How does Lina and Doon finding the instructions advance the plot in Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember?

In Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember, Lina finding what's left of the piece of paper and deciphering some of its meaning advances the plot by leading towards the climax of the story. Likewise, Doon agreeing with her that the instructions look important and joining with her in the search for the clues in the Pipeworks that the paper points to further leads to the story's climax, the climax being Linan and Doon finding the way out of Ember the Builders had intended, in order to save the rest of Ember's people. All of their actions in finding the paper and working towards deciphering it count as rising action.

In chapter 7, Lina glues together what piece of the paper she has and begins studying it in her spare time. Once she recognizes the message speaks of a "river, a door, and the Pipeworks," she decides to show the paper to Doon since Doon is taking the problems of the city so seriously, and, so far, no one has taken what Lina has found seriously. When Doon examines the fascinating box and the paper, he very quickly agrees that the paper looks important. He is puzzled about the door, though, since he recently found a mysterious locked door, but it wasn't near the river. Together, they begin exploring, which counts as more rising action.

Together, they go to look at the locked door Doon found in the Pipeworks. Later, another moment of rising action occurs when Doon returns to find the key in the door and opens it to discover the mayor is hording supplies for himself in the room. At that point, Doon starts feeling discouraged and begins thinking the instructions aren't useful after all. However, when Lina learns from her friend Clary that the full title of the paper is "Instructions for Egress," Doon's excitement returns, and in chapter 13, he returns with Lina to her home to work out some more of the puzzle, leading the story closer to its climax. Together, they decipher that somewhere in the Pipeworks, they'll find a "stone marked with E" and further "down the river bank," they'll find a ledge where the door is near, the door they presume leads out of the city (Ch. 13).

Why does George not want Lennie to talk to their boss when they report for work in the morning?

George does not want Lennie to talk when they meet the boss because Lennie may say something that may cause them not to get the job.

While they are in the clearing the night before they go to the ranch and their new job, George instructs Lennie to keep quiet when they meet the boss. He tells Lennie that he will give the boss their work tickets, "but you ain't gonna say a word."
George instructs Lennie to just stand there and not say anything when they meet the new boss. "If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won't get no job." However, if they do get on the job, and the boss sees how strong Lennie is and how hard he works before he hears Lennie talk, George feels that they will be "set." That is, the boss will not care that Lennie is slow mentally because he is a virtual work horse.

George has Lennie repeat over and over, "I ain't gonna say nothin'" Also, he has Lennie repeat, "An' you ain't gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed, neither."
"Lennie looked puzzled. 'Like I done in Weed?'"
George cannot believe that Lennie has forgotten. He says that he will not remind him for fear that Lennie will do it again.

Lennie understands and tells George that they were run out of Wood, but George counters, saying they ran on their own: "They was lookin' for us but they didn't catch us." Lennie chuckles and says that he has not forgotten that.

This conversation between Lennie and George hints at what will follow. For, the reader understands that Lennie somehow gets himself into predicaments that cause both men problems.

What is the ancestral curse in "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe?

The Ushers' ancestral curse is madness. 

It is not entirely clear what has caused the Usher family's ancestral curse. Obviously, both the brother and sister suffer from something the doctor cannot identify, and it seems to be both physical and mental. It has to be genetic, and usually, when a genetic disease is passed down through a family to this extent, there is some inbreeding involved. In those days, families often tried to keep their lines “pure” by intermarrying, but the resulting lack of genetic diversity doomed them. 

Roderick seems to have suffered under the knowledge and fear of his family’s ancestral curse for some time. Seeing his sister deteriorate eats away at him, and his mind can’t really take it. He asks his friend, the narrator, to visit him. The narrator becomes a witness to Roderick’s decline into madness. 

Having seen his family's curse, Roderick fears his future.

I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any, even the most trivial, incident, which may operate upon this intolerable agitation of soul. I have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect—in terror. 

When the doctor says Madeline is dead, Roderick loses it.  He has her entombed in the cellar, and tells the narrator she is not really dead. He fears her, though. When she comes back to life, he is losing his wits. Her reappearance scares him to death—literally. 

For a moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold—then, with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated. 

The narrator has had it. With that, he flees from the house and its crazy undead inhabitants and their ancestral curse. He can't fully describe how horrible that house was or what he saw in it.

What does Bud mean when he says "Here we go again" at the beginning and end of Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis?

At the beginning of the novel, Bud says, "Here we go again" just as he is being told that he has been accepted into a new foster home (Curtis 1). Bud's exasperated comment reflects his negative reaction to being sent to another foster home. Bud mentions that he has already lived in two previous foster homes and is not excited about being sent to a third.

At the end of the novel, Bud is looking at a picture of his mother and thinking about his journey. Despite all of his struggles, Bud has finally found happiness living with The Dusky Devastators of the Depression and looks forward to his future. Bud then says, "Here we go again, Momma, only this time I can't wait!" (Curtis 236). The second time Bud makes the comment he says it in a positive way. Bud is optimistic about his future and has hope that he will enjoy his new life with the band. Instead of being upset about going to a new home as he was at the beginning of the novel, But is excited and looks forward to the future at the end of the story.

In which of the following species is the central atom an exception to the octet rule?`NH_4^+` `I_2` `NH_3` `SF_6`

The octet rule is a heuristic, or "rule of thumb," about how electron configurations usually work in chemical bonds. It says that elements tend to gain or lose electrons until they have an octet, eight electrons, in their valence, or outermost, electron shell. Like any heuristic, it is usually, but not always, true. It has some important exceptions.

`NH_4^+` is a positive ion of one nitrogen atom and four hydrogen atoms. Nitrogen has five electrons in its valence shell, so we would expect it to take on three electrons to fill the octet. Hydrogen has only one valence electron, but the first shell only allows two electrons, so we expect it to accept or give one electron. Yet if each hydrogen atom gives one electron to the nitrogen atom, the nitrogen atom would now have nine electrons, not eight. However, since this is a positive ion, one of the electrons is actually missing, so the central nitrogen atom must actually only have eight electrons, which means it is not an exception to the octet rule.

`I_2` is a molecule formed between two iodine atoms. Iodine has 7 valence electrons, so we would expect each to take on one electron—but that can't happen. So this is an exception to the octet rule. (In fact what happens is the two atoms share two electrons in a covalent bond.)

`NH_3` is a molecule of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms. By similar reasoning with NH_4^+ we see that the three hydrogen atoms each give one electron to the nitrogen atom, totaling eight. Therefore this is not an exception to the octet rule.

Finally, `SF_6 ` is a molecule of one sulfur atom and six fluorine atoms. Sulfur has 6 valence electrons, while fluorine has 7. Fluorine is more electronegative, so we expect the fluorine atoms to each take one of the 6 electrons from the sulfur atom. This obeys the octet rule.

Therefore, the answer is (B) `I_2`. All the other molecules obey the octet rule, while this one does not because it is a covalent molecule.

In the play The Merchant of Venice, how does Shakespeare create suspense in Act 3, Scene 4?

In Act 3, Scene 4, Portia tells Lorenzo that he is in charge of her household until her husband returns. Portia then tells Lorenzo that she and Nerissa will be praying and contemplating alone in a monastery. When Lorenzo leaves, Portia immediately tells Balthazar to deliver an urgent letter to Doctor Bellario without stopping on his way. Portia then explains to Nerissa that their husbands will see them before they think, but will not recognize them. Portia goes on to comment that she will act like a gentlemen and tell numerous lies to make her audience believe that she has just left school. Just before the scene ends, Portia tells Nerissa that she will explain her entire plan during the coach ride and mentions that they must travel twenty miles in one day.

Shakespeare creates suspense by making the audience aware that significant events are immediately taking place, while not revealing Portia's entire plan. The audience knows from Portia's insistence that Balthazar urgently deliver her letter that its contents are important to the plot. However, Shakespeare creates suspense by not revealing what was in the letter. Shakespeare also does not reveal Portia's plan, which leaves the audience wondering what will happen next.

How is the theme of morality present in A Tale of Two Cities?

In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens presents three very distinct groups of characters: the good, the bad, and the comic. Each is a caricature, rather than real-life characters. As far as the first two groups, the good are almost impossibly good, while the bad are almost impossibly bad.

The bad, such as Madame Defarge, have no evident redeeming qualities. Her heart is black with hate and revenge, due to the murder of her family. She has given herself completely to the destruction of the nobility, personified by Charles Darnay and his family, since it was Charles’s father and uncle who caused her family members’ death. She shows no mercy to anyone. She joins in the killing spree after the Revolution begins. The notions of “freedom, equality, and fraternity” have no real meaning for her. Her only motto is hate and kill. She has become a caricature of the immoral being. She remains in this static character throughout the story.

Doctor Manette and Lucie, as well as Charles, are seemingly without major flaws. They love each other and do not seem to be able to have the kind of hate that Madame Defarge has. While Doctor Manette had felt this hate while confined in the Bastille, he has renounced it. He lives only to love Lucie and Charles. This group represents the moral individual, who return hate with love.

It is Sydney Carton that is the most realistic character, showing a moral battle in his heart throughout the novel. At the beginning, he is lazy and dissipated, of very little worth to anyone. He is not evil, however, just deeply flawed. Once he falls in love with Lucie, even if it is unrequited, he begins to turn his life around to a limited extent. He promises to do anything to save her or anyone she loves. He chooses in the end to sacrifice himself, which can be described as the highest moral good that anyone can do. It is through Sydney Carton that the theme of morality comes forth as a living struggle. 

In Shakespeare's As You Like It, what is the effect of the repetition in the last stage of man as described in Jaques' speech?

In Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It, the melancholy Jaques muses on the stages of life. The speech begins with infancy, with man "Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" (144), and then it ends in a similar fashion, as Jaques claims that all of us return to an infantile state:

... Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history, 

Is second childishness and mere oblivion;

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. (163-66)

Jaques' speech essentially muses on the ridiculousness of human life, as each of his seven stages can be seen as pathetic and bereft of dignity. The repetition in the final stage, in which man becomes a pathetic copy of his infant self, is particularly pessimistic, as it argues that the average human life accomplishes very little and all of our efforts simply take us back to the state in which we began. As such, by repeating the first stage of man in the final stage, Jaques underscores his pessimistic worldview and suggests that the course of human life is pathetic and full of folly. Of course, this opinion is Jaques' personal worldview, and so it isn't necessary to take it completely to heart. Indeed, the play's happy resolution does something to destabilize Jaques' pessimism. Be that as it may, Jaques' "Seven Ages of Man" remains an important and thought-provoking speech.  

In the first stanza of "A Poison Tree" by William Blake, what happens between the narrator and his friends? What does the narrator do to make his...

The poem does not explicitly tell readers what happened between the narrator of the poem and his friends.  All that we know is that he is angry with a friend on two different occasions.  The narrator tells his first friend about his anger, and the anger and hurt feelings go away; however, he does not tell the second friend about his anger.  Consequently, his anger and hurt feelings grow.  

I was angry with my friend; 

I told my wrath, my wrath did end. 

I was angry with my foe: 

I told it not, my wrath did grow. 

The second stanza explains that the poem's speaker nurtures his anger and makes it grow.  He does this by "watering" it with his tears and fears.  He also gives his anger plenty of nurturing sunshine.  Obviously the narrator is not actually doing those things to his anger.  The stanza is a metaphor that compares the anger to a plant.  You take care of a plant by watering it and letting it get sunshine.  The speaker is caring for his anger in order to make it grow and grow.  

And I watered it in fears, 

Night & morning with my tears: 

And I sunned it with smiles, 

And with soft deceitful wiles. 

Thematically, the poem is about the dangers of anger.  More specifically, there is great danger in harboring hurt feelings and anger against people.  In the first stanza, the speaker talks about his anger, and the friendship continues.  In the rest of the poem, the speaker doesn't resolve the issue, and he ends up killing his friend.  

What is the significance of Roman fever to Grace Ansley in the story "Roman Fever"?

To Mrs. Ansley "Roman fever" conjures the romantic memory of a night of intense life-changing passion that gave her Barbara, and the sentiment of treachery that she deals to her old rival. 

The title of Edith Wharton's short story is a double entendre as its meaning sugggests both an illness that one can incur if in the Roman night air of the Forum, and the idea of intense passion. In the second visit to Rome as Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley accompany their daughters to the infamous city, the history of the fever of Roman treachery is parodied in the two dowagers who have been "intimate since childhood." 

The conversation between the two old friends who "visualized each other...through the wrong end of her little telescope" reveals the levels of treachery that they deal to each other. First, Alida Slade discloses that it was she who wrote the passionate letter of invitation from Delphin, her fiance at the time, to meet at the "danger hour," a rendez-vous that apparently led to Grace Ansley's having become ill. But, Grace finally discloses that she responded to this letter, and so she was not alone that night. Furthermore, after Alida Slade boasts that it was she who married Delphin and Grace who "had nothing but that one letter that he didn't write," Mrs. Ansley delivers the coup de grace [the final blow]: "I had Barbara."

What happened when J. once went on a water picnic with two ladies?

The narrator recalls this incident in Chapter VII of Three Men in a Boat. He launches into the story as he considers the clothing that is suitable for a boat trip. He and a male friend once went on a water picnic with two ladies who were impeccably dressed.

They were both beautifully got up – all lace and silky stuff, and flowers, and ribbons, and dainty shoes, and light gloves. But they were dressed for a photographic studio, not for a river picnic. They were the “boating costumes” of a French fashion-plate. It was ridiculous, fooling about in them anywhere near real earth, air, and water.

The women insisted that the boat was not clean, so the men dusted off the seats for them. And then there was the matter of getting wet. No matter which man was rowing and whether he was in the front or the back, he and his paddle inevitably brought drops or even splashes of water into the boat. The women tried to shield their dresses; but according to the narrator, the water marks never came out of the material. At lunchtime, when the boaters arrived at a park to eat and to relax, the women didn’t want to sit on the grass or against tree trunks. They spread their handkerchiefs on the lawn and sat very intently on them. Instead of enjoying the overall outing and the adventure, the women were only protective of their clothing. Obviously the narrator thought their behavior was silly.

What does the reader learn about Atticus's character during his summation to the jury in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 20, the reader learns that Atticus Finch is the moral compass for Maycomb County.

Throughout the narrative of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is consistent in his adherence to moral principles, practicing the precept of "climbing into the skin [of a person] and walk[ing] around in it," as he is polite to Mrs. Dubose despite her insults, he addresses the Ewells professionally and politely despite their false testimonies, and he always treats everyone fairly regardless of a person's race or social status. Moreover, Atticus remains stalwart in the practice of these personal convictions regardless of the situation, even when he is maligned and ostracized by the community for having taken the assignment of defending Tom Robinson.

In his closing argument at Robinson's trial, Atticus reminds the jury of every citizen's Constitutional rights, regardless of his color or creed or social position. He appeals also to their moral consciences, subtly suggesting that they follow his example: "In the name of God, do your duty."

How does the schoolmaster Kantorek refer to his former students in All Quiet on the Western Front? Why do Paul and Kropp scoff at the term Kantorek...

The schoolmaster Kantorek refers to his former students as "Iron Youth."

Paul and Kropp scoff at the term Kantorek uses because it is incongruent with what the young soldiers have become. The word "iron" conjures up images of strength and durability, while the word "youth" conjures up images of innocence and life. Yet, Paul, Kropp, and the other soldiers are no longer the innocent, trusting youth they once were. Many of them have been physically and emotionally shattered by their war experience. The brutal violence of war has dulled their faith and enthusiasm for pretentious labels.

Paul maintains that it was men of the older generation like Kantorek who taught him and his peers that "duty to one's country is the greatest thing." To Paul, the older generation were "very free with all these expressions" of duty and patriotism. However, they were never the ones who had to sacrifice  life and limb to fulfill the dictates of their philosophy. In other words, Paul and Kropp think that the older generation has betrayed them.

They surpassed us only in phrases and in cleverness. The first bombardment showed us our mistake, and under it the world as they had taught it to us broke in pieces. While they continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying. While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger.

The horrific experiences of war have essentially made the young soldiers old before their time. They no longer stand upon the threshold of life, as Kantorek would have maintained. Instead, adrift on a sea of confusion and pain, they are bereft of any hope for a better future. Both Paul and Kropp are powerless as they watch their fellow soldier, Kemmerich, die. They can do nothing for him; all the patriotic catchphrases are impotent in the face of youthful death.

While the older men have "wives, children, occupations, and interests... a background...so strong that the war cannot obliterate it," young men like Paul and Kropp have nothing to hold on to. So, the idea that they are "Iron Youth" is ludicrous to them because it is incongruent with what war has reduced them to.

What is the role of state constitutions in state governments?

In any government, the role of the constitution is to set out the structure of the government.  It tells us what the parts of government are and what powers they have.  This is the function of state constitutions in a state government.

The Constitution of the United States guarantees that each state will have a republican form of government.  Beyond that, however, it does not tell the states how to set up this republican government. Therefore, the states have to have constitutions that set out exactly how their state government will work.  For example, it has to say how many houses its legislature will have and how long legislators’ terms will be.

The state constitutions also set out other rules.  For example, most state constitutions specify that their state governments have to have a balanced budget every year.  State constitutions can also outline rights that are granted to or denied to their citizens, so long as they do not violate the US Constitution.  Therefore, a state constitution may guarantee its citizens the right to a free public education.  It may also specify whether that state can have capital punishment.  In these, and many other ways, state constitutions can set out the rules that their state’s government must follow.

State constitutions, then, have two major functions.  They set up the basic mechanism of government in their state and they lay out rules that the state government must follow.

What are the major political underpinnings behind Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (the poem)?

In Angelou's poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," a free bird floats downstream and "dares to claim the sky," while the caged bird has clipped wings and tied feet and paces in his cage. The caged bird sings "of things unknown/but longed for still." In other words, the caged bird dreams of what he longs for but can't achieve; as Angelou writes in the last line of the poem, "the caged bird/sings of freedom." 

The political underpinnings of the poem are the inequality between different people in the United States. Racism, sexism, and other types of discrimination mean that some people can achieve a great deal of freedom over their own lives, as the free bird in the poem does, while others who are in groups that face discrimination are metaphorically caged, in that they are not able to go where they want and achieve what they dream about. The caged bird sings of freedom in the hope that his song, which can refer to the protests of oppressed groups, leads to his release. 

Why do poetry, fiction, and drama matter?

Literature is a reflection of the human condition, and it also provides a model for human behavior. What we call "drama" usually has as its basic formula the placement of ordinary individuals into extraordinary circumstances. Reading about or watching people undergo tragedy and difficulty is a way to help us develop empathy and also receive inspiration to deal with our own troubles. 

Literature, including plays, novels, and poetry, is also often a vehicle for commenting upon society as a whole and drawing attention to social problems. As far back as Shakespeare's day, we see portrayals of issues like racism and anti-Semitism in Othello and The Merchant of Venice. Well before Shakespeare, the ancient Greek dramatists used humor to point out the folly of too much military activity (in Lysistrata, which also had an interesting remake in a recent film by Spike Lee). The Greek dramatists also provided profound lessons in human nature that later became part of contemporary psychiatric theory (as with Freud's theory of the Oedipal complex based on the Greek character Oedipus).

Many poets and fiction writers have offered poignant and powerful commentaries on contemporary social issues such as racism and sexism; for example, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker are but three writers whose work have helped illuminate the experience of being black in America. Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, and Nikki Giovanni are poets whose work is considered part of a canon of feminist writings that is important for understanding women's struggle for equal rights.

`y = 2x - ln(2x)` Locate any relative extrema and points of inflection.

We are asked to find the relative extrema and inflection points for the graph of `y=2x-ln(2x) ` :

Note that the domain for the function is x>0.

Extrema can only occur at critical points; i.e. when the first derivative is zero or fails to exist.

`y'=2-2/(2x) ==> y'=2-1/x `

The first derivative exists for all values of x in the domain:

`2-1/x=0==> 2=1/x ==> x=1/2 `

For 0<x<1/2 the first derivative is negative, for x>1/2 it is positive so there is a minimum at x=1/2. This is the only max or min.

Inflection points can only occur when the second derivative is zero:

`y''=1/x^2>0 forall x ` so there are no inflection points. (The graph is concave up everywhere.)

The graph:

Two dice are thrown. what is the probability that the sum of dots is 4 or 6?

Assuming that the two dice are thrown together (and thus the "order" that the dice are thrown/land don't matter), there are 21 total pairs of dice values that can occur. They are as follows:

`{(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(1,5),(1,6),(2,2),(2,3),(2,4),(2,5),(2,6),(3,3),(3,4),(3,5),(3,6),(4,4),(4,5),(4,6),(5,5),(5,6),(6,6)}`

We must now find how many of these pairs sum to 4 or 6. These are:

`{(1,3),(2,2),(1,5),(2,4),(3,3)}`

So the probability of rolling a sum of 4 or 6 is `5/21`

` `

What does the narrator mean when he says, ''Our departure from Marlow I regard as one of our greatest successes"?

The men stop at the town of Marlow to shop for groceries in Chapter XIII. The narrator describes their venture in the paragraphs that follow this quote. They visit shop after shop and buy something in each one. Instead of being inconvenienced to carry the items themselves, or to have the baskets sent down to their boat, they employ the services of the local shop boys to carry their purchases and to follow along. J. describes the entourage -- which resembles a small parade -- with Montmorency, George and Harris near the front, J. at the rear, and a variety of boys, men, and dogs walking in between. “Our final march down the middle of the High Street, to the river, must have been as imposing a spectacle as Marlow had seen for many a long day,” he says. The scene, and the fact that they could initiate it on their own, serves to validate their mood and assumption of self-importance. And it’s a humorous image for the readers, at the same time. It is a great success, all around.

What is the main theme of the poem "Clown's Wife" by Johnson Agard?

The main theme of the poem "Clown's Wife" by Johnson Agard is that appearances are not always what they seem.

In this six stanza poem, the reader is privy to the wife’s thoughts about the two personalities her husband presents, depending on whether he is performing his clown act, or if he is at home. When he is dressed and performing, she says, “Up there he’s a king on a throne, but at home you should hear him moan.”

As he performs, he puts up a façade for the audience in order to entertain them. When he arrives at home there is a role reversal between husband and wife. In his home, he bemoans their circumstances while the wife attempts to provide him with cheer and to lighten his load. She uses all of the clown’s tools such as juggling and card tricks in order to lift his mood. Her actions are metaphors for the many things wives do to provide a steady home life.  

Although he resists speaking about what is bothering him, she feels it is her duty to provide a diversion by entertaining him.  

And, in his own way, he appreciates her efforts with his quiet words, as stated in the last line of the poem.

Just sits there saying almost to himself, “O life, ah life, what would I do without this clown of a wife?”

When performing for his audience he is majestic; in his home life he is forlorn.

In Tuck Everlasting, what is strange about the woods? What effect did it have on the cows?

Something about the wood feels unnatural and makes people want to speak in whispers.  

Chapter one tells readers about the wood near the Foster home.  The following is a short description from that chapter.  

But the wood had a sleeping, otherworld appearance that made you want to speak in whispers. This, at least, is what the cows must have thought: "Let it keep its peace; we won't disturb it."

Notice the word "otherworld."  That word causes readers to think "alien."  I don't mean little green guys with antennae.  By "alien" I mean strange, unnatural, and/or not of this planet.  The wood has a special quality about it that, at the very least, causes the cows to stay away from it.  Consequently, people stay away from the wood as well.  The cows know something is strange about the wood; therefore, the cows travel around the wood.  Their travelling eventually made a road.  People ended up following the road too.  Since there was no road through the wood, people didn't go into the wood, and nobody (except the Tucks) has discovered the magical spring of immortality. 

In the end, however, it was the cows who were responsible for the wood's isolation, and the cows, through some wisdom they were not wise enough to know that they possessed, were very wise indeed. If they had made their road through the wood instead of around it, then the people would have followed the road. The people would have noticed the giant ash tree at the center of the wood, and then, in time, they'd have noticed the little spring bubbling up among its roots in spite of the pebbles piled there to conceal it.

What is Hally's relationship with his father like?

Hally has a negative relationship with his father, who is an amputee and relies on Hally to take care of him. Hally says during a phone call with his mother, "I'm not being disrespectful, but I'm sick and tired of emptying stinking chamberpots full of phlegm and [urine]." His father puts a heavy burden on Hally. Hally's father is also an alcoholic, and he steals money that Hally's mother gives him to buy liquor. Hally tells his mother that he's not going to be "the peacemaker" anymore, as he often intervenes between his parents when they are fighting. He tells her, "when the two of you start fighting again, I'm leaving home."

When Hally speaks with his father, he is not confrontational. He welcomes his father home from the hospital and refers to him as "chum," reminding him that there are some comic books for him at home. In Hally's relationship with his father, Hally is clearly the adult, and the father is the troublesome child. Hally is ashamed of his father, but he feels guilty about his shame and takes out his anger towards his father on Sam instead. 

What does the speaker harbor in "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman?

By "harbor" I assume you're referring to the thoughts and feelings the poet holds within himself. If that's the case, then the main thought/idea Walt Whitman harbors in "Song of Myself" is the notion of the radically plural individual. For most of the poem, Whitman embarks on an incredibly expansive poetic journey, and he strives to incorporate as much of life (and specifically American life) as possible. As such, he presents a variety of scenes from all different walks of life, both high and low, common and uncommon, and uses these scenes to inform his theory of individual identity. Identity, Whitman claims, is not a static, singular concept, but rather an expansive, lively, continuously changing and at times contradictory idea. As such, he tries to incorporate a vast tapestry of life in order to give voice to his pluralistic (some might even say "democratic") vision of the self and the individual. This theme of the plural self is the heart of Whitman's poem, and so it is likely the most significant idea that he harbors throughout his verse. 

Why is the fence a significant symbol in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne?

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the fence is a significant symbol because fences are always a means of separation and containment.

Often, too, fences are a means of preventing that which is behind it from entering one's property or interfering with one's privacy. During the Nazi regime, Jews were removed from Germany after several restrictions and taxes were placed upon them. Their property and money were confiscated, and they were removed from Poland and other countries in which the Nazis exerted control. Placed in concentration camps such as Auschwitz--Out-With, as Bruno thinks it is called--they were contained behind barbed-wire fences that are topped with concertina wire, as well.

Huge wooden posts, like telegraph poles, dotted along it, holding it up. At the top of the fence enormous bales of barbed wire were tangled in spirals, and Gretel felt an unexpected pain inside her as she looked at the sharp spikes sticking out all the way around it. (Ch.4)

It is apparent to the children that whoever is behind the fence that is topped with this concertina wire (often called "razor wire") so that no escape is possible are treated as less than human beings. It is also apparent from the distance of this fenced area that there should be no contact made with whomever is contained within this area. Bruno and his sister may assume that those inside this type of fence may be inferior, criminal, not the same, or even dangerous in some way to those on the outside.

In Margaret Fuller's essay "Fourth of July," what does she say America still needs to achieve?

In Margaret Fuller's essay "The Fourth of July," which appeared in the New York Tribune in 1845, she writes that America has achieved much since its independence and is a land of "great talent and energy." However, she feels that the ideas that led to the American Revolution have been "tarnished," and that the country is starting to value wealth and power over virtue. America has yet to achieve freedom for all its people. She believes that the continued practice of slavery "takes from the patriot his home." She also believes that Americans' love of wealth and power detracts from their commitment to ideals. She feels that the country must be born again and that there needs to be "a new Dynasty...of Fathers of the Country." To achieve the greatness that is within America's potential, the country needs to turn against slavery and recommit itself to the values present at its founding.

What life lesson in Bleachers by John Grisham is relevant today?

A relevant life lesson from Bleachers is that a coach should teach their players to be more than wins and losses.

Coach Rake was responsible for tremendous success. This is seen in his win-loss record, unmatched number of championships, and the way he transformed football in Messina. His intensity translated to his players, some of whom credit the coach with their being able to face down life's challenges.

However, it is clear that a number of his players were damaged through Coach Rake's approach to the game. Coach Rake valued success on the field more than anything else. As a result, he created a system where his players struggled to understand the demands of life away from it:

You count the years until you get a varsity jersey, then you're a hero, an idol, a cocky bastard because in this town you can do no wrong. You win and win and you're the king of your own little world, then poof, it's gone. You play your last game and everybody cries. You can't believe it's over. Then another team comes right behind you and you're forgotten.

Neely enhances this when he wishes that he "never saw a football." Coach Rake encouraged a system that shielded athletes from the reality of the world. They embraced his singular focus on football. This entitlement helped make some of them unable to fully cope with the reality of life when their time on the gridiron had passed. Coach Rake defined his players' lives in terms of success in football being the only metric that mattered. Even if only one player suffers from this condition, it means that Coach Rake failed his athletes. The dangers of this metric are evident in how Coach Rake's methods led to Scotty Reardon's death. Such an instance immediately provokes reevaluation of Coach Rake's approach.

I think that this emphasis on the game being more important than life outside of it is where we see Coach Rake as myopic. The role of a coach should transcend their sport. Their purpose is to lead. Especially in youth sports, a coach should use the game to teach lessons about life. Wins and losses are important. However, the coach's true responsibility is to prepare their athletes for life outside of the game. When Paul says that "another team comes right behind you and you're forgotten," it is an indictment of the world that Coach Rake created. Nothing can justify a coach whose players feel left behind or incapable of dealing with the world that awaits them once their playing days are done. Little can justify the death of a child under a coach's watch. Recognizing the limitations of Coach Rake's worldview is a very relevant life lesson from Bleachers.

In a world where so much of youth sports hinges on wins and losses, a life lesson from Bleachers is that there has to be more. Coaches must recognize that their job is to make athletes better people. Coaches must remind their athletes that no matter what happens on the field of play, they will be loved and that their job is to take that love with them into the outside world. Their ultimate job is to ensure that the young people they take under their wing become better people first and improved athletes second.

How does Sandburg defend Chicago in the poem "Chicago"?

In the second stanza of "Chicago," Sandburg lists the insults that have been aimed at Chicago, including that it is wicked, crooked, and brutal. While he admits that these qualities are true of Chicago, he defends the city by saying that it is also vital, clever, and strong. He refers to Chicago as a "tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities." It is a city that is constantly building and rebuilding, and it has the kind of liveliness and energy that the smaller cities around it don't have. The city is like a callow youth that laughs. As Sandburg writes, Chicago is "laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle." It has a kind of brashness because the city is proud to offer so much to the rest of the country. As Sandburg writes, Chicago plays many roles, including those of "Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation." So, while what people say to vilify the city might be true, Chicago is also a proud producer of many goods and services that the rest of the nation needs.

What does the first stanza describe in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson?

The first stanza of "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" describes the gentleman caller who appears in order to take the speaker with him in his carriage. This caller is Death personified.

As readers of this poem peruse the stanzas, they realize the gentleman caller is Death. He appears to the speaker in the form of a man, but the mention of the carriage containing only the speaker, driver, and Immortality indicates the driver's role: he is transporting the speaker from her earthly house to the "House" that seems but a "swelling of the ground" with a scarcely visible roof. In other words, Death is carrying the speaker through her life to its end, the grave. As they ride, the speaker views her youth as the children playing at recess in school. She then views the "Fields of Gazing Grain" that represent her maturity into womanhood. Finally, they pass "the Setting Sun" as she reaches the end of her life.

In the final stanza, the speaker addresses her audience from the grave as she recalls her realization that her caller was transporting her "toward Eternity."

How can I find "scholarly" research articles, with the aim of looking at what the researcher's objectives and methods were?

Universities and colleges have subscriptions (or a general subscription) to 'scholarly' (or 'academic') journals. In some cases, the journals will be available as paper copies in the college library, but all should be available online via the online research portal to which the college subscribes. Ask your lecturer or tutor how to access this.

If you are not in an academic institution, you can search on Google Scholar (scholar.google.com).

Some research papers listed on Google Scholar are free to download in full. Others will just have the 'abstract' (summary) available to view, and perhaps some other details. In the case of those that aren't freely available in full, a small payment is usually required to download the entire paper. If you identify a paper that looks like the sort of thing you are looking for, it is possible to search for the authors on the internet and email them for a private copy of their paper. They may take some time to respond, however.

If the summary (usually called the 'abstract') of the paper is written in a detailed enough way, you might be able to determine the research objectives and methods from that alone. That would be the quickest most efficient way to choose between papers.

Articles, or research papers, fall into two general categories: review papers and new studies. Review papers review previous papers about the topic of interest and summarize the opinions and findings in those papers in a critical way. Papers about new studies are based on collected data from various sources. This could be numerical data or survey data. The study would have a research question it is investigating. The researchers would identify what resources or data they could examine and collect to investigate that question. Based on what they have observed, researchers then draw conclusions to try to answer the original question.

If you are expected to criticize the paper you choose to look at, the things to look at would be

• how sensible the original research question is


• whether the resources collected are adequate and unbiased for asking that question (for example, are they collected at random from the target population of interest?)


• whether the conclusions are accurate and appropriate (was the best method used for analyzing the data, and was the analysis carried out correctly?)


• whether the strength of the conclusions is justified based on the amount of data examined


• whether the results are of practical interest (that is, the effects observed are large enough to be important)

Bear in mind that if the paper has been published in an academic journal, it should achieve all of the above, otherwise (hopefully) it would not have been published. Papers are usually 'peer reviewed' by other researchers and experts in the same or a similar field to ensure the paper is of good quality. Even so, many badly conducted studies slip through the net.

The typical format for an academic paper (particularly in the hard sciences) is

1. hypothesis (research question)


2. method (how the data, once obtained, will be analysed)


3. results


4. conclusions (meaning of the results and an acknowledgement of the results' quality and relevance)

Finally, many research projects find their original hypothesis was wrong. This is still useful, however, because something has been learned from the data. Many researchers also find they did not collect enough data to conclude anything definite regarding the question asked (research in this situation is known as a 'negative' or 'under-powered' study). Under-powered studies in particular suffer from 'publication bias' in that they are not published because they failed to say anything of interest or anything exciting. This is unhelpful because lack of information is still, in its own way, information, but it is understandable because researchers who repeatedly fail to find anything interesting are unlikely to receive a lot of financial support or resources for later work.

Where did Gothic architecture originate?

According to Indiana University, Gothic architecture originated in the North of France. Specifically, this style of architecture began in Saint-Denis, a town to the north of Paris, when the local abbot, Suger, began a renovation of the eastern section of his abbey church. These renovations began in 1140 and, from its inception, it was clear that Suger's style was very different to what had gone before. This has led historians to credit Saint-Denis as being the first Gothic church in existence. (You can use the second reference link provided to see some examples of the Gothic style in France and across Europe.)

Once the renovations at Saint-Denis were complete (by 1144), lots of buildings across France were commissioned in a similar fashion and, soon after, across Medieval Europe. 

In Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, what important decisions do the three friends make as a part of their preparations for their pleasure trip and why?

The three men prepare for the river trip over the course of the first four chapters of the book. They have to debate every decision, and this is why it takes them a long time. In the first chapter, they decide to go on a boat trip along the River Thames, instead of on an ocean or sea voyage, when they could get seasick. In the second chapter, they debate the advantages and disadvantages of camping out every night. They decide to camp out in good weather and to stay in pubs or inns whenever it rains, since camping out in wet weather gets too messy. In the third chapter, they make a list of supplies for the trip. They decide to use a boat with a canvas cover, instead of taking an extra tent to set up, which would require extra work and extra baggage. They decide what clothing they will take, and what would be appropriate attire for boating. In the fourth chapter, they decide what food and what kind of stove they will take. In all of these instances, they have to pare down their original lists to only what they will need and what is likely to work best on a boat. Then they begin to pack. J., the narrator, packs the equipment and the clothing. George and Harris pack the food hamper. Montmorency gets in the way while they do. By the beginning of the fifth chapter, they’re finally ready to get going.

How does A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley connect to modern life psychologically?

A Brave New World critiques the psychological implications of modern society's reliance on technology. In the World State, human truths, such as love and friendship, are repressed because individuality is not valued by the state. In fact, individuality is not only undervalued, it is almost completely eradicated as a form of social control. This social control is maintained through state-controlled technology, such as the "feelies," a meaningless form of entertainment meant to distract the citizens of the World State, and "soma," a drug which induces a state of oblivious contentment. From a psychological perspective, Huxley is critiquing the superficiality of consumerist culture. In a society where production and consumption are valued more than "human truths," humans are psychologically degraded to the commodities which they consume. Huxley is advancing the notion that this degradation results in a society of mindless, soulless, and purposeless individuals with no real psychologies at all, and the character John represents an attempt to regain human psychology, as represented through his discovery of the works of Shakespeare. 

In Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, why is it doubted that Phileas Fogg is a Londoner?

Because he appeared to have no financial, social, and political interests in the city, it was doubted that Phileas Fogg was a Londoner.

For example, Phileas was never seen at the Royal Exchange or at the Bank of London. He appeared to be unemployed (he was not a "manufacturer, nor was he a merchant or a gentleman farmer"), had no ships in his name at the London docks, and was not a member of any of the Inns of Court in the city. Inns of Court were professional associations for barristers in London, and Phileas was never seen at any of them, whether it be the Temple, Lincoln's Inn, or Gray's Inn.

Additionally, since Phileas never graced the courts or government entities in London with his presence, one can assume that he was never involved in the political and fiscal aspects of the city. Accordingly, Phileas' voice never "resounded in the Court of Chancery, or in the Exchequer, or the Queen's Bench, or the Ecclesiastical Courts." By all indications, Phileas also belonged to no scientific, academic, or commercial associations in London: he took no part "in the sage deliberations of the Royal Institution or the London Institution, the Artisan's Association, or the Institution of Arts and Sciences."

The only organization Phileas was a member of was The Reform Club. At the time of the story, The Reform was a private gentleman's club which admitted no women. Thus, because of his sparse involvement in the political, social, and commercial aspects of London, it was doubted that Phileas was a true Londoner.

What was the Manitoba Schools Act? What was the position for Britain?

The Manitoba Public Schools Act, passed in 1890, secularized public education in Canada by withdrawing all public funding from sectarian Catholic and Protestant schools. This led to a controversy that spread across Canada. Since Canada was part of the British Empire at the time, this controversy also spread to Britain.

This controversy was based in part on the (federal) Manitoba Act in 1870, which stated that the province could not pass any law that "prejudicially affect any right or privilege with respect to Denominational Schools which any class of persons have by Law or practice in the Province at the Union.” Many argued the enforced secularization of schools violated this act. Others said Manitoba's right to self-determination granted them the right to arrange the school system as they choose.

In general, the leaders of Great Britain supported the Public Schools Act, as they valued secular education and in particular feared Catholic schooling would give the Catholic Church undue influence over the people of Canada. They were willing to give up the opportunity for Protestant denominational education if it protected against the perceived danger of Catholic denominational education.

Aside from the Catholic/ Protestant issue there was also a French/ English issue, as the Public Schools Act also established the language of teaching would be English and not French. This was also a provision that most leaders in Britain supported, as they feared the French gaining power over Canada.

This made the Manitoba Schools Act a complex jurisdictional issue: Manitoba could potentially be overruled by Canada, but then Canada could be potentially overruled by Great Britain.

A compromise was attempted that allowed limited religious instruction in secular schools, but this satisfied neither side. The issue was brought to court, where the Public School Act was ruled legal, but this did not end the controversy either.

After a shakeup that ousted the Conservative Party majority in favor of the Liberal Party, a new compromise was struck. This compromise allowed for the funding of denominational and/ or bilingual education if a school had enough families that desired it. It was treated as a question of individual liberty, rather than the liberty of institutions.

Even this compromise only lasted about 20 years before it collapsed and a new solution was needed.

Who were the most famous writers during the American Romantic era?

The most famous Romantic writers in America were probably Emerson and Thoreau; among the Dark Romantic writers, Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe are renowned.

Well-suited to American democracy and expansion, the Roman spirit affirmed the value of every man, and expressed the inspired imagination of ethical and aesthetic values. A close examination and development of self, therefore, became a trope for the American Romantic writers. According to the theories of Romanticism, since self and nature are one, it is not selfish to be self-aware; instead, this cognizance is a "mode of knowledge" that assists in the explanation of all that surrounds man.

No one expressed the concepts of Romanticism better than Ralph Waldo Emerson. His love of nature and his sense of the sublime were aptly expressed in his work and his convictions about the value of the individual and the importance of self-expression and self-reliance. Another advocate of individualism was Henry David Thoreau, who urged men to "march to the beat of a different drummer."

Often called the greatest American Romantic poet, Walt Whitman developed a style of poetry that was uniquely democratic and American in its structure. Employing simple language so the public could easily access his poetry, Whitman wrote of the unity and equality of Americans:

I hear America singing. . .
The day what belongs to the day — at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs

Emily Dickinson, too, examined the American heart and mind, expressing freely individualistic ideas, ideas that for her were liberating.

Other famous writers of the Romantic period in America are Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe are often categorized as Dark Romantics, writers who acknowledged the existence of evil in human life. In fact, they formed a counterpoint to the Transcendental optimism of Emerson and Thoreau. 

How does Julia’s personality make her attitude different?

Though Julia pretends to be an ardent follower of the Party's doctrine, she secretly stands in opposition to the Party's values. In reality, she has a lively personality, and she relishes the many human joys denied by Big Brother (such as sex for pleasure's sake). However, she's also quite clever, and this is an important detail. Since she's so smart, Julia is able to adopt a fake attitude of obedience and loyalty to Big Brother, while she secretly opposes everything Big Brother stands for. As such, Julia has a complex attitude that is absent in many of George Orwell's other characters: while other characters in 1984 are either rebellious or blindly loyal to the Party, Julia cultivates a complex attitude of rebellion hidden beneath the appearance of fervent loyalty. For the most part, Julia's lively and intelligent personality helps her to achieve this delicate balance. 

How did the revolutions in England, America and France lead to modern democracy?

A democratic system of governance ensures that there is public participation in decision making. In a democracy, the government is legitimized through the consent of the governed exercised mainly through an electoral process.  All people in a democratic state should be respected and treated equally regardless of status in order to support justice which is an important element of democracy. In a democratic system, power is regulated mostly through a constitution. The constitution works by distributing power among the different institutions to prevent concentration of power in a single authority. This reduces the opportunity for abuse by the different institutions and groups. Freedom is also necessary for democratic systems to exist because it creates the space necessary for people to exercise their civil rights and liberties such as speech, association, and self-determination.

The revolutions in England, America and France shared a central theme where the masses were bent on instituting changes in their system of governance. The revolutions focused on entrenching the elements of democracy (freedom, regulated power, government legitimacy and justice) in the system. The American Revolution focused on freedom where they sought independence from the British Crown. The French Revolution was fought against the concentration of power around the monarchy. The English Revolution, which ended in victory for the parliamentarians, sought to develop public participation in administrative decision making. Thus, modern democracy developed from the values that fueled the different revolutions.

What is researcher bias?

Researcher bias, also called "experimenter bias," is what happens when someone conducting a study intentionally or unintentionally influences the results based on their own expected outcome. An example of an intentional researcher bias might be creating a survey which asks the question, "What is your favorite food," and offers the possible choices of cake or dirt. Naturally, any respondents would feel that they had to answer "cake," because dirt is not even a food item. Of course, there are many other foods that might be a person's favorite. Here, the researcher has intentionally created a survey where there is really only one reasonable answer. 

Unintentional researcher bias often stems from poor research design or a simple lack of experience and understanding. Let's imagine a developmental psychologist is interested in learning about how children like to spend their free time. To learn more, they have filled a room with toys, art supplies, and a television, and ask a number of children to go in and spend some time. While toys, art supplies, and television are likely to be things children do enjoy, their choices are limited here. The psychologist isn't really going to learn anything about how children like to spend their time unless it involves one of those three hobbies. This is an example of poor experiment design because it is too limiting, and it may very well stem from a lack of experience with children outside of a research setting. 

In these two scenarios, it could be easy to understand how the researchers were biased in their studies. In the first, the researcher clearly wanted people to say that cake was their favorite food. In the second, the psychologist failed to account for other activities children might enjoy. We should also take into account the sampling methods used. Did the first researcher ask only pastry chefs to participate in their study? Did the psychologist ask their friends to bring their children in for the study?

Regardless of motivations, researcher bias does occur and takes persistence to overcome. The best ways to eliminate researcher bias is by framing open-ended questions and collaborating or otherwise sharing work so that it can be examined for biased elements.

How should I go about an essay on the topic "Choose a character you identify with from either The Hunger Games or Catching Fire and explain how you...

It is hard for me to get too specific on this topic since I do not know which character you identify with, but I can give you some general advice. First, to choose a character you identify with, you need to identify a character that means something to you personally. This could be someone that seems to be like you, or someone you admire. For example, you might admire Katniss’s frankness and courage. You might admire Peeta’s loyalty and skill. Either way, the choice of a character is the first step.

The second step is to find a series of reasons why you identify with this character. It is an essay, so you should list three reasons why you identify with whichever character you choose. For each reason, you need to choose a supporting quote and then explain how the quote is relevant to your point.

Let’s say you choose Katniss as the character you admire because she is brave, loyal and intelligent. One of the examples you could give is her famous act of choosing to volunteer as tribute in her sister’s place for the Hunger Games.

I don’t need to shove through the crowd. The other kids make way immediately allowing me a straight path to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her behind me.

“I volunteer!” I gasp. “I volunteer as tribute!” (Ch. 2)

This quote could be used to describe Katniss’s commitment to her family, her bravery, or her strength of character. You could explain how she is selfless and refused to allow her sister to go into the Hunger Games, choosing to risk her own life instead.

In In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson, what does the word "Aryan" mean?

The term "Aryan" was widely used--and abused--in the 20th century. Most notably, it was used by the Nazis to refer to what they thought was a master race of Nordic Europeans. The actual word "Aryan" comes from the Sanskrit word "arya," which means "noble" and was used by the Sanskrit-speaking people who invaded India around 1800 BCE.

In the late 18th century, European linguists discovered that the Sanskrit language was related to European languages such as Greek and Latin. This discovery caused them to speculate that there was a primordial people that originated somewhere around the Caucasus Mountains that migrated eastward and westward and were the ancestors of both Europeans and eastern people, such as the Iranians and Indians. These people they called "Aryans," and they termed the languages "Aryan" languages. They also called them Indo-Europeans. 

In the late 19th and early 20th century, respectable scholarship about the Indo-European language family fed into some irresponsible theorizing about race. While there is an Indo-European language family, it is not clear whether there is an Indo-European people in racial terms. However, European, especially German, racialists became convinced that there was a so-called Aryan people and that it was a white, northern European people. They thought Aryans were the greatest creator of culture in the history of humanity.

These theories, among other pseudo-scientific theories, were adopted by the Nazis and fueled their propaganda, which asserted that Germans were the master race and that it was appropriate to dominate all others. Finally, under the Nazi regime, the term "Aryan" became the standard term for racially acceptable people. The category excluded Jews, who were believed to be Semitic, and Slavs, though they spoke an Indo-European language. Jews were thought to be unable to exist within German society and a destabilizing influence on that society. To implement their idea of creating a master race, the Nazis instituted a policy of extermination of Jews and other people, including people with disabilities and mental illness.

While the Dodd family, the subject of In the Garden of Beasts, was in Berlin, the Nuremberg Laws were put into effect in Nazi Germany. These laws, announced in 1935, put Germans' ideas about the master race into effect. The laws prohibited Jews from marrying or having sexual relationships with people with German ancestry. They also took away Jews' citizenship in Germany. In the early 1940s, the Nazis began to kill Jews on a mass scale, and they slaughtered 6 million Jews, according to historians, before their brutality was over. 

In the story "The Man Who Lived Underground" by Richard Wright, is the character Fred Daniels a critical thinker?

In Wright’s story “The Man Who Lived Underground,” the character Fred Daniels is very much a critical thinker.

While contemplating his “loot,” Daniels is

“brooding about the diamonds, the rings, the watches, the money; he remembered the singing in the church, the people yelling in the movie, the dead baby, the nude man stretched out upon the white table…He saw these items hovering before his eyes and felt that some dim meaning linked them together . . . He [was] convinced that all of these images, with their tongueless reality, were striving to tell him something…”

Simply trying to discover the linkage between all of his “stolen” items is an act of critical thinking. Initially, he justifies his “loot” and his actions because he doesn’t value the items that he has taken, and he does not use them in any typical manner: the diamonds serve as a floor covering, the money is pasted up as wallpaper, and the watches are nailed to the wall as decoration. His critical thinking leads him to implicitly reject the materialism of American capitalism, and the systemic racism that produces items of suspect value.

Daniels critiques religion when he hears the congregation singing and praying: “They oughtn’t do that, he thought. But could think of no reason why.” At first, his critical nature suspects that asking for forgiveness is somehow obscene. Later, when he is in the movie theater (a more modern church), the critical impulse returns to him as he watches the jeering, laughing crowd:

“These people are laughing at their lives, he thought with amazement. They were shouting and yelling at the animated shadows of themselves.”

Guilt is subject to the character’s critique as well. Despite being an innocent man accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and despite his experiences and justifications in the sewer, Daniels comes to the final conclusion that all people share an inherent and complicit guilt. This is a stance that could have only come from introspection and critical thinking in light of the harrowing and humiliating experience he has had while living underground. In fact, the question of guilt is a variant of one of the oldest problems in philosophy and the history of thought: are humans naturally good, or are they naturally bad? 

Incidentally, this story was based on an article that Wright read in True Detective magazine detailing the factual story of a man who lived for over a year in the Los Angeles sewer system.

A molecule of roughly spherical shape has a mass of 6.10 x 10-25 kg and a diameter of 0.70 nm. The uncertainty in the measured position of the...

Hello!

This problem is similar to the previous. The uncertainty principle states that both position and velocity of a particle cannot be measured exactly. Mathematically,

`Delta p*Delta x gt= bar h/2,`

where `p` is for impulse (momentum), which is equal to `m*v,` mass by velocity, and `x` is the position. Correspondingly, `Delta p` means uncertainty of measuring momentum and `Delta x`  means uncertainty of measuring position. Obviously `Delta p = m*Delta v.`

`bar h` is the so-called reduced Planck's constant, `h/(2 pi).` Therefore the minimum uncertainty in the speed is

`Delta v = h/(4pi)*1/(m*Delta x).`

All quantities are given, so the numerical result is

`Delta v approx (6.626*10^(-34))/(4*3.14)*1/(6.10*10^(-25)*0.7*10^(-9)) =(6.626)/(4*3.14*6.10*0.7) approx0.1235 (m/s).`

I took into account that nano- means `10^(-9).`

To obtain the result you want one should "forget" to divide by `2pi,` then it would be about 0.7759 m/s, C. But I'm almost sure about the values.

The second question, about the minimum speed, requires a separate consideration.

How in the book A Mercy by Toni Morrison did Jacob Vaark receive mercy?

Morrison portrays Jacob Vaark as a character who gives mercy freely to others throughout the book, but he himself is the recipient of mercy at multiple points in the story. Vaark is plucked from his degrading life in the poor house by a job offer from a prestigious law firm. In this way, he is able to change his station in life and develop a platform of wealth that he uses to help the disenfranchised. Jacob also experiences mercy when his mail-order bride turns out to be a compatible partner in life. While both Jacob and his bride took a risk in accepting the arrangement, he is rewarded with a companion who shares his burdens and his joys.

The primary mercy that Jacob receives is the fact that he did not survive to see the ruin of his estate. While the counterweight to this mercy is the fact that he did not survive to achieve the vast, wealthy mansion he had dreamed of building for so long, he died with the prospect of hope for what he left behind. As Jacob tells his wife, "What a man leaves behind is what a man is." At the time of his death, his wife was still well and there were many possibilities ahead of him, despite the tragedy in his past.

Describe the ways in which Franklin and Jefferson reflect the legacy of Puritan thinking in their writing.

Benjamin Franklin began to publish Poor Richard's Almanack in 1733, and he published it each year until 1758. Many of the aphorisms, or sayings, in the almanac expressed ideas that emphasized Puritan values, such as thrift and hard work to show evidence of worldly success. Examples include "A fat kitchen, a lean will" and "A lean award is better than a fat judgment." Some sayings in the almanac were very funny, such as " A good lawyer, a bad neighbor." These sayings reinforced the idea that Americans should practice economy and should strive for achievements won through effort, much in the way that the Puritans emphasized being a "city upon a hill," or a moral example to the rest of the world. In Franklin's Autobiography, a version of which first appeared in 1791, he discussed how he founded the Pennsylvania Gazette, and his autobiography also included a list of virtues by which Franklin constantly judged himself. Though he realized that the pursuit of perfection was not achievable, he was content to continue to pursue it. This emphasis on moral perfection was also a reflection of Puritanical ideas, and Franklin's book became a popular model for American autobiographies.

Jefferson's writings include the Declaration of Independence, in which he asserted the right of the American people to overthrow the British king, as he had broken the social contract by which he was supposed to represent them. This document reflected the thinking of John Locke and was not necessarily Puritan in nature. He also wrote the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom in 1786, which was not Puritan in nature, as it espoused a separation of church and state (while Puritans established a theocracy in the Massachusetts Bay Colony). However, in some of his writings, such as his letter to Edward Carrington in 1787, Jefferson wrote in the aftermath of uprisings such as Shays' Rebellion about the importance of the role of individual conscience in keeping the American government just. He wrote: "The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution." His emphasis on the role of individual conscience i government and public life is in part a legacy from the Puritans, though Jefferson was more influenced by French and English philosophers, such as Locke and Montesquieu. 

How would you analyze the two perspectives on the environment? What is the primary responsibility of managers in conducting external analysis...

The two environments of an organization are the internal and external environment. The internal environment refers to employees' interactions with other employees and with management, the interaction of management with managers and board members, and the structure of the organization. External analysis includes an analysis of the competition, as well as other external factors such as the industry, the national environment, and the socioeconomic environment. An external analysis will often result in changes within an organization. 

Managers frequently participate in the process of conducting an external analysis as part of an organization's strategic plan. The manager will participate in the external analysis by sharing knowledge about his or her area, and then the manager will consider factors known as Porter's Five Forces. These forces include the suppliers the manager works with; the buyers the manager works with; the competition, including figuring out potential economic, social, or technological threats from the competition; and predicting whether competition will emerge in the future. 

One benefit of conducting an external analysis is that it is an efficient way to respond to the constantly changing, competitive environment in which an organization exists. It is necessary to constantly evaluate the competition so an organization can revise its internal competencies and strategies in response. For example, an external analysis could indicate the price or availability of supplies is changing, prompting a company to revise its strategy in response.  

In Arms and the Man, what does "splutter at them" mean?

This is from the third act, when Catherine agrees to accompany Petkoff outside to help him deliver the orders. Petkoff wants to give the appearance that he will carry out Bluntschli's instructions with brisk self-confidence, but as he thinks it over, he seems aware of his inadequacy:

PETKOFF [officiously] Quite right, Bluntschli, quite right. I'll see to it. [He goes to the door importantly, but hesitates on the threshold]. By the bye, Catherine, you may as well come too. They'll be far more frightened of you than of me.

And Catherine uses the term "sputter" in response:

CATHERINE [putting down her embroidery] I daresay I had better. You would only splutter at them. [She goes out, Petkoff holding the door for her and following her].

The usage here refers to "sputtering" in the sense of saying something "rapidly, indistinctly, and with a spitting sound, as a result of anger, embarrassment, or another strong emotion" (Oxford English Dictionary).

Catherine knows her husband well, and can anticipate that he will feel too sheepish or awkward to speak to the men in the way that Bluntschli recommends. Earlier in the play, in his first conversation with Catherine, we've gotten a feeling for their relationship: She pressures him to take a more aggressive, active role, and he -- a naturally unambitious man who would prefer to avoid conflict -- protests that matters are beyond his control. ("Over my head, if you please," he says regarding Sergius's inability to get a promotion that Catherine thinks he deserves.)

In Act II, we've also been shown an example of Petkoff spluttering with irritation in response to Nicola's apparently bizarre behavior with the carpet bag.

PETKOFF [testily] First he shews Captain Bluntschli out here when he knew quite well I was in the--hum!--library; and then he goes downstairs and breaks Raina's chocolate soldier. He must--[Nicola appears at the top of the steps with a carpet bag. He descends; places it respectfully before Bluntschli; and waits for further orders. General amazement. Nicola, unconscious of the effect he is producing, looks perfectly satisfied with himself. When Petkoff recovers his power of speech, he breaks out at him with] Are you mad, Nicola?

So Catherine's pronouncement seems very apt. Petkoff is not likely to issue the commands in the clear, deliberate, and confident way that is needed.

What causes the conflict between Squeaky and the other children?

Squeaky’s inner conflict, loyalty, and attitude create conflict with the other children in “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara.

Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, who is known as Squeaky, is small in stature but big on attitude. She is fiercely loyal to her developmentally disabled brother, Raymond. Her only family responsibilities are to care for Raymond, and to keep him safe. When other children mock Raymond, she takes her job of defending him seriously. Squeaky would rather fight and run than reason with people who poke fun at Raymond based on his disability.

But now, if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me. And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I am a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. And if things get too rough, I run.

Her attitude about practicing to succeed also causes conflict. She cannot deal with the other girls who pretend they do not need to practice to be good at things such as playing the piano or excelling at spelling bees. Squeaky takes pride in her practice regimen that leads to her success as the fastest runner in the neighborhood. She cannot abide by false bravado.

Now some people like to act like things come easy to them, won’t let on that they practice. Not me.

In addition, Squeaky believes there are few role models for young girls to become real friends. In her mind, girls even have a hard time simply smiling at each other. She despises when girls are expected to be something they are not, and uses the example of her discomfort when she danced in the May Day festivities. Even though she was young, she realized girls were often asked to hide their true passions, such as running. This creates conflicts with her parents, especially her mother.

The biggest thing on the program is the May Pole dancing, which I can do without, thank you, even if my mother thinks it’s a shame I don’t take part and act like a girl for a change.

Squeaky is so engrossed by her inner conflict that she neglects to see the abilities of others. After the May Day run her feelings begin to slowly change.

In Silas Marner by George Eliot, what does Silas come to love in Raveloe apart from his work?

Arguably, Silas loved many things throughout his years in Raveloe. It really depends on what he was focusing on at the moment. However, it is arguable that Eppie is the source of love in Silas's life.

At first, Silas's love was the pleasure of being alone with the loom, working very hard, trying to focus on ending the grief in his life. Then, it was the money and gold that he acquired from all this extra work. He became quite fixated with it, and even vowed his dedication to it. It was because of his unhealthy love for his gold that, when it was stolen, Silas lost his mind and ended up at the Rainbow Inn, suffering a total nervous breakdown.

This is the time when Eppie shows up in his life, and warms his heart forever. Along with it, the people from Raveloe gave Silas all the care and support that, eventually, changed him for good. Still, the love Silas developed for his adoptive daughter definitely would rival any love he ever felt before or after, as his words to Godfrey clearly state when the latter tries to claim his biological daughter back:

"Then, sir, why didn't you say so sixteen years ago, and claim her before I'd come to love her, i'stead o' coming to take her from me now, when you might as well take the heart out o' my body? God gave her to me because you turned your back upon her, and He looks upon her as mine: you've no right to her!

Therefore, Eppie is the greatest love that Silas would ever have in life.

What are some ways language is used to represent the empowerment of white Americans in comparison to African Americans in the novel To Kill a...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee mostly uses language to portray the belief that African Americans are subordinate "others" as opposed to being of equal status with white Americans, thereby showing the belief that white Americans have power over African Americans. She particularly portrays the racist belief that African Americans are "others" by using the word them, a word that instantly separates the person speaking from the person being spoken of.

One example can be seen the morning after Atticus and the children face the lynch mob. Aunt Alexandra expresses her belief that Atticus was perfectly safe without the influence of the children since Mr. Underwood was there with his shotgun waiting to act. In response, Atticus argues Mr. Underwood was in reality unlikely to act since, "He despises Negroes, won't have one near him" (Ch. 16). Aunt Alexandra objects to the fact that Atticus makes this comment in front of Calpurnia, who is serving breakfast. Aunt Alexandra expresses her objection in the following comment:

Don't talk like that in front of them. (Ch. 16)

But Aunt Alexandra is not concerned about Calpurnia feeling insulted. She's only worried about the prospect of rebellion. In her mind, reminding African Americans of the hatred they face stirs them to talk and eventually to revolt. But Aunt Alexandra doesn't want African Americans to revolt; she wants them in what she considers to be their rightful place of subordination, socially far removed from white Americans. Since Aunt Alexandra sees African Americans as being socially far removed from and far beneath white Americas, she refers to African Americans as them in her opposing remark to Atticus and does not use her remark to express a more humane concern. Therefore, through this one simple sentence, we can see that author Lee uses the word them to paint Maycomb's dominant belief that African Americans are very different from and far beneath white Americans.

In addition to using the word them, Lee continues to paint the belief that African Americans should be nothing more than subordinates by using such words as "cooks and field hands" and by having characters refer to the African Americans' protestations against social injustices as the African Americans grumbling and being sulky, as we see the ladies of the missionary circle do in Chapter 24. Referring to African Americans as grumbling and sulking belittles their situation and their reaction to their situation.

State the function of amylopectin in plant cells. Give a reason why it is needed.

Amylopectin is a chain of glucose sugars, or a starch chain. This kind of molecule is known as a polysaccharide, and is component of starch. 

Glucose, as you most likely know, is an easy way for plants to store energy in a way they can use. This simple sugar, however, can be a pain to store on its own, so plant cells use an organelle called the amyloplast to combine many glucose molecules into much more compact amylopectin molecule chains. The amyloplast will build and store these molecules until the plant needs them, at which point the plant will destruct the molecules back into the component glucose molecules. 

The whole point is to allow easy storage of energy stored by photosynthesis, because if energy isn't stored, plants will die at night.

What effect does the caesura have for you when reading "Because I could not stop for Death--" by Emily Dickinson?

When I read this poem, I interpret the caesurae (plural for caesura) as slowing down its pace, which makes sense considering the speaker's claim that, when Death came to collect her, "He knew no haste."  First, they drive near the school to watch the children play, then to the fields to watch the sun set over the grain.  She describes the way night seems to fall after the sun has passed them, and how she grows chilly.  Finally, Death's carriage arrives at the speaker's grave "in the Ground," and she describes how mortal time is moving so quickly while time for her moves so slowly because she is measuring it against "Eternity."  Therefore, Dickinson's use of caesurae really slows the pace because the reader must pause so often, at least every time she employs an end dash, and this is appropriate to the content of the text.

In addition to slowing the pace, although related, the mood of the poem is made calmer by all of the pauses.  Just as Death "knew no haste," neither does the speaker.  She, quite literally, has all the time in the world, and she seems perfectly resigned, even somewhat flattered, by Death's calling upon her as if they were lovers and he is simply arriving to pick her up.  Therefore, both the word choices as well as the caesurae produce the poem's calm and tranquil mood.

What is the relationship between Macbeth and cosmic justice?

Macbeth is an example of the fulfillment of cosmic justice. The end of the play, when Macbeth is rightfully killed by Macduff for all his atrocious deeds, suggests that justice has been satisfied.

Macbeth, of course, believes that he has been tricked and that others are to blame for his downfall. In one of his famous soliloquies, Macbeth adopts a bleak view on life and states that life is meaningless:

It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

What Macbeth does not realize is that he is solely responsible for making his life meaningless and revolting. Once he resorted to unlawful means in order to achieve his ambition of becoming the king of Scotland, he initiated his own downfall.

The message that this play seems to convey is that one's actions matter. Actions define who we are and are our responsibility only. If Macbeth were not punished for his crimes at the end of the play, the play would seem to suggest that resorting to evil could be one effective way to achieve the things we desire, which is unacceptable. Those who do evil will be punished for it sooner or later.

What are the real reasons why the United States enters into military engagements? What is the role of the media in such decisions?

The problem with this question is that the United States has entered into many different military conflicts over the past two and a half centuries, and each conflict is different. Moreover, the Unites States is not some single-minded entity but a nation of over 300 million people. Each of this individuals have their own reasons for supporting or opposing the US intervention in various military conflicts. Even more importantly, people rarely have singular motivations, but often multiple different reasons for a position.

For example, someone might want to intervene in Libya due to the ongoing humanitarian crises in that country, also want to intervene because the waves of migration from people fleeing the civil war have destabilizing effects on the region, but be reluctant to intervene due to unwillingness to risk American lives, fear of escalating conflicts with Russia, and concern over the lack of a clear replacement civil authority to support. 

In World War II, to take another important example, opinions in the United States were divided until Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. While some people wanted to intervene to stop Hitler, due to concern about his attacks on our allies and his program of ethnic cleansing, there was a strongly isolationist element in the country, and the US did not consistently welcome Jewish immigrants until 1944. The US government was actively involved in a propaganda effort to increase support for the war with the full complicity of the media. President Roosevelt's fireside chats were an example of the use of radio to encourage people to support the war effort and to keep citizenry well-informed about the progress of the war.

The US entry into the Vietnam War was more gradual and accidental, beginning as a matter of supplying aid to the French and then gradually evolving into a proxy war as part of the US opposition to the Soviet Union. Part of the reasoning was the domino theory, in which it was assumed that if one country became aligned to the Soviet bloc, others would follow. Media coverage of atrocities in the war, including the use of napalm on civilians, was instrumental in ending the war. 

In general, the reasons for military intervention vary greatly, ranging from economic to ethical and from mutual treaties and obligations to global balance of power. The media can serve to inflame popular sentiment either for or against wars. 

Why was the police response to the 1999 Columbine shooting criticized? Was the IMS used? If so, what amount of success did it have? If not, why was...

The law enforcement Incident Management Structure (IMS) certainly was used in response to the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. The SWAT teams were criticized because their training tactics made them move more slowly than observers felt was appropriate in the situation.

The IMS gives a protocol for emergency repression. The following procedures are expected to be enacted under the protocol: supervisors are expected to be the first responders; personnel of various emergency services are expected to be the second responders; perimeters are expected to be established and blocked off to prevent perpetrators from escaping; emergency personnel are expected to maneuver evacuations; a triage area is expected to be set up to address the injured; sweeps of the area are expected to be enacted to find surviving victims and perpetrators; and investigations are expected to be conducted ("Law Enforcement Incident Management Structure," CNN). Just prior to 11:30, Lt. Terry Manwarring, SWAT commander for Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, was the first of the first responders, followed by multiple other supervisors ("Managing the Incident," CNN). The wave of second responders consisted of 1,000 different emergency response personnel from "35 different law enforcement agencies" ("Managing").

Responders setting up the command post ran into multiple problems while controlling the event. One of those problems concerned the fact that so many emergency personnel had responded that they created complete confusion, "increasing the chaos, intensity and difficulty of managing the incident" ("Managing"). The greatest problem concerned communication. Each emergency response agency at the command post was receiving its own information about the incident, and the information concerned numerous hazards to get under control, "including bombs, hostages, snipers, multiple shooters, fire, odors of natural gas," etc. ("Managing"). More importantly, each agency had difficulties communicating with each other because agencies used "incompatible radio frequencies" ("Managing"). Communication was especially a problem for the SWAT teams because they are trained not to act until they have enough information about the situation. SWAT members inside the school were able to communicate with each other well enough, but they needed information from the command post and were unable to get such information effectively.

Since the SWAT teams were unable to get needed information, the SWAT teams' response seemed slow to critical outside viewers. Timothy Egan of The New York Times reports that a SWAT team had entered the school "within 30 minutes of the first call to the police," while critics say it was 47 minutes past the start of the shooting ("Terror in Littleton"; "What Really Happened at Columbine," 60 Minutes). Aside from the first team entering the building, another SWAT team did as they were trained, which was to surround the building and wait for information on how to move further. Critics point out the nation's SWAT teams aren't really trained to enter and stop a terrorist situation as it is occurring. They are instead only trained to surround premises in order to take care of "drug raids and hostage situations" (Egan). Critics further argue that, for situations like these, SWAT teams need to be trained to "respond quickly without getting all the information" (Egan).