Suggest why the noble gases such as neon and argon do not exist as molecules.

Electrons and Stability

The stability of an atom is related to the number and arrangement of its electrons. Atoms with completely filled valence shells tend to be more stable. The valence shell of an atom is its outermost shell. Atoms form compounds such as molecules or ionic salts in order to fill their valence shells with electrons. 

Noble Gases

Noble gas atoms are located in column 18 of the periodic table. The valence shells of these...

Electrons and Stability

The stability of an atom is related to the number and arrangement of its electrons. Atoms with completely filled valence shells tend to be more stable. The valence shell of an atom is its outermost shell. Atoms form compounds such as molecules or ionic salts in order to fill their valence shells with electrons. 

Noble Gases

Noble gas atoms are located in column 18 of the periodic table. The valence shells of these atoms are already completely filled. Therefore, they are already stable and do not need to form compounds in order to fill their valence shells.

Helium and neon never form molecules because their shells are completely filled and they have very high ionization energies. Ionization energy is the amount of energy needed to remove an electron from an atom. The high ionization energies of helium and argon prevent these atoms from forming ions. Some of the other heavier noble gases, such as krypton and argon, will occasionally form molecules.

Is it appropriate for Mary to kill her husband in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

It sort of depends on what you mean by "appropriate." It is illegal. It is risky because of the danger of getting caught and sent to prison. It is cruel and animalistic behavior. It is a violation of one of the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not kill," and so it is sinful. Roald Dahl often wrote tongue-in-cheek stories. He didn't intend them to be taken too seriously. This story is especially funny because Mary kills Patrick with a frozen leg of lamb and then gets the policemen to eat up all the evidence.  If she killed her husband with a hammer, for instance, we would have far less sympathy for her and less enjoyment of the story. 

The only way in which Mary's action seems "appropriate" is in its being thoroughly understandable. She is six-months pregnant. She adores her husband. She works like a slave for him. And he comes home and tells her he wants a divorce! She happens to have a frozen leg of lamb in her hand, and she succumbs to a sudden impulse and bashes him over the head with it.

At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.

We can't condone it but we can understand it, and that was probably all the author really wanted to achieve. Naturally she doesn't want to get caught. What's done is done. She has to worry about herself and her unborn baby. We can also understand her subsequent behavior. She puts the lamb in the oven at high-heat, establishes an alibi by going to the grocery store, and gets all the cops to devour the murder weapon they have been searching for. All of this has logical continuity, and we are sympathetic to Mary because of her strong motives and because we are held firmly in her point of view from beginning to end.

An author can get a reader to identify with almost any character--even a murderer--if he stays in that character's point of view and give that character a motive with which the reader can relate. With Mary, the motive we can relate to is "self-preservation." We all have that. Thus we are made accomplices, so to speak. We are the only ones besides Mary who know what she did. And we--or most of us, anyway--want to see her get away with it.

What does the line "T'is ignorance that makes a barren waste" mean in John Keats poem, "To the Nile"?

This is a tough line in a difficult poem. John Keats' "To the Nile" is a compact sonnet addressing the Nile as if it were an entity, and it is a difficult poem to comprehend, as it uses lofty and archaic language to get its message across. Though its meaning is ambiguous, my best guess is that by saying "T'is ignorance that makes a barren waste/ Of all beyond itself" (10-11), Keats criticizes the ignorant...

This is a tough line in a difficult poem. John Keats' "To the Nile" is a compact sonnet addressing the Nile as if it were an entity, and it is a difficult poem to comprehend, as it uses lofty and archaic language to get its message across. Though its meaning is ambiguous, my best guess is that by saying "T'is ignorance that makes a barren waste/ Of all beyond itself" (10-11), Keats criticizes the ignorant viewpoints that the Nile is surrounded only by desert. 

By saying ignorance makes a barren waste (or desert) out of all things beyond itself, Keats says that ignorant people assume that things beyond their understanding are barren wastes bereft of meaning. In contrast to such views, he advises us to view the desert terrain surrounding the Nile more charitably; he argues that the region gave birth to many human nations (5), and that it allows green and lush foliage to grow (12). By pointing these facts out, Keats reveals that the Nile is actually immensely fertile, and so we should respect it as an important, life-giving river, rather than writing it off as a trickle in the desert.

Could Jabez Wilson be described as "gullible"? Why or why not?

Jabez Wilson might be called "gullible," but this does not seem to be the character trait that the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was seeking to suggest. Near the end of the story Sherlock Holmes, when discussing the case with Watson, uses a better term to describe Wilson:

“It was perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible object of this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of the League, and the copying of the Encyclopaedia, must be to get this not over-bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every day."

This is a polite way of saying that the pawnbroker is unintelligent. But if Wilson were truly "gullible," then he wouldn't have treated the Red-Headed League scheme with so much skepticism and resistance. And if he were truly "gullible" he could hardly survive in the pawnbroker business. He is actually a rather cagey, suspicious man, although he is dumb enough to be taken in by a pair of really smart operators. Wilson does not fall for their trick hook, line and sinker. His assistant practically has to drag him up the stairs to the office where the assistant's accomplice who calls himself Duncan Ross is waiting to hand Wilson the job on a silver platter.

Here are some examples of Wilson's skepticism and resistance with regard to the Red-Headed League:

“‘But,’ said I, ‘there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply.’”

When I saw how many were waiting, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it.

“‘What do you call purely nominal?'"

“Well, I thought over the matter all day, and by evening I was in low spirits again; for I had quite persuaded myself that the whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud, though what its object might be I could not imagine."

“Well, to my surprise and delight, everything was as right as possible." 

Doyle knew that one of his hardest jobs as a writer would be to sell the preposterous idea of the Red-Headed League to the reader. The best way to do this would be to make Jabez Wilson himself express disbelief. Therefore, Doyle wouldn't have wanted Wilson to seem too gullible, too easy to fool. Once Wilson has accepted the whole story about the red-headed American millionaire philanthropist founding such an association and has actually sat down and started to work on copying articles from the Encyclopedia Britannica, the reader cannot help being convinced along with him. And the final proof of the league's legitimacy comes at the end of the first week:

“This went on day after day, Mr. Holmes, and on Saturday the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my week's work." 

Money talks. The average clerk in Victorian times was earning the equivalent of one golden sovereign for a week's work and had to spend much longer hours at his desk. In those days the work week was from Monday through Saturday.

So Wilson is "not over-bright," but he has learned from experience—like a lot of people who are "not over-bright"—to be skeptical, defensive, not too trusting of his fellow man. He is described as "elderly." He must have learned something in his long lifetime. To call him "gullible" would be an oversimplification. He is more complicated than that. Doyle has created a unique comical character who is both simple-minded and shrewd. Wilson is perfectly suited for the role he has to play in the story.

After Major’s death, what happens to the idea of rebelling against Man in Animal Farm by George Orwell?

At the beginning of Chapter Two of Animal Farm, Old Major dies in his sleep. This event galvanizes the animals into action, as we learn from the text:

Major’s speech had given to the more intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on life.

While the animals have no idea when the rebellion against Man will occur, they are certain they must prepare for it. They begin to organize themselves; the pigs,...

At the beginning of Chapter Two of Animal Farm, Old Major dies in his sleep. This event galvanizes the animals into action, as we learn from the text:

Major’s speech had given to the more intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on life.

While the animals have no idea when the rebellion against Man will occur, they are certain they must prepare for it. They begin to organize themselves; the pigs, "generally recognized as the cleverest," became the leaders. They take the text of Old Major's speech and turn it into a "complete system of thought" called Animalism. The pigs teach these principles to the other animals at secret meetings they hold in the barn on several nights of the week. They also sing the song "Beasts of England," which Old Major taught them before he died. 

It is now just a matter of time before the Rebellion takes place and the animals successfully overthrow Mr. Jones and take control of Animal Farm.

How can messages be adapted for various audiences in the workplace?

Messages can be adapted for various audiences in a workplace through tailoring the message to the needs of each intended audience. For example, upper management in an organization may want to institute a new initiative to grow a company, like a new inventory management system for a retailer. They must get the message out about this new initiative to the company’s various departments.

The Information Technology (IT) department may need to know the technical requirements of the initiative to ensure they are instituted properly so the initiative will be successful and implemented cost effectively. Therefore, company management will adapt its message to this department accordingly. The message will have to be full of technical terms and IT jargon so as to speak properly and on the same “wavelength” as the personnel in the IT department.

Now, the company typically will not convey this message in the same way to say, the sales staff. It may in plain, everyday language present a message to sales staff that just talks about the initiative and that it will be something new for the company and that the sales staff should be aware of it.

This department may not need to know the “nuts and bolts” of the new inventory control system. Sales staff just have to know that the inventory system will be a new feature of the company. Sales staff may want to mention to customers that the shelves will always be stocked with popular items in the proper quantities because of the new inventory control system. Upper management doesn’t have to get technical in their message to the sales staff regarding the new inventory system.

In addition, the Human Resource Department of the retailer may receive a message that’s ultra short and sweet. It may say, “We are going to hire three new employees to be overseers of the new inventory control system we’re instituting.” Upper Management will provide the precise details and job description of the new initiative – the new inventory control system. They want the Human Resources Department to do a preliminary screening of applicants and pass on the best candidates to upper management, who will conduct the in-depth interviews. Therefore, as with the sales staff, the Human Resources personnel may receive a basic, simplified message concerning the new initiative.

So, we see from the above that upper management will fine tune their message appropriately for each department, with the IT Department getting the most involved and technical message because of the computer hardware and software requirements of this new inventory control initiative.

What is Curley's wife's dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck?

Before she married Curley, his wife dreamed of becoming an actress.

In Chapter 5, Curley's lonely wife finds Lennie in one of the stalls, stroking his puppy that has died, probably because he has handled it too much. She consoles him, and starts to talk with Lennie, telling him that she lived with her family in Salinas. When a traveling show came through, she met one of the actors; this man told the girl that...

Before she married Curley, his wife dreamed of becoming an actress.

In Chapter 5, Curley's lonely wife finds Lennie in one of the stalls, stroking his puppy that has died, probably because he has handled it too much. She consoles him, and starts to talk with Lennie, telling him that she lived with her family in Salinas. When a traveling show came through, she met one of the actors; this man told the girl that she was a natural actress and offered to let her come with the show. However, because she was only fifteen years old, her mother would not permit the girl to leave home. "If I'd went, I wouldn't be living like this, you bet," she tells Lennie.

She quickly continues her story before Lennie can interrupt. There was another opportunity:

"...a guy...was in pitchers. Went out to the Riverside Dances with him. He says he was gonna put me in the movies....Soon's he got back to Hollywood, he was gonna write to me about it." 

But, she adds that she never received the letter; she believes that her mother stole it, but her mother denied having seen any letter. So, she says, she was not going to stay at home with her mother preventing her from finding opportunities to become an actress. Wistfully, she adds,

"Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes....An' I coulda sat in them big hotels, an' had pitchers took of me.....

Believing that her only escape was to leave home, she ran away with Curley the same night that she met him at the Riverside Dances. Now, however, she is still unhappy as she confides in Lennie, "I don' like Curley. He ain't a nice fella."

Clearly, Curley's wife possesses little but her physical beauty. Nevertheless, she dreams of escape from her humdrum existence just as so many others on the ranch. 

Name at least 3 reasons why Macbeth fears Banquo and worries about his existence.

When Macbeth is planning the murders of Banquo and Fleance, he details many reasons why he is so concerned about Banquo and wishes to have him killed.  First he describes Banquo's "royalty of nature": there is something noble and honorable in Banquo's manner and person, and this intimidates Macbeth (3.1.50).  Then he says that Banquo "hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor / To act in safety"; so, not only is Banquo incredibly brave...

When Macbeth is planning the murders of Banquo and Fleance, he details many reasons why he is so concerned about Banquo and wishes to have him killed.  First he describes Banquo's "royalty of nature": there is something noble and honorable in Banquo's manner and person, and this intimidates Macbeth (3.1.50).  Then he says that Banquo "hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor / To act in safety"; so, not only is Banquo incredibly brave and courageous, but he is also smart enough to remain safe at the same time (3.1.53-54).  Finally, Macbeth is most bothered by the fact that the Weird Sisters told Banquo that his descendants would be kings; thus, he understands that he will not pass the throne on to his own children, but to Banquo's.  He says, "For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; / For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered" (3.1.65-66).  Macbeth has ruined his eternal soul, destroyed his own peace, and saddled his mind with terrible guilt all for a "barren scepter" and to pave the way for Banquo's family to reign.  This is the biggest reason he has to resent Banquo's existence as well as his son, Fleance's.  Thus, he arranges their murders so that he will no longer have to fear them. 

What are the different viewpoints about Ophelia's death? Is her death about revenge? What are the arguments and counterarguments?

Ophelia's death is not an issue of revenge. What is most debated about Ophelia's death is whether it resulted from an accident or was a suicide.

Queen Gertrude is the one who breaks the news of Ophelia's death to the Kingdom, and some interpret her report as the tale of an accidental drowning. Gertrude recounts that Ophelia had been fashioning garlands with leaves of a willow tree and other flowers while sitting on a branch...

Ophelia's death is not an issue of revenge. What is most debated about Ophelia's death is whether it resulted from an accident or was a suicide.

Queen Gertrude is the one who breaks the news of Ophelia's death to the Kingdom, and some interpret her report as the tale of an accidental drowning. Gertrude recounts that Ophelia had been fashioning garlands with leaves of a willow tree and other flowers while sitting on a branch of the willow. "An envious sliver broke," (4.7.173), plummeting Ophelia into the water, where her heavy garments absorbed water, and she was pulled underwater to her death. Gertrude was not present at the time of Ophelia's drowning, however.

A more plausible interpretation is that Ophelia has committed suicide. Earlier in Act 4, Ophelia exhibits symptoms of madness as she wanders aimlessly around Elsinore, singing songs riddled with laments and dark metaphors. She even offers fictitious flowers to Laertes that represent, among other things, loss, duplicity, remembrance, and melancholy. Indeed, the murder of her father, Polonious, at the hands of her lover, Hamlet, has a tremendous impact on Ophelia, and her psyche seems to devolve to the point that she can see no other way out BUT suicide. Her father is dead, her lover now faces almost-certain death, and she faces the loss of her honor. 

What does Odysseus do in book 9 that shows that he is a good leader?

In Book IX, Odysseus recounts stories from the time immediately following the Greeks' victory in the Trojan War.  He and his crew first stop in Ismarus, killing the men, raiding the city's treasures, and raping the women; Odysseus advises his crew "swiftly to fly," but they do not listen.  Instead, they get very drunk and pass out.  The men who'd fled the city had run for help, and those men attacked Odysseus's crew during the...

In Book IX, Odysseus recounts stories from the time immediately following the Greeks' victory in the Trojan War.  He and his crew first stop in Ismarus, killing the men, raiding the city's treasures, and raping the women; Odysseus advises his crew "swiftly to fly," but they do not listen.  Instead, they get very drunk and pass out.  The men who'd fled the city had run for help, and those men attacked Odysseus's crew during the night, killing six from each ship.  His wise advice to his men is no less wise for their not having heeded it.  His forethought and sagacity make him a good leader.

When they go to the land of the lotus-eaters, Odysseus -- intelligently -- sends only three men ashore to get a sense of the inhabitants.  When they eat the lotus, they no longer want to go home.  They want to stay there and eat lotus fruit forever.  Odysseus, knowing their true desire to go home, physically forces each of them back to the ship.  He looks out for their best interest even when they do not know it themselves.  His intelligence and loyalty to his men make him a good leader.

Does the speaker's mood change as the poem continues? If so, where?

The first six stanzas are a celebration of the beauty of the skylark's song and the freedom of its flight. The skylark sings only when flying, and the bird is flying so high that the speaker can no longer see it. Given that the skylark is invisible (but still heard) and so close to "heaven," there is an immaterial, spiritual quality to the skylark's song. So, it is not just the beauty of the song that affects the speaker; he is also struck by the spiritual symbolism of the experience. Note that in the first line, though, he calls the skylark "blithe." This means happy but indifferent to (or unaware of) the suffering of others. These first six stanzas are a celebration, but there is that initial tone of envy as well. The speaker envies the skylark's ability to feel so happy and free, whereas he is burdened with his own problems.

In the next six stanzas, the speaker shifts from this celebratory-yet-envious tone to a more pessimistic tone. The speaker cannot find the same earthly beauty as he had experienced with the skyward skylark. Thus, the tone shifts as the speaker switches from describing spiritual beauty to earthly limitations. In this stanza, he notes that the rainbow's beauty does not match the skylark's song:

 What is most like thee?

         From rainbow clouds there flow not

                Drops so bright to see

As from thy presence showers a rain of melody. 

In these six stanzas, we have other examples of things unseen or unnoticed. Whereas the speaker did notice the unseen skylark's song, these examples go unnoticed. There is the poet's "unbidden" (not asked for) hymns, the "lovelorn" maiden in the tower, the glowworm's hidden hue, and the rose clouded by its own leaves. The tone is downright melancholy at this point. Here are all these wonderful things which go unseen, unheard, and so on. 

For the remainder of the poem, the speaker asks the skylark how to be a natural poet. In the skylark, he sees unlimited potential. He, on the other hand, feels limited by his earthly concerns. This symbolism is illustrated in the first two sections of the poem. The first 30 lines express the skylark's beauty and freedom. The next 30 lines express the poet's notions of earthly limitations. The remainder of the poem shows how the speaker would like to be a poet with the same potential and beauty that he perceives in the skylark. So, the tone shifts from celebration and envy to pessimism to plaintive (pleading) requests.

What is the meaning of wavelength?

The wavelength of a wave, usually denoted by the Greek letter `lambda` ("lambda"), is a quantity that describes the spatial periodicity of the wave.

"Periodicity" means that the disturbance that creates a wave has a repeating pattern. If at time t the disturbance (however it is measured) has a value y, then after time T, called the period, has elapsed, the disturbance will return to the value y. If the wave is traveling with the velocity...

The wavelength of a wave, usually denoted by the Greek letter `lambda` ("lambda"), is a quantity that describes the spatial periodicity of the wave.

"Periodicity" means that the disturbance that creates a wave has a repeating pattern. If at time t the disturbance (however it is measured) has a value y, then after time T, called the period, has elapsed, the disturbance will return to the value y. If the wave is traveling with the velocity v, during the time T it will have traveled the distance equal to the wavelength: `lambda= vT` . Alternatively,

`lambda = v/f` , where f is the frequency of the wave.

Waves are typically described by periodic functions such as `y(x, t) = cos(kx - omegat)` . Here, k is the wave number and `omega` is the angular frequency of the wave. Both of this properties of the wave are related to the wavelength. The period of cosine is `2pi` , so the spatial periodicity of the wave is determined by `kx = 2pi` . Since the wave returns to its original form after it travels the distance equal to the wavelength, when `x = lambda` , `klambda = 2pi` . From here, `k = (2pi)/lambda` . Similarly, `omegat = 2pi` when t = T, so `omegaT = 2pi` and

`omega = (2pi)/T` .

The values of wavelength of the waves occurring in nature vary greatly. For electromagnetic waves, the radio waves can have the wavelength of several kilometers. Visible light has the wavelength in the range of 400 to 700 nanometers (`10^(-9) meters.)`  X-rays have wavelength less than `10^(-10)` meters, comparable to the size of atoms. Sound, which is a mechanical wave, can be audible to humans when its wavelength is in the range between several millimeters to several meters.

How can sentences be written so that the speaker takes responsibility for the feelings expressed?

In order for the speaker to take responsibility for the sentiments expressed, the speaker – that is, I – would have to be the subject of the sentence, and the sentences as they exist would have to become object clauses.  These clauses could then function as opinions expressed by the subject, modified by action verbs.  Treating them this way, we could transform the sentences

a. It's really annoying to have to wait for people.

b. You...

In order for the speaker to take responsibility for the sentiments expressed, the speaker – that is, I – would have to be the subject of the sentence, and the sentences as they exist would have to become object clauses.  These clauses could then function as opinions expressed by the subject, modified by action verbs.  Treating them this way, we could transform the sentences

a. It's really annoying to have to wait for people.

b. You never know what's going to happen with Marianne.

c. We really should get going.

b. Are you sure?

to read

a.  I think it’s really annoying to have to wait for people.

b.  I don’t think you can ever know what’s going to happen with Marianne.

c.  I think we really should get going.

d.  I don’t think you’re sure.

Another way to ensure the speaker is taking responsibility for these statements would be to simply substitute a first-person subject pronoun for the existing subject pronouns, thus replacing it, you, and we with I, and altering the subsequent verbs and phrases accordingly.  This works best with (a) and (b), resulting in:

a.  I get really annoyed when I have to wait for people.

b.  I never know what’s going to happen with Marianne.

With (c), the use of we implicitly includes the I of the speaker, and so one could argue that this sentence does not need to be changed, as it already implies some agency from the speaker, just with the assumed complicity of another party in the sentiment.

With (d), if one wanted to maintain a certain level of politeness, which the first example above does not, one could be a little bit wordy, saying something like I just want to check that you’re sure.  This maintains the agency of the speaker without the accusing tone adopted by the sentence I don’t think you’re sure.

"No matter how far" is what type of figurative language?

The phrase “no matter how far” is an example of hyperbole.  Hyperbole is a type of figurative language in which the speaker intentionally exaggerates in order to emphasize something or to make a point.  When we talk about being “hungry enough to eat a horse” or “so sad that my heart could break” we are not saying things that are literally true.  No one could possibly be hungry enough to eat an entire horse and...

The phrase “no matter how far” is an example of hyperbole.  Hyperbole is a type of figurative language in which the speaker intentionally exaggerates in order to emphasize something or to make a point.  When we talk about being “hungry enough to eat a horse” or “so sad that my heart could break” we are not saying things that are literally true.  No one could possibly be hungry enough to eat an entire horse and it is not possible for a heart to break from sadness, but by saying these things, we try to convey the depth or intensity of what we are feeling.

“No matter how far” can function in this way as well.  We might say, “I will always follow you, no matter how far I have to go.”  We might say “No matter how far away it will be, I will go see that concert.”  In both cases, we do not literally mean this.  If the person we are following becomes an astronaut and goes to the moon, we are not likely to follow.  If the concert is on Pitcairn Island, we are not likely to go all that way to see it.  That means that we are speaking figuratively when we say “no matter how far.”  We are exaggerating for the sake of making a point.  Therefore, this is an example of hyperbole.

How do Yeats, in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," and Joyce both serve as voices for Irish literary heritage?

In Yeats's poem "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," the Irish pilot who narrates the poem expresses feelings of Irish nationalism. He says, "Those that I fight I do not hate / Those that I guard I do not love" (lines 3-4). In other words, he does not hate the Germans he fights in World War I, and he does not love the British forces he fights for. This poem, written in 1918 and published...

In Yeats's poem "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," the Irish pilot who narrates the poem expresses feelings of Irish nationalism. He says, "Those that I fight I do not hate / Those that I guard I do not love" (lines 3-4). In other words, he does not hate the Germans he fights in World War I, and he does not love the British forces he fights for. This poem, written in 1918 and published in 1919, was penned during a time when Ireland was fighting for independence from Great Britain.

Both Yeats and Joyce expressed, in different ways, feelings of Irish nationalism. Yeats was an Irish nationalist, and many of his early poems were inspired by Irish folklore. In this poem, the pilot speaks of his home. He says that "My country is Kiltartan Cross, / My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor" (lines 5-6). Like Yeats, the pilot feels that Ireland is his country, not Great Britain. James Joyce, also an Irish writer, was less overtly nationalist than Yeats, but many of his works, including the famous Ulysses and Dubliners, take place in Dublin. While his works criticize the stagnation of Dublin at times, it is clear that Dublin is Joyce's imaginative universe and his inspiration. Therefore, he is also a voice of Irish nationalism—one that resonates with the nationalist thoughts the pilot expresses in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death."

What are good topics for an informative speech that has to be six minutes long?

An informative speech is a presentation in which the speaker shares their knowledge or expertise for the purpose of educating an audience. For instance, if you went to a presentation titled "5 Creative Ways to Save Money," that would be an informative speech because you've gone there to learn something from the speaker.

When it comes to choosing a topic for your speech, there's really no such thing as a "good" or "bad" topic. Instead,...

An informative speech is a presentation in which the speaker shares their knowledge or expertise for the purpose of educating an audience. For instance, if you went to a presentation titled "5 Creative Ways to Save Money," that would be an informative speech because you've gone there to learn something from the speaker.

When it comes to choosing a topic for your speech, there's really no such thing as a "good" or "bad" topic. Instead, think about potential topics that interest you or those that you know something about. If you know a lot about cooking, you could choose a particular meal that you know how to cook very well and use that as your topic. This doesn't mean that you can't pick something new to learn about, but you want to be sure that you know enough about it to share new information with your audience that they don't already know from general knowledge.

If you only have six minutes, it would probably be wise to narrow your topic down to something very specific. If you were giving a speech on the American Revolutionary War, for example, you might choose a single aspect of the war like the significance of a particular battle or individual. The reason for this is because when you choose a big topic and only have six minutes, you'd probably just end up sharing general information that the audience already knows.

Finally, think about how you structure your speech. If you have six minutes, imagine that you'll use the first minute to introduce your topic and the last minute to draw conclusions, which means you really only have four minutes. Once you've settled on your topic and narrowed it down, find three or four interesting or important aspects that you can spend a minute or two discussing.

Take a positive or a negative position for a debate on the following topic: "Liberalism is a failed ideology due to all of the challenges it...

In a political context, liberalism has two main components that could create challenges. The first is a desire for a more robust government regulation of things like banks, corporations, and manufacturing. While some simply object to this on the grounds that it gives the federal government too much power, there are more nuanced arguments that are worthy of consideration. For instance, the heavy regulation of manufacturing like standards imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency can...

In a political context, liberalism has two main components that could create challenges. The first is a desire for a more robust government regulation of things like banks, corporations, and manufacturing. While some simply object to this on the grounds that it gives the federal government too much power, there are more nuanced arguments that are worthy of consideration. For instance, the heavy regulation of manufacturing like standards imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency can cause overhead to dramatically rise for an individual company, leading to the stagnation of wages or growth as they try to manage the cost of compliance.

The second aspect of liberalism that can be challenging is a call for greater tolerance of diversity. In pluralistic nations like the United States, the population is comprised of people from a wide variety of religions, races, and ethnicities. Tolerating and celebrating such diversity can reduce the likelihood of social bonding and increase the potential for conflict born out of misunderstanding and poor communication. For example, people often look back on the 1950s as a period of peace and success for the United States. This was due in large part to the fact that many people made a conscious effort to fit into a small number of groups and made an overall commitment to an American identity, which often required setting aside or stifling aspects of heritage and culture that would have challenged the social bond.

Having said all of that, it's worth noting that conservatism can be equally challenging. Limiting regulations on business and manufacturing led to some corporations engaging in questionable behavior that has had long-term implications for the environment, among other things. From a social perspective, the dominant group's disinterest or refusal to tolerate diversity has led to conflict between sub-cultures and contributed to a less welcoming environment for those who fall outside of the dominant culture.

What mood is created by the description of the setting in "To Build a Fire"?

Mood is the emotional response a reader has to a particular aspect of a work of art or literature. To begin with, the reader joins a man in hiking the Yukon Trail with the hopes of soon being reunited with his friends. The reader understands the geographical setting to be the Alaska/Canada area and the physical setting to be one of extreme cold.

In the opening lines, the reader learns that "There seemed to be...

Mood is the emotional response a reader has to a particular aspect of a work of art or literature. To begin with, the reader joins a man in hiking the Yukon Trail with the hopes of soon being reunited with his friends. The reader understands the geographical setting to be the Alaska/Canada area and the physical setting to be one of extreme cold.

In the opening lines, the reader learns that "There seemed to be an indescribable darkness over the face of things..." and "the sun was absent from the sky" (London 64). This description creates a somber mood, almost a sense of foreboding in the reader.

As the man progresses, the reader learns exactly how cold and unforgiving the environment is as the man's spit freezes before it hits the ground, and his tobacco juice forms a yellow-colored, iced ridge down his beard. Most readers have never experienced cold of this magnitude and may feel a sense of amazement that the man would venture out alone in these conditions.

When the man builds a fire, the reader feels its warmth, but this comfortable mood is soon replaced by the cold and the pain of temperatures so far below freezing. At the point when the man steps in water and must rebuild a fire, the mood changes to one of inevitable doom, punctuated when the snow snuffs out his second fire.

The overall gloomy, isolated and even painful mood of the story acts as a warning to those who do not respect nature's dominion.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have different parental qualities. What are their differences and who is presented as the better parent?

Neither Mr. Bennett nor Mrs. Bennett is presented as a particularly good parent. One might adapt Tolstoy to say that "Good parents are all alike; every bad parent is bad in his or her own way." The faults of mother and father are quite different, although they do have in common the characteristic of being overly self-centered.

Perhaps the quotation that expresses most their difference in parenting styles occurs when Mrs. Bennett presses her daughter...

Neither Mr. Bennett nor Mrs. Bennett is presented as a particularly good parent. One might adapt Tolstoy to say that "Good parents are all alike; every bad parent is bad in his or her own way." The faults of mother and father are quite different, although they do have in common the characteristic of being overly self-centered.

Perhaps the quotation that expresses most their difference in parenting styles occurs when Mrs. Bennett presses her daughter to visit the Bingleys despite her being ill; her husband comments:

. . . if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.

As this quotation shows, Mrs. Bennett is obsessed by finding husbands for her daughters. In one way, this is the mark of a good mother in this period, as the life of a woman without an independent income who was not married by her early twenties was quite unpleasant, there being few careers other than as a governess or servant available to women. Nonetheless, Mrs. Bennett tends to be unintelligent and does not exert any control over the two wilder young sisters, Kitty and Lydia and is socially inept due to her lack of intelligence and unsophisticated upbringing.

While Mr. Bennett has the intelligence and taste necessary to be a good father, he is generally lazy and leaves the task of parenting to a wife he has come to despise. As seen in the passage quoted above, even while he worries about Jane's health and Mrs. Bennett's judgment, he does not actually act to prevent Jane from traveling while ill. He is a good father to Elizabeth, with whom he has great intellectual sympathy and shares a sense of humor, but a bad parent especially to the younger girls. 

Although both are presented as bad parents, Mr. Bennett, due to his intelligence and wit, is somewhat more favorably portrayed. 

In "A Blessing" by James Wright, why does the speaker feel fond of one of the ponies ?

Although it's clear that the speaker of the poem admires both ponies, he's especially fond of one of them:

"I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,

For she has walked over to me

And nuzzled my left hand."

As you can see, his exceptional admiration of this particular pony is because she has broken free from her shyness and has come right over to the speaker to gently touch his hand...

Although it's clear that the speaker of the poem admires both ponies, he's especially fond of one of them:

"I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,

For she has walked over to me

And nuzzled my left hand."

As you can see, his exceptional admiration of this particular pony is because she has broken free from her shyness and has come right over to the speaker to gently touch his hand.

It's a gesture that touches the speaker deeply, inspiring him to reciprocate the touch ("caress her long ear") and to bring the poem to its poignant conclusion: the realization that the speaker is so ecstatic and so connected to nature at that moment that he could break free from his own body and "blossom" like a flower.

You might even say that the speaker's interaction with this particular pony, in fact, elevated the speaker's experience into something worth writing a poem about! The experience with this female pony in particular adds depth and content to the "story" of the poem. If she and the speaker hadn't come into physical contact with each other, then the speaker may not have reached his epiphany at the end. And the interaction with the female pony also helps us realize the extent to which the speaker is ascribing human-like qualities to the ponies: he compares the delicate skin on the pony's ear to that on a human girl's wrist, a more physical comparison as opposed to his earlier musings when he assigns human emotions to the ponies: loneliness, gladness, welcoming, and happiness.

What is the "sheer emptiness" Tom encounters in "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket"?

The literal answer to this question is that Tom encounters the "sheer emptiness" of open space where he was expecting to feel a continuation of the brick wall that he was clinging to:

"Then his moving left hand slid onto not brick but sheer emptiness, an impossible gap in the face of the wall, and he stumbled."

Right then, he's edging, crablike, along the wall, trying to reach the paper that flew out the window...

The literal answer to this question is that Tom encounters the "sheer emptiness" of open space where he was expecting to feel a continuation of the brick wall that he was clinging to:

"Then his moving left hand slid onto not brick but sheer emptiness, an impossible gap in the face of the wall, and he stumbled."

Right then, he's edging, crablike, along the wall, trying to reach the paper that flew out the window with the breeze. That's the only time that the phrase "sheer emptiness" appears in the story. In fact, that's also the only time we see even the word "emptiness" by itself.

But more to the point, Tom encounters a sheer emptiness in his own life, brought on by his focus on his work to the exclusion of enjoying his marriage. He's missing a potentially fun and meaningful evening out with his wife just so he can stay home and work on some research for his job at the grocery store. And when the sheet of paper containing his notes flies out the open window, he foolishly chases after it; the dangerous excursion out onto the ledge of the apartment building makes up most of the story, and Tom nearly gets himself killed.

Eventually, he's trapped outside on the ledge, unable to reopen the window, and wondering if he'll lose his balance and die before anyone can rescue him, when he starts emptying his pockets of everything except that paper of notes that he was able to grab. He throws away meaningless letters and useless coins. And there's nothing else in his pockets that would help people identify his body if he were to fall and die on the concrete far below. Tom is empty, then, in a figurative way as well: he's wasted his time at work, and all that people will find on his dead body is an "incomprehensible" sheet of notes. Even this project he's been working on doesn't matter, he realizes.

Let's take a look at the passage where Tom realizes all this, when he understands how he's been living his life in an empty way:

He wished, then, that he had not allowed his wife to go off by herself tonight--and on similar nights. He thought of all the evenings he had spent away from her, working; and he regretted them. He thought wonderingly of his fierce ambition and of the direction his life had taken; he thought of the hours he'd spent by himself, filling the yellow sheet that had brought him out here. Contents of the dead man's pockets, he thought with sudden fierce anger, a wasted life.

Happily, we realize that Tom has changed and that he will change the way he lives his life from now on when he breaks the window, safely reenters the apartment, and allows even the yellow paper to fly back outside as he laughs and heads out to join his wife. He's going to fill the emptiness of his spirit by recognizing what's really important to him: his wife, not the potential money he might make by being recognized and promoted at work.

How are Atticus's principles and teachings reflected in the attitudes and actions of his family in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus does the best he can to impart his advanced system of values on his children, rather than traditional Finch values.

The Finches are an old established family.  They would tend to consider themselves superior to others.  However, Atticus is not like them.  He is educated, and he worked hard for everything he has.  He went to law school, and made sure his brother went to medical school.

Atticus doesn’t think like most of the other people in Maycomb. He appreciates people for what they accomplish, not their social status or race.  He also tries to teach his children these same values.  He wants them to learn empathy and compassion.

Atticus is raising his children on his own because his wife died when they were younger. In his household, he gives Calpurnia a lot of weight and admiration. He believes that she can somewhat fill the hole that not having a mother has left, and he treats her with respect.

For his children, Atticus wants understanding of others to be a top priority. This is one of the reasons he is so adamant about them not acting out Boo Radley’s life story for all the neighborhood to see. He also tries to teach Scout that you will get along with people better if you look at things from their perspective.

Atticus takes Tom Robinson’s case because he has been assigned it, but he also does his best.  He believes that he is being a role model for his children by taking the case.  He knows that it will be difficult for them, but he also believes it will be character forming.  Atticus explains to Scout why he took the case.

Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. (Ch. 9) 

Atticus makes sure that Scout is respectful toward everyone, whether or not they are poor or black.  He also makes sure that she learns how to stand up for what she believes in.  As the trial continues, Scout does learn the meaning of empathy. She puts herself into the shoes of Mayella, the victim, and later Boo Radley. Her father’s values sink in. 

Alexandra, Atticus’s sister, competes with Atticus in instituting a value system into his children.  She wants them to understand that they are special because they are Finches, and she values whites above blacks.  Atticus tries to placate her by explaining it to them, but he falls short.  Scout is so upset at the difference in Atticus that she cries. 

“You really want us to do all that? I can’t remember everything Finches are supposed to do…”

“I don’t want you to remember it. Forget it.” (Ch. 13) 

Atticus realizes that you can’t raise your children one way and then all of the sudden expect them to understand a completely different system of values.  He decides they are better off just trying to understand people and treat them with respect.

Why did the Soviet Union desire "defensible" borders and "friendly" regimes in Eastern Europe ?

To answer this question, we must look to the Russian/Soviet experiences in the First and Second World Wars. In both conflicts, German troops (as well as those of Austria and Hungary in WWI and Romania in WWII) had invaded the homeland, causing unthinkable destruction. In World War II, for example, the Nazi invasion that began in 1941 led to an estimated 27 million Soviet deaths, almost 90 times the amount suffered by the United States...

To answer this question, we must look to the Russian/Soviet experiences in the First and Second World Wars. In both conflicts, German troops (as well as those of Austria and Hungary in WWI and Romania in WWII) had invaded the homeland, causing unthinkable destruction. In World War II, for example, the Nazi invasion that began in 1941 led to an estimated 27 million Soviet deaths, almost 90 times the amount suffered by the United States in the war. The war hit home for the Soviets, in other words, in a way unimaginable in the United States. So among the primary foreign policy objectives pursued by Joseph Stalin after the war was to secure the western border of the Soviet Union. In his mind, the most effective way to do this was one consistent with communist ideology--to establish communist governments in Eastern Europe. The United States and Great Britain, of course, saw these efforts as Soviet expansionism, just as Stalin saw American spending on rebuilding in Western Europe as American imperialism. In this disagreement, born out of Stalin's obsession with creating a sort of "buffer zone" between the Soviets and the rest of Europe (admittedly, he was also not averse to spreading communism beyond Eastern Europe) lay the origins of the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union.

How do I write a review for Leo Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need"?

The purpose of a review, also called a critical review, is to evaluate the quality of any text. To evaluate the text, you analyze the text to look for strengths and weaknesses.A critical review begins with a very brief summary. The summary should focus on identifying the central theme of the story and what key events help develop that central theme. It can be said that the central themein Leo...

The purpose of a review, also called a critical review, is to evaluate the quality of any text. To evaluate the text, you analyze the text to look for strengths and weaknesses.

A critical review begins with a very brief summary. The summary should focus on identifying the central theme of the story and what key events help develop that central theme. It can be said that the central theme in Leo Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" concerns the consequence of greed. To illustrate the consequences of greed, the protagonist Pahom is tempted to purchase more and more land at cheaper prices. He is finally offered the greatest amount of land at what he thinks is the cheapest price yet--he can purchase as much land as he can claim on foot for one thousand roubles. Yet, he overestimates how much walking he can physically endure and how long it will take him, which costs him his life.

After briefly summarizing the story, you would next write your evaluation based on your analysis. To analyze the story, look at the literary devices and literary elements Tolstoy uses to develop his theme. Literary elements are all elements that are essential for telling a story such as plot, characters, and theme, whereas literary devices are the extra goodies authors use to develop the work and theme such as figurative language, symbolism, and foreshadowing. As you analyze these things, ask yourself if Tolstoy uses them well.

You can also ask yourself questions like the following:
Are the characters believable? Is the plot believable? Is the plot overly predictable? Is the story memorable? Is the message good but the story weak in some way?

What literary techniques are used in Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird (pp. 132-149)?

Symbolism and foreshadowing are literary techniques used in Chapter 11.

Symbolism is a technique where one thing stands for something else.  Author’s use it to make a thematic statement.  In this chapter, Mrs. Dubose is a symbol, and so are her camellias. The chapter also uses foreshadowing, because the incident with Mrs. Dubose and Atticus’s explanation of her courage foreshadow trouble to come from the Finches.

Mrs. Dubose has previously been introduced as a mean...

Symbolism and foreshadowing are literary techniques used in Chapter 11.

Symbolism is a technique where one thing stands for something else.  Author’s use it to make a thematic statement.  In this chapter, Mrs. Dubose is a symbol, and so are her camellias. The chapter also uses foreshadowing, because the incident with Mrs. Dubose and Atticus’s explanation of her courage foreshadow trouble to come from the Finches.

Mrs. Dubose has previously been introduced as a mean old lady.  In this chapter Scout and Jem have their first significant encounter with her.  She is horrible to them when she attacks their father for his defense of Tom Robinson.

“Yes indeed, what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his raising?

I’ll tell you!” She put her hand to her mouth. When she drew it away, it trailed a long silver thread of saliva. “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (Ch. 11)

Jem gets upset when he hears this, and loses it.  He has had enough of people insulting their father, and Mrs. Dubose’s racist comments send him over the edge.  He takes Scout’s baton and destroys her flowers.  She thinks that he has gone crazy.

Mrs. Dubose becomes a symbol of racism and intolerance.  This is why Jem attacks her flowers.  He can't really attack her, after all.  Atticus’s reaction is to send Jem and Scout to read to Mrs. Dubose every day until she tells them not to come anymore.  As time goes on, they read longer and longer.  One day, Atticus tells them she has died.  She was trying to wean herself off of a morphine addiction.  He explains that he wanted them to go there so they could learn the real meaning of courage.

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

Mrs. Dubose winning the struggle is meaningful to Atticus, but also to the story.  The struggle and Atticus’s explanation of it foreshadow the problems that Atticus will have with the Tom Robinson trial.  He is telling his children that they will need courage, and he will too.  The courage Atticus will display at the trial is not the physical kind.  It is the moral kind, like Mrs. Dubose standing up to her addiction.

Summarize voter ID laws.

Voter ID laws have been passed in many states in the last five years. For many years, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 essentially made such laws unconstitutional, but when some of the key provisions of that law were struck down by the United States Supreme Court in 2012, many Southern states (the ones affected by the Voting Rights Act) passed these laws and others designed to make voting qualifications more stringent. Essentially, most...

Voter ID laws have been passed in many states in the last five years. For many years, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 essentially made such laws unconstitutional, but when some of the key provisions of that law were struck down by the United States Supreme Court in 2012, many Southern states (the ones affected by the Voting Rights Act) passed these laws and others designed to make voting qualifications more stringent. Essentially, most voter ID laws require potential voters to present a valid state-issued photo identification card when they show up to vote. Supporters of these laws, overwhelmingly Republican, argue that they are essential to prevent voter fraud at the polls. Opponents argue that they are disproportionately aimed at poor voters, especially African-Americans (who are less likely to have a state-issued ID in the form of a driver's license.) Since these people are more likely to vote Democrat, opponents portray these laws as a cynical attempt to suppress votes in favor of Republicans. They also argue that the laws address a non-existent problem, since there were few documented cases of voter fraud in the years before the laws were passed. Supporters point out that a driver's license is not the only valid form of identification, and that voters can get state-issued ID cards made specifically for the purpose of voter identification. It is not that difficult, they say, to fulfill this requirement. As you can see in the link, a North Carolina voter ID law was just ruled constitutional in federal court, but this decision, along with others, is likely to make its way to the US Supreme Court.

In Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Atticus say he feels about Mayella Ewell?

In chapter 20 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explains how he feels about Mayella Ewell in his closing arguments as follows:

"I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt" (203).

Atticus feels sorry for Mayella....

In chapter 20 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explains how he feels about Mayella Ewell in his closing arguments as follows:

"I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt" (203).

Atticus feels sorry for Mayella. He understands that she is uneducated and controlled by her abusive father, but his job is to defend Tom Robinson to the best of his ability. He also can't condone the fact that Mayella chooses to lie about what happened between her and Tom Robinson because it will most likely result in Tom's death.

Later, in chapter 23, Atticus shows that he continues to feel compassion towards Mayella even after the trial of Tom Robinson. For example, Mayella's father tries to provoke Atticus into a physical fight by spitting and cussing at him. Atticus tells his children the following:

"The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there" (218).

Atticus feels pity and compassion for Mayella Ewell, but that doesn't mean he doesn't do his best to defend his client, Tom Robinson, against her false accusations. At the end of the day, Atticus knows what Mayella Ewell suffers from poverty and abuse; therefore, he doesn't treat her disrespectfully in court or in public.  

Is there any potent political resource that money can't buy?

There is absolutely a “potent political resource that money can’t buy.”  That political resource is charisma.  Many candidates who have seemed to be very attractive on paper, and who have had plenty of financial support, have been unable to win elections because they have lacked charisma.

In order to succeed, political candidates need to come across well to the public.  They have to be able to make the public like them or want to be...

There is absolutely a “potent political resource that money can’t buy.”  That political resource is charisma.  Many candidates who have seemed to be very attractive on paper, and who have had plenty of financial support, have been unable to win elections because they have lacked charisma.

In order to succeed, political candidates need to come across well to the public.  They have to be able to make the public like them or want to be led by them.  This does not come easily to everyone.  Perhaps the best example of this in the current election cycle is Jeb Bush.  Bush seemed to be a strong contender for the Republican nomination.  He had experience, many high officials who endorsed him, and tons of money. With all of this, he still did terribly in the actual primaries and caucuses and had to end his campaign very early.  His father, George H. W. Bush also lacked charisma.  This played a large role in his defeat by Bill Clinton, who was a very charismatic and talented politician.

Money cannot buy elections.  It can buy ad time.  It can buy people who will create good strategies for your campaign.  It will buy many other things, but it cannot buy charisma and political talent.  This shows that there is at least one “potent political resource that money can’t buy.”

The story "A Rose for Emily" features several symbols. Identify one and explain its significance to the plot.

Four symbols in "A Rose for Emily" are the watch she wears, the taxes she doesn't pay, the crayon portrait of her father, and the lime the aldermen spread around her house.

On one of the few occasions when the aldermen actually meet Emily in her home, she appears wearing "a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt." Later it is revealed that there is an invisible watch ticking at...

Four symbols in "A Rose for Emily" are the watch she wears, the taxes she doesn't pay, the crayon portrait of her father, and the lime the aldermen spread around her house.

On one of the few occasions when the aldermen actually meet Emily in her home, she appears wearing "a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt." Later it is revealed that there is an invisible watch ticking at the end of the chain. This symbolizes Emily's refusal to acknowledge the passing of time. It still exists—it keeps ticking—but she keeps it hidden, just as she refuses to pay taxes despite a new era in town, and as she refuses to acknowledge that the time of her romance with Homer Barron has ended.

The fact that Emily doesn't pay taxes in town and the new government can't get her to do so symbolizes her flaunting of all societal norms. At first the taxes were waived for her, much as the townspeople grudgingly acknowledged the social superiority of the Griersons. However, when the taxes are demanded, it represents how the townspeople expect Emily to conform to societal norms now that her lack of wealth is common knowledge. Emily doesn't pay the taxes, and she never begins acting the way her neighbors believe she should.

The crayon portrait of her father that is prominent in Emily's home symbolizes the way that her father's influence continues to affect Emily. Not only did she inherit insanity from his side of the family, but his not allowing her to marry any of the young men in town led to her unhealthy relationship with Homer Barron. 

Finally, the lime the aldermen spread around her house is a symbol of their trying to mask the problem of Emily without ever getting at its root. They spread lime because they are too embarrassed to confront her about the smell on her property. In the same way, they don't really pursue the problem Emily represents—they let it continue for decades, even though it turns out she has been guilty of murder and is therefore criminally insane.

These are some of the symbols Faulkner works into "A Rose for Emily."

Where was the location/setting in which "The Ransom of Red Chief" takes place?

The story takes place in Alabama, as Sam tells us in the second sentence of "The Ransom of Red Chief."

We were down South, in Alabama--Bill Driscoll and myself--when this kidnapping idea struck us. 

The fact that Sam and Bill plan "to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois" shows that these two men must have to do a lot of traveling by horse and buggy in their profession as confidence tricksters. They are apparently always on the lam. Alabama is in the Deep South, while Illinois is up north. Although they sound like middle-aged men, Sam and Bill have only managed to accumulate six hundred dollars with all their schemes. Thus, from the very beginning, the story illustrates the moral "Crime does not pay."

Sam and Bill intend to kidnap a boy in the town of Summit, which appears to be a typical farm town. Sam tells us that the country all around Summit is perfectly flat, so it is an irony that the people have named the town Summit. The two men have a spot picked for hiding with their victim after they get one:

About two miles from Summit was a little mountain, covered with a dense cedar brake. On the rear elevation of this mountain was a cave. There we stored provisions.

Much of the action in this story takes place at or near that cave on the rear of the little mountain. Sam has to do a lot of running around in connection with trying to collect the ransom money. Meanwhile, Bill is stuck with the little demon they have kidnapped, a ten-year-old boy who calls himself Red Chief. The two kidnappers and their victim sleep on blankets on the ground and cook over an open campfire. Red Chief finds the experience exciting, but Sam and Bill find it just the opposite. 

Summit itself appears to be a sleepy little town where the local men spend a great deal of their time sitting around the post office while they are waiting for their crops to grow. Sam and Bill have picked this town for their kidnapping venture because it seems like such a quiet, backward place:

We knew that Summit couldn't get after us with anything stronger than constables and, maybe, some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers' Budget.

The entire setting--town and country alike--is peaceful and quiet. This setting serves to make their captive seem more wild by contrast. Red Chief craves excitement. And if he can't find it, he will create it. In the end, the two kidnappers are happy to pay $250 to Ebenezer Dorset, Red Chief's father, just to get rid of the boy and to get as far away as possible from Summit.

Give examples of times Ponyboy Curtis is a good influence on other characters in The Outsiders.

Perhaps the best example of Ponyboy being a positive influence on other characters is when he reads and recites poetry to Johnny. Most importantly, Ponyboy recites a poem, "Nothing Gold can Stay," while he and Johnny are holed up in the church. This poem helps Johnny to articulate his feelings about life. Johnny notices the beauty of the sunrise and wishes it could stay like that all the time. The poem helps him to realize...

Perhaps the best example of Ponyboy being a positive influence on other characters is when he reads and recites poetry to Johnny. Most importantly, Ponyboy recites a poem, "Nothing Gold can Stay," while he and Johnny are holed up in the church. This poem helps Johnny to articulate his feelings about life. Johnny notices the beauty of the sunrise and wishes it could stay like that all the time. The poem helps him to realize that beauty and goodness are fleeting and that we must appreciate them while we can. Remembering the poem also gives Johnny hope when he is hurt and hospitalized. Johnny writes Ponyboy a letter and says he doesn't mind dying because trading his life for the lives of the children they saved is worth it. In the letter, he explains to Ponyboy that the poem helped him to appreciate the beauty and goodness of childhood: "...you're gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day." Thinking about the poem and considering its meaning in turn gave Johnny's life meaning. He asks Ponyboy to "stay gold," and to encourage their friend Dally to look at a sunset. This shows that the poem Ponyboy recited for him really changed his outlook and helped him to accept his death.

Ponyboy also holds his family together. His brother Sodapop runs away because he is very sad over losing a girl who he really loved. Ponyboy realizes that his fighting with his eldest brother, Darry, was causing stress on Sodapop and he promises to stop putting Sodapop in the middle and even to stop fighting with Darry.

By befriending Cherry Valance, Ponyboy also influences her and through her, other socs. Ponyboy helps Cherry to see that the greasers and socs are not so different. Cherry testifies at Ponyboy's hearing, and her influence extends to another soc, Randy. This friendship between greasers and socs might even smooth over some of the bad feelings between the greasers and the socs overall. 

You can read more about Ponyboy and other characters , and about The Outsiders .

How are Zeus and Odysseus similar? How are they different?

In terms of similarities, both Zeus and Odysseus are incredibly powerful within their respective communities.  They both have extramarital affairs (Odysseus, in The Odyssey, with Circe and Calypso; Zeus with any woman he finds desirable).  They both expect the loyalty and fidelity of their wives and they both have sons (Odysseus, Telemachus; Zeus, among others, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, Ares).  

In terms of their differences, Odysseus tries to please his wife; Zeus really doesn't....

In terms of similarities, both Zeus and Odysseus are incredibly powerful within their respective communities.  They both have extramarital affairs (Odysseus, in The Odyssey, with Circe and Calypso; Zeus with any woman he finds desirable).  They both expect the loyalty and fidelity of their wives and they both have sons (Odysseus, Telemachus; Zeus, among others, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, Ares).  

In terms of their differences, Odysseus tries to please his wife; Zeus really doesn't.  Although they both have affairs, Odysseus probably doesn't have a whole lot of choice because he could offend a goddess if he rejected her.  Zeus, on the other hand, really doesn't seem to feel much loyalty toward Hera.  He has hundreds and hundreds of affairs, and he often tries to hide them from her so that she does not exact revenge on his mistresses or the demigods created by their unions.  Also, Zeus had heard a prophecy that a son of his would one day overthrow him as Zeus did his father, Kronos.  Therefore, Zeus is a bit wary of his male children, while Odysseus loves and adores Telemachus and tries to protect him when he returns to Ithaca.

How do I go about writing an outline for a research paper about Mammoth Cave in KY? There is so much I can write about. I'm lost!

First of all, you need to know whether the paper must be persuasive or informative. If it must be persuasive, you would need to find some controversy surrounding the cave and take a side. I'm going to assume your paper needs to be informative, not persuasive. In that case, think of broad categories that would interest you and your readers. Start by asking questions about it. Perusing the website may help you formulate some questions. After you make a list of all the questions you can think of, then try grouping them into similar categories. Aim for three main categories, which will be the three main points in the body of your paper. Then you need an introduction at the beginning and a conclusion at the end. These should be included in your outline.

To fill in the subpoints under the three main points, go back to the questions you asked. Some of those questions may form the subpoints of your outline. You must have at least two subpoints under each of the three main categories. 

If you find interesting facts during your initial browsing of the website that don't fit under any of your main categories, you may be able to use those in your introductory paragraph. Your introduction should start with an attention-getting comment. Then it should contain some background information about your topic, in this case some general information about the location of the cave and why it is so famous. Then introduce each of your three topics.

In your conclusion paragraph, summarize your three topics, then make a comment about what you believe is the most significant thing about Mammoth Cave and why. Then end your paper on a strong note in a way that refers back to your attention-getting opener. Your outline for your introduction and conclusion paragraphs should include the points I've mentioned here.

Here is the outline format:

I. Introduction

    A. Opener

    B. Background Information

    C. Introduce Main Topics

II. First Topic

     A. First Subpoint

     B. Second Subpoint

III. Second Topic

     A. First Subpoint

     B. Second Subpoint

IV. Third Topic

     A. Frist Subpoint

     B. Second Subpoint

V. Conclusion

    A. Summarize Main Topics

    B. Most Significant and Why

    C. Closing

What does modernity mean? |

A visit to Dictionary.com tells us that the definition of modernity is "the quality of being modern." This definition is only so helpful unless we consider what it means to be modern.

In the humanities, we refer to modernity in terms of certain cultural shifts that began with the European Renaissance and spread throughout the world during and after European Imperialism. We consider the Modern Period to have begun in different times in different places, and some parts of the world might be said to still not have entered the Modern Period. So, what do "modern" cultures have in common that defines them?

Modernity implies an emphasis on that which is empirical, quantifiable, logical, or based in reason. This is in opposition to understanding the world and acting based on a sense of tradition or qualitative impressions. Cultural shifts like the Age of Discovery (for the sciences) and the Enlightenment Period (for philosophy) have helped to shape societies which value objectivity and that which can be measured and demonstrated over a subjective, perceived experience.

It can be a little hard to wrap our heads around such a concept without an example, so let's compare two port cities-- one established in the Pre-Modern Period, and one in the Modern. If you click here, you can view a map of Dublin, Ireland. Notice how the streets seem to radiate out from the center of the port. Development of the area surrounding Dublin began during the Pre-Modern Period, and people naturally gravitated towards the center of where business could be done. Settlement patterns in the Pre-Modern Period were largely based on where people felt was a good place to be. In comparison, have a look at this map of New York City, which has been developed in the Modern Period. Notice how the streets of Manhattan have a far more organized, grid-like pattern. Can you see how an emphasis on order, logic, and quantifying space has helped to shape the layout of the City? Take note of the high degree of consistency in the shape and size of segments of the city. Much of Manhattan was planned and developed in expectation of population growth. In contrast, Dublin was developed as a result of population growth. 

I don't mean to imply that one form of city planning is inherently better than the other, but I hope that this example helps you understand how Modern values have come to shape our lifestyles in addition to ways of thinking.

In other aspects of culture, like education and the arts, we find that modernity implies a break with tradition and/or collectivism in favor of individualism. 

Please explain and list some examples of words and their primary stresses.

The primary stressin a word falls on the most heavily accented syllable.  There is a primary stress in every word in English. In monosyllabic words, that is, words that have only one syllable, the primary stress falls on the entire word.  In multisyllabic words, it is common practice to define a syllable as a vowel and its surrounding consonants.  Usually this means that any consonants that could be assigned either to the beginning of...

The primary stress in a word falls on the most heavily accented syllable.  There is a primary stress in every word in English. In monosyllabic words, that is, words that have only one syllable, the primary stress falls on the entire word.  In multisyllabic words, it is common practice to define a syllable as a vowel and its surrounding consonants.  Usually this means that any consonants that could be assigned either to the beginning of one syllable or the end of another are assigned to the beginning.  So this means that in a word like slavery, where the stress is on the first syllable, the v is assigned to the beginning of the second syllable rather than to the end of the first.  

If there is a cluster of consonants of three or more, such as in pumpkin, the greatest possible number (according to the phonetic rules of a language) is assigned to the beginning of the next syllable.  In this case, because the combination pk- is impossible in word-initial position, the p is assigned to the first syllable.

Primary stress is commonly denoted in multisyllabic words with an apostrophe (‘) before the indicated syllable.  For the word multisyllabic, for example, the stress would be noted thus:  multisyl’labic.  So we know that the stress falls on the syllable la.

For this exercise I will just put the primary stress in bold, for simplification.

I )  strength
II ) illustrate
III ) distinction 
IV ) slavery
V ) historical
VI ) pumpkin
VII ) shield
VIII ) doubt
IX ) Oxford (x = two phonetic sounds, /ks/, so the three-consonant rule                  outlined above stands)
X ) theatre

How could a student effectively write Mr. Underwood's editorial about the killing of Tom Robinson in prison?

In Chapter 25 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mr. Underwood writes what Scout describes as a "bitter" editorial in The Maycomb Tribuneabout Tom Robinson's death. Not caring about who cancels their advertisements or subscriptions, Mr. Underwood writes that, in Scout's words, "it was a sin to kill cripples... He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children" (page numbers vary according to the edition). In other words, Mr....

In Chapter 25 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mr. Underwood writes what Scout describes as a "bitter" editorial in The Maycomb Tribune about Tom Robinson's death. Not caring about who cancels their advertisements or subscriptions, Mr. Underwood writes that, in Scout's words, "it was a sin to kill cripples... He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children" (page numbers vary according to the edition). In other words, Mr. Underwood finds Tom Robinson's death at the hands of prison guards defenseless because, like a songbird, Tom Robinson is harmless. Tom was a decent, moral man who never caused any problems before a white woman unfairly accused him of rape.

If you were writing Mr. Underwood's editorial, you'd have to think whether you agree with him. Was Tom Robinson's death senseless, or were the prison guards right to shoot Tom as he was supposedly trying to escape? Did Tom really pose a threat? Most likely, Tom did not pose a threat, so the guards were wrong to shoot him. You would want to also include the nature of Tom Robinson's trial in your editorial. There is a great deal of evidence that Tom was not guilty, and you might point out the flawed nature of the justice system in Maycomb. In other words, Tom Robinson should've never been in prison in the first place, so his death was particularly senseless. 

What was the relationship between Rikki and the two cobras in the story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?"

Rikki and the cobras are mortal enemies. Although Nag and Nagaina are the first live cobras Rikki has ever met, his mother taught him that his purpose in life as an adult mongoose would be "to fight and eat snakes." Nag understands that fact about mongooses, and it scares him. In fact, he "knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family." Therefore, at their first meeting, Nag...

Rikki and the cobras are mortal enemies. Although Nag and Nagaina are the first live cobras Rikki has ever met, his mother taught him that his purpose in life as an adult mongoose would be "to fight and eat snakes." Nag understands that fact about mongooses, and it scares him. In fact, he "knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family." Therefore, at their first meeting, Nag and Nagaina attempt to kill Rikki; Nag keeps him engaged in conversation as Nagaina sneaks up on him from behind. However, Darzee warns Rikki, and he jumps out of the way just in time.

Thereafter, the cobras seek to kill Rikki and he seeks to kill them. Nag at first is not convinced they need to kill the people, but Nagaina explains that if they kill the man, the mongoose will leave. So the snakes' desire to be rid of Rikki, because they know he will eventually kill them, is what makes them go after the humans. Rikki succeeds, with the help of the man, in killing Nag, and then he turns his attention to the cobra eggs and to Nagaina. Meanwhile, Nagaina continues her effort to kill the humans by going after Teddy on the veranda. Rikki breaks that up, draws Nagaina away, and pursues her down her hole, where he kills her. Both the snakes and Rikki want to kill each other, but the snakes fear Rikki more than he fears them.

In The Great Gatsby, do Daisy and Nick have a close relationship?

We learn in Chapter I of The Great Gatsby(Fitzgerald) that Nick and Daisy do not have a close relationship.  Daisy is a distant relative, a "second cousin once removed" (10), and Nick shares that he had spent a few days with Daisy and her husband Tom in Chicago right after he came back from World War I.  It seems, actually, that he knows Tom far better, having known him when they were in college. ...

We learn in Chapter I of The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) that Nick and Daisy do not have a close relationship.  Daisy is a distant relative, a "second cousin once removed" (10), and Nick shares that he had spent a few days with Daisy and her husband Tom in Chicago right after he came back from World War I.  It seems, actually, that he knows Tom far better, having known him when they were in college.  With all that is revealed to Nick about Daisy and Tom's marriage and about Daisy's relationship with Gatsby, his front row seat in their dramas, I think it's fair to say that by the end of the novel, they are no closer than they had been in the beginning.  Daisy is not capable of being close to anyone, and Nick has his own emotional limitations.  Daisy is capable of neither insight nor empathy.  Nick is capable of insight, but it is only his experience of Gatsby that shows he is capable of empathy at all. These are hardly cousins who sat together at family dinners as children or who will press for family reunions in the future.

How does "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman conceptualize love?

I think the easiest way to think about Whitman's concept of love is to say that poetry and love are the same thing. In "Song of Myself," the poem opens with Whitman's assertion that he and the reader are the same -- "every atom of me as good belongs to you." This line suggests a radical reinvention of poetry. If poet and reader are the same, then the poem becomes a place where poet and...

I think the easiest way to think about Whitman's concept of love is to say that poetry and love are the same thing. In "Song of Myself," the poem opens with Whitman's assertion that he and the reader are the same -- "every atom of me as good belongs to you." This line suggests a radical reinvention of poetry. If poet and reader are the same, then the poem becomes a place where poet and reader can meet (and embrace!). The poem in a sense becomes the expression of love, and the place where love occurs.

Whitman of course is not afraid of talking about sex and the body. But his notion of love both includes and transcends those things. "Love" finds expression in the political (SofM as a celebration of democracy and America) and the homoerotic (SofM as an assertion of gay desire) and the ontological (SofM as celebration of the here and now, or existence). But mostly, love is a spiritual force that binds the universe together, made visible in poetry, but which can be felt by everyone, everywhere, all the time. It If this sounds like a religious idea, you are not mistaken. Ultimately, Whitman's idea of of love, which is universal and all-encompassing, is the love of God for his creation.

See also:

Navarro, Santiago Juan. “BEYOND THE MYTH OF NARCISSUS: THE ROLE OF THE READER IN WALT WHITMAN'S «SONG OF MYSELF»”. Atlantis 12.1 (1990): 109–114. 

What are Macbeth's intentions in his soliloquy during Act IV, Scene 1, and how does the language and structure convey his urgency?

Macbeth's final fourteen or so lines in this scene actually constitute an aside, not a soliloquy, because he is not alone on stage.  Lennox is still with him, but Macbeth speaks in an aside, to himself, and so -- by convention -- Lennox cannot hear him.

Macbeth is upset Macduff has escaped him because Macbeth waited too long to act on his suspicions of Macduff; Macduff is now out of his reach in England, meeting with...

Macbeth's final fourteen or so lines in this scene actually constitute an aside, not a soliloquy, because he is not alone on stage.  Lennox is still with him, but Macbeth speaks in an aside, to himself, and so -- by convention -- Lennox cannot hear him.

Macbeth is upset Macduff has escaped him because Macbeth waited too long to act on his suspicions of Macduff; Macduff is now out of his reach in England, meeting with Duncan's son, Malcolm.  So now, Macbeth intends to act as soon as he conceives of a plan.  He says that the "firstlings of [his] heart shall be / The firstlings of [his] hand" from now on (3.1.168-169).  Therefore, when it occurs to Macbeth to kill Lady Macduff and all of Macduff's children and servants as a way to punish the thane, he vows to do it right away, as if to inaugurate his new resolution.  

When Macbeth lays out his plan for Macduff's innocent and unknowing family, he lets the audience in on it.  Now, we know more than the Macduffs do, and this creates dramatic irony (which occurs when the audience knows more than one or more characters).  Dramatic irony heightens the tension for us, and so this helps to convey the tension and urgency Macbeth feels as well.

How is isolation shown in The Great Gatsby with Daisy's character?

Daisy is emotionally isolatedfrom just about everyone.  Her husband, Tom Buchanan, has alienated her with his pattern of marital infidelity and well-known affairs.  Her friend, Jordan Baker, informs Nick that "'he's got some woman in New York,'" and Daisy childishly insists on calling him names ("'hulking'") that he specifically says bother him.  Their few interactions -- where she fails to take him seriously, especially -- convey to us Daisy feels herself to be at...

Daisy is emotionally isolated from just about everyone.  Her husband, Tom Buchanan, has alienated her with his pattern of marital infidelity and well-known affairs.  Her friend, Jordan Baker, informs Nick that "'he's got some woman in New York,'" and Daisy childishly insists on calling him names ("'hulking'") that he specifically says bother him.  Their few interactions -- where she fails to take him seriously, especially -- convey to us Daisy feels herself to be at an emotional distance from her husband.

Moreover, Daisy longs to be assured that she's missed in Chicago and thrills when Nick jokes that the "town is desolate" without her.  "'How gorgeous!" she exclaims and says that they should return there tomorrow.  She craves others' feelings for her.  Further, there's a rumor that Daisy speaks softly so that "people [will have to] lean toward her"; she attempts to bring people physically closer to her, implying that she dislikes the distance between them. 

Even when Daisy and her best friend, Jordan, speak to one another, their chatter "was as cool as their white dresses and their impersonal eyes [...]."  She is aloof as a rule, and her emotional isolation seems, at times, of her own design, and at other times, it seems imposed upon her.  Regardless, it doesn't seem as though anyone really knows the real Daisy.  She is clearly disillusioned by marriage and the world -- she tells Nick that she's "'pretty cynical about everything'" -- but she never seems to let anyone in, emotionally.  Thus, she remains isolated.

What are Junior's mom's hobbies, personality, and dreams?

We only get brief glimpses of Junior's mother in the novel. What we do know is that she is an avid reader.  Junior mentions that she "still reads books like crazy. She buys them by the pound. And she remembers everything that she reads" (Alexie 11). She is a recovered alcoholic (Alexie 46) and goes to to Church to find support in times of need (Alexie 170). Junior believes that she may have gone to college and became a teacher if someone paid attention to her dreams. This is shown by the cartoon he drew of his parents on page 12.

As a mom, she is honest with Junior.  When Oscar, the family dog, becomes ill, she is the one that has to break the bad news to Junior that "[the family] [doesn't] have any money for Oscar" (Alexie 10). She knows that the news will hurt her son but he did need to know that there was nothing the family could do to save the dog. She is also supportive of Junior.  She and his father do not put up much resistance when Junior tells his parents that he wants to go to Reardan in "Go Means Go." As Junior remarked in the chapter, "It was almost like they'd been waiting for me to ask them if I could go to Reardan" (Alexie 46).

As the novel progresses, she becomes more and more protective of Junior. When Junior is concussed during a basketball game in the chapter "Reindeer Games," she worries about possible further brain damage. Junior lists his mother's worry as one of the reasons why he stops attending class after his Grandmother and family friend Eugene dies (Alexie 174). It climaxes when Mary dies in the fire that consumed her trailer. She slaps Junior repeatedly (something that does not happen in the Spirit home at all), making him promise that he would never drink (Alexie 208). It is believed that Mary was too drunk to save herself when the trailer caught on fire. Grandmother was killed by a drunk driver and Eugene dies during a drunken argument. Given that she is now sober and the reader has seen the effects of alcoholism on the Spirit family, it is no surprise she would want to protect her now only child from alcohol. 

What is Jonas's first lie? How does he feel afterwards?

  Jonas has a few opportunities to lie after he receives permission to do so. First, in chapter 12, his mother asks if he slept soundly after his first meeting with the Giver. "Jonas simply smiled and nodded, not ready to lie, not willing to tell the truth" (88). Because Jonas dreamed of the memory he received the day before, he couldn't tell his mother about it. She wouldn't understand and he isn't supposed to...

  Jonas has a few opportunities to lie after he receives permission to do so. First, in chapter 12, his mother asks if he slept soundly after his first meeting with the Giver. "Jonas simply smiled and nodded, not ready to lie, not willing to tell the truth" (88). Because Jonas dreamed of the memory he received the day before, he couldn't tell his mother about it. She wouldn't understand and he isn't supposed to talk about his training.

Next, in chapter 14, Jonas experiences what it is like to have a broken leg. At home that night, his father asks him what is wrong and if he wants medication; but, Jonas simply denies anything is wrong and dodges the issue. This isn't lying, yet, but he's building his skills for when he does lie. Another deceptive thing that Jonas does is when he accidentally gives Gabe, the baby, a memory to calm him in the middle of the night.

"He wondered, though, if he should confess to The Giver that he had given a memory away. . . He decided not to tell" (117).

At this point, Jonas has developed a pattern for deceit and he is now ready to lie. After receiving the memory about Christmas and grandparents, Jonas asks his parents if they love him. His mother freaks out about precision of language and they explain that they enjoy him, but love is an archaic word and not used anymore. They ask him if he understands that it is inappropriate to use the word love in their community and Jonas lies and says he understands. "It was his first lie to his parents" (127).

Jonas does not like his parents' answer, so he acts out against the community for it by not taking his pill the next morning. The text does not directly state that Jonas didn't like his parents' answer, but it can be inferred by his abrupt disobedience to one of the community's major rules the next morning. The more memories Jonas receives, the more he learns about what he doesn't have in his life. If Jonas can't have love in his life, for example, then he will contradict the community in the only way he knows how--stop taking the pill to see what else might happen. He is starting to realize that he doesn't want to be controlled by people who don't love him and who probably lie to him.

Does a catalyst speed up one kind of reaction?

Catalysts lower the activation energy of a reaction by providing an alternative reaction path, thereby speeding up the reaction.

For a chemical reaction to take place, the participants of the reaction, the reactants, must have enough energy to overcome an energy barrier. This energy barrier is the activation energy of the reaction. After this, energy landscape simply falls to the energy of the product, which can be higher (endothermic) or lower (exothermic) energy than the...

Catalysts lower the activation energy of a reaction by providing an alternative reaction path, thereby speeding up the reaction.

For a chemical reaction to take place, the participants of the reaction, the reactants, must have enough energy to overcome an energy barrier. This energy barrier is the activation energy of the reaction. After this, energy landscape simply falls to the energy of the product, which can be higher (endothermic) or lower (exothermic) energy than the reactant. Some chemical reactions are really slow because of a very high activation energy. 

Catalysts help speed up reactions. They do this by providing an alternative path for the reaction to take place. This alternative path has an altered energy landscape and a lower activation energy than the path not involving the catalyst. The catalyst simply provides a "platform" for the reaction to take place, but is not itself a participant in the reaction. Hence, it is not consumed.

Examples of catalysts are enzymes. Enzymes are proteins with an additional function of catalyzing various chemical reactions such as bond formation, or bond cleavage. Enzymes will bind with the reactants and bring them together at the appropriate orientation for the reaction to occur. With the enzyme, one can imagine this will go a lot slower, as the reactants must find the optimal orientation for the reaction by themselves. Hence, enzymes limit the conformational space the proteins sample to make the reaction more efficient. In the industry, catalysts are used to make reactions more efficient and faster. For example, catalytic converters convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide by providing a platform unto which both carbon monoxide and oxygen molecules can adsorb to, and hence react to form carbon dioxide.