In Lord of the Flies, how did the choir boys, Ralph, and the other boys get separated? Why did the choir boys not look like they had just been...

Golding does not spend a great deal of time describing the actual events of the plane crash, so it is difficult to know exactly what happened prior to the boys coming out of the jungle for the first meeting.

It is clear that the plane broke into pieces, according to the conversation between Ralph and Piggy. It is also clear that at least one piece of it hit the island and made the "scar" in the jungle. During the crash, it is also clear that the boys were separated, either thrown out of different parts of the plane or perhaps they simply scattered when the plane hit the ground.

The choir boys somehow managed to save their "togs" and Jack forces them to put these on before they march to the meeting in formation. The uniformity allows them to appear as though they'd just come from a performance rather than coming out of the jungle following a plane crash.

what are some of the characteristics of Laurie in "Charles"?

Laurie essentially is an undisciplined, disrespectful, deceitful, conniving, but clever and very intelligent child.

From the exposition of the story, it becomes apparent that Laurie is undisciplined and willful as he "renounced" his baby overalls and is now a "swaggered character" who no longer waves good-bye to his mother. When he returns home the first day he slam[s] the door open and shouts with a "raucous" voice, "Isn't anybody here?"

Yet, the parents are surprised to learn of a boy named Charles who is purportedly "fresh" when he speaks to his teacher, and then even strikes her. (Laurie smiles as he relates this.) One day when Laurie recounts that Charles has let the seesaw hit the head of a little girl, the mother naively asks her husband, "Do you think kindergarten is too unsettling for Laurie?" In another instance of irony, Laurie returns from school late, "yelling" all the way as he comes up the hill toward his mother that

"Charles yelled so in school they sent a boy from another class to tell the teacher to make him be quiet, and so Charles had to stay after school."

Laurie finally becomes so willful at home that his mother states,

Laurie did a Charles when he filled his wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen....

And, yet, Laurie's parents are still deceived about their child. Even after he tells them that Charles prompted a girl to say an offensive word in school, and then says the same word at home himself some days later, the parents do not make the connection.  Indeed, there is no question that Laurie is far more clever and creative than his gullible parents who must be told by Laurie's teacher that there is no Charles.

What is the ecological group of cervidae, cestoda, and euphorbia? What is their relationship to humans?

First of all, what are these organisms? These Latin names may be unfamiliar.

Cervidae are more commonly known as deer.

Cestoda are a genus of flatworms which includes tapeworms.

Euphorbia are a large genus of flowering plants called spurges. The one you're probably most familiar with is poinsettia.

Deer are herbivores; they are near the bottom of the food chain and get their energy directly from plants, which get it from the sun. This makes them ecologically consumers. As far as their relation to humans, we mostly consider them a nuisance, but many people kill them for food (acting in one of our many ecological roles as a predator, which is another type of consumer).

Cestoda are parasites; they live inside other organisms, chiefly other animals, and skim off resources from their hosts. This makes them also consumers. Some, such as the beef tapeworm, can infect humans, usually via the animals we eat.

Euphorbia on the other hand are photosynthetic, like most plants. They depend upon animals for their pollination (that is what flowers are for), but they get their energy from the soil and the sun. This makes them ecologically producers. While humans depend on many flowering plants for food (particularly fruit), most of the plants we tend to eat aren't Euphorbia specifically. There are a few herbs in this genus, as well as some decorative plants such as poinsettia, but not much in terms of plants we would regularly consume, likely because Euphorbia typically produce latex, a milky, irritating sap. (Not to be confused with rubber latex, which is produced by rubber trees, which are actually Ficus and not Euphorbia.)

Does Nicola find Major Petkoff's old coat in the blue closet?

I think the answer is probably "no." Nicola only pretended that he'd found it there in order to please Catherine.

The question refers to one of the farcical moments in the play. Major Petkoff and Sergius don't know that Raina and Catherine gave Major Petkoff's coat to an enemy soldier, and the women want to keep them ignorant of that fact.

The soldier has come to return the coat to Catherine. It's in a carpet bag. But before Catherine has the opportunity to sneak the coat back into the closet -- so her husband will never be the wiser -- she is interrupted.

Where was the coat when Nicola was sent to fetch it from the closet?

Before the crucial scene in question, the last known location of the coat was inside the carpet bag. At the end of Act II, Nicola is ordered to take this bag away -- presumably to deposit it, unopened, in a foyer or cloak room. Neither Catherine nor Bluntschli has told Nicola what's inside the bag, and as far as we know, nobody else does. Everyone -- Catherine, Bluntschli, Petkoff, Sergius, and Raina -- heads to the library together. Thus, it's not clear that Catherine has the opportunity, at any point, to speak privately with either of her servants.

So it seems very doubtful that the coat had been in the blue closet when Nicola was ordered to get it in Act III. Nicola, or his fellow servant, Louka, would have had to have transferred it there earlier, and as far as we can tell, they had no reason to do so.

What seems more likely is that Nicola -- who is a quick thinker and good at intuiting what Catherine wants -- figured out that the coat was in the carpet bag. Louka, who knew about the secret visit of the soldier, may have shared this background knowledge and helped him reach the conclusion that Bluntschli had come to give Catherine back the coat. So when Catherine ordered Nicola to retrieve the coat from the closet, he took the hint. He fetched the coat from the bag, but reported to the company that he'd found it in the blue closet. This was the story Catherine wanted him to tell, and Nicola clearly decided that it was in his interest to take her side.

What is Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol about?

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, a cold and mean-spirited bachelor who shuns society in favour of personal wealth. As Christmas approaches, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner and only friend, Jacob Marley, who tells him that he must reform his character before it is too late. Marley also informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts, whose purpose is to teach him the true meaning of Christmas.

As Marley promised, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. During their visits, Scrooge relives the painful experiences of youth, like the loss of his fiancée, and learns how little he is liked by those around him, like the family of his nephew, Fred. He also sees a glimpse of his future, in which he dies alone and thieves steal his possessions. Inspired by these experiences, Scrooge transforms his character, as Dickens explains:

He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.

A Christmas Carol thus teaches the reader that friendship and family are more important than personal wealth and, significantly, that it is never too late to become a better person.

What does `q^2` represent in the equation `p^2+2pq+q^2=1` ?

The equation you are working with is the Hardy-Weinberg equation, and it is used to study populations of organisms and how they are evolving. It is most useful when studying genetic traits that are controlled by two alleles, one being dominant and the other being recessive. Each variable, `p` and `q` represents the frequency of an allele in a population. `p` represents the frequency of the dominant allele, and `q` represents the frequency of the recessive allele. Because these two variables represent the entire gene pool for a certain trait in the population, `p+q=1` . 

By squaring both sides of that equation, we get the Hardy-Weinberg equation, `p^2+2pq+q^2=1`  . With this equation we can look at individuals in a population. `p^2`  represents the frequency of homozygous dominant individuals, `2pq`  represents the frequency of heterozygous individuals, and `q^2`  represents the frequency of homozygous recessive individuals. 

Let's look at an example. Suppose that in a population of mice, black fur is dominant to white fur. In this population of mice, 16% are white. This means that `q^2=0.16` . So, `q=0.4`  and `p=0.6` . Putting these back into the Hardy-Weinberg equation, `p^2=0.36`  and `2pq=0.48` . So, of the black mice, 36% are homozygous dominant and 48% are heterozygous. 

` `

Why is Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations more interesting because it is written in the first person point of view?

A lot of readers prefer novels written in the first person perspective because they believe it is more interesting.  It is an interesting way to write a novel because it allows the author to build greater character development for a single character.  Readers really get to understand the narrating character because everything is from that character's perspective.  We get to see every action made, and we know about every thought that happens.  

Additionally, a first person perspective can really draw a reader into the story.  It does this because a reader can't help but project their own body/mind into the narrator's position.  The narrator uses the words "I" and "me" to tell a story.  When this happens, I (me personally) am drawn into that character much more so than if the narrator used "he."  I'm not as invested in a character if I'm not a part of that character.   That is probably why I enjoy first person video games so much.  They make me feel like I am the character and in charge.  

Furthermore, first person narration is interesting because it doesn't explain everything.  There is so much that is unknown.  Because Pip is telling the story, I know his thoughts; however, I can't know another character's thoughts unless he/she speaks them.  There is so much that is hidden from the reader, so I find myself always wondering what a new character's motivations are.  Is this person lying?  Is this person really trying to help Pip?  Things like that can't be known until the other person says something or does something.  A greater sense of tension can be built with first person narration, and that is why I find it a very interesting point of view.  

In "The Custom House: Introductory," what is Hawthorne's attitude towards the community of Salem?

Toward Salem itself, the narrator of this introduction, who seems to be Nathaniel Hawthorne, professes to have something like affection, despite the fact that the town seems rather haphazardly planned and its people leave something to be desired. He believes this good feeling toward the place probably arises from the fact that his ancestors came to Salem so long ago, so he has roots there.

Hawthorne seems to find some of his peers to be in their prime and interesting, but the vast majority as "wearisome old souls, who had gathered nothing worth preservation from their varied experience of life." Near the end of the introduction, he says the "good townspeople will not much regret me," and it seems like he finds them somewhat small—perhaps a bit provincial. While they toil away, he is drawn to write this story, a story he seems to believe they cannot appreciate; Salem is not the "genial atmosphere which a literary man requires, in order to ripen the best harvest of his mind." Thus, he feels relatively unneeded by the people of Salem (as he's lost his job anyway), and admits the people of Salem hold him back intellectually anyway. 

A nonrelativistic electron is confined to a length of 500 pm on the x-axis. What is the kinetic energy of the electron if its speed is equal to the...

Hello!

Again, we have a deal with the uncertainty principle for a position and a momentum. Mathematically it is expressed as

`Delta p*Delta x gt= h/(4 pi),`

where `Delta p = m*Delta v` is an uncertainty in a momentum and `Delta x` is the uncertainty in a position.

Also we know that the kinetic energy of an electron is equal to `(m_(el) v^2)/2,` and it is given that the speed is the same as the minimum uncertainty of a speed. So the kinetic energy is equal to

`E_k = (m_(el) v^2)/2 =(m_(el) (Delta v)^2)/2 = m_(el)/2 * (h/(4 pi) * 1/(m_(el)*Delta x))^2 =1/2 (h/(4 pi))^2 1/(m_(el)*(Delta x)^2).`

All values are given, and we can compute the result in Joules (note that p means pico- means `10^(-12)` ):

`E_k = 1/2*(1.055*10^(-34))^2/(9.11*10^(-31)*25*10^(-20)) = (1.055)^2/(2*9.11*25)*10^(-17) approx 0.00244*10^(-17) (J).`

To convert this to `eV` we have to divide by `eV` value:

`E_k =0.00244*10^(-17) / (1.60*10^(-19)) = 0.00244*10^2/1.60 approx0.153 (eV).`

So your hypothesis is correct, the answer is about `0.15 eV,` E.

what's a literary term?? please help me :( like which literary term is indulged in this line: "all i did was smile and smile and smile.."

A literary term refers to a literary device used in literature by an author to achieve some effect for the reader. In Kamala Das’s poem “My Mother at Sixty-six,” Das uses a literary device known as repetition to communicate a specific emotion in the poem about her mother.

 With a closer look at the poem, we see that the poet is realizing that her beloved mother has become frail with age. She sees her mother’s face “ashen like that / Of a corpse,” and this saddens and frightens her. The poet looks out the window in order to “put that thought away” and focuses on other younger, fresher things, such as “young trees” and “merry children.” When the poet leaves her mother, she has that “familiar ache, [her] childhood’s fear,” of losing her mother. Instead of acting on the fear, the poet tries, once again, to think of happier things. Although she fears her mother’s impending death, the poet tells her mother that she will see her soon, and all the poet can do is “smile and smile and smile.” Das uses repetition in this line to communicate to the reader her insistence on not dwelling on her mother’s impending death. The reader gets the sense that she is trying to convince herself to think of other, happier things.

What happened when Elie needed surgery?

While imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp, Elie Wiesel recounts experiencing swelling in his foot. He approached an imprisoned doctor for advice, and the doctor advised him to get surgery on his foot immediately to avoid amputation. Elie decides to go to the hospital and try to get the surgery, but throughout his stay he worries about being chosen to be killed because he is sick. The surgery goes well and Elie is told to stay in the hospital and rest for two weeks. However, he soon hears rumors from other patients that the Russians are approaching the camp and planning on evacuating the camps and killing everyone in the hospital. Elie decides to escape from the hospital and, despite the advice of his doctor, travel on foot to return to the camp and try to find his father.

What are the positive and negative aspects of Dee’s character, focusing in particular on her relationship with her family?

On the positive side, Dee is beginning to show an appreciation for family artifacts, items that have been hand-made by relatives and items that have served her family for generations.  Dee has also finally made the trip home, and she's brought a friend (or boyfriend, or husband, we are never sure), indicating that she no longer feels embarrassed by her family and her upbringing. 

On the more negative side, however, Dee looks down on her mother and sister, Maggie, for lacking an education and failing to share her sense of what makes an item important.  She is very condescending when she speaks to them.  She is oblivious to the fact that her family still uses certain items regularly, and she wants to take them home with her to do "something artistic" with them despite the fact that they are still in use by her mother and sister.  Dee's sense of heritage is that it is something to be preserved, to be hung up on a wall, like she would do with the quilts, but she doesn't understand (or will not try to understand) her mother and sister's idea of heritage: that it isn't past, but present, and that we most honor people we love by preserving their memories and not their things.  Dee's sense of superiority will not allow her to recognize the value and validity of either her family's history or their current ideas.

In The Giver by Lois Lowry, what are five rules of the community in which Jonas lives?

The Giver (Lowry) is a story about a community that is kept in order with many rules and few choices.  We learn about some of these in the first few chapters, even on the very first page.  Let's go over five of them.

First, this is a community in which it is against the rules for a pilot to fly an airplane overhead.  We learn, in fact, that a pilot who does so is released, and while we don't know exactly what that means, we are privy to Jonas' thoughts, that this is "...a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure" (Lowry 3).

Second, there is a rule in school that requires students to apologize publicly if they are late.  Jonas' friend Asher is late for school and he must stand up at his seat to tell his classmates he is sorry for "inconveniencing my learning community" (3).

Third, there are rules governing the justice dispensed in the community when people break the rules.  Jonas' mother, who works for the Department of Justice, must follow the sentencing rules. She must release those who have violated the rules a third time, whether she wants to or not. At this point, we still do not know what release is, but we do know the very idea of it makes Jonas shiver.

Fourth, there is a rule regarding the naming of infants. They must not be named until it has been determined that they are to be kept and placed in a household.  Before that point, they are given numbers.  For example, Lily had been "Newchild Twenty-three" (13).  Remarkably, Jonas' father breaks this rule for a child he is nurturing, by giving him the name Gabe.

Fifth, the children in the community are not, by rule, permitted to ride bicycles until they are nine years old. This rule, though, is frequently broken, since older siblings are always helping younger siblings learn to ride before they are Nines. 

There are many more rules the community must adhere to in this story. These are just a few that the people must obey, a means of keeping the community under control in every facet of their lives, from public safety to the naming of children.

What is a theme of the story "Tiger in the Tunnel" by Ruskin Bond?

I think two possible themes are the themes of bravery and heroism.  Baldeo has a seemingly easy job.  He must make sure a train tunnel is free of obstructions and light a lamp that signals that fact to the train.  Baldeo has heard of reports of a dangerous tiger in the area (in addition to other dangerous jungle animals), but he bravely and confidently does his job.  To his son, Tembo, Baldeo is a heroic figure that stands bravely against the jungle animals.  Baldeo portrays that figure to the reader as well.  When the tiger shows up and attacks, Baldeo doesn't panic and run.  Instead, he stands and fights.  In fact, the reader is even given hope that Baldeo will be victorious over the tiger.  

Baldeo, however, was ready. With a marvelously agile leap he avoided the paw and brought his axe down on the animal’s shoulder. The tiger gave a roar and attempted to close in. Again Baldeo drove his axe which caught the tiger on the shoulder, almost severing the leg. 

Unfortunately, the tiger is victorious over Baldeo.  The themes of man's mortality and the danger of nature is shown in that fact.  Baldeo may be confident in his skills and his axe, but ultimately Mother Nature proves to be the more dangerous of the two.  Young Tembo learns a hard lesson that day about nature and man's mortality.  Man's mortality isn't the only theme of the story though.  The tiger is killed by the oncoming train, which shows that nature is just as mortal as man. 

I hate to sound like a Lion King cliche, but another theme of the story might be "the circle of life."  Baldeo is master of himself, his family, and the tunnel.  He lives and then dies.  The tiger, for a moment, is master of that area and the tunnel.  Then the tiger is killed by the train, and Tembo takes his father's previous position as head of the family and tunnel guardian.  The circle is made complete.  

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, what does the nurse's reaction to Juliet's death show?

The nurse's reaction shows that she is tremendously affected by Juliet's apparent death.

She calls the day of Juliet's death a "woeful," "hateful," and "lamentable" day; to her, it's one of the worst days she's seen so far. Her emotional reaction, similar to the one she displays upon Tybalt's death, shows that she feels her sorrows deeply. In the play, the nurse is a mother-figure to Juliet; it is she who raises the young Juliet in Lady Capulet's absence. As a confidante and trusted maternal presence in Juliet's life, the nurse is well-loved by her young charge; she's also Juliet's messenger.

In the play, the nurse brings messages from Juliet to Romeo and vice versa. Although she loves Juliet, she's first and foremost a conformist. When Juliet is urged by her family to marry Paris, the nurse advises her young charge to submit to her parents' wishes. For her part, Juliet is deeply hurt by what she considers her nurse's betrayal. However, the nurse is only doing what she thinks is best for her beloved surrogate daughter. To her, romantic love should be subordinated to material considerations.

Despite this, the nurse's regard for Juliet is very real; when she thinks that Juliet has died, she is overcome with grief and pain. Her reaction to Juliet's apparent death shows her deep love and abiding affection for her young charge.

What were some ways in which Helen enjoyed the feel of sound?

Though Helen could no longer hear after she became deaf, she could feel the vibrations of sound.  She loved to placed her hands on an object or living thing as it was making a sound.  Helen had lost her memory of words and could not hear herself speak.  Despite these difficulties, she still made audible noises and placed her hands on her own neck to feel the vibrations caused by the sounds.  Doing this fascinated Helen.  In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Helen described how she enjoyed the feeling of sound:

I was pleased with anything that made a noise, and liked to feel the cat purr and the dog bark. I also liked to keep my hand on a singer's throat, or on a piano when it was being played (Chapter XIII).

This fascination with sound led Helen to seek instruction in speaking.  She had heard of deaf people who learned how to talk, and Helen desired this for herself.  With Miss Sullivan's assistance, Helen sought the help of Miss Sarah Fuller.

Why is it important that artists feel as if they can express themselves? What does art say about the culture and society in which we live?

The notion of art as a form of self-expression is relatively recent. For many societies, art is a way of encapsulating and handing down cultural norms, and serves to foster a sense of community rather than individualism. Thus rather than saying that it is important for artists to "express themselves" it might be better to think of this formulation in terms of the second sentence of the question, namely how theories of art that emphasize individual self-expression reflect specific societal norms.

In oral traditional cultures, for example, literary works tend to be anonymous and collaborative with individual bards making gradual and minor adjustments to works they inherit from their predecessors and hand down to their successors. Many forms of architecture and art also are created collectively and meant to express a communal ethos rather than to glorify the individual. Such forms of cultural production suggest a society that values collaboration and tradition over individual ego.

The romantic notion of art as individual expression suggests a society in which community has fractured and the isolated individual is glorified. Rather than works of art being seen as contributing to the common good and expressing shared values, they are seen as a form of self-gratification or a rebellion against existing social norms.

While it is important that artists not be censored, because freedom of expression allows for the important function of social critique and challenging accepted beliefs and ways of thinking, that is different from art simply being a matter of "self-expression" or egotistical self-indulgence. 

In Dickens' Oliver Twist, what clue remains of Oliver's parents?

Oliver’s mother had a locket and a wedding ring, which Sally stole and Mr. Bumble’s wife took. 

Oliver's mother barely made it to the workhouse before she died shortly after giving birth to him.  Oliver was the product of her affair with a man named Leeford.  Sally stole the locket from her, but on her deathbed she felt bad about it and confessed.  That is how the Bumbles ended up with it.

Bumble meets Monks (Leeford's son) and takes him to show him the locket, which contains locks of hair and a ring.  It also has Oliver’s mother’s name, Agnes, written on it.  Although this was before the days of genetic testing, the locket has enough information that it could be used to prove Oliver’s parentage. 

… It contained a little gold locket: in which were two locks of hair, and a plain gold wedding-ring.

'It has the word "Agnes" engraved on the inside,' said the woman.

'There is a blank left for the surname; and then follows the date; which is within a year before the child was born. I found out that.' (Ch. 38) 

Monks knows that the locket and ring will prove that Oliver is his half-brother, so he throws them in the river.  Monks's efforts are all in vain, though.  Nancy tells Rose Maylie that Monks hired Fagin to turn Oliver into a thief.  

Brownlow tracks down Monks, who explains that he knew about his father's will and tried to make sure that Oliver never came to light.

He reminded her of the day he had given her the little locket and the ring with her christian name engraved upon it, and a blank left for that which he hoped one day to have bestowed upon her... (Ch. 51)

Oliver was able to remain with Brownlow.  He got to have the lifestyle he deserved and have a family.  Monks tried to keep that from him, but was unsuccessful.  One of the reasons he was unsuccessful is that Oliver was good and remained good, no matter what bad influences he had.

What is culture?

Culture is a complex idea.  There is not a single definition of the term.  Culture is described as the social interaction and shared patterns of behavior, social structure, knowledge and learned behaviors that form an accepted matrix of actions.  In short, culture encompasses the past and present behaviors of group members into a defined set of acceptable actions.  Culture includes the gathered knowledge of the group, moral actions, social interactions and behaviors which govern the group through the social contract.

Culture is not confined to any particular group size or geographical area, although both can play a part in the development.  It is not a mutually exclusive idea and many people belong to several cultures at the same time.  Examples of cultures include ethnic cultures such as Hispanic or Native American cultures.  Culture can also develop in organizations, such as the culture of Apple, which was heavily influenced by former CEO Steve Jobs.  Many careers such as law enforcement or military also develop cultural norms.  One person can be a member of these cultures simultaneously or move in and out of them during their lifetime.

Although socialization is part of human development, culture is not a permanent part of a person's identity.  A person may voluntarily join or leave a culture through a conscious (or unconscious) decision.  Moving from New York City to rural America might be an example of rejecting one culture for another.  Some customs and courtesies may stay consistent from one to the other, but there are differences on when or how those customs are applied.  Expectations from group members will influence new members and help the education process.

Whether culture grows or not is a matter of some debate.  Culture can evolve to some extent, but some argue that at a certain point it morphs into a new culture entirely.  Others claim culture is an ever evolving idea shaped by new generations.  For example, the American culture changed after the industrial revolution, World War II and the accessibility of the computer.  Culture can be viewed as separate ideas that give birth to new cultures, or perhaps each is just a phase in the macro view of American culture.  Culture differs for everyone, yet it remains a universal constant that ties everyone to the culture of humanity. 

What change can be seen in Piggy when he fights with Ralph in the water?

In Chapter 9, Ralph and Piggy jump into a pool of water to bathe, and Ralph squirts water into Piggy's face. Piggy then tells Ralph, "Mind my specs...If I get water on the glass I got to get out and clean ’em" (Golding 211). Ralph doesn't listen to Piggy and squirts him in the face again. Ralph laughs at Piggy and expects him to meekly swim away without saying anything. Instead of taking Ralph's abuse, Piggy retaliates by yelling, "Stop it!" and shoves water into Ralph's face (Golding 211). Ralph is shocked and immediately stops squirting Piggy with water. Piggy's response indicates that he is becoming more protective of his glasses, which symbolically represents his feelings towards maintaining civility on the island. At this point in the novel, Piggy realizes the importance of remaining civil and defending himself against the impending barbarism.

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how does Bruno's experiences cause him to change throughout the story?

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno's experience in befriending Shmuel significantly changes him.

As the story opens, Bruno is unhappy.  He dislikes being in Auschwitz because of what he left behind in Berlin.  Bruno is incapable of moving past how he has no friends. After being so popular in Berlin, Bruno feels alone in Auschwitz.   Bruno is even intrigued at "the people in the striped pajamas" because he figures  they are having more fun than he is. However, when he makes friends with Shmuel, Bruno changes.  As his friendship with Shmuel grows, Bruno no longer pines for what he left behind.  He changes in that he now wants to stay in Auschwitz. When he hears of the plans to move back to Berlin, Bruno is saddened.  This is a distinct change from when he marched into his father's office and insisted that he does not feel "at home" in Auschwitz.  The full extent of Bruno's change is seen when he feels bad telling Shmuel that he will leave.  When they decide to embark on one final adventure, Bruno is excited, a stark change to how he was at the novel's start. In their final moments together, Bruno cannot remember the faces or names of his Berlin friends. He shows tremendous change in how he clutches Shmuel's hand, and tells him they are "best friends for life."  Bruno's friendship with Shmuel is an experience that profoundly changes him.

How is the bond story related to the casket story in The Merchant Of Venice?

The link between the two stories arises as a result of the relationship that Bassanio has with characters in the two plot streams. The association is created when Bassanio, who is out of pocket, approaches his friend and confidante, Antonio, a wealthy Christian merchant, for financial assistance so that he may woo the beautiful Portia, a wealthy heiress from Belmont. Bassanio wishes to stand an equal chance against a number of other suitors, who come from privileged backgrounds and the money will give him such an opportunity.

Antonio does not have the ready cash that Bassanio needs but asks him to seek a loan in Venice by using his name as guarantee. He is a person of good standing and assures Bassanio that he will also seek a loan. Bassanio soon encounters Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, who is prepared to extend him a loan of 3 000 ducats should Antonio sign as surety to the bond.

Antonio agrees to Shylock's harsh terms which state that the loan should be settled in three months without any interest charged. If he should forfeit, Antonio has to allow Shylock to cut out a pound of his flesh. Bassanio asks his friend not to agree to these terms but Antonio, confident that he will be able to settle the debt comfortably, signs the agreement. 

Bassanio takes the money and goes off to try his luck in winning Portia's hand in a lottery, in which a suitor should choose the right casket from three, that her deceased father had concocted. It is through these actions that an association between the two stories is created.

It is important to note that Antonio and Shylock despise each other. Antonio believes that Shylock is committing a grave sin by lending out money and profiting from the interest he charges. Shylock hates Antonio for having severely criticized him openly and humiliating him by spitting on his gaberdine, kicking him and calling him a dog. He seeks revenge against the Christian. 

Bassanio is successful in choosing the right casket and wins Portia's hand. He does, however, receive an unsettling message from Antonio in which he states that he has been imprisoned for forfeiting on the bond. He had suffered a number of mishaps with his ships and could not settle the debt. The vengeful Shylock has been insistent that he should have his pound of flesh.

Bassanio is utterly distraught. Portia notices his distress and after discovering the reason for this, offers to help. She urges Bassanio to rush to his friend's aid immediately after their marriage and offers to repay the debt many times over. She formulates a plan to further assist the traumatized Antonio by going to Venice disguised as a doctor of law with Nerissa as her assistant. It is in this manner that the two plots achieve a confluence.   

What does Shug teach Celie about being loved, and about finding one’s true self? What price does Sofia pay for being her true self?

Shug teaches Celie that she deserves to be loved and that the process of finding her true self should be honored instead of stifled.  When Shug writes a song and dedicates it to Celie, this is the first loving thing anyone has ever done for Celie (besides her sister, Nettie).  Further, when Shug tells Celie that she loves her, this is the first person (besides her sister) to ever say it to Celie.  Shug teaches Celie, little by little, that she deserves to be loved and that her true self is, in fact, easy to love.  Shug's acceptance and love of Celie empowers Celie to realize who that true self is.

Sofia pays a steep price for being her true self.  She is true to herself when she tells the mayor's wife that "'Hell, no,'" she would not like to come and work for her.  Though Miss Millie assesses Sofia's children like someone taking stock of slaves, commenting on their cleanliness, their teeth, and so forth, and though the mayor is the first to strike Sofia for speaking disrespectfully to Miss Millie, when Sofia hits him back -- true to herself -- she is condemned to twelve years in prison.  She ends up working for Miss Millie anyway, unable to see her children for years; some of the best years of her life are taken from her for being herself.

What is a summary of Alfred Noyes' poem "Song of the Wooden-Legged Fiddler"?

Alfred Noyes wrote "Song of the Wooden-Legged Fiddler" in 1805. It is the tale (song) of a youngster who ran away to sea, to "fight like a sailor for country and king" (19). The poem is five stanzas, with seven lines in each. At the end of each stanza is a one-line chorus, which echoes the last line of the stanza.

In the first stanza, the singer speaks about his life as a boy. He lived in a cottage in the West, but had a restless spirit that forever called him to sea:

But I knew no peace and I took no rest

Though the roses nigh smothered my snug little nest;

          For the smell of the sea

          Was much rarer to me,

And the life of a sailor was all my joy (3-7)

The boy has a "snug" home, described as a picture-perfect cottage, surrounded by roses. However, it was not the flowers that he smelled that overwhelmed him, but the rare smell of the salty ocean water.

In the second stanza, the narrator tells of his mother's wishes for him:

My mother she wept, and she begged me to stay... (9)

He notes that she wanted to keep him close to home, tied to "her apron-string" (10), to help with the hay—we can assume with its harvest. (Hay is the crop of a season's growth of grass that is harvested before it goes to seed.) The singer relents to his mother's wishes for the cutting of the hay, but sneaks out and runs off the following spring.

On a night of delight in the following spring,

                With a pair of stout shoon

                And a seafaring tune

     And a bundle and stick in the light of the moon,

                Down the long road

                To Portsmouth I strode... (13-18)

He takes a pair of strong shoes ("shoon"), and he whistles a sea chantey, having packed a few belongings in a piece of cloth (like a kerchief), carried on the end of a stick—walking to Portsmouth to follow his dream. We can infer this is some distance if his home does not afford him the smell of the sea.

In the third stanza, the sailor is returning home, though the sea still calls him away. The memories of sailing the Spanish Main—chasing French and Spanish frigates—are still fresh in his mind. Perhaps the most poignant line is found in this section of the song:

For at heart an old sailor is always a boy... (25)

This is the line that reminds the listener, even until the end of the song, that the ocean's call never loses its power as the boy grows into a man, and eventually an aged sailor who can no longer make his living on the sea.

The listener (or reader) can believe that a sailor's heart never ages and the draw of the profession never fades: even after all of his experiences, the sea still calls to him like a mythical siren. The smells of gunpowder (for the canon) and pitch (tar to waterproof the ship) are still in his nose. His heart will belong to the sea (he notes) until he cannot tell the difference between either of them—and even when (as he looks out over the ship's side) he cannot distinguish the "grin o' the guns from a glint o' the sea" (27). At this point he will lack the mental capacity to tell the difference between the legendary Nelson and some other jack-tar like himself.

The fourth stanza lets the listener know that the sailor is no longer young:

Ay! Now that I'm old I'm as bold as the best... (32)

By now he has lost his leg—a wooden peg has taken its place; and he is as bald as an egg. Even in light of these drastic changes, his love of the sea has not diminished:

The smell of the sea

              Is like victuals to me... (37-38)

In other words, living on the ocean is as necessary to him as food ("victuals"). Even in his grave, he is certain he will still be calling "Ahoy!" When his body is "ready to rest" (die), he echoes the sentiment he shared earlier:

At heart an old sailor is always a boy. (41)

Interestingly, while he recalls whistling a sea song when he left home, his story has become a sea chantey, based upon his life rather than another sailor's, as he has lived the life he was called to so many years before. It would also seem that his choice was true to his heart and he has no regrets—other than, perhaps, having to leave his life on the sea because he can no longer sail. For the boy's heart in him is still passionately in love with the sea.

This question is about the essay "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan. Even though the focus of the essay is the author's experiences with languages and her...

Tan's version of the American Dream is similar to that of Lennie and George in Of Mice and Men because she wants to express herself and live out dreams that speak specifically to her. When she started publishing fiction, she wrote using the English she had grown up hearing from her Chinese-born mother. She used English that was called "broken" instead of conforming and only using standard English. This dream is similar to that of Lennie and George because they also want to claim something that is their own--in their case, land to raise crops and rabbits. Amy Tan's version of the American Dream, like that of Lennie and George, does not involve bending to convention but instead means living her life the way she wants to, as a full expression of herself.

In addition, Tan's dream is in part to explain people who have been misunderstood in America, such as her immigrant mother. She writes of her mother, "I wanted to capture...her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts." Similarly, George wants to help Lennie find a place where he is accepted for himself, though Lennie is developmentally disabled and not always understood by others. Therefore, winning acceptance for marginalized people and voices is part of both dreams--that of Tan and that of Lennie and George. Their dreams are different because Lennie and George seek land where they can be apart from other people, living without bosses. They seek a life of solitude and separation, while Tan's dreams involve connecting her world with a wider world. She wants to use writing to connect with other people rather than to separate herself from them. 

Why was "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" a major literary breakthrough in poetry?

T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a poem which brought verse fully into the twentieth century as it effected a cultural shift in poetry from Romanticism to Modernism.

Eliot's poem is also the first English-language poem of the twentieth century that is composed of free verse, and it differs greatly from the poems of the Romanticists because in them the natural world is in sympathy with man and offers succor, whereas for Prufrock in Eliot's verse the images of nature are sick or ominous. In the first stanza, for instance, the evening "spreads out against the sky" like "a patient etherised upon a table." Further in the poem, the atmosphere of the city is ominous, even suggestive of evil in its imagery, as there is "yellow fog" with "yellow smoke" on the window-panes. 

Indeed, Eliot became a major voice in Modernism as he has expressed so well the lassitude of man, as well as the horror and incongruity of many aspects of modern life. But, unlike Ezra Pound, who felt that the poet was not obliged to recompose the world out of its fragmentation, but could, instead, elicit "a paradisal aspect" out of such disjointedness, Eliot perceived a necessity to establish order out of the fragmentation through re-composition. In other words, Eliot wished to seam the world together as a spiritual quest.

Editors Richard Ellman and Robert O'Clair write that Eliot was strongly influenced by the French symbolists, while the metaphysical poets, too, affected Eliot strongly: 

His principal models were Laforgue and Corbiere. He dealt almost exclusively with decadent, enervated people, yet in all his technical devices revealed a violent, innovative energy. He combined a precise and often formal outward manner with an inner writhing, bound together by wit.

J. Alfred Prufrock is the "decadent, enervated" man of the twentieth century. Moreover, he exemplifies modern man so well because he shares the angst of many. For instance, his inner fears prevent him from risking rejection by a woman despite his strong sexual desires. Much like characters brought to life by James Joyce, his inner dialogue is wrought with fear and a certain spiritual paralysis. Prufrock, too, is afraid to engage with the world:

Is it perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
    And should I then presume?
    And how should I begin?

Despite the frustrations and hesitations and fragmentation, Eliot's verse, like the writings of other Modernists, has a profound honesty to it.

Additional Source: The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry

What is the exposition in "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde?

There are several references that pinpoint the place, but there is no specific reference to time period.  The two leading characters are the Happy Prince (a beautiful statue that was once a real human prince) and a Swallow (a small bird traveling towards Egypt to meet up with his friends).  In the very beginning we are told the story takes place in a city, and a little later on, through the conversation between the statue and the swallow, we learn that they are in Northern Europe, near the Sans-Souci Palace, which is near Berlin.

Time period is much more difficult to determine.  Since Wilde references poorhouses, a ghetto, titles such as "Mathematical Master" and "Town Councilor", and recovering jewels from India a thousand years before, it is safe to assume that this story takes place some time after the 16th century but most likely no later than the 18th.  Generally, when specific time periods are not referenced in fictional works, it allows the author more freedom of expression in his or her writing and therefore it is not necessary to the story.

How would you explain the metaphor of the hypodermic needle in the fifth stanza of "Trumpet Player"? Does Hughes mean that music is the needle that...

In the last stanza of "Trumpet Player," Hughes writes that "It's hypodermic needle / to his soul." Yes, this means that the music the trumpet player makes soothes some of his pain and acts like a tonic to him. The effect of this metaphor is to emphasize how strongly music acts upon the performer. It's also a reference to the earlier lines that read, "that is longing for the sea / where the sea's a bar-glass / sucker size." In these lines, the trumpet player's desire for the sea, and his desire to overcome his pain, cause him to turn to a "bar-glass," or to drinking. The contrast between the bar glass and the hypodermic needle is that the trumpet player is drowning his sorrows by drinking but the music, like a drug, lifts his soul. The poem is about the ways in which the trumpet player's music is an expression of both joy and pain, particularly pain from the past, including slavery. The metaphors of the needle and the bar glass continue the idea that his music combines elements of both joy and pain. 

Where, in chapter 12 of Lord Of The Flies, is the use of diction and syntax most apparent?

Diction refers to the vocabulary someone uses in speech or writing or it may refer to the manner in which one pronounces words. Obviously, the more educated the person is, the more complex or sophisticated his diction should be. Such a person would also be expected to articulate such vocabulary clearly. Syntax refers to the correctness of grammatical conventions the speaker or writer employs in order to present well-formed (grammatically correct) sentences. 

Furthermore, the type of diction and syntax used will differ in formal and informal situations and will also vary from person to person, according to his or her background, age, status, and so forth. In chapter twelve, there is an obvious contrast between the diction and syntax used by the narrator and that of the boys in conversation with each other. Ralph, for example, uses conventions which reflect his middle class upbringing and private schooling. This is apparent in his thinking:

“No. They’re not as bad as that. It was an accident.”

In this example, Ralph clearly expresses his thoughts in a grammatically correct manner - the language used is, one could, say semi-formal and evidence of a grammar-school upbringing. He continues using the correct conventions even when he speaks to Samneric:

“You two aren’t painted. How can you—? If it were light—”

The use of 'were' is significant in this example. Ralph uses the subjunctive mood, which is correct. One with a poorer education would, more than likely, have used 'was.' A further example is Ralph's statement that: “I only wanted to keep up a fire!” This also indicates sophisticated and educated English syntax. A more informal expression could be, "I only wanted to keep a fire burning!"

The diction and syntax used by the captain are also typical British grammar-school conventions:

“I should have thought that a pack of British boys—you’re all British, aren’t you?—would have been able to put up a better show than that—I mean—”

“I know. Jolly good show. Like the Coral Island.”

The use of 'should' as an alternative to 'would' and the phrase 'Jolly good show' identifies him as typically British. The Cambridge English Dictionary identifies the word 'jolly', for example, as mainly used in the United Kingdom. 

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, how does Claudius finally die?

Claudius dies shortly after Laertes's fatal duel with Hamlet. Laertes has dipped his sword in poison and grazes Hamlet with it. Hamlet then uses this sword to kill Laertes, who, as he is dying, admits to Hamlet that Claudius is trying to kill Hamlet with poisoned wine. Laertes also admits that his sword has been dipped in poison. When Hamlet hears this confession, he runs the sword through Claudius, saying, "The point envenomed too!—Then, venom, to thy work" (V.2.317-318). This means that he wants the venom or poison on the sword to do its work to kill Claudius quickly. Hamlet also forces Claudius to drink the poison that Gertrude drank (and that killed her) and says, " Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damnèd Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother" (V.2.320-322). The "union" refers to the pearl that Claudius had placed in Hamlet's cup. Hamlet's means of killing Claudius therefore include a sword hit, poison from the sword tip, and the poison wine. 

In Escaping Salem, why did the accusation and what followed in Stamford produce a result that was extremely different from what occurred in Salem?

In Escaping Salem, the author, Richard Godbeer, writes that the Salem witch trials, which took place in 1692 (the same year as the witch trials in Stamford), were the exception--not the rule--at the time. The author writes that "Stamford townsfolk were for the most part remarkably cautious in reacting to...accusations" (page 7). The residents of Stamford did not automatically accept what the accuser stated. In addition, the officials in Stanford carefully weighed the evidence against accused people and refused to come to quick judgments. For example, the magistrates in the Stamford case did not rely only on the testimony of the person making the accusations, Kate Branch, to make their case (page 60). In addition, it is not clear whether Kate Branch was actually present at the trial to give testimony, unlike at the Salem witch trials, at which the girls who were making accusations appeared with great theatrics and threw the case into a state of chaos (page 112). In Salem, 19 accused people were hanged, while the two people accused in the Stamford trials were acquitted.

The author states that the intensity of the hysteria in Salem was not typical of witch trials at the time, though that witch hunt has come to represent what New England witch hunts were like. Instead, the more measured approach in Stamford was more typical of witch trials during the 17th century. 

What are some similarities and differences between today's society and the society in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises?

Despite the long span of years that separates contemporary society from the society of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, the novel is still relevant and contains many similarities to the current cultural climate. The two similarities that I want to focus on are gender roles and technological advancement.

The Sun Also Rises chronicles a time of great social change, especially in terms of gender roles. Published in the middle of the 1920s, the novel arrived at a time when women were gaining greater independence in many countries and challenging traditional gender roles that subordinated women to men. In the novel, one of Hemingway's primary goals is to find a definition for masculinity within the context of rapidly evolving gender roles. This trend has definite similarities to contemporary society; while the United States has come a long way since the 1920s, society still has much progress to make before true gender equality can be realized. Thus, as in Hemingway's time, many individuals, both men and women, are still trying to redefine masculine and feminine roles in society.

Additionally, the society in The Sun Also Rises experienced rapid technological advancement. Cars were becoming more accessible, economies were adapting to increased manufacturing, and the world had just witnessed the atrocities that advanced weaponry had brought on the battlefield in World War I. Likewise, our own society is seeing a glut of technological evolution, with cell phones, social media, and computers taking on roles of greater and greater importance. Just as individuals struggled to make sense of human life in the midst of the increased technological presence during the '20s, so too are members of our own society trying to define what it means to be human in the age of Facebook and iPhones. 

In short, the 1920s were a period of swift advancement in all spheres of life, and society was changing rapidly. As such, it bears many similarities to our own quickly changing society, despite the fact that the book was published nearly 100 years ago. 

What does the old man mean when he says Curley's wife has "the eye" in Of Mice and Men?

 Candy tells George that Curley’s wife is looking to cheat. 

The men on the ranch are suspicious of Curley’s wife (who is never given a name) because they think she is looking to cause trouble.  When George first arrives, the old swamper Candy tells him to avoid her because she is the boss’s son’s wife and she gives people “the eye,” meaning she flirts. 

"I seen her give Slim the eye. Slim's a jerkline skinner. Hell of a nice fella. Slim don't need to wear no high-heeled boots on a grain team. I seen her give Slim the eye. Curley never seen it. An' I seen her give Carlson the eye." (Ch. 2) 

He calls her a tart.  Curley and his wife have not been married long, but she is considered trouble.  George tells Lennie to stay away from Curley.  He is worried that Curley is a trouble-maker, and that Lennie will not understand enough to avoid trouble. 

"I hate that kinda bastard," he said. "I seen plenty of 'em. Like the old guy says, Curley don't take no chances. He always wins." He thought for a moment. "If he tangles with you, Lennie, we're gonna get the can. Don't make no mistake about that. He's the boss's son. …” (Ch. 2) 

While Curley’s wife doesn’t exactly flirt openly, she does spend a lot of time looking for Curley.  She also can’t help but be aware of the fact that the men on the ranch are wary of her, and that her husband is a jealous man.  All in all, it causes conflict.  This is one of the reasons that George tells Lennie to avoid Curley.  Curley picks a fight anyway, and Lennie crushes his hand.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with Curley’s wife.  Lennie has no interest in girls other than the fact that their dresses and hair are soft.

How does The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan end?

At the end of The Thirty-nine Steps, Hannay tries to find the man who posed as the First Sea Lord by remembering Scudder's book, in which Scudder wrote down that the enemy would try to escape when the high tide takes place at 10:17 at night and where there are 39 steps. The man who pretended to be First Sea Lord has secret knowledge of England's military defenses that could be delivered to England's enemy. To stop him, Hannay tries to find a small port in which the high tide will occur at 10:17 at night. He determines the enemy is leaving from a small port because the high tide will be important, and the enemy can only leave this type of small port when it is high tide.

Hannay finds a place called Bradgate in Kent that meets this description. When he goes there, he finds a house called Trafalgar Lodge that has 39 steps. He notes a suspicious yacht in the harbor, and when he goes to the house that night to arrest the three men inside, he feels at first that he has made a mistake. The men seem perfectly English, not like the German enemy. However, when one man begins to tap his hand, Hannay realizes he has seen this man before and that the man is a member of the enemy he met on the moorland farm. Hannay captures two of the men with the police, and the other man, who tries to flee to the Ariadne, the yacht in the harbor, is caught by the police. Three weeks afterward, England goes to war, and Hannay becomes a captain. He feels, however, that his greatest service to his country has been in stopping the Black Stone. 

How far away is each footstep in Pokemon Go?

As of today, July 18th, 2016, the footstep function is broken, and has been broken for a few days now.  

The footstep counter is supposed to be one step away, two steps away, or three steps away depending on how close/far away you are.

There is a lot of debate on the internet about the exact values (Niantic won't give us exact numbers), but it appears that:

• No Footstep: 0m to 40m (the same as the distance you can trigger PokeStations and the like from)


• One Footstep: 40m to 75m


• Two Footsteps: 75m to 150m


• Three Footsteps: 150m to 225m

Once a Pokemon goes outside your circle range, it changes from 0 footsteps to 1 footstep.  This can be a helpful tool that you can use to track down Pokemon that are close to you.

Good luck with your Poke-hunting!

What are some literary devices used in "The Seafarer" by Ezra Pound?

There are two main poems entitled "The Seafarer." The first was written in Anglo-Saxon and published in the tenth century. The second was a re-imagining of the poem by Ezra Pound in the first part of the twentieth century. Other poets have also undertaken to write poetry based on the original poem, but Pound's poem is probably the most prominent. 

Ezra Pound was remarkably aware of the history of literature, including Medieval literature. His poetry often reflected his knowledge, and his version of the Seafarer is no exception. In order to understand how he used the techniques of poetry (literary devices), let's look at the Medieval Seafarer. 

Referenced below is a webpage that has both the original Anglo-Saxon and a modern English translation. You can get the meaning of the poem from the modern translation, but to understand the construction of the poem, it is important to look at the Anglo-Saxon version. The poet uses short lines which are grouped in pairs, but one technique used is that of alliteration. Here are some examples:

"siþas secgan" (line 2a)

"bitre breostceare" (line 4a)

Poets use the sound of words as a way of uniting a poem. Sometimes they use rhyme, sometimes meter, and sometimes the vowel and consonant sounds of the words themselves. This attention to sound differentiates poetry from prose. The Medieval writer uses alliteration quite often; that is, the first letter of each word in some lines is the same. 

Pound's version does the same:

May I for my own self song's truth reckon, 

Journey's jargon, how I in harsh days 

Hardship endured oft. 

Bitter breast-cares have I abided (lines 1-4)

A second device Pound uses is imagery. Pound was part of a movement called Imagism, which encouraged poets to use just the words they needed to flesh out an image and not all the flowery filler words Victorian poets used to fill a metrical pattern. Imagist poetry records experiences in vivid ways. 

Pound likely chose the original poem to work with because the Medieval writer wrote in a vivid style without filler.

Storms there beat the stony cliffs,
where the tern spoke,
icy-feathered;
always the eagle cried at it,
dewy-feathered (Modern translation of Seafarer, lines 24a-25a)

It's easy to imagine these images. Pound does a similar thing with his version:

Did for my games the gannet's clamour, 

Sea-fowls, loudness was for me laughter, 

The mews' singing all my mead-drink. 

Storms, on the stone-cliffs beaten, fell on the stern 

In icy feathers; full oft the eagle screamed 

With spray on his pinion (lines 21-25).

Literary devices are part of the craft of poetry. Poets allow them to surface in their poems and then polish their poems to bring out these relationships between words. They do so to enhance meaning and unity in their work.

Please discuss "The Tyger" by William Blake.

William Blake's "The Tyger" is a profound and subtly disturbing work that, at its essence, seeks to understand the nature of God and whether or not He is responsible for creating the destructive forces represented by the tiger.

The key lines here are as follows:

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry? (3-4)

These lines appear twice, once at the end of the first stanza, and then again at the end of the poem. On the surface level, Blake is asking what kind of power (be it the traditional God or something else entirely) made the tiger. On another, more abstract, interpretive level, Blake is wondering what is responsible for the "fearful symmetry" of the world. Throughout the poem, Blake grapples with this "fearful symmetry," referencing chaotic events such as the fall of the angels following Satan's failed rebellion (alluded to in the fifth stanza by "When the stars threw down their spears / And water'd heaven with their tears" (17-18)). As such, though Blake is ostensibly discussing a tiger, he's also struggling to come to terms with the concept of God, and he questions whether God is responsible for the destructive, chaotic events of the world. This question is never resolved, and the final ambiguity of the poem (which returns once more to the ominous "fearful symmetry") leaves the reader with a brilliantly subtle sense of unease. 

In Cranes by Hwang Sun-won, what was Songsam's relationship with Tokchae like when they were children?

When Tokchae and Songsam were children, they were childhood friends with each other. 

The story gives some small details from the characters' pasts that indicate that the two men were fairly close friends.  For example, Songsam initially thinks that offering Tokchae a cigarette is bad timing, but then he remembers that Tokchae and he shared stuff with each other when they were children.

Then suddenly he thought that Tok-chae, too, must want a puff. He thought of the days when they used to share dried gourd leaves behind walls, hidden from the adults.

Near the story's conclusion, Tokchae and Songsam arrive at a field together.  The reader is told that this is the same field where the two men captured and freed a crane together as young boys.  

Once, when Song-sam and Tok-chae were about twelve, they had set a trap here, without the knowledge of the adults, and had caught a crane, a Tanjong crane.

Tokchae believes that he is about to be executed in this very same field, but because of their childhood bond, Songsam decides to let Tokchae run away.  Just as the two men let the crane go free as boys, Songsam is now letting Tokchae go free as well.  

Why is the demand curve perfectly elastic in perfect competition?

The question considers why in perfect competition the demand curve is assumed to be perfectly elastic. More specifically, this assumption refers to the firm’s demand curve in a perfectly competitive market, rather than the overall demand curve for the market as a whole. 

The first step is to define the term elasticity. This is a mathematical concept relating quantity demanded to price. Specifically, it is defined as the percent change in quantity (demanded) divided by the percent change in price. As such it is mathematically related to slope, but is not equivalent. “Perfect” elasticity is applied to the situation in which the demand curve is horizontal, i.e. slope = 0. Mathematically, this would imply that the amount of output which the firm may sell at the given market price is effectively infinite. More accurately, the firm may sell all of the output of which it is currently capable at the given market price. 

The key feature of this situation is that the firm is a perfect price taker, rather than price maker. That is, offering output at a price lower than “market” would not result in additional sales, and offering it at a price higher than market would result in no sales whatsoever (i.e. all buyers would simply go elsewhere rather than pay the higher price). In a perfectly competitive market, ALL firms are in this same situation. The market price is established, at equilibrium, by the cumulative interaction of all buyers and all sellers in some type of auction/open market process. This requires that the good or service in question is perfectly homogeneous between producers (e.g. wheat of a certain grade) such that one supplier’s output is literally indistinguishable from any others. Other assumptions include that switching from one supplier to another is completely costless for any and all buyers. 

Note that this condition is largely hypothetical. Truly perfect competitive price equilibrium rarely occurs. Most markets are typically in motion, always searching for new equilibrium in reaction to the latest change in conditions. Also, only certain commodities meet the requirement of homogeneity, and suppliers are constantly trying to create the perception if not the reality of product differentiation so that they can, in fact, exercise some control over price.

What were the conditions that were present in India in the 1920's that allowed Gandhi and Nehru to rise to prominence as nationalists?

Indian resentment towards British control was one of the major conditions that fueled the rise of nationalist leaders such as Gandhi and Nehru.

In the 1920s, many Indians were angry at how the British were treating them.  One source of discontent was the lack of acknowledgement of Indian sacrifice during World War I.  Indian servicemen fulfilled their duty in fighting for their parent nation, Britain.  However, after the war, Britain's actions failed to recognize such sacrifice. Britain showed dismissiveness and disdain towards the Indian demand for greater autonomy in taxation and political self-determination.  This began to fuel resentment and the ascension of nationalist leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. 

In the 1920s, British actions justified nationalism as a viable response.  The "Quit India" campaign intensified with events such as the Amritsar Massacre, when British forces opened fire on unarmed civilians. Leaders like Gandhi and Nehru began to call for demonstrations against British rule.  Gandhi was particularly effective with his insistence on nonviolent civil disobedience.  He made Indians believe that the struggle for independence was more spiritual than political.  Being able to make the call for nationalism a moral one cast the British as evil and unjust. Through Gandhi's example, Indians viewed opposing the British as an ethical imperative.  Nehru's focus was equally effective, but focused on the political aspect.  He helped to form the Indian National Congress. This political party's sole priority was the independence of India.  Gandhi's call for moral action and Nehru's political organization fueled their their rise as nationalist leaders in 1920s India.

Why do you think Achebe chooses to create a protagonist for Things Fall Apart that hardly develops across the novel? How does this choice affect...

The power of Okonkwo's story in Things Fall Apart is the relatively static nature of his daily life. He is very comfortably entrenched in the social order established, and questions little of it, even when he is made to feel sad or conflicted (as when he is forced to watch Ikemefuna's murder).

The reason Achebe creates an essentially immovable character is so we can feel the monumental shift the story takes when the colonizers appear. When the outsider is introduced to an already functioning society, Okonkwo finds himself in a situation that leads him to despair. This despair motivates him to act in a way that is a 180-degree turn from the man he has been.

Okonkwo's suicide and the shift in point of view at the end of the novel reinforce the theme of social structures falling apart. Moreover, Ibo society has been corrupted by an outside influence, with no motivation or input from those who have built the society. This represents the loss of personal agency endemic to postcolonial literature.

How does Orwell present the lives of the animals in this extract from Animal Farm? “And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to...

Orwell describes the animals as exploited by people.

In this excerpt, Old Major is describing how human beings take advantage of animals on the farm.  Old Major tells the animals that humans are the only animals that consume without producing.  They take the animals and exploit and abuse them because they believe that the animals belong to them.

The basis of this paragraph is that the animals give the best of their lives to the humans, working hard for them, and then the humans have no appreciation.  When the animals have no use for them, they get rid of them in horrible ways.  All that awaits the animals is a life of suffering in service to man, and then a terrible death at last.

The pigs will die young, because their meat is valuable. They are examples of animals who are used for food.  The horse will be worked to death and then, since his body is valuable, it will be sold and fed to the dogs.  The dogs’ bodies are not valuable, so they will be drowned when they get too old.

Old Major suggests that the animals live their lives at the mercy of human beings.

"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. …” (Ch. 1) 

In this speech, Old Major also describes a dream in which the animals live on their own, without the tyranny of man.  The Animalism he describes is one of peace and harmony, where the animals take care of one another and never meet these cruel fates described by Old Major.  Animals will surely treat each other better than people.

Why does Bud always introduce himself as "Bud, not Buddy?"

Bud answers this question for readers in chapter five of Bud, Not Buddy. During this chapter, the narrative flashes back to a time when Bud's mother was still alive.  Bud and his mother are having a conversation with each other, and she clearly explains to Bud why he is not "Buddy."  She tells Bud that if she wanted her son called "Buddy," she would have named him exactly that.  She then goes on to tell Bud that "Buddy" is a name that people give their dogs.  Her son will not be called a dog's name.  

She'd tell me, "Especially don't you ever let anyone call you Buddy, I may have some problems but being stupid isn't one of them. I would've added that dy onto the end of your name if I intended for it to be there. I knew what I was doing, Buddy is a dog's name or a name that someone's going to use on you if they're being false-friendly. Your name is Bud, period."

Bud's mother gives a second reason for naming her son Bud.  She tells Bud that a "bud" is a waiting flower.   It is waiting to show the world its purpose and beauty.  To Bud's mother, her son is like that flower bud.  He's waiting to show the world how awesome he will be.  

"A bud is a flower-to-be. A flower-in-waiting. Waiting for just the right warmth and care to open up. It's a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world. And that's you."

Bud tells people that his name is "Bud, not Buddy" as a way to honor his mother's wishes.  She gave him that name, and she was very clear that was what she wanted her son's name to be.  Bud makes it equally clear to other people what his name is and what he wants to be called. 

How many soliloquies are there in Hamlet?

Hamlet has seven soliloquies in Hamlet. Their significance lies in their characterizing of Hamlet as an introspective and anguished character. While in a typical Renaissance revenge tragedy, a protagonist would quickly jump into action to try to avenge a death, Hamlet vacillates. Unlike Laertes, who is immediately out for blood when he learns that Hamlet has killed his father, Hamlet carefully contemplates his next steps and wishes he didn't have to face the problem of revenge. What, he wonders, if the ghost he meets has been sent by Satan to tempt him into killing an innocent man? How can he establish in some objective way that Claudius did, in fact, murder his father? 

If Hamlet was already upset about his father death, the ghost's revelation sends him into a tailspin of depression. He indulges in suicidal ideation, wishing in his soliloquies that he could, for example, dissolve like the dew or take his own life, deciding that is only fear of what he might encounter after death that keeps him alive. He later ponders death as the great leveler. 

Hamlet's contemplation of the meaning of life and death, largely through his many soliloquies, elevates this play from another entertaining bloodbath to a haunting meditation on universal questions about mortality, truth and purpose.   

What was Pavel's previous occupation before coming to the concentration camp?

In Chapter 7, Bruno falls from a tire swing, and Pavel rushes out of the house to help him. Pavel carries Bruno inside and cleans the wound on Bruno's knee. Pavel assures Bruno that he will be okay and puts a bandage over his cut. Bruno then comments to Pavel that his mother might want to take him to the doctor just in case. Again, Pavel assures Bruno that he will be alright. Bruno doesn't believe Pavel and says, "You're not a doctor" (Boyne 82). Pavel responds by saying, "Yes I am" (Boyne 82). Bruno does not understand how Pavel can be both a waiter and a doctor, but Pavel insists that he was a doctor. Bruno is naive and does not understand that Pavel was a doctor before he came to the concentration camp. Bruno then asks Pavel why he is peeling vegetables when he should be working in a hospital. Pavel tells Bruno that before he came to "Out-With" he practiced as a doctor. Before Pavel can begin to elaborate on his past life, Bruno's mother walks in the kitchen and their conversation ends.

Why does granulated sugar dissolve faster than sugar cubes?

The reason granulated sugar dissolves faster than a sugar cube has to do with surface area. A sugar cube is tightly compacted granulated sugar, meaning it has less surface area exposed to the solvent. Granulated sugar has a significantly higher surface area exposed to the solvent, allowing it to dissolve faster. The solvent could be water for example. When the sugar is granulated, each individual granule is touching the water. This allows the water to act on all of the sugar granules at the same time. In a sugar cube, only the outside granules are exposed to the water, so only those ones can be dissolved. As the sugar cube dissolves, more granules are exposed, allowing them to be dissolved. This process takes longer than dissolving all the granules at once. In summary, the more surface area exposed, the faster the solute (sugar) will dissolve.