How can rent controls cause a decrease in supply of housing? Do the landlords break down their buildings all because of rent control?

Rent control refers to legal restriction placed on the maximum rent the land lords are allowed to charge on for the properties rented out by them. A restriction of this kind restricts the profit that landlords earn on their properties rented. Because of this there will be less people interested in buying new properties for renting out to others or even in continuing to let out on rent the properties owned by them. They may find that the trouble involved in renting out is not worth the trouble and may decide to sell off the properties or just keep it vacant.

In this way, most certainly rent control tends to reduce the availability of houses on rent. But this does not mean that total availability of house will decrease. People still need houses, and because of this the demand for houses for self occupation may increase, as many people will be unable to get suitable house on rent.

On the question of breaking down buildings, I am not sure if land lords will breakdown buildings owned by them just because of rent control. Just breaking down the buildings will mean end of the rental income altogether rather than higher income. Thus breaking down of houses should be attributed to the ability of landlords to create better facilities in place of older ones rather than just the low rents of the old buildings.

What aspect of Hamlet's concepts of the death/desire for death is revealed in Hamlet's first soliloguy?William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

In his first soliloquy of Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet," the Prince of Denmark expresses his disillusionment with man:

O, that this too too sallied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,/Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. O God, God,/How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world!(I,ii,129-134)

Depressed by the news that his father has been murdered, Hamlet would like to leave this world himself, but he knows iit is a sin to commit suicide.  Also depressed in his disillusionment regarding his mother, Hamlet expresses his disgust for her "wicked speed" to "incestuous sheets":  "Frailty thy name is woman" (I,ii,146).  The reality of her being married to Claudius causes Hamlet to feel that the world is an "unweeded garden/That grows to seed" (I,ii,135-136)  This last image continues Hamlet's wish that he, too, could go "to seed."  For, he realizes that the situation

cannot come to good./But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue. (I,ii,156-157).

Clearly, this first soliloquy of Hamlet reveals his chagrin,self-reproach, despair, and woe as the death of his father, the king of Denmark, is the death of Hamlet's life as he has known it.

Is studying for an economics exam subject to diminishing marginal returns? If so what is the fixed input? What is the variable input?

I would like to answer this question rather careful as it may influence the behavior of some students in relation to their studies.

It should be noted that even as per economic principles, the law of diminishing marginal returns is not applicable to the entire range of possible production levels. In general, firms experience a situation of increasing marginal returns as they start from zero or very low production levels. As they increase production they are generally able to reduce the marginal cost. This continues upto a level of production, with decreasing rate of fall of cost, till it reaches a point of minimum marginal cost or maximum marginal return. This phenomenon of reduction in marginal cost is also known as economies of scale.

After the point of maximum marginal returns, which is same as point of minimum marginal cost the reverse phenomenon of dis-economies of scale is observed. In this stage, as the total production level is increased further, the phenomenon of diminishing marginal returns is observed. With each additional unit produced the marginal cost of production increase. Stated in the form of diminishing marginal returns, each additional unit of a factor of production gives progressively diminishing quantity of additional production.

It should be noted that the point at which the point of maximum marginal returns is reached and total relationship between production level and the marginal returns also depends on the nature of technology employed.

Now coming to the specific question of studying for exams, the theory of either diminishing or increasing marginal returns cannot apply, as in studies we are not talking about producing for selling. In studies the production is for self consumption. Therefore. what is relevant to studies is only utility to the student from the quantity produced and not just the quantity produced. However we can say that a phenomenon similar to the laws of increasing and diminishing marginal returns can be observed in studies also.

Let us also examine what are its implication for students. I believe the most important thing to note is that the stage of maximum marginal returns depends on the technology used. Thus it would be worthwhile for all students to learn and use appropriate methods of studies that give them maximum return for their efforts. Second important point to note that best level of studies appropriate for you may be at a point above the level of maximum marginal returns. It is important that even business firms in a competitive market find it better to go on producing and selling beyond this point of minimum marginal cost, till their marginal cost increases to become equal to the marginal revenue.

What color is Heathcliff and does it matter?

Heathcliff’s description in Wuthering Heights leads one to believe that he descended from Roma’s or gypsies.  He was a child found by Mr. Earnshaw and brought home to be adopted.  He is described as dark and brooding which addresses his appearance as well as his overall mood as the story progresses.  He has dark skin and dark hair.  He is a dark and mysterious man of whom we have little knowledge before his arrival at the Earnshaws.

The color of Heathcliff’s skin and his features matters greatly in the story. He comes into the Earnshaw family as a social outcast.  His skin color signifies even more of the difference between Heathcliff and those around him.  In addition, it helps to set him apart from the others in the story.  He is a rich character carved against characters who are fair in skin and elegant in nature.  He is wild and displays no social graces.  His darkness gives rise to his mood and his evil nature which surfaces after he is rejected by his beloved Cathy. He becomes a handsome man who changes physically into an attractive and well groomed property owner.  The irony is that as Heathcliff’s appearance is enlightened by his change in circumstances and his desire to become “better,” his soul darkens as he plots his revenge.

English gypsies refer to themselves as the descendents of Rome or Roma.  While their true origin is unclear, they are believed to have migrated from France where gypsies’ colonies settled after coming from regions in Egypt and India.  Since some gypsies may have mated with European partners, Heathcliff may either have been a mixture of Roma and European features with his skin coloring being brown.  His features would then give way for the romantic illusion of a man with a carved physical appearance with dark foreboding but romantic features.

At the end of To Kill a Mockingbird does Scout become lady like or girly and wear dresses?

The real answer to your question is not simply that Scout wears dresses or not.  The real answer is that Scout grows up and is able to do what Atticus has always wanted her to - step inside someone else's shoes and see what life looks like from their point of view.  Scout achieves this when she walks Boo home the night of the attack.  After dropping him off, she sees the window that he has looked out of for years.  This is same window that he has peered out and looked at the kids and watched them grow.  By doing this, Scout matures.  She is no longer the same impetuous girl who would hasten to beat up Cecil Jacobs.  So, in that way, she has grown up.

As for whether or not she wears dresses, well the ladies' dinner party is a good example.  Yes, Scout wears a dress, but she has her jeans on underneath.  This is a great way for Harper Lee to show the reader that, yes, Scout is ready to grow up, but, no, she is not ready to do so just yet.

This is echoed at the end of the book when Scout tries to stay awake with Atticus as he reads and looks after Jem.  She is trying to be an adult here.  But she falls asleep, and, like a little child, Atticus carries her to bed.

So she has grown up some, but she is not ready to become a little Aunt Alexandra.

What does Scrooge symbolize in the beginning of A Christmas Carol?

In the beginning of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge symbolizes the part of the upper class which is concerned only with themselves and the amount of money they can make. They are very egocentric and have the attitude that they worked for their money and they should get to keep every cent of it, forgetting that others have not had the same privileges or opportunities as they have. Scrooge represents greed and selfishness, and his attitude is that the poor get what they deserve. It is as if he sees poor people as less than human. It takes visits from his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, to get him to understand that he has an obligation to those less fortunate, and in fulfilling that obligation, he will not only help them, but he will also become a happier man. 

How does the Giver feel about Rosemary's release?This is about the book called 'THE GIVER.'

This question touches the painful subject of suicide, for that is the real meaning of the word "Release."  Rosemary chooses to inject herself with a lethal substance rather than keep on living under the burden of her call or "Appointment."

As Rosemary was his own daughter, the Giver feels grief beyond sorrow or remorse.  This event is critical in that it paves the way for his actually doing something to help the Community escape from its own ignorance.  He cooperates with Jonas in his plan to escape with Gabriel so that the collective memory he harbours will come back to the people instead.

Although Lowry does not come out with any overt statement, she leads the reader to think that Rosemary (the next 'Giver' in line) might also be the Giver's genetic daughter (and Jonas and even Gabriel, too, his offspring.) The common denominator they share are their pale blue eyes, a very rare trait among the Community members.

Why does the narrator cry when everyone congratulates him for teaching Doodle how to walk?

James Hurst’s  “The Scarlet Ibis” is probably one of the saddest stories ever written. From the very first paragraph, when Hurst uses words like “dead,” “bleeding,” “rank,” “empty,” and “graveyard,” the story sets a grim tone that points the reader toward a tragic resolution.

Hurst’s theme is not only concerned with the fate of the disabled character Doodle, but also that of the first-person narrator, his older brother. Although it seems that Doodle’s attempts to overcome his severe physical disabilities are the primary focus of the story, it is really the unspoken feelings of loss and guilt on the part of the narrator that leaves the strongest mark on the reader.

No one believes that Doodle will ever be able to walk. The narrator, however, works hard with Doodle to teach him to do so. When Doodle walks, the family is overjoyed.  When Doodle gives credit to his brother, it makes him feel guilty:

Doodle told them it was I who had taught him to walk, so everyone wanted to hug me, and I began to cry.

The narrator’s reaction to Doodle’s appreciation reminds the reader that a few paragraphs before we were actually told of the narrator’s motivation for working so diligently with Doodle:

When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him. 

So it was the narrator’s shame over his brother’s condition that made him work with Doodle. Unfortunately, the shame will continue to motivate the narrator’s efforts with Doodle, with results that will ultimately be tragic.

What is the theme of "Get up and Bar the Door"? I need to write an advice letter in regards to the theme?

I would also say that the moral of the story is the consequences of stubbornness, reminiscent of that expression about cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Note that the man and woman's refusal to bar the door results in two robbers coming in, eating all the couple's food, threatening them, possibly, with bodily harm and sexual assault.  When these threats surface, the man is finally angered enough to speak, too late, of course. But all the wife can think of is her victory over her husband, rather than the harm being done to both of them.

In terms of marital counseling and advice, this is a powerful story, symbolic of the foolish stubbornness that couples sometimes indulge in, harming a marriage, harming children, harming material assets, all in the name of a victory over the other. I would counsel a married couple who was engaging in this behavior to remember to remind one another to "Get up and bar the door" as a humorous and gentle warning about how such behavior can end.   

What is the dramatic importance of Hamlet's interivew of Ophelia?

In Act 3 , scene 1, Hamlet confronts his girlfriend, Ophelia. He is angry at her and women in general, and his words are sometimes wild and sometimes brilliant and it all seems quite crazy and frightening to her. But this is all part of Hamlet's grand plan. He wants to be a disturbance, to cause trouble... trouble that is meant to worry, upset and ultimately set up King Claudius.

Hamlet knows that if he scares Ophelia, she will tell her father, Polonius, and that Polonius (an adviser to Claudius) will relate this to the King. It's an elaborate trap Hamlet is setting for Claudius. Hamlet is moving the pieces as if he were playing a deadly game of chess which will culminate in a play that will soon be seen by Claudius...a play that will enact the murder of Hamlet's father. This is the play that Hamlet believes will "catch the conscience of the King"... (the last line of Act 2).

Hamlet doesn't just want any old revenge; he wants Claudius to suffer and to feel his guilt first before he is killed.

In Frankenstein, what does the creature notice when he leaves Victor's apartment in Ingolstadt?

The creature first notices light/dark sensations.  The light initially causes him to close his eyes because he is as one (a baby) seeing for the first time.  He also experiences temperature sensations.  Because he is cold in the apartment, he grabs some of Victor's clothes, which will later supply him with Victor's journal.

Mary Shelley's decision to list the creature's first reactions when he is at the apartment and then the forest outside of Ingostadt coincide quite closely with the Biblical portrayal of the order of creation (light and darkness first, etc.).  The author's order demonstrates how close Victor is to "playing God."

What is the falling action in the story of "By the Waters of Babylon" ?

The falling action of a story is normally defined as what occurs after the climax or high point of the story, leading towards the ending and the resolution of what happens. Given this definition, the falling action of "By the Waters of Babylon" occurs after the epiphany or moment of insight that the narrator experiences after discovering the "dead god". Thus the falling action consists of his return back to his father and his tribal grouping before his conversation with his father and the resolution of the story:

I had no fear after that - I had no fear going home, though twice I fought off the dogs and I was hunted for two days by the Forest People.

Thus we are brought from the climax of the story through to the end of the story, where John the narrator shares his new-found knowledge with his father and they decide what they are going to do about it.

Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed in The Catcher in the Rye?

Holden is not a stable personality.  We don't know much about his psychological state before his brother died, but afterwards he was a little emotionally unbalanced. He did not process the death of his brother very well (if anyone ever processes something like well) and the night Allie dies he sleeps in the garage and proceeds to break all the windows with his bare hands.  In addition, Holden has been getting drubbed out of all the nice, expensive, exclusive schools his parents keep getting him enrolled in.  For these reasons, his parents want to have him psychoanalyzed to see if they can determine what is "wrong" with him.  They don't seem to think that sending him away on his own for long periods of time has anything to do with his inability to get along in life.  Their solution is to turn to mental health professionals instead of perhaps giving him the attention he needs.

Under the provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act, which unfair labor practices apply to both unions and employers.Explain some of the questionable terms!

The Taft-Hartley Act gives the employees the right to form, join and assist unions and allow the unions to have bargaining power. However, certain types of conduct by the employer and the union are unfair labor practices and are not allowed (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon).

Some of the unfair labor practices for employers are:

1. Section 8 (a)(1) – “to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to organize and to bargain collectively” (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon). This includes spying, espionage, anti union propaganda, and coercion.

2. Section 8(a)(4) - discriminate against or dismiss an employee because they testified or filed charges under the Act (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon)

3. Section 8(a)(2) - to control or interfere with the employees forming a union or the management of the union or making financial contributions or supporting the union (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon)

4. Section 8(e) – “to enter into a “hot-cargo” agreement with a union” (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon).
Hot Cargo is defined as ” an unfair labor practice for an employer and a union to enter into any agreement, express or implied, under which an employer ceases, or refrains from, doing business wiht any other person or handling the products of any other employer, or agrees to do so (Section 8e)” (theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon).

“By passing the Taft-Harley Act, Congress balanced the rights and duties of labor and management in the collective bargaining arena” (Bohlander & Snell, 2010, p 618).

References
Bohlander, George & Snell, Scott. (2010). Managing Human Resources. In G. B. Snell, Managing Human Resources (p. 618). Mason: South Western-Cengage Learning.

theLabor Education & Research Center University of Oregon. (n.d.). TAFT-HARTLEY ACT. Retrieved December 20, 2009, from http://www.nalc1414.org/Taft-Hartly.pdf

What evidence of Gothic and Classical influences are found in Renaissance artworks?

Renaissance artwork was diametrically departed from Gothic artwork in that Gothics strove to portray religious ideologies without concern for human likeness. Indeed, since the notion of producing human likenesses at all was greatly controversial due to Christianities reliance on the Ten Commandments, the second of which disallows making "any graven image," Gothic artworks were very unlike human forms and human expressiveness. On the other hand, Renaissance artworks sought to reproduce reality in the human forms and emotions and in the backgrounds portrayed, insisting on fidelity to nature. During the Renaissance, classic Roman architecture was reintroduced with emphasis on arches, columns as well as other design elements.

How does Maxwell feel when Freak dies in Freak the Mighty?Like how does Maxwell feel about Freak's death?

Maxwell is devastated when Freak dies.

When Maxwell sneaks back to the hospital the morning after he talks to Freak for the last time, he does not know that his little friend has died.  When he finally realizes the truth, he "just go(es) nuts".  Without really knowing what he is doing, he shoves away the nurses who are trying to restrain him and goes running down the hall, "ready to just blast anybody who dares touch (him)".  Maxwell races to the Medical Research building and, finding that the doors are locked, punches through the glass with his fist.  His headlong rush is halted at a second set of locked doors that does not have any glass, and as he is trying incoherently to break through them anyway, Maxwell is arrested by the hospital police.  After talking for a short time with Freak's physician Dr. Spivak, Maxwell is released into the custody of his grandparents (Chapter 24).

Overcome with grief, Maxwell hides in his room "for days and days", missing Freak's funeral and the departure of his friend's distraught mother, the Fair Gwen.  When he finally comes out, Maxwell feels "like (he is) a balloon and somebody (has) let the air out of (him)".  His grandparents try to console him, but in the end, they allow him to grieve and, in his words, feel sorry for himself.  When school begins, Maxwell dutifully attends, but "hate(s) every minute of it".  It is a brief, chance meeting with Loretts Lee which finally gets Maxwell to think, and pulls him out of his funk.

Maxwell decides to write the story of Freak's life and the time they shared, because just before he died, Freak had asked him to do so.  It takes him "months and months", but when he is finally done, it is fittingly spring again, and Maxwell finds he "is feeling okay about remembering" (Chapter 25).

With strict accountability in testing a priority, how can the arts become a value in our schools ?How are creative students valued?

It is a tragic fact that with the financial situation and the "accountability" of schools determining which courses will be cut from the curriculum, many of the fine art courses have been cut from schools.  Somehow, administrations have ignored the importance of fostering all the intelligences.

The cognitive research in 1983 of Howard Gardner of Harvard should have convinced educators of the importance of fostering the visual, sound, and musical intelligences, but, sadly, these areas are being neglected despite studies that have revealed how students can learn better when, for instance, they illustrate an idea or put it to music or connect the mathematical concept with art.  One such study demonstrated that learners improved their math scores after they participated in drama classes.  Tapping into the right side of students brains clearly helps the left side.

Added to this factual data, there is no question that many students come to school mainly because of an athletic program or a creative arts program, for in these arenas they can excel, express themselves, and, consequently, feel personal satisfaction.  In addition, they get to interact with friends--socialization is extremely important to teens, especially.

It is because of the United States's having become such a materialistic, consumer nation that the liberal arts are of a diminished appreciation.  Now, people go to colleges and universities for "edu-training" so that they can procure a high-paying job.  Little appreciation is given to the musician who plays in a symphony, the artist, the theatre actor.  Yet, the creative mind is, and always will be, the one who comes up with great ideas.  Who knows how much having had the creative arts may have assisted the chemist with his/her new discovery?  Or the advertising executive with the new campaign?  Nevertheless, creative people are only valued when they generate new ideas that will save or make money in this country--or entertain the masses.

Above all else, it is the creative arts that sustain the soul.  These are the areas that satisfy people's basic needs and desires--the ones that stimulate the heart and give meaning to the personal lives of all people. Therefore, if for no other reason, the creative arts should be valued highly.

What questions are answered by History of Plymouth Plantation?

History Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford answers a lot of questions for us about the motivations behind, the struggles of, and the journeys of those we know as the Pilgrims.  We're all quite familiar with the basics of the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving; however, Bradford is able to fill in the "back story," so to speak, for those early settlers at Plymouth. We know what prompted their need to leave England (their turn to Christ after recognizing their sinful state)--their persecution by nearly an entire country.  We learn of their struggles to leave, their eventual journey to Holland, their growing struggles and troubles while there, and their journey to America.  Once they land, the journal chronicles their struggles and defeats as well as their victories.  Because this is a firsthand, personal account written contemporaneously (meaning at the time of the events), it's a valuable historical document as well as a compelling story.  It answers the questions about why this famous group of people did the things they did.

In Ender's Game, how do the situations forced on Ender change who he is?

When Ender's Game starts, Ender is a six-year-old boy without greater knowledge. However, he has a fierce instinctual drive to survive, even if it means being brutal; he tries to keep this side of himself hidden, but he knows that because of his status as a Third child, he will be the focus of bullying and worse for his entire childhood. When he is recruited for Battle School, the teachers deliberately force harsher situations on him, forcing him to adapt and learn from his mistakes.

"Think of every stacked, impossible, unfair star arrangement you can. Think of other ways to bend the rules. Late notification. Unequal forces. Then run the simulations and see which ones are hardest, which easiest. We want an intelligent progression here. We want to bring him along."
(Card, Ender's Game, Google Books)

The Battle School continually changes the rules, putting Ender up against worse odds and taking away his advantages, and he is forced to think around their tactics in order to win. This makes him a better leader and a better tactician; when he unknowingly fights real battles, he uses those tactics to win. Ender becomes a hardened pragmatist, knowing the limits of his potential brutality but deliberately keeping it controlled. Without learning to control his anger and think logically, Ender would have lost the Bugger War.

What did president Hoover do to try to help the economy after the stock market crash?What did president Hoover do to try to help the economy after...

The stock market crash of October 24, 1929 (called Black Thursday) marked the beginning of the worst depression in American history, from which the country didn't really begin to rebound until the start of World War II. By 1933, more than 13 million Americans were out of work, tens of thousands of businesses had failed, and the number of farm foreclosures grew.

Direct federal relief to the unemployed ran counter to President Herbert Hoover's strong beliefs about the limited role of government. As a result, he responded to the economic crisis with a goal of getting people back to work rather than directly granting relief. In October 1930, he established the President's Emergency Committee for Employment (later renamed the President's Organization for Unemployment Relief) to coordinate the efforts of local welfare agencies.

As the Great Depression worsened, however, charitable organizations were simply overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, and Hoover tried new ideas to stimulate the economy:

• The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) (1932) provided railroads, banks, and other financial institutions with money for loans.


• The Glass-Steagall Act (1932) made getting commercial credit easier and released $750 million in gold reserves for additional business loans.


• The Emergency Relief and Construction Act (1932) provided funds to the RFC to make loans for relief to the states and included additional money for local, state, and federal public works projects.

Despite Hoover's efforts to revitalize the economy, the public blamed him for the Great Depression — and the Republicans lost control of both Congress and the White House for almost two decades.

What major technique does Benet use to reveal John's character in "By the Waters of Babylon?"

The answer to your question also explains why this story is so popular with English teachers. It gives an excellent example of 1st person narration, where a character is telling you the story directly, and you can only see the action through their eyes, contrasted with an omniscient narrator who is god-like and all-seeing and can tell the reader what every character is thinking and feeling. This form of limited narration is used to great effect by the author as we literally go on the journey with John, seeing and feeling what he sees and feels, and we gradually piece together like a jigsaw puzzle what is going on, where we are and what has happened. This allows us to empathise and understand John's character - his simplicity and world view - in a far more profound way.

This narrative technique greatly serves to emphasise the message or theme of this story. We slowly begin to work out the many clues that there are (such as the names John gives things like "god roads" and what the sign "ASHING" rally said) and realise that this story is set in a post-nuclear war world which has been decimated, and the inhabitants have sunk back into the dark ages. John and his tribe describe a primitive world with many threats and mysteries that they do not fully understand. However, during the course of his journey and the vision that he has in "the high towers of the gods" John reflects the moral of the story: "Perhaps, in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast."

This then is the brutal warning that the story gives: we live in an era of unprecedented scientific discovery, yet we risk discovering too much truth too quickly, and opening some terrible Pandora's Box or using scientific advances before we fully understand their consequences. One only has to look at the press today and issues such as stem cell research, the human genome research project and cloning to see that the danger is still here and Benet's short story is still just as applicable in today's society. Whether we take heed or not is another matter...

What is meant by characterization? Describe it using Maggie from the novel The Mill On The Floss by George Elliot?

There are a lot of things that one can say about characterization. In the most basic definition of characterization is the way a character in a story is portrayed by the author. With that said, there are many different ways in which an author can build characterization.

1. An author can just simply describe the character - physical appearance, emtional qualities, personal traits, etc.

2. An author can also indirectly build a character by the actions and thought of other characters.

3. There can be even more indirect ways to build a character, by allowing the reader only to see the actions of the character in view, so that the reader form an independent opinion.

In a word, there are many different ways to portray a character and the various ways are called part of what is called, characterization.

How does the author use sarcasm to his characters and how he portrays members of both sexes?How does the author use sarcasm and portray gender...

Oscar's voice is so realistic, in the hurt that is conveyed by Diaz's masterful use of images. He "shows" how nerdy and out of touch with the dating scene Oscar is in this scene:

What had hurt, however, was when Maritza dumped [Oscar]. Monday after he’d fed Olga to the dogs he arrived at the bus stop with his beloved Planet of the Apes lunch box only to discover beautiful Maritza holding hands with butt-ugly Nelson Pardo. Nelson Pardo who looked like Chaka from Land of the Lost! Nelson Pardo who was so stupid he thought the moon was a stain that God had forgotten to clean. (He’ll get to it soon, he assured his whole class.) Nelson Pardo who would become the neighborhood B&E expert before joining the Marines and losing eight toes in the First Gulf War. At first Oscar thought it a mistake; the sun was in his eyes, he’d not slept enough the night before. He stood next to them and admired his lunch box, how realistic and diabolical Dr. Zaius looked. But Maritza wouldn’t even smile at him! Pretended he wasn’t there. We should get married, she said to Nelson, and Nelson grinned moronically, turning up the street to look for the bus. Oscar had been too hurt to speak; he sat down on the curb and felt something overwhelming surge up from his chest, scared the shit out of him, and before he knew it he was crying; when his sister, Lola, walked over and asked him what was the matter he’d shaken his head. Look at the mariconcito, somebody snickered. Somebody else kicked his beloved lunch box and scratched it right across General Urko’s face. When he got on the bus, still crying, the driver, a famously reformed PCP addict, had said, Christ, don’t be a fucking baby.

It's so sarcastic ! The bus driver a reformed addict? ha ! ha ! This is diaz's way to show how absurd that a looser such as the bus driver would be disrespectful and hurtful to Oscar. But it just shows how unfair the world really is.

The book can also be interpreted as sexist.Lola blames her mother for what is not her fault. She says,

My mother would never win any awards, believe me. You could call her an absentee parent: if she wasn’t at work she was sleeping and when she was around it seemed all she did was scream and hit. As kids, me and Oscar were more scared of our mother than we were of the dark or el cuco.She would hit us anywhere, in front of anyone, always free with the chanclas and the correa, but now with her cancer there’s not much she can do anymore. The last time she tried to whale on me it was because of my hair, but instead of cringing or running I punched her hand. It was a reflex more than anything, but once it happened, I knew I couldn’t take it back, not ever, and so I just kept my fist clenched, waiting for whatever came next, for her to attack me with her teeth like she did to this one lady in the Pathmark. But she just stood there shaking, in her stupid wig and her stupid bata, with two large foam prostheses in her bra, the smell of burning wig all around us. I almost felt sorry for her. This is how you treat your mother? she cried.

And if I could have I would have broken the entire length of my life across her face, but instead I screamed back, And this is how you treat your daughter?

It's so pitiful, the young woman's view of her mother. It is so sexist because it is clear her mother is a victim. However it captures the mother-daughter relationship so well.

Who is the father of philosophy?

This is an awesome question. As you can see there will be quite a bit of disagreement. 

Socrates is a pretty good answer, since Plato preserved much of his insights. Moreover, we are still taking about Socrates. Finally, he has shaped much of the Western world. 

Thales and others pre-Socratics such as Anaximander, Heraclitus, and Pythagoras are good answers as well. They clearly influenced Socrates. Moreover, Socrates would readily admit this. 

If we look at Herodotus, he also points in another direction. He states that the Greeks learned a lot from the Egyptians. So, much of Greek thought was taken from Egyptian priests. 

In my opinion, I would have to pick Moses from the Old Testament or the Hebrew bible. I choose him, because of his antiquity. He outdates all of these figures. He also gives a philosophy, even if it is very theistic. Finally, it can be argued that the Jewish tradition is even more influential than the Greek tradition in the Western tradition. 

Why is Okonkwo’s defeat of Amalinze the Cat such a great achievement in Things Fall Apart?

This achievement is amazing for two reasons. First, Amalinze the Cat was the greatest wrestler in Umuofia, who "for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino." So in all the neighboring villages he was known for his skills in wrestling, & even grown men could not defeat him. Second, Okonkwo was only 18 when he "threw the Cat," which earned him the respect and praise of the Ibo villages. The wrestling matches were feats of strength and endurance that tested the virility of the men in the tribes. For a man as young as 18 to defeat the greatest wrestler was an achievement most could only dream about. But Okonkwo did it, & in doing so, established a reputation for himself. It certainly wasn't easy- the fight is described as one of the fiercest ever, with muscles standing out on backs & arms, where "one almost heard them stretching to the breaking point."

This fight solidifies Okonkwo as a rising star in the tribe, & puts him in an enviable position to earn many titles. It was also a point of personal pride, as it proved to him that he was nothing like his father Unoka. Unoka is often described as weak & lazy, & Okonkwo successfully distances himself from that image by throwing the Cat.

What is the economy like in The Giver?

The main thing to know about the economy in this book is that it is completely controlled by the government and is really pretty much a communist economy.

The major thing that shows us that this is true is the way people get their careers.  They are watched by the government and then assigned to a career that seems like it would be good for them.  This is a really serious sign of government control of the economy.

In addition, there does not appear to be any money in the economy.  Everyone is equal and no one seems to need money.  (If you search the text on Google books you'll find that the word "money" never appears and "pay" only appears along with "attention.") This is similar to what communism was supposed to be like.

So, the economy in the community is totally and strictly controlled by the government.

What is the hydrosphere?

The origin of terrestrial water is a controversial issue. It is stated that water existed in the early formation of Earth, but not in liquid form or as vapor in the atmosphere, but tied to rocks.

Gradually, water was released in the form of steam by the hot rocks, together with carbon dioxide, forming a second atmosphere. When  crust cooling has widened,water has condensed , rain has appeared and formed seas, and water intake from depths,continued through emanations of volcanoes.

Thus,it was formed as a shell of the earth, consisting of oceans, seas, lakes, glaciers, rivers, groundwater, snow and ice, called the hydrosphere.

Earth is the only place known where the water is clear and liquid, the result of convergence of several natural and climatic factors.

All of these components of the hydrosphere, are the water source available on the planet Earth, regarded as national entities, by virtue of their sovereign rights over a territory, legally recognized.

To understand the content and significance of water resources, this natural biological resource, must be considered in the indissoluble link with water resources.

How do I argue that Mayella Ewell is a pathetic character who deserves pity?choose 6 points to prove her life is difficult and deserves our sympathy

In the Harper Lee novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there is no doubt that Miss Mayella Ewell is a pathetic character who deserves pity. She is a product of her poverty stricken environment. She has learned to interact socially from and ignorant and abusive father. Consequently it is not surprising that when she seeks Tom Robinson’s help, she turns it into a sexual issue as her sexuality is the only means of power she has. She has no way of learning differently as she is one of those “Ewells”, so any attempt to rise above her situation will be squelched by the community and upstanding citizens of Maycomb. Even if she could stand up to the citizens, she cannot stand up to her violent father, and that is why she takes the out of accusing Tom of attempted rape when it was she who made the pass.

How can the character figure of Shylock define his class identity in The Merchant of Venice? There are both nobles and commoners in The Merchant...

There seems to be a little confusion about the nature of commoners and nobles. First, the only nobles entering into the story line of The Merchant of Venice are Morocco, a prince of Morocco vying for Portia's hand in marriage; Aragon, another of Portia's suitors; and the Duke of Venice, the ruler of Venice. A noble is defined as a person in an hereditary class who therefore has special social, political and governing status in a country. None of the central characters in the play are of the nobility. Commoners are any persons not having hereditary right of nobility, which is a strictly hereditary social class.

While it is possible for nobility to "fall" and lose most or all of their wealth, this is not represented as being the case with any of the nobility (three) in The Merchant of Venice. The nobility in the play are engaged in trying to win a bride who is wealthy in her own right, though not of the nobility, and in governing the city of Venice. It must be concluded that these three representatives of the nobility are extremely wealthy.

Shylock and Antonio are merchants in Venice and Bassanio is a gentleman (a class of commoner below nobility and above merchant) who has no money at the moment. Merchants may be wealthy, but their wealth is dependent on their business of selling goods and services, possibly importing and selling goods--merchandising. Gentlemen have inherited fortunes, usually from past generations' farming of large estates, that collect interest that is used for expenses of elegant living. Bassanio's wealth, though not available at the moment of the play, is what qualifies him as an eligible suitor for Portia's hand.

So even though merchants and gentlemen have wealth, they generally do not have more wealth than the nobility and their wealth is tied in one way or another to work. Shylock is properly identified as a commoner who is a successful and wealthy merchant who deals in the selling of money that is lent for a high fee called interest (a practice our banks and credit cards make us all too familiar with).

What role do deer play in the ecosystem?

In many areas of the United States, an excess of white-tail deer has caused ecological problems.  Deer are seen as a "keystone species" for forests.  This means that they can completely change an ecosystem through their behavior.

In the Eastern and Midwestern US, the excess deer populations have had bad effects on the vegetation in forests.  Deer tend to prefer certain species of plants as food and they overgraze those species.

When deer overgraze those species, they leave ecological niches open for other species of vegetation.  Often the species that take over are detrimental kinds of vegetation, including invasive exotic plant species (plants that aren't native to an ecosystem and tend to disrupt ecosystems they enter).

Follow the links for specific details about problems associated with excessive deer populations.

What is wrong with the society of Camazotz?In Engle's 'A Wrinkle in Time'

On this planet, the citizens have relinquished their free will to IT, a hideous pulsing brain which controls everything, even thought.  Everything on Camazotz is regulated by IT's headquarters, even the play time of children. For example, to their horror, the Murry children along with their friend Calvin discover that a little boy bouncing his ball out of rhythm with the other children on the street is later "reeducated" to conform to the norm. Even Meg's little brother is seduced and then hypnotized by IT until finally her unrelenting love for him brings him back.

How does the environment enhance the story?'The Sun Also Rises'

This question is good. It's not something that I usually think about when I read Hemingway, but environment really is important in most or all of his novels.

The action of The Sun Also Rises takes place mostly, as I recall, in the densely urban setting of Paris, France. This city is certainly interesting to and enjoyed by the main character, Jake Barnes, but it also has its flaws. Jake's encounter with the "poule," which may mean something close to "prostitute" -- I think her name is Georgette -- emphasizes the sickness of modern, urban life. (A similar compounding of the ideas of sickness, sexual activity, and urban settings can be seen in other pieces by Hemingway, including "A Very Short Story.")

There are several other environments in the novel, however, including the natural setting of the fishing trip and the less developed village where the fiesta is held, both in Spain. If there is joy and peace in the novel, it's more likely to be found in these two places, not in Paris.

How to write research paper on sense and self-restraint as seen in Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Pride and Prejudice.Do I have to take each story...

There are several possible approaches that you can take, and it all depends on what you are most comfortable with.  If this was merely an essay, of the textual analysis sort, it would be much easier, because then you could just find examples of the characters in each of the three stories displaying sense and restraint.  There are ample examples of restraint in all three of those--and most of Austen's--books, so that could take up quite a bit of space.

To do a research paper though, that makes it a bit more difficult.  You can do the same thing listed above, but then you might need to go find some critics that have analyzed a similar theme in all three novels, and write down what they had to say on it.  What essays have been written about those themes?  What are some literary critcisms regarding the issue?  You can find a lot of cricitism in literary journals, and good databases often have those journals online for you to read (ERIC, etc.).  So that is one approach that you can take, looking at what "experts" in literature have said on the subject.

Another possible route is to look at Austen's life, and pick out where she showed sense and restraint, and then compare those instances to the characters in her novels.  You could attempt to assert that because Austen had a lot of experience with sense and restraint, her female characters also showed in their personalities and decisions.  Maybe parallel some similar experiences.  That could be an interesting approach.

I also suggest talking to your teacher to clarify exactly what they are looking for.  Every English teacher is very different in what they are expecting, and it helps to go in with your eyes open.  They will appreciate your inquiry, and chalk it up to diligence, which always earns bonus points.  Anyway, good luck, and I hope that those thoughts helped a bit!

In "Fahrenheit 451" what happens to the smile on Montag's face, and what is his answer to Clarisse's question?

After his first conversation with Clarisse, Montag is moved; he feels alive; he feels happy and interested in the deeper aspects of life.  Then, he steps into his own home, Clarisse's haunting question of "Are you happy?" echoing in his head.  At first he laughs it off, asserting defensively to himself, "Of course I'm happy."  But, as he opens the door to his bedroom, and feels its cold, tomb-like silence, and realizes sadly that his empty wife is there, not waiting for him, not feeling anything, the truth hits him hard.  He realizes, sadly, that he was not happy, not at all.  As this realization courses over him, the smile that was left on his face as he thought about Clarisse disappears.  Bradbury describes it this way:

"He felt his smile slide away, melt, fold over and down on itself like a tallow skin, like the stuff of a fantastic candle burning too long and now collapsing and now blown out."

Any flame of "happiness" that he thought he had in his life, the temporary high of the burning books of his job, the complacent comforts of his easy life--all of this is empty to him now.  It does not provide happiness, whereas before, he thought it had.  His supposition of happiness, like his smile, fades and is extinguished, and he is left with the dark reality that he doesn't know what happiness is.  I hope that those thoughts help; good luck!

What happens to the country in this story? How do Prince Prospero's reactions to these events reveal his character?

What happens is revealed in the very first lines of the story:

The'Red Death' had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.

So, the country is being torn apart by a terrible disease. It kills so quickly, one can assume businesses are failing, fields are remaining unharvested, and people are panicking uncontrollably. It's really quite a disturbing beginning to a story-the audience is instantly, figuratively drenched in blood.

In the midst of this assumed panic, Prince Prospero devises a terrific plan (so he thinks) to save himself. He takes "a thousand hale and light-hearted friends" and locks everyone up in his "castellated abbey", where they believe they will be safe from the plague. They shut and weld the doors, making sure no one can enter & no one can leave. This suggests that he is afraid of death, & will go to great lengths to avoid it. Of course, this is impossible, but he doesn't realize that just yet.

In addition to hiding in his castle, the prince offers amazing entertainment for his guests. It's not enough to escape the disease, they must escape it in style. So, he throws a party. It's the wildest masquerade anyone had ever been to, & every imaginable creation is represented in the costumes. At this point, it is also hinted that the prince may be slightly mad:

The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not.

Whether he is psychologically unstable or not, he is certainly heartless, careless, cruel, and indifferent to the suffering of his subjects. Not exactly the qualities most people look for in a leader. Indeed, if one reads this as a moral tale, Prince Prospero's uncaring & frivolous attitude leads to his own death, & the deaths of his thousand guests.

What values does, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Hughes and "Africa" by Angelou poems associate with Africa?

These are two very good poems to discuss together. I hadn't seen the connections before and appreciate your question.

The speaker in Hughes' poem may be male, and the subject in Angelou's poem certainly is female. As I read them, both poems establish a connection between black people and Africa that goes beyond history into myth. Both focus at least in part on the Nile river and the pyramids as well as on reclining along the banks of a river. (Hughes' poem, I should add, perhaps has a wider vision, including more than just black Africa. He includes the Euphrates, for example, which is in modern-day Iraq and isn't connected with black history.) Both deal in metaphoric terms with slavery or, at the very least, with the transportation of blacks from Africa to the Americas (Angelou's poem is much more explicit in the treatment of slavery), and -- perhaps most importantly -- both poems end with a sort of transformation or transcendence; the Mississippi waters turn from "muddy" to "golden" in Hughes' poem and the previously inactive subject in Angelou's poem is "rising" and "striding" at the poem's end.

How did the clash of conservatism, liberalism, and nationalism contribute to unrest in Europe in the 1800s?

This era of European history can be neatly bracketed by the major events of the French Revolution in the late 1700's, and World War I in the early 1900's.  Indeed, much of what is interesting to study in history occurs in "the lull between the wars."  Conveniently, about midway in this era, in 1848, Europe was wracked with revolution, beginning once again in Paris and spreading to other countries attempting to reform their governments.  Interestingly, it was also the year that Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto.

Much of Latin America, inspired by what the former British Colonies did in the North, revolted against their European masters.  By 1830, much of the continent was composed of newly independent countries;  the movement to break away from monarchical foreign control among the colonies spread back to Europe proper, and inspired its oppressed to alter or abolish their own governments.  The conflicts mid-century were essentially the first large scale class conflict; hereditary titles holding political and economic power began to look dated in contrast to the prior revolutions in the New World and in France.  The links provide more detail about Nationalism and the clashes of conservatism and liberalism.

Who is the tragic hero in "Antigone", and what's Antigone's tragic flaw?

Oedipus is the prototypical tragic hero, according to Aristotle in The Poetics.  Aristotle has little to say about the play Antigone, which presents at least two primary tragic heroes: Creon and Antigone.

My favorite definition of tragic hero is critic Northrop Frye's:

Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning.

According to this definition, Creon, as king, is the "highest point" of the human landscape and the greatest "conductor" of divine lightning.  Antigone is highest among women, ahead of her time in her outspokenness against men and authority. Therefore, Haemon and Eurydice are the lower points of the human landscape, the "clumps of grass," who are also struck down by the strike.

Death is also a deciding factor.  Antigone dies; Creon suffers more.  Haemon is affected by both Antigone and Creon's stubborness; Eurydice is affect by Creon's stubborness and the death of her son.  It's a tragic cause and effect: hubris leads to bad law; hubris leads to stubborn rebellion of bad law; hubris leads to stubborn punishment of rebellion; hubris leads to hasty suicide.

Really, the play involves two lightning strikes, two tragic heroes who present two extreme cases of hubris in the exercise of and reaction to law and power.  Sophocles, as much as he wants to be objective, sides with Antigone, I think.  He gives her the moral high ground, as she upholds gods' law above man's.

What is ironic about the way Philip's journal and Ms. Narwin's letter end up on page 70 in Nothing But the Truth?

Book pages differ from edition to edition of any given book, and although there are no journals or letters on page 70 of my particular copy to Nothing but the Truth, I am assuming you are referring to the letter and diary entry that appear back to back at the end of Chapter 11. The letter is written by Margaret Narwin to her sister, and the diary entry belongs to Philip Malloy.

Both Ms. Narwin's letter and Philip's diary entry express the exact same theme - rejoicing in the support that each writer thinks she or he enjoys in the standoff between each other. Ms. Narwin tells her sister how "gratifying" it is to know that her principal is going to give her "exactly the kind of support teachers need." She considers herself "lucky" to have such a positive administration standing behind her, and knows how rare such a situation is. Philip's diary expresses the same sentiment. He is thankful that his parents are on his side in his battle with Ms. Narwin. He, like Ms. Narwin and her administration, considers himself "lucky" that his parents are "different" from those of other students. The irony in these two declarations is that both Ms. Narwin and Philip have identical feelings about the unusual support they think they have, even though they are on completely opposite sides.

The irony of these two positions deepens as the story develops. Neither Ms. Narwin nor Philip achieves a happy resolution, despite the support they each are so happy at this time to have. Ms. Narwin ends up being wrong about the level of support she will receive from her administration, and although Philip's parents do not betray him, their unqualified support for his position enables him to achieve an objective which is not noble, and which ends up causing him and everyone else great pain instead of happiness.

Do you think their mother is responsible for their developed personalities? Why?i need example to support this question

Mrs. Johnson is not as responsible for her daughters' personalities as are external forces, or so she would have us believe.  As a narrator, she is fairly objective about her role.

Mrs. Johnson's self-sufficient style of parenting has left the daughters to grow apart physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Mrs. Johnson is obviously closer in personality to Maggie, but she does not actively imprint her daughter as such.  We see signs that Maggie will take over the role of family matriarch by the same work ethic and self-sufficiency as her mother.  This is learned through example.  By the end of the story, Mrs. Johnson rewards her daughter with the family heirlooms because she is not ashamed of her domestic role and her history of being descended from other hard-working and self-sufficient women.  Gender really has nothing to do with it (Mrs. Johnson describes herself as a man and Maggie as an animal).

Mrs. Johnson and Maggie are not well educated.  Mrs. Johnson.  She was “always better at a man’s job” (91) and only had a 2nd grade education (in 1927), “I never had an education myself.”  Mrs. Johnson seems to be content with her surroundings.  She takes pride in her home, and prepares it for her daughter’s visit: “I wait for her in the yard that Maggie and I made so clean . . . yesterday afternoon”.  They seem to be more like sisters than Maggie and Dee.

Two life-changing events sends the biological sisters in different directions: the house fire and college.  For Maggie: “Burned severely in a house fire as a child, the shy, stammering Maggie Johnson cowers in the overwhelming presence of her sister."  Obviously, Mrs. Johnson is not responsible for scarring her daughter physically and emotionally; this is an external disaster.

While at college, Dee changes her name and “denies her real heritage."  She says, “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me.” She “wants to display her mother’s possessions."

Unlike Dee, Maggie is domestic.  She knows how to quilt.  She “can’t see well.” “She will marry John Thomas (who has mossy teeth in an earnest face).” “Like good looks and money, quickness passed her by.”

The way Mrs. Johnson describes Dee shows biological, external, animalistic shaping of personality: "Have you ever seen a lame animal . . . sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire."  It does not seem that Mrs. Johnson thinks that she has shaped her daughter's personality; it has been shaped by suffering.

Like the two sisters in The Color Purple, the sisters here are in a kind of revisionist Cinderella myth.  They have been created to fill archetypal roles more than to show a kind of fully developed realism two sisters might show in a novel.

What are Macbeth's first words in the play Macbeth, and why are they significant?

Macbeth does not appear until the third scene of the first act in the play.  His first words are

"So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (I,iii,38).

Macbeth speaks these words to Banquo, as they come upon the three witches.  His words are significant because they clearly state one of the central motifs in the play - the idea of duplicity, that things are not what they seem.  This motif is evident in the cryptic words the witches address towards Banquo in this scene.  They greet him, saying,

"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.

Not so happy, yet much happier.

Thous shalt get kings, though thou be none" (I,iii,65-67).

Banquo is subordinate to Macbeth, but in the end, the witches predict that he will be greater than him, and that Banquo's sons shall be kings.  Things are not what they seem.

The motif carries over to the witches, whom Banquo suspects are women but who have "beards".  Lady Macbeth later evidences this dichotomy in another way; she appears to be a upright and devoted woman, but in reality she is ruthless and ambitious, and wishes to be unsexed so that any soft part of her nature will be eradicated and she will have the "manly" strength to carry out her evil designs.  Macbeth and Lady Macbeth welcome King Duncan cordially into their home, all the while plotting to kill him.  When guilt drives Lady Macbeth to the point of insanity, she sees blood where there is none, and Macbeth thinks that he is safe from the last prophesies because he believes it impossible that the forest at Birnam will march to Dunsinane, and because the witches have told him that no man born of woman can harm him.  Contrary to what seems logical, the forest does indeed come to the castle when the soldiers, camoflaged by branches from the woods, launch an assault, and Macduff, who was not "born of woman" because he was untimely ripped from his mother's womb, confronts Macbeth and kills him.  Things throughout the play are simultaneously "fair and foul"; nothing is as it seems.

In the book The Giver, how is it finding a mate in Jonas society different from finding a mate in our society?

In The Giver, there is a Committee of Elders that decides the husband-wife pairings for the community.  A list of characteristics for each person is considered, and people are matched by the committee according to what appears to be the greatest chance of compatibility.  There is no mention of divorce or separation in The Giver.

This is quite different from modern day society, where each person is free to find their own mate through the trial-and-error system of dating.  Our society is also different because some of our attraction is fueled by sexuality and hormones, while in The Giver sexuality is negated and procreation is not a part of a marriage.

What is the symbolic significance of the Pozzo-Lucky episode in Beckett's play 'Waiting for Godot'?

The Lucky-Pozzo episode in both the acts of Waiting for Godot sets forth the difference and repetition structure that holds sway over the entire play.

1. According to Bert O. States, it represents the tragic plot of this 'tragi-comdey' with the comedy being the two-tramps plot.

2. It is a kind of a happening; a chance-encounter with the Other.

3. It introduces the theme of power into the play in a fore-frontal way. It is a kind of a master slave dialectic where it is the constantly shifty nature of power that is at the centre. The episode is in this sense, the political core of the play. It is a subversive portrayal of the dialectic.

4. In the second act, their 'fall' is a self-reflexive symbolic mimicry of the Christian myth of the Fall of man. Beckett's production-notebooks suggest that he wanted them to fall in a way so as to create the shape of a cross--the act of crucifixion.

5. Pozzo's blindness makes him dependent on Lucky, who has already dislocated Pozzo's trope of mastery over him with his 'quaquaqua' speech and his own dumbness is an attestation of the fact that he has already dared to say the unsayable, or as Beckett would put it--"eff the ineffable".

6. Pozzo's fixation with movement and journey ('On' is his recurrent maxim) in which Lucky too is forced into, creates a contrastive frame to the time of waiting where Didi and Gogo are located.

In Hard Times, how does the girl Sissy's physical appearance differ from the boy Bitzer's?

The answer to this question comes in Chapter 2 of this great novel, entitled "Murdering the Innocents," which describes the Gradgrind philosophy and process of education and its emphasis on fact. What is important to notice is how in a sense both Sissy and Bitzer function as symbols in the novel. Sissy represents the power of creativity, emotions and the imagination, which prevail even under Gradgrind's best efforts to stunt her by focussing on facts alone, whereas Bitzer is a true success story in the novel - he has been formed by Gradgrinds utilitarian philosophy and is completely detached from human warmth, kindness and emotion, as Gradgrind finds out to his cost at the end of the novel.

In this chapter, then, Sissy and Bitzer are compared and contrasted in their schoolroom, Sissy being "irradiated" by a ray of sunlight:

But, whereas the girl was so dark-eyed and dark-haired, that she seemed to receive a deeper and more lustrous colour from the sun when it shone upon her, the boy was so light-eyed and light-haired that the self-same rays appeared to draw out of him what little colour he ever possessed. His cold eyes would hardly have been eyes, but for the short ends of his lashes which, by bringing them into immediate contrast with something paler than themselves, expressed their form. His short-cropped hair might have been a mere continuation of the sandy freckles on his forehead and face. His skin was so unwholesomely deficient in the natural tinge, that he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white.

Symbolically then, Sissy, when exposed to nature, becomes more beautiful, whereas Bitzer, when exposed to the same force, has what little life and vitality there remains in him bleached out of him even further, representing their different functions in the novel.

In Ch.4 Why does Mr.Lorry tell Lucie that his relation with her father was just "mere business" and there isn't any friendship in it?Charles...

Like the Tellson's Bank for which he works, Mr. Lorry is old and institutionalized.  He has spent his bachelor life growing old in Tellson's and his greatest virtue is his work ethic.  Dickens portrays Mr. Lorry as representative of the middle class of England. 

When Mr. Lorry accompanies the daughter of his former client, Dr. Manette, to the inn before they travel to Paris, he speaks as a businessman to Lucie Manette in an effort to calm her when he reveals the reason for their going to the French city.  In Chapter 4 of Book the First, Mr. Lorry must inform Lucy that the father she has believed dead is alive.  As he relates his information, Lucie becomes "agitated," so Mr. Lorry tells her to think of it merely as "business":

'pray control your agitation--a matter of business.  As I was saying--....Regard it as a matter of business-business that must be done.....Let us be clear-headed....

Mr. Lorry feels that if he can get Lucie to look upon the discovery of her father and her meeting with him as something that simply must be done, she will remain calm. But, he does not understand women, having been a bachelor all his life. When Lucie is overcome, Miss Pross charges in, scolding him for having frightened her "precious" ward.  Poor Mr. Lorry is totally disconcerted.

What are differences and similarities between eastern and western religions between 1000 BCE and 750 CE on how they influenced socio-political events?

This is a fairly broad question, but to start with we might divide the religions that developed in this period into three groups:

1. Near Eastern (Judaism, Christianity, Islam): all three monotheistic, and all three associated with particular kingdoms (Israel/Judea for Judaism, Roman Empire after the 4th century for Christianity, the Islamic Caliphate for Islam)

2. South Asian (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism): All three developed beliefs that people can practice meditation to transcend their lives and unite with something greater. Of the three, Hinduism had the most developed system for organizing society - the caste system. Buddhism developed the first monastic institutions, and all three religions taught their followers that in order to seek transcendence, they must leave society and wander, begging for food and sustenance. They all also taught the importance of reincarnation and that your experiences, good and bad, are the result of your deeds (karma) in past lives.  

3. East Asian (Confucian, Daoist, and some forms of Buddhism).  Confucianism and Daoism were both concerned with the best way to achieve harmony in society, and differing Chinese dynasties followed Confucian teachings of moral reform, and Daoist teachings of letting things run themselves. Confucius taught that the highest moral good was "ren," (benevolence or empathy), and that if one has ren one will act properly - a virtue called "li." He also taught that there is a hierarchy in society, on which harmony should be based: wife should follow husand, younger should follow elder, subject should follow emperor.  

 You might try checking out the link below for information on these and other religions in the world.

What are some situations where growth occurs arithmetically and what are situations where growth occurs exponentially?

In arithmetic progression  every next term increases with a fixed quantity:A.P  is  with  first tem a and a common difference d is:  a, a+d, a+2d, a+3d, a+4d, etc

The exponentioal growth is also geometric progression, where every next term increases or decreases by a fixed ratio: The exponential initial population a and growth factor x is of the type:

a, a(1+x) , a(1+x)^2, a(1+x)^3, a(1+x)^4, etc

The exponential growth of a population a, with a fixed ratio or factor could be like: a,   ax,   ax^2,  ax^3,   ax^4, etc,

Situations: In practical situations the amount of growth of $100 by a simple interest of 5% annually . The amount you are likely to get along with interest if you invest for 1 year , 2 year, 3 year , 4 year etc is: $105,   $110,  $115,  $120, etc...

If you invest an amount of $100 in compound interest of 5% (annual compounding) ,for  a period of an year , 2years, 3years, 4 years etc, your amount grows exponentially like.

100*1.05,   100*1.05^2,  100*1.05^3, 100*1.05^4,  ...etc.

Also you can see that  human population grows  exponentially, but with several constraints like food and space of the planet.There are similar exponential growth in living organisms in Biolological situations, where the species  increase exponentially and then decrease exponentially due nature's control.

Example: There are 10000 number of paticular species. If the growth rate is 10 % every 6 months how long it take for the population to double:

10000(1+10/100)^n =2*10000, whre n is the number of 6 months required for the population to double. Solution is   n = (log2/log1.1 ) of 6 months.

What are 5 main events that happened on Othello 4.1 only?

1) Iago works Othello into a trance.  Othello, the once mighty orator of Act I, is hypnotized by jealous rage.  Iago, the spider, has caught a prized spider.

2) Othello spies on Iago and Cassio.  Iago has gotten Cassio talking about tupping Biancha, but Othello thinks he's talking about Desdemona.

3) The handkerchief appears in Biancha's hand.  It has travelled from Egypt to Othello to Desdemona to Emilia to Iago to Cassio to Biancha, a prostitute.  Othello knows he has lost Desdemona's love.

4) Lodovico arrives from Venice and gives Othello a letter that relieves Othello of his duties.  He must return to Venice at once.

5) Othello slaps Desdemona.  This is the first public show of anger on Othello's part. Lodovico and the Venetian emissaries are beside themselves.  These two cooed over each other in Act I in Venice.  And now this act of misogyny.

What are the meanings of Herard, west room(black room is in the west why?)clock of ebony (it's on the west), number seven and blood color of window?

Herod the Great is who I assume you mean by Herard?  Herod was an extremely bloody ruler.  The expression in the story "out-Herod Herod"  means basically to be even more bloody and violent (or extreme) than someone (herod) who is the epitome of an extreme.  An analogy would be to out-Michael Jordan Michael Jordan.  That, of course, meaning that you did the "Michael Jordan thing" better than he did.

In literature one common archetype is the cycle of life.  Things are born (sunrise), live (noon), get old (sunset), and die (night).  The fact that the black room is in the west shows us that the room is indicating death (where the sun sets and life ends).  Notice how all the "revelers" are afraid of the room?  It's because the room represents death (black), and not just death, but a bloody (red) death.  Get it?  Masque of the Red Death?

The clock suggests time and what does time do to everyone?  Well... to put it bluntly it kills us all. Notice the revelers cannot ever become used to sounds of the clock.

When I teach my classes I have them look at Gerard Manly Hopkins' poem "Spring and Fall" http://www.potw.org/archive/potw29.html

The basic idea is that the only thing any of us is REALLY afraid of is death.  In this story "TIME" is the bringer of that death and a constant reminder that no matter how rich and glorious you might think you are, you're still going to die.

Where this story gets really interesting is in the masks that the people wear.  Ask your teacher why they are wearing masks.

The number 7 is 3+4.  4 is important because it's directions (north, south, east, west), the seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter), elements (fire, earth, water, wind).  3 can be the trinity, (father, son, holy ghost), stages of life (birth, middle age, death).   The number 7 might also be significant because on the 7th day, God rests.  If God is at rest, perhaps man is on his own?  Scary thoughts from the master of horror.

"Marginal cost is never equal to variable costs." Please explain why this is false?

Marginal cost function is the first derivative of the cost function.

Marginal cost expresses how much are changing costs, when production of a good increases (usually with an infinitesimal unit). This value may be, of course, even negative. Marginal cost intersects the average costs always  their minimum point.If marginal costs decreasing, the point of intersection of two curves is the point of maximum average costs.

If marginal costs are higher than average costs, without fixed costs, is reached the minimum level of profitability. If a firm produces below the minimum threshold of profitability, is not good to produce more, because it not even cover variable costs.

It's better when marginal costs exceed average costs, including fixed costs. From this perspective, the optimal threshold of profitability, producer gets profit.

 Marginal costs formula(first derivative of cost function depending on x):

C'(x)=dC/dx

In regards to Chapter 22 of To Kill a Mockingbird, IS telling the truth cynical?In Chapter 22, after commenting to Alexandra about his aunt's...

It may be worthwhile, too, to look at the character who says this. According to a number of sources, Dill is a stand-in for Truman Capote. In my (admittedly limited) understanding of Capote, he seems to cultivate a aesthete-like standard of conduct. Like Oscar Wilde before him, he can present half-serious quips such as the one you've quoted.

See. for example, a previous discussion of Dill's lies.

What is a cell analogy to school?golgi body, nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, vesicles, vacuoles, lysosmes, cell walls, and...

I am not sure what you're asking, but it sounds like you've received the assignment of creating an analogy comparing the parts of a cell to a school.  This is a pretty common assignment in life science.

An analogy is just a comparison, so look at what each part of the cell does.  For example, the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.  What part of your school provides power?  Make that the mitochondria in your analogy.

Look at the parts of a school -- classrooms, closets, the principal, buses, the walls, etc. 

The key here is that you show your teacher that you know what the parts of the cell do.  Look those up and make sure you know them.  If you compare the Golgi apparatus to the school janitor, make sure in your analogy you show how those two are alike. 

Good luck!

Would you explain the three use of "imagery" with examples? 1. conveying emotion 2. suggesting iseads 3. mentally evoking sense experience?

I have always felt that the best description of imagery is to see it in the action of literature.  When one sees imagery, they might be best to understand it.  Bearing this in mind, I think being able to survey the literature that you have experienced for examples of successful imagery would be extremely worthwhile and compelling.  For example, reading Wordsworth's poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is one such poem with different uses of imagery, or mental pictures.  His description of the daffodils in the first two stanzas help to mentally evoke the sensation experience of seeing a field of flowers.  Examine these stanzas and find the lines or verses that reflect sensation, as if one is experiencing the moment with the speaker.  At the same time, these lines help to convey extreme emotion, and more if conveyed in the third stanza when the speaker seeks to make sense of this moment in "his mind's eye."  I think that this is one poem of many where examples of imagery can be experienced for oneself.

How is Dorigen presented in the text of The Franklin's Tale in The Canterbury Tales?

Dorigen is presented by the Franklin in The Franklin's Tale as having every beauty, grace, charm, kindness and virtue. Dorigen is also presented as being particular, logical and goodhearted. The knight Arveragus has to work very hard to try to convince her of his worthiness and win her love. When he offers to make her his equal, except in name to uphold his high position, she understands the great significance of his offer and promises in return to live without contentions and quarrels.

When Arveragus goes from their home across the channel to win his fortunes as a knight, she is utterly dismayed and in complete anguish. Her fervent prayers show her devout love of God and trust in Him. She is not afraid to reason with God himself asking why this wretched circumstance of separation was allowed. When approached after quite some time by Aurelius, who had been pining for her from afar, with an offer of love, Dorigen acts firmly on her loyalty and devotedness to her true love and husband and rebuffs Aurelius entirely; but seeing his misery, she offers an exchange: If he can remove the treacherous rocks from the sea to ensure Arveragus a safe arrival, she will give Aurelius the her physical love.

When it transpires that Aurelius contracts with a magician to remove the rocks, Dorigen honestly tells Arveragus the events that transpired and of her promise to Aurelius. Rather than be a dishonorable wife and rather than dishonor her promise, Dorigen chooses to ritually take her own life. Fortunately, Aurelius intercepts her and releases her from her promise for which she is overjoyed and truly grateful.

Who is the first to say, ''We don't need the conch any more.''?

It wasn't worded that way, exactly. At a late meeting, the children were discussing the possibility of a beast. Confusion, controversy and fear were in the air. Although Jack had days before, on the mountaintop, showed disdain for the use of the conch, here, on page 129, he disregards its importance altogether:

There was a moment’s struggle and the glimmering conch jigged up and down. Ralph leapt to his feet.

“Jack! Jack! You haven’t got the conch! Let him speak.”

Jack’s face swam near him.

“And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing—”

“I’m chief. I was chosen.”

“Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don’t make any sense—”

“Piggy’s got the conch.”

“That’s right—favor Piggy as you always do—”

“Jack!”

Jack’s voice sounded in bitter mimicry.

“Jack! Jack!”

“The rules!” shouted Ralph. “You’re breaking the rules!”

“Who cares?”

Ralph summoned his wits.

“Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!”

But Jack was shouting against him.

“Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong—we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat—!”

Of course, with fear on his side, Jack is saying, in effect, that might makes right. “Bollocks to the rules!" and that's that. Of course, this marks the beginning of the end for any semblance of unified order and civilization on the island.

What is the climax, theme, point of view, and tone of the short story, "Poison" by Ronald Dahl?

Climax refers to the highest point in the development of a story. As such, the climax in this story lies in Harry Pope's completely unexpected tirade against doctor Ganderbai. His reaction to the good doctor's slightly sarcastic question about whether he had actually seen a snake is met with a surprisingly violent and vehement outburst from him. What makes this ironically surprising, even shocking, is that Harry does not show any gratitude for the dedication that the doctor displayed in his attempts to ensure his safety. He seemingly takes it for granted that the doctor had to know that there wasn't a snake, whilst, ironically he, the supposed or possible victim, had been lying still for hours without knowing any better.

Harry's outburst is completely inappropriate and displays arrogance and prejudice. The true poison in the story is exactly that: his vile, vehement and unfounded prejudice. The discovery that there was no snake at all is an anti-climax. 

The theme in this story is fear and paranoia. More specifically, it is about fear bred from a limited understanding of what we know. Both Timber Woods and Harry Pope have a rudimentary knowledge of the dangers a krait poses. Their understanding is based on what they have heard and on rumor. None of them has ever been involved in a direct confrontation with such a poisonous snake. Because of this, they are both desperately afraid and in a quandary about how to deal with this supposed threat. They, therefore, need the assistance of an expert who is presented in the form of the knowledgeable and kind Dr. Ganderbai who is more than willing to sacrifice his time and resources to help a fellow human whom, he believes, is in desperate need.

This act of kindness is, however, lost on our much-relieved victim, Harry Pope. He allows his prejudice to come to the fore when he expresses his vehemence on the undeserving doctor. Just as much as his knowledge about exactly how to deal with the supposed snake was limited, so is his understanding of the doctor. One may assume, when one takes into account their names, that they are of a different race to the doctor who is clearly Indian. Harry's prejudice is borne of a supercilious attitude. His outburst is completely unwarranted and hurtful.  

The story is told from a first person, limited perspective. Timber Woods is the narrator and he reports in the minutest detail all the aspects relating to Harry's unfortunate position.  All he can comment on is what he witnesses and, obviously, his own feelings. Timber is not critical or judgmental. He, however, does share Harry's anxiety. He does apologize on his friend's behalf after Harry's vile tirade. His judgment of Harry is clearly based on his concern for him, for he says that his outburst was as a result of the enormous stress that he had suffered throughout his ordeal.

The tone of a story refers to the writer's attitude towards a character, place or development. Roald Dahl's tone is clearly satirical. The fact that he chose such archetypal names as Timber Woods (quite humorous), Harry Pope and Dr. Ganderbai, clearly supports this. Furthermore, in depicting what is actually a harmless situation in such a serious and dramatic manner, Dahl emphasizes his scornful attitude. He clearly makes fun of the irrational fear that others, who deem themselves superior, hold of things they obviously do not understand. This fear is expressed through prejudice - it is a protective mechanism.

How did the maple tree adapt to its woodland environment?

There are many species of maple trees and they have a range through most of United State, Europe, and part of Asia.  Most species of maples are deciduous trees, which means they shed their leaves in fall and are dormant in the winter, thus conserving energy.  The leaves are broad for a large surface area available to collect sunlight energy to be used for photosynthesis.

They have a fibrous root system, which means that they have many small roots.  This allows them to stretch their roots out over a large area in order to gather in enough water and nutrients to support the tree.  They can also produce root sprouts, which is another way for the tree to reproduce in addition to seeds.

Reproduction by root sprouts does not produce the genetic variation that seeds do, but it allows the parent tree to support the growth of the younger tree.  This give the younger tree a better chance at survival.  Most young trees are shade resistant so being in the shadow of the parent tree does not hurt it.

Maple trees flower in the late winter to early spring.  This is a time when not many other things are blooming, so honeybees are especially dependent on them.  This also means that the maple tree attracts a lot of honeybees for pollination.  The seeds have "wings" that are able to catch the wind and spin as they fall.  This allows the many seeds produced by a single maple tree to be spread over great distances, thus increasing the chances that at least some of them will survive.

What does Ponyboy mean when he says " Johnny and I understood each other without saying anything"?

In the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Ponyboy said this, because they have a close relationship. Anyone who has a best friend knows that at times they can finish their friend's sentences. They can almost get into their heads. When someone says something funny you laugh, because you know your friend is thinking the same thing. They understand each other on many levels. It's as if they are becoming a mirror image of you, which they may start to do. The saying goes "you become who you hang out with". Ponyboy and Johnny like each other so much that they start becoming like the other.

In "The Crucible" why does Danforth question the truth of Proctor's evidence?

The first evidence that Proctor brings forth is the petition that nearly 100 people signed, attesting to the righteous character of the women in jail.  Danforth questions that evidence because, prompted by Parris and Hathorne, those people themselves might be under the influence of some evil force, if they were to question the authority of the courts.  It upsets Danforth that so many people would question his rulings of witchcraft--his pride is injured, and he will not be made a fool of.  So, he orders all the people that signed the petition to be arrested for questioning.

The second evidence that Proctor himself brings forth is that of Mary Warren, who testifies that the girls are faking.  He questions that evidence because Mary Warren, when commanded to faint, cannot faint--this seems to prove to him that she was indeed bewitched at the time of the accusations.  Also, Abigail starts claiming Mary's spirit is attacking her, and Mary chickens out and blames Proctor, calling him a witch.

Lastly, and most significantly, Proctor claims that Abigail is a whore, and then he confesses that he committed adultery with her; as a result, Abby contrived to accuse Elizabeth, in order to "take her place" by his side, as his wife.  Danforth questions this evidence for a couple reasons.  First of all, Abigail denies the affair.  Secondly, he brings in Elizabeth and asks her straight-out if her husband is a lecher (adulterer).  Elizabeth, in an understandable lie, denies that John commited lechery, and so disproves any claim that John had in regards to the issue.

Underlying all of his doubts though is Danforth's claim that John has come to "undermine the courts."  He thinks that Proctor not only wants to save his wife, but also to prove every conviction that Danforth has made false.  This would ruin Danforth's reputation--if John can prove that the women are innocent, and Danforth was the one to condemn them to death, Danforth's career will be over.  He will forever be known as the guy who falsely convicted many people to die, and that will be the end of him.  So the main reason he thwarts John's attempts is to keep John from undermining his precious authority in the courts, in order to protect his reputation.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

What lesson do you think Steinbeck is trying to send through Lennie and why?- And evidence from the book would be nice =] - I'm thinking that he's...

He does not represent the disabled.  Steinbeck says:

Lennie was not to represent insanity at all but the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men.

He is characterized as a cross between a bear and a giant rabbit in the novel.  Steinbeck's novella is fraught with biological determinism, which is part of his pragmatist beliefs.  According to Steinbeck, pragmatism holds that life should be viewed as it is, not as how it should to be.  One needs to live in the moment, reacting to what is happening in front of him based on his life experience and personal judgment, not on religious or moral teachings.  So, Lennie is, more or less, a biological force of desire.

His dreams are as big as his destruction.  He is an embodiment of the American Dream; he  dreams of the farm where he can tend the rabbits and pet puppies and mice to his hearts content.  In the end, though, he represents the idealized self-destructive, self-deluding aspect of the American Dream, the one that is a false promise.

According to Freud's theory, Lennie is a walking, talking "id," the child-like part of one's unconscious that wants instant gratification.  He is a foil to George, the "supego," who constantly tells Lennie to stay away from Curley and his wife, to "let me do the talkin.'"    Curley too is a foil to Lennie and also works from his "id."  So, when the two clash, Lennie wins the battle, but Curley wins the war; in the end, Curley's group "id" (the posse) so threatens Lennie's individual "id" that George performs the mercy killing.

Unlike George and Curley, Lennie is a "big guy," and he represents a physical threat to other men.  So says Candy:

Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy.

Lennie is also a tireless worker: he can do the work of two men.  Steinbeck seems to be saying there is a place for men like Lennie, that they can be protected in the labor force.  Can you say union?

So, I don't know if there is any built-in lesson in the Lennie character.  He is so unlike the other characters and the readers that he cannot serve as an archetype.  But, he does represent a part of a man (and here I quote Freud):

...the dark, inaccessible part of our personality, what little we know of it we have learnt from our study of the dream-work ... and most of this is of a negative character and can be described only as a contrast to the ego. We all approach the id with analogies: we call it a chaos, a cauldron full of seething excitations... It is filled with energy reaching it from the instincts, but it has no organisation, produces no collective will, but only a striving to bring about the satisfaction of the instinctual needs subject to the observance of the pleasure principle.

Why did Lee move his Army of Northern Virginia into Union territory, & why must Meade's Army of the Potomac track him? (The Killer Angels)

Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was at its absolute apex after having just crushed the Union army at the battle of Chancellorsville. Though drastically outnumbered, Lee had taken the bold step of dividing his army in the face of the enemy, sending his trusted Gen. T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson around the enemy position to strike with a devastating flank attack that nearly routed the entire Union force. Sadly for the Confederates, the attack took place too late in the afternoon for the Southerners to completely destroy Gen. Joe Hooker's Army of the Potomac, and then, later that night, Jackson was mortally wounded.

Deprived of his "right arm," Lee was forced to reorganize the Army of Northern Virginia before moving north. Naturally, it would have been beneficial for new corps commanders Gen. Dick Ewell and Gen. A. P. Hill to have had some previous experience at their new posts, but Lee decided to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania anyway. His army was absolutely the most lethal fighting force in the world at this particular time; Lee had the utmost confidence in his men and he (and most of the soldiers themselves) thought they were invincible.

His plans for invasion would benefit the Confederacy in several ways. It would eliminate planned Union advances in the South; relieve the pressure against Vicksburg in the Western theatre; and give the nation a new field of harvest from which to feed itself during the long marches on Union soil. Lee still hoped to enlist more volunteers from Maryland, a border state with a large population of Southern sympathizers. Additionally, a major Confederate victory was needed to insure official recognition and aid from England and France. Lee originally planned to march northward to Baltimore and possibly even Philadelphia, before heading south and capturing Washington. It was truly an audacious plan, but one which Lee thought his men capable.

Meade, the new Union commander, had more troops available to him and needed to remain close to Lee's army in order to prevent the Confederates from ransacking their way through Maryland and Pennsylvania and gathering the momentum necessary to force the capture of Washington. He hoped to catch Lee's men off-guard--which he ultimately did when the two armies collided at Gettysburg.

What does Calpurnia teach Scout in Chapter 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter Three of To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia teaches Scout that everyone, no matter their social standing or the way they are viewed by common society, deserves to be treated with respect.  Walter Cunningham, who came to school with no lunch due to his family's extreme poverty, was invited to dinner by Jem Finch.  Scout was shocked when Walter "poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand" and expressed her surprise vocally.  However, Calpurnia, Atticus, and Jem obviously knew that Walter had been reluctant to come at all and that he needed encouragement in order to feel comfortable and fill his stomach.  His family was extremely poor, but they did the best they could to repay their debts and did not take "handouts." 

When Scout voiced her opinion of Walter's table manners, Calpurnia was furious; she knew not only that Walter was not to blame for his circumstances, but that it was imperative that he retain his impression of being a guest in the Finch home, which he was.  Calpurnia had no tolerance for Scout's behavior toward another human being based on his acting differently.

..."There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't.  That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?"

"He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham--"

"Hush your mouth!  Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!  Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em--if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"

It should be noted that, as a member of Maycomb's African-American community, Calpurnia certainly knew the implications of being looked at as less than others. 

Could you help me find a quote from "The Pardoner's Tale" that contains irony?

I'm not sure which edition of the Tales you have, so I can't give you exact lines, but the Pardoner's prologue is actually an excellent place to look for situational irony.

Situational irony is "the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does" (see link below).

The pardoner preaches, repeatedly, against greed (avarice); he says that greed is the root of all evil. YET, the purpose of his preaching is only to get the other pilgrims to buy pardons and relics from him so that he can have more money and fulfill his selfish desires to be rich. You would not expect a preacher, or a pardoner, to preach about the sin that they, themselves, commit.

Squeaky and Gretchen almost get into a fight. Why, then, do they smile at each other?

At the end of the story Squeaky and Gretchen smile at each other as a sign of mutual respect.  Both girls recognize in each other an opponent worthy of respect. Squeaky realizes that Gretchen is just as serious about running as she is and appreciates this.  It also shows the awakening and growth of Squeaky as a character; up to this point in the story she remains unchanged (flat character).

What is the house of Cadmus in Oedipus Rex?

Cadmus is the original name for the city of Thebes.  So, the House of Cadmus is really the House of Thebes.  It is Oedipus and all his decedents as found in Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone.

It begins with Oedipus's parents, Laius and Jocasta.  Then, as you know, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother.  They have four children: Eteocles, Polyneices, Antigone, and Ismene.

As you know, the House of Thebes is rather cursed, as is the city-state of Thebes accordingly.  Not only is it cursed with murder, incest, plagues, and the Sphinx, but the dueling brothers Eteocles and Polyneices bring destruction on the city-state through a civil war.  You can read about the Seven Armies Against Thebes in the links below.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, mostly everyone is represented by an animal, but my teacher says Atticus is represented by a non animal?he says like...

Your teacher is correct.  Atticus is not symbolized by an animal.  Atticus represents civilized man.  He is educated, he has morals, he is willing to stand up for what he believes, and he prefers to use his mind rather than his might when it comes to solving a problem.

Many literary analysts compare Atticus to a lion because of the emergent leadership role he takes amongst the townsfolk or an owl because of how wise he is.  However, the comparison to a lion is not completely accurate because Atticus, as Lee points out in her book, Scout and Jem are embarassed of Atticus because he doesn't hunt or fish.  Atticus is not a predator like a lion.  The character of Sheriff Heclk Tate is more like a lion in that he is the designated leader of the town feels responsible for protecting the townsfolk.

As for Atticus being compared to an owl, the symbol is more appropriate to the character of Miss Maudie because she is recognized for her wisdom by Scout.   Atticus is wise, but his wisdom comes more from his education and experience.  Miss Maudie is more like the wisened owl because her wisdom comes from education, experience, and age.

When Atticus is forced to kill the rabid dog, he does so not as a show of power, strength, or dominance but rather out of safety and security.  This exemplifies Atticus's moral fiber.  He pities the dog and regrets he must take such savage action, but he does so out of a sense of duty and responsibility.

It's Atticus's intelligence that also saves Tom Robinson from the townsfolk who come to the jail to lynch him.  The townsfolk showed their animalistic nature by resorting to violence in their pursuit of justice.  Atticus did not resort to fighting violence with further violence.  He was able to use rationalization to quell and disperse the mob.  Atticus's ability to use his mind to "fight" shows how he reprsents the best of humanity by not resorting to a savage nature.

To symbolize Atticus as "God" goes against the humility of his character.  Yes, Atticus is "a loving, kind gentle father" whose character is above all the "lower instincts" as represented by the animals.  However, to characterize him as "God" or even a benevolent king goes against Atticus's true characterization as an emergent leader who exemplifies the best humanity has to offer.  While many would say that this could symbolize him as "God" because we are created in his image, no one in the story lives to serve Atticus or even "worships" him.  In fact, while Atticus is revered by many, he is scorned by the town for defending Tom Robinson.  This is not "God"-like.  If we were to compare him to a Biblical figure, he would be more like Moses or Jesus by maintaining his morals in defiance of society's norms.  

Atticus's morality and his sense of obligation shows how truly human Atticus is and also separates him from the more animalistic nature of the other characters in To Kill a Mockingbird - the innocent birds or "mockingbirds" (Boo Radley, Tom Robinson), the growing cubs (Scout, Jem, Dill, Walter Cunningham Jr.), the whipped dogs (Mayella Ewell), the den mother (Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra) and the savage creatures (Bob Ewell, the Cunninghams).