How do Jesse's and Miles's views about the spring differ in Tuck Everlasting?

Miles has a more negative view of the spring than Jesse does.

The Tuck family drank from a spring that made them immortal.  It meant that they never aged, and never died.  It took some time for them to realize what had happened. 

Of all of the Tucks, Miles probably lost the most.  He had a family, but when the Tucks accidentally drank from the spring they lost the opportunity to be normal. Miles lost...

Miles has a more negative view of the spring than Jesse does.

The Tuck family drank from a spring that made them immortal.  It meant that they never aged, and never died.  It took some time for them to realize what had happened. 

Of all of the Tucks, Miles probably lost the most.  He had a family, but when the Tucks accidentally drank from the spring they lost the opportunity to be normal. Miles lost his family.

"I was more'n forty by then," said Miles sadly. "I was married. I had two children. But, from the look of me, I was still twenty-two. My wife, she finally made up her mind I'd sold my soul to the Devil. She left me. She went away and she took the children with her." (Ch. 7)

Miles lost everything because he was immortal.  Clearly he still feels the pain from his wife's reaction and the fact that his children grew up without him.

Jesse sees the positives in the spring, but Miles does not.  Jesse points out that although they only have each other, they are able to see a lot of things that other people don’t get a chance to see.  When you can live forever, you never run out of time.

"We've never had anyone but us to talk about it to.  Winnie—isn't it peculiar? And kind of wonderful? Just think of all the things we've seen in the world! All the things we're going to see!" (Ch. 8)

Miles reminds Jesse that not everything about the spring and living forever is a positive.  He tells Winnie that there is more to it than “Jesse Tuck’s good times.”  Living forever has meant losing his family for him, and Jesse never had the chance to have a family.  Jesse still thinks about things from a child’s perspective, whereas Miles looks at things from a more adult point of view.

What does the island symbolize in Lord of the Flies?

The island represents an environment for a Rousseau-type experiment on Natural Man.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an Enlightenment thinker, held that natural man—man free from all but his innate nature—is not controlled or dominated by any social organization of men and can be as he was naturally born to be. Thus, without the controls of society, man is spiritually and psychologically free to exercise his innate goodness.

Golding uses the island as an Eden-like setting in which...

The island represents an environment for a Rousseau-type experiment on Natural Man.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an Enlightenment thinker, held that natural man—man free from all but his innate nature—is not controlled or dominated by any social organization of men and can be as he was naturally born to be. Thus, without the controls of society, man is spiritually and psychologically free to exercise his innate goodness.

Golding uses the island as an Eden-like setting in which the boys are free of the constraints of society, constraints represented by the absence of adults. Further, the boys' stripping off of their clothes signifies the total freedom from restraints in which the boys exist. However, the experiment fails because Jack, and especially Roger, demonstrate an innate evil. This inherent evil is demonstrated as early as Chapter 4 as Roger throws stones near little Henry, who he follows as the littlun walks down to the beach. While Henry sits and plays, Roger throws stones near him because "there was a space round Henry...into which he dare not throw." This space is the result of the conditioning of a "civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins."

Others also demonstrate this innate evil later in the narrative as they engage in primitive, ritualistic dancing that crescendos into the brutal beating of the Christ-like Simon, who has encountered evil face-to-face in the form of the Lord of the Flies. The boys then continue to descend into savagery and pursue Ralph, even setting fire to the island, destroying everything.

William Golding's novel acts as a counterpoint to R. M. Ballantyne's Victorian adventure story The Coral Island in which English boys prove their mettle and innate goodness as they defeat savages and establish order on the island. In Lord of the Flies, the English boys fail the Rousseau experiment and descend into savagery themselves, demonstrating the innate evil of man.

What are some of Juliet Capulet's character traits?

One of Juliet's most obvious character traits is courage. For a girl of only 13 she displays a rare ability to be brave in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Despite the fact she knows her family will object, she is courageous enough to pursue what she truly wants. She falls madly in love with Romeo and will not be dissuaded from this love by the reality of the feud. Her real courage, however, comes later and she displays it in three different scenes.

In Act III, Scene 5 Juliet has the courage to stand up to her father and refuse the marriage pact with Count Paris. She overcomes her father's angry onslaught and displays fearlessness in the face of a difficult dilemma. She shows tenacious loyalty toward Romeo even after the Nurse advises her to forget him and marry the Count.

In Act IV, Scene 1 she is determined to do whatever it takes to stay loyal to Romeo, even if it involves some frightening or dangerous task. She tells Friar Lawrence,

O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris,
From off the battlements of any tower,
Or walk in thievish ways, or bid me lurk
Where serpents are. Chain me with roaring bears,
Or hide me nightly in a charnel house,
O’ercovered quite with dead men’s rattling bones,
With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls.

The Friar's "remedy" is for Juliet to fake her own death and the girl agrees. She shows tremendous courage to embark on such a drastic course of action. Her fears almost get the most of her in Act IV, Scene 2, but she eventually summons the will to drink the Friar's potion.

In the final scene, she again demonstrates her dauntless personality in the face of catastrophe. When she awakens to find Romeo dead of poison, she could have just gone with the Friar, but she didn't want to live without her love so she stabs herself with a dagger. Some may say she was the victim of fate or impatience or simply naive youth, but the audience has to admire Juliet's courage. 

Other possible character traits that may be identified with Juliet could include spirited, willful, dynamic (in that she changes over the course of the play from an immature girl to a mature woman who follows her heart), genuine, heroic, idealistic, passionate and adventurous.

In the last stanza of "Poem for a Daughter" by Anne Stevenson, why belong to the world (not just to the children's world)? What are those "premises?"

In order to explain the last stanza, let's take a step-by-step approach.

A woman's life is her own until it is taken away by a first, particular cry.

Here, Stevenson is saying that a woman's life is her own until the day she hears the first cry of her newborn.

Then she is not alone but a part of the premises of everything there is:  a time, a tribe, a war.

The birth of a...

In order to explain the last stanza, let's take a step-by-step approach.

A woman's life is her own
until it is taken away
by a first, particular cry.

Here, Stevenson is saying that a woman's life is her own until the day she hears the first cry of her newborn.

Then she is not alone
but a part of the premises
of everything there is: 
a time, a tribe, a war.

The birth of a woman's baby confers on her new responsibilities beyond the dictates of her ego; she must now adjust her worldview to take into consideration her new maternal status. Suddenly, she is compelled to take note of the larger world and to understand her part in humanity's history. She is 'not alone' anymore, but plays a part or is a factor ('premises') in earth's fate. 

Every new life continues mankind's struggle to achieve, to build, and to develop lasting and meaningful legacies. Whether she likes it or not, the new mother must contemplate her place in the larger sphere of humanity and her response to societal expectations ('tribe'), the decisions that precipitate conflict ('war') and the unique challenges of her era ('time').

When we belong to the world
we become what we are. 

In seeing herself as part of the world and in realizing the significance of her new status, the new mother begins to understand how she affects the world. Individualism is subsumed by initiative: in acting according to her best judgment and in working for the best interests of her child, she develops her sense of self. In other words, she becomes who she is by the decisions she makes as both a mother and a citizen of the world.

Describe the overall subunit that make up a DNA strand into a gene sequence

DNA is the chemical that makes up chromosomes. It is a polymer consisting of monomers linked together in a long chain. The monomers are known as nucleotides.  Distinct sections of chromosomes are known as genes. When these are later copied or transcribed by messenger RNA, spliced and processed into mature messenger RNA, the genetic code can be translated at the ribosomes in the cytoplasm into a protein needed by the cell.

Each DNA subunit is called a nucleotide and consists of a phosphate group, linked to a five carbon sugar known as deoxyribose.  Linked to the sugar is one of four nitrogenous bases--adenine, guanine, cytosine or thymine. 

DNA is a double helix which means there are two complementary strands which are held together at their nitrogenous bases by hydrogen bonds. Base pairs form according to the rules- adenine pairs to thymine and cytosine to guanine. The two strands are antiparallel to each other. 

Messenger RNA copies either strand of the DNA molecule, with the assistance of enzymes that help to unwind the DNA and help to join the growing polynucleotide chain. As DNA is copied by mRNA, the same base pairing rules apply with one exception. RNA lacks the base thymine and instead substitutes the base uracil. For example, if the DNA code reads: ATCG, the complementary mRNA code reads; UAGC.  The base uracil is subsituted for thymine which is not present in RNA.

Genes can be hundreds or thousands of nucleotides long depending on what gene is being transcribed.  Once all nucleotides are transcribed into mRNA, all of the necessary genetic information known as exons are spliced together to be sent from the nucleus to the cell's protein factory--a ribosome where translation of the code occurs resulting in the formation of a functional protein.

Every triplet of mRNA is called a codon consisting of three possible bases. Each triplet is actually the code for a particular amino acid to be joined in a growing chain called a polypeptide chain that is being assembled at the ribosome. Eventually, a stop codon is reached and protein synthesis stops. The polypeptide undergoes processing including folding into a functional shape to become a protein molecule. 

The flow of information is DNA--RNA--protein synthesis. Genes are encoded by DNA which is found in the nucleus packaged as chromosomes. I have included a link showing the pathway for gene expression which results in the formation of a functional protein.

Which is more powerful, a person's love of country or a person's love of family?

Of course this would depend on the person but I would argue that for most people the love of family would be stronger. Even in a situation like the sniper finds himself when he comes face to face with what his commitment to his country has cost him, I would guess that his heart was broken. 

Here was a young man who had shown extraordinary dedication to the Republican cause in the Irish Civil War....

Of course this would depend on the person but I would argue that for most people the love of family would be stronger. Even in a situation like the sniper finds himself when he comes face to face with what his commitment to his country has cost him, I would guess that his heart was broken. 

Here was a young man who had shown extraordinary dedication to the Republican cause in the Irish Civil War. He was willing to endure hunger and willing to risk his own life in order to accomplish his mission. He was willing to kill civilians because they were helping the other side.

And of course O'Flaherty ends the story before the reader can get a glimpse of the sniper's reaction to finding that he killed his brother. But my guess would be that he would immediately question the value of his cause in a way and with an urgency he didn't before. Even if he'd known that his brother was fighting for the other side, the reality of it could perhaps be avoided until this moment when it stared him directly in the face.

Why is iron a good conductor?

In order to conduct electricity, a substance needs to have charges that are free-moving. Electrons are negatively-charged subatomic particles of an atom. Metals, such as iron, have metallic bonds. In a metallic bond, the electrons are free to move around more than one atom. This is called delocalization. Because the electrons involved in the metallic bond of iron are free-moving, iron is a good conductor.

When in their liquid or gas states, the electrons of...

In order to conduct electricity, a substance needs to have charges that are free-moving. Electrons are negatively-charged subatomic particles of an atom. Metals, such as iron, have metallic bonds. In a metallic bond, the electrons are free to move around more than one atom. This is called delocalization. Because the electrons involved in the metallic bond of iron are free-moving, iron is a good conductor.

When in their liquid or gas states, the electrons of ionic compounds are also able to move freely. In such states, ionic compounds are able to conduct an electrical current.

Ionic compounds are made of positive and negative ions. Ions are charged atoms. Ions are formed to fulfill what is called the octet rule. The octet rule states that, in order to feel stable, all main-group elements want to have eight valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons found in the outermost orbital of an atom.

Cations are positively charged ions that have lost electrons.  Elements that form cations lose their valance electrons in order to fulfill the octet rule. In this way, they drop to the next lower orbital that is full.

Anions are negatively charged ions. Anions are negatively charged because they have gained additional electrons in order to fulfill the octet rule.

CH3CH2CH3, CH3CH2CH2OH, CH3CH2OCH3 List them in order from highest to lowest in terms of boiling points and highest to lowest terms of their...

We are given three chemical compounds: propane (an alkane), propanol (an alcohol) and ethyl methyl ether (an ether). Among these three, the order of boiling point is:

Boiling Point: Propanol > Ethyl methyl ether > Propane

The boiling point of alcohol is more than that of ether and the alkane due to the presence of hydrogen bonds, which results in higher intermolecular attractions in the propanol molecule. Ethers have dipole-dipole interactions, which are weaker than...

We are given three chemical compounds: propane (an alkane), propanol (an alcohol) and ethyl methyl ether (an ether). Among these three, the order of boiling point is:

Boiling Point: Propanol > Ethyl methyl ether > Propane

The boiling point of alcohol is more than that of ether and the alkane due to the presence of hydrogen bonds, which results in higher intermolecular attractions in the propanol molecule. Ethers have dipole-dipole interactions, which are weaker than hydrogen bonds and hence have lesser boiling points than comparable alcohols. In the case of alkanes, there are no hydrogen bonds or dipole-dipole interactions and giving them the weakest bonds and thus, the lowest boiling points.

The order of polarity is the same as the order of boiling point. Since polar compounds dissolve in polar solvents, the order of solubility in the polar solvents is:

Propanol > Ethyl methyl ether > Propane

Alkanes and ethers are non-polar and practically insoluble in water (a polar solvent). Alcohols, in comparison, are readily soluble in water.

Hope this helps. 

In the poem "The Lady of Shalott," what can you infer about the Lady's dwelling or home? What details led you to this inference?

The Lady of Shalott lives in a castle that sits on an island in the middle of a river that flows toward the mythical kingdom of Camelot. The castle has four towers, and in one of the towers is the lady's private apartment. Her apartment has a window that looks out over the river and the land on the other side. In her apartment, about ten to twelve feet away from the window and opposite...

The Lady of Shalott lives in a castle that sits on an island in the middle of a river that flows toward the mythical kingdom of Camelot. The castle has four towers, and in one of the towers is the lady's private apartment. Her apartment has a window that looks out over the river and the land on the other side. In her apartment, about ten to twelve feet away from the window and opposite it, there is a loom, and she has set up a mirror behind the loom, tilted at a downward angle facing the window so it can pick up images of the world that pass by outside. Around the castle is a garden of flowers. 

The words "four gray walls and four gray towers" from stanza two describe a castle. In stanza nine, the word "bower-eaves" suggests that she lives in a bower, which is a woman's private apartment inside a medieval castle. That the apartment has a window is key to the story because that is how the Lady of Shalott views the outside world. The window is first mentioned in stanza three when the poem asks who has "at the casement seen her stand?" A casement is the sash of a window or a window that opens outward like a door. Stanza six speaks of the "mirror clear that hangs before her all the year." That part of her room is only about ten to twelve feet across from the loom to the window, for when she leaves the room, "three paces" are enough to bring her to the window to look out to see the river and Sir Lancelot. The towers of the castle are said to "overlook a space of flowers," indicating the garden area that surrounds the castle. The apartment seems to be on an upper level of the castle because when she leaves her room, it says "down she came and found a boat." The description of how the castle sits on an island in the river occurs in stanza two: "the island in the river." 

The poem does not describe the Lady of Shalott's home in very much detail--just enough to allow one to picture the castle and a little bit of her apartment in it.

How does the author use elements of surprise, foreshadowing, and irony in Lamb to the Slaughter?

I will start with surprise. The story is loaded with surprises for the reader.  When the reader is introduced to Mary, she is the quintessential doting wife.  She is sitting at home eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband.  When Patrick finally does get home, she rushes to welcome him, calls him "darling," and is eager to get him a drink and have him sit and relax.  The reader can only assume that Patrick's feelings...

I will start with surprise. The story is loaded with surprises for the reader.  When the reader is introduced to Mary, she is the quintessential doting wife.  She is sitting at home eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband.  When Patrick finally does get home, she rushes to welcome him, calls him "darling," and is eager to get him a drink and have him sit and relax.  The reader can only assume that Patrick's feelings for Mary are similar.  That's why it comes as quite a surprise that he tells Mary that he is leaving her or divorcing her.  It's also surprising to see that Mary, despite her meek introduction, kills Patrick with a single blow.  Mary keeps the surprises coming, because she doesn't panic and fall apart at her murderous deed.  Rather she collects herself and goes about setting an alibi in order to get away with the murder.  

Dahl foreshadows the murder and the murder weapon when he has Mary specifically mention the lamb in the freezer.  

"We can have lamb. Anything you want. Everything's in the freezer."

Mary is absolutely correct.  Everything she needed was in the freezer.  

There is irony in the title of the story.  Most readers likely assume that a "lamb to the slaughter" literally means a lamb being killed.  As a metaphor, the phrase is often used to describe a person being killed.  Jesus is often referred to in this manner.  But in this story, the lamb that is coming to the slaughter is a lamb that is actually doing the slaughtering.  The lamb kills Patrick.  It's totally unexpected.  

There is dramatic irony at the end of the story as well.  The reader knows what has happened, and knows that the murder weapon is literally right under the noses of the police investigators.  

"It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?"

That's because they are eating the murder weapon. Yum. 

What is the central idea of "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin?

Kate Chopin may be considered an early feminist. In "The Story of an Hour" she posits the idea that a woman's life may actually be better without a husband. It was a radical idea at the time. In the Victorian age it was assumed that women were the lesser sex and that men needed to make the important decisions in a family. In this way, Chopin, although she was writing in the late 19th century...

Kate Chopin may be considered an early feminist. In "The Story of an Hour" she posits the idea that a woman's life may actually be better without a husband. It was a radical idea at the time. In the Victorian age it was assumed that women were the lesser sex and that men needed to make the important decisions in a family. In this way, Chopin, although she was writing in the late 19th century could be considered a modernist writer who paved the way for later American modernist and feminist writers such as Edith Wharton and Sylvia Plath.

Initially, Mrs. Mallard grieves over the sudden news that her husband has died. After mulling the news for a while she comes to a surprising and, to many readers of the late 19th century, a shocking realization. She is now free to plan her life. The benevolent "repression" she had been experiencing while her husband lived is gone. Whereas she believed life might be too long, she now prays for the opposite. She whispers quietly to herself, "Free! Body and soul free!" Unfortunately, her prayers are ignored as her husband reappears, and she dies from a heart attack at the trauma of having her dreams of freedom vanish.

Her story is quite common today. Any number of novels, stories and movies have dealt with the longed for emancipation of a woman in a restrictive world ruled by men. In the 19th century, however, the story was ahead of its time. Women wouldn't even achieve the right to vote for a few more decades. 

What were Andrew Jackson strengths?

Andrew Jackson was a forceful leader from the West, which back then meant Tennessee.  He had an impressive military record against the Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend and the unnecessary yet popular Battle of New Orleans.  He had common man appeal--he had little formal education and purportedly slept on the ground with his troops as an officer during the War of 1812.  As president, he challenged the Eastern establishment and vetoed many bills, most famously...

Andrew Jackson was a forceful leader from the West, which back then meant Tennessee.  He had an impressive military record against the Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend and the unnecessary yet popular Battle of New Orleans.  He had common man appeal--he had little formal education and purportedly slept on the ground with his troops as an officer during the War of 1812.  As president, he challenged the Eastern establishment and vetoed many bills, most famously the Bank Bill of 1832 which would have reauthorized the national bank.  He catered to his Western base by allowing the Trail of Tears to happen, thus sending native groups west and opening up a land rush in Georgia.  He also put an end to the Nullification Crisis by threatening to lead the army into South Carolina if that state seceded, thus avoiding a Civil War in America thirty years before it actually happened.  He was the head of the Democratic party and managed to get his Vice President Martin Van Buren elected after Jackson served two terms.  Politicians before the Civil War, both Democrat and Whig, copied elements of his political campaign by trying to appeal to the common man and making their candidate appear folksy.  

Briefly describe reproduction in gymnosperms.

Reproduction in gymnosperms works as follows: First, a leafy green sporophyte (diploid phase of a plant, where it is currently producing spores through meiosis) generates cones that contain male and female gametophytes.The male cone contains microsporophylls, which are 'leaf-like' organs responsible for bearing microsporangium that produce microspores which then divide into the male gametophyte, also known as pollen. This gametophyte is then carried by the wind or other means of transportation to female gametophytes....

Reproduction in gymnosperms works as follows: First, a leafy green sporophyte (diploid phase of a plant, where it is currently producing spores through meiosis) generates cones that contain male and female gametophytes.

The male cone contains microsporophylls, which are 'leaf-like' organs responsible for bearing microsporangium that produce microspores which then divide into the male gametophyte, also known as pollen. This gametophyte is then carried by the wind or other means of transportation to female gametophytes. This process of transportation is known as pollination.

Now, in the female cone, the megaspore cell divides by meiosis to produce four haploid (cells that have a single set of unpaired chromosomes) megaspores. One of these megaspores then divides to form the female gametophyte.

When the male gametophyte carried by the wind reaches the female cone, it forms a structure called a pollen tube, through which the generative cell travels in the direction of the female gametophyte.

This generative cell will then release two sperm cells, of which one will fuse with the egg giving origin to a diploid zygote (a cell which originated from the union of two gametes, having a pair of chromosomes). This zygote will then divide to become the embryo.

I tried to make it brief while giving an explanation to some of the terms.

How important is the making of clothes and other fabric items to the development of plot and characters in The Color Purple?

In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the main character Celie spends much of her life persecuted by her husband, Mr.___. He is abusive to her both physically and mentally. When she finally breaks free of him, it is through pure strength of will. The symbol for this freedom is her sewing. Celie starts to sew clothes. The act of sewing clothes represents weaving together a new narrative for herself. She is creating something when...

In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the main character Celie spends much of her life persecuted by her husband, Mr.___. He is abusive to her both physically and mentally. When she finally breaks free of him, it is through pure strength of will. The symbol for this freedom is her sewing. Celie starts to sew clothes. The act of sewing clothes represents weaving together a new narrative for herself. She is creating something when she sews. This action moves the plot along in a specific way as Celie works toward having her own business.

More importantly, it shows her change of character. Celie decides to start sewing pants, which are typically a male-gendered garment, yet Celie's pants are for men or women. She specializes in sewing pants, which are symbolic of her liberation--she will not be bound to skirts or a traditional woman's role (or an oppressed position for that matter). The pants that Celie makes show that she has transformed herself into an independent woman--not only because of the pants themselves but also because of the income they provide for her to truly support herself in her new life.

What does the 'fun' from the previous Christmas reveal?

In chapter two of Steinbeck's novella, the old swamper Candy introduces George and Lennie to the other main characters at the ranch by describing each of them. One of the first characters he talks about is the black stable buck Crooks. He explains how Crooks is crippled because he was kicked by a horse, and how he has his own room where he spends time reading. When George asks about the boss, Candy relates the...

In chapter two of Steinbeck's novella, the old swamper Candy introduces George and Lennie to the other main characters at the ranch by describing each of them. One of the first characters he talks about is the black stable buck Crooks. He explains how Crooks is crippled because he was kicked by a horse, and how he has his own room where he spends time reading. When George asks about the boss, Candy relates the time at Christmas when the boss brought a gallon of whisky to the bunkhouse. That night Crooks was allowed into the bunkhouse where he got into a fight with a "skinner name of Smitty." According to Candy, the fight ended with Crooks getting the better of Smitty as the men wouldn't allow Smitty to use his feet because of Crooks's disability. 

The scene highlights the racism which is part of the fabric of the ranch and was a prominent feature of America at the time. The suggestion is that Smitty fought Crooks because of prejudice. Not only is Crooks a victim of racism but he is also segregated from the other men. The incident at Christmas was one of the few times that Crooks was allowed into the bunkhouse where the white workers lived. Later in chapter four when Lennie wants to come into Crooks's room, Crooks explains to Lennie why he doesn't go in the bunkhouse:

"'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me."

Where can irony be found in "The Way Up To Heaven" by Roald Dahl?

The basic irony in the story "The Way Up to Heaven" is situational irony. Mr. Foster knows full well that his wife has a pathological fear of being late for any occasion. He takes a sadistic delight in torturing her by all kinds of delaying tactics, but she doesn't realize he is doing them deliberately in order to increase her anxiety. On the occasion dramatized in the story he pretends that he forgot a present he wanted to give his wife to take to their daughter in Paris. They are already almost too late to get to the airport for takeoff, but he insists on going back upstairs to get the unimportant little gift. While she is waiting in the limousine, Mrs. Foster makes a discovery that changes her life by revealing the truth about her husband's character.

At this point, Mrs. Foster suddenly spotted a corner of something white wedged down in the crack of the seat on the side where her husband had been sitting. She reached over and pulled out a small paper-wrapped box, and at the same time she couldn’t help noticing that it was wedged down firm and deep, as though with the help of a pushing hand.

This is proof positive that her husband has been doing this sort of thing for years just to torment her. From being a meek housewife Mrs. Foster has a transformation in character reminiscent of that which motivates Mary Maloney to kill her husband with a frozen leg of lamb in Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter." And Mrs. Foster also kills her husband and gets away with it.

The affluent Fosters live in one of those narrow six-story townhouses in Manhattan which require an elevator to get up and down the floors. When Mrs. Foster rushes up to the front door, intending to tell her husband she found the package and hurry him to the airport, she hears sounds through the front door which mean something to her, although not to the reader.

Yes—quite obviously she was listening. Her whole attitude was a listening one. She appeared actually to be moving one of her ears closer and closer to the door. Now it was right up against the door, and for still another few seconds she remained in that position, head up, ear to door, hand on key, about to enter but not entering, trying instead, or so it seemed, to hear and to analyse these sounds that were coming faintly from this place deep within the house. Then, all at once, she sprang to life again. She withdrew the key from the door and came running back down the steps. “It’s too late!” she cried to the chauffeur. “I can’t wait for him, I simply can’t. I’ll miss the plane. Hurry now, driver, hurry! To the airport!”

The townhouse has been shut down for six weeks. The servants have been put on leave. No one is going to be visiting the townhouse during all the time Mrs. Foster will be visiting her daughter and grandchildren in France. The author has established that Mr. Foster is not a letter-writer, so his wife should not be surprised if she doesn't hear from him. In the meantime she will write him occasionally from France.

When the six weeks are up, she returns to New York and finds that the townhouse shows no sign of having been entered by anybody in all that time. Then she pretends to discover that there is something wrong with the elevator. It is stuck between floors. Ironically, Mr. Foster's little ruse of pretending to go back upstairs for the gift he knew he had left stuffed down beside the seat in the car caused him to get stuck in the elevator. When the elevator repairman arrives it is he who will discover, to Mrs. Foster's feigned horror, that her husband is a shrunken corpse. Obviously the sounds Mrs. Foster heard through the front door when she was leaving for Paris six weeks ago were the sounds of the little elevator getting stuck between floors and those of her trapped husband rattling the elevator door and calling for help. Ironically, her husband brought his death upon himself, and he got just what he deserved. It was her anxiety about getting to the airport on time that gave her an excuse for not entering the townhouse but leaving in the limousine and assuming her husband could get to his club by taxi. 

What are two quotes that depict how the Greasers think the Socs don't experience difficulties?

At the end of Chapter 2, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Cherry are sitting together watching a movie and Ponyboy thinks to himself,

"I really couldn't see what Socs would have to sweat about—good grades, good cars, good girls, madras and Mustangs and Corvairs—Man, I thought, if I had worries like that I'd consider myself lucky" (Hinton 36).

At this point in the novel, Ponyboy is still naive and thinks that the Socs do not...

At the end of Chapter 2, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Cherry are sitting together watching a movie and Ponyboy thinks to himself,

"I really couldn't see what Socs would have to sweat about—good grades, good cars, good girls, madras and Mustangs and Corvairs—Man, I thought, if I had worries like that I'd consider myself lucky" (Hinton 36).

At this point in the novel, Ponyboy is still naive and thinks that the Socs do not have similar hardships. Ponyboy mentions that the Socs have an excess of beautiful cars, grades, and girls. In his mind, the Socs' material wealth make them immune to difficulties, which is not true. Cherry tries to explain to Ponyboy that the Socs have their own set of difficulties that are equally hard to deal with.

In Chapter 9, the Greasers chant and get each other excited to fight the Socs before the big rumble. Two-Bit sings,

"I am a Soc. I am the privileged and the well-dressed. I throw beer blasts, drive fancy cars, break windows at fancy parties" (Hinton 136).

Two-Bit's lyrics reflect the Greasers' impressions of the average life of a Soc member. They view the Socs as privileged individuals who live the high life. Again, their views are based on the physical appearance and actions of the Socs, and do not reflect the reality of the situation. The Greasers feel that the Socs' lives are filled with material wealth and reckless parties.

What was the North's perspective on Uncle Tom's Cabin, and what were the book's effects on the North?

Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabinhad a powerful effect on the north and helped sway public and political opinion against slavery. It is the highly sentimental story of Tom, a slave, and the effects that slavery have on his family. When President Lincoln met Stowe in 1862, he supposedly said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." The abolitionist Frederick Douglass also remarked on the...

Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin had a powerful effect on the north and helped sway public and political opinion against slavery. It is the highly sentimental story of Tom, a slave, and the effects that slavery have on his family. When President Lincoln met Stowe in 1862, he supposedly said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." The abolitionist Frederick Douglass also remarked on the book's powerful effect, so the novel clearly affected political opinion. 

The novel was published shortly after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of the Compromise of 1850. Many people in the north hated this law, which forced them to return escaped slaves to the south. Published two years after this act, Stowe's novel really resonated with public opinion in the north. The book quickly became a bestseller. Many northerner readers of the novel were persuaded that slavery was evil by connecting with the personal tragedy of slaves in a more emotional way than they could connect with abolitionist tracts and political speeches. Other northerners who were already abolitionists thought that Stowe could have been more forceful in calling for an immediate end to slavery and that the character of Tom in the novel could have been more actively and adamantly opposed to slavery. Southerners were critical of the novel, as they thought Stowe had little actual familiarity with slavery (and they were invested in defending slavery), and the book was banned in the south.

Why is Miyax alone and lost in Julie of the Wolves?

In short, Miyax is "alone and lost" because she has run away from her mentally ill husband, Daniel, in a desperate attempt to travel to her pen pal, Amy, in San Francisco.  Unfortunately, Miyax ends up in the Alaskan tundra during the one time of year (the Arctic summer) when it is almost impossible to determine both direction and location.

Miyax is coerced into marrying Daniel in order to escape from her Aunt Martha.  The...

In short, Miyax is "alone and lost" because she has run away from her mentally ill husband, Daniel, in a desperate attempt to travel to her pen pal, Amy, in San Francisco.  Unfortunately, Miyax ends up in the Alaskan tundra during the one time of year (the Arctic summer) when it is almost impossible to determine both direction and location.

Miyax is coerced into marrying Daniel in order to escape from her Aunt Martha.  The marriage between Miyax and Daniel is an arranged marriage.  The moment Julie sees Daniel, she notices there "is something wrong with him."  It is not long before Daniel attempts to rape Miyax.  This is the event that causes Miyax to flee onto the Alaskan tundra.

One would think that an Eskimo as trained as Miyax would not be lost on the tundra, but at the time Miyax runs away, the north star (the ultimate guide for an Eskimo) is not visible.  The migration of the arctic terns aren't visible either (in that they have not started their migration).  Further, in the northern Alaskan summer, the sun never sets.  It simply circles the horizon.  Therefore, there is no way for Miyax to tell east from west.  

How is the time and location of the story "Aunt Granny Lith" significant to the meaning?

"Aunt Granny Lith" by Chris Offutt is set in a remote area in the Appalachians. The very remoteness of the area is an essential part of the plot structure and meaning. For example, Beth needs to walk home and get a mule to pull the pickup out of the creek rather than simply calling a towing company on a cell phone, as most of us in more urban areas would do. This places the context...

"Aunt Granny Lith" by Chris Offutt is set in a remote area in the Appalachians. The very remoteness of the area is an essential part of the plot structure and meaning. For example, Beth needs to walk home and get a mule to pull the pickup out of the creek rather than simply calling a towing company on a cell phone, as most of us in more urban areas would do. This places the context of the story back in a world in which the modern clashes with the primitive and folkloric elements are not only credible but part of people's self understanding.

The cave inhabited by Granny Lith serves as an emblem of the mythic caves which are associated with the "crones" of the folkloric tradition, ancient wise women who can be good or evil but are always awe-inspiring and terrifying and who have mysterious powers and knowledge.

The story uses time in a mythic way, showing the past and present (Casey's youthful promise, his journey to the cave, his present marriage) as intimately connected and part of an endlessly recurring cycle of life linking childhood, adulthood, and old age.  

Major premise: If a country has a strong economy, the government will be popular. Minor premise: The government is not popular. Conclusion:...

This argument is valid.  The fact that it is valid, however, does not necessarily mean that it is true.  A syllogism (which this argument is) is valid when its conclusion must be true if both premises are true.  In other words, the syllogism can be valid even if the premises are false.  It is valid so long as the conclusion would be true if the premises were true.

Our first premise in this syllogism says...

This argument is valid.  The fact that it is valid, however, does not necessarily mean that it is true.  A syllogism (which this argument is) is valid when its conclusion must be true if both premises are true.  In other words, the syllogism can be valid even if the premises are false.  It is valid so long as the conclusion would be true if the premises were true.

Our first premise in this syllogism says that “if a country has a strong economy, the government will be popular.”  What this means is that the government will always be popular if the economy is strong.  Put differently, the government will never be unpopular if the economy is strong.  Our second premise is that “the government is not popular.”  Looking at the first premise, we can see that the economy cannot possibly be strong in this situation.  If the government is not popular, it is not possible that the economy could be strong.  This means that, if the two premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.  Therefore, the argument is valid.

Remember, this does not mean that this argument is true.  There could be countries where the economy is strong but the government is so repressive that it is not popular.  However, that does not affect the validity of the syllogism.  The validity of the syllogism is based only on whether the conclusion must be true if the premises are true.

What is some good advice that Mrs. Jong offered Meimei in "Rules of the Game"?

Waverly’s mother advises her “strongest wind cannot be seen” and tells her to always learn the rules in a foreign country.

Waverly’s mother’s advice may not be in perfect English, but it is good advice just the same.  Her point is that if you stay under the radar and work for a goal, you are more likely to accomplish that goal. 

I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It...

Waverly’s mother advises her “strongest wind cannot be seen” and tells her to always learn the rules in a foreign country.

Waverly’s mother’s advice may not be in perfect English, but it is good advice just the same.  Her point is that if you stay under the radar and work for a goal, you are more likely to accomplish that goal. 

I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.

This is Waverly’s approach to chess.  She is good because she practices and works hard, but she looks cute and little and no one expects her to be a chess champion.  Instead of worrying about her age, Waverly uses her age and size as an advantage.

When the family gets a chess set, Waverly’s mother at first wants to throw it away because the woman who donated it did not want it.  If she did not want it, Waverly’s mother did not want it.  When her children want to play with it anyway, she agrees to let them but tells them they need to read the rules carefully.

"Every time people come out from foreign country, must know rules. You not know, judge say, Too bad, go back. They not telling you why so you can use their way go forward. They say, “Don't know why, you find out yourself. But they knowing all the time. Better you take it, find out why yourself."

This is good advice.  When you go to a foreign country or play someone else’s game, you need to know the rules or they may be able to get something over on you.  Whatever you are doing, you need to make sure that you are aware of every aspect of the situation.

What happens to Charles Darnay once he arrives in France?

When Charles Darnay arrives in France, he is immediately arrested as an “émigré,” one of the nobility who abandoned their estates and went to England, hoping to find allies to put down the revolution and allow them to return. It is true that this description partly describes Darnay, yet he had no intention of returning to France to get involved in overthrowing the revolution. He has come at the request of his former servant who...

When Charles Darnay arrives in France, he is immediately arrested as an “émigré,” one of the nobility who abandoned their estates and went to England, hoping to find allies to put down the revolution and allow them to return. It is true that this description partly describes Darnay, yet he had no intention of returning to France to get involved in overthrowing the revolution. He has come at the request of his former servant who has been arrested for protecting the Evremonde estate. He is placed in La Force prison to await trail. He had left a letter to be delivered to Lucie after he departed. Reading it, she and her father (along with Miss Pross) immediately go to France to be with him. He faces the tribunal, which swiftly inflicts their brand of justice on those who have been arrested, without much concern for facts or the truth.

In The Birds, how does Jim react to the birds?

In the story, Jim is the cowman; both Nat and Jim work for the farmer, Mr. Trigg. When Nat asks Jim whether he has had any trouble with the birds, Jim brushes Nat off.

Nat then begins to describe how an invading group of birds forced their way into his children's bedroom the night before, but Jim is still curiously nonchalant. The cowman answers that he's never heard of birds acting savagely before. However, he...

In the story, Jim is the cowman; both Nat and Jim work for the farmer, Mr. Trigg. When Nat asks Jim whether he has had any trouble with the birds, Jim brushes Nat off.

Nat then begins to describe how an invading group of birds forced their way into his children's bedroom the night before, but Jim is still curiously nonchalant. The cowman answers that he's never heard of birds acting savagely before. However, he does think that sometimes, birds will be tame enough to come right up to the windows. Jim maintains that the best thing to do when that happens is to feed the birds some breadcrumbs.

Overall, Jim does not appear to be perturbed or the least bit distressed about the avian invasion that has been happening all across the country. Even after Nat argues that the birds fiercely attacked his young children, Jim appears to disbelieve Nat's story. He tells Nat that the birds were quite possibly just hungry or cold, and he again advised Nat to put out some breadcrumbs for the birds.

In John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester's, poem "Upon Nothing," what are Wilmot's main points?

John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), was described by Charles Whidbley in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of English Literature as

. . . the one man of undisputed genius among them (the Court Poets) [who] will ever be memorable for the waywardness and complexity of his character, for the vigour and energy of his verse. . . .

Rochester's earlier poemSatyr Against Mankind (1675, 1679) is considered his poetic masterpiece, but "Upon Nothing" (1711) runs a close second because it espouses Rochester's belief that life is meaningless, in part, from England's political situation at the time--a king on the throne, Charles II, who had the perogatives of a king (that is, was outwardly respected) but no real power and certainly no say in how England was governed.  In short, men like Rochester, who used to rule England, were left to entertain themselves with trifles rather than exercise real political power.

As several scholars argue, "Upon Nothing" is a satire on much more serious works--John Milton's Paradise Lost and Genesis, the first book of the Christian Bible--and speaks to the nihilism, the belief that man's institutions and life itself is essentially meaningless, felt by many aristocrats during the reign of Charles II.

"Upon Nothing" is about, well, nothing, and despite its generally light tone, it treats a serious subject, the lack of belief in man's future and the futility of working to make life different or better.  In a direct reference to the creation sequence of Genesis, Rochester argues that creation came from nothing:

Yet Something did thy mighty power command,/And from thy fruitful emptiness's hand/Snatch'd men, beasts, birds, fire, air, and land. (ll. 10-12)

The Christian God of creation has been reduced to a great nothingness from which came life.  Rochester's logic here dictates that if life derives from nothingness, life itself--and all its components (men, beasts) are nothing.

In the sixth stanza, Rochester makes it clear that the Creator, which is Nothingness, lost control of its creation:

With Form and Matter, Time and Place did join;/Body, thy foe, with thee did leagues combine,/To spoil thy peaceful realm, and ruin all thy line. (ll. 14-16)

Rather than having man as the epitome of God's creation, Rochester has turned man ("Body, thy foe") into the instrument Nothingness's ruin.  In other words, mankind is not the goal of creation but the unintended consequence of a conspiracy against Nothingness.

The saving grace--if one can call it grace--is that just as mankind has been created, mankind is destroyed by its very nature:

And, bribed by thee, assists thy short-liv'd reign,/And to thy hungry womb drives back thy slaves again. (ll. 20-21)

That is, Nothingness, which has ultimate control even over its "mistakes," controls the lifespan of its creations, and so mankind return to its birthplace, which is Nothingess.  It is not coincidental that Rochester, when he uses the phrase "bribed by thee," fails to capitalize the word thee, which, in a biblical reference, would always be capitalized as a reference to God.  Here, thee is not capitalized because it refers not to God but to Nothingness.

Rochester, who was a great friend and thorn in the side of Charles II, even attacks the government in stanza 13 when he argues that

But Nothing, why does Something still permit,/That sacred monarchs should at council sit,/With persons highly thought at best for nothing fit? (ll. 37-39)

Here, Rochester argues that the King is trying to govern the land or, at least, pretending to govern the land, with the advice of powerful people who are obviously not up to the task.

The poem's last stanza encapsulates Rochester's belief in the Nothingness that prevails in his world--the French, who cannot speak the truth; the Dutch, whose military, especially their Navy, is useless; the British, who do not know how to govern; the Irish, who are supremely ignorant; the Scots, who are uncultured; the Spanish, who cannot act in a timely manner; and the Danish, who are dull-witted, are all part of the great Nothingness that governs the world.

How did the pig's lives compare to those of the other animals as illustrated in the novel, Animal Farm?

The pigs lived lives of luxury and privilege while the other animals had to make do with the bare essentials. They were, most times, hungry and cold, even worse off than they had been during Jones' time. 

Since the pigs were the cleverest animals on the farm, they assumed leadership immediately after the Rebellion. They could read and write and thus set about planning for the future and teaching the other animals. This status, however, led to them soon claiming privileges for themselves and denying the other animals the same, as it was with the milk and the windfall apples, which were set aside for their exclusive use. Although the other animals moaned about this, Squealer quickly explained that the pigs sacrificed in eating such unpleasant food since it was to strengthen their thinking, i.e. 'brain food.' It was important for them to eat such food otherwise 'Jones would come back.' The animals quickly accepted this explanation. 

Thus began a campaign of systematic manipulation and propaganda epitomised by constant lies and deceit. Whenever the pigs, for example, changed a commandment to suit them, Squealer would go about providing some or other explanation, making the animals feel guilty about questioning the pigs' motives. The overriding threat, however, was that 'Jones would come back' if the pigs did not get what they needed, as Squealer put it. Obviously, that was the last things they wanted.   

Since the general animal populace was not intelligent enough and lacked memory, they were easily misled and accepted their fate. When the pigs moved into the farmhouse, an explanation was given, as above. When they started sleeping in beds, the same happened. This became a repeated exercise and the animals were quite acquiescent and accepted what the pigs did. Whilst the pigs were living in luxury, they had to sleep in the barn and had to make do with whatever rations were given to them.

The animals felt that their sacrifices were worthwhile since they were running the farm and were not being ruled by exploitative, uncaring humans. Ironically, the pigs were exploiting them in exactly the same way that their erstwhile master did but they believed that they were better off. 

Once Napoleon had expelled Snowball from the farm, things became much worse. He could go about unchallenged and quickly changed not only the commandments but abolished certain customs which had been adhered to, such as the Sunday Meetings. Whenever there was hardship such as during the cold winter when supplies were low, the rations were cut, but not for the pigs, who continued receiving what they had become used to.  

After Napoleon had purged the farm of those he believed were enemies by using his dogs to execute them, he had introduced another element with which he could control and manipulate the animals - fear. They had been thoroughly frightened by the killings and did not dare challenge Napoleon's authority. He made sure that they were aware of his power by walking around the farm, surrounded by his fierce guard dogs. Napoleon had become a ruthless tyrant.    

Eventually, the animals had nothing of what had been agreed to after the Rebellion. The only animals who had gained anything were the pigs. They had grown fatter and had assumed human behaviours and characteristics. They walked on their hind legs, smoked, drank whisky and beer, lived in the house, wore clothes, slept in beds and were soon arranging get-togethers with other humans where they mocked the plight of the other animals.

Indeed, Animal Farm had truly become a place where 'Some animals were more equal than others.'   

Part II of the story is a flashback. List its events in chronological order. Be sure to explain who visits Peyton Farquhar and what plan he...

An interesting narrative technique Ambrose Bierce uses in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is the flashback presented in Part II. Part I describes the setting and the preparation of the hanging, and Part III resumes with the hanging scene, bringing it to completion, ending with the main character swinging "from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge." 

Part II gives us the background of Peyton Farquhar, the main character, the man who is being hanged. We find out that his life up until now has unfolded this way:

1. Farquhar, a slave owner, advocates for secession along with other plantation owners.

2. When the war breaks out, Farquhar does not enlist in the Confederate Army, but wishes he could support the cause in a tangible way.

3. Farquhar performs various unnamed tasks on behalf of the Confederacy.

4. Farquhar is sitting on his porch when a gray-clad, presumably Confederate soldier rides up and hints that if someone wanted to burn the Owl Creek bridge to prevent the Union Army's advance, it could be easily accomplished.

5. Farquhar then plots to burn the bridge and acts on the soldier's suggestion, possibly "get[ting] the better of the sentinel," or trying to, and attempting to burn the bridge. However, he is captured by the Union Army because the soldier he had talked to had actually been a "Federal scout," and Farquhar had been caught in a sting operation.

The actual action taken by Farquhar that led to his capture by the Union Army is implied rather than explicitly stated in Part II. It may be that Farquhar planned to hang the sentinel from the bridge because Farquhar says to the scout, "Suppose a man—a civilian and a student of hanging—should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel?" Farquhar is obviously referring to himself. Thus the Union Army's decision to hang him from the bridge is an ironically appropriate way to carry out his execution.

What is gas chromatography and describe it. In connection with this discuss the sampling, detection limit, precision, and error sources. Regarding...

Gas chromatography (also commonly called GC) is a method of analyzing chemical samples for purity.  Different chemical components within a sample injected onto a GC will separate and read as separate compounds by a detector.  A sophisticated system can not only separate different chemical components but it can quantify them as well.  So one very useful application of GC is detecting for the presence of illegal chemicals in samples in crime and drug labs.  Assay...

Gas chromatography (also commonly called GC) is a method of analyzing chemical samples for purity.  Different chemical components within a sample injected onto a GC will separate and read as separate compounds by a detector.  A sophisticated system can not only separate different chemical components but it can quantify them as well.  So one very useful application of GC is detecting for the presence of illegal chemicals in samples in crime and drug labs.  Assay performance on a sophisticated system is very high.

The principle and equipment used are as follows.  The chemical sample is dissolved and diluted in a volatile chemical solvent like methanol or acetone.  The sample is injected using a syringe into an injector assembly.  The injector assembly is very hot (>200 degrees C) and vaporizes the solvent and atomizes the chemical sample into gaseous form.  The gaseous sample is picked up by the carrier gas (usually helium or hydrogen) and then carried through the GC column.  The column is a long (~25 meters) and thin (<1 millimeter) flexible tube coiled inside an oven.  The sample travels through the stationary phase in the column tube where the individual chemical entities are separated according to their affinity for the column.  The temperature in the oven can be varied to help larger compounds travel faster.  The gas then exits the column and enters a detector, which is usually a flame ionization detector (FID).  The output of the detector is plotted over time to give a graph of the sample being analyzed.

The sampling for GC is very easy.  The chemical sample needs to be dissolved in any number of basic chemical solvents.  Only microgram levels of material are required for an effective GC trace so the detection limit is down to parts per billion levels (ppb).  Precision of analysis can be very high when using an autosampler to inject the samples since it can measure and replicate injection volumes with a high degree of precision.  Error sources include sample preparation and potential gas leaks with the system (it should be gas tight).  Probably the biggest drawback to GC is that the chemicals injected need to be a low enough molecular weight to effectively atomize and exist in the gaseous state.  Compounds that are too large will not travel through the column effectively and can damage the column with regard to future analysis.

What is a scene in Lord of the Flies (with quotes) that depicts Jack becoming more popular than Ralph, and describes why the boys want to follow him?

In Chapter 9, Piggy and Ralph are bathing by themselves discussing how they wish they could go home. Ralph asks Piggy where everyone is, and Piggy says that they are probably lying down in the shelter. Ralph asks Piggy where Samneric and Bill have gone. Piggy points to the location of Jack's new base camp, which is beyond the platform and says, "That's where they've gone. Jack's party" (Golding 148). Ralph tells Piggy...

In Chapter 9, Piggy and Ralph are bathing by themselves discussing how they wish they could go home. Ralph asks Piggy where everyone is, and Piggy says that they are probably lying down in the shelter. Ralph asks Piggy where Samneric and Bill have gone. Piggy points to the location of Jack's new base camp, which is beyond the platform and says, "That's where they've gone. Jack's party" (Golding 148). Ralph tells Piggy that he doesn't care. Piggy comments, "Just for some meat---" (Golding 148). Ralph adds on to Piggy's comment and says, "And for hunting...and for pretending to be a tribe, and putting on war-paint" (Golding 148). Piggy looks at the ground and tells Ralph that they ought to go over to Jack's tribe too, but just to make sure nothing happens. This moment is significant because it depicts Jack's popularity. Everyone, except Simon, has decided to leave for Jack's camp. Ralph explains to Piggy the multiple reasons that the boys have chosen to join Jack's tribe. They mention that the boys are enjoying eating, hunting, dressing like savages, and being a part of a tribe. Jack's tribe appeals to the carnal desires that each individual possesses.

How does Daniel treat Leah differently from the beginning to the end of the novel?

At the beginning of the novel, Daniel views his sister, Leah, as a lost cause. When he first returns home and sees Leah, he mentions that she still had the same fear in her eyes and nothing had changed. At the end of Chapter 10, Daniel shares a significant moment with his sister after their grandmother passes away. He realizes that her demons do not have complete control over her and their relationship...

At the beginning of the novel, Daniel views his sister, Leah, as a lost cause. When he first returns home and sees Leah, he mentions that she still had the same fear in her eyes and nothing had changed. At the end of Chapter 10, Daniel shares a significant moment with his sister after their grandmother passes away. He realizes that her demons do not have complete control over her and their relationship slowly begins to develop. After Leah and Daniel move into Simon's house, a servant brings Leah fine linen to create beautiful fabric. Daniel is astonished at Leah's ability to work the loom. Leah thrives in their new home and takes over the chores, and even begins to garden. Daniel becomes proud of his sister and the progress she has made. He cares deeply about Leah but is unable to do what's best for her. Daniel's bitterness and anger drives Leah into a catatonic state over and over again. He develops empathy for his sister and attempts to track down Jesus and Thacia to visit her in hopes that she will be healed. At the end of the novel, Daniel views his sister as a mature, talented woman who is capable of making her own life choices. Daniel recognizes his sister's independence by inviting Marcus into his home.

Based on the way Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë ends, why might Jane be considered the first modern fictional heroine?

At the end of the novel, Jane Eyre reunites with and marries Rochester after Thornfield burns to the ground and Bertha dies in the blaze. Jane could be considered the first modern heroine because she and Rochester unite as equals. Earlier, when Rochester proposed a faux, bigamous marriage to Jane, events would have left Jane both dishonored and at Rochester's mercy, and even had Rochester been free, she, as the poor governess, would have been...

At the end of the novel, Jane Eyre reunites with and marries Rochester after Thornfield burns to the ground and Bertha dies in the blaze. Jane could be considered the first modern heroine because she and Rochester unite as equals. Earlier, when Rochester proposed a faux, bigamous marriage to Jane, events would have left Jane both dishonored and at Rochester's mercy, and even had Rochester been free, she, as the poor governess, would have been the "lower" of the two, the recipient of far greater favors. By the end of the novel, however, circumstances have changed. Rochester has lost a hand in the fire and is initially blind though later he will recover some sight. His disabilities make him dependent on Jane, equalizing the relationship. Further, Jane no longer has to fear a false marriage, for Bertha is dead. Jane could be seen as a modern heroine in determining her own fate: earlier, in leaving Rochester to make her own way in the world, and at the end in freely choosing to marry him after having established her independence.  

After her initial round of treatment, what did Henrietta's doctor assume about the effectiveness of the radium therapy?

In Chapters 4 and 5 of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, readers learn that Henrietta has been diagnosed with invasive cervical carcinomas. The standard treatment for patients diagnosed with invasive cancer was to use radium, “a white radioactive metal that glows an eerie blue,” to shrink the tumors. Many hospitals believed that radium was safer and more effective than surgery for treating cervical cancer. Initially, Henrietta’s doctors assumed her treatment was a success....

In Chapters 4 and 5 of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, readers learn that Henrietta has been diagnosed with invasive cervical carcinomas. The standard treatment for patients diagnosed with invasive cancer was to use radium, “a white radioactive metal that glows an eerie blue,” to shrink the tumors. Many hospitals believed that radium was safer and more effective than surgery for treating cervical cancer. Initially, Henrietta’s doctors assumed her treatment was a success. “At that point doctors liked what they saw. They saw her cervix was a bit red from the treatment, but the tumor was shrinking.” For weeks, doctors believed the treatment had been successful. It was only after Henrietta’s continued complaints of pain, and a subsequent X-ray, did they learn that the radium treatments were not successful and Henrietta’s tumor had grown and spread to other parts of her body.

Describe the transition of Rome from a republic to an empire.

The Roman Republic was established around 509 B.C.E. The government they developed at the time and determined by existing conditions sought to establish laws that would limit power in the hands of a few. Thus, power was divided between the Senate (Roman Senate) and the general Roman citizenry (Plebeian Assembly). Divisions in the Republic were brought about by conflicts between the Senate and the Assembly.

The Senate was threatened by the growing strength of the...

The Roman Republic was established around 509 B.C.E. The government they developed at the time and determined by existing conditions sought to establish laws that would limit power in the hands of a few. Thus, power was divided between the Senate (Roman Senate) and the general Roman citizenry (Plebeian Assembly). Divisions in the Republic were brought about by conflicts between the Senate and the Assembly.

The Senate was threatened by the growing strength of the Plebeian Assembly. This further degenerated into conflicts between the aristocracy and the common citizens. Roman expansion and existing conflicts led to a shift towards self-interest by various parties, causing a situation that the Republic sought to suppress. 

This led to the onset of civil wars, emboldened by the march on Rome by Sulla, who was later proclaimed dictator by the Senate. He, in turn, strengthened the Senate at the expense of the assemblies, permanently affecting the balance of power established earlier. More revolts followed, led by the likes of Marcus Lepidus, Pompey Magnus and Julius Caesar, all of whom marched on Rome to assert their authority.

Julius Caesar was later assassinated by members of the Senate. This led to the formation of the second triumvirate (Octavian, Antony and Lepidus) and marked the end of the Roman Republic. Fallout in the second triumvirate saw the rise of Octavian to absolute power. Under a new name referring to his new position, Caesar Augustus (Octavian) ushered a period of peace under Pax Romana that instituted remarkable growth of the Republic into the Roman Empire.

In Paul Fleischman's Seedfolks, why does Amir tell the story of the Polish woman who had been in a concentration camp?

Amir tells the story of a Polish woman he met, who did time in a concentration camp, in order to illustrate the point that you should not judge a book by its cover and/or reinforce stereotypes. You actually need to get to know an individual if you want to learn about them, instead of making judgments about them based on where they're from or the color of their skin. Prior to telling the story...

Amir tells the story of a Polish woman he met, who did time in a concentration camp, in order to illustrate the point that you should not judge a book by its cover and/or reinforce stereotypes. You actually need to get to know an individual if you want to learn about them, instead of making judgments about them based on where they're from or the color of their skin.
 
Prior to telling the story about the conversation he had with the woman, Amir mentions that Cleveland is a city made up of many Polish immigrants. He says that he was always told that Polish men were steelworkers and Polish women cooked a lot of cabbage. Despite what he heard, though, he mentions that he had never actually met a Pole until he spoke to the woman in the garden. 
 
One day, when the two of them are tending to their seeds, Amir notices that the woman isn't thinning out her row of carrot seedlings despite the fact that they are ready. He asks her why she hasn't done so and she says that the task "reminded her too closely of the concentration camp, where the prisoners were inspected each morning and divided into two lines" (Fleischman).
 
She then explains that her father was an orchestra violinist who spoke out against the Germans which, in turn, got her entire family arrested and imprisoned. This revelation causes Amir to view the woman as an individual human being as opposed to just a Polish woman. 
 
About the interaction, Amir says, "When I heard her words, I realized how useless was all that I'd heard about Poles, how much richness it hid, like the worthless shell around an almond" (Fleischman).
 
He then notes that he still doesn't know if she cooks cabbage and doesn't care to find out.

What are some themes in Chapter 10 of To Kill A Mockingbird?

(I can’t read the image you uploaded, so I hope this answers your question completely.)

Chapter 10 is a pivotal chapter in To Kill a Mockingbirdbecause we learn more about Atticus, because we get insight into the meaning of the novel’s title,  and because Jem and Scout learn several lessons. Jem and Scout are having some problems with their classmates at school because of Atticus’ involvement in the Tom Robinson rape trial.  Scout, however,...

(I can’t read the image you uploaded, so I hope this answers your question completely.)

Chapter 10 is a pivotal chapter in To Kill a Mockingbird because we learn more about Atticus, because we get insight into the meaning of the novel’s title,  and because Jem and Scout learn several lessons. Jem and Scout are having some problems with their classmates at school because of Atticus’ involvement in the Tom Robinson rape trial.  Scout, however, has promised Atticus that she won’t fight anymore. Scout has to show restraint against the cruel words of her classmates.  This could be one theme we see—keeping promises and showing courage even when pushed to one’s limit.  Jem, however, thinks Atticus is a “dud” of a father; he won’t play with Jem in an annual football game, he won’t teach Jem and Scout how to shoot their BB guns, and he’s just boring!  However, Jem’s respect (another theme) grows when Atticus shoots a rabid dog that has wondered into town.  Atticus is known as “Ol’ One Shot Finch in the community for his dead eye skills with a shot gun.  After Atticus shoots the dog, Jem finds a newfound respect for his father and wants to be like him.

The most important theme in Chapter 10 is one of caring for and protecting the innocent.  In this chapter, we understand the reason for the title of the novel. Miss Maudie tells Scout and Jem that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are beautiful creatures that only sing for our enjoyment.  The mockingbird represents the innocent in the story, people like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.  Therefore, the most important theme to be recognized in Chapter 10 is that of protecting the innocent.

Other themes could include:

Appearance v reality—Atticus appears to be one way but, in reality, is the opposite.

Racism—the derogatory comments of Scout and Jem’s classmates show their racist views.  The rabid dog is a symbol of racism as well.  It is “diseased” and rabid, much like those who believe in being superior to others in the story. 

How does Shakespeare portray Calpurnia and Portia in the play Julius Caesar?

Calpurnia and Portia are portrayed as strong and passionate women who supported their men.

Shakespeare takes advantage of the Romans' superstitious nature by playing up the supposed supernatural abilities of both Calpurnia and Portia.  Caesar’s wife Calpurnia supposedly had a dream predicting his assassination, and Portia seemed to know that Brutus was in danger.

Brutus’s wife Portia is shown as a strong and confident woman, but possibly also a little unstable.  She worries about her husband’s role in the conspiracy.  She does not really know what is going on, but wants him to tell her what he is doing.

Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not,
But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
Which seem'd too much enkindled… (Act 2, Scene 1)

Portia worries about her husband, feeling that he might have gotten himself in a dangerous situation.  She urges him to tell her what is going on, chiding him that he is treating her like a “harlot” rather than a wife.  She can't stand being out of the loop, even cutting herself to prove her loyalty and dedication to him.

When Brutus does not tell her what is going on, Portia has him followed.  She reminds us that women are not just meek watchers from the sidelines.

O constancy, be strong upon my side,
Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue!
I have a man's mind, but a woman's might.
How hard it is for women to keep counsel! (Act 2, Scene 4)

Portia speaks to the soothsayer, trying to find out what is really going on and if her husband is in danger.  We do not hear again from Portia, but Brutus learns that she killed herself while he is away fighting Antony and Octavius, supposedly by swallowing hot coals.  Portia always does things on her own terms.

Calpurnia is a strong woman in her own right.  More superstitious even than Portia, she has a dream the night before the Ides of March that she interprets as prophetic of danger to Caesar.  She also mentions a variety of other omens and portents that worry her.

A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol … (Act 2, Scene 2)

Calpurnia seems respected by Caesar, because she makes some progress with him.  He is ready to stay home after she tells him she is worried because of her dream.  Unfortunately for her and him, Decius Brutus convinces him that the dream has a different meaning and is actually a positive omen.

In the first act, Caesar calls public attention to Calpurnia’s infertility.  He may have been trying to explain why they never had children.  Caesar asks Antony to touch Calpurnia during his run on the Feast of Lupercal. Both of them go along with it.  For whatever reason, Caesar never had any children with Calpurnia, but he had one legitimate child.  His daughter Julia died in childbirth.  Before his death, Caesar made a will naming his sister’s grandson Octavius his heir.  This left Calpurnia basically out of it.

What happened to humanity in "There Will Come Soft Rains"?

This question is not clearly answered in the story, but we can draw some conclusions based on Ray Bradbury's other works and the time of his writing.

Ray Bradbury was writing mostly during the 1950s.  This was a time of social optimism.  World War II was over, and compared to the 1940s, people were feeling very successful.  Unemployment was low and science was coming up with new discoveries and inventions at an alarming rate.  More...

This question is not clearly answered in the story, but we can draw some conclusions based on Ray Bradbury's other works and the time of his writing.

Ray Bradbury was writing mostly during the 1950s.  This was a time of social optimism.  World War II was over, and compared to the 1940s, people were feeling very successful.  Unemployment was low and science was coming up with new discoveries and inventions at an alarming rate.  More and more people were able to enjoy certain technologies in the home -- automatic dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and similar items gave rise to the impression that science would make our lives very leisure-filled.  In the realm of science fiction, writers like Bradbury were exploring what would happen if technology continued advancing at such a rate. Perhaps humanity might no longer be needed.  We see this in "There Will Come Soft Rains" as the house seems to go through a very ordinary day, completely on its own, cooking meals, setting up a card game, preparing the nursery for sleep, etc. 

However, the 1950s were also the beginning of the Cold War, and along with the optimism noted above there was an underlying dread of the potential for nuclear war.  This, too, gave science fiction writers a fertile field for exploration:  What would the world be like if the Americans and Russians did set off nuclear bombs?  Would we destroy ourselves completely?

This seems to be the result in "There Will Come Soft Rains."  Though it isn't directly stated, this would be a plausible conclusion for the absence of any people.  Technology has advanced to the point that we see in the house, but the Cold War advanced also, and humanity has destroyed itself.  Only the technology remains.

However, then we see nature seem to survive over technology, as a random tree branch falls into the house and ignites an accidental fire.  The house tries to put out the fire, but the fire continues, and in the end destroys the entire house.  Nature overcomes technology.

The Poet at Seven by Donald Justice ends in an eye rhyme of the words COME and HOME. How do these two words tie into the larger poem?

What a wonderful poem. This seems to be an evocative scene from childhood. The last two lines and the words at the end of them seem a fitting end to this short piece. The poem describes the activities of a boy playing in his neighborhood, but no friends or companions are described. He is imaginative and his games are full of fantasy and adventure, but the language hints at vulnerability and pain (licking of wounds,...

What a wonderful poem. This seems to be an evocative scene from childhood. The last two lines and the words at the end of them seem a fitting end to this short piece. The poem describes the activities of a boy playing in his neighborhood, but no friends or companions are described. He is imaginative and his games are full of fantasy and adventure, but the language hints at vulnerability and pain (licking of wounds, frail as a mayfly) and his ability to imagine himself in a nicer place than where he is (squatting in the "foul weeds of the vacant lot").

The last two lines, as with many sonnets, create a profound image which offers a new perspective on what has come before. These lines hint at the boy's loneliness and need to belong, as he is waiting for "someone dear to come" and bring him home. The image "whip him down the street, but gently, home" may hint at the boy being punished or whipped (maybe for staying out too late?), or it may simply be the image conveyed by the boy imagining he is being conveyed home as one might "whip" (or throw) a ball or other object (like the paper plane mentioned earlier) into the air. Home is where the "someone dear" lives, and the poem suggests the boy is happy for this feeling of belonging he will experience after a day of playing in solitude.

By the way, in doing an internet search on this poem I came across a wonderful blog that shares many, many modern and contemporary poems that you might enjoy. I have put the link below.

What is the relationship between form and content in Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death--"?

Emily Dickinson used a traditional ballad rhythm and meter that supports the content of the poem in "Because I could not stop for Death--," but she modified it with enjambment and caesura to add nuances of meaning.

Traditionally, ballads use iambic rhythm, meaning a pattern of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables. The length of lines in traditional ballads can vary from poem to poem, but two typical lengths are trimeter (six syllables) and tetrameter (eight...

Emily Dickinson used a traditional ballad rhythm and meter that supports the content of the poem in "Because I could not stop for Death--," but she modified it with enjambment and caesura to add nuances of meaning.

Traditionally, ballads use iambic rhythm, meaning a pattern of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables. The length of lines in traditional ballads can vary from poem to poem, but two typical lengths are trimeter (six syllables) and tetrameter (eight syllables). Dickinson uses alternating tetrameter and trimeter, a form called a "fourteener" because there are fourteen feet (twenty-eight syllables) in each stanza. 

The combination of iambic rhythm and short lines is perfect for ballads. Ballads tell a story, and this consistent, jaunty rhythm tends to move a story onward easily. It gives a feeling of walking briskly, or in this case, movement of the carriage with the wheels going around and around repetitively. This poem is a narrative--it tells a linear story about the person in the poem being picked up in a carriage by Death and Immortality, who then drive her to the graveyard. The ballad form supports the developing action of the story, and because many story poems have been written in this form, the reader can easily pick up on the feeling of a tale being told.

Dickinson was innovative in her use of enjambment and caesura to lend variety to the rhythm of her poetry. Enjambment refers to lines of poetry that do not have a hard stop at the end; caesura refers to hard stops in the middle of a line of poetry. Using enjambment creates a free flow of the language, while caesura creates a jerkiness. Both of these qualities--free movement and jerking--are typical of carriage rides and reinforce the content of the poem. 

At the beginning, in stanza one, every line has a hard stop, indicated by a dash. There is no enjambment. This would be consistent with the carriage being at a stop and the jerky movements of being loaded into the carriage. The second stanza uses enjambment to show that the carriage is beginning to roll away. That smooth ride continues into the first line of the third stanza, but then it becomes jerky with hard stops at the end of every line and some caesura within lines. This may indicate that the ride is becoming less pleasant, which is matched by the air growing "quivering and chill." The final stanza returns to enjambment, consistent with the ongoing state of eternity spoken of in that stanza.

Dickinson was masterful in her use of the rhythm and meter of the traditional ballad to support the meaning of her poem and the addition of enjambment and caesura to suggest a more nuanced understanding of the progression of the story. 

What is the difference in the body's reaction when fighting a virus vs bacteria?

Bacterial and viral infections are quite common ailments, often producing similar symptoms. Where I live, we have something called "cold and flu season-" which typically occurs when students are returning for the school year and swapping all of their recently acquired microbes through touching the same surfaces, coughing, and sneezing. These aren't the only means of passing along bacteria or a virus, but sanitary practices in public spaces (like covering a sneeze) can really cut...

Bacterial and viral infections are quite common ailments, often producing similar symptoms. Where I live, we have something called "cold and flu season-" which typically occurs when students are returning for the school year and swapping all of their recently acquired microbes through touching the same surfaces, coughing, and sneezing. These aren't the only means of passing along bacteria or a virus, but sanitary practices in public spaces (like covering a sneeze) can really cut down on transmission rates.

When an infection begins, symptoms may include fever, fatigue, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, and diarrhea. Depending on whether the infection is caused by a bacteria or virus, the onset and duration of symptoms can differ.

Viral infections, like the flu, are characterized by relatively low-grade symptoms which peak in a matter of days and typically disappear before two weeks have passed. In people with weakened immune systems, symptoms may be more severe or last longer. 

Bacterial infections, on the other hand, have a slower and stronger onset of symptoms. Fevers may become stronger a few days in, fatigue and aches may worsen, and symptoms can last several weeks. 

What three clues are the most important in the plot of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band? Explain the significance of each.

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is an example of a so-called "locked-room murder mystery." The biggest question is: "How could Julia Stoner have been murdered in her bedroom with her door locked and the window tightly shuttered?" The prototype for this story was probably Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," in which the question was how two women could have been murdered in a room in which their door and windows were tightly shut. The door or one of the windows might have been open when the murderer entered, but how could he exit and leave door and windows locked from the inside? 

Holmes is trying save his client Helen Stoner from being murdered, but this automatically involves trying to find out how her sister was murdered two years earlier in the same room with the door locked and shutters bolted. The three most important clues have to be found inside that room. They are the ventilator between Helen's and her stepfather's rooms, the dummy bell-rope, and the fact that the bed is held in one place by being clamped to the floor. After the mystery has been solved and Dr. Roylott is dead, Holmes explains to Watson what he deduced from these three clues.

"My attention was speedily drawn, as I have already remarked to you, to this ventilator, and to the bell-rope which hung down to the bed. The discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt that I was probably on the right track." 

Note that this is the first time the word "snake" is used in the story. The author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, knew that the word could give away his whole plot if he used it earlier. The reader would guess that a snake could get into the locked room even if it were impenetrable by a human murderer. That is why the term "speckled band" is used in the text and even in the title up to the point where the trick has been exposed. Holmes' deductions are put to the proof when he and Watson spend the night in Helen's room and the snake is plainly seen by both men at around three o'clock in the morning.

It would seem that Julia Stoner must have seen the snake after she had been bitten two years ago. The reason she doesn't call it a snake but a "speckled band" is that she is dying from the fast-acting venom and is nearly in a coma already. When Helen is describing that night to Holmes at Baker Street early that morning, she tells him her sister's last words:

"'Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ There was something else which she would fain have said, and she stabbed with her finger into the air in the direction of the doctor's room, but a fresh convulsion seized her and choked her words."

Julia was trying to tell Helen that she had been bitten by a snake and to indicate that their stepfather was responsible. But Helen still doesn't understand this at the time of her early-morning interview with Holmes. When he asks her what she thinks her sister meant, she tells him:

“Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of delirium, sometimes that it may have referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation. I do not know whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which she used.”

The author is obviously trying to preserve his mystery until the climax, when Holmes lights a candle and whips the snake with his cane, driving it back up the dummy bell-rope and through the ventilator, where it bites Dr. Roylott and kills him.

How do things fall apart in Things Fall Apart?

In Things Fall Apart, the traditional way of life for the Igbo society is changing due to the coming of the European missionary Christians. The European Christians are bringing their beliefs to Umuofia and the surrounding tribes. The traditional customs of the Igbo villagers are being challenged. Men like the protagonist Okonkwo cannot handle the changes and challenges as Christian missionaries come into his village for the purpose of changing his way of life. Okonkwo...

In Things Fall Apart, the traditional way of life for the Igbo society is changing due to the coming of the European missionary Christians. The European Christians are bringing their beliefs to Umuofia and the surrounding tribes. The traditional customs of the Igbo villagers are being challenged. Men like the protagonist Okonkwo cannot handle the changes and challenges as Christian missionaries come into his village for the purpose of changing his way of life. Okonkwo has a sense of purpose and identity as a hard working man who has become successful due to his determination to never be like his lazy father Unoka. Through hard work and sheer determination, Okonkwo had acquired wealth through his yams. Okonkwo has three wives who have given him children. He is successful in the eyes of his village. He is a great wrestler and warrior. He is a great hunter. He is a manly man. For this reason, Okonkwo cannot handle the change through the influence of the Christian missionaries. 

Okonkwo's life is falling apart. He will not adapt to change. He is stubborn and strong-willed. In fact, he has worked hard to become a type of hero in his community and his pride will not allow him to accept changes:

Okonkwo’s physical strength, integrity, and courage give him heroic stature, but his pride and individualism contradict the essentially communal nature of Umuofia. He does not understand that Umuofia is a living culture that has always adapted in order to meet new challenges.

Ultimately, Okonkwo fights the white missionaries in an effort to maintain his way of life. He realizes that his tribal members are not going to join him in fighting. In a sense of hopelessness, Okonkwo gives up the fight and hangs himself. His life ends in tragedy because things were falling apart in his village. He could not adapt to change. 

How did Europeans change the Americas?

The Americas have been drastically changed through colonization and conquest by European peoples, but I will do my best to address this widespread and complex transformation.

Before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries, First Nations peoples throughout the Americas had a subsistence lifestyle primarily composed of hunting, gathering, and small-scale farming. They practiced their indigenous faiths, experienced a diversity of linguistic and material culture, and while most were rather egalitarian, some...

The Americas have been drastically changed through colonization and conquest by European peoples, but I will do my best to address this widespread and complex transformation.

Before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries, First Nations peoples throughout the Americas had a subsistence lifestyle primarily composed of hunting, gathering, and small-scale farming. They practiced their indigenous faiths, experienced a diversity of linguistic and material culture, and while most were rather egalitarian, some were heavily stratified and were lead by god-kings. Though sometimes at the whim of nature, they had successful economies and produced rich material culture, some of which survives today.

When European explorers and colonialists journeyed to the Americas, they captured many slaves, forced conversions, and killed First Nations people through violence and disease. Indigenous life-ways were almost entirely eradicated. The land which First Nations people lived on was taken as property by Europeans and cultivated for the purpose of exporting resources. The Europeans believed that it was their duty to "civilize" and shepherd the indigenous populations of the New World so that they could be saved in heaven after death. This religious ideology was used to promote the economic exploitation of land and people in the Americas, including people captured in Africa and transported as a source of  labor.

The colonization of the Americas has almost entirely eliminated the culture, language, and people who are native to these places. European culture and people were transplanted to effectively replace the indigenous cultures. A great diversity of blended cultures exist today, many with influence from the First Nations populations who once lived on the same land. Though the Americas have been developed into many beautiful and thriving societies, it cannot make up for the genocide which began over five hundred years ago. The diversity which once existed was quickly replaced by a rather small selection of European (primarily Italian, Iberian, and English) culture, language, religion, and industry.