Is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre a feminist novel?

Feminism advocates that social, political, and all other rights should be equal between men and women. Bronte's Jane Eyrediscusses many of the struggles and prejudices that nineteenth century middle-class women faced. All rights were not equal between men and women at that time, and Jane's greatest desire is to have a family and to feel accepted and loved. This does not necessarily mean that the novel is not feminist, but the main character's goal...

Feminism advocates that social, political, and all other rights should be equal between men and women. Bronte's Jane Eyre discusses many of the struggles and prejudices that nineteenth century middle-class women faced. All rights were not equal between men and women at that time, and Jane's greatest desire is to have a family and to feel accepted and loved. This does not necessarily mean that the novel is not feminist, but the main character's goal is not to change the legal and political world in order to gain equal rights for women. However, by the end of the story, she does not settle for anything less than the most equal relationship and living circumstances possible for the time period. And at the time, it must have seemed pure fantasy for a governess to acquire her own money and marry higher than her social class. 

Erica Jong's introduction in the Signet Classic edition provides great insight into how Jane Eyre could be considered a feminist novel by saying the following: 

"And indeed she cannot marry Rochester until he knows he is as dependent on her as she is on him. Their odysseys have equalized them: Jane has become an independent woman and Rochester has been cured of entitlement. Only thus can a woman and man become equals in a patriarchal society" (ix).

Bronte portrays Jane as a traditional woman who wants a husband and family while also maintaining her value as an individual in her own right. Many women today want the same things--to have a family and career. However, even though Jane isn't seeking social or political equality, she does find equality in marriage. This could be a big part of the message that Bronte wanted to convey, which would mean that her desired results would have, in fact, been one of the first feminist novels. 

What are two major events in Maniac Magee?

Two major events are the race with Mars Bar and Amanda’s book being destroyed.

Maniac Magee is very episodic, meaning that the book is really a series of loosely connected events.  Two that can be considered important are when Maniac made an impression on the neighborhood by beating Mars Bar in the race, and when Maniac left the Beales because someone destroyed Amanda’s favorite book, the encyclopedia Volume A.

Maniac ran away from home when his parents died and he was left with a feuding aunt and uncle.  He just started running one day and didn’t stop.  He ended up in Two Mills, a town strictly divided by race.  Maniac is white, but he does not seem to notice what color other people are.  He is homeless after all.  In Two Mills, there is the West End and the East End.  If you are white, you should stay on the West End, but Maniac somehow ends up on the East End.

Maniac meets a kid named Mars Bar in the East End.  His name comes from his love of candy bars, and he considers himself tough.  Maniac baffles him by taking a bite out of his candy bar.  One day Maniac ends up racing him, and he doesn’t know what to do so he runs backward.  Mars Bar is humiliated that Maniac beats him running backward.

Maybe it was that simple. After all, who asks why otters toboggan down mudbanks! But that didn't make it any less stupid or totten a thing to do. The hatred in Mars Bar's eyes was no longer for a white kid in the East End; it was for Jeffrey Magee, period. (Ch. 38)

Maniac has no meanness in him, and he really did not intend to embarrass Mars Bar.  Maniac just doesn’t seem to really understand how to be normal.  He may have made an enemy out of Mars Bar, but he thrilled the neighborhood kids. 

The second incident actually happens first, but it is more important thematically.

Maniac ends up living with the Beale family for a while.  He loves to read, and especially gets along well with Amanda Beale, who loves books so much that she carries her entire library with her so that her siblings won’t ruin the books.  She lends Maniac a book and Mars Bar tears a page out of it, so she beats him up.

Maniac loves the Beales.  They understand that he desperately needs a place to belong.  Unfortunately, there are some that just do not understand the concept of a white boy living with a black family.  The Beales are targeted, and the last straw for Maniac is when Amanda’s favorite book, Volume A of the Encyclopedia, gets destroyed as a message to him.

More than anything, Maniac wanted to hug Amanda and tell her it was okay. He wanted to go inside, be with his family, in his house, his room, behind his window. But that wasn't the right thing. The right thing was to make sure the Beales didn't get hurt anymore. He couldn't keep letting them pay such a price for him. (Ch. 21)

Maniac leaves because he doesn’t want the Beales to be the targets of racism or violence.  It breaks his heart, but he cares more about them than anything.  He ends up fluttering around, even living at the zoo with the groundskeeper until the old man dies.  Finally, Maniac returns to his real family, the Beales.

In Act One, what motivates Tituba to suddenly offer names of alleged witches after having denied being under the spell of the devil?

Tituba, a slave in the Parris household, has no power and is the most susceptible to punishment when people start to make accusations of witchcraft. Initially, Tituba and the other girls, led by Abigail, maintain that when Parris caught them in the woods, they were only dancing. But when the adults start to speak about witchcraft, they bring in Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, to investigate. Hale begins to question Abigail, and in order...

Tituba, a slave in the Parris household, has no power and is the most susceptible to punishment when people start to make accusations of witchcraft. Initially, Tituba and the other girls, led by Abigail, maintain that when Parris caught them in the woods, they were only dancing. But when the adults start to speak about witchcraft, they bring in Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, to investigate. Hale begins to question Abigail, and in order to save herself from suspicion, she accuses Tituba of working with the devil and making her drink blood, among other acts. With this, Hale turns to Tituba and begins questioning. As he does so, Parris says to her, "You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba."

At this point, Tituba likely realizes that she has little choice but to confess. It doesn't matter that she was not involved with the devil; she is a slave, and the moment Abigail decides to accuse her, she is considered guilty. If she stays with the truth, she will die. When Hale then turns to her and offers her the opportunity to confess, she knows confession equals protection, and she makes the choice to save her own life.

Explain if the country had a right to grow from coast to coast ?

The concept of Manifest Destiny refers to our desire to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. We had a right to expand across our continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

It is normal for a country to want to grow. As our population grew, we needed more land on which to live. We also needed to make sure the needs of our people were met. For example, the farmers...

The concept of Manifest Destiny refers to our desire to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. We had a right to expand across our continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

It is normal for a country to want to grow. As our population grew, we needed more land on which to live. We also needed to make sure the needs of our people were met. For example, the farmers in the West around 1800 needed to get their goods to the marketplace. When Spain and France restricted our use of the Mississippi River, we needed to try to get the land that would allow us to use the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. It was natural for us to agree to make the Louisiana Purchase.

Other opportunities allowed us to grow. Texas wanted to join our country as a state. Many Americans lived in Texas, so this would be a natural fit for us. We also had claimed the Oregon Territory along with Great Britain. It made sense to agree to divide this land with Great Britain so we could have part of that territory. While our methods of getting the southwestern part of the United States might be questioned, it was normal for a growing country to seek new opportunities for expansion and for growth. The war with Mexico gave us an opportunity to get this land.

Thus, we did have a right to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It was something that was natural for us to want to do.

"I will live in the past, the present, and the future": Scrooge's redemption proves that destinies may be changed. Discuss.

Crucial to this story is the idea that individual actions can transform the future, for good or ill. Supernatural events—the multiple appearances of ghosts—break into Scrooge's life, causing him to change his behavior. 

The ghosts can be seen as metaphors for memory, empathy and the imagination. As Scrooge remembers the better self of his past and the people who touched him emotionally through the ghost of Christmas Past, his heart softens, opening him to emotions...

Crucial to this story is the idea that individual actions can transform the future, for good or ill. Supernatural events—the multiple appearances of ghosts—break into Scrooge's life, causing him to change his behavior. 

The ghosts can be seen as metaphors for memory, empathy and the imagination. As Scrooge remembers the better self of his past and the people who touched him emotionally through the ghost of Christmas Past, his heart softens, opening him to emotions he had shut down. As he regains the capacity to feel, he views the present through new, more compassionate eyes. With the help of the ghost of Christmas Future, he can imagine the bleak scenario of Tiny Tim's death. He can also imagine his own death being celebrated rather than mourned. 

This new—or old—way of seeing leads Scrooge to take control of changing his destiny, as is illustrated at the end of the novel: Scrooge makes the conscious choice to act generously and benevolently, using his wealth to improve the general good, and more particularly, the circumstances of the Cratchit family. Scrooge's redemption leads to changed destinies: so can anybody's redemption change destinies. This hopeful message is a key to the book's popularity. It is also typical of Dickens' belief that touching individual hearts and motivating people to acts of kindness and compassion can transform society.

Why has the narrator returned to her childhood home in "The Leap" by Louise Erdrich?

In the first paragraph, the narrator notes that her mother is sightless as a result of cataracts. Her mother was a trapeze artist in her younger days and this probably accounts for the graceful way her mother feels her way around the house and doesn't knock anything over. However, her mother loved to read as well and with no sight, she can no longer read. This is the biggest tangible reason the narrator returns to...

In the first paragraph, the narrator notes that her mother is sightless as a result of cataracts. Her mother was a trapeze artist in her younger days and this probably accounts for the graceful way her mother feels her way around the house and doesn't knock anything over. However, her mother loved to read as well and with no sight, she can no longer read. This is the biggest tangible reason the narrator returns to her home: 

Since my father's recent death, there is no one to read to her, which is why I returned, in fact, from my failed life where the land is flat. I came home to read to my mother, to read out loud, read long into the dark if I must, to read all night. 

The daughter mentions her "failed life," so this return is also somewhat of an escape or a retreat. But perhaps the largest motivating factor is that the narrator loves her mother and feels indebted to her. Note that the story is structured around the three times the narrator owes her life to her mother. The first instance is when her mother saves her own life in the trapeze accident and subsequently goes on living to eventually give birth to the narrator. The second is when her mother meets the narrator's father in the hospital. (This is the man who teaches the mother to read.) And the third time is when her mother saves the narrator from the fire with the aforementioned "leap." So, the narrator returns as a result of a failed life, but her main motivation is that she loves her mother and is gladly obliged to read to her. 

Pick the change that is NOT unique to entering formal operations. (A) being able to logically argue both sides of an issue (B) being able to...

The formal operations stage of human cognitive development is the latest stage in Piaget's theory, and generally begins around the age of 11 or 12, shortly before the onset of puberty. During this stage, children acquire the capacity to engage in abstract reasoning, separating the concrete content of ideas from the abstract logical relations between them.Before the formal stage, kids learned to interact with the environment (sensorimotor stage), experience self-awareness and learn to speak...

The formal operations stage of human cognitive development is the latest stage in Piaget's theory, and generally begins around the age of 11 or 12, shortly before the onset of puberty. During this stage, children acquire the capacity to engage in abstract reasoning, separating the concrete content of ideas from the abstract logical relations between them.

Before the formal stage, kids learned to interact with the environment (sensorimotor stage), experience self-awareness and learn to speak language (preoperational stage), and finally to reason about the world in concrete terms (concrete operational stage). But it is not until the formal operational stage that children figure out how to separate the form of ideas from their contents.

A great example of a problem that kids get wrong in the concrete operational stage but get right in the formal operational stage is something like this:

Is this a valid argument? All whales are green and all green things are fish, therefore all whales are fish.

The answer is "yes"; this argument is formally valid. But in order to do that you've got to think of it in abstract terms like "all W are G, all G are F, therefore all W are F". If you were focused on the concrete stuff about whales and fish, you'd say it was invalid because whales aren't fish.

With all of this in mind, the best answer is clearly (D); while logical argument, scientific reasoning, and thinking about unreal ideas are all part of using formal reasoning and thus the formal operational stage, learning new words was something kids acquired a long time ago in the preoperational stage.

In Death of a Salesman and Of Mice and Men, how do the characters' dreams lead to their ultimate demise?

In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman (get it? "low man"?) exemplifies the American Dream of getting out of poverty by pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. A career in sales was hailed as the best way to do that, and so Willy takes to it with gusto. Since he believes that he can achieve success through manipulating and charming those around him, he cultivates those qualities in himself and his children, Biff and Happy. Unfortunately, in Willy's dedication to this narrative of success, he refuses to acknowledge it is flawed until it's too late – if indeed he ever does. Biff sums up the reason for Willy's lack of success and eventual downfall in Act 2: 

"I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like the rest of them! I’m one-dollar an hour, Willy! I tried seven states and couldn’t raise it. A buck an hour! Do you gather my meaning? I’m not bringing home any prizes anymore and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!"

As Willy realizes that neither he nor his sons will ever succeed, he begins to think that the best course of action is to kill himself in a car accident so his family can benefit from the insurance money. Even this plan, however, is framed as his "next big break," with his older brother Ben urging him towards the "diamonds" that made Ben rich (code for insurance money). Even at the end, Willy is looking for the magic key to success. 

In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie dream of owning a farm together someday, where Lennie can keep rabbits. The way we see them reference that dream in their day-to-day life as migrant farm workers, though, suggests that it's more a fantasy than a realistic possibility for the pair. The way Lennie begs George to go over the details of the dream again and again makes it seem more like a soothing story than anything they could actually do. 

However, I would disagree that George and Lennie's dream of a farm leads to their demise. Rather, I would say that their demise comes from the loss of the possibility of achieving their dream. They seem to know it's unlikely, but when Candy offers his life savings as part of a down payment, it starts to seem real. Therefore, when Lennie messes up again and accidentally kills Curly's wife, the realization that their dream will never come true hits them even harder. This loss is summed up in the following dialogue after Lennie kills Curly's wife:

"Lennie said, 'George.'

'Yeah?'

'I done another bad thing.'

'It don't make no difference,' George said, and he fell silent again."

George seems to accept the fact that the dream of a farm could never come true. Still, it was like a beacon of hope to keep him and Lennie going through the drudgery and hard work of each day. With the loss of their dream, they are faced with the full ramifications of the Great Depression – all of the despair and struggle that so many working men faced.

What was Brian's plan if he ever heard a plane engine roar overhead in Hatchet?

Brian plans to have a fire ready so that he can wave a burning limb at a plane if he hears it.

When Brian’s plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, he is alone because the pilot is dead.  Brian has to use all of his skills and intelligence to survive on his own.  He needs to find a way to get food and shelter, but his next concern is rescue.

Brian is worried that he...

Brian plans to have a fire ready so that he can wave a burning limb at a plane if he hears it.

When Brian’s plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, he is alone because the pilot is dead.  Brian has to use all of his skills and intelligence to survive on his own.  He needs to find a way to get food and shelter, but his next concern is rescue.

Brian is worried that he will not have a way to contact planes that fly over him.  He decides to use fire.

Initially he had thought of making a signal fire every day but he couldn't….  So while he was working he decided to have the fire ready and if he heard an engine, or even thought he heard a plane engine, he would run up with a burning limb and set off the signal fire. (Ch. 11)

Brian tries to figure out how to make a spear out of a stick and use it to fish.  He does find berries to eat, but that does not work out well.  He is mostly concerned about not being rescued.

Brian doesn’t have to wait long to hear a plane.  Brian hears a plane one day and desperately tries to get to his fire fast enough to contact it.

He had to get fire up on the bluff and signal them, get fire and smoke up. He put all of his life into his legs, jumped logs and moved through brush like a light ghost, swiveling and running, his lungs filling and blowing and now the sound was louder, coming in his direction. (Ch. 12)

The plane keeps going, and Brian is not able to make contact.  Brian is sure that it is a search plane.  He is devastated, convinced that they won’t come back and he will never be rescued.  He feels changed because “the disappointment cut him down.”  He makes a new fire that is smokier.

Eventually a plane does come and find Brian, the pilot telling him that he heard his emergency transmission and saw the crashed plane.  Brian is finally saved. His persistence has paid off.

In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, what are some direct quotes that reveal society's view of Hester as a sinner?

In The Scarlet Letterby Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are a number of quotes that show that the 17th century society thinks of Hester as a sinner.  Hester Prynne makes her first appearance in chapter two, entitled "The Market Place."  In this chapter, Hawthorne draws attention to the townsfolk that are waiting outside of the prison, stating that amongst them "religion and law were almost identical," meaning that lawbreakers were essentially considered sinners.  Even before Hester...

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are a number of quotes that show that the 17th century society thinks of Hester as a sinner.  Hester Prynne makes her first appearance in chapter two, entitled "The Market Place."  In this chapter, Hawthorne draws attention to the townsfolk that are waiting outside of the prison, stating that amongst them "religion and law were almost identical," meaning that lawbreakers were essentially considered sinners.  Even before Hester emerges from the prison, a number of townsfolk begin to identify her as sinful.  Many of her harshest critics are older women.  Hawthorne writes of "a hard-featured dame of fifty" who says "[i]t would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne."  A malefactress is defined as a woman who violates the law or does evil.  Further, another mature women suggests that "they should have put a brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead [...] But she, -the naughty baggage,- little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!"  At this time, another, younger woman interjects, saying "let her cover her mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."  This discussion of desire to brand Hester also reveals that the townsfolk see her as sinful.  Even the younger woman, who displays some level of empathy to Hester's plight, identifies the severity of the sin, and Hester's inability to ever be free of it.

Perhaps the most harsh judgement comes from a woman whom Hawthorne refers to as "the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges," who says,

The woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.  Is there not law for it?  Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book.  Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!"

While opinions differ regarding the degree to which Hester should be punished, Hawthorne makes it clear that to Puritan Boston, Hester is sinful and should be made to suffer.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, can Bruno be called naive for saying that Germans are superior when he is talking to Shmuel?

In Chapter 10, Bruno meets Shmuel for the first time. The two boys introduce themselves and find out that they both share the same birthday. Shmuel asks Bruno where he is from, and Bruno tells him that he is from Berlin. When Shmuel asks where Berlin is at, Bruno tells him that it is in Germany. Shmuel tells him that he is from Poland, which is not in Germany. Shmuel then explains to Bruno that...

In Chapter 10, Bruno meets Shmuel for the first time. The two boys introduce themselves and find out that they both share the same birthday. Shmuel asks Bruno where he is from, and Bruno tells him that he is from Berlin. When Shmuel asks where Berlin is at, Bruno tells him that it is in Germany. Shmuel tells him that he is from Poland, which is not in Germany. Shmuel then explains to Bruno that he is bilingual, and his mother can speak French, Italian, and English. Bruno responds by asking if Poland is as good as Germany. Bruno says that Germany is the greatest country in the world, and remembers hearing his father tell his grandfather that Germany is superior.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of naive is deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment. Bruno would be considered naive because he is certainly not well informed about the world around him, and he was not accurate when he stated that Germany is the greatest of all nations. Bruno's comment stems from his father's nationalistic beliefs that Germany is superior to all other countries. Under the Nazi regime, the German youth were indoctrinated and lead to believe that Germany was the greatest nation on earth. Bruno has little experience learning about other countries and cultures. It is true that Germany probably had the best military at that present time, but there are many other factors and opinions that could be included in the argument. For instance, under the rule of the Third Reich, Germany is the least tolerant nation, and citizens cannot freely express their personal beliefs and opinions if they oppose the Nazi regime.

Besides wanting to save the owls, what do Roy and Mullet Fingers have in common?

Roy and Mullet Fingers are alike in many ways. The boys are about the same age and size; Roy's shoes fit Mullet Fingers. They both appreciate nature. Both boys are clever, coming up with ingenious ways of reaching their goals. Mullet Fingers puts alligators in the portable latrines and uses snakes with taped-shut mouths to scare away the guard dogs. Roy creates an elaborate ruse to ensnare Dana Matherson in his own...

Roy and Mullet Fingers are alike in many ways. The boys are about the same age and size; Roy's shoes fit Mullet Fingers. They both appreciate nature. Both boys are clever, coming up with ingenious ways of reaching their goals. Mullet Fingers puts alligators in the portable latrines and uses snakes with taped-shut mouths to scare away the guard dogs. Roy creates an elaborate ruse to ensnare Dana Matherson in his own misdeeds. Neither boy, Roy or Mullet Fingers, gives up easily. Roy doesn't give in to Dana, and he persists in tracking down the running boy and in trying to save the owls. Mullet Fingers works persistently to pester the Mother Paula's company with increasingly severe pranks. Both Roy and Mullet Fingers seem to have a high pain tolerance. Roy invites Dana to hit him, and the bully strikes him on the head three times while on the bus. He also endures some serious brawling in the janitor's closet. Mullet Fingers, despite his infected and wounded arm, runs to the construction site, arriving there before Beatrice and Roy on the bike. He also escapes from the hospital emergency room despite his fever and injury. Neither boy is a "bad kid"; they both stay primarily within the law and avoid causing physical harm to people while they try to interfere with the construction. Both boys, however, are willing to lie and/or withhold the truth in order to achieve their ends. Mullet Fingers keeps his name secret. At the hospital, both he and Roy lie about who Mullet Fingers is, and Roy lies to his parents and withholds some of the information about Beatrice and Mullet Fingers from them. Although Roy and Mullet Fingers come from different backgrounds, they are similar in many ways.

In his graphic memoir of his parents' experiences during the Holocaust, Maus, how effective is Art Spiegelman's portrayal of people of different...

In conceptualizing his graphic depiction of his parents' experiences during the Holocaust, Maus, Art Spiegelman was very deliberative in his choices of animals to represent different categories of humanity. The most obvious example of this was his use of mice to depict the Jewish victims of German and Polish anti-Semitism, and the use of cats to portray the German soldiers and concentration camp guards who were instrumental in executing Adolf Hitler's Final Solution. The natural relationship between cats and mice easily lends itself to a depiction of murderous bullies and their weaker victims. Cats not only pursue mice with the intention of devouring them, they are also well-known to toy with or mentally torture their intended victims before they move in for the final kill. That is about as appropriate an analogy to Germany's treatment of Europe's Jewish population, within the confines of the use of the animal kingdom as a parable for human conduct, as one can hope to identify.

Other of Spiegelman’s selections within the animal kingdom are equally obvious in their application to human subjects. Polish police officers are depicted as pigs, in keeping with the derogatory designation of law enforcement officers as pigs among the more liberal members of American society, especially during the 1960s and 1970s (Spiegelman’s biography, including his work for liberal and sometimes anti-establishment publications, is consistent with this explanation). British soldiers are depicted as fish, consistent with, in Spiegelman’s own words, “an island culture separate from Europe, fish-and-chips, cold blooded . . .” In short, the author of the Maus “tales” devoted time and energy to ensuring that the people depicted in his stories were represented by those animals most closely identified with these peoples’ conduct.

How effective was Spiegelman in his use of animals in Maus? The answer is very subjective. Different readers will respond in different ways. To this educator, however, the author’s use of animals was very effective. Spiegelman succeeded in emphasizing the nature of his subjects, especially with respect to the German cats and the Jewish mice, the most important element of these volumes. The larger, domineering cats and their intense hatred for and ridicule of the small, weak minority of mice in their midst serve as a powerful parable for the most horrific event in human history.

It has been said that James Weldon Johnson poem "The Creation" is based on his memories of sermons. In what ways is the poem like a sermon and the...

Great poems and great sermons share similar traits: both rely heavily on imagery, story-telling and a rhythmic quality. To gain some insights into a particulary rich preaching tradition, you might look at Henry H. Mitchell's, Black Preaching: The Recovery of a Powerful Art.

Images are descriptions that use the five senses. Both poems and sermons rely on these to paint a vivid picture in people's minds of what they are discussing. When Martin Luther King,...

Great poems and great sermons share similar traits: both rely heavily on imagery, story-telling and a rhythmic quality. To gain some insights into a particulary rich preaching tradition, you might look at Henry H. Mitchell's, Black Preaching: The Recovery of a Powerful Art.

Images are descriptions that use the five senses. Both poems and sermons rely on these to paint a vivid picture in people's minds of what they are discussing. When Martin Luther King, who was trained as a preacher, gave his sermon-like "I Have a Dream" speech, the vivid images, such as "justice rolls down like water," remained in people's mind in the way abstract terms (such as just saying the word "justice" ) would not. In the poem you mention, "The Creation," Johnson also uses  vivid imagery, such as

the rainbow appeared/And curled itself around [God's] shoulder

This shows God's intimacy with nature and is a beautiful image that supports the idea that creation is good.

Likewise, when 

 God scooped the clay ... by the bank of the river/He kneeled him down ...

the picture that Johnson provides here shows how God humbled himself while creating humankind.

Poets and preachers often (not always) tell stories. The Bible is a collection of stories and both poets and preachers understand that they can often best convey truths in narrative form, even if these stories are just tiny snippets. 

Finally, poets use rhyme, rhythm and repetition, among other techniques, to help people remember and to reinforce important messages. Preachers use cadence, which is how a person's voice rises and falls, to create a sense of rhythm. Preachers also use repetition to reinforce their most important points. 

Both poets and preachers hope to persuade people and often do it through using rich and startling language that remains in people's minds.

In the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," what does "lovely, dark and deep" suggest?

At first glance, Frost’s poem is simple. It’s about a man going through the snowy woods and taking a moment to pause and look around. When his horse jingles his little bells, the speaker realizes he needs to move along because he still has miles yet to go. However, a closer reading suggests that there is something more happening.

There have been several interpretations of this poem, and the key seems to be in the...

At first glance, Frost’s poem is simple. It’s about a man going through the snowy woods and taking a moment to pause and look around. When his horse jingles his little bells, the speaker realizes he needs to move along because he still has miles yet to go. However, a closer reading suggests that there is something more happening.

There have been several interpretations of this poem, and the key seems to be in the final stanza: 

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”

The phrase describing the woods as “lovely, dark and deep” suggests a mystery the speaker associates with the woods. The speaker does not see the woods as threatening, but by describing them as dark, there does seem to be something inexplicable about the woods. When this description of the woods is read along with the final couplet, it suggests a more serious purpose.

Some critics have written that the poem addresses the speaker’s sense of responsibility. He must stop looking at the woods and head home because he has miles to go and he has responsibilities to tend to upon his return. Another interpretation is that the speaker needs to continue moving along his journey of life before he dies (sleep referring to the final sleep or death).

Therefore, the phrase “lovely, dark, and deep” suggests that the speaker has more serious things to address, although the woods are bewitching and make him want to linger. This reflects other aspects of his life that distract him from his responsibilities or keep him from his fate.

Who are the women who have inspired you the most?

Each person will have a different list of personal women in their life – mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, teacher, etc. (in this category I would put my Aunt Mary, who taught me the function of a sense of humor).

 As for general influences, I would put Susan Sontag, Megan Terry, and Joanie Mitchell on my list. Susan Sontag was a brilliant scholar, essayist, and author; her discussion of the power of photography, in On...

Each person will have a different list of personal women in their life – mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, teacher, etc. (in this category I would put my Aunt Mary, who taught me the function of a sense of humor).

 As for general influences, I would put Susan Sontag, Megan Terry, and Joanie Mitchell on my list. Susan Sontag was a brilliant scholar, essayist, and author; her discussion of the power of photography, in On Photography, was the most influential book in my graduate school days, not only from its content (a sociological study of the effect of photographic techniques on our perception of the world), but also for its strong scholarly methodology. Megan Terry broke many dramatic/theatrical molds with her Calm Down, Mother and Keep Tightly Closed in a Cool, Dark Place. The influence of Joanie Mitchell came from her songs, a cross between pop and folk music. These women all retained their female identity without compromising the power of their minds, and they all taught me to observe the world from a humanistic, not merely a masculine, perspective.

What is the importance today of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address?

The importance of the speech depends on one's perspective. On the one hand, it was an extremely bellicose speech, and was heard that way at the time. The speech was given at a time when Cold War tensions were extremely high, and Kennedy was speaking directly to the Soviets when he said that

we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and...

The importance of the speech depends on one's perspective. On the one hand, it was an extremely bellicose speech, and was heard that way at the time. The speech was given at a time when Cold War tensions were extremely high, and Kennedy was speaking directly to the Soviets when he said that

we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.

Kennedy always saw the Cold War as his first priority, and the speech reflects this emphasis--he was speaking, he said, at "the hour of maximum danger" to freedom. But he also extended what might be interpreted as somewhat of an olive branch, observing that both the United States and the Soviet Union were "overburdened by the cost" of nuclear weapons and asserting that neither side should be afraid to negotiate. So this speech is a fairly good summation of Kennedy's priorities upon becoming President, and is this important as a document of the Cold War. But we also remember this speech for its soaring rhetoric, especially his injunction to Americans near the end of the speech to "ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." Thus this speech is a sort of statement of the civic ideal that many Americans still hold. So for these reasons, both historical and rhetorical, this speech retains great significance.

How does Wordsworth describe the song of the Solitary Reaper?

The narrator describes the reaper's song as a "melancholy strain" and "plaintive." While he cannot distinguish the words of her song, they sound sad, as if she is singing of loss or pain. He likens her singing favorably to the songs of the nightingale and the cuckoo, both birds that often sing alone. The nightingale is known for its beautiful song, but here, the narrator says the solitary reaper's song is more arresting than even that.

By taking a common, laboring woman and comparing her to a bird, a creature of nature, Wordsworth is depicting her as a thing of beauty in harmony with her environment. This is reinforced by the fact that narrator cannot make out the words: the beauty of the song transcends human language. Her song is sad, but because it is melancholic it is tinged with a bittersweet beauty that touches and thrills the listener's soul. 

What are two things the reader learns about Atticus's character in chapters 24, 25, and 26 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In chapters 25 and 26 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one thing we learn about Atticus's character is that he strikes a balance between being supportive and giving people space as the need arises. As a result, people continue to trust him, like his children and the citizens who continue to elect him to state legislature unopposed.

Atticus's supportiveness is particularly demonstrated in Chapter 25, when Scout recalls what Dill described for her of Atticus's actions concerning informing Helen Robinson of her husband's death. According to Dill, Helen had fallen to the ground the moment she had greeted Atticus, without Atticus even saying a word. Then, also according to Dill, Atticus, together with Calpurnia, had "lifted Helen to her feet and half carried, half walked her to the cabin" (Ch. 25). Atticus's action of lifting and partially carrying Helen to her cabin represents Atticus's typical uplifting, supportive behavior. In raising Helen to her feet and helping her inside the house, he is giving her emotional support, just as he gave her husband emotional support by putting his all into her husband's defense. We see Atticus display similarly uplifting, supportive behavior towards his children, such as when he allows Scout to climb into his lap in Chapter 26, even though he says she is getting too big.

Yet, Atticus is not the sort of person who smothers another person with unwanted support. Instead, he is also the sort of person who knows when to give another person needed space to grow and thereby strikes a balance between being supportive and granting space. We see him strike this balance in Chapter 26 when he intimates he knew all along that his children were pulling antics, such as trespassing on the Radleys' property, to try and get a look at their neighbor Arthur Radley. Yet, he intentionally left them to their own devices because he knew they needed room to grow and learn from their mistakes. We learn that Atticus knew far more about their antics than he had let on to knowing when he tells Scout not to get caught up in her obsession about Arthur again and gives her the following warning:

I'll tell you right now: stop it. I'm too old to go chasing you off the Radley property. Besides, it's dangerous. You might get shot. You know Mr. Nathan shoots at every shadow he sees, even shadows that leave size-four bare footprints. You were lucky not to be killed. (Ch. 26)

Atticus's above speech astonishes Scout because it not only lets her know how much he really knew, it also lets her know just how much Atticus let the children get away with. In other words, through Atticus's above speech, both Scout and the reader learn just how much room Atticus gives his children to grow while at the same time being emotionally supportive when they need him to be.

I have to write multiple restaurant reviews that use specific grammatical structures in Spanish. How can I describe each restaurant and some of its...

In writing your review, you want to be sure that you understand the difference between the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. The imperfect is used for continuous action in the past, or action that went on for some time, and the imperfect can be used with words that express frequency such as "a veces" (sometimes), "cada dia" (every day, with an accent on the "i"), or "a menudo" (often). The preterite is used for...

In writing your review, you want to be sure that you understand the difference between the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. The imperfect is used for continuous action in the past, or action that went on for some time, and the imperfect can be used with words that express frequency such as "a veces" (sometimes), "cada dia" (every day, with an accent on the "i"), or "a menudo" (often). The preterite is used for action that is completed in the past.

Some verbs you may want to use are ir, to go, as in "yo fui al restaurante" (I went to the restaurant), and pedir (to order), as in "yo pedi (with an accent on the "i") una hamburguesa," or "I ordered a hamburger." The types of verbs you might use in Spanish with the imperfect are, for example, "Yo comia (with an accent on the "i") desayuno a las ocho todos los dias," (with an accent on the "i" of "dias"), which means "I used to eat breakfast at eight every day." You can use the imperfect of "ser" to describe the restaurant, as in "el restaurante era muy bonito," the restaurant was very nice. However, to describe food, you generally say, "la comida estuvo deliciosa" (or "the food was delicious," with the preterite form of estar). Finally, to use a command in the Ud. form, you could say, "vaya al restaurante," which means "go to the restaurant" or "pida una hamburguesa," which means "order a hamburger."