Why is the information carrying capacity of DNA almost unlimited?

DNA is composed of pairs of four bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). Each base pair can be described using the following "2 bit" combinations: 00, 01, 10, and 11. A single byte or 8 bits would represent four DNA base pairs. 

Therefore, the entire diploid DNA in a single cell could code for 1.5 gigabytes of information. Using an estimate of 100 trillion diploid cells in a human body, the...

DNA is composed of pairs of four bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). Each base pair can be described using the following "2 bit" combinations: 00, 01, 10, and 11. A single byte or 8 bits would represent four DNA base pairs. 

Therefore, the entire diploid DNA in a single cell could code for 1.5 gigabytes of information. Using an estimate of 100 trillion diploid cells in a human body, the amount of information that could be stored in the DNA of a human body would be 150 zettabytes (`~10^21` ).

As of 2011, there was an estimated 1.8 zettabytes of data in the entire world. This means that all of the data that existed in the world as of 2011 could be stored in about one teaspoon of DNA. 

How do race, class, and gender affect one's position in Maycomb society?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, race, class, and gender are basically the most important factors in deciding one's position within Maycomb society. Of the three factors, race is probably the most important. In a nutshell, if one is white, then one is seen as a real human in Maycomb; if one is not white, then he or she is seen as effectively subhuman. This reality is most effectively represented by the Tom...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, race, class, and gender are basically the most important factors in deciding one's position within Maycomb society. Of the three factors, race is probably the most important. In a nutshell, if one is white, then one is seen as a real human in Maycomb; if one is not white, then he or she is seen as effectively subhuman. This reality is most effectively represented by the Tom Robinson trial, in which an obviously innocent black man is found guilty of rape simply because he is black.

Class is also an important determining factor in the Maycomb hierarchy. Generally, one must come from a "respectable" family in order to be considered important. The Finches come from an old family that not only owned the same plot of land for many generations, but that also historically extracted a sizable income from said plot of land. Thus, we can view the term "respectable" as essentially referring to old money. If one's family does not have a historically well-established familial pedigree, then one will accordingly occupy a lower run of the social ladder.

Finally, we have gender. This one is relatively simple: in the world of Maycomb, men are superior, and women are inferior. Scout learns this fact as she grows up and is forced to conform to codes of feminine conduct, most of which revolve around the assumption that women are fragile and dependent upon men. Scout is the definition of a Tom-boy, and so she understandably rebels against her society's restricting gender roles.

Thus, if one is to possess the most power in Maycomb, one must be white, male, and come from an "respectable" family. 

In the play, Othello, discuss to what extent our title character's final speech affects our assessment of him.

Othello's final speech is made soon after he has discovered the truth about Iago's lies and deceit. He has received direct evidence from Emilia that the handkerchief which convinced him of Desdemona's illicit affair with Cassio, had been stolen by her and given to her husband. Cassio also confirms that he found it in his lodgings where Iago had planted it. He has also been informed of two letters found on Roderigo's body, directly implicating Iago in the plot to kill Cassio and destroy the general. 

Othello is completely overwhelmed on learning about his folly and the huge mistake that he has made. In our judgement, we must, therefore, consider the situation in which he makes his final speech as well as his actions before then. In his speech, Othello states:

Soft you; a word or two before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know't.
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum. Set you down this;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him, thus. 

He states that he has been loyal to the state of Venice and that they are aware of that, but that has now come to its conclusion. He asks that in the report about this grievous situation, they should refer to him as he is and neither exaggerate nor be malicious. He asks that they should speak of a person who did not love wisely, but loved too much. The report should speak about him not being easily jealous but who was driven to confusion and aggravation who, as a result, threw away a most precious gift, richer than his entire tribe.

Othello then refers to his grief, stating that he was not used to weeping but who now dropped tears as fast as Arabian trees shed their gum. He entreats his audience to set these details down in their report adding that, at one point, in Aleppo, he had executed a Turk who dared to betray the Venetian state with his dagger in the manner that he will now execute himself. He then stabs himself. 

Before he dies, Othello says:

I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee: no way but this;
Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

This is a final expression of his love for Desdemona, that he would rather have kissed her than kill her. He falls on the bed next to Desdemona and dies.

By mentioning that his service to the state has now come to an end, Othello is suggesting that he has concluded performing heroic deeds. He wants the truth to be told. His story should not be embellished or told with malice, for he, intrinsically, did not bear any malice. The horrendous deed he had committed was brought on by the machinations he had been exposed to for he had been foolish. He had lost the most precious thing he could ever own and was overwhelmed by grief.

One can only admire the general for taking responsibility for his actions. He does not deny that he had been stupid in allowing himself to be manipulated. He is overcome with remorse and expresses his sadness. His suicide is, to him, the only option to atone for his deed, for he now realises that it was not heroic after all, it was murder. It was imperative for him then, to take his own life if he were to retain at least some dignity, albeit in death.

Does a rough, bumpy surface produce more or less friction?

In most cases, yes, the roughness of a surface is proportional to the friction it should be capable of generating. There are exceptions; for example, extremely smooth surfaces of identical metals can actually experience such low friction that they fuse together (this is called cold welding). This phenomenon has been explained with the characterization that the atoms in the metal "don't know they're in different metals" and therefore have no reason NOT to fuse under...

In most cases, yes, the roughness of a surface is proportional to the friction it should be capable of generating. There are exceptions; for example, extremely smooth surfaces of identical metals can actually experience such low friction that they fuse together (this is called cold welding). This phenomenon has been explained with the characterization that the atoms in the metal "don't know they're in different metals" and therefore have no reason NOT to fuse under those conditions. Cold welding isn't something you would see in everyday terms, however, and under everyday conditions you can count on rough surfaces to provide more friction.

Friction is a force between two objects that resists their perpendicular motion to each other; basically, they have to be in contact, but moving at right angles relative to each other, and friction will attempt to stop this from happening. It's the same reason why, if you have a book sitting on a table, it doesn't go scooting across the table at the slightest touch; you have to apply enough force that it "beats" the resistance of friction.

At the molecular level, most objects have imperfections in their surface texture, which basically makes them look like the teeth of a sawblade. You can think of friction as being born from these "teeth" intersecting each other, sort of like a zipper. Friction is the resistance provided by those little peaks and valleys ramming into each other and splitting up the perpendicular force into parallel and perpendicular vectors, with the perpendicular vector proportionally reducing the parallel vector and thereby resisting the object's motion.

What is Jem's physical appearance in Chapter 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem is about four years older than Scout, and we are told that he is “nearly ten” when the story starts.  The most specific description of Jem is of his condition at the end of the book, after the attack by Bob Ewell.

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. …  His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back...

Jem is about four years older than Scout, and we are told that he is “nearly ten” when the story starts.  The most specific description of Jem is of his condition at the end of the book, after the attack by Bob Ewell.

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. …  His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. (Ch. 1) 

This description would seem to indicate that the incident left a physical mark on Jem as well as an emotional one.  Jem got over it pretty quickly because he was still able to play football.   Scout begins by describing this because the incident is important to where the story ends up. 

The only description of the nearly ten-year old Jem in Chapter 1 seems to indicate that he has long or bushy hair and is taller than Dill.

Jem brushed his hair back to get a better look. “Why don’t you come over,

Charles Baker Harris?” he said. “Lord, what a name.”

“‘s not any funnier’n yours. Aunt Rachel says your name’s Jeremy Atticus Finch.”

Jem scowled. “I’m big enough to fit mine,” he said. (Ch. 1)

So Jem is tall enough to be bigger than Dill, which doesn’t appear to be too difficult since he is Scout’s age and short, and has long hair.  We learn later that it is brown.

As the book continues, we learn a little about Jem’s development.  Scout gets upset when Jem starts to eat a lot and spend less time with her.  He is starting to develop into a teenager.  He even shows Scout hair on his chest and under his arms.  To him, it means he is growing up.  To Scout, it means they are growing apart.

What is the significance of the songs and music before the entrance of Caesar's ghost in Julius Caesar?

Brutus asks for music to appease his conscience because he can’t sleep, worried about Caesar and Philippi.

Brutus argues with Cassius about whether or not to go to Philippi.  Cassius, the more experienced military mind, does not want to go.  He worries that it is not a smart strategic move.  Brutus overrules him.  It turns out to that Cassius is right, and Brutus worries that he is right.  He asks Lucius to come in and...

Brutus asks for music to appease his conscience because he can’t sleep, worried about Caesar and Philippi.

Brutus argues with Cassius about whether or not to go to Philippi.  Cassius, the more experienced military mind, does not want to go.  He worries that it is not a smart strategic move.  Brutus overrules him.  It turns out to that Cassius is right, and Brutus worries that he is right.  He asks Lucius to come in and play for him, unable to sleep.  His conscience is troubled because of the death of Caesar.  Brutus was convinced that killing Caesar was right.  Now, he is not so sure.  The war goes poorly.

When he asks Lucius to play for him, listen to the words he uses.

This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber,
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument … (Act 4, Scene 3)

“Murderous slumber”?  It sounds like something is weighing heavily on his mind.  Brutus’s fears about Philippi and the murder of Caesar, along with the sleepy tune, form into his vision of Caesar’s ghost.  He either conjures the ghost up from his doubts and uncertainties, or he dreams him from these misgivings of not listening to Cassius about Philippi.  Caesar’s ghost appears on the tail of the music, and tells him he will see him there.

GHOST

To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

BRUTUS

Well; then I shall see thee again?

GHOST

Ay, at Philippi.

BRUTUS

Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.(Act 4, Scene 3)

The ghost refers to himself as Brutus’s “evil spirit.”  This seems to support the idea that he is a product of Brutus’s self-doubts.  Brutus fell asleep with the music, but it was not an easy sleep.  To him, the music was a brooding, ghostly music.  Whatever song it was, it conjured up images of ghosts and visions of murder rather than comforting sleep.

Philippi was indeed uncomfortable for Brutus.  Caesar’s ghost appears several times, never giving comfort and always adding to Brutus’s self-doubts.  Since in this scene he appears after the music and song, it adds to the theory that Caesar’s ghost was a dream rather than an actual vision.  This supports the idea that Brutus’s conscience is suffering from his decisions about Caesar and the war.

In Seedfolks, how did Curtis affect the garden and his community?

Curtis, known throughout the community for his massive muscles, begins to plant tomatoes in the garden on Gibb Street as a way to apologize to his ex-girlfriend for cheating on her. Curtis's ex-girlfriend, Lateesha, "had a serious thing for tomatoes" and Curtis plants the tomatoes next to the sidewalk where she can see them from across the road. As the tomatoes start to grow, Curtis notices people began stealing them from the garden. Curtis then...

Curtis, known throughout the community for his massive muscles, begins to plant tomatoes in the garden on Gibb Street as a way to apologize to his ex-girlfriend for cheating on her. Curtis's ex-girlfriend, Lateesha, "had a serious thing for tomatoes" and Curtis plants the tomatoes next to the sidewalk where she can see them from across the road. As the tomatoes start to grow, Curtis notices people began stealing them from the garden. Curtis then meets Royce, a fifteen-year-old boy who sleeps in the garden at night to avoid going home to an abusive father. Curtis befriends Royce, buys him breakfast and a new sleeping bag, then makes a deal with him. Curtis gives Royce a pitchfork to protect his tomatoes from people trying to steal them. As the novel progresses, other gardeners begin talking to Royce and trust him with weeding and watering their plants. As Royce's popularity grows, the families in the community hear about his situation and begin to bring him food. Curtis not only plants beautiful tomatoes in the garden, but also improves Royce's life by helping and trusting him. The community gardeners also benefit from Royce's hard work in the garden and his friendship.

What is a brief and easy character sketch of Ozymandias?

The traveler describes the visage (face) of the statue of Ozymandias as having a frown and a "wrinkled lip." These facial gestures suggest haughtiness, an expression of someone who feels superior to all others. The face also expresses a "sneer of cold command." The sneer is a look of contempt and/or mocking those who look upon it. The "cold command" describes this tyrant's selfish attitude. He rules or commands with no warmth for his people.

...

The traveler describes the visage (face) of the statue of Ozymandias as having a frown and a "wrinkled lip." These facial gestures suggest haughtiness, an expression of someone who feels superior to all others. The face also expresses a "sneer of cold command." The sneer is a look of contempt and/or mocking those who look upon it. The "cold command" describes this tyrant's selfish attitude. He rules or commands with no warmth for his people.

The sculptor understood Ozymandias' self-righteous, elitist attitude well. So, he mocks those attitudes with these arrogant gestures on the statue.

The script on the pedestal shows that Ozymandias wanted all who look upon the statue to be in awe of his greatness. He even wanted future rulers ("ye Mighty") to feel inferior when looking upon his monuments. So, he assumed that his greatness would intimidate people, powerful and weak, for the rest of time. The statue and the script show the ruler's arrogance and narcissism. The irony is that, over time, the statue has eroded and is now simply an outdated wreck.

What lesson have you learned from chapter 19 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Chapter 19 shows Tom Robinson taking the stand as a witness for his own trial, answering questions for Atticus, and then answering questions for the prosecution, Mr. Gilmer. Jem, Scout, and Dill are up in the balcony watching the proceedings. The reader learns about what really happened on the night in question, just as the children do; and what they learn isn't easy to digest. We learn that Tom was caught between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes, when Mayella asked him into her home to help her. We learn that whatever Tom says won't matter--in fact, it will hurt him; and then we learn that racism is taught, not caught.

First, Mayella claimed in chapter 18 that Tom choked and raped her. In chapter 19, we learn that she called Tom into her house to kiss him; but once her father came up and saw her through the window, Tom ran and Bob Ewell set the sheriff after him with a lie about him raping his daughter. Tom was caught between a rock and hard place as explained by Scout:

"Until my father explained it to me later, I did not understand the subtlety of Tom's predicament: he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run--a sure sign of guilt" (195).

Tom had two choices at that time he was caught with Mayella: Either he stays and takes his chances reasoning with Bob Ewell about his innocence or run and have a chance to explain it to the judge. Either way was bad for Tom because he's black and the Ewells are white. 

Next, we learn that whatever Tom says in his defense, even if it is all true, won't matter. Mr. Gilmer takes every advantage to make Tom look like he thinks he's better than white people. For example, at one point Tom says that he felt sorry for Mayella because she was alone, had no friends, had no mother, and had to take care of all the children by herself. Mr. Gilmer raised the roof with that one by showing his unbound disgust for what Tom had said. Scout explains as follows:

"The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. But the damage was done. Below us, nobody liked Tom Robinson's answer. Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it sink in" (197).

Mr. Gilmer plays off of Tom's truth because it seems as if Tom is placing himself higher than a white woman on the social class scale. That is a big problem for Southern white people to hear. When they hear that Tom was sorry for a white woman, that's like saying white people are inferior to him and that just doesn't fly in the South. 

Finally, we learn that racism is taught, not something we are born with. Dill demonstrates this because he, a young innocent child, can't stand listening to how disrespectfully Mr. Gilmer addresses Tom. Dill can't put his finger on it; that is to say, he doesn't know how to say that Mr. Gilmer was being a prejudiced bigot towards Tom, but he just knows it isn't right. Scout and Dill go outside so Dill can calm down when they have the following discussion:

"'Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro.'

'I don't care one speck. It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that--it just makes me sick'" (199).

Dill shows here that he has not been taught to be racist. He can see a bully in Mr. Gilmer a mile away. He could feel how Mr. Gilmer was not speaking to Tom with respect. Scout, on the other hand, being a lawyer's daughter, simply thinks it is part of being a lawyer. She also says what she sees everyday living in Maycomb--that since he's black, it's apparently alright to talk to him disrespectfully. It's surprising to hear Scout talk like that because Atticus for sure wouldn't teach her that; but she sees it everyday by the way people in town treat black people, so she's already learned what Dill is resisting.

In the end we learn that Tom can't win no matter what he says or does. The jury is stacked with white men--not Tom's peers--but with his bullies. And those bullies don't care if he lives or dies. In fact, in order to make a stand for their race, they'd rather see him die. It's really a sad and horrible situation.

In Paradise Lost by Milton, what characteristics does Satan have that make him a hero? How does Milton's Satan compare to Beowulf as a hero?

First, we should distinguish between two terms, "hero" and "protagonist." A protagonist is the most important character in a story but can be admirable or despicable or sympathetic or abhorrent. A hero is a protagonist with some type of greatness beyond that of the ordinary mortal, with whom we generally sympathize. Satan's role in Paradise Lostis complicated, not precisely that of a hero, although sharing some characteristics of certain heroic types. Blake and Shelley,...

First, we should distinguish between two terms, "hero" and "protagonist." A protagonist is the most important character in a story but can be admirable or despicable or sympathetic or abhorrent. A hero is a protagonist with some type of greatness beyond that of the ordinary mortal, with whom we generally sympathize. Satan's role in Paradise Lost is complicated, not precisely that of a hero, although sharing some characteristics of certain heroic types. Blake and Shelley, who themselves were strongly anti-Christian, interpreted Satan as the hero of the poem, but most critics see their readings as based more in their own ideological concerns than justified by the text. Scholars have debated the question of who counts as a hero in Paradise Lost and the general consensus is that there is no classical heroic figure, but that certain heroic elements can be found in the Son of God, Adam, and Satan.

Milton was a Puritan, a devout Christian espousing a strongly Calvinist form of Protestantism. There is no evidence that Milton himself admired Satan or himself rebelled against God (his other writings suggest deep and sincere piety). There is, however, a literary problem with making God a hero. What makes a narrative interesting is a plot structure in which there is a genuine conflict and normally some sort of obstacle for the protagonist to overcome. Since God is omnipotent, omniscient, and incapable of suffering, God's very perfection as a deity makes him a very dull protagonist indeed; while the Son can be a hero because he will eventually struggle and suffer, and Adam is a mortal who suffers, God the Father cannot be a hero.

Satan as a protagonist captures the imagination in the same way as some of the evil tragic heroes such as Clytemnestra and Medea or Shakespeare's Macbeth. He does not resemble an epic hero such as Beowulf at all, because he is not a force for good or supporter of legitimate authority. While he shares the heroic characteristics of power and strength of body, will, and intellect, he is, within the worldview of the poem, completely and irredeemably fallen. Like many villains, he does tend to get the best lines of the poem and is a character most readers find appealing, but more in the style of a seductive villain than a hero.

Write your impression of the theme of chapter four which takes place in Crooks's room.

Loneliness is the major theme of chapter four in Steinbeck's novella. The four characters who appear in the chapter all deal with loneliness in one way or another. Lennie is lonely because George has gone into town, Crooks is lonely because he is segregated from the other men on the ranch, Candy is lonely because he has lost his dog, and Curley's wife is lonely because her husband doesn't pay any attention to her.

The...

Loneliness is the major theme of chapter four in Steinbeck's novella. The four characters who appear in the chapter all deal with loneliness in one way or another. Lennie is lonely because George has gone into town, Crooks is lonely because he is segregated from the other men on the ranch, Candy is lonely because he has lost his dog, and Curley's wife is lonely because her husband doesn't pay any attention to her.

The chapter takes place in Crooks's room, which is, in itself, a symbol of loneliness. Because he's black, Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse and so he has his own private room in the barn. Throughout the chapter he suggests that it isn't so great that he has his own room. When Candy comments how nice it would be to have a private room, Crooks comments ironically:

“Sure,” said Crooks. “And a manure pile under the window. Sure, it’s swell.”

Lennie is temporarily lonely because it's Saturday night and George has gone into Soledad with the other men. We may assume that even these men are lonely as they go into a town whose name is Spanish for solitude. Although he feigns disapproval as Lennie enters his room, Crooks is happy to have the company. During the chapter he expresses his loneliness:

“A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” 

To prove his point, he suggests to Lennie that the big man would be lost if George never came back, but relents when Lennie becomes angry. Candy too is lonely and he seeks out Crooks and Lennie. All he can talk about is the farm that he and George and Lennie plan on buying. While Crooks is initially scornful of the idea he eventually becomes interested and says he would "lend a hand" if they wanted him. Like Candy, the dream of the farm represents an end of loneliness. It would be a place where the four men could not only be free but also where they could share their lives and experiences.

Finally, the disgruntled Curley's wife enters the scene. She immediately reveals her intense loneliness. She is obviously bitter over her life and her marriage to Curley. She yearns for conversation and companionship. She tells the men,

"Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” 

Curley's wife's loneliness is ultimately her undoing as she encounters Lennie in the next chapter and he accidentally kills her as they sit talking in the barn.  

Macbeth - Act 1, Scene 4: How does the Old Thane of Cawdor's behaviour differ from Macbeth's behaviour as Thane of Cawdor later in the scene?

Of the old Thane of Cawdor, Malcolm, Duncan's older son, tells his father that 

Very frankly he confessed his treasons,Implored your Highness' pardon, and set forthA deep repentance.  Nothing in his lifeBecame him like the leaving it.  (1.4.6-9)

In other words, the traitorous nobleman acted at least somewhat honorably in the end, more honorably than he'd ever behaved before.  He did not weep and wail and moan; instead, he acted like a...

Of the old Thane of Cawdor, Malcolm, Duncan's older son, tells his father that 

Very frankly he confessed his treasons,
Implored your Highness' pardon, and set forth
A deep repentance.  Nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it.  (1.4.6-9)

In other words, the traitorous nobleman acted at least somewhat honorably in the end, more honorably than he'd ever behaved before.  He did not weep and wail and moan; instead, he acted like a gentleman, and he told the truth in a confession of his wrongs.

Macbeth, on the other hand, has become treacherous and deceitful by the end of this scene.  When he hears Duncan name Malcolm as the Prince of Cumberland and heir to the throne, Macbeth immediately begins to plot against his king and kinsman.  He says to himself,

Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.  (1.4.57-60)

He immediately begins to consider taking violent action, such that his eye would not want to see what his hand is doing; however, his hand will do it anyway.  It sounds as though he is already contemplating Duncan's murder.  Thus, the old Thane of Cawdor goes from traitorous to honorable and the new Thane of Cawdor goes from honorable to traitorous.

Who is included in Maycomb's universe of obligation? Who is excluded?

The word obligation means to be bound by a sense of social or legal duty. Under this definition, Maycomb's obligations extend only as far as its public consciousness will allow. For example, the Ewell kids are not expected to attend school all year long because forcing them to go would create more unrest and problems for everyone concerned if they were. So, Maycomb has a legal duty to offer education to them, but because of the feared consequences, they don't force the kids to go. 

Maycomb must also offer a fair trial for Tom Robinson, legally. There must be twelve men on the jury, both sides of the case must be heard, and Tom must have an attorney. These things, however slighted because the jury is all white and racist men, are provided to satisfy the minimum requirements of law. But the community does not feel obligated to give Tom's wife Helen a job while her husband is in jail for over a year. In fact, she's shunned socially and economically while her husband Tom is given a "fair" trial. Thus, Maycomb feels obliged only to make things look fair legally, but socially, black people like Helen suffer. 

Another example of how Maycomb shows their feelings of duty is if one compares how Mrs. Dubose is treated compared to Dolphus Raymond. Mrs. Dubose is allowed to sit on her porch with a gun under her skirts and yell racist and mean things at children who pass by. On the other hand, Dolphus Raymond is shunned for having interracial children. Legally, the people of Maycomb can't run a white man out of town, but socially, they can talk behind his back and treat his children with scorn. 

One of the best examples that shows where the community's sense of duty really lies is in chapter 26 when Miss Gates talks to her third grade class about Hitler's treatment of Jews; but, she doesn't make the connection for her students between the persecution of the Jews and the persecution felt by the black community right there at home in Alabama. Scout articulates what happened in class perfectly by the following:

"Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates. . . was talking to Miss Stephanie Crawford. . . I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home--" (247).

Scout nails it! Maycomb only feels obligated to assist those who share their views, and if it is required by law, they will offer the bare minimum to uphold the law without drawing attention from the federal government. They take care of their own who are white, but they don't feel like they should help the black community--only to keep the black community in their place as servants in the community and not as leaders.

One final example of Maycomb feeling obligated to help only their own white people is exemplified by Sheriff Tate covering up Boo Radleys heroism in chapter 30. He explains as follows:

"Mr. Finch, ,taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not abut to have it on my head. If it was any other man it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch" (276).

Sheriff Tate didn't help Tom Robinson by covering up his case, but he does help Boo Radley, who is white. It's the right thing to do for Boo, but Tom was an innocent cripple with a wife and three children to support. But since Tom was black, Tate didn't feel obligated to help him. Individuals such as Miss Gates and Sheriff Tate represent many of the people in Maycomb and their attitudes. There are only a few who are like Atticus, such as Link Deas and Miss Maudie, who don't see color lines. But in a lot of ways, it's the color lines that make the difference between whom Maycomb feels obligated to defend or to throw to the wolves.

How does the author use dialogue and the events of the plot to reveal characterization and theme in "After Twenty Years"?

Dialogue and the sequence of events in "After Twenty Years" work to reveal the characters of Jimmy and Bob along with the story's theme through the information they provide.

• Dialogue to reveal characterization

In the exposition of the story the initial dialogue between the policeman and the apparent stranger who waits in a doorway for his old friend reveals some characteristics of both men. The stranger has had an arrangement with his friend, whom he terms "the finest chap in the world," to reunite at their favorite restaurant in twenty years. They have not seen each other because he has gone West to seek his fortune while no one "could have dragged Jimmy out of New York."
The policeman obtains more information about Jimmy after he asks if the man has heard from his old friend. The stranger replies that he did at first, but after a year or two,

"...we lost track of each other. You see, the West is a pretty big proposition, and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively."

But, the stranger adds that Jimmy will not forget their arrangement because he is "the truest, staunchest old chap in the world." Then, after the policeman asks if the stranger has done well out West, he replies,

"You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was kind of a plodder, though good fellow that he was. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile."

This latter part of the exchange between the policeman and the stranger suggests some marked differences between the two friends. For one thing, the stranger's use of words about himself such as "hustling" and his saying he has had to compete with "the sharpest wits going to get my pile" hints at a nature that may possess some criminality because "hustling" and "pile" are part of the lingo of criminals. Frequently, too, he implies a contrast between himself and Jimmy, who he describes as "staunch" and often as "good."

Apparently, the policeman has inferred things from this stranger's conversation because he takes his leave; however, before he does, he asks if the man will call time on Jimmy sharply on the hour. "I should say not!....I'll give him half an hour. If Jimmy is alive he'll be here...."

At this point, a perceptive reader may well wonder why the policeman has asked such a question since he has no part in the meeting. But, it is not until the ironic ending for which O. Henry is famous that the reader learns of the true identities of the two characters. These identities are revealed in Jimmy's letter to Bob.

• Dialogue to reveal theme

With a theme of "After Twenty Years" being that Morality and Duty take precedence over Friendship, the fact that the policeman has not identified himself as Jimmy to his old friend Bob suggests that certain values of the policeman are involved. And, it is the letter Jimmy writes to Bob that reveals this theme of Morality and Duty in which he informs his friend that he is under arrest because the plain clothes policemen pretending to be himself has just made this arrest. Nevertheless, Jimmy has not stopped being a friend as his words in the letter also reveal--"Somehow I couldn't do it [make the arrest] myself...." 
Thus, Jimmy is yet the same as his friend has described him: good and "the truest, staunchest old chap in the world" because he has been at the meeting spot on time, and he has tried to save his old friend embarrassment. 

How is the motif of colors in "Shooting an Elephant" related to the theme? Support this with evidence and examples.

"Shooting an Elephant" shows the cruelties of imperialism, because to maintain power and control over the Burmese, the narrator, an English policeman representing British imperial interests, must shoot an elephant unnecessarily, causing it to suffer, so that he doesn't lose face with the native population. 

Orwell uses color to illustrate the sense of the difference or gulf the narrator feels between himself and the people his government rules, showing the dehumanization British imperialism engenders. From...

"Shooting an Elephant" shows the cruelties of imperialism, because to maintain power and control over the Burmese, the narrator, an English policeman representing British imperial interests, must shoot an elephant unnecessarily, causing it to suffer, so that he doesn't lose face with the native population. 

Orwell uses color to illustrate the sense of the difference or gulf the narrator feels between himself and the people his government rules, showing the dehumanization British imperialism engenders. From the start, the Burmese are not humans anymore, "but sneering yellow faces." Later, the narrator will look at a "sea of yellow faces--" not distinct humans but the "yellow" Other. Yellow is used two more times in the essay along with the word "faces" to describe a dehumanized mass. 

"White" is used in close proximity to words such as "dominion," "gun" and "tyrant." The  term "white man" is also used as a generic, faceless term, showing that imperialism dehumanizes the ruling class as well as the natives. 

According to Arthur Miller's The Crucible, what circumstances motivate people to lie?

Love, or lust, seems to be what motivates Abigail Williams to lie.  Early in Act I, she tells John Proctor, her former lover,  that there is no witchcraft involved in the illnesses of Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam.  However, her later accusation of John's wife Elizabeth seems to have been done to get Elizabeth out of the way so Abigail and John can be together again. 

Greed also seems to motivate characters to lie.  A...

Love, or lust, seems to be what motivates Abigail Williams to lie.  Early in Act I, she tells John Proctor, her former lover,  that there is no witchcraft involved in the illnesses of Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam.  However, her later accusation of John's wife Elizabeth seems to have been done to get Elizabeth out of the way so Abigail and John can be together again. 

Greed also seems to motivate characters to lie.  A friend of Giles Corey heard Thomas Putnam imply that he encouraged his daughter Ruth to accuse one man of witchcraft so his land would go up for auction, making it available for Putnam to purchase.  According to Corey, only Putnam has enough money to be able to afford such a big piece of land.

It is possible the other girls were compelled to lie out of fear of Abigail, especially after she promised to come to any who spoke against her "with a pointy reckoning" in the middle of the night.  Mary Warren, certainly, seems to lie, accusing Proctor of witchcraft when it becomes obvious that Abigail is going to cry out on her next.

Tituba lies out of fear as well, but not out of fear of Abigail.  Tituba lies out of fear for her own safety.  After Reverend Parris threatens to beat her and Putnam says that she must be hanged, Tituba (falsely) confesses her involvement with the devil so they will, she hopes, not punish her.

Some characters -- like Deputy Governor Danforth -- lie or cover up the truth as a result of their desire to retain authority.  It is fairly obvious, especially by Act IV, that Danforth's primary concern is maintaining the authority of the court and his decisions, rather than making sure that the truth is revealed by the court.  Thus, even when it seems as though Abigail and Mercy Lewis have been lying, he ignores their possible guilt because it would contradict the righteousness of the court's actions so far.

In Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 5, what literary devices are used, and what purpose do they serve (e.g. how do they shape Hamlet as a...

Let us try for three distinct, substantial literary devices used in the soliloquy from act 1, scene 5, of Hamlet.

Irony: Irony is the most prominent literary device in Hamlet's soliloquy. Obviously "irony" is a common word, and, in common usage, it has taken on a more general and complex meaning than it does in strict literary analysis. To keep things rigorous, we will go with Merriam-Webster's definition: 3(a): "incongruity between the actual result of...

Let us try for three distinct, substantial literary devices used in the soliloquy from act 1, scene 5, of Hamlet.

Irony: Irony is the most prominent literary device in Hamlet's soliloquy. Obviously "irony" is a common word, and, in common usage, it has taken on a more general and complex meaning than it does in strict literary analysis. To keep things rigorous, we will go with Merriam-Webster's definition: 3(a): "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result; an event or result marked by such incongruity."

Compared with the rest of the play, the whole of this soliloquy is true, textbook irony. Hamlet is fiery here, confronted with a terrible injustice and inspired to right it through revenge. He calls on all considerations of his past life to be swept aside:

Yea, from the table of my memory I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, all saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, that youth and observation copied there; and thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain (1.5.98-103).

This is the precise opposite of what actually happens. The remainder of the play results in Hamlet, the complex, vacillating human, suffering at the hands of the conflict between the "trivial fond records" of his past and "the saws of books" that constitute his philosophy, principles, and the ancient imperative of revenge. The story of Hamlet is the story of the title character's ironic failure to live up to the values he commits himself to in this soliloquy, which ultimately culminates in his ironic death at the hands of Laertes, who does precisely what Hamlet fails to do and kills his father's killer.

Imagery: Much of Hamlet's soliloquy turns on the single image of Hamlet's mind as a book. He has already been established as an educated, philosophical man recently returned from the great European university at Wittenberg. In the quote under Irony above, in which Hamlet speaks of "the table of my memory," he refers to a document: here "table" refers to a text, as in "tablet." He pictures his mind as a book full of academic abstraction and the memories of youth. He then calls on himself to erase every word, to wipe himself blank, in order to no longer function as a man but to function solely as a tool for revenge. "And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, unmixed with baser matter: yes, by Heaven!" (1.5.103-04). 

Apostrophe: Hamlet begins his soliloquy by discussing what he feels he will need to carry out the revenge called for by his father's ghost. He addresses both Heaven and Earth as if they are human allies he wants to rally to his cause: "O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else? And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart; and you, my sinews, grow not instant old, but bear me stiffly up!" (1.5.92-95). 

Through which process does the body break down starch?

Starch is a polymer known as a polysaccharide. It is constructed of a long chain of glucose monomers joined together. Plants store excess glucose as starch in plastids until such time as it is needed as an energy source. Starch can also be consumed by heterotrophs and broken down to glucose which can be used as an energy source for cellular respiration to produce ATP.

The process by which starch is broken down is called...

Starch is a polymer known as a polysaccharide. It is constructed of a long chain of glucose monomers joined together. Plants store excess glucose as starch in plastids until such time as it is needed as an energy source. Starch can also be consumed by heterotrophs and broken down to glucose which can be used as an energy source for cellular respiration to produce ATP.

The process by which starch is broken down is called hydrolysis or digestion. Enzymes specific to starch digestion (amylases) are found in the saliva as well as in the small intestine. These catalyze digestion of large starch molecules into simpler glucose monomers.

The process works by the addition of water which acts on the glycosidic linkages between adjacent sugars that are connected in the starch molecule. As water is added, the covalent bond connecting adjacent sugars is broken and the individual sugars are released. The glucose monomers of starch are joined by 1,4 glycosidic linkages which means that the number 1 carbon is connected to the number 4 carbon in two neighboring sugars.

Hydrolysis helps to break the covalent bond between the monomers in starch. By addition of water, a hydrogen atom from the water attaches to one monomer while the hydroxyl (OH) group attaches to the adjacent monomer. Once starch is completely hydrolyzed, the glucose monomers can easily be absorbed by the small intestine into the bloodstream and eventually will be transported to the body cells to use as an energy source.

I have included a link showing a 1,4 glycosidic bond between two glucose molecules. The second link has a diagram of a hydrolysis reaction.

Why is colorblindness more common in males than females?

Colorblindness is more common in males than in females because it is considered to be a sex-linked trait. In this case, the gene for this trait is located along the X chromosome, and males tend to inherit X-linked conditions more frequently than their female counterparts. 

Males have only one X chromosome, which they inherit at fertilization from their mother's egg. They inherit a Y chromosome from their father's sperm. Because they only possess one...

Colorblindness is more common in males than in females because it is considered to be a sex-linked trait. In this case, the gene for this trait is located along the X chromosome, and males tend to inherit X-linked conditions more frequently than their female counterparts. 

Males have only one X chromosome, which they inherit at fertilization from their mother's egg. They inherit a Y chromosome from their father's sperm. Because they only possess one copy of the X chromosome, they are said to be hemizygous for any genes located on the X chromosome. Therefore, if they inherit one copy of a normal vision gene on their X chromosome, they will have normal vision; if they inherit a colorblindness gene on their X chromosome, they will have a colorblind phenotype. 

Females, on the other hand, possess two X chromosomes—one from each parent. If a female has two X chromosomes and each has the gene for normal vision, she will have normal vision. If one X chromosome has a normal vision gene and one X has the colorblindness gene, the normal vision gene will be expressed in the heterozygous individual because it is dominant. A female must have two colorblind genes—one from each parent—in order for her to have the colorblind phenotype. The chances of this occurring are low, and that is supported by the fact that very few females are colorblind.

Consider the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868): What were the issues of contention and where did communication fail?

The Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868, which ended Red Cloud's War, ceded much of the western part of South Dakota, including the Black Hills, to the Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. The issues involved in the treaty were that the Black Hills were considered sacred to the Sioux, and they became part of the Great Sioux Reservation. Whites were not allowed to trespass on these lands.Hunting grounds were also granted to Native Americans in...

The Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868, which ended Red Cloud's War, ceded much of the western part of South Dakota, including the Black Hills, to the Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. The issues involved in the treaty were that the Black Hills were considered sacred to the Sioux, and they became part of the Great Sioux Reservation. Whites were not allowed to trespass on these lands.Hunting grounds were also granted to Native Americans in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The treaty also provided money to Native Americans who chose to farm, and it stipulated that children would attend English-language schools.

The communication between whites and the Sioux and Cheyenne broke down over time. In 1874, General Custer led miners into the Black Hills as part of an expedition, and eventually, gold was discovered in the area. The government could not keep miners out of the area, and the Sioux and Cheyenne did not want to return their lands to the United States government. A series of battles, referred to as the Black Hills War or Great Sioux War of 1876, followed. The most famous battle was the Battle of Little Bighorn, in which Custer's 7th Cavalry was wiped out by Native Americans in 1876. The U.S. government annexed the land in 1877, and the Sioux are still involved in a court battle with the U.S. government over the land. 

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an...

Another reform movement closely associated with the abolitionist movement championed by Frederick Douglass was the emerging movement for women's rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among the leaders of this movement, famously publicly advocated the right to vote for women at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 (Douglass himself was in attendance at this convention).

Stanton and other advocates for women's rights would argue that "justice was denied" by women's inability to serve on juries and to...

Another reform movement closely associated with the abolitionist movement championed by Frederick Douglass was the emerging movement for women's rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among the leaders of this movement, famously publicly advocated the right to vote for women at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 (Douglass himself was in attendance at this convention).

Stanton and other advocates for women's rights would argue that "justice was denied" by women's inability to serve on juries and to vote in elections for politicians whose decisions directly affected them. They would say that "poverty is enforced" by the fact that women's lives were totally dependent on their husbands. Marriage law at the time mandated that women's property would pass to their husbands upon marriage. They might also point out, as Stanton did, that women were denied access to the numerous lucrative professions that were emerging as part of the Market Revolution, and that "poverty was enforced" in this way. That "ignorance" prevailed for women was fairly obvious, as opportunities for higher learning were almost completely closed for them. For these reasons and more, the "Declaration of Sentiments" issued by the Seneca Falls Convention echoed the Declaration of Independence when it claimed that

The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.

In the minds of these reformers, patriarchal society had indeed been a sort of conspiracy to "oppress, rob, and degrade" women. 

What are the details in the final two paragraphs of "The Scarlet Ibis" reminiscent of? Why does the narrator make this association?

In the final two paragraphs of "The Scarlet Ibis" the narrator is making the association between Doodle and the ibis. The description of Doodle in the second to last paragraph is almost identical to how the ibis is portrayed as it dies in the family's yard. The color red figures prominently as the ibis is a deep scarlet color. Doodle's neck is described as "vermillion" and his shirt is stained with blood. The ibis too...

In the final two paragraphs of "The Scarlet Ibis" the narrator is making the association between Doodle and the ibis. The description of Doodle in the second to last paragraph is almost identical to how the ibis is portrayed as it dies in the family's yard. The color red figures prominently as the ibis is a deep scarlet color. Doodle's neck is described as "vermillion" and his shirt is stained with blood. The ibis too had a very "long, graceful neck" and is compared to a "broken vase of red flowers." The ibis dies under the bleeding tree and Doodle dies under a red nightshade bush. The legs of both Doodle and the ibis are thin and fragile. The bird dies after traveling far in a storm. Likewise, Doodle dies while chasing his brother in the rain. The bird is referred to as being rare, because it is not common to North Carolina. The same could be said for Doodle because of his physical shortcomings and because he is more thoughtful and imaginative than his brother. 

In the final paragraph, the narrator makes an explicit comparison:

For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain.

Looking back, the narrator realizes how special his brother really was. At the time, all he wanted was for his brother to not embarrass him so he sought to change him. Ultimately, the narrator wants to show that, like the ibis, Doodle was very unique and their deaths mirrored each other. 

In the play, Julius Caesar, where was Caesar stabbed and where did Brutus and Antony deliver their speeches?

Caesar was stabbed in the senate-house. All the senators had gathered there to hear his address and also to petition him for a number of different causes. The vain and arrogant general had been given a number of warnings about venturing outside but had dismissed these either with contempt or mockery. 

The soothsayer had, for example, alerted him to the dangers of the Ides of March, the day on which the senate was to meet but he had dismissed him as a dreamer. Also, his wife, Calpurnia begged him not to leave, for she had heard of terrible portents, of ghosts screaming and the Capitol filled with blood. In general, visions of disruption. He steadfastly refuses to heed her warning, stating:

...Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.

He mentions that he finds it strange that men should fear death when it is, after all, their destiny to die. He is not afraid of death.

He also heard from his servant that his priests had studied the entrails of a sacrificed animal and could not find its heart. This was an evil portent and they asked that he should not venture forth. His response was:

The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible:
And Caesar shall go forth. 

He interprets their prediction differently and arrogantly claims that the gods are warning against cowardice, claiming that he is more dangerous and more terrible than danger, so why should he fear it? He insists that he will go to the senate-house. He, however, finally accedes to Calpurnia's begging and mentions that he will stay to please her. 

Decius Brutus then arrives to accompany him to the Senate house and when Caesar tells him of Calpurnia's dream, he puts a spin on it, flattering the general and stating that the blood Calpurnia saw in her dream was an indication of the revitalising power of his blood from which Rome draws her strength. The easily flattered Caesar then decides that he will go. He is accompanied to the Capitol by a number of senators who had come to fetch him. 

Before his entry into the senate-house, he sees the soothsayer and tells him that the Ides of March has come (and nothing's happened) but the soothsayer mentions that the day is not over. Artemidorus wishes to give Caesar a warning letter, but he is ignored and Caesar then enters the senate-house.  

Inside, he rejects Metellus Cimber's plea for his brother's banishment to be revoked. Caesar is surprised when Brutus also asks him the same. Cassius joins in with the same request. Cinna then comes near and finally, Casca approaches and stabs Caesar. He is followed by the other conspirators, with Brutus delivering the final cut. Caesar dies.   

After the assassination, Antony, who had fled, returns and approaches the conspirators and asks if he could speak at Caesar's funeral.

That's all I seek:
And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

Cassius is upset when Brutus gives him leave to do so, for he sees a danger in Antony. Brutus assures him that he will set conditions for Antony's address and that his co-conspirator has nothing to fear. Ironically, this was probably the naive Brutus' second biggest faux pas.

Brutus then takes to the pulpit in the forum (also used as a marketplace) and addresses the crowd. He stresses that killing Caesar was for the good of Rome for he would have become a tyrant and all Rome would have been kept in miserable bondage. he states that Caesar was overly ambitious. The crowd agree with him and praise him and the other conspirators for their courage.

Before taking his leave, Brutus asks the crowd to stay behind and listen to Antony, who has just entered bearing Caesar's corpse. He asks them not to leave until Antony has spoken. Antony stands at the pulpit and delivers a rousing speech, mocking the conspirators and their honour. By repeatedly calling them honourable men and contrasting their murder to Caesar's virtues, he drives the crowd into a frenzy. 

Antony cleverly stays them and finally reads Caesar's will, which promises all citizens sundry benefits. By this time, the unruly crowd cannot be contained. They demand retribution and, once they leave, they go on a rampage, seeking out all the assassins, who by this time, have already made good their escape. 

What do Joey's comments tell us about him in Tangerine?

Joey’s comments tell us that, unlike his friend Paul, Joey is unwilling to embrace Tangerine Middle School’s diversity and adapt his attitude to its culture of sarcastic comments and tough-guy bravado.  

First, Joey says, “Theresa Cruz. Why? Is she cute or something?” when Paul tells him to ask for Theresa Cruz to be his guide on his first day of school at Tangerine. This shows that Joey doesn’t understand the importance of making connections,...

Joey’s comments tell us that, unlike his friend Paul, Joey is unwilling to embrace Tangerine Middle School’s diversity and adapt his attitude to its culture of sarcastic comments and tough-guy bravado.  

First, Joey says, “Theresa Cruz. Why? Is she cute or something?” when Paul tells him to ask for Theresa Cruz to be his guide on his first day of school at Tangerine. This shows that Joey doesn’t understand the importance of making connections, a skill that helped Paul quickly become part of the Tangerine community. Joey doesn’t see what Theresa Cruz has to offer him, beyond her physical appearance. Joey’s unable to meet the Tangerine students halfway by adjusting to their culture. He’s also unwilling to listen to Paul, who has become an expert on how to survive and thrive in Tangerine’s different school culture.

“That guy’s bad news. I don’t need this. I don’t need this at all,” Joey says when Paul puts himself and Joey into a group with Tino. Joey feels genuinely hurt by Tino’s comments, which include calling him “Tuna Boy” and making fun of his unwillingness to leave Paul’s side. While Paul underwent the same teasing without complaint, Joey can’t recognize that Tino makes friends through lighthearted insults. He only sees Tino’s comments as bullying, not as attempts to reach out.

“I let you talk me into coming to this dump. This place is like darkest Africa. Like the Amazon jungle. Like we’re learning to live among the natives here,” is Joey’s last comment before leaving Tangerine Middle School. This shows that Joey is completely fed up with Tangerine and willing to target his fellow classmates’ ethnicity in order to make himself feel superior.  The reader can also infer that Joey may have picked up racist language and thoughts from his parents or community. Again, the reader sees a differences between Paul and Joey. While Paul is happy to be at a diverse school that lets him meet people other than his own race, Joey sees Tangerine’s diversity as a flaw, not as something to celebrate.

1. Explain how Scrooge lives up to your opinion of him in his dealings with Bob Cratchit, his nephew, and the two gentlemen who came to collect...

Question 1:

Scrooge’s name has come to mean someone who is grumpy and stingy, and he shows both of the qualities when he interacts with other characters in the beginning of the story. Bob Cratchit is Scrooge’s clerk. Scrooge refuses to pay the few cents it would take to get a little extra coal to heat the freezing cold office. He begrudges Bob the day off for Christmas, telling him to be in even earlier...

Question 1:

Scrooge’s name has come to mean someone who is grumpy and stingy, and he shows both of the qualities when he interacts with other characters in the beginning of the story. Bob Cratchit is Scrooge’s clerk. Scrooge refuses to pay the few cents it would take to get a little extra coal to heat the freezing cold office. He begrudges Bob the day off for Christmas, telling him to be in even earlier the day after. 

When his nephew comes in to cheerfully wish Scrooge a Merry Christmas, Scrooge says “Bah, Humbug!” and then demands, “Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough.” Scrooge believes only money can make people happy.

Two gentlemen come to the office to ask for donations for charity. They are shocked when Scrooge refuses to donate, and even suggests the poor should die to ‘decrease the surplus population.’

In each of these interactions, Scrooge stays true to character.

Question 2:

Given the fact Scrooge is later visited by Marley’s ghost, it is more than likely that the face in the doorknocker is truly Marley’s. When he gets to the apartment, he walks through all the rooms and double locks the door, something he usually does not do. He also looks under the bed and in the closet. The face in the doorknocker definitely left him on edge.

What were the major developments in modern English fiction in the nineteenth century?

A major innovation in the novel in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was the "Gothic", a genre in which included such classics as TheMysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, The Monk by Matthew Lewis, and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. In the nineteenth century, this genre evolved in two directions, as the Romantic novel, exemplified by Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Jane Eyreby her sister Charlotte, and the sensation...

A major innovation in the novel in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was the "Gothic", a genre in which included such classics as The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, The Monk by Matthew Lewis, and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. In the nineteenth century, this genre evolved in two directions, as the Romantic novel, exemplified by Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Jane Eyre by her sister Charlotte, and the sensation novel, which included the works of M.E. Braddon and Ouida. While the Gothic was characterized by remote and exotic locations, its nineteenth century heirs domesticated its settings and often substituted minor gentry or the bourgeois for the nobles and monks populating the Gothic. 

A second innovation of the mid-nineteenth was a move towards realism and protagonists in the middle or even lower classes. Although the sensation novel continued to rely on action and suspense and even spawned the detective novel (Wilkie Collins' works are normally considered the transition from sensation to detective fiction), many of the realistic novels gained their effect from close portraits of characters' daily life or inner emotions, as is the case in the work of Trollope, Hardy, and Thackeray, albeit in different fashions. Novels of social justice or reform became popular, including the novels of Disraeli, some of Dickens' works, Sewell's Black Beauty, and many evangelical and temperance novels. 

The end of the nineteenth century was a period of technical innovation, with symbolism and decadence gradually evolving into modernism.

What are the biggest animals on Earth?

There are a few ways to consider the ranking for "biggest" animals, including height, length, and total body mass. I'll do my best to list the biggest extant species in each category. The absolutely largest extant animal in terms of both weight and length is the blue whale. Blue whales may be up to one hundred feet (thirty meters) long and weigh upwards of two hundred tons (or one hundred and eighty metric tonnes). Even...

There are a few ways to consider the ranking for "biggest" animals, including height, length, and total body mass. I'll do my best to list the biggest extant species in each category. The absolutely largest extant animal in terms of both weight and length is the blue whale. Blue whales may be up to one hundred feet (thirty meters) long and weigh upwards of two hundred tons (or one hundred and eighty metric tonnes). Even from birth, blue whales are at the top rankings for weight and length!

The African bush elephant is the largest land animal. These elephants weigh around 13,000 pounds, which is about the same weight as a blue whale's tongue! 

The place for second longest animal on Earth is a contested one. The lion's mane jellyfish may grow to have tentacles up to one hundred and twenty feet long, but they are much shorter in average specimens. Perhaps the best contender for second-longest animal is the green anaconda, which can easily grow to be up to twenty-six feet long.

As for the tallest animal, giraffes grow to heights of at least fourteen to eighteen feet. Because this is a ground-to-head measurement, perhaps we might also consider the lion's mane jellyfish for tallest animal if we measure from the top of the bell to the tip of the tentacle!

What is the difference between Mayella and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The main difference between Mayella and Scout is that Scout had a loving and supportive father and Mayella did not. 

There are obvious differences of age and class between Mayella Ewell and Scout Finch.  Mayella is older, and poorer, than Scout.  However, there are very big differences in the way they were raised.  Both girls have dead mothers.  Mayella grew up with a father who abused her and never let her get an education.  She was the oldest of a brood of children she had to look after.  Scout’s father was loving and made sure she was well-educated even outside of school, and she had only one older brother who also loved her. 

Mayella had a sad and lonely existence living below Maycomb’s poverty line.  Scout calls her “the loneliest person in the world.”  Maycomb reviled the Ewells, and the trial dragged their miserable existence out into the open for everyone to see and judge, making things worse for Mayella.  During the trial, it becomes apparent that not only does Bob Ewell abuse his daughter physically, since he seems to be the one who hit her face, but he might also be molesting her. 

She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count. (Ch. 19) 

Mayella never had any education, because the Ewells only come to school on the first day and then go home.  In addition, she has no friends.  When Atticus asks her about it, she seems confused by the concept.  By contrast, Scout has Dill, a stock of town friends and classmates, and her brother Jem.  She also has Miss Maudie, who is an adult but acts as a friend and confidant.  Even Boo Radley looks out for her. 

In addition, Scout has a very supportive father.  He teaches her to read when she is young by reading with her in his lap. 

I could not remember when the lines above Atticus’s moving finger separated into words, but I had stared at them all the evenings in my memory … anything Atticus happened to be reading when I crawled into his lap every night. (Ch. 2)

Atticus makes sure that Scout has a strong moral center.  He continues to spend time with her as she gets older.  Even though he is busy, Atticus makes his children’s lives a priority and definitely deeply cares about them.

Having a loving family makes all the difference.  Scout’s life is not perfect, but it is definitely much different than Mayella’s.  Her father is a lawyer.  She lives in a nice house, with a housekeeper.  Mayella lives by the town dump.  Scout has the luxury of a childhood, something Mayella never had.

Scout's empathy for Mayella Ewell is one of the ways we are able to tell she is maturing.  She clearly compares Mayella's life to her own, even though there is an age difference.  She is able to see the hardships Mayella suffers, and realizes that Mayella is no villain.  She is a victim.

What were the social losses and economic gains that occurred when Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation?

Newfoundland had long fought to remain independent, first as self-governing from 1855-1934 and then as a British dominion from 1907-1949. In 1948, Newfoundland voted about whether to join the Canadian Confederation. Other groups in Newfoundland wanted the island to be self-governing or to join an economic union with the United States, which had placed several military installations on the island during World War II. The vote was about 52% in favor and about 48% opposed,...

Newfoundland had long fought to remain independent, first as self-governing from 1855-1934 and then as a British dominion from 1907-1949. In 1948, Newfoundland voted about whether to join the Canadian Confederation. Other groups in Newfoundland wanted the island to be self-governing or to join an economic union with the United States, which had placed several military installations on the island during World War II. The vote was about 52% in favor and about 48% opposed, and Newfoundland became part of the Canadian Confederation in 1949. 

The opposition to joining the confederation was fueled in part by the distinctive identity that many Newfoundlanders felt and that they developed as residents of an island that was separated from Canada. It could be argued that they lost some of this distinctive cultural identity when they joined the confederation, and the modernization that occurred with joining the confederation was detrimental to the culture of some of its outport, or isolated coastal, communities.

However, the island had been suffering economically, particularly during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The island's economy was dependent mainly on fish exports, which provided a poor living a great deal of the time, and the population lacked services such as sufficient medical care. In addition, poverty and malnutrition affected the population because the growing season is short on the island and many types of food need to be imported. During the Great Depression, many people relied on government help when the fish export business declined, and Newfoundland was forced to go from being a dominion to being a colony of Great Britain so that the island could get help. Joining the confederation offered Newfoundland a more secure economic future with generous social programs. Canadian programs played a role in improving medical care and reducing poverty on the island. 

What quotes show Friar Lawrence has kept Romeo and Juliet's marriage a secret?

In Act II, Scene 3 Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet despite the fact that they are the son and daughter of families who are involved in a bitter and violent feud. He hopes that such a union will cause the families to make peace ("rancor to pure love"). He marries them in secret the same day and tells no one. In fact, the only individuals privy to the information are the friar...

In Act II, Scene 3 Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet despite the fact that they are the son and daughter of families who are involved in a bitter and violent feud. He hopes that such a union will cause the families to make peace ("rancor to pure love"). He marries them in secret the same day and tells no one. In fact, the only individuals privy to the information are the friar and Juliet's nurse. One quote from Friar Lawrence which suggests that he has kept the marriage a secret appears in Act III, Scene 3 when he is attempting to convince Romeo to heed the Prince's declaration that he be banished to Mantua. He claims that once tempers have quieted he will announce the marriage and beg forgiveness from the Prince:

But look thou stay not till the watch be set,
For then thou canst not pass to Mantua,
Where thou shalt live till we can find a time
To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than thou went’st forth in lamentation.

Another quote implying his secrecy comes at the beginning of Act IV as he is speaking to Count Paris. Paris has come to ask the friar to marry him to Juliet. Of course, Juliet is already married, by Friar Lawrence. When Paris asks if the friar believes the marriage should be delayed, Lawrence, in an aside (not spoken directly to Paris but for the audience), "I would I knew not why it should be slowed." He is basically saying he wishes he didn't know why the marriage between Paris and Juliet cannot occur.

When and why did child labor begin to disappear?

Child labor was part of the American labor scene until the early 1900s. It was then that Progressives began to highlight the issues with child labor, which led to the beginning of the development of child labor laws. Progressives believed children should be attending school instead of working in factories.

In the early 1900s, more attention was brought to the issue of child labor. John Spargo’s book, The Bitter Cry of the Children, published...

Child labor was part of the American labor scene until the early 1900s. It was then that Progressives began to highlight the issues with child labor, which led to the beginning of the development of child labor laws. Progressives believed children should be attending school instead of working in factories.

In the early 1900s, more attention was brought to the issue of child labor. John Spargo’s book, The Bitter Cry of the Children, published in 1906, highlighted the issue of children working in the coal mines. Children were working long hours, with unsafe conditions, and for low pay. Children were also working under similar conditions in our factories. This led to calls for change regarding child labor.

Actions were taken to deal with child labor. President Taft established the Children’s Bureau, which investigated issues involving child labor. Some laws required children to attend school. Other laws were passed that set a minimum age to work. One example was the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act that was passed in 1916.

The Progressives were concerned about the use of child labor and worked to correct this abuse. Through the efforts of Progressives, child labor was reduced in the United States in the first two decades of the 1900s.

A string is wrapped around a pulley (a solid disk) of mass M and radius R, and is connected to a mass m. Solve for acceleration of m using...

Hello!

I suppose that we ignore friction and the weight of a string, and that the system starts from rest. I'll use the downward y-axis starting from the initial position of `m.`

Denote the speed of a mass `m` as `V.` Then the outer edge of a pulley will have the same linear speed. It is known that the kinetic energy of a linearly moving mass m is `(m V^2)/2` and the kinetic energy of...

Hello!

I suppose that we ignore friction and the weight of a string, and that the system starts from rest. I'll use the downward y-axis starting from the initial position of `m.`

Denote the speed of a mass `m` as `V.` Then the outer edge of a pulley will have the same linear speed. It is known that the kinetic energy of a linearly moving mass m is `(m V^2)/2` and the kinetic energy of a rotating pulley is `(M V^2)/4.` The potential energy of a mass m is -mgh (it moves down), and of course V(t)=h'(t) (the speed is the derivative of the displacement).

So we obtain a simple differential equation:

`mgh=(m (h')^2)/2+(M (h')^2)/4,` or

`(h')/(sqrt(h))=sqrt((mg)/(m/2+M/4))=sqrt(a).`

Integrating this we obtain `2sqrt(h)=sqrt(a) t+C,` and C is obviously zero. 

The solution is `h(t)=a/4 t^2` (downwards), and so the acceleration is `a/4=(mg)/(2m+M).` This is the answer. 

What is the meaning of the following quote? Chicago is the product of modern capitalism, and, like other great commercial centers, is unfit for...

There are many different reasons why a person could say that Chicago (like all other big cities) is unfit for human habitation.  To see what this quote is likely to mean, we should look at who wrote it.  The author of this quote is Eugene V. Debs, and the quote comes from the article in the link below.  Debs was a socialist.  Because he was a socialist, we can infer that he thinks Chicago is...

There are many different reasons why a person could say that Chicago (like all other big cities) is unfit for human habitation.  To see what this quote is likely to mean, we should look at who wrote it.  The author of this quote is Eugene V. Debs, and the quote comes from the article in the link below.  Debs was a socialist.  Because he was a socialist, we can infer that he thinks Chicago is unfit for human habitation because it was created with the needs of capitalists in mind instead of being created to be a good place for people to live.  We can confirm that this is what Debs thinks by reading the article in the link.

Debs starts by saying that Chicago was built in a place that is not good for human habitation.  It was built in a very swampy area.  Debs says that this was done because it was what the railroad company needed.  Because Chicago was built in such an inappropriate place, he says, it is very unhealthy.

But really, Debs is not just criticizing the location of Chicago.  Instead, he is saying that all capitalist centers are unfit for human habitation.  He says this because all capitalist centers are (in his view) built to fit the needs of the capitalists and not the needs of the workers.  Debs argues that it is not good for so many people to be packed together in one place.  He says that it makes them unable to feed themselves, that it prevents them from being clean, and that it deprives them of the space they need to move around.  To Debs, all this is because of capitalism.  If it were not for capitalism, people would be spread out across the countryside, living in smaller towns or villages which, he believes, would be better for them in all ways.

So, what this quote really means is that Chicago is a bad place to live because the capitalists built it to suit their own needs, not so that it would be a good place for people to actually live.

Can you give me information about Lucille Clifton's poem "There is a girl inside" from a feminist viewpoint?

I read the poem as an announcement in the voice of an older woman. The message is that the older woman will not embrace the social expectations of old age, which require her to be non-sexual. Instead, in her advanced age, she will embrace her youthful self, though the courage she feels with age will allow her to express her sexuality and her needs in ways that she could not as a girl or a young woman.

The poem's use of voice is tricky. We do not know if it is the older woman speaking, or a distant omniscient narrator. It is certainly not the girl speaking, because that persona is referenced as "she."

The first stanza is a description of the boldness that lies within:

There is a girl inside. 
She is randy as a wolf. 
She will not walk away and leave these bones 
to an old woman.

It is interesting that Clifton casts this young persona as a "girl," and not as a "young woman" which is the clearest opposite to an "old woman." A girl is generally considered too young to be sexual, though the feelings are there. A girl, conventionally, is told to keep those feelings quiet or to save them so that she does not harm her reputation.

All of these social expectations for a girl contrast with the second line: "She is randy as a wolf." "Randy" means to be sexually excited. In Scottish English, it refers to someone who has a coarse manner. To make her desire more lurid, she is likened to a wolf. Wolves are wild and, like most wild animals, ruled by instinct. If she is "randy as a wolf," then she is responding to her instinct to pursue sexual pleasure, which is validated by the final line: "She will not walk away and leave these bones to an old woman." She will claim her body in the same way in which a wolf would claim its prey.

In the second stanza, the analogy is more benign:

She is a green tree in a forest of kindling. She is a green girl in a used poet.

The girl is now "a green tree," a strong, supple living being in the summer of life. However, she is planted "in a forest of kindling." She exists in a space that will destroy her, just as girls must exist in a society that can destroy them, physically and/or spiritually. Moreover, "she is a green girl." The notion of being "green" refers to a state of naivete. That greenness, however, exists "in a used poet." Here, Clifton may be saying that, in spite of the woman's advanced age, the girl within reminds her of all the things she has yet to experience.

The third stanza likens the girl's patience to that of a nun:

She has waited patient as a nun 
for the second coming, 
when she can break through gray hairs 
into blossom

She has been pure. She has been obedient. She has been dutiful. Yet, none of this was in her interest. She was simply waiting for the time in which she could be herself, a time that has come with age.

It is significant that there is a break between this stanza and the next, though no period to separate them as in the other stanzas. There is a pause after blossom -- a literal empty space in which we can contemplate what it means to blossom, or what it would look like. Meanwhile, "her lovers will harvest / honey and thyme." She will have more than one lover, hence the plural. The harvest of honey likens the lovers to drones in a hive, which would make the woman the queen. They will do all of the work, but she is not passive. The "harvest" is designed to please her. Her role is one of power and agency.

Historically, thyme was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for purification. If the older woman is undergoing a process of renewal -- reclaiming her youthful self -- then, rituals of purification have a place in our reading of the poem.

The poem ends with a prediction of what this future "second coming" will look like: "and the woods will be wild / with the damn wonder of it." Once the "kindling" is replaced with "honey and thyme," the "woods will be wild" again, meaning that it will be a place teeming with life and activity. When one thinks of old age, one does not think of life and activity. However, if more old women had the courage to pursue life and activity, they could be free and help to construct a society ("the woods") in which they could be themselves ("wild"). People, however, still might not understand or approve, hence "the damn wonder of it." "Wonder" here has a double-meaning. It could refer to public shock or outrage, or excitement and awe at what is to come. 

How is the issue of objectivity central to social research?

Objectivity is a value that is important to some social researchers because it ensures social research is reporting the material reality of a social phenomenon rather than conveying the biases, opinions, or personality of the researcher. One example of objectivity in social research is cultural relativism, or the concept that social phenomena observed in a specific culture should be analyzed and understood according to that culture. This is considered objective because it forces the researcher...

Objectivity is a value that is important to some social researchers because it ensures social research is reporting the material reality of a social phenomenon rather than conveying the biases, opinions, or personality of the researcher. One example of objectivity in social research is cultural relativism, or the concept that social phenomena observed in a specific culture should be analyzed and understood according to that culture. This is considered objective because it forces the researcher not to make judgement calls on the basis of the researcher's own cultural bias or understanding.

Some social researchers believe total objectivity is not possible. Even researchers aiming for objectivity may not realize how their own biases and opinions influence their choice of topic, focus, or analysis. Even sociological perspective can influence how a social researcher interprets social phenomena; for example, one supporting a functionalist perspective may perceive social harmony where a Marxist researcher would see inter-group struggle. Both may be examining the same community, but by using different frameworks they can emphasize different parts of a society to draw conclusions in line with their perspectives.

What are 5 quotes that prove that Atticus was a great role model to his children and Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus is a good role model for his children because he values all people, stands up for what he believes in, is courageous, and protects others. 

Atticus is a unique parent.  As a single dad raising two kids, he surely has some challenges.  He handles these with grace and dignity.  Atticus Finch makes standing up for what you believe in and doing the right thing look easy.

Atticus teaches his children that just because something is hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.  Defending Tom Robinson is very unpopular in Maycomb. It is probably one of the hardest things Atticus has ever done, yet he takes the case not just because he has been ordered to, but because he considers it important.  He explains to his children why he needs to do it.

“Atticus, are we going to win it?”

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Atticus said. (Ch. 9)

Showing his children different perspectives on courage is something that Atticus does often.  He defends his children and the town when they are faced with a rabid dog.  Atticus has not shot a gun in thirty years, but he is still the best shot in the town.  He knows that the town needs “one-shot Finch” and he takes the shot, despite what must have been a great deal of fear and self-doubt.  Miss Maudie explains this to his children. 

“ … Marksmanship’s a gift of God, a talent … I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today.” (Ch. 10) 

Atticus is a role model not just because he shows his children courage himself, but because he is able to help them see it in others.  Atticus makes sure that his children understand the case of Mrs. Dubose, a horrible woman who nonetheless accomplishes the courageous feat of weaning herself off of morphine, a painkiller she is addicted to.  He tells them that although he may not agree with her ideas, he values her strength.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. (Ch. 11) 

Courage does indeed come in many forms.  Atticus’s defense of the town against the mad dog is similar to the role he is playing with the trial.  Once again, he is doing a job that no one else can do.  Atticus is capable of giving Tom Robinson a fair trial, or at least the fairest he can get in Maycomb.  No one else wants to or is able to do it.  He takes this seriously though.  He even goes so far as to sit outside Tom Robinson’s cell and face down a lynch mob. 

Even though the men tell him that Heck Tate has been called off on a “snipe hunt,” so he knows the sheriff can’t help him, Atticus does not back down to the mob.  

“Thought about it, but didn’t believe it. Well then,” my father’s voice was still the same, “that changes things, doesn’t it?”

“It do,” another deep voice said. Its owner was a shadow.

“Do you really think so?” (Ch. 15) 

Scout doesn’t show fear either, following her father’s example.  She confronts the mob, engaging her schoolmate Walter Cunningham’s father in friendly conversation.  The men realize what they are doing and leave.  Like father, like daughter. 

Finally, there is the trial itself.  Atticus puts forward a convincing case that his client is innocent and that the crime did not take place.  The victim was attacked by her father for kissing a black man.  During his closing arguments, Atticus tries to convince the jury that a courtroom should be colorblind. 

It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal. (Ch. 20) 

Atticus tells the court that he is not an idealist, but that racism should not have any place in a courtroom.  While he is not successful in getting his client acquitted, he does get the jury to deliberate.  That is quite a feat in Maycomb, where prejudice runs deep.  Atticus made a little bit of a dent in the wall.

How does Charlotte Brontë present ideas about gender and position in reference to Mrs. Reed in Jane Eyre?

From the very first page of Jane Eyre, it is clear Mrs. Reed is in a unique position. As a widow, she is the sole owner of Gateshead estate, and is therefore quite wealthy. During this time period, women were usually unable to own property or make their own living unless their husband left his land and/ or wealth to them after his death. Her position as head of the house is therefore unusual...

From the very first page of Jane Eyre, it is clear Mrs. Reed is in a unique position. As a widow, she is the sole owner of Gateshead estate, and is therefore quite wealthy. During this time period, women were usually unable to own property or make their own living unless their husband left his land and/ or wealth to them after his death. Her position as head of the house is therefore unusual for this time period, and it's clear from her dictatorial measures that she enjoys her status of power.

Mrs. Reed has "her darlings" (her three children), and she spoils them rotten while excluding her niece Jane from the family dynamic (9). She is a mother figure only to her own children. Jane says "Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the subject" of how her children tormented her, showing she plays favorites and is less than generous towards others (12). Mrs. Reed orders extreme measures of discipline for Jane (such as being locked in the red room), while allowing her own children to continue being spoiled. Her unique position in the novel as a woman with wealth and power is wasted—rather than using her position for good, she uses it selfishly and would die alone if not for Jane's kindness. 

A mockingbird is a bird thought to be innocent because all it does is provide music to be enjoyed by others. Do you believe Boo Radley to be a...

Scout, the narrator of the story, believes that Boo is like a mockingbird. Boo brings joy to the children and shows them kindness. Eventually, he saves their lives.

Boo hides gifts for Scout and Jem in the knot-hole of an old tree on the Radley property. These gifts delight Scout and Jem. The siblings eagerly look forward to each gift. When Jem's pants get trapped in the barbed wire at the edge of the Radley...

Scout, the narrator of the story, believes that Boo is like a mockingbird. Boo brings joy to the children and shows them kindness. Eventually, he saves their lives.

Boo hides gifts for Scout and Jem in the knot-hole of an old tree on the Radley property. These gifts delight Scout and Jem. The siblings eagerly look forward to each gift. When Jem's pants get trapped in the barbed wire at the edge of the Radley yard, Boo mends them. On a cold night, Boo covers Scout with a blanket as she rests outside.

On a walk home from the Halloween festivities, Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem. He tries to kill them, but Boo comes to the rescue. He fights Mr. Ewell and stabs him. Heck Tate wants to imply that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. He wants to spare Boo any hardship or a long trial. Atticus tries to make Scout understand this. She does:

"Yes sir, I understand," I reassured him. "Mr. Tate was right."

Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me.  "What do you mean?"

"Well, it’d be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"

Scout sees Boo's innocence. She knows he was only trying to save them. She knows that he means no harm, just like a mockingbird.

How do London's descriptions of the dog reveal its purpose and function in "To Build a Fire"?

The dog, who is perfectly suited to its environment, reflects the role of heredity, instinct, and natural selection in the ability to survive. It functions as the creature who has adapted to nature, in contrast to the man, and whose instinct makes it the winner in the "survival of the fittest."

On his trek to another camp, the man "plunges" in and out of the large spruce trees, following a faint trail on a day which the old timer at the previous camp has warned him not to travel, and certainly not to travel alone. But the dog, a big, native husky,  

...knew that it was no time for traveling. Its instinct told a truer tale than was told to the man by the man's judgment.

Since the man has previously been out in two cold snaps, he mistakenly believes that he is always capable of dealing with the cold. Unlike the dog, he ignores the signs that the cold in which he treks this time is much more severe than it has been on his other trips. While the man has learned to be wary of springs that run underneath the snow lest he wet his feet in the frigid temperatures and suffer severe frostbite, he underestimates the danger of the severe cold, which allows no margin for error in building a fire. Instead, he merely notices this cold:

Once and a while the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he had never experienced such cold.

When he removes his mitten as he pulls out his lunch, the man is amazed at how quickly he feels the cold. He "chuckled at his foolishness" of not first building a fire, but he does note the numbness in his fingers. He notices that his toes are beginning to numb as well, yet his arrogance still prevents him from comprehending the danger he faces.

Later on, when he hurriedly tries to start a fire, he unwisely does so beneath snow-covered branches. With the ensuing heat, the snow melts and puts out the fire. The man's nemesis, the brutal cold, causes his fingers to freeze so much that he is unable to gather twigs fast enough and strike a match before frostbite sets in.

Thus, the man is defeated by nature because of his delusion of self-sufficiency. On the other hand, the dog possesses no such delusions, as its instincts signal to it what is dangerous. So, while the man lacks the means to survive by himself, the wolf-dog and its centuries of natural adaptation equip it for survival. Seeing the dog angers the man as he realizes how much better equipped this animal is than he in the brutal cold.

Furthermore, the dog quickly senses danger and leaps away from the man, who would kill it to use his body to warm himself. After the man freezes to death, the dog catches the scent of death and moves away. In a brief time, it turns and trots up the trail to the camp it knows has other fire providers, acting only out of self-preservation.