What is politics? Explain the importance of politics in daily life.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines 'politics' as the following:

1. activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government

2. the work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government

3. the opinions that someone has about what should be done by governments : a person's political thoughts and opinions

Activities related to "influencing the actions and policies of a government" and "keeping power" include lobbying. A lobby is an organized group that works to influence government policies related to a particular issue or industry. The National Rifle Association, for example, is the most powerful political lobby in the United States. They use their wealth to finance political campaigns. In exchange for the NRA's financial support, politicians agree to refuse to support legislation in support of additional gun regulations.

'Politicking' refers to all of the discussion and activities in which politicians, which include legislators at the state and federal level as well as those with executive power, engage with the purpose of influencing public opinion. The goals are to gain the support of the public and the support of others in power to institute policies that will support a particular issue (e.g., immigration reform) or an industry (e.g., gun rights). This is how politics work on a professional level, among those with the power to create policies that affect all of us.

Merriam-Webster's third definition refers to the personal views that all of us have regarding politics. When we talk about politics, we are really talking about the everyday things that matter to us: the ability to make a decent living, the ability to buy products at a fair price, the ability to plan our families, the ability to be safe, and the right to be respected by other members of society.

Voters frequently support political candidates for local, state, and national office based on their personal concerns, or on what is most relevant in their own lives. For example, if you are an evangelical Christian, you will support and vote for a candidate who shares your religious views and who will apply those views when creating policy measures. If you are a feminist, you will support and vote for a politician who makes women's rights a priority in terms of creating and supporting policies that benefit women.

Even if one is not overtly political, one will support politicians that speak to one's needs. For example, a former factory worker who has been unemployed for several years and is generally uninterested in politics might support and vote for a candidate who talks about bringing factory jobs back to the United States. This person will vote for that candidate with the hope that he or she will help the former employee find work again.

So, when we talk about politics, we are not only talking about the "wheeling-and-dealing" that goes on in Washington, DC with the aim of creating policy measures to benefit a particular issue or industry. In fact, we are mainly talking about the ways in which policies are created and supported based on the impact that those measures will have on people's lives.

What does the line “and yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought” mean?

When Portia’s father died, he left a strange will. Like a princess in a fairy tale, his beautiful and wealthy daughter is to be given in marriage to any man who can successfully complete a set trial. Each suitor is confronted with three chests: one gold, one silver, and one lead. He is told that one of the three contains Portia’s picture; if he chooses that one, he wins her hand in marriage. If he chooses incorrectly, he must leave her forever.

By the time Portia speaks the line that you’ve quoted — “And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought” — we’ve seen two unsuccessful suitors come and go. Each time, Portia has carried out her part of the ritual just as her father’s will requires. In neither case did she show any hint of emotion: neither attraction nor dislike. Both times she showed herself meekly ready to marry any man who won her. This is correct maidenly behavior: modest obedience to her father, with no expression of her own feelings or wishes.

But now Bassanio has come to undergo the trial. Portia has fallen in love with him, and she finds herself unable to behave with her usual decorum. She dreads the moment when Bassanio chooses the wrong casket, because then he’ll have to leave and she’ll never see him again. Aching to delay the moment of truth, she starts talking. To her own horror, she finds herself telling him exactly how she feels about him. The words come tumbling out, but at the same time Portia knows that Bassanio may well be shocked and repelled to hear them. She assures him that she understands how a young woman is supposed to behave: that “a maiden hath no tongue but thought” — in other words, a virtuous girl doesn’t speak out loud at all, whatever may be going in inside her head. Yet here she is, pouring out her heart. Her whole speech is a tug-of-war between her effort to behave correctly, and her overwhelming desire to confess her love.

Luckily, Bassanio doesn’t seem to mind. He chooses the correct casket, and he and Portia are united.

-------------

PORTIA
(to BASSANIO) I pray you, tarry. Pause a day or two
Before you hazard, for in choosing wrong
I lose your company. Therefore forbear awhile.
There’s something tells me—but it is not love—
I would not lose you, and you know yourself
Hate counsels not in such a quality.
But lest you should not understand me well—
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought—
I would detain you here some month or two
Before you venture for me. I could teach you
How to choose right, but I am then forsworn.
So will I never be. So may you miss me.
But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin,
That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes,
They have o'erlooked me and divided me.
One half of me is yours, the other half yours—
Mine own, I would say. But if mine, then yours,
And so all yours. Oh, these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights!
And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so.
Let Fortune go to hell for it, not I.
I speak too long, but ’tis to peize the time,
To eke it and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.

What diction in the story "The Yellow Wallpaper" relates to the theme: "When one is held in confinement against his/her will, the inability to...

In "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, it is clear by the end of the story that the main character has gone insane. There are several key phrases in the woman's journal that point to the idea that being kept in confinement is what made her crazy. For example, the couple leases a house in the country, remote and isolated. The woman is not allowed the room she wants, but is instead put in the old nursery, where "the windows are barred" (page 2). The readers come to find out that the bed is bolted to the floor, and there is even a gate at the top of the stairs to prevent the woman from going downstairs or outside when she wishes (page 3). Her husband John belittles her and tells her that her ideas are frivolous or unreasonable, placing mental confinements on her - for he also tells her that she must not use her imagination or give in to fancy (pages 2-3). On page 6 he even calls her "little girl." The woman is unable to be creative and must write and even think in secret. Mentally, the yellow wallpaper is another form of confinement. On page 7, the woman realises that in moonlight, the pattern on the wallpaper is bars that trap a creeping woman behind them! The repeated use of the word "bars" on windows and on wallpaper is an example of the diction that reinforces this theme of confinement, as is the constant belittling of the woman by her husband through the use of phrases like "little girl" and "little goose." 

Ultimately, the woman's insanity becomes clear as she bites off a piece of the bed, rips off wallpaper, and locks herself in her room on page 9. "The creeping woman" is a repeated phrase that attests to her insanity, as are her bizarre descriptions of the pattern in the wallpaper - for it is no longer just "bars," but also a pattern that "strangles" and has many "heads" (page 8). The confinement of the house and of her husband drive the woman insane in the end of "The Yellow Wallpaper."

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how does the story of Bruno and Shmuel embody heroic qualities?

In their willingness to go on an adventure, donning "armor," and in their spirit of sacrificing for one another, Bruno and Shmuel embody heroic qualities.

The hero must embrace adventure.  We tend to valorize people as heroes when they undertake something that most of us could not.  Bruno and Shmuel fit this pattern when they decide to take one “final adventure.”  Both boys are dismayed when they realize that Bruno will be leaving for Berlin.  In order to commemorate their friendship, they decide to take a  “great adventure." Bruno and Shmuel are heroes in the way they fearlessly embrace the spirit of adventure.

Heroes have to don "armor" as a part of their adventure. The hero has external clothing which represents the their quest.  In Bruno's and Shmuel's case, it would be the "striped pajamas," or the uniform that prisoners had to wear in Auschwitz.  Bruno sheds his "civilian" clothes as he crosses under the fence and wears "the striped pajamas."  At this moment, both boys are ready to go on their quest.  Even though, Bruno realizes that the clothes do  “not smell very nice,” he sees the clothes as a part of his adventure.  Like a hero, he remembers the words of his "sage" grandparents who told him that "You wear the right outfit and you feel like the person you’re pretending to be."  Bruno and Shmuel are heroic in how their clothing, their "armor," represents their quest.

Heroes inspire because they sacrifice so much for others. This heroic quality is seen in Bruno's and Shmuel's journey.  Bruno has second thoughts about his quest when he sees the people on the other side of the fence "looking horribly sad.”  While he wants to abandon his initial commitment, Bruno is heroic when he realizes that he would be forsaking Shmuel.  He does not want to let his friend down.  Bruno is heroic in the way he sees something more than himself at stake.  He continues his quest because of it. When Bruno and Shmuel are in the gas chamber, unaware of what will happen, Bruno reminds him that they will be "best friends for life."  Bruno and Schmuel die in the gas chamber, having undertaken an adventure and shown unwavering commitment to their friendship.  In this way, their heroism lies in how they sacrifice for something larger than themselves.

Do you think a senior accountant position is a good career in the future? Why?

Senior accountants keep the general ledger for an entire company and are responsible for producing and explaining financial statements to the leadership of a company. They also often manage other accountants, and they analyze and interpret financial data. According to PayScale, the total pay of a senior accountant ranges between $47,956 and $82,563 (pay varies depending on the city where an employee works). 

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (part of the U.S. Department of Labor), there were 1,332,700 senior accountant jobs in 2014. This number will grow by 142,000 from 2014-2024, which is an 11% increase. This increase is faster than average for jobs in the U.S., meaning this field is a good career in the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that as the economy grows, so too does the need for senior accountants. 

What makes up a nation?

The answer to this depends on whether you are asking about the word “nation” in technical, social science, terms or in layman’s terms.   The way that social scientists use the word “nation” is much different than the way regular people use it in everyday life.

In everyday life, people tend to use the word “nation” to mean the same thing as “country.”  We call the US a nation just as we call Brazil a nation or Germany a nation.  In order to be a nation, a place needs to have defined borders that are recognized by other countries.  It has to have a government that is acknowledged to have the right to rule within those boundaries.  Thus, the US is a nation because essentially everyone agrees that we have specific boundaries and that our national government has the right to rule everything inside those boundaries.

In social science, the term “nation” has a very different meaning.  Here, it means something more like “ethnic group.”  A nation, in these terms, is a group of people who feel bound together by some common tie that they have.  This can be such things as their history, their language, their religion, their culture, or their appearance.  When we define nation in this way, it is easy to say what a nation needs to have, but harder to tell if a group qualifies as a nation.  For example, are all Americans part of one nation?  We are of many different ethnic groups, religions, and appearances.  Our cultures and history are somewhat different (because we come from different places) but somewhat similar (because we have mostly all become Americanized to a greater or lesser degree.  Are we a nation?  There is no official way to tell.  Similarly, groups like ISIS feel that all Muslims are bound by their religion and should be one nation, but not all Muslims feel this way.  Again, there is no official way to tell if they are a nation.

A “nation,” then, is made up of different things depending on how we are using the term.  In layman’s terms, a nation is made up of the landmass that lies within given boundaries and is ruled by a government.  In social science terms, a nation is made up of people who feel connected to one another because of some shared characteristic or characteristics.

How did Atticus try to protect his family?

Atticus does his best to protect his family by absorbing an extensive amount of criticism from his community without negatively responding. Atticus' ability to control his emotions and behave in a tolerant, peaceful manner, protects his family by deescalating much of the tension surrounding the case. When Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes, Atticus makes his son read to her as a punishment, even though Mrs. Dubose initiated the conflict. After the trial, Atticus lets Bob Ewell curse and spit in his face without responding. Atticus hoped that Bob would have got all the hate out of his system, and in doing so, Atticus was attempting to protect Jem and Scout. In Chapter 15, when Jem and Scout find Atticus sitting outside of Maycomb's jailhouse surrounded by a mob, Atticus is quick to tell them to go home. Atticus understands that his children are in a dangerous situation and attempts to protect them by telling Jem and Scout to leave. Throughout the entire novel, Atticus does his best to protect Jem and Scout from becoming prejudiced individuals like the rest of their community members. Atticus protects his children from becoming racists by standing up for what is right, giving them important life lessons, and courageously defending Tom Robinson.

In "Once Upon a Time," how does the cat symbolize and support the theme?

The cat in "Once Upon a Time" symbolically supports three themes of the story. 

First, the cat represents the couple's unquenchable fear. For most of the story, the couple keeps making "improvements" to their home that they think will make them more secure so they won't have to be afraid of break-ins and burglaries from the "people of another color." The cat is still able to get through the barred windows and over the extended wall. When the cat manages to get through each new security upgrade, it shows that the couple's fears cannot be assuaged by creating physical barriers. 

Next, the cat symbolizes that the couple's fears are baseless. The cats in the neighborhood continually set off the burglar alarms. This represents the fact that the couple's fears are "false alarms." If anything, they are worried about the wrong thing. Instead of worrying about protecting their possessions and status, they should be worried about bringing justice and stability to their society by addressing the underlying causes of the social unrest that is wracking their community. This supports the theme that fear of "the other" is baseless; once people get to know each other, they can live in mutual respect in a win-win relationship.

At the end of the story, the cat represents wisdom and foresight. The husband assures his wife that the cat will not attempt to get over the wall with the Dragon's Teeth in place because "cats always look before they leap." This supports the theme that people must evaluate their actions in terms of those actions' future repercussions. Being short-sighted and caring only for one's own tribe at the expense of the larger society will produce tragedy in the end, as the couple finds out when their son dies by becoming enmeshed in the trap his parents created.

The cat symbolizes fear, false alarm, and foresight, reinforcing several themes in the story.

In what sense is the process of making a quilt an appropriate metaphor for the plot of Trifles by Susan Glaspell?

The process of making a quilt is an appropriate metaphor--an explication of one thing by a reference to another--for the plot of Trifles because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters piece together the small occurrences and the details that complete the design of the murder of Mr. Wright.

While Mrs. Hale, the neighbor, and Mrs. Peters, the wife of the sheriff, wait for their husbands, who are upstairs with the county attorney, Mrs. Hale finds a quilt on which Mrs. Wright has been working. Discovering some erratic stitching, Mrs. Hale impulsively pulls it out and re-sews it. Then, Mrs. Peters gathers up the articles of clothing requested by Mrs. Wright, who is in jail. As she looks for some paper and string with which to wrap these things, Mrs. Peters discovers a bird-cage that has the hinge on the door torn apart. Examining it, the women wonder about the bird that was in it. But, it is not long before they discover the canary enclosed in a pretty box which they thought might contain scissors.

MRS. HALE.  But, Mrs. Peters--look at it. Its neck! Look at its neck! It's all--other side to.
MRS. PETERS.  Somebody wrung--the--its neck.

Later, the women piece occurrences together as if they have been quilting their thoughts:

• The rope around Mr. Wright's neck that has been used to choke Mr. Wright to death is the Wright's. So, probably no one has entered their house.


• Mrs. Wright must have been sewing her quilt when Mr. Wright angrily and cruelly silenced the canary after pulling open the cage.


• This little bird and its pretty song have brought her the only joy that Mrs. Wright has had in her isolated life. The significance of this bird to the lonely Mrs. Wright has probably been tremendous. Its death, then, may have caused her to become unhinged emotionally, and her thoughts have become much like the erratic stitching on the quilt.


• She has probably killed her husband in the same manner that her pretty songbird had been killed.

Why did Hitler target Jewish people?

To understand why Hitler targeted Jewish people, it is useful to look at Nazi racial ideology. These ideas were developed by Hitler and published in his autobiography, Mein Kampf. According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Hitler believed that the Jews were a subhuman race of people and that they posed a genuine threat to the survival of his own race - the Aryans. In this respect, it was Hitler's racial duty to stamp them out. (See the first reference link provided).

Hitler also targeted the Jews because he believed that they were responsible for many of Germany's failings. He blamed them for the collapse of the economy, for example, and for Germany's defeat in World War One. Hitler also believed that the Jews planned on taking over the world and that they must be stopped before this could happen. (See the second reference link for more information).

Can you connect to the narrator's feelings and experiences in the poem ''The Road Not Taken'' by Robert Frost?

I'll answer this question with a personal example, as I can't speak for your unique, individual experience. However, hopefully my own response will give you some guidance and/or inspiration to respond to the question yourself. 

In general, I take Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" to be a depiction of the process of making important decisions, and the inability to do everything that one wants to do. Indeed, at the end, the speaker notes that the path he's chosen in life "has made all the difference" (20), and the statement has a ring of melancholy to it, as if he wonders what might have been had he made other choices. I can certainly connect to such an idea; once one becomes an adult, it's impossible to avoid thinking about the different jobs one could have taken, or the different places one could have visited. I know exactly how the speaker feels, as I often wish I could experience everything at once and were not forced to make decisions.

Your own connection to the poem depends on your personal interpretation of it and your unique experiences. I'd encourage you to read the poem carefully and think of personal experiences you've had that you can connect to Frost's poetry. 

What is an example of an argument that is valid but not deductively valid?

A deductive argument is one that provides a guarantee of the conclusion reached through that argument being true as long as the argument's premises themselves are true. 

So, let's look at an example:

If the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 PM on April 14, 1912, then Donald Trump is a cockroach. 

The Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 PM on April 14, 1912.

Therefore, Donald Trump is a cockroach. 

In this example, the structure of the argument itself is valid. It follows the pattern:

If P, then Q.

P.

So Q.

Technically, this argument is valid because according to the logical setup of the argument, it is impossible for its premises to be true while its conclusion is false. That being said, this does not make it deductively sound (which I think is what you were really trying to ask in your question!), as the premises here are false. The Titanic did hit an iceberg at that time and date, but that has no connection to whether or not Donald Trump is a cockroach. Donald Trump is actually not a cockroach, but rather the Republican's candidate for President--a human being. Thus, you have a valid but unsound argument. 

How do I start a thorough analysis of the poem "The Good-Morrow" by John Donne?

To write a solid analysis of this poem, you might begin with the significance of the title "The Good-Morrow."  Take this title, which means "good morning," and apply it to the structure and themes of the poem itself. Notice that in the beginning of the poem, the speaker contrasts the lovers' lives before they met each other and after. To emphasize this contrast, he refers to sleeping and waking. Before the lovers met, it was as if they lived in the "Seven Sleepers' den" or a dream world.  

The second stanza takes this contrast a bit further. The title of the poem "The Good-Morrow" is mentioned here as the speaker goes on to show how the lovers are presently. It's as if their souls have awakened to the knowledge that their love is all they need, that their love forms a world which makes them superior to all still searching for fulfillment:

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one. 

In the last stanza, the speaker describes the physical position of the two lovers, who are now wide awake and looking into each other's eyes. In their eyes, they see a world without coldness or harshness ("sharp north") and without end ("declining west"). Using the metaphor of eyes which reflect the images of each other, Donne writes,

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears

and then connecting the roundness of the eye to the globe or world, the speaker shows both the perfect union and the eternity of their love. The lovers are saying good morning to each other, the union of their souls, and the everlasting quality of their love.

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.  

Aside from the title and its connection to the contrasts and metaphors within the poem, you might look at how the sounds of the worlds reflect the poet's meanings. For instance, the last three lines of the first stanza contain repetition of the long "e" sound. This assonance creates a gentle and reverent tone as the speaker describes his lover's beauty and her superiority to any other woman he has ever met. The internal rhyme in the last stanza, 

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

brilliantly echoes the idea of unity: "thine" and "mine."  

There are many other facets of this poem that you might explore. I have included some links below that may give you more ideas.  

What questions do the naysayers ask in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from the Birmingham Jail"?

When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and put into jail in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 12, 1963, he received a copy of the April 13 edition of the Birmingham Post Herald, which published a public letter from eight local clergymen who criticized King, calling his demonstrations “unwise and untimely.” King responded to this letter with counter-arguments to their points:

• King is accused of being an "outsider" who should not have come to Birmingham. 

It is noteworthy that Dr. King met on occasion with the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King. In 1963, Rev. Shuttlesworth invited King to Birmingham, saying, "If you come to Birmingham, you will not only gain prestige, but really shake the country. If you win in Birmingham, as Birmingham goes, so goes the nation." When Dr. King responded to the "naysayers," he pointed to his organizational ties with Birmingham to which he had come previously to meet with Rev. Shuttlesworth.

King adds that he "cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham" because there is an interconnectedness between all people who are treated unjustly.

• The clergymen urge Dr. King to wait for the appropriate time.

King responds that "injustice is here," and non-violent action is necessary. He says that whenever injustice exists, it must be confronted because historically privileged groups never willingly relinquish their power. Instead, King says privileged groups only respond if there is a stirring of people's consciences, or some other tension that demands resolution. Therefore, the demonstrations were appropriately timed.

Specifically, King alludes to the promises of certain business leaders to remove the discriminatory signs from store and restaurant windows. After a while, signs which were previously taken down reappeared. Later, the SCLC learned the mayoral election was soon to occur, so they postponed action. When it was announced that Eugene "Bull" Connor was running, "We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action." He adds, “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

• The clergymen ask Dr. King why he has chosen "direct action" and not negotiation.

In response to this question, Dr. King contends direct action is the what leads to negotiation. Unless the city leaders of Birmingham thought they needed to stop the action, they would not even consider negotiation.

The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. 

As support for this argument, Dr. King alludes to the stirring of the minds of the Greek people by the great philosopher Socrates, who felt it necessary to create a tension in them to release them from their myths and half truths so they could move to "the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal."

• The clergymen ask why the SCLC did not wait to negotiate with Mr. Boutwell, the new mayor of Birmingham, before taking action.

King argues that, while Mayor Boutwell is not as radical as "Bull" Connor, he, too, is a segregationist who desires to maintain the status quo. Therefore, nothing would change unless action was taken.

Dr. King concludes, 

My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.

What are three primary noise factors that can disrupt workplace communication? How can they be overcome?

Several forms of "noise" can disrupt workplace communications. In this context, noise can be used in a literal, physical sense or as a technical term in communication theory meaning anything that interferes with transmission or communication of a signal.

On a simple physical level, noise can disrupt or limit effective communication. Loud music, heavy machinery, or extraneous noises can make it impossible to hear what other people are saying or make it hard to concentrate. This is often considered a significant downside to open office plans.

Psychological noise includes the mental baggage we bring into communications, such as racial or gender stereotyping and our own preconceptions, that may get in the way of our paying attention to what other people are trying to communicate.

Physiological noise includes issues such a pain, thirst, hunger, alcohol consumption, or sleep deprivation that may serve to distract us from focusing on the message the sender is communicating. 

According to Montresor, what makes a perfect crime in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

Montresor feels like a crime is not the perfect crime unless you get away with it. 

This story is about a man who meticulously plans and carries out another man’s murder. He gives no reason for the murder except for some unmentioned, vague “injuries” of which we get no specifics. Nonetheless, Montresor feels he has cause to murder Fortunato.  

I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. 

Basically, what Montresor is saying here is that if he does not get away with the murder, he will have failed to achieve perfect revenge. Therefore, he plans to get Fortunato at Carnival time, when he will be drinking and feeling lighthearted. This will allow Montresor to catch him off guard. To lure Fortunato in, Montresor tells him he has a special cask of wine for him to evaluate.

Montresor’s plan is to take Fortunato into the catacombs and brick him into the wall. By the time Fortunato realizes what is happening, it is too late. At the end of the story, we learn it has been fifty years since Montresor bricked Fortunato up into the wall, and he has apparently been able to get away with it.

I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.

It seems Montresor did get away with it. So who is he telling the story to? Does he have a guilty conscience? What is the significance of the line “In pace requiescat” (rest in peace)? Is it intended ironically, or does Montresor feel bad? We can only speculate answers to these questions.

How did Bartolome de Las Casas characterize the native population? How do you think they would have responded to this description?

Las Casas characterized indigenous people as human beings in a setting where they were seen as objects of material wealth.

Las Casas was passionately against slavery because he saw its targets as human beings.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, who supported the institution of slavery, he did not see the indigenous population as solely objects of material wealth.  Rather, when he participated in the colonization of Cuba, he saw victims of slavery as human beings: "I saw here cruelty on a scale no living being has ever seen or expects to see."  When Las Casas writes of cruelty, he displays empathy with those who have suffered injustice.  Las Casas saw indigenous people as ends in and of themselves, and not as a means to an end:  “The reason why the Christians have killed and destroyed such an infinite number of souls is that they have been moved by their wish for gold and their desire to enrich themselves in a very short time.”

Las Casas saw the "wish for gold" and the coveting of material profit as driving forces behind slavery. In his writing, Las Casas sought to create a  compassionate portrait of indigenous people.  He characterized them in traditional Christian terms of charity, good will, and obedience:  "And of all the infinite universe of humanity, these people are the most guileless, the most devoid of wickedness and duplicity, the most obedient and faithful to their native masters and to the Spanish Christians whom they serve." Las Casas suggested that those who were targeted as slaves were "most devoid of rancors, hatreds, or desire for vengeance of any people in the world."  In his writing and advocacy, Las Casas saw indigenous people as more than just tools for profit.  His characterizations reflected depth, understanding, and empathy.

Once convinced of slavery's immorality, Las Casas spent the bulk of his time in Spain trying to eradicate the institution.  Indigenous people would have responded favorably to Las Casas and his ideas.  His understanding towards those victimized by slavery was radical, reflective in the resistance that fellow Spaniards displayed towards him.  His actions underscored the courage of his convictions.  Las Casas himself was the owner of slaves and possessed an encomienda in Cuba.  However, when he realized that slavery was antithetical to Christian ideals, Las Casas gave up his holdings and freed his slaves.  It is fair to say that those who were freed would have viewed Las Casas as different than other Spaniards. They would have seen him as honorable and decent, and much different than others who participated in the slave trade.

What did Eckels do in the past that has far-reaching consequences in "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury?

When he travels into the pre-historic past, Eckels steps off the anti-gravity path made by Time Safari, Inc., and in so doing, he kills a butterfly. This act has consequences that reach all the way to present time.

At the beginning of the story, it is a nervous Eckels who arrives at the Time Safari, Inc., office: 

A warm phlegm gathered in Eckels’s throat; he swallowed and pushed it down.

The man at the desk introduces Eckels to his guide, who is named Travis, and he gives Eckels instructions on what the trip is like and how he should conduct himself. When Eckels, his guide and the others arrive, Mr. Travis instructs Eckels very precisely on how to shoot the dinosaur that he has paid to hunt. Then Travis points to the Path that has been laid by Time Safari. This anti-gravity metal floats above the ground so that the men can walk without touching so much as a blade of grass. In this way nothing from the Past will be changed.

"Stay on the Path. Don’t go off it. I repeat. Don’t go off. For any reason! If you fall off, there’s a penalty. And don’t shoot any animal we don’t okay."

Eckels is also told that he absolutely must not step off this path because if he does, he can change the entire history of the world. This warning proves to be true. When the massive Tyrannosaurus Rex thunders out of the jungle, Eckels becomes paralyzed with fear, and tells his guides that he miscalculated on the dinosaur's size. "This is too much for me to get hold of." An angry Travis instructs Eckels to get back on the time ship and hide there. But, because he is so frightened, Eckels steps off the path.

Upon his return to Safari Inc., Eckels surprisingly finds things greatly altered. President Keith's opponent has won the election; the words on signs are illegible to Eckels. There is a slight chemical smell in the air, and the man behind the desk is not the same one as when he first arrived. Nervously, Eckels recalls what he was told about the path, and he fumbles with the slime that is on his boots. 

Embedded in the mud, glistening green and gold and black, was a butterfly, very beautiful and very dead. “Not a little thing like that! Not a butterfly!” cried Eckels.

He cannot imagine that the death of this insect has so altered his world. Eckels drops to his knees, begging to take the insect back, to return everything to the way it was. But it is too late. For, he hears Travis click the safety catch of his rifle, and "there was a sound of thunder."

Describe the character traits of Okonkwo, Nwoye, Obierika.

Okonkwo is an insensitive, powerful individual who is attracted to violence. He is also a proud man who values titles and prestige throughout his tribe. Despite Okonkwo's achievements, he is ignorant and continually loses his temper. Okonkwo's anger stems from his insecurity. Okonkwo fears becoming like his father and deliberately represses his emotions in order to appear masculine. Okonkwo thrives off of emotion and struggles to communicate with others. His quick temper and stubbornness result in his downfall.

Nwoye is Okonkwo’s naive son. Throughout the novel, Nwoye does not understand Umuofia's culture and is confused about the fate of the twins and death of Ikemefuna. He is also sensitive and does not share Okonkwo's affinity for violence. Unlike Okonkwo, Nwoye is sympathetic and gentle. Nwoye eventually decides to join the Christian church in order to find a peaceful, structured life.

Obierika is Okonkwo's trustworthy, reasonable friend. Unlike Okonkwo, Obierika is thoughtful and intelligent. He is also compassionate and selfless. He tries his best to help his family, Okonkwo, and his tribe throughout the novel. Obierika gives Okonkwo advice and shares his wisdom, but Okonkwo rarely listens to him.

What is the main conflict in Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember?

The central conflict in Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember can be identified as a character vs. environment conflict.

In the story, the city of Ember was designed by scientists and builders as an underground refuge in hopes of preserving humanity in the case of an apocalyptic event such as a nuclear war. However, the builders designed the city in such a way that it would only last long enough for Earth to recover from the apocalyptic event. The builders speculate that the citizens of Ember should only remain in Ember "for at least two hundred years ... perhaps two hundred and twenty" ("The Instructions"). Therefore, the builders stocked the city with only enough provisions to last approximately two hundred years. The builders also left instructions for the citizens detailing the way out of Ember so that they can return to Earth's surface and begin repopulating Earth. However, since the builders did not want to create any panic or a premature mass exodus from Ember, they also kept the instructions a secret to be maintained by the mayor until the two hundred years had passed. Unfortunately, due to corruption, the instructions were lost, and the time to leave the city is now past due. Ember's power generator is failing, and the city is dangerously low on supplies; both of these problems put Ember in jeopardy of having its own apocalyptic event. Most of the characters in the story are willing to passively do nothing about the situation beyond hoard supplies for themselves and hope to be rescued. Lina and Doon, the protagonists, are the only two characters willing to actively pursue a rescue plan by searching for a way out of the city. As they search, they run into a conflict with the mayor, whom they discover is hoarding supplies for himself and not finding a solution to Ember's problem. They also run into a conflict with many members of society who are willing to keep waiting to be rescued rather than actively pursue solutions like Lina and Doon. Since Lina and Doon are at odds with their failing environment and at odds with the rest of society, we can clearly see that the central conflict in the story is character vs. environment.

But, as Lina and Doon pursue finding a way to save Ember, they battle with their own internal conflicts as well. Once Lina finds what is left of the important-looking paper that had been in the special box, she must battle being frustrated by others who don't see the document as important. Similarly, Doon must battle controlling feeling angry about the situation because, as his father says, anger can lead to "unintended consequences," and Doon must be more constructive if he is going to find a solution to the city's problem (Ch. 6). Both Doon and Lina must also battle with feelings of disappointment when they fail at first to find the door the instructions speak of and feelings of doubt that the instructions are important. All of these are character vs. self conflicts that Lina and Doon must overcome to bring the story to a successful resolution.

In "The Destructors" by Graham Greene, how does Mr. Thomas's house reflect the character of the postwar era?

Mr. Thomas's house in "The Destructors" reflects the character of the postwar era in Britain (after World War II) because the house has been shattered by a bomb during the air raids carried out by the Nazis. Greene writes that the house "literally leaned, for it had suffered from the blast of the bomb and the side walls were supported on wooden struts." The neighborhood around it has been destroyed by incendiary bombs, so the house sticks up "like a jagged tooth." Though the house has architectural importance, as it was built by the famous architect Christopher Wren, its owner, Mr. Thomas, does not fix it. Instead, he uses a bathroom in a shed in the garden. This type of frugal living is also characteristic of postwar Britain, which experienced what was called "The Age of Austerity." The government was bankrupt from fighting the war, and people continued to be subject to rationing for many years after the end of the war. 

What are three reasons why Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird is such a special father?

One reason why Atticus is such a special father is that he has a great deal of integrity and makes an excellent role model for Scout and Jem. Even though defending Tom Robinson, an African American man, is a very unpopular choice in Maycomb, Atticus does so anyway because he knows it's the right thing to do. He says, "Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man" (page 108). He has a great deal of integrity and cares more about living up to his ideals than pleasing other people, so he sets a good example for his children. 

Another reason he's a special father is that he encourages his children without pushing them. For example, Scout learns to read by climbing into his lap every night and reading what he's reading. He doesn't push her to read, but he gives her the right type of encouraging situation in which to learn to read naturally. 

Finally, Atticus is a special father because he demands that Jem and Scout respect everyone, even people of lower social status or with whom he disagrees. For example, he forces Jem to apologize to Mrs. Dubose, who is a nasty and cranky older woman who berates Jem and Scout in part because Atticus is defending Tom Robinson. Even though what Mrs. Dubose says is offensive, Atticus forces Jem to apologize to her (and later Jem has to read to her), as Atticus demands that his children treat everyone with respect.

In "Rikki- Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling, what words in the description of Rikki let the reader know that he moves around a lot?

When Kipling describes Rikki's actions, he uses action verbs, adjectives, and phrases to give the reader the sense that Rikki is almost always in motion. Usually when Rikki goes somewhere, Kipling says he "ran"; other verbs used are "sprung," "jumped," "danced," "scuttled," "raced," and "bounding." These action verbs convey the idea that Rikki often moves quickly. He frequently does several motions in quick succession. As soon as he was dried off when he first came to the bungalow, he "ran all around the table, sat up and put his fur in order, scratched himself, and jumped on the small boy's shoulder." Describing this series of actions in a list shows that Rikki has a frenetic way of moving around.

Adjectives that describe Rikki are "restless" and "curious." These show that he doesn't like to remain in one spot. When Teddy goes to bed, Rikki is a "restless companion," getting up to check on every little noise in the bungalow.

Phrases that give the idea that Rikki moves around a lot include "all around the table," "over the house," "in and out of the house all day long," "to and fro," and "bounding all around." These phrases also show that Rikki covers a lot of ground, rarely staying still. 

Action verbs, adjectives, and phrases in the story help the reader picture how active Rikki is.

What kind of actions did the British take to get money from colonists, and do you think the reactions of the colonists were justified?

The British used several methods to get money from the colonists. The British were concerned that the colonies were becoming more expensive to run after the French and Indian War ended. The British believed that since the colonists were benefiting from the British presence, they should share in the cost of running the colonies. For example, the British military protected the colonists from attacks from other nations or groups.

The British did a few things to get more money from the colonists. First, the British decided to more strictly enforce some of the trade laws that existed. The British cracked down on smuggling with the passage of the Sugar Act. This law lowered the taxes on sugar but increased enforcement of this law. With stricter enforcement of this law, the British hoped to gain more tax revenue.

The British also passed a few additional tax laws. The Stamp Act required the colonists to pay a tax when they bought newspapers or playing cards. They also had to pay a tax on legal documents. In 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed. The Townshend Acts placed taxes on imported products such as glass, tea, and other products.

The colonists weren’t happy with these taxes, and they took various actions to protest them. The colonists certainly had a valid point that they didn't have representatives in Parliament that could speak about and vote on these proposed taxes, which is a right that British citizens have. These taxes were one of the factors leading to the Revolutionary War.

How does priming prompt consumers to think about a particular product? How can it help affirm biases about a product? What are three examples of...

Whenever an individual is presented with a stimulus, his or her brain will immediately activate neurons encoding related stimuli, and will for a short time find those related stimuli more salient. Seeing the word "snow" will make you recognize the word "cold" faster. Hearing the word "sadness" will make you better at reading the word "despair." This effect is called "priming," and it is believed to be quite fundamental to how the brain processes information.

Businesses often take advantage of priming in the design of advertising. By presenting and timing stimuli, they can draw consumers toward making positive associations with their product or negative associations with a competitor's product, often without the consumer even realizing they are being influenced. The effect is usually small, but it can be large enough to make a significant difference in a company's profit margin. Priming is often used to create a bias in the interpretation of ambiguous information—we're not sure whether something is true or not, so we tend to assume the prime is correct. In effect, we will think in terms of demanding proof that the prime is wrong, rather than a neutral assessment of whether the assertion is true.

Here's an interesting negative example, a commercial for the Microsoft Surface 2-in-1 laptop:

The commercial notably does not prime the name "Microsoft" or "Windows" because they know Microsoft has a somewhat negative reputation among some consumers. Instead, they show the product first, along with a diverse cast of users enjoying the product, and only use the name "Microsoft" at the end of the commercial. The diverse cast of users encourages consumers to identify themselves as one of the many types of people who would enjoy the product, and they are then primed to have positive associations with the product before they even learn it is a Surface made by Microsoft.

Other companies intentionally present their names first, and often have names designed to prime particular expectations. Here's a recent commercial for the Easy-Bake Oven that opens immediately with the name:

What does the name "Easy-Bake" prime us for? Clearly, the idea that baking with this product will be easy to do. In fact, its name is meaningless—it's just a name—but from the moment we hear it, we will form that expectation. As long as the rest of the commercial doesn't obviously contradict that assumption, we will continue to hold it, even if the commercial actually presents no real evidence that it is true. If a brand has positive connotations, often simply presenting the brand name repeatedly without any actual information about the product is enough to make customers more likely to buy the product.

When you go to HP.com, what is the first thing you see? It's a gigantic ad for the HP Spectre Laptop:
http://www.hp.com/
This is a bit strange, as anyone going to the site probably has something else in mind besides buying that particular laptop. It does serve a very important function for HP, though: it primes you to think about that laptop, and makes positive associations about its capabilities and visual appeal. You will probably not buy that laptop today, but the thought has been placed in your mind, and with enough repetition it may eventually motivate you to return to the site to purchase that laptop.

Grocery stores are laid out in a particular way to prime certain associations:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1779611/how-whole-foods-primes-you-shop
They put fresh flowers in front so the first thing you see is something fresh and beautiful, an association you will carry on to the rest of your shopping experience. As long as the produce is not obviously not fresh, you will assume it is fresh because you have been primed by something fresh.

Did Great Britain declare war on Germany in World War I?

In response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war against the Serbians.  This occurred in July of 1914 and it was the beginning of World War I.  In August of that same year, the Germans invaded Belgium.  About seventy-five years before, Britain had entered into a treaty called the Treaty of London.  One condition of the treaty was that Britain would protect and defend Belgium in the event of invasion.  If Britain had not defended Belgium after the invasion by Germany, they would have been in violation of the Treaty of London.  In addition, the location of Belgium was close to Britain.  If the Germans ruled Belgium, they could easily attack Britain if they chose to.  The Germans hoped that Britain would not get involved, despite their invasion of Belgium.  The British, however, chose to honor the conditions of the Treaty of London.  They declared war on Germany on August 4th, 1914.

What additional personality traits do you come to know about the three friends -- the writer, George, and Harris -- in the third chapter of...

Here the men decide what to take along on their river trip. As usual, the task generates much debate and discussion. The narrator, known as J., is quick to judge and assess people. He equates Harris with his own Uncle Podger: a man who claims to know much and to be able to do much, but who falls short when it comes to implementation. We already see that J. goes on tangents when reporting on any topic. He also prefers to wear “red bathing drawers” whenever he goes to the shore.

Harris comes out as described by J., above. This attribute will surface again when Harris makes an attempt to cook scrambled eggs in Chapter XI.

George appears to be the most methodical and decisive of the three, and he is the most helpful in this task. He’s the one who makes the list and who nails down exactly what they will need. He decides on using the canvas boat cover instead of a tent. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know everything that he claims to know, either. He suggests that they will be able to wash their flannel suits in the river. They’ll try to do this in Chapter XVII, with poor results. J. is quite hard here on George: “We were to know in the days to come, when it was too late, that George was a miserable impostor, who could evidently have known nothing whatever about the matter.” This harsh foreshadowing tells us much about both George and J.

What are the characteristics of the characters in Chapter 1 of Steinbeck's The Pearl?

The main character is Kino.  Kino is an aboriginal in Baja California.  He is a fisherman, and he lives in a brush hut in a village by the sea with his wife Juana and their baby Coyotito.  Kino feels a deep connection to the past.  Heritage is very important to him.  He loves his wife and child, and considers his role as provider important.  Masculinity is important to him. 

Kino has a violent temper, as evidenced by his reaction to the scorpion who bit his son.

Then, snarling, Kino had it, had it in his fingers, rubbing it to a paste in his hands. He threw it down and beat it into the earth floor with his fist, and Coyotito screamed with pain in his box. But Kino beat and stamped the enemy until it was only a fragment and a moist place in the dirt. (Ch. 1) 

Kino continues to attack the scorpion long after there is no value in doing so.  Kino is a passionate man.  When Juana wants to take Coyotito to the doctor and the doctor refuses them for not having money, he gets angry again and punches the gate, injuring his hand.  It is another useless angry gesture of hopelessness. 

Juana is Kino’s steadfast mate.  She is always there for him.  Her eyes are open as soon as his are in the morning.  She takes care of him and their son, making them breakfast.  When the scorpion attacks, she says prayers in old magic and sucks the poison out while her husband hovers helplessly by. 

But Juana had the baby in her arms now. She found the puncture with redness starting from it already. She put her lips down over the puncture and sucked hard and spat and sucked again while Coyotito screamed. (Ch. 1) 

Unlike Kino, who lashes out in helpless anger, Juana acts in a mixture of practicality and hopefulness.  She believes in the old magic, yet she calls for a doctor.  Both of these are acts of dreaming, because neither are likely to help.  Yet at the same time she takes practical action in sucking out the poison. 

The doctor is another important character in this chapter.  He represents the colonial establishment.  The people of the village know the doctor. 

And they knew the doctor. They knew his ignorance, his cruelty, his avarice, his appetites, his sins. They knew his clumsy abortions and the little brown pennies he gave sparingly for alms. They had seen his corpses go into the church. (Ch. 1) 

To him, the Indians are animals. He refuses to treat Kino because he doesn’t have money.  He considers himself above all of them, and couldn’t care less that a baby is sick. 

"True happiness lies neither in material possessions nor in knowledge or learning." Prove this statement in the light of the story "The Bet" by...

The statement in your question is meant to be applied to both the lawyer and the banker from Chekhov's short story "The Bet."  The lawyer believes that life in prison is more humane than execution, and the banker disagrees.  The two men set up a bet, and the lawyer stands to win a lot of money if he stays in solitary confinement for fifteen years.  

While in prison, the lawyer educates himself constantly.  By the end of his fifteen years, he makes a claim that he is wiser than anybody else.  

"Your books have given me wisdom. All that the unresting thought of man has created in the ages is compressed into a small compass in my brain. I know that I am wiser than all of you."

Unfortunately, the only thing that his wisdom and knowledge have brought the lawyer is jaded cynicism of just about everything.  He despises people and is genuinely an unhappy man. 

"And I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage."

The lawyer then intentionally forfeits the bet five hours early, and the banker gets to keep his money.  The banker is not happy about it though.  The banker was prepared to kill the lawyer in order to ensure victory in the bet, but the banker didn't do it after reading the lawyer's note.  Instead of being happy that he won the bet and getting to keep his money, the banker is despised with himself.  He realizes what a terrible person he has become in the pursuit of wealth.  

At no other time, even when he had lost heavily on the Stock Exchange, had he felt so great a contempt for himself. When he got home he lay on his bed, but his tears and emotion kept him for hours from sleeping.

The story then does a nice job of illustrating the statement in your question.  Neither money nor wisdom brought either man happiness.  

Who was Robert C. Weaver and what did he do?

Robert C. Weaver was a prominent policymaker in the mid-twentieth century who worked tirelessly to improve the rights of his fellow African Americans. 

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1907, Weaver studied economics at Harvard University and earned his PhD in 1934. He immediately entered public service and worked in a number of governmental departments as part of the New Deal program. Most notably, Weaver was appointed a member of Roosevelt's Black Cabinet, where he advised the government on public policy for America's black citizens. 

Weaver was committed to improving racial equality in the United States. In 1960, he became the chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Six years later, in 1966, Weaver became the first African American to serve as a member of the Cabinet when he was appointed the Head of the Department of Housing and Development by President Johnson in 1966. He occupied this position for two years before becoming a lecturer in public policy. Weaver died in 1997. 

Please see the reference links provided for more information.

What is the main event in Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Fever 1793 is a work of historical fiction by Laurie Halse Anderson concerning a widespread illness known as "Yellow Fever" spread by infected mosquitoes that many people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania contracted during the summer of 1793.

Varying reasons contributed to the devastating affect of this fever, including hot, humid weather and the lack of medical knowledge and expertise concerning treatment of the illness.

At the time, the fever was incorrectly regarded as contagious between humans and resulting from "rotting vegetable matter" (see the Harvard link below). Because of this misunderstanding of the nature of yellow fever, treatment rarely proved effective, and many who contracted the sickness died.

Mattie Cook, the main character in the book, fears contracting the fever, grieves over deaths of those she loves because of the fever, and is in danger from those seeking to profit from the social and economic upheaval the fever incurs. While the book is a work of fiction, the context of yellow fever ravaging Philadelphia in 1793 is a historical fact. The author incorporates many true anecdotes that occurred because of the fever and creates believable characters in this gripping story.

Are war and violence the only options to removing bad leaders?

It depends on the type of system in place and the circumstances between the people and their leader/s. War and violence are not the only options available to remove bad leaders, but sometimes such action is necessary.

In The Caucasian Chalk Circle, the Fat Prince staged a coup and murdered the governor. However, the coup was reversed, and the Grand Duke regained control. The story suggests that the governor was legitimately in authority, however, the prince, yearned for power leading to the violent takeover.

In a monarchy system of governance, authority and power are inherited. In a democracy, the people participate in selecting their leader. Public participation in republics reduces chances of war and violence because there is due process outlined in universally binding agreements such as the constitution. The agreement would generally provide the people with an opportunity to exercise their preferences by selecting another leader through a free and fair election.

In monarchies or dictatorial regimes, such opportunities are not available to the people forcing them to rise up in arms when faced with bad leaders. An example of such scenarios would be the French, American and English Revolutions.

How does Steinbeck explore the theme of loneliness through the character of Crooks in Of Mice and Men?

Crooks is the African-American stable hand on the ranch.  He is lonely because his race and his position place him on the bottom of the food chain.  He does not bunk with the other guys, instead living on his own in the stable.  He also doesn’t socialize with them.

The first introduction of Crooks demonstrates his loneliness.

The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head; a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eyes patient. "Mr. Slim."

Slim took his eyes from old Candy. "Huh? Oh! Hello, Crooks. What's'a matter?" (Ch. 3) 

The only person who is nice to Crooks is Slim, because Slim is confident in his position and able to treat anyone with respect.  Crooks is always on the outside looking in.  As an African-American, he is a complete outcast.  He is also one of the few permanent residents at the ranch, living in the stable. 

The description of Crooks’s room and his possessions are symbolic of his isolation.  His possessions can be scattered about because he is the only one who is ever in there.  There is no need to clean up or consider anyone else’s needs.  He has also been there, alone, for a long time. 

And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, and being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men, and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back. (Ch. 4)

Crooks is described as a "proud, aloof man," but this is also self-protection.  He knows that people avoid him, so he avoids them.  He tells Lennie to stay out, because he wants his own space.  Lennie doesn't understand racism, because he has the mind of a child.  He just wants to see the puppies.

What made Harrison Bergeron special?

The society in this short story functions under the mercy of an oppressive government. The year is 2081 and thanks to the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments, a drastic enforcement of equality has been put into place. This enforcement is led by the Handicapper General. In efforts to make people more equal, it is the Handicapper General's job to give handicaps to people who exhibit physical and/or mental abilities that are above that of the average person. The end goal is to restrict any such talented people so that everyone has essentially the same physical and mental abilities. 

Harrison Bergeron is special because he has extraordinary abilities. No one is as gifted as he is. He is only fourteen years old but he stands seven feet tall. He is so physically and mentally gifted that he continues to outgrow any handicaps the "H-G men" come up with. Fearing his abilities, the government arrests Harrison. Harrison then escapes and breaks free of his restraints. The tragic irony is that instead of criticizing the corrupt abuse of power that has handicapped him in the first place, he asserts his own power and declares himself emperor. 

When natural disasters like floods, droughts and earthquakes occur, what kinds of diseases take place?

Immediately following a natural disaster, many individuals suffer from injuries caused by the incident.  These may include blunt traumas, burn injuries and crush-related impairments.  Infectious disease incidents are not necessarily associated with the disaster itself but with the after-effects of the catastrophic event.   Poor conditions such as a lack of appropriate health care, poor sanitation and water conditions, and unplanned and crowded living conditions can all increase the incidence of infectious diseases.  The most commonly occurring diseases are water-borne diseases which include Diarrheal diseases, Leptospirosis, and Hepatitis.  However, air-borne and droplet diseases can also occur including Influenza, Pneumonia, Measles, Meningococcal Meningitis, and Tuberculosis.  Vector-borne diseases, such as Malaria and Dengue fever, can also be present after a catastrophe.  Furthermore, those injured and not receiving appropriate medical treatment may develop Tetanus or Cutaneous Mucomycosis.  Many of these diseases can be prevented through hygiene education, provision of adequate and safe water supplies, and appropriate shelter after a disaster. 

The normalized solution to the Schrodinger equation for a particular potential is `psi` = 0 for x 0....

Hello!

The probability of being between some c and d is `int_c^d |Psi(x)|^2 dx.` Therefore the probability in question is

`int_(a-0.027a)^(a+0.027a) |Psi(x)|^2 dx =int_(a-0.027a)^(a+0.027a) 4/a^3 x^2 e^(-(2x)/a) dx`

(`a` must be positive, so bounds of integration are also positive).

To compute the indefinite integral of `x^2 e^(-(2x)/a)` we can use integration by parts twice: differentiate `x^2` and then `x` and integrate the exponent. Let's perform this:

`int x^2 e^(-(2x)/a) dx = |u = x^2, dv = e^(-(2x)/a) dx, du = 2x dx, v = -a/2e^(-(2x)/a)| =`

`= -a/2 x^2e^(-(2x)/a) + a/2 int (2xe^(-(2x)/a)) dx.`

Then `u=x, dv =e^(-(2x)/a) dx, du = dx, v = -a/2 e^(-(2x)/a),` and the remaining integral is equal to

`-a/2 xe^(-(2x)/a) + a/2 inte^(-(2x)/a) dx =-xe^(-(2x)/a) - a/2 * a/2e^(-(2x)/a).`

So the total indefinite integral is equal to `-a/4 e^(-(2x)/a)(a^2+2ax+2x^2)+C,` and the probability is

`-4/a^3*a/4 (e^(-2(1+0.027))(a^2+2a^2(1+0.027)+2a^2(1+0.027)^2)-`

`- e^(-2(1-0.027))(a^2+2a^2(1-0.027)+2a^2(1-0.027)^2))).`

`a` vanishes and remains

`e^(-2(1-0.027))(1+2(1-0.027)+2(1-0.027)^2) -`

`- e^(-2(1+0.027))(1+2(1+0.027)+2(1+0.027)^2) approx 0.0292.`

This is the answer.

Find the wavelength of the photon emitted during the transition from the second excited state to the ground state in a harmonic oscillator with a...

First, compute the energy level for each state. The formula of energy level of a harmonic oscillator is:

`E_n=(n+1/2)hf`

where

n is the quantum number

h is the Planck's constant `(6.625 x 10^(-34)Js)` and

f is the frequency of the oscillator

At second excited state, the quantum number of harmonic oscillator is n=2. So its energy level at this state is:

`E_2= (2+1/2)(6.625 xx 10^(-34)Js)(3.72xx10^13 Hz)`

`E_2=6.126125 xx 10^(-20) J`

At ground state, the quantum number of harmonic oscillator is n=0. So its energy level at this state is:

`E_0= (0+1/2)(6.625xx10^(-34)Js)(3.72xx10^13 Hz)`

`E_0=1.23225 xx 10^(-20) J`

Then, determine transition energy from n=2 to n=0.

`\Delta E = E_2 - E_0`

`\Delta E = 6.126125 xx 10^(-20)J - 1.23225 xx 10^(-20)J`

`\Delta E = 4.929 xx 10^(-20) J`

So during the transition from n=2 to n=0, `4.929 x 10^(-20) J` of energy is emitted.  This is the energy of the photon emitted during the transition.

Energy of photon, `E = 4.929 xx 10^(-20) J`

To determine the wavelength of the photon, apply the formula of energy of photon.

`E=hf`

where f is the frequency of light.

Since the frequency of light is  `f = c/ lambda` , the formula can be re-written as:

`E = h * c/ lambda`

where 

c is the speed of light  `(3 xx10^8 m/s)` and

`lambda` is the wavelength of photon

Isolating the wavelength, the formula becomes:

`lambda = (h*c)/E`

Plugging in the values, the wavelength will be:

`lambda = ((6.625xx10^(-34)Js)*(3xx10^8 m/s))/(4.929xx10^(-20)J)`

`lambda= 4.03 xx 10^(-6) m`

`lambda =4.03 mum`

Therefore, the wavelength of the photon emitted is `4.03 mum` .

What did Jakobson learn about speech through metaphoric and metonymic aphasia? What is it like to have problems in the metaphoric, metonymic,...

Through his study of aphasia, Jakobsen was able to find evidence to support his theory that language involves two “modes of arrangement,” including combination and selection. In normal speech mechanics, both metaphoric selection and metonymic combination are used fluently. In aphasic speech, either metaphoric or metonymic are blocked. In some cases, an aphasic person may lack both metonymic and metaphoric abilities.

When someone suffers from metaphoric aphasia, or similarity disorder, as Jakobsen puts it, they are still able to create units of speech and continue to make use of metonymic links. However, the disorder becomes pronounced when the affected person attempts to make substitutions for similar phrases. Someone with metonymic aphasia might be unable to substitute synonymous words and terms. These aphasics tend to be incapable of identifying objects with names and instead describe their function. For example, a metaphoric aphasic might describe a knife as an object that is used to cut without being able to identify it with the word knife. Knife, as a concept, holds no inherent meaning to the metaphoric aphasic.

Metonymic aphasia, also known as a spectrum of contiguity disorders, presents itself in the form of an inability to combine smaller units of language into complex units. It is the opposite of metaphoric aphasia, but the two commonly present together. A person with metonymic aphasia does not have the ability to organize words into more complex structures, making it difficult for these aphasics to use words that depend strongly on the context of the surrounding sentence. For this reason, those with metonymic aphasia tend to use one-word phrases.

Syntagmatic aphasia is related to contiguities, while paradigmatic aphasia is related to similarities. Someone with paradigmatic aphasia has difficult replacing or substituting words and depends upon the literal definitions, while someone with syntagmatic aphasia has difficulty combining thoughts into larger phrases.

What is the real tragedy in Loman's family in Death of a Salesman?

The real tragedy with the Loman family in Death of a Salesman is a combination of lack of action, aptitude and attitude to attain the superbly high goals that the men of the family set for themselves.

Most people argue that the Lomans' true problem was their obscene ambition with attaining an American Dream that Willy built for them. The argument is also that such an American Dream was phony because it is based on shallow parameters, such as being "well-liked," attaining financial success with little work, and becoming popular. Although those are indeed the tenets of Willy's dream, calling the Lomans "ambitious" would be a problem.

First, ambitious people know what they want, stick with a plan, and fight until the end to get their goal. Additionally, truly ambitious people are not scared of defeat because they are willing to get up and try again by all means necessary. Third, people who really want a lot often already have a lot. Think of the quintessential "rich getting richer" paradigm, which presupposes that the ultimate ambitious person is that who has achieved a lot and still wants to achieve more.

Now, look at the Lomans. Here is Willy, dreaming of being like Dave Singleton, the salesman who could sell anything out of his hotel room. Biff wants to be "something" but he does not know what. Happy wants women, looks, popularity, and the position of his boss at his job. All three men are justifiably ambitious, but none of them has a single plan in place to carry on. They simply dream, hope, make limited attempts, and then find blame in one another, or something else, to diffuse their lack of action.

This being said, the true tragedy in the life of the Lomans can be summarized in one word: "indolence." Lack of movement, planning, changing, and moving toward a goal is their true problem. It is something that they have learned to live with, and they believe it to be the norm. It is also the reason why the three men are stunted compared to their peers, and why the Lomans may never really amount to anything as great as what they think.

http://www.greensburgsalem.org/cms/lib4/pa01001409/centricity/domain/96/sonnysbluediscussion.pdf 2. Obviously, a lot of things have happened to...

[Please be advised that only one question should be asked at a time; therefore, this one has been chosen for you from the list on the web site.]
*******************

The narrator begins to realize that Sonny's problems and his "blues" are shared, because suffering is part of the human condition.

While he rides on the subway, the narrator reads about Sonny in the newspaper, and he comments that he sees his brother's suffering "in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside." It is then, too, that the narrator observes that his brother Sonny, "became real to me again."

It is especially after his little girl dies that the narrator, now understanding suffering, writes to his brother Sonny.  In response to his letter, Sonny tells him how much he has needed to hear from him. For, the suffering of Sonny is such that he needs the understanding of one who has also left something of himself behind in the neighborhood of their childhood. The narrator observes,

It's always at the hour of trouble and confrontation that the missing member aches.

The brother of Sonny realizes that their familial relationship ties them together; furthermore, their lives are tied together also as two parts of the African-American experience. For, they have each fought the "darkness outside" the safety of their home, although in different ways. Evidently, the narrator has been the stronger son as he recalls his mother's asking him to care for Sonny.

After he reunites with Sonny, the narrator comes to realize that Sonny suffers from the chaos in life because he is a very sensitive man. While he has used heroin to lessen his suffering, Sonny must now find another, safer outlet. He returns to his piano and music. So, after he and his brother reunite, the brother accompanies him to a club where Sonny plays the blues one night. There, because Sonny's music is an authentic response to the chaos of life, the brother, who sits in the shadows apprehends that

Freedom lurked around us and I understood at last that he could help us to be free if we would listen, that he would never would be free until we did.

By caring about Sonny, the brother and Sonny both attain meaning and freedom the darkness in their lives.

In Three Men in a Boat by Jerome, what happened during the incident of the narrator's visit to the library where he consulted a medical book?

The narrator, J., tells us this story near the beginning of Chapter I. He had once gone to the British Museum to look up something in a medical reference book. After he found the answer he had been searching for, he began to page through the book at random. To his horror, he discovered that he was suffering from most of the maladies outlined there, from “ague” to “zymosis.” The only ailment for which he demonstrated none of the symptoms was “housemaid’s knee.” He pokes fun at himself, saying that he could be a full-blown study subject for medical students. With this first tale, the narrator shows us that he has a wry sense of humor, and that he may also be quite susceptible to suggestion, to the point of being a hypochondriac.

How do Olympic games affect the economy of a country?

Hosting the Olympic games can have a powerful impact upon the hosting country's economy, sometimes positive, sometimes negative, and sometimes not particularly long-lasting. If a country invests in facilities that can be re-purposed in the future, it can be a good investment. Improved infrastructure can make business investments more desirable than they would otherwise have been, providing employment and taxes to the country.  If the Olympics bring people to the country who would never have otherwise come, there are all the tourism dollars.  But there are not necessarily long-lasting effects, particularly with tourism. It is not clear that people have been flocking to Russia, for example, since they hosted the Olympics.  And there are opportunity costs to consider as well. Hosting the Olympics is a costly affair, and one must ask what could have been done with all that money otherwise. It may have been possible to invest it all in the country's future in a way that would have been much more productive, perhaps in education or in tax subsidies to bring in businesses.  Brazil may very well turn out to be a worst case scenario. They budgeted about $13 billion to take care of Olympic preparation, but some are already estimating that the budget has been exceeded by over 50%. They have had many unanticipated problems, corruption, instability, the crashing of oil prices, and now the Zika virus, in addition to having been still very much a third world country to begin with, with poverty, severe sewage problems, and other inadequate or non-existent infrastructure. So, clearly there can be powerful impacts on a nation's economy, sometimes good, sometimes dreadful, and sometimes ephemeral. 

What is the point of view of the story "The Sandman" by E.T.A. Hoffman?

The point of view of E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Sandman" is a combination of first person narration and third person narration.  

The short story begins in the first person narrative voice.  The reason for this is because the story opens with a letter written by Nathaniel.  It's his letter, so he uses "I" to refer to himself.  

The second section of "The Sandman" continues the first person narration, but it is being narrated by a different person.  This time Clara is writing a letter to Nathaniel.  Again, it's her letter, so she uses the first person "I."  

The third letter is again written by Nathaniel, so the original first person narration continues.  

Then a twist occurs.  The story stops narrating through the letter format.  Instead another narrator now enters, and he explains (in the first person) to readers that he prefaced his own narration with the three letters.  Immediately following, the narrator continues to tell readers about Nathaniel, but the narrator does so from the third person perspective.  The narrator occasionally switches back to first person in order to "talk" directly to readers, but for the most part he stays in the third person.