Why can't the Tucks stay in any one place for very long?

"But they can't stay on in any one place for long, you know. None of us can. People get to wondering." She sighed. "We been in this house about as long as we dare, going on twenty years."

The above quote comes from chapter ten of Tuck Everlasting. Mae Tuck is explaining to Winnie how the family has been operating for just about the last century. They get together at their current home every...

"But they can't stay on in any one place for long, you know. None of us can. People get to wondering." She sighed. "We been in this house about as long as we dare, going on twenty years."

The above quote comes from chapter ten of Tuck Everlasting. Mae Tuck is explaining to Winnie how the family has been operating for just about the last century. They get together at their current home every ten years in order to spend time together as a full family. The Tucks' "current home" must change with regularity, though. Mae says that they never stay in one place for more than twenty years. The Tuck family can't stay longer than that because people would begin to get suspicious about the neighbor family that doesn't appear to age—at all. The Tucks tell Winnie what happened the last time they were in the same area for nearly twenty years: The residents began thinking the Tuck family were witches and devil worshipers.

"I was married. I had two children. But, from the look of me, I was still twenty-two. My wife, she finally made up her mind I'd sold my soul to the Devil. She left me. She went away and she took the children with her."

"I'm glad I never got married," Jesse put in.

"It was the same with our friends," said Mae. "They come to pull back from us. There was talk about witchcraft. Black magic. Well, you can't hardly blame them, but finally we had to leave the farm.

The Tucks can't stay in any one place for very long because they are concerned about their own safety and well-being and don't want to frighten other people.

Why does Romeo choose to go to Capulet's party in Act I of Romeo and Juliet?

In Act I, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is distraught over his unreciprocated love for Rosaline. He complains to his cousin Benvolio that she won't return his affection. The passion with which Romeo describes his feelings for Rosaline foreshadows his eventual love for Juliet. Benvolio is more level headed than his cousin and suggests that Romeo forget her and look at other girls. They discuss the problem:

Benvolio: Be ruled by...

In Act I, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is distraught over his unreciprocated love for Rosaline. He complains to his cousin Benvolio that she won't return his affection. The passion with which Romeo describes his feelings for Rosaline foreshadows his eventual love for Juliet. Benvolio is more level headed than his cousin and suggests that Romeo forget her and look at other girls. They discuss the problem:

Benvolio: Be ruled by me. Forget to think of her.

Romeo: O, teach me how I should forget to think!

Benvolio: By giving liberty unto thine eyes.

Examine other beauties.

Basically, Benvolio is telling Romeo there are other fish in the sea and that he should move on. The perfect solution materializes as Capulet's servant comes upon Romeo and Benvolio in the streets. The servant has been charged with giving out invitations to Capulet's masked ball that very night. The servant, however, has a problem. He cannot read and so he asks Romeo to help him. While perusing the list, Romeo discovers the name of Rosaline. Benvolio urges Romeo to go the party and compare Rosaline to other girls of Verona. Benvolio seems confident that Romeo will see the error of his infatuation with Roslaline. Benvolio says,

At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves,
With all the admired beauties of Verona.
Go thither, and with unattainted eye
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Of course, Benvolio is right. Romeo does go to the party and as soon as he sees Juliet across the room he is instantly in love and totally forgets Rosaline.

What are the complex traditions of the Igbo clans?

In Things Fall Apart, there are many complex traditions in the Igbo clans. Some traditions are hard to understand. One tradition involves the murdering of innocent twins at birth. The birth of twins is considered an evil omen so the twins are placed in earthen pots and left to die in the evil forest. This is a complex tradition that Okonkwo's son Nwoye has trouble understanding.

Another tradition that is complex is the involvement of...

In Things Fall Apart, there are many complex traditions in the Igbo clans. Some traditions are hard to understand. One tradition involves the murdering of innocent twins at birth. The birth of twins is considered an evil omen so the twins are placed in earthen pots and left to die in the evil forest. This is a complex tradition that Okonkwo's son Nwoye has trouble understanding.

Another tradition that is complex is the involvement of the Oracles or the Earth Goddess in the affairs of the tribal clans. The earth is worshipped and the Earth Goddess Ani has the authority to banish Okonkwo when his gun accidentally explodes and kills the son of an elder during that elder's funeral. Okonkwo is exiled for seven years. 

Other complex traditions are founded in the power of the priestess and medicine man. Okonkwo follows a traditional ceremony to assure his daughter will survive in spite of her destiny to die and be repeatedly reborn.

He loves his daughter Ezinma, who is an ogbanje, or a changeling child who seems to die continually only to return to her mother’s womb to be reborn and die again. In an attempt to break the power of the ogbanje, Okonkwo follows his wife Ekwefi, the priestess Chielo, and his daughter Ezinma on a journey to the oracle Agbala. Okonkwo also assists a medicine man locate and destroy his daughter’s iyi uwa, or the sacred stone that links the child with the spirit world.  

When a daughter of Umuofia is murdered by a neighboring tribe, Ikemefuna is sacrificed for the crime. Ultimately, Okonkwo participates in the killing of Ikemefuna even though it is a sin to kill a kinsman. Ikemefuna has become his adopted son and calls Okonkwo father. The Mbaino tribe had given the young boy to Umuofia to keep the Umuofia clan from declaring war on the tribe of Mbaino. Ikemefuna is sacrificed and killed after living with Okonkwo for three years. This is another complex custom to understand.  

Explain how gender roles, as in the independence of men and dependence of women, are represented in The Merchant of Venice.

The Merchant of Venice explores gender roles in interesting ways. It expresses the dependent role women have in society in comparison to men, but it also depicts independent women and dependent men.

Portia laments that she may not choose her husband. Her deceased father directed that she can only marry the man who chooses the correct casket and poem that are set before him:

O me, the word 'choose!' I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?

Even a deceased man can hold more power than a living woman. Fortunately, Bassanio, the man Portia fancies, chooses correctly and the two marry. Portia then demonstrates more independence than dependence by freeing Bassanio’s friend Antonio from Shylock’s wrath. She offers up her money, disguises herself as a male lawyer, and uses her cunning to free Antonio from his legal bond. Portia’s waiting woman Nerissa also dresses as a man and accompanies her.

Women often hold the upper hand here. While still disguised, the two women test their husbands’ loyalty by tricking the men into giving them their wedding rings. Shylock’s daughter Jessica is another example of a woman with an independent streak. She runs off with a Christian and steals from her father, spending money and selling treasures as she goes.

In terms of how men are portrayed as dependent, the entire plot revolves around men being indebted to one another. Bassanio relies on Antonio’s and then Portia’s wealth, and Antonio almost dies at the hand of his lender Shylock. In terms of relationships, Antonio appears to be even more emotionally reliant on Bassanio than Portia is. Salanio remarks, “I think he [Antonio] only loves the world for him [Bassanio].”

Consequently, though the men and women in The Merchant of Venice sometimes uphold traditional gender roles, many of characters subvert them.

Why did Napoleon want Louisiana, and why did he change his mind?

Napoleon acquired the Louisiana Territory from the Spanish Empire because he hoped to revive New France--the French colonies in the Western hemisphere. Some historians speculate that Napoleon also acquired Louisiana to prevent the United States from growing any larger. However, there were several reasons he changed his mind and decided to sell Louisiana to the United States.

First, he needed money for an impending war with Great Britain. Second, a recent slave revolt in a...

Napoleon acquired the Louisiana Territory from the Spanish Empire because he hoped to revive New France--the French colonies in the Western hemisphere. Some historians speculate that Napoleon also acquired Louisiana to prevent the United States from growing any larger. However, there were several reasons he changed his mind and decided to sell Louisiana to the United States.

First, he needed money for an impending war with Great Britain. Second, a recent slave revolt in a French colony in Haiti demonstrated the difficulty of managing New World colonies from Europe. Third, the Americans were prepared to go to war with France to retain the ability to ship cargo through New Orleans (New Orleans was an important connection between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River). For these reasons, Napoleon decided he was better off selling Louisiana to the United States and using the profits to finance his empire in Europe.

In A Doll's House, why does Mrs. Linde think that Dr. Rank was the person Nora borrowed money from?

Christine Linde’s belief that Dr. Rank is the man that loaned the money to Nora, which is false, as it was Krogstad who did it, can be found in Act 2 of the play.

Christine goes to visit Nora, who had asked for her to come so that Christine can fix the Neapolitan girl dress that Nora wanted to wear to the ball. As they speak, Christine asks about Dr. Rank, and asks Nora what...

Christine Linde’s belief that Dr. Rank is the man that loaned the money to Nora, which is false, as it was Krogstad who did it, can be found in Act 2 of the play.

Christine goes to visit Nora, who had asked for her to come so that Christine can fix the Neapolitan girl dress that Nora wanted to wear to the ball. As they speak, Christine asks about Dr. Rank, and asks Nora what is wrong with him. Here, Nora explains to Christine the condition of which Dr. Rank is dying, which surprises Christine, as she had no idea that Nora had any awareness of anything or anyone else besides her (Nora's) own issues. This is indicative that even Christine, as much as she knows and loves Nora, also sees her as someone who is not much more capable to be anything but ornamental.

After asking more information about the doctor, Linde puts the facts together and infers that this has to be the mysterious man. Dr. Rank is rich, he goes to the house a lot, is friends with Torvald, and is trusted by the Helmers. Christine furthermore felt that Rank was a “tactless” man by getting into monetary dealings with Nora behind Torvald’s back.

Mrs Linde. Don't prevaricate, Nora. Do you suppose I don't guess who lent you the two hundred and fifty pounds?

Nora. Are you out of your senses? How can you think of such a thing! A friend of ours, who comes here every day! Do you realise what a horribly painful position that would be?

Mrs Linde. Then it really isn't he?

Nora. No, certainly not. It would never have entered into my head for a moment. Besides, he had no money to lend then; he came into his money afterwards.

Essentially, the reason why Christine thinks that Rank is responsible is merely by assumption, after making an association of facts. He would have been the prime candidate. He is a bachelor who pays a lot of attention to Nora, has the money to give to her if she needed it, and he is in good graces with Torvald. It is no surprise that Christine would have suspected him to be the mystery man of whom Nora spoke. However, Christine was wrong. Her old flame, Krogstad, was the person who lent Nora the money and is now blackmailing her for it.

What does the Declaration of Independence say?

The Declaration says many things, but it can basically be divided into a few key parts. The first states the reasons for writing the document, namely to tell mankind why the Americans are declaring independence. This is followed by a statement of the purpose of government and an assertion of the right of revolution when government fails to live up to that purpose, namely the protection of "unalienable rights". The third, and longest section, is...

The Declaration says many things, but it can basically be divided into a few key parts. The first states the reasons for writing the document, namely to tell mankind why the Americans are declaring independence. This is followed by a statement of the purpose of government and an assertion of the right of revolution when government fails to live up to that purpose, namely the protection of "unalienable rights". The third, and longest section, is a list of accusations against King George III. Essentially the Declaration held him responsible for violating their rights, which was, as I mentioned above, their justification for revolution. In the final section of the document, the signers announced that all political connections were dissolved between Great Britain and its former colonies, and pledged themselves to bringing about independence. Many people after the fact have read the Declaration as a kind of "statement of principles" of the new nation, but this is not really how it was read at the time. For a copy of the Declaration itself, see the link below.

Why do you think Della flops down on the couch and howls?

This is a graphic way of showing how Della is feeling. She is painfully distressed because she can't afford to buy her husband Jim a nice present for Christmas. As O. Henry reiterates, she has only managed to save $1.87 all year, and tomorrow will be Christmas. 

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. 

Even in those early times around the turn of the twentieth century, there wasn't...

This is a graphic way of showing how Della is feeling. She is painfully distressed because she can't afford to buy her husband Jim a nice present for Christmas. As O. Henry reiterates, she has only managed to save $1.87 all year, and tomorrow will be Christmas. 

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. 

Even in those early times around the turn of the twentieth century, there wasn't much you could buy in the way of a present for such a small sum of money. She doesn't know that her husband is having the same problem. He would like to buy her something especially nice for Christmas, but he can't afford it. He only earns $20 a week, and eight of it goes for rent on their flat.

Flopping down on the couch and howling shows Della's desperation. Her desperation makes her come up with a radical idea. She will sell her hair! Jim comes up with a comparably radical idea. He will sell the gold watch which has been in his family for three generations. We don't really know what is going on in Jim's mind because we are confined to Della's point of view, but we can imagine what he was thinking and feeling during his long day at the office.

These two impoverished people need something to cheer each other up at this time of year—and something to cheer themselves up. Something special. Something that suggests future prosperity. Something to make other people think they are doing better than they really are. Jim will have a platinum fob for his gold watch, and Della will have a set of high-quality combs to adorn her beautiful hair.

The story is full of sadness, and the ending only seems to make matters worse. Della's hair and Jim's watch are both gone. Yet O. Henry manages to end on a bright Christmas note. What is really important is that they still have each other and are both still in love.

What measures did the United States government take in order to ensure public support for the war?

policy allows me to answer one question per post. I will answer the first question you posted.

Since you haven’t mentioned a specific war, I will focus on World War I. The government did several things to ensure that people were supportive of the war effort, including a few that were controversial. The government created the War Industries Board to coordinate the production of war materials. The government didn’t want businesses arguing over what...

policy allows me to answer one question per post. I will answer the first question you posted.

Since you haven’t mentioned a specific war, I will focus on World War I. The government did several things to ensure that people were supportive of the war effort, including a few that were controversial. The government created the War Industries Board to coordinate the production of war materials. The government didn’t want businesses arguing over what would be produced, who would produce it, and how much would be produced.

The government also encouraged people to conserve food. People were encouraged to grow their own food in what was known as the victory garden. People were encouraged to not eat bread on Mondays and meat on Tuesdays. This was known as Wheatless Mondays and Meatless Tuesdays.

The government created the Committee on Public Information to sway public opinion in favor of the war. Posters, pamphlets, and speeches were used to accomplish this. The government also encouraged people to buy war bonds, which were often called victory bonds.

The National War Labor Board was created to help prevent strikes. Companies were pressured to settle disputes with workers in return for a promise that workers wouldn’t go on strike.

The government passed a few laws that infringed on people’s freedoms. The Espionage Act made anti-war activities illegal. For example, people who interfered with the draft could be jailed and/or fined. The Sedition Act made public opposition to the war illegal. People could be jailed for saying false things about our war effort.

The government did many things to ensure that people supported the war effort in World War I.

Where do I put two commas in this sentence: Some women believe it or not fought in the Civil War disguised as men?

The commas must be placed as follows, and I will explain why:

Some women, believe it or not, fought in the Civil War disguised as men. 

"Believe it or not" is what we call a non-essential phrase.  That means that if we took it out of the sentence, we would still have a perfectly good sentence.  We use these non-essential phrases as little modifiers in sentences, to explain or describe something, for example, and they...

The commas must be placed as follows, and I will explain why:

Some women, believe it or not, fought in the Civil War disguised as men. 

"Believe it or not" is what we call a non-essential phrase.  That means that if we took it out of the sentence, we would still have a perfectly good sentence.  We use these non-essential phrases as little modifiers in sentences, to explain or describe something, for example, and they are commonly used, so it is important to understand how they should be punctuated.  When they occur mid-sentence, they are always set off with commas on both sides.  Here are a few examples for you:

Miss Smith, the English teacher, had a reputation for being tough.

The employee, having a broken arm, was trying as best he could to do a better job.

My students, the ones in the history class, are starting a new unit on the Civil War.

In each instance, the words that are between the commas are explaining something.  In each instance, if we took those words between the commas out of the sentences, each sentence would still be a proper sentence. 

We do this because, as the reader is reading, he or she needs to know which groups of words should be processed together in groups, so their meaning is clear. Without the commas, it would be difficult for the reader to know that, and the commas are like road signs, to help navigate the sentence better for clear meaning.

What problem does the servingman have in Act I of Romeo and Juliet?

In Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Capulet's servingman is tasked with delivering invitations to the party being held at Capulet's house. Lord Capulet says,

Go, sirrah, trudge aboutThrough fair Verona, find those persons outWhose names are written there, and to them sayMy house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

The servingman's problem is illiteracy, which would have been typical of lower class servants during the Renaissance. He...

In Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Capulet's servingman is tasked with delivering invitations to the party being held at Capulet's house. Lord Capulet says,

Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona, find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.

The servingman's problem is illiteracy, which would have been typical of lower class servants during the Renaissance. He is not able to read and so cannot decipher the names on the list he is given. In an example of plot expedience, the servingman comes across Romeo and Benvolio on the street. They have just been discussing Romeo's failed love for Rosaline.

Benvolio has advised Romeo to look at other women in Verona and to forget Rosaline. Romeo agrees to help the servingman by reading the list for him. On the list is Rosaline's name. Benvolio convinces Romeo that they should "crash" the party and he will show Romeo the other beauties of Verona. He says,

At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves,
With all the admirèd beauties of Verona.
Go thither, and with unattainted eye
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Of course, Romeo eventually meets Juliet at the party and totally forgets his earlier infatuation with Rosaline. 

You have just purchased a new warehouse. To finance the purchase, you’ve arranged for a 25-year mortgage for 75 percent of the $4,200,000...

The question requires us to find the APR on the loan. APR is the Annual percentage rate. It is basically the amount charged for borrowing (a loan) or amount made by investing (an investment).

This question is an example of an annuity.  Annuities are defined as a series of fixed payments made by you or made to you over a fixed period of time. The common payment periods are yearly, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly.  

This question is a typical case of present value annuity. Because we are taking the loan now, we are determining the future payments of the loan based on today's value of the loan. 

The present value formula is as follows: 

`PV = x ((1 - (1+i)^(-n))/i)`

PV  = Present Value

We are told out loan value is 75% of the mortgage value:

 `PV = 0.75 * $4 200 000 = $3 150 000`

x= monthly payments

 `x =$18 300 `

n = number of payments

We are making payments monthly for 25 years:

 `n = 25 * 12 = 300 `

i = interest rate . We are required to find this to answer the question.

Now we can substitute into our equation: 

`3 150 000 = 18300 ((1-(1+i)^(-300))/i)`

`(3150000/18300) = ((1-(1+i)^(-300))/i)` 

This question requires us to iterate using software such as wolfram alpha or excel. Otherwise, trial and error can be used but will very time consuming. 

`i = 0.00041135`

Now we need to determine the annual percentage rate: 

`APR = ((1+i)^n -1 )*100`

`APR = (((1+0.00041135)^300)-1)*100`

`APR = 13.13%`

Answer: APR = 13.13%

In the story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," what were the exotic mammals that Dr. Roylott kept?

The answer to your question comes  near the beginning of the story, when Miss Helen Stoner comes to visit Sherlock Holmes to present her mystery.  She is the stepdaughter of Dr. Roylott, and speaks to Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson at length about the man – he has a dangerous temper, and “has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent, and he has at this moment a...

The answer to your question comes  near the beginning of the story, when Miss Helen Stoner comes to visit Sherlock Holmes to present her mystery.  She is the stepdaughter of Dr. Roylott, and speaks to Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson at length about the man – he has a dangerous temper, and “has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent, and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon….”

Later on in the story, when Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes have gone to visit Helen Stoner on Dr. Roylott’s estate, Helen stresses, upon Holmes’s discovery of a saucer of milk near Roylott’s safe, “’No; we don’t keep a cat.  But there is a cheetah and a baboon.”

Throughout their stay Holmes and Watson encounter both the baboon and the cheetah, and it seems that the author is stressing the fact that these are the only two exotic animals owned by Roylott.  Which ensures that it comes as a total surprise to the reader that the man keeps more creatures than his stepdaughter knows.

Who are the outcasts of Poker Flat?

The title, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," is referencing the four characters who have been thrown out of the town of Poker Flat. Apparently the town of Poker Flat is a beacon of morality, because the town kicked out John Oakhurst, Mother Shipton, Duchess, and Uncle Billy. Why would the town kick out those four people? Supposedly they are moral degenerates who bring nothing positive to the town.  

I would definitely agree with that...

The title, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," is referencing the four characters who have been thrown out of the town of Poker Flat. Apparently the town of Poker Flat is a beacon of morality, because the town kicked out John Oakhurst, Mother Shipton, Duchess, and Uncle Billy. Why would the town kick out those four people? Supposedly they are moral degenerates who bring nothing positive to the town.  

I would definitely agree with that in regards to Uncle Billy. That guy is a nasty drunk. He only thinks of himself, which is why he steals the horses and supplies and leaves everybody for dead.

The Duchess and Mother Shipton are prostitutes, which is not exactly a highly moral, glamorous occupation, but as the story progresses, it is obvious that the two women are strong and caring women. Mother Shipton starves herself so that other members of the group have a chance at living.

Last is John Oakhurst. He's a gambler. What's funny about him being kicked out of town is that there is no way that he was gambling alone, yet he is the only gambler who was kicked out of Poker Flat. To me, that sounds like John Oakhurst was kicked out for winning too much. He must be a good gambler. 

Plumbers solder is an alloy of the elements lead and tin. Can this alloy be both substitutional and interstitial? How do you know?

An alloy is a mixture of different metals prepared by mixing the metals in their molten (liquid) state and then allowing them to cool.

There are three types of alloys.

• 
  Homogeneous: Homogeneous alloys have the same crystal structure as one of the original metals.  There are two types of homogeneous alloys, substitutional and interstitial. Substitutional alloys are formed from metals with similar atomic radii. Because of this, one metal atom can replace other...

An alloy is a mixture of different metals prepared by mixing the metals in their molten (liquid) state and then allowing them to cool.

There are three types of alloys.

• 
  Homogeneous: Homogeneous alloys have the same crystal structure as one of the original metals.  There are two types of homogeneous alloys, substitutional and interstitial. Substitutional alloys are formed from metals with similar atomic radii. Because of this, one metal atom can replace other metal atom in the crystal lattice. Substitutional alloys retain similar properties to those of the original metals. Interstitial alloys have different sized atomic radii. The metal with the smaller atomic radius is able to insert itself in between the atoms of the other metal. Interstitial alloys are more rigid and less malleable than the original metals.

• 
  Intermetallic: Intermetallic alloys have crystal structures that are different from the crystal structures of the original metals. Intermetallic alloys often have properties that are different than the original metals.

• 
  Heterogeneous: Heterogeneous alloys have multiple crystal structures and phases throughout the alloy. The properties of heterogeneous alloys vary a great deal.

Plumbers solder is an alloy composed of tin (Sn) and lead (Pb). it is an example of a heterogeneous alloy because it is not composed of a regular crystal structure. It is not an interstitial or substitutional alloy, as these are categories of homogeneous alloys. 

To what extent was the use of the atomic bomb justified? Did Truman have a good enough excuse to do so?

Historians have long debated whether the use of the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 was justified, and Truman clearly struggled to make the decision to drop the bombs. He had offered Japan an opportunity for unconditional surrender, but they had refused. At the time, the Americans warned Japan that they would face destruction if they did not surrender, though the U.S. did not tell the Japanese...

Historians have long debated whether the use of the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 was justified, and Truman clearly struggled to make the decision to drop the bombs. He had offered Japan an opportunity for unconditional surrender, but they had refused. At the time, the Americans warned Japan that they would face destruction if they did not surrender, though the U.S. did not tell the Japanese about the atomic bombs in advance. In addition, the U.S. had taken over the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinama, but the Japanese did not cede these islands without a fierce fight. Many Japanese preferred death over surrender, and the fighting on these islands had been very deadly.

The Americans' reasons to drop the bomb may have been manifold. First, they wanted to end the long war quickly and spare the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of American lives that would have been lost if the U.S. had mounted an amphibious assault on Japan. While estimates vary, it is clear that many American soldiers would have died if they had attacked Japan. This has been given as the main compelling reason for Truman to drop the bombs.

On the other hand, other historians argue that Truman may have dropped the bomb for ulterior motives, including scaring the Soviet Union, who had already occupied parts of Eastern Europe and who was shaping up to be the post-war American adversary. In addition, Truman may have wanted to justify the cost of the Manhattan Project, the massive project to produce the atomic bombs, which was very expensive. Finally, perhaps Truman may have wanted to get back at Japan for having bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. These ulterior motives are not considered as compelling as Truman's stated goal to spare American lives. The bombs resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of Japanese lives immediately and the eventual loss of countless lives as a result of radiation poisoning. The debate about whether Truman was justified in dropping the bombs is a difficult one with compelling arguments on both sides. 

Please help me with a project in which I need to write a law criminalizing something that is currently legal. The project for this course...

This question is simply asking you to come up with something that is currently legal, but that you think should be illegal.  The answer that you come up with will depend a great deal on your personal beliefs.    Here are some examples:

You might say that you think fetuses should be protected from various kinds of harm while in the womb.  You might therefore criminalize drug use, smoking, and drinking of alcohol by women who...

This question is simply asking you to come up with something that is currently legal, but that you think should be illegal.  The answer that you come up with will depend a great deal on your personal beliefs.    Here are some examples:

You might say that you think fetuses should be protected from various kinds of harm while in the womb.  You might therefore criminalize drug use, smoking, and drinking of alcohol by women who are pregnant.  You could say that this is a social harm because an innocent child that cannot protect itself is being harmed.  The child is, of course, stuck in the womb and cannot escape damage if its mother does these things.

You might say that it should be illegal to engage in racist or sexist speech. You might say that this sort of speech causes a great deal of social harm because it makes it harder for racial minorities and women to get ahead in our society.  Because whites and men have more power in this country than non-whites and women, racist and sexist speech keeps its targets down and harms our society by keeping those groups subordinated.

Basically, you need to think of what sorts of things are legal but are bad according to your value system.  You would then need to think about what problems might arise in writing the law properly. For example, what constitutes racist speech? Does a woman have to know she’s pregnant before she can be charged?  You need to think of what objections people might have (free speech, women’s rights). But this starts with identifying something that is legal now but which you strongly feel should be illegal.

What decisions did Bruno's father make throughout the novel that came with consequences?

Bruno's father makes several important decisions throughout the novel that have dire consequences. The first fateful decision Bruno's father makes is to join the Nazi regime. His decision to join the Third Reich negatively impacts his relationship with his mother. His mother opposes his decision to join such a ruthless regime and support Hitler's extremist views. The last conversation they have ends in an argument with his mother yelling that she is ashamed of him.

...

Bruno's father makes several important decisions throughout the novel that have dire consequences. The first fateful decision Bruno's father makes is to join the Nazi regime. His decision to join the Third Reich negatively impacts his relationship with his mother. His mother opposes his decision to join such a ruthless regime and support Hitler's extremist views. The last conversation they have ends in an argument with his mother yelling that she is ashamed of him.

Another decision that Bruno's father makes that has disastrous consequences is when he decides to invite Adolf Hitler over for dinner. Adolf assigns him the position of Commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Bruno's father has no choice but to accept Hitler's assignment.

The Commandant's decision to move his family from Berlin to Auschwitz has fatal consequences. His marriage falls apart after his wife begins having an affair with Lieutenant Kotler. Bruno sneaks off into the concentration camp to search for Shmuel's father and tragically loses his life in a gas chamber. Bruno's family moves back to Berlin, and Bruno's father loses his mind and his job by the end of the novel.

The unknown liquid is methanol and its density is 791 kg/m^3 at 25 degree C. What is your percent error in the experiment?

When we carry out experiments, we obtain some parametric values and these measured values are compared against the standard or accepted values. The percentage error in the parametric values is determined by comparing the measured and accepted values as:

% error = ([measured value - accepted value] / accepted value) x 100

Thus, we need both the measured value and the accepted value for determining the percentage error. In the given question, only the accepted...

When we carry out experiments, we obtain some parametric values and these measured values are compared against the standard or accepted values. The percentage error in the parametric values is determined by comparing the measured and accepted values as:

% error = ([measured value - accepted value] / accepted value) x 100

Thus, we need both the measured value and the accepted value for determining the percentage error. In the given question, only the accepted value (791 kg/m^3) is given and the measured value is missing. In absence of complete data, we cannot determine the % error.

For example, if you measured a value of say, 790 kg/m^3 as the density, then the % error in your experimental value is:

% error = ((790 - 791)/791) x 100 = 0.126% 

That means you measured a slightly different (in this case smaller) value of density as compared to the accepted value.

Hope this helps. 

Chlorine is usually found as a gas. If the temperature is -66, would chlorine still be a gas?

The answer to your question depends on the unit of temperature used. Temperature can be measured in degrees Celsius, degrees Fahrenheit, or Kelvin.

The freezing point of chlorine is -150.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This is equivalent to 171.65 K or -101.5 degrees Celsius.

The boiling point of chlorine is –29.27 degrees Fahrenheit. This is equivalent to 239.11 K or -34.04 degrees Celsius.

The phase of chlorine depends on the substance’s given temperature.

• In order to remain...

The answer to your question depends on the unit of temperature used. Temperature can be measured in degrees Celsius, degrees Fahrenheit, or Kelvin.

The freezing point of chlorine is -150.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This is equivalent to 171.65 K or -101.5 degrees Celsius.

The boiling point of chlorine is –29.27 degrees Fahrenheit. This is equivalent to 239.11 K or -34.04 degrees Celsius.

The phase of chlorine depends on the substance’s given temperature.

• In order to remain a gas, the actual temperature of chlorine needs to be at or above the boiling point.


• If the given temperature of chlorine is between its freezing and boiling point, then the substance will be a liquid.


• If the given temperature of chlorine is at or below the freezing point, then it will be a solid.

Thus, chlorine will be found in the following states at a temperature of -66 for each unit of temperature.

• Because -66 degrees Fahrenheit, is between chlorine’s freezing point of -150.7 degrees Fahrenheit and boiling point of –29.27 degrees Fahrenheit, chlorine will be a liquid at -66 degrees Fahrenheit.
  


• Because -66 K is less than chlorine’s freezing point of 171.65 K, chlorine would be a solid at -66 K.
  


• 
  Chlorine will be a liquid at -66 degrees Celsius. This is because -66 degrees Celsius is between chlorine’s freezing point of -101.5 degrees Celsius and boiling point of -34.04 degrees Celsius.

Why should Bob Ewell not get his kids taken away in To Kill A Mockingbird?

Despite being labeled as the "disgrace of Maycomb," Bob Ewell should not get his children taken away for several reasons. Everyone in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s is struggling to make ends meet because of the economic crisis that has spread throughout the nation. The Ewells are no exception. Despite Burris Ewell coming to school shoeless and wearing tattered clothes, he is not the exception in Scout's first-grade class. Other students such as Walter Cunningham...

Despite being labeled as the "disgrace of Maycomb," Bob Ewell should not get his children taken away for several reasons. Everyone in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s is struggling to make ends meet because of the economic crisis that has spread throughout the nation. The Ewells are no exception. Despite Burris Ewell coming to school shoeless and wearing tattered clothes, he is not the exception in Scout's first-grade class. Other students such as Walter Cunningham Jr. attend school shoeless and in disarray. Bob Ewell is not the only parent in Maycomb who is struggling to keep his children fed and clothed. Atticus mentions that he is allowed to hunt all-year-round, which suggests Bob is a rather successful hunter and capable of feeding his children. Bob Ewell lives off welfare checks and is even employed for a short time. The fact that he is already receiving assistance from the state shows that he is willing to accept help from others. The Maycomb community can be described as traditional, and the neighbors often help one another. They understand Bob Ewell is a widower, which may be the reason they sympathize with him and allow him to keep his children. Also, his oldest daughter, Mayella, is predominately responsible for raising her siblings. The children seem to be in good hands with Mayella. Mayella tries her best to take care of her siblings and is always at home supervising them. Bob Ewell's children are fed, supervised, clothed, and have shelter. Despite being dirty and raised without morals, they do not suffer from neglect or abuse and are not in imminent danger. There is no reason that Bob's children should be taken away.

What are some contrasts between Atticus Finch and Mr. Gilmer in To Kill A Mockingbird?

There are some very sharp contrasts between the two attorneys, Mr. Gilmer and Mr. Atticus Finch, contrasts involving the ethics and the comportment of the two men.

• While both men do their jobs, Mr. Gilmer is not as professional as is Mr. Finch. For instance, after Mr. Gilmer finishes his questioning of Mayella, he says,

"That's all...but you stay there. I expect big bad Mr. Finch has some questions to ask you."

Judge Taylor has...

There are some very sharp contrasts between the two attorneys, Mr. Gilmer and Mr. Atticus Finch, contrasts involving the ethics and the comportment of the two men.

• While both men do their jobs, Mr. Gilmer is not as professional as is Mr. Finch. For instance, after Mr. Gilmer finishes his questioning of Mayella, he says,

"That's all...but you stay there. I expect big bad Mr. Finch has some questions to ask you."

Judge Taylor has to correct Mr. Gilmer to not try to prejudice the witness against counsel for the defense. There is never such a correction made toward Atticus.

• 
  Atticus is more clever than Mr. Gilmer. He asks Mayella questions, but they are not sufficiently irrelevant or immaterial for Mr. Gilmer to object to them. But, subtly Atticus constructs a picture for the jury of the home life of the Ewells in order that they will understand what type of people are accusing the defendant.


• 
  Atticus is always polite to the witnesses, despite how he may be treated by the witnesses, but Mr. Gilmer does not treat Tom Robinson with courtesy when he testifies truthfully. When, for instance, Tom testifies, Mr. Gilmer tries to twist Tom's meanings. For example, when Tom testifies that he "[T]ried to help her...." Mr. Gilmer faces the jury and "smiled grimly" as he says "You're a mighty good fellow, it seems--did all this for not one penny?" Then, when Tom replies ingenuously that he felt sorry for Mayella, Mr. Gilmer exploits this moment by acting as though Tom has felt himself superior to the white Mayella Ewell:"You felt sorry for her?" Further, he taunts Tom who says he ran from the Ewell house after Bob arrived, "Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?" Often he call Tom "boy," as well.  

What is the gravitational force between Earth and the Sun?

By Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, there is the gravitational forces between any bodies having mass. Each body attracts another body, and the direction of this force is along the straight line that goes through the bodies.

The magnitude of this force is  `G*(m_1*m_2)/R^2,` where `m_1` and `m_2` are the masses, `R` is the distance and `G approx 6.7*10^(-11) (N*m^2)/(kg)^2`  is the universal constant called gravitational constant.

The bodies are considered to be small with...

By Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, there is the gravitational forces between any bodies having mass. Each body attracts another body, and the direction of this force is along the straight line that goes through the bodies.

The magnitude of this force is  `G*(m_1*m_2)/R^2,` where `m_1` and `m_2` are the masses, `R` is the distance and `G approx 6.7*10^(-11) (N*m^2)/(kg)^2`  is the universal constant called gravitational constant.

The bodies are considered to be small with respect to the distance (point masses). For a bodies of a complex shape it is necessary to consider small pieces and add up forces.

Earth and the Sun may be considered as point masses. The mass of Earth is about  `6*10^24 kg,` the mass of the Sun is about `2*10^30 kg` and the distance is about `1.5*10^11 m.` So the force is

`6.7*10^(-11)*6*10^24*2*10^30/(2.25*10^22)=3.6*10^22(N).`

This is the answer.

What makes the Narrator in The Tell Tale Heart a sympathetic character?

It may seem strange to think of the narrator of "The Tell Tale Heart" -- a murderer --  in a sympathetic light, but to an extent Poe is able to make him so through strong characterization and point of view. Since the whole story is told from the point of view of the first person narrator, we as readers internalize the narrator's mental illness. Poe achieves this with remarkable economy: the very first lines of...

It may seem strange to think of the narrator of "The Tell Tale Heart" -- a murderer --  in a sympathetic light, but to an extent Poe is able to make him so through strong characterization and point of view. Since the whole story is told from the point of view of the first person narrator, we as readers internalize the narrator's mental illness. Poe achieves this with remarkable economy: the very first lines of the story rope us in:

It’s true! yes, i have been ill, very ill. But why do you say that I have lost control of my mind, why do you say that I am mad?

"We" haven't said anything yet, but it is clear that, despite his protests, our narrator is quite crazy. Even though what the narrator says makes no sense -- there is no "reason" why the old man's vulture eye should cause the narrator to murder him -- we nevertheless feel his paranoia and fear with him. We know the old man to be guiltless, but we understand the irrational source of the narrator's fear. When the police come, real suspense is generated: we don't want the police to find the narrator out, and are distressed when the narrator confesses at the end of the story.

For more on "The Tell Tale Heart," and Poe's aesthetics, see  eNote. 

What apparatus can be used to measure the amount of water lost when boiling it?

Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid (water, in our case). The process is characterized by molecules escaping the liquid by possessing sufficient kinetic energy. This process happens all the time, but in such low occurrences that other molecules (some of which may be already present in the air) return to the liquid. By increasing the temperature of the liquid (or more accuratley, by increasing the internal energy of the liquid), these molecules start...

Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid (water, in our case). The process is characterized by molecules escaping the liquid by possessing sufficient kinetic energy. This process happens all the time, but in such low occurrences that other molecules (some of which may be already present in the air) return to the liquid. By increasing the temperature of the liquid (or more accuratley, by increasing the internal energy of the liquid), these molecules start to have more kinetic energy, escaping the liquid more easily.

When such molecules escape the liquid, as long as you ensure that they don't return to the liquid, the liquid will lose mass.

So, to measure the amount of water lost to boiling you just need a weighing scale. Measure the initial mass of the water you have and then measure the final mass you have after boiling it. The difference between these values represents the mass of water lost.

Remember that this process of heating and vaporizing is continuous, so you'll be losing mass at increasing rates as you heat the water.

According to Immanuel Kant what is the difference between duty and inclination and why is it important?

For Immanuel Kant, the moral value of an action has nothing to do with what a person does.  Actions themselves are not good or bad.  In addition, the results of the action do not determine whether it is good or bad.  The only thing that determines whether an action is good or bad (or morally indifferent) is the motive behind the action.  This is where the difference between duty and inclination comes in to his thinking.

For Kant, inclination consists of things that we desire.  If we act because we want something, we are acting from inclination, regardless of whether the action seems to be good or bad.  For example, if I stay after school without pay to help a group of students, I might be acting from inclination.  I might be doing that because I want the students to think well of me.  In that case, I am acting to try to achieve something that I desire.  As another example, let us say that I spend a lot of time with my kids, giving them attention and love.  I might be doing this from inclination because I enjoy being with them and I want to feel their love in return.  Also, I might be doing it from inclination because I want them to grow up and get good jobs or because I want them to be smart and to make their teachers think that I am a great parent.  In each of these cases, I am acting because I think my action will get me something that I want.  This is inclination.

Duty, by contrast, consists of things that we know we should do.  If we act because we know that it is the right thing to do, we are acting based on duty.  If I stay after school with my students because I know I have a responsibility to help and support them so they can succeed in life, I am acting from duty.  If I spend time with my kids because I know I should (even though I would rather be watching sports on TV) I am acting from duty.  Kant says that only actions motivated by duty are morally valuable.  If we act based on inclination, our actions are, at best, morally neutral.

The different between duty and inclination, then, is the difference between what we should do and what we want to do.  This difference is very important because Kant says our actions are only morally good if they are motivated by duty and not by inclination.

Explain Percy's quest in detail.

Like any good adventure myth, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief has a classic hero's journey plot. Percy, the hero of the story and son of the Greek god Poseidon, is called to go on a quest.

Every "hero's journey" type story, from the Holy Gospels to Star Wars, vaguely follows the same set of steps. Some critics say there are 17 steps, others say 12, others say 3 – no matter how much in detail they're divided, they still follow roughly the same plot. (For more on this, check out the links to a video and written explanation below!) Let's see how these look for Percy Jackson:

The Ordinary World: When we meet Percy, he is a regular kid with regular problems: he struggles with school, he loves his mom and hates his step-dad, he has a best friend. This is the part of the story where we see what "normal" looks like for the hero, before the adventure starts.

The Call to Adventure: This is the moment when we know things are changing for the hero. At a school field trip, Percy's teacher Mrs. Dodds turns into a winged monster and attacks him. His favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner, runs in at the last second, throws Percy a sword, and disappears. Percy kills the monster, which vanishes. When he's back outside, it's as if nothing has happened. No one recalls a "Mrs. Dodds" and there is a new teacher in her place. 

This is all really confusing for awhile, and Percy grows increasingly suspicious. But the mystery is not cleared up until he and his mother are at their beach house, when Percy's best friend Grover shows up unexpectedly. Grover and Percy's mother give him advice about the monster that has apparently discovered Percy's whereabouts. After a fight with the monster (a minotaur), Percy mom has disappeared (and he assumes she's dead) and Percy has defeated the monster.

Crossing the Threshold (and some Meeting with the Mentor): A dejected Grover, disappointed that he hasn't protected Percy better, leads Percy to Camp Half-Blood, which turns out to be a camp for demi-gods (the children of gods and mortals). Now Percy is completely immersed in the world of the gods. Mr. Brunner is there, in his true form, a half-man, half-stallion called Chiron. Grover, actually a satyr is there as well, along with many other creatures out of Greek mythology. 

The Road of Trials (Enemies and Allies): Like all great heroes, Percy is reluctant for a quest at first. Upon learning that his father, who he now knows is Poseidon, is in an epic fight with Zeus and Hades over Zeus's missing "master bolt" and that now that he is clearly Poseidon's son, everything will think he took it, Percy is naturally overwhelmed. Still, like all heroes, he ultimately goes, spurred by the knowledge that his mother is alive, but kidnapped by Hades.

Now Percy, Grover, and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) are off, to go to Los Angeles (entry to the Underworld) and try to find and recover the master bolt. Along the way, they meet minor enemies, like one would in a video games (because lots of these are hero's journeys too!) Mrs. Dodds is back, with 2 friends – they are the 3 Furies sent from Hades, and the trio has to fight them and eventually blow up the bus the trio is riding on to stop their attack. 

The trio escapes into the woods, but it's not long before they find themselves in a suspicious situation again. They've found a burger joint and are so engrossed in the greasy food that they fail to realize that the proprietress "Aunty Em" is none other than Medusa. Again, they fight their way out just in the nick of time.

The third battle, Percy is alone, at the top of the St. Louis Arch, with the Mother of Monsters Echidna and her son, the Chimera. This is a battle Percy doesn't win, but he does escape, by diving off the Arch into the Mississippi River and praying his father will save him. At this point, Percy hears from an ally as well. A water spirit, sent by his father, tells him to have hope, that all is not lost. 

The road of trials continues: the trio is side-tracked by a quest from Ares to retrieve his shield and then accidentally spend 5 days in a mysterious time-looped casino. In Los Angeles, Percy gets another message from Poseidon, and some magic pearls. After another run-in with another Greek monster, the trio finds the entrance to the Underworld. 

The Ordeal/The Descent into the Underworld (literally): This is the Big Boss of the Hero's Journey. Up until now, the trio has assumed that big boss would be Hades. When they do meet him, though, they discover that the theft of the master bolt was done by another figure, one not even involved in Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon's bickering. Percy figures it out and escapes Hades to confront the real villain: Ares, god of war. After fighting him, they had retrieved not on the master bolt, but the helm of darkness, which they return to Hades into to release Percy's hostage mother. 

Reward: Percy travels to Mount Olympus to return the master bolt in person and have a heart-to-heart with his father. His father tells him he's sent a present to Percy's house. When Percy returns home (and reunites with his mother), he discovers the present is Medusa's head, which he gives to his mom as a way to escape Smelly Gabe, if she ever chooses to use it (she does).

Master of Two Worlds: Percy spends the rest of the summer at Camp Half-Blood. He feels like he's finally found a real family and is pleased to hear that his mom turned Gabe into a sculpture and used the money to make a new life for herself, and him, if he wants it. 

*The Call to Action for Next Time!* - At the second climax of the story, Luke, a figure at Camp Half-Blood reveals he was behind all the theft of godly artifacts. He tries to poison Percy and escapes, setting up the perfect quest for next time...

Give examples of hard water and soft water. |

Water is a good solvent and is capable of dissolving a number of compounds in it. While this may be a desirable feature in some cases, in others, it may be an issue. For example, certain waters are tough to use for laundry since they do not form much lather. Such water is known as hard water. Hardness is a property of water and is determined by the calcium and magnesium salts contained in it.

...

Water is a good solvent and is capable of dissolving a number of compounds in it. While this may be a desirable feature in some cases, in others, it may be an issue. For example, certain waters are tough to use for laundry since they do not form much lather. Such water is known as hard water. Hardness is a property of water and is determined by the calcium and magnesium salts contained in it.

Carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium causes temporary hardness. Nitrates, sulfates and chlorides of calcium and magnesium cause permanent hardness. It is the presence of these salts that prevent lather formation. Soft water does not contain (or contains very small amounts of) these salts. Rain water is generally soft. The water that you receive in your taps at home can be soft or hard, depending on where you live. You can check if your city's water treatment plant removes the hardness through a softening process. Groundwater can be hard sometimes, depending on the presence of these salts. 

Hope this helps. 

What is a summary of chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in Johann David Wyss' The Swiss Family Robinson?

In Chapter 4, the family have just landed safely on the beach after paddling in their makeshift boat from where the wreck of the ship is still wedged on the reef. They set up a tent, unload the supplies they have brought from the ship, and seek to make a meal. Ten-year-old Jack is attacked by a lobster in a tide pool, but kills it with the help of his father. Fifteen-year-old Fritz goes on a short expedition with a gun. He shoots an agouti, which is then devoured by the dogs, Turk and Flora. Fritz loses his temper and beats the dogs severely with his gun. His father reproves him. The family take their supper of ship's biscuit and soup made from bouillon. At first they do not know how they are going to eat the soup, but then they realize they can cook oysters, pry them open, and use the shells to scoop up the soup. The family beds down in the tent they have set up, for their first night on the island.

Chapter 5 opens the next day. The parents agree that their first task of the day must be to look for any of the ship's crew who might have washed ashore. Fritz and his father are to go on this expedition, leaving the mother and the younger boys behind. The family breakfast on the lobster and some more biscuits, the father leads his family in a prayer, and then he and Fritz set off, bringing guns with them. They cross the river and enter some tall grass. At first, they think they are being pursued through the grass by a wild animal, but the animal turns out to be their dog Turk, whom they had planned to bring and then left behind. They proceed along the coast of the island. Fritz wonders why they should bother to look for the crew, who did not bother to save them, but his father encourages him not to return evil for evil. They find some coconuts, first a decayed one, and then one that is a little "rancid," which they nonetheless eat.

In Chapter 6, we continue to follow Fritz and his father on their journey of exploration. They hack their way through the jungle, and coming out on the other side they find a gourd tree. The father shows Fritz how they can make plates, bowls, and silverware with the gourds that grow on the trunk of this tree. They fill their creations with sand and leave them to dry in the sun; then they move on. They find a little peninsula with a hill on it. They climb the hill and are able to see the whole bay and large parts of the island, but even with their telescope they cannot see any signs of people. They descend the hill and pass through "reeds," which turn out to be sugarcane. They then enter a palm grove, where they obtain coconuts by provoking monkeys to throw them at them. They drink the coconut milk and eat the coconut meat, bring the coconuts and the sugarcane with them, and turn back toward home.

Chapter 7 finds Fritz and his father still on their journey homeward. Fritz had filled his drinking flask with coconut milk, intending it for his mother and brothers, but when he tries it, he finds that it has fermented and become "new, sweet, sparkling wine." His father describes the stages of fermentation to him and warns that by the time they get the juice home, it will probably be vinegar or even further gone. They drink some of the "wine," being careful not to get drunk. They return to their gourd utensils and find that they have dried out well, so they bring them along. Then passing into the jungle that they first came through, they find a troop of monkeys. Their dog Turk immediately kills a mother monkey and starts to devour it. The baby monkey adopts Fritz as its new caretaker, "fastening its paws in his curls." Fritz gets his father's permission to keep the monkey as a pet. The two return to the river, where they are met by the rest of their family. The other boys are delighted to see the monkey and the sugarcane.

Chapter 8 is a short one. The family return to their camp to eat supper. Mrs. Robinson has prepared roasted fish, soup, and a "goose" (actually a booby), which was killed by thirteen-year-old Ernest during the day. They have also opened one of the barrels ("hogsheads") from the ship, which turns out to contain "one of the finest Dutch cheeses." The family eat all this food using the gourd plates and bowls. They cut up the coconuts for dessert. Fritz is excited to show off his coconut wine. As predicted, it turns out to be vinegar, which they use as a condiment for the goose and fish. The family say their prayers and go to bed (the monkey bedding down with them). They are wakened not long after by the sound of their dogs being attacked by a dozen jackals. Fritz and the father fire on the jackals, killing two of them and driving the rest off. Fritz saves the jackal he has killed so that he can show it to his brothers the next morning. They go back to sleep again.

What do Guy de Maupassant's word choices tell about Madame Loisel in "The Necklace"?

The main character in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" is a dynamic character who significantly changes over the course of the story. The author uses specific language to characterize Madame Loisel. The exposition of the story tells us that she was born into a middle class family. Her relatively comfortable life changes drastically after the incident with the necklace. 

In the first half of the story, Madame Loisel is portrayed as dreamy and...

The main character in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" is a dynamic character who significantly changes over the course of the story. The author uses specific language to characterize Madame Loisel. The exposition of the story tells us that she was born into a middle class family. Her relatively comfortable life changes drastically after the incident with the necklace. 

In the first half of the story, Madame Loisel is portrayed as dreamy and petulant. She is "pretty and charming," but these attributes are not satisfactory as she imagines material luxury and what it would be like to associate with the wealthy upper class. She grieves over the "dinginess" of her home. Her simple life "gnawed at her and made her furious." She would "weep for days on end from vexation, regret, despair, and anguish." She wanted to be "envied" and "sought after." She has "disconsolate regrets" over her common life, so she dreams. Her dreams conjure up a world of the idle rich:

She would dream of silent chambers, draped with Oriental tapestries and lighted by tall bronze floor lamps, and of two handsome butlers in knee breeches, who, drowsy from the heavy warmth cast by the central stove, dozed in large overstuffed armchairs.

Her dissatisfaction with her life grows to a fever pitch after her husband brings home an invitation to a fancy ball. At last her dreams materialize, but all she can think about is what she lacks. Even though she has a new dress, she is still "sad, moody, and ill at ease." When she does finally have the dress and the necklace, she makes a splash at the ball:

She danced madly, wildly, drunk with pleasure, giving no thought to anything in the triumph of her beauty, the pride of her success, in a kind of happy cloud composed of all the adulation, of all the admiring glances, of all the awakened longings, of a sense of complete victory that is so sweet to a woman’s heart.

In the second half of the story Madame Loisel achieves dynamic character status as she rises above her circumstances. She has to help her husband pay back the "exorbitant" debt which they incur by replacing the lost necklace. She changes from a spoiled child to a mature woman who lives up to her responsibilities. De Maupassant writes:

Mme. Loisel experienced the horrible life the needy live. She played her part, however, with sudden heroism. That frightful debt had to be paid. She would pay it. She dismissed her maid; they rented a garret under the eaves. 

She is heroic and hardworking in playing her new role. Eventually the couple pays back the entire debt, but the reader is shocked, and maybe a little sad for Madame Loisel, as it is learned the necklace was worthless.

In The Merchant Of Venice, what are the meanings of 'bankrupt' and 'prodigal'? Why has the person being referred to gone bankrupt and why is he...

The terms bankrupt and prodigal are used in Act 3, scene 1 by Shylock the Jewish moneylender, when he refers to Antonio, a Christian merchant and also our protagonist.

Shylock has been conversing with Salarino and Salanio, two of Antonio's Christian friends, about his daughter, Jessica, who has eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian. Shylock is very upset about his daughter\s betrayal and the fact that she had also stolen some of his valuables. During their...

The terms bankrupt and prodigal are used in Act 3, scene 1 by Shylock the Jewish moneylender, when he refers to Antonio, a Christian merchant and also our protagonist.

Shylock has been conversing with Salarino and Salanio, two of Antonio's Christian friends, about his daughter, Jessica, who has eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian. Shylock is very upset about his daughter\s betrayal and the fact that she had also stolen some of his valuables. During their conversation, Salarino asks Shylock:

...But
tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any
loss at sea or no?

The reason why Salarino asks Shylock this question is because the Jew and Antonio share a common interest. Shylock had lent Antonio's friend, Bassanio, three thousand ducats and Antonio had signed a bond that the loan would be repaid within three months. Rumors had been circulating that Antonio had lost all his ships at sea and would, therefore, not be able to settle the debt. Shylock would, of course, be very interested in this news since he had vowed to avenge himself against Antonio's abuse and this would give him the ideal opportunity to do so legally since the bond stated that he could cut out a pound of Antonio's flesh if he should forfeit on the agreement.

It is then that Shylock says:

There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a
prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the
Rialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug upon
the mart; let him look to his bond:...

Shylock here compares Antonio to his daughter, Jessica, who he feels has betrayed him and, in a similar manner, Antonio is a bad partner since he cannot fulfill his duty of repaying the bond. The reason for this is that Antonio is a bankrupt, which is a term used to refer to someone who is unable to repay his or her debts. Such a person does not have the resources to settle a debt and therefore a court has to intervene to ensure that such a person's creditors can have at least some restitution.

Shylock also calls Antonio a prodigal which refers to a person who is wasteful and extravagant. He believes that Antonio was irresponsibly lavish and generous and should, therefore, be punished for his indiscretion. Shylock lodges a malicious suit against Antonio and asks the duke to make a judgement against him for not honoring his obligation. 

Shylock's malice lies in the fact that he hates Antonio for he is a Christian and also that he had suffered abuse at Antonio's hands, who had sworn at him, kicked him, called him a dog, criticized his lending practice and spat him on his cloak and in his face.

For an essay about the loss of Scout's innocence from To Kill A Mockingbird, please provide some quotes, with page numbers, along with the analysis.

Jean Louise is the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird; so, the reader is able to read the story from the eyes of an adult looking back as she experiences these events from her young self. In the beginning of the book, Scout is 6 and going into the 1st grade. By the end of the novel, Scout is in third grade and around 8 years old. These years should be innocent times for a little girl, but she is faced with extraordinary experiences that range from bigotry and racism to understanding adult themes such as sexual assault, or rape. Little girls at this age should be worried about which doll to play with, or which picture book to read, but Scout is anything but a normal little girl. She's a very intellectual, literate and rambunctious little tomboy who lives with her brilliant, yet kind and wise father--and when her father is asked to take on the case of his lifetime, her life changes, too, and she cannot escape without losing a little bit of her childhood.

Scout's "loss of innocence" means that she is introduced to adult topics before her time. In chapter 12, Scout visits Calpurnia's church and discovers that people won't hire Tom Robinson's wife Helen because of the rape charges against her husband. This event teaches Scout that people are prejudiced and discriminatory not only to alleged criminals who haven't been proven guilty, but towards their family as well. This is the first time that Scout asks about what rape is, and she asks Calpurnia rather than her father, as in the following passage:

"Calpurnia sighed. 'Old Mr. Bob Ewell accused him of rapin' his girl an' had him arrested an' put in hail--'

'Mr. Ewell?. . . Why, Atticus said they were absolute trash--I never heard Atticus talk about folks the way he talked about the Ewells. . . Well if everybody in Maycomb knows what kind of folks the Ewells are they'd be glad to hire Helen. . . what's rape, Cal?'" (124).

Calpurnia stepped in it first with Scout. Before this moment, Scout heard children like her cousin Francis call Atticus a "ni***r lover;" (83) and Cecil Jacobs said he defended "ni***rs" (75) but those times did not refer to the issue of rape. Calpurnia, on the other hand, does not give the definition to Scout and refers her to her father.

Scout asks her father about rape in chapter 14. Atticus's answer is as follows:

"He sighed, and said rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.

'Well if that's all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?" (135).

Clearly, Scout does not understand the issue completely and the conversation steers completely away from learning about what rape is to the fact that Cal took the kids to her church as Aunt Alexandra has a fit about it.

When Bob Ewell takes the stand in chapter 17, he testifies that he saw Tom Robinson "ruttin' on my Mayella!" (173). Reverend Sykes pleads with Jem to get Scout and Dill out of the courtroom in an effort to preserve their innocence, but Jem, not wanting to leave, tells the Reverend that Scout doesn't understand anything that's going on.

While waiting for the verdict, Jem discusses rape in front of Scout again with Reverend Sykes. Scout gets another definition of it as follows:

". . . it wasn't rape if she let you, but she had to be eighteen--in Alabama, that is--and Mayella was nineteen. Apparently you had to kick and holler, you had to be overpowered and stomped on, preferably knocked stone cold. If you were under eighteen, you didn't have to go through all this" (209).

All of the above passages show how rape becomes more and more defined for Scout as the story progresses. Reverend Sykes tries to quiet Jem about the topic a second time, but he claims again that Scout doesn't understand. Scout assures him that she does. Scout may not understand the intimate details, but she can pick up on the stress and importance of the situation as she experiences life before, during and after the trial. She also experiences how horribly people act, speak, and treat each other because of this trial. She learns that her world isn't as rose-colored as many children are led to believe so early on in their lives.  

Why is the 25th Amendment important to US citizens?

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution is not important to us American citizens on a daily basis in the way that amendments like the 1st or 4th Amendment are.  However, it is potentially important to us because it helps to preserve our democratic form of government.

The 25th Amendment has to do with making sure that we do not have times when we have no president or when it is unclear who is holding the...

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution is not important to us American citizens on a daily basis in the way that amendments like the 1st or 4th Amendment are.  However, it is potentially important to us because it helps to preserve our democratic form of government.

The 25th Amendment has to do with making sure that we do not have times when we have no president or when it is unclear who is holding the power of the presidency.  It would be bad if either of these things happened because it would undermine the stability of our system.  The 25th Amendment helps to prevent this from happening.  Section 1 specifies that the vice president becomes the president when a president is removed from office, dies, or resigns.  The original Constitution did not clearly specify whether the vice president was to become the president or just the acting president.  Section 2 requires that a new vice president be selected if the current vice president leaves office for any reason.  This is important because it ensures that there is always a vice president.  If there were not, the death, removal, or resignation of a president would cause much more chaos in our system.  Section 3 allows the president to declare that he (or someday she) is unfit to carry out his or her duties.  This allows the president to officially and temporarily hand over power to the vice president if, for example, he is medically incapacitated.

In all of these ways, this amendment is important to the stability of our political system.  It is important to us Americans because it helps make sure that our system will remain stable and that we will not have times when we are unsure who should have the power of the presidency.

Why does Framton Nuttel visit Mrs Sappleton?

Framton Nuttel is actually calling on both Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton, but Mr. Sappleton happens to be out shooting with two of his wife's brothers, so Framton will have to wait to meet the men. He only meets Vera at first and then her aunt. He is a shy man and doesn't enjoy making these visits to complete strangers. He is only doing it because his sister insisted on his making an effort to have a little social activity while he was undergoing his rest cure in the country.

"I know how it will be," his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; "you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

In those Victorian times there were no telephones. Presumably Framton would just have to appear on the doorstep and hand his letter of introduction to a maidservant. Mrs. Sappleton was not quite prepared to receive a visitor, so she sent her fifteen-year-old niece to substitute for her while she fixed her hair and perhaps changed into a different dress. This gives young Vera an opportunity to practice being a hostess, but she takes a mischievous delight in practicing in an entirely unorthodox fashion. 

Vera is bored to death in this household. She sets Framton up for the scare of his life because she knows exactly what her aunt is going to talk about when she appears, and she even knows that one of the returning hunters is going to sing, "I said, Bertie, why do you bound?" These three men, according to the girl, were supposed to have died three years ago when they were sucked into a bog on the moor. Vera introduces a note of spookiness by telling the nervous visitor:

"Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window."

Mrs. Sappleton is such a rattlebrained woman that it is easy for Framton to believe that her expectation of the three hunters at tea time is a sign of the insanity purportedly brought about by their deaths. Framton never does get to meet the men of the family because he is sure they must be walking dead. The fact that they are all carrying guns makes them even more frightening. What convinces Framton that these men returning towards the open window must be ghosts is the faked look of horror on the face of the girl who had been depicted as "very self-possessed" up to now.

Mrs. Sappleton is the first to see the hunters approaching.

"Here they are at last!" she cried. "Just in time for tea, and don't they look as if they were muddy up to the eyes!"

Framton shivered slightly and turned towards the niece with a look intended to convey sympathetic comprehension. The child was staring out through the open window with a dazed horror in her eyes.

Framton's sister's letter of introduction has just the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of meeting a nice country family, Framton believes he has entered a house of horrors and flees for his life. No doubt he will not be presenting any more letters of introduction to strangers.

What is the theme of the poem "Five Ways To Kill A Man" by Edwin Brock?

There are five stanzas to this poem; the main themes of the poem appear to center on the inhumanity of man through succeeding generations and the new threats to life in modern civilization.

Stanza One describes the crucifixion of Christ. The poet describes the sandal-wearing Jewish crowd. The crowing "cock" refers to Peter betraying Christ three times before the rooster crows. Also, Roman soldiers divide the garments of Jesus between themselves (into four shares). However, on the day of his Crucifixion, Jesus is also wearing a seamless tunic/cloak; the soldiers cast lots for this valuable garment because they do not want to divide it. Refer to John 19:23.

To do this properly you require a crowd of people wearing sandals, a cock that crows, a cloak to dissect, a sponge, some vinegar and one man to hammer the nails home.

Stanza Two refers to the medieval era when men still fought with "bows and arrows." The "length of steel" refers to a sword which can pierce through chain-mail hauberks. However, in the later medieval period, armor was often entirely made of steel plates and was much harder to penetrate.

Stanzas Three and Four describe World Wars One and Two. The reference to "gas" signifies chemical warfare, and the "ditches" may be an allusion to trench warfare. Rat infestation in trenches was a greatly feared phenomenon in World War One. The millions of rats which invaded trenches often feasted on rotting corpses and invariably brought disease to already beleaguered troops.

Stanza Four focuses on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

All you then require is an ocean to separate you, two systems of government, a nation's scientists, several factories, a psychopath and land that no-one needs for several years.

The scientists refer to the men who invented and worked on the atomic bomb. As for the psychopath, some experts maintain that it is a reference to President Truman, although others maintain that it is a reference to Hideki Tojo, the imperialistic dictator of Japan, who along with his allies, Germany and Italy, intended to rule the world. The wonderful thing about poetry is that there are often different interpretations based on unique viewpoints.

Stanza Five is the last stanza. After centuries of killing each other, the poet maintains cheekily that he has just been describing "cumbersome ways to kill a man." He argues that a more direct way to kill would be to put someone in the "middle of the twentieth century" and to leave him to the machinations of modern civilization. Thus, the theme of the poem reinforces that the inhumanity of man and the myriad threats to life continue into modernity; danger is not circumscribed by circumstance or time.

How do you know that the speaker in the poem "Those Winter Sundays" is a boy?

We actually do not know for sure that the narrator of the poem is a boy. Many people assume that the speaker is male because the author of the poem, Robert Hayden, is male, but this is not always a safe assumption. It is possible that we might read into the line about the "chronic angers of that house" that there is a clash between a father and son, as such a clash seems a...

We actually do not know for sure that the narrator of the poem is a boy. Many people assume that the speaker is male because the author of the poem, Robert Hayden, is male, but this is not always a safe assumption. It is possible that we might read into the line about the "chronic angers of that house" that there is a clash between a father and son, as such a clash seems a bit more likely than one between a father and daughter; however, this is also no guarantee. Further, we might speculate that the speaker is male because his father "polished [his] good shoes" because one would be more likely polish the shoes of a son than a daughter, but this is also not certain. It is also possible, though not sure, that the narrator, in hindsight, asks, "What did I know, what did I know / of love's austere and lonely offices?" because he realizes now, as a father himself, what it is like to perform these types of unappreciated duties for one's children. On the other hand, a woman could also make a similar statement about her sacrifices and taken-for-granted efforts on behalf of her children. Thus, we have clues that may signal a male speaker, but the speaker's gender is never made explicit.

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, why does Bruno think the Fury is the rudest person he ever witnessed?

"The Fury," of course, is Bruno's erroneous pronunciation of Adolf Hitler's title: "the Führer." The exact words from the novel are that Bruno believes "the Fury" is “the rudest guest I ever seen.”  A few of the main reasons why Bruno thinks this are that Adolf Hitler invites himself to Bruno's house for dinner, marches inside, and immediately takes Bruno's father's head spot at the dinner table.  Another reason that Bruno thinks Adolf Hitler is rude is...

"The Fury," of course, is Bruno's erroneous pronunciation of Adolf Hitler's title: "the Führer." The exact words from the novel are that Bruno believes "the Fury" is “the rudest guest I ever seen.”  A few of the main reasons why Bruno thinks this are that Adolf Hitler invites himself to Bruno's house for dinner, marches inside, and immediately takes Bruno's father's head spot at the dinner table.  Another reason that Bruno thinks Adolf Hitler is rude is the way that he treats Eva.  When Eva spends too long visiting with the children, Bruno hears Hitler "roar."  Then Hitler yells at Eva to come to his side by “clicking his fingers as if she were some sort of puppy dog.”  It is obvious to Bruno that Adolf Hitler immediately gets everything he wants despite his behavior.  There is also an indirect reason why Bruno believes "the Fury" to be very rude:  "the Fury" is the reason why Bruno and his family had to move from Berlin.  Because Bruno loved his home in Berlin (especially the banister and the fact that they lived close to Bruno's grandparents), Bruno is especially disgusted to be living near the concentration camp of "Out-With" (Auschwitz).

What kinds of work did slaves do in Ancient Mesopotamia and in the world today?

Slaves in Mesopotamia were generally prisoners of war. Sometimes, however, children were sold into slavery by their parents in desperate economic times. The wealthy of the civilization were the ones that could own the slaves and the slave became the property of the owner. Slaves mostly worked domestic chores in the homes of the wealthy, but could also be used in the temple to do work for the priests. Some slaves worked in the fields,...

Slaves in Mesopotamia were generally prisoners of war. Sometimes, however, children were sold into slavery by their parents in desperate economic times. The wealthy of the civilization were the ones that could own the slaves and the slave became the property of the owner. Slaves mostly worked domestic chores in the homes of the wealthy, but could also be used in the temple to do work for the priests. Some slaves worked in the fields, but this was pretty uncommon since the wealthy were generally not involved in farming. Some female slaves were used as concubines by the master. The master could also support slaves with skills to operate a business or apprenticeship. This was not done with the purpose of making the slaves life better, but as an investment in future returns, the slaves could bring him.

Today, slavery still exists in the world and is a major problem. Today slaves are much cheaper to acquire and are seen as disposable commodities. Slaves today are used as unskilled manual laborers to produce agricultural goods or consumer goods. There is also a darker side to the slave trade today that uses slaves in illicit sex trafficking rings. This trade accounts to close to a quarter of all slaves and is estimated to be numbered at close to five million slaves.

How does Squeaky get along with Raymond and Gretchen at the end of "Raymond's Run"?

Squeaky will likely get along well with Gretchen and have a new appreciation of her brother.

Raymond is Squeaky’s older brother, but she thinks of him as a younger brother because he is mentally challenged.  He acts more like a little boy.  Squeaky is also very protective of him.

Sometimes I slip and say my little brother Raymond. But as any fool can see he’s much bigger and he’s older too. But a lot of people call him my little brother cause he needs looking after cause he’s not quite right.

Squeaky is very independent.  Her insistence on protecting Raymond often causes a rift between her and other children her age.  Squeaky doesn’t like the girls in her neighborhood because she considers them insincere.  She has a particular problem with Gretchen, because she shares Squeaky’s favorite hobby—running.

Squeaky sees Gretchen as competition rather than a friend. She sees Raymond as a responsibility rather than a brother.  However, on the day of the race everything changes.  Gretchen comes in second place, helping Squeaky realize that she really is serious about running.  Raymond also keeps pace with Squeaky, proving that he has talent as a runner.

In one race, Squeaky earns a potential friend and a new way to communicate with her brother.  With both of them, she never quite felt comfortable before.  Now she feels that they understand her. 

And I look over at Gretchen wondering what the “P” stands for. And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it. Maybe she’d like to help me coach Raymond; she obviously is serious about running, as any fool can see.

For the first time, Squeaky is ready to let her guard down enough to make a friend.  She also feels like Raymond can be more than just her “little” brother.  She can coach him to be a runner, using what they have in common to come to an understanding and find common ground.

Transportation systems, schools, and banks are all examples of _____.

There are several ways this question could be answered. One way to answer this question is to say that transportation systems, schools, and banks are all examples of groups that are subject to government regulation. Schools have many rules to follow that are established either at the state and/or local level. The banking industry is also regulated. This regulation occurred because of the failures that occurred in the banking industry during the Great Depression. Transportation...

There are several ways this question could be answered. One way to answer this question is to say that transportation systems, schools, and banks are all examples of groups that are subject to government regulation. Schools have many rules to follow that are established either at the state and/or local level. The banking industry is also regulated. This regulation occurred because of the failures that occurred in the banking industry during the Great Depression. Transportation systems are also subjected to rules and regulation established by the government. Airlines have federally mandated taxes that are added to fares for purposes of security. Airline mergers must get government approval before occurring. Local transportation systems are also generally under government control. They receiving funding from the local or state government and must follow rules and regulations that exist. Sometimes they must get approval before they can raise fares.

Another way to answer this question would be to say that schools, transportation systems, and banks are institutions that provide a service to the communities they serve. Transportation systems are designed to move people around a city quickly. They allow people to travel to different parts of a city without having to worry about driving and parking a car. By using buses or subways, these systems allow many people to be transported throughout a city or region. Schools also provide a service to the communities they serve. The schools certainly educate the children. Schools also may fulfill other roles such as providing recreational and social activities for their communities. Banks allow businesses and people to have a place where they can keep their money safe. The banks also provide loans to businesses and to individuals that allow for investment in the local community. This may lead to the creation of jobs and the growth of local economy. These groups could be viewed as service-oriented institutions.

While there are many ways to fill in the blank line in your question, I have provided you with two options to consider.

What was the sign in Farewell to Manazar to Jeanne of how to cross what she called "intangible barriers"?

In Chapter 20: "A Double Impulse," Jeanne is only in the seventh grade when she realizes that her budding sexuality and femininity are a tool for crossing invisible barriers. By wearing a sparkly uniform with a short skirt and strutting in parades while twirling a baton, Jeanne experiences appreciation and acceptance from the Boy Scouts and their fathers. This is, significantly, after Jeanne has been rejected from participating in Girl Scouts on the basis of...

In Chapter 20: "A Double Impulse," Jeanne is only in the seventh grade when she realizes that her budding sexuality and femininity are a tool for crossing invisible barriers. By wearing a sparkly uniform with a short skirt and strutting in parades while twirling a baton, Jeanne experiences appreciation and acceptance from the Boy Scouts and their fathers. This is, significantly, after Jeanne has been rejected from participating in Girl Scouts on the basis of her race. She interprets the marching and the warm reception it receives as "the first sure sign of how certain intangible barriers might be crossed."

Looking back on these events as an adult with a mature understanding and the benefit of retrospect, Jeanne explains that her femininity could be a powerful took for breaking free from limitations placed on her due to being Japanese.

However, at the same time, Jeanne notes that this use of her physical charms is just another way of effacing herself as a person, as an individual: "this is usually just another form of invisibility," she explains. What she means is that, even though she is conspicuously marching in a parade in an attention-grabbing outfit, she's simultaneously invisible: the men watching her see her sparkles and her sexiness, but not her face or her personality. Acceptance, then, comes at a heavy price.

What are the biggest attractions of the Hunger Games?

In Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, the lead-up to the games, as well as the Games themselves, provide a lot of excitement and entertainment for the people in the Capitol. This is ironic because the games involve children literally killing each other in a violent, obligatory reality show. All of the events are broadcast across Panem, to all districts. The citizens in most of the districts are not entertained by the Games, but they are forced to watch anyway. There are a couple of districts that raise "Careers," or young people who are trained to compete in and win the Hunger Games. The people in those districts rally around their "champions," but citizens in most districts only look at the Games as a source of sadness.

The people in the Capitol look at the Games as the biggest sporting event you can imagine. Before the Games, they take great interest in the Reapings that take place in each district to choose one boy and one girl to send as sacrificial lambs to the Games. Once the Reapings take place, media in the Capitol evaluate the participants and predict how they will fare, sort of like we do before the Super Bowl or World Series. Once the tributes are sent to the Capitol, they participate in training and then have to "perform" for a committee; after that, media and citizens can start placing bets and guessing odds on who will win. Next, there is a tribute parade before the Games begin. Each set of tributes parades in the Capitol toward the president, wearing garb representing their districts. They also participate in televised interviews. This allows citizens at home to form connections with the tributes, which only heightens the drama when their favorites are killed in competition. 

The Hunger Games, in part, serve as a critique of our insatiable desire for entertainment, even if entertainment involves watching others suffer.