Describe Wordsworth as a 19th century poet.What were some main themes in his writing? How is that seen through Tintern Abbey as well as his other...

Eighteenth -century , with Dryden and Pope witnessed , the criticism of the society .Man was the object of poetry .Ther were pre-dominating influence of heroic-couplet , choice of diction ,etc .There began a reaction from the heart of the age of Pope ,-neoclassical age .Gray , Thomson , Burn and Blake , hearlded romantic revival .And in 1798,The Lyrical Ballads , published by Wordsworth ,and Coledrige , officially established the advent of the 19th -century romantic poetry .

As a poet of the three decades of 19th- century , Wordsworth occupies a permanent place .He becomes a link between man and Nature .His theory of writing poetry with rustics -words , and the language of the average , rose a controversy .Again , the idea as ,-there is no difference between the language of prose and that of poetry , came up as a new concept .From 1800-1834, Wordsworth had his sway over the contemporary English -literature .With the beginning of the Victorian age , romantic-poetry did not fade away .The new poetry was a mixture of necromantic and neo classic

.Wordsworth was still appealing , and to the second  -half of the19th century he retained his spell.

I have a few questions that I need answered, as I have an English assignment on "Macbeth" due soon. I am hoping someone can answer them.. 1) How...

In act1 sc.4 Duncan regards Macbeth first by welcoming him as 'O worthiest cousin'. He then shows his gratitude by saying that Macbeth far exceeds any compensation the king can offer him. Duncan goes further on to welcome Macbeth with these words:

"                                    Welcome hither :

I have begun to plant thee, and will labour

To make thee full of growing"

Duncan announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, would be the Prince of Cumberland and the legitimate heir to the throne. This is significant because now Macbeth's chance of being elected as the future king of Scotland is ruled out. Now Macbeth has to adopt the other means to achieve his ambition:

[Aside] "   The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step

On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap..".

As regards your question on Macbeth's soliloquy, let me know which soliloquy you refer to. Is it the soliloquy with which act1 sc.7 begins?

Did World War I end in lasting peace?

World War I most definitely did not end in lasting peace.  In fact, WWI is often seen as one of the major causes of World War II, which was to start only 21 years after the end of WWI.

After the end of WWI, the Allied Powers imposed the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.  That treaty had many harsh provisions that made the Germans very angry and which hurt their economy.

Partly because of German anger at the treaty, Germany soon started trying to break the treaty and return to power.  This helped Hitler come to power in Germany and it helped lead to World War II.

What are food which contain acids?

 ACID FRUITS

all canned, jam, jams, candied fruits, glazed, dried fruit preserved with sulphidefresh fruit consumed sugargreen bananas, green olives, plums.

 ACID VEGETABLES

pepper,Asparagus, rhubarb, all types of beans and lentils except germinated.

ACID CEREALS

pastries, white bread or graham bread, starch, dough, popcorn, corn, pasta, semolina, rice (white, brown, basmati)oatmeal, rice, barley, rye, corn flakes.

ACID DAIRY

Parmesan cheese, fermented cheese, cheese, cottageice cream, sweetened yogurt or yogurt with fruitboiled milk, milk powder, fermented cream.

ACID  COOKED FOOD

Very acidic foods: foods containing cooked tomatoes, broth or tomato paste, soups in which the meat has boiled, soups with added vegetable, cooked spinach, canned.

ACID SWEETS

sweets, cakes, biscuits, wafers, chocolate, synthetic sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, sorbitol), artificial honey or processed with sugar, fructose, lactose.

 ACID ANIMAL

sausage, all meats of mammals, birds, fish, gelatin, fat, caviar, chicken eggs.

ACID BEVERAGES

all alcoholic beverages, soft synthetic, cola, coffee, cocoa, soda.

MISCELLANEOUS - Acid

pickles made with vinegar, Mayonnaises, refined salt, sauces, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard (paste), curry,synthetic food additives: flavoring, coloring, glutamate, preservatives as: benzoate, vinegar, salt, smoke.

ACID OIL FOOD

refined sunflower oil or olive, fruit seed oil and baked or fried,nuts, pistachios.

CUSTOMS producing ACID

smoking, flavoring and synthetic perfumes,insufficient sleep, synthetic drugs overuse, grief, anger, stress, anger, rebellion.

What does Giles Corey's action reveal about his character? And Elizabeth?Giles assents to be put to death without responding to the charges against...

The previous post was quite lucid in its response.  I would only add that the fact that Giles Corey demands "More weight" at his execution reveals much about both he and the setting in which he finds himself unfortunately immersed.  One element present is that he demands more punishment as both a way to bring attention to the morally heinous condition of politics and abuse of power.  In demanding "More weight," it is almost a condemnation of the murdering of innocence.  Additionally, I think that in Corey's demand, one understands the idea of how individuals always have a voice, despite the conditions that threatens silence.  In Corey's last words, he is utilizing his freedom in a situation where so many have sought to silence it.  I think this is probably where much of both his character and Miller's statements about the perversion of justice in Salem are evident for all to see.

In Act III, what is Hamlet's reaction to what he has done?Describe this reaction from "Hamlet" by Shakespeare.

I'll make some assumptions here. First, I'll assume that you meant to write, "In act 3, what is Hamlet's reacton to what he has done?" That said, the other assumption is that you are talking about the biggest thing Hamlet does in the act, and that is that he finally kills someone. Hoping that who he stabs through the curtain is King Claudius, Hamlet finds that he has killed the eavesdropping Polonius instead. This is his reaction:

QUEEN:

O me, what hast thou done?

HAMLET:

Nay, I know not. Is it the King?

QUEEN:

O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!

HAMLET:

A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother,

As kill a king, and marry with his brother.

QUEEN:

As kill a king?

HAMLET:

Ay, lady, it was my word.

Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!

I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.

Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.

In short, he feels it's too bad that it wasn't the king dead there on the floor, and he is remorseless because he still has bigger fish to fry. He even blames Polonius for being the busy body that he was. No big deal. Then Hamlet wastes not time in ripping into his mother and tells her of how bad she has been to have married her first husband's murderer.

The act ends with Hamlet's acknowledgment that his killing of Polonius will set a number of things into motion, and that's just fine with him:

There's letters seal'd; and my two schoolfellows,

Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,

They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way

And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;

For 'tis the sport to have the enginer

Hoist with his own petar; and ' shall go hard

But I will delve one yard below their mines

And blow them at the moon. O, 'tis most sweet

When in one line two crafts directly meet.

This man shall set me packing:

I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room.

Mother, good night. Indeed, this counsellor

Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,

Who was in life a foolish prating knave.

Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.

Good night, mother.

All in all, Hamlet seems to have been invigorated by what he has done and is rather pleased with himself and with what might come next.

What are the laws of thermodynamics?Explain in brief.

Thermodynamics: Chapter of the physics where phenomena which are ranging in temperature, have the primary role of the study. These phenomena involve the thermal motion of matter and energy transformation from one form to another.

Thermodynamics is based on experiences from where came out laws or principles of law, known as zero law, the first (first principle), the second law (second principle) and the third  law(third principle).

Zero law of thermodynamics
  Two thermodynamic systems put in contact and isolated from environment, reach themselves (eventually) the state of thermal equilibrium.
  Zero law is the basis for methods of measurement of body temperature.
First principle of thermodynamics
This principle is an extension of the law of energy conservation in the processes occurring thermal motion of matter.
The existence of heat as a form of energy transfer has been a particular problem in the history of thermodynamics. Only Joule's experiments  proved and confirmed the similar nature of heat and mechanical work. Subsequent experiments showed that mechanical work and heat are the only forms of energy transfer between a thermodynamic system and environment.
The first principle of thermodynamics introduces a new size of a state called internal energy, which is equal to the sum of all the kinetic energy of molecules of a body.
Thus, the first principle (Mayer formulation ) says that a system adiabatically isolated from the environment can change his internal energy  due to external mechanical work  performed (ΔL = ΔQ = U2-U1). If the system is adiabatically isolated and there is heat exchange between system and environment,then  ΔU = ΔQ-ΔL.

To conclude, the first law of thermodynamics is the law of conservation of matter and existing energy.

The first law of thermodynamics has a great importance in the study of thermal machines.  Thermal machine is called that device which takes heat from the outside making it into mechanical work.
 

The second principle of thermodynamics

Conservation laws are expressed mathematically in terms of the equalities. So, the first principle allows the transformation of energy from one form to another, as long as the total energy are preserved, therefore there is no restriction on converting heat into mechanical energy and vice versa.
From mathematical point of view, principle II is represented by an inequality and is not a conservation law.

Formulation of the second principle, that is most important in our study, is the formulation that includes a new size of state characterizing the organization of a system, called entropy.

Increasing entropy principle says:
In any adiabatic process, the entropy of any system  increases or remain constant, ΔS ≥ 0, where "=" is for reversible processes  and ">" for irreversible processes.

This principle is important precisely because it says that in nature there is a law of change whose directions are downward and not upward as evolution implies.
Classical thermodynamic says entropy increases for any physical process and the energy tends to lower levels of use.
Statistical thermodynamics says that every amount of energy has an associated size of the state called entropy which measures the degree of disorder of the system.

 

In "The Crucible" why do Parris and Hale have differing opinions on the witchcraft scare? What are their opinions on it?

Parris and Hale flip-flop their positions throughout the play.  At the beginning of the play, it is Parris who does not want to believe that witchcraft is occuring; he has just discovered Abby, Betty and other dancing and doing other questionable things in the forest.  If that information gets out, it will put a black mark on his reputation, and people already don't like him in the town. He is desperate to keep that information hidden, and if Betty is declared "bewitched," he fears that the entire town will turn against him.  He sent for Hale hoping Hale could debunk the rumors of witchcraft, so that Parris's reputation could be saved.  Hale on the other hand, fully believes that he has discovered a cove of witchcraft.  Tituba openly confesses, along with all of the other girls, and he is exultant that he was able to break the devil's hold on them, and to help them repent and turn away.  He zealously goes about hunting down the supposed witches.

However, at the end of the play, Hale has done a complete turn-around.  Proctor, with his pained confession of adultery, has convinced him of Abby's fraud and manipulation.  He has seen the corruption of the courts, and realizes that all of the accusations of witchcraft were fake.  He feels horrible; he feels that "there is blood upon my head," because he himself signed so many death warrants.  So, he sets about trying to get the accused to confess in order to save their lives.  Parris  on the other hand, is at this time a believer in the witchcraft; throughout the play he has become an important figure of the courts, and feels pride and vanity over that role.  For a while, people like him the better for it.  He encourages and supports various accusations of witchcraft, doing all he can to aid and abet the courts in finding people guilty.  So, Parris and Hale have, by the end of the play, done a complete role reversal when it comes to their opinions on the witchcraft.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Why was the task of governing such a difficult one for President Washington and Congress?

President Washington had no precedent for being president.  However, the Constitution was carefully organized to regulate powers between the various branches of government, and those in whatever governmental office respected that. Members of Congress also respected Washington and all he had done to the point that no one, and no political party, opposed him. On the surface, then, it would appear that governance should have proceeded smoothly.  However, everyone felt that this second government of the new nation had better work, since the failure of the Articles of Confederation. The British were still capable of "rejoining the wayward colonies," and the deteriorating political conditions in France made the strongest ally a potential new external threat.

In addition to foreign affairs, the pressing domestic issue was not that the Federal Government had no means of collecting tax revenue; the issue was there was no revenue to collect!  The War for Independence had cost not only blood, but treasure, which had been freely given to the cause, but few had much in the way of money after the war was won.  Congress assumed each state's war debt, and struggled to repay it.

Finally, Washington, along with the rest of the nascent Federal Government, set up shop in New York City, then Philadelphia, and then finally, Washington, DC.  Moving, especially in those times, must have made governing even more difficult.

What effect did the pills have on Jonas and the other people who took them?In Lois Lowry's 'The Giver.'

The pills stifled the libido (sex drive), so actually they were a form of chemical castration!  In a world of sameness, there was no place for opposites of anything, including the sexes and intense emotional feelings. Jonas's mother explained to him that adolescents and adults took them until they went to the House of the Old. At this point, pills were no longer necessary, nor were family ties either, for that matter!

Jonas later has a "memory" imparted to him of a Christmas scene and wonders why the Community ever did away with the feeling of belonging in a family - with children, parents and grandparents. With an gnawing emptiness in his heart, he asks his father if he loves him, to which he replies that he "enjoys" him very much. Jonas then feels the "loss" of something he has never really known.

It is interesting that the first intentional act of rebellion "against the system" Jonas ever committed was when he decided not to take the pills. In a way, this is a crisis moment in that after having made this choice, for Jonas there is no turning back.

Can you please help answer the following questions from Night, by Elie Wiesel?

1. When Elie's mother and sister are told to move to the right, what does this mean? It means that they have been "selected" for extermination. Elie's mother is most likely sent directly to her death because of her older age, and his youngest sister is so young that she is not viewed as a useful worker.

2. Why did the "man" tell Elie and his father to lie about their age? Elie has to lie and say that he is older, and his father has to say that he is younger so that they will be viewed as workers who can survive in the camps rather than being executed immediately.

3. What were the murmurs Elie heard? Elie hears people murmuring about the flames (which were eerily predicted by Madame Schachter) and also about being separated from spouses, children, and other family members.

4. In which direction were Elie and his father directed? They were told to move to the left. These words are significant to Elie because this is when he was separated from his mother and when he saw her and his sister for the last time.

5. What was the mockery? Elie and his father at first see the camp as not being so bad.  This is only a false sense of security that will not last long. The Nazis make a mockery of the Jews' trusting nature.

6. Why did Elie call himself spoiled? After Elie and his dad are separated from the rest of the family and are spared execution, Elie considers himself rather lucky because he has shoes, an item that many of the other prisoners do not have the luxury of having.

7. Who is Stein? Stein is related to Elie, and he arrived at the camp before Elie.

8. What lie did Elie tell Stein? Elie tells Stein that he had seen Stein's wife and family before he was deported and that they had escaped and were safe.  He can't bear to tell his relative that his family is most likely all dead.

Why does Gene, against his better judgement, jump from the tree? In your opinion, dose this show Gene to be strong or weak? Explain.

Peer pressure. Everyone else is jumping, so Gene does too, much to Finny's encouraging and persuasion. Gene, at this point in the novel, is easily influenced, and in some respects is still "finding himself." I don't think it necessarily means he is weak, but rather, human. In the absence of Finny, Gene later finds himself and his own opinions and personality, and grows the backbone he so sorely needs in the beginning of this novel.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Atticus's response when the children ask him to borrow a gun?

Shortly after the Tom Robinson trial, Bob Ewell confronted Atticus outside the post office, where he cursed him, spat in his face, threatened to fight him and promised to kill him. Atticus turned the other cheek and walked away, but Jem and Scout were worried about the death threat. Scout suggested that since Atticus was once the deadest shot in the county, he should get a gun for protection. Jem assured her that Atticus wouldn't carry one because "he told me havin' a gun around is an invitation to somebody to shoot you." But Jem decided to suggest that Atticus borrow one anyway. Atticus' response: "Nonsense."

"Pride and Prejudice" is concerned with various aspects of love and marriage. Discuss.

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" raises important moral issues concerned with the institution of marriage.

The most important one being how much money is necessary for a happy and successful marriage:"Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end and avarice begin?" (Ch.27)

In Ch.33 Col Fitzwilliam Darcy the younger son of an earl and obviously a very rich man hints to Elizabeth that he can't marry her: "Our habits of expense make us too dependent, and there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marrywithout some attention to money."   Was he beingprudent or avaricious in not marrying Elizabeth? Jane Austen leaves it to the readers to decide.

On the contrary, Darcy also a very rich man overlooks Elizabeth's impoverished financial status and goes out of the way to ensure that Wickham marries Lydia so that the Bennet's  family honour is intact. His love  for her compels him to virtually bribe Wickham his worst enemy into doing so. This clearly establishes that he is a noble and generous person and Elizabeth readily accepts his second marriage proposal in Ch.58.

Another important theme is the contrasting lifestyle of different social groups which is structurally central to a Jane Austen novel. In "Pride and Prejudice" the landed gentry represented by Darcy  is contrasted with the newly rich trading class represented by Bingley.

But most importantly the harsh reality of a bleak future  for a dependent unwed old woman is hinted at when Charlotte Lucas' brothers are relieved that Collins  is going to marry their sister, for otherwise they would have to look after her in her old age.

'Romantic love' is the central theme which unites all the incidents and the characters in "Pride and Prejudice." But there is nothing 'romantic' about Jane Austen's treatment of 'romantic love' in the novel. 'Romantic love' is checked and controlled by the incomes and financial freedom of the partners involved. In this manner Jane Austen is able to blend 'romance' and 'realism.' For example, Lydia and Wickham who elope 'romantically' have to be rescued by the generosity of Darcy before they are married.

The restraining power of money on 'romantic love' is spelt out in the thematic statement found in Ch.27, "Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?", when Elizabeth replies to her anunt's query concerning Miss King the latest lover of Wickham. Her aunt is relieved to know that Elizabeth is not in love with Wickham who has virtually no income at all and is only employed temporarily in the Militia.

Another important consideration in love and marriage was the social classto which the characters belonged:

At that time, ownership of land and not money was the single most important criterion which determined the social status of an individual. Lady Catherine tries unsuccessfully to dissuade Elizabeth from marrying Darcy,because she is poorer than him but Elizabeth angrily retorts: "In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter: so far we are equal."(Ch.56).

What is the theme of "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov?

When trying to work out the theme of a story, we need to remember that the theme is the overall meaning of a work of literature that usually expresses a view or comment on life. Writers rarely state their theme directly; the reader must consider the complex interplay of all of the elements of the story in order to piece together the possible meanings of the work as a whole. Discerning themes always requires a tolerance for ambiguity - especially in an open-ended story like "The Bet" that raises more questions than it answers.

Considering this, there appear to be a number of possible themes that we could apply to this intriguing short story. One central idea seems to be concerning the value of earthly possessions and knowledge. Remember how the lawyer chooses to renounce the money he would gain by winning the bet, because he realises that all earthly treasures are ephemeral and will pass away:

"To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dreamed as of paradise and which now I despise."

The lawyer describes human learning and culture as being "worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage." In his opinion, these things blind us to the ultimate reality of death that will "wipe [us] of the face of the earth as though [we were] no more than mice burrowing under the floor..." Surely this must lie at the heart of the message of this short story - the lawyer, through his time of reflection and study in solitary confinement, has realised and understood the true insignificance of man and the superiority of death in the face of all of our supposed achievements. This story thus cries out for man to not think too highly of himself and to realise his proper position in the order of things.

Identify and explain what could go wrong if your blood pH goes below, 7.0. And, what could go wrong if your blood pH were to increase above 7.8.

The ideal pH for blood is from 7.3 - 7.4, or slightly alkaline. The body has several mechanisms for regulating blood pH. If blood pH is too low (which is typical, as most of what we eat is acidic) the body introduces minerals (particuarly potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium) to buffer the blood. If your diet contains enough of these minerals, all is well; if not, the body leaches them from wherever it can - particularly from your bones and muscles.

If the blood pH is low, early symptoms may include skin eruptions, headaches, allergies, cold- and flu-like symptoms, and sinus problems. If the blood pH remains low, orgains such as thyroid glands, adrenal glands, and the liver may begin to fail. Low blood pH decreases oxygen levels in the blood, slowing or even stopping cellular metabolism. Ultimately, this could lead to death.

The blood can become too alkaline as well (from lack of acidic foods, ingesting alkaline products such as antacids), resulting in alkalosis. Symptoms include dizziness and lightheadedness, and (like acidosis) decrease in oxygen levels in the blood.

What is the ancient meaning of state? Jean Jacques Rousseau.What is the ancient meaning of state, sovereignty, democracy, and war according to...

Jean Jacques Rousseau is considered to be one of the great thinkers of the 18th century.  He found fame because of his talent and philosophical thoughts on many topics. 

On the topic of war, Rousseau believed that in order for humans to be in a state of war, their thoughts would have to be complex relative to ideas on property, ideas about their future, and the identification of other humans as being threatening. 

 He also felt that the individual who has most to lose is the one who would serve to organize other individuals to halp protect his resources.

Of government he determined that government and state was the intended to be a unified whole of the population.

To maintain a happy population and  balance the state must:

-follow the general will of the public

-ensure the general will agrees with the whole of the population

-public needs must be satisfied

What does Act 2 reveal about the mental state of Hamlet?

At the beginning of Act 2, we find that Hamlet has been quite successful in putting on his "antic disposition."  He has frightened Ophelia and fooled Polonius into thinking he is mad because Ophelia had broken off her relationship with Hamlet at Polonius' request.  Claudius believes that something else is up with Hamlet--which is true-- and wants to explore Hamlet's state of mind further.  Gertrude probably is closest to the truth of what is bothering Hamlet --his father's death and her hasty marriage.  We know that he is certainly despondent about this series of events.  We also know that he is acting.  Through his mad act, Hamlet has been able to ascertain whom he can trust.  He knows Ophelia will confide in her father who will go immediately to the king.  He knows that he cannot trust his former friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  Despite what many readers think, Hamlet has proceeded cautiously and wisely in his revenge on Claudius.  His actions seem contrived to hide his pain and his true intention of revenge as well as to determine just how alone he truly is in his mission to commit regicide and patricide--crimes no one should take lightly. Hardly the thought processes of a truly insane person. Yet, he is overwhelmingly sad.  Denmark is a prison for him; loved ones have betrayed him; he is impatient to do something.  At the end of Act 2, Hamlet delivers what is probably his most emotional soliloquy: "Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I."  In this soliloquy, Hamlet is clearly angry that he has been unable to act directly on his revenge.  Maybe deep down he is also angry that he doesn't quite have the stomach for killing.  He compares himself to the actor who can become emotional over a fictional character, Hecuba, who means nothing to him.  Hamlet wonders what the actor would do if he had the "motive and cue for passion that I have."  So, Hamlet concocts another scheme: the play scene.  This scheme will confirm Claudius' guilt, and Claudius' reaction will motivate Hamlet to respond in kind.  What we see in Act 2 is the workings of a truly brilliant mind: one who is cautious, impatient, alienated, angry, and disillusioned--not one who is insane.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Cecil Jacobs do before the pageant which helps set up the incidents which occur after the pageant?

Cecil Jacobs makes his presence known before the Halloween pageant in To Kill a Mockingbird, so, naturally, Jem and Scout thinks it is him again afterward when they hear the mysterious noise following them. On their way to the pageant,

    Someone leaped at us.
    "God Almighty!" Jem yelled.
    A circle of light burst in our faces, and Cecil Jacobs jumped in glee behind it. "Ha-a-a, gotcha! he shrieked. "Thought you'd be comin' along this way!"  

After the pageant, Jem tells Scout to be quiet, and they listen for a noise. Whenever they stop walking, the sound stops as well. But they finally decide that

    "It's just old Cecil," said Jem presently. "He won't get us again. Let's don't let him think we're hurrying."

Jem and Scout both take turns yelling at the unseen Cecil, but he never appears. Scout thinks it unusual for him "to hold out for so long." They soon find out that the noise does not belong to Cecil.

How does Scout learn about the evils in the world in To Kill a Mockingbird? Please provide specific examples.

    For a girl Scout's age, she sure seems to know a great deal about the outside world and the perils it has to offer in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.  Her father, Atticus, believes in a straightforward approach and holds back little when it comes to his talks about life in Maycomb. Brother Jem contributes greatly to Scout's knowledge, and she soaks in most of her other "learnin'" from her neighbors and teachers.
    She learns that her mother's fatal heart attack "ran in her family." She uncovers the apparent evils of the Radley Place from Miss Stephanie. She is taught that her father is a poor educator from her first grade teacher, Miss Caroline:

"... You tell him I'll take over from here and try to undo the damage--"

She discovers about poverty and entailment from Atticus' talks about the Cunninghams. She sees first-hand the random destruction of fire when Miss Maudie's house burns to the ground. She feels the sorrow of child neglect from the experiences of her friend, Dill. The world of drug addiction becomes clearer through Jem's time spent with Mrs. Dubose.
     Scout first glimpses the world of bigotry beginning with her playmate, Cecil Jacobs, and her cousin, Francis.

"... I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family."

It becomes even clearer when she watches the Tom Robinson trial in person, sees that he is an innocent man, and then witnesses the jury declare him guilty. She perceives the depths of human hatred up close in Bob Ewell, and the hypocrisy of the deeply religious in Mrs. Merriweather. She is warned of the atrocities of Hitler by her teacher, Miss Gates, whose own words cannot be trusted.

"... I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em (Maycomb's Negroes) a lesson... Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home--"

And in the final chapters, she personally feels the hand of vengeance and violence while in the grip of Bob Ewell before being saved by the man whose own supposed devilishness she had feared as a younger, less worldly child.

WHAT IS ESSENTIALISM

Essentialism is a cognitive process which means a spontaneous, unconscious and intuitive mannet to represent things or persons and to consider that their own characteristics  are caused by an "essence" of their own category. This substance is clearly fictional and its associated characteristics may be observable realities or, in turn, pure fiction. (modular theory of brain from psychology development and cognitive anthropology).

 Cognitive Essentialism  lies manifestly in the concept of "soul", that immaterial essence that animate human beings, or all beings in general, regarding  the considered religious faith.

Totemism is a form of religious Essentialism.In ancient tribal societies,to each individual was assigned a totem, that was a symbol that results from what clan the individual belongs. This put the individual in relation to ancestors and supernatural forces. This is one of the most rudimentary forms of religious life.

Religion becomes the expression of a cognitive process of categorization, an Essentialism, which is more effective than a simple ranking method based on similarities. It allows us to establish fast connections such as cause and effect when we have no idea about the real causes of the phenomenon we observe.

In The Crucible, who is a wealthy businessman who uses the witch trials to profit?

There are many instances of individuals who use the trials for personal advancement of agendas or self interest.  Abigail uses the trials to secure her own sense of importance.  Thomas Putnam is an example of a character who uses the trials as profit.  Seizing the opportunity to advance his own wealth through the trials, he uses the witch trials to increase his own wealth by accusing people of witchcraft and then buying up their land.  As individuals are accused, their land is bought for cut rate prices.  This helps Putnam to consolidate his sense of control throughout the community and benefits directly from the Witchcraft Trials.  The implication in Putnam's character is the idea that individuals can manipulate the system as an instance where the good is professed, but ulterior motives are advanced.  In this configuration of politics, Miller demands the need for courageous institutions that can rectify the manipulation of a legal and social system.

What are the psychological impacts of wearing a burqa for both Mariam and Laila in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The women's responses to being forced to wear burqas demonstrate their self-image.  Mariam doesn't mind wearing the burqa--it provides security for her, especially since she does not view herself as worthy or attractive.  The burqa allows her to hide; so psychologically it furthers Mariam's poor self-image and her desire and ability to continue her hiding.

In contrast, Laila has always had positive reactions to her physical appearance, respect from her family members as a female, and a healthy sense of independence.  When she is forced to wear a burqa by her abusive husband, she bristles and begins to lose some of her confident, positive self-image.

What excuse does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

The episode you are referring to happens in Act II, Scenes 1 and 2 of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

In Act II, Scene 1, Macbeth decides that he will kill Duncan.  He hesitates a bit, giving his soliloquy about the knife and whether he really wants to go through with the murder, but when he hears the bell his wife rings he goes and kills Duncan.

Although Lady Macbeth wants Duncan dead (and although she provides the knife for Macbeth to use), she doesn't do it herself.  The excuse she gives is that Duncan, when sleeping, looks too much like her father.

I laid their daggers ready;
He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done't.

"Preach! Write! Act! Do anything save to lie down and die."Who said this?Who did they say it to?What does it mean?thanks

Hester suggests that Dimmesdale flee the community, either by boarding a ship or wandering further into the interior, anywhere where Chillingworth cannot get to him. By leaving he could perchance reestablish himself and preach to the "red men." Both Hester and Dimmesdale realize that his will to live, his spirit continues to be eroded by his contact with Chillingworth, and his physical and mental health continue to falter.  Hester even volunteers to flee with him, to be his support.  Sadly, this phrasing is a bit of foreshadowing, as the minister never leaves the village, and does, in fact, lie down and die at his confession.

How does the Scotch half-breed treat the dogs and why is this important to Buck's future?

The Scotch half breed treats the sled dogs fairly even though he pushes them extremely hard. He comes into Buck's life after Francois and Perrault depart the story. The author may have purposely unnamed this character to add to the idea that Buck's time with him was characterized as "business-like." Buck did the work. That's all there was for him to do. No time to become emotionally involved with his owner. In a sense, this experience served Buck well in that it taught him to work hard. And in doing so, the "reward" would be satisfaction that the work was done. That's all. Task + hard work = task finished. As a consequence, it left Buck longing for more out of his life. Could a demanding master also be a loving master? That question would be answered when John Thornton subsequently became Buck's master.

What is the theme in the "The Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway?

One theme in Hemingway's The Old Man at the Bridge is sense of duty. The old man the soldier meets at the bridge feels it is his duty to act as a shepherd, and watch over his flock. The old man believes that he must watch over the four doves, the cat, and the two goats in San Carlos. The artillery fire is why he and others of the town are evacuated.

The young soldier feels that it is his duty to carry out the orders of the evacuation to ensure overall success in the war. While he encounters the old man at the bridge and feels some empathy for him, the soldier does nothing to aide the old man. The old man is tired and old yet the soldier does nothing for him, opting to keep to his sense of duty to the military and his orders.

It is up to the reader to decide which man is the better person. The old man places the needs of other living things over his own well being and the need to save himself. While he does leave the living things behind, it is due to the fact of old age and the forced evacuation. He would have taken care of them otherwise. The old man represents nature and morality. His duty is to care for nature.

The soldier places the need of the man made and unnatural as priority. He offers a kind ear to the old man but does nothing physically to change the old man's situation. While the soldier has orders, he could have taken a moral point of view in the old man's dilemma. The young soldier represents man's neglect of nature and tendency toward war or violence.

In the story "By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benet, why does John say, "we must build again" at the end of the story? Explain.

Just before he makes this statement, John has been to the city of the gods, which was really just the ruins of a great and advanced civilization.  He discovered many books, learned truths about these people and their destruction, and had his eyes opened to the many technological advances that they possessed.  He realizes that the people of this civilization had life very easy and were extremely comfortable; he also realizes that they had great truths and wisdom.  In their books, it revealed that they understood so much, and had so much knowledge at their fingertips.  Knowledge is something that it is evident from the beginning of the story that John craved.  So, he comes back to his tribe, and realizes just how far from all of that they are; they are living so differently, and have regressed in so many ways.

John wants to build society again, to make those same advances in technology and in wisdom.  He wants to have all of the knowledge that the people in the city of the gods had.  He realizes that to do that, they must start building again--not just literally, but building their knowledge base, building on their perceptions, and opening their eyes and minds to the possibilities that exist.

John's real quest isn't only just to build, but to build without making the same mistakes as their predecessors.  His father warns him that too much knowledge all at once can be harmful, and John agrees.  He realizes that even though these people had all the knowledge and advancements that they could want, they did not use it wisely.  They "ate the truth too fast."  Too much power that isn't tempered by wisdom, frugality and maturity only leads to destruction.  So, he wants to build again, but slowly, the right way, so that they can have all of the good things of the old civilization, without the destruction that ended it.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

In "Hamlet" does Hamlet undergo any changes throughout the story? Does he grow psychologically? Morally? Spiritually?

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet appears to be a rather petulant and highly depressed individual.  Whether or not this is representative of is normal self is unclear--after all, his father has just died, and his mother has formed an "o'er hasty" attachment to his uncle.  These could give any normal person cause to whine and mope a bit.  So, taking that as a starting point, we can see some pretty significant changes in Hamlet throughout the play.

Psychologically, at the beginning of the play, he is tormented about how and if to enact revenge.  He is torn--he doesn't know what to do.  His conscience steps in, telling him that murder is wrong, then his emotions take over and tell him to just do it, and he battles himself for most of the play.  Psychologically, he ponders death and suicide, and his unenviable position.  But by the end of the play, he is at ease in his mind.  He has resolved that "the readiness is all," and is ready to enact revenge.  He is no longer conflicted, torn within himself, and going back and forth.

Morally, Hamlet also resolves his potential dilemma with murder.  He plays a role in the death of his good friends, and is ready to murder his uncle.  So, that could constitute a degradation of his morals, although he feels that it is being true to himself and what he knows is true about others.  Morally speaking, we see him turn from a bitter person to a ranting and accusatory friend and son; he takes the high ground against his mother and Ophelia, lashing out against them, and expressing great moral angst over the transgressions of women.  By the end of the play, he seems to be at peace with even this.  He no longer lashes out at his mother, and seems geniunely distressed over Ophelia's death.

Spiritually, Hamlet is unhealthily attached to the idea of death and Hell at the beginning of the play. He can't commit suicide for fear of repercussions in the next life, his father's ghost might be a "demon from Hell" come to tempt him to murder, and he can't kill his uncle while his uncle is praying because that might send him to heaven.  By the end of the play however, he has put aside his spiritual qualms and decided to act, even if it means dying.  He resolves to be strong, and not let spiritual excuses stand in the way of action.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Explain and analyse 'The Superannuated Man' by Charles Lamb.I need the answer urgently in details with explanations.

'The superannuated Man' is first of all an autobiographical essay.In this essay the author,Charles lamb is an employer of a shop at Mincing lane.After he has finished his job life of long 36 years he starts to face bewilderment and confusion at first as a prisoner in Bastille when freed from long confinement or as someone blind who is unable to enjoy the dazzling light.so, clearly, from this description we can imagine how the drudgery of his working life damaged his soul and mind to react with any type of pleasure.Not only this but he starts to miss his colleagues and he starts to have a strange feeling as if they were dead.But soon he recovered from his confusion and started to enjoy the life fully by recreating with his friends,reading,wrting etc.And he realized the truth that a contemplated life is better than the life of action.At the end of the essay he also mentioned'opus operatum est' means the work alloted to the author has been completed and now he is waiting for superannuation from his life.Full of pathos with some hints of humour..........

In Julius Ceasar, why does the Senate wish to make Caesar king?

The beginning of this excellent tragedy presents Caesar as a man who enjoys both power and popularity. This is emphasised from the very outset of the play, where in Act I scene 1 the people are shown to be incredibly excited and thrilled by Caesar's triumphant return to Rome after his latest military successes. It is clear that Caesar is not only an able leader but that also he enjoys the popularity and support of the Roman populace as a whole. Note how Cassius describes him in Act I scene 2, somewhat ironically:

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

Like a Colossus, and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about

To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Cassius here describes Caesar in a way that he believes will help highlight the dangers of the amount of power he is gaining, but his description does draw attention to the way in which Caesar was becoming a larger-than-life leader, a figurehead for the Romans. The popular opinion wanted Caesar to be king therefore because of the military successes he had achieved and also because of his obvious charisma and leadership qualities. The play draws attention to the immense power of the mob, and it is clear that the support that Caesar enjoys with the mob is also key to the decision to try and offer him the crown. As later events demonstrate, he who controls the mob controls Rome, and thus it could be argued that Caesar was offered the crown because the mob desired it and the Senate members were afraid of what might happen if Caesar was not offered the crown.

Describe Brutus' idealism.you may also give examples from the acts of the play...

Marcus Brutus is a very close friend of Caesar's and he is a servant also. However Brutus is very idealistic and feels more committed to Rome.In Rome it was next to impossible to appraoch a high level person. Therfore it is not unusual that a close person kills or undermines another.Brutus was
often talking to Caesar. This shows his love for Casear. However he fears the power of his(Caesar's) position. Brutus says to Cassius, "What means this shouting? I do fear the people do choose Caesar for their king...yet I love him well."(act 1, scene 2, ll.85-89), Brutus really loves Caesar but is so idealistic that he won't allow him to betray the Roman people by ignoring them. Brutus says, "climber-upward...He then unto the ladder turns his back..."(act 2,
scene 1, ll.24,26). As the quote says, Brutus would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then ignore the people who helped him gain power--the people of Rome.
Brutus talks to Antony (later after Caesar's death) about Caesar. "Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; and pity
to the general wrong of Rome..."(act 3, scene 1, ll.185-186). Brutus admits he feels pity about Casear's death.
This depicts Brutus' idealism and how he loved Caesar but
cared more about Roman's lives. The main reason he would conspire was due to his idealistic
reasons. Brutus says inwardly"I know no personal cause to spurn at him...How that might change his nature..."(act 2, scene1, ll. 1,13)

Please explain what fermentation is, and explain also how a product (such as wine) is made.

Energy yielding oxidation in which the oxidant is an organic compound is called fermentation. In fermentation, organic compounds act both as electron donors and acceptors. Fermentation is of five types:

1) Alcoholic fermentation: In alcoholic fermentation pyruvic acid is metabolized to ethyl alcohol through acetaldehyde.

2) Lactic acid fermentation: This is one step reaction similar to glycolysis of mammalian cells. Pyruvic acid is reduced to lactic acid.

3) Propionic acid fermentation: In this type of fermentation by propinonic acid bacteria (e.g Propionibacterium)the product is propionic acid.

4) Formic acid fermentation: Most enteric bacteria carry out this type of fermentation. Pyruvate metabolism results in many different products, but formate is always produced.

5) Mixed amino acid fermentation: This type of fermentation takes place during putrefaction.

Wine is made from juice of grapes or other fruits by allowing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var.ellipsoideus to induce alcoholic fermentation. It contains about 10-12% alcohol.

There are of two types of Bacteria. These are as follows:

1) Useful bacteria: ex: Pseudomonas radicicola,Mycoderma aceti,Clostridium butyclium,Escherichia coli

2) Harmful baceria:ex:Xanthomonas citri,Diplococcus pneumonie,Pseudomonas coli

What happens in the 4th marking period of Speak?

The fourth marking period contains much of the rising action, the climax, and the resolution of the novel Speak.  The PTA gets upset about the new "Hornet" school mascot (mostly because of the "horny, horny hornets" cheer).  Spring arrives, and the family celebrates Easter in a sad way (with lamb chops) while Melinda rests during Spring Break. 

An important event of spring break is that Melinda actually talks to Ivy at the mall.  Ivy begins being friendly again with Melinda, . . . and even helps Melinda begin drawing a decent tree for her art project.  They start to study genetics in biology.  Melinda's former best friend Rachel (now going by the more European "Rachelle") begins dating Andy (BEAST), and Melinda fights with herself (within her mind) on whether to be protective of Rachel or to let Rachel get hurt by Andy.  Melinda retreats to her closet where even Maya Angelou (on a poster) begs Melinda to tell Rachel. 

Rachel does a good report on Suffragettes, but refuses to read it in front of the class.  Melinda's lab partner (friend?) David tells her that refusing to read the report actually negates all that the Suffragettes fight for.  When Melinda realizes that David is right, she decides to speak with Rachel, yet Melinda still chooses spring yard work over facing her fears. 

Ivy and Melinda continue to talk, agreeing that Andy (BEAST) is bad news for Rachel and even the graffiti on the bathroom wall echos their sentiment.  Heather returns and pretends friendship in order to use Melinda for help with another art project.  Melinda refuses. 

Melinda finally talks to Rachel.  Rachel is receptive up until the point where Melinda accuses Andy of rape.  Rachel storms off, accusing Melinda of jealousy, . . . and Melinda continues to drown her thoughts in yard work.  Melinda hears through the grape vine, though, that Rachel ditched Andy at prom when he got too fresh.  At this point, Melinda knows that Rachel believes Andy is truly a rapist. 

Just as Melinda begins to come out of her shell, Andy corners Melinda in her school closet hideaway and tries to rape her again.  This time she is brave enough to yell out, . . . and she is saved as a result with Andy apprehended! 

The school gives Melinda kudos for her bravery, she finishes her art project tree with just the right amount of imperfection, and she finally agrees to talk with a mentor about all that has happened, . . . the final line of the book being, "Let me tell you about it."

Discuss the cardinal utility theory. How do the cardinalists derive the demand curve? What are its drawbacks?

Cardinal utility theory, in microeconomics, is an effort to quantify the happiness or satisfaction economic consumption choices provide to consumers. This consumers' happiness or satisfaction is identified by the objectified economic term "utility": something has utility for the consumer to the degree or at the rate by which it provides (the utility of) happiness or satisfaction to the consumer. The idea of cardinal is opposite to that of ordinal: cardinalists believe in the quantifiability and measurability of consumers' economic experience of utility; ordinalists believe utility cannot be measured, cannot be quantified, because utility exists in "ordinal magnitudes" in which "bundles" of "baskets of goods" give comparative utility and because the consumer chooses between the magnitudes of comparative utility provided by various bundles of baskets of goods (Karnatak University, India). For some cardinalists, utility is measured in units of money because of the law of the constancy of the marginal utility of money (the utility of money is fixed and unchanging), whereas other cardinalists (the dominant school of cardinalists) measure utility in the imaginary unit of "utils."

Some assumptions are made in utility theory, one of which being that the consumer is rational and behaves in the marketplace in a rational manner. Consequently, the actions of a rational consumer in a marketplace are said to reflect the law of demand, which states that, when all other economic factors are held constant, there is an inverse relationship between price and demand wherein as price increases, demand decreases: demand for a good or service (when other factors are constant) is inversely dependent upon price. Cardinal utility theory approaches consumer demand from the standpoint of consumer utility, wherein demand is dependent upon factors of utility, price, income, substitutes and complementary goods.

Cardinalists derive the demand curve by assessing utility (U), total utility (TU), marginal utility (MU; marginal utility is the utility gained from one additional unit of a good), quantity demanded (Q/O), and price (P). Utility derived from a good increases as long as marginal utility (MU) is greater than price paid (MU > P). Utility reaches its apex, its equilibrium, where marginal utility equals price (MU = P). Utility diminishes when marginal utility is less than price paid (MU < P). The graphical representation of the increase, apex and diminishment of utility shows a parabola with the equilibrium quantity corresponding to the apex, which is reached before total utility (TU) begins diminishment with each added marginal unit of a good.

On a demand curve--for which each increment of marginal utility (MU) relates to an increment in price (P) and in which price inversely correlates to quantity demanded--the curve will be downward sloping because increases in quantity demanded correlate inversely to declining prices: as prices go downward, demand for the good goes upward (rightward).

The drawbacks (Karnatak University, India) of using cardinal utility theory to determine demand for a good, or for one bundle or another of baskets of goods, arise from the idea that the assumptions made by cardinal utility theory may or may not be sound. (1) The assumption that satisfaction can be objectively quantified with consistency in one individual or across a population of individuals is based on psychological and economic concepts that, when utility theory was founded, were then immature and that now inadequately reflect contemporary complexities. (2) Similarly, the concept of quantifying a subjective, seemingly impulse-based tendency toward liking or wanting seems poorly founded in scientific understanding (perhaps science and technology have now advance enough to overcome the problem of quantification of subjective impulses, but, if so, it seems it will still be a long while before such advances make an inroad into everyday economic analysis). (3) In our contemporary economy, the constant marginal utility of money is a concept that defies current reality since utility of money changes as the value of money changes (and that rather rapidly sometimes). (4) Marginal utility and diminishing utility are founded upon psychological principles that don't hold up as continuingly valid; new fields of psychology, such as the psychology of happiness, or positive psychology, shed new light upon the assumptions of marginal and diminishing utility underlying cardinal utility theory, which call the assumption into question ... although, with advances in scientific technology, the verdict may still be out on the true nature of these drawbacks.

Would you describe "The Most Dangerous Game" as commercial fiction or literary fiction? Support your answer.

I would consider this story as literary fiction. The characters are very well developed and Rainsford changes at the end. It has a valid theme. At the beginning , Rainsford has a ruthless attitude toward the animals he hunts. Look at his conversation with Whitne on the yacht reveals his feelings:

Whitney: Great sport, hunting.
Rainsford: The best sport in the world.
Whitney: For the hunter, not the jaguar.
Rainsford: Don't talk rot, Whitney. You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels.
Whitney: Perhaps the jaguar does.
Rainsford: Bah! They’ve no understanding.
Whitney: Even so—I rather think they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death
Rainsford: Nonsense. This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees.

........After Rainsford falls overboard and swims to General Zaroff’s island, Zaroff shows a ruthless side as well, toward his favorite prey. But Zaroff's prey are humans. Shipwrecks are caused by Zaroff and  provide him a supply of "game." Rainsford is shocked and is morally indignat at the general’s killing as sport. Zaroff says Rainsford will change his mind when he engages in a hunt. But what Rainsford does not realize is that he will be the prey.
........After Zaroff releases Rainsford into the jungle the next day, Rainsford becomes like the animals he hunts, mere game, and no doubt begins to appreciate what Whitney had told him aboard the ship about the inhumanity of hunting frightened animals.
........After Rainsford sets traps that kill one of Zaroff’s tracking dogs and Zaroff’s gigantic sidekick, Ivan, he escapes his pursuers by jumping into the ocean from a high cliff. That evening when Zaroff goes to bed, Rainsford comes from behind a curtain and confronts the general, saying, “I am still a beast at bay.” And the beast then kills the hunter and sleeps soundly in his bed.
........Rainsford has graduated to killing a human. The question is: Is Rainsford just like Zaroff?

In this story the main character is transformed, which is a component of literary fiction.

Please explain the following characters from Devil's Arithmetic - Yitchak, Chaya, Shmuel, Rivka, and any other major characters.Thank you! Please...

Yitchak is a butcher by trade, a neighbor of Shmuel and Gitl.  He is a widower with two small children, and he would like to marry Gitl.  During their time in the concentration camps, his children die, but Yitchak manages to escape, and joins the resistance for the remainder of the war.  After the war, he emigrates to Israel, and becomes active in politics there.

Chaya is Hannah's name when she is transported back in time to Poland during World War II.  Having been raised in Lublin, she and her parents are stricken with a serious illness; her parents die, and Chaya is sent to her aunt and uncle, Gitl and Shmuel, to live.  In the concentration camps, Chaya sacrifices her life so her friend, Rivka, can live.  Rivka grows up to be Hannah's Aunt Eva, and Chaya is Hannah's middle name.

Shmuel is Chaya's uncle who lives on a farm in Poland.  He is to be married to Fayge, a beautiful girl from a neighboring village, and it is while he is on the way to his wedding that he and those attending his wedding party are arrested and sent to the camps.  Shmuel is caught while attempting to escape Auschwitz, and he is executed before a firing squad along with his bride-to-be.

Rivka is a street-wise young girl Chaya meets at the concentration camp.  She has been there longer than Chaya and the people from her village, and she teaches them what they need to do to survive.  Rivka is eventually randomly selected for execution, but Chaya goes in her place.  Rivka grows up to be Chaya's Aunt Eva.

Gitl is Chaya's aunt, sister to Shmuel.  Fiercely independent, she shuns Yitchak's proposal of marriage.  She is a tower of strength and courage among the women at Auschwitz, sacrificing so that others might have more and teaching Chaya especially through her example how to endure; Gitl earns the nickname "Gitl the Bear".  Gitl survives the war and emigrates to Israel.

How does convection take place in a vacuum flask?Its a part of my science project, so please help me.

Transfer of heat either for cooling or heating takes place in three different ways - radiation, conduction and convection.

In convection the heat is transferred from one point to another due to movements of particles of a fluid, that is a gas or a liquid. Particles of all materials expand with increase in temperature. Therefore in a fluid when there is temperature difference between particles of of a mass of fluid the particle at higher temperature become bigger with lower density as compared to particles at lower temperature. This results in particles at higher temperature to rise at top while those at lower temperature to move down. This causes a churning of the fluid.

Vacuum flasks are made on a principle that creating a layer of vacuum between contents of a flask and its surroundings will cut down the exchange of heat between the contents of flask and the surrounding air by creating a thin layer of vacuum around the contents, so that heat transfer rate between the contents of flask and it contents is slowed down.

However, some amount of heat exchange still takes place between the flask and its surrounding by conduction. The heat travels around the walls of the vacuum tube of the flask by conduction. Also the vacuum of the vacuum tube is not perfect and some heat is transferred between inner and outer wall of the vacuum tube through convection also.

Finally, the whole flask is open to the environment, and therefore the outer wall of the whole vacuum flask exchange heat through conduction and radiation. And the air around the flask increases the rate of heat exchange due to convection of the surrounding air.

I need to know a lot of the symbolism behind the short story "The Masque of the Red Death."

You have certainly done well to identify the importance of symbolism in this great short story. I will point out some of the major forms of symbolism and hopefully you will be able to use this to work out the meaning of the story. Remember though, that in Prospero and his revellers we are presented with people who want to try to escape the "Red Death" and lock themselves away in a bubble-world of pleasure. It is clear, though, that this escape attempt does not work.

Clearly the party contains lots of symbolism, mostly to do with the setting. Note how the seven rooms go from east to west, which symbolises the movement of the sun and the moon. This represents the life cycle, ending in death in the black room. The colours of the rooms are likewise symbolic. Note too the clock that is in the seventh room. The clock symbolizes time passing, which in this context means the approaching death. Note how every time the clock strikes it produces silence amongst the revellers - as if they recognise this fact, then hasten to forget it. It is key therefore that the intruder walks through all of the rooms into the final room, and it is only in this final room that Prospero confronts him - and dies. Thus begins the outbreak of the Red Death and Prospero and his revellers learn the essential lesson that nobody - no matter how strong, rich or powerful - can escape death. We are all subject to Death's dominion at the end of our lives.

How does Rukmani act toward the tannery in Chapter 4 of Nectar in a Sieve? What does she do?

Rukmani is at first curious as to what is going on when the men who build the tannery arrive.  She is amazingly clearsighted, however, and once she sees the effect the tannery has on the village's way of life, she is resentful and filled with foreboding.

When the white men first arrive, Rukmani rushes out with the rest of the villagers to see what they will do.  She notes that initially, the overseer and the workers "seem to enjoy having created such a stir and lured such a big audience", but after awhile, the overseer tells the people to go, so as not to disturb the men.  Rukmani and some of the onlookers are somewhat taken aback that the newcomers should be so presumptuous as to tell them what to do in their own village, but she and most of the others comply, "having (their) own concerns in mind".  When at long last the tannery is finished, some people are unhappy to see the workers go, but Rukmani is not.  She says,

"They had invaded our village with clatter and din, had taken from us the maidan where our children played, and had made the bazaar prices too high for us".

Nathan tells Rukmani that she would do well to accept the changes which are inevitable, but she replies,

"Never, never...they may live in our midst but I can never accept them, for they lay their hands upon us and we are all turned from tilling to barter, and hoard our silver since we cannot spend it, and see our children go without the food that their children gorge".

As her friends one by one find positive aspects in the changes brought by the coming of the tannery, Rukmani sticks to her original belief that this development can be nothing but inauspicious.  She reflects that

"they were reconciled and threw the past away with both hands that they might be the readier to grasp the present, while I stood by in pain, envying such easy reconciliation and clutching in my own two hands the memory of the past, and accounting it a treasure".

She expresses her ire and misgivings to her husband, but eventually dissembles her opposition for the sake of her children.  She remains, however, definitely unhappy about what she sees as a negative intrusion into their established way of life (Chapter 4).

What happens in "A Rose for Emily"?I am pretty confused about what happened in the story. Thanks!!

OK- You will get more responses with added details but I will give you the gist of it.

Ms. Emily was the daughter of a very conservative father who did not let her get along with many "gentleman callers". The story, however, takes place in so-called "modern days" when all of this is done and over with.

Yet, because of the fact that Emily's father was a town elder and knew everyone, even the town's provost and sherrif would not charge her taxes, or at least that is what her father told her.

Then, the father died, and she was left as a vestige of better Southern days. The town cotinued to somewhat modernize while she remained stuck in her old ways, including the permissive treatment of her tax money and obligations.

The story is surrounded by mystery as the "townsfolk" discloses more and more facts about Emily's life, to include the fact that she was linked to a yankee who was (of course, as part of Faulkner's agenda) a closet homosexual.

Here we have the serpentine effect of seeing how Emily has been left alone by the most important men in her life: Her father and her lover.

But, there is a catch- we do not know that Emily knows that Homer (the yankee, notice the name) is either gay, or leaving.

But he does---and she goes astray.

This is when she is recorded as going to the pharmacy to buy rat poison.

And, all that we have left is the fact that she went and got it, and, in the end of the story--she had been laying in bed with a skeleton which belonged exactly to Homer. The bed held a dead corpse, and (next to it) was the dented pillow of a person with white hair. Emily herself.

Why erythrocytes are more unusual than the rest of the cells?

Erythrocytes is another name used for red blood cells present in blood. These absorb oxygen present in the environment and supply it to all parts of the body. They also absorb from all parts of the body carbon dioxide  generated as a waste product for its removal from the body. Red blood cells areshaped like flat, round disks that are thicker on the edges as compared to the center.

One very unusual feature of red blood cells is absences of nucleus. While most types of cells have a nucleus that control many of the cell functions, a mature red blood cell has no nucleus. Also the cell membrane of red blood cells very flexible. This allows them to squeeze through tiniest of the blood vessels.

What is a gift the dark-haired girl brings to Winston?other then the sex, the note, and any meetings together. does she give a gift? as in flowers...

The only time I can think of that the dark-haired girl (Julia) brings Winston a gift is in Part 2, Chapter 4.  In that chapter, she brings him (for both of them, really) some real sugar (as opposed to saccharine).  She also brings them a whole kilogram (2.2 pounds) of real coffee.  Finally, she brings some real tea.  She brings all of these at the same time.  They have all come from the stuff that is available to the members of the Inner Party.

She also wears real silk stockings and has makeup that she has put on sometime before she comes to meet Winston.

What inspired poets of romantic era to write poems?

Wordsworth (et al) were also trying to escape from under the shadow of England's great poet Milton, who had dominated the poetic scene for the past half-century.  Whereas Milton wrote epics of religious and political seriousness, the Romantic poets wanted poetry for the common man: a simpler, more natural voice, shorter in length, fewer conventions, inspired by nature, and reflecting the spirit of the times.

There are many other influences as well: nature; the French and American Revolutions; conceptions of art (the sublime, beautiful, picturesque); and women's rights.  Also, prose (the novel) was giving poetry a run for its money in terms of popularity, so there was a shift in poetry toward prose-like conventions (intensely personal voice).

Since the Romantics, poetry has roughly been the same ever since!

Point out how love is sprung from Romeo's and Juliet's hearts in their very first meeting in Act 1, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet.Please include some...

As part of the theme of fate, the electrically charged meeting of Romeo and Juliet and the impetuousness of Romeo's actions underscore this theme.  The quitessential Romantic in love--as his very name suggests--Romeo wallows in self-woe until he sees Juliet.  That she is in the forbidden "camp" of the Capulets makes her all the more enticing.  That she is also so young, is also a forbidden attraction for Romeo.  Perhaps, as Benvolio has suggested, Romeo has

with unattainted eye/Compare[d] her face with some...(I,iii,78-79)

Likewise, Juliet is seeking a distraction from thoughts of another:  her nurse has recently asked her if she can consider Count Paris.  Juliet has replied,

I'll look to like, if looking liking move./But no more deep will I endart mine eye/Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.  (I,iii, 67-69)

And, so, it seems that both Romeo and Juliet "are looking for love" as they seek distractions from the romantic troubles in which they presently find themselves.  Even so, there is a subtle suggestion that Juliet would not have encouraged Romeo much; he is, rather, forward in his advances and Juliet admonishes him,

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,/Which mannerly devotion shows in this;/For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,/And palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss. (I,v,92-95)

Then, in the next scene, as Juliet longing says his name in a state of infatuation that is tempered by her knowledge that he is a Montague, Romeo appears and again impetuously declares his love.  To this the more cautious Juliet replies,

How cames thou hither,...and wherefore?/The orchard walls are...the place death, considering who thou art (II,ii,62-64)

She further cautions him to "swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon" (II,ii,109); While Juliet fears that their love may not last, she does not yet feel the influence of fate as does Romeo who remarks,

Oh, blessed, blessed night! I am afeard./Being in night, all this is but a dream./Too flattering-sweet to be substantial. (II,ii,139-141)

Romeo senses fate, but he impetuously allows himself to be drawn to Juliet by his impulsive desires.  Similarly, Juliet who declares,

My only love sprung from my only hate!/Too early seen unknown, and known too late!/Prodigious birth of love it is to me,/That I must love a loathed enemy (I,v,133-136) 

senses fate, but is drawn to Romeo in a "star-crossed" love.

Please explain William Cullen Bryant's poem "Thanaptosis."

William Cullen Bryant [1794-1878] poet, journalist and long time editor of  "New York Evening Post" wrote "Thanaptosis" most probably between 1811-13. It was published in the year 1817 in the "North American Review."

His father Peter Bryant sent for publication his son's verses along with his own work for publication to the "North American Review." An editor joined together some of William Cullen Bryant's verses and gave it the Greek title "Thanaptosis" and published it mistakenly attributing the poem to the father. 'Thanapotsis' means 'meditation on death.'

The following lines contain William Cullen Bryant's solution to the problem of death:

Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings, while from all around--
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air--
Comes a still voice.

It is Nature and Nature alone that can save Man from the fear of death. It offers a peaceful and sedate view of death. The poet says that there is no need to be frightened of or feel depressed about death.  Every one has to die and when one dies he or she returns to the earth and becomes one with nature and thus continues to live on forever:

Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim

Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,

And, lost each human trace, surrendering up

Thine individual being, shalt thou go 

To mix forever with the elements,

The poem was written when William Cullen Bryant was only seventeen and when the editors first saw it they thought that it was a hoax! One of the editors praised the poem by saying, "That was never written on this side of the water [the Atlantic]. It is generally regarded as the first great poem in the history of American literature.

Why does Holden lie to Mr. Spencer about having to get his gym equipment from the gym?'Catcher in the Rye' - J.D. Salinger

Holden has visited Mr Spencer at Spencer’s request. Holden has ‘flunked’ four out of the five classes he has taken at Pencey (including Mr Spencer’s History class) and he is initially saying his goodbyes.

 Holden is first disturbed by Mr Spencer’s attire.

 ‘The minute I went in, I was sorry I’d come.’

Mr Spencer has the ‘grippe’ and is dressed in an old bathrobe which reveals his wrinkled skin. Holden is made uncomfortable by this,  Mr Spencer’s nose picking and his physical weakness; he tries repeatedly to throw a magazine onto the bed but cannot do it.

Holden becomes embarrassed and irritated by Mr Spencer who lectures him and reads from Holden’s failed exam paper, illustrating how inadequate he is.

 ‘He started handling my exam paper like it was a turd or something.’

Mr Spencer is unable to see that his words have no effect and that Holden himself is not sure why he cannot comply with the school expectations. He recounts Holden’s previous failures at other schools which further irritates him.

Finally Holden makes the excuse that he needs to collect his equipment from the gym to cut short the meeting and end the lecture.

Explain Mechanisms of signal Transduction?

At cellular level, signal transduction includes the movement of signals from outside the

cell to inside. This transport of signal can be of simple which include the ion channel

receptors to the most complex level that are associated with the coupling of ligandreceptor

interactions which follows many intracellular happenings.

Extracellular signaling by means of secreted molecules can be of three types in case of

animals. This classification depends upon the distance between the cells over which a

signal can act.

1) Endocrine signaling:

In this type of signaling, hormones are the signaling molecules. Inside the cells of

endocrinal organs like pancreas and liver, these hormones are synthesized. The

hormones are transported to the target cell through the blood stream, and are capable of

acting on a target cell which is far from their site of synthesis.

2) Paracrine signaling:

In contrast to the endocrine signaling, paracrine signaling is effective only in the target

cells which are nearer to the signaling cell. Neurotransmitters are the best example for

such types of signaling molecules in which the signal is transmitted from one nerve cell

to the adjacent nerve cell in the nervous tissue.

3) Autocrine signaling:

Autocrine signaling is another specific type in which the cell gives response to the

signaling molecules produced on its own. Most of the growth factors come under this

category.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, who is responsible for teaching Calpurnia standard English?Also, why doesn't Calpurnia speak standard English when she is...

The reader cannot know more than what is written in the book (because there's no "reality" elsewhere), but one can presume that since Calpurnia has been with the Finch family ever since the death of Jem and Scout's mother (and perhaps even before), she is fully immersed in white culture. Atticus, being the responsible father that he is, would have of course chosen Calpurnia by the criteria of her level of education and not just her housekeeping or cooking skills. She has, after all, taken on the role of a surrogate mother for his children and seems to amply "fill the bill."

Calpurnia's "double-talk" is her strategy to be a part of both worlds. If a Negro took on "white man's talk" he or she would be critized by both the white and black communities for not respecting his/her station in life or "place."  There have even been psychological studies done concerning this in comparison to the comportment of prisoners of war who adopted a demeaning manner to avoid further persecution.

In The Crucible, explain how Miller expresses themes such as hysteria, suspicion and religion.The Crucible

There are some points that can help guide you in the composition of this essay.  I believe that you will have to find the exact lines of text which will help support your essay.  We can use the basic Puritan Religion as the framework that helps to support the hysteria and suspicion in the play.  The Puritanical view of the world is a dogmatic one that lends itself to the emotional contagion that sweeps through Salem.  With its darkened view of human nature, absolutism that human sin is both inevitable and evil, and paranoia of "the other" in the form of witchcraft, Puritanism in both Salem's society and government allow a situation where fear and suspicion dominate and control the lives of its citizens.  Miller's depiction of Puritanism is one where there is complete repudiation of "the other."  There is little in way of understanding the outside forces, rather it seeks to negate them.  This makes Abigail's accusations of witchcraft and those that follow as completely accepted by those in the position of spiritual and political power in Salem.  Due to the fact that the Puritan religion does not tolerate any pluralistic spiritual voices nor seeks to integrate "the other" into its own way of life, but rather seeks to obliterate it for fear of taking away its own presence, the hysteria and suspicion that ensues is quite logical.  Miller identifies the religious order that is so fearful of the "the other" or an alternate perception of reality as a realm where individual voice, freedom, and pluralistic tolerance disappears quite quickly.  It makes sense that there can be a natural connection between Puritanism and McCarthyism because both define themselves as negating "the other" as opposed to understanding it, which is also why both social orders are fraught with hysteria and suspicion.

You should probably search through the text and find examples of Puritanism's inability to coexist with other forms of spiritual expression.  Identify lines and characterizations that show Puritanism and not being compatible with any other notion of the good.  Once this has been established, it becomes very clear that suspicion and fear are almost logical extensions.  I would also seek to find how townspeople begin to accuse one another and how the seeds of mistrust are sown after Abigail's original accusations are made.  In citing these examples, one is able to make the argument that the religion did not settle disputes, but actually, due to its dogmatic and rigid implementation, created the groundwork for increased accusations, fear, and suspicion that contributed to the dissolution of social and emotional bonds.

What kind of a person is the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice, and what does Portia think of him?

Act 2, Scene 1 of the play opens with the Prince arriving in Belmont.  While the Prince is confident in his "valiant" abilities and personality, he is concerned that Portia will not want him as a husband because of his race.  His first words in the play are,

" 'Mislike me not for my complexion,/ The shadowed livery of the burnished sun . . .' " (2.1.1-2).

Portia informs the Prince that she is not at liberty to choose any of her suitors.  According to her father's wishes, she must marry whoever first chooses the correct box.  She does tell him,

" 'Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair/ As any comer I have looked on yet' " (2.1.20-21).

She wants to assure him that he should not take it personally if he does not get to marry her.  Because of her father's eccentric casket test, all suitors have an equal opportunity to choose the right box and win Portia's hand in marriage.

After Scene 1, Shakespeare interrupts Morocco's test with the story of Jessica betraying her father and eloping with the man of her choice.  The bard does so to contrast Portia's obedience to her late father with Jessica's rebellion against her living father.  When Act 2, Scene7 opens, the Prince is let into the casket room to make his choice.  His deliberation over the caskets and his ultimate choice demonstrate that he is respectful of Portia's worth, but his choicealso illustrates his tendency to judge based on the exterior (perhaps this is why he is so worried about others judging him based on his appearance), for he chooses the gold casket for exactly the reasons Portia's father lists in the riddle.  When he discovers that he will return to Morocco emptyhanded, he bemoans his choice, and Portia says after he leaves,

" 'A gentle riddance! Draw the curtains, go./ Let all of his complexion choose me so' " (2.7.86-87).

Portia's use of the word "gentle" shows that she would not havedetested being married to the Prince (even though she is not in love with him) and that she is sympathetic toward him.  Her last words are more puzzling--her use of "complexion" could refer to his demeanor, not his appearance, and the idea that if he bases all decisions on the exterior that she would rather not be married to him or anyone else who places such importance on superficial elements. However, if one considers Shakespeare's critique of racism toward Jews in this play and towards Moors in Othello, he could be stressing the fact that white Europeans--no matter how wise or sophisticated--still practiced exclusion of other races/cultures.

What three things does the narrator see from his window in Book 1, Chapter 11 of The War of the Worlds?

The Martians have landed and are beginning their destructive takeover of Earth by Chapter 11 of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds. After the Martians release their Heat-Ray, the narrator decides he must transport his wife to safety, so he rents a dog cart and takes her to the supposed refuge of his cousin's house in Leatherhead. On his way back, a thunderstorm hits, and he witnesses the Martians and their pods. He also sees the blackened remains of human bodies along the way. From his home he can see

• Fires everywhere;


• Martian tripods rampaging throughout the area; and 


• An artilleryman outside his house who tells him that the Heat-Ray has destroyed his outfit.

The narrator and the artilleryman then head to London where they will witness more destruction along the way.

How does the era in which the book was written- Regency England- impact the idea of marriage for love/ money?

Jane Austen was a 'realist' novelist who wrote and published most of her novels during the Regency period (1811-20). She has given us minute descriptions of the daily routine, and the lifestyle of the middle and upper middle classes of her time - Elizabeth's stay at Netherfield in "Pride and Prejudice" would be a good illustration of this feature. But more than the superficial descriptions of the daily routine and lifestyle, she exposes the tensions of the different social classes which are contrasted in all her six novels.

"Pride and Prejudice"(1813) like all of Jane Austen's novels reflects faithfully the socio-economic conditions of what historians term as 'Regency England'(1811-20).

Since women of this period had no right to ownership of property they were financially dependent on their husbands,and hence the urgency and anxiety throughout the novel for the ladies to get married to "young men of large fortune" (ch. 1).

Mr.Bennet's estate is 'entailed' to Mr. Collins because Mr.Bennet does not have a son. In 'Regency England' only male heirs could inherit the title and the estate of their fathers. The third paragraph of chapter 50 clearly reveals the 'economic' necessity of having a son and the disappointment at not being able to have one and the consequent predicament which Mr.Bennet faces in not being able to personally meet the financial demands of Wickham.

In Ch.33 Col.Fitzwilliam tells Elizabeth "I may suffer from the want of money. Younger sons cannot marry where they like." Clearly hinting at her impoverished status.

The central theme of the novel--how much money is necessary for a successful and a happy marriage--is explicitly stated by Elizabeth in in Ch.27 : "Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? WHERE DOES DISCRETION END, AND AVARICE BEGIN?"

Was Col. Fitzwilliam Darcy 'discreet' or 'avaricious'?

The contrasting lifestyles of different social groups is structurally central to a Jane Austen novel. In "Pride and Prejudice" the landed gentry represented by Darcy and the Bennet family  is contrasted with the newly rich trading class represented by Bingley and his sisters:

"They[the Bingleys] were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade." Ch.4.

The novel was written against the background of the threat of an  invasion by Napoleon. The militia was a temporary voluntary force raised especially during times of a national emergency. Wickham was a member of this militia. Col.Fitzwilliam Darcy [Ch.33] the younger son of an earl, on the contrary, is a fully commissioned officer of the regular army. In those days only an aristocrat or a member of the gentry could afford to purchase a commission in the army. In "Pride and Prejudice" Darcy purchases a commission for Wickham so that Wickham agrees to marry Lydia: "and his [Wickham's] commission purchased" (Ch.52).

Jane Austen  portrays only the elegant aspects of Regency England. The seamy side,however, is  sometimes hinted at. Discipline in the army was very harsh and there is a report of a private being whipped. Similarly the prevailing poverty of the lower classes is revealed by the reference to poor feeding.

But most importantly the harsh reality of a bleak future  for a dependent unwed old woman is hinted at when Charlotte Lucas' brothers are relieved that Collins  is going to marry their sister, for otherwise they would have to look after her in her old age,

and the boys were relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte's dying an old maid (Ch.22)

What is the primary setting in The Scarlet Letter, and what is its corresponding mood?

Is it not ironic that a religious sect that sought freedom to practice their beliefs in England came to America where they built a settlement and placed as one of the first buidings a prison?  Hawthorne conveys this irony in his description of the second paragraph of Chapter I:

The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognised it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison....The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than anything else in the New World.

That this prison has been built as the first construction indicates the hypocrisy and the restrictiveness of Puritanism, a motif that is prevalent throughout Hawthorne's novel.  With this restrictive and iron prison, the setting conveys the harsh control exerted upon the Puritan colony.  But, before this "ugly edifice" is a small plot of ground where grass grows and a single rose-bush.  Hawthorne writes of this rose-bush,

It may serve, let us hope, to symbolise some sweet moreal blossom...to relieve the darkening close of a tale of human fraility and sorrow.

This grass-plot is occupied by grey figures in "grim rigidity that petrified the bearded phsiognomies" of the people....there was very much the same solemnity of demeanour on the part of the spectators; as befitted a people amongst whom religion and law were almost identical and in whose character both were interfused.

Clearly it is a dismal, prison-like setting into which the reader is introduced to Hawthorne's "tale of human fraility."  The people are clad in grey like the prison door, suggesting the cold rigidity of their lives, a passionless existence.  Only one red rose, a symbol of passion, blooms in the prison yard.

To whom does Victor Frankenstein tell his entire story?"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

There are many narrators (inner and outer) in the novel.  The first narrator is Walton.  He writes letters to Saville.  Walton, then, is the outside narrator.  You may say that he narrates the entire novel as all of narratives are filtered through him.  He is the "survivor" at the end who carries all the stories back to civilization.

Then, there's Victor, who tells his story to Walton.  He is the inner narrator, as most of the story is told by him, but again--it is relayed back to us through Walton.

Below is a table that shows the narrator / audience dynamics:

Narrators 1st Aud 2nd Aud 3rd Aud 4th Aud 5th Aud

Walton:  Saville Reader

Frankenstein: Walton Saville Reader

Monster: Frankenstein Walton Saville Reader

De Laceys: Monster  Frankenstein  Walton Saville Reader

In Act I, Scene 3 of Macbeth, what warning does Banquo offer Macbeth?

In Act I, Scene 3 of Macbeth, Banquo and Macbeth are just riding in from the battle field, leading their troops behind them. They dismount and are walking alone to see King Duncan after winning a successful battle against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. On the way, Banquo and Macbeth come upon the three witches who have been preparing and waiting for Macbeth.

The witches, once they are bidden by Macbeth to break their silence and speak, give prophecies to Banquo and Macbeth. Banquo will be the father of kings and Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, who is at the moment held as a prisoner, and will be King. Macbeth is startled at the news.

Momentarily, riders from the King approach and tell Macbeth that the title of Thane of Cawdor has been bestowed on him because the traitor will be executed. He then asks Banquo if he believes the witches now because of the deliverance of their Cawdor prophecy. This is where Banquo administers his warning, saying that sometimes evil works by trickery. He means that evil may tell truths and grant trifles in order to lure the innocent into great consequences of wrong and evil acts in order to have the greater promise that they now lust for. Banquo spoke a true warning to Macbeth as events later reveal.

That trusted home
Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
Besides the Thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence. (Act I, Scene 3, Lines 120-126)

What are some quotes and citations that describe the barn, bunkhouse, and crooks' room in Of Mice and Men?

Of Mice and Men is structurally similar to a play.  Each of the chapters begins with a detailed description of the setting, and the characters move within the chapter restricted by this setting.  Characters come into and go out of the space; the characters who remain hear sounds from without; but the visual scenery does not change once the setting is established.

With that said, you can find descriptions of the bunkhouse, Crooks's room, and the barn respectively at the beginnings of Chapters 2, 4, and 5.  I'm not sure based on your question the purpose of finding these descriptions, but you can look specifically for ways that Steinbeck uses light/dark imagery, especially in the barn where the sun is descending and creating a progressively darker atmosphere, mirroring the progressively more horrifying events that occur.  The items that are found in the bunkhouse and in Crooks's room can be compared and analyzed for characterization purposes.  The men in the bunkhouse focus on fleshly concerns and shallow pleasures, while Crooks is more concerned with mental pursuits.

Hope this helps.

Why is Willy so proud of his ceiling?

I see it as part of Willie's contradictory nature. He often says two opposite things at the same time. Remember in Act 1, he says that Biff is a lazy bum and then says: one thing about Biff, he's not lazy.

This is beyond confusion; he is constantly conflicted in the things he believes. He is the ultimate salesman who believes his own sales pitch, yet knows it's a sales pitch.

Part of him respects people who work with their hands. He is proud of all the work he has done on his house... the stoop he has made and all the repairs he has done. He says he know every nail. Indeed, he has poignant memories of his father who produced and sold his own hand-made flutes... thus the sound of the flute as the play begins.

Willy is torn and misled by the modern world in which he lives... a world that at once reveres the honest work of one's hands yet pays far better the one who wheels and deals.

What is the narrator's opinion of Omelas in Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"?

The narrator of "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" does not seem capable of giving a straightforward account of Omelas.  For one thing, Le Guin subtitles her story parenthetically, "Variations on a Theme by Williams James."  Reliability is, therefore, questionable for the narrator since she is ambiguous about several ideas, serving several variations for her audience to consider.  For instance, she writes,

a cheerful faint sweetness of the air from time to time trembled and gathered together and broke out into the great joyous clanging of the bells.

Joyous!  How is one to tell about joy?  How describe the citizens of Omelas?

The narrator also creates doubt in the mind of the reader by asking,

How can I tell you about the people of Omelas!?"...I wish I could describe it better.  I wish I could convince you.

She continues, using "I think" and "I think there ought to be," guessing, rather than telling the reader.  Asking the reader,"Do you believe?  Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy?"--or if the ones who walk away are more credible, suggests that the reader should have doubt, and should "reflect" upon the pragmatism of James that what is good for the many is worth the price of one.  This intrusive quality of the narrator brings the moral ambiguity of the final situation into question as well, as she invites the reader to place himself in the position of the people of Omelas.  thus, the reader is forced to face the moral dilemma of the people:  Should the happiness of a community be paid for by a single wretched creature?  In answer to this question, the narrator, certainly, is ambiguous, if not unconvinced as she asks the reader to approve the details of the story while still not passing any judgment:

Now do you believe in them?  Are they [the citizens of Omelas'] not more credible?...I cannot describe it all.  It is possible that it does not exist.  But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

What is some background information to the study of Shakespeare during the Elizabethan era?It should be related to the play As You Like It.

A study of Shakespeare's era is necessary to the understanding of his plays. Volumes have been written by scholars on the subject, and are widely available. Articles on the Internet and the various "Dummie" and "Idiot" guides should be explored.

Useful information is also available in the "Shakespeare Line-by-Line" and "No Fear Shakespeare" series.  Shakespeare's language is printed on the left  page; the "translation" into modern English on the right.  Footnotes and margin notes also contain explanation of word usage, customs, and practices of Elizabethan time which would likely be confusing to a 21st. Century reader.

By the Elizabethan era, plays were categorized as either a history, tragedy, romance, comedy, or pastoral.  The essence of each is fairly self-evident, although we need to know that comedies almost always ended with a marriage scene.

Pastorals were peopled by simple, uneducated country folk, or higher class persons who escaped their urban lives and disguised themselves as shepherds or farmers.  The "rustics" were often seen as purveyors of life's truths, and "taught" the more noble classes, disguised as one of their own. "As You Like It" contains elements of both Comedy and Pastoral.

"As You Like It" also explores the era's view of gender and homoeroticism. Female roles were played by boys with unchanged voices and no facial hair. In many of the pastorales and comedies, "females" disguised themselves as males who fell in love with a female character. The situation occurs in this play to the point of absurdity.

Rosalind (a female character played by a male), disguises "herself" as Ganymede, the homosexual boy who serves as Cup Bearer to the God, Zeus. Ganymede (a gay male who is the "disguise" of a female character being played by a male), tutors the male character, Orlando, in the art of making love to a woman.  Why?  Because Rosalind (the female being portrayed by a male), is in love with Orlando and wishes him to pursue "her"!

The author also "toys" with the practice of his time of having a male character speak an epilogue at the end of a play.  The purpose was to provide a kind of summation which brought all elements of the play together, and allowed applause to be requested.  In "As You Like It", a female character is given this charge, whereupon "she" entreats the audience to approve of the play, regardless of their individual preferences. If the audience applauds, actors and audience alike can leave the world of the theater and return to their own everyday world, having benefited from their theatrical experience.

Without question, Shakespeare is poking fun at the male/female/homoerotic conventions of his time.  He wishes us to understand that all human relationships are valid, that such may be "as you like it".  All will bring joy; all will bring pain; all must be acknowledged, studied, accepted, and validated.

It can be argued that the place, time, and conventions of the Shakespearean/Elizabethan era are the very stuff of which "As You Like It" is constructed.  The play could not have otherwise existed in its present form.  Such would have been a great pity, given the joy it has brought audiences from Shakespeare's time to our own.