What is prosodic analysis of comic speech? What are the controlling ideas and the conclusion of "Humor: Prosody Analysis and Automatic Recognition...

The key to understanding the main ideas of this article is knowing its purpose. The article is written by two researchers at the Intelligent Systems Program of the University of Pittsburgh. This means that the main point of the research is to help develop artificial intelligence systems that can understand natural human speech.

One of the major problems faced by researchers working on speech recognition is that the meaning of a phrase may vary with the tone. For example, imagine the phrase, "Yeah, right" in two different contexts.

1. "Let's go to Luigi's for lunch. They have an all-you-can eat pizza deal." "Yeah, right."

2. "So your next car will be a Ferrari?" "Yeah, right. When I win the lottery."

In the first case the phrase signals assent and in the second case incredulity. While humans can distinguish easily between the two, machines cannot. 

This paper is suggesting that there is a way to use prosodic clues to distinguish between humorous and serious uses of the same phrase. The authors argue that rather than using the lexical clues favored by other researchers, they think a better method is to use prosodic elements such as pitch, intensity, and tempo. They use the comedy "Friends" as a test case because it has laugh tracks following comments intended to be funny, and thus it is easy to distinguish humorous from serious comments. 

The paper analyzes acoustic data from the show and concludes that:

[W]e found that humorous turns tend to have higher tempo, smaller internal silence, and higher peak, range and standard deviation for pitch and energy, compared to non-humorous turns.

Is there any occasion in Shakespeare's play Othello where Othello reflects on his own race, possibly relating to his insecurity?

In Act 3, Scene 3, Othello does refer to his race. He uses the reference in a monologue after the devious Iago has manipulated him into believing that Desdemona was involved in an inappropriate liaison with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has, throughout their conversation, made suggestions by using innuendo, intimations and equivocation to encourage the general's jealousy and then, ironically, suggesting that he should 'beware of jealousy.'

Othello is overcome by Iago's scheming and deceit and seeks justification for Desdemona being involved with Cassio. He is quite honest about himself and exposes his insecurities.

He mentions: 

Haply, for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have, or for I am declined
Into the vale of years,--yet that's not much--
She's gone.

The implication here is that it is a matter of chance that he is black and thus lacks the ability to speak softly, gently or sweetly as fashionable or intriguing men do. He believes that since he has not constantly whispered sweet nothings in Desdemona's ear, she might have turned from him. Othello's admission here links to his earlier contention in Act 1 when he also mentioned his inability to use beautiful or florid language, where he stated that he 'is rude in speech.'

Later, in Act 3, Scene 3, when Othello is fully convinced about Cassio and Desdemona's adulterous affair, he again refers to his race. In this passionate statement, he swears to take revenge on them for cuckolding and humiliating him. Iago has convinced him that Cassio, through his behavior, has definitely proven that he is having an affair with Desdemona. He also tells the highly upset general that he had seen Cassio wipe his beard with the napkin Othello had given Desdemona as a gift. Othello passionately cries out:

O, that the slave had forty thousand lives!
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
Now do I see 'tis true. Look here, Iago;
All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven.
'Tis gone.
Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell!

The general then kneels and makes a vow to take revenge. Iago kneels with him and promises allegiance. Othello then, out of gratitude for Iago's 'exceeding honesty,' awards him the title of lieutenant, which is the greatest irony of all. 

What characteristic best describes Phillip Enright? Name two incidents or events occurred that show Phillip is this characteristic.

This is a tough question because Phillip changes so much over the course of the novel.  I'm also not sure if the characteristic in question has to apply to Phillip over the course of the entire novel, or if it can be any characteristic with supporting evidence.  I'm going to go with the latter.  

In the beginning of the novel, Phillip is a complete jerk.  He's rude, antagonistic to just about everybody, a racist, and believes that he is superior to most people.  For example, Henrik is one of Phillip's friends, but Phillip doesn't exactly talk about Henrik in positive terms.  Phillip flat out tells the reader that he finds Henrik annoying.  

. . . Henrik had an irritating way of sounding official . . .

Phillip follows that thought up by describing what Henrik looks like.  

His face was round and chubby. His hair was straw-colored and his cheeks were always red.

That's not exactly a glowing description of a friend.

Phillip doesn't hold back from his mother either.  He's equally rude and insensitive to her.

Then I became angry and accused her of being a coward. She told me to go off to school.  I said I hated her.

The above thoughts are all from people that Phillip at least supposedly respects.  Here's what Phillip has to say about Timothy.  

"You ugly black man! I won't do it! You're stupid, you can't even spell."

From the early parts of the novel, if I had to pick a single way to describe Phillip's personality, I would say that he is an insensitive jerk.    

Based on Lipner, J. (2006). The Rise of “Hinduism” ;or, How to invent a World Religion with only moderate success. Hindu Studies, 10(1),...

According to Lipner, the primary difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Hinduism is an abstract cultural concept built around deity worship, while Buddhism represents a tighter philosophical narrative that focuses on the truth within. Another major difference is that, unlike Buddhism, Hinduism does not have an official founder and began as a rather nebulous cultural idea that was eventually codified into a religion for the sake of identifying its followers. Buddhism can be traced back to a specific founder and an ideology that began in India, while Hinduism sprang from Indian culture itself.

Williams and Tribe further illustrate the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism by explaining that the Hindu gods are more solid structures than the abstract concepts found within Buddhism. While Hinduism is characterized by a set of general principles and qualifications met by its followers, it features deities with distinct personalities that can be worshiped. Buddhism, while its principles are more clearly defined, does not require worship of any particular deity. In this sense, Buddhism and Hinduism are both compatible and distinct. A Buddhist can easily worship the Hindu deities without ideological conflict as Buddhism only requires its followers to pursue and practice Dhamma, or the continual journey towards salvation. Hinduism also emphasizes a form of salvation through religious practice, but Buddhism leaves room for followers to obtain salvation through Hinduism, Christianity or any other compatible religion.

1. What impact did they have on Indian culture and society

Hindu's greatest impact on Indian culture was to provide an umbrella under which existing Indian metaphysical and cultural practices and identities could live. The open nature of the Hindu religion both reflects and shapes the openness of Indian culture towards other cultural influences, encouraging the practice of other religions. Lipner theorizes that in the future, Hinduism may further the spread of globalization within India and lead to a polycentric approach to other world faiths.

Buddhism, as described by Williams and Tribe, has significantly influenced Indian culture and society by providing the Buddha as a spiritual teacher and an exemplar of enlightenment. With the introduction of Buddhism to India, many Indians came to consider themselves as polycentric, or open to both Buddhist and Hindu teachings. Buddhism also introduced the concept of Dharma, or ultimate truth, which made the search for truth and especially the truth within a significant cultural and religious value among Indians. In this sense, Buddhism is largely responsible for the emphasis on personal responsibility that is found throughout Indian culture and social values.

2. Although Buddhism was founded in India, Williams and Tribe explain that it had all but disappeared in India by the thirteenth century CE. Many Buddhists believe that this is part of the natural process, by which Buddhism will one day cease to exist in the world as a whole until it is ultimately rediscovered by a new Buddha. Nonetheless, while Buddhism faded in popularity in India, it remains prevalent in Japan, China, Tibet and Southeast Asia. Another reason why Buddhism largely disappeared from India was the increasing popularity of tantric Buddhism, which naturally led the faith to merge with increasingly popular religions, such as Jainism and Hinduism.

How successful was the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was created as a result of the terms of the Versailles Treaty. The purpose of the League of Nations was to serve as a place where countries could take their disputes to try to resolve their issues without going to war.

Unfortunately, the League of Nations was not successful. One factor that hindered the League of Nations is that the United States refused to join it. The concept of the League of Nations was the idea of President Wilson. However, some United States Senators believed if we joined the organization, we might get dragged into conflicts that weren’t in our best interests. Our lack of involvement was a key reason for the failure of the League of Nations.

The League of Nations also failed because it didn’t have the power to enforce its recommendations. There was no provision in place to deal with members who didn’t follow a recommendation made by the League of Nations. Additionally, when some countries became aggressive in the 1930s, the League of Nations didn’t take action to deal with these aggressive actions.

The League of Nations was generally not successful in accomplishing its goals.

Why did the USA fight Germany in WWII?

After Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan as an act of self-defense.  Hitler, not even aware that Japan was planning such a strike, declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941.  The United States had long criticized German aggression in Europe but few people wanted to fight another world war on the continent, especially after the squabbling that took place after WWI.  Roosevelt realized that Germany would be a threat to U.S. security in the future, so he negotiated Lend-Lease agreements with Britain.  British Prime Minister Winston Churchill soon stated that German submarines were sinking American goods going to Britain.  When American destroyers started escorting British supplies, Germany and America fought an unofficial naval war on the Atlantic before December 7, 1941.  

To answer your question concisely, America fought Germany because it viewed Germany as a threat to its Allies, its markets, and perhaps one day itself.  German submarines had already shown a capacity to attack in American coastal waters, and Roosevelt (correctly) viewed a war against Germany as a war for the nation's survival.  

What bias is present in "The Bet"?

The bias is in the presentation of only the banker's perspective. Except for the letter left by the lawyer, the reader is not privy to this man's thoughts.

In this highly psychological short story, having engaged in the bet has reduced the banker to contemplating the murder of the lawyer so that he does not have to pay the "two million." Apparently, the lawyer has had his sanity threatened by his solitary confinement, bringing into question the lawyer's assertion that life on any terms is better than death.

As the fifteenth year draws to its conclusion, the banker worries how he will pay the debt since he is no longer extremely wealthy. He also considers the foolhardiness of such a bet:

On my part it was the caprice of a pampered man, and on his part simple greed for money....

The banker peers into the room where the lawyer has been for the last decade and a half and finds the lawyer motionless. He taps at the window, but there is no response, so he breaks the seal on the door, uses the key, and enters. Still the inmate does not stir.
At the table, an emaciated man sits; he is asleep. Before him lies a letter written by this solitary man, a letter that renounces his fellow men:

....I tell you, as before God, who beholds me, that I despise freedom and life and health and all that in your books is called the good things of the world.

The lawyer writes further that he has learned that the exploration of music, art, thought, feelings are all incomplete without human relationships. But, the banker demonstrates only his self-interest as he locks away the lawyer's letter as proof of the lawyer's having denounced the money.

In the bias of the author for revealing only the banker's thoughts, it is left to the reader to determine the meaning of the emaciated and aged appearance of the lawyer, as well as what has motivated him to write such a letter. 

What quotes could prove that the main conflict of Jane Eyre is between Jane's true love and her responsibility to God?

In Jane Eyre, Jane feels a strong moral responsibility to God that she has spent years cultivating into a need to do what she sees as the right thing. These beliefs, along with her moral compass, have been perhaps the only thing that sustained her and gave her purpose throughout her difficult upbringing—that is, until Mr. Rochester came along and she fell madly in love with him. Still, there are points at which Jane seems to come to an impasse; she's not quite sure how to reconcile her love with Mr. Rochester with her desire to appease God. This is especially difficult for her, because not only is Mr. Rochester still married, which Jane finds out right before they are about to complete their own nuptials, but he keeps massive secrets from her and others about the state of his private life and his relationships. She finds these pieces of information to be in direct opposition to her own sense of morality, causing her to be confused about the choices she must make.

Near the end of Chapter 27, Jane is nearly convinced to acquiesce to Mr. Rochester's attempts to get her to stay with him, even though she has just found out about Bertha, his estranged wife: "Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?” Still indomitable was the reply: “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad—as I am now." Here, Jane questions what she will do and who she will turn to, as Rochester is the only person in the world who loves her. Still, she holds tight to her beliefs and her responsibility to herself. When she leaves him, the conflict she feels about being torn from him and doing the right thing is evident:

Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt! May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love (Chapter 27).

Jane feels staying with Rochester would be seen as evil in the eyes of God, so she must leave; she has no choice in the matter.

In another passage, in Chapter 34, St. John asks for Jane's hand in marriage. As she is still in pain over Mr. Rochester, and wishes to do the good work of God, Jane almost relents. Here, we can see her inner turmoil:

"As his curate, his comrade, all would be right: I would cross oceans with him in that capacity; toil under Eastern suns, in Asian deserts with him in that office; admire and emulate his courage and devotion and vigour: accommodate quietly to his masterhood; smile undisturbed at his ineradicable ambition. . . I should suffer often, no doubt, attached to him only in this capacity."

Still, even though his ideals fit perfectly with hers, Jane doesn't think marrying St. John would be a good idea because she does not love him as she does Mr. Rochester.

In Elie Wiesel's speech "The Perils of Indifference," one of the speaker's purposes seems to be to encourage the audience to prevent negative...

I am a great admirer of Elie Wiesel, and I mourn his passing.  His mission was just and his work was important.  He turned his loss and pain into a force for good.  My father liberated a concentration camp. I am Jewish. I share these facts to show that if I had a tendency to be biased about Wiesel's speech, it would be a bias for it, not against it. However, I do not think that this particular speech was effective in its effort to convince us to remember the past to prevent further genocides.

Much of what Wiesel did in this speech was to accuse the world of indifference, most particularly the United States.  He pointed out specific instances of American indifference to the plight of the Jews in Europe. And everything he had to say was factual and justified. 

The problem is, though, I don't think it was necessarily persuasive, at least not to an American audience. I do think this has to do with the American character, which responds best to rhetorical flights of fancy word work, loads of optimism, and ample praise. I suspect many an American tuned him out once he stopped thanking us for rescuing him.  It is a dry speech, really, and Night is far more persuasive a text because it is easier to feel empathy for one person than for six million. 

Honestly, I do not know how we persuade people in the world to remember and not repeat these horrific genocides. So many people seem to want to forget, and there is that whole subset of people who insist the Holocaust never even happened.  Soon, most survivors of the Holocaust will be gone, and it is clear today that a substantial number of people remain indifferent, to women, to LGBTGs, to immigrants, to African-Americans, to the poor. I hope that the up and coming generation is motivated somehow to take a "Never Again" stance.   

How would you describe Rachel's motion at nine minutes?

The attached graph presents the motion of two joggers: Rachel and Kathy. The y-axis represents the distance traveled (in m), while the x-axis represents the time (in min). Since speed is related to distance traveled and time according to the following relation:

speed = distance traveled / time taken

we can use the given data to determine the speed (and hence the motion) of the two joggers.

Kathy travels uniformly and covers a distance of 1500 m in 10 min. This means that her speed during the jogging is 150 m/min (= 1500 m / 10 min). In comparison, Rachel starts jogging at t = 2 min and jogs uniformly for 600 m. She covers this distance in 5 min (= 7 - 2 min). Afterwards, she stops jogging and is at rest. This is the reason her graph is a horizontal line after t = 7 min. Since she does not cover any more distance at t = 9 min, her speed is 0 m/s and she is at rest.

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how is Bruno used as a symbol of innocence that contrasts with his reality?

Throughout the novel, Bruno maintains his childhood innocence despite the horrific environment around him. Bruno refers to the Auschwitz concentration camp as "Out-With" and does not understand that his father is in charge of the systematic annihilation of Jews. Bruno's naive perspective symbolically represents how innocence can withstand unimaginable horrors. Despite being a German boy, Bruno views Jewish servants and prisoners as equals without prejudice. He does not understand why Shmuel is forced to live on the other side of the fence and is unaware that his parents' relationship is suffering. One of the most significant moments throughout the novel is when Bruno and Shmuel search for Shmuel's father in the concentration camp. Bruno and Shmuel are forced to march with other prisoners as they are led to the gas chambers. Once they are inside the chamber, Bruno holds Shmuel's hand and says that he is his best friend. Despite Bruno's physical death, his innocence remains unharmed, and he is pure throughout the entire journey. Bruno's innocence symbolically represents how friendship, love, and purity can endure the most inhumane environments and experiences.

`4xy + ln (x^2 y) = 7` Use implicit differentiation to find dy/dx

Find `(dy)/(dx) ` if ` 4xy+ln(x^2y)=7 `

Use properties of logarithms to rewrite the second term:

`4xy+2lnx+lny=7 `

Differentiate term by term with respect to x:

`4y+4x(dy)/(dx)+2/x+1/y(dy)/(dx)=0 `

`(dy)/(dx)(4x+1/y)=-(2/x+4y) `

`(dy)/(dx)=-(2/x+4y)/(4x+1/y) `

`(dy)/(dx)=-(2y+4xy^2)/(4x^2y+x) `

What were Tacitus' reasons for writing the Annals?

The main motivation behind Tacitus' writing of the Annals was his horror and disgust at the decadence of the Roman empire. Tacitus himself was not only a stern moralist but also a meticulous prose stylist, who, like George Orwell centuries later, saw the decline of culture and language as connected to the decline of civic morality. His rejection of luxuriant Asianist excesses of literary style, and his own concise, unadorned, and even elliptical prose were part of a general disgust with the decadence of Rome under some of its worst emperors. 

The Annales documents in merciless detail the corruption and decadence of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, connecting their lust for power with their equally unrestrained physical lusts for food and sex (often of a particularly depraved variety -- in the case of Tiberius, pedophilia was just the beginning of a very long list of forms of depravity). 

Tacitus sees murder, torture, matricide, pedophilia, betrayal, rape, and other forms of decadence not only as personal excesses but as the natural outcome of despotism. In his portrait of the decline of the Roman Empire's moral nature, he is arguing that the Republic bred people of better moral stature than the empire and is arguing for moral and political reform.

What are the four basic principles of ethics in medical research: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice? How do these principles...

In bioethics, four principles of health care ethics guide medical staff in evaluating ethical parameters of a given procedure. Advances in medical science, such as stem cell and genetics research, have introduced complicated moral considerations into individual and societal applications of certain treatments that extend beyond a simple evaluation of patient health. Therefore, the principles of autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence constitute moral guidelines for ethical decision making in medical practice. 

Autonomy: Acknowledges that a patient has the right to make decisions about healthcare procedures using personal, independent thoughts and actions. In other words, a patient's decision-making must be respected without coercion.  

Justice: Posits that patients must be treated equitably and the burdens and benefits of treatments (both extant and experimental) should be fairly distributed. To have a 'just' medical practice, health care providers should take into consideration availability/scarcity of resources, competing needs of providers and patients, and mandates of existing legislation. 

Beneficence: Requires that medical treatment provides benefits for the patient  and necessitates that health care providers stay current with the latest skills, training and knowledge that contribute the best possible care for all patients. 

Nonmaleficence: In medical ethics, the primary objective is to do "no harm". Thus, nonmaleficence necessitates that medical personnel do not inflict deliberate harm on patients. 

In the context of ethical research, the four principles are applied collectively rather than in isolated consideration. In fact, when evaluating ethical concerns in a given case, the four principles can be used as checks and balances or are weighed against each other in order to arrive at an acceptable solution. For example, conflict often arises between autonomy and beneficence if a patient refuses a potentially life-saving treatment, such as a blood transfusion, because of religious or cultural views. In this case, if the patient is mentally stable, autonomy usually prevails over beneficence. Thus, most ethical research involves an interrelation of the four principles to varying degrees.

How does Holling, the main character in The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, resolve his conflict?

One of the conflicts that the main character, Holling Hoodhood, faces is that he thinks Mrs. Baker, one of his teachers, hates him. When all the other students at Camillo Junior High attend Catechism at a Catholic church or Hebrew school on Wednesday afternoons, Holling, the lone Presbyterian, has to stay with Mrs. Baker. He says that she hated him "with heat whiter than the sun" (page 1). She gives him impossibly hard sentences to diagram, and then she makes him carry out boring chores. Finally, she decides that he will read Shakespeare on Wednesday afternoons, which Holling regards as torture. 

As time goes on, Holling resolves his conflict by realizing that Mrs. Baker is his friend and is trying to help him. He grows interested in the Shakespeare plays he is reading, such as The Tempest. Eventually, using the expressive and romantic language he learns by reading Romeo and Juliet, and asks out Meryl Lee, with whom he has had a long flirtation and who is also reading the play. Mrs. Baker also winds up filling the role that his parents should play, as his father, an architect, is always busy with work (and is a very controlling person) and his mother is largely absent. When his father doesn't show up to take Holling to a Yankees game because he is busy with work, Mrs. Baker takes him instead. Finally, Holling comes to have some empathy for Mrs. Baker, whose husband is serving in Vietnam. When her husband goes missing and is later found, Holling shares Mrs. Baker's suffering, and, by realizing that she is a caring person with troubles of her own, he resolves his conflict by learning to get along with her. 

What types of food should you eat if you're trying to gain weight?

The types of foods you should eat to gain weight is really dependent upon your weight goals—are you more interested in building muscle or gaining more fat? Are you looking to gain weight to improve your health, and therefore would like to build both muscle and fat? Unfortunately, weight loss or weight gain isn't solely a matter of "calories in, calories out." You could eat 500 calories of lettuce or 500 calories of chicken and the resulting effect on your body will be quite different. In general, if you're looking to put on weight, eating calorie-dense foods is a good idea, but take into consideration the nutritional content of these foods and your current activity level.

Foods can be made up of three macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and any number of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Any weight manipulation diet should try to find a healthy balance between the desired macronutrients and micronutrients. This body-building website has a helpful calculator that allows you to calculate the recommended proportions of macronutrients for someone with your activity level and weight goals. Bear in mind that if you are trying to gain weight in the form of body fat, you cannot calculate recommended macronutrients for that goal with this calculator.

As a general rule, expect the amount you eat to increase with your activity level. If you are recovering from some sort of illness and have low energy (which inhibits physical activity) but would like to gain weight, you may not have to eat as much as someone who is very active. You may also find you have a lower protein requirement than someone who performs a lot of physical exercise. If you are a very active person seeking to build more muscle, your caloric and macronutrient needs will be much higher than someone who is more sedentary.

Let's consider the possibility that you are someone seeking to put on weight in the form of muscle. In this case, your diet should focus on proteins and carbohydrates for energy and muscle building. You don't have to cut out fat entirely, as this could be injurious to health, but decreasing the amount of fat you eat while replacing some of that caloric and nutritional value with proteins or carbohydrates can help you to maintain a balance. A meal of lean chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli is full of essential micronutrients and is high in protein and carbohydrates. Again, try to be sure your diet matches your activity level.

If you're a vegetarian or vegan looking to build muscle mass, never fear! It is entirely possible to build healthy muscle on a plant-based diet by eating protein-rich foods like beans. Meat-eaters can reap the benefits of beans, too, as they are high in both protein and carbohydrates.

If you are more interested in building fat than muscle, you can make adjustments to your diet to achieve this goal. Increasing your intake of carbohydrates and fat offers high energy, and any leftover energy in your bloodstream will be converted into fat storage. My recommendation here is to eat healthy sources of fat like nuts, fish, and dairy, and healthy carbohydrates like fruit and whole grain bread. The adjustment made here should be to eat a little more fat and carbohydrates than is recommended for your activity level. Try to avoid unhealthy fats and carbohydrates like those found in chips, soda pop, and other "junk foods." These are more likely to clog your arteries than to put on subcutaneous fat!

If you are recovering from an illness and would like to gain both muscle and fat, eat a diet with the macronutrient proportions recommended for your activity level, but eat a little bit more at each meal. Try to eat calorie- and/ or nutrient- dense foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. Avoid filling up on junk foods or even foods like iceberg lettuce, which seems healthy but lacks nutritional quality. You may find it helpful to eat snacks in between meals so you aren't forcing yourself to eat more at mealtime. 

Remember to drink plenty of water, get at least eight hours of sleep, and try not to stress too much about what you eat. If it is overwhelming to make big changes in your diet, take small steps until you reach your goal! 

What is the impact of software engineers in society?

First, some clarification--software engineers develop algorithms and solve generalized problems--while they can write the code that generates a particular computer program, it is not likely to be their main job.  Software engineers can work for a large company and can project growth in order to sell an organization a program.  They can also be involved in setting up networks between computers in an organization and creating firewalls for added security.  

Software engineers have a massive societal impact.  Computer hacking software is quite sophisticated and engineers work to encrypt data so that it does not fall into the wrong hands.  Engineers also discuss ways to secure electronic transactions such as purchases made on the Internet or in a store using a credit card.  Software engineers convince businesses of their need for software in order to ensure growth--this growth drives the local and national economy as businesses hire more people to work with the software.   

In Three Men in a Boat by Jerome, what happens to Harris when he goes inside the maze?

He couldn’t get out of the Hampton Court maze. Harris tells this rather amusing story to J. in Chapter VI. The maze was set up around the year 1700, and it is still the oldest hedge maze in the United Kingdom. Harris says he got a map of it and thought it would be easy enough to walk through. But when he led “a country cousin” into it, they couldn’t find their way back out. They kept walking and kept finding other people who were stuck, too. The group eventually yelled for help to the keeper of the maze. He got a ladder to straddle the hedge and to climb in to reach them. But he was young and new to the job, and he got lost in the maze, too. They all had to wait for an older keeper to come back from his dinner break to get everyone out. Still, Harris and J. think they ought to send George into the maze when they pass Hampton Court on their way back.

In "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, does the girl understand why she cannot stay on the ship?

In this story, a girl stows away on a space ship in hopes of seeing her brother. Unfortunately, there is only enough fuel on the ship for the captain, and the captain has no choice but to "jettison" her from the ship in order to complete his mission. 

At first, the girl cannot comprehend that the captain would do this to her because it would lead to her certain death. When the captain tells her of her fate, she says, "No! You're joking-- you're insane! You can't mean it!" However, the narrator makes it quite clear that she does come to an understanding of why she has to die. When she asks if he really means it-- that is, if he is certain that she will have to be thrown off the ship-- the narrator writes that she "sagged back against the wall, small and limp like a rag doll, and all the protesting and disbelief gone." This detail suggests that, even though she does not want to die, she understands why it has to be. She still has questions, and based on those questions it seems she might hold out a small hope that something could change, but ultimately she understands the predicament and the "cold equation" of the amount of fuel in the ship after the captain explains why she has to die. She fully understands that her options are to "go alone" or to "take seven others" with her. The girl continues to ask questions of the captain, such as whether someone can come help her, but they all lead to same conclusion, which she seems to accept. She even tells the captain at one point that she understands. Though she doesn't want to die, she understands why she has to.

How can Glaspell's Trifles be analyzed using a literary element?

In Glaspell's Trifles, Mrs. Wright, who is under suspicion for killing her husband, is compared, through a simile, to a bird. Mrs. Hale says, "She--come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird her­self--real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and--fluttery." Mrs. Wright is likened to a bird that is pretty and has a shy nature. 

The bird is also a symbol in the play. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find the bird, dead, in Mrs. Wright's sewing box. Its neck has been wrung, and the women, sensing a motive for Mrs. Wright's murder of her husband, hide the bird from Mr. Hale, the Sheriff and the County Attorney. Mrs. Hale says, "If there'd been years and years of nothing, then a bird to sing to you, it would be awful--still, after the bird was still." They sense that Mrs. Wright killed her husband after he killed the bird, the one form of companionship Mrs. Wright enjoyed. They don't want to tell the men investigating the crime about the bird because it would help secure the case against Mrs. Wright. The bird is a symbol of Mrs. Wright's suffering in her husband's house. 

In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, what ends up being more important to Santiago, the journey or the destination?

To an extent, this is an opinion question, and either option could be supported.  I think defending the destination option is more difficult, so I think the better option is to say that the journey is more important to Santiago.  

As the question states, the journey is what "ends up" being more important to Santiago.  If readers can only use the first 80% of the book, then the destination is much more important to Santiago.  His whole entire goal is to find the treasure and live out his personal legend; however, by the end of the story Santiago realizes that his final destination was exactly where everything began in the first place.  That final destination would be meaningless, though, without the preceding journey.  In order to be the man that Santiago is at the end of the story, he needs to go through all of the trials, successes, and failures that happen during his journey.  

How does Wordsworth achieve the rhythmic and musical effect of "The Solitary Reaper"?

In "The Solitary Reaper," Wordsworth highlights his focus on music by writing the poem in a rhythmic, lyrical style. He accomplishes this lyrical effect in a couple of ways. For one thing, the poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which is a tighter composition than the more common iambic pentameter and contains only four feet per line. This tight construction ensures a quicker, more rhythmic transition between lines and results in a lyrical effect. Additionally, Wordsworth's verse is filled with alliteration. Take, for instance, the following lines:

Behold her, single in the field, 

Yon solitary Highland Lass! 

Reaping and singing by herself; 

Stop here, or gently pass! (1-4)

In these first four lines, Wordsworth repeatedly employs the repetition of the "s" sound. This decision creates a unified, musical tone that contributes to the poem's already lyrical quality and mirrors the singing of the solitary reaper. This repeated use of alliteration, along with the poem's tight construction and creative rhyme scheme, make it a piece as musical as its subject matter.

In Chapter 9 of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, how do other people expect Scout to behave in particular ways? What do you think these...

Maycomb, Alabama has a culture that has been in place for generations.

In the 1930's, before industry came to the South, there was very little mobility to the populations of towns. As a result, among whites there was a definite culture that developed with these people who were all essentially descended from inhabitants of the British Isles.

These Old World values consisted of behaving in a ladylike manner if one were a girl.  Scout mentions that Aunt Alexandra admonishes her often about being lady-like. Atticus promises "he would wear me out if he ever heard of my fighting any more." He also urges her to "[T]ry fighting with your head for a change." 

When Scout asks him about the Tom Robinson case and his being called pejorative names, Atticus tells her to remember that no matter what happens, the people in town are still their friends and "this is still our home."

In another instance, Scout begins to use inappropriate words, hoping that when Atticus hears her, he will let her stay home. But Uncle Jack counsels Scout that night, "Honey, you can't go around calling people--"

In a previous episode, Francis insults Atticus, calling him a n****r-lover. Scout cannot resist, and she hits Francis hard. She begs Uncle Jack not to tell Atticus because he has encouraged her to ignore insults relative to the Tom Robinson case. 

While there is a code of behavior among family members that all understand, there is also an accepted attitude that it is all right to disparage people of color who are outside of the level of society in which the white townspeople live, or to insult those who are sympathetic to them, as some people perceive Atticus because he is going to try to really defend Tom.

What is the tone of O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation"?

With tone as the attitude of the author towards his narrative, O. Henry seems to adopt a rather whimsical, amused, and light-hearted tone in "A Retrieved Reformation."

In the exposition of the story as Jimmy Valentine is released from prison, the warden encourages Jimmy to reform, saying with good humor: 

"You're not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes, and live straight." 
"Me?" said Jimmy, in surprise. "Why, I never cracked a safe in my life."
"Oh, no," laughed the warden. "Of course not. Let's see now. How was it you happened to get sent up on that Springfield job?...was it simply a case of mean old jury that had it in for you?...."

Further, O. Henry's narration exhibits a light-hearted, humorous tone as exemplified in these lines:

One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his suit-case climbed out of the mail-hack in Elmore....
Jimmy collared a boy that was loafing on the steps of the bank as if he were one of the stock-holders....

Even when Jimmy finds himself in an emotional crisis at the bank as his beloved Annabel pleads with him to try to do something to save little Abigail who has locked herself in the safe, there is a whimsical tone to the narrative. For, Jimmy unpredictably asks his fiancée to give him the rose that she is wearing before he pulls out his safe-cracking tools. 
Then, after Jimmy breaks open the safe and little Agatha is rescued, he calmly puts on his coat and walks toward the front door of the bank, having lost all hope of marrying Annabel and living a happy life. Yet, when Detective Ben Price stands in his path, Jimmy smiles, and in tolerant amusement, he greets the man who previously has sent him to prison, "Got around at last, have you? Well, let's go." But, O. Henry maintains the upbeat tone of the light-hearted story as Price ironically replies, "Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer," and Jimmy Valentine/Ralph Spencer "retrieves" his reformation.

What happened to Lucy at the end of "Death by Landscape?"

It is not exactly known what happened to Lucy.  Lois and Lucy separated from their camp group one day while on an excursion.  The other campers were nearby.  Lucy had to use the bathroom, and Lois offered her friend some toilet paper.  Lois climbed over some boulders until Lucy was out of sight.  She wanted to give Lucy some privacy.  Then Lois heard "a cry of surprise, cut off too soon" from Lucy ("Death by Landscape").  It was "short, like a dog's bark."  Lois went back to the spot where she had left Lucy, but her friend was not there.

Lois and the other campers searched for Lucy.  They used their canoes and looked all around.  They could not find her.  Then police went out with motorboats and search dogs.  They, too, could not find Lucy.  The girl had vanished.  She was never found, and Lois forever lived with feelings of emptiness.

How could "The Mirror" by Sylvia Plath be paraphrased?

Before one can paraphrase a poem, it's best to fully understand its meaning, and then work your way backward from there.

Let's look at the poem's most significant verses: 

I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.

A mirror reflects a clear, undistorted image. As the speaker refers to themselves as the mirror, they know that what they see is true and that there is no external force at play. The speaker believes he or she is clearsighted.

Nothing has caused them to doubt their identity, they have accepted all of their traits without dwelling on whether they consider them flaws or advantages, and they have no plans to adjust their identity in order to fit an idea. They are stable and self-assured, and what they see is simply the truth. This perspective is what the mirror represents. 

The poem then goes on to say:

Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.

This is the beginning of the speaker’s identity crisis. The speaker was convinced that what they’d constantly seen—the pink, speckled wall across from it—was all that there was and that there'd ever be, i.e., a simple and unchanging life of satisfaction. 

The flickering, caused by faces and darkness, is when the speaker begins to doubt what they see. They interrupt the mirror's point of view—the only thing the speaker had come to know. Looking at the poem as a metaphor, they could be speaking respectively of the people coming in and out of their life and the development of a deep depression or a tragic event. This is only speculation, but it’s important to make connections in order to better understand a poem—especially one from the apparent point of view of an inanimate object.

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

Here, Plath describes a lake as a distorted and confusing reflection. The woman who seeks to find herself in the lake’s reflection will not see her true self, because this time there are external forces at play—moonlight and candlelight, reflected in the lake along with the woman's face. 

I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

The transition from being a mirror to a lake could represent internal struggles as a person in an identity crisis, going from a routine contentedness in their own life to a constant experience of sorrow and frustration no matter how hard they try to go back to normal by "faithfully" reflecting the woman's back—who obviously ignores their efforts.

The emergence of the woman, however, can also be seen as a representation of the speaker's internal struggles. This is shown through the following lines:

I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.

The speaker describes the lake as an important element in this woman's life in order to show that understanding one's identity is important. The woman returns again and again, but still she cannot truly see all of herself among the flickering moonlight and candles, and this agitates her, until eventually, in her efforts, she loses the parts of herself she knew—represented by the drowning of a young girl, as symbolism of the loss of youth and joy—and sees only the version of herself she hates—an old woman—jumping back out at her "like a terrible fish."

It's more evident now that the poem tells the story of a sequential descent into crisis, going from the emerging insecurities of the speaker (faces and darkness), to a complete and significant change in form (mirror to lake), to observing and affecting others in their search for their identity (the troubled woman). 

With this analysis at hand, it is much easier to paraphrase such a powerfully complex poem by keeping the essential elements of its theme at the forefront.

For example: 'The Mirror' by Sylvia Plath is a metaphorical expression of an identity crisis, using the clear and undisturbed reflection of a mirror and the chaotic, deceitful reflection of a lake to symbolize a shift from a stable sense of self to a sense of self muddled by external forces. This is even further represented through the emergence of a woman in the poem who cannot seem to find a whole and truthful image of herself in the lake's reflection, thus emphasizing the speaker's identity crisis through their uselessness as a source of reflection and providing a manifestation of the speaker's feelings through the woman's struggles.

Electricity costs 6 cents per kilowatt hour. In one month one home uses one mega watt of electricity. How much will the electric bill be? (Kilo to...

An important clarification:

A home cannot "use" one Megawatt of electricity because a Megawatt is a unit of Power, not a unit of electricity. Instead, we would say that the home uses one Megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity. A Megawatt, like a Watt, is a measure of power, not electricity used. Power is the rate at which (electrical) energy is consumed or work is performed; think of a 100 W lightbulb. This lightbulb uses electricity at a rate of 100 Joules per second, or 100 Watts.

One Megawatt is equivalent to 1,000,000 Watts or 1,000,000 Joules/second, and one Megawatt hour is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt hours.

Assuming a home uses 1 Megawatt hour of electricity in a given month, however, they are using

  `1 MWh * (1,000 kWh)/(1 MWh) = 1,000 kWh`

Paying at a rate of $.06 per kWh, the home pays:

`($0.06)/(kWh) * 1,000kWh = $60.00`

Therefore, the home pays $60.00 for the month in which they used 1 Megawatt hour of electricity.

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What is the meaning of the poem "Ozymandias?"

"Ozymandias" by Shelley is about a narrator who encounters "a traveller from an antique land." The traveller tells the narrator about two enormous legs of a statue that stands in the desert, surrounded by a "shattered visage," or a battered face. On the face of this sculpture is a "sneer of cold command," meaning that the face on the sculpture is making a gesture that conveys disdain and mastery. The sculptor has captured the appearance and attitude of the subject. On the pedestal of the statue, Ozymandias, a leader of ancient Egypt, engraved the words "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Yet all around the statue, nothing remains except sand and the ruins of the statue. 

The meaning of the poem is that Ozymandias, an ancient leader, thought he could control his land forever. However, time has made his statue fall into disrepair, showing that no one can control the vastness of the world and of nature. Instead, nature has made his remark seem ironic, as his statue has crumbled into a headless wreck. 

If x^15-x^13+x^11-x^9+x7-x^5+x^3-x = 7 prove x^16 > 15

Given ` x^15-x^13+x^11-x^9+x^7-x^5+x^3-x=7 ` , we are asked to show that `x^16>15 ` :

First, note that `x^15-x^13+x^11-x^9+x^7-x^5+x^3-x=x(x-1)(x+1)(x^4+1)(x^8+1) ` so the polynomial has real roots at -1,0, and 1.

For x<-1 the polynomial is negative.

For -1<x<0 the polynomial is positive but has a maximum a little less than 1/2.

For 0<x<1 the polynomial is negative.

So we know that x>1 for the polynomial to achieve 7.

Since x>1 we have `(x-1)^2>0 `

`==> x^2-2x+1>0 `

`==>x^2+1>2x `

`==> (x^2+1)/x>2 `

Now multiply both sides of the equation by `x^2+1 ` :

`(x^2+1)(x^15-x^13+x^11-x^9+x^7-x^5+x^3-x)=7(x^2+1) `

Multiplying and factoring we get:

`x(x^16-1)=7(x^2+1) `

Then:

`x^16-1=(7(x^2+1))/x `  ; but `(x^2+1)/x>2 ` so

`x^16-1>7(2) ` and

`x^16>15 ` as required.

*********************************************************

`x^16-1=(x^8+1)(x^4+1)(x^2+1)(x+1)(x-1) `

and

`x^15-x^13+x^11-x^9+x^7-x^5+x^3-x= `

`x(x-1)(x+1)(x^4+1)(x^8+1) `

so multiplying the degree 15 polynomial by x^2+1 gives x times the degree 16 polynomial.

What is the terrible place Nick is referring to in the first line of Chapter Two of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

Chapter Two starts with a description of the Valley of Ashes, an area between West Egg and the heart of New York City.  This is a desolate area where the color grey is repeatedly mentioned.  This description adds to the gloom that overwhelms the area, and it is the first mention of the Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, depicted on a billboard of a pair of glasses that look over the valley.  These eyes are an allusion to the eyes of God, who watches over the gloom, and sees what prosperity and enormous wealth can do to humanity.  Tom Buchanan's mistress also lives here with her husband, Wilson, who owns a garage and who will be central to the climax of the novel.  This chapter thus begins to introduce the reader to some of the complications the characters will deal with in the novel.

What is a time period in regards to sound?

Hello!

Sound is a vibration of some medium: gas, liquid, or solid. It propagates through a medium as a wave, causing the compression and extension of that medium.

When a portion of a medium is compressed from some direction it tends to stretch out. This stretching occurs in the opposite direction and in the same direction. This way a wave goes through a medium farther and farther. Such a wave is called longitudinal.

For the most simple sounds (pure notes) the compression and extension have a periodic character. Some time is required to compress a portion of a medium, and then the same time is required for this portion to stretch out (and to compress the next portion). The time required for one complete cycle of compression and stretching is called a period of a sound.

The quantity inverse to a period is called the frequency of a (sound) wave.

In which direction does John decide to travel in "By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benét?

In the short story “By the Waters of Babylon,” the protagonist, John, decides to travel east. This decision goes against everything his people believe. 

At the beginning of the story, we are told east is a forbidden direction for John’s people. The first line of the story tells us that

The north and the west and the south are good hunting ground, but it is forbidden to go east.

Later on in the story, this idea is reemphasized. After John has his dream, his father blesses him and then reminds him

It is forbidden to travel east. It is forbidden to cross the river. It is forbidden to go to the Place of the Gods. All these things are forbidden.

Of course, these reminders simply serve to set up what John is about to do. John is going to upend his people’s beliefs. He is going to travel east to the Place of the Gods, and he is going to learn things that will change his society.

After his father blesses him and warns him not to go east, John sees three signs that tell him he must go east. He sees an eagle flying towards the east. He sees three deer, including a white fawn, moving east. A panther tries to kill the white fawn, but John is able to kill it with one arrow through the eye. All these signs tell him something. He says,

Then I knew I was meant to go east—I knew that was my journey.

What was surprising in Gary Paulsen's Hatchet?

Brian's evolution is an element of surprise in Hatchet.

As the novel begins, Brian is a withdrawn, emotionally challenged teenager. He sees his parents' divorce as the worst thing that could happen to him. When Brian boards the plane to Canada, he keeps to himself as he dwells on what happened with his parents. From the moment the pilot suffers his heart attack, Brian must deal with the reality of survival. 

I think Brian's change is surprising because it shows how we can adapt when circumstances demand it. When Brian struggles with the moose, withstands the tornado, and plucks out the porcupine's needles, he has no time to dwell on the past. In this setting, being emotionally withdrawn decreases his chance of surviving. Brian's change is surprising because of the amount of strength he displays. He is able to use moments from his life to define his response to the challenges that confront him. For example, he remembers what Perpich, his English teacher, told the class about positive thinking and the ability to overcome overwhelming odds.  

It is surprising to see Brian change from a typical teenager into a young man who embraces "tough hope." Brian changes from someone who knew very little about how to function in nature to being knowledgeable about food sources and shelter, as well as how to create weapons for food. Seeing the arc of this change throughout the narrative is surprising.  

What does the speaker in "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold say about history?

In "Dover Beach," the speaker tells us that history often repeats itself and that all human beings share a universal human experience. Additionally, the language of sadness is recognizable no matter what era one lives in.

The second stanza underlines the "eternal note of sadness" in the first stanza. The speaker tells us that this despondency is universal throughout time. Even Sophocles experienced this same feeling of sadness when he once listened to the waves of the Aegean Sea. The ebb and flow of the waves bring to "mind the turbid ebb and flow / Of human misery." Misery is not only universal in the human experience, but it also never ceases to torment each succeeding generation. So, misery is like the ebb and flow of the waves; it never stops plaguing mankind.

Indeed, the speaker contends that the world has "really neither joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain." He argues that the world is a dark place, where "ignorant armies clash by night" and life consists of a never-ending "struggle and flight" in the quest for survival.

Which effects can a triangle based or pyramidal composition convey in an image?

Triangles in art can give various meanings. 

They can give the apearance of stabillity and strength in faces, for example. Cezanne used triangles to compose faces, using features like the eyes and cheek bones. Picasso used triangles to make solid portions of things. Michelangelo used triangles to compose his sculptures in pyramid form, and conveyed strength (figurative and structural) through it.

Triangles are also good for directing the eye through a piece. Tall, lengthy triangles drag the eye toward their tip. For example, in a long photo of trees, the trees make upward arrows. Columns are built to taper down as they get taller, forcing the eyes up. In churches, the spires are pyramid-shaped to move the eyes toward the heavens.

Today, triangles bring to mind technology and the future with their clean edges and geometric patterns, but triangles have been used since antiquity.

What was author Harper Lee trying to teach readers about morals and ethics in To Kill a Mockingbird?

One thing Harper Lee teaches in To Kill a Mockingbird is that pursuing the ethical or moral path is never the easy task; it takes a great deal of bravery.

In Chapter 11, Atticus defines bravery as doing what you know is right when you know you'll fail, even "before you begin," and keep pursuing the task "no matter what." He further asserts that when pursuing the brave course of action, you "rarely win, but sometimes you do." In addition, Atticus acknowledges that doing what is morally and ethically correct is always the hardest task, the task one rarely succeeds in, just like he did not succeed in acquitting Tom Robinson due to the racial prejudices of Robinson's jury. Therefore, Atticus also equates pursuing the moral and ethical course of action with bravery.

We especially see Atticus equate moral and ethical actions with bravery when he explains to Scout that just because the majority of the town disagrees with his decision to put his all into defending Robinson does not mean that doing so is the wrong course of action:

The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. (Ch. 11).

Hence, in upholding the ethical and moral choice of action to defend Robinson, despite minimal chances of success since so many people oppose his action, Atticus is also pursuing the brave course of action. Through Atticus's brave and moral actions, author Lee shows us that behaving morally and ethically often requires bravely fighting against the rest of society, and chances of success are generally slim.

In "The Bone People" by Keri Hulme, why does Joe think Kerewin's sun-eater is grotesque?

In the book, Joe thinks that Kerewin's sun-eater is grotesque because it appears to be an eerie contraption that operates without batteries or any electricity.

Joe finds Kerewin's sun-eater disconcerting. Kerewin's sun-eater is basically a contraption consisting of a mirror (to catch the rays of the sun), a crystal (to which is attached copper wires), and two magnets. During the day, the crystal oscillates, seemingly of its own volition. Although the text doesn't state what kind of crystal Kerewin uses in her gadget, some watch manufacturers today use quartz crystals as oscillators to keep accurate time in their watches. The quartz crystal has what is called piezoelectric qualities: it produces an electrical potential if mechanical stress is placed on it. For example, squeezing the crystal is a form of mechanical stress.

However, where Kerewin's contraption is concerned, it's not immediately apparent to Joe how the crystal is oscillating. He's a little uncomfortable with what he considers Kerewin's presumption; she believes that her prized gadget purrs "nicely along eating sunlight." Being Maori, Joe very likely knows about Maui, the legendary Maori hero who long ago managed to capture the sunlight by ensnaring it in a flax rope net and beating it with an enchanted jawbone. So, the phrase "eating sunlight" has a spiritual, otherworldly connotation to it which makes Joe uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Kerewin informs Joe that she's made other sun-eaters and that one works only if it's been touched by human hands (and happy ones at that). Hearing all of this only makes Joe uncomfortable; to him, Kerewin's sun-eaters are grotesque contraptions. Perhaps he fears that Kerewin may be meddling with unknown supernatural forces she has no ability to control.

What character traits best describe Steve Harmon in Monster by Walter Dean Myers?

Throughout the novel Monster, Steve Harmon is portrayed as a shy, introspective individual who is extremely self-conscious. He gets involved with a group of thugs who are planning a robbery because he wants to be viewed as cool and tough throughout his community. Myers does not specifically state whether Steve participates in the crime, but Steve ends up being accused of aiding James King and Richard "Bobo" Evans in robbing a local drugstore. During his time in jail, Steve contemplates and questions his own morals. He also struggles with his identity after the prosecuting attorney calls him a monster. Steve comes across as an innocent individual who made the terrible mistake of associating himself with criminals. He expresses his fear throughout the novel and regrets his past decisions. Steve is also a loving brother and son. He enjoys his family and shares a close relationship with his parents and brother. Overall, Steve is an intelligent, sensitive individual who struggles with his personal identity after being on trial for murder. 

In Homer's Odyssey, who is Theoclymenus and why should Telemachus treat him kindly?

Theoclymenus is a seer who is fleeing Argos for killing a man of his own race. He tells Telemachus that the kinsmen of the murdered man seek to avenge themselves on him; this is why he lives in exile.

Theoclymenus is actually a very important guest; as he is a seer, he can see the future and interpret omens. If Telemachus treats him kindly, he will benefit from Theoclymenus' psychic abilities. In the story, Theoclymenus' clairvoyant skill is demonstrated when he observes a hawk fly by Telemachus' right hand. The hawk is clutching a dove in its talons, and in mid-flight, it tears the feathers of the dove off. The feathers fall between Telemachus and the ship. Theoclymenus interprets this as a good omen. He tells Telemachus that he, Telemachus, will remain a powerful man and that no house in Ithaca will be as royal as his own.

As time progresses, Theoclymenus becomes more and more important to Telemachus. His ability to interpret omens is a gift that encourages Telemachus and those who are faithful to Odysseus' house. In Book 17, Theoclymenus tells Penelope (the wife of Odysseus) that he can divine the future. He tells her that her husband "himself is even now in Ithaca, and, either going about the country or staying in one place, (and) is inquiring into all these evil deeds and preparing a day of reckoning for the suitors."

In Book 20, Theoclymenus prophesies that the suitors will eventually meet their doom:

But Theoclymenus said, "Eurymachus, you need not send any one with me. I have eyes, ears, and a pair of feet of my own, to say nothing of an understanding mind. I will take these out of the house with me, for I see mischief overhanging you, from which not one of you men who are insulting people and plotting ill deeds in the house of Ulysses will be able to escape.

From the text, we can see that Telemachus' welcome of Theoclymenus is not misplaced. His kind treatment of his exiled guest has earned him the loyalty of a seer who has psychic abilities. At each stage of the mission to reclaim Odysseus' household, Theoclymenus uses his clairvoyant abilities to encourage Telemachus and his allies. So, Theoclymenus is an asset to Telemachus.