What are Lady Capulet's feelings on the arranged marriage for Paris and Juliet? act 3 scene 5

Lady capulet's feeings about the arranged marriage for Juliet to Paris is definitely like her husband's.  Not only does she think that it is a good idea but she sounds excited about it. In Line 105, she calls it 'joyful tidings'. In Lines 108-111, she sounds proud of her husband for arranging the marriage and call it  again 'a day of joy':

Well. thou has a careful father, child;

One who to put thee from thy heaviness

Hath sorted out a sudden day of joy

That thou expect not nor I looked for.

She proceeds, in lines114-116, to sing the praises of Paris totally oblivious to Juliet's misery:

The gallant, young, and noble gentleman,

The County Paris, at Saint Peter's Church,

Shall happily make thee a joyful bride.

Explain with reference to context Iago's remark that "virtue is a fig" from Othello.

In Act I Sc.3 Brabantio, Desdemona's father very reluctantly hands over his daughter in marriage to Othello in the presence of the Duke, Iago and Roderigo. Soon Brabantio and the others leave with Brabantio remarking ironically,

Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:

She has deceived her father, and may thee.

After everyone has left except Iago and Roderigo, Roderigo opens his heart to Iago. He says that he loved Desdemona very intensely and continues to do so even though she is now the wife of Othello. He says he is not able to erase the memory of his love for Desdemona. Iago tries his best to talk him out of his persistent love for Desdemoa with plenty of cynical advice but to no avail. Roderigo tells him that it is his inherent nature -"virtue' - to continue loving Desedemona and that he can never forget her even though she is now Othello's wife. Roderigo insists that it is his innate nature to be constant to his lover Desdemona.

At once, Iago retorts very sarcastically,

Virtue! a fig! 'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.

Iago says that there is nothing- "a fig,"- no human quality which is innate. Man is born without any inherent qualities and that Roderigo's so called "constancy" is not genetic and that it can be easily manipulated by his conscious will power and completely got rid of. The implication is that there is no such thing, meaning "a fig," as constancy in love and that if Roderigo determines and wills in his mind to forget Desdemona, he can easily do it because human will is the most powerful instrument which controls our bodies and our minds:

Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our
wills are gardeners:

Tom Walker's wife packs up her valuables to take into the forest. Why might a silver teapot like this one be considered valuable?"Tom now grew...

In the 18th century, house wares, such as teapots and cooling ware, were made of baser metals, specifically copper, brass, cast iron. Only the very wealthy could afford the cost and upkeep of silver ware. This is because silver was, and is, a precious metal, though much more accessible in the 20th and 21st centuries than in the 18th. In addition, silver requires attentive and time consuming upkeep because silver tarnishes (builds up a blackened layer on its surface) and is unusable in a tarnished condition. To forestall or repair the tarnishment, silver must be polished carefully and gently (overpolishing decreases its luster and ultimate value) at regular intervals in an elaborate and painstaking process. In the 18th century, butlers were very good at this....

In "New Moon" does Bella really hear Edward or just imagine it?Answer the question, but please, don't spoil the book.

In "New Moon" Edward tells Bella that he doesn't want her to come with him when the Cullens move.  He also asks her: "Please, don't be reckless. For Charlie's sake."  After suffering for months Bella begins to pull herself back together by working with Jacob on motorcycles. She has discovered that anytime she tries something "reckless" she can hear Edward's voice.

Of course Bella is imagining this. Edward is many many miles away and he is not talking to her in reality, but she can hear him so she continues to try reckless activities to feel closer to Edward.  She does everything from riding motorcycles to cliff diving.  These are the only times she can feel close to him. 

"One night, she discovers during an encounter with some dangerous strangers that she hears Edward’s voice in her head. Despite her fears, she begins seeking danger in order to hear him again."

What are three similies that describe Oberon in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

One simile that Oberon uses to describe himself is in Act III, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when the king of the fairies--or "king of shadows" as Puck calls him in line 363 [metaphor]--tells Puck,

But we are spirits of another sort;/I with the morning's love have oft made sport;/And, like a forester, the groves may tread (III,ii,406)

And, while there are a couple of metaphors used to describe Oberon--"king of shadows" and  "captain of our fairy band"--any other similes are elusive, regrettably.

What is important about Holden's exam paper?

The exam is about ancient Egyptians, and they are a symbol of people stuck in the past, just like Holden.

Throughout the novel, Holden is obsessed with things stuck: the ducks in Central Park, the fish in Central Park, the waxworks in the museum, Jane's kings in the back row, his dead brother Allie.  First, though, are the Egyptians.  All of these are to reinforce that Holden is a conservative who doesn't want to grow up and enter the phony adult world.  They also suggest that Holden never got over his brother's death.  Since then, he has been living in denial and suffering from survivor's guilt.  For Holden, Allie will be forever dead, always the same age, and he wants to be stuck with him--just like the Egyptians are forever stuck in history.

The only way dead people are brought back to life is by writing, as Holden does in the composition for Spencer, and as he is doing in the Catcher in the Rye itself.

Louka is designed as a foil to Raina. Examine the statement with reference to the two women's attitude to love in G.B. Shaw's Arms and the Man.

In works of fiction or drama the term foil refers to a character who contrasts with another character, more often than not, the protagonist. The purpose of such contrast is to highlight various features of that other character to bring him/her in a sharper focus. 

Louka, the clever, ambitious and very matter-of-fact house-maid of the Petkoffs has been designed as a foil to the young Petkoff girl, Raina. Born and brought up in a fashionable , elite and protective environment, Raina holds a very romantic and sentimental attitude to life. Away from the hard actualities, Raina lives in a world of illusions, a world of romance and adventurism, a world that seems to have been realized so spectacularly by her betrothed lover, Sergius, as he wins the battle of Slivnitza by a cavalry charge against the Serbian artillery. But the fugitive Swiss soldier, an experienced war-professional, disillusions Raina about love and war. Sergius, on his return from the battle, secretly flirts with Louka, behind Raina's back. As the professional soldier returns, Raina finds her "chocolate cream soldier" a lover worthier and more acceptable than the hypocritical Sergius, already trapped by the house-maid, Louka. 

Louka, an ambitious and clever maid, looks forward to climb the social ladder. She is supposedly engaged to another servant, Nicola; but she does not want to marry him for Nicola appears as extremely submissive and servile to his master and mistress. Louka rather entices Sergius and compels him to marry her rather than Raina. Louka knows all about the secret presence of the Swiss soldier in Raina's bed-chamber, and also knows that Raina would prefer to marry the professional soldier who is the son of a rich hotelier. Louka is an approximation of the Shavian "new woman" and a foil to the young heroine in Arms and the Man.

What is the moral lesson of the poem To a Waterfowl by William Cullen Bryant?

I agree with the first answerer that hers is a moral lesson that you can draw from this poem.  I draw a slightly different one.

To me, the lesson here is that you should trust in yourself and do what you think is right.  It is a statement of individualism.  The waterfowl in the poem does not need to be in a flock like one of the geese that fly over my house every late fall and spring.  In the poem, the bird is by itself but it will still get to where it needs to be.

I totally agree that the poem is saying that you should trust in God.  But I think it is saying that you should trust in your own moral sense and your own ideas.  They are given to you by God and they (not the flock of other people) will bring you to the right place in the end.

In finding the density or relative density of a liquid, why is a method using a density bottle more accurate than one involvingthe use of a...

Accuracy of determining density or relative density is determined by the combined accuracy of measuring the volume and weight of a given quantity of the substance. While measuring relative density of liquids, two common method of measuring the volume are a measuring cylinder and a density bottle.Among these two method the density bottle gives more accurate measurement of the volume, resulting in more accurate determination of density or relative density.

Volume is measured using a measuring cylinder by pouring a given quantity of the liquid in the cylinder and reading out the quantity against the graduations provided in the cylinder for the purpose. In this method errors can occur due to the limitation of the human eye to differentiate between minor variations in the level of the liquid in the cylinder. Also generally the graduations in the measuring cylinder are not marked too accurately. In contrast the density bottles are manufactured to contain a known exact volume of liquid with much higher accuracy of measurement. Also the bottle with the stopper are so designed that human limitation do not affect the quantity of liquid filled in it.

Describe the id, ego, and superego in Macbeth.

In Freudian theory, the id is that which manifests the unconscious primal urges, like power, sex, dominance, immediate gratification. Lady Macbeth's speech before she coerces Macbeth--through a scolding about promises being broken--into the murder of Duncan strongly exhibits characteristics of the Freudian id construct. Lady Macbeth shows unrestrained primal urge for power and self-satisfaction regardless of the existence of any higher laws or principles.

The superego is the monitor and evaluator of an individual's actions, thought and other behaviors, the "parenting" force of the psyche. Later in the play, when Lady Macbeth quails at the deed, her superego gets the better of her and, at Duncan's resemblance to her father, instills her with a sense of guilt. Macbeth, himself, is frequently in conversation with his superego while he tries to sort out what to do and why to do it or not do it.

The ego is the integrated psyche of the personality, that which rationally and emotively interacts with and reacts on the conscious level to the reality it is immersed in. One can argue that Macbeth's reaction to the witches first visitation was a function of his ego trying to find a regulatory balance between the apparent reality presented by the witches and the true reality he had experienced and that he anticipated going forth for him after the battles and Duncan's decisions. One could say that after all is done and Banquo's ghost has haunted him precipitating his loss of sanity, that Macbeth's id has full sway: he revisits the witches for the instant gratification of comfort (never mind it was an irrational act seeking aid from the trouble makers...); he endlessly recites that he is impermeable because of their prophecies; he irrationally orders senseless murders; he ranks and raves while awaiting his terrible end.

Why do most people resist change? What are the possible benefits of resistance to change?human behavior

Yours is indeed a very curious and provocative question. Yes, majority of people resist change, for there is in us some inherent fondness towards 'status quo' which is due to suffer, may be for the worse, if a change is invited to occur. Furthermore, change requires motivation, enterprise, mobility--that is to say, a good deal of application of mind as well as a lot of action which may involve some risks and uncertainties. To disturb the 'status quo' is to invite a state of fluidity which may end up with results unwarranted, even counter-productive. We all generally love stability, and do not encourage any process of change unless such changes are assuredly beneficial for us. Changes involve costs--individual as well as social/collective, and who likes to incur costs if there is no assurance of profitable returns?

The possible benefits of resisting change are:

1. satisfaction to live with the known devils, rather than to invite unknown friends;

2. shun the costs of ushering in changes;

3. it's better to live with some illusions rather than face the realities of life, for humankind can hardly bear with such realities;

4. a bird in hand is always worth two in the bush;

5. to invite change would mean to oppose the stabilised conventions, and so to fend off change is to enjoy the majority status of being predictable & conventional.

What is the signifigance of the scene between Herrick and the accused witches?

There are a few possible explanations for the scene that takes place between Herrick, Goody Good, and Tituba at the beginning of Act IV.  The first possible explanation is that the two women are obviously not witches and must put on an act for the jailer, Herrick.  Another possibilty is that the women are slowly going insane from being in such horrible conditions for such a long period of time.  At this point, Tituba and Goody have been in jail the longest, probably a few months, and might even believe that they might be witches at this point.  Finally, Miller could have included this scene for comic relief.  This is almost a comical scene; however, it follows an act that was full of drama and emotion and precedes a scene that will contain even more drama and emotion.

What is the setting of the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux?

The Phantom, whose real name is Erik, resides beneath and haunts the Paris Opera House, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Europe in the late 19th century. The book was originally published in 1910 as a thriller, and has withstood the test of time because of Leroux's ability to weave a character so that the reader is both repulsed by and sympathetic toward the antagonist.

The idea of a love triangle is one of the oldest literary devices, but Leoux paints his characters so beautifully that their story continues to be retold into the 21st century.

Christine Da'ae, the ingenue, is a young dreamer whose imagination is matched only by her father's memory and her love for the opera.

Raoul de Chegny finds himself at the Opera, entranced by the lovely Da'ae, whom he had known as a child.

The Phantom, disfigured from birth, loves Da'ae and comes to her as her "Angel of Music." While he knows she could never love him, he still seeks her heart and hand, destroying anything that may be in his way.

These three characters and the setting of the glamorous and glorious Paris Opera House make this book a magnificent example of the thriller-romance genre.

How many people died in Thera volcanic eruption?

The answer, and I am sure it is going to annoy you, is "nobody knows for sure."  Well, at least nobody I have talked with : )

The reasons for this are several:

• The eruption happened around 1470 BC so it was a long time ago,


• The eruption eradicated all of the people in the immediate vicinity, so there was no-one left from the islands above the volcano to ask (of course, I would need a time machine to do this, but you get the point,)


• There were no bodies or other pieces of evidence left to measure from,


• The volcanic eruption caused widespread devastation across the Mediterranean coasts and islands (even destroyed the civilization on Crete, some 75 miles away,)


• This erruption may have caused a famine and starvation in Egypt,


• This eruption, if other eruptions are any indicator, may have disrupted weather patterns across the globe for a while, ruining crops and causing worldwide food shortages,


• We have never had a volcano that big explode again to measure against.

So, I am sorry I cannot be more specific than to say "a lot," but records aren't the greatest from the era and a lot of people didn't know a volcano had even erupted and was causing the damage.  Think about it: anyone close enough to see the volcano erupt was dead!

Why does Ahab seek revenge in Herman Melville's Moby Dick? What does Ahab offer the men if they help him kill Moby Dick?

As mentioned in the previously posted quotation, Ahab seeks "that intangible malignity" that he believes is embodied in the White Whale.  In a separate chapter (42), in fact, Melville considers the whiteness of the whale as symbolic of evil.  Even Ismael, the narrator, finds

It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me.....As for the white shark, the white gliding ghostliness of respose in that creature....This elusive quality....Now, in allusion to the white, silent stillness of deth in the shark, and the mild deadliness of his habits....Therefore, in his other moods, symbolise whatever grand or gracious thing he wll by whiteness, no man can deny that in its profundest idealised significance, it calls up a peculiar apparition to the soul.

It is this apparition of evil and mystery that Captain Ahab would not only avenge himself, but understand. Why is it white, Ishmael wonders, and why does it

appeal with such power to the soul, and more strange and far more portentous--why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay, the very veil of the Christians' Deity; and yet should be as it is, the intensify agent in things the most appalling to mankind. 

It is the "invisible spheres" that Ahab seeks to comprehend in his revenge against the whale.  When Starbuck tell him, "To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous," Ahab replies,

Hark ye yet again--the little lower layer.  All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks.  But in each event--in the living act, the doubted deed--there,, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the moldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.  If man will strike, strike through the mask!  How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?  To me, the White Whale is that wall, shoved near to me....He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it.  That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the White Whale agent...I will wreak that hate upon him....Truth hath no confines.

The preternatural White Whale wears the "pasteboard mask" that Captain Ahab is obsessed with striking through.  He would know what metaphysical meaning lies behind this creatures eye that cannot see before him, but only sideways from his head.  Revenge against him for his lost leg is a small part of what Ahab seeks; the Pequod's voyage is a metaphor for life and Ahab is man searching for meaning.

What is imagery in poetry?

The root meaning of 'imagery' is to 'imitate.' It literally means 'a reflection in a mirror.'  Hence, an 'image' is 'a word picture' by means of which the poet conveys his feelings and emotions to his readers. When we come across an image in a poem it helps us to imagine and experience the same feelings and emotions which the poet experienced.

For example, Shelley in his "Ode to a Skylark" is captivated by the beauty of the bird but he is unable to make his readers comprehend its  beauty  in a few words, so he compares the skylark to a series of objects and hopes that the images he has created will help his readers to comprehend the beauty of the bird:

"What thou art we know not; What is most like thee? From rainbow clouds there flow not Drops so bright to see,

As from thy presence showers a rain of melody: -"

In this stanza he compares the beauty of the skylark and its soul stirring melody to the raindrops which form  the rainbow.

Shells Company has adopted a new management information system (MIS) in its London branch. Though the MIS promised rich benefits, Shell's...

Overcoming resistance to change in an organization has to be a part of the process of deciding on the nature of the change to be introduced and the way it is introduced. The activities of designing and implementing change cannot be separated from the the tasks of overcoming resistance to change.

The resistance to change develops in organizations for many reasons. all these factors creating resistance to change can be grouped under the following three headings.

• The change not being in the interest of the people, the organization, or both.


• People not understanding how the change will affect them personally, and therefor being apprehensive about the change.


• Personal problems and hardships that people may face during the process of implementing the change.

It is easier to reduce and manage resistance of all these three types if people are involved in the process of change right from the initial change of designing the new systems. This helps to ensure that the system is really better than the existing one. In addition, it helps to create understanding of the new system and remove all unfounded apprehensions about it. Involving people affected by the change in design of system also helps in getting their acceptance of the change and the commitment to implement it.

Once the system design has been finalized it is a good policy to let people know what the revised system is and how it affects them. It is desirable that the negative impact of the system are also made clear to the people. If the positive aspect of the change out weigh the negative ones, and when some people placed at disadvantage because of the changes are given a fair deal in terms of some compensation or other opportunities to adjust within the new scheme, it is easier to deal with the negative impact of the change.

Also the implementation of change should be planned and executed with great care to minimize the problems of changeover. Specific attention should be given to mitigating the personal problems faced by individuals due to the change. For example, if the change involves relocation of some of the employees to different location, the company should pay attention to ways of minimising the pain of relocation for the employees.

Also flexibility in implementing change is important. In spite of best of plans, things can go wrong. Therefore company needs to be vigilant to detect any signs of problems and take quick corrective actions. It is important that employees affected by change have a way of being heard by higher in case they face any problems. It may not be possible to find easy solution to every problem, but the very act of listening to problems of people and displaying a genuine concern for them,  can help to win their support.

The resistance  to change can never be eliminated totally in all situations. However, the approach suggested here will lead to substantial reduction in such resistance. The residual resistance should then be dealt with by showing firm commitment of company to the change initiative undertaken.

I'm having trouble with the short story "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?" Can anybody give me a brief summary?

The gist of the sermon can be found in the sentence

"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."

The sermon's goal was to a) instill a fear of God's omnipotence over the human race, b) to create an awareness of man's nature as an original sinner,  c) to reinstate the Puritan foundation of pre-determination which argues that men have no control over their fate, and that it is God who decides whether you will enjoy the company of Grace or the Firepits of Hades.

The audience for this sermon were people with similar believes, but it is argued in the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University that such sermon was probably prepared especially after a specific situation occurred in the congregation that led Edwards to believe that his sheep were walking in the wrong path. This is supposedly evidenced by the strength of the message. Why would Edwards be so emphatic in reinstating what everyone already knows if not that something occurred among his people that upset him enough to scold them with such sermon.

Regardless, he sees men as a race which hangs from the threads of God's will facing directly the fire of Hell. Only God's will will determine the end of each man's soul, and we always must humble ourself before God in remembrance of our "messed up" nature compared to his merciful and much superior greatness. That is what the sermon basically included.

What led Stephen Kumalo to change from ignorant to enlightened and in what way did he change? Please give direct quotes.

You have asked a fascinating question, and tracing the development of this key character casts light on some of the main themes of the novel and the author´s hope for South Africa, in spite of all its problems and issues.

Stephen Kumalo, who is named after the martyred Saint Stephen in Acts in the Bible, starts off as a Reverend who is working in his own rural village of Ndotsheni. His trip to Johannesburg reveals how ignorant and naive he is about the city and the way things work here, and above all, the racial tensions that divide his country so dramatically. Kumalo is easily amazed by such sights as an electric train:

Here is a white man´s wonder, a train that has no engine, only an iron cage on its head, taking pwer from mtal ropes stretched out above.

Note the basic and simplistic way this electric train is described - Kumalo is seeking to put into his words the marvels that he sees. He is obviously a country man and is amazed and overwhelmed by the complexity of the city. Consider the following quote, when he finally reaches Johannesburg:

He sees great high buildings, there are red and green lights on them, almost as tall as the buildings. They go on and off. Water comes out of a bottle, till the glass is full. Then the lights go out. And when they come on again, lo the bottle is full and upright, and the glass empty. And there goes teh bottle over again. Black and white, it says, black and white, though it is red and green. It is too much to understand.

Kumalo is not able to understand all the wonders that he sees or process the realities of city life. This results in him being ripped off easily at the bus station.

However, as he begins to search for his son and discovers what has happened, Kumalo begins to learn about the harsh realities of his people in the city and has to confront not only the sins of his family in Gertrude´s prostituion and his son´s murder, but also the sin within himself. Think of how he threatens and bullies his son´s partner. He experiences times such as in Chapter 13 when he visits Ezlenzeni with Msimangu when his doubts threaten to overwhelm him, yet manages to find faith in and through his doubts. 

He also encounters and is inspired by the various efforts that are trying to improve the lot of his people. He admires the organisation of the bus boycott and is impressed by the character of Dubula. Likewise the organisation in the Shanty Town helps him to see that his people are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Through confronting such failings in his family and in himself, yet also the positive aspects of this terrible situation, Kumalo is able to return to Ndotsheni a humbler, but above all a wiser man who realises that in the face of the massive issues confronting South Africa you cannot be passive nor simply trust in God to solve all the problems. Thus he is inspired to action, not simply accepting the degredation of his people and land meekly.

Kumalo then is inspired and changed through his journey to "re-build the tribe" both by trying to restore his family, his tribe and his land. Although he does not achieve full success in any of these areas, he is trying to make an albeit limited difference in the way he can. He is no longer ignorant, naive or passive, and is able to minister more effectively to his village because of the experiences he has undergone.

How do Canadians pray,what kind of music do they listen to, what does the flag colors mean, and what kind of clothes do they wear?It's for a...

The Candian flag has two red vertical stripes with a white stripe in the middle.  The white stripe has a red maple leaf in it.  The flag colors reflect Canada's history which has French and British origins.  The red is for the cross of Saint George (which is the main feature of the English -- not Great Britain -- but English flag) and the white is for the royal emblem of France.

As for your other questions, Canadians are no different than Americans.  Their population was originally made up of European immigrants.  They have come to have more immigrants from other places, especially Asia.  But Canadians as a whole do not have any of what we would call "exotic" music, clothes, etc.

How can I paraphrase the second and third stanza of "The Darkling Thrush"?

The original title of the poem, written in 1900, was "By the Century's Deathbed." Thus the reference to "The Century's corpse" in stanza 2:

It was a cold, bleak winter day. And a cold and bleak time for the poet, too. The earth looked featureless and desolate as if entombed by the grey clouds above. The wind sang a sad and mournful song. Everything seemed dead and buried, no sign of life was stirring. And the poet was like that too: listless and lifeless.

In stanza 3, somewhere in the dark forest a sound was heard. It was a happy sound seemingly out of nowhere and surely unexpected. An old thrush began to sing in spite of the wind and cold. An act of hope, a call to better things perhaps, was heard in the distance.

What was the author's purpose of writing this book??please help me as soon a possible! :) thanks

Siobhan Dowd opened a trust for disadvantaged children with the aim to export the habit of reading to children with learning disabilities, low socioeconomic status, and overall children with no support at home.  The year she died, 2007, The London Eye Mystery" was published as a way to tell the story of a boy with Apsbergher syndrome, and the way that his unique perceptual and analytical skills help him solve the mystery of where is his first cousin, Salim.  As with every story by Dowd, the purpose of writing this story is to encourage us to see things from a different perspective, and to teach the lesson that, although Ted has a condition that could prevent him from learning in the traditional way, it "all depends on how you see things in your own accord". Hence, this is a clear message for us to never to give up on others who may not share the same abilities as us, but they have their very own, compensating ones.

How would you link Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" with Julia Alvarez's "Snow"?

On the surface, there wouldn't be much that these two pieces of literature have in common.  One is structured prose, written in paragraphs, containing an introduction, body and conclusion that allows the reader to feel as if the story is complete by the time he/she reaches the end.  "Girl," is free-verse poetry with no rules aside from the repetiitve line that begins with "This is how you...." In Alvarez's "Snow," there are particular characters with names such as Sister Zoe and Yolanda, who happens to be the first person narrator.  There are no named characters in "Girl," for this can be any girl living in any traditional town being told instructions on life by any mother across the globe.  This "conversation" is dominately held by the mother who talks "at" her daughter as opposed to "with" her daughter who only interjects once or twice in response to something her mother has said.

   What ties these two pieces of literature together is the inexperience of both girls that in turn gives way to being taught by each girl's maternal figure.  In the case of "Girl," we can assume that it is the biological mother of the girl that is teaching her how to be a woman--that is, how to cook, clean and present oneself like a lady instead of a whore.  Sister Zoe, however, teaches something very differently to her new immigrant student: English.  Both girls need to learn what is being taught to them in order to survive in a new world.  Without mastering the english language, Yolanda will never be able to succeed in America, especially academically.  Without learning the role of a woman, "the girl" in Jamaica Kincaid's poem will not survive either; she will never be marriage material, will never land herself a husband, who will clearly be the provider of the family.  Both listen intently and overwhelmed, but it is only Yolanda that actually gets to put her education to use, mistaking actual "snow" for her teacher's drawing of a nuclear bomb, something Sister Zoe has taught her and the other students to be able to recognize and fear, amongst other war realities of the 60's.  This reality highlighted in "Snow," the notion that experience is the best form of teaching of all, is not alluded to in "Girl," however one can understand how true this to be in any girl's quest toward womanhood.  Like Yolanda who must first see snow firsthand before truly understanding what it is, a girl must experience being a wife and mother and learn from her own mistakes before she can truly become her own woman.

In Yann Martel's "Life of Pi", how do each of the animals on the lifeboat represent a different part of Pi's personality?The animals are: the...

That's an interesting question that deviates from the normal connections that people make to these animals.  Normally, people connect these animals to real people that Pi shares in an alternate story that he relates at the end of the book.  So, to relate each of these animals to Pi himself is an interesting exercise.  I'll give it a go.

The hyena represents Pi's brutal, animalistic side that was willing to do whatever it took to survive. If it meant being unkind, and doing questionable things, he would do it.  It can represent that deep, instinctual side of all of us, the one that tempts us to do unacceptable things, to be cruel and violent, that prompts us with inappropriate urges that we have to fight, strongly, to control in order to function as civil human beings in society.  Every person has that side, and battles it throughout life.  So, that is the side of Pi that the hyena--the ugly, awful animal that it is--represents.  The Zebra represents the helpless victim, the one that just wants to lie down and die any time something difficult happens to him.  Pi was in an awful situation, and it would have been just easier to lie there and let fate dictate his circumstances.  It is the side of Pi that felt sorry for himself and his situation, the one that cried and whined about life and how unfair it was.  We too, all have that side of ourselves, and have to struggle not to give in to it, because after all, it's not very productive.

The orangutan represents the compassionate, loving, protective side of Pi, and his longing for his family and mother.  It reminded him of his mother, and made him feel homesick for her.  It also gave him comfort and security during a difficult time.  The monkey was Pi's personality trying to find strength in memories of home and family.  It was the side of his personality that longed for better times, and clung to them with all of his heart--however, it didn't help him to survive, in the end.  It was too soft, too inefficient, to impractical.

Richard Parker was the perfect blend of all of his different sides of his personality, the meld of them all that was the most efficient and logical choice to let come out in survival. Richard Parker represented a strong, alpha character that could dominate any situation, but not with the senseless barbarity that the hyena represented.  Richard Parker, though suffering, did not whine about the situation, as the zebra did, or muck about in the past, as the monkey did.  He sat there and patiently took it, and gave Pi the determination and reason to survive.  It represents the survival part of Pi, the side of his personality that wanted to live, would do things he had never done before in order to survive, but did it all with dignity and grace, just like a tiger.

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

In Fahrenheit 451 what was Beatty's purpose in his speeches to Montag, and what do they reveal about the society?

When Beatty comes to Montag's house to talk to him, it is after Montag has shown a lot of hesitation and doubts regarding his job and what it entails.  The night before, Montag was really disturbed as Mrs. Blake chose to burn to death with her books; he doesn't show up for work that day as a result.  Beatty most likely noted his absence, and concluded, in combination with Montag's recent questions and hesitancy, that he was having a moral crisis of sorts, in regards to his job and to society.

Beatty is a the fire chief, and wants to keep Montag in line on this job; he notices Montag's discontent and comes to try to clear it up.  He realizes that Montag is a questioner, and so decides to answer all of his questions.  He feels that if he takes an all-disclosure approach with Montag, that if Montag knows the real facts behind his job, it will satisfy his curiosity and help him buck up and get back to work.  He wants to make Montag feel like he is on his side, that they are friends, and that he can be trusted; this way, he hopes that Montag turns back towards him instead of going down the path of rebellion.

He does this by letting Montag know he isn't alone in his crisis.  He states,

Every fireman, sooner or later, hits this.  They only need understanding, to know how the wheels run.  Need to know the history of our profession.

He later alludes to the fact that he knows Montag has books, and tries to be nice, telling him that if firemen get an urge to read one, to see what it's all about, they give the guy 24 hours before he has to return it.  All of these techniques are Beatty trying to paint himself in a sympathizing, friendly, inclusive light, to try to turn Montag away from rebellion and questioning.

His revelations about society show how people's laziness and tendencies to get offended have aided and abetted the government in their subtle takeover of human thought.  It reveals that because people were unwilling to think, and were too willing to be offended by the contents of books, the government was able to step in and institute its fierce information control campaign, through the burning of books.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Why does Oprah Winfrey make so much money?

This is a simple question of economics.  According to many reports, Oprah Winfrey makes around $250 million dollars per year. I was not able to locate any record of how much of that came from salary versus investments, but needless to say she is paid very well.

On the other hand, she brings in revenue to the ABC network.  Because so many people watch her show, advertising time is extremely valuable for those who can pay for it.  Though I couldn't find exact numbers, the idea would be that ABC would bring in more from the advertising revenues than it pays Oprah to host the show.  This is probably the case, but it is also possible that the show breaks even or even a little bit behind.

How does that make economic sense?  Well, Oprah is very popular and brings a certain amount of "prestige" to the network she is on.  Her name, in connection with ABC, might be more valuable than even the commercial time sold during the show.

So there you go.  Economics.  Oprah brings in more (either in prestige or ad revenue) than goes out.

Questions about global warming:1. what causes global warming? 2. what influence can it have in our life and society? 3. how can it affect us in...

1. Several factors play a role in producing global warming: the presence in the environment of increasing quantities of high carbon dioxide, methane and other gases, thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

2.Thinning of the ozone layer caused from the beginning, highly visible effects: increasing the number of people with severe burns after a moderate exposure to sunlight and dramatic increase in the number of people suffering from skin cancer.

3. Climate change is announced by special weather phenomena, which is manifested in recent years with increased amplitude and increased frequency. The newscasts are increasingly frequent reports about droughts and floods accompanied by landslides, hurricanes or tornadoes, blizzards and "carp stone cold" or heat "liquefies the asphalt. Scientists argue that responsible for the exacerbation of these extreme events is the phenomenon of global warming.

4.Climate models developed by experts in the field estimate that the global climate will warm by 1.1 to 6.4 ° C during the 21st century. Estimates vary because of the fact that it  can not be predicted evolution of gas emissions that cause greenhouse effect.Moreover, the tendency to continue heating the planet in the XXI century is revealed by many studies in the field. Very worrisome is that these climate scenarios  show that the polar areas will warm the most, which could have dramatic consequences.

5. Global warming begun around the sixties, after massive industrial development  and the increase of greenhouse gases amounts that are considered largely responsible for this phenomenon.

6.and 7. To avoid a bleak future of the planet, it should,by 2050, greenhouse gas emmisions to decrease twice at global level and four times for industrialized countries.

Can anyone suggest a good title name for A Doll House for an essay? I am writing about Nora so something focused on Nora.

You could title the essay "The Prisioner Doll" or "The Doll in the Porcelain Prison"  considering that she was trapped among her bric a brac, kids, servant, and all the material possessions she so valued. But if you want to just go straight to the point another good idea would be to call it "Nora: A Victim of Circumstances" which is exactly what she is by literal standards.

What are the advantages of a computer?

Computers are used today to store, retrieve, process, and transmit data and information of all types. Though the computer is essentially a device to store retrieve and process data, many other devices such as printers, music systems, video systems, games, communication devices, automatic data capture devices, and control devise are now used in combination with computers, that use the basic data input, output and processing capabilities of computer to produce highly innovative and systems with application in practically every aspects of human activities today.

The major advantage of using computers in this way are given below.

• Computers makes it possible to receive, supply and process large volumes of data at very high speed.


• Computer reduces the cost of all data related operations including, input, output, storage, processing, and transmission.


• Computer greatly improves the speed of data input, output, processing, and transmission.


• Computer ensures consistent and error free processing of data. However it should be noted the error free processing is subject to correct feeding of data and correct programming.


• Digitization of all kinds of information including sounds and images, combined with massive information processing capabilities of the computer has resulted in development of application to produce physical products of very high quality at great speed and very economically. We are all aware of the improvement in audio and video systems including computer games using modern computer technology. However computers are also playing a big role in manufacturing of many other physical products. For example, a computerized insta-paint system, scans the colour of any surface and produces a paint of exactly matching colour and shade.


• The data input, output, and processing speed of computers has enabled development of many applications requiring speedy continuous monitoring of a process or situation and responding to it very quickly in real time. For example, a small microcomputer in a car may continuously monitor the speed. load and other condition of the car and accordingly control the fuel and air mixture to maximize the fuel efficiency. In an entirely different kind of application, a computer may control the movement of a missile launched to intercept a another missile fired by the enemy.

Two major disadvantages of computers include:

• Computer is highly dependent on the quality of input data fed to it. Though computers are very fast in tasks that are pre-programmed, it lake the ability of human brain to detect and correct errors that it is not specifically programmed to do.


• The task of programming a computer for a computer application is very costly and time consuming. This reduces the utility of computers for applications that are non-repetitive.


• Computer systems are rather rigid. Once a computers system is designed and programmed,making even minor corrections or improvements can be quite costly and time consuming. For this reason a great care is required in design and development of computer systems.


• Computers require use of sophisticated equipment and support facilities. For example, a person solving a problem of maths using just a pen and paper can carry these with him or her anywhere with ease. However if the same problem is to be solved using a computer, the person will not only need access to a suitable computer, it will also be necessary to have the required software and suitable electric power to run the computer.

In the New Moon film there are a number of instances where the word "Mono" is used can explain what this means and the context in which it is used?

Mono is a disease that manifests itself in a fever and swollen glands, as Fluent so adequately described. It causes people to be very tired and very sick and achey, and can often last for months. 

Billy used mono as an excuse to hide Jacob from Bella because it is the perfect excuse for someone who needs to be hidden from view for awhile. Mono often affects teenagers (personally, my sister had it when she was a teen!), which Jacob is, of course. Mono also starts with a high fever, which fits Jacob's heat flash when Bella last saw him. It also makes people very sick and very exhausted for a long time. If someone had mono, they could very well be sick for awhile and not be able to have any visitors. Billy came up with this excuse in order to hide Jacob's lycanthropy (werewolf-ism) from Bella. If Billy had just said Jacob had the flu that was going around, he would have been over it in 24 hours or so, and Billy was really trying to buy some time for Jacob to adjust to being a werewolf, and also to protect Bella from being around him, which would place her in danger. He also wanted to protect the secret of the werewolves from Bella, who might find out. 

Blood viscosity and blood density depends on what?

Blood viscosity and blood density are two different physical properties that are closly related and dedending on the properties of water. We are looking at the factor to change physical characteristics of a liquid mixture of biological and non-biological component.

1. Blood viscosity depends on the content of the blood, or the concentration of each of many components in the plasma fluid. It depends on the concentration of red blood cells and the proteins present in the plasma.

2. Blood density is a measure of weight per volume unit. Certainly it depends on the configuration of concentrations of many components in plasma. However, blood density can be changed by gesture because local blood pressure has an effect on blood's volume and density.

There is a broad range of factors affecting blood viscosity and viscosity. They can be anything from the food and drink one consumes, medications, health conditions, heart conditions, temperature and altitude, body activities, and mental wellness, ... etc. Keep in mind that species having blood are complex one and the blood inside is a complex mixture which is not under controlled conditions

What is the best activity to teach base-ten place value that incorporates fractions and percentages?

Here is something you might want to try...

Summary:
Students will practice converting a fraction into a decimal and a percent.

Grade Level:
Mathematics - 6th Grade

Materials:
For each group:

·                     White paper for books

·                     Base Ten Blocks

For each student:

·                     Colored pencils/crayons

·                     Base 10 Worksheet (Worksheet with 6 base ten grids on it)

Procedure:

1.                     Using the base ten blocks, show the 100 square. This equals 100/100 = 1/1 = 1.0 = 100%

2.                     Transfer information onto the Base Ten Grids by coloring all 100 squares.

3.                     Using base ten blocks, show 50 out of 100, 1/2 = 0.50 = 50 %.

4.                     Transfer information onto Base Ten grids by coloring 50 of the 100 squares.

5.                     Continue making diagrams using:
10/100 = 1/10 = 0.1 = 10%
20/100 = 1/5 = 0.2 = 20%
25/100 = 1/4 = 0.25 = 25%
30/100 = 3/10 = 0.3 = 30%
40/100 = 4/10 = 0.4 = 40%
60/100 = 3/5 = 0.6 = 60%
70/100 = 7/10 = 0.7 = 70%
75/100 = 3/4 = 0.75 = 75%
80/100 = 4/5 = 0.8 = 80%
90/100 = 9/10 = 0.9 = 90%

6.                     Review how to convert a fraction into a decimal and then find the percent:

o                                  To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator.

o                                  To convert a decimal to a fraction, write the place value of the decimal as the denominator. Write the digits of the decimal as the numerator.

o                                  To convert a percent into a fraction or a decimal, rewrite the percent as a fraction over 100.

o                                  To convert a fraction to a percent, use the following proportion:
  part    = percent value
whole            100

In A Separate Peace, how does John Knowles reveal that Gene has finally accepted what happened and put the experience behind him?

While Knowles does make it clear that Gene has accepted responsibility for what happened to Finny and that life would never be the same for him or the surviving Devon boys without Finny and because of the war, I do not believe that he implies that Gene "put the experience behind him." After all, the novel is told in flashback because Gene as an older adult returns to Devon School to walk the grounds and visit his and Finny's old haunts.

In regards to Gene accepting what happened, on the last page of the novel, he reflects:

"I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy [during WWII]. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there" (204).

Gene does not mean that he killed Finny as his enemy, but rather that he fought and defeated the insecure part of himself that caused such jealously toward Finny.  He finally found a "separate peace" within himself.

Does Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth adequately solve problems created by those who employ the philosophy of Social Darwinism?

That's a tough question...  I suppose I would probably say no.  Here's why:

The problems that you ascribe to Social Darwinism are, presumably, the poverty and poor working conditions experienced by working class people during the Gilded Age.

The Gospel of Wealth held, as its main concept, the idea that the people who got rich during this time should use their money for the benefit of the people who didn't.  However, the ways in which the used their money (the charities to which they gave) were not usually designed to help the working people in the short term.

Just two examples are all the money that Carnegie spent on public libraries and the money Rockefeller spent to create my alma mater, the University of Chicago.

Both of these could be said to help people in the long term, but they didn't give the working poor much immediate help.

What are the plot, summary and conclusion of the drama The Glass Menagerie?

The plot of The Glass Menagerie is a three-fold conflict. The first involves Tom, who is thrown into a job he doesn't like because the family has been abandoned by the father and Tom was the only one who could support the family, which consists of the mother Amanda and his sister Laura, who has a brace on her leg. Tom has to decide between his mother and sister and his own life and aspirations. The second involves Amanda who is tragically always remembering her past happy life as proof to herself and her children that she was not deserving of having been abandoned by the one man, out of "seventeen gentleman callers," to whom she gave her affection. She must find a way to make her son's life and daughter's life a successful ones when drunkeness, poverty, shyness, illness and disability weigh against it. The third involves Laura who is troubled by pathological shyness and feelings of unworthiness that stem from natural timidity, illness and the brace on her leg. She must decide whether or not to make a place for herself in the world.

Amanda tries to work with the few resources left to her to help mold a successful future for her two children. One of her resources is her son's ability to work and earn money for the family, a role he bitterly resents. Laura has been sent to secretarial school but, in the fear of extreme shyness, has long ago dropped out. Amanda once again relies on her son to help the abandoned family by finding Laura a potential suitor from work. Tom does so and brings Jim home to a lavish dinner prepared at great expense by Amanda. Laura recoils from meeting Jim because they had known each other in high school and she had had a crush on him. Eventually, she is forced to converse with him just as the lights go out from an unpaid electric bill, the money for which Tom had diverted to the fees for joining the merchant marine in order to escape his life. Jim and Laura have sincere talks about her unrecognized charms and talents; he accidentally breaks the magical, fantasy unicorn while dancing with Laura; then kisses her. In guilty regret he confesses that he has wronged her because he has a fiancee.

In the end, the glass menagerie, Laura's ideal symbolic of a happy life like the one in her mother's stories, is damaged twice, first accidentally by Tom and second by Laura's first "gentleman caller," Jim, who turns out to be engaged. Laura's reaction to the unicorn broken by Jim is that now it is just a regular horse. Tom abandons his mother and sister to an unpaid electric bill and goes in pursuit of his own happiness, though his happiness is never sufficient to be able to dispel the cloud of regret and guilt over Laura, nor is it sufficient to be able to allow him to understand his bitter foolishness or his mother's struggles any better. Laura has an epiphany moment and becomes like her unicorn, just a regular girl. The mother, Amanda, can at least feel comfortable with her daughter's prospects though they still don't see eye-to-eye. Of the three, Amanda is the only one who moves into the future with sorrow because her share in the broken glass menagerie is regret for the lost unicorn though her feelings of sorrow and regret are mixed with comfort for her children's future well-being.

How did people of Nathaniel Hawthorne's time feel about guilt, sin, crime, and adultery?

Your question can be answered in two ways.  If you are referring to Hawthorne's time period of the mid-1800s, then Hawthorne's contemporaries had diverse views of the human condition, especially when it regards the idea of sin.  For example, Hawthorne was a member of a group of writers called the Dark Romantics (Poe and Melville are also categorized in this group).  The Dark Romantics believed that man's nature is basically evil and that he is prone to sin and displease God.  In contrast, the Optimists from this era (Emerson and Thoreau) believed that man is inherently good and that he can reach perfection or at least attain high ideals.

I think that your question might, however, be in regards to the time setting of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.  If that is the case, then the Puritans (Hester's contemporaries in Boston) maintained strict standards and exacted harsh punishments upon those who "sinned" or committed crimes. This derives partly from the fact that the Puritans see God as a wrathful being who is waiting to punish those who displease Him.  No Puritan could know for certain if he or she was going to heaven; so it was extremely important for Puritans to live "righteous" lives with the hope that they would be good enough to be "covenanted" (meaning that they would be allowed into heaven). If a Puritan committed a sin or crime (for the Puritans, sins and crime are the same thing), he/she must be dealt with promptly and should feel the burden of guilt and shame.  If the offender did not feel guilt or shame for his sin, then the Puritans believed that that person was not covenanted.

Adultery, for the Puritans, was a sin/crime that could be punishable by death. 

If England had settled all its colonists in Plymouth or in Jamestown in the 1600's, would there have been a civil war in the 1860's? Why wasn't...

The reason that there was more than just one settlement is that it wasn't exactly the British government colonizing North America.  By that, I mean that there wasn't a "Ministry of Colonizing" that sent out government-sponsored colonies.

Instead, the colonies were founded by people who were (for the most part) trying to get rich.  The Crown would give charters to individuals or companies allowing them to settle some particular area.  They would then try to get rich doing so.

Given that that's how they were conducting the colonization, you can see why they didn't do it all in one settlement.

As far as a Civil War goes, as soon as the South was settled in such a way as to make it more aristocratic and export-oriented (in other words, by the plantation system) and the North was settled by small farmers and artisans, the die was cast.  They were too different and were always going to have different interests.  It was those differences that led to the war.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, when does Macbeth kill Duncan?

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, as is typical in Shakespeare, violence takes place offstage.  The audience does not see Macbeth kill Duncan any more than we see Macduff kill Macbeth later in the play.  At the close of Act II, Scene 1 Macbeth says:

I go, and it is done:  the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven, or to hell.

Then he exits.  He returns to stage in scene 2 after only a brief absence and tells Lady Macbeth, "I have done the deed."  The results of the assassination are revealed to the audience for the remainder of the play, but the act itself is not seen.

Just so you know, I edited the question in order to reflect the accepted convention of referring to details within a work of art in present tense rather than past tense.  Thus, "does" works better in the question than "did."  When you analyze literature, think of it as if it's happening whenever it's being read, or in this case, maybe, performed. 

What are some important quotations in Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers? Also, please analyze them.

It could be that this passage about the "jolie blonde" is the biggest red herring, and contains a very big mystery of the case.  It is when Inspector Parker is in the jewelry shop on the Rue de la Paix.  He has recognized the duplicate of the cat that was found in the garden at Riddlesdale near the corpse of Cathcart.

The majority of the staff failed to recognize the photograph, and Parker was on the point of putting it back in his pocketbook when a young lady, who had just finished selling an engagement ring to an obese and elderly Jew, arrived, and said, without any hesitaton:
'Mais oui, je l'ai vu ce moseiur-la.  It is the Englishman who bought a diamond cat for the jolie blonde.  (105)

For most of the novel this points squarely at Lady Mary, a pretty young blonde woman.  This puts Lady Mary in jeopardy (as her brother, the Duke, is in jeopardy now for Cathcart's murder) for the murder, as this trinket was found near the corpse.

Very near the end of the novel, we find out that the jolie blonde was actually Cathcart's mistress, (who was the instigation for Cathcart becoming engaged to Lady Mary in the first place, for the noble lady's money,) a blonde of disreputable character, whom Wimsey finds dramatically, and obtains from her the evidence of Cathcart's suicide just in time.  This one piece of evidence, from the female jewelry shop assistant amid all the other red herrings, puts the suspicion on Lady Mary, or her brother, for the greater part of the book. 

The Duke's mistress, the beautiful and downtrodden Mrs. Grimthorpe, is perhaps the character who evolves most in the novel.  From being beaten and dominated by her husband, and conducting a furtive affair with a nobleman in the beginning of the novel, she comes into her own after Mr. Grimthorpe's death.  Here Wimsey is talking to her about buying clothes while she is London,

'I have money,' she said; 'I took it from his desk.  It's mine now, I suppose.  Not that I'd wish to be beholden to him.  But I don't look at it that way.'
'I shouldn't think twice  about it, if I were you,' said Lord Peter.
She walked before him into the shop-- her own woman at last. (276)

What this quotation illuminates is that Mrs. Grimthorpe will not ruin the Duke's marriage.  He will go back to the Duchess, and Mrs. Grimthorpe, free of the horrible Mr. Grimthorpe and in possession of money and property in her own right now, will exit their lives and live independently.  It is a little pat, I will allow, for the ending of this mystery, but apparently Mrs. Grimthorpe is class-conscious enough (or morally upright enough) to not lay emotional or financial claim on the Duke.  So, though the Duke looks like a fool to everyone -- especially his wife -- he is acquitted of a murder of which he had nothing to do, and is able to go back to his wife and his comfortable nobleman's lifestyle.  We are not to worry about Mrs. Grimthorpe any longer, because she is free of the main torment of her life.

Source:  Sayers, Dorothy L.,  Clouds of Witness.  (1927) New York: HarperPaperbacks, 1995.

How could chapter 1 of Lord of The Flies sound more interesting?

I don't like re-writing literature. Nor do I like it when Hollywood takes the liberty of adding, subtracting, or rearranging events when interpreting literary works to film.

Of course, whether I like it or not, it's done all the time. It's as if the original author didn't think it all out first and didn't have very specific reasons for presenting his story exactly the way he did. I mean, who are we to presume?

OK, now that I've given you my sincere disclaimer, I will tell you how the of  "Lord of the Flies" might have been written differently to make it more "interesting," or more involving, or a bit easier to grasp. Perhaps the novel could have started with the plane crash.

Now, a crash that landed all of the boys intact on the island could not have been a very violent one, but just a glimpse of the struggling pilot and the hurtling plane, partly in flames, and the frightened boys spilling out of it and scrambling for safety, while the cabin etched the scar, might have all been instructive and exciting. It is all described on page eight, and what I'm suggesting is that perhaps it could have been an alternate starting point:

“That pilot.”

The fair boy allowed his feet to come down and sat on the steamy earth.

“He must have flown off after he dropped us. He couldn’t land here. Not in a place with wheels.”

“We was attacked!”

“He’ll be back all right.”

The fat boy shook his head.

“When we was coming down I looked through one of them windows. I saw the other part of the plane. There were flames coming out of it.”

He looked up and down the scar.

“And this is what the cabin done.”

The fair boy reached out and touched the jagged end of a trunk. For a moment he looked interested.

“What happened to it?” he asked. “Where’s it got to now?”

“That storm dragged it out to sea. It wasn’t half dangerous with all them tree trunks falling.

Not much of a change really, but a different and perhaps more direct way to show what happened from the beginning rather than to relate it later.

Again, as I said before, Golding had a very good reason not to start his story that way, and we should respect his choices.

Up until chapter 7, why does Jack hate Ralph in Lord of the Flies?Their antagonism becomes more and more open, even though Ralph went through some...

Their competition begins, of course, that first day on the beach when Ralph is elected leader of the group.  Ralph quickly acknowledges Jack as another strong member of the group by giving him the responsibility of hunting and of keeping a fire going; but even this gesture could have been insulting to Jack if he chose to view it as an act of condescention. 

As the book progresses, Jack despises Ralph because Ralph constantly makes him confront his worst fear--that a rescue is not going to happen.  By hunting and neglecting the fire, Jack calls himself being practical and making the best of a terrible predicament.  However, Jack is ignoring his subconscious fears.  It's the same principle that occurs when, say, a child who is continually picked on chooses to become the class clown and joke about his/her own shortcomings.  Jack is covering up his fears of inadequacy and his fears of abandonment by the adult world by choosing to pretend they don't exist.  If he can encourage the other boys to follow his leadership, so much the better--there is confirmation in company.

What is a general journal voucher and how it relates to general journal & general ledger?

Voucher is a document which authorises an entry into books of accounts. In addition, the voucher may also act a authorization of carrying out actual transaction requiring entry in book of accounts.

Books of accounts are of two main types journal and ledger. Journal is the primary book of account in which the accounting transactions are first entered serially in the order which these take place, and show both debit (Dr.) and credit (Cr.) effect of the transaction. Based on the journal, entries are then made in ledger, which contain account head wise details of the accounting transactions.

Often the journals and ledgers are divided in several sub sections. For example, a journal called cash-book contains details of only cash transactions. Similarly the ledgers may be divides according to groups of accounts such as suppliers ledger containing accounts of all the suppliers , and stores ledger containing accounts of material stocked and used by the company.

General journal refers to the journal containing all miscellaneous accounting entries not belonging to any other specialized journal. Similarly, general ledger is ledger containing miscellaneous accounts not belonging to any other specified group of accounts.

All vouchers are journal vouchers as these are used for making entries in journal. A general voucher is used for making entries in general journal.

A 754 N diver drops from a board 9.00 m above the water's surface. The acceleration of gravity is 9.81 m/s^2.A.) Find the diver's speed 5.80 m...

It is assumed that in part A) and part B) of the question the the diver leaved the diving board with speed of 0 (zero).

A)

Total height of the board is 9.0 m above water surface. Therefore, when the diver is 5.8 meters above the water surface the total distance (s) covered by the diver due to acceleration due to gravity (g) is given by

s = 9.0 - 5.8 = 3.2 m

The velocity v when the diver has covered distance s is given by:

s = (g*s)^1/2 = (9.81*3.2)^1/2 = 5.6028 m/s

B)

Just before striking the water surface the total distance (s) covered by the diver due to acceleration due to gravity (g) is 9.0 m.

The velocity v when the diver has covered distance s is given by:

s = (g*s)^1/2 = (9.81*9.0)^1/2 = 9.3963 m/s

C) The upward distance travelled by diver before reaching velocity of 0 and starting to fall again is given by:

s1 = (u^2)/2g

Where u = initial upward speed = 2.9 m/s.

Therefore: s1 = (u^2)/2g = (2.9^2)/2.9.81 = 0.42864 m

Total distance (s) covered by diver under the influence of gravity from highest point to the surface of water is given by:

s = s1 + (Height of the board above water surface) = 0.42864 + 9.0 = 9.42864 m.

The velocity v when the diver has covered distance s is given by:

s = (g*s)^1/2 = (9.81*9.42864)^1/2 = 9.6174 m/s

Answer:

A)  5.6028 m/s

B)  9.3963 m/s

C)  9.6174 m/s

In chapter 18, what uncharacteristic actions does Hester take? "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Having convinced Arthur Dimmesdale to leave the Puritan colony that is the source only of anguish, Hester declares,

'With this symbol, I undo it all, and make it as it had never been!'

Hester undoes the clasp and takes the scarlet letter of, throwing it among "the withered leaves" and the "token" of their sin lies on the other side of the brook, looking like a lost jewel.  When she casts off the scarlet letter, Hester sighs in relief, and impulsively throws off her cap as well. In a rush, her hair cascades upon her shoulders, but it appears dark and rich again against the face that is radiant.

This uncharacteristic act for the modest, submissive woman that Hester has become is but a brief surcease from her pain.  For, the letter has become so much a part of her identity that Pearl will not allow Hester to be without it, and Hester must reach down and regain the symbol of her sin.  For, as Hawthorne, the narrator of his "The Scarlet Letter," remarks,

No man, for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.

As is evidenced in Gawain and the Green Knight, describe the chivalric culture, courtly love, Church attitude, and King Arthur's significance.

Historians now say that the notions we have of and the conventions we assign to chivalric courtly culture and love are largely the product of imagination and the province of poetry, not real life. Although it is true that Eleanor of Acquatine required court-worthy, or courtly, behavior from knights in Aquitaine and France and as far as her influenced extended to England. It was she who developed the courtly code for knights.and it was precisely because knights were violent, blood-thirsty combatants who gloried in the destructionS of combat in war. Eleanor required that knights under her influence (and I can only think that she was successful in so requiring because of the power and influence she wielded) be adapt at literary and musical accomplishments, most particularly writing poetry and music; that they sing and dance; that they express a serving attitude to everyone but most particularly to women (above all) and to the poor, orphans and downtrodden.

The Catholic Church at first denounced knighthoods, for these were composed of men who spent their lives, aside from the early years when they served as pages and squires, devoted to learning the skills of battle and killing; nor did they learn this with reluctance but with relish. The Church officially changed its policy when the Crusades began and the Church found that the previously wanton practices could be cultivated for the Church's own service. The Church continued to condemn the practice of jousting tournaments however, viewing the practice as being suicidal, the ultimate in destruction and an unforgivable sin. 

Women followed wherever knights went, it is true, but many was the lady of a knight who stayed at the castle and managed the estate, ran the farming and defended the castle if under attack. In poetry, knights were mostly honored for courtly love (love at court) that had a very specific ardent code of conduct, courtesy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. It was believed in poetry that courtly love, in which the woman was beloved outside all bounds of politics, property or prosperity (this became the foundation of the later Western culture belief that marriage without love was to be rejected). It is this notion of courtly love found in poetry and the legends of King Arthur that historians now doubt had a foundation in reality, although it is confirmed that this is what Eleanor's code required...small contradiction. The novel The White Company by Sir Conan Doyle draws a very good picture of all these points.

With the murder of Simon in William Golding's Lord of the Flies, what is completely stripped away from the boys and the island?

The murder of Simon holds many keys to the fate of the boys on the island, however none more important than with the death of Simon, the fate of the boys will be sealed. Since Simon alone knows the truth about the "beast" because of his conversation with the Lord of the Flies, and he knows the moral truth- as he dies so does the truth. Thus the boys are not able to recieve his revelation or message when he is killed by the frenzy of the hunters.

The truth he posesses is that the beast lives in all of the boys, and in all of mankind. It is the evil heart of corruption and barbaric savagery that enticed the hunters. It is this seduction into darkness that was too much for the hunters to ignore or escape from- especially with the absence of laws upheld by the adults of the cvilized society.

It is also a good idea to look at jseligmann, also a teacher online here. In his Q&A a few weeks back he gave the examples that also support this claim. According to his answer and Golding's novel,

"Simon has found the head of the recently and savagely slaughtered pig in the forest. Simon sits transfixed. The head, with the indifferent, sated flies buzzing about it is a testament to fear and survival and to our all-too-human propensity for gore, pleasure and violence.

'At last Simon gave up and looked back; saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood—and his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition.'

Yes: ancient as life and inescapable as violence and death.

“Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!”

So says the Lord of the Flies. How can one kill what is part of one's own nature? Might as well try to kill your thirst or need to sleep or to breathe or breed.

“You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?”

It is the heart of darkness deep in our own beings."

This was the message that simon was bringing down from the mountain. His information that would open their eyes and see the evil of their ways. Essentially the hunters seal their own fate with his death, and unfortunately help the prophecy of the Lord of the Flies come full circle.

Textual Evidence pertaining to parts of characters bodies?Hi, this is an English assignment for me due in a week. It is about finding evidence...

This is a tough assignment, since there are very few direct quotations that will fit your criteria. However, here are a few examples of "body parts" connotations and metaphors from Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

VOICE:  "Mrs. Merriweather played her voice like an organ; every word she said received its full measure." (Chapter 24)
TEETH:  "Miss Maudie's gold bridgework tinkled... 'Where are your britches today?' 'Under my dress.' " (Chapter 24)
HAND:  "Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove."
EARS:  Eula May (the telephone operator) is the ears of Maycomb.
EYEBROWS:  Both Atticus and his brother, Jack, have their eyebrows mentioned on more than one occasion.
ARM & MUSCLES:  Tom Robinson's strength and deformed arm are both mentioned several times.
NOSE:  Miss Stephanie is the nosiest woman in town. 

How does Samuel Taylor Coleridge's theatrical term "Willing Suspension of Disbelief"apply to the relationship between audience and performer?

The implications of Coleridge's definition is one that holds a great deal of empowerment for the performer in the creation of their art.  Coleridge makes the argument that it is acceptable and encouraged to feature some element of the supernatural in one's art.  The artist has an obligation to allow their sense of fantasy and conjecture to be unbound by the confines of reality:

In this idea originated the plan of the 'Lyrical Ballads'; in which it was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith. Mr. Wordsworth on the other hand was to propose to himself as his object, to give the charm of novelty to things of every day, and to excite a feeling analogous to the supernatural, by awakening the mind's attention from the lethargy of custom, and directing it to the loveliness and the wonders of the world before us; an inexhaustible treasure, but for which in consequence of the film of familiarity and selfish solicitude we have eyes, yet see not, ears that hear not, and hearts that neither feel nor understand.

From this excerpt, it is evident how Coleridge sees his own understanding of the "willing suspension of disbelief."  Coleridge links this ability to imagine and transfer into art and creation to the Romantic movement.  He is very quick to identify that imagination is a component of the definition of Romanticism.  In Coleridge's mind, the artist has an obligation to see reality as not so much what it is, but rather what it can be.  If the supernatural is a component, then it is logically acceptable for the artist to conceive of imagery along these lines.  Coleridge himself does this in his own poetry, most notably "Kubla Khan:"  "His floating eyes, his flashing hair."  Certainly, in this setting, the audience is expected to not employ such criticisms as implausibility or unrealism to such a conception.  Rather, the audience must strive to share the artist's view of what can be, of the transformative possibility of art and artistic expression.

Is there forgiveness in Sula?Was anyone forgiven for anything?

First, let me warn you that this question is strictly opinion-based and subjective.  While one person might say that there is indeed forgiveness and support that opinion textually, another person can just as easily take the opposing side.  I will offer my opinion, but if you compose an answer for a class assignment, it should be in your own voice.

I do not believe there is forgiveness in Sula, but I do believe the two protagonists experience a catharsis from the negative feelings they have held toward one another.  Nel goes to visit Sula on her deathbed when Sula is in excruciating pain.  She feels morally superior to Sula by making this gesture, but she is quickly stricken down by Sula, who feels no regret about the way she has chosen to live her life, including sleeping with Nel's husband.  She says that to her, the event was just another sexual encounter, but Jude was the one who chose to leave the marriage.  Nel leaves unfulfilled, and Sula dies soon after.  Sula's last thought, thought, is of Nel--the one person she ever truly loved--and of how she wishes she could share the moment with her and reassure her that death does not come with pain.  Likewise, after the tragedy on National Suicide Day, Nel realizes that despite all the conflicts throughout their lives, Sula is the only real friend she ever had.  It is only then that she allows herself to grieve for not only the loss of her best friend, but also the loss of her life to being what others expected her to be.

What are the important actions or events in the book The Alchemist by Coelho?

The Alchemist is a fable. A fable has a meaning; it is a cautionary tale. The main character is Santiago which means "saint" in Spanish. He is a shepherd man. He has a dream over and over. It bothers him so much that he seeks help from a gypsy. She tells him, that yes it is important. He must go to the Egyptian pyramids to find a treasure. Ok. He he decides to go but first he meets an old man who tells him you should be looking around and listening. Pay attention to omens the old man says, who is really a king. The king says "the principle of favorability, beginner's luck. Because life wants you to achieve your destiny."Santiago starts his long journey leaving his sheep behind.

This is the story or fable: one must leave behind what they know, what is familiar, to find what is needed to live.

Look at the myth of Odysseus. Look at Homer's The Odyssey and James Joyce's Ulysses. They are all the same story, perhaps the only story there is about how to live.

Why is "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry considered a mystery?

The main event that might classify this short story as a mystery is the lack of specific details and closure at the very end of it.  After Jimmy saves little Agnes from the safe--in the process revealing himself to be a handy safe-breaker and potential criminal--a couple interesting things happen that O. Henry doesn't explain in detail.  The first is that Ben Price, who has spent a significant amount of his career trying to capture the infamous and elusive Jimmy Valentine, and who has travelled miles to arrest him, just lets Jimmy go.  He knows who Jimmy is, and has finally cornered him.  But instead, he nods Jimmy on his way, plays along with Jimmy's game, and lets him go free.  Why?  This is a mystery--there is no indication that he would have done that.  We are left wondering and scratching our heads.

The second mystery of the story centers around why Jimmy leaves after savng Agnes.  It could be one of two reasons--either he knew he had revealed himself as a criminal and knew his fiance and family wouldn't accept him anymore, OR, that breaking into the safe had revived his old love for the thrill of robbing banks, and he knew that he couldn't "settle down" to a life of domesticity.  We aren't told which one prompts him to leave--so, it is a mystery.  Another mystery is what happens after Ben Price lets him off the hook--does Jimmy go back in?  Or, does he keep walking, leaving behind his new life forever?  We don't know.  It's a mystery.

For those reasons, there are elements of mystery to O. Henry's story "A Retrieved Reformation."  I hope that helped; good luck!

One consequence of sin in The Scarlet Letter is that the sinner acquires the ability to sense or recognize the sins of others.Hester realizes that...

I don't think that Hawthorne intended for Hester's being able to "see" inside sinners' hearts to be a general "consequence" of sin, applicable to all characters in then novel. Hester is the only character who "sees" and is then sympathetic toward the sinner. In contrast, Chillingworth recognizes the sin in Dimmesdale's heart because he hounds him and notices how Pearl acts around the minister.  He has keen observation skills, but Hawthorne does not portray Chillingworth as being able to look inside all sinners' hearts. Similarly, if Dimmesdale--as a consequence of his sin--had insight into the hidden sins of others' hearts, he would not need Hester to warn him about Chillingworth's intentions toward him; he would have recognized that for himself. Finally, Mistress Hibbens possesses similar "powers" as Hester.  She points and yells at other "sinners" in the novel, but Hawthorne never makes it clear if she is truly a sinner like Hester or if her eccentricities coupled with her psychic-like abilities simply cause others to view her a witch and unrepentant sinner.

More than likely, Hawthorne bestows Hester's unusual skill upon her to demonstrate that a repentant heart has the ability to empathize with and perhaps even counselor others who have sinned.

For what reason is Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (mainly) set in Padua?why did shakespeare choose this setting? what was/is special about...

It is also possible that Shakespeare chose an Italian setting (Padua for Baptista's house and Verona for Petruchio's) because he wanted to suggest a setting appropriate for characters reminiscent of commedia dell' arte.  Commedia was simply an Italian theatrical comic form with stock characters (young lovers, old miserly man, crafty servants) that was quite popular in Shakespeare's day.  Much about the plot of Shrew emulates common lazzi (comic bits of plot) found in Commedia.

You shouldn't concern yourself too much with why Padua or Verona, since a play's setting is really quite malleable.  Unlike a novel, a play isn't written with a setting frozen in time and place.  The actual time and place of setting is something usually decided upon by those producing and performing it.  So, if you see the play performed live or you watch productions of it that have been filmed, you'll see many choices of time and place.

Even the modern film/TV show inspired by Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You proposes Padua High School as its setting, a setting that could definitely work for a production of the play.

Role of Claudia as a narrator in The Bluest Eye?

I want to add to the wonderful previous posting that this is a particularly good technique from the author to apply the hero/antihero and tragic hero strategies to the story. It is arguable that Claudia as the main narrator could appear to be the "hero" of the story, since she exemplifies all the good things of society: family, stability, joy. Yet, what she is doing, like the previous post noted, was creating the foundation to establish the tragedy of Pecola's reality and her role as a tragic hero within the story. I think this is a great lesson on perspective, and this is something you may want to add as an observation in your answer.

What does the "salt coarse pointing" mean? Explain in details."My Parents kept me from children who were rough" by Stephen Spender

To me, this poem is about a middle class (or above) boy who envies and fears the boys from the lower classes.  He is intimidated by them and their behavior, but he also wishes he could be as free as they seem to be.

The line you cite is in the second stanza where the speaker is talking about the aspects of the boys that he fears.  I think that "salt coarse" is a metaphor that likens the way they point at him to salt.  Salt is coarse (at least rock salt is) and it can sting if you are hit with it or if it is rubbed in wounds.  So the way the boys point at him is coarse (unmannerly, which is frightening to a middle class mannerly boy) and it stings in the wounds that are already in his mind (wounds that come from feeling afraid and constrained from doing as he wants).

So, I believe that "salt coarse" is a metaphor for how the boys' pointing makes him feel.

What are the Factors predisposing to septicaemia?

I. Impaired Host Defenses, for e.g.

Deficiency of cell-mediated/ humoral immunity

Decreased complement level etc.

Diminished inflammatory response

Diabetes mellitus

Malignancy

Prematurity and low birth weight

Intravenous drug abuse

Old age

Immunosuppressive therapy

Splenectomized patients

Uraemia

Hepatic failure

Aplastic anaemia

Myeloma

II. Pre-existing Infections

III. Instrumentation and Surgery Examples

IV. Other Factors Such as-difficult delivery, exposure to infected incubators, exposure to infected ventilators, etc.

Why does O. Henry use the Number 3 as a significant figure in his story "The Gift of the Magi"?

The number three is also a recurring element in a fairy tale. (Incidentally, the numbers 5, 7, and 9 come up sporadically, too.) There are often three sisters, three wishes, three challenges, etc., in which two of these elements are often foils (elements to show contrast) for the third.  Take, for example, the wicked step-sisters of Cinderella. Their ugliness, selfishness and outright meanness contrast with her gentle and noble nature.

In storytelling, this is just enough content to get the story going, develop the suspense until the crisis point, then make a resolution and denouement. This conveniently corresponds to a bedtime story, which lasts between five and ten minutes. However, I think the main point goes along with the first, since along with the element of three is the famous happily-ever-after ending, which is also a signal trait of the fairy tale. Such, at least, is the supposed destiny of Jim and Della.

What are some of the themes in the story 'A Christmas Memory' by Truman Capote, and what kind of a story is this? What is the mood?

The short story by Truman Capote is a nostalgic walk through his childhood and relationship with Miss Sook.  Miss Sook was his elderly cousin who is in her 60"s and Buddy is only 7.  They live together at his grandmother's house.  As a child Truman spent a lot of time with elderly relatives due to his parent’s tumultuous divorce.  He developed a close bond with Miss Sook who was as much a playmate to him as a friend.  The book is the first of several stories that he wrote about his memories of his time spent with Miss Sook.

In the story Miss Sook and Buddy go on an adventure to collect the necessary items to make fruitcake.  Fruitcake was a Christmas tradition and due to the hardship of economic times, the necessary items were in short supply at Miss Sooks.  The theme is about a friendship that crosses over the timeline of age.

The mood is one of nostalgia and simplicity.  It is a happy story with a somewhat sad note at the end.

In "The Road" how do the father's decisions help him raise his son in the world and teach him who to trust and who not to trust?

In addition to the previous post, it is the son's rebellion against the father's paranoid, overprotective parenting that is the turning point in the novel which leads the son to salvation in the end.

There are two turning points in the novel: 1) the boy is nearly taken hostage; 2) the father takes the man hostage.  Both of which lead up to the resolution: the survival of the boy and "the fire," indeed, of all future generations.

In the first scenario, the father is right.  Neither he nor the boy should have trusted the barbarian.  The man was right to shoot him.  If he hadn't, they both would have been dead.  The boy learns not to trust groups of men--bands of marauders, cannibals.

In the second scenario, the boy is right.  Here, the father plays the role of the barbarian: he takes the man hostage.  The father mistakenly takes the same defense against the solitary man on the road as he does against the marauding groups of men.  Here, the boy learns that he can trust a solitary man.  Solitary men "carry the fire."  They are prophets, so to speak.

Luckily, the solitary man does not have a gun or friends; otherwise, they might both be dead.  But it is the son's compassion ("the fire") for the man that spares his life.  The father's fire is extinguishing: he has little compassion left, and he soon dies thereafter.  But the boy trusts the man and convinces his father to let him go.  The boy's instincts are rewarded: the man walks on without incident.

This all leads up to the resolution: when the boy encounters the man with the shotgun on the road after his father dies.  If the boy had followed his father's advice to turning point #1, he would have been killed or never found.  He would have been shot or run away.  Fortunately, the boy has compassion and trust left in mankind ("fire"), and so he walks out on the road.  His decision not to run away or fire on the man with the shotgun allows him to be rescued, to unite with a family, and to "carry on the fire."

Describe Hamlet's confrontation with his mother in Act 3, Scene 4. would you Describe Hamlet as insane or some at this point in the play?

The "closet scene" is the turning point in the play.  This scene reveals Hamlet's Oedipus complex.  Hamlet is in her closet, beside her bed.  To have a bed on stage in a Shakespeare play is a big deal.  It only happens in Othello and Hamlet, and it was the first time it had ever happened.  And to have a mother and son and--in Othello--a black man and white woman around a bed is scandalous for the time.  The implication and threat of sex is palpable.

Hamlet is not insane; he is jealous of Claudius (the father).  Hamlet feels Gertrude should devote herself to him, her grieving son, instead of Claudius.  He wants to kill Claudius, not because the Ghost tells him to, but because he has psychic hostility toward the same-sex parent.  Hamlet wants to take mortal revenge on her, I think, but cannot.  The Ghost appears and reminds him again to leave her to heaven.  So, Hamlet takes verbal and emotional revenge on Gertrude.  He unleashes an ad hominem attack of her with justification: she has been sleeping with the enemy.

Most importantly, Hamlet kills for the first time. He obviously thinks it's Claudius behind the curtain, but it shows that he has, he thinks, overcome his inability to actively take vengeance.  He wants to take vengeance on Claudius, but he has been too heavily guarded.  Now in his mother's closet, to have the King spying on him gives him justification for killing.

Killing Polonius sets up Hamlet's death in Act V, as it gives motivation for Leartes to kill him.  Misdirected revenge begets misdirected revenge.  Claudius has used Gertrude, Ophelia, and now Polonius to do his dirty work for him, and all three of these pawns will be killed off as a result.

In "Fahrenheit 451" How would you characterize Bradbury's attitude toward technology in the future world of the novel?

I would say Bradbury's attitude towards technology is a lot like that of other dystopian novels like 1984 or Brave New World.  He sees technology having two main roles 1) to act as a drug -- making people not really care about what is going on around them and 2) as a destroyer of human beings.

For number one, think about the role of television in this novel.  All anyone wants to do is watch TV.  Millie wants a 4th TV wall and thinks of the characters in her show as real.  Marx said religion was the opiate of the masses.  In this book, TV is.

For number two, think of the mechanical hound and, ultimately, the war planes and bombs.  The hound searches out and destroys people who want to be individuals.  The war technology kills everyone.

So, technology plays a very negative role in the future that this book envisions.

How does electrical energy work in a CD player? A CD player contains more than one electric circuit. The power supply provides the electrical...

1. It's simple! Dry air can provide static electricity! Walking on a carpet, in dry air, it's enough to cause static electricity.

 To prevent,  or even remove the static discharge, the air has to become more lconductive and this can happen by moistening the air. In this case, an humidifier works very well.

2. We know that the plane moves at high altitude(10.000 meters), where there are clouds. Study of the distribution of charges in the clouds showed that in general they are neutral on the whole, but are polarized. There are three types of polarized clouds : polar-positive clouds, polar -negative clouds and three-pole clouds. The first are the most prevalent, followed by the third type. So, you can imagine the amount of static electricity on the plane. When refuelling, the plane charged with electrostatic amount is in the presence of flammable gas, so, in order to avoid suddenly discharging of the static amount, the plane has to be connected to an electrical conductor which, at it's turn, is connected to the ground, in this way, the excess charge could be neutralized.

What are some of Tituba's character traits The Crucible?

Tituba appears mainly in Act 1 of the play and then briefly in Act 4.  When Tituba first enters, she demonstrates timidity and motherliness.  Whether her timidity is a natural or "nurtured" character trait is debatable because she is used to bearing the blame for much of what happens in the Parris household.  Miller, the playwright, notes in Act 1 before Tituba's first lines that she is

"very frightened because her slave sense has warned her that, as always, trouble in [the Parris] house eventually lands on her back."

Despite her obvious fear of Rev. Parris and other town leaders, Tituba does not let that fear interfere with her sense of motherhood which she demonstrates toward little Betty Parris.  As she enters the room where Betty lies in a coma-like state, Tituba is pained that she was kept for so long from her "beloved."  Unlike Betty's own father, Tituba does not think about how Betty's condition will "damage her reputation"; she is mainly worried about Betty's well-being.

Tituba is also a very spirited, entertaining character.  She must have been for Puritan girls to risk so much in order to listen to her tales from Barbados and beyond.  She is believable to the girls, perhaps in part because she is so different from the norm in the Puritan community.

When Tituba is whipped and threatened into confessing to witchcraft, she demonstrates the complete demoralization of a human.  She realizes that she has nothing left to save her.  One, whom she thought of as a family member--Abigail--has betrayed her, and there is literally no one left to defend her.  As a last resort she confesses and names names in order to protect her life.  At this point, she is certainly a desperate character, but like her timidity, this is a character trait that is literally beaten into her.

Finally, at the beginning of Act 4, Tituba shows a lack of sanity.  Perhaps her long stint in jail combined with her already superstitious nature caused her to lean toward insanity.  It would cause the same for most people.  Tituba's last words,

"Take me home, Devil! Take me home!"

illustrate that she is somewhat crazy or that she is so discouraged with what has occurred in the town that she believes it would be better to be with the devil than to be trapped in Salem.

What is the significance of Willy being a salesman in Death of a Salesman?

There are several ways in which this is symbolic and significant:  First, a salesman is a person who puts him or herself out to the mercy of his or her own talent to convince people to buy what they offer. This means, that a salesman should be a powerful, enthralling, convincing, magnetic, and enforcing. This, Willie Loman was...once.

Willie, having lost all these qualities gives the reader the exact picture of who Willie is now, and gives us an schema of what his intellectual power is at this point.

Another significance is that a salesman is also a person who cannot be thought of as a solid foundation to support a home. A salesman is way too dependent on circumstances, making him a very vulnerable and, in the end, breakable person. So was Willie. His life became a consequence of his decisions, and of the choices he made in moments of weakness and this is why, in the end, he only had memories to live by, and lots of things to feel sorry for.

How do you solve this equation? -16= -3v + 5v

First you combine any like terms on either side of the equation.  In this case, add -3v to 5v, which is 2v.  Then you must solve for v.  In order to do this you must isolate the variable (v).  You do this by performing the inverse operation, 2v means 2 multiplied by v, or 2 times v.  The opposite of multiplication is division so you divide 2 by v, 2/v.  Remember, what you do to one side of the equation you must do to the other side to keep it balanced.  So you divide -16 by 2, -16/2.  When you divide 2/v this cancels out the 2 and leaves the v by itself, you have isolated the variable.  When you divide -16/2 you get -8, so the answer is -8 = v.  I will write it in the equation form below:

    -16 = -3v + 5v

     -16 = 2v

 -16/2  = 2v/2

       -8 = v

What is paracentesis and how to do preparation for paracentesis?

Paracentesis is the medical procedure which drains pathological fluid from abdominal cavity . Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is called ascites and can appear in many situations, including: liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, endocrine diseases, nephrotic syndrome, malnutrition, neoplasms, infections (especially in peritoneal tuberculosis in bacterial peritonitis, fungal or parasitic). The liquid is drained using a long thin needle which is passed through the abdominal wall into peritoneal cavity. Generally, the liquid extracted is sent to the laboratory for determining the cause and type of ascites. Paracentesis is done to reduce intra-abdominal pressure in patients with cirrhosis or cancer and to improve breathing and general condition. Therapeutic paracentesis is indicated when the ascites fluid has accumulated in large amount and compromise respiratory function, causing intense abdominal pain or aggravate any umbilical or inguinal hernias present in the patient in question (it significantly increases the risk of incarceration and strangulation of their hernias).

Preparing for paracentesis

Prior to performing paracentesis the patient is advised to notify their physician if taking any drug, if he is allergic to any medicine (including general and local anesthesia), if he had a history of bleeding episodes, difficult to be controlled, if he is in anticoagulant therapy, if he is taking aspirin, NSAIDs or warfarin and, for women, if they are pregnant.

Prior to paracentesis, the patient will give samples to determine if there are problems with blood clotting. If modifying of the parameters of these tests occur, to the patient will be given fresh plasma to correct imbalances.In normal situations it is not used special administration of sedative medication before paracentesis.

The patient is asked that before making puncture to empty their bladder .

The doctor will ask the patient to sign a declaration to give their consent in connection with carrying out the procedure, explaining carefully before, the steps of performing, technical, and risks associated such a maneuver.

Specialists advise patients to thoroughly discuss with their doctor all the details of paracentesis and to become thoroughly familiar with this procedure, before to be done.