What is the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

Let’s see if I can help guide you through this. The exposition of the novel is essentially the beginning when we find out who the characters are and what they are all about. We also learn the where and when of the setting. Give a brief description of what you learn about the characters and the setting in the first couple of chapters.

The rising action includes the series of conflicts Montag faces throughout the story. Initially, Montag has a lot of internal conflicts and later he experiences conflicts that are more external.

The climax is the absolute, highest moment of excitement/suspense in the story. Ask yourself what the greatest moment of suspense is for Montag. Think about the final conflicts between Montag, the Mechanical Hound, and his city. After this, conflict for Montag begins to decline.

Falling action is basically the few events that occur after the climax. Think about Montag’s retreat to the country.

In the resolution, we learn how the story wraps up. What is Montag intending to do after as the book ends? Think about the bang of vagabonds Montag meets and their mission. What do we have hope for at the end of F. 451. There is hope to start again.

Macduff leaves the castle and goes where?

In Act IV, Scene 1 of "Macbeth," we find out that Macduff has left the castle of Macbeth.  He flees because he is afraid that Macbeth will try to kill him.

When Macduff flees, he goes to England.  While Macduff is there, Macbeth kills Macduff's wife and children.  Macbeth then goes to England to try to kill Macduff as well.

Macduff hears that his family has been killed so he swears to take revenge on Macbeth and joins Malcolm in his attempt to overthrow Macbeth.  At the end of the play he ends up killing Macbeth in battle.

In Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 5. How is the way Lord Capulet refers to storms significant?

Traditionally in literature, and specifically in Shakespeare, the use of storms is a form of foreshadowing. Because staging a storm is challenging, especially in the 1500's writers, like Shakespeare use dialogue to show and explain what is happening.

Although in this specific scene the reference to the storms refer to Juliet's crying which Lord Capulet compares to storm which comes because Juliet does not like the news that she is to wed to Paris.

Capulet compares Juliet's tears to the storm and her body as a bark floating and being beaten by the water. He ends his discussion of the storm saying, "Who,--raging with thy tears, and they with/ them,--/Without a sudden calm, will overset/Thy tempest-tossed body."

This image of a tossed body can be interpreted as a dead body, which will eventually be Juliet's. Also, it is Capulet's way of saying Juliet is overreacting the news that she will be married to a nobleman; news she should consider as making herself lucky.

Finally to emphasize that this discussion of a storm is foreshadowing, Capulet exits the scene after telling Juliet and Lady Capulet that Juliet is "For by soul, I'll ne'er acknowelge thee," a statement implying that Juliet will be dead to him if she doesn't marry Paris. This, of course, happens when Juliet choses to marry Romeo instead.

What does the assumption Whitman begins "Song of Myself" with allow him to do? How is this assumption important throughout the rest of the...

If you read the rest of the many sections of Whitman's lengthy and groundbreaking "Song of Myself," you will notice that one of its major themes is that of celebrating his unity with all of mankind.  In numerous sections, Whitman describes all types of people going about their work, going about their days, living their lives, and he celebrates each one of them. He even gets in there with them and does their work, in order to feel more at one with them, and to experience life in the way that we do.  Throughout the course of his poem, he goes sailing with sailors, clamming with fishermen, hunting with Native Americans, helps a runaway slave to escape, smokes peace pipes with Native Americans, traps with trappers, and spends time amongst all sorts and types of people.  And each time that he does, he writes about how he feels unity with them; he feels at one with them.  Every assertion he makes about other people in his poem hinges on the foundational statement that he opens the series with:

"what I assume you shall assume/For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

Whitman's exuberance and enthusiasm for all of life, for all of his beliefs, and for all other people is stated in such a straightforward and unapologetic way; this voice of confidence speaks of his assurance that because we are all the same, we too must think like him.  He doesn't apologize, he doesn't hesitate, he doesn't hum and haw and worry about offending anyone in his poem.  He states things as he feels it, confidently assuming that we will understand, since we are the same.  His confidence, his enthusiam and exhuberance all reflect the assumption that we are all of one mind, agreed on all subjects, and feeling what he is feeling.  Only because he assumes this can he speak so openly, freely, and without guile or subversion.

I hope that those thoughts help a bit; good luck!

I'm trying to get started with my essay I just can't seem to think of a good way to start the essay. It is on Silas Marner. (look at the...

mhaviland,

Your topic of Eliot's Silas Marner can be a great essay. Most great essays have very similar characteristics. They start with am attention-getting statement. Something that will garner someone's attention to put them in a great mood as they read your essay. Try to think of something that is either a quote, a statistic, a rhetorical question, or a broad statement about the overall ideas of the book conveyed through your life.

Next, comes background information. How do you go from your first statement to the next. What are the qualities of the book that relate to your first attention-getting statement.

Then, your thesis statement. How are some people lucky while others are not? Is it through their moral beliefs, their deeds, their actions? A thesis statement, an explicit one which actually lists your controlling ideas (what you plan to write about) generally comes last in an introduction.) Though after a while, and you become more proficient, you can place the thesis statement anywhere.

Depending on the class you are in, the attention-getting statement, the background, and the thesis can each be one sentence, resulting in a three-sentence introduction. In later advanced courses, they become more involved and complex as your writing ability improves.

If you follow those guidelines, your essay on Silas Marner can truly turn out to be a wonderful paper.

What are 3 external conflicts for Edward in Twilight?please note that these conflicts need to be mainly about edward thank you

His thirst for Bella's blood made it difficult for him to be around her till he could get it under control. For example, when she discovered what he was he asked her "What do they eat?" and when she said "You won't hurt me" he took her up into the mountains so that she could see why he stays out of the sunlight. That is when he tells her how her blood was like his own personal heroine. Ouch! That's a tough one to control..ha! He shows her how strong he could be "As if she could fight him off" by up rooting a tree. He also gets so close to her making her see how quick he could move and not to trust him. Even though Bella stays strong Edward warns her; her blood; her scent; being human he could hurt her. He could kill her.

Love, Hate, Control....external. Cannot touch or kiss too much. Edward is so consumed with Bella he physically gets sick which makes him hate her at first. Edward also had to control his own physical strength not to attack or hurt Bella. His anger too because he could not read her mind, he could not have her thoughts.

I hope this is what you needed.....jm

In The Outsiders, what adjectives can I use to describe Johnny Cade, Dallas, Darry, Soda and Two-Bit?

Adjectives basically describe nouns and making use of them allows a writer to give descriptive characteristics to any concept whether it is concrete or intangible. Adjectives describe people, things and places and even abstract ideas and feelings. They add interest to sentences and create a visual image for the reader of whatever is being described. In The Outsiders, the characters are described in different ways to ensure that the reader recognizes those characters as he or she reads. The reader can anticipate what perhaps Dally (Dallas Winston) might do based on descriptions of his character and the reader's understanding.  

Ponyboy is the main character and the narrator and he describes the gangs (the Greasers and the Socs) and his family and friends so that the reader can understand the harsh reality for the Greasers who come from the "East side" of town.

Soda is Ponyboy's second-oldest brother and he is "different" because he understands Ponyboy's love of books although he "never cracks a book" himself.  Second-oldest and different have been used as adjectives to describe Soda's characteristics. Soda is "handsomer" and "slimmer" than most and these are comparative adjectives (although more handsome would be the correct form) as they are comparing Soda to everyone else. 

Darry takes care of his younger brothers since their parents were killed so he has a lot of responsibility. He is "rough" and hard on Ponyboy to the point that Ponyboy thinks he doesn't really care about him but it is because he wants the best for Ponyboy that he comes across this way. He is only twenty and in Ponyboy's eyes he is "tough, cool and smart...broad-shouldered and muscular" and is often preoccupied because of the responsibility he has to carry. 

Two-Bit Matthews is described as "stocky" and has "long, rusty-colored hair." He is funny and got his name because he always has to say something and he is "famous for shoplifting" whereas Dally is probably the most dangerous of the gang but he is fiercely loyal. He has an "elfish face" and "blue, blazing-ice" eyes and he is "tougher, colder, meaner" than the rest of the gang.   

Johnny is a tragic character and life is very difficult for him as his parents do not take care of him, even physically abusing him, and he has been attacked by the Socs for no reason except that he is a Greaser. This has rendered him nervous and even "scared of his own shadow." He has a "slight build" and is often mistaken for being younger than he is. He is also "shy" and reveals himself to be quite insightful in his understanding of his Ponyboy, reminding him to "stay gold."

What is the effect of the opening sentences: "This is one story I've never told before. Not to anyone."Chapter 4

Tim O'Brien is a master of storytelling.  In fact, he's a master of storytelling about storytelling.  It's called metafiction.  Fiction about fiction.  This is a story about a story, or storytelling.

When someone is about to tell a tall-tale, a storyteller will preface it with "This is one I've never told before.  Not to anyone" or "You won't believe this story; you can't make this stuff up..." or some such jazz.

It's a way to draw the audience in to his supposed confessional.  We know it's fiction, but with that preface it psychologically blurs the lines a bit, and we ask ourselves: is this true?

"On the Rainy River" is, ironically, the most fictional story in the novel of memoir-esque stories.  There was no trip to the border, no Elroy.  It's all metaphorical.  Tim went to war, if not directly, then soon enough.  He didn't run away.  So, why would he make it up?  He wants story truth to be more true than happening truth.  It's always been that way, right?  No one wants a rough draft of the truth instead of a well-crafted tall tale.

How to deal with a superior (supervisor) who is not willing to address important risk management issues in a longterm care facility?Hired as the...

This is common in the military.  The commander (or in your case, the Administrator) is indeed too busy to be immersed in decision making.  What the Administrator needs is to be able to briefly provide guidance during the decision making process and then to make the decision based on your recommendation.

Basically, here's how to make that happen.

1)  Identify your problem.  This is simple, but needs to be stated to all who are involved in the decision.

2)  Analyze the problem.  Collect facts, statistics, laws, restrictions, costs, the boss's personal preferences, etc.  State any assumptions you are making during the decision making process.  Identify requirements that your organization MUST meet, both specified and implied.

3)  Develop courses of action that will solve your problem.  There may be many courses of action, and many may not exclude each other.  When you recommend a decision to the boss, make sure she knows what courses of action you considered.  Now may be a good time to present these to her as part of the process, so you don't spend a lot of time later on a wild goose chase.  Now is also the time to decide what criteria you will use later when you analyze these courses of action.  In other words, what will make a course of action better than another.  Often, cost is one of these criteria.  Other criteria may include speed, efficiency, difficulty, etc.  In other words, one course of action may be cheaper but slower than another, while another may be cheap but difficult.

4)  Analyze and compare the courses of action.  Using the criteria from before, analyze how effective each course of action is and compare it to the others.

5)  Make your recommendation, using all of this information.  Your boss will appreciate being able to make an INFORMED decision.  She may not go with your recommendation, but all is not lost.  She still is considering all your input, but often has a different viewpoint.

All of this is very loosely based on the Military Decision Making Process, which takes college-educated Army officers a career to master.  Good luck!

How do I solve this problem? 6-|3-y|=1I'm 12 so simple answers would be good. I'm in algebra 1.

6-|3-y|=1

Let's look at it with some simple answers.  The absolute value part of it is what's giving you trouble, I'm sure, so put you finger over that part of it and look at the question this way:

Six minus what equals one?

 When you do that, it's easy to see that |3-y| is 5!

Here's the tricky part.  The easy way to remember what absolute value means is "the distance from zero on the number line." So if something has an absolute value of 5, it's five away from zero, which means it's either 5 or -5.

So there will usually be two answers to an absolute value problem.  In this case, 3-y can be either 5 or -5.  So if you solve these two equations:

3-y = 5

3-y = -5

You'll have the answer!

How and when did Hitler gain power and what was the Third Reich?

Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933 after trade unionist groups that had a significant influence on German politics were attempting to take over control of the government. The Nazis had been winning a series of elections in the run-up to Hitler's appointment in 1933, and most of them assumed they would be able to control Hitler once he was Chancellor.

Hitler proceeded to cement control of his power by amending German laws to allow the country to be a totalitarian state. The death of President von Hindenburg shortly after Hitler became Chancellor marked an intriguing point in German history. By a plebiscite that was approved by 9 out of every 10 German voters, the decision was made to merge the Chancellor's office with that of the President. This made Adolf Hitler assume total control of the country by 1934.

The Third Reich is the term used to define the nation-state that succeeded the Weimar Republic in Germany. The Nazis used the term to refer to Germany as a country, with the term directly referring to Germany as the third German empire. The First Reich was the medieval Holy Roman Empire and the Second Reich was the German Empire from 1871-1918.

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What is a line-by-line summary of "The Road Not Taken"?Please give me a detailed line by line explanation so that i can understand it better

1-There is a fork in  a wood."yellow wood" means that the season in the forest is autumn."roads diverged" it is a metaphor for choice. 

2-The poet now says that he cannot travel both the roads at the same time.

3-In this line the poet says that i have to travel one suitable road for me.

4-In this line the poet tells us that i looked at one road for sometime as far as he could.

5-In this line the poet is using a metaphor for future as it says "bent in the undergrowth".by this he means that he can see some consequences of the future.

6-7 Now he has chosen a the other road and in his eyes this road was better.

8-9 the poet choosed this road because this road was grassy and was less traveled.he thinks both roads were the same.

10-11 in this lines the poet says that both roads were alike and were the same. 

12-13 The one road which i choosed had been used less by travelers.he kept the first road so he would come back some day and try it.

14-15 he means by these lines that, one way is the key for another way and would he ever return to this place again.

16-17 poet tells us that in future  after many ages , either he regret or accept his decision its not clear because he uses the word sigh.

18-19 in this line poet remembers his past that once there were two roads and i took the grassy and less traveled one.

20-The poet says that my one decisions had affected my future and that's why now i am different than others

Who two characters have the strongest opposition and conflict between each other in the Crucible? and Is Tituba a slave?If they do, why?

The morality play designed by Arthur Miller lends itself to poising characters at opposite spectrum of ethical actions.  This means that one could pick two characters who represent different ends and they would have a strong level of opposition and conflict between what they believe and how they live their lives.  No better could this be seen between John Proctor and Abigail Williams.  The former turns out to be a pillar of morality, and one who refuses to speak falsehoods even if it could benefit his own existence.  The latter is one who speaks nothing but falsehoods in her own sense of self interest.  Another opposition which bears similarity to the notion of truth and manipulation can be seen in Giles Corey and Thomas Putnam.  The latter seeks to make profit and generate personal wealth through the misery of those who are accused, while the former speaks out against such a practice, and when he, himself, is accused demands "more weight," implying that he is willing to endure more than others in seeking his own conception of truth and justice.

The idea of creating characters on different ends of the ethical spectrum is done with the understanding that the reader/ audience can see how one extreme represents a noble path and the other is less than that.  An implication from this is to suggest that no one is subjected to the "lesser" path of human action for we as observers see the disastrous results of these actions.  In this vein, while Tituba is a Black slave from the Caribbean, we understand that when she is condemned and one of the first to die, it is a major offense and one that must be avoided.  Someone once said, "It's a minor crime when it happens to someone else, but it's a major one when it happens to you."  Indeed, Miller is trying to persuade us to understand that a miscarriage of justice and an institutional framework that does not have the general interests of all in mind is a "major crime" to all of us.  When Tituba is condemned to die, it is a bad sign for everyone in Salem as it foreshadows what is to come.  It is not something that concerns "those people," as much as Miller is trying to say it impacts everyone.

What is the theme of Paradise Lost?

In Milton's Paradise Lost he is writing his own Genesis story. He is describing th fall of man or humankind and the fall of the devil or Lucifer (and his angels). In the poem it shows the rebel angels revolting and then how they are thrust into hell. It shows the creation of the world, along with Adam and Eve and their inability to listen to and obey god's one request. Of course they were also thrust out of the garden of Eden.

I guess you could call the theme: the genesis story or seeking justice because Milton is explaining why the humans or mankind was banished.

What aspect of Mr. Dolphus Raymond's reputation do the children find to be false in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Mr. Dolphus Raymond has a reputation for liking ladies of a different race than he is, and of being quite a drunk.  He has taken to living with colored people, and whenever he is seen in public, he has a brown paper sack with what people assume to be whiskey or some sort of liquor bottle in it.  He walks around town sipping his drink constantly; hence his reputation for being a drunk.

This makes it all the more starling when, outside of the courthouse during a recess during the trial, Dolphus Raymond casually offers Dill a drink from his mysterious liquor bottle.  What is ths--a grown man offering a small child a drink of whiskey?  How dare he?  Has he no principles?  Well, come to find out, it's just soda pop that is in the bottle that he conspicuously keeps hidden in a brown paper bag.  The kids think that's awful strange--why have soda pop in a bag, so that people think he's drinking all of the time?  He explains that he does it to give people an excuse for his behavior of living with black people.  He says near the beginning of chapter 20,

"It ain't honest, but it's mighty helpful to folks...they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live."

If people think he lives with black people because he's just a lousy drunkard, then it helps them to understand his behavior better.  No one would willingly choose to live that way, according to them.  So, drinking makes him do it.  He chooses to support the lie to help people be less harsh and cruel in their judgments for him.  So, Mr. Dolphus Raymond is not a drunk, and the children are the ones to discover this truth.  I hope that helps; good luck!

How would you analyse an autobiography?

This is a very broad question. In terms of definition an autobiography is a nonfiction piece of writing which is written by a person regarding his or her own life and experiences.

In terms of comprehension, I would say that an autobiography is a nice blend of fictional and non-fictional elements.  While this genre is classified as nonfiction, it has numerous elements of fiction.  For instance, autobiographies have characters, plot, setting, mood and tone.  These elements have to be analyzed in order to understand the autobiography.

In general an autobiography, like any other type of writing, can be analyzed be its authenticity, theme, and benefit to humankind.

Poe manipulates time throughout the story.Find three quotations that deal with time moving slowly and two quotations with moving quickly. What...

Poe has shown us the various deranged states of the narrator through his inability to keep 'normal' time. His intensely deliberate actions at the beginning contrast with his wild raving and dramatic revelation at the end.

The narrator of the story is mad, as we ascertain quite early in the story. His meticulously slow and sinister actions at the beginning of the story show this. Here the narrator has moved painfully slowly to position himself to be able to see the old man -

It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed.

He then tells us how he repeats this bizarre ritual just to see the eye of the old man -

And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight.

He is boastful of the measured pace with which he carries out his deed -

A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity.

However, the story picks up pace when the narrator finally attacks and murders the old man. He is at his most intense, as the pace of the story reflects, when he has the police at the house, questioning him about the noise. Here we see him lose control as he is questioned by the police but is troubled by an increasingly loud sound -

I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased.

Unable to contain his inner turmoil the narrator reveals his crime and what he believes to be the source of the sound which plagues him -

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!"

Was Shaw at all clear on the theme of war?Shaw in Arms and the Man created two soldiers , one hollow and showy like Sergius and the other efficient...

I believe Shaw is quite clear on his ideas about war. I disagree with the interpretation of Bluntschli as glorified. After all, he isn't a model soldier, careful and attentive to duty-he carries chocolate instead of cartridges and deserts his battalion. On the contrary, I think many will identify him as the agent of realism in the play. But ironically enough, towards the end of the play he is forced to acknowledge—perhaps as a matter of habitual slip, his “incurably romantic disposition”. However, this should not be confused with those of Raina or Sergius, for, while in Bluntschli’s case the romantic tendencies are innate and, therefore, necessary in the process of Creative Evolution, in the cases of Raina and Sergius those are partly self-imposed and partly imposed by their education. In other words, Bluntschli opposes the principles of romanticism with his creative brand of romanticism. Thus, he becomes a balance between realism and romanticism.

I suppose one could see his realism as glorifying professionalism, but lack of showiness seems to counteract the idea of service to a higher power. His fatigue, inability and ignorance provide entertainment to the audience, while also underscoring the sufferings, fatigue and tortures a soldier has to undergo in real situation. Quite contrary to the feudal glorification of a soldier’s job as an orderly one of service of higher kind, Bluntschli lets himself into a loose delirium created by fatigue and accelerated by suddenly found refuge.

Also, it's important to remember that he and Sergius should not be considered two halves of the same coin. In fact, Bluntschli's importance in the play is as a representation of the follies of class distinction, rather than the folly of glorifying war. Bertolt Brecht, in his 1959 article “Ovation for Show” in Modern Drama, wrote that Shaw insisted “on the prerogative of every man to act decently, logically, and with a sense of humor” and that a person was obligated to behave this way “even in the face of opposition.” Apparently, Shaw gave this attribute to Bluntschli.

What were some of the entertainments forbidden by the Puritans in 1692 in Salem?The Crucibles

Those Puritans were a fun lot.  Because many things that would be considered fun, especially by young people, were commonly believed at the time to be the work of Satan, things like dancing in public were forbidden, as was public displays of affection, premarital and extramarital sex, and excessive Christmas celebrations or the playing of fortune-telling games.  Betting/gambling was also strictly prohibited, along with working on the Sabbath day.

By the 1660s, in part because of their overzealous enforcement of religious laws, the Puritan Church was already facing a membership crisis and passed the Halfway Covenant to encourage people to join the church without becoming full members.  Sort of a "test drive".  It didn't work.

In Farewell to Manzanar, how did Papa behave inside the cubicle?

Papa was a "dark, bitter, brooding presence" in the cubicle that was home to the Wakatsukis in Manzanar.  Upon his return from North Dakota, where he had been forced to work as an interpreter helping the Justice Department interview other Isseis, Papa settled into the small space allotted the family and "didn't go outside for months".  He refused even to join the others at the mess hall for meals, having his wife bring his food to him.  He also made her bring him "extra protions of rice, or cans of the syrupy fruit they served" so that he could manufacture alcohol in the homemade still he kept behind the door.  The still gave off a horrible smell, and for this reason Mama was ashamed to allow any visitors to come in.  Papa spent his days sipping his homemade brew until "he was blind drunk and passed out".  In the mornings he would awaken with a terrific hangover, and would routinely vomit, after which he would start drinking all over again.

Papa often became violent in the small confines of the cubicle.  He terrified the entire family, "lurching around...cursing in Japanese and swinging his bottles wildly".  Mama took the brunt of his frustrated, impotent wrath, and one time at least he was on the brink of literally beating her to death, except for the intervention of his young son.  Papa's downfall was irreversible, and he continued to isolate himself in the cubicle, "pursuing oblivion through drink...(and) abusing Mama" (Chapter 8). 

What is the summary for 'Gathering Blue?'There is a girl named Kira. She has broken leg and is an Orphan. She was remembering her mother who died 4...

The book Gathering Blue is the story of a young weaver named Kira who lives in a community.  The community is somewhat primitive and does not have running water and people live in cotts made out of brambles and sticks.  Kira's mother dies and Kira has to sit with her at the field per the way they mourn.  When she returns to rebuild her cott on her mother's space, another woman with a scar across her face challenges her for the land area. 

Kira has a foot that drags and has much pain from it.  She has to walk with a cane.  She would have been put in the field except her mother's father had some degree of power among the elders.  Her father was killed by the beasts while on a hunt.

Kira is brought before the elders and council is appointed for her.  She has remarkable abilities as a weaver so she spared.  Her land is given to the other woman.  Kira moves into a large nice room where she is assigned the task of repairing the singer's robe.  The task is very important.

Kira learns that there is another boy at the place named Thomas who is a gifted Carver.  Kira has a friend named Matt, a tyke and his dog, who are from the Fen.  The Fen is an area where the poorest live.  Unlike others in the community, Matt is kind and friendly and nurtures an injured dog.

During the night Kira and Thomas hear a child's cry.  They learn that a little tyke is locked up in a room.  She is a singer with a lot of talent.  The two sneak into hr room and offer little Jo comfort.  Thomas and Kira begin to become suspicious of what is occuring in their lives.

The day of the gathering when the singer is to sing Kira hears a scraping sound and so does Thomas.  They do not know what it is.  Matt comes back from a secret trip.  He has brought her the secret to making blue thread.  He also sneaks in a blind man who is wearing a blue shirt. 

Kira learns that the blind man is her father.  He tells her there never were any beasts only cruel men in the community.  It turns out that Jamison had clubbed and cut up her father to prevent him from getting a position as a council member.  Her father was left to die in the burial field.  People form a far away village had rescued him just as they had done for many others.

Matt is happy for Kira and tells her many people are broken in the far away village and she could find a husband there.  Kira's father wants her to go with him, but she suddenly begins to put everything together.  She realizes that the singer had his legs shackled and they had been bleeding.  The shackles scraping was the noise she had heard.

Kira decides to stay and write a better future through her weaving of the ceremonial robe that she is expected to decorate.  She is going to take a stand that she hopes will alter and create a better future for the community and the people.

What are three good metaphors in the short story, "The Scarlet Ibis"?

    The narrator's little brother, Doodle, receives several complimentary comparisons in the James Hurst short story, "The Scarlet Ibis." Three different examples of metaphorical useage (the comparison of two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as") are listed below.
    The big brother compares himself to a slave in his desire to help Doodle learn to walk:

    ... that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices... 

Later, the final storm's elements are compared to a child's game--of hide-and-go-seek, perhaps?

... lightning was playing across half the sky and thunder roared out, hiding even the sound of the sea. 

In the story's final line, the dead Doodle is compared with the fallen ibis, and the rainstorm is likened to an irreligious act.

For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain.

Analyze the last line of the poem. How does this line affect the reader's understanding of the poem as a whole?Explain your response with direct...

The key to understanding the theme of Frost's "Out, out-" lies in the intertextual reference to Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Act V Sc.5, where Macbeth soliloquizes bitterly on the futility of life after he learns of the death of his wife:

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Frost's poem ironically comments on the death of a small boy who dies tragically at such a young age because of an accident when he was sawing wood.  His life is compared to a "brief candle."

The last two lines contain the message or moral which Frost wants to convey to his readers. Frost's message is that anything can happen at any time. There is no absolute safety or security for human life. The next minute is not ours and we may be alive one minute and dead the very next minute. The only thing that we can do is to go on with our lives. Just because the small boy died it does not mean that all the others will die in a similar fashion. The death of the small boy cannot be an excuse for inaction. So, the others continue with their work and lives even after the death of the boy:

No one believed. They listened at his heart. Little--less--nothing!--and that ended it. No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.

Why is the sun so important to the novel?its relating to the story

Remember, The Stranger is a novella told in flashback.  Meursault narrates it, as if from death row, where he no longer sees the sun at all, and this colors Meursault's use of symbolism.  Whereas the sun should be a source of life, it becomes a symbol connected with death in hind sight.

In The Stranger, the sun is present whenever Meursault faces difficult decisions.  It is an external force that pressures the narrator and others to, ultimately, make bad decisions.  In a way, the sun represents the external forces that are placed on the individual during the moral decision-making process: religion, culture, social expectations, tradition, the justice system.  One cannot make decisions in a vacuum; all these pressures weigh on him constantly, and Camus' use of the sun is a kind of amalgam of all these pressures.

In Camus' absurd universe, most people are faced with two paths: the one leading toward individual freedom (life) and the one leading toward mass conformity (death).  The sun, in retrospect, is an oppressive representation of all the forces which limit one's individual freedom and ability to choose life over death.

For example, Merusault (and Perez) must walk in the oppressive heat during the funeral procession.  No one would, under any other circumstances, dress in black and follow a dead body in the heat of day by choice; it is a cultural expectation.  Perez even passes out from the walk of death.  The sun is a way of underscoring the absurdity of the rituals of death.  (Remember, in the end, Meursault will say that no one had the right to cry over his mother's death.)

The sun is also present on the beach with the Arab.  Here, the sun light off the blade of the knife is a stabbing reminder of the external forces placed on the individual: Meursault feels compelled to shoot out of self-defense, or revenge, or hatred of Arabs.  It's as if all the forces of society are aligned against the individual in this showdown, and one's choice to not shoot or shoot once or five times is the choice between life and death.

Contrast this with Meursault's freedom in the next chapter where he goes to the beach and swims with Marie.  The sun (and water) is a symbol of life and freedom, and Meursault relishes it against his body.  In the "Myth of Sisyphus," a similar story, Sisyphus puts death in chains so that he can see his wife, the curve of the earth, the sun, and the water again.  He chose freedom over death, and the sun stands in sharp contrast to the shades of Hades.

The people who stood in front of the stage to watch the plays were called __________.This is a question on my research project for theater arts & I...

The people who stood in front of the stage were called "Groundlings" during the Elizabethan era, & the name has carried through the centuries. The name derives from the fact that the patrons stood on the ground, rather than sitting in the seats of the balcony.

People who sat in the balcony were typically upper-class members of society who could afford to keep dry & clean while watching the play. The groundlings paid a penny to stand in "The Pit", also called "The Yard", just below the stage and watch the play. Standing in the pit was uncomfortable, and most times people were packed like sardines, keeping each other standing. Also, they were exposed to the elements, as the theatre itself was not covered.

Shakespeare used the term in Hamlet; the title character uses it as a derogatory label for the poorer members of the theatre audience. Also, a very popular LA-based improv group has been using the name for about 35 years, carrying on the classic theatre tradition.

Identify a scene where music is important in the Shawshank Redemption. How is it used and to what effect?

In the film script:

Andy wrestles the phonograph player onto the guards' desk, sweeping things onto the floor in his haste. He plugs the machine in. A red light warms up. The platter starts spinning. He slides the Mozart album from its sleeve, lays it on the platter, and lowers the tone arm to his favorite cut. The needle HISSES in the groove...and the MUSIC begins, lilting and gorgeous. Andy sinks into Wiley's chair, overcome by its beauty. It is "Deutino: Che soave zeffiretto," a duet sung by Susanna and the Contessa. The prison comes to a halt.

The duet is from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro."  It is timeless, a universal thing of beauty.  These inmates don't understand a word of it.  But everyone stops working and talking in the yard. Everyone is frozen, hypnotized by Mozart.  It reminds them of marriage, love, women, freedom--all that which is not Shawshank.

Andy is a martyr here for art.  He is willing to punish himself to let freedom ring.

The scene is similar to the one in which he arranges the bottles of suds for the guys tarring the roof. Both of these scenes make Andy and the inmates feel human again. Shawshank has their bodies, but it does not have their souls.

What are 3 different things that Igor Gouzenko did that were of importance?

I really don't think there are three separate things that Gouzenko did that were of importance.  To me, he did one thing that was of importance -- he defected.  But his defection had a lot of important consequences.  So I would say he did one important thing that had many consequences.

First, his defection can be said to have helped start the Cold War.  This is because it caused there to be more suspicion between the Soviet Union and the West.

Second, the information he brought helped reveal Soviet spies in three different countries.

Third, his revelations made Canada start to be more conscious of spies and the need for counterintelligence.

So his one action led to at least three major consequences, but it was just one action on his part.

Why is the supply curve upward sloping because of marginal cost?

When we consider the supply curve of a commodity for the whole market, it is definitely a definitely a upward sloping curve. This shape of the supply curve reflects the reality that the number of firms willing to supply that commodity increases as the market price increases. Thus it is not quite correct to say that upward sloping demand curve is because of marginal cost.

Marginal cost is a concept applicable only to a firm. Also the Marginal cost curve for the firm is not always upward sloping. As a matter of fact, the marginal cost curves for a firm operating in a competitive market is more likely to be U-shaped, while that for a monopoly is more likely to be downward sloping curve.

In a perfectly competitive market, the the upward sloping part of the U-shaped marginal cost also represents the supply curve of the firm. In this case the actual quantity supplied by the firm is determined by the point where the marginal cost equals the market price. In long term this point tends to become the lowest point on the U-shaped marginal cost curve.

In case of a monopoly market marginal cost curve does not represent the supply curve. As mentioned earlier, the marginal cost curve for a monopoly is likely to be a downward sloping curve, while the supply curve is always an upward sloping curve.

I have to give an explanation of the theme and structure in Theme for English B, expanding it to the tone,so I'm confused.Can anybody help me...

This is probably one of Hughes' most powerful works.  The structure of it is four stanza-ed poem.  The first stanza consists of an instructor's words, while the last one is a line consisting of the speaker's.  The middle two are the speaker's own internal analysis of the subjective and external conditions experienced.  There are some rhymes, but I don't see these are overall the most important elements.  The theme of the poem explains the need and understanding for cultural studies.  Essentially, if one is to take the speaker as Hughes' himself, the setting is as a college student when the instructor gives an assignment to write about one's experience.  For an African- American student in a setting that is dominated by the cultural majority, this means an entirely different reality.  When the speaker first receives the assignment, the immediate condition of  being "the only colored student in my class" comes into play.  At this point, we, as the reader, begin to understand that realities for those who are not representative of the cultural majority are different.  The theme of this poem is the exploration of this condition of "difference" and one where one's reality is uniquely and distinctive divergent from others.  In a larger sense, the poem allows the reader to understand that when we speak of "truth," we have to be willing to understand the many different conditions and experiences that accompany it.

Identify some of the figures of speech in Macbeth from Act 1 to Act 4.like simile, metaphor, personification, etc

That's a tall order.  How about Act I, scene 4?

Speaking of the late traitor, the Thane of Cawdor, Malcolm says:

nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it; he died
As one that had been studied in his death
To throw away the dearest thing he owed,
As 'twere a careless trifle.

Like the witches, his language is equivocal, "nothing in his life / Became him like the leaving it."  Such an equivocation reveals paradox and irony, as it juxtaposes life and death.  It also foreshadows what will happen to Macbeth, the next traitorous Thane of Cawdor, at the end of the play.  The next line is a metaphor, "He died as one who had been studied in his death," which is again is paradoxical.

Duncan then says:

There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust.

It is, of course, ironic that Duncan was gullible enough to trust Cawdor; he fails to study the death of a traitor as an omen.  The speech also reveals the theme of appearance versus reality using face (mask) imagery.

Duncan continues:

The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me: thou art so far before
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
To overtake thee.

He uses understatement and metaphor here to bestow blessings on Macbeth.  Notice the weight imagery: "heavy" juxtaposed with "wing."  Also, the time motif: "slow."

Macbeth responds:

Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Which do but what they should, by doing every thing
Safe toward your love and honour.

Shakespeare threads child imagery throughout the play.  The "throne" is a metonomic synonym for "the king."  He ends with irony: "safe," "love," "honor."

Banquo has the best line of the scene, using more child imagery:

There if I grow, / The harvest is your own.

It's irony and metaphor also, in that the "harvest" stands for Fleance, who will beget kings.

Duncan uses light / heavenly imagery after announcing his son as Prince of Cumberland:

But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers.

Macbeth will echo this line in his famous "stars hide your fires" aside later.  Macbeth also echoes Banquo's child imagery when he says, "The rest is labour," a pun.

The rest of Macbeth's aside uses more light/dark and body imagery:

Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.

The eye / hand juxtaposition is the big one: does the eye know what the hand will do?  Later, Lady Macbeth will continually wring her hands while the doctor curiously eyes her.

Describe the structure of the sentences in the last three paragraphs of A Separate Peace. Why are they effective ?

These paragraphs are constructed of very long complex sentences-in many cases, run-on sentences. This connects to the overall viewpoint of the novel, that of Gene Forrester. The novel is narrated in a controlled stream-of-consciousness mode, in which we are inside Gene's head, yet he is censoring some details the audience and himself. The long, rather rambling sentences reflect his own incoherency and attempt to deal with  his actions.

Only Phineas never was afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone….All of them, all except
Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way – if ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy.

You can see in this quote how Gene's mind wanders from thought to thought, attempting to make sense of what's occurred at Devon.

Another striking stylistic trait of these sentences is the use of parallelism. Parallelism is a balance of two or more similar words, phrases, or clauses. Essentially, it is a parallel structure of any of these elements. For example:

I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there.

Here, the repetition of "I never" not only compares the idea of killing with the concept of an enemy, it also makes it sound like Gene is trying to convince his audience of what he's saying. Perhaps too, he is trying to convince himself. It's almost as though as an audience, we are listening to Gene think through his argument, and reason out why he did what he did. Finally, the extensive allusion in the last paragraph connects Finny & Gene's relationship to WWII in a metaphorical way, underscoring the impact the war had on all of them.

How does a novel A Personal Matter reflect the western impact on the then Japanese society?

The premise of the question is interesting.  It seems as if it is drawing an arbitrary line between Japan and "the West."  I think that part of the complexity is that after the Second World War, Japan was one of the first nations to experience what we now call "Globalization."  The notion that what was "the West" and what was "the East" decreases with the exchange of ideas and practices can be seen in the case with Japan after World War II.  Understanding this, it seems that the question makes this distinction to be a binary one- Japan represents one entity, and "the West" represents another.  I suppose that examining the issue of personal freedom and autonomy would be one area where stereotypical definitions of "the West" and "the East" could be present.  Bird sees the child as an object that is going to detract from his ability to take his dream of personal freedom and experiencing the world.  This is something associated with "western values."  In addition to this, the belief that individuals can "walk away" from any situation in defense of their own identity and sense of self could be perceived as another "western value."  Again, it should be stressed that as the reader, one has their own understanding of what is seen as "West" and "East," and in this process, one engages in a reading of the text in this manner.  I think that values which used to be considered "Western" or "Eastern" are becoming more blurred with an increase of globalized ideas and information.

The novelist James Baldwin is quoted as stating: "The only time non-violence is admired is when the Negroes practice it."What does this quote mean...

I happen to disagree with Baldwin on this one.  I think he's being verbally ironic here, using tongue-and-cheek overstatement.

Gandhi was admired for his non-violence.  Thoreau too.  Jesus.  The Dalai Lama.  Cesar Chavez.  Leo Tolstoy.  Albert Einstein.

There were generally two schools of African-American Civil Rights in Baldwin's time: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.  Both were essentially non-violent, although Malcolm X, I think, wanted a race war in the streets.  King's philosophy was descended from the non-violence of Christ (Christianity: "love your enemies," "turn the other cheek") and Gandhi (Eastern Philosophy: "just means lead to just ends").  X called for minority groups to arm themselves in preparation for a race war; he advocated forming "shotgun clubs" for self-defense, though not explicit violence.

It is ironic that the Christian Baldwin, who rejects the Black Muslim school, should sound so much like an adherent of X's segregation of the races:

The real reason that non-violence is considered to be a virtue in Negroes…is that white men do not want their lives, their self-image, or their property threatened.

This is bold, polemic language intended to get a rise out of whites and blacks.  I thinks it (and your quote too) is verbal fireworks only, not a call to arms for real ones.  It's an essentially Marxist argument: advocacy of the proletariate revolution.

Baldwin says that whites essentially like the quiet, passive, Uncle Tom, house Negroes because their non-violent existence allows whites to retain aspects of the master class: property, status, and self-image.

A pauper WOULD NOT necessarily get greater utility from money than a millionaire who gives the money to the pauper -- it's subjective....

This question is talking about personal preferences of individuals. Because of this it is quite possible that utility of money for a pauper would be zero.

But there are a few additional interesting issues that should be clarified. First, the millionaire who gives away money to a pauper or anyone else in charity is also spending, and in the process is deriving some utility. This utility may come in the form of self-satisfaction for having done something good, or in form of some added prestige, or some other benefit of similar kind. Also if the pauper accepts the money from the millionaire, then he or she also expects to receive some utility, whether or not the pauper describes this money as evil. If there was no expectation of gain, the pauper has no other motivation for accepting the money. The utility to pauper can be more than, equal to, or less than the utility for millionaire depending on personal preferences of the pauper, but some utility has to be present.

It is interesting to note how the same money is providing utility to more than one person. Also this means that total utility is increased when money is transferred voluntarily from one person to another.

How did the railroad affect the economy of the West?

Without the railroads, the economy of the West would have had a very hard time expanding.

The economy of the West was based largely on mining and agriculture.  Both of these industries needed a way to get their products back to the East, where the vast majority of Americans lived.  If it had not been for the railroads, miners and farmers/ranchers would not have been able to get their products to market.  A perfect example of this would be the famous cattle drives of the Old West.  Cattle were driven from ranches to the railheads so they could be shipped back to the East.

Because of these things, you can say that railroads allowed the West's economy to grow much faster than it otherwise would have.

What are the similarities between The Midwifes Apprentice and the 21st century?

The focus of similarities between Cushman's work and the modern setting revolves around identity formation in young people.  Alyce's challenges, definition, and redefinition of self is a part of the adolescent process of maturation.  This idea is fairly present in modern young girls, who also have to endure some level of challenge and struggle before finding their own sense of self and their "voice."  Young boys have to endure this process, as well, but with girls', this notion of bildungsroman is a powerfully compelling and modern one.  The idea of having to gain confidence and internal strength in a particular craft or vocation is another parallel to the modern setting.  Throughout the maturation process, hope is met with insecurity, and dreams of success are met with fears of failure.  Like Alyce, there is an ongoing dialectic between both valences, helping to confirm and solidify a notion of self in the process.

What is the extent of poverty in the United States? Who are the poor in terms of age, race, ethnicity and gender?

The poverty rate in the United States today is roughly 13%.  This means that roughly 40 million Americans live in poverty.

To give you some idea as to what poverty means, a family of two parents and two kids is in poverty if it makes less than about $22,000 per year.   So the poverty line is pretty low.

For non-Hispanic whites, the percent in poverty was a bit under 9.  About 13% of Asians were in poverty, 23% of Hispanics and 24% of African Americans were poor.  All of these numbers are for 2008, the last year for which data are available.

28% of households with a woman and no husband are in poverty, 13% of those with a man and no wife.  5% of married couple households are in poverty.

The link below will at least give you information for age as well.

Write summary for the poem "My Parents kept me from children who were rough" by Stephen spender

In everyday language, the poem 'My parents kept me from children who were rough' by Stephen Spender might go something like this (as a modern day summary:)

Title 'My parents controlled who I could hang out with'

My parents controlled who I could hang out with, especially the uneducated kids who they thought had no manner or future

That gang who shouted insults as if they were throwing stones, their clothes were cheap copy labels with no designer tags

They had the freedom of the 'hoods,' they climbed and trespassed and swam whereever they felt like it

I was more frightened of those street-wise kids than I was of wild fierce animals, their pecs like steel from pumping iron

as they pinned me down,and jailed my arms in a vice-like grip so I couldn't get up

I was scared of the brutal honesty of their stinging taunts and mocking mimicry

especially when they mocked my speech impediment

from behind my back

They were so agile and fast, they sprang out from their secret hideouts round the 'hood' like wolves to criticize the world the other half lives in - my world!

They showed disrespect by throwing offensive substances at me

while I pretended not to notice

hoping that, one day

they'd ask me to join their gang

but they never did.

In H.G. Wells' story The Invisible Man, what is the summary of Chapter 23, entitled "In Drury Lane?"I need some questions in Chapter 23, "In...

The chapter entitled "In Drury Lane" opens with the Invisible Man relating to Kemp "the full disadvantage" of the condition of invisibility. Clothing, snow, even dirt returns him to a state of partial and grotesque visibility, and he cannot even eat lest the "unassimilated matter" in his stomach be weirdly detectable to the human eye. The Invisible Man goes to a shop in Drury Lane with the intention of stealing clothing, a wig, and a mask so that he can at least move about in some semblance of normalcy. When he enters the shop, however, he finds that its owner, "a short, slight, hunched, beetle-browed man," is exceptionally perceptive, and senses the presence of the Invisible Man even though he cannot see him. The hunchback plays an unwitting game of cat-and-mouse with the Invisible Man, starting at his every movement and sound, and eventually fetches a revolver with which to accost what he suspects is an intruder. In frustration, the Invisible Man finally hits the hunchback over the head, binds him, and stuffs him in a bag. He then takes the items he had been seeking and ventures out into the street.

The Invisible Man is heartened to find that his disguise is credible and no one on the street pays him any mind. He revels for awhile in the idea that he has "impunity to do whatever (he chooses);" whatever the consequences of his actions might be, he can get away with it by simply discarding his garments and vanishing. He goes to a hotel and orders "a sumptuous feast," but is aghast to discover that he cannot eat it without "expos(ing) (his) invisible face." He begins to ruminate upon "what a helpless absurdity an Invisible Man (is)," and realizes that although invisibility might allow him to get the things he wants, he will be unable to enjoy them once they are attained.

The Invisible Man then confides in Kemp that he was struck with an idea of how he might get back to his original state, once he had "done all (he) mean(t) to do invisibly." On his way back to Iping, however, he apparently had been hampered in his journey by a constable and a grocer, among others, and had gone into a rage in his attempt to continue on his course, leaving in his wake a trail of destruction (Chapter 23 - "In Drury Lane"). 

What is a conjecture you can make about lines with equal slopes?

The two lines have equal slopes implies they are equally inclined to any given line of reference. In other words the two lines are parallel or under extreme case they may coincide into one single line.

Let y=m1x+c1 and

y= m2x+c2  be two lines with inclinations of slope m1 and m2 to the X axis and making intercepts c1 and c2 respectively with X axis.

So if m1 = m2 , then the two lines are parallel as long as c1 and c2 are different.

Further, if m1=m2 and c1=c2, the lines coincide to be a single line.

What might the censors have found offensive in The Heart of a Dog?basically why wasn't this book allowed to be punlished initially?

The Heart of a Dog is intended as a critique of the excesses of the social and political system that developed after the Russian Revolution. On this basis alone, it offered enough fodder for the Soviet censors to ban it. But the satire of The Heart of a Dog is not directed solely at the mishaps and pretension of Soviet science. Instead, the inadvertent transformation of Sharik is a means of addressing the larger issues of what it means to be human and to live responsibly in the society of others. The doctor believes that he has scientifically proven the physical location of human nature when the addition of human sex and growth glands transforms the dog Sharik into a man, but the nature of Sharikov’s behavior is clearly outside Preobrazhensky’s scientific empiricism. Sharikov is a man with the heart of a dog as well as a dog with the heart of a man. He is the worst of each, and the doctor's scientific knowledge does not equip him to reckon with the consequences. The resulting episodes provide ample opportunity for Bulgakov to comment on the workings of society in general and the relatively new Soviet society in particular.

Bulgakov’s social satire works at several levels. Preobrazhensky is an ambitious technocrat in his own home and office but unable to control the physical, civic, or moral consequences of his creation. Sharikov is at once an innocent creature at the mercy of those with power and scientific knowledge and a miscreant citizen of the society into which he has been introduced. Although both the doctor and the dog represent larger elements of the new Soviet nation, both characters live and work with the absurdity and pompousness that Bulgakov found in the bureaucracy he knew. Bulgakov’s mockery of specific details of early Soviet life made him an easy target for censorship. It is in combination with an incisive view of human nature and motivation that the mockery in The Heart of a Dog becomes a strong social and scientific satire.

What is the theme of Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Macbeth gives us the main theme when he says in Act 1, sc. 7, "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition...".  The witches know that Macbeth is an ambitious man and they take advantage of that ambition by nurturing that seed.  They tell him, in sc. 3 of the first act, that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King.  When he, almost immediately after their prophecy, does become Thane of Cawdor, then that ambition is fertilized and allowed to grow and blossom into the full-fledged monster it becomes for Macbeth.  Macbeth's ambition blinds him to all other things. He has his own friend, Banquo, killed because he fears that Banquo might suspect he killed Duncan.  Macbeth's ambition makes Macbeth become so further paranoid that he goes back to the witches for more prophecies.  When one of the prophecies says to beware of Macduff, Macbeth seals the fate of Macduff's family even though the next two prophecies seem to make Macbeth's reign secure.  Nonetheless, Macbeth has Macduff's family slaughtered since Macduff himself, is out of the country.  Even in Act 5, when his world is disintegrating around him as his wife dies, Malcolm along with Macduff and the English, are advancing on his castle and most of Macbeth's men leave him, he still fights to hang on to his throne.  Blinding ambition is what the play is about and what happens when one allows his ambition to overrule all other senses.

I need a quote from when Odysseus thinks he can withstand the Sirens when approaching the island. He has too much pride.if thats not wat happened...

Odysseus didn't think he could withstand the Sirens. That's why he took Circe's advice to tie himself to the mast of his ship. One event where is pride is illustrated is when he brags and taunts Polyphemus.

In Book IX:

Cyclops, if any one of mortal men shall ask thee of the unsightly blinding of thine eye, say that it was Odysseus that blinded it, the waster of cities, son of Laertes, whose dwelling is in Ithaca.

Odysseus blinds the giant, then taunts and rubs it in his face. This would be like robbing a bank and leaving your name and address with the police.

In Book I, Athena asks Zeus why Odysseus has been on Calypso's island for so many years. He tells her that it's because Poseidon is still angry at Odysseus for blinding his son, Polythemus. Poseidon may have made trouble for Odysseus for blinding his son, but the taunting is often seen as the last straw for Poseidon. Odysseus' pride leads to Poseidon's vengeance. Revenge and pride cause each other. Revenge is key for both Poseidon and in the end, for Odysseus against the suitors.

What are 3 examples of 'assertions' for symbolism, imagery and/or foreshadowing?im writing an analytical essay and i need assertions for these...

An assertion is more or less a statement of opinion/belief.  So, you will be stating your views or ideas on foreshadowing, symbolism, and imagery in "The Scarlet Ibis". 

If you have discussed the story, you know that Doodle's death is foreshadowed at several points.  So, your assertion about symbolism would be, "Doodle's death is foreshadowed by...."

There are lots of assertions you could make about imagery in the story.  Find places where imagery is used in the text (hint:  there's a lot of imagery connected to Doodle,s appearance/movement and a lot of imagery connected to nature).  Then decide why the author chooses to use it.  Your assertion for imagery could be something like, "The purpose of imagery in 'The Scarlet Ibis' is..."

Your symbolism assertion will revolve around the Ibis itself.  A symbol is something that represents something other than itself.  What does the ibis seem to represent to the reader based on its physical appearance, its unusual location, and its death?  Your assertion could be as simple as, "The ibis symbolizes..."

Good luck!

How did the availability of domestic plants and animals explain why literacy, and steel weapons developed earliest in Guns, Germs, and Steel?

According to Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel, the availability of domestic plants and animals explains why empires, literacy, and steel weapons developed earliest in Eurasia because this availability led farming to develop in Eurasia before it developed anywhere else.  Farming, Diamond says, allows empires, literacy, and steel weapons to arise.

For Diamond, farming is the key to power and wealth.  Without it, a society remains at the hunter-gatherer stage and cannot become strong and rich.  This is the case because only farming societies can build food surpluses and because farming societies are much more likely to be sedentary than hunter-gatherer societies.

A developed farming society can produce a great deal of food.  Importantly, not all of its people need to be involved in obtaining food.  This means that there are people in the society who are free to do other kinds of work.  These people can invent and work with technology such as the technology needed to develop steel weapons.  They can develop writing and keep written records.  They can act as priests in a religion that supports their ruler and their society.  They can act as soldiers.  All of these things make it more likely that farming societies will develop literacy and steel weapons and will eventually gain empires.

So why does the availability of domestic plants and animals lead to farming?  Diamond says that farming arises first in those areas where there are suitable plants and animals.  People in such areas are much more likely to find plants to give them protein, oil, fiber (for cloth) and other things that they need.  If there are fewer domesticable plants, they may only find a few of these things and farming will be harder to develop.  People in such areas will be able to have animals that will help them in a variety of ways.  The animals will provide protein.  They will provide fertilizer in the form of their manure.  They will provide power to pull plows and other devices that will make farming easier.

In these ways, the availability of domestic plants and animals (which Eurasia had more than any other continent) will lead to the development of farming which will, in turn, allow for the development of steel weapons, literacy, and empires.

How does the author of "The Most Dangerous Game" use each of the two minor characters, Whitney and Captain Nielsen?

Whitney and Captain Nielsen are also travelling on the yacht with Sanger Rainsford when he falls overboard near Ship-Trap Island in Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Whitney is Rainsford's hunting partner, and the two are headed to South America for an upcoming expedition on the Amazon River. Whitney is used primarily for exposition, since his conversation with Rainsford gives the reader background information about their past. He also acts as a conscience for Rainsford.

     "The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford. 
     "For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar."
     "Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"
     "Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.
     "Bah! They've no understanding."
     "Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."

Captain Nielsen does not actually appear in the story. The only mention of him comes when Whitney tells Rainsford of the captain's warning about the island.

     "...Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him was `This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me, very gravely, `Don't you feel anything?'--as if the air about us was actually poisonous.

Nielsen, like Whitney, serves merely to advance the mysterious reputation of Ship-Trap Island and to set the stage for Rainsford's later adventure on the island.

How to prepare for HRD manager & total detail of HRD manager? What is the importance of HRD manager?I want to make assignment on HRD manager, so...

HRD (human resources development) manager is a person in the organization heading the HRD function. The importance of HRD manager is directly linked to the importance of the activities of the HRD function in improving total organizational performance.

HRD is primarily concerned with improving the effectiveness and contribution of the the human resources of the organization in achieving the objectives of the organization. Any organization uses four types of resources in course of its operation. These are material, machine and other facilities, money, and man or human resources. Among these four resources the human resources is more critical, because if it also impact how effectively other resources are used. Utilizing the services of people in the organization, developing their skills, motivating them to enhance their levels of performance and ensuring that they remain committed to the organization are essential for the accomplishment of organizational objectives.

HRD consists essentially of four groups of responsibilities – acquiring, developing, motivating and retaining human resources. The acquisition function starts with planning for the number and categories of employees required, and ends with staffing. The development function has three dimensions – employee training, management development, and career development.
The motivation function includes identifying the individual motivational needs of employees and finding ways to motivate them. The retention function is concerned with providing a conducive work environment to the employees and nurturing them to make them feel committed and attached to the organization.

It is not as if HRD department is responsible for these solely and independently. Actually every manager and every employee in the organization is supposed to manage and carry out their work in line with best HRD practices and principles. The role of HRD department is more as facilitator and advisor. A typical HRD department also directly handles clerical and other routine work connected with matters such as employee attendance, wages, disciplinary action and other employment related issues. Typically the human resources department is in an organization is assigned some or all of the following responsibilities.

• Providing clerical and procedural activities related to employment in the company. Among others it will also include procedures related to disciplinary action and industrial disputes.


• Preparing manpower plans for the organization as per input information provided by various departments and in line with policy and company strategy and policies.


• Formulating for management approval and then implementing HRD practices and system to be followed. This will include systems and schemes such as those for job evaluation, remuneration and incentive schemes, and quality circles.


• Providing support for activities like recruitment, performance evaluation, increments, transfer, promotion, training and separation of employees.


• Actually organizing training activities of the organization.

An HRD manager, to be able to perform his job well, needs to have good understanding of human behavior. In addition he needs to have specific knowledge of methods and techniques of HRD. He also need to have knowledge of cultural and legal issues affecting the employees and their employment in the company.

How is the role of the pigs important in the book?

That's kind of a big question because the role of the pigs is one of the most important in the book.  Also, there really isn't a "bad" importance or a "good" importance, but there are ways that the pigs acted "bad or good."

The pigs do some things that are positive for the farm.

1. They are able to get things organized quickly because they are more clever.


2. They quickly begin to "right" some of the wrongs that were done by the humans.  The animals, at first, are better fed and happier because of the organization that the pigs are able to bring.


3. The pigs are also able, later, to arrange to trade with the humans for things not available on the farm.  Granted, that mostly turns out bad for the other animals (like the Chickens who lose their eggs) but the ability to deal with the outside world would be important for things like vet care.


4. Old Major, the grandest of the pigs, is the one who starts the whole ball of revolution rolling.


5. Snowball has some great ideas regarding farm government and inventions like the windmill.


6. The pigs organize the defense of the farm


7. The pigs can read and so they learn how to do things around the farm

The pigs also do some rotten things, or have a "bad" role:

1. They chase out Snowball


2. They arbitrarily change the rules


3. They pamper themselves


4. They sell the horse to the slaughterhouse


5. They train attack dogs to use against the animals


6. They adopt the bad qualities of the humans, and in the end, become like the humans they overthrew


7. They understand how to lie.

Overall, the pigs show us the good and bad parts of human nature.  They can be clever, brave, and hard working, but once they have too much power they become lazy, violent, racist (or is it speciesist?) and greedy.  There role in the book is to represent our leaders and how too much power can be a bad thing for people to have.

A much longer argument could easily be made that the pigs actually represent the communists in the Russian Revolution, and that Napoleon is a thinly disguised Stalin or something, but that wasn't specifically your question so I will save that for another day.

What are the roles of a women in the tragic film, House of Sand and Fog?essay

The roles of the women in the film are vitally important to the conception of tragedy presented in the film.  Behrani's wife represents a traditional conception of women and Kathy represents a modern vision.  However, both are bound by a sense of tragic proportions that are almost inescapable.  Colonel Behrani's wife is of the traditional mold where she is driven to support her husband, and completely rely on his judgment and decisions to support the family.  This would be why she is unable to speak out against the obvious challenges with the purchase of the home. To a great extent, she is unaware of what Colonel Behrani has done, in terms of purchasing a home from another and attempting to "flip" it for a profit, as she is unaware of what he does to ensure that they live in a manner befitting of such a family.  In the final analysis, she trusts her husband so much without a sense of questioning that it results in the death of their son, causing the death of husband and wife in the end of the film.

While a modern vision, Kathy is also plagued by a sense of tragic condition.  Kathy possesses freedom and autonomy, but is faced with a situation that causes her "to do what she does not want to do," as Benjamin Constant would say.  She is able to use her freedom, but it does not stop the clerical error that puts her home for sale, causing her to start down a personally destructive path.  She possess the freedom and autonomy that Colonel Behrani's wife lacks, but her tragic state is brought on by her choices (not being able to pay a bill on time, involving herself with Lester, refusing to acquiesce to the state of affairs involving her house.)

The scene where both women interact is powerful, as Kathy comes to the home, which is now in the midst of being remodeled.  She steps on nail, and is tended to by Behrani's wife.  The tenderness experienced by both women- one who is receiving care and attention that has been sorely lacked and one who notices another in distress (calling her a "wounded bird")- is a powerful moment, for both recognize the pain and forlornness felt in the other.

In which tense should a summary on a literary work be written?

Here is an except from a paper I wrote. Present tense for quotations or summaries, but when you describe actions that took place, you put that into the past.

The Romans were unapologetically religious. Indeed, if one trusts the ancient sources, the Romans were famous for, or better yet, made famous by, their piety towards the gods. For example, Cicero succinctly says “we have surpassed every peoples and nation in piety, religious issues and that singular wisdom, because we realize that everything is ruled and controlled by the will of the gods.” Even opposing interlocutors of a dialogue agree on one point, namely, the connection between Roman religiosity and divine favor. The Stoic, Balbus, in Cicero’s De Natura Deorum, says, “If we wish to compare our [republic] to others, we will discover that in other things we are equal or inferior, but in religion, namely, the worship of the gods we are far superior.” Cotta, his Academic critic, does one better. “I have always considered that no religious matter ought to be despised and I am persuaded that Romulus by auspices and Numa by sacred rites established the foundation of our city, which could have never been as great as it is without the greatest favor of the gods.” Vergil, a generation later, reiterates this same sentiment as he has Jupiter declare that he has given the Romans an empire without end.

Appendix protects us from germs?

In a recent study, researchers at Duke University Medical Center, USA, said Appendix serves as protection of body against  of harmful germs and protect the saprophytic bacterial flora (which is found normally in the digestive tract). Until now most doctors and scientists believe that the appendix is an organ that has not a very precise role, being practically useless.

After closing the study, researchers concluded that saprophytic bacteria in the appendix, which help to digest food, can survive after an episode of diarrhea, that almost totally cleans intestine, favoring its repopulation with saprophytic bacteria, following diarrhea episode.

Appendix is located in the place where the small intestine  joins the large intestine, is mobile and has a length of 3-5 cm. It's role was the subject of scientific community debate for many years. It was recently demonstrated the presence of lymphoid tissue at this level.A variety of bacteria that help the digestive system to digest food is present at this level. The gut rewards those bacteria through the food  made available and protection against harmful factors. Researchers believe that immune system cells located in the Appendix have a protective function for the saprophytic bacteria.

What is an example of figurative language in Chapter 3 in Of Mice and Men, and what is its effect on the reader?

Near the beginning of Chapter 3 of the novella, George confides in Slim about his relationship with Lennie.  Slim had made the comment that it was "funny" that George and Lennie traveled around together because so many migrant workers were solitary figures.  George sees that he can trust Slim and begins to explain to him that while Lennie has done some troublesome things in the past, he does not mean anything by those incidents.  As evidence, George describes the incident in Weed to Slim, telling him about Lennie grabbing the girl's dress and not letting go of it.  Then George comments,

"Well, that girl rabbits in an' tells the law she been raped." (42)

Steinbeck's choice of the word "rabbits" serves two purposes. First, it means "hops" in this context, implying that the girl was quick to assume what Lennie's intentions were and gave no thought to the seriousness of her charges.

Secondly, the word refers to the literal rabbits that Lennie wants so badly. Steinbeck cleverly ties together in one word two of the "soft" things Lennie likes to touch and hold onto--girls and rabbits--thus, foreshadowing the future trouble that the gentle giant might have with one or the other or both.

What are the features that make a school a good, committed, and educational institution?It's about an essay on this topic.

If the question seeks to analyze the conditions that help make a school an institution committed to education, there will be many answers to such a query.  I would submit that one such element has to be the guidance offered by the administration or school leadership.  I think that a school's guidance helps to set the tone, establish the timbre, as well as clearly articulate the goals and hopes of the institution.  Without this guidance, the central message and how it is implemented is muddled and unclear.  This would be the first feature that helps to make a school a good, committed, and educational institution.  Very close to this would be the teachers and educational staff themselves, who have daily, hourly, and minute by minute interaction with the children.  It is these individuals who take leadership goals and hopes and implement them with the students.  This means that the success of the school's vision rests with the competence and understanding of the teachers.  It is they who must be able to teach the students, and thus with them the school's hopes rest.  It becomes critical for teachers to fully understand both their content area as well as the different ways to instruct the different schematics of learning that are within students. Both are essential for the success of the school, for both are essential components in a child's learning.  Finally, I would say that the students, themselves, must see their own identities as critical components in the success of the school.  They are not passive automatons in the education process.  The leadership of the school and the competencies of the teachers are distant in comparison to the child who feels capable and willing to learn.  The students are the reasons why schools are considered good and committed institutions of education.  If children are not learning and cannot demonstrate their understanding of learning, schools cannot be deemed as successful as they would have been previously thought.

In chapters 10-12 how does Dimmesdale feel about himself? "The Scarlet Letter"

With the character of Arthur Dimmesdale, Hawthorne introduces the concept of psychosomatic symptoms as the Reverend holds his heart and, as is later revealed, has a letter "A" raised upon his chest.  Dimmesdale's health is deteriorating because of his desperate guilt.  When he attempts to confess by calling himself a worse sinner than anyone else in his sermons, the congregation interprets his words as saintly humility and regard him even more highly than previously.  

In his desperation, Dimmesdale turns to self-flagellation to punish himself.  But, this action does nothing to soothe his soul.  So, in Chapter 12 he walks "in a shadow of a dream" to the "spot of public ignominy," the scaffold where Hester once stood.  There is overcome with

a great horror of the mind as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart.

Dimmesdale's shame evolves from his feelings of guilt because of his tremendous hypocrisy.  He, more than any other character, personifies the evil of Puritanism's refusal to forgive the sinner, causing a greater evil, that of the worm of hypocrisy which eats away at the soul.

What is the main message of "The Outcasts of Poker Flat"?

In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Bret Harte plays the irony of the supposedly righteous do-gooders of the town off against the sincerity revealed by the outcasts in their extremity as they are snowbound in the wilderness. While the townspeople show themselves to be unscrupulous hypocrites, thanks to Harte's witty irony, the snowstorm provides opportunity for the genuine humanity of the outcasts to show through.

Tom and Piney see the outcasts through innocent eyes and draw conclusions about their identities that no one bothers to correct. Tom finds out that Oakhurst is kind and gentlemanly; Piney perceives the women as ladies of elegance. While it is true that their unfamiliarity with the individuals in part gives rise to their conclusions, it is also true that there sincere, genuine humanity and concern seal the truthfulness of their conclusions.

Bret Harte finalizes the confirmation his main message, which is that humanity runs deeper than external appearances and can't be judged by lip-service and propriety, when Oakhurst selflessly offers himself as a sacrifice in the hope that the women might live.

Describe the measures taken in a district to protect the health of the people & suggest what improvement could be made.

In the closing portion of the previous post, I found much relevance.  Public health initiatives can be spurned with little cost through social interaction.  The free heath clinic weekend that was present in Houston some time back was something that showed how public health can be enacted in an inclusive setting.  More actions like these are being planned which would link measures taken by a district to protect the health of the people.  In addition to this, schools can help in this process as well.  When recently hit with the fear of the H1N1 Virus, schools played a vital role in educating students in the proper way to cough and sneeze, the need to wash hands consistently and the manner in which this is done, and also the need for sanitary facilities in public settings.  This helps to link the actions that public health officials can take in the need of providing healthy alternatives, information, and actions to all.

Critical appreciation of the poem "Ode to a Skylark" by P.B Shelley.

" ode to a skylark" is a lyrical poem by P.B. Shelley, a great romantic poet.This poem is a manifesto of Shelley's spirit of balance, order and collaboration.This poem is full of pragmatic wisodm which reflects the metaphoric treatment of Shelley.

He portrayes the philosophy of life and enthralls us to pay our attention towards the harsh realities of life.H e says that:

"We look before and after,

and pine for what is not.

our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught.

our sweetest songs are those that tell of our saddest thought."

This is the reality of our life that we ran after those things which are beyond of our capacity instead of those things which can we get easily.

To conclude, Ode to a skylark is a nice blend of romanticism and humanitarian approach.

As for as the outstanding attribute of this luric is concerned,

dear chanrika,"our sweetest songs are those that tell of our saddest thought" is the conclusion of the whole lyric.

suraj verma(research scholar, deptt. of English,Allahabad University, India)

In City of Ember, Chapter 3, how far underground are the Pipeworks Doon works in and what advice does his father give him about working there?

The Pipeworks are about fifty feet underground, with "tons of earth and rock and buildings" up above.  As he descends into the area withhis supervisor Arlin on his first day of work, Doon Harrow comes to this estimation by calculating that the distance from the river to the ceiling of the main tunnel must be "thirty feet or so", and that above that, the storerooms occupy a layer "at least twenty feet high".  Altogether, that comes to about fifty feet.

Doon had wanted to work in the Pipeworks because he knew that he would have access to the generator there.  Doon is aware that the generator, which provides electricity for the entire city of Ember, is failing, and he wants to fix it.  Knowing that he has been gifted with exceptional intelligence and mechanical ability, Doon had thought that patching up the machine would be an easy thing, and that just by looking at it, he would be able to figure out what to do.  When he finally sees the generator, however, he realizes that it is much more complicated than he could have ever envisioned; he has no idea how it works, and that there is no one who can teach him.  Frustrated and angry, Doon explains the situation to his father, who wisely tells him just "to pay attention" for now.  Mr. Harrow tells his son,

"You'll think of something.  You're a clever boy.  The main thing is to pay attention.  Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices.  Then you'll know what no one else knows, and that's always useful" (Chapter 3).

How did the creature persuade to hear his story?

"How does the creature persuade us or Victor to hear his story?"  Regardless, the answer may be the same.

The creature, like most of the characters in the novel, uses dramatic monologue, or long speeches filled with emotional and poetic language.  This, of course, is not how people talk, but Shelley's elevated style breathes life into the monster.  Despite his hideous appearance, the monster learns to become human first and foremost through language.

The creature's appeals to Victor center around identity and existence: he wants to know who he is and why he was created.  Since he is the only one of his kind, he wants his creator to make him a mate; like Adam in the Garden, he is lonely.  His dramatic monologues are thus filled with the rhetorical appeal of pathos (emotional arugment) aimed at Victor and the reader to empathize with his existential confusion:

How can I move thee? Will no entreaties cause thee to turn a favourable eye upon thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion? Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity: but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hop can I gather from your fellow-creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me. The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge. I have wandered here many days’ the caves of ice, which I only do not fear, are a dwelling to me, and the only one which man does not grudge. These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow-beings. If the multitude of mankind knew of my existence, they would do as you do, and arm themselves for my destruction.

Shelley's husband was a poet, and she knew how to fill her prose with poetic conventions.  Notice the imagery, the apostrophe (address to a person), rhetorical questions, and alliteration.  Such poetic rhetoric is enough to illicit sympathy from even the cruelest hearts.

What feeling permeates the first part of Act III, scene 1 of Hamlet?

In the beginning of this scene, Hamlet’s mom, Gertrude, and his uncle, King Claudius, are inquiring of Hamlet’s behavior to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  There is a concern about Hamlet’s supposed depression, but the two men claim they do not know what is bothering Hamlet.  They do, however, inform the king that Hamlet seems very excited to see the play that is supposed to be performed that evening.  This is something the king and queen find hopeful, and they are pleased to hear it.  After dismissing everyone, Claudius and Polonius, Ophelia’s father, hide in the room to spy on Hamlet.  After Hamlet enters, he delivers his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.

I would say that there is a feeling of concern that permeates this scene, but when looking at the character of Hamlet, the reader can see feelings of contemplation, depression, and self-doubt, as Hamlet is grappling with whether or not life is worth it.

What is the summary of Robert Herrick's "Delight In Disorder?"

Robert Herrick (1591-1674)  is classified as a 'Cavalier Poet,' that is, he belonged to a group of poets who supported King Charles I during the Civil War. During the Civil War on account of  his support to  the Royalist cause he fell out of favour with the government, but after King Charles II was restored to the throne the King honored him and made him the Vicar at Dean Prior at Devonshire.

During his student days at Cambridge and as a budding poet he was a great admirer of the Jacobean dramatist and lyricist Ben Jonson (1572-1637) and was a member of the group of admirers of Ben Jonson  called the Sons of Ben. At the same time he was a contemporary of the Metaphysical Poets like George Herbert (1593–1633).

The lyric "Delight in Disorder" is from his collection of lyrics "Hesperides" published in 1648.  The gist of the poem is that the poet narrator finds a woman who has dressed carelessly more attractive and seductive than a woman who has dressed very correctly. The following adjectives foreground the lack of attention by the woman to the various articles of her dress: "disorder,"  "distraction,"  "erring,"  "neglectful,"  "confusedly," "tempestuous"  and "careless." She has worn every article of her dress carelessly, however it is this complete lack of attention to her dress which makes her look sexy ["wantonness"]  and "bewitches" him all the more.

What is more important is to realize how the three influences-Cavalier poetry, Metaphysical poetry and Ben Jonson's lyricism-are amalgamated in this exquisite lyric "Delight in Disorder." Cavalier poetry is secular and its language and imagery are simple and direct unlike Metaphysical poetry which is characterized by complicated imagery which renders the poem ambiguous. The ambiguity in this poem is, whether Herrick is describing a woman who has dressed carelessly or a painting of a woman who has dressed carelessly - "than when art/Is too precise in every part."  A lyric is  an expression of the poet's own feelings as a response to an external stimulus and Ben Jonson's lyrical influence can best be seen in the last three  lines of the poem:

"I see a wild civility;--
Do more bewitch me, than when art
Is too precise in every part."

Read "A Blessing," by James Wright.Explain 1) What you believe the theme of the poem to be 2) identify an important simile and 3) explain how...

I think the theme could be given away in the poem title 'The Blessing.' It could be read as being about the privilege bestowed on us sometimes by Nature and how we can, and should, not only appreciate it, but give thanks for it.

Perhaps the guys have had a long, arduous, dry dusty road trip. Perhaps they are glad to get out of the acrid, hostile, airless environment and have taken the first opportunity to 'get some air.' They find it is sweet, pure country air that has the fragrance of of twilight grass. Or perhaps it was the horses and the sight of their natural beauty that makes them stop in the first place. Either way, they are grateful for the precious moment to commune with Nature, both to the horses, to nature itself and maybe to God.

'Wet swans' is another simile and makes us think of serenity, the cooling balm of evening dew and silence - the peace and quiet of Nature so different from the frenetic buzz of the highway.

You may like to compare this poem to Robert Frost's 'Two Look At Two.' You can read about that here:

How is Polonius comical when we are intoduced to him in Act I scene iii?

When Polonius first enters, he chides his son, Laertes, for being late for his voyage and for making others wait for him.  He proceeds then to give an extensive 25-line speech that, of course, causes Laertes to be even later.  His speech is fatherly advice in the form of paradoxes:

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar . . .
Beware / of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice . . .

He contines with others, including the advice to listen to the opinion of others but not give his own and to dress richly but not gaudily.  Then he speaks perhaps his most famous line in the play:

This above all:  to thine ownself be true.

Once Laertes exits, Polonius turns his attentions toward Ophelia, being quite nosey about her relationship with Hamlet.  He then proceeds to bestow his bumbling advice upon her as well:

From this time / Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. / Set your entreatments at a higher rate /  Than a command to parley.

Basically, his advice to her is to play hard to get--strange to hear coming from a father.  He proves in this first scene that he is overly involved in his children's lives and is full of unsolicited advice.

What propels Hamlet-the prince's proud wish to avenge his father's death and assert his rights? A tragic flaw in his character or something else?

I don't think you can purify Hamlet's motives into a single motive.  I think Hamlet's actions are based on a complex mix of his desire to avenge his father's death, his anger at his mother and Claudius, his own ambition, all mixed with his desire for a life of peace and happiness. In Act 1, sc. 5, when Hamlet is first asked by the ghost of King Hamlet to avenge his death, Hamlet swears that he will.  At this point, Hamlet is shocked and quickly agrees to what his father's ghost asks.  Later, in Act 2, sc. 2, Hamlet rails against himself and his lack of action, but says that he needs to be sure the ghost was telling the truth.  Obviously doubt has crept into Hamlet's thinking since Act 1, sc. 5, and Hamlet doesn't want to commit murder without being sure of Claudius's guilt.  If Hamlet was simply driven by a desire to get the throne from Claudius, he wouldn't need to prove the ghost's veracity.  Also, in this speech, Hamlet says, "...And can nothing -no, not for a king / Upon whose property and most dear life / A damned defeat was made."  It is interesting to note that Hamlet puts "property" before "dear life".  This suggests that Claudius's marriage to Gertrude is as heinous to Hamlet as is Claudius's murder of King Hamlet.  In Hamlet's Act 3, sc. 1 soliloquy, Hamlet suggests that fear makes people makes people inactive.  He says that if people could act without fear of repercussion, they'd be more likely to act.  This suggests that Hamlet fears what will happen if he kills Claudius.  Will he go to hell?  Will other penalties fall on him?  Hamlet yearns for a life in which he is free to study, read, and spend pleasant hours with those he loves.  Throughout the play, Hamlet wrestles with his hesitancy and his lack of action in avenging his father's death.  He thinks and overthinks about all his actions which suggests that he would rather have a peaceful life than a powerful one.