How does the Puritan experience in The Crucible resurface in the modern world?

The modern "witch hunt" that prompted Arthur Miller to write The Cruciblewere the investigations conducted by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in the 1950s and 60s.  Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that there were some "two hundred card-carrying Communists" in the U.S. and that they posed a serious threat to national security.  Just like the witch trials, then, the enemy was invisible (and was perceived as posing a very real threat to life).  One could...

The modern "witch hunt" that prompted Arthur Miller to write The Crucible were the investigations conducted by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in the 1950s and 60s.  Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that there were some "two hundred card-carrying Communists" in the U.S. and that they posed a serious threat to national security.  Just like the witch trials, then, the enemy was invisible (and was perceived as posing a very real threat to life).  One could not tell the difference between an enemy and a friend just by looking at them; therefore, everyone becomes suspect.  In Salem, witchcraft was thought to be an invisible crime, known only to the witch and her victim; therefore, the testimony of the victim was typically all that was necessary for a conviction.  It was easy to accuse someone in both situations because it comes down to one person's word against another's. 

Further, those who were questioned by the HUAC and confessed to having Communist ties or sympathies were required to "name names" of others with similar involvement; their testimony was only seen as valid if they could do so.  In the Salem Witch Trials, confessions were only seen as valid if those confessing could name the names of other witches they saw with the Devil. 

Each "witch hunt" led to the ruination of lives and livelihoods (though no one was executed as a result of Communist ties), and created a widespread hysteria that caused people to suspect or even turn on their friends and neighbors.  Further, the responsible parties were never really held responsible for the panic they caused. 

What is the conflict in the story "Rashmon" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa?

The story explores the internal conflict taking place in the mind of a servant who has just been rendered jobless. He is certainly an honest man, and is mulling over the alternatives available to him to earn his living from next day onward. He contemplates while he's standing under the decrepit structure of Rashmon, which “was the largest gate in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan.”

Soon, he is convinced that he’s left with only...

The story explores the internal conflict taking place in the mind of a servant who has just been rendered jobless. He is certainly an honest man, and is mulling over the alternatives available to him to earn his living from next day onward. He contemplates while he's standing under the decrepit structure of Rashmon, which “was the largest gate in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan.”

Soon, he is convinced that he’s left with only two options – either he continues to be an honest man, and subsequently, starves to death, or he becomes a thief. It seems that he tries to persuade himself to take to robbery, but he is unable to come up with a proper and strong justification for doing so.

“But doubts returned many times. Though determined that he had no choice, he was still unable to muster enough courage to justify the conclusion that he must become a thief.”

The significance of the servant’s dilemma can’t be fully understood without considering the background of the story. Akutagawa’s story is set against the backdrop of the twelfth century Kyoto city which is in a state of utter ruin and decay. Natural calamities like earthquakes, tornadoes and fires have caused massive devastation and terrible famine in the city.

The story is about not only the physical decay but also the moral and spiritual degradation.  It explores the meaning and significance of faith and moral values against the most extreme and dire circumstances. The devastation has been so severe and overwhelming that survival by any means has become the biggest priority in man’s life.

We hear about people selling the Buddhist images and objects as firewood. The old woman is plucking hair off the head of a woman’s corpse. She’ll prepare a wig and sell it and, thus, earn something to survive.

The servant’s encounter with this old woman resolves the conflict in his mind. He finds the justification for why he should become a thief. We witness the transformation in him. He's now a man with no scruples. He says to her,

“Then it's right if I rob you. I'd starve if I didn't."

With his sword he tears the old woman's “yellow clothes” and runs away with them.

How can an organization with a strong “made in America” identity compete in the global marketplace?

The number one rule in successful competition is this: Find your comparative advantage. What do you do better, faster, and/or cheaper than anyone else?

As is well known, wages are considerably higher in the US and other First World countries than they are in Third World countries such as India and Nicaragua. If you assume that a product has fixed quality and requires a fixed amount of worker-hours to produce, then (aside from shipping costs) it's obviously more efficient---and thus more profitable---to produce that product in a Third World country. Thus, a company that sells itself on "Made in the USA" would not be able to compete on that basis.

But these are not the only differences between these countries. Wages in the US aren't simply higher by some weird quirk or bad policy; they are higher because US workers have more skills and better education than workers in India. Technology is also better in the US; US workers may be able to use production methods such as automation, computer-aided design, or 3D printing that workers in India would not be able to do. Combining these factors, US workers might be able to produce many more goods per worker-hour, or goods of much higher quality, than workers in India. Thus, the goods could be cheaper because workers are so much more productive, or their higher quality could make people buy them even if they are more expensive.

Some goods also vary more in quality than others. Your shirt may say "Made in India", but I'm guessing your car doesn't---it was probably made in the US, Germany, or Japan, where workers are skilled and high-tech factories are available.

Finally, there's always American nationalism. A somewhat more cynical approach would be for the US business to really capitalize on American nationalism to get people to buy products that say "Made in the USA" even if they cost more and aren't actually any better. There is actually a well-known "puzzle" in economics about this, called the "home bias in trade puzzle": People are much more likely to buy goods from people in their own country or similar countries than they are to buy goods from more different countries, even if the goods are the same quality and much cheaper. Personally I don't find it all that puzzling: Humans are nationalistic.

The book, "Night." CHAPTER ONE 1. At the beginning of the book, What is most important to young Elie? 2. Describe the relationship between Elie...

Earlier in the story, Elie’s most important aspect of life was his religion. He studied the Talmud during the day and spent a significant part of his night in the synagogue where he wept over its destruction. He was intensely fascinated by his religion and wanted to learn its deeper secrets through the studies of the Kabbalah.

By day I studied Talmud and by night I would run to the synagogue to weep over the...

Earlier in the story, Elie’s most important aspect of life was his religion. He studied the Talmud during the day and spent a significant part of his night in the synagogue where he wept over its destruction. He was intensely fascinated by his religion and wanted to learn its deeper secrets through the studies of the Kabbalah.

By day I studied Talmud and by night I would run to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple.

According to his father, Elie was too young to delve into the mysticism that surrounds the studies of Kabbalah. He believed that it was important for Elie to continue studying the basic subjects before upgrading to the most sensitive subjects of the religion. With these reasons, Elie’s father declined his son’s request for a master who would teach him in the ways of the Kabbalah. However, Elie remained steadfast in his quest to study the kabbalah and found himself a master to guide him. His master in the studies was Moishe the Beadle, who recognized Elie’s unwavering interest in understanding the Jewish religion and was willing to help.

I succeeded on my own in finding a master for myself in the person of Moishe the Beadle. He had watched me one day as I prayed at dusk. "Why do you cry when you pray?" he asked, as though he knew me well.

Kindly post each question in separate posts for more conclusive answers. The answer above is for the first question - 1. At the beginning of the book, What is most important to young Elie?.

In "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, how does the poem's straightforward language depict the plight of African-Americans, and was it as effective...

In "Sympathy," Paul Laurence Dunbar uses the extended metaphor of a bird in a cage to express the plight of African-Americans. His use of easily understood imagery in all three stanzas conveys the agony of being less-than-free. For example, in the first stanza, the bird is subjected to "When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass" (lines 2-3). While the bird sees the enticements of...

In "Sympathy," Paul Laurence Dunbar uses the extended metaphor of a bird in a cage to express the plight of African-Americans. His use of easily understood imagery in all three stanzas conveys the agony of being less-than-free. For example, in the first stanza, the bird is subjected to "When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass" (lines 2-3). While the bird sees the enticements of nature, it can not escape from its cage. In the second stanza, the bird beats his wing on the cage's bars until it is sore, and in the third stanza, the bird sings not out of joy but out of pain: "It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core" (lines 19-20).

While "Sympathy" is written in Standard English, some of Dunbar's poems, such as "Lover's Lane," are written in different dialects. "Lover's Lane" begins, " Summah night an’ sighin’ breeze,/ ‘Long de lovah’s lane;/ Frien’ly, shadder–mekin’ trees,/ ‘Long de lovah’s lane" (lines 1-4). His dialect poems, which tried to capture the voices of freed slaves (he was writing around the turn of the 20th century), were extremely popular with white and African-American audiences alike. Many people argue that while his Standard English poems, many of which use extended metaphors to capture the essence of the African-American experience, were eloquent, his dialect poems were even more powerful. In part, his dialect poems were revolutionary in that they captured voices that had not been part of formal poetry before. Dunbar identified African-American vernacular language as something beautiful and distinctive--something that merited pride and preservation. 

What were Victor Frankenstein's warnings to Robert Walton in the book Frankenstein?

Once Victor finds out that Walton is willing to sacrifice everything -- even his own life -- in his pursuit of knowledge and discovery, Victor desperately wants to prevent his new friend from making the same mistakes that he did. He says,

"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been." 

Serpents are very often linked to temptation -- an allusion to the serpent in Eden who tempted Eve to eat the apple, the event that led to Adam and Eve's being ejected from paradise -- and so this makes it sound as though Victor believes that knowledge and wisdom can tempt and ruin a person the way the serpent tempted and ruined Eve. He wants to prevent Walton from succumbing to temptation as he has. As Victor relates the story of how he created a monstrous human being, he says,

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."

Again, he cautions Walton about seeking worldly knowledge, knowledge that is, perhaps, withheld from us for good reason. He believes that Walton will be safer and happier if he does not pursue this kind of knowledge but rather agrees to be satisfied with his home and himself as he is. There is, as Victor knows, danger in attempting to do more than a human being is supposed to do. Further, he tells Walton that

"If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind."

Therefore, because Walton has suggested that he is willing to give up every other thing that brings him joy in life in order to satisfy his one dream of discovery, Victor implores him to understand that this means that his dream is not an appropriate one; it is too all-consuming to be healthy for a human mind. If Walton is willing to sacrifice everything else to it, then it is too dangerous to pursue.

What was the mood of the initial reunion between Gatsby and Daisy?

The initial reunion between Gatsby and Daisy is filled with several different moods. For Gatsby, this occasion is fraught with tense excitement, since he has hoped and longed for this moment, desperately wanting everything to go perfectly. He has planned it and staged it, down to the very last detail. Sending a gardener over to cut Nick's untended lawn, providing a greenhouse full of flowers, and arriving in a white flannel suit, silver shirt and...

The initial reunion between Gatsby and Daisy is filled with several different moods. For Gatsby, this occasion is fraught with tense excitement, since he has hoped and longed for this moment, desperately wanting everything to go perfectly. He has planned it and staged it, down to the very last detail. Sending a gardener over to cut Nick's untended lawn, providing a greenhouse full of flowers, and arriving in a white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold-colored tie, Gatsby is both nervous and discomfited by the heavy rain outside. He also worries that, even if Daisy appears happy to see him, things may not be the same between them as they were in Louisville.

Once Daisy arrives, awkwardness becomes the dominant mood. Daisy is naturally surprised to see Gatsby and although she is happy, her reaction is, understandably, somewhat subdued. Gatsby is painfully self-conscious and in a moment of uncharacteristic clumsiness, he knocks Nick's clock off the mantle. Feeling terribly embarrassed and disheartened, he leaves Daisy alone to tell Nick that the reunion was a big mistake. Nick encourages him to be a gentleman and to go back into the room for Daisy's sake, after which he leaves them alone for awhile. Upon returning, Nick finds that the two of them seem to be radiantly happy, Daisy shedding tears of joy and Gatsby glowing. The mood has shifted from tense awkwardness to happiness.

Gatsby takes Daisy to see his house and she is overwhelmed by everything she sees there. She even cries over his collection of expensive shirts. He tells her how he would look across the bay every night, staring at the green light at the end of her dock while dreaming about their future together. Both of them have let their guards down and appear to be genuinely in love with each other once again. At one point, Gatsby asks his house guest, Klipspringer, to play some songs on the piano and the tunes he plays, "Ain't We Got Fun?", as well as, "The Love Nest", reflect the joyous mood of the moment. Although the reunion began very awkwardly, it ends on a blissfully romantic note, as Nick quietly slips away, leaving the two lovebirds alone.

What lessons and values does Walter Cunningham Jr. teach Scout Finch throughout the novel To Kill A Mockingbird?

Scout learns several important lessons and values from her interactions with Walter Cunningham Jr. throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Jem stops Scout from beating Walter up on the playground at school and invites Walter over for dinner. While Walter is eating dinner, he begins to pour syrup over his meal and Scout openly criticizes him. Calpurnia talks to Scout in the kitchen and explains the importance of showing respect to Walter...

Scout learns several important lessons and values from her interactions with Walter Cunningham Jr. throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Jem stops Scout from beating Walter up on the playground at school and invites Walter over for dinner. While Walter is eating dinner, he begins to pour syrup over his meal and Scout openly criticizes him. Calpurnia talks to Scout in the kitchen and explains the importance of showing respect to Walter and not judging him. She teaches Scout that everyone deserves to be respected, regardless of social class. Scout learns the importance of having manners and respecting others from Walter's visit.

In Chapter 23, Atticus explains the Cunninghams' family background to his children and tells them that the Cunninghams have integrity and morals. Scout learns that character is not associated with wealth. The fact that Walter Cunningham Jr. comes from a poor family does not mean that he is not a morally upright individual. Scout mentions that she was glad that she had defended Walter Cunningham Jr. on the first day of school after hearing that his relative initially supported Tom Robinson and that Walter came from a good family. Walter Cunningham Jr. indirectly teaches Scout the significance of being kind and helpful to others. Scout learns that her good deeds can have positive effects in the future and are not overlooked.

In John Updike's poem "Ex-Basketball Player," what does the phrase "idiot pumps" imply about high school athletes?

John Updike's poem “Ex-Basketball Player” is about a man named Flick Webb. Flick was a high school basketball star who now works at a gas station. Updike's purpose is to show how fleeting fame can be, especially for someone as young as a high school star.

Flick is obviously living in the past, as evidenced by this line:

Once in a while, 

As a gag, he dribbles an inner tube, 

He also imagines he still...

John Updike's poem “Ex-Basketball Player” is about a man named Flick Webb. Flick was a high school basketball star who now works at a gas station. Updike's purpose is to show how fleeting fame can be, especially for someone as young as a high school star.

Flick is obviously living in the past, as evidenced by this line:

Once in a while, 

As a gag, he dribbles an inner tube, 

He also imagines he still has an audience watching his every move, just like he did when on the court in high school.

Flick seldom says a word to Mae, just nods 

Beyond her face toward bright applauding tiers 

Of Necco Wafers, Nibs, and Juju Beads

Your question specifically addresses the first line of the second stanza,

Flick stands tall among the idiot pumps— 

At first, the reader might not realize what Updike is getting at here, but the rest of the stanza goes on to describe what the pumps look like:

Five on a side, the old bubble-head style, 

Their rubber elbows hanging loose and low. 

One’s nostrils are two S’s, and his eyes 

An E and O. And one is squat, without 

A head at all—more of a football type.

“Five on a side” — just like a basketball team. The line “rubber elbows hanging loose and low” personifies the pumps in terms of what a basketball player might look like — long and gangly.

Now that we've determined Updike wants to associate the pumps with human basketball players, we may well conclude that, by referring to the pumps as “idiot,” Updike is suggesting Flick may also be an idiot in some way. Exactly what way is up to the reader to determine, but the poem suggests that it is wise to think ahead, to plan for a life without basketball. Flick feels he peaked early — what is left for him now?

I would imagine Updike is thinking in broader terms than just Flick; he's probably thinking of the high school athlete in general, the kind that gives no thought to his or her future beyond the brief years of heroism high school can provide.

In The Great Gatsby, on what page does the quote "he half expected her to wander into one of his parties" appear?

In my copy of The Great Gatsby the line in question is in chapter four, page 84, almost at the end of the chapter. I have the "First Scribner Paperback Fiction Edition 1995" with the preface by Matthew Broccoli.

The line is spoken by Jordan Baker, who is asking Nick to arrange a meeting between Daisy and Gatsby. She has just finished telling Nick about the love affair between Gatsby and an eighteen-year old Daisy...

In my copy of The Great Gatsby the line in question is in chapter four, page 84, almost at the end of the chapter. I have the "First Scribner Paperback Fiction Edition 1995" with the preface by Matthew Broccoli.

The line is spoken by Jordan Baker, who is asking Nick to arrange a meeting between Daisy and Gatsby. She has just finished telling Nick about the love affair between Gatsby and an eighteen-year old Daisy Fay of Louisville, Kentucky. She also tells Nick about Daisy's wedding day when she became quite drunk after receiving a letter, presumably from Gatsby.

Gatsby, of course, has built his palatial mansion on West Egg right across from the Buchanan's house on East Egg. He throws lavish parties attended by people who are basically strangers to him. He wants to impress Daisy with his wealth and he hopes, as the lines suggest, she will attend one of his parties. When she never shows up he employs the assistance of Nick, who is Daisy's cousin.

Explain why Theodore Taylor dedicated The Cay to Dr. King and his dream. Why does he think young people should be involved in making that dream a...

After reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor, his reasons for dedicating the book to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are fairly obvious. Taylor wrote a book to show that we are all trying to survive in a world that is not always friendly to us. He shows us Phillip, a young boy who has been raised to believe being White is better than being Black, and that his race is somehow superior to Timothy's. Through...

After reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor, his reasons for dedicating the book to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are fairly obvious. Taylor wrote a book to show that we are all trying to survive in a world that is not always friendly to us. He shows us Phillip, a young boy who has been raised to believe being White is better than being Black, and that his race is somehow superior to Timothy's. Through the book, though, Phillip depends on Timothy. Timothy becomes Phillip's eyes when he is blinded. He becomes a mentor, a father-figure, and a friend, and over time the idea of race disappears. In Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, he said,

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood" (King 2).

Phillip and Timothy are representative of that dream. Young people are often much better at this than adults because they are better at looking beyond color and into another's character. Though Phillip initially didn't like Timothy because he judged him based on the color of Timothy's skin, he learned that Timothy was a very good man. Timothy may not have been able to read, but he knew so much more than Phillip did about the ocean, the weather, and survival. Phillip realized how very fortunate he was to know Timothy. Maybe Taylor's hope is that when we take the time to get to know others, all of those racial barriers can disappear, and Dr. King's dream can become a reality. May it be so.

What is Roger's goal in "Thank You, M'am"?

Roger’s goal was to get a new pair of blue suede shoes.

I know it sounds like an Elvis song, but that what was what Roger wanted! He tried to steal a woman’s purse to pay for the blue suede shoes. The problem is that he chose the wrong target. He chose a woman who was much tougher than he was.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones does not give up her purse. She tackles Roger...

Roger’s goal was to get a new pair of blue suede shoes.

I know it sounds like an Elvis song, but that what was what Roger wanted! He tried to steal a woman’s purse to pay for the blue suede shoes. The problem is that he chose the wrong target. He chose a woman who was much tougher than he was.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones does not give up her purse. She tackles Roger and brings him home with her so that she can wash his face and give him something to eat. She also wonders what he was doing out at 11 o’clock at night not having eaten.

“Then we’ll eat,” said the woman, “I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pockekbook.”

“I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.

Mrs. Jones tells him that if he wanted new shoes he just had to ask her for them, instead of trying to steal her pocketbook. She is an unusual woman. She seems to care about Roger even though she doesn’t know him and he tried to rob her.

After a while she said, “I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.” There was another long pause. … The woman said, “Um-hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn’t you? You thought I was going to say, but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.”

Mrs. Jones tells Roger that she has done things she is not proud of. She understands where he is coming from. Even if she doesn’t know him, she knows his circumstances. He is lonely and neglected, and obviously misguided. She wants him to understand that you can make a bad choice and learn from it. This decision does not have to define his life.

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, who is Cecil Jacobs?

Cecil Jacobs is Scout's classmate. He lives on the same street as her, though he is further down and closer to the Maycomb post office. Both Scout and Cecil are in the same class with Miss Gates as their teacher.  

Scout almost fights Cecil when he tries to insult Atticus. She eventually decides not to fight him, but Cecil calls her a coward. Eventually, they become friends. During the Halloween event at the high school, Scout and Cecil visit the various booths together and spend their money on treats. They each come with thirty cents.

Cecil and his family are Baptists, and his father plays on the Baptist football team. During the Halloween pageant, Cecil dresses up as a cow. When Scout and Jem walk to the Halloween event at the high school, Cecil sneaks up and scares them:

Someone leaped at us.

"God almighty!" Jem yelled.  

A circle of light burst in our faces, and Cecil Jacobs jumped in glee behind it. "Haa-a, gotcha!" he shrieked. "Thought you'd be comin' along this way!"

"What are you doin' way out here by yourself, boy? Ain't you scared of Boo Radley?"

Cecil had ridden safely to the auditorium with his parents, hadn't seen us, then had ventured down this far because he knew good and well we'd be coming along. He thought Mr. Finch'd be with us, though.

Discuss the morality of the boys in the Wormsley Common Gang.

At first glance it would seem that the boys in the gang are completely devoid of morality, especially Trevor. However, we learn as readers to consider outside factors when judging a person's actions. The boys live in a London neighborhood ravaged by the bombings of WWII. They have lost their homes, their sense of safety, and their innocence at young ages.  

Trevor in particular seems to have an understanding of architecture. After he tours Old Misery's house, the only one standing after the bombings, he describes it as “...a beautiful house," showing he has a certain aesthetic appreciation about him. Thus the reader questions his morality when he leads the charge to destroy it from the inside out.

First, it is plain that jealousy drives this destructive decision. Trevor's home is gone; Old Misery's still stands. Overall, Old Misery has been relatively nice to the boys. The destruction begins when Trevor, appearing almost devoid of morality, leads the crew in removing literally everything from the inside of the house.

Then the boys find the money, a lot of money. Instead of stealing it, though, Trevor announces they will burn it. “'We aren’t thieves,' T. said. 'Nobody’s going to steal anything from this house.'" Trevor seems to have a line that he doesn't want to cross. Property damage is one thing, but theft is off limits.

Again, this implies his morality does not come from a place of evil, but jealousy. He doesn't want to hurt Old Misery himself, but hurt the symbol of his own sadness, the standing home. In fact, he even tells Blackie, “'All this hate and love,' he said, 'it’s soft, it’s hooey. There’s only things...'” Trevor is not misanthropic or violent against people in any way.

Even after Old Misery returns early, Trevor shows sympathy and kindness.  He does lock him in the loo, but provides him with blankets and food while he is imprisoned.  

Ultimately, Trevor is a sad boy who does not seem to have any lasting deviant tendencies. He is driven by the pain and jealousy brought about by the extreme situation of war.

What do Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have in common in "Roman Fever"?

In Edith Wharton's short story "Roman Fever," Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have a couple of things in common. It takes a while for the reader to figure out what these things are, though. The story starts out with two women sitting together in Rome having a light conversation. As the story progresses, however, the reader learns that both women have secrets. This is revealed as the narrator shows each woman's inner thoughts, and later...

In Edith Wharton's short story "Roman Fever," Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have a couple of things in common. It takes a while for the reader to figure out what these things are, though. The story starts out with two women sitting together in Rome having a light conversation. As the story progresses, however, the reader learns that both women have secrets. This is revealed as the narrator shows each woman's inner thoughts, and later when the women tell their secrets.

Eventually, Mrs. Slade tells Mrs. Ansley that she has known all along that Mrs. Ansley had a crush on the man who would be her husband. Her secret is that she, and not Delphin, wrote the letter to Mrs. Ansley all those years ago. Then Mrs. Ansley reveals her own secret. She really did go to meet Delphin at the Colosseum and he, too, went there. Furthermore, she had his child.

Both women had secrets they'd been keeping for years. They also had feelings for the same man, Delphin. Although Mrs. Slade would go on to marry him and have a daughter with him, Mrs. Ansley had a secret tryst with and a child by him.

How does Teflon provide reduced friction?

Teflon is most commonly known for its non-stick coatings in frying pans and other cookwares. It is an essential part of most of the kitchens. If you want to cook something (especially without gravy) and you are working with a non-stick pan, there are chances that some of the food will stick to it and will be tough to remove. In comparison, Teflon coated cookware (such as a frying pan) will be very easy to...

Teflon is most commonly known for its non-stick coatings in frying pans and other cookwares. It is an essential part of most of the kitchens. If you want to cook something (especially without gravy) and you are working with a non-stick pan, there are chances that some of the food will stick to it and will be tough to remove. In comparison, Teflon coated cookware (such as a frying pan) will be very easy to work with. This is because of a very low coefficient of friction.

In fact, Teflon has the third lowest coefficient of friction (= 0.05-0.1) among the known solid materials. It is a hydrophobic and lipophobic material, which means, neither water nor oil sticks to it, thus making cooking easier. There are a number of factors which provide low coefficient of friction to Teflon. It exhibits high cohesive forces, but extremely low adhesive forces, which makes it difficult for anything to attach to the Teflon surface. 

Teflon has the chemical name of polytetrafluoroethylene (or PTFE). It is a polymer composed of carbon and fluorine atoms. Fluorine is very electronegative and does not part with its electrons. It does not form hydrogen bonds either. This causes extremely low Van der Waals forces and hence other substances find it difficult to stick to it.

And that is how Teflon (or PTFE) provides surface of low friction.

Hope this helps. 

Who does Anton compare Patty's father to?

In the story, Anton compares Patty's father to Adolph Hitler after he witnesses Patty's beating at her father's hands.

In discussing Harry Bergen, Patty's father, Anton theorizes that a 'man who is incapable of humor is capable of cruelty.' He imagines that, if Hitler, had had the self-awareness to step back and to 'observe the absurdity of his own behavior,' the world might not have been blighted by the effects of his cruelty.

Further expanding...

In the story, Anton compares Patty's father to Adolph Hitler after he witnesses Patty's beating at her father's hands.

In discussing Harry Bergen, Patty's father, Anton theorizes that a 'man who is incapable of humor is capable of cruelty.' He imagines that, if Hitler, had had the self-awareness to step back and to 'observe the absurdity of his own behavior,' the world might not have been blighted by the effects of his cruelty.

Further expanding on the connection between power and cruelty, Anton asserts that the main difference between Harry Bergen and Adolph Hitler may be the 'degrees of power' held by both men. Basically, compared to Hitler, Harry Bergen is able to inflict his cruelty on fewer people due to his lower level of influence. From his vantage point, Anton also thinks that both men seem to have a predilection towards violence. He jokes that he doesn't know why this is the case, maintaining that the only questions he likes to raise appear to be those that are unanswerable. Anton's words highlight his own sense of humor, which further endears him to Patty.

Why do you think the author gives human-like qualities to the house?

In the story There Will Come Soft Rains, the talking mechanical house represents humanity. Nearly every story in existence contains some sentient life, whether that takes the form of talking animals, magical beings, or just plain old humans. In short, most stories have characters. 

There Will Come Soft Rainsonly has one talking character and this character is arguably not sentient at all. The house displays some awareness and anxiety, which are human qualities, yet...

In the story There Will Come Soft Rains, the talking mechanical house represents humanity. Nearly every story in existence contains some sentient life, whether that takes the form of talking animals, magical beings, or just plain old humans. In short, most stories have characters. 

There Will Come Soft Rains only has one talking character and this character is arguably not sentient at all. The house displays some awareness and anxiety, which are human qualities, yet it is distinctly not human. The house is programmed to serve its family and gives little, if any, indication that it possesses any thought or free will of its own. Therefore, the only talking being in this story is hardly a character at all. 

The house represents the inhumanity of the world that constructed it. It symbolizes the advanced technology that helped destroy the human race. And it represents the cold efficiency of the world prior to the war. 

The house did everything for the family that lived there and in doing so became just one of the many ways that humanity out-bred kindness. Instead of your loved ones surprising you with breakfast in the morning, the house does it for you and requires no thanks. Instead of spending time entertaining and coaxing your children, the house can do it for you. Instead of remembering your friend's marriage, the house reminds you. The house was made human so the people didn't have to be.

"'Today is Mr. Featherstone's birthday. Today is the anniversary of Tilita's marriage. Insurance is payable, as are the water, gas, and light bills.'"

In a world destroyed by nuclear war, a lone mechanical house that doesn't dream or love is the only thing left that even resembles humanity. The house represents how the technology that people make will outlive them. The house also lives on in denial of what has transpired. It knows that its owners are nowhere to be found, and yet it continues about its daily tasks just as before. It's blatant denial of the horrors surrounding it mirrors how people always manage to pretend not to notice the signs of their impending doom. The people who owned the house and others like them must have seen the signs of how catastrophic the war would be, but none of them cared or tried to stop it. 

List the main functions of RAM? |

RAM or Random-Access Memory is a type of computer data storage and stores the files that are in use while the computer is running. These files may include various programs such as operating system, etc. RAM allows for faster access to files, as compared to other types of data storage. A RAM is a temporary type of data storage device, since all the files and data on it will be lost when we power off...

RAM or Random-Access Memory is a type of computer data storage and stores the files that are in use while the computer is running. These files may include various programs such as operating system, etc. RAM allows for faster access to files, as compared to other types of data storage. A RAM is a temporary type of data storage device, since all the files and data on it will be lost when we power off the computer.

Permanent data storage devices such as hard drives, CDs or DVDs, USB drives, etc. store the data permanently. However, it takes a long time to access this data. In comparison, RAM stores the files the first time they are accessed and keeps them handy while the computer is still switched on. This quick data access provides a great significance to the RAM. These days, one can get computers with up to 16 GB (and possibly more) of RAM. Smartphones with 3-4 GB of RAM are also available. 

Faster data access means that people are willing to pay more for bigger size RAM in their computers and smartphones. 

Hope this helps. 

What aspects of capitalism do you think the stockyard and the animals symbolize in The Jungle?

The stockyard and the animals in it symbolize the dehumanization that Sinclair saw as intrinsic to capitalism.  

When Jurgis comes to America, he marvels at what he sees in the meat producing factories in Packingtown.  He is struck by the the rationality and precision with which it operated.  Sinclair describes it as "porkmaking by machinery, porkmaking by applied mathematics."  The stockyards and animals were conceived out of rationality and a sense of purpose.

However,...

The stockyard and the animals in it symbolize the dehumanization that Sinclair saw as intrinsic to capitalism.  

When Jurgis comes to America, he marvels at what he sees in the meat producing factories in Packingtown.  He is struck by the the rationality and precision with which it operated.  Sinclair describes it as "porkmaking by machinery, porkmaking by applied mathematics."  The stockyards and animals were conceived out of rationality and a sense of purpose.

However, over time, Jurgis recognizes that the plight of the humans and the animals are similar.  Sinclair writes that "... somehow the most matter-of-fact person could not help thinking of the hogs; they were so innocent, they came so very trustingly; and they were so very human in their protests—and so perfectly within their rights!"  In emphasizing the humanity in the animals, Sinclair asserts their link to workers.  Human beings were seen as essential to the capitalist scheme of the packers.  They entered "so innocent and so perfectly within their rights," yet were reduced to being cogs in a machine. Sinclair further describes how the animals were ground up "in this cold-blooded, impersonal way, without a pretense of apology, without the homage of a tear. Now and then a visitor wept, to be sure; but this slaughtering machine ran on, visitors or no visitors. It was like some horrible crime committed in a dungeon, all unseen and unheeded, buried out of sight and of memory."  The violation of the animals' rights is very similar to how workers were treated in the desire to make money.  Their rights as workers and as human beings were violated "without a pretense of apology." In the way that the animals were used as a means to an end, they symbolize the workers who toiled in Packingtown.

The stockyards were the backdrop for misdeeds to both animals and humans. Jurgis recognizes this when he sees how his labor is not valued.  The working conditions to which he is subjected and unfair compensation he receives represents the essence of inequality:  

All this was bad; and yet it was not the worst. For after all the hard work a man did, he was paid for only part of it. Jurgis had once been among those who scoffed at the idea of these huge concerns cheating; and so now he could appreciate the bitter irony of the fact that it was precisely their size which enabled them to do it with impunity.

The stockyard symbolizes where the worst in human interactions take place. It is where a person works and experiences mistreatment as a result.  Sinclair creates the stockyard as the setting where capitalism strips animals and humans of their dignity

Who is responsible for Macbeth's downfall and his death?

Macbeth is wholly responsible for his destiny. He should take the blame for whatever happened to him. The fact that he was driven by ambition was a choice he made. 

When we meet him, we hear about a soldier who is loyal and courageous. A man who was driven to defeat his country's enemies and utterly destroy them, whatever it took. He receives generous praise and is rewarded for his noble actions. 

We soon learn, however, that he harbours a pernicious desire to achieve the Scottish throne by illegitimate means. He admits that he is driven by 'vaulting ambition' which clearly indicates that he does not wish to ascend by having to follow the natural rules of succession. His desire is to become king as soon as possible, by hook or by crook. When he and Banquo meet the witches and they greet him by a new title as well as inform him that he will be 'king hereafter', he is sceptical until Ross and Angus arrive.

When Ross informs him that he has been awarded the title thane of Cawdor as the witches predicted he says, in an aside:

Glamis, and thane of Cawdor!
The greatest is behind.

This clearly indicates Macbeth's intent. He believes that he has now overcome one of his greatest hurdles. Being bestowed with such a great title brings him closer to the throne. This is emphasised in a later aside:

Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme ...

Macbeth's statement makes it obvious that he sees the witches' accurate predictions as an indication that destiny favours him. The idea of being king grows ever stronger. It is significant how he and Banquo differ in their perceptions of the witches. Whilst Banquo remains sceptical and expresses his cynicism, Macbeth is 'rapt', overwhelmed by what has happened.

Since he now believes that he is destined to be liege (thou shalt be king hereafter) Macbeth begins to plot his ascension. He informs Lady Macbeth of the good news and on his arrival back at his castle, he and his wife begin plotting King Duncan's murder. Macbeth expresses doubt about their plan to assassinate the king on a few occasions but is easily persuaded by his malevolent and ruthless wife to press on. If he had refused, the murder would not have happened.

Even though Macbeth is anxious and under great emotional and mental strain about the terrible deed he is about to commit, he does not stop. He eventualy cold-bloodedly murders king Duncan in his sleep and implicates his guards by planting evidence. He later murders them as well, completely removing any chance that he might be implicated.

Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee in fear of their lives and suspicion for the murder falls on them. Without a closer relative to succeed to the throne, Macbeth is crowned at Scone. 

Once he gains the title, Macbeth goes on a murderous rampage. He kills his friend and confidante, Banquo by sending murderers after him, suspecting that Banquo is a danger. The assassins, however, fail to kill his son, Fleance, who escapes. Macbeth then consults the witches again who, by using paradoxical and equivocal statements and predictions, warn him about Macduffe and encourage him. Their assertions that he will not be harmed by one of woman born and that he shall not be vanquished until great Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane, inspires Macbeth. He feels invincible and sets out to destroy Macduff. He sends his assassins to Macduff's castle where they murder his entire family as well as his servants.   

We read about Macbeth's paranoia and his ruthless attempts to execute all those he sees as a threat. He becomes so 'steeped in blood' that he acknowledges that there is no turning back and, therefore, continues with his murderous rampage. Malcolm has, in the interim, obtained the assistance of the English king, Edward, to overthrow Macbeth and he is joined by Macduff who is later outraged when he learns about his family's brutal and senseless murder. He swears revenge.  

In the final act, Macbeth is at first, informed by a messenger that Birnam Wood was moving towards his castle. This is true since Malcolm's troops were disguising their numbers by each bearing a branch in front of him. Macbeth slowly realises that the witches had tricked him. When he is confronted by Macduff, he shockingly learns just how malevolent they had actually been, for Macduff tells him that he was 'from his mother's womb untimely ripped' and thus not, in the true sense of the word, 'of woman born'.

Macduff kills Macbeth in battle and beheads him. The tyrant has been vanquished. Macbeth had become a victim of his own ambition, gullibility and malice. He made the wrong choices and believed the wrong people. He alone was responsible for his downfall and eventual death.

What are some examples of verbal irony in Macbeth?

In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff and other lords come to wake Duncan and collect him so that they can be on their way.  Lennox tells Macbeth about all the strange things that happened last night: it was incredibly windy and wild outside, and one could hear weird screams in the air.  Macbeth agrees, saying, "'Twas a rough night" (2.3.36).  In so saying, Macbeth is actually referring to a great deal more than Lennox is. ...

In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff and other lords come to wake Duncan and collect him so that they can be on their way.  Lennox tells Macbeth about all the strange things that happened last night: it was incredibly windy and wild outside, and one could hear weird screams in the air.  Macbeth agrees, saying, "'Twas a rough night" (2.3.36).  In so saying, Macbeth is actually referring to a great deal more than Lennox is.  It was a rough night for Macbeth because he was committing regicide and framing innocents for the murder.  Thus, his meaning is from different from what Lennox understands.  Further, it is an understatement as well because Macbeth means much more than he says.

Further, in Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth refers to Banquo as "our chief guest" (3.1.11).  Such a statement seems complimentary, as though Banquo is the most important guest, but it actually has a meaning far different from the one Banquo understands.  He is the most important guest because he is the one most likely to pose a threat to Macbeth's reign.  His importance does not mean that he will be treated with honor; it will mean that he is most in danger.

Then, in Act 3, Scene 6, Lennox speaks to another lord about all the deaths of fathers and the flights of their sons, flights which seem to suggest the sons' guilt.  When speaking of Duncan's death, he says, "How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight / In pious rage the two delinquents tear / That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? / Was not that nobly done"(3.6.12-15).  He says that it seemed to "grieve" Macbeth so much, but he says it sarcastically.  He implies that Macbeth's grief was false.  Moreover, he calls Macbeth's murder of the chamberlains the result of his "pious rage," implying that it was no such thing.  It was not, as he says, "nobly done."  He knows that Macbeth is a tyrant and very much suspects that he is to blame for the murders of Duncan and Banquo.

What is a summary of chapter 20 of "Lyddie"?

In Chapter 20, Lyddie continues to stay vigilant but indifferent to Mr. Marsden's lack of regard. She is simply pleased that he chooses to ignore her. To keep her mind off her unprincipled supervisor, Lyddie decides to treat herself to some books.

In honor of Ezekiel Freeman, a former slave and her friend, she purchases the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglassand the Bible; both volumes are a great comfort to her on...

In Chapter 20, Lyddie continues to stay vigilant but indifferent to Mr. Marsden's lack of regard. She is simply pleased that he chooses to ignore her. To keep her mind off her unprincipled supervisor, Lyddie decides to treat herself to some books.

In honor of Ezekiel Freeman, a former slave and her friend, she purchases the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and the Bible; both volumes are a great comfort to her on lonely Sundays. Lyddie also enjoys Charles Dickens' account of his travels to America. As the summer progresses, more and more New England workers leave. Meanwhile, Irish workers take up new places at the looms.

To keep up her courage, Lyddie copies out passages from the book of Psalms and Frederick Douglass' narrative to paste on her looms. Meanwhile, she and Brigid begin to coach several of the new workers. Lyddie marvels at Brigid's patience with the girls, while Brigid admires Lyddie's scholarly spirit. In due time, however, Lyddie discovers that Brigid is illiterate. Lyddie then begins on a mission to teach her friend how to read, beginning with an introduction to the alphabet.

Soon, a letter arrives from Charlie, who informs Lyddie that Rachel has begun school again and that her cough is nearly gone. He begs her to consider Luke Stevens' suit. As the fall approaches, a letter arrives to inform Lyddie of her mother's death. Lyddie finds that she can hardly mourn; she feels that her mother had been lost to her long before death took her.

In the fall, the days get shorter, and the whale oil lamps must burn longer. Lyddie continues her lessons with Brigid but is surprised when Brigid fails to show up for one of their sessions at the end of a particular shift. Lyddie goes in search of her friend and eventually finds Brigid alone in the weaving room with Mr. Marsden. Seeing Mr. Marsden's hands clamped on Brigid's arms, Lyddie crams a bucket full of stagnant water over Mr. Marsden's head.

This gives Lyddie time to drag the beleaguered Brigid away from their overseer. Meanwhile, Mr. Marsden's efforts to get the bucket off his head remind Lyddie of the bear trying to do the same thing in her family's cabin at the beginning of the book. The scene is so funny that Lyddie can't help breaking into uncontrollable laughter as she drags Brigid to safety.

Please compare and contrast the government of ancient Rome with the government of the United States.

Ancient Rome had, in many ways, a very similar government to what we have in the United States. Generally it is thought that the ancient Roman government also had three branches. The same three, in fact, as we do here in the United States: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial (although the Judicial branch is the most disputed of the three). Checks and balances were in place between these branches, just like in the United States. In...

Ancient Rome had, in many ways, a very similar government to what we have in the United States. Generally it is thought that the ancient Roman government also had three branches. The same three, in fact, as we do here in the United States: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial (although the Judicial branch is the most disputed of the three). Checks and balances were in place between these branches, just like in the United States. In the Roman government, the head of the executive branch had military duties, just like how our President serves as Commander in Chief.  

One difference would be that in ancient Roman government, a dictator could be appointed to run the whole government for six months. This would happen in extreme and dangerous circumstances, like a war. Another difference would be the term limits. Many of the Roman representatives served only one-year terms. In the United States, representatives serve a two, four, or six year term. Also of note, Roman leaders had religious duties. By contrast, the United States stands by the separation of religion and government.  

With what event does the diary open?

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girlopens with Anne's birthday, for which she received the diary which she's writing her story in. Anne says of Kitty, the name she gives to her diary, that she was "one of [her] nicer presents." Anne talks about her excitement for her birthday, rising early and having to wait for her parents to get up. She talks about her other presents and the special attention she gets...

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl opens with Anne's birthday, for which she received the diary which she's writing her story in. Anne says of Kitty, the name she gives to her diary, that she was "one of [her] nicer presents." Anne talks about her excitement for her birthday, rising early and having to wait for her parents to get up. She talks about her other presents and the special attention she gets at school from her friends and getting to pick the class game.

In this initial entry, Anne is the epitome of a typical 14-year-old girl, excited for her birthday, eager to share her thoughts and feelings on paper that seems to understand her and won't judge her. She is incredibly relatable in these first entries, which makes her experience in hiding and eventual ending of her story all the more surprising and horrible. 

How does Edith Wharton show the readers that Lily Bart was responsible for her own end in The House of Mirth?

Every chapter of The House of Mirth presents one more more situations in which the character of Lily Bart is juxtaposed to a diatribe that requires either immediate action, or preparation. The lack of action and lack of preparation that we consistently see coming from Lily's part are partly responsible for the events that she ends up experiencing. In chapter 2, Lily is described for doing this very thing. Her social circle says that Lily is someone who 

works like a slave preparing the ground and sowing her seed; but the day she ought to be reaping the harvest she over-sleeps herself or goes off on a picnic

Therefore, lack of action and lack of initiative are the two demons that bring Lily down, and which she needs to fight against.

Just to name some examples, here are some things that Lily could have done, but just never did in the novel:

• She refuses to engage in Dorsett's plan to expose Bertha, who humiliated her. 


• She refuses to pay attention to Rosedale when she had a chance


• She refuses to settle for Selden because he is not rich


• She misses her chance to impress Percy Gryce 


• She is unable to plan her expenses ahead


• She is not willing to give up a certain expectation of luxury in her life

It is only in the end that she finally learns her lesson and becomes more proactive about life, even paying off her debt right before her end comes. 

However, if we revert back to chapter 3 of the novel, we get a good insight as to why Lily is the way that she is. In chapter 3, Wharton explains that Lily was 19 years-old when she had to "revisit her view of the universe." Lily finds out the hard way that her family has come to financial ruin in a way so fast that it shocks her.  From living in a busy, sophisticated and elegant home, she now has to learn to live without those luxuries. The shock may have been so intense, and her upbringing so devoid of reality, that even as an adult Lily cannot manage to put her life together. 

...she was not made for mean and shabby surroundings, for the squalid compromises of poverty. Her whole being dilated in an atmosphere of luxury; it was the background she required, the only climate she could breathe in.

Luxury and beauty were part of there imprinting. She was born that way, raised that way, and encouraged to remain that way. It was impossible for her to act differently; she had a tremendous weakness of character when it came to the trappings of society, and she was too inactive and unwilling to learn from the cues to do anything productive about it. Therefore, Lily is a victim of herself and her circumstances. Still, she could have avoided a lot of her own pain if she had only taken a proactive and sensitive approach.

What was Julia Stoner scheduled to do a fortnight after she died in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"?

Julia Stoner was scheduled to get married a fortnight after she died.

Helen Stoner comes to hire Sherlock Holmes because her twin sister died and she is afraid that she is next.  She hears strange noises at night.  Helen and Julia live with their stepfather, Dr. Roylott.  He is a man with a violent disposition, often getting into disagreements with his neighbors.

My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and offered no...

Julia Stoner was scheduled to get married a fortnight after she died.

Helen Stoner comes to hire Sherlock Holmes because her twin sister died and she is afraid that she is next.  She hears strange noises at night.  Helen and Julia live with their stepfather, Dr. Roylott.  He is a man with a violent disposition, often getting into disagreements with his neighbors.

My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and offered no objection to the marriage; but within a fortnight of the day which had been fixed for the wedding, the terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only companion.

The reason that Dr. Roylott does not want Julia to get married is that he wants the twins’ inheritance.  Their mother left them her estate when she died, and Dr. Roylott wanted it all.  He was an unusual man with a lot of strange wild animals.  One of them turned out to be his murder weapon.

“It is a swamp adder!” cried Holmes; “the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. …”

The swamp adder is the speckled band in the title.  After Roylott sends it out on another murderous expedition, it returns to kill the doctor himself.  Holmes considers this an appropriate punishment because when a doctor goes bad, he has the potential to do a lot of damage.

Holmes knows what is going on from the moment Helen Stoner appears in his home.  It is an interesting enough case that he goes to Stoke Moran, especially after Dr. Roylott threatens him by bending a fireplace poker with his bare hands.  The man is a menace.  Helen and Julia never stood a chance.

If the cutoffs for a z test score are -2.58 and 2.58, determine whether you would reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis for z score .95

The cutoffs are given as -2.58 or 2.58. This creates a critical region that is in two parts: any test score below -2.58 or above 2.58 is in the critical region.

If a test score is in the critical region you would reject the null hypothesis. Essentially you are saying that if the null hypothesis were correct, a result as the one you are testing should not happen, at least within you level of certainty.

...

The cutoffs are given as -2.58 or 2.58. This creates a critical region that is in two parts: any test score below -2.58 or above 2.58 is in the critical region.

If a test score is in the critical region you would reject the null hypothesis. Essentially you are saying that if the null hypothesis were correct, a result as the one you are testing should not happen, at least within you level of certainty.

Here your score is in the non-critical region. This implies that the result could easily occur by chance if the null hypothesis was correct.

Thus if the test score is z=.95 you would not reject the null hypothesis. ( Given the critical points +-2.58)

** You cannot say that the alternative hypothesis is false. At most you can say that there is insufficient evidence to support the alternative hypothesis.**

How did Julius Caesar die?

Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C. by a group of senators.

The assassination of Julius Caesar is probably one of the most famous murders in history.  In ancient Rome, the government consisted of two Consuls elected each year and a Senate made up of influential men.  Julius Caesar was a consul who was killed by a group of senators who worried that he had too much power.

Julius Caesar’s downfall came from his ambition.  Caesar was a brilliant military leader. He led successful campaigns in Gaul and other places which made him wealthy and influential.  Unfortunately, Caesar’s son-in-law Pompey tried to usurp his power, which led to Caesar marching on Rome.  It was a calculated and potentially dangerous move, because it was illegal for an army to cross the Rubicon and march on Rome. 

Caesar’s march on Rome led to a civil war of grand proportions.  Pompey fled, taking most of the senate with him.  Caesar planted himself in Rome and declared them outlaws.  He then pursued them doggedly until most of them surrendered or were killed.  Caesar pardoned the senators to return stability to Rome.  Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated by Ptolemy as a gift to Caesar.  Caesar was reportedly not pleased, because the man was still a Roman.  Nonetheless, the war was over.

In order to stabilize the government, Caesar named himself dictator with the senate’s blessing.  Not everyone in the senate supported them.  A group called the boni, or good old men, talked about restoring Rome to its former glory.  That involved not having a dictator, and certainly no king.  The Romans considered going back to a king the worst possible thing that could happen to Rome.

Caesar reportedly did not want to become king or at least be called a king.  A dictator was not the same as a king, because his power was temporary.  When a man called him “Rex” publicly, he responded that it was not his name, but the incident disturbed him.  He did not want anyone to think he was posturing to become king.  At the same time, Caesar did a few things that irritated the Roman people, especially the boni.

Caesar insisted on triumphing in Rome.  It was a Roman general’s right to triumph.  A triumph was a special parade in which the spoils of victory were shown off and the enemy prisoners were executed.  Many people thought it was bad taste for Caesar to triumph when the enemies were Roman.  Caesar did it anyway, showing off his victory over Pompey and the other senators who fled and died in the war.

Caesar also was said to have had statues commissioned and coins minted.  Many people thought he was overstepping.  In a twin move intended to placate Caesar and help the public realize how arrogant he was, he was given deity status upon his death and the senate continuously awarded him honors.  Caesar took most of them in stride, but the most interesting one was an unusual display on the Feast of Lupercal.

History has not looked kindly on Mark Antony, perhaps, but no one is really sure of his motives in the Feast of Lupercal.  We know that he presented Caesar with a small crown several times, and Caesar publicly refused it.  It is also said that Caesar had some kind of fit.  He might have been suffering by epilepsy, diabetes, or any number of other serious conditions at this point.  Caesar did not like appearing weak.

The crown was the last straw.  A group of senators secretly began plotting against Caesar from around February of 44 B.C., and it consisted of some of the most influential men in Rome.  Around this time rumors of assassination attempts abounded, as did graffiti against Caesar.  Some of the graffiti reportedly urged Brutus to assassinate Caesar.

Brutus was one of the most influential men in Rome, but not by his own right.  He came from an old and important family.  He was rumored to have been Caesar’s actual son, but it was more likely that Caesar’s affair with his mother began after he was born.  Either way, Brutus’s involvement was a boon to the boni and an embarrassment to Caesar.

We do not know exactly how many men were involved or who was really in charge.  Decius Brutus was one of Caesar’s most trusted military aids.  In addition to Decius Brutus and Marcus Brutus, the conspiracy included several other men who were on the losing side in the war with Pompey, including Cassius, Casca, and the Cimber brothers.

The actual sequence of events on the Ides of March is not exactly clear.  Mark Antony was either part of the conspiracy or separated from Caesar by some subterfuge.  He was a brute of a man and one of Caesar’s staunchest supporters, so conventional wisdom is that he would have protected Caesar if he was there.  The men ensured, somehow, that Caesar made it to the capital where the senate was convening at Pompey’s Theater.

Once there, the senators surrounded Caesar with an imaginary suit.  They had daggers hidden either in their tunics or in the building.  Casca apparently stabbed Caesar first, and an autopsy later suggested that his was the fatal blow.  As Caesar was bleeding out, the other men stabbed him, ending with Brutus.  Caesar reportedly had 23 stab wounds.

After Caesar’s assassination, Rome was thrown into turmoil.  Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators tried to gain control of the senate but it was not easy.  For a while Rome was in another civil war where it seemed like everyone had an army and whoever had the best army would win.  The turning point seems to be when the senate sent Lepidus out to defeat Mark Antony, and he somehow convinced Lepidus to join him instead.  The two of them then combined forces with Caesar’s heir, Octavius Caesar, and formed a triumvirate.

The triumvirate forces took control of Rome, enacting bloody transcriptions to finance their war against Brutus and Cassius.  Those two fled, recruiting an army of their own.  At Philippi the triumvirate finally succeeded, with Cassius and then Brutus committing suicide rather than let themselves be captured and led in triumph through Rome.  Octavius ensured that there were on conspirators left.

What do you think about Newbould and the children's testimony about child labor in the mines? Please see the link:...

This evidence is taken from the Parliamentary Commission of 1842 which sought to understand the working conditions of children employed in British mines. What is most striking about the evidence of William Newbould, a colliery owner, is that is not corroborated by any of his employees. 

According to Newbould, for instance, the children employed in his mine work 12 hours per day. But we learn in the testimony of Hannah Richardson that her nine-year-old son...

This evidence is taken from the Parliamentary Commission of 1842 which sought to understand the working conditions of children employed in British mines. What is most striking about the evidence of William Newbould, a colliery owner, is that is not corroborated by any of his employees. 

According to Newbould, for instance, the children employed in his mine work 12 hours per day. But we learn in the testimony of Hannah Richardson that her nine-year-old son works for 14 hours, from 6 in the morning until 8 at night. Similarly, Newbould maintains that his child employees are not beaten but William Drury, a nine-year-old worker, paints a very different picture: "Sometimes the fillers clout us and hurt us a good deal; sometimes they put candles in our mouths."

What is also interesting from Newbould's testimony is how he seeks to justify the employment of children. He claims, for example, that children would rather be in the mine than at school and that they generally enjoy the work and are in good health. In reality, life in the mines was very different than Newbould portrayed, and this is why the Parliamentary Commission was brought into existence. Despite the claims of William Newbould and other colliery owners, the evidence taken from the child employees shocked the nation and led directly to the 1842 Mines and Collieries Act. This Act forbade the employment of girls in the mines and boys under the age of 10.  This was a crucial first step in establishing standards for child employment and set the standard for how employers, like William Newbould, conducted their business. 

Explain the Bhutanese views on happiness.

The Bhutanese culture contains a very intricate view of happiness.

One aspect of happiness for the people of Bhutan involves embracing unhappiness as a part of human consciousness.  The Bhutanese construction of happiness advocates that the mind openly accept the reality of fear, pain, and misery.  When it does so, it is able to develop the capacity to understand these elements as a natural part of existence.  Energy is not spent in fighting these realities....

The Bhutanese culture contains a very intricate view of happiness.

One aspect of happiness for the people of Bhutan involves embracing unhappiness as a part of human consciousness.  The Bhutanese construction of happiness advocates that the mind openly accept the reality of fear, pain, and misery.  When it does so, it is able to develop the capacity to understand these elements as a natural part of existence.  Energy is not spent in fighting these realities.  The Bhutanese culture does not seek to obliterate sadness. Rather, it trains the mind to recognize the natural presence of these forces in our world. This condition is vastly different than what it featured in the Western world, as author Linda Leaming suggests: “We in the West want to fix it if we’re sad, ... We fear sadness. It’s something to get over, medicate. In Bhutan there’s an acceptance. It’s a part of life.”  Happiness is evident in this natural acceptance because it reduces the unnecessary energy used in trying to push away the misery that is inevitable.

A significant part of this equation for happiness is the Bhutanese attitude towards death.  In many parts of the culture, thinking about death is a part of daily life. Whereas death in the West is seen as something to avoid, the Bhutanese readily accept its presence as evident in many different parts of life.  Children are exposed to deatg at an early age, while adults think about death "at least five times a day."  In thinking about death so much, Karma Ura, the head of the Centre for Bhutan Studies, says happiness is experienced because the person has moved beyond the need to offset the reality of death:  "Rich people in the West, they have not touched dead bodies, fresh wounds, rotten things. This is a problem. This is the human condition. We have to be ready for the moment we cease to exist.”

There can be a natural happiness in accepting death as a part of existence because then death is seen as organic.  There is a greater chance of happiness then because energy is spent welcoming it.  Energy is not spent trying to forcefully go against it. The philosophically painful questions that often accompany death are put aside when it is accepted as organic to life.  

The Bhutanese approach suggests that if we don't question happiness, why should we question unhappiness?  The Bhutanese do not question why life enters the world and thus they should not question why it leaves.  For the most part, acceptance of both realities, life and death, happiness and unhappiness, is where the Bhutan culture has its strengths.  An open embrace of unhappiness and death are instrumental elements in the Bhutanese notions of happiness. 

Who is Mrs. MacIsaac in Fall on Your Knees?

In Ann-Marie MacDonald's multigenerational saga Fall on Your Knees, Mrs. MacIsaac is the wife of the store owner (Mr. MacIsaac). James Piper, the father in the story, visits MacIsaac's store for provisions, though he does not want to speak to many people in town (as they shun him for being a scab and working during a strike).

When James visits MacIsaac's store on page 57, MacIsaac asks him about his wife, Materia, who plays...

In Ann-Marie MacDonald's multigenerational saga Fall on Your Knees, Mrs. MacIsaac is the wife of the store owner (Mr. MacIsaac). James Piper, the father in the story, visits MacIsaac's store for provisions, though he does not want to speak to many people in town (as they shun him for being a scab and working during a strike).

When James visits MacIsaac's store on page 57, MacIsaac asks him about his wife, Materia, who plays the piano. James does not appreciate Materia's talents, and he is very angry when MacIsaac asks after his daughter, Kathleen (as James is very protective of her, to the point of obsession). MacIsaac and his wife do not have any children. When James leaves the store, Mrs. MacIsaac says, "We shouldn't let Piper set foot in here" (page 58). She does not like him because he is a scab. MacIsaac, however, tolerates James because he does not want to punish James's family for the mistakes that James has made. Later, on page 69, Mrs. MacIsaac worries about Materia, who is very pregnant and heading to church with her two children. She worries that Materia is too religious. Later on page 283, the reader learns that Mrs. MacIsaac has died and that many people are surprised that Mr. MacIsaac hasn't, as he has a drinking problem. He goes on to live a long life after giving up drinking. 

What are the overall most important events from chapters 8-14 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that should be included in a plot line?

One of the most important events in Chapter 8 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the moment Miss Maudie's house catches fire, because it leads to further character development.During the fire, Scout and Jem had been commanded by Atticus to stay in front of the Radleys' gate, far away from the fire. Once the danger has passed and the Finch family is back in their own home, Atticus, Scout, and...

One of the most important events in Chapter 8 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the moment Miss Maudie's house catches fire, because it leads to further character development.

During the fire, Scout and Jem had been commanded by Atticus to stay in front of the Radleys' gate, far away from the fire. Once the danger has passed and the Finch family is back in their own home, Atticus, Scout, and Jem are all very surprised to find that Scout is clutching a "brown woolen blanket" around her shoulders. Atticus and Jem are the first to realize it must have been Arthur (Boo) Radley who put the blanket around Scout's shoulders, without her noticing it, since Nathan Radley was helping out at the fire. The moment is significant because it helps Jem further see what a caring and benevolent person Arthur is, not the dangerous person the neighborhood has been led to believe.

A second significant event is the moment Atticus rescues his children and the rest of the neighborhood from a rabid dog in Chapter 10. Prior to this moment, the children saw their father as a "feeble" man incapable of doing anything interesting, such as shoot or play tackle football, due to his old age though he is only in his late forties. However, when the rabid dog comes within shooting range, they are very surprised to witness Sheriff Heck Tate hand his riffle over to Atticus, saying, "Take him, Mr. Finch." At first, Atticus refuses but becomes convinced when Sherriff Tate argues that they need to kill the dog in one shot, and if the bullet misses, it could go straight into the Radleys' house.

The children are astonished to learn that their father is actually a sharpshooter who gave up shooting long ago  because, as Miss Maudie later explains, he saw that his skills put him at an "unfair advantage over most living things." Through this new knowledge about their father, Jem realizes that Atticus is adverse to killing living things because, as he explains to Scout, "Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!" (Ch. 10). Hence, the incident is significant because it helps Jem begin to understand the extant of Atticus's bravery and to associate bravery with being a gentleman. More importantly, it helps Jem begin to associate being brave and gentlemanly with protecting the innocent.

Explore the way Steinbeck presents ideas about the good and bad in people, specifically Curley's wife and Crooks. Can somebody help me to write...

What I'll do to help answer your question is outline the ideal structure of an introductory paragraph and then correlate it specifically to your prompt:

• 
  Hook: The opening line of an introduction paragraph should be one that "hooks" your readers' interest in the overall themes or arguments found in your paragraph. A hook could be a question, a quotation, a statistic, a hyperbolic claim, or another attention-grabbing sentence. Given that your essay addresses the ways in which Steinbeck uses his characters to illustrate and comment on "good" and "bad" people, I would encourage you to focus on that theme: what makes someone good or bad? 


• 
  TAG: A crucial element for your introduction paragraph is to provide your readers with literary context: the title, author, and genre of the work in question. For your purposes, you want to make sure that your intro. paragraph reveals that you will be discussing John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men. 


• 
  Context: You'll want to take a moment to offer a brief overview of the ideas that your essay will touch upon. This is different than providing a preview of your argument; it is more important for your readers to understand the types of ideas that they will be reading about than to know about the order of paragraphs in your essay. As I don't know what your essay is going to argue, I can't provide much guidance here. 


• 
  Thesis Statement: A solid introduction paragraph ends with a definitive argument. Keep in mind that your argument is not about which characters are good and which characters are bad, but that it should be an argument that seeks to explain how Steinbeck illustrates characters as good and/or bad. 

Good luck!

What new game do Jem, Scout, and Dill come up with in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem, Scout and Dill play a new game where they act out Boo Radley’s life story.

Jem, Scout and Dill like to playact.  They take stories from movies or books and act them out in the yard.  Dill is so fascinated with the story of the neighborhood bogeyman Boo Radley that they decide to use his life as inspiration for their plays.  Their story is “woven from bits and scraps of gossip and neighborhood legend.”  Scout...

Jem, Scout and Dill play a new game where they act out Boo Radley’s life story.

Jem, Scout and Dill like to playact.  They take stories from movies or books and act them out in the yard.  Dill is so fascinated with the story of the neighborhood bogeyman Boo Radley that they decide to use his life as inspiration for their plays.  Their story is “woven from bits and scraps of gossip and neighborhood legend.”  Scout plays Mrs. Radley, Dill plays Mr. Radley, and Jem hams it up as a crazy young Boo.

As the summer progressed, so did our game. We polished and perfected it, added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play upon which we rang changes every day. (Ch. 4)

Atticus does not approve of the game.  He tells the children to leave the Radleys alone.  Scout is sure that Boo can see them and is at first afraid to take part in the game.   Atticus just feels that the Radleys have been victimized enough.  He does not want his children acting out town gossip for all to see.

Atticus’s arrival was the second reason I wanted to quit the game. The first reason happened the day I rolled into the Radley front yard. Through all the headshaking, quelling of nausea and Jem-yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk. Someone inside the house was laughing. (Ch. 4)

Clearly, Boo Radley is entertained by the game.  He probably thinks it is funny that someone is taking an interest in him.  He leads a lonely life as a recluse, and he enjoys watching the children.  He comes to be protective of them, carefully leaving the safety of his house to hide presents for them, looking out for them, and finally saving their lives when Bob Ewell attacks them.

How would the story "Through the Tunnel" change if it was told in first-person narration?

For one, the story could not really exist as it is if it were told from Jerry's mother's first-person perspective.  Because she is clearly unaware of the dangerous choices Jerry is making when she's not with him, the story would not include his time with the older boys, practicing, or actually swimming through the tunnel.  It would likely just focus on her own anxieties as she sits on the "safe beach."

If, however, the story...

For one, the story could not really exist as it is if it were told from Jerry's mother's first-person perspective.  Because she is clearly unaware of the dangerous choices Jerry is making when she's not with him, the story would not include his time with the older boys, practicing, or actually swimming through the tunnel.  It would likely just focus on her own anxieties as she sits on the "safe beach."

If, however, the story were told from Jerry's first-person perspective, then we would lose, most importantly, all the references to what his mother is thinking as well as what the older boys think when he joins them in the "wild bay."  Because her internal conflict is helpful to our understanding of where Jerry is in his maturation and development, we would miss the majority of that context if we were unable to know her feelings and fears.  We might even condemn her for her choice to allow a child who seems so incapable of making good decisions independently to leave her sight.  Further, it helps us to see how the older boys view him as well, to know pretty clearly how they interpret his childish antics.

What are some topics throughout the novel that could connect to an essay about the presence of education in Jane Eyre?

Since you are under time pressure, you might consider focusing on Jane Eyre's experiences at Lowood School, which is a harsh, unloving institution for orphan children like herself. Lowood School is a good representation of the type of educational institution available to children with no money, no protector, and no power. You can get most of what you need out of Chapter 5 of the book. You could possibly simply summarize that chapter, picking out...

Since you are under time pressure, you might consider focusing on Jane Eyre's experiences at Lowood School, which is a harsh, unloving institution for orphan children like herself. Lowood School is a good representation of the type of educational institution available to children with no money, no protector, and no power. You can get most of what you need out of Chapter 5 of the book. You could possibly simply summarize that chapter, picking out the school's worst features. You might want to compare them with the institution which harbored Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist for so many years of his childhood. Jane Eyre went on to become a teacher herself. She became a governess in the household of Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester where her chief responsibility is to tutor a little girl who is Rochester's ward. Private tutoring was a major form of instruction in England in Victorian times. Being a governess and tutor was one of the few careers open to young unmarried women with middle-class backgrounds and some education. Jane's personal experiences at Lowood School and at Thornfield might be sufficient to give a sample of English education.

How is Lyddie independent throughout her life? What are the events that show she is independent?

Lyddie is independent because she takes charge and doesn’t let others tell her what to do.

Lyddie shows independence when she saves her family from the bear, when she gets her own job after being fired from the pub, and when she protects Brigid from Mr. Marsden.

Lyddie’s independence showed through in every challenge she faced.  The first time we see Lyddie challenged is when the bear attacks.  Lyddie and her family are in their house when the bear comes in.  Lyddie takes charge immediately and orders everyone into the loft.

They obeyed her, even Mama, though Lyddie could hear her sucking in her breath. Behind Lyddie's back, the ladder creaked, as two by two, first Charles and Agnes, then Mama and Rachel, climbed up into the loft. Lyddie glared straight into the bear's eyes, daring him to step forward into the cabin. (Ch. 1)

This incident demonstrates how Lyddie is able to think quickly and react even when no one else can.  Her mother should have been the one to protect the family, but she was incapable of doing so and Lyddie stepped up.  Not only was no one harmed, but the bear left because Lyddie did not back down.

When Lyddie is hired out to the tavern owner Mrs. Cutler, she is horrified.  She doesn't want to be anyone's slave.  When Lyddie is fired from this same job, she does not give up.  She takes control of her own life and goes to get a job in a factory.

"I'm going to be a factory girl, Triphena."
"You what?"
"I'm free. She's set me free. I can do anything I want. I can go to Lowell and make real money to pay off the debt so I can go home." (Ch. 6)

Lyddie still wants to work to pay off the family debts and hopefully get the family back together again someday, so she takes the factory job.  Since it was her own choice, she feels more independent.  She is a hard worker and demonstrates her worth to the factory, which gives her more and more work.

Part of Lyddie's job is to train Brigid, an Irish girl who comes to the factory knowing nothing. Lyddie is annoyed at first to have a trainee slowing her down, but she comes to be very protective of Brigid, teaching her to read and looking out for her.  When Brigid is attacked by Mr. Marsden, Lyddie intervenes.  She is fired for doing so.

Even though Lyddie has lost her job, she makes sure to continue protecting Brigid.  She writes a letter to Mr. Marsden's wife which she tells Brigid to mail if anything happens.

"It can't be helped. It's done. But they must not dismiss you. I've already written a letter to Mr. Marsden. I told him if he dismissed you or bothered you in any way I would tell his wife exactly what happened in the weaving room. Now here is the letter addressed to her. If there is any problem you must mail it at once." (Ch. 22)

Lyddie's reaction to being fired, again, demonstrates her independence and reliance.  Lyddie insists on helping Brigid and making sure that Brigid is okay.  Lyddie knows that she will be all right herself because she never lets anyone get her down.

In the first chapter of Elie Wiesel's Night, how does Moshe the Beadle change?

Moshe the Beadle is a key character in the first chapter of Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night. He is an eccentric man who draws the attention of young Elie. After Elie’s father forbids him from learning about Jewish mysticism, Elie goes to Moshe for lessons. To Elie, Moshe is a brilliant, sympathetic person.

As Moshe the Beadle is a foreigner, he is expelled with other foreign Jews early on in the war. For a time...

Moshe the Beadle is a key character in the first chapter of Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night. He is an eccentric man who draws the attention of young Elie. After Elie’s father forbids him from learning about Jewish mysticism, Elie goes to Moshe for lessons. To Elie, Moshe is a brilliant, sympathetic person.

As Moshe the Beadle is a foreigner, he is expelled with other foreign Jews early on in the war. For a time Elie believes that Moshe is at a work camp, and that he might actually be happy there. One day Elie finds Moshe sitting on a bench near Sighet’s synagogue.

Moshe tells a story of slaughter, that the Germans made the Jewish prisoners dig their own graves before killing them. The children were used for target practice. He escaped only by playing dead. “The joy in his eyes was gone,” Wiesel writes. “He no longer sang. He no longer mentioned either God or the Kabbalah. He spoke only of what he had seen.” Moshe spends the remainder of the first chapter telling other Jews his story, urging them to escape while they still can. Unfortunately, no one believes him.

When a thick glass slab is placed over some printed matter, the letters appear raised. Why?

The letters appear raised because of a phenomenon known as refraction.When light travels from one medium to another, it bends (either towards or away from the normal). This happens because different media have different densities and thus, the speed of light is different in each one of them. This causes the light to slow down or speed up, depending on the medium. Note that refraction takes place at the interface of two media, air...

The letters appear raised because of a phenomenon known as refraction. When light travels from one medium to another, it bends (either towards or away from the normal). This happens because different media have different densities and thus, the speed of light is different in each one of them. This causes the light to slow down or speed up, depending on the medium. Note that refraction takes place at the interface of two media, air and glass in this case. Also note that refraction only takes place when the light is incident obliquely to the medium and not along a normal drawn to it.

Thus, when we look at letters printed on a piece of paper through a glass slab obliquely, the light rays bend at air-glass interface and the letters appear raised to us. We can also think about it by considering two light rays from the printed letters. These rays would be refracted on coming out of glass slab (and into air). If these rays were to be extended backwards, they will meet at a slightly raised position, giving us the illusion that letters are raised.

Similar observations are there when we look at the bottom of a swimming pool. It appears raised. A pencil dipped partially in a glass of water appears displaced at the water-air interface. 

Hope this helps. 

What impact did the Boston Massacre have?

On the night of March 5, 1770, an event occurred in Boston that was known as the Boston Massacre. The colonists had gathered outside of the Custom house in Boston to protest British policies. As the colonists pressed closer to the soldiers guarding the Custom house, the soldiers became nervous. The colonists were throwing snowballs at the soldiers and were yelling insults at them. Suddenly, shots were fired, and five colonists were killed. While this...

On the night of March 5, 1770, an event occurred in Boston that was known as the Boston Massacre. The colonists had gathered outside of the Custom house in Boston to protest British policies. As the colonists pressed closer to the soldiers guarding the Custom house, the soldiers became nervous. The colonists were throwing snowballs at the soldiers and were yelling insults at them. Suddenly, shots were fired, and five colonists were killed. While this event really doesn’t qualify as a massacre, the colonists propagandized this event and made it sound much worse by calling it the Boston Massacre.

This was a significant event. For the first time in the dispute with Great Britain, colonists were killed while protesting British actions and policies. For some colonists, this was a turning point in our relationship with Great Britain. Some colonists began to believe that independence from Great Britain was the only solution. After the Boston massacre occurred, the British Parliament ended all of the Townshend Acts taxes except for the tax on tea. The colonists also reorganized the committees of correspondence. As time passed, more events occurred that led the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain. The Boston Massacre was an important step in moving in that direction.

What are three fears that Jem Finch experienced?

Three occasions in which Jem has experienced fear are the following:

1. Jem is fearful of going onto the Radley porch in order to peek through the window with the broken shutter.


2. He is afraid that Atticus will find out that he has lied to him about playing with matches.


3. He is certainly frightened when he is attacked by Bob Ewell.

1. In Chapter 6, Jem takes a dare from Dill and steps onto the porch of the Radley house, trying to leave a note for Boo, but it keeps falling. Scout and Dill see a shadow on the porch, moving toward Jem. When Jem sees it, he "put his arms over his head and went rigid" in fear. After the shadow moves, Jem runs and shoos Scout and Dill along with him as they hear a shotgun fire. Jem's breath "came in sobs."

2. Later in the chapter, Jem tells Scout that he must go back for his pants which were caught on the Radley fence. He was forced to climb out of them in order to make his getaway; however, he has lied to his father, saying he lost them to Dill as they were playing with matches for each other's clothing. 
In the privacy of the porch where they sleep in the summertime, Jem explains to Scout that despite his fear of returning to the Radleys, he must retrieve his pants lest Atticus find out that he has lied. So, his fear of losing his father's respect is greater than his fear of Boo Radley and his house.

3. In Chapter 29 as Jem and Scout return from the Halloween program, they hear someone following them, but believe it to be Cecil Jacobs. All of a sudden, Scout hears a scuffle; she hears a scream come from her brother, and then she is attacked. 
Fortunately, they are rescued by Boo Radley, but both Jem and Scout have been frightened by the attack from the hateful Bob Ewell who has vowed revenge upon Atticus.

What are the characteristics of British people?

A British person is anyone who identifies as being a part of British culture on the basis of shared language, history, and customs. Most British people are born in one of its comprising countries- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While the primary language spoken throughout Britain is English, many other languages are spoken throughout the land. It is not uncommon for someone to  have grown up speaking Scots or Irish Gaelic or Welsh in...

A British person is anyone who identifies as being a part of British culture on the basis of shared language, history, and customs. Most British people are born in one of its comprising countries- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While the primary language spoken throughout Britain is English, many other languages are spoken throughout the land. It is not uncommon for someone to  have grown up speaking Scots or Irish Gaelic or Welsh in their home but using English at school and in public places.

People may feel that their religious identity is a part of or related to their national identity as a British person. Christian sects like Anglicanism, Protestantism, and Presbyterianism are all common throughout the British Isles. In Northern Ireland, religious identity has long been tied to national identity, and there is a long history of conflict concerning the more traditional Roman Catholic identity versus the Protestant (and therefore English) identity. 

Depending on the region a person is from, they may feel that their customs are a part of local identity or greater national identity. One of the things most British people generally agree unites them in a common identity is the love of football (called soccer in the United States.) Though football is by no means strictly British, many people grow up playing and watching this beloved sport and so consider it a part of their identity. A long history of imperialism and trade also sets up a number of staples in British life, such as tea and sugar.

One of the things that foreigners feel is distinctive about Great Britain is that they have maintained a monarchical figurehead, even throughout all of the revolutions and depositions of monarchs which have occurred in Europe. British people value tradition and what tradition means for their national identity. Even for those who do not see themselves as "sticking to the old ways," they typically have respect for traditional customs and values. Even the most rebellious young Brit will defend their queen and country when they feel their identity is being threatened!