What can be a theme statement for the story "Games at Twilight"?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by theme statement.  I think that you might be asking for a theme that is stated or present within the story.  One theme that I think is clearly illustrated by "Games at Twilight" is the theme of alienation.  Ravi is bound and determined to be a part of the group.  He doesn't only want to be a part of the group though, he desperately wants to be accepted...

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by theme statement.  I think that you might be asking for a theme that is stated or present within the story.  One theme that I think is clearly illustrated by "Games at Twilight" is the theme of alienation.  Ravi is bound and determined to be a part of the group.  He doesn't only want to be a part of the group though, he desperately wants to be accepted as a "cool" kid within the group.  In order to do that, Ravi believes that winning the hide and seek game is tantamount to his success.  

To defeat Raghu—that hirsute, hoarse-voiced football champion—and to be the winner in a circle of older, bigger, luckier children—that would be thrilling beyond imagination.

Unfortunately, his victory doesn't get Ravi any more credibility than he had before.  He was so alienated at the beginning of the story that all of the other kids forgot that he was even playing.  Then at the end of the story, he is still alienated, because none of the other children are willing to accept his supposed victory.  

"Don’t be a fool,'' Raghu said roughly, pushing him aside, and even Mira said, "Stop howling, Ravi. If you want to play, you can stand at the end of the line,'' and she put him there very firmly.

What is a valid impression about the last phrase of the story, "and it is a common wish of all henpecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life...

Rip Van Winkle is a child at heart. He would rather play and help others than do his own work. As a consequence, his wife is always nagging him to get his own work done. His wife is so domineering that he does whatever he can to escape from her. His farm is a shambles because he neglects it. One can sympathize with his wife because Rip is so irresponsible in this way. But she is exceedingly condescending.

However, Rip is happy, sans the times he is being scolded by his wife. He is happy spending time hunting, fishing, and sitting with the so called "sages" of the village. But even at this philosopher's club, Rip was not safe from his wife. She would find him there, scold him, and Rip would be driven off. As a result, he would retreat into the woods: 

Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods. 

When Rip falls asleep for twenty years, he discovers that his wife has died. Rip has finally escaped from his wife: for good. The suggestion is that Rip had fallen asleep as a result of the drink from the flagon he'd had with the strange mountain men. So, this final phrase simply means that other henpecked husbands might prefer to sleep twenty hears until their unruly wives have passed on. This type of sleep is an ultimate escape from one's problems. 

In The Outsiders, what do Pony and Johnny think about Cherry when they meet her?

Pony and Johnny think that Cherry is nice and not like other Socs.

The Socs are the enemies of the greasers.  Cherry is a Soc, but Johnny and Pony are greasers.  The two groups just normally do not socialize.  If they get together, it is usually to fight.

Johnny, Pony, and Dally run into Cherry at the movies.  Cherry immediately dislikes Dally, but she is polite to Johnny and Pony.  She explains that she does...

Pony and Johnny think that Cherry is nice and not like other Socs.

The Socs are the enemies of the greasers.  Cherry is a Soc, but Johnny and Pony are greasers.  The two groups just normally do not socialize.  If they get together, it is usually to fight.

Johnny, Pony, and Dally run into Cherry at the movies.  Cherry immediately dislikes Dally, but she is polite to Johnny and Pony.  She explains that she does not like Dally’s crude behavior, but she thinks that Johnny and Pony are not like him.

Johnny and Pony think that Marcia and Cherry are good looking, and Pony thinks Cherry is especially pretty.  When the girls seem to want to sit with them, Pony is thrilled.  He is not the womanizing type, so this is a big deal to him.  Johnny seems impressed too.

Would we ever have something to tell the boys!  his eyes said plainly. We had picked up two girls, and classy ones at that. Not any greasy broads for us, but real Socs.(Ch. 2)

Socioeconomic status is very important to Johnny and Pony.  Pony goes to the concession stand with Cherry, and finds that he likes her even better when he talks to her.  The two of them have a conversation about the difference between greasers and Socs.

"I'll bet you think the Socs have it made.  The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You want to know something?"  She looked me straight in the eye. "Things are rough all over." (Ch. 2)

Pony is impressed by Cherry's ability to talk to them.  They come to an understanding that they see the same sunsets.  This means that they are more similar than they are different, even though they come from very different socioeconomic groups.

How old are the narrator and Sheila Mant in the short story "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant"?

W. D Wetherell's story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” is about two teenagers who meet during one summer vacation. This kind of story is often called a “coming of age” story, (in literary circles sometimes referred to as a “bildungsroman”). The focus in such a story is usually the development of the main character, including some sort of significant character change.

Teenage years are all about change, whether we like it or not....

W. D Wetherell's story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” is about two teenagers who meet during one summer vacation. This kind of story is often called a “coming of age” story, (in literary circles sometimes referred to as a “bildungsroman”). The focus in such a story is usually the development of the main character, including some sort of significant character change.

Teenage years are all about change, whether we like it or not. While the most obvious changes are occurrings to our bodies, we are also changing psychologically, socially, morally, and spiritually. Wetherell chose these young characters so that he could focus on the important lesson that the unnamed male learns on his ill-fated date with Sheila Mant.

The reader finds out pretty quickly how old the narrator is; here are the first couple of lines from the story:

There was a summer in my life when the only creature that seemed lovelier to me than a largemouth bass was Sheila Mant. I was fourteen.

That's a nice opening sentence, packed with meaning. We know immediately that the narrator is going to be torn between two things: his love of fishing and a girl.

It doesn't take long to find out how old Sheila is. In the next paragraph the narrator tells us:

Sheila was the middle daughter—at seventeen, all but out of reach.

She is “out of reach” in more ways than one, but the age difference is certainly important at that stage in life. By the end of the story Sheila has dumped the narrator at the fair for an older guy, Eric Caswell, who offers her a ride home in his Corvette. The narrator then tells us, in the story's final paragraph, that he learned not to make that sort of mistake again.

Who helped restore confidence in the nation's banks?

If you are talking about the United States during the time of the Great Depression, then the best answer to this question is President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  He is the person who is generally given the most credit for restoring Americans’ faith in their banking system.

One major problem during the first few years of the Great Depression was the failure of many American banks.  The banks had loaned out money to various people who...

If you are talking about the United States during the time of the Great Depression, then the best answer to this question is President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  He is the person who is generally given the most credit for restoring Americans’ faith in their banking system.

One major problem during the first few years of the Great Depression was the failure of many American banks.  The banks had loaned out money to various people who lost their ability to repay the loans.  As all these borrowers defaulted, the banks lost money.  Depositors started to worry that their banks would lose their money so they often went to the banks to try to withdraw all of their savings.  When too many depositors did this, the banks ran out of money and failed.  This meant that most of their depositors lost all their savings.  This created more runs on other banks, and the problem spiraled.

When President Roosevelt took office, one of his first acts was to try to stabilize the banking system.  Almost immediately, he declared a “bank holiday,” suspending all bank transactions so people could not remove their money from the banks.  By doing this, and by eventually doing other things like creating the FDIC to insure people’s deposits, FDR did much to restore Americans’ faith in their banking system.  For this reason, he is the most likely answer to your question.

How would your reaction (to events in the plot) be different if you didn't know what both characters were thinking?

This story certainly employs an omniscient narrator. So, the reader does get a clear idea about both Georg's and Ulrich's feelings towards one another. 

The narrator gives the details of the longstanding feud. And the narrator adds the way both men think about one another: "as boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other." Then, the narrator provides their thoughts as they approach one...

This story certainly employs an omniscient narrator. So, the reader does get a clear idea about both Georg's and Ulrich's feelings towards one another. 

The narrator gives the details of the longstanding feud. And the narrator adds the way both men think about one another: "as boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other." Then, the narrator provides their thoughts as they approach one another: 

If only on this wild night, in this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man to man, with none to witness—that was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts. 

The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his heart and murder uppermost in his mind.

This intense build up of hate, animosity, and murder makes the inevitable truce that much more incredible. Without the narrator's insight into the incredible hate these men have for one another, the shock of the peaceful truce would simply be much less dramatic and less interesting. Also, without these insights into the men's thoughts, the reader would not assume that they wanted to kill one another. Upon their meeting in the woods, one might expect nothing more than a verbal disagreement about land ownership. The characters' thoughts are quite important in establishing their motives and in setting up the dramatic reversal when they become friends. 

After they are pinned beneath the tree, the dialogue does suggest the kind of hate alluded to in their previously revealed thoughts. But without those previous thoughts, the reader might assume that their mutual anger has emerged from their frustrations of being trapped under the tree. Without the insights of their thoughts, we don't know how much they really hate one another. And without that foreknowledge, the dramatic reconciliation would simply not be that shocking. 

Discuss the evolution and future of E-commerce.

According to several internet historians, the first known e-commerce transaction was a drug deal. Students at Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Massachussetts Institute of Technology used their Arpanet accounts to buy weed from each other in 1971 or 1972. 

Since then, e-commerce has expanded to include a wide range of commercial activities. The 1980s saw the initial development of online shopping in tandem with the growth of email and bulletin board systems. Many bulletin...

According to several internet historians, the first known e-commerce transaction was a drug deal. Students at Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Massachussetts Institute of Technology used their Arpanet accounts to buy weed from each other in 1971 or 1972. 

Since then, e-commerce has expanded to include a wide range of commercial activities. The 1980s saw the initial development of online shopping in tandem with the growth of email and bulletin board systems. Many bulletin boards had classified advertisements and allowed niche businesses to connect with customers. 

The 1990s saw the increasing market penetration of the internet, facilitated by development of the first web browsers. Amazon was founded in 1995. Business-to-business applications began to move online in this period.

The major innovations of the 2000s were the rise of mobile phones and the development of secure electronic payment systems such as PayPal and the ubiquity of electronic banking. 

Although we cannot actually know the future, on the basis of existing trends, we can foresee that e-commerce will replace bricks-and-mortar in many areas, often with physical stores simply acting as showrooms for electronic ones. Although cash may not entirely disappear, electronic wallets, often centered on smart phones, will be increasingly dominant. Logistics infrastructure will remain the key to successful e-commerce, especially as it expands into frontier markets.

What is Hamlet's flaw , which he himself indirectly mentions at the end of this monologue "to be or not to be " ?

Hamlet's "To Be, or Not To Be" soliloquy is interesting for several reasons, among which is its revelation of Hamlet's inner character.  Unlike earlier soliloquies,  this one is more rational, calm, and logical.  He systematically picks apart the debate between killing oneself or enduring the many pains of life.  

Ultimately, Hamlet chooses to live rather than to risk the afterlife, which, no matter what one's faith, is a vast mystery.  Hamlet's sums it up...

Hamlet's "To Be, or Not To Be" soliloquy is interesting for several reasons, among which is its revelation of Hamlet's inner character.  Unlike earlier soliloquies,  this one is more rational, calm, and logical.  He systematically picks apart the debate between killing oneself or enduring the many pains of life.  

Ultimately, Hamlet chooses to live rather than to risk the afterlife, which, no matter what one's faith, is a vast mystery.  Hamlet's sums it up when he says "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all."  The meaning here leads to the revelation of his flaw.  Hamlet is a thinker.  He thinks too much, and in doing so, he talks himself out of any substantial action as expressed in his words, "Thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought..." (III,i). The fire of swift action, in this case, turns pale with the realization of the outcome.  

Sadly for him, Hamlet is a man of thought, not a man of action.  It is this tendency that renders him incapable of following through with his revenge plan.

How would you describe the attitudes and behavior of Lord Montague?

That is a tough question.  It's not that Lord Montague is tough to analyze, because he's a very deep character.  On the contrary, he is a tough read because he is barely in the play at all.  He speaks a total of ten times throughout the entire play.  There simply isn't much textual evidence to go on in order to get a good read on Lord Montague.  

What is clear from Act 1, Scene...

That is a tough question.  It's not that Lord Montague is tough to analyze, because he's a very deep character.  On the contrary, he is a tough read because he is barely in the play at all.  He speaks a total of ten times throughout the entire play.  There simply isn't much textual evidence to go on in order to get a good read on Lord Montague.  

What is clear from Act 1, Scene 1 is that Lord Montague is genuinely concerned about Romeo's overall depressed demeanor.  He wants to know what is bothering his son, and he wants to figure out a way to help Romeo recover from his depression.  

Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.
We would as willingly give cure as know.

So from that attitude, I gather that he is a caring and loving father.  I just don't buy into that from the rest of the play.  He speaks one time in Act 3, and then again in Act 5 (after Romeo is dead).  Romeo never once goes to his father to seek advice.  He goes to the friar.  That tells me something about the relationship between Romeo and his father.  They are not close. I think that Lord Montague sees Romeo and his mood less as a person with problems and more as a problem to be solved and fixed.  

How does Lear face reality when he is betrayed by his evil daughters?

When Lear's daughters Goneril and Regan both break their promises to provide for their father's one hundred knights, his already well-established ungovernable temper causes him to rush out of doors regardless of the fact that a violent storm is brewing. The storm can be seen as symbolic of the reality of the cold, cruel world. Out in the storm, Lear is experiencing the suffering of living like a homeless man. His Fool has been there and done that. He counsels Lear to go back to his daughters and make the best deal he can with them.

O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than
this rain-water out o' door. Good nuncle, in, and ask thy
daughters' blessing: here's a night pities neither wise man
nor fool.                                             III.2

But Lear cannot bring himself to accept his daughters' terms. He has several motives for refusing to submit to them. One is his famous temper. Another is his pride. Another is his anger. Another is his shame at having allowed others to make such a fool of him. He is beginning to realize that it was not only his daughters who were flattering him in order to manipulate him, but everybody.

They flattered me like a dog; and told me I had white hairs in my beard ere the black ones were there. To say ‘ay’ and ‘no’ to every thing that I said!—‘Ay’ and ‘no’ too was no good divinity. When the
rain came to wet me once, and the wind to make me chatter;
when the thunder would not peace at my bidding; there I
found 'em, there I smelt 'em out. Go to, they are not men o'
their words: they told me I was every thing; 'tis a lie, I am
not ague-proof.                                               IV.6

Lear has to face reality for the first time in his life. He is living practically like a wild animal. He sees clearly how money, possessions, and power mean everything in this world. He feels his own helplessness and insignificance. It seems that Shakespeare must have decided to have Lear go completely mad, because this would explain why the old king doesn't finally acknowledge defeat and go back to live with his daughters without his entourage of a hundred knights. His daughters don't hate him. They just don't care anything about him. They would be glad enough to provide him with food, shelter, clothing, and a warm bed, because it doesn't look very good for them to be sharing their father's kingdom while the wretched old man is sleeping on the ground and eating mice!

Even in his madness Lear is facing reality because he can't escape from it. In Act IV, Scene 6, Lear explains to the blind Gloucester everything that he has learned about reality, including this:

The usurer hangs the cozener.
Through tattered clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furred gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pygmy's straw does pierce it.

How does one structure three claims for a literary analysis paper about Langston Hughes's poetry?

A claim is what you would use to support a larger argument, or thesis. When it comes to poetry, there are many ways in which you can create an argument and support it with claims. The most important part of writing a literary analysis is to have an argument that can be proven.

Generally, when writing about poetry, you'll end up writing about theme, poetic structure, figurative language, genre, and so on. Think about what...

A claim is what you would use to support a larger argument, or thesis. When it comes to poetry, there are many ways in which you can create an argument and support it with claims. The most important part of writing a literary analysis is to have an argument that can be proven.

Generally, when writing about poetry, you'll end up writing about theme, poetic structure, figurative language, genre, and so on. Think about what you want to prove and then think about the ways in which you'd prove this point.

Here's an example:

You could argue that Hughes's poem "Ballad of the Landlord," with its emphasis on the struggles of a tenant versus his landlord, is part of the social protest literature movement. This is your larger argument.

You would then make three claims which will help you prove this larger argument.

(The clothesline metaphor for argument is perfect: you make your main argument, which is the clothesline, and you hang the claims on this clothesline.)

For example, you could say that the structure of the poem, particularly the use of a ballad, suggests something sad or tragic, which in fact this poem is. You could talk about how the poem for the most part is in ballad form until the last few stanzas, which shift from the tenant's perspective to a larger white American perspective.

Then you could make the claim that this tragic character of the tenant is repeated in many others of Hughes's poems, including the "Madam to..." poems. You would use this claim to emphasize that Hughes's aim is to shed light on the struggles of black Americans.

Finally, you could make the third claim that Hughes's increasing use of colloquialisms in the poem emphasizes the frustration that occurs in black communities in regards to housing.

For the most part, when making claims, you need to make sure that you have a larger argument that you are supporting. Otherwise, the claims will feel like a grocery list of the poem's characteristics. The most important thing is to say something that advances discussion about a particular poem.

In the short story,"Harrison Bergeron," did Harrison's rebellion accomplish anything?

At the end of the story, Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, shoots Harrison and the ballerina because of their rebellion against the system of equality in the society. Harrison’s mother and father are watching the scene unravel on their television at home. George Bergeron gets up to get a beer at the point where Harrison strips off his handicaps and soars to the ceiling, light as air, with the ballerina.  Hazel witnesses the death...

At the end of the story, Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, shoots Harrison and the ballerina because of their rebellion against the system of equality in the society. Harrison’s mother and father are watching the scene unravel on their television at home. George Bergeron gets up to get a beer at the point where Harrison strips off his handicaps and soars to the ceiling, light as air, with the ballerina.  Hazel witnesses the death of her son, but by the time George comes back with his beer, she has already forgotten what just happened.

The citizens of this society are handicapped to suppress their individual talents and abilities; therefore, they live a life designed by the government to make everyone equal.  Harrison’s noble gesture of rebellion has no effect on the lives of his parents so we can assume there is no effect on the rest of the society as well.

In "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, why did the writer use a rose, not a flower, in the title of the story?

If I understand your question correctly, you're asking why the story is called "A Rose for Emily" rather than " A Flower for Emily," right?

First, let's take a look at Faulkner's own explanation for the title:

"[The title] was an allegorical title; the meaning was, here was a woman who had had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute…to a...

If I understand your question correctly, you're asking why the story is called "A Rose for Emily" rather than " A Flower for Emily," right?

First, let's take a look at Faulkner's own explanation for the title:

"[The title] was an allegorical title; the meaning was, here was a woman who had had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute…to a woman you would hand a rose." (This Faulkner quote comes from this book on Google Books.) 

Faulkner is saying that even though no one gives Emily a rose or even a flower in the story, he saw her as a women to whom one would want to give a rose, because they felt for her and her tragic situation. Many readers certainly feel that he accomplished this in the writing of the story, as even though Miss Emily is arrogant, haughty, and a creepy murderer, she is also a pitiable character. 

As to why Faulkner would use a "rose" in the title instead of another flower, or the word "flower" in general, I would say that the word was chosen for the connotations it evokes. A rose is a classic flower, just as Miss Emily is a classic example of an aristocrat from the antebellum South. Both are traditional and rather old-fashioned. Additionally, a rose is a traditional symbol of romance, and so it is relevant to the love story that Miss Emily was never really able to have. 

Reconstruction: A missed opportunity? A time of tragedy? A time of hope?

Reconstruction can be viewed from many different angles. Some people would say it was a missed opportunity. Others would say it was a tragedy. Finally, it could be viewed as a time of hope. I will explain each viewpoint so you can make an informed decision.

Reconstruction can be viewed as a missed opportunity. After the Civil War ended, the time was excellent to bring about permanent, positive changes in the South. While some long...

Reconstruction can be viewed from many different angles. Some people would say it was a missed opportunity. Others would say it was a tragedy. Finally, it could be viewed as a time of hope. I will explain each viewpoint so you can make an informed decision.

Reconstruction can be viewed as a missed opportunity. After the Civil War ended, the time was excellent to bring about permanent, positive changes in the South. While some long lasting changes were made such as the ending of slavery, some of the key ideas that could have brought about lasting change were only temporary. When the southern states passed the Jim Crow Laws after Reconstruction ended, and when voting restrictions were put into effect denying African-Americans the opportunity to vote, a chance to bring about real change was missed.

Some people feel Reconstruction was a time of tragedy. Part of the reason for this belief was that an opportunity was missed to bring about permanent changes that would have significantly improved conditions in the South. By passing Jim Crow Laws, African-Americans would be treated again like second-class citizens. African-Americans were be threatened and intimidated. They wouldn’t have equal rights for nearly 100 years. Other southerners viewed Reconstruction as a time of tragedy because Reconstruction forever altered the way of life in the South. Some southerners believed in white, racial superiority. With the ending of slavery and with some of the other temporary changes that were made, the idea of whites controlling the freedom of blacks was gone forever. Even with the restrictions that were put in place, the seeds of freedom and equality were planted, and for some southerners, this wasn’t viewed in a positive manner. Some people also longed for the days when the South was almost exclusively an agricultural region. With Reconstruction, more industries developed. The development of industries changed the southern way of life to some degree.

Reconstruction can also be viewed as a time of hope. The changes that were made during Reconstruction gave people hope that there could be equality in the South in the future. When African-Americans were allowed to vote, this was a huge step. African-American males also won elections for political offices. There also were more job opportunities available for the African-Americans. Reconstruction showed our people that it was a possible to have a society where all races were treated as equals. This gave people hope that one day in the future an equal society would exist in the South. If equality was achieved temporarily, there was no reason why it couldn’t be achieved permanently.

Now that you have all of the viewpoints regarding Reconstruction, how do you view Reconstruction?

How did Anita Desai portray the child's disappointment in the story?

I believe that the child you are referring to in your question is Ravi. He spends most of the story hiding in a shed from Raghu, because the kids are playing hide and seek. The entire time Ravi is hiding, he is envisioning what his victory will feel and look like. Ravi stays hidden for so long that all of the kids forget about him completely. By the time he runs to the den to...

I believe that the child you are referring to in your question is Ravi. He spends most of the story hiding in a shed from Raghu, because the kids are playing hide and seek. The entire time Ravi is hiding, he is envisioning what his victory will feel and look like. Ravi stays hidden for so long that all of the kids forget about him completely. By the time he runs to the den to claim victory, all of the other kids have moved on to many other games. The kids and the parents all tell Ravi to stop acting so foolish and join in the new game if he wants to play.

Of course Ravi is supremely disappointed that nobody is willing to recognize his victory. The description of his disappointment is contained within the last paragraph.  

But he had been forgotten, left out, and he would not join them now. The ignominy of being forgotten—how could he face it? He felt his heart go heavy and ache inside him unbearably. He lay down full length on the damp grass, crushing his face into it, no longer crying, silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance.

I get the feeling that Ravi is experiencing a mixture of anger and depression. The anger I get from the fact that he refuses to join in the new game. He's doing what my own kids do when they don't get their own way. He's pouting, which I feel is a more angry than sad response. As for the depression, I get that impression from the fact that Desai writes that Ravi is not crying, yet his heart feels "heavy." Add that to the "ache inside" of him, and I get the impression that Ravi is angry and depressed over the fact that the kids still think of him as completely insignificant. He is completely crushed by the events, because he believed that by beating Raghu, he would be cheered as a conquering hero of sorts.

Regardless of high petrol price, the demand for cars in Malaysia is still very high. Explain three factors that could cause this situation.

There are a number of factors that could contribute to high demand for cars in Malaysia. 

First, the most likely explanation is that there are no good substitutes for cars.  When there are no good substitutes for a thing, the demand for that thing is likely to be high, regardless of its price or the price of its complementary goods (petrol).  If, in Malaysia, public transportation is poor, or if people often have to travel...

There are a number of factors that could contribute to high demand for cars in Malaysia. 

First, the most likely explanation is that there are no good substitutes for cars.  When there are no good substitutes for a thing, the demand for that thing is likely to be high, regardless of its price or the price of its complementary goods (petrol).  If, in Malaysia, public transportation is poor, or if people often have to travel long distances, cars would be necessary and demand for them would be high.

Second, it is possible that the demand for cars is high because of consumer tastes.  People often want a particular good simply because that is what they like.  A great example of this is how there can be a high demand for a certain type of clothing just because it is in style.  It may be that Malaysian consumers really like cars.  They might think that owning a car gives them status.  They might think that it gives them greater freedom.  Whatever the reason, there may be high demand for cars in Malaysia because of consumer tastes.

The most likely other factor that would cause demand for cars to be higher is consumer incomes.  It could be that consumer incomes in Malaysia are high or that they have been growing in recent years.  If this is the case, cars might be becoming more affordable to consumers in Malaysia.  As cars become more affordable, more people buy them.

These are three potential reasons why demand for cars is high in Malaysia.

In what ways did the U.S. government restrict civil liberties during and immediately after World War I?

During and after World War I, the government restricted the civil liberties of the American people. During the war, two laws were passed that restricted civil liberties. The Sedition Act was passed. This law made it illegal to publicly criticize the President or the war activities. The Espionage Act was also passed. This law punished anti-war activities. During times of war, it is not uncommon for the government to restrict the freedoms of the people....

During and after World War I, the government restricted the civil liberties of the American people. During the war, two laws were passed that restricted civil liberties. The Sedition Act was passed. This law made it illegal to publicly criticize the President or the war activities. The Espionage Act was also passed. This law punished anti-war activities. During times of war, it is not uncommon for the government to restrict the freedoms of the people. The government doesn’t want our enemies to think the American people don’t support the war effort.

After World War I, civil liberties were also suppressed. There was a big fear of a communist takeover after World War I ended. The goal of the communists was to spread their system worldwide. People were convinced the communists were coming here because there were a lot of strikes after World War I. Many people viewed some of the striking workers as anarchists and as radicals tied to the communist ideology. During this time period, known as the Red Scare, the FBI began to investigate radical groups. A. Mitchell Palmer authorized raids of individuals and groups that were suspected of having connections to radicals. These Palmer raids, as they were called, often were done without a search warrant. In some cases, immigrants and foreigners were exiled from the country even though the raids were done without proper search warrants being issued.

During and after World War I, people’s rights were violated, and their civil liberties were curtailed.

How do Sammy's actions in "A & P" reveal his character? In what ways are his thoughts and actions at odds with each other?

At the end of the story, Sammy quits his job after his manager, Lengel, tells three girls, who have been shopping in their bathing suits, that they need to dress decently when they come into the A & P. Sammy says to Lengel, "You didn't have to embarrass them." It seems that Sammy is quitting out of chivalry, to stand up for the girls who Lengel has judged and disrespected. Sammy's action at the end...

At the end of the story, Sammy quits his job after his manager, Lengel, tells three girls, who have been shopping in their bathing suits, that they need to dress decently when they come into the A & P. Sammy says to Lengel, "You didn't have to embarrass them." It seems that Sammy is quitting out of chivalry, to stand up for the girls who Lengel has judged and disrespected. Sammy's action at the end of the story seems misguided, and his words to Lengel ring hollow, since the readers have seen the way Sammy has judged  other customers and since the reader has heard the objectifying thoughts Sammy has had about the girls.

From the beginning of the story, Sammy has thought of the customers in the store as "sheep," and he has humorously called one lady in his checkout line a witch.

...if she'd been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem.

Sammy has also been judging the girls and objectifying their bodies from the moment they enter the store. Furthermore, Sammy has little respect for the girls:

You never know for sure how girls' minds work (do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?)

After quitting, Sammy walks outside to see the girls, calling them "my girls." They are gone, and it seems Sammy thinks that his gesture would win the girls, but they don't seem to notice his "heroic" act. Calling them "my girls" further shows his objectification of the girls. It could be argued that Sammy has disrespected the girls far more than Lengel did.

What is the "tragic fact" to which Dr. King alludes?

The quote that you mention here comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  It comes very close to the beginning.  In King’s own words, the “tragic fact” is that African Americans are not really free even 100 years after the end of slavery.  As King says,

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.

King does not mean that blacks...

The quote that you mention here comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  It comes very close to the beginning.  In King’s own words, the “tragic fact” is that African Americans are not really free even 100 years after the end of slavery.  As King says,

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.

King does not mean that blacks are literally enslaved.  Instead, he means that they are figuratively enslaved by problems that face them.

Of course, King was well aware that slavery did not exist in the United States in 1963.  However, he said, the problems African Americans were so bad that they cumulatively made that race less than free.  King identifies three problems that still exist in the US.  First, he says, African Americans are harmed by racial injustice.  He says that they are

sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.

Second, he says that they are too poor when compared to other Americans.  He says that they live

on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.

Finally, King says that African Americans are not fully accepted as true Americans.  I believe that this is very similar to the first problem that he mentions and that he includes this problem more for rhetorical purposes.  I think that he felt that three problems would sound better than two.  To him, this third problem was that African Americans were “still languishing in the corners of American society” and that they were still “exiles” in their own country.

Together, these problems make up the “tragic fact” that King referred to in his speech.  The “tragic fact” is that African Americans were not free even after slavery had been dead for a century.

What was the reaction of Nazi Germany to the novel All Quiet on the Western Front?

All Quiet on the Western Frontby Erich Maria Remarque is a novel about the horrors of trench warfare during World War I and the demoralizing effects of war on its hero, Paul Baumer. Remarque, the author, had fought in World War I and had suffered injuries as a result. In 1929, he published the novel (which had earlier been published in installments), and the book went on to sell over one million copies in...

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is a novel about the horrors of trench warfare during World War I and the demoralizing effects of war on its hero, Paul Baumer. Remarque, the author, had fought in World War I and had suffered injuries as a result. In 1929, he published the novel (which had earlier been published in installments), and the book went on to sell over one million copies in Germany. 

However, as the Nazis came to power in the early 1930s, they hated the book for its portrayal of the futility and destructiveness of war. Its message clearly contradicted their nationalist call for a stronger, more militarized Germany that would again turn to war to regain glory for the fatherland. Nazis burned copies of the book and stormed the theater in which the movie was first shown in Berlin in 1930. The book was banned, as it was considered a betrayal of the soldiers who fought for Germany in World War I, and Remarque, stripped of his German citizenship, had to leave the country. Anti-war activists around the world, however, celebrated the book, and it was eventually translated into many languages.

Who was worse, Assef in The Kite Runner or Rasheed in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The answer to this question is a matter of opinion, although that is not to say there is much to recommend in either Rasheed or Assef. Both are misogynists and bullies.

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Rasheed ignores the pleadings of his wife, Mariam, when she begs him not to disgrace her by taking another wife. However, the lustful Rasheed proclaims that he should be given a medal for marrying the fourteen-year-old Laila; after all, Mariam would finally get some household help and they would be able to take pride in saving a defenseless teenager from the streets of Kabul and the brothels of Peshawar. With this sly rationale, Rasheed forces Mariam to acquiesce to his wishes.

As a character, Rasheed has no redeeming qualities; he is abusive to both his wives, he regards daughters contemptuously because they are not sons, and he regards lying about Tariq's death a beneficial maneuver because it secures him Laila's hand in marriage. After both Laila and Mariam's failed attempt to run away to Peshawar, Rasheed brutally beats Mariam and Laila; even Laila's baby, Aziza, is not spared her father's violent abuse. Rasheed locks Mariam in the toolshed and Laila in her room for days without benefit of food or water. This also means that the baby, Aziza, is deprived of nourishment during the forced incarceration. Rasheed is a character who is not above abusing babies and women in order to reinforce his position of authority in his household. In the end, Mariam has to kill Rasheed in self-defense in order to prevent him from killing Laila.

In The Kite Runner, Assef distinguishes himself as a real villain from the beginning of the novel. His rape of the innocent and defenseless Hassan is an atrocious act of violence; in the story, Assef's perverted tendencies follow him to adulthood. As a Taliban commander, he continues to rape young boys; his victims include Sohrab, Hassan's son. This execrable character is also proud of having played a part in decimating a large percentage of the population of Hazaras. In the novel, he boasts about his murderous exploits in the Hazara massacre at Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998, as Amir tries to bargain with him on Sohrab's behalf.

 "You don't know the meaning of the word  'liberating' until you've done that, stood in a  roomful of targets, let the bullets fly, free of  guilt and remorse, knowing you are virtuous,  good, and decent. Knowing you're doing God's  work. It's breathtaking."

Assef describes his participation in the pogroms in religious language; to him, it is a divine calling to assassinate those he considers inferior Muslims. He even relates gleefully that he enjoyed leaving the bodies of dead Hazaras to the dogs. Also, as a Taliban commander, Assef regularly participates in public stonings. When Amir bargains for Sohrab, Assef brutally attacks him with his stainless steel brass-knuckles. It is Sohrab's slingshot which eventually saves Amir from certain death at Assef's hands.

So, how do we decide which character is the greater villain? If you think that participating in massacres against a religious minority (plus exploiting and sexually abusing children) constitute the very height of evil, my best advice would be to pick Assef as the more villainous of the two. If, however, you think that physically abusing women and infants constitutes a greater crime, pick Rasheed. Either way, as long as you provide evidence for your assertions, you will be well on your way to answering this question adequately!

How many people have been added to the world's population between 1960 and 2007?

Between the years 1960 and 2007 there was an increase in world population from about 3 billion to about 6.6 billion people. The increase in 47 years was 3.6 billion; in other words the population more than doubled in that time. We are now at over 7.4 billion and continue to have an exponential growth rate.

From the beginnings of the human race, it took until 1804 to reach one billion people. The second billion...

Between the years 1960 and 2007 there was an increase in world population from about 3 billion to about 6.6 billion people. The increase in 47 years was 3.6 billion; in other words the population more than doubled in that time. We are now at over 7.4 billion and continue to have an exponential growth rate.

From the beginnings of the human race, it took until 1804 to reach one billion people. The second billion was added in approximately 123 years (1927), and reached 3 billion in 1959, only 32 years later. Since then we have been adding another billion every 15 years or so.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when these numbers were reached--we cannot count the number of living people exactly at any given moment. We rely on figures generated by census counts and knowledge of average birth and death rates. These give a net number of people added per second. The first link below gives a running total of the best estimate of the current population, as well as the number of additional members of the world's population from the second the link is first opened.

What is the most important scene in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee?

It is hard to pick the most important scene in the novel. Of course, there are significant moments between Atticus and Scout. The trial, interactions with Boo, and the themes of race and class are all very important. Scout's discussion with Miss Maudie at the beginning of Chapter 10 ties into some of these issues. Scout recalls her father once telling her that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. She asks Miss Maudie...

It is hard to pick the most important scene in the novel. Of course, there are significant moments between Atticus and Scout. The trial, interactions with Boo, and the themes of race and class are all very important. Scout's discussion with Miss Maudie at the beginning of Chapter 10 ties into some of these issues. Scout recalls her father once telling her that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. She asks Miss Maudie about this. Miss Maudie replies: 

Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

This is one of the more significant lessons in the book and is obviously where the title of the novel comes from. It is a sin to kill or harm anything or anyone who is innocent. The mockingbird does no harm and only provides music. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are mockingbirds. Boo does not harm anyone and he proves to be generous and helpful throughout the novel. He covers Scout with the blanket when Miss Maudie's house is on fire and he saves the children in the end. Tom harms no one. His only "sin" was that he tried to help Mayella and got falsely accused in the process. It was sin that he was charged, convicted and killed. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is to harm the innocent. 

Who and what does the free bird symbolize?

In Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” she provides a juxtaposition a free bird’s life with that of a caged bird. The free bird symbolizes people who live in this world unencumbered by prejudice of any type whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or psychological.

The free bird has the opportunity to move through life soaking in its abundance. The people who are afforded this freedom, forge through life making their own decisions and choices. “The sky...

In Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” she provides a juxtaposition a free bird’s life with that of a caged bird. The free bird symbolizes people who live in this world unencumbered by prejudice of any type whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or psychological.

The free bird has the opportunity to move through life soaking in its abundance. The people who are afforded this freedom, forge through life making their own decisions and choices. “The sky is the limit” for those who are free; those who do not face oppression. Without worrying about restrictions, the free bird is able to experience life as an enjoyable adventure. The people represented by the free bird are able to think of the mundane things in life, instead of battling for survival.

A piston-cylinder device contains 0.46 kg of steam at 300 degrees Celsius and 2.5 MPa. Steam is cooled at constant pressure until one-half of the...

We can use steam tables to solve this problem.

a) When half of the mass has condensed, the system contains saturated vapor-water mix. Thus, the final temperature is the same as the saturation pressure at the final pressure. This, we can find from the steam table A-5, for a pressure of 2.5 MPa (= 2500 kPa).

The temperature at this pressure = 223.95 degree Celsius.

b) Specific volume at the initial stage, T =...

We can use steam tables to solve this problem.

a) When half of the mass has condensed, the system contains saturated vapor-water mix. Thus, the final temperature is the same as the saturation pressure at the final pressure. This, we can find from the steam table A-5, for a pressure of 2.5 MPa (= 2500 kPa).

The temperature at this pressure = 223.95 degree Celsius.

b) Specific volume at the initial stage, T = 300 degree Celsius and P = 2.5 Mpa = 2500 kPa can be obtained from table A-6.

Sp vol. = 0.09894 m^3/kg

At the final stage, P = 2.5 MPa = 2500 kPa, x = 0.5

v2 = vf + x2 vg = 0.001197 + 0.5 (0.079952 - 0.001197)

= 0.0405745 m^3/kg

The change in volume = m (v2- v1) = 0.46 (0.0405745 - 0.09894)

= -0.02685 m^3.

Hope this helps. 

What is the difference between immigration law and immigration policy?

Most simply put, the difference between immigration law and immigration policy is that immigration law determines the legality of immigration and immigration policy is the attitude or attitudes expressed by political leaders. The interplay of the two can be quite interesting as policy may inform when and how the law is applied.

Immigration law is the body of law that pertains to the regulation of the admission, residency, and deportation of foreign nationals. In the...

Most simply put, the difference between immigration law and immigration policy is that immigration law determines the legality of immigration and immigration policy is the attitude or attitudes expressed by political leaders. The interplay of the two can be quite interesting as policy may inform when and how the law is applied.

Immigration law is the body of law that pertains to the regulation of the admission, residency, and deportation of foreign nationals. In the United States, federal immigration law preempts state law, which means that the individual states do not create their own immigration law. Thus, immigration law in the U.S. is derived from the U.S. Constitution, treaties, the federal code, and the federal common law. The actual application of federal immigration law is governed by the U.S. Federal Regulations (administrative law), and the enforcement of immigration law is within the scope of federal agencies. All of these, from the laws to the regulations to the enforcement thereof, are aspects of immigration law.

Immigration policy may refer to a variety things, from a nebulous societal construct to the specific policy of the current executive. In the context of the interplay between immigration law and immigration policy, it is probably best to focus on the policy of the executive branch of the government.

As noted above, immigration law is enforced by federal agencies. These agencies are part of the executive branch of the federal government. The immigration policy of the executive branch influences the interpretation and the enforcement of the law by such agencies. It may even affect the administrative law aspect of immigration law, as the agencies, not the legislative branch, are responsible for crafting and modifying the federal regulations that control how federal agencies apply the laws.

So while immigration law and immigration policy are two distinctive things, they work together to determine how the government actually handles immigration issues. The laws provide the legal structure whereas the policy provides the guidance to federal agencies on how they are to interpret and enforce the law.  

Who did Maniac Magee meet in the East End?

Maniac met many people in the East End. For a few months, Maniac lived in the East End with the Beale family. Maniac was white, and the residents of the East End were black. Even though Maniac was of a different race, almost everyone in the East End welcomed him.

Amanda Beale became Maniac's best friend in the East End. She was a girl who loved books and reading. Maniac also loved to read, and...

Maniac met many people in the East End. For a few months, Maniac lived in the East End with the Beale family. Maniac was white, and the residents of the East End were black. Even though Maniac was of a different race, almost everyone in the East End welcomed him.

Amanda Beale became Maniac's best friend in the East End. She was a girl who loved books and reading. Maniac also loved to read, and they often shared books.

Hester and Lester Beale were Amanda's younger sister and brother. They loved Maniac. They were usually messy children, but Maniac taught them to pick up after themselves. After he came, they stopped "crayoning everything in sight." Hester and Lester used to drive Amanda crazy, but she realized how much she loved them after Maniac Magee moved in.

Mr. and Mrs. Beale were Amanda's parents. Mr. Beale worked at the tire factory and Mrs. Beale was a homemaker. She was an excellent cook. They welcomed Maniac Magee as if he were their own son.

Mars Bar Thompson was a tough kid who lived in the East End. He liked to eat Mars Bar candy bars. He wore a pair of "beloved sneakers." He did not like Maniac Magee.

What is life like in the city Omelas?

At first glance Omelas is very much a utopian society—it is not a city with all our modern trappings, but the narrator stresses that this does not mean the people of Omelas are simple. They are happy, but this does not mean they are unintelligent. The inhabitants of the city are “not less complex than us”:

They were not naive and happy children—though their children were, in fact, happy. They were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched. O miracle! but I wish I could describe it better. I wish I could convince you.

In short, life was good in Omelas. And the narrator often makes him- or herself known in his or her attempts to describe, as accurately as possible, what this foreign city based on this foreign concept of happiness was truly like. Interjections and exclamations clarify to the reader that the narrator is uncertain how to supply us with a true representation of what Omelas really is—the details of such an interesting yet joyful existence. And the narrator decides that, really, it doesn’t matter—Omelas is what we would like to imagine it to be. Omelas, on a detailed level, is an amalgam of each reader’s subjective perspective on what would make up a utopian society. The narrator says ambivalently,

“they could perfectly well have central heating, subway trains, washing machines, and all kinds of marvelous devices not yet invented here, floating light-sources, fuelless power, a cure for the common cold. Or they could have none of that: it doesn't matter. As you like it.”

And then we see the narrator creating his or her own version of Omelas before our eyes, creating a balanced, egalitarian society of free love and free religion, with harmless, non-addictive drugs available to those who desire them and beer, of course, for those who do not. And what is being emphasized here is that it doesn’t matter—the details of life in Omelas aren’t important. How the people behave, their rituals and their edifices, their trade laws and their technology—none of it matters in the face of the pure, simple fact that they are happy. That they have managed to create a society that rests on that thinnest of ledges—nondestructive and sustaining. The narrator gives us one truth amid all this varied fantasy about Omelas, and speaks with conviction when he or she says, “One thing I know there is none of in Omelas is guilt.”

This one undeniable detail happens to be one of the most important things about Omelas, because we soon learn that the people of the city, if they had cause to feel any sentiment beyond happiness, it would indeed be guilt. The society is trading the life-long misery of a single child for the happiness of the entire city. And it is not a secret. Everyone in the society is aware, and goes to see the child every once in a while—goes to see what they are trading for their improbable perfection. And those who see the injustice for what it is—these few are “the ones who walk away from Omelas.”

How is the title of Finuala Dowling's poem "To the Doctor who Treated the Raped Baby and who Felt Such Despair" unusual?

Finuala Dowling's poem "To the Doctor Who Treated the Raped Baby and Who Felt Such Despair" is quite unusually titled! First of all, the title is long—especially for a piece which is so short by comparison. There are thirteen words in the title and it is physically longer on the page than any of the lines in the poem. For readers, this makes a visual impact about the importance of the title. Another reason the...

Finuala Dowling's poem "To the Doctor Who Treated the Raped Baby and Who Felt Such Despair" is quite unusually titled! First of all, the title is long—especially for a piece which is so short by comparison. There are thirteen words in the title and it is physically longer on the page than any of the lines in the poem. For readers, this makes a visual impact about the importance of the title. Another reason the title stands out is the graphic nature. Not only does the phrase "Raped Baby" produce an extremely negative reation, but the title also references despair. The title holds key phrases to immediately alert readers to the abhorrent subject matter referenced in the work. Another note of interest concerning the word choice it that the word "rape" never occurs in the body of the poem, only the title. This creates a relationship between the title and the poem wherein each is strengthened in meaning by the other. The poem begins: 

I just want to say on behalf of us all / that on the night in question / there was a light on in the hall / for a nervous little sleeper (lines 1-4)

Because the title made clear what the issue at hand was, readers already understand the reference before going any further into the work. In fact, without the title, the injuries and treatments described in the poem might be interpreted as a variety of events.

Dowling, Finuala. "To the Doctor who Treated the Raped Baby and Who Felt Such Despair." Poetry International, 2004.  

Is the location of Brussels, the capital of Belgium, relatively good or problematic?

The location of Brussels is good in most instances. Brussels is, for the most part, in the center of Belgium. This makes it easily accessible. It is fairly easy to get to Brussels. This is good for trade and for tourism. Several international groups, including NATO, have their headquarters in Brussels. Brussels isn’t very far from major cities in nearby countries. Being near water influences the climate of Brussels. The oceanic climate keeps Brussels from...

The location of Brussels is good in most instances. Brussels is, for the most part, in the center of Belgium. This makes it easily accessible. It is fairly easy to get to Brussels. This is good for trade and for tourism. Several international groups, including NATO, have their headquarters in Brussels. Brussels isn’t very far from major cities in nearby countries. Being near water influences the climate of Brussels. The oceanic climate keeps Brussels from getting too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter.

One disadvantage Brussels faces is that a good part of the country, including Brussels, is very flat. This was a disadvantage during World War I and during World War II. Germany found it much easier to move its army through the flat land of Belgium than to move it through the mountainous border between Germany and France. In both World War and in World War II, the location of Brussels proved to be a disadvantage because it was fairly easy to invade.

For the most part, Brussels is in a very good location.

Faust re-translates the Gospel verse “In the beginning was the Word” as “In the beginning was the Act.” What is the significance of this...

Striving and action drive the plot of Goethe's Faust, making the re-translation absolutely appropriate for the character and the story. These values lie at the heart of Faust's character from the beginning of the narrative, when Faust sits in his study, ruminating over the mysteries of the universe. Despite all his scholarly knowledge, he feels that the inner workings of nature will forever be beyond his reach and, after the Earth Spirit he summons mocks his ignorance, he prepares to kill himself. Though he fears he has done all he can to advance his knowledge and understanding of the world, he is quickly dissuaded by the Easter morning bells – a reminder that this character is not one to give up actions so easily.

One way in which this theme of striving and struggling plays out in the narrative is through the struggle between opposites. From the deal between God and Mephistopheles (literally, "without light" – so the polar opposite of a God who is synonymous with light) to the earthly struggles between man and woman, opposite forces are constantly striving against one another in Faust. What makes Faust the ideal man, for Goethe, is that he continues to strive, despite everything. As God says in the Prologue, "For while man strives he errs." Goethe, through the character of God, believes that it is not the constantly good and righteous man who should be held up as the ideal, but the one who is constantly working towards something greater, even though his striving will inevitably lead to mistakes. Addressing the "why" of your question, then, one could say these are central values for Faust because they are character traits that Goethe wishes to promote as central to the ideal man. 

At the end of the Prologue, we get more of an understanding of Faust's, and by extension, mankind's, need for action. God claims that "the Devil makes them do it"; literally, that is the Devil's purpose, according to God:

"I have never hated the likes of you. 
Of all the spirits of denial 
The joker is the last that I eschew.
Man finds relaxation too attractive—
Too fond too soon of unconditional rest;
Which is why I am pleased to give him a companion
Who lures and thrusts and must, as devil, be active."

The Devil is not an evil demon to be feared, but a necessary piece of the universe. Both opposites are needed: God to show the right path and the Devil to incite humanity to push boundaries. Again, the idea of activity for the sake of struggle is celebrated here. This God doesn't want blind obedience from humanity. He wants them to struggle and strive for something greater. 

In Part One of the narrative, Faust's striving has a particular aim: to seek fulfillment through his own personal gratifications. Here we see Faust's actions taking a decidedly unrighteous turn. Following the logic of God, however, Faust remains good at heart, knowing right from wrong even as he engages in terrible deeds that result in several deaths and plenty of torment. 

In Part Two of the narrative, Faust's actions have a different focus. Chastened (one would hope) by the consequences of his actions in Part One, he now strives to gain gratification through altruism towards humankind. Though his union with Helen of Troy ends in tragedy, he continues to strive for a moment of perfect satisfaction. Expanding his altruism to the poor, Faust plans a public housing project by reclaiming land from the sea. Faust declares his moment of perfection the one when he hears digging that he assumes is the beginning of his project.

The fact that his moment of perfection is one of perfect altruism, with no particular benefit to himself, shows he is fit for heaven. Thus, Faust's striving for knowledge and a moment of perfection is mirrored through the story with his own inner struggle between selfish evil and selfless good. Though both exist in humankind, it is the struggle that is critical. Any human striving for goodness is, inherently, good.

Based on Rudyard Kipling's poem "If," how does his view on manhood relate or differ to society's view.

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India to English parents and lived from 1865-1936. His views on the difference between right and wrong differ tremendously in a society that is plagued by greed and ambition. Yet he also knows that such things exist and that every man (and woman) must come across certain struggles and trials in life. Society says that the quality of a man is in his bank account or based on the number of houses, cars, or businesses he owns. Society also says that it's a "dog-eat-dog" world, so a person should do anything he needs to in order to be successful. In a society that often claims that happiness is found only in money and success, Kipling's "If" presents a different analysis.

According the first and second stanzas of the poem, a man is someone who can be "lied about" without dealing in lies; "dream--and not make dreams [his] master;" or "meet with Triumph and Disaster" and not be fooled by either of them. Society might say that if someone lies about you, then you have the right to lie about him; if you have a dream, sacrifice others to accomplish it; and if you aren't triumphant, do whatever you can to take back what you think is yours.

Other examples of manhood in the last couple of stanzas from the poem include being able to lose everything and not let that condemn you to a poor attitude for the rest of your life. Society, on the other hand, may tell you to simply give up. Also, if a person can associate with crowds and not lose his own virtue or integrity because he is swayed by the popular thought, then he will be an honorable man. And if someone can go the full distance of any task, even if it is unforgiving, and finish it without complaining, he will be successful in character. Society, though, would say that it is alright to cut corners and do the minimum that is required because no one will know, or it doesn't matter anyway. For Kipling, it seems that the qualities he mentions above would bring a more satisfying and fulfilling life rather than what society says is best.

How did the world in "The Pedestrian" come to be? What will happen to Leonard?

Bradbury does not give a specific reason or series of events that explains how and why the world came to be the way that it is in the story.  Bradbury simply created a world in which people are glued to their electronic devices inside their homes.  Because the people do that so much, there is no need for much of a police force.  Nobody goes outside anymore.  There is nothing to police.

 I don't feel that Bradbury's world is that strange of a prediction.  I teach a high school media studies course, and for ten years I have been tracking data on the growing rates of media consumption.  I've posted the link to an October 2015 study.  It divides media usage up by category and shows that Americans watch more than four hours of TV per day.  That's actually down from previous years, but computer and phone uses are up, and the total consumption is up.  In a typical day, an American uses and consumes twelve hours of media.  That's more time than people spend sleeping or at their normal eight hour per day job.  And usage keeps climbing for digital media every year.  It also has consistently declined for print media.  The world in "The Pedestrian" is a believable world, because current trends reflect the story's world.  

As for what happens to the main character, the police officer says that he will be taken to a psychiatric facility.  

The car hesitated, or rather gave a faint whirring click, as if information, somewhere, was dropping card by punch-slotted card under electric eyes. "To the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies."

Likely, Leonard will be asked a battery of questions about his "odd" habits.  The employees will probably think him crazy and admit him as a full time resident.  While there, Leonard will probably have nothing to do except watch whatever TV screen happens to be on in whatever room he is placed.  

If I were to pack stuff to go to Argentina in the December, what should I pack? I figure that I would pack shorts and short sleeve shirt due to...

Yes, you are absolutely right. Being in southern hemisphere, Argentina has different weather patterns than northern hemisphere. December is the summer month in that country. The average temperature may range from 68 degree Fahrenheit to 79 degree Fahrenheit (or 20 to 26 degrees Celsius). So packing shorts and short sleeves is a great idea. However, do not forget to pack at least one layer of winter clothes and umbrella. The summer months also receive an...

Yes, you are absolutely right. Being in southern hemisphere, Argentina has different weather patterns than northern hemisphere. December is the summer month in that country. The average temperature may range from 68 degree Fahrenheit to 79 degree Fahrenheit (or 20 to 26 degrees Celsius). So packing shorts and short sleeves is a great idea. However, do not forget to pack at least one layer of winter clothes and umbrella. The summer months also receive an appreciable amount of rainfall.

You will need to check the weather for the specific locations you are planning to visit. For example, coastal regions will have more moderate weather, while the mountaintops are going to be colder. So packing summer clothes for plains, a warm layer and umbrella will cover you for hopefully all types of weather. 

Hope this helps. 

Suppose your company sells ice cream, and your competitive strategy involves introducing innovative new flavors to market frequently. Would you...

Whether privately-owned or public storage spaces are used to store inventories of ice cream is a matter of economics, and, to some extent, security. Business decisions like this are predicated upon calculations of cost-effectiveness. If it is less expensive to invest in ownership of warehouses, including warehouses with large temperature-controlled storage freezers that would be necessary for protecting ice cream from spoilage, than that is the option one would presumably select. If, however, it is...

Whether privately-owned or public storage spaces are used to store inventories of ice cream is a matter of economics, and, to some extent, security. Business decisions like this are predicated upon calculations of cost-effectiveness. If it is less expensive to invest in ownership of warehouses, including warehouses with large temperature-controlled storage freezers that would be necessary for protecting ice cream from spoilage, than that is the option one would presumably select. If, however, it is less expensive to rent or lease space in another, publicly-owned storage facility, than that is the option that should be selected. One factor, of course, is the proximity of the warehouses to the destinations for the product. Transportation costs associated with trucking ice cream to market have to be considered, and if one or the other of the storage options is too geographically remote, then it won't be considered, as to choose such a site would increase the cost of the product to the consumer, thereby potentially undercutting this particular company's competitiveness. 

There is, however, an intervening variable in calculations of which type of storage option to pursue. That variable is the company's emphasis on "innovative new flavors" that must be gotten to market. That factor requires consideration of risks of what is called economic espionage--the threat that competing ice cream manufacturers would attempt to gain proprietary, or business-sensitive, information regarding the first company's research into "innovative new flavors." If economic espionage is determined to be a problem, then the privately-owned warehouse may be the better choice, as the company in question would maintain total control of its inventory and all documentation associated with it. By using storage space it itself owns and controls, the ice cream manufacturer can better protect its investment from prying eyes. Publicly-owned facilities can be secured, but the level of confidence in these latter facilities' security against spying and tampering will be lower than with one's own warehouse.

Specifics of the candidate warehouses would also need to be considered. For example, whether the publicly-owned warehouse is physically structured in such a way as to allow for the most efficient distribution of product from freezer to customer. If security is not a concern, and if the publicly-owned facility meets the company's requirements, and leasing or rental costs are not prohibitively high, then the publicly-owned warehouse may be the better option. A privately-owned facility, however, allows for better control of all aspects of the warehouse's operations, and can be better constructed to meet the unique demands of this company.

How does John Steinbeck use the character of Lennie to highlight some aspects of American society in the 1930's in Of Mice and Men?

John Steinbeck himself remarked that Lennie was not meant to represent "insanity at all but the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men." This character, then, highlights the loneliness and frustration of the disenfranchised men during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

That he represents a powerful yearning is certainly exemplified in Lennie who constantly wants things whether they be ketchup, a puppy, or a farm with rabbits. He is unhappy with the new location...

John Steinbeck himself remarked that Lennie was not meant to represent "insanity at all but the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men." This character, then, highlights the loneliness and frustration of the disenfranchised men during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

That he represents a powerful yearning is certainly exemplified in Lennie who constantly wants things whether they be ketchup, a puppy, or a farm with rabbits. He is unhappy with the new location of their job on a ranch after Curley's wife comes into the bunkhouse, especially when George scolds him for looking at her legs. 

It seems that Lennie is very vulnerable and must be always on his guard and is worried about George getting angry with him. He feels insecure often, saying things such as "If you don't want me, you only jus' got to say so, and I'll go off in those hills...." Lennie longs for comforting words, and he just wants something to love. But, most of all he relishes hearing George recite their dream because it is hope for something permanent, a real home.

Thus the character of Lennie highlights the longing of the many men of the 1930's who were dispossessed and vulnerable and had to travel throughout the country in search of work, migrating from one job to another, without friends or loved-ones. He has only a dream, just as many in the Great Depression had but a vague hope of a better life; yet, they had to cling to it to keep themselves going.  

In Orwell's Animal Farm, propaganda is used often to keep the animals (the non-pigs) in check. What are a few examples that illustrate this through...

Old Major's last words are as follows: "And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind....No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal" (21-22). After the pigs gain control of Animal Farm, these basic principles of Animalism are out the window, especially the idea of equality.

In order to keep the peace and remain in control of the other animals, without raising any red flags about the changes they continued to institute, the pigs offered up many different explanations for why things were the way they were. However, these "explanations" were more correctly propaganda, with Squealer as the mouthpiece for Napoleon.

Once Snowball was run off the farm by Napoleon's trained assassins (the dogs), the animals' society became more of a dictatorship ruled by Napoleon than an experiment in Socialism. Napoleon first appointed "a special committee of pigs, presided over by himself," (58). His first order of business was to cancel the Sunday-morning debates.

This change upset the animals, but they didn't possess the skills necessary to protest, and the few (young porkers) who uttered disapproval were immediately silenced by the dogs: "Suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again," (59). Following this early change, Squealer was dispatched to keep the peace.

His feigned clarification included details about the extra hours Napoleon was putting in and the enormous amount of responsibility he had taken on as leader. He assured the animals that Napoleon still believed all animals were equal before laying down the guilt (propaganda) and scaring the animals into submission. "But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?" he asks (59).

Other examples of the propaganda (lies) spread by Squealer include the declaration that Snowball was a traitor, and that the windmill had been Napoleon's own idea, even though he had seemed opposed to it when Snowball presented it. "Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions" (62).

As the commandments gradually changed on the wall of the big barn to allow the pigs to behave in ways that had been prohibited under the original list, some animals took notice. "And Squealer, who happened to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs, was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective" (69-70).

His simplification of the changes advanced the ideas that the pigs needed their rest, required brain food, were the only ones capable of doing academic things, and held the cohesion of the farm sacred above all other things. None of these things were actually true. Instead, the pigs were merely making themselves more comfortable, staying better fed, pretending to make important decisions, and destroying the unity that once held them all together. And no matter what went wrong on the farm, Snowball was always to blame.

Squealer's persuasive approach was effective because of the way he delivered any news, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail as he did so. His movements held the animals' attention, while his entourage threatened them into believing him, and his perfectly-timed question, "Surely, you don't want Jones to come back?" scared them into fearing that if they didn't take him at his word, they'd be doomed.

Of course, in the end, they are doomed. The final scene illustrates the fact that despite the promises and propaganda spouted by Squealer, power has gone to the pigs' heads. They are indistinguishable from the humans, and ultimately the animals' fate is worse under their leadership than it had ever been under Jones's.

Who is the main character of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?"

The main character of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster.Ichabod comes to Sleepy Hollow "for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity." Although Ichabod is not a particularly likable character, the action revolves around him. He has a goal, namely, to secure the affections of Katrina van Tassel, a coquette and the only daughter of the richest farmer in the area. Ichabod knows that making a match...

The main character of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster. Ichabod comes to Sleepy Hollow "for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity." Although Ichabod is not a particularly likable character, the action revolves around him. He has a goal, namely, to secure the affections of Katrina van Tassel, a coquette and the only daughter of the richest farmer in the area. Ichabod knows that making a match with Katrina would set him up for a comfortable lifestyle, especially upon the death of Katrina's father. However, an antagonist stands in Ichabod's way, another suitor of Katrina's named Brom Bones. The rivalry drives the narrative, with Brom taking advantage of Ichabod's fears and superstitions to literally scare him away from Katrina and Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod doesn't reach his goal in Sleepy Hollow, but the penultimate paragraph of the story relates the gossip of how he succeeded admirably in another venue. Because the story is told primarily from Ichabod's perspective and because he drives the action, Ichabod is the main character of the tale.

What is the blending of fantasy and reality in "Eveline" by James Joyce?

The fusion of reality and fantasy in "Eveline" reflects the protagonist's inner dilemma -- should she succumb to her oppressive daily routine or should she summon her courage, embrace a sense of adventure and leave Ireland?

Eveline is torn between two options -- staying as a dutiful daughter at her home where she has to take care of her overwhelming obligations and household tasks daily or trusting her lover, Frank, who promises to take her...

The fusion of reality and fantasy in "Eveline" reflects the protagonist's inner dilemma -- should she succumb to her oppressive daily routine or should she summon her courage, embrace a sense of adventure and leave Ireland?

Eveline is torn between two options -- staying as a dutiful daughter at her home where she has to take care of her overwhelming obligations and household tasks daily or trusting her lover, Frank, who promises to take her to Argentina for a better life. The new world, that is, the fantasy world, is embodied by Eveline's lover, Frank, who presents her with an opportunity to escape from her stifling everyday life to Argentina, where she can start over and find the security and love she needs. The real world is the world mainly represented through Eveline's relationship with her father, her present duties, and her memories of the past. The past memories, such as when she recalls that she promised her mother that she would keep the family together, remind Eveline of her responsibilities, and this seems to deter her from summoning enough courage to escape from Ireland.

Eveline's responsibilities prove to be too much to handle, and she eventually stays in Ireland, unable to break away from the duties imposed upon her.

Why was Farquhar hanged?

In Part II of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" the Union scout posing as a Confederate soldier tells Peyton Farquhar:

The commandant has issued an order, which is posted everywhere, declaring that any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels, or trains will be summarily hanged.

"Summarily" means without delay, without the customary formalities such as a trial. Peyton is caught red-handed trying to set fire to the Owl Creek Bridge. His capture is not described in the text, but the reader can imagine the scene. One of the reasons the reader can imagine the capture scene so vividly is that Ambrose Bierce has already described it in considerable detail in Part I.

When Farquhar is talking to the Union scout he asks him:

"Suppose a man--a civilian and student of hanging--should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel," said Farquhar, smiling, "what could he accomplish?" 

This shows that he has a strong intention to set fire to the accumulated dry driftwood under the bridge. He might even be thinking about killing the sentinel. Then at the very end of Part II, the reader comes to the ominous lines:

The lady had now brought the water, which the soldier drank. He thanked her ceremoniously, bowed to her husband and rode away. An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal scout.

The reader can visualize Farquhar leaving his horse hitched to a tree and sneaking up to the bridge with a big can of kerosene and some kitchen matches. There are soldiers waiting for him in the dark because their officers have been warned to expect him. Suddenly the scene lights up as the soldiers uncover their dark lanterns. Peyton Farquhar is carrying all the evidence his captors need to convict him of arson. He will be "summarily hanged" the next morning. This is how Part I of the story opens.

A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck. 

When Farquhar walks into the trap, the reader can not only imagine the silent scene with the Union soldiers waiting in the dark and posted in various places near the bridge to forestall any escape, but the reader can even imagine Farquhar's feelings when he realizes he has lost his life, his family, his home, his plantation--everything.

Then Ambrose Bierce, the notorious cynic, plays a sadistic trick on the reader. For a long while it looks as if Farquhar is going to make a miraculous escape. The contrast between most of Part III and the hanging scene in Part I is exhilarating. The reader has been standing in Farquhar's boots waiting to fall to his death, and suddenly it seems as if this is not a story about a man being hanged but about a man escaping that terrible fate. But there is no escape after all. This is realism, not romanticism.

Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.

On what page of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby does Tom tell Wilson that Gatsby was the one who killed Myrtle?

Tom Buchanan never tells George Wilson outright that it was Gatsby who was responsible for Myrtle's death.  However, Tom does tell the police, in front of Wilson, that "[Wilson] says he knows the car that did it.... It was a yellow car," and Tom reassures Wilson that the yellow car is not his and that he hasn't seen it all afternoon (one truth and one lie).  This conversation takes place on page 140 of the...

Tom Buchanan never tells George Wilson outright that it was Gatsby who was responsible for Myrtle's death.  However, Tom does tell the police, in front of Wilson, that "[Wilson] says he knows the car that did it.... It was a yellow car," and Tom reassures Wilson that the yellow car is not his and that he hasn't seen it all afternoon (one truth and one lie).  This conversation takes place on page 140 of the Scribner edition.  

Further, we know that Tom believes that Gatsby was responsible for Myrtle's death because, on page 141, he says to Nick, "The God damned coward! [...] He didn't even stop his car."  Nick also tells us later, on page 156, that at "about three o'clock the quality of Wilson's incoherent muttering changed—he grew quieter and began to talk about the yellow car.  He announced that he had a way of finding out whom the yellow car belonged to." Wilson seems to jump to the conclusion that the person who hit Myrtle with their car was the same person who sent her home "with her face bruised and her nose swollen" a few months back (156, 157).  Moreover, when Wilson talks about the dog leash with Michaelis, he says, referring to Myrtle's lover (the lover who is still, at this point, known only to Wilson as the man who owns the yellow car), "Then he killed her....  He murdered her." (158)  

In the end, Tom never tells Wilson that Gatsby killed Myrtle, but he initiates the line of thought that ends with this conclusion because it is the conclusion that Tom himself has drawn.

How does Macbeth's horror at his own thoughts reveal itself in a physical way?

Macbeth's horror at his own thoughts reveals itself physically when he hallucinates at the end of Act 2, Scene 1, just prior to killing Duncan.  Left alone, he gives a lengthy soliloquy (the purpose of which is to help the audience know his true thoughts and feelings).  He asks,

Is this a dagger which I see before me,The handle toward my hand?  Come, let me clutch     thee.I have not, and yet I...

Macbeth's horror at his own thoughts reveals itself physically when he hallucinates at the end of Act 2, Scene 1, just prior to killing Duncan.  Left alone, he gives a lengthy soliloquy (the purpose of which is to help the audience know his true thoughts and feelings).  He asks,

Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?  Come, let me clutch
     thee.
I have not, and yet I see thee still.  (2.1.44-47)

He feels that he sees a dagger, hovering in the air just in front of him, and yet when he tries to reach for it, he cannot grasp it.  This is one way that we know that this is, indeed, a hallucination.  Further, Macbeth, himself, then realizes that it is 

A dagger of the mind, a false creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain [...].  (2.1.50-51)

He knows that he is hallucinating, and he attributes it to the combination of his feverish excitement and anticipation and dread of what he's about to do.  He looks, momentarily, down at his own, real dagger, and when he looks back at the fantastic one, it is covered now in "gouts of blood," and so he understands that "It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes" (2.1.60-61).  In other words, it is his own horror at the terrible act he's to perform tonight that makes him see this phantom dagger.

Describe figurative speech in "The Workbox" by Thomas Hardy.

In this seemingly simple poem about village life, a woodworker or "joiner" gives his wife a wooden sewing box he has made for her. At first, this appears a touching gesture, and the wife approaches the husband with "a smile" and tells him it "Twill last all my sewing years!" The language his conveys happiness.

But then the sweet poem turns dark as the wife learns the box was made of a leftover piece of the coffin of a man, John Wayward, from the wife's village. The husband wonders if she is concerned about having a box made from a coffin, and mentions the idea that the wood stands for the proximity of life and death:

One inch where people eat and drink/the next inch in a tomb.

The wife said that doesn't bother her but she is clearly upset by the gift, leading the reader to suspect that she once was Wayward's lover.

Here are some ways the poem uses figurative language:

First, the word "joiner" is a double entendre. A joiner is a carpenter, but here the "joiner" joins things in other ways. He joins life and death figuratively by literally making the sewing box out of the same wood as a coffin. The wood of the coffin stands for death: the carpenter joins death to the wife's everyday life. He also, through his gift, "joins" his wife to the dead Wayward. 

The poem uses irony. We find out, along with the wife, that what seems like a kind-hearted gift actually carries a zinger: it turns out to be a cruel gift that hurts the wife. We know this because she goes from smiling to "her lips ... limp and wan." There is figurative speech in these words, for we sometimes describe newly dead bodies as "limp and wan" (pale). Rather than giving her life through the gift, the husband has given his wife a taste of death--or at least of illness.

We don't know if John Wayward was the wife's lover or if the husband knows this, but the fact that he wants to inform her of all the morbid details about the box would indicate he does.  

The sewing box becomes a metaphor for death: it is no longer simply a wooden box that holds sewing supplies but the symbol of a dead man.

Explain these lines of the poem "I Stood tip-toe upon a little hill": I stood tip-toe upon a little hill The air was cooling, and so very still,...

Keats often looked to nature for poetic inspiration. These first lines of this poem illustrate his fascination with natural imagery and how it inspires and energizes his poetic mind. In the first line, he is standing on a hill on his toes so that he can look at the landscape from the highest point possible. Nature was a calming, meditative, and transcendent place for Keats. In the second line, the still air suggests a calm...

Keats often looked to nature for poetic inspiration. These first lines of this poem illustrate his fascination with natural imagery and how it inspires and energizes his poetic mind. In the first line, he is standing on a hill on his toes so that he can look at the landscape from the highest point possible. Nature was a calming, meditative, and transcendent place for Keats. In the second line, the still air suggests a calm atmosphere. The buds are "modest" because they almost appear shy, still in the process of opening. They droop away from the plant and since they are still opening, they have the crown (diadem) shape. They still have dew on them ("sobbing of the morn") and therefore, it must be close to morning. This image of buds opening, still with dew, early in the morning, creates images of freshness, newness, and purity. 

The clouds are as white as freshly shorn sheep. They "sleep" and/or drift gracefully in the sky ("blue fields of heaven"). The "noiseless noise" is the wind drifting through the leaves. The wind is noiseless on its own; it needs the leaves to rustle in order to make noise. The wind is born of (comes from) the sky (heaven). These associations with heaven give a spiritual notion to these movements, sights, and sounds in nature. Later in the poem, Keats will invoke mythological characters, continuing with this conflation of the natural with the spiritual. Although he hears the wind through the trees, the leaves move imperceptibly. He hears the "noiseless noise" but can not see the "faintest motion" that causes the sound. 

How does Schama structure the Death of a Harvard Man (Parkman) novella in his book Dead Certainties, and how does his in-depth character...

In writing Dead Certainties, Schama argues that nothing can be entirely certain in world history. Embedded within the book is a historical fiction murder mystery novella that serves to support Schama’s argument.

Schama deliberately structures his novella with a fractured timeline, jumping forwards and backwards in time as he explores each individual character’s role in determining the ultimate outcome of a historically accurate murder trial. Schama begins the story with the end of the...

In writing Dead Certainties, Schama argues that nothing can be entirely certain in world history. Embedded within the book is a historical fiction murder mystery novella that serves to support Schama’s argument.

Schama deliberately structures his novella with a fractured timeline, jumping forwards and backwards in time as he explores each individual character’s role in determining the ultimate outcome of a historically accurate murder trial. Schama begins the story with the end of the trial, laying out historical facts that led to its conclusion. He then flashes back in time in order to explore the three men who shaped the trial, utilizing unique points of view for each individual. Schama stays true to known events, but allows the reader a fictional glimpse into the minds of the main suspect as well as the janitor who discovers the victim’s body. Schama is not changing history, but merely offering interpretations about how characters could have inwardly processed these events. In order to honor historical consistencies, Schama employs a distant third-person point of view as he describes the murder victim’s known whereabouts and actions leading up to his demise. This narrative choice highlights Schama’s understanding that he cannot assume the thoughts of a man who did not live long enough to tell his side of the story. This allows the reader to understand the power of silence the dead leave behind as we explore their history. Perhaps the most stunning result of Schama’s unorthodox structure is that when the reader is finally brought back to the conclusion of the trial, the factual truths presented at the start of the story begin to spring leaks and plant seeds of uncertainty and doubt in the reader’s mind. By scrambling the historical timeline, Schama somehow clarifies events to such an extent that cracks in the presumed facts begin to show.

Schama’s ability to highlight the inherent uncertainty in facts once believed to be set in historical stone helps justify his claim that all history is uncertain after it undergoes deeper analysis and investigation.