In the play Julius Caesar, is Cassius an inflexible person? If so how?

Cassius seems like a very motivated and determined person, but he is not inflexible. He frequently displays his flexibility, or adaptability, in the play. For instance, in the big quarrel in Brutus's tent in Act 4, Scene 2, he tries a number of different tactics to get his way. He tries the threat of violence, and when that doesn't work with Brutus he tries offering his dagger for Brutus to kill him. Cassius finally understands...

Cassius seems like a very motivated and determined person, but he is not inflexible. He frequently displays his flexibility, or adaptability, in the play. For instance, in the big quarrel in Brutus's tent in Act 4, Scene 2, he tries a number of different tactics to get his way. He tries the threat of violence, and when that doesn't work with Brutus he tries offering his dagger for Brutus to kill him. Cassius finally understands that what really concerns Brutus is the way Cassius displayed disdain for their friendship in denying him the gold he requested.

I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me,
For I can raise no money by vile means.
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart
And drop my blood for drachmas than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
By any indirection. I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!

Cassius then stresses friendship for the rest of the conversation in order to win Brutus over.

Brutus hath rived my heart.
A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Cassius loses the quarrel--but there is no further mention of the gold. Cassius evidently keeps it, and that is what is important to him. If Brutus does not have the gold to pay his soldiers, they may not fight very enthusiastically at the battle of Philippi.

Cassius is continually submitted to Brutus's wishes. He does not want to fight Antony and Octavius at the Philippi, but he consents against his will. Earlier he wants Antony to be killed along with Caesar, but Brutus disagrees and Cassius has to give in. Then Cassius is really horrified when Brutus agrees to let Antony speak at Caesar's funeral, but Brutus overrules him again, with disastrous results for both men.

It would seem that Brutus is a more inflexible person than Cassius. Cassius is handicapped because he is cunning and articulate, but he is not liked by the other Romans. He is notorious for having a bad temper and throwing tantrums to get his way. He is a miser. He is selfish. He needs someone like Brutus to act as a figurehead, but then he finds that he can't control him as he thought he could. Since Cassius and Brutus work so closely together, Shakespeare took care to differentiate their personalities. Cassius is petty, Brutus is noble. Cassius is greedy, Brutus is generous. Cassius is cruel, Brutus is always kind. Cassius can be a phony, Brutus is always upright and honest. There are many obvious differences between these two partners.

What is the dominant impression of O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find?"

What may be considered a dominant impression is the grandmother's salvation at a most unsuspected moment, and it is a moment of violence, as well.

Flannery O'Connor herself has stated that she uses violence to grab readers' attention so that they will not miss the moment of grace. Added to this violence is the fact that in this Southern Gothic tale it is the grotesque, the Misfit, who recoils from the grandmother, rather than the...

What may be considered a dominant impression is the grandmother's salvation at a most unsuspected moment, and it is a moment of violence, as well.

Flannery O'Connor herself has stated that she uses violence to grab readers' attention so that they will not miss the moment of grace. Added to this violence is the fact that in this Southern Gothic tale it is the grotesque, the Misfit, who recoils from the grandmother, rather than the other way around. This action, too, brings the readers' focus onto the unsuspected moment that the grandmother realizes that she is herself a sinner:

"...Why, you're one of my children!" ....She reached out and touched him on the shoulder. The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest.

After she is shot, the grandmother collapses into a seated position with her legs crossed before her, much like a Christ-figure who has been taken down from the crucifix. This Christian image, then, underscores the grandmother's salvation effected through violence.

The demonstration that this salvation of the grandmother is attained through violence are the words of the grotesque himself, "She would of been a good woman...if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life."

Where in the spinning cycle is there the most potential energy?

In the spinning cycle, any fixed point on the wheel goes through a cycle. It goes through a point of maximum elevation and point of minimum elevation. The minimum elevation point is typically the ground surface, if you are cycling outdoors. Since the potential energy is a function of the height of an object with respect to a datum, the maximum potential energy is at the highest point in the cycle. This point is at...

In the spinning cycle, any fixed point on the wheel goes through a cycle. It goes through a point of maximum elevation and point of minimum elevation. The minimum elevation point is typically the ground surface, if you are cycling outdoors. Since the potential energy is a function of the height of an object with respect to a datum, the maximum potential energy is at the highest point in the cycle. This point is at the greatest distance from the ground. 

A point from its location of maximum potential energy goes to the lowest point, a position that will correspond to minimum potential energy. During this motion, the potential energy converts to kinetic energy. Then the point again goes towards the maximum elevation and energy again converts to potential energy. 

This energy conversion continues as the cycle spins.

Hope this helps.

How can I calculate the relative abundance of three isotopes? The letters have nothing to do with the periodic table. 22y = 22.341 amu, 23y =...

Denote the abundances in numbers (not percent) as `a_22,` `a_23` and `a_24.` Then if we assume that there are no other isotopes found in nature,

`a_22+a_23+a_24=1.`

Also, by the definition of relative atomic mass:

`23.045 = 22.341*a_22+23.041*a_23+24.941*a_24.`

There is no more information and we have only two linear equations for three unknowns. Usually this means infinitely many solutions.

From the first equation `a_22=1-a_23-a_24,` substitute it into the second equation:

`23.045 = 22.341*(1-a_23-a_24)+23.041*a_23+24.941*a_24,` or

`23.045- 22.341=(23.041-22.341)*a_23+(24.941-22.341)*a_24,`...

Denote the abundances in numbers (not percent) as `a_22,` `a_23` and `a_24.` Then if we assume that there are no other isotopes found in nature,

`a_22+a_23+a_24=1.`

Also, by the definition of relative atomic mass:

`23.045 = 22.341*a_22+23.041*a_23+24.941*a_24.`

There is no more information and we have only two linear equations for three unknowns. Usually this means infinitely many solutions.

From the first equation `a_22=1-a_23-a_24,` substitute it into the second equation:

`23.045 = 22.341*(1-a_23-a_24)+23.041*a_23+24.941*a_24,` or

`23.045- 22.341=(23.041-22.341)*a_23+(24.941-22.341)*a_24,` or

`0.704=0.7*a_23+2.6*a_24.`

Therefore `a_23=(0.704-2.6*a_24)/0.7 approx 1.006-3.714*a_24.` So if we would know `a_24` (or `a_23,` or `a_22`), we could find the other abundances.

To find the relative abundances in percent, we have to multiply `a_24,` `a_23` and `a_22` by `100.` The formal answer for your question is "not enough data." Also note that the atomic masses of isotopes are almost always integers, while your numbers aren't.

What were the three main purposes for which Leonardo da Vinci used drawing? What is hatching? What is crosshatching?

Leonardo da Vinci drew for several reasons, the most pragmatic of which was to make a living. Leonardo was born out of wedlock and was apprenticed at the age of fourteen to Verrocchio as a studio boy or Garzone since his artistic talent was evident at a young age. By twenty, he was certified in the Guild of Saint Luke's and his father set him up with his own studio. To move out of his father's house, he depended on commissions to support himself. The act of drawing was an important first step to creating paintings, a study or a first draft. While this was by far the most mundane and necessary reason to create art, Leonardo had other imperatives.

To keep at the top of his field, Leonardo used drawing to understand anatomy. At that point in time, many people based their own art on the art of those considered to be masters. Leonardo was trained from an early age by Verrochio that the best way to create realistic artworks, especially those of anatomy, was to actually study anatomy. As an artist, he had permission to dissect human corpses, and he availed himself of that, writing over 13,000 words on anatomy and making detailed sketches. He took it a bit further, dissecting many animals and comparing them to human anatomy.  There's an apocryphal story that after Leonardo started dissecting birds in order to create more realistic ones in his paintings, he urged others to do the same. However, they all began to copy Leonardo's birds instead!

Leonardo used hatching and cross-hatching in his drawings. Hatching is the usage of short parallel lines to indicate shading. Cross-hatching is the same, only in the opposite direction so that it creates a series of Xs or squares to show shading. 

The third main use Leonardo had for drawing was in his pursuit of engineering. He found employment as an engineer in Venice in 1499. He was fascinated by flight, trying for much of his life to make a flying machine. He is famously quoted as saying,

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

While his flying machines may not have been a success, he created a series of mobile walls for Venice in order to protect its walls. He also created a schematic to divert the Arno river.

Though many of his inventions were impractical, Leonardo was fascinated by the inner workings of things, be they machine or man, and used his drawings to support himself throughout his life.

Does the geographical movement of the novel have metaphorical, thematic, or symbolic application? What is the meaning of ice, winter, wind,...

In Volume I, Chapter IV, Victor Frankenstein tells Captain Walton, his new friend, "Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."  In other words, after everything he's been through, Victor now sees the attempt to...

In Volume I, Chapter IV, Victor Frankenstein tells Captain Walton, his new friend, "Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."  In other words, after everything he's been through, Victor now sees the attempt to learn as hazardous, risky to an individual who would, frankly, be better off happy, in his home and without whatever knowledge it is that he probably shouldn't have anyway.  

The truth of this statement seems to play out in the text, and we can begin to note the thematic implications of the various settings.  Young Victor is happy with his carefree domestic circle, until he is sent to the university in Ingolstadt.  It is here that Victor's curiosity about the natural sciences is awakened and nurtured; it is away from home that Victor first tries to make a human being, and this is the experiment that initiates the misfortune that will follow him and his family for the rest of his life.  

After the murder of William and the execution of Justine, Victor's father plans an excursion to Chamounix in the hopes that his family will benefit from the beautiful natural scenes there.  Just as Victor begins to feel their effects, he is confronted by the being he created, the creature who killed his brother and framed his friend.  The creature tells Victor his story and demands a mate, threatening Victor's family should he refuse this request, and so his promise seemed to take all the beauty out of the valley.  He now feels that the "'stars, and clouds, and winds [...] mock [him]'" and "'leave [him] in darkness.'" 

However, when he returns home, Victor once again feels a sense of "returning tranquillity [sic]," and he finds that he does not want to leave because his "health, which had hitherto declined, was now much restored [...]."  He must leave, though, to produce the mate he'd promised the creature.  Though he travels through more beautiful, natural settings, they have no positive effect on him now.  He says that "During [his] youthful days [when he was at home], discontent never visited [his] mind," but now he feels himself to be "a miserable spectacle of wrecked humanity [...]."  He is sickened by is work, the work of building another person, and he becomes very ill again (as he did in Ingolstadt).  

In other words, every time Victor leaves home, he seems to run right into the arms of some waiting tragedy.  Even Elizabeth is murdered away from home, and Victor's final weeks in the Arctic are miserable, full of nothing but his desire to exact revenge on his creature.  He becomes ill away from home several times, including in the end, but never at home.  He describes his youth, at home, as practically idyllic in every way, though his adulthood -- much of it spent away from home -- has been disastrous.  In this way, his story really does support the theme which he uttered to Walton near the beginning: that the acquirement of knowledge can be dangerous, and it is safer and makes us happier when we simply stay at home and find a way to be content with what we have there.

What is the turning point in the book, My Side of the Mountain?

The main turning point comes in the 18th chapter, “In Which I Learn About Birds and People.” Bando brings Sam three newspaper articles that claim that a wild boy is living in the Catskills. Sam has been found out, in spite of how careful he has been to protect his new home and his lifestyle. Then his father finds him and comes to him too, as a result of the articles. His father leaves to...

The main turning point comes in the 18th chapter, “In Which I Learn About Birds and People.” Bando brings Sam three newspaper articles that claim that a wild boy is living in the Catskills. Sam has been found out, in spite of how careful he has been to protect his new home and his lifestyle. Then his father finds him and comes to him too, as a result of the articles. His father leaves to go back to the city, to reassure his wife and the rest of the children that Sam is doing all right. And Sam may believe that nothing has changed. But we readers expect that this development will lead to more changes in the future. Indeed, more people come afterward.

Other parts of the book could be viewed as hints at turning points. Sam is not usually lonely; but in the 13th chapter, “In Which The Autumn Provides Food and Loneliness,” he admits to feeling lonely. He’s missing human contact. Then he throws the Halloween party for the animals, and he has more to worry about than loneliness.

The 16th chapter is called “In Which Trouble Begins.” Sam decides to go to town on a Sunday, wearing his deerskin clothing. He gets strange looks from the townspeople, of course. He should have known better. And “Mr. Jacket,” whom he meets in a store, calls him “Daniel Boone” and wonders what he’s up to. For all we know, Mr. Jacket may be one of the people who contributed to the newspaper articles Bando brought up at Christmas. Did Sam go to town that day to want to be found out? This incident could mark a turning point, too.

Discuss life, death, and dichotomy in "Journey of the Magi." (A poem by T. S. Eliot.)

The magus (wise man) who narrates this poem is world-weary. He is comparable to the narrator in "The Seafarer" and Matthew Arnold's speaker in "Dover Beach." In each poem, the speaker is troubled with his current situation and is more concerned with a larger social and spiritual shift in the world. 

In "Journey of the Magi," the narrator discusses how difficult and unrewarding the journey had been. He understands the significance of the journey (to...

The magus (wise man) who narrates this poem is world-weary. He is comparable to the narrator in "The Seafarer" and Matthew Arnold's speaker in "Dover Beach." In each poem, the speaker is troubled with his current situation and is more concerned with a larger social and spiritual shift in the world. 

In "Journey of the Magi," the narrator discusses how difficult and unrewarding the journey had been. He understands the significance of the journey (to witness the birth of Christ and present gifts), but this does not override his general and personal frustration. He concludes the first stanza with "This is all folly." Having reached their destination and goal, the event was merely "satisfactory." Why aren't the wise men (or this particular wise man) overjoyed at having witnessed Christ's birth and with it, the dawn of a new historical era? 

The answer is that this wise man comes from a pre-Christian era. So, with the birth of Christ, he knows that his era is over. This is the dichotomy. Christ's birth signifies a new world but also sounds the death knell of the old world. Even though he (magus) might understand that this is a necessary spiritual birth of a greater world, it is hard for him to transition: 

 . . . this Birth was 
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.  

He and the other magi return to their old lives but they can no longer live as they used to. The world is different now. Their old world and way of living is dead. He concludes that he would be glad to die ("again") because he can not live the way he used to. The birth of a new world, of a new way of living, implies the death of the old world and old way of living. 

In what way does Winston and Julia's first sexual rendezvous embody the characteristics of Romantic literature?

Orwell relies heavily on the characteristics of Romantic literature to portray Winston and Julia's rendezvous in Part Two, Chapter Two.

There is a strong focus on the beauty and power of nature when the pair are about to make love for the first time. This is shown through the thrush, the songbird which Winston and Julia stop to admire:

In the afternoon hush the volume of sound was startling. Winston and Julia clung together, fascinated.

...

Orwell relies heavily on the characteristics of Romantic literature to portray Winston and Julia's rendezvous in Part Two, Chapter Two.

There is a strong focus on the beauty and power of nature when the pair are about to make love for the first time. This is shown through the thrush, the songbird which Winston and Julia stop to admire:

In the afternoon hush the volume of sound was startling. Winston and Julia clung together, fascinated.

Similarly, there is a "celebration of the individual" (see the first reference link), which is best shown through Julia's idealized and politicized body when she removes her clothes:

She had torn her clothes off, and when she flung them aside it was with that same magnificent gesture by which a whole civilization seemed to be annihilated. Her body gleamed white in the sun.

Finally, Orwell uses another key characteristic of Romantic literature by depicting Winston's "strong senses, emotions, and feelings." (See the first reference link.) He employs a gustatory image of chocolate melting on Winston's tongue, for example, and describes the feeling of Julia's waist as "soft" and "warm." By emphasizing these minor details, Orwell turns this chapter into a celebration of all things Romantic, which contrasts sharply with the rest of the novel.

In My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, what does Sam want to prove to his father? Why?

Sam wanted to prove to his father that he could run away from home and survive on his own. We learn in the second chapter, “In Which I Get Started on This Venture,” that Sam’s father himself had once run away from home in order to catch a ship to Singapore. But he chickened out and came back before the ship even left the dock. He laughed in disbelief when Sam said he wanted to...

Sam wanted to prove to his father that he could run away from home and survive on his own. We learn in the second chapter, “In Which I Get Started on This Venture,” that Sam’s father himself had once run away from home in order to catch a ship to Singapore. But he chickened out and came back before the ship even left the dock. He laughed in disbelief when Sam said he wanted to run away and live on the Gribley land in the Catskills. He told his son, “Sure, go try it. Every boy should try it.” But he obviously didn’t think Sam would have the courage (a) to run away to the Catskills and (b) to survive successfully on his own in the wilderness for more than a year. Sam was intent on proving him wrong. He wanted to impress his father and to show that he was a capable young man. As one of nine children in this large family, Sam probably wanted to show that he was somewhat different than his siblings. He wanted to matter.

Discuss Georg Simmel's analysis of group size.

Simmel contends that the size of a given group directly correlates to the types of interactions that take place within the same group. For example, a group of two people (a dyad), points to our most intimate and close relationships (such as marriage). In this type of group, both members are required to make things work, otherwise the group would not exist. From this perspective, we can see that the dyad is not as stable...

Simmel contends that the size of a given group directly correlates to the types of interactions that take place within the same group. For example, a group of two people (a dyad), points to our most intimate and close relationships (such as marriage). In this type of group, both members are required to make things work, otherwise the group would not exist. From this perspective, we can see that the dyad is not as stable as a triad (a group of three) because the success of the group depends on only two people. In a group of three people, each individual can carry varying degrees of responsibility. This has an upside in that the group is more well-rounded, and thus the success of the group is not contingent upon a relationship between two people, but rather all of the group members share this responsibility. However, I am not suggesting that marriage would be more successful in a triadic context, but such an example shows that as a group increases in size, its stability increases because the group does not dissolve if one person decides to leave.

Along the same lines, as a group increases, intimacy decreases, but the stability of the group is strengthened. This is evident within the context of the military, where groups can exist even if a member decides to leave. To this end, Simmel's analysis drives home the point that smaller groups tend to foster more intimacy (and possibly less stability given the fact that much is at stake), whereas in larger groups, intimacy decreases while group dynamics are (for the most part ) more stable. 

Note:  I have referenced an online version of Simmel's work where one can fully explore these ideas (the material which focuses on group analysis starts on page 124).

How does Wordsworth describe his evolution as a poet of nature in "Tintern Abbey"?

In this poem, Wordsworth describes a visit to a place near the border of Wales, above the Wye River, that he had visited in his boyhood and which he has not been to in five years. There is a ruined stone abbey there, and the poem is most commonly known simply as "Tintern Abbey," but its full title, "Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour....

In this poem, Wordsworth describes a visit to a place near the border of Wales, above the Wye River, that he had visited in his boyhood and which he has not been to in five years. There is a ruined stone abbey there, and the poem is most commonly known simply as "Tintern Abbey," but its full title, "Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour. July 13, 1798" is in some sense not really a title at all, but a description of the occasion on which he composed the poem.

Wordsworth describes in detail the many complex emotions he feels when seeing this landscape again, and the many feelings he has had over the years when he has thought about it. He is grateful for the inspiration this place has given him, and also muses on time spent here with someone he calls his "dear friend" and "sister." He also describes, in many different ways, the importance of nature to his worldview, and it is within these descriptive thoughtful lines that we discover Wordsworth's self-awareness of his own artistry as a nature poet, and of the deeply spiritual connection he feels:

Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and the woods,

And mountains; and of all that we behold

From this green earth; of all the mighty world

Of eye, and ear,--both what they half create,

And what perceive; well pleased to recognise

In nature and the language of the sense,

The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,

The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul

Of all my moral being.

In this passage, Wordsworth seems to be reflecting on his work as a poet who writes about nature, and how fully a part of his identity as a person his connection to nature has been for his entire life.

Why do some characters have proper names, while others have a number in a sequence? What point is Poe making by distinguishing between the proper...

By giving some characters real names and others silly ones or mere numbers, Poe is allowing his narrator, the highly ridiculous Thomas Smith, to illustrate his lofty, supercilious habit of classifying things and people in a false show of mastery and authority. In other words, the names parody the silliness of distinctions made in both high society and academic scholarship.Keep in mind that "Lionizing" is a comedic story; it's supposed to be ridiculous and...

By giving some characters real names and others silly ones or mere numbers, Poe is allowing his narrator, the highly ridiculous Thomas Smith, to illustrate his lofty, supercilious habit of classifying things and people in a false show of mastery and authority. In other words, the names parody the silliness of distinctions made in both high society and academic scholarship. Keep in mind that "Lionizing" is a comedic story; it's supposed to be ridiculous and funny.

You might actually classify the characters in this story into three groups:

1. Those with real names or titles, such as Blackwood, Mrs. Bas-Bleu, and Signor Tintontintino. The narrator deems these people important and intelligent and allows them to go by their actual names.

2. Those with "blank" names, like the Marchioness of So-and-so and the Earl of This-and-that. The narrator glosses over these people as if they have only a marginal importance.

3. Those with numbers for names, which occurs only in this single conversation toward the end of the story:

"‘Bête!’ — said the first.

‘Fool!’ — said the second.

‘Ninny!’ — said the third.

‘Dolt!’ — said the fourth.

‘Noodle!’ — said the fifth.

‘Ass!’ — said the sixth.

‘Be off!’ — said the seventh."

Note that it's the narrator's supposed friends who get labeled with numbers--they matter very little to him, ironically, while the perfect strangers in high society matter enough to merit their own names. Regarding his friends, all that matters to the narrator is that they called him a beast, a fool, and so on when they found out that he'd shot the nose off the Baron.

How does Mars Bar show that he dislikes Maniac?

Although you definitely notice from their first encounter early on that Mars Bar doesn't like Maniac, when he tries to yank the book from him and dares him to take a bite of his candy bar, the bully's dislike of Maniac becomes even more clear at the beginning of Chapter 16.

This is when Mars Bar actively shows his distaste for Maniac by trying to trip him as he runs in a game of baseball,...

Although you definitely notice from their first encounter early on that Mars Bar doesn't like Maniac, when he tries to yank the book from him and dares him to take a bite of his candy bar, the bully's dislike of Maniac becomes even more clear at the beginning of Chapter 16.

This is when Mars Bar actively shows his distaste for Maniac by trying to trip him as he runs in a game of baseball, by tackling him from behind even when they aren't even playing a game of football, and by riding his bike through a puddle right next to Maniac, trying to splash the dirty water onto him.

As the narrator explains, all these aggressive actions were Mars Bar trying to show Maniac how much he despises him. The thing is, Maniac doesn't get the message. It's not that he's stupid, it's just that he doesn't realize the meaning behind Mars Bar's behavior:

[Maniac] could see these things, but he couldn't see what they meant. He couldn't see that Mars Bar disliked him, maybe even hated him.

This is one example of Maniac's figurative blindness. He can't see (or rather, comprehend) that Mars Bar hates him, just as he can't see how his own white skin makes him an outsider in Amanda's neighborhood.

Which statement about the Missouri Compromise is true? a. It resulted in an unequal number of free states and slave states. b. It allowed...

The Missouri Compromise was a very important event in our history. Slavery was already becoming an issue in the early 1800s. The North and the South tried to keep an equal balance of free state and of slaves. When Missouri wanted to join the Union, this would have created an unequal number of states. This was a big deal because there would have been two more senators in the Senate from the side that had...

The Missouri Compromise was a very important event in our history. Slavery was already becoming an issue in the early 1800s. The North and the South tried to keep an equal balance of free state and of slaves. When Missouri wanted to join the Union, this would have created an unequal number of states. This was a big deal because there would have been two more senators in the Senate from the side that had more states.

The Missouri Compromise did several things. It allowed Missouri to join the Union as a slave state. It allowed Maine to join the Union as a free state. This would keep the number of free states and the number of slave states in balance. To prevent this discussion from occurring every time a new state would want to join the Union from the territory we got from the Louisiana Purchase, an agreement was reached that there would be no slavery allowed north of the 36°30’ line in the Louisiana Territory except for Missouri. There was no mention of Nebraska in the Missouri Compromise as the land that eventually made up the Nebraska Territory was part of the Unorganized Territory at this time.

Thus, the correct answer to your question is answer choice B. The Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to be a slave state.

In what two ways does Hamlet disobey the ghost?

When old King Hamlet's ghost speaks with the prince, his son, he charges the prince with the task of avenging his murder.  This means, really, that young Hamlet will likely have to kill the new king, Claudius, his uncle and now step-father.  Old Hamlet's ghost also instructs him, saying,

"howsoever thou pursuest this act, / Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven / And...

When old King Hamlet's ghost speaks with the prince, his son, he charges the prince with the task of avenging his murder.  This means, really, that young Hamlet will likely have to kill the new king, Claudius, his uncle and now step-father.  Old Hamlet's ghost also instructs him, saying,

"howsoever thou pursuest this act, / Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven / And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge / To prick and sting her" (1.5.84-88). 

In other words, no matter how young Hamlet chooses to accomplish his revenge on Claudius, his father wants him to leave his mother alone and not attempt to punish her for marrying so quickly after his father's death; in addition, Hamlet should not corrupt his own mind in the process of exacting revenge on Claudius. 

While Hamlet does successfully achieve his revenge on the new king, he disobeys his father's instructions in the other two respects.  He does punish his mother, blaming her and treating her harshly as a result of her overhasty remarriage, and he also corrupts his mind by delaying action against Claudius for various reasons.  Hamlet begins to consider himself a coward, becoming somewhat obsessed with death, and he even kills Polonius in a hasty rage.  

Why is the technique of sampling important in ensuring rigorous research results?

The technique of sampling requires that the researcher pick his or her subjects mostly at random, and that the sample size be sufficiently large so that the subjects will be roughly representative of the population as a whole. If a study uses subjects picked because of their proximity to the study, or because those subjects are already known to the researchers, the data produced from that study will be skewed. In other words, the findings will not be representative of the population group the researchers hope to study. Consequently, the study will have limited value.

For example, if I want to figure out the "political leanings of most Americans" and I decide to figure that out by asking that question of everyone I personally know, the results of my study will be almost worthless. The people I know are not a random sample because they are filtered, so to speak, by the fact that I already know them, and vast amounts of research show that most people associate with others who share their political beliefs. In other words, my study will come back looking like an affirmation or mirror of what my own political leanings are. It will be a study of the political leanings of my friends.

A similar problem exists if I ask the same question of five hundred people who live in a one mile radius of me: the sampling is geographically biased and not at all representative of the country as a whole. That is why social scientists devised the notion of random sampling, in which a reasonably large group of people, from the population that is supposed to be studied, is picked at random (to avoid unconscious bias).

To find out the political leanings of most Americans, our hypothetical study would have to contact people in all fifty states, making sure that the people contacted were in both cities and rural areas (again, so that the population of the study is representative of the country as a whole). The sampling method would also require that the study does not "oversample" from the East Coast or the West Coast, or from any other region, relative to the population as a whole.

Additionally, researchers would want to avoid talking primarily to one age group or socio-economic group, because such an over-representation will not be a good proxy for the population as a whole. The researchers will also want to make sure that their sample is roughly split between men and women, for the same reason as mentioned above.

Essentially, the technique of sampling is designed to ensure that the group being studied is actually representative of the larger group that the researchers are hoping to understand. Accomplishing this task is much harder than it might first appear.

Management viewpoints evolve over time. These include the management of human behavior in organizations, the key goals of organizations, the...

Your questions asks about the four most widely accepted managerial viewpoints. Yet, there are five widely-accepted management viewpoints to date, which include the traditional, behavioral, system, contingency, and quality viewpoints, each with its own strengths, limitations, and contributions. 

• With the traditional or classical viewpoint, the three main branches include bureaucratic, administrative, and scientific management.  These branches emerged from 1890 to 1990 as engineers attempted to create well-oiled businesses.


• Moving to the behavioral viewpoint, after WWI, radical industrial and cultural...

Your questions asks about the four most widely accepted managerial viewpoints. Yet, there are five widely-accepted management viewpoints to date, which include the traditional, behavioral, system, contingency, and quality viewpoints, each with its own strengths, limitations, and contributions. 

• With the traditional or classical viewpoint, the three main branches include bureaucratic, administrative, and scientific management.  These branches emerged from 1890 to 1990 as engineers attempted to create well-oiled businesses.


• Moving to the behavioral viewpoint, after WWI, radical industrial and cultural changes occurred.  Assembly lines flooded goods to market, as standards of living and working conditions improved.  Managers were forced to recognize and accommodate worker rights, needs, and values.  With this recognition also came the awareness that workers want respect, and traditional management practices could not keep pace with the race to produce.  Out of these realizations and awareness, the viewpoint of behavioral management was adopted.


• Regarding the system viewpoint, during WWII, teams formed to analyze and solve complex problems such as routes and speeds of convoys, probable armament locations, etc.  These were not intuitive problems.  To deal with such complexity, the UK and the US developed systems analysis.  This approach first became an accepted tool of the US Department of Defense and space programs.  Then, systems analysis filtered into private industry and management viewpoints.


• About the contingency viewpoint or situational approach, developed in the 1960s, this suggests that management practices should require consistency of the external environment, technology, and the skills of the workers involved.  Put differently, a situational approach depends on the variables of a business problem.  Managers are expected to select and effectively use three or more management viewpoints concurrently based on the complexity and need of a business problem.


• Finally, the quality viewpoint emerges as a response to the global challenges that face industry in the 21st century.  High customer demand for large quantities of quality products and consistent service lend to the develop of management theories such as Total Quality Management (TQM), the EFQM Excellence Model, the Object Oriented Quality Model (OQM), etc.

Adjusting to the cultural and industrial complexities of the time period, management viewpoints change.  From the traditional or classical viewpoint to the behavioral to the systems, contingency, and quality viewpoints, business needs generate new and unique challenges.  

How do Odysseus' mistakes show that he is relatable?

It can be difficult for 21st-century readers to connect with stories such as The Odyssey because the world and the heroes represented there often seem to possess more differences than similarities to our own.  For a hero like Odysseus, we know that his heroic qualities are legendary: he conceived the idea of the Trojan Horse, a strategic move that helped win the Trojan War. He is also the only person to have heard sirens sing and live to tell about it, and so on.  

However, his flaws and errors help us to feel somewhat more connected to him than his impressive feats, likely because most of us will never be called on to design a war strategy and none of us will come in contact with mythical creatures that do not exist.  For example, when Odysseus proudly shares his real name with the Cyclops, Polyphemus, because he wants the monster to know and be able to tell others who bested him, Odysseus displays his biggest flaw, his pride.  And this mistake, telling the Cyclops his real name, is a big one, and it gets him into a great deal of trouble with the monster's father, Poseidon, who then makes Odysseus's journey home that much harder.  A mistake like this, made out of pride, is certainly relatable to modern readers.  Most people have wanted to brag about something they've accomplished at some point in their lives, and even though we know we probably ought to keep our mouths shut, we just can't help ourselves sometimes.  Therefore, Odysseus's flaws seem to make him a lot more human than his accomplishments, and thus the mistakes he makes help us to relate to him.

A 1 ton shark swims toward a beach. In which direction is the reaction force in relation to the shark's weight?

As with any object on Earth, weight is a force that acts perpendicular to the Earth's surface. Weight is different from mass in that it depends on the gravity of where the object is located. Weight can be calculated using the formula w = mg where is w is weight in Newtons, m is mass in kg, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. With a shark swimming through the water, the direction of...

As with any object on Earth, weight is a force that acts perpendicular to the Earth's surface. Weight is different from mass in that it depends on the gravity of where the object is located. Weight can be calculated using the formula w = mg where is w is weight in Newtons, m is mass in kg, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. With a shark swimming through the water, the direction of force from weight will be straight down.

The reaction force is a result of the shark using its tail to propel itself through the water. Newton's 3rd law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, if a force is exerted on an object, an equal and opposite force will be exerted by that object. In the case of a shark moving through the water, the tail fin is working to push water backward. Therefore the water will also exert a force on the shark, propelling it forward. So the reaction force will be in the direction in which the shark is traveling. 

In the "The Revolt of Mother" by Mary Wilkins Freeman, why does Adoniram refuse to explain his decision to build a new barn to his wife?

Since the story is written from the limited point of view of Sarah Penn, readers don't have the ability to get inside Adoniram Penn's head to understand his motivations. However, from his actions and words, and from Sarah's words, readers can infer his motivations. The story begins with Sarah asking Adoniram why men are digging in the field, and Adoniram unwillingly divulges that they are building a barn, but not until expressing to Sarah that...

Since the story is written from the limited point of view of Sarah Penn, readers don't have the ability to get inside Adoniram Penn's head to understand his motivations. However, from his actions and words, and from Sarah's words, readers can infer his motivations. The story begins with Sarah asking Adoniram why men are digging in the field, and Adoniram unwillingly divulges that they are building a barn, but not until expressing to Sarah that she should "'tend to your own affairs." He implies that running the farm, including making decisions about outbuildings, is his domain, not Sarah's. Throughout the play signs of the patriarchal rule in the Penn family are apparent, most specifically when Sarah Penn explains to her daughter that she will one day find out that "we know only what men-folks think we do ... an' how we ought to reckon men-folks in with Providence, an' not complain of what they do any more than we do of the weather." 

As much as Adoniram believes he has the authority and right to build the barn, he nevertheless certainly experiences twinges of conscience about his decision, which also probably motivates him to keep his wife in the dark about the barn. (His tears at the end of the story may indicate a heart soft enough to feel guilt.) He knows without Sarah's reminders that he promised her 40 years previously to build her a new house on the very place where he is now erecting his new barn. Yet when she confronts him on his failure to keep his promise, he replies, "I ain't got nothin' to say." One reason for his silence is that he cannot refute her allegations or her logic. Another is that he may feel guilty about his choices. But in the end, he employs silence as a defense against Sarah's influence so that he can continue to have his own way: "Her opponent employed that obstinate silence which makes eloquence futile with mocking echoes." 

From the clues in the story, readers can deduce that Adoniram refuses to explain his decision about the barn to Sarah because his reasons are indefensible given his prior promises, because he may feel somewhat guilty for having broken faith with his wife on the issue, because he wants his own way, and because the patriarchal system their marriage functions under allows him to do so. 

The following events (Liberty Boys,Intolerable Acts,Stamp Act) led to what war? a. Civil War b.Revolutionary War c.War of 1812 d. World War 1

While you could say that the events listed here led, at least indirectly, to all four of these wars, the correct answer is clearly Option B, the Revolutionary War.  All three of the events or groups that you mention here are closely connected to the coming of that war.

The Stamp Act was a law passed by the British government that imposed taxes on many types of paper goods.  American colonists hated it because it...

While you could say that the events listed here led, at least indirectly, to all four of these wars, the correct answer is clearly Option B, the Revolutionary War.  All three of the events or groups that you mention here are closely connected to the coming of that war.

The Stamp Act was a law passed by the British government that imposed taxes on many types of paper goods.  American colonists hated it because it cost them money and because it implied that the British Parliament had the right to impose taxes on the domestic economies of the colonies (as opposed to imposing taxes on goods being traded into or out of the colonies).

The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British after the Boston Tea Party.  The British called these the Coercive Acts.  They were meant to punish the colonists for the violence and destruction of property that had occurred in Boston.

The Liberty Boys were a patriotic group.  They are perhaps more commonly known as the Sons of Liberty.  They were instrumental in opposing the Stamp Act and other British laws and in pushing for independence.

From this, we can see that these events and groups were most closely connected with the Revolutionary War.

Why does Atticus reprimand Scout after her disclosure about going with Calpurnia to church?

First of all, Atticus does not reprimand Scout for going to Calpurnia's church in chapter 14. He only finds out that she and Jem had attended Cal's church after Scout tells him that it was then that she first asked for the definition of rape. Cal wouldn't tell her and referred her to her father. After her father gives her the definition of rape, and Scout doesn't understand it, she asks why Calpurnia wouldn't answer...

First of all, Atticus does not reprimand Scout for going to Calpurnia's church in chapter 14. He only finds out that she and Jem had attended Cal's church after Scout tells him that it was then that she first asked for the definition of rape. Cal wouldn't tell her and referred her to her father. After her father gives her the definition of rape, and Scout doesn't understand it, she asks why Calpurnia wouldn't answer her on the day she attended her church. At the time, too, Calpurnia had invited Scout and Jem to visit her home sometime and Scout asks Atticus if she can. Aunt Alexandra freaks out and interrupts by saying that Scout can not go visit Calpurnia. Scout turns her back on her Aunt and says, "I didn't ask you." This is what Atticus reprimands Scout for--disrespecting her Aunt Alexandra:

"For a big man, Atticus could get up and down from a chair faster than anyone I ever knew. He was on his feet. 'Apologize to your aunt,' he said. 'I didn't ask her I asked you--' Atticus turned his head and pinned me to the wall with his good eye. His voice was deadly: 'First, apologize to your aunt'" (136).

After the apology, Atticus makes sure that Scout understands that she must obey him, Calpurnia, and Aunt Alexandra. As a result, Scout hides in the bathroom until she feels like the coast is clear. Atticus wasn't angry that the kids went to Calpurnia's church; and, he wasn't against the kids visiting Calpurnia at her home, either. But Aunt Alexandra is so upset that she suggests that Atticus should fire Calpurnia because of it. Fortunately, Atticus doesn't see it that way and he does not fire her. 

What was the Quota Act of 1921, and why was it so important?

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was passed in the midst of an anti-radical hysteria that swept the United States in the aftermath of World War I. It essentially established quotas that limited all immigration, but, due to the terms of the quota, especially immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. This was a response to the view among many Americans that Eastern Europeans were not only racially inferior, but brought radical political beliefs like anarchism...

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was passed in the midst of an anti-radical hysteria that swept the United States in the aftermath of World War I. It essentially established quotas that limited all immigration, but, due to the terms of the quota, especially immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. This was a response to the view among many Americans that Eastern Europeans were not only racially inferior, but brought radical political beliefs like anarchism and communism to the country. Additionally, anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism were especially strong among some Americans at the time, and this law reflected these trends. It would be followed by a more comprehensive immigration restriction law that actually reduced the numbers of immigrants that could enter the country in 1924. Immigration from some countries was almost totally curtailed by the law. Its historic significance lies in the fact that it represents a longstanding trend of anti-immigrant sentiment, often in response to global events or economic pressures. Often called nativism, discrimination against immigrants has always existed in tension with the idea that the United States is a "nation of immigrants," and the Emergency Quota Act represents a low point in attitudes toward immigrants.

What does the following quote, from The Secret Life of Bees, mean? "When I looked up I saw a crop duster plunging his little plane over a field...

Lily does not feel in control of her own life.

Lily has always related her life to nature.  When she was little, she would feel comforted by the bees that came into her room.  The bees fascinated her, and made her feel part of something bigger.  To her, the bees and nature itself meant that the world was a place of beauty.  Nature was her escape from a pretty terrible life. 

I watched their wings...

Lily does not feel in control of her own life.

Lily has always related her life to nature.  When she was little, she would feel comforted by the bees that came into her room.  The bees fascinated her, and made her feel part of something bigger.  To her, the bees and nature itself meant that the world was a place of beauty.  Nature was her escape from a pretty terrible life. 

I watched their wings shining like bits of chrome in the dark and felt the longing build in my chest. The way those bees flew, not even looking for a flower, just flying for the feel of the wind, split my heart down its seam. (Ch. 1) 

Lily has never felt in control of her life.  From the time of her mother’s death, her father has tyrannically domineered her existence.  When Rosaleen is attacked trying to vote, Lily breaks her out of the hospital but really has no plan.  She just wants to run away, and perhaps find out more about herself in the process.  

In your quote, Lily sympathizes with the insects whose fate the crop duster seals.  She also feels like her life is on the edge of an impending doom she can’t explain.  While it is true that they are on the run from the law, or at least Rosaleen is, Lily does not feel completely free.  Like the insects about to be killed by the crop duster, she worries that she is walking both of them from the frying pan to the fire. 

I spent the next mile in deep worry.  I had no plan, no prospects of a plan.  Until now I’d mostly believed we would stumble upon a window somewhere and climb through it into a brand-new life.  Rosaleen, on the other hand, was here biding time till we got caught. (Ch. 3) 

Lily is quite naïve.  She hoped that the Civil Rights act would make things fair for Roseleen.  As a white teenager, she really didn’t understand how the world worked.  As difficult as things are for Lily, they will always be much worse for Rosaleen.

These business ethics questions are related to 3 methods: "utilitarian," "libertarian," and "kant's." 1. Thoroughly explain how a utilitarian...

Utilitarians are concerned with the consequences of actions: Rather than worrying about whether a particular act is right or wrong, they ask whether the outcome of doing so would be beneficial or harmful.

Libertarians are concerned with personal freedom: They consider an action wrong if it impinges upon the rights of individuals to do as they please without outside interference or aggression.

Kantians are concerned with moral duty and consistency: They decide whether an act is right or wrong based on whether it would be rational to universalize that action, that is, to make a rule that everyone can do it.

All three systems agree on most things: Murder is wrong for a utilitarian because it causes much more harm than good; murder is wrong for a libertarian because it is violence that destroys the freedom of the victim; murder is wrong for a Kantian because we could not live in a world where everyone murders everyone, because then we would no longer be alive at all.

But sometimes they don't agree. Which brings me to this Apple dilemma.
The US government wants Apple to write code that could be used to unlock a large number of Apple phones in the future; they intend to use it to unlock a terrorist's phone, which is legal and largely uncontroversial; but the code is far more general than that and could be used for thousands of other phones.

The utilitarians have the hardest time with this dilemma. On the one hand, there are clear benefits if Apple unlocks the phone; it improves the chances of catching future terrorists and therefore could make us safer. On the other hand, there are major costs as well; if this technology becomes widely available it would undermine the security of a large number of electronic devices and increase the risk of hackers stealing people's information or even money.

The utilitarian would therefore be most interested in the expected utility, that is, the sum of all costs and benefits, multiplied by the probability that each will actually occur. The cost of being killed by a terrorist is much higher than the cost of having your credit card stolen; but the terrorist attack is also far less likely (and the unlocked phone will make a big difference in hacking probability but not much in terrorism probability), so the expected loss in utility from terrorist attacks is actually smaller than the expected loss in utility from hacking. For this reason, I believe the utilitarian would oppose the unlocking of the phones, because the risk of making phones less secure is too high to justify the small gain in protection against terrorism. But the utilitarian will feel conflicted and ambivalent, and constantly wonder if the probability calculations were right.

The libertarian will not hesitate: Do not unlock the phone. The violation of privacy and personal security will be much too large, and the government has no legitimate authority to issue this command. They could legitimately get a warrant for one phone---but this is like asking for a warrant for all phones. The libertarian will not feel ambivalent at all; this is wrong, and must be stopped.

The Kantian will now go through the nine steps you listed. But we've been given a slightly different dilemma: Not whether to unlock the phone, but whether to secretly unlock the phone.

1. The ethical dilemma is whether to lie about unlocking the phone, saying you won't even though you will.

2. The agent is Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

3. The task for Tim Cook is to decide whether to write false press releases and order his engineers to comply.

4. Tim Cook's primary job is to maximize profit for Apple Corporation, but he also has a moral duty to engage in that profit maximization in ethically responsible way. This means representing his company honestly, which this would not be.

5. The primary duty associated with the role of Tim Cook is to maximize profit, under constraints of ethical and legal behavior. But since he would be lying, he is breaking those constraints.

6. The categorical imperative is to never lie. Kant is actually quite extreme on this; he really means never lie.

7. It is, and at least if the opposite is "always lie", that would clearly not be universalizable. A world where everyone lies is a world where language is meaningless; a world where all press releases are false is a world where press releases tell us nothing.

8. Here's where it gets a bit tougher. We might or might not be willing to switch places with the software engineers, but we probably wouldn't want to switch places with the people who are being lied to.

9. We are definitely using people as means---we use the software engineers as a means to create profit. But unless we say that all jobs for-hire are in violation of Kantian principles (which Kant himself would never have said), then we must be prepared to accept that it can be ethical to use people as a means for making profit, so long as we also respect their dignity as human beings. Software engineers at Apple are generally well-paid and treated fairly, so it seems like we're doing that. (Workers at the sweatshops Apple contracts for manufacturing, on the other hand...) Nor are we using the government officials merely as a means, nor the customers affected by our decision. So we're good on this one.

Are you using the readers of the press release merely as a means? Maybe, since you're basically ignoring their interest in knowing the truth. But you aren't causing them really great harm, so I don't think that's really the problem; the problem is that you are lying, and lying is not universalizable.

Therefore, the Kantian would absolutely not lie about writing the code; they would never lie about anything.

However, I think the Kantian answer is actually to comply with the order and write the code. Your duty as a CEO says you should maximize profit within the bounds of the law, and the law clearly says that you should comply. But you should do so openly, not in secret.

Thus, we have three answers:

The utilitarian says "I'm not sure, but I think probably not."
The libertarian says "Absolutely not! Why are you even considering this?"
The Kantian says "Yes, it is your duty to comply. But above all you must not lie about it."

How do father-son relationships function in Things Fall Apart?

In Things Fall Part, father-son relationships play a significant part in the narrative.

The first chapter discusses the ways in which Okonkwo’s entire persona is shaped as a response to his father, as Okonkwo determines to be everything his father wasn’t. The chapters that follow tell the story of Ikemefuna, who becomes a sort of adopted son to Okonkwo and helps to illuminate the conflicts that exist between Okonkwo and Nwoye, Okonkwo’s real son.

Late in the novel, Nwoye’s break from his father helps to define the conflict between the Igbo and the British colonizing forces and figures powerfully into Okonkwo’s sense of the cultural dissolution happening around him.

These relationships of fathers and sons communicate some of the major themes of the text.

First, Okonkwo’s relationship to his father, Unoka, helps to establish the important fact that Okonkwo is a human being with a complex internal life. His personal history creates intricate and intimate conflicts of the heart and sows the seeds of specific social ambitions in Okonkwo that are far from the simple-minded and outwardly caricatured ways of being existent in stereotypical views of Africa and Africans (which Achebe was working against in this novel). Okonkwo’s relationship to Unoka, in other words, offers a depiction of a depth of emotion, social consciousness and psychological distress and thus makes Okonkwo a fully human, widely relatable character.

Second, we can see the expectations and cultural definitions of masculinity and success through the lens of these father-son relationships. Unoka stands as an example of failure in some ways, as he lives in debt and does not provide well for his family. (He is also a kind man who has positive traits.)

“Unoka […] was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid them back.”

Unoka’s personality and behavior are contrasted to Oknokwo’s attitudes and work ethic and so come to define the expectations for masculine success in the culture of the village.

“Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father. Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife.”

In raising his own son, Okonkwo worries that Nwoye will be a failure like Unoka and so not be able to live a happy and respectable life. This is a valid concern, most would agree, although Okonkwo’s methods of shaping Nwoye are sometimes brutal and often rigorous and unfeeling. The costs of this method of parenting become clear when Nwoye breaks from his family to join the Christians. Thus, Okonkwo’s attempts to align his son with the expectations of masculine success in the village backfire. Okonkwo cannot form his son into the mold of a successful Igbo man and so loses him to the British.

The unbending perspective that Okonkwo brings to raising Nwoye is yet another significant element of the novel and connects to the same unyielding insistence on being right that is associated with the British missionaries.

Yet, because the differences between Unoka and Okonkwo have been thoroughly described as reflecting the value system and social expectations of the village, we can see that Okonkwo’s desires for his son are not merely based on personal preference. In treating Nwoye as he does and trying to make him into a certain kind of man, Okonkwo is attempting to perpetuate the values of his culture.

This is an important aspect of the relationship because it suggests that the father-son relationships in the novel are one important way that the Igbo culture survives—or dissolves.

How can I write P.E.E. paragraphs about Shakespeare's use of language in Macbeth?

Let's take a look at how to write a good P.E.E. paragraph, and then apply the P.E.E. format to an example of a use of language in Macbeth.

P.E.E. stands for POINT, EXAMPLE/EVIDENCE, EXPLAIN. First you have to state a main point. Second, you have to provide evidence, which could possibly be in the form of quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing from the work you are studying, to prove your point. Then you...

Let's take a look at how to write a good P.E.E. paragraph, and then apply the P.E.E. format to an example of a use of language in Macbeth.

P.E.E. stands for POINT, EXAMPLE/EVIDENCE, EXPLAIN. First you have to state a main point. Second, you have to provide evidence, which could possibly be in the form of quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing from the work you are studying, to prove your point. Then you have to explain how the evidence proves your point. In a P.E.E. paragraph you can give more than one example, but you need to explain each example that you give. Some students make the mistake of simply listing examples. The second E, which stands for EXPLAIN, is just as important as the first one. If you're not sure what to write to explain how your example proves your point, sometimes it helps to explain the EFFECT on the reader/audience.

In literature, "use of language" usually refers to figurative language, or literary devices. Of course Shakespeare made use of a lot of different types of figurative language in all his plays. Shakespeare's use of language is part of what makes his plays so enjoyable that they are still popular today. I would advise you to look at a list of literary techniques and find some that are used in Macbeth. You can find an extensive list of literary devices . 

Now I'll give you an example of how to plan and then write a P.E.E. paragraph for a specific literary device used in Macbeth. In plays, the playwright often uses a lot of aural devices. These are literary devices that affect the way the words sound to the audience. This means that the author selects words for the way they sound as well as for their meaning and connotations. I'm going to look at one particular aural device called alliteration for my P.E.E. paragraph on Macbeth. Alliteration means having repeated beginning sounds (consonants) in close succession, like "six silly seagulls." (The 's' sound is repeated.) The effect of alliteration can be to make listening to the text more fun, to imitate the sound of something in the text, or to add to the atmosphere or tone. Here's an outline for alliteration in Macbeth following the P.E.E. structure:

• POINT: the use of alliteration helps create atmosphere.


• EXAMPLE: Act I scene i, lines 11-12 -- "Fair is foul, and foul is fair. / Hover through the fog and filthy air."


• EXPLANATION: The repeated 'f' sound makes the witches' voices sound eerie, and adds to the atmosphere created by storm imagery earlier in the scene, because it sounds like the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and grass: 'fff.'
  

Now here's a P.E.E. paragraph for the outline above:

• In Shakespeare's Macbeth, alliteration adds to the atmosphere in many scenes. For example, in Act I scene i, the witches say, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair. / Hover through the fog and filthy air." (lines 11-12.) The repetition of the beginning 'f' sound gives the witches' voices an eerie quality. In addition, the repetition of 'f' creates a sound like the wind hissing through the trees and grasses on the heath, and adds to the atmosphere of a brewing storm which the witches discussed earlier in this scene.

You could add more examples and explanations to this paragraph on alliteration, because it is used a lot in Macbeth. You should be able to find several more literary devices in Macbeth and write P.E.E. paragraphs for each of them. You can read the entire text of Macbeth , with modern English translation and annotations, by clicking . 

When you think of a typical hero, what comes to mind? What qualities does Phoenix share with the typical hero? What qualities does she have that...

A hero usually exemplifies strength, courage, perseverance, skill, intellectual prowess, generosity, and is usually someone who is greatly admired. For starters, Phoenix Jackson is heroic because she is generous. She risks her own health, and life, when she makes the long trips to obtain medicine for her grandson. She also shows perseverance in making the trips. She's quite old. She's not even sure how old she is. Given her old, frail condition, it takes a...

A hero usually exemplifies strength, courage, perseverance, skill, intellectual prowess, generosity, and is usually someone who is greatly admired. For starters, Phoenix Jackson is heroic because she is generous. She risks her own health, and life, when she makes the long trips to obtain medicine for her grandson. She also shows perseverance in making the trips. She's quite old. She's not even sure how old she is. Given her old, frail condition, it takes a lot of courage and determination to continue making the journey.

Welty aptly names her "Phoenix" because this is an allusion to the Greek myth about the phoenix which could repeatedly regenerate itself from the ashes. Just as the mythological phoenix would inevitably rise again, Phoenix Jackson continues to rise and make the pilgrimage for her grandson. 

Also, characteristic of a typical hero, Phoenix is fearless. When the hunter points the gun at her and asks if she is scared, she says "No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done." 

Phoenix is also clever. She manages to pick up a nickel that the hunter drops even though he says he has no money. She also convinces the attendant at the nurse's station to give her a nickel. And in generous fashion, she intends to use the money to buy her grandson a windmill. 

Phoenix is not remarkably strong. In fact, she is remarkably weak in her old age. Her heart and mind are in the right place, heroically speaking, but she occasionally forgetful. However, the forgetfulness is temporary and her determination overrides these weaknesses. As a frail, old woman, Phoenix does not look like a typical hero. But this is based upon the notion that a hero is a person of action. If we expand the notion of a hero to include things like courage, generosity, and perseverance, then Phoenix is the paradigm of a hero. 

Do you think Jessica, in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, is an admirable character? If not, why and, if yes, why.

Whether one finds merit in the character of Jessica in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice is entirely subjective. Each viewer of the play's production or reader of the script will form his or her own opinion regarding each of Shakespeare's characters. Shylock, the Jewish moneylender at the center of the plot, is a famously complicated character, at times venal and other times quite sympathetic given the anti-Semitic vitriol routinely cast in his direction. Shylock's daughter, Jessica, however, can, in this educator's opinion, be judged a bit more harshly. Shylock is relatively wealthy, and Jessica has grown up a child of privilege within the cultural confines of this racially-charged atmosphere. In Act II, Scene III of The Merchant of Venice, Jessica, in love with Lorenzo, a friend of Antonio and Bassanio, laments her life as the daughter of the Jewish moneylender, oblivious, as many children of privilege are, of the trials and tribulations to which her father has been subjected for decades. Note in the following lamentation Jessica's declaration of contempt for the man who has raised her, and who loves her:

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me
To be ashamed to be my father's child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,
Become a Christian and thy loving wife.

Jessica will, of course, elope with Lorenzo in the play's final scenes. Her father stands humiliated and diminished following the corrupt trial over his arrangement with Antonio regarding the infamous pound of the latter's flesh. Does the father's daughter rally to his side? No, she does not. Instead, she exploits the opportunity to elope with Lorenzo.

Is Jessica a meritorious figure? This is in the eyes of the beholder. Shylock is lacking in empathy, but this coldness is the direct result of the prejudices to which he has been subjected solely on the basis of his religion. Could he lend money without charging interest? Certainly, although he could not remain in business if he were to operate in such a manner. Could he simply choose a different occupation? No, and this is the crux of the matter. Jews were severely restricted in the professions open to them, and financial matters were one of the few occupations they could pursue. The charging of interest, typical of financial arrangements involving legitimately-operated banks, is a requirement of remaining in business. Antonio did not charge interest when he lent money because money-lending was not his primary source of revenue-he is, after all, the titular "merchant of Venice." He is a Christian, and free to earn money any way he sees fit. 

Next comes the question of whether Shylock was right to demand a pound of Antonio's flesh should the latter fail to repay his debt. Well, Antonio made the agreement in good faith, and failed to live up to his part of the bargain. Had he not been so mean to Shylock over the years, the latter would almost certainly have not agreed to such a barbaric arrangement. One could conclude that Antonio dug his own grave, in this respect. As such, then Jessica's disdain for her father is without justification. She is a spoiled, disloyal offspring, and one could conclude that she is anything but admirable in her treatment of her father.

 

How is agency theory relevant today?

Agency theory developed in the 1960s and 1970s. The idea asserted that a principal (organization, leader) delegated authority to an agent (manager). The agent was then expected to act in the best interest of the principal, but there was no assurance that an agent would always act in the best interests of the principal or that the agent's behavior would be appropriate.

Today, the principal and agent relationship continues to exist. Managers are often considered...

Agency theory developed in the 1960s and 1970s. The idea asserted that a principal (organization, leader) delegated authority to an agent (manager). The agent was then expected to act in the best interest of the principal, but there was no assurance that an agent would always act in the best interests of the principal or that the agent's behavior would be appropriate.

Today, the principal and agent relationship continues to exist. Managers are often considered agents of organizations, which are the principals. Principals often delegate work to the agent, expecting the agent to carry out that work in the best interest of the organization and the organization's stakeholders.  Unfortunately, the agent does not always act in the best interest of the principal. The agent may act in his or her own best interest or the best interest of that agent's particular division. This creates a dichotomy in the agent and principal relationship. Furthermore, when an agent does not act in the best interest of the principal, the agent places the principal at financial risk and possibly legal risk as well.

`int tan^5(x) dx` Evaluate the integral

`int tan^5 (x) dx`

To solve, apply the Pythagorean identity `tan^2(x) = sec^2(x) - 1` until the integrand is in the form `int u^n du` .

`= int tan^3(x) tan^2(x) dx`

`= int tan^3(x)(sec^2x-1)dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan^3(x)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x)sec^2(x) - tan(x) tan^2(x)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan(x) (sec^2x-1)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan(x)sec^2(x) +tan(x)]dx`

`= int tan^3(x)sec^2(x)dx - int tan(x) sec^2(x) dx + int tan(x) dx`

For the first...

`int tan^5 (x) dx`

To solve, apply the Pythagorean identity `tan^2(x) = sec^2(x) - 1` until the integrand is in the form `int u^n du` .

`= int tan^3(x) tan^2(x) dx`

`= int tan^3(x)(sec^2x-1)dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan^3(x)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x)sec^2(x) - tan(x) tan^2(x)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan(x) (sec^2x-1)]dx`

`= int [tan^3(x) sec^2(x) - tan(x)sec^2(x) +tan(x)]dx`

`= int tan^3(x)sec^2(x)dx - int tan(x) sec^2(x) dx + int tan(x) dx`

For the first and second integral, apply u-substitution method. Let u be:

     `u = tan x`

Then, differentiate u.

     `du= sec^2(dx)`

Plugging them, the first and second integral becomes:

`= int u^3 du - int u du + int tan (x) dx`

Then, apply the integral formula `int x^n dx = x^(n+1)/(n+1) + C` and `int tan(theta)d theta = ln |sec (theta)| + C` .

`= u^4/4 - u^2/2 + ln |sec(x)| + C`

And, substitute back u = tan(x).

`= (tan^4(x))/4 - (tan^2(x))/2 + ln|sec(x)| + C`

Therefore, `int tan^5(x) dx= (tan^4(x))/4 - (tan^2(x))/2 + ln|sec(x)| + C` .

What was the significance of the aristocratic revolution in France?

The aristocratic revolution was the first stage of the French revolution. In 1787, the country had the largest population in Europe. Feeding and supporting this population, along with extravagant spending by the noble or aristocratic class, resulted in a large deficit. In order to address this issue, the controller of finances at the time, Charles Alexander de Colonne, proposed raising taxes on the rich, also known as the bourgeoisie or aristocrats.  The idea is similar to...

The aristocratic revolution was the first stage of the French revolution. In 1787, the country had the largest population in Europe. Feeding and supporting this population, along with extravagant spending by the noble or aristocratic class, resulted in a large deficit. In order to address this issue, the controller of finances at the time, Charles Alexander de Colonne, proposed raising taxes on the rich, also known as the bourgeoisie or aristocrats.  The idea is similar to current debates surrounding taxation of the rich in American society today. Some argue that the wealthier classes should pay more taxes in order to support the growing population of the underclass and to lessen the burden of the deficit. You can think of the 1% as the aristocracy and the 99% as the third estate.

The aristocrats refused to pay higher taxes and this led to the aristocratic revolt. The aristocracy included members of the parliament and of the courts, so the country came to a standstill. This was in 1788, also the year of a terrible harvest, so the country was going hungry. Again, we can see parallels in the current state of affairs in the United States. The wealthy are refusing to pay higher taxes, the ruling officials have come to a standstill, and the poor masses of people are seeing their situation decline.

In response to this aristocratic refusal to pay higher taxes, an assembly was convened which included this group along with the clergy and the common people, known as the third estate. This convention was to determine the future of the country, but the aristocracy wanted to have their votes count as equal to those of the common people that outnumbered them. This was denied and the aristocratic revolt crystallized.

The new assembly was formed at the same that the food shortage was getting worse and the peasants were pressing for reforms. The reforms that resulted from the revolution included the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the dissolution of the feudal system that created such great divisions between the aristocracy and the rest of the population in the first place.

So the importance of the aristocratic revolution is that it led the peasants, in combination with the food shortage and the spread of Enlightenment ideals, to revolt against the upper classes. The refusal of the aristocrats to pay higher taxes or recognize the voice of the lower classes in the National Assembly is what is considered as the aristocratic revolt. This sparked the revolt of the peasants and the French Revolution, resulting in the reforms that shaped the trajectory of European governance for the following centuries.

Compare the economic systems in Japan, China and India

All three countries could be accurately described as "mixed economies", but that's kind of a cop-out because it applies to almost everyone. Even countries with extreme levels of privatization (such as the US) still have a strong government; even countries with extreme levels of nationalization (such as Cuba) usually still have private businesses. There are some very important differences between China, India, and Japan.

All three of these Asian countries have very large populations and very large economies.

Japan has the smallest population, but still by no means small: China has a population of 1.375 billion, India a population of 1.272 billion, and Japan a population of 127 million.

India has the smallest GDP, but again still quite large: The nominal GDP of China is $13.95 trillion, the nominal GDP of Japan is $4.21 trillion and the nominal GDP of India is $2.40 trillion.

The first thing you should be able to see from this comparison is that in per-capita terms, Japan is by far the richest; China is also a good deal richer than India.

During the mid 20th century, Japan underwent extremely rapid growth, rising from a per-capita GDP comparable to India in the 1940s to one comparable to Europe today. China is currently in a similar period of rapid growth, and if they can sustain it they may too attain a First World standard of living as Japan did.

India, on the other hand, has not grown very much at all until quite recently. For most of the 20th century their per-capita income was basically stagnant. Only in the last 10 years or so has India finally begun to see rapid economic growth.

Japan has a stronger free-market orientation than either India or China, but they do have substantial government intervention in their markets, primarily through the form of government-subsidized conglomerates, remnants of the old zaibatsu system that prevailed before the US occupation after WW2. Still, it would be apt to describe Japan as a social democracy or capitalist welfare state, similar to most countries in Europe. While their economic growth has been stagnant recently (much like Europe!), they are a free society with a high standard of living.

China is still in many ways a Communist country, with an authoritarian government that maintains substantial control over society and the economy. Recent reforms have expanded certain freedoms for businesses (likely contributing to their recent economic growth), but the government maintains strict control over social policy and corruption is rampant. Media (including the Internet) is censored, and the population is under nearly constant surveillance.

India sort of has the opposite problem: Their government is clearly much too weak. They have been unable to provide adequate infrastructure to most of the population---most places do not have reliable water or electricity, and a recent attempt to put a toilet in every home (something we in the First World take for granted!) failed quite dismally. Regulatory enforcement is weak, and informal employment ranging from odd jobs and cash businesses at the better end all the way down to illegal drugs and even human trafficking at the worse end are a very large segment of the economy, accounting for as much as 30% of national income. While unemployment is not all that high (not that many people are actively seeking formal employment), employment is quite low, especially for women (people simply don't have jobs and aren't trying to get them). India also has quite high corruption, but instead of being a powerful corrupt elite as it is in China, it's more of a widespread general grey/black market that still provides a large portion of economic services. India's government is actually quite democratic, with a multiparty system that is in some ways more representative of public opinion than that of the United States. But that government is so incompetent and underfunded that they are incapable of properly enforcing regulations and collecting taxes on the scale that India needs. India actually has a lot of very strict regulations that are probably unnecessary or even harmful; but in real terms hardly any of them are reliably enforced, because nothing is. Running a business in full compliance of regulations in India is almost impossible; but instead businesses run outside of compliance and know which officials to bribe.

China looks like they are doing better right now, but honestly I think the long-run outcome in India will probably be better. Their strong democracy will sooner or later let them establish a competent government, and they'll start raising their standard of living as Japan did. China isn't having too much problem with economic growth, but their authoritarian government shows no sign of weakening, and if anything grows more draconian against personal liberty and freedom of expression. India has bad economic policy but a free government, and the latter can eventually fix the former; but China has good economic policy and oppressive government, and there's very little evidence that the former does anything about the latter. China is probably on a trajectory to be more like Saudi Arabia, where a powerful authoritarian government presides over a society at a high standard of living.

I'm looking for a book or long article on zaibatsu before, during and immediately following WW II. I'm trying to understand how they operated at...

Please see the links below for scholarly articles on the history of zaibatsu before, during, and after World War II. Another useful article is "Deciphering Keiretsu: A Study of Japanese Business Network" by Kohei Takahashi and Song Yang at the University of Arkansas (available online). The zaibatsu, as the authors of this article point out, were feudal in nature and used marriages and family relationships to maintain power. They generally created vertical monopolies, which means...

Please see the links below for scholarly articles on the history of zaibatsu before, during, and after World War II. Another useful article is "Deciphering Keiretsu: A Study of Japanese Business Network" by Kohei Takahashi and Song Yang at the University of Arkansas (available online). The zaibatsu, as the authors of this article point out, were feudal in nature and used marriages and family relationships to maintain power. They generally created vertical monopolies, which means they had the ability to control each stage of production in an industrial process, and included a banking unit. The four major zaibatsu were Sumitomo, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, and Yasuda. The Sumitomo and Mitsui started in the Edo (1603-1868). Other new zaibatsu developed after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. At the outbreak of World War II, the four major zaibatsu controlled 50% of the machinery production in Japan and 70% of the stock exchange. 

During World War II, the Japanese army nationalized a great deal of industrial production, and many other companies were destroyed in the war. After the war, the Allies under the General Headquarters (GHQ) decided to dissolve many of the zaibatsu in 1947. The GHQ's Anti-monopoly Law was intended to separate companies from their affiliated zaibatsu. However, this law was terminated when Allied occupation ended in 1952. The zaibatsu were never totally destroyed, as the United States decided they were useful to bolster Japan's industry as a defense against Communism. 

What does Jem think about his pants being left for him at the Radley place?

In Chapter 6, Jem attempts to get a look at Boo by sneaking into the Radley's yard and peeking through their window. Unfortunately, Nathan Radley hears them in his yard, and he comes out with a shotgun. While the children are running out of the yard, Jem gets his pants caught in the Radley fence and is forced to leave them behind. At the beginning of Chapter 7, Jem tells Scout that there is something...

In Chapter 6, Jem attempts to get a look at Boo by sneaking into the Radley's yard and peeking through their window. Unfortunately, Nathan Radley hears them in his yard, and he comes out with a shotgun. While the children are running out of the yard, Jem gets his pants caught in the Radley fence and is forced to leave them behind. At the beginning of Chapter 7, Jem tells Scout that there is something he didn't tell her about that night. Jem explains to Scout that his pants were "sewed up" and folded neatly across the top of the fence. Jem is confused and mentions that someone had to have known he was coming back to get his pants. Jem is perplexed and cannot quite grasp who was responsible for mending and folding his pants. At this point in the novel, Jem is unaware that Boo Radley is a magnanimous individual who took the time to sew his pants.

What products of the Krebs cycle will be used in the next stage of aerobic respiration?

Aerobic respiration has three stages--glycolysis, citric acid cycle (Krebs Cycle) and oxidative phosphorylation.

This process requires an organic molecule like glucose to be used as a fuel or energy reserve to produce ATP, which can be used for cellular work.

In aerobic respiration, oxygen is a reactant which combines with glucose in a catabolic or energy releasing process. The wastes generated at the end of this process are carbon dioxide and water which can be...

Aerobic respiration has three stages--glycolysis, citric acid cycle (Krebs Cycle) and oxidative phosphorylation.

This process requires an organic molecule like glucose to be used as a fuel or energy reserve to produce ATP, which can be used for cellular work.

In aerobic respiration, oxygen is a reactant which combines with glucose in a catabolic or energy releasing process. The wastes generated at the end of this process are carbon dioxide and water which can be released by exhaling.

Glucose and oxygen form carbon dioxide, water, and ATP --usually 32 or 34 molecules.

Glucose is oxidized in a series of steps using different enzymes. As electrons are stripped from the glucose, they are transferred to a coenzyme called NAD+. This is an oxidizing agent. When NAD+ accepts two electrons and a proton, it becomes NADH. NADH has stored energy and it is used to make ATP as these electrons fall down their energy gradient to oxygen, the final electron acceptor.

NADH brings the electrons that came from glucose to the top of the electron transport chain which is high energy and they "fall" to the lower energy end where oxygen captures electrons and H+ to form water (H2O). This is an exergonic reaction.

The path that electrons travel is therefore from glucose to NADH to the electron transport chain to oxygen. 

Glycolysis breaks down glucose into two molecules of pyruvate which occurs in the cytosol. 

Pyruvate enters the mitochondrion and is oxidized to acetyl CoA which enters the citric acid or Krebs Cycle. During the citric acid cycle, NAD+ is reduced to NADH when it accepts two electrons and a H+ ion. This substance transports the electrons  originally from the glucose to the third stage of respiration. Also, some ATP is generated during the Krebs cycle which can be used for cellular work. Yet other energy can be captured as FADH2.

In the electron transport chain, the electrons move from molecule to molecule until they reach the final electron acceptor which is oxygen to form water. Also, ATP is generated by oxidative phosphorylation. The inner membrane of the mitochondria is the site for electron transport and the production of ATP.

How does having a willing suspension of belief help Mrs. Murry in A Wrinkle in Time?

Although Mrs. Murry is a scientist, which means her training tells her to test and prove hypotheses and to be skeptical of anything that can't be verified with sensory evidence, she also tells Meg she has an ability to suspend disbelief. To Mrs. Murry, this means she is able to accept things she doesn't understand. This helps her because she is faced with many fantastic occurrences in the novel, such as the appearance of the...

Although Mrs. Murry is a scientist, which means her training tells her to test and prove hypotheses and to be skeptical of anything that can't be verified with sensory evidence, she also tells Meg she has an ability to suspend disbelief. To Mrs. Murry, this means she is able to accept things she doesn't understand. This helps her because she is faced with many fantastic occurrences in the novel, such as the appearance of the supernatural beings Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who. As Mrs. Murray says, because of her ability to suspend disbelief:

Maybe that's why our visitor [Mrs. Whatsit] last night didn't surprise me.

Mrs. Murry's suspension of disbelief also helps her to accept the reality of the tesseract. It helps her as well to accept that Charles Wallace is different, something "new." She says of Charles Wallace's being special:

I'll just have to accept it without understanding it.

In a novel with a strong Christian message, the fact that a "brilliant" scientist like Mrs. Murry can believe in the supernatural without understanding it means that science and faith can coexist. 

What do Jonas' rules tell him about his assigned job in The Giver?

Jonas’s rules tell him that his job is different from others and will involve secrets.

At the age of twelve, all children in Jonas’s community are given the job they will have for life.  Jonas’s job is an unusual one.  He is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memory.  He has no idea what that means. 

While most of his classmates get thick folders or binders of instructions, Jonas gets one sheet of paper. ...

Jonas’s rules tell him that his job is different from others and will involve secrets.

At the age of twelve, all children in Jonas’s community are given the job they will have for life.  Jonas’s job is an unusual one.  He is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memory.  He has no idea what that means. 

While most of his classmates get thick folders or binders of instructions, Jonas gets one sheet of paper.  On the paper are eight rules.  They baffle Jonas.  He knows that every Twelve will get instructions telling him or her where to go and when, and his do contain that information.  He is to go immediately to the Receiver’s Annex and come immediately home.  He is also not allowed to tell anyone anything.

Do not discuss your training with any other member of the community, including parents and Elders. (Ch. 9)

This tells Jonas that his job is a secret.  He is not even allowed to tell Elders about his training.  Although Jonas does not give too much thought to this yet, it has mind-blowing implications for later.  He is about to learn things about the community that no one else knows.

Jonas notices that his rules will affect his relationships.  He realizes he is not going to be spending much time with his friends other than at school, and won’t have much recreation time.  More interestingly, Jonas has some strange rules that seem to contradict the community’s rules.  The community has prohibitions against lying and against rudeness, but Jonas has rules that tell him he can lie and he can ask anyone any question and they have to answer.

He had never, within his memory, been tempted to lie. .. No one did. Unless ... Now Jonas had a thought that he had never had before. This new thought was frightening. What if others--adult-- had, upon becoming Twelves, received in their instructions the same terrifying sentence? (Ch. 9)

Jonas realizes that he can ask people if they are lying, but he would never know if they were telling the truth.  He is disturbed by this rule in his instructions because it seems to turn everything he knows about his community on its head.  He hasn’t even begun training yet, and he is already questioning things.  The main thing Jonas's rules tell him is that things are not what they seem.

In stanza 11 of "The Raven," why does Poe use the phrase "the dirges of his hope"?

"The dirges of his hope" in this poem means "the sad songs sung to express that hope itself has died" or, more simply, "the sad sounds made by a hopeless man." Let's explore that idea.

Dirges are sad songs sung at funerals or in honor of the dead. They express grief as well as respect for the person who has died.

In "The Raven," after the bird flies into the speaker's apartment and says "Nevermore"...

"The dirges of his hope" in this poem means "the sad songs sung to express that hope itself has died" or, more simply, "the sad sounds made by a hopeless man." Let's explore that idea.

Dirges are sad songs sung at funerals or in honor of the dead. They express grief as well as respect for the person who has died.

In "The Raven," after the bird flies into the speaker's apartment and says "Nevermore" two times, the speaker realizes that "nevermore" is probably the only word the bird knows. Reasoning that the bird was probably owned by someone who was very unhappy and often talked (or sang) about his burdens, the speaker reasons that the bird heard his owner say "nevermore" all the time, so that's the word the bird also began to say. Here's the stanza in which all of that happens:

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of 'Never- nevermore'."

As you can see, the phrase "Till the dirges of his Hope" doesn't make much sense by itself yet, so let's understand it in the context of a bigger phrase:

Disaster Followed...till his songs one burden bore—Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never—nevermore."

The sentence above means "Disaster kept happening to the man until he just expressed his burdens in a song made up of one sad word: 'nevermore.'" Or, more simply, "Bad things happened to the man until all he said all the time was 'Nevermore.'"

So, "the dirges of his hope" means "the funeral songs for his hope" or "the sad songs sung to express a total loss of hope."