What is Helen’s relationship with her sister Mildred like?

Helen's relationship with her sister, Mildred, changed over time. When Helen was a little girl and still unable to communicate, she almost injured her baby sister in a fit of anger. Helen usually kept her doll in a cradle. One day, she discovered her infant sister sleeping in it instead of her doll. Helen was enraged, and she tipped the cradle over. Her mother caught Mildred before she fell to the floor.

After Miss Sullivan came and Helen learned to communicate, her perception of life changed entirely. She saw the world in a new way. Helen began spending more time with Mildred. They enjoyed exploring the outdoors together.

When Helen was at the Cambridge School, Mildred joined her there for six months. During that time, they were inseparable. Helen later reflected on her relationship with her younger sister: "When I was restored to my human heritage, Mildred and I grew into each other's hearts, so that we were content to go hand-in-hand wherever caprice led us" (The Story of My Life, Chapter II).

How can I connect the book "Brave New World" to our world psychologically?

Motifs and themes of manipulation of human life, desensitization, and the dangers of a powerful government in Brave New World can be connected to American contemporary society.

• Manipulation of human life

Conformity to others is a principle of life in both Huxley's dystopia and in modern society. Often Lenina repeats her conditioned idea that she is glad to be in the caste that she is, whereas the rebellious Bernard declares himself "enslaved" by his caste (Ch.6). Like the others in her world, Lenina finds nature abhorrent--It's this horrible place"--when Bernard wishes to be alone with her on their date, "with nothing but the sea and moon" (Ch.6). Likewise, in modern society people wear the latest fashions and choose name brands that comply with what others in their socio-economic class wear. Similarly, they frequent restaurants that are popular, purchase cars that are appropriate to their socio-economic class, and they keep up with the purchase of the latest technology. They are fixated upon materialism which distracts them from the realities of life and nature, just as are the denizens of the New World.

Much like the programming of the New World in which life is interpreted for the population, the various forms of media in contemporary society often present an interpretation of political actions and ideas and what is acceptable behavior. (One needs only to watch/listen to different networks to notice the different interpretations of events, speeches, etc.) Normal behavior is often influenced by forms of the media; for instance, "casual sex" that was considered immoral in the 1950's in America, is nowadays presented in sitcoms or movies as either humorous or acceptable.  

• Desensitization

The controllers of the society of the New World issue soma or even spray it upon people, as in Chapter 15 when the Deltas become out of control.  As is done by many in contemporary society, drugs are taken to relieve depression and stress. Similarly, Lenina takes soma when she is overwrought after arriving at the Reservation.  

• The Dangers of the Powerful Central Government

In the New World, people's lives are controlled by the State from birth to death. They are conditioned from birth through the use of hypnopoedia. Only Bernard Marx and Helmholtz Watson "share...the knowledge that they are individuals" (Ch.4). The others are completely programmed in their thinking and actions because books and natural experiences which would stimulate individual thought have been eliminated. Ideas such as "everyone belongs to everyone else"(Ch.3) which Lenina repeats are taught to children, and they are desensitized to romance or love through "the ordinary erotic play" (Ch.3) of children who run around playing with each other in their nakedness.

In contemporary society, government exerts controls over people's lives through various agencies such as the Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service; today there are more and more regulations for private businesses, etc. Even behavior and speech at places of employment must conform to labor relations and political correctness.

How does O'Brien's lifestyle in 1984 demonstrate hypocrisy?

In Part Two, Chapter Eight, of 1984, Orwell introduces the reader to O'Brien's apartment, where the details of his lifestyle are revealed. As an Inner Party member, O'Brien lives in an apartment block separate from ordinary Party members. Inside this block, O'Brien has his own servant and is surrounded by all kinds of "richness," like "good food and good tobacco" and pristine furniture.

In this apartment, O'Brien tells Winston and Julia that he is the head of a secret organization called the Brotherhood whose sole purpose is to bring down the Party. This is hypocritical because O'Brien is happy to enjoy the material benefits of being an Inner Party member while he preaches sabotage, subversion and the creation a new society. By presenting him in this manner, Orwell hints at O'Brien's deception, which is instrumental in Part Three when he is revealed as a member of the Thought Police. 

What are some examples of segregation from 1940s - 1960s?

It may be difficult for younger people to imagine this, but there was substantial segregation from the 1940s through the 1960s.  Public water fountains and bathrooms were segregated.  Hotels were, too.  Black people could only sit in the balcony at movie theaters.  Black people could not be served at lunch counters.  They had to sit at the back of a bus.  Hospitals had separate wards for black people, too.  Much of the segregation was in the South, but by no means all of it.  For example, a park in Pittsburgh, PA closed its swimming pool, rather than integrate it. Black entertainers in northern cities could not eat in the restaurants nor stay at the better hotels because they were segregated. A special road guide for black people who wanted to travel listed the places it was safe for them to stay or to eat.  Southern schools were segregated, and it took federal troops to integrate them in Little Rock, Arkansas, the local opposition was so fierce.  Brown v. Board of Education was not decided until 1955, so up to that point, school segregation was perfectly legal.  And in fact, it was not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed that most segregation became unlawful.  Even after the statute was passed, it took marches and protests and sit-ins to make the point. 

Why does Higgins agree to educate the flower girl in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion?

Higgins first encounters the flower girl outside Covent Garden and transcribes her speech. He boasts to Colonel Pickering that by means of his skills as a speech coach he could pass her off for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party in a period of three to six months of instruction. To Higgins' surprise, the flower girl, who reveals her name to be Eliza Doolittle, appears at his house the next day and offers to pay him for speech lessons so that she can get a job at a flower shop.

Higgins agrees to teach her for several reasons. First, he finds the project intriguing and an interesting professional challenge. Second, he makes a bet with Colonel Pickering, and wants to win the bet. Also, Colonel Pickering agrees to pay the expenses of the project, including appropriate clothing for Eliza. 

What are some internal forces that affect Juliet at the end of Romeo and Juliet?

Toward the end of the play, Juliet is affected by her desperation.  It drives her to visit Friar Lawrence to ask for his help, and to consider suicide a better option than marrying Paris.  Her desperation to remain faithful to Romeo overwhelms her fear of faking her own death with the friar's concoction.  

Moreover, a sense of righteousness in her purpose affects Juliet who has, so far, been relatively obedient to her parents, and renders her capable of defying and deceiving them.  Returned from the friar's cell, she tells her father, "Henceforward, I am ever ruled by you" (4.2.23).  We know this to be a lie, and Lord Capulet believes it.

Likewise, Juliet is affected by her fear.  After her mother and nurse have left her for the night, she says that she feels "a faint cold fear [that] thrills through [her] veins" (4.3.16).  She worries that the potion will not work or that it is really a poison that will kill her.  She fears what it will be like to wake up in the vault with all her dead ancestors, or that she will wake up early and be trapped there without air so that she dies entombed.  However, her courage and desperation spur her onward.

In the end, Juliet's sense of commitment and her faithfulness to Romeo affect her, compelling her to take her own life rather than live without him.

What takes place when Jack, Ralph, and Simon find a piglet caught in the bush in Lord of the Flies?

Because the boys have only recently arrived on the island, when Simon, Ralph, and Jack encounter the piglet, they fail at their attempts to kill it.

As the boys gather together in their response to the conch, Ralph, having been voted leader, chooses Jack and Simon to help him explore the area and determine whether they are actually on an island. After climbing for a time, they discover a pink coral mountain and see that they are, indeed, on an island. Following their satisfying a temptation to roll boulders down the mountain, the boys see the tracks of an animal that they cannot yet identify. Ebullient as they descend the mountain, Ralph spreads his arms, crying out, "All ours."

As the threesome enter a thick forest, they hear squealing noises. Growing nearer, the boys hear the frenzy of a piglet caught in the "curtain of creepers." Jack draws his knife "with a flourish," but hesitates at this, his first attempt at killing: 

The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be. (Ch.1)

In this short pause, the piglet manages to free itself and scurry into the undergrowth. The boys simply stare at each other; Jack's face is white beneath his freckles, the enormity of the act having overcome him. All three of the boys laugh nervously and "ashamedly." Then they climb back to the path.

This incident is the boys' first real experience of life in the wild. Because they are not yet adapted to this new environment, Ralph, Simon, and Jack pause as they stand between these two worlds. Resolved that "[N]ext time there would be no mercy," Jack shoves his knife into a tree trunk in a show of manliness as he dares the others to contradict him.

How does "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson deal with the old adage "appearances are deceptive"?

Robinson's "Richard Cory" is a sad and somewhat chilling poem. It does reflect that old adage, certainly, that appearances can be deceptive.

The poem shows the people of the town admiring and envying him his life.  He was,

... a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean favored, and imperially slim (Robinson lines 3-4).

Richard Cory was also well-spoken, handsome, wealthy, and "admirably schooled in every grace" (line 10).  The people believed that he had everything, everything that made them "wish that we were in his place" (line 12).  The people of the town led ordinary lives, lives filled with all the difficulties that life can be filled with. They worked hard, suffered from insomnia, 

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread (lines 14).

It is only in the last two lines that we learn that Richard Cory, the man who had everything, went home and killed himself.  So we can see, as the narrator sees, appearances do not tell us everything about a person, a person who seems to have it all, but succumbs to some dreadful sadness or anger in spite of this.  Those whom we envy, for whatever reason we envy them, may present themselves to us as happy and successful while they are drowning in despair inside.  We know nothing about a person by taking note of appearances only. 

Does the U.S. government today meet the democratic, social, and deliberative mandates developed at its inception?

The democratic, social, and deliberative mandates developed at the inception of the U.S. are best expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which famously reads that everyone has "inalienable rights," including "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." In addition, the document states that the power of government comes from the consent of the governed. These are mandates to give each person in the U.S. (though that was not what the founders intended at the time, as it was understood that only white men of property would have these rights) a say in the government and to allow them to live freely.

The U.S. government has evolved to grant Americans more of these mandates, as African-American men were given the right to vote with the 15th Amendment in 1870, and women were given the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920. However, it could be argued that there are still significant limitations on the power of each vote and the ability of people to live freely. For example, gerrymandering, or the process of creating voting districts by political entities, is regarded by some experts as reducing some people's voting power while increasing the powers of others. That is because many of these districts are created to maximize voting to support the incumbents and to create winner-take-all voting districts in which 51% of the electorate controls 100% of the vote (see the link below). Others might disagree with this idea.

In addition, many people believe that members of minority groups in the U.S. face discrimination to the extent that they cannot live freely. The federal government has been involved historically in helping minority groups, but critics feel that they have not done all they could. In addition, state and local governments across the country vary with regard to how much they help different groups access the rights due to all Americans. In this way, the government has not always met the mandates developed at its inception. 

What methods and poetic techniques does Shakespeare use to present Romeo as a character in the play Romeo and Juliet?

In Act I, Scene 1, when we see Romeo speaking with his cousin, Benvolio, Shakespeare fills Romeo's part of the dialogue with oxymorons and paradoxes. This makes Romeo seem rather dramatic, and it makes his love for Rosaline feel, perhaps, like it is not love, but rather infatuation or lust. He says,

Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,

O anything of nothing first created!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity,

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! (Act I, Scene 1, lines 166-171)

Romeo gets quite carried away with his riddles, and his dramatic sadness makes him seem a little immature. He claims his unrequited love for Rosaline renders him totally miserable. 

Further, Romeo uses allusions when he discusses Rosaline's relationship to figures in Roman mythology:

She’ll not be hit

With Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit.

And, in strong proof of chastity well armed

From love’s weak childish bow, she lives uncharmed (Act I, Scene 1, lines 199-203).

Romeo claims Rosaline is immune to Cupid's arrows; it's as though she cannot fall in love. Further, he compares her to Diana—a virgin goddess who protects youth—especially in terms of her chastity and unwillingness to sleep with him. These allusions do make him seem intelligent, or at least educated. Romeo seems somewhat quick and witty, then, if a bit immature.

In To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, why was Tom Robinson looked upon as the "mockingbird?"

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What is the main theme in Richard Rodriguez's essay "The Fear of Losing a Culture"?

The main theme of Rodriguez's essay is that Latin American culture will not disappear as Latin American people immigrate to the United States; instead, Latin culture will form a synthesis with North American culture. As he writes, "The genius of Latin America is the habit of synthesis. We assimilate." He writes about the way in which Latin America has created new "bloodlines" through the introduction of one culture to another. For example, the music of Latin America is a "litany of bloodlines," as he writes. In other words, Latin music merges many traditions, including the African drum, the German accordion, and the Muslim call to prayer. While the U.S. was shaped by Protestantism, which insisted on maintaining a distinction and distance between Europeans and Native Americans, in Latin America, there was what Rodriguez calls "meltdown conversion" characteristic of the Catholic conception of the world. This means that different cultures combined in Latin America.

Rodriguez, who wrote this essay in 1988, believes that the American culture, long insistent on individualism, is ready to embrace more communal cultures--the Asian culture and the Latin American culture. He believes that North Americans might embrace the Latin idea of leisure and of emotional expression. He thinks that now is the time for Latins to express a less timid version of their culture in the United States. As he writes, "expect marriage," meaning that both the Latin American and North American culture will change as the two cultures mingle. 

In The Story of My Life, why does Helen consider the old-fashioned garden as the paradise of her childhood?

Helen Keller enjoyed playing in the garden as a young child because she could enjoy it with the senses other than hearing and seeing.

From a very young age, Helen Keller loved nature.  She describes how she used to spend her days playing in the garden before her teacher Anne Sullivan came and taught her how to communicate with the world.  She did not need to have all of her senses to enjoy the garden.

Even in the days before my teacher came, I used to feel along the square stiff boxwood hedges, and, guided by the sense of smell, would find the first violets and lilies. (Ch. 1)

The wonder of nature is that you can experience it even without being about to see or hear.  You can still smell the flowers, touch the grass, and taste the air or the fruits.  Helen had a somewhat unhappy life because she had such trouble communicating, so the garden was her sanctuary.  She often went there when she was frustrated.

What joy it was to lose myself in that garden of flowers, to wander happily from spot to spot, until, coming suddenly upon a beautiful vine, I recognized it by its leaves and blossoms, and knew it was the vine which covered the tumble-down summer-house at the farther end of the garden! (Ch. 1)

When Anne Sullivan came, she told Helen the names of the things that she so enjoyed experiencing.  This just broadened Helen’s experience.  Helen still loved nature, and they would go outside for the lessons most of the time.  In fact, Helen’s first word was “water.”  Nature was a good teacher because it was so sensory.  Anne could teach Helen the word for something by having her feel it and then showing her the word by spelling the signs for the letters into her hands.

How does heat travel from one object to another?

Heat is just a form of energy. Without intervention from some other force, heat will always transfer from objects of higher heat to objects of lower heat according to the 2nd Rule of Thermodynamics. 

Let's assume two solid objects. Two solid objects in direct contact with one another will transfer heat energy by thermal conduction. Although these objects are solid, assuming they have any heat energy (that is, their temperature is not absolute zero, or zero Kelvin), their molecules will still move at some rate. Heat transfer occurs at the molecular level. The objects' molecules move around at a rate proportional to their temperature; when one molecule from the hotter object collides with a molecule from the colder, some of its energy is transferred to the cooler object. Imagine this occurring many, many times between two objects of different temperature and you get some idea of how heat is transferred between objects in direct contact.

If the objects are not touching, more complex heat transfer mechanics may come into play, such as convection, which is heat transfer within a moving fluid, such as water or air. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics still applies, and heat still is transferred from molecule to molecule, but turbulence can make this process more complex to predict.

Another form of heat transfer between two objects that are not touching is radiation. Any object with a temperature above absolute zero emits thermal (electromagnetic) radiation. This heat radiation can be seen in the infrared (non-visible) spectrum and will also heat up an object over time, in the case of the sun and planet Earth or coals on a stove and meat or vegetables on the stovetop.

Heat transfer also depends upon the specific heat of an object. A material's specific heat determines the rate at which heat transfers to and from a given material. For example, metals generally have a lower specific heat than water or wood, which is why they can feel uncomfortably hot to the touch on a summer day--heat transfers more quickly both into and out of metals than wood. Heat transfers more quickly to your skin from metal than from wood, which may feel more comfortable to the touch even though it is the same temperature as the metal.

Hope this answers your question!

Provide a brief description of a hypothetical unfilled position.

A hypothetical position is that of Human Resource Manager. A job description presents categorical specifications, which may include job summary, responsibilities, duties, job or supervisory skills, qualifications, education, other skills (such as languages, math, engineering, medical terminology, and critical thinking) and professional credentials (including licenses and certificates). For a Human Resources Manager, the following brief description applies.

Responsibilities: Enhances and maintains existing human resource planning, implementing, and evaluating of human resource and activities, such as career development, labor union relations, and compensation.

Job duties: Maintains employees through recruiting, interviewing, evaluating, testing, and selecting. Prepares employees through training programs. Identifies legal and government regulation and reporting needs.

Skills: Maintain scheduling records and assignments. Contribute through team environment. Performance evaluation and management. Compensation and benefit management. Excellent written and spoken language skills. Bi-lingual language skills in Spanish. Experience with Employment Law.

Supervisory skills: Temporary staffing. Management counseling.

Education and Qualifications: 4-year Bachelor degree. 3-4 years Human Resource experience. Employment Law certificate.

Are the somatosensory cortex and the somatic nervous system one and the same or are they two separate components of the brain?

The nervous system is one of the most complex systems in the body. It can be subdivided into a central nervous system made up of the brain and the spinal cord and a second part called the peripheral nervous system made up of the rest of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

The somatic nervous system is part of the peripheral nervous system and it is responsible for the movement of voluntary muscles. It comprises of afferent and efferent nerves which transmit nerve impulses back and forth between the central nervous system and skeletal muscles, skin and sensory organs.

On the other hand, the somatosensory cortex is part of the cerebral cortex and it is located in the middle of the brain. Its main function is to process sensations or external stimuli from the environment.

So in summary, the somatosensory cortex is a component of the brain and is responsible for processing sensations or stimuli from the environment, but the somatic nervous system is not a component of the brain but a part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for transmitting impulses back and forth between the central nervous system and the skeletal muscles, skin and sensory organs.

How do you find the y-intercept of a function?

Hello!

The y-intercept of a function is the point of intersection of the graph of this function and the y-axis. So such a point belongs both to y-axis and to the graph of a function.

All points on the y-axis have an x-coordinate of 0, they are of the form `(0, y),` where `y` may be any number.

All points on the graph of a function `f(x)` have the form `(x, f(x)),` where `x` is any number from the domain of `f.`

If both conditions are met, we have `x = 0` and the second coordinate is `f(0),` hence the y-intercept of `f` is the point `(0, f(0)),` it is unique if function is one-valued. Of course this requires that `0` is in the domain of `f,` otherwise `f` has no y-intercept.

For example, `f(x)= x^2+1` has the y-intercept `(0, 1),` and `g(x) = 1/x` has no y-intercept.

More general curves, not graphs of (one-valued) functions, may have more than one y-intercept, for example the circle `x^2+y^2=1` has two (find them yourself using `x=0` ).

What is the appointment between the two friends about in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?

The appointment between Bob and Jimmy to meet again in twenty years was just for the sake of reunion. It was similar to the thousands of class reunions, family reunions, and all the other reunions which are so common in America. People enjoy seeing each other again after the passage of time and hearing what has happened to those with whom they used to be close. Bob is going to leave New York the next day. He and Jimmy have been friends since early childhood. Both hate to think they are going to be parting forever, so they make a sentimental agreement to meet again at the same place, 'Big Joe' Brady's restaurant, in exactly twenty years. It may have been a mistake to make such an appointment; Bob and Jimmy didn't realize how much people can change in that length of time. If they had actually been able to sit down at a table and talk, they probably would have found out they had nothing in common. It would have been a disappointment with many awkward lapses in conversation. The men might have been glad to separate again, and they probably wouldn't have made another appointment to meet again in ten or twenty years. One thing Bob discovered was that 'Big Joe' Brady's, a seemingly permanent institution, had been torn down five years ago. 'Big Joe' himself was probably dead.

Bob tells the cop, whom he doesn't even recognize as his old friend Jimmy, how the appointment came to be made.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady's with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”

The reader can imagine what a place like 'Big Joe' Brady's was like twenty years ago — a spacious room full of noisy men drinking beer and all talking and laughing at once. The setting has changed with time. 'Big Joe' Brady's space is now a closed and darkened hardware store in a silent neighborhood. Bob has to stand inside the doorway because of the wind and rain. The contrast between the old and the present settings symbolizes the ravages of time. Everything changes. Bob was just eighteen and Jimmy only twenty when they made that appointment. They assumed that the restaurant and the neighborhood would still be the same, and they assumed that their friendship would still be the same. They were too young to know nothing ever stays the same.

Why do Christians believe in the Holy Trinity when the concept seems impossible? Why do they believe Jesus is a God? Can a human become a God?

The basic answers to all of these questions are the same. First, Christians believe these things because this is what their scripture says.  Second, these things are no more or less impossible than the beliefs of any other religion.

In essence, every religion believes in things that are impossible.  If these things were possible, they would be part of the natural world, not part of religion.  For example, let us say that you believe that there is one god, who is a being who has always existed and who created the universe.  How is this believable and possible?  How can a being exist without having been born at some point?  How can a being make things (the universe) out of nothing, simply by willing it to be so?  From our perspective as humans, these things are impossible.  If we believe that they are true, we believe them solely because our faith tells us to believe them, not because our reason tells us that they are clearly true.

If we accept that every religion teaches us to believe in the impossible, then the “impossible” aspects of Christianity are not hard to accept.  If Christian beliefs seem impossible and unbelievable to you, it is only because you have not grown up believing they are true.  If we can accept that a god could exist without having been created, what is so strange about saying that there is a god who has three parts and yet is still one God?  In general, religious belief is not subject to reason.  We cannot prove our religious beliefs are true or false and we cannot say that someone else’s beliefs are unbelievable.  All religious beliefs are unbelievable and impossible unless you happen to share that particular faith.

Based on the poem "What is Red?" by Mary O'Neill, what is said to happen if you have a slight cut on your hand? What about a deep cut? What does...

In the poem, "red squiggles out" when we have a cut on our hand. The word "squiggle" is interesting; it describes an irregular, curly line of blood emerging from the wound. Perhaps the blood is "squiggly" because it follows the lines on our hand. The poem doesn't say what happens when we get a deep cut, but we assume that the blood doesn't just "squiggle" out; as my colleague mentions in her answer, a deeper cut can cause blood to gush out in greater volume.

This leads us to what the color red means to the poet:

Red is a shout
Red is a signal
That says, “Watch out!”

The color red warns people about danger. It's a bright, attention-grabbing color. In the poem, the color red can spell sexy (as in a woman's red lipstick) or beautiful (as in a red rose); it can alert us when someone's angry (as in red-hot angry), and it can also spell danger. So, the color red can signal at different times anger, danger, beauty, or sexiness. Additionally, when people become emotional, the poet tells us that "Red is hotness/ You get inside/ When you’re embarrassed."

Here, the color red explains how someone feels. Some people blush when they get embarrassed; the little twinge of red on someone's cheeks alerts us to how that person feels. The poet says "Red is the giant-est/ Color of all." That's the impact of the color red. It's a "show-off,/ No doubt about it," perhaps because it knows how important it is in our lives. The color red causes us to react to what we see and feel. Its power is felt daily in our lives, so much so that the poet invites us to imagine what it would be like to live without it.

How does the joey develop from birth to adulthood?

The joey (a baby kangaroo) spends the majority of its developing childhood in its mother’s pouch in order to stay warm, safe, and have easy access to milk.

The joey is usually about the size of a jellybean at birth (approximately two grams). Immediately after birth, the pink and hairless joey climbs up the mother kangaroo’s fur and into her pouch. The first several months of the joey’s development simply involve nursing, sleeping inside the pouch, and growing a thin layer of fur. After this “incubation” period, the joey opens its eyes, starts to observe its surroundings, and eats small amounts of grass in order to supplement its milk. After about 8 months, the joey finally emerges from the pouch. The joey plays and explores to develop its muscles, returning to the pouch to rest and feed. At the 10 month mark, the joey is typically too large to return to the mother’s pouch and is no longer reliant on her milk for survival. Even though the joey is still not fully grown, this separation from its mother marks the transition into adulthood.

In the poem, "Mending Wall," why does Frost say there is something that does not love a wall?

Sometimes it's not a bad idea to look at a poem as a kind of mini-essay.  In Frost's "Mending Wall," the narrator wants to make the point that the wall between himself and his neighbor benefits no one.  This is his thesis.  He presents a variety of points to support that thesis, and he even includes a counter-argument, the position his neighbor is taking on the matter.   The narrator's first point is stated in the very first line and used again later in line 35, a kind of refrain and review.  The "something" that does not love a wall is nature.  Nature does not build walls, and when it encounters them, it seems to do its best to tear them down, with the cycles of freezing and thawing, "the frozen-ground spell under it" (line 2), which dislocates the bottom stones.  He goes on to make the point that hunters are another problem, harming walls as they give chase to their prey, so it is pointless to maintain the wall.  And he continues to make various points, arguing with his neighbor's position, which he provides for the reader, that walls are good, that "'Good fences make good neighbors'" (line 9).  There is a great deal more to this poem, of course, than a rant against a wall. The wall represents to some degree our way of not letting nature take its course, to our detriment. The "mending" ritual represents the meaninglessness of so many of our interactions with one another.  Nevertheless, whether one analyzes as an essay or a literary text, the point remains that nature is not fond of walls. 

What is the underlying meaning of Foucault's Pendulum?

The chief underlying meaning of "Foucault's Pendulum" is the relatedness of seemingly unrelated ideas. Casaubon's research begins as a casual interest in seemingly separate secret organizations, such as the Knights Templar, which spirals into an obsession when he unravels one thread only to discover that it is woven into a larger tapestry than any historian or archaeologist has yet to imagine. As Casaubon progresses further in his research, the connectedness he observes becomes more overt. A subtle theme of the work is whether or not this connectedness is an element of objective reality or rather inspired by Casaubon's own obsession.

Other characters, from Casaubon's colleague, Jacopo Belbo, to his largely atheistic girlfriend, Lia, raise the question of Casaubon's perceived connections in subtle ways throughout the story. While Casaubon becomes prone to observing connections between ancient societies and rituals, Lia remains grounded in objective reality, providing a much-needed counterweight of rationalism.

The theme of connectedness reaches its zenith when Casaubon and his colleagues discover a formula woven throughout human history. The realization of a connectedness beyond his ability to imagine sends editor Diotallevi into isolation and the brink of madness, draining his very life force. The connectedness uncovered by Diotallevi, Casaubon and Belbo begins to take on a cosmic nature. While Diotallevi loses himself to his obsession, Casaubon takes a more playful attitude towards their discovery. In this way, "Focault's Pendulum" examines the theme of interconnected truth through the very different perspectives of its three major characters. To Diotallevi, the connectedness itself takes on godlike qualities, while to Casaubon and Lisa it remains a fascinating yet detached concept to study.

In the book, The Great Gatsby, on what page in Chapter 2 does Nick talk about the valley of ashes? ...

In the Scribner, New York, 2004, edition of the novel, the passage to which you seem to refer begins on page 23.  It is in the very first paragraph of Chapter II.  Nick says,

This is a valley of ashes -- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like what into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.

The valley of ashes is an area between West Egg and New York City, and it really represents the terrible price of industrialization and the futility of an attempt to reach the American Dream, revealed in the novel as a fiction.  George Wilson, husband of the unfaithful and cruel Myrtle, lives here.  He tries to work hard, but it seems that he can just never get ahead, and he is taken advantage of by his hateful wife (who longs for status and money that he cannot provide) as well as Tom Buchanan (who enjoys lording his status over Wilson, figuratively dangling his car in front of the mechanic like a carrot).  Wilson's plight shows how the idea that one can achieve success and prosperity with simple hard work and determination is a fantasy.

What are the themes in The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester?

One of the themes of The Professor and the Madman is the thin line between sanity and insanity. William Chester Minor, in an insane asylum for committing murder, became one of the most prolific contributors to the project that would become the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). While he suffered from what was likely schizophrenia and from paranoid delusions, he was also brilliant and had periods of great productivity. Therefore, another theme is the interconnectedness of insanity and brilliance. While combing old books for words to define, Minor showed the careful attention to detail that distinguished him among the many other volunteers that contributed to the dictionary.

Another theme is the importance of a dictionary in standardizing word use and definitions. As Winchester writes, "The language should be accorded just the same dignity and respect as those other standards that science was then also defining.” In other words, a dictionary needed to address the nuances of meanings with the precision of science. While there had been earlier dictionaries, none was yet vast enough to encompass the entire English language. The Oxford English Dictionary was the first dictionary that allowed people to use words with confidence that these words would have a precise shared meaning.

A third theme is the strange interconnections among people of different walks of life. Dr. James Murray, the lexicographer who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary for the Oxford University Press, worked with thousands of volunteers in compiling the dictionary. He had corresponded with Minor for nearly twenty years before he realized that Minor was institutionalized in an asylum. Murray was unaware that he had been corresponding with an inmate until meeting Minor--a meeting that brought together two people from very different walks of life. 

How have animals adapted to survive in tropical rainforests?

The tropical rain forests present enormous challenges to the diverse species of animals that inhabit them. They must develop physiological or behavioural adaptions over several generations to help them survive the volatile and highly competitive ecological environment existing in these forests.

One such adaptive method is the ability to camouflage by blending in with the surrounding environment to avoid detection by predators. An example of that is the walking stick insect which blends in to its environment by looking just like the branch of a tree. Other animals, such as the jaguar, use their black spotted coats to hide themselves while hunting.

Many tropical rain forest animals choose a specific time of day at which they become active. They have to adapt to either a night time or a daytime mode in order to survive. The Amazon tree boa adopts a nocturnal mode to avoid predators such as primates by sleeping during the day and then hunt some nocturnal rodents at night by using special infrared receptors located around their mouth.

Tropical rain forest animals such as the poison dart frog use toxins to warn predators that it is dangerous to eat members of their frog family. They do this by excreting a powerful alkaloid toxin similar to morphine in its chemical properties.

Some other rain forest animals develop unique adaptive features which help them survive in this competitive environment. The keel billed toucan, a tropical rain forest bird, has a long, light beak made out of keratin which enables it to reach, pick, break apart and eat almost any tropical fruit in the rain forest. This bird also has brightly coloured feathers which enables it to blend in to its environment and avoid predators. Its powerful eyesight makes it possible to spot predators from a far distance and fly into the air before the predator is able to make a move.

How did rationing impact Americans during WWI?

During World War II, rationing had a significant impact on the way Americans ate.  During World War II, the Americans fought for almost four years.  During World War I, the Americans fought for less than two years.  This was the main reason why strict rationing was not in place during World War I.

In 1917, the U.S. Food Administration was created with future U.S. President Herbert Hoover in charge.  Hoover encouraged Americans to voluntarily cut back on consumption of certain foods.  Certain food sacrifice days, such as "Meatless Mondays," were encouraged.  These campaigns and others encouraged Americans to support the war effort by voluntarily giving up certain types of foods.  When Americans cut back on certain foods (such as sugar, meats, fats, and wheat), more supplies could be shipped overseas to soldiers.  

Special recipes were published by the U.S. Food Administration to encourage cooking without certain foods.  Other efforts supported these voluntary food cut backs, such as canning demonstrations to encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables.

In Britain, rationing was in place by 1917.  Britain was involved in World War I for much more time than the United States.

How do the narrative voice and the sentence structure of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood change when the story shifts from descriptions of the...

In Part I of In Cold Blood, when Capote is describing the Clutter family, his sentences are long, descriptive, and concentrated on the beauties and wholesomeness of nature. In the following passage, he describes Mr. Clutter's breakfast:

"After drinking the glass of milk and putting on a fleece-lined cap, Mr. Clutter carried his apple with him when he went outdoors to examine the morning. It was ideal apple-eating weather; the whitest sunlight descended from the purest sky, and an easterly wind rustled, without ripping loose, the last of the leaves on the Chinese elms" (page 10).

Capote pays a lot of attention to details, such as the soft lining of Mr. Clutter's cap and the white sunlight. The images he uses are meant to evoke a picture of wholesomeness and goodness in the reader's mind, including phrases such as "apple-eating weather" and the "purest sky." Capote also includes references to nature, to connect Mr. Clutter to the purity of the natural world.

When Capote shifts to describing Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, his sentences are clipped and staccato, as in the following example:

"Like Mr. Clutter, the young man breakfasting in a cafe called the Little Jewel never drank coffee. He preferred root beer. Three aspirin, cold root beer, and a chain of Pall Mall cigarettes--that was his notion of a proper "chow-down." Sipping and smoking, he studied a map spread on the counter before him--a Phillips 66 map of Mexico" (page 14).

Unlike Mr. Clutter, who Capote refers to with the honorific "Mr.," Perry receives no name in this passage. He is referred to instead, without dignity, as "the young man." Perry is also eating breakfast, but in an entirely different way than Mr. Clutter. Unlike Mr. Clutter, who wholesomely eats an apple, Perry is consuming root beer, aspirin, and cigarettes. The sentences are clipped and even fragments, unlike the long, flowery sentences Capote uses to describe Mr. Clutter. The images Capote uses are not at all wholesome, including root beer, cigarettes, and a map of Mexico from a gas station (Phillips 66). He also uses slang such as "chow-down," which he doesn't use in the passage about Mr. Clutter. 

Why is war the way to settle a dispute?

Though war is almost universally frowned upon by most civilized nations, this doesn't change the fact that many of these nations have been—or are currently involved in—some sort of violent conflict.

There are many who oppose war without reservation; however, others feel that war is a means to an end when negotiations and other peace-keeping efforts fail. Most free countries look at war as a means of preserving their own freedoms and ways of life. Once a country feels that its rights are infringed upon, the country becomes more likely to engage in a violent conflict to protect its interests.

Some have argued that war ends up preserving more lives than it costs. It has been argued that war allows for the separation of societies and people who otherwise would not get along. Instead of forcing these people to live together, war allows for like-minded people to live in separate societies. 

Others argue that war allows for nations to better control their own financial interests. This ultimately leads to more prosperity and supposedly more happiness in the countries who are victorious at keeping outside influences out of their countries.

What is the net ionic equation for AgNO3 and KI?

We are looking for the net ionic equation for `AgNO_3` and `KI` .  `AgNO_3` is silver nitrate and is soluble in water.  `KI` is potassium iodide and is also soluble in water.  If we mix aqueous solutions of both chemicals, silver iodide will form which is largely insoluble in water.  The other ion pair, potassium nitrate, is also soluble in water.  The total ionic equation is given below:

`Ag_(aq)^(+) + NO3_(aq)^(-) + K_(aq)^(+) + I_(aq)^(-) -gt AgI_(s) + K_(aq)^(+) + NO_3_(aq)^(-)`

The potassium and nitrate ions do not change over the course of the reaction so they are considered spectator ions.  The net ionic equation eliminates these spectator ions and is given below:

`Aq_(aq)^(+) + I_(aq)^(-) -gt AgI_(s)`

In other words silver ions and iodide ions combine to form silver iodide as a solid.

Explain the following quote in detail and why it is significant coming from someone who is the Sheriff of Maycomb. “Mr. Finch, there's just some...

In Chapter 29, Sheriff Tate and Atticus examine Scout's destroyed ham costume and notice that there is a long, clean line in the material that was made from Bob Ewell's blade as he attempted to stab Scout. When Atticus comments that Bob was out of his mind, Sheriff Tate says that Bob wasn't crazy, he was just "mean as hell." Atticus is at a loss for words and cannot think of an evil enough person who would attempt to murder innocent children. Sheriff Tate then says,

"Mr. Finch, there's just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to 'em. Even then, they ain't worth the bullet it takes to shoot 'em. Ewell 'as one of 'em" (Lee 165).

Heck Tate's comment may seem surprising because he is the Sheriff of Maycomb and such a crass comment would be viewed as unprofessional. One would assume that authority figures are more tolerant and understanding than to suggest that a person be shot before they get a chance to commit a crime. However, Sheriff Tate was fully aware of Bob Ewell's despicable, immoral character and was not naive enough to believe that Bob would not attempt to harm others. Tate was essentially commenting on Bob's evil personality. He knew that Bob had the capability of committing a horrific crime which is why he tells Atticus that there are just some men that need shot before you can speak to them. In hindsight, Bob Ewell should have been shot because he had done nothing but ruin lives and cause trouble throughout the entire novel.

`int (x^2 + 4x)/(x^3 + 6x^2 + 5) dx` Find the indefinite integral.

`int(x^2+4x)/(x^3+6x^2+5)dx=`

We will use the following formula: `int(f'(x))/(f(x))dx=ln|f(x)|+C`   

The formula tells us that if we have integral of rational function where the numerator is equal to the derivative of the denominator, then the integral is equal to natural logarithm of the denominator plus some constant. The proof of the formula can be obtained by simply integrating the right-hand side.

Since `(x^3+6x^2+5)'=3x^2+12x=3(x^2+4x)` we must first modify the integral in order to apply the formula. We will both multiply and divide the integral by 3.

`1/3int(3x^2+12x)/(x^3+6x^2+5)dx=`

Now we apply the formula to obtain the final result.

`1/3ln|x^3+6x^2+5|+C`

How does Stephen Crane describe both negative and positive aspects of war without being partial to any one side in "War is Kind"?

The poet Stephen Crane is being intentionally ironic. He does not really believe that war is kind but that it is a horrible and senseless thing. The summary in the study guide for the poem states:

The title alerts us to the ironic tone of the poem, as it is very difficult to imagine war being kind in any way. 

Crane contrasts the actuality of war with the glorified version which is meant to appeal to idealistic young men. He describes the uniformed men assembled in ranks with their drums and bugles and colorful flags, and then he juxtaposes this with descriptions of the battlefields strewn with corpses. He seems to be referring to the Civil War, in which the two opposing sides lost 620,000 men in battles. Hundreds of thousands more died of disease or in captivity. Crane's best known work is his novel The Red Badge of Courage, which is about a young man's experiences as an enlisted man in the Civil War. The Red Badge of Courage was first published in 1895. "War is Kind" was originally published in 1899.

Why does the poet keep repeating the refrain "War is kind"? In what sense can any war be regarded as "kind"? Crane is implying that the soldiers are relieved of all their fears and anguish when they die and that their loved ones are relieved of their concerns when they learn that their lovers, husbands, fathers and sons have been killed on the field of battle. The refrain "War is kind" is intentionally ironic. The poem is an expression of disgust with war, a feeling many Americans have experienced after the end of the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and other bloody engagements.

In the book, what are all the skills that Matt learns from the Indians?

In exchange for teaching Attean how to read, Matt learns some important survival skills from his Indian counterpart.

The first thing Attean teaches Matt is how to hunt rabbits. In Chapter 9, Attean shows Matt how to fashion a snare from trimmed saplings, a sturdy branch, and the roots of a black spruce tree.

In Chapter 10, Attean shows Matt how to carve a fish hook from a maple sapling twig. He uses his sharp knife to carve a piece as long as his little finger, makes a groove in the middle of the small stem, and sharpens both ends of the stem. With this hook, Matt discovers that he can use two worms to land a bigger catch. Also, armed with the knowledge to make new hooks whenever he pleases, Matt discovers that he will never have to worry about losing hooks again.

When Attean makes a fire to cook the fishes, Matt again learns something new. Attean uses a regular stone that has bits of quartz embedded in it to strike against his knife; in this way, Attean is able to kindle a spark for the fire. Until now, Matt had not realized that he could use "a common stone as well as his flint" to begin a fire. As for roasting the fish over the fire, Attean shows Matt how to use green branches to fashion make-shift spits for the fish.

In Chapter 11, Matt learns how to leave "secret signs" or "markers" so that he will never get lost in the forest. To demonstrate, Attean sometimes breaks off branches on a path, sets stones in prominent places, or dangles tufts of grass in tree branches as he travels through the forest. Later, Attean cuts off two pieces of dried sap from a spruce tree and presents one to Matt as a snack. Although initially skeptical about the taste of the dried sap, Matt soon comes to discover that the aftertaste is actually quite pleasant. So, from Attean, Matt also learns what he can use for food in the forest.

In Chapter 12, Matt learns how to fashion a bow from ash branches. From Attean, he learns how to use a stone to carefully form the curve of the bow, how to use bear fat to make the bow glisten, and how to use spruce roots to make the bowstring. Later, he also learns how to use birch wood to fashion the arrows.

In Chapter 13, Attean teaches Matt how to use plants from the forest to make a particular dish tastier and more nourishing. He also shows Matt how to fashion a makeshift rain cape from a strip of birch bark. More importantly, Matt learns which plants he must avoid in order stay alive.

In all these chapters, Matt learns many skills from Attean: he learns how to hunt and fish, how to pick the best plants for food, and how to fashion hunting implements.

Why does Steinbeck include Slim in the novella?

Slim is a revered character throughout the novella and is viewed with respect and admiration on the ranch. Slim is described as an experienced jerk-line skinner who is portrayed as the voice of reason throughout the story. Slim understands each man's individual struggles and personalities on the ranch and freely gives advice to the other men. Slim's character is significant throughout the novella because Steinbeck contextualizes other characters and contrasts them against Slim. Slim's morally upright character provides a standard which other individuals can be compared to. Curley's reckless, superficial personality contrasts greatly with Slim's confident, tolerant attitude. Steinbeck also uses Slim's character to make accurate, fair judgments of other characters. He comments to George that Lennie isn't a mean person and justifies George's decision to shoot Lennie by mentioning how it would not be good for Lennie to rot in jail. Slim's character illuminates other individuals' strengths and weaknesses throughout the novella. His authority also grants him the ability to make accurate judgments regarding right and wrong.

What circumstances led Helen Keller to be accused of plagiarism?

After learning how to communicate, Helen Keller developed a deep love of reading and learning. She also started writing creatively. Helen was inspired by Miss Sullivan's description of nature during the autumn months. She then wrote a story called "The Frost King." Helen did not realize there were many similarities in her story to a previously published story that had been read to her previously.

Helen gave the story she wrote to Mr. Anagnos at the Perkins Institution. She happily mailed it to him for his birthday. Mr. Anagnos was impressed by Helen's story. He found it remarkable that a deaf and blind child who had only recently learned to read and write could develop such a creative story. He had the story published in a report for the school. It was soon discovered that Helen's story was incredibly similar to one by Margaret T. Canby. As a result, Helen was accused of plagiarism, which shocked and embarrassed her. At first, Mr. Anagnos took Helen's side. He believed she had not intentionally plagiarized.

A teacher at Perkins questioned Helen about her story, and accused her of confessing to intentional plagiarism. The teacher told this to Mr. Anagnos, who accused Helen of lying about her innocence. This caused a rift between the two, which devastated Helen.

The accusation of plagiarism left a deep impact on Helen. She described that period of her life as being "darkened by one cloud in [her] childhood's bright sky." Helen was afraid to write creatively for years.

How has guilt changed Macbeth for the worse?

Macbeth experiences feelings of guilt almost immediately after killing Duncan. Even before the murder, he acknowledges that he has no good reason, other than "vaulting ambition," to kill the king. He tells his wife immediately after the assassination that he struggled to say "Amen," and that he thought he heard a voice cry "Macbeth shall sleep no more." Over time, Macbeth's guilt manifests itself in visions like these. After murdering Banquo, he thinks he sees his dead friend's ghost sitting in the spot at the banquet table he would have occupied. Beseeching the ghost not to "shake [his] gory locks at me," Macbeth is escorted from the room by his wife, who first blames the visions on fear, and then on a lack of sleep. Ironically, Lady Macbeth herself succumbs to her own sense of guilt in Act Five, when she is observed sleepwalking and trying to wash spectral blood from her hands. So essentially guilt weighs on the consciences of the two plotters, causing them to temporarily lose their sanity. The way that guilt acts on the psyches of the Macbeths is an important and fascinating theme in the play.

What are examples of how Theseus is the hero in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?

The term hero is often used synonymously with the term protagonist. A protagonist is the main character in the story who undergoes change by resolving the conflict the protagonist faces. While Theseus is certainly not the hero in the story in the sense of being the protagonist since he never changes, Theseus certainly does do a couple of heroic deeds, meaning brave deeds that save the day.

Theseus first strives to be heroic in the opening scene of the play when first faced by Egeus with his request to put his daughter to death should she continue to refuse to marry Demetrius. Theseus knows he is morally obligated to uphold the law permitting Hermia to be executed or exiled should she continue to disobey her father; yet, Theseus also openly questions the soundness of Egeus's demand that Hermia marry Demetrius. We can tell that Theseus questions the soundness of Egeus's demand, because when Lysander asserts that he is just as rich as Demetrius and asserts Demetrius has been unfaithful by pursuing Helena, Theseus acknowledges hearing of Demetrius's unfaithfulness. We see Lysander accuse Demetrius of being unfaithful in the following:

Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man. (1.1.106-110)

We see Theseus acknowledge he knows about Demetrius's unfaithfulness in the following:

I must confess that I have heard so much,
And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof. (111-12)

More importantly, he takes Demetrius and Egeus aside to have a private conversation with them. While we don't know exactly what Theseus is counseling them about, we can assume based on his reaction to the above that he is questioning them on their decision to insist Hermia marry Demetrius. Challenging Egeus on the soundness of his decision concerning his daughter's marriage would be Theseus's first heroic act.

Since Theseus so strongly objects to Egeus's demand Hermia marry Demetrius, by the time we reach act 4, scene 1, Theseus very quickly grants Demetrius permission to marry Helena the moment Theseus learns Demetrius is now rightfully in love with her. In granting Demetrius permission to marry Helena, Theseus is ruling against Egeus's petition to execute the full force of the law upon Hermia. Theseus states his ruling in the following:

Egeus, I will overbear your will;
For in the temple by and by with us
These couples shall eternally be knit. (4.1.175-78)

Theseus's decision to overrule Egeus's petition is a second heroic act, and the act that saves the day for the couples.

Why does Beetle take on the name Alyce?

Alyce goes through some dramatic changes throughout the story. She is definitely a dynamic character, and her names are as dynamic as she is. What's interesting about her names is that Alyce never really chooses her new names. Other people call her a name, and she either adopts the name because she likes it, or she takes the name out of necessity.

When the reader is first introduced to Alyce, she is called Brat. When Jane finds her in a dung pile, Jane decides to call her "Beetle." That name stays with her for a large portion of the story. It's not until after Jane breaks her ankle that Beetle once again changes names. Jane cannot travel, so she sends Beetle instead to go buy supplies. While at the Saint Swithin's Day Fair, somebody mistakes Beetle for somebody else. He calls her Alyce. Beetle likes the name and takes it as her own. The name change is symbolic of her growing confidence. Alyce no longer feels like the weak girl found in a dung heap. She is gaining confidence in her skills, education, and looks. She realizes that "Beetle" is not a name that fits with how she feels. "Alyce" is a name that fits with who she feels she is becoming.

What a day! She had been winked at, complimented, given a gift, and now mistaken for the mysterious Alyce who could read. Did she then look like someone who could read? She leaned over and watched her face in the water again. "This face," she said, "could belong to someone who can read. And has curls. And could have a lover before nightfall."

"Alyce," she breathed. Alyce sounded clean and friendly and smart. You could love someone named Alyce. She looked back at the face in the water. "This then is me, Alyce." It was right.

I need help writing an essay in response to the following prompt: B. The Post-Cold War era (1991-present) presents greater danger to the national...

In writing an essay on this topic, you will need to talk about the wide range of current threats to national security. In order to succeed in this assignment, you might want to break it down into several sections:

• Introduction: Your main thesis should center around the fact that it is much harder to defend against a wide variety of threats from multiple types of entities than a single known threat.


• Transition: You then should have a transition paragraph in which you discuss some of the major types of security hazards of the post-Cold War era. The main body of your essay should address each type of threat in a separate section.


• Rogue States: You might begin by talking about rogue states, especially North Korea, and how by being outside the framework of international law and diplomacy they are a potential threat to US security.


• Russia: Putin's Russia may be no less dangerous than the Soviet Union as it still has a nuclear arsenal and is moving towards a rhetoric of extreme nationalism and xenophobia.


• China: Here you might discuss the simmering conflicts in the South China Sea and the Nine-Dashed Line territorial claims of China.


• Failed States: The next major security threat you might discuss are the failed states such as Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen and associated fragile states and discuss how they destabilize regions and increase the threat of terrorism and refugee crises. 


• Terrorism and Cyberterrorism: In this section you would discuss how modern technology allows a relatively small group of people to pose major threats to national security by acts of terrorism and cyberterrorism.


• Conclusion: You should argue that the sheer variety of current threats makes for a greater national security risk than did the better understood and more limited threats of the Cold War. 

What are three motifs and one theme found in Of Mice and Men?

A motif is literally anything that repeats in a novel. It can be an image, a metaphor, a symbol, or an idea. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck employs several motifs to help create meaning.

1. Motif: Power

Throughout the novel, there is the repeated use of the idea of power. There are two types of power, specifically: economic and physical. Lennie represents the physical power present in the working men in California. With this brute strength, Lennie literally crushes Curley's hand and snaps Curley's wife's neck with little effort.

Still, those with money exert economic power over the working men. When they arrive at the ranch, George tells Lennie not to "say a word" to the boss because they need the money to live. As the boss's son, Curley exerts power over all the men in the bunkhouse. His wife exerts a different kind of power over the men in the bunkhouse, but it is still based on the power exerted by those with money.

2. Motif: Hands

Throughout the novella, there are many descriptions of hands. Curley's is probably the most memorable, as he keeps his left hand in a glove full of vaseline so it is "soft for his wife." When Candy lost his hand on the ranch, he lost any ability to chase after his dream of owning his own piece of land. When Slim encourages Candy to shoot his old, mangy dog out of his misery, he sits in the bunkhouse and "gazed at [Candy] for a moment and then looked down at his hands." Curley's hand is also destroyed when Lennie crushes it. 

Hands are important because they are necessary for a lot of human actions. Steinbeck mentions the hands of many characters because they are symbols of power (the idea mentioned above). Lennie's hands symbolize his brute strength; Candy's, his uselessness; Curley's, his softness; Slim's, his position as the decision-maker and, thus, the one who suffers from the most guilt.

3. Man vs. Nature

One of the primary conflicts in Of Mice and Men is the idea of man versus nature. The opening two paragraphs of the novella show this. In the first paragraph, Steinbeck uses peaceful words to show how nature thrives in the absence of man. He writes that the Salinas River "runs deep and green" and the "golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains." Animals—lizards, rabbits, and dogs—enjoy nature undisturbed.

In the second paragraph, the presence of man is made clear. The path has been "beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches." There is an ash pile below a sycamore, and a tree has been "worn smooth by men who have sat on it."

Throughout the novella, nature alone is peaceful, but it is disturbed immensely by the introduction of man.

Theme: Every man or woman is alone regardless of the choices he or she makes.

One of the characters I always feel sorry for is Curley's wife. I think she's the loneliest character in the book. As the only woman in the novella, she's also the only character in the book who makes multiple appearances, but remains nameless. She chose to marry Curley, but the two never appear together in the book. Instead, they are always just missing each other. Despite her choice to marry Curley, she feels absolutely alone. She admits, "I don' like Curley. He ain't a nice fella." When she dies, she dies alone, buried under some hay. 

Every character who chooses a partner, ends up completely alone by the end. Lennie and George are another example of this, as George shoots Lennie at the end of the novella so he does not have to face Curley's wrath.

At the end of The Lumber Room by Saki, how can Nicholas be considered a hero?

Nicholas is the protagonist in “The Lumber Room” by Saki. He is the main masculine character, and he exhibits cunning actions in the face of adversity, which, by definition, makes him a hero in the story.

Nicholas is a young child who proves to be wise beyond his years when dealing with the adults in his life. After he puts a frog in his breakfast of milk and bread, he is forbidden to accompany the other children on a hastily arranged expedition to the beach. When the adults do not believe there is a frog in his breakfast, he produces the specimen, which he put there himself. While the others go off on the excursion, Nicholas is left at home with his cousins’ aunt, who sees herself as the ultimate authority figure. As they leave, it is expected that he will be upset, but instead he correctly predicts that the beach excursion will be a disaster.

While the rest of the family is away, he is forbidden to enter the garden. The aunt is sure he will attempt to enter the forbidden space, so she spends her day on guard by doing menial tasks. Nicholas instead finds his way into the mysterious Lumber Room, where he discovers great “treasures,” all the while outsmarting the aunt. Eventually, the aunt falls into a water tank in the garden and cries for help. Using his ingenuity, Nicholas asks the aunt a series of questions, which outwit her. He exclaims she cannot be the aunt but must be the “Evil One.” He leaves her in the tank to be found by a maid.

When the others return, it is obvious that their day was an awful experience, and Nicholas did not miss out on anything. In the end, he had a great adventure in the Lumber Room, while the others, including the aunt, were miserable. Although he is a mere child, he uses his ingenuity to teach the adult aunt a lesson she would not soon forget; therefore, he can be considered a hero in the story.