What is the universal theme in Book XI in the Odyssey?

When Odysseus speaks to Achilles, the great warrior, in the Underworld, he tells him not to "'grieve at having died'" because he is was as honored as the gods while he lived, and now he is "'a mighty lord among the dead [...].'"  In other words, Achilles should not mourn the loss of his life because he is so respected and powerful, even in death.  

However, Achilles tells Odysseus, "'Mock not at death [...]....

When Odysseus speaks to Achilles, the great warrior, in the Underworld, he tells him not to "'grieve at having died'" because he is was as honored as the gods while he lived, and now he is "'a mighty lord among the dead [...].'"  In other words, Achilles should not mourn the loss of his life because he is so respected and powerful, even in death.  

However, Achilles tells Odysseus, "'Mock not at death [...].  Better to be the hireling of a stranger, and serve a man of mean estate whose living is but small, than be the ruler over all these dead and gone.'"  In other words, it is better to have a lowly life and be without consequence or fortune than to be dead, no matter how powerful one might be in death.  Further, the great sadness of the other shades confirms Achilles's words as truth.

Thus, the theme here is that any life, even a relatively low and powerless one, is far better than even the most honorable death.  Life is to be valued.

What was the Freedmen's Bureau?

The Freedmen’s Bureau was created after the Civil War ended to help the former slaves. The former slaves had little experience with freedom. Many of them had been born into slavery. They had no idea how to provide for their basic necessities since their master handled these needs. Being free was a new experience for many former slaves.

The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help the former slaves adjust to freedom. The Freedmen’s Bureau provided...

The Freedmen’s Bureau was created after the Civil War ended to help the former slaves. The former slaves had little experience with freedom. Many of them had been born into slavery. They had no idea how to provide for their basic necessities since their master handled these needs. Being free was a new experience for many former slaves.

The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help the former slaves adjust to freedom. The Freedmen’s Bureau provided the former slaves with food, clothing, and medical care. The Freedmen’s Bureau helped the former slaves establish schools for their kids. The Freedmen's Bureau helped them get jobs, get fair wages, and sometimes get transportation to their jobs. Later on, the Freedmen’s Bureau got more power by being able to prosecute people who violated the rights of former slaves. Special courts were established to for this purpose.

The purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to help the former slaves adjust to being free. It was able to do this after the Civil War ended and during Reconstruction.

What is containment? List and define three examples of containment.

Containment was our policy after World War II to stop communism from spreading. This policy was based on the Long Telegram that was issued by George Keenan. The Long Telegram suggested that communism was a flawed system that would fail. Keenan believed we needed to prevent communism from spreading.

There were several examples where we worked to prevent communism from spreading. One was in West Berlin. The Soviet Union wanted to force the Allies out...

Containment was our policy after World War II to stop communism from spreading. This policy was based on the Long Telegram that was issued by George Keenan. The Long Telegram suggested that communism was a flawed system that would fail. Keenan believed we needed to prevent communism from spreading.

There were several examples where we worked to prevent communism from spreading. One was in West Berlin. The Soviet Union wanted to force the Allies out of West Berlin so they could make the entire city a communist city. The Soviet Union cut off all land routes into West Berlin in an event that is known as the Berlin Blockade. We refused to leave West Berlin, and we organized the Berlin Airlift to get supplies into West Berlin. Eventually, the Soviet Union backed down and ended the Berlin Blockade.

Another example where we opposed the spread of Communism was in South Korea. When North Korea invaded South Korea to make Korea a communist country, we worked with the United Nations to remove North Korea from South Korea. Under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, we were able to keep South Korea from becoming a communist country.

A third example of containment was the European Recovery Program, known as the Marshall Plan. We offered aid to countries that were resisting the spread of communism. For example, Greece and Turkey were two countries that were offered aid. Both countries didn’t become communist.

The goal of containment was designed to stop the spread of communism. This policy was successful in many places.

In Pride and Prejudice, how does Elizabeth's view of men change over the course of the story? What do Darcy, Wickham, and Bingley do that affects...

I think, in a nutshell, what Elizabeth learns is that her judgement, of others, and of herself, is often wrong. Often the men she dislikes turn out to be the ones who are most worthwhile, while the ones she does initially like turn out bad.  

Elizabeth thinks Darcyis quite rude at first. She does overhear him describe her as only "tolerable" at the ball at the beginning of the book. She learns that...

I think, in a nutshell, what Elizabeth learns is that her judgement, of others, and of herself, is often wrong. Often the men she dislikes turn out to be the ones who are most worthwhile, while the ones she does initially like turn out bad.  

Elizabeth thinks Darcy is quite rude at first. She does overhear him describe her as only "tolerable" at the ball at the beginning of the book. She learns that she is wrong about him when she learns about the role he plays in resolving the elopement with Lydia and Wickham. Darcy is proud, but she changes her mind about him when she sees that he actually has listened to her, understood her mortification about Lydia, and has done something about it.

Elizabeth is at first quite taken with Wickham, who on the face of it is the opposite of Mr Darcy: where Darcy seems cold and aloof, Wickham is charming and confiding. In fact, Elizabeth, who has already decided that Darcy is too proud, is being fooled by Wickham, who does not tell her the truth about his relationship with Darcy; Elizabeth is all too eager to believe what he says. Her blindness to him contributes in part to Lydia's eventual elopement. 

Bingley is another character Elizabeth is wrong about. It is true, Darcy tells her, that he worked to separate Bingley from Jane. But Bingley is not fickle in his attachment, as Elizabeth suspects, and does return to Jane in the end.

More than changing her view of men, I think that these three relationships also have a profound effect on Elizabeth's understanding of herself. She learns not make snap judgements about people, and she learns that what really counts in relationships is what people do, not what they say.

Which of the following properties is unique to Earth? It has the highest gravity of all the planets. It can support ice. It...

The correct answer is the last choice--only Earth, of the planets in our solar system, has an atmosphere rich in oxygen. Only Earth has plants and other photosynthetic life, which is the source of most of the free oxygen in Earth's air. This in turn allows animal life to exist. Oxygen is found in very small amounts on other planets that have atmospheres, such as Venus and Jupiter.

The planet in our solar system with...

The correct answer is the last choice--only Earth, of the planets in our solar system, has an atmosphere rich in oxygen. Only Earth has plants and other photosynthetic life, which is the source of most of the free oxygen in Earth's air. This in turn allows animal life to exist. Oxygen is found in very small amounts on other planets that have atmospheres, such as Venus and Jupiter.

The planet in our solar system with the highest gravity is Jupiter, due to its extreme mass. Jupiter exerts higher gravity than Earth by a factor of 2.5; that is, you would weigh 2.5 times on Jupiter what you do on Earth. As Jupiter is a gas giant you would have a hard time standing on a scale in order to weigh yourself--there is no solid surface!

Earth is not the only planet known to support ice. Ice as we think of it--frozen water--has been found on Mars. Other planets such as Neptune and Uranus are referred to as Ice Giants, and the frozen substances they are made of do seem to have a small amounts of frozen water, as well.

The hottest planet is Venus, due to its atmosphere of CO2 and acids. Temperatures on Venus average 864 degrees fahrenheit (462 degrees celsius). The greenhouse effect of its atmosphere causes Venus to be hotter than Mercury, even though Mercury is closer to the sun.

In Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, why doesn't Jem want anything to do with Scout at school?

Jem is older than Scout, and he has had several years of school experience by the time she starts the first grade.  Jem takes Scout to school on the first day, but gives her strict instructions.  As they walk, "Jem [is] careful to explain that during school hours [she] was not to bother him... [and not to] to embarrass him with references to his private life" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).

At...

Jem is older than Scout, and he has had several years of school experience by the time she starts the first grade.  Jem takes Scout to school on the first day, but gives her strict instructions.  As they walk, "Jem [is] careful to explain that during school hours [she] was not to bother him... [and not to] to embarrass him with references to his private life" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).

At school, Jem wants to maintain his reputation.  He does not want Scout to say or do anything which will embarrass him.  At home, they often play together.  They play imaginative games, such as when they act like the Radley family.  At school, Jem tells Scout not to expect him to play Tarzan.  At recess, he does not want Scout to follow him around.  He tells her to spend time with other first graders and let him do his own things with his own friends.

Who shouted 'Ralph' from far away in "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry?

The pertinent line is:

As he went he thought he heard a far-away voice that he once knew call “Ralph!” 

The voice can only be that of Annabel Adams. Jimmy Valentine feels that he has lost everything by exposing himself as a top professional safecracker in order to save the life of a little girl trapped inside the bank vault. The effect of the "far-away" voice calling him by his adopted name is to show that Annabel still loves him but that he is certain he has lost her. The story ends without any reunion between Jimmy Valentine (Ralph Spencer) and Annabel. O. Henry realizes that there would be a great deal of questioning and explaining to be done after Ben Price allowed Jimmy to "retrieve" his reformation. That would have been like a whole different story--but the single word "Ralph" which Jimmy hears on his way out of the bank is intended to assure the reader that such a "retrieval" of the girl he thought he had lost and of the respectability he thought he had lost with her, was possible.

We are left at the end of the story knowing that things will work themselves out. Because of "Ralph's" heroic action and personal sacrifice, Annabel will understand and forgive him, but only after he makes a full confession. And if Annabel understands and forgives him, then her whole family will do the same. Jimmy will be able to retain his new identity as Ralph Spencer, businessman, family man, respectable citizen, pillar of the community.

The real turning point in the story comes when Ben Price shows he has accepted Jimmy's reformation.

“Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer,” he said. “Don't believe I recognize you. Your buggy's waiting for you, ain't it?”

And Ben Price turned and strolled down the street.

This is a good ending. If Ben Price can forgive Jimmy, then there should be no serious obstacle to being reinstated with Annabel and her extended family. Anything more at the end would be anticlimactic. The single word "Ralph!" which Jimmy imagines he hears on his way out of the bank is sufficient to assure the reader that that part of the problem will be resolved. Jimmy has only partially "retrieved" his reformation through the generosity of Ben Price. The title of O. Henry's story assures us he will retrieve it completely in the unrevealed but inevitable denouement. 

What is an example of hyperbole in Act III, Scene III, of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

In Act III, Scene III of William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the play's young male protagonist has been hiding with Friar Laurence while waiting for news of the punishment to which he will be subjected for his killing of Tybalt. As throughout Shakespeare's play, examples of hyperbole are numerous and begin right away. The friar enters his cell and summons Romeo, who, at least to the friar, has been granted a relatively benign reprieve: he will be permitted to live, but in exile from Verona. The friar declares that the young, tragic romantic seems destined for bad things: "Romeo, come forth, come forth, thou fearful man: affliction is enamored of thy parts, and thou art wedded to calamity." This is an example of hyperbole in that the friar is using exaggerated language to describe Romeo's tendency towards disasters. And this is the first line in Act III, Scene III. More such examples follow, including Romeo's response to Friar Laurence's announcement that the former's life will be spared, but that he must be banished from Verona: "Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say 'death'...Much more than death: do not say 'banishment.'" The friar believes that he is delivering good news to Romeo. The anticipated punishment for Romeo was death. Romeo, however, considers banishment or exile the practical equivalent of death because exile will deprive him of access to Juliet, with whom, as we know, he is quite smitten. Romeo's language, then, qualifies as an example of hyperbole.

Examples of hyperbole continue to pile up as Romeo decries the fate meted out to him by the prince of Verona: "Tis torture and not mercy; heaven is here." Again, Romeo uses exaggeration to make a point by suggesting that banishment from Verona is tantamount, in this example, to torture. And, soon after, Romeo again engages in exaggerated language to emphasize his disdain for the punishment of banishment: "There is no world without Verona's walls, but purgatory, torture, hell itself." We can logically surmise from Romeo's repeated employment of hyperbole that he is seriously unhappy about the prospect of being exiled, and it will be Juliet's nurse, upon her arrival, who attempts to verbally admonish him for his theatrics while Juliet lies weeping in her chambers.

Shakespeare was a master of language, and his use of hyperbole was frequent and poetic. Examples of its use run throughout Romeo and Juliet, as characters use exaggerated rhetoric for maximum effect. 

What is the physical appearance of Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Demetrius is the “worthy gentleman” that Hermia’s father Egeus wants her to marry instead of Lysander, the boy she loves.

Lysander explains that Demetrius is not right for Hermia because he is in love with someone else—Helena.

Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,Upon this spotted and inconstant man. (Act 1, Scene 1)

Demetrius...

Demetrius is the “worthy gentleman” that Hermia’s father Egeus wants her to marry instead of Lysander, the boy she loves.

Lysander explains that Demetrius is not right for Hermia because he is in love with someone else—Helena.

Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man. (Act 1, Scene 1)

Demetrius is an Athenian, and he seems to be very good-looking. Helena is certainly obsessed with him. There is no specific physical description of him (other than that he is Athenian), but there are plenty of descriptions of his character.

Demetrius gets involved in the mishap in the woods where Puck mixes up the lovers. Previously, Demetrius was completely in love with Helena and had no eyes for Hermia.  Puck made him think that he was in love with Hermia instead. When they wake up and leave the woods, a puzzled Demetrius explains to Egeus that he is not in love with Hermia.

But, my good lord, I wot not by what power,--
But by some power it is,--my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Which in my childhood I did dote upon … (Act 4, Scene 1)

He appears to be an honest and upstanding man, matching the other descriptions of his character. He does not try to marry Hermia just because her father wants him to and it would enrich him. He is in love with Helena and he is loyal to her instead.

Demetrius may seem to be "inconstant" as Lysander said, but he is really in an impossible situation. He seems to be quite a catch, and Hermia's father really wants him to marry his daughter. Helena really wants him too, though. He must be very good-looking!

How did Bear make a living going from one town to the next?

In the story, Bear is a wandering performer. In order to earn a living, he juggles leather balls, sings, and plays on his recorder as he travels from town to town. Bear originally learned these skills from the mummers group he joined after he ran away from the Benedictine abbey where he was enrolled. Instead of becoming a priest, Bear traveled all over England with the group of mummers and learned 'the language of song,...

In the story, Bear is a wandering performer. In order to earn a living, he juggles leather balls, sings, and plays on his recorder as he travels from town to town. Bear originally learned these skills from the mummers group he joined after he ran away from the Benedictine abbey where he was enrolled. Instead of becoming a priest, Bear traveled all over England with the group of mummers and learned 'the language of song, of hand, of foot and...of laughter.'

When Crispin becomes Bear's apprentice, Bear teaches his young ward how to play on the recorder, to juggle, and to sing. Bear also demonstrates his dancing skills to Crispin. As Crispin watches in amazement at Bear's nimble moves, the older man announces that Crispin will be the one playing the recorder while he (Bear) dances, juggles, or sings for the crowd.

As Crispin has been declared a wolfs-head (who any man may hunt down and kill), the two have to make their way from town to town without being seen. Their final destination is Great Wexly, and they have to be careful not to draw attention to themselves. To earn a living as they travel, Crispin plays whatever song Bear instructs him to as the older man juggles, sings, or dances for the crowds that throng them. On occasion, Bear and Crispin earn money as well as bread for their troubles.

Why did King Leopold want to take over areas of Africa?

King Leopold II of Belgium originally wanted to take over the Philippines. He first asked to purchase the Philippines from Spain, but he did not have the money to do so. He then tried to make the Philippines an independent nation that he could control. When he failed in this attempt, he tried to colonize Africa. 

King Leopold tried to establish different colonies in Africa that failed. He was interested in the explorations of Henry...

King Leopold II of Belgium originally wanted to take over the Philippines. He first asked to purchase the Philippines from Spain, but he did not have the money to do so. He then tried to make the Philippines an independent nation that he could control. When he failed in this attempt, he tried to colonize Africa. 

King Leopold tried to establish different colonies in Africa that failed. He was interested in the explorations of Henry Morton Stanley along the Congo, and he organized what appeared to be a benevolent organization called the International African Society. This organization was actually his means to control the Congo as a private individual. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, European diplomats gave him sovereignty over the Congo, then known as the Congo Free State. He was at first interested in controlling this region to extract ivory, and then, when the price of rubber increased, he used the region to enrich himself by enforcing the use of brutality to coerce the native people to extract rubber. For example, the native people were tortured, mutilated, or killed if they did not meet quotas for extracting enough rubber. Eventually, King Leopold was exposed for being a brute and for using Congo to enrich himself, and he died in shame in 1909. 

What is the noun form of original?

Original is the adjectival form of the noun, "origin," meaning the source or beginning of something. The verb form is "originate." 

Original is the adjectival form of the noun, "origin," meaning the source or beginning of something. The verb form is "originate." 

Is the theme of nature something that I can use to describe a poem?

If you're asking whether you can use the theme of nature to describe one of William Worsworth's poems, then the answer is a resounding YES. Wordsworth was the quintessential Romantic writer, and one of the primary characteristics of the Romantics was their love for nature and rejection of contemporary society. Wordsworth was no different. In order to reject a contemporary society that he saw to be corrupt and disingenuous, Wordsworth embraced the natural world, taking...

If you're asking whether you can use the theme of nature to describe one of William Worsworth's poems, then the answer is a resounding YES. Wordsworth was the quintessential Romantic writer, and one of the primary characteristics of the Romantics was their love for nature and rejection of contemporary society. Wordsworth was no different. In order to reject a contemporary society that he saw to be corrupt and disingenuous, Wordsworth embraced the natural world, taking it to be a more authentic mode of existence.

To understand how this idea works in Wordsworth's poetry, it's helpful to look at one of his most famous poems, "The World is Too Much With Us." In this poem, Wordsworth provides one of his most vehement rejections of Industrial-Age England, as he yearns for a more natural, simpler time governed by Mother Nature. For instance, in lines 2 and 3, Wordsworth says, "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—/ Little we see in Nature that is ours." In these lines, Wordsworth basically states that civilized society has turned humanity into greedy, soulless beings more concerned with "getting" the latest fashionable product or "spending" exorbitant sums of money on frivolous consumer goods. After reflecting on several moving images of nature, Wordsworth proclaims possibly his most radical lines ever, saying, "Great God! I’d rather be/ A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn" (9-10). By making this statement, Wordsworth rejects the corruption of modern Christian society, asserting that it would be better to return to the pagan cultures of the past that worshipped the Earth and nature (pretty radical words for a 19th century Englishman). This statement is one of the most forceful examples of the importance of nature in Wordsworth's work, and it's worth reading the poem in full to get a comprehensive understanding of its natural themes. 

In Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est," explain what happens to the soldier who fails to put on his mask? Why does Owen say the soldier is...

This particular image in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is especially potent in its frank depiction of the horrors of World War I. The soldier who fails to put on his gas mask suffers an agonizing death from gas (likely chlorine). The use of poisonous gas was prevalent during the First World War, and Owen equates death by chlorine gas to drowning. The gas suffocates the young soldier, and he chokes as if he's...

This particular image in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is especially potent in its frank depiction of the horrors of World War I. The soldier who fails to put on his gas mask suffers an agonizing death from gas (likely chlorine). The use of poisonous gas was prevalent during the First World War, and Owen equates death by chlorine gas to drowning. The gas suffocates the young soldier, and he chokes as if he's drowning. Additionally, the speaker of the poem sees the cloud of poison like an ocean:

"Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,/ As under a green sea, I saw him drowning./ In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,/ He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning"(99-100).

The green mist from the poison resembles a body of water through the speaker's protective mask. The horror of the situation is magnified because the soldiers witness their colleague's death, and can do nothing about it. He was simply too slow in putting on his mask. Owen uses this image of the young soldier dying an agonizing, painful, and prolonged death to illustrate the rampant horrors of the war. The young soldier "drowns" in a sea of poison.

I pulled my textual evidence from The Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry.

Where can I find evidence of theme in Chapter 4 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

There is a lot happening in Chapter 4 of To Kill a Mockingbird. This is the chapter that highlights the end of Scout's first year in school, the return of Dill for the summer, and the first couple of gifts found in the knothole in the Radley tree. The children also start acting out the Radleys' scissor-stabbing story and get caught by Atticus. Based on these events, some themes could be friendship or childhood imagination, but two that have specific passages associated with them would be the beauty of summer and the neighbor, Boo Radley.

First of all, summer is Scout's favorite season. Summer is when life seems to happen for Scout--when she can run free, socialize, and just have fun being a kid. The following passage couples beautiful imagery with the whimsical musings of a young girl:

"Summer was on the way; Jem and I awaited it with impatience. Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree-house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill" (34).

The above passage presents themes such as Jem and Scout's sibling relationship, traditions during summertime, and the fact that summer is directly connected to Dill. In fact, a good title for a theme here could be "summer was Dill."

Another theme centers around Boo Radley, of course. Not only are the kids feeding their superstitious mentality by playing out the Radley family stories; they have received gum and two old Indian-head pennies from the knothole in the big Radley tree. Scout feels guilty for playing out the Radley stories over and over again, so she seems a bit relieved when Atticus catches them. Scout explains why she does not want to play the stories again:

"Atticus's arrival was the second reason I wanted to quit the game. The first reason happened the day I rolled into the Radley front yard. Through all the head-shaking, quelling nausea and Jem-yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk. Someone inside the house was laughing" (41).

This passage seems to be the beginning of a syllogism that helps Scout piece together the puzzle that is Boo Radley. First, if Mr. Nathan Radley goes to town each morning, and Scout heard someone laughing from inside the house, then Boo must be left alone in the house. Then, if Scout heard someone laugh that day, and it wasn't maniacal or angry, Boo must enjoy watching the children play. Finally, if there is a person in the Radley house who enjoys watching the children play, and gifts start showing up in the knothole of the Radley's tree, then the gifts must be from that person--none other than Boo Radley. A theme for all of this could be entitled "The Mystery Which Is Boo Radley" or something of the sort.

The kids are starting to cross a line from believing the neighborhood legend is the boogie man, to understanding that there is a human being in the house who may want to be friendly and kind to them. Another good theme associated with Boo Radley might be "nothing is as it seems," or "don't judge a house by its shut-in."

What do you think is the most important source of power: personal, relationships or position? Explain and provide an example.

There are many different theories of power and many ways in which power operates in our society. I don't think there is any one single source of power, but rather different types of power that exist in different contexts.

The first distinction I would make is between hard or coercive power and soft or persuasive power. Hard power can be personal, as in the case of a schoolyard bully who uses physical strength to coerce...

There are many different theories of power and many ways in which power operates in our society. I don't think there is any one single source of power, but rather different types of power that exist in different contexts.

The first distinction I would make is between hard or coercive power and soft or persuasive power. Hard power can be personal, as in the case of a schoolyard bully who uses physical strength to coerce others or positional, as in the case of a Roman emperor such as Nero or the current North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un who use command of military forces to coerce others. Soft power can be derived from a charismatic personality, intellect, or ability to entertain. The United States, as well as having military hard power, has a disproportionate impact on world affairs via the popularity of Hollywood, for example. 

In some situation, relationships are important. This can operate in a direct manner, as in the case of nepotism in corporations or tribalism in African politics, or more indirectly in that people with extended social networks can draw on a wider range of support and influence than people with more limited networks.

The Devil's Arithmetic opens with what event, and why is it important to Hannah's family?

Passover Seder is important to Hannah’s family because it is about remembering people they lost during the Holocaust.

The novel opens with Passover Seder, and this is an important Jewish holiday.  Hannah does not want to go, because she and her brother will be the only kids there.  She does not understand the importance of the holiday, and its significance to her family.  Hannah thinks all holidays are alike.

"Passover isn't about eating, Hannah," her...

Passover Seder is important to Hannah’s family because it is about remembering people they lost during the Holocaust.

The novel opens with Passover Seder, and this is an important Jewish holiday.  Hannah does not want to go, because she and her brother will be the only kids there.  She does not understand the importance of the holiday, and its significance to her family.  Hannah thinks all holidays are alike.

"Passover isn't about eating, Hannah," her mother began at last, sighing and pushing her fingers up through her silver-streaked hair.

"You could have fooled me," Hannah muttered.

"It's about remembering." (Ch. 1)

The holiday is about remembering family members and friends that were lost during the Holocaust in World War II.  This was a significant event where almost every Jewish family lost someone.  The Nazis rounded up people in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and systematically exterminated as many as they could, killing millions.

Hannah has grown up hearing about the Holocaust, but she never really understood it.  The Holocaust had a huge impact on her family, but the meaning is lost on her.  She doesn't appreciate it because it is something she has always known but never understood.

You have to remember how much family means to them. Grandma lost both her parents to the Nazis before she and her brother managed to escape. And Grandpa . . ."

"I remember. I remember. . . ," Hannah whispered.

". . . Will lost everyone but your Aunt Eva. A family of eight all but wiped out." (Ch. 1)

Hannah is about to get an understanding of what actually happened and what the Holocaust was like.  She goes down a sort of magical rabbit hole into World War II.  She learns more about her namesake, Aunt Eva’s friend, who died in the camps.

Sometimes it is difficult for children to appreciate the significance of holidays.  One holiday can run into the next.  Passover Seder is important for Hannah’s family because it is an important Jewish holiday, but also because it is about remembering who they lost when they lost so much.

Where does Mr. Frankland live in The Hound of the Baskervilles?

Mr. Frankland is one of the more prominent neighbors of Baskerville Hall. He resides at Lafter Hall, where he is known to survey the surrounding landscape with his telescope. His primary hobby is bringing lawsuits against anyone who has, in his opinion, wronged him.

His lone direct contribution to the story is that he discovers, through his telescope, that a man is hiding in the ancient ruins on the moor and that a boy takes...

Mr. Frankland is one of the more prominent neighbors of Baskerville Hall. He resides at Lafter Hall, where he is known to survey the surrounding landscape with his telescope. His primary hobby is bringing lawsuits against anyone who has, in his opinion, wronged him.

His lone direct contribution to the story is that he discovers, through his telescope, that a man is hiding in the ancient ruins on the moor and that a boy takes supplies to that man regularly. He believes that this person must be Selden, the escaped convict, but he tells no one about this except Dr. Watson. As it turns out, the man hiding in the ancient ruins is Sherlock Holmes, so it is quite convenient to the plot that Frankland has a  feud with local law enforcement sufficient to ensure that he does not report what he thinks to be an escaped convict living on the moor, but is willing to give Dr. Watson enough information that Watson can find Holmes.

Mr. Frankland’s other important connection to the story is indirect. His estranged daughter, Laura Lyons, is responsible for luring Sir Charles Baskerville to the place where he encounters Stapleton’s hound and subsequently dies of a heart attack.

What is the difference between data and information?

Data and information are interrelated terms, yet are different from each other. Data refers to qualitative or quantitative values of a given parameter. It is the raw data or raw content. It is typically in an unprocessed form. Data after processing and analysis is known as information. An example is the attendance of students in a course (or grade or level) over a period of time. If we just collect the attendance, it will form...

Data and information are interrelated terms, yet are different from each other. Data refers to qualitative or quantitative values of a given parameter. It is the raw data or raw content. It is typically in an unprocessed form. Data after processing and analysis is known as information. An example is the attendance of students in a course (or grade or level) over a period of time. If we just collect the attendance, it will form data. When we tabulate it and analyze it and present it in a more meaningful form, such as statistics or graphs; it becomes information. We can derive some information such as average attendance, peak attendance, etc., from the data.

Information is used to make decisions and plan processes. For example, we can plan a motivational session if the attendance is really low or take some corrective actions, etc.

Hope this helps. 

Miss Maudie is a Baptist. However, as she tells Scout, there is a big difference between regular Baptists and foot-washers (Lee 59). What does it...

A "foot-washing Baptist" is a way of saying a very strict Baptist. Foot-washing Baptists and Baptists are both Christian denominations and really, they're both Baptists. But the foot-washing Baptists are so strict that they believe everything pleasurable is a sin. Miss Maudie adds that some foot-washers once told her that she and her flowers were going to hell. 

Yes ma’am. They’d burn right with me. They thought I spent too much time in God’s outdoors...

A "foot-washing Baptist" is a way of saying a very strict Baptist. Foot-washing Baptists and Baptists are both Christian denominations and really, they're both Baptists. But the foot-washing Baptists are so strict that they believe everything pleasurable is a sin. Miss Maudie adds that some foot-washers once told her that she and her flowers were going to hell. 

Yes ma’am. They’d burn right with me. They thought I spent too much time in God’s outdoors and not enough time inside the house reading the Bible. 

Foot-washers are also quite strict in focusing on reading the Bible. The practice of foot washing comes from the Gospel of John where Jesus teaches his followers to wash each other's feet. The idea is that we are all equal and serves as a practical metaphor (and actual practice) of the Golden Rule. However, Miss Maudie is trying to explain that extreme religious fanaticism, especially in the hands of a bad or unhinged man like Mr. Radley, is a bad thing. 

Miss Maudie is making the point that Mr. Radley is too strict and perhaps has punished Boo in unnecessary ways and for unnecessary reasons. She doesn't come right out and say it, but one could infer that she is suggesting that Mr. Radley's strict ways may be abusive and might have something to do with how Boo Radley turned out. Scout asks her if she thinks Boo Radley is crazy. Miss Maudie replies: 

If he’s not he should be by now. The things that happen to people we never really know. What happens in houses behind closed doors, what secrets - 

How is Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye a non-conformist?

Throughout The Catcher in the Rye there are numerous examples of Holden being a non-conformist, none more so than his time at Pencey Prep. There are several examples of Holden refusing to conform at the school, but I'm only going to list two:

1. Holden is roommates with Stradlater, a popular boy who mothers would call "yearbook handsome." However, Holden refuses to be drawn into the boy's lifestyle, specifically Stradlater's desire to have sex with girls....

Throughout The Catcher in the Rye there are numerous examples of Holden being a non-conformist, none more so than his time at Pencey Prep. There are several examples of Holden refusing to conform at the school, but I'm only going to list two:

1. Holden is roommates with Stradlater, a popular boy who mothers would call "yearbook handsome." However, Holden refuses to be drawn into the boy's lifestyle, specifically Stradlater's desire to have sex with girls. Holden calls him a "very sexy bastard." However, Holden rejects this desire to have sex in high school. (He even refuses to have sex with a prostitute he hires.) Instead, when speaking about Jane Gallagher, a girl Stradlater wants to get "sexy" with, and a girl Holden might have been able to have sex with, Holden is only concerned about her checkers strategy and whether she still "keeps her kings in the back row."


2. A second example of Holden's non-conformity occurs when he rejects the popular crowd, like Stradlater and Ernest Morrow. While Holden's rejection of Stradlater might happen because of Stradlater's desire to have sex with girls, he rejects Morrow because he was "doubtless the biggest bastard in the history of Pencey Prep" and used to go down the corridor after a shower "snapping his soggy old wet towel at people's asses." Instead of choosing to be friends with one of these guys, Holden decides to be friends with Robert Ackley, one of the least popular student at the school. 

When referring to a household sign, is it proper to say, "Welcome to the Smiths" or "Welcome to the Smiths'"?

If we were speaking of a single person whose name is Smith, we would simply add an apostrophe-s (known among grammarians as a clitic) to the end of the name:  “Welcome to Smith’s home,” or “Welcome to Smith’s.”  However, in reference to a family, all of whom share the last name Smith, we of course pluralize the name to indicate multiple persons in the family, as in the sentence “The Smiths are coming for...

If we were speaking of a single person whose name is Smith, we would simply add an apostrophe-s (known among grammarians as a clitic) to the end of the name:  “Welcome to Smith’s home,” or “Welcome to Smith’s.”  However, in reference to a family, all of whom share the last name Smith, we of course pluralize the name to indicate multiple persons in the family, as in the sentence “The Smiths are coming for dinner.” 

Grammatically, when creating a plural possessive, it is correct to place a single apostrophe after the pluralized word.  So the correct form would be Welcome to the Smiths’.  This is perhaps easier to envision if we make explicit that which is implied in the phrase, that is, “Welcome to the Smiths’ home.” 

If we did implement your other option, Welcome to the Smiths, it would entirely change the meaning of the sentence.  In this case we could assume that The Smiths was a place with a pluralized name, like Beverly Hills or The Alps.  In this case the object of the preposition takes on a locative identity, and loses the implication of home that exists in the first option.  It is no longer a possessive modifier but the object itself.

What did the British Empire comprise of?

The British Empire was a well-known empire. It was found throughout the world. The British had colonies in North America. This included colonies in what is now the United States and Canada. The British also had some colonies in South America. British colonies were also found throughout Africa as well as in Asia. The island of Australia was also a British colony.

The British established colonies for many reasons. One reason was economic. Once the...

The British Empire was a well-known empire. It was found throughout the world. The British had colonies in North America. This included colonies in what is now the United States and Canada. The British also had some colonies in South America. British colonies were also found throughout Africa as well as in Asia. The island of Australia was also a British colony.

The British established colonies for many reasons. One reason was economic. Once the British established industries in Great Britain, they needed raw materials for those industries. The colonies could provide those raw materials. The colonies also would be a place where the British industries could sell their products. In some cases, the colonies provided mineral resources for Great Britain.

The British also established colonies for political reasons. The British were competing with other countries for land and for power. The more colonies the British had, the more power they could potentially have. The colonies could serve as military bases for the British navy if needed. The colonies also allowed the British to protect their world trade since their military ships and merchant marine would need places to resupply and refuel.

The British Empire was a well-known and well-established empire. It was very power and influential. It spanned the entire world.

Where is the ship Prophetess sailing towards in Cloud Atlas?

When the readers first meet Adam Ewing, he is in the South Pacific, spending a week on one of the islands. The ship he was aboard, the Prophetess, has been caught in a tempest and taken on damage. During the week, it will be repaired and return to sea. 

Adam Ewing's final destination is his home in San Francisco, but the ship will be making other stops, including Bethlehem Bay and Hawaii.   

Part...

When the readers first meet Adam Ewing, he is in the South Pacific, spending a week on one of the islands. The ship he was aboard, the Prophetess, has been caught in a tempest and taken on damage. During the week, it will be repaired and return to sea. 

Adam Ewing's final destination is his home in San Francisco, but the ship will be making other stops, including Bethlehem Bay and Hawaii.   

Part 1 of this storyline ends while they are still aboard the ship, having left the unnamed island...

And Part 2 begins many pages later, with the sighting of land. They land in Bethlehem Bay, New Zealand, where the men from the Prophetess establish a trade route to San Francisco. Their stay here is short and they are soon back on board, sailing for Honolulu, Hawaii. 

At this point, Dr. Goose's poisoning of Adam Ewing has him near death, and he fears reaching never Hawaii, let alone his home in San Francisco. Thanks to the the former slave Autua, Ewing's life is saved and he is nursed back to health in Hawaii.

In A Tale of Two Cities, what are 3 quotes that convey Dickens's attitude in Book 3, Chapter 15?

Dickens is very specific about his view of the guillotine in the French Revolution.  He considered the guillotine a terrible travesty of justice.  Since he was about to send one of his main characters to his death, Dickens took some time to insert commentary about the guillotine.

Along the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh. Six tumbrils carry the day's wine to La Guillotine. All the devouring and insatiate Monsters imagined since imagination could record itself, are fused in the one realisation, Guillotine. (3: 15)

Sydney Carton agreed to switch places with Charles Darnay and die in his place at the guillotine.  It was a romantic gesture, and one rife with meaning for Dickens.  Dickens believed that while the poor people suffered under the regime of the aristocrats, it did not justify the broad scale death and destruction that took place in the French Revolution.   Innocent people died, such as Carton.

Dickens also makes a comment about the revolution’s effect on the population in the future. 

Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind. (3: 15)

He is essentially saying that the revolution altered the course of history, and not in a good way.  The injustice of the revolution had a ripple effect.  This reiterates the warning he gave in the beginning of the book about revolutions in other countries like England being imminent.

Dickens comments that the scene of people going to their deaths at the guillotine occurs so often that people do not even notice it anymore.

So used are the regular inhabitants of the houses to the spectacle, that in many windows there are no people, and in some the occupation of the hands is not so much as suspended, while the eyes survey the faces in the tumbrils. (3: 15)

No one stopped them or stepped in to intervene, because they were afraid, and because they grew complacent.  They just let people go past them every day to their deaths.

Dickens made a career out of taking current events or historical events and sentimentalizing them.  Like Tiny Tim and Oliver, Sydney Carton’s sacrifice became symbolic of the French Revolution.  People felt sorry for both sides, because the peasants and the revolutionaries were both displayed with such sentimentality.

What does this quote by W.E.B DuBois mean: "It was negro loyalty and the negro vote alone that restored the south to the union; established the new...

In 1929, the editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica asked W.E.B. DuBois, an African-American historian, to write an article on Reconstruction. In response, he wrote, "“it was Negro loyalty and the Negro vote alone that restored the South to the Union; established the new democracy, both for white and black, and instituted the public schools.”

DuBois intended his statement to be a correction to the standard idea among whites that African-American people had destroyed the process...

In 1929, the editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica asked W.E.B. DuBois, an African-American historian, to write an article on Reconstruction. In response, he wrote, "“it was Negro loyalty and the Negro vote alone that restored the South to the Union; established the new democracy, both for white and black, and instituted the public schools.”

DuBois intended his statement to be a correction to the standard idea among whites that African-American people had destroyed the process of Reconstruction and that they were to blame for its failures. Their failures were blamed on the corrupt alliance between southern African-American people and "carpetbaggers," or people from the north looking to profit from Reconstruction in the south. Many people regarded African-Americans as not up to the task of governing themselves after the Civil War.

DuBois, on the other hand, believed that African-Americans were critical in not only winning the Civil War but also in forming integrated state governments after the war that passed legislation that allowed the southern states to rejoin the union, expand voting rights, and set up public schools. His statement was intended to assert the idea that African-Americans were fully capable of governing themselves, despite what historians at the time (such as William Dunning) claimed about the inability of former slaves to carry out a successful agenda during Reconstruction. The editors of the encyclopedia asked DuBois to strike this passage from his article, but he instead withdrew the article and later wrote a history of Black Reconstruction.

In the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou, what poetic device, besides metaphors, is significant?

In addition to the descriptive similes and metaphors Angelou uses, she also incorporates the use of repetition, questioning, assonance, and alliteration to emphasize the ideas and themes of the poem.

1.   Angelou repeats the phrase, “I rise” 10 times in the poem.  The technique of repeating words or phrases puts emphasis on the phrase and, in this case, allows the poem to build towards its conclusion.  It’s almost as if the poem is “rising” in...

In addition to the descriptive similes and metaphors Angelou uses, she also incorporates the use of repetition, questioning, assonance, and alliteration to emphasize the ideas and themes of the poem.

1.   Angelou repeats the phrase, “I rise” 10 times in the poem.  The technique of repeating words or phrases puts emphasis on the phrase and, in this case, allows the poem to build towards its conclusion.  It’s almost as if the poem is “rising” in its message as it is being read from the beginning to the end.  The poem builds and builds to a climax where the final three “I rise” statements show that Angelou has undeniably risen above the lies, the history of her people, and the stereotypes that once defined her.


2.   The use of questions in the poem also engages the reader, prompting them to think about and draw conclusions on how they feel about what Angelou is suggesting. Her questions are “in your face” type of questions that challenge her readers to argue against her ideas and confront her main premise that she is no longer going to be kept down. She challenges the reader to deal with her “sassiness” instead of the broken spirit she once had.


3.  Angelou also uses alliteration and assonance throughout the poem to give certain words emphasis as well as to create a pattern or rhythm in the poem. Alliteration is the repetition of like consonant sounds; assonance is the repetition of like vowel sounds. Some examples are:

"With your bitter, twisted lies," (assonance—I sound)

"Just like hopes springing high," (alliteration—H sound)

"That I dance like I've got diamonds" (alliteration—D sound)

"Out of the huts of history's shame" (alliteration—H sound)

"Up from a past that's rooted in pain" (alliteration—P sound)

All of the poetic devices Angelou uses in this poem create not only imagery but also creatively present the theme of overcoming obstacles and hardships and “rising” and finding one’s self-worth.

To what does Ray Bradbury compare the conversation of the ladies in his novel Fahrenheit 451?

Mildred has her friends Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles over to watch the parlor walls one night. Montag is finishing up dinner when they come to the door, and he describes Mildred's responding behavior "like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius." Then, when the visitors come through the door and head to the parlor, he describes their conversation "like a monstrous crystal chandelier tinkling in a thousand chimes" (93). This means that their talk is high-pitched...

Mildred has her friends Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles over to watch the parlor walls one night. Montag is finishing up dinner when they come to the door, and he describes Mildred's responding behavior "like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius." Then, when the visitors come through the door and head to the parlor, he describes their conversation "like a monstrous crystal chandelier tinkling in a thousand chimes" (93). This means that their talk is high-pitched and meaningless, such as one might hear from a chandelier hanging above the heads of people at a party. The partygoers can hear it, but it means nothing. He also compares their smiles to the Cheshire Cat and describes their talk as "screaming" above the sounds permeating from the three TVs in the parlor.

Montag decides to unplug the walls and put an end to the women's TV-watching. With nothing left to do but talk, that's what happens. Unfortunately, Montag is so disappointed in the selfishness the women show when discussing their husbands and children that he feels they are completely clueless to their own plight. He describes these women as clueless as the strange faces that he once saw painted inside of a church he had visited as a child. As he searched the paintings of saints in the church, he found nothing to help fill the emptiness and void of life therein. This is how Montag feels about the ladies' conversation at the moment, too—empty and void of feeling or purpose. The description from the text is as follows:

"But there was nothing, nothing; it was a stroll through another store, and his currency strange and unusable there, and his passion cold" (95).

As shown and discussed above, the ladies are clueless about how selfish and void of humanity they are. Montag compares them to paintings of saints in a church that have the likeness of humanity, but lack the heart required to qualify them as humans. He thinks they might as well be inanimate paintings on a wall instead of using up time and space with their empty existence.

Please provide some quotes relating to George killing Lennie and it being the wrong decision?

Lennie has a debate with an imaginary rabbit before George kills him. In this debate the rabbit poses all of the reasons for George to "beat the hell" out of Lennie with a stick. The rabbit also says the following:

"You ain't worth a greased jack-pin to ram you into hell. Christ knows George done ever'thing he could to jack you outa the sewer, but it don't do no good" (102).

Lennie responds by saying that George would never beat him with stick because, "I've knew George since--I forget when--and he ain't never raised his han' to me with a stick. He's nice to me. He ain't gonna be mean" (102). This comment shows that George is not the type of person to hurt anyone else. Therefore, killing Lennie would be a wrong decision because George is nice and has never hurt Lennie before. If George kills or hurts Lennie, it would be going against who he is inside.

The rabbit then tells Lennie that George will at least leave him if he isn't going to hurt him, so that puts him in a frenzy screaming for George. When George emerges, he tells Lennie he won't leave him; but he has Carlson's gun with him and has him sit down next to the river.

Nature seems to chime in to tell George it is the wrong decision to kill Lennie as well because of the following omen:

"On the wind the sound of crashing in the brush came to them. . . George had been listening to the distant sounds. For a moment he was business-like" (105).

But then George hears the other men searching for Lennie getting closer. The question at this point is if it is better for George to allow the others to kill him, or for George to kill Lennie himself. George clearly struggles with the decision to kill Lennie himself because he can't get the hand that holds the gun to stop shaking.

"George raised his gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again" (105).

The fact that George doesn't go through with the first attempt to shoot Lennie shows that he is having a tough time making the decision. He knows that he will have to live with this decision for the rest of his life, so it better be the right one. As the men get closer to Lennie, George makes his decision for good or bad.

"George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes" (106).

Stunned that he actually killed Lennie, George looks at the gun and probably wonders how he was able to do such a thing. It doesn't really matter at this point, though, because there's no bringing Lennie back to life, now. When Slim gets to George, he tries to let him know that he had no choice and it was all for the best; but Carlson, wonders what Slim and George are so upset about by saying the following:

"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" (107).

What is important about the Scopes Trial (1925)?

The Scopes Trial became the “trial of the century” (in some people’s minds, at least), because it tapped in to some of the biggest trends and issues of the day.  In addition, it became the trial of the century because it came about at a time when radio was starting to boom.  These two factors combined to make this a very high-profile trial indeed.

Before the 1920s, it would have been very difficult for any...

The Scopes Trial became the “trial of the century” (in some people’s minds, at least), because it tapped in to some of the biggest trends and issues of the day.  In addition, it became the trial of the century because it came about at a time when radio was starting to boom.  These two factors combined to make this a very high-profile trial indeed.

Before the 1920s, it would have been very difficult for any trial to capture the attention of the whole country.  There was simply no way of immediately communicating things about the trial to many people far away.  There was certainly no way that people far away could actually hear the events of the trial live. By 1925, however, this had changed. Radios were now common, which meant that the Scopes Trial could become the first trial ever to be broadcast live. This helped greatly in bringing attention to the trial, allowing it to become the trial of the century.

Of course, in order for it to be the trial of the century, it also had to be interesting to a large number of people.  The Scopes Trial was interesting to many people because it was connected to major issues of the time.  During the 1920s, American culture was changing.  Particularly in the cities, the old values were disappearing and being replaced with new ones.  This was a time of jazz and flappers and illicit drinking.  It was a time when more people were moving to cities and leaving fewer in rural areas.   In other words, the old, rural, America with its traditional values was starting to be replaced by a newer, more urban society with newer values.  This made for a great deal of conflict between people who liked the old society and those in favor of the new (this is not unlike the way things are today).

The Scopes Trial became famous because it pitted these two sides against one another.  The new society believed in things like evolution while the old believed in old-fashioned religion. The new society was typified by people like H. L. Mencken, who covered the trial and looked down on the hicks of Dayton, TN while the old society was championed by traditionalists like William Jennings Bryan (who prosecuted the case).  It was presented as a war between new and old America.  Bryan argued that “if evolution wins, Christianity goes” while Clarence Darrow (defending Scopes) claimed that “Scopes isn't on trial; civilization is on trial” and said that the prosecution was trying to bring America back to the Dark Ages.

In short, this trial became a huge deal because it could be broadcast across the country and because it could be presented as a struggle between two contending visions of what the US should be.

What is the significance of the Fibonacci number?

A Fibonacci number is a number from the Fibonacci sequence; this sequence is generated by starting with a(0)=1, a(1)=1 and then each nth term (n>1) is found by adding the proceeding two numbers. a(2)=a(0)+a(1)=1+1=2; a(3)=1+2=3 yielding the sequence 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,...

(1) In mathematics, the Fibonacci sequence is a special case of the Lucas numbers.

The ratio of adjacent Fibonacci numbers approaches the golden mean phi as the number of terms grows without bound.

(2) Historically the...

A Fibonacci number is a number from the Fibonacci sequence; this sequence is generated by starting with a(0)=1, a(1)=1 and then each nth term (n>1) is found by adding the proceeding two numbers. a(2)=a(0)+a(1)=1+1=2; a(3)=1+2=3 yielding the sequence 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,...

(1) In mathematics, the Fibonacci sequence is a special case of the Lucas numbers.

The ratio of adjacent Fibonacci numbers approaches the golden mean phi as the number of terms grows without bound.

(2) Historically the Fibonacci numbers were introduced in Europe in a book extolling the virtues of Hindu-Arabic numbers and arithmetic.

(3) Fibonacci numbers are said to appear in botany: in the ratio of angles of branches in certain plants (phyllotaxis) and in the number and arrangement in seeds in plants such as pine cones, sunflowers, and pineapples.

(4) The Fibonacci numbers are associated with spirals: in nature we see them in Nautilus shells and spiral galaxies.

(5) If we look at the ancestry of male honeybees we find the Fibonacci numbers --  a male has 1 parent, 2 grandparents, 3 great-grandparents, 5 great-great-grandparents, etc...

I hope this gives you some ideas to look into -- this sequence appears in zoology, botany, art, and in many areas of mathematics.

Why doesn't Squeaky, from Raymond's Run, like dressing up in costumes or fancy dresses?

Squeaky is a very no-nonsense, confident young girl with a lot of spunk and attitude.  She works hard, and isn’t afraid to let everyone see she works hard, studying all night for the spelling bee and doing breathing exercises and knee exercises up and down the sidewalk.  Everyone knows she’s the best runner in Harlem and is she dedicated to remaining the best runner in Harlem.  In addition, she must take care of her brother...

Squeaky is a very no-nonsense, confident young girl with a lot of spunk and attitude.  She works hard, and isn’t afraid to let everyone see she works hard, studying all night for the spelling bee and doing breathing exercises and knee exercises up and down the sidewalk.  Everyone knows she’s the best runner in Harlem and is she dedicated to remaining the best runner in Harlem.  In addition, she must take care of her brother Raymond, a role which requires her to be sharp-witted and protective.  Wearing dresses and acting innocent like little girls are supposed to be compromises her ability to protect her brother -- anyone making fun of him wouldn't think twice about their actions if Squeaky were a sweet thing.  She has to be strong and sassy to keep them in line.

In addition to having “a reputation to consider” that involves being tough and not at all girly, it’s clear that Squeaky is gifted with a very adult sense of responsibility, coupled with a very child-like ignorance of gender norms.  She states that she is “a poor black girl who really can’t afford to buy shoes and a new dress you only wear once a lifetime cause it won’t fit next year.”  This practicality feeds very well into Squeaky’s no-nonsense perception of herself as a runner, and nothing but a runner, and there is no place for costumes or dresses in running.  She recalls a pageant in which she dressed as a strawberry with disdain:  “I am not a strawberry. I do not dance on my toes. I run. That is what I am all about.”

Squeaky is a realist – she knows that wearing dresses and dancing about the maypole would get any dress she wore dirty, and sees no use in it, despite the fact, she says, that her

“mother thinks it’s a shame I don’t take part and act like a girl for a change. You’d think my mother’d be grateful not to have to make me a white organdy dress with a big satin sash and buy me new white baby-doll shoes that can’t be taken out of the box till the big day.” 

Squeaky’s mother wants her to play by the rules of society, but Squeaky simply does not see the point in denying who she is – a runner who sweats and works hard all day to be the best – by covering it all up in pretty sashes and pointless, impractical dresses.

What were three reasons Columbus was looking for a new route to Asia?

Despite being most famous for finding the Americas, Christopher Columbus's first voyage in 1492 was actually funded, by the rulers of Spain, as an attempt to find a new trading route between Spain and Asia. The first reason Columbus undertook this voyage, was because he believed that by traveling east over the ocean, rather than west by land, he would be able to reach Asia in much faster and safer manner than the traditional route...

Despite being most famous for finding the Americas, Christopher Columbus's first voyage in 1492 was actually funded, by the rulers of Spain, as an attempt to find a new trading route between Spain and Asia. The first reason Columbus undertook this voyage, was because he believed that by traveling east over the ocean, rather than west by land, he would be able to reach Asia in much faster and safer manner than the traditional route, or the newer route, discovered by the Portuguese, which included sailing all the way around Africa. The problem with this thought was two-fold, first Columbus did not know he would run into another continent between Europe and Asia, and second, he grossly underestimated the circumference of the earth, causing him to miscalculate how long the journey would take. His second reason for embarking on the voyage was one of wanting personal wealth and fame. He thought that by discovering this new trade route, and also being privileged by the King and Queen of Spain to 10% of all the riches he found, as well as all the land he found, he would be able to achieve this. Finally, his third reason for embarking on the voyage was to spread Catholicism from Europe to Asia, and the rest of the world, an idea that both Columbus and the King and Queen of Spain thought was important at the time. Hope this helps!

How significant is chapter 5 in The Red Badge of Courage?

I think it is a very important chapter.  In fact, I feel it is a pivotal moment in the narration about Henry, his attitude, and ability to fight.  In the chapters previous to chapter 5, the reader has been with Henry during his flight from a previous battle.  The reader is also walked through Henry's odd logic about how he is the smart and brave one for running away, while all of his squad mates...

I think it is a very important chapter.  In fact, I feel it is a pivotal moment in the narration about Henry, his attitude, and ability to fight.  In the chapters previous to chapter 5, the reader has been with Henry during his flight from a previous battle.  The reader is also walked through Henry's odd logic about how he is the smart and brave one for running away, while all of his squad mates are ignorant.  Those previous chapters show Henry as a character that is entirely focused on himself.

Chapter 5, however, shows a complete turn around in attitude for Henry.  A new battle begins, and unlike the first time, Henry stands and fights.  He finally sees that he exists as a part of the army machine.  He sees himself as something greater than an individual.  He is now an important part of a well oiled machine.  He fires and reloads like a madman, and is proud of his selfless efforts in the battle. 

He suddenly lost concern for himself, and forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of which he was a part—a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country—was in a crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire.

What songs could represent themes or characters in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Scout is an independent spitfire. Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" captures a bit of her personality. At first, Scout is staunchly independent and unwilling to conform, though as the story goes on, she recognizes the importance of biting her tongue at times and not being so pigheaded. In the song, Clarkson's character "Miss Independent" also learns that being self-sufficient closes her off to a relationship, "So, by changing her misconceptions, She went in a new direction."

...

Scout is an independent spitfire. Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" captures a bit of her personality. At first, Scout is staunchly independent and unwilling to conform, though as the story goes on, she recognizes the importance of biting her tongue at times and not being so pigheaded. In the song, Clarkson's character "Miss Independent" also learns that being self-sufficient closes her off to a relationship, "So, by changing her misconceptions, She went in a new direction."

Boo Radley's father secludes him from the outside world. Simon and Garfunkel's "I am a Rock" is about a man who is alone because he chooses to be. He says that he is both a rock and an island because "a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries." While the man sings that he is protected because he touches no one and no one touches him, it is understood that he has been hurt badly by someone and has built a wall around his heart to protect against future heartbreak. Boo Radley's prison is not self-imposed, but he shares some similarities with the man from the song. Boo is alone. He only has one person--himself--to talk to. His father took away his one outlet to the outside world (the knothole in the tree). Boo is forced to forge on by himself.

Tom Robinson shows incredible bravery by telling his story to a jury and courtroom packed full of racists. Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" is a song about taking a stand for your rights in the midst of injustice. The song is a rallying cry to fight for what is just, not just for yourself, but for your family and for all those who come after you. By testifying in the trial and telling the truth, Tom wants to clear his name, but he is also standing up to the injustices that all black people faced when accused by a white person of a crime; they were assumed guilty, which is against the US Constitution. Tom stood up for his rights, for his family's rights, and for the rights of all black people.

Atticus faces a multitude of problems when he takes on Tom Robinson as a client, including the degradation of having Mr. Ewell spit in his face. He does not retaliate, though, which greatly upsets his children at first. He is teaching them a critical lesson about being the bigger person in times of conflict and not stooping to the level of others. Argent's "Hold your head up" is an anthem to those who, like Atticus, are facing challenges and being ridiculed in the process. The chorus repeats over and over to hold your head up. Atticus, through his example, teaches his children that no matter what people shout or how they look at you, don't stray from what you believe you should do.

In W. B. Yeats's poem, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," what indications does the speaker give of his present environment?

The first line establishes that the speaker is not at Innisfree. In this line, he expresses his wish to go there: either in actuality or in his mind. Given his peaceful, idealistic description of Innisfree as a magical place that he would want to escape to, we might surmise that his current environment is quite different. If he longs so badly to escape to such a place, perhaps his current environment is bland, boring, oppressive...

The first line establishes that the speaker is not at Innisfree. In this line, he expresses his wish to go there: either in actuality or in his mind. Given his peaceful, idealistic description of Innisfree as a magical place that he would want to escape to, we might surmise that his current environment is quite different. If he longs so badly to escape to such a place, perhaps his current environment is bland, boring, oppressive in some way, or a place not conducive to peace and tranquility. 

In the last two lines, the speaker says where he is: 

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, 

I hear it in the deep heart's core. 

The speaker is on pavement, which is hard and immovable. This contrasts with the peaceful, freely moving water that he hears (in his mind) as he contemplates his escape to Innisfree. The pavement also suggests he is in a city. This makes the contrast between his current environment and Innisfree all the more dramatic. In his descriptions of Innisfree, he notes the sights and sounds of the natural landscape. Given this contrast, maybe his desire is to escape the noise and the counterfeit (buildings) culture of the city. He wants to go to a quieter place, a place that glimmers naturally. 

What is lifespan development? |

Lifespan development is a term describing the changes and stages of life humans go through as we age. The term also accounts for any "developments" in mental or physical processes which contribute to the next stage of life. For example, infancy is a stage of life, during which humans gain basic motor and social skills. Without basic skills in speech ("baby talk,") mobility (crawling or walking,) and self-care (feeding oneself,) the next phase of life...

Lifespan development is a term describing the changes and stages of life humans go through as we age. The term also accounts for any "developments" in mental or physical processes which contribute to the next stage of life. For example, infancy is a stage of life, during which humans gain basic motor and social skills. Without basic skills in speech ("baby talk,") mobility (crawling or walking,) and self-care (feeding oneself,) the next phase of life is very difficult. Later in life, development or lack thereof of more fine-tuned mental and physical processes can really "make or break" certain aspects of someone's life.

Let's turn to the famous example of Genie, who was raised in extreme isolation in her family's home. Even though she was raised through interaction with her parents, she was considered a feral child. Her father suffered mental instability and was abusive to Genie, her mother, and her brother. He forbade anyone from speaking around Genie or from releasing her from a potty-chair, to which she was strapped during the day. Because of her lack of social engagement or freedom to develop motor skills, Genie suffered some challenges later in life. After being freed at thirteen, she required near constant care and therapy as she could not speak, walk, or perform basic self-care actions. Genie missed out on a lot of learning and development that typically takes place within the first several years of life, and because of this, she didn't really have a foundation to progress beyond early childhood capabilities.

Studying lifespan development can help us evaluate various milestones for human development and how their presence or absence impacts later developments. As a branch of psychology, lifespan development primarily focuses on the mental and emotional capacities of people at various ages.

How does Sontag present the argument that pictures take on different meanings and interpretations based on who is doing the viewing? Give...

If by "pictures" you mean photographs, Sontag has a complex theory of of photographic representation that she describes in her book On Photography.For Sontag, a photograph is best understood as a kind of physical artifact, distinct from a painting in that it the the result of recording light waves reflecting from the subject; she compares it to a death-mask, that is, a representation derived from the thing itself. Photographs in her view transcend or...

If by "pictures" you mean photographs, Sontag has a complex theory of of photographic representation that she describes in her book On Photography. For Sontag, a photograph is best understood as a kind of physical artifact, distinct from a painting in that it the the result of recording light waves reflecting from the subject; she compares it to a death-mask, that is, a representation derived from the thing itself. Photographs in her view transcend or commodify the reality they represent. The value of the image, quite independent of the thing itself, is derived from its being captured on film. Sontag argues that this is very different from Plato's attitude toward representation:

It suited Plato’s derogatory attitude toward images to liken them to shadows—transitory, minimally informative, immaterial, impotent co-presences of the real things which cast them. But the force of photographic images comes from their being material realities in their own right, richly informative deposits left in the wake of whatever emitted them, potent means for turning the tables on reality—for turning it into a shadow. (p. 141)

It is the "material reality" of photography that makes them so utilitarian, and open to interpretation depending on context. A photo of a couple having sex could be "evidence" to a private eye, or a source of pleasure for a voyeur. The use, or meaning, of the image, is independent of the actual artifact.

Sontag explores this idea in more detail in her book Regarding the Pain of Others. Here, she considers how photographs of war atrocities might affect different viewers. One person might react with shock and disgust; another might react with anger and a desire for vengeance; a third might grieve for the victims. In a development from her earlier view of photographs as material objects, here Sontag sees empathy as a fundamental resource for understanding these pictures, even though the sheer number of these images, and the emotional distance photography provides, can make an empathetic response difficult.

You can find a detailed eNote on On Photography .

Discuss social class in Pride and Prejudice.

Social class is a prominent theme in Austen's Pride and Prejudice in two ways.

First of all, social class is used to certain by characters to represent their inflated sense of self and superiority. In Chapter Eight, for example, the Bingley sisters mock Elizabeth and Jane Bennett because of their "low connections," specifically their attorney uncle who lives in a middle-class area in London. Similarly, in Chapter Nine, Mrs Bennett uses social class in an attempt...

Social class is a prominent theme in Austen's Pride and Prejudice in two ways.

First of all, social class is used to certain by characters to represent their inflated sense of self and superiority. In Chapter Eight, for example, the Bingley sisters mock Elizabeth and Jane Bennett because of their "low connections," specifically their attorney uncle who lives in a middle-class area in London. Similarly, in Chapter Nine, Mrs Bennett uses social class in an attempt to impress those who are economically superior to herself: "I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four-and-twenty families."

Secondly, social class is a major source of conflict in Pride and Prejudice. Take, for example, Darcy's proposal of marriage in Chapter 34. Any sense of romance is quickly dashed when Darcy dwells on Elizabeth's inferior social position:

His sense of her inferiority, of its being a degradation, of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

By attacking her social class in such a manner, Darcy causes great offence to Elizabeth and this is one of the reasons why she spurns his marriage proposal. Austen then uses this conflict to drive the plot of the novel. But, ultimately, through Elizabeth's (eventual) acceptance of Darcy, and through Jane's marriage to Mr Bingley, Austen shows that love can overcome any obstacle, even the restrictive boundaries of social class. 

Find the angle of x in the shapes in the image below. A rectangle, obtuse triangle, and scalene triangle.

Hello!

1. The angles EAB and BEA are complementary, their sum is 90° (from the right triangle ABE). Therefore BEA=90°-36°=54°. Next, angles BEA, AED and DEC form a straight angle CEB. So 54°+x+62°=180°, x=180°-54°-62°=64°.

2. The angle XZY is the exterior angle for the triangle XZW, therefore XZY=x+32°. Because the triangle XYZ is equilateral, all its angles are the same x+32°. Now consider the triangle XYW and sum its angles:

...

Hello!

1. The angles EAB and BEA are complementary, their sum is 90° (from the right triangle ABE). Therefore BEA=90°-36°=54°. Next, angles BEA, AED and DEC form a straight angle CEB. So 54°+x+62°=180°, x=180°-54°-62°=64°.

2. The angle XZY is the exterior angle for the triangle XZW, therefore XZY=x+32°. Because the triangle XYZ is equilateral, all its angles are the same x+32°. Now consider the triangle XYW and sum its angles:

X+Y+W = (x+32°+x) + (x+32°) + 32° = 3(x + 32°) = 180° = 3*60°,

so x=60°-32°=28°.

3. The angle PRQ is the same as the angle PQR, because PQ=PR. And also it is the exterior angle for the triangle PRS. Thus 71°=x+25° and x=71°-25°=46°.

How does King Duncan feel at the Macbeth estate?

When King Duncan arrives at the Macbeth castle, he believes himself to be warmly welcomed. He knows that Macbeth recently fought bravely on the battlefield to help Duncan defeat his enemies. He knows the Macbeths have every reason to be grateful to him for making Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor. As such, he has no reason to expect anything but the hospitable reception chivalry deems appropriate. He expects his hosts to care for him, feed...

When King Duncan arrives at the Macbeth castle, he believes himself to be warmly welcomed. He knows that Macbeth recently fought bravely on the battlefield to help Duncan defeat his enemies. He knows the Macbeths have every reason to be grateful to him for making Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor. As such, he has no reason to expect anything but the hospitable reception chivalry deems appropriate. He expects his hosts to care for him, feed him and entertain him. The castle seems pleasant and peaceful to him as he enters the courtyard. 

As an audience, however, we know what Duncan does not: his hosts have plotted to murder him while he is under their protection, so that Macbeth can become king. This is an example of dramatic irony: the audience is aware of the danger while Duncan is floating along happily, blithely unconcerned and unsuspecting.

What is significant about how the animals arrange themselves as they gather to hear Major? What might this arrangement say about future meetings or...

In the opening chapter of Animal Farm, the animals gather in the barn to hear a speech by Old Major. While the arrangement of the animals in the barn may seem random, it does, in fact, reveal much about the nature of equality between the animals, in a number of ways.

First of all, we are introduced to Major. He is seated on a "raised platform," which is symbolic of his superiority on the...

In the opening chapter of Animal Farm, the animals gather in the barn to hear a speech by Old Major. While the arrangement of the animals in the barn may seem random, it does, in fact, reveal much about the nature of equality between the animals, in a number of ways.

First of all, we are introduced to Major. He is seated on a "raised platform," which is symbolic of his superiority on the farm. He is well-respected by the others, hence his prominent seating position. 

Next, after Major, come the dogs and the pigs. These animals are considered to be the most intelligent animals on the farm and this foreshadows their superior position on the farm after Major dies and Mr Jones is overthrown. It also foreshadows an important event which happens in Chapter Nine when the rations of all the animals except the dogs and the pigs are reduced. Squealer justifies this by saying that too much equality in rations goes against the principles of Animalism. Of course, Animalism states that all animals are equal, but Squealer does not want to admit this because, if he does, he accepts the inequality inherent in this action.

Finally, the other animals enter the barn. These horses, hens, pigeons, ducks and cows represent the workers of Animal Farm. Their only consideration in their seating is for the care of others: "Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly...with great care, lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw." This represents the friendship and loyalty of the working classes and, later, foreshadows their role on the farm. Together, they will perform the work that keeps the farm running and the animals fed, while the pigs and dogs rule from above.

How did Christopher Columbus transform life in the Americas?

After Columbus' journeys to the Americas, life for First Nations people in the North, Central, and South Americas was changed dramatically. Exploration by Europeans with economic or religious motivations increased in popularity, and many Europeans felt that it was their duty to "civilize" the native peoples and exploit their land and labor for their own benefit.

Indigenous ways of life were obliterated and replaced with European languages and cultural material. At the same time, many...

After Columbus' journeys to the Americas, life for First Nations people in the North, Central, and South Americas was changed dramatically. Exploration by Europeans with economic or religious motivations increased in popularity, and many Europeans felt that it was their duty to "civilize" the native peoples and exploit their land and labor for their own benefit.

Indigenous ways of life were obliterated and replaced with European languages and cultural material. At the same time, many of the goods important to First Nations people such as gold, cacao, and corn, were being shipped back to Europe as luxury goods for the elite.

Colonization of the Americas was enabled by the wealth of diseases Europeans brought with them (such as smallpox, typhus, and tuberculosis,) which natives had no resistance to. European diseases killed many, and European violence killed most of those who remained. 

Much of this happened as a result of Columbus' voyages. He initiated this cultural exchange and legacy of violence with his own capture of slaves and seizure of resources, as on his first journey throughout the Caribbean and Central America. He encouraged his soldiers to rape, kill, and steal from the natives of Hispaniola, and fully supported the transatlantic slave trade to colonize the Americas. Columbus' journeys initiated the systematic slaughter, dehumanization, and obliteration of the First Nations peoples of the Americas. This tragedy has lingering effects which we can observe today, as very few First Nations populations still exist. Those that do live under very poor circumstances and are systemically oppressed by dominant governmental and cultural forces in their homelands and beyond.

Where in the Lord of the Flies is there a conflict of man vs nature?

Man vs. nature is one of the three major external conflicts that can be found in many narratives. A man vs. nature conflict occurs when a character must struggle against the natural world in some way. Stories that have characters dealing with survival in the wilderness or an epic natural disaster have man vs. nature as their main conflict. Some examples of man vs. nature films are Into the Wild, San Andreas, or (most relevant to Lord of the Flies) Castaway.

In Lord of the Flies, the man vs. nature conflict is the first to emerge, as the school children find themselves stranded on the island. They need to find food and fresh water, they need to create shelter from the hot sun, they need to navigate the vine creepers and dangerous pink granite rock. All of this is compounded by the man vs. society conflicts and man vs man conflicts that crop up among the boys: Ralph and Piggy struggle to get the others to form a productive society that can work to get them rescued, Jack and Ralph fight over who will be leader, etc. These other conflicts make the boys' mastery over the natural world of the island that much harder. 

As the novel progresses, the man vs. nature conflict becomes two-fold. The boys are still trying to survive in a wild and sometimes dangerous setting, but they are also each fighting what Golding positions as the natural instincts of wildness and destruction that lie dormant in humankind. Examples of this litter the latter part of the novel.

One example is the hunters' struggle to hunt and kill the island's pigs for meat. While this is a classic man vs. nature conflict, it is deepened when the hunters do a blood lust dance, eventually getting so caught up in pretending to hunt Robert (who is acting as the pig) that they actually hurt him. Later, when the hunters worship the head of the pig as the "Lord of the Flies," they demonstrate the evil nature that lurks in the hearts of each of them, bringing a new, more chilling look at the man vs. nature conflict.

Another example of this is the signal fire. At first, the fire represents the boys' mastery over the natural world (they have learned to control it and to use green branches to produce smoke that is thicker and easier to see for potential rescuers). As the novel progresses, however, the fire becomes a way for the hunters to hunt and kill Ralph. It is thus another tool to perpetuate the natural evil in mankind. 

Even when the boys are rescued by the amazed and horrified naval officer and can leave the natural world of the island behind, they are heading for a warship, evidence of mankind's continued natural evil and desired for destruction.

What does the framed picture of the woman in the furs represent, and how does it lend to the story's allegory?

The fact that Gregor clipped the picture of the woman in furs out of a "glossy magazine" really shows us just how alienated from humanity his job as a salesman has made him.  He recognizes the fact that his "grueling job" means that he has to endure the "torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate."  Gregor's job...

The fact that Gregor clipped the picture of the woman in furs out of a "glossy magazine" really shows us just how alienated from humanity his job as a salesman has made him.  He recognizes the fact that his "grueling job" means that he has to endure the "torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate."  Gregor's job has turned him into someone who has little else in his life except work; he does not even have time for relationships.  The picture of the beautiful woman from the magazine highlights the relationships that he doesn't have; her furs seem to represent even his lack of money despite the fact that he is always working.  She is everything he wants and cannot have because of his job.

This picture, then, lends to the story in that it is a particularly sad symbol of everything of which the worker in a capitalist economy is deprived.  The worker, no matter how hard he works or how much he sacrifices, can never get ahead.  All Gregor does is work, day in and day out, and so when he changes into a bug, his change is really only a physical manifestation of his already-existing mental and social state.  His entire identity is staked on his status as a worker.  If he loses that status, he has nothing left.  The woman in furs shows this.  The fact that Gregor doesn't have a real-life woman to put into his frame highlights his alienation and isolation, the result of his job, and her obvious wealth emphasizes his lack of it, despite the fact that his entire life is consumed by his work.

The play Arms and the Man bears the sub-title "an anti-romantic comedy". How does Shaw present the anti-romantic element in the play?

The anti-romantic element is presented in two ways, through dialogue and through situational irony.

The character Raina at first believes in the romantic view of war and in her fantasies embodies this concept in the person of Sergius, with whom she is infatuated. Her visions of war and love are both based in art and literature and grounded in outward appearance. Captain Bluntschli disabuses her of the romantic concept of a cavalry charge, describing it as...

The anti-romantic element is presented in two ways, through dialogue and through situational irony.

The character Raina at first believes in the romantic view of war and in her fantasies embodies this concept in the person of Sergius, with whom she is infatuated. Her visions of war and love are both based in art and literature and grounded in outward appearance. Captain Bluntschli disabuses her of the romantic concept of a cavalry charge, describing it as simply an unprofessional form of idiocy. Gradually, Raina abandons her romantic views and is convinced that a more pragmatic vision is superior and replaces her romantic infatuation with Sergius with a more solid love for her "chocolate cream soldier."

Sergius also functions in an anti-romantic manner. In the opening of the play, he is portrayed as a romantic hero, handsome and brave. Captain Bluntschli shows that most of this posturing is simply absurd and gradually exposes Sergius and Major Petkoff as unskilled amateurs in the art of war. In romance, Sergius idealizes Raina and plays a romantic role, but gradually, as the play progresses, we realize that he is not really the Byronic hero he appears to be and is far happier relaxing in the less romantic but more grounded relationship with Louka. 

Nicola is perhaps the most anti-romantic figure in the play, especially in the way he cheerfully gives up Louka as a romantic interest, stating that she'd actually be more valuable to him as a customer than as a wife. 

What are three poems from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats in which responsibility is a theme?

T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of poems about the ways and personalities of cats. Some cats in this collection are far more responsible than others. For example, Jennyanydots, the cat described in "The Old Gumbie Cat" is a responsible mouser. The second stanza of this poem reads:

"But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,/Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun./ And when all the family's in bed and asleep,/ She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep. /She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice--/ Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice;/ So when she has got them lined up on the matting, /She teachs them music, crocheting and tatting" (lines 5-12).

During the day, Jennyanydots sleeps like any other house cat, but at night, she is hard at work, teaching the mice to behave. In fact, as Eliot says in the poem's last line, the cat is responsible for the entire running of the house. She is "On whom well-ordered households depend, it appears."

The cat in another poem called "Gus: The Theatre Cat" is also a responsible, hard-working feline. While he is now past his prime, in years gone by, he was a famous actor. The second stanza begins, "'I have played,'" so he says, "'every possible part, And I used to know seventy speeches by heart. I'd extemporize back-chat, I knew how to gag, And I knew how to let the cat out of the bag'" (lines 21-24). He was a responsible actor in his youth, able to perform every kind of show and trick to amuse an audience, though he now stands by the theatre door looking shabby.

Many of the cats in Eliot's poems, however, are irresponsible. An example is the Jellicles in "The Song of the Jellicles." They don't do much except dance about and then take baths: "They know how to dance a gavotte and a jig./ Until the Jellicle Moon appears /They make their toilette and take their repose:/ Jellicles wash behind their ears,/ Jellicles dry between their toes" (lines 16-20). In other words, they are dancing all day, and then when the moon comes out, they devote themselves to bathing. In the last stanza, Eliot writes about the cats' lives: "You would say they had nothing to do at all." They are essentially living the life of irresponsible cats.