The witches only target Macbeth. Don't you think that Banquo should have been put in the same position as Macbeth?

Why Macbeth and not Banquo? There is no question that, from the very beginning of the play, the witches are after Macbeth. But, if you follow their words, they want to ensnare Lady Macbeth, too. Banquo is not on their menu.

To the witches, Banquo is small change. If they tempt him to murder the king, what have they gained? He's not much of a prize. First, although Banquo was a brave warrior, like Macbeth, he was not quite as vital to Scotland's victory as was Macbeth. He is not nearly as pumped up with pride. And Banquo is a simpler man with less ambition than Macbeth. Perhaps this is merely because of his sanguine temperment but maybe also because he has a young son, Fleance, whom he loves and cares for. Banquo is innocent and loving by nature and  just doesn't seem ripe enough, or ambitious enough, for picking.

Macbeth, however, was valient and viscious in the war that is being fought as the play begins, and he is held to be the one who is most responsible for the great conquest. Also, he is cousin to King Duncan. Both of these facts make him a far greater prize for the witches' mischief if they can tempt him to murder the King.

Now, not only does Macbeth have lots more to lose as he is riding so high when the play begins, he also has a very ambitious wife. We know that the witches have already begun to infect Macbeth's mind early on in the play with their mumbo jumbo; his very first words in the play (Act 1 scene 3):

So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

echo the witches' words in the very first scene:

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.

And we also know that the witches have visited Lady Macbeth, too, because of their snide reference to her (Act 1, scene2):

A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap,
And munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd:--
'Give me,' quoth I:
'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.
Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger:
But in a sieve I'll thither sail,
And, like a rat without a tail,
I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.

Oh yes, the witches are after two people, but Banquo's not one of them.

In "Harrison Bergeron," how has the government made George and Hazel equal? What does George have to wear and what does his wearing of these items...

The government in the short story "Harrison Bergeron" is trying to keep everyone equal by giving them handicaps that restrain them in their strengths, and keep them from standing out or excelling above and beyond other people.  That way, no one ever feels ugly again when they see a beautiful person--beautiful people wear masks that make them ugly too.  No one has to feel stupid again, because smart people have noises blared into their ears every few minutes to keep them from thinking rationally or cohesively.

George and Hazel are made "equal" through these man-made handicaps.  Hazel herself has none; she is average looking, with average intelligence, with average abilities.  So, she needs to help to be "normal".  Her husband, George on the other hand, was a bit stronger than other men; so, the government gave him "forty-seven pounds of birdshot" to carry around with him.  This kept him from moving too quickly, or being too strong.  He was also intelligent; so, the government required him to wear an earpiece that emitted loud, distracting noises every 20 seconds or so, piercing and interrupting his line of thought.  This, according to the government, keeps George and Hazel equal.  It also keeps them miserable.  George is so noticably miserable that his wife suggests he put the birdshot down and take a break for a while; she wants him to feel happy, even if it means being "unequal for a bit."

Their son, Harrison, is burdened with an unusual amout of handicaps, because he is smart, tall, strong and handsome.  Vonnegut writes of Harrision,

"he wore a tremendous pair of earphones, and spectacles with thick wavy lenses...Scrap metal was hung all over him. ...Harrison carried three hundred pounds.  And to offset his good looks, the H-G men required that he wear at all times a red rubber ball for a nose, keep his eyebrows shaved off, and cover his even white teeth with black caps at snaggle-tooth random."

So, Harrison's handicaps are above and beyond many others, and he still manages to break free and show the world his true potential anyway.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

What moral dilemma is Rachael Carson worried about in Silent Spring?

A moral dilemma is a situation in which what would seem to be necessary action contradicts the moral imperative it is designed or said to uphold. Case in point, DDT, about which Rachael Carson write in Silent Spring, was designed and used by the military to eradicate malaria causing insects in the South Pacific Islands. This was received as a great good--the saving of soldiers' lives--and the inventor, Paul Hermann Müller, was awarded a 1948 Nobel Prize. This same DDT, a full-spectrum insect killer, when used in the public domain, as opposed to military, killed insects, birds, plants and whole ecosystems and accumulated in the worldwide food chain and in human bodies, where it triggered cancers and genetic damage. This scenario represents a moral dilemma: What would seem a necessary action of agricutural pesticide control contradicts the moral imperative of saving lives, for which DDT was invented and which earned Müller a Nobel Prize.

Something designed to save human lives for the highest good of humanitarian service was, when used for crops and pestilence, destroying lives and ecological systems in wholesale quantities. The imperative questions that then arose were: Which has more value? Which is the greater good? This moral dilemma was resolved after much debate, research, loss of life and damage with the authority and backing of the United States government and other world governments by rightly defining the greater good and by disregarding the economic advantage gained from ignoring the dilemma. The dilemma was resolved by world governments banning the production and use of DDT--incidentally proving that morality can and must be legislated. 

Today we face an extension of this dilemma. Phthalates, dioxins, formaldehydes, PCBs and other plasticizers, surfactants, detergents and other volatile organic compounds, which are found in foods, adhesives, carpets, counter tops, school desks, office furniture, make up, hair grooming products, synthetic perfumes, papers, clothing, sheets, the list is unending, are adding a chemical body burden to all people, even infants who ingest dioxins from foods handles by their mothers' fingers. These chemicals are being linked to obesity, Lupus, asthma, ADHD and other diseases. The present moral dilemma related to these chemicals is the same dilemma as Carson uncovered in Silent Spring and is most apparent in regard to recycled paper, which was meant to be a valued good to individuals and to the planet. Recycled paper has high concentrations of phthalates and dioxins because of the cleansing and purifying processes it goes through. Recycled paper, which has been rejected by industry leaders for use as an alternative "green" building material because of its unacceptably high toxic chemical content, is used to package our foods and these volatile organic compounds are not stable but transfer into our foods. Recycled papers make it clearly apparent what our present day chemical moral dilemma is.

What does Storm do when the stove is being loaded and why in Woodsong?By Gary Paulsen

While the stove was being loaded on the sled, Storm, alone among all the dogs, sat and watched intently, "his face a study in interest".  When the narrator harnessed the dogs to the heavily laden sled, the other dogs, realizing only that they were about to head home, excitedly started "slamming against the tugs, trying to get the sled to move", but Storm sat and stared at the stove.  After a time, he bared his teeth and growled at the stove before putting his weight into the harness and pulling.  Every time the team stopped at the tops of inclines to let the dogs get their breath, Storm turned and growled again at the stove.  It was as if he understood that it was the enormous implement attached to the sled that was making the dogs' job so difficult.  The way the narrator tells the story, it appears that Storm looked at the stove as "the enemy...the weight on the sled".

The narrator recounts a number of other incidents where Storm demonstrates an intelligence far beyond what might be expected of an ordinary dog. The dog had a sense of humor, playing "gentle jokes" upon his gullible master.  Storm liked to hide things from the narrator, showing no expression while his hapless victim searched frantically for whatever object had been concealed.  When the object was recovered, the narrator insists that the dog would smile.

During their long runs, the narrator describes how Storm would get bored and look for ways to amuse himself.  He tells how on a run one day, Storm jumped up and grabbed a short limb off a tree and carried it in his mouth.  Storm began to use the stick as a means of communication between him and the narrator, carrying it when all was well, and refusing to pick it up when the team needed rest or there was some other problem.  When the time came for Storm to die, he made sure that he passed away with the stick in his mouth, to reassure his master that everything was all right (Chapter 7).

What themes are in The Cider House Rules, and please explain?

There are many themes. I will unpack what I think is the major theme.

There is the theme of abortion. However, this theme is argued from both sides, which makes the movie nuanced and a good one. On the one hand, the movie portrays abortion from a positive angle by portraying what happens when it is outlawed. In short, women resort to illegal ones that are dangerous. Also it also explore a possible area where abortion might be considered acceptable by many people - incest.

On the other hand, this movie is also about orphans who were not aborted. They have a right to live and enjoy life. In the end, there is no one answer.

What multicultural points should I consider in The Joy Luck Club?If I were to present a topic about multicultural in "joy luck club" novel, what...

You can examine the novel from many angles: through a feminist lens (feminine concepts of beauty in China vs. America, the relationships between men and women); through an identity lens (how the China-American hybrid identity is formed); through a Marxist lens (how socio-economic class structure functions in either countries); or from a philosophical lens (how the novel employs Buddhism and "feng shui" balance).

Here's what I had to say about the story when I was in college:

"A Pair of Tickets" was among the first chapters submitted by Tan in order to get a $50,000 advance from G.P. Putnam's Sons. Though it is The Joy Luck Club's final chapter, it is the premise for the novel because it chronicles Tan's real-life trip to China with her ailing mother in 1987, a trip that was not only a cultural revelation, but a stylistic one as well.

Jing-Mei Woo imagines her older "identical sisters transforming from little babies into six-year-old girls" (269), half expecting them to arrive in rickshaw wearing peasant pineapple hats. When her aunt says, "Once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel and think Chinese," Jing-Mei responds with, "I saw myself transforming like a werewolf, a mutant tag of DNA suddenly triggered" (267). Just as she never learns to play Mah-Jong or chess using Chinese strategy, Jing-Mei never feels or thinks Chinese by the novel's end; in fact, she continues to narrate as a post-modern American: linear-thinking and quick to point out things.

It is the narrator's repeated visual comparison of what she thinks will be old-world China to post-modern America that sets a very American tone: "From a distance, it [Shanghi] looks like a major American city"; "...each of them [her half-sisters] holding a corner of the [Polaroid] picture, watching as their images begin to form"; "She [Lili] immediately jumps forward, places one hand on her hip in the manner of a fashion model, juts out her chest, and flashes me a toothy smile." Even the title, "A Pair of Tickets," emphasizes the purchased objects of a journey. After having depicted the first-generation cousins as spoiled, Tan uses positive imagery of consumerism to drive home her themes of cultural and female identity, giving as much homage to the Garden Hotel and Number One Department Store as Buddha and the Great Wall. It would be understandable if she used images of materialism to juxtapose the old world Chinese values with the new world "American Dream," but with statements like "I feel as if I were getting on a number 30 Stockton bus in San Francisco" but "I am in China" (272), Tan (or Jing-Mei) is not so much discovering her ancestral roots, but realizing that her Communist homeland is not so communal--it is as modern and capitalistic as California.

How do you write the Conclusion in an Abstract for a literary Thesis paper at the Master's degree level?Hello,Jane Austen's three novels: I have to...

In an academic Thesis paper Abstract, the last portion explains what results you found and what your results mean, which includes your Conclusion. Assuming that you have done enough research to know--at least generally--how the twin ideas of sense and self-restraint are demonstrated in Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility, then the final portion of your Abstract will give a broad overview of what you write in your Thesis Conclusion, which reflects back on your Introduction with reference to what you have proven in your entire Thesis paper (differentiating from "thesis statement").

Based on what you say, you are at the beginning stages and are writing a pre-composition Abstract. Therefore, your Conclusion, summarized in your Abstract, can only be a "best guess." Even if you've done initial research and you have your thesis statement (the idea you will prove or disprove) in mind, your in-depth research may shed new light on your project and thereby modify your Conclusion.

So, two things: (1) your initial Abstract will explain your Thesis Conclusion in light of what you expect you will find and what you expect it will mean; (2) according to standard university guidelines, after the completion of your Thesis, you will rewrite your Abstract in its final form to take into account modifications that may arise as a result of in-depth research.

[For more information, see Write the summary/abstract, Monash University.]

Explain which Factors affect corrosion?

Metal corrosion is a slow process of destruction of metal objects, after chemical reactions that occur on the surface of metals, alloys, under the action of the environment. Corrosion process is influenced by a number of internal and external factors.

Internal factors are those tied to metal, such as: steel structure, surface condition, presence at surface of protection films, etc. way of processing. Usually, pure metals does not corrode, in contrast, metals that contain various impurities, such as metals that have uses in technique, the very presence of these impurities favors corrosion.

In the modern technique they are known various methods of protection against corrosion. Of these the most important and most common are:
- Choosing the appropriate materials for construction of various metal parts and equipment (especially for the chemical industry where one can find the most corrosive environments).
- Corrosion can be prevented using special substances called protease. In steel structures, the most used method of protection against corrosion is to isolate the surface material for the environment by a protective layer that can be metallic or organic
-Metallic coating can be achieved by metallization and electroplating. Metallization is the process which one may cover a metal with an alloy of the metal.Thus, if a piece of steel is covered with aluminum and it is heated to a temperature less than melting temperatures of the two metals, it will form at the surface of steel object an alloy of iron and aluminum which is resisting to corrosion well.

In the same way the iron may be covered  with an iron-zinc alloy,  if the iron object is held in zinc vapor.

Comment on the dramatic significance of the "silent interview" between Hamlet & Ophelia in Hamlet.

The full "silent interview" is here, in Act 2, scene 1:

Ophelia:

My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,

No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,

Ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle;(90)

Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,

And with a look so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosed out of hell

To speak of horrors, he comes before me...

He took me by the wrist and held me hard;

Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face

As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so.

At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound

As it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being. That done, he lets me go,

And with his head over his shoulder turn'd

He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;

For out o' doors he went without their help,

And to the last bended their light on me.

I have always viewed this seen as the first part of Hamlet's elaborate plan to "catch the conscience of the King." He is play acting. Remember, at the end of the previous act, Hamlet, after seeing and speaking to the Ghost, warns Horatio and Marcellus to swear secrecy and tells them this:

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,

How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself—

As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on—

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,

With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As “Well, well, we know,” or “We could, an if we would,”

Or “If we list to speak” or “There be, an if they might,”

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me; this is not to do,

So grace and mercy at your most need help you,

In short, he tells them that he may act a bit nuts at times. Thus, Hamlet goes first to his girlfriend Ophelia. She is the daughter of gabby busybody Polonious, adviser to King Claudius. He knows such strange behavior will be communicated from daughter to father and then to Claudius. Hamlet wants Claudius to be nervous, on edge, aware of the young, dark prince, and bothered by him. And he gets just what he wants.

One may not agree that this is the best way to go about taking one's revenge on a remorseless villain, but it is Hamlet's way.

In The Crucible explain Giles's statement "Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land" on page 84.

Thomas Putnam is a wealthy man in the town, who is greedy, and feels like land that he deserved had been taken away from him in his father's unfair will. He fights with Proctor and Nurse over land boundaries in Act One, revealing to the audience just how land-hungry he actually is.

Another important fact is that his daugher, Ruth Putnam, is one of the girls that are making a whole lot of accusations against people.  One other fact:  if you are accused of being a witch, and plead guilty or not guilty, your land is turned over to the city, and anyone who has the money can go and buy it.

So, enter the scheming and land-hungry Thomas Putnam.  George Jacobs has land next to his, quite a bit of it.  If Jacobs is accused of being a witch, Thomas, who is quite rich, can buy up his forfeited land.  This will increase Thomas's acreage by quite a bit.  So, he "nudges" Ruth to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft.  He hints things at her, suggests his name as a possible culprit, and gullible Ruth follows through.  And what's even more, there was a witness that heard Thomas Putnam say that in accusing Jacobs of witchcraft,  "his daughter had given him a fair piece of land."  So, it was confirmed that Thomas was indeed, murdering people in order to get ther land.

I hope that clears things up for you a bit; good luck!

In Chapter 7, why wasn't the letter Scout and Jem left in the tree delivered?

bullgatortail
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High School Teacher

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(Level 1) Distinguished Educator

Posted on November 17, 2009 at 11:09 AM

How does Gene maintain control in the Butt Room?

I assume that you are talking about the episode in Chapter 7 where Brinker brings Gene down to the Butt Room.

Brinker has been teasing Gene, saying that Gene has killed Finny in order to have a big dorm room all to himself.  He brings Gene down to the Butt Room, saying they'll go smoke.  But once they get to the room, Brinker tells the people there that he has brought a criminal and wants them to try Gene for "doing away with his roommate."

Gene is already feeling guilty because he made Finny fall of the tree so he sort of snaps when Brinker does this.  He then realizes he's made a mistake.  To maintain control of the situation, he tries to make a light-hearted false "confession."  He says he put some arsenic in Finny's coffee.  He tries to break the tension by pronouncing "contretemps" in the French way.  He starts telling a crazy story about why he tried to kill Finny -- talking about catching Finny cheating on entrance exams and about how Gene made love to Finny's sister.

So basically he tries to maintain control by lightening the mood in the room with his "confession."

How does Macbeth express the span of life?

While Macbeth follows the tragic arc it also serves as a microcosm for life's cycle.  After all, Macbeth means "Son of Life."

Birth: birth imagery is threaded throughout the play.  Lady Macbeth has had miscarriages, leaving the couple childless.  She says she would dash her baby's brains out and trade her mother's milk for gall.  Macduff was "none of woman born."  He was untimely ripped from his dead mother's womb.

Childhood: again more imagery here.  Macbeth fears children throughout the play: Duncan's, Banquo's, and Macduff's. Mostly, he fears Banquo's child, Fleance, and future children, as they will be kings.  Macbeth kills the father, but the child escapes.  Macbeth does kill Macduff's child, but for no reason.

Marriage: we have two sets of marriages in the play: the Macbeths and the Macduffs.  In both, there is division.  After the Macbeth's conspire and kill Duncan, they stop communicating and effectively divorce.  The Macduff's too differ on the role of the husband.  Lady Macduff calls Macduff a traitor to the family because he puts the plight of Scotland above their protection.

Old age: Duncan, the old king, is murdered by the young thane.  See the conversation the Old Man has with Lennox in Act II, scene iv:

Threescore and ten I can remember well:
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings.

Time is a major theme in the play, and the Old Man cannot remember when he's seen such unnatural acts.  It's as if the Old Man is living in another time.

Death: there is death in every act.  Before we even meet Macbeth, we hear of him killing.  He kills Duncan in Act II, Banquo in Act III, the Lady Macduff in Act IV, and young Siward in Act V.  Plus, he and his wife obviously die.  His famous soliloquy on Tomorrow sums up his view of life and death.

Afterlife: Macbeth is a very Christian play, and there is much allusion to Christian concepts (Virgin Birth, Heaven and hell imagery, and Christ figures [Macduff])

What s the theme of the "Homeless Bird″?

I am not sure any work's essential theme can be summed up in such quick detail.  You might have withstand a bit more of an explanation in order to better understand the work, in general.  I think that the when examining the theme of the work, one has to look at Koly.  The level of change she undergoes from the start of the work to the end of it could represent the notion of character evolution.  The empowerment and sense of personal understanding that she undergoes could represent a theme.  Along these lines, the idea of being able to assert one's own sense of individual identity in a community setting could also be another theme, as Koly learns to embrace her own voice in a traditional setting.

What is the blood imagery in "The Masque of the Red Death"?I'm doing an essay, and I can't find anything about blood imagery.

In "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe, "blood imagery" isn't a special kind of imagery. Like any imagery, it references a particular thing: blood or symbols of blood.

Imagery is language that conjures up mental pictures and/or recollections of sound (e.g., work horses' clomping feet), taste (e.g., warm cherry pie a la mode), what something feels like ( e.g. velvet), warmth/cold (e.g., cuddly down blanket; icicles outside the frosted window pane), smell (e.g., cinnamon rolls baking), and movement (e.g., careening of a ship tossed on rough waves).

The language of imagery can consist of literal descriptions (e.g., fields of waving wheat in the morning sun seen out the window beyond gently blowing white lace curtain), simile (e.g., biting into the chocolate truffle was like biting into a chocolate marshmallow cloud), metaphor (e.g., she was a rock of determination), or allusion (e.g., as impetuous as Icarus).  

The imagery relating to blood in "The Masque of the Red Death" is either literal or symbolic in the form of metaphor. The earliest presence of imagery is "blood was its Avatar and its seal--the redness and the horror of blood." This image mixes metaphor "was its Avatar and seal" with literal "redness and the horror of blood". Poe is describing through imagery the aspect of the red death plague.

The second instance of imagery is "scarlet stains upon the body...." This instance is a metaphor. Poe has established what happens when the disease strikes, now he metaphorically calls the symptom of bleeding pores a "scarlet stain." The third instance is another metaphor. Poe says that at the sealed off abbey "there was Beauty, and there was wine." Wine was frequently used a a metaphor for blood: They are both red and they are both said to course through the body. This metaphor severs as foreshadowing, a clue to his surprise ending.

The fourth instance is a little more complicated metaphor. Poe says that outside the corridor window of each of the seven rooms there stood a tripod (three-armed) brazier (holder of coal or other fuel for heat and light) that projected it rays through the tinted glass of the windows. In this instance, Poe is using "brazier of fire" as a metaphor for blood. Again, both are red and, as blood transfuses the body, the light of the fire transfuses the rooms.

There are many more, "fire-light" on "countenances" (i.e., bleeding pore metaphor), "bold and fiery;" and now that you are started, I'm sure you can find your way to others.

Discuss the relationship between Kapasi and Mrs. Das in the story" Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri.

When communication breaks down, a marriage suffers.  “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri presents characters that live with this frustration.  Failing marriages, buried guilt, and romanticized relationships—the story’s characters find themselves trapped in these circumstances.

 The narration is third person point of view with the majority of the story seen through the thoughts of Mr. Kapasi, the protagonist.  Mr. Kapasi is a tour guide part of the week.  Today, he will take a family, Mr. and Mrs. Das and their three children, to see one of the nearby temples.  

Communication breaks down repeatedly in the story.  Mr. Kapasi relates to the family of five that his real job is to act as an interpreter for a local doctor with patients who speak an obscure language.  Until that point, Mrs. Das had been totally uncommunicative with everyone.  It is obvious that she is not a happy person.  Suddenly, she takes an interest in Mr. Kapasi and his job.  Mrs. Das gives him the name of “interpreter of maladies.” 

The Das couple are apparently in a loveless marriage.  Mr. Das loses himself in a guidebook;  Mrs. Das, hiding behind her sunglasses, is rude both to her children and her husband.  Their frustrated attempts to communicate with each other lead to hurt feelings. 

Mr. Kapasi also has a difficult marriage. He has lost the ability to talk to his wife. The turning point in his marriage has been the death of a son.  His wife does not want to listen to the events of his workday, as his work in the doctor’s office reminds her of the son’s death.  Consequently, she belittles his work and, as resentment builds in Kapasi, he becomes starved for affection.   

Because of the interest in his job, Kapasi feels an infatuation for Mrs. Das. When they stop for pictures, the woman includes him in one of the pictures.  She has him write down his address, so that she can send him a copy of the picture.  Kapasi begins to imagine a long term letter writing communication between the two of them. 

When they are alone for a few minutes, the explanation for Mrs. Das interest becomes clear. Rather than thinking that Kapasi was her potential lover, Mrs. Das thought of Kapasi as a father figure. Sharing a secret with him and asking for his opinion surprises Kapasi:

Raj [Mr. Das] told her that Punjabi friend, would be staying with them for a week….Bobby  was conceived after the friend learned that a London company had hired him.  He made love to her swiftly, in silence, with an expertise she had never known…

When he points out that her problem stems from the guilt that she feels for deceiving her husband. Mr. Kaposi’s diagnosis troubles her, but a “certain knowledge seemed to pass before her eyes.”  Disturbed, she exits the car.  

The woman changes immediately toward her children and her family.  However, the connection between the two is irretrievably broken. As the woman walks back toward the car, the paper with Kapasi’s address symbolically blows out of her purse. 

Thematically, Kapasi loses any feelings for Mrs. Das.  When she reveals her trivial little secret to him about her adultery, she obviously could not understand the devastation he has suffered because of his son’s death. He comes to dislike her because she has caused him to confront his own loveless marriage. Again, communication fails.   He must face the silence of his own marriage, which, “now oppressed him.”

Choose two metaphors from the poem "The Character of a Happy Life" and explain them.

The metaphors used by Wotton in his poem help to illuminate different ways of expressing personal happiness.  One such metaphor can be found in lines 7 and 8, when the poet uses the idea of being free of attachments in comparison to a "prince's grace or vulgar breath."  In seeking to illuminate both extremes, the speak is wishing to bring forth the idea that individuals must find contentment in a realm that is "untied" to either domain and that the truly happy individual will not be linked to the stately powers of royalty or the vulgarity of debasing oneself.  True happiness is found in a realm which is evoked through such comparative language.  Another metaphor used in the poem lies in the line three, where the poem compares honesty in thought to "armor," implying that the temptation to succumb to deception and inauthenticity are around the individual and only the commitment and will to rise above through use of a protective element, like a "shield," composed of honesty would be the only way one can overcome such elements and discover a realm of happiness.

What is a good university for medicine in the UK?

There are many reputable medical universities in the United Kingdom.  In asking about medical universities it is my understanding that one is looking into universities that prepare one to become a physician.  Since the medical field is broad ranging from nursing to dentistry and research, I have listed those universities that are relevant to the medical field in general.

The University of Aberdeen, http://www.abdn.ac.uk/medicine-dentistry/, provides education in dentistry, medical research, applied sciences, and applied medicine.

Queen’s University of Belfast, http://www.qub.ac.uk/, has educational opportunities in biological sciences, research, chemistry, dentistry, midwifery, and psychology.

The University of Birmingham, http://www.bham.ac.uk/, offers opportunities in research and science fields.

The University of Dundee, http://www.dundee.ac.uk/medschool/, offers education in medical, nursing, and dentistry.

Other medical schools include but are not limited to:

Royal Free University Medical School, University College London Department of Medicine, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, St. George's Hospital Medical School London, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

An additional resource for information is The Association for the Study of Medical Education, UK.   Medical Education, UK.   They will be able to provide a rating for the colleges as well as more detailed information.

Shakespeare fills this play with an abundance of juxtapositions (,reality/fiction, Laertes/Hamlet,ets) How many you can list on these contrasts?

mstultz72
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High School Teacher

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(Level 1) Educator Emeritus

Posted on December 17, 2009 at 5:14 AM

How can class 1 and 2 levers make it easier and more efficient to move things?

Levers are grouped in three classes depending on the position of fulcrum, effort and load or resistance. Class 1 lever have fulcrum located between the effort and load. Class 2 levers have fulcrum at one end, and effort at the other end, the load being located between the two. In class 3 lever fulcrum is located at one end, and load at the other end, the effort being located between the two.

In levers the multiple of magnitude of a load and its distance from the fulcrum is equal to multiple of magnitude of a effort and its distance from the fulcrum. Thus if the fulcrum is located at point O, load L at point A, and effort E at point B, Then

L x OA = E x OB

In class 1 levers, the distance of load from fulcrum can be less than, equal to, or more than the distance of effort from fulcrum. Accordingly, effort can be respectively less than, equal to, or more than the load. Thus class 1 lever make it easier or difficult to move things, depending on weather their distance from fulcrum is less or more than that of effort.

In class 2 levers the distance of load from fulcrum is always less than that of effort. As a result effort is always less than load. Thus class 2 levers always make it easier to to move things.

However, type of lever do not effect efficiency. Efficiency is defines as amount of work output in form of movement of load divided by amount of work done in form of movement of effort. Theoretically these two are always same irrespective of class of lever or the ratio of load and effort. Therefore theoretical efficiency of levers of all types is always zero.

In Lord of the Flies, why does Jack deny that the beast is dead?

Jack is authority and power and control. The best way for him and his band to keep their power, is through fear. Jack uses fear to hold his power and to continue to wield it. If he convinces the others that the beast is still alive, he keeps fear alive. If he keeps fear alive, he keeps his power, for he and his group will protect the others from what they are unable to fight alone.

Of course, this is nothing new in the history of manunkind. Regimes from the beginning of time and up to today have wrested and maintained power by instilling fear in the masses. Once the masses are properly frightened, they will do anything to keep themselves and their families safe. Thus we have militias and war parties and armies.

This is one of the main themes of the novel. The boys are on the island because of a catastrophic war the ferocity of which was no doubt stoked by the fear mongers and power grabbers and the abusers of power. The island is the world in microcosm, and the forces that made the larger war are re-enacted by the boys, for though they are small humans, they are humans nonetheless.

If 2*cosx*cos(3x)+1=0, what can x be between 0 and 2pi?

First of all, we'll write 2*cosx*cos(3x) as a sum, following the formula:

cos a+cos b= 2cos [(a+b)/2]cos[(a-b)/2]

So, 2*cosx*cos(3x)= cos a+ cos b

x=(a+b)/2 => a+b=2x

3x=(a-b)/2 => a-b=6x

a+b+a-b=2x+6x

2a=8x => a=4x

a+b-a+b=2x-6x

2b=-4x

b=-2x

Let's substitute now the found values for a and b:

2*cosx*cos(3x)= cos 4x+ cos 2x

The expression given is:

cos 4x+ cos 2x +1=0

Cos 4x= cos 2*(2x)=2[cos(2x)]^2-1

2[cos(2x)]^2-1+cos 2x +1=0

2[cos(2x)]^2+cos 2x =0

cos(2x)*[2cos(2x)+1]=0

cos(2x)=0

2x=arccos 0 + 2kpi

2x=pi/2 + 2kpi

x=pi/4 + kpi

For k=0, x=pi/4=45 degrees(first quadrant)

For k=1, x=pi/4+pi=5pi/4=5*45=225 degrees(third quadrant)

But also, for k=1, x=pi-pi/4=3pi/4=3*45=135 (second quadrant)

2cos(2x)+1=0

2cos(2x)=-1

cos(2x)=(-1/2)

2x=arccos(-1/2)+2kpi

2x=pi/3+2kpi

x=pi/6+kpi

For k=0, x=pi/6=30degrees(first quadrant)

For k=1, x=pi/6+pi=7pi/6=7*30=210 degrees(third quadrant)

For k=1, x=pi-pi/6=5pi/6=5*30=150 degrees(second quadrant)

Discussion about allergic reactions to medicines.

Overall frequency of allergic reactions to medicines is around 10%.It is described a predisposition that is probably genetically determined. Allergic sensitization usually develops after 5 to 14 days after the first administration, sometimes longer, if the treatment is continuously.
The risk is higher for local administration and less for oral administration. The allergy is specific  to a substance, but may also include structurally related compounds. Reactions are common to all penicillins for example.
It is necessary for the development of allergy that the medicine,which is generally with low molecular weight, to form conjugates with covalent binding of a polypeptide or protein in the body. Sometimes antigenic determinant is a metabolite of the drug (eg Peniciloil derivatives for  penicillin).
In the U.S. approximately 50% of approved drugs had adverse effects undetected in the testing stages prior to approval, in the same country adverse drug reactions affecting 2.2 million patients and is the fifth - the sixth cause of death (0.1% of patients admitted to medical wards).

Rarely is it possible to remove a specific morbid conditions through  pharmacon without being influenced concurrently and other functions of the body (side effects). Side effects may include: desired / unwanted, harmful /non harmful,  dose dependent, predictable / unpredictable. 
Classification of adverse effects / side:

A  pharmacodynamic causes undesirable effects

a. Effects on overdose (increasing of main effect  , the emergence of new effects, emphasizing the different effects of the master, but inseparable)
b. inevitable effects at therapeutic doses
1. because the main action:
- By the same mechanism as the main action (broncho obstruction after β-blockers);
- Following the main action (reflex tachycardia after hypotensive).
2. independent of the main proceedings (thrombosis after oral contraceptives).
B. undesirable effects of   pharmacokinetic causes(absorption, distribution, release / bioavailability, biotransformation, enzyme induction, elimination, aggregation)
C. Undesirable effects by drug interactions (pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic)

D. Undesirable effects due to age (young children, elderly)
E. Effects unwanted by genetic influences 
 
F. Effects unwanted immune mechanisms ( 'allergies')
 
G.Carcinogen  action 
H. Embryotoxic and teratogenic action

In "The Great Gatsby," does Gatsby deserve to be called "Great"?

Fitzgerald bandied around several titles (Under the Red, White, and Blue) before his editor/publisher encouraged him to go with The Great Gatsby.  So, he obviously wanted to write not only a great American novel, but a critique on America's moral wasteland.  He's writing about two Americas.

According to Cornell Professor Don McCall (who cites another Cornell professor below):

The title of the novel has a special ironic distinction: it says two things at once. First, Gatsby is truly “great,” a legitimate hero. Second, he is a figure in a sideshow, a freak, a carnival oddity, “The Great Gatsby.” At one point the book’s narrator, Nick Carraway, sees Gatsby as “a turbaned ‘character’ leaking sawdust at every pore.” And the more we get to know the man, the more clearly the two meanings of the title are right—he is indeed exemplary, and he’s a grease-paint Wonder of the Western World striding majestically around on a platform. Cornell Professor Arthur Mizener, the first and still the best of Fitzgerald’s many biographers, sums it up admirably:

In so far as Gatsby represents the simplicity of heart Fitzgerald associated with the Middle West, he is really a great man; in so far as he achieves the kind of notoriety the East accords success of his kind he is about as great as Barnum was. Out of Gatsby’s ignorance of his real greatness and his misunderstanding of his notoriety, Fitzgerald gets most of the book’s direct irony.

Also, the novel is told from Nick's point of view: he's the only one who thinks he's great.  He's the only one who attends his funeral.  Gatsby is the epitome of focused desire and idealism.  So, there's bias involved here.

Which lines in the play show how Banquo is a character foil to Macbeth?Any quotations or general areas that I could find some good examples of it...

Yes, and later in Act 1, Scene 3, after Macbeth learns that part of the witches' prophecy has come true, that he has, indeed, been named the Thane of Cawdor, he says to Banquo:

...Do you not hope your children shall be kings,

When those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me

Promised no less to them?

Banquo's answer is a cautious one. He's not so sure that the witches "gave" anyone anything. A prediction or a prophesy may only be a suggestion about the future, not an outright gift. So Banquo warns:

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

To Macbeth's wide-eyed amazement and belief, Banquo brings wariness, common sense and a cool head.

Later in the play, Banquo serves as the ultimate foil to Macbeth, when in Act 3, Scene 4, Banquo's ghost comes to taunt Macbeth at the formal dinner party; the bloody ghost points to Macbeth, exposing a horrified Macbeth to his own guilt.

Why can’t Krebs pray with his mother?

Krebs' experiences overseas have hardened him in such a way that the simple things of his old life--such as prayer, ball games and dating--are now unacceptable acts to him. The bloody battles in which he participated at Belleau Wood and in the Argonnes have changed his way of looking at the world, and he finds it impossible to adjust to post-war life when he returns to his hometown in Oklahoma. The terrible horrors of war have made Krebs believe that he is no longer part of God's Kingdom, if there really is a God, and he cannot bring himself to tell his mother that he loves her. He cannot kneel and pray with her because he no longer believes in God, and he knows that his new life cannot resume again in the home of his youth. Life here is now a lie. He decides that he must move elsewhere, away from his family and the reminders of his innocence, so that he can begin life anew.  

In the story "The Open Window," Mrs. Sappleton can best be described by what word or phrase?

This is an interesting question because it does not focus on the far more visible character of the niece...instead, it focuses on the less visible character of the aunt.  To give you an answer, though, If I had to make a decision about how Mrs. Sappleton could BEST be described I would use the phrase "matriarch of the family."

Why do I think that?  Well, it was something in the way that the woman carried herself.  A matriarch is a female head of the family (or tribe.)  Here are some of my reasons:

1. I suppose my opinion of her as such started when she came down the stairs "fashionably" late to receive her guest.  To me there is something stately about that.


2. Then there is the way that she leads the conversation "She rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity of birds, and the prospects for duck in the winter" and his inability to steer the discussion in a different direction.  To me, this suggests a woman of strong personality.


3. She makes a comment about the men that I feel shows that she believes herself a little bit better than them: "they'll make a fine mess over my poor carpets. So like you menfolk, isn't it?"


4. She is bored by Mr. Nuttel talking about himself and has to stifle a yawn.  This, to me, shows a certain disdain for men (though perhaps just this particular one) and a presumption of superiority that can't be marred by the faux pa of yawning.


5. She is very interested in the return of the men.  She appears to like to know where people are, what they are doing, and when they are coming back.  That, to me, implies power.


6. Her husband, two young brothers, and her niece are all either living at the house or are visitors there.  This shows that the orbit of the family, to some degree, revolves around the mom.

That's my two cents worth: matriarch.

Do natural disasters affect a country in a positive or negative way? If so, why?

It really depends on the natural disaster. If the natural disaster is so large that it destroys the whole country, then it is surely negative. However, if the natural disaster is of a scale that is "manageable", it can have beneficial results, even if there are some negative consequences. The reason for this is that people usually learn through suffering. Without hardship and challenges, people usually do not grow. So, for there to be natural character and moral excellence, there will need to be some sort of hardships. In this sense, natural disasters can produce some good things.

Describe the physical setting of the story, the town of Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Maycomb is the county seat of Maycomb County, Alabama. This makes it a rather appropriate place for such a high-stakes trial; but it also remains a quintessential small, Southern town. Here's the description from the first chapter:

Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.

People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. p.11

Thus we have a place where no one was rushed, & by extension, no change is rushed. Here, radical ideas are slowly considered, which puts Atticus in a difficult situation in his defense of Tom. He is fighting against a deep-seated racism that will not be easily rooted out. Nearly everyone in town knows everyone else, & if they don't, they certainly gossip like they do. There's much speculation and stereotyping going on amongst the families. Finally, there is a strict social hierarchy, based on both race and class. The Finches are near the top, being both white and well-off financially. Others, like the Cunninghams, are looked down upon for their economic hardships in the Depression. Calpurnia, Tom & Helen Robinson, and others black families are at the bottom of the social ladder in the town, due to the institutionalized racism.

It is here that Scout learns wisdom, maturity, and morality, against the backdrob of a small sleepy town.

What are some general responsibilies that both Jack and Ralph ingore that undermines the group's ability to function?name one spacific...

I think that in the book "Lord of the Flies" it is evident that both boys begin their journey as just boys.  They do not have a true understanding of establishing a working community.  One of the first thing that is evident to me is that they do not engage in gathering and identifying food sources as a team. 

The first big responsibility that both boys ignore is undertaken by Simon and that is to determine what the best could be.  Simon finds out but is killed before he can share the information.  If the children had been able to thwart the fear that may have prevented some of the disaster that follows.

"Grown-ups know things said Piggy.  They ain't afraid of the dark."

"Maybe," He aid hesitantly, "maybe there is a best."989)

Ralph is the responsible boy who tries to set things up in an appropriate manner.  However, he does not have the knowledge that a man would have.  Instead of locating a cave or some other more solid dwelling, he uses the make shift shelters that he builds.  He should have tried to develop a more solid living structure.

Jack overlooked the skills in hunting.  He chose the more savage route.  He waited to use spears and weapons, but had he been thinking more responsibility he may have used different hunting methods.  In addition, he overlooked the value of locating alternate foods such as resources from the sea.  If the island was oceanic then there would have been a better chance for hm to catch more nutritious meals in the water.

Why does Popova call Smirnov a "bear" in Chekov's play, The Bear? Is the name symbolic somehow? Explain.

In Chekov's play, The Bear, the stage direction notes that Smirnov is jabbering (talking endlessly on) and Popova is trying to get his attention by repeating "Bear! Bear! Bear!. And though that may well have been Chekov's initial intent, I would think more meaning would come from the actress's choice as to how to play the role. Since they are fighting back and forth, I would think she could be calling him "Bear" repeatedly as a taunt, the way children do—for there is no doubt that these adults are being childish.

Popova's insults begin with:

You're a boor! A coarse bear! A Bourbon! A monster!

When he asks her to repeat herself, amazed that she has insulted him, she says...

I said you are a bear, a monster!

He is so enraged by the time that she starts repeating "Bear!," that he figures a woman cannot get away with insults any more than a man, and so he challenges Popova to a duel. Amusingly, she accepts, though what is even funnier is that Smirnov must instruct her with regard to firing a pistol in the first place.

Remember that this was written as a satire—something that makes fun of a person, place, event, idea, etc. In this case, Chekov was said to be making fun of...

...liberal discourses in mid-to late-nineteenth-century Russia, in particular those concerned with "The Woman Question."

The "Woman Question" refers to the emancipation of women. Smirnov refers to this when he considers that in light of Popova's insults, she must be one of these liberal women:

It's about time we got rid of the prejudice that only men need pay for their insults. Devil take it, if you want equality of rights you can have it. We're going to fight it out!

In that Smirnov acts like a bear, with (as Popova says)...

...large fists and a bull's throat...

...I would suggest that Chekov may be expressing humor over the noise being made about equality for women. If the play is any indicator, it would seem that perhaps men complain about women being emancipated, while ironically, they find these kind of women infinitely more attractive than the simpering and manipulative ladies who don't come out and tell a man what they want, but trick him into getting their heart's desire.

"Bear" may be symbolic simply for the lumbering clumsy animal that makes a great deal of noise, but is essentially interested in eating and sleeping unless he is angered. When Smirnov arrives, so frustrated and angry about his finances, he certainly seems to act like a bear.

How would you characterize the poem's level of diction?

Diction is the style in which someone speaks. It can be formal or informal, clear or mumbled. In writing, it is used to set the tone of a piece or a character. In this poem, Wordsworth is sad because he sees people in the world obsessed with buying and spending while at the same time forgetting the beauty and power of nature. The tone is mournful and regretful. The diction of the first half sounds fairly straightforward at the beginning of the poem, yet it increases in formality so that, by the poem's end, Wordsworth is using much more literary words (like "pagan" and "creed") and concludes by making highfaluting references to ancient classical myths. I would characterize the diction as mixed--on the one hand, he is upset (which betrays a more common or low diction) and yet when he reflects on the romantic past his mood rises (which betrays a more idealistic or higher diction). 

Why do colleges make students take economics how does it help them in life?

I don't know that most American colleges do require economics, but if yours does, I guess it makes no difference to you if others don't.

How does it help you in real life?  Well, for one thing it helps you with logical thinking and analytical skills.  These skills are important, in my opinion, in any profession one enters (if you want to enter any career that requires thought, at least).  In addition, a basic knowledge of economics allows you to understand more about the world around you, which is always good.

So... there's no way in which taking economics is essential to life, but it can help you A) gain useful skills and B) enrich your life by increasing your understanding of the world.

Whose fault is Biff's failure in Death of a Salesman?I have to write an essay on that one question

Because of Willy's own insecurities and uncertainties, he favored one son over another. Biff was his star, his dream. He poured all of his love and hope for the future and belief in success into the young Biff.  Biff, the football hero, Biff the Adonis, Biff the popular, Biff the leader.

Happy, Biff's brother, was relegated to a far-off second place. He tried to get his father's attention, but he could never measure up to Biff, the shinig star. Can we blame Biff for riding high on his father's love and adulation? Should he have said, Please Pop, enough about me; pay more attention to Hap? Would that have been possible; would any boy be able to be so egalitarian, so self effacing? Especially one so pumped up with years of almost exclusive support from his father?

So, when Biff finds out the truth about his father in that hotel room in Boston, when he finds out that his father is a liar and a cheat, the real question is: is it a complete shock to him that this salesman who is is father was just full of hot air? Or did he secretly know all along that poor Willy needed him as a prop for his exhausting life and for his gnawing failures? Could he have known this; would he, years ago, have been able to see the truth about his father and admitted it to himself?

This is one of the great mysteries of the play. But whatever the answer is, this is clear: Biff and his father were a doomed pair riding high on a "shoeshine and a smile," and when Willy was found out, when Biff stopped smiling back, they both came crashing down.

In what year and month does the pilgrimage to the shrine at Canterbury, described in Geoffrey Chaucer's classic poem, take place?

It would be difficult to determine the exact year. The author, Geoffrey Chaucer, was born around 1343, and died, it would seem, in 1400. The Canterbury Tales, his mature masterpiece of English prose and rhyme, he likely wrote in his forties. That would probably place the year of composition sometime in the late 1380's. However, the exact year is not as important as Chaucer's wry and satirical portrayal of characters representing a cross-section of the religious and civil society of his time. Since the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas a Becket 200 years before, pilgrims from every social class, and for every conceivable motive, had been making their way to Canterbury. Thus, in a sense, Chaucer's Tales could have been set in any year.

As to the time of year, it is early spring, as the poet tells us:

"Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote...and the yonge sonne/Hath in the Ram his halfe course y-ronne,...Than longen folk to goon pilgrimages,..."

As the earth regains its vitality, celebrated by the author in the first twenty lines of the poem, so people desire the adventure of a pilgrimage.

The Ideal of Objectivity in Sociology

The ideal of objectivity in sociology: giant question. My best short answer would be this: Although it may be impossible, the best way to aspire to sociological objectivity is that the societal and personal influence of the observer (sociologist) must always be taken into account.

Also, a lot of sociological theories can only be tested over time. Certain economic, cultural and national factors will contribute during the passing of history and this complexity of variables makes it difficult to make a definitive statement about direct causes and affects due to social behavior. And since, at any given time, in any given society, societal norms will change, any claim to an objective or universal (timeless) theory of sociology will tend to be a centrist interpretation. Biased by current ideologies of a society at its certain point in history. Case in point, Marxists today, while somewhat diverse, think very differently from Marxists in Karl Marx's time. This is not because of a fundamental disagreement with Karl: it's because certain events (i.e. unions) occurred which did not adhere to Karl's theory of social progress (the proletariate did not take over.)

Some sociologists will see a social conflict as abnormal, a symptom; others will see it as a normal occurence: this depends on the interpretation of the sociologist. So, the ideal of objectivity simply remains a possible goal. Even theoretical physicists rely on unproven theories, some of which will be proven, and some not. They study behavior of particles and sociologists study behavior of people. The sociologists may have a longer struggle towards objectivity because unlike particles, humans can change their minds, sometimes making them more unpredictable than quantum particles.

So, the positivist doctrine that society's progress is predictable based on observed (sense) quantitative behavior is not the bottom line. In the end, the goal of an objective science is to predict behavior. If you are a determinist (you believe that a comprehensive theory of history and society will predict all behaviors), then an objective sociological theory is near impossible, but at least it's conceivable. If you are not a determinist, an antipositivist maybe, then you concede that certain events cannot be predicted: this is a result of qualitative events, the complexity of socio-economic relations and really, the ability or free will of the individual to think outside the box of history: to do something that is not historically determined. Or, you're somewhere in the middle.

As a proactive sociologist, you might take your comprehensive theory and propose what should be done to ensure a more ethical future. Your biases may cloud your rationale and your well-intentioned sociological implementations (i.e. educational reforms like No Child Left Behind) may backfire. In the end, sociological objectivity is an ideal, but one worth striving for.

What mood does the author's use of silence create as the husband and wife lie in bed waiting for their wish to come true?

Well, what could be more creepy than laying in silence, in the dark, listening to the creaking and settlings of an old house?  Add to that the fact that you think your previously dead son might be coming back from the grave...

"The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed, and a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and apathetically beside him.

Neither spoke, but both lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. The darkness was oppressive, and after lying for some time screwing up his courage, the husband took the box of matches, and striking one, went downstairs for a candle."

The silence does indeed create a particular mood for the story.  The reader is literally waiting for something to happen.  This is symbolized by the way that the clock keeps on ticking.  It is the only thing "moving" in the dark room...or is it?  This trick of reducing the light and sound in the room focuses the readers attention and provides a basis for anticipation. In a literary sense, it is building suspense.

Also, look at the way the sound of the knocking comes through:

"at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door."

That's the first one, almost so quiet you wonder if it really happened.  How bad can the outcome be if the "thing" on the other side of the door knocks so gently?  But then:

"his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house."

The knocking becomes more frantic, more pressing.  The thing out there really wants to come in.  The building sound of the increased rapping testifies to that.

"A loud knock resounded through the house."

Now it is getting angrier.  It wants in.  It is hitting the door harder.

"A perfect fusillade of knocks reverberated through the house,"

Nothing friendly would pound like that.  Do you see how sound (or the absence thereof) can contribute to the creepy mood of the story?  Sure, the author could have thrown the door open and showed you what was outside, but would that have been more awful than the shuffling unknown that was standing outside, desperate to get in?

What Similarities and Differences exist between the political factions of the Legislative Assembly and those in the U.S government today?

Political factions in the legislature could include the different parties, the Democrats and Republicans and less well known players. Some even say that political action committees (PAC's) are a faction because even though they do not sit on the legislative body their influence is immense. All factions are similar in the fact that they want their ideas and concerns addressed by the legislature and they want their respective parties to pass legislation that they propose. Far too often, the wheels of progress turn slowly because one party wants to "win"and the concept of greater good for the greater number is left flailing by the wayside.

The various factions have far more differences and ideas as far as the way government should be run, policies adapted by the administration, and the amount of funds that should be spent. For specific voting differences you can refer to the legislative record in your state.

Who or what are the antagonists for the three short stories, "The Necklace," "A Rose for Emily," and "A Worn Path"?

In all three novels, society in some shape or form is the antagonist.

In "The Necklace", Mathilde's antagonist is her class and social consciousness, stemming from how she viewed herself as a member of society- which is as a very unfortunate person wanting to move forward, but not being able to.

In "A Rose for Emily" social change is Emily's antagonist. The Old South's changes are unbearable to her, and she has determined to not face it and stubbornly keep tight to what she knows which is the past. Change is a huge antagonist, but Social Change is the biggest of them all.

In "A Worth Path" the antagonist is Social Struggle. Phoenix goes through a number of obstacles to get a basic need: medicine. But she is an old, african american woman and her path is obstaculized by a number of elements. All this just to get medicine. Therefore, in this story the struggles of African Americans are represented in Phoenix's own struggle to get to the most simple and rightful place for her to be.

I hope this helps!

In Jane Eyre chapter 4, what are the consequences of Jane's outburst? How does Jane feel after this outburst?

Jane is treated very cruelly by her aunt Mrs. Reed. Eliza, Georgiana and John under instructions from their mother Mrs. Reed ignore her completely. Once John and Jane quarrel and Jane almost smashes his nose but he runs to his mother who tells him:

"I told you not to go near her; she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or your sisters should associate with her."

When Jane heard this she screamed to the two of them from the top of the stairs, "They are not fit to associate with me." On hearing this Mrs.Reed became furious and rushed up the stairs and grabbed Jane and,

"swept me like a whirlwind into the nursery, and crushing me down on the edge of my crib, dared me in an emphatic voice to rise from that place, or utter one syllable during the remainder of the day."

Jane tries to defend herself by saying that Uncle Reed is watching from heaven all the ill treatment meted out to her by her aunt. At once Mrs. Reed physically assaults her by boxing her ears. This was followed by a long sermon by the maid Bessie who convinces Jane that she "was the most wicked and abandoned child ever reared under a roof. "

The net result of all this commotion was that Jane became very depressed and actually believed all what Bessie had preached to her. This situation exposes how vulnerable and defenseless Jane felt both physically and emotionally after Mrs.Reed had assaulted her :

I half believed her; for I felt indeed only bad feelings surging in my breast.

What are the sure signs of dyslexia?I think I might have it but would like to be sure. Can anyone help?

Dyslexic kids can have trouble in a number of academic areas- not just reading.  It is not all about letter and number reversals as many people think.  Early reading activity happens in the front areas of the brain and then moves to the left side as the reader matures in their ability to decode and make sense of written material.  For a person with dyslexia- the transition doesn't happen correctly and the front of the brain continues to work inefficiently at decoding.  Often those with dyslexia were late talkers as a toddler and don't have a good sense of the rhythm of our language- (they aren't very good at rhyming activities- ie. they don't get that cat, fat, rat are all going to sound alike because of the at phonogram.)  They are also often the kid that comes tearing into the house yelling, "Mom, mom.........I forgot......"  The brain has just not built the pathways needed to process language efficiently.

The good news is that the brain can be retrained and the correct neural pathways can be built.  It is not easy for an older learner- but it can be done.  If you think you have dyslexia find someone who understands dyslexia and knows how to work with you.  A regular tutor is fine- but you are never going to hit the root of the problem.  You need someone who is trained in a multisensory approach to phonemic awareness and phonics instruction such as Linda Mood Bell or Orton Gillingham.  Starting back at the beginning builds and strengthens the pathways needed for decoding within the brain.

I would also suggest getting testing done by an educational therapist.  Dyslexia can manifest itself in a variety of ways that may not be in the traditional form of letter reversals. Testing not only lets you know where you are at and where the holes are, but it opens the door for a 504 educational plan which provides accomodations for you for assignments and/or testing- for life!  Or an IEP which would provide additional instructional support.

Dyslexia is a war you can win!  Good luck.

In "Hamlet" refer to Polonius, Claudius, Hamlet, and Laertes by explaining the purpose each had and how it fell on his own head.At the end of the...

The way that all of these characters' plans "fall'n on th' inventor's heads" is death.  Death is a common part of Shakespeare's tragedies, and "Hamlet" is no exception to that trend.

Polonius had the purpose of scouting for information for the king.  He decides, with the king's promptings and concerns, to snoop into Hamlet's behavior.  Hamlet has been behaving strangely towards Ophelia, his daughter, and towards everyone in the castle.  And advisor to the king, Polonius takes it upon himself to meddle, spy, and figure out the puzzle of Hamlet's odd behavior.  It is for this reason that he hides himself in the queen's bedroom, and that is how he ends up dead.  Hamlet rashly kills the unknown intruder, and Polonius is brought down by his own meddling "inventions."

Claudius schemes to murder his brother and become king--he is successful for a while, but unfortunately for him, Hamlet finds out.  This leads him to plot Hamlet's death also; he fails with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, so then manipulates Laertes into the duel situation.  To ensure death, he tosses in the poisoned wine.  All this scheming to kill his brother and nephew lead to his own death at the end.

Hamlet's purpose is revenge; his snooping, strange behavior, and play-casting alert Claudius to his possible knowledge of the matter, which leads, eventually, to his death.  Hamlet's design was to enact revenge, but he did it so poorly and slowly that it gave Claudius time to plot his murder.  So, it was his plot to avenge his father that led to his death, to the plot coming down on his own head.

Laertes schemed to kill Hamlet to avenge his father's death.  If he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have died.  In the process of enacting that revenge, he is poisoned and killed.

Shakespeare, when he does something, does it with drama and flair, and all of the schemes, inventions and plotting by characters in this play end up in death for all.  I hope that helped; good luck!

How does Miller use the stage set to influence the audience's perception of the tension?

Miller doesn't just pictorally show how change oppresses the Loman household; he has Willy talk about it. Willy remarks with disgust how the whole place presently stinks and reminisces about how the flowers used to give off such a sweet fragrance in the springtime.  He also mentions two large elms which used to be in the yard, and at one point he gets confused and thinks they are still there.

This "interfacing" of the past and the present shows Willy's inability to accept and cope with change; he is forever seeking refuge in "the good ole days."  As his house and yard Willy is a relic, a has-been, a vestige of the past - who can no longer find his place in the modern world. Little by little, his vital space has been whittled away by an increasingly competitive market:

Miller describes the setting so that there can be no doubt that the American Dream is a major theme of the piece. His use of the apartment buildings overshadowing the Loman house is symbolic of the change that has occurred in American life since World War II. A single family home belongs to the past, when the American Dream was still alive, or at least when it was assumed to be alive. The home's decrepit state details that a new reality has come into being, one that is a community of families, but a community without a central purpose. The apartment building is not like the small town of the past, where the inhabitants knew and supported each other. The families in the apartments live separate lives, even though they share a single building. There is a sense of not belonging to anything larger than oneself, that America is now a country of extreme individualism, where it is “every man for himself.” ...Willy finds that he no longer fits but he still continues to live in his own dream, hoping for a life that is gone.

- from /death-of-a-salesman/essential-passages

Note:  Other playwrights have also capitalized on the strong imagery of a descriptive domestic setting. Tennessee Williams uses it in both "The Glass Menagerie" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" and it is ever so symbolic in Eugene' O'Neils's "Desire Under the Elms" and J.M. Synge's "Riders to the Sea."

In The Crucible, why is the scene between Elizabeth and John Proctor important, and what does it reveal about their relationship?

In the first scene of Act 2 in The Crucible, Miller introduces Elizabeth Proctor and provides the audience with an intimate glimpse into her marriage to John.  By this point in the play, the conversation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams has already taken place; so the audience knows that John was unfaithful to Elizabeth.

As the scene opens, Elizabeth has been waiting for John and instead of greeting him affectionately, she immediately questions why he is "so late."  This sets the tone for the rest of the scene: Elizabeth questions John's actions, motives, and words, and John resents her suspicion and emotional distance.  While John's and Elizabeth's words are quite telling in regards to the tension between them, Miller's stage directions are even more significant.  When John kisses Elizabeth,

"she receives it. With a certain disappointment, he returns to the table."

John had made the effort to get up, go to his wife, and demonstrate affection, but it is still to difficult for her to return her trust and sincere affection to her husband.

How is Cain and Abel alluded to in the story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde as a whole?

If you can think of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as brothers, the significance of the Cain and Abel allusion becomes easier to see.

In Stevenson's story, Dr. Jekyll is Abel and Mr. Hyde is Cain because Jekyll is the good "brother" while Hyde is the bad "brother."  In Stevenson's story, as in the Biblical account, one "brother" will kill the other.  In this case, Dr. Jekyll will commit suicide because that is his only way to kill his evil "brother" Mr. Hyde.

Another point of similarity is that, in Genesis, Cain kills Abel out of jealousy while in Stevenson's story, Hyde wants to "kill" Jekyll by taking over his body and his life.

In a sense, then, Hyde tries to be Cain and kill Abel, but this time Abel will win (sort of) and kill Cain (though he himself dies as well).

Please discuss events that led the United States into WWI.These could include Germany's submarine wafare, US trade with England and France, and the...

The last answer by 'revolution' is incorrect. the 'Lusitania' was sunk on March 7th 1915, Unrestricted Submarine Warfare began on February 1st 1917 and the US declared war on April 6th 1917. The sinking of the 'Lusitania' made Americans angry but since Germany paid the American families for their losses and said they would not do this again all was forgiven. However, German did do this again with the sinking of the British ship the 'Arabic' (8/15) and the French ferry the 'Sussex' (4/16), so to end this conflict Germany agrees not to sink British passenger ships, only cargo ones.

For some reason though, Germany decides that even though it is winning the war (Russia has dropped out and the French are pushed almost to Paris) that it will declare Unrestricted Submarine Warfare which meant that they would blow up all ships in the warzone whether they were allied with Britain or not.

Finally, the Zimmerman Telegraph/Note is what really pushed the US to war. This stated that "we (Germany) intend to begin unrestricted submarine warfare on the first of February. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States neutral. In the event of this not succeding, we make Mexico a proposal of alliance on the following basis; make war together, make peace together, generous financial support, and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona."

Although Mexico declined Germany's offer, this promise of US territory to Mexico was a direct threat even though the US was not supposed to know about this (Britain intercepted this telegraph and passed it to the US) because it said that if the US joined the war then Germany would take its land and give it away.

So after Unrestricted Submarine Warfare and the Zimmerman Telegraph the US had no reason other than the usual (death, cost, time, etc) not to go to war with Germany. The war was also a way to strengthen its ties with Great Britain and assert itself as a Great Power in the Great Power Rivalry.

I hope this helps!

In All My Sons, how is Joe Keller not an evil man, but a misguided one?

In the play, Joe represents a corruption of the popular Horatio Alger myth. It is this idea of the "rags-to-riches" story that has perpetuated in American culture and American literature, such as Miller's Death of a Salesman and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. True to the idea of starting from the bottom, Joe is a self-made businessman who started out as a semiskilled laborer and worked his way up in the business world to become a successful manufacturer. On the surface, Joe is incredibly likable. He gets along well with the neighbors and their children, but tends to put himself down, claiming not to be as smart or well-educated as those around him.

Yet there is another side to Joe. He actually takes great pride in his business sense, & cares for his business almost as much as his family. It is this sense of pride which led to his downfall. During the war, he ordered his partner, Steve Deever, to cover cracks in some airplane engine parts, disguise the welds, and send them on to be used in fighter planes, causing the death of twenty-one pilots. Although convicted, Joe put the blame on Steve and got out of prison.

He did not intend for anyone to get hurt, certainly for no one to die. Yet after it happens, he lies and lets his partner take the blame. Some might argue that this makes him evil. Yet he did not act without a conscience, and everything he did was for his family. He wanted to protect his sons and save them from a life of disgrace, and despite what happened, his intentions were good, at least in his mind.

Who were the night riders and what were they doing?

The reference to “night riders” in Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is intended to evoke the desperate fears of liberated slaves and, later, of African Americans in general, of white terrorists, especially those associated with the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan, or KKK for short. The KKK carried out many of its terrorist acts, like lynchings and the fire-bombings of homes and churches occupied by blacks at night. The darkness of the night is almost universally associated in the minds of many, especially the less-educated, which most slaves and former slaves obviously were, with terror, and so it was during the night that groups like the KKK sought to maximize the fear among their targeted audience: African Americans. This is why, in her novella about African American life in the Deep South, specifically, Mississippi, during the 1930s, Taylor’s young narrator, Cassie, refers to “visions of night riders and fire mixed in a caldron of fear” awakening her from sleep. Nightmares with their genesis in the real-life terrors with which blacks lived across the American South frequently included visions such as those described by Cassie. It is also why, when the white store owner Kaleb Wallace becomes angered with Cassie and her brothers, Little Man and Christopher-John, he immediately evokes images of the night riders who terrorized blacks in the darkness, usually while adorned in the KKK’s trademark white robes and hoods: “One of these nights, you watch, nigger ! I'm gonna come get you for what you done ! You just watch ! One night real soon. . .”

The phrase “night riders,” as pointed out, refers to members of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups who decried the outcome of the Civil War and who violently rebelled against Reconstruction and any notion of desegregations. It also evokes, however, the use of horses in their night-time raids, as automobiles had not yet been invented when the “night riders” first appeared.

Is Girl By Jamaica Kincaid a short story or a poem and why?

I have seen the work 'Girl' by Jamaica Kincaid described in different places both as a poem and as a short story, so I guess it's down to individual opinion although critics usually tend to be able to unite on elements such as this. Different people bring different sets of experiences to each piece of writing and that affects how the piece is interpreted.

To me, the work is more like a poem because although writers experiment with brave innovations nowadays, in the style of flash fiction for example, most 'stories' -however short -have a narrative or storyline that is very clearly defined running through them. This piece is very visual, full of vivid decriptions and paints an overall picture rather than telling a story. The punctuation and run-on lines are poetic and adventurous and the non-stop list of demands makes it difficult to read as a story although the modern technique of micro-fiction and short fiction is changing all that.

Review the causes, goals, and ideals of the American Revolution. Are the ideals of the American colonists still pertinent? Why or why not?

I have received a mail from pohnpei397, seeking views from a non-American on the question of whether the ideals of the American Revolution remain pertinent today. So here are my views.

The American revolution was primarily a fight against the British attempts to impose their will on the people of European origin settled in America to benefit British people at the cost of Americans. Thus the direct objective of the revolution was to seek freedom from oppressive rule of the British for economic betterment of European settlers in America.

The Ideals of equality and liberty of all men was adopted by the leaders as a means to rally together a very wide section of the population, and perhaps to obtain support of France.

Whatever was the reason for adopting the ideals of equality and freedom by leaders of revolution at that time it was very much an ideal worth striving for at that time. I believe, this Ideal not only continues to be relevant today, but has actually become much more relevant and important today.

How are Antigone, Gertrude (from Hamlet) and Ophelia (from Hamlet) similar?

If you are writing an essay and need to provide support from Antigone and Hamlet for a comparison of these female characters, you could certainly prove that Antigone and Gertrude are similar.  They both know what they want and are willing to do almost anything to attain their objectives. While Antigone's goal (pleasing the gods) is nobler than Gertrude's, the two women's methods are quite similar. Similarly, Antigone (even though she is the title character) and Gertrude play central roles in their respective plays regardless of the fact that in comparison to other characters, they do not have a vast number of lines. The main dissimilarity between the two women is that Antigone is fiercely independent and believes that what she has done is right (trying to bury her brother and prepare his life for the underworld).  In contrast Gertrude admits to her son that he has done wrong and is dependent upon the male characters throughout the entirety of the play.

At first glance, it would seem that Antigone and Ophelia have little in common, but there are several similarities.  Both young women have close relationships with their brothers and both are abused by men who should have their best interest at heart (Antigone by her uncle Creon and Ophelia by her lover Hamlet). Another similarity is that Antigone and Ophelia both commit suicide (although some critics intepret Ophelia's death in another way, it's normally portrayed on stage as a suicide). Finally, the two younger ladies have idealistic views of life--Antigone believes that others and she should follow the gods' wishes and sincerely expects others to act morally and selflessly; this results in her death. Ophelia, too, sees the best in others and naively believes that others possess positive motives for their actions and words. She loses her mind when this belief proves to be false.

Despite the similarities between Antigone and Ophelia, Antigone is once again a fiercely independent creature in comparison to Ophelia.  She does not commit suicide out of weakness; but rather, she does so to prove a point to her uncle and to please the gods.  She sees her death as noble in contrast to Ophelia's simply giving up the will to live.

Some of the littluns are crying in sympathy for the one who started it. What is it?

There's two different reasons the littluns begin crying in this chapter. In Chapter 5, Ralph calls a meeting. It's different than the others, because it's called so late, & it's really the last meeting they'll be able to have as a cohesive group. During the assembly, talk of the beast begins. The first boy to talk about it, Phil, causes the others to laugh in nervousness. All attempts to rationally talk about the beast are shot down, & Jack calls forth another littlun who claims to have seen it.

This is Percival Wemys Madison, the boy who recited his name, address, and telephone number at the beginning of the book. He tries to this again in Chapter 5, but he can't get any further than his address. The loss of his telephone number becomes a reminder of everything he's lost (although he cannot articulate this) & he breaks down. Jack yells at his to stop, but he cannot. The other boys follow suit:

A spring had been tapped, far beyond the reach of authority or even physical intimidation. The crying went on, breath after breath, and seemed to sustain him upright as if he were nailed to it.

“Shut up! Shut up!”

For now the littluns were no longer silent. They were reminded of their personal sorrows; and perhaps felt themselves to share in a sorrow that was universal. They began to cry in sympathy, two of them almost as loud as Percival.

So Percival reminds everyone of the society they have left behind: not just parents, family, friends, but all the comforts and security such a society offers.

In Andromeda Strain, what is one experiment the scientists set up at Wildfire to try to gather information?

The scientists at Wildfire conduct many experiments to try to find out what the deadly organism is and how it works. Their goal is to devise a way to counteract and destroy it. In chapter 16, when they discover that the organism causes blood to clot and solidify, which results in death, Burton decides to run a test to determine whether preventing the blood from clotting would prevent death. So he injects some laboratory rats with Heparin, an anticoagulant drug, and exposes them to the organism. The rat that receives a small dose of Heparin dies almost immediately, and one injected with a large amount dies shortly afterward. The experiment fails, but the scientists have gathered the information that the anticoagulants have no effect on the organism.

I am having a hard time on structuring a sentence for an assignment. How can you help me?For example, their child are discouraged and unwillijng...

As an educator in the public schools for the past 15 years, I am curious to know exactly what type of assignment you are working on, and for what class, as the type of children you are writing about are the most challenging ones teachers deal with!  Anyway, I think you have corrected your sentence fairly well, but here's what I would do to make it even better:

"However, a child who is discouraged and unwilling to learn, has difficulty taking responsibility for his or her actions, and tends to act out inappropriately has probably not received a clear-cut set of values instilled by his or her parents."

As a teacher, I must also comment here on the snowballing effect that lack of success has on many "reluctant learners."  Often a child who acts out and misbehaves does so because it is much cooler to be labeled a behavior problem than to be seen as a dummy; frustration and boredom may also lead to acting out, simply because the child doesn't feel capable of even attempting the work he or she's being asked to do. 

Can you tell me the line in "The Road Not Taken" that shows antithesis?

One of the definitions of antithesis (in literary terms) is some passage in which opposite, or nearly opposite, ideas are both presented as truth.

So, in antithesis, the author gives us two ideas and says they are both true even though we know they can't really be.

So where in the poem does this happen?  I'd say the whole second stanza shows antithesis.  Let's look at it:

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

Here, Frost is saying first that one path was better because it was less worn.  Then he says that the people passing had worn them both equally.  This fits the definition of antithesis.

Plz help..The internal and external diameters of a hollow hemispherical vessel are 14 cm and 21 cm respectively. The cost of silver plating of 1...

The hemispherical vessal has two surfaces. Internal and external.

Let R and r be the eadius of the internal and external radius. Also radius is half the diameter.

The outer surface area of the hemisphere = (1/2)( 4*pi*R^2 ) =2 pi*(21/2)^2 = 2770.88472/4 sq cm = 692.72118

The area of the internal hemisphere = (1/2)*(4pir^2) = 2pi*r^2 = 2pi*(14/2)^2 = 1231.50432/4 sq cm = 307.8760801 sqcm

The ring or edge area = pi *R^2-Pir^2 = pi*(R^2-r^2) = pi*(21^2-14^2)/4 =769.6903001/4 = 192.422575 .

Thererefore the total area = 692.72118+307.87608+192.422575  = 1193.019835 sq cm

Therefore the plating cost @ Rs 1.60 for the above total area = 1193.019835 sq cm * Rs1.6sqcm = Rs 1908.83

How do various revelations mark the development of the story?"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor

In Mystery and Manners, author Flannery O.Connor asserts that the grandmother's final act is "a moment of grace."  With the act of saving grace for the grandmother at the story's end, the narrative is, therefore, developed toward this culminating moment.

In the exposition of "A Good Man is Hard to Find," the grandmother is introduced as a contrary woman.  For instance, she does not want to go to Florida as her son and his family do; in addition, her actions prove portentous:  she secretly brings her cat by hiding it in a basket because she does not want to leave it along for days.  And, as Miss O'Connor comments, "old ladies exactly reflect the banalities of the society [with] comical effects."  So, Grandmother dresses up for the road trip, just in case of an accident.  For, if anyone finds her, he/she will recognize her as a lady by her dress. The grandmother is also a "back seat driver," cautioning her son about the speed-limit and scolds the children about being "respectful of their native states."  As they pass a large cotton field with graves, Grandmother remarks, "look at the graveyard!" an ominous exclamation, indeed.

When the family stops at The Tower for barbecued sandwiches, Grandmother talks with the proprietor, who complains of not being able to trust many people: 

'these days you don't know who to trust,' he said.

People are certainly not nice like they used to be,' said the grandmother and she alludes to the Misfit.

The woman who waits on the family adds that she would not be surprised "if he didn't attack this place right here."  But, Red Sam silences her, however not before saying, "A good man is hard to find," and discussing "better times" with the woman.  After they leave Red Sam, the grandmother naps and directs Bailey's driving, suggesting they all visit a plantation home:  "She recalled exactly which road to turn off to get to it."  After the urgings of his mother and children, Bailey finally acquiesces and turns off, telling him mother, "...this is the only time we're going to stop for anything lke this.  This is the one and only time.

Ironically, the car's one turn is the "one and only time," as her son Bailey has declared, for the car gets loose, jumps onto Bailey, he swerves and has a serious accident with the car.  Right before this occurrence, the grandmother realizes that she has remembered the location of the plantation home incorrectly.  So, because of her cat and her selfish interest in seeing a house, the family is thrown out beside a lonely dirt road.  Ominously, a "big black battered hearse-like automobile" appears with "three men in it."  When one of them comes nearer, the grandmother shrieks as she recognizes The Misfit and says, "The Misfit!...I recognized you at once."

Fatally, the Misfit tells her that it would have been better if she had not recognized him.  For, hers and the family's fates are now sealed although the grandmother appeals to him by saying, "I know you're a good man" and asking him, "Do you every pray?"  In a statement that alludes to the "hearselike" vehicle, he tells the grandmother, "I was buried alive."  He complains that Jesus "thrown everything off balance," so there is no pleasure for him but meanness.

Thus, "a world of propriety and illusion is laid low by wrath" as Ochshorn writes in "'A Good Man Is Hard to Find/A cloak of Grace:; Contradictions in "A Good Man Is Hard to Find."  But, the grandmother receives grace offered her when she tells the Misfit, "Why, you're one of my children" right before he shoots her, since she finally recognizes herself as a sinner, part of the same twisted humanity as The Misfit. 

Why are Danforth, Hathorne and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that Abigail and the other girls are lying?use solid...

How would it make them look if they convicted "innocent" people and the girls were lying?  They would look like fools!  You know the saying from the Bible, "Pride goes before a fall"?  These men took pride in who they were--they were godly, righteous, logical thinkers.  If they could be taken in by a bunch of silly girls, who would ever be able to trust or respect the men ever again?  Plus, the blood of innocent people would be on their heads.  It's so much easier to live with one's conscience if you don't even entertain the thought that your witnesses were lying.  The entire reputation of the men and the court rested on their believing the girls.

Specific Evidence:

There are several instances where they refer to the law and how it "binds" them. 
Act Two (where Herrick comes to arrest Elizabeth): "I have nine men outside.  You cannot keep her.  The law binds me, John, I cannot budge"

After that, Reverend Hale say "The court is just"

About a page after that, Giles Corey even says to Hale, "It is fraud, you know it is fraud!  What keeps you, man?"

Soon after, Hale talks for a couple of paragraphs--those would really work as to why they have trouble doubting "little girls".

Look at Act Three also--where Francis Nurse and Giles Corey go to bring evidence.  You can feel the haughtiness and pride in the words of Hathorne and Danforth.

How does Whit describe Curley's wife in Of Mice and Men?

As a young woman who has supposedly aspired to be an actress, but failed, Curley's wife seduced him in the hopes of bettering her life by leaving her small town while hardly knowing Curley whom she has met at a dance in hopes of finding a better life somewhere else.  Knowing that Curley is the son of the boss of a large ranch leads her to believe that her life will be broader than it has been in her small hometown.  However, she is disappointed in both her marriage and in the environment in which she finds herself.  Seeking thrills elsewhere, Curley's wife loiters around the bunkhouse, and enters on the false pretext of trying to find her husband. For walking about a ranch, Curley's wife is certainly dressed inappropriately: 

She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up.  Her fingernails were red.  Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages.  She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.

A tart is a woman of low character; in the 1930's, a woman who dressed as Curley's wife, and who approached men in a location where no other women go, would clearly be viewed as a tart.  In addition, she flirts with the men:  "She smiled archly and twitched her body."  She encourages Lennie to feel her brushed hair, tempting him as she is aware of his diminished mental capacity.

In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, there is no place women, who are simply Eves, causing men to become aggressive toward other men, cheating them of their possibilities of friendship and fraternity, a world structured around brotherly bonds.