In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, what is Bruno's worldview and how has it changed?

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno's inclusive and respectful worldview is strikingly consistent throughout the narrative.

Bruno's view of the world shows that people matter.  From his friends back in Berlin to Shmuel, the need for people is a very important component to his worldview.  Bruno validates people in profound ways, such as his friendship to Shmuel.  He also does this in small ways, such as when he validates Hitler's girlfriend as a nice lady.  Bruno's worldview is not politically intentional.  Rather, he simply treats people as he would want to be treated.  

Bruno's worldview emphasizes the need to atone for mistakes.  He understands that errors in judgment may happen.  Yet, figuring out how to make mistakes right is a significant part of what human beings should do.  He rectifies his mistakes such as with Pavel or Maria, and understands that he erred in letting Shmuel get abused from Kotler.  In these cases, Bruno is quick to make amends.  It is why Bruno is so loyal to Shmuel, even in the darkest and scariest of moments. Bruno's worldview towards people remains consistent throughout the novel.

Another aspect of Bruno's worldview is to represent what is right and decent. Bruno approaches the moral complexities within the Holocaust with a stark sense of ethical clarity.  He wants to be nice.  It is why he has such a disdain for Kotler.   Additionally, when "The Fury" comes to dinner, Bruno is not pleased with the way he orders Eva Braun and snaps his fingers at her.  Bruno's worldview affirms respect and he does not like it when others are disrespected.  It is why he sees the people at "Out-With" as simply the people "in the striped pajamas." Bruno's inability to call them prisoners or even "Jews" shows how he sees them as people.  Showing respect to people is a significant aspect of his worldview that is very consistent throughout the narrative.    

In Hamlet, why does Ophelia return the letter and presents Hamlet gave her?

Ophelia does this at the instruction of her father, Polonius. He believes Hamlet is not serious with her and is playing around. Polonius also tells Ophelia she is too young and inexperienced to be involved in (what he believes to be) a risky venture, as he tells her during their conversation in Act II, Scene 3:

OPHELIA
He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders
Of his affection to me.

LORD POLONIUS
Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl,
Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?

Furthermore, he contends that Hamlet, being a prince, is far beyond Ophelia's status, as she is not royalty. Being the daughter of the king's adviser does not naturally mean she can have a relationship with the prince. He commands her to have no further relations with him:

I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,
Have you so slander any moment leisure,
As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
Look to't, I charge you: come your ways.

Polonius also believes Hamlet is going mad and seems to be concerned about his seeming obsession with Ophelia. When Ophelia informs him of Hamlet's verbal declarations of love, the gifts he gave her, and the affectionate letters he wrote her, Polonius insists Ophelia return them.

In Act II, Scene 2, Polonius reports Hamlet's strange behavior towards Ophelia to Claudius and Gertrude, telling them he disciplined his daughter by telling her, 

'Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be:' and then I precepts gave her,
That she should lock herself from his resort.

When Polonius later speaks to Hamlet, he takes particular note of his constant references to Ophelia and assumes Hamlet is obsessed with her and mentally unstable. 

In Act III, Scene 1, Ophelia confronts Hamlet and tells him that she wishes to return all the "remembrances" he had given her. Hamlet denies that he had given her anything. During their conversation, the prince gets quite upset and insults Ophelia, telling her: "get thee to a nunnery," for she should not breed sinners. He accuses her of lying. Ophelia is obviously unnerved about his ranting and calls upon the powers of heaven to restore him. Hamlet storms off.

Polonius and Claudius have been eavesdropping on the conversation and then discuss Hamlet's behavior. They agree that all is not well with the young prince. Claudius undertakes to send him to England, while Polonius advises that the king should ask Gertrude to consult with her son. If Gertrude cannot make any headway, Polonius says Hamlet should be sent to England. Claudius ends the scene by stating,

It shall be so:
Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go.

Who are three heroes in The Hobbit? Could they be Bilbo (for being willing to give up his life for a better cause), Gandalf (for saving the group...

All three characters you've mentioned are certainly heroes in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Bilbo is a hero for saving the dwarves on multiple occasions, Gandalf is a hero for initially guiding the expedition in the beginning and for averting disaster at the Battle of the Five Armies at the end, and Bard is a hero for slaying Smaug and restoring the city of Dale. In short, your instinct regarding these characters is correct.

However, I'd encourage you to consider adding Thorin Oakenshield to your list of heroes. At first glance, Thorin might seem like an odd choice: he's got a reliably quick temper, tends to doubt Bilbo, and also nearly instigates a devastating battle with the elves and men of Lake-town. That said, Thorin proves his worth in the end. He cares deeply about his kinsmen, and he comes to the rescue during the Battle of the Five Armies. Indeed, this last point is key, as Thorin fights bravely and ultimately dies of his wounds. As such, though he can be an antagonistic character at some points in the story, Thorin certainly proves his heroism by the end of the novel. 

Do plants have blood?

Plants don't have blood, at least not in the same way that vertebrate animals do.

Blood is a specific element of the circulatory system, so it would probably be more informative to start with a more generalized question like "Do plants have a circulatory system?" If you consider a circulatory system to be something that allows the plant to move nutrients and wastes across a large portion of the organism, then, yes, you could consider vascular plants to have a sort of circulatory system. However, plants don't have specialized cells dedicated to transport in the same way that our blood does, and their circulatory systems are relatively low-pressure and powered more by solvent effects than by direct force like vessel constriction or a heart.

The primary purpose of our blood is to be able to move oxygen and carbon dioxide around our bodies efficiently. Plants don't need to do this because they absorb and release carbon dioxide almost directly from each individual photosynthesizing cell. Therefore we can say that plants have neither a literal nor an analogous version of blood, as we typically define it.

Why did the United States pursue a policy of imperialism in the late 1800s and in the early 1900's?

The United States pursued a policy of imperialism in the late 1800s and in the early 1900s for several reasons. One reason was that we had already expanded to the Pacific Ocean, and there were people in our country that believed it was our duty to spread our way of life to other countries. These people believed our way of life was superior to the way of living in other countries.

Another reason why we pursued a policy of imperialism was because we wanted to be viewed as a world power. World power countries, like Great Britain and France, had colonies beyond their borders. We didn’t have these colonies and felt we needed them to be viewed as a strong country.

Some people believed there would be economic benefits to colonization. They believed we would increase our trade if we gained colonies. This would help our businesses and our economy grow as we expanded our control over other places.

These forces helped drive the spirit of imperialism that existed in our country at this time.

How does the war setting make "The Demon Lover" more believable?

The end of "The Demon Lover" leaves the reader with uncertainties. Has Mrs. Drover's former lover driven off with her screaming in the taxi cab? Is this final scene all in Mrs. Drover's mind due to her traumatizing experiences during the Blitz?

This mysterious final scene ends a story grounded in fact. There are many references to war-torn London throughout the story. During the Blitz, Londoners did abandon their houses and flee to the country. Some streets were left in ruins. The city was transformed by the bombings and many people lived in fear. This was the reality of millions of people in London.

Mrs. Drover observes changes in her neighborhood. She sees "unoccupied houses... [which] meet her look with their damaged stare." She observes chimneys leaning and missing bricks from the bombings. She notices cracks on the wall when she goes inside her own house. These are outward signs of the damage done by the bombs. Inward signs are the trauma and anxiety that Londoners dealt with.

"The Demon Lover" is historical fiction. Historical fiction combines fact and fiction together. The historical facts in the story make it more realistic and believable.

How do I tackle characterization using psychoanalytic literary theory?

To use psychoanalytic literary theory on a character, you perform a similar analytic process to what Freud would have performed on a person. In other words, you examine a character's id, ego, and superego, and look for the root of the person's internal motivations. A character's superego is his or her moral code, while his or her id is the instinctual force behind the person's actions. The ego tries to mediate between the two forces. In addition, the character might be subject to unconscious motivations, such as the Oedipal Complex, which is the desire to murder one's father and marry one's mother. The character's internal desires might be revealed through Freudian slips, or mistakes that show unconscious or hidden desires. A character's dreams are another way to access his or her unconscious desires. In other words, a character's real emotions might be hidden, but could be revealed through dreams or Freudian slips. 

Why was it important to be a virgin queen, like Queen Elizabeth I, in Renaissance times?

In some ways, it was important NOT to be a “virgin queen” during this time.  There were some who questioned whether a queen would have the ability to rule in her own right, without a man to help her.  In addition, by not having children, a virgin queen put the succession into question. This could lead to conflict between people who wanted to succeed her when she died.  These were issues that Queen Elizabeth I of England faced during her reign and which did or could have compromised the stability of her rule.

However, there were also some advantages to being a virgin queen.  One of these advantages was religious.  For one thing, virginity was equated with purity, particularly among women.  Sex was seen as something that was necessary for most but not really good for the soul.  A virgin queen could be seen, then, as something of a moral paragon who forewent the pleasures of the flesh to care for her realm rather than children of her body. Secondly, some would have connected a virgin queen to the Virgin Mary.  This connection would have made people more likely to honor and venerate a virgin queen.

The other major advantage was political. At this time in Europe, marriages between royal families were an important political tool. Countries would form alliances by having marriages between members of their respective royal families. A virgin queen could, at least for a while, use the lure of a marriage as a bargaining chip with other countries. She could make them believe that she would contemplate marrying their king or some other royal. This would allow her to keep that country friendly with her own.  An astute queen could use her status as a single woman to bolster her country’s position in the world.

For these reasons, you could argue that it was important to be a virgin queen, but we should be aware that there were also drawbacks to this status.

In Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, how is the value of human life addressed by the society in which Kira lives?

Perhaps the best insight into how Kira's community values human life is provided by Kira's trial. Vandara, Kira's accuser, brings a case against Kira that relies on the accepted standards of the community. 

"She was imperfect. And fatherless as well. She should not have been kept." The society believes that a child born with an imperfection, such as a disability, should be killed right after birth. They believe the spirit takes days to come into the child, and thus it is acceptable to kill a newborn infant. If a child cannot be provided for because it has no father, that child can be euthanized as well.

"She has not contributed." Humans are valued in Kira's society for contributing in material ways such as planting, weeding, or tending animals. A person who cannot perform a job that enhances physical existence may be killed.

"She can't marry. No one wants a cripple." Again, those who don't fit in or match the expectations of the society do not deserve to live.

"She causes problems with the discipline of the tykes, telling them stories, teaching them games so that they make noise and disrupt the work." The relational aspect of life, especially of the older people toward the children, is not valued in the society and is even considered a hindrance to the community. 

In Kira's defense, Jamison doesn't deny that Vandara accurately reflects the standards of the community. He says, "The accuser is correct that it is the way." The only defense he brings is that there may be exceptions. The Council of Guardians may violate the standards, but that does not nullify them. In their society, a person is valued for fitting in, for being able to perform jobs that sustain physical life, and for having normal looks and physical abilities. 

The society enforces its standards in the harshest way possible: by sending those who don't measure up to the Field of Leaving, where they will starve to death. 

In The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks, what is the relationship between beauty and decay in three stories in the collection?

In The Janitor in Space, beauty is synonymous with a redemptive loneliness; it comes from rejecting the decay associated with "the accumulated debris of a lifetime in sin and sacrifice." The story follows a janitor who works on a space station; her daily work is mundane, and she thinks that the astronauts she cleans up after are sloppy and careless in their habits.

She remembers her past life with indifference. In her present circumstance, the weightlessness of space simulates a feeling of freedom. Up in space, she no longer has to contend with the shame of her criminal past. Although she has no friends, she is glad to be "free of the burden of people for the first time in her whole flat life." The janitor rejects death as a sort of redemption; to her, death is the "opposite of wisdom, (and) the opposite of mystery." Instead, loneliness (the only thing she owns) becomes a thing of beauty for her in her new life.

In The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies, beauty is marred by a moral decay that results from misplaced priorities and flawed judgment. Accordingly, the mother and step-father in the story are concerned that grown men have begun to ogle the mother's teenage daughters. Because they find it difficult to accept the girls' burgeoning sexuality, the mother and step-father decide to curb the girls' extracurricular activities; they are no longer allowed to dance the sensual Lindy Hop. Instead, they must content themselves with ballet if they want to dance at all. The adults' flawed judgment and misplaced priorities lead them to shame the girls rather than to educate them about the pleasures and responsibilities that come with sexual awakening.

The girls rebel and decide to take revenge on their parents. They rename themselves the Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies. In 1892, Lizzie Borden stood trial for the axe-murders of her father and step-mother in Massachusetts; she was acquitted in 1893. Both Cat and Patty scheme to dispatch their parents in the same way. However, Cat eventually becomes infatuated with a young man and loses interest in carrying out the murders. Incensed, Patty schemes on her own, but it isn't the same without her twin. The story ends in a surrealistic dream, where Patty cuts down Cat's boyfriend with an axe. The ambiguous ending is stunning, reinforcing the idea that moral decay often corrupts beauty.

In For These Humans Who Cannot Fly, beauty can be derived from decay and death, if only from a matter of perspective. Accordingly, a widower remembers his dead wife by building death houses (Leichenhaus) for a living. In these houses, he has placed five hundred Temporary Resting Containers, where the deceased can rest until they are awakened from their "sleep." Although the widower knows that no one can come back from the dead, he still believes that "every death is a love story." Although its "the goodbye part," he believes that "the love is still there, wide as the world."

It is this love that sustains those who are left behind. From this perspective, the rituals of death are fraught with hope and beauty, not despair and grief. When his wife dies, the widower lays her in a Temporary Resting Container. He ties a piece of cord (connected to a bell) to one of her broken fingers. In the event she awakes, she will only have to move her finger and the bell will ring. Then, the doctors he has hired to be on call at all times will come to her aid. The widower sees the ritual of burying his wife as a comfort, a thing of beauty that encapsulates the love story of a lifetime.

What is an analysis of the poem "My Papa's Waltz"? What is the poem's purpose? How does the poet use imagery, symbolism, voice, and tone?

Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” is a poem that describes a father beating his son through lyrical compositions that mirror a waltz.  While the verses recount the stench of alcohol, the battering of knuckles and the scraping of flesh, the four stanzas are written with an alternate rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef ghgh) in iambic trimeter that gives the poem a beautiful musical cadence. Thus, the poem’s central poetic form is the metaphor comparing the fight between the father and son to a waltz—dancing serves as a symbol of violence. The voice is that of the young boy who is mentioned in the second line of the poem.  The voice is reflected in the playful line of “romped until the pans / slid from the kitchen shelf,” and in the mention of his mother’s disapproval in “My mother’s countenance / Could not unfrown itself.”

In the first stanza, the persona delivers the following lines:

The whiskey on your breath 
Could make a small boy dizzy; 
But I hung on like death: 
Such waltzing was not easy. 

The poem opens with the sensory image of whiskey on the father’s breath, establishing the father as being in a drunken stupor.  In the third line, the simile of “But I hung on like death,” describes the son as clinging to his drunk father despite the foul smell of whiskey, and it also symbolizes two partners holding on to each other while waltzing, which is supported in the metaphor of the fourth line: “Such waltzing was not easy.”

The overall metaphor of the waltz is continued in the third stanza:

The hand that held my wrist   

Was battered on one knuckle;   

At every step you missed 

My right ear scraped a buckle. 

In this stanza, the persona describes the confrontation through dance-specific diction, such as “held my wrist,” and “At every step.”  Thus, the actions are not portrayed as harsh beatings but rather elegant dances. The purpose of this poem is to take a horrific subject, such as a father’s beating of his son, and make it more readable and less sensational.  This could even be viewed as a coping mechanism on behalf of the persona since he is taking a traumatic experience and conveying it in a more positive light.

The final stanza completes the overall metaphor of the waltz:

You beat time on my head   

With a palm caked hard by dirt,   

Then waltzed me off to bed   

Still clinging to your shirt.

The metaphor of “beat time on my head” compares the physical beating to that of a metronome, and “Then waltzed me off to bed,” again compares the actions between father and son to actual dance moves.  However, the final line “Still clinging to your shirt” echoes the third line of the first stanza: “But I hung on like death.” Despite being beaten, the son desperately holds on to his father.   This suggests the boy still loves his father even though he becomes angry and physical when drinking.  It’s significant that the poem concludes with this line because it establishes the conflict the persona feels toward his father—he both loves and fears him. Thus, the tone is somewhat satirical, as the persona mixes resentment with adoration.  This is seen in the first stanza, where frightening images of “whiskey on your breath” and “make a small boy dizzy” suggest an inevitable beating.  Yet playful diction such as “romp” and “slid” to describe the fight suggests the boy does not harbor hatred towards his father. 

Why is chapter 10 in Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now called "The Arctic Tern"?

"The Arctic Tern" refers to the title of the very first plate drawn by John James Audubon that Doug looked at and admired his first time visiting the library. The plate depicts a bird called an Arctic tern that is actually very symbolic of Doug and the young woman who becomes his girlfriend, Lil. Since seeing the drawing of the bird for the first time, Doug has learned how to create his own drawings, and the lesson of drawing, as well as the Audubon plates, has changed his life. The title of the final chapter of the book reflects just how much Doug's life has been changed by The Arctic Tern and what the bird symbolizes.

As soon as Doug sees the plate of the bird, he thinks it's the most beautiful picture he has ever seen. He sees it as a picture of the bird being all by itself and falling without a "single thing in the world that cared at all" (p. 21). What strikes Doug most is bird's "round and terrified eye" (p. 14). He is so struck by the drawing that he visualizes himself as having made the drawing and uses his hand to mimic the motions the artist might have used. As soon as Mr. Powell, an employee of the library, sees his interest in drawing the bird, he begins teaching Doug how to draw. Through Mr. Powell's lessons, Doug learns how to use drawing to forget his troubled home life:

You know one thing that Mr. Powell taught me? He taught me that sometimes art can make you forget everything else around you. (p. 297)

Sadly, however, the city soon begins selling the Audubon plates to pay off the city's debts. Doug makes it a personal mission to restore the plates to the library. Doug sees who has bought the plates, and by performing services, doing favors, and making compromises, Doug convinces the owners to return each plate back to the library. As a result of all he does to restore the plates, Doug matures from a troubled, scared young boy to a brave young man who is now unafraid to tackle his future.

Not only does the bird's "terrified eye" in the drawing symbolize Doug's emotions at the beginning of the story, the bird itself is known for its brave and adventurous spirit. Scientists now know the Arctic tern follows the longest migratory route of any bird on record. By the end of the story, Doug and Lil are a bit terrified of their future because Lil is fighting cancer. However, Doug has confidence that they'll bravely, successfully take on the future together and likens the two of them to Arctic terns flying side by side, with Doug being the one ready to "show [her] the next spectacular thing that's going to come into [her] life" (p. 310).

How can I argue that Pride and Prejudice is an analysis and criticism of traditional class and social distinctions? What mode of organizing society...

Pride and Prejudice helps us to see that a society based on structures that privilege money over integrity and status over intelligence is a faulty one.  Just because a woman is a lady of great fortune does not mean that she deserves to be lauded and sought after as though she is a great prize.  On the other hand, a woman of lesser means who possesses superior intelligence and wit should, perhaps, be considered more of a catch rather than a temptation to be avoided.  Privileging certain members of society based on arbitrary distinctions such as status -- something conferred upon those who happen to be born into the right families -- instead of privileging those who exercise good judgment, be they high or low, unjustly creates misfortune for those deserving of respect and admiration. 

For example, Lady Catherine de Bourgh takes serious issue with Elizabeth's classification of herself as on a level with Mr. Darcy, though Elizabeth -- due to the force of her intelligence, wit, and sound judgment -- is certainly more deserving of respect than someone like Caroline Bingley or Mrs. Hurst.  In a more just society, Elizabeth would be considered far superior to either of them.  Austen seems to offer the qualities that Elizabeth (or Jane) possesses as a better way of determining which members of society should have the most value.  Someone like Miss Bingley ought to be classed lower than Elizabeth because she lacks good judgment and good manners, integrity and wit.  And despite Elizabeth's relative poverty (and unfortunate relations), in a just society, she would be raised up.

In Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw, what does 'they make cannons out of cherry trees' mean?

The "cherry gun" or "cherry tree cannon" was an invention created in Bulgaria for use in the famous April Uprising fought against the Ottoman Empire. While it was not a very effective weapon, its symbolic value is significant, since it demonstrates the resourcefulness and innovation shown by the Bulgarian soldiers in fighting the enemy. They had limited resources and so made weapons from what they had, including trees from their famous cherry orchards. Bulgaria is still known as a nation whose primary economic products are fruits and flowers, such as roses famous for their use in the perfume industry. 

This line from the play, spoken by Captain Bluntschli, is in response to his surprise at how things are done in Bulgaria. He says:

"What a country! They make cannons out of cherry trees; and the officers send for their wives to keep discipline!"

The Captain is a Swiss mercenary soldier who has deserted his unit after losing a battle, and therefore his status as a soldier and, to some degree, his sense of self-worth, are in question. His criticism of the unusual customs in Bulgaria seems to be an expression of the stressful and difficult situation he is in, not to mention a negative response to what he perceives as the more prominent status of women, compared to what he is used to. Of course, these sexual politics are also a strong theme within the play. The reference to both the cherry cannons and the fact that women are called upon to keep discipline is an expression of his frustration in fulfilling his masculine duty as a soldier.

What would be a character sketch of the Emperor of Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels by Swift?

The Emperor of Lilliput is described as being a little taller than his subjects and generally handsome. However, he's also proud, petty, swayed by corruption, and preoccupied with meaningless political formalities and traditions. Scholars often say that the Emperor of Lilliput is meant to be a satirical representation of King George I, and while this analogy is true and logical, it's also worth mentioning that the Emperor of Lilliput can be seen as representative of all bad or corrupt politicians. Moreover, he can be seen as a culmination of all the problems in Lilliputian society, which is also wracked by petty, "small-minded" problems and squabbles. All in all, the Emperor of Lilliput is a brilliant satirical attack on the political world, as his petty personality acts as a perfect critique of many politicians, both past and present. 

How did Winnie’s feelings about the Tucks change from when they first kidnapped her to the end of chapter 8 in Tuck Everlasting?

When Winnie first meets Jesse Tuck, she is mildly curious.  She is a little bit frightened when they kidnap her though.  By the time Winnie gets to know the Tucks, she considers them good friends.

Winnie had been thinking that her life was boring and she wanted an adventure.  She definitely got one.   Winnie saw Jesse drink from the spring, and he could not convince her not to drink too.  Not sure what to do, the Tucks decided to take her home so they could explain properly that she could not drink from the spring because it would make her immortal, as it had done to them many years before.

Winnie was surprised that while being kidnapped she was “just as alarmed” as the kidnappers.

She had always pictured a troupe of burly men with long black moustaches who would tumble her into a blanket and bear her off like a sack of potatoes while she pleaded for mercy. But, instead, it was they, Mae Tuck and Miles and Jesse, who were pleading. (Ch. 6) 

When Winnie made it to the Tucks’ house, she was enamored of the comfortable and somewhat haphazard way in which they lived.  The Tucks were simple people, and very sweet.  Winnie liked Jesse, who was just a few years older than her.  Mae was very motherly, and Angus was a nice man.  The family was completely normal except for the fact that they were immortal. 

Winnie came to not only feel comfortable at the Tuck house, but also accept them as friends.  She liked the Tucks, and forgot ever having felt kidnapped.  She felt like she has gone on her grand adventure. 

Why, she, too, might live forever in this remarkable world she was only just discovering! The story of the spring—it might be true! So that, when she was not rolling along on the back of the fat old horse—by choice, this time—she ran shouting down the road, her arms flung out, making more noise than anybody. (Ch. 8)

Winnie enjoyed her time at the Tucks' house, and left under sad circumstances when Mae killed the man in the yellow hat and got arrested.  Winnie went back home, but she was not the same.  She had seen a whole new world.  The Tucks were also her friends, and she agreed to help break Mae out of jail so no one would find out she was immortal.

How does the cardiovascular system maintain fluid and electrolyte balance?

The body maintains fluid and electrolyte balance through a complex mechanism involving multiple systems in the body. Your question refers to the role the cardiovascular system plays in this mechanism.

There are two main fluid compartments in the body. The intracellular compartment, which means fluid contained within cells. This compartment holds two thirds of body fluids by volume under normal conditions.

The extracellular compartment, which means fluid outside the cells, has two major subdivisions: first is the plasma, which refers to the fluid portion of the blood, and the second is the interstitial fluid, which refers to fluid in spaces between the cells. A less significant contribution to the body’s extracellular compartment in terms of volume includes gastrointestinal secretions, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid and serous fluid.

The cardiovascular system exerts its role in this regulatory mechanism mainly through its plasma volume control. An increase in plasma volume gives rise to a concomitant increase in plasma pressure. The pressure increase is picked up by baroreceptors in the heart and the large vessels such as the aorta and the carotid arteries and the signal is transmitted to the hypothalamus.

The signal inhibits the secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), a peptide hormone produced by the hypothalamus. A diminished production of ADH enables the kidneys to get rid of excess fluid by making urine that is dilute compared to plasma.

When the pressure falls as a result of diminished plasma volume, the stretch receptors in the heart and the large vessels stimulate the hypothalamus, this time to increase production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone acts on the kidneys to reabsorb more water to maintain enough plasma volume for the body and make more concentrated urine compared to plasma.

What does Mark Twain persuade his reader to think, feel, or do in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

Mark Twain persuades his readers to listen to their individual consciences and abide by their own moral codes instead of following a hypocritical society. He also encourages his audience to be tolerant of others and judge people based on their personality and merit, rather than their skin color or class. He portrays Southern society as being intolerant, hypocritical, and callous. Throughout the novel, townspeople act irrationally and are generally afraid to stand up for what is right. Huck Finn chooses to neglect society in favor of following his heart. He was raised to treat and view Jim as an inferior being, but after traveling down the Mississippi with him, Huck gains perspective and realizes Jim is a morally upright individual, not just a piece of property. Huck's conscience is his guide to living freely and acting independently. Twain also persuades his audience to challenge prejudice and unjust laws, particularly slavery and treating African Americans as inferior beings. Although Huck Finn commits a crime by helping a runaway slave, Huck does not turn Jim in because deep down he knows slavery is wrong. Twain believes we should all listen to our inner voices and do the right thing, even when it's unpopular or illegal.

What did the narrator tell the reader about her childhood illness and how did she feel at the time?

When Helen Keller was a year old, she became gravely ill.  The doctor diagnosed her illness as being "acute congestion of the stomach and brain" (The Story of My Life, Chapter I).  Helen's parents and the doctor feared for her life because of the severity of her illness.  Young Helen was feverish and in pain.  One day, she recovered from her illness and her body began to get better.  It was only discovered later that the illness had robbed her of her sight and hearing.  Helen would remain deaf and blind for the rest of her life.  Helen described the illness in her autobiography as the event that "closed [her] eyes and ears and plunged [her] into the unconsciousness of a new-born baby." 

Even though Helen was very young when she became ill, she kept vague memories of the ordeal.  In her autobiography, she recalled what she could:

I especially remember the tenderness with which my mother tried to soothe me in my waking hours of fret and pain, and the agony and bewilderment with which I awoke after a tossing half sleep, and turned my eyes, so dry and hot, to the wall, away from the once-loved light, which came to me dim and yet more dim each day (The Story of My Life, Chapter I).

Helen felt pain and she was aware of a fading light at the time.  Her mother comforted her through the painful illness.  Looking back at that time as an adult, Helen recalled the sadness as her sight faded slowly each day.

What is the best way to determine tone in the short stories "A Rock Trying to Be a Stone" by Sergio Troncoso and "Guests of the Nation" by Frank...

The best way to determine tone in "A Rock Trying to Be a Stone" and "Guests of the Nation" is to examine diction and syntax. For example, in "A Rock," the diction reflects the socioeconomic status of the barely educated youths dealing with a brutal lack of opportunity: the narrator holds most emotion in check, stating facts coldly, objectively. In "Guests," the diction reflects the narrator's generally pleasant emotion as he describes people and events, beginning his story with "Well, chums...?" Syntax elements are different in each, the first having short, choppy sentences, and the second having longer, more flowing sentences.

Tone is the attitude, perspective, and emotion that the speaker has toward the subject matter being written about. Tone is detected in the diction a speaker uses and elements of syntax. To avoid a mistake often made, remember that tone is not detected in setting. Setting reveals something very different from tone: mood. Setting establishes mood within the story; diction and syntax establish author tone external to the story. Tone descriptors identify attitude (a way of thinking reflected in behavior), perspective (point of view regarding something), and emotion (feeling occurring toward someone, something, or some occurrence). Tone may be critical and subjective or critical and objective; it may be solemn or cynical. Tone may also be humorous or straightforward (think of "Garfield" compared with an economics textbook).

The clearest connection of diction to conflict and theme appears in the titles of both short stories. In "A Rock Trying to Be a Stone," the difference between a rock and stone highlights both conflict and theme as Turi tries to understand and do right in an environment that doesn't offer much opportunity for either. He is a rock trying to be a [gem] stone in a rocky environment. In "Guest of the Nation," the difference between guest and hostage dramatizes the conflict and theme as "chums" have to choose between duty to friends and duty to country. The bitterly ironic contrast between a guest protected by the nation and a hostage shot by the nation highlights the struggle the men are going through.

What did people think caused the Great Plague of 1665?

The Great Plague of 1665 was the most virulent and deadly outbreak of plague since the Black Death landed in England in 1348. As such, people were desperate to understand its causes and quickly developed a number of possible theories.

Some people believed the plague was an act of divine retribution and that God was punishing the English population for their sins. Others thought the plague was the result of a particular planetary alignment or the appearance of an unexpected comet in the previous year. See the first reference link for more information.

Finally, a large number of people subscribed to the idea that the plague was caused by miasmas, or bad smells. We are reminded of this belief through the English nursery rhyme, known as "Ring-A-Ring O'Roses" or "Ring Around the Rosie," in which people are urged to carry sweet-smelling items (like posies) to ward off the miasmas:

Ring-a-ring o'roses,

A pocket full of posies.

Please see the second reference link for more information.

In Three Men in a Boat, what problems do the three friends have?

If you refer to the problems the three men have at the beginning of the book -- the ones that set them on this journey -- then the answer is one of perceived ailments. All of them say they suffer from listlessness, from feeling “seedy,” from experiencing "fits of giddiness," and from being overworked. We readers are led to doubt whether or not these illnesses are real or are merely imagined.

During the actual river trip itself, the group has only minor problems. The trouble is that narrator J. likes to make mountains out of molehills, and he embellishes every story with salient details and a humorous bent. Additionally, he throws in episodes from a variety of past problems and stories, representing every member of the traveling party, including Montmorency. Nevertheless, along the River Thames the friends have these problems:

• Deciding how to travel and what to take (Chapters II-III)


• Packing (Chapter III)


• Setting up the tent (Chapter X)


• Making breakfast (Chapter XI)


• Opening a can of pineapple (Chapter XII)


• Washing clothes in the river (Chapter XVII)


• Traveling in the rain (Chapter XIX)

This last one does them in. They are on the return trip, moving downriver, when they have a few days of solid rain. This circumstance leads them to cut their travel plans short, to take a train back to the city, and to take in a good dinner and a show.

In Zinn's chapter on "The Empire and the People," why was there so much public opposition for the war in the Philippines but very little for the...

Zinn concludes that military action in both Cuba and the Philippines was motivated by conquest and financial gain. However, he argues that the American public better understood the war's objectives in Cuba.  As a result, there was greater support for it. 

Zinn feels that proponents of war in Cuba put forth a narrative the American people understood.  The business community sought the opening of Cuban markets. However, they were able able to conceal this economic motive in favor of patriotism.  Proponents of war made American expansion resemble "an act of generosity -- helping a rebellious group overthrow foreign rule."  This narrative suggested that Cuban rebels were fighting for their independence from the oppressive Spanish.  The American public saw this as similar to their colonial struggles with England: "Popular support of the Cuban revolution was based on the thought that they, like the Americans of 1776, were fighting a war for their own liberation."  The "national mood for intervention" was aided by a press willing to report about Cuban insurgency against the Spanish empire.

The media found its rallying point in February 1898.  The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine went very far in convincing the American public of the need for action.  While "there was no evidence ever produced on the cause of the explosion," the mood of the public "grew swiftly in the direction of war."  The American public was able to support war because they understood a narrative in Cuba similar to their own and took offense to the aggression against the U.S.S. Maine. When American newspapers blared, "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain" it was a signal of public support for military action in Cuba.

American expansion and the riches that went with it was also evident in action against the Philippines.  However, Zinn makes clear the absence of a clear narrative.  There was no real act of overt aggression from Filipino forces. The American public could not see the threat posed, as it could with the attack on the U.S.S. Maine.  Increasingly, it looked like the American forces were acting as the agent of empire as it sought to control resources of and economic outlets in the Philippines.  

Zinn argues that unlike the national unity for military action in Cuba, there was vociferous dissent regarding war in the Philippines.  Organizations such as the Anti-Imperialist league wanted to educate "the American public about the horrors of the Philippine war and the evils of imperialism."  The American public heard calls such as "God damn the U.S. for its vile conduct in the Philippine Isles."  This was not something experienced in the conflict in Cuba. 

Zinn also believes that racial dynamics furthered this dissent. In Cuba, the Americans fought the Spanish. However, in the Philippines, the target was people of color.  Zinn discusses how large segments of the African-American community spoke out against the conflict in the Philippines.  Convinced that economics motivated the war while African-American rights were being denied, religious clergy "called the campaign in the Philippines 'an unholy war of conquest' and referred to the Filipinos as 'sable patriots.'" African-Americans had to confront an uncomfortable reality.  Zinn argues that they were fighting for a nation that denied them their rights and against a people who looked very similar to them:

There were four black regiments on duty in the Philippines. Many of the black soldiers established rapport with the brown-skinned natives on the islands, and were angered by the term "nigger" used by white troops to describe the Filipinos...  The Filipino rebels often addressed themselves to "The Colored American Soldier" in posters, reminding them of lynchings back home, asking them not to serve the white imperialist against other colored people.

This racial component was not evident in the military action in Cuba.  It serves as another reason why there was such dissent regarding it in the Philippines.

What are some of the universal truths shown in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome?

One of the universal truths in Ethan Frome is the veracity of the saying "be careful what you wish for." Ethan wishes to remain by the side of his wife's cousin, Mattie, who he has fallen in love with, forever. At first, it seems like his desire will be thwarted, as his wife, Zeena, plans to send Mattie away. She knows Mattie and Ethan care for each other. In the end, however, Mattie and Ethan wind up spending their lives together, but there is an ironic twist of fate because Mattie is badly injured in a sledding accident. Mattie lives with Ethan and Zeena as an invalid, so Mattie and Ethan get their wish to live together forever, but not in the way they had imagined. 

Another universal truth expressed in this novel is the power of compassion. Ethan feels loyal and caring towards his sickly wife, so he feels conflicted about leaving her. He also feels compassionate towards Mattie, who has no visible means of support. In the end, Zeena is surprisingly compassionate towards Ethan and Mattie, as she cares for them after their sledding accident. In fact, it is her compassion for them that makes her well again after many years of being an invalid. Their mutual compassion is what keeps Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena alive and together, even after enduring tragedy.

Explain the statement "all alkalis are bases, but all bases are not alkalis" and give an example.

A base is a substance that reacts with and neutralizes an acid. The equation for an acid is:

Acid + Base --> Salt + Water.

Most bases will be metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carbonates and metal hydrogen carbonates. Bases may either be soluble or insoluble in water. When something is soluble in water it simply means a compound will give off OH- (hydroxyl) ions when it is placed in water. When a base is soluble in water it is called an alkali.  An example of an alkali equation would be:

NaOH --> Na+  +  OH-

Therefore, all alkalis are bases because they will all neutralize acids, but not all bases are alkalis because not all bases will dissolve in water. An example of an alkali is sodium hydroxide.

How does George Eliot make Silas Marner an interesting novel?

George Eliot, the nom de plume of Mary Ann Evans, has, indeed, created an interesting novel in Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe. For it touches the hearts of her readers and piques their interest with elements of betrayal, mystery, villainy, solitude and eccentricity, dark secrets, love triangles, drug addiction and destitution, innocence, and redemption. It is also notable for its social realism in its treatment of religion, human relations, and industrialization.

In the beginning of the novel, the main character named Silas Marner has friends and a woman he loves. However, he becomes a victim of a mysterious plot in which he is accused of stealing the church funds while watching over a very ill deacon. Silas is devastated by his misfortune because there is strong evidence that his friend, William Dane, has implicated him by denying that he borrowed Silas's pocket knife, which was found in the drawer where the money bag was and the empty bag is found in Marner's home. To add to his miseries, the woman to whom Silas is engaged breaks with him and later marries Dane. 

Devastated by the betrayals, Silas leaves Lantern Yard and the city. He moves to the Midlands and settles in Raveloe where he becomes a reclusive weaver. Rarely does he associate with any one except to deliver his linen. He becomes obsessed with saving gold, and he keeps it buried in his cottage. Superstitious beliefs abound about Marner because he once treated an ailing woman who came to him but refused others, so the townspeople believe he consorts with the devil. After this superstition develops about Marner, he is completely alienated.

As a subplot, Eliot develops a narrative about the Cass family. The Squire is the most important and wealthiest man in the area. But, his wife has died and his two sons are irresponsible and reckless. Godfrey, the older brother, has hastily and secretly married a girl from a lower class who has become an opium addict; she also has given birth to a girl. Aware of this secret marriage, Godfrey's shiftless brother Dunstan continually blackmails Godfrey. Having already given Dunstan rent money he has collected for his father's property, Godfrey must sell his horse to cover his debt and repay his father. However, the irresponsible Dunstan rides this horse in a chase and fatally injures it. As he walks home, Dunstan considers asking Silas Marner if he can borrow some money, but when he finds the cottage unlocked and empty, he searches the cottage and discovers Silas's gold, which he then steals. After the poor-sighted Silas later discovers his gold is gone, he rushes to town in the hope that the thief can be caught.

Seeing the devastated Silas and hearing his pitiful account, the villagers at the inn become sympathetic to Silas and discard their belief that he consorts with the devil. Silas's misery has made him human and a neighbor; so, Dolly Winthrop and others try to help him. But, Silas sinks into a black gloom. On New Year's Eve, however, Godfrey's hidden wife named Molly tries to reach the squire's house with her two-year-old girl to seek revenge against Godfrey. However, she passes out from having taken opium and dies in the snow. Her baby wanders into the cottage of Silas Marner. 

This golden-haired angel of a child changes Silas Marner's life from one of loneliness to one of love. Silas and the little girl, whom he names Eppie (Hepzibah) develop a deep, loving relationship. Years later, Godfrey wants to reclaim his daughter, but Eppie refuses to leave Silas. 

After Dunstan's body and Silas's gold are found at the bottom of a dried well, Silas and Eppie travel to Lantern Yard where Silas hopes to be vindicated of the theft of which he was accused so long ago. But the village is not as it was; the chapel has been replaced by a factory. Disappointed, Silas and Eppie return home. Nevertheless, Silas agrees with Dolly Winthrop that there is still reason to have faith. 

In the end there is a touching resolution to the novel: Eppie marries Dolly's son Aaron, and her hair looked like "a dash of gold on a lily." The cottage has been expanded and there is a lovely garden. Eppie tells her father, "...what a pretty home ours is! I think nobody could be happier than we are."

This encouraging ending in a pastoral setting points to the grimness of Lantern Yard, where now a factory and all its smoke and lifelessness stand in stark contrast to Raveloe with its fresh air and friendly inhabitants. This scene underscores the deprivation and unwholesomeness of industrialization, one of Eliot's motifs.

How do property rights encourage economic activity?

This is an important question because it is central to a capitalist economy. Property rights act as an incentive to economic activity because they motivate people to work harder and invest more.  Some examples of this will demonstrate the difference between economic activity that is generated by property rights, contrasted with situations in which there are no property rights.  

Let's first look at the situation in which a person owns or does not own a home.  The person who rents a home is going to do far less to improve that home than the person who owns the home because the renter has no property rights to act as an incentive to create more value.  The homeowner will add a deck, perhaps upgrade the plumbing or wiring, put in a new kitchen or bathroom, or finish off the basement. This is economic activity because it increases the value of the property and creates work and income for others.  The renter will not engage in any of these activities because the renter will not reap the benefit of the upgrades. It is the owner who would do so, thus the renter has no motivation to put money, time, or energy into an activity which would benefit someone else.

Next, let's look at the economic activity of the business world, imagining a person who owns a business, contrasted with a person who manages a business for someone else or who manages a business owned by the government. The person who manages a business for others is far less motivated to work hard and invest resources than the person who owns the company.  We are always much better motivated when we reap the rewards than we are when someone else reaps the rewards of our hard work.  The business owner will put money into the business, hiring more people, creating more product, or upgrading equipment. This is economic activity that is motivated by the owner's property rights, far more motivating than managing for others.  In countries with government-owned industries, for example, the gas and oil industry in Venezuela, managers and workers have only a paycheck or perhaps fear to motivate them, with little incentive to create value for a faceless government.

Intellectual property is another area in which property rights create significant incentive for economic activity.  Patents and copyrights are property rights, as much as individual ownership of a house or a business.  Computers and apps, films and music - all are property.  The incentive to create or invent rests largely on the idea that the product of one's intellect is protected as a property right, so that one will reap the financial rewards of the work involved.  There is joy in creation, to be sure, but that cannot feed a family or pay the doctor bills. People who wish to create must find an economic activity that accomplishes those, and it is the fact that there are property rights in intellectual creations and inventions that motivates this.  This is one reason that stealing movies and music is so dreadful.  When we do this, we are taking away people's motivation to create beauty in the world.  The property rights in these creations encourage people to create, which is a significant economic activity, adding value and putting people to work. 

Capitalism works well because of property rights.  People are incentivized to work hard, invest their capital, and put in more time because of the benefits of ownership.  This is what creates economic activity.  Without these benefits, people are often motivated to do only the bare minimum. 

Should there be a prescribed educational standard for entry into politics?

I'm sure many people would disagree, but in my opinion, there should not be an educational requirement for politics.  As strong an advocate as I am for education, I cannot see that it would necessarily make for better political leaders, it would make it impossible for many fine potential leaders, and the very idea is one we are unlikely to find some consensus on, much less enough agreement to amend the Constitution. 

At the present time, we have two presidential candidates who have had good educations, one at the University of Pennsylvania, the other at Wellesley and Yale Law School. Yet the former cannot locate some countries on a map, frequently misuses words, and seems to lack understanding of sophisticated concepts.  An education does not guarantee anything, I think, and we would be foolish to believe it does. This piece of paper, a diploma, does not provide any assurance of anything, I'm afraid. 

There are people who wish to enter politics with only a high school education or perhaps not even that, who do know their geography, speak articulately and intelligently, and can understand a complex idea. They may have been deprived of an educational opportunity because of race or ethnicity. They may not been able to afford to go to school. There are still people who drop out because their wages are needed at home.  In this country in which education is supposed to level the playing field, there are far too many people who are not getting good educations.  An educational standard would be just one more way we divide ourselves into the haves and have-nots.

Let's suppose for a moment that we agreed that there should be an educational requirement.  We are unlikely to ever agree upon what that should be.  It could be a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or even a doctorate.  There are arguments at each level, certainly, if one is going to have a standard at all, but there are risks at each level, too.  To instate this, we would then have to persuade three-quarters of the states to buy in to this, with a majority in each state of its legislators or its people voting for a constitutional amendment. 

It would be nice to think that requiring an education of some sort would provide us with better and more effective politicians.  The reality is that an education does not ensure this, it creates barriers for many people, and it would be nearly impossible to institute. 

What were Stalin's aims in blockading Berlin? And to what extent was he successful in achieving these aims?

Stalin's goal in blockading Berlin was to drive out the Western powers, primarily the U.S.  Ever since the end of WWII in Europe, Stalin wanted a weak German state, and he appropriated Eastern German workers and factories in order to rebuild the Soviet Union--he justified this because the Soviet Union lost so much during WWII.  The U.S., on the other hand, instituted the Marshall Plan in order to rebuild the Western half of Berlin (and Germany) so that the nation would once again become a major European producer of goods and another Hitler might not rise to power by feeding on people's postwar anger.  Stalin was not successful in his bid to blockade all of Berlin.  America airlifted supplies to the Berliners and American currency flowed into Eastern Germany and to some extent Eastern Europe as well.  This early flashpoint of the Cold War ended as a victory for the Americans as it demonstrated that America would stand up to Soviet aggression without resorting to making war.  

Why does Sir Henry go to Baskerville Hall after he receives a letter that warns him to stay away in The Hound of the Baskervilles?

Sir Henry refuses to be scared away from his new home.

Sir Henry is the last descendant of Baskerville Hall (supposedly).  He inherits the estate when his uncle Sir Charles dies of very mysterious circumstances.  There is some thought that the curse of the Baskervilles, including the Hound of the Baskervilles, is at fault. 

Sir Henry hires Sherlock Holmes because he gets an odd note warning him away from Baskerville Hall.  The note is made of pasted printed words.  It says, “As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.”  Only the last word was written by hand.  Sir Henry is also upset because he lost one of his boots. 

Holmes asks Sir Henry if he is going to go to Baskerville Hall, because there “seems to be danger.”  Henry asks where the danger is coming from, human or animal, and Holmes says that this has yet to be determined.  However, Henry is not willing to back off. 

“… There is no devil in hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people, and you may take that to be my final answer.” (Ch. 4) 

Sir Henry has a very strong personality.  Watson notes that he has “the fiery temper of the Baskervilles.” Sir Henry tells Holmes that he needs time to process everything.  He tells Holmes and Watson to come back later so they can discuss it. 

Holmes is able to deduce quite a lot from the note and the boot.  He is a very astute detective and has extraordinary powers of observation and deduction.  He knows there is really no curse, but is interested in the case.  In a rather strange move, he sends Dr. Watson to Baskerville Hall and stays behind.  It later turns out that he goes to the moor too, secretly, to work on the case, while Watson has no idea he’s there.

How would you explain the following quotation from Ayn Rand's Anthem?"To be free, a man must be free of his brothers."

A central theme of Anthem is that a person must live for himself and be an individual. The society that Ayn Rand sets up is one that focuses on brotherhood, unity, and conformity. It is the epitome of the collectivist society. Therefore, when Prometheus (formerly Equality 7-2521) discovers that he is in fact an individual, the only way to truly be free is to stop living for others. Rather than live his life in a job that was chosen for him for the supposed good of society (his brothers), he makes the decision to choose his own path and do what fulfills him as an individual, whether that benefits the “brotherhood” or not. Not only does he realize here that he does not need to live for his brothers, but he also realizes that he does not need to depend on them; he can be self-sufficient, and this, too, can give him freedom.  He says in Chapter 12:

I shall live here, in my own house. I shall take my food from the earth by the toil of my own hands. I shall learn many secrets from my books. Through the years ahead, I shall rebuild the achievements of the past, and open the way to carry them further, the achievements which are open to me, but closed forever to my brothers, for their minds are shackled to the weakest and dullest among them.

Now that he is no longer “shackled” to his brothers, Prometheus has discovered a power within him, as an individual, to live freely and in doing so to make his contribution to society without having to be told how to accomplish that.

Is the Bermuda Triangle really a mystery, or just a conspiracy?

An examination of the happenings in and around the Bermuda Triangle show that this supposed mysterious area is not necessarily a myth or a conspiracy. In fact, the happenings in the Bermuda Triangle are not much different from the events that happen in other parts of the ocean. 

However, it is true that there has been much more discussion about the mysteries and unexplained circumstances at the Bermuda Triangle. For the most part, this can be explained by the publication of multiple books in the early 1970s that capitalized on some of the "mysteries" surrounding the Bermuda Triangle.

In 1975, author Larry Kusche published the book The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved in which he debunked many of the findings from earlier books. Kusche claimed that some of the "mysterious" disappearances weren't actually mysterious at all. Kusche also asserted that some of the cases discussed in other books had never even happened.

Despite the publication of this book, the damage had been done by the assertions made in prior books that talked about the "mysteries" of the Bermuda Triangle. To this day, many of the conspiracy theories and debunked mysteries continue to be quoted and referenced, even though they have largely been discredited. 

The following should be remembered as well: the area in and around the Bermuda Triangle is often traveled by inexperienced sailors and small ships. Sometimes, the wrecks and unfortunate circumstances that happen in the area are simply due to user error.

In politics, what is meant by the terms "hawks" and "doves"? How do these positions differ?

The terms "hawk" and "dove," to the best of my recollection, came into frequent use during the late Sixties, when protest against the war in Vietnam began.  These are metaphorical terms that represent people who are pro-war and people who are anti-war.  A hawk is a fierce bird that represents the warring faction, while the dove has always been a symbol of peace and love.  Both had certainly been used prior to the Vietnam War, even hundreds of years earlier, but began popping up all the time in the media and in regular conversations when large factions began to disagree with one another about this war. The war was meant to avoid a Communist takeover in the area, based on what was called "the domino theory," another metaphor.  Like a line of dominoes, if Vietnam fell to the Communists, all the other countries in the area could as well.  This was during the Cold War, which is yet another metaphor, because politicians in the McCarthy era had stirred up the populace to believe that Communism was an existential threat to America.  Today, I don't see the terms used all that much, but they could be applicable now.  Those who want to go full force with ground troops to fight terrorism or to torture prisoners are hawks, while those who seek diplomatic solutions to problems instead are the doves.  That is, of course, a great oversimplification of the issues involved, but the metaphors still serve fairly well. 

Which sociological theory is most effective in approaching social issues: the symbolic interactionist perspective, the functionalist perspective,...

Each sociological perspective has potential to be effective, depending on which aspect of society is being analyzed.

The functionalist perspective argues that the different aspects of a society are all interconnected and self-regulated to promote social equality. This view would be effective in analyzing whether social institutions are functional or dysfunctional, and how these institutions create or impair social harmony.

The conflict perspective posits that society consists of power struggles between groups competing for limited resources, so it would be most effective for analyzing the source and effect of socio-economic inequalities and how social institutions create hierarchy.

The symbolic interactionist perspective examines micro-level interactions to examine how interactions create meaning, and how this influences inter-group behavior. This micro-sociological perspective would be most effective for analyzing the sociology or social psychology of small group interactions, and not broad societal trends.

Was Banquo from Shakespeare's Macbeth a real person?

According to modern historians, Banquo is a sort of "mythical figure" who probably was not real. Shakespeare used, as is well known, the famous Chronicles written by Raphael Holinshed, published in the sixteenth century. In Holinshed's version, the author relates in three or four lines the story of Macbeth's ascent to the throne and the tale of the "weird sisters" that foretold the future:

The words...of the three weird sisters, would not out of his mind, which as they promised him the kingdom, so likewise did they promise it at the same time unto the posterity of Banquo...

Holinshed goes on to say that Macbeth has Banquo murdered, but that his assassins fail to kill his "son named Fleance." Having fled to Wales, Fleance fathered a son named Walter Steward with the daughter of the Welsh prince. Fleance was subsequently murdered, and Walter Steward then fled to Scotland, where he married into royalty. The new king of England when Shakespeare's version of Macbeth was first performed was James I of the Scottish house of Stuart. James traced his lineage to Banquo and Fleance, and so Shakespeare portrayed Banquo, the supposed father to a line of Scottish (and eventually English) kings, as a noble man who was treacherously murdered by the tyrant Macbeth. Holinshed, on the other hand, claims that Banquo was among Macbeth's "trusty friends" that "promised aid" to the usurper in his plot to murder the king. In any case, Banquo does not seem, according to historians, to have been an actual historical figure. 

What is the link between operations management and strategic planning?

Operations management can be summarized as planning, organizing, controlling, and performing all activities necessary to turn inputs into outputs. Its main function is to ensure the business processes are performed efficiently by utilizing minimal resources and effectively to produce the output that the customer needs and expects.

Strategic planning is responsible for setting the priorities and focusing all resources available towards achieving the business’ goals and objectives. Its main function is to ensure the best decisions are made with regards to the customer, resources, and business activities.

Operations management is related to strategic planning because planning is a key function of operations. Strategic planning is necessary for ensuring business processes are focused on the intended goals and objectives. It will also eliminate waste of resources and improve the effectiveness of business processes, which is key to operations management.

I am an exchange student from the US studying in Costa Rica. I am currently working on a research project investigating how the culture of the...

Here, I think that the key structural issue with which you are struggling is focus. In other words, a good paper needs to be have a narrow topic and a clear sense of how you are approaching that topic. There are several ways you could focus your paper:

• History of ecotourism in Costa Rica: With this focus, you could look at the evolution of ecotourism in Costa Rica from the 1980s to the present. You would begin by defining ecotourism and then survey its evolution chronologically, highlighting the ways in which Costa Rica has differed from other regions in its level of environmental commitments and policies. 


• Compare and contrast: In such a paper you might compare and contrast ecotourism and environmental policies in Costa Rica with those in other islands in the region. In such a paper you would begin with an overview of ecotourism in Costa Rica and compare and contrast it with each of three or four neighboring nations, organizing the main body of the paper by nation.


• Marketing: If you are studying business, you might write a paper about the market potential of ecotourism and how Costa Rica's unique level of environmental commitment can attract tourists. You could organize such a paper two ways, either by type of activity or type of tourist (broken down by demographic groups). 

Who was the first president of Uganda?

Mutesa II, King of Buganda, was the first president of Uganda after its official declaration of independence in 1962. Mutesa's full name was Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa.

In the 1940s, Mutesa was a figurehead monarch, referred to as "King Freddie," by Western media. While he was allowed to keep his title until 1953, the year in which he was deposed by the British, he and his nation were under British rule. 

During his presidency, Mutesa's prime minister was Milton Obote. In 1966, Obote seized power from Mutesa in a coup. The purpose of the coup was to abolish Uganda's tribal kingdoms, in the interest of creating a unified nation with a centralized government. Buganda, the land that Mutesa claimed as his own, was a traditional kingdom within central Uganda. Buganda is the home of the Ganda tribe.

In the 1950s, Mutesa had supported the secession of Buganda from the rest of Uganda. It is possible that Obote supported Mutesa's presidency with the hope of gaining the support of the Ganda people and integrating them into a unified Uganda. Once that was accomplished, Obote could seize power and lead the newly independent nation.

However, Mutesa was uncooperative and stubbornly refused efforts to incorporate Buganda into Uganda. He pitted "northern" Ugandans and "southern" Bugandans against each other. This led to conflict and Mutesa's eventual exile to Britain in 1966. 

Five years later, the notorious Idi Amin came to rule by military coup and held Uganda in a grip of terror during the 1970s. Obote returned to power in 1980, but was deposed by yet another military coup in 1985.

What is the message of "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

De Maupassant's "The Necklace" has at least a few messages a reader can take from it. Madame Loisel is a good example of how not to conduct one's life. She has a sense of entitlement based upon nothing, cares too much about appearances, and lacks the courage to be honest with others. 

Although Madame Loisel is from a family that is not wealthy, she believes she is entitled to live a life of great ease and luxury. This belief is not based upon any sterling quality she possesses, such as industriousness, kindness, or intelligence. It is premised upon her appearance. Madame Loisel thinks her face should be her fortune. Her downfall at the end of the story, in which she must live in even greater poverty than she had at the beginning of the story, is largely attributable to this sense of entitlement. Thus, the story has a message about the dangers of a sense of entitlement. We are meant to earn what we get, not rely upon superficial appearances to make gains.

Madame Loisel also cares a great deal about what others think of her. She does not care about others' thoughts on her character, though — just her appearance. This leads her to borrow what she believes to be a diamond necklace so she can present herself as a wealthy woman at the event she and her husband attend. She refuses the flowers her husband suggests as an adornment, believing this would label her as poor. She does not don her outer garments until after they leave so no one can see those garments are not the very best. Her very short-lived sense of triumph at the dance is based upon the admiration of others, admiration based solely on appearances. The lesson here is that appearances are not important in the long run. Being the belle of the ball does not pay the rent or save the world, and it is incumbent upon us to focus on our characters.

Madame Loisel is even dishonest to her friends. This story would have had a very different ending if Madame Loisel revealed to Madame Forestier that she lost the necklace. She would have learned the necklace was not made of real diamonds, and, while her friend might have been briefly annoyed, it certainly would not take years of hard labor for Madame Loisel to pay for an acceptable replacement. Another message in this story, then, is that honesty is the best policy. 

While a reader can perhaps empathize a bit with Madame Loisel, who is young, pretty, and a little bored, she is not a very sympathetic character to most people. Her sense of entitlement, concern about appearances, and dishonesty lead to her downfall, and most readers seem to feel it is a deserved comeuppance for her.  

What was the difference between the pre-revolutionary conditions of the French and Russian Revolutions?

The key difference between the pre-revolutionary conditions in France and Russia can be found, I would argue, in World War One. Before the French Revolution, it is true, the French monarchy had engaged the kingdom in repeated wars against England (most notably, from an American perspective, the American Revolutionary War.) These conflicts contributed to a crushing debt that destabilized the regime, helping create the conditions for war. But the Russian Revolution occurred in the midst of World War One. The war had been an utter disaster for the Russians, who were repeatedly decimated by German and Austrian armies, and matters only became worse when Tsar Nicholas II himself assumed command of the imperial armies. By 1917, economic conditions in the country, especially the city of Petrograd, had become untenable, and the people took to the streets in protest. When the Tsar's forces joined the protests, the Tsar stepped down. By contributing to an economic crisis, by causing the people to lose faith in the competence of their tsar, and by exacerbating longstanding economic woes in the country, World War I thus contributed to the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in a way that had no parallel in France more than a century earlier. 

What changes did Henry VIII make to the Church?

The reign of Henry VIII was a time of great change in the relationship between the English state and the Church. In a bid to divorce his wife, Catherine, for example, Henry broke away from the Church in Rome in 1533 and established the Church of England. The passing of the Act of Supremacy (issued in 1534) declared Henry (and subsequent monarchs) as the head of this new Church which enabled him to obtain the divorce he so desperately wanted.

Between 1536 and 1540, Henry dissolved all of the monasteries and religious houses in England. The buildings were stripped of their valuables and the land (which formerly belonged to the Church) was sold off. All profits were returned to Henry. 

In addition, in 1538, Henry had the Bible translated into English for the first time. He also passed a law requiring every Church in England to purchase a copy of this English Bible and to display it in a place of prominence. (See the reference link provided). 

This is regarding "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." Why is lieutenant Kotler so cruel?

Lieutenant Kotler is a Nazi guard in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." Despite his relatively young age, he is zealous and takes delight in being cruel to the prisoners who are forced to work as servants in Bruno's home. While Kotler's past is not explicitly discussed, parallels are drawn between his behavior and Gretel's enthusiasm for the Hitler Youth propaganda being fed to her through the tutor she shares with Bruno. It is feasible to believe that Kotler was indoctrinated into the Nazi agenda, just as Gretel is being indoctrinated. Another comparison is drawn between Gretel and Bruno, who resists Nazi programming despite the fact that he was raised with it. In a basic sense, Kotler is cruel largely because he wants to be, while Bruno and Pavel remain kind and open-minded despite their circumstances.

Another reason for Kotler's abject cruelty is his interest in impressing Gretel as well as Bruno's mother. Despite the fact that Gretel is only 12 and he is 19, Kotler returns her crush to a degree. In an attempt to impress Gretel and the children's mother, Kotler is unnecessarily cruel in his dealings with the prisoners. He clearly does not view the servants as human and takes every opportunity to exploit, beat and persecute them to further his own career and improve his standing among the Nazi guard. 

Kotler's cruelty is not limited to other human beings. On page 172, Bruno reports witnessing the young soldier shooting a dog for no apparent reason other than the fact that its barking annoyed him. These combined actions lead to the conclusion that Kotler is generally cruel for the sake of being cruel as well as to advance his reputation in a group that rewarded such behavior.

What overall conclusions can be drawn about the society depicted in the story "Harrison Bergeron"? [Consider how people must function and what has...

The society of Kurt Vonnegut's short story is one of forced equality, an equality that diminishes talent, intelligence, and beauty. Individuality exists no longer.

With the use of technical manipulation and the addition of three amendments to the Constitution, everyone is now "finally equal." But, it is an equality in mediocrity. For, Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General to whom Hazel Bergeron bears a strong resemblance, is the standard. In fact, as Hazel talks to her husband George, she remarks, "I think I'd make a good Handicapper General," and her husband responds, "Good as anybody else."

For those like George Bergeron and especially his son Harrison, as well as the pretty ballerinas, mandatory handicaps and masks serve to equalize their looks if they are prettier or their brains are keener. For instance, George must wear forty-seven pounds of bird shot around his neck. When he has certain thoughts, a twenty-one-gun salute fires in his head. The Bergeron's son, Harrison, is only fourteen, but he has been put into prison for plotting to overthrow the government. His creativity has, unfortunately, been channeled into revolutionary activities because his natural aptitudes have not been fostered. Stymied as he has been, Harrison also has to tote a plethora of handicaps. 

This forced equality and oppressive prison sentence has caused Harrison to rebel. When he comes to the television station, he attempts to free the beautiful ballerina that he makes his empress. Together they "leaped like deer on the moon." Ironically, it is Diana Moon Glampers who fires a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun, killing them, and making them equal again.

While all this occurs, the television goes off in the Bergeron home, and it blacks out whenever something happens to someone. This technology is numbing, and distracting, rather than intellectually stimulating.  

Express `sqrt(20) - (45/sqrt(5))` in the form `k sqrt(a).`

In general, it is in bad form to have a radical in the denominator of a fraction.  When you come across this, you must do what's called "rationalizing the denominator".  The best way to ensure you get rid of the radical is to multiply your fraction by by a new fraction that has the radical in both the numerator and the denominator (and therefore has a value of 1).  It would look like this:

`(45/sqrt(5))*(sqrt(5)/sqrt(5))`

It is very important to multiply the top and bottom of you original fraction by the same thing so that you don't change the value of the fraction!

Next you multiply your fractions together and get:

`(45sqrt(5))/(sqrt(5))^2=(45sqrt(5))/5=9sqrt(5)`

Now we are looking at the expression

`sqrt(20)-9sqrt(5)`

You are only allowed to add or subtract radicals that are the same.  So we want to simplify the square root of 20 in the hopes that it will contain the square root of 5:

`sqrt(20)=sqrt(4*5)=sqrt(4)*sqrt(5)=2sqrt(5)`

Now we can simplify our expression.  We only add or subtract the coefficients in front of the radical (and keep the radical the same):

`2sqrt(5)-9sqrt(5)=-7sqrt(5)`

So k=-7 and a=5