Why is the narrator upset with Fortunato?

The narrator, Montresor, is angry with Fortunato because he feels that Fortunato has injured and insulted him.  He says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."  It sounds as though Fortunato has wounded Montresor many times, but something has changed now, and it is perhaps that Fortunato has wounded Montresor's pride; this new insult was the straw that broke the camel's...

The narrator, Montresor, is angry with Fortunato because he feels that Fortunato has injured and insulted him.  He says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."  It sounds as though Fortunato has wounded Montresor many times, but something has changed now, and it is perhaps that Fortunato has wounded Montresor's pride; this new insult was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

It isn't hard to believe that Fortunato would be willing to insult Montresor, as we see him all too willing to do so during the story.  He doesn't believe that the wine Montresor purchased without consulting him could actually be Amontillado, and he says, "'You have been imposed upon.  And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado.'"  Thus, Fortunato insults the discernment and taste of both Montresor and Luchesi, another locally-respected wine connoisseur.  Then, as he and Montresor walk further into the catacombs, Fortunato seems to take pleasure in pointing out that Montresor is not a member of the brotherhood of Freemasons.  When Montresor says that he is a mason, Fortunato doesn't believe him, and says, "'You?  Impossible!  A mason?'" He clearly wishes to lord over Montresor the fact that he belongs to this ancient brotherhood and Montresor does not, and his only motivation can be to insult Montresor again.

An atom with an abnormal amount of neutrons is called a(n)_?

Elements are made up of atoms. Atoms consist of sub-atomic particles: protons, electrons and neutrons. The number of protons in an atom is equal to its atomic number, while the sum of neutrons and protons is the mass number or atomic mass. 

Not all the atoms of an element contain the equal number of neutrons. Some atoms contain more and some less. These atoms that contain an abnormal number of neutrons are called isotopes....

Elements are made up of atoms. Atoms consist of sub-atomic particles: protons, electrons and neutrons. The number of protons in an atom is equal to its atomic number, while the sum of neutrons and protons is the mass number or atomic mass. 

Not all the atoms of an element contain the equal number of neutrons. Some atoms contain more and some less. These atoms that contain an abnormal number of neutrons are called isotopes. Thus, an isotope will have the same atomic number as all other copies of the atom, but a different mass number. The average atomic mass of an element is thus dependent on the relative abundance of different isotopes of that element. Average atomic mass is the sum of atomic mass of each isotope times its relative abundance.

For example, carbon has two isotopes: C-12 and C-13, with relative abundances of 98.91% and 1.1%, respectively. The average atomic mass of carbon is 12 x 0.9891 + 13 x 0.011 = 12.012 amu (atomic mass unit).

Hope this helps. 

What has influenced Holden Caulfield's character development and in what way(s)?

Holden Caulfield's character development is mostly influenced by his little brother Allie's death 2-3 years previous to the current time period of the story. Throughout Holden's adventures, everything always seems to come back to the fact that he hasn't dealt with the death of his brother in a healthy way. He never got the mental and emotional help he needed after Allie's death; and this is the foundation upon which his mental breakdown builds. For example, Holden does not take Allie's death well from the moment he died, as shown in the following passage:

"I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken. . ." (39).

Clearly, Holden needed immediate psychological help, but he only received a cast and was shipped back to prep school where he would wallow in grief alone. After that, Holden can't seem to apply himself to his school work and he sees everyone as phonies--fake people he can't trust. When he gets kicked out of his third school, Pencey, this is where the book starts and there has already been too much time pass with Holden stewing in his grief. The effect? Holden goes AWOL (absent without leave) and places himself in some scary and life-threatening situations for three days as he avoids facing his parents about getting kicked out of school again. 

Phoebe, his little sister, is the only person with whom Holden discusses Allie in detail, as follows:

"I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake-especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all" (171).

The above passage shows Holden trying to come to grips with his feelings that no one could ever be as nice or as real as his brother Allie. Everyone else is a phony except for maybe the nuns that he met having breakfast at a diner one morning and his little sister. If everyone was not phony in Holden's mind, then he probably would have reached out to his parents or a school counselor for help; but as it was, he felt alone and needed to take matters into his own hands and run away. 

How would a Georgian during the antebellum period likely have earned a living?

Before the Civil War, the United States was divided by many factors. One of those factors was economic. The North was mainly an area with lots of industries. With many natural resources nearby, with good ports, and with a climate not well suited for farming, it was natural for the North to develop many industries. The South, on the other hand, had a good climate for farming. The weather was warm and mild. The South...

Before the Civil War, the United States was divided by many factors. One of those factors was economic. The North was mainly an area with lots of industries. With many natural resources nearby, with good ports, and with a climate not well suited for farming, it was natural for the North to develop many industries. The South, on the other hand, had a good climate for farming. The weather was warm and mild. The South had very fertile soil. Thus, it made sense for the South to concentrate on farming.

A person living in Georgia before the Civil War was very likely a farmer. This person may have been a small farmer with no or few slaves, or this person may have been a plantation owner with many slaves. It is very likely one of the crops this person would have grown was cotton. By 1860, cotton was the main export of the South. Some people may also have grown rice.

It is very likely a person in Georgia before the Civil War was a farmer growing either cotton or rice.

Compare and contrast revolutionary and reform movements in Mexico and China during 1890-1914. How were their goals and methods similar and...

The Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 both centered on the fight to secure social and political reforms, but the Chinese Revolution was significant for its part in overthrowing the centuries-old imperial system in China. The Chinese Revolution in 1911 led to the establishment of the republic of China under Sun Yat Sen; however, the continued fight for working class reforms eventually culminated in the Revolution of 1949, a conflict that ushered in decades of Communist rule which has lasted until today.

The Chinese Revolution of 1911 heralded the fall of the Qing Dynasty after the imperial ruler failed to execute meaningful working-class reforms on behalf of the population. The Emperor Guangxu, a liberal-minded ruler, was actually open to the industrialization and development of China; with the support of like-minded senior officials, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, Guangxu called for a series of reforms and issued edicts to modernize China. However, the Emperor Guangxu's efforts were stymied by the Dowager Empress Cixi, who felt that the reforms were far too extreme. The Empress managed to engineer a coup to dethrone the young Emperor and to take over as Regent.

With power in her hands, the Empress nullified all edicts issued by Emperor Guangxu. In retaliation, she also had the six main proponents of the edicts executed: they were Lin Xu, Yang Shenxiu, Liu Guangdi, Yagn Rui, Tan Sitong, and Kang Guangren.

Read more : The Hundred Days Reform of 1898.

Read about Sun Yat Sen's three principles for revolution.

To preserve her power, the Empress allowed some reforms to go forward. For example, the civil service examination system that had favored Chinese elites was eliminated. However, the Empress' half-hearted and lackluster efforts to appease the people failed. If anything, followers of Sun Yat Sen believed that the overthrow of the entire Qing Dynasty was the only acceptable answer to China's woes. The 1911 Revolution set in motion an overarching struggle that was to eventually culminate in the emergence of Communist China on the world stage.

On the other side of the ocean, the Mexican Revolution of 1910 began as a middle class struggle against the enduring dictatorship of one Porfirio Diaz, an Army officer. The emerging middle class in Mexico agitated for freedom of the press, representation in the political arena, and elimination of the provincial oligarchies that had prevented them from benefiting from foreign investment dollars. Unlike China, Mexico did not have to endure a series of humiliating treaties that was to see numerous ports of entry appropriated for foreign use. Similar to China, however, was the enduring struggle to secure a representative form of government.

The dictator, Diaz, was soon replaced by a wealthy landowner, Francisco Madero, who became the president of Mexico in 1911. However, Madero was never able to push back successfully against the old guard, the Diaz supporters, who agitated for a return to the status quo. Madero was eventually replaced by another revolutionary leader, Victoriano Huerta. However, Huerta was even less successful than Madero, and he was soon challenged by Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, populist leaders who led years of violent revolt until 1920, when Alvaro Obregon became president of Mexico. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 was to culminate in the eventual recognition of labor unions and peasant organizations and the creation of a Mexican petroleum company in 1940. Today, Mexico is part of the economic conglomerate of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) countries.

So, while both the Mexican and Chinese revolutions were predicated on the fight to secure social and political reforms, both revolutions led to differing degrees of economic and political independence in the respective countries.

Why do you think Dallas helps the two boys escape and does not encourage them to go the police in The Outsiders?

Dally did not recommend that Pony and Johnny go to the police because the greasers do not trust the police.

Pony goes to great lengths to describe the difference between Socs and greasers.  The Socs are rich kids, and they have everything handed to them.  They get all the breaks.  When Socs get into trouble, no one pays much attention.  The greasers have run-ins with the law all the time.

We're poorer than the Socs...

Dally did not recommend that Pony and Johnny go to the police because the greasers do not trust the police.

Pony goes to great lengths to describe the difference between Socs and greasers.  The Socs are rich kids, and they have everything handed to them.  They get all the breaks.  When Socs get into trouble, no one pays much attention.  The greasers have run-ins with the law all the time.

We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next. (Ch. 1)

Johnny and Pony are considered juvenile delinquents.  That is just society’s impression of the greaser.  When Bob attacks them and they fight back, they know that the blame will be put on them and not Bob.  Bob was drunk and he was the aggressor, but he was rich and they are poor.  There is no way the cops will give them a fair shake.

Dally knows this.  Johnny and Pony go to him after Johnny kills Bob because he has had many run-ins with the law and knows what to do.  He takes charge immediately, helping Johnny and Pony skip town.

"Hop the three-fifteen freight to Windrixville," Dally instructed. "There's an old abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in back so don't worry about water. Buy a week's supply of food as soon as you get there--- this morning, before the story gets out, and then don't so much as stick your noses out the door…” (Ch. 4)

It is a good plan.  Dally was going to meet with them as soon as he could.  The problem was that a group of kids showed up and the church caught fire.  Dally, Pony, and Johnny tried to rescue them.  The paper praised them as juvenile delinquents turned heroes.  They were all hurt, but Johnny was hurt the most seriously and never did recover.

At a track meet, a runner runs the 100-m dash in 12s. What was the runner's average speed?

A runner runs 100 meters in 12 seconds and we are asked to find the average speed.

The average speed is the total distance divided by the total time over some interval. This is the rate of change of distance with respect to time. Here the average speed is given by (100m)/(12s) or 8 & 1/3 m/s, or 8.33.

The average speed is 8 and 1/3 m/s.

This can be converted to other units such...

A runner runs 100 meters in 12 seconds and we are asked to find the average speed.

The average speed is the total distance divided by the total time over some interval. This is the rate of change of distance with respect to time. Here the average speed is given by (100m)/(12s) or 8 & 1/3 m/s, or 8.33.

The average speed is 8 and 1/3 m/s.

This can be converted to other units such as km/hr or miles per hour:

(a) km/hr: 25/3 m/s * 1/1000 km/m * 3600/1 s/hr = 30 km/hr

(b) mi/hr: 25/3 m/s * 3600/1 s/hr * 100 cm/m * 1/2.54 in/cm *1/12 ft/in*1/5280 mi/ft = 18.64 mi/hr

In general speed can be thought of as the rate, where d=rt with d the distance traveled, r the rate, and t the time. So, we have 100m=r(12s), so r=100/12 m/s or 8 and 1/3 m/s.

What is meant by, "Themselves compelled at midnight and at noon to watch with steadfast eye their destinies"?

Let's look first at the overall theme of James Garber's poem. He is a man ruminating over how brief and unsatisfying life has proven to be. This poem may be the most existential in the series, in that it seems to address the brevity and absurdity of existence.

Love cannot save him or anyone else, for, eventually, love is lost. The "faces of friends and kindred / Become as faded photographs, pitifully silent," meaning they...

Let's look first at the overall theme of James Garber's poem. He is a man ruminating over how brief and unsatisfying life has proven to be. This poem may be the most existential in the series, in that it seems to address the brevity and absurdity of existence.

Love cannot save him or anyone else, for, eventually, love is lost. The "faces of friends and kindred / Become as faded photographs, pitifully silent," meaning they have died. Those who are gone cannot help us.

The response, when one is left alone, is to "reproach mankind," or to be angry at the world. This, too, ceases because, according to Garber, all of mankind (those who are referenced by "themselves") must also recognize their unfortunate fate, which will be to lose loved ones. The phrase, "they are compelled at midnight and at noon" suggests that time will not release them. They must "watch with steadfast eye their destinies" implies that they must be strong—must carry on—in spite of their pain and losses.

By the end of the poem, there is no optimism, but there is a collective sense of existential dissatisfaction. Garber tells us, from the grave, that none of us can do anything to relieve the soul's longing. We will always want and will inevitably end up dissatisfied, but must carry on nonetheless.

What quotes show that Scout does not understand the trial?

Atticus gives Jem and Scout strict instructions not to go to the courthouse on the day of the trial. Jem has other ideas, and since Dill happens to be there, too, all three kids sneak into the balcony to watch the proceedings in chapter 17. When Bob Ewell gets up to give his testimony, though, discussion about the rape comes up and Reverend Sykes tells Jem that he should take Scout home to protect her...

Atticus gives Jem and Scout strict instructions not to go to the courthouse on the day of the trial. Jem has other ideas, and since Dill happens to be there, too, all three kids sneak into the balcony to watch the proceedings in chapter 17. When Bob Ewell gets up to give his testimony, though, discussion about the rape comes up and Reverend Sykes tells Jem that he should take Scout home to protect her ears. Jem doesn't want to leave for a minute, so he tells the Reverend the following:

"I think it's okay, Reverend, she doesn't understand it. . . she ain't nine yet" (173).

Scout argues that she can understand anything that Jem can, but that's debatable when Atticus starts to demonstrate the Mr. Ewell is left-handed, which will prove that he beat up his own daughter in order to make it look like she had been raped. Scout says the following:

"I was becoming nervous. Atticus seemed to know what he was doing--but it seemed to me that he'd gone frog-sticking without a light. Never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to. . . Do it, and you'll often get an answer you don't want" (177).

This passage above shows that Scout does not know what Atticus is getting at by asking Bob Ewell to demonstrate the use of his dominant hand. Jem has "a quiet fit" because he understands that Atticus just proved Mr. Ewell is left-handed, and Scout could follow that, but then she says that Tom could be left-handed as well. Scout sees Tom sitting down there with strong shoulders and thick neck and determines that he could have beat up Mayella just as well as her father could have. It isn't until the middle of chapter 18, when Atticus has Mayella on cross-examination, that Tom Robinson stands up and shows everyone that his left arm is crippled and about a whole twelve inches shorter than his right arm. Scout and Jem realize more fully at this point what proving Bob Ewell's dominant hand does to support Tom's side of the story. 

Because of how far back and up the kids were sitting in the courtroom, Scout and Jem could not see, nor could they have known, that Tom's left arm was crippled. Until he stood up to show the courtroom that he physically could not have strangled or hit Mayella as she was testifying, Scout did not understand the full implication of her father's left-handed writing demonstration with Mr. Ewell. Anyone else who may not have known about Tom's disability should have been able to reasonably see that he could not have done what the uneducated and lying Ewells were saying he did. 

How is suspense created in "All Summer in a Day"?

Suspense is built into "All Summer in A Day" from the beginning. It starts with the children asking questions: "Ready? ... Now?" that make us wonder what they are waiting for. We soon learn that it rains all the time on the planet Venus, and, like the children, we as readers long for the brief hour when the sun will soon shine for the first time in seven years:

All day yesterday they had read...

Suspense is built into "All Summer in A Day" from the beginning. It starts with the children asking questions: "Ready? ... Now?" that make us wonder what they are waiting for. We soon learn that it rains all the time on the planet Venus, and, like the children, we as readers long for the brief hour when the sun will soon shine for the first time in seven years:

All day yesterday they had read in class about the sun. About how like a lemon it was, and how hot.

As we enter imaginatively into the lives of these children, we are in suspense about how they will react to the sunshine they have no memory of having ever seen. Then, after the children lock Margot in the closet right before the sun comes out, we wonder if she'll be released in time to see the sun, as we know she has been longing to do. At the end, when the children go to release Margot after it is too late, Bradbury slows down the action to build our suspense about what has happened to her:

They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it. Behind the closet door was only silence.

These pauses build suspense. All through the story, Bradbury has prepared us to anticipate what will happen next.

What are some of the poetic techniques used in "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou and important points about the poem?

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou is the title poem of a collection she published in 1978. It addresses the issues of racial and gender oppression, seeking to subvert them through a refusal to yield to the oppressor's attempts to define the subaltern.

The poem's first person narrator is an African-American woman who speaks directly to an audience addressed only as 'you". Although we are not informed as to whether this you is singular or...

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou is the title poem of a collection she published in 1978. It addresses the issues of racial and gender oppression, seeking to subvert them through a refusal to yield to the oppressor's attempts to define the subaltern.

The poem's first person narrator is an African-American woman who speaks directly to an audience addressed only as 'you". Although we are not informed as to whether this you is singular or collective or refers to the reader or all members of the privileged classes, races, and genders who oppress the narrator, the attitude of the narrator to the addressee is one of defiance. The poem begins with the assertion:

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise ...

In terms of poetic form, the first seven stanzas are quatrains with somewhat irregular rhythmic patterns, mainly rhymed ABCB. These quatrains recite the ways in which the narrator with act out her defiance of the white patriarchy by asserting her pride and her ownership of her own body. The final two stanza of the poem seem to reject the traditional quatrain form along with the culture that created it.

The most distinctive element of the poem is the repetition of the words "I rise", indicative of the way the narrator will not be held down by the forces of gender, economic, or ethnic oppression. 

What are the arguments of Decius Brutus to induce Caesar to "come forth" in Julius Caesar?

Decius argues that Caesar will be considered cowardly and that the senate is planning to give him a crown.

Decius Brutus was a trusted lieutenant of Julius Caesar, so when the assassins needed someone to make sure that Caesar made it to the senate on the day they planned to kill him, he was the logical choice.  Decius was also very persuasive, and for this reason they were sure that no matter what, Decius could get Caesar to the capital.

When Cassius worries that Caesar may not come on the Ides of March, Decius Brutus explains that he can make Caesar come no matter what.

Never fear that: if he be so resolved,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils and men with flatterers … (Act 2, Scene 1)

Caesar trusts Decius Brutus.  He seems to value his advice.  Of course, there is no reason Caesar has not to trust him.  He has no idea what someone so close to him would turn against him.  So when Decius Brutus shows up, he is not the least bit suspicious of his motives.

Caesar tells Decius that he won’t go to the capital that day, and tells Decius to tell the other senators that he is sick.  Decius responds that they will laugh at him and want to know the cause.  Caesar responds that his will is the cause, and that is all they need.

Decius does not give up.  When Caesar tells him about Calpurnia’s prophetic dream, which she has interpreted as meaning that Caesar is in danger, Decius’s golden tongue finds a way to twist the dream into a positive.

This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified. (Act 2, Scene 2)

Caesar falls for it.  He prefers Decius’s interpretation to Calpurnia’s.  He does not want to seem like a coward, or someone who can be persuaded by a woman.  When Decius tells him that the senate plans to give “a crown to mighty Caesar” that day, and they may change their minds if Caesar does not come, that seems to be the clincher.

Why would Caesar refuse a crown three times from Mark Antony, and then greedily agree to go to the senate when Decius Brutus tells him that he is being awarded a crown?  There could be several reasons.  One interpretation is that Caesar really did want to be king, and the crown on the Feast of Lupercal was just a way of testing public opinion.  Refusing it was a publicity stunt. 

Another interpretation is that Caesar did not want to appoint himself king, but would accept the senate doing it.  Of course, he might have also just wanted to go to stop them from crowning him king, since he vehemently argued that he did not want to be king. Whatever the reason, Caesar went to the capital.

Where does the novel show that Jem is maturing through his actions?

In Part Two of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem begins to mature into a young man. There are several scenes that depict Jem's maturation through the remainder of the novel. In Chapter 14, after Scout gets an attitude with Aunt Alexandra, Jem tries to tell her that she needs to stop antagonizing Alexandra for the sake of Atticus. Jem is displaying his maturation by understanding his father's growing anxiety due to the upcoming trial, and attempts to discuss his sister's attitude. Jem fails after telling Scout she can't understand Atticus' stress because she "can't hold something in her mind but a little while," and refers to himself as a grown up. Shortly after Scout fights Jem, the children discover Dill has been hiding under Scout's bed. When Dill climbs out from under the bed, Jem tells Atticus. Scout says, "he rose and broke the remaining code our childhood." (Lee 188) By calling his father, Jem displays his maturity because he realizes how serious the situation is. He understands that there are many people concerned about Dill's well-being, and Jem must quickly inform an adult.

In Chapter 15, Atticus travels to the Maycomb jailhouse to sit outside of Tom Robinson's cell. Jem is concerned for his father's safety and decides to go look for him to see if he's alright. When the children arrive at the jailhouse, they see a group of men surrounding Atticus. Scout runs out into the middle of the group, and Jem runs after her. Atticus tells Jem to go home and take the children with him, but Jem refuses to leave. Atticus asks him again, but Jem stubbornly refuses to leave. Fortunately, the mob goes home after Walter Cunningham Sr. realizes the weight of the situation. As Atticus and the children walk home, Scout notices that Atticus is massaging Jem's head, which is a sign of affection. Scout is too young to understand that Atticus is proud of Jem for standing up and refusing to leave. Jem displays maturity by recognizing that his father was in danger and making the bold decision to disobey Atticus' directives.

Following the Tom Robinson trial, where Jem and the children witness racial injustice first-hand and lose their childhood innocence, Jem begins to view situations with a new perspective. At the beginning of Chapter 25, Scout is poking a roly-poly bug and is about to squash it, when Jem tells her, "Don't do that, Scout. Set him out on the back steps." (Lee 317) When Scout asks Jem why couldn't she smash it, he says, "Because they don't bother you." (Lee 320) This scene conveys Jem's maturation in the novel. Jem has witnessed an innocent man, Tom Robinson, lose his life at the hands of a prejudiced community. He understands the importance of Atticus' lesson that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds symbolize innocent beings, and Jem knows that the roly-poly should not be harmed because it does nothing to bother anybody. By stopping Scout from squashing the innocent bug, Jem displays his growth and maturation throughout the novel.

On what page is Thoreau's passage beginning "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life,...

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. 

The passage to which your question refers is to be found in Chapter 2 of Walden, which is titled "Where I Lived and What I Lived For." There are, of...

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. 

The passage to which your question refers is to be found in Chapter 2 of Walden, which is titled "Where I Lived and What I Lived For." There are, of course, many editions of Thoreau's book and the full quote will appear on different pages in different editions. In my paperback Dover Thrift Edition of Walden; or, Life in the Woods, the passage appears on page 59. This is about halfway through Chapter 2. However, it is easy to find it in the study guide for Walden, which contains the complete eText of the book. You can get to the study guide by clicking on the reference link below. The study guide for Walden also contains many pages of valuable reference material.

In The Miracle Worker, how will Annie’s past affect the way she deals with Helen?

The Miracle Workeris a play by William Gibson which gives a different perspective other than Helen's own, on life in the Keller household after Helen is left blind and deaf from an illness as a baby. Before Annie arrives, the reader learns that Annie has "accomplished so much" at the Perkins' Institute and that she could not even write her name when she arrived there. Furthermore, she is leaving the Institute where she has...

The Miracle Worker is a play by William Gibson which gives a different perspective other than Helen's own, on life in the Keller household after Helen is left blind and deaf from an illness as a baby. Before Annie arrives, the reader learns that Annie has "accomplished so much" at the Perkins' Institute and that she could not even write her name when she arrived there. Furthermore, she is leaving the Institute where she has been a pupil and will now be the teacher. 

When Annie arrives, the audience become aware that life has been very difficult for the family and that Helen has no boundaries and is pitied more than anything. Annie has an arduous task to convince a non-communicative Helen that her life is about to change and Captain Keller, Helen's father remains skeptical about what Annie can even achieve as "she is only a child" herself, he claims. 

Annie's past affects the way she responds to Helen because Annie is partially-sighted herself so has some understanding of Helen's frustrations. Annie also suffers terrible guilt because she feels that she let her young brother Jimmie down. Jimmie died and Annie feels responsible for not having taken care of him, even though there was nothing she could have done. Annie is determined that she will not fail Helen. It is that determination that ensures that she is not defeated; such like Helen's father expects. Annie remains resolute and stands up to the Captain and convinces Helen's mother that even a small step forward- like Helen folding her napkin- is the beginning of Helen's journey to communication. 

What are the similarities and differences between the caste system in India and the class system of the contemporary United States?

The class system in the United States is very rigid, there is no doubt about it. It is very difficult to be born into poverty and eventually become wealthy in your lifetime. The major distinction between the caste and class system are the words "very difficult" in the previous sentence. In a caste system, it is not even possible to be born into one caste and move to the next. The caste system guarantees that...

The class system in the United States is very rigid, there is no doubt about it. It is very difficult to be born into poverty and eventually become wealthy in your lifetime. The major distinction between the caste and class system are the words "very difficult" in the previous sentence. In a caste system, it is not even possible to be born into one caste and move to the next. The caste system guarantees that people are born into a caste and must perform the duties of that caste for their entire life. Only by performing these duties admirably, can a person hope to increase their lot in the next life through reincarnation. In the United States, some members of the lower classes, through hard work, education and luck can move to the middle or upper classes. While this should not be considered common, it is quite possible and does happen. The same can be said of wealthy people that make poor decisions and end up in the lower classes.  The caste system is also closely tied to the religion of Hinduism and not such religious connection exists in the American class system.  

The major similarities between the caste system and American class system are the difficulty for social mobility and how the caste or class limits the potential success of its members.  Both are systems to organize and control different parts of the population.  

Suppose an organism had the genotype AABb. What gametes would be produced from this organism?

Sperm and egg cells are called gamete cells or gametes. Gametes are formed during a process called meiosis. Normally cells contain two copies of each chromosome. This means that there are also two copies of each gene. When there are two copies of each chromosome, the cell is said to be diploid (2n). During the process of meiosis, the number of copies of each chromosome in each cell is reduced from two to one. When there is one copy of each chromosome in a cell, the cell is said to be haploid (n). Each cell that undergoes meiosis eventually produces four gamete cells, each containing one copy of each gene. 

The cell that we are interested in has the genotype AABb. This means that both versions of gene “A/a” are the same, while there are different versions of gene “B/b.” Different versions of genes are called alleles. So, for gene “A/a” this cell has two copies of allele A and no copies of allele a. For gene “B/b,” this cell has one copy of allele B and one copy of allele b.

In this case, we are going to assume that gene “A/a” and gene “B/b” are on separate chromosomes. This means that each gene will sort independently without being influenced by the other gene.

Let’s write the genotype of our cell using bold and italic font so that we can keep track of each individual allele: AABb.

Each gamete produced from a cell with this genotype will have one version of gene “A/a” and one version of gene “B/b.” Gene “A/a” can only produce gametes with the allele A. Gene “B/b” can produce gametes with either allele B or allele b.

This means that the geneotypes of the four gamete cells will be: AB, Ab, AB, and Ab. So 50% of the gametes will have the genotype AB and 50% of the gametes will have the genotype Ab.

What is the plot of Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage Is a Private Affair"?

Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair" is set in the ethnically diverse West African nation of Nigeria. It is the story of a marriage between a man and a woman who are from different ethnic groups and the implications of that marriage. 

In the exposition of the story the reader learns that Nnaemeka, an Ibo man, is engaged to Nene, an Ibibio woman. Nene is encouraging Nnaemeka to write a letter to...

Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair" is set in the ethnically diverse West African nation of Nigeria. It is the story of a marriage between a man and a woman who are from different ethnic groups and the implications of that marriage. 

In the exposition of the story the reader learns that Nnaemeka, an Ibo man, is engaged to Nene, an Ibibio woman. Nene is encouraging Nnaemeka to write a letter to his father about the engagement. He is hesitant because he believes his father may not approve. The couple live in Lagos and have overcome many of the rural prejudices of small village life. Unfortunately, Nnaemeka's father lives in one such village and he cannot abide his son marrying a girl from a different tribe. In the Ibo family, the father often arranges the marriages of his children. The conflict involves both a generation gap and a cultural bias.

Nene argues that Nnaemeka's father will accept the marriage because of his love for his son, but Nnaemeka is still apprehensive when he receives a letter informing him that his father has chosen the perfect girl for him. When he finally informs his father of the plans to marry Nene, the father is shocked and cannot accept it. The father argues against it and notes that Nene is a teacher, which is against the teachings of St. Paul. The father will not relent and tells Nnaemeka that he never wants to see the girl.

News of the marriage spreads throughout Nnaemeka's father's village and is quite the topic of discussion among the men of the village's church who are appalled that the son would marry outside the tribe. The men even suggest that the son might need to see a doctor. This part of the plot reflects the irony of the story's title. After the wedding, Nnaemeka sends a picture to his father, but the father simply cuts out the bride. 

The couple not only faces prejudice from the villages but also from the Ibos who live in Lagos. Nevertheless, the marriage is successful and the couple is described as being very happy. Eventually, in the climax of the story, Nene sends the father a letter telling him that the couple's two sons would very much like to see their grandfather. The resolution seems to be that the father will finally give in and see his son's family, although the story ends before this happens.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Bob Ewell get money?

Bob Ewell gets his income from relief checks.

The Ewell’s get public assistance, or welfare.  None of them seems to ever have had a job, and they eschew education.  The children go to school for one day a year and stay home the rest of the time.  Atticus explains to Scout that when it comes to the Ewells, the law just looks the other way.

Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb...

Bob Ewell gets his income from relief checks.

The Ewell’s get public assistance, or welfare.  None of them seems to ever have had a job, and they eschew education.  The children go to school for one day a year and stay home the rest of the time.  Atticus explains to Scout that when it comes to the Ewells, the law just looks the other way.

Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work in his recollection. …They were people, but they lived like animals. (Ch. 3)

These are pretty strong words for Atticus Finch, who is usually very understanding of other people and not judgmental.  He doesn’t approve of the way Bob Ewell treats his children.  His wife is long gone, and no one knows how many children he has.

The Ewells live near the dump and subsist on hunting and relief checks (welfare money).  Atticus tells Scout that the reason Bob Ewell is allowed to hunt out of season is because everyone is aware that his children are starving.

“It’s against the law, all right,” said my father, “and it’s certainly bad, but when a man spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don’t know of any landowner around here who begrudges those children any game their father can hit.” (Ch. 3)

The Ewells' situation becomes everyone’s business when Mayella Ewell accuses Tom Robinson of rape.  The Ewells may be on the bottom rungs of Maycomb’s social ladder, but they are still white, and Tom Robinson is black.  Therefore the case becomes big news, and the Ewells and their habits enter the spotlight.

Atticus sets out to prove during the trial that Bob Ewell was abusive to Mayella, and that he is the one who beat her up and not Tom Robinson.  He establishes that Mayella is lonely and asked Tom Robinson for help because he was a handsome and approachable man who wouldn't be rude to a white lady.  Bob Ewell is embarrassed by the whole thing, and threatens Atticus and then tries to attack his children.

In Romeo and Juliet Act 4, Scene 5, what two meanings can be ascribed to the word "note" as it is used in line 113?

In this scene, the nurse discovers Juliet's lifeless body and assumes that she has died. She cries out and summons her parents who are devastated. They had prepared for Juliet's betrothal to Paris and her death was obviously the last thing they expected. What they evidently do not realise is that their daughter is actually in a death-like sleep brought on by a powerful sleeping potion which friar Lawrence had provided as part of the plan to have her later meet up with Romeo and then leave Verona. 

In the confusion caused by the tragedy, all the wedding arrangements have to be changed to those of a funeral. It is at this point that Peter, one of the Capulet's servants, converses with the musicians who had been hired to play at the funeral. He requests that they play him a happy song to cheer him up, considering that it was such a sad occasion. The musicians are not very cooperative and thus begins a verbal barrage between Peter and them.  

At some point, Peter says that he will not pay the musicians if they don't play. In response, the first musician tells him that he will, in retaliation, call him a serving-creature. Peter's response is:

Then will I lay the serving-creature's dagger on
your pate. I will carry no crotchets: I'll re you,
I'll fa you; do you note me?

He means that he will knock the musician on his head with his dagger and will not bear his insults. He further threatens the musician by stating that he will 're' and then 'fa' him. These are obvious references to musical notes but used in a different context. Peter means that he will play these notes on the musician's head with his dagger. It is a threat to knock him about the head.  

To make sure that the musician understands him properly, he asks him 'do you note me?' The word is used as a pun in this instance and means, "Are you taking note of what I'm saying?" or "Have you heard what I've just said?" The word can also refer to a musical note since Peter has been using references to these throughout their inane argument.

This piece of inane humour seems quite out of place within the context of what has happened and may have, as its purpose, the provision of some comic relief. It could also be a diversion from the tragic circumstances at play here and may be used to remind the audience about the iniquities of life, that everything is tied together and that there is a thin line between tragedy and comedy, life and death, etcetera. Be that as it may, it is all one or, as we may say, "It is all part of life." 

What examples of personification are there in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?

Animals are described as people throughout the story.

The use of animals as characters fully acting like humans is known as anthropomorphism.  It is basically a sophisticated form of personification.  Personification just means describing something nonhuman as if it were human.

Anthropomorphism is demonstrated by how the animals are described as having human feelings and motivations.

This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow...

Animals are described as people throughout the story.

The use of animals as characters fully acting like humans is known as anthropomorphism.  It is basically a sophisticated form of personification.  Personification just means describing something nonhuman as if it were human.

Anthropomorphism is demonstrated by how the animals are described as having human feelings and motivations.

This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the tailor-bird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the musk-rat, who never comes out into the middle of the floor, but always creeps round by the wall, gave him advice; but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting.

Clearly, there is little difference between these animals and people.  They are described as fighting wars, and giving advice.  They have distinct personalities of cleverness, fear, and bravery.  They also possess their animal characteristics and traits, or I should say their instincts.

Animals do not really have the ability to reason like humans.  They cannot theorize or form sophisticated plans.  Rikki does all of these things, and so do Nag and Nagaina.  They are animals who think like people, at least for the story’s sake.

“I had not thought of that,'' said Nag. “I will go, but there is no need that we should hunt for Rikki-tikki afterward. I will kill the big man and his wife, and the child if I can, and come away quietly. The the bungalow will be empty, and Rikki-tikki will go.''

Nag and Nagaina develop a sophisticated plan to get rid of Rikki, and Rikki develops a plan to deal with them.  He kills Nag first.  He kills all of Nagaina’s eggs but one, and then uses that egg to draw her out.  She tries to get him to leave her alone, saying she will go away.  He doesn’t believe her.

How does The Reluctant Fundamentalist address key ideas?

One way that Hamid's novel addresses key ideas is by incorporating the reader into the narrative.

One of the key ideas in The Reluctant Fundamentalistis its discussion of terrorism.  The question of Changez's identity haunts the novel's ending. It is not clear if Changez is a terrorist or what the resolution is between he and the American.  Hamid does not give a direct answer.  Rather, he allows the reader's imagination to guide how this...

One way that Hamid's novel addresses key ideas is by incorporating the reader into the narrative.

One of the key ideas in The Reluctant Fundamentalist is its discussion of terrorism.  The question of Changez's identity haunts the novel's ending. It is not clear if Changez is a terrorist or what the resolution is between he and the American.  Hamid does not give a direct answer.  Rather, he allows the reader's imagination to guide how this key issue is resolved:

The form of the novel, with the narrator and his audience both acting as characters, allowed me to mirror the mutual suspicion with which America and Pakistan (or the Muslim world) look at one another. The Pakistani narrator wonders: Is this just a normal guy or is he a killer out to get me? The American man who is his audience wonders the same. And this allows the novel to inhabit the interior emotional world much like the exterior political world in which it will be read. The form of the novel is an invitation to the reader. If the reader accepts, then he or she will be called upon to judge the novel’s outcome and shape its ending.

In allowing an "invitation to the reader," Hamid addresses a key issue in the novel.  

Hamid accepts that the world after September 11 has infected everyone with a certain set of biases with which they view the world.  Before we can figure out the form of this world, we have to be honest about our preconceptions that guide our understanding of the world.  Changez has his constructions, America has its own, the American possesses his own, and the reader contains their own sets of prejudices.  In addressing it in this way, Hamid suggests our own understanding helps to "shape" our view of the world.  In this setting, there is no absolute truth.  Rather, truth can only be understood through our own perception.  Incorporating the reader into this issue enables the reader to "judge the novel's outcome" for themselves.

In Wednesday Wars, what did Mrs. Baker give a 150-question test on to Holling in Chapter 5?

In Chapter Five, "January," Mrs. Baker gave Holling a 150-question test on The Tragedy of Macbeth.

This is the test that Holling got on his first Wednesday back from the winter or Christmas holidays. According to Holling, the test was an added burden in light of a very difficult first day back at school. This is because Doug Swieteck's brother had plastered newspaper pictures of "Ariel the Fairy" all over the whole school. At Camillo...

In Chapter Five, "January," Mrs. Baker gave Holling a 150-question test on The Tragedy of Macbeth.

This is the test that Holling got on his first Wednesday back from the winter or Christmas holidays. According to Holling, the test was an added burden in light of a very difficult first day back at school. This is because Doug Swieteck's brother had plastered newspaper pictures of "Ariel the Fairy" all over the whole school. At Camillo Junior High, the pictures of Holling in yellow tights had been taped to hallways, restroom walls, office counters, drinking fountains, the walls of the school building and even the backboards of basketball hoops in the gym.

Holling wasn't especially happy with Mrs. Baker's cheerful response to his misery:

"Let's keep you on your toes," she said cheerfully.

Sometimes, I think that she hates my guts.

When Holling received his test back, he complained that the names of Shakespearean characters were hard to recognize. Although Mrs. Baker tried to encourage him to persevere in his studies, the two eventually ended their literature session on an awkward note.

What are the leadership styles of Ralph and Jack in Lord of the Flies?

Jack is an authoritarian leader while Ralph is more of an egalitarian. Even in the first chapter, Jack is shown as a strict leader who demands obedience as his choir members follow him across the beach. He has made them march in line in their hot uniforms, and Simon ends up passing out because of the heat. Jack immediately puts himself forward as a potential chief, claiming he is "chapter chorister and head boy." Later,...

Jack is an authoritarian leader while Ralph is more of an egalitarian. Even in the first chapter, Jack is shown as a strict leader who demands obedience as his choir members follow him across the beach. He has made them march in line in their hot uniforms, and Simon ends up passing out because of the heat. Jack immediately puts himself forward as a potential chief, claiming he is "chapter chorister and head boy." Later, in one of the meetings, he tries to stifle the free speech of the others, saying that they should "leave deciding things to the rest of us." When he starts his own tribe, he has two boys say, "The chief has spoken," and he sits like an idol at his feast. He beats Wilfred for no apparent reason.

Ralph doesn't seek out being chief, but once he is voted in, he tries to include others in his decisions. He immediately allows Jack to choose an area to be the head of, and Jack chooses hunting. During meetings he enforces the rule of the conch, allowing everyone to speak in turn. He allows a discussion of the boys' fears, although that ends up working against him. He feels bad when Jack deserts the group, even though Piggy is pleased. He listens to advice from Simon and Piggy, and in chapter 11, he listens to Samneric and Piggy as they plan their visit to Castle Rock. 

Although Jack rules as a dictator, Ralph demonstrates a more democratic style of leadership.

How was the South affected by the Civil War?

The South was affected by the Civil War in many ways. One way was that slavery and all that slavery represented came to an end. This required the South to free the slaves and live in a society where nobody owned another person. The former slaves now had rights they never had before. These changes were dramatic for the South. Since the beginning of our country, many people in the South believed in the superiority...

The South was affected by the Civil War in many ways. One way was that slavery and all that slavery represented came to an end. This required the South to free the slaves and live in a society where nobody owned another person. The former slaves now had rights they never had before. These changes were dramatic for the South. Since the beginning of our country, many people in the South believed in the superiority of the white race. They were used to controlling the African-Americans and having many of them work as slaves without having any rights or freedoms.

Another way the South was affected by the Civil War was that there was complete destruction in the South. Towards the end of the war, the North waged total war on the South, destroying everything in the path of the Union army. Also, since most of the fighting in the Civil War was done in the South, there was much damage to the land and to property. As a result, the South had to be rebuilt after the Civil War ended. This led to a diversification of the southern economy as more industries were built in the South.

The South also had to reject their belief in states’ rights and in nullification. The South strongly believed that states should have the right to reject laws that hurt them. After the Civil War ended, the southern states had to write new constitutions that rejected the concept of nullification as a condition of being readmitted to the Union. 

The Civil War had a tremendous impact on the South.

Why did consumption increase in the 1920s?

Economic theory tells us that consumption is based on supply and demand.  An increase in consumption can be caused by an increase in supply, an increase in demand, or some combination of the two.  In the 1920s in America, both supply and demand rose, causing consumption to rise dramatically.  Let us look at two ways in which increased demand caused this increase and one way in which the increase was caused by increased supply.

One of the things that determine demand is the amount of money that people have.  It stands to reason that people who have more money will buy more things.  During the 1920s, the economy boomed.  More people had jobs, making more money than ever before.  This meant that Americans had more money to spend and demand increased.

A second thing that determines demand is consumer tastes.  People want many things that they do not really need.  For example, we really do not need to have enough clothes to wear a different outfit every day for two weeks in a row, but we typically do have that many clothes.  This is partly because our tastes tell us that we should vary our wardrobe.  We do not really need makeup or jewelry, but our tastes tell us that we should have them.  During the 1920s, advertising became much more prevalent and more effective.  Before this time, advertising was more matter-of-fact, telling people what goods were available for what prices.  In the 1920s, companies started to advertise in ways that were meant to make people really want their products.  Advertising convinced people that they needed things that they had gotten along without before.  This caused an increase in demand as people wanted to use their new wealth to buy things that advertising convinced them they needed.

People also buy more things when prices drop.  One major reason why prices drop is because producers get better at making their goods.  When a producer gets better at making goods, they can make more goods using a given amount of inputs.  This reduces the price of the goods.  In the 1920s, companies innovated.  This allowed them to make goods more efficiently.  For example, Henry Ford figured out how to use assembly line practices to make cars more quickly.  This caused the price of cars to drop and allowed many more people to buy them.  This happened to many other goods.  As prices dropped, people were willing and able to buy more goods.  This, too, helped increase consumption.

Thus, we can say that consumption increased in the 1920s because people had more money, because advertising convinced them that they wanted more things, and because improved production techniques reduced the prices of consumer goods.

Where does this quote appear in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and what's its significance? “She's the most important person in the world...

This quote appears on page 168 of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is spoken by Lawrence, one of Henrietta's sons. It refers to the reality that science benefited from the cells harvested from Henrietta's body that went on to form the HeLa cell line. While many of the research scientists who collected her cells did not benefit from them financially, the scientists certainly collected honors and renown from her cells....

This quote appears on page 168 of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is spoken by Lawrence, one of Henrietta's sons. It refers to the reality that science benefited from the cells harvested from Henrietta's body that went on to form the HeLa cell line. While many of the research scientists who collected her cells did not benefit from them financially, the scientists certainly collected honors and renown from her cells. Her cells were used in breakthrough medical discoveries related to AIDS, cancer, and other areas of research.

However, Henrietta's family was left out of any benefits resulting from their mother's cells. Most likely, she herself did not know that her cells were being collected, and her family did not know until many years later that her cells were being used in research. At the time the book was written, her family lived in poverty, and the irony was that they didn't even have health insurance. This disparity points to several issues. First, people did not receive consent when their cells were collected for research, and they were not informed about future uses for the cells. African-American people such as Henrietta Lacks were in particular not consulted about their own medical treatment and were not consulted when they were used in medical experiments in the past. In addition, health care in the United States still does not benefit everyone. While some (wealthier people, often white) are the recipients of privileges and higher standards of care, many poor and African-American people are not able to benefit because they do not have insurance or the right kinds of insurance. 

What are some quotes from The Giver that represent loyalty?

All citizens in the community are loyal to their community to the point of not questioning anything.

No one in the community questions the community. In fact, Jonas often comments about how certain behaviors are considered letting the community down. The community is everything. For example, when Jonas tells about the release of the pilot, he describes it as a failure for the community.

For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure. (Ch. 1)

The concept of togetherness known as Sameness is not questioned by anyone in the community. It means that everyone unquestionably follows the rules. There are many rules, governing everything from how to dress and speak to the telling of feelings and dreams. Everything is designed to keep everyone reliant on the community and loyal to the community.

The ceremonies are a perfect example of community loyalty and togetherness.

The entire community attended the Ceremony each year. For the parents, it meant two days holiday from work; they sat together in the huge hall. Children sat with their groups until they went, one by one, to the stage. (Ch. 6)

There is a ceremony for every age group up to twelve. The fact that all children born in a year “age” together is symbolic. It is designed to build loyalty to the other citizens and to the community. The elders are the ones who assign a person’s job at the Ceremony of Twelve. This is another example of loyalty, because everyone in the community accepts their job without question and the jobs are designed to benefit the community, not the individual.

When Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory, he learns that unquestioning loyalty to the community is not necessarily a good thing. The first thing he notices is that The Giver has books, unlike the others in the community, and has the ability to turn the Speaker off. 

From the time Jonas begins his training, his loyalty begins to shift. He becomes loyal to the Giver more and more, and to his community less and less. Jonas begins to want more. He develops the ability to see colors, and he learns above love.  Jonas wants there to be love in his community too.

"Things could change, Gabe," Jonas went on. "Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. ... There could be love ..." (Ch. 16)

Jonas demonstrates his shifting loyalty by not taking the Stirrings pills. All other citizens take the pills as soon as they begin puberty. It forestalls hormones and keeps a person in a pre-adolescent state. Jonas stops taking the pills because he wants to feel again. He is no longer willing to blindly follow the community's rules. He is realizing that there are more negative aspects to the community than he ever realized.

In Call It Courage, what are two clues Mafatu notices that warn him that humans have been to the island recently?

From the picture that you have included here, it is clear that you are asking about Chapter 3 of Call It Courage.  In that chapter, the first clue that warns Mafatu that people have been on the island recently is found on p. 46.  There, Mafatu has just found the altar where the cannibals have sacrificed human beings.  We can tell that the cannibals have been there recently because the bones have not been there...

From the picture that you have included here, it is clear that you are asking about Chapter 3 of Call It Courage.  In that chapter, the first clue that warns Mafatu that people have been on the island recently is found on p. 46.  There, Mafatu has just found the altar where the cannibals have sacrificed human beings.  We can tell that the cannibals have been there recently because the bones have not been there long.  The book says that

Around the base of the idol he saw piles of bones, charred, but not old.

The next clue is closely related to this one and is found on p. 48.  We are told that he could tell that the cannibals had been there recently because there had not yet been enough time for the wind to disturb the piles of ashes left behind by their fires.  As the book says

It was evident that the savages had been here recently, for the piles of ashes rested undisturbed by wind and storm.

Thus, both of the clues that tell Mafatu that people have been on the island recently are related to the human sacrifices carried out by those people.

How did Puritans describe sin?

Puritans believe in the concept of Original Sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned, all other humans are sinners, and it is an inescapable part of human nature. Through self-examination and strong effort to live a morally good life, people may be saved by God and overcome their predisposition for sin.

Puritans believe that Original Sin can potentially taint every thought and act in a person's life. Excess (in eating, drinking, and material goods) outward displays...

Puritans believe in the concept of Original Sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned, all other humans are sinners, and it is an inescapable part of human nature. Through self-examination and strong effort to live a morally good life, people may be saved by God and overcome their predisposition for sin.

Puritans believe that Original Sin can potentially taint every thought and act in a person's life. Excess (in eating, drinking, and material goods) outward displays of sexuality, and even sometimes dancing were looked down upon in Puritan society throughout history. 

It is important to Puritans to be constantly striving to turn away from Sin and not live for Earthly pleasure.

The Puritan sect developed as a response to the Protestant Reformation, which many felt was too limited in enacting real reform. Puritans sought to reject any trace of "decadent" Roman Catholicism in the church, but were stern believers in the reality of demonic forces. Quite famously, the Salem Witch Trials were carried out in a Puritan society. Either ergot poisoning or the sheer elevation of public anxieties led to many people believing that witches and demons were rampant in their society, and twenty people were executed.

Above all, Puritans believed that life was lived in honor of the glory of God, and it took constant perseverance over internal and external demons to lead a good life.

In Chapter 5 of the novel The Bronze Bow, to what does Herzon feel the Jews owe their loyalty?

In Chapter 5, Daniel is invited to eat with Herzon and his family. During the meal, Daniel and Herzon begin to talk about the Roman occupation of Capernaum. Daniel loses his temper when Joel comments that some of the Romans are actually friendly. Herzon says that they must be grateful to the Romans for building a beautiful Jewish synagogue. Daniel criticizes the synagogue because it was raised with Roman taxes, and swears to never set...

In Chapter 5, Daniel is invited to eat with Herzon and his family. During the meal, Daniel and Herzon begin to talk about the Roman occupation of Capernaum. Daniel loses his temper when Joel comments that some of the Romans are actually friendly. Herzon says that they must be grateful to the Romans for building a beautiful Jewish synagogue. Daniel criticizes the synagogue because it was raised with Roman taxes, and swears to never set foot in it. Herzon then explains to Daniel that the Jewish residents still grieve about their captivity, and says that the Zealots have bad judgement because they drastically underestimate the power of Rome. Herzon tells Daniel that Israel's greatest strength is its Law that was given to Moses and passed down through generations. He says, "It is to the Law that our loyalty must be devoted" (Speare 68). Herzon is a Pharisee and believes that the Law separates God's chosen people from everyone else. He strictly observes the Law and tells Daniel that when the last Roman emperor has vanished from earth, the Law will endure forever.

Where is there foreshadowing in the short story 'Desiree's Baby'?

One of the first indications that this story will not end happily occurs when Madame Valmonde arrives at L'Abri (French for "shelter"), the estate where Desiree and Armand live:

Madame Valmonde "shuddered at the first sight of it....It was a sad looking place...The roof came down steep and black like a cowl, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house. Big, solemn oaks grew close to it, and their thick-leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall."  

The imagery in this quote reveals the darkness of a place that is ironically called a shelter, and Madame Valmonde mentions the "pall" that is cast over the house, that being a term related to death.  

Another clue that things are amiss in the story next occurs when Madame Valmonde first sees the new baby, when the boy is one month old:

Madame Valmondé had never removed her eyes from the child. She lifted it and walked with it over to the window that was lightest. She scanned the baby narrowly, then looked as searchingly at Zandrine, whose face was turned to gaze across the fields.

While Madame Valmonde does not say anything aloud, she first looks at the baby then at the quadroon nurse, Zandrine, "searchingly."  While it does not explicitely state it in the story, Zandrine is considered of mixed race, which was looked down upon in this era.  So, Madame Valmonde seems to be questioning the shade of her grandson's skin, a problem that comes to a head later in the story.  

The nature of skin color is another hint to the end of the story.  When Armand suddenly changes his demeanor as if "the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him," it is because the baby's skin color has darkened, and because Desiree does not know of her past, Armand blames her.  However, Desiree points out, "'Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand.'"  This is another clue that in fact, Armand's family background is actually to blame instead of Desiree's.  

What is the main thesis of On the Incarnation of the Word by Athanasius?

The simplest answer to your question is that the main thesis is given in the title of the work itself:  St. Athanasius is writing "On the Incarnation of the Word."  That is, he wrote this treatise to explain his belief and his religious faith, in a way that he expects will win over non-believers through logical analysis of some historical facts. 

Athanasius lived and wrote in the 4th century, when the Christian church was still very new, relative to today, and defending the meaning of faith was a real issue.  Writers like Athanasius saw the need to defend their beliefs. 

In the opening section of the treatise, Athanasius sets out four primary reasons for his work:

1) "in order that, all the more for the seeming low estate of the Word, your piety toward Him may be increased and multiplied"  [Athanasius is writing to someone named Marcarius, and says he wants to help increase his level of faith]

2) to "win over" those who "mock" and "disbelieve" to the Christian faith;

3) to "recall what has been previously said" - that is, to review earlier writers and their arguments

4) "so it may be duly perceived that the renewal of creation has been the work of the self-same Word that made it at the beginning" - in other words, to provide compelling argument that connects Christ and the resurrection to the same God who made the universe as related in Genesis.  In this way, Athanasius is speaking to Jews and Greeks who have faith in the Old Testament, but have not put their faith in the Christ of the New Testament. 

Athanasius then works his argument through 57 numbered sections to expand on these primary points of his thesis.  C.S. Lewis, author and Christian writer, has broken the work into 7 major topics:  1) Creation and the Fall; (2) The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation; (3) the Death of Christ; (4) the Resurrection; (5) Refutation of the Jews; (6) Refutation of the Gentiles; (7) Conclusion.  These topics follow the outline of the four theses that Athanasius sets forth in his introduction.

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In regard to the U.S. criminal and civil systems, discuss whether or not a person should be entitled to have a trial in our systems. For example,...

The right to a speedy and public trial is outlined in the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, is one of our most basic and clearly defined freedoms. In cases where an especially upsetting crime has taken place, it can be hard to understand why the perpetrators of such a horrific crime should be allowed to exercise these “civilized” rights. In these instances, it is crucial to remember that the right to a...

The right to a speedy and public trial is outlined in the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, is one of our most basic and clearly defined freedoms. In cases where an especially upsetting crime has taken place, it can be hard to understand why the perpetrators of such a horrific crime should be allowed to exercise these “civilized” rights. In these instances, it is crucial to remember that the right to a public trial is an essential component of any just and democratic society.

Trials, as a part of an impartial justice system, allow us to separate the innocent from the guilty and justify the government’s authority to punish those who commit crimes. Our government’s legitimacy largely depends on citizenry’s faith that it won’t abuse its power. Public trials serve to bring the justice system into the open, ensuring government transparency and preventing authorities from unjustly or unlawfully targeting innocent individuals. Though the murder of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters was undoubtedly a grave injustice, it is also a terrible injustice to wrongfully convict and punish an innocent person.

While trials are, of course, an imperfect way to determine absolute guilt or innocence, they are the greatest protection our society can offer those who are wrongfully accused of a crime. It is also worth noting that our right to a speedy and public trial is not perfectly applied in practice. Approximately 95-97% of people accused of a crime waive their right to a jury trial and choose to accept a plea deal. While this is a long-standing practice, many scholars and legal professionals point to the negative consequences of such a trend, among which are increases in wrongful incarceration. Ultimately, our right to trial must be protected to ensure fair outcomes for all who encounter our justice system as well as to safeguard our government’s legitimacy as the ultimate arbiter of the law.

What are some physical characteristics of Jesse Aarons?

As Chapter 1 begins, we learn that Jesse likes to dress in overalls without a shirt underneath when he's going running, so we know he dresses a little on the nerdy side, but that's probably just normal clothing for kids who work on farms in Jesse's rural area.

The narrator gives us a quick description of what Jesse looks like in Chapter 1:

"His straw-colored hair flapped hard against his forehead, and his arms and...

As Chapter 1 begins, we learn that Jesse likes to dress in overalls without a shirt underneath when he's going running, so we know he dresses a little on the nerdy side, but that's probably just normal clothing for kids who work on farms in Jesse's rural area.

The narrator gives us a quick description of what Jesse looks like in Chapter 1:

"His straw-colored hair flapped hard against his forehead, and his arms and legs flew out every which way. He had never learned to run properly, but he was long-legged for a ten-year-old, and no one had more grit than he."

So, we know that his hair is the color of straw, which is light blonde. He's only ten years old, but he has long legs, and his legs and arms kind of flap out everywhere while he's running--so we also know that he's gangly, or kind of in an awkward stage of his pre-adolescence. Picture a skinny kid with long arms and long legs, who's probably going to grow more muscular soon because he gets so much physical exercise, and that's Jesse.

One more physical trait is worth mentioning: Jess's body is often "tired and tensed-up," as we learn in Chapter 2. His family life is stressful, and he lives in poverty. The only kind of escape he seems to have at the beginning of the story is drawing, so he probably appears relaxed and happy when he's doing that, but otherwise, his posture is probably rigid, showing his nervous disposition.

Why didn't Donalbain return from Ireland in Macbeth?

Donalbain is Duncan's younger son and Malcolm's brother. When Duncan is murdered, Donalbain and Malcolm sense their lives are in danger and decide to flee. Donalbain notes:

 There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
 The nearer bloody.

This means he is certain that someone very close to them will aspire to kill them both because they are Duncan's immediate heirs. Malcolm flees to England, while Donalbain escapes to Ireland because the two of them being in different countries will makes it harder for their enemy (Macbeth) to find them and kill them.

Once they escape, Donalbain is no longer present in the plot directly. He never returns from Ireland. There is no direct answer as to why he does not return to Scotland, so we may only speculate.

When Caithness asks Lennox if Donalbain has joined his brother's army against Macbeth, Lennox informs him that Donalbain is not present:

 CAITHNESS

Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?

 LENNOX

 For certain, sir, he is not: I have a file
 Of all the gentry...

Most likely, Donalbain does not return from Ireland to join Malcolm's army because he may want to ensure the continuity of his father's blood and the preservation of his family's lineage. He is Duncan's second immediate heir, so if Malcolm died, Donalbain would still be able to inherit the throne some day and restore order in Scotland.

Also, while we do not see him return to Scotland, there is some indication at the end of the play that he might return:

 What's more to do,
 Which would be planted newly with the time,
 As calling home our exiled friends abroad
 That fled the snares of watchful tyranny.

These words suggest that one of the "exiled friends abroad" might be Donalbain, but, of course, we do not know for sure. Historically speaking, it would be interesting to note, however, that Donalbain does return to Scotland and seizes the throne for a few years after his brother dies.

What does Gram ask Max to do with regard to the hoodlum boy?

Tony D. is an older boy who likes to pick on Max. Tony's nickname is "Blade" because he carries a knife and has a couple of friends who assist him in carrying out his criminal mischief. Max explains in chapter 6 that Tony has been in and out of juvenile detention three or four times. Rumor has it that he actually cut another boy with a razor and the boy almost died. Max says, ". . . everybody says the best way to handle Tony D. and his gang is, you avoid them. Cross the street, hide, whatever it takes" (29-30). Max tells Freak that you can't just be brave and face off one-on-one with Tony—you have to fight his whole gang if you do that.

On the night of the Fourth of July, Freak and Max run into the pond near their neighborhood to avoid Tony D. and the gang. The cops come to help them and they are safe because Freak used his brains to tell Max where to run. When Max gets back home safe to Grim and Gram, they give him ice cream and coffee. In chapter 8, Gram says the following:

"I want you to promise me something, Maxwell dear. Promise me you'll keep away from the hoodlum boy and his awful friends. Nobody got hurt this time, but I shudder to think what might have happened" (43).

Grim, on the other hand, thinks that Max could take the boys because he's so big and strong, but rather than contradict his wife, he tells Max that "evasive action" is different than running away. Max is lucky that he has such good and supportive grandparents looking after him.

In Macbeth, state three important events that happened off stage which serve to advance the plot.

Certainly, the murder of Duncan is a major event that moves the plot forward, and it is does not occur onstage.  During Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth says, "He is about it," letting us know that, at this moment, Macbeth is in Duncan's bedchamber killing the king.  Then, when he arrives in her room, he says, "I have done the deed."  Obviously, it is this event that inaugurates Macbeth's tragedy by being the first...

Certainly, the murder of Duncan is a major event that moves the plot forward, and it is does not occur onstage.  During Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth says, "He is about it," letting us know that, at this moment, Macbeth is in Duncan's bedchamber killing the king.  Then, when he arrives in her room, he says, "I have done the deed."  Obviously, it is this event that inaugurates Macbeth's tragedy by being the first step in his descent into brutality and tyranny.

Next, Macbeth's murder of Duncan's chamberlains, the guards whom he and Lady Macbeth framed for Duncan's murder, occurs offstage and advances the plot as well.  In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff discovers the king's body, and Macbeth and Lennox exit the scene to go and see it.  After they return, Macbeth says, "O, yet I do repent me of my fury, / That I did kill them" (2.3.124-125).  We know, at this point, that he killed the guards when he was in Duncan's room.  He likely killed them in order to make sure they could not proclaim their innocence or say what they might have seen in the night.  Now, there is no one to question, no one to blame, and everyone in the house becomes suspect.  This event initiates, rightly, Macduff's and Banquo's suspicion of Macbeth.

Finally, Lady Macbeth's suicide in Act 5, Scene 5, takes place offstage and helps to advance the plot in that it forces Macbeth to come to terms with the meaninglessness of life, of his life in particular.  He and Seyton hear a scream, and when Seyton returns after investigating it, he tells Macbeth, "The Queen, my lord, is dead" (5.5.19).  This leads into Macbeth's most famous soliloquy of the play where he laments the pace and pettiness of life, its intense emotion underwritten by its lack of meaning or purpose.  He enters his battle with Macduff with these thoughts.

What are two emotions Jack feels after not killing the pig in Lord of the Flies?

At the end of the first chapter in Lord of the Flies, the three boys who are exploring the island come across a piglet "caught in a curtain of creepers." Jack, who has already proclaimed that he will take the role of hunter, raises his knife. However, he is unable to strike because taking the life of an animal is a fearfulthing. Indeed, as the pig escapes, "Jack's face was white under the freckles"...

At the end of the first chapter in Lord of the Flies, the three boys who are exploring the island come across a piglet "caught in a curtain of creepers." Jack, who has already proclaimed that he will take the role of hunter, raises his knife. However, he is unable to strike because taking the life of an animal is a fearful thing. Indeed, as the pig escapes, "Jack's face was white under the freckles" as he observes the "place of terror." It was not only the place of the pig's terror, but of the boys' terror, as they each imagined "what an enormity the downward stroke would be." 

Still, after he sheaths his knife, Jack shakes off the fear. Other emotions rush in. Like the other boys, he is ashamed that he was afraid to strike. His shame is certainly greater, because he has volunteered to lead the hunters, and because he was the one with the knife. He feels the need to make an excuse to hide his shame, saying he was looking for a place to put the knife. When Ralph and Simon ask him why he didn't cut the pig's throat, he has to walk ahead of them so they cannot see the shame on his face.

The second emotion that comes over him is self-recriminating regret. He realizes that if he had killed the pig, he would have established himself as a leader on the island. Had he single-handedly "brought home the bacon" to the other boys, how impressed they would have been! How willing to follow his lead and respect his authority! Now that the opportunity has passed, Jack kicks himself for spoiling his chance for recognition. He slams his knife into a tree trunk fiercely, as if to punctuate his anger at himself. "Next time there would be no mercy" on the pig, but also on himself. He will not let another opportunity to advance himself among the boys pass him by.

How do Annie's flashbacks about her brother relate to her work with Helen in the play The Miracle Worker?

Annie compares her own experience in an asylum for the poor with Helen’s home life. When Captain Keller contemplates sending Helen to an asylum for the blind, fearing that she will never be able to learn to communicate on any meaningful level, Annie tells him and Kate what exactly an asylum means. The residents were criminals or “moral degenerates.” She and her brother Jimmy played among the corpses in the morgue because there was no...

Annie compares her own experience in an asylum for the poor with Helen’s home life. When Captain Keller contemplates sending Helen to an asylum for the blind, fearing that she will never be able to learn to communicate on any meaningful level, Annie tells him and Kate what exactly an asylum means. The residents were criminals or “moral degenerates.” She and her brother Jimmy played among the corpses in the morgue because there was no other place to play. Jimmy died in the asylum after just a few months there, and she lived there for several years alone. She relates her experiences with her lack of education, when she begged a visitor to send her to a school for the blind. She herself is an example of how much a person can learn if just given the chance. Such a life Helen might be able to have if the Kellers would just let her continue to teach Helen in the way that she knows will be effective, separate from the interference of the family. Captain Keller agrees, giving her a time limit. Annie, desperate to save Helen from an asylum, agrees to the conditions.

"The Open Window" uses the "Anonymous narration (single character point of view)" narrative technique throughout most of the story. Which character...

The story is told almost entirely through Framton Nuttel's viewpoint. The only departure comes at the very end when he is described from the anonymous narrator's own point of view, as follows:

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid imminent collision.

There is also a sort of "coda" in which both Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton discuss Framton and his sudden flight. Vera tells about how Framton was attacked by a pack of pariah dogs in India, but this is not her point of view; it is from the point of view of her aunt and uncle to whom she is telling the fantastic story. The purpose of this interchange among the three characters is solely to establish that Mr. Sappleton is not a ghost but an ordinary country squire, which proves that the story Vera told to Framton about the three hunters being sucked into a bog several years ago is a complete fabrication. We should realize that as soon as Mr. Sappleton asks:

"Who was that who bolted out as we came up?"

The rest of the story is told through Framton's point of view. For instance, when he first meets Vera he sees her as a very self-possessed young lady, but there is no indication of how she perceives him. Then the narrator goes right into Framton's mind and tells how he is feeling and what he is thinking.

Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.

Although Vera does most of the talking before her aunt arrives, and although her aunt does much of the talking after that, the reader understands that they are talking to Framton and are being observed and heard from his point of view. In the big finale when the hunters appear outside headed for the open window, the narrator specifically declares that they are being seen by Framton and that he is having an emotional reaction to their approach.

The child was staring out through the open window with a dazed horror in her eyes. In a chill shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat and looked in the same direction.

     In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared the house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: "I said, Bertie, why do you bound?"

Vera is putting on an act for Framton's benefit--but it is Framton's perception of Vera that is described. This is appropriate because the reader does not suspect as yet that the whole thing is a hoax. The author's intention is not only to fool Framton Nuttel but to fool the reader. This would be impossible if there was ever any indication that part of the story was being told through Vera's point of view--although it would be very interesting to see inside her mind and understand what that point of view actually was. She does not know anything about Framton's nervous disorder. He would not discuss that with a young girl. He does not bring it up until he meets the aunt. In fact, Framton hardly says anything to Vera, and she is forced to do most of the talking.

"Do you know many of the people round here?" asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.

Although Vera asks a lot of questions to find out how much Framton knows about the people in the region, and although her long story about the three dead hunters takes up the remainder of her private time with Framton, the whole interview is seen and heard via Framton's point of view. The only deviation comes at the end of the story when Framton has fled from the scene and his point of view is thereby eliminated.

How could one interpret Doctor Faustus from Christopher Marlowe's play of the same name as a tragic hero?

A tragic hero is one who has both good and bad qualities, but inevitably allows their negative qualities to cause their downfall.  The literary term for this fatal flaw is “hamartia.” 

While Faustus seems to be content utilizing his newfound knowledge and power to cause havoc and amuse the upper echelons of society, he did originally have more noble intentions.  Before he obtained the power, he wanted to have spirits “fly to India for gold” and “Ransack the ocean for orient pearl” (Marlowe).  He then wanted use the money to hire mercenaries, build a wall of brass around Germany, and free them from the Prince of Parma.  Faustus also imagined he would have demons read him unknown philosophy, which could have made him a better leader and expanded his knowledge of the universe. 

Faustus also wanted to “fill the public schools with silk” (Marlowe).  This was probably figurative silk, meaning great teachers, teaching materials, and all of the knowledge he had obtained.  If it was literal silk, it would have been an expensive fabric that teachers and students in public schools would have been unaccustomed to.  Either way, Faustus’ vision was for education to be of the utmost importance.

His hamartia, however, was selfishness.  All of his noble plans went by the wayside as soon as he gained power.  He spent his 24 years with knowledge that could have ended world hunger, war, and the overreaching of the Catholic Church, but used it instead to gain favor by amusing royalty and playing practical jokes.  At one point, he turns invisible and harasses the pope at a banquet, taking his food and striking him.  If he really had a quarrel with the Catholic Church, he could have used all of his knowledge and power to put an end to it, instead of just playing practical jokes.

The renaissance view is that Faustus was heroic because he sought knowledge forbidden to men by God and the Church.  In a time when knowledge of the world and of oneself was a noble pursuit, no knowledge should have been off limits.

Since Faustus did originally have some good intentions, and sought knowledge, he could have been a hero; however, he disregarded all of the good he could have done for his personal amusement, making him a tragic hero.

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What is an example of the mood in Chapter Four of Night by Elie Wiesel?

In the beginning of Chapter Four in Nightby Elie Wiesel, the mood could almost be described as optimistic. Elie and his father, along with many other Jews, have just arrived at Buna, where they are told they have arrived at a "very good camp" (Wiesel 45). Elie is asked if he wants to get into a good unit, which, of course, he does as long as he can stay with his father. The feeling...

In the beginning of Chapter Four in Night by Elie Wiesel, the mood could almost be described as optimistic. Elie and his father, along with many other Jews, have just arrived at Buna, where they are told they have arrived at a "very good camp" (Wiesel 45). Elie is asked if he wants to get into a good unit, which, of course, he does as long as he can stay with his father. The feeling is that maybe things are not so bad after all.

Of course that mood shifts fairly soon. Yes, Elie is in a decent unit where the work is not that difficult, but he is also under a Kapo who is prone to terrible fits of violence, and before the chapter is over, Elie has experienced it. The mood becomes more fearful.

Then at the very end of the chapter, the mood shifts again to a combination of terror and depression. All hope that God exists leaves Elie when he is forced to watch a child hang--a child accused of helping to blow up the camp's electric station.

"Behind me, I heard the same man asking:

'Where is God now?'

And I heard a voice within me answer him:

'Where is He? Here He is--He is hanging here on the gallows...'" (Wiesel 62). 

What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet?

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is set during the Renaissance period in Verona, Italy. The original "Romeo and Juliet" stories date to several decades prior to Shakespeare's writing and reference the couple as having lived during the twelfth century. In Italy, the Renaissance began perhaps as early as the late 13th century, lasted through Shakespeare's time, and came to a close in the 17th century. Shakespeare was writing his version of Romeo and Juliet in...

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is set during the Renaissance period in Verona, Italy. The original "Romeo and Juliet" stories date to several decades prior to Shakespeare's writing and reference the couple as having lived during the twelfth century. In Italy, the Renaissance began perhaps as early as the late 13th century, lasted through Shakespeare's time, and came to a close in the 17th century. Shakespeare was writing his version of Romeo and Juliet in the 1590s, and it is safe to assume that the play is set contemporaneously or somewhat earlier than its writing. There have been attempts to narrow down the year the play is set during based on the mention of an earthquake, said to have happened eleven years prior. Some believe this earthquake was the Dover Straits Earthquake of 1580, marking the year as 1591— about when Shakespeare was writing the play.

Though the year is up for debate, we do know the play takes place during the month of July. Nurse describes Juliet's birthday, on the eve of Lammas-tide, being a little over two weeks away. From the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, the harvest festival called Lammas has been fixed on the first day of August. That means the three-day course of the play is taking place around the middle of July.

As for the physical setting, we know from the Prologue that Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, Italy. Much of the play takes place in the Capulet house, but scenes also occur outdoors in public spaces such as the market, Friar Lawrence's cell, and the Capulet family crypt.