What is significant about time switching back and fourth in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?

Within works of fiction, flash backs (analepses) and flash forwards (or prolepses) are literary devices that an author uses to interrupt the current time in the novel and take the narrative backward or forward in time. Often, these inset stories within the larger narrative arc serve a bigger literary purpose. Introducing character and plot details at intentional moments within the larger story has bearing on how characters and themes develop.

In The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz's narrative moves frequently not only from one time to another, but from one narrator to another as well. Like the Dominican culture around which the story revolves, the narrative texture is varied and colorful. In addition to mirroring the Dominican spirit, Diaz's narrative choices also serve a higher literary goal. Throughout Oscar Wao, Diaz describes the juxtaposing aspects of the Dominican-American experience. A few of the overarching themes include colonization vs. belonging, superstition vs. science, and masculinity vs. female power. 

By continually switching time periods throughout the novel, Diaz continues his examination of opposites, applying that same scrutiny on time: present vs. past. In my opinion, Diaz is using that juxtaposition to make the reader ask How different are these two things actually? Throughout the novel, we see parallels and similarities between each of Diaz's juxtaposed pairs, including present and past. Prolepsis and analepsis are just two devices Diaz uses to bring the reader's attention to the novel's central themes.

How did learning to read save Frederick Douglass?

According to Frederick Douglass, slaveowners denied their slaves the ability to read and write because they feared that literacy would provide slaves with knowledge and self-sufficiency that would threaten slaveowners' abilities to control their slaves. Additionally, keeping slaves illiterate ensured it would be nearly impossible for slaves to control the national perception of slavery because they would be unable to contribute their own narratives. Douglass believes his education was crucial to freeing himself for these reasons. Additionally, the texts he used to become literate provided him with intellectual defenses against slavery that he used throughout his career as an abolitionist. Specifically, Douglass references a speech about Catholic emancipation in The Columbian Orator that inspired much of his anti-slavery writing throughout his life.

How does September 1, 1939 present the manipulation of political power and the nature of humanity?

September 1, 1939 was the day Hitler invaded Poland and the date on which World War II officially began. In 1934, Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Poland. Many Germans wanted Germany to regain the land Germany lost to Poland after World War I in the Treaty of Versailles, including West Prussia and Upper Silesia. Hitler signed the nonaggression pact so Poland would not form an alliance with France, but his promises of nonaggression were manipulative, as he did not intend to keep them.

During the years following the nonaggression pact, Hitler began to remilitarize his country. In 1936, Germany occupied the Rhineland. Even after Hitler annexed Austria with the Anschluss in 1938 and took over parts of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland in 1938, the European powers practiced a policy of appeasement in the Munich Conference. They believed that, if they officially granted Hitler what he had already conquered, he would stop his rampage. Human nature led European powers to want to believe Hitler would end his aggression, but that was not the case. After the Munich Conference, Hitler violated what he had promised and took apart the Czech state. Again, he manipulated political power and went against what he promised. 

On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland with over 2,000 tanks and more than 1,000 planes, crushing the Polish military. The Poles capitulated on September 27. The Russians, with whom Hitler had signed a nonaggression pact in 1939, attacked Poland from the east. Later, Hitler went against his nonaggression pact and attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. 

Where is the following quote from Homer's The Odyssey located?"I am Laertes' son Odysseus. Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war:...

This quote is taken from Book IX, lines 7-9; Odysseus acknowledges that he is widely known by mortals and gods both, and he is admired and respected for his intelligence and many skills.

At this point Odysseus is the only remaining member of the contingency that he took to Troy. He has spent eighteen days at sea after parting from Calypso and heads toward Scheria, the island of the Phaeacians. But, Poseidon, who hates Odysseus because of what he has done to his son the Cyclops, has been angered at the help the other gods have given Odysseus. So, he creates a maelstrom that nearly drags Odysseus under the sea. Fortunately, he is rescued again by the goddess Ino.  Odysseus continues until he finds a river where he can swim into its waters. He walks onto the shore and rests in a covered area.

The next day, the Phaeacian Princess Nausica discovers Odysseus while she and her handmaidens wait for their clothes to dry. She provides him clothes and has Odysseus walk alone to the palace and instructs him on what to say when he arrives.

Book IX, then, relates the time that Odysseus is a guest of the Phaeacian king and queen, Alcinous and Arete. Alcinous calls an assembly that votes to provide their foreign guest with a ship so that he can return home.

Later, there is a feast and games in honor of the guest, but when Odysseus hears a bard sing of the "quarrel" between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy, he is overcome with sorrow, and he weeps. Nevertheless, at dinner Odysseus asks the bard to sing his song again about Odysseus at Troy, and once again, he cries. So, King Alcinous has the music stopped. Further, after the celebratory games, he asks Odysseus to reveal his identity. Odysseus does, and then he is asked to reveal where he is from and where he wants to go. He begins,

 "I am Laertes's son Odysseus. Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim."

How do the characters in Golding's Lord of the Flies use the idea of the beast differently?

Upon hearing about the existence of a "beastie," Ralph immediately tries to dismiss the thought in order to maintain control of the group. Ralph understands that fear can make the boys act irrationally and distract them from accomplishing the necessary tasks on the island to survive and possibly be rescued. Ralph attempts to convince the littluns that there is no "beast" so that they will be able to sleep peacefully and not live in fear. However, the littluns continue to fear the "beast" despite the other older boys' insistence that it does not exist. Piggy attempts to solve the issue about the beast pragmatically and states that the only thing to fear is people. Jack initially dismisses the existence of the "beast," but after he usurps Ralph's position as leader, he manipulates the boys' fear of the "beast" to his advantage. He begins to propagate the idea that the "beast" does exist by telling his hunters to leave a severed pig's head as a sacrifice. Jack also tells his boys that he will protect them from the "beast," which only increases his power over the boys. After the boys kill Simon, who they mistake as the "beast," Jack tells them that the "beast" can shape shift so that he can continue to manipulate their fears. Only Simon understands the true nature of the "beast." Simon fails at his attempt to explain that the "beast" is the inherent evil present in each individual. After Simon sees the corpse of the paratrooper, he immediately runs to tell the boys. Simon simply wishes to share the truth with the boys and does not try to manipulate their fears like Jack.

Factorise by splitting the middle term x²+3√7x+14

Hello!

We'll split the middle term, `3sqrt(7)x,` as `sqrt(7)x+2sqrt(7)x.` Then

`x^2+3sqrt(7)x+14 = x^2+sqrt(7)x+2sqrt(7)x+14 =`

`= x(x+sqrt(7))+2sqrt(7)(x+sqrt(7)) = (x+2sqrt(7))(x+sqrt(7)).`

This is the answer. We used the fact that `14=2sqrt(7)*sqrt(7).`

Why does Wordsworth use daffodils as a key word in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"?

The poem is based on an experience Wordsworth had when he saw a full field of daffodils while walking with his sister Dorothy. In essence, then, this is a factual poem, although Wordsworth transforms the view into a personal revelation not shared with anyone else. Daffodils are among the showiest and most noticeable flowers of spring. Their yellow hues pop out from the surrounding green grass and leaves of the season. The narrator enjoys the way they sway and dance whenever the wind blows across the field. They seem to say that winter is over, and that color and life have returned to the landscape. Seeing the daffodils improves Wordsworth's mood, both in the moment and then later, when he pictures the scene again. The daffodils represent life and some of the best parts of it.

What is socialization?

Socialization is the process involved in preparing a person to enter into a civilization, group, or social sphere. This involves the newcomer adapting to the way that a group thinks, acts, and feels. A person is only socialized after the group accepts the way he or she acts and thinks.

Socialization is common in several areas of life. One example is found when a new member enters a family by marriage or adoption. The new family member or members must adapt to behaving in ways that are accepted by the family they are entering. 

Socialization also often occurs in the workplace. For example, as an employee is being groomed to become a manager, she must begin the process of socialization to understand how the organization views what is acceptable behavior among its managers. 

Socialization often leads to internalization, which is defined as somebody adopting existing social roles, values, and norms into their own thought processes.

What is a character sketch of Old Bryson in "One Thousand Dollars" by O. Henry?

Old Bryson is one of the middle-aged men who frequents the gentlemen's club to which "Young Gillian" also belongs. Below, I listed different character traits and explanations of why he fits those descriptions.

• Anti-social

Bryson's temperament is that of a curmudgeon. For, besides generally desiring to retreat from others with a book, Old Bryson seems uninterested in those around him and appears to be a person of fixed ideas. In short, Old Bryson is a misanthrope and a cynic.

• Disinterested in others

So, when Gillian enters the club and approaches Bryson, who is well sequestered from the other men, Old Bryson "sighed, laid down his book and took off his glasses," knowing Gillian will force him into conversation. Gillian tells Bryson he has a funny story to relate. Bryson's only reply is that he wishes Gillian would relate it to someone in the billiard room, where the other men of the club are congregated.

"You know how I hate your stories."
"This is a better one than usual," said Gillian...It's too sad to go with the rattling of billiard balls. I've just come from my late uncle's law firm of legal corsairs."

Gillian tells Old Bryson that his uncle has left him $1,000 and he must spend it. Bryson observes "the late Septimus Gillian was worth something like half a million." Gillian tells Bryson that his uncle left most to science and the rest to other people who worked for him. Gillian then asks Bryson what he should do with this $1,000.

• Condescending

With one thousand dollars, Old Bryson tells Gillian dryly that one man could buy a home, while another might choose to send his wife to a warm climate to heal. He continues his air of superiority until Gillian stops him.

"People might like you, Old Bryson," said Gillian, almost unruffled, "if you wouldn't moralize. I asked you to tell me what I could do with a thousand dollars."

Clearly, Bryson enjoys taunting Gillian. Now, he says sarcastically as he laughs dismissively,

Why, Bobby Gillian, there's only one logical thing you could do. You can go buy Miss Lotta Luriere a diamond pendant with the money, and then take yourself off to Idaho and inflict your presence upon a ranch. I advise a sheep ranch, as I have a particular dislike for sheep.

Since it is obvious that Old Bryson wants Gillian to leave him, Gillian thanks him, saying Bryson has hit upon "the very scheme." He tells Bryson he always knew he could "depend upon" him. Gillian leaves in a cab.

What is the difference between theme and subject?

The subject of a book, short story, or poem is what it is about, but the theme is the moral or lesson.  For example, Great Expectations is about a young boy who is given a fortune from a secret benefactor so that he can become a benefactor.  That is the plot.  The theme is that you should care more about people and love than money.  While focusing on money, the young protagonist Pip becomes an awful person.  He realizes after some tumultuous events that people are more important than money.

Books have more than one theme usually, depending on their length and complexity.  You can determine the theme by the message the author is trying to convey to the reader.  The topic of the book, story, or poem will be related to the theme because authors use a story to convey the theme.

What is the role of Uncle Axel from The Chrysalids? How does that role affect how he responds to the Purity Laws?

Uncle Axel is David's friend.  Among the adults, Uncle Axel is David's best friend.  The friendship is deeper that simply an uncle and nephew that like to spend time together.  Uncle Axel is a trusted confidant of David's too.  Uncle Axel is the one person that David trusts to tell his secret to.  David knows about the Purity Laws, and he knows that being a deviant is considered a bad thing.  That means that David knows he needs to keep his telepathic abilities a secret, but David does tell Uncle Axel about them.  It's a huge risk because Uncle Axel could immediately tell Joseph Strorm about it, and David's life would be over.  That is not what Uncle Axel does though.  He immediately grasps the importance of keeping the secret, and he works to help David and the other telepaths keep their gifts a secret.  

"I want you to keep it secret. I want you to promise that you will never, never tell anyone else what you have just told me — never. It's very important: later on you'll understand better how important it is. You mustn't do anything that would even let anyone guess about it. Will you promise me that?"

It's at this moment in the story that Uncle Axel moves from being a friend and confidant to being a protector.  At that moment, Uncle Axel is also agreeing to be a Waknuk law breaker.  He is required to report deviant genetics.  Instead, Uncle Axel keeps the secret, and that puts him at risk too.  Uncle Axel takes his self-sacrificing protection to drastic action when he kills Alan.  Uncle Axel kills Alan because Alan found out about the telepathic abilities, and Uncle Axel figures that dead men tell no tales.  Basically, Uncle Axel's love for David allows him to completely ignore any legal obligations that the Purity Laws have placed on him. 

Does the image of the respected poet “poking/ among the meats” in "A Supermarket in California" strengthen the poem’s impact or undercut any...

I would argue the incongruent image of the respected poet “poking/ among the meats” in the supermarket strengthens the poem’s impact.

In the poem, Allen Ginsburg addresses two poets (Federico Garcia Lorca and Walt Whitman) as he peruses the fruits and vegetables in the supermarket. Walt Whitman is said to be "poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys." Meanwhile, Ginsburg wonders what Garcia Lorca is doing "down by the watermelons." Although neither Whitman nor Lorca are present, Ginsburg brings them into his supermarket experience because he's as lonely as he imagines his admired poets were when they were alive.

LikeGinsburg, Garcia Lorca and Whitman were homosexuals. In the poem, Ginsburg muses about whole families (husbands in the aisles, "wives in the avocados," and "babies in the tomatoes") in the supermarket, all enjoying their shopping experience. Meanwhile, Ginsburg is alone and feels himself so detached from the scene that he has to imagine Whitman walking with him down corridors, "tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier," in order to refrain from feeling out of place.

Ginsburg basically uses the incongruent image of the poets to highlight his loneliness and detachment from society. He dreams of the "lost America of love" as he walks through the supermarket. At the end of the poem, he imagines asking Whitman about the kind of America he knew when he was alive. In Greek mythology, anyone who drank from the waters of Lethe would completely forget how they lived during their mortal lives. The learned were advised to seek the river of memory, Mnemosyne, instead.

Yet, in the poem, Ginsburg suggests that Whitman may have needed to drink from the waters of Lethe to forget his mortal life in the America he knew. Although the images of the poets seem incongruent, Ginsburg is raising some pretty serious questions here. He's asking his readers to consider the image of the America he knows and whether materialism ("automobiles in driveways") is conducive to happiness. He's also wondering what his place in America is, just as he imagines both Whitman and Lorca must have wondered about their own worlds when they were alive. His last words in the poem lead us to question whether a poet like him should drink of the waters of Lethe in order to survive in the America he's living in.

In My Side of the Mountain by Jean George, why does Sam decide to run away from home?

In the first two chapters, you’ll find three reasons why Sam Gribley left his home in New York City to run away to the Catskill Mountains. Near the end of Chapter One, titled “In Which I Hole Up in a Snowstorm,” Sam shares some details about his family life. He has four sisters and four brothers; so together with his parents, they total eleven people living in one apartment. It must have been a tight and uncomfortable space.

And not one of us liked it, except perhaps little Nina, who was too young to know. Dad didn’t like it even a little bit. He had been a sailor once, but when I was born, he gave up the sea and worked on the docks in New York.

Sam evidently wanted to get out, to a place where he could be on his own and could breathe. Then we learn that Sam’s ancestors once owned property in the Catskills. His father told him:

“That land is still in the family’s name. Somewhere in the Catskills is an old beech with the name Gribley carved on it. It marks the northern boundary of Gribley’s folly – the land is no place for a Gribley.”

Sam lets us know that he has since found the beech tree and the carved name, and that he thinks the area is just the right place for a Gribley to live.

In the second chapter, titled “In Which I Get Started on This Venture,” Sam tells us that his father once ran away from home but chickened out and was back before nightfall. Sam wanted to do likewise, but instead go off to the famous Gribley land.

Everybody laughed at me. Even Dad. … He had roared with laughter and told me about the time he had run away from home. … Then he told me, “Sure, go try it. Every boy should try it.”

So Sam did. And he found success living on his own, on or near the Gribley land. And part of him wanted to prove especially to his father that he could do it.

Green's theorem

Hello!

5b. Green's theorem gives us a possibility to compute the area of a plane region integrating along its boundary. Actually, it can help for more complex tasks then computing area. There are two (and more) forms of that integral,

`|oint_C x dy|` and `|oint_C y dx|,` where `C` is the bounding curve.

In our case `y` better suits as the independent variable, so compute `oint_C x dy.` The curve consists of two parts, and the integral is the sum of two integrals, `int_(C_1)` and `int_(C_2),` where `C_1` is the segment and `C_2` is the semi-circumference. Note that to get round the boundary in the right direction, we have to integrate over `C_1` from the larger `y` to the smaller.

The rest is simple,

`int_(C_1) = int_1^(-1) x dy =int_1^(-1) 1 dy = -2,`  and  `int_(C_2) =int_(-1)^(1) x dy =int_(-1)^(1) y^2 dy = 2/3.`

So the area is `|-2+2/3|` = 4/3.

The question 5a should be asked separately. If you would ask it again, please make clear what symbol is after `(x+2y^2).`  `(-j)` which means unit vector of the y-axis?

How can I make a poem on how science skills help you in studying nature?

This assignment about science skills is basically a way to learn and remember the skills a scientist uses when solving a problem. It is a way to remember the scientific method.

Your poem should include something about asking a question. Scientists are always trying to solve questions in their research.

Next, your poem should include a line about generating a hypothesis. This is a possible answer to a question or problem.

The next skill is testing the hypothesis by doing an experiment. An experiment can generate data which can be used to see if the hypothesis is correct or not.

The next skill is analysis of data. This is where a scientist looks carefully at the research to see what, if anything was learned. They carefully analyze data tables, graphs, charts, etc. to see if the hypothesis is valid or not.

After going through the scientific method steps, a scientist will formulate a conclusion.

Finally, a scientist will share his or her results with others. In this way, other scientists can verify and build upon what you have learned.

Since poetry can be written as words that go together in a particular pattern, by putting these skills into poetry form, you will easily remember them if you are asked to recall them. Good luck.

What features are coming next to Pokemon Go?

According to Tech Insider, we can expect eight new Pokemon GO features to be available soon!

1. Improved Pokemon tracking


2. Pokemon trading between friends


3. Pokemon battles between friends


4. Enhanced augmented reality (AR) features such as overlaying directions on real-life structures within the game screen


5. More Pokemon, especially legendary Pokemon


6. Pokemon group events, perhaps called "raids"


7. Team Pokemon battling


8. Customization options for Pokestops and gyms

Additionally, we might see a global leaderboard of all players coming soon!

How does Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar by Ransom Riggs relate to the Holocaust?

Two ways that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children can relate to the Holocaust is in its treatment of persecution and its display of people who feel compelled to take action in the face of injustice.

The persecution of the peculiars is one way the novel connects to the Holocaust.  The syndrigast, or people who are "peculiar," are viewed with hostility.  They are not like everyone else.  Their difference is what causes others to hunt them down and kill them.  This is similar to the way that Nazis saw Jewish people.  They sought to capture and kill them.  The peculiars must flee to different areas to avoid capture, a sad parallel to what Jewish people had to do during the Holocaust.  

Another connection to the Holocaust is how the novel shows responses to human suffering.  Both Jacob and his grandfather make conscious choices to fight for people who are suffering.  Jacob's grandfather committed himself against the Nazis and to fighting monsters.  For his part, Jacob resolves to help the peculiars.  In both settings, people are taking action against injustice.  Jacob and his grandfather could have chosen to do nothing.  Yet, they feel compelled to act. This shows a clear connection to the Holocaust time period.  Even though the Nazis killed many people, there were some who stood up for the rights of others. For example, Johanna Eck was a German who hid Jewish people in her home.  Suzanne Spaak left her life of wealth and privilege to join the Underground.  Like Jacob and his grandfather, they undertook great risk to do what they felt was right. 

Why does Shylock hate Antonio and Christians in general?

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Shylock hates Antonio for many reasons. First, Shylock claims that he hates Antonio because he is a Christian. Historically, many tensions have existed between Christian and Jewish communities, with Jews often facing significant persecution at the hands of Christians. As such, it's hardly surprising that Shylock would regard any Christian with distaste. Second, Shylock hates Antonio because he lends money without charging interest. As a moneylender, Shylock makes his money by charging interest on loans, and any competitors who charge lower rates (or no rates at all) are likely to cut into his profits. Finally, and most importantly, Antonio proves himself to be anti-Semitic, bullying and abusing Shylock on several occasions simply because he is Jewish. As such, it's hardly surprising that Shylock hates both Antonio and Christians in general, as it seems that he is regularly oppressed by Antonio and the general Christian community in Venice. 

Understanding the reasons for Shylock's hatred of Antonio changes the meaning of the play. Before delving into the many motivations behind Shylock's anger, it's possible to feel sorry for Antonio and see him as a victim. However, once we realize the full extent of Antonio's abuse of Shylock, it becomes much more difficult to feel bad for him. Sure, he may not deserve to be carved up, but Antonio's oppressive treatment of Shylock certainly does not earn our respect. Indeed, by the end of the play, it becomes much easier to sympathize with the oppressed Shylock.

I need some help with research topics on banking and finance.

Some research topics in banking and finance include investment bubbles, banking history, measuring personal wealth, annuity markets, banks and risk securities, and bank capital.

Some specific subtopics within these topics include: past and present investment bubbles, bank panics, the statistical reliability of surveys to measure personal wealth, the health of the annuity market in relation to the health of the insurance market, justifiability of bank returns coming from risk investments, and regulation of bank capital.

For example, you might research historical investment bubbles, such as the dotcom bubble of 2000, the housing bubble of 2008 or the current stock market bubble predicted by presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Trump's possible future Secretary of the Treasury, Carl Icahn. Granted, the predicted present stock market bubble would be more challenging to research, but the dotcom and housing bubbles could add background and comparative contrasts, thereby expanding your field of research.

As another example illustrating the suggestions above, under the topic of bank history, you might explore the history of the bank panic of 2007. A good title for beginning your research on the 2007 panic is Slapped by the Invisible Hand: The Panic of 2007, written by Gary B. Gorton. Gorton examines and seeks an explanation for the 2007 bank panic while putting it in perspective with earlier bank panics.

An example of a contemporary banking subtopic would be the new regulations on bank capital requirements proposed in 2013 by the "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, along with the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency," as explained by the New York Times. This increase in bank capital (the equity funding financial transactions and the reserves keeping the bank solvent in the event of losses, such as housing derivative losses) would make banks' financial transactions more "expensive" for the bank because they could lend/invest less of their capital; they would conversely have to reserve more of their capital, leaving it idle.

To generate more topic and subtopic ideas for research on banking and finance, Questia.com has a topic-generating program that links topics to subtopics that link to appropriate titles for the subtopics. This topic-generating program provides a wealth of ideas. More topics are discussed in Emerging Topics in Banking and Finance, a collection of international expert commentaries edited by Emma J. Fuchs and Finn Braun, for example, the topic of "the cloudy performance of Chinese Banks."

What were Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter's failures in domestic issues?

No leader ever achieves all their goals, particularly not in a democratic society where those goals can be countermanded by opposing parties. I wouldn't say that Nixon, Ford, or Carter were all especially successful or especially unsuccessful in terms of domestic policy; they had some successes and some failures.

Nixon's most significant failures in domestic policy mainly involved the Supreme Court; he appointed Warren Burger to the Supreme Court, hoping Burger would support his conservative views on various issues---but the Court voted against Nixon's views several times, including school busing, wiretaps, capital punishment, and abortion. The Supreme Court actually was quite liberal during the 1970s (in particular, this is when Roe v. Wade was passed), much to Nixon's chagrin.

Then of course Nixon's corruption was exposed, and he was impeached, to be replaced by Ford.

Ford and Carter both mainly failed in economic policy, though they were both elected during very hard economic times. OPEC had successfully hiked the price of oil around the world, triggering inflation and economic stagnation in all oil importing countries, which the US most certainly was.

Ford opposed using price controls to combat inflation (which many economists agreed with and still would today), but had no other effective means of fighting the inflation. He lost the election to Carter in large part based on poor economic fundamentals.

Carter focused less on inflation and more on unemployment, implementing a fiscal stimulus policy that saved many jobs but also triggered even worse inflation. He invested in renewable energy to reduce dependence on oil in the future. High interest rates ultimately quelled the inflation and the stimulus plan did actually restore employment, but not until Carter had already been replaced by Reagan. Reagan then essentially took credit for the economic recovery that Carter had created.

In Rossetti's "Song," how does mourning over death increase misery?

In "Song," Rossetti believes death to be a liberating experience.  Mourning over it is not necessary because it would increase misery.

As the poem's speaker, Rossetti is quite open that when she does die, the "dearest" left behind should "sing no sad songs" over her passing.  She gives instruction to "plant... no roses at my head."  Rossetti feels that there is an inevitability to death.  Mourning over it is not necessary: "Haply I may remember, / And haply may forget."  Death is a natural condition of being in the world.  At the same time, Rossetti sees death as a freeing experience.  When she writes that she will no longer "feel the rain" or hear the nightingale / Sing on, as if in pain," it is an indication that death will free her from the pain and hurt that is a part of the living world.  Rossetti would argue that to mourn over it causes unnecessary pain when it should be seen as something liberating.  

In the concluding line to another one of Rossetti's poems, "Remember," she writes that we should not "remember and be sad."  "Song" conveys a similar attitude towards mourning.  For Rossetti, mourning brings extended and inappropriate sadness to an experience that transcends attachment.  

What household chores did young women do in 1910?

In 1910, a women's primary realm was the home.  Most women were housewives in this time and married women rarely worked.  Daughters were taught how to someday care for a home themselves, as that was the expectation.  They assisted their mothers or other female relatives with all chores relating to the home.  Among these chores were cooking, sweeping, mopping, canning, gardening, sewing, dusting, and laundry.

Young women living in rural areas might also weave cloth and care for animals, such as chickens.  Wealthier households usually had a small or large staff of servants to complete household tasks.  Women with servants usually managed household affairs and social engagements.  Their daughters would not do many chores around the house, if any at all.  Instead, they would focus on their educations and learning social graces.

Which were the alliances that were formed in World War I in order?

Most of the alliances of World War I had been formed for years before the war even began.  Germany and Austria-Hungary formed the Dual Alliance in 1879, with the agreement that they would remain a united force if Russia was at war against them.  Soon Italy joined the Dual Alliance and it became the Triple Alliance.  Italy also made an agreement with France if Germany were to attack them.  Britain, Russia, and France formed the Triple Entente.  

After the war began, Italy decided that Germany had violated the terms of their allegiance.  Italy was able to remain neutral for the first year of the war because of this.  Eventually, Italy joined the Triple Entente because of the promise of land in 1915.  Land to the north of Italy belonged to Austria-Hungary, even though it was primarily populated by Italians.

Serbia and Montenegro became allied with Russia during the early parts of the war.  In 1917, the United States joined the war on the side of the Triple Entente.  Siam, Greece, and Liberia did the same in 1917.  Japan had also joined this alliance in 1914, shortly after the start of the war.  Russia withdrew from the alliance before the war ended.

A trial by the same government for a crime where the defendant was previously found guilty is called _____?

A person who has been acquitted of a crime and is tried by the same government for the same crime is being subjected to double jeopardy.  In the United States and in many other countries, this is not permitted. In the United States, the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution prohibits this.  However, as in most matters legal, this is not quite as straightforward as one might think.

First, this pertains only to criminal matters, not to civil ones. Whether or not one might be sued twice for the same reason is a different matter entirely.

Second, there must have been a complete trial and disposition for double jeopardy prohibition to apply.  A hung jury does not protect anyone from being tried again. Nor does some disruption of the judicial proceedings.

Third, in the United States, while most criminal law is state law, there is another layer of law at the federal level and different states are considered different governments in this context. Since these are scenarios involving two different governments, double jeopardy does not necessarily apply.

Fourth, many criminal acts are also what we call torts, civil harms against people or property. One criminal act can result in a criminal proceeding and a civil proceeding. An example of this is the trial of O.J. Simpson, who was found not guilty of murder but was then sued by his wife's estate in a civil proceeding, a proceeding in which he was found liable for her death.  This was possible because the standard for guilt is "beyond a reasonable doubt," but the standard for liability in many states is that there is "substantial evidence" against the defendant.  That is a much lower standard, so a jury found him liable, the criminal verdict notwithstanding.

After the "success" of his experiment, what does Frankenstein choose to study?

After Victor creates the monster, he grows to loathe and be intensely sickened by the study of natural philosophy. Due to this, and the arrival of his dear friend Henry, Victor eventually switches his main field of study at the University of Ingolstadt. 

Victor chooses to study the same thing Henery came to Ingolstadt to study -- literature and language. They study several dialects and the base languages of said dialects. All of their learning is concentrated on languages originating from "the orient." For instance, Victor specifically mentions they were taught Persian, Arabic, and Sanscrit. Henry and Victor even plunge into the literature associated with such "oriental" languages. 

It is important to note that at first Victor had little interest in his new subject of study. Victor and Henery have always had quite different tastes in literature and Victor only wanted to study "the orientalists" because he hates to be idle and because Henry was studying them.

How does Dillard's meditation in Holy the Firm on seemingly senseless destruction complicate the coherency of morality and ethics emanating from...

Dillard's Holy the Firm suggests that the coherency of morality and ethics emanating from the divine is not simple.  Its complexity is the reason why seemingly senseless destruction can be embraced.

Dillard's mediation offers a nuanced view of the divine world.  She feels that since the divine created us, its universal plan might lie outside of our understanding:  We did not create this world and do not understand all of its aspects:

We sleep to time's hurdy-gurdy; we wake, if ever we wake, to the silence of God. And then, when we wake to the deep shores of time uncreated, then when the dazzling dark breaks over the far slopes of time, then it's time to toss things, like our reason, and our will; then it's time to break our necks for home.

Reflecting on the "silence of God" enables us to see the world as beyond human comprehension.  It spans "to the deep shores of time uncreated."

Violence and destruction have a role in this configuration. Dillard argues for their purpose in a complex design. The moth's dying and Julie's disfigurement are seemingly pointless acts of horrific violence.  Yet, Dillard argues that violence and hurt brought on by destruction are essential "materials" that the divine "artist" uses to create our world.   Dillard suggests that such realities are not senseless, but real parts of divine creation:

The pain with the millstones' pitiless turning is real, vaulting, insofar as it is love, beyond the plane of the stones' sickening churn and arcing to the realm of spirit bare. And you can get caught holding one end of a love, when your father drops, and your mother; when a land is lost, or a time, and your friend blotted out, gone, your brother's body spoiled, and cold, your infant dead, and you dying: you reel out love's long line alone, stripped like a live wire loosing its sparks to a cloud, like a live wire loosed in space to longing and grief everlasting.

Our response to painful realities defines our place in the world.  Dillard argues that solely focusing on these "senseless" acts of destruction causes us to live in pain, "like a wire loosed in space to longing and grief everlasting."

However, Dillard offers another path.  When we see hurt as a part of the divine understanding, a connection emerges.  Dillard argues that this link is the bedrock of faith:  "Faith would be, in short, that God has any willful connection with time whatsoever, and with us. For I know it as given that God is all good. And I take it also as given that whatever he touches has meaning, if only in his mysterious terms, the which I readily grant."  The moth that died provided the wick for Dillard to read.  She believes that its purpose was essential because "when the candle is out [and] the world is without light," the result is "wasteland and chaos."  In this construction, a "life without sacrifice is an abomination."  At the same time, she recognizes that the suffering of the little girl compels her to action.  She will sacrifice for Julie:  "So live. I'll be the nun for you. I am now."  In both instances, violence created the opportunity for new links to the divine to emerge.

Dillard argues that in our darkest moments, when we turn towards the divine, our connection increases.  We develop greater capacity for loving God and the divine plan, thereby ensuring that we are never alone: "Held, held fast by love in the world like the moth in wax, your life a wick, your head on fire with prayer, held utterly, outside and in, you sleep alone, if you call that alone, you cry God." When we "cry God," Dillard argues that we see the universe in its true form.  We view it as something we did not create, but was created for us.  Violence is not senseless in this universal understanding.  While complicated and intricate, the coherence of morality and ethics in this world remains quite intact.

What similes were used in the book The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen?

A simile is “a figure of speech in which two things, essentially different but thought to be alike in one or more respects, are compared using “like,” “as,” “as if,” or “such” for the purpose of explanation, allusion, or ornament” (“ Guide to Literary Terms”).  Similes are often used because their descriptions bring a lot of life to a story.  

One example of a simile is Hannah’s description of how she felt after her argument with her mother about the Passover Holiday.  Hannah’s mother did not feel that she was taking the holiday seriously enough.  When her mother told her that the holiday was about remembering, Hannah complained that all Jewish holidays were about remembering. 

Hannah rolled her eyes up and slipped farther down in the seat. Her stomach felt heavy, as if the argument lay there like unleavened bread. (Ch. 1) 

Hannah’s simile emphasizes how bad she feels about this conversation, as she compares her feelings to the heaviness of unleavened bread. Hannah has heard too many times about the impact of World War II’s Holocaust on her family.  It doesn’t really mean anything to her anymore.  She has heard all of her life about Nazis and relatives she never knew, but she is just a kid. 

When Hannah arrives at her grandparents’ house, she sees her grandfather watching a documentary of the Holocaust on television and uses another haunting simile. 

He was sitting in the big overstuffed chair in front of the TV set, waving his fist and screaming at the screen. Across the screen marched old photos of Nazi concentration camp victims, corpses stacked like cordwood, and dead-eyed survivors. (Ch. 1) 

This terrible simile reinforces the graphic nature of the images, and also perhaps the fact that they seem almost unreal, because she compares the bodies to stacked wood. It would be difficult for Hannah to see Grandfather Will shouting at the television as these terrible images flash across the screen, while her grandmother apologizes for him.  Hannah doesn't really understand, and dismisses his actions as "fits."

How are Nadine Gordimer’s political beliefs reflected in the story "Once Upon a Time"?

Nadine Gordimer expresses a strong opposition to the apartheid of South Africa in her short story "Once Upon a Time."  In this story, structured like a fairy tale, Gordimer shows the detrimental effects of apartheid on those at the top of the power structure.  Gordimer's story describes a family living in a community in which they fear the invasion of the "other."  To keep their possessions safe, they and their neighborhoods put up neighborhood signs to discourage intruders with words such as "You have been warned," purchase electronic security systems, build higher fences, and install vise-like contraptions over these fences.  

All these precautions ironically result in a less safe and less attractive community.  With their tall fences, the neighborhood begins to look like a concentration camp. To protect themselves, they imprison themselves. The alarm system provides cover for thieves.  The Dragon Tooth contraption results in the death of their son.  Through this story, Gordimer shows quite clearly what an apartheid system does to those who continue to enforce it. 

But we also see more socialistic tendencies in the story.  The story itself is a frame story.  The frame is the author's writing a children's story when she is awakened and frightened by a noise she heard.  She finds out that the noise was caused by the fact that her house was built over an underground mine that had perhaps in earlier years collapsed upon and interred the workers down below.  This small detail is important because it can serve as a metaphor for Gordimer's political leanings.  The foundation of the house is shaky (like the apartheid government), and its first victims are those down below or the lower class, but eventually the tremors that have such devastating effects on the lower class will result in the collapse of the entire household or government.  In other words, when one segment of society keeps getting poorer while another segment of society keeps increasing their wealth and possessions, that society is no longer stable and will eventually fall.  A vastly uneven distribution of wealth negatively affects the entire society.  

How can I write an analysis about the relationship between Helena and Demetrius in Act 2, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare?

Part of the fun of writing a literary analysis is choosing the approach you wish to take. You could choose a reader response analysis, discussing your impressions of the work, a feminist critique, discussing the representation of women in the piece, or even a historical analysis, discussing why Shakespeare used Ancient Greece as the setting for this love triangle. 

Let's look at the context of the interaction between Demetrius and Helena. Helena, named as an allusion to Helen of Troy, has been in love with Demetrius for a long time, but Demetrius doesn't return her affection. Demetrius insults and humiliates Helena, even threatening to assault her if she does not leave him alone:

You do impeach your modesty too much
To leave the city and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not;
To trust the opportunity of night,
And the ill counsel of a desert place,
With the rich worth of your virginity (Act 2, Scene 1, line 218).

The fairy king, Oberon, overhears their interaction, and he feels sorry for Helena, calling Demetrius a "disdainful youth" (line 266). Oberon decides to give Demetrius a love potion that will make him love Helena even more than she loves him (line 271).

Given the content of the scene, one angle for analysis would be the idea of virtue. What is virtuous behavior? How do Helena and Demetrius exemplify or go against virtuous behavior? Another angle would be to examine how the interplay of fairy and human relationships compare and contrast. Why does Shakespeare have fairies meddling in human affairs?

How do Maggie's scars affect her life in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker?

Maggie's scars cause her to turn inward in life.

After having been so badly burnt that she "stands hopelessly in corners," it becomes apparent that Maggie feels inferior to her sister and looks at her with a "mixture of envy and awe." Like a lame animal, Maggie sidles when she walks and lowers her head with downcast eyes. 

Because Maggie feels inferior and is unworldly and timid, she stays at home. And, as a result of this intimidated nature, Maggie turns her interest to things of the family, respecting them and learning their history. So, when Dee asks about such things as the butter churn, Maggie corrects her sister when she says that Uncle Buddy whittled the dash to this churn, telling Dee it was their Uncle Henry, called Stash by the family, who actually did the whittling.

Unlike Dee, Maggie treasures things made by family members. Later in the day when Dee goes into the bedroom, she selfishly grabs the quilts sewn by hand by Grandma. However, the mother informs her daughter that she has already promised these quilts to Maggie. Angered at not getting her way, Dee complains,

"Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!....She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use."

"I reckon she would....God knows I been saving 'em for long enough with nobody using 'em. I hope she will!"

The mother replies in this manner, remembering how some years ago she offered Dee quilts to take to college, but Dee refused them. Then, the submissive Maggie comes from the kitchen, with her feet scraping over each other. "She can have them, Mama," she says.

Overwhelmed by this submissiveness and humility of Maggie, the mother feels that something has hit her "like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me...." She hugs Maggie, then drags her into the room, and grabs the quilts away from "Miss Wangero's" hands, dumping the quilts into the lap of Maggie, who sits on the bed in amazement. 

This assertion of the mother of her love for Maggie causes the daughter to smile--"a real smile, not scared" or inward. After Dee departs, the mother and Maggie sit together enjoying their dips of snuff until darkness falls and they must return to the house.

What is Saki's tone and style in general and in "Sredni Vashtar" in particular?

In general, Saki employs irony in his stories along with satire of the foibles of Edwardian society. In his short story "Sredni Vashtar," the author adopts an ironic tone and he satirizes in an imaginative and macabre style the oppressiveness of Edwardian society as represented by the character Mrs. De Ropp.

"Sredni Vashtar" is a story of a boy's efforts to survive. While the doctor has pronounced that he will die within five years, Conradin's greatest adversary is Mrs. De Ropp, his rather disagreeable cousin and caretaker. Because he is aware of her antipathy,

from the realm of his imagination she was locked out—an unclean thing, which should find no entrance.

Conradin's goal each day is to enjoy things Mrs. De Ropp does not approve of, and to find a place where he can privately go. He chooses an abandoned tool shed where a Houdan hen lives. Conradin treats the hen affectionately because he has little else to love. In a hutch, Conradin also has a large polecat-ferret, smuggled in by a butcher-boy. 

Its very presence in the tool-shed was a secret and fearful joy, to be kept scrupulously from the knowledge of the Woman, as he privately dubbed his cousin. 

Because he has little else, Conradin, who actually fears this animal, assigns it a special significance. Its presence becomes a "fearful joy" because the Woman has no knowledge of its existence. In time, the boy's imagination makes the creature into a god with the name Sredni Vashtar, and Conradin holds festivals of worship for it whenever possible. When Mrs. De Ropp takes Conradin's beloved hen from him, Conradin prays to his little god, "Do one thing for me." 

After a while, the Woman notices Conradin has not stopped his visits to the shed even though the hen has been removed. She asks him,

"What are you keeping in that locked hutch?" she asked. "I believe it's guinea-pigs. I'll have them all cleared away."

Conradin continues his prayers as Mrs. De Ropp goes out to the shed. Time passes and the maid brings in the tea, wondering where her mistress could be. After a while, Conradin hears the maid scream. Conradin then hears,

"Whoever will break it to the poor child? I couldn't for the life of me!" exclaimed a shrill voice. And while they debated the matter among themselves, Conradin made himself another piece of toast.

Once again, Saki ironically disposes of the adult. In this story, the adult meets a horrific death, a death depicted as a something in which the boy delights as he calmly continues to butter his toast.