Who were the SS in Night?

The SS, a shortened version of "Schutzstaffel," were the military wing of the Nazi Party. They were used to protect Hitler during rallies and were directly loyal to Hitler. To become part of the SS, people had to initially prove that their ancestry in Germany dated back to 1750 and that they had no Jewish ancestry. Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, led the SS to ascendancy over the rival SA. During the Night of...

The SS, a shortened version of "Schutzstaffel," were the military wing of the Nazi Party. They were used to protect Hitler during rallies and were directly loyal to Hitler. To become part of the SS, people had to initially prove that their ancestry in Germany dated back to 1750 and that they had no Jewish ancestry. Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, led the SS to ascendancy over the rival SA. During the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, the leader of the SA, Ernst Rohm, was killed, and the power of the SS over the SA was complete. The SS became the force that controlled many of the concentration camps in Germany and Poland and that absorbed all police operations. The SS in some camps carried out the mass extermination of Jews and other prisoners.

In Night, the SS comprise the guards in the concentration camps. As soon as Elie and his family arrive at Birkenau, SS men, standing with machine guns, separate his family. He never sees his mother or sisters again. The SS men rule the camp and the extermination process with extreme barbarism. Elie is afraid of them and does not do anything to incur their wrath, including not protesting when they beat his father. 

Despite Jem’s disagreement, Scout says she thinks that Boo Radley is in the Radley home and watching the kids play. Why does Scout feel so...

At the beginning of Chapter 4, Scout finds chewing gum in the knothole of the Radley tree. Later on, she and Jem discover a pair of Indian-head pennies in the same spot. These two events foreshadow Scout's revelation that Boo Radley is still alive and lives inside the house.As the chapter continues, Jem rolls Scout in a tire down the street, and she accidentally crashes into the Radley porch. Scout gets up in a...

At the beginning of Chapter 4, Scout finds chewing gum in the knothole of the Radley tree. Later on, she and Jem discover a pair of Indian-head pennies in the same spot. These two events foreshadow Scout's revelation that Boo Radley is still alive and lives inside the house. As the chapter continues, Jem rolls Scout in a tire down the street, and she accidentally crashes into the Radley porch. Scout gets up in a daze and Jem runs inside the Radley fence to grab the tire. After the children drink their lemonade and take a break from playing, Jem says they're going to a play a new game called "Boo Radley." At first, Scout decides she's not going to play and mentions that Boo can get out at night and harm them. Jem claims that Boo Radley has been dead for years and was stuffed up a chimney. Scout says,

"I was fairly sure Boo Radley was inside that house, but I couldn't prove it, and felt it best to keep my mouth shut or I would be accused of believing in Hot Steams, phenomena I was immune to in the daytime." (Lee 51)

Scout decides to play, and the children act out a "melancholy drama" they name "One Man's Family." One day, Atticus sees the children playing and asks Jem if it has anything to do with the Radleys. Jem says it doesn't, then tells Scout and Dill that they should continue to play. Scout comments that Atticus' arrival is the second reason she wanted to quit the game. She says,

"The first reason happened the day I rolled into the Radley front yard. Through all the head-shaking, quelling of nausea and Jem-yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the side-walk. Someone inside the house was laughing." (Lee 54)

The last sentence of Chapter 4 is when Scout reveals why she feels certain that someone is inside the house. Scout believes that Boo Radley was the person she heard laughing. Not only does Boo Radley secretly give the children gifts at the beginning of the chapter, but he also laughs at Scout when she crashes into the house. His friendly, light-hearted actions suggest that he is not the "malevolent phantom" that the children think he is.

What dilemma does Lyddie face when Charlie comes to Lowell in Lyddie?

Lyddie has to decide if she should send her sister Rachel to Charlie’s new family.

Lyddie has always been the strong one in the family.  When her youngest sister Agnes was born, her mother became mentally withdrawn and unstable and her father left to try to make money out west. Lyddie was the oldest, and she became the head of the house.

Even though she had not seen her father in four years, Lyddie still hoped he would come back.  Her mother got tired of waiting, and left the farm to go to Lyddie’s uncle’s house after the family had a close call with a bear.  Bears or not, that left Lyddie and her younger brother Charles alone with the house.

Lyddie’s mother let out the land and sent Charles and Lyddie to work.  Two years later, Lyddie got a letter from her mother telling her that her youngest sister Agnes had died and her other sister Rachel was in bad shape.  Not long after that, Lyddie’s uncle showed up with Rachel.  He left the little girl with Lyddie and told her that her mother was being institutionalized and the farm sold.

Rachel was too light. Boneless as a rag doll. As Lyddie went up the steps of the boardinghouse, she could feel her tiny burden trembling through the shawl. "It's all right, Rachie. It's me, Lyddie," she said, hoping the child could remember her. (Ch. 15)

As a factory worker, Lyddie did not have any place to keep an eight-year-old girl.  She lived in the factory corporate housing, which was a boarding house that took up most of her pay.  Children were not allowed for factory workers.

When Charlie arrived, he told Lyddie that he now was with a good family.  The people who had taken him in had treated him like a son, and then sent him for Rachel.  She could have a good life with them, and live like a child instead of a slave.  Lyddie knows that this life would make Rachel stronger and allow her a chance to go to school, something Lyddie never got to do.

"I have good news there, too. Mrs. Phinney asked me to bring Rachel back.  She craves a daughter as well. And she'll be so good to her, you'll see. … She's never had a proper Ma, Rachel." (Ch. 18)

Lyddie knows this is true.  However, Lyddie is also sad.  Since her father left, all she wanted was for the family to be back together.  Now there seemed no chance of that, with their mother put away and Agnes dead.  Rachel was the last piece of the dream that Lyddie had left.

Still, the choice was really no choice at all.  Lyddie may want to keep her family together, but it would be selfish to keep Rachel when she had no way to take care of her.  Rachel would have a much better life with Charlie’s new family.

What cells are found in the respiratory system?

The respiratory epithelium is a tissue that lines the respiratory system. The respiratory epithelium serves as a protective barrier and also provides moisture. Ciliated cells, basal cells, and goblet cells are three main types of cells that make up the respiratory epithelium. The structure and function of each cell type is briefly described below.

• The ciliated cellsare found along the trachea and bronchi. The ciliated cells are column-shaped and have cilia on their edges....

The respiratory epithelium is a tissue that lines the respiratory system. The respiratory epithelium serves as a protective barrier and also provides moisture. Ciliated cells, basal cells, and goblet cells are three main types of cells that make up the respiratory epithelium. The structure and function of each cell type is briefly described below.

• The ciliated cells are found along the trachea and bronchi. The ciliated cells are column-shaped and have cilia on their edges. The cilia move in a rhythmic motion that helps to keep the airway clean.


• The basal cells of the respiratory epithelium are small and cuboidal. These cells are thought to be able to differentiate into other cell type upon injury of the airway in order to restore the epithelial cell layer.


• 
  Goblet cells of the respiratory epithelium are shaped like a columnar wine goblet, hence the name. They secrete mucous in order to trap debris and pathogens. In this way, goblet cells help keep the respiratory system healthy.

Additionally, alveolar cells are found in the epithelium of the respiratory system’s alveoli. These cells conduct gas exchange with the bloodstream so that oxygen can be delivered to cells throughout an organism.

What are some characteristics of Zeus?

Zeus is the King of the Gods, and the most powerful god in the Olympian pantheon. He is married to Hera, his sister, and the Queen of the Gods. They both were children of Cronus and Rhea. Zeus was notorious for his infidelities with both men and women.

One of the most important of Zeus' affairs was with the mortal woman Leda, by whom he fathered Helen. 

Zeus is extremely powerful and is a sky...

Zeus is the King of the Gods, and the most powerful god in the Olympian pantheon. He is married to Hera, his sister, and the Queen of the Gods. They both were children of Cronus and Rhea. Zeus was notorious for his infidelities with both men and women.

One of the most important of Zeus' affairs was with the mortal woman Leda, by whom he fathered Helen. 

Zeus is extremely powerful and is a sky god who wields thunderbolts. He is often portrayed as fighting with Hera. 

At the start of the Iliad, when Achilles feels that he has been dishonored by Agamemnon, he asks his mother Thetis to intervene on his behalf by asking Zeus to aid the Trojans until the Greeks repent of their ill-treatment of Agamemnon and give him the honor he feels he deserves. Because Zeus is indebted to Thetis, he agrees to this request.

Zeus is often shown as the final arbiter in cases when the gods disagree. 

How does Macbeth becoming king affect Lady Macbeth? Why does she want him to become king so badly and what is she going to gain from this happening?

Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to become king because she is very ambitious and power-hungry.  When he arrives home after she reads his letter, she addresses him by saying, "Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, / Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter!" (1.5.62-63).  If Macbeth becomes "greater," then so shall she, as his wife.  Just as he will be king, she will be queen.  Further, it is possible that she hopes to rule through him, as her...

Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to become king because she is very ambitious and power-hungry.  When he arrives home after she reads his letter, she addresses him by saying, "Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, / Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter!" (1.5.62-63).  If Macbeth becomes "greater," then so shall she, as his wife.  Just as he will be king, she will be queen.  Further, it is possible that she hopes to rule through him, as her immediate response to his letter (and their subsequent conversations in Act One show that she is -- at least initially -- the dominant partner in this relationship.  She wants him to

Hie thee hither,
That [she] may pour [her] spirits in [his] ear
And chastise with the valor of [her] tongue
All that impedes [him] from the golden round [...]. (1.5.28-31)

She plans to murder Duncan in order to smooth Macbeth's path to the throne because she is afraid that Macbeth is too compassionate and loyal to do it himself.  Further, Macbeth loves her and seems like the kind of king who would trust his wife as his closest adviser.  He does call her his "dearest partner of greatness" and his "dearest love" (1.5.11, 67).  Thus, she has many reasons to think that her own power will be monumentally increased, her own ambition satisfied, by Macbeth's becoming king.

Once Macbeth does become king, however, she doesn't seem nearly as pleased as she expected to be.  She says, 

Naught's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content.
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. (3.2.6-9)

In other words, they have gotten what they wanted (to become king and queen) but they are not happy.  She thinks it is better to be dead than to live unhappily as they do.  Further, Macbeth no longer seems to be consulting her in important matters; he orders the murders of Banquo and Fleance without her input and purposely keeps her in the dark about it.  He even goes so far as to give her instructions about how to treat Banquo at their dinner party (a party he knows Banquo will not be alive to attend).

By Act Five, Lady Macbeth seems to realize that she has created a monster in Macbeth.  He now murders innocents indiscriminately, and she feels all the guilt of goading him into that first kill.  Now, she sleepwalks and cries, "who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? [....]  The Thane of Fife had a wife.  Where is she now?  What, will these hands ne'er be clean?" (5.1.41-45).  She clearly feels very guilty about the murder of Duncan as she imagines that she still cannot clean his blood from her fingers; moreover, she laments the deaths of Macduff's wife and children, murders ordered by Macbeth that were nothing but spiteful and cruel.  He has become a tyrant, and she is sorry for it.  The fact that she later takes her own life also seems to convey her guilt and disappointment.

Many people consider Victor Frankenstein to be the real monster in the novel. Do you agree?

The first piece of evidence for this is biographical. Some critics suggest that Mary Shelley's husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, was actually the model for Victor Frankenstein, something substantiated by the subtitle The Modern Prometheus, which might be read an an allusion to Percy's verse drama "Prometheus Unbound." Percy was a brilliant poet, but shared the arrogance of Victor. Shelley had begun his relationship with Mary while he was still married to another woman, and was prone to adultery. Like Percy, Victor is handsome, brilliant, and self-centered, from a distinguished upper-class family, with a habit of acting on impulse and not considering the consequences of his actions.

The monster points out that he is, in a sense, Victor's child, and Victor is, in every sense, a terrible father. The monster describes reading Victor's notes about his creation and comments:

'Hateful day when I received life!' I exclaimed in agony. `Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.'

Imagine that the monster is like a child with special needs. A good parent has the capacity to love children who might have various disabilities or unusual appearances; most of us would consider it morally reprehensible for a parent to hate a child with Down's syndrome or some other inherited condition that makes the child appear unusual, and yet here Victor is disgusted with a shape he himself had deliberately created in its original form. 

Victor lets Justine be hanged for a murder committed by the monster. This again shows him as irresponsible, and mainly concerned with his own position and reputation rather than with other people. 

When the monster begs for a bride, Victor again acts out of self-interest and revulsion rather than realizing, as the monster explains, that what creates the monster's character is, in fact, the way Victor treats him. Just as abused children can grow up to become abusers, so the monster's creator, Victor, is actually a model of self-interest and obsessive pursuit of selfish goals rather than someone who contributes to society and is kind and loving to his offspring, and thus a bad role model for his creation.

What is the theme of A Walk in the Woods, and how is this theme developed? What is the mood and the tone of the story? What does the title of the...

The general theme of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is the beauty of nature and the necessity of protecting it. This is not the only theme, of course, but it is one of the most important ones in Bryson's popular book. Bryson develops this theme by not only describing his personal experience of the woods, but by also providing a historical context of the Appalachian Trail and conservation in the U.S. 

The mood/tone...

The general theme of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is the beauty of nature and the necessity of protecting it. This is not the only theme, of course, but it is one of the most important ones in Bryson's popular book. Bryson develops this theme by not only describing his personal experience of the woods, but by also providing a historical context of the Appalachian Trail and conservation in the U.S. 

The mood/tone of the story fluctuates depending on the subject matter. The tone is frequently hilarious or at least humorous, especially when Bryson describes both his and Stephen Katz' utter ineptitude when it comes to the great outdoors. At other times, the mood of the story is bittersweet and poignant, especially when Bryson describes the vanishing natural beauty of the American countryside. 

The title of the book does not really symbolize anything, per se, but it does refer to Bryson's novice status as a hiker and outdoorsman. By downplaying the monumental task of hiking the Appalachian Trail as a mere "walk in the woods," Bryson pokes gentle fun at his own inexperience in the wilderness. However, in doing so he also suggests that one doesn't need to be an elite athlete to enjoy the great outdoors; rather, one merely needs to value the beauty of the natural world. This idea is central to Bryson's conservationist message, as he ultimately wants the average citizen to be aware of America's immense natural beauty and the challenges conservationists face. 

Act 1 Scene 2 Brutus says he "loves blank more than he fears blank."

In Act 1, Scene 2, Cassius is holding a long conversation with Brutus. Cassius is trying to organize a conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar before Caesar can be made king by the Roman Senate. Brutus is a good friend of Julius Caesar, and at this point he is not susceptible to being drawn into a plot against his friend. Cassius is slowly and insidiously feeling Brutus out while trying to change his opinion of Caesar. Brutus gives Cassius a clue as to how he can be manipulated when he tells him:

But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honor in one eye and death i' the other
And I will look on both indifferently.
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honor more than I fear death.

Cassius realizes that the way to influence Brutus is to appeal to his sense of duty and honor. Cassius himself is a different type of person. He is not concerned about honor but about his own personal welfare and security. He is afraid that if Caesar becomes king he will turn into a demagogue and a tyrant. The rich and powerful Romans will probably suffer because Caesar will impose taxes on them and interfere with their privileges. Cassius is probably even afraid for his life. He knows that Caesar dislikes and distrusts him. He also knows that Caesar has no qualms about killing people who get in his way. Plutarch writes that Julius Caesar was responsible for the deaths of about two million people during his lifetime.

After Brutus leaves him, Cassius speaks his mind in a revealing soliloquy.

Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now and he were Cassius,
He should not humor me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at.
And after this let Caesar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

Cassius will appeal to Brutus' sense of honor, although Cassius has no such sense himself. Cassius is very cunning, whereas Brutus is very open and honest. Shakespeare has shown in other plays that cunning people like Cassius have an advantage over honest people like Brutus. For instance, the cunning villain Edmund in Shakespeare's King Lear is able to turn his father against Edgar, Edmund's half-brother, and then obtain his father's title of Earl of Gloucester with all his properties by betraying him to the Duke of Cornwall and Cornwall's wife Regan. Edmund congratulates himself in private when he says:

A credulous father! and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so far from doing harms
That he suspects none: on whose foolish honesty
My practices ride easy! 

Iago in Shakespeare's Othello finds it easy to "practice" on both Cassio and Othello because they are honest and honorable and assume that other people are like themselves. 

I need to write a new epilogue for Tuck Everlasting, and I am confused about what to write.

Students should love this kind of question, because it is completely open-ended. You could literally write just about anything. 

The current epilogue takes place after Winnie has lived a long life and died. Angus and Mae Tuck have returned to Treegap in order to see how the town is doing, see the spring, and find information about Winnie. The woods have been bulldozed, the spring is gone, and Winnie Foster has died. Angus and Mae...

Students should love this kind of question, because it is completely open-ended. You could literally write just about anything. 

The current epilogue takes place after Winnie has lived a long life and died. Angus and Mae Tuck have returned to Treegap in order to see how the town is doing, see the spring, and find information about Winnie. The woods have been bulldozed, the spring is gone, and Winnie Foster has died. Angus and Mae see her tombstone and realize that Winnie was married and had at least one child. They then leave the town.

You could write an epilogue that takes place while Winnie is alive. She could still be married. She could still have kids. I would make her a middle-aged mom, and I would have her sitting on her porch reminiscing about the Tuck family and wondering what happened to them. I would have her, in her thoughts, mention that she is glad that she made the choice to pour the spring water out on the toad. The woods and spring could even still be bulldozed, and I would make Winnie completely content with that.

You could have your epilogue be focused on Jesse Tuck, too. You could make him angry at Winnie, or you could have him be glad that Winnie was able to move on and forget about him. You could have him be the one returning to Treegap. 

You could time your epilogue long before Winnie's death, and you could write about a time 30 years after the Tucks' departure. Winnie and the Tuck family could be continuing the tradition of getting together every ten years during the first week of August. Your epilogue could be about one of those reunions.

The Louisiana Purchase had great geographic significance for the United States because it ______?

There are a number of possible answers to this question.  Given the way you have worded the question, it appears that you are probably expected to give one specific answer, probably from your book.  Therefore, I suggest that you check your book in addition to reading this answer.

One possible answer is that the Louisiana Purchase increased the size of the United States tremendously.  In fact, the land area of the US was roughly doubled...

There are a number of possible answers to this question.  Given the way you have worded the question, it appears that you are probably expected to give one specific answer, probably from your book.  Therefore, I suggest that you check your book in addition to reading this answer.

One possible answer is that the Louisiana Purchase increased the size of the United States tremendously.  In fact, the land area of the US was roughly doubled by the purchase.  This was significant because it made the US so much bigger and included so much more land that was full of resources within the country.

A second possible answer is that it helped make the US more secure.  Before the purchase, a foreign country could conceivably have colonized North America as far east as the Mississippi River.  This could have put a hostile country on what is now the border of Illinois or Kentucky. By purchasing Louisiana, the US ensured that any foreign presence on the North American continent would be farther away from the main US population centers.

A final possible answer is that the purchase made the interior of the US much more economically viable by assuring US access to the Mississippi River.  In those days, it was very hard to move goods by land so most long-distance transportation was by water.  The farmers of the interior had to rely on water transport to get their goods to market. If the US did not own the Mississippi River, a foreign country could block Americans from using that river, thus cutting the interior off from the ocean. The Louisiana Purchase, then, was important because it secured the economic viability of the American interior.

One of these answers is most likely the one you are asked to provide.  I suggest that you consult your book to find out which one your teacher wants to see.

How can sport support nation-building in a country?

A major part of building a nation is creating a sense of nationalism.  People in a country have to feel that they are all part of the same nation and that they are proud to be part of that nation.  Sport is one way to help make people feel this way.

The most likely way to use sport to build a nation is to promote the national team in some sport that is popular throughout...

A major part of building a nation is creating a sense of nationalism.  People in a country have to feel that they are all part of the same nation and that they are proud to be part of that nation.  Sport is one way to help make people feel this way.

The most likely way to use sport to build a nation is to promote the national team in some sport that is popular throughout the country.  In most countries of the world, football (soccer) is a very popular sport.  If the country has a national team that competes against other countries, the government can encourage people to follow that team.  This will be particularly effective if the team is competitive.  The people of the country can feel proud that they are associated with a team that is going out and winning (or going out and competing gallantly against overwhelming odds).

This can, at times, even be possible if the sport is not already popular among all groups in a country.  A prime example of this is Nelson Mandela’s handling of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.  The apartheid regime in South Africa had only recently fallen and the country was somewhat fragile.  Rugby was the sport of the white people and had a limited following among other races.  However, Mandela (then the president) embraced the national team as it played in the World Cup at home.  This helped to bring white and non-white South Africans together.  It did not solve all of the country’s problems or make it completely unified, but it helped.

For better or for worse, people get very excited about sport.  They identify strongly with teams that they like.  They feel kinship of a sort with those who like the same team.  This is why sport can be used to help build a nation.  If the people of a country share a passion for a given sport or a given team, that shared passion can give them something in common that makes them feel that they are part of the same nation.

What does the phrase "carpe diem" mean, and how does it apply to Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"?

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase that is often translated as "seize the day," although many serious Latin scholars might argue that something like "pluck the day" would be more accurate. In any case, the general contemporary meaning of the phrase is "enjoy the present," and it is essentially an exhortation to take advantage of life, as one will not go on living indefinitely.

This phrase is important in regard to Andrew Marvell's "To His...

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase that is often translated as "seize the day," although many serious Latin scholars might argue that something like "pluck the day" would be more accurate. In any case, the general contemporary meaning of the phrase is "enjoy the present," and it is essentially an exhortation to take advantage of life, as one will not go on living indefinitely.

This phrase is important in regard to Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." In general, the poem involves a speaker who is trying to convince his love (who is being "coy") to make the most of her youth and love him passionately in the moment. Basically, the speaker argues that they don't have all the time in the world, that mortality will catch up with them, and that they shouldn't therefore wait any longer to fully express their love for one another. As such, one might easily argue that carpe diem is central to this poem, as it communicates the main idea of Marvell's piece: make the most of the present, live in the moment, and live life to the fullest while one can.

Why is the book titled A Tale of Two Cities?

The two cities in the title are Paris and London, and the story involves both because the events that occur link both cities and Dickens is using the French Revolution as a cautionary tale.

Dickens named the book A Tale of Two Cities because the two cities are its settings.  What happens in Paris affects what happens in London, and vice versa.  Dickens wanted his readers to make the connection between the events in Paris’s past and the conditions in modern-day London.

Dickens begins by explaining why the years of the French Revolution were the best and worst of times.  He then goes on to make comparisons.

[We] had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (Book 1, Chapter 1)

Dickens wrote about the French Revolution because he believed that conditions for the poor were very harsh in England in his time.  He wanted his readers to understand that if things continued as they were, a revolution was possible.  He also sought to help his readers understand how the poor felt.  Like in his other novels, Dickens wanted to create empathy in his readers.

Dickens gives many examples of abuses of the poor, including the carriage that ran over the little boy, the Marquis St. Evremonde’s taxation of the village, and Foulon’s reaction when told the people were starving.

"Does everybody here recall old Foulon, who told the famished people that they might eat grass, and who died, and went to Hell?" (Book 2, Chapter 22)

Dickens definitely portrays the horrors of the French Revolution, and personalizes it by how it affects the Manette family.  However, he clearly feels for the poor.   His message is clear.  If you do not help the needy, they may help themselves.

What is Don John's character profile in the play Much Ado About Nothing?

Don John is the villain of Much Ado About Nothing. By all appearances, he is sullen and quiet. When Leonato welcomes him into his home, Don John says that he is “not of many words.” Beatrice says that he looks so “tartly” she is “heart-burned an hour after.” She compares him to “an image [that] says nothing,” and Hero admits that he “is of a very melancholy disposition.”

The reason for his gloom is...

Don John is the villain of Much Ado About Nothing. By all appearances, he is sullen and quiet. When Leonato welcomes him into his home, Don John says that he is “not of many words.” Beatrice says that he looks so “tartly” she is “heart-burned an hour after.” She compares him to “an image [that] says nothing,” and Hero admits that he “is of a very melancholy disposition.”

The reason for his gloom is because he is the prince Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother. They have only recently reconciled, and Don John resents his position. He is also jealous of Claudio for stealing Don Pedro’s affection. Don John refuses to show any gratitude, stating that he will “smile at no man's jests” and laugh only when he is merry. He explains quite clearly how bitter and disagreeable he is:

I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his [Don Pedro’s] grace, and it better fits my blood to be disdained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any: in this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain.

Don John and his friends devise a plot to shame Don Pedro, Claudio, and Hero, Claudio’s innocent fiancée. He first manipulates Claudio into thinking Don Pedro wants Hero for himself and then “proves” to Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is having an affair with the drunkard Borachio. (It is actually Borachio and Margaret, not Hero, who have the liaison.) Don John’s cruel devices put a damper on the celebrations in Messina.

What was the cause of the Battle of the Coral Sea?

The Battle of Coral Sea was a four day battle that took place in May of 1942. This battle was caused by the desire of the Japanese to control the Coral Sea during World War II.  The Japanese wished to control the Coral Sea in order to strengthen their defensive positioning for the benefit of the Japanese empire in the South Pacific.  To accomplish this goal, the Japanese invaded Port Moresby in southeast New Guinea.  This...

The Battle of Coral Sea was a four day battle that took place in May of 1942. This battle was caused by the desire of the Japanese to control the Coral Sea during World War II.  The Japanese wished to control the Coral Sea in order to strengthen their defensive positioning for the benefit of the Japanese empire in the South Pacific.  To accomplish this goal, the Japanese invaded Port Moresby in southeast New Guinea.  This promoted the Allied forces, led by the American task force, to attack these Japanese invaders with aircraft carrier planes.  The reason that the Allied forces were in the Coral Sea in time to respond to the invasion was due to the fact that Allied code-breakers were able to decode Japanese communications and learn of their plans for invading the area.  The battle is considered to be a victory for the Allied forces because it was the first time that they were able to successfully stop and major Japanese advance.  It was a tactical victory for the Japanese, however, due the the number of opposing ships that their forces were able to sink. This battle is significant because it was the first air-sea battle to take place in history.  

How well does the lover know the princess in the short story "The Lady or the Tiger"?

The reader may assume that the lover knows the "semi-barbaric" princess quite well in Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger." After all, he is labeled as her lover. In fact, the man is tried in the king's arena precisely because he has become too close to the princess. The reader is informed that the relationship has been going on for many months and that the princess was "well satisfied with her lover" and "loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong." 

The real evidence that the lover knows the princess well comes toward the end, when the man enters the arena to choose between the two doors. Behind one door was the tiger and the other, the lady. The lover knows instinctually that the princess has discovered the secret of the doors. Stockton writes:

"...he saw, by that power of quick perception which is given to those whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady."

The reader is led to believe that these two are soulmates as Stockton continues:

"He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made plain to herself this thing, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king."

The question, however, is whether the princess will let her lover fall into the hands of the lady, whom she despises, for she had grown jealous when seeing the two together on rare occasions. For his part, the lover totally trusts the princess. He must believe that he knows her well because he doesn't hesitate in going to the door that she points too. 

But, does he really know her? Stockton never says, and it has been the topic of debate since the story was written.

What does the phrase "St. Elmo's Fire" mean?

St. Elmo's Fire is an unusual weather phenomena that occurs  when a long object is passed through a strong electric charge and creates coronal discharge. This can happen to the masts of ships during storms, and less commonly along electricity poles or even pointed plants. The "fire" itself is plasma produced by the electric discharge, and it has a blue color thanks to the high levels of nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere. 

The name...

St. Elmo's Fire is an unusual weather phenomena that occurs  when a long object is passed through a strong electric charge and creates coronal discharge. This can happen to the masts of ships during storms, and less commonly along electricity poles or even pointed plants. The "fire" itself is plasma produced by the electric discharge, and it has a blue color thanks to the high levels of nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere. 

The name for St. Elmo's Fire comes from the patron saint of sailors, St. Erasmus of Formia. Elmo is a nickname for Erasmus, and sailors are those most likely to observe this mysterious blue flame in person. This weather phenomena was taken by sailors as a sign of good luck and an earthly manifestation of their patron saint.

There is also a 1985 film titled St. Elmo's Fire. The film has little to do with the weather phenomena, but the characters do frequent a bar called "St. Elmo's." There is mention of the weather pattern when one character tries to comfort another, stating that St. Elmo's Fire was something that made sailors hopeful. 

Why does Scout disapprove of Jem and Dill's plan to look in at one of the Radley's windows?

The night that the children go into the backyard of the Radley home is found in chapter six. Right before that, at the end of chapter five, Atticus gives a very strong lecture about leaving the Radleys alone. In fact, he says the following:

"What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. . . Furthermore, had it never occurred to us that the civil way to communicate...

The night that the children go into the backyard of the Radley home is found in chapter six. Right before that, at the end of chapter five, Atticus gives a very strong lecture about leaving the Radleys alone. In fact, he says the following:

"What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. . . Furthermore, had it never occurred to us that the civil way to communicate with another being was by the front door instead of a side window? Lastly, we were to stay away from that house until we were invited there" (49).

This lecture sinks in for Scout, but it does not sink in for Jem and Dill. On the last night of summer vacation, and the night before Dill is to go back home to Meridian for the school year, the boys decide to go peek into a window and give Dill one last chance to see the mysterious Boo Radley. Scout can't believe that Jem still wants to do something like this after Atticus's lecture. She says the following:

"Jem was not one to dwell on past defeats: it seemed the only message he got from Atticus was insight into the art of cross examination" (51).

Not only does Scout disapprove of going into the Radley yard because Atticus told them to stay away, but it's nighttime and the children have never done anything as daring as this. They started out being afraid to walk past the house during the day! Now they are breaching the all physical boundaries and going right up to a window at night? Scout's better sense doesn't talk her out of it, though. She goes along with the boys to see what happens.

In "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," how does the description of Tom waiting for the yellow paper to move generate suspense?

The reader is well aware that Tom cannot commit himself to going out on the ledge after the yellow sheet until he knows what the yellow sheet itself is going to do. There are several possibilities. It could get stuck somewhere on or near the ledge. It could suddenly take off like a bird and go flying off into the sky above the tall buildings of Manhattan. Or it might do what he is hoping it will do.

He knelt at the window and stared at the yellow paper for a full minute or more, waiting for it to move, to slide off the ledge and fall, hoping he could follow its course to the street, and then hurry down in the elevator and retrieve it. 

Tom knows that if he is going to risk his life he ought to be risking it for a sensible purpose. He doesn't want to get out there on the ledge and suddenly see his precious paper take off and fly away. The author increases the suspense by keeping the reader wondering, not only what Tom is going to do, but what the paper is going to do. The paper seems to have a life of its own. It seemed so even while it was still inside the apartment. Tom didn't know whether it was going to remain plastered against the glass and wood of the window or whether it would decide to thwart him by flying outside. There are many occasions when it seems as if inanimate objects are deliberately teasing or tormenting us. Someone has called this "the perversity of inanimate objects."

Tom is not going out on that ledge as long as the yellow paper keeps scudding along it. He would be playing cat and mouse with it. He is not going out on the ledge if he sees it fly away, as it well could do. That would seem like the hand of Fate, telling him his project would not bring him the glory he hoped for but might bring ridicule and disgrace. Tom is not going out on the ledge, of course, if the paper falls to the street. He would be making a made rush down to the street, hoping against hope the paper would land on the sidewalk and not take off again and lead him on a mad chase up the middle of Lexington Avenue with horns honking and brakes shrieking. 

The reader is temporarily relieved when it appears that the paper has made up its mind to stay in one place and give Tom a chance to catch it.

...and then he saw that the paper was caught firmly between a projection of the convoluted corner ornament and the ledge. 

The suspense is temporarily lulled. Tom's alternatives are narrowed down to two. He can either go after the paper or try to forget about it. Then he yields to a sudden mad impulse and climbs out onto the ledge--and the real suspense begins!

How would Rudy become infamous in The Book Thief?

Rudy becomes infamous by mimicking Jesse Owens.

Death describes Rudy as “infamous” when introducing him to the reader in the beginning of the book.  His infamous because he would not bow down to the Nazis and do as he was told.  Rudy was an original.  He worshipped Jesse Owens, spoke his own mind, and stood up for what he believed in.

Rudy’s obsession with running was based on his own skill and the success of...

Rudy becomes infamous by mimicking Jesse Owens.

Death describes Rudy as “infamous” when introducing him to the reader in the beginning of the book.  His infamous because he would not bow down to the Nazis and do as he was told.  Rudy was an original.  He worshipped Jesse Owens, spoke his own mind, and stood up for what he believed in.

Rudy’s obsession with running was based on his own skill and the success of Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympics.  Jesse Owens was an American athlete, and he just happened to be black.  It did not matter to Rudy that he was black, or that he was an American.  All he cared about was that Jesse Owens was a hero.

Rudy was considered crazy by most of the neighborhood.

This was on account of an event that was rarely spoken about but widely regarded as “The Jesse Owens Incident,” in which he painted himself charcoal black and ran the 100 meters at the local playing field one night. (The Kiss)

The Nazis did not like Jesse Owens. They believed that blue-eyed, blond-haired Aryan Germans were the “Master Race.”  It was very dangerous for Rudy to imitate Jesse Owens.  His father explained that to him when he caught him running covered in charcoal.

Rudy’s inability to fit in extended to his friendship with Liesel.  Like Rudy, Liesel did not bow down to the Nazis.  They became friends because both of them were outcasts.

Rudy refuses to become a Nazi pawn.  A good example of this is the race.  Rudy does not win the fourth race on purpose.  It is a protest to the Nazis and an acknowledgement that they can’t control him.

Rudy is a perfect example of the fact that not all Germans were Nazis.  Many of the German people were not true believers, but went along with the Nazis because they were afraid.  They were held hostage by Hitler too.  Rudy was not a Nazi.  He was a child, and racism meant nothing to him.

From the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, please explain the lines "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling.... Pro patria...

This poem describes what it was like to fight in World War I, known at that time as the Great War. The first stanza describes the soldiers retreating from a battle area and trudging toward their camp, their "distant rest." As they are marching, they get hit with poison gas from the German enemy. "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" is what the soldiers and their officers call out to each other. They need to put their...

This poem describes what it was like to fight in World War I, known at that time as the Great War. The first stanza describes the soldiers retreating from a battle area and trudging toward their camp, their "distant rest." As they are marching, they get hit with poison gas from the German enemy. "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" is what the soldiers and their officers call out to each other. They need to put their gas masks on quickly to keep from succumbing to the poison. "An ecstasy of fumbling" means that they hurriedly got their masks out of wherever they kept them and attached them to their faces "just in time," in other words, in time to not inhale the chlorine gas. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers did not get his helmet on in time. That is the "someone" of line 11. He begins to stumble and flounder because he is unable to breathe or see.

Lines 11 and 12 describe the man who didn't get his gas mask on.

Lines 13 and 14 describe the men who did get theirs on looking at the struggling man. They are looking out through "misty panes." The gas masks had two celluloid (a type of plastic) eye circles through which the men had to look. The "thick green light" and "green sea" refer to the color of the chlorine gas that is now in the air. The men see the other man "drowning." He is asphyxiated; he cannot breathe because chlorine instead of oxygen has gotten into his lungs.

Lines 15 and 16 describe the nightmares the narrator of the poem has later about the man who inhaled the chlorine.

In lines 17 - 28 the speaker addresses someone called "you" and "my friend." The person the narrator speaks to is Jessie Pope, another poet. Jessie Pope was one of several poets who wrote poetry aimed at recruiting young men to go to war. The narrator here says that if Jessie Pope had seen this horror happen on the battlefield and had had nightmares about it as he had, she would stop writing the poems that entice young men to enlist by telling them how much "fun" they will have in the army. The narrator says that Pope has been telling them "the old Lie" that it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country. That is the meaning of the Latin saying quoted at the end of the poem.

At the link below you can read one of Jessie Pope's most famous poems, "The Call." This will show you how she glamorized war. Owen was not against men signing up to fight for their country. He was himself a soldier. In fact, he died in battle a week before the end of the war. What Owen was saying through this poem is that men should go to war with their eyes open to the difficulties and the horrors they will face there. Through this poem and others, Owen helped make sure that was the case. 

What are the ways Beneatha thinks about race?

Beneatha Younger in A Raisin in the Sunis going through a period of trying to find who she is.  She is searching for identity through her African roots in an attempt to discover what it means to be a black woman.  Beneatha has been influenced by her African boyfriend, Asagai, to seek out and become more African than American.  He accuses Beneatha of being “white” because she straightens her hair instead of wearing it...

Beneatha Younger in A Raisin in the Sun is going through a period of trying to find who she is.  She is searching for identity through her African roots in an attempt to discover what it means to be a black woman.  Beneatha has been influenced by her African boyfriend, Asagai, to seek out and become more African than American.  He accuses Beneatha of being “white” because she straightens her hair instead of wearing it natural.  Beneatha tries throughout the play to express herself and find a compromise between her African self and her American self, something her family thinks is odd. She discusses current civil rights issues and even dances to African music in Nigerian robes. Beneatha represents a new awareness to the black experience of the time period that will evolve into future black movements of the 1960’s civil rights era.  She is learning to express herself through her heritage and history by embracing African culture.  In that expression, she rejects discrimination and racism of the time period. She is realizing her self-worth as a black woman in the 1950’s who has been touched by the Afro-centric politics of the time. 

(I have always found Beneatha’s name odd because it contains the word, “beneath.”  It is a strange name for someone who is finding her true identity. What do you think? What was Hansberry’s purpose in naming her Beneatha? Is there any symbolism to the name?)   

I am writing a critical essay on Othello and the question I'm supposed to answer is: "To what extent does Shakespeare make you sympathize with...

There are several reasons why we sympathize with Othello. The first one is the sense we get of his character when we first encounter him. Although he is a successful military commander, he is also surprisingly humble. Rather than thinking he has some right to Desdemona or to his position, we see him struggling to deserve them. 

Next, we have a sense that his love for Desdemona is genuine and deep, based on real love...

There are several reasons why we sympathize with Othello. The first one is the sense we get of his character when we first encounter him. Although he is a successful military commander, he is also surprisingly humble. Rather than thinking he has some right to Desdemona or to his position, we see him struggling to deserve them. 

Next, we have a sense that his love for Desdemona is genuine and deep, based on real love for her character and mutual sympathy; he states:

She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd,

And I loved her that she did pity them.

Next, we sympathize with him because he overcomes adversity and racial discrimination with bravery and honor. His character is open, noble, and trusting. Not only is he a brave soldier, but a loyal and generous commander. 

As we see the machinations of Iago begin to play upon his weaknesses, we do not condemn Othello, but pity him. We see him as a decent character manipulated by someone clever and evil, who at the end of the play, is horrified by how Iago repaid his trust. 

Why was the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II often referred to as the Cold War?

After World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union were involved in a Cold War. A Cold War is a period of competition and confrontation between countries. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union didn’t fight each other directly, but instead, they were involved in a series of confrontations and competitions.

The Soviet Union wanted to spread its system of communism around the world. We wanted to prevent...

After World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union were involved in a Cold War. A Cold War is a period of competition and confrontation between countries. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union didn’t fight each other directly, but instead, they were involved in a series of confrontations and competitions.

The Soviet Union wanted to spread its system of communism around the world. We wanted to prevent communism from spreading. Thus, we were often in confrontations with the Soviet Union over the spread of communism. When the Soviet Union tried to force the Allies out of West Berlin by blocking all of the land routes into the city, the Allies responded to this crisis by organizing the Berlin Airlift. The Allies flew supplies over the Soviet land blockade leading the Soviet Union to eventually end the blockade. West Berlin never became communist.

When North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea in June 1950 to try to unite Korea into a communist country, the United Nations, led by the United States organized a military force to defend South Korea. North Korea was unable to control South Korea.

The United States and the Soviet Union competed in what was known as the space race. The Soviet Union was the first country to put a satellite into space. The United States concerned that it was falling behind the Soviet Union formed NASA and put a great emphasis on math and science education. We were the first country to successfully land an astronaut on the moon in July 1969.

The United States and the Soviet Union also competed in the Middle East. The Soviet Union supported the Arab countries in the region, such as Egypt while the United States supported Israel. Israel and the Arab countries were enemies.

Even in sports, there was competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both countries tried to outdo each other in the Olympic games and in world competitions.

The Cold War was an appropriate name for the competitions and confrontations between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II ended.

In "The Cask of Amontillado," what diction is essential to the story?

In "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator Montresor's well-developed vocabulary and formal diction helps to give us clues about his intelligence, likely one of the sources of his immense pride, as well as his cunning. After his enemy, Fortunato, insults him, he "vowed revenge." He says,

At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. I must not only...

In "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator Montresor's well-developed vocabulary and formal diction helps to give us clues about his intelligence, likely one of the sources of his immense pride, as well as his cunning. After his enemy, Fortunato, insults him, he "vowed revenge." He says,

At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redressed.

This passage clearly exhibits Montresor's elevated diction.  He could say, more conversationally, that he had definitely decided that it was time for revenge and that this revenge would have to take place without the possibility of his own guilt being discovered. If he is punished for the revenge, then it doesn't really count as revenge. Instead, he uses words like "precluded," "impunity," "retribution," and "unredressed": atypical words for the average Joe. We know that it was some insult that served as the last straw for Montresor, and because he seems so intelligent, it was perhaps an insult to his intelligence that finally pushed him over the edge. Such an insult would wound his pride and likely compel him to take action. Further, the level of intellect indicated by such language usage gives us a peek into Montresor's mind: he is clearly meticulous and attentive to detail, qualities he will need to pull off and get away with the perfect crime. Anyone with such a well-developed and precise vocabulary would have to be. Thus, his diction helps to foreshadow his eventual success in this endeavor.

How does Fitzgerald reveal Gatsby's house? What's his intent?

Fitzgerald reveals the exterior of Gatsby's house in a burst of visual imagery and colorful detail at the start of Chapter III.  We learn of the "five crates of oranges and lemons" that go in the door each Friday and the empty skins that come out the door each Monday, and the "several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree out of Gatsby's enormous garden."  We hear about his Rolls Royce, the casual laughter of his guests, and the "cocktails [which] permeate the garden outside."  The exterior is all that most people see or know about Gatsby's house, just as Gatsby's own carefully-constructed facade is all people really see or know of him.  Speculation about him is rampant because he is such a mystery: some say he killed a man, others that he was a German spy, and so on.  

Fitzgerald seems to use the house, therefore, as a symbol of its owner.  It is flashy and unpredictable and bright, but few people ever get to see inside, past all of the flash and glare.  The house is a means to getting Daisy's attention, and when that has been achieved, Gatsby shuts down the parties, making it clear that their purpose, really, was only to attract her in the same way that Gatsby's life -- in a world of shady business deals, illegal alcohol distribution, and gamblers -- was only for her.  

What happened to Tom Robinson as a boy in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus makes a big deal at the trial about how Tom Robinson’s left arm was crippled.

The trial of Tom Robinson is a big deal for Maycomb.  Tom Robinson is a black man accused of raping a white woman.  In the eyes of Maycomb, being accused makes him guilty.  Atticus Finch is appointed to defend the man, and during the trial he makes a big deal out of physical evidence about where Mayella was hurt.

Mayella had injuries to her face.  This is part of the evidence presented at the trial.  Atticus makes sure that everyone knows what side of her face the injuries are on.

Mr. Tate said, “Oh yes, that’d make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr. Finch. I remember now, she was bunged up on that side of her face…” (Ch. 17)

Atticus has her father, Bob Ewell, demonstrate that he writes with his left hand.  Atticus wants to use this to prove that he is the one who hit Mayella, not Tom Robinson.  As soon as Tom Robinson takes the stand, everyone understands what he was trying to do.  It is clear that his left arm is useless.

His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled hand, and from as far away as the balcony I could see that it was no use to him. (Ch. 18)

Reverend Sykes explains to them that Tom Robinson got his arm caught in a cotton gin with he was a boy, and almost bled to death.  The accident “tore all the muscles loose from his bones” (Ch. 18).  Because of this, he has lost the use of his left hand for his entire adult life.  Even so, he is still strong enough to bust up chiffarobes, apparently.

Atticus's case mostly rests upon the evidence of where Mayella was hurt and the premise that Tom Robinson could not have physically caused her injuries.  Mr. Gilmer's case is based on proving that Robinson was still strong enough to do it.  Even though the jury convicts, everyone in town seems to think it was Bob Ewell and not Tom Robinson who hurt Mayella.

What is the role of the nurse in information literacy?

Nurses are, obviously, a vital cog in the health care process. They are usually the first medically-trained professional a patient entering a hospital or medical clinic encounters. They also, especially in hospital settings, spend far more time with the patient than attending physicians. In short, they constitute an important link in the transmission of information between patient and physician. Consequently, their role in the area of information literacy is considerable. Information literacy, however, is an...

Nurses are, obviously, a vital cog in the health care process. They are usually the first medically-trained professional a patient entering a hospital or medical clinic encounters. They also, especially in hospital settings, spend far more time with the patient than attending physicians. In short, they constitute an important link in the transmission of information between patient and physician. Consequently, their role in the area of information literacy is considerable. Information literacy, however, is an ongoing continuous process, as information technologies evolve very rapidly and advances in diagnoses and treatments of illnesses similarly occur on a continuous basis. The challenge for nurses is summarized well in the following statement:

"Nurses, along with other healthcare professionals, live the reality of a short half-life of their professional and technical knowledge. The content mastered by graduation is soon outdated. Knowing how to seek, evaluate, and apply information is critical to insure ongoing professional competence."

So, nurses, like everybody else, are required to remain current in information technologies related to their responsibilities lest they grow increasingly expendable. This address the requirements of nurses with respect to information literacy. The role of nurses in information literacy, as noted above, is the responsibility of nurses to communicate with both patient and physician. With the proliferation in the use of electronic health records, or EHRs, the requirement for computer and information technology literacy is even more pressing. As another source noted on the topic:

"Nurses need to function at the level of Information Literacy in order educate patients and families on the EHR to incorporate evidence based practice, to evaluate the relevancy of information retrieved from the Internet and to incorporate evidence-based practice into their practice."

The role of nurses with respect to information literacy, then, is in their requirement to take from patients and process accurate information for records as well as for subsequent treatment by attending physicians. With routine software upgrades and the ever-expanding pool of resources available on the Internet, information illiteracy is not an option.

Which two animals on the farm disagree over every decision in Animal Farm?

Napoleon and Snowball always disagree.

Old Major is the prophet of Animal Farm.  Before his death, he laid out the goals for the new life that the animals would have.  This involved the animals being self-sufficient and living the good life.  The animals would share ownership of everything, and no one would own anyone else.

After the animals take control of the farm, the pigs rise to domination quickly because they are smarter and considered...

Napoleon and Snowball always disagree.

Old Major is the prophet of Animal Farm.  Before his death, he laid out the goals for the new life that the animals would have.  This involved the animals being self-sufficient and living the good life.  The animals would share ownership of everything, and no one would own anyone else.

After the animals take control of the farm, the pigs rise to domination quickly because they are smarter and considered leaders.  There are two leaders vying for control of the farm: Snowball and Napoleon.  Snowball is a true believer, and Napoleon just wants power.

Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character. (Ch. 2)

Napoleon’s plans are secret and long-term, but Snowball believes in collaboration and idealism.  For example, Napoleon takes the puppies and secretly trains them to be his guard dogs, and Snowball spends his time making elaborate plans for a windmill that all of the animals can enjoy.

Eventually, Snowball and Napoleon cannot coexist. 

These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. If one of them suggested sowing a bigger acreage with barley, the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats …. Each had his own following, and there were some violent debates. (Ch. 5)

When the farm is established enough, Napoleon pushes Snowball out and takes full control.  Snowball becomes a scapegoat for everything wrong that happens on the farm.  Napoleon has full control, and Snowball is nothing more than a tarnished memory.

Napoleon and Snowball represent two different approaches to communist leadership.  Snowball believed in communism for the benefit of the people, and Napoleon believed in using communist beliefs to subject his people to his will.  In the end, Snowball was too idealistic and Napoleon too cunning. 

Find the equation of the line passing through (0,0) making an angle of Arctan 1/2 from the line 3y=2x

We want to find the equation of the line passing through the origin that makes an angle of arctan=1/2 with the line 3y=2x:

The slope of the given line is 2/3, and the given line also passes through the origin.

The angle between the lines is related by the following:

`tan theta = (m_1-m_2)/(1+m_1m_2) `

Since the angle is arctan (1/2), we know that `tan theta = 1/2 `

Then ` 1/2=(m-2/3)/(1+m*2/3) ` where m...

We want to find the equation of the line passing through the origin that makes an angle of arctan=1/2 with the line 3y=2x:

The slope of the given line is 2/3, and the given line also passes through the origin.

The angle between the lines is related by the following:

`tan theta = (m_1-m_2)/(1+m_1m_2) `

Since the angle is arctan (1/2), we know that `tan theta = 1/2 `

Then ` 1/2=(m-2/3)/(1+m*2/3) ` where m is the slope of the required line.

So `1/2+1/3m=m-2/3 `

`2/3 m = 7/6 ==> m=7/4 `

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The equation is y=7/4x or 4y=7x

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The given line and the required line:

How does Harper Lee present good and bad in the society of Maycomb? Which techniques does she use?

One of the ways that Harper Lee shows the difference between good and bad is through her characters. Some characters seem good, but when faced with issues such as racism, they are bad. On the other hand, some people who might be considered bad are actually good. Then there are the characters who are either all good or all bad. For a character who seems good, but who is actually a hypocritical bigot, there's Miss Gates. Another character who is frowned upon by the community, but turns out to be a good person is Dolphus Raymond. And for the characters who are all good or all bad there's Atticus representing the good side and Bob Ewell representing the bad.

First, there's Miss Gates who seems good, but she's got a hypocritical heart. Gates is Scout's third grade teacher who, while discussing Hitler's discrimination and mistreatment of Jews in Germany in class one day, does not teach her students that there is a parallel problem with Whites mistreating African Americans in the South. She herself says a very racist thing while coming out of the courthouse after the Tom Robinson trial. Scout tells Jem what she heard Miss Gates say as follows:

"I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right home--" (247).

This passage shows that a white teacher who is respected in the community can also be a hypocrite. She may seem like a great example for young people because she has a reputable job in the community, but her true racist colors are discovered by a clever little girl.

Next, there's Dolphus Raymond who has children with an African American woman, which is a big social no-no. He also walks around drunk all of the time, so the community sees that as strike two. Scout and Dill discover that Mr. Raymond isn't really drunk, but drinks cola wrapped in a brown paper bag to make people think he's drinking. When the kids ask him why he does that, he explains the following:

"I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does" (200).

In a way, Mr. Raymond is a hypocrite, too, but he does it to protect himself and probably his mixed children from the full wrath and prejudices of the white community. 

Then there's Atticus who is the epitome of goodness, patience, kindness, and everything Bob Ewell is not! Bob Ewell, for example, pays for his alcohol with welfare checks and lets his children rummage in the dump for their dinner. Atticus is educated and fulfills his parental and community responsibilities by going to work each day, teaching his kids good values, and being a good example to the citizens of the county. Bob Ewell spits in Atticus's face, doesn't take care of his children like he should, and lives a selfish and disgusting life. For both of these men, what you see is what you get, basically. They are the same everywhere they go. In fact, Miss Maudie and Scout discuss this fact about Atticus as follows:

"'Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard. . .'

'Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets'" (46).

In a way, Bob Ewell is also the same at his home as he is in the streets--bad and mean. Atticus on the other hand is good and kind. Then with Mr. Raymond and Miss Gates, there are people who do the right things for the wrong reasons and those who to the wrong things for the right reasons. People are complicated and Harper Lee does a good job showing through her characters the many different levels of good and bad that we all might experience in life. 

Summarize Chapter 4 of the novel The Outsiders.

Chapter 4 begins with Johnny and Ponyboy hanging out in a park at 2:30 a.m. A blue Mustang begins to circle the park, and Johnny wonders if the Socs are looking for them because they picked up Cherry and Marcia earlier. Five Socs step out of the Mustang and begin walking towards Johnny and Ponyboy. The boys do not run, and Johnny puts his hand in his back pocket where he keeps his switchblade. Ponyboy...

Chapter 4 begins with Johnny and Ponyboy hanging out in a park at 2:30 a.m. A blue Mustang begins to circle the park, and Johnny wonders if the Socs are looking for them because they picked up Cherry and Marcia earlier. Five Socs step out of the Mustang and begin walking towards Johnny and Ponyboy. The boys do not run, and Johnny puts his hand in his back pocket where he keeps his switchblade. Ponyboy recognizes Randy and Bob as they approach them. The Socs and Greasers exchange words and Ponyboy spits at them after he says, Socs are simply white trash with Mustangs and madras. Bob tells another Soc named David to give Ponyboy a bath, and David grabs Pony and tries to drown him in the fountain. Ponyboy struggles and feels like he's going to drown. Ponyboy passes out and wakes up soaking wet. He notices Johnny sitting next to him, and Johnny says that he killed the boy who tried to drown Pony. Johnny tells Pony that the rest of the Socs ran away. Johnny says to Ponyboy that they'll need to get money, a gun, and have a plan because the police will be looking for them. They decide to ask Dally for help, and go to Buck Merril's house to find him. Johnny and Ponyboy explain what happened to Dally, and Dally gives them a gun and some money. After Dally gives Pony a sweater and a leather jacket, he tells them to hop a train to Windrixville. He tells them about an old abandoned church on the top of Jay Mountain, which is a good hideout. The boys take Dally's advice and hop the train to Windrixville. When they arrive, Ponyboy asks a farmer who is driving a tractor for directions to Jay Mountain. The farmer tells them how to get to there, and the boys walk forty-five minutes to their destination. Johnny and Ponyboy arrive at the abandoned church and enter. Both of the boys end up falling asleep on the floor of the abandoned church.

In the story "The Gift of the Magi," what sort of flat do the Youngs live in?

The flat is a shabby, furnished flat on the second floor with at least two windows.

The Youngs are not a wealthy couple.  They rent a flat, which is equipped with a shabby couch.  All of their furniture is rented.  They pay $8 a week for the furniture and the flat.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

“Mendicancy” means that they live like beggars, at least based on O’Henry’s analysis.  The sentence is a play on “beggar description.”  O’Henry is making a joke.  You can also tell that they are poor from the fact that the letter-box is too small for letters and the buzzer is broken.  James Young used to make $30 a week, and now he makes only $20, so the family has fallen on hard times.

We have a few little details throughout the story.  There is a “pier glass” between the windows of the room, which look out on a dull gray backyard.  Also, the flat is on the second floor.

We know that the Youngs are very young by the description of Jim.

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Despite the poverty, they want to buy good Christmas presents for each other.  Each of them gets creative and sells the only thing they have of value.  Jim sells his watch, and Della sells his hair.  They each buy each other luxurious gifts. Unfortunately, Della bought Jim a watch-band, and Jim bought Della combs for her hair.  

The irony is not lost of the Youngs, but they realize that the gifts demonstrate how much they love each other. You do not make a sacrifice like that unless you do.  Each gave up the possession he or she most valued to give the other a gift worthy of the person's inner beauty.

I don't know much about American literature in 1960s. I want to find some brief information about this period. Could anybody tell me how that...

There were many different literary movements in the 1960s, some continuous with literary movements of the 1950s and some representing new approaches to form and subject matter.

The Beat poets of the 1950s, including Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti continued to be influential, pursuing a style influenced by Whitman, emphasizing intense first person experience and rebellion against both social and literary conventions. Also linked with the Beats and active at the same period were...

There were many different literary movements in the 1960s, some continuous with literary movements of the 1950s and some representing new approaches to form and subject matter.

The Beat poets of the 1950s, including Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti continued to be influential, pursuing a style influenced by Whitman, emphasizing intense first person experience and rebellion against both social and literary conventions. Also linked with the Beats and active at the same period were the Black Mountain poets, including  Robert Duncan, Denise Levertov, and Robert Creeley, all of whom appropriated many of the poetic techniques of Pound and the Imagists. Southern poets and an eclectic group associated with Yvor Winters remained concerned with traditional forms.

In fiction, one major topic area was the Vietnam War; perhaps the most iconic novel emerging from this was Joseph Heller's Catch-22. William S. Burroughs, Henry Miller, and Jack Kerouac wrote novels connected with the Beat movement, written in a stream-of-consciousness style and including explicit details of sexual experiences. Another major development in fiction was the growth of postmodernism, especially metafiction, seen in the work of such writers as Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Coover, John Barth, and Thomas Pynchon. 

In nonfiction, a major movement was the New Journalism, a highly personal, novelistic style of writing which focused as much on the character and reactions of the writer as on the putative subject. Exemplars of this style included Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter Thompson. 

In the story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," was Peyton Farquhar a good person?

Whether you believe Peyton Farquhar was a good person or not may depend to some degree on whether you favor the cause of the Union or the cause of the Confederacy in the American Civil War. In Part II of the story, we learn Farquhar's background. He was a plantation owner, so he probably owned slaves, and he was for secession; he actively worked as a civilian toward the goals of the Confederacy. He basically...

Whether you believe Peyton Farquhar was a good person or not may depend to some degree on whether you favor the cause of the Union or the cause of the Confederacy in the American Civil War. In Part II of the story, we learn Farquhar's background. He was a plantation owner, so he probably owned slaves, and he was for secession; he actively worked as a civilian toward the goals of the Confederacy. He basically believed that "all is fair in ... war." The extent of his crime is not clarified, but it seems that he intended to sneak past a "picket post" guard, overcome the sentinel guarding the bridge, and set fire to the bridge, all in an effort to hamper the advance of the Union Army into Southern territory. It also seems that he may have tried to hang, and may have successfully hanged, the sentinel guarding the bridge. This is suggested by his words to the scout, "Suppose a man—a civilian and student of hanging" in describing himself. We might wonder how he became a "student of hanging." Had he hanged other Union soldiers before? We know that the "gray-clad soldier" who tells Farquhar about the bridge is actually a "Federal scout" who is trying to entice Farquhar into a "sting" operation. For the Union Army to have singled Farquhar out in this way suggests that he may have been a formidable foe whom they seriously desired to eliminate.

A few details of the story may help the reader be more sympathetic toward Farquhar. He was dedicated to his side in the war and willing to take personal risks to advance the cause of his homeland. There was "no adventure too perilous for him to undertake" for the Confederacy. The fact that he was deceived and trapped by the Union Army may make some readers take Farquhar's side. During his imaginary escape, his thoughts of his wife and children as he walks toward home and his joy at being reunited with his wife when he sees his house are details that suggest he is a loving father and husband. 

Ambrose Bierce created a character in Peyton Farquhar who could be good or bad, depending on how one reads the story and how one views the Civil War. However, most readers put their feelings about Farquhar's morality behind them while reading of his miraculous, and indeed fantastical, escape. The story impresses upon the reader that life is precious and survival is dear to anyone—Union or Confederate, soldier or civilian, good or bad.

What does Atticus say is a great leveler?

Atticus Finch states that "courts are the great levelers" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 20). People are given the right to a fair trial by jury in the U.S. Constitution. He says that this is the only way in that all people have some level of equality. Even in segregated Alabama, a black man was able to go to court and have a trial. Atticus states that it does not matter whether it...

Atticus Finch states that "courts are the great levelers" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 20). People are given the right to a fair trial by jury in the U.S. Constitution. He says that this is the only way in that all people have some level of equality. Even in segregated Alabama, a black man was able to go to court and have a trial. Atticus states that it does not matter whether it is a small town courthouse or the U.S. Supreme Court. Trial by jury still gives all people a small level of equality. Before stating this, Atticus acknowledges that people are born different. Some are smarter or more talented than others. Some people are born into privilege, while others are not. Despite this, he recognizes the opportunity that the court system gives. He knows that the system in imperfect, despite this. Atticus states how he feels about the court being a leveler. He finds it to be "one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president."

How does going to Cutler's Tavern alter Lyddie's perspective of herself in Lyddie?

Lyddie begins to think of herself as a slave after being sent to work in the tavern.

Lyddie is not happy about being sent to work at the tavern.  One day she was on the farm with her brother Charlie, and the next day she was sold into servitude to pay the family’s debts. Lyddie blames her mother.  Since her youngest daughter was born, her mother was depressed and mentally unstable. 

Lyddie compares herself to...

Lyddie begins to think of herself as a slave after being sent to work in the tavern.

Lyddie is not happy about being sent to work at the tavern.  One day she was on the farm with her brother Charlie, and the next day she was sold into servitude to pay the family’s debts. Lyddie blames her mother.  Since her youngest daughter was born, her mother was depressed and mentally unstable. 

Lyddie compares herself to a slave because she has no choice but to work in the tavern.

Once I walk in that gate, I ain't free anymore, she thought. No matter how handsome the house, once I enter I'm a servant girl‐no more than a black slave. She had been queen of the cabin and the straggly fields and sugar bush up there on the hill. But now someone else would call thetune. (Ch. 3)

Lyddie is strong-willed and independent.  She never wanted to be beholden to anyone.  Now she has to work for someone else, and has no say in what happens to her.  It makes Lyddie angry and depressed.  She wonders how her mother could do something like this to her.

Although her family was poor, Lyddie feels like she could have taken care of herself. 

It didn't matter that plenty of poor people put out their children for hire to save having to feed them. She and Charlie could have fed themselves‐just one good harvest‐‐one good sugaring‐‐that was all they needed. And they could have stayed together. (Ch. 3)

Being separated from her family also bothers Lyddie.  Her mother had taken her sisters, but at least she still had Charlie.  Having a job that is not of her choosing makes Lyddie feel trapped, and she misses her family.

At the Tavern, Lyddie is given a new dress and boots.  She prefers her old homespun dress.  To Lyddie, the dress is just another badge of slavery.  Her old clothes are simple, but they are hers.  Lyddie takes great pride in her independence.

What are 10 questions I could ask John F. Kennedy in an interview if he was alive today?

The world might be a very different place if John F. Kennedy had survived his 1963 assassination. Stephen King has written an interesting and entertaining novel about that subject. The book, 11/22/63, is about a man who goes back in time and kills Oswald before the fatal shot. King's prediction, however, is that the world went totally out of control because Kennedy lived. Of course, King's forecast has more to do with what happens when the past is changed than any condemnation of Kennedy.

Anyway, if I were to ask JFK ten questions, some might involve events that happened in the aftermath of his death and some about more recent history. These ten questions are in no particular order as to importance.

1. Mr. President, you wrote an excellent book called Profiles in Courage about American senators who displayed great bravery or integrity in the service of the country. If you were to rewrite the book and only include senators from the last 60 years, who might they be?

2. The Revenue Act of 1964 (which you originally campaigned for and supported although it was passed after your death) cut the top tax rate from 91% to 65%. Today the top tax rate is 39%. Do you think this is a positive or a negative for the country?

3. You were the first president to have a poet read at the inaugural address. It was Robert Frost, who is considered one of the greatest poets in American history. The tradition has been carried on by recent presidents. If you were to be inaugurated in 2016, which living poet might you choose to read?

4. OK, here's the big question I'm sure you've been waiting for. If you had been alive in August of 1964 when the USS Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, what would have been your immediate response? Do you agree that Johnson did the right thing in escalating the American presence in Vietnam, or was he wrong?

5. Here's another question about Johnson. Would you have favored Johnson's war on poverty? It has been much debated in the last several years. Some say it worked, but most conservatives say it led to more problems. What would you have done differently to help the poor in America?

6. If you had been alive in 1968, just finishing your second term as president, would you have encouraged your brother Robert to run for president?

7. On a similar note, what do you think of the fact that, like the Kennedy's, the Bush's and Clintons seem to be always present in the run for president? In fact, either a Clinton or a Bush has run for president in every election (except 1984 and 2012) since 1980.

8. Your favorite poem was "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." One line of the poem reads, 

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep

If you had lived, what promises would you have kept and what would have been your top priorities if you had won a second term as president (as you probably would have)?

9. One of your biggest mistakes as president was the Bay of Pigs invasion. It was a failure and helped legitimize the Cuban regime of Fidel Castro. In 2015 the United States has finally diplomatically recognized the island country. What do you think of that decision in light of the last 60 years?

10. Finally, you know I had to ask it. The tabloids really want to know. Did you really have an affair with Marilyn Monroe, as has been reported by several sources? If it's true, do you think her death had anything to do with you? 

From the poem, "Dulce Et Decorum Est," by Wilfred Owen, please explain what happened to the soldier who could not put on his gas mask in time.

The speaker says that in an "ecstasy of fumbling," the soldiers race to put on their gas masks (9-10).  World War I was the first war in which mustard gas was used as a weapon.  If a man inhaled this gas, his lungs would fill with blood and he would die, essentially by drowning in this fluid. 

The man who didn't get his "clumsy helmet" on in time inhaled mustard gas, and the speaker (with...

The speaker says that in an "ecstasy of fumbling," the soldiers race to put on their gas masks (9-10).  World War I was the first war in which mustard gas was used as a weapon.  If a man inhaled this gas, his lungs would fill with blood and he would die, essentially by drowning in this fluid. 

The man who didn't get his "clumsy helmet" on in time inhaled mustard gas, and the speaker (with his gas mask on) watches him flail and contort as though he were being burned "like a man in fire" (12).  The helpless narrator sees this doomed man through the mist of the gas, and describes him as "drowning," because this is basically the kind of death the gas causes (14). 

The other soldiers "flung" his body into a wagon, and he must have remained alive, suffering, for a while because his eyes were "writhing in his face" and bubbles ran out of his mouth as a result of his "froth-corrupted lungs" (19, 22). It took some time for him to die, and it would have been an extremely painful, awful death.  Now, the speaker says, he sees this man in his dreams, choking and dying all over again. He says that if we, too, could see this man who died after inhaling mustard gas, we would never again say that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.

What are differences between the Japanese and Americans in this picture?

This image of Commodore Perry’s time in Japan is clearly painted by a Westerner.  We can see this because it depicts the Americans in a way that looks heroic while the Japanese are secondary players who are, for the most part, in the background or in deferential positions.

The Americans are clearly the focus of this painting.  Perry is placed in such a way that the eye is drawn to him first.  He and the...

This image of Commodore Perry’s time in Japan is clearly painted by a Westerner.  We can see this because it depicts the Americans in a way that looks heroic while the Japanese are secondary players who are, for the most part, in the background or in deferential positions.

The Americans are clearly the focus of this painting.  Perry is placed in such a way that the eye is drawn to him first.  He and the men nearest to him are in upright postures but are not at attention.  They are relaxed and seemingly in charge.  They are in uniform, making them look official and important.  The large mass of American military men to the left are braced at attention and are well-armed.  All of this helps make the Americans look important and in control.

The Japanese, by contrast, are barely visible.  The imperial commissioners are in the background.  They are kneeling and indistinct.  The Japanese man on the far right of the painting is bowing deferentially, again making the point that the Americans are the important people in the scene.  The only Japanese who looks like the Americans in any way is the man holding the pole arm with his back to us.  He, like the Americans, is armed and looks erect and confident.

By portraying the Americans and the Japanese differently in this way, the artist is subtly telling us who is important.  He does not do anything to make the Japanese appear bad, but he clearly shows that the Americans are more important and more in control of the scene.

Do you agree that the first past the post system in the US is unfair?

Different people will have different answers to this question.  I will give an argument for and an argument against the idea that the first past the post system is unfair.  You can look at these arguments and decide which one you agree with.

Some people would say that the first past the post system is fair.  They would argue that whoever gets the most votes should be the person who is elected to office.  After...

Different people will have different answers to this question.  I will give an argument for and an argument against the idea that the first past the post system is unfair.  You can look at these arguments and decide which one you agree with.

Some people would say that the first past the post system is fair.  They would argue that whoever gets the most votes should be the person who is elected to office.  After all, they would say, democracy is supposed to be about majority rule.  The candidate who gets the most votes has the support of the most people and therefore should be the one elected.  This is an eminently fair system.

On the other hand, some would say that this system is unfair because it ignores the voices of the people whose candidate did not win.  These people would ask why (for example) the voices of the 55% of the voters who choose one candidate should be heard while the voices of the 45% who voted for a second candidate should be ignored.  This is surely unfair to the people whose candidate does not get the most votes.  Those people deserve to be represented as well.  Therefore, the first past the post system is unfair.

Which of these arguments makes the most sense to you?

In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," why were Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at the Crown Inn?

After Sherlock Holmes has finished examining Helen Stoner's and Dr. Roylott's adjoining bedrooms, Holmes decides that he and Watson must spend the night in Helen's room after her stepfather has gone to sleep. She is to spend the night in her old bedroom and leave a light in the window of the room adjacent to Dr. Roylott's after he has retired for the night. Holmes' reason for renting a room at the nearby Crown Inn is shown in this exchange of dialogue:

“In the first place, both my friend and I must spend the night in your room.”

Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment.

“Yes, it must be so. Let me explain. I believe that that is the village inn over there?”

“Yes, that is the Crown.”

“Very good. Your windows would be visible from there?”

“Certainly.”

Watson goes on to explain:

Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn. They were on the upper floor, and from our window we could command a view of the avenue gate, and of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House.

The two men do not see a light in Helen Stoner's window until about eleven o'clock that night. Dr. Roylott has finally gone to sleep. They walk along the dark road to Stoke Moran and then enter the grounds through a gap in the crumbling brick wall. Helen has left the window open and retired to her old bedroom. Holmes and Watson climb through the window and close the shutters to make the room completely dark. They have to sit in the darkness in utter silence from a little after eleven until almost three-thirty in the morning. Dr. Roylott is equally silent on the other side of the wall, but they can smell burning oil and heated metal from his dark lantern.

Then suddenly another sound became audible—a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull.

Up to that point Holmes has not told Watson what they are waiting for. The reader is also kept in suspense until he realizes that the so-called "speckled band" is a snake and that it must have been on the bed for some little time while they were waiting in silence in the dark. Dr. Roylott blew the whistle to call the trained snake back up the bell-rope and through the ventilator so there would be no chance of Helen waking up early and finding herself in bed with a snake! He had only done this with Helen on one night, but he must have sent the snake into the room for several nights before it finally bit and killed Helen's sister Julia two years ago. Helen panicked the first time she heard that whistle at around three o'clock in the morning because her sister had told her about it shortly before her mysterious death. That was why Helen came to London immediately that same morning to ask Sherlock Holmes for his advice.