In Milkweed, what is one way that Spinelli shows Misha thinks of the welfare of others?

Misha's relationship with the Milgrom family shows his concern with the welfare of others.

Misha does not use his smuggling skills for his own benefit.  As times become more difficult, Misha thinks of the Milgrom family.  He sneaks food from outside the ghetto and places it on their doorstep.  In this way, he recognizes that the Milgrom family needs help.  He provides it, looking out for their well-being.  

Another way that Misha thinks of...

Misha's relationship with the Milgrom family shows his concern with the welfare of others.

Misha does not use his smuggling skills for his own benefit.  As times become more difficult, Misha thinks of the Milgrom family.  He sneaks food from outside the ghetto and places it on their doorstep.  In this way, he recognizes that the Milgrom family needs help.  He provides it, looking out for their well-being.  

Another way that Misha thinks of the Milgroms' welfare is in his relationship with Janina.  As life becomes more challenging, Misha remains true to his connection with a girl who has, for all practical purposes, become his sister. He knows that Janina is imitating him and looks out for her welfare in not discouraging her.  Instead of solely focusing on his own needs, he looks out for her on their smuggling missions.  As the horror of ghetto life becomes more pronounced and people are sent to a place with "fences that fry...prison coops...ovens...[and] ashes fall[ing] like snow," Misha looks out for Janina's welfare.  Mr. Milgrom tells Misha to take his daughter and escape.  Misha could have abandoned Janina or refused her father's request. However, he respects Mr. Milgrom and runs away from the ghetto with Janina. Doing so shows how Misha is thinking of Janina's welfare, acting more in her interest than his own. 

How was Russia ripe for revolution in 1917?

Russia was quite ripe for revolution in 1917.  First, the Russian army had a poor track record that went back to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905.  In WWI the Russian army showed that it learned little from this defeat as its generals were known more on the parade ground and in the czarist court than it was on the battlefield.  The Russian army lost a lot of territory to the Germans after battles such as...

Russia was quite ripe for revolution in 1917.  First, the Russian army had a poor track record that went back to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905.  In WWI the Russian army showed that it learned little from this defeat as its generals were known more on the parade ground and in the czarist court than it was on the battlefield.  The Russian army lost a lot of territory to the Germans after battles such as Tannenberg.  Also, Czar Nicholas II was a poor leader for a nation in crisis.  While he did institute some reforms such as creating a Duma (Parliament) after the revolution in 1905, he barely listened to this group and listened more closely to his advisers in court, many of whom gave bad advice. Nicholas was inconsistent, and he insisted that the people loved him because he was the embodiment of the Russian state--this blinded him to the issues his country faced. Many peasants were starving due to the abolition of serfdom in the 1860s which drove the serfs off the land more than it helped them find meaningful lives afterwards.  Russian defeats on the battlefield caused the state to lose valuable farmland, especially in Ukraine.  Many people in the Pale of Settlement (Russia's outer periphery, mainly used as territory for dissenters) came to resent the pogroms that took place under Nicholas and his successor.  These places--the Baltic lands and Poland, especially, experienced nationalist movements which contributed to the fall of the czar.  In the end, while a revolution could have been averted if Nicholas had been either more forceful or more progressive, it was his leadership combined with a disastrous war that ultimately led to his downfall.  

What is the connection of the symbol of the mockingbird and the characters in the story (including Jem, Tom Robinson, Mr. Raymond, and Boo Radley)?

In Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells his children, "Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout, unused to hearing her father lecture her about very much, asks Miss Maudie to clarify what Atticus has said. Miss Maudie explains, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy...That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In other words, mockingbirds are defenseless creatures, which is why it's morally...

In Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells his children, "Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout, unused to hearing her father lecture her about very much, asks Miss Maudie to clarify what Atticus has said. Miss Maudie explains, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy...That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In other words, mockingbirds are defenseless creatures, which is why it's morally wrong to kill them.

Characters in the novel are as innocent as mockingbirds. For example, Boo Radley is roundly feared because he is developmentally disabled and shy, but he is in essence harmless. In fact, he is a kind man who rescues Jem and Scout in the end of the novel. Similarly, Jem is harmless, as he is a child, and so it is indefensible for Mr. Ewell to try to harm him. Tom Robinson is an African-American man in a racist southern town in the 1930s, and the trial against him and his death are unfair and unjustifiable. Finally, Dolphus Raymond lives with African-American people, so white people don't trust him. He, like the other characters, is as innocent and harmless as a mockingbird. 

How is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak related to the Holocaust?

The definition of a holocaust is the complete devastation or destruction of something, mostly by fire. Millions of Jews were killed during World War II and sent to crematoriums, thereby being destroyed by fire. But a holocaust can be anything that suffers mass destruction. Zusak's The Book Thief deals with the subject of the Holocaust from a young German girl's perspective. She experiences it by witnessing specific events associated with how the Nazis systematically destroyed the Jewish population.

First, Liesel witnesses the suffering of a Jewish man who hides in her family's basement. It is damp and cold down in the basement, but he would rather take his chances with a lonely existence until the war is over than suffer the tortures of a concentration camp. When she sees a large group of Jews walking down the streets of her hometown, she quietly thinks the following to herself:

"I have one of you in my basement! she wanted to say. We built a snowman together! I gave him thirteen presents when he was sick!" (393).

Many free people helped to hide Jews from the Nazis, and Liesel suffers with the man in her basement while he is there. She witnesses the toll it takes on his mind and body while he waits and prays for it all to end.

Next, the little girl sees her father stoop to help a Jew when a group makes its way through the streets.

"The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic" (394).

The above passage shows the love and compassion of a German for a Jew as the latter is marched towards a death camp. The man throws himself to the feet of the bread-giver and thanks him. As a result, the Jew is whipped six times, and then Hans gets his beating. The Jew keeps walking on towards death and to take his place among others in the Holocaust.

The Book Thief does not focus on the concentration camps for its main story, but it certainly addresses their existence. The main characters witness the devastation and the destruction of the Jews as they hide or march through the streets to their deaths. The book shows a different perspective on the Holocaust and that not all Germans were Nazis who murdered Jews.

Describe Miles's plan. What was the drawback of the plan?

Mae Tuck has been arrested and put in jail for killing the man in the yellow suit.  She is likely to be hanged for her crime.  Miles's plan is to break Mae out of the jail.  He plans to do this by removing the jail cell's barred window.  He is going to take the window and frame out in one entire piece.  Then Mae should be able to climb through the window in order to make her escape.  

"He says he can take Ma's window frame right straight out of the wall, bars and all, and she can climb through."

The problem is that the constable is likely to notice fairly quickly that Mae is missing.  The Tuck family needs more time in order to put a lot of distance between them and Treegap.  

"But even if she can climb through the window, he'll come after her soon's he sees she's gone. Seems to me he'll notice right off. That don't give us much time to get away."

Winnie Foster solves that problem by volunteering to climb in through the window.  She will hide underneath a blanket on the bed, and the constable will think that Mae Tuck is still in the cell.  Winnie's actions would buy the Tucks a few more hours of escape time.  

"When your mother climbs out the window, I'll climb in and take her place. I can wrap myself up in her blanket, and when the constable looks in, he won't be able to tell the difference. Not in the dark. I can hump up and look a lot bigger. Miles can even put the window back. That would give you time to get away! You'd have at least till morning!"

Why does Dee want the quilts in "Everyday Use"?

The struggle of African American women with racism and prejudice was the theme of many of Alice Walker’s writing. “Everyday Use” was published in a time when these problems were at their apex.

The characters in the story represent two distinct generations. Mrs. Johnson believes that family is the heart and soul of life. Her life has been given to her daughters in trying to provide for their needs. Her youngest daughter Dee does not understand or appreciate the sacrifices that her mother’s has undergone for her.

Mrs. Johnson is uneducated and naïve. This does not mean she is not intelligent. However, she waits on the lawn for a daughter who does not appreciate her mother or sister. Dee believes that she is above the family for which, in truth, she has been ashamed.

Dee has even changed her name to one that she believes makes her closer to her African heritage. Dee brags:

"She's dead," Wangero said. "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me."

With little protest, her mother seems to accept her persona and even her name. Dee gives her mother nothing but a superior attitude.

It has been so long since Dee has been home that her mother’s imagination runs wild hoping that Dee will be happy to be home. Dee has an ulterior motive for coming home. Not to be a part of the family again but to take things that she can show to others as actual antique, African artifacts.

Dee lays claim to a couple of quilts. Because she has always gotten her way, she does not dream that her shy sister Maggie will not allow her to take them. When her mother supports the older sister by telling Dee that she cannot have them, Dee is livid.

"Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!" she said. "She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use."

The quilts have no value to Dee except as wall hangings. On the other hand, Maggie plans to use the quilts as they were intended to be used: by actually living within the African and family heritage. The story disproves Dee’s superficial attitude that it is a new day for the African Americans

What would be a good argument against the fairy tale aspects portrayed in "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates?

Perhaps the most obvious way in which this story could be said to portray fairy tale elements is in the way that Connie responds to Arnold Friend. He is a sort of "Big Bad Wolf" character in that he is rather obviously not a wholesome or kind person, but he has a kind of charm and is rather seductive. In fairy tales, the Big Bad Wolf is a sort of archetype who represents aggressive male sexuality; he is usually contrasted with a more innocent character such as Little Red Riding Hood. The red cape and the color red in general can be seen symbolically on several levels: it symbolizes the blood of menstruation, a sign of sexual maturity, or of loss of virginity, or of lust.

Red Riding Hood is manipulated by the Big Bad Wolf and brings harm upon her grandmother; in Oates' story, the "wolf" (Friend) threatens Connie's family's safety, so she agrees to go with him. Connie is also somewhat sexually attracted to Arnold Friend, even as she is repulsed by him; the text refers again and again to her heart racing and her feelings of helplessness, a mixture of fear and arousal. She wants to run away, but she can't say no. He wears her down with talking and she can't resist any longer.

In the end, her choice to go with him may be seen as a rite of passage, in which she says goodbye to the innocence of her childhood and the safety of the family life she has known. It is not clear in the end what Connie's fate is, but the last few lines of the story do suggest a hint of dread:  

She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited.

"My sweet little blue-eyed girl," he said in a half-sung sigh that had nothing to do with her brown eyes but was taken up just the same by the vast sunlit reaches of the land behind him and on all sides of him—so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it. 

She sees herself as if she is outside her own body, which may be a foreshadowing of her death. She also sees the land and knows she is "going to it," which may hint that she will wind up dead in the fields, possibly buried there.  In many fairy tales, the fate of the heroine is sometimes not a happy one. The ending here is ambiguous, but the story's depiction of Arnold Friend suggests a predator determined to make a victim of Connie.

How does Nick Carraway show honesty in The Great Gatsby?

Since The Great Gatsby is written as a first-person narration from Nick's perspective, the reader has access to Nick's innermost thoughts. In the novel, there are numerous instances where Nick is shown to be personally vexed by the dishonesty of the characters who surround him. For example, at the party in Catherine's apartment, Catherine asserts that Tom cannot leave his wife, Daisy, because Daisy is Catholic and does not "believe" in divorce. As Daisy's cousin,...

Since The Great Gatsby is written as a first-person narration from Nick's perspective, the reader has access to Nick's innermost thoughts. In the novel, there are numerous instances where Nick is shown to be personally vexed by the dishonesty of the characters who surround him. For example, at the party in Catherine's apartment, Catherine asserts that Tom cannot leave his wife, Daisy, because Daisy is Catholic and does not "believe" in divorce. As Daisy's cousin, Nick knows that Daisy is not, in fact, Catholic, and he admits to being "a little shocked at the elaborateness of the lie." In this instance, Nick's internal shock serves to characterize him as a more or less honest character as he seems morally averse to the lying committed by those around him. 

What is "Night Life"? |

"Night Life" is one of the final chapters in The Things They Carried. In it, O'Brien tells the story of how Rat Kiley wounded himself. The company was forced to move only at night ("night life") due to a rumor about increased Vietnamese soldiers in the area. It made everyone stressed and tense, but especially Rat. He started getting manic about the bugs, insisting they were after him and frantically scratching his bites. He...

"Night Life" is one of the final chapters in The Things They Carried. In it, O'Brien tells the story of how Rat Kiley wounded himself. The company was forced to move only at night ("night life") due to a rumor about increased Vietnamese soldiers in the area. It made everyone stressed and tense, but especially Rat. He started getting manic about the bugs, insisting they were after him and frantically scratching his bites. He stops sleeping during the day and starts seeing people as dead or wounded when he talks to them, imagining his own body covered in bugs. When he finally loses it and shoots himself in the foot to get out of the war, Cross lies for him so he won't get in trouble. 

This story is important because it is another example of O'Brien's goal to show what the war is really like for the soldiers in it. He wants to show that behaviors that may seem cowardly or distasteful are completely understandable in the lawless world of war. This story is an example of that theme.

What did Scout and Jem learn about Atticus in Chapter 10 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and how did they learn this about him?

In Chapter 10 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus astounds both his children through demonstrating he has excellent marksmanship by shooting a rabid dog in one shot, thereby protecting his children and his whole neighborhood. Prior to this moment, both his children had believed Atticus was nothing more than a "feeble" old man, incapable of accomplishing anything of significance. Due to their age differences, Jem and Scout learn different thingsfrom the...

In Chapter 10 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus astounds both his children through demonstrating he has excellent marksmanship by shooting a rabid dog in one shot, thereby protecting his children and his whole neighborhood. Prior to this moment, both his children had believed Atticus was nothing more than a "feeble" old man, incapable of accomplishing anything of significance. Due to their age differences, Jem and Scout learn different things from the experience. Scout, being younger, only learns that her father is more capable than she believed him to be. Jem, being older, learns lessons in courage and gentlemanly behavior.

After witnessing her father's shooting skills, Scout is puzzled as to why Atticus kept his skills a secret and doesn't shoot any more. She tries to alleviate her confusion by having a conversation about it with Miss Maudie. In answer to Scout's question as to why Atticus never hunts anymore, Miss Maudie explains that Atticus realizes his gift of marksmanship places him at an "unfair advantage over most living things." Miss Maudie further explains that, since Atticus values life, he decided not to shoot until he absolutely "had to." After hearing that, Scout can understand why Atticus doesn't shoot anymore, but she can't understand why he has kept his abilities a secret all these years and next says, "Looks like he'd be proud of it." But Scout is too young to understand that, due to Atticus's humility, Atticus is unable to be proud of a God-given talent that allows him to kill at will. Hence, all Scout learns from the experience is that Atticus is able to do things she never knew about before.

In contrast, Jem, being older, is able to understand exactly why his father objects to using his sharpshooting skills. Jem explains to his sister that Atticus is not proud of his skills because, as he says to Scout, "Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!" (Ch. 10). In saying this, Jem means that Atticus is acting gentlemanly in refusing to kill living things, since to be gentlemanly is to be caring and considerate. Therefore, through learning more about his father, Jem also develops a greater understanding of what it means to be a gentleman.

How did William Wordsworth evolve as a poet throughout his life?

William Wordsworth's early poems were marked by a sense of mysticism and wonder. For example, in 1798, he published Lyrical Ballads, a seminal work in the English Romantic movement, with his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth's poem "Tintern Abbey" is a lyrical description of nature that becomes a meditation on poetical inspiration. He asserts the healing power of nature, writing that "Nature never did betray/ The heart that loved her." Wordsworth deliberately used real...

William Wordsworth's early poems were marked by a sense of mysticism and wonder. For example, in 1798, he published Lyrical Ballads, a seminal work in the English Romantic movement, with his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth's poem "Tintern Abbey" is a lyrical description of nature that becomes a meditation on poetical inspiration. He asserts the healing power of nature, writing that "Nature never did betray/ The heart that loved her." Wordsworth deliberately used real language as opposed to elevated diction and defined poetry as "emotion recollected in tranquility." He composed several poems following this idea, including "My Heart Leaps Up" and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."

Wordsworth then turned to writing a more abstract poem called "The Recluse, or Views of Man, Nature and Society," but he was unable to finish it. He returned to writing poems about the interaction of nature and people, such as "To a Butterfly" and "The Rainbow." 

Around 1802, when he was 32, Wordsworth sank into a period of depression. He visited France, where he had spent time after the French Revolution of 1789. He found that the promise of the revolution was unfulfilled, and he lost the idealistic attitude of his youth. Instead, he became an English patriot, expressing his patriotism in poems such as "London, 1802." He was also concerned with his friend Coleridge, who used opium to deal with physical pain. Wordsworth's poems at this time, such as The Ecclesiastical Sonnets, turned to Christian themes for inspiration and are considered dogmatic and unexceptional. 

His last work, published after his death, was The Preludes, which many people consider his masterpiece (it had formerly been known as "the poem to Coleridge"). It is an autobiography about the development of the poet and includes revealing details about Wordsworth's life. 

The dramatic irony of the play's climax is caused by A. the fight between Romeo and Paris B. the eerie setting C. the appearance of the...

The definition of irony is when the opposite happens from what is expected. However, the definition for dramatic irony is when one character doesn't know what is really going on, but the audience does. Sometimes other characters also know what is going on, but another character is out of the loop, and the audience knows this as well. For instance, in Act V of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the audience and Friar Lawrence know...

The definition of irony is when the opposite happens from what is expected. However, the definition for dramatic irony is when one character doesn't know what is really going on, but the audience does. Sometimes other characters also know what is going on, but another character is out of the loop, and the audience knows this as well. For instance, in Act V of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the audience and Friar Lawrence know that Juliet is alive, but Romeo and Paris do not. As a result, Romeo makes a rash decision to buy himself some poison and go to Juliet's tomb to die alongside her. The fact that Paris is there, and that the two men fight, does not make the scene ironic because one would expect Paris to grieve the loss of his fiance. Also, one would expect the two rivals to fight. Next, the eerie setting and Romeo flying to Juliet's side are both expected based on the tone and mood of the play. Therefore, as Romeo commits suicide under the belief that his love is dead--but the audience knows she is only sleeping and yet alive--dramatic irony is created. 

What's a good hook for an introduction to an essay on the theme of authority in the book The Crucible?

Often, an interesting way to go with a hook is to begin your essay with an attention-grabbing quotation that relates to and sheds light on your topic.  This way, in your introduction, you can begin to discuss the importance of your topic, and the quotation will also give you a way to close your essay.  In your conclusion, you can return to the quotation and discuss it in light of all you've argued thus far. 

...

Often, an interesting way to go with a hook is to begin your essay with an attention-grabbing quotation that relates to and sheds light on your topic.  This way, in your introduction, you can begin to discuss the importance of your topic, and the quotation will also give you a way to close your essay.  In your conclusion, you can return to the quotation and discuss it in light of all you've argued thus far. 

Here are a couple of ideas:

"Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade."  - Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
This quotation definitely relates to Reverend Parris's behavior throughout the majority of the text, as he is so desperate to hold on to his authority and position that he actually withholds very important information from both Reverend Hale and the court.  He maintains silence in order not to cast doubt on his own house -- since it was his niece and daughter who were dancing in the woods, conjuring spirits -- and his silence, in part, allows the trials to begin and to go on for as long as they do.  You could also relate this quotation to Deputy Governor Danforth's behavior and priorities in Act Four, once it has become clear, even to Parris, that the trials have been corrupt.

"Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish." -- Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan poet, living in the colony
Such a quotation would also very much relate to the way in which authority is wielded in The Crucible.  Neither Parris nor Hale (at least, initially) nor Danforth nor Hathorne seems to possess and/or exercise wisdom in their positions of authority.  Danforth seems to employ a thoughtless logic (either one is with his court or against it), Hathorne only wants to demonstrate his ability to convict so that he can be promoted, and Parris only desires to strengthen his position in the face of the faction he believes wants to undermine him.  By the end of the play, their wisdom-less authority has taken a heavy toll, more than "bruising" Salem; "destroying" would be a more accurate term.

Why does the Prince of Arragon choose the silver casket in The Merchant of Venice?

After careful deliberation in which he concludes that he is quite deserving of Portia, the Prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket.

Convinced that he deserves Portia, the Prince of Arragon goes through a line of reasoning not unlike that of the previous suitor. He rejects the gold casket because he thinks that only those shallow men who value appearances over other qualities would select the gold. Further, he rejects the lead casket as unfitting for Portia, and it is not...

After careful deliberation in which he concludes that he is quite deserving of Portia, the Prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket.

Convinced that he deserves Portia, the Prince of Arragon goes through a line of reasoning not unlike that of the previous suitor. He rejects the gold casket because he thinks that only those shallow men who value appearances over other qualities would select the gold. Further, he rejects the lead casket as unfitting for Portia, and it is not beautiful enough for him to risk himself for it.

When he looks at the silver casket, the prince reads on it, “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves” (2.9.51). Believing that he is quite deserving of Portia, the prince then selects the silver casket. However, he is wrong, as inside the silver casket is a fool's head, suggesting that the prince has been foolish to presume that he does deserve Portia. This suggestion greatly angers the prince, but he honors the pledge that he has made, which stipulates that if he loses, he will not reveal which casket he has chosen, he will not marry, and he will immediately depart.

One of the most contentious arguments in American history has centered on the relative strength of the federal government in opposition to the...

It would be very difficult for me to directly answer this question because it is an opinion question. Your response is based on your political beliefs.  I can help you to  create a more informed opinion so that you may answer it in an adequate fashion. The question of the balance of power between the state and the federal government is one that has been wrestled with since the founding of the republic over two...

It would be very difficult for me to directly answer this question because it is an opinion question. Your response is based on your political beliefs.  I can help you to  create a more informed opinion so that you may answer it in an adequate fashion. The question of the balance of power between the state and the federal government is one that has been wrestled with since the founding of the republic over two hundred years ago. The issue led to the American Civil War. The presence of a strong federal government (unitary system) has a number of advantages. Since the laws are applied uniformly, a sense of unity may be created that does not exist in a confederate system of government. The concentration of power in the federal government tends to be more efficient.  Revenue streams are greater in a unitary system. Because of the increased revenue of a strong federal government, more can be achieved for the greater good of all of the citizens. The biggest criticism of a strong federal government is that it lends itself to tyranny and the dissolution of state and individual rights.

The largest advantage that a strong state government (confederate) model offers is the proximity of the government to the governed. Since the state government is much closer to the citizens than a federal government hundreds or thousands of miles away, it should be able to better represent its people. It should be able to meet the specific needs of the state and its citizens. Different states have different needs so having a stronger political presence in each state may be considered ideal.  Detractors of a strong state government presence would suggest that a unitary system can splinter national unity and cause disagreements between the states. Also, the smaller tax base makes it more difficult to provide services to its citizens.

To complete this essay with an informed opinion, it is necessary to understand the advantages and disadvantages of a unitary and confederate system of government. I have given you a few examples of each of these.

What is the overall function of Chapter 5 of The Pearl?

Chapter 5 of John Steinbeck's The Pearlachieves the function of making it clear that the pearl will only bring unhappiness to Kino and Juana. At the beginning of the chapter, Juana tries to throw the pearl into the sea, but Kino, enraged, follows her. Steinbeck describes Kino as "red with anger," and Kino hisses at Juana "like a snake" (page numbers vary by edition). Kino has become unmoored by greed and his beating of...

Chapter 5 of John Steinbeck's The Pearl achieves the function of making it clear that the pearl will only bring unhappiness to Kino and Juana. At the beginning of the chapter, Juana tries to throw the pearl into the sea, but Kino, enraged, follows her. Steinbeck describes Kino as "red with anger," and Kino hisses at Juana "like a snake" (page numbers vary by edition). Kino has become unmoored by greed and his beating of Juana, followed by her passive acceptance of it, shows that the family is beginning to break apart.

After Kino beats Juana, he is attacked, and he kills the man who attacks him. At this point, "Juana knew that the old life was gone forever" (page numbers vary by edition). Juana understands that her peaceful way of life has been shattered. Juana tells Kino that they have to flee their home, and they later find that their boat has been destroyed and that their house is in flames. It is clear that the discovery of the pearl has only brought disaster and discord to their family. 

How was life after the Louisiana Purchase?

Life continued to move forward after the Louisiana Purchase. President Jefferson sent the explorers, Lewis and Clark, to explore part of the Louisiana Purchase. They came back with geographic information and scientific information about the land we had just purchased from France.

Life in the United States continued to grow and develop. Many people continued to farm. Slavery continued to be important in the South. As the Industrial Revolution began, more people started to work...

Life continued to move forward after the Louisiana Purchase. President Jefferson sent the explorers, Lewis and Clark, to explore part of the Louisiana Purchase. They came back with geographic information and scientific information about the land we had just purchased from France.

Life in the United States continued to grow and develop. Many people continued to farm. Slavery continued to be important in the South. As the Industrial Revolution began, more people started to work in factories. These factories were located in the cities, leading to an increase in the population of the cities. The North was mainly industrial while the South was mainly agricultural.

Eventually, we began to develop the American System. We began to protect our industries by putting tariffs on products made in other countries. This helped our new industries grow. We began to improve our transportation system. The National Road was expanded and new canals, such as the Erie Canal, were built. We also developed our national bank.

The Louisiana Purchase helped our country grow. As our country grew, so did life in the United States.

Who allowed Jesus to use the upper room for the Last Supper?

Unfortunately, we are never given the name of the man who lets Jesus use his home for one of the most important meals in all of history. 

We know, from the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that Jesus sends several of his disciples into the city to find a man. In Mark and Luke, the disciples would know this man because he would be carrying a jug of water. At the time, men did...

Unfortunately, we are never given the name of the man who lets Jesus use his home for one of the most important meals in all of history. 

We know, from the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that Jesus sends several of his disciples into the city to find a man. In Mark and Luke, the disciples would know this man because he would be carrying a jug of water. At the time, men did not carry water around. That was a woman's job. So it would have been out of place for the disciples to see a man carrying water. Thus, the man would likely have been easy to spot. They were to follow the man with the jug to his house, and then ask where the room to hold Passover was. 

In Matthew's Gospel, we get even less information. We just know that the disciples were to go find "a certain man" (Matthew 26:18). Then, when they found this random man, they were to ask him to use his house for Passover. 

This might be a man Jesus already knew and had made plans with or it may be an example of a miracle. 

How does Calpurnia teach Scout respect in To Kill a Mockingbird?

At the beginning of Chapter 3, Jem stops Scout from beating up Walter Cunningham Jr. and then invites him over for dinner. In the middle of dinner, Walter asks for molasses and proceeds to pour the syrup all over his meat and vegetables. Scout is utterly disgusted and asks Walter what the "sam hill" he is doing. Walter immediately puts the saucer down because he feels embarrassed, and Atticus shakes his head at Scout. Scout...

At the beginning of Chapter 3, Jem stops Scout from beating up Walter Cunningham Jr. and then invites him over for dinner. In the middle of dinner, Walter asks for molasses and proceeds to pour the syrup all over his meat and vegetables. Scout is utterly disgusted and asks Walter what the "sam hill" he is doing. Walter immediately puts the saucer down because he feels embarrassed, and Atticus shakes his head at Scout. Scout continues to protest about Walter's eating habits until Calpurnia summons her to the kitchen.

Once Scout is in the kitchen with Calpurnia, Calpurnia reprimands Scout for her behavior. Calpurnia tells Scout that there are some people who don't eat like them, but that doesn't give Scout the right to contradict them. Calpurnia then explains to Scout that anybody who steps foot in their home is considered "company." Cal says,

"...don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracing' 'em" (Lee 17).

Calpurnia's conversation with Scout about how she should act towards her company is one example of how Cal teaches Scout respect in the novel.

What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king?

As described in the poem, Ozymandias was a tyrant who did not even make a pretense of caring about the needs of his people. His facial expression, his hand, his heart, and his voice all point to the fact that he was a selfish oppressor.

His facial expression was a "frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command." This expression shows him as angry and unkind toward those he ruled over. A sneer is...

As described in the poem, Ozymandias was a tyrant who did not even make a pretense of caring about the needs of his people. His facial expression, his hand, his heart, and his voice all point to the fact that he was a selfish oppressor.

His facial expression was a "frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command." This expression shows him as angry and unkind toward those he ruled over. A sneer is an expression showing contempt, meaning that he held his subjects to be inconsequential, not worth caring about, and deserving only of his scorn. The coldness of his command shows he had no empathy toward the plight of the people he ruled. He was self-absorbed.

His hand figuratively mocked his subjects. Again, this shows he scorned them. Whatever needs or wants they had were not to be entertained; his needs and wants were always supreme. To mock a powerful person can be considered brave and may have a purpose in bringing about change through satire, but to mock a needy or oppressed person is low indeed and displays a serious lack of morality. He was cruel.

His heart figuratively fed on his subjects. This shows he was a predator; he sucked the life from his subjects, perhaps requiring back-breaking labor for his building projects and the lion's share of anything they produced. That his heart fed on his subjects could also imply that he demanded their loyalty, praise, and adoration. Not being content with their obedient service, he demanded worship as well. He was abusive.

His voice, which we hear through the inscription on his pedestal, instructs the "Mighty" to look on his works and despair. This suggests that he sought to go beyond the bounds of his own kingdom—for no one in his own kingdom was mighty except him—to the surrounding region, contemplating conquest. The despair other kingdoms might feel would be inspired by their knowledge that, if he desired, he could subjugate them as well. Having everything at his disposal in his own land, he was not above desiring what lay beyond his borders. He was greedy.

From the evidence of his statue and inscription, Ozymandias was a self-absorbed, cruel, abusive, and greedy king.

What contrasts do you notice in the dialogue of Waiting for Godot? Explore their purpose and dramatic effect.

In the dialogue in Waiting for Godot, Vladimir is by far the more eloquent speaker, and he mainly concentrates on matters of the head and more abstract matters. For example, he constantly fusses with his hat. His reactions are far more cerebral than those of Estragon. He, for instance, begins speaking of a long parable involving "our savior," to which Estragon is incapable of responding.

Estragon, on the other hand, speaks in short, declarative...

In the dialogue in Waiting for Godot, Vladimir is by far the more eloquent speaker, and he mainly concentrates on matters of the head and more abstract matters. For example, he constantly fusses with his hat. His reactions are far more cerebral than those of Estragon. He, for instance, begins speaking of a long parable involving "our savior," to which Estragon is incapable of responding.

Estragon, on the other hand, speaks in short, declarative statements and asks fewer abstract questions. His concerns are mainly with his body, particularly his swelling feet. He spends much of the beginning of the first act trying to remove his boots, and saying "Nothing to be done," while Vladimir speaks of more abstract concerns. When Estragon finally removes his boots, he examines them to see if there's anything in them. Vladimir responds, "There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet." In other words, Vladimir is concerned with more abstract matters than the comfort of his feet--which is what concerns Estragon.

The purpose of this dichotomy is to create a representation of the mind through the character of Vladimir and to create a representation of the body through Estragon. The dramatic effect is that the two parts of the human are clearly dramatized on stage as they both wrestle with the meaning of life. 

Would Squeaky make a good friend in "Raymond's Run"?

Squeaky would be a good friend because she is loyal, sincere and has interesting hobbies.

Squeaky can certainly be judgmental and she has a little trouble making friends, but she is extremely loyal.  She looks after her brother and protects him no matter what, even though people make fun of him for being a little different.  Although he is her big brother, he acts like her little brother. 

And a lot of smart mouths got...

Squeaky would be a good friend because she is loyal, sincere and has interesting hobbies.

Squeaky can certainly be judgmental and she has a little trouble making friends, but she is extremely loyal.  She looks after her brother and protects him no matter what, even though people make fun of him for being a little different.  Although he is her big brother, he acts like her little brother. 

And a lot of smart mouths got lots to say about that too, especially when George was minding him. But now, if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me.

This same loyalty and protectiveness makes her an excellent friend.  If Squeaky was your friend, she would be there for you no matter what.  If someone picked on you, she would stand up for you.  That is a great trait to have in a friend.

Another trait that makes Squeaky an excellent friend is her sincerity.  Squeaky can’t stand it when people pretend to be something they are not.  She doesn’t like false modesty, and she doesn’t like it when people pretend to like you when they don’t.

Gretchen smiles, but it’s not a smile, and I’m thinking that girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how and don’t want to know how and there’s probably no one to teach us how, cause grown-up girls don’t know either.

For these reasons, with Squeaky you will always know where you stand.  She will always tell you what she thinks.  She means what she says, and doesn’t believe in pretending.  She can’t stand people who do.

Finally, Squeaky has a really cool hobby.  She is a great runner.  The fact that she is so committed to being a good runner means that she sees things through and is dedicated, but it would also give her great things to do with friends.  As Squeaky’s friend, you can become a better runner and you will always have something to do.

How can I write a letter to the magistrate in Trifles pleading that Minnie is not guilty?

To make such a letter look official, try looking for templates of magistrate letters. This is as simple as googling the key words: template, letter, and magistrate. The letter would begin with something like "Dear Sir:" and a few paragraphs would follow. The letter should also close with something formal such as "Yours Sincerely, (Insert Name)." 

In the bulk of the letter, you state your case. Are you arguing that Minnie did not kill her...

To make such a letter look official, try looking for templates of magistrate letters. This is as simple as googling the key words: template, letter, and magistrate. The letter would begin with something like "Dear Sir:" and a few paragraphs would follow. The letter should also close with something formal such as "Yours Sincerely, (Insert Name)." 

In the bulk of the letter, you state your case. Are you arguing that Minnie did not kill her husband? If that's the case, you would have to present evidence and reasoning that exonerates Minnie. You might add that her stoic or flippant manner when Hale discovers her is shock. It's the result of finding her husband dead. You might also argue that the dead bird could have been killed by an intruder, the same intruder who killed Mr. Wright. 

If you are going to argue that Minnie had been justified in killing her husband, build the case around the idea that Mr. Wright (ironically named) was calculatingly bad, and perhaps abusive, husband. We can only speculate about physical abuse because it is not overtly mentioned. But Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can testify to the fact that Minnie was much happier and outgoing before her marriage. They note John was a "hard man" to live with. And Mrs. Hale adds " . . . I don't think a place'd be any cheerfuller for John Wright's being in it." One could argue that moving Minnie to the farmhouse was like a type of imprisonment. Given Minnie's love of singing, the supposition that John killed the bird is a good piece of evidence. One might argue that this was the last straw for Minnie. After a marriage of loneliness and isolation, killing the bird set Minnie over the edge. If a jury could not justify the murder, they might be able to find that John forced Minnie to a psychological break and this led to her retaliation. 

What is implied beneath the surface of Miss Brill's need to see the world around her as a grand stage performance?

The implication of this need is that Miss Brill really has nothing going on in her life; she is not truly needed by anyone or cared about by anyone.  In imagining that everyone and everything around her is a part of a grand, theatrical performance, she can also imagine that she plays an important role in something.  The narrator says, "No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part...

The implication of this need is that Miss Brill really has nothing going on in her life; she is not truly needed by anyone or cared about by anyone.  In imagining that everyone and everything around her is a part of a grand, theatrical performance, she can also imagine that she plays an important role in something.  The narrator says, "No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part of the performance after all."  She must imagine herself as a part of a fantastical performance because she isn't, in reality, a part of anything else.  

Her expert eavesdropping skills likewise prove that she must listen to others' conversations because she, herself, has no one to talk to.  "She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her."  No one actually talks to her.  In fact, no one really even seems to notice her at all except for the rude boy who calls her a "stupid old thing" and suggests that she "keep her silly old mug at home."  He doesn't even seem to be aware that she can hear him.  Even the old man to whom she reads the newspaper four nights a week falls asleep when she visits.  Miss Brill's existence is important to no one but herself, and so she imagines this elaborate fantasy in order to prove to herself that this is not the case.

How was AIDS created? |

Actually, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was not created in the sense that someone intentionally brought it into being. The first recorded cases of Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome are from the 1920s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is believed that HIV is an infectious disease which previously affected only chimpanzees but "crossed species." Humans and chimpanzees are part of the same order of primates and are relatively close cousins in the big picture of...

Actually, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was not created in the sense that someone intentionally brought it into being. The first recorded cases of Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome are from the 1920s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is believed that HIV is an infectious disease which previously affected only chimpanzees but "crossed species." Humans and chimpanzees are part of the same order of primates and are relatively close cousins in the big picture of evolution, so it is possible that this virus had mutated in such a way from the chimpanzee form that it was also viable in humans. 

AIDS is a long-term effect of being HIV positive. People who have HIV have a more difficult time fighting off the kinds of infections and bacteria we're exposed to every day. For someone with HIV, a common cold could be a serious illness. When someone's immune system becomes so weakened by repeated infections, they are said to have AIDS. As medicine advances, HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Many people with HIV live long, happy, and relatively healthy lives with treatment. 

How did the American Revolution affect gender roles?

One way the American Revolution altered gender roles was the emergence of an ideology that historian Linda Kerber called "republican motherhood". This was the concept that women had an important political role to play in a republican society, but that that role should be limited to within the home. Women, it was thought, were important because they could impart to their children the virtue and morality that were necessary to sustain a republican government. For...

One way the American Revolution altered gender roles was the emergence of an ideology that historian Linda Kerber called "republican motherhood". This was the concept that women had an important political role to play in a republican society, but that that role should be limited to within the home. Women, it was thought, were important because they could impart to their children the virtue and morality that were necessary to sustain a republican government. For many elite women, this meant a new emphasis on education. However, most of the patriarchal laws the characterized gender relations in colonial times persisted after the Revolution. For example, coverture, the English common law principle that made women (and their property) legally one with their husbands remained in force. Still, as historian Rosemarie Zagarri has argued, many women, charged with revolutionary ideals, did actively participate in politics, even voting in New Jersey, which temporarily conferred this right upon women. She argues that the Revolution "profoundly changed" the "popular understanding of women's rights" and that women made a claim to being serious political actors during the Revolutionary era. This window of opportunity, however, closed with the ascent of Jacksonian democracy in the 1820s, though even then women remained politically active through clubs and other organizations.  

In Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, what happened to the plantation Belle Reve?

The arrival of Stanley Kowalski’s wife’s troubled sister, Blanche, presages dramatic revelations and conflict between the characters in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. Stanley and Stella live a simple existence, he working and bowling, she taking care of their apartment while expecting a baby. Stanley is crude, but loves his wife; Stella is happy with her life and is clearly still very sexually attracted to her husband. When Blanche enters the picture, Stanley...

The arrival of Stanley Kowalski’s wife’s troubled sister, Blanche, presages dramatic revelations and conflict between the characters in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. Stanley and Stella live a simple existence, he working and bowling, she taking care of their apartment while expecting a baby. Stanley is crude, but loves his wife; Stella is happy with her life and is clearly still very sexually attracted to her husband. When Blanche enters the picture, Stanley and Stella’s existence is immediately and dramatically altered. Blanche is not only an unwanted adult presence in this tiny apartment; she is a condescending, snobbish critic of everything about Stanley. Details about her background, however, begin to reveal a woman who is not just running away from her past, but from reality as well. And, this is where the fate of Belle Reve comes in. Belle Reve is the palatial estate, a classic southern plantation, on which Blanche and Stella were raised. Stella and Stanley’s socioeconomic plight is obvious by Williams’ setting descriptions. The full extent of Stella and Blanche’s fall from grace, as least with respect to their financial status, comes out when Stanley is questioning Blanche about the latter’s papers, which this insensitive, uneducated man has deemed his right to investigate:

STANLEY: I don't want no ifs, ands or butsl What's all the rest of them papers? and

[She hands him the entire box. He carries it to ·the table starts to examine the papers.]

BLANCHE [picking up a large envelope containing more papers]: There are thousands of papers, stretching back over hundreds of years, affecting Belle Reve as, piece by piece, our improvident grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornications--to put it plainly! [She removes her glasses with an exhausted Iaugh] The four-letter word deprived us of our plantation, till was finally all that was left-and Stella can verify that!- -was the house itself and about twenty acres of ground, including a graveyard, to which now all but Stella and I have retreated. [She pours the contents at the envelope on the with table] Here all of them are, all papers! I hereby endow you them! Take them, peruse them-commit memory, them to even! I think it's wonderfully fitting that Belle Reve should finally be this bunch of old papers in your big, capable my hands!

Belle Reve has been shuttered; Blanche and Stella’s family lost everything, and Blanche only continues, unsuccessfully, to present a veneer of the respectability her family once enjoyed. The loss of the plantation and Blanche’s descent into alcoholism and extreme promiscuity has condemned her to a life of moral and emotional degradation. Blanche uses the loss of Belle Reve to try and impose guilt on her sister, but she is a pathetic creature the final demise of whom is brought about by Stanley's viciousness.

What does Mr. Stryver look like in A Tale of Two Cities?

Mr. Stryver, a London barrister who represents Charles Darnay, is described in Chapter IV, "Congratulatory," as a man a little over thirty who looks twenty years older. Dickens also says of Mr. Stryver, "he was, stout, loud, red, bluff, and free from any drawback of delicacy." In other words, Mr. Stryver is abrasive and does not show any delicacy of manners. He also shoulders himself, physically and otherwise, into conversations, so he is aggressive and gets involved where he does not belong. In other words, he is a striver, or someone who is always trying to advance in life. Later, he is described as being "too big for any place." The reader gets the idea that Mr. Stryver is always loud and abrasive. 

Mr. Stryver is also described as having "Bacchanalian propensities." In other words, even while he is "shouldering" his way into a well-paying legal practice, he still finds plenty of time to drink. Even though he spends many nights out drinking with Sydney Carton, he is still sharp and ready for the court. 

How can I compare and contrast Gatsby from The Great Gatsby and Jem from To Kill A Mockingbird?

In order to compare and contrast the characters Jem Finch and Jay Gatsby, you may want to ask several questions when considering the texts. I recommend you take some notes on the characters and what is distinctive about their lives. You may also wish to think about these questions with relation to the characters, and compare answers for both.

• What is the setting your character lives in? The time period? Location? 


• What is your character's...

In order to compare and contrast the characters Jem Finch and Jay Gatsby, you may want to ask several questions when considering the texts. I recommend you take some notes on the characters and what is distinctive about their lives. You may also wish to think about these questions with relation to the characters, and compare answers for both.

• What is the setting your character lives in? The time period? Location? 


• What is your character's lifestyle like? Are they young or old? Rich or poor? Do they have hobbies? Who are their family and friends?


• What kind of things are important to your character? Do they have any strong beliefs or values?


• How does your character change throughout their story?

As an example, something that Jem Finch and Jay Gatsby have in common is that they are both from the United States and share in American culture. However, they come from very different socioeconomic backgrounds.

It may be helpful for you to draw up a Venn diagram with characteristics of  Jem Finch on one side, Jay Gatsby on the other, and their commonalities in the middle.

In Act IV scene III of Romeo and Juliet, where is an oxymoron used?

An oxymoron is a literary technique that places two contrasting words next to each other. The juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas or images creates a paradox, and the effect is very vivid imagery.

In Romeo and Juliet, Act IV scene III, you can find an oxymoron in line 17: "That almost freezes up the heat of life." Juliet is alone, talking about how frightened she is to take the potion Friar Lawrence gave her....

An oxymoron is a literary technique that places two contrasting words next to each other. The juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas or images creates a paradox, and the effect is very vivid imagery.

In Romeo and Juliet, Act IV scene III, you can find an oxymoron in line 17: "That almost freezes up the heat of life." Juliet is alone, talking about how frightened she is to take the potion Friar Lawrence gave her. She says she is so scared that her blood is cold, and she feels like she might freeze. The contrasting words are "freeze" and "heat." This juxtaposition of cold and hot tells the audience that Juliet's fear is thoroughly chilling, and it is a very effective image of the sudden and abrupt temperature change Juliet feels due to her fear.

Another oxymoron occurs in line 36: "To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in." Juliet is considering what would happen if she awoke in the tomb before Romeo came for her. She is afraid that the tomb would be sealed so tightly that no fresh air would come in, and she would suffocate. The juxtaposition of "foul" and "healthsome" create an image of the horrible difference between the clean air the audience is breathing and the stagnant air in the tomb. This oxymoron might make the audience imagine the terrible taste of crypt air for a moment so they will sympathize with Juliet and feel her fear.  

You can to read the full text of Act IV scene III , with modern translation and annotations.

What attitudes and ideologies help you understand the problems homosexuals face?

Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question from your perspective, but I can share with you my thoughts on understanding the experiences of others. It can be difficult to imagine a life lived in any way but our own, and when we talk about sexuality, this can be a source of conflict or misunderstanding. I have found that when engaging in discussions about or trying to understand the experiences of others, even when they differ from...

Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question from your perspective, but I can share with you my thoughts on understanding the experiences of others. It can be difficult to imagine a life lived in any way but our own, and when we talk about sexuality, this can be a source of conflict or misunderstanding. I have found that when engaging in discussions about or trying to understand the experiences of others, even when they differ from my own lived experience, relativism and empathy go a long way.

Relativism is the idea that there is no one "right" way to be or do things, and we must consider people's experiences in their own context. When it comes to the experiences of homosexual people and others in the LGBTQ+ community, it is important not to try to evaluate their experiences, thoughts, and feelings in the context of what it means to live life as a heterosexual person. Relativism can help us understand sexuality and its implications across space and throughout time-- did the Ancient Greeks think of homosexuality the same way a present-day American does? Relativism can be useful to understand others in our own cultures, too. For example, when we talk about what is desirable in a partner or relationship. Even if you personally are not attracted to the same gender or have certain relationship goals, it is important to understand that these determinants may be of value to others relative to their own experience.

Empathy is vital in coming to understand the experiences of others. Even if you cannot relate directly to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people, having the capacity to imagine yourself in similar situations will aid you in understanding. In trying to understand the oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals, imagine if your lived experience was one of oppression. If you are heterosexual, imagine what life would be like if you were judged for your sexuality, at risk for violence, or not allowed to marry someone you loved? 

When confronting any new or different experiences, it's important to be open-minded and willing to listen to what others have to say. Empathy and relativism can work hand-in-hand to help you put yourself in the place of others and understand why these experiences are important to those who live through them.

What are some of the opinions concerning the ethics of using atomic weapons to end the Second World War?

In 1946, John Hersey’s Hiroshima began the national conversation on whether or not it was ethical to use the atomic bomb to end the Second World War. Even sixty years later, this conversation continues as the United States and other countries grapple with the grave responsibility that comes with having atomic weapons.

When Japan surrendered shortly after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, most Americans viewed the atomic bomb as a miracle weapon. The war was over. Millions of young men would not have to fight in Japan. Until his dying day, President Truman claimed that the atomic bomb saved a million American lives, along with the lives of millions of Japanese. Though we will never know the true casualty numbers, military records concerning the planning for the invasion of Japan are shocking. Compared to D-Day in northern France, the invasion of Japan would have been an order of magnitude larger in terms of troops, ships, and supporting aircraft. In the weeks leading up to the invasion, the United States and its allies would have continued firebombing Japanese cities, along with a blockade of Japan’s ports. The combination of bombing, blockade, and invasion would have starved Japan’s civilian population, which was already dealing with severe rationing in the war’s final months. Most telling was that that U.S. military ordered 500,000 purple heart medals for the invasion. Since the invasion never happened, these sixty-year-old medals are still being awarded to American soldiers wounded in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Much of the human suffering presented in Hiroshima is the basis for the argument against the use of atomic bombs to end the Second World War. In August 1945, Hiroshima was one of the handful of Japanese cities not damaged or destroyed by Allied firebombing. An unknown number of civilian refugees, likely in the tens of thousands, had relocated to the city. When the atomic bomb exploded 600 meters above the city, the blast wave did not discriminate between civilians and military personnel. In the days, weeks, months, and even years after the bombing, tens of thousands succumbed to their physical injuries and the cancers caused by radiation poisoning. The most prominent example of the bomb’s lingering effects is the story of Sadako Sasaki, who was only two years old when the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima. In 1955, ten years after the bombing, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Before dying later that year, she folded over 1,000 paper cranes with the hope of being granted a single wish: to survive her illness. Ever since her death, she and her cranes have become powerful symbols of world peace and the effects of atomic warfare on the innocent.

Another argument against the use of atomic weapons to end the Second World War is that the invention of atomic weapons represents the ultimate Faustian bargain. Atomic weapons may have ended the war earlier than an invasion, and perhaps saved lives, but in return mankind gained the power to destroy itself and all life on Earth. For forty-five years after the Second World War, the Cold War between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. held hostage the Earth’s population. At any moment, a misstep on either side could have killed everyone on the planet. Even today, as unstable countries like North Korea flex their nuclear might, there remains the possibility that other cities around the world, and the millions of people living there, will experience Hiroshima’s fate.

What do swords represent in Romeo and Juliet?

In the very beginning of the play swords take on a sexual connotation. In Act I, Scene 1 the Capulet men, Gregory and Sampson, make a crude joke about raping the Montague women and use references to the male genitals. Sampson says,

Me they shall feel while I am able to stand,and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.

On the heels of this conversation the Montague men approach and the two...

In the very beginning of the play swords take on a sexual connotation. In Act I, Scene 1 the Capulet men, Gregory and Sampson, make a crude joke about raping the Montague women and use references to the male genitals. Sampson says,

Me they shall feel while I am able to stand,
and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.

On the heels of this conversation the Montague men approach and the two Capulets refer to their swords as "tools" and Sampson says,

My naked weapon is out. Quarrel, I will back
thee.

For Gregory and Sampson, then, swords are very much an extension of their manhood and they use them to intimidate their opponents. It's also interesting that when Lord Capulet goes for his sword, he calls it a "long sword", in contrast to the simple "swords" of his servants, suggesting that class distinction is an important element in the play.

In Act III, Scene 1 Mercutio refers to swords playfully. When he is joking about how Benvolio is a fighter (Shakespeare being ironic, since Mercutio is really the hothead) he says that Benvolio is likely to put his sword on the bar of a tavern and, after having a drink, use it on the bartender:

Thou art like one of these fellows that, when
he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his
sword upon the table and says “God send me no
need of thee” and, by the operation of the second
cup, draws him on the drawer when indeed there is
no need.

A little later in the scene, while he is punning on the word "consort" (a group of people who associate with each other or a group of musicians) Mercutio grabs his sword and calls it his "fiddlestick", telling Tybalt,

Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels?
An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear
nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s
that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!

Like everything else in the play swords become another vehicle for Shakespeare to display his keen ability to use figurative language. 

What are some real-life applications of the singing wine glass experiment?

People have actually used singing wine glasses to make music. An example is in my first youtube reference link below. Also, I know that on the TV show MacGyver, he was able to break through a lock that used the wine glasses. Each lock key operated on receiving a specific 'frequency,' or musical note. In the proper order, the lock would pop open. From what I am seeing, it shows up at about minute 34...

People have actually used singing wine glasses to make music. An example is in my first youtube reference link below. Also, I know that on the TV show MacGyver, he was able to break through a lock that used the wine glasses. Each lock key operated on receiving a specific 'frequency,' or musical note. In the proper order, the lock would pop open. From what I am seeing, it shows up at about minute 34 in the other video below.

The whole idea of this is sound resonance and frequency, which also runs through materials as well as air. For instance, one way people find fractures in iron girders is by running a sound "through" it at one end. If they get the same sound out the other end, they know the girder is "good"; it followed resonance. If the sound is different, the girder is bad. I know of one person in college who did this for a thesis, or dissertation, but on human bones. If the sound was the same, there was no fracture in the bone. If the sound was different, there was a fracture in the bone, however hairline it may have been.

What is the relationship between health inequality and biological or behavioral risk factors?

Multiple factors affect an individual's health status. Health status may be determined by an individual's biological makeup. That is, someone may be genetically predisposed to particular illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, or diabetes. 

An individual may also engage in behaviors that affect their health status. For example, smoking can increase risk for lung cancer and heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle and overeating can increase risk for obesity and diabetes. 

Other factors that can...

Multiple factors affect an individual's health status. Health status may be determined by an individual's biological makeup. That is, someone may be genetically predisposed to particular illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, or diabetes. 

An individual may also engage in behaviors that affect their health status. For example, smoking can increase risk for lung cancer and heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle and overeating can increase risk for obesity and diabetes. 

Other factors that can affect an individual's health are called the social determinants of health. Social determinants of health include socioeconomic factors that affect someone's health. These factors may include job opportunities, availability of food, discrimination, living in poverty, access to transportation, availability of health services, safety, and quality of education.

The physical environment also may affect an individual's health. Physical factors affecting health may include housing areas, quality of housing, and neighborhoods. Access to and availability of transportation also affects health status. Living close to or being regularly exposed to toxic substances or other hazards can affect health status. Health status can even be affected by the quality of parks, recreational facilities, and level of sidewalk maintenance. 

From Lowry's The Giver, what are some quotes that relate to the symbolism of the color red?

The community in which Jonas lives prefers to live under the condition of Sameness. That means they would rather have peace, tranquility, and safety over conflict, war, and risk. In an effort to sustain Sameness, individual preferences and extremes are taken away from the community. This is mostly done so citizens stay focused on sameness rather than seeking out individual desires or risky behavior. As a result, all colors stimulate desires, passions and individuality,...

The community in which Jonas lives prefers to live under the condition of Sameness. That means they would rather have peace, tranquility, and safety over conflict, war, and risk. In an effort to sustain Sameness, individual preferences and extremes are taken away from the community. This is mostly done so citizens stay focused on sameness rather than seeking out individual desires or risky behavior. As a result, all colors stimulate desires, passions and individuality, so they were taken away. The color red, though, is also an extreme color which is associated with both pain and love. For example, one of the first memories Jonas receives has to do with the color red and pain.

"This time, as he lay basking in the wonderful warmth, he felt the passage of time. . . His skin began to sting. Restlessly he moved one arm, bending it, and felt a sharp pain in the crease of his inner arm at the elbow. . . He knew there was a word, but the pain kept him from grasping it. . . 'It was sunburn,' the old man told him. 'It hurt a lot,' Jonas said" (86).

Jonas does not see the color red, yet, with sunburn, but the fact remains that this type of pain is associated with it. Also, the memory of war in chapter 15 shows Jonas how red blood is associated with pain. Jonas first sees and realizes the color red while playing catch with an apple and then with Fiona's hair. Both the apple and her hair appeal to Jonas which inspires preference and desire; something that is not allowed with Sameness.

"There were a lot of colors, and one of them was called red. That's the one you are starting to see. Your friend Fiona has red hair--quite distinctive, actually; I've noticed it before. When you mentioned Fiona's hair, it was the clue that told me you were probably beginning to see the color red" (94).

As Jonas discovers red, he also discovers the desire for preference and free choice.

"If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wakeup in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?" (97).

Since the color red symbolizes choice, preference, pain, and love, the community had to get rid of it. If someone falls in love with another person, that would upset the family units which are organized for practicality, not for love or family bonds. Families don't even see each other after the children have grown up because that would allow someone to prefer one group of people over another, which hinders Sameness again.

Did the marriage between Romeo and Juliet have any effect on why they committed suicide at the end of the play?

I would say it had some effect, but was not the main factor.

It is certainly the marriage that starts everything in a downhill motion. Because he is married to Juliet, Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, causing Mercutio to fight Tybalt instead, leading to Mercutio's death. In a rage over Mercutio's death, Romeo kills Tybalt. Because he kills Tybalt, Romeo gets banished, and because Romeo is banished, Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence, who sets his...

I would say it had some effect, but was not the main factor.

It is certainly the marriage that starts everything in a downhill motion. Because he is married to Juliet, Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, causing Mercutio to fight Tybalt instead, leading to Mercutio's death. In a rage over Mercutio's death, Romeo kills Tybalt. Because he kills Tybalt, Romeo gets banished, and because Romeo is banished, Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence, who sets his dangerous plan in motion. Friar Lawrence's plan backfires, resulting in Romeo and then Juliet's suicide. The marriage is the catalyst for this chain of events that culminates in the star-crossed lovers' suicides.

The marriage between Romeo and Juliet influences Friar Lawrence's decisions. Because he married the two, Friar Lawrence feels responsible to help Juliet feign her death and run away with Romeo. If Friar Lawrence hadn’t performed the marriage ceremony, or indeed condoned it, he probably would have advised Juliet to forget Romeo and marry Paris. Marriage is a holy contract in the eyes of God: in Act II scene VI, Friar Lawrence says, "So smile the heavens upon this holy act," referring to the holy joining of Romeo and Juliet in marriage. Therefore Friar Lawrence will not allow Juliet to tarnish the sanctity of marriage by marrying another man while her first husband is still alive.

The marriage also influences Juliet's decisions for the rest of the play. Juliet disobeys her father and refuses to marry Paris partly because she is already married to Romeo. It is illegal and immoral for a woman to be married to two men at the same time, even if one of her marriages is secret. Perhaps if Juliet was not married to Romeo, she would allow herself to eventually get over him and go through with the marriage to Paris. 

Which one of the things the witches said about Macbeth is about to come true?

Allof the things the witches predicted about Macbeth come true at some point in the play, though not exactly as he thought they would. But from the wording of your question, it seems that you are referring to the first prophecy. When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches in Act I, Scene 3, they hail him first as Thane of Glamis (his current title) and then as Thane of Cawdor (a title he...

All of the things the witches predicted about Macbeth come true at some point in the play, though not exactly as he thought they would. But from the wording of your question, it seems that you are referring to the first prophecy. When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches in Act I, Scene 3, they hail him first as Thane of Glamis (his current title) and then as Thane of Cawdor (a title he has not yet received). Then they hail him as "Macbeth, who shall be King hereafter!" This gets his attention. But he does not believe what the witches say until Ross arrives, bearing news that the Thane of Cawdor, having committed treason against the King, will be executed. King Duncan, moreover, has given the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth, who is astonished to hear the news. All of this happens in Act I, Scene 3, and by the end Macbeth is already thinking of the prospect that he might become king, saying:

If chance will have me king, why, chance
may crown me/Without my stir.

So the statement that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor comes true almost immediately, with profound consequences for everyone.

Does Lord of the Flies by William Golding rebel from or reflect an Elizabethan standard of writing?

Lord of the Flies was published on 17 September 1954. Queen Elizabeth I reigned from 7 September 1533 to 24 March 1603. Many literary conventions changed over the ensuing 350 odd years. 

Lord of the Flies is a novel, an extended work of prose fiction. This genre barely existed in the Elizabethan period. The major genres of imaginative literature in the Elizabethan era were poetic drama and poetry. 

Next, the protagonists of Lord of the Flies are...

Lord of the Flies was published on 17 September 1954. Queen Elizabeth I reigned from 7 September 1533 to 24 March 1603. Many literary conventions changed over the ensuing 350 odd years. 

Lord of the Flies is a novel, an extended work of prose fiction. This genre barely existed in the Elizabethan period. The major genres of imaginative literature in the Elizabethan era were poetic drama and poetry. 

Next, the protagonists of Lord of the Flies are children. Children were not a major literary subject in the Elizabethan period. The late modern sentimentalization of childhood (against which Golding is somewhat rebelling) was a nineteenth-century innovation, not part of the Elizabethan world view.

Although the bleakly Hobbesian conception of human nature in the absence of authority has some links to both Hobbes and a Calvinistic sense of human innate corruption, Golding's own approach and views are more directly influenced by Freud, and the concepts of id, ego, and superego. 

Thus one can say that the novel neither reflects nor rebels against Elizabethan literary traditions, but is a modern novel  existing in a dialogue with nineteenth and twentieth century ideas and literary genres. 

What are the themes of "To the Nile" by John Keats?

A literary work may have more than one theme, and the themes one reader finds in a piece may be different from those another reader finds. The important thing is that any theme you find must be consistent with the details of the text and its tone. To arrive at a theme, first be sure you understand the face value of the work.

In this sonnet by John Keats, he comments upon Egypt's Nile River....

A literary work may have more than one theme, and the themes one reader finds in a piece may be different from those another reader finds. The important thing is that any theme you find must be consistent with the details of the text and its tone. To arrive at a theme, first be sure you understand the face value of the work.

In this sonnet by John Keats, he comments upon Egypt's Nile River. He begins by describing it in human and even god-like terms. Fruitfulness seems to be a major topic of the poem, being overtly addressed in lines 3 and 6 and suggested in line 10 by the opposite concept, barrenness. Keats raises the question of whether the Nile is actually fruitful, as it has been called. In line 9 he implies that such a perception of the Nile is in error. The reason is that everything "beyond itself" is "a barren waste." He ends the poem by describing the river as being "like our rivers," that is, like the rivers of England.

With this basic understanding of the content of the poem, we can move on to asking what universal truths about life or humankind it presents. At least two seem fairly obvious. First, although the river is presented as god-like initially, Keats goes on to attribute "ignorance" to it because of the barrenness of the desert country around the river, and in the end of the poem, it is equated to other rivers that are not god-like. A theme from this part of the poem would be that rivers can be appreciated for the green scenery they provide, but they have no power to change people's lives and should not be revered beyond the basic enjoyment they provide. Making this meaning symbolic, we could see a theme that often greatness is ascribed to things or people who don't really deserve it.

Next, considering how the topic of fruitfulness presents a theme, we can say that the poem suggests that real fruitfulness has the ability to enrich others, but any person or thing that enriches only itself is "ignorance." By extension, we can also say that those who revere something that is powerless to resolve the barrenness beyond itself are ignorant.

These are a few of the themes one can garner from John Keats' poem "To the Nile."

What is the psychological state of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ?

Immediately after Duncan's murder, and even before it, Lady Macbeth is trying to maintain calm while Macbeth gives in to his anxiety and panic.  He hallucinates a bloody dagger prior to the murder, aware that it is the result of his "heat-oppressed brain."  After the murder, when Macbeth is falling to pieces over not being able to say "Amen," Lady Macbeth says, "These deeds must not be thought / After these ways.  So, it will...

Immediately after Duncan's murder, and even before it, Lady Macbeth is trying to maintain calm while Macbeth gives in to his anxiety and panic.  He hallucinates a bloody dagger prior to the murder, aware that it is the result of his "heat-oppressed brain."  After the murder, when Macbeth is falling to pieces over not being able to say "Amen," Lady Macbeth says, "These deeds must not be thought / After these ways.  So, it will make us mad."  In other words, what's done is done, and she wants them to move forward so that dwelling on the past doesn't drive them crazy.  He feels that not even the entire ocean contains enough water to wash his hands clean.

However, later, after Macbeth has ordered the murders of Banquo and Fleance as well as Lady Macduff and her children, Lady Macbeth succumbs to her guilty conscience while Macbeth seems quite hardened to the violence for which he's responsible.  Lady Macbeth sleepwalks nightly and sees Duncan's blood on her hands, dreaming that she cannot wash it off.  Further, her nocturnal ramblings make it clear that she is burdened by her guilt.  She asks, "The thane of Fife had a wife.  Where is she now? -- What, will these hands ne'er be clean?"  Ironically, she is in mental ruins because she has created a monster who orders the killing of children without remorse. 

How do you justify the action of the revolutionaries as well as common people in comparison to each other in A Tale of Two Cities?

The revolutionaries and common people come from the same background—the peasant class. This was almost 95% of the French population, yet the government was controlled by the nobility and the clergy. While the peasants had very little money, they were the ones who paid the most in taxes. The nobility was seen as caretakers of the people. The wealth they had was to be used to comfort those less fortunate. The inequality of wealth was seen by many as the way God intended society to be. The revolutionaries lost their belief in God and divine justice. Thus, this inequality was approached differently by each group.

The peasants usually were a faithful group, dedicated to the Church and accepting of their lot in life. This did not prevent them, however, from seeking aid, as the peasant woman asked the marquis for permission to put a marker on her husband’s grave. While she did not like his refusal, neither did she think to overthrow his privileges.

The revolutionaries, on the other hand, sought revenge through violence and death. While the peasants believed that perhaps the nobility had a good heart, the revolutionaries saw them as completely evil and thought they must be destroyed.

In justifying the actions of each, one must look at their idea of what a just society would look like. The peasants, through inaction, prayed that God would aid them. To do anything for themselves would be to interfere with God’s will. The revolutionaries renounced religion and its morality. It was in their own hands that justice must prevail. By doing so, they were hoping for a better society of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” for everyone, though in fact this was quickly forgotten in the rising chaos.

How can Louise Mallard from "The Story of an Hour" show empathy for Jeremiah Anderson from "The Wisdom of Silence"?

In "The Story of an Hour," Louise is under the impression that her husband has died. She is initially consumed with grief. But this is temporary. She is then overcome with the joy of being free. Louise describes her new freedom very much like an emancipation: 

There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. 

So, someone like Louise would certainly empathize and sympathize with someone who's been controlled by another person and then experiences freedom. Following the Emancipation Proclamation and the result of the Civil War, Jeremiah has become free. His previous owner, Samuel Brabant, tries to convince him to stay as a free worker. However, Jeremiah will not stay because his freedom and independence is much more important. Like Louise, he does not want to live for, or be dependent upon, someone else. 

Louise would probably also sympathize and understand Jeremiah's pride when he becomes independent and successful. Surely, she would also not begrudge him for bragging a bit about his success. Although Dunbar's story suggests a lesson in humility, some bragging should be understandable after a lifetime of servitude. Louise would understand this as well. 

Imagine that you are John, the narrator, telling the Hill people about your journey. Briefly summarize the main events of the journey.

I would start your narration with why John was allowed to go east in the first place.  In fact, John had a dream about going east, but he was still forbidden to go east.  What convinced him to go east was the appearance of several "signs."  John thought that the eagle flying east and the deer travelling east meant that he too should go east.  

I prayed and purified myself, waiting for a sign....

I would start your narration with why John was allowed to go east in the first place.  In fact, John had a dream about going east, but he was still forbidden to go east.  What convinced him to go east was the appearance of several "signs."  John thought that the eagle flying east and the deer travelling east meant that he too should go east.  

I prayed and purified myself, waiting for a sign. The sign was an eagle. It flew east. . . Then three deer passed in the valley going east—they did not mind me or see me. There was a white fawn with them—a very great sign.

After that, I would talk about John's arrival at the banks of the Hudson river.  Be sure to mention his thoughts about the "god-roads" that extended over the waters.  Next John built a raft in order to get over to Manhattan island.  He explored for a bit and was forced to avoid some wild dogs.  

I had just found a door I could open when the dogs decided to rush. Ha! They were surprised when I shut the door in their faces—it was a good door, of strong metal.

Once John was inside of a building, he explored its interior spaces.  He marveled at the bathroom fixtures for a bit and eventually fell asleep.  During his sleep, John had a dream about the former inhabitants of the city.  When he finally woke up, John discovered a dead body in the apartment.  It was at that moment that he realized the "gods" were regular men and women like him.  

That is all of my story, for then I knew he was a man—I knew then that they had been men, neither gods nor demons.

Then John came home and vowed to begin restoring the lost knowledge of humanity.  

How could the poems "Ode to the West Wind" and "Ode to a Skylark" be paraphrased?

Assuming the format of this exercise is unspecified, I will eschew the poetic verses for simplification’s sake.  For “Ode to the West Wind,” you could say something like the following.

I

Oh powerful west wind, who characterizes the autumn and before whom all the season’s dead leaves are driven fearfully away in shades of yellow, black, and red,
Who strews the seeds to their final beds, where they lay like the dead deep in the ground until the lighter winds of spring blow upon them – those spring winds that refresh the earth and fills it with the signs of life,
Listen, untamed spirit of the west wind, you who destroy and create, listen to my words!

II

Thin clouds race away on your stream, resembling the dead leaves down on Earth; the clouds, stretching vertically across half the sky, are heralds of a storm to come;
You solemn song of the coming winter, from whom a dark and violent rain will fall tonight – listen!

III

You who aroused the Mediterranean Sea from its docile summer temperament, which before lay sleepily curled around volcanic islands, leaving its picturesque, historic communities in peace,
You who split the placid Atlantic into steep waves, instilling great fear in all those who live beneath the waves, listen!

IV

If I were one of these dead leaves, or these clouds, or these waves that are driven by your power,
Even if I were still a boy, and my imagination made me your friend, I would never have prayed to you in this time of need – but life has caught up to me – take me away like your leaves, clouds, or waves!
I, who was once swift and unstoppable like you, have been trapped by the passage of time.

V

Manipulate me as you manipulate the forest; perhaps my leaves fall in autumn too.  Both of us will be battered by your melodious blowing, and left with sweet yet sorrowful feelings.  Become as one with me, you powerful wind! 
Drive away these evil thoughts like so many dead leaves, and hasten a new life in their place!
And spread these verses far and wide, like ashes and sparks blown from a fire, to serve as a message to the unknowing world – Oh wind, remember – spring must always follow winter.

For “To a Skylark:”

Hail, Skylark! You have never been a mere bird, but a spirit come from heaven to sing your spontaneous song;
You fly higher and higher into the blue sky, ever higher, singing all the while;
You fly and dive before the brightening sunrise like pure joy itself;
The purple of the sunrise pales in comparison to you, and you are as a star in the daytime – I hear you, I know you are there, though I cannot see you. You have disappeared as a star disappears, gradually with the rising dawn.
Your song fills all the world, like the full moon bathes the sky in light.
What are you?  There is nothing in the world like you; the song you sing is fuller than a rain shower, washing over everything – you are like a poet who fills the world with thoughts and feelings it had before paid no attention to.
You’re like a maiden locked in a tower singing to pass the time, like the glow of a glowworm, the creature itself unseen but its glow lighting up the valley; like a fragrant, blooming rose.
Your song is greater than everything – greater than spring showers or blooming flowers.
Tell us, you avian spirit, your thoughts!  Your song is more divine than anything I have ever heard.  A choir of voices singing hymns or chanting victory is nothing in comparison.
What causes you to sing so happily?  There is no annoyance or laziness in your voice; only love, and you have never been hurt by it.
You must have some greater knowledge of the world than we mortal humans; how else could your song seem so profound?
We never live in the present but instead the past and future; we long for what we do not have; our happiness is never without some element of pain; our best songs are always sad.  Yet even if we had no knowledge of hate, pride, or fear, even if we never knew what it was to cry, we could never be as joyful as you.
You are more skilled than any poet, with a song better than any other, better than any story in any book.
Let me feel even half of your happiness, and the world would be compelled to listen to my words, as I am compelled to listen to your song, right now.

What was the effect of Hoover's philosophy on the U.S. during he Great Depression?

Hoover's philosophy is usually (if rather simplistically) called "rugged individualism," based on a speech he gave while running for President. What he meant was that government policies needed to incentivize initiative and hard work. What he did not mean, as he stated categorically in his speech, was a return to laissez-faire policies of the late nineteenth century. Once the Depression broke out, Hoover advocated what he called "associationism," the mutual agreement of business leaders to...

Hoover's philosophy is usually (if rather simplistically) called "rugged individualism," based on a speech he gave while running for President. What he meant was that government policies needed to incentivize initiative and hard work. What he did not mean, as he stated categorically in his speech, was a return to laissez-faire policies of the late nineteenth century. Once the Depression broke out, Hoover advocated what he called "associationism," the mutual agreement of business leaders to act in the interest of the country. He also advocated significant and really unprecedented levels of government aid in the form of loans to businesses (the Reconstruction Finance Act) and public works (like the Hoover Dam). So Hoover did not take the "hands-off" approach to the Depression that he is often blamed for taking. However, he strongly opposed direct aid, a position that made him seem unfeeling and insensitive to the suffering of many Americans. He also generally refused to use the coercive power of the state to force businesses to cooperate in the ways he thought necessary. Finally, he reluctantly signed off on protectionist legislation, a disastrous decision that stemmed from his views on monetary policy. So Hoover, who was one of the nation's leading humanitarians before the Depression, assumed much of the blame for the government's apparently feckless response to the economic catastrophe. This fact, while perhaps unfair, stemmed from his adherence to certain philosophical principles in the face of an unprecedented disaster. It also, to a degree still debated by historians, contributed to the human impact of the Depression.