What is the character of Ratan like in "The Postmaster" by Tagore?

In the story, Ratan is loyal, diligent, trusting, and compassionate.

As the postmaster's helper, she is often at her employer's beck and call. Yet, Ratan never complains; she never hesitates to put aside what she's doing in order to tend to the postmaster's needs. When he becomes sick, she tends to him lovingly and faithfully.

She at once stepped into the post of mother, called in the village doctor, gave the patient his pills at the proper intervals, sat up all night by his pillow, cooked his gruel for him, and every now and then asked: "Are you feeling a little better, Dada?"

Ratan's unselfish ministrations on behalf of her employer highlight her diligence and faithfulness. When he teaches her how to read, she is so diligent and dedicated in her efforts that she finds herself working with double consonants before long.

Additionally, Ratan's willingness to sit and to listen to the postmaster while he expounds at length about his family is a demonstration of her patience and compassion. In all his monologues, Ratan never fails to enter into the spirit of her employer's reveries. In her heart, his family has become hers.

Last, but not least, Ratan's loyal and trusting character is demonstrated when she asks the postmaster whether he will take her with him when he leaves. When the postmaster doesn't reply in the affirmative, Ratan is heartbroken. She has always trusted in his care for her, and now, she is bewildered by his cruel indifference to her plight. In grief, she summarily refuses the postmaster's offer of financial remuneration. As the story ends, we begin to understand how Ratan's trusting and naive nature has brought her immense grief.

Alas for our foolish human nature! Its fond mistakes are persistent. The dictates of reason take a long time to assert their own sway. The surest proofs meanwhile are disbelieved. False hope is clung to with all one's might and main, till a day comes when it has sucked the heart dry and it forcibly breaks through its bonds and departs. After that comes the misery of awakening, and then once again the longing to get back into the maze of the same mistakes.

Why is public opinion in a democracy so important?

Public opinion is important in a democracy because we are the "employers" of those whom we elect. They serve at our behest, so what we think about what they do should matter a great deal to them.  Every few years, we issue a performance review, by way of election or not. However, we seem to be in a period in which our elected representatives are slaves to polling. Whether this is good or bad is a function of one's ideas and expectations about representational governance and decision-making. 

Some people think that when we elect representatives, they should act in accordance with our wishes on all matters. So that if a majority in a congressional district opposes a trade agreement, there is an expectation that the representative will vote against it.  If a majority in a district seek to defund Planned Parenthood, the representative should vote accordingly.

Some people think that we elect representatives to make decisions using their ethics, knowledge, intelligence, and experiences to make the best choices possible for those whom they represent.  Thus, we speak of a senator casting a vote or taking a stance based upon his or her own conscience.  Or a representative will vote for a bill because he or she has investigated it thoroughly and knows far more than the people in the district know about it. 

For both approaches, public opinion matters, of course.  If public opinion turns too greatly on a politician, he or she is voted out of office.  In the first case, public opinion informs the decision to be made, based upon what a majority want the elected representative to do.  In the second case, the representative needs to know how deeply unpopular a decision might be, to weigh the costs of an unpopular decision. 

The problem today is that in the 24/7 world of news that we live in, there should be legitimate concern about what people are basing their polling responses upon.  The latest soundbite, true, false, or as some say, "truthy," can probably sway millions of people to a completely different opinion.  If this continues, polling is likely to become increasingly inaccurate.  No pollster can keep up with so many shifts.  Politicians themselves are responsible for this problem, too, since they frequently change their positions. I personally think that people running for office before the advent of the internet were more likely to state what their positions were consistently, not being able to send up trial balloons so easily and then walk them back after a negative public response.  Technology also gives us all these new means of viewing public opinion, tweets, Facebook posts, and so on, ad nauseum.  Perhaps a Facebook post should be accorded more weight than a tweet, so that five negative tweets equal one Facebook post. How ridiculous can all of this get as politicians seek to take the public's temperature? 

No matter what you believe about how a representative should be representing you, it is clear that what the public thinks matters to our elected representatives.  They need to know how their constituencies want them to vote, and if they vote contrary to their constituency's wishes, they need to be able to calculate the political cost.

Who killed Curley's wife in the novella Of Mice and Men?

Towards the end of the novella, Lennie is lamenting over the death of his puppy when Curley's wife enters the barn and attempts to comfort him. Lennie tells Curley's wife that he enjoys petting soft things, and she allows him to touch her hair. Initially, Curley's wife enjoys the attention she receives from Lennie, but when Lennie begins to squeeze his hand, she starts screaming. Lennie panics and attempts to shut her up by tightening his grip. When Lennie shakes her head, he kills her by accidently snapping her neck. Lennie simply wanted to stop Curley's wife from screaming to avoid getting into trouble, but he was unaware of his own strength and murdered her. After killing Curley's wife, Lennie runs to his predetermined hiding spot away from the ranch and waits for George to meet him.

In Frankenstein, why does the monster see himself as another Adam?

The creature sees himself as another Adam because, as he says, he was "created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence [...]."  The creature recognizes that he was made in a unique way, as a unique being who has nothing in common with other men.  Further, his creator made him alone, without a mate, as Adam was created prior to Eve.  Now, the creature feels entitled to an Eve of his own, and so he's returned to ask his creator for such a mate. 

However, just as the creature feels that he should be Victor's Adam, beloved and cared for, he feels that he is actually more like Satan because "like him, when [he] viewed the bliss of [his] protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within [him]."  God created Adam to be his perfect creature, and God loved him; however, Victor created a monster, and then he proceeded to neglect and spurn him.  Therefore, this monster becomes jealous of the DeLaceys because they are beautiful and happy, as he feels he ought to be, as he feels he has a right to be as Victor's Adam.

After his second appearance, the family left the ghost feeling dejected. Discuss this idea.

In "The Canterville Ghost," the ghost make his second appearance in Chapter Three. In this instance, the ghost disturbs the family when he tries to wear his old suit of armour which is hanging on display in the downstairs hallway. This attempt, however, is an unmitigated disaster which results in the ghost being attacked by the family. This causes him to feel to dejected and humiliated, as we learn from the description in the text:

On reaching his room he entirely broke down, and became a prey to the most violent agitation.

The ghost feels this way because the twins attacked him with their pea-shooters and Mrs Otis offered him a "tincture" for indigestion, instead of being afraid of his "most horrible laugh." Unable to scare them, the ghost has no choice but to turn "faintly phosphorescent" and return to his room.

What role has voters’ frustration with Republican and Democratic “politics as usual” played in reshaping the party system in the past decade?...

Although voter frustration with politics as usual may end up changing our party system, it is not clear how it will do so.  At the moment, both parties seem to be in some degree of flux.  The Tea Party on the right and the Bernie Sanders supporters on the left appear to be creating splits in both parties between populists and people who are relatively pleased with the status quo.  This may lead to a change in the party system.

Since the end of the Civil Rights Movement, the party system in the US has been relatively stable.  The Democrats have been the party of racial minorities, of unionized workers, and of social liberals.  The Republicans have been the party of middle and lower class white people who are not in unions and of social conservatives.  While some changes have occurred, this system has largely remained stable.  This, however, seems to be changing.

Beginning with the economic crisis of 2007-8, many voters seem to be angry about politics as usual.  They appear to believe that the governmental system does not work for them and for people like them.  We saw this with the Tea Party and the Occupy movement.  This year, we are seeing it with the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.  These two politicians embody populism in which the people who feel that they are “regular Americans” are extremely angry at the elites who have been in control of our government.

The question, then, is where this will lead.  Will Trump and Sanders supporters somehow find a way to cover over their differences and unite in a party that will be populist?  Will the rest of the current Democrats and Republicans unite in a more establishment party?  If this happens, we will stop having a liberal party and a conservative party and will, instead, have a populist party and an elite/establishment party.  This would be tremendously different than what we have now.  Alternatively, will this populist anger prove to be a flash in the pan and will we soon return to politics as usual?  It is impossible to know the answer to this.  Only time will tell. 

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, what is father's reply to Bruno's question, "Who are all those people outside?"?

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno's father's reply to his question shows his embrace of Nazism.

Bruno approaches his father in Chapter 5 because he is unhappy about having to live at "Out-With."  Bruno misses his home and his friends. He speaks with his father because he wants to go back to Berlin.  Predictably, Bruno's father rejects the idea of returning.  Before Bruno ends the conversation, he asks his father about the "people outside" and receives a very telling reply: "They’re not people at all...at least not as we understand the term....You have nothing whatsoever in common with them."

Bruno is "uncertain" of what his father's response means and leaves the conversation "unsatisfied."  The response reflects how much Bruno's father supports Nazism.  He sees his position at Auschwitz as a move that benefits his career. This compels him to emphasize to Bruno that the people outside are "not people at all."   Boyne uses his response to show how many Germans under Nazism responded to the Holocaust.  They did not see what they were doing as genocide and cruelty because they could not see their victims as human beings.  They were not "really people."  Bruno's father's response displays this rationalization, something that Bruno himself could not understand.

In Tennyson's "Ulysses," which words and lines indicate that life is much more than mere breathing?

Words and lines from Tennyson's "Ulysses" that reflect how life is much more than mere breathing explain how a person's life has to be defined with purpose and meaning. 

In Tennyson's poem, Ulysses is faced with a defining choice. He can either stay in Ithaca with his wife and serve his kingdom or go back out to the seas to confront the challenges that await.  He finds himself poised between domestic predictability or the uncertain future of what lies ahead.  One indication of the choice he is going to make is when he says, "I will drink / Life to the lees." Ulysses sees life as only having purpose when it is fully embraced.  He does not see this purpose as merely breathing.  Ulysses lives his life with a "hungry heart." These reflect his views of life.  They reflect passion and vitality, a duty to fight the elements until the very end and never relent. Ulysses does not feel that life is about merely breathing, pathetically existing from one moment to another. Rather, he feels that an individual must possess a zeal for living.  Ulysses believes that people are active agents of their own destinies, authors of their own narratives.

Ulysses speaks of the dangers in not living life to its fullest capacity. He wonders "How dull it is to pause, to make an end, / To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!"  He considers it a waste of a life to merely exist.  Rather, he feels that people must see life as "yearning in desire / To follow knowledge like a sinking star."  Living life means understanding the world and one's place in it.  There is no defined end to this pursuit, as Ulysses says it should continue "Beyond the utmost bound of human thought." Ulysses does not believe that his journey has ended simply because he has returned home. The journey of life never ends.  Rather, he feels that his life, and all life, must be dedicated to the idea that "Some work of noble note, may yet to be done." There will always be more adventures to experience, more horizons to explore, more chapters to write in the book of one's life. Ulysses is not going to live in a banal way by merely breathing and existing.  Rather, he is insistent that his "purpose holds / To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths / Of all the western stars, until I die."  These words make clear that Ulysses defines life as living the journey and facing whatever awaits him on it.

In the poem's closing lines, Ulysses affirms how life is more than breathing. These thoughts define what he sees as the meaning to all existence:

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts, 

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will 

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Ulysses will live his life fighting all adversaries. This includes the effects of time and age, and anything else that might dare to cross him.  Even though he might not succeed in all of these battles, he promises "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."  It affirms how life is much more than simply existing.  It consists of the will to persevere through challenges, and to zealously anticipate what comes next.  Ulysses does not know what the future holds.  However, that is an integral part of what makes life worth living, making it much more than merely breathing.

First time car buyers often need to be assisted with the buying process. Identify another group of customers who might need special assistance...

One very important group of customers who may feel uncomfortable with the traditional car buying process is the group of customers with various disabilities. Especially with the aging of the population in the developed world, an increasing percentage of the car buying public will need cars that are increasingly adapted or accessible. There are several strategies you can use to make the car buying process more accessible to them.

First, you should be careful to make as much of your lot and show room as accessible as possible. Rather than limiting disabled customers to a single accessible entrance, make sure that every aspect of the interior of your building is conveniently accessible and that your outdoor lot has adequate room between cars for customers in wheelchairs.

Next, you should showcase and have available for test drives a wide range of accessible vehicles so that disabled customers have the same freedom to drop in and test drive cars as other customers. Your marketing materials should emphasize your support for people with disabilities. You might also hire a specialist in selling to people with disabilities (perhaps a person who uses a wheel chair or requires other adaptations) who can guide buyers through the process of car selection and adaptation and is thoroughly familiar with appropriate government regulations and subsidy programs. 

In what kind of situation is the reputational method the most useful for determining social class?

There are three basic methods that sociologists use to measure social class. These are the objective method, the subjective method and the reputational method. The objective method uses a strict set of data points and criteria for determining class. This often includes income, education and career type. The subjective method asks people what social class they think that they fit into, relying only on the subjects self-perception. The reputational method is based on what class other members of the same social group think that subject belongs to. Often a small set of group members are selected by sociologists to rank the other group members in terms of class relative to the group.

Each of these methods have different situations for which they are useful. The reputational method is most useful in figuring out the social structure of small groups where members of the population know each other. The closer in relationship the members of a community are, the more accurate the class findings. This is a way of understanding the social class of a subject as seen by other members of the same community. While this may differ from how a subject sees himself or herself, it is more reliable than the subjective method when investigating rolls and stratifications within a community as a whole. 

A proton is trapped in an infinite square well of width 15.0 nm. The "walls" of the well are at x = 0 and x = 15.0 nm. Assuming that the system is...

Hello!

Yes, this probability is an integral from `12 - 0.2 = 11.8 nm` to 1`2 + 0.2 = 12.2 nm.` There are two problems: what is the function to integrate and what is the value of the integral.

It is known that the function to integrate is the probability density, and it is the square of the wave function. Also it is known that the wave function for a particle in an infinite one-dimensional well with the walls `x=0` and `x=L` is

`Psi(x) = sqrt(2/L) sin((n pi x)/L),`

where `n` is the state. So we need to integrate

`p_d(x) = 2/Lsin^2((n pi x)/L) = 1/L (1-cos((2n pi x)/L)).`

It is simple, and the probability is

`int_(11.8)^(12.2) 1/L (1-cos((2n pi x)/L)) dx = (x/L - 1/(2n pi) sin((2n pi x)/L))|_(x=11.8)^(12.2)`

Recall that `n=2` and `L=15nm` and obtain

`p = 0.4/15-1/(4pi)(sin(4pi*12.2/15)-sin(4pi*11.8/15)) approx 0.048.`

(that said, your 0.027 is the first term, 0.4/15)

How does Sherlock Holmes make a good literary detective in relation to other detectives?What qualities does he have?

Sherlock Holmes is a good literary detective because he is entertaining.  He has a complete understanding of human nature, but at the same time a complete disregard for other people’s feelings.  He is as self-centered as he is brilliant.  His deductions and interesting cases make him fun to read. 

Your topic is a little vague, so I am not sure what you mean by other detectives.  By comparison to Watson, who is not really a detective, Holmes is much more intelligent.  He is the one who solves the cases, and Watson follows along and assists.  Watson is always enamored of Holmes and believes him to be so brilliant that he doesn’t mind his personality quirks, including the insults Holmes seems to throw his way. 

“I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth...." (The Hound of the Baskervilles, Ch. 1) 

Sherlock Holmes was a model for many other literary detectives, including Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout’s American version of Holmes. Wolfe was similar to Holmes in that he was brilliant and quirky.  He, too, was antisocial.  Both of them could be languid, staying home for days at a time either pouting or thinking.  While Holmes dabbled in drugs, it was food that pleased Nero Wolfe.  Neither liked women.  Both had a trusty assistant, but Nero Wolfe’s assistant Archie Goodwin did most of the legwork.  Wolfe rarely left the house.  He was as fat as Holmes was thin.

Besides Nero Wolfe, Sherlock Holmes inspired scores of other literary detectives in books, radio, television, and movies. Some of these are adaptions, such as the BBC's Sherlock, which modernizes Holmes and Watson by bringing them to present-day London, and others are just detective procedurals.  One thing is for sure:  People seem to love a good mystery with a quirky detective.

What is the concept of style and stylistics in literature?

"Style" refers to the set of techniques and types of language utilized by a writer to exhibit the unique personality and voice of their writing. Writers can use dialects in dialogue, alternate sentence lengths, or prioritize active or passive voice in the creation of their writing style. Style is important in analyzing literature as it can further convey the meaning of a text by emphasizing or subverting certain details, or show whether the text is expository, descriptive, persuasive, or narrative.

Stylistics is the study of texts according to their tone and style in the field of applied linguistics. It can be described as a combination of linguistics and literary criticism, because it scientifically studies language in the context of its function in literature. Stylistics examines the form and tone of texts to understand more about how people in a society utilize language.

Towards the end of Duong Thong’s Novel Without a Name, Quan chooses not to execute an American journalist. Quan wonders why he disobeys orders he...

The fact that Quan spares the life of the American journalist indicates how disillusioned he has become with his original patriotic creed and Marxist justifications for fighting in the Vietnam War. Initially, Quan experienced bloodthirsty glee about violence, yet constant exposure to the brutality and senselessness of war has spurred an inner transformation in values; Quan transitions from an 'us versus them' mentality towards the enemy to one of universal understanding about a common humanity.

At the start of the novel, Quan is consumed by "hatred", "rage" and the "desire to kill", while at the end, he yearns for "the beauty of creation".  The American journalist represents 'an innocent' because he is not an agent of war and is there to disseminate the truth of the situation to a wider audience. Killing him would reduce Quan to an institutional pawn of the war -- someone who blindly obeys orders without considering moral concerns from a subjective viewpoint.

Facing the role of executioner becomes a catalyst for introspection and reflection. Years earlier, Quan would have unhesitatingly carried out orders to kill the journalist because his sense of duty and belief in dogma obliterated the independent establishment of his own value system. Thus, Quan's decision to spare the journalist's life in defiance of his men's wishes represents a moment of triumph of the individual over the homogenizing mechanism of war.

In "The Red-Headed League," Sherlock Holmes lists the "obvious facts" that he deduces from Mr.Wilson's appearance. What are they and how did...

At the beginning of the story Holmes tells Watson:

“Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.”

Jabez Wilson expresses considerable surprise because all of Holmes' deductions are correct. He wants to know how Holmes drew such accurate conclusions from his appearance.

Holmes explains that he knew Wilson had done manual labor because his right hand was noticeably larger than his left, showing that he had done considerable work with it. Wilson tells him he was ship's carpenter. Holmes could see that Wilson was wearing an arc-and-compass breastpin, showing he was a Freemason. The detective refused to explain how he knew Wilson used snuff because the signs of snuff on his waistcoat were too obvious. Wilson later takes a big pinch of snuff, showing he is a heavy user.

The fact that he has been in China is shown, according to Holmes, by the delicately colored tattoo on Wilson''s wrist which could only have been made in China. Wilson is also wearing a Chinese coin on his watch-chain as a souvenir.

The author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, does not use these particular deductions solely to show off his protagonist's powers of deduction. In the days of sailing vessels, Wilson must have been out of the country for many years working on ships and spending time in China. This would explain why he would not have heard about the formation of the fictitious Red-Headed League, which his assistant told him was big news at the time.

When Watson first sees the visitor he describes him as "a very stout, florid-faced elderly gentleman." This would explain why Wilson would have been extremely unlikely to venture down the steep steps of his own cellar to see what his new assistant, who calls himself Vincent Spaulding, was doing down there. Wilson is grossly overweight. The fact that he is "florid-faced" shows that he has high blood pressure. He is elderly and also a heavy user of snuff. Snuff is a finely ground tobacco, and it would have the same deleterious effect on his lungs as tobacco that was smoked.

Vincent Spaulding (John Clay) is digging a tunnel right under his employer's nose, but Wilson thinks his assistant is an amateur photographer developing films. Clay is a very dangerous man. If Wilson had ever ventured down there and seen the tunnel and piles of dirt, Clay would not have hesitated to murder him with his shovel and bury him in his own cellar.

So Holmes' deductions from Wilson's appearance serve a dual purpose. They display the great detective's analytical powers, and they explain how John Clay could have been digging a tunnel right under his boss's nose. Evidently the two thieves needed to hurry up the tunnel-digging because there was some danger of the French gold being moved; so they invented the Red-Headed League to get Jabez Wilson out of the shop six days a week for four hours a day plus travel time, thus making it possible for both men to work unimpeded. 

How is honor shown in Romeo and Juliet?

In this play, honor mostly boils down to family pride.  We never learn exactly why the Montagues and Capulets are feuding, and we only see them fight now over family honor or pride.  The first fight, in Act 1, scene 1, occurs because one man says that his master is better than the other's.  Tybalt gets incredibly angry when Romeo shows up, uninvited, to the Capulets' big party because he feels that the presence of a Montague dishonors his family.  He says to Lord Capulet, "Why, uncle, 'tis a shame" (1.5.92).  His pride is wounded by Romeo's audacity. 

Then, when Tybalt challenges Romeo the next day and Romeo refuses to fight, Mercutio gets involved because he sees Romeo's behavior as a "dishonorable, vile submission" (3.1.74).  Mercutio gets himself killed because he doesn't want Romeo to dishonor the Capulets with his unwillingness to fight, unwillingness that must look like cowardice to Mercutio.

In Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, how would you analyze the wall on Anarres in relation to “Saussure’s Redefinition of a Word"? What is the...

According to Saussure, a "sign" is made up of a "signifier" and a "signified," and the relationship between the sign and real thing signifying it is capricious; in other words, these relationships are not organic. Our modern interpretation of this concept refers to the signifier as the physical or material form of the sign (something that is tangible and accessible through the five senses). Saussure, however, interpreted both the signifier and signified as matters of form and not substance. Words have no inherent value, which is exactly why they are useful. 

So, in the case of the wall on Anarres in Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed:

• the wall itself is the referent


• the word/sound "wall" is the signifier
  


• the concept or meaning of "wall" is the signified
  

The above signifier and signified comprise the "sign."

Derida emphasized the arbitrary nature between these components, with "the organizing principle for the whole of linguistics, considered as a science of language structure" and "no fixed universal concepts or signifiers." There are so many different descriptions of the wall here to, thus, satisfy this concept; it is an "idea of a boundary" but "the idea was real." The wall can operate in the realm of the "signified" in a variety of ways which are wholly up to the individual who beholds it or the social conventions of the area; this is relative. It can be an obstacle to freedom or a safe enclosure; it can keep something in or out; it can be both literal and mental; etc. Thus, the wall cannot operate as one universal thing since there are (again) no universal concepts or signifiers and because it is a component of an "arbitrary way of organizing and conceptualizing the world." 

What does Miller want the audience to understand about John and Elizabeth Proctor's relationship in Act Two?

In Act Two, Miller wants the audience to understand the dynamics of the conflict between Elizabeth and Proctor. There is tension in the relationship because Elizabeth finds it difficult to forgive Proctor for his adulterous romance with Abigail Williams.

Each encounter between the two is fraught with emotion and suspicion. Meanwhile, Proctor finds that he must constantly defer to his wife in all things. His pitiful and almost groveling "I mean to please you" assertions only demean him in Elizabeth's eyes. Despite all his efforts, Elizabeth still distrusts him greatly. When he is late coming home, she accuses him of having gone to Salem. However, she later perversely begs him to go to Salem to denounce Abigail and to proclaim to the officials that all her accusations about witchcraft are lies.

In Act Two, it is clear that, even though Elizabeth and Proctor are discussing the witch trials, there is a deeper conflict going on; the surface discussion masks an underlying tension between Proctor and Elizabeth. From Elizabeth's viewpoint, Proctor's continuing interactions with Abigail is unforgivable. Elizabeth is further incensed when she discovers that Abigail was alone with Proctor when she told him the truth about the accusations. Elizabeth thinks that Proctor still harbors lustful feelings for Abigail, and her violent feelings of anger inhibit all of Proctor's efforts at reconciliation.

Elizabeth accuses Proctor of not wanting to go to Salem because he is afraid; she asserts that he hesitates because it is Abigail he must denounce. Upon hearing this, Proctor loses his temper. He maintains that he's tired of living like a criminal, and he unleashes his own brand of anger upon Elizabeth:

PROCTOR: Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!

For her part, Elizabeth argues that Proctor has not been forthcoming with her. Basically, she thinks that Proctor has neglected to earn back her trust. Meanwhile, Proctor laments his foolishness in confessing his infidelities to his wife. Elizabeth argues that she has a right to worry: Abigail only condemns her because she wants to reunite with Proctor.

Elizabeth presses her husband to expose Abigail as a whore and to break whatever promises he made to her. Proctor is incredulous that his wife still thinks he has designs on Abigail. To Proctor, the affair with Abigail was all about physical pleasure, nothing more. So, he can't understand or relate to Elizabeth's current fears.

PROCTOR: Woman, am I so base? Do you truly think me base?
ELIZABETH: I never called you base.
PROCTOR: Then how do you charge me with such a promise? The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl!
ELIZABETH: Then why do you anger with me when I bid you break it?
PROCTOR: Because it speaks deceit, and I am honest! But I'll plead no more! I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear it free!
ELIZABETH, crying out: You'll tear it free—when you come to know that I will be your only wife, or no wife at all! She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well!

In Act Two, Miller wants us to understand that the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth is doomed to irreconcilable conflict so long as Abigail still has her "arrow" in Proctor. Basically, Abigail's interpretation of the affair is opposed to Proctor's. While he thinks of her as a passing fancy, Abigail thinks of Proctor as something more. Her obsession with Proctor is largely what inspires her venom against Elizabeth and what threatens the couple's marriage.

What was the relationship between goverment and business in the late 1800s?

The relationship between businesses and the government in the late 1880s was a very good one. The prevailing philosophy during this time period was one of laissez-faire. This philosophy was one that supported very little government involvement in and regulation of the economy. As a result, businesses were free to do almost anything they wanted to do.

There were very few laws passed to protect workers. The government generally supported the business owners when there were strikes against them. As a result, many strikes were unsuccessful. Businesses were also able to grow in size. They began to establish monopolies. This reduced competition and allowed businesses to make more money by charging higher prices. Some states passed laws that allowed businesses to form corporations. Even when laws were passed to control business activities, the laws were worded so unclearly that the courts wouldn’t act on them. The Sherman Antitrust Act was an example of such a law. The courts also sided with the business owners when there were disputes with the workers.

The relationship between the government and businesses was a very good, close relationship in the late 1800s.

Why were the Roman citizens asked to disperse in Julius Caesar?

The group of Roman lower-class citizens is ordered to disperse by the tribunes Flavius and Murellus because they are all out honoring Julius Caesar. The tribunes are members of the upper class and are opposed to honoring Caesar because he is becoming too powerful by favoring the working people at the expense of the aristocracy. Some of the dialogue is especially pertinent.

COBBLER
But indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar, and to rejoice in his triumph.

MURELLUS
Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?

Shakespeare opens the play by dramatizing the animosity that exists between the rich and the poor in Rome in these turbulent times. This is a good way of securing the attention of Shakespeare's audience and obtaining silence in the auditorium so that everyone can hear the actors.

Shakespeare must have had another reason for opening with a mob scene. He was going to need a large number of extras for the big scene in Act III in which both Brutus and Antony deliver their funeral speeches and Antony starts a riot. Since Shakespeare had recruited a number of men--probably straight off the street--and had to pay them for the full day, he could make additional use of them in this opening scene. Most of them have no lines. The Cobbler is a professional actor who does most of the talking for the whole group.

So Shakespeare uses these extras again in the spectacular Act III, Scene 2, and then he makes a little further use of them in Act III, Scene 3, in which the mob kills Cinna the poet just because has the same name as one of the conspirators.

FOURTH PLEBEIAN
Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

CINNA
I am not Cinna the conspirator!

FOURTH PLEBEIAN
It's no matter, his name's Cinna. 

Flavius and Murellus succeed in dispersing the citizens in the opening scene of the play, but in Act I, Scene 2, Casca tells Brutus and Cassius:

Murellus and Flavius, for pulling scarves off Caesar's images, are put to silence.

It seems most likely that Casca means Caesar has secretly had the two tribunes murdered.

What were gains and losses during and after World War II for women and minorities?

During World War II, the United States population had a spirit of unity. During this time, minorities and women had new opportunities that they had not had previously.

Many African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities volunteered for military service. Racism continued to exist within the military. Segregation was widespread in the South, even for soldiers at home. Some military units were segregated. Still, some minority soldiers experienced an atmosphere of greater equality than they had previously. Soldiers were united in their fight against the Axis powers. Navajo code talkers worked diligently to create codes for the Allied powers. The complexity of the Navajo language was the reason why members of this tribe were chosen to create codes. Their efforts created unbreakable codes. Despite many attempts, he Japanese could not break these codes.

Many women entered the workforce for the first time during World War II. Women who had previously been homemakers worked in factories, served as nurses, and flew planes. Many women took jobs men vacated to go to war. Although women took a variety of jobs, they were paid significantly less than the men they replaced. Women who did not work often volunteered to help the war effort. White women and women of color joined military organizations such as the WASPs and WACs.

After the war, many conditions returned to how they had been. The spirit of unity slowly faded, and racial tensions continued. Segregation existed for the next two decades in the South. Despite racial tensions, a large number of African Americans and other minorities continued to serve in the military, including during the Korean War.  

Most women went back to being homemakers, though some did stay in the workforce or chose to work part time. After the war, it became more acceptable for women to serve in military-related jobs. People witnessed the useful work women performed during World War II. Despite more opportunities, women continued to be paid significantly less than men.

How could I create a PowerPoint presentation (6-8 slides) discussing gang problems and offering alternatives to gangs for adolescents in my...

First, this assignment has a very specific audience of students attending a school in your community. This means you should tailor it quite specifically to the demographic and cultural nature of your region. A presentation in rural Montana, where populations are primarily white with a significant Native American minority, would be quite different from one in New Mexico, which has more people of Hispanic origin than any other ethnic group. An impoverished urban school will face different issues than a wealthy suburban one. 

Your slides and associated talk should be accessible to students. Talk in concrete terms and use familiar examples instead of abstract generalizations.

Your first slide might discuss what attracts people to gangs, including lack of other things to do after school, a sense of community, a desire for respect, fear, economic necessity, and peer pressure. Each subsequent slide should address one of these issues. For example, your second slide could discuss locally available after-school activities that are good alternatives to hanging out with gangs, including sports and clubs. On economic issues, you could supply resources for finding part-time jobs. For building community, you might discuss not just local clubs and groups but online communities.

Your final slide might conclude with a list of local and web resources of potential use to students searching for alternatives to gang life or gang members trying to leave gangs.

Joe’s mom says that he’ll have to pay outrageous insurance rates on a Porsche. Joe has been told that insurance rates are dependent upon the...

Given the values in the table we can compute the line of best fit.

Note that when the points given are plotted, they appear to lie along a line with a negative slope. (As the insurance buyer ages, the rates go down.)

Using an algebra utility (a graphing calculator or spreadsheet) we find the equation of the line of best fit to be `hat(y)=-252.12x+10091.51 ` where `hat(y) ` represents the charge for a given age x.

(Note that in real life this is certainly an approximation -- age is continuous but the rates will probably only change annually.)

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

The line of best fit is `hat(y)=-252.12x+10091.51 `

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The slope is negative as the rates decrease with advancing age. There is almost certainly a domain restriction (must be at least 16 to drive, whole numbers of years, and the rate probably rises again with advanced age.)

The r value is -.999299 indicating a very strong, negative linear association.

How can I calculate manually `(9/16)^(-1/2)`?

You will need to use the following formulae:

`(a/b)^(-x)=(b/a)^x`                                                                          (1)

`(a/b)^x=a^x/b^x`                                                                                  (2)

`a^(1/x)=root[x](a)`                                                                                    (3)

Let us now apply those formulae on the problem at hand. First we get rid of the minus sign in the exponent by using the formula (1).

`(9/16)^(-1/2)=(16/9)^(1/2)`

Now we apply formula (2).

`16^(1/2)/9^(1/2)`

Now we apply formula (3) which basically tells us that the power with exponent `1/2`  is the same as taking square root.

`sqrt(16)/sqrt(9)=4/3`

Therefore, the solution is `4/3.` 

In "Aner Clute" from Spoon River Anthology, what is the real reason she ends up wasting her life going from bar to bar?

She ends up "wasting her life," as you put it, because of one error in judgment that marks her for life.

In the poem, she claims that people asked her the same question you do:

Over and over they used to ask me...

How I happened to lead the life,

And what was the start of it.

Her answer is true to life, but not the real reason why she "[leads] the life":

Well, I told them a silk dress,

And a promise of marriage from a rich man--

This is the story that people expect to hear: a materialistic young woman "loses her virtue" to a rich man who makes "a promise of marriage," but does not come through.

It was, instead, the unfair judgment of others, and their need to mark her as a woman of ill-repute, that make it impossible for her to lead a normal life. She uses the analogy of a boy who steals an apple. Instead of getting sympathy and a brief admonishment, he becomes marked as a thief by every member of society. As a result, he cannot find work and decides to become what everyone believes him to be anyway.

Aner Clute is the same: because everyone wishes to believe that she is a tramp, she becomes one. Her identity is marked by one faulty act committed in her youth.

What led to the decision to drop the atomic bomb?

President Truman had to make a decision about what methods should be used to defeat Japan, which would bring World War II to an end. The United States could have used conventional methods to defeat Japan. We could have blockaded the coast of Japan, bombed Japan, and then sent our military into Japan. Another option was available. This option was to use the atomic bomb to end the war.

President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb. He knew that the invasion of Japan could lead to a huge loss of American life. It was believed there could be one million American casualties in an invasion of Japan. President Truman believed it was his responsibility to save as many American lives as possible. Using the atomic bomb would allow him to do that.

Some historians also believed we used the atomic bomb to demonstrate our military might to the Soviet Union. We were having issues with the Soviet Union. They weren’t following some of the agreements we had made with them. Some people believed the use of the atomic bomb would send a message to the Soviet Union. We hoped it would encourage the Soviet Union to follow agreements we made with them.

Done properly, product placement can create a realistic scene and a general feeling of familiarity. Is there more to it than that? Do you think...

Product placement in movies and TV shows involves more than just invoking a feeling of familiarity. It also involves targeting a specific demographic or age group, particularly those who tend to skip ads, to make them become more emotionally connected to a product and develop an association with it. 

Research shows consumers remember product placement and that it has conscious and unconscious effects. For example, people tend to recall the product to a greater extent when they see it placed within a show or movie, which is a conscious effect. They also tend to exhibit a higher intention to purchase a product after seeing it placed within entertainment, which is a subconscious effect of product placement. Research suggests effective product placement can also lead the audience to reject that product's competitors, which also operates on a subconscious level. The less disruptive the placement is to the content, the more effective it is shown to be. 

Which product placement you choose to write about is up to you. Famous examples include the placement of Reese's Pieces in the movie E.T., which resulted in a major increase in the product's profits in the weeks after the movie was released. The TV show Sex in the City famously mentioned Manolo Blahnik shoes in a way that equated the brand with have-to-own luxury and increased brand awareness. James Bond films have featured famous car brands over the years, such as the Aston Martin DB5 featured in the earlier film Goldfinger and the more recent Skyfall. 

Who are the main characters in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and what are their goals and conflicts?

Two main characters are Liesel and Max, who both desire to belong and be free.

The protagonist of The Book Thief is Liesel. Her first goal is to get parents. Because her father is gone and her mother seems to be a Communist, Liesel and her brother are sent to live with the Hubermanns as foster parents, but her brother dies on the train. Liesel’s second goal is to learn how to read, as she finds refuge in words and books. She learns how to read by stealing books, which is the origin of her nickname Book Thief.

She hadn’t learned to speak too well, or even to read, as she had rarely frequented school. The reason for that she would find out in due course (Chapter 1).

Liesel finds belonging with the Hubermanns. She has a family at last. In Hans’s loving arms, Liesel learns how to read. Liesel’s other conflict is the individual vs. society conflict of World War II, especially since she has befriended a Jew hiding in her basement.

The individual vs. society conflict of World War II also affects Max, the Jew hiding in Liesel's basement. Max’s conflict is that he is fighting for his life. He is Jewish, and therefore outlawed. The Hubermanns are sheltering him in their basement, and he tries to keep a positive outlook. Max feels the conflict with Hitler is personal, which is why he imagines himself in fisticuffs with Hitler.

“Come on, Führer,” he said, and this time, when Adolf Hitler set upon his Jewish counterpart, Max stepped aside and plunged him into the corner. He punched him seven times, aiming on each occasion for only one thing.

The mustache (Chapter 34).

Max fulfilled his wish to live life on his own terms by going outside at night during air raids, and by leaving even though it was at great risk to himself. Even when caught, Max was still himself. Max was a survivor. He lived because he was creative and positive.

A prison warden's managers have described him as distant, cold, uninvolved, and apathetic. How would you analyze his leadership repertoire?

A "leadership repertoire" is the combination of leadership skills, drawn from leadership styles, that are put to use, when they are needed the most, for the common good of the organization. 

According to Daniel Goleman's book Primal Leadership, the six most common leadership styles stem from an individual's emotional intelligence. The six styles are:

• Afiliative: "Let's keep the group together. Everything will be okay."


• Authoritative: "Let us all work together to achieve the goal."


• Coaching: "I will take the time to mentor each of you."


• Coercive: "My way or the highway."


• Democratic: "Let's all decide together for an outcome."


• Pace-Setting: "Here's the goal. It may be high, but reach it anyway."

The warden described in this hypothetical scenario is described as cold, uninvolved, and apathetic. Let's define these adjectives and attach each to a potential style, or antistyle.

While "cold" is a descriptor that entails lack of physical emotion or emotional connection, it is also an adjective that depends entirely on the eye of the beholder. What may be considered "cold" or "unemotional" in one culture or group may not be considered so by another.

Therefore, the fact that someone chooses to remain emotionally disconnected to the dynamics of the workplace has less to do with leadership style and more to do with personal defense mechanisms, especially in a hostile environment like the prison system.

To give the warden credit, his choice to be "cold" may actually be a good one, and will be part of an authoritative style from which his repertoire includes:

• avoiding attachments with prisoners


• preventing mental manipulation from potential sociopaths (which a fair number of criminals are)


• maintaining objectivity 


• averting mistakes made by hindered objectivity

All of this affects the work environment, particularly the specific work environment of a prison, in a way that nulls any potential "enmeshment" of emotion and vulnerability. A warden may have to appear unapproachable and cold, especially to the prisoners. This skill can actually work well with supervisors. The less emotional connected the warden is, the more objective he can become (ideally speaking).

Part of being cold may also include remaining uninvolved, or aloof from what is going on. Being uninvolved in situations that require regrouping, voting, goal-setting, and active participation, however, negatively affects the work environment. 

Just think what would happen if this warden did not become involved in rule-setting, defining limits between wardens and prisoners, or voting on the proper consequences for infractions? This person's repertoire lacks all six of the leadership styles. Therefore, this person's  repertoire also lacks

• decision making


• authority


• initiative


• cohesiveness


• connection

Finally, the warden is also considered apathetic. Someone who is apathetic shows neither emotion nor interest. The latter is the real problem. Not having interest means not possessing the internal or external motivation to accomplish anything. The problem with lacking motivation is that it immediately cancels out any potential leadership skill because the primary factor is missing: wanting to do anything. This warden will, therefore, also lack

• initiative


• problem-solving skills


• goal-setting or -reaching 


• cohesiveness


• decision making

The warden may, however, be so self-absorbed that all he cares about is what is "in it for him." That is also a huge problem because it means he will not consider the best interests of the community for which he works. For all we know, the warden is a non-entity at work. He does not do much to better any situation, but his attitude can affect a lot of people: he has the potential of infecting others with his lack of spirit, and may even work his way into manipulating others to disregard the importance of teamwork. 

What impact did the triangle trade have on Europe?

Triangular trade was the name given to the voyage that began in Europe, where manufactured goods were loaded and taken to Africa.  Some of these goods included different types of clothing, gold and even weapons such as guns.  These goods were traded for African slaves provided by local slave traders.  These slaves were then taken across the Atlantic Ocean on the part of the voyage most commonly known as the Middle Passage.  Many slaves didn't survive the trip to the Americas because of how they were shipped.  Once they arrived in the Americas, the slaves were traded for goods such as raw cotton, molasses, sugar and tobacco which ultimately was returned and sold back in Europe.

The positive effects for Europe directly related to the economic benefit from having these new goods inserted into the market.  Exotic goods would catch a premium price, especially from the aristocracy that had extra income to spend to show off their wealth and status.

Another positive effect was to establish territorial dominance not only in Africa, but the Americas as well.  These areas served as strategic strongholds to expand in the future.

One negative effect on Europe has to be the dark cloud of slavery cast upon the Europeans, especially in the late eighteenth century.  Quakers and other religious groups made it their mission to end slavery and to bring the oppressive ways of economic imperialists to the public eye.  By the early nineteenth century, the slave trade had all but disappeared, but the legacy of the slave trade and those who played a role in it has carried on through time.

What is the function of Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible?

Abigail Williams functions as a main antagonist who drives the play's cataclysmic events forward.  

Initially, Abigail Williams is completely averse to having anybody in the town even whisper about the possibility of witchcraft. She is adamant to Parris that she and the other girls were only dancing in the forest, saying, 

Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it—and I'll be whipped if I must be. But they're speakin' of witchcraft. Betty's not witched.

As details about the girls' activities are revealed to the audience, we learn they also drank blood. Many of the girls are very worried, but Abby convinces them to keep quiet about everything. She is determined not to let any rumors of witchcraft survive, threatening,  

And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!

Had Abigail kept up that kind of attitude, the rest of the play's events would have played out very differently.  

Abigail doesn't keep trying to keep witch rumors away, though. After seeing the attention heaped upon Tituba for naming a supposed witch, Abigail immediately chimes in that she saw other people with the Devil, too.  

Hale: God will bless you for your help.

Abigail rises, staring as though inspired, and cries out.

Abigail: I want to open myself! They turn to her, startled. She is enraptured, as though in a pearly light. I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!  

From this point forward, Abigail is the leader of the girls who cry witchcraft, and she accuses whoever she feels like. At first, I believe Abigail enjoys the attention and reverence given to her. Later, Abigail realizes she can use her position of power to have Elizabeth Proctor killed. If Elizabeth is dead, Abigail believes she can resume her affair with John Proctor.  

Who is the intended audience of Never Cry Wolf?

The intended audience of Never Cry Wolf, first published in 1963, is people who believe that wolves are creatures bent on killing. Mowat, a biologist, wrote this book after spending time observing wolves in far northern Canada, along the border between Nunavut and Manitoba. He was assigned by the Dominion Wildlife Service, part of the Canadian government, to figure out whether wolves were killing caribou and to encourage wolves to leave their dens so that they could be shot.

After observing the wolves, Mowat came to the conclusion that wolves only killed weak caribou and that this type of selective killing actually helped the caribou move more quickly in their migrations. Instead, he realized that the wolves subsisted mainly on smaller prey, such as hares and rodents, even when caribou were present. Mowat determined that humans were the main killers of wolves. In the end, he blamed the myth surrounding wolves--that they are "vicious and dangerous" (page 184) and the "pathological fear" (page vi) that humans have of wolves--for spreading the false idea that wolves killed caribou. This book, written for a wide selection of people who feared wolves but who wanted to know more about them, changed many people's opinions about the wolf and resulted in the growth of the Canadian environmental movement to stop human activities that resulted in killing wolves.

In "Okay For Now," what does the metaphor "dark woods" represent?

In the book, the Yellow Shank bird is associated with the dark woods. However, the metaphor "dark woods" represents the defining moment of confrontation between Doug and his abusive father. To Doug, the "woods" is a treacherous and frightening place; to confront his abusive father, he must venture into this dark place alone, as no one else in his family dares to accompany him.

In Chapter Five, we learn that Doug's father has appropriated the hundred dollars and signed baseball that Doug won at the Trivia Contest. Later, Doug confronts him, despite knowing that he's putting himself in physical danger by doing so. Mr. Swieteck lies about having received the prizes, but Doug knows what Mr. Ballard told him.

At this time, Doug is ready to call his father a liar (because that's what Mr. Swieteck is), but he's afraid. Doug has never openly challenged his father before. Suddenly, in a moment of inspiration, he remembers the Yellow Shank and how the bird stands facing the dark woods ahead of him. Doug imagines that the Yellow Shank will eventually walk towards the woods, despite the uncertainty that awaits him.

He's staring into this dark place, and he's just about to cross the river that divides him from it...he knows what he's getting into, but he does it anyway, calm and smooth and straight. He's going to step into the middle of the picture, where he should be, with the light in back of him and the dark ahead. His whole world is waiting for him to do that.

He's so inspired by the Yellow Shank that he goes ahead and tells Mr. Swieteck that he's a liar. Mr. Swieteck lunges at Doug, but he misses him three times; he only manages to clip Doug slightly when the boy pushes through Ernie Eco's arms. Apparently, Ernie Eco isn't too successful either in his efforts to help Mr. Swieteck corner Doug. For his part, Doug counts the confrontation a victory. Despite his fears, he has braved the "dark woods," and he's justifiably proud of himself for confronting his abusive father.

What happened on October 5, 1957?

As you can see from the link below, nothing happened on October 5, 1957 that is particularly noteworthy in the history of the world.  I wonder, however, if you might be thinking about the previous day, October 4, 1957.  That date is very important in world history as it was the date on which the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.

The launch of Sputnik was important because it was a scientific/technological breakthrough, but it was also important for geopolitical reasons.  At this time, the US and the USSR were locked in the Cold War.  Each side wanted to outdo the other and each side wanted to gain a military advantage over the other.  The launch of Sputnik was important in this context.  It made the US look bad and the USSR look good because the latter had been first to manage to launch a satellite.  It was also militarily important because the launch showed that the Soviets had the ability to build rockets that could be used to carry nuclear warheads.  For these reasons, the launch of Sputnik was very important to Americans of the time.

Because Sputnik was such an important event, and because there is nothing really important that happened on October 5, 1957, I wonder if the launch of Sputnik is the answer for which you are looking.

What is the summary of chapter one of the book The Oz Principle?

There are many interesting details in Chapter 1 of The Oz Principle, but a summary is best served by focusing on the main messages of this introductory chapter:

1. the potentially global repercussions of rejecting accountability in business


2. characteristics of accountability


3. definition of victimization


4. introductory preliminaries presented in a "you will hear" section highlighting case histories formatted to illustrate points


5. differences between victimization (blaming externals) and accountability (facing hard facts of failures)


6. citing Charles Sykes' book A Nation of Victims as authority for victimization versus accountability approach


7. presenting Above the Line Accountability (hard work) versus Below the Line Victimization (blaming, excusing)

Using well known business failures, such as Lucent, Enron and AT&T, and successes, such as Nortel and Intel (fewer successes are named) Connors, Hickman and Smith illustrate how a corporate failure can impact the global economy. Intel and Enron being good examples of good impact on global economy and bad impact, respectively. In conjunction with these examples, they present the characteristics of accountability and the definition of victimization:

• Accountability: Face bad news head on; don't pass blame onto external economic or other conditions; don't be enamored of a love affair with favorable Wall Street analyst reports; do the hard work of finding solutions, as Intel did.


• Victimization: I am, and the company is, the victim of external circumstances; I am not the cause of failures around me and within the company, as the CEO of Xerox said.

After cautioning against the "magic" of fads and management "wizards," they present scenarios of personal failure and success stories that will ripen their message of accountability, not victimization: "you will hear" about an executive "fighting for the life" of his company, about the General Electric CEO who took responsibility for failures, about "low level" employees facing genuine performance obstacles and many other personal experiences that convince of the magnitude of accountability.

The chapter culminates with a contrast between accountability and victimization, remarks on A Nation of Victims and the explanation of their theory of Above the Line Accountability and Below the Line Victimization. This introductory chapter aims to enliven energetic interest in the pursuit of accountability: an approach that changes results though accountable thinking.

In the novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how do Bruno and Shmuel exhibit heroic attributes?

Throughout the novel, both Bruno and Shmuel exhibit heroic attributes through their selfless and courageous actions. Bruno risks getting into trouble when he takes food to give to Shmuel on his trips to visit his friend. Bruno has been told numerous times that he is not allowed to be near the fence, but he continues to venture outside in order to visit with Shmuel. Shmuel also displays courage by meeting with Bruno, who is on the other side of the fence. Shmuel risks being caught by the Nazi soldiers, who will more than likely physically punish him. Both boys enjoy being around one another and overlook the negative consequences of being caught visiting each other. Bruno also displays bravery and selflessness by helping Shmuel find his father. Bruno puts himself in harm's way by climbing underneath the fence and entering the concentration camp to help his friend. While the boys are searching for Shmuel's father, they are summoned by Nazi soldiers to march. Instead of running away, they continue to search for Shmuel's father. When they enter the gas chamber, both boys hold hands in order to comfort each other during the terrifying situation.

According to Two-Bit, why don't the Socs fight fair in The Outsiders?

Two-Bit says the Socs do not fight fair because they gang up on a guy. 

When Johnny, Pony, and Two-Bit are at the movies with two Soc girls, Cherry and Soc, it is an usual experience for all of them.  It is not common for Socs and greasers to hang out together, but the girls have ditched their boyfriends for being drunk and they are being polite to the greasers. The girls find Pony and Two-Bit’s conversation about Dally and Tim Shepard interesting.  Two-Bit says that Shepard is looking for whoever slashed his tires, but there will be a fair fight.  Greasers fight fair, he says, but Socs do not. 

"A fair fight isn't rough," Two-Bit said. "Blades are rough. So are chains and heaters and pool sticks and rumbles. Skin fighting isn't rough. It blows off steam better than anything. There's nothing wrong with throwing a few punches. Socs are rough. They gang up on one or two, or they rumble each other with their social clubs. (Ch. 2) 

Basically, when two greasers have a problem, they fight.  The Socs gang up on one person as a group.  These are not fair odds.

The differences between Socs and greasers are many.  They are constantly feuding, with territory firmly drawn.  Cherry tries to explain to Pony that Socs are not all the same, and they have problems too.   She thinks that Two-Bit and Pony are being prejudicial, painting all Socs with the same brush and assuming they have all of the advantages. 

"I'll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You want to know something?" She looked me straight in the eye. "Things are rough all over." (Ch. 2)

After the movies, Cherry asks Pony about Darry.  Pony gets defensive, even insulting Johnny when he gets involved, telling him that he isn't wanted at home.  Pony and Two-Bit discuss how the greasers "have all the rough breaks!"  Pony realizes that he forgot that the Soc girls were there.  They may have problems too, but the greasers and Socs will always be different.

In "There Will Come Soft Rains," what are the timed activities in the house?

In "There Will Come Soft Rains," the house's timed activities reflect the routine of the average family.

The first event of the house's timed sequence of work takes place at seven in the morning.  The house wakes its inhabitants.  Nine minutes later, the house prepares breakfast.  At a minute past eight, it reminds the children to get ready for school. The attached weatherbox explains to the children what clothes they will need based on the climate outside.  In today's case, they need to prepare for rain.  

At half past eight, the house starts its process of cleaning. The first area is the kitchen as it removes the uneaten food.  At a quarter past nine, the cleaning extends to the whole house with vacuuming and dusting.  By ten, the house is clean.  Its focus moves to the house's exterior fifteen minutes later. At noon, the dog is allowed into the house, something that is not going to happen again because it dies.  

The house offers a time reminder at two.  Fifteen minutes later, the dog's body is incinerated, while at 2:35, the house prepares for bridge.  Tables emerge, and playing cards materialize along with martinis and sandwiches. The game ends at four in the afternoon, which is the same time as the children's hour.  The house draws a bath at five in the evening.  

The evening activities commence for the next three hours. This involves a fire in the hearth, the lighting of cigars and taking out the dishes for evening supper.  Bedtime is at 9:00 when the beds are warmed in anticipation for people going to sleep.  Five minutes later, the house recites a poem.  At 10:00 PM, the house begins to recede into slumber, winding down its activities for the day.  These activities mirror what a typical family would experience.  The times and activities at each interval reflect a day in the life of an average family.

What are the best and the easiest ways to recycle batteries?

In states other than California, it is legal to dispose of single-use alkaline and lithium batteries in the trash, as they do not contain heavy metals. However, it is advisable from an environmental point of view to recycle them. In addition, automotive and rechargeable batteries (such as lead acid batteries, Li-Ion, Ni-MH, Ni-ZN, Ni-Cd) batteries should be recycled.

Many cities have events or locations at which they collect hazardous waste (see the link for New York City below). You can find out more about these events by visiting the website of your town, county, or city. In addition, you may be able to mail hazardous waste materials such as batteries to a collection site that will recycle them. Single-use batteries contain materials such as steel and zinc that can be recycled. When you bring in non-alkaline batteries to be recycled, place clear tape (not opaque tape) over the terminals to prevent the risk of fire. Place each battery in a bag. You do not need to bag or tape alkaline batteries. 

How is Baldeo in the story "The Tiger in the Tunnel" an example of a responsible family man?

Baldeo was a responsible family man because he worked hard to provide for his family. The family got some of their provisions from the rice fields, but it was barely enough to sustain them. Baldeo decided to take up another job as a railway watchman (Khalasi) in a dangerous part of their locale. He reported to his station every night and ensured that the signal lamp was burning. He also made sure that there were no obstructions in the railway tunnel.

Baldeo allowed his son to join him at the station when the boy was done with his chores. On the night when the tiger attacked and killed Baldeo, both father and son were at the station. However, Baldeo asked his son not to join him on his routine inspection because it was cold outside. His gesture showed that he was a responsible and caring father.

‘Shall I come too, Father?’ asked Tembu sleepily, still lying in a huddle in a corner of the hut.

‘No, it is cold tonight. Do not get up.’

According to the narrator’s mother in "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, what are the “two kinds”?

The "two kinds" that Suyuan is talking about are the two different kinds of daughters that exist.  

The line comes fairly late in the story.  Suyuan has been pushing Jing-mei for months and months to be some kind of child prodigy.  The most recent attempt was to turn Jing-mei into an amazing pianist.  It failed miserably because Jing-mei gave it zero effort.  In fact, Jing-mei intentionally tried to sabotage the entire endeavor.  

So maybe I never really gave myself a fair chance. I did pick up the basics pretty quickly, and I might have become a good pianist at the young age. But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different, and I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns.

Eventually Jing-mei had to perform in front of a large audience, and it went terribly; however, Jing-mei believed that she had performed poorly enough to cause her mom to stop pushing the piano prodigy dream.  It wasn't to be.  Two days after the piano recital, Suyuan told Jing-mei to begin practicing.  A huge yelling match between mother and daughter ensued.  Jing-mei explicitly told her mother that she would not be pushed into becoming something that she wasn't.  

"You want me to be something that I'm not!" I sobbed. "I'll never be the kind of daughter you want me to be!"

Suyuan immediately responded with the "two kinds" line.  

"Only two kinds of daughters," she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!"

In Suyuan's mind, daughters are either obedient or rebellious.  There is no middle ground.  The result of the comment is that Jing-mei shouts out that she doesn't want to be Suyuan's daughter anymore.  Jing-mei wishes that she were dead like all of her mother's other children.  With those things said, the already strained relationship is broken for years to come.  

What is the climax of the story "Okay for Now" by Gary Schmidt?

The climax of "Okay for Now" occurs when police arrive at the Swieteck home to announce that the person who stole Joe Pepitone's jacket has called to confess. Although the confession was anonymous, the jacket was returned and the police will not be pursuing a hearing against Doug's brother, Christopher. In addition to the jacket, the thief returned Doug's stolen Babe Ruth baseball and the goods taken from the hardware store. This moment is triumphant for Christopher and Doug, who have endured the brunt of the tension in the family after Christopher's arrest.

As a result of Christopher's proven innocence, Principal Peattie calls Doug into his office to apologize for all of the negative things he said about Doug and his family. He agrees to give Doug the Brown Pelican plate from the Autobon Society, nearly completing the library's collection. This moment is a personal triumph for Doug and it reflects the culmination of all his hard work and optimism throughout the story. The retrieval of the plate seems at first to be an anti-climax when Mr. Powell informs Doug that the only remaining missing plate was purchased by an anonymous collector. Despite the fact that this means Doug is unable to complete the official collection, Mr. Powell uses his drawing of the last plate as a replacement. In this way, the climax of the story symbolizes the message of realism woven throughout the text. In real life, resolutions are rarely perfect but, like Doug's rendering of the last plate, they can be more than satisfying for their own purposes.

In Beowulf, what is the conflict in The Battle With Grendel?

"The Battle with Grendel" is an excerpt of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf. This excerpt relates the events of Beowulf's fight against the monster, Grendel, who had been terrorizing the Danes and their King, Horthgar, for ten years. On the surface, the conflict is between hero and monster, and Beowulf's victory serves to win glory and renown, both for himself and for his king, as well as to pay Hrothgar back for aid the King of the Danes had rendered to Beowulf's father.

Often, however, readers find a deeper conflict within the fight between hero and monster. One common conflict attributed to the fight is the conflict of good against evil. This view finds that Grendel represents evil itself and Beowulf, as the hero, represents the constant battle of good against evil.

Another way of looking at the good against evil conflict is to frame it as virtue against sin. In this understanding of the conflict, Grendel represents the sin and vices of humankind (a claim often supported by reference to the poem associating Grendel with the descendants of Cain). Beowulf, the virtuous warrior, who, even though he is not portrayed as overtly Christian in the poem, represents many Christian ideals, represents the battle of a person against those vices and sins.

Other readers have read the conflict not as good/virtue against evil/sin, but as human against nature. In this reading, Beowulf represents the advancement of civilization, and his fight is against savage nature itself. Grendel, with his animalistic tendencies and appearance, must be subdued in order for humanity to assert itself.

It is worth noting that J.R.R. Tolkien, in his essay "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," argues that the allegorical readings of the poem, and the deeper meanings given to the conflicts with the monsters, are scholarly overlays. Tolkien's position is that the poem is about human beings "at war with the hostile world, and [their] inevitable overthrow in Time." The battles against the monsters are, in effect, an outgrowth of the human will to survive even in the face of the inevitability of death.  

How can I analyze a personality using the theories of Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, and Carl Rogers?

In the 1950s, three prominent psychologists, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May, pioneered humanism as the new psychological approach to understanding personality theory and development.  

As the leader behind humanistic thinking, Maslow posited that there is a drive for self-actualization (the realization of a person's fullest potential) after the attainment of basic human needs. Maslow viewed self-actualizing people are embodying several key characteristics: self-awareness and -acceptance; the capacity to form close friendships that are not clingy or dependent; spontaneity; sense of humor; the capacity to see work as an enjoyable and fulfilling pursuit; the capacity to have emotionally/spiritually rewarding experiences. 

Drawing on the work of Freud and Maslow, Carl Rogers advocated the person-centered theory based on clinical case studies. Rogers considered the self-concept the salient feature of personality because it encompasses all feelings, beliefs and thoughts people display towards themselves. Furthermore, Rogers asserted that people are cognizant of these self-concepts. However, he acknowledged that often, self-concepts are not indicative of reality ("incongruence"), as when a person considers himself a model of integrity and honesty but frequently lies to his spouse. In contrast, "congruence" occurs when there is a reliable match between a self-concept and reality.

Unlike Maslow and Rogers, Rollo May introduced a strain of existential psychology within humanistic theory. May posited that people frequently shirk responsibility and avoid decision-making because of feelings of apathy and emptiness; these emotional disorders prompt people to disconnect from the surrounding world, from others and from themselves. Consequently, May considered the objective of psychotherapy to help people become more human, rather than 'cure' them. This way, psychotherapy would empower people to make effective decision and assume proper responsibility for their choices and actions. May viewed people as experiencing four stages of development: Innocence (pre-ego, doing only what one must do to fulfill one's needs), Rebellion (formation of ego by rebelling against authority), Ordinary (typical adult ego in which one often chooses conformity over responsibility), and Creative (authentic adult who accepts of responsibilities of free will with courage).

What are reasons why someone is considered a witch in Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

In Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond, any behavior that is contrary to the behavior of the rest of society serves as grounds for accusing someone of being a witch. Throughout the story, both Kit Tyler and Hannah Tupper are guilty of behaving in ways that are different from the ways of the Puritanical society around them.

One way in which Kit acts contrary to the rest of society is by being able to swim. In the opening chapter, Kit asks for a spot on board the first longboat going to the Connecticut shore. The captain's wife, Mrs. Eaton, will be on board the boat, and Kit wants a chance to be with her up until the last minute and say goodbye. On the return trip to the ship, the Cruffs join as passengers. While on board the longboat, Goodwife Cruff's sorely neglected daughter, Prudence, accidentally drops her wooden doll into the water. When no one else will retrieve it for her, Kit jumps into the water herself and swims to retrieve it. Later, back on board the ship, Nat Eaton, the captain's son, informs her that Goodwife Cruff has been "insisting to [his] father that [Kit] is a witch," since Kit behaved disrespectfully by jumping into the water and swimming. Nat further explains to Kit the water trial for testing witches:

Don't you know about the water trial? ... . 'Tis a sure test. I've seen it myself. A true witch will always float. The innocent ones just sink like a stone. (Ch. 1)

Kit thinks the notion is ridiculous. Being from Barbados, her grandfather had taught her how to swim when she was still a very young child. Yet, despite the ridiculousness of the belief, Kit is beginning to be suspected of being a witch just because she is a girl who can swim.

Later, in Chapter 9, Kit arouses suspicion of being a witch for teaching the children attending Mercy's dame school how to play-act. While teaching the children to read, Kit became inspired to make the lessons more interesting by having the children act out the Bible story they were reading. When the schoolmaster, Mr. Kimberly, and Reverend John Woodbridge pay an unexpected visit to Mercy's dame school, Kit is astonished to see how infuriated they  are by Kit's idea of "play-acting! And with the Bible" (Ch. 9). This is because play-acting is pretending a person is someone he/she is not, which is the same as lying and, therefore, sinful in the eyes of the Puritans. While the schoolmaster and reverend do not accuse Kit of being a witch at that point, her notion that play-acting is acceptable behavior certainly helps feed the colonists' suspicions about her.

Just as Kit is suspected of being a witch for being able to swim and for play-acting, Hannah is accused of being a witch simply because she is a Quaker, not a Puritan like everyone else in the colony. Since Quakers have different religious beliefs than Puritans, Quakers are considered sinful in the eyes of the Puritans.

Where does Katniss live within District 12?

Katniss and her family live in the section of District 12 known as the Seam.  

In chapter one, Katniss gives readers background information about herself, her family, District 12, and their house.  She informs readers that District 12 is a mining district, and the Seam is where many of the miners live.  Katniss further clarifies her house's location by telling readers that it is on the outer edges of the Seam.  She says that she only has to go through a few gates to reach a run down field called the Meadow.  

Our house is almost at the edge of the Seam. I only have to pass a few gates to reach the scruffy field called the Meadow. Separating the Meadow from the woods, in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed wire loops.

The Meadow is important because it borders the forest.  Between the two is a chain link fence that is meant to keep predators out and the people of District 12 in.  Katniss ignores this rule because she goes outside of the fence in order to hunt for food for her family.

Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they’re as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is.