I need help on an English assessment. The assignment requires writing a letter in the voice of Romeo addressed to his father explaining his...

There are two things you should consider as you work on this assignment, the conventions of Renaissance letter writing and Romeo's speeches about the reasons for his suicide.

The letter should begin with a formal salutation, such as "To my most noble and honorable father, the Lord Montague, from his most unfortunate son Romeo." The second part of the letter normally captures the goodwill of the audience and includes such things as wishes for the continuing health of the recipient.

The narration, or main body of the letter, should describe the circumstances of Romeo's suicide, including his receiving the news of Juliet's death from Balthasar, his purchase of the poison from the apothecary, his arrival at the tomb, his fight with Paris, and his final glance at Juliet before swallowing the cordial. After the narration, Romeo should expand upon the reasons for his committing suicide, including his unwillingness to live without Juliet. 

The conclusion of the letter normally expresses wishes for the future. This might be a place for Romeo to express a desire for an end to the feud between the families. 

In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, how does William Kamkwamba explore the conflict between magic and science?

William Kamkwamba, the author, writes about the way in which his childhood belief in magic, passed down to him by his father, gives way to a belief in science when his family is faced with starvation and privation. He writes about the sway magic held over him as a boy growing up in Malawi before he turned to science. He says, "Before I discovered the miracles of science, magic ruled the world" (page 3). His father teaches him to believe in magic and explains the way in which magic operates "as a third and powerful force" that intervenes in the world because gods and men have too many troubles (page 6). His father explains to him that while magic is invisible, it is still all around him. When William is little, he believes in many forms of magic, such as magic lions who are sent at night to kill debtors (page 13).

William begins to turn to science in part to help himself and his family. For example, William and his friend Geoffrey begin taking apart old radios so they can repair them. Radios are critical because "the radio is the only connection to the world outside the village" (page 68). The boys become very interested in finding out the mechanics that make things run, but they don't consider what they are doing to be science. When the village starts starving, William realizes that magic can be of no help to them. After finding some discarded science books, he begins to construct a windmill. He writes of the forest where he once thought magic ruled: "now I was back there to cut down trees to build a ladder to science and creation—something greater and more real than any magic in the land" (page 199). Hunger and his family's need for electricity cause him to discard his traditional belief in magic in favor of embracing science. The conflict between magic and science is the conflict between traditional and modern belief, and necessity causes William to embrace a belief in science to help his family and his village. 

Why do you think the play "Metamora" by John Augustus Stone won the playwriting contest, and what was the judge looking for?

Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags is a play that was written by John Augustus Stone (an American playwright and actor) in 1829 in response to a contest funded by actor Edwin Forrest. 

Forrest outlined his criteria for the competition in The New York Critic, writing that he would award  500 dollars to "the best tragedy, in five acts, of which the hero, or principal character, shall be an aboriginal of this country." The Committee of Award, which was led by William Cullen Bryant, selected Metamora out of the fourteen plays submitted to the contest. 

Metamora was, thus, likely chosen because it perfectly fit Forrest's aforementioned criteria; the play in five acts follows the conflict between the titular Metamora (a Wampanoag hero) and the Puritans who tried to settle New England in the 1600s. The play ends in tragedy, with Metamora stabbing his beloved wife, Nehmeokee, to death in order to prevent the "palefaces" from slaying her. Metamora is immediately thereafter killed by the arriving soldiers, and he dies cursing the white men and calling out the name of his wife.

This "romantic" ending was also probably attractive to the contest's judge, since its dramatic nature was in in line with the particular talents of Forrest, who got his start playing Othello (another non-white "outsider" character who causes the death of both himself and his wife) in New York. Without a doubt, choosing Metamora as the winner was smart: both the play and Forrest were greeted with immense success, bringing in record profits and sparking a trend of sentimental "Indian" dramas in the theatre world.

(A note on the source used to answer this question: all of this information is readily available in the introductory comments that preface the play!)

Do you change your behavior significantly after being fortunate enough to escape bigger consequences of your actions?

When you make a mistake, but do not suffer greatly from the mishap, one would hope that it would serve as a wake-up call.  What that means is that you would realize that you need to pay more attention and not make the same mistake in the future.  You have been given a second chance.

Let’s take a small but almost metaphorical example. You are texting while walking, and you almost fall into a hole.  You realize that you should put your phone away while you walk.  This could avert disaster for you.  Hopefully, you will not text while you drive, or do anything else while walking or driving that will cause you to be distracted and get into a serious accident.

Sometimes we have small shocks that make us realize how close we have come to serious injury, disaster, or other misfortune.  We can learn from our mistake and prevent the big problem from happening, or we can pretend it never happened or forget it happened and then one day make the big mistake that does lead to big consequences.

Learn from your failures and near-misses.  Mistakes are a part of life.  When you avoid a mishap or a consequence, be grateful but use the opportunity.  Learn from your mistake.

In The Miracle Worker, what are the three things Annie tells Kate she (Annie) has going for her?

Kate is surprised by Annie's youth. She is also understandably concerned because Annie has never taught before. James suggests that Annie may end up being a burden on the family, and Captain Keller is shocked when he hears that Annie herself was once blind: "The blind teaching the blind?"

Annie seeks to reassure Katie that even though she (Annie) is young and relatively inexperienced, she has three important advantages over any other teacher.

1. She is young and has energy. This will be vital for dealing with a student with the emotional issues and physical strength of Helen.

2. She is smart and has studied the research. Annie was taught in one of the most progressive schools for the blind of the time. She has experienced the success of their techniques personally and has looked deep into the research behind the techniques.

3. Annie has been blind and has empathy for Helen. Annie understands the difficulties and emotional toll of being blind. She knows how to empathize without pitying. Helen has been spoiled by too much pity and indulgence. Annie knows that that kind of treatment is the worst thing for Helen.

In " There Will Come Soft Rains", what does the radioactive glow represent, mean and indicate?

"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury is a post-apocalyptic story focusing on the aftermath of a nuclear war in which all human life has been destroyed. The radioactive glow is evidence that the world being described exists in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust and that all living beings have died. Thus the main function of the glow is that it is a very concise and efficient way of signalling to the reader the background situation of the story.

Next, radioactivity kills organic life but not machines, although machinery can be disrupted by the electromagnetic pulses associated with nuclear explosions. Thus the glow suggests that we are now in a world inhospitable to organic life forms. Thus it emphasizes that our technology is capable of eliminating humanity. The outdoors, normally pictured in literature as a wholesome scene of pastoral innocence, has become a toxic wasteland, not glowing under a benign sun but with a form of energy that is toxic to humanity. 

A dad holds 5 coins in his hand. He tells his son that if he can guess the amount of money he is holding within 5% error he can have the money. The...

In this question, we have to determine the % error of the estimate of the son. If he estimated the amount of money held in his dad's hand within 5% error, he can have all the coins. Otherwise, he will not have any.

The son's estimate is 81 cents, while the actual amount held in his dad's hand is 90 cents. The percentage error in the estimation is calculated by using the error and the actual value.

Error in the estimate = amount estimated - actual amount

= 81 cents - 90 cents = - 9 cents

Actual value = 90 cents

% error = (error/actual value) x 100 = (-9 cents / 90 cents) x 100

= 10%

The boy has estimated 10% less amount than the actual value. Since his estimate is off by more than 5%, the son will not get any money from his dad.

Hope this helps.

If you're in space for three years, is it true four hundred years would pass on Earth?

This would not be true under the conditions and technologies we currently possess. It's as simple as asking any astronaut; if time passed in such a way, astronauts would appear to be gone for dozens of years before returning, but this is not the case. If we ever attain the technology that allows us to travel closer to the speed of light, we would begin to see effects like the one described in the question.

The scientific process behind the story you've heard is a phenomenon called time dilation, which is a side effect of relativity. The passage of time has been shown to be influenced by a variety of factors—particularly speed. Scientists have put clocks into orbit, compared them with clocks on the ground, and found very small—but measurable—differences between them. These differences become exponentially larger as you near the speed of light. This is described by the Lorentz factor, which can be calculated mathematically as

`1/sqrt (1-v^2/c^2)` 

where v is the velocity of the moving object and c is the speed of light.

Then, we can compare the time dilation, or delay, between two relative events by applying the Lorentz factor to it. This can all be simplified to the following equation:

t = t0/(1-v2/c2)1/2

Where t = the elapsed time, t0 is the observed time by the traveler, v is the traveler speed, and c is the speed of light.

We can rearrange to solve for v:

(t0/t)2 + (v2/c2) = 1

Using the values provided above (t0 = 3, t = 400),

v = 0.99997c

Who is responsible for causing the deaths in the Iliad, Achilles or Agamemnon?

First, the Iliad is a poem about the Trojan War. In this poem, Menelaus and the Greeks have declared war on Troy with the avowed purpose of obtaining back Helen, wife of Menelaus, who had been abducted by Paris. In this war, all of the soldiers on the Greek side are trying to kill Trojans, and the Trojan soldiers are trying to kill the Greek soldiers. That is what happens during wars; soldiers try to kill each other. 

In the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles over the war prizes, both are equally culpable. From a modern perspective, of course, seizing young women from their families, enslaving them, and raping them is morally wrong and thus both men are acting in a way we now would consider grossly immoral. From an ancient Greek perspective, both men were concerned about their honor and maintaining face.

Agamemnon failed to demonstrate good leadership but Achilles also failed to act as a team player, letting his pride get in the way of his duty of obedience and his loyalty. Thus the actions of both men ultimately harmed the Greek cause. 

In "Meeting at Night" by Robert Browning, what does the lover have to cross in order to meet his lady?

In the poem, the lover has to cross the ocean, a mile of "warm sea-scented" beach, and three fields in order to reach his lady's farmhouse.

The poem begins by describing the "grey sea" and how the lover travels by the light of the "yellow half-moon large and low." We get the idea that the lover is in a hurry, as he "gain(s) the cove with pushing prow." His boat presumably moves at such great speed that the waves leap like "fiery ringlets from their sleep."

At last, when he reaches the land, he finds that he only has one mile of beach and three fields to cross before the farmhouse comes into view. The rhythm of the poem, signifying the haste at which the lover travels, is reinforced by kinesthetic imagery ("A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch / And blue spurt of a lighted match"). The end of the poem sees the joyful reunion between the lover and his lady, with their "two hearts beating each to each!"

How well do you believe or not believe that the story of Roseto establishes Gladwell's purpose about successful people in the book Outliers?

“The Roseto Mystery” is discussed in the introduction of Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of the residents of Roseto, a town in eastern Pennsylvania. People who lived here had fewer instances of heart disease (and many other diseases) than people who lived elsewhere throughout the United States. A team of college researchers studied the people of Roseto—their lifestyles, diets, and genetic make-ups—in order to learn their secret(s) for good health. The findings indicated the Rosetans had brought the paesani culture with them when they immigrated to this region from Roseto Valfortore, Italy. They had a much stronger sense of community than most American neighborhoods. People visited with one another, belonged to the same churches and organizations, and cared more about each other. Gladwell claims Roseto is an example of an outlier: “a place that lay outside everyday experience, where the normal rules did not apply.” The health of these individuals not only relied on their own personal and physical attributes, but also on outside factors they couldn’t control. This story successfully sets the stage for the rest of the book. Yes, you can believe and understand Gladwell’s premise, based upon this opening chapter.

What plan was made to capture the Dardanelles area in World War I?

During World War I, the British government wanted to push through the Dardanelles so they could threaten Istanbul and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The plan that was developed to make this happen involved both land and sea forces. It failed, and Winston Churchill has historically been blamed for that failure.

The first part of the plan to capture the Dardanelles involved warships. The warships were supposed to go in and bombard Ottoman forts that guarded the straits. This was supposed to destroy the forts and let ships pass into the Black Sea. This part failed because the forts were too strong, there were mines that the Allies had not known about, and the naval commanders were not willing to press the attack strongly.

The second part of the plan was to land troops at a place called Gallipoli (and other beaches), from which they would take control of the forts and ensure the straits stayed open. This is the part that turned into a major disaster. The troops did not land soon enough, and the Ottomans had time to bring large numbers of troops to defend Gallipoli. The Allies had not expected and were not prepared to land at a defended beach. The invasion turned into a disaster. The Allies stayed for nine months, incurring tens of thousands of casualties without any result.

This was the plan the Allies intended to use to capture the Dardanelles. It failed terribly, with tremendous loss of life.

In Shaw's Arms and the Man, why does Bluntschli say that the bet would rob Major Petkoff?

Bluntschli says that the bet would rob Major Petkoff because Catherine is sure to be right about the whereabouts of the major's favorite coat. So, if Major Petkoff bets against both Catherine and Bluntschli, he will be sure to lose a tidy sum of money.

In Act III, everyone is relaxing after lunch, when Major Petkoff exclaims that he would be more comfortable in his old coat. His wife, Catherine, tells him that his coat is probably hanging in the blue closet, but Major Petkoff disagrees with her. He accuses his wife of being obstinate and insists that the only items in the blue closet are two of Raina's old dressing gowns, Catherine's waterproof coat, and his own mackintosh.

Unmoved by her husband's argument, Catherine calls upon their servant girl, Nicola, to fetch the major's coat from the blue closet. In the meantime, Major Petkoff proclaims that he will bet any piece of jewelry Catherine can order at the jeweler's against a week's housekeeping money that the coat isn't in the blue closet. He also calls on Bluntschli to take up the bet, but the latter refuses. Bluntschli replies that Catherine is sure to be right about the coat and he would essentially win the bet, thus "robbing" Major Petkoff of his money. In the end, of course, it is proved that Catherine is right, and Nicola is able to retrieve the major's coat from the blue closet.

A particle is confined to a one-dimensional box (an infinite well) on the x-axis between x = 0 and x = L. The potential height of the walls of the...

The wave functions of a particle confined to an infinite potential well between x = 0 and x = L are

`Psi_n (x) = sqrt(2/L)sin((npix)/L)` , where n is an integer (n = 1, 2, 3...). These wave functions are normalized so that the probability of finding the particle in the well is 1 and the probability of finding the particle outside of the well is 0.

Since the particle in this problem is in the ground state, n = 1 and its wave function is

`Psi_1(x) = sqrt(2/L)sin(pix/L)` .

b) The probability of finding the particle between x = 0 and x = L/3 is then

`P = int_0 ^ (L/3) |Psi_1|^2 dx`

Let's work with the integrand first and rewrite it using a trigonometric half-angle identity:

`|Psi_1|^2 = 2/Lsin^2(pix/L) = 2/L*1/2*(1 - cos(2pix/L)) = 1/L - 1/Lcos(2pix/L)` .

Then, the original probability integral breaks up into the two integrals. The first one is

`int_0 ^ (L/3) 1/L dx = 1/L*L/3 = 1/3`

and the second one is

`int_0 ^(L/3) 1/Lcos(2pix/L)dx = 1/L *L/(2pi) (sin(2pix/L) |_0 ^(L/3) =1/(2pi)sin(2pi/3) = 1/(2pi)*sqrt(3)/2 = sqrt(3)/(4pi)`

So the probability will be `P = 1/3 - sqrt(3)/(4pi) = 0.196` , which confirms your result.

Part a seems to be less straightforward. The probability density function `|Psi(x)|^2` describes the probability of finding a particle at a given point. I am not sure what is meant by probability per unit length. Just dividing the total probability (1) by the length L would result in 1/L, not 2/L.

Explain how the Constitution worked with both Watergate and the elevation of Gerald Ford. What does this have to do with the impeachment clause and...

The Constitution did not have very much to do with Watergate because President Nixon was never impeached.  It is very likely that he would have been impeached and convicted if he had not resigned, but that never happened.  The main connection between the Constitution and Watergate is the Constitution’s stipulation that a president (or other official) can be impeached for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”  That phrase is not explained any further so it is not clear what it means.  The House of Representatives would have had to determine whether Nixon’s conduct in the Watergate affair constituted “high crimes and misdemeanors” and, therefore, warranted impeaching him.  Since he resigned, they did not have to do so.

The 25th Amendment was very much involved with Gerald Ford becoming president.  It was involved in two ways.  First, the 25th Amendment says that

 In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Since Nixon resigned and Ford was vice president, Ford had to be the next president.  Thus, the 25th Amendment mandated that Gerald Ford become president when Richard Nixon resigned.  Second, the 25th Amendment also had something to do with the fact that Ford was the vice president in 1974.  Spiro Agnew had been elected as Nixon’s vice president in 1968 and again in 1972.  However, in October of 1973, Agnew had to resign after having been convicted of accepting bribes.  The 25th Amendment also says that

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

When Agnew resigned, there was a vacancy in the office and Nixon appointed Ford.  Therefore, the 25th Amendment was in some way responsible for the fact that Ford was vice president when Nixon resigned.

In these ways, the Constitution had a little bit to do with the Watergate scandal and the 25th Amendment was very much involved in Gerald Ford becoming president.

How did J. come to understand that Montmorency was not angelic and was actually quite suitable for life on earth?

Near the end of Chapter II, narrator J. tells us the story of how Montmorency came to live with him. The dog is a fox terrier, which is a fairly small breed. He evidently has an innocent-enough looking face, most of the time. This is what gives people the impression that he is angelic and somehow belongs to the heavens. “He will be snatched up to the bright skies in a chariot, that is what will happen to him,” J. reports people as saying.

Montmorency likes to chase cats, kill small animals, and fight with other dogs. Once J. takes ownership of him, he hears complaints from neighbors who claim Montmorency took part in 114 street fights, killed a dozen chickens, and trapped a man in his own tool-shed for several hours. J. had to pay the owner for the lost chickens, and he had to listen to a woman call him a murderer because the dog killed her cat. As we have already seen in Chapter I, J. tends to exaggerate for effect and humor. This is how he paints the first picture in our minds of what kind of dog Montmorency really is, so that we can use it for reference throughout the rest of the book.

Why does Bradbury include the exact times of specific events in "There Will Come Soft Rains"?

The chronology is important in this story because it creates suspense and helps the reader understand the effect of no longer having humans.

Is time important when there are no longer people around to perceive it?  That is one of the philosophical questions that Bradbury wants us to ponder with “There Will Come Soft Rains.”  The people are dead, and the house continues on.  Its robots still function, regulated by the time-oriented society that humans created.

Eight-one, tick-tock, eight-one o'clock, off to school, off to work, run, run, eight-one! But no doors slammed, no carpets took the soft tread of rubber heels.  It was raining outside. The weather box on the front door sang quietly: "Rain, rain, go away; rubbers, raincoats for today…” 

The ticking off of the time increases suspense because as the automated house goes through the motions even as its clear that the people are only spots of paint, the reader knows that the clock is moving toward something.  We do not know what until the fire starts. 

At ten o'clock the house began to die.

The wind blew. A falling tree bough crashed through the kitchen window. Cleaning solvent,bottled, shattered over the stove. The room was ablaze in an instant!

"Fire!" screamed a voice. The house lights flashed, water pumps shot water from the ceilings. … 

The countdown to the fire is even more tragic because of the fact that the automated house is counting off time for people who do not exist.  It is continuing to make breakfast and call out announcements, but it does not acknowledge that the people are long gone.  The reader knows that something is going to happen, and the fire is that something.

Humans are emotional creatures.  Appliances and robots are not.  In this story, the personification of the house and its automaton inhabitants as the clock ticks creates suspense that makes the reader ponder his own mortality as the residents of the house get closer to theirs.

What are the significant characters in The Ramayana?

There are many significant characters in The Ramayana.  

Whenever addressing a sacred text vital to a spiritual tradition, there will be many important characters.  This is especially so with The Ramayana, as a case could be made that every character mentioned is important in their own way.  This is to emphasize that what follows is by no means comprehensive. 

Lord Rama is probably the most important character in The Ramayana.  He is an avatar of Lord Vishnu, and his narrative forms the basis of the text. Born to King Dasaratha, he is the example of dharma, or adherence to the overarching structure of the universe.  Lord Rama carries himself as the perfect son, prince, warrior, husband, and brother.  His defeat over the demon-king Ravana establishes how human beings must live their lives with duty and honor.

Sita is Lord Rama's wife.  Born to King Janaka of Mithila, she is an avatar of Goddess Lakshmi.  As Lord Rama's wife, Sita devi demonstrates an equal commitment to dharma.  As beautifully honorable as Lord Rama is as a husband, she is as much an equal as a wife.  She is kidnapped by the demon-king Ravana, setting in motion the confrontation between her husband and her tormentor.  While in Lanka as Ravana's captive, Sita devi demonstrates her strict virtue in refusing to acquiesce even in the slightest to Ravana's gestures. Sita is the perfect daughter, wife, sister, daughter-in-law, and sister-in-law.

Lakshmana is one of Lord Rama's brothers.  Along with Shatrughna and Bharata, Lakshmana is very devoted to his brother.  Lakshmana is the avatar of Adi Sesha, the reclining serpent upon which Lord Vishnu rests.  When Rama is exiled to the forest for fourteen years, Lakshmana feels it his duty to accompany him.  He is a vigilant protector of Rama and Sita.  When Sita is kidnapped, Lakshmana accompanies Rama to confront and eventually kill the demon-king of Lanka.

Ravana is the antagonist of The Ramayana.  While Rama represents structure, honor, and adherence to a structure that envelops human beings, Ravana represents self-indulgence and excess.  Ravana is the demon-king of Lanka. Through extreme penance to Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, he acquired boons of incredible power. He used this power to consolidate his control over the universe.  Rama is incarnated from Lord Vishnu in order to defeat the existential threat that Ravana posed to justice and goodness.  Ravana kidnaps Sita as a way to showcase his power because he covets her beauty.  His kingdom in Lanka is the very embodiment of ostentatiousness and sensory gratification.  Ravana has many wives, to which he wishes to add Sita.  He is defeated by Lord Rama at the end of the epic, representing justice's triumph over injustice.

Hanuman is the commander of the monkey army that pledges to serve Lord Rama in his quest to retrieve Sita. Lord Hanuman was born to Vayu, god of the winds, and Anjani.  As a child, Lord Hanuman was incredibly brilliant, but also very mischievous.  His lack of focus ceased the moment he met Lord Rama. Hanuman immediately devoted himself to Lord Rama, and was willing to do anything and everything for his guru.  

Hanuman's devotion to Lord Rama is an important part of The Ramayana.  Through his immense strength and skill, he is able to jump across the ocean to enter Lanka, and collect vital intelligence that he relays to Lord Rama. He is the first one to find Sita devi, reminding her not to lose faith in Lord Rama.  Hanuman orders the army of monkeys, the Vanaras, to build a bridge to Lanka made of floating stones that allows Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and the army to enter Lanka and challenge Ravana.  When Lakshmana is struck down by Ravana's potent arrows, Hanuman saves him by bringing an entire mountain to Lanka that contains a precious herb.  Hanuman's selflessness is the example that human beings are meant to follow.

These are the primary characters in The Ramayana. There are many more that play vital roles in the development of the narrative.  In temples all over the world, shrines are built to Lord Rama, Devi Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman in acknowledgement of their efforts in overcoming the injustice that Ravana represented.

How has Canada defined itself in reaction against Americanizing in its politics?

Historically, much of Canadian political identity has been shaped by its relationship with the United States, beginning with the influx of "Loyalists" to Canada after the American Revolution. Similarly, in the War of 1812, the Canadian military developed its sense of identity in opposition to the invading American forces. While the United States had expected that many Canadians would be happy to throw off what the US considered the yoke of imperialist Britain, most Canadians saw themselves as British Loyalists and the United States as the foreign invader. 

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as the United States has become a world superpower in economic, military, and cultural terms, Canada has remained a vast nation with a relatively small population sharing many cultural elements and values with the United States, something that has given rise to a form of Canadian anti-Americanism manifested as a quest for identity.

First, Canada's ongoing ties with Britain serve as a form of anti-American political identity. Next, many progressive movements in Canadian politics, especially as represented by the Liberal and NDP parties, emphasize there own progressivism as overtly opposed to the "Americanizing" policies of the Conservatives. Many of the cultural policies of the government, from the funding of the CBC to the mandating of Canadian content, serve to preserve a distinct Canadian cultural identity. 

What does this quote mean? "...I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year."

The quote you mention pertains to Aunt Alexandra's view of Scout. To Aunt Alexandra, Scout was born "good," meaning that she was born without all the supposed bad habits she has recently picked up. One bad habit of Scout's that Aunt Alexandra frowns upon is Scout's tendency to go about in breeches or overalls.

Aunt Alexandra is especially upset that Atticus doesn't share her concerns about proper feminine attire for little girls. For her part, Scout complains that Aunt Alexandra only wants her to play with "small stoves" and "tea sets," while wearing the "Add-A-Pearl necklace" she received from her aunt when she was born.

In Aunt Alexandra''s mind, however, a baby is perfect because she's a blank slate, and that baby maintains her goodness (as she grows) by conforming to certain expectations. As Scout is bereft of a mother, Aunt Alexandra deems it her duty to teach Scout the ways of a dignified, Southern young lady. In return, she expects Scout to heed her teachings. Among other things, Aunt Alexandra expects Scout to be a "ray of sunshine" in her father's "lonely life."

Aunt Alexandra's definition of true womanhood is narrow and strictly autocratic, meaning that she never takes into account Scout's desires, Atticus' thoughts on the subject, or Scout's upbringing. To Aunt Alexandra, a woman can only be a "sunbeam" if she's attired properly in a dress, meaning that she can only be seen as behaving appropriately if she's clothed in an accepted manner. Because Scout has continually failed to conform to this expectation of Aunt Alexandra's, she is considered to be a disappointment, hence Aunt Alexandra's pronouncement that Scout was "born good but had grown progressively worse every year."

In Shakespeare's Coriolanus, what are the primary reasons for Coriolanus' failing to become consul?

There are many factors that play into Coriolanus losing the consulship. For one, he treats the commoners with disdain. When they complain about starvation, he greets them by asking, “What's the matter, you dissentious rogues, / That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, / Make yourselves scabs?” Coriolanus threatens to slaughter them for their rebellious proposals, mocking and insulting them for the audacity to be hungry. He believes they deserve to be hungry because they are so cowardly and useless.

Coriolanus is reluctant to follow the tradition of asking for the people’s voices. He does not think they are important enough to have this right, and he appears to be bashful about showing them his scars (a part of the ritual). Whatever the case, he responds to them with sarcasm and scorn. Coriolanus says to himself, “Most sweet voices! / Better it is to die, better to starve, / Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.” While he finds the experience to be debasing, and he refuses to reveal his wounds, Coriolanus continues to ask for their votes.

Because of his attitude towards the plebeians, the sneaky senators Brutus and Sicinius easily convince the crowds to rescind their endorsement. Brutus and Sicinius worry about Coriolanus’s cruel attitude, but, more importantly, they are concerned about keeping their power. They remind the commoners that Coriolanus might be a hero, but he also despises them. They even instruct the crowd how to act when they confront Coriolanus, directing them to rail against Coriolanus and to paint the two of them in a positive light.

As you can see, Coriolanus loses the position of consul because of his proud personality and attitude, but he is also a victim of the swayable mob and the calculating senators.

What are the major lessons in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart?

One of the lessons of this book is that colonialism is a process that literally makes things fall apart. After white missionaries appear in Umuofia, a part of Nigeria, the community is torn apart by people who follow them and find appeal in their message, and by those who resist. Even families are torn apart, as Okonkwo is opposed to any change, and his son, Nwoye, turns to Christianity and even changes his name. Christianity serves to deepen rifts that already exist, such as between Okonkwo and his son, and to create new divisions.

In a more personal sense, the book is about how Okonkwo's constant need to show traditional masculine behaviors such as aggression leads to bad outcomes. After Okonkwo kills his beloved adopted son, Ikemefuna, his life starts to decline. He loves Ikemefuna but kills him because it is the tradition to do so, and Okonkwo does not want to appear weak before other men in the village. When Okonkwo's gun goes off at a funeral and kills the son of the deceased man, Okonkwo must live in exile for several years. It is his need to appear tough and have a gun with him that causes his undoing, as the village changes irreparably while he is away. In the end, in the face of appearing weak before the colonial powers, he has no choice but to kill himself. His constant need to appear combative and his inability to deal with change leave him no other options. 

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, what is Junior's biggest conflict? Does he ever solve this conflict? If so,...

Junior's most important conflict is how to get a decent education while remaining connected to his family and friends on the reservation. Junior attends school in Reardan, a white town, because he knows the school system is better there, but he feels disconnected from life on the reservation and from the white people in Reardan. In addition, Rowdy, his best friend, is angry at Junior because he feels Junior has abandoned him. 

Part of the way Junior resolves this conflict is by no longer telling lies to the white kids in Reardan. Junior admits to Penelope, his girlfriend, that he's poor. Junior is surprised by her response: "I figured she was going to march out of my life right then. But she didn't. Instead she kissed me." Junior realizes, "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." In other words, he realizes that by telling the truth to the kids in Reardan, he can really befriend them and bridge the gulf between them. In the end, Junior is also able to reconcile with Rowdy because they realize that they still have a lot in common, such as shared memories and a love of basketball. Rowdy also tells Junior that he is like "an old-time nomad," which is respected in Native American tradition. That is Rowdy's way of saying that he respects Junior for going to school in Reardan, and the conflict between them is over. 

How is the title "Avarice" appropriate for George Herbert's poem?

The title "Avarice" is appropriate for Herbert's poem because it is about greed. Herbert writes about how money is extracted from dirty mines, and he says of money, "thy parentage is base and low," meaning that gold or other metals that form coins come from dark places. By discussing the money's "parentage," Herbert personifies money and makes it seem like it comes from parents with low status. By digging money out of mines and making the coins bright, Herbert states "thou hast got the face of man," meaning that money has people's faces and impressions on it. In this exchange, "Thou art the man, and man but drosse to thee." In other words, because people are so greedy for money and show such great avarice, money has become the master, while man is lower than money. Herbert believes avarice transforms people into beings who are as low as the base metals that are brought out of the ground and transformed into money. 

What do you think would happen if Earth's tectonic plates ever stopped moving? Why?

The tectonic plates stopping per se would not be catastrophic. It would reduce the formation of new crust on volcanic vents and stop the formation of mountains. Eventually, the Earth would erode until almost all land was at the same level, meaning everything would be underwater. Life could definitely still survive that, though; indeed, most of the world's life lives underwater. Moreover, it would take millions of years to do this, so land-dwellers would have a lot of time to prepare. In the meantime, there would be no more earthquakes to deal with!

The real catastrophe would come from why the tectonic plates stopped moving. The only really plausible way this could happen would be if the Earth's core cooled and solidified, meaning there was no longer hot magma being fed upward into and through the mantle. If that ever happened, it would be catastrophic, though it would take a long time.

While the flow of the core—and the resulting magnetic field of the Earth—has changed direction and strength over thousands of years, it has never completely stopped. If it did, solar radiation reaching the surface would increase dramatically. This would have a direct effect of killing many organisms on the surface (it would be like the whole world was sitting in the Van Allen Belt), but the now-freed solar wind stripping away the Earth's atmosphere would be even more problematic. It would take a few billion years to strip away completely, and life might be able to adapt, but we're pretty sure this is what happened on Mars and that's why no life has been discovered there.

There was a death in Max's early life. Who was it, when was it, and what were the circumstances surrounding their death?

In the novel The Sea, by John Banville, we follow the life of Max Morden, an old man who returns to the seaside town where he spent a summer fifty years earlier. His wife has recently died, and he is revisited by memories of an earlier death that he experienced during the summer that he was there. During that earlier time, he became acquainted with a family, the Graces, who he was infatuated and a little obsessed with. He thought that he was in love with the mother, Connie, but he also had a strange relationship with her daughter, Chloe, and became friends with Chloe's twin, Myles. Throughout their friendship, Chloe made it known that she was attracted to Max, kissing him flagrantly and taking him by surprise. Eventually, he overheard some words between Rose, the nanny, and Mrs. Grace that he thought mean that Rose and Mr. Grace were having an affair. Later, Rose and Max watched helplessly from the shore as the twins drowned in the sea. Max had told them that he believed Rose and Mr. Grace were having an affair. Being twins, Chloe and Myles did everything together; they were inseparable. So it follows that they would have been together when they died. It is a very symbolic incident for Max and one that defines his childhood, because it was a summer in which he "came of age" in more ways than one and learned that all actions have consequences.

Why was Gulliver given the name "Quinbus Flestrin"?

During his stay in Lilliput, Gulliver is given the name "Quinbus Flestrin" by the tiny Lilliputians. According to Swift, this name means something along the lines of  "the Man-Mountain" or "the Great Man Mountain," and so it's easy to assume that the Lilliputians give Gulliver this name because he is so much larger than they are. Indeed, it's suggested that the Lilliputians are only a few inches high compared to Gulliver, and so his name illustrates his astronomical size in comparison with his minuscule hosts. Moreover, it illustrates a major theme in Gulliver's Travels: perspective. While Gulliver might seem average-sized to other humans, the vastly different perspective of the Lilliputians turns him into a "Man-Mountain" of immense size. In short, Gulliver's nickname shows how a change in perspective can drastically change the meaning of a situation, experience, or individual. 

In Chapter 33 of Holes by Louis Sachar, does Stanley approach his predicament intelligently?

In Chapter 33, Stanley has left camp and is walking through the desert, looking for Zero. No one follows Stanley, and he debates turning back but decides to keep going in the hopes of finding his friend—dead or alive. In his travels, he passes a lot of previously dug holes, and while looking into one, spots a family of yellow-spotted lizards before running away. He eventually finds a sunflower seed sack and eats it as his lunch.

The good news about this question is that it seems to be opinion-based. This means there are probably a wide variety of acceptable answers, as long as you have the logic and the evidence from the novel to support your claims.

"Predicament" is a fancy word used to describe a difficult situation. We know that Stanley has some doubts about what he's doing based on the fact that he considers abandoning his efforts and returning to camp. But there's even more to this situation that we should consider.

Think of the landscape and the weather of Camp Green Lake: it's a very unforgiving desert climate. Do you think that Stanley adequately prepared himself before setting out on his own? Did he bring enough protective clothing to shield his eyes and skin from the intense sunlight? Did he bring some food or water with him to keep his body nourished? What tools might have been useful for him to bring along? By answering these questions you can discuss whether you think Stanley was acting intelligently, and defend your answer as to why or why not. 

It's also to important to remember that in the previous chapter (Ch. 32), Stanley unsuccessfully attempts to steal a vehicle despite not knowing how to drive. He then drives the truck straight into a hole and ditches it, running off into the desert instead of facing the consequences of his actions. 

That puts Stanley in quite a predicament, doesn't it?

If we think about the question from this angle, it's most helpful to consider what might have happened if Stanley hadn't run off into the desert. What kind of punishment would he have faced? Would staying at camp have put him in a safer situation than the one he's in now? Knowing that he'll eventually need to return to camp (for water and food, at least), do you think that he has now made things worse for himself by trying to run away? By thinking on these questions, you can again decide for yourself whether you think Stanley's actions were intelligent.

In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, what do the lives of Jim and Laura have in common? During the evening they spent together in Scene...

Jim O'Connor is a "nice, ordinary young man" who seems to be emblematic of the all-American boy. There is nothing particularly special about him, and he seems to have the exact same interests as any typical man of his age. However, it is his ordinary nature that makes Jim so interesting to the Wingfield family who is, by contrast, quite dysfunctional. 

Laura Wingfield, on the other hand, is reclusive and repressed. A young woman suffering from a slight physical disability (a limp she received from an injury as a child), Laura is unable to overcome her self-perceived "slight" and instead withdraws into her own head. She is extremely shy, sensitive, and emotionally fragile, which explains her refusal to attend business classes and her preference to stay isolated at home, kept company only by her magnificent collection of glass figurines. 

What ties Jim and Laura together is the fact that they went to the same high school. Back in those days, Jim was one of the most popular boys at school, a leader and active participant in extracurricular activities. Laura had always admired him from afar, although she has never had the courage to approach him, hampered by her self-consciousness. Although Jim is now an ordinary worker--and, in fact, hardly makes more money than her brother Tom--Laura still perceives him as a heroic figure who she can lavish shyly with admiration.

Only you can really assess your personal feelings as a response to Scene Seven, but I will share my experience of reading it: this scene broke my  heart. I relate to Laura, as I have suffered with chronic illness for almost my entire life, and it has served as a significant imposition in my relationships with other people. To see Laura tentatively opening herself up to Jim--only to have him kiss her and then reveal that he is already engaged--was incredibly sad. I also felt a mixture of melancholy and anger when Jim broke the unicorn figurine, which seemed symbolic of how close he was to breaking Laura's heart. However, like I said, this was only my experience, and the scene is subject to personal interpretation. 

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho opens with Santiago thinking about his sheep. What does he observe about their existence? How might the sheep...

Sheep are usually thought of as mindless followers. They exist solely to produce wool and not much else. Sheep are also dependent on a shepherd to keep them together as a flock and to lead them to food and water sources. Santiago provides further insight into sheep in the following passage:

"Yes, their days were all the same, with the seemingly endless hours between sunrise and dusk . . . They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously gave of their wool, their company, and--once in a while--their meat" (7).

This description of the daily life of sheep can be linked to the way many people lead their lives. Humans get into monotonous routines as well. For example, people's lives revolve around daily, weekly, and monthly schedules that include waking up, going to work, eating, sleeping, and repeating the pattern. Santiago realizes that he and his sheep follow certain daily patterns as well. Consequently, he thinks of his parents who also work hard each day for their food and water, "just like the sheep" (8).

His thoughts about the sheep in connection to his parents are important because they prepare the boy for when he meets Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Melchizedek challenges the boy's daily and monotonous routine with the sheep by encouraging him to follow his Personal Legend. If Santiago decides to give up his boring life to seek something better for himself, then he will break the cycle of living like a sheep. Rather than become a mindless follower in life, Santiago has the opportunity to realize his full potential, which is something very few people do in life. Therefore, the contemplation of the sheep at the beginning of the novel is important to show from what point of reference the boy considers when deciding to follow his Personal Legend and give up a life of monotonous routine. Santiago's thoughts about the sheep also echo the way many people simply work in order to exist rather than to live more meaningful lives. 

What is the manufacturing process of nail paint remover?

Nail paint remover is a chemical solution which typically contains ethyl acetate or acetone as the primary ingredient. Commercial nail paint--also called nail polish, varnish, or lacquer--is made up of a polymer like nitrocellulose which has been dissolved in a volatile organic solvent such as butyl or ethyl acetate. Additional ingredients are added for color, sheen, durability, thickness, and adhesiveness. To remove a commercial nail paint, a remover is allowed to soak through the paint before it is wiped away. Most of these nail paint removers use the very same solvents that are used to create the nail polish in the first place.

Acetone nail polish remover is essentially pure acetone, but may be diluted with water or isopropyl alcohol. Most acetone today is produced by oxidizing cumene (a byproduct of propylene-benzene reaction) into cumene hyperoxide, then cleaving this in the presence of sulphuric acid. This produces phenol and acetone. Prior to the 1960's, acetone was also made from fermentation of corn or molasses as well as thermally decomposed calcium acetate. The wide availability of propylene today makes it much cheaper and easier to produce acetone from cumene.

Ethyl acetate, another primary ingredient in nail paint and its removers, is produced by dehydrogenating ethanol in the presence of copper. It may also be produced by the reaction of ethanol with acetic acid. 

These primary solvents may be mixed with water, isopropyl alcohol, and a number of other ingredients including gelatin (for nail strength,) dyes (for color,) and fragrance. Heat may be used to ensure that these solutions are homogenized, especially if something like gelatin is added. The nail paint remover is then bottled, sealed, and shipped off to be sold.

I have mentioned commercial nail paints and removers here because a number of new products have been appearing on the global market which are intended to be less toxic or irritating to skin as well as more ecologically friendly than commercial varieties. Soy-based nail paints and removers are becoming quite popular, and these soy-based nail paint removers are made from a mixture of soy and corn esters, vegetable glycerin, and occasionally essential oils. 

What is this book's thesis?

Michael Pollan's introduction to this fascinating book describes the moment when he had the idea and insight for what the book would explore. He was planting fingerling potatoes, thinking of how they presented different challenges from growing other varieties of potatoes, and had the thought that plants force humans to do their bidding. He wondered: was this how plants actually evolve alongside humans, by convincing us to do the things they want? This made him think about how plants have evolved over the years via human intervention, to develop qualities that made them more desirable to humans, so that humans would engage in activities to help the plants propagate and survive. 

Pollen then chose four plants and one specific quality of each plant, and in four chapters then explores in detail the various ways in which that quality defines the plant's evolution and history of being cultivated by human beings. For example, the quality chosen for the apple is sweetness. Wild apples are not known for being sweet; and each wild apple tree is a blend of two different apple trees. Humans discovered how to graft branches and buds of sweeter and better quality apples onto existing trees, and were able to then produce many more apples to satisfy the desire for a sweeter tasting fruit. The book explores many fascinating aspects of history, folklore and science to answer this intriguing question.

How did Ender change throughout Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card?

Ender changes constantly throughout the book. His changing isn't a nice, smooth, continual path of positive change either. He sometimes reverts back to how he was before, or changes to be like the very things he hates.  

Ender is the sibling of Peter and Valentine Wiggin, and he shares Valentine's compassion and Peter's ruthlessness. For example, Ender always wishes to find a peaceful end to brewing conflicts, but he isn't opposed to using violence, either. This is illustrated when Ender, as a young child, beats Stilson to death in order to protect himself.  

Ender also goes through multiple changes with his relationship toward Graff. Ender first believes Graff is there to protect and help him. Ender then realizes Graff has been manipulating him from the very beginning. At one point, Ender shuts down completely because of this, but he then returns to the space station willing to deal with Graff and his games.  

As the story nears its conclusion, we see Ender finally realizes he can't save everybody. This is a sad change in Ender because readers see him begin to manipulate friends (like Bean) like Graff does to Ender. As the novel concludes, readers see Ender manages to hang on to his humanity. He takes it upon himself to find a new home world for the buggers. This is his way of repaying the debt he feels he owes for almost completely eradicating them from the universe. 

How does chemical weathering affect the human world?

Chemical weathering in geology is the process by which rock is worn down or disintegrated through chemical processes. Most often, acid rain hits rock surfaces and begins the chemical weathering process. Chemical weathering is responsible for transforming bedrock into soil, and the role of soil is critical to the survival of many organisms, including humans. A primary function of soil in the human world is the production of agriculture. Without soil, there would be no way to meet the energy demands required by the current human population.

Soil's role is far more involved than simply hosting edible crops. Soil plays a number of roles within food webs and energy distributions. Non-edible plants and microbes require soil as a medium for life. Those organisms are intertwined in ecosystems inextricably. For example, trees and other plants provide habitat for numerous birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Without chemical weathering, there would be no creation of soil. Without soil, our world would look much different than it does today.

Chemical weathering, however, is not limited to the disintegration of rock. Chemical weathering can also occur in human-made structures. When acid rain occurs, the acid can chemically erode buildings and other human-made structures. In this case, chemical weathering has a detrimental effect on humans, as it accelerates structural deterioration.

In Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, what is it that enables Bud to survive? Is it luck, skill, or something else?

Bud begins the story in Flint, MI.  The story ends with him in Grand Rapids, MI, but I don't think that your question is only asking about the physical start and end settings.  

When the reader is introduced to Bud, he is living in an orphanage, and a new family has just been found to adopt Bud.  Right from the start of the story, it is clear that Bud does not have a permanent home or a loving family.  The Amos family doesn't end up being either of those two things, so Bud decides to strike out on his own and track down his father.  He scrapes to get by, has some successes, has some setbacks, and he eventually makes his way to Grand Rapids.  It is there that he meets Herman Calloway and his band.  Bud believes that Calloway is his father, but it turns out that Calloway is Bud's grandfather.  Although the story did begin with Bud being without a family and a home to call his own, the story ends with Bud finding both in Calloway and the rest of his band.  

Bud is able to achieve his happy ending through a mixture of luck, skill, and determination.  Bud is extremely lucky that Lefty Lewis is the man that found Bud on the road that night.  There could not have been a kinder man than him.  The Great Depression is in full swing, so it's possible that the car that pulled over for Bud contained a "bad guy" looking to rob Bud of all of his possessions.  Instead, Lefty Lewis feeds Bud, takes him to his home, and drives him to Grand Rapids.  

Bud shows skill at times too.  For example, Bud's repeated use of the library to obtain information to help him succeed shows resourcefulness on his part.  Additionally, the book is full of Bud's rules that help him to better survive and navigate the dangerous world that he inhabits.  Bud skillfully applies each of those rules to cleverly maneuver various situations.  

Lastly, Bud shows a dogged determination throughout the novel.  He is unwilling to give up.  This is especially evident when Calloway clearly shows that he wants nothing to do with Bud, yet Bud remains persistent in his efforts to win over Calloway.  Bud wins the hearts of each band member one by one, and eventually a situation is presented that teaches Bud and Calloway their true relationship to each other. 

The bulk density of a soil is 1.33g/cm cubed. What is its bulk density in kg/m cubed?

This is a problem of converting units. I prefer to do these with fractions. I first set up the unit I am starting with, and write the unit I want to get to.

`(1.33g)/(1cm^3)` ......   `[kg]/m^3`

Then, I multiply by fractions that cancel out the current units and get me to the units I need. For this example, I will start with the units of grams to kilograms.

`[1.33g]/[1cm^3]*[1kg]/[1000g]` .....    `[kg]/m^3`

I now have grams on the top and bottom, so they cancel, and because there are 1000 grams in a kilogram, I divided by 1000. Next, I convert the units of cm^3 to m^3. Because these are cubed, I will expand the numbers, just to be sure.

`[1.33g]/[1cm*1cm*1cm]*[1kg]/[1000g]*[100cm*100cm*100cm]/[1m*1m*1m]`  ......     `[kg]/[m^3]`

Each of the units will cancel out, leaving behind just the kg and m^3. All that is left is to do the math, giving you `1330[kg]/[m^3]` .

In "Harrison Bergeron," when Harrison is shot, even though his parents don't remember him, would anyone in the audience remember his action against...

In the society of Harrison Bergeron, every person is made exactly equal through the forced restriction of talent or any other unevenly distributed positive traits. Handicaps such as thick, blurry glasses and headphones blaring static prevent those with any level of intellect or awareness from accessing these traits. Harrison's parents, whether through severe handicapping or natural intellectual disability, are unable to remember what happens to their son on television. Because everyone has been restricted to equally low levels of intelligence and perception, it logically follows that no one else within this society would have be any more able to remember the occurrence than Harrison's parents. Harrison and the dancer were the only two people in the room who had their handicaps removed, and they were shot dead almost immediately for this transgression. Thus, there is no reason to assume anyone in the world has the ability to retain the events of that day.

What is Helen Keller's family background?

Helen Keller has long been venerated as an example of courage and determination. Rendered blind and deaf due to a disease she had at 19 months old, Helen eventually became an author, public speaker, and benefactor of other similarly affected people.

Helen was aided by a strong family who was not content to let her remain isolated. Her father, Arthur Keller, was the editor of a newspaper called the North Alabamian in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Her mother, Kate Adams, was the daughter of Charles Adams, who reached the rank of brigadier general in the Confederate army during the Civil War. She also had three brothers and one sister.

Helen was undoubtedly helped by the fact that her family was financially stable and had the connections to help them find the assistance Helen needed. A child from a less prosperous family would probably not have had the opportunity to overcome Helen's limitations.

Perhaps the most important person in Helen's life was her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Although not technically a member of her family, she lived with Helen for almost 50 years. Sullivan was able to open up Helen's world by teaching her to communicate.

What is a brief summary of Chapter 11 of The Story of My Life by Helen Keller?

Most of Chapter 11 in The Story of My Life was about Helen's time spent with her family and Miss Sullivan in their mountain cottage.

At the beginning of the chapter, Helen reflected on her time spent in the North.  She had wonderful memories, and kept very busy during her time there.  She also met many new people, some of whom communicated with her using the manual alphabet.

Helen spent the autumn after she returned home with her family in their cottage.  The cottage was located in the mountains about fifteen miles from their home in Tuscumbia, Alabama.  It was near an abandoned quarry, and train tracks ran nearby.  

While there, Helen enjoyed exploring the forest.  She loved the stream, the trees, the flowers, and many other aspects of nature there.  She spent time outdoors with Miss Sullivan and her sister, Mildred.  Visitors came and told stories.  A hunting party left from the cottage, and returned later with enough meat for a large feast.

Helen, her sister, and her cousins loved the train.  Helen described the excitement of her sister and the other children when they heard the train blow its whistle:

Sometimes a terrific whistle brought us to the steps, and Mildred told me in great excitement that a cow or a horse had strayed on the track (Chapter XI).

Who is the antagonist and the protagonist in the short story "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty?

The answer to this question is not difficult, but it is awkward.  It's awkward because "The Sniper" doesn't use character names.  There is a sniper, another sniper, an old woman, and a soldier in an armored vehicle.  

Among those characters, the protagonist is the sniper that is fighting for the Republicans.  The narration of the story focuses on this sniper, and the reader is driven to desire his survival over the other sniper.  That is the main reason that the Republican sniper is the protagonist.  

The other sniper is the main antagonist.  He fights for the Free Staters.  He is the main threat to the Republican sniper, and the Free Stater sniper succeeds in wounding the protagonist.  At the end of the story, the protagonist has defeated the enemy sniper, but it is a hollow victory.  The dead enemy sniper turns out to be the brother of the protagonist.

Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face.  

Despite their closeness, what experiences does Mai feel unable to share with her American friend Bobbie in Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge? Why?

Despite their closeness, Mai feels unable to share with Bobbie her continuing sense of doubt and despondency about her future in America.

In the second chapter, Mai and Bobbie are on their way to Canada to place a phone call to Vietnam; the purpose of the phone call is to locate Mai's grandfather in the Southeast Asian country. Canada didn't participate in military offensives during the Vietnam War and as such, was considered non-belligerent in its war stance. Because of Canada's (at least on the surface) neutrality, Bobbie feels confident that telephone connections to Vietnam would enable them to easily locate Mai's grandfather.

For her part, Mai is less optimistic about their ability to succeed in their efforts. She realizes that she has inherited too much of her mother's cautionary nature to feel buoyant about the outcome of their mission. Part of the reason she feels that she can't share her experiences with Bobbie is because she treasures Bobbie's "sweet, uncorrupted innocence." Bobbie's innocence stems from never having witnessed the horrific scenes of war that Mai had been exposed to in Vietnam.

Even during their travels, Mai can see helmeted soldiers, tanks, and barbed wire in her mind's eye. Ugly scenes of carnage often cloud her vision, and she often finds the most ordinary of tasks overwhelming and sometimes, surrealistically macabre, as when she imagines (during a trip to the mall) Bobbie's index finger taking on the dimensions of a soldier's brutally maimed trigger-finger. Mai's private torment is further reinforced by the privations she was forced to endure before she emigrated to the United States. For her part, Bobbie has been raised in relative security and has no frame of reference to understand what Mai has gone through.

So, Mai feels unable to share her war experiences and her fears regarding the future with Bobbie. Part of the reason stems from the fact that she feels self-conscious about her fears; another reason is that she cherishes Bobbie's innocence, something she wishes that she still had. Perhaps yet another reason is that Mai fears her friend may be unable to fully relate to her anxieties about the future and her grief about the past. Indeed, from Bobbie's point of view, her friend is safe in Canada and should have nothing to worry about; she doesn't realize that people like Mai often suffer from survivor's guilt and other emotional stresses even after they have been rescued.