What change does Raina notice in Bluntschli's appearance when she meets him for the second time?

When Raina first meets Bluntschli, he looks terrible, and presents a striking visual contrast with Sergius's heroic appearance in the portrait. The stage directions tell us he is unwashed and unkempt, and  

"…in a deplorable plight, bespattered with mud and blood and snow, his belt and the strap of his revolver-case keeping together the torn ruins of the blue tunic of a Servian artillery officer."

Furthermore, his nerves are on edge. He is starving and hasn't sleep for 48 hours. He is running from soldiers who intend to kill him. So this contributes to the visual impression he makes on Raina, and it isn't one that she would expect from a man worthy of her romantic interest.

Once she gets over her initial shock and distaste, she begins to show protective feelings towards him. She overcomes her prejudices, and when he tells her he is too dirty to take her hand, she even grants that he has the manners of a gentleman. At the end of the scene, when she finds him sleeping, she tells her mother to leave him alone:

Don't, mamma: the poor darling is worn out. Let him sleep.

So she has taken stock of his wretched appearance, and been touched by his vulnerabilities.

When Raina next sees Bluntschli, he is, according to the stage directions, "clean, well brushed, smartly uniformed, and out of trouble." She asks him about it, and he replies:

RAINA: You look ever so much nicer than when we last met. [He looks up, surprised]. What have you done to yourself?

BLUNTSCHLI. Washed; brushed; good night's sleep and breakfast. That's all.

Bluntschli is guilty of minimizing the crucial emotional differences -- what the stage directions called being "out of trouble." He is no longer under extreme stress, no longer running from death, no longer in hiding. He has freely chosen to come to this place, and for a romantic reason. As we learn later, he did so because he wanted to see Raina again. His changed emotional state and mood will have doubtless influenced his looks.

What are the difficulties in categorizing mental illness such as depression to constitute illnesses meriting sick leave compensation vis-à-vis...

Approximately one quarter of Americans have diagnosable mental illnesses each year, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. In addition, a large percentage of Americans report feeling workplace stress that could be alleviated by sick leave. However, the difficulty employees have being able to be compensated for mental health-related sick leave is that while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of most employees with mental illness, getting protection under the law can be difficult. For example, if the employer makes "reasonable accommodations" for the employee, such as allowing them occasionally to work from home rather than taking sick leave, then the employer is fulfilling his or her responsibilities under the ADA. In addition, the ADA only requires the employer to provide accommodations for employees who can otherwise carry out the "essential functions" their jobs. As depression is a chronic condition, the employers might argue that the employees, even if diagnosed with depression, can do their jobs and do not need accommodations such as sick leave. If the employees need a long sick leave, employers also can argue that the employees cannot carry out the "essential functions" of their jobs and therefore are not qualified to be covered under the ADA. Therefore, it is more difficult for employees with conditions such as depression to get paid sick leave than employees with physical disorders or sicknesses. 

Does Shakespeare have only heroines and no heroes?

First, we need to think about the relationship between the notion of protagonist and "hero" or "heroine." The notion of a hero belongs to oral tradition and orally derived works, and is normally a relatively flat character, usually of noble background, that excels in distinctly gendered virtues, warlike prowess for men and family loyalty and self-sacrifice for women. The epic hero follows an arc that normally culminates in triumph. 

Tragic protagonists differ from epic heroes in being more three dimensional and in following a plot arc that declines from good to bad fortune due to a combination of bad choices, character flaws, and fate. Shakespeare, though, is a modern dramatist, and his protagonists do not follow the epic model. Comedy as a genre does not have heroes.

Many of the characters in Shakespeare follow the pattern of the tragic hero. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are strong aristocratic characters whose inherent flaws lead to their downfalls. Similarly, Othello, a brave and noble character whose jealousy, inflamed by the evil Iago, leads to his downfall, is a typical tragic hero. King Lear has heroic male and female characters as well as villains of both genders. Romeo and Juliet both follow similar narrative arcs of falling in love with each other and committing suicide. Thus if one uses the term "hero" as a literary term, meaning one conforming to the Aristotelian model of the tragic hero, Shakespeare's plays do have "heroes." Shakespeare's plays, not being epics, do not have epic heroes, and not being 21st century comic books or movies, do not have the comic book types of flat "good" superheroes who triumph over equally flat cartoon villains. 

Why do we still study Shakespeare?

Shakespeare’s works are timeless.  After four hundred years, people still read, study, and perform his plays and poetry.  Almost anyone can quote from several of his works.  The reason that people know them is because they have been a part of our culture constantly since they were published.

It is important to study Shakespeare because it is a part of popular culture.  Popular culture refers to movies, television, and songs.  Have you heard Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story” on the radio, which references Romeo and Juliet?  Does your city have Shakespeare in the Park in the summer?  Did you know that the band in the Harry Potter series is called the Weird Sisters, after the characters in Macbeth?  I’ll bet you have heard comparisons of one’s love “to a summer’s day.”  Shakespeare is everywhere.  If you don’t study Shakespeare, you will miss these references.  You won’t enjoy them or appreciate them, and you won’t understand them.

The greatest reason to study Shakespeare is that there is a reason it is still popular.  The stories’ themes are timeless.   These are tales of young love, madness, family drama, aging, ambition, murder, and intrigue.  Shakespeare’s poetry is clever and beautiful.  His plays cover multiple genres.  When you read and study the plays, you have a greater appreciation for them.  There are so many works, and they have so much to offer.

What was the backdrop against which Saki wrote "Sredni Vashtar"?

Saki wrote Sredni Vashtar against the backdrop of Edwardian bourgeois or upper-class society. As a well-known satirist, Saki (or Hector Hugh Munro) mercilessly lampooned aunts and female guardians in his stories. 

As such, the aunts in both The Lumber Room and Sredni Vashtar were unequivocally punished for their self-righteous despotism against their young charges. In Sredni Vashtar, as in The Lumber Room, Saki critiqued the hypocritical, hierarchical, and dysfunctional world of Edwardian upper-class society. Then, children were often seen as a trial to be equally endured and subdued; at the same time, they were deprived of personal agency and the ability to enjoy individual liberties.

Perhaps Saki's own background may have had something to do with his portrayal of female guardians in his stories. At the age of two, with the premature death of his mother, Saki was sent by his father to live with his aunts. They were strict, humorless, and puritanical in their approach to raising children. So, Saki wrote Sredni Vashtar against the backdrop of Edwardian high society and highlighted the helpless child's world of isolation and oppression amidst the grandeur of affluence and moral decay.

In Sredni Vashtar, animals join forces with the young male protagonist, Conradin, to outwit and defeat an implacable mutual enemy, Mrs. De Ropp. The story ends in typical Saki-inspired, macabre fashion: Mrs. de Ropp is murdered by Sredni Vashtar, the formidable polecat-ferret, Conradin's pagan god of deliverance. In the story, it can be seen that Saki highlights the childish potential for brutal vengeance and satirizes the Edwardian preoccupation with the superiority of adults over children.

Explain briefly the functions of the bile duct and the pancreatic juice.

The bile duct is a tube-like structure which carries a digestive juice called bile from the liver and then joins another duct, called the pancreatic duct, that carries pancreatic juice and forms the ampulla of Vater. The contents of both ducts (bile and pancreatic juice) are now discharged into the first part of the intestine called the duodenum through the ampulla of vater.

The pancreatic juice contains enzymes which play a significant role in the digestion of food. The enzymes in the pancreatic juice are responsible for the partial or complete breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

One of such enzymes called the pancreatic amylase completes the digestion of carbohydrates. Another enzyme contained in pancreatic juice called lipase is responsible for the breakdown of fat. Two other enzymes contained in pancreatic juice are referred to as trypsin and chymotrypsin. They complete the digestion of proteins.

How would you describe the musical quality of "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson?

Tennyson's "The Brook" has a musical quality that imitates a flowing stream. The alternating lines rhyme, creating a musical sense, and many of the words that end the lines are repeated, such as "flow" and "go." The repetition of words and rhymes creates the lyrical quality of a brook that is constantly running and that has a repetitive quality in the sound of its water moving downstream. 

In addition, the lines in the poem are very short, running to three or four syllables rather than to the ten syllables that many of the poems used at the time. This creates the kinds of quickly moving sounds that a brook might make as it tumbles downstream. In addition, many of the lines in the poem use alliteration, or the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words, such as "sudden sally" and "men may." These sounds imitate the rushing sound of water in the brook. 

In The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare, what are Shylock's positive traits?

It may be difficult to imagine the character of Shylock as having any positive traits, since his agreement with Antonio allows him to essentially murder him for failure to pay a debt. But most dramatic characters of any significance have positive as well as negative traits; without the ability to have some sort of empathy for an "evil" character, their evil seems two-dimensional. Shylock is a clever and successful man; these may be seen as positive traits, even as his success as a moneylender makes him greedy and somewhat difficult to deal with. Shylock is also a father who is devastated when his daughter Jessica elopes with Lorenzo. His emotional distress indicates that he does have some compassion and emotions worth sympathizing with. He is further devastated when Portia, posing as a doctor of law, finds him guilty in court of cheating a Venetian resident (Antonio) and claims he must surrender his fortune as punishment. Since he is a moneylender and values wealth, this is a fitting price to pay; however he is told he can keep half his fortune to give to his daughter if he renounces his Jewish faith and becomes a Christian. Shylock finds this horrifying, which demonstrates his loyalty to his religious faith; this can also be seen as a positive trait.

What does Gladwell mean when he states, "The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all" in Outliers: The Story of Success?

Gladwell begins the book with the definition of what an outlier is: a person who is seen as “markedly different” from everyone else, either in terms of extraordinary talent, success, or both. Throughout the narrative, Gladwell provides examples of these types of people, like computer entrepreneurs and Canadian hockey players. What he finds in his research, however, is that each one of these individuals had some kind of advantage beyond his or her control. These included historical timing, cultural differences, and even some beneficial nuances of language. It turns out their successes are not only explainable, but sometimes even predictable. This conclusion means outliers are NOT markedly different individuals after all. Gladwell says exactly this on the last page of the text:

They are products of history and community, or opportunity and legacy. Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky – but all critical to making them who they are. The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.

How can I calculate the current through a 10 ohm resistor using Thevenin's theorem?

Thevinin's theorem relies on simplifying a circuit such that you remove the element for which you are trying to analyze its current/voltage drop and determine the equivalent voltage and in-line resistance of the remaining circuit. This gives you a series resistor and voltage source that are equivalent in behavior to the complex circuit pictured.

To calculate the voltage, you treat the 10 ohm resistor like an open circuit and determine the voltage between those points. Tahis requires us to use some equations based on Kirchoff's voltage law (KVL) and current law (KCL). I'll base it on the current flowing through the one-ohm resistor in a counter-clockwise direction (`i_1`), the current flowing downward through the 5-ohm resistor (`i_2`), and the current flowing in a clockwise direction through the 2-ohm resistor (`i_3`). From the Kirchoff laws, we get 3 equations:

KVL:

`20-i_1-5i_2+12=0`

`10-2i_3-5i_2+12=0`

KCL:

`i_1-i_2+i_3=0`

Solving these for `i_2`  obtains 86/17 or 5.06 A. This means that the voltage drop across the 5 ohm resistor is 5.06*5 = 25.3 V. To get the final Thevinin voltage, we sum this 25.3 V with the -12 V from the source in series with the resistor to obtain a final Thevinin voltage of 13.3 V.

To obtain the Thevinin resistance, you use the same two terminals that connect to the 10 ohm resistor, but then you short all of the voltage sources and open each current source. By doing that in this case, you end up with 1, 2, and 5 ohm resistors in parallel. Calculaing the overall resistance:

`1/(1/1+1/2+1/5)=1/1.7=0.59 Omega`

Thus, we have our series resistance: 0.59 ohms.

We can now make our Thevinin circuit with the voltage source of 13.3 V in series with the source resistance of 0.59 ohms, now in series with the 10 ohm resistor. Simplifying the resistance in this case is easy because they are in series: we add them such that the overall resistance is 10.59 ohms. Calculating the current using Ohm's law gives us the final answer:

`(13.3V)/(10.59 Omega) = 1.26 A`

Mr. Eliot says that there is no "objective correlative", that is, there is no sufficient reason in the play for Hamlet's extraordinary grief. Do...

Perhaps Shakespeare gave Hamlet at least three reasons for feeling "extraordinary grief" because the playwright realized that one by itself was not sufficient reason. Hamlet is still grieving over the death of his father. This can be an intensely traumatic, life-changing experience for a young man. It means the loss of a person he loved and admired. It also means a turning point in the young man's life experience. Now he has to take his father's place. No doubt Hamlet has mixed feelings about his father's death.

Those who have never had a father can at any rate never know the sweets of losing one. To most men the death of a father is a new lease of life.                                         -Samuel Butler

Who doesn’t desire his father’s death?         -Fedor Dostoevski

Then, of course, there is the Oedipus theme. If Hamlet had an unconscious Freudian wish to kill his father and marry his mother, then how must he feel when he finds out that his uncle has already married her?

Another reason Hamlet may be experiencing such "extraordinary grief" is that Hamlet, understandably, feels he has been cheated out of his right to inherit his father's throne. A third reason is that he feels, as he clearly shows in his turbulent interview with Gertrude in Act 3, Scene 4, that he is disgusted with his mother's "o're hasty" marriage to his uncle and her licentious behavior with Claudius ever since. 

Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty!

If these three things were not sufficient reason for Hamlet's "extraordinary grief," compounded as it is with other strong emotions, then by the end of Act 1 he learns that his father was murdered and that it is his duty to kill his uncle in revenge. Shakespeare seems to have taken care to provide Hamlet with many strong reasons to explain his feelings and his motivation.

According to Samuel Johnson, why is comedy is valued over tragedy in "Preface to Shakespeare"?

Samuel Johnson contends that writing comedies has been more agreeable to Shakespeare's intrinsic nature and proclivities.

In tragedy he [Shakespeare] is always struggling after some occasion to be comick; but in comedy he seems to repose, or to luxuriate, as in a mode of thinking congenial to his nature. ("Preface to Shakespeare")

Because Shakespeare's drama is "the mirror of life" that it is, Johnson explains that there is a mingling of tragedy with comedy in the plays. But, unlike the tragedies, the comedies have not suffered from the changes of time and the interpretations of history. The characters of comedy are, therefore, more natural. Further, Johnson argues that in the tragedies, Shakespeare has a "disproportionate pomp of diction" and much circumlocution. He adds that there is a tedious quality to the longer narration in tragedy, and it is "unanimated."

Moreover, Johnson feels that Shakespeare's real literary strength is in "the power of nature," a power that is better demonstrated in his comedies with their spontaneity. For, in the tragedies, the speeches are set and "cold and weak." Then, too, certain deviations from historical truth--"his disregard for distinctions of time and place"-- are perceived as flaws by Johnson. For instance, Johnson writes,

We need not wonder to find Hector quoting Aristotle, when we see the loves of Theseus and Hippolyta combined with the Gothick mythology of fairies. ("Preface to Shakespeare")

Johnson ends his "Preface to Shakespeare" by conceding that some allowances should be made to the Bard because of the age in which he lived.

Considering the dangerous journey Rainsford overcomes in the story, what do you think he has learned?

As the question stated, this is an opinion based question. The author does not explicitly tell readers what Rainsford did and did not learn from his experience with Zaroff.  The answer could go a few different ways.  

1.  Rainsford learned nothing.  Rainsford is an experienced hunter that tells his colleague in the beginning of the story that prey animals have no feelings.  They do not experience fear or anything similar.  As prey, Rainsford felt fear, but he still doesn't believe that animals experience the same feeling.  He believes this because he still considers humans different from the prey species that he normally hunts.  Readers know that Rainsford considers humans different because he admits that he believes humans are the only animals capable of reasoning.  Despite his experience with Zaroff, Rainsford still feels that humans are different from animals, and animals experience no fear.  

2. Rainsford now has learned that the animals that he hunts experience fear.  The fact is interesting to Rainsford, but he still continues to be an avid hunter; however, he now has more respect and compassion for the animals that he hunts and kills.

3. Rainsford learns that hunted animals experience fear.  Because of this knowledge, Rainsford gives up hunting completely.   

4. Rainsford is so thrilled from his experience with Zaroff that he decides he wants more of the experience.  He has learned that Zaroff was correct and the ultimate hunting thrill is hunting humans.  Rainsford takes over the island and continues to use it in the same way that Zaroff used the island.  Rainsford now becomes a hunter of men. 

What government regulations affect the fashion retail industry and retail clothing stores in particular?

For purpose of this question, we will discuss regulations separate from any general criminal law. Regulation of business usually serves the purposes of protecting the customers (consumers) of that business, protecting the employees of that business, and/or protecting society in general from potential adverse impacts arising from that business’s operation.

To keep it simple, consumer protection regulation requires that (a) products be safe to use, (b) key information about the product is accurately provided to the consumer before they buy, and (c) terms for payment, refund, and defect or problem resolution be considered “fair.” In fashion retailing, the most salient regulations require proper labelling (both in terms of fiber content, care instructions, and place of manufacture; see the link for OTEXA requirements below) and product safety (in terms of the dyes and fibers and their safety for use). This latter point may include flammability standards, especially for apparel marketed for infants and small children. Note also that the place of manufacture information may be used by some consumers to avoid supporting textile industries in foreign countries which engage in practices which those consumers may consider inappropriate or unethical (e.g. child labor). In this latter capacity, the regulation is furthering the aim of protecting the societies in which the apparel is manufactured.

As far as employee protection is concerned, fashion retailing in most US locations is governed by the same laws and regulations covering any retail business. For the most part, these regulations are national in scope, and cover such things as working hours, minimum and overtime pay, and worker safety (OSHA standards).

Finally it is important to note that many of the purposes of regulation are in fact accomplished through the adoption of industry standards and practices. That is, fashion retailing, like most other major industries, works to avoid overt government regulation by “self-regulating” through trade associations and industry SOP. An example of this is industry moves to foster use of sustainable fiber technologies (such as sustainability in cotton agriculture).

What did Augustus do to reform Roman politics, the military, the economy, society and religion to keep the empire together?

Augustus, the first Roman Emperor (who ruled from 27 BCE to 14 CE), wanted to restore ancient Roman religion to improve the moral behavior of the Romans. To this end, he gave himself the title pontifex maximus, or religious head of the empire, and brought back the priesthood. He also restored religious holidays such as Lustrum and started the Imperial Cult to worship the emperor as a god. This cult gained immense popularity. In addition, he restored public monuments, such as the Temple of the Gods, and built monuments that featured traditional Roman scenes, such as the Roman family, and that featured Roman gods such as Apollo and Mars. 

To restore what he considered proper moral behavior and to curtail the practice of having children out of marriage and through adulterous liaisons, he gave financial and political rewards to people who had three children, particularly sons. Men over 38 who were not married were heavily taxed, and they were not allowed to attend public games. Finally, laws required Romans to marry (a law called the ex Julia de maritandis ordinibus) and outlawed celibacy and marriage without having children. Adultery became a crime punishable by the state in the lex Julia de adultenis.

Politically, Augustus placated the Roman senators by revoking the emergency powers that the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony had exercised and returned these powers to the Senate and the people. However, he agreed to retain his emergency powers over rebellious provinces. After he returned power to the Senate, he took the title Augustus in 27 BCE. By taking the title Augustus, he became the first in a line of Roman emperors.

To reform the military, Augustus created the Praetorian Guard, an elite unit meant to protect the emperor. He also used the wealth collected from Egypt to pay off the troops and reduced the number of legions while sending military veterans to the provinces. He gave the veterans lands in these provinces and ensured that the provinces remained peaceful. 

He also instituted economic reforms, including creating a treasury department and standard denominations in the currency. Bronze currency, the issuing of which had been disturbed in the civil wars, was begun again, and he personally oversaw the coinage of gold and silver. Gold became part of the monetary system for the first time in Rome's history. 

In "The Cask of Amontillado" by Poe, why are catacombs located in most homes?

Catacombs were natural geographical features that had existed for millions of years. Some palazzi were evidently built over catacombs, but it would be a mistake to suppose that "catacombs were located in most homes." Because Venice is at sea level and keeps sinking, corpses cannot be buried underground. The graves would fill up with water. The same situation exists in New Orleans, Louisiana, where bodies are customarily cremated or entombed in mausoleums, crypts, and vaults of various kinds above the ground. Some of the catacombs in Europe are filled with bones because bodies were not buried in the ground but left to decay in the catacombs.

Montresor's name suggests that his ancestors were relative newcomers to Venice and that most of the bones described in the story belonged to ancestors of the original owner. Montresor is a poor man and is probably only renting his palazzo to make an impression on men with whom he does business. His servants have no respect for him because he cannot always pay them. The short story "The Aspern Papers" by Henry James, published in 1880, only thirty-four years after Poe's story was published, gives a thorough picture of what the old decaying Venetian palazzi were like by that time. Here is an extract:

"If she didn't live in a big house how could it be a question of her having rooms to spare? If she were not amply lodged herself you would lack ground to approach her. Besides, a big house here, and especially in this quartier perdu, proves nothing at all: it is perfectly compatible with a state of penury. Dilapidated old palazzi, if you will go out of the way for them, are to be had for five shillings a year. And as for the people who live in them--no, until you have explored Venice socially as much as I have you can form no idea of their domestic desolation. They live on nothing, for they have nothing to live on."  

Over how many years does Things Fall Apart take place?

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a post-colonial novel that takes place towards the end of the nineteenth century in a small, fictional Nigerian village. The setting is of utmost importance to the context of the text because Achebe explores the ways in which the European missionaries inflicted their political structures and institutions on the Igbo society. Therefore, the novel does not exist as a short, concentrated commentary, but rather as an ongoing observation of the behavior and interactions of both the Igbo and the European missionaries. 

The first reference to time in the novel occurs in Chapter One, when Okonkwo, the protagonist, beats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match. The text states, “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino” (1). The text then goes on to assert, “That was many years ago, twenty years or more, and during this time Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush fire in the harmattan” (1).

The next reference of time occurs when Okonkwo is given charge of Ikemefuna for three years after Okonkwo threatens a village to surrender a virgin and young man for atonement. The text states, “The elders of the clan had decided that Ikemefuna should be in Okonkwo’s care for a while. But no one thought it would be as long as three years” (20). The next major passage of time occurs when Okonkwo is exiled for seven years after he accidentally shoots and kills a boy at Ezedu’s funeral: “Your duty is to comfort your wives and children and take them back to you fatherland after seven years” (95). Okonkwo then returns to Umuofia, and upon seeing the influence that the European missionaries have exerted over his village, he commits suicide.

Thus, the book ranges over a span of thirty years.

Why do plants in waterlogged soil have to use anaerobic respiration?

Let’s start with some definitions. Anaerobic respiration means to perform respiration without air. If there is no oxygen available for the plant to survive it still needs to be able to do respiration. Respiration is the process of releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose. Aerobic respiration is respiration with oxygen. Under normal circumstances plants take in carbon dioxide through the stomata in their leaves, produce food by performing photosynthesis, and then release oxygen. At the same time photosynthesis is happening, so is respiration. During the day photosynthesis happens at a faster rate than respiration and at night respiration only takes place. Here, oxygen will enter through the stomata. If the soil gets waterlogged, the oxygen supply to plants can run out and the plants have to perform anaerobic respiration. The anaerobic respiration equation is glucose -> ethanol + carbon dioxide + energy. To sum this up, all cells need to perform respiration to produce the energy they require. In plants, if oxygen is present they will perform aerobic respiration but if it is not they still need to be able to produce energy. Producing energy without oxygen is done by anaerobic respiration.

What is the meaning of "golden mist" in The Story of My Life by Helen Keller?

Helen was hesitant when she began writing her autobiography.  Many years before, she had written a story and had been accused of intentional plagiarism.  Helen wrote a creative story called "The Frost King," but discovered that it was very similar to one which had been read to her years before.  When writing her story, she had no idea that she was creating a plot based on distant memories.  After this, Helen became a hesitant writer.

In the opening paragraph of The Story of My Life, Helen wrote about her fear in starting her autobiography:

I have, as it were, a superstitious hesitation in lifting the veil that clings about my childhood like a golden mist (Chapter I).

Helen went on to explain that when recalling her childhood, she had trouble separating fact from fiction.  She noted the difficulties for adults as they recalled their childhoods.  In addition to this, Helen lived a life of silent darkness during her early childhood.  

Before Miss Sullivan arrived when Helen was six years old, she lived in a world where she was, in many ways, trapped inside her own body.  She could not see or hear.  She struggled to communicate.  She could communicate basic wants and needs to close friends and family.  She could not, however, communicate with any level of complexity.  In frustration, she often went into fits of rage.  Miss Sullivan came to be her teacher, and with her help Helen learned to communicate using the manual alphabet.  This changed her life.

Helen was hesitant to write about her childhood because of how vague some of the memories were.  She felt as though they were covered by a "golden mist" because of how distant they seemed.  She also did not want a repeat of her previous experience with plagiarism.  Helen did not want to be accused of writing a story that was not from her own mind.

How would you compare and contrast the Knight with the Parson in the General Prologue of "The Canterbury Tales"?

In the General Prologue, the Knight is described as a "worthy man" (line 43). He has the highest class level out of all the people on the pilgrimage, so that is most likely the reason he is described first. We can also infer that he rides close to the head of the processional due to his status. He is a noble man, for he "loved chivalrie, trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie" (lines 45-46). Line 51 reveals that the knight participated in the Crusades and fought and won many battles for the glory of Christendom. In lines 70-71, Chaucer asserts that the Knight has never participated in any type of "vileynye" in "all his lyfe" which makes him a "parfit gentil knyght" (line 72). 

The Parson is similarly described as a good, worthy man. Though the Parson has a much lower societal status, and has not fought any battles for Christendom, he is a religious man and his good values stem from his beliefs. (He is described much later in the General Prologue because of his lower status). While the Knight is wealthy from his victories, the Parson is "povre" (line 480). The Parson is "benygne" and "wonder diligent, and in advercitee ful pacient," which adds to his positive descriptors (lines 485-486). In line 523, the text says that the Parson's business was to lead people to faith by being a good example. The Knight may have fought in the Crusades, but the writer's praise for the Parson is clear - the Parson is an example of a true Church figure. While both the Knight and Parson are described favourably, (which is rare in the General Prologue), it is clear from their descriptions that the Knight and Parson are separated by their statuses and the ways in which they live their lives, though both are good men.

How could I go about writing a monologue about a character from The Crucible?

One way to write an effective monologue based off of a character in The Crucible is to choose a complex character and explore the depth of their experience.

One complex character is Abigail.  She plays such an important role in the drama's development.  She is the reason why the trials reach such a fevered pitch.  She initiated many of the accusations and stirred the emotionally contagious pot that Salem became.  However, she simply disappears at drama's end.  We really have no idea what has become of her.  It might be very interesting to write about Abigail's life once she leaves Salem.  A monologue that talks about what she experienced, whether she still thinks of Salem and John Proctor, or even what she hoped to gain out of leaving Salem could be very effective.  It would delve into the thoughts and motivations of one of the drama's most important characters.

Another topic for an emotionally intense monologue would be Giles Corey.  He occupied such an important role in Act III.  His legal challenge to Danforth and Hathorne was significant to the drama.  He is hauled off to jail and the only information we have about him comes from Elizabeth when she talks about his death.  It might be unique to get into his mind while he is in jail. He knows that he will refuse to speak.  Exploring the motivations behind his silence might be very persuasive.  The monologue could even take place as he is sentenced.  It could examine his thoughts as the stones are added upon him.  There could be a delving into the physical pain he experiences as well as his emotional resolve to continue with it.  His cry of "More weight" is synonymous with resistance in the face of intense pressure.  Entering into this mindset might be very worthwhile in monologue form.

You can select any character from Miller's drama for an effective monologue. The idea would be to enter their mind and explore what they might have felt and experienced as a result of the emotionally draining witch trials. 

What was the scene inside Raina's bedchamber when the Russian officer came looking for the fugitive Captain Bluntschli in Act 1 of Arms and The Man?

As is typical of Shaw's work, Act 1 of Arms and the Man begins with an elaborate two paragraph description of the scene in the bedchamber. Your assignment is basically to paraphrase this description. Your paraphrase should include both a description of the physical setting and of Raina and her mother. 

The physical setting is the bedroom of Raina Petkoff, a young woman from a wealthy Bulgarian family. Shaw's description emphasizes a sort of cultural hybridity. Shaw praises the beautiful Oriental textiles and disparages the "cheap Viennese" influences. He describes several elements that will become important later in the plot, including the balcony through which Captain Bluntschli will enter the room. Shaw also describes in great detail the portrait of Sergius. Shaw also describes the canopied bed, religious shrine, dressing table, chair, washstand, chest of drawers, and box of chocolate creams, that will become an important element of the dialogue. 

For characters, Shaw's description emphasizes the way Catherine and Raina both ape Viennese fashion, implying that their native Bulgarian strength and traditions are actually the more admirable cores to their personalities and that their attempts to become Europeanized fail because of their inauthenticity. 

Does the musing of the banker come true?

Early in "The Bet," the banker muses that the lawyer will lose the bet because he will not cope more than "three or four years" in solitary confinement. He believes this because he is certain that "voluntary" confinement is much harder to bear than "compulsory" confinement, like a court-imposed prison sentence.

Not all of these musings, however, come true. The banker is right in his prediction that the lawyer will lose the bet but he loses by choice, not as a result of being unable to cope with the conditions of his confinement. While the lawyer did suffer from "loneliness" and "depression" in the early years of his confinement, he coped relatively well with being locked away. In fact, the lawyer only walks out five hours before the deadline and only forfeits his right to the money because he no longer values material wealth.

Do you see Ibsen's A Doll's House as primarily about the struggle between the needs of the individual and the needs of society or about the...

These notions are not mutually exclusive. Society's needs, or expectations, for Nora are foisted upon her due to her gender. For years, she was unable to see how society's expectations constricted her as a human being. She does not really understand who she is or what her own expectations are because she has simply acted according to the expectations of others, including those of her husband, Torvald.

I think it is helpful, too, to regard the family as a microcosm, or a small sample, of society. At this time, women were only expected to be wives and mothers. They were imagined as nurturing, and as desiring nothing more than to care for their husbands and children. Middle-class women like Nora might entertain themselves by decorating their homes, and would also be expected to manage servants. From the outside, her life looks pleasant, comfortable, and privileged; in some ways, it is, but there is also no exteriority. Nora is not expected to go outside of this house.

The expectations imposed on Nora from within her own family are also those imposed by society. By leaving Torvald to discover who she is, Nora is doing something extremely rebellious, something that would generally be frowned upon. By having his female hero act in such a radical manner, Ibsen communicates his own dissatisfaction with bourgeois ideas about marriage and family, which are especially restrictive for women, and thereby limit the possibilities for society as a whole.

Use the force field to find the work done on a particle.

The work done by the force field in moving the particle along a path is a circulation, or line integral, of this force field around the path. The circulation is defined as

`W = int_C vecF* dvecs` .

The expression under the integral is the scalar product of the force field and the vector `dvecs` , which is tangent to the line.

The given force field has only a y-component, so the line integral of this force field on the horizontal pieces of the given path (`C_1`  and `C_3`  ) will be zero. (The scalar product of two perpendicular vectors is zero.)

So the work of the given force field will be

`W = int_ (C_2) vecF*dvecs + int_(C_4) vecF*dvecs` .

Since `C_2`

is vertical and is traversed upward, for `C_2`

`dvecs = dvecy` . Since `C_4` is vertical and is traversed downward, for `C_4` `dvecs =-dvecy` .

The scalar product of the unit vector `vecj`

and `dvecy`

is `vecj*dvecy = dy`

because they are parallel.

Therefore, the integral for work above becomes

`W = int_(C_2) (-(x + 2y^2))dy + int_(C_4) (-(x + 2y^2))(-dy)`

To evaluate these integrals, consider their boundaries. The curve `C_2`

is the segment of straight vertical line with the equation x =3, bounded by the y-values y = -1 and y = 1. The curve `C_4`

is the segment of straight vertical line with the equation x = 1, bounded by the y-values y = -1 and y = 1. So, after the integrals with respect to y are taken, x = 3 can be plugged in the first resultant function, and x = 1 in the second resultant function:

`W = -xy|_(3, -1) ^(((3, 1))) -2y^3/3 |_(-1) ^ 1 + xy |_(1, -1) ^(((1, 1))) + 2y^3/3 |_(-1) ^ 1 = -3*2 +1*2 = -4`

(In the first and third expression, (3, 1) and (1, 1) should be in parentheses but the math editor is refusing to display them.)

The work performed by the given force field in moving a particle around the given path is -4.

This result can also be obtained by using Green's theorem. It states that the circulation of the force field around a closed path can be related to the area enclosed by the path:

`int_C (Pdx + Qdy) = int int ((dQ)/(dx) - (dP)/(dy)) dA` .

Here, `P = F_x`

and `Q = F_y`

For the given force field, P = 0 and `Q = -(x + 2y^2)`

so `(dQ)/(dx) = -1`

This means the surface integral equals negative area of the region enclosed by the given path. This region is the square with the side 2, so its area is 4. Thus, the surface integral equals -4, which is consistent with the result for circulation obtained previously.

Why was 1929 so significant in American history?

October 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday) marked the greatest stock crash in American history and is considered the official beginning of the Great Depression, a financial disaster that would leave one quarter of the American workforce unemployed and spread joblessness to Europe as well. The Great Depression was also a contributing factor to causing World War II, as frustrated unemployed Italians and Germans put dictators in power in Italy and Germany.  

In the decade leading up to Black Tuesday, the stock market did quite well, and people would often borrow money to buy stock with the intention of paying it back when the stock price increased. This is called buying on margin. When stock prices plummeted in 1929 and it appeared as though they would stay down, banks called in their loans, forcing many people to file bankruptcy. Banks were not required to have reserves of liquid capital and many had loaned money to buy stocks, meaning they had to close. Without federal banking insurance under FDIC, many people who never owned stock lost their life savings when their banks closed.  

`int (csc^2(t))/cot(t) dt` Find the indefinite integral.

`int (csc^2(t))/(cot(t))dt=`

We will use the following formula: 

 `int (f'(x))/(f(x))dx=ln|f(x)|+C.`

We will use the following formula:  

The formula tells us that if we have integral of rational function where numerator is equal to derivative of 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 `(cot(t))'=-csc^2(t)` we first have to modify our integral in order to apply the formula. We will put the minus sign in the numerator but then we must also put minus sign in front of the integral (`-1 times-1=1`).

`-int(-csc^2(t))/cot(t)dt=`

Now we apply the formula.

`-ln(cot(t))+C=`

We can further simplify the result by using rule for logarithm of power: `r log_b x=log_b x^r`

`ln(cot^(-1)(t))+C=`

And since `cot^(-1)(t)=tan(t)` we have

`ln(tan(t))+C` 

What are the basic principles and values of a republic?

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`int (2 - tan(theta/4)) d theta` Find the indefinite integral.

`int(2-tan(theta/4))d theta=`

Use additivity of integral: `int(f(x)pm g(x))dx=int f(x)dx pm int g(x)dx.` `int2d theta-int tan(theta/4)d theta=`

Since the first integral is easy `int 2d theta=2theta+C` we will concentrate on the second integral. To solve it we will make substitution: `u=theta/4,` `du=(d theta)/4=>d theta=4du`

`int tan(theta/4)d theta=4int tan u du=-4ln|cos u|+C`

Return the substitution.

`-4ln|cos(theta/4)|+C`  

Now we subtract the two integrals to obtain the final result.

`2theta-(-4ln|cos(theta/4)|)+C=2theta+4ln|cos(theta/4)|+C`

` `

What are the accomplishments of Ulrich von Gradwitz in "The Interlopers"?

The main accomplishment of Ulrich von Gradwitz is that he is able to bring the feud between Georg Znaeym and himself to an end.

Just as the two enemies come face to face in the forest, lightning strikes a huge beech tree that splits and falls, preventing either man from firing his rifle. As "a deed of Nature's own violence overwhelm[s] them," the two enemies are pinioned beneath heavy branches. The two men exchange curses in their enmity.
Then, when Znaeym laughs at the irony of von Gradwitz having been snared in his "stolen" forest, von Gradwitz retorts that while he may be "caught in my own forest land," his men will come to release him and Znaeym will be apprehended as a poacher. But, Znaeym informs his foe that he, too, has men out there. However, no men appear for some time. So, Ulrich von Gradwitz decides to offer his wine flask to Georg Znaeym, but he refuses. 

As the night wears on, each man is quiet with his own private thoughts until von Gradwitz finally concludes that there are more important things in life "...than getting the better of a boundary dispute."

Turning to Znaeym he asks,

"Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, I--I will ask you to be my friend."

Silent for a considerable time, Znaeym finally responds slowly,

"How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode into the market square together. No one living can remember a  Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in friendship."

The two men talk some more and finally resolve their differences, even to the point of each one hoping his men will be first to arrive so that he can demonstrate "honorable attention to the enemy that had become a friend." But, as fate would have it, neither is able to do so.

What are some examples of symbolism, foreshadowing, allusions, and imagery?

Symbolism: Symbolism is when a concrete object stands for an abstract concept. For example, a red rose (concrete) represents love (abstract). There are certain symbols that are fairly recognizable or set, such as a cross being a symbol for a religion. Other symbols are up to interpretation based on the context in which they appear. For example, an apple can represent education (if found in a classroom or given to a teacher) or an apple can represent deception (Adam & Eve story or Snow White). It is up to the reader to interpret the symbol based on context.

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is like a hint at what is to come. For example, a dark cloud could foreshadow a storm.

Allusions: Allusions are references to other works. This is often done to describe an emotion or other abstract concept. Common allusions often come from the Bible or mythology. For example, if I called someone "Sleeping Beauty," I am making an allusion to a fairy tale in which a woman is placed under a sleeping curse. This allusion could reference the person's inability to stay awake or reference someone who lacks energy.

Imagery: Imagery is the use of descriptive language to create a picture in a reader's mind using the five senses. For example, I could describe a field of flowers as, "A green pasture blanketed by red, yellow, and orange flowers."

In The Dispossessed by Le Guin, to what extent are the social structures of Urras and Anarres influenced by their different material reality?...

"The Dispossessed" serves as a testing chamber for many of Marx's and Engels' ideas. In fact, the society of Anarres is an example of many of Marx's ideals, such as communal living and dispossession, being lived out. In rebellion against the decadence of Urras, the colonists of Anarres strove to create a society in which ownership was all but an obsolete concept.

Examine the material reality of these worlds. To what extent is the social structure of these worlds influenced by their different material reality?

The stark contrast between the material realities of Anarres and Urras significantly affects their social structure. Anarres is a harsh desert moon with sparse resources, which makes the values of shared labor and communal living essential. Anarres rewards the mundane and those who fall into the status quo, praising their efforts while meeting their basic needs. The flaws Shevek notices in the society of Anarres play heavily into many of the criticisms that have been leveled against Marx's ideal of material reality's importance over consciousness.

While the unrelenting equality of life on Anarres makes sense in context of limited physical resources, it allows brilliant individuals like Shevek and Bedap to fall through the cracks. Thus, by conforming only to the demands of materiality, Anarres abandons any chance it has of making significant progress. The society is stable, but it punishes the extraordinary.

In contrast, the lush landscape of Urras provides ample fuel for the society's decadence. Despite plentiful resources, Shevek soon learns that Urras' bounty does not make its way to many of the workers and poor who inhabit the planet. The material reality of Anarres necessitates a Spartan government, but the corruption on Urras thrives despite its material reality.

Could the social structure of Anarres survive on Urras? Why or why not?

The social structure of Anarres could never survive on Urras, because the structure of Anarres, much like communism, thrives on limited resources. The communal work ethic and values of abnegation found on Anarres could only survive on a planet where cooperation is the key to survival. An often-slighted flaw of Engels' idealism is that dialectical materialism would crumble if resources were unlimited and human greed could take over, as it has on Urras.

In Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr., what do they mean by "hides"?

Two Years Before the Mast is a true record of the author Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s experiences when he worked as an ordinary seaman on a sailing vessel named the Pilgrim and aboard a different sailing vessel, the Alert, on his return from California to Massachusetts. Both ships were involved in a single trading voyage, bringing manufactured goods from Boston and returning to Massachusetts with a cargo of cow hides, where they could be turned into luggage, shoes, and other leather goods. The "two years" were from 1834 to 1836, and in those days there was very little in California to trade for the manufactured goods brought from Boston except cow hides. The Pilgrim stopped at small ports all along the California coast. These little ports have all become major cities--San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco.

In those days, ships from the East Coast had to sail all the way down the Atlantic to the southern tip of South America, around the turbulent Cape Horn, and back up the west coast of South America and Central America to California. That explains why the voyage took so long.

The hardest work the sailors had to do was loading cow hides aboard their ship. Since the ports were primitive, the men often had to carry stacks of cow hides from the shore out to the ship in waist-high surf. Dana wrote the book mainly to show how badly the sailors were treated aboard ships. He was a gentleman-adventurer himself, taking time off from his studies at Harvard College.

What is the best way to memorize Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"?

The best way to memorize a poem is to find key features of the poem's structure that create a pattern to you or stand out to you. These you will remember, so construct your memorization around them.

In Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," there are connections of ideas in each stanza; there is a chronological design: 

1. The speakers sees the two paths [roads] and looks down one of them


2. The speaker takes the other path because it was grassy and not worn, although they look essentially the same


3. He keeps the first "road" for another day


4. He will tell "this" with a sigh

Once you get these ideas in your mind--the main ideas--along with their pattern, you can memorize the first lines of each stanza thoroughly as they will "ignite" your memory of the ones that follow.

If you can easily learn songs, then committing to memory the meter of the poem and its rhyme is a good way to remember it. (Some students memorize the last words of each line, rather than the first.) Reading the poem aloud over and over will assist the "ear" to remember the lines.

-OR-
Since poems often progress through associative images, you can write down these images and look at the words as you begin to memorize. Sometimes when a student gets "stuck," these images will ignite the memory. Memorizing key phrases helps, also, as they act as connective tissue.

-OR-
Memorizing the first letter of each line, or the first word, helps to "jog" the memory sometimes. This is very helpful if students are asked to write the poem from memory, since they can quickly write those letters down, then fill in the poem from the beginning. Often that one letter will jog the memory.
________________________________________________

Read the poem aloud several times and practice, practice. Nothing is better than repetition. Hearing it helps, too. As the lines become more familiar to you, say them without looking at the page. Then, see if you can write it without looking at anything.

`y = ln|sec(x) + tan(x)|` Find the derivative of the function.

`y=ln|secx+tanx|`

To take the derivative of this function, use the formula:

`(ln u)' = 1/u* u'`

Applying this formula, y' will be:

`y' = 1/(secx+tanx) * (secx+tanx)'`

To get the derivative of the inner function, use the formulas:

`(sec theta)'= sec theta tan theta`

`(tan theta)' =sec^2 theta`

So y' will become:

`y' = 1/(secx +tanx) * (secxtanx+sec^2x)`

Simplifying it, the derivative will be:

`y'=(secxtanx+sec^2x)/(secx+tanx)`

`y'=(secx(tanx+secx))/(secx + tanx)`

`y'=(secx(secx+tanx))/(secx+tanx)`

`y'=secx`

Therefore, the derivative of the given function is `y' =secx` .

What are the advantages for Nepal being a member of the UN?

Being officially recognized as a member nation by the United Nations is a very important step for many countries to establish themselves as independent nation-states. It confers a number of benefits, but also carries many responsibilities.

The benefits are particularly important for poor countries such as Nepal, because they include various forms of foreign aid, including development assistance and emergency aid for natural disasters. Rich countries such as the United States could probably do without such benefits (indeed usually pay out more in net aid than they receive), but for poor countries they can be a vital lifeline.

When earthquakes devastated Nepal last year, the UN and its member nations stepped in to provide $15 million in disaster aid, which Nepal would not have gotten if they were not a part of the UN.

UN membership also gives a country a vote in the General Assembly, which passes resolutions on a variety of international matters, ranging from trade to war to human rights. Getting one vote among over 200 may not feel like much, but it's much better than having no vote at all.

Being a UN member also provides many symbolic benefits; it establishes your country as an independent nation and projects a sense of openness to be a part of the international community.

Being a UN member carries responsibilities as well; member states must abide by the rules of the UN. They can be sanctioned if they violate these rules, especially with regard to human rights.

The following is a fictional balance of payments accounts of a country labeled Surplus Land, which pegs its exchange rate to the dollar and...

(1) There are a lot of terms to keep track of, but once you know what each of these things is, it's simply a matter of adding up the proper columns.

Trade balance is the same thing as net exports, and is calculated as exports minus imports (here they already gave us imports as negative numbers), including both goods and services:
100 billion yuan + 5 billion yuan - 50 billion yuan - 20 billion yuan = 35 billion yuan

Current account balance is net exports plus net transfers:
35 billion yuan - 2 billion yuan = 33 billion yuan

Capital account balance is net return on foreign capital plus net change in foreign reserves:
20 billion yuan - 3 billion yuan - 50 billion yuan = - 33 billion yuan

Notice that the following balance of payments equation holds:
(capital account balance) + (current account balance) = 0

In theory, this should always hold. In the real world, sometimes errors or hidden assets cause the two figures to be different, but for Surplus Land we have perfect figures so the identity must be exact.

The official settlements balance is the same as the net change in foreign reserves:
- 50 billion yuan

(2) Surplus Land's current account imbalance comes from their high net exports--their trade surplus, hence the name. They are selling more goods than they are purchasing, and thereby increasing their stock of money.

They are financing this current account surplus with a capital account deficit, which in this case means depleting their foreign reserves.

This is not sustainable, because eventually they're going to run out of reserves. When that happens, they'll have no choice but to let the currency float so that it can rise in value and cancel out the trade surplus.

They may be reluctant to do so, however, as for the time being this trade surplus allows them to take in more money than they are paying out, which directly increases their GDP, and could be used to support a fiscal deficit without government debt.

How did the director of West Side Story transform Shakespeare's original wedding scene for a new, modern audience while exploring the same...

The wedding scene in West Side Story takes place inside the bridal shop where Maria works. In this scene, Maria and Tony imagine their wedding, and they arrange mannequins to play the parts of their parents and others in the wedding party. This scene, like the scene in Romeo and Juliet, allows the lovers to express their commitment to each other, although the scene takes place in a bridal store instead of Friar Lawrence's cell. The theme of lovers marrying without their parents' consent is present in both plays, but in West Side Story, mannequins are cleverly used to symbolize Tony and Maria's absent parents.

In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo tells the Friar, "Do thou but close our hands with holy words,/ Then love-devouring death do what he dare;/ It is enough I may but call her mine" (II.6.6-8). Romeo asks the Friar to join Romeo's hand to Juliet's to make their love able to defeat death. In the mock wedding scene in West Side Story, Maria and Tony sing the song "One Hand, One Heart," which echoes the same theme as Romeo's words — that of the lovers joining their hands and hearts.

Why do you think it is often difficult to do business across cultures? How can business people avoid cross-cultural mistakes? If a company offends...

It is often difficult to do business across cultures because every country has its own unique set of norms as well as differing perspectives on social etiquette. It can be quite a challenge to master every necessary rule for the purposes of covering every eventuality in a variety of business settings.

One of the best ways to avoid cross-cultural blunders is to increase one's cultural intelligence. Four things that contribute to cultural intelligence are strategies to include cross-cultural awareness in daily actions, ways to adapt to changing paradigms in business relationships, ways to develop the essential motivation to become culturally aware, and strategies on amassing knowledge about the role of culture in shaping belief structures. In sociology, the functionalist theory is the perspective that a society functions best when all interconnected parts within that society work in harmony. In order to promote this harmony, cross-cultural understanding must be fostered on a global scale.

Since the functionalist perspective focuses on how each party in a business relationship affects or is affected by others, becoming culturally intelligent is a necessary step in promoting understanding, goodwill, and harmony among diverse societies. Some ways to become culturally intelligent include:

• Learning a foreign language that corresponds to the culture in which one is currently doing business.


• Participating in cross-cultural activities that reflect that culture.


• Researching business etiquette in that culture and learning how to think on one's feet when unexpected developments hamper negotiating efforts.

Another sociological perspective, the conflict theory, proposes that every society is made up of competing, interconnected parts. Essentially, every strata of society is composed of individuals competing for the same resources and material benefits in that society. The conflict perspective originated from Marx's theory that society was made up of the "haves" and the "have-nots." So, from a business perspective, cross-cultural awareness is a necessary tool to foster greater cooperation among business entities. As an example, western businesses must take into consideration that, among non-western peoples, the prevalence of preconceived notions and fears about latent colonialism is very real.

Interactionism is the perspective that people are largely defined or shaped by their social interactions. From a business perspective, even giving unintentional offense can lead to devastating results. Business deals are adversely affected on a yearly basis due to ignorance of how different cultures interpret certain gestures, actions, or words. For example, Pepsi lost its market dominance to Coke in South East Asia because the company changed the color of Pepsi vending machines from dark blue to a light blue, a color of mourning in some communities in that region.

If a company offends a culture in which it is trying to do business, options are limited. Apologies can be made, but specific actions may be needed to overcome emotional barriers in the event of an offense. In many cases (as you'll see in the links below), fixing a cross-cultural blunder (and saving business contracts) is an extremely difficult undertaking.Therefore, it is always advisable to concentrate on avoiding cross-cultural offenses as a matter of habit.

Some links you may like about cultural business blunders and how to avoid them are posted below.

How does the title of Saki's "The Open Window" relate to the story's theme?

The French window standing open gives Vera the inspiration for her ghost story. She hints that if the three hunters were actually to return, as she claims her aunt has expected them to do for the past three years, they would have to enter through that window directly into the living room. This would be unusual behavior because, even if the men had only been gone for one day, as the aunt believes, they would have muddy boots and probably enter through a side door into a little pantry or some such room where they could remove their boots. Saki had to establish that the men were used to entering the living room directly from outdoors and that Vera's aunt didn't mind having the carpeting tracked with mud. 

"I hope you don't mind the open window," said Mrs. Sappleton briskly; "my husband and brothers will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They've been out for snipe in the marshes today, so they'll make a fine mess over my poor carpets. So like you menfolk, isn't it?"

The open door also serves as a constant reminder of the notion that Vera is attempting to implant in the mind of the guest Framton Nuttel. She wants him to believe Mrs. Sappleton lost her mind three years ago when the hunters were sucked into a bog and that her demented aunt has left that window open for the past three years expecting her men to return for tea. It is essential to Vera's ghost story that her aunt should not contradict her when she makes an appearance. Vera knows her aunt will say something about the open door and explain the men will be entering through it when they return, but this will not contradict Vera's story that her aunt believes the men have only been gone for one day rather than for three years.

Saki had to establish that the three men would enter as usual through the open window. That was what frightened Framton. Both Vera and her aunt call his attention to the door and explain why it is standing open in November. Vera explains,

"Out through that window, three years ago to a day, her husband and her two young brothers went off for their day's shooting. They never came back. In crossing the moor to their favourite snipe-shooting ground they were all three engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog. It had been that dreadful wet summer, you know, and places that were safe in other years gave way suddenly without warning. Their bodies were never recovered... Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window —

When the three hunters return after being gone for only one day, both Aunt Sappleton and Vera will focus their attention on the open window, albeit each for different reasons. Aunt Sappleton will guilelessly announce the arrival of the three hunters.

"Here they are at last!" she cried. "Just in time for tea, and don't they look as if they were muddy up to the eyes!"

Vera, on the other hand, looks at the same scene with faked horror. She seems to imply her aunt's steadfast expectation of the men's return somehow brought them out of the bog after three years, with all three are appropriately covered in mud. Framton is a nervous wreck anyway, and he has no time to think. The "dead men" are only yards from that wide-open French window! 

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid imminent collision.

The window had to be standing open in order to call attention to it as a mode of ingress and egress. Otherwise, it could have been closed but not locked. If the window were closed, the big pane of glass would obscure the vision of the three approaching hunters armed with guns. The contrast between the darkness outdoors and lights indoors would make it nearly impossible to see anything outside. The vision Framton sees is essential to the story.

In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders

In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, the doctors say that Mrs. Mallard dies of "joy that kills." Is this an example of dramatic irony?

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something important that a character in a story does not know. In "The Story of an Hour," Kate Chopin uses dramatic irony at the end of the story when the doctors assume that Mrs. Mallard has been overcome by the "joy" of seeing her husband, whom she had thought was dead. Because she had a heart condition, they think the shock of happiness killed her. In reality, however, it was the shock of disappointment that killed her because she had come to realize that her life would be so much better without her husband's benevolent "repression." It had recently dawned on her that life provided many more opportunities for her without the leadership of her husband. Mrs. Mallard lived in a period of history when husbands made most of the important decisions for their wives. Mrs. Mallard was looking forward to being free of that guidance and living life for herself. The doctors, being men, have absolutely no idea that Mrs. Mallard died because she simply could not handle the idea that all her dreams would have to be abandoned with the presence of her living husband.

Who was the first scientist?

The first person to use the formal "scientific method" as it is known today is Roger Bacon (1214 - 1253). He emphasized the use of mathematics in science, insisting that the numerical values of nature were important. 

The first person to use logic with observation to make discoveries was Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) in ancient Greece. His writings were coveted for thousands of years as the basis of truth, despite some glaring inaccuracy.

The modern scientific method was developed by Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) in his book Novum Organum. His use of strict controls is key to a uniform experimental method such as those performed today. It is useful to note that Bacon is also known as the father of empiricism, or the belief that knowledge is based on sensory experience. This belief may have been key to his discovery.

The Piligrims established a tradition of more or less peaceful coexistence with the Native Americans that lasted over fifty years. Why did that...

The Pilgrims established peace with the Wampanoags around Cape Cod after they arrived in 1620. Their migration was followed by other migrations that brought increased English settlement to New England. For example, 20,000 Puritans came to the area during the Great Migration of 1620-1640 to escape religious persecution in England. They settled along the Connecticut River and the coast and were beginning to settle at points in between, causing increased pressures on the Native Americans in the region to give up their lands. In addition, the later settlers were not part of the original peace settlement that the Pilgrims had established with Native Americans.

In 1675, King Philip's War broke out between the English settlers and Native Americans, who were led by Metacom (also called King Philip), the son of Massasoit (who had lived peacefully alongside the Pilgrims). This war led to the horrific defeat of the Wampanoags and Narragansett tribes. As a result, the flow of English settlement over Native American lands in most of New England was unrestricted. The war might have been prevented if the English settlers had respected Native American claims to the land, but the English did not. 

In 1984, which quotes show that Julia is resourceful?

In 1984, Julia's resourcefulness is one of her most striking characteristics, and this is shown from her very first meeting with Winston. After falling over in front of the telescreen, Julia takes Winston's hand and is able to transfer a slip of paper to him, without anybody noticing, even Winston himself. In fact, it is only after the meeting that he realises what has happened:

"In the two or three seconds while he was helping her up the girl had slipped something into his hand. There was no question that she had done it intentionally."

In addition, Julia is very resourceful when it comes to arranging meetings with Winston. It is her idea, for example, to meet in the woods, and she uses her knowledge of the Party's surveillance techniques to keep their liaisons secret and to avoid detection:

"We can come here once again," said Julia. "It’s generally safe to use any hide-out twice. But not for another month or two, of course."

Finally, Julia is also very adept at overcoming the problem of rationing to secure certain goods for herself and Winston. She procures chocolate from the Black Market, for instance, using her clean-cut image to deflect attention from her activities, as she explains to Winston:

"I always look cheerful and I never shirk anything. Always yell with the crowd, that’s what I say. It’s the only way to be safe."