To what extent does isolation (physical, emotional, or societal) cause Victor to evaluate his moral beliefs or personal convictions in Mary...

In the end of the chronological story, after the monster has succeeded in alienating Victor by killing just about everyone he has known and loved, Victor reevaluates his earlier choices, indicating he's questioning the personal convictions that underwrote those decisions. He says,

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

Victor used to believe the acquisition of knowledge was the highest goal he could have, but he realizes now, having been isolated by the deaths of his loved ones, that this conviction has ultimately made him unhappy. In light of this isolation, he now knows he would have been happier if he simply stayed with his family and wife at home.  

At the end, the monster says his "blood [still] boils" when he thinks about the injustices done to him; however, he says,

It is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept, and grasped to death his throat who never injured me or any other living thing.

The monster used to be convinced of his righteousness, but, in hindsight — and now isolated — he realizes he became the monster the world thought he was and that his earlier conviction changed him.

Therefore, emotional isolation has a great deal of power to prompt a character to evaluate his or her earlier convictions.

Can you explain how/why this is an external force conflict in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson? Old Man Warner brags about how many lotteries he...

What you have placed in quotation marks is not from "The Lottery" itself. I am going to assume this is your writing prompt, a brief summary of what might be an external conflict, and I've revised it somewhat. Since any conflict that is not an internal conflict must be some sort of external conflict, I would have to say that there would be a conflict between Old Man Warner and the town if he were to be the one chosen to die, and there would be a conflict between him and tradition in that event, too.

The sole protesting voice is Tessie Hutchinson. She first protests when it is her family group chosen, then protests when her daughter is not considered part of the family group, thus increasing her own odds of being chosen, and then protests again when she is selected for stoning. It is fair to say that there is a conflict between her and the town at this point, and the same conflict would be between the person chosen and the town, no matter who is selected. If that were Old Man Warner, he would probably be complaining loudly. One might be able to lead a willing scapegoat out into the desert, but once one is sacrificing a human, a conflict between the sacrifice and those doing the sacrificing is going to be inevitable.

Another way to view this as an external conflict might be to view it as a conflict between the person chosen and tradition, with similar reasoning. Everyone, including Old Man Warner, is completely on board with this tradition of stoning someone to death once annually. But as we can see from Tessie Hutchinson, this respect can dissipate very quickly when the tradition is about to kill a person. Old Man Warner is fully in favor of this tradition because it has not cost him a thing. If he were the winner of the lottery, he would quite likely find himself in conflict with tradition.

How can you tell reliable sources of health information from unreliable ones?

As with many other topics, there is a great deal deal of information on health to be found on the internet these days. However, given the nature of the internet, it is necessary to determine the accuracy and reliability of any information one finds. While it is possible that any writer can do sufficient research to provide accurate and reliable information in any article on health issues, the safest bet is to use sources that come from accredited medical institutions or medical journals.

There is also the question of the kind of information one is seeking. It's never a good idea to rely only on an internet website for diagnosing an illness based on symptoms, for example. Even websites like WebMD.com suggest that any readers should consult a doctor for a diagnosis. And yet, websites like WebMD and MayoClinic.org contain very useful general information that is reliable and accessible. If one needs general information to guide one's inquiry, or, for example, to learn more about a disease or condition affecting a loved one, sites like these can be a good place to begin. Medical journals such as The Lancet or the New England Journal of Medicine are respected and reliable sources as well. In journals like these, one finds articles on the latest medical research being done on a wide variety of diseases and conditions, as well as articles about the latest healthcare innovations.

Finally, major newspapers such as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal often report on the newest research found in medical journals. These well-known and respected newspapers which have won awards for journalistic excellence are reliable sources as well, in terms of beginning one's line of inquiry into a health related topic.

In the novel Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, what is the Home and who stays there? Why does Bud not want to go back there?

The Home is an orphanage. When the novel begins, Bud Caldwell is staying there. Readers are told that Bud is being adopted by a family that day. We are also told that Jerry Clark is being adopted. The only other character from the Home that readers get to meet is Bugs.  

Bud does not want to go back to the orphanage because it is overcrowded. The most likely reason for the overcrowding is the Great Depression. Bud, Not Buddy takes place during that time period, and orphaned children were quite common. Thousands of children were without parents after parents starved to death or abandoned their kids. Orphanages were filled beyond capacity, and conditions suffered as a result.  

Bud's description of the orphanage hints to readers that the rules were very strict there. Meals were especially strict. Bud tells readers that no one could talk during meals. If someone talked, he or she was not allowed to finish the meal. 

At the Home, after grace was said, we weren't allowed to say boo. . . At the Home, if you got caught talking during mealtime, you'd have to get up and leave your food.

Once Bud begins being adopted into Calloway's band, Bud really doesn't want to go back to the Home. The band members give Bud a sense of belonging and family, something he hasn't had since his mother died.

What is the role of cultural nationalism in the emerging era of globalization?

Cultural nationalism can be defined as nationalism that is based around the idea of a cultural community, not around the idea of creating a nation-state for the people of a given nation.  In other words, we could argue that ISIS is an example of political nationalism because it is ostensibly trying to make a state that will include all Muslims.  Meanwhile, we could say that the Muslim Brotherhood is more of an example of cultural nationalism since it is trying to revive what it sees as a true Muslim community within a state that already exists.

I would say that one of the main roles of cultural nationalism in our world today is to resist globalization.  Cultural nationalism often works hand in hand with political nationalism to try to fight back against globalization.  We can see this in such phenomena as the recent Brexit vote and in the rise of nationalist thinking in the US and in various European countries.  When people engage in cultural nationalism, they often will at least support political nationalism.  If they feel that their nation is distinct and possibly even superior, they will often want to make sure that it does not have to share its sovereignty in any way.  Therefore, cultural nationalism tends to resist current trends towards more globalization.

The other major role of cultural nationalism is to allow people to feel distinct in some ways while still allowing them to be part of a globalized world.  As our world becomes more globalized, it is easy for us to feel that we are no longer distinct from the other nations of the world.  This can lead to a loss of our identity.  Cultural nationalism can help to prevent this loss.  Think of an American today who mainly buys imported products and who might even work for a foreign-owned company.  That person is part of a globalized economy, but they can help to retain their American identity by, for example, embracing American football and NASCAR racing and paying no attention to soccer.  In this and many other ways, they can retain their cultural identity even as their economy (and to some extent their government) becomes more closely connected to the rest of the world.

These are, in my view, the two main roles of cultural nationalism in the current era of globalization.

How is Agamemnon is a violent story of a primitive family feud?

Agamemnon, the first play in Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy, tells the story of the murder of Agamemnon. Prior to leaving Argos to wage the Trojan War, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, to placate the wrath of Artemis. This infuriated Clytaemnestra, Agamemnon's wife. She spent the next decade plotting her revenge. Upon his return, she murdered Agamemnon, along with Cassandra, his new concubine. The cycle of revenge continued throughout the remaining to plays in the trilogy, as the son of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra--Orestes--killed his mother and then the furies sought to exact vengeance on Orestes.

Agamemnon and the Oresteia in general represents a primitive family feud because the stakes of the feud--the life and death of its participants--were much higher than those in more contemporary family feuds. Both Clytaemnestra and Orestes took the law into their own hands, and Apollo even commanded Orestes to exact vengeance on his mother.

Did World War II increase racial tensions?

Racial tensions significantly increased during World War II, particularly with the role of African American soldiers in the military. Many people did not believe that black soldiers were equal to white soldiers and returning war veterans often faced tensions in their own communities. This postwar environment was partly responsible for the rise of the Civil Rights movement, which brought issues such as racial inequality to a national stage.

Antisemitism

The prevalence of antisemitic Nazi propaganda led to a backlash against some forms of racism in American and European culture. Many Civil Rights proponents successfully highlighted the irony of arguments against antisemitism made by people who held racist sentiments towards African Americans and Latinos. The divide between racial groups may have been highlighted during World War II, but this tension laid the foundation for the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The horror of the Nazi agenda and its roots in antisemitism exposed many antisemitic groups in the United States and Europe as well.

The Zoot Suit Riots

In 1943, tensions between white military members and Mexican Americans who referred to themselves as "zoot suiters" rose to new heights. Zoot suiters wore high-waisted trousers and suits with large shoulder pads as a style statement. Their culture was heavily frowned upon by many white servicemen and the tensions ignited in a riot in which the zoot suiters were attacked by mobs of soldiers. The media's bias against the zoot suiters inflamed tensions around the country between Mexican Americans and the military.

Japanese Americans

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which precipitated the United States' participation in World War II, Japanese-Americans experienced significant racial tension. Two months after the bombing, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order to evacuate all Japanese Americans to the West Coast. More than 120,000 people were placed in interment camps across the United States under the guise of ensuring national security. Many American citizens were displaced during the period of Japanese interment, including many Japanese-American service members.

Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws were mandated segregation laws that required separate buildings and institutions for black and white Americans. Jim Crow laws lasted from the 1880s to the 1960s and furthered racial tensions during the World War II era. These laws were challenged in the post-World War II era when many black veterans raised the issue of inequality they experienced after returning from the War. In this sense, World War II did ignite racial tensions, but much of the discourse that followed led to the major changes of the Civil Rights movement.

In "The Devil's Highway" by Luis Urrea, how and why do you think Urrea describes illegal immigration as "a game"?

In any game, there are always two opposing sides; this is certainly the case in the area of illegal immigration.

In the book, Urrea discusses how the Border Patrol agents (La Migra) often find themselves at odds with the Coyotes (human smugglers) who facilitate the migration of illegals across the Mexican-United States border. Urrea characterizes the conflict between the Border Patrol agents and the Coyotes as a game.

While the Coyotes aim to guide their charges across the border unseen, the Border Patrol agents are paid to "see the invisible." In this daily game of cat-and-mouse, Urrea tells us that the Coyotes "score" when they successfully guide their clients across the border. On the other hand, the Border Patrol agents get to "score" when they manage to stop the Coyotes on any given day. In this dangerous "game," there is a formidable referee, and it is La Muerte (Death). Urrea describes Death as a "masked invader who regularly storms the field to disrupt the game."

With two opposing sides and a referee of sorts, illegal immigration is a game of wits at best and a vicious game of survival at worst. Both sides (as in any game) depend on trusted strategies to win the conflict. The Coyotes and their charges tape blocks of foam rubber to their shoes so as to leave no prints. They also utilize what they call the "brushout." This is when the last man in any group walks backwards and uses a branch to wipe away the footprints of those who've gone before him.

Meanwhile, the Border Patrol relies on in-ground sensors buried in places known only to agents. The agents "cut" the land (checking the sensors) in search of illegal immigrants who've lost their way; so, these agents are the "cutters" in search of "walkers" (the illegals). In their line of work, cutters know that illegal immigrants often cross the Mexican-United States border between the hours of 11pm and 3am. Thus, they scrutinize the tracks left by the migrants as they track them across the border.

Often, the agents rely on signs left by small animals that trample over the footprints just before dawn. The animals make what are known as "bug-signs." If the bug-signs cross over the footprints, Border Patrol agents know that migrants crossed nearer to midnight than to dawn. On the other hand, if the footprints appear to crush out the bug-signs, agents know that migrants may have recently crossed and are probably nearby. If so, with a new day beginning, these migrants will be in trouble once the blazing sun powers its merciless rays against their backs.

Most of time, by using the in-ground sensors, the agents are able to corral the walkers into a tight area, where they can then apprehend them. At other times, as with the Yuma 14 who perished in the desert, walkers can unwittingly wander way "off the map," where La Muerte eventually claims them for his own. So, from Urrea's point of view, illegal immigration often results in a perilous game of life and death.

Mary Maloney, in Lamb to the Slaughter," experiences both internal and external conflicts. Write a detailed paragraph using evidence from...

I would say that Mary Maloney faces three of those four types of conflict.  I would also like to point out that most of those listed conflict types are external conflict types.  

Mary endures a man vs. man conflict against her husband, Patrick.  He tells her that he is leaving her.  Mary experiences a bit of a psychotic break, and she ends her conflict with Patrick by clubbing him across the skull with a leg of lamb.  

The man vs. man conflict continues once Mary has the police officers in her house.  They are trying to figure out what happened to Patrick, and Mary is trying to stop them.  I'd say that Mary is quite successful in this endeavor too.  She manages to convince the officers to eat the murder weapon.  

The man vs. circumstance conflict occurs throughout the story, but it is most evident when Patrick tells Mary that he is leaving her. Patrick has forced Mary into a situation that she is not capable of handling.  She operates in a daze until Patrick's cold, dead head hits the floor.  

The violence of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped bring her out of he shock. She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, and she stood for a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece of meat tight with both hands.  

You might say that Mary continues to struggle with her circumstances until the end of the story.  I would agree with you, but once Patrick is dead, Mary begins actively controlling the circumstances; however,  I like thinking that characters have zero control over the circumstances in a man vs. circumstance conflict.  That happens to Mary the moment Patrick walks in the door until he finishes telling her his awful news.  He is the one actively guiding the situation, and Mary is only capable of reacting.    

Mary's internal conflict is mainly focused on her avoiding jail for the sake of her baby.  She is pregnant, and she is the wife of a cop.  She is perfectly willing to take the punishment, but she doesn't know what will happen to her child.  She struggles with what to do.  Turn herself in or get away with murder?  She determines to cover the murder up in order to keep her unborn child safe.

It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew quite well what the penalty would be. That was fine. It made no difference to her. In fact, it would be a relief. On the other hand, what about the child? What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill then both-mother and child? Or did they wait until the tenth month? What did they do?

Mary Maloney didn’t know. And she certainly wasn’t prepared to take a chance.  

What inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write "The Fall the House of Usher"?

The accepted theory is that Poe may have become inspired to write the story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by events that took place years before he was born, in the year 1800. According to the Guide to Boston (AIA, Susan and Michael Southworth p. 59), there once was an "Usher House" that stood in Boston's Lewis Wharf. At least, it is true that a house was registered to an "Usher," who lived there with his young wife. 

The legend goes that, years after the owners had passed, the house remained derelict and had to be demolished like other properties in the area. The grisly discovery of two human skeletons beneath the remains, holding one another in an embrace, propelled a number of potential theories as to what went on in the house. 

The legend goes that the young wife of Usher was having an affair with a sailor, and that the two would meet at the Usher home, where they would hide in the cellar area. Apparently, Mr. Usher found them in action and locked them in the cellar, presumably until their deaths.

The news must have circulated around town for years, as Poe was not born until 1809 (this was right around 1800). The fact that we still hear the story more than two centuries later means it quickly reached urban legend status, a folklore, so to speak, where details are added year after year. It is no surprise that Poe may have grown up hearing the story of these two locked up lovers who were basically prematurely buried in a cellar. The idea of a locked cellar with live people inside squirming for their lives for days on end may have also prompted the writing of "The Cask of Amontillado" and "Premature Burial," where the characters suffer the horror of being put in a sealed space with no control of their circumstances, left to die.

How would you write a conclusion about the poem "My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun" by Emily Dickinson?

If I were writing a piece in response to Emily Dickinson's "My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun," I would most certainly have introduced the main idea of the poem in my introduction, especially in my thesis statement. It would be based on what you think the poem means.

A poem, like any other piece of art, goes through a metamorphosis when it leaves the hands (or mind) of its creator; in other words, my interpretation may not be the meaning the author intended, and it might not agree with the assessment of others who also have read the poem. That is the magic of art in any form.

For me, the most important thing to note about the poem is its use of personification, giving human characteristics to a non-human thing. In this poem, the gun, used to serve at the whim of its owner, takes on a life of its own. The gun is meaningless and unimportant until the owner one day takes notice and "puts the gun to work."

My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun - 

In Corners - till a Day 

The Owner passed - identified -

And carried Me away - (lines 1-4)

The gun has no will of its own. It cannot act freely, but has waited for some time to be recognized by its owner. The reader cannot tell if the gun is impatient or lonely, as it has no will or desire of its own at the onset of the poem — it can only serve.

In lines 5-8, we find that the gun's owner enjoys hunting deer ("doe"). The gun serves as it is directed, at it only "speaks" (the sound or report of the firing gun) when the owner choses to use it. Even then, the only reply is an echo from the nearby mountains.

What I find in terms of the gun's living is that it references a "smile" (line 9). It also describes guarding "My Master's Head" (line 14). In line 17, the gun is an accurate, "deadly foe" to the Master's enemies.

None stir the second time (18)

The gun (through personification) notes that it can "lay a Yellow Eye / Or an emphatic Thumb—" (19-20). All of these actions are not the gun's, however, but rather those which the man carrying the gun makes the weapon do. 

The final stanza (lines 21-24) reminds the reader (and the gun) that the weapon may not live as long as the owner because it recognizes that all it does is carried out at the pleasure of the man holding the gun. The paradox at the poem's end is that, while the gun has power within it, it really has no power at all. The gun cannot exercise any power on its own. It is not alive and cannot die. It exists only to serve its master.

With all of this said, my attention is caught by the gun's capacity to alter the world around it, albeit only at the direction of a strong, powerful, and human hand. One might argue that some of us are like these guns; we contain the power to be more than we are (not necessarily violent, but powerful), but are hindered by our willingness to rest in a corner until we allow someone else to come along and control who we are and what we do. In this way, we aren't truly alive.

If your essay is a piece discussing the meaning of the poem, this is simply my perception. If I were writing, I would discuss more than just what the poem says, but I would also delve deeper into what I believe the poem means. Truly great poets (and Dickinson is one) never write simply to tell a story, but to share a life-truth.

Some interpret the Master as God, and the gun as each of us called to fight His battles. (See the link at the bottom for more information.)

By viewing the poem from two perspectives, I hope you find some direction in choosing what you believe the poem means to you. Your conclusion can only be based upon what you believe the poem to mean.

What are Toby and Ken's mother's names in The Egypt Game?

Toby and Ken are sixth-grade boys whom April and Melanie eventually allow to join the Egypt game. Readers don't find out much about the boys' mothers in the book. Toby's father, Mr. Alvillar, had been a graduate student and now made sculptures from used materials. He is the one who comes up with Toby's costume idea as the "box man," or the "New American," and after Halloween he puts Toby on restrictions for having squashed the costume. Ken's father, Mr. Kamata, is a real estate agent. He sells quite a few properties in the area, so he is able to purchase Halloween costume items, such as a mask and monster hands and feet. Mr. Kamata is one of the fathers who chaperones the group of children on Halloween. If you needed to have names for the boys' mothers, assuming they have mothers, you could just refer to them as Mrs. Alvillar (Toby's mother) and Mrs. Kamata (Ken's mother). 

Where did Shakespeare live most of his life?

Relatively little is known about William Shakespeare's personal life. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England, which was a market town. He also died there.

William Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway, and lived with her in Stratford-upon-Avon. Together, they raised their children in the river town. He lived there for many years.

When Shakespeare became more successful in his career as a playwright and actor, he began staying in London. Eventually, he divided his time between his work in London and his family in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was convenient for Shakespeare to be in London often for work purposes. In London, he moved several times and rented rooms. In Stratford-upon-Avon, he built a large house for his family. After he semi-retired, Shakespeare spent most of his time in Stratford-upon-Avon until his death.

What kind of figurative language does Christopher Paul Curtis use to describe the band's musical abilities in Bud, Not Buddy?

In Chapter 17, Bud is mopping the floors and hears Herman Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression play their instruments for the first time. Bud mentions that initially, Thug's drumming sounded like a steady rain coming down from the sky. Then Dirty Deed's piano added to the beat and made it sound like big drops of water were splashing down. Steady Eddie's saxophone made deep, rumbling sounds. Bud says, "Steady held the note for a long time, then made the sax drift away from the rest of the storm of music" (Curtis 201). When Herman began pulling the strings on his giant fiddle, Bud comments that it sounded like soft thunder. When Miss Thomas began to sing, Bud mentions that it sounded like she was having a conversation with Steady Eddie's sax. Bud says,

"All the other instruments took turns trying to interrupt the conversation, but in the end it was Miss Thomas's voice and Steady's saxophone doing the talking that you really wanted to listen to" (Curtis 203).

Christopher Paul Curtis uses figurative language in the form of similes, metaphors, and personification to describe the Dusky Devastators' music. Similes are figurative comparisons using the terms "like" or "as," while metaphors are also figurative comparisons but do not use the words "like" or "as." Personification is when human characteristics are attributed to something non-human, like Steady Eddie's saxophone "talking." Bud compares the sounds of the instruments to various parts of a storm and conversations which brings to life the band's performance.

What are the origin and dynamics of the currency crises in Mexico in 1994-95 and in Asia in 1997-98? What lessons can we learn from these crises?

While they appear superficially similar and had similar effects, the Mexican currency crisis in 1994 and the Asian financial crisis in 1997 had fundamentally different causes.

Let's start with Mexico. Mexico's government has long depended on oil revenues. When oil prices were high in the 1970s, they were flush with cash, and either they thought this would go on forever or at least acted like they did. Mexico's government cut taxes and raised spending, which was fine as long as the oil revenue filled in the gap. When oil prices began to fall in the 1980s, Mexico had a huge fiscal deficit and no clear way to reduce it.

Things started getting better in the 1990s, in large part due to liberalized trade with the United States. This culminated in NAFTA in 1994, which had an enormous impact on Mexico, both in their real economy and on their financial system.

In the long run, NAFTA has been very good for Mexico. In the short run, though, they were simply not prepared for the sudden opening of their financial markets. As market circumstances changed on a daily basis, foreign investors rushed in, and then rushed out just as quickly.

Part of the problem was that Mexico fought to keep the value of the peso high and pegged to the dollar, so they could afford many new imports from the United States. This made them dependent on the United States. Due to market conditions in the United States, the United States' monetary policy varied substantially in the 1990s.

The peso became overvalued, leading to a large trade deficit. Worse, Mexico began to drain its currency reserves. Finally, they couldn't sustain the exchange rate anymore and allowed the peso to devalue; this created a sudden shock to Mexico's economy, triggering inflation. This was the direct cause of the crisis. This was the right decision in the long run, however, as a cheaper peso allowed Mexico to close their trade deficit.

Now let's turn to Asia.

The Asian crisis was primarily caused by the fall in value of the Thai baht.

Why did the baht fall? It appears to have been primarily a self-fulfilling panic. It's not clear what the triggering event was, but it didn't have to be much; once investors stopped believing Thailand's government and businesses could meet their debt obligations, interest rates rose, the Thai stock market crashed, and the baht suddenly lost value—and now there was a reason to panic. It was essentially a bank run, but against an entire country.

A leading theory is that the Thai banking system had improper risk management policy and a high level of corruption, which had been masked by high rates of economic growth. When growth began to slow down, these risks became common knowledge to foreign investors.

This panic also spread to other countries, particularly Korea and Indonesia because they had the most liberalized financial systems. To many investors in Europe and the United States (which is where most investors are!), Korea and Indonesia didn't seem all that different from Thailand, so it was better not to take the chance. They pulled their money out of those countries, too, and once again the panic which may have had no particular justification originally became self-fulfilling.

In both cases, the crisis was at its worst when the currency devalued, but this is not evidence that we should have fixed exchange rates. Rather, what seems to happen is that fixed exchange rates build up a kind of "pressure" (in the form of strain on current accounts and foreign reserves) that ultimately must be released. If you wait too long, it happens all at once and causes a disaster. Think of a currency peg as like a dam; if you allow water to flow through the dam gradually (or remove the dam entirely), things should be fine. If you try to hold the dam in place, though, pressure builds up until the dam collapses and floods the whole region. Economists should probably be working on ways to introduce flexible currencies gradually, so that countries which currently depend on a fixed exchange rate can transition rather than having the whole system collapse at once. (Sadly, I'm not actually aware of any economic research on this topic.)

Both crises also exhibit the very real downsides of free trade, especially the liberalization of financial markets. While the upsides are just as large (if not larger), I think many economists have done the public a disservice by not frankly discussing these downsides and how to mitigate them. There seems to be a general tendency toward "Yay free trade! Free trade is good!" among economists. This mentality can lead them to try to hide the downsides and exaggerate the upsides. Especially during the initial transition period, free trade can cause a lot of damage even though the ultimate outcome is generally good. We should be talking about means of preventing these sorts of crises—perhaps removing capital controls gradually, for instance, rather than all at once, or even retaining certain types of capital controls.

What did Steve say he was doing the day of the robbery?

Later on in the novel, Steve Harmon takes the witness stand to testify and the prosecuting attorney, Sandra Petrocelli, asks him several questions regarding his involvement in the robbery and murder of Aguinaldo Nesbitt. When Petrocelli asks if Steve was in the drugstore the day of the robbery, Steve testifies that he was not. Petrocelli then asks Steve where he was at on the day of the robbery if he wasn’t in the store. Steve says that he doesn’t know exactly where he was at while the robbery was happening, but he does remember walking around his neighborhood taking mental notes of places he’d like to film for an upcoming school project. Steve also mentions that he was planning on doing a film about his neighborhood over the holidays. The jury ends up believing Steve’s alibi because he has a reputation as a good student who enjoys making films in his high school.

What are some main things that I might have missed in TKAM? There are several things I didn't pick up on such as how the story is about love. Could...

I assume that you picked up on how the story of the trial of Tom Robinson offers a commentary about racism and how various people join in with it, or oppose it (openly or quietly).  

I also assume you noticed that with the Boo Radley plotline, TKAM addresses the matter of people who don't fit in to society, the rumors and fear that surround them, and how they may in fact be gentle souls.

Here are a few things I didn't fully appreciate the first time I read the story.

Childhood. One reason TKAM is so entertaining is that it is told from the point of view of a young child.  Much of the fun in the story comes from Scout's descriptions of the games, legends, and value system that she, Jem, and Dill share as children.  Also, her description of the first day of kindergarten is not to be missed.

Much of the humor in the story comes from the fact that Scout, though she is the narrator, doesn't understand what is going on in certain scenes.  One notable one is the scene where Jem lies and tells his father that the kids have been playing strip poker.  

Scout's innocence and cluelessness become poignant in the scene where Atticus is guarding the jail, and Scout barges in to the middle of a hostile mob and begins chattering away.

Coming-of-age. TKAM can be read as a coming of age story, not about Scout, but about her older brother Jem.  In the course of the book, Jem goes from being a nine-year-old firmly planted in childhood, to a moody almost-13-year-old who is coming to grips with the world around him.  Early in the book, he figures out that Boo Radley has been reaching out to him and Scout, though Scout does not realize this.  

Later, we see Jem lose his innocence when he is sure that Tom Robinson will be acquitted, but instead the jury find him guilty.  The morning after the trial, Miss Maudie debriefs this shock with Jem, and she "promotes" him to the adult world by giving him, for the first time, a full-sized piece of cake instead of a small cake in a patty-pan.  Atticus also talks Jem through his dismay that the law could allow such an unjust thing to happen.

Often, we have to read between the lines to see the struggles and changes that Jem is going through, because these are described from Scout's point of view.

Southern values and culture.  Though TKAM offers a devastating condemnation of racism in the culture of the 1930s South, it does not portray the culture as wholly bad.   We see the racism in the trial, and the snobbery in Aunt Alexandra and her circle of ladies.  We see the gossip, personified in Miss Stephanie Crawford.  But we also see some good Southern values in Miss Maudie, who "had an acid tongue in her head," but was unfailingly kind to the children, was an avid gardener, and who faced the burning down of her house and yard without even a hint of dismay.  We see dignity, formality and never-failing politeness in many adult characters, but especially in Atticus.  And we see the horrible old Mrs. Dubose, who is a snob and a racist but who is determined to break her morphine addiction before she dies.  Atticus calls her "the bravest person I ever knew." 

Parenting.  Read through the book, paying attention to all the good things Atticus does as a parent.  Notice how he expects the children to respect him, Calpurnia, and other adults (such as Aunt Alexandra), even when he does not agree with them.  Yet he has unique parenting values that do not match perfectly with the values of his family and society, and sometimes he has to fight a bit to pass these on to his children (e.g. when Aunt Alexandra comes to live with them).  Notice too the subtle ways he tries to prepare the children for the jeers they will face when Tom Robinson comes to trial.  

In a sense, everything Atticus does is for the sake of living with integrity in front of his children.  Atticus sends Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose so Jem can see an example of bravery.  He is a crack shot, but he shoots a gun exactly once in the book, because he does not want his children to learn that violence is something to be proud of.  At the end of the book, Atticus can barely stand to cover up the way that Bob Ewell died:

"Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got.  ... if I connived at something like this, frankly I couldn't meet [Jem's] eye, and the day I can't do that, I'll know I've lost him.  I don't want to lose him and Scout, because they're all I've got." 

What is the line-by-line meaning of the poem "The Lost Dances of Cranes" by Juliet Wilson?

Juliet Wilson's poem "The Lost Dances of Cranes" reflects on the changeover from endangered species to the development of cities via construction cranes. In this poetic analysis, lines from the poem will be in italics and commentary in regular print.

"The Lost Dances of Cranes"

From the very beginning, in the title, the poet signals that the poem is about something from the past that is no longer available in the present. The title is unified by some of the sounds of the words (consonance), such as the /s/ of "lost," "dances," and "cranes." 

Your fields are empty now.

Part of the reason the whooping crane is on the verge of extinction comes from the drastic reduction of wetlands due to the human desire to expand land on which things can be built. 

Only your ghosts dance

Dancing is part of the mating rituals of whooping cranes. Since so many birds have been lost, they would be only memories—ghosts. 

While cranes of another kind
Dance cities into being.
The poet connects construction cranes to the birds, which makes sense, since they resemble each other in lankiness. The dance here doesn't yield eggs and more birds but, rather, the cities that are ironically destroying the birds. 

All that remain of you are 
A fading crackle of your energy
And some grainy video footage
By using the word "you," the poet personifies the birds. The birds are fading quickly and the poet mentions what we have now—memories and video. This stanza sets up the next stanza with the specific things it mentions. 

That people in the new cities 
Will watch to marvel
At the wonders the world

This stanza captures an essential irony of modern living: we who live in cities think that we are getting the "real thing" by watching nature videos. In fact, a video is a worse than poor substitute for the actual birds. It is worse because it fools us into thinking that we are fully appreciating the natural beauty of our world through nature documentaries. 

A poem like this implicitly challenges its readers to do something besides watching television about the losses of the natural world.

In "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan, how does Waverly first view the game of chess?

Waverly is interested in chess because her brothers are so excited about the new chess set.

When the family gets a used chess set for Christmas, their mother tells them to throw it away.  She does not think it has any value because it is just an old chess set with missing pieces.  The boys are thrilled however, and can’t wait to play.  Seeing their enthusiasm, Waverly is interested in chess too.

And my brothers wore such serious faces that I was sure something was at stake that was greater than avoiding the tradesmen's door to Hong Sing's.

"Let me! Let me!" I begged between games when one brother or the other would sit back with a deep sigh of relief and victory, the other annoyed, unable to let go of the outcome.

Waverly bribes her brother with candy pieces to replace the missing ones, and he agrees to let her join them.  The winner gets to eat the Life Savers!  Vincent explains the rules and Waverly immediately begins asking questions.  Their mother becomes curious and reads the rule book.  She tells them to learn the American rules, so they can beat Americans and not be tricked.

"This American rules," she concluded at last. "Every time people come out from foreign country, must know rules. …” 

Eventually, Waverly is the one who becomes good at chess.  She becomes so good that she starts playing strangers in the park, who teach her chess etiquette and more moves.  In time, she enters tournaments and gets better and better.  She doesn’t have to do chores, and her brothers pick up the slack.  Waverly’s life becomes about chess. 

Waverly’s mother still gives advice, even when Waverly becomes incredibly successful.  Waverly gets frustrated that she focuses on not losing pieces, rather than winning the game.  She doesn't think her mother gets it, but her mother points out she is still winning.  Waverly loves chess, and she is good at it, but she doesn't like the pressure her mother puts on her.

The perimeter is 46 meters and its length is 2 meters more than twice its width. What is the length?

In this problem, the length is compared to the width of the rectangle. So let's assign a variable that represents the width of the rectangle.  

Let the width be w.

`width = w`

Since the length is 2 meters more than twice its width, the expression that represent it is:

`l e n g t h = 2w + 2`

Then, plug-in the length and width to the formula of perimeter of rectangle.

`P = 2*l e n g th + 2*width`

`P=2(2w+2)+2*w`

Plug-in too the given perimeter of the rectangle.

`46=2(2w+2)+2*w`

Then, solve for w.

`46=4w+4+2w`

`46=6w+4`

`42=6w`

`7=w`

So, the width of the rectangle is 7 meters.  

Then, plug-in the value of w to the expression that represents the length.

`l e n g t h = 2w + 2`

`l e n g t h = 2(7) + 2`

`l e n g t h = 14 + 2`

`l e n g t h = 16`

Therefore, the length of the rectangle is 16 meters.

What were the causes of the American Revolution?

There were several causes of the American Revolution. One cause was the concern the colonists had that the British were trying to restrict their freedom of movement. After the French and Indian War ended, the British passed the Proclamation of 1763. This law prevented the colonists from moving to the land that Great Britain received from France which was located west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British were trying to protect the colonists from attacks by the Native Americans. The colonists wanted to move to this area so they could get and own this land. When the British required the colonists to provide housing for the British troops that were enforcing this unpopular law, the colonists weren’t happy. Some colonists refused to obey the Proclamation of 1763.

Another cause was the passage of tax laws by Parliament. As the colonies became more expensive to operate, the British passed new tax laws to help generate revenue. The Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts were examples of laws that were passed. The colonists objected to these laws because they didn’t have representatives in Parliament that could speak about and vote on the new tax laws. Since British citizens have elected representatives in Parliament who can vote on laws, the colonists felt their rights were being violated because they didn’t have elected representatives in Parliament.

As events turned more aggressive, our relationship with the British deteriorated. When five colonists were killed in an event known as the Boston Massacre, the colonists became more concerned about the actions of the British army. When Britain passed the Tea Act to give the British East India Company a monopoly on the trade of tea, the colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party. The colonists dumped chests filled with tea into Boston Harbor. The British responded with the Intolerable Acts. The Intolerable Acts were designed to punish the colonists, especially those in Massachusetts, for the Boston Tea Party. The colonists refused to obey these laws, and they formed their own militias.

When fighting occurred at Lexington and at Concord in April 1775, many colonists knew it was only a matter of time before the colonists would declare their independence. The Second Continental Congress eventually instructed a group of five members to begin writing the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The adopting of the Declaration of Independence was followed by the start of the Revolutionary War.

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, what forces drive the dichotomy of Junior's perception of his world and allow him to see the...

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Junior sees the reservation in "apparently disparate" ways because he understands the cultural beauty and socioeconomic difficulties that are simultaneously present in life on the reservation. For example, in one scene, Junior sits on top of a high hill looking out over the reservation, and he feels a sense of love for the beauty of the landscape. He understands his people have a strong attachment to their land and families, which is why people—even in the face of adversity—choose to remain living on the reservation. Junior also understands there is a significant lack of opportunities for education and employment on the reservation, which creates problems such as the rampant alcoholism that claims the lives of many people Junior knows. Junior's decision to leave the reservation to go to school at Reardan is not motivated by hate or disgust for the reservation—he simply wants to have access to better opportunities. He loves the cultural and familial ties he has to the reservation, and this love motivates the disparate views he has of his life on the reservation.

Why is Tybalt not to blame for Romeo and Juliet's deaths?

Tybalt is not to blame because he was just doing what his elders taught him to do. 

If I have to pick a single character to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, it would be the friar; therefore, I can't blame Tybalt. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet with the hope that the wedding will end the long-standing feud between the Capulets and Montagues.  

But come, young waverer, come, go with me, 
In one respect I'll thy assistant be; 
For this alliance may so happy prove, 
To turn your households' rancour to pure love.

Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide, so I do believe they deserve the most blame. The nurse deserves some blame too, since she helped arrange meeting times for Romeo and Juliet.  

I suppose it is possible to blame Tybalt in some way for Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Tybalt is an angry and quick-tempered guy. He is angry Romeo is at the ball, and he vows revenge. Romeo won't fight Tybalt, so Tybalt and Mercutio fight. Mercutio dies, prompting Romeo to fight Tybalt. Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished as a result. Juliet is sad. Lord Capulet tries to cheer her up by attempting to force her to marry Paris. Juliet takes drastic measures not to marry Paris, and Romeo and Juliet wind up dead. If Tybalt hadn't been angry about Romeo being at the ball, then the rest of the events wouldn't have happened.  

That's how Tybalt could be blamed, but I think that is a stretch. Tybalt is angry at Romeo's presence because Romeo is a Montague. Tybalt has been taught from an early age to hate all Montagues. Who taught him that? The Capulets. Had Tybalt not been influenced to hate all Montagues, he would not have been offended and angered by Romeo's presence. Tybalt is not to blame because he only acted in the way he was taught to act by the older Capulets.  

What are some things that citizens of a democracy must do in order to ensure the democracy functions properly?

This is a great and important question.  Citizens of a democracy, in order to maintain their rights, have duties to fulfill.  Being informed, voting, participating in one's community, and ensuring that a good public education is available to all are the means of preserving these rights.

A good citizen is informed, about how a democracy works, about politicians running for office, the laws of the land, and the issues that affect the community, the region, and the country.  Citizens should understand the country's constitution, which is the foundation of a democracy, setting forth everyone's rights and duties.  I have carried a pocket copy in my purse for many years, since I frequently encounter people who misunderstand it or have never looked at it, so I can refer to it.  A citizen who is not informed about how the country works cannot possibly be vigilant about seeing to it that the government does what it is supposed to do and does not do what it is not supposed to do.  Being informed means doing research on candidates and issues.  This includes looking at statistics for oneself, since these are often manipulated by politicians.  We need to be informed about the records of the people running for office, not simply taking their word for what they say it is. One needs at least rudimentary scientific knowledge, so that one can examine evidence intelligently, on issues such as climate change or drinking water safety.  A good citizen knows the laws and follows them.  This is part of the social contract of a democracy, not that police have to enforce every little thing, but that people choose to willingly follow the law in exchange for the protections of a democracy and the harmony that this brings.  A good citizen has knowledge of his or her own community, of his or her own region, and his or her own country as a whole, as well as some knowledge of other countries, since a democracy must interact with the rest of the world.  You need to know what the problems and potential solutions are where you live.  And if you think that Africa is a country, which it is not, you cannot possibly evaluate your country's relationship with it.  A citizen who is not informed is, simply put, not a good citizen.

Citizens need to vote.  In the United States, voter participation is disappointing low, a little over 53%. In Australia, voting is mandatory, and there is a fine for not voting.  A democracy does not work very well if citizens don't vote. Citizens feel disenfranchised and are even less likely to participate in a democracy in other ways.  In the United States, people died so we could all vote, first in the Revolutionary War, then for the African-American vote, and then for the vote for those under 21 years of age, after so many 18-year-olds died in the Vietnam War without even having a voice. Women fought hard for the right to vote, too.  The entire point of a democracy is to have representation based upon the will of the people, so if people do not vote, democracy can lead to leadership that represents a small fraction of the populace, creating much dissatisfaction, which is detrimental to stability.  

Participating in one's community goes a long way to creating a more successful democracy.  Going to town meetings or school board meetings, joining a litter cleanup project, mentoring younger people in the neighborhood are all ways that we can participate in our communities.  Our communities do a great deal for us, and this is a means of giving back or passing it forward.  It is also a good way of staying informed of the issues and a good way of meeting one's local leaders. We are better citizens when we are active in our communities, and we make democracy better.

An educated populace is essential to a successful democracy. It is up to us to invest in good public education, which is the best means of ensuring that the democracy continues.  People who are educated are going to be better citizens, pay more taxes, participate more fully in their communities, and be more likely to vote.  People who are educated are more informed about the issues, more likely to make good choices in leaders, and more likely to challenge a democracy gone awry somehow.  Good public education is a staple of a good democracy. This means true public schools, of the highest quality, for all students, not for-profit charters and private schools meant to prevent children from learning about evolution, not schools that are de facto segregated, with the least experienced teachers and shabby, out-of-date textbooks.  In a democracy, everyone has a stake in good education, even those without children.  People who are well-educated are better prepared to live in a democracy in which the rights of the "other" are respected.  Public education is meant to expose us to people who are different from us, giving us different perspectives and teaching us respect and appreciation. 

To ensure a properly functioning democracy may seem like a great deal of work, being informed, having to vote and participate, understanding a constitution and laws, spending money on education, even if one has no children.  But I do believe that a constitutional democracy is the best form of government ever created, and no matter how much work it seems to be, the benefits are countless. 

How does George keep the men from finding Lennie right away?

When all the men at the ranch are preparing to go after Lennie, Slim asks George:

"Where you think he might of went?"

George knows exactly where Lennie would have gone. Lennie would be hiding out at the riverside campsite where they had spent the night before reporting for work at the ranch. George had told him repeatedly to come there and wait for him if he got into any kind of trouble. Although George has a certain amount of trust for Slim, he lies to him here.

"He--would have went south," he said. "We come from north so he would of went south."

George can't trust Slim because Slim is taking part in the search party which is likely to turn into a lynch mob. Slim is the smartest man in the bunch. He may take George's suggestion that Lennie went south, but after the men have gone a short distance without seeing a sign of Lennie, Slim probably would have guessed that George had deliberately misdirected them. This would explain why the mob shows up at the campsite fairly quickly, but not after giving George enough time to get there ahead of them and kill his friend painlessly. George can hear the men from the ranch.

The little evening breeze blew over the clearing and the leaves rustled and the wind waves flowed up the green pool. And the shouts of men sounded again, this time much closer than before.

George and Lennie were traveling south from San Francisco, where they got their job assignments at one of the employment agencies that specialized in recruiting unskilled laborers. George knew full well that the campsite was to the north. His explanation that Lennie would have gone south because they came from the north is very weak and ambiguous. Slim would have quickly figured out that George was lying, but he would not have blamed George for trying to protect his friend.

Does the speaker seem happy with his choice in "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

This famous poem by Robert Frost explores both an actual and symbolic pair of paths in the woods. The "[t]wo roads [that] diverged in a yellow wood" offer two paths, and one path is slightly less traveled than the other. The speaker is "sorry" he or she cannot "travel both," but must make a choice. It does indeed seem to be true that the speaker in the poem is satisfied with the choice he/she has made, to take one path and not another. The speaker takes the road "less traveled by" and says "that has made all the difference." Here we see a shift in tense as well, from past tense to future: "I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence." The speaker knows that he/she is making the wiser choice, one that will resonate in memory at a future time. The fact that it will make "all the difference" suggests a realization that taking a road not used as often is a more daring and interesting choice. If one reads this poem as a metaphorical summation of one's chosen path in life, the speaker is offering the opinion that choosing to do things which deviate from the more expected or acceptable social expectations might indeed lead to a more satisfying life.

In the Iliad, what qualities of Hector and Andromache are revealed?

The Iliad reveals the loyalty and devotion which are integral parts of Hector's and Andromache's characterization.

Hector and Andromache are two of the most loyal characters in the Iliad. They display an unwavering commitment to one another.  They sacrifice for elements larger than themselves.  Both characters uphold their duty at great cost.

Hector is devoted to Troy.  He does not hesitate in responding to Troy's call. Even though he disagrees with Paris's actions, he does not forsake his obligation to the city and its soldiers.  Loyalty is a significant part of Hector's characterization.  It can be seen when he rebukes his brother as being "worthless" for not acknowledging his responsibilities.  Hector criticizes Paris for not being loyal, citing how "men are being destroyed, fighting right by the city" because of Paris's selfishness.  Hector's loyalty to Troy can be seen in the way he rebukes Paris for lacking devotion to something outside of his own pursuits.  

Hector's tragedy reveals his noble qualities.  He is a tragic figure because he is placed in an impossible situation.  As loyal as he is to Troy, he is equally devoted to his wife, Andromache.  When she pleads with him to stay, he is emotionally forlorn.  On one hand, he is loyal to her.  He never strays from her.  His only wish is to return from battle so that he can be with her and their son.   Yet, Hector knows that remaining with her when he is called upon will mean "disgrace" and being "dreadfully shamed" for abandoning his responsibilities.  He leaves his wife because of his loyalty to Troy.  However, it is clear from Homer's narration that Hector is emotionally forlorn in doing so: "He placed his son in the hands of his dear wife. She embraced the child on her sweet breast, smiling through her tears. Observing her, Hector felt compassion."  The Iliad reveals Hector's loyalty to both his city and his wife.

Hector and Andromache match one another in their traits of loyalty and devotion.  Homer reveals Andromache to be selflessly devoted to her husband.  When she hears that Hector will go off to war, her loyalty towards him subsumes her thoughts.  She communicates her fidelity towards him when she says that upon his death in battle, she "would be better to be buried in the ground." Andromache cannot see life outside of being with Hector. Her loyalty is revealed when she communicates how Hector is everything to her: "... In have no father, no dear mother... So, Hector, you are now my father, noble mother, brother, and my protecting husband." Andromache's devotion to her husband is evident in the way she sees him as the sum of her being.  She is emotionally bound to him as she cannot envision a life without him.

The Iliad reveals Hector's and Andromache's "philos," which is Greek for "love."  The Greeks saw "Philos" as a deep and binding loyalty towards something outside of oneself.  In their sacrifice for something larger than themselves,  Hector's and Andromache's philos shows devotion and loyalty.

In "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde, what does the ghost's honorable burial tell us about basic human traits?

In Chapter Seven of the story, the Canterville ghost is buried in a "wonderfully impressive" ceremony at Canterville Chase. This about-turn in the treatment of the Canterville ghost illustrates an important point about human nature: that people are prepared to forgive any sin, so long as there is atonement. We see this most clearly in Chapter Five when the Canterville ghost admits to all manner of sins, including the murder of his wife, to Virginia Otis. Despite her disgust towards his many atrocities, Virginia realises that the ghost genuinely seeks forgiveness and thus agrees to help him to enter the Garden of Death. This is not only evidence of her kind and generous nature but also of Wilde's message that no sin is too great to be forgiven. Furthermore, it is this idea of forgiveness which brings about the story's climax when the Canterville and Otis families are reconciled at the ghost's grandiose funeral.

What is an example of a homogeneous mixture?

A homogeneous mixture has a consistent composition and occurs in a uniform state (gas, liquid, and solid). It differs from a heterogeneous mixture, which is comprised of different visible elements and/ or different states.

Pure air is an example of a homogeneous mixture because it occurs uniformly in the gaseous state and its different elements are not readily visible. When air is polluted with visibly distinct pollutants, such as dust and smoke, air is considered heterogeneous. The additional contents eliminate the air's consistency. Additionally, this type of air causes dust to occur in its solid state.

A mixture of salt and water is also considered a homogeneous mixture because salt readily dissolves in water. The mixture should be considered with the saturation point in mind because salt particles will remain visibly suspended in water beyond its saturation point. In this case, the mixture is heterogeneous.

What is the process of digestion that occurs in the small intestine, including the name of enzymes involved and the end products formed?

The small intestine can be divided into three sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The duodenum forms the first section of the small intestine. Partially digested food moves from the stomach through the pyloric sphincter and into the duodenum. The pancreas and liver are also connected to the region. Those two organs release their juices (digestive enzymes and bile, respectively) to mix with the partially digested food.

Trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen are digestive enzymes released into the duodenum. They are responsible for the digestion of proteins into polypeptides. The polypeptides are further broken down by exopeptidases and dipeptidases into amino acids. Lipase and amylase are additional digestive enzymes released into the duodenum for the digestion of fats and carbohydrates. Bile from the liver and lipase digest fats into glycerol and fatty acids. Amylase helps in the digestion of carbohydrates into glucose.

The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestines. It is responsible for the absorption of nutrients from the digested food. The ileum is the final section of the small intestines and is connected to the large intestines. This section absorbs remaining nutrients that were not absorbed in the jejunum and empties any remaining matter into the large intestine.

How do Cole's relationships with his family, community, and country affect his actions and decisions in Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen?

Cole did not have a positive relationship with his family.  His father was abusive, and his mother’s unhappiness led her to drink.  He blamed them for everything, and became a very angry person.  His anger led him to try to break into a hardware store.  He received Circle Justice as an intervention instead of jail.

Last year at this time, he had never even heard of Circle Justice—he hadn’t heard of it until his latest arrest for breaking into a hardware store. After robbing the place, he had totally trashed it. (Ch. 1) 

At first, Circle Justice did not work.  Cole not only robbed and trashed the hardware store, but he also beat up a boy who told on him.  His anger at the world extended to anyone who tried to help him.  Cole only agreed to Circle Justice because he thought that it would get him out of prison. 

Cole’s anger at the world affected his decisions because he believed that everything was everyone else’s fault.  He blamed his parents and everyone who tried to help him.  This included Edwin, the Tlingit elder assigned to his case, and Garvey, his youth probation officer. Together, the two men were responsible for getting Cole back on the right path. 

Circle Justice did eventually work for Cole, even though he never expected it to. Edwin and Garvey left him alone on a little island, where he was attacked by a bear.  The bear attack caused him to re-evaluate his life.  He recovered, returned from the island, and actually allowed himself to change.  This involved facing his demons.  

Cole had to realize that he wasn’t the most important person the world, and that the world did not revolve around him.  Being in nature showed him this.  Cole had to forgive himself, and eventually get Peter Driscal (the boy he attacked) to forgive him, at least partially.

What is Patty thinking to herself when she talks to Anton in her father's shop in Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene?

When she talks to Anton in her father's shop, Patty privately thinks that Anton is too nice to be a Nazi.

She also finds herself thinking Anton is a very handsome man. As they laugh and converse, Patty comes to the private conclusion that Anton isn't an evil man, even though he's of German heritage. In their conversation, Anton tells Patty his father is a professor at the University of Gottingen and that he used to write prolifically. Now that the war is here, no one is allowed to write freely in Germany. Anton confides that he used to be a medical student and that he was a private in the German Army at the time of his capture.

Patty and Anton greatly enjoy their conversation, and when he leaves to go, she privately prays Anton can become her friend. If her prayer is not answered, Patty hopes Anton can get back to his country safely and fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. In short, Patty thinks Anton is a good-looking and personable young man.

What are some literary devices used in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in Act I, scene i, lines 226-251

In this section, Helena laments that Demetrius's love has turned from her to Hermia and then discusses love's attributes in general. Shakespeare has her use personification: in an extended metaphor, Helena likens love first to a person, and then to a little boy. Helena gives loves human characteristics: it has eyes and a mind, and it sees with its mind (or imagination, a human trait), not its eyes. She then goes on to compare love to Cupid, usually depicted as a young, winged boy, musing that love is indeed like a boy who "forswears" (lies) at his games, perjuring himself "everywhere." Thinking about Demetrius, who one day had nothing but words of love for her, only to turn almost instantly to Hermia, Helena personifies love as a child that can almost immediately be "beguiled" into changing its loyalties.

Shakespeare also uses rich imagery in this passage, meaning he paints a picture with words. First, Helena mentions "wing'd Cupid painted blind." We can see in our imaginations a painting of Cupid, perhaps from a Valentine, depicted with a blindfold so he can't see. Shakespeare also has Helena compare a lover's words to hail, something which might strike us hard but quickly melts. 

The sum of a two digit number and the number formed by interchanging its digits is 110. If 20 is subtracted from the original number, the new...

Hello!

The original number may be written as `bar(ab),` where `a` and `b` are one-digit natural numbers, `0lt=blt=9,` `1lt=alt=9.` The value of the number `bar(ab)` is obviously `b + 10a.`

When we interchange its digits, the resulting number is `bar(ba) = a + 10b.` The sum is `(b + 10a) + (a + 10b) = 11a + 11b = 110` (this is given). So

`a + b = 10.`

The second condition gives that

`(b + 10a) - 20 = 4(a + b) + 4,` or `6a - 3b = 24, or 2a - b = 8.`

Thus we have a linear system for `a` and `b.` If we add up these two equations, we obtain `3a = 18,` or `a = 6.` From the first equation `b = 10 - a = 4.` The initial restrictions for `a` and `b` are also satisfied.

The answer: the original number is 64.

In "The Devil and Tom Walker," how does Irving portray the dark side of both religion and wealth?

Irving portrays the dark side of religion and wealth through the actions of the main character, Tom Walker, who uses both very selfishly. When Tom makes his deal with the Devil to give high interest loans and “extort bonds, foreclose mortgages, and drive the merchant to bankruptcy,” he seems eager to take advantage of people for his own financial gain. Instead of using his position to help people in desperate times, he makes money off of them and their financial difficulties. The more wealthy he grows off of the backs of those in financial trouble, the more stingy he becomes, building a “vast house,” but leaving it “unfinished and unfurnished, out of parsimony,” or stinginess. In some circumstances, wealth can be used for good, but Walker seems to have no such interest in helping others. He uses it only to get ahead.

Eventually, Tom Walker starts to have anxiety about the things he has done, and this is where Irving shows the dark side of religion. He turns to religion superficially, going only for show, thinking this alone will save him from the pact he made with the Devil. Irving writes that “he prayed loudly and strenuously, as if heaven were to be taken by force of lungs.” It seems as though Tom thinks that the more religious he appears outwardly, the more armor he will have against the Devil when he comes to collect his debts. Irving is not criticizing religion entirely, but the people like Tom Walker who try to take advantage of religion for their own selfish ends or use it ask a mask to cover their wrongdoing.

What was Plato's view of government? Who did he think should rule?

Plato grew up in the time of the Peloponnesian War, in which Sparta conquered his city, Athens. Plato believed that societies have three parts: appetite, spirit and reason. The appetite was the productive sector--the workers. The spirit consisted of those who were adventurous and brave. Thus the spirit was the military. The reason consisted of those who possessed the temperament and levelheadedness to make decisions. Since reason was in the head, with the other two parts below it, Plato believed that those who reason well should be at the top and should rule. So Plato--like his teacher, Socrates--believed that philosophers should rule. These views came in part from when a court with democratic rulers as jury decided to sentence his teacher Socrates to death on the charge of impiety and corrupting the young.

If D-day didn't happen, what would be the outcome of World War II?

It is hard to say what would have happened if the United States did not invade mainland Europe on June 6, 1944. Counterfactual history is always hard to guess—there might be some variables that could change the outcome of events. By June 1944, the Soviets had broken the sieges at Stalingrad and Leningrad and were beginning to roll the Nazis back across Eastern Europe. The Americans had landed in Italy and would soon liberate Rome in July 1944, but the Nazis maintained a furious defense in the Alps, making a southern invasion of Germany more difficult than anticipated. The British and Americans were bombing mainland Germany nearly 24 hours a day, but Hitler was no closer to being killed or overthrown than he was in 1939. If D-Day did not happen, the Soviet Union may have taken all of Germany and Austria with the Soviet army, killing millions of German civilians just as the Germans did in the Soviet Union. Once they recovered from the destruction of war, the Soviet Union would then have been a constant threat to France and the rest of Western Europe. The United States also would not have had the opportunity to rebuild Germany as they did in 1945. 

Define ignoble, specious, ersatz, debacle, collateral, and demean.

Below are definitions for the following words: ignoble, specious, ersatz, debacle, collateral, and demean.

ignoble
adjective

1. not honorable either in purpose or in character. "The brother had ignoble feelings of desire for his sister-in-law." 2. of low origin or status. "The ignoble beggar continued to peddle his wares."

Synonyms: dishonorable, degenerate, sordid, low

specious

adjective

1. plausible on the surface, but actually wrong. "The banker provided a specious explanation as to why their loan was denied." 2. misleading in appearance. "The theme park gives their attractions a specious appearance of originality."
Synonyms: false, misleading, deceptive

ersatz

adjective

1. not genuine, a knock-off. "The aspiring actress wore a coat of tacky ersatz fur."

Synonyms: fake, substitute, faux

debacle 

noun

1. a sudden, ungraceful failure. "The media flocked to report on the politician's latest personal debacle."

Synonyms: fiasco, mess, failure

collateral

noun

1. security pledged for the payment of a debt. "The pawn shop held the title of his car as collateral. They would hold it as security in the event that he was unable to complete the payment plan for his purchase." 2. a side branch, as of a vessel or nerve.

Synonyms: Assurance, pledge, secondary

demean

verb

1. to speak extremely poorly of. "The mayor demeaned his opponent during the debate." 2. to do something that shames oneself. "As a professional musician, he found the singing of campfire songs demeaning."

Synonyms: decry, belittle, humiliate

What is the main problem in the story of Beowulf?

The main problem in the story of Beowulf is actually a little more difficult to pinpoint than you might think, because the poem actually incorporates three major conflicts. The first (and most famous) problem is the conflict between the monster Grendel and Hrothgar, the king of the Danes. It is this conflict that first brings Beowulf to Heorot to perform his deeds of heroism. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, however, he must then also fight and subdue Grendel's mother, who attacks Heorot to avenge her son's death. Following this conflict, Beowulf returns to his homeland, eventually becomes king, and then rules for many years before fighting an attacking dragon and dying in battle. As such, you can see that the poem revolves around three major problems (or conflicts), rather than one. However, if you had to pick one, single problem, then you could argue that the main problem of the story is the conflict between Beowulf and the Grendel family (which includes both Grendel and his mother), as this feud takes up the bulk of the poem once its two components are grouped together. 

What are new trends in accounting?

Accounting is in a very fluid position in the business world.  Although businesses and markets will always need accounting expertise, those not able to keep up with growing trends will quickly become obsolete.  The fast changing evolution of technology will likely keep accounting in a constant race to stay ahead of the curve, a race which can easily be lost.

Social listening is becoming a standard business practice.  It includes watching the social presence of a company to determine the growth potential, market reaction and predicting problems within the various markets.  Accounting principles can help mitigate potential problems by introducing cost saving measures, moving resources toward evolving hot spots in the market and staying active in tax code changes spurred by social activism.

Increased outsourcing to smaller accounting firms means lower overhead and more competition.  The global cloud network allows organizations to span the globe quickly and in real time.  This means accounting must be particularly able to understand the global workforce rather than regional.  It also increases the likelihood that businesses will have customers from across the globe.  Understanding exchange rates and keeping apprised of currency fluctuations is becoming more important.

Accounting security is perhaps one of the biggest concerns right now.  Companies such as Target and Amazon are targets for information hackers looking to get account information.  Security systems and plans for mitigation are key parts of an organization's disaster planning.  Accounting information leaked to the world would seriously jeopardize a company's ability to maintain an even footing in a competitive market.

Along with security comes access.  The range of tablets, computers, smartphones and other mobile devices make access to money easier than ever.  The average person who fifty years ago left monetary matters to investment houses and banks is now actively engaged in financial portfolios.  The access allows fickle minded people to buy and sell with little understanding of the complex market.  Accounting principles can help protect people from their own poor choices as well as dictate future options by providing investment formulas.

What are the chapter summaries for How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer?

In the Prologue of How Soccer Explains the World, Franklin Foer--a Washington D.C. journalist writing for New Republic, the brainchild of founder William F. Buckley--explains how his compelling interest in soccer (i.e., obsession with soccer) drove his interest in examining how globalization and the flaws of globalization were manifest and furthered by the attitudes, organization and actions of the range of international soccer clubs and soccer fan clubs.

Foer explains that the early promise of globalization to override national borders and identities and to build a harmoniously interdependent world was reflected in the composition of soccer rosters that had multinational line-ups of players. After the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (resulting in an international death toll), the promises of globalization took on a new visage: "the consensus on globalization changed considerably ... [it being] no longer possible to speak so breathlessly ... of the political promise of economic interdependence." Foer then explains his thesis by saying that globalization's promise had "failed to diminish the game's local cultures, local blood feuds, and even local corruption. ... globalization had actually increased the power of these local entities." Foer states his intent that his book present the value of nationalism to blunt the re-merging tribalism directly represented on the soccer field.

Chapter 1 begins to prove Foer's assertion that "local entities" of ethnic culture, feuds and corruption were increased by globalization, and "not always in such a good way," by describing his interview with the Serb soccer organization: the Red Star Belgrade team and the Red Star Ultra Bad Boys fan club. The organization is comprised of team members, team management and fan club over-site of management--over-site gained by "intimidation" exerted with "bats, bars, and other bludgeons." During the interview, the "three-fingered salute of Serb nationalism" (forcibly present during the Balkan War Serb attacks on Croat civilians) was a dominating influence. The salute is a critical symbol to the nationalism exerted by the Bad Boys, who enjoy telling their victory stories, such as of when they attacked fans and police at a match against their arch-rivals, the Partzan team. The stadium-wide attacks produced "lines of casualties" as the Bad Boys "'made it around the stadium in five minutes.'"

Foer then presents the examples of Milosevic and Tudjman--the former an elected Serbian national leader and the latter an elected Croatian national leader (representative of World War II Croatian attacks against Serbs)--to illustrate the connection between ethnic hostilities, national policy and soccer. These two men illustrate Foer's intent: "the book uses soccer to defend the virtues of old-fashioned nationalism--[as] a way to blunt the return of tribalism" (Prologue).

"The influence of revolutions endured long after they ended and far beyond where they started." To what extent does Chapter 16 of Ways of the World...

You are likely referring to Chapter 16, "Atlantic Revolutions" in Ways of the World by Robert Strayer. In this chapter, Strayer emphasizes the interconnectedness of Atlantic revolutions in the United States, France, Haiti, and Latin America. Although each revolution was distinct, they influenced each other so that their influence lasted long after each revolution ended and far beyond where each revolution started. These revolutions were inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment, including the end of the divine right of kings. The Enlightenment brought about new ideas about republicanism, religious tolerance, and rationality. The ideas of equality motivated these revolutions, though the American Revolution was in many ways more conservative than the French Revolution, which involved women in more major roles than the American Revolution. The Haitian Revolution, which is considered the only successful widespread slave revolt, was directly inspired by the French Revolution. Later, revolutions in Latin America were also inspired by earlier revolutions that had overthrown monarchies. 

The ideas of these revolutions continued to surface in movements such as abolitionism, nationalism, and feminism, as groups such as slaves and women agitated for equality, and people sought to unite people of common languages and heritage into one nation. Therefore, the influence of these revolutions continued long after and far beyond where they started.  

Explain how the actions of the executive and/or judicial branches have personally affected your life.

Everyone leads a different life, but the executive branch and the judicial branch certainly affect all of us to some degree over our lifetimes.  I hope some examples help you start thinking about how your life has been affected.

The executive branch sets policy, appoints cabinet heads, and issues executive orders. The executive branch also has some prosecutorial discretion.   If you live in an area which has experienced a natural disaster, it is up to the president to declare this a state of emergency, thus allowing federal funds and federal workers to help your area.  if you live in a state in which marijuana use is legal, recreationally and/or medically, it is the executive branch that decides not to prosecute for its use, which is still illegal in federal law.  If you or someone in your family works for a company that does federal contract work, the executive branch has provided for paid sick leave as a condition of getting the contract.  I have included a link that lists President Obama's executive orders thus far, and you will see that the coverage of subjects is quite wide.

The judicial branch's influence on your life is likely to be much larger than you think.  If you are female, you have a large degree of reproductive choice because of the judicial branch.  If you vote, which everyone should, the courts are supposed to protect your right to do so, very recently striking down some voter ID statutes that made it more difficult for people to vote.  If you are a minority candidate for college, the Supreme Court has said that universities may take that into consideration as one factor to admit you. If you or a friend is part of the LGBT community, marriage is now a right.  No matter whether you are young, old, male, female, rich, poor, black, white, or something in between, the judicial branch has certainly ruled in some way that has affected your life.

It is good to sit down and consider how important the role of these branches of our government are in our lives and be grateful to live in a democracy in which we do not have to concern ourselves with the kind of role a dictator would play in our lives.  These branches of government may not always act in ways we agree with, but they are meant to be "for the people," a staple of any democracy. 

What was in Anna's letter?

The reader does not know exactly what is in Anna's letter to Sarah.  This is because only Sarah's reply to Anna is shown in the book.  Sarah's letter to Anna does, however, give clues about the first letter.  Sarah responds to several of Anna's questions.

In her letter, Anna asks Sarah if she can braid hair.  Anna's mother had died many years before, and since then no one has been around to braid her hair.  Sarah responds that she is able to braid hair.  Anna also asks Sarah if she can cook stew and bake bread.  Sarah replies, saying that she can indeed do both.  After writing this, Sarah adds that she prefers painting and building bookshelves to baking and cooking.

Anna may have asked Sarah what her favorite colors are.  In Sarah's letter to Anna, she states that her "favorite colors are the colors of the sea, blue and gray and green, depending on the weather" (Sarah, Plain and Tall, Chapter 2).

Where are Antonio and his friends, and what does Antonio say about his sadness in the opening scene of The Merchant of Venice?

Antonio and his friends are on a street in Venice, a city of "psychic, dark corners," as Shakespearean critic Harold Bloom describes it. Antonio has fallen into one of these "dark corners" in his mind, and his friends Salerio and Salanio express their concern. 

When Antonio tells the two men that he knows no cause for his sadness--"In sooth I know not why I am so sad (1.1.1.)--Salerio suggests that Antonio may be anxious about his merchant ships: "Your mind is tossing on the ocean" (1.1.8). However, Antonio denies that this is the cause. Not convinced by Antonio's reply, Salanio provides Antonio with another opportunity to admit his concerns as by observing that he would certainly be worried about everything that could go wrong were he in Antonio's place. Nonetheless, Antonio is adamant that nothing about his business disturbs him.

When Salanio suggests that he might, then, be in love, Antonio replies heatedly, "Fie! fie!" At this, Salerio cleverly amends Salanio's question in order to ameliorate the situation:

Not in love? Then let us say you are sad,
Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy
For you to laugh and leap and say you are merry,
Because you are not sad. (1.1.49-52)

At this point, Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano enter and Salerio and Salanio make their departure, bowing to "worthier friends."

Perhaps, then, the very beginning of this play is meant to set a tone that complements the sometimes incongruous, foreboding, and "psychic" city of Venice, as well as to foreshadow the misfortune of Antonio which is to come.

In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, what success did Curley have in boxing?

While Carlson is cleaning his gun, Curley bursts into the bunkhouse and asks the guys if any of them have seen his wife. Whit mentions that she hasn't been in there, and Curley responds by asking where Slim is at. George then tells Curley that he's out in the barn, and Curley asks how long he's been out there before he storms out of the room. Sensing a fight, Whit stands up and comments that he would like to see Slim and Curley fight. He believes that Slim would win, but says that Curley is mighty handy when it comes to fighting. Whit then comments that Curley made it to the finals in the Golden Gloves and even has newspaper clippings to prove it. Despite Curley's aggressive nature and boxing success, he knows better than to pick a fight with Slim. 

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, was the ending expected due to the course of the story? In what way does the ending shine light on the...

At the end of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is hospitalized for mental health reasons. He says:

"A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going apply myself when I go back to school next September. It's such a stupid question, in my opinion."

It's clear that even though he's getting therapeutic help, he hasn't changed very much. 

The ending in many ways isn't surprising because at the very beginning of the book, Holden says, "I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy." He is referring in an oblique way to his need for hospitalization.

In addition, throughout the book, there are many signs that Holden is alienated from everyone in his life and crying out for help. Even at the beginning of the book, he says about his brother, D.B., "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute." Holden is alienated from his parents, his brother, and then his friends at school when he's kicked out of Pencey Prep. After he leaves school, he has a series of disappointing encounters with women. He is also distraught after his brother, Allie, dies, and he says, "I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage." On the night Allie died, Holden broke the windows in the garage, so it's apparent he has understandably had a really hard time with his brother's death. Afterward, he has no one to turn to and feels alienated. 

The ending implies that everything Holden has attempted to do to make himself feel better, including running around New York, dating girls, seeing his sister, and visiting the carousel, have not helped him heal. The contribution of the ending to the work is that Holden's professed disdain for many things and people in his life and his jaded attitude are not sustainable. He eventually has to care and connect with people in his life to heal himself. 

Hydrogen sulfide is composed of two elements, hydrogen and sulfur. In an experiment, 5.485 g of hydrogen sulfide is fully decomposed into its...

To solve, apply conservation of mass. It states that in a chemical reaction, mass is neither destroyed nor created. So the mass of the reactants at the beginning is equal to the mass of the products at the end of the reaction.

mass of  reactants = mass of products

In this problem, the chemical reaction is:

Hydrogen sulfide `->` Hydrogen  + Sulfur

Applying conservation of mass, the equation is:

mass of hydrogen sulfide = mass of hydrogen + mass of sulfur

5.485g = 0.307g + mass of sulfur

mass of sulfur = 5.485g - 0.307g

mass of sulfur = 5.178g

Therefore, at the end of the reaction, 5.178 grams of sulfur is obtained.

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how would one argue that the Prince's banishment of Romeo is unfair, and that a more appropriate punishment...

That's a very interesting thesis! Let me suggest that instead of calling Romeo's banishment "unfair" (which implies that it's too harsh), call it "lax" or "overly lenient" to show that you mean it's not harsh enough. Or, you might clarify that you mean that Romeo's punishment is unfair to other citizens of Verona who are subject to harsher sentences for equal or lesser crimes.

To support your view, I'll suggest that you use this general method:

1. Look closely at the text to find details that support your opinion.

2. Think about the consequences of what really happened in the text as well as what the consequences should have been instead.

3. Consider why other readers might disagree with your view.

Below is a bit more guidance for your particular thesis.

First, as you said, the Prince did threaten an even stronger punishment than banishment for an even lesser crime than Romeo actually committed. To find details to develop this point, head back to that scene near the beginning of the play (Act 1, Scene 1--look for the Prince's long speech that begins with "Rebellious subjects") and select some quotes that show how the Prince is ready to mete out torture and even death if the citizens disrupt the peace or even just fail to listen to him! You can also examine that speech carefully and look for the Prince's reasons for these threats. What is it that the Prince values or cares about? Why might it be important for the Prince to protect these things? Adding this to your discussion may help you prove your thesis. (Hint: Focus on the Prince's use of the words "quiet," "peace," and "citizens.")

Next, you may want to take a close look at the scene in which we find out what Romeo's punishment will be. (Act 3, Scene 1.) Try to figure out why Lady Capulet (Juliet's mom) and the Prince want Romeo to be put to death, and look at how Montague (Romeo's dad) tries to convince the Prince otherwise. What are their reasons? It would be a good idea to describe those, and then to explain why the Prince finally decides to just banish Romeo. Let me call your attention to these lines, because they reveal that the Prince is actually a relative of Mercutio's and that this relationship may be coloring the Prince's decision:

I have an interest in your hearts' proceeding.

My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding.

You can also look at how the Friar reacts to Romeo's punishment (in Act 3, Scene 3) for some further support for the fact that it's a surprisingly lenient one.

Once you've discussed what Romeo's punishment is, why, and what it should have been instead, you're ready to think about how Romeo's punishment had negative consequences and how an appropriate punishment would have had better consequences. That is, ask yourself, "Because Romeo's punishment was too lax, what bad things happened--not just to Romeo, but to the citizens of Verona?" And, "If Romeo had been put to death instead, what positive things would have resulted instead for the two families, for the Prince, and for the citizens of Verona?" Or, "How would Romeo's death sentence have been a more appropriate expression of justice, fairness, social order, etc.?" Exploring these ideas is another good way to add support to your thesis.

Finally, you can support your idea even more by explaining why other readers might disagree with you and why their reasons aren't convincing. Figure out what their reasons might be, list those reasons, and then explain why those reasons aren't good enough. For example, some readers might say, "But Romeo belongs to a wealthy family, so he should get a lighter punishment for his crime." Or, "But Romeo is the main character; Shakespeare can't just kill him off in the third act." Or, "But Romeo is so young and so in love, and he deserves a chance to live out his days with Juliet." Or, "The Prince is in charge, so he should mete out punishments as he sees fit." How would you react to those ideas and explain why they're not convincing? Keep on thinking of why other readers would have a problem with your thesis. This is a powerful way to find more to say as you add depth and meaning to your discussion.

Why should we study political theory?

Defenders of the study of political theory would point to several reasons why it should be studied. One is that political theory deals on one level with ideal types. In other words, political theorists think seriously about the ways in which society can best be organized to achieve justice, liberty, and other desirable ends. No society can be perfect, of course, but thinking about the theoretical underpinnings of a political society can help us focus on what is important in society. Another related reason is that political theorists think and write about the proper goals of government. This is a question that is easily translated into real-world politics. If, for example, you think economic equality is a goal that should be fostered by a good government, then you might support policies and politicians that aim to bring about this end. If you think that protecting liberty is the main purpose of government, as some political theorists have argued, then you may oppose such measures, even if they can be justified on humanitarian grounds. In short, political theory engages with timeless questions about the proper relation between people and government as well as with each other. It forces us to think about power, authority, morality, and liberty (among other things) and the ways these concepts shape real-world government. 

I am doing a summer assignment, and I need to answer questions in MLA format. How do I do that? Do I write it in essay form, or do I write the...

Your instructor refers you to the following very helpful site:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

This site, called OWL (Online Writing Lab), created by Purdue University, will help you cite (or provide a reference) to each source you use. At the end of your article, you should include a "Works Cited" section. Basically, the citation format is as follows (with a made-up book):

Jones, Emily. The Book Title. Wiley, 1990. 

You should list your sources in alphabetical order (with the last name of the author first). The OWL site will lead you through how to cite electronic and other types of sources (at the link above).

In addition, within your article, you need to cite sources. For example, if you refer to or quote Thomas Friedman's article, you need to put his name after what you cite. For example, you might write, "The world has been becoming flatter for a long time" (Friedman). Generally, you include the page number of the article or book in which you received that information, but page numbers are not given in your handout. You need to cite (or provide the source of) information that you quote directly and information that you paraphrase.

With regard to whether you should answer in essay form or another form, the instructions ask you to contact your instructors (their names are on the link) with specific types of questions. 

What are some facts about the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Oberon is the king of the fairies, and Titania is the queen of the fairies.  They are very aware of the mortal world around them, because they know that Theseus and Hippolyta are getting married.  This causes jealousy in both of them, because each of them thinks that the other is in a relationship with or interested in the mortal counterpart.

Titania accuses Oberon of loving Hippolyta.  In reaction, Oberon accuses Titania of loving Theseus.

OBERON

How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,
Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?
Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night
From Perigenia, whom he ravished?
And make him with fair AEgle break his faith,
With Ariadne and Antiopa? (Act 2, Scene 1) 

Titania’s reaction is to tell Oberon that these ideas are “the forgeries of jealousy.”  In fact, Oberon and Titania’s fight has grave consequences for the forest.  It causes an unnatural winter for the forest.  Oberon and Titania are also fighting over her changeling, which is kind of like a half human boy.  Oberon wants the boy “Knight of his train” and Titania isn’t giving him up. 

The fairies have an assortment of helper fairies.  Oberon is assisted by Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, the “knavish sprite.”  He seems to spend a lot of time among mortals causing mischief, so he is perfect for Oberon’s plot.  Oberon wants to make a mockery of Titania, so Puck anoints her eyes with a love potion and she falls in love with Bottom, the craftsman-actor, after Puck has replaced his head with an ass’s head.

In the end, the fairies make up and bless the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. The fairies bless Titania and Oberon’s castle and the three pairs of lovers, who have now been matched to the right people.  It is a happy ending for all.

Through this house each fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessed be;
And the issue there create
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be … (Act 5, Scene 1)