In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, what is one quote that Jem says that proves he is protective?

At the beginning of Chapter 4, Scout runs past the Radley's yard, and something catches her eye. Something about one of the two live oak trees at the edge of the Radley's yard attracts her attention. Scout finds some tinfoil sticking out of the knot-hole in one of the trees and reaches in to find two pieces of chewing gum. Scout immediately wants to put the sticks of gum into her mouth but remembers that...

At the beginning of Chapter 4, Scout runs past the Radley's yard, and something catches her eye. Something about one of the two live oak trees at the edge of the Radley's yard attracts her attention. Scout finds some tinfoil sticking out of the knot-hole in one of the trees and reaches in to find two pieces of chewing gum. Scout immediately wants to put the sticks of gum into her mouth but remembers that she is in the Radley's yard. When Scout arrives home, she sniffs and licks the gum then crams it into her mouth. Jem returns home from school and asks Scout where she got the gum. Scout tells Jem that it was sticking out from the tree coming home from school and Jem yells at her to spit it out. Jem stamps his foot and says,

"Don't you know you're not supposed to even touch the trees over there? You'll get killed if you!" (Lee 45).

Jem portrays his overprotective nature by telling Scout to spit the "poisonous" gum out and gargle immediately. Jem is still naive and believes that the Radley trees are dangerous, and he was simply looking out for his younger sister.

What formula do I use when finding the mass and weight of air?

Since air is a gas, its weight will depend upon the volume and pressure in which it is contained.

The simplest approach would be to use the ideal gas law, which relates pressure P and volume V to temperature T and the number of moles of gas n, with a constant of proportionality called R:

P V = n R T

We need some figures for pressure and volume. If we're interested in the density of air at the surface, we can use an arbitrary volume (say 1 cubic meter) and set the pressure equal to atmospheric pressure, which is about 100 kilopascals.

You're given the temperature, but you didn't mention it; so I'm going to solve it for 27 C (80 F) and you can do the same for whatever you actually have.

Remember that T in this equation must be given in kelvin, so 27 C is 300 K. The constant R is 8.3 J/K/mol.

P V = n R T

(10^5 Pa) (1 m) = n (8.3 J/K/mol) (300 K)

This will tell us how many moles we've got in each cubic meter:

n = (10^5)(1)/(8.3)/(300) = 4.00 mol

Then to get mass, we need the molar mass.

Air is a mixture of gases, but the really important ones are 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen and 1% argon. A weighted average of these molar masses will give us the effective molar mass of air.

The molar mass of nitrogen is 14 g/mol, so N2 (nitrogen gas) is 28 g/mol.
The molar mass of oxygen is 16 g/mol, so O2 (oxygen gas) is 32 g/mol.
The molar mass of argon is 40 g/mol, and argon is a monatomic gas.

Weighted average of these is:

(0.78)(28) + (0.21)(32) + (0.01)(40)
21.84 + 6.72 + 0.40 = 28.96 g/mol

Multiply this by the 4.00 mol of gas we have:
(28.96 g/mol)(4.00 mol/m^3) = 116 g/m^3 = 0.116 kg/m^3

That at least is what we get for a temperature of 27 C; if we use a different temperature, the density we get will be different, but the process of calculation will be the same.

One square metre of land that is planted with rice produces about 5200 kJ of energy per year. A chicken farm produces about 800 kJ/m2 of potential...

Let us assume that there are 2000 students in your school. Each student requires 2400 kJ of energy per day. There are 365.24 days in an year. Thus, each student will need 2400 x 365.25 kJ of energy per year. And a student population of 2000 will need:

2400 x 365.24 x 2000 kJ of energy per year

= 1.753 x 10^9 kJ/year

Rice provides us with 5200 kJ/m^2 of land. The total amount of...

Let us assume that there are 2000 students in your school. Each student requires 2400 kJ of energy per day. There are 365.24 days in an year. Thus, each student will need 2400 x 365.25 kJ of energy per year. And a student population of 2000 will need:

2400 x 365.24 x 2000 kJ of energy per year

= 1.753 x 10^9 kJ/year

Rice provides us with 5200 kJ/m^2 of land. The total amount of land required to satisfy the energy demand of the whole school is

= 1.753 x 10^9 / 5200 = 3.37 x 10^5 m^2.

In comparison, chicken provides us with only 800 kJ per m^2 of land. The total land required to support the entire school's population on chicken is

= 1.753 x 10^9 / 800 = 2.19 x 10^6 m^2

Since rice produces 6.5 (= 5200/800) times the energy per m^2 of land, it would require 6.5 times less land compared to chicken.

Hope this helps.

What was the least successful reform movement and why?

It could be argued that temperance, the movement to ban alcohol, was among the least successful American reform movements. The movement started in the U.S. in the early 1800s, part of the outgrowth of the Second Great Awakening, a religious movement that emphasized the importance of spirituality and the doing of good works.

The American Temperance Society was founded in 1826. The cause was largely championed by Protestant white women, who blamed alcohol for what...

It could be argued that temperance, the movement to ban alcohol, was among the least successful American reform movements. The movement started in the U.S. in the early 1800s, part of the outgrowth of the Second Great Awakening, a religious movement that emphasized the importance of spirituality and the doing of good works.

The American Temperance Society was founded in 1826. The cause was largely championed by Protestant white women, who blamed alcohol for what they saw as men's neglect of their families. For example, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed in 1873, led by Frances Willard and others. The temperance movement emphasized an evangelical form of Christianity and also had nativist, or anti-foreign, strains. For example, wine was a feature of religious ceremonies among Catholics and Jews, among other groups, so these groups were often anti-temperance. 

Eventually, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1919 and taking effect in 1920, outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol. However, during the period of Prohibition, the amendment largely resulted in the illegal manufacture of alcohol, the promotion of illegal activity surrounding the production of alcohol, and the loss of income for the federal government. Eventually, it was overturned by the 21st Amendment in 1933. After that time, the cause largely declined, though some religious groups in the U.S. still abstain from drinking alcohol. 

According to Benvolio in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how might Romeo alter his mood? How does Romeo react to Benvolio's suggestion?

This question seems to refer to the conversation between Romeo and Benvolio in the first scene of the play. Romeo is devastated by his unrequited love for Rosaline, who, he says, has not only refused to return his love, but is entirely "foresworn to love." In other words, she swore to "remain chaste" and never to take a lover or marry a man. Romeo is devastated, and describes himself as essentially a dead man due...

This question seems to refer to the conversation between Romeo and Benvolio in the first scene of the play. Romeo is devastated by his unrequited love for Rosaline, who, he says, has not only refused to return his love, but is entirely "foresworn to love." In other words, she swore to "remain chaste" and never to take a lover or marry a man. Romeo is devastated, and describes himself as essentially a dead man due to her decision. Benvolio's advice is to "forget to think of her" and to give "liberty unto thine eyes. . . think of other beauties." He is essentially saying what many people have said to their heartbroken friends: there are plenty of fish in the sea, and Romeo will find another love. He is right, of course, and he is actually instrumental in Romeo's decision to attend the fateful Capulet family masque, where Romeo and Juliet meet. At the time Benvolio gives Romeo this advice, however, Romeo says he will never find another woman as fair as Rosaline, and that to look at other beauties will only cause him to recall her. He cannot, he says, forget Rosaline.

An automobile is traveling west. Can it have a westward velocity and at the same time, an eastward acceleration? If so, under what circumstances?

Velocity is the ratio of displacement to the time taken. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be positive (known as acceleration) or negative (known as deceleration). It is entirely possible for an automobile to have a velocity in the west direction and motion in the west direction, yet (at the same time) an acceleration in the east direction. This is possible when we are decelerating or applying the brakeson the...

Velocity is the ratio of displacement to the time taken. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity and can be positive (known as acceleration) or negative (known as deceleration). It is entirely possible for an automobile to have a velocity in the west direction and motion in the west direction, yet (at the same time) an acceleration in the east direction. This is possible when we are decelerating or applying the brakes on the vehicle. When that happens, the automobile will feel an acceleration in the opposite direction, which is east in this case. Ultimately, the vehicle will come to a stop, but until that instant, it will have velocity and motion in the west direction while the acceleration will be in the east direction.

One can compare this to a ball thrown upwards (away from Earth). The velocity and motion is in the upwards direction (at least for a while), while the acceleration (due to gravity) is working in the opposite direction (towards Earth). Ultimately the ball will stop going up, fall down and come to a rest.

Hope this helps. 

What is the theme or main idea of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain?

The main theme of The Adventures of Tom Sawyeris the joys of childhood when the world is full of wonders and children are free of the heavy responsibilities of adulthood. Mark Twain was writing about his own boyhood, growing up in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri, right on the edge of the great Mississippi River. Tom is a town boy. If he lived on a subsistence farm like the majority of Americans in...

The main theme of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the joys of childhood when the world is full of wonders and children are free of the heavy responsibilities of adulthood. Mark Twain was writing about his own boyhood, growing up in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri, right on the edge of the great Mississippi River. Tom is a town boy. If he lived on a subsistence farm like the majority of Americans in those times, he would not have the freedom he enjoys in this novel. Farm boys were put to work at an early age, and much of their work consisted of plowing behind a horse or mule. They were often called "plow-boys." American literature was full of stories and poetry about boyhood. A good example is "The Barefoot Boy" by the eminent poet John Greenleaf Whittier, which begins:

Blessings on thee, little man,
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan! 

And contains this sentiment:

From my heart I give thee joy,—
I was once a barefoot boy! 

One of the most prominent authors of the time was Booth Tarkington, who wrote two very popular books about boyhood: Penrod, and Penrod and Sam.

The theme of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer might be best expressed by quoting from one of the most popular poems of the time, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality, From Recollections of Early Childhood" by the great English Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

Thou little Child, yet glorious in the might
Of heaven-born freedom on thy being's height,
Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke
The years to bring the inevitable yoke,
Thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife?
Full soon thy Soul shall have her earthly freight,
And custom lie upon thee with a weight
Heavy as frost, and deep almost as life!

This is the spirit and theme of both The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Youth is the best time of life because we are free of responsibilities and cares, and the world seems full of wonders and possibilities. We are immortal because we haven't yet found out we are not. The character Tom Sawyer became so popular that Mark Twain wrote two more novels in which the boy is featured: Tom Sawyer Detective and Tom Sawyer Abroad.

In "A Jury of Her Peers," what are the reasons Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters might feel solidarity with Minnie Wright even though neither of them were...

Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters end up protecting Minnie Wright by hiding the strangled canary, which could be used as key evidence against her in her murder trial. Although Mrs. Peters is the sheriff's wife and "married to the law," she comes to the same conclusion as Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Wright's neighbor. Each woman has her own reason for sympathizing with Mrs. Wright and ultimately acting on her behalf.

Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright many...

Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters end up protecting Minnie Wright by hiding the strangled canary, which could be used as key evidence against her in her murder trial. Although Mrs. Peters is the sheriff's wife and "married to the law," she comes to the same conclusion as Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Wright's neighbor. Each woman has her own reason for sympathizing with Mrs. Wright and ultimately acting on her behalf.

Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright many years previous to the day of the story--when she was Minnie Foster. Mrs. Hale remembers Minnie as being a bright and cheerful woman before her marriage, one who enjoyed singing in the choir. When Mrs. Hale realizes how lonely Mrs. Wright was in her marriage to the taciturn John Wright, and realizes with regret that she never visited Minnie or befriended her, she feels somewhat responsible for what has happened. Putting two and two together, understanding that Mr. Wright must have wrung the bird's neck, it dawns on Mrs. Hale that Mr. Wright "killed" the music and joy in his wife by his harsh and abusive actions.

Mrs. Peters is particularly won over to Minnie's defense when she sees the dead canary. She remembers a time in her childhood when a boy killed tortured a pet cat of hers with a hatchet, and how she would have harmed the boy if she could have. She also remembers how silent her house was after the death of her oldest child and commiserates with Minnie having had to live in the quiet, joyless house, made all the more somber after Mr. Wright killed the singing bird. Thus even though neither woman was a friend of Mrs. Wright's, they feel solidarity with her, either because of regret or empathy. 

Due to osmosis, if there is more salt outside a cell, then the water within the cell will be attracted to that salt and leave the cell to bond...

As you explained in the start of your question, osmosis helps cells maintain an equilibrium with regard to the amount of water inside and outside of the cell. When a concentration gradient of a solute (such as salt) exists on either side of the membrane, water will diffuse to the side with a higher concentration of solute until the concentrations on either side of the membrane are equal. Once the concentrations are equal, water flows back and forth through the membrane at the same rate and the concentrations are maintained. 

Osmosis is vital to the growth and development of cells because it allows the cell to adjust to changes in the environment. Under normal conditions, osmosis allows cells to maintain an equilibrium inside and outside the cell membrane. However, extreme conditions can sometimes cause cell death as a result of osmosis.

For example, when cells are exposed to a solution with a high concentration of solute (these solutions are called hypertonic) water rushes out of the cell towards the higher concentration outside and the cell can dehydrate. This is why we aren't able to drink seawater. The salt concentration in the water actually dehydrates our cells rather than hydrating them.

Conversely, cells exposed to hypotonic solutions (solutions that are more dilute than the internal environment of the cell) take on water so rapidly that they swell and burst.

Different organisms have evolved different ways of dealing with very hypertonic or hypotonic solutions. In animals, the blood works to maintain an isotonic (when the solute concentration is equal inside and outside of cells) environment. In plants, the cell wall limits the amount of water taken in by the cell and prevents bursting.

In plants, osmosis not only helps maintain proper water levels in the cell, but it also allows plants to take up water from the soil into their roots. Through active transport, plants keep a high concentration of solutes in their roots. This gradient causes water to be drawn into the roots, and it can then be transported through the rest of the plant.

What are 3 quotes from To Kill A Mockingbird that prove Atticus is a caring father?

Atticus is the perfect father, not just a caring one. He is always there for his kids when they need him, but he does not let them get away with bad behavior either. He has never hit them as punishment because he's the type of man who would rather use logic and reason to change behavior. For example, after Scout's disastrous first day of school, Atticus listens to her woes. He calmly and carefully says the following:

"First of all. . . if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (30).

He doesn't scold her for almost beating up Walter Cunningham that morning, and he doesn't bring up the past after she embarrassed him at lunch, as well. He takes the teaching opportunity before him and keeps Scout's dignity in tact. 

Another time when Atticus is caring would be after Jem chops off Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes with Scout's baton. Mrs. Dubose called Atticus a bad name and Jem went berserk on her yard. As a result, Atticus does not whip him, but says the following instead:

"Son, I have no doubt that you've been annoyed by your contemporaries about me lawing for ni***rs, as you say but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable. I strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose" (104).

Some might say that this is the wrong way to talk to kids, especially Scout who thinks her father is sending Jem to his death. But again, he doesn't hit Jem. He teaches him how to take responsibility for his actions and then allows him to make things right. 

Finally, Atticus reads to Scout and puts her to bed on the night that Bob Ewell attacks her and Jem. The very end of the book shows Atticus putting a very sleepy Scout to bed, as follows:

"I willed myself to stay awake, but the rain was so soft and the room was so warm and his voice was so deep and his knee was so snug that I slept.

Seconds later, it seemed, his shoes was gently nudging my ribs. He lifted me to my feet and walked me to my room. . . He unhooked my overalls, leaned me against him, and pulled them off. He held me up with one hand and reached for my pajamas with the other. . . He guided me to the bed and sat me down. He lifted my legs and put me under the cover" (280-281).

Atticus can be the greatest example of a gentleman to his kids, teach them how to take responsibility for their actions, as well as think of other people, and then still put a little girl to bed at night. He's a very caring father.

What are some exact quotes showing the use of literary devices in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Literary devices are tools authors use to help them drive home a point or a mental picture for the reader. Figures of speech, such as metaphors, similes, analogies, allusions, symbolism, and imagery are great ways for authors to do this. Below are a few examples found in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

One of the first literary devices used is when Scout calls Boo Radley "a malevolent phantom" in chapter one (8). This is a metaphor that ...

Literary devices are tools authors use to help them drive home a point or a mental picture for the reader. Figures of speech, such as metaphors, similes, analogies, allusions, symbolism, and imagery are great ways for authors to do this. Below are a few examples found in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

One of the first literary devices used is when Scout calls Boo Radley "a malevolent phantom" in chapter one (8). This is a metaphor that alludes to an evil ghost-like figure living in a haunted house. This also creates a creepy atmosphere for the setting. This image of a ghost is revisited two pages later when Jem asks Atticus if Mr. Radley keeps Boo chained to a bed. Atticus responds by saying, "there were other ways of making people into ghosts" (11). This cryptic response keeps the spooky mood moving along as Scout discusses the mysterious Radleys and their house.

Another literary device that is effectively used by author Harper Lee is the analogy. Analogies compare two similar circumstances together to create a deeper meaning. For example, when Scout and Miss Maudie are discussing Atticus in chapter five, Scout says, "Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard" (46). Here, the analogous comparison is between the closed, private doors of a house and an open, public place like a yard. The way Atticus behaves in both helps to explain his honorable character.

Another example literary device usage is in chapter ten during the mad dog scene. Scout mentions that the mockingbirds are silent (94), which suggests they sense danger and don't have a happy song to sing at the moment. Mentioning mockingbirds is symbolic to the story as a whole because of the motif it carries with it. It's also an allusion to danger. Scout describes the danger that surrounds the dog as follows:

"He seemed dedicated to one course and motivated by an invisible force that was inching him toward us. We could see him shiver like a horse shedding flies; his jaw opened and shut; he was alist, but he was being pulled gradually toward us" (95).

The highlighted phrase shows a simile comparing the sick dog's body behaving like that of a horse when its muscles shudder to get flies off it.

One final example of a literary device (although there are many, many more throughout the book), is when Mr. Underwood writes a newspaper article about how Tom Robinson died in chapter 25. Scout summarizes by saying:

"Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children" (241).

Just like Atticus teaches his children not to kill mockingbirds because they are of no harm to anyone, Mr. Underwood carries the motif further and applies it to Tom's death. Not only is a simile used, but the images of Tom Robinson's disability coupled with song birds is symbolic of the major lesson of the story.

What inferences can be made about what killed the dog and what happens to its body in "There Will Come Soft Rains"?

Apparently having been exposed to radiation, the dog suffers from several conditions, but is able to make it to the front door of his home. 

This dog, who was once large and robust, now appears near death as it stands on the front porch of the house, whining, shivering, and "...gone to bone and covered with sores." It has most likely suffered all the symptoms of radiation exposure: severe vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and dizziness. But,...

Apparently having been exposed to radiation, the dog suffers from several conditions, but is able to make it to the front door of his home. 

This dog, who was once large and robust, now appears near death as it stands on the front porch of the house, whining, shivering, and "...gone to bone and covered with sores." It has most likely suffered all the symptoms of radiation exposure: severe vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and dizziness. But, since it is alive and the residents of its home only painted silhouettes on the charred west side of the house, perhaps the dog has been under something when the nuclear explosion occurred.

Once inside, the pitiful dog endures torturous death throes since it must have absorbed a strong dosage of radiation [Absorbed doses of radiation greater than 30 Gy cause neurological damage]. The dog begins to have a seizure, frothing at the mouth and spinning in circles, nipping wildly at its tail until it finally dies. Still, its body lies in the parlor for an hour until the mechanical mice sense decay. Having once sensed this decay, they quickly "hum[med] out as softly as blown gray leaves in an electrical wind." They sweep up the dog and toss it into the incinerator which "glow[ed] suddenly" as "a whirl of sparks" ascend the chimney. Thus, there is no trace of the dog fifteen minutes after the mice dispose of him. It is as though he never existed.

Why might it be good for Australia to become a republic, an independent nation?

I found a few resources for you related to your question.

The first is an opinion piece from Independent Australia. The author argues that an independent republic would serve to complete Australia's journey to independence. As Australia has "gradually moved away from Britain," it has established itself as a unique and self-sustaining nation. However, the current constitution still contains language that discriminates against Aboriginals and implies that privileged British royalty are "above" Australian citizens. Being...

I found a few resources for you related to your question.

The first is an opinion piece from Independent Australia. The author argues that an independent republic would serve to complete Australia's journey to independence. As Australia has "gradually moved away from Britain," it has established itself as a unique and self-sustaining nation. However, the current constitution still contains language that discriminates against Aboriginals and implies that privileged British royalty are "above" Australian citizens. Being an independent republic would allow Australia to recognize its history and heritage, demonstrate equality, and determine decisions for the people by the people. 

The second article details the decisions that led to Scotland's proposal for independence. Although the movement was not ultimately successful, it seems like the quest for independence gave Scotland an autonomous voice that was recognized around the globe. As rational human beings, it seems like we balk at the idea of outside restrictions, and blossom when we challenge those constraints.

Even if Australia does not eventually become a republic, the process of exploring true democratic independence can only serve to raise awareness about hope, freedom, and equal rights for all. 

In "The Vagabond," what does the line "white as the frosty field" mean?

The vagabond referred to in the title of this poem serves also as its speaker.  He is one who desires nothing more than to be a wanderer, living and sleeping outdoors, taking advantage of the freedoms allowed him by the road.  The second and fourth stanzas are the same, ending in these two lines:  “All I seek, the heaven above/And the road below me.”  Life on the road is all the speaker needs, in good...

The vagabond referred to in the title of this poem serves also as its speaker.  He is one who desires nothing more than to be a wanderer, living and sleeping outdoors, taking advantage of the freedoms allowed him by the road.  The second and fourth stanzas are the same, ending in these two lines:  “All I seek, the heaven above/And the road below me.”  Life on the road is all the speaker needs, in good times and in bad.  The line cited in your question falls in the third stanza, and is an image of those bad times.  The vagabond exclaims, “Not to autumn will I yield/Not to winter, even!”  By mentioning “White as meal, the frosty field,” the poet creates an image of winter, a field cold and frozen stiff, turned the color of porridge by the frost.  This image is used in conjunction with others, to the same effect – birds migrating away with the fall season, fingers turning blue with cold – and despite all these discomforts of the harsher season, the vagabond carries on with his wandering.  He refuses to be subdued, to fall prey to the warm comforts of a fire-lit room, but instead continues on in the elements, because it is in his very nature.  “There’s the life for a man like me,” he says at the end of the first verse, “There’s the life forever.”  And forever most certainly includes the freezing fields of winter.

What techniques does Harper Lee use to show racism and loss of innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Racism and racial prejudice are among the most significant themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, but they aren't always obvious. As such, it can be considered a motif, which is its own literary technique. Some characters like the Ewells are overtly racist, but the racism harbored by other characters is much more subtle and Lee uses a variety of techniques to convey their feelings. Aunt Alexandra, for example, uses terms like "those people" or...

Racism and racial prejudice are among the most significant themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, but they aren't always obvious. As such, it can be considered a motif, which is its own literary technique. Some characters like the Ewells are overtly racist, but the racism harbored by other characters is much more subtle and Lee uses a variety of techniques to convey their feelings. Aunt Alexandra, for example, uses terms like "those people" or other coded language to convey her feelings about those she feels are inferior. For instance, when discussing the family lineage with the children, she uses the term "gentle breeding" to imply that their family is superior to other types of people. Moreover, Aunt Alexandra asks a lot of rhetorical questions, particular when speaking with Atticus about Jem and Scout. These help the reader to better-understand her feelings about race and class without her ever having to use racist language.

Regarding Lee's emphasis on innocence, that is often described in metaphor. The title of the book, for example, is a reference to a statement made by Atticus about how it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. The metaphor implies that it is sinful to take away the innocence and purity of something that only wanted to do something kind. This metaphor frequently applies to Scout, who begins the book as the picture of innocence but comes away at the end with a better understand of how people she thought were good could behave so cruelly.

Tom is another character that reflects the metaphoric title of the book. If he hadn't stopped to help Mayella, he wouldn't be on trial. In that way, Tom's desire to do something nice for someone else has ultimately led to his literal and figurative loss of innocence.

Analyze the major similarities and differences in the spread of Christianity and Buddhism between 1000 BCE and 600 CE.

Christianity and Buddhism are each characterized by a central figure whose biography became mythologized into a spiritual quest, personal realization, and cultural movement. In the case of Christianity, Jesus experienced a unique (miraculous) birth, and subsequently as a child showed unique powers and gifts. In the case of Buddhism, Siddhartha was driven at a young age to explore the world outside the gates of his palace; and to make sense of the suffering, anguish, and pain he observed among all human beings. These two faiths share as their origin story the personal spiritual journey of the founding figure.

In addition, both of these traditions came out of a desire to reform the perceived corruption of the tradition into which the central figure was born. Jesus is depicted in the Christian scriptures as a Jewish reformer. Similarly, Siddhartha is depicted in early Buddhist sutras as a devout Brahman who sought to reform the Vedic Hindu tradition.

From 1000 BCE through the beginning of the 1st century CE, many small religious groups had splintered off from Brahmanical Hinduism. Most of the splinter groups were ascetic traveling communities, led by either a yogic guru or sramana (traditional spiritual teacher).The largest splinter community during this period was the Jain community. Ideas such as moksha (release from suffering), nirvana, and karma were common amongst these traditions and the historical Buddha, who studied with many ascetic communities, would have been familiar with these theological concepts. All of these traditions had as their focus point the Vedic Brahmanical tradition, and all were involved in critiquing and attempting to reform this tradition.

One central controversy was the use of animal sacrifice in Vedic ritual.  The historical Buddha claimed that the original Vedas had been altered by corrupt Brahmanical priests who added animal sacrifice to the Vedas later. Therefore the Buddha did not acknowledge animal sacrifice within the Vedas because he believed it to be an inauthentic corruption.  This is one example of the reformist tendency of early Buddhism, in which the Buddha and his followers did not see themselves as founding a different religion. Rather, they saw themselves as engaged in the corrective action of restoring Brahmanical ritual to pure uncorrupted Vedic standards.

Similarly, Christianity grew out of a revisionist strain within Judaism, personified by the figure of Jesus. Early Christians considered themselves to be reviving true Judaic law, and reclaiming Judaism from corrupt political and religious figures who were using the tradition to their own benefit.

Some differences between the two traditions include: the instructions that disciples were given upon the death of the central figure, and the community that formed in the early centuries of the religious movement. In general, the unification of Buddhist communal practices occurred much earlier than the dogma and practices of Christianity. For example, the First Council of the 500 Arhats (buddha’s closest and most highly realized spiritual disciples) occurred just days after the Buddha’s death in 543 BCE. On the other hand, the first Council of Nicaea (which sought to resolve many theological questions such as the Trinity, the Immaculate Conception, and the Resurrection) occurred 300 years after the death of Jesus. These organizational differences continue to have implications for both religious traditions today. At the same time, the strong similarities between the figures of Buddha and Christ continue to stand out to scholars and practitioners alike.

What are the five key factors in selecting a good location for a "brick-and-mortar" retail store? Which of these factors do you believe is most...

There are more than five (depending, in part, on how one categorizes them) factors in determining the optimal location for a “brick-and-mortar” retail store. If one peruses the various small business “how-to” manuals and textbooks that are widely available, including those the links to which are provided below, the list of “five key factors” in choosing a location includes:

• City or county zoning requirements, and the regulatory environment in which a potential location resides;


• Ease of access for clientele or customers;


• Real estate or lease costs;


• Proximity to supply chain; and


• Level of competition

Deciding which among these five—and, again, there are additional factors, such as neighborhood or local demographics that could also be used—is the most important is entirely subjective. Some lists of important factors in determining the location for a retail store include quality of life considerations, for example, distance from the business owner’s home. In short, the “big five” offered above represent, at best, a near-consensus among business analysts. If forced to select only one of these five, however, a good pick could be “city or county zoning requirements, and the regulatory environment in which a potential location resides.” It would be extremely unwise to select a location for a “brick-and-mortar” retail store without first confirming that local zoning requirements are conducive to such an operation. The regulatory requirements for building and operating a business may be sufficiently bureaucratically-unwieldy as to make a potential location unpalatable to the owner. This is what is often known as “business-friendly.” A business-friendly environment is one in which a city or county hopes to entice businesses to open up in a certain location, for example, a dilapidated neighborhood desperately in need of renovation, by creating a regulatory environment that is accepting of certain types of businesses, and retail businesses are highly valued for their “cleanliness” and for the “traffic,” or consumers, they attract.

In the State of Maryland, the City of Silver Spring successfully convinced the headquarters of The Discovery Channel to relocate from nearby Bethesda, which is a much more prosperous community than Silver Spring. By offering both regulatory and fiscal incentives to The Discovery Channel, Silver Spring officials enticed a large employer with a “clean” business (i.e., non-polluting) to open a new headquarters building in the dilapidated downtown section of the city. Once this company agreed to relocate to less-expensive, more business-friendly Silver Spring, a slew of additional, smaller businesses, especially restaurants, followed suit. The result, as intended, was the complete revitalization of downtown Silver Spring, with throngs of consumers and a vastly expanded corporate tax base (Note: an expanded tax base is a larger number of taxpaying businesses, which is different than a higher corporate tax rate, which incentivizes businesses to move to a location with a lower tax rate). More businesses paying a lower tax rate is better than fewer businesses paying a higher rate.

By creating a “business-friendly” environment, one city was able to completely rejuvenate its previously decrepit downtown area. This, admittedly, involved two of the five factors, the other being “real estate or lease costs,” but establishing a regulatory and zoning structure friendly to business was a key part of the equation.

What effect did United States v. Nixon have on students today?

The Supreme Court's unanimous decision in August of 1974 had an immense impact of how students today, as well as citizens in general, view presidential power, how skeptical they are of politicians, and how little they trust those men and women who hold the highest offices of the land. The ruling by the Supreme Court in United States vs. Nixon demonstrated to the country that nobody, not even the President, was above the law, or...

The Supreme Court's unanimous decision in August of 1974 had an immense impact of how students today, as well as citizens in general, view presidential power, how skeptical they are of politicians, and how little they trust those men and women who hold the highest offices of the land. The ruling by the Supreme Court in United States vs. Nixon demonstrated to the country that nobody, not even the President, was above the law, or beyond reach of its power. By forcing Nixon and his administration to release the now infamous secret recordings that he and his aides had made in the White House, the Judicial Branch reasserted its power and laid bare to the nation the criminal misconduct and mendacity of a sitting president. The fact that the court publicly checked presidential power was shocking at the time. 

Many students today take it for granted that corrupt politicians who flagrantly abuse their power for self-advancement will be removed from office and likely prosecuted. That was not the case prior to United States vs. Nixon. At the time, the power of the president, as well as the power of senators and other high office holders like governors, was considered almost absolute, at least while they were in office.

Part of the reason for this sentiment was that generally speaking, before Watergate, most Americans just assumed that their leaders acted in good faith, and that they exercised their powers judiciously. Before Watergate, journalists gave presidents and other men in power tremendous leeway: no major publications published stories about JFK's extra-marital affairs while he was in office, just as no major news outlets reported on the fact that FDR was wheel chair bound when he was in office. Before Watergate, a sort of "gentlemen's agreement" existed between journalists and politicians: people in power were shown great deference. If the president claimed that something was true, it reported as true, unless and until some very compelling evidence to the contrary could be found, and that rarely happened. 

The United States vs. Nixon set both a legal and journalistic precedent that made the Pentagon Papers, and other whistle-blower accounts, like those of Edward Snowden, possible. When the public found out that Nixon and his aides had been lying to the American public and perverting the course of justice, their faith in government disappeared. Consequently, investigative journalists went from being portrayed as mud-slinging nerds to the true heroes of democracy, whose mission it was to expose the power-hungry crooks in government who would otherwise run roughshod over the people they were supposed to protect. Most students today learn that they must question authority, think for themselves and do their own research, particularly when it comes to deciding on how to vote. That way of thinking is diametrically opposed to the old teachings that preceded Watergate and Nixon's resignation, which stressed unquestioning loyalty to the government, as well as a pledge of allegiance. 

What is the genre of "The Fly" by Katherine Mansfield? Do we put short stories in genre-categories?

Certainly, short stories can be categorized into different genres. For example, a story like Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" could be considered Gothic, mystery, and horror. There are primary or major genres such as tragedy, epic, comedy, fiction, and nonfiction. But there are many more sub-genres: science fiction, romance, historical, etc. The short story is generally considered to be a "form" of literature as well as a genre. 

This story, "The Fly," falls under...

Certainly, short stories can be categorized into different genres. For example, a story like Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" could be considered Gothic, mystery, and horror. There are primary or major genres such as tragedy, epic, comedy, fiction, and nonfiction. But there are many more sub-genres: science fiction, romance, historical, etc. The short story is generally considered to be a "form" of literature as well as a genre. 

This story, "The Fly," falls under the broad category of genre fiction. It is also a Realist text (or Realistic fiction) because it presents events in an objective way. Mansfield uses a third person narrator to add to this sense of providing an objective view of things. We get subtle intuitions about what the boss is feeling but most of the information comes from external descriptions of what the boss does and the expressions he has. 

So, this story is under the broad genre of fiction and is characteristic of more specialized subgenres: Realism, Realistic fiction, and the Short Story (also known as a form of literature). 

A genre is characterized by similarity in form, content, and style. This expands to a quite broad definition and that's why there are large genre categories with many more subcategories. So, any short story, novel, play, or poem is usually bound to fall into multiple subcategories (subgenres). 

What country suffered the most during World War I?

Many countries suffered from the ravages of World War I.  There had been millions of casualties, and the war had immediately been followed by the devastating Spanish influenza pandemic.  Between the war and the pandemic it is estimated that over fifty million people died worldwide.  This was at a time when the population of the world was under two million people.

Though many countries suffered, Germany had the most troubles.  Germany lost more than two...

Many countries suffered from the ravages of World War I.  There had been millions of casualties, and the war had immediately been followed by the devastating Spanish influenza pandemic.  Between the war and the pandemic it is estimated that over fifty million people died worldwide.  This was at a time when the population of the world was under two million people.

Though many countries suffered, Germany had the most troubles.  Germany lost more than two million people during the war, which was more than any other country.  The blockade of Germany led to a lack of food during the war years.  Many people became malnourished and some even starved.

War damaged the countryside.  Many towns and villages were fully or partially destroyed by fighting.  Civilians throughout Germany were injured and died.

After the war, Germany fell into economic despair.  Hyperinflation meant that German money was almost worthless.  People could not afford to buy food and fuel.  There was political unrest as a new form of government came into power.  Many Germans felt that they had been cheated during the war, and that they had not really lost.  This led to anger, which fueled radicalism.

This story was published in 1981, when life in America was vastly different than it is today. What are some of the differences between then and...

"Cathedral" is set in time before people had computers in their homes, the internet or cell phone. It's a time when people--or at least the narrator--hold more prejudices about disability and when people smoked cigarettes in the home. The narrator seems to perceive women largely as sex objects.

Some examples of these differences include the following:

Rather than communicate via the internet, Robert, the blind man, and the wife make tapes to stay in touch...

"Cathedral" is set in time before people had computers in their homes, the internet or cell phone. It's a time when people--or at least the narrator--hold more prejudices about disability and when people smoked cigarettes in the home. The narrator seems to perceive women largely as sex objects.

Some examples of these differences include the following:

Rather than communicate via the internet, Robert, the blind man, and the wife make tapes to stay in touch and mail them back and forth. 

The narrator recalls that his wife gets a job through an ad in the newspaper with a phone number to call.

Throughout the whole story, the narrator reveals how uncomfortable he is with disability. As he puts it:

In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeingeye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.

Robert smokes in the house, where there's an ashtray to accommodate him. 

We learn that Robert has color and a black and white television set. Nobody today has a black and white television. Television is the predominate form of media.

The narrator is concerned that Robert could never see what his dead wife looked like or pay her compliment, as if the only important aspect of a woman is her appearance, and the only way to compliment a woman is on her looks, rather than her mind, spirit or personality. He also gets concerned that Robert will see his wife's meaty thigh, then remembers that the man is blind.

While it might be difficult to discern whether the attitudes toward the disabled and  women that the narrator expresses are his own or common in his society, the narrator is completely unself-conscious about holding them, suggesting they were ordinary ideas. 

What did Kit admit to Captain Eaton when they landed at Wethersfield in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

Kit admitted that she had not told her family she was coming.

When Kit’s grandfather died, she had almost no family left.  The only family was an aunt in Wethersfield, Connecticut that she had never met.  Kit was not sure they would take her in, and didn’t know how to ask them, so she decided to just show up.  She figured they couldn’t reject her once she was actually there.

When they arrive at Wethersfield,...

Kit admitted that she had not told her family she was coming.

When Kit’s grandfather died, she had almost no family left.  The only family was an aunt in Wethersfield, Connecticut that she had never met.  Kit was not sure they would take her in, and didn’t know how to ask them, so she decided to just show up.  She figured they couldn’t reject her once she was actually there.

When they arrive at Wethersfield, Kit realizes she has to tell Captain Eaton the truth.  He is confused that Kit’s family did not come to meet her.  She has to explain to him that she was a bit deceitful.

Kit swallowed and gathered her courage. "Captain Eaton," she said boldly, "my uncle and aunt can hardly be blamed for not meeting me. You see- well, to be honest, they do not even know that I am coming." (Ch. 2) 

Kit tries to justify her actions by saying she never actually told Captain Eaton that her family knew she was coming, but only said that they wanted her.  She assumed that her family would want to see her.  They may not realize that she has nowhere else to go, however. 

He scowled with annoyance. "You know very well that I should never have taken you on board had I known this. Now I shall have to take the time to find where your uncle lives and deliver you. But understand, I take no responsibility for your coming." (Ch. 2) 

Kit tells him that she takes full responsibility for her actions.  She is a bold and independent young lady.  She has been through a lot, and is already experiencing culture shock.  The people on the ship did not approve of her jumping into the water to retrieve the doll.  Thus by the time she arrived, she already had developed a bad reputation as being completely different from the stern, pious Wethersfield residents.

What does the phrase "The riven masts had gone by the board" mean?

We encounter this phrase early on in the first chapter. The ship the family is sailing on had been battered by a “raging storm” for seven full days. After a pummeling of such violence, the ship is unsurprisingly the worse for wear, and we see the phrase in question as the damage on the ship is being described. Riven is an adjective that means to be split apart; so the masts of the ship...

We encounter this phrase early on in the first chapter. The ship the family is sailing on had been battered by a “raging storm” for seven full days. After a pummeling of such violence, the ship is unsurprisingly the worse for wear, and we see the phrase in question as the damage on the ship is being described. Riven is an adjective that means to be split apart; so the masts of the ship are split and broken, rendering them utterly useless. The phrase go by the board has become a general idiom in English to mean be abandoned or become lost or wasted; however, its early usage was nautical, meaning to fall overboard—that is, fall beyond the side of the ship, called the board.

So the phrase “the riven masts had gone by the board” means, quite simply, that the masts had broken and fallen overboard. This, when added to the myriad leaks in the ship and the amount of water on board, contributes to a very dire picture indeed for the Robinson family.

Explain the term “concerted cultivation” (104). What does it mean with regard to success and achievement in the book Outliers?

"Concerted cultivation" is a parenting style in which the parents structure their children's time and expose them to different situations, often involving them in clubs and teams. (The other style of parenting is known as "accomplishment of natural growth," which essentially allows children to determine their own entertainments; it is largely a hands-off parenting style.) Gladwell observes that children who are raised with "concerted cultivation" tend to be better prepared for higher learning and better...

"Concerted cultivation" is a parenting style in which the parents structure their children's time and expose them to different situations, often involving them in clubs and teams. (The other style of parenting is known as "accomplishment of natural growth," which essentially allows children to determine their own entertainments; it is largely a hands-off parenting style.) Gladwell observes that children who are raised with "concerted cultivation" tend to be better prepared for higher learning and better white-collar jobs, as they've learned very young how to behave and be comfortable with different groups of people, whereas the "natural growth" children were less prepared. 

Gladwell's thesis is that what we become is largely determined by birth (place and time of birth, socio-economic status, race, etc), the link here is that middle- and upper-class children are likely to be objects of "concerted cultivation" while lower-class children are left to develop on their own, giving the middle- and upper-class children another invisible "edge" on the lower-class children later in life. 

Who was Julius Caesar? |

Julius Caesar was a Roman leader who lived in the first century before the Common Era.  He is most famous for having ended the Roman Republic.  It was he who moved Rome away from a republican system of government and towards an imperial form.  Because a group of Roman Senators disliked the idea that they could lose their republic, they assassinated him on the Ides of March in the year 44 BCE.

Julius Caesar (his...

Julius Caesar was a Roman leader who lived in the first century before the Common Era.  He is most famous for having ended the Roman Republic.  It was he who moved Rome away from a republican system of government and towards an imperial form.  Because a group of Roman Senators disliked the idea that they could lose their republic, they assassinated him on the Ides of March in the year 44 BCE.

Julius Caesar (his full name was Gaius Julius Caesar) was born in July (the month would later be named after him) of the year 100 BCE.  His family was aristocratic, but not wealthy.  At a young age, Caesar entered the military.  He was to spend the rest of his life building power through his political skills and through his military service.  By the time Caesar was in his early 30s, he had been elected to relatively high political office in Rome.  From there, his power continued to grow until he became (when in his early 40s) part of a three-man triumvirate that ruled Rome.  The triumvirate eventually fell apart, leading to war between its members.  Caesar won this civil war in 48 BCE, at which time he was appointed dictator of Rome. 

During his time as dictator (a title which he held almost continuously for the rest of his life), Caesar enacted many reforms that consolidated political power.  He moved Rome towards an imperial system of government, though he was never actually made emperor.  Because of this he was assassinated.  He is remembered as one of the most important figures in Roman history.

Give four examples that prove that John's society was a very superstitious society.

Paragraph one of "By the Waters of Babylon" gives a lot of evidence to support the statement that John's society is a superstitious society.  The paragraph begins by stating that it is "forbidden to go east."  There is no explanation about the rule, but the entire society follows it.  Perhaps that doesn't scream superstition, but because the sentence is immediately followed by talk about the "Dead Places" and the fact that only priests and sons of priests can go there, the paragraph heavily hints at superstitious beliefs in otherworldly powers.  

Also in that paragraph is the information about the "Place of the Gods."  The information tells readers that John's society believes in beings of higher power who must be feared and respected.  That's superstitious.  Add to that the paragraph also specifically mentions spirits and demons that live in the Place of the Gods.  

It is there that spirits live, and demons—it is there that there are the ashes of the Great Burning.

Also, the fact that John's society has priests tells readers that the society is superstitious.  The people need priests in order to intercede on their behalf to the Gods.  

Once John begins his priestly training, he tells the reader that he learned how to do basic first aid techniques; however, the members of his society believe his skills are due to magic, chants, and spells.  It's mystical and superstitious stuff, not science.  

I would say the last major piece of evidence is the importance that John's society places on dreams and the meaning of dreams.  

"My son," he said. "Once I had young dreams. If your dreams do not eat you up, you may be a great priest. If they eat you, you are still my son. Now go on your journey."

The only reason John is allowed to go east is because his father believes that a dream has called him to make a spiritual journey of sorts.  

How was life in the Secret Annex for Anne Frank?

Unsurprisingly, life in the Secret Annex was not much fun. Anne struggled with a lot, not in the least the difficulty of being stuck with a bunch of roommates in a tiny apartment that no one is allowed to leave. Struggles within the Frank family and between the Franks, the van Daans, and Dussel are a daily occurrence in the Annex, creating a lot of emotional tension. 

Additionally, the war creates all sorts of challenges....

Unsurprisingly, life in the Secret Annex was not much fun. Anne struggled with a lot, not in the least the difficulty of being stuck with a bunch of roommates in a tiny apartment that no one is allowed to leave. Struggles within the Frank family and between the Franks, the van Daans, and Dussel are a daily occurrence in the Annex, creating a lot of emotional tension. 

Additionally, the war creates all sorts of challenges. For one, they are all in hiding, and so have to deal with everything from minor everyday inconveniences, like when they can make noise and run water and when they can't, as well as terrifying break-ins and other scares when they fear for their lives.

The usual horrors and shortages of a war are present too. Anne is terrified when the bombs fall at night. Less food and fewer commodities are available as time goes on and the Annex inhabitants often need to just do without. The war takes its toll on Anne and the others mentally as well, making them question humanity. 

Still, Anne grows a lot as a teenager living in the Annex, working hard at her studies and writing every day. Additionally, though such circumstances would be enough to make more teenagers nihilists, Anne retains her belief in God and humanity, remaining certain that people are good at heart and the beautiful of nature is a calming and empowering force.

What, exactly, is the "precious innocence" which is introduced in chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby?

The incident you refer to occurs when Nick and Jay are both at the Buchanans' house at Daisy's invitation. Nick suspects that the couple, who are now involved in a fully-fledged affair, wish to come out publicly with the truth and cause a scene, as he states:

Something was up. And yet I couldn’t believe that they would choose this occasion for a scene ...

Tom Buchanan, who had been on the phone soon after Nick and Jay's arrival, came in briefly and left again. Jordan Baker suggested that he had been speaking to his mistress. Once he was gone, Daisy kissed Jay on the mouth and Jordan called her 'a low, vulgar girl.' Daisy said that she didn't care and sat down on the couch.

At this point, a nurse who had just recently dressed herself came into the room, leading a little girl. Daisy reacted by crying out:

“The bles-sed pre-cious! Did mother get powder on your old yellowy hair? Stand up now, and say—How-de-do.”

Daisy was speaking to her daughter and then introduced the shy child to her guests. Jay was surprised on seeing the child, almost, as Nick suggests, as if her presence finally convinced him that the child actually existed, for he never, apparently, thought of her as real.

Both Daisy and Jay's actions are significant in this excerpt. Daisy has an obviously distant relationship with her daughter. Her response is not convincing and it seems that the child is a mere object to be presented to an audience. Her condescension to her child is bred from her idea of how a mother should be, but comes across as false and forced. Her entire response centers around how she presents her child, as she herself says, when the child tells her that she got dressed before lunch:

“That’s because your mother wanted to show you off.” Her face bent into the single wrinkle of the small, white neck. “You dream, you. You absolute little dream.”

Even the fact that Daisy does not recognize the child's uniqueness and rather sees her as a copy of herself suggests her self-absorption. Once the child has achieved her purpose, she is sent off with the nurse, almost like a precious object which is put back into its wrapping and box after it has been shown off. Even the child's name, 'Pammy,' suggests something to play with.

Jay's surprise at seeing Pammy is an indication of the fantastical nature of his ideal. He wishes to recreate the past, but now has to accept the difficult reality that Daisy has created a life for herself—she is married and is a mother. The past cannot just be revived on a whim.

The incident also foreshadows what is to happen later, when Jay, in his confrontation with Tom Buchanan, will be exposed to an even greater truth.

On what page and chapter is this quote in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting...

This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, but it does not appear in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or any other of Twain's works.

In 1919, nine years after Mark Twain's death, the adage was attributed to Mark Twain by a magazine called "Standard Player Monthly." Before that, other publications attributed the same quote to London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, an ancient Chinese proverb, a Virginian named John Randolph, and even Thomas Jefferson. I...

This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, but it does not appear in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or any other of Twain's works.

In 1919, nine years after Mark Twain's death, the adage was attributed to Mark Twain by a magazine called "Standard Player Monthly." Before that, other publications attributed the same quote to London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, an ancient Chinese proverb, a Virginian named John Randolph, and even Thomas Jefferson. I found this information on a website called "Quote Investigator." 

Mark Twain penned a lot of popular epigrams, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn certainly has lying vs. truth-telling as one of its central themes, but no form of that particular adage is written in the pages of the novel. At the very beginning of the novel, the narrator claims that Twain's previous novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was the truth, stretched in some places: "That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth." This shows the reader that lies vs. the truth will be a main theme of this novel. There are a couple of points in the story where Huck chooses to tell the truth because it would be better and safer than lying, and there are other characters who definitely lie to Huck, producing all kinds of trouble for him, so Huck learns that lying, although easier, is bad and that it's generally better to tell the truth.

Learn more about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  . 

In the book The Outsiders, how do the setting, order of events, point of view, and characters (other than Ponyboy) affect the plot?

A story's plot very basically includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. I have attached a plot diagram to illustrate how these elements go together to make up the plot. In The Outsiders, the exposition is when Ponyboy and Johnny meet Cherry and Marcia at the drive-in. The rising action includes Johnny killing a Soc during a fight, Ponyboy hiding out with Johnny to avoid getting arrested, and then the two boys finding their hide-out on fire and risking their lives to save some children trapped inside. The climax occurs when Ponyboy fights in the rumble against the Socs. In the falling action, Johnny dies, Dally dies, and Ponyboy gets sick and has visits from Randy and Cherry. The resolution is when Ponyboy is acquitted after several Socs testify at his hearing.

Setting is where and when a story takes place. The setting of The Outsiders affects the plot because the story is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965. The real rivalry between greasers and Socs in American cities in the 1960s is pivotal to the plot. Ponyboy and Johnny meet Cherry and Marcia, two Soc girls, at a drive-in. The drive-in is part of the setting; American teenagers often went to the drive-in during the 1960s. Meeting the two Soc girls sets the ball rolling for the subsequent rising action: Cherry's boyfriend Bob and his Soc friends attack Ponyboy and Johnny in a park, and that's when Bob gets killed. Another important fact of life for American teenagers in the 1960s were the rumbles. The rumble in The Outsiders is the climax.

The order of events affects the plot because in a plot, the events in the rising action get more and more intense until the climax, the most intense event, and then the falling action and the resolution consist of events that get less and less intense. You can put the events on a plot diagram like the one attached to see how they rise and fall in intensity.

Point of view refers to how the story is narrated. The Outsiders is told from the point of view of Ponyboy Curtis. It is told in the first person, meaning it is told entirely through Ponyboy's eyes and narrated using the pronouns "I," "we," "me," etc. First-person point of view is limited because the reader is only privy to the narrator's thoughts, feelings, and observations of the events and other characters. Ponyboy is a young teenage greaser, so his point of view is biased towards teenagers and greasers. He learns through the course of events that greasers and Socs aren’t so different. Ponyboy has two conflicts in this story. His external conflict is his fight against the Socs and his desire to escape punishment from killing Bob. His internal conflict is his desire not to be taken away from his family and to be accepted by his older brother, Darry. The resolution of the story resolves both conflicts. 

The other characters are pivotal to the plot. Johnny shows Ponyboy the beauty and poetry in the world. In the rising action, Dally takes the boys to the old church and helps them hide out there, and in the beginning of the falling action Dally dies in an emotional reaction to Johnny's death, which shows Ponyboy that Johnny's beautiful heart was the heart of their gang. During the falling action, Darry and Sodapop teach Ponyboy the value of family and Ponyboy discovers that his older brother loves him. Between the exposition and falling action, Cherry shows Ponyboy that greasers and Socs are not so different because from their two parts of the city, they see the same sunset. So therefore we can see that many plot points were caused by these other characters' decisions.

You can read to get more details on each plot point I have mentioned.

Who is the Maenad chorus in the play Antigone?

The simple answer here is that the chorus in Antigone is not composed of Maenads. To help you as you study Greek tragedy, this answer will unpack your question and address the role of the chorus, the Maenads and where Maenads appear in Greek tragedy, and the chorus in Antigone as separate issues.

Chorus:One element of both classic Greek tragedy and Old Comedy (but not the New Comedy of Menander) is the presence of...

The simple answer here is that the chorus in Antigone is not composed of Maenads. To help you as you study Greek tragedy, this answer will unpack your question and address the role of the chorus, the Maenads and where Maenads appear in Greek tragedy, and the chorus in Antigone as separate issues.

Chorus: One element of both classic Greek tragedy and Old Comedy (but not the New Comedy of Menander) is the presence of a chorus, a group of 12 or 50 male actors (sometimes dressed as women) who sing and dance as a group, and are normally led by a choragos, or chorus leader. 

Maenads: The Maenads (also known as the Bacchae) are female worshipers of the god Dionysus (or Bacchus). They form the chorus of Euripides' play The Bacchae, but do not appear in Antigone. 

Chorus of Antigone: The chorus in Sophocles' Antigone is comprised of the elders of the city of Thebes. They are not Maenads. 

In Chapter 15 of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Atticus say about the Ku Klux Klan?

At the beginning of Chapter 15, Sheriff Tate and several other community members visit Atticus Finch's home to talk about the upcoming Tom Robinson trial, and whether or not the Old Sarum bunch will look for any trouble when they move Tom to Maycomb's jailhouse. Jem, Atticus' son, is impatiently watching their discussion through the living room window. When Atticus comes into the house, Jem asks him if the men standing outside were part of...

At the beginning of Chapter 15, Sheriff Tate and several other community members visit Atticus Finch's home to talk about the upcoming Tom Robinson trial, and whether or not the Old Sarum bunch will look for any trouble when they move Tom to Maycomb's jailhouse. Jem, Atticus' son, is impatiently watching their discussion through the living room window. When Atticus comes into the house, Jem asks him if the men standing outside were part of a gang. Atticus explains to his son that the men he was talking to were their friends and that there are no gangs in Maycomb. Jem says, "Ku Klux got after some Catholics one time" (Lee 196). Atticus tells Jem that he is confusing that with something else, and that way back in 1920 the Ku Klux Klan existed. Atticus says it was more of a political organization than anything else. Atticus tells Jem that they could not find anyone to scare, so they paraded around Mr. Sam Levy's home one night, and Sam made them ashamed when he commented that he sold them the very sheets on their backs. Atticus concludes by telling Jem that the Ku Klux Klan is gone.

How does Mark Twain use dreams in "The Mysterious Stranger"?

Mark Twain's use of dreams in the story "The Mysterious Stranger" is complex and at times delves into somewhat tricky philosophical territory. 

The story, on its very entertaining surface, is about the exploits of the Angel Satan in an unnamed Austrian village during the year 1590.  Explicitly, Satan sows deceit, treachery, and murder in the village--cruelly influencing the suffering of its citizens.  Twain suggests that this is not quite what it seems, however, as the...

Mark Twain's use of dreams in the story "The Mysterious Stranger" is complex and at times delves into somewhat tricky philosophical territory. 

The story, on its very entertaining surface, is about the exploits of the Angel Satan in an unnamed Austrian village during the year 1590.  Explicitly, Satan sows deceit, treachery, and murder in the village--cruelly influencing the suffering of its citizens.  Twain suggests that this is not quite what it seems, however, as the alias Satan uses while interacting with most of the villagers is "Philip Traum." The narrator informs us that "Traum is German for dream."  With metaphorical flair, Twain seems to be implying that Satan is at best a convenient fiction used for justifying the wrongs and suffering we inflict on one another, and that such convenient superstitions are in fact dreams.

In the case of the villagers in Twain's story, this does indeed seem to be the case. Although Satan plants certain seeds and stokes the flames of misery, it is the villagers who must take credit for the atrocities in the village. For example, many accused witches in the village are stoned and burned by the villagers, who fear that if they do not participate in the barbarities, they themselves will be suspected as witches or witch sympathizers.  It is not Satan, but the cowardliness and fear of humanity that contributes to their vile acts.

However, Twain's look at the nature of dreams does not end there.  The final chapter of the story is an explicit philosophical statement about dreams and reality.  Satan reveals to the narrator, Theodore: "There is no other [life]."  He then goes on to expound:

"Strange, indeed, that you should not have suspected that your universe and its contents were only dreams, visions, fiction! Strange, because they are so frankly and hysterically insane—like all dreams: a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body."

Here, again, Twain relates religious myth and superstition with dreams, implying their unreality.

Twain takes this exposition on the nature of dreams and reality even a step further in the final paragraphs of the story, where Satan says:

"It is true, that which I have revealed to you; there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream—a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought—a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!" 

Although many critics have found this sweeping statement to be inconsistent with the demonstrations of the "harsh realities of life" present in the story, it does not seem as inconsistent from a Buddhist point of view, which generally considers all of so-called "reality" a dream, including all the tastes, sights, smells and feelings of pain perceived through the senses.

What is ironic about the violin scene in The Metamorphosis?

There's a lot of irony at work in that scene! It's in the third (final) part of the story. Here's what's going on as Grete plays her violin for the boarders:

1. Although her playing is beautiful and poignant, the three men who are supposed to be fine gentlemen aren't impressed, and they get bored with listening to her. Yet the one who truly appreciates the music, this most human expression of emotion, is Gregor, the bug. It's ironic because the "filthy" creature that frightens and shames the family appreciates the fine beauty of the music, while the men who are treated with utmost respect in the home don't appreciate the music at all:

"It quite clearly appeared as if they were disappointed in their assumption that they were going to hear a beautiful or entertaining violin performance, had had quite enough of the entire presentation, and now allowed themselves to be disturbed only out of politeness. The way that they all blew the smoke of their cigars up in the air out of their noses and mouths especially brought one to the conclusion that they were rather annoyed."

2. Similarly, notice how the narrator emphasizes how physically dirty Gregor has become, and then points out that the living room floor where Grete is playing for her audience is extremely clean:

"He would have had much more reason right now to hide himself, as the dust that lay over the whole of his room and which flew about at the slightest movement now covered him completely as well; he dragged threads, hair, and food scraps with him on his back and sides; he was far too indifferent about everything to lay on his back and rub himself on the carpet as he used to do multiple times during the day. In spite of these circumstances, he had no inhibitions about moving forward a little bit over the immaculate floor of the living room."

This is an ironic difference. The living room is clean, yet it's where something shameful is going on. And Gregor is dirty, yet he's the one feeling an intensely emotional longing for closeness with his sister. The narrator emphasizes this irony by asking:

"Was he an animal, that music would so move him?"

3. It's also ironic that Grete is hanging around at home, playing her violin for people who don't appreciate it, while Gregor is forced to stay hidden from her presence even though he was the one who had been earning money in order to send her to the conservatory to become a professional player. If things had happened normally, Gregor's earnings would have propelled Grete into a career as a violinist, and she would be playing for him and for the public. But her potential as a musician has, like Gregor himself, degraded and morphed into something shameful that must be kept away from the public.

4. Also, the fact that Gregor feels so tender toward his sister as she plays stands in ironic contrast to how she feels toward him: disgusted and ashamed. That he would continue to feel loving toward her while she forgets everything he's done to help the family--and while she goes on to talk about how to get rid of Gregor--is bitterly ironic. 

5. Lastly, it's ironic how the "gentlemen" boarders are entertained and excited by the appearance of Gregor, a giant dirty bug, much more so than the beautiful violin playing they had just witnessed. Grete's playing makes them sit impatiently, looking around and smoking, but Gregor's appearance makes them jump up and pay attention:

"... the tenants were hardly upset and that Gregor entertained them more than the violin performance."

In Hoot, why does Roy attempt to catch a mullet fish at the ending of the book?

The answer to the question of why Roy tries to catch a mullet fish is found in the Epilogue to Carl Hiaasen's novel, Hoot. 

Roy is at Beatrice's soccer game and is remembering his time with Mullet Fingers, also known as Napoleon Bridger Leep. He hasn't seen Mullet Fingers since the groundbreaking ceremony of the Mother Paula's restaurant. Roy goes looking for the mysterious boy, who was nicknamed Mullet Fingers by Beatrice for his ability...

The answer to the question of why Roy tries to catch a mullet fish is found in the Epilogue to Carl Hiaasen's novel, Hoot. 

Roy is at Beatrice's soccer game and is remembering his time with Mullet Fingers, also known as Napoleon Bridger Leep. He hasn't seen Mullet Fingers since the groundbreaking ceremony of the Mother Paula's restaurant. Roy goes looking for the mysterious boy, who was nicknamed Mullet Fingers by Beatrice for his ability to catch mullet fish with his bare hands. On page 291, it says,

For one thrilling moment he actually felt it in his grasp—as cool and slick and magical as mercury. He squeezed his fingers into fists, but the mullet easily jetted free, leaping once before it rejoined the fleeing school. Impossible, he thought, nobody could catch one of those darn things bare-handed, not even Beatrice's step-brother. It must have been a trick, or some clever illusion. 

After his failed attempt, Roy hears laughing in the mangroves. He calls out, asking if it is Mullet Fingers. He never sees the boy but finds a mullet fish in his shoe as he is leaving. He realizes catching a mullet bare-handed isn't impossible, and it wasn't an illusion. He laughs to himself and decides to come back the next day. He says "that's what a real Florida boy would do." In my opinion, Roy's decision to come back is made for two reasons. One, he hopes he will see Napoleon Bridger Leep again if he returns. Secondly, he is acclimating to his new home and desires to become a part of the Florida culture. 

Determine the oxidation numbers of various elements for the following chemicals: (NH4)3PO4 Ba3P2 CO2 NaOH Al2O3 P2O5 Na2O2 FeO Fe2O3

The oxidation number of any element in a given compound can be determined by using some simple rules. For example, the sum of oxidation numbers of all the elements is equal to the charge over a given compound. So it would be 0 for O2 (oxygen gas) and -1 for OH- ion. Similarly, some elements always have the same oxidation number, for example hydrogen has an oxidation number of +1 (except for H2 gas) and...

The oxidation number of any element in a given compound can be determined by using some simple rules. For example, the sum of oxidation numbers of all the elements is equal to the charge over a given compound. So it would be 0 for O2 (oxygen gas) and -1 for OH- ion. Similarly, some elements always have the same oxidation number, for example hydrogen has an oxidation number of +1 (except for H2 gas) and oxygen has an oxidation number of -2 (except for O2 gas), etc.

Let us look at couple of the compounds mentioned in the question.

NaOH: 

oxidation number of Na + oxidation number of oxygen + oxidation number of hydrogen = 0 

which means, oxidation number of Na + (-2) + (+1) = 0

or, oxidation number of Na = -1 +2 = +1

P2O5: 

2x oxidation number of P + 5x oxidation number of oxygen = 0

or, 2 x oxidation number of P + 5 x (-2) = 0

or, oxidation number of P = (5 x 2)/2 = +5.

You can determine the oxidation numbers of different elements for the other cases in the same way.

Hope this helps. 

Over what period of time does Macbeth take place?

The exact length of time spanned by the events of Macbethis unclear and is open to the interpretation of readers, audiences, directors, and actors. The 11th century Scottish king Mac Bethad, the nominal inspiration for Shakespeare's Macbeth, reigned for almost exactly 17 years following the death of his cousin and predecessor Duncan. But Shakespeare's play diverges from the historical chronicles in many major respects. The historical Duncan, for instance, was killed in battle against...

The exact length of time spanned by the events of Macbeth is unclear and is open to the interpretation of readers, audiences, directors, and actors. The 11th century Scottish king Mac Bethad, the nominal inspiration for Shakespeare's Macbeth, reigned for almost exactly 17 years following the death of his cousin and predecessor Duncan. But Shakespeare's play diverges from the historical chronicles in many major respects. The historical Duncan, for instance, was killed in battle against Macbeth's forces, not murdered in his bedchamber, and it seems clear that the events of Macbeth are meant to cover a much, much shorter duration than 17 years.

What we know for certain is that Macbeth reigns long enough for Malcolm and later Macduff to flee from Scotland to England and then return to Scotland accompanied by the English forces, and for Macbeth himself to perpetrate a considerable amount of harm and violence; he is referred to many times in the latter part of the play as a "tyrant," and in Act IV Scene 3, Malcolm laments "I think our country sinks beneath the  yoke; / It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash / Is added to her wounds." The play is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, and a guiding principle of its construction is one of terrifying economy and velocity, collapsing the thought and the action, the event and the consequence, into one. The Hungarian film director Bela Tarr conveyed this sense of nightmarish compression by staging almost the entirety of his TV production of the play in a single, highly mobile take, telescoping intervals in the story through cleverly executed in-camera time jumps. I'm linking to a detailed analysis of the play's temporal cues, which estimates the maximum duration of its narrative at several weeks. But it's important to remember that Shakespeare was notoriously free and haphazard about matters of chronology and narrative precision, and the textual clues of Macbeth offer at times contradictory indications about the time scheme of the play. The literal "in-world" duration of the action is of secondary importance to the creeping, dreamlike atmosphere of unreality, of time rapidly running out and the walls of the world closing in, created in the minds of both characters and spectators.

What is the theme of Crispin?

Avi's novel Crispin: The Cross of Lead contains multiple themes blended into one narrative. Perhaps the overarching theme is coming of age; a theme which deals with growing into one's own identity and the responsibilities of becoming a mature person. For the first time in his life, Crispin has his own identity and must make decisions for himself. Though at first he is very unsure of himself, by the end of the book he transforms...

Avi's novel Crispin: The Cross of Lead contains multiple themes blended into one narrative. Perhaps the overarching theme is coming of age; a theme which deals with growing into one's own identity and the responsibilities of becoming a mature person. For the first time in his life, Crispin has his own identity and must make decisions for himself. Though at first he is very unsure of himself, by the end of the book he transforms into an assertive young man.

The conflict of the story falls under the category of "man vs society," and the fact that Crispin is on the run for most of the book really emphasizes this. Crispin unknowingly (until the end of the book) challenges the social structure of a feudal Medieval village. To try to maintain the established order, Steward Aycliffe declares Crispin a Wolf's Head. In the end, Crispin has the opportunity to change the social order and inherit his father's title, making a peasant boy the Lord of the Manor. He instead chooses to free his friend Bear and continue the happy life they have had together.

Another theme could be described as something akin to perseverance, retribution, or revenge. All of his life, Crispin and his fellow villagers have been bullied and abused by the corrupt Steward Aycliffe. As peasants, they have no agency to speak out or act against him. Crispin keeps his head down and tries to stay out of Aycliffe's way until the life of his friend is at stake. Even in confronting Aycliffe, Crispin does not wish to harm him or punish him for the mistreatment he has dealt out. When Aycliffe tries to attack Crispin and Bear on their way out of Great Wexley, Aycliffe is impaled upon the stake of one of his own guards. Aycliffe's untimely death means he will never reap the rewards of power he was so trying to keep out of Crispin's hands.

While Du Bois's "color line" has arguably been a social, economic, and political reality for the past several centuries, to what degree does it...

DuBois was interested in progress and progress has certainly been made since the publication of The Souls of Black Folk in 1903. Voting rights and equality of citizenship have been more fully and indiscriminately extended to ethnic groups of all stripes and opportunities for quality education, health care and employment have all risen for minority groups in the United States.

The notion of "double consciousness" that DuBois articulated seems to be less distressing today than in was a few decades ago as popular culture moves into modes of increasing diversity and better representations of the American diaspora, so to speak. (Although, the #Oscarsowhite Academy Awards issues of 2016 suggest that there is still progress to be made in this area too.) The idea of "being Black in public" is not as fraught or freighted as it was during the 1930s to the 1960s, as depicted in works like The Help and To Kill a Mockingbird. 

There has been progress, yet we continue to see discrepancies between ethnic groups that echo Dubois’ proclamation that the “duty and the deed” set before contemporary America is “the problem of the color line.”

U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Blacks, Native Americans and Hispanic or Latino Americans each show poverty rates at above 20%. Each of these groups shows a rate of poverty that is roughly double that of White Americans.

As this post is being written, an presidential election is underway and voting rights have come again into question as certain states have asserted state’s rights to govern their own voter restrictions in ways that are seen by some as, in effect, disenfranchising voters that will be disproportionately associated with particular (minority) ethnicities. This creates a scenario wherein American society is again debating the amount of progress that has been made and may still need to be made in regards to equality of rights (and access to government, civic institutions, etc.).

In light of numerous headlines in the last decade depicting law enforcement violence against Black males and females, conversations have also turned to question of equal protection under the law.

With a question being posed here as to the relevance of the “color line” notion as a problematic factor in social, economic and political American life, these examples seem to strongly suggest that this notion remains relevant.

The critic DuBois presents in The Souls of Black Folks is importantly subordinated to an articulation of goals and aspirations. He paints a picture of successful American life where the color line has been erased. It has not yet been erased, and so his work remains apropos of the contemporary moment. But the ideals expressed in his work are therefore also still relevant and compelling goals.

“Work, culture, liberty -- these we need, not singly but together, not successively but together, each growing and aiding each, and all striving toward that vaster ideal […] the ideal of human brotherhood” (7).

While the reality of the notion in question here has certainly shifted, we might say as a final work that the idea of ethnic difference and problems of race-oriented inequalities has not disappeared. 

In Paradise Lost, why does God allow Satan to leave hell?

Milton first offers a partial explanation, saying that hell isn't powerful enough to hold Satan: 

No bounds / prescribed, No bars of hell nor all the chains / Heaped on him there . . . can hold [him] . . .

This, however, is more Satan's perspective than God's, a description of his will to ultimate power, his pride and overestimation of himself, and his complete unwllingness to bow to any other force than himself.

...

Milton first offers a partial explanation, saying that hell isn't powerful enough to hold Satan: 

No bounds / prescribed, No bars of hell nor all the chains / Heaped on him there . . . can hold [him] . . .

This, however, is more Satan's perspective than God's, a description of his will to ultimate power, his pride and overestimation of himself, and his complete unwllingness to bow to any other force than himself.

We knows this because Milton then fleshes out this earlier explanation to show that it is God's will, not Satan's, that Satan roam the earth. Milton says it is with God's permission that Satan is set free. God sets Satan free for two reasons: first, because by trying to do evil, Satan will make himself more and more deserving of eternal punishment: he will "heap on himself damnation." Second, it will enrage Satan that his attempts at evil will be met with and overpowered by the Son of God, Jesus, who will "bring forth / Infinite goodness, grace and mercy." (This passage doesn't name Jesus, but that is what Milton means by "infinite goodness, grace and mercy.") People will turn from Satan towards the good and Satan will essentially implode with overwhelming rage because he will see that he is ineffective. Satan can't bear the thought of being powerless. But like it or not, instead of hurting others, the "confusion, wrath and vengeance" he tries to sow among humans will boomerang back to him. 

The passage explaining this is below:

So stretched out huge in length the Arch-Fiend lay,

Chained on the burning lake; nor ever thence
Had risen, or heaved his head, but that the will
And high permission of all-ruling Heaven
Left him at large to his own dark designs,
That with reiterated crimes he might
Heap on himself damnation, while he sought
Evil to others, and enraged might see
How all his malice served but to bring forth
Infinite goodness, grace, and mercy, shewn
On Man by him seduced, but on himself
Treble confusion, wrath, and vengeance poured.

How did Stalin work with Roosevelt and Churchill to achieve his goals?

Many of the major decisions that Soviet Premier Josef Stalin came to with U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill occurred at the Yalta Conference.

When the three country leaders met at Yalta, the countries already felt certain that they would defeat the Nazi influence in Europe. However, Churchill and Roosevelt recognized that getting the Soviet Union involved in the fight in the Pacific could be advantageous in helping them attain victory...

Many of the major decisions that Soviet Premier Josef Stalin came to with U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill occurred at the Yalta Conference.

When the three country leaders met at Yalta, the countries already felt certain that they would defeat the Nazi influence in Europe. However, Churchill and Roosevelt recognized that getting the Soviet Union involved in the fight in the Pacific could be advantageous in helping them attain victory there as well.

Though Stalin agreed to send Russian troops to assist in the Pacific to fight against Japan, he had the upper hand in negotiations, as the Soviet Union didn't necessarily need to fight in the Pacific.

Upon agreeing to join with U.S. and British forces at the Yalta Conference, Stalin negotiated his country's participation and influence for the time when Japan would surrender. The Soviet Union was able to gain influence in the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. Perhaps more importantly, the Soviet Union would gain a share in operating the Manchurian railroads.

Stalin also negotiated with Churchill and Roosevelt how the countries would relate with European countries after the countries were liberated from the Nazi regime. Stalin negotiated the inclusion of communists in post-war Poland government posts. During negotiations, Stalin also got Churchill and Roosevelt to agree that countries bordering the Soviet Union should be friendly to the Soviet regime.

What is the purpose of the narrator's disclaimers in Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

The narrator of "The Devil and Tom Walker" sometimes reports events by starting with "It is said that..." instead of just stating straightforwardly that the event definitely happened. Even more oddly, the narrator makes quite a few statements that seem like disclaimers as he reports the story.

For example, as Tom meets the devil for the first time in the woods, we're told how their conversation went, and then the narrator adds: "Such was the...

The narrator of "The Devil and Tom Walker" sometimes reports events by starting with "It is said that..." instead of just stating straightforwardly that the event definitely happened. Even more oddly, the narrator makes quite a few statements that seem like disclaimers as he reports the story.

For example, as Tom meets the devil for the first time in the woods, we're told how their conversation went, and then the narrator adds: "Such was the opening of this interview, according to the old story; though it has almost too familiar an air to be credited." He's basically saying, "Well, that's how they met and that's what they talked about, but maybe you won't believe it, since it seems like any old story you've heard before."

Shortly after that, instead of just telling us what happened to Tom's wife, the narrator says this: "What was her real fate nobody knows, in consequence of so many pretending to know. It is one of those facts which have become confounded by a variety of historians."

So, what is the purpose of these disclaimers?

They're meant to establish a feeling of realism and authenticity. Irving wants us to get lost in the story and to feel that it's really true, which ups the spookiness and suspense. Think of how your heart pounds as you watch an upsetting news story compared to how you'd feel about reading a fictional tale about the same event. That's what Irving is going for.

By telling us, in essence, "Well, I don't know what happened exactly right then," and "People disagree about this point" and so on, the narrator comes across like a dutiful historian who reveals the inevitable gaps in his knowledge of the events and therefore, surprisingly, makes the whole account sound more realistic.