How is the bond story linked with the casket story in The Merchant of Venice?

Both stories turn on the importance of the exact text of a bizarre legal document, and both involve Portia.

The Caskets

In the casket story, the legal document is Portia's father's will, which stipulated that each of her suitors must choose one of three mysterious caskets (small chests).  If the suitor chooses the one that turns out to have Portia's picture inside, he is free to marry her.  

Each casket (gold, silver, or lead) also comes with a riddle, presumably also written by Portia's father.  The riddles are very ambiguous, e.g., "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves."  Their meaning could be construed very differently depending the reader's expectations. This gives us a glimpse into Portia's father's mind, and his possible reasons for writing his will the way he did.  He wanted Portia's suitors to be sorted out by their interpretations of the challenge.  The one with the best character would choose the right casket. 

It is up to Portia to explain the rules of the challenge to each suitor.  Then, though she knows which is the right casket, she has to keep her mouth shut.  She must refrain from misleading suitors she doesn't like, and from giving a hint to the suitor she really does like (Bassanio).  This is a very hard task, and the fact that she is able to do it shows how great a respect she has for her father and for the letter of his will (though she does not really like the will).  It also shows her willingness not to show off, to keep her knowledge hidden.

The Bond

Unlike the will and the riddles, the bond that Shylock draws up with Antonio is not carefully designed.  It is drawn up in haste.  Antonio thinks it a joke and foolishly signs it. Shylock is in a flurry of secret excitement because here is his chance to get even with Antonio, and like any con man he is eager to get a signature before the victim changes his mind.  Thus they end up with the bond saying that if Antonio does not pay on time, Shylock is entitled to "a pound of flesh" from Antonio.

Despite being poorly thought out, the bond is legal, just like Portia's father's will.   When Antonio is not able to pay on time, Shylock demands what he is entitled to in "my bond," as he calls it.  Antonio's friends offer to pay the amount owed, or even two or three times its value, but Shylock will accept only a pound of flesh, and the bond does not say that the pound of flesh may be waived in exchange for repayment.  Everyone, even the judge, is distressed by the situation.

Enter Portia, disguised as the young lawyer Balthasar. In her argument before the court, she holds up the legality of the bond.  We cannot cast it aside, she says, because it would go down for a precedent, and soon everyone would feel free to break their contracts, all over Venice.  In doing this, she earns the trust of Shylock and of the judge.  But Portia does not uphold the bond simply because it will win her the game. She has great respect for the letter of the law. 

But Portia also knows, from her experience with the caskets and probably from her training under her father before his death, that documents when examined closely do not always say what we thought they said.  So she takes the bond very literally, and finds that it says nothing about blood.  Therefore it is not legal for Shylock to shed any of Antonio's blood.  Thus she turns the words of the bond back on Shylock, just like the words of the riddles were turned back on her unlucky suitors. 

Notice also that in her role as Balthasar, Portia has to use again her skills of keeping her mouth shut and not showing her knowledge.  She does not show who she is. She does not immediately blurt out her winning argument, but leads up to it slowly and even allows Shylock to prepare to cut into Antonio's flesh.  Afterward, when Bassanio thanks her, she still does not blurt out who she is.  She has learned to live and die by the law, to be cool under pressure, and to keep her own council.  That is why she is such an amazing heroine. 

What is the reason Squeaky does not do chores in "Raymond's Run"?

Squeaky has a very important job in “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara, and it is not doing housework. Each member of the family has his or her own responsibilities. Her mother takes charge of the housework while Squeaky attends to her developmentally disabled brother, Raymond. This allows her mother to complete her daily chores, and allows Squeaky to continue with her running practice routine.

All I have to do in life is mind my brother Raymond, which is enough.

Caring for Raymond takes time, dedication, and loyalty. In order for Squeaky’s mother to care for the household, she requires her daughter to care for Raymond, who needs constant attention. In the past, George, Squeaky’s other brother, had the task of caring for Raymond but he was not as fierce at defending him as Squeaky is. Although Raymond is chronologically older than Squeaky, he is not as developmentally advanced. Squeaky takes her job seriously to the point of fighting with anyone who questions Raymond’s appearance or abilities. Sometimes she has to run interference for him when he upsets the people relaxing in the park. In order to keep him safe, she instructs him to walk closest to the buildings on Broadway so he does not run into the busy street or play in the puddles next to the street while pretending the curb is a tightrope.

And sometimes after a rain he likes to step down off his tightrope right into the gutter and slosh around getting his shoes and cuffs wet. Then I get hit when I get home. Or sometimes if you don’t watch him he’ll dash across traffic to the island in the middle of Broadway and give the pigeons a fit. Then I have to go behind him apologizing to all the old people sitting around trying to get some sun and getting all upset with the pigeons fluttering around them, scattering their newspapers and upsetting the waxpaper lunches in their laps. So I keep Raymond on the inside of me, and he plays like he’s driving a stage coach which is OK by me so long as he doesn’t run me over or interrupt my breathing exercises, which I have to do on account of I’m serious about my running, and I don’t care who knows it.

Caring for, and defending Raymond is difficult job which Squeaky performs with heartfelt diligence. This allows her mother to accomplish the household chores. Although taking care of Raymond is a constant job, Squeaky manages to practice her ever important breathing exercises.

In Maniac Magee, why doesn't Maniac feel he can go to Mars Bar's house?

Maniac doesn’t want to go to Mars Bar’s house because he has been moving from home to home, but he realizes he belongs with the Beales. 

Maniac Magee has been homeless since he ran away from his foster parents (his aunt and uncle), except for a couple of brief stints with people who took him in.  He lived with the Beales, and then in the buffalo pen at the zoo, and then with Grayson, the old groundskeeper until he died.  After Grayson died, Maniac resumed sleeping in the buffalo pen.  This is where Mars Bar found him. 

Mars Bar tells Maniac about saving Russel from the trestle.  Maniac explains that he wasn’t able to save the boy because he was reminded of how his parents died.  The boys understand each other better after this.  Although Mars Bar and Maniac have not always seen eye to eye, this conversation helps.  Mars Bar tells Maniac that sleeping with the buffalo has not been good for him.

"Magee!"

"Yeah?"

"I had to ask you something. Now I gotta tell you something."

"What's that?"

"You smell like a buffalo."

Ears of a hundred different shapes prickled at the long, loud laughter of the boys. (Ch. 45)

Maniac may seem to not know or care what other people think of him, but he has been having a very hard time finding a home.  At this point, he just isn’t ready to go to Mars Bar’s house.  Smelling like a buffalo is a good excuse.

Having made a full circle of the zoo, they were back at the pen of the American bison. Maniac said, "I can't."

"Why not?” said Mars Bar. "My house not good enough? My mother?"

Maniac struggled for words. "I didn't say I didn't want to. I don't know...things happen… I can't..." (Ch. 45)

Luckily, Amanda Beale knows where to find Maniac, and tells him to come home.  The Beales are Maniac’s real family at this point.  He allowed himself to be run off from there because of the troubling race relations between the East and West End.  However, by this point, he is ready to return “home” for good.

How do I use my personal qualities to become a good teacher?

Without personally knowing you, this is a very tough question to answer. If I knew you, I could tailor my answer to focus on which of your personality traits could help you become a better educator.  

I've been teaching for thirteen years, so I do consider myself an expert in my field; however, there is always room for improvement in my own pedagogy. I would also like to say that there is no single best mold for a teacher. Different teachers of different ages and different subjects all have different styles. What works for one teacher may or may not work for a different teacher, but I do believe all good teachers share some personality traits. I will discuss a few of those, and you can compare those to your own personal qualities.  

One trait I believe is integral to being a teacher is patience. Regardless of the age group you teach, patience is going to be important. You will need patience when a class doesn't understand the lesson you are teaching. You will need patience when dealing with students who misbehave. You will need patience when dealing with parents who think they know more about how to do your job than you do.  

I also believe most good teachers are creative thinkers. That doesn't necessarily mean being creative with arts, crafts, and bulletin boards. Creative thinking is necessary when a class of students flat out doesn't understand the concept you are teaching. You will need to come up with a different way of teaching the content, and what works for one class might not work for other classes. You can't possibly hope to plan out everything in advance, which is why creative thinking skills are necessary.  

Third, good teachers like kids. If you don't like young people, don't be a teacher.  

Fourth, good teachers know how to accept failure and shake it off. There are going to be times when you design a lesson you believe will work flawlessly, and every student will learn amazing things because of the brilliant way you designed it. Then, for one reason or another, it will all blow up in your face. Don't beat yourself up. Laugh it off and make it better.

Good teachers are honest with their students. If students catch you in a lie, you lose all credibility for a very long time. If you don't know something, it's okay to admit it.  

Good teachers have a flexible attitude. There are going to be times when a lesson is going great. Kids are learning and having fun, and everything is on schedule. Then the fire alarm will ring. Everything will be thrown off, and you will have to adapt to the new situation you could not have possibly planned for in advance.

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

Respiration is a complex series of reactions which occur in all living cells to release energy from food. Oxygen is generally required for respiration as this releases more energy per glucose molecule. This type of respiration is referred to as aerobic respiration. 

Plants in waterlogged soil do not have adequate oxygen for aerobic respiration and yet they have to release energy from food in order to survive. So, they resort to the second form of respiration referred to as anaerobic respiration. 

Anaerobic respiration is a form of respiration that does not utilize oxygen. This form of respiration (anaerobic) involves incomplete oxidation of carbohydrate into some carbonic compounds such as ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. The amount of energy released is much less when compared to aerobic respiration but this still makes it possible for them to obtain the energy they require to survive.

In what ways was the United States expanding in the 19th century?

The United States was expanding in several ways in the 1800s. One way the United States expanded was by gaining control of more land. In 1803, the United States made the Louisiana Purchase with France. This doubled the size of our country. In the 1840s, the United States annexed Texas and obtained sole control over the Pacific Northwest. We also added the lands in the southwest part of our country including California, Nevada, and New Mexico as a result of winning the Mexican-American War in 1848.

The United States was also growing economically. As new inventions were developed, our businesses were able to produce more products. The steam engine allowed factories to be located anywhere, and it helped transport products quicker. As more people came to our country, our businesses produced more products to meet the growing demand. The building of the transcontinental railroad also helped the country’s economy grow.

The number of immigrants coming to the United States increased during the 1800s. There were two waves of immigration from Europe. From 1820-1860, many immigrants came from North and West Europe. From 1880-1920, many immigrants came from South and East Europe. There was also increased immigration from Asia during most of the 1800s.

Slavery grew during part of the 1800s. With the invention of the cotton gin, the need for slaves increased. As more cotton was being produced, slavery expanded throughout much of the South. The expansion of slavery was a key factor leading to the start of the Civil War.

The United States grew in many ways in the 1800s.

How would you explain the incidents that take place in Chapters 1–5 of Keller's The Story of My Life?

In Chapter 1, Keller recounts the story of her birth in 1880 in Alabama and gives an account of her family's genealogy. She also recalls her memories of her childhood before her illness, and at the end of the chapter, she gives an account of the illness at age 18 months that resulted in her blindness and deafness. In Chapter 2, she speaks about what happened before her teacher, Anne Sullivan, came to her house and recounts her childhood adventures with her friend Martha Washington, the daughter of the cook, and her dog. Keller often played tricks, such as locking her mother in the pantry. 

In Chapter 3, Keller's parents take her for treatment to an oculist in Baltimore, who then sends the family to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bell suggests that they contact the Perkins Institute for blind people in Boston. In Chapter 4, Anne Sullivan, Keller's teacher, arrives at Keller's house from the Perkins Institute, and Keller describes how Sullivan begins to teach her words that she spells on Keller's hand. In Chapter 5, Keller continues to experience a wider world under Sullivan's tutelage, and she climbs up a tree in which she is caught during a storm, thereby learning about the occasional cruelty of nature.