Why does Shakespeare introduce some of the main characters as being in a sad mood? What effect does this have on the audience?

In Act one, Scene 1, Antonio is introduced as a character who is suffering from severe depression. Antonio laments about his mood and mentions that he cannot sleep or think clearly. Antonio tells his two friends, Salerio and Solanio, that he cannot figure out the cause of his bad mood. When the audience first meets Portia in the second scene of the play, she laments to Nerissa about her recent suitors. Portia tells Nerissa that she is tired of living and feels helpless in her journey to find love. Portia is portrayed as a hopeless romantic who is also struggling with depression. Shakespeare chose to introduce these two main characters who are in depressed moods to create sympathy for them. The audience has empathy for Antonio and Portia and immediately feels sorry for them. The two characters moods change as the play progresses, and the audience is relieved when Portia finds love and Antonio's fortune is saved. By portraying the two main characters as helpless at the beginning of the play, Shakespeare manipulates the audience into feelings sorry for them, then rewards the audience by illustrating how Portia and Antonio both end up happy at the end of the play.

Are there any advantages of social stratification?

Whether or not there are any advantages to social stratification really depends on who you are and where you fall in that system. By its very nature, social stratification limits access to power, prestige, and privilege by systemically oppressing and exploiting particular groups of people. Though complex societies rely on the differentiation of labor, there does not necessarily need to be a differential distribution of wealth based on irrelevant characteristics like race, gender, ethnicity, bodily ability, religion, health status, or socioeconomic background. 

I would say that there are advantages to social stratification for those who fall into the preferential categories and higher ranks of stratification. Though there may exist advantages in access to power, prestige, and privilege, they are not justified in a system of social stratification. Where there are systemic advantages, there are also disadvantages. For example, in the United States, there persists a racial and ethnically based system of social stratification which gives preferential access to health, wealth, and education to white people, while placing People of Color in a cycle of poverty. For every one white person who does well in the United States, there is a handful of People of Color who have been denied the opportunity and resources for achievement.

What are some advantages of culturally diverse society?

A society that exhibits cultural diversity has advantages that are quantitative as well as qualitative. 

The quantitative advantage can been seen when studying cultures that have tried to stay isolated. In the United States, one of the most striking examples of the health risks of cultural isolation can be found in Amish communities. Because the Amish strive to keep their culture uniform and avoid cultural diversity, "founder effect" increases the chances of genetic abnormalities in Amish communities. The lack of cultural diversity can be literally a matter of life and death. The goal of Amish cultural isolation is to keep the culture strong by not diluting it, but the results of such isolation produce the opposite effect within the isolated community. Furthermore, since 10-20% of each generation of Amish leave their isolated communities, these genetic mutations and abnormalities do not solely affect the isolated culture. An advantage of cultural diversity can be quantitatively shown through the study of its converse, cultural isolation.

By definition, qualitative advantages are more difficult to prove, but one of the greatest advantages of cultural diversity can be found in the understanding that a greater pool of opinions, experiences, and cultures will produce solutions, innovations, and outcomes that benefit the greatest number of people. Being able to draw on multiple sources of art, government, craftsmanship, folklore, and history can provide new avenues of conflict mediation—a definite positive in a global society. Cultural diversity helps people focus on common needs and goals while acknowledging there could be multiple paths to the same end result. Cultural diversity can—interestingly enough—help people focus on what they have in common even while noting differences. 

Both quantitatively and qualitatively, it is not an exaggeration to say the advantages of cultural diversity can affect the population in a positive way.

In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, what comments does Stevenson make about the social world of the novel?

In creating Dr. Henry Jekyll, a relatively ethical character who feels such intense societal pressure to be perfect, Stevenson seems to comment on, indeed criticize, the society that would drive a man to such lengths in order to rid himself of what seems to be a natural part of human nature.  Jekyll felt the need to "conceal his pleasures," as he writes in his final letter, and he felt a "morbid sense of shame" concerning them.  He "stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life," and the need to hide any moral imperfection (as determined by his society) compelled him to try to eliminate those imperfections altogether. 

However, he reasoned, and it seems that Stevenson would expect us to agree, that "man is not truly one, but truly two," and so Jekyll's attempt to rid himself of his socially unacceptable desires amounts to the attempt to eliminate a fundamental part of himself as a human being.  Further, his inability to control this side of himself, once he has unleashed it, indicates that his experiment should not have been attempted, that, in trying to eliminate his immorality utterly, he actually allowed it to become stronger.  Therefore, society's attempt to regulate morality to such a great degree, such that a well-respected doctor fears for his reputation over a few minor desires, must be considered not only unrealistic but also dangerous.  The more people feel repressed, the more urgent the desire to break through the boundaries imposed.

What character experienced change during The Last Lecture?

Jai experiences change in The Last Lecture.

The question is a difficult one to answer because there is little room for change in the narrative.  Everyone concerned knows that "the elephant in the room" is Randy's inevitable death.  This end point is the beginning, and as a result, no one really changes as a result of the lecture. For example, Randy started off as a "Tigger" and still is at lecture's end.  

However, one change we can see is in Jai.  At the start of the narrative, she is not comfortable with Randy delivering the lecture.  Jai was "leery of this whole last-lecture idea" because of how much time it will consume.  She was not comfortable with it because it was going to take something that neither she or her husband could afford to surrender:

We had just moved from Pittsburgh to Southeastern Virginia so that after my death, Jai and the kids could be near her family. Jai felt that I ought to be spending my precious time with our kids, or unpacking our new house, rather than devoting my hours to writing the lecture and then traveling back to Pittsburgh to deliver it.

'Call me selfish,' Jai told me. 'But I want all of you. Any time you’ll spend working on this lecture is lost time, because it’s time away from the kids and from me.'

Eventually, Jai gives into Randy's demand.  Her initial apprehension is changed when she attends the lecture. She sits in the front row and watches her husband, "the showman," put on his last show for the public.  Since Randy delivered the lecture on her birthday, he breaks from his remarks in order to present a cake and has the entire audience sing "Happy Birthday:" "As we all sang, I finally allowed myself to look at Jai. She sat in her front-row seat, wiping away tears with this surprised smile on her face, looking so lovely—bashful and beautiful, pleased and overwhelmed…."  The "surprised smile on her face" is a change from the frustration Jai displayed at the start of the narrative.

Why is Ulrich not able to shoot his enemy when he first encounters him in "The Interlopers" by Saki?

Ulrich von Gradwitz is unable to shoot his enemy when he suddenly encounters him because of the "code of a restraining civilization." This code prohibits shooting a neighbor in cold blood without warning or words exchanged unless the offense is one against a man's honor or his family.

The feud that exists between Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym is simply over a particular strip of very steep woodland on the edge of the Gradwitz forest lands. It is jealously guarded by von Gradwitz because of the fact that it was wrested from the Znaeyms in a famous lawsuit. However, although the Znaeyms lost in the courts, they continue to come on the land and poach, and the feud is continued by the impassioned younger male members of the families. 

One night, as the deer who normally are bedded down are running during a storm wind, von Gradwitz calls upon his foresters to go out and search for any sight or sound of "the marauders." It is on this "wild night," then, that von Gradwitz suddenly is confronted by his mortal enemy, Georg Znaeym. But, in that short moment of civilized conditioning in which they cannot shoot each other, the mighty beech tree around which they are face-to-face is struck by the violence of nature. Suddenly, a mass of branches crashes down upon the two men. Now, helplessly pinioned beneath the broken branches and wounded, the two enemies clearly cannot end their feud as intended.

Based on this video on Travelocity, think about what consumers want from online travel services providers. What are five criteria that you think...

Travelocity's focus group information architecture usability analysis showed that what its customers want is an uncomplicated, unconfusing, simplified experience shopping for and purchasing travel packages. As a result, Travelocity modified their online purchasing program to be password-free for those who forget their passwords.

Travelocity's partnership with AARP opened a door for offline direct mail, a marketing avenue Travelocity wouldn't have engaged otherwise because their customers want online experiences, while AARP's want offline experiences. 

Travelocity developed a control group of customers that received no emails so other groups could be tested with variable kinds of emails. They found, because of the effectiveness of having a control group, that the email marketing campaigns producing the most incremental lift were the special-interest, targeted emails. Customers responded when emails were targeted to their reported areas of interest.

Travelocity found success combining marketing approaches with the customer's entertainment media mix. The Travelocity Gnome is a representation of this concept. The Gnome, like the Geico Gecko, personalizes Travelocity while combining a mood of entertainment with marketing exposure.

Travelocity's extremely successful innovation of a publicized Customer Bill of Rights promises that Travelocity stands behind every customer and guarantees every purchase down to the last detail. The Gnome heralds the Bill of Rights and makes it familiar to customers. 

The experiences of Travelocity suggest five criteria that are key to satisfying customers:

1. Remove barriers to success by providing streamlined alternative means of action.

2. Find the avenue of approach that is most functional for the customer segment.

3. Use research and self-reporting surveys to identify true areas of interest so as to bypass a carpeting approach in marketing.

4. Gear marketing to how the customer actually experiences exposure, such as through their media mix.

5. Make the brand personal and approachable, supported by an unflinching promise of excellence and an unwavering guarantee that their experience will be correct in every detail.

During the 1950s, who did advertisers begin to target?

Television changed advertising in the 1950s.  Millions of American families watched TV and the commercials that ran.  Popular celebrities starred in commercial ads showing new products.  Ads began to target children and teenagers.  Ads targeted toward children showed new and exciting toys.  Ads for teenagers showed everything from phonographs to sodas to clothes.

The 1950s were a time of increased consumerism.  The previous two decades had been filled with hardships.  The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II in the 1940s had forced consumers to cut back.  The economy was flourishing by the 1950s, and American consumption reflected this.  It was in the 1950s that advertisers began researching their demographics.  They wanted ads to target specific demographics.  Besides children and teenagers, women were frequently targeted.  Many women were housewives, so ads for cleaning products were common.  Smoking was a common habit for adults, and cigarette ads dominated the television screens during Prime Time.

What are some main events in Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson?

Jacob Have I Loved centers around Louise and her relationship with her twin sister, Caroline.  Caroline was born sickly and gets more attention than Louise.  Caroline takes voice lessons on the mainland and often gets out of doing chores.  She belittles Louise, though sometimes unintentionally.  She is admired around the island of Rass for her beauty and talent.  Louise is often overlooked.

As Louise gets older, she starts to resent Caroline more and more.  She reflects on a change that occurs inside her when she is thirteen:

I was proud of my sister, but that year, something began to rankle beneath the pride.  Life begins to turn upside down at thirteen.  I know that now.  But at the time I thought the blame for my unhappiness must be fixed—on Caroline, on my grandmother, on my mother, even on myself. (Chapter 2)

As Louise struggles with resentment toward her sister, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and the United States enters the war.  Louise faces more adult problems and concerns.  A strange man arrives on the island and Louise is suspicious that he is a spy.  She is wrong and she befriends the man, who she calls the Captain.  She spends time with the Captain and her friend, Call.

Call goes off to fight in World War II.  Caroline leaves for music school.  Louise feels alone on the island.  She decides to leave and attend college herself.  She becomes a midwife.

What time and place is Unwind by Neal Shusterman set in? How does the setting contribute to the story?

The place setting of the story is the United States.  The novel moves all across the United States as the author explores individual plot lines for the various characters.  For example, the Graveyard is in Arizona, and Lev and CyFi travel to Joplin.  

The time setting is a bit more difficult.  The reader is given a few specific dates at the beginning of a few chapters, but those dates reference events in the past. For example, there is an article at the beginning of one chapter that talks about a bunch of bodies being dug up from graves.  

In 2003 the authorities agreed to exhume around 30 bodies from a cemetery used by maternity hospital number 6.

The main events of the book take place sometime in the future, but it is a near future.  The best evidence that I can provide for a near future is when the Admiral is talking about "neurografting."  He explains that unwinding became a viable option once neurografting was made possible.  Currently, only certain organs and tissues can be donated, but neurografting makes it possible to use every piece of a donor's body.  

"I was right there in the room when they came up with the idea that a pregnancy could be terminated retroactively once a child reaches the age of reason," says the Admiral. "At first it was a joke — no one intended it to be taken seriously. But that same year the Nobel Prize went to a scientist who perfected neurografting — the technique that allows every part of a donor to be used in transplant."

Because neurografting is not current and available science, Unwind is taking place sometime in the future.  

How did lifetime enslavement and white male domination impact gender during the colonial and early national periods of U.S. history?

Slavery existed for a relatively short time in the northern colonies. It was abolished, state-by-state, by the early-nineteenth century (New Jersey was among the last to abolish it in 1804) due to a relative lack of agrarian culture compared with that of the South. Nevertheless, northern textile mills would indirectly depend on slave labor for cotton supplies.

In the South, until the late-seventeenth century, slaves had certain rights that became unthinkable by the eighteenth-century. In Virginia, which would become a very wealthy slave-holding state, slaves were allowed to maintain small plots of land on which they could grow their own crops and sell them. They were also allowed to move relatively freely, and sometimes had the option of buying their own freedom. 

The increasing profitability of cash crops, such as tobacco in Virginia and, after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, cotton and rice crops in the Deep South, led to stricter guidelines for enslavement, more deeply entrenching black people into a system of bondage. A color-line had developed: to be white meant to be free, and to be black meant to be a slave. It is around this time, too, that we see the rise of a planter class. Though few white men belonged to this exclusive category, others aspired to it and made livings off of it, as overseers, for example.

The planter class in the South was a hierarchy based on a Classical model. Southerners envisioned their mode of civilization as a successor to those of Ancient Greece and Rome, also slave-holding societies. In those societies, too, men were dominant and had sexual access to their slaves.

It is well-known that many Southern slave-holders, including the illustrious Thomas Jefferson and John C. Calhoun, had sexual relationships with at least one of their slaves. The ownership of black women, as well as slaves' absolute lack of legal recourse, allowed for consistent rape (by both planters and overseers), concubinage, and forced breeding. The commodification of human bodies inevitably extended to sexuality and reproduction. Thus, the slave system allowed for the absolute economic, political, and sexual hegemony of white men. Because white women were not allowed to own their own property, but were merely married off with dowries (e.g., small sums of money, slaves), they did not have much agency in this system.

Concubinage -- that is, taking another woman or multiple women of lower status than one's wife as sexual partners -- often led to jealousy and resentment on the part of the planters' wives. To legitimize the infidelities and to discourage any similar behavior from their wives, white Southern patriarchy recreated the white woman as an emblem of femininity: chaste, noble, and true. This image particularly applied to upper-class Southern ladies. 

While black women became defined by their sexual and reproductive beings, many upper-class white women -- intent on living up to male standards of femininity -- became distant from these aspects of themselves. Neurasthenia, a vague medical condition defined by fatigue, headache, and irritability, was rather common in the early-nineteenth century, as were "the vapors," a similar disease to neurasthenia, though this one caused hysteria, mood swings, and depression. Both were said to have been caused by emotional disturbance and tended to impact women more than men. There is a possible connection between these conditions and the very repressed lives white women led in patriarchal societies.

Why did Lois Lowry write Gathering Blue?

In the introduction to Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue audio book and in an interview with Scholastic (see below), the author hints at why she wrote the book. When she wrote The Giver, the companion book to Gathering Blue, she didn't plan on a sequel. Yet she became so immersed in thinking about a future society that she wanted to continue to explore the topic. She imagined a future world, after an apocalyptic event, where the society lost its use of technology and returned to a more primitive lifestyle. She imagined Kira in that setting.

Lowry's development of Kira as a character allowed her to do what she enjoys doing in all her books, namely exploring "what makes people tick." She made Kira an artist because artists, Lowry believes, are in a unique position to influence their societies for good. She wanted to give her character a challenge and a fascinating journey. To equip her to come out of it all successfully, she made Kira an artist. Through Kira and her other characters, she was able to examine how people grow and change.  

What are two internal changes in Scout throughout To Kill a Mockingbird?

Throughout the novel, Scout matures and develops into a morally upright individual like her father. As the novel progresses, Scout heeds her father's lessons and gains perspective on life. She begins to perceive situations from other people's points of view, which gives her insight into how people feel and behave throughout Maycomb. By the end of the novel, Scout has the ability to sympathize with and have empathy for others, particularly innocent individuals like Boo Radley. In addition to increasing her perspectives and gaining insights into people and situations, Scout also becomes tolerant by the end of the novel. At the beginning of the story, Scout was known for her quick temper and continually trying to solve problems with her fists. After sitting down and talking with her father, Scout learns the importance of tolerance and self-control. Scout first exercises her tolerance by walking away from Cecil Jacobs on the playground. As the novel progresses, Scout witnesses her father treat their racist neighbors with kindness and walk away from a certain fight with Bob Ewell. Scout develops into a tolerant young girl who no longer reacts out of anger, but instead exercises self-control when faced with adversity.

What decision does Lennie from Of Mice and Men make, and what is the consequence of his decision?

At the end of the book, Lennie makes the decision to hide in the brush near the Salinas River after he has mistakenly killed Curley's wife. He says to himself, "I di’n’t forget, you bet, God damn. Hide in the brush an’ wait for George." He recalls the advice that George gave him to hide in the brush near the river if there is any trouble. The consequence of his decision is that George knows exactly where to find Lennie, and he finds him before the other men from the ranch do. He decides to shoot Lennie out of mercy, while telling him the reassuring story about the ranch they are going to have with rabbits. While this decision is excruciating for George, he hears the other men arriving in the brush, and he knows that he must shoot Lennie before other men come and Lennie is subjected to a much worse and more drawn-out punishment. 

What does Patrick Henry mean by the word "awful" in his speech to the Virginia Convention?

Patrick Henry wanted to raise a militia to prevent the British from taking advantage of them.

In this impassioned speech, Henry’s point was that they could not stand back and let the British walk all over them.  He felt that the way to do this was to raise a militia.  The purpose of his speech was to tell the people that if they did not protect themselves, they would be enslaved to England.

The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate.

Henry was faced with the problems that many are faced with when trying to get others to act—complacency and fear.  He had to convince the audience that they could not stand back and let themselves be abused by England’s king any more.  By raising a militia, which many colonists considered a treasonous and extreme act, Henry believed they were simply protecting everything they had worked so hard to build.  They were protecting their liberty.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves…

Henry ended his speech with the rousing words, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" This seems to have made an impression on the crowd.  It is one thing to fear, but it is quite another to cower.  The resolution was passed.

In the poem "The Demon Lover," the poet clearly shows how a woman's desire for wealth ultimately ends in misery. Explain.

In the poem, the woman initially declines her former lover's invitation to fulfill a previous marriage vow. She tells him that she is now married and has two children; therefore, she can't go with him.

The woman's former lover is devastated and maintains that he only returned for the hope of claiming her. Upon hearing this, the woman poses a hypothetical question: if she decides to leave her husband and children, what will her former lover give her? Can he give her anything more valuable than her husband and children?

Her former lover surprises her by saying that he currently has seven ships on the sea; additionally, he was brought to land on the eighth. Upon hearing this, the woman immediately says goodbye to her two children.

Her decision made, the woman steps foot on her former lover's ship and delights in the fact that the sails are made of taffeta and the masts, of beaten gold. Before long, however, her former lover's facial expression changes ("dismal grew his countenance"). Soon, the woman spies her lover's "cloven foot." Here, the cloven foot is a reference to the Devil; the implication is that the woman has been lured to her damnation by him.

The devilish identity of the former lover is confirmed when he tells the woman:

"Oh, yon are the hills of heaven," he said, "Where you will never win."

Oh, yon is the mountain of hell," he cried, "Where you and I will go."

The last stanza reiterates the theme that a woman's consuming desire for wealth will ultimately end in misery.

He struck the top-mast with his hand,/The fore-mast with his knee;/And he broke that gallant ship in twain,/And sank her in the sea.

What were the consequences of Lydia Bennet and George Wickham's relationship in Pride and Prejudice? How did Lydia's obligation to get married...

Lydia and Wickham's elopement generates much of the drama in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice because their relationship profoundly affects all the principal characters. Lydia's irresponsible behavior — and the fact that she and Wickham do not initially marry — tarnishes the reputation of the other Bennet sisters and potentially damages their prospects of marrying well. As Mr. Collins states following the elopement:

The death of your [Mr. Bennet's] daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this... They agree with me in apprehending that this false step in one daughter will be injurious to the fortunes of all the others; for who, as Lady Catherine herself condescendingly says, will connect themselves with such a family?

Lydia and Wickham's elopement catalyzes both the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy into action to try and find Lydia, assess the situation, and hopefully orchestrate a marriage to preserve the family's social dignity as much as possible. After Darcy's intervention, Lydia realizes she is indeed "obligated" to marry Wickham, which helps reduce the scandal of their elopement. At the time, young women only left home with a man if they were married, so Lydia's behavior was considered shameful. Formalizing the union minimized the damage to the Bennet family's social standing, and freed Elizabeth, Jane, and the younger sisters from scathing criticism of their association with Lydia. As Elizabeth states before she learns of Wickham and Lydia's marriage: "Our importance, our respectability in the world must be affected by the wild volatility, the assurance and disdain of all restraint which mark Lydia's character."

Interestingly, it is precisely this crisis that draws Darcy and Elizabeth closer together; he singlehandedly goes to London, finds the couple, and compels them to marry, all of which he does out of love for Elizabeth. When she discovers this through Lydia's inadvertent admission and her Aunt Gardiner's letter, Elizabeth realizes Darcy is a selfless man. Thus, a significant consequence of Lydia and Wickham's relationship is that it facilitates the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth.

How were white people dealing with Native Americans at the end of the Indian wars as opposed to at the beginning, as told in Bury my Heart at...

Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown starts off by looking at the Indian wars of the East that took place before 1850.  Many of those looked like open wars of extermination and subjugation.  He also talks about Andrew Jackson's Indian policy of creating an Indian territory.  The army was in charge of protecting white rights above native rights.  Contrast this with the end of the book, the Wounded Knee Massacre.  The governmental bureaucracy took a more active role with the Department of Indian Affairs.  There was no an attempt to "pacify" the natives and drive them onto the reservations by destroying their way of life, mainly the pursuit of the buffalo across the open plains.  The goal was to assimilate the natives the best way the government knew how--to turn them into farmers.  It was only when the natives started acting in non-white ways on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations with the Ghost Dance did the massacre take place.  To Brown, the attitude of whites turned from conqueror of the wilderness to a more paternalistic, high-handed view that they alone knew what was best for the Native Americans.  

Would it be still appropriate, today, to call the the Republican Party the party of Lincoln, considering Lincoln's viewpoint on slavery and civil...

In my view, this question is less of a historical question and more of a political statement. When people ask if the GOP today is still the “party of Lincoln,” what they are really trying to do is to argue modern-day Republicans are anti-black, while Lincoln was pro-black. This is, in my view, unhistorical. 

The reason for this is that the issues facing Lincoln are nothing like the issues surrounding race today. In Lincoln’s day, the main racial issue was slavery, not civil rights. Of course, Lincoln was strongly opposed to slavery. He was not a fan of what we would call civil rights today. He did not believe blacks and whites were equal, and he did not believe that they could live together as equals. As he said in one of his famous debates with Stephen Douglas,

I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.

Because Lincoln believed these things, it is really not historically correct to say Lincoln would have held the same beliefs on civil rights that Democrats do today. Lincoln’s own beliefs would be completely anathema to both Republicans and the Democrats today. Of course, if Lincoln were alive today, he might have different views, but we can only speculate on what those views would be.

The Republican Party today does not hold all the stances Abraham Lincoln did, just as the Democratic Party does not believe, for example, in everything Woodrow Wilson believed in. As issues change, parties change. That is natural. We cannot logically argue the Republican Party has abandoned Lincoln’s ideas on race because Lincoln did not have to have opinions on issues like affirmative action, welfare, or Black Lives Matter, topics at the heart of conversations about race today.

How does Harper Lee present American society through the events of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee presents American society in a couple of different ways in To Kill a Mockingbird. First, and most obviously, Lee presents America as a society rife with racial tension, division, and prejudice. Though it's clear that Tom Robinson is innocent of the crime he's accused of, he's still found guilty in a court of law. By making this plot point central to the story, Lee illustrates just how much racism is present in American society, as she points out that racial prejudice has significantly corrupted the American legal system.

To make matters worse, Lee also suggests that American society is crippled by a faulty public education system. In her exploration of Maycomb's public schools, Lee paints a picture of a stifling, dysfunctional atmosphere that rigidly adheres to curriculum, even if doing so means stunting the intellectual growth of gifted students like Scout. As such, it would appear that, not only is the United States riddled with prejudice, it's also hampered by an education system that promotes, rather than eliminates, ignorance.

There are, of course, many exceptions to these rules. Atticus proves to be the book's moral compass, and he is both highly educated and principled. Other characters, like Miss Maudie, exhibit similar characteristics. That said, Lee portrays these characters as exceptions to the rule. As such, much of Lee's novel seems to be a critique of American society, especially when it comes to the topics of race, prejudice, and education.

How can behavior be seen as a result of heredity or the environment?

The truth of the matter is that who we are is the result of both heredity and the environment. It is not "nature versus nurture," but a combination of nature and nurture. I also want to point out that "behavior" does not seem to be a very precise term to use in this context, as behavior is simply what we do, which is not necessarily consistent over a lifetime or even over a day. Behavior is situational to a very large degree and seldom consistent enough to try to analyze it in this way. To the degree that this is the exact issue you are expected to address, behavior is environmental because behavior cannot be inherited at all. Our personalities, on the other hand, seem to be fairly consistent over our lives, and it is these that are a combination of nature and nurture.

Some traits, like shyness, are tendencies some people are born with—a genetic predisposition. If that predisposition is reinforced by one's environment, consistently, one is likely to become a shy adult. If that predisposition is not reinforced and a child is provided with opportunities to be more outgoing, he or she may become more outgoing with time. An inhibited child born into a rowdy family may retreat into even greater inhibition. A child who is gently exposed to the opportunity to be gradually more outgoing and uninhibited with very small birthday parties or family get-togethers is unlikely to be an extremely outgoing adult, but is not going to have to hide in the bathroom at a large event.

We are all born with various predispositions that can be enhanced or repressed by our environments. Our behaviors, on the other hand, are situational, as behavior is what we do, and there is nothing hereditary about taking a walk, attending a class, or washing the dishes.

In Speak, what was Melinda's journey, and why did she embark on it?

Melinda's journey in Speak is to find a voice taken away as a result of being sexually abused at a party the summer before her first year of high school.

The sexual assault Melinda suffers at the hands of Andy Evans takes her voice away.  The trauma she experienced in addition to everyone in her social group blaming her for calling the police and breaking up the party where the rape took place contributes to her silence. As high school begins, Melinda finds herself socially ostracized.  She is unable to fit in anywhere and with anyone.  As a result of social and psychological marginalization, Melinda is unable to "speak" in a literal and symbolic way.

Reclaiming her voice constitutes her journey.  She has to navigate many different obstacles in her path such as uncaring teachers, even more unfeeling students, and, of course, "IT."  She must voyage through the painful condition of nothingness in order to find her voice: "I wash my face in the sink until there is nothing left of it, no eyes, no nose, no mouth!  A slick nothing!" Melinda finds some sources of assistance on her journey, such as the sage-like words of her art teacher:  

When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.  You'd be shocked at how many adults are really dead inside- walking through their days with no idea who they are, just waiting for a heart attack or cancer or a Mack truck to come along and finish the job."  It's the saddest thing I know.

Melinda's journey takes her through intellectual stopping points, such as comparing herself to Hawthorne's heroine, Hester, in The Scarlet Letter: "...S for silent, for stupid, for scared.  S for silly.  For shame."  Her quest requires her to recognize the obstacles in the outside world and rise above it: "It is easier not to say anything... Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say." 

As her first year of high school comes to a close, Melinda is able to find her voice.  She emerges to this point as "tears dissolve the last block of ice" which blocks her ability to speak.  She is able to experience the "dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor. Words float up."  Her confrontation with "IT" one last time is when Melinda comes full circle in her journey.

In the movie The Freedom Writers, what three obstacles does Erin Gruwell face in the beginning?

The Freedom Writers is one of my favorite "teacher" movies, and I encourage everyone to watch it. As Erin Gruwell begins to teach, she has at least three obstacles.

First, she has her own inexperience and naïveté. Nothing could have possibly prepared her properly for this particular teaching assignment. Erin has been assigned a class of students that the system has completely given up on. Even the most seasoned teacher would have a hard time with this, but Erin Gruwell has no experience at all.

Second, the students are an obstacle, for any number of reasons, but mostly because, since everyone has given up on them, they have given up on themselves. Due to their past experiences with the education system, they are extremely mistrustful of Gruwell. She must prove herself over and over again before they trust her.

Third, the staff at her school are an obstacle. Viewing them in the most favorable light, they are cynical and negligent educators. As I watched this movie, I was not inclined to view them kindly, and thought they really seemed to be downright racists. These educators thought any resources spent on Gruwell's students were a complete waste.  Imagine being a student in that school! Gruwell has other obstacles, of course, but her courage, willpower, optimism, and resilience are remarkable and allow for a mostly happy ending. 

Find dimension of work.

To find dimensions of any physical quantity, consider its definition or a formula that connects this quantity to the ones with the known dimensions.

Work, by definition, is the scalar product of the force acting on the object and its displacement. (The displacement might or might not be due just to this particular force.)

`W = vecF*Delta vecx`

This can also be written as

`W = F*|Deltavecx|*cos(theta)` , where `theta` is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector.

The cosine of an angle is dimensionless. The displacement has the dimensions of length, [L], or meters.

The force is measured in Newtons, which is a unit composed of other fundamental units:

`1 N= kg*m/s^2`

The dimension of force is `[F] = [M]*[[L]]/[T]^2`

Thus, dimension of work is

`[W]=[M]*[[L]]/[T]^2*[L] = [M]*[L]^2/[T]^2` .

In the metric system, work is measured in Joules:

`1 J = N*m = kg*m^2/s^2` .

Hope this helps.

` `

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Who is Old Bryson in "One Thousand Dollars" by O. Henri?

Old Bryson is the rather brusque and vinegary member of the men's club that young Gillian frequents.

Old Bryson is really not old; at forty years of age, he is simply one of those anti-social men who join social clubs so that they can sequester themselves in dark corners and be exasperated by others. While they pretend to be absorbed in their reading, they listen to a great deal, and know about many of the members.
After the death of his guardian, who leaves him one thousand dollars, Gillian comes to his club to ask Old Bryson what he should do with this inconvenient amount of money.

"I thought," said Old Bryson, showing as much interest as a bee shows in a vinegar crust, "that the late Septimus Gillian was worth something like half a million." ("One Thousand Dollars")

Demonstrating that he is not unlike Bryson in his cynicism, Gillian "assents joyously" to Old Bryson's remark. "...and that's where the joke comes in." He tells Bryson that his uncle has left most of his money to science for the invention of a bacillus and the rest to "establish a hospital for doing away with it again" ("One Thousand Dollars"). The butler and the housekeeper get a seal ring and $10 each, and he gets $1000.00.

No longer disinterested, Bryson reflects that Gillian has always had copious amounts of money to spend. Gillian concurs, "Uncle was the fairy godmother as far as an allowance was concerned" ("One Thousand Dollars"). And, when Bryson asks if there are any other heirs besides Gillian, the young man replies, "None." He tells Bryson about a ward of his uncle, a Miss Hayden, who lives in the house. But, she also has only received $10 and a ring. Finally, Old Bryson rubs his glasses and smiles, and Gillian knows that he will be more offensive than usual.

Bryson finally suggests that Gillian spend the lump sum on a Miss Lotta Luriere, who works at the Columbine Theatre. Then, he tells Gillian, he can "inflict" his presence on a  sheep ranch in Idaho. "I advise a sheep ranch as I have a particular dislike for sheep," says Bryson ("One Thousand Dollars"). Gillian rises, thanks Bryson and heads to the theatre, resolving to rid himself of his inheritance.

Is there any merit to cultivating debt in our society? It is often said that debt might enhance your consumption standard today but will...

There is no question that there is a great deal of truth to that statement, for certain kinds of debt in particular.  Historically, this has not been true for the kinds of debts you use as examples, though.  That picture is changing now, so while there can still be merit to incurring these kinds of debt, I think more caution is needed when making that decision.  Let's look at different kinds of debt. 

If you want the latest television and do not have cash in hand to pay for it, purchasing it on credit means you are harming your present and future consumption.  By the time you get done paying for the television, you could probably have purchased it two times over, at the very least. This means that there is no merit to having decided to incur this debt.  When you paying at least twice as much as you need to, you are tying up your money for no purpose but to satisfy your own impatience to have a consumer good. 

However, when we incur mortgage or student loan debt, we have traditionally done so as an investment, betting what used to be a fairly sure thing on the value of the property exceeding what we are paying for it and on the value of an education doing so as well.  We are getting into debt based upon the premise that we will be able to rely upon this increase in value to increase future consumption.  A paid off house has financed retirements, second homes, travel, illnesses, and college educations, in addition to having provided shelter, stability, and significant tax advantages along the way.  A college degree has historically provided for substantially higher earnings than a high school diploma, which allows the graduate plenty of consumption in the future. 

In today's world, in which the housing bubble in the United States has burst and in which college tuition has become astronomically high, more thought and care must go into a decision whether or not to incur this kind of debt, not only for the purposes of the possibility of future consumption, but also for the purpose of taking care not to own a house the value of which becomes less than the debt and actually be losing money or taking care not to incur student loans that exceed one's ability to pay them while trying to live even modestly.  If it takes you ten years to clear your student debt and in the meantime you have a job that you didn't even need a degree for and cannot afford a house or a car, this has no merit, certainly.  Choose wisely, for example, a more modest home in a growing community or two years at a community college followed by two years at a state university.  Both can still be wonderful investments for one's future. 

Depending on one's choice in home or college, it can still be true that there is merit in incurring debt for either, but incurring debt for consumer goods such as televisions is always the path to limiting oneself financially later on. 

In the story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, why does the piano symbolize a trophy in the end?

In the end, the piano is depicted as a trophy because it represents sacrifice, hard work, initiative, and investment, all the components needed for success in any field. Jing-mei's parents saved to purchase a black, Wurlitzer second-hand piano because they believed that the piano would lead to a great future for Jing-mei. Equally proud of the instrument, Jing-mei tells us that the piano was the "showpiece" of their living-room. More than anything, the piano represents the complexities of a mother's love.

The piano is at once an object of conflict as well as an object of a mother's faith. While Jing-mei is initially buoyed by her mother's belief in her abilities, she comes to dread her mother's smothering presence in her life. As the days progress, Jing-mei begins to feel as if she's on a constant, wearying mission to discover her prodigy potential. Home becomes a battlefield, and music becomes a topic fraught with stress and frustration.

In the end, to thwart what she considers her mother's foolish expectations, Jing-mei decides to teach her a lesson; she embarrasses her parents at a piano recital by playing poorly. In the end, after an especially emotional confrontation with her mother, Jing-mei is allowed to leave off playing the piano. The instrument sits unused in her parents' living room until Jing-mei's mother offers her the piano for her thirtieth birthday. Her mother's words remind Jing-mei that she has always been loved:

"Always your piano. You only one can play..."You pick up fast," my mother said, as if she knew this was certain. “You have natural talent. You could be a genius if you want to." "No, I couldn't." "You just not trying," my mother said. And she was neither angry nor sad. She said it as if announcing a fact that could never be disproved.

On the one hand, Jing-mei's mother has always believed in Jing-mei's potential to excel. On the other hand, her high expectations for Jing-mei created strife in their relationship during Jing-mei's childhood years. Perhaps, after so many years, Jing-mei's mother realizes the part she unwittingly played in her daughter's failure, for her matter-of-fact tone as she gives Jing-mei the piano betrays the secrets of her inner heart. So, in her adult years, Jing-mei comes to see the piano as a trophy, an emblem of a mother's love, faith, and acceptance, all the things she had always needed from her mother.

What does colonialism mean as a literary term?

The term colonialism as used in literary studies on the most basic level means the same thing it does in standard English. It refers to one nation establishing colonies in a region outside its borders. This is different from the types of conquest that expand a nation's borders in that it may only involve establishing limited enclaves or bureaucracies. 

Literary critics are interested in the way colonialism affects the literatures of both imperial and subjugated nations. One particular area of interest is hybridity, in which literary works take elements from both traditions. Another area of interest is how literature and the other arts can act as part of imperial ideology or as sites of resistance to imperialism. 

Many literary critics also work in the field of postcolonialism, examining how the literatures of former colonies have been shaped by the experience of colonialism and how they struggle to reinvent themselves as culturally and politically independent. 

What do you think of "Atman is Brahman” and “That One, Thou Art,” the Hindu answers to questions about the Self and God? Do you see any truth...

The discussion of "Ātman is Brahman" and "That Thou Art" (sometimes for clarity written, as above, as "That One, Thou Art") is an objective discussion based in Vedantic theology as expressed in the Upanishads (the theological discussion portion of each of the four Vedas). The questions of "appeal" and "repulsion," however, produce thoroughly subjective discussions based in an individual's philosophy, religion, theology, worldview, and personal sentiments; these may have no realistic bearing on the objective discussion of Hindu questions of Self and God as expressed in the sayings above. Finding the answers to the questions of what you feel (appeal or repulsion) and see (truth or non-truth) will be a quest of exploration through your own inner being, although the quest may be aided by an objective discussion of Ātman and "That Thou Art."

Brahman is the name of the infinite consciousness that is infinite existence and infinite bliss (Johnson and McGee). Ātman is the expansion of this Brahmanic essence, which has manifest as the essence of humanity and as a repository of that which is pure, without limitation, and perfect: it is Brahman unborn and undying within each human; it is Brahman appearing in time and space (Johnson and McGee). Consequently, the teaching that Ātman is Brahman is the logical extension of Vedantic teachings and is sound.

The "Ātman" supersedes all physical limitations of human beings; being the real consciousness and perception, Ātman is limitless and uncreated. Ātman, the non-corporeal seat of true thought and perception, employs human characteristics as "instruments" for living in a corporeal world (Swami Nikhilananda, "That Thou Art"). "That Thou Art" designates that unknown yet somehow known inner being—each person's inner "thou"—as the seat of oneness with Brahman in-dwelling. Recognition of the Ātman's connected oneness with Brahman emanates from a person's extension beyond the limiting physical realm into transcendent knowledge into true knowledge. In this light, the saying "That Thou Art" is a correct expression of Vedantic teachings on God and Self—on Brahman (God) and Ātman (God dwelling within).

In "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier, what are some details that suggest that an evil force might be directing the birds to turn on people?

In "The Birds," there are a number of details which suggest that the birds might be under the influence of an evil force. When Nat goes to pick up Jill from the bus stop, for example, he notes that the birds appear as though they are waiting for their next command:

It was as though they waited upon some signal. As though some decision had yet to be given.

This quote implies a hierarchy or some chain of command, of which the birds occupy the lowest position. This idea is further reinforced by some of Nat's observations of the birds' movements:

They headed, in bands of thousands, to the four compass points.

This suggests that their movements are prescribed and rehearsed; that somebody or something else is in control.

For Nat, the tide and the east wind are the evil forces which direct the birds. They hold power over the birds and signal the beginning and the end of each attack:

There was some law the birds obeyed, and it was all to do with the east wind and the tide.

What are some of the main themes explored in Art Spiegelman's graphic novel, 'Maus'?

Maus is an iconic graphic novel by Art Spiegelman that chronicles the tale of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jew who survived Nazi Germany. Vladek is Art Spiegelman's father, and the story is narrated by Art as Vladek tells him his story.

The book can be considered a historical memoir, and many of the themes in the book lean on history to derive meaning. The tale not only tells Vladek's story, but also the story of the father-son relationship between Art and Vladek. Spiegelman uses historical plot structures of World War Two history and the father-son relationship to craft a few main themes throughout the work.

Alienation between humans; Racism

With much of the story set in Nazi Germany, it is not surprising that racism is a central theme in Maus. Spiegelman anthropomorphizes various animals to represent different ethnic races. For example, people of German descent are drawn as cats, those of Polish descent are drawn as pigs, and those of Jewish descent are drawn as mice. This representation is a tool Spiegelman uses to show the fundamental lack of understanding between humans during that time. Though in reality humans are all in the same species (homo sapiens), he draws them as entirely different creatures. Spiegelman's choice to draw his characters this way demonstrates the distance that opened between different ethnic groups during WWII as a result of the Nazi regime. 

Intergenerational familial misunderstanding

Throughout the novel, Vladek's story pauses and readers get a glimpse into the relationship between Art and Vladek. Often fraught with tension and disagreement, their relationship is frequently one of conflict. This narrative tension is juxtaposed with the very basis of the book: Art is choosing to write his father's story and clearly loves his father. Despite Art's deep love for his father, misunderstanding remains between them.

The interplay of memory and guilt

Two important characters die in Maus. Anya, Vladek's wife, and Richieu, Vladek and Anya's first son. Both of these characters ground Vladek's entire narrative. Within Vladek's story in Germany, they motivate and give him hope throughout his suffering in Nazi concentration camps. Later, as Vladek tells Art his story, they are conspicuously absent.  Both Vladek and Art suffer tremendous guilt over the death of these two family members. Both Anya and Richieu died due the Nazi regime and its repercussions. Art and Vladek did not cause their deaths, but still feel guilty. The particular kind of guilt they feel may be categorized as a type of survivor's guilt for making it through while their family members did not.

What are the ways in which the authors create and develop the narrators in "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Cask of Amontillado"?

In the short stories "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Cask of Amontillado," both authors, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Edgar Allan Poe, respectively, create narrators the reader can empathize with. However, by the end of Poe's story, Montresor is clearly shown to be a villain, making him an unreliable narrator, whereas Jane is shown to be victimized throughout.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the reader develops empathy for Jane, the narrator, the moment she says of her husband, "You see he does not believe I am sick!," early in the story. We continue to develop empathy for her the more we see her being oppressed by her husband, who claims he knows what's best for her. For example, he oppresses her when, though she wants to take a room downstairs in their rented country house, a room decorated with "roses all over the window" and "pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings," John refuses, saying there is not enough room for two beds. Instead, he insists that they use the nursery on the top floor as their bedroom, a room she hates on account of the ugly yellow wallpaper. As John becomes more oppressive throughout the story, the yellow wallpaper becomes equally oppressive to Jane, and her oppression eventually drives her mad by the end of the story.

Similarly, Poe elicits empathy in the reader for the narrator Montresor the moment the narrator reports having been injured and insulted by Fortunato to the point of wanting revenge:

The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.

Yet, the narrator never explains to the reader exactly what wrongdoing Fortunato is guilty of that merits revenge. In fact, due to the friendliness with which Fortunato greets Montresor and his complete inability to distrust Montresor, the reader can suspect Fortunato is not guilty of any wrongdoing at all, calling into question the narrator's reliability. Hence, though like Gilman, Poe elicits the reader's empathy for the narrator, unlike Gilman's story, the reader's empathy for Montresor does not continue once the reader sees him as the oppressor, not the oppressed.

Explain how humans evolved from small, nomadic groups into early civilizations, c. 200,000-1000 BCE, including a discussion of the roles of...

As the evolution of human groups from small bands of hunter-gatherers to urban civilizations generally took place before the invention of writing, we must rely primarily on archaeological evidence.

The so-called "neolithic transition" consisted of several inter-related phenomena. Perhaps the most important was the development of agriculture as it simultaneously increased food production and created a strong motive for settling in a fixed locale. The food surplus provided by agriculture allowed for specialization of labor; communities could afford to support people who were not themselves focused on food production. This meant a quantum leap in technology, including improvements in pottery and metallurgy which in turn increased the efficiency of food production and preparation. 

Both Egypt and Mesopotamia developed vast urban civilizations in this period. They were effectively theocracies in which centralized governments and religion worked together to create a social order. In both areas, the necessity of building complex irrigation systems for agriculture increased social cohesion. The surplus production also allowed for trade, first between agricultural areas and urban centers and later developing into vast trade networks. As trade flourished, systems of writing became important for communication over long distances. 

How do the woods act as an obstacle to keeping promises in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost?

It is the beauty of the pristine snow that blankets the field near a dusted woods and frozen lake that distracts the speaker of Frost's poem from his obligations.

Certainly, the speaker of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" experiences a transcendental moment as he observes,

The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake

While he watches the snow fall, the speaker feels one with nature in the peace and tranquility of the lovely pastoral scene before him. As opposed to the mundane affairs to which he must attend, the speaker experiences what Emerson calls "the perpetual presence of the sublime." Truly, the speaker is the Emersonian lover of nature whose inward, as well as his outward, senses are moved by the beauty.

And, because his entire being is touched by his experience of the nature's peace and breath-taking beauty, it is difficult for him to shake himself from this transfixion. Instead, it is his horse who must shake his harness bells to remind the speaker that he must "harness" both his distracting thoughts and delight in nature and return to the mundane matters and obligations of his life: "But I have promises to keep."

How can we determine the economic profit in the following scenario? The question was: What is Pat’s shutdown point and what is Pat’s...

If I understand your question correctly, you are trying to determine what Pat’s economic profit will be when he produces 2 pizzas.  If this is what you are asking, it is impossible to find the answer using only the information that you have given.  In order to find out what Pat’s economic profit is, we would need to know how much money Pat received for selling the two pizzas.

As you can see in the link below, economic profit equals total revenue minus total cost (this has to include both explicit and implicit costs).  Let us assume that the table you have attached shows Pat’s total costs.  The problem is that we still need to know how much revenue he received.

You have stated that Pat’s economic profit is actually -$10.  That means that his revenue had to be $10 lower than his costs.  The table shows that the cost of producing the two pizzas was $30.  Therefore, his revenue had to be $20, meaning that each pizza sold for $10.   This has to be the amount of revenue he got because 20 minus 30 = -10.

So, the equation that you are supposed to use to find economic profit is total revenue minus total cost.  Therefore, you need to know both total revenue and total cost to find economic profit.  Presumably, the revenue that Pat received is shown elsewhere in your assignment.

What are four events that happen during the rising action in The Bronze Bow?

The rising action is a specific part of the plot when the tension rises. The rising action occurs after the inciting incident (that some people call the conflict) and before the climax. In The Bronze Bow many events happen during the rising action.

In The Bronze Bow, events of the rising action occur after Daniel bar Jamin escapes from Amalek and joins the rebel group hiding out in the mountains. One event that happens during the rising action is when Daniel meets Joel bar Hezron and Malthace: two young people from the village. They agree to take a message to Daniel's grandmother to indicate that Daniel is still alive. Daniel and Joel bond over their hatred of the Romans. Another event that happens during the rising action is that Simon the Zealot comes to the mountain and tells Daniel that his grandmother is dying. As a result, Daniel decides to leave the mountain and go back home to care for his aging grandmother and his sister Leah who, ever since their parents' death, has been haunted by "demons." A third event in the rising action of the novel is when Simon the Zealot visits Daniel as he is taking care of his mother and sister in the village. Simon tells Daniel about a man named Jesus who teaches a message of love instead of a message of hate. A fourth event of the rising action happens when Daniel goes to hear Jesus speak and is surprised by Jesus' simplicity. Unfortunately, because of Daniel's continued hatred, he is injured by a Roman soldier after an act of defiance. Yet another event in the rising action happens when Joel bar Hezron and Malthace hide Daniel in an alley near their house in order to help Daniel recover from his wounds in secrecy. Joel and Daniel continue in their hatred of the Romans until Joel is incarcerated and Daniel realizes that his old leader, Rosh, will do nothing to help his follower. It is at this point that Daniel turns to Jesus.

As you can see, the rising action is the largest part of the plot in The Bronze Bow. The paragraph above reveals many events that happen before the climax of the book: the moment when Jesus enters Daniel's home and cures his sister.

Is the multi-party system a threat to democracy?

On the contrary, multi-party systems are if anything more democratic.

Given the large number of people in a nation-state and the wide array of political issues people care about, from tax rates to women's rights to declarations of war, it would be wildly improbable for everyone's political views to be consistently aligned with one of only two parties. By having many parties, a democratic state can more accurately reflect the will of its diverse population.

For example, suppose there are three types of voters, A, B, and C, each comprising a third of the population, and they care about two issues: What flavor of ice cream to buy, and how wide the roads should be. (I'm choosing silly issues intentionally to avoid any preconceptions.)

A voters want chocolate ice cream and wide roads.

B voters want vanilla ice cream and wide roads.

C voters want vanilla ice cream and narrow roads.

Suppose everyone's preference for ice cream flavor is stronger than their preference for road width. Notice that most people want wide roads, and most people want vanilla ice cream.

Now suppose there are only two parties: Chocolatists support chocolate ice cream and wide roads, while Vanillists support vanilla ice cream and narrow roads.

Because everyone prioritizes ice cream flavor, A voters vote Chocolatist. B voters vote Vanillist. C voters will also vote Vanillist. Vanillists will win and we'll have vanilla ice cream and narrow roads, even though most people wanted wide roads.

But now if a third party came into play, the Wideroadists who support wide roads and vanilla ice cream, now A voters would still vote Chocolatist, but B voters would vote Wideroadist, and C voters would still vote Vanillist. If this is a legislature with voting coalitions, then we'd have wide roads (a Wideroadist-Chocolatist coalition) and vanilla ice cream (a Vanillist-Wideroadist coalition); this would best reflect popular will.

There are a few advantages to two-party systems: they are simple for voters to understand, and if public opinion is largely polarized they can protect the majority against the minority in certain cases. It's rare for extreme views to become represented in two-party states, but it's about as rare for extreme views to actually result in legislation in multi-party states.

In general these are outweighed by the advantages of multi-party states: Better expression of the public will, more opportunities for compromise, fewer opportunities to game the system with strategic voting or campaigning, and typically greater engagement and turnout among voters, who feel their opinions are really being represented.

As a result, a two-party system is really not so much a desirable system to try to achieve, as it is the all-but-inevitable outcome of a winner-takes-all plurality vote. There's also not much incentive for politicians who win in a two-party system to try to change to a multi-party system, whereas there can be incentives for politicians who win some seats in a multi-party system to try to make a two-party system to win even more seats.

What are some problems and solutions in The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare?

Throughout the novel, Daniel struggles to control his anger with the occupying Roman forces and Leah battles her inner demons. Thacia tries her best to positively influence Daniel, but Daniel is too stubborn to let go of his vow to fight against the Romans. As the novel progresses, Daniel begins to listen to Jesus preach and Daniel's relationship with his sister improves. When Daniel tells Leah about Jesus' messages, Leah comes out of her shell and thrives. Daniel's relationship with Thacia also begins to grow, and Daniel starts to have feelings for her. However, Daniel's hate and bitterness ruin each of his relationships. Daniel cannot accept Jesus' tolerant disposition towards the Romans and holds onto his hate. He threatens Marcus, the Roman soldier who has been speaking to Leah, which negatively affects Leah's well-being. Daniel also rejects Thacia's love because of his vow to fight the Romans. It is only when Daniel destroys each of his relationships and loses hope that he decides to follow Jesus. At the end of the novel, Jesus heals Leah and Daniel accepts Jesus' message of love. Daniel then marries Thacia and invites Marcus into his home.