Help Notes: October 2012

Wednesday 31 October 2012

What were some things that people in the story Fever 1793 think caused yellow fever?

In
chapter 8, Mr. Carris reads the mayor's orders from a broadsheet newspaper. From these orders we
can infer some of the factors which people in the story think of as possible causes of yellow
fever.

The first order is that everybody "should avoid those that are
infected." The implication here is that people think that yellow fever is contagious via
direct contact with those already infected. This thought is confirmed by the second order, which
states that "The homes of the sick should...

Monday 29 October 2012

What evidence in the text hints at or suggests Mr. Hooper's reasons for wearing the black veil?

The first hint we get
about the meaning of the veil is the subject of the first sermon Mr. Hooper delivers after he
begins to wear it. "The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which
we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness
[...]." His congregation even feels that he's "discovered their hoarded iniquity of
deed or thought."

Then, when his fiancee,...

How does Hemingway create tension in "Hills Like White Elephants"?

One of the main ways
that Hemingway creates tension in this unforgettable and, in many ways, uncompromising story is
through his use of dialogue. It is clear that what is going on beneath the apparent surface of
their dialogue is an immense struggle where the male is insisting that Jig, his lover, has an
abortion, and she does not want to have this abortion, but eventually realises that she must
yield to his inexorable will. Note how the male, in spite of his veneer of reasonableness,
insists on returning to this topic of conversation even when it is clear that she does not want
to...

Sunday 28 October 2012

Compare and contrast Odysseus from the Odyssey with Gilgamesh from The Epic of Gilgamesh. Whom do you feel is more heroic and why?

Gilgamesh
and Odysseus are two of the famous heroes of the Ancient World, with Gilgamesh emerging from
Mesopotamia while Odysseus emerges from Ancient Greece.

Like many ancient
heroes, both Odysseus and Gilgamesh are kings. (Gilgamesh is king of Uruk whereas Odysseus is
king of Ithaca.) Likewise, both are men of superhuman ability. Each travels widely, and in the
course of their traveling, each displays those superhuman capabilities. Both are also capable of
tremendous brashness.

There are differences between the two also. As brash as
Odysseus can be (his taunting of Polyphemus is probably the most infamous example of this), he
tends to treat the gods themselves in a respectful manner, recognizing his own limitations as a
mortal.

By contrast, when the goddess Ishtar attempts to seduce him,
Gilgamesh responds with insults and castigation. Even if both Odysseus and Gilgamesh have their
moments of brashness, there's a striking difference in scale between taunting a cyclops (even if
he is the son of a god) and taunting one of the primary goddesses of a mythological
pantheon.

There are other differences as well. When you compare the two
stories, you might observe that these two heroes are driven by very different motivations (and
they have different levels of success in achieving their goals). Throughout The
Odyssey, Odysseus is driven by his desire to return to Ithaca, after having fought in
the Trojan War. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, is most famous for his attempt to attain the
secret of immortality. Only one of the two succeeds.

As far as which is the
greater hero, keep in mind that different people can be expected to formulate different opinions
about the two. This is a purely a matter of individual judgment.

According to Vera, what was the great tragedy that had happened to her aunt and family?

At the
beginning of the story, Vera introduces herself to Framton Nuttel, who intends to meet Vera's
aunt, Mrs. Sappleton. After asking Framton several questions, Vera discovers that he is a
neurotic, timid man who is not familiar with her aunt or the region. Vera realizes that Framton
will be easily frightened and recognizes an opportunity to tell him an elaborate tale about her
aunt in hopes of scaring him when her uncle returns to the house.

Vera
proceeds to fabricate an unsettling story about why Mrs. Sappleton keeps her rather large French
window open. Vera tells Framton that three years ago, Mrs. Sappleton's husband and two brothers
went on a shooting expedition and drowned in a treacherous piece of bog. Vera explains to
Framton that the men never returned, and their bodies were never recovered. According to Vera,
Mrs. Sappleton keeps the French window open in anticipation of their return.

Vera knows that Mrs. Sappleton's husband and brothers will return shortly from their
shooting excursion. When the men return, Vera purposely looks frightened, and Framton is
horrified at the sight of the men approaching. He is fooled by Vera's story and believes that
the men are actually ghosts. Framton responds by sprinting out of the house, and Vera proceeds
to make up another story explaining Framton's irrational behavior.

- Describe each of the four different process strategies and give an example of each other then examples why your example has the characteristics of...

Process
strategies are interventions that are made to make the best out of a business using
currently-available resources rather than outsourcing and having to spend more. It also entails
higher quality assurance and better management.

Process
focus : There are businesses whose main operations depend on specific departments
for it to flow without complication. For example, if you work in an office, the human resources,
payroll, and supply are the strongest processes that occur because without human resources there
would not be employees; without payroll there would not be employees either because they need to
get paid on time. Also, without resources from the supply department the business would not be
able to operate. Hence, after you realize what are the processes that help your business stay
afloat, you want to focus on them and ensure that they run smoothly at all times. Therefore, the
process focus entails that the business will place special attention on what are the practices
and...

Did the Great War further or undermine the Progressive agenda?

The
Great War undermined the Progressive agenda in relation to foreign affairs. Woodrow Wilson's
vision of a rules-based international order had been a long-standing goal of the Progressive
movement. Progressives wanted to see an end to imperialism; they wanted international relations
to be conducted on the basis of cooperation and national self-determination. And although the
United States's entry into the war was largely based on such principles, it paradoxically set
back Progressive ideals in the formulation of American foreign policy.

Large
sections of the American public were hostile to their government getting involved in
constructing a new international system. It was one thing to fight a war to make the world safe
for democracy; it was something entirely different to sort out other countries' problems for
them. That was how isolationists in Congress saw the issue, and that's why they subsequently
rejected the League of Nations. It would take another generation before the...

Saturday 27 October 2012

What are some metaphors, similes, and other literary devices in Romeo and Juliet in act 2? I need to identify some literary devices in the play for my...

Can I go forward when my heart is here?
Turn back, dull
earth, and find thy center out. (2.1.1€“2)

In these
lines,utilizes synecdoche. He is ultimately asking how he can move forward without his heart,
which remains with . His body is the "dull earth" he employs. It is said that our
bodies originated from the earth and will return to it when we die; Romeo's body is equated to
the "dull earth" he speaks of. This is especially useful in showing how he feels like
a walking shell without his heart (i.e., how he is empty without Juliet).

The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering
the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
And fleckled darkness like a drunkard
reels
From forth days path (2.3.1€“4)

usesin
these lines. Morning is represented as smiling while darkness is seen fleeing like a drunkard.
These personifications establish an expected tone of tranquility for the dayas it appears that
goodness will prevail over darkness.

Wisely
and...

Who is Franny?

Franny is
a flat, minor character in s novel . When Susie is murdered suddenly at the
hands of her neighbor Mr. Harvey, she discovers that the afterlife is much different than many
believe it to be.

Because of the tragic circumstances of her death, Susie
must come to terms with her mortality before she can truly be at peace. As such, Susie arrives
in her own personal heaven, also known as the first heaven. Somewhat...

Thursday 25 October 2012

What are some allusions in Books 10-12 of Homer's The Odyssey?

Odysseus alludes to the
Trojan War when he sees his mother in the Underworld in Book X. He tells her that he's been
wandering and experiencing "endless hardship from that day [he] first set sail with King
Agamemnon bound for Troy, the stallion-land, to fight the Trojans there." The Trojan War
was, indeed, a terrible ordeal, discussed at length in The . Odysseus
fought in the Trojan War for ten years, prior to the start of his odyssey home, and the Achaeans
only, finally, breached the walls of Troy and defeated with Trojans with the deceptive Trojan
Horse (Odysseus's idea).

Odysseus sees many important figures from mythology
in the Underworld. He describes the wives and daughters and mothers of quite a few famous men.
He says, "And I saw Alcmena next, Amphitryons wife, who slept in the clasp of Zeus and
merged in love and brought forth Heracles, rugged will and lion heart." With this line, he
alludes to the story of Hercules. Zeus came to Hercules's mother in the form of her husband, so
she slept with him, and she got pregnant with Hercules, son of Zeus and a demigod.

Moreover, Odysseus continues, "And I saw Megara too, magnanimous Creons daughter
wed to the stalwart Heracles, the hero never daunted." Megara's story is terribly sad:
Hera, in her anger at Zeus for his affair with Alcmena, Hercules's mother, drove Hercules insane
so that he killed his wife, Megara, and their children. Hercules, when she returned him to his
senses, felt so terrible that he embarked on a mission to cleanse himself of his awful
actions.

Further, Odysseus sees "the mother of Oedipus, beautiful
Epicaste. What a monstrous thing she did, in all innocenceshe married her own son ... whod
killed his father, then he married her!" Another awful story: Epicaste receives a prophecy
that her son would grow up to kill his father and marry her, so when she gave birth to Oedipus,
she sent him away to be killed. However, the slave who took him away didn't kill him; he gave
the baby away to a shepherd who served another royal family. When Oedipus grows up, he leaves
home and an oracle tells him the same prophecy, so he vows never to go home again (not knowing
he was adopted). In trying to avoid the prophecy, he inadvertently makes choices that allow for
it to come true: he kills his real father and marries his mother, even siring children by her.
When Epicaste finds out, she kills herself.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

What is f(x) if derivative is f'(x)=sin2x/(sin^2 x-4)?

We need to
find f(x) given that f'(x) = sin 2x /((sin x)^2 - 4)

let ((sin x)^2 - 4) =
y

dy = 2*sin...

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Why does monsters like demons, vampire, zombies, and so on continue to form such an important part of lore and storytelling?

Monsters
will always form a large part of the lore and stories that we create. We may see monsters in our
, but the reason why lies within our minds. Psychology provides a few reasons why we keep coming
back to stories that frighten yet intrigue us.

In his book Haunted:
On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural
Worlds , Leo Braudy explains that we are drawn to see what we also dread to see. His
idea of why we are drawn to tell stories and make myths that deal with monsters is because we
have an almost detrimental fixation on those...

Monday 22 October 2012

How does Pearl's relationship to Dimmesdale change throughout the novel? The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The
incarnation of 's and 's sins of passion,stands more as a symbol than a character. She is a
mixture of emotions, laughing at one moment, sullen at another. In fact, her behavior is so
unusual that she is referred to as "imp," "elf-child," and "airy
sprite." In Chapter VIII when the Reverend Wilson asks the three-year-old Pearl who made
her, she impetuously replies that she was not made, but was picked by her mother from the
rose-bush by the prison door. When the old minister is shocked, Hester appeals to the Reverend
Dimmesdale to speak on her behalf; as he does so, little Pearl comes to him, takes his hand in
both of hers and lays her cheek against it--much to Hester's surprise for she is not an
affectionate child. But, intuitively the child recognizes her father. The minister lays his hand
on the child's head, looks nervously around, then kisses Pearl's brow.

After
this occurrence, Pearl does not see Dimmesdale for a long time. Then, when she encounters him in
Chapter XII in the second scaffold scene as he calls to her and Hester to stand with him on the
scaffold, little Pearl whispers,

"Wilt thou stand
here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide?"

When
the minister replies that one day he will, but not tomorrow, Pearl laughs and tries to pull her
hand from his. Again she laughs when the minister repeats his words and looks at him with
"a naughty smile" and an "elfish" expression. When Dimmesdale shivers at the
sight of , Pearl tells the minister she knows who Chillingworth is, then she laughs
again, retorting after he scolds her for mocking him,

"Thou wast not bold!--thou wast not true!....Thou wouldst not promise to take my
hand, and mother's hand, to-morrow noontide!"

As
she grows, Pearl seems more and more unearthly in character as an active and forceful symbol,
focusing more and more on the scarlet letter, by pelting her mother's breast with flowers and
another time placing a seaweed A upon her mother. In Chapter XVI as Pearl
sees Dimmesdale approaching, also acting more now as a living conscience, she inquires, "Is
it the Black Man?" In Chapter XVIII, when Hester casts off the letter after talking with
Dimmesdale in the forest, Pearl refuses to cross the brook to her mother until she returns the
letter to her breast. She also refuses to kiss Dimmesdale.

Finally, in
Chapter XXIII, as Dimmesdale publicly invites Hester and Pearl onto the scaffold with him in an
admission of his sin and recognition of his child, Pearl gains in humanity and sheds her
sprite-like characteristics of impetuous behavior. Dimmesdale holds the hand of "the
sin-born child" and living conscience and asks her if she will kiss him now that they are
together on the scaffold. She does so, and

[A] spell was
broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her
sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would
grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it.
Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled.

With the trinity of the family formed, Pearl has acknowledged her
father as she did as a three-year-old. Her humanity is established and her father admits his
sin, so now Pearl can become a woman. With his admission of his sin of passion, Dimmesdale has
given Pearl this new human life of joy and sorrow.

Sunday 21 October 2012

I understand that one of the first novels that became a "bestseller" was Robinson Crusoeby Daniel Defoe. What probably caused rise of the novel genre...

You are
correct that 's (or The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures
of Robinson Crusoe), published in 1719, was probably the first fictional British
"bestseller" and was republished four times that year. Adventure stories told by a
first-person narrator were quite popular at this time, and Defoe capitalized on that.

One of the reasons novels did not achieve huge popularity until the eighteenth century
was the need for an efficient and cost-effective method of printing them. Unlike poems, for
example, which could be easily written, copied, or even memorized, a novel required an actual
book in order for it to be effectively read. It is rather surprising to think about now, but
paper was not always cheap or available, and refinements in the printing press did not occur
until the mid-eighteenth century or later. The amount of leisure time a citizenry had also
impacted how soon and how significantly the novel became part of the culture.

Consider the Medici family and others--all rich--who collected books from all over the
world, recognizing the value of the recorded word; once books become more accessible and
affordable, everyone could collect and read them. As Robinson Crusoe says, It is never too
late to be wise.

href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe

Describe the conversation between the lady and two men at the bazaar stall in "Araby." Why is this important an important moment in the story?

Earlier
in the story, the little boy has a casual conversation with Mangan's sister, who tells him that
she cannot make it to the bazaar, named . The little boy is infatuated with Mangan's sister and
responds by promising to buy her something from the bazaar. The little boy likens his journey to
a religious quest and experiences numerous obstacles before finally making it to the bazaar just
before it closes.

The boy ends up approaching a stall selling pottery and
the young woman working engages in...

Saturday 20 October 2012

Why is Meg Murry important in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time?

Meg Murry is
essential in 's A Wrinkle In Time because she is the
. Just as all protagonists, Meg does a great deal of
evolving as the story progresses. She starts out as an awkward,
immature high school student who is threatened by her teachers to be dropped by a grade and is
angry about her father's disappearance. Meg's first transformation
begins to take place when she first starts a friendship with popular, athletic Calvin who even
shows romantic interest in Meg, telling her her eyes are beautiful. As the story progresses and
Meg embarks on a journey to find her father...

href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wrinkle_in_Time">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wrinkle_in_Time

Describe the character of Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels.

Gulliver
is an adventurous soul, possessed with an insatiable wanderlust that makes it impossible for him
to settle down in any one place for too long. No sooner is he back in the bosom of his family
than his feet start getting itchy, and he yearns to head out to sea once more. Gulliver's
undoubtedly a good man, as he shows on any number of occasions, but if one had to venture a
criticism, one would say he's a tad immature, a man whose boyish taste for adventure often gets
him into trouble.

Nevertheless, Gulliver's basic decency means that he's
someone we'd always want to have on our side in a conflict. Observe how he expertly sends the
Blefuscans packing when they try to invade Lilliput. And yet this episode also illustrates the
man's decency. He'll happily deter the Blefuscans from invading, but what he won't do, even at
the Emperor's express insistence, is wade over to Blefuscu and wipe out their entire fleet.
Gulliver is much too good a man to contemplate doing something so wantonly
destructive.

Another of Gulliver's positive traits is his intellectual
curiosity. He loves nothing more than finding out about all the many weird and wonderful customs
of the various lands he visits. In learning about other cultures, he also learns a lot about
himself, about his strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. Not only that, but as his encounter
with the Houyhnhnms ably demonstrates, he also gains a unique insight into the manifest
deficiencies of the human race.

Find the derivative of the function. Simplify if possible. `y = tan^(-1) x^2`

`y =
tan^(-1) x^2`

To determine the derivative of y, use the formula `(tan ^(-1)
u)' = 1/(1+u^2) * u'` .

`y ' = 1/(1+ (x^2)^2) * (x^2)' = 1/(1+x^4) *
2x`

`y ' = (2x)/(1+x^4)`

Hence, the
derivative of `y = tan^(-1) x^2` is `y' = (2x)/(1+x^4)` .

Friday 19 October 2012

In the story, "Girl," is the mother being loving toward her daughter, by giving all the instruction that will help in the future?

It seems
to me that the mother in "" is practicing tough love. It's true that most mothers who
regularly call their daughters "sluts" aren't described as "loving," but I
would argue that the mother's intentions towards her daughter are good. She understands that as
both a female and a West Indian, in a world filled with sexism and racism, the girl will be
working against a lot of obstacles.

Most of the mother's instructions
revolve around the way to do things so that the girl appears to be a perfect, proper young woman
and, eventually, wife. The sheer amount of instructions and responsibilities is
difficult...

Explain the liberal humanism approach to analyzing a poem in layman's terms.

Liberal Humanism refers to a set of values
and attitudes about the relationship of the individual to the outside world. Many of the
concepts that seem fundamental to human existence that emerged from the Enlightenmentbriefly
summarized in the Declaration of Independence as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness"are expressions of what has come to be known as liberal humanism.

In the context of literary texts or poetry, a liberal humanist reading would embrace
the following precepts:

Literature is timeless and transcends its
historical context (that is, it is intrinsically valuable and fundamentally
ahistorical)
It is self contained; a reader doesn't have to look to outside
material to understand its meaning;
It should be read in isolation from
other material
Human nature is essentially unchanged; people today have the
same feelings and desires as people from hundreds or thousands of years ago

People are individuals and that individuality can be defined as our
"essence"
The purpose of literature is to preserve or enhance
these essential values, in a subtle way
The form and content should be
organically linked, that is, the structure of the poem (meter and rhyme, stanzas and line
breaks, etc.) should enhance the meaning
It should be true or real or
genuine; that is, it should articulate a truth in a new and direct way that avoids
cliche
It should show rather than tell
The role of the
critic is to help the reader unlock the true meaning of the piece.

So, in brief, a liberal humanist reading of a poem would involve a close
reading of the text in an attempt to understand its "universal truth"in other words,
that which is revealed by the essential humanity shared by reader and writer.

See Peter Barry, Beginning Theory (Oxford UP,
2013)

Thursday 18 October 2012

Did Mary Shelley invent science fiction?

It can't be
said that Mary Shelley invented science , for the use of imagined advanced technology to propel
a story goes back to Lucan's True History, a Roman (2nd century)that
includes space voyages and aliens. Nevertheless, Shelley's Frankenstein is
often credited as the first work of modern science fiction.

It earns this distinction because, if she did not invent science fiction, Shelley did
invent the prototype of the isolated, "mad" scientist alone in his lab concocting
experiments that willor couldhave significant impacts on humankind as a whole. Victor
Frankenstein concocts a creature that could, as he realizes, potentially breed and populate the
earth with a race of "monsters."

This motif of the mad scientist
has been much repeated in science fiction, with spaceships, time machines, and other advanced
technology coming out of the lab or garage of a lone genius.

Shelley is also
considered a pioneer in her employment of what was then state-of-the-art scientific knowledge to
lendand plausibility to the idea that one could use electricity to animate dead body parts into
new life. Plausible, rational science is one of the backbones of science fiction and is what
distinguishes it from magical or fantasy literature. There is no magic in
Frankenstein, simply science gone awry.

What is the theme in "Eveline"?

I take the theme
of '' to be one of Joyce's key preoccupations, the idea of paralysis, our inability to break out
of situations that have become home for us, even when those situations are unpleasant or worse.
Most of the story is taken up with Eveline's reflections and her attempts to balance her
decision: 'She tried to weigh each side of the question.' But it is fairly clear from the sheer
volume of people and things that she reflects on that she is desperately attached to them,
however perverse it may seem. Her father is a deeply unattractive figure who controls her life
and yet she finds a few pathetic good memories of him, telling her a story and making toast for
her when she was ill and putting on her mother's bonnet for a laugh. The fact that she notes his
ageing is also a clue that she will not follow through on her emigration from Ireland.

So I take the story to stand for any such situation in which the familiar, however
oppressive or enslaving it might be, is always preferable to the adventurous or romantic or
exotic. It is a strange but true fact of life that women often remain with abusive partners, for
example, or that bullied people court the approval and company of those who bully them. Eveline
can see the emptiness of her life and knows she must escape - the word is emphasized twice with
exclamation marks - but her paralysis at the end of the story confirms what we the readers have
picked up already from the way her mind is working: she will never have the courage to do
it.

Some interpretations go much further and see Eveline as a symbol of
Ireland under British rule and basically more comfortable that way than trying to become an
independent nation, but then Joyce has been interpreted in so many different ways that you'll
have to make up your own mind about that! Good luck in your reading.

How does the main character respond to the knowledge of his inner evil? How does this reflect Hawthornes attitudes about self-image, guilt,...

Theof
Hawthorne's classic short story "" is Mr. Hooper, who decides to wear a black veil,
covering his eyes, nose, and the majority of his face. Only Mr. Hooper's mouth and chin are
exposed while he wears the veil. Mr. Hooper wears the black veil as a symbol to represent the
various ways individuals conceal and hide their darkest sins. In the austere Puritan society,
public reputation is paramount and citizens go to great lengths to hide their sins from public
view in order to maintain an unblemished reputation and persona. Even though Hawthorne never
exposes Mr. Hooper's secret sin, the minister continues to wear the black veil as an outward
sign of his guilt and shame.

The minister's black veil has a dramatic effect
on how others perceive him and the majority of his congregation is initially terrified by his
ominous persona. On the first Sunday that Mr. Hooper wears the veil, he preaches a sermon on
secret sin, which is both poignant and accurate. Despite losing many friends and experiencing a
lonely existence, Mr. Hooper continues to wear the black veil until the day he dies.

The minister's black veil reflects Hawthorne's understanding of Puritan society, where
self-righteousness and pride motivate people to hide their sins. Hawthorne was fascinated by the
way guilt and sin influenced a person's conscience. Similar to Mr. Hooper, Hawthorne recognized
that the majority of society was more concerned with their self-image and reputations than
living honest, humble lives. Hawthorne's decision to choose the black veil as a symbol for
concealing one's secret sins illustrates his unique view of humanity and self-image. Hawthorne
recognized that self-righteous individuals were just as guilty and corrupt as everyone else but
utilized different methods of concealing their sin, which is reiterated by Mr. Hooper's final
words.

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Wednesday 17 October 2012

In Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, discuss Crusoe's belief that his fortune is connected with Providence. What can be said about Crusoe's relationship with...

When 's
begins, Crusoe records that one of his great difficulties was his
inabilityor refusalto see Providence (or God) in the things that happened to him from the time
he left his home, against the wishes of his father. It is only over time, in adverse conditions
as he looks within, that Crusoe is changedrealizing what a "brute" he was, and how God
has had his hand in all of Crusoe's experiences since leaving England.

In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the
more easily believed when I shall add, that through all the variety of miseries that had to this
day befallen me, I never had so much as one thought of it being the hand of God, or that it was
a just punishment for my sin...or so much as a punishment for the general course of my wicked
life€¦.But I was merely thoughtless of a God or a Providence, acted like a mere
brute...

Crusoe admits to his failure to see Providence
when it was there€¦until he loses everything. When Crusoe lands on the island, he says he
should have been thankful to God for rescuing him, the only survivor, but
he does not. He is thrilled to be alive, but any credit to the Almighty is lost for him. In
fact, he runs around, wringing his hands until he collapses.

It is true, when I got on shore first here, and found...myself spared, I was surprised
with a kind of ecstasy€¦which...might have come up to true thankfulness; but it ended where it
began...being glad I was alive, without the least reflection upon the distinguished goodness of
the hand which had preserved me...

Crusoe recalls that he
never appreciated what he hadsuch as his "station of life," didn't listen to his
parents' pleas or warnings, and had no need for God in his life. He has come to see that he was
wrong:

I rejected the voice of Providence, which had
mercifully put me in a posture or station of life wherein I might have been happy and easy; but
I would neither see it myself nor learn to know the blessing of it from my parents.

When Crusoe starts to take a close look at his life, Providence
takes hold of him, helping him to see miraclesto begin with, just in his
survivaleven though he is alone. It is hard to be by himself, but he is
happier than before, and he has been compensated for the absence of "society." He is
blessed with God's presence:

I gave humble and hearty
thanks that God had been pleased to discover to me that it was possible I might be more happy in
this solitary condition than I should have been in the liberty of society...that He could fully
make up to me the deficiencies of my solitary state, and the want of human society, by His
presence...

Crusoe begins to take his shipwrecked state
in stride: while he cannot admit he's glad to be in his situation, he is happy he has been able
to learn how empty his former life was.

...though I could
not say I thanked God for being there, yet I sincerely gave thanks to God for opening my eyes,
by whatever afflicting providences, to see the former condition of my life, and to mourn for my
wickedness, and repent.

In even the simplest things,
Crusoe's conversion brings him to appreciate all that he has; he has become a better man, and
allows that all he has comes from the hand of Providence.

I frequently sat down to meat with thankfulness, and admired the hand of Gods
providence, which had thus spread my table in the wilderness.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of the function: `y = (sin 9x)^(lnx)`

The
derivative of `y=(sin 9x)^(ln x)` has to be determined.

`y=(sin 9x)^(ln
x)`

take the natural logarithm of both the sides

`ln y =
ln((sin 9x)^(ln...

Monday 15 October 2012

How would you characterize the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu? Is it ultimately beneficial or destructive for both characters?

At the beginning of , Gilgamesh is a tyrant and Enkidu is
practically an animal. In the first two tablets of the poem, we see Enkidu become civilized,
essentially being prepared by Shamhat to meet Gilgamesh, who at the same time has been dreaming
about a new companion who is about to enter his life. The two begin by fighting each other but
quickly become united against the world. Their first expedition is against Humbaba, an exploit
that seems to have no other point besides being difficult and dangerous. This cements the bond
between them.

Enkidu is later punished for his role in their joint exploits,
killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. When he realizes he is to die, he curses Shamhat for
bringing him to civilization. However, when Shamash the sun god reminds Enkidu that it was
Shamhat who introduced him to Gilgamesh, he blesses her instead, revealing the depth of his
affection for the king. After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh clasps him and refuses to admit he
is...

Sunday 14 October 2012

Compare and contrast directional selection and disruptive selection and provide an example of each.

Directional selection and disruptive (or
diversifying) selection are two types of natural selection. There is another type of natural
selection: stabilizing selection.

Directional selection favors an extreme
phenotype (that is, a trait or characteristic of a species). This results in an increase in the
population of organisms that display the extreme phenotype as compared to other members of the
same species. For example, in a mice population on a beach, fur color may provide camouflage
from predators. The mice whose fur color is closest to that of the sand will survive, while
other mice will fall prey to predators. This will ensure the survival of mice with a particular
fur color.

Disruptive selection also favors extreme phenotypes; however,
unlike directional selection, this type of selection favors two extremes. For example, in the
same scenario with the mice, disruptive selection might emerge if there are tall, dark trees in
addition to sand. In that case, the mice with a darker fur color will also have a higher
survival rate. Thus, both light- and dark-colored mice will survive.

Neither
of these selections results in a decrease in the genetic variance of the given
population.

Both of these selection types do not favor the average or
middle-of-the-road phenotype. This is where stabilizing selection, the most common type of
natural selection, comes in.

Hope this helps.

Why does the speaker let the fish go?

In
's famous poem "," the speaker spends most of the poem describing what she sees as she
looks at the fish, and the poem ends, of course, with the speaker letting the fish
go.

Early in the poem, the speaker notes that the fish "didn't fight. /
He hadn't fought at all" (5-6). This seems a bit unusual, but then the speaker goes on to
record other details and observations about the fish's appearance. The fish is described as
"venerable," with "skin . . . / like ancient wallpaper" (8, 10-11). The word
venerable, paired with "homely" is an interesting choice on Bishop's part. To venerate
something is to respect it, usually due to its age or wisdom. Homely is a less positive word,
making the fish seem ordinary and not beautiful. However, it could also mean that the fish is at
home or comfortable in that place.

The fish is "speckled" and
"infested," which seems to further indicate that the fish is quite ugly and nothing to
really be admired; however, his age is...

What are some problems that Holden faces in The Catcher in the Rye?

The main
problem foris that he can't bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood. He feels more
intensely than most young adults the pressure to find a place for himself in a world that's
scary and largely incomprehensible. Yet he lacks the ability to do so. His chronic cynicism
gives him a perspective on the world that precludes any meaningful involvement in it. Everyone
and everything in the big old world outside is just "phony," and so Holden refuses to
engage meaningfully with people he regards as being terminally fake and insincere.

Most young adults go through a difficult period of readjustment, but it's much harder
for Holden. Psychologically, he's still a child, still incapable of living in the world, despite
his constitutional cynicism. He just wants to be "the catcher in the rye," protecting
the innocence of children, the innocence which he himself has lost, yet yearns so much to
recover. But he cannot do this. He can't even protect himself. In order to live up
to...

What were some important aspects of domestic affairs during Jefferson's presidency?

I must disagree with the above answer; as there were a number of domestic issues during
Jefferson's presidency that were of the utmost concern:

There was
the Essex Junto, a group of radical Federalists who saw the demise of their
party if the territory gained in the Louisiana Purchase came into the Union. They planned to
have New England secede from the Union under the leadership of New York. The scheme involved
having Aaron Burr elected Governor of New York and then have him lead the effort. Alexander
Hamilton discovered the plot, and exposed it, which ruined Burr's reputation. It was as a result
of this dispute that Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in which he killed him.

There was the Tertium Quid, a group of radical Republicans who
opposed any move of Jefferson's which they considered "liberal." They were the first
of several third party movements in the U.S.; none of which were successful.

There was the Burr conspiracy in which Aaron Burr and General James Wilkerson planned
to have Louisiana secede from the U.S. and form their own Empire. The plot failed, and Burr was
tried for treason. The trial was presided over by then Chief Justice John Marshall who would do
anything to embarrass Jefferson. Marshall adopted a strangely strict interpretation of the
burden of proof for treason which not only resulted in Burr's acquittal, it set a difficult
precedent for future treason trials. At the same trial, Jefferson refused to honor a subpoena
from Burr's attorneys, thereby laying the groundwork for executive privilege.

There was the Embargo Act, intended to keep America out of the war with France and
Britain. It ended up ruining the American economy.
Most importantly, the
Supreme Court of Marbury vs. Madison was issued during Jefferson's
presidency. This all important case established the principal of Judicial Review.

Contrary to the position of the earlier post, Jefferson's purchase of Louisiana
did not result in any great debate over
Constitutional interpretation. Jefferson construed his power to make treaties in the name of the
U.S. as sufficient to justify the purchase; a strangely broad construction. He justified his
actions by writing:

the good sense of our
country will correct the evil of loose construction when it shall produce ill effects.

All of this goes without mentioning the efforts of Louis
and Clark, and the Jefferson's enormous popularity after doubling the size of the U.S.

Saturday 13 October 2012

Describe the mood and the tone of the poem "Ulysses"? mood changes, describe

's poem
"" is told from the perspective of the aged hero, years after his return to Ithaca.
The poem is composed of three stanzas, and the mood and tone change from one to the
next.

In the first stanza, Ulysses reflects on his past adventures and
compares them to his current quiet life. The mood is restless and dissatisfied, as indicated in
the opening verses, where Ulysses laments his "idleness" and expresses a sense of
detachment from his subjects:

a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

The mood is underscored by the shift in Ulysses's tone when thinking of his younger
days. From the dour opening lines, the tone becomes bright and nostalgic, as Ulysses notes
proudly that

I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and
known . . .

Considering his past glories cheers him,
but comparing them to his present state pulls Ulysses's tone back into frustration, and even
despair:

How dull it is to pause, to make
an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life!

In the second stanza, the mood changes. Having decided that he
"cannot rest from travel," Ulysses appoints his son, Telemachus, to rule in his stead.
The mood is assertive and the tone is brisk, as Ulysses lists Telemachus's credentials for
ruling to justify his decision to leave Ithaca again:

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people,
and thro' soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good . .
.

When I am gone.

Ulysses is aware that his decision is
selfish, but he is confident that his son is both fit to rule and better suited to the task.
After all, not everyone is made for kingshipsome people are meant to be adventurers,

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

As Ulysses says, "[Telemachus] works his work, I mine."

In the third stanza, having made his decision and the
appropriate arrangements for leaving Ithaca, Ulysses's mood lifts. The language is eager and
full of wonder at the possibilities that lie before him:

Come, my friends,
'T is not too
late to seek a newer world.
. . . my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western
stars, until I die.

While he
knows that he is old and his best days are perhaps behind him, Ulysses wholeheartedly embraces
the chance to venture out once again and make the most of the time that he has left.

Old age hath yet
his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the
end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not
unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

In "A Good Man is Hard to Find," when the grandmother's head clears for an instant, what does she suddenly understand?

The
grandmother has a moment of what the Catholicwould have called grace. As she listens to the
Misfit's weeping and his description of his spiritual anguish, she feels compassion for him and
realizes the unity of...

Friday 12 October 2012

What is Bourriaud's position on relational aesthetics?

Nicolas Bourriaud coined the term
"relational aesthetics" in the 1990s, using the term in the catalogue for his 1996
exhibition (Traffic) and his 1998 book specifically on the subject:
Esth©tique relationnelle.

Bourriaud's concept can best be
understood as an extension of the Modernist project to extend the definition of art. When Marcel
Duchamp exhibited a readymade porcelain urinal as the sculpture titled
Fountain in 1917, the piece was still displayed in the traditional way on a
plinth as part of an art exhibition. Bourriaud on the other hand aims to make art inseparable
from daily life; eliminating the act of "staging" art itself. For instance, Rikrit
Tiravanija, one of the best-known artists to embrace the idea of relational aesthetics, cooked
Thai food for visitors at his show at the 303 Gallery in New York. The artwork was not the food
alone but the act of cooking and eating it as well as the social interactions that took place
around it.

Tiravanija's piece took place in a gallery (albeit a kitchen
inside a gallery), but Bourriaud makes the point that relational aesthetics apply to any space:
so a meal, a conversation, a lesson, or even just a person sitting on a bench feeding the birds
could all be works of art.

Thursday 11 October 2012

What are a few truths revealed in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Heralded by
many as the greatest of distincly American novels, byis not only a
portrait of the American Puritan experience, it is also a psychological study of the effects of
sin and guilt and redemption as well as a depiction of human nature, in general. Tormented by
the "sins of the fathers," especially the memory of his uncle's having been a judge
during the Salem Witchcraft Trials, Hawthorne wrote a novel that is, in effect, an examination
of the cause of such a debacle of Puritanical sanctimony.

The hypcrosy of the Puritans is a recurring motif in this novel.
Subjugated to imprisoning sin within their hearts, the Puritans become hypocritical and thus,
tortured by their existence that becomes a lie. For instance,darkens much like the sinister
plant thatidentifies with him, and he becomes fiend-like, bent, and decaying. Likewise, the
Reverend Dimmesdale is also psychologically tortured. In this mental torment,...

Why does Dewey Dell hate Darl so intensely in As I Lay Dying?

Dewey Dell and
Darl share a trait: both have the ability to "talk without the words," although Darl
possesses the trait more acutely than his sister. When he sees Dewey Dell, he knows she is
pregnant; she doesn't have to tell him. Because he knows, she hates him. She fears he will tell
Anse, and then what will Anse do? Just knowing that Darl knows infuriates Dewey Dell because she
doesn't trust him with her secret, a secret she plans to do something about, although she's not
exactly sure what that will be. Having no women around from whom she can easily ask advice,
Dewey Dell is left to seek information awkwardly from the local pharmacies in the towns the
family passes through. All the while, she fears that Darl may tell someone.Her hatred will
ultimately find an odious outlet.

What is an example of a metaphor in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech "I Have a Dream?"

Martin Luther King Jr.
employs metaphorical language when he says,

Five score
years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation
Proclamation.

King refers to the figurative shadow of
President Abraham Lincoln and the literal shadow of the monument that memorializes him in this
line.To say that someone stands in another person's shadow means that the person with the shadow
has had a major influence or significant impact: we might say that they cast a long
shadow.King alludes to the fact that Lincoln had a big influence on the granting of
rights to black people in this country (since he is the president responsible for ending
slavery).

King then refers to the Emancipation Proclamation as "a great
beacon light of hope to millions of slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering
injustice."This line contains two metaphors: first, the decree is compared to a beacon,
like a lighthouse that shines and gives hope to sailors because the decree...

Why is it significant that the town is named Greenwood and that the other briefcase comes from Shad Whitmore's shop?

The
significance of these names is open to interpretation.

Both are mentioned in
thescene in the novel's first chapter, which is sometimes extracted from
and read as a short story. Greenwood is the town that the narrator comes from. The MC announces
him as "the smartest boy we've got out there in Greenwood." The most obvious reference
is to the bustling black community of Tulsa called Greenwood, nicknamed "Black Wall
Street," which had been destroyed by white people. Ellison was a native of Oklahoma City,
so he would have known about the community and its destruction in riots. The Battle...

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Describe the mastodons and their keeper in Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

The
mastodons are a huge race of prehistoric beasts, which resemble elephants. As they roam through
the primeval forest inside the earth, they are an awe-inspiring sight, but their keeper astounds
the three travellers even more. This is because he appears to be a human being - a form of
prehistoric man. He is a vastly imposing sight, 'over twelve feet tall', with an animal-like
mane; but he seems to be human, however primitive. Axel and his companions have already seen
fossilised remains of what appear to be humans, alongside those of animals; now they come across
a living specimen and are simply overwhelmed.

The three travellers encounter
many amazing sights and events during their fabulous journey inside the earth, but it is the
sight of this keeper which stupefies Axel more than anything else. Later, when he is able to
think it over, he is simply unwilling to face the idea that there might be a race of humans
living deep in the earth:

The idea that a man, a living
man, and with him a whole generation, should be buried down there in the bowels of the earth is
unacceptable. (chapter 37)

Axel, then, refuses to
entertain the notion of an entire community of humans living in such isolated and primitive
conditions, so completely cut off from the their counterparts on the surface of the globe. He
takes refuge, instead, in the suggestion that it might have been some sort of human-like monkey.
The thing that unsettles him most about this strange new world is the thought that he might have
run into his own kind.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

In Charles, what is funny about the story ?

What is
funniest about this story is how Laurie's parents think thatis such a bad kid. Once a reader
reaches the end of the story, this becomes very funny in retrospect. The parents have spent
the...

What are some important vocabulary words for Shirley Jackson's short story "Charles?"

The short story "" contains many
interesting, upper elementary vocabulary words that are important to the story. In the very
first sentence of the story for example, the word renounced is used to describe the main
character's action with regard to overalls with bibs. This is an important word because it lets
the reader understand that though Laurie is young, he has very strong opinions and wants to be
more grown up.

Another vocabulary word appears in the second paragraph. The
word raucous is used to describe Laurie's voice as he returns home after the first day of
school. This word, meaning loud and assertive, lets the reader know that Laurie is a very
self-assured and somewhat rowdy boy.

Insolently is the next vocabulary word
encountered in this short story and it again refers to Laurie's attitude. In the story he is
speaking with his father and is described as speaking insolently to him. This term, meaning
disrespectful, again gives the reader insight into the character of Laurie.

These vocabulary words are important to the reader because they allow the reader to get
to know the main character. Without understanding them, the reader cannot have as clear a
description of the main character.

what does the poem mean?

This is a poem about the
plight of captivity (and oppression) expressed as an emotional reality. The poem uses theof a
physical cage as its principal vehicle to examine the nature of captivity as specific and
negative way of relating to the world.

Contrasting freedom and captivity,
the poem draws a comparison between a free bird that is able to not only fly freely in the sky
but also to think freely.

This specific element of its freedom allows the
bird to be audacious as it

[...] dares to claim the
sky.

A caged bird is presented in stark relief against
this emotional, imaginative and physical freedom. In a refrain repeated twice in the poem the
caged bird is described with the phrase,

his wings are
clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to
sing.

Significantly, the
poem's structure mimics that of a song, using a /refrain the follows the above repeated phrase
and appears twice in the poem.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful
trill
of things unknown
but longed for
still
and his tune is heard
on the distant
hill
for the caged bird
sings of
freedom.

In formatting the
poem as a song, the poet implicitly suggests that she is a caged bird and this poem is her song.
Thus, the poem's meaning relates to (1) an awareness of what it means to be free in terms of
internal life and emotional liberty and (2) a sense that the constrictions of captivity are also
emotional.

The emotional constrictions of the
caged bird's situation are made clear in the line

his bars of rage

which identifies the bars as being made of an emotion,
rage.

One conclusion to draw as to the meaning
of the poem comes from addressing the idea that freedom and captivity are not purely physical
states. Captivity is an emotional state and so can be produced by situations of oppression. Thus
captivity -- being caged -- becomes a metaphor for a perceived or fully felt state of mind
wherein an individual feels unable to determine his own path.

But a caged bird stands on
the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare
scream

The song ultimately
becomes a statement of yearning that stems from loss. What has been lost is not easily stated
because it is, in large part, a way of relating to the world. Yet in phrases like "grave of
dreams" the poem suggests that what has been lost can be described as a power to hope,
dream or believe in a positive future. A positive, assertive or affirmative relationship with
the world has been taken from the caged bird.

Monday 8 October 2012

What is the relevance of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex to modern times? What is the relevance of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex to modern times?

Johan Dickens

grapples with the concept of determinism, the philosophy that
"all events, including moral choices," are predetermined by "previously existing
causes" (Britannica.com). It also implicitly supports the theory of the self-fulfilling
prophecy. A prophecy is considered "self-fulfilling" when it comes true only because
it was predicted to.

The conflict centers around the prophecy that 's
parents,and , receive. Hearing that their son will kill his father and marry his mother, the
king and queen send their child away to a far-off kingdom. As things turn out, however, their
very action serves to fulfill the prophecy. Oedipus kills his father on the road, and takes his
mother to wife. Despite Creon and Jocasta's efforts to avert the prediction, it comes
true.

Or, is it because Creon and Jocasta try to avert the
prophecy that it comes true? Would the foretelling have proven true if the couple had left it
alone? If so, perhaps the event was, indeed, predetermined. Perhaps...

href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/determinism">https://www.britannica.com/topic/determinism]]>

What are the first two dangers the narrator faces in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

In
Poe's , the first two dangers the narrator has to overcome are the titular
pit and pendulum. When the narrator first wakes up in his cell, he is surrounded by absolute
darkness, with no way of knowing what kind of place he was imprisoned in. As he carefully
explores his cell, he trips, and when he hits the ground, he notices that most of his head is
not touching anything: he had accidentally found the pit in the center of the floor, and he had
narrowly missed falling into it.

At a later point, his water is drugged, and
when he wakes up, he finds that he is strapped down so that he cannot move. At first, he does
not consider it much of a problem, but as the pendulum slowly lowers towards him, he realizes
what will happen to him if he does not move. In order to escape being slowly cut in half, he
spreads what little is left of his food onto the strap holding him down and the rats chew
through it, and it is just in time for him to move out of the way before the pendulum could do
too much damage.

In 1984, what are some of the characteristics of the proles that, in Winston's eyes, make them the ultimate means for overthrowing Big Brother?

once
wrote in his secret diary, "If there is hope...it lies in the proles" ( , 89). Winston
has several reasons to have faith that the proles will one day rebel and overthrow the Party.
Unlike Party members, the proles make up 85% of the population and are not under constant
surveillance. They are not required to have telescreens in their homes or demonstrate unwavering
loyalty to Big Brother like Winston and the other Party members. Winston also recognizes that
the proles have retained their humanity to a certain degree. After witnessing a prole women
shield her child from watching a graphic scene in the movies, Winston becomes aware that they
value family, decency, and loyalty toward one another. The fact that their loyalty is not
directed solely toward Big Brother is significant in Winston's opinion. Their familial loyalty
allows them to be independent and protects them from becoming unscrupulous, devoted followers of
Big Brother. He also recognizes that the proles...

Sunday 7 October 2012

Who is talking in the poem "Once Upon a Time?" Who is addressed and who are "they" that are referred to in the poem?

The poem
"Once Upon a Time" by Nigeria poet Gabriel Okara is written from the perspective of a
parent addressing his young son. The
title and opening line, "Once upon a time," frame the poem as a kind of bedtime story
or fairy tale, as the father reminisces about a (now lost) time of openness, kindness, and
honesty. The group that the father describes and addresses as "they" is never
explicitly defined, but it's easy to infer that "they" represent all of
adult society. These are the people who have forgotten the
innocence and joy of youth and now "only laugh with their teeth" and have
"ice-block-cold eyes." The portrait of "them" that the speaker paints is of
a society of cold, greedy, and disingenuous people who have lost all of their childhood
wonder.

Interestingly, it is clear from stanza four that the parental speaker
has learned to behave in exactly the same way as these people he groups together as
"they," in order to fit in. But, presumably unlike the rest of adult society, the
speaker longs to return to the bigheartedness of his youth: the same bigheartedness that he sees
in his son.

What would be a good thesis statement for "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings?"

There are
some other approaches you could take if the writing prompt is open ended.

One
approach to evaluating this story would be to analyze Garcia Marquezs use of magical . Unique to
Latin American literature but perfected in his writing, magical realism is defined as the
seamless blending of straightforward realism and whimsical elements. You might consider a thesis
statement that explains why Garcia M¡rquez uses the angel and the spider woman within an
otherwise realistic story. What is his purpose? What might the angel represent to the Pelayo?
Elisenda? The community? What about the Spider Woman?

This analysis would
allow you to discuss the role of symbolism, as well.

Another approach you
could consider is theme, as other posts suggest. Some alternatives to those already suggested
are faith and prosperity. Both of these thematic ideas are addressed within the story.

Good luck!

Friday 5 October 2012

In Lord of the Flies, compare and contrast the deaths of Simon and Piggy.

The
deaths of bothandrepresent the death of reason and civilization on the island. Piggy, the
eminently sensible and logical voice of reason, dies a brutal death at the hands of the savage
and barbaric . Simon's death is also brutal; in fact, even more so. He's set upon by the other
boys, who mistake him for the mythical Beast. Though the boys genuinely thought they were
killing the Beast and not Simon, they must still be held morally responsible for their
actions.

The killing of Piggy is pure cold-blooded murder. Roger knew exactly
what he was doing when he levered the boulder. He wanted Piggy dead, and this was the way he
chose to kill him. Ironically, Roger used reason in calculating what would happen when the large
rock tumbled off the cliff. This wasn't just a savage lashing out as happened with Simon; this
was an act of cold, calculating deliberation.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Is Gene redeemed in the end?

To be
redeemed means to atone for a sin or pay a debt: to make a wrong right and be in the clear.
Fifteen years after have deliberately wobbled a branch, causing Finny a fall that ultimately
killed him, Gene wants to believe he is redeemed and that all is OK. He recounts that Finny, in
his hospital bed, goes to lengths to excuse Gene. Gene accepts Finny's story:

It was just some kind of blind impulse you had in the tree there,
you didnt know what you were doing. Was that it?

Yes, yes, that was it. Oh
that was it, but how can you believe that? How can you believe that? I cant even make myself
pretend that you could believe that.

I do, I think I can believe that. Ive
gotten awfully mad sometimes and almost forgotten what I was doing. I think I believe you, I
think I can believe that. Then that was it. Something just seized you. It wasnt anything you
really felt against me, it wasnt some kind of hate youve felt all along. It wasnt anything
personal.

We...

Wednesday 3 October 2012

At the same time of day, a person who is 5 ft casts a 3ft long shadow and a building casts a 12 ft shadow. What is the height of the building.

At the same
time of the day, the sun is at the same height to both the person who is 5 ft tall and the
building.

The ratio of the...

What is the symbolic significance of the clock in 1984?

In the opening
line of the novel,uses the clock to alert readers to the idea that all in Oceania
is not what it seems. He does this by describing the thirteenth stroke of the
clock which, on a traditional clock, is an impossible time to strike. In doing this, then,
Orwell uses the clock as a symbolic warning that the reader must question everything that they
are about to read.

In contrast, in Part One, Chapter Eight, whenis visiting
Mr. Charrington's shop, the clock symbolizes his sense of nostalgia: specifically,
his desire to remember life before the Party took control . The
clock, for example, is no longer striking an impossible time; it is described as a
"twelve-hour clock" (as a clock ought to be)...

Why does the veil make Mr. Hooper a more effective minister?

Initially, Mr. Hooper's veil perturbs his congregation, as people find the black veil
to be ominous and foreboding. However, Mr. Hooper's messages seem to be more direct and
influential to his congregation. Hawthorne writes,

"...there was something, either in the sentiment of the discourse itself, or in
the imagination of the auditors, which made it greatly the most powerful effort that they had
ever heard from their pastor's lips" (2).

The veil
symbolically represents the secrets sins that each individual possesses, which are hidden from
society. This strikes a chord with the congregation, making Mr. Hooper a more effective
minister. As time passes, the community becomes accustomed to Mr. Hooper's veil and no longer
fears the minister. Mr. Hooper develops a reputation as a gentle, sympathetic preacher, who has
an "awful power over souls that were in agony for sin." By wearing the black veil, Mr.
Hooper is essentially drawing attention to his own private sins, which makes other
sinners...

Tuesday 2 October 2012

What are the characteristics of Postcolonialism that can be found in literature? (For example the poem "Piano and Drums" by Gabriel Okara)

is, as the
word parts indicate, a period of time after the end of British or French colonialism in various
parts of the world. As can be expected, it is characterized by opposition to the colonial
conquerors, frequently focusing upon racial relationships and the effects of racial domination;
in addition, the literature often indicts white and/or colonial societies. One such example of
Postcolonial literature is this vituperative passage written by Elaine Potter Richardson, who
changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid. She was educated in British schools in Antigua:

Antigua is a small place, a small island . . . . settled by
Christopher Columbus in 1493. Not too long after, it was settled by human rubbish from Europe,
who used enslaved but noble and exalted human beings from Africa . . . . to satisfy their desire
for wealth and power, to feel better about their own miserable existence, so that they could be
less lonely and emptya European disease.

Despite the
progress that is brought to countries under European colonialism, there is usually a resentment
toward the Europeans who have conquered and subjugated the native people,leaving them to feel
that they have lost their voices in their own land as a result. This conflict of identity is
often an issue that postcolonial literature deals with as in Albert Camus's story "The
Guest" in which the main character's loyalties are torn between the native culture and the
French Colonial government.

In "Piano and Drums" by Gabriel Okara,
the speaker expresses the affect of both cultures upon him; he cannot remove himself from the
Colonial culture despite his love for his own. The first two stanzas describe a certain primal
excitement, "simple paths" of feeling as the speaker is in touch with the land. Then,
in the third stanza, he is transposed to a more complex world of "tear-furrowed
concerto," the rule of those colonists from "far-away lands/" There are mixed
feelings:

....But lost in the labyrinth
of its
complexities, it ends in the middle
of a phrase of daggerpoint

And I
lost in the morning mist
of an age at a riverside keep
wandering in the mystic
rhythm
of jungle drums and the concerto

The
"daggerpoint" is connotative of the danger and damage of colonialism that has affected
the speaker who feels "lost" and "wandering" in a rhythm of the spirit that
includes the duality of the African "jungle drums" and the European piano
"concerto."

href="https://talltalesandtumbleweed.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/poetry-piano-and-drums-by-gabriel-okara/">https://talltalesandtumbleweed.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/p...

What are the ironic elements in the story "The Black Cat"? Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat"

The very
first line of Poe's "" sets the stage for an ironic tale:

For the most wild yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect
nor solicit belief.

Of course, the juxtaposition of
wild with homely sets up a contrast between what is
said and what is meant, and the declaration that the narrative does not want anyone to believe a
tale he is taking the time and making the effort to tell, is also ironic. His further
declaration that someone calmer, more logical, and less excitable that he will feel that the
tale is

nothing more than an ordinary succession of very
natural causes and effects

is nothing less than ironic,
indeed, as he indicates his own insanity although he has stated in the third and forth sentences
that he is not mad and that he does not dream--in other words, he is normal, too.

But, perhaps, the most startingly ironic situation in Poe's story is the scene in
which the narrator describes how his wife accompanies him on some household errand...

Monday 1 October 2012

Was Lady Macbeth to blame for Macbeth's downfall?

In
Shakespeare's , Ladyis partly to blame for Macbeth's downfall.

They both react to the predictions that Macbeth will be king in the same
way, even though separated: they both instantly jump to the conclusion that killingis what will
be necessary for the prediction to be fulfilled.
When they do meet,
they suggest in their conversation that they should assassinate Duncan that night while he is
sleeping in their castle. Macbeth is still deciding, butis already certain.

Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, but Lady Macbeth talks him into it by using
manipulation and questioning his manhood.
But when Lady Macbeth has an
opportunity to kill Duncan herself, she cannot go through with it.
Macbeth
can, and does, kill Duncan himself.
Lady Macbeth just does a lot of talking
and planning, but Macbeth does the killing. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth has nothing to do with
the rest of the killings that occur--those are all Macbeth. She is shocked when he kills the
grooms, and is unaware when he orders the killings ofand 's family.

Ironically, if Lady Macbeth would have had more to do with the later
killings, Macbeth might have gotten away with them. It is only when Macbeth varies from his
wife's plans or acts without her knowledge that he makes mistakes and creates
suspicion.

What makes Friar Lawrence important throughout the play Romeo and Juliet, espically in act 3, scene 3 ?

is s advisor, but he is also
important to the action of the play. He is the one who increases the suspense by marryingand by
allowingto fake her death.

Romeo clearly trusts Friar
Lawrence. He is his advisor and supporter. He moves the action along by marrying Romeo and
Juliet in secret. He does this because he thinks they will act anyway, and because he thinks
that marrying the two might end the feud between their families.

In one respect I'll thy assistant be;

For this alliance may so happy
prove

To turn your households rancour to pure love. (Act 2, Scene 3, p.
47)

By making this choice, Friar Lawrence unknowingly
sets off a chain of events that does accomplish his goal, but also causes disaster for his young
friend.

Friar Lawrence also agrees to help Juliet fake her death so she does
not have to marry . Romeo knows nothing about this plan, and Friar Lawrences inability to get
the message to Romeo leads to both young peoples deaths.

I
married them; €¦

You, to remove that siege of grief from her,

Betroth'd and would have married her perforce

To County Paris. (Act
5, Scene 3, p. 114)

Lawrence had a small part to play,
but in realty his actions caused the suspense and drama. If he had not married them, and if he
had not helped Juliet fake her death (or if he had gotten his message through), thewould not
have unfolded as it did.