How does Winston feel about the world he lives in and how it is run? What clues can you find that show how he feels?

knows
from the start that there is something drastically unjust about Oceania and the way it is
governed. (Even this comes across as an .) He hates the Party and eventually carries out a huge
act of rebellion in his affair with . His problem, however, is that he has no definite standard
by which to judge the situation objectively. His memory of the pre-dystopia world is vague and
chaotic, for he was only a child at the time. The Party has systematically wiped out records of
the previous era (and does so with the present as well) and Winston has no real way of knowing
for certain that life was ever any better than it currently is, or that mankind was ever
governed in a way different from the totalitarian regime of the present.

His
decision to keep a diary is an attempt to objectify what he knows only intuitively about the
wrongness of how the world is being governed and its people controlled and oppressed as they
are. At some point he realizes that much of what...

In 1984 what are Winston's advantages and disadvantages of being an outsider when he starts to rebel against the party?

Technically
speaking,is an insider, at least to the extent that many people in his society are.  He isn't
one of the proles, and works in the Ministry of Truth.  So, he is technically part of the
infrastructure of the government, which makes him an insider of sorts.  He has started to rebel,
in his mind and heart, long before the novel even starts.  Even from the opening pages, we see
that Winston is unhappy, questioning of the government and the way that life is, and searching
for someone like-minded to connect with. At his apartment, he has been writing down his persona,
and rather rebellious thoughts for quite some time in a journal of sorts, out of view of the
cameras.  So, his rebellion began long before we meet him at the beginning of the
novel.

His first overt act of rebellion, however, comes in his relationship
with .  Before this point, he has only looked and people and wondered about their status, and
whether they feel the same.  He never has the courage to act on it.  Julia, when she initiates,
gives Winston hope that someone else is out there who feels like he does.  Going to meet her is
his first act of open rebellion.  Before that, he had done little things like buy the journal,
visited the prole section of the city, etc.  But meeting Julia is huge, and potentially
life-threatening if discovered.

As a person who works inside of the Ministry
of Truth, Winston has a distinct advantage in knowing, first-hand, that his government lies and
changes history in order to maintain its power.  He knows this, and that information works to
his advantage in the fact that it is something that he has over the government, but it is to his
disadvantage because it irks him, and makes him unhappy and discontented to know that is being
controlled by a bunch of liars.  So, it works both ways for him.  Because he does work where he
does, it is a disadvantage because he is more closely watched.  The proles, for example, are
mostly left alone, but Winston, because he is privy to the government's secrets, is watched like
a hawk for any signs of rebellion or treachery. That is a huge disadvantage, and one that keeps
him from being happy.

He is an outsider to the inner circle of the Party, and
that is a disadvantage because he does not get the nice things, does not have the privileges
that those members do, and does not have the truth behind their plans or the power to gain his
freedom and happiness.  It is a disadvantage becuase he never knows that he is being watched,
and so acts in ways that leads to his torture.  Being an outsider to the inner party is an
advantage in the fact that he does not know their darker secrets and so can't be held
accountable for them.

I hope all of those thought helped; good
luck!

What made Frampton visit Mrs. Suppleton?

Framton
Nuttel is a highly-strung young man. He suffers from a nervous disorder which is apparently so
serious that his doctor has advised him to spend some time in the country for some much-needed
rest and relaxation. Framton's sister is also worried about...

Provide and explain 4€“5 quotes in Macbeth that explores the idea of Macbeth being ruled by fate.

The
issue of fate first arises in 's in act 1, scene 3, whenappear toandand
make prophecies to each of them.

Are the prophecies possibilities,
eventualities, or certainties? Do the witches shape Macbeth and Banquo's destinies, influence
them, or simply reveal them? Is it necessary that Macbeth or Banquo actually do anything to
fulfill the prophecies, or will the prophecies simply fulfill themselves?

Macbeth raises that question himself.

MACBETH: If
chance will have me king, why, chance
may crown me
Without my stir.
(1.3.155€“157)

is the first person in the play who
considers the prophecies as fateas a predetermined, inevitable, unchangeable, uncontrollable
course of events affecting Macbeth's life. Until Lady Macbeth appears in the play, Macbeth has
thought of the witches simply as seers or prophets, not as harbingers of his fate, and he's
considered the prophecies as possibilities, not immutable facts.

At the
beginning of act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from Macbeth telling her about the
witches and the prophecies. She seems not to question for even a moment the role of fate in the
prophecies.

LADY MACBETH. Hie thee hither,
That I
may pour my spirits in thine ear,
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All
that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth
seem
To have thee crown'd withal.
(1.5.22€“27)

Lady Macbeth decides to do
whatever she can, by whatever means she can, to ensure that Macbeth's fate is fulfilled. A
messenger arrives to tell Lady Macbeth that Kingis coming to Macbeth's castle, and the
inevitability of Macbeth's fate becomes apparent to Lady Macbeth. The circumstances that allow
for Macbeth to become king are already changing in his favor.

The prophecy to
Banquo, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" (1.3.70), is often overlooked as a
factor in Macbeth's fate. Macbeth recognizes this possibility early in the play. He raises the
issue twice in act 1, scene 3. The first time he mentions it is shortly after the witches exit
the scene, after making their prophecies.

MACBETH. Your
children shall be kings. (1.3.89)

Macbeth raises the
issue again aftertells Macbeth that he's now Thane of Cawdor, which, to Macbeth's mind, lends
significant, troubling credence to the prophecies.

MACBETH. Do you not hope your children shall be kings,
When those that gave
the Thane of Cawdor to me
Promised no less to them? (1.3.127€“129)

In act 3, scene 1, after he has become king, Macbeth is still
thinking about the prophecy to Banquo. Macbeth believes that simply fulfilling the prophecy
about becoming king isn't sufficient to maintain his throne, because the
prophecy to Banquo could manifest itself at any moment. Paradoxically, Macbeth calls on
his fate to help him change Banquo's fate.

MACBETH. ...For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind,
For
them the gracious Duncan have I murdered,
Put rancors in the vessel of my
peace
Only for them, and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of
man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so,
come, Fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance!
(3.1.69€“76)

Although Macbeth's fate and
Banquo's fate are intertwined, their fates aren't necessarily exclusive. Their fates needn't
occur at the same time but can conceivably be sequential, not necessarily immediate. Macbeth
fears, however, thator another of Banquo's sons not yet born will challenge him for the throne
and possibly kill him, and that such action is imminent.

Macbeth fails to
consider that one of Banquo's sons might simply assume the throne by some means other than by
killing Macbethperhaps even after Macbeth's natural death. What motivates Macbeth at this point,
however, is not simply staying alive and remaining king, but also providing for his
posterity.

One argument against fate ruling Macbeth's life is found in 's
speech in act 3, scene 5.

HECATE. ... [T]his night I'll
spend
Unto a dismal and a fatal end.
Great business must be wrought ere
noon:
Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a vaporous drop
profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground.
And that distill'd by magic
sleights
Shall raise such artificial sprites
As by the strength of their
illusion
Shall draw him on to his confusion.
He shall spurn fate,
scorn death, and bear
His hopes bove wisdom, grace, and
fear. (3.5.20€“31)

Hecate intends to use her
magic to confuse Macbeth and make him behave irrationally. In this speech, Hecate suggests that
she can control Macbeth's actions, but the audience never sees Hecate actually put her plan into
effect.

It's important to remember that many Shakespeare scholars believe
that the character of Hecate was added to the play by another playwright at a later time. This
might account for what appears to be Hecate's manipulation of Macbeth's fate or her attempt to
influence Macbeth's actions, which might not represent Shakespeare's original intent.

In the apparition scene in act 4, scene 1, Macbeth again tempts fate after an
apparition tells him that "none of woman born" can harm him.

SECOND APPARITION. Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh
to
scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm
Macbeth.

MACBETH. Then live, . What need I fear of thee?
But yet
I'll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not
live,
That I may tell pale-hearted fear it
lies,
And sleep in spite of thunder.
(4.1.87€“95)

Macbeth takes these two pronouncements by
the apparitions to support his vision of his invincibility and the inevitability of his victory
over Macduff, but little does he realize that his vision of his fate and the actual course of
events in his life might well be two completely different things.

In "The Open Window," what does "Romance at short notice" mean, specifically, the word romance?

In 's short
story "", the character of Vera is a young teenage girl currently staying at her
aunt's house (Mrs. Stappleton), and who is described as someone whose specialty is
"romance, at short notice".

This latter phrase refers to her
ability to come up with exaggerated stories, particularly with the seemingly-Gothic tale about
three dead men who come to visit her aunt every time they see the window open.

Vera concocts this story instantly after meeting her aunt's future house guest, Mr
Frampton Nuttel. Mr. Nuttel has just suffered a mental breakdown and is on location to take a
rest cure. However, Vera's story ultimately sends Mr. Nuttel running out of the house in a fit,
since the very three men that Vera describes in her story do end up showing up at the house:
they were none other than Mrs. Sappleton's very-much-alive husband and two younger brothers, who
had gone out. 

It is apparent that Vera's quick wit is able to pick on
Frampton's frail nature and, for this reason, she uses Nuttel as the victim of her
tale.

Therefore, the term "romance" used as "Vera's
specialty", is mainly intended to identify and describe the genre of the story that Vera
tells Nuttel. This is because Vera's tale is both fictitious and embellished; these two traits
alone automatically classify her story as a "romance" in the literary sense.

Identify the conventions used in To Kill the Mockingbird to position the reader in relating to a controversy.

In order to
understand how an author is positioning the reader in relating to a controversy, we have to
first identify the controversy. In this novel, the main controversy is 's decision to break the
Southern code of white solidarity and mount a real defense of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely
accused of raping a white woman.

Lee encourages us to strongly admire and
support Atticus's position in the controversy. She uses several literary conventions to do this.
First and foremost, she tells the story through the admiring eyes of Atticus's young daughter, .
Wisely, she also makes Scout an irreverent tomboy, which prevents her loving portrait of her
father from becoming saccharine. Scout is a smart, believable, and shrewd individual with a
child's clarity of vision whom we as readers grow to like and trust. If she believes in Atticus,
we are prone to do so too.

But we don't have to entirely rely on Scout to
prove that Atticus is an exemplary human being. Other people whose word...

How is political geography different from political science?

Political
geography is different from political science in that it is a much more limited area of study. 
Political geography, like political science, is concerned with the study of politics.  However,
political geography mainly looks at the connections between politics and physical space. 
Because of this, it does not pay attention to many of the issues that political scientists look
at.

Political geography is defined in the link below as the study of the
spaces of politics and the politics of space.  In a human geography book I have (Human
Geography: People, Place, and Culture 9th Edition by Erin H. Fouberg, et. al.) we are
told (p. 240) that political geographers study the spatial manifestations of political
processes.  In other words, political geography is only concerned with politics as it relates to
space.  Political geography studies how states are created and how they come to control a given
area of land.  Political geography studies why certain political systems are distributed in
given ways across the face of the Earth.  Political geography studies how countries divide up
political power between their various regions.  All of these things have to do with politics and
space.

By contrast, political science goes far beyond the study of politics
as it relates to space.  Political scientists study all aspects of politics.  For example, a
political science department will offer courses in political philosophy.  It will offer courses
in how public opinion is formed.  Political scientists will study the ways in which interest
groups influence members of Congress or the ways in which social movements behave in their
efforts to achieve their goals.  All of these are important aspects of politics, but they have
very little to do with politics and physical space.  This means that they are part of the study
of political science but not part of the study of political geography.

In
short, political geography is a much more limited area of study because it studies only those
aspects of politics that are in some way related to space.  Political science is a field that
studies all aspects of politics.  

Make an argument that business should regulate itself without interference from the government when it comes to warranties and the like.

Arguments
like this are generally based on the idea that market forces will be more efficient and fair in
creating policy than the government can be.  When the government gets involved, it often creates
rules that are too onerous for the businesses and which may go farther than consumers even want.
 In such cases, the...

What was the Progressive Movement's philosophy regarding the role of government in American life?

The
Progressives philosophy was that the government should become more involved in the lives of
Americans.  It should do so in order to restrain the rich and improve the poor. 

The progressive movement was a middle class movement.  The middle class felt that the
rich and the poor were taking excessive control over the country.  The rich were using their
power to abuse the workers and the public.  They were using their...

How is language used in 1984 to allow the government to control their citizens??

clues us
into the thinking process of totalitarian governments through the use or rather the
discouragement of the use of a high vocabulary. 

Totalitarian governments
fear the intelligentsia.  They will therefore arrest and or murder the college professors, the
media, and the thinkers.

In , Big Brother attempts to stop the thinking
processes of individuals in society by degrading the vocabulary.  The less words that are used,
the more Big Brother can control.

uses this concept as a paradigm.  In a
sense he exaggerates the implementation of this idea to convey the greater truth that
totalitarian governments wish to retard thinking and intelligent thought.

Who was murdered in The Egypt Game?

There are
actually two murders in this book.  The neighborhood in which April is living is home to many
children, some of whom April has bonded with.  It is not any of April's friends, but two
other girls in the neighborhood, that have been murdered.  The suspect, until he saves April
from the murderer, is the Professor who lives on Orchard Street.

In "Nature" what are three ways the woods can transform a man?

The
first way that the woods can transform a man is by turning him back into a child.  Not literally
of course, but the woods can restore the child like wonder in a man.  

"In the woods too, a man casts off his years,........., is
always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth."

I totally agree.  I think it's why many people, myself included, love to go camping and hiking.
 I have three young children, and they are really big into exploring the mountain trails behind
our house.  I have to go with them, but all of the imaginary sneaking and hunting that we do is
great fun.  It doesn't...

What is the main aspect of Victorian literature?

To select one aspect of Victorian literature
and explain why it is the most significant is obviously a huge undertaking, and an answer which
is only a couple of hundred words long must be very general and summary.

Nonetheless, I think that the aspect of Victorian literature which strikes the modern
reader most forcibly is what I shall call its "largeness". This applies in the most
elementary way: Victorian writers such as Trollope, Dickens, Hardy, Carlyle and Ruskin produced
immense oeuvres, filling many feet of shelf-space with uniform calf-bound
volumes. Tennyson, Browning and Arnold wrote similarly long poems.

On a
somewhat deeper level, though, Victorian writers tackled large themes. The length of their books
paralleled the grandeur of their concerns: liberty, justice, the death of God, the
responsibilities of empire, the meaning of virtue. Writers with no training in philosophy were
happy to try their hand at the big philosophical questions. Writers like George Eliot (who
was very widely read in philosophy and theology) constructed whole new
philosophies of religion.

Many of the Victorians were tremendously confident,
certain that they were at the apex of the greatest empire in history. Their confidence was vast
confidence. Many were racked with doubts because religion seemed to be collapsing. Their doubts
were enormous doubts. Whatever else the Victorians were, they were always larger than
life.

What changes would you make to improve your community and our society?

The answer
to this depends on how much power I have in this imaginary scenario.  Do I have the power to
alter how people think?  Do I have the power to get any law that I want passed?  There is a
large gap between what I would like to change and what I actually have the power to
change.

If I had a great deal of power over the way people think, I would
make two changes.  I would first change peoples minds so that everyone cared a great deal about
their...

Write out and explain the essential points of Descartes's argument that God's existence is included in his essence, otherwise known as the ontological...

Strictly
speaking, Descartes's version of the ontological argument for God's existence isn't a formal
proof but rather a self-evident axiom that is intuitively grasped by the mind. In other words,
Descartes's ontological argument is a priorithat is to say an argument
whose truth can be established by reasoning that is independent of empirical proof. For
Descartes, we know that God exists not by experience but through reasoning.

We can do this because, Descartes argues, we already have the idea of God in our minds,
the idea of a supremely perfect being. We are born with this idea; it is innate. Once we
understand that this is what God is, we will recognize not just that he
exists but that he must exist. In other words, his essence is also his
existence.

As the idea of God is innate, there is no need for us to construct
any kind of arbitrary definition which would always be vulnerable to the attacks of religious
and philosophical skeptics alike. Instead, Descartes's ontological argument relies on an innate
idea which he claims is given to each and every one of us.

Furthermore, this
is a clear and distinct idea, something that is so self-evidently true that it cannot logically
be contradicted. From this idea, the rational mind, unfettered by prejudice, is able to derive,
through a process of logical deduction, that necessary existence is contained in the clear and
distinct idea of a supremely perfect being (i.e., God).

Can you give me a critical analysis of the poem "The Owl" by Edward Thomas ?

In my estimation, this
is a poem about the power of contrast to instruct us.

The soldier is tired and hungry, but receives food and rest "under a roof."
Relieved to be indoors, he is able to forget or ignore the hardships he has escaped until he
hears the cry of an owl. 

All of the night was quite
barred out except

An owls cry, a most melancholy cry

 

The cry of the owl breaks through to the
soldier's mind and suggests the idea that other soldiers have not found shelter indoors but are
out in the cold night, subject to the elements (and perhaps subject to being hunted as the owl
hunts its prey in the night).

 

Hearing the owl
from the comforts of shelter, the soldier realizes that his relief is enhanced by the sound. The
reminder given to him by the owl's cry "salted and sobered" his relief - giving it
flavor.

 

The contrast between his indoor comfort
and the harsh realities of the world outside gives the soldier an greater sense of
"repose" than he would have had if he had successfully "barred" all thoughts
of the night "under the stars" outside. href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53777/the-owl-56d23364d7256">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53777/the-owl-56d2...

Saturday, 24 December 2011

Which character do you think is the most sympathetically portrayed?

In the
short story "Marriage is a Private Affair," Nnaemeka is portrayed as the most
sympathetic character because of his difficult decision to marry Nene, which unfortunately ruins
his relationship with his father. Nnaemeka is depicted as a proponent of modernity, and he is
portrayed as a compassionate, courageous man with integrity. Initially, Nnaemeka makes the
honorable decision to tell his father to his face that he is marrying Nene. Nnaemeka realizes
that his father will be upset, but he respects his father enough to tell him to his face that he
is engaged. Nnaemeka demonstrates his integrity and courage by going against the traditional
marriage practices of his tribe and independently deciding to marry Nene. He does not allow the
traditional marriage practices to determine his fate, and he accepts the consequences of his
decision.

Even though his father rejects him and vehemently disagrees with
his decision to marry Nene,...

Please summarize chapters 6-12 of A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

These seven
chapters cover a variety of different subjects.  The only thing that they really have in common
is that they all tend to support s general thesis.  In these chapters (as in other chapters of
the book), Zinn is arguing that the United States has been a country that has oppressed various
members of its society.  In this answer, I will give only a brief summary of each chapter since
no more will fit in the space provided.  Please follow the link below for more extensive
summaries.

Chapter 6 is entitled The Intimately Oppressed.  The idea of
this chapter is that the white men of Revolutionary America tended to oppress two groupsAfrican
Americans and womenwith whom they had close relations.  Zinn argues that white American males
used revolutionary egalitarianto achieve their own political ends even as they refused to treat
blacks and women as equals.  He points out that this treatment continued long after the
Revolutionary Era.

In Chapter 7,...

href="http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinntak8.html">

What is the setting in the book Mexican WhiteBoy?

As a
San Diego native myself, is a really fun read because the author has
flooded the text with a rich knowledge of San Diego. Most readers will assume that the text is
set in present day times. The book was published in 2008, so it make sense to think it takes
place around that year; however, there is at least one indicator that the author is setting the
story prior to 2008.

At one point in the story, Danny goes to the "Del
Mar Fair." The fair has been a San Diego staple for over a century, but it was renamed the
"San Diego County Fair" in 2002. With that said, Danny goes to Petco Park at one point
in the story, but the San Diego Padres didn't use that stadium until 2004. This would indicate
that Danny and his friends use the "Del Mar Fair" name out of sentiment.

Danny attends a school in Leucadia, which is a real suburb in San Diego County. It is
located along the Interstate 5 corridor just south of Carlsbad and Legoland. It is nearly 30
miles north...

Friday, 23 December 2011

What are examples of both conformity and rebellion in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

's novel
can be used to illustrate the concepts of both conformity and rebellion.
To begin, one must understand the concepts surrounding each.

Conformity is
where one understands both the stated and unstated ideologies and beliefs of a group. The
individual will agree with and match the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs held by the group as
a whole.

Rebellion, on the other hand, is the opposite of conformity. An
individual will act out against the whole (either because of disagreement...

What is the theme behind the poem, Inside by Nikki L Rench. I know it is a simple answer but I just want to make sure I am covering all bases.

The poem
Inside by Nikki L Rench reveals the dreams and wishes of a teenager who
feels ready to face the world and embark on adulthood as "I've grown my wings." This
young adult feels conflicted when thinking about childhood and past mistakes but does not want
to dwell on the "memories that linger" and is about to "slay the foe,"
confident that it is time to move on as "the yesterdays are over."

The teen's insight shows maturity and an awareness of the "dangers, thoughts and
fears" but also a realization that no-one else can "wipe my tears." The poem is
intended to inspire young people so that they will not be afraid to face new challenges. It is
also meant to reassure parents that, having done a good job, they need to let "me speak my
say." Their child will always "love you all the way."

The
theme of this poem is then that growing up is a challenge but also an adventure. Growing up
should be embraced and faced with assurance and in the knowledge that parents have been
instrumental in achieving this stage in life. 

What is an example of onomatopoeia and an example of an oxymoron in 1984?

Using the
Centennial Edition, an exmaple ofis found on pg. 228.

There was a long, rolling clang, as though the washtub had been
flung across the yard, and a confusion of angry shouts which ended in a yell of pain.

As for , the word blackwhite is perhaps the
clearest example. Since an oxymoron is a two-word, it is a word which seems to be...

Some readers consider the end of Coelho's The Alchemistto be a bit of a let down; what other kind of treasure could Santiago have found to give the...

In 's
novel, , some might expect something more exciting at the end of the story.
I cannot imagine any other treasure that Santiago could ask for. He knows
that when he gets home, he knows where his material treasure will be. One of the thieves that
robs him at the Pyramids gives Santiago the answer.

I
dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds
and their sheep slept. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the
sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden
treasure.

The thief explains the attempt to follow such a
dream as stupidity on his part. However, we realizeas does Santiagothat the
thief is walking away from his Personal Legend.

Santiago's second treasure calls to him when he has traveled home to that abandoned
church where he and his sheep had rested at the beginning of the story. He has come full circle.
However, his journey is not quite over, and he has not collected all the rewards that have been
promised to him by virtue of pursuing his Personal Legend.

The wind began to blow again. It was the levanter, the wind that came from Africa. It
didn't bring with it the smell of the desert, nor the threat of Moorish invasion. Instead it
brought the scent of a perfume he knew well, and the touch of a kissa kiss that came from far
away, slowly, slowly, until it rested on his lips.

He
recognizes that it comes from the woman he loves, Fatima. He recognizes, also, the magic in this
"gesture," and he speaks to the windto Fatimathat he is coming.

Santiago has gained spiritual satisfaction; he has won the love of the woman who
returns his feelingsthese are treasures. And he has returned home to collect the
material treasure buried beneath the treeinformation he received from
another dreamer. Perhaps if there is any anti-climactic feeling, it may be because of the
story's structure.

Traditionally, when we are younger we are told
storiesfairytales. At the end, the hero wins the hand of the beautiful princess (or he saves
her, or both) and there is treasure enough that they live in a palace, "happily ever
after." Perhaps some feel that a piece is missing in this story. Sometimes the message is
seemingly so simplebut also impressive in so subtly delivering the philosophy of the truly
valuable things in life. In the fairytale, perhaps some readers expect a
traditional endinga solid resolution. In a sense, the reader may more
easily recognize formula-like writing: the introduction, description of characters, presentation
of the overriding conflict, plot development, the turning point, resolution of the conflict,
etc.

However, authors of even some of the shortest stories have moved away
from following any kind of formula, "process-oriented" or predictable literary forms
to create a new and unique structure, as is the case with Edgar Allan Poe.

If
happiness, fulfillment, love and material gain are not enough, I cannot imagine that there could
be anything left for Santiago to wish for other than power: and if the author remains true to
the characteristics of the man he has created in Santiago, power is not
something he would want.

How Does Farquhar Die

The
storyteller intentionally creates the illusion that Peyton Farquhar escapes being hanged at Owl
Creek Bridge because the rope snaps and he is falling towards the rushing waters of Owl Creek.
In Part III of the story we are held in Farquhar's consciousness. He manages to free his hands
and avoid all the bullets being fired at him by the Union soldiers. They are also firing at him
with cannon balls and grapeshot. But he escapes out of range and walks for many miles until he
reaches his plantation.

He stands at the gate of his own
home....He must have traveled the entire night. As he pushes open the gate and passes up the
wide white walk, he sees a flutter of female garments; his wife, looking fresh and cool and
sweet, steps down from the veranda to meet him. 

He is
safe. He is home. He rushes forward to clasp his wife in his arms. But it has all been an
hallucination. Everything he thought was happening since he dropped from the bridge with a noose
around his neck only occurred during the few seconds it took until the slack in the rope was all
played out. The rope did not break as he imagined.

...he
feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him
with a sound like the shock of a cannon--then all is darkness and silence!

Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side
beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.

Almost a
full twenty-four hours seem to have passed in Peyton Farquhar's consciousness during the few
seconds it took for him to drop from the bridge and the noose to break his neck. The text in
Part I states that the water in the creek was:

...touched
to gold by the early sun

And near the end of Part III,
Farquhar is imagining that he is just arriving at his home.

All is as he left it, and all bright and beautiful in the morning sunshine.
He must have traveled the entire night. 

Time in 's story is relative. This is the most striking thing about the story. Peyton
Farquhar lives through a whole long adventure in only a few seconds. Is this really possible? It
would seem so, because the reader has lived through that whole long adventure with
him.

Gilgamesh is widely considered the first epic hero in literature. What are his heroic qualities and his non-heroic qualities, and what role does...

An epic
hero is a character posessing exceptional/extraordinary/superhuman qualities, such as extreme
strenght, ability, intelligence, possibly supernatural powers, as well as an exceptional moral
status (unlike a tragic hero, he is not fundamentally flawed). He may be of noble or even godly
descent, he participates in a journey or a quest and returns home significantly transformed. He
is an embodiment of traits most valued in the society, through the deeds he performs and the
morals he stands for.

Now, let's look at Gilgamesh.

He is
two-thirds god and one-third man: so check for godly descent.

He is king of
Uruk: check for noble descent/status.

He is opressing his people,
overworking the young men and claiming the right to sleep (not consensually, we can assume) with
all brides in the land on their wedding night. People are crying to the gods in desperation
because he is such a cruel ruler- that's where he is non-heroic; he doesn't fit the profile of
the noble, brave, just ruler you would...

Thursday, 22 December 2011

How long is The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway?

The 2014
Scribner Hemingway Library edition of the novel is 321 pages, according to Amazon. The book is
of average length for a modern novel. 

It occurs to me, however, that perhaps
this question refers to the temporal time span of the novel. In that case, the first part of the
book, set in Paris, starts during an afternoon, shows Jake meeting with Brett that evening,
covers the following day and ends with Brett, the night of the second day, telling Jake she will
be leaving for Spain, as she thinks it will be easier on them both if they are apart. The first
part of the novel therefore spans about a day and half.

In book II, Jake and
his friend Bill travel to Spain to fish. They spend about five days fishing and then move to
Pamplona for the running of the bulls. In Pamplona, Jake meets up with Brett and in addition to
the running of the bulls, sees a bullfight. At the end of the novel, in book III, the fiesta in
Pamplona winds down and Jake meets up with Brett in Madrid. 

While there is a
gap of time between parts one and two, the narrative of the novel, which does not include the
break between when Brett leaves Paris and Jake decides to head for Spain, spans roughly two
weeks, with most of Jake's time in the novel spent in Spain.

Is there an antagonist in The Scarlet Letter? If there isn't, explain why.

There is
anin . His name is , 's husband. Once he resurfaces after a long period of
absence, Chillingworth finds out about his wife's adultery with . He immediately resolves to
destroy them both, making their lives a misery by whatever means possible.

He
seems to have it in for Dimmesdale in particular. Though a doctor, Chillingworth doesn't use his
medical training to help the man who made him a cuckold. Instead, he abuses his vocation to
torture Dimmesdale psychologically, tormenting him with guilt.

Chillingworth
is so hell-bent on destroying any chance of happiness that Hester and Dimmesdale may have
together; he even takes the extraordinary step of booking a passage aboard the ship that's going
to take them to a new life in Europe. Chillingworth won't rest until Dimmesdale has been
destroyed. And when that finally happens, it's instructive that Chillingworth dies not long
after, as he effectively has nothing left to live for.

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Does William Golding use personification in Lord of the Flies?

is
giving human qualities or characteristics to something which is non-human or non-living, anddoes
use personification in .

In chapter two,suggests that
making a fire on top of the mountain would be a good idea because any passing ships would see
the smoke and come to rescue them. All the boys are enthusiastic about the idea, and immediately
they race to the mountain and build a fire that soon turns into a conflagration which burns up a
large portion of the mountain and actually kills one of the little boys.

Golding describes this consuming fire as something which is alive.

Smoke was rising here and there among the creepers that
festooned the dead or dying trees. As they watched, a flash of fire appeared at the root of
one wisp, and then the smoke thickened. Small flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled
away through leaves and brushwood, dividing and increasing.

Note his use of the word crawled to describe the movement of the
fire. Golding continues:

The flames, as though they were
a kind of wild life, crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch-like saplings
that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock. They flapped at the first of the trees, and the
branches grew a brief foliage of fire. The heart of flame leapt nimbly across the gap between
the trees and then went swinging and flaring along the whole row of them.

In this passage, Golding uses both(the comparison to a jaguar) and
personification to give life to the fire and its movements. The flames creep, flap, leap, swing,
and flare; these are all examples of personification. 

Why should we study theatre history? ...or any other history for that matter....Why is it important to study depictions of or ideas of another time? ...

Just as one
traces one's ancestors and one's genetic history in order to know more about oneself, any one
involved with the fine arts should have a background so that he/she can better understand the
style and content of artists, writers, and dramatists.  So often, contemporary artists of all
genres themselves, having studied the masters of their art, imitate, borrow, alter, extend, and
improve upon the standards set by them. For instance, both George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Miller
were heavily influenced by the naturalist drama of Henrik Ibsen.  Thus, a comprehension of
Miller's works includes an understanding of those by Ibsen.

In literature,
a modern writer such as John Steinbeck, whose magnum opus is The
Grapes of Wrath , incorporates into the narrative the philosophy of the Oversoul,
which...

Discuss the role and purpose of the Stage Mangar in Our Town. When Thornton Wilder created Our Town, he experimented in the way he presented the...

It might
be contended that the intrusion of the Stage Manager has the continuous effect of reminding the
audience that they are not watching reality but are watching a play. This effect is also
enhanced by the fact that there are virtually no props or backdrops. If anything has to be moved
it is not done behind a closed curtain. Stagehands simply walk in and do whatever is needed. In
the cemetery scene the dead people are not lying down but are all sitting straight up on wooden
chairs--and yet this is the most moving scene in the play. We are especially moved by the
presence of young Emily, who had such optimistic hopes and dreams and plans but died in
childbirth. She doesn't seem to belong among all these old people who have lived their
lives. 

may have felt that the Stage Manager, or some such narrator, was
necessary because of the experimental nature of his play. The audience could have easily become
confused about time and place, since both keep changing. At the opening of Act II, for example,
the Stage Manager says:

Three years have gone
by.

Yes, the sun's come up over a thousand times.

Some
babies that weren't even born before have begun talking regular sentences already; and a number
of people who thought they were right young and spry have noticed that they can't bound up a
flight of stairs like they used to, without their heart fluttering a little.

The Stage Manager provides most of thethroughout the play and
thereby relieves the author from the necessity of conveying expository information through the
dialogue of the characters. It may seem unnatural for the play to have an intrusive narrator,
but at the same time it makes the dialogue and interactions of the characters more natural and
realistic because they are not doing a lot of unnatural explaining to one another. Furthermore,
there does not have to be a "plot," as such. We know we are just getting glimpses of
small-town life which mirrors human life all over the world. 

The Stage
Manager is really the author, Thornton Wilder, in disguise. The Stage Manager tells the audience
what the author would like to tell them himself. The play is not only tremendously moving but
also a remarkable example of dramatic craftsmanship. It set an example for many other dramatists
to follow. In Death of a Salesman, for example, Arthur Miller uses an
impressionistic stage setting with minimalistic props.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

According to Mrs. Whatsit, why is Charles Wallace in more danger on Camazotz than Meg or Calvin?

In
chapter 6, the Happy Medium uses her crystal ball to show the children the battle between the
Dark Thing and the stars. Mrs. Whatsit says that she was once a star and sacrificed her
celestial existence fighting the Dark Thing. Before the children embark on their journey to
planet Camazotz, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who present the children with different
gifts that will help them accomplish their task and survive the hostile planet. When Mrs Whatsit
instructs Calvin to take care of Meg, Charles Wallace responds by saying that he can take care
of her on his own. Mrs. Whatsit then explains to Charles that he is in the greatest danger on
planet Camazotz.

Mrs. Whatsit proceeds to tell Charles that he is in danger
because he is a proud child prodigy who is too confident in his intelligence and abilities.
Since Charles is a genius, his pride will be his downfall. Mrs. Whatsit also warns Charles by
telling him that he must not go off on his own and that his pride and arrogance will jeopardize
his well-being. Mrs. Whatsit's warning foreshadows Charles's fate. After arriving on Camazotz,
Charles dismisses Mrs. Whatsit's advice by staring at the man with the red eyes in an attempt to
know more about his father. Charles is too confident in his own intelligence and abilities to
realize that he is putting himself in extreme danger. Tragically, Charles becomes brainwashed by
IT and must rely on his sister and Calvin to rescue him.

How does Shaw criticize the British class system in his play Pygmalion?

Kathryn Draney

• In his play , Shaw
  criticizes the British class system by depicting situations that show that it is nurture, not
  nature, that influences the worth of a person.


• For example, Eliza is transformed and fools high society, proving that
  her poor genes do not actually affect how society views her if she wears the right clothes and
  acts the right way.

Monday, 19 December 2011

What is the tone of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

The
dominant tone in's Sleepy Hollow story is humorous or amused. The narrator tells how the
Headless Horseman story developed long ago in this "sleepy" little town where nothing
ever happens.

The supposedis the conceited city-slicker, Ichabod Crane, whose
attitude of superiority ultimately causes his downfall. Irving also pokes fun at the country
people, such as Katrina's wealthy farmer father, Balthus Van Tassel, who is proud as well as
contented.

The story's narrator...

What are some direct quotes, about Roger Chillingworth, in The Scarlet Letter, that show Roger changing physically, emotionally, and mentally?

In , titled
" and the Physician" we find Hester andfinally getting together up close and almost
personal. It is here, when Hester has the best opportunities to observe and see what her former
husband has become in the last seven years:

 It was not so
much that he had grown older[...]But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man[...]
had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully
guarded look.

Here, we see that Chillingworth is not
necessarily a scraggy, old-looking man. It is not the actual age that has worn him down, but
that fastidious need to find out what is going on with , his own personal vendetta against
Hester, the hurt and broken ego, and his desire to cause chaos. One can imagine that the man was
hurt badly by his wife, unbeknownst to her at the time. Yet, we also tend to sympathize with
Hester and find his want for justice just that: a bit fastidious.

Spiritually-

It seemed to be his wish and purpose
to mask this expression with a smile; but the latter played him false, and flickered over his
visage so derisively, that the spectator could see his blackness all the better for
it.

This quote, same chapter, shows that all the good
that could have come out of this intellectual, gifted man has turned into hatred and evil- all
caused by the same anger and want for revenge that does not seem to leave his spirit.
Chillingworth's transformation of the soul is now manifesting in his fa§ade. This is not a
physical change, but a spiritual one, and a bad one at that.

Mentally/Emotionally

Ever and anon, too, there
came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man's soul were on fire, and kept on
smouldering duskily within his breast, until, by some casual puff of passion, it was blown into
a momentary flame.

This quote shows his emotional
failures and changes. Chillingworth is, indeed, heartbroken. There is no doubt that he loves
Hester still, and he knew from the beginning that he would never serve her effectively as a
husband. He even goes as far as telling Hester that he thought that his intellect would
compensate physical vigor, passion, or that it may spark interest in Hester one day. None of it
ever happened, and it is clear that he has repressed his emotions to overcompensate his
revenge.

These changes even scare the man, himself. At one point he is angry
at Dimmesdale because, supposedly, Dimmesdale made a demon out of him. It is here, where
Chillingworth takes a sudden glimpse of his own image...and it scares him!

The unfortunate physician, while uttering these words, lifted his
hands with a look of horror, as if he had beheld some frightful shape, which he could not
recognize, usurping the place of his own image in a glass.

Therefore, you can see that the man is directly and indirectly characterized as someone
who has undergone profound changes that stem from something very negative and angry that has the
capacity of transforming him forever.

href="https://www.owleyes.org/text/scarlet-letter/read/chapter-iii-the-recognition">https://www.owleyes.org/text/scarlet-letter/read/chapter-...

Sunday, 18 December 2011

In Pollock's Walsh, in the scene between Walsh and Sitting Bull in Act Two, how does Pollock indicate, through Walsh's language and her own stage...

At the
start of Pollock's Walsh, we learn that Walsh forms relationships based
upon the character of a person, not upon race. He immediately extends his
hand in friendship when first meeting Sitting Bull. After a moment of hesitation, Sitting Bull
decides to trust Walsh (as noted in the stage direction) and shakes hands with Major James
Walsh.

We also see that Walsh goes out of his way to help the Sioux. He has
no misconceptions about the Little Big Horn. Custer attacked the unsuspecting Sioux and was
killed; the Sioux were forced to defend themselves. And Sitting Bull has spoken to the Cree and
the Blackfoot who say that Walsh is "the Indian's friend."

When
Sitting Bull asks Walsh if he has had news regarding what is to become of them, Walsh reports
that Queen Victoria will not take care of them
(though George III promised they would).

As he speaks
in Act One, Walsh makes the distinction between his friendship with Sitting
Bull and his position with the NWMP.

WALSH:

I tell you this because I am a soldier and I must follow orders, but I am a friend
also. White Forehead...

He indicates himself.

...does not say this, Major Walsh says this.

He speaks
officially.

It is at this point that he reads
the US President's request that the Sioux return to the US territory.

By the
time Act Two begins, things have only gotten worse. Sitting Bull has met
with General Terry of the US Army: a man committed to the elimination of the
"savages," who shows no respect to the Sioux or their way of life.

MacLeod, Walsh's superior, chastises him for not following protocol in dealing with
stolen Canadian and US ponies. The British government is ignoring Walsh's many requests for aid
on behalf of the Sioux. In fact, Walsh has been told that neither he nor the settlers can offer
the Sioux anything to survive. The Prime Minister (as agent of Queen
Victoria) believes that hunger will motivate the Sioux to return to the United States.

Walsh is now witnessing the demise of the Sioux nation while he, under orders, can do
nothing. The Sioux people are starving to death. He has had to sentence one Sioux to jail
because he stole a cow from a settler to feed his family, even though the man offered the
settler his horse (his prized possession) in payment. When Sitting Bull comes the last time to
ask for help, Walsh doesn't want to see himwe can infer it is too painful for Walsh because he
is an ethical and caring man.

When they speak, Walsh reports that the Queen
has not changed her mind. Sitting Bull asks Walsh to send a message to her, asking for her
pity. Then he calls Walsh "White
Sioux"a name of friendship. Walsh is silent and staring as this great man humbles himself
to beg for food: "only a little."

Walsh
explodes, telling Sitting Bull to buy supplies or cross the border into the
US. Sitting Bull reminds Walsh:

You are speaking to the
head of the Sioux nation!

Walsh swears at him and says,
"Get the hell out!" When Sitting Bull draws his knife, "Major
Walsh" acts. He knocks the chief to the floor, and when Sitting Bull tries to
stand...

WALSH puts his foot in the middle of his back and
shoves him, sending him sprawling.

When Sitting Bull gets
to his feet, Walsh's final gesture is an act of White Sioux:

WALSH's hand slowly reaches out to SITTING BULL as [he] slowly
turns, takes his blanket and exits.

But there is nothing
more to say: the Siouxand Walshhave been beaten by British
politics and coercion by the American government.

In "The Bronze Bow", when and why did Daniel finally make a break from Rosh? How did he see Rosh for who he really was?

Daniel
finally makes the break from Rosh when Joel is captured while doing what Rosh has ordered and
Rosh refuses to do anything to try to rescue Joel.  In fact Rosh shows absolutely
no...

Saturday, 17 December 2011

Does Fate of Free Will rule the world of Oedipus Rex?

very strongly makes the point that fate, not free will, rules the
world. What the gods decree will occur, and it is futile for humans to fight this
reality.

is born with an unfortunate fate: he is destined to kill his father
and marry his mother. Along the way, he and others try to sidestep this fate: his birth parents,
for example, have him exposed as an infant so that he will die. That way they expect to dodge
their own tragic destiny. However, the infant is saved.

When he finds out
his fate as a young adult, Oedipus, too, tries to dodge it by fleeing Corinth and the people he
thinks are his real parents. In attempting to run away from his destiny, Oedipus...

How did militarism help cause World War I?

The
unification and rapid militarization of Germany after 1870 was the factor that destabilized
Europe in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, leading to a chain
reaction that eventually sparked , a war that outdid all others up until its time in its
violence and loss of life.

It is easy to blame Germany for its aggressive and
destabilizing militarization, but the newly unified nation was, from its point of view, merely
trying to catch up with states like Great Britain and France that had had a huge head start in
developing into imperial powers. Germany wanted an empire like those it perceived as enriching
rival European nations, and it wanted it fast. It believed that a ramped-up military was the
best way to achieve this goal. It also wished to be the dominant power on the European continent
and built up its armies with that idea in mind.

After its victory in the
Franco-Prussian war, Germany was eager as well to take on the dominant world
superpower,...

Who are the minor characters in The Alchemist?

The main
character is the shepherd Santiago.    He meets some interesting people on his journey to find
personal treasure.

A minor character is a less important character.  One
such character is the old woman who tells his fortune in the first chapter.  He has had a dream
where a child appears in the middle of his sheep and then took him on a trip back to the
Egyptian pyramids.  She tells him that dreams are the language of God (p. 14) and she tells
him that there is a treasure in the Pyramids in...

How does technology affect the Partys ability to control its citizens?

The
rules of the dystopic society of utilize both the actual technology and
the threat of using it to control the citizens. Everyone believes the slogan Big Brother is
watching you because it is generally true. Fear of surveillance is promoted by the selective and
intensive use of technology; people believe they are always being watched and heard because the
devices are often visible. Belief that even their thoughts are detectable and subject to
punishment (for thoughtcrime) also encourages obedience. The most powerful device and symbol
is the ubiquitous telescreen. People who assume that they are not being watched do so at their
own peril, for hidden devices may be present anywhere.

Technology is also
used to alter facts so that people are never fully informed about current events. Workers such
asin the Ministry of Truth physically manipulate the incoming information, changing it to fit
with the Partys priorities. Using the speakwrite, the worker...

In Kafka's Metamorphosis, Gregor is the breadwinner for the family. When he becomes ill, he cannot work. Go through each characters response...

All
of Gregor's family members begin to treat him as less than human once he undergoes his
transformation. He terrifies and disgusts them. Though some try to adjust to the problem of
Gregor's new looks more than others, by the end, they all wish he would just die to free them
from having to deal with him.

At first, Gregor's sister treats him well, and
unlike her parents, she wants to be compassionate and responsible. Her care for Gregor slowly
dwindles once she starts having more of a life outside the house. A career takes away her
energy, leaving her with little patience for Gregor, and eventually her parents talk of marrying
her off, which will switch her attentions away from Gregor entirely.

Gregor's parents lose sympathy for him immediately once he can no longer provide for them. His
mother is horrified of him and refuses to be near him, while his father views Gregor as
a...

Friday, 16 December 2011

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 Clutter...

employs
two very different writing approaches when describing the Clutter family, who are the innocent
victims of Dick and Perry, and when describing Dick and Perry, the perpetrators of the horrific
murders.

Capote emphasizes the innocence of the Clutter family by describing
their home poetically:

The village of Holcomb stands on
the high wheat plains of Western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call 'out
there.'

The descriptive nature of Capote's language in
this long, evocative sentence creates a picture in the reader's mind of a lonely and isolated
place, one that may not provide protection to the residents of Holcomb. The natural environment
is wholesome and unadulterated, which implies a trusting innocence about the Clutters, who
choose to live in such a simple landscape despite its isolation.

In
contrast, Capote employs shorter phrases, strung together in a punchy style, to describe the two
criminals, Dick and Perry. This sentence is long and conversational,...

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Explain the irony in "The Open Window."

's
short story "" is ironic because it ends in an opposite way from what we expect. Early
in the story, we think that Framton is visiting the home of an older woman who has psychological
issues as a result of a greatsuffered a few years prior. The woman's fifteen-year-old daughter
tells Framton that her father, two brothers, and pet spaniel exited through this "open
window" in the house and disappeared on a hunting trip; tragically, they were apparently
lost in a bog and presumed dead. Vera says her mother cannot cope with their deaths, so she
leaves the window open every day, expecting them to return.

When Mrs.
Sappleton finally enters the scene and makes references to the return of her husband and sons,
Framton is disturbed by what he presumes is the extent of her denial. As Mrs. Sappleton looks
toward the window and talks about expecting their return, Mr. Sappleton, the boys, and the dog
all re-enter the house. Framton is so upset by this surprise that he immediately leaves. Vera
basically leads him to believe that those family members are dead to scare him when they return.
She made up the whole story.

Instead of learning that Mrs. Sappleton is
mentally unstable and delusional, we learn that her daughter Vera has a gift for making up
fantastical stories that sound realistic. She does the same thing when she explains to her
mother why she thinks Framton left in such a hurry. She invents a story about a horrifying past
experience Framton had with a dog. The story ends with the line "Romance at short notice
was her specialty." Saki uses the word "romance" to mean the capacity for telling
creative and imaginative stories. The story is ironic because the story's conclusion does not
reveal Mrs. Sappleton's mental illness but Vera's storytelling skill. 

How is Romeo presented as a tragic hero in the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet? - What evidence does Shakespeare give of Romeo being a tragic hero,...

This
question has already been answered. Here is a link...

In Night, how has the relationship between Elie and his father changed during their time in the concentration camps?

At the beginning of ,describes his father as a cultured,
unsentimental man with a rather distant manner:

He rarely
displayed his feelings, not even within his family, and was more involved with the welfare of
others than with that of his own kin. The Jewish community of Sighet held him in highest esteem;
his advice on public and even private matters was frequently sought.

Wiesel respected his father but did not feel that he knew him
particularly well. This changed when they were together in the camps, where there was no privacy
and the two had to depend on each other for survival.

Even before they are
interned, Wiesel sees his father cry for the first time, and he...

Why did John get interested in Mr. Pignati in The Pigman?

Readers can begin finding this information at
the end of Chapter 3. John and Lorraine are telling readers about their prank phone calls and
some of the games that they try to play with the people that pick up the phone. One of the games
is to try and keep the person on the other end of the line talking as long as possible. In
Chapter 4, Lorraine calls Mr. Pignati. She is able to keep him on the phone for a long time, and
she even convinces him that she is collecting money for a charity. Mr. Pignati agrees to donate
money to the "L and J Fund," and John and Lorraine agree to pick up the money the next
day. Mr. Pignati begins winning over their hearts and minds from that point, and the
relationship becomes quite a loving and deep relationship between the three people. The
relationship is especially beneficial for John and Lorraine because they have no stable adults
in their lives.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

What are the causes for World War II? (I need to know if there would be enough matter to write a 1500 page project on only the causes for WW2)

I think
you should stick to causes of World War II. The rise of the Nazi party would involved you in
German politics after World War I and require a lot more research. The causes of World War II
were exceedingly complex, but you could stick to Adolf Hitler, as I suggested before and keep it
simple. You might discuss the efforts by England and France to appease Hitler and how Neville
Chamberlain was deceived by him. It will be a lot easier for you to get information on the
causes of World War II than on the rise of the Nazi Party.

What is the Na+ ion concentration in the solution formed by mixing 20. mL of 0.10 M Na2SO4 solution with 50. mL of 0.30 M Na3PO4 solution?

`Na_2SO_4 rarr
2Na^++SO_4^(2-)`

`Na_3PO_4 rarr 3Na^++PO_4^(3-)`

 

Mole ratio

`Na_2SO_4:Na^+ = 1:2`

`Na_3PO_4:Na^+ = 1:3`

 

Amount of `Na_2SO_4`
used `= 0.1/1000xx20`

Amount of `Na^+` from `Na_2SO_4 =...

According to Guns, Germs, and Steel what protected New Guineans from losing to invading Europeans?

Diamond says
that there were four factors that protected New Guineans in this way.

• Most importantly, there was malaria and some other diseases.  These diseases made it
  very difficult for Europeans to live in the lowlands or to pass through them on the way to the
  more hospitable highlands.
• New...

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Where can I find this quote in Oedipus Rex? "Now my cursed on the murder."

Clearly every text is
going to be different in terms of line numbers and location of specific parts of the drama, so
it might be more use to you if I locate this speech in relation to where it comes in the actino
of the play.utters these lines after thegives us its first interlude in the play, and these
lines are actually part of a much longer speech that Oedipus makes...

Internet and Literacy What are the positive impacts of the Internet on reading and writing for teenagers?

I think the
internet gives kids the tools to get the information they need.  The teacher's challenge is to
get them to learn how to evaluate sources properly and not plagiarize.  The internet also makes
kids into published writers instantly, as anyone can create a blog.

Explain how America gradually began to respond to the threat from totalitarian aggression while still trying to stay neutral in WWII.

Michael Koren

Asapproached, the United States responded to totalitarian aggression while staying
neutral. There were several actions that we took. In 1937, President Roosevelt warned Americans
of the impending danger when he gave his Quarantine Speech. He wanted Americans to be aware
that conditions around the world were deteriorating.

Another action we took
was to alter the neutrality laws. In 1939, we allowed the sale of war materials to nations if
they paid cash for the items and transported the products themselves. This favored Great
Britain.

More actions also occurred. In 1940,...

Monday, 12 December 2011

What are examples of animal imagery in Othello, and what is their purpose in the drama?

In
August of 1600, an Ambassador from the court of Barbary, Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud, arrived at
the court of Queen Elizabeth I. He stayed in London for six months, during which time he met
with the Queen on more than one occasion and was, according to contemporary accounts, the talk
of London.

Three plays were performed at court by Shakespeare's company, the
Lord Chamberlain's Men, during the time Abd el-Ouahed was in London. Shakespeare's company was
occasionally called to court to perform for visiting dignitaries. The acting company performed
at King James I's court for the Spanish ambassador in 1604, for example (at which time
and were performed), so it's possible that the
ambassador from the court of Barbary would have attended one or more performance by
Shakespeare's company during his own visit. If so, Shakespeare might have met, or at the very
least seen him there.

Othello was written in 1603 or
1604. There's very little doubt that Shakespeare modeled...

What is the summary of "Shining Things" by Elizabeth Gould, and what is the main theme of this poem ?

This is a
poem told from a child's point of view. We know this because of the lines

I love the bright beads round
my mother's throat.

The child-speaker lists in simple language many shiny things he
loves. These include items a child would be likely to stop and wonder at: the moon, the stars,
the sky, a rainbow, and 'bright clouds," as well as smaller objects a child would notice,
such as a glow worm, raindrops on leaves, the shine of a butterfly's wings, the cat's shining
green eyes, and shiny coat buttons. The child-speaker ends his long list of shiny objects by
saying he takes comfort in all these shining things. He then thinks to note that it was good of
God to make all these items.

The theme or meaning of the poem is to encourage
adult readers to remember to take a childlike pleasure and delight in the simple objects of
life, which are freely available to all of us to enjoy.

Sunday, 11 December 2011

What are some tips on writing an essay for my teachers this teachers day? What are some tips on writing an essay for my teachers this teachers day?

Why not
write about some ways teachers have made a difference in your life?  Your thesis could be
something like: My teachers made me who I am today.  Then you could explain how they encouraged
you, taught you key skills or were there to listen.  Think about how your teachers have made an
impact, and share some personal anecdotes!

What are some strategies a business could use to learn about the local competition?

The previous
answer has some good ideas for finding out about the identity and location of potential local
competitors.  However, it is important to realize that it is not enough to know who your
competitors are and where they are located.  

Typically, when someone is
creating a business plan, they need to include a section on the competition.  They need to have
as much detail as they can on the competition.  They need to be able to, for example, describe
how the competitors' products compare with the products they hope to sell.  They need to
understand how much the competitors are achieving in the way of sales.  In other words, they
need to know much more than where the competition is located.

Of course, all
of this can be exceedingly difficult to obtain.  One thing to do is to actually go to the
competitors' places of...

Saturday, 10 December 2011

Companies pay rating agencies such as Moodys and S&P to rate their bonds, and the costs can be substantial. However, companies are not required to...

Companies
pay rating agencies to rate their bonds because it increases their chances of getting investment
funds. Here is how it works.

Imagine a scenario where you need a loan from
the bank for investment purposes. The first thing that your bank will look at before giving you
money is your credit score. Your ratings are usually updated according to your borrowing
history. If you are always on time with your loan repayments, your credit rating will be high.
The bank may also look at your account activity. If the account has been active, it increases
your chances of getting a loan. The bank may also want copies of your utilities bill and
employment records. I am sure you have noticed that the bank needs a lot of information before
they can give you a loan.

Companies also need loans to expand. These firms
need millions to carry out their expansion projects. To borrow that kind of money, companies
also need to reassure the lenders that they can repay their loans. Unlike
individuals,...

Which regions had a major increase in Protestant areas between 1560 and 1600?

As your
question implies, the Protestant Reformation was in full swing during the latter part of the
sixteenth century and spreading rapidly in new lands. This was particularly the case in
Scotland, the Netherlands, France, and Hungary.

In 1560, Scotland was still
recovering from a widespread and sometimes violent church "cleansing," in which poor
and dissatisfied Scots attacked abbeys and parishes to strip them of their valuables and other
signs of Catholic excess. In August of that year, the Scottish Parliament met and restored the
Scottish church according to Protestant dogma and practices. Under this parliament, Papal
authority in Scotland was made null, and the practice of Catholic mass was made
illegal.

In the Netherlands, the 1579 Treaty of Utrecht united much of the
region under home rule. Previously, while under Spanish dominion, Protestants had been subjected
to persecution. The Dutch Republic was established largely to safeguard Dutch Protestants, and
Calvinism became the widely practiced religion of the region.

France had had
significant Protestant populations since the days of John Calvin. However, in the 1560s and
1570s, the number of French who became Huguenots increased, despite widespread persecution. In
1598, the legal status of most French Protestants became protected when King Henry IV issued the
Edict of Nantes. This led to more Calvinists and Huguenots settling in France.

There was also a large increase in Protestantism in Hungary at this time. Clashes
between Protestants and Catholics had been ongoing for much of the 1500s. However, much of this
settled down after the Transylvanian Diet of Turda in 1558, which protected the right to worship
for both Lutherans and Catholics. This religious freedom was extended to various degrees to all
Christian sects in the 1560s and led to a proliferation of Protestants in
Hungary.

href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/scottish_reformation/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/scottish_r...
href="http://www.hugenoot.org.za/hist-hug.htm">http://www.hugenoot.org.za/hist-hug.htm
href="https://www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/protestantism-in-hungary/">https://www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/protestantism-i...

Friday, 9 December 2011

What was the impact of the Vietnam War on those who fought in it and on American politics and culture in general?

The
impact of the Vietnam War on American culture, politics, and individuals is ongoing even today.
I think you could easily make a claim that the war was a turning point for Americans as a
people, and we are still processing its effects on the psyche, politics, and culture of the
countrynot to mention on the thousands of Vietnam War veterans, many of whom struggle to find
meaning in their experience of the war.

Coming on the heels of a righteous
and successful war effort during World War II, the Vietnam War could not have been more
different. Young men, whether volunteer military or draftees, went abroad to fight in a kind of
warfare they had not experienced before. The enemy was often unclear, the style of fighting was
more guerilla battles than army-to-army conflicts, and the reasons for the war were fuzzy and
unclear. In all, it made a less than compelling reason for many American GIs, who were reluctant
to fight. Then, when they came home, these young men experienced the opposite of a joyful
welcome. Many Vietnam War veterans are victims of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), a
condition that affects a persons entire life.

Many American civilians also
became disgusted with a perceived lack of honesty or transparency about the war. They felt
deceived by the government. People no longer trusted that the government was truly looking out
for their best interestsa legacy which continues to this day. The government now has to convince
people of their goodwill, rather than it being assumed.

On the other hand,
during this war, many Americans, especially youth, truly mobilized for a shared purpose. There
were marches and protests in the streets against either the war or the government itself. This
tradition, too, continues to be a strategy used by civilian groups in the United States today.
The act of gathering in protest really came to maturity during the Vietnam War
years.

href="http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3469">http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=...
href="https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history">https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-hi...

In Chapter 15 of To Kill A Mockingbird, why does Jem openly defy and disobey Atticus? In Chapter 15 of To Kill A Mockingbird, why does Jem openly defy...

's actions
inof by  are almost a male rite of passage for him.  For, perceiving his
father in a predicament which it does not appear that he can solve, Jem decides to prove his
mettle as a man and conquer the situation for his father.  In the words or Walt Whitman,
"the child becomes the father."

This individual action of Jem's, in
addition to demonstrating his maturation in this bildungsroman, also points
to Harper Lee's motif of the individual thought vs. conventional wisdom.  The children ofare
developing as individual's and are able to think outside the "disease of Maycomb's"
conventional wisdom on such things as relgion, race, and social status.  For his expression of
individuality, as well as his courage, Atticus, as he ruffles Jem's hair, expresses his pride
and love for his son.

Thursday, 8 December 2011

What are the main points of argument raised by Howard Zinn in chapter 5?

In the
chapter "Some Kind of Revolution," Zinn seeks to undermine the traditional American
idea that the Revolutionary War was fought by and for the liberty of common American people.
Rather, according to Zinn's argument, the wealthy business elite in America were interested in
having more direct control over their enterprises and in avoiding losing profits to the British
empire through taxation; the American Revolutionary War was fought according to their
interests.

Zinn explains that there was genuine popular unrest occurring
during the time leading up to the American Revolution, and many conflicts, undertaken by
overburdened colonist poor people against the wealthy colonist politicians and businessmen who
constantly robbed them, would complicate the fight.

Zinn also describes the
process by which many poor colonists were coerced into anti-British sentiment through the
language of the Enlightenment and through the colonists' desire to align themselves with the
concept of "whiteness."...

What is the difference between Confucianism and Daoism?

Daosim and
Confucianism are both religions focused on improving individuals and society, but they are also
very different. They originated in China, and began as the musings of different moral
philosophers that have been followed and observed through the centuries, forming eventually into
major religions.

Daoism, or Taoism, is a religion dedicated to following the
Tao, or The Way. The philosopher Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching as a collection of his wisdom,
and it is primarily focused on finding harmony within oneself and with nature. This is the
effort to seek the Way, which...

Is the class of someone predetermined, or are you selected to be a party member?

Class placement
is determined by ability; it is not predetermined. The only members of society without the
ability to advance socially are the proles; any proles...

What themes do The Lovely Bones and the film of The Motorcycle Diaries have in common?

If I had to answer this
question, I would want to focus on the two central characters of both of these texts and the way
that the novel and the film charts their development, maturity and understanding of their
identity. In a sense, both of these texts concern the journey of their protagonists. Susie has
to struggle to accept her death and the way in which she can only look on life and her family
and their struggles as an observer who is unable to direct or help. Through the course of the
novel, she, like her family, are able to accept that she has moved on. Likewise, in the film,
Che Guevara learns so much about himself and the world through his road trip in South America,
particularly about the injustice, poverty and prejudice that he sees. What is so fascinating
about this text is that we see a revolutionary in the making. He leaves his home in Argentina as
a normal young man, with thoughts of earning money and meeting women. However, through the
people that he meets and the experiences that he goes through, he realises there is a higher
calling on his life, and at the end of the film we see his commitment to revolutionary
change.

Monday, 5 December 2011

What three words do you think best describe Vera from "The Open Window"? Give reasons.

Vera is
creative. After she learns that Mr. Nuttel does not know anything about her aunt, Vera knows she
can say anything and he will not be the wiser. She quickly comes up with her elaborate story
about theof Mrs. Sappleton's husband, two brothers, and their dog. She tells the story
compellingly and with acute acting skills: 

Here the
child's voice lost its self-possessed note and became falteringly human. "Poor aunt always
thinks that they will come back someday, they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with
them, and walk in at that window just as they used to do. That is why the window is kept open
every evening till it is quite dusk." 

Vera is also
quick to create a story about why Mr. Nuttel ran away upon seeing the men return. 

Vera is bored. This is an assumption, but she is fifteen years old, stuck in a house in
the middle of the country. She has her aunt and uncles, but there is no mention of a friend her
age or a companion nearby. Boredom is one possible cause for her habit of making up stories. If
you add boredom and creativity together, she has two reasons to make things up. 

Vera proves herself to be manipulative or simply put, a liar. Again, she may be making
these things up out of boredom and as a way of exploring her creativity. But lying about
something so tragic is inappropriate to say the least. She seems to enjoy the creating aspect of
lying but the stories she comes up with are morbid. So, either she is exploring morbid things in
the act of being creative or she is actually being quite malicious. 

What geographical advantages did Western Europe have in its encounters with the non-Western world in the 15th and 16th centuries?

Perhaps the
biggest geographical advantage that the Western Europeans had was the fact that they were a part
of the huge continent of Eurasia.  This continental mass was home to a number of epidemic
diseases that were not present in places like the Americas.  When the Europeans reached places
like the Americas, the diseases that they carried with them killed millions of the natives.  The
natives had no resistance to the diseases and huge percentages of them were killed by exposure
to them.

In this way, being geographically connected to a large area with a
huge population exposed Europeans to diseases that the Americans had not been exposed to.  This
was a major advantage for the Europeans.

What role does Miss Maudie play in the lives of the children? Why do you think her character is important, and how does she compare/contrast to the...

Miss Maudie
befriends the children and helps to offer them a level perspective on humanity and race,
revealing interesting pieces of their father's backstory to them.and Miss Maudie eventually
develop quite a strong friendship. Miss Maudie also feeds the children slices of the delicious
cakes she makes. Unfortunately, her house burns down during the first winter of the story,
giving Scout her first chance to (kind of) meet . Unlike other adults in the novel, Miss Maudie
treatsand Scout with respect, acting the same ways toward them as she acts toward adultseven
lamenting with Scout that there aren't any young adults in the town for the kids to look to as
role models.

How did Christianity change the Roman Empire?

This is a
great question.

First, Christianity was able to change the Roman Empire
through perseverance. If Christians did not really believe in what they professed, they would
have been stamped out long ago. Christians in the Roman Empire were willing to suffer and suffer
they did in various persecutions. In time, their faithfulness paid off. They gained more
converts and in time even the emperor became a Christian, Constantine. 

Second, from a psychological point of view, Christianity offered an answer in an age of
anxiety. Their otherworldly worldview helped people to see that there was something more than
the material world. Other cults also fared well on account of this point.

Third, from a sociological point of view, Christianity was able to give people more
room for social honor. For example, women had greater social capital within Christianity. Also
people who experienced what sociologists call social dissonance were able to find social status.
In Christianity, people found a way to have a new identity. 

Sunday, 4 December 2011

What is the need of data structures?

Data
structures are used as a framework for organizing and storing information in virtual memory
forms. In computing, RAM and virtual memory, such as the Cloud or other shared storage systems,
store large quantities of data rapidly and efficiently. However, there is a twofold dilemma:
first, how can it be stored efficiently, and second, how will we be able to retrieve it over
time if its just stored away in cyberspace?

Data structures are the solution
to these dilemmas. Data structures organize and prioritize information into datasets and
databases that can be compressed efficiently to save storage space. These organizational
structures are also structured logically so that retrieving information from them is simple and
straightforward, making the data usable once more.

Repetition In Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

""
is Johanthan Edwards's most famous sermon delivered in a Puritan effort to awaken and persuade
those in the congregation who had not been "born again"; that is, they had not
accepted Christ as their savior.  Edwards's sermon had such a powerful effect upon the
congregation that there was much shrieking and swooning.  In fact, several times he was forced
to ask his audience for quiet.

This sermon stands as a powerful example of
rhetorical language, employing , , and repetition with very strong emotional appeal.  He begins
by telling the congregation that the devil is waiting for them with hell gaping so that flames
can engulf them.  Here are other examples:

emotional
language

The bow of God's wrath is bent,
and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains
the bow, ....

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds
a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, adhors you, and is dreaduflly provoked; His
wrath toward ou burns like fire; He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into
the fire; ...you are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful
venomous serpent is in ours.

O sinner!  Consider the fearful danger you are
in:  It is a great furnace of wrath...that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose
wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in
hell....

repetition

There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the
wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have
nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of; there is
nothing between you and hell but the air....

There is
frequent use of the phrase "the mere pleasure of God ...."

...and nothing to lay hold of to save
yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath,
nothing of your own, nothing that you
ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you
one moment....

Why did the British tax the colonies?

When the
colonies were first established, they were still considered under King George's rule. Britain
still controlled the colonies' trade, and the colonists were still forced to follow many British
laws. As such, Britain took advantage of this power to help lessen their financial
troubles.

For example, Britain forced the colonists to pay taxes in order to
repair the economic damage done by the...

Saturday, 3 December 2011

Why does Katniss purposefully mess up the training session in Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins?

In
, Katniss is angry - beyond angry with the Gamemakers, with President Snow
and with the Capitol in general. She knows that nothing she does with Peeta is going to keep her
and her family alive because she has unintentionally incited rebellious riots. Therefore, during
her training, she goes into the training center and uses her ability to create knots to make a
hangman's noose. She ties up a dummy that is used for target practice and hangs the dummy. On
the dummy, she writes Seneca Crane. Seneca Crane is the name of the last head Gamemaker. He was
killed after allowing Peeta and Katniss to both win the previous Hunger Games. Katniss does this
to remind them that they, even though head hanchos for the capitol, are not safe from President
Snow's wrath.

Peeta does a similarly angry and disturbing thing. He depicts
the way Rue looked covered with flowers as she died in the previous games. He uses his
camouflage and painting skills to pull this off. Peeta also is trying to send a message to the
Gamemakers that the tributes are people, strong victors who will not take this lying down. What
they are doing is inciting more anger and more rebellious actions through their choice to punish
the previous victors in the Quarter Quell.

 

Where can I find the characters that have sense and self-restraint in Emma by Jane Austen?

Two
come to mind immediately: Mr. Knightley (which you could tell from his name) and Mrs.
Weston.

For examples, I don't want to give answers away, but you can imagine
a time when a lady was judged by the respect given her by "people of worth and
respectability." A character who looks out for avoiding quarrels and unwarranted antagonism
between others, and overlooks the little errors others make, is a character who shows sense and
self-restraint. Harriet and Miss Fairfax both benefitted from sense & self-restraint of the
two characters I named above.

Consider what...

Friday, 2 December 2011

How does Ernest Hemingway use plot, irony, and symbolism to highlight his theme in "Hills Like White Elephants"?

Hemingway
employs both his plot and symbolism to further the theme of Doubt and Ambiguity.  With only
dialogue as the foundation for the plot, the discussion between Jig and the man is unclear and
unresolved.  In his minimalist style, Hemingway never mentions what the "it" is that
the couple discuss as they converse.  Jig tells the man that things are "like white
elephants," suggesting that the baby she carries is symbolically a "white
elephant" as are the distant hills. 

Thus, the setting is the chief
source of symbols.  With the railroad tracks as symbolic of the divide between Jig who is
romantic and optimistic and the nameless man who is practical and coldly objective, one side of
the tracks has fertile land with vegetation while the other is barren.  In the distance are the
hills which symbolize the dissention between the couple.  They possess something which is of no
value anymore:

"Then what will we do
afterwards?" [Jig asks]

"We'll be fine afterwards.  Just like we
were before."

"What makes you think so?"

In the end, the man says, "I'd better take the bags over to
the other side of the station," indicating symbolically that he is becoming alienated from
her.

How did the "black death" alter society in the Late Middle Ages?

The
"black death," the name by which bubonic plague was known, altered society
dramatically.  Some historians estimate that as much as 40% of the population died in some
countries as a result of the plague.  The disease spread along trade routes, beginning in Asia
and moving along to Europe via ships, which stopped in ports and spread the disease. 
 

Given how many people died, all life was disrupted. There were not enough
people to grow food and care for livestock, so in addition to people dying from the plague,
people died from the lack of food. The cost of food and labor rose, as one would expect, given
the laws of supply and demand.  Since there were not enough people to tend to agricultural
needs, many people moved from country to town, disrupting the feudal system, particularly in
England.  Another consequence was the result of the attempt to stop the spread of the disease,
leading to isolation, paranoia, and superstition.  Still another consequence was the questioning
of the authority of the Church, which was, of course, powerless to prevent the plague from
occurring.  This set the state for the Reformation because people began to have doubts about the
infallibility of the Church. 

There is considerable information available
about this transformational period of history.  I have provided a link below that is one source
of information.  Many novels have been written about this period of history, as well.  Check
with your English teacher for a few suggestions. 

Compare and contrast the characters of Nnaemeka and Okeke.

Some comparisons exist
between the father, Okeke, and son, Nnaemeka. Both consider themselves Christian. This
discussion arises when Okeke has found a good Christian woman for his son. However, Nnaemeka has
already found his own Christian woman who is a school teacher from the town of Lagos. Okeke is
outraged that his son would marry for love rather than follow his father's wishes even though
they both profess they are Christian.

The similarity between the two stop at
the above. Their differences are the cause of the conflict in the story. Nnaemeka marries for
love, and he is considered an outcast by his stubborn father. Keep in mind that a generation gap
exists between the father and son. So, "For eight years, Okeke would have nothing to do
with his son." Nnaemeka tries to gain his father's acceptance, writing letters and sending
pictures in an attempt to communicate. His character forgives his father for his unwillingness
to accept his wife. However, at the end of the story, Okeke finds it in his heart to accept his
son's family upon learning of his grandchildren. Okeke is remorseful and opens his heart after
all.

Thursday, 1 December 2011

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno's grandmother disagrees with the views of the Nazis. How does she stand up for her beliefs?

Bruno's
grandmother is one of the few characters in the book shown to openly question the system and the
Nazis. Ironically, her liberty to express such thingseven if only at homestems directly from the
fact that her son is a high-ranking official. You could theorize that it's somewhat easier for
her to see through the propaganda and hate-mongering, as opposed to her soldier husband and son,
who have always functioned in a framework that doesn't allow them to question orders and the
status quo. Nonetheless, she should be considered very brave, since it's not unheard of for
fanatics of any system to send their own blood and kin to death for disagreeing with them.
Considering the terrible times she lived through, that thought must have gone through her
head.

As for the specifics of her resistance, it's difficult to say what she
achieved exactly. She stood up for her beliefs by speaking plainly and truthfully to her son,
who was probably more used to people agreeing with his every...

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

I'm well aware of Truman's misconception between appearance and reality in The Truman Show, but how does this relate to real life in today's society?

One of the
standout quotes from The Truman Show is, "We accept the reality of the world with which we
are presented." As Truman struggles to discover the true nature of his reality, he is
attempting to understand if there is more to the world around him. This argument goes back at
least as far as Plato's " of the Cave." In this argument, Plato supposes that we are
like prisoners in a cave. We are chained so that we can not turn and look behind ourselves. We
can only see the wall of the cave. Behind us, there is a fire and figures casting shadows, via
that fire, on the wall. Beyond that, outside the cave, is where the real Truth lies. Therefore,
according to Plato, we are thrice removed from Absolute Truth. Ideal (outside the cave), Figures
and the fire, and thirdly, the shadows which we see.

That is the historical
beginning of such a philosophical argument. In terms of modern society and how Truman's struggle
may apply, consider that first quote. What is it about society that we passively accept? Then
consider which of those things have been culturally constructed. They may have been so
constructed because governing people, political agendas, religious beliefs, etc.

Truman was born into his fake world. At some point he realized he was playing a role.
If he were to ignore playing that role, he could conceivably be someone/somewhere else. Truman's
world is made up. But the outside (our) world is somewhat similarly made by us. We may choose to
play roles society expects of us or we may explore other ways of being. So, it's not just that
the world we live in is an appearance in the sense that we make it up (in terms of
infrastructure, voting for politicians, working certain jobs, believing certain things, etc.)
Each of us also might ultimately face what Truman did. Why have I always accepted this role? Am
I missing something? Are the people in my life genuine or merely acting?

There are a lot of ways to interpret this film. Consider a very specific concept
whereby Truman comes to believe everyone around him has been acting. Only then does he consider
that he's been conditioned to behave in certain ways. His fear of the water is one such
condition. So, another way to go about this is to consider what you believe, are afraid of, etc.
And while those beliefs come from real experiences and reflect what you know about the world,
there is always the possibility that you can overcome a fear, change beliefs, and so
on.

 

 

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