Notes: January 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Discuss the relevance of macroeconomic principles in economic decision making.

Macroeconomics isn't simply relevant to economic policy decisions; it's essential. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that if you're not using macroeconomics to decide your economic policy, you're doing it wrong.This is particularly true if we're talking about large-scale government policies, like the fiscal and monetary policy of an entire country. There, macroeconomics should always be at the fore; every new proposed change in spending, taxation, money supply, or interest rates should...

This is particularly true if we're talking about large-scale government policies, like the fiscal and monetary policy of an entire country. There, macroeconomics should always be at the fore; every new proposed change in spending, taxation, money supply, or interest rates should always be assessed in terms of its macroeconomic impact on variables such as GDP, inflation, and unemployment. Failure to do so is irresponsible and dangerous---and a lot of really big policy failures can be traced to that. The huge surge in unemployment in the Great Recession could probably have been prevented if policymakers around the world had been more careful to make their decisions based upon macroeconomics.

For smaller-scale decisions it's less obvious what macroeconomics has to tell us; even a very large business like Walmart has a fairly small impact on the economy as a whole. (Walmart annual revenue is about $500 billion, while the GDP of the US is $18.7 trillion. This makes even a behemoth like Walmart less than 3% of US GDP.) And of course, most businesses are far smaller than that.

But even if you can't control macroeconomics, you will be affected by it. It is helpful for business administrators and even private individuals to understand what's going on in the larger economy, so that they can plan their own decisions better. If you expect inflation to go up soon, maybe you should stock up on things now before they rise in price. If you expect a lot of unemployment in a few years, you might want to find another job before it's too late.

Of course, what will really bake your noodle is that the aggregation of millions of people thinking that same way can make macroeconomics self-fulfilling; all those people stocking up on toilet paper because they expect higher prices and shortages can cause the very shortage they fear, and all the people quitting jobs to find new ones can depress spending enough to stop new jobs from being created. This is something that policymakers have to be very careful to take into account.

In "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", what aspect of human biology does the speaker compare to rivers?

Langston Hughes’ beautiful poem about the journeys that African-Americans have taken uses a metaphor to describe how the river, as a source of travel, is like “the flow of human blood in human veins.” Using rivers as a metaphor for the journey of life in Africa as well as the United States is a theme that runs throughout many writings by African Americans. Because slave trade often involved the shipping of slaves up and down rivers like the Mississippi, it becomes a poignant historical symbol for the many journeys Africans have taken. Hughes mentions the rivers in Africa like the Euphrates, the Congo, and the Nile when life and survival revolved around the river environment.

Being enslaved and transported across the Atlantic Ocean during the time of the Middle Passage also symbolizes the journey or Diaspora of the African. Their many journeys continued with the selling of slaves. The saying, “being sold down the river” has particular meaning as well. For a slave, the further south the slave was sold, the harder the environment and the further they were from family. It was catastrophic for the slave, and the transport on rivers shows this.

The importance the river has had in African American history and as a symbol in literature, allows Hughes to compare it to blood flowing through his veins. The river is so much a part of the African American experience that even the souls of slaves have “grown deep like the rivers.”

How has Danforth become a victim of his own logic?

Danforth has become a victim of his own logic, so to speak, when (in Act Four) it is now too late for him to do the right thing without losing his authority and calling into question the guilty verdicts of all those people who have already been hanged for witchcraft. When he learns that two of the girls have stolen Parris's life savings and run away and that people in the town are close to...

Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. If retaliation is your fear, know this -- I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes.

He says that he cannot pardon or delay this day's hangings because it would not be just. However, hanging any innocent person is not just! But it is too late for him to even accept this as a possibility -- that they have condemned and executed innocents -- because there is nothing he can do about it now without undermining the court and himself. He is trapped and can do nothing but move forward, even if that means he is hanging the innocent.

In Chapter 7 of the novel The Outsiders, what does Ponyboy mean when he says that Randy looks old?

In Chapter 7, Ponyboy and Two-Bit go to the Tasty Freeze to buy some Cokes. Randy Adderson pulls up in a blue Mustang and asks to speak with Ponyboy. Randy tells Ponyboy that he won't be attending the rumble, and then proceeds to describe how Bob's home life lead to Bob's reckless behavior. Randy says that the reason he is choosing not to fight is because he doesn't think it will it make any difference to change the current situation between the Greasers and Socs. Randy tells Ponyboy that he is contemplating running away. Ponyboy remembers what Cherry said about things being rough all over, and tells Randy that he would help him if he could. Randy says, "No, you wouldn't. I'm a Soc. You get a little money and the whole world hates you" (Hinton 117). Ponyboy says, "No...you hate the whole world" (Hinton 117). Ponyboy mentions that Randy stares at him, and Pony says that Randy looked like he could have been ten years older than he was.

Ponyboy says that Randy looks older because he realizes that Randy is under a lot of stress and is going through a difficult time. Typically, adults deal with serious situations and suffer from stress. Although Randy is still a young man, he is dealing with adult hardships, which is why Ponyboy says he looks much older than he really is.

In Romeo and Juliet, what are Paris's character traits?

Count Paris is the man whom Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry. In the social consideration of the time, Paris is a good match: honest, wealthy, and of a high rank. He is related to Prince Escalus, and as such is not involved in the Montague-Capulet feud.

As far as personality, Paris may not have Romeo’s extreme romanticism, but he is truthful, loving, devout, and caring. He is also somewhat vain.

When he meets Juliet...

As far as personality, Paris may not have Romeo’s extreme romanticism, but he is truthful, loving, devout, and caring. He is also somewhat vain.

When he meets Juliet in Friar Lawrence’s cell, he is polite and respectful of both Juliet and the Friar: “God shield I should disturb devotion!” It never occurs to him that Juliet might not want to marry him. He suggests she not deny to Friar Lawrence that she is in love with him (Paris). Despite his over-confidence, he is also concerned about Juliet: “Poor soul, thy face is much abused by tears.”

When he believes Juliet is dead, his grief is deep and genuine: he truly did love her. He goes to her tomb to grieve in private, sending his servant away and vowing to visit Juliet’s grave every night:

"Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew, --

O woe! thy canopy is dust and stones; --

Which with sweet water nightly I will dew,

Or, wanting that, with tears distill’d by moans:

The obsequies that I for thee will keep

Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep."

When Romeo arrives in the churchyard, Paris shows both courage and valor. He believes Romeo has come to desecrate Juliet’s grave, and so he fights to the death to protect her tomb.

Although he is a minor character in the play, Count Paris nevertheless displays a number of admirable personality traits.

I wrote an essay about hope, envy, and greed in The Great Gatsby and I don't know how to conclude it. Here is my introduction: "The Great Gatsby is...

The conclusion should be similar to the introduction but it should include some information that is included in the middle portion of your essay. Given the themes of hope, envy, and greed, your conclusion should note how one or more of the characters exhibited these traits. And since you note the symbolism of the color green, you these were applied to Gatsby's life.

Greed seems too strong a word for the idealist Gatsby. It is...

Greed seems too strong a word for the idealist Gatsby. It is easy to associate greed with Tom and someone like Wolfshiem. But Gatsby's attempts to attain money were made in order to get closer to Daisy. So, he is driven more by hope, love, and envy than greed. The green light at the end of Daisy's dock represents hope to him. It symbolizes her and their potential reunion. It is an idealistic and pure symbol. But as much as he idealizes her in this romantically pure way, he does associate her with money. In Chapter 7, he says "Her voice is full of money" and Nick adds:

That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money — that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. . . . high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl. . . .

Of course, Gatsby is "green with envy" in that he is jealous that Tom is with Daisy. And the green light symbolizes hope. This notion of green as pure romance and hope might also be associate with plants, foliage, and the vibrancy of life. But green also symbolizes money and greed. Gatsby idealizes Daisy but he also thinks of her association with money. And this suggests that his dream, and the American Dream in general, is corrupted by a system based upon money and greed. So, maybe your conclusion should summarize how Fitzgerald weaves these different symbols of "green" together in this take on the corrupted or conflicted American Dream.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Why were individuals/immigrants attracted to cities?

There were several reasons why immigrants and individuals were attracted to the cities. One of those reasons was the availability of jobs. With the start of the industrial revolution, there were many jobs available in the cities. Immigrants, who were struggling economically in Europe and in Asia, came to the United States in search of a better life. This included finding jobs that they thought would pay them better than those jobs in their homeland. Immigrants had heard that a person could get very wealthy in the United States. Thus, one reason why they came to the United States was to find jobs. Unfortunately, most immigrants didn’t find the wealth they had hoped to find.

Some people came to the cities to escape the isolation of rural life. Many of these people were farmers. Farming was a very difficult job. The hours were long, and the work was very difficult. Plus, life was isolated in the countryside. Some of these people came to find jobs. Others came because there were more things to do in the city. Life wasn’t very isolated in the cities, unlike in the rural areas.

Cities offered immigrants a place where they could be with other people from their homeland. Moving to the United States was very difficult. The immigrants had to learn a new language, a new culture, and new ways of living. By living in ethnic neighborhoods in the cities, immigrants found it a little easier to adjust to living in the United States because they lived with people from their homeland who shared a common language and a common culture. Those immigrants who came here and settled here earlier could help the new immigrants adjust to life in the United States.

There were several reasons why immigrants came to this country and settled in the cities. There also were reasons why people moved from the countryside to the cities.

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, why does the creature kill Henry Clerval?

Interesting question! In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein’s creature kills Clerval. Although Clerval never personally hurts or injures the creature before this incident (even though he does call the creature a “Hideous monster”), the creature believes that he must seek revenge against Victor’s for his wrongdoings. As a result, Clerval experiences the creature’s wrath.

In the story, Clerval is an innocent young man who is a close friend of Victor's. As a...

In the story, Clerval is an innocent young man who is a close friend of Victor's. As a result, the creature murders Clerval to seek revenge for the pain that Victor causes the creature (such as the pain from being created and rejected by Victor). As the creature states:

“Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy—to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.”

Thus, once the creature discovers that young Clerval is related to his creator (they're friends), the creature murders Clerval. Although the creature does not initially plan on committing this murder, his desire for revenge incites this crime.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Where did Miyax's father live at the end of the book Julie of the Wolves?

The simple answer to your question is that Miyax's father, Kapugen, lives in the town of Kangik at the end of the novel. The longer answer to your question involves Kapugen's history with his daugher, Miyax.

During her early life, after Miyax lost her mother at age four, Kapugen took Miyax to live in a seal camp near the Alaskan village of Mekoryuk. It is here that Miyax learned all of the "old ways." It is only when Aunt Martha arrives and yells at Kapugen for not sending Miyax to school that he sends her away. Eventually, at age thirteen, Miyax escapes from her Aunt Martha by agreeing to an arranged marriage. Miyax escapes from the arranged marriage by fleeing onto the Alaskan tundra and becoming a member of the wolf pack.

At the end of the story, a citizen of Kangik comes by Miyax's dwelling and lets Miyax know that "the greatest of all living Eskimo hunters" lives in his village. Miyax knows this is her father, Kapugen. Unfortunately, Miyax discovers that Kapugen has abandoned many of the old ways. He has married a white woman and is living with many modern conveniences. Worst of all, his job is to fly hunters over their targets by plane. This is how Amaroq was killed. This realization makes her father, Kapugen, become "dead to her" and forces Miyax to admit that the "the hour of the wolf and the Eskimo is over."

What are centripetal forces and centrifugal forces present in South Africa?

Centripetal forces are those that, within this limited context, unite a nation that might otherwise fragment from the many fissures that exist within it, such as ethnic and religious differences. Centrifugal forces, in contrast, are those that threaten to tear a nation or other polity apart. The Republic of South Africa, as is the case with most nations, has both types of pressures or forces.

The centripetal forces that keep South Africa a cohesive, united country include a shared sense of identity among its population of 53 million people, 80 percent of whom are black, with another eight percent identified as white and the rest of mixed-race and South Asian heritage. South Africa's history has been somewhat unique for the fact that it survived the transition from a minority, white-ruled system to a majority, black-ruled one at a time when many observers believed the country would disintegrate into civil war.

While racial tensions continue to fester between the Afrikaner community of primarily Dutch descent, which had imposed the system of racial separation known as apartheid, and the black-dominated African National Congress political movement, which had violently opposed apartheid before emerging triumphant in democratic elections, the dual-sense of nationalism among both is key to holding this otherwise fractious nation together. Afrikaner bitterness about having to give up power and to subsequently be forced to endure the corruption and frequent incompetence of the ANC while being targeted for retribution by poor blacks, vengeful after decades of oppression at the hands of those whites, remains potent, but South Africa’s white populations continue to identify as South African. The majority black population similarly identifies as South African, although it has struggled to compensate for this history of oppression that condemned most blacks to lives of enforced servitude within their own country. South Africa is the most technologically-advanced country in Africa and its economy was, until 2014, the largest on the continent (it was replaced as the largest by Nigeria, which has a population of 173 million compared to South Africa’s 53 million). Its long-time status as the continent’s most advanced and productive economy is a factor in the population’s ability to retain that crucial centripetal sense of national unity irrespective of ethnicity.

The centrifugal forces that threaten to tear South Africa apart, as the above discussion of centripetal forces suggests, are strong and resilient. Afrikaner bitterness about the nation’s transition to black majority rule, despite the astonishing display of dignity and magnanimity on the part of Nelson Mandela following his release from prison, appears to be a permanent feature of South Africa’s political environment. The ANC’s continued political domination in the post-apartheid era also threatens the nation’s unity, as the black majority population is less cohesive than many assume. Even during the era of apartheid, there were serious divisions between the ANC and its white, mostly communist, supporters and allies and the KwaZulu nation, which is South Africa’s largest. Under apartheid, the white South African regime established a series of “homelands” for its black population intended to present the veneer of multiple independent nations. The most powerful of these “independent nations” was KwaZulu-Natal, a vast province dominated by Chief Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, which strenuously opposed the ANC and, more significantly, strongly opposed the movements in the United States and Europe to diplomatically and economically isolate the white-ruled country. While the ANC was, as it remains, the dominant political force in South Africa, the legacy of the bitter and violent feud between it and the Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party remains a divisive phenomenon in South Africa.

In short, the majority black population of South Africa has been less unified, even in its approach to apartheid, than many Americans realized, and those tensions remain, although in a far less contentious and violent manner than had existed under white rule.

While there are serious centrifugal forces in the Republic of South Africa, those forces are contained, and its problems are minuscule compared to those of neighboring Zimbabwe, another formerly minority white-ruled country and British colony. The reason is South Africa's late President Mandela’s commitment to democracy. The governing structures he ushered in in the wake of apartheid’s collapse have prevented, for the most part, the reinstitution of an autocratic form of government comparable to that of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.

Thesis- Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath" shows that a wife having equal possesion of mastery in her marriage is best for both man and women....

The Wife of Bath is quite a character. Of all the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, she is probably the most memorable. What makes the Wife so memorable is her brash manner. She is so outspoken that she would probably be considered controversial even today, so imagine the impression she must have made on her Medieval audience.

The quote you are referencing occurs in the Wife's prologue, not in her actual tale to...

The quote you are referencing occurs in the Wife's prologue, not in her actual tale to the pilgrims. In that prologue (not to be confused with the General Prologue that actually comes at the beginning of the book--before the Knight's Tale), the Wife gives her opinions on marriage and sex and then describes her relationships with her many husbands.

The husband she is referring to in this quote had previously hit the Wife on the ear hard enough to permanently impair her hearing. He did this out of frustration with his wife, who simply would not behave as he wanted her too. His attempt for force her to act like a woman of that time period was supposed to act backfired when he saw how badly he had hurt her. At that point, he uttered the quote you referenced in your question, apparently out of remorse. It appears to have succeeded in improving their relationship, for the Wife said:

. . . after that day we never argued.

So God help me, I was as kind to him

as any wife from Denmark to India,

and as true, and so was he to me.

How are Romeo from Romeo and Juliet and Tony from West Side Story alike and different?

Since West Side Story is based off Romeo and Juliet, the plots of both stories have much in common, as do their main characters. Still, West Side Story is an adaptation meant to show the story in a new light, so certain things about Romeo were changed when he was rewritten as Tony.

First, the two characters occupy different positions in their social worlds. Romeo's family, the Montagues, are very wealthy and have a...

First, the two characters occupy different positions in their social worlds. Romeo's family, the Montagues, are very wealthy and have a lot of social power in Verona. Tony, as the child of poor Polish immigrants, does not.

A social similarity they both have is their recent absence from their usual social life. Tony has been missing from the gang life of the Jets for a month, while Romeo has been moping around, too love-sick for Rosaline to engage with his friends and family. On a related note, both seem sick of the constant fighting that defines their world. Romeo seems always more of a lover than a fighter, rejecting Tybalt's taunts and attempt to engage him in a sword fight after Romeo secretly marries Juliet (making Tybalt his kin). Tony also seems sick of fighting, having given up his role as leader of the gang and seeking to distance himself from gang life.

The differences here are more subtle. While Romeo is pulled away from the conflict by his all-consuming infatuations (first with Rosaline, then Juliet), Tony makes a more active decision to renounce gang life and fighting. Romeo's refusal to fight Tybalt seems more a passive response to Juliet's assumed wishes than the moral stand that Tony is trying to make. This is one example of how Tony seems more mature and thoughtful than the rash Romeo.

Another moment for similarities and differences is at the meeting of their true love. In both stories, the moment of meeting is "love at first sight," where the beloved stands out from the crowd and Romeo and Tony engage in a romantic moment (sonnet and kiss for the former, dance for the latter). A difference lies in their reactions upon discovering the girls' backgrounds. Romeo is immediately concerned that Juliet is a Capulet, but Tony seems more blasé about it, saying Maria's father will like him.

As many of these plot-based decisions suggest, Romeo is more of an unrealistic dreamer than Tony is, much more inclined to mope in self-pity over a girl. Tony seems more self-assured than Romeo, especially in taking a moral stand over the fighting and trying to stay out of gang life and move on. While Romeo sees the family feud as inevitable and impossible to circumvent, Tony believes that he can break up the rumble and leave gang life behind.

Why is Aunt Alexandra so racist? What are some examples that show her racism in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Aunt Alexandra is racist because she believes in tradition. She calls her brother racist names for defending Tom Robinson.

Aunt Alexandra is a traditionalist, and in Maycomb that means she is a racist. She does not approve of her brother defending a black man, so she says very racist things about him that Francis repeats.

“If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your...

Aunt Alexandra is racist because she believes in tradition. She calls her brother racist names for defending Tom Robinson.

“If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault. I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family—” (Ch. 8)

Francis is telling Scout that her father is hanging around with stray dogs because he is talking about him defending Tom Robinson. Robinson is the stray dog. This disparages both Tom Robinson and Atticus.

Atticus explains to his children that Alexandra believes that the Finches are superior because of how long they have lived in Maycomb, and probably because they are white. The fact that they are such an old family makes them more valuable, in her eyes.

Atticus suddenly grew serious. In his lawyer’s voice, without a shade of inflection, he said: “Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding—” (Ch. 13)

By this, Atticus is trying to tell his children the “facts of life,” meaning he is teaching them about class system in Maycomb. Alexandra believes this is important, but Atticus does not. To him, defending Tom Robinson is a good thing. He believes that if he doesn’t do it, he will be letting the town down. Atticus believes that in a court of law, everyone should be treated equally.

The contrasting values of Alexandra and Atticus demonstrate the old order versus the new one. Atticus is trying to teach his kids that a person’s value comes from being a good person, not class or skin color. Scout and Jem will grow up believing these new values, and teach them to their children. That is how racism is combatted—one child at a time.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

What is the meaning of life for Despereaux?

I believe the meaning of life for Despereaux can be summarized in a phrase he says often to the Princess Pea: "I honor you." His whole goal in life is to honor, as a courtly knight to his fair maiden, the Princess Pea, whom he loves. He soon realizes, when he hears of Roscuro's evil plan and then sleeps through her kidnapping, that honor sometimes means sacrifice. He must do the one thing that he was most fearful to do: go back into the dungeon and trust an evil rat to lead him to his princess. He has to muster all his courage and strength to do this, for he quickly learns upon finding the princess that he must fight Roscuro for her freedom. In the end, he shows the most honor, not by marrying her, but by being her friend and having many more adventures with her. Despereaux's life of sacrificial love for the princess shows us that honoring others might cost us dearly, but the price is well worth it.

Furthermore, although the book mostly focuses on Despereaux's honor for the princess, I believe he also shows a different type of sacrificial honor for those in his family. For example, although his father chooses to turn him in for revealing himself to a human, throughout the story, Despereaux refuses to be bitter or take revenge against his father. He knows that in order to save his own heart, he must forgive his father completely. Also, he is hurt by how his siblings treat him, namely when his own brother Furlough leads him to the dungeon, but does not treat them with unkindness either. He has every right to be bitter towards his family who committed "perfidy" against him, but in the end, they all know that he honors them by showing forgiveness. Throughout the whole book, although many times Despereaux is treated terribly, he always chooses to take the higher road and honors others by showing forgiveness. This is why I believe Despereaux's meaning of life is to show honor to everyone, no matter how they treat him.

How does the creature do its job in Canto Five?

As Dante enters the second circle of hell, that of the Lustful, he is witnessing the first real punishments of the Inferno, since the first circle, Limbo, has no suffering for the virtuous pagans. At the edge of the second circle stands Minos, the semi-bestial judge of the damned, whom Dante modeled after one of the judges of the dead in Hades from classical mythology. Minos’ job is to judge and assign sinners to their deserved levels.

In Dante’s conceptualization, sinners have chosen their immoral behavior, therefore they are strangely eager to cross the river Archeron and face their judge. “There Minos stands, / Grinning with ghastly feature: he, of all / Who enter, strict examining the crimes, / Give sentence, and dismisses them beneath.” Basically, as they stand before Minos, they are forced to fully confess their sins, and they cannot lie, since Minos can discern truth from lies anyway.

The creature then determines which level of hell each soul deserves: level one for the lighter sins of incontinence, level two for the sins of violence, or level three for the sins of fraud. Minos also selects the appropriate circle within each level, according to the sinner’s specific sins. "[A]nd that judge severe / Of sins, considering what place in Hell / Suits the transgression, with his tail so oft / Himself encircles, as degrees beneath / He dooms it to descend... / Each one to judgement passing, speaks, and hears / His fate, thence downward to his dwelling hurl’d.”

In plain terms, upon determining the sins of the soul before him, Minos wraps his whip-like tail around himself the same number of times that equal the sinner’s deserved circle. So to demonstrate, a sinner who had committed crimes of extreme anger during life would watch in horror as Minos encircled himself with his tail five times (for circle five, that of the Wrathful).

Dante never explains exactly how the souls get to their circles, simply that each is “downward to his dwelling hurl’d”. Considering that the Florentine poet’s purpose in writing the Inferno was to warn the unrepentant to change their ways, it is perhaps more effective that he doesn’t give us all the details. Sometimes our imaginations are more capable of horrifying us.

Explain how Rebecca Nurse establishes credibility after she calms Betty Parris.

After she calms Betty Parris and amazes the room, Rebecca Nurse establishes her credibility by referencing her vast experience when it comes to children and their strange behaviors. She's had eleven children and twenty six grandchildren, and "[she] has seen them all through their silly seasons, and when it come on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief." Thus, she has witnessed a great many children growing up, and she understands that acting oddly and making questionable decisions is simply a part of this process. She implies that children do things for strange reasons, but that this is a common, indeed a natural, part of life. It is not, as some suggest in the play, unnatural. She is very much the voice of reason, wise and understanding, when all around her are the beginnings of hysteria and chaos and superstition.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Describe the ghost & his first meeting with Mr. Otis in "The Canterville Ghost."

Sir Simon's first meeting with Mr. Otis is hilarious. It's hilarious, because Mr. Otis's response is completely unexpected. The encounter starts off spooky enough. It is late at night, and everybody is asleep. Sir Simon enters the scene, and he is rattling his chains and making all kinds of spooky noises. Mr. Otis calmly puts on his slippers and grabs some oil. He steps out into the hall and is confronted face to face with...

Right in front of him he saw, in the wan moonlight, an old man of terrible aspect. His eyes were as red burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut, were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves.

I'd be scared. Red burning eyes, gross hair, soiled clothes, and manacles. If that was a real person, I would be scared. The fact that it is a ghost is even more terrifying. But the amazing part about the encounter is that Mr. Otis isn't scared. At all. He's completely calm. Perhaps even a bit annoyed. Mr. Otis simply, and calmly, tells Sir Simon to be quiet, oil up his chains, and let everybody sleep.

"My dear sir," said Mr. Otis, "I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. It is said to be completely efficacious upon one application, and there are several testimonials to that effect on the wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines. I shall leave it here for you by the bedroom candles, and will be happy to supply you with more, should you require it." With these words the United States Minister laid the bottle down on a marble table, and, closing his door, retired to rest.

What was the significance of the Reconquista in Spain?

The Reconquista was a very significant event in Spain. This event began in 718 and ended in 1492. The Reconquista refers to the defeat of the Moors, or Muslims, in Spain in 1492 by the Christians.

The Moors were from North Africa, and they had invaded Europe around 711. They took over most of the Iberian Peninsula when they invaded Europe.

The Reconquista began in 718. At the Battle of Covadonga, the Christians were able...

The Reconquista was a very significant event in Spain. This event began in 718 and ended in 1492. The Reconquista refers to the defeat of the Moors, or Muslims, in Spain in 1492 by the Christians.

The Moors were from North Africa, and they had invaded Europe around 711. They took over most of the Iberian Peninsula when they invaded Europe.

The Reconquista began in 718. At the Battle of Covadonga, the Christians were able to secure their first victory over the Muslim armies. There were many battles that were fought over the next 700 years. Each side had some successes in these battles. For example, in 1085, the Christians captured Toledo. However, in 1086, the Almoravids arrived from North Africa to help the Moors fight and win battles against the Christians.

When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ruled Spain, they continued to fight the Moors. The Reconquista was complete, when the last Moorish stronghold, the city of Granada, fell. The Christians were in charge of Spain. They expelled the Moors and the Jews from Spain who refused to convert to Christianity.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

In Discipline and Punish: The Birth of The Prison, by Michel Foucault; How is the work presented as a genealogical research project that reveals...

For Foucault, a "genealogy" embeds philosophy within a context of history and political power. Philosophical concepts and constructs simply don't float in a timeless ether: they are constructed in a particular period of history in response to the needs of those in power. Foucault owes a debt to Nietzsche and Marx in this "historicizing" of philosophical thought.

In Discipline and Punish, Foucualt turns on its head the idea that we have "progressed" and become...

In Discipline and Punish, Foucualt turns on its head the idea that we have "progressed" and become more humane in our treatment of prisoners. His book is genealogical because it moves through history as it looks at both people incarcerated for crime and for mental illness. In both, he sees a dangerous trend on the part of the state in the last few centuries. The state has gone from a medieval/Renaissance control of the body, represented by simply putting a person suffering from mental illness in chains (or leading a criminal to a scaffold) to an attempt to control a mentally unbalanced or criminally convicted person's mind. Controlling the body is what Foucault calls "punishment," whether enacted on a "madman" or a criminal--it is the state's visible display of power over the bodies of its citizens. It is tied to particular historical epochs and to monarchial power, where the "body" of the king represents the state's power.

While we see chaining up the "insane" as barbaric, Foucault understood it as leaving an individual free in his mental state--free to be who is, a chaining of the body but not a chaining of the soul. In contrast, experiments that began in the late 18th century to force people into isolation to think about and learn to self-censor their thoughts is a much more powerful form of control than merey chaining or killing a body. Getting inside a person's mind attempts to own an individual, body and soul. It is not a sign of "progress." In fact, Foucualt argeus passionately, it is more barbaric than the chains. Foucault dwells in great detail on Bentham's proposed Panopticon, a prison designed to maximize surveillance and to convince the prisoner he is under constant surveillance. Knowing he may be watched all the time, the prisoner will constantly self-regulate his behavior. Getting the imprisoned to self-regulate and self-censor according to needs and desires of those in power is what Foucalt called "discipline." It is an invisible form of power.

"Punishment" and "discipline" are genealogical because they are tied to particular periods of history and particular forms of state power that have gone from the visible displays of punishment to the invisible controls of discipline.

What reasons does Friar Laurence give as to why Romeo should be happy?

After Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt, he is distraught. His friend Mercutio is dead and he is separated from his beloved Juliet. Romeo goes to Friar Laurence, but he cannot stop crying. He even draws his sword to commit suicide. The friar chastises Romeo in order to bring him to his senses. He says that Romeo’s “tears are womanish” and that he is acting as wild as an “unreasonable … beast.” Friar Laurence urges...

The friar lists three reasons why Romeo should stop crying. Juliet is alive, as is Romeo—he could have easily been killed by Tybalt. The punishment for murder is death, but Romeo is allowed a reprieve and is only exiled. Friar Laurence says that if he does not act rashly, Romeo can find a way to happiness:

To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than thou went'st forth in lamentation.

Juliet is alive, Tybalt did not kill Romeo, and the law did not execute him. As far as the friar is concerned, where there is life, there is hope.

Calculate the profit maximizing price of a monopolist firm with demand function `Q(x)=1-x` and cost of production `c(x)=x^2/2` `` ` `

In order to determine the maximum profit we have to must formulate a profit function:

Profit function = Revenue Function - Cost Function

Since we know what the cost function is, we are yet to determine the revenue function.

Revenue, R(x), is determined by how much money is made by selling 'x' items and this is multiplied to the demand function. The revenue function is as follows:

`R(x) = x* Q(x)`

`R(x) = x *(1-x)`

...

In order to determine the maximum profit we have to must formulate a profit function:

Profit function = Revenue Function - Cost Function

Since we know what the cost function is, we are yet to determine the revenue function.

Revenue, R(x), is determined by how much money is made by selling 'x' items and this is multiplied to the demand function. The revenue function is as follows:

`R(x) = x* Q(x)`

`R(x) = x *(1-x)`

`R(x) = x - x^2`

Since we have the Revenue function we can now mathematically formulate the Profit function P(x):

`P(x) = R(x) - c(x)`

`P(x) = x -x^2 - (x^2/2)`

`P(x) = x - ((2x^2)/2) - (x^2/2)`

`P(x) = x - ((3x^2)/2)`

Now we have a profit function. We can now apply calculus to determine the maximum profit by finding the first derivative:

`(dP)/dx = 1 -(6x)/2`

`(dP)/dx = 1-3x`

Then. we make the first derivative equal zero in order to determine the maximum:

`0 = 1 -3x`

`3x = 1`

`x = 1/3` ` `

Now we know the value of x when the profit is a maximum, now we substitute this back in the Profit function:

`P(1/3) = 1/3 - ((3/2) *(1/3)^2)`

`P = 1/6`

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

In the story "The Sniper," what are some words and phrases the author used to describe the Republican sniper and what he's doing?

The Republican sniper, the main character in the story, is described as a young man with an innocent face, but he has the intense look of a soldier:

His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.

He is young. Consider that before the war, he...

The Republican sniper, the main character in the story, is described as a young man with an innocent face, but he has the intense look of a soldier:

His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.

He is young. Consider that before the war, he would have had no knowledge of the kinds of violence one sees in a war. He would have been innocent, naive, and perhaps full of hope. The author is trying to show the transition from innocence to "a man who is used to looking at death."

When the author describes him, he uses the word "ascetic" which means having extreme self-discipline. The sniper is constantly fighting for his life. He has learned this self-discipline out of necessity. It is kill or be killed and this is why he does not hesitate in killing the woman. The "cold gleam" in his eyes is the result of intense anxiety and awareness of everything around him. The author wants to make it clear that this was once a young, innocent man ("face of a student") who has now become a killing machine. This shows the dramatic and traumatic effects a war can have on the psyche.

When the sniper is shot in the arm, he endures the pain like a professional and plans his escape. But note that when he kills his enemy and the enemy hits the ground, the sniper does break out of his single-minded soldierly mentality. "His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody." His humanism comes back to him for a moment. But the moment is fleeting. The violent sound of his revolver accidentally going off brings him back to that soldier's mentality. It is the violence that has conditioned him to become a soldier with "the cold gleam of the fanatic."

What did the family have to do in order for Gabriel to be allowed a second year of nurturing?

Jonas's father has gone before the committee of Elders to plead for permission that Gabriel should be allowed an extra year of nurturing since he has not attained the weight appropriate for his days of life and has not yet started sleeping soundly enough to be placed with his family unit. It is normal procedure that such a child is deemed inadequate and then released.

Gabriel has already been spending time with Jonas's family unit, and it seems as if he will recover because Jonas has found a way to soothe him and make him sleep. The committee labels Gabriel Uncertain and decides to give the child a special reprieve before his Naming and Placing so that Jonas's family unit can assist with his development for an extra year.

Gabriel will still be nurtured at the Center but would spend his nights with Jonas's family unit. He will, however, only be a temporary guest and each family member, including Lily, has to sign a pledge that they will not get too attached to him. Furthermore, each family member also has to agree that they will freely give him up without protest or appeal when he is assigned to his family unit at the following year's Ceremony.

Jonas is happy with this arrangement for it means that they will still see Gabriel regularly because he would be part of the community. If he should be released, he will be sent Elsewhere never to be seen again.

At this point in the novel, Jonas does not know what being released means. He later, in chapter 19, to his utter shock and dismay, discovers that it means to be killed. He sees images of his father practicing the procedure on a newchild that does not meet the requirements.

When, in chapter 21, his father tells Jonas that Gabriel is to be released, Jonas decides that he is going to rescue him. He and The Giver have already decided that he (Jonas) is going to leave the community. At this point, Jonas decides on a change of plan so that he can take Gabriel with him. In the end, he successfully escapes with the newchild who has become like a brother to him.

Is expansion a physical or chemical property?

Expansion of a material is a physical property. A physical property is one that can be observed and is related to a physical change. A chemical property, on the other hand, is one that is observed through a chemical reaction and is thus, related to chemical change.

Expansion is typically observed during heating of material. For example, when we heat a bar of metal (say iron), it expands. We can also blow air into a...

Expansion is typically observed during heating of material. For example, when we heat a bar of metal (say iron), it expands. We can also blow air into a balloon and observe its expansion. In both such cases, the material remains the same and no chemical change or reaction takes place. The chemical composition of the materials (metal and balloon) remains the same, the only change is the intermolecular spacing. Hence expansion is a physical property and not a chemical property.

Hope this helps.

Provide one important similarity and one important difference between the way the British dominated India, and the way they dominated China.

The most important difference between the British domination of India and China is that the British Empire fully and directly colonized India under a Mercantile system known as the British Raj, whereas the British never took full or direct control of the Chinese government or economy.

In India, the British instituted an enormously powerful and far reaching colonial regime, run by English governors and soldiers, who reported directly back to London. The British built up...

In India, the British instituted an enormously powerful and far reaching colonial regime, run by English governors and soldiers, who reported directly back to London. The British built up a massive and complex infrastructure, and even instituted the rigid Caste System, which is a perfect example of a "divide and conquer strategy."

In China, on the other hand, instead of fully overtaking the levers of power, the British undermined and coopted the weakened Qing Dynasty, using force and the threat of force to gain favorable trading terms with Chinese Merchants. Although the British gained full control over Hong Kong in the aftermath of the Opium Wars, they never dominated the mainland, but they didn't have to.

Instead, the British got what they wanted through a less blatant use of "divide of conquer strategy," which required a smaller colonial footprint than in India. The divide and conquer strategy used by the British in China had less to do with turning various segments of the Chinese populace against one another (as in India) and had more to do with making strategic alliances with other colonial powers interested in China, most notably Japan, Russia and the United States. By agreeing to an "Open Door Policy" of trade with these competing countries, Britain insured that their businesses could maintain access to Chinese markets.

Although the methods of British subjugation in China and India different in their specifics, in both cases the British successfully pitted their adversaries against each other, fomenting internal strife that made the populations easier to control.

I need to write a compelling and arguable thesis on the importance of The Odyssey in our modern era. I already wrote a thesis saying that it was...

Let me start by saying that your teacher is right, because of specific prompt you were asked to respond to. Besides what your teacher said about being able to take lessons about pride from many books, there's also nothing specific to the modern world or era about it. Therefore, to develop your thesis, you want to focus on the modern end of the challenge.

What is there about the modern era that fits with The...

What is there about the modern era that fits with The Odyssey? I would say it is in the way Odysseus has to reason and trick his way through his challenges, and, especially, in how he has to adapt. This isn't a straightforward story: this is a story in which the hero changes identity and disguises himself.

Consider some of the following as you develop a thesis:

The modern world is defined by questions of identity. People self-identify according to different categories of race, gender, and sexuality. Online, they pass on other people's words as their own, and post messages under screen names. In such a world, the best, most appropriate kind of hero is one who is comfortable with change and skilled at changing. Through his travels and tests, Odysseus displays a creative ability to adapt that makes him the perfect hero for the modern age.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

What is the role of spirituality in "Design" by Robert Frost?

"Design" is a sonnet by Robert Frost that like many of Frost's works reflects on simple, natural phenomena in a way that illuminates profound philosophical and human issues. The surface level of the poem is deceptively simple. It describes a spider sitting on a flower consuming a moth. The spiritual questions stem from the poet wondering not what is happening in the scene but why, as set forth in the lines:

What brought the kindred spider to that height,

Then steered the white moth thither in the night?

What complicates this image is the question of "design". The spider's life depends on the death of the moth. In a Darwinian universe, the "design" of the poem is the way nature operates to ensure the survival of the fittest, with the strong preying on the weak in a constant struggle for survival.

From a religious or moral point of view, this might appear unfair or even evil. The white moth set against the white flower appears innocent and does not in any way merit a slow painful death, trapped in a web and then eaten by a spider. Thus the poem makes us reflect on how the design of divine providence appears to care little for the individual.

The spider itself though raises another question in the minds of educated readers. Among the most famous sermons (and one growing out of New England, the region in which Frost lived and in which his poems are set) is "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards which compares humans to disgusting spiders dangled over a burning pit by a thin thread. This parallel suggests that all life is precarious and that the design which leads to the death of the moth at the hands of a spider will spare neither spiders nor humans in the end.

Finally, the speculation "If design govern in a thing so small" plays on the statement in Matthew 10:29 that "Yet not a single sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's [God's] knowledge" which suggests that God's design does, in fact, govern the smallest of creatures and thus that we must look at the moth and spider as part of that design rather than as a random event.

What is the linking verb, and what words are being linked in this sentence: The math homework was easy.

The linking verb in this sentence is "was," and the words being linked are "homework" and "easy." A linking verb has that name because it is a state-of-being verb that links the subject noun to its descriptive complement. So in the sample sentence you provided, the linking verb "was" is used to show that the homework has the state of being "easy."

Linking verbs can be very descriptive in themselves, in spite of the fact...

Linking verbs can be very descriptive in themselves, in spite of the fact that their primary function is to connect the subject to its description. For example, "Her son's banging grew annoying." The use of the word "grew" implies that the noise was becoming more annoying over time.

Linking verbs can be identified easily. All forms of the verb "be" are linking at all times. Other linking verbs can be identified by asking whether the main verb in the sentence can be replaced with a form of "be" and retain the meaning of the sentence. If so, then the verb is a linking verb.

In the example above, the verb "grew" could easily be replaced with the verb "was," creating the sentence "Her son's banging was annoying." Since the sentence still makes sense, we've just identified "grew" as a linking verb within the context of that sentence.

In Cunningham's story "White Angel," is Bob a reliable or unreliable narrator?

In Michael Cunningham's short story "White Angel," Robert is a reliable narrator--in other words, a narrator who the reader can trust, and who has credibility. Although Robert (AKA "Frisco") is nine years old at the time the story takes place, it is an older, mature Robert who narrates the story. However, the reader discovers that even nine-year-old Robert is unusually trustworthy and credible for a boy his age. We learn this early in the story. For example, when Robert's older brother Carlton asks him if he is scared after the two of them drop acid, Robert answers him truthfully with a yes, then narrates: "I never even think of lying to him." Later in the story, we find the narrator also stating the importance of truth. After a fight the boys have with their mother, Robert says, "I hate her," then goes on to narrate: "I'm not certain about that. I want to test the sound of it, to see if it's true." Even at age nine, the narrator is very concerned with truth. Although the narrator is notably young at the time of the story, and experiments with drugs and alcohol (two qualities that might make for a very unreliable narrator), Michael Cunningham paints Robert as a very reliable narrator, and the reader therefore trusts his account of events.

Monday, January 23, 2017

What was the compensation for the Japanese internment?

During World War II, Japanese-Americans who lived in cities on the west coast were forced to relocate to internment camps that were mainly located away from the west coast. Executive order 9066 required the Japanese-Americans to relocate. The government claimed that the Japanese-Americans posed a threat to our military effort. The government was concerned the Japanese would aid Japan or would sabotage our war effort. Thus, these people were forced to sell their homes and...

Part of the anti-Japanese sentiment dealt with prejudice toward the Japanese-Americans. Some Americans were jealous of the economic success many Japanese-Americans experienced. These Americans feared the Japanese-Americans were taking away economic opportunities from them.

LifeIt was very difficult to live in the internment camps. The Japanese-Americans weren’t free to do the things they normally could do. The camps were very crowded, and disease was an issue. Some Japanese-Americans died in the camps.

The United States government formally apologized to the Japanese-Americans in the late 1980s. In 1988, every surviving Japanese-American that was forced to relocate was awarded $20,000. While this amount wasn’t enough to make up for the suffering, hardship, and loss the Japanese-Americans experienced during World War II, the government formally recognized its error by awarding this financial compensation to those who were still alive.

What does the description of the letter the narrator receives at the beginning of the story tell you about the person who sent it?

The letter from Uncle Howard that the narrator receives just one day before her Aunt Georgianna is to arrive in Boston comes “worn and rubbed” as if it had been “carried for some days in a coat pocket that was none too clean.” This description suggests that Uncle Howard is probably older and somewhat forgetful. Because he is the narrator’s uncle, we can assume that he is older. He carries the letter around with him for several days before remembering to mail it, and during that time, the letter gets somewhat tattered and worn. It is also written informally on “glassy, blue-lined notepaper” with “pale ink.” This description suggests two things. The writing of the uncle is light and pale showing an older writer who isn’t pressing very hard on the paper. The letter is on informal paper, something a woman of the early 1900’s wouldn’t send in the mail. Aunt Georgianna would probably have sent a card or letter written eloquently and more formally requesting the narrator’s services.

In addition, the letter comes from a “little Nebraska village” showing that it is coming from the country where people were perhaps poorer than in Boston. The quality of paper shows this as well.

I see Uncle Howard as a forgetful, older man who doesn’t have the need or time for formal manners living in Nebraska. When the narrator reads the letter, it brings back memories of a childhood full of hard work shucking corn as a “gangling farmer-boy.” These memories describe the lifestyle of the uncle who has lived a long life farming.

In "A Worn Path," what do the following represent: eyes, barbed wire, the dress, withered cotton field, the scarecrow, trees silver in their dead...

In Eudora Welty's story "A Worn Path," there are many important symbols. Eyes are significant because Phoenix's eyesight is failing her due to her age, making her journey along the worn path much more challenging. Although Phoenix may not have strong vision, her eyes give her a deeper kind of vision—to see her through the journey into town to get her grandson's medicine.

The barbed wire and cotton fields represent slavery. This story takes place...

The barbed wire and cotton fields represent slavery. This story takes place in the south, where racism was still a serious issue. As a black woman, Phoenix has experienced racism and continues to combat it, even in her old age. The exchange with the white hunter is a good example of racist treatment. Barbed wire is something to entrap people and cotton fields are where the slaves did harsh physical labor; thus, they symbolize slavery.

The scarecrow and trees silver in their dead leaves represent aging and death. Phoenix mistakes the scarecrow for a ghost; the scarecrow is a lifeless representation of man. The leaves that are silver are not a vibrant green anymore—they are dying.

Finally, Phoenix's dress is long and dark. She takes care not to tear it on the thorns because she wants to look respectable when she goes to town. Also, she is poor and probably does not have many dresses to wear. The dress represents Phoenix's respectability and determination to have dignity in spite of the difficulties she faces.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

In John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, whose freedom was he referring to, blacks or the poor?

Most people know John F. Kennedy's January 1961 inaugural address by its most famous line: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." The beginning of the address, though, has an equally stirring line: "We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change."

The "freedom" line...

The "freedom" line demonstrates a rhetorical device known as contrast, and there are many such contrasts in his speech. These devices serve to draw the listeners in and foster an emotional response.

JFK replaced Eisenhower in office. Eisenhower had supported a few laws that supported civil rights, but his support was limited. Although the economy was doing well under Eisenhower, 1 in 5 Americans was living in poverty at the end of the 1950s.

JFK is known for his commitment to the civil rights movement, but it is unlikely he was specifically referring to any particular group of people. JFK won the election against Richard Nixon by one of the smallest popular vote margins in history and his speech was meant to bring everyone together. It is more likely that the line is intended to refer to his presidency and all he stood for as celebrating freedom. Taken this way, it could refer to African Americans, those living in poverty, and other groups who felt disadvantaged during Eisenhower's administration.

`8x - 4y = 7, 5x + 2y = 1` Use matricies to solve the system of equations (if possible). Use Gauss-Jordan elimination.

Given system of equations are

`8x - 4y = 7, 5x + 2y = 1`

so the matrices A and B are given as follows

A = `[[8, -4], [5, 2]]`

B = `[[7], [1]]`

so the augmented matrix is [AB] = `[[8, -4, 7], [5, 2, 1]]`

on solving this we get the values of x,y .

step 1 . Make the pivot in the 1st column by dividing the 1st row by 8

`[[1, -1/2, 7/8],...

Given system of equations are

`8x - 4y = 7, 5x + 2y = 1`

so the matrices A and B are given as follows

A = `[[8, -4], [5, 2]]`

B = `[[7], [1]]`

so the augmented matrix is [AB] = `[[8, -4, 7], [5, 2, 1]]`

on solving this we get the values of x,y .

step 1 . Make the pivot in the 1st column by dividing the 1st row by 8

`[[1, -1/2, 7/8], [5, 2, 1]]`

step 2 . muptiply the 1st row by 5

`[[5, -5/2, 35/8], [5, 2, 1]]`

step 3 . subtract the 1st row from the 2nd row

`[[1, -1/2, 7/8], [0, 9/2, -27/8]]`

step 4 divide the second row by 9/2

`[[1, -1/2, 7/8], [0, 1, -3/4]]`

step 5 multiply the 2nd row by -1/2 and subtract the 2nd row from the 1st row

`[[1, 0, 1/2], [0, 1, -3/4]]`

so, the values of x, y are x= 1/2 and y = -3/4

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Is it reasonable to expect that medical treatments sometimes require the use of force?

In “The Use of Force,” the doctor is in a difficult situation. By making it clear that the child will die if she is not treated and also stating the public health implications of untreated diphtheria, the story does justify the use of force in some situations. The readers do not really know why the child is resisting treatment and her resistance seems a bit unreasonable. The doctor admits to the reader that he should have perhaps waited and tried later. But throughout the story, the doctor demonstrates that doctors are only human. He is captivated by the child’s movie star looks and her powerful assertion of her own body, and even admires the way she distinguishes herself from her humble parents. He sees her as a formidable opponent and abandons himself to pure feeling. When he finally gets her mouth open, he sees her as a hero who has defended some magnificent treasure. He has justified his actions in this case but also shown how people can have dignity and beauty in defending the indefensible and how caregivers are almost powerless before this heroism.

What happened to Dave in The Call of the Wild?

The Call of the Wild by Jack London is a short novel published in 1903 set in the Klondike Gold Rush. The story is told from the point of view of a dog, Buck, a domestic St. Bernard and Scottish shepherd mix, who is dognapped at the start of the novel to serve as a sled dog. The story is narrated in the third person, with Buck as the point of view character and the main theme of the story being how both men and animals revert to their primitive natures under duress.

We are introduced to Dave in Chapter 2. He is part of the nine-dog team run by French Canadians, Perrault and Francois. We are introduced to the team through the eyes of Buck, who observes how the dogs of the team need to behave to survive and who gradually comes to understand the social and power relationships among the dogs. The dog Dave is described as older, hardworking and somewhat of a loner but acts as a mentor to Buck. Buck is normally harnessed just in front of Dave and Dave teaches him about life as a sled dog. In Chapter 3, one of the dogs, Dolly, goes mad and Buck wins a fight with the lead dog Spitz. When Spitz loses, he is killed by the other dogs and Buck becomes the team leader.

In Chapter 4, the team is sold and begins working on the mail run from Dawson to Skagway for an unnamed Scottish half-breed man. Given no rest between mail runs and heavy loads, the dogs begin to weaken and Dave begins whimpering to himself even though nothing is is obviously wrong. At Cassiar Bar, Dave begins to sicken obviously, and has difficulty walking. The half-breed allows Dave to rest by letting him run beside the sled instead of being harnessed with the other dogs. After a brief rest, Dave catches up with the sled and insists on being let back into his harness despite his weakness:

[Dave] pleaded with his eyes to remain there...[the men] talked of how a dog could break its heart through being denied the work that killed it, and recalled instances they had known, where dogs, too old for the toil, or injured, had died because they were cut out of the traces. Also, they held it a mercy, since Dave was to die anyway, that he should die in the traces, heart-easy and content.

Dave struggles to keep up, but despite his efforts cannot really manage the pace. The team finishes its day's run and goes to sleep. The next morning, Dave is too weak to walk. The driver harnesses the other dogs and moves them and the sled a short distance ahead, leaving Dave behind to howl mournfully. Realizing that Dave will only die a lingering and painful death if abandoned, the driver walks backs and shoots Dave.

Friday, January 20, 2017

What is the language technique in this Animal farm quote: "That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never...

This is an example of double-talk, or propaganda. Napoleon, who had been opposed to the windwill, now asserts through a clever lie that the windmill had been his idea all along, an inversion of history that is politically expedient. In fact, what the quote shows and that, history, and even truth itself, can be made into any shape the ruling class, in this case Napoleon, wants it to be. As puts it:

What...

What is most demoniacally human about the pigs is their use of language not only to manipulate the immediate behavior of the animals through propaganda, emotive language, and meaningless doubletalk but also to manipulate history, and thus challenge the nature of actuality.

The concepts of "truth" and "falsehood" become empty signifiers in this kind of speech, in that the final determiner of what is "true" or "false" is not reality or experience but the state.

What connotations does line two of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" carry?

When the poem begins, the narrator is awake and poring "Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore" (line 2). It is midnight and he is, as he tells us, attempting to distract himself from his sorrow over his "lost Lenore" with his books (10). Connotatively, the word "quaint" is very positive: it typically refers to something that is a bit old fashioned but nonetheless appealing. Likewise, "curious" connotes positive feelings as well as something that is, perhaps, a bit odd and unexpected, but interesting and novel too. "Forgotten" refers to something for which one has lost the remembrance of, something we might typically think of as negative; however, the narrator seems pleased to have rediscovered these forgotten texts, since he calls them "quaint" and "curious" (as opposed to, for example, "old fashioned" and "strange"). So the fact that he'd forgotten the texts means that he now gets to rediscover them -- and this process of rediscovery seems pleasing to him. Finally, the word "lore" identifies the book as some kind of traditional, perhaps mythic or legendary, text. In all, the words in this line have fairly positive connotations, especially in light of alternate words Poe could have chosen that mean the same thing but feel very differently.

In The Call of the Wild, what is Buck's life like at Judge Miller's place?

Buck lived a pampered life at Judge Miller’s place.

Buck was not always a sled dog. Before he was kidnapped, he was a pampered house pet. Judge Miller was wealthy, living on a large farm in Santa Clara, California. It was warm and sunny, and Buck had extensive grounds to explore.

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge Miller's place, it was called. It stood back from the road,...

Buck lived a pampered life at Judge Miller’s place.

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge Miller's place, it was called. It stood back from the road, half-hidden among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool veranda that ran around its four sides.

The land was his domain, and Buck was in charge. There were other dogs there, but Buck was large and beautiful, and he was everyone’s favorite. He played with the judge’s kids and lived in the house. He was Judge Miller's special pet. The other dogs didn't count.

But Buck was neither house dog nor kennel dog. The whole realm was his. He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge's sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge's daughters, on long twilight or early morning rambles; on wintry nights he lay at the Judge's feet before the roaring library fire …

Until Buck was stolen, he never suffered. He had everything he ever needed, and his will was his command. He never imagined that he was some day going to be a working dog. When Manuel took him and sold him to become an Alaska sled dog, Buck was nowhere near ready.

Although he was big and furry, and kept himself in reasonable shape, he had never been in the snow and didn’t know how to pull a sled. He had also never been mistreated, and certainly not beaten. Buck's life changed completely and he had to learn to survive with commands from dogs and people.

Which of the following is an example of a firm focusing more on efficiency than effectiveness? ...

Of the options that you give us in this question, the second option is the best example of a company that focuses on efficiency and not on effectiveness. To see why this is so, let us look at how these two concepts differ.

Efficiency deals with how few resources a company can use to make a given product. When a company is being efficient, it makes the most possible products using the fewest possible resources...

Efficiency deals with how few resources a company can use to make a given product. When a company is being efficient, it makes the most possible products using the fewest possible resources (both in terms of material resources and in terms of labor). Effectiveness deals with whether a company is turning out high-quality goods and services. A company that keeps its customers happy is being effective. In general, efficiency and effectiveness are opposite concepts. When you increase the quality of your work, you generally use more resources. When you use fewer resources (greater efficiency), the quality of your work generally goes down (lower effectiveness).

With this in mind, we can see that the second option is an example of a company that is pursuing efficiency over effectiveness. If the company combines shipments, it uses fewer resources. It pays for less fuel per unit of freight moved. It does not have to pay a driver to drive with a truck that is not full. This is efficient. However, it is not effective. It forces its customers to wait for their shipment, something that most customers are not happy to do. This is an example in which the company has decided it wants to pursue efficiency even if that lowers the quality of its product.

How did the narrator in "The Black Cat" try to justify his sin?

As an unreliable narrator, the narrator of "The Black Cat" sets up his entire story to try to excuse his actions, despite the ruse of trying to "unburden his soul" before his execution. The sin of killing the first black cat, Pluto, is justified by the narrator's sad slide into alcoholism. He claims that his:

"General temperament and character—through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance— had (I blush to confess it) experienced a radical...

"General temperament and character—through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance— had (I blush to confess it) experienced a radical alteration for the worse."

Here the narrator shirks responsibility. Alcoholism is a thing that happened to him, a villain that attacked him, not a choice he made. When he cuts out Pluto's eye, his "original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from [his] body." When he actually kills the cat, he goes on a whole philosophical speech on the destructive nature of mankind, saying,

"Perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart—one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man."

Through all of this confession, the narrator has not fully taken responsibility for his actions, but rather blamed alcohol, the supernatural, and human fallibility for the death of Pluto.

When it comes to the murder and burial of his wife, the narrator says little to justify it, which shouldn't be surprising as he started beating her before he started beating Pluto when the alcoholic rage started. He merely talks about the fear and hatred of his second cat boiling him into a frenzy, during which he attacked it with an ax. When his wife tried to stop him, he couldn't help but kill her instead.

Clearly, the story's narrator is either insane or completely unwilling to take responsibility for his choices.

Can popular music change culture?

Popular music can most certainly be a force of change in culture! While music reflects the thoughts, feelings, and values of the person or people who created it and therefore comes from culture, music can also instigate change on a greater scale than one person's more intimate actions alone. Consider the effects one person's ideas have on their own compared to the influence ideas have when made widely accessible through music. For example, hip-hop artist Macklemore has used his music to draw attention to issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and racial injustice. Some genres of popular music have developed as an agent of cultural change seeking to bring counterculture to the forefront. Punk rock developed in the 1970s as a way for working-class youth to voice their discontent with working-class society and big-name rock and roll counterculture.

Music can also be an agent of change in cultural tastes. Many artists like to use regional instruments or musical styles when creating and performing popular music. When a popular artist incorporates elements of music that aren't currently part of the dominant music scene, they can help introduce people to new musical styles and in turn make them popular. Hip-hop artist M.I.A., who regularly uses her music to discuss social issues like gender inequality, often incorporates instruments and rhythms typical of India and Sri Lanka, places where she lived as a child.

Music can help bring counterculture to the forefront in society and inspire cultural change in a way that is more palatable than speech alone.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

In Helen Keller's The Story of My Life, what made Helen's parents decide to get a teacher for her?

Helen Keller is famous for becoming an author and political activist and for attaining a bachelor's degree despite living with multiple impairments. During her time, most people who were deaf and/or blind suffered poor quality of life. Keller overcame the obstacle of multiple impairments to live a fulfilling and inspiring life, changing the standard of what was thought possible for people with disabilities.

When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, she suffered a fever which...

When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, she suffered a fever which left her unable to see or hear. During her early childhood she developed some signs to communicate with her family, but as they were all seeing- and hearing-enabled people who relied on other means of communication, Helen was often frustrated in her attempts to be understood by her family.

In 1886, Helen's mother read a story about another girl who was both deaf and blind becoming educated and better able to communicate. This inspired her parents to seek out a specialist who might be able to teach or recommend a teacher for Helen. In their pursuit, the family was referred to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. Anne Perkins, once a student at this school, was sent to become Helen's teacher. Anne successfully communicated with Helen through sign-in-hand and enabled her to better express herself and go on to obtain a formal education.

What is the best example of irony in The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle?

Irony is a literary device in which the opposite of what is expected occurs. A character may possess an unexpected attribute or behave in a way that is unexpected. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is aware of circumstances about which one or more of the characters is unaware.

One of the most prominent examples of irony in The Story of Edgar Sawtelleis Edgar's proficiency with language. Born mute, Edgar is unable to communicate...

One of the most prominent examples of irony in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is Edgar's proficiency with language. Born mute, Edgar is unable to communicate with others. His biggest struggle is that he cannot reveal the events he has witnessed or explain his actions. However, the irony is that he has a love and mastery of language that few others do. When he is given a litter of puppies to care for at his family's kennel, Edgar peruses the dictionary for the perfect name for each dog. His precise use of language is a means to exert control over one aspect of his life when much of his life is beyond his control. He is even able to train the dogs using sign language commands.

Another example of irony occurs through the character of Edgar's uncle Claude. After Edgar's father dies, his mother becomes ill and two of the dogs are injured in a fight. Claude appears to be their savior, caring for the dogs when they cannot afford a vet and nursing Edgar's mother back to health. The irony, however, is that Claude himself murdered Edgar's father and is attempting to seduce his mother. Edgar is the only one with any evidence of Claude's guilt, but he is unable to voice his accusations. When Edgar attempts to confront Claude, he unintentionally causes the death of an innocent man and must flee the scene.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

In The Great Gatsby, what does Gatsby's association with Wolfsheim say about Gatsby?

The appearance of Meyer Wolfsheim in chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby, leads the reader to believe that Gatsby may not have obtained his wealth in a legal manner. This can be inferred from the interaction between Wolfsheim, Nick, and Gatsby while meeting for lunch. Upon first being introduced to the reader, Wolfsheim tells a story of a mobster friend who was killed in a nearby restaurant. Following this story, he is introduced to Nick Carraway. During this exchange, Wolfsheim says to Nick "I understand you're looking for a business gonntion (meaning connection)" (Fitzgerald p70), to which Gatsby quickly replies "this isn't the man" (Fitzgerald p71). This interaction suggests that Gatsby has a history of having a business connection to Wolfsheim in the past. Later in the chapter, Nick asks Gatsby who Wofsheim is after he excuses himself from lunch, to which Gatsby replies "he's a gambler", who "fixed the World's Series back in 1919." (Fitzgerald p73). This revelation shows that Gatsby is friends, and does business, with people who are involved in the criminal underworld, and suggests that Gatsby may have done the same to acquire his fortune. This disclosure plays into the larger theme of the novel, corruption of the american dream.

Hope this helps!

Is the difference of two polynomials always a polynomial? Explain.

Yes, the difference of two polynomials is always a polynomial. Moreover, any linear combination of two (or more) polynomials is a polynomial.

To prove this, recall the definition of polynomials of one variable. They are finite sums of expressions of the form `a*x^k,` where a is a constant, x is the variable and k is a non-negative integer.

For two polynomials, `P = sum_(k=0)^n a_k x^k` and `Q= sum_(k=0)^m b_k x^k,` its linear combination is

...

Yes, the difference of two polynomials is always a polynomial. Moreover, any linear combination of two (or more) polynomials is a polynomial.

To prove this, recall the definition of polynomials of one variable. They are finite sums of expressions of the form `a*x^k,` where a is a constant, x is the variable and k is a non-negative integer.

For two polynomials, `P = sum_(k=0)^n a_k x^k` and `Q= sum_(k=0)^m b_k x^k,` its linear combination is

`R= rP + sQ=sum_(k=0)^(g) (r a_k + s b_k) x^k,`

where g = max(n,m) and zeros are used as the spare coefficients.

We see that R is also a polynomial. The difference is obtained when r = 1 and s = -1.

The same is true for a linear combinations of several polynomials and when they have several variables.

Why did Curley's wife come to the barn in Of Mice and Men?

Curley's wife, in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, appears in three different scenes. In chapter two she comes to the bunkhouse door and meets George and Lennie. In chapter four she comes into Crooks's room in the barn where Crooks, Lennie and Candy have gathered and are talking about the dream of the farm. In both chapters she says she is looking for Curley, but the reader might assume she is simply lonely and wants to talk to somebody. She seems to take a particular liking to Lennie. She comments about the bruises on his face and asks how Curley got his hand broken. She makes a flirtatious remark to Lennie about the rabbits he is obsessed with. She says,

“Well, if that’s all you want, I might get a couple rabbits myself.”

Finally, she appears in chapter five. She has come into the barn and while Steinbeck never overtly mentions why, the reader should assume she has seen Lennie go into the barn and has followed him. Most of the men on the ranch are outside playing horseshoes but Lennie is in the barn with his dead puppy. This time, Curley's wife doesn't mention looking for Curley. She wants to talk to Lennie. She says,

"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.”

Just as Crooks had done in chapter four, she pours her heart out to Lennie. She talks about being in "pitchers", going out dancing and the circumstances of her meeting and marrying Curley. She seems to like Lennie, or at least she likes the attention, and they begin their discussion of "petting soft things":

“You’re nuts,” she said. “But you’re a kinda nice fella. Jus’ like a big baby. But a person can see kinda what you mean. When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft.”

Of course, this discussion leads to tragedy and the barn is the last place Curley's wife ever goes.