeo and Benvolio
and asks them for help reading the invitations, so he can deliver them. They comply and
the servant thanks them by inviting them to the party. Benvolio encourages Romeo to go
and Romeo agrees only because he knows Roseline will be there.
How is Lennie miserable in "Of Mice and Men"?
The character of Lennie in the novel Of Mice and
Men, by John Steinbeck is not necessarily meant to appear miserable.
Additionally, there is not enough information in the story that would help us conclude
officially that he was, indeed, miserable. In fact, if you compare Lennie to George,
Crooks, and many other in the novel, he may probably prove to be the least miserable of
them all precisely because he does not know any better. Yet, there are several
characteristics that Lennie possesses that would make a man with average intelligence
feel quite miserable. Then again, Lennie is not a man with average
intelligence.
The problem with Lennie is that he cannot
control himself. He is extremely big and strong for his own good. He is also taller than
his peers. To top it all, he is highly emotional and loses his temper to the point of
hurting, breaking, and even killing by accident. Should a man with a higher level of
intelligence go through this situation, his life would be miserable for sure. It would
be no different than being a type of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or even a type of
Incredible Hulk.
Yet, Lennie only goes as far as knowing
that someone will be mad at him because he did "something" wrong. He does not know what,
or the consequences of what he did, but he knows that he has messed up somehow. However,
it is precisely this innocence what protects Lennie from becoming miserable:
Unfortunately he makes everyone around him, especially George, miserable indeed. For
Lennie is a danger to society, no matter how immature or mentally challenged he may be.
This is the biggest tragedy of his life.
Monday, February 22, 2016
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, what man-made constructions allowed for increase in human population density in Hawaii?guns germs steel
When answering this question, you must think about
"man-made constructions" in a broader sense. You must think of it in terms of societal
and governmental "constructions," not simply in terms of physcial things. The
"construction" that allowed for an increase in population density was, to Diamond, the
organized chiefdom.
Diamond argues that the presence of an
organized, hierarchical government makes it easier to have intense use of natural
resources. Hawaiian chiefs were able to make their subjects take part in "public works"
projects like creating irrigation systems. These works made it more possible to do
intense agriculture and thus to have a higher population
density.
The more organized a society, the more it is able
to feed a large number of people and cause them to get along peacefully together. This
organized society was the important "construction" in Hawaii.
What is New Criticism?
New Criticism is an approach to literature which was
developed by a group of American critics, most of who taught at southern universities
during the years following the First World War. The New Critics wanted to avoid
impressionistic criticism, which risked being shallow and arbitrary, and social/
historical approaches which might easily be subsumed by other disciplines. Thus, they
attempted to systematize the study of literature, to develop an approach which was
centred on the rigorous study of the text itself. They were given their name by John
Crowe Ransom, who describes the new American formalists in The New
Criticism (1941).
New Criticism is distinctly
formalist in character. It stresses close attention to the internal characteristics of
the text itself, and it discourages the use of external evidence to explain the work.
The method of New Criticism is foremost a close reading, concentrating on such formal
aspects as rhythm, meter, theme, imagery, metaphor, etc. The interpretation of a text
shows that these aspects serve to support the structure of meaning within the
text.
The aesthetic qualities praised by the New Critics
were largely inherited from the critical writings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge
was the first to elaborate on a concept of the poem as a unified, organic whole which
reconciled its internal conflicts and achieved some final balance or harm. The New
Critics privileged poetry over other forms of literary expression because the saw the
poem as the purest exemplification of the literary values which they upheld. However,
the techniques of close reading and structural analysis of texts have also been applied
to fiction, drama, and other literary forms. These techniques remain the dominant
critical approach in many modern literature
courses.
The New Critics privileged poetry over
other forms of literary expression because the saw the poem as the purest
exemplification of the literary values which they upheld. However, the techniques of
close reading and structural analysis of texts have also been applied to fiction, drama,
and other literary forms. These techniques remain the dominant critical approach in many
modern literature courses.
Why does the poet come to Brutus's tent in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, in Act Four, scene three?
In Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar,
the poet enters in Act Four, scene three, to speak to Cassius and Brutus. It would seem
that he is aware that the two generals are fighting, and he comes to stop the
dispute.
When he arrives, the poet speaks to Lucilius,
demanding that he be allowed to see Cassius and Brutus. He believes that because they
are fighting, they should not be left alone.
POET:
Let
me go in to see the generals.
There is some grudge between
'em, 'tis not meet
They be alone.
(140)
When Lucilius refuses
to accomodate the poet, the man threatens that only death will keep him from going into
the generals. Cassius hears the disturbance and asks for its cause. At this point, the
poet begins to scold the men for fighting. He tells them to make up and be
friends.
POET:
For
shame, you generals! What are you thinking?
Love, and be
friends as two such men should
be…
Now that Cassius and
Brutus have made up, it seems that they unite to insult the poet: they make fun of him,
and tell him to leave.
[The poet] is ridiculed by both men for his crude
verses and
philosophy.
Finally, the two
men seem to be in agreement again.
Why do the scholars condemn electric light even though they see its effectiveness?
Nothing breeds innovation faster than innovation, and
nothing leads to questions quite like innovation. If the scholars had allowed the
electric light, a piece of technology from the Unmentionable Times, that would have
undermined everything that had been established in the citizens' minds. To allow one
such piece of technology would have invited questions, the last thing that a
collectivist state wants. In addition to the type of questioning that new technology
brings (how can I make it better, what other uses can I find for it), once it was
discovered that the technology had existed previously, others would have inquired what
else they could find useful from that time, and why, exactly, were those things so bad
when they could be used for such good. The scholars were afraid to open the door
because once opened, it can't be shut again.
Summarize the major issues of the New Deal Legislation.
When you say "issues," I assume you are asking what the
New Deal legislation was trying to accomplish. If so, historians tend to argue that the
New Deal was trying to accomplish three
things.
- Relief. The New Deal was trying to
immediately relieve the economic problems that people faced. This was done, for
example, by providing jobs or even direct "welfare"
payments. - Recovery. The New Deal was trying to get the
economy back to normal. Efforts to do this included things like the AAA and the
NIRA. - Reform. The New Deal was meant to ensure that
future depressions could not happen. This was done through legal reforms (creation of
the SEC and the FDIC) as well as through economic development programs
(TVA).
These were the main goals of the New
Deal.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
What is the awakening of George Willard in "An Awakening" in Sherwood Anderson's collection entitled, Winesburg, Ohio?
In the story entitled, "An Awakening," by Sherwood
Anderson in his collection, Winesburg, Ohio, George Willard awakens
to his potential in life. He becomes caught up in a sense of who he
can be, simply by believing in himself. He speaks words that
transform him and the world around him. He is so strongly convinced of his power, that
he calls at Belle Carpenter's house, who is actually in love with someone else. She goes
out with George, and George believes that his "awakened self" should be able to change
Belle as well, even though he seems to feel that she has not be very nice to him in the
past.
In the
past when he had been with her and had kissed her lips he had come away filled with
anger at himself. He had felt like one being used for some obscure purpose and had not
enjoyed the feeling.
However,
even though an awakening has come to George, it is still in its "infancy." I do not
believe that George embraces strongly enough the things that come into his mind about
being different and perceiving the world in a new way. He is not convinced
enough to alter his world or his sense of who he
is.
In fact, George only begins saying "the
words" because "[i]n a spirit of play…", he is pretending: first to be a drunken man,
then a soldier, and next an inspector of soldiers. The persona he adopts is foreign to
him. The exercise makes him think about what he is saying: he really
should get his life in order.
The
narrator then points out at the beginning of this exercise of "enlightenment," that
George is:
Hypnotized by his own
words...
This gives the
reader the sense that this change may be temporary. George starts to think about things
that have never occurred to him before, seeing the world through a wider, and new
"lens." Soon he has convinced himself that he is better for knowing
that he can be more, and should expect more of himself. He acts as
if he is committed to his new course when he is alone, in the back alley of a poor
neighborhood. Many of George's thoughts appear to be valuable, with the
potential of being life-changing for him. However, when he is
confronted by the realities of the world in which he lives, he cannot hold fast to his
new sense of self. Because this has been more an awakening of what he
could be, rather than a determination of what
he will be, he folds in on himself when threatened by Ed Handby,
the bartender who wants Belle. (Sadly, it seems she wants him, too, and has only used
George to make Ed jealous.) Three is the "magic" number here. George tries three times
to stand up to Ed, only to be thrown each time into the bushes. That quickly, even in
the face of this new belief in himself, he loses sight of who he
might be.
Ed and Belle leave, and
instead of seeing this as the first battle of his newfound self, he is humiliated. He
returns to the place where he had learned to look at the world with new eyes, but his
sense of failure has robbed him of purpose and shown the reader that he was truly not
committed to changed. The world is ordinary again, as is George's
perception of himself.
When his way homeward led him again into the
street of frame houses he could not bear the sight and began to run, wanting to get
quickly out of the neighborhood that now seemed to him utterly squalid and
commonplace.
George is
unwilling to stay "true to his dreams."
Given f'(x)=ln(1+tanx) what is the function f?
We'll have to determine the primitive of the given
function and we'll do it by integrating f'(x).
The first
step is to replace x by pi/4 - t
x = pi/4 -
t
Differentiating, we'll
have:
dx = -dt
I = Int
ln(1+tanx)dx = -Int ln[1+tan (pi/4 - t)]dt
But tan (pi/4 -
t) = (tan pi/4 - tan t)/(1 + tan (pi/4)*tan t)
tan (pi/4 -
t) = (1 - tan t)/(1+tan t)
We'll add 1 both
sides:
1 + tan (pi/4 - t) = 1 + (1 - tan t)/(1+tan
t)
1 + tan (pi/4 - t) = 2/(1 + tan
t)
We'll take logarithm function both
sides:
ln [1 + tan (pi/4 - t)] = ln [2/(1 + tan
t)]
ln [2/(1 + tan t)] = ln 2 - ln (1 + tan
t)
We'll integrate:
Int [2/(1
+ tan t)]dt = -Int ln 2 dt + Int ln (1 + tan t)dt
I = Int
ln 2 dt - Int ln (1 + tan t)dt
But Int ln (1 + tan t)dt =
I
I = Int ln 2 dt - I
2I =(ln
2)*t
I = [t*(ln 2)]/2 + C
I =
(pi/4 - x)*ln 2/2 + c
I = (pi/8)*ln 2 - x*(ln 2)/2 +
C
The function f(x) is: f(x) = (pi/8)*ln 2 -
x*(ln 2)/2 + C
Why does Pearl seem to be a bit elfish even to her mother Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter?
The reason why Pearl is more than a handful for her mother
Hester in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, is because the character of Pearl is
meant to be a literal and philosophical consequence of Hester's
actions.
This being said, Pearl is not only the product of the illicit
relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale: She is also the source of Hester's
"preternatural" punishment for having allowed herself to defend a man who has clearly
committed a crime much worse than her own. Dimmesdale deserves no mercy. Yet, for
whatever her real reason is, Hester elects to spare him the humiliation and the
punishment that he truly deserves.
Since her decision is not
necessarily the correct choice to make, she will pay for the consequences of it through
Pearl, who is a spiritual extension of Hester. It seems as if Pearl can read her
mother's soul. She knows what her mother's weaknesses are, and what makes her mother
upset. She manipulates her mother's emotions as if reminding her that, because of her
choice of saving Dimmesdale, both Pearl and Hester live a life of pariahs. Pearl is a
manifestation of Hester's weaknesses, but her strength of character makes those
weaknesses more evident in Hester's eyes.
In not so many words, Pearl
was put in this world to make Hester pay for saving Dimmesdale, and for her not to ever
forget how this decision basically destroyed life, as she knew it,
forever.
In what ways does Ralph represent democracy and Jack represent dictarship or communism in Lord of the Flies?
The differences between the two boy leaders in
Lord of the Flies are pretty distinctive. Ralph is the first to
suggest that the boys elect a chief to lead the group and preserve order. He establishes
the conch as a democratic symbol of free speech, and he attempts to organize the boys
and assign responsibilities. He recognizes Piggy's intelligence and utilizes his
knowledge. Jack, on the other hand, believes that he should be chief because he is the
head of the choir; he does not favor a vote to name the leader. Even before Ralph is
elected, Jack snaps orders at his group. Jack shuns the power of the conch, hates Piggy
because of his weight and brains, neglects the young'uns because of their age and
physical weaknesses, and eventually takes control through violence and the threat of
death. His power-hungry yearnings finally lead to torture and
murder.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Why Chaucer is called the Father of English poetry?
Chaucer is given this title for a few reasons. First, he
is one of the first English poets that we know by name. During this time period, it was
common not to know the author's name and label it as "anonymous," largely due to the
tradition of passing stories along orally through time from one generation to the
next.
Second, we give him the title because of his
accomplishments. His largest and best known is The Canterbury Tales. In this work
(which is not finished as he died before its completion), Chaucer creates a frame story
with his poetry. The outer story is the pilgrimmage that the group is taking to pay
homage to Thomas Becket at Canterbury. The inside story is a collection of short
stories (the first of its kind which morphs into the short story as we know it today)
focusing on the individual travelers.
Third, Chaucer,
through his own life experiences, is able to give us a picture of life in his age for
all levels of society. His Tales give us the knight (highest ranking of the travelers)
to the plowman (revered in Chaucer's time for their importance in providing food for the
public, but certainly not considered as a wealthy or sophisticated member of society).
Not many authors have ever been able to do this well, and it was several hundred years
before Shakespeare came along and was also able to successfully represent all members of
society in a straightforward and truthful way while still being
entertaining.
What does Crane mean when he writes, "It is all hung by an invisible white hair. It trembles as birch limbs webbing the air." Please explain....
"My Grandmother's Love Letters," by Hart Crane, speaks to
the past and the memories the speaker has of his
grandmother.
She is gone, but memories, as well as mementos
of her life, remain for the speaker. The night offers no visible stars (as it's
raining), "but those of memory," and the speaker believes that there is plenty of room
for memory as there is room for the soft rain that
falls.
There is room enough, too, for his grandmother's
love letters, so long stored away that they have become fragile—"brown and soft" enough
to "melt as snow." There is great space for the speaker to recall his grandmother—and
wonder about "Elizabeth," the person— apart from the one he loved—so much more than a
mere memory. However, the steps into this "space" must be "gentle," especially if he is
tempted to delve into unknown territory. He takes the time to consider the letters that
will teach him more about this woman. (It is not hard to imagine
someone wanting to learn about a loved one who is gone, especially in that when we are
younger, we often don't know enough to ask questions while they are still with
us.)
The lines you have mentioned are rhyming couplets.
Each stands alone on a separate line—ended by a period rather than starting on the first
line and continuing to the second. One source suggests that the speaker is having second
thoughts, and that the periods are evidence that he is pausing. Does he really want to
search out the secrets not of his grandmother, but of "Elizabeth,"
a woman he really never knew?
In these
two lines, the "invisible white hair" literally calls up the image of his grandmother:
but because it is invisible, the connection is one felt rather than seen. To know what
the "hair" refers to, we need context, so we look at "It is all hung…" "It" may then
refer to the decision the speaker has to make as to whether he is prepared to meet
"Elizabeth"—the woman she was before: before he was born;
before she was a grandmother; and, probably
before she was a mother. The person she was when she received these
letters has not existed for a very long time—life changes dramatically when we marry and
have children…and grandchildren. What will he make of this unknown person who he is
forever linked to? Perhaps, too, because he is a grandson first, and a curious adult
second, the child within him is unsure if he wants to know who she
used to be because he has loved her always as a grandmother. The
decision is an important one; it hangs by a fragile and "invisible white hair." The rest
of the couplet creates a simile, or a comparison: the hair trembles "like" the limbs of
a tree spread out through the air. The word "trembles" provides a sense of uncertainty,
or fear, or even anticipation—or perhaps all three, as the speaker
ponders what step next to take.
It is all hung by an invisible white
hair.
It trembles as birch limbs webbing the
air.
To my mind, there is a
decision waiting to be made about whether the speaker wants to discover a new woman in
the person of his grandmother. He may actually see the move with anticipation—the birch
limbs "web" through the air, lifting their arms to loftier places—toward the sun: and
"higher planes" are often symbolic of increased knowledge. I do not believe his choice
is necessarily between good or bad knowledge, but a "before" and "after" thing—for once
he crosses into the world of "Elizabeth," he cannot go back: he will forever know of
"Elizabeth" before their lives were joined.
What are the integer numbers x,y,z if they are the terms of an artihmetic progression.2^x,2^y, 2^z are the terms of geometric progression.
If x,y,z are the terms of an AP, we can apply the mean
value theorem:
y =
(x+z)/2
We'll cross multiply and we'll
get:
2y = (x+z) (1)
If
2^x,2^y,2^z are the terms of a GP then 2^y is the geometric mean of 2^x and
2^z:
2^y = sqrt(2^x*2^z)
We'll
square raise both sides:
2^2y =
2^x*2^z
Since the bases of the exponentials from the right
side are matching, we'll add the exponents:
2^2y =
2^(x+z)
Since the bases are matching, we'll apply one to
one property:
2y =
(x+z)
Therefore, the integer terms x,y,and z
may have any value, as long as they respect the constraint 2y =
(x+z).
What crisis shows the children a surprising skill their father possesses in To Kill a Mockingbird?
At the beginning of Chapter 10, Scout describes her father
as "feeble," and creates a list of things that Atticus is incapable of doing. His
advanced age and bad eyesight are just two of his inadequacies that seem to embarrass
Scout. But when a mad dog is seen stumbling down the street, who does Sheriff Heck Tate
hand his rifle to in order to dispose of the animal? None other than
Atticus.
With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus' hand yanked a ball-tipped
lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder.
The rifle cracked. Tim
Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the
sidewalk...
The children
discovered a talent that Atticus possessed but had never discussed with them: that of
the crack marksman. In his youth, Atticus had been known as "Ol' One Shot" Finch, the
best shooter in the county.
What is meant by "chemical equilibrium"?
Chemical equilibrium
means:
Its a reversible equation which is an incomplete
reaction eg (double arrows)
H2 + I2
--> 2HI
<--
At
equilibrium, the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction of
physics equilibrium is a static process eg tug or war. Chemical equilibrium is a dynamic
process.
Equilibrium is characterised
by
- Constancy of macroscopic properties ie colour
remains the same - Rate of forward and reverse reactions is
equal.
Bascily, if you put in more reactant,
the equation will be favoured forwards as the system wants to use it up to produce more
product.
If you put more product in, reverse will be
favoured.
[reactants] increase, forward
favoured
[reactants] decrease reverse
favoured
[products] increase reverse
favoured
[products] decrease forward
favoured.
How is the mosquito story relevant to the current scene of Okonkwo in bed at the beginning of Chapter Nine in Things Fall Apart?
Very interesting question. The story that Okonkwo
remembers as he lays in bed I think could be seen as a kind of parable that has a lot to
say about Okonkwo and his life and how he reacts to situations. Let us remind ourselves
of what the story says, and as you read it, try and think how it could be
symbolic:
Mosquito, she had said, had asked Ear to marry
him, whereupon Ear fell on the floor in uncontrollable laughter. "How much longer do you
think you will live?" she asked. "You are already a skeleton." Mosquito went away
humiliated, and any time he passed her way he told Ear that he was still
alive.
There is a sense in
which this parable is about the danger of judging on appearances, as Ear did, and how
Ear suffered as a result. If we transfer this situation to Okonkwo, we see that he is a
character, who in his haste, bravado and desire to show himself to be a man, makes many
hasty decisions without thinking them through, and suffers as a result. We most clearly
see this when he is exiled, but also in his response to the missionaries who
come.
Friday, February 19, 2016
What were the effects of the Spanish-American War?
The largest effects of this war were that it ended the
Spanish Empire and began the American one.
The Spanish
Empire had been in a long, slow decline for more than two centuries and by 1898 had very
few colonies under their control. By challenging and defeating the Spanish, the United
States for the first time became a colonial power, taking Guam, the Philippines and
Puerto Rico as US territories.
This ended easy Spanish
access and influence in both the Caribbean and Asia and gave the Americans bases to
project their military power (especially the US Navy) around the globe, securing
resources and trade routes. The Spanish-American War ended the long era of Spanish
naval power.
It also led to a long guerrilla war fought by
Filipinos against their new colonial rulers, the Americans.
How is the tension between individual and society treated in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe?I read that Pride and Prejudice is more typical of...
I don't know that I can agree with the idea that society
is the protagonist in Pride and Prejudice and not the
"self-reliant" individual. I think that Elizabeth is the protagonist, and she is, in
many ways an extremely self-reliant woman,
much to the chagrin and annoyance of other characters in the
story.
Regardless of this, however, is the concept of man
(or woman) vs society, a common conflict in both Pride and
Prejudice and Daniel Defoe's Robinson
Crusoe.
When Robinson
Crusoe begins, Crusoe wants to leave his life in England and travel the world
because of a need for adventure. His parents will not give their blessing, first because
they have lost another son to this desire when he was killed in battle; second, because
there is no need. Crusoe's father assures his son that he has the
best possible life because he is not hampered by poverty or riches.
He exists in the "middle state," one that kings envy because of the lack of hardships in
that kind of life.
Crusoe refuses to abide by the wishes of
his parents, and departs for a life of adventure anyway. One source states that Crusoe
has committed a sin in leaving the place where God and nature had put him (in England)
to pursue a life he was not born to. His "original sin" lies in his refusal to adopt a
"conventional" life:
...refuse[ing] to be 'satisfied with the station
wherein God and Nature hath placed'
him.
Although Crusoe is
ultimately stranded alone on an island, his need for society is what keeps him sane. By
living his life as closely to the manner in which he would in England, Crusoe manages to
bring "civilization" to the island.
Crusoe struggles to maintain reason, order, and
civilization.
Seemingly,
English society expected that a man should face his fears, and do what he must to
conquer nature and make it his realm. When Crusoe finally does
this, order is in place and Crusoe's quality of life is
improved.
Once
Crusoe is able to overcome his fear and subdue nature, he is rewarded
handsomely.
As noted
previously, Crusoe's society expects that he should have followed
the plan based upon the place in life allocated for him by God and Nature. In light of
this, we find that Crusoe also experiences a religious conversion when he becomes
extremely ill: he is alone on the island and believes that he comes close to dying. His
faith in God is awakened and he begins to acknowledge God's power in his own survival.
This is also his choice to adhere to societal expectations of the
time.
This
was the first time I could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed in all my
life; for now I prayed with a sense of my condition, and a true Scripture view of hope,
founded on the encouragement of the Word of God; and from this time, I may say, I began
to hope that God would hear
me.
It would seem that the
character of Crusoe is rewarded when he acts in accordance with the expectations of
society, God and nature. When he defies any of these, he is "punished." Even Crusoe's
behavior with—and treatment of—Friday ("saving his soul"), shows his faithful dedication
to the expectations of English society: conforming to the expectations of society, even
on a deserted island, allow Crusoe to survive his thirty-five year ordeal, returning
home eventually to resume his life in England, even marrying and having
children.
The message in this novel seems clear: he who
conforms with society is rewarded. He who does not, is punished—only to be saved
if he changes the way he lives.
What is the Plot of the story?PLOT: what was the basic story, in just a few sentences? What was the conflict in the story - was it between two...
The basic plot in "Thank You Ma'am" is simply a story
about understanding. Ms. Jones understands Roger. She understands his need. She
understands that he is a product of his environment.
The
conflict in the story is a person against himself. Roger desires shoes he cannot afford.
That is why he tries to steal Ms. Jones's purse. He is full of turmoil because he is one
of the "have nots."
Ms. Jones is understanding because she
too has felt the same conflict that Roger is feeling. She has struggled with desire
herself. She knows that Roger only needs someone to care. She made a lasting impression
on Roger. He will never be the same. She gave him a few minutes of her time and made
such a difference in Roger's life.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Compare and contrast "A Noiseless Patient Spider" with "Dover Beach."
If I were you I would want to approach this question by
thinking about the two central analogies that are drawn in both of these excellent poems
and how they operate. This seems to me to be the obvious point of comparison between
these two texts.
In "A Noiseless Patient Spider," the
spider that the speaker sees flinging forth its filaments and making connections is
compared to the soul of the speaker, that likewise seems to be like the spider as it is
surrounded "in measureless oceans of space" and is trying to connect the "spheres" with
its thread:
And you O my soul where you
stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of
space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the
spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be
formed, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer
thread you fling catch somewhere, O my
soul.
The spider and the soul
both are trying to build connections and bridges, and this is the point of comparison
that allows Whitman to explore how the soul seems to be flinging out threads to try and
connect to someone and to somewhere, desperate to find its identity in the world in
which it is "detached."
Likewise, in "Dover Beach," the
"grating roar" of the pebbles as the waves of the sea draw them back and them cast them
once again on the shore is compared to "The Sea of Faith," which, according to the
speaker, is withdrawing, just as the tide is withdrawing, leaving the world an exposed
and vulnerable place:
The Sea of
Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's
shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle
furled.
But now I only
hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing
roar,
Retreating, to the
breath
Of the night wind, down the vast edges
drear
And naked shingles of the
world.
Note the emphasis on
the "naked shingles of the world." The sea becomes a powerful metaphor for the beliefs
that the speaker fears are vanishing from the world. Something powerful is gradually
leaving the world, leaving it "naked," and therefore open to pain, attack, and
vulnerable. This poem paints a bleak picture of the state of the world thanks to the
decline in religious faith.
So both poems contain
unforgettable analogies, as the spider throwing out its filaments is compared to the
soul in one, and the tide withdrawing is compared to the decline in religious faith in
the other.