What is the most important symbol in The Devil's Arithmetic?

In my mind, the closet door is probably the most important symbol in Yolen's work.  The closet door is what Hannah must go towards to welcome Elijah during Passover Dinner.  The closet door is the portal by which Hannah must enter the past and become Chaya.  Given the fact that Hannah did not have much care for her heritage and ethnicity at the outset of the novel, the closet door represents a particular symbol that represents Hannah's moment where she is both active teenager who is concerned with traditionally adolescent aims, but also the instant where she becomes instantly connected with her identity.  The closet door is what allows the story in Yolen's work to develop.

How does the devil wears Prada relate to belonging?what ideas,themes and relationships are there that relate to belonging?

The theme of belonging can be seen in Weisberger's work.  On one level, Miranda creates a realm where there are definite practices of inclusion and exclusion, contributing to the latter's sense of wanting to belong.  Miranda's presence, demeanor, style, and sense of self helps to instill a desire for belonging in Andrea. The abuses that she endures has to have some end in mind, and one can presume that wanting to belong to the world in which Andrea finds herself.  Andrea cannot break free, even sacrificing personal relationships to wanting to belong to Miranda's world.  When confronted with the reality that she might become the Miranda for the next generation, Andrea has realized she has reached her goal of belonging, and repudiates it, recognizing its emotionally shallow and inauthentic nature.

Compare and contrast three model of power in the united states of America

In your message to me you said these are the three models of power that you're referring to:

1:The Plural Model/The people Rule
2:The Power-Elite Model/A Few People Rule
3:The Marxist Model/Bias in system itself

I'll answer with reference to these:

The pluralist model states that there are plenty of ways that people can influence government.  Everyone who is interested in some issue can have a chance to have their voice heard.  The people who will win on a given issue are those who care most.

So this model says that the American system is very open and democratic.  The main name connected with this idea is Robert Dahl whose book "Who Governs?" is a classic statement of this idea.

The power-elite model is most connected with C. Wright Mills who argued that there was a power elite of people who dominated political, military, economic and social institutions.  These people all came from the same background and shared the same values.

This model is similar to the first only in that it agrees that America is democratic.  However, it believes that this democracy is much more closed than Dahl says it is.  We truly have a democracy, but its rules tend to give the rich more power.

The third model argues that the whole US system works for the upper class to keep workers down.  This theory does not have any one major proponent on the level of Dahl or Mills.  This model does not see America as democratic but rather as being run by the upper class through its control of economics.

In this view all the trappings of democracy are just window dressing to make a basically exploitative system look good.  So this view agrees with Mills that a power elite rules, but it believes the elite does so by coercion and trickery.

Summary of "The World is Too Much with Us" by William Wordsworth.no

I can answer this not line by line, but every couple/few lines .  And keep in mind this was written in 1807, NOT in this day and age.  Looking at it now we could really tie in a lot of technology that takes us away from nature.

The first four lines shows how the fast-paced Industrialized West was not taking time to appreciate nature.  "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers" says that we are too materialistic; we waste our opportunities to love and respect nature and all that it holds.  We just earn and spend on a daily basis.

The next four lines describe the aspects of nature that we take for granted every day.  We ignore the breezes and the winds that surround us each day.  We don't appreciate the sea and all the power and beauty that it holds.  Because of this he says, "we are out of tune; it moves us not."  Most people just don't "get it."

The first link explains the ending for you.  Wordsworth would rather be a Pagan--one who worships nature--than one of the many individuals who passes through life without realizing the love and passion that nature holds for us.

In "A Retrieved Reformation," why does Ben Price decide to let Jimmy go?

The reader feels gratified that Ben Price decides not to arrest Jimmy Valentine. This must be because the reader feels Jimmy should be rewarded for saving a little girl from certain death. Ben Price is not quite the same kind of law-enforcement agent as Jimmy Wells in O. Henry's "After Twenty Years." Jimmy Wells is a sworn officer of the law and is duty-bound to arrest 'Silky' Bob, or at least have him arrested, after he recognizes his old friend as the man who is wanted by the Chicago police. Ben Price, on the other hand, is a sort of private detective. These were the days before the federal government began insuring banks and thereby got involved in that aspect of law enforcement. Ben Price can arrest Jimmy Valentine or let him go, as he chooses. Ben acts on the basis of the same feelings he shares with the reader.

We see in the Sherlock Holmes stories, such as "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," that Holmes as a private citizen can and does let criminals go free. Ben Price feels the same way about Jimmy Valentine's act of sacrifice as does the reader. 

“Hello, Ben!” said Jimmy, still with his strange smile. “Got around at last, have you? Well, let's go. I don't know that it makes much difference, now.”

And then Ben Price acted rather strangely.

“Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer,” he said. “Don't believe I recognize you. Your buggy's waiting for you, ain't it?”

And Ben Price turned and strolled down the street.

It should be noted that Ben apparently knows that Jimmy has gone straight, that he is getting married to a respectable girl, that he is abandoning his burglar tools, and that he must be giving up his life of crime. So Ben Price has at least two reasons for letting Jimmy go free. One is that Jimmy deserves a great reward for saving the life of a little girl at the risk of losing his freedom and all his claims to happiness. The other reason is that Jimmy is no longer a threat to society. He won't be cracking any more safes, so Ben no longer has a strong motive for taking him out of circulation.

Explain the responsibilities of a supervisor in a company.

The term supervisor is generally used to refer to the managers at the lowest level in the organization, who directly supervise non-managerial employees of the company.

As managers, the supervisors perform the same type of work as any other manager in the company. This includes the four basic functions of planning, organizing, leading and and control. However their work requires less of planning and organizing responsibilities as compared to leading and control activities. Among others their responsibilities include the following.

• Physically supervise the operational work carried out by employees reporting to them.


• Directly instruct employees under them on work to be carried out by them and the methods to be adopted.


• Ensure supply of material, equipment, and other inputs required by them for doing their work.


• Provide guidance and on the job training required by workmen the course of their work.


• Maintain order an discipline in the workplace.


• Resolve any disputes or other problems on the workplace. In case these require intervention of managers at higher level, inform and brief them appropriately.


• Act as a channel of communication between higher management and the workmen. This involves explaining management policies and other directive to the workmen, and conveying their feelings, and requirement to higher managements.


• Recommend disciplinary action for employees breaking discipline and not responding to warnings and advise of supervisors.

In "The Cask of Amontillado" what is Montresor's attitude toward revenge or punishment?

When analyzing Montresor's attitude or motivation, readers must keep in mind that he is another one of Poe's unreliable narrators.  So, Montresor's attitude is not necessarily what Poe considers moral or logical.

Revenge (or delivering "punishment") is the main theme of the story.  Montresor states at the beginning of the story,

‘‘The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.’’

Readers never discover what those injuries are that Fortunato enacted upon the narrator, but Montresor does not portray that as important.  This demonstrates that Montresor's attitude toward revenge is inarguable--he believes so strongly in his right to revenge that he does not need to provide specifics about his motive.

Moreover, Montresor believes that he is qualified not only to obtain revenge himself (and not wait on a higher power or give his enemy an opportunity for redemption), but he also demonstrates that he is entitled to choose the mode and extremity of punishment. Whatever Fortunato did to Montresor (if anything at all) obviously did not kill or physically harm the narrator, but he does not care about the punishment fitting the "crime"--he wants only to assert his power and sense of justice.

What is the pun in line 6 of Emily Dickinson's poem "Apparently with no Surprise"?

God is not 'moved,' either by the suffering of the flower, or of humanity, in Emily Dickinson's poem 'Apparently with no surprise.' Although the poem seems to be superficially about one of her favorite themes - Nature - it can also be read as a discusion about the christian (particularly Roman Catholic) idea of Free Will. 'Why does God not help the oppressed and put an end to pain and suffering?' is a common cry. But many christians believe,as Emily Dickinson may have heard, that God allows his creatures (mankind) a free choice in the life he bestows upon them. If that leads to suffering or harm to others, he does not intervene. Like the Sun/son in the poem, he appears coldly unmoved - allowing Nature/events to take their course. to do anything else,some would say, would be to treat his creations like toys. Nevertheless, some may detect a bitterness or sadness about these lines - maybe Emily felt she did not have the full gamut of choices herself.

Does chewing gum reduce stress?

Chewing gum  banishes anxieties, increases alertness and reduces stress, according to a study made by Swiburne University in Australia.

Australian researchers have examined to what extent chewing gum may reduce stress induced and anxiety, while participants in the study were conducting a series of activities. Thus, use of chewing gum was associated with higher alertness, reduced anxiety and stress and improved performance in delivery of several activities at once.

The study was done on 40 people, with an average age of 22 years, which made various tests on a multi-tasking platform. The platform was designed to induce stress and, at the same time, assess performance of subjects while they have chewed gum or not. Levels of anxiety, attention and stress were measured before and after participants performed the tests.According to the results, level of anxiety was reduced by 17% in those who were chewing gum than the rest of the subjects. Also, the focus was 19 times higher in those who were chewing, while salivary cortisol levels - an indicator of this stress - was 16 percent lower in those who chewed gum during the test.

What were the conditions under which the people of France lived that led to revolution rather than peace?

French revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799, introduced the ideals of democracy in France and elsewhere but did not make France a democracy.

The direct trigger for the start of the french revolution was a financial crisis faced by the government. However there were many other underlying developments in political and economical conditions that led to the revolution. Major of these developments were dissatisfaction of lower and middle classes of people with the government, exposure to new ideas about equality, democracy and ways of governing, and financial problems brought about by excessive cost of wars.

At that time the French society was legally divided in three classes called estates. The first estate consisted of members of the clergy. Second estate consisted of nobles, and rest of the people wee included in the third estate. The third estates included peasants from the rural areas, working class from cities, and a large middle class made up pf professions such as merchants, government officials, ans lawyers.

Under the system that existed the people forming the third estate enjoyed very low social status and were discriminated against by the first and second estates, although the money for the luxurious lives led by people in upper classes were collected from the people in third estate. Economically the middle class people in the third estate were most important, and they resented their low social status.

At the same time liberal ideas about new ways of governing and challenging the powers of monarchies were popularised by some French writers and philosophers like Jean Jacques Rousseau. These writers emphasized that right to govern must be derived from the people.

When the discontent with the existing government was already very high, a financial crisis developed for the government due to various wars and the government was almost bankrupt in 1788. Under these circumstances, when the representatives of first and second state refused to give representatives of the third estate due representation in matters of approving new taxes, the representatives of third estate declared themselves the national assembly of France. This particular action can be treated as the starting point of French Revolution.

Summarize the Baptist belief of speaking in tongues.

Taking St. Paul's counsel in 1 Corinthians 14:37b-38:  "If any one thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord.  If any one does not recognize this, he is not recognized."

The command is (1 Co:14:27-33):  "If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret.  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silence in church and speak to himself and to God.  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.  If a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be silent.  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and be encouraged; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.  For God is not a God of confusion" (here the word is from "akatastasia"--i.e. "instability", "disorder", "confusion", "commotion", "tumult", "uproar", "crowd noise or babble") "but of peace."

He also said (1 Co 14:22)  "tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophesy is not for unbelievers but for believers."

From this it follows that:

1.if tongues are manifest it is because of unbelief,

2. if many are speaking in tongues all at once it is because they are disobedient to "a command of the Lord",

3.if they are speaking in tongues and no one gives the interpretation they are disobedient to "a command of the Lord",

4.and if they suddenly speak in tongues without any control over the occurance of the utterance God is not the source of it.

Tongues occurred in Acts 10:44-48 in the presence of believers who did not believe that the Holy Spirit could be poured out on Gentiles or that even Gentiles could be baptized.  This was a sign to those who hadn't believed it possible.

Tongues occurred in Acts 19:2-7 in the presence of those who had believed only in John's baptism of repentance and had never heard of the Holy Spirit.  This was a sign to those who hadn't believed in the Holy Spirit.

The First Epistle of John states (4:1)  "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Most Baptists believe that tongues, visions, apparitions of angels and saints are not from God and are not to be believed, taking St. Paul's counsel in 2 Corinthians 11:14: "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light"; and in Colossians 2:18-19a:  "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head"; and in Galatians 1:8:  "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed."

NOTE:  The Catholic Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church n. 66) does not require any belief in tongues or prophesies outside of the Bible.

Bible texts quoted from the RSVCE.

Can somebody tell me the reflection of the novel?

"To Kill a Mockingbird" has a specific reflection that was created by the writer.  The writer, Harper Lee, tells the story of two men.  One man, Tom Robinson, is on trial for raping a white girl.  He is innocent as it was her father who beat and raped her.  The other man is a man named Boo Radley.  Yet, he is convicted of the crime.  Boo is a simple minded recluse.  He is scared of people and hides away, but he is an innocent good person.  Scout and her brother Jem are saved by him from Mr. Ewell.  Harper Lee uses the symbol of the mockingbird to get the reader, through Scout's, the little girl in the story, to symbolize the twio men.  The reflection occurs as Scout looks back on the events surrounding the two men, the men's innocence, and compares them to the mockingbird that harms no one but gives forth a beautiful song.  The mocking bird also mocks other birds just as the children had initially mocked Boo Radley and the justice system was a mockery when it came to Tom's trial.

Analyze the poem "Crazy Kate" by William Cowper for symbol and theme.

The primary symbol of "Crazy Kate" by William Cowper is introduced in the first lines: "With prickly goss, that shapeless and deform / And dangerous to the touch, has yet its bloom...." The word "goss" is a dialectal variation of the word "gorse," a prickly, spiny shrub with black pods and yellow blossoms: "decks itself with ornaments of gold...." Cowper builds a metaphoric analogy between the symbol of "goss" and Crazy Kate. His tone is one of respect and kindness, not disparagement or contempt. The tone is evident is "ornaments of gold," "no unpleasant ramble," "smells fresh," etc.

Two themes of "Crazy Kate" are devastation in grief and dignity in crazed sorrow. Kate was well employed and clothed in satin and in love with a sailor. He died at sea and her life was devastated; she "never smiled again. And now she roams...." Her clothes are in tatters that barely cover her. She collects pins that she begs from passersby. She never begs food or clothing, though both are needed. In her grief she is devastated.

Yet, she maintains the dignity of her humanity. In her mind, she continues to be employed in productive work, that of collecting pins, which were once very important in holding some garments in place and in making new garments (as now). Her dignity is stressed by Cowper in that she never begs for things for her personal comfort, only for that which is perceived as productive employment. A third theme is God's compassion that, according to Cowper's last line, stands in opposition to humankind's dearth of compassion.

Which of the following was a lasting reform passed during the initial, moderate phase of the French Revolution?A. Universal male suffrage B. The...

I believe that the answer to your question would be "C", peasants were freed from all traces of manorialism. I am taking manorialism to mean "putting authority for a piece of land in the hands of a lord, who then owes dues to the higher authority, and who gets those dues by working a group of serfs who owe obligations to that lord."  Does that makes sense?  Manorialism is the old feudal way of "peasants" working for "nobility."

The French Revolution, in its early phases, tried to get rid of the old way of government by instituting six basic reforms, the first of which, on August 4th, 1789, was the elimination of special noble privileges and a declaration of equality.  Though there would be times when nobles would return to powerful positions in France, they did not have a right to claim that power...it was usually the result of the nobles having access to money and influence that other people didn't have.  The people were freed from a legal obligation to a lord.

In which scene does Polonius serve as a foil to Hamlet, giving Hamlet an opportunity to demonstrate both his wit and his despair?

Hamlet takes every opportunity to berate and badger Polonius throughout the play, but the most obvious of these instances is found in Act 2, Scene 2, which is the longest scene in the play.  Hamlet enters amid a conversation between Polonius and the King and Queen.  Remember, at this point we know that Hamlet is either trying to convince others he has gone mad or he has really snapped after seeing his father's ghost.  Their greeting has hidden meaning:

Polonius:  Do you know me, lord?
Hamlet:  Excellent well.  You are a fishmonger.

Seemingly, Hamlet talks nonsense, calling Polonius a fisherman; however, in this era, the word "fishmonger" was a slang term for "pimp."  Hamlet is quick with words, yet this greeting reveals what he thinks of Polonius's treatment of his daughter, Ophelia.  Polonius clearly does not catch the pun, as he says in an aside:

Yet he knew me not at first.  He said I was a fishmonger.  He is far gone, far gone!

Polonius exits and returns later in this scene with news that the players have arrived.  Hamlet this time calls him "Jephthah, judge of Israel," an allusion to a Biblical judge who sacrificed his daughter.  Polonius mistakenly takes this to be a compliment, saying

If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter that I love passing well.

Hamlet uses simple words in his reply:

Nay, that follows not.

He means that just because Polonius has a daughter does not automatically mean that he loves her.  Hamlet knows that Polonius is ready to use his daughter if it means advancement for himself.  He also implies that Polonius does not know what it means to love Ophelia, but Hamlet does.

As you can see, these witticisms take a while to explain.  The play is full of such talk from Hamlet, but it's worth your time to figure out what some of them mean to recognize how smart Hamlet really is.  As I said, this is certainly not the only place in the play where Hamlet makes Polonius sound foolish.

The novel 1984, Winston secretly begins to write in the diary he is starting. Why isn't this action illegal? What consequences could it have, however?

When Winston secretly begins his diary, he thinks about the likely consequences of doing so (this is very early in Chapter 1).

He knows that keeping a diary is not illegal.  The reason for that is that there are no laws in Oceania so nothing is actually illegal.  The point of that is that laws would require the government to follow them.  If there are no laws, the government can do whatever it wants.

Even though keeping the diary is not illegal, Winston knows that it will probably get him executed.  At the very least, he expects, he'll get sentenced to 25 years at hard labor if he's caught.

In a brief analytical account discuss how did Hemingway convey his life experieces to The Old Man and the Sea.briefly

Old Man in the Sea can be read as metafiction: fiction about fiction.  In this sense, Hemingway (the author) is the Old Man, Santiago.  Manolin is the next generation of writers, those who would follow in Hemingway's footsteps and emulate his style (Camus, DeLillo, McCarthy).

The book, The Old Man and The Sea, is the marlin.  Hemingway as an artist is venturing out in the artistic community, the sea.  The sharks are literary critics, those who try to take a bite out of his art.

Hemingway seems to be saying that the modern artist must suffer once he has finished a novel (caught a great fish) at the hands of critics.  This is his cross to bear.  What is left, in the end, is a skeleton, a shell of his original artistic vision.

A 1400 kg car is travelling at 25 m/s up a circular hill of radius 210 m. What is the applied force on this car at the top of this hill? (ie. when...

Given:

Mass of car = m = 1400 kg

Speed of car = v = 25 m/s

Radius of hill = r = 210 m

we know acceleration due to gravity = g = 9.81 m/s^2

Solution:

When the car is at the crest of the hill and moving at uniform speed there are two forces acting on it. One is the vertically downward force (f1) due to gravity, and a vertically upward force (f2) due to centrifugal force movement of car along the circular path over the hill.

We calculate the downward gravitational force using the formula:

f1 = m*g = 1400*9.81 = 13734 N

Similarly, we calculate the upward centrifugal force using the formula:

f2 = m*(v^2)/r = 1400*(25^2)/210 = 4166.6667 N

The net force acting on the car is:

= f1 - f2 = 13734 - 4166.6667 = 9567.3333 N downward

Answer:

Applied force on the car is 9567.3333 N downward.

Who in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird has more direct and indirect characterization that shows that they're a brave person?Which character is the...

Atticus is a fine example of courage, as pointed out by my colleague's great answer.  His is a moral courage and conviction which we all admire.  I'd like to make a case for someone she alluded to, Mrs. Dubose, as being another excellent example of courage in this novel. Hers is an inner strength, one which Atticus also finds commendable. 

Indirectly, we see Mrs. Henry Lafayette DuBose as a strong woman, armed and ready to defend herself.  Her tongue is sharp and she is unafraid to speak her mind--even if she is belittling and prejudiced as she does so.

Later, when Jem and Scout are at her bedside, the picture is not pretty and she looks anything but courageous.  Strings of saliva and drool are off-putting, to say the least; and she regularly drifts in and out of alertness as they read to her.  These are indicators, we later find out, of a woman who is suffering the pangs and punishments of withdrawal from a potent drug.  She doesn't scream or shout or cry; she simply concentrates and overcomes.

Direct characterization of her courage comes from Atticus, as mentioned, when he uses her as an example to Jem and Scout.  He informs them of her morphine addiction and her bravery in overcoming her dependence. Only when we hear this do the items mentioned above look like courage, both to the reader and to the kids.

Mrs. DuBose could easily have lived the rest of her life dependent on the drug and content to see the world through a morphine haze.  Instead, she exhibits a personal courage which even Atticus finds astounding.

How did the European settlement of North America impact the lives of Native Americans ??

Even more than the obvious effects on the people, the appearance of europeans forever altered the history of the First Americans. It is almost analogous to the possible effects of an alien race appearing on Earth. Everything they knew, had known and were still to discover altered irrecoverably. 

Perhaps one of the most insidious effects was probably that most who died from the appearance of Europeans and the resultant epidemics they caused perished without ever seeing the cause. The conquistadors tell of areas called "desplobado" or simply uninhabited although it appears that they should have people living there.

What is the function of relating the Finch family history at the outset of the To Kill a Mockingbird?

The historical background of the founding father of the Finch family in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird helps to establish a history of the area as well as the background and importance of Atticus' standing in the community. It is a classic example of literary exposition, telling the story of Simon Finch and the birth of Finch's Landing, about 20 miles east of Maycomb. Simon's humble beginnings and strong work ethic left him rich, and the homestead was profitable and self-sufficient. Sadly, the Civil War stripped the family of all of its wealth but the land, leaving Atticus and his siblings little but the property that Simon had built from scratch. Atticus moved to Maycomb to make a life--and name--for himself, leaving Finch's Landing to his sister Alexandra. It illustrates Atticus' own independent nature: He sets out on his own to build a family away from the home which would by all rights be his as eldest heir. He becomes a friend of Maycomb's black citizenry in contrast to Simon's own slave-owning past. He works for the people, earning barely enough to support the family, until his reputation among Maycomb townspeople surpasses the heights once enjoyed by Simon Finch himself.

What is the relationship between Chapter 12 in The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway and Eliot's poem The Waste Land?the Fisher King and the river

Chapter 12 in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Eliot's The Waste Land both address themes of disillusionment with modern society, and the possiblity of redemption.

In Chapter 12 of The Sun Also Rises, the central character, Jake, talks with his friend Bill about his dissatisfaction with the values and lifestyle of "the lost generation", exemplified by expatriates in Paris in the years following World War I. Preoccupied with drinking and the satisfaction of animal cravings, the expats lead lives that are aimless, filled with excesses, and ultimately unfulfilling. In contrast, the simplicity and peace the two men experience on a fishing trip on the river offers a much more viable alternative. The "oneness with things natural and moral and ethical" discovered by the friends allows them to return to a simpler time, close to the natural world, when core values are central and openness between friends opens the possibility of redemption and fulfillment through genuine and lasting relationships.

In The Waste Land, Eliot comments on the same period in history, the post-World War I years in Europe. He uses the allusion of the mythical Fisher King, whose woundedness resulted in the creation of a land of ruin and waste. Eliot focuses on a human society which has undergone a "moral death", in which sexual relations in particular are joyless and superficial. In an especially vivid image, Eliot describes a poor couple who engage in sex simply to satisfy the man's lust; the procreative power of the act has been lost, as the woman has begun having abortions because of the physical toll her many pregnancies have had on her body. Sex, like the social climate of the times in general, is loveless and has become associated with death, not life. The possibility of redemption is presented in the person of Christ by the poet. As Christ died, so Christians feel morally dead, lost without their Savior; they have only to recognize the redemptive power of his resurrection for their lives to have meaning once again, but sadly, they are so blinded by their worldly disillusionment that they fail to see the possibility offered to them.

Name some examples of figurative language used in "A Separate Peace." How does it add to our understanding of the book ?

One of the best examples of figurative language enhancing our understanding of the book comes in at the very end of the novel, when Leper is describing the events at the tree.  Brinker brings him in to describe what happened on that infamous day, and in his description, Leper uses figurative language techniques.  This serves to enhance the descriptiveness and help the reader to imagine it in their heads, and it also completely clarifies the events that occurred that day. So, it not only makes the writing more descriptive and beautiful, it also helps the reader see the action, and understand the events that occurred.  Leper starts by saying that he could see the dark profiles of Gene and Finny on the branch, with the sun shining around them.  He describes the sun using a simile (comparing two things using the words like or as):

"the rays of the sun were shooting past them, millions of rays shooting past them like--like golden machine-gun fire."

Here, he uses a simile to compare the sun shining around them to the firing of golden bullets streaming from a machine-gun.  Having been just released from war training, this description not only lets us know how heavily the war weighs on Leper's mind, but it also paints a good image for us to picture.  He continues to say that their profiles looked "as black as death," using another simile.  This simile is very grave, referring the two boys to death; it's a sinister comparison, adding an air of seriousness to the proceedings, and of foreshadowing to the coming events.

Then, the fateful event of Finny falling.  Leper describes it with another simile, saying that the two boys moved "like an engine...first one piston sinks, and the the next one sinks."  This indicated that Gene jostled the branch down first, which had a chain-reaction, and made Finny sink too, and fall.  It clearly implicates Gene in purposefully knocking Finny off of the tree, and does so using a comparison to a two-piston engine, which helps us to picture it in our heads.

Leper's similes is one example of how Knowles uses figurative language to be descriptive, to help the reader picture things in their minds, and to clarify our understanding of the events.  I hope that helps a bit--good luck!

What are the exact locations for each of the following cell parts?Cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, chromosomes, golgi apparatus, mitochondria,...

Cell is the structural unit , functional and genetic of the organism.Cell fulfills the body's functions.

Cell consists of membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus.

Membrane defines the cell as individual unit, separating it from the environment. Besides the structural role of the cell membrane, it mediates and controls cell interactions with components  and the extracellular environment, ions and molecules.

Cytoplasm:It consists of an unstructured component (hyaloplasma) and a structural component (cytoplasm itself). It has specific organelle and common organelle (ribosomes, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, Centrosome, Endoplasmatic reticulum ).

Ribosomes are free or attached to Endoplasmatic Reticulum. The have role in protein synthesis. They have spherical shape.

 Endoplasmatic Reticulum is a system that opens at one end of the cell membrane and at the other end to the nuclear membrane.

Mitochondria  and Chloroplasts are usually placed around the cell nucleus.

Lysosomes are small corpuscles in which there are over 40 digestive enzymes. They are in great numbers in animal cells and less in plant cells. They have a role in cellular digestion.

Golgi apparatus is located near the nucleus.

Centrosome is met on most cells, out of the neuron. It is located near the nucleus.

Vacuoles are surrounded by the membrane.

In Hatchet chapter 13-14: What is the problem and how did Brian solve the problem, and tell who is the character and tell where they are.In...

In Hatchet there are many "problems", otherwise known as conflicts.  Usually when writing about literature we say "conflict" when talking about problems characters encounter.  Conflicts can be internal, and Brian certainly has plenty of those, even before he gets stranded.  They can also be external, such as a conflict with another person, an animal, or with nature.  Brian certainly has those as well, though his conflicts with other people are all in the past at this point as he is alone on the hore of the lake.

I will talk first about his internal conflicts and then his external conflicts.

Internal--Brian has had some success at surviving on the shore of the lake. He has learned how to get some foraged foods, how to ration them so he does not make himsef ill from eating too much, how to start a fire, and how to build a rudimentary shelter.  He was even suicidal at the beginning of his survival experience.  He has grown stronger and he reflects on the "old" Brian at this point, well over a month and a half since he was stranded alone. He hates his old self.  He has grown a lot in his time there.  He reflects upon how he has become a part of the forest, just like the bears and other creatures there.

Brian also has internal conflicts from his old life that were unresolved when he landed in the woods.  His parents were getting divorced and Brian had a Secret--he had seen his mother with a strange man before the divorce.  These come up in hs mind from time to time, but the more pressing issues of survival force Brian to focus on the present moment.

Extrenal--

Brian is always in constant conflict with the forest and the forces of nature.  He feels prode in his growth and accomplishments, yet each chapter seems to hand him new conflicts.  In Chapter 13, he wins a victory over nature when he uses his intelligence and skill to catch his first fish.  Seeing that he canuse the entrails of the fish as bait is a major piece of learning as well.  It ensures the future availability of food, and Brian has learned that in the forest food is life.  It is everything.

Brian also makes the mistake of forgetting that a skunk fights back with a scent that temporarially blinds him. Every mistake is both a defeat and a small victory for Brian, because they force him to acquire a greater knowledge about how to deal with the wilderness, and lead him to prepare for the future.

How did John Milton envisioned the function of poetry in Lycidas?It has omething to do with moving from pastoral poetry to epic poetry, I just...

As James Sitar points out, the genre of Lycidas is complex. Genre encompasses the classifications of pastoral elegy and epic structures. The discussion of Milton's Lycidas having to do with "moving from pastoral poetry to epic poetry," asserts, essentially, that Milton incorporated features into Lycidas which were not standard to the genre of pastoral elegy and which suggested the English epic, bearing in mind that the epic form is of ancient origin beginning with Homer.

The particular characteristics that Milton intruded on the pastoral elegiac form are the introduction of the voices of Apollo as Phoebus, the River Cam as Camus, Saint Peter as the Pilot of the Galilean lake, and the uncouth Swain as the speaker of the lament to Lycidas. Each speaks and each has a persona, which are two characteristics of the epic put to grand use by Milton in this later epic Paradise Lost.

On the second point, pertaining to Milton's aesthetic of poetics (purpose of poetry) during Milton's time there was a great debate on the form poetry should have to be considered religiously proper. There were the Cavalier adherents, supported by the King and by the Laudians in the Church organization, and there were the Roundhead adherents, supported by the Puritan faction in the Church. The Cavaliers advocated a continuation of the tradition of poetry as exemplified by Spenser's and Shakespeare's diction and style, and the Roundheads advocated a direct simple diction and style that communicated a point without the embellishment of elaborate literary devices. Milton thought in accord with the Cavaliers.

In addition, it is apparent from his writing that Milton embraced the idea that poetry was to serve a social function in the tradition of Spenser and Shakespeare and the idea, well-developed in the Renaissance by Philip Sidney, that poets are the spokespersons of divine Providence and as such are given Inspiration to comprehend the ideals of divine conception and to convey these ideals to humanity, which seeks to know but lacks the needed Inspiration. For instance, poets might communicate the ideal Inspiration of the true qualities of love. In Lycidas, Milton upbraids the Clergy for failing the clergical ideal and accuses them of being imitation "Shepherds" of the "flock" of God and cautions that they will cut down in one blow by the double-edge sword of "the Lord."

[For assitional information, see Lycidas, Dartmouth College and "Milton's Salvational Aesthetic," Sheridan D. Blau.]

What are 15 examples of foreshadowing or irony in the short story, "The Scarlet Ibis"?foreshadowing and irony Give me some examples of...

    Below are 15 examples of foreshadowing and irony in the James Hurst short story, "The Scarlet Ibis." 

FORESHADOWING
1.  The first sentence refers to death, birth and "the bleeding tree."
2.  Other examples foreshadowing death or bad fortune in the first paragraph include the words or terms "rotting," "dead," "graveyard flowers," "untenanted" and "empty cradle." 
3.  The word "red," foreshadowing blood, is used several times.
4.  The doctor warns that Doodle must not get "too excited, too cold, too hot or too tired."
5.  The brother's pride "is a wonderful, terrible thing."
6.  Doodle's "lie" about the peacock unfolding its colorful wings and enveloping him foreshadows the ibis and his own death.
7.  The hurricane and the destruction that follows foreshadows the bad luck and death that will follow.
8.  The naming of the deadly World War I battles foreshadows the death that comes to Brother's and Doodle's own world.
9.  The appearance of the ibis and its death foreshadows Doodle's own demise.
10.  Aunt Nicey's statement that "Dead birds is bad luck... specially red, dead birds."

IRONY
1.  That the ibis should fall dead from "the bleeding tree."
2.  The bleeding tree has also died and is replaced by a grindstone, an object that slowly wears away other objects. 
3.  That such a tiny, weak boy would have such a long and "strong" name as William Armstrong.
4.  Aunt Nicey ("nice") treated Doodle best of all.
5.  When Aunt Nicey came down on Brother's big toe, he thought he would be "crippled for life." It is ironic that the healthy brother would also be crippled, not by the brogan, but by the knowledge of his poor treatment and desertion of Doodle.
6.  That Doodle died under a "red nightshade bush"--red as in blood.
7.  That when Doodle cried, "Brother, Brother...," he did not respond; and when Brother cried, "Doodle, Doodle...," he also could not answer. 

In "The Gift of the Magi" do you think that the sacrifies Jim & Della made were sensible? Give your reasons for your answer.

If you look at the sacrifices that they made in separate lights, without realizing what the other person has sacrificed, they appear to be pretty sensible.  After all, what does Della really need long hair for?  It's just hair, and she tells Jim later on, "It'll grow back."  Hair is just hair, and if she can get some money for it, in order to try to show her husband, who has been working so hard, how much she loves him, then that doesn't sound too kooky or illogical to me.  It's rather sweet.

Then, take Jim's sacrifice.  He gives up his watch.  It's just a watch--granted, he loved it, but, things are just things, and if giving it up can show Della how much he loves her, that makes sense to me.  He can get a cheaper watch, or use clocks in the room to tell time--it's not like he will die without a watch, just like Della won't die without her hair.

It's only when you combine the two presents that these two people get that the combination becomes insensible; Jim gets Della combs for hair that she no longer has, and Della gets Jim a chain for a watch that he no longer has.  It is an unfortunate comination of sacrifices and presents, and it is that combination that makes their original sacrifice look insensible.  But, in reality, taking them separately, they were nice gifts to give.

One other thing to consider is the difficulty of using the word "sensible" to describe love.  How "sensible" is love, really?  How "sensible" are gifts that we give to our loved ones?  The point of giving gifts to show our love is not to be "sensible," but to show them that we care, that we notice what makes them happy.  Giving "sensible" gifts is boring, and not very romantic.  So trying to describe their sacrifice as sensible is really missing the point entirely.

I hope that those thoughts help get you started; good luck!

What are Piggy's attempts in Chapter 4 to create a civilized society on the island?

When Ralph and Piggy are swimming in the water hole, Piggy decides to make a sundial so they can tell the time more accurately. Piggy is attempting to make a society like the one they left behind.

On pages 63-64, a ship passes by and because Jack wasn't watching out by the fire, it passed by without anybody to signal to it. As a result, they are all arguing. Piggy decides to go on Ralph's side by confronting Jack for his irresponsibility, but Jack smacks Piggy and breaks his glasses.

Piggy's actions show he is reacting in an orderly way, supporting the values of the group which would aid in their survival.

Why was the book Main Street by Sinclair Lewis banned by the American Library Association?I want to know specifically why, and what your opinions...

I agree with poster #1 as far as the American Library Association is concerned. Perhaps you are confused because they release a list of banned books every year? Also, it does not appear that Main Street met with much opposition. The town of Alexandria, Minnesota banned it in 1921, although it was actually based on a nearby town called Sauk Centre, Sinclair Lewis' childhood home.

In the novel, it portrays an emptiness & restrictiveness in small-town life. Although at the time, many people considered living in a small town to be the ideal, Lewis challenges that with his study of the effect on its residents, especially women. As the main character defiantly states at the end: "I do not admit that Main Street is as beautiful as it should be! I do not admit that dish-washing is enough to satisfy all women!"

I do not believe in banning books of any kind. I think keeping age-appropriate texts in a school library (particularly elementary) is a different matter entirely. I don't consider that "banning", although it becomes tricky in deciding what's appropriate and what's not. It's when people are offended by certain material, & they can't reconcile that with the educational nature of a text that problems occur. However, I feel that especially in high school, students should be free to make their own decisions about texts, rather than having them made for them. Also, many people attack books without even reading them; they simply hear from someone else that there's something offensive in the book. Also, I think as a country we're becoming too insular. We're afraid to read any opinions that don't match our own. Instead of opening a dialogue about difficult subjects, we engage only in conversations that will validate our own views. It is important to read literature that shocks, offends, and stimulates us, because that is how we formulate our own thoughts on life.

Will a LCD televison freeze in prolonged cold and still work later?We want to put a LCD TV in our camper, and we live in Northern Michigan. We...

When Liquid gets too cold it freezes.  When it freezes, it expands.  If you put a can of coke in the freezer and then take the can out in about 12 hours it won't be the same size.  The LCD televisions have a Liquid Crystal Display.  Most manufactures of the LCD televisions have their own warranties and guidelines for the televisions.  Most of the companies indicate that the operation temperature should be between 40 degrees Fahrenheit all the way up to 100 degrees.  So if you live in a cold area and you try to use your TV you must let it warm to at least 40 Degrees before trying to turn it on.  LCDs are a good idea inside RVs, but in a cold climate the aswer to your question is not clearly stated.    A LCD's  picture quality is very good and it isn't  very big or heavy. However, with freezing and thawing you might run the risk of cracking your screen.  There is no hard proven science to prove the TV won’t be damaged.   

You must also realize that if you get the temperature of the TV up to operating temperature, the TV must still not be used for at least 24 hours to let any condensation dry up.  If you try to send electricity through a TV full of condensation it could short out completely. 

Modern RV’s are being built with TV’s installed, but if I lived in an extremely cold climate, I would take my LCD out of the RV to protect it and reinstall it in warmer weather, just to be safe.

"The basis of LCD technology is the liquid crystal, a substance made of complicated molecules. Like water, liquid crystals are solid at low temperatures. Also like water, they melt as you heat them. But when ice melts, it changes into a clear, easily flowing liquid. Liquid crystals, however, change into a cloudy liquid very different from liquids like water, alcohol, or cooking oil. At slightly higher temperatures, the cloudiness disappears, and they look much like any other liquid."

In The Crucible, why does Danforth arrange a meeting between John and Elizabeth Proctor?

By the time that act four rolls around in the play, hundreds of people are in the jails, the townspeople are starting to turn against the judges and the courts, a nearby town of Andover overthrew the courts and freed all of the "witches," and the judges and Parris are worried that people are going to start a riot.  Parris even found a knife stuck into his door.  Plus, the main accuser, Abigail, has bailed, hopping on a boat out of Salem--this seems to indicate that the townspeople are angry and upset at all of the charges, and will soon turn on the accusers and the courts.

Because of this atmosphere, Parris thinks that if they can get some prominent people of the town to confess, it might influence others to confess, and less people will die as a result.  When you confess to witchcraft, you don't hang; they think that if they can kill fewer people and send them home, it might appease the feelings of the townspeople and tamp down on an insurrection.  Their thoughts turn to Proctor--he is well-respected in the town.  If he confesses, maybe other people will too, following his respected example.  Then, if they confess, they'll be set free, and the townspeople will be appeased.

So the plan is to get Proctor to confess, to try to influence others to do the same, to calm the anger of the town.  However, Proctor is remaining firm.  They think that maybe if they can get Elizabeth to convince him to confess, he'll listen to her--because so far, he isn't listening to anyone.  So, in the hope that Elizabeth will convince John to confess, Danforth lets them speak together.  And, it does work, at first; however, in the end, John holds his integrity.

Does that help clear things up a bit?  I hope so.  Good luck!

What is taxonomy all about?

As you suggest, taxonomy is (when referring to biology) the science of classifying organisms.

Taxonomy got its start with the eighteenth century scientist Carolus Linnaeus.  He proposed the system of taxonomy that is now used by biologists.

This system uses seven levels of classification.  These are, in order of most general to least general: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.  Any of these levels of classification may contain sublevels.

In biology, taxonomic classifications are made based on observed physical characteristics, by genetic analysis, or by inference from the fossil record.

In Act 3 of The Crucible, what is an example of mass hysteria, fear, and guilt?

Mass hysteria. The girl's behavior in the courtroom when they are accusing the townspeople of witchcraft represents  the psychological phenomena of mass hysteria. For example, mass hysteria can be seen when Abigail and the other girls begin repeating what Mary Warren says and pretending to feel a cold wind in the air.

Applicable quote: "Mary Warren: I-I cannot tell how, but I did. I-I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I- It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I- I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not." - Act 3

Fear. One example of the power of fear in The Crucible is where Abigail becomes almost like a saint in the community. She uses fear of accusation of witchcraft to build her reputation.

Applicable Quote: "Elizabeth: The Deputy Governor promise hangin' if they'll not confess, John. The Town's gone wild, I think. She speak of Abigail , and I thought she were a saint, to hear her. Abigail brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel." - Act 2

Guilt. The most recognizable guilt in The Crucible is from John Proctor concerning his affair with Abigail. When discussing the affair with his wife, Proctor reveals his guilt and that he is pricked constantly by his conscience.

Applicable Quote: "Elizabeth: "The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you." - Act 2

What are the positive and negative effects for Montenegro?

This is a rather broad question. To what positive and negative effects for Montenegro do you refer?

By your inclusion of the request for pictures I will assume you mean the positive and negative effects of the country in world media.

First, it is important to note that Montenegro, until very recently (2006) was not completely an independent country. As far back as the middle ages Duklja, as it was then known, gained its independence from the Byzantine Empire but was conquered by the Nemanja family dynasty and incorporated into the territory of Serbia. For most of the 15th to 18th Centuries Montenegro was autonomous (having relative freedom in its self-government) from the Ottoman Empire. Then it became a theocracy (system of government where priests rule the country).

In the 20th Century it was called the Principality of Montenegro and became a Kingdom in 1910. It was formally part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1922 and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1944 till 1989 Montenegro was a constituent republic of the communist Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with significant autonomy. After Yugoslavia broke up in 1992, Montenegro remained with Serbia in a smaller Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Now, regarding the view of the country in the media. For most Americans Montenegro was not known until the war in Kosovo began in 1999 when NATO forces bombed some targets. Montenegro, however, had participated in the 1991-1995 Bosnian War and Croatian War. For this, charges of human rights violations have been raised.

In 2006 a popular referendum made independence from Serbia possible. If you google the country by name you will find pictures and newspapers announcing this event.

It is a popular tourist destination because its has a coast and mountains. To this fact, there is positive effects for the Montenegrin economy (and people) as well as for world awareness of the country.

It does not hurt that part of the Bond movie Casino Royale took place in Montenegro.

A negative for the country would be its connection to the 1991-1995 wars explained above as well as a lack of infrastructure for tourists today.

I hope this helps.

Would you say that Goodman Brown was heroic in the story "Young Good man Brown"?I have to argue either he was or was not a hero in the short story....

I'm afraid I'll have to disagree, unless you define the hero as the main character.  Since he's just about the only character in the story, he would "win" on that account.

But his behavior is not heroic as I see it.  Instead of facing his fears, investigating the visions/stories/whatever he experiences/ to see what is "real," he assumes that what he experiences in the woods, and remember it's not clear that he experienced anything, is true.  If he were in any way heroic, he would have fought through these experiences to see what was true, and then acted upon what he found.

Instead, he takes the role of a coward, believes the "easy" things he thinks he saw in the forest, and that faliure destroys his life.

Nothing heroic here.

How is the frequent mention of hunger significant in Black Boy? Why is Richard always hungry in Black Boy by Richard Wright?

The posthumously published "American Hunger" has now been added to Black Boy which ended in 1925.  This motif of hunger is what ties the two parts of Wright's novel together; hunger is both literal and figurative.

In the opening chapter, Richard displays a curiosity for the consequences of things.  He "pushes the envelope" by lighting the curtains in his home, he challenges his father's words by taking them to their most literal meaning.  In short, Richard is hungry for the unattainable.

After Richard's father abandons the family, the mother and the boys literally starve.  Richard is thin, and always hungry as there is never enough for him to eat. and there is little love for him.  For, Richard comes into conflict with his aunt, grandmother and grandfather, and even his brother.  Only his mother encourages and loves Richard for what he truly is.

As a young man, Richard Wright hungers for opportunities to reach his intellectual and social potential.  He does not understand the hatred shown him by Jim Crow, nor does he understand why some blacks accept their menial roles without wishing to better themselves.  After he moves from the South and arrives in Chicago, Richard hopes that the Communist Party will satiate his hunger; however, he encounters negativity towards himself even in the Communists.  They do no want him to be an individual any more than Jim Crow did.  Richard Wright is still left with hunger as he wonders,

What quality of will must a Negro possess to live and die with dignity in a country that denied his humanity?....All my life I had been full of a hunger for a new way to live...I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, not mater how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger for life that gnaws in us all, to keep alive in our hearts a sense of the inexpressibly human.

Why did President Mckinley finally send the U.S.S. Maine to Havana?

In addition to the information above, William Randolph Hearst, newspaper magnate and yellow journalist extraordinaire, had widely published reports of the atrocities against the Cuban people at the hands of the Spanish.  While the reports were exaggerated, they were more or less true, and a moral outcry that began in the churches of the northeast and among socialists and progressives put some populist pressure on McKinley to send a message to Spain, or take some action that would suggest America would not stand idly by no matter what Spain did.

McKinley's primary motivation was, as stated above, to protect Americans and their business interests in Cuba, but there was a public political motivation and benefit for him as well.

What role does compassion play in "The Road," written by Cormac McCarthy?

Sadly, a very small one.  In the post-apocalyptic world in which the father and the son are trying to survive, compassion doesn't have much room, and could actually be considered a survival threat.  If one shows too much compassion, then your own chances of survival are depleted, whether through resources, or through trusting people that might turn out to be dangerous.  We see compassion mainly in the small boy--any time they run across a surivor, he has a powerful and compelling urge to help them.  While this is an admirable human trait, that would not doubt fall under the symbolic "fire" that the father wants his son to carry at all times, it is an unrealistic, dangerous, and often fruitless urge.

One of the first survivors they see is the man who had been struck by lightning; no help they could have given would have done any good.  The boy shows compassion anyway, and wants to help.  Later, they encounter a very old man, and do try to help him a bit, but don't have enough resources, and the old man is wary and suspicious of questioning and friendship.  Prompted by the boy's compassion, they do what they can, and then leave.

The other instance of compassion that is seen, other than in the boy (and in the father's attempts to teach the boy as best he can), is in the man who finds the boy in the end.  We are left assuming the man takes the boy into his own family; this is a huge act of compassion that is highly risky for this man, but he does it anyway.  Other than that, this story is sadly devoid of much compassion--a lack of it was what probably helped to destroy the world, and not much of it was left afterwards.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Is that the same things that a man and a woman want from marriage?

There is absolutely no way to know. Most people who go into a marriage have no full, comprehensive, clear or sensible idea what they themselves really want from a marriage. And the list is enormous: companionship, love, sex, money, friendship, adventure, romance, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, children, a crutch, a dependent, a slave, a master, control, someone to control, safety, danger, a challenge, comfort, pain, fun, understanding, sympathy, escape, freedom, oneness... who knows?

And like the saying goes: "Beware of what you want, for you just might get it." Ask around: see how many people marry someone for a specific trait and wind up, years later, hating that very same trait.

Here's the sad truth from divocerate.org:

According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:
The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

And lots of them went into the marriage thinking they knew just what they wanted. But did they know what they really needed? And do needs change over time?

My advice: If you marry, marry for love, whatever that is to you, and strive to bring out the best in your mate. All the while, learn to compromise and be kind and keep a healthy sense of humor.

Describe Macbeth's state of mind after the murders.Like what does he feel like and what does he think about the murders.

In act2 sc.2, we see Macbeth return from Duncan's chamber, after having done the 'deed'. He looks quite disturbed and terrified. 'Looking on his hands', Macbeth expresses his sense of discomfort: 'This is a sorry sight'. He ignores his wife's remonstrance to go on ventilating his remorse and penitence:

There's one did laugh in 's sleep, and one cried 'Murder!'

That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them:

But they did say their prayers, and address'd them

Again to sleep..................

One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other:

As they had seen me with these hangman's hands:

Listening with fear, I could not say 'Amen',

When they did say 'God bless us!'

Macbeth seems deeply shocked that he could not utter the name of God when as a fallen man, a vile killer, he had 'most need of blessing'. His tormented conscience unveils itself in the form of delirious ravings. He regards himself as a cursed murderer who has killed sleep[Duncan in sleep being the embodiment of sleep] and is punished with sleeplessness:

Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more!

Macbeth does murder sleep'............

Lady Macbeth further remonstrates her husband and asks him to get some water and 'wash the filthy witness' of his act from his hand. She goes to Duncan's chamber to keep the daggers there, and to 'gild the faces of the grooms withal' with blood. Macbeth is left alone to guilt and fear. He now envisions the conversion of the universal green into one pervading red:

What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes!

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Repeated knockings make Macbeth appalled and confused.

Later, when the first murderer reports to Macbeth at the door of the Banquet hall that Banquo has been dispatched to death though Fleance has escaped, Macbeth is once again extremely possessed with fear. He sees the ghost of Banquo as occupying his seat, shaking his 'gory locks' at him. His addresses to the ghost showing a paroxysm of fear expose his criminality before the nobles.

What are three quotations from The Kite Runner that show Baba's sacrificing his own desires for Amir's well being?

1. When Amir studies his father's grease-stained hands in America.  He thinks,

"For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his" (129).

Amir knows that Baba made the treacherous escape from Afghanistan and life-altering move to America solely for him.  If it were not for Amir, Baba would have stayed in Kabul and most likely would have physically fought against the Soviets and Taliban. On this same page, Amir mentions that they could have stayed in Pakistan, but Baba tells him that that was only good for him not for Amir.

2. In America, Baba drives an "old, ochre yellow Century"--hardly the flashy Steve McQueen Mustang that he had in Kabul.  But when Amir graduates from high school, Baba sacrifices to buy Amir a nicer car--a Grand Torino that needs a little paint but that is still better than Baba's (page 133).

3. When Amir announces to Baba what he will major in in college, Baba is disappointed.  He wanted Amir to study law or medicine--something "prestigious" or useful.  At this point, he could have refused to help pay for Amir's education or could have taken away his car, but Baba allow Amir to follow his dream and even praises him for it.  When he and Amir are at the flea market, Baba proudly says,

"Amir is going to be a great writer. . . . He had finished his first year of college and earned A's in all of his courses" (139).

Out of the number of sacrifices that Baba makes for Amir, moving to America is certainly the most significant and emotional costly for him.

Explain the name of the play, and why it is aptly named.

Miller takes the title of this play from the name of a vessel typically subjected to fire to burn out the impurities in a substance contained inside. Metaphorically, then, the characters in the play are subjected to "fire" that burns away their impurities. Notice the many references to fire. Judge Danforth, for instance, says, "We burn a hot fire here" in reference to the intensity of the court as it attempts to reach the truth. Fire is used as a metaphor for the judicial process that will burn away the lies to get to the truth of the accusations about witchcraft. The crucible represents this "trial by fire" experience that those who unfortunately are accused of witchcraft must endure. This symbolic crucible, however, produces only pain, not truth because the court is blinded by religious fervor.

Describe fully the society in Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron."

Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron" is a rather pessimistic take on society many years in the future.  In this story, he asserts that our society becomes so sensitive about not hurting anyone's feelings ever that they go to extreme measures to force everyone to be as equal as they possibly can be.  In this society, government enforces equality by requiring people to wear handicaps that mask any qualities they have that might make them exceptional.  After all, if there is a girl that is more beautiful than you are, that makes you feel bad about yourself, right?  Well then, that beautiful girl should wear a mask to hide her beauty--then, you won't have your feelings hurt.  That is what this society tries to do--mask any talents or beauty so that those without that talent or beauty don't feel bad.  So, if you are unusually strong or athletic, you have to carry around weighty bags of birdshot to keep you from running fast or gracefully.  If you are above-average in intelligence, you have to wear earpieces that emit loud, piercing sounds at random moments to keep you from thinking straight.  If you have a beautiful voice, you must make it sound ugly.  And so on, and so forth.  And, the government in this society enforces these handicaps with force.  Harrison, who escapes the confines of his many handicaps, is shot to death with a shotgun for breaking the rules, after he was imprisoned for his rebellions.  If you don't "equalize" yourself through the required handicaps, it's to prison with you, and to further punishment.

It is a rather extreme take on society, but does reflect on truths that do exist in small ways in our society today.  Often, being nice is more important than being successful or reaching one's potential, and sometimes there are laws and regulations put into force to "level the playing field" and try to make everyone more equal on one level or another.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Describe Paul Baumer's characterization of the other characters and what it tells us about Paul.

Much like Tim O'Brien's character in The Things They Carried, Paul Baumer is a sensitive, compassionate narrator whose comrades' deaths heighten his awareness that war is absurd.

Initially, Paul enlists with his comrades out of nationalistic fervor.  Obviously naive, he joins the collective, not yet in touch with sense of individual morality.  Later, after he experiences the horrors of trench warfare and his friend die, one-by-one, he grows to savor human relationships more passionately.

The turning point of Paul's characterization is when he kills another soldier.  Like O'Brien's "The Man I Killed," Paul empathizes not only with his German brothers-in-arms, but with the French man he kills, such is his sense of humanity.  Paul dies on the day the armistice is signed, signifying the absurdity of all the deaths foretold.

Was the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War a success or failure? Why?

The previous posts did a nice job of addressing this question.  For my bet, I would suggest that the answer lies in the distinction between theory and reality.  The theoretical advancements made in the Reconstruction time period were highly significant.  The Civil War Amendments (13, 14, and 15) added to the Constitution were groundbreaking for African- Americans and all individuals who were not originally conceived in the founding of the nation.  To be able to boast such an advancement is powerfully compelling.  At the same time, the reality of racial division in the South, the lack of institutional and social support given to people of color, and the idea that racism is not merely embedded in the institutional setting, but the social one are realities that cast a very critical eye on the time period.  America, itself, can be seen as a nation that strives to be poised between these two levels of the good, that which is theoretical and that which is bound to reality.  The Reconstruction Period typifies this dichotomy.

In 1984 compare and contrast the attitudes of Winston Smith and Julia towards the party.

Winston is just barely coming to a realization of his hatred for the Party, and is filled with terror and unease in regards to being discovered.  He hates the party, has vague suspicions about its honesty and intentions, but isn't quite sure how to define them or go about acting on his hatred.  He wants to find others who feel the same, but has no idea how to do so.  He wants to discover just exactly how the Party is no good, but can't figure out how he would get that information.  So, Winston's feelings against the Party are newer, more unformed and unspecific, confused, and without outlet.  He fumbles about, with the diary, and the junk shop, trying, in his own way, to register his rebellion, but it's nothing huge or active.  He is also more reticent to participate in mandatory Party activities; he's always on the fringe, hesitant and questioning.

Julia on the other hand, also hates the Party, but is well-practiced at rebelling, and well-versed in why she hates it.  She understands its dishonesty more clearly, has formed and strong opinions about its intents, and a more stratgized plan for surviving and yet rebelling at the same time.  She has had nearly a decade of acts of rebellion; it's an art form to her.  She also doesn't have the same conflict inside in performing Party activities; to her, it's just something that has to be done to survive, and the better you do it, the better your odds are.  She yells and serves and exercises with vigor and enthusiasm, all as a ruse to cover her real intentions.  Winston isn't so enthusiastic; it's harder for him to filter out his hatred.  Julia has processed all of the Party's lies and come up with reasons to reject them all, whereas Winston hasn't developed the ability to do that yet.

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

What is the conflict in Clean, Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway?I am doing and outline for my english project and I can't find the conflict...

The older waiter says to the younger, "we are of two different kinds," this establishes the most obvious conflict. The younger waiter is more selfish, 'in a hurry,' and the older waiter is more selfless: inclined to stay at the cafe in case someone (like the old man) needs it.

The old man needs the light in the cafe and the old waiter needs the daylight before he can sleep. 2) The younger waiter doesn't need to stay, he seemingly has everything: a waiting wife, a job, and he even says that an hour means more to him than it does to the old man. This seems logical given that the old man recently tried to kill himself, but it is not. The younger waiter has no way of knowing how much that hour at the cafe means to the old man. But the older waiter does know how much it means.

At one point, the younger waiter tells the old man, he should have killed himself. He says this knowing the old man is deaf, so it is an empty statement, a meaningless effort. But the young waiter really believes that an hour to him is worth more than the old man's life. The most simplisticconflict is between selfishness and selflessness. But the deeper conflict is between light and dark. One interpretation of this conflict: The younger waiter is in such a hurry that he never stops to think; he'd be more inclined to ponder things more deeply. Full of confidence, he's convinced that he has everything. The older waiter makes a joke that were he to go home early, he may find his wife gone, or with another man (these are just intimations; its open to interpretation). Being in such a hurry, the younger waiter may be too scared to stop and think about what he may not have, or what he may lose (eventually he will be in the position of the old man - if he outlives his wife and retires).

The conflict goes deeper here. The old man is in despair, he is facing the 'nada' of his existence, so he is in the dark. He needs the clean, well-lighted place because it gives him a sense of order, quiet, peace. The older waiter recognizes this (and the old man may in fact know the older waiter sympathizes); therefore, there is a solidarity. Solidarity is something the younger waiter also lacks. Since he lacks solidarity, he is alone (sole) and more in the darkness than he thinks: he can't contemplate this because he's always in a hurry.

In the end, younger goes home to his wife, older goes home to insomnia until first light. The old man wanders off. Clean/unpolished, Light/Dark, Solidarity/Selfishness. The old man and older waiter get as much (or more) meaning out of the peace and solidarity of that extra hour than the younger waiter gets with his hurrying. They get this because they have a sense of existence that is greater than themselves. The younger waiter is concerned only with himself, and will miss out on some things as he 'hurries' into old age.

What are the content of the information and the source of the information required for effective decision making?

Content of information required for decision making will depend very much on the decision to be taken, and the source of the information will depend on the content. If you want to take decision on the place to travel during your next information, you will look for information on places for holidaying, and perhaps you will consult travel agents and tourism guide books for information. You may also speak to your friends who have visited some of the places that interest you. However, if you need to decide the subjects you need to choose for your further studies, the type of information and their sources will be quite different.

However, for the purpose of understanding the nature of information used in business for the nature of information and their source can be classified according to different criteria. For example, some authors describe the nature of information for different levels of management like operational management and strategic management. Similarly information may be classified according to management function such as planning, monitoring and controlling. Yet another way of classifying information is by business functions like marketing, manufacturing, design, finance, and HRM. Finally information may be classifies according to the subject matter like, design competition, demographic, weather, economic environment, and so on.

Similarly sources of information may be classified in different ways. Perhaps the most broad system of such classification is to classify the sources as internal sources. The internal source refers to the information that is generated within an organization, while external information need to be collected from other organization and environment. Then information sources are frequently classified as primary and secondary sources. This classification is most commonly used in business research. Primary sources refers to the information collected by direct observation, or field research, while secondary information refers to information collected in the past and available through mediums like publications and past records. Another way of classifying sources of information, is according to the direction of flow of information within the organizational hierarchy of the company. Thus information flow can be fro up to down, down to up, or sideways.

While it appears evil triumphs in the end, give examples including quotes where goodness does exist in the novel (3 ex for Ralph and 3 for Piggy).

He came to himself with a jolt. Piggy and the other two were by him. They were laden with fruit.
“I thought perhaps,” said Piggy, “we ought to have a feast, kind of.”
The three boys sat down. They had a great mass of the fruit with them and all of it properly ripe. They grinned at Ralph as he took some and began to eat.
“Thanks,” he said. Then with an accent of pleased surprise—“Thanks!”

What are some significant events in Scout's life that contribute to her development as a character?

Scout is already wise beyond her years, but she continues to grow through a series of events that are detailed in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Although she doesn't remember her mother, Scout learns to thrive without a maternal influence that most children receive. The discovery of Dill in the collard patch marks the beginning of a long friendship--and an early engagement. Dill's persistent attempts to catch a glimpse of Boo Radley draws Scout into the mix, and she eventually learns to regret the annoyance she must causes her reclusive neighbor.

I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse... at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur Radley.

Scout learns that teachers are not perfect, especially Miss Caroline.

Had her conduct been more friendly toward me, I would have felt sorry for her. She was a pretty little thing.

Atticus' defense of Tom Robinson teaches Scout to use her fists as well as to show restraint.

My fists were clenched, and I was ready to let fly... I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be. I soon forgot.

Scout finally realizes that her humble father had hidden talents after all.

    Miss Maudie grinned wickedly. "Well, now Miss Jean Louise," she said, "still think your father can't do anything? Still ashamed of him?
    "Nome," I said meekly.
    "Forgot to tell you the other day that... Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time."
    "Dead shot..." echoed Jem.
    "...Looks like he'd be proud of it," I said.
    "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents," said Miss Maudie.

She discovers that Atticus is respected by people of all types, including Dolphus Raymond and Maycomb's black townspeople.

    I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. Reverend Sykes' voice was as distant as Judge Taylor's.
    "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. You father's passin'."

Tom's conviction also teaches her that life isn't always fair. At the missionary circle, she finds that "ladies" don't always practice what they preach. She discovers that hateful men like Bob Ewell will do just about anything to even a score. And she finally sees Boo Radley--not as a shadowy fantasy, but as a real, live hero.

"... when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things... Atticus, he was real nice...
    "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them."

What happens in Act 1 of "The Crucible" to foreshadow the events that unfold by the end of the play?

There are several things that happen in Act One that, if you pay close attention, foreshadow some future events.  You have to pay close attention to what the characters say about each other, and the grievances and underlying bitterness that resides in everyone's tone and words.  First of all, pay attention to the bitterness and hatred that Abby expresses towards Elizabeth.  She calls Elizabeth and "gossiping liar," "cold," "hateful," and "lying, cold, sniveling."  Such intense hatred does not just go away.  We also learn that Abby is deeply in love with Proctor, and wants to continue their relationship. This, combined with her hatred for Liz, foreshadows Abby's future acts against Elizabeth Proctor.  It doesn't come as a surprise that she goes for her.

Next, pay attention to Mrs. Putnam.  She expresses intense grief and bitterness over the fact that she has lost all of her babies.  And, she seems to resent the fact that Rebecca Nurse has had lots of kids, and not lost one.  She exclaims bitterly to Rebecca,

"You think it God's workyou should never lose a child, nor grandchild either, and I bury all but one?"

She seems resentful towards Rebecca and her success as a mother, and resentful over Rebecca's mild self-righteous attitude.  This resentment comes into play later on, and is foreshadowed here in this act.

One other instance of foreshadowing is when Giles Corey speaks to Reverend Hale about the fact that his wife is reading strange books that, as he thinks, makes him unable to pray.  Hale takes note of this, as does everyone else in the room, and that tidbit of information about Martha Corey comes into play later on also; it foreshadows her future arrest.

The most blatant foreshadowing occurs when all of the girls start naming other women as witches, all to get out of trouble.  This foreshadows all of the insane accusations against hundreds of the townspeople that come in the later acts.

Act One is a great act in which Arthur Miller sets up the characters and lays the foundations for all of the future action, through their arguments, weaknesses and commentary.  If you pay close attention, you can be alerted to those instances of foreshadowing. I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Explain how the witches' prophecies were fulfilled? Act 5

The witches make a couple of prophecies. The first is that None shall defeat Macbeth until Dunsenane woods moves. The second is that none born of woman shall kill MacBeth. The final is that Banquo's children shall rule after MacBeth.

1st- When MacDuff leads the armies against MacBeth, they hide in Dunsenane wood and cut trees to disguise their numbers. they then carry these trees in front of them as they march- giving the impression that the woods are moving.

2nd- When MacDuff battles MacBeth we find out that MacDuff was not actually born in the manner typical. MacDuff was "torn" from his mother's womb- in the form of a crude C-section. So he was not actually "born" of woman.

3rd- we don't actually see this one come to pass, but Elizabethan audiences would have known that King James, the current king of England at the time MacBeth was produced, was the descendant of the actual Banquo- therefor proving the final prophesy true.

Comment on the institution of marriage as seen in 'Tom Jones' by Henry Fielding.

Marriage in Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, is a rather convoluted affair (no pun intended, although there were more affairs in marriage than there was fidelity in marriage). Marriages were undertaken (no funereal pun intended there, either) in Tom Jones for a variety of reasons. Marriages were undertaken for necessity, as in Bridgett's baby being born eight months after her marriage to Blifel, and, yes, the customary time of pregnancy is nine months, which is particularly interesting because Bridgett met Blifil one month before the marriage.

Marriages were also undertaken for money, as was the case when Mrs. Arabella Hunt proposed to Tom and he was tempted, though he finally declined. Marriages were sometimes undertaken for love and necessity together as when Nightingale and Nancy were married. This brings up the point that marriages very often went against parents' wishes and that parents' wishes were not always honorable ones as in the insistence of Western insisting that Sophia marry young Blifel even though she plainly detested him and he only consented to aggrieve Tom.

Marriages were sometimes not undertaken because they were deemed to be odious. A woman of beauty and independent means, with her pick of paramours, might very well loath the thought of marriage and attempt to do away with suitors as was the case with Lady Bellaston who refused Tom's mock proposal (no sincerity in that one at all) and attempted to have him shanghaied into the navy (which means conscription would have been decidedly against his will and without his choice). Additionally, marriage was unfavorably viewed by virtuous young women who knew that a suitor had too much "experience" with liaisons, as was the case in Sophia's eventual reaction to Toms' "experience" (of which he had waaay too much).

Finally, in the end, in Tom Jones, there were marriages that seemed to be respectful and loving but really had secret undercurrents as in the case of the Fitzpatricks, as he was found to have a mistress in the person of Mrs. Waters aka Jenny Jones. And then there was Tom's eventual marriage to Sophia ("sophia" is the Greek word for "wisdom;" mull that one over), which was founded on every human flaw and foible that Tom could manage to muster up, although all overlayed a good heart that sought what was humanly just and decently honoring of human dignity--unless the human was the periodic woman well versed in seduction. It appears from Henry Fielding's narrator's comments that Tom and Sophia's marriage was the real thing between two people tested in the forge and found to be (believe it in Tom's case or not) virtuous.

The beliefs and policies of the Whig Party containes the seeds of its political future. (huh??) I have to write an essay outline using this...

The Whig Party was started in 1846 and was comprised of people who were reacting against the policies of President Andrew Jackson, who tried to use his power to make the presidency more authoritarian. Several issues during Jackson's time upset the whigs, for example, native Americans and how they were treated esp/ their land; the supreme court and the use of the presidential veto during war. In addition the est. of the Bank of the U.S.

The Whigs in the U.S. were mostly effective on a local level, in getting roads built and canals repaired. They were not effective on the federal level because of their beliefs that power should be disemminated. They got their name from the British opposition group of the same name who went against the king of England, opposing tyranny.

The downfall of the Whigs were because they couldn't seem to come together on issues. The real deal breaker was slavery. The issue of slavery was accepted by half of the Whigs--the ones in the north, who wanted it abolished while  the southern Whigs with cotton plantations were for keeping it(slavery) in place. In 1852, when the Whig presidential runner, Winfield Scott, failed on gaining support, many southerner voters changed to the Democratic Party while the northern whigs started the Republican party.

What is the meaning of 'foreshadowing?'

In plain English, foreshadowing is when a writer presents a hint or preview of something that will later be revealed in the story.  It may be something negative or positive.  It is a literary device that takes the reader into the story and makes the story more intriguing.  It is used in TV shows, plays, Movies, and books.

Examples of foreshadowing include:

In the movie "Signs" by Night Shalaman, he uses foreshadowing such as the preachers wife stating on her last breath "Swing Wide."   The viewer later learns that this was stated because to save the woman's child in the end of the story, the ex-baseball player will find redemption from his flaws as a baseball player by killing the alien. 

Foreshadowing is a type of prophesy that will be exposed at a later time.  Using the literary device of foreshadowing adds depth to the story, thereby, making it more effective.

In "Fahrenheit 451" why did Faber decide to go to St. Louis?

At the end of the novel, Montag is on the run from the mechanical hound, and he goes to Faber's house.  It is only a matter of time before the hound, and the authorities, find them both there.  They realize this, and so devise an escape plan.  Montag will try to throw them off the scent by dressing in Faber's clothes, and Faber himself will take off, leaving town.  Faber himself will probably be captured by the authorities for being an associate of Montag's, so he needs to get out of there two.

Faber picks St. Louis because he needs to leave town and must have a destination.  Secondly, he tells Montag that he wants to "see a retired printer there."  Faber wants to continue their insidious plan of planting books in firemen's houses, and he needs a printing press in order to start making those books.  He also wants to start printing books just to have books around again, and to start distributing them to be read.  He says of this move that he's "getting out in the open myself, at last."  He has felt for years that he's been a coward by not fighting back, by doing what the government told him to do.  Montag has inspired him, and so he decides to continue his rebellion in St. Louis where he has access to a printing press.

I hope that helped; good luck!

Could you please give me the summary of "The Cop and the Anthem" by O. Henry?

O.Henry's short stories are quick and easy to read, so to compose a summary is almost redundant.

In a nutshell, Soapy is a homeless man in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century who needs to find a place to live for the winter. He is too proud for charity, and instead tries to get caught breaking the law so that he can spend the winter warm and fed in the local jail.

His attempts fail, and Soapy begins to think that perhaps it is time for him to straighten up his life. At that moment, he is arrested for loitering. The link below offers more detail.

O.Henry is famous for his effective use of situational irony to make a statement in a very short amount of time. Here the irony is that when Soapy wants to go to jail, he can't get arrested. When he decides that he doesn't want jail after all, he gets arrested for standing around, doing nothing.

Interviewing may result in selection of unsuitable candidates or or rejection of suitable ones. What factors are responsible?

While the written application (particularly the application letter, if there is one) highlights the candidate's writing skills, the interview highlights the candidate's interpersonal skills in a face-to-face (and, let's be honest, stressful) situation. Those are two very different sets of skills, of course, and I have seen how a candidate who looks very good in one situation (such as "on paper," in the initial written application) can fail miserably in another situation (such as in a face-to-face interview).

In a recent search on my university campus, one candidate did very well at the interview because he remained calm and presented himself as interested, accessible, and familiar. He talked about how his family was from the general area, for example, and even spoke with more than a hint of the regional dialect. The other candidate may very well have been a better "fit" with our university (he teaches the very sorts of courses that we need, while the other candidate does not), but he failed to make this personal connection with most of the members on the search committee and was clearly very nervous during his presentatoin.

The entire search process, too, is usually pretty short, and the selection committee is asked to make important decisions with limited time and limited information. I'm not surprised that the wrong candidate is hired sometimes and the right one is turned away. I suspect this sort of thing happens more frequently than most of us might like to think!

Discuss the internal conflict/dilemma that Hamlet struggles with in this speech.How all occasions do inform against me. And spur my dull revenge!...

The speech you cite occurs in Act IV, Scene 4 of Hamlet.

Just before Hamlet speaks these words, he has been talking a captain from Fortinbras' army.  He learns from him that Fortinbras and the army mean to fight over a worthless piece of land in Poland.

Upon hearing that, he starts to scold himself in the speech you're talking about.  His internal conflict is whether he wants to avenge himself for his father's death and his mother's dishonor or not.  He is unhappy with himself because, as he notes, the army is willing to spill blood over something worthless while he hasn't done anything to avenge his father's death and his mother's dishonor (something very important).

So, his internal conflict is that he really feels that he ought to do something to take revenge, but it's pretty much against his more reflective, philosophical nature to do so.

How does American art, literature, and music change during the 1920's?And how did this mass of entertainment available during that period (radio,...

Because radio grew in leaps and bounds and the cinema was very developed in the 1920s, as well as in literature, there was a general leveling of the field to all, rich, poor, educated or not in the availability of these popular artifacts of culture. No longer was high art only for the wealthy and connected and many new heroes and "stars" were identified from a vast population that were in the concert halls, movie houses and listening to their wireless sets. For the first times in any great amount celebrities also endorsed products from makeup and clothing to food and automobiles as part of their conquest of the American psyche and mood of the times. 1925 saw the famous Paris Arts Decoratifs Exhibition and the new streamlined modern designs quickly filtered into the everyday  and decorative aspects of life.The design was often metal, simpler, less rooted in the revival of old style and also was often cheaper to produce. Industrial style itself became a hallmark of the American aesthetic of the times. People saw their cars, washing machines, small appliances, telephones and so forth ,which were ten years earlier a rarity, become ubiquitous and the design was functional and admired for the underlying usable simplicity. This was a decade of a very forward push to become new and use the fresh geometries and machine-age style was developed first more in Europe with the Bauhaus, De Stijl and other art groups. These design approaches were quite quickly absorbed as well as the American factory and creative workshops of a multitude of goods that steadily became more affordable to the masses, thus losing the heavy aspects of earlier style that was Victorian and Edwardian. There was an overall relaxation of fashion as well especially in women's clothing that shows the optimism and new woman of the 1920s that have gained the vote and thus a new position in everyday life as well as civic life.

What does the style tell us about the purpose of "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?In the phraseology of its beginning, its simple style, its direct...

The simplistic style of writing, direct characterization and infused moral undertones all make this story a fable of sorts, a tale meant to teach a lesson.  It is told simply so that all people can understand it, almost like a children's story.  A lot of children's stories out there, fairy tales and the like, have a simplistic tone and style about them, because they are meant to teach a lesson about morals or values.  Fables are the same way--exaggerated characters, a simple concept, and at the end, a very important lesson to take away from the story.  Lawrence often had a theme to his stories, and in this one it is of greed and how greed is an unmerciful master that takes all in order to exist.  It requires sacrifices not worth making, and is never satiated.

The story itself is centered around a child, around potentially  magical powers that he has, around flawed and greedy adults, and around a central theme or message, all make the purpose of this story similar to a fable or fairy-tale:  to teach a lesson or moral.  This particular "fairy tale," however, is quite serious and dramatic, and its ending does not consist of characters living happily ever after.  Lawrence paints the picture of a real-life fable, where the real repercussions of flaws are seen, leaving the entire story with a tragic ending to teach the lesson, instead of a cute one-liner like a fable has.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

What is the plot of The Devil's Arithmetic?

The Book "The Devil's Arithmetic" written by Jane Yolen in 1988.  The book is about Hannah, a young Jewish girl  living in modern day America.  She is preparing for a family Seder (dinner) with her family.  Her aunt Eva is coming to dinner.  She was named after her aunts good friend who died int he concentration camp where her aunt and the girl had been imprisoned during the Holocaust.

On the evening of the dinner, Hannah is magically transported back into Poland when she opens the door as part of the ceremony to allow in the prophet Elijah.  The year is 1942 and everyone believes her to be Chaya who is recovering from an illness.   She finds herself in the village of her ancestors.  The village is raided and the Jews are collected and forced to live in a concentration camp. She must learn to survive and relinquish her teenage selfish ways.  She exhibits concern for others.  She becomes best friends with a girl named Eva.

Hannah in an act of self-sacrifice exchanges places with Eva who is sick.  She is taken to the gas chambers to be put to death.  She has saved Eva, who in the future will be her special Aunt Eva.  When the doors close to the gas chambers and she prepares to die she is suddenly at the door in modern times.  She has a new respect for the history of the Holocaust and what her Aunt Eva and others what the Jews had endured.  She also realizes why it is important never to forget the atrocities of what happened to the Jewish people.   She is no longer the self-centered girl she had been before the Holocaust.

To which bird is Cosette compared in "Cosette"?

Cosette is referred to as a "lark" in "Fantine."  It is a nickname she is given by people in the town because she is so small and up before the sun.  Sadly, "the lark never sang."

In "Cosette," when Jean Valjean rescues Cosette and the two are on the run together, they referred to by the author (or narrator) as "the owl and the wren."  A sectional title in the unabridged version of the novel is "A nest for the owl and the wren."  The owl, of course, is Valjean.  The reference pertains both to his age and his wisdom or resourcefulness.  "Wren" then is used to show that Cosette is still small and birdlike, but she is no longer under the same identity she had while working at the Thenardier's inn.  Perhaps this bird will both sing and eventually fly.