Where does the power of the government come from, according to the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence says that the power of the government comes from the consent of the people.  This is one of the main ideas of John Locke’s thought, which strongly influenced Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the Declaration.

John Locke was a major political philosopher of the Enlightenment.  He believed that monarchy was an illegitimate form of government.  He believed that governments could only have legitimate power if the people agreed to be governed by those governments.  Power was not legitimate if rulers held it just because the people were afraid to disobey them.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson echoes this idea.  He writes that, in order to protect people’s rights,

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

This tells us quite clearly that government’s power comes from the consent of the people that it governs.  This is one of the basic ideas of modern democracies.  In order for a government to be legitimate, it has to hold power because the people agree that it should, not simply because it can frighten them into submission.

 

What was Milton's crisis in "On His Blindness"?

"On His Blindness" by John Milton is written in the form of an Italian sonnet. It is an autobiographical poem written in the first person. It was written after Milton, a deeply religious writer, goes blind. 

The sonnet consists of two parts: an octave in which Milton laments his blindness, and a sestet in which he becomes reconciled to the blindness because he realizes God has willed it for a purpose.

The main crisis Milton experiences in the poem is not so much the blindness itself but the way the blindness interferes with his ability to write. He feels that his writing is doing God's work and his crisis derives from feeling that his blindness is a manifestation of God's rejection of him. He resolves this crisis by realizing God does not need or value us according to human standards, but rather according to our faith and obedience, as is conveyed in the lines:

God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts, who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best.

How does the setting in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant influence the story, characters and events?

The setting of Maupassant's "The Necklace" is crucial to understanding the author's themes and characterization.  Written and set in the the latter part of the 19th Century, Maupassant satirizes the materialism and desires of the French bourgeoisie.  Maupassant does not provide us with descriptive images of the story's setting--Paris.  We have very few details about place except for mention of the Champs Elysses.  However, we do have quite a few details about material objects, and these are important in establishing Mathilde Loisel's motivation.  Mathilde longs for the "delicacies and all the luxuries" of the upper class: Oriental tapestries, candelabras, "footmen in knee-breeches," "the warmth of the hot-air stove," "delicate furniture," "perfumed boudoirs."  Her own surroundings seem dull and mundane in contrast.  As she uncovers the soup-tureen for dinner with her husband, she longs for so much more. 

The discrepancy between what she has and what she desires provides the conflict in this story.  It is important to see, however, that Mathilde is not destitute.  In fact, she seems comfortably middle class, with a servant to do housework and a husband who clerks in the Ministry of Public Instruction.   Mathilde has more than necessary to make her comfortable.  But what she has does not satisfy her.  She overlooks the fact that her husband is kind and concerned about her, willing to sacrifice his own desires for a gun to make his wife happy. When they are invited to a ball, her husband gives her money to buy a "pretty dress,"  but even that is not enough.  Mathilde needs a jewel to go with the dress.  In this way, Maupassant mocks the consumerist society of the 19th Century.  The fact that Mathilde cannot distinguish between a real jewel and a fake one shows her superficiality and concern with appearances.  

Yet, we have to look a little more closely at the way Maupassant portrays the French in this time period.  When Mme. Loisel discovers that she lost the necklace that she borrowed from a wealthy friend, she finds out what she thinks is the cost, and she and her husband work ten years to pay off the debt incurred in replacing it.  Even though we don't like Mme. Loisel, we have to admire the fact that she takes responsibility for her negligence and is willing to do menial work to pay the debt. Here Maupassant uses quite a few details to describe the work that Mme. Loisel does--washing clothes, carrying slop, carrying water, bargaining with grocers and merchants.  These details provide us with a clear idea of what a debtor's life was like, and it is far from easy.  In this way, we have to have some respect for Mme. Loisel.  She does not go to her friend and apologize and beg for forgiveness.  Instead she and her husband sacrifice their health, youth, and well-being to fulfill their perceived obligation.  I wonder if people in today's society would be so honorable.  

So in looking at setting, look closely at the way the three distinct lifestyles are portrayed in the story--the middle class, the wealthy, and those in poverty.  

In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," why was the horse surprised? Where did the poet stop during his journey? Did the poet stay there for...

In the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the speaker shares a precious moment with us. On the way to keep some promises, he stops his ride briefly to take in the beauty of the frozen countryside through which he is traveling. He seems to want to savor a precious moment and to immerse himself in it, to take full advantage of the silent, silvery view before he and his horse have to move on. He wonders if his horse is surprised that he has chosen to stop his journey before he has reached his destination; they are in the middle of nowhere. The reason he gives for the surprise of his little horse is that the horse might wonder why there is no house nearby, not even the house of the man who owns the land (he lives further on in the village).

The spot at which he chooses to pause his travels for a few moments seems to have a view of the woods, and we get the impression that it is outside the village. Frost tells us that his vantage point is between the woods and a frozen lake, and we guess that it must be deep midwinter as his journey takes place on the darkest evening of the year, which suggests that it may be around the winter solstice when daylight hours are at their shortest. For some readers this may add a little magical quality of mystery to the atmosphere.

The duration of the pause in the rider's travels is hinted at by the description of the falling snow. Frost tells us that the rider stays at his vantage point long enough to watch the woods fill up with snow. We are told that the snow is deep and that the flakes are falling freely, so we can guess that it is falling fairly fast onto frozen ground. We know this because the ground underneath is already hard and very cold--the lake is frozen. We know, however, that the rider does not dally for too long as there are time constraints on his journey. Even his little horse seems to know they should be moving along, and we get a rare impression of movement in the poem when Frost tells us about the impatience of the horse. The animal jingles his harness in the snowy silence, seemingly keen to proceed. The rider also knows he is on a time limit because he tells us that he has promises to keep. The day is fast closing and he knows that at the end of it he will need to sleep.

What is the conflict and resolution in the book The Cay by Theodore Taylor?

The central conflict is a man vs. nature conflict.  Phillip and Timothy are stranded on a small island, and the two men must struggle to survive in the face of overwhelming odds.   The struggle to survive is made even more difficult by the physical limitations that both Phillip and Timothy have.  Phillip has been blinded and Timothy is aging and no longer 100% healthy.  That conflict is only half resolved by the end of the book though.  Timothy does not survive the island.  Only Phillip eventually survives to be rescued from the island.  He is reunited with his family and friends, but Phillip has changed so much that he feels distanced from his former friend Henrik.  Phillip's eyesight is restored by an operation, and the story closes with Phillip desiring to find a way to get back to the tiny island.   

What is the EEOC, and what are its responsibilities and powers?

The EEOC, or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, is a federal agency that enforces laws against discrimination in the workplace. President Kennedy established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity in 1961, and it became its own agency in 1965 under President Johnson. Under EEOC laws, it is illegal to practice discrimination against someone applying for a job or who is in a job based on the person's race, religion, color, sex (which extends to gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, nationality, disability or genetic status. The EEOC has the mandate to investigate charges of discrimination against employees in organizations that are covered (generally, those that have over 15 employees or 20 employees in age discrimination lawsuits), and they then present their findings. They can try to settle a claim if they find an employee has been discriminated against, and if they cannot settle, they can initiate a lawsuit. They also offer outreach to employers to try to prevent workplace discrimination and work with government agencies to make sure they also abide by EEOC rules. 

What roles did the Indians play in the creation of the European colonies?

Especially in North America, Natives played a major role in the creation of European colonies. Early in the colonial period, most colonies could not survive without Indian support, or at least tolerance. Many colonies, notably New Netherland, were formed with the express purpose of monopolizing trade (furs, in the case of this region) with area Native peoples. Some colonies survived through their early years only because Native peoples saw benefits in forming alliances with them. For example, when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, they were seen by the area Wampanoags as potential allies against their Narragansett enemies. Depleted by smallpox and threatened by potential invasion, they saw the Pilgrims as partners. In Jamestown, the surrounding Powhatan Confederacy allowed the colony to exist for similar reasons, at least at first (they, like the Wampanoags, eventually realized their error). In modern North and South Carolina, area natives engaged in a trade for guns, deerskins, and Indian slaves that essentially allowed South Carolina in particular to survive before the turn to a plantation economy. So Indian peoples were instrumental in  the development and growth of the colonies. 

Who are Pyramus and Thisbe in A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare?

Pyramus and Thisbe are characters in the play the craftsmen are performing.

The characters of Pyrmaus and Thisbe (or Thisby), are characters from the Roman poem Metamorphoses by Ovid.  Their story is similar to that of Romeo and Juliet.  They were two young lovers whose parents kept them apart, and they met an untimely end.  Why someone would choose this play to present at a wedding is beyond me.

The play Pyramus and Thisbe is being presented by the craftsmen, a group of men with no acting experience.   They are presenting it at the royal wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, so they really want to get it right.  They don’t want to offend anyone. 

Quince, the leader, introduces the play as a “lamentable comedy” and passes out the parts. (Irony means nothing to Quince.)  He assigns the lead, Pyramus, to the pompous Bottom.

BOTTOM

What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?

QUINCE

A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love. (Act 1, Scene 2) 

Flute is assigned the role of the girl.  In those days, all roles were played by men, and this group is all men anyway.  Shakespeare makes a joke about the fact that young men often played the female roles when Flute says he can't play the girl because he is getting a beard. 

QUINCE

Flute, you must take Thisby on you.

FLUTE

What is Thisby? a wandering knight?

QUINCE

It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

FLUTE

Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming. (Act 1, Scene 2) 

The group decides to practice in secret so no one see their production (and no one will make fun of them).  In the play, the lovers talk to each other through a wall only.  The wall is played by an actor.  The entire story is explained in the prologue, which is Shakespeare’s way of poking fun at prologues that give away the ending.  Pyramus finds a shawl that has blood on it and thinks that Thisbe is dead, when in fact the lion did not maul her.  He kills himself, and then she kills herself.

Before the Cold War many argue the US and the Soviet Union were natural enemies over ideology but one might argue then we should have had and still...

The United States did not trust the Soviet Union ever since Russia backed out of WWI despite receiving American aid to stay in the war.  During the 1920s American leaders were on high alert to prevent a Bolshevist takeover or an anarchist uprising and many people of Russian descent or sympathies were deported.  It was not until the Franklin Roosevelt administration that America finally recognized the Soviet government that had been in place for over a decade.  After WWII the United States criticized the totalitarian  puppet states which sprang up in Eastern Europe in the wake of the advancing Soviet armies.  The United States thought that all Communist regimes were taking orders from Moscow and that the next world war would take place between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.  It did not help when the Soviets clandestinely exploded an atomic bomb.  

America initially did not trust the new Communist regime in China that ousted its WWII ally Chiang Kai Shek.  China fell to Communist forces during the Truman administration, and it was not until the Nixon administration that American-Chinese relations normalized.  Nixon saw an opportunity to drive a wedge between China and the Soviets and he took advantage of this.  Nixon turned a blind eye to China's human rights' abuses and even built trade relationships with the nation that still exist today.  America needs Chinese trade more than that of the former Soviet Union, and that partially explains why the U.S. has better relations with China than with the Soviet Union.  

What are objective intent and subjective intent mens rea?

Mens rea is determined by the defendant’s state of mind or intention. It is coupled with the actual act to constitute a crime. During criminal trials, proof of mens rea will be required to make a determination. Cases that fall within strict and absolute liability will not require proof of mens rea.

Mens rea can be determined through subjective or objective procedures. A subjective intent is determined based on the defendant's perspective. The defendant’s thoughts, desires, plans, and level of awareness are considered.

An objective intent is determined based on the quality of the defendant’s state of mind. The quality of the defendant’s behavior is determined based on established standards of a reasonable individual. Thus, the judge and jury will rely on the perspective of a reasonable person.

In The Freedom Writers Diary, how was the importance of self-worth shown through the thoughts, words, and actions of the students in Ms. Gruwell's...

The importance of self-worth to Ms. Gruwell's students can be seen in how they use her content to formulate emotionally strong positions about the world and their place in it.

Ms. Gruwell understands her students' profound deficit of self-worth.  She recognizes that years of being overlooked and maligned both educationally and socially have prevented them from recognizing meaning in themselves and their world.  This is clear when Erin notes how "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you tell kids they're stupid--directly or indirectly--sooner or later they start to believe it.”  Ms. Gruwell recognizes that connecting content to the experiences of her students can increase their self-worth, evident in her students' thoughts, words, and actions.

Tommy Johnson's diary entry displays self-worth.  His opening sentence insists that he is better than the violence dominating his world. When Tommy writes, "They say America is the 'Land of the Free and Home of the Brave,' but what's so free about a land where people get killed," he shows an acquisition of self-worth. His opening question reflects how he believes that the world in which he lives is wrong and must be questioned.  The purpose of his diary entry is to make a connection with Zlata Filipovic, whose diary he has read as a part of Ms. Gruwell's class.  When he asks Zlata how to handle a situation where violence is so prevalent, his self-worth compels him to turn to someone else who can help. Writing a diary entry to Zlata is an action that shows Tommy's self-worth.  When he closes his diary entry with "Your Friend," self-worth is evident in his affirmation of friendship to share and learn from someone in a similar situation.

In Diary 36, we see another example of self-worth's importance to one of Ms. Gruwell's students.  This particular student did not expect to be emotionally impacted while reading Anne Frank's diary.  However, the book "came alive" for the student and a connection reflecting self-worth was made: "I cried when she cried, and just like her I wanted to know why the Germans were killing her people.  Just like her, I knew the feeling of discrimination and to be looked down upon based on the way you look.  Just like her 'I sometimes feel like a bird in a cage and just want to fly away."  Diary 36 shows Ms. Gruwell's content imparting self-worth in the thoughts, actions, and words of her student.  There is an empathy between the student and Anne Frank.   Like Tommy Jefferson, the student affirms self-worth in the insistence that what is happening in the world is wrong and must be repudiated. 

The words and thoughts of Diary 37 are also rooted in self-worth.  This particular entry connects the student's own experience with Zlata's and Anne's.  The diary entry is focused on an abusive and emotionally absent "sperm donor" of a father.  Self-worth is powerfully evident in the diary entry's conclusion of how "I won't die or get taken advantage of.  I'm going to be strong."  The student has appropriated the examples of Anne Frank and Zlata Filipovic as behavior models.  The diary entry reflects self-worth in the awareness that they deserve better and merit more than what is around them.  

The affirmation of strength and self-worth in the three diary entries reminds us of the power that education can have on a child. Content such as Ms. Gruwell's can transform their perception of the world and their place in it.  It enhances self-worth because students recognize that their experiences are mirrored in the realities of other people.  They realize they are not alone.  Ms. Gruwell's students realize this in their actions of composing diary entries.  They also display self-worth in words that communicate powerful thoughts of strength and refusal to accept injustice in their lives and the world around them.

What are some books with the theme of hope?- I have chosen books like The Great Gatsby and A Thousand Splendid Suns. However, I need another...

Two very good books about hope that use World War II for their settings would be Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Hillenbrand's work focuses on the life of Louis Zamperini. He served in the air corps in World War II and was taken prisoner by the Japanese.  While imprisoned, he suffered some of the worst physical and mental forms of torture. He did not submit to the abuses, and remained "unbroken."  

Once Louis returns from World War II, civilian life is a struggle. The intensity of processing the horrific reality left a mark on Louis.  His story is a very powerful account of what William Faulkner would say is the human capacity to "suffer, endure, and eventually triumph." Louis comes to the realization that "divine love" saved him, and allows him to overcome anger's bitterness.  The story's theme of hope is evident in Louis's journey to emotional restoration.

The Diary of Anne Frank focuses on hope during the Holocaust.  The diary is a collection of thoughts from thirteen-year-old Anne Frank.  She and her family were forced to hide as the Nazis took over the Netherlands. Anne receives a diary as a birthday present and keeps it as a log of her time in hiding.  

Anne's voice matures over the course of the diary.  It balances the hope and despair intrinsic to the Holocaust. Anne's voice reminds us that while disgusting acts and actors can permeate our world, they will never be successful in eliminating the restorative hope in it.  This dynamic is seen in the diary's final entry:

...because when everybody starts hovering over me, I get cross, then sad, and finally end up turning my heart inside out, the bad part on the outside and the good part on the inside, and keep trying to find a way to become what I'd like to be and what I could be if ... if only there were no other people in the world.

In the midst of the Holocaust, Anne is hopeful.  She is "trying to find a way to become what [she'd] like to be and what [she] could be."  This standard of hope is something to which all of us should aspire.

How are the lives of the three female characters in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" symbolic, and how are they significant to the theme of the story?

Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" examines the lives of black women in rural America in the 1960s. The story addresses the pivotal moment the African-American community was facing as it re-evaluated its identity amidst changing times. 

There are three female characters in the story: a mother and two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Each woman in the story represents a facet of the choice African American women faced at that moment in history.

Maggie
Maggie is the younger daughter who still lives at home with her mother. She is soon to be married and partakes in familial traditions, such as sewing quilts. Maggie represents a woman who has chosen to keep African-American traditions alive and close as she moves into adulthood. 

Dee/Wangero
Dee is the daughter who has moved out of the house and is with a Muslim man. She is in the process of redefining her identity. Instead of embracing her rural heritage, she is distancing herself from it. She instead chooses to identify with African tribal heritage in a movement known as Cultural Nationalism. She has changed her name from Dee to Wangero. At birth, she was named after her Grandma Dee. The fact that she is deciding to no longer identify with that familial name illustrates the way she is distancing herself from her roots. Dee represents the choice to distance the past rather than keep it close.

Mother
The mother serves as the entity which can observe these two daughters and two choices at once, then make a decision between them. Walker's choice to use first person narration creates a vehicle to invite the reader into the decision between the daughters. Walker ends the story with the mother deciding to give the quilts to Maggie. With this ending, Walker shows that the better path for African-American women is to keep tradition close, rather than put it at a distance.

Compare and contrast the poems “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley and “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.What are these poems’ views of life...

Percy Shelley's “Ozymandias” was written about the statue of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, a real historical person. Tennyson's “Ulysses” is about a Greek mythological hero, more commonly known in modern schools as Odysseus, from Homer's epic The Odyssey.

The similarities between the two poems lie in their treatment of power and fame as fleeting. Although Ozymandias wanted to ensure his immortality by building a great statue, Shelley's poem shows us this is ultimately impossible—this is what the statue looks like now, according to the poem's speaker:

Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 

Stand in the desert. . . Near them, on the sand, 

Half sunk a shattered visage lies

With time, everything fades, even powerful rulers and their impressive memorials. Ulysses feels the same kind of thing is happening to him while he still lives. He has been a great adventurer, and warrior, and although he is now the king of Ithaca, he already sees the end coming.

Ulysses expresses this idea in this way:

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains

Ulysses is still living, but he doesn't feel very alive. He feels almost like Ozymandias's statue; he is crumbling, he has lost his sense of grandeur.

Ozymandias and Ulysses are different in terms of their desire to rule. Ozymandias loves the power that comes from governing a kingdom. We see this in the words he had transcribed at the base of his statue:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! 

Ulysses, however, doesn't want to rule anymore. He wants to return to the life he led as a younger man:

Death closes all: but something ere the end, 

Some work of noble note, may yet be done, 

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods. 

He knows he is getting closer to death, and he wants one more shot at what he considers glory: striving with the Gods.

The tone of the two poems differs because of the self-awareness, or lack thereof, of the poems' human subjects. Ozymandias makes a bold but ultimately foolish declaration. He seems oblivious to the transitory nature of life and power. He is not a sympathetically tragic character because he does not perceive his own weakness and his own eventual destruction.

Ulysses, on the other hand, is driven by a self-awareness of his desire to live fully while he still can, although he knows it will be brief and will probably end tragically. He says,

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink 

Life to the lees.

This means Ulysses will live life to its fullest. The lees are the sediments at the bottom of a wine barrel. Although this sediment is not particularly good, Ulysses means he will experience all of life, the good and the bad.

The reader empathizes with Ulysses's desire to avoid a quiet resignation about finishing out his days doing something he doesn't want to do.

What will happen to consumer and producer surplus and deadweight loss if the government imposes a tax on sellers for each radio they produce in...

If the government places a tax on each radio that sellers produce, the outcome will be negative for both sellers and buyers. The consumer surplus will shrink and the producer surplus will also shrink. As the two surpluses shrink, deadweight loss increases.

Consumer surplus and producer surplus are essentially mirror images. Consumer surplus is the difference between what consumers actually pay for a good or service and what they would be willing to pay. Producer surplus is the difference between the amount the producer actually receives when they sell a good or service and the minimum amount they would be willing to accept. You can see these on a supply-demand graph if you draw a horizontal line from the equilibrium price over to the y-axis. The area between the line and the demand curve is the consumer surplus and the area between the line and the supply curve is the producer surplus. (Please follow the links below to see this illustrated.)

If a tax is imposed, both surpluses shrink. The consumer pays a higher price and does not get as much product as if there were no tax. The producer produces less and gets less money than if there were no tax. In these ways, their respective surpluses both shrink. When this happens, instead of consumer surplus or producer surplus, you get deadweight loss, which is the cost to society (the consumers and producers) of the economic inefficiency created by the tax.

Who is the most healthy person after the war in the story "The Things They Carried"?

First, please keep in mind that this is an opinion question.  This means that there is no “right” answer, but the reader can make his or her own decision as to who the healthiest person is at the end of the story.  The reader can then support his or her decision with examples from “The Things They Carried.”  The other issue with your question is that a person can be in perfect physical shape while being mentally, emotionally, or spiritually unstable.  If you are referring someone being physically healthy, then the answer to your question is any character that is not dead, dismembered, or wounded.  I am going to assume that you are talking about mental and emotional health.  In my opinion, the healthiest person (mentally) is the narrator of the story:  Tim O’Brien.

Although all of the characters who survive in “The Things They Carried” have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is only Tim O’Brien who heals greatly through his narration of the story.  He does this by remembering the lives of the dead.  In these stories, he makes the dead feel “not so dead.” 

I can see Kiowa, too, and Ted Lavender and Curt Lemon, and sometimes I can even see Timmy skating with Linda under the yellow floodlights.

Later, Tim O’Brien shifts the focus to himself completely.  He imagines himself “young and happy.”  He is exploring his “own history” within his writing.  He is healing through the words.  But perhaps the thing that heals Tim O’Brien the most (and makes him the most mentally healthy character), is that he helps the dead be remembered.  This relieves his guilt.

When I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story.

By helping the dead be remembered, O’Brien talks here about saving his own life.  In this way, he becomes the most mentally  healthy character.

Which of the following did NOT happen in the Second Industrial Revolution?Russia rapidly advanced to rival the gains of Western Europe...

Of the options that you have provided here, the first option is the best answer to this question.  All of the other options are true.

The first option is the correct answer because Russia was certainly not economically equal to the countries of Western Europe.  It most definitely did not rival them in terms of its economic strength.  Russia was the most backwards of all of the major countries of Europe.  It had a huge land mass and a large population, but its economy was weak and fairly primitive.  The vast majority of its people were peasants who engaged in subsistence farming, not workers in industrial factories.  This economic weakness was one of the major reasons why Russia was not able to perform well in WWI (or in the Russo-Japanese War before it).  Since Russia was so poor compared to the major powers of Europe, the first option is not something that happened during the Second Industrial Revolution.

What does Morrie say about people being alike In Tuesdays With Morrie?

When Morrie and Mitch discuss culture, Morrie asserts that human beings should be responsible for creating their own culture based on their personal values. Morrie maintains that no one should allow society to dictate their values.

In light of this, Morrie argues that one of the greatest values everyone should embrace is the idea that human beings are very much alike. If we can accept the idea that we are all alike, there may be more harmony among all the races. Morrie laments that the biggest problem in the modern world lies in the reluctance to accept this premise of being alike.

He tells Mitch that those who believe the premise often see themselves as part of the larger human family. Since all of us have the same beginning (birth) and the same ending (death), Morrie believes that we should be more compelled to be tolerant of others. He argues that people who look for common ground are happier and are better able to invest freely in others. Morrie asserts that the ability to foster a community based on love is made possible when all of us believe in the similarities we share as human beings.

What are gender issues in A Doll's House that can be seen in societies all over the world?

The denial of a woman's voice is an aspect of A Doll's House that can be seen in different parts of the world.

As a woman, Nora's voice is silenced.  She experiences this in the world around her and in her own home. Socially, she is seen as less than a man in how she cannot conduct business without her husband's consent.  This dynamic is similar in her own home. Torvald holds power over her.  Her voice is denied in subtle and overt ways. When he refers to Nora in dismissive terms like "squirrel" or "spendthrift," it shows how Torvald views his wife in a trivial manner.  He sees her as simply part of a "doll's house," where her role is clearly defined: "Do I have to tell you that? Isn't it your duty to your husband and children?" Torvald views Nora's role as nothing more than domestic.

In many parts of the world today, gender roles are viewed in the same way. It is the reason for the disparity between the education levels of girls and boys.  The World Bank Organization noted how gender plays a defining role in access to education in different parts of the world:

Sixteen million girls between the ages six and 11 will never enter school compared to eight million boys. In South and West Asia, for example, 80 percent of out-of-school girls will never start compared to 16 percent of out-of-school boys. This means that approximately four million girls across the region will remain excluded from education.

In these settings, women have been defined by a duty to "husband and children."  Patriarchal attitudes like Torvald's is a major reason why so many girls do not have access to education.  These attitudes are the major reason why their voice is being denied.  

Nora comes to a realization that she has "another duty, just as sacred" when she confronts Torvald: "My duty to myself.”  This awakening forces her to leave him and find a new path for her life.  She recognizes the power of choice and the importance of her voice.  This is a realization that girls and women today should embrace as they battle similar situations to Nora's.  

What are the striking differences between the personalities of a mother and a friend?

Alhough a mother and a friend may both have love for the individual in consideration, these roles typically have significantly different approaches in how they think of and interact with their child or friend.

Mothers try to have their child's best interests at heart, especially when they consider long-term goals and security. While friendships also involve care and well-wishes, friends may not have as much foresight as parents when it comes to making big decisions. For example, if a person was really passionate about music, a mother would be more likely to suggest that this person get a degree in music, while a friend might suggest the individual take his or her band on the road. Both are potentially good decisions, but the mother's suggestion, in this case, would offer far more long-term job security.

The differing personalities of mothers and friends can sometimes create conflict in a person's life. Young people are still mentally and emotionally developing and need time and space to figure themselves out and experiment with identities. With that in mind, friends can have positive or negative influences on each other. Social deviation encouraged by friends can be a good learning experience, but also often brings heavy consequences. Mothers are less likely to encourage their children to participate in social deviation, often because they've learned lessons from their own experiments! 

The relationship roles of mother and friend both carry the unfortunate fact that we often think of people as existing only in their relationship to us. It can be hard for a mother to imagine her child as anyone but the specific person she knows, and vice versa. I can certainly say I sometimes have a hard time imagining my mother as anyone but my mom. Friends, too, may be limited in their understanding of a person. I would argue that where mothers and friends differ in their understanding of a person is that a mother is more likely to know her child's fine-tuned emotional nature, while a friend is more likely to know a person's outward, socially-presented, personality.

In general, I think mothers take far more responsibility when it comes to their child's actions and how those actions might reflect upon them. A friend may feel a sense of distance from a person whose actions do not reflect upon them personally. When things are seriously tough, a friend might even have the option to walk away from the friendship, while a mother-child relationship is for life.

Which effects are yielded by the stage directions in The Crucible?

One effect of the stage directions is that the reader has an opportunity to interpret characters' actions that are described but not addressed aloud, and these actions or descriptions of the tone in which certain lines are to be spoken sometimes tell us even more than the words themselves.  They allow us to understand more fully what characters are thinking and feeling in moments when they may not be saying everything aloud or telling the whole truth.  For example, in Act II, the opening stage direction tells us that John Proctor seasons the stew his wife has prepared while she is out of the room.  When she serves him, stage direction tells us that "She sits and watches him taste it."  This helps us to understand that his response to her cooking is important to her, so important that she watches for his reaction when he tries it.  She is anxious.  Further, he tells her that "It's well seasoned."  Now, we, the audience, know that he's not being entirely truthful: he adding seasoning to it, so he must not have found it well-seasoned to begin with; however, he now compliments his wife on the stew when we know that he was "not quite pleased" with it as she'd prepared it.  This is a man who's willing to tell a small lie if he thinks the reason is good; readers know this because of stage direction.

A moment later, Proctor tells his wife that he "means to please [her]," but when he tries to kiss her, she only "receives it" and, "With a certain disappointment, he returns to the table."  With only their words and no stage direction, readers would be much less likely to pick up on the tension in this relationship.  The words themselves are, for the most part, all good, kind, typical of a loving relationship, but the actions betray the sense that not all his well between these two people. 

What confuses Scout about Miss Gates' view of Hitler in Chapter 26 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 26, Scout is confused about Miss Gates' lack of consistency: while she claims to despise Hitler's horrific abuse of the Jews, she welcomes extremely biased treatment of the black people in her own community.

In the schoolroom, Miss Gates is a respected authority figure. When she cautions her students against the same type of prejudice Hitler entertains, they take her words to heart. To her students, Miss Gates is a trusted source of wisdom and the very epitome of honor. It is not surprising, then, that Scout becomes confused when she hears her teacher railing against the supposed arrogance of black people. According to Miss Gates, "it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were gettin‘ way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us."

Scout is so shocked by what she overhears that she brings her concerns to Jem. However, Jem is still too traumatized about the recent events surrounding the trial and Tom Robinson's death to adequately address Scout's concerns.

Basically, what confuses Scout about Miss Gates' view of Hitler is that her teacher doesn't see a connection between Hitler's type of prejudice with that of her own. For her own part, Scout doesn't understand how her teacher can rationalize her own ugly attitudes. Also, very likely, Scout finds it difficult to accept that an upstanding teacher can harbor such an obviously wrong perspective about others. To Miss Gates, white people are justified in their concerns; Hitler's prejudice, on the other hand, has more of a diabolical quality to it and must be disavowed at all costs. Miss Gates doesn't realize the inherent hypocrisy in her contradictory attitudes.

Solve the equation `sin(x/2) + cos(x) - 1 = 0.`

Hello!

I suppose that "sinx/2+cosx-1=0" means "sin(x/2)+cos(x)-1=0" (it can also mean "(sinx)/2+cos(x)-1=0" and "sin(x/2)+cos(x-1)=0").

To solve this equation, recall the double angle formula `cos(2a) = 1 - 2sin^2(a),` and apply it to `cos(x):` `cos(x) = 1 - 2sin^2(x/2).` This way our equation becomes

`sin(x/2) + (1 - 2sin^2(x/2)) - 1 = 0,` or `sin(x/2) - 2sin^2(x/2) = 0,` or `sin(x/2)(1 - 2sin(x/2)) = 0.`

The product is zero means at least one of factors is zero, i.e. `sin(x/2) = 0` or `sin(x/2) = 1/2.` These equations are well-known and their solutions are

`x/2 = k pi, or x = 2k pi,`
`x/2 = pi/6 + 2k pi, or x = pi/3 + 4k pi,`
`x/2 = (5pi)/6 + 2k pi, or x = (5pi)/3 + 4k pi,`

where `k` is any integer.

At `[0, 4pi],` which is a period of `sin(x/2)+cos(x)-1,` the solutions are `0,` `pi/3,` `(5pi)/3,` `2pi` and `4pi.`

What is the relevance of Ibsen's title A Doll's House?

Henrik Ibsen’s ground-breaking play A Doll’s House premiered in Copenhagen in 1879.

Particularly for modern audiences, it’s easy to make the mistake of believing that Torvald Helmer does not love his wife. He patronizes, controls, and bullies her. He delights in displaying her beauty to his friends (under carefully monitored circumstances), as when he dresses her as a Neapolitan fisher-girl and has her dance at a neighbor's party. He declines to speak with her as an equal. Surely Torvald would treat Nora with more respect if he truly loved her?

The key to understanding the play — and the significance of its title — is to realize that Torvald is behaving exactly as he believes a loving husband should. He is not trying to insult or demean Nora. Both Nora and Torvald are trapped in the conventions of nineteenth century Europe: a culture that assumes the moral and intellectual inferiority of women, and believes that women have no real identity except in relation to their parents, husbands, and children.

During the course of the play, Nora undergoes a crisis and an epiphany, leading her to gain new perspective on her marriage and on her own humanity. She realizes that she has never truly grown up, never developed her own mind and spirit, never explored her own identity as an individual human being. Because of that, her marriage has been no true partnership. She has been playing at marriage, like a child playing with dolls in a doll’s house. This is a crime against her own children, but above all against herself.

Here’s how she explains it to Torvald in the final scene of the play:

NORA
We have been married now eight years.  Does it not occur to you that this is the first time we two, you and I, husband and wife, have had a serious conversation?

. . .

TORVALD
But, dearest Nora, would it have been any good to you?

NORA
That is just it; you have never understood me.  I have been greatly wronged, Torvald, ­first by papa and then by you.

. . .

When I was at home with papa, he told me his opinion about everything, and so I had the same opinions; and if I differed from him I concealed the fact, because he would not have liked it.  He called me his doll-child, and he played with me just as I used to play with my dolls.  And when I came to live with you ­—

TORVALD
What sort of an expression is that to use about our marriage?

NORA
 (undisturbed).  I mean that I was simply transferred from papa’s hands into yours.  You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as you ­or else I pretended to, I am really not quite sure which. ­I think sometimes the one and sometimes the other.  When I look back on it, it seems to me as if I had been living here like a poor woman ­just from hand to mouth.  I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald.  But you would have it so.  You and papa have committed a great sin against me.  It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life.

TORVALD
How unreasonable and how ungrateful you are, Nora!  Have you not been happy here?

. . .

NORA
No, only merry.  And you have always been so kind to me.  But our home has been nothing but a playroom.  I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.  I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them.  That is what our marriage has been, Torvald.

Nora must now leave her husband and children and set out alone to educate herself:  “I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are ­or, at all events, that I must try and become one.” The click of the door closing behind Nora is one of the most famous sound effects in the history of theater.

Even today, the idea of a woman leaving her children in order to defend her own spirit is deeply controversial. When Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours was published in 1998, many readers were shocked by the character of Laura Brown, who does exactly that. Imagine the uproar sparked all over nineteenth century Europe by Nora’s determination to leave her metaphorical doll's house and step into her own humanity.

What are some themes of Things Fall Apart?

One theme of Achebe's Things Fall Apart is the importance of customs and traditions.  Okonkwo, through much of the novel, is attempting to balance Igbo traditions of leadership and masculinity with the new influences that are making their way into his culture.  The reader is shown a great many traditions and customs during this book.  For example, the use and meaning of sharing kola nut between men is a favorite passage of mine about tradition and custom.  

Another theme is masculinity.  The novel does a nice job of presenting the faults of hypermasculinity.  For example, Okonkwo wants to be a better man than his father, who Okonkwo saw as weak.  In order for Okonkwo to not be weak and show weakness, he believes that he must be aggressive and violent to a fault.  He beats his wives and even volunteers to violently kill his surrogate son in order to not appear weak.  Okonkwo looks down on men that he considers have effeminate characteristics because he sees it as weakness.  

What is happening to the value of the U.S. dollar these days?

It's possible to answer this question in any number of ways. There are many influences that affect the value of currency in international markets; and the dollar, being the standard and most widely-used and traded currency around the world, is affected by activity in other currencies.

For example, the recent BREXIT decision in the UK has affected world currency values, as this decision on the part of Great Britain to leave the European Union means there will be changes in their banking system. The value of the pound against the dollar experienced dramatic change when the results of this vote were announced a few weeks ago, and it is believed that as the process of leaving the European Union continues, the value of the pound will continue to be unstable.  Because London is a major banking and commerce capital of the world, it is a hub for world markets and the US-based markets respond accordingly to developments in the UK.

The dollar is currently fairly strong, possibly because the recent jobs report was fairly positive. The state of jobs and new construction are factors that afec the value of the dollar, as well as world events linked to terrorism. The reason terrorism affects world markets is that states of emergency affect world travel and tourism, which then impacts commerce directly.

The decision of the Federal Reserve to raise or lower interest rates is also a factor that affects the value of the dollar. The Fed has declined to raise interest rates for a number of years but financial forecasters are generally in agreement that interest rates will be going up fairly soon.

What are three disciplines that could help solve globalization as a contemporary issue or problem?

Three disciplines that are acknowledged to have significant roles in helping to solve contemporary issues or problems inherent in the emergence of globalization are economics, banking and finance, and political science and public policy formation. Other disciplines recognized as significant in solving globalization issues and problems are social policy, health and well-being (as in the role of WHO), communication and information systems, business management, and ethics.

Specific discussions within the broad globalization discourse identify the discipline of economics, especially the fields of economic development and economic regionalism, as critical to solving the issues and problems accentuated by or emerging from globalization. There are divergent views on globalization economics, but there is agreement that the emergence and development of new consumer markets and production centers has unintended consequences, both negative and positive, and that globalization economics is paradoxically the cause and the avenue of resolution for these problems and issues. For example, one paradoxical situation is that new centers of production create land degradation and soil, water, and air toxification, but it is said that it is the powerful new voice of the indigenous peoples that allow them to call for resolution and remediation. 

The world's banking and finance institutions were at the door of collapse in 2008 and 2009. Consequently, they are presently inadequate to meet the challenges of globalization economics, yet, again paradoxically, the discipline of banking and finance still provides the front line for addressing global banking and finance needs for microloans, foreign direct investment, and emerging production center development. The issues and problems generated by globalization require accord in government policy on a multilateral scale. The discipline of political science and public (governmental) policy making is critical to directing the multilateralization of global policy to minimize negative unintended consequences and maximize positive consequences of globalization.

Additional Source:

Matthew Krain, "Briefing Paper: Globalization." College Board.

In your opinion was the Reformation the best thing that could have happened to the Catholic Church?

From the perspective of the Catholic Church, the Reformation was likely the worst thing to happen. Before the Reformation, the Catholic Church had absolute power throughout Western Europe, with the largest land masses under Catholic monarchs. When the Reformation began, the Vatican did not see small groups of rebel clergy as a threat. This is evidenced by the fact that Martin Luther was not put to death for his perceived revolt against the church, only excommunicated. However, within a few decades, Lutherans, Calvinists, and other Protestant actors had spread throughout Western Europe and into positions of power. Notably, Lutheran Thomas Cromwell became chief minister to Henry XIII after helping to facilitate his marriage to Anne Boleyn and break from the Catholic Church. Though England was not one of the largest powers at the time, it was still a valuable trade ally and even Catholic monarchs had no choice but to continue relations with the newly Protestant Henry. Cromwell quickly set about forming alliances with other Protestant nations. During Henry's reign, the Catholic Church lost alliances, property, wealth, and ultimate control over Western Europe, and was never again as powerful as it had been at the close of the 15th century. The Protestant Reformation also paved the way for Enlightenment philosophers to question the church's teachings openly, using science and logic to disprove many fundamentals of Catholic doctrine.

What is Squeaky actually thinking about when she jumps up and down after they announce the winner in Raymond's Run by Toni Cade Bambara?

I think that Squeaky is thinking about three specific things while she is jumping up and down after the announcement of the winner.  

1.  She's thinking about how good it feels to win.  Squeaky claims that it doesn't matter to her if she won, lost, or tied, but she's a competitive athlete.  A small part of her brain is definitely processing the announcement that she won, and she is definitely happy about it.  I've never met a competitive athlete that's happy about a loss.  

2.  She's thinking about how excited she is to have found a friend and running comrade.  Squeaky is surprised to see how seriously Gretchen takes running, and Squeaky is pleased to see that Gretchen also knows what she is doing.  Squeaky finally sees the possibility for her to be good friends with another girl.  

And I look over at Gretchen wondering what the “P” stands for. And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it. Maybe she’d like to help me coach Raymond; she obviously is serious about running, as any fool can see. And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile. We stand there with this big smile of respect between us.

3.  Squeaky's thinking about how proud she is of her brother's running ability.  She's also thinking about how excited she is to possibly begin training Raymond to be an even better runner.  This is the main reason that she is jumping up and down.  

And by the time he comes over I’m jumping up and down so glad to see him—my brother Raymond, a great runner in the family tradition.

When did Helen Keller write The Story of My Life?

Helen Keller's autobiographical work, The Story of My Life, was first published in 1903.  Helen Keller began writing the autobiography a year earlier.  At that time, 1902, Helen Keller was still a student at Radcliffe's College.  The book did not start out as an entire autobiographical novel.  Originally, Helen Keller wrote it in segments to be published in different issues of the Ladies Home Journal. She completed all of that work in 1902, but in 1903 Doubleday, Page & Co. published Helen Keller's work as a novel.  The novel was, and still is, very successful.  It has been adapted into both a Broadway play and a Hollywood film.  The Story of My Life is also not Helen Keller's only novel.  She wrote two other novels following the success of her autobiography.  Those novels are Midstream and My Later Life. 

In Beowulf, what is the significance of the line, "...out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs..."?

The line you've chosen from Beowulf is a great example of the caesura, an important structural element in both Beowulf and Old English poetry as a whole. The caesura is a midline pause used throughout Beowulf, and it provides the poetry with an integral rhythm and structure that improves the flow of the verse. In this particular line, the caesura is important because the rhythm it creates heightens the sense of suspense. In the section of the poem that this line occurs in, Grendel is coming out of the wilderness with violent, murderous intent. The caesura here is vital because it creates a suspenseful atmosphere that perfectly mirrors the oncoming monster. Thus, we see that the caesura is important not only because it promotes rhythm throughout the poetic verse, but also because it makes the overall attempt to tell the story more effective. 

What does Maria want in Act 1, Scene 3 of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare? What is Maria's motivation for doing what she does?

Maria warns Sir Toby that his niece Olivia does not approve of his drinking and that Sir Andrew is a fool.

Maria wants Sir Toby to be careful.  In this scene, Maria is reminding Toby that he should not stay out all night carousing.  This is her job as Olivia’s lady in waiting, but she also cares about him.  Sir Toby, Olivia’s uncle, has a tendency to drink too much and likes to have a good time.  Maria tries to help him out.

MARIA

By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o'
nights: your cousin, my lady, takes great
exceptions to your ill hours.

SIR TOBY BELCH

Why, let her except, before excepted.

MARIA

Ay, but you must confine yourself within the modest limits of order. (Act 1, Scene 3) 

Maria also warns Sir Toby about his friend and fellow troublemaker, Sir Andrew.  Sir Andrew Auguecheek and Sir Toby Belch are peas in a pod.  Andrew has been staying with Toby and getting drunk with him.  Maria tries to tell Toby that Andrew is trouble.

MARIA

He hath indeed, almost natural: for besides that
he's a fool, he's a great quarreller: and but that
he hath the gift of a coward to allay the gust he
hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent he would quickly have the gift of a grave. (Act 1, Scene 3)

Maria humors Andrew, because as much as she feels he is a moocher, she enjoys hanging out with Sir Toby.  Andrew is a fool, but he is fun.  Maria takes part in the drinking and singing with both of them, despite what she said.

In fact, Maria and Sir Toby have a little fling going on.  She may be warning him, but she takes part in the merrymaking just the same because she likes to have a good time.  Even though he is above her station, they marry by the end of the play.

Maria's motivation is that she cares about Sir Toby and enjoys hanging around him.  The two of them are witty and have fun together.  Maria's trick on Malvolio is a good example of how she and Sir Toby think alike.  They like to make fun of the straight-laced Malvolio, who really does feel that Sir Toby is too loud and obnoxious.

Is it ever suitable to publicly spray pesticides in non-agricultural areas? If so, when does the benefit outweigh the risk?

Actually, it is and it has been done before with results that have benefited the residents of the affected area. In the 1930s and 1940s, DDT was sprayed all over the American South to eradicate mosquitoes. While it was only later discovered that DDT kills both songbirds and predatory birds (as was popularized in Rachel Carson's work, Silent Spring), DDT killed mosquitoes and made the annual fears of malaria and yellow fever only a memory. During WWII, the Allies sprayed DDT to kill lice in order to stop a lupus epidemic in Sicily after the Allied invasion.  

Pesticides can be risky. In many cases, they can be either poisonous to young people or people with compromised immune systems, but if judiciously used, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Remember also that the ecosystem is connected, so pesticides used in a rural area may end up in an urban area due to the toxins turning up in food or via wind/ water currents blowing material to the city. Today, there are more precise ways to kill disease-causing insects—currently scientists are looking at creating sterilized hybrid mosquitoes in order to control the spread of the Zika virus in Brazil. Pesticides have had their positive uses and have saved thousands of lives; it would be a mistake to limit their uses entirely.  

Who is the real tiger in "The Tiger in the Tunnel"? Is it the tiger or Baldeo?

I think that the tiger is the real tiger in "The Tiger in the Tunnel."

A case could be made that as Baldeo approaches his adversary, he might display some qualities that resemble those of a tiger. Upon entering the top of the cutting, Baldeo walks as cautiously as a knowledgeable predator. Like the tiger, he is very confident of his ability to face down wild animals in the jungle. Baldeo "prided himself in his skill" in using his axe. With a kill list that includes a young boar, Baldeo believes he is a talented hunter.

However, when Baldeo encounters the tiger, it is clear that he, Baldeo, is the hunted. Baldeo is no match for the tiger, who has "preyed" on the men in the jungle for years. The tiger is a "great brute." At the moment of confrontation, his quick and focused movements cannot be avoided. "Flight was useless" for Baldeo, a description that proves his inability to "out-tiger" the tiger.

Baldeo puts up a good fight. He is able to land an agonizing wound on the tiger. However, the real tiger in the story is the tiger himself. He is the one who successfully hunts down Baldeo, "bringing him down and tearing at his broken body."

Why is it the duty and the privilege of the accused person to choose a door in "The Lady or the Tiger"?

In the rather whimsical short story, "The Lady, or the Tiger?" it is both a "duty" and a "privilege" for the accused to select one of the two doors in the arena because as one charged with a crime, he is constrained to select a door (duty), but the accused also has the opportunity to live and be married (privilege) and escape execution.

It is an odd form of justice that the semi-barbaric king of Stockton's narrative employs. When a subject of this king is charged with a crime, public notice is given and the "loyal subjects" assemble at the huge amphitheater that is the agent of the king's "poetic justice." With everyone seated, the king signals and a door beneath him opens. Out comes the accused subject into the arena. Opposite of him, there are two doors. Behind one is a hungry, fierce tiger; behind the other, a lady.
If the door to the tiger is opened, the guilty subject is savagely torn to pieces by the tiger, and public mourners weep and cry out for the loss of the subject. However, if the door to the fair maiden is opened, the subject is immediately married. ("It mattered not that he might already possess a wife and family.") Celebrations begin, bells ring, and the now "innocent man" leads his bride to his home. With irony, Stockton writes,

This was the king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious.

At any rate, the uncertainty of the situation certainly entertains the people. 

A lift has a power rating of 480 W. How high can it raise two 50-kg sacks of rice in 2.0 seconds?

By the definition, power is work performed at a time unit (work divided by time). Therefore in this problem the total work done is `P*T,` where `P` is the given power and `T` is the given time.

Also it is known that the amount of work performed on a body adds to its total energy. The total energy of the sacks consists of the kinetic energy `(m V^2)/2` and the potential energy `mgh.` So `(mV_e^2)/2 + mgH = PT` because the initial speed is probably zero. Here `H` is the height in question and `V_e` is the end speed.

To maximize `H` we need to minimize `V_e^2,` and its minimum is zero. In this case `mgH = PT` and `H = (P T)/(mg).`

Two sacks have total mass `m` of `100 kg.` Thus the numerical answer is about `(480*2)/(100*9.8) approx 1.0 m.`

What is the condition called when there is a reflection from a plane mirror if the angle of incidence is zero?

Hello!

The angle of incidence is usually measured between an incident ray and the normal to a reflecting surface at the point of incidence. The point of incidence is the point where a ray of light strikes a reflecting surface. The term "normal" means a straight line perpendicular to the surface at a given point.

If the angle of incidence is zero, then the incident ray and the corresponding normal coincide. By the main law of reflection, an angle of incidence and the corresponding angle of reflection are congruent, so in such a situation the reflected ray coincides with the normal and with the incident ray.

There is no special name or term for such a situation. We may say that an incident ray is perpendicular to the plane mirror (for a plane mirror, all normals are parallel to each other).

What beliefs and character traits that typified the Pilgrims enabled them to survive in the hostile environment that greeted them in the New World?...

The Pilgrims were Puritans, and they were given their name because they wanted to purify the Anglican Church. Unlike most of the later Puritans who colonized Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Pilgrims were Separatists, in that they wanted to separate themselves entirely from the Anglican Church rather than purifying it from within. The Pilgrims were persecuted in England, and so they were motivated to immigrate to the New World and to establish a settlement. Their ability to survive the rigors of the New World came in part from their knowledge that England was a hostile environment to them--one they could not easily return to. In addition, the Pilgrims, like other Puritans, believed in predestination--the idea that one's status as saved or not saved was determined before birth. Being successful on earth was a sign that one had received God's favor and was among the elect, or saved, so the Puritans practiced the Protestant work ethic. They were determined to prove their elect status so they worked diligently, surviving in the New World.

Their beliefs also limited them in that they were not open to new cultures, such as the Native Americans, and so they treated them with hostility. They believed the Native Americans were not among the elect, so the Pilgrims were not tolerant of them. The Pilgrims and other Puritans could not tolerate any dissent. 

What are some examples of when Hamlet acts insane?

Hamlet is experiencing some personal conflict as a result of the information he gets from his father (the ghost) that his uncle is a murderer.  His father wants to be avenged, and Hamlet wants to comply, but Hamlet is a complicated soul.  Just killing his uncle is not his style.  His mother married his uncle, a fact that makes him very angry.  He's conflicted about killing his uncle.

While Hamlet is trying to figure things out, he behaves in a very strange manner the many people would consider crazy.  To some people, the first sign of his insanity is seeing and speaking to ghosts.  Even if you accept that, there are other instances of Hamlet behaving irrationally and rudely.

One example is Hamlet’s behavior toward Ophelia.  By all accounts Ophelia is a sweet girl, and Hamlet was sweet on her.  Whatever the extent of the relationship, Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia is beyond harsh.  It is uncalled for.

HAMLET

You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.

OPHELIA

I was the more deceived.

HAMLET

Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a
breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest;
but yet I could accuse me of such things that it
were better my mother had not borne me … (Act 3, Scene 1)

Hamlet’s harsh and crude treatment of Ophelia is nothing compared to what he does to her father.  He kills him, more or less accidentally, and then when his uncle tries to get Hamlet to tell them where the body is, Hamlet uses it as another opportunity to prove that he is crazy. 

KING CLAUDIUS

Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?

HAMLET

At supper.

KING CLAUDIUS

At supper! where?

HAMLET

Not where he eats, but where he is eaten … (Act 4, Scene 3) 

It’s funny in a completely morbid way.  Hamlet doesn’t want anyone to guess his intentions regarding his uncle, so he wants to make everyone think he is crazy.  He tells his friends Rosencrantz and Guidenstern that he knows " a hawk from a handsaw," and he is wily enough to avoid his uncle's plot to murder him.

How is David an idealistic ten year old boy in The Chrysalids by John Wyndham?

David is idealistic because he thinks that he can keep Sophie’s condition a secret, and he also thinks that he and the other telepaths can remain hidden in their strict society.  In Waknuk, everyone has to be the same.  You have to conform to the True Image.  It is idealistic for David to think that any of them are going to be able to blend in and get away with it. 

When David finds out that Sophie has extra toes, he doesn’t even seem to realize the significance of it. 

It was so heavy a promise that I was quite resolved to keep it completely — even from my cousin, Rosalind.  Though, underneath, I was puzzled by its evident importance. It seemed a very small toe to cause such a degree of anxiety. But there was often a great deal of grown-up fuss that seemed disproportionate to causes. So I held on to the main point — the need for secrecy. (Ch. 1) 

At ten years old, living with a tyrannically religious zealous father, David should know that having extra toes or anything unusual about you is unacceptable in Waknuk.  Sophie’s parents are terrified when he finds out and beg him to keep it a secret.  He agrees.  David just doesn’t get the position they are in.  

David’s naiveté has been ongoing.  He is telepathic, and he and the other telepathics have been in hiding for years.  Even David’s little sister has the ability to read minds.  They can only read the minds of each other, so they have been able to hide it.  

“I want you to keep it secret. I want you to promise that you will never, never tell anyone else what you have just told me — never. It's very important: later on you'll understand better how important it is. You mustn't do anything that would even let anyone guess about it. Will you promise me that?” (Ch. 4) 

Uncle Axel told David not to tell anyone.  He was aware of how idealistic and naïve David was, and worried that he would not understand what danger he was in.  Eventually, it all comes crashing down on David when Sophie is discovered, and then Petra.

What is the conflict between Antonio and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice? Does it have any roots in religion?

Yes, the conflict between Antonio and Shylock has some roots in religion.

The conflict between the two characters is not exclusively based on their religious differences, though. There is an economic conflict that exists between Antonio and Shylock as well. In Act I, Scene 3, Shylock tells audiences the three reasons why he hates Antonio.   

1. Antonio is a Christian and Shylock is a Jew. Shylock says, "I hate him for he is a Christian." There has always been some tension between Christians and Jews, and Shakespeare uses that conflict in this play.  


2. Shylock is in economic conflict with Antonio. Shylock is a money lender who charges high interest rates. Antonio, on the other hand, lends out money and doesn't charge any interest. This causes Shylock to complain, "He lends out money gratis and brings down/ The rate of usance here with us in Venice." Shylock is forced to lower his rates, which earns him smaller profits. Additionally, Shylock has a bad reputation because he is the money lender who charges high interest rates.  


3. Antonio publicly bullies Shylock. Of Antonio, Shylock says, "You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog/ And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine."

In the book My Side of the Mountain by Jean George, what are three differences between Sam and the Baron Weasel?

Sam Gribley is a city kid who has run away to live on his own and in the wilds of the Catskill Mountains. He has read some survival skill books, but now he has to put what he’s read into everyday practice. Baron Weasel (whom Sam named) knows all about life on the mountain and seems to think he owns the place. Some additional differences are listed here in Sam versus Baron format:

Domesticated boy v. Wild animal

Newcomer v. Established resident

Hides from most human visitors v. Runs off a couple (In the 11th chapter, titled “In Which Frightful Learns Her ABCs”)

Makes warmer clothes out of deer hides to deal with winter v. Undergoes a change in fur color from brown to white to deal with winter

Has to learn how to live in the wild v. Knows how to survive instinctively, as common practice

What are examples of imagery from the poem "Anecdote of the Jar" by Wallace Stevens?

Image is defined in the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics as "the reproduction in the mind of a sensation produced by a physical perception." This definition is, indeed, an appropriate one for the imagery created by Wallace Stevens in his poem, "Anecdote of a Jar" because the imagery connected to the jar dominates the overall impressions of the verse as it has not just a sensuous element, but a mental component, too.

Here are examples of imagery in "Anecdote of the Jar"

• "slovenly"- The artist places a simple jar in Tennessee where there are no artificial objects for miles around the hill. Because of the jar's anomalous position on this hill, it somehow draws in the "slovenly wilderness." This image of a wilderness that is "slovenly," or messy and unkempt is rather startling and incongruous with the image of a simple glass jar.


• "round and tall" - These simple words suggest shapes that are rather ordinary. Yet, the jar's being round, which is unlike most shapes in the forest, makes it an anomaly in the wilderness.


• "tall and of a port in the air" - The repetition of "tall" suggests that the jar is very noticeable. The image of "port" is ambiguous, for it can suggest a harbor or a refuge, or an opening. Perhaps, Stevens suggests that art offers an opening of the mind as well as a refuge for the soul from the real world.


• "gray and bare" - The jar is nondescript and of only a neutral state. It is essentially colorless, unlike anything in nature. This again emphasizes the part that art plays in igniting the imagination which gives it meaning.


• "bird and bush" - This is an image of wildlife in its natural habitat in contrast the the artistic creation of the jar. The jar is "like nothing else in Tennessee" because it is man-made and imposes its own meaning upon the natural setting.

How does Tennessee Williams develop Tom's character in The Glass Menagerie?

Tom's character arc throughout the play is a circular one, since Tom is looking back on a story that has already taken place. Tom cautions the audience that his memory may be faulty, but he will try his best to tell the story as it happened. At the end of the play, we may conclude that Tom is seeking absolution or, at least, forgiveness for his actions, even though leaving his family was an act of self-preservation.

Within the memory portion of the play, which takes up the bulk of the action, Tom is seeking an escape from his life, and particularly from his mother, Amanda. He finds any excuse to go out late at night, and is on edge whenever he is at home. While Tom knows his mother is right, that Laura's best chance for a normal life is through marriage, they also both seem to acknowledge that Laura will never marry.

Tom is petulant with his mother, but consistently kind to his sister. By the end of the memory, it is clear that Tom must leave his family if he is to make anything of the life he has remaining. However, through Tom's final narration, it's clear he has always wondered if he did the right thing, as he knows Laura's life was filled with suffering because he left.

Does "The Fall of the House of Usher” serve as Poe’s example of the Gothic genre, or is it written as a parody of the genre?

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" is an example of Gothic literature and should not be considered a parody of the genre. Admittedly, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the fine line between serious literature and parody, as some parodic works are so subtle that they almost seem serious to many readers. However, I think it's safe to say "Usher" is genuine Gothic literature through and through.

First of all, let's consider what Gothic literature actually is. Generally speaking, Gothic literature is characterized by elements of horror, events that are or at least appear to be supernatural (such as ghosts, demonic forces, etc.), and themes such as ruin, decay, and the psychological disintegration of the story's characters. Also, Gothic literature often involves medieval-like settings (such as crumbling castles), and often focuses on a once prominent family descending into chaos, madness, complete obliteration, or all of the above. Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto is often thought of as the first true Gothic novel, and there's no denying that the genre has had a profound influence on many authors since then.

Now, with this context in mind, let's consider "Usher." The story features a wealthy family riddled with incestuous relationships and facing decline and obliteration. The events take place on a crumbling family estate that seems to be haunted by some kind of evil presence. Additionally, the estate is reminiscent of a medieval castle, as it contains many vaults which were used as dungeons in the past. Finally, the story focuses on Roderick Usher, a man who appears to be going insane, and who buries his sister alive and is then killed by her during a terrifying storm. All in all, the short story has a crumbling, gloomy estate, supernatural elements, psychological disintegration, and deep, dark family secrets. It's definitely Gothic.

Still, the question remains: is it serious, or is it a parody? To answer this question, it helps to look at the tone of the story.

During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit... I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium—the bitter lapse into everyday life—the hideous dropping off of the veil.

The tone in this opening passage is immediately gloomy, ominous, and dreadful. Observing the House of Usher and its environs, the narrator looks upon a scene of utter desolation and decay, and he compares the experience to the unpleasant aftereffects of drug use. In short, the tone here is quite serious, and it sets the stage for the tale's later horrors. If the story was a parody, it would involve at least some sense of mockery in the tone, and Poe's prose would not be so thoroughly gloomy. Indeed, there really isn't a light moment in the text, and the climax is truly terrifying. As such, I believe that "Usher" should be considered a true example of Gothic literature, rather than a parody of the genre.

What are some examples of Johnny Cade being intelligent?

There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict Johnny Cade displaying his intelligence. In Chapter 4, immediately after Johnny saves Ponyboy's life by stabbing a Soc, Ponyboy realizes their predicament and begins to panic. Johnny calms Ponyboy down and says, "We'll need money. And maybe a gun. And a plan" (Hinton 50). When Ponyboy asks Johnny where in the world they would be able to get such things, Johnny answers by telling him that they need to go find Dally. Johnny then informs Pony that Dally is at a party at Buck Merrill's home. Johnny's ability think of a plausible way to get out of town by consulting Dally displays his intelligence. He does not panic and thinks clearly in a stressful situation.

Another scene throughout the novel that depicts Johnny's intelligence takes place in Chapter 5. Ponyboy and Johnny read Gone With the Wind while they are hiding out and Pony mentions,

"It amazed me how Johnny could get more meaning out of some of the stuff in there than I could--- I was supposed to be the deep one" (Hinton 65).

Although Johnny struggled in the school, his ability to understand and analyze the text portrays his intelligence.

Does religion teach fear?

There are many hundreds or even thousands of religions in the world. Within each of those religions, there is tremendous variation not only in doctrine but in how people interpret and react to various doctrines. Therefore, it is not possible to generalize about "religion" in some overarching and uniform way. One can only talk about the teachings of specific religions.

Lucretius in De Rerum Natura argued that traditional Greek religion taught fear of the gods, and that Epicurus, a purely secular philosopher, drove out fear from people's minds in a way that was even more impressive than the deeds of Hercules in driving out fearful monsters from the land. 

Some forms of evangelical Christianity emphasize the importance of the "fear of God." On the other hand, many other religious traditions, including Buddhism and Bahá'í, would emphasize that their proponents strive towards a spiritual peace that cannot be found in purely secular belief systems. Some psychologists argue that religious and spiritual beliefs function as coping mechanisms, helping people through difficult situations such as illness, and thus may reduce fear in so far as people can put their trust in some form of divinity.

Contrast the essentialist and the constructionist approaches or models of mental illness, including the subtypes and varieties of each. What would...

An essentialist view of mental illness states that mental illness is a state that exists independently from society and that it can be defined objectively and is caused by neurological issues or by lifetime experiences. Essentialists would argue that people have mental illness because they exhibit a concrete set of behaviors and that these behaviors define mental illness. They would also argue that if, for example, a drug cures or alleviates the symptoms of a mental illness, that illness exists in objective terms. The DSM, or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used to diagnose mental disorders, follows this model. The "hard" essentialist model regards mental disorders as types of diseases, while the "soft" essentialist model regards mental disorders as a psychological state. 

On the other hand, constructionism argues that mental illness was created by society to label people insane if they have behaviors that deviate from social norms. People in this camp have a broader view of how deviant behaviors are defined in society, and they believe that if people break the sociological standards made by society, those people are construed as insane. The subtypes of constructionism are causal construction, in which social factors help bring about a mental disorder, and constitutive construction, in which social factors help define it in the first place. 

Both models likely have some validity in explaining many mental illnesses. For example, while the biochemistry of people with mental disorders might be different (supporting an essentialist approach), people with mental disorders might also act differently than others and be labeled as different (supporting constructionism).

Reference: 

Raphael van Riel. What Is Constructionism in Psychiatry? From Social Causes to Psychiatric Classification. Psychiatry. 2016; 7: 57. Published online 2016 Apr 18. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00057 PMCID: PMC4834349. 

What were James K. Polk's successes and failures as president? What impact did his administration have on the future of the United States?

James K. Polk took office as the eleventh President of the United States and served from 1845 to 1849. Before becoming President, Polk served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and later became Governor of Tennessee, both experiences which influenced his performance in the White House. Polk ran for President after being considered as the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1844. He chose to pursue the presidency to oppose Henry Clay, who was opposed to the re-annexing of Texas and Oregon.

Polk's presidency was characterized by his commitment to “Manifest Destiny,” a concept which held that America should seek to expand as much as possible. He was nominated on the ninth ballot and received support from such prominent figures as President Jackson. Despite the popularity of his campaign to expand United States territory into Texas, Oregon, and California, Polk's presidency was not without controversy. In his attempt to acquire Oregon, Polk put the country at risk of another war with Great Britain, which was considered a failure by many of his contemporaries.

One of Polk's greatest failures was the decision to send an envoy to offer the Mexican government a maximum of $20 million in addition to settlement claims in return for New Mexico and California land. This attempt was a resounding failure and the envoy Polk sent was not received. Polk's further attempts to acquire a response yielded an attack from Mexican forces and led to all-out war.

Although the Mexican envoy was one of Polk's greatest failures, it was also one of his greatest successes in the sense that it resulted in the acquisition of New Mexico and California for $50 million less than the country had been prepared to offer. Polk is also notable for his success as a “dark horse” candidate, whom no one expected to win the presidency in 1844.

Despite being a primary force in the acquisition of modern-day Oregon, California and much of Texas, Polk is one of the lesser known presidents. Nonetheless, his actions as President of the United States played a significant role in the tensions between the North and South that led to the Civil War. The territories he acquired are by far the most lasting impact his administration had on the future of the United States, and his decisions also served as a catalyst for the Civil War.

In Life of Pi by Yann Martel, why are there thousands of meerkats on the floating carnivorous island?

Pi led an interesting life since childhood. At one point he simultaneously observed three religions (Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam). Unfortunately, he lost both his parents and his brother in a tragic accident at sea. He survived the ordeal and provided different accounts of his situation at sea. One of his accounts seemed factual. However, it was plain and uninteresting. His other account was exciting and presented with attention-grabbing myths. The meerkats and the carnivorous island appear in his exciting version. Thus, the existence of the meerkats can be explained as an aspect of symbolism.

In my opinion, the meerkats represented people, and the island represented the world. During the day, the meerkats fed on fish provided by the island and at night they sought the safety of the tree and avoided the base of the island, which turned toxic. The day symbolized life and the night symbolized death. The meerkats symbolized people/souls trapped between the two cycles. Pi refused to be trapped and decided to leave the island. Thus, the meerkats on the island were an attempt by Pi to express his view of the world and the people in it.

What criteria are involved in judging organizational strengths and weaknesses? What is the internal audit approach and why is it important?

The expert consensus is that the three criteria for judging organizational strengths and weaknesses are (1) past performance of the company, (2) comparison of actual performance against specific goals and targets, (3) comparison of company performance against competitor performance.

Past performance: Past performance analysis shows important information about capabilities and resource use, but it does not show if past performance was executed at the expected level; it measures use but it does not measure under-performance. Measurable statistics in the areas of financial ratios, employee performance trends, production efficiency, and quality control data quantify organizational performance strengths and weaknesses.

Comparison of actual performance with specific goals and targets: This criterion is used to measure performance and under-performance (a category the criterion of past performance does not measure). The company's organizational objectives, vision statement, and mission statement play key roles in measuring actual performance against desired performance in relation to goals and targets. Assessment is made of every area of performance measuring (a) performance compared to organizational goals stating desired outcomes and outputs at all levels and (b) how resources and capabilities are used in relation to fulfilling mission and vision statements, including such areas as resources in customer service.

Comparison of company performance against competitor performance: This criterion is used to measure company performance, or under-performance, in the marketplace they compete in. Assessing what competitors are doing can lead to identifying which strengths and weaknesses can be used to develop the company's own long-term competitive advantage. The tools for gaining information for a comparison with competitors include surveys, subjective opinions of company leaders and consultants, annual reports, professional meetings, and association newsletters. 

How is 18th century religion in England linked to Swift's Gulliver's Travels?

In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift pokes satirical jabs at most aspects of European life, including religion. Swift's parody of 18th century religion is most evident in Gulliver's first voyage, in which he is stranded on the island of Lilliput. The Lilliputians are wracked by several disputes, including the debate between the Big Enders and the Little Enders. These rival factions are engaged in a bitter argument about the proper way to open an egg (Big Enders think it should be cracked open at the big end, while the Little Enders advocate for the little end). This disagreement is meant to satirize the tensions and conflicts between Protestants and Catholics during Swift's day. By choosing such a petty dispute, Swift points out the absurdity of religious disagreements and suggests that the differences between Catholics and Protestants might not be very important after all. 

How does the media affect our perception of reality?

To answer this question, is necessary to establish the context of your question. Since you mention the perception of reality, I assume you are talking about media that discuss current events and news. T's also necessary to understand that different forms of media portray information in different ways. These different modes of communication affect people in different ways as well.

The idea that our perception of reality can be affected by media portrayals is related to the way that different forms of mass media can manipulate or otherwise enhance factual information. Media that combine visual and audio components, for example, make it possible to create a narrative that engages our senses and emotions. For this reason, we generally accept that watching the news on television might be a more emotionally manipulative experience then reading the same story in a newspaper or hearing it on the radio. Television engages our sight and hearing, whereas print is visual, and audio, radio for example, engages only our hearing.

It is also true that television is frequently a vehicle for fictional narrative,  and our television news often creates dynamic presentations of the news to engage our attention and to attract viewership. Is it possible that we don't always distinguish between fictional narrative and news reports? The news networks do seem to blur this line sometimes, offering dramatic spectacle to drive up ratings and thereby increase their advertising revenue.

In recent years, newspaper readership has declined greatly. Also many people tend to get their news via the Internet, where it is also possible to receive News with audio and visual components, because TV and radio have websites that make up their broadcasts available. It seems far more likely that people receive their news via more dynamic forms of media, and the critical thinking and analysis that are usually part of reading print news stories are now replaced by a more passive reception of news from these other forms of media.

Internet based news stories are often at least partially in print form, but contain images and audio or video clips to enhance the experience. These articles are also most often shorter in length than print newspaper articles, and so do not provide the same depth of information, and this can also affect our perception of factual elements. It is common to hear the sarcastic statement "I saw it on the internet so it must be true," and this refers to the tendency for unreliable information to be disseminated in the same way as factual information, with little effort made to distinguish the difference. It has become not uncommon for people to say that mainstream media ("MSM") is in the business of distorting the truth. These are all disturbing trends that relate to the idea of media and its impact on our perception of reality.

How would I write a sonnet about Friar Laurence from Romeo and Juliet?

I am assuming you will be writing a Shakespearean sonnet, which has 14 lines with 10 syllables for each line. The rhyming scheme must be "abab-cdcd-efef-gg": in other words, the first and third, second and fourth, fifth and seventh lines, etc. must rhyme, as must the last two lines. With these structural concerns out of the way, let us look at Friar Laurence as a character. As a holy man, he is an important confidant for both Romeo and Juliet. He takes an active and sincere interest in both of their lives, chiding Romeo for his lovelorn nature and commiserating with Juliet upon Romeo's banishment. He agrees to marry the two lovers because he hopes that their marriage will bring about a truce between their two feuding families. Once Juliet's engagement to Paris is determined by Lord Capulet, he concocts a scheme to get her out of it, and to reunite the couple. While this scheme is obviously a bit farfetched, dependent on a number of factors for success, the fact remains that he undertakes it in the interest of Romeo and Juliet themselves. So a sonnet about Friar Laurence should include a discussion of these characteristics, and probably should consider as well that the Friar, in all of his actions, wise or unwise, was always struggling against fate.

Why does Raymond Carver use the image of a cathedral as the medium through which the narrator is changed in "Cathedral"?

The image of a cathedral is used after Robert asks the narrator to describe what he sees on a television program. It is significant because it becomes the means to the act of communion between the two men and inspires both of them.

After the narrator's wife falls asleep on the couch, her blind friend Robert, who is visiting her, says he wants to stay up with the narrator. "Something about the church and the Middle Ages was on the TV." The narrator tries other stations, but there is nothing that interests him, so he turns back to the first channel. Robert tells him not to worry about it because he can always learn something new. As he listens, it becomes apparent that Robert cannot envision what a cathedral looks like. He asks his host to describe it to him. The narrator tries to explain it is a medieval church with very high ceilings and spires that took hundreds of years to complete. 

These beautiful churches, built at a time when men were attempting to reach toward the heavens and free themselves from the Dark Ages, were often dedicated to Mary. These cathedrals were huge structures that have spires that reach to the sky, vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, massive doors carved with Bible stories, and flying buttresses in the Gothic style. The narrator says he cannot really describe these impressive churches. 

Robert asks his host to get some heavy paper and a pen so they can draw together. It is, indeed, significant that the narrator and Robert draw a cathedral, a beautiful structure that attempts to reach to the heavens in supplication to a higher Power. At the time of their construction, cathedrals lifted the hearts and souls of worshipers, as they were inspired by spiritual desires when they saw the beautiful windows with stories of the saints in them. Therefore, the drawing of a cathedral acts as the medium with which the narrator and Robert can both be lifted together and be in communion spiritually. "It was like nothing else in my life up to now" the narrator concludes, as he has finally connected with another person.

What is the choice of organizational chart? What motivates the choice?

The organizational chart you are looking at is that of Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), also known in Quebec as Association du transport aérien du Canada du Canada. This type of organizational chart shows the functional organizational structure. The motivation for choosing a functional organizational chart is the need to clearly differentiate the levels of leadership, management, and departments in the organization.

Starting at the top, each organizational level is identified by its function and the position holder. For example, the highest level function under the Board of Directors for ATAC is President and CEO, a position held by John McKenna, and one of the next-level vice president functions is Executive Vice President and Vice President Atlantic Canada and British Columbia, a position held by Les Aalders.

A functional organizational chart shows how authority and hierarchy is structured according to the function of different positions and departments. It also shows each is organized and operated independently of the others. For example, ATAC's Communications department, headed by Francois Roquet, is independent of the Commercial General Aviation department, headed by Wayne Gouveia.

A functional organizational chart may also show vertical and horizontal communication. Vertical communication is upward and downward communication between lower levels and higher levels of an organization. Horizontal communication is communication across one level of an organization, such as across the level of all Vice Presidents of ATAC. This ATAC functional chart indicates the vertical communication between functions, such as the communication of Executive Assistant to Vice Presidents, Danielle Lavoie, reporting vertically to Aalders, Skrobica, and Gouveia.

How does the reader's opinion of the people of Lilliput change in Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift?

It can be hard to define a reader’s “attitude” toward a character or characters. Attitudes are subject to all sorts of influences, some contained in the text, others caused by real life circumstances and experiences, other texts one might be familiar with, and so forth.

For Swift, part of the satire of Gulliver’s situation with the Lilliputians comes from the ironic reversal of social power dynamics: Gulliver is much more powerful than all the Lilliputians combined, but nevertheless he is made to serve the ruling Lilliputian class. At first, Gulliver thinks this is a point of honor, and serves them willingly and is hailed as a hero; however, as things turn out, the Lilliputians ultimately condemn Gulliver for a breach of etiquette. The Lilliputians turn out to be not any better than the aristocrats of Europe.

For the reader, there is a predisposition to want to trust the tiny Lilliputians. Although they bind him and shoot him with arrows at first, they also reward Gulliver’s mild behavior with food and drink, housing and clothing, and teach him their language. Gulliver becomes a great favorite at court and earns his liberty. But the longer Gulliver is in Lilliput, the more he learns about the politics of the place, which have to strike the reader as ridiculous. Far from being superior to European rulers, the Lilliputians are subject to the same petty prejudices (like which is the best side of an egg to break) and have the same lust for power. Gulliver’s ultimate condemnation (for “polluting the palace” by urinating when in fact he was extinguishing a dangerous fire) underlines their lack of gratitude and hypocrisy.