What are the causes of cultural change?

The most common way that cultures change is through contact with other cultures. This change through contact is known as cultural diffusion. Contact between cultures can occur in a number of ways including trade, immigration, or warfare. With the proliferation of digital technology in the last half-century, cultural interactions are more common today than at any point in human history. When cultures come into contact with one another, they share ideas, religion, language, and technologies...

The most common way that cultures change is through contact with other cultures. This change through contact is known as cultural diffusion. Contact between cultures can occur in a number of ways including trade, immigration, or warfare. With the proliferation of digital technology in the last half-century, cultural interactions are more common today than at any point in human history. When cultures come into contact with one another, they share ideas, religion, language, and technologies that inevitably change both cultures in meaningful ways.

Technology, or the tools that people use, also has a great impact on cultural change. An obvious example of how technology can change a culture is the invention and use of the automobile in the 20th Century and how it changed American culture. The automobile had an impact on economic development, communication, social class, and settlement patterns. Computers and the internet are revolutionizing how people live today and are relevant contemporary examples of cultural change through technology.

A change in the environment can effect cultures as well and force them to adapt. This is a modern issue as global warming has already impacted some cultures around the world (see Bangladesh.) As the climate becomes warmer, sea levels rise and cultures will need to adapt in an effort to survive. When Native Americans were challenged with the loss of the bison of the Great Plains, it changed the way they were forced to live in a remarkable way.

Another way that cultures change is through the introduction of new ideas. When cultures are challenged with a new way of seeing things, they are forced to change. I like to use the idea of equal rights for women and minorities in the second half of Twentieth Century America as an example of new ideas and how they change a culture.

Who is the intended audience of "Dulce et Decorum Est"?

Interestingly, the intended audience for Wilfred Owen's graphic war poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" is other poets, specifically one poet named Jessie Pope. Owen originally entitled this poem, "To Jessie Pope." Owen directly addresses Pope and her ilk on line 25 where he writes, "My friend, you would not tell with such high zest" the old lie, namely, that it is sweet and proper to die for one's country.

So who was Jessie Pope? She...

Interestingly, the intended audience for Wilfred Owen's graphic war poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" is other poets, specifically one poet named Jessie Pope. Owen originally entitled this poem, "To Jessie Pope." Owen directly addresses Pope and her ilk on line 25 where he writes, "My friend, you would not tell with such high zest" the old lie, namely, that it is sweet and proper to die for one's country.

So who was Jessie Pope? She was a British author whose work was published in newspapers and magazines in the early 1900s. Some of her poetry was humorous, such as the verses she published in Punch magazine. However, she was one of the leading composers of a genre known as "jingoistic war poetry." Such poems were used to recruit young men into the military and glamorized war. You can read an example of one of these poems, "The Call," at the link below. After experiencing the horrors of war first-hand, Owen obviously took offense to the flippant recruiting verses that made the military seem like an athletic club. Certainly he had no objection to men signing up to fight for their homeland, but he wanted them to go into it with their eyes wide open. 

Although Jessie Pope and others who wrote jingoistic war poems were the primary audience for this poem, the secondary audience was surely young men who were considering enlisting, or current soldiers or veterans who had been tricked into signing up. Those who had not yet joined could think in a more balanced way about their decision, and those who had already succumbed to the bait-and-switch recruitment propaganda could at least feel that someone was expressing their feelings about having been deceived. 

A tertiary audience Owen must have had in mind would be the public at large who, by reading his realistic poetry, would have a better idea of the great sacrifice their fighting men were making for their fellow citizens.

What are the downsides (disadvantages) of education in a economic view?

There are two main potential downsides to education from an economic point of view.  One will always exist while the other applies to some people but not to others.

In economic terms, education is an investment for an individual.  When we invest, we forego something good in the short term in hopes of getting something better in the long term.  For example, if I invest part of my paycheck, I do not get to spend...

There are two main potential downsides to education from an economic point of view.  One will always exist while the other applies to some people but not to others.

In economic terms, education is an investment for an individual.  When we invest, we forego something good in the short term in hopes of getting something better in the long term.  For example, if I invest part of my paycheck, I do not get to spend that money on anything that would be fun in the short term.  I give up that potential fun in hopes of getting more money in the future.

Education is similar.  When we go to college, or even to our later years of high school, we are giving something up.  We are giving up the chance to be working and making money.  Instead of making money, we may actually be spending money for tuition and books.   In this sense, education is bad for us in the short term.  Instead of making money by working, we are giving up money to pay for our education. This is a downside (at least in the short term) to education.

When we invest, we hope to get a return that makes it worth it to have given something up in order to invest.  Sometimes, however, investments go bad.  We invest, for example, in bad stocks and we do not get much of a return on our investment.  We have given up the chance to use our money in the short term and we have not even gotten a long-term benefit.  This can happen with education as well, but it does not always happen.

For some people, money spent on education will be wasted. Even with their education, they will not be able to get a good job that will pay them well.  These people would have been better off just going to work right out of high school.  For them, the investment in education did not pay off.  For these people, there is a long-term downside to education because it costs them without doing them much good in the long term.

 Education is an investment.  Investments always involve giving things up in the short term in hopes of a high return in the long term.  However, there will be people for whom education is a bad investment because they will not get a high return.  The short-term loss (for all people who get educated) and the long-term loss (for some) are the two main potential downsides to education.

What is the mood of George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff?

The mood of George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff is in part humorous, in addition to being suspenseful. For example, when Matt starts on his adventure, he is depressed that he has to bring his kid sister, Katie, along with him. The first thing she does when the Adventure Club is camping is to ask for her blanket (page 6).

Another example of humor in the book is after Matt and the other members of the Adventure Club travel back in time to meet George Washington. Hooter, another member of the club, asks, "Are we on television?" (page 36). An officer in Washington's boat says that the kids' "dress is foreign" (page 36). A lot of the humor in this section of the book has to do with the difficulty of the kids to understand the ways of life of George Washington and his troops and the difficulty that Washington and his men have understanding kids from a totally different time period. While the kids go on an adventure that is at times scary, they also have a lot of laughs along the way. 

The shadow of a tree standing on a level plane is found to be 50 meters longer when sun's elevation is 30 degree than when it is 60 degree. Find...

Let x be the length of the shadow when the sun's angle of elevation is 60 degrees. Then the length of the shadow when the sun's angle of elevation is 30 degrees will be x+50.

We assume that the tree is vertical so the base of the tree forms a right angle with the presumable level ground. The model then is a right triangle with one leg being h, the height of the tree. When the acute angle along the ground is 30 degrees the length of the remaining side is x+50; when 60 degrees it is 50.

Now in a 30-60-90 right triangle, the ratio of the legs of the triangle are sqrt(3) or its reciprocal.

When the sun's angle of elevation is 60 degrees we have the length of the shadow as h/sqrt(3) so h=sqrt(3)*x.

When the sun's angle of elevation is 30 degrees the length of the shadow is h*sqrt(3) so 2x+50=h*sqrt(3) or h=(x+50)/sqrt(30)

Substituting we get sqrt(3)x=(x+50)/sqrt(3)

3x=x+50

x=25

So the shadow's length is 25 feet when the sun is at 60 degrees, and 75 feet when the sun is at 30 degrees.

So the height of the tree is 25*sqrt(3) which is approximately 43.3m. 

* If you know the tangent ratio:

tan(30)=h/(x+50) ==> h=tan(30)(x+50)
tan(60)=h/x ==> h=tan(60)*x

So tan(30)(x+50)=x*tan(60)

And (x+50)/sqrt(3)=sqrt(3)*x as before.

What are the reasons in Christian theology why it is important that Jesus was fully human?

In the early Christian church, a debate arose between those such as Marcion and gnostic groups who argued that if Jesus was divine, he would, like God, not be made of human flesh. Therefore, Jesus only pretended to be a human when he came to the earth in human form, and since he was not human, he did not suffer or die on the cross. This view of Jesus is called docetism. 

That Jesus be...

In the early Christian church, a debate arose between those such as Marcion and gnostic groups who argued that if Jesus was divine, he would, like God, not be made of human flesh. Therefore, Jesus only pretended to be a human when he came to the earth in human form, and since he was not human, he did not suffer or die on the cross. This view of Jesus is called docetism. 

That Jesus be fully human is important for several reasons. First, the gospel of John said that he was "the word made flesh." While the canon we call the Bible had not yet been set in the earliest years of the year, John's gospel was widely accepted as authoritative. Therefore, if it--and other widely accepted Biblical accounts-- said Jesus was "flesh," it was important to affirm that. Second, underlying the idea of Jesus as all spirit was the concept that physical matter was evil. Affirming this would negate the Old Testament belief that creation was good, a declaration God makes several times in Genesis. The early church did not want to sever ties with this Old Testament heritage. Finally, if flesh is evil, if Jesus had simply pretended to be human, and if he never died and hence never needed to resurrected, then the resurrection of the body, one of the foundations of Christian theology, would be false. Clearly, this wasn't going to work, so the council of Nicea rejected docetism out of hand and decided that Jesus "was born of the Virgin Mary ... died and was buried and on the third day rose again from the dead."

Kinetic and potential energy are the two types of energy that relate to?

There are various forms of energy and kinetic and potential energies are the most commonly known forms of energy. These two forms relate to the motion and position of an object, respectively.

Kinetic energy is related to the motion of a given object as per the following equation:

`KE = 1/2 mv^2`

where, m is mass of the object and v is its velocity. Thus, the faster an object is moving, more will be its...

There are various forms of energy and kinetic and potential energies are the most commonly known forms of energy. These two forms relate to the motion and position of an object, respectively.

Kinetic energy is related to the motion of a given object as per the following equation:

`KE = 1/2 mv^2`

where, m is mass of the object and v is its velocity. Thus, the faster an object is moving, more will be its kinetic energy.

Similarly, potential energy is related to the position of an object and is given as:

PE = mgh

where, g is acceleration due to gravity and h is its height. Thus, higher an object (with respect to some datum), more is its potential energy.

The various forms of energy can be converted to each other. For example, when we throw a ball up in the air, its kinetic energy is converted to its potential energy, during its upward motion. The ball will reach a maximum height, stop and then fall down. During the downward motion, potential energy converts to the kinetic energy.

Hope this helps. 

How did the Anne Frank diary beame so famous?

A diary is usually a very personal and a very private document. However, the entire world knows about Anne Frank’s diary. There are reasons why this happened.

Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, survived the Holocaust. When he discovered her diary, he decided to try to get it published. He believed it was a story worth sharing.

When you look at and read her diary, you will see that it is a very compelling story. The...

A diary is usually a very personal and a very private document. However, the entire world knows about Anne Frank’s diary. There are reasons why this happened.

Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, survived the Holocaust. When he discovered her diary, he decided to try to get it published. He believed it was a story worth sharing.

When you look at and read her diary, you will see that it is a very compelling story. The story of a young girl and her family trying to survive the Holocaust by hiding is a story that many people will find captivating. It tells of her struggles and of her frustrations. It also shows the bravery of some of the Dutch people. Many young readers can identify in various ways with what Anne went through. While most readers weren’t in a struggle for their life, they can understand the goals a young person has, and the frustrations one experiences in trying to achieve them. People are generally interested in stories that show extreme courage and bravery. This diary has all of these components. It also is a well-written diary.

Once it was published, many people read it. Anne’s story and the story of the Holocaust became clearer as a result of her diary.

Why doesn’t every plant and animal turn into a fossil?

There are multiple reasons as to why not every plant and animal turns into a fossil. The first thing that must be considered is the type of organism. Some organisms have only soft body parts that have a lower chance of being preserved because they simply decay too quickly, while others have hard body parts such as shells, bones or teeth that have a greater chance of being preserved.

In general, for an organism to...

There are multiple reasons as to why not every plant and animal turns into a fossil. The first thing that must be considered is the type of organism. Some organisms have only soft body parts that have a lower chance of being preserved because they simply decay too quickly, while others have hard body parts such as shells, bones or teeth that have a greater chance of being preserved.

In general, for an organism to become fossilized, it needs to be buried rapidly in order to be protected from the elements and predators. This can happen by being covered in sediment in areas of high sedimentation such as the bottom of a lake. It could happen by being trapped in amber or volcanic ash as well. Because of this, fossilization often depends on the environment. Organisms that die in areas where they will be exposed for a long period of time have a much less likely chance of being fossilized. 

Because it is fairly rare for an organism to become a fossil, our fossil record is not a complete record of life on earth. It is biased toward organisms that have hard body parts and those that lived in areas more favorable for fossilization. 

I hope this helps and happy studying!

How did the huge industrial trusts develop in industries such as steel and oil, and what was their effect on the economy?

Toward the end of the 1800s, huge trusts began to form in various industries, including the steel and the oil industries. This occurred in various ways. One factor that influenced the formation of trusts was the benefits of forming a corporation over a non-corporation. With a corporation, businesses can raise money more quickly by selling stock. The owners are also protected from lawsuits. Only the corporation can be sued, not the owners of the corporation.

...

Toward the end of the 1800s, huge trusts began to form in various industries, including the steel and the oil industries. This occurred in various ways. One factor that influenced the formation of trusts was the benefits of forming a corporation over a non-corporation. With a corporation, businesses can raise money more quickly by selling stock. The owners are also protected from lawsuits. Only the corporation can be sued, not the owners of the corporation.

Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller formed huge trusts in their respective industries. Carnegie had a big trust in the steel industry while Rockefeller had a big trust in the oil industry. They would often undersell the competition, forcing the competition to sell their businesses to Carnegie or Rockefeller. By buying out the competition, these men were able to dominate their industries.

The economy was affected by these actions. For consumers, fewer choices are not a good thing. Businesses are able to charge whatever prices they want when there is little or no competition. Workers are often negatively affected because they are working in huge companies. These workers are easily replaced. This makes it hard for them to get better pay and working conditions. The economy is dominated by a handful of influential businessmen. These people often influence major economic decisions because of the power they have.

The development of these trusts helped lead to the start of the Progressive Era. People became upset with the abuses they saw in politics, the economy, and the business world. This led to a series of laws and the development of government agencies to regulate the actions of businesses.  

How do Holden and Stradlater treat Ackley? How would you describe the relationship between Ackley and Holden?

Holden Caulfield and Ward Stradlater are roommates at Pencey Prep. Next door to their room lives Robert Ackley who is a senior, somewhat of a loner, and has very bad hygiene. Ackley gets along pretty well with Holden, but he does not like Stradlater because he thinks he's too rich and conceited. Holden identifies this accusation as false and reminds Ackley why he's really upset at Stradlater, as follows:

"The reason you're sore at Stradlater...

Holden Caulfield and Ward Stradlater are roommates at Pencey Prep. Next door to their room lives Robert Ackley who is a senior, somewhat of a loner, and has very bad hygiene. Ackley gets along pretty well with Holden, but he does not like Stradlater because he thinks he's too rich and conceited. Holden identifies this accusation as false and reminds Ackley why he's really upset at Stradlater, as follows:

"The reason you're sore at Stradlater is because he said that stuff about brushing your teeth once in awhile. He didn't mean to insult you, for cryin' out loud. He didn't say it right or anything, but he didn't mean anything insulting. All he meant was you'd look better and feel better if you sort of brushed your teeth once in awhile" (24).

Holden seems pretty genuine when he tells Ackley this. Holden may think that Ackley is gross and disgusting, but he does not want to hurt the guy. Plus, it seems as if Holden truly believes that Stradlater told Ackley to brush his teeth more often in an effort to help him rather than to insult him. Stradlater must not have done a good job on the delivery, though, because Holden admits "he didn't say it right." Usually Holden will blatantly point it out if someone is being phony, and Holden doesn't call Stradlater a phony in this situation. Also, Stradlater always says something nice to Ackley when he enters the room, but Ackley won't answer back. Ackley must feel inferior compared to Stradlater, so he doesn't like him. Stradlater might feel superior, but he wouldn't say it to Ackley's face if he does. Stradlater may not hang out with Ackley, but he doesn't bully him or beat up on him in any way, either.

As far as Ackley and Holden's relationship, it seems like they are somewhat friends. Holden mostly feels sorry for Ackley in every way. He takes pity on the fact that Ackley stays in the dorm most Saturday nights rather than hanging out with friends or going on dates. Holden is younger, but he asks Ackley to go with him and his buddy Brossard to get hamburgers and see a movie. Ackley demonstrates that he and Holden talk more than mere acquaintances because he knows that Holden has been kicked out of school and asks Holden if he's told his parents yet. It would seem, then, that the two have some type of friendship even though they would seem like a mismatch for being close buddies. 

How is Lennie described using animal imagery? What do these quotes suggest about Lennie?

In chapter one of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the author describes Lennie with animal imagery. He does so to suggest that Lennie is not only simple-minded like an animal but also has the strength of certain animals. In the second paragraph of the novel, Lennie is physically described:

Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his...

In chapter one of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the author describes Lennie with animal imagery. He does so to suggest that Lennie is not only simple-minded like an animal but also has the strength of certain animals. In the second paragraph of the novel, Lennie is physically described:

Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. 

Lennie is heavy and slow, not only physically but mentally. He is also powerfully strong and, as George says, "a hell of a good worker." In the third paragraph he is compared to a horse:

His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.

The horse comparison comes up later in the book when, in chapter five, the horses in the barn are described. Like Lennie, they are chained. Lennie is figuratively chained to repeating his mistakes over and over, just as the horses are chained to the slats in the barn and have no freedom.

A little later in chapter one, Lennie is also compared to a dog. Like a dog he is usually obedient to whatever George wants:

Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand.

He's not able to do anything himself, but with George's guidance he is able to get along without incident. It is when he is alone that he often gets in trouble, as in chapter five when he is alone with Curley's wife. When presented with a situation which might throw him into a panic he reverts to his animal urges, and when Curley's wife struggles he shakes her, breaking her neck.

What would you like to change in the novel The Great Gatsby?

If I could change something about The Great Gatsby, I would change the fact that Gatsby is still in love with Daisy. She is selfish and materialistic and she doesn't care who she hurts. She is unworthy of his devotion. If he did not still love her, he would not have bothered to return to her life, and he would not have been shot by George Wilson, Myrtle's husband. He would not have been...

If I could change something about The Great Gatsby, I would change the fact that Gatsby is still in love with Daisy. She is selfish and materialistic and she doesn't care who she hurts. She is unworthy of his devotion. If he did not still love her, he would not have bothered to return to her life, and he would not have been shot by George Wilson, Myrtle's husband. He would not have been with Daisy, Nick, Tom, and Jordan in New York City, and Wilson could not have seen his car. Daisy could not have killed Myrtle if she'd not been with Gatsby, and thus Wilson could not have assumed that Gatsby was his wife's lover and blamed him for her death.  

Certainly, Gatsby is not an innocent: he's told many lies, has plenty of shady business dealings, and the like. However, he is not a bad person (though he may do some bad things and know some bad people). His love for Daisy is innocent, and it unjustly crushes him because she cannot and does not love him back in the same way: she could never have let him take responsibility for Myrtle's death if she did. Therefore, his love for her is what I would change about the novel.

In The Bronze Bow, in what ways does Jesus appeal to Daniel in Chapter 15?

In Chapter 15, Daniel begins to travel routinely to Capernaum in the mornings and nights the hear Jesus preach. Although Daniel does not always understand what Jesus is talking about, there is hope and promise in Jesus' messages which appeal to Daniel. Daniel enjoys traveling in the mornings to see Jesus because the scenery is alive and there is much anticipation to hear Jesus speak to the crowds. Daniel tells his sister thatthere is...

In Chapter 15, Daniel begins to travel routinely to Capernaum in the mornings and nights the hear Jesus preach. Although Daniel does not always understand what Jesus is talking about, there is hope and promise in Jesus' messages which appeal to Daniel. Daniel enjoys traveling in the mornings to see Jesus because the scenery is alive and there is much anticipation to hear Jesus speak to the crowds. Daniel tells his sister that there is a stillness in Jesus' deep, steady voice which makes his messages unforgettable. He mentions that in the mornings when Jesus speaks, nothing seems impossible. Daniel believes that the kingdom of God is nearer whenever he listens to Jesus. He is not sure if Jesus has been training for an upcoming battle with the Romans, but Daniel knows that Jesus has the strength of God in him. Daniel does not fully understand Jesus' plans or his messages, which is why he continually returns to listen to Jesus speak. Jesus is an intriguing figure who appeals to Daniel, and Daniel wishes to unlock the secrets in Jesus' messages.

Discuss humor and pathos in Lamb's "The Superannuated Man."

In "The Superannuated Man" Elia, Lamb's alter-ego, discusses his retirement after 36 years of work in a business, a situation similar to Lamb's own retirement from the East India House. In this essay, pathos and humor are woven together: we laugh and cry at the same time, but perhaps most strongly feel the pathos of Elia's situation in which both work and retirement have their price. 

Elia first talks eloquently about how he longed for...

In "The Superannuated Man" Elia, Lamb's alter-ego, discusses his retirement after 36 years of work in a business, a situation similar to Lamb's own retirement from the East India House. In this essay, pathos and humor are woven together: we laugh and cry at the same time, but perhaps most strongly feel the pathos of Elia's situation in which both work and retirement have their price. 

Elia first talks eloquently about how he longed for time off when he worked. We feel the pain of the brevity of his vacations and the irony of how difficult a time he had enjoying them because they were so short. He writes of his week's annual holiday:

its recurrence, I believe, alone kept me up through the year, and made my durance tolerable. But when the week came round, did the glittering phantom of the distance keep touch with me? or rather was it not a series of seven uneasy days, spent in restless pursuit of pleasure, and a wearisome anxiety to find out how to make the most of them? Where was the quiet, where the promised rest? Before I had a taste of it, it was vanished. I was at the desk again, counting upon the fifty-one tedious weeks that must intervene before such another snatch would come. 

As he gets older, he worries at home about making a mistake at work, poking gentle fun at himself for the night terrors he experiences, but more fully, revealing to us the pathos of what it's like to take work home with him. 

After he retires, pathos and humor mix. He has his desired freedom and finds it overwhelming: 

I wandered about, thinking I was happy, and knowing that I was not. I was in the condition of a prisoner in the old Bastile, suddenly let loose after a forty years’ confinement.

More pathos and humor emerge as he visits his former workplace. He had wanted nothing more than escape from this job, which he compared to prison, then, ironically feels displaced when "my old desk; the peg where I hung my hat, were appropriated to another."

There's humor but truth in his observations of what happens when we get what we most wish for: we often don't know what to do with it, and we often experience a sense of loss along with the gain. Elia manages to adjust to retirement and the wealth of time he has each day, every day. But he lets us know in his quiet way that the change isn't entirely easy. 

What is the role of plants in the carbon cycle?

Carbon is Absorbed by Plants

Plants absorb carbon (C), in the form of carbon dioxide (`~CO_2` ), into their cells from the atmosphere. 

The plants then use the absorbed `~CO_2` in the chemical process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun and combine `~CO_2` with water to form sugar (`~CH_2O` ) and oxygen (`~O_2` ), as shown in the reaction below:

     `~CO_2 + ~H_2O + ` energy `-gt ~CH_2O + ~O_2`

Carbon is...

Carbon is Absorbed by Plants

Plants absorb carbon (C), in the form of carbon dioxide (`~CO_2` ), into their cells from the atmosphere. 

The plants then use the absorbed `~CO_2` in the chemical process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun and combine `~CO_2` with water to form sugar (`~CH_2O` ) and oxygen (`~O_2` ), as shown in the reaction below:

     `~CO_2 + ~H_2O + ` energy `-gt ~CH_2O + ~O_2`

Carbon is Released by Plants

Plants return carbon to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide  (`~CO_2)` . This can occur four ways:

1. Plants break down the sugar for energy and release carbon dioxide.


2. Animals eat plants, break down the sugar for energy, and release carbon dioxide.


3. Plants die and decay. During the decay process, bacteria eat the dead plants, break down the sugar for energy, and release carbon dioxide .


4. Plants are destroyed by fire. When plants are burned, the sugar combines with oxygen to release carbon dioxide.  .

All four of these processes occur according to the chemical reaction below:

       `~CH_2O + ~O_2 -gt ~CO_2 + ~H_2O +` energy

Once carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere, the carbon cycle begins again.

` `

Discuss the confrontation between Squeaky, and Gretchen and her sidekicks.

In “Raymond’s Run,” Toni Cade Bambara exposes a number of Squeaky’s character traits during her encounter with Gretchen and her “sidekicks.” As Squeaky and her brother walk down Broadway, they walk close to the buildings, which keeps Raymond’s behavior under control. 

When Squeaky sees Gretchen and her girl group approaching, she has to decide whether to face them, or to step into a store for a few minutes. True to Squeaky’s feisty spirit, she chooses...

In “Raymond’s Run,” Toni Cade Bambara exposes a number of Squeaky’s character traits during her encounter with Gretchen and her “sidekicks.” As Squeaky and her brother walk down Broadway, they walk close to the buildings, which keeps Raymond’s behavior under control. 

When Squeaky sees Gretchen and her girl group approaching, she has to decide whether to face them, or to step into a store for a few minutes. True to Squeaky’s feisty spirit, she chooses to engage in banter with them. Gretchen’s friends ask facetious questions about the race and about Raymond. Squeaky’s motherly instincts toward her brother are exposed. She calls the other girls names and threatens them. When it comes to Gretchen, the two girls silently give each the once over. Gretchen gives Squeaky a false smile before the girls walk away. There is a glimmer of respect between the two, and they make an unconscious decision to let the race decide their relationship.

How can social media influence politics and elections in the twenty-first century? What is the effect on youth voters?

At this point, we really do not know for certain how social media will influence politics and elections in this century.  We can make some guesses, but we have not yet had very many elections during the era of social media, which means that we lack data to make firm conclusions.  Moreover, it is very difficult to separate out the impact of social media from all the other factors that help to determine how people...

At this point, we really do not know for certain how social media will influence politics and elections in this century.  We can make some guesses, but we have not yet had very many elections during the era of social media, which means that we lack data to make firm conclusions.  Moreover, it is very difficult to separate out the impact of social media from all the other factors that help to determine how people vote in elections.

It seems likely that social media will help politics and elections become more personalized.  The era of big data and the internet has already pushed us a long way down this road, but social media can help move us even further.  Politicians try very hard to do what is called “narrowcasting.”  They try to tailor specific messages to specific people.  These messages are, they believe, the messages that will be most likely to convince those particular people.  Social media can help with this process.  Campaigns can mine people’s social media pages for information about what sorts of things those people like and dislike.  They can compare these profiles to information they already have, which allows them to make educated guesses about what sorts of appeals will work with each individual person.  They can contact those people directly through social media.  Alternatively, the can see if any of those people’s social media contacts are already supporting their candidate and they can use that information to help reach out to these potential voters.

Social media might also help broaden the electorate and bring in more young people in particular.  Younger people have historically been much less likely to vote than older people.  Social media might be able to help lure these younger people to participate in elections.  Younger people might be more responsive when campaigns use social media because social media is a newer form of communication and one that younger people are more used to using.  Young people might tune out communications that come through old-fashioned means while being more receptive to social media.

These are some potential ways in which social media might affect elections and politics in the 21st century (or at least in this part of it).  However, we have very little data about how social media affects these things and we do not even know how important social media will continue to be as we go forward in time.

What are the first two lines of the poem "What is Red" by Mary O'Neill?

The poem “What is Red?” is included in Mary O’Neill’s children's book Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Color, which she wrote in 1961.

The first two lines of the two-stanza poem are

Red is a sunset

Blazing and bright.

The first two lines are written as a metaphor and set the tone of the poem, which is a series of metaphors describing what the color red “is.” By writing the poem as a list of metaphors, O’Neill appeals to the reader's senses through vivid imagery so children can identify with red as a color with a variety of associations. As she makes her list of common—and less common—items associated with the color red, the reader can see, hear, and feel “red.” It becomes much more than a color. At first, the reader is told “red is a sunset,” but as the poem progresses it becomes, among other things, “a feeling,” “a brick,” “hotness,” “lipstick,” “a signal,” and “a Valentine heart.”

In addition to metaphors, Mary O’Neill uses personification in the poem:

And when you’re angry

Red runs through your head.

This is an example of personification because Mary O'Neill says the color red is capable of running, a human behavior.

Throughout the poem, the author demonstrates how important the color red is in everyday life.

Which four characters finally confront one another in Scene 1 of Act V of Julius Caesar?

Act V, Scene 1 opens just before the Battle of Philippi. On one side is the army of Octavius and Antony. On the other side are the armies of Brutus and Cassius. Since Shakespeare cannot show two armies fighting on his stage, he has these four men hold a "parley" prior to the engagement. Brutus is obviously hoping that they can come to some peaceable agreement without a bloody clash of two huge forces. He begins the parley by asking:

Words before blows. Is it so, countrymen?

If only he can get them talking, he might be able to talk them into a truce. He is reminding them that they are all fellow countrymen and asking, in effect, whether they insist on fighting. This is in character for Brutus. He is a man who believes in reason and justice rather than force. He does not, however, want to be the one who asks for a truce, since that would show that he feels weak.He is framing his words to get Antony and Octavius to give some indication of whether they would consider settling their differences peacefully, leaving it up to them. This is futile, but one wonders what exactly Brutus had in mind. Would he consider letting the triumvirate of Octavius, Antony and Lepidus retain the rulership of the Roman Empire while he retired to a country home somewhere and spent his time reading and meditating, which is all he likes to do anyway?

Octavius is a young hothead and wants to fight. But he probably would not insist on a battle if Antony indicated that he was willing to talk about a truce. Antony is in no mood to talk about peace because he is still furious about the assassination of his good friend Julius Caesar.

Villains! You did not so when your vile daggers
Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar.
You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet,
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!

Why does Shakespeare stage this parley when nothing comes of it? For one thing, the four men in armor have to represent all the soldiers who cannot be shown on a small stage. For another thing, it shows who is fighting and what they are fighting about. It also characterizes the four principals of the play. Antony is vindictive. Octavius is a hothead who wants to assert himself as Julius Caesar's heir. Brutus is a reasonable man but will fight if he has to. Cassius, as usual, is looking out for himself. He flatters Antony outrageously when he says:

The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Cassius is probably thinking that if they should lose the battle, he would like Antony to have a somewhat cordial feeling toward him because of his friendly attitude and his praise of Antony's funeral speech. At the same time, Cassius is taking a subtle dig at Brutus by reminding him that, in the first place, he didn't want Antony to be allowed to speak at all, and, in the second place, that Antony's speech was far more eloquent and effective than that of Brutus. By seeming to favor Antony over Brutus like this, Cassius may be dropping a subtle hint that he might be willing to go over to the side of Antony and Octavius against Brutus. That would mean certain disaster for Brutus; but Cassius, as usual, is thoroughly selfish, unscrupulous, and opportunistic. He doesn't expect to win this battle, and he warned Brutus against getting involved in it at this time and in this place.

Shakespeare's audience should enjoy this scene. They are seeing four great men all together for the only time in the play, and they are experiencing the illusion that they are witnessing a famous event in world history. 

In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which characters support Linda? Which characters oppose Linda?

Linda is supported by her own family members, her first mistress, and the Bruce family. Linda is opposed by the Flints.

At the beginning, Linda has a decent life. Her mother is a good cook, and her father is an esteemed carpenter. In fact, Linda does not even know she is a slave until she turns six (when her mother dies). Even at that point, she is given to her very first mistress who is...

Linda is supported by her own family members, her first mistress, and the Bruce family. Linda is opposed by the Flints.

At the beginning, Linda has a decent life. Her mother is a good cook, and her father is an esteemed carpenter. In fact, Linda does not even know she is a slave until she turns six (when her mother dies). Even at that point, she is given to her very first mistress who is a pleasure to work for in that she teaches Linda to read and allows her to "sew for hours" while she sits by her mistress' side. Later on, Mrs. Bruce supports Linda by caring for her children's welfare. As noted above, it is Mrs. Bruce who says that "it is better for you to have the baby with you, Linda." Encouraging Linda to take her child with her on the journey shows that Mrs. Bruce is truly on Linda's side. Of course, "Aunt Marthy" (who is actually Linda's maternal grandmother) is always in support of Linda as well. It is for this reason that Linda's grandmother's house is searched "from top to bottom" when Linda escapes.

On the other hand, Dr. Flint and Mrs. Flint are most definitely opposed to Linda. They verbally abuse her continually. Further, Dr. Flint sexually harasses Linda. Mrs. Flint is jealous of Linda and takes it out on her. Dr. Flint continually says things like the following:

By heavens, girl, you forget yourself too far! Are you mad? If you are, I will soon bring you to your senses. 

Dr. Flint dresses Linda in a "scanty wardrobe" on purpose (in order to provide himself the pleasure of looking at her). He continually makes sexual advances, hoping that Linda will comply willingly. She never does; therefore, Dr. Flint continues his verbal abuse until she escapes.

What does Santiago notice at the abandoned church that he takes shelter in on his way to the merchant?

Santiago is a shepherd boy who genuinely loves his sheep. He even calls each sheep by name. While he is traveling through familiar country in Andalusia, he happens upon a dilapidated church that he has stayed at once before. One interesting characteristic about this abandoned church is that "an enormous sycamore had grown on the spot where the sacristy had once stood" (3). Not only that, but there is a fence that keeps the flock...

Santiago is a shepherd boy who genuinely loves his sheep. He even calls each sheep by name. While he is traveling through familiar country in Andalusia, he happens upon a dilapidated church that he has stayed at once before. One interesting characteristic about this abandoned church is that "an enormous sycamore had grown on the spot where the sacristy had once stood" (3). Not only that, but there is a fence that keeps the flock in during the night. All he has to do is lay some planks across the broken gate and the sheep will not run off. 

What is most interesting about the church, however--and what Santiago notices specifically--is that the last time he had stayed at this church he had dreamed a dream that made him "feel anger toward his faithful companions" (7). He experienced feelings about his sheep that he had not felt before, such as thinking that they were dumb beasts and that he could destroy them easily if he chose to do so. The following is another realization he has at the church:

"If I became a monster today, and decided to kill them, one by one, they would become aware only after most of the flock had been slaughtered, thought the boy. They trust me, and they've forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment" (7).

Santiago is surprised that he would feel these negative things and believes that the sycamore must be haunted. Then there is the curious dream that he had both times while staying at the church that confuses him. He decides that he better investigate its meaning by seeking out an old woman in Tarifa who may be able to interpret it for him. He was on his way there anyway to sell wool and see the Merchant's daughter, so he decides to find the old woman as well. 

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting, he thought, as he looked again at the position of the sun, and hurried his pace" (11).

Discuss how the geostrategic location of Kenya is behind the British occupation of the country.

Geostrategic location refers to the reason why a place is important because of its geography.  Kenya offered some important benefits for Great Britain.  First, it should be stated that Britain needed more resources and land because of the limitations of its own land.  Kenya's highlands were perfect for agriculture. People could move there and expect to be successful in farming.  Kenya was also located near the source of the Nile River at Lake Victoria.  England...

Geostrategic location refers to the reason why a place is important because of its geography.  Kenya offered some important benefits for Great Britain.  First, it should be stated that Britain needed more resources and land because of the limitations of its own land.  Kenya's highlands were perfect for agriculture. People could move there and expect to be successful in farming.  Kenya was also located near the source of the Nile River at Lake Victoria.  England already controlled most of the Nile River and controlling the source of the river as well was important for continued control of the Suez Canal.  Acquiring Kenya also gave Britain significantly more coastline and more access to the Indian Ocean and their colonies in Asia.  Kenya also offered mineral resources to add to Great Britain's wealth.  Additionally, the acquisition of more land through colonization was seen as a sign of being more powerful than your rivals in Europe in the 19th Century.

Gladwell points out that Terman's "Termites" could be divided into three groups based upon their success. What factors did the members of group A...

Gladwell refers to the psychological study conducted by Lewis Terman three times. The analysis of the A, B, and C groups appears in Chapter Four, “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2.” Beginning in the 1920s, Terman studied 1,470 California children whose IQs averaged more than 140. Because of the researcher’s surname, the “young geniuses” became known as “Termites.” After they reached adulthood, Terman divided the individuals into groups he called A, B, and C, depending...

Gladwell refers to the psychological study conducted by Lewis Terman three times. The analysis of the A, B, and C groups appears in Chapter Four, “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2.” Beginning in the 1920s, Terman studied 1,470 California children whose IQs averaged more than 140. Because of the researcher’s surname, the “young geniuses” became known as “Termites.” After they reached adulthood, Terman divided the individuals into groups he called A, B, and C, depending on the types of jobs they had and how successful they had become. The people in Group A were the top of the crop. They included doctors, lawyers, and engineers. 90% of them had graduated from college. The majority of them came from homes in the middle and upper class – homes that were filled with books. Terman’s study showed that even the smartest people also needed a supportive community around them in order to advance well in life. Those that didn’t have that family background were more likely to land in groups B or C.

What is the work of the Gothic period focused on?

Gothic literature describes a style of fiction which developed and became popular in the late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries. Such writing developed with the intention of speaking to a sense of disquiet in readers' minds and as a rejection of Enlightenment literature, which emphasized the quantifiable and logical nature of the world. Gothic novels are characterized by themes of death, horror, and tragic relationships. The mood of the Gothic novel is altogether foreboding, with stories often taking...

Gothic literature describes a style of fiction which developed and became popular in the late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries. Such writing developed with the intention of speaking to a sense of disquiet in readers' minds and as a rejection of Enlightenment literature, which emphasized the quantifiable and logical nature of the world. Gothic novels are characterized by themes of death, horror, and tragic relationships. The mood of the Gothic novel is altogether foreboding, with stories often taking place in settings which once were grand but have since fallen into disrepair. The dilapidated castle, the crumbling monastery, and the old haunted house are staples of Gothic setting. Supernatural elements are quite common in this genre, in the form of ghosts or humanoid beasts, like the monster of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 

Gothic literature deals very much with morality, and uses such dark or macabre settings to reflect a perceived societal moral decay. Gothic fiction is heavily influenced by the cultural attitude that beauty and morality are tied to one another. Villains in this genre are often physically marked as abnormal in some way as a result of or in occurrence with their sins. In this way, spiritual ugliness translates to physical ugliness. 

What are impacts of modernization on our life?

Modernization has a number of effects on culture and society. The answer really depends on what category you are looking to examine. Modernization tends to have a big effect on economics as economies move to the use of more technology in the factors of production. This can have positive effects like lower prices and a greater variety of goods. At the same time, modernizing the economy can result in lower wages, unequal distribution of wealth,...

Modernization has a number of effects on culture and society. The answer really depends on what category you are looking to examine. Modernization tends to have a big effect on economics as economies move to the use of more technology in the factors of production. This can have positive effects like lower prices and a greater variety of goods. At the same time, modernizing the economy can result in lower wages, unequal distribution of wealth, and environmental pollution. This is especially true of companies that modernize to the extent of becoming global entities.

Modernization also has a cultural or social impact. Countries that modernize generally rely on science more. This allows for greater research in the area of health that can improve the health of people and extend the lifespans of members within the culture. Science and modernization can make living more efficient and people more connected through better transportation and communication. Modernization can have a great impact on many areas of a culture, from religion to language to customs and traditions. As an example, modernized cultures tend to be more secular and less religious than cultures that have not modernized. They look for science to explain the unknown rather than faith. In general, modernized civilizations move at a much quicker pace than those that are not.

The site that is referenced below discusses more of the cultural impacts of modernization and discusses gender and family dynamics of modernization. The site discusses these issues in the context of Pacific cultures.

Can the fatty acids of guava be used for making gasoline fuel for butane lighters?

The short answer is yes, fatty acids from a guava could hypothetically be used to fuel a butane lighter. I don't personally know of any instances of this being performed, and online research yielded no results - based on my knowledge of this process, there are probably other biofuels better suited for hydrocarbon extraction (since guava have such little fat content), and other end-products that guava are better suited for (possibly alcohol fermentation due to...

The short answer is yes, fatty acids from a guava could hypothetically be used to fuel a butane lighter. I don't personally know of any instances of this being performed, and online research yielded no results - based on my knowledge of this process, there are probably other biofuels better suited for hydrocarbon extraction (since guava have such little fat content), and other end-products that guava are better suited for (possibly alcohol fermentation due to high amounts of sugar in fruits). However the fundamental chemistry remains the same, and given the right tools it should be possible.

It should be noted that gasoline and butane are not the same thing; butane is a specific hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C4H10, whereas gasoline is a mix of several hydrocarbons including butane and several others. Butane is also frequently used in gaseous form. Depending upon the construction of the lighter, it may not be possible to fuel a butane lighter with gasoline, or vice versa. 

However, both butane and gasoline are based on hydrocarbons, and fatty acids are essentially hydrocarbon chains with a carboxylic acid molecule at one end. Removing the carboxylic acid should render the hydrocarbons free to be used for other purposes. Unfortunately the nutritional information provided in the photo doesn't tell us enough about the chemical structure of the fatty acids, so we can't really tell what hydrocarbons they could form. The only exception is the Omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, although these names only describe one portion of the hydrocarbon, and neither of them are de facto progenitors of butane. 

What do you suppose is the theme of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"? The speaker is forced to move on even though he desires to remain in...

One of the central themes of this poem is that every person is, at some point, torn between what they want and what others expect from them.

The speaker of the poem is clearly someone with responsibilities; busyness, for him, is so routine that even his horse thinks it is strange when he makes an unscheduled or atypical stop. It is a very dark night, and the speaker is arrested in his progress through the...

One of the central themes of this poem is that every person is, at some point, torn between what they want and what others expect from them.

The speaker of the poem is clearly someone with responsibilities; busyness, for him, is so routine that even his horse thinks it is strange when he makes an unscheduled or atypical stop. It is a very dark night, and the speaker is arrested in his progress through the forest by the beauty of the scene around him: the "woods fill[ing] up with snow," the complete solitude (there is no "farmhouse near"), the sound of "easy wind and downy flake," and the perfect, unbroken darkness. This image is quite tranquil, and it seems to have a soothing effect on the speaker as well, given the language he uses to describe it.

He acknowledges that "The woods are lovely, dark and deep," emphasizing the beauty of the scene first. Because "dark and deep" describes the forest's loveliness, we can understand that the reason he finds it so beautiful is precisely because of that perfect darkness and the way the wood seems to go on and on, allowing him to forget -- momentarily -- the other responsibilities he has.  Finally, however, he decides that he cannot stay in this beautiful place, though he might wish to, because he has "promises to keep." The speaker chooses his obligation to others over his own preference to stay in this peaceful place. Not everyone would necessarily make the same choice, but the poem does emphasize that it is a choice.

What advice does Circe give concerning Scylla and Charybdis?

Regarding Scylla, Circe tells Odysseus that the she-monster has twelve horrible feet and six long necks, each neck topped with an awful head that has three rows of teeth each.  She lives in a cave and cries horribly like a young dog, thrusting her heads out of her cave to snatch men from their ships as they pass, one man per terrible head.  About Charybdis, Circe says that the terrible whirlpool sucks the ocean water...

Regarding Scylla, Circe tells Odysseus that the she-monster has twelve horrible feet and six long necks, each neck topped with an awful head that has three rows of teeth each.  She lives in a cave and cries horribly like a young dog, thrusting her heads out of her cave to snatch men from their ships as they pass, one man per terrible head.  About Charybdis, Circe says that the terrible whirlpool sucks the ocean water down and spits it back up three times per day.  She says that if Odysseus's ship is there during one of the times Charybdis pulls the water down, there is no way to survive; all on board will perish by drowning.  Circe advises that he steer toward Scylla because then he can only lose six men at most, and he could lose all if Charybdis gets them.  When he argues and insists that they might wait and watch Charybdis to try to figure out when it is safe to pass her, Circe tells him, "Courage is nothing; flight is best." 

In The Kite Runner, what does the slingshot symbolize?

In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, the slingshot is a recurring symbol. An important factor in considering the slingshot's figurative or symbolic significance is the context in which the slingshot appears over the course of the novel. 

The slingshot is first used by Hassan, and then later by his son Sohrab. In each case, the boy using the slingshot is working to protect Amir, the narrator of the novel, from Assef, the antagonist...

In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, the slingshot is a recurring symbol. An important factor in considering the slingshot's figurative or symbolic significance is the context in which the slingshot appears over the course of the novel. 

The slingshot is first used by Hassan, and then later by his son Sohrab. In each case, the boy using the slingshot is working to protect Amir, the narrator of the novel, from Assef, the antagonist of the novel. 

With this knowledge, the reader can interpret several important meanings of the slingshot: 

• It insinuates strong similarities between Hassan and Sohrab, indicating that not only are they father and son, but that they have similar personality traits. 


• The slingshot could be associated with loyalty and protection, as in each case it is used to protect a character whose relationship with the user is not ideal, but a character for whom the user feels strongly protective of nevertheless. 

If you do not experience moral obligation, does that imply that nothing you do is right or wrong according to Kant?

Kant believes unequivocally in an objective right and wrong.  The standard that he applies to action in deciding whether it is right or wrong is called the "categorical imperative," and comes in three forms. The first formulation involves the standard of universalizability, and asks whether you could will that the proposed course of action become a universal law. That is to ask ourselves, "In the kind of situation that I am in, would it be...

Kant believes unequivocally in an objective right and wrong.  The standard that he applies to action in deciding whether it is right or wrong is called the "categorical imperative," and comes in three forms. The first formulation involves the standard of universalizability, and asks whether you could will that the proposed course of action become a universal law. That is to ask ourselves, "In the kind of situation that I am in, would it be a good thing if everyone did what I'm about to do?" 

The second formulation of the categorical imperative requires treating others as ends in themselves and not as means only, and the third formulation involves promotion of a "kingdom of ends," which is for Kant a kind of social ideal in which every rational being lives by common objective laws that include mutual respect.

All decisions are regulated by either categorical or hypothetical imperatives. Hypothetical imperatives are those which govern prudent action, or action that is beneficial given a particular goal. (I want to do well in my philosophy class, therefore I must read the assigned literature.) Decisions that are governed by categorical imperatives have objectively right and wrong courses of action.

Kant says that our decisions should be governed by a sense of duty to uphold the moral law. However, making the morally correct decisions in spite of not feeling that sense of moral obligation helps to cultivate a virtuous volition. In fact, Kant indicates that the only thing that is truly good without qualification is a good will. He also claims that it is the intent of the person acting that makes the action truly good, not the effect of the action. Thus in Kant's eyes, even if your good action turns out badly, it is still good because of your good will in acting. 

In the story "The Lady or the Tiger" who was the king being unfair to and in what way?

Technically, the king isn't unfair to anyone in Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger." Every accused man has the same probability of proving his innocence or guilt. The king's justice includes a trial in an arena. The accused has a choice of two doors. From behind one door comes a ferocious tiger which kills him, and from behind the other a lady who promptly marries him. The choice of the doors is...

Technically, the king isn't unfair to anyone in Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger." Every accused man has the same probability of proving his innocence or guilt. The king's justice includes a trial in an arena. The accused has a choice of two doors. From behind one door comes a ferocious tiger which kills him, and from behind the other a lady who promptly marries him. The choice of the doors is completely random (until the end when the princess discovers the secret of the doors during the trial of her lover). Stockton writes:

Its perfect fairness is obvious. The criminal could not know out of which door would come the lady; he opened either he pleased, without having the slightest idea whether, in the next instant, he was to be devoured or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on some out of the other. The decisions of this tribunal were not only fair, they were positively determinate: the accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not.

Of course the argument could be made that if an accused man was actually innocent but chose poorly, the king's justice failed and was truly unfair. On the other hand, if a guilty man chose the lady, justice would again be thwarted. Another argument could be made that the king was terribly unfair to the princess's lover. He was simply guilty of loving above his means, despite the fact "he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom". The reader can only hope that the princess indicated the door with the lady in order to save the "brave" man. 

What is Atticus's role in the children's relationship with Arthur (Boo) Radley in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus's primary role in his children's relationship to Arthur (Boo) Radley is to teach his children to treat Arthur respectfully.Atticus tries to get his children to treat Arthur respectfully by discouraging them from asking or talking about him. For instance, Scout informs us in her narration that any time Jem asks Atticus a question about the Radleys, "Atticus's only answer was for him to mind his...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus's primary role in his children's relationship to Arthur (Boo) Radley is to teach his children to treat Arthur respectfully.

Atticus tries to get his children to treat Arthur respectfully by discouraging them from asking or talking about him. For instance, Scout informs us in her narration that any time Jem asks Atticus a question about the Radleys, "Atticus's only answer was for him to mind his own business and let the Radleys mind theirs, they had a right to" (Chapter 1). Another time, Scout's and Jem's curiosity piques when Atticus must go to the Radleys' to pay his respects and help with legal matters after Mrs. Radley's death. When Atticus returns and Scout asks if he has seen Arthur, all Scout receives in reply is a stern, "I did not" (Chapter 8). All these reactions show Atticus thinks it is disrespectful for the children to treat Arthur as a mere curiosity or circus sideshow, and wants to teach them to be respectful by not feeding their curiosity.

Atticus is also much more of a hands-off parent who prefers to allow his children to learn from their own mistakes. For that reason, Atticus does not come down on them very hard the summer they pull multiple antics to try to get a look at Arthur, even though Atticus is perfectly aware of what they are doing. Despite Atticus's quietness, Scout learns her lesson. By the time she enters third grade, she has come to realize how cruel she, Jem, and Dill were to bother Arthur. By the end of the story, she also knows that, despite their cruelty, Arthur reached out to the children in friendship in his quiet way, and Atticus is grateful for Arthur's protection of his children.

What effect is Dimmesdale's guilt having on his discernment ?

Dimmesdale's guilt seems to be making him somewhat less discerning.  Chillingworth had chosen Dimmesdale to be his spiritual guide, and it was at about this time that "the health of Mr. Dimmesdale had evidently begun to fail."  Although people in the town were, at first, very hopeful that Chillingworth would be able to help their poor minister, they soon come to believe that "the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale [...] was haunted either by Satan himself, or...

Dimmesdale's guilt seems to be making him somewhat less discerning.  Chillingworth had chosen Dimmesdale to be his spiritual guide, and it was at about this time that "the health of Mr. Dimmesdale had evidently begun to fail."  Although people in the town were, at first, very hopeful that Chillingworth would be able to help their poor minister, they soon come to believe that "the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale [...] was haunted either by Satan himself, or Satan's emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth."  Dimmesdale had allowed himself to be matched up Chillingworth as roommates, and -- even in very close quarters -- he seems unable to realize that the doctor is trying to "[dig] into [his] heart, like a miner searching for gold."  

Further, the narrator says,

Mr. Dimmesdale would perhaps have seen this individual's character more perfectly, if a certain morbidness, to which sick hearts are liable, had not rendered him suspicious of all mankind.  Trusting no man as his friend, he could not recognize his enemy when the latter actually appeared.

Thus, we can understand that Dimmesdale's "sick heart" is the result of his guilt, and this guilt has made him distrustful of everyone.  Because he is constantly wary of all, he is unable to pick up on the fact that he ought to be warier of one person than anyone else.  Therefore, his discernment has most definitely decreased as a result of his guilt.

What elements or clues foreshadow the ending in the short story "After Twenty Years"?

The ending is foreshadowed by Jimmy’s deliberateness and Bob’s facial features.

O' Henry uses characterization to foreshadow the ending of the story.  The character traits of Bob and Jimmy that he introduces predict the ending.  

Jimmy and Bob were really good friends once.  They agreed to meet each other twenty years into the future.  Each managed to make the meeting.

Jimmy was a police officer.  The fact that he was unable to arrest his friend Bob is foreshadowed by the care and deliberateness to which he walked down the street.

 The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few. The time was barely 10 o'clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well nigh depeopled the streets.

Just by how Jimmy walks down the street, trying doorknobs and keeping an eye out, you can tell that he takes his job as a police officer seriously.  For Jimmy, being a cop is not just a job.  It is a way of life.  He would never break the law, even to help a friend.

While the foreshadowing of Jimmy is mostly about his personality, Bob’s role is foreshadowed through his physical features.  This is important, because it is recognizing Bob is what makes Jimmy choose.

The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.

Jimmy recognizes Bob as a criminal from Chicago, and that is apparent from this scene.  The fact that he recognized him and knew that he was a criminal, but told no one, foreshadows the ending scene where he has another policeman arrest him. 

When Bob says that Jimmy is a standup guy, it foreshadows the fact that he will do the right thing.  Yet he also says that they are good friends.  This fits with what happens.  Jimmy sees Bob, passes him without introducing himself, and gets another policeman to arrest him.  Bob is his friend, and Bob is a criminal.  Jimmy can’t let him go, but does not have the will to arrest him himself.  For the sake of their old friendship, he has someone else do it.

What companies or products are named in Unwind?

One company that is named in the novel is Old Navy. The reference to the real-world store occurs in chapter one. Connor has just come home after trying to convince his girlfriend to "kick-AWOL" with him. Connor is committed to running away because he has discovered that his parents want him "unwound." When Connor arrives home, his dad tries to make small talk with Connor and tells Connor about a recent "clapper" incident.

"They blew up an Old Navy in the North Akron mall."

Later in chapter one, Connor is on the run from the police. He's jumping barriers and running across lanes of traffic. He comes face to face with the car that is carrying Lev. The type of car is specifically mentioned. It is a Cadillac.  

In chapter two, the reader meets Risa. She is staying at the book's equivalent of an orphanage. Specifically she is at "Ohio State Home 23." I know it doesn't have a real world equivalent, but it is a specific business that is named in the book. A few pages later, the home's headmaster mentions Carnegie Hall.

'You're coming along nicely. I look forward to the day I see those hands playing in Carnegie Hall.'

Another fictional company that is mentioned in chapter two is Twin Lakes Harvest Camp, which is where Risa is being sent to be unwound at a future date because the state home doesn't have room for her any longer. 

Chapter three introduces readers to Lev. His favorite color is red. Not just any red—"Cincinnati Reds" red.

Spam is also specifically mentioned. It's what Connor must eat while he is in hiding with Roland. 

While Lev is struggling to find food on the run, he tries to scavenge food from Wicked Wok Chinese. 

CyFi recounts his brain injury to Lev and mentions that his right temporal lobe was turned into "Jell-O." 

There are others, but that should get you started.

Can Sita from The Ramayana by Valmiki be a role model to modern women?

In my mind, there is little doubt that Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women.

Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women in a variety of ways. The first way is through her independent spirit.  She is fiercely independent and unwilling to bend her will to any external force.  Her father, King Janaka of Mithila, instructed her to affirm self-respect and not acquiesce to anything beneath her...

In my mind, there is little doubt that Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women.

Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women in a variety of ways. The first way is through her independent spirit.  She is fiercely independent and unwilling to bend her will to any external force.  Her father, King Janaka of Mithila, instructed her to affirm self-respect and not acquiesce to anything beneath her dignity.  As she matured, Sita devi took these lessons to heart. She chose to serve Lord Rama because she loves him.  Such displays of independence make her a role model to women and men. She is able to show how freedom means being able to strike a balance between one's voice and showing care for another.  In the modern setting, there is a belief that independence means being non-negotiable when it comes to one's voice.  To be free means rejecting anything and anyone else that might be limiting.  Sita devi demonstrates how individuals can possess their own voice even when combining it with another person's.  When Sita devi serves Lord Rama, it is not because he silences or compels her.  It is because both of them know that they are stronger when their voices combine.  They draw strength from one other.  Sita's insight into this relationship dynamic is something that modern audiences can appreciate. 

Sita devi's devotion is sometimes misread as weakness. It is important to challenge this with evidence from The Ramayana.  As much as she loves Lord Rama, she is fiercely independent when it comes to rebuking Ravana. Even though the conditions in Lanka would test the resolve of anyone, Sita does not relent.  This is another area where Sita devi can be a role model to women and men.  Ravana offers her luxury and wealth.  He offers her royal status if she consents to marry him.  All she has to do is simply nod her head and she would find herself set for life.  Yet, Sita remains defiant.  She suffers greatly for her defiance.  Banished to the Ashoka grove, she has to deal with the terror of the demons that do Ravana's bidding.  While Sita is weary, her resolve does not waver. Even when Hanuman comes to rescue her, saying that he will take her to Lord Rama, Sita devi insists that she will not touch another man.  While she knows this means she will suffer more indignities, she tells Hanuman that she will only go home with Lord Rama.  

Sita devi does not sacrifice her word for anything.  She refuses to compromise her virtue for convenience.  Sita reminds the modern audience that one has to stand for something.  Convictions help us endure difficult times. Sita is a role model because she proves that convictions matter most when times are the most trying.  In the modern setting, we are besieged with opportunities to maximize our comfort at the cost of beliefs.  Sita devi reminds us that when we lack convictions, we are no different than the beasts and demons of Ravana's Lanka.  Through her example, Sita devi tells us that we must stand for something if we wish to be something.  She would be a role model for women and men because she is a constant reminder that we must be above putting a price on ourselves.  Ravana believes he can woo Sita and win her over because he thinks she has a price.  His downfall proves that Sita's virtue and independence was so fierce that even he could not match it.

What does the quote "And he will make the face of heaven so fine" mean in Romeo and Juliet?

Act III, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Julietopens with Juliet's soliloquy (a long speech delivered directly to the audience without other characters on stage) anticipating the arrival of Romeo for their honeymoon night. His plan had been to climb into her bedroom with a tackled stair he had provided the Nurse earlier in the day. Throughout Juliet's speech, she is praising and personifying the night, calling it "gentle" and "loving." She wants the...

Act III, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet opens with Juliet's soliloquy (a long speech delivered directly to the audience without other characters on stage) anticipating the arrival of Romeo for their honeymoon night. His plan had been to climb into her bedroom with a tackled stair he had provided the Nurse earlier in the day. Throughout Juliet's speech, she is praising and personifying the night, calling it "gentle" and "loving." She wants the night to be recognized as greater than the day, as she imagines that when Romeo dies he will be cut "out in little stars/ And he will make the face of heaven so fine/ That all the world will be in love with the night/ And pay no worship to the garish sun." In other words, she believes Romeo is so striking and impressive that his image in the stars will make the night sky more attractive than the sun. She goes on to lament that although she is already married she has yet to enjoy the physical pleasures which marriage brings. Unfortunately, these amorous reveries are interrupted when the Nurse brings news that Juliet's cousin Tybalt was killed by Romeo.

Jesse Stuart often wrote about education: "I am firm in my belief that a teacher lives on and on through his students. Good teaching is forever..."...

The quiet, reasonable manner of Professor Herbert, along with his teaching through examples is very effective and makes a lasting impression on Pa and Dave both.

After Dave is made to stay after school in order to work off his debt for his part in breaking branches of the cherry tree on the outdoor lesson in biology, Pa becomes enraged. For, he feels that Dave has been singled out since he is "a poor man's son" who cannot pay in money, and he is angered by the "foolish way o' larnin'" that Professor Herbert employs in which he takes the students outdoors for a class. Harboring his resentment of Herbert, he decides to confront Herbert and accompanies Dave to school with a gun.

"I'll take keer of him. He ain't from this county nohow...What kind of a school is it nohow! Didn't do that , my son, when I's a little shaver in school. All fared alike, too."

However, when Pa does go to school, Professor Herbert handles the situation very professionally. Although he is taken aback by the sight of the gun, Herbert speaks in level tones to Pa, telling him to keep his gun in his holster; then, he informs Pa of what he has been teaching, as well as the methods he has been using. When Professor Herbert says something with which Pa disagrees, Herbert keeps quiet. Instead, he demonstrates his lessons by showing Pa under the microscope what germs look like.  

When Herbert tells Pa that they are going to chloroform a black snake in order to see other germs, Pa becomes upset because black snakes are good for ridding the rats and mice that eat the grains and corn of farmers. "I don't allow 'em killed on my place." Herbert listens to Pa and pays him respect. Also, Professor Herbert praises Dave and says "Boys like your own there are going to help change it [the world]," explaining his new way of learning to Pa and taking him to the laboratory.

After Professor Herbert's kind understanding and demonstrations of his teaching technique, Pa changes his mind about Dave's teacher. In fact, Pa leaves with a lasting impression as he relates to Dave what Herbert has told him: 

"School has changed from my day and time. I'm a dead leaf, Dave....You must go on to school...I'm behind Dave. I'm a little man."

When they arrive home, Pa tells Dave's mother excitedly about the school, saying he would take her and show her what a germ looks like under a microscope. Furthermore, he tells Mom what "a fine man" Professor Herbert is. Clearly, then, Herbert's teaching makes a lasting impression--"Good teaching is forever."

"Roger's arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins." What does this quote from Lord of the Flies mean?

Roger is a boy who has natural bullying tendencies. Having been relieved of his duty of tending the signal fire in chapter 4, he heads down to the beach. Instead of just having fun in the water or on the sand, he immediately heads for the sandcastles some of the littluns have made and plows through them. Next, he follows a little boy, Henry, without being observed, and from behind a tree throws little stones...

Roger is a boy who has natural bullying tendencies. Having been relieved of his duty of tending the signal fire in chapter 4, he heads down to the beach. Instead of just having fun in the water or on the sand, he immediately heads for the sandcastles some of the littluns have made and plows through them. Next, he follows a little boy, Henry, without being observed, and from behind a tree throws little stones at him, deliberately missing. He makes sure to keep the stones about three yards away from Henry. It's as if Henry is still protected by parents, teachers, and officers of the law, even though there is not a single adult on the island to keep him safe. Roger has been so conditioned by the authority figures in his life before coming to the island that he still does what they would tell him to do--even though they are not now physically present.

When Golding says that the civilization that had conditioned Roger "knew nothing of him," he means that no one in the civilized world, particularly Great Britain, where Roger came from, knows where the boys are. In fact, Roger's own parents, teachers, and even the policemen from where he lived may all have died. Piggy tells Ralph in chapter 1, "Didn't you hear what the pilot said? About the atom bomb? They're all dead. ... Nobody don't know we're here. Your dad don't know, nobody don't know." The civilization outside the island from which the boys have been evacuated lies in a state of destruction due to the nuclear war taking place. 

With the boys alone, isolated from their civilization that is wracked by war, they must develop their own civilization, and the remnants of the conditioning from their old life will play a role in how that new society looks and whether it survives.

How is Holden Caulfield portrayed as a sexist in The Catcher in the Rye? Are there any examples found in the book?

Holden Caulfield doesn't seem as much of a sexist as he could be. He seems to respect Jane, Sally, and Phoebe--girls he already knows and likes. However, he does seem to say some things about women that are insensitive at best and sexist at worst. For example, when he meets Mrs. Morrow on the train, he notices that her voice is really nice to listen to. He thinks the following about her as they first start talking on the train:

"She had a nice voice. A nice telephone voice, mostly. She should've carried a goddam telephone around with her" (54).

This telephone reference alludes to the fact that telephone operators in the 1940s and 1950s were mostly women. It's as if he's connecting her to a stereotypically female career that doesn't require anything other than a nice-sounding voice. It's good for her, though, that he didn't say that she only has a face for radio because "ugly girls" are the next on Holden's list who receive the sexist attitude.

Later at Ernie's, Holden is scoping out the place, and judging people like he does best, when he notices an interesting couple. He listens in to their conversation and the man is telling his date about a football game and all of its plays. Holden continues by saying the following:

"He was the most boring guy I ever listened to. And you could tell his date wasn't even interested in the goddam game, but she was even funnier-looking than he was, so I guess she had to listen. Real ugly girls have it tough. I feel so sorry for them sometimes" (85). 

In this passage, Holden is sexist because he is basically saying that if an ugly girl wants to be taken care of, get married, or have a good life, then she will have to put up with any boring guy who will have her. He seems sensitive to her plight, but it's as if he only sees her future with a boring man rather than successfully accomplishing her own goals in life. Maybe she's giving the boring guy a pity date and not the other way around; but, being sexist, that's not how Holden would see it. All he can see is how pitiful her plight is and how she needs someone to take care of her because she's ugly. 

Finally, Holden looks at women as if they were hunks of meat to buy. As he's waiting for Sally to show up for their date, Holden watches all of the other girls there in the lobby with him.

"A lot of schools were home for vacation already, and there were about a million girls sitting and standing around waiting for their dates to show up. Girls with their legs crossed, girls with terrific legs, girls with lousy legs, girls that looked like swell girls. . . It was really nice sightseeing, if you know what I mean. . . You figured most of them would probably marry dopey guys. Guys that always talk about how many miles they get to a gallon in their goddam cars. . . Guys that never read books. Guys that are very boring--" (123).

The above passage shows Holden checking out girls like a normal teenager would; but then again, he figures that most of them will just end up marrying "dopey" guys. He doesn't look at a woman and say, "Gee, she would make a great businesswoman," only that she'll marry some phony. On the other hand, life was like that back in the 1940s and 1950s. Women were expected to get married and have children, not seek out careers or anything more for themselves. And yet, therein lies the irony, too. Holden might just be a product of the sexist society that he lives in. Either way, betting on a woman getting married, or being saved by getting married, without considering her potential for other possible choices in her life portrays a sexist attitude.

Which social groups tended to agree with the Federalist position and the Anti-federalist position?

The Federalist party started with the supporters of the U.S. Constitution and a strong federal government. In the 1790s, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, became the party's leader. He advocated a national financial program that included a strong federal government. He also advocated the creation of a national bank (the Bank of the United States) and high tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods intended to promote domestic industry. Hamilton's followers, who...

The Federalist party started with the supporters of the U.S. Constitution and a strong federal government. In the 1790s, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, became the party's leader. He advocated a national financial program that included a strong federal government. He also advocated the creation of a national bank (the Bank of the United States) and high tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods intended to promote domestic industry. Hamilton's followers, who became the Federalists, were also in favor of Great Britain over France in international affairs. Many Federalists were from urban areas and states along the coast, including New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, and they often were bankers and industrialists. They tended to come from higher socio-economic levels, and they were often Quaker, Congregationalist, or Anglican in religion. While most Federalists were from the north, some elite planters in coastal South Carolina also supported the party.

The Anti-Federalists coalesced around opposition to Hamilton, and their leader became Thomas Jefferson. Eventually, the Anti-Federalist party became the Democratic-Republicans. Their party believed in states' rights (and a weaker federal government), lower tariffs, and an agrarian system of economic development, rather than the industrial development favored by the Federalists. They were also opposed to the Bank of the United States and favored the French in international affairs. Many of their followers came from rural areas, including along the frontier and in the south and southwest. Many Democratic-Republicans were small farmers, artisans, or shopkeepers.  

Is Jane Eyre a feminist novel?

Yes, Jane Eyre is a feminist novel. From its first reception, when Jane's passionate nature was criticized, up until today, people have understood Jane as a heroine fighting for her freedom within a social system that oppressed women. 

As a governess, Jane has ideas that sound as if they come from an early feminist manifesto. Victorian readers condemned the passionate thoughts Jane expressed as unfeminine:

Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women...

Yes, Jane Eyre is a feminist novel. From its first reception, when Jane's passionate nature was criticized, up until today, people have understood Jane as a heroine fighting for her freedom within a social system that oppressed women. 

As a governess, Jane has ideas that sound as if they come from an early feminist manifesto. Victorian readers condemned the passionate thoughts Jane expressed as unfeminine:

Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.

In the late 1970s, English professors Gilbert and Gubar wrote a famous book called Madwoman in the Attic arguing that Eyre should be pronounced "ire," meaning anger, and noting that the angelic Helen had the last name "burns," also representing the anger women felt at being forced into an unnatural docility. The novel, they argued, is about women's anger at their repression.

Beyond her anger, Jane reveals herself to be a strong woman who thinks and acts for herself, determining her own fate. As a child, she shows her strength when she rebels against the abuse she suffers at the hands of a bullying male cousin. As an adult, she refuses to marry Rochester after she finds out he has a wife, for as much as she loves him, such an act would violate her conscience. She would rather run away and take her chances alone than live in a demeaning relationship. Later, she refuses marriage to St. John because she does not love him and does not want her needs subordinated to his desire to be a missionary.  

Jane's courage in making her decisions, in being self-supporting as a governess, in desiring more than the narrow life expected of a woman, in living with integrity and in refusing to sacrifice herself to men adds up to a feminist heroine at the heart of a novel that calls into question how women are treated by the larger society.

What is a (clean) song that describes the theme of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

One of the central themes in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the need to be able to see from others' perspectives. We see the theme first expressed when Atticus gives Scout the following valuable lesson, a lesson that serves to help her develop all throughout the novel:

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around...

One of the central themes in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the need to be able to see from others' perspectives. We see the theme first expressed when Atticus gives Scout the following valuable lesson, a lesson that serves to help her develop all throughout the novel:

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. (Ch. 3)

The lesson stems from the famous Indian proverb that teaches us to never judge a person until we've "walked a mile in his moccasins," which we have also turned into the adage teaching never to judge until we've "walked a mile in his shoes."

Once we figure out a central theme in the novel, we can easily find a suitable song by googling the theme plus a word like song or lyrics. One result the search yields is a song titled "Walk a Mile In My Shoes," performed by the 1970s rock band Grand Funk.

The song is a perfect fit because it argues for getting "inside / Each other's mind" and getting past our egos to see our blindness. It also speaks out against "throwing stones" at each other in judgement and reminds us that there are people "on reservations /And out in the ghettos" who are all our brothers.

What is the relationship between the plot and subplot of King Lear?

Shakespeare's King Lear is not the story of a single man who is betrayed by his daughters but a story about the universal tragedy of old age--how one generation is inexorably replaced by the generation it created through love or lust and nourished until adulthood. That is why there are two plots. Lear has daughters, Gloucester has sons. Both men find themselves out in the cold, stripped of everything they used to own, including their titles. But this is a universal theme. It has been going on among us Homo sapiens for something like seven thousand generations. Shakespeare shows this happening to aristocrats because that was the tradition in drama--but it happens to everybody. Parents typically love their children, but children do not necessarily care about their parents after they themselves are grown up and have developed adult interests in survival and procreation. In Measure for Measure, the Duke disguised as a friar tells the condemned prisoner Claudio:

Friend hast thou none;
For thine own bowels, which do call thee sire,
The mere effusion of thy proper loins,
Do curse the gout, serpigo, and the rheum,
For ending thee no sooner.      III.1

At least that was Shakespeare's view. Your own children can hardly wait to get rid of you and to get their hands on your property. This was certainly the attitude of Goneril and Regan with regard to their father Lear and the attitude of Edmund towards Gloucester. 

Old age is also a time of regrets. This is symbolized by Lear's bitter regret that he disowned the one daughter who loved him in favor of the two who cared nothing about him. When he meets Cordelia again near Dover he tells her in a stunning metaphor:

You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:
Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
Do scald like molten lead.      IV.7

This is a good description of the sufferings that go with old age.

What makes old age hard to bear is not the failing of one’s faculties, mental and physical, but the burden of one’s memories.
--Somerset Maugham

Gloucester feels exactly the same way about Edgar as Lear feels about Cordelia.

O dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abused father's wrath!
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I'ld say I had eyes again!     IV,1      

Both men's bitter regrets actually symbolize the regrets that all old people feel in old age. Gloucester disowned Edgar, the son who truly loves him, in favor of Edmund, the bastard son who cares nothing about him but only wants his lands and title. 

The two old men are accidentally brought together in a pathetic scene in Act IV, Scene 6. They are hungry and dirty. They have been stripped of everything and are living on weeds and mice. Gloucester has even lost his sight. This great scene symbolizes the fate of every generation when it is no longer wanted and is only in the way. In giving Lear daughters and Gloucester sons, Shakespeare intended to represent the whole human race, each generation treading on the heels of the generation that came before it. The characters who love these old men--Cordelia, Edgar, and Kent--exist primarily to serve as contrasts to the ones who care nothing about them. 

The subplot was probably also needed because the conflict between Lear and his two daughters had become static, a standoff. He is living in the wilds, and they had taken possession of everything he formerly owned. He refuses to go back to them under their terms, and they couldn't care less. Shakespeare may not have known where to go with that plot. Lear rages against his daughters, but he is helpless. His extreme rage is intended to explain why he doesn't just go back and live with them without his hundred knights. They would be glad to provide first-class shelter, since it must be an embarrassment to have their father wandering around in a condition worse than a beggar's. The introduction of the subplot renews dramatic interest, along with suggesting the universality of the theme.