Analyze the character of Macbeth.

Macbeth is a very complex character. His transformation from a courageous and devoted subject to a manipulative and cold-blooded tyrant deserves some attention.

At he beginning of the play, Macbeth is praised and admired for his bravery, loyalty and attachment to his king. It is implied that everyone looks up to him and values him as a person. However, as soon as Macbeth's secret ambition of becoming the king is awakened, we sense that he...

Macbeth is a very complex character. His transformation from a courageous and devoted subject to a manipulative and cold-blooded tyrant deserves some attention.

At he beginning of the play, Macbeth is praised and admired for his bravery, loyalty and attachment to his king. It is implied that everyone looks up to him and values him as a person. However, as soon as Macbeth's secret ambition of becoming the king is awakened, we sense that he has many facets to his personality, many of which are negative. He lets his "black and deep desires" take over, succumbing to the power of his unrestrained ambition. His thirst for power and supremacy proves to be too hard to be suppressed:

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.

Once he kills king Duncan for the sake of becoming the king and many others who he felt threatened by, Macbeth becomes a cold-blooded murderer, devoid of scruples and benevolence. However, it would be wrong to characterize him as a completely unlikable character. This is because, in his soliloquies, he tells us about his fears, doubts and disenchantment with the world. We realize that no matter how evil he seems to be, he is still human on the inside. No act of atrocity on his part can change the fact that he is still a human being who made some terrible choices in his life and who we, at least once in the play, felt sympathy for. His actions cannot evoke mercy because they are unpardonable, but readers are allowed to feel sorry for him because he could have been a great leader had he not surrendered to his evil intentions.

A spring mass oscillator consists of a spring of constant 2500 N/m and a mass 1 kg. The amplitude of the oscillator's motion is 0.17 meters. What...

A spring-mass oscillator will undergo simple harmonic motion (SHM). Such motion can be explained by the following equations:

`x = Acos(omegat + phi)`

`v = -omega A sin(omegat+phi)`

where, x (displacement from the equilibrium position) = 0.136 m, 

A (amplitude) = 0.17 m

and, `omega = sqrt(k/m) = sqrt(2500/1) = 50 (rad)/s`

substituting the values of various parameters in the equation of displacement, we get:

`0.136 = 0.17 cos(omegat + phi)`

solving this equation, we get, `omegat + phi = 0.644 radians`

or, `omegat + phi = 5.64 radians`

substituting this value in the equation of velocity, we get:

`v = -50 xx 0.17 sin(0.644)`

solving this equation, we get, v = - 5.1 m/s.

Another solution for velocity, v = `-50 xx 0.17 sin(5.64)`

or, v = 5.1 m/s.

Speed  = magnitude of velocity = 5.1 m/s

Thus, the mass of 1 kg is moving at a speed of 5.1 m/s when it is at a distance of 0.136 m from the equilibrium position. Note that mass can have a velocity of either 5.1 m/s or -5.1 m/s at the given displacement, depending on the direction of motion (towards or away from the equilibrium). However, speed is only a scalar quantity and does not have a direction. Hence the speed of the mass at that particular displacement (x = 0.136 m) is 5.1 m/s.

Hope this helps. 

How is Sal's story different from Phoebe's story in Walk Two Moons?

We know from the beginning of the book that Sal’s mother left their home in Bybanks, Kentucky, and has not come back. As we keep reading, we learn bits and pieces of the back story. It seems as though Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Sal’s mother, lost a baby in childbirth and could not have any more. She needed some time away to recuperate from the loss and do some thinking. She made arrangements to travel by...

We know from the beginning of the book that Sal’s mother left their home in Bybanks, Kentucky, and has not come back. As we keep reading, we learn bits and pieces of the back story. It seems as though Chanhassen “Sugar” Hiddle, Sal’s mother, lost a baby in childbirth and could not have any more. She needed some time away to recuperate from the loss and do some thinking. She made arrangements to travel by bus to visit a cousin out in Idaho. For the majority of the book, readers are not quite sure why she hasn’t come back. Is she chronically ill, either physically or mentally? Is she dead?

Phoebe’s mother also leaves the family for a time. Sal sensed the woman’s unhappiness and discomfort even before she left, before she left notes for Phoebe, Prudence, and their father. In this case, it turns out that Norma Winterbottom has been reunited with a son that she gave up for adoption long ago, before she met her husband. His name is Mike, and he’s a college student. She brings him along when she returns home. Now the Winterbottoms will have to figure out how they feel about this new development. Both stories are about how mothers deal with children that they’ve lost: in different ways, and with different endings.

Compare and contrast the way the female characters are presented in Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings" and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The...

Both Chopin and Gilman present their female protagonists as victims of a male-dominated, patriarchal society that severely curtails women's freedom and limits women to traditional gender roles. These stories were written during the late 19th century, a time when female writers like Chopin and Gilman were tapping into an emerging feminist consciousness among women in the U.S. At this time, women were getting fed up with having no identity outside of marriage and motherhood and...

Both Chopin and Gilman present their female protagonists as victims of a male-dominated, patriarchal society that severely curtails women's freedom and limits women to traditional gender roles. These stories were written during the late 19th century, a time when female writers like Chopin and Gilman were tapping into an emerging feminist consciousness among women in the U.S. At this time, women were getting fed up with having no identity outside of marriage and motherhood and were frustrated by their lack of a political voice. Chopin's and Gilman's female protagonists struggle to assert their independence and dictate the course of their own lives within this patriarchal social structure.

Depending on the reader's interpretation of both stories, the female protagonist (and narrator) of "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Mrs. Sommers in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" are either successful or fail disastrously at gaining independence from the societal contraints placed on them. For example, the narrator's descent into insanity in "The Yellow Wallpaper" can be interpreted as a woman finally being defeated by her doctor husband's mental and physical oppression of her. On the other hand, the narrator's madness can be interpreted as a triumph over her husband's control, as the narrator's mental break allows her to gain insight about her oppression. Further still, the narrator's husband collapses upon witnessing his wife's insanity at the end of the story. In this moment, Gilman shows the shortcomings of patriarchal society, as the doctor husband's supposedly superior knowledge and prescribed "rest cure" have failed his wife.

Similarly, Mrs. Sommers in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" can be viewed as triumphant, as she finally decides to buy things for herself rather than constantly sacrificing her own needs to those of her children. At the beginning of the story, the third-person limited narrator relays to the reader that the widowed Mrs. Sommers has spent so much time pinching pennies to benefit her children while completely ignoring herself, which a respectable woman was expected to do at that time. By indulging her own desires, if even for a day, Mrs. Sommers resists the constraints society has placed on her. However, Chopin also critiques Mrs. Sommers's self-indulgence and her wild impracticality with the little bit of extra money she has managed to save. Chopin implies that Mrs. Sommers's self-indulgence is ultimately not the right solution to patriarchal oppression; rather, Chopin suggests that the answer is finding a balance between being a giving, caring mother and carving out an identity as a woman with desires beyond motherhood.

Was the Progressive movement a success?

The Progressive Movement was very diverse, sometimes pulling in opposite directions. I would argue, however, that it was largely successful. Progressives did not completely remake the social order, but that was never their goal. Many reforms promoted by Progressives were established, and indeed are still around today. Public education in the South, for example, was a reform promoted by many Progressives. Progressives successfully pushed for child labor and workplace safety laws that are still with...

The Progressive Movement was very diverse, sometimes pulling in opposite directions. I would argue, however, that it was largely successful. Progressives did not completely remake the social order, but that was never their goal. Many reforms promoted by Progressives were established, and indeed are still around today. Public education in the South, for example, was a reform promoted by many Progressives. Progressives successfully pushed for child labor and workplace safety laws that are still with us in expanded form today. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments, which established direct election of senators and a federal income tax respectively, are also still with us. And of course, the Nineteenth Amendment, a progressive reform, doubled the size of the electorate by granting the right to vote to women. The settlement house movement, a cornerstone of Progressivism in the urban north, helped give rise to the modern field of social work, and Progressives secured legislation that forced food and drug manufacturers to disclose their ingredients.

There were many failures to Progressivism. Prohibition, established by the Eighteenth Amendment, was a catastrophic failure, and the consolidation of big businesses continued in the twentieth century. Many southern Progressives supported segregation, and many Northerners supported discriminatory measures against immigrants as well as the emerging eugenics movement. Many Progressives were also remorseless imperialists. But overall, the Progressive movement led to great, and I would argue, positive, change in American life. It was therefore a success.  

In John Steinbeck's The Pearl, what does the description of the stout pearl-buyer's trick with the coin suggest about his motives and personality?

The pearl buyer’s trick of rolling the coin through his fingers is symbolic of his “trickery” with money. Kino is aware that the pearl buyers are in league with each other, but he decides to give them a try; perhaps they will unexpectedly give him a fair price. But the buyers have already heard about Kino’s find of the magnificent pearl and have come up with a plan. One buyer will give him one price,...

The pearl buyer’s trick of rolling the coin through his fingers is symbolic of his “trickery” with money. Kino is aware that the pearl buyers are in league with each other, but he decides to give them a try; perhaps they will unexpectedly give him a fair price. But the buyers have already heard about Kino’s find of the magnificent pearl and have come up with a plan. One buyer will give him one price, stating that it is too big to be easily sold. It would take someone with more money than anyone around the area has, so the buyer declares that it will be difficult to sell. When Kino asks another buyer, he learns that this buyer agrees with the first assessment and finds additional flaws, offering an even lower price. In reality, the buyers are manipulating Kino into accepting a lower price, while they plan to take the pearl to the city and make a handsome profit. This manipulation of the poor people who come to sell their finds is the same way that the buyer plays his tricks with the coin.

Does "The Eagle" reflect the characteristics that a good leader should possess?

This poem has never struck me as addressing the qualities of a good leader; rather, it seems to outline the qualities of a rather bad leader, one who is more concerned with retaining his power and authority than caring for and helping to raise his people up.  The fact that the eagle is "Close to the sun in lonely lands," seems to show that he, alone (or the supreme leader he represents), has power and...

This poem has never struck me as addressing the qualities of a good leader; rather, it seems to outline the qualities of a rather bad leader, one who is more concerned with retaining his power and authority than caring for and helping to raise his people up.  The fact that the eagle is "Close to the sun in lonely lands," seems to show that he, alone (or the supreme leader he represents), has power and authority, and it seems to be his prerogative to keep it this way.  He is "lonely" because he has isolated himself from his subjects who, if represented by the sea that "crawls" beneath him, are completely powerless while he retains all authority over them.  Generally, a good ruler wants to know his subjects in order to learn how best to serve them, but this is not a leader who is interested in serving anyone or anything but himself.  

In watching from his "mountain walls," we see just how much power he has versus how low his subjects are: again, depriving one's subjects of basic freedoms or dignity does not generally make for a respected and beloved leader.  Finally, if he does need to come down from his mountain walls for any reason, he does so like a "thunderbolt," violently and destructively.  I certainly wouldn't want to be ruled by a leader who cares so little about me, who keeps me purposely without power or control over my own life, or who would punish me severely without understanding my position in some matter.

Why is sexual reproduction better than asexual?

Sexual reproduction provides for variety and new combinations of genes. Especially if the environment is changing, this is an advantage for the organism.

Sexual reproduction means that genetic material from two parents is combined so that the offspring are usually different from either parent. Just by chance, sometimes these new combinations of genes will be beneficial, and sometimes not. When the environment is changing, there is a chance that the new combinations will allow the...

Sexual reproduction provides for variety and new combinations of genes. Especially if the environment is changing, this is an advantage for the organism.

Sexual reproduction means that genetic material from two parents is combined so that the offspring are usually different from either parent. Just by chance, sometimes these new combinations of genes will be beneficial, and sometimes not. When the environment is changing, there is a chance that the new combinations will allow the offspring to survive better than either parent.

Asexual reproduction is when identical cells to the parent are produced. If the organism is already well-adapted to an unchanging environment this is a good reproductive strategy. For example, bacteria can produce more identical bacteria and continue to thrive when conditions are favorable. Plants can produce shoots that are identical to the main part of the plant, and they do so when the environment is favorable. But at the end of a growing season when conditions are changing, they may reproduce sexually by producing seeds--combining genes from two different plants, which may produce offspring that are better adapted to the changing environment.

How has Tom Robinson taught Scout life lessons in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Tom has taught Scout that the citizens of Maycomb may not really be the "best folks in the world" after all.

What has happened to poor Tom Robinson in the Maycomb county courtroom causes Scout to realize that good does not always conquer evil; further, Tom's cruel treatment by Mr. Gilmer and the jury has also taught Scout about the racial bias that exists in her environment. Indeed, Tom has taught Scout that one may be in the right, but still may be found guilty by those in power in order to satisfy their own desires.

From her witnessing of the proceedings of the trial of Tom Robinson, Scout begins to know the adult world of Maycomb as she becomes aware that there are things about her environment which differ greatly from her earlier perceptions. For instance, from listening to some of her father's cases, she is shocked that Mayella and even her dissolute father would lie under oath, yet they are somehow afforded some credibility by the jury. In addition, the gratuitous cruelty of the Ewells toward the man who was so kind to Mayella shocks her. Yet, somehow, the Ewells are also afforded more credibility than Tom is when he testifies honestly.
Thus, the most defining lesson for Scout is the mounting proof of racial bias toward the one-armed Tom who could not possibly have beaten Mayella as charged, while a reprobate like Ewell is allowed his lie. Further, when Tom is put on the stand, he ingenuously states that he felt sorry for Mayella, who has no one to aid her at her house, and helped her by breaking up a chiffarobe. Hearing this, Mr. Gilmer counters with vitriolic innuendos about Tom's expression of pity:

"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.

For Tom, a "colored man," to feel sorry for a white woman is an egregious social mistake because this action implies that he feels himself superior to her. 

...nobody liked Tom Robinson's answer. Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it sink in.

Finally, Scout learns the deeper meaning of her father's words about it being a sin to kill a mockingbird. That is, the innocent Tom is shot trying to escape from prison after his conviction that comes as a result of a trial that has been nothing less than a travesty of justice. For, while in the courtroom, Tom has learned that he has been convicted before the start of the proceedings in the "secret courts of men's hearts." Therefore, after his conviction, he despairs of any hope for winning an appeal, and out of desperation, he tries to escape and is killed, having been shot an excessive seventeen times. 

Who is the personification of evil in The Scarlet Letter?

Both Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have committed a sin, probably prompted by a moment of love, lust, and loneliness, but thereafter, each of them goes forward in a way that consists only of goodness, both of them, in their own ways, ministering to the community.  It is Roger Chillingworth who is the personification of evil in this tale.  Chillingworth has a cold mind, but his soul burns bright with his quest for vengeance.  Posing...

Both Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have committed a sin, probably prompted by a moment of love, lust, and loneliness, but thereafter, each of them goes forward in a way that consists only of goodness, both of them, in their own ways, ministering to the community.  It is Roger Chillingworth who is the personification of evil in this tale.  Chillingworth has a cold mind, but his soul burns bright with his quest for vengeance.  Posing as a physician, he calculatedly befriends Dimmesdale, pretending he wants to heal him, but this is only in an effort to unmask Dimmesdale's sinful behavior. Hawthorne makes clear who the truly evil person is in innumerable passages.  For example, he says,

...old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil's office (Hawthorne 95).

Chillingworth is on a devil's mission, in other words, and thus he has become a devil. Throughout the entire story, as Chillingworth's intentions are revealed, it becomes clearer and clearer that he is evil incarnate.

Did the Jewish people have a religion before the Book of Exodus was written?

The short answer is yes, but in order to fully answer your question, we’ll need to dig into both the history of the Book of Exodus as well the history of Judaism. First, we’ll try to determine when the Book of Exodus was written; after that, we’ll look at how far back anything resembling Jewish belief can be traced.

Exodus in the form we have it was probably produced between 600 BC and 400 BC,...

The short answer is yes, but in order to fully answer your question, we’ll need to dig into both the history of the Book of Exodus as well the history of Judaism. First, we’ll try to determine when the Book of Exodus was written; after that, we’ll look at how far back anything resembling Jewish belief can be traced.

Exodus in the form we have it was probably produced between 600 BC and 400 BC, during and after the Babylonian Exile. It is during this period that much of Judaism as we know it developed. A prevailing theory for understanding the history and composition of the Hebrew Bible is the Documentary Hypothesis, which uses textual analysis to identify distinct literary traditions that were edited together to make up the Hebrew Bible as we know it. This blending together of multiple accounts helps to explain contradictory or duplicate accounts in the Bible (for example, the two creation stories present in the first few chapters of Genesis).

Though Exodus was probably written no earlier than 600 BC, it represents stories that are claimed to take place much earlier. The Exodus itself is traditionally dated to around 1400 BC to 1200 BC, though a lack of archaeological evidence for this event throws its historicity into question. Traces of these older stories and beliefs can be found in the oldest layers of the Hebrew Bible, but the more compelling evidence comes from even more ancient non-Hebrew sources. For example, the earliest potential mention of Yahweh, the Jewish god, comes from around 1300 BC in an Egyptian text dating to the time of Amenhotep III. A Jewish-like belief, corroborated by non-Hebrew sources, can be said to date back to at least this time.

However, the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews/Israelites are distinct from the later traditions of Judaism in a few noticeable ways. Though Jews are today monotheistic, their Hebrew forebears ranged anywhere between polytheistic (worship of many gods), henotheistic (acknowledgement of many gods with the worship of only one), and monolatristic (acknowledgement of many gods with only one being worthy of worship).  While it’s accurate to say that within the greater tradition of Hebrew and Jewish beliefs there has been a consistent lineage of religious belief going back at least 700 years before the time the Book of Exodus was written, it can be difficult to call the religion that was practiced by these ancient Hebrews “Jewish.”

If you’re interested in further investigation, I would recommend looking into the history of the Hebrew Bible, as well as the texts discovered at the Canaanite city of Ugarit, which offers greater perspective on the range of religious beliefs that existed in ancient Canaan (links are provided below).

What are the implications of this sentence: “If he held his mouth right, Mr. Cunningham could get a WPA job”? What larger issue must a person...

If Mr. Walter Cunningham would vote for politicians in favor of social programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and comply in other ways ("hold his mouth right"), he could get a job with this government department and be better able to support his family.

If he were to go to work with the WPA, Mr. Cunningham would lose his farm because he would not be able to cultivate his land. Furthermore, like many farmers, Mr. Cunningham loves the good earth that he toils in for hours so that it will produce food and provide for his family, so his loss would be emotional and a matter of pride as well as financial. Added to these losses, Mr. Cunningham would lose his independence by working for the government, since he would no longer be his own boss. He would also be expected to go to whichever areas the government sent him to work and to vote on the side of the political party which issues the WPA checks.

Mr. Cunningham is not willing to sacrifice his integrity and independence, so he refuses to take a WPA job. Instead, he ekes out his living on his farm, knowing that something belongs to him even if he is financially strapped.

Contrast what Gale and Peeta signify for Katniss. How do each help her succeed in the games?

While she is in the Games, Katniss relies on Gale and Peeta to help her survive in different ways. While Gale represents Katniss' practical knowledge and skills, Peeta represents her more emotional, personal struggle within the Games. 

Before becoming a tribute, Katniss and Gale would go hunting outside of their district. During that time, Katniss perfected her skills with her bow and arrows, and she also learned how to make traps from Gale. Because of...

While she is in the Games, Katniss relies on Gale and Peeta to help her survive in different ways. While Gale represents Katniss' practical knowledge and skills, Peeta represents her more emotional, personal struggle within the Games. 

Before becoming a tribute, Katniss and Gale would go hunting outside of their district. During that time, Katniss perfected her skills with her bow and arrows, and she also learned how to make traps from Gale. Because of this experience, she knew she would be able to find food in the Games, and she was more confident in her abilities to defend herself from the other tributes. 

Katniss did not have much interaction with Peeta before the Games (aside from when he gave her some bread), but once they were in the Capitol together, things changed. At first, she did resist teaming up with him because her only goal was to survive and get back to her sister, which she knew would be more difficult if she thought of Peeta as a friend. But once the Game-maker announced that two tributes could be victors together if they were from the same district, Katniss' attitude changed: Peeta brought out a more human side of her as she had to take care of him after he was injured trying to help her. 

Although it was only Peeta in the Games with Katniss, both he and Gale helped her survive. Gale represented Katniss' past and her own abilities; Peeta represented Katniss' future and what they could do together.

After Mr. Radley died, what changes were made to the Radley place in To Kill a Mockingbird?

At the time of Mr. Radley's death, there were some "wooden sawhorses [that] blocked the road at each end of the Radley lot, straw was put down on the sidewalk, traffic was diverted to the back street" (12). After Mr. Radley's body was brought out of the house, the sawhorses and straw were removed. The only other change that was made was Boo's guardian. Mr. Nathan Radley left whatever he was doing down in Pensacola...

At the time of Mr. Radley's death, there were some "wooden sawhorses [that] blocked the road at each end of the Radley lot, straw was put down on the sidewalk, traffic was diverted to the back street" (12). After Mr. Radley's body was brought out of the house, the sawhorses and straw were removed. The only other change that was made was Boo's guardian. Mr. Nathan Radley left whatever he was doing down in Pensacola to come up and stay with his younger brother in the house. Scout says the following about Nathan Radley:

"The only difference between him and his father was their ages. . . Mr. Nathan would speak to us, however, when we said good morning, and sometimes we saw him coming from town with a magazine in his hand" (12).

People thought that maybe with the change of guards that Boo Radley would come out more. The rumor around town was that Boo's father may have chained him to the bed or left him in the basement because of how mean he was. But when his brother took over, nothing changed and Boo stayed in his house. Therefore, no changes to the structure of the house were made and nothing changed as far as Boo's behavior when Nathan Radley took over.

"The old house was the same, droopy and sick, but as we stared won the street we thought we saw an inside shutter move. Flick. A tiny, almost invisible movement, and the house was still" (15).

What is the importance of Christian relics?

In Christianity, relics are objects which have a special spiritual essence about them. Many relics are bodies or body-parts of saints or things which once belonged to important religious figures like Jesus of Nazareth, the Apostles, or the Saints. Some Christian denominations do not believe in relics and reject them as idolatry, but the Catholic traditions (for the most part) believe that looking upon or touching a relic allows a person to connect with God...

In Christianity, relics are objects which have a special spiritual essence about them. Many relics are bodies or body-parts of saints or things which once belonged to important religious figures like Jesus of Nazareth, the Apostles, or the Saints. Some Christian denominations do not believe in relics and reject them as idolatry, but the Catholic traditions (for the most part) believe that looking upon or touching a relic allows a person to connect with God in a physical way. 

Any object might become a relic, but a significant number of relics are body parts from Saints or other religious persons. So what makes something like the finger of St. Thomas so special? It is believed that certain people lived in a way so Godly, or were specially endowed by God, that they carried a certain essence of "Godliness" or holiness with them. This essence is believed to be throughout the body of the person, even after death, so many bodies or parts of Saints have become important relics. The essence of holiness that I described can "rub off" onto certain objects, so items like the Shroud of Turin or a piece of clothing owned by St. Benedict are considered to have been endowed with the same essence. 

In some traditions, people may take some of the essence with them by touching one of their own belongings to a relic. The item itself does not become a relic but is considered to be endowed with the same essence. Think of it like using one candle to light others-- the flame passes on but does not diminish. 

Relics can serve as a focal point for prayer or as inspiration for Christians to also try to become so in tune with God that their bodies become holy, even after death. Beyond that, relics draw thousands of religious tourists to sites like the Notre Dame and the Scala Sancta every year!

Calculate the percentage yield and theoretical yield of BaSO4. Ba(NO3)2 + Na2SO4 -> BaSO4 + 2NaNO3 An experiment was done with 75.00 g of...

The theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that can be formed in a chemical reaction. It is calculated using stoichiometry.

The actual yield is the actual amount of product formed experimentally. 

The balanced equation for this problem is:

`~Ba(NO_3)_2 + ~Na_2SO_4 -gt ~BaSO_4 +~2NaNO_3`

Calculation of the Theoretical Yield:

This is a stoichiometry calculation. The stoichiometry calculation will take the general form of:

(given substance) x (mole conversion factor) x (mole ratio)...

The theoretical yield is the maximum amount of product that can be formed in a chemical reaction. It is calculated using stoichiometry.

The actual yield is the actual amount of product formed experimentally. 

The balanced equation for this problem is:

`~Ba(NO_3)_2 + ~Na_2SO_4 -gt ~BaSO_4 +~2NaNO_3`

Calculation of the Theoretical Yield:

This is a stoichiometry calculation. The stoichiometry calculation will take the general form of:

(given substance) x (mole conversion factor) x (mole ratio) x (mole conversion factor)

Step 1: Choose the mole conversion factors.

The mole conversion factors used in stoichiometry calculations are:

• 1 mol = 22.4 L gas


• 1 mol = 6.02 x `~10^23` atoms or molecules


• 1 mol = molar mass in grams

Since both the given substance (`~Ba(NO_3)_2` ) and the final substance (`~BaSO_4` ) are both in grams, we will use the conversion factor, "1 mol = molar mass" for both conversion factors indicated in the calculation.

Step 2: Calculate the molar masses needed for the conversion factors.

The molar mass of a substance is calculated by multiplying the atomic mass of each atom times its subscript and adding the resulting answers together. 

molar mass of `~Ba(NO_3)_2` :

   [1 x 137.318] + [2 x 14.007] + [6 x 15.999] = 261.336 g

So, the first mole conversion factor in our calculation will be: 1 mol = 261.336 g `~Ba(NO_3)_2`

molar mass of `~BaSO_4` :

   [1 x 137.318] + [1 x 32.066] + [4 x 15.999] = 233.39 g

So, the second mole conversion factor in our calculation will be: 1 mol = 233.39 g `~BaSO_4`

Step 3: Perform the stoichiometry calculation.

Recall that the general form of the stoichiometry calculation is:

(given substance) x (mole conversion factor) x (mole ratio) x (mole conversion factor)

•    The given substance is found in the problem: 75.00 g `~Ba(NO_3)_2`


•    The first mole conversion factor is: 1 mol = 261.336 g `~Ba(NO_3)_2`


•    The mole ratio is: 1 mol `~BaSO_4` to 1 mol `~Ba(NO_3)_2`

•    The second mole conversion factor is: 1 mol = 233.39 g `~BaSO_4`

Plug in the values and calculate:

(75.00 g)(1mol/261.336 g)(1mol/1 mol)(233.39 g/1 mol) = 66.98 g` <br> `

Therefore, the theoretical yield = 66.98 g `~BaSO_4`

*Notice that the conversion factors in the calculation are oriented such that the unit in the denominator is the same as the unit in the numerator in the previous section of the calculation - this ensures that units cancel out leaving only the final unit.

Calculation of Percent Yield

The percent yield is calculated using the formula:

   % yield = (actual yield/theoretical yield) x 100

Therefore, 

   % yield = (63.45 g/66.98 g) x 100 = 94.73%

Can you help me write a character sketch for Hamlet?

Family: 

Hamlet is the prince of Denmark. He is the son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. His uncle, Claudius, secretly murders his father (Claudius' brother), marries Gertrude, and becomes the new king. 

About Hamlet: 

Hamlet is both educated and good at fencing. His outward appearance clearly illustrates he's in mourning and he's very critical of those around him, especially his mother and Claudius. 

Personality: 

Hamlet is an extremely indecisive young man. His inability to...

Family: 

Hamlet is the prince of Denmark. He is the son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. His uncle, Claudius, secretly murders his father (Claudius' brother), marries Gertrude, and becomes the new king. 

About Hamlet: 

Hamlet is both educated and good at fencing. His outward appearance clearly illustrates he's in mourning and he's very critical of those around him, especially his mother and Claudius. 

Personality: 

Hamlet is an extremely indecisive young man. His inability to make decisions ends up being his fatal flaw as he chooses not to kill Claudius when he finally gets the chance to. While that's a very important trait of his, it's a good idea to note some others.

In addition to being indecisive, Hamlet is both bitter and angry. He hates Claudius and he resents his mother for marrying him. He's mourning the passing of his father and, during the beginning of the play, he blatantly tells his mother how horrible he feels. 

Furthermore, Hamlet is mentally and emotionally volatile - so much so that his sanity is called into question. That said, whether or not he's faking his "madness" (which would make him calculating and manipulative) is a debate that's still ongoing.

Relationships:

Hamlet is in love with a girl named Ophelia, though he begins to distrust her due to his mother's actions. Her "betrayal" of his father seems to have tainted his overall view of women.
 
Ophelia's brother, Laertes, does not get along with Hamlet at all. He warns her not to get involved with him and tells her that he's no good. In fact, Laertes even exists as a foil for Hamlet. While Hamlet overthinks everything and can't seem to act, Laertes doesn't hesitate to leap into action. 
 
While Hamlet loves Ophelia and hates Laertes, he seems indifferent to their father, Polonius, who is secretly helping Claudius by spying on him. 

Throughout the play, Hamlet's relationships with others are extremely tumultuous because his mindset (sane or insane) is constantly changing. 

In chapter 5 of To Kill a Mockingbird, describe how Scout's relationship with the boys begins to change.

In the previous chapter, Dill, Jem and Scout get caught playing out the Radley's life story in the front yard by Atticus. They lie and say they aren't doing what he thinks they are doing, but Scout doesn't want to get into anymore trouble; so she asks the boys to stop playing the game for awhile. She also believes that Boo Radley might be watching them and might come after her during the night sometime...

In the previous chapter, Dill, Jem and Scout get caught playing out the Radley's life story in the front yard by Atticus. They lie and say they aren't doing what he thinks they are doing, but Scout doesn't want to get into anymore trouble; so she asks the boys to stop playing the game for awhile. She also believes that Boo Radley might be watching them and might come after her during the night sometime if they continue. As a result, Dill and Jem start leaving her out of their games. At the beginning of chapter 5, Scout says that Dill told her he loved only her, but he still mostly played with Jem. Scout explains it as follows:

"I beat him up twice but it did no good, he only grew closer to Jem. They spent their days together in the treehouse plotting and planning, calling me only when they needed a third party. But I kept aloof from their more foolhardy schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a girl, I spent most of the remaining twilights that summer sitting with Miss maudie atkinson on her front porch" (41).

Scout starts to hang out with Miss Maudie in the evenings, since the boys won't include her as much anymore. There seems to be a definite difference between the boys and Scout because she doesn't want to do anything to get into trouble. The boys, as she says above, seemed "foolhardy." She also stayed away so she wouldn't be condemned for being a girl, which she hates.

With reference to William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily," can some people love another so much that they simply cannot bear for that...

There can be a very fine, and dangerous line between love and obsession, and the protagonist of William Faulkner’s short story "A Rose for Emily" clearly falls into the latter category. She was sheltered during much of her life by an over-protective father (“. . .her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip . . .” whenever young men came to the house to meet Emily). Is it possible for somebody to love another person so deeply that they cannot bear for that person to leave? Absolutely. Most people have experienced a break-up in a relationship or loss of a loved one due to illness or accident. In fact, it is the rare and probably socially- and physically-isolated individual who has not loved another person so much that he or she could not bear for that person to leave. Having a hard time accepting the loss of a loved one, however, is not necessarily the same as being obsessed with that person to the point of kidnapping and murdering him or her. There is a word for such obsessive people: stalkers. And, stalkers are dangerous, known to violently attack the objects of their obsession.

Such is the case with Emily, the central figure in Faulkner’s story. Emily, as noted, has been sheltered to such a point that she has never experienced a relationship with a man. When a construction crew arrives in town to repave sidewalks, “in the summer after he father’s death,” Emily is attracted to the crew’s foreman, “. . .Homer Barron, a Yankee—a big, dark ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face.” For the first time in her life, Emily is not prevented by her father from pursuing a romantic relationship, and she is blind to Homer’s preference for spending time with men. When the construction is finished, however, and the crew departs town, Emily, it will be revealed in the story’s resolution, prevented Homer from leaving with his crew, apparently poisoning him for the purpose of doing so, and sleeping next to his decomposing remains for years afterward.

It is, as stated, possible to be deeply hurt by the departure, for whatever reason, of a loved one. People commit suicide over their despondency when confronted with a request or demand that a romantic relationship be terminated. And, they have been known to kill the other party over a deeply-psychotic fear that the now-former lover will be with somebody else. Most, the overwhelming majority, of people, however, do not go to such extremes. They hurt internally for some time, and then move on. It is a healing process that Faulkner’s troubled protagonist has never learned due to the sheltered existence she had led.

What step does Nwoye take concerning the missionaries?

In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, Nwoye is Okonkwo, the protagonist's, son. Nwoye has a difficult relationship with his father, who holds him to the very highest standards of masculinity in Igbo culture. Okonkwo does not hesitate to share his displeasure in many of his son's behaviors or decisions, which he classifies as effeminate and unbefitting of a man. 

Okonkwo and Nwoye's relationship is complicated by the adoption and death of Ikemefuna. Nwoye...

In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, Nwoye is Okonkwo, the protagonist's, son. Nwoye has a difficult relationship with his father, who holds him to the very highest standards of masculinity in Igbo culture. Okonkwo does not hesitate to share his displeasure in many of his son's behaviors or decisions, which he classifies as effeminate and unbefitting of a man. 

Okonkwo and Nwoye's relationship is complicated by the adoption and death of Ikemefuna. Nwoye and his adoptive brother became quite close, and although Ikemefuna's murder was sanctioned by the village men, Okonkwo's involvement and subsequent guilt was an additional burden on the father-son relationship. 

When the white missionaries arrive in the village, Okonkwo violently rejects them. He has spent his entire life striving to achieve Igbo ideals, with which the missionaries do not align. Nwoye, on the other hand, becomes close to the missionaries, in part because he has always felt out of place in the village. Eventually, he joins the church, adopts a Christianized name, and leaves the village to be trained in western styles of teaching. 

How does F. Scott Fitzgerald portray the American Dream in The Great Gatsby through his use of symbolism and other literary devices?

Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream through the lyrical language of Nick Carraway but also shows it in the novel as having been debased. In a famous passage, Nick refers to the American Dream as follows: 

Gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world.… For a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.

The symbol of the American dream, a dream of being able to start anew, is the "fresh, green breast of the new world." The new world is pure: fresh and green, with green here meaning young and untouched, as well as fertile. This links us to Gatsby's dream of recapturing a purer past with Daisy, when they were both younger and fresher. For Gatsby, the dream is also symbolized by the color green, particularly by the "green light" at the end of the pier representing Gatsby's desire for Daisy.

Nick's lyrical language accentuates the beauty of the dream (even if the reality is more sordid: the story of the novel shows the reality while Nick's lyrical prose conveys the dream). Nick doesn't use ordinary, everyday words but heightened prose, such as  "transitory, enchanted moment," that along with the image of "man" holding his breath, underscores the fragile, ephemeral nature of the American dream. The poetic nature of the dream is highlighted in the last lines of the passage as well, with the alliterative, rhythmic use of words beginning with "c." 

At the very end of the book, the dream is again symbolized as the "green light" and the dreamers identified with the vivid image of "boats against the current," pulled back into the past. 

Give an example of a time when Jem and Atticus both portrayed courage in To Kill a Mockingbird.

In Chapter 15, Atticus drives to the Maycomb County jailhouse to sit outside of Tom Robinson's cell as a precaution to prevent anyone from attempting to harm Tom the night before the trial. Jem decides to make sure that his father is okay and begins his search to find Atticus. Dill and Scout tag along and the three children end up finding Atticus sitting outside of the jailhouse, reading the paper. Suddenly, several cars arrive...

In Chapter 15, Atticus drives to the Maycomb County jailhouse to sit outside of Tom Robinson's cell as a precaution to prevent anyone from attempting to harm Tom the night before the trial. Jem decides to make sure that his father is okay and begins his search to find Atticus. Dill and Scout tag along and the three children end up finding Atticus sitting outside of the jailhouse, reading the paper. Suddenly, several cars arrive and a group of men get out and surround Atticus. The Old Sarum bunch tells Atticus to move out of their way because they plan on harming Tom Robinson. Atticus refuses to do so and stands his ground, even after they tell him that Sheriff Tate will not be able to come to his rescue. Scout, who is hiding behind Tyndal's Hardware store with Jem and Dill, decides to run out into the group of men to see her father. Jem soon follows Scout, and Atticus tells him to take Scout and Dill home. Jem does not listen to his father and Atticus repeats the directive. Jem puts his hands on his hips and openly defies Atticus by refusing to leave. One of the men in the Sarum bunch even grabs Jem by his collar and yanks him off the ground. Atticus continues to plead with Jem to leave, but Jem repeatedly says, "I ain't going" (Lee 204). Fortunately, Scout is able to get the attention of Walter Cunningham Sr., and Walter realizes the error in his behavior. Walter tells the men that it is time to go home, and no one is harmed.

Both Atticus and Jem display courage by standing up to the Old Sarum bunch and refusing to leave the jailhouse. Atticus remains calm and cool-headed during the intense situation, and Jem shows his loyalty to his father by not leaving the scene. Jem realized that Atticus was in a dangerous position and showed his support and courage by defiantly standing still. Atticus also could have easily left the jailhouse, but chose to selflessly protect Tom Robinson.

What does Grayson want to ''say'' to Maniac by giving the boy his old glove in Maniac Magee?

Grayson is telling Maniac that he loves him by giving him his old baseball glove.

Grayson is the old groundskeeper at the zoo.  He finds Maniac sleeping in the buffalo pen and takes him in.  Maniac and Grayson are perfect for each other.  Both of them have been alone, and they have each become the other’s family.  Maniac is sentimental, and understands that Grayson loves him like a son.  He appreciates what the baseball glove meant to Grayson, and he understands that by giving it to him, Grayson is telling him that he loves him.

To anyone else, it was a ratty old scrap of leather, barely recognizable as a baseball glove, fit for the garbage can. But Maniac knew at once this was Grayson's, the one he had played with all those years in the Miners. (Ch. 31)

By giving Maniac the old glove he used so many years ago when he played baseball for the Miners, Grayson is telling Maniac that he considers him a son.  Maniac treats the glove as if it were priceless, appreciating its value to Grayson.

Slowly, timidly, as though entering a shrine, the boy's fingers crept into it, flexed, curled the cracked leather, brought it back to shape, to life. (Ch. 31)

Grayson and Maniac have found each other, and have a comfortable and meaningful relationship.  Grayson wants Maniac to know what he means to him, and that is why he gives him the glove.  Grayson has not played baseball in a long time, and did not play baseball professionally for long, but it meant a lot to him when he did.  He wants Maniac to have the glove so he has a part of Grayson.

Unfortunately, Grayson dies not long after Christmas.  It is nice that Grayson got to have a family and a son for a short period of time, but it is sad that they only had a few months together and Maniac was alone again after that.  It is time for Maniac to go back to his other family, the Beales.

What is the first major political issue that marks President Jackson’s presidency?

There are two possible answers to this.  One answer is the veto of the Maysville Road bill and the second is Indian Removal.  Indian Removal is definitely the bigger issue, at least as we things today, and it came at nearly the same as the Maysville veto.  However, Jackson did veto the Maysville bill a day before he signed the Indian Removal bill.

The Maysville Road bill would have had the federal government pay for...

There are two possible answers to this.  One answer is the veto of the Maysville Road bill and the second is Indian Removal.  Indian Removal is definitely the bigger issue, at least as we things today, and it came at nearly the same as the Maysville veto.  However, Jackson did veto the Maysville bill a day before he signed the Indian Removal bill.

The Maysville Road bill would have had the federal government pay for building a road that was wholly within the state of Kentucky.  At this point in history, some people wanted the federal government to aggressively build up transportation infrastructure in the US in order to help the economy grow.  They felt that roads and canals were important to the whole country, even if they were only within one state.  For example, the Maysville Road would have helped goods get to the Ohio River, on which they could be moved between states.  Jackson, however, vetoed the bill because he said that it was wrong (and unconstitutional) for the federal government to fund projects that would only physically exist in one state.  This veto was politically controversial because it limited the power of the federal government and because some people saw it as an excessive use of presidential power.

Indian Removal was also controversial.  The issue at hand was whether the government should take Native Americans from the Southeast and move them out beyond the Mississippi River.  White settlers wanted the lands where the Indians lived in the Southeast.  Therefore, they put pressure on the government to remove the Indians.  Jackson was in favor of removing the Indians, but many people argued against him for various reasons.  Some people opposed Jackson for humanitarian reasons, but more people opposed him for political reasons.  They were generally less interested in acting justly towards Native Americans than with hurting Jackson politically.  Whatever the reasons, this bill was politically controversial as well.

One of these two controversies is likely to be the correct answer.  I would guess that you are expected to say that Indian Removal was the first major controversy in Jackson’s presidency, but you should check your textbook and/or class notes to be sure.

What are some rhetorical devices used in "The Son's Veto" by Thomas Hardy?

In the short story "The Son's Veto" by Thomas Hardy, the author uses several symbols and metaphors. For example, in the opening of the story, Hardy describes the mother's "nut-brown hair" which is "coiled like the rushes of a basket." The comparison of the mother's hair to the rushes of a basket is a simile, and the hair is also a symbol of the pains the mother takes to make herself attractive and pleasing, even...

In the short story "The Son's Veto" by Thomas Hardy, the author uses several symbols and metaphors. For example, in the opening of the story, Hardy describes the mother's "nut-brown hair" which is "coiled like the rushes of a basket." The comparison of the mother's hair to the rushes of a basket is a simile, and the hair is also a symbol of the pains the mother takes to make herself attractive and pleasing, even though she is in a wheelchair and is less educated than her son.

The incident in which Sophy, the mother, becomes lame is also a symbol, as it leads to her being caught in a marriage in which she does not really love her husband. In addition, it means that she becomes a virtual prisoner of her city house, far from the rural village where she grew up and which she loves. As she becomes reacquainted with Sam, the man she initially intended to marry, she gains in strength and is even able to walk a bit. Her wheelchair is also a symbol of her entrapment in a marriage--and an urban life--that is not to her liking.

In the end, Sophy's son, Randolph, is also a symbol of her imprisonment. At the end of the story, at her funeral, he is described as a "young smooth-shaven priest in a high waistcoat [who] looked black as a cloud at the shopkeeper standing there." The son, in a simile, is described as "black as a cloud" as he looks at Sam, the man who wanted to free his mother from her joyless life. 

what is predestination? who taught about predestination?

The notion of Predestination was put forth first by the reformer, John Calvin, and this belief became a tenant of Calvinist Protestantism, which was practiced and preaches by the Puritans, among others. The Doctrine of Predestination, as it became known, said that people were either damned to hell or destined to go to heaven even before they were born. Moreover, only a finite number of people would ever get into heaven. Most controversial of all...

The notion of Predestination was put forth first by the reformer, John Calvin, and this belief became a tenant of Calvinist Protestantism, which was practiced and preaches by the Puritans, among others. The Doctrine of Predestination, as it became known, said that people were either damned to hell or destined to go to heaven even before they were born. Moreover, only a finite number of people would ever get into heaven. Most controversial of all was the belief that people who had been chosen by God would be recognizable by the fact that God smiled down on them in life as in afterlife. In other words, if a person was rich and successful, and healthy, that person was most likely good, and had been chosen by God for eternal salvation. However, if a person was sick, impoverished, or had many miscarriages, or his or her children died young, then that person was damned, and had been marked by the devil even before he or she was born.

Based on those religious tenets, Calvinists did not need to do good works or be compassionate to the sick or poor, as the teaching of Jesus taught in the bible. These so-called "good works" were superfluous. One could engage in charitable works of not; it made no difference to whether that person went to hell or heaven. Of course, a chosen person was more like to exhibit a charitable nature, according to Calvinist Theology, but that did not mean that a man who blamed the poor for their poverty or turned a blind eye to the sick was not a man of God. This theology of Predestination has had a profound affect on American culture, because the predominant religion of many New England colonists was Puritanism. The doctrine of Predestination gave license to those shaping American culture to revere the rich and powerful, and kick the poor and sick to the curb. Indeed, the Salem Witch Trials, in which many innocent, often poor or sick women and elder people were put to death for Witchcraft, was a direct manifestation of Calvinist Theology. Victims of poverty and illness were simply viewed as the Devil's Children, and they got what they deserved.

Even though the Framer's were not very religious, they had been raised in a culture dominated by the notion that wealth and power was a sign of goodness, and poverty a sign of evil. It is therefore not surprising that in this country, most people worship wealth and often blame the poor for their poverty. These beliefs are the sad legacy of the Doctrine of Predestination.

A tragic hero must evoke in the audience a sense of pity and fear. How does this relate to Othello?

The character of Othello is a classic hero of tragedy, or tragic hero. He has both positive and negative qualities about him that make the audience both sympathize with and fear him at different points. 

We sympathize with him when we see him being so easily manipulated by Iago. It is obvious to the audience that Othello is gullible and he trusts Iago far too much. This trust leads him to believe everything Iago says...

The character of Othello is a classic hero of tragedy, or tragic hero. He has both positive and negative qualities about him that make the audience both sympathize with and fear him at different points. 

We sympathize with him when we see him being so easily manipulated by Iago. It is obvious to the audience that Othello is gullible and he trusts Iago far too much. This trust leads him to believe everything Iago says and does over what Desdemona says, and this is sad for both Othello and Desdemona. Iago's manipulation makes us feel bad for Othello...to a point.

Othello believes Iago so much, and his wife so little, that he finally rails against Desdemona and kills her. In this act, and his anger leading up to the murder, the audience fears him. They fear what he will do and most importantly know that whatever he is about to do is based on misunderstandings, lies, and an anger he cannot control. His inability to see the truth is also frightening because he cannot be reasoned with. 

Ultimately, he is a tragic hero because he has traits within him that he does not control and those traits (his trusting nature, jealousy, insecurity, and anger) all cause his downfall.

What is the setting of the story "Going to Meet the Man"?

James Baldwin's story "Going to Meet the Man" is set in a southern town in the US. It's important that the story takes place in the south, but even more important than the where is the when.

It's always good to know two things about the timing of a story. When does the story itself take place? And when was the story actually written or published? This helps us make more sense of what's going on in the plot, plus we can get the big picture about what was going on in the world when people were first reading the story.

In this case, the story was published in 1965 (that's when people could first read it) and it takes place in probably somewhere between 1886 and 1900, a chaotic time of extremely violent racism toward blacks. We see the main character, Jesse, as both a child and an adult in the story, which is how we know that the time span of the story must be fairly long rather than a single year. 

Reflecting on why it would be relevant for Baldwin to write in 1965 about the violence and cruelty of the not-so-distant past, it becomes clear that the struggle for civil rights was reaching a critical period then; it was important for people to understand just how far we as a society have come (or have failed to come) in our progress toward equality.

When a story doesn't say what year(s) it takes place in exactly, try looking for historical clues:

We know from the story that the Jim Crow laws are already in place, for example, so it has to take place after 1870. Since Jesse's attitude toward blacks is that they're the source of his problems and don't deserve any bit of humane treatment they do get, it's probably after 1875, the year the first of the Civil Rights Acts was passed. And since mob violence and lynching take center stage in the story, we might make a good guess that the section of the story with the child Jesse takes place between 1886 and 1900, the height of lynchings and one of the darkest time periods in our nation's history.

What are the characteristics of Feminist theory in The Scarlet Letter?

While it's much more complicated than the following summary will allow for, Feminist critical theory generally seeks to describe and illustrate the specific experiences of those who identify as women, and especially examines how those experiences have been marginalized by a misogynist society. In other words, Feminist literary theory seeks to understand how literature has marginalized the writing of women, and how literature can play a role in breaking down the power dynamics of traditional...

While it's much more complicated than the following summary will allow for, Feminist critical theory generally seeks to describe and illustrate the specific experiences of those who identify as women, and especially examines how those experiences have been marginalized by a misogynist society. In other words, Feminist literary theory seeks to understand how literature has marginalized the writing of women, and how literature can play a role in breaking down the power dynamics of traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Of course, there is much more to Feminist literary theory, but those are some of the main points. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is especially well-suited to Feminist literary theory. For instance, the novel explores the ways in which Hester Prynne is ostracized and condemned for having sex and giving birth outside of marriage. A Feminist critic might see this detail as exemplifying the restrictions the larger, misogynist society places upon women, and especially on female sexuality and the ways women form relationships. As such, the novel can be read as having a very strong Feminist message indeed, as it ultimately shows Hester resisting and overcoming the marginalization and oppression society has leveled against her.

How is rebellion portrayed in Frankenstein?

Rebellion is portrayed as a pretty powerful tool in Frankenstein. The monster's "father," Victor, is a negligent and selfish parent.  He created a (humanish) being and then abandoned it to fend for itself, providing it with no knowledge or resources or instruction.  Victor gave no thought to what his "son's" life would be like; he only thought about his own glory and achievement. As a result, this being resented his creator, his parent, and...

Rebellion is portrayed as a pretty powerful tool in Frankenstein. The monster's "father," Victor, is a negligent and selfish parent.  He created a (humanish) being and then abandoned it to fend for itself, providing it with no knowledge or resources or instruction.  Victor gave no thought to what his "son's" life would be like; he only thought about his own glory and achievement. As a result, this being resented his creator, his parent, and when he grew up enough to understand how he should have been provided for, he rebelled against this parent in anger, killing his creator's brother, and requesting the one thing that could make him less miserable: a companion. 

Ultimately, having been denied every opportunity for happiness by his creator, this creature rebelled further and made every attempt to render his parent as miserable as he felt himself to be. He succeeds in this, although, even at the end of his life, his creator never fully understands how he failed in his responsibility as a parent.

What are some symbols in Lois Lowry's The Giver? What do they represent?

Symbolism is when an object or person represents something more profound than what it actually is. There are a lot of interesting symbols in Lowry's The Giver. For example, the bicycles that nine-year-olds receive represent independence because they are allowed more freedom to choose where they go and how swiftly they get there. Hair ribbons are also removed for nine-year-old girls, which is symbolic of a transition from a little girl to an older, more mature one (18).

One major symbol that influences everyone in the community is the pill each person must take once they experience the Stirrings. This pill suppresses sensual desires and the temptation to prefer one person over another. When Jonas tells his mother about a dream he has about desiring Fiona, she decides that he is ready for the pills. Jonas is excited when he realizes he gets to take the pills because he doesn't understand what they do.

"Jonas brightened. He knew about the pills. His parents both took them each morning. . . Jonas felt oddly proud to have joined those who took the pills. For a moment, though, he remembered the dream again. The dream had felt pleasurable. Though the feelings were confused, he thought that he had liked the feelings that his mother had called Stirrings" (48-49).

Little does Jonas know the implications of this pill. The pill represents suppression of desires, which takes away the freedom to choose a mate. As a result, there are no biological families living together in the community. 

Another significant symbol is the color red. It is the first color that Jonas notices on an apple and in Fiona's hair. This color represents desire and choice because it is so bright and it is connected to Fiona, whom Jonas likes. The Giver helps Jonas to understand colors in chapter 12. Jonas finally makes the connection between colors and the freedom to choose something based on desire, or preference, in chapter 13 when he says the following:

"If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?" (123).

Unfortunately, the community chose to do away with colors and other things that might enable someone to make preferential choices in order to live under a system of Sameness. 

The most profound symbol that makes Sameness happen is the Receiver of Memory. The Receiver represents either a savior or a slave. For example, everyone says that being a Receiver is a great honor; but for the person selected to live that life, it's as if he is a slave to the community. For example, the Chief Elder praises Jonas for being selected as the Receiver as follows:

". . . the Receiver-in-training cannot be observed, cannot be modified. . . He is to be alone, apart, while he is prepared by the current Receiver for the job which is the most honored in our community" (77).

The Chief Elder also explains how much pain and suffering the Receiver must go through for this job:

"But you will be faced, now. . . with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage" (79).

On the one hand, the Receiver saves the community from suffering deep emotional, mental and physical pain by holding the memories of the world; but on the other hand, he suffers for everyone and has no relief from the job. The Receiver, therefore, is a Christ-like figure because he must face the suffering alone in order to save the others from all the world's pain and suffering. 

What is the significance of the conch shell in Lord of the Flies?

When you see one particular object pop up again and again in a story, that's a good indication that the item is a symbol, meaning that it has more significance than just its immediate function as a thing. It stands for an idea. (Usually more than one.)

When Ralph first finds the shell, Piggy gets excited and says "I seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. He used...

When you see one particular object pop up again and again in a story, that's a good indication that the item is a symbol, meaning that it has more significance than just its immediate function as a thing. It stands for an idea. (Usually more than one.)

When Ralph first finds the shell, Piggy gets excited and says "I seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come."

Realizing how useful it is to make a loud sound with the shell as a means of calling themselves all together, the boys use the conch for that purpose. They also use it as a discussion tool: since they make too much noise and get nothing accomplished when everybody talks at once, they make it a rule that whoever is holding the conch gets to talk while the others listen.

Of course, as civilized behavior starts to break down among the boys and they turn into wild beings, a shout of "I got the conch!" doesn't help establish order any longer. The beautiful conch eventually gets shattered into tiny pieces--right at the moment that the always-civilized Piggy is murdered.

So, throughout the novel, the conch shell remains a symbol of authority (because whoever is holding it is in charge) as well as unity and civilization (because it calls the boys together and keeps them in order). When the conch is destroyed, so too are the last bits of reason, cooperation, and civilized behavior among the boys.

How can evolutionary theory relate to teen pregnancy in our society?

First, evolution occurs as the result of many, minute natural selections that happen over a long period of time (thousands to millions of years), so from an evolutionary standpoint, decades-long trends of sexual behavior are pretty meaningless, particularly because they are unlikely to lead  to any significant, lasting genetic mutations.

That having been said, from the perspective of evolutionary biology, teen pregnancy isn't an anomaly at all. The peak childbearing age for human females begins...

First, evolution occurs as the result of many, minute natural selections that happen over a long period of time (thousands to millions of years), so from an evolutionary standpoint, decades-long trends of sexual behavior are pretty meaningless, particularly because they are unlikely to lead  to any significant, lasting genetic mutations.

That having been said, from the perspective of evolutionary biology, teen pregnancy isn't an anomaly at all. The peak childbearing age for human females begins after menstruation. The biological imperative of all organisms is to procreate, or more specifically, to pass on their genetic material (DNA). The younger a parent is, the healthier their zygotes (sperm or eggs) will be, and the more likely that their offspring will be healthy as well. The older a parent is when he or she has a child, the more likely that child is to have genetic defects.

Over the last few hundred thousand years, most humans of our species began giving birth in their teens. In hunting and gathering societies, where survival depended on speed, strength and stamina, young parents had a better chance of providing for their offspring. Also, the ability to pass on one's genetic material wasn't dependent on having one or two children and ensuring that both lived, but on having many children and hoping that a few of them survived to adulthood so that they could procreate before dying. This is a vital distinction to make because modern society is very different from the harsh realities that our species spent thousands of years adapting to.

While teenagers today may make for poor parents because they are not psychologically or economically prepared for the burdens that come with modern child-rearing, from a purely biological standpoint, they are ideal genetic donors. So it is no coincidence that the sexual libido of teenagers is higher than that of almost any other age group. From a purely biological perspective, they are primed to procreate. 

So instead of asking why teenage pregnancy is so prevalent in our society today, you might ask instead how the enormous changes in our society over the last hundred years have caused teenage pregnancy to go from being the norm to being thought of as a societal ill. 

In chapter 16 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Atticus tell the kids to do about the trial?

In chapter 15, Atticus goes to the jail to watch for anyone who might have any ideas about sabotaging the next day's trial. Without his permission, Jem, Scout and Dill follow him downtown to see what he was doing. Naively, Scout runs through the standing mob, up to the jail, and next to her father without knowing what she's doing. The boys follow after her and suddenly there is a very dangerous situation with three...

In chapter 15, Atticus goes to the jail to watch for anyone who might have any ideas about sabotaging the next day's trial. Without his permission, Jem, Scout and Dill follow him downtown to see what he was doing. Naively, Scout runs through the standing mob, up to the jail, and next to her father without knowing what she's doing. The boys follow after her and suddenly there is a very dangerous situation with three children standing in the middle of it. Fortunately, the mob stands down because Scout speaks so sweetly to Mr. Cunningham, who eventually calls off the men. In an effort to avoid any other problems involving his children, Atticus tells Jem in chapter 16 the following:

"There's a day ahead, so excuse me. Jem, I don't want you and Scout downtown today, please" (158).

One would think that the children would obey their father after finding themselves in a dangerous situation the night before. Atticus clearly tells them not to be downtown, which means they should stay home. Maybe he should have attached a consequence to his statement, such as, "If I see you downtown today, I'll ground you for a month." Either way, Jem and the other children wind up at the trial against Atticus's wishes. Luckily, there's no mob this time.

What is meant by functionalism in music?

Functionalism in music is a school of thought that indicates that every piece of music has a function and that that function affects the end product. The roots of functionalism are steeped in the fact that music can be viewed as a form of nonverbal communication used to express emotions or convey a specific message. The tempo, genre and even the instruments used are all a function of the emotion that the composer or artist...

Functionalism in music is a school of thought that indicates that every piece of music has a function and that that function affects the end product. The roots of functionalism are steeped in the fact that music can be viewed as a form of nonverbal communication used to express emotions or convey a specific message. The tempo, genre and even the instruments used are all a function of the emotion that the composer or artist wishes to convey. When the function of a piece of music can be assessed, the success or failure of the piece to perform that function can also be seen. 

Even in contemporary music, the lyrics are enhanced by the function of the instrumental portion of the song including the manner in which the vocals are performed. For example, if the function of the song is to convey sadness, the tempo will usually be slower and the keys and instruments are chosen to elicit that emotion within the listener. The same can be said for genre. If the purpose is to create a country song, for example, the instruments used and the way that the chosen instruments are used will be limited by the artists interpretation of the genre. The differences in intended function by artists, no matter the genre, give us the variety of forms of music that exist today.

How is poetry from the past different from modern poetry?

English language poetry has changed significantly in the last 250 years. Before the dawn of the Romantic age in 1785, poetry tended to be filled with elevated diction, strewn with allusions to classical literature, and replete with personifications of abstract concepts. Sonnets and long epic poems were popular in Shakespeare's time. However, simple ballads, verses that were often sung in everyday speech or dialect, were also common. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge cooperated in introducing a dramatic change to poetry known as the "lyrical ballad," a form that attempted to bring poetry more into the grasp of the common man by using the words of everyday speech but maintaining a metrical pattern and beauty of language. These poems used traditional verse forms but shunned the excessive high-brow language and personifications of abstract objects that poems had used before. Poets like Keats, Shelley, and Byron brought much beauty, philosophy, and even humor to their poems, still using regular rhythm and rhyme.

The Victorian poets, such as Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, built on the foundation of the Romantics and continued expressing their various themes in traditional rhymed forms or blank verse. However, in the last half of the 19th century, experiments in poetry by Robert Browning in England and Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman in America presaged more freedom in the forms of poetry. By extensive use of enjambment and caesura, Browning achieved a sense of the rhythms of regular speech in his dramatic monologues, although they actually used consistent rhythm and meter. Emily Dickinson usually wrote in a traditional ballad format known as the fourteener (28 syllables in a stanza), but her frequent use of erratic capitalization and punctuation as well as near rhyme added flexibility to her verse. Whitman gave up the use of traditional verse forms altogether for some of his poems, preferring long, descriptive, unrhymed lines. 

In the 20th century, poetry changed dramatically, indicating the dawn of the Modernist era. Extremely influential during this period was Ezra Pound, who introduced the technique of Imagism. Imagist poems used a minimalist approach, preferring short poems whose purpose was simply to evoke a single image in the reader's mind. Although Imagism did not take over English poetry, it influenced it significantly. Wide variations in verse forms became the norm as poets tended to abandon consistent rhythm, meter, and rhyme schemes for the rhythms of natural speech or for inconsistent rhymes and rhythms. Not only that, but the subject matter of poetry changed to reflect the disillusionment of modern society. Rather than providing pat answers, Modernist poetry often prefers questions or deliberate obscurity. "The Wasteland" by T.S. Eliot and "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats are two good examples. Not all modern poets, however, fall into the "anything goes" camp. Robert Frost, America's best-known and best-loved poet for half of the 20th century, used primarily traditional verse forms for his poems. Modern poets have the option of drawing on the rich traditions of any of the poetry that precedes them, from the traditional verse forms of the 18th and 19th centuries to the Imagism and free verse of the 20th century.

What is a summary of the essay "Valentine's Day"? How can I analyze it?

As the title suggests, this essay is a rumination on Valentine's Day. Lamb, through his persona Elia, opens by differentiating between the St. Valentine for whom Valentine's Day is named and other, more forbidding church fathers. Lamb says there is no one who can compare to St. Valentine. He is the only one who "comes attended with ... ten thousands of little loves." What other church father, asks Elia, is accompanied by anything as charming as cupids and their flying arrows?

Then Elia anticipates the many, many Valentines the postman will deliver and wonders why the heart has become the symbol of love and the symbol of this day. Why not the liver, he asks whimsically, or the midriff?

In the next paragraph, he notes that people are always interested in a knock at the door, though sometimes what the knock brings is not welcome. But a Valentine, Elia says, is always welcome. 

Finally, Elia moves into the story of his friend "E.B." who was, according to literary critic George Wauchope, Edward Francis Burney, a painter and illustrator. E.B. watches a beautiful young woman from his window, unseen by her, and decides to send her a Valentine. He makes her an extraordinary one, filled with illustrations of famous lovers. EB watches as she receives it. She claps her hands and dances about in joy. She wasn't overjoyed because the Valentine was from her lover, as she had no lover (at least none who could draw this way), but because of the lovely images. As Elia writes:

It was more like some fairy present; a God-send, as our familiarly pious ancestors termed a benefit received, where the benefactor was unknown. It would do her no harm. It would do her good for ever after. It is good to love the unknown. I only give this as a specimen of E. B. and his modest way of doing a concealed kindness. 

While Lamb opens the essay with language that is archaic (old-fashioned, even for the 1820s) and allusive (making references to myths, religion and works of literature), by the next-to-last paragraph, quoted above, he is writing in sweet and simple terms to offer a heartfelt message. His purpose is, first, to offer a lighthearted celebration of Valentine's Day as a whimsical but delightful holiday, delightful because it spreads love. Then he becomes more serious (writing, of course, as Elia), and his moral is that doing a kind act to bring joy to a person who would not expect it is no small thing. It can be a "godsend," and an act of grace to send a beautiful Valentine to an unsuspecting person. Elia thus encourages us all to value and perform what today we might call random acts of kindness.

"Shakespeare's theater was not very different from the stage of the Greeks." Is this statement false?

Yes, it is false, for several reasons. First, the Greek stage was designed to be viewed from the front, while Shakespeare’s Globe, for instance, was designed to allow an audience to view the play from several sides. Secondly, Greek theatre was designed to not call for scene changes, since the action occurred in one place and in one day. Thirdly, the Greek audience sat, while Shakespeare’s audience could both sit and stand in front of...

Yes, it is false, for several reasons. First, the Greek stage was designed to be viewed from the front, while Shakespeare’s Globe, for instance, was designed to allow an audience to view the play from several sides. Secondly, Greek theatre was designed to not call for scene changes, since the action occurred in one place and in one day. Thirdly, the Greek audience sat, while Shakespeare’s audience could both sit and stand in front of the stage; those patrons standing in front of the stage were called “groundlings.” The most interesting feature of the Greek theatre was the machine for the “deus ex machine” (god from the machine), speculatively a sort of crane designed to lift an actor overhead. Shakespeare’s stage had a balcony (see Romeo and Juliet), and an upstage curtained space for “reveals.” The stage accommodated several scene changes during the play. Noteworthy, too, is that Shakespeare’s plays were performed at several venues – inns of court, academic halls, even the Queen’s quarters at her demand. The proscenium stage with moveable scenery we know today is a much later refinement.

How do you write a direct comparison analysis for a compare and contrast essay?

Writing a "Compare and Contrast" essay requires you to:

1. Choose two subjects to compare


2. Identify a topic to focus on for your comparison


3. Argue that the subjects are either similar or different with regard to that topic

Note: The following is an outline for a "point-by-point" comparison essay, which works best for a 5-paragraph essay. Another option is a "subject-by-subject" comparison essay, which works best for longer essays. 

For an assignment, you likely had the subjects chosen for you but still need to find a focus for your comparison. 

To do that, think about all the similarities and differences between the two subjects, then select a theme that interests you most or you think you can argue best. 

If I were asked to write a comparison paper about dogs and cats, I might consider the differences and similarities in their anatomy, hunting behavior, temperaments and their relationships with humans. 

I chose the topic of their relationships with humans for my (imaginary) essay: Having a dog as a pet is different from having a cat. My purpose is not to prove that owning one kind of pet is better than owning another kind of pet; it is to prove that they are different experiences by showing how they are different. 

The thesis statement should touch on the topics that you will cover in your essay. For example, the thesis for mine might read, "Both dogs and cats make great pets, but they are very different experiences: owning a dog requires more responsibility, is often more expensive, and provides more interaction than owning a cat."

Your introduction gives you a chance to explain why you've chosen the subjects you have. Here's an example of how that might look: 

• Hook: Give a frame of reference for the topic that will pique the reader's interest and let them know why you've chosen this topic. Perhaps I would start with saying how many people in the United States own a pet and name a few universal benefits to pet ownership, like improved emotional and physical health.


• Grounds for comparison: Tell the reader why you've chosen to compare the topics that you have. I might use a statistic to show that dogs and cats are, overwhelmingly, the most popular pets in the country.


• Thesis: Make your argument about why the two subjects you've chosen are either similar or different. (In my case, different.)  

In a five-paragraph essay, the three body paragraphs in the middle will elaborate on the claims you've made in your thesis and give evidence for those claims.

The first body paragraph corresponds to the first topic touched on in the intro: In my case, "Owning a dog requires more responsibility than owning a cat."

Restate that argument in a topic sentence and then give two well-cited examples that prove the topic sentence to be true, giving equal attention to each subject. Link the subjects using "transitional expressions" that show comparison. From the Harvard College Writing Center:

To make these links, use transitional expressions of comparison and contrast (similarly, moreover, likewise, on the contrary, conversely, on the other hand) and contrastive vocabulary (in the example below, Southerner/Northerner).

For my essay, the evidence might show that:

• Dogs need to be walked or let out several times a day. Cats, on the other hand, can use a litter box that only needs cleaning every few days and never need to be walked. 


• Dogs need a lot of attention and become distressed when they do not receive it, while cats prefer solitude much of the time. 

For each of these bullet points, I would include an expert quote or a statistic from an academic study to prove that the evidence is solid. 

The end of the paragraph should draw a conclusion based on the evidence, linking the topic sentence back to the paper's thesis, and lead into the next paragraph. 

Follow this same structure for the other topics you named in the thesis. In my case, I would write a body paragraph giving evidence for each of these two topic sentences:

• Dogs are often more expensive to own than cats.


• Owning a dog provides more interaction than owning a cat.

Finally, write a conclusion that follows the reverse structure of the introduction paragraph.

• Summarize: Restate your thesis and the basics of your argument. ("Restate," of course, doesn't mean "copy and paste.")


• Evaluate: What does your conclusion mean in a broader context? My essay comparing dogs and cats might help people choose which pet is best for them, so I might say, "Either a dog or a cat might be an ideal pet for someone, depending on their lifestyles and needs. Considering the responsibilities and benefits of each type of pet can help people make the best choice for themselves and the animal." 


• Show significance: Why does it matter? In my case, I might cite numbers of dogs and cats currently living in shelters to conclude my essay and say, "Whether they choose a dog or cat, a person can make a big difference by giving a home to an animal in need." 

When you read over your essay, you should see a strong argument for either the similarity or difference between your two subjects, with evidence provided for all the claims you have made. You should be able to identify a thesis at the end of the introduction and a topic sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph.

In which way do humans exhale?

Let's start with the main reason we exhale. When we exhale the air we breathe out contains carbon dioxide that we are getting rid of. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular respiration, the process by which our cells convert energy from nutrients into usable energy in the form of ATP. The carbon dioxide that is produce during cellular respiration leaves the cells and enters the blood stream by diffusion. In the lungs, the...

Let's start with the main reason we exhale. When we exhale the air we breathe out contains carbon dioxide that we are getting rid of. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular respiration, the process by which our cells convert energy from nutrients into usable energy in the form of ATP. The carbon dioxide that is produce during cellular respiration leaves the cells and enters the blood stream by diffusion. In the lungs, the carbon dioxide leaves the blood stream and enters the alveoli by diffusion. Once in the alveoli, the carbon dioxide moves through airways that get progressively larger until we breathe it out during exhalation.

The process of exhalation occurs mainly from the action of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that separates our thorax from our abdomen. Because it is a muscle, it can contract and relax. When it contracts, the muscle gets shorter which makes it flatter. This provides more space in the thorax and causes the lungs to expand for inhalation. For exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and gets longer. This takes up more space in the thorax and puts pressure on the lungs causing the air to leave. For forced exhalation, such as blowing out birthday candles, other muscles such as abdominals and intercostal muscles between the ribs get involved to provide more pressure on the lungs and more exhalation.

In Animal Farm, what does Napoleon mean when he says "but any animal that absented himself would have his rations reduced by half"?

This quote can be found at the beginning of Chapter Six. This chapter picks up at a point when the experiment on the farm is beginning to go a bit sour. Snowball has just been driven from the farm, leaving Napoleon basically unchallenged in his rule. The animals are exerting themselves more and more in the construction of the windmill (which was Snowball's idea, though Napoleon has now taken credit for it). The animals, we...

This quote can be found at the beginning of Chapter Six. This chapter picks up at a point when the experiment on the farm is beginning to go a bit sour. Snowball has just been driven from the farm, leaving Napoleon basically unchallenged in his rule. The animals are exerting themselves more and more in the construction of the windmill (which was Snowball's idea, though Napoleon has now taken credit for it). The animals, we learn, are working "like slaves," and Napoleon adds to their sixty-hour a week workload by announcing that there will be a workday on Sunday as well. While work is "voluntary," the animals will have their "rations reduced by half." This refers to their food rations, and therefore means that the work is not really "voluntary": if they refuse to work on Sundays, they will starve. Aside from showing how Napoleon, like other dictators, consolidates his power by perverting the ideals of the society, this passage demonstrates an important theme in Animal Farm--the manipulation of language in service of power. By saying that extra work on Sundays is "voluntary," Napoleon keeps the facade of democracy on the farm. But in reality, as we have seen, it is hardly voluntary. It is an exercise in arbitrary power by a pig who is becoming increasingly despotic and abusive of his authority.

What literary techniques are used and what are the effects of these techniques in Sonnet CXVI (116) by William Shakespeare?

Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 is about the definition of true love. While it is not as inventive as some of his other sonnets, the images and metaphors it contains effectively establish the idea that true love is ever-lasting. The sonnet begins by defining what love is not with a paradox, "love is not love." He then continues to define what love is not by repeating words "Which alters when it alteration finds, /Or bends with the...

Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 is about the definition of true love. While it is not as inventive as some of his other sonnets, the images and metaphors it contains effectively establish the idea that true love is ever-lasting. The sonnet begins by defining what love is not with a paradox, "love is not love." He then continues to define what love is not by repeating words "Which alters when it alteration finds, /Or bends with the remover to remove." These lines mean that love does not change when it encounters changes or alter itself when one is unfaithful. These lines are effective ways to introduce the poem because they pull the reader in by providing a sense of paradox, or the opposite of what's expected, and repeat words that have slightly different meanings each time they are used.

Shakespeare's sonnet begins almost with a series of riddles about what love is not and then turns to what love is by using a series of effective metaphors: "O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, /That looks on tempests, and is never shaken." In these lines, he compares love to a lighthouse that is not destroyed by storms, and then Shakespeare compares love to a star that guides each "bark," or ship. The poet then says that even Time, with "his bending sickle," or trademark scythe, cannot change love, even though Time can affect love and make it look older. The use of Time is a well-known image in Shakespeare's poems and other poems of the era. In the final couplet (which ends all sonnets): "If this be error and upon me proved,/ I never writ, nor no man ever loved," Shakespeare claims the truth of what he's said and sets up a very powerful inverse. He says that if he's wrong, no one was ever in love. Since this statement can't be true (someone has loved), he must be right, and the last couplet establishes the truth of what he's said.

What is Walt Whitman's tone in his poem "O Captain! My Captain!"?

Walt Whitman's tone in "O Captain! My Captain!" is largely elegiac, in that it resembles an elegy. The poem was written in honor of President Lincoln following his assassination, and it also has celebratory passages that mark the end of the Civil War.

The poem starts with a tone of praise and commendation, as "our fearful trip is done." Whitman praises Lincoln's efforts during the Civil War, stating that "the port is near." In other...

Walt Whitman's tone in "O Captain! My Captain!" is largely elegiac, in that it resembles an elegy. The poem was written in honor of President Lincoln following his assassination, and it also has celebratory passages that mark the end of the Civil War.

The poem starts with a tone of praise and commendation, as "our fearful trip is done." Whitman praises Lincoln's efforts during the Civil War, stating that "the port is near." In other words, Lincoln led the ship of state through the war, and the ship is about to safely be led to port. Then, the poem has a more mournful tone in the second part of each stanza (the second half of each stanza is indented). For example, the second part of the first stanza reads, "But O heart! heart! heart!" The repetition of the word "heart" and the reference to "bleeding drops of red" refer to the nation's grief over Lincoln's assassination.

The second stanza mentions the celebrations that are being conducted to commemorate the end of the war. The poem mentions the ways in which the nation is celebrating, including bells, bugle calls, and "bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths." In the midst of this celebration, mourners are grieving for Lincoln, who is commemorated in a more somber tone in the second half of the stanza, which begins "Here Captain! dear father!" 

The third stanza begins with an elegiac tone. It starts, "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still." The second half of the stanza is both celebratory and somber. It begins, "Exult O shores, and ring O bells!" In other words, the poet wants the celebrations of the war's end to continue, but he says he will be in mourning: "But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies." This goes back to the metaphor of the ship of state, on whose deck Lincoln lies slain.