How did 5% of the population of the South manage to keep a system in place that was detrimental to the overwhelming majority of southerners, both...

The system you are referring to is the institution of slavery (before 1865). At the height of slavery, only about 5% of white southern families owned slaves. To perpetrate this system, the southern plantation owners co-opted poorer whites into supporting the system of slavery.

This cooperation goes back to Bacon's Rebellion of 1676, in which poor whites and former indentured servants revolted against the white elite. As a response, according to historians such as Edmund...

The system you are referring to is the institution of slavery (before 1865). At the height of slavery, only about 5% of white southern families owned slaves. To perpetrate this system, the southern plantation owners co-opted poorer whites into supporting the system of slavery.

This cooperation goes back to Bacon's Rebellion of 1676, in which poor whites and former indentured servants revolted against the white elite. As a response, according to historians such as Edmund S. Morgan (author of American Slavery, American Freedom), the white elite instituted an increasingly harsh and inflexible color line that kept African-Americans enslaved and that gave poor whites a superior position to slaves in the social hierarchy. The elite also supported the movement of white settlers onto Native American lands; the restriction of white westward movement had been one of the causes of Bacon's Rebellion, and the southern states (and the federal government) supported encroachment on Native American lands into the 19th century with the policy of Indian Removal. If poorer whites were allowed to expand, they were pacified and less likely to revolt against the elite. Therefore, the color line was a tool that the white southern elite used to hold power before the Civil War.

Fear was another tool the southern white elite used to maintain their power and a reason why 95% of the population did not revolt against the system. Escaped slaves were generally shot, and slaves were beaten and treated cruelly to prevent their solidarity and to break their will. Families were routinely broken up, and most slaves, as documented in Frederick Douglass's autobiography, were prevented from learning skills, such as reading, that would allow them the means and the will to escape.

In the north, power brokers often used a religious or ethnic line to co-opt other whites into cooperating with them. For example, northern factory owners increasingly turned toward employing Catholic people from Ireland to work in their factories. The northern elite often stoked feelings of nativism, the belief that American-born Protestants from Northern Europe were superior to foreign-born Catholics and later (in the late 1800s) to Jews, Slavs, Italians, and other people from Southern and Eastern Europe. This system co-opted poorer whites into supporting the status quo.

How did the American Revolution function as a civil war?

In some ways, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war. British citizens were pitted against British citizens. There were people, called loyalists, who believed we should stay with Great Britain. These people felt the British government was justified in its actions. They also felt that there might be chaos if we broke away from the British. In some cases, people depended on the British for their jobs. If the British left, they would...

In some ways, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war. British citizens were pitted against British citizens. There were people, called loyalists, who believed we should stay with Great Britain. These people felt the British government was justified in its actions. They also felt that there might be chaos if we broke away from the British. In some cases, people depended on the British for their jobs. If the British left, they would lose their jobs. The Patriots supported breaking from Great Britain. They believed that the British were violating our rights and not treating us fairly. There were many instances where the loyalists were harassed for supporting the British. At times, loyalists faced violence or angry mobs because of their support of the British government.

In some cases, the Revolutionary War split family members. There were times when family members fought on opposite sides of the conflict. In some cases, brothers fought against brothers, such as the Goforth brothers at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Benjamin Franklin’s son supported the British and was basically disowned by his father.

Finally, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war because the British colonists were fighting against the British government. The colonists felt they no longer could support Great Britain and be ruled by them. Thus, they fought for their independence.

What are you learning about the culture or time period in which the Custom of the Country is set? How would you read this novel differently if you...

Undine Spragg is a young woman living in old New York in a very wealthy society where women's rights are still null. As such, Undine and other females do not have the chance to lead fulfilling lives that they would be happy with. Their "happiness" would depend almost entirely on their marriage prospects, namely, their husbands and, more importantly, how much money they had. 

Undine is well-aware of her social limitations, which is why she takes full advantage of her charms and uses marriage in her favor. She is not a charming person by any means, but her physical beauty, sophistication, and the speed with which she moves from social circle to social circle makes her quite appealing to an average man of that time and place. Moffat, for example, sees in Undine characteristics of wealth: flamboyance, extravagance, and snobbery. 

Indeed, extravagance and snobbery are typical traits in a big part of Undine's society. This is because the mega-rich families of old New York, like Edith Wharton's own family, existed as hierarchies that went back to the times of the early Dutch settlers. They acted like royalty, because they considered themselves to be the closest thing to it. Therefore, family name, family origin, and closeness to the Dutch heritage were highly-esteemed qualities that defined who you were in that particular society. This is why Undine had such a fixation with the Dagonet clan: They were all that, and more. 

Then there is the other side of Undine's society. Those who had neither name, fortune nor links to the Dutch were considered to be "new money." Moffat is a prime example of this. A "dealer," "trader," or salesman may come to money in old New York, but they would never be able to mix with the ancestral families. Undine was another example of new money. Her midwesterner family moved to New York to mingle in higher social circles. Undine knew well where she stood socially, and this is why she was so fixated in finding a label to identify her as something bigger and better. Hence, she marries Marvell in order to fit into an "old" family, then goes after Van Degen, then goes on to marry a French count, and, in the end, she ends up with Moffat because of all the opulence that he offers. Hence,Undine is eternally chasing 2 things that she lacks: social class and heritage. She lacks these two factors because she simply was not born into them. This is the other reason why she is consistently dissatisfied. 

Finally, in Undine's society, there has to be money as part of a successful social formula. Remember: family name, family fortune and closeness to their Dutch heritage were the ideal traits to have but, out of all three, the most powerful factor would still be money. In a society where the "new money" folk was getting rich enough to compete with the old money folk, those who lacked the class and heritage would resort to using their money to show it off in opulence. This opulence would mimic the extravagance of the rich, if not deflect the attention away from the old money family names and into the fantastic things that the new money could buy.

This is why Undine resorts to opulence and ends up with Moffat. Yet, still living in a mansion in Paris, Undine still feels empty and unhappy. This is is how important it was to live in old New York under "the right circumstances," and to be considered "somebody."

The modern reader would perhaps appreciate the social distinctions that existed then and still exist now. A female modern reader, however, would never be able be able to truly appreciate the extent to which women were so limited by a male-dominated society. True, there are changes that should still be happening in today's world with women equality, but the things that occur in Undine's world would definitely never be allowed to take place in today's law-regulated society.

Can someone help me figure out the holy sonnet 1 on this website. I have been trying for the past couple hours and only have half of it done. I do...

First off, I can say that from the perspective of a university-level poetry professor, your frustration with understanding meter is totally common; my students frequently struggle to understand how to scan poems! You are certainly not alone! In order to successfully identify poems you need two things:

1) First, you stated that you know that this sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, but it is critical to understand what iambic pentameter means. Let us look...

First off, I can say that from the perspective of a university-level poetry professor, your frustration with understanding meter is totally common; my students frequently struggle to understand how to scan poems! You are certainly not alone! In order to successfully identify poems you need two things:

1) First, you stated that you know that this sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, but it is critical to understand what iambic pentameter means. Let us look at the first part of this phrase: "iambic."

An "iamb" is a type of "foot" in poetry, and a foot is merely a pairing of two syllables. An iamb is a foot in which the first syllable is unstressed and the second syllable is stressed. As a result, in the first "foot" or "iamb" of the poem ("Thou hast"), we can deduce that the first syllable is unstressed ("Thou") and the second syllable is stressed ("hast"). Since this whole sonnet is iambic, we can say that this pattern is true for ALL of the syllable pairings here. 

We can deduce what "pentameter" means from the prefix of the word itself. "Penta-" means "five." Thus, we know that the meter of this poem involves five iambs per line.

2) Another thing that helps my students is reading the poem out loud to listen to what syllables are stressed and unstressed. Try doing so while placing your hand over your heart. Iambic pentameter sounds a lot like our heartbeat: lub-DUB, lub-DUB, unstressed, STRESSED, unstressed, STRESSED.  

With these tidbits in mind, let us now look at the scansion of the poem. I have broken it down below as follows:

• unstressed syllables are italicized
  


• stressed syllables are CAPITALIZED


• iambs are separated by a single bold line ( | )

Thou HAST  |  made ME, |  and SHALL  |  Thy WORK  |  deCAY ?
RePAIR  |  me NOW,  |  for NOW  |  mine END  |  doth HASTE;
I RUN  |  to DEATH,  |  and DEATH  |  meets ME  |  as FAST,
And ALL  |  my PLEA-  |  sures ARE  |  like YES-  |  terDAY.
I DARE  |  not MOVE  |  my DIM  |  eyes AN-  |  y WAY;
DesPAIR  |  beHIND,  |  and DEATH  |  beFORE  |  doth CAST
Such TER-  |  ror, AND  |  my FEE-  |  ble FLESH  |  doth WASTE
By SIN | in IT, | which IT | towards HELL | doth WEIGH.
OnLY | Thou ART | aBOVE | and WHEN | towards THEE
By THY  |  leave I  |  can LOOK,  |  I RISE  |  aGAIN ;
But OUR  |  old SUB-  |  tle FOE  |  so TEMP-  |  teth ME,
That NOT  |  one HOUR  |  mySELF  |  I CAN  |  susTAIN.
Thy GRACE  |  may WING  |  me TO  |  preVENT  |  his ART
And THOU  |  like AD-  |  aMANT  |  draw MINE  |  iron HEART.

In "The Necklace", why is Mathilde is envious of the social class and wealth of others?

Mathilde is envious of the social class and wealth of others, namely those who are much better off than she is, because she has never really had a chance to experience neither class nor fortune, in the first place. Mathilde's case is quite unique. She has no background, no inheritance, nor family name. That she feels so entitled to be wealthy is one thing. However, she seems to be "missing" wealth and class as if...

Mathilde is envious of the social class and wealth of others, namely those who are much better off than she is, because she has never really had a chance to experience neither class nor fortune, in the first place. Mathilde's case is quite unique. She has no background, no inheritance, nor family name. That she feels so entitled to be wealthy is one thing. However, she seems to be "missing" wealth and class as if she has ever had it.

Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty o her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains.

Even Maupassant sarcastically describes the details that cross Mathilde's mind, showing in this manner the shallow nature of her thoughts, and the sad fact that she bestows so much importance on the superficial; on those things that are entirely unimportant. How is it possible that she is so given to those things that she has never known?

All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry.

The second answer to this question is that she may have vicariously experienced wealth through the character of Madame Forestier. We know that Mathilde feels "distress" when she visits "a friend from the convent" who has known Mathilde since a very young age, and who also happens to be very rich. Years after the convent, we find Mathilde being friends with "a rich friend", which we can only assume to be Forestier. This is who let Mathilde borrow the notorious necklace that the story is about.

Therefore, Mathilde's distress comes from having seen that other women who could very well have been her, get to enjoy the benefits that come from having a lot of money. Perhaps she is resentful, or even feels hurt that fate did not pick her to be like those whom she admires. Regardless, Mathilde has never experienced wealth nor class. Hence, she clearly has created a construct of what being rich supposedly is. Her fantasies carry her way too far. It is this proneness to fantasize and idealize life that led her to make choices that she will end up paying for dearly.

`x=2-picost , y=2t-pisint` Find the equations of the tangent lines at the point where the curve crosses itself.

The given parametric equations are ,

`x=2-picos(t), y=2t-pisin(t)`

The curve crosses itself for different values of t , which give the same x and y value.

So, to get the point where the curve crosses itself, let's make a table for different values of t.(Refer attached image)

From the table , we can find that the curve crosses itself at (2,0) for t=`+-pi/2`

The derivative `dy/dx` is the slope of the line tangent to the...

The given parametric equations are ,

`x=2-picos(t), y=2t-pisin(t)`

The curve crosses itself for different values of t , which give the same x and y value.

So, to get the point where the curve crosses itself, let's make a table for different values of t.(Refer attached image)

From the table , we can find that the curve crosses itself at (2,0) for t=`+-pi/2`

The derivative `dy/dx` is the slope of the line tangent to the parametric graph (x(t),y(t)).

`dy/dx=(dy/dt)/(dx/dt)`

`dx/dt=-pi(-sin(t))=pisin(t)`

`dy/dt=2-picos(t)`

`dy/dx=(2-picos(t))/(pisin(t))`

At t=`pi/2` , `dy/dx=(2-picos(pi/2))/(pisin(pi/2))=2/pi`

Equation of the tangent line can be found by the point slope form of the line,

`y-0=2/pi(x-2)`

`y=2/pi(x-2)` 

At t=`-pi/2` ,`dy/dx=(2-picos(-pi/2))/(pisin(-pi/2))=2/(-pi)=-2/pi` 

Equation of the tangent line,

`y-0=-2/pi(x-2)`

`y=-2/pi(x-2)`

Equation of the tangent lines at the point where the given curve crosses itself are :

`y=2/pi(x-2), y=-2/pi(x-2)`  

What is the European Union and why was it formed?

The European Union was an organization of many countries, mostly in Europe, that created a political and an economic community in Europe. There had been some discussion for many years about creating such a community throughout Europe. By creating the European Union, these countries created a single market for trade. This made it much easier to trade products as many barriers to trade were removed. It also created a single currency that is used by...

The European Union was an organization of many countries, mostly in Europe, that created a political and an economic community in Europe. There had been some discussion for many years about creating such a community throughout Europe. By creating the European Union, these countries created a single market for trade. This made it much easier to trade products as many barriers to trade were removed. It also created a single currency that is used by many nations in the European Union. This currency is called the Euro. The European Union also made it easier for people to travel across the borders of the nations in the European Union.

The European Union has several goals. One goal is to strengthen the democratic governance in member nations of the European Union. It also wants to provide for more security for member nations. A third goal is to create economic and financial unity. Finally, the European Union hoped to help member nations become more efficient economically.

In order to better develop the language and literacy abilities of the students, how can the general and special education curricula be...

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), there are different strategies that speech-language pathologists can use to develop the language and literacy abilities of students and modify both general and special education curricula (please see the link below). For example, a speech-language pathologist can pull students out of the classroom before the lesson to introduce them to relevant concepts and specialized vocabulary in that lesson. That way, students will be familiar with these concepts...

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), there are different strategies that speech-language pathologists can use to develop the language and literacy abilities of students and modify both general and special education curricula (please see the link below). For example, a speech-language pathologist can pull students out of the classroom before the lesson to introduce them to relevant concepts and specialized vocabulary in that lesson. That way, students will be familiar with these concepts and words when they hear or see them in class and will be better able to integrate them and understand the lesson.

In addition, speech-language pathologists can be involved in the classroom by assisting with the lesson. For example, they can teach in conjunction with the other educator or teach a lesson that involves helping students structure the steps involved in answering multipart questions or writing a paragraph. They can also consult with teachers about how to help struggling students. Finally, they can help students after a lesson review parts of the lesson, including unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts, to make sure students have understood the lesson. In these ways and others, speech-language pathologists can work to break down the special or general education curricula into component parts that they can work with the teacher to reinforce. 

If light travels at approximately 5.9 trillion miles per year, is it safe to assume that objects and events assumed to be many light years away may...

Q:

If light travels at approximately 5.9 trillion miles per year, is it safe to assume that objects and events that are many many light years away may have been transformed into something else and are no longer there? If some event transpired 11,000 light-years away, would the light from it take 11,000 years to arrive here?

A:

In short, yes, it is possible that light that is visible in the night sky on Earth...

Q:

If light travels at approximately 5.9 trillion miles per year, is it safe to assume that objects and events that are many many light years away may have been transformed into something else and are no longer there? If some event transpired 11,000 light-years away, would the light from it take 11,000 years to arrive here?

A:

In short, yes, it is possible that light that is visible in the night sky on Earth originated in stars that no longer exist. The speed of light limits the rate at which light information from astral objects can reach Earth. Perhaps the most illustrative example of this time limit is the sun. It takes about eight minutes and twenty seconds, on average, for light from the sun to reach Earth. If the sun were to suddenly disappear, this means that it would still be visible from Earth for another eight minutes and twenty seconds before it became apparent that it was gone. 

When we see objects in the night sky, we are actually looking at photons emitted from them (stars) or reflected off them (planets and asteroids). Because these photons can travel no faster than the speed of light, what you see in the night sky is a "snapshot" of those rays of light at the time that they were emitted or reflected. In other words, yes, light from an event that hypothetically took place 11,000 light-years away from Earth--that is, assuming that it was able to reach Earth in the first place--would indeed take 11,000 years to reach here, since light takes one year to travel one light-year.

What prejudices are believed about the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Aside from the obvious prejudices held about Arthur (Boo) Radley and Tom Robinson, many characters in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird are viewed in a prejudiced light.

Walter Cunningham is one character Scout views in a prejudiced light though she mends her ways by the middle of the book. Scout's prejudices against Walter are seen in the early chapters. In the second chapter, in her speeches to Miss Caroline explaining why Walter has no lunch and won't accept her quarter, Scout paints Walter and the rest of the Cunninghams in a positive light, saying, "The Cunninghams never took anything they can't pay back--no church baskets and no scrip stamps ... [T]hey get along on what they have. They don't have much, but they get along on it." However, by the time Jem invites Walter to their home for lunch, it is evident that Scout sees Walter as inferior due to his poverty. For example, Scout shows surprise when Atticus is able to converse with Walter, "like two men," while at the dinner table. Plus, when Walter pours molasses syrup all over his lunch and Scout expresses surprise, making him feel ashamed, her retort when reprimanded by Calpurnia is, "He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham," showing us that Scout is prejudice at first and thinks of the Cunninghams as being beneath her due to their poverty.

However, Scout changes her tune after the trial when she learns that a family member of Walter's who served on the jury nearly acquitted Robinson. After this discovery, she plans to invite Walter home for lunch again during school, and when Aunt Alexandra sounds like she disapproves of the idea, Scout asks, "Why not, Aunty? They're good folks," showing us just how much Scout has outgrown her prejudices since the start of the book (Ch. 23).

In "The Monkey's Paw," what happens immediately after Mr. White wishes for 200 pounds?

Immediately after Mr. White makes the wish for two hundred pounds, three things happen:

A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.

His skeptical and fun-loving son Herbert plays a loud chord on the piano, as if to create an effect of something like a magical feat being performed. His father drops the monkey's paw because, as he...

Immediately after Mr. White makes the wish for two hundred pounds, three things happen:

A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.

His skeptical and fun-loving son Herbert plays a loud chord on the piano, as if to create an effect of something like a magical feat being performed. His father drops the monkey's paw because, as he tells his wife and son, it seemed to twist in his hand like a snake as he made his wish. Throughout the story, it is never clear whether the wishes are being granted by the monkey's paw or they only appear to be granted as a result of coincidence. As far as the paw seeming to twist in Mr. White's hand is concerned, that may have been caused by his fright when Herbert startled him with the "fine crash" from the piano, which was more or less what Herbert intended.

After that, nothing happens. The three family members stay up a little while longer and then all go to bed. That is the end of Part I.

Mr. White is obviously a modest man. If he had wished for something grander, such as a mansion or a big bag full of gold coins, then the reader would feel sure the monkey's paw had supernatural powers. Mr. White only wishes for two hundred pounds, though. It could have been sheer coincidence that Herbert would get killed in a factory accident the next day and the company would decide to give Mr. and Mrs. White the sum of two hundred pounds as compensation for losing their son.

What is the overall message in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, given that the author continuously illustrates friendship, commitment and relationship...

Friendship and commitment are at the heart of this story and are shown most clearly through the relationship between Lennie and George. Through these two characters, Steinbeck presents his central message: friendships are often strengthened by difficult conditions, like poverty and powerlessness, but they cannot always overcome such tests.

From the very beginning of the story, it is clear that their friendship is based on unequal footing. George, for example, is like a father figure...

Friendship and commitment are at the heart of this story and are shown most clearly through the relationship between Lennie and George. Through these two characters, Steinbeck presents his central message: friendships are often strengthened by difficult conditions, like poverty and powerlessness, but they cannot always overcome such tests.

From the very beginning of the story, it is clear that their friendship is based on unequal footing. George, for example, is like a father figure to Lennie, and Lennie relies on George to take care of him. Despite this, they are united (and strengthened) by their dream to own their own ranch and live off "the fatta the lan'." This causes some suspicion and interest from other characters in the story: remember that in Chapter Two, for instance, Slim comments that not many men travel around together. But this attitude does not affect George and Lennie: they are more determined than ever to achieve their dream and make a successful life together. Even when Curley takes an instant dislike to Lennie, their friendship holds strong and their commitment to each other is unaffected.

George and Lennie's friendship (and their dream of owning a ranch) is so strong that it attracts other characters in the story. Both Crooks and Candy, for example, are drawn in by the dream of owning a ranch and plan on becoming part of George and Lennie's brotherhood.

But when Lennie kills Curley's wife, it becomes clear that no amount of friendship or commitment can save him. Even though her death was accidental, George cannot stop the men from hunting him down and shooting him. This not only brings their friendship to a tragic end but also makes it clear that these men will never overcome the poverty and powerlessness which is inherent in their lives. 

In Gods Go Begging, how is time reduced, slowed down, negated of its energy and life-giving potential in war and in prison? Make sure to quote the...

When Jesse visits the prison, he goes to the ward in which the prisoners have to remain recumbent. In this strange environment, it's almost as if time is slowed down. Véa writes that the prisoners "clung to their thin bedding and small cots in the same dull way that stunted, unmetamorphosed caterpillars might cling to their ill-woven cocoons" (53). In this sentence, the prisoners are compared, using metaphor, to caterpillars who remain in their cocoons...

When Jesse visits the prison, he goes to the ward in which the prisoners have to remain recumbent. In this strange environment, it's almost as if time is slowed down. Véa writes that the prisoners "clung to their thin bedding and small cots in the same dull way that stunted, unmetamorphosed caterpillars might cling to their ill-woven cocoons" (53). In this sentence, the prisoners are compared, using metaphor, to caterpillars who remain in their cocoons and never burst out of them. Instead, they remain inert in their beds, and the prisoners' beds become "finely tuned machines capable of travel through time and space" (53). The author compares the prisoners' beds to space ships, implying the eerie mood of the ward in which the life-giving or energy-giving potential of time is removed, leaving only a kind of void.

The author also implies that the death caused by war and violence makes time slow down and sucks it of its energy-giving potential. The two victims of violence who lie on the street in the first page of the book are compared, in a simile, to soldiers. The author writes, "Then, like warriors abandoned on a field, they lay in unearthly calm as the things of life deserted them" (1). When they die, time is suspended for them. They are able to calmly watch as they are transported to the medical examiner's office, as time no longer has any urgency or meaning to them. Instead, the death caused by war and violence slows down time.

What did Neil Gaiman mean when he stated that “death is the great democracy”?

The text tells us that all of the dead at the cemetery make their voices heard in the decision to keep or banish Bod.

According to Neil Gaiman, "death is the great democracy." This means that all humans must eventually die, no matter who they are. In that sense, all humans are considered equal in the face of death. So, in terms of deciding whether to keep Bod at the graveyard, none of the dead...

The text tells us that all of the dead at the cemetery make their voices heard in the decision to keep or banish Bod.

According to Neil Gaiman, "death is the great democracy." This means that all humans must eventually die, no matter who they are. In that sense, all humans are considered equal in the face of death. So, in terms of deciding whether to keep Bod at the graveyard, none of the dead can claim precedence in terms of wisdom or position. In the story, all the inhabitants of the graveyard are dead and so, must have equal voice in the decision.

Of course, the decision is not an easy one. Josiah Worthington rightly argues that the graveyard is no place for a living, human baby. Yet, because of the danger Bod is in, the inhabitants of the graveyard must do everything they can to protect the child. In the end, three hundred voices are raised in reference to the matter. Each one of the dead clamors to be heard; yet a conclusive decision is not reached until the Lady on the Grey appears on her horse. Her words, "The dead should have charity" decides the course of action the graveyard inhabitants will take.

This is how Bod comes to spend his formative years at the graveyard. Mr. and Mrs. Owen volunteer to be Bod's parents, while Silas offers to be Bod's guardian. Between them and the rest of the dead, they do an admirable job in preparing Bod to meet his nemesis in battle.

Effects of Cold War |

The effects of the Cold War are vast and multidimensional. After the fall of the Soviet Union and of Communist Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Soviet Union suffered an economic decline that worsened the overall economic picture and quality of life within Russia. In the United States, the build up of the military-industrial complex during the Cold War has to some degree continued, and the creation of nuclear weapons has...

The effects of the Cold War are vast and multidimensional. After the fall of the Soviet Union and of Communist Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Soviet Union suffered an economic decline that worsened the overall economic picture and quality of life within Russia. In the United States, the build up of the military-industrial complex during the Cold War has to some degree continued, and the creation of nuclear weapons has meant that many countries possess these weapons, as well as the ability to fire nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a result, the globe remains in peril, and nuclear warfare is a constant threat. However, nuclear energy is also used for peaceful means and as a way to meet the globe's growing demand for energy.

When formerly Communist countries such as Yugoslavia were dismantled at the end of the Cold War, ethnic conflicts erupted, leading to war and the creation of new nations. In addition, the Cold War left some countries, such as North and South Korea, divided and in a state of armed standoff. Other nations that endured Cold War conflicts, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, and Angola, among many others, still bear the scars of warfare conducted during the Cold War. The lives lost in conflicts in these nations are also a legacy of the Cold War. 

What is the significance of the title and how is it related to Daru's conflict?

In French, the title of this story is "L'hôte," and this word has two meanings when it is translated into English. Firstly, it means the 'guest' and relates directly to the Arab prisoner who is taken to Daru's school by Balducci and becomes his guest.

Secondly, the title of this story can also be translated as the 'host' and, in this instance, relates directly to Daru, who is forced to host the prisoner when Balducci...

In French, the title of this story is "L'hôte," and this word has two meanings when it is translated into English. Firstly, it means the 'guest' and relates directly to the Arab prisoner who is taken to Daru's school by Balducci and becomes his guest.

Secondly, the title of this story can also be translated as the 'host' and, in this instance, relates directly to Daru, who is forced to host the prisoner when Balducci arrives with him unexpectedly. It is this interpretation of the title which relates to Daru's conflict: he has no desire to host the prisoner and is disgusted by the crime the prisoner committed. Still, he refuses to hand him over to the police, as he explains to Balducci:

"Listen, Balducci," Daru said suddenly, "every bit of this disgusts me, and first of all your fellow here. But I won't hand him over. Fight, yes, if I have to. But not that."

It is only by letting the prisoner make his own choice (to flee or go to jail) that Daru is able to resolve this conflict.

How does Telemachus feel after Athena leaves in the Odyssey?

When Athena first appears to Telemachus, the young man is not in a happy place. He's lost without his father, loudly bemoaning his fate to anyone who'll listen. But Telemachus needs to be roused from his self-pitying apathy. The onerous responsibility falls to Athena, who comes to visit Telemachus in the guise of Mentes, a Taphian lord. It's a common trope in Greek mythology for a god to take on the appearance of a harmless stranger as Athena does here. The disguised goddess patiently listens to the young man as he pours out his heart to her. Athena is the goddess of, among other things, wisdom and war, and Telemachus is going to need to draw on her skills in both those areas if he's going to drive out the suitors from his father's palace, as Athena encourages him to do.

Athena's trying to get Telemachus to put away childish things and make the step up to manhood. She knows full well that Odysseus is still alive and well, but she plays upon his son's uncertainty concerning his fate to get him to man up and participate in the elaborate plan she has devised. Telemachus is now full of purposeful courage, ready to take his first steps into the wider world as a man, the proud son of a great king and warrior. Athena has set the young man on his path, and so she leaves him for now. Taking to the skies, Athena can be satisfied that the first stage of her plan is now complete.

"Off and away Athena the bright-eyed goddess flew

like a bird in soaring flight

but left his spirit filled with nerve and courage,

charged with his father’s memory more than ever now,

He felt his sense quicken, overwhelmed with wonder—

This was a god, he knew it well and made at once

for the suitors, a man like a god himself."

Athena will continue to appear to Telemachus in the guise of Mentor—encouraging him, recruiting sailors for his forthcoming voyage, and dazing the suitors. But Athena's most important work is done. When Athena flies off, Telemachus has turned from a boy into a man. He feels confident in himself and in his own abilities, and his new-found self-belief gives him the courage to confront the suitors and address the assembly without fear before embarking upon his epic voyage.

In The Outsiders, why is it significant that Paul Holden is the Soc who steps forward to accept Darry's challenge?

Paul Holden was Darry’s friend and football teammate back when they were in high school. It is significant that Paul Holden steps forward for Darry’s challenge because he not only shares a past with Darry, he is also the only Soc capable of going toe to toe with him. One can tell that Darry is (generally) feared by the Socs because he is well-built, athletic, and a good fighter.

The event also holds an important...

Paul Holden was Darry’s friend and football teammate back when they were in high school. It is significant that Paul Holden steps forward for Darry’s challenge because he not only shares a past with Darry, he is also the only Soc capable of going toe to toe with him. One can tell that Darry is (generally) feared by the Socs because he is well-built, athletic, and a good fighter.

The event also holds an important place in the story because it demonstrates the situation between the Socs and the Greasers. Before Darry was orphaned and forced to take responsibility for his siblings, he went to school and had a bright future ahead of him. However, his ambitions and aspirations are cut short by the accident that robbed him of his parents and his childhood.  On the other hand, Holden has not been around. He probably went to college and moved on with his life. Thus, their meeting only affirms the clear distinction between the two rival factions, in which one group is always at a loss.

A string of length `L` and negligible mass is completely wound around a solid cylinder of uniform density, of mass `M` and radius `R` , and it has...

In this solution, I am going to assume that the cylinder is fixed so its center of mass can not move, even though this is not explicitly stated in the problem. This means the cylinder will not be moving as a whole. It will, however, rotate due to the string unwinding when the weight is released.

From the consideration of the conservation of energy, the change of the gravitational potential energy of the weight will equal the rotational kinetic energy of the cylinder and the kinetic energy of the weight:

`Delta U_(gr) = DeltaK_(rot) + DeltaK `

The gravitational potential energy of the weight, once the string is unwound, will change by

`DeltaU_(gr) = mgL` .

The change of kinetic energy of the weight at that time, since it starts moving from rest, will be

`DeltaK = 1/2mv^2` , where v is the velocity we are looking for.

The change of the rotational kinetic energy of the cylinder, which also starts moving from rest, is

`DeltaK_(rot) = 1/2Iomega^2` , where I is the cylinder's moment of inertia around its axis

`I = 1/2MR^2`

and

`omega`

is the angular velocity, which can be found considering that the point on the rim of the cylinder has the same linear velocity as that of the weight, v:

`omega = v/R` .

Plugging this into the equation of energy equation, we get

`mgL = 1/2*1/2MR^2*(v/R)^2 + 1/2mv^2`

`mgL = 1/4Mv^2+1/2mv^2 =(M+2m)/4 v^2 `

From here,

`v = sqrt((4m)/(M+2m)gL)` .

This is the velocity of the weight when the string is unwound, in terms of m, M, L and g.

"The working men have no country." What did Karl Marx mean by his statement, and why was this assertion considered to be subversive and dangerous...

By this statement, Marx and Engels mean that the nation, as traditionally conceived, is a bourgeois nation. This is to say that a nation with a state of its own and a discrete political history has been shaped by the bourgeoisie and, thus, fully reflect their values. The proletariat, therefore, are not a full-fledged part of this nation; it is not their nation to begin with:

The working men have no country. We cannot take from them what they have not got. (Emphasis added).

The nation, as understood by the bourgeoisie, gives the false impression that class distinctions are somehow less important than one's national or ethnic identity. At the same time, it perpetuates class distinctions through the inherently exploitative capitalist system. We see this during times of war, when everyone is urged to put aside their differences of class in order to unite in the face of a common enemy. However, this is simply a more explicit manifestation of a permanent phenomenon. However, the days of the bourgeois nation are numbered, and, paradoxically, it is capitalism that will ultimately be responsible for its demise:

National differences and antagonisms between peoples are vanishing gradually from day to day, owing to the development of the bourgeoisie, to freedom of commerce, to the world market, to uniformity in the mode of production and in the conditions of life corresponding thereto.

Yet, for the foreseeable future, the struggle for supremacy between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat must still take place within the nation:

Though not in substance, yet in form, the struggle of the proletariat with the bourgeoisie is at first a national struggle. The proletariat of each country must, of course, first of all settle matters with its own bourgeoisie.

The revolution needs to be established in each individual nation first before it can spread worldwide. The traditional bourgeois nation-state as it stands is finished; the cynical chauvinism and patriotism used to mask the grotesque inequality and exploitation of the capitalist system will then go soon after. 

This is a highly subversive notion as it constitutes a direct challenge to the existing system. If the proletariat realizes that the nation as it currently exists is not their own, they can also build a nation of their own. The resulting implications are truly revolutionary. The national struggle is a class struggle. Only, the bourgeoisie do not recognize this fact, preferring to peddle the fiction that we are all in it together. The proletariat, however, see things differently. They know that because the nation is founded on the dominance of a single class, they must themselves become the dominant class. However, this in itself is not enough. The national struggle is merely a prelude to a wider, worldwide revolution against capitalist oppression:

In proportion as the exploitation of one individual by another is put an end to, the exploitation of one nation by another will also be put an end to. In proportion as the antagonism between classes within the nation vanishes, the hostility of one nation to another will come to an end.

Capitalism, and the antagonistic system of national and ethnic rivalries it engenders, will one day come to an end. In its place will arise an international proletarian brotherhood, one founded on the solidarity of the oppressed. Initially, the basic political unit will remain that of the nation-state, but this will in due course wither away as worldwide communism is finally established.

What are the themes of I Was Told to Come Alone?

The themes of I Was Told to Come Alone by Souad Mekhennet include the roots of Islamic terrorism, the role of the media in pushing narratives, the causes of radicalization, and the problems of cultural misunderstanding. 

Mekhennet writes about her life and work as she grows up in Germany, later becoming a reporter for The Washington Post and The New York Times. She discusses how international incidents affected her and her family; anti-Muslim sentiment...

The themes of I Was Told to Come Alone by Souad Mekhennet include the roots of Islamic terrorism, the role of the media in pushing narratives, the causes of radicalization, and the problems of cultural misunderstanding. 

Mekhennet writes about her life and work as she grows up in Germany, later becoming a reporter for The Washington Post and The New York Times. She discusses how international incidents affected her and her family; anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany, for example, made her fearful for their safety. Instead of leaving the country and trying to find somewhere else to live, she decided to face the problem and try to make things better by becoming a journalist. 

One thing she charts in her book is the rise of Islamic terrorism. She talks about many events, starting with things happening in the late 70s and continuing on until 2016. She also reaches back further into the past through the experiences of her parents, Turkish and Moroccan immigrants. She shows how religion was twisted to justify violent behavior. She also discusses the role of Western involvement in changing the direction of various countries in the Middle East. These things affected her life directly. As a review in The New Yorker says,

"Mekhennet says that she is someone who narrowly escaped being radicalized herself—owing to the influence of her involved parents and family friends. Instead, she turned to uncovering what motivates the most fervent of believers in jihad, and how they became so unrepentant."

She's passionate about finding out what drives such hate.

Mekhennet also writes about the role of the media in disseminating information and creating narratives. For example, she accuses the Western media of convincing people that the Arab Spring would result in democratic governments taking over regimes in the Middle East quickly. When that didn't happen—which was to be expected since such a process takes a long time and many cultural changes—it disoriented and dissatisfied people. The media also chooses to focus on or ignore certain stories to create its own narrative. There's also a discussion of access to direct sources. Mekhennet is better able to access people like Al-Qaeda commanders because of her background; many Western journalists have no direct contact with people in jihadi groups.

Another theme is radicalization. Mekhennet shows how young people respond to different stimuli that make it easier to radicalize them and convince them to join jihadis. One example of this is her friend's nephew, Pero, who leaves Germany to go to Syria and join a jihadi group. His relationship with his father and the anti-Muslim sentiments in the West make him ripe for radicalization. Though she's saved, Mekhennet notes throughout the book that many others are not—and that radicalization cannot be stopped unless we're willing to face and address what causes it. 

The problems of cultural misunderstanding are another theme in I Was Told to Come Alone. Because Middle-Eastern and Western cultures don't fully understand each other, it's easier to sow hate and discord. If each works harder to understand and accept positive aspects of the different cultures, society would be better for it. People are less likely to understand and relate to those outside their own culture, which also makes it harder to see the others as real people. Mekhennet recognizes this and recognizes that she's part of both cultures and can therefore help people understand how to bridge them.  

A geometric series has third term `36` and sixth term `972.` a) find the first and the common ratio of the series.I am able to solve this one which...

Hello!

I agree with your answer to the part a), the only possible series is  `U_n = 4*3^(n-1).`

The question b) becomes simple if we recall the formula of the sum of `N` terms of a geometric progression `U_n` with the common ratio `r:`

`sum_(n = m)^(m+N) U_n = ((U_((m+N))) - (U_m))/(r-1).`

I give the more general form of the common formula because sometimes there is a confusion related with the starting index...

Hello!

I agree with your answer to the part a), the only possible series is  `U_n = 4*3^(n-1).`

The question b) becomes simple if we recall the formula of the sum of `N` terms of a geometric progression `U_n` with the common ratio `r:`

`sum_(n = m)^(m+N) U_n = ((U_((m+N))) - (U_m))/(r-1).`

I give the more general form of the common formula because sometimes there is a confusion related with the starting index of the sum (0 or 1). In this from, the sum is

((the last summed up term of the series) - (the first summed up term of the series)) above (the common ratio - 1).

We know already that  `U_n = 4*3^(n-1),`  `m = 1` and `N = 20.`

Therefore  `U_(m+N) = U_21 = 4*3^(21 - 1) = 4*3^20`  and the sum is equal to

`(4*3^20 - 4*3^0)/(3 - 1) = 4/2 * (3^20 - 1) = 2*(3^20 - 1).`

Hence the statement we need to prove is true and  K = 2. This is the answer.

What is the major theme of the novel Monster?

As is the case with many successful literary works, Monster is richly layered in its thematic concerns.  The prominent theme, however, is revealed through Steve Harmon's struggle to be viewed as an individual by his family, his attorney, and the judicial system, instead of a stereotyped young African American thug or "throwaway" person.  

Steve's diary and screenplay reveal that he understands the odds are against him, and his recollection of a discussion with his teacher,...

As is the case with many successful literary works, Monster is richly layered in its thematic concerns.  The prominent theme, however, is revealed through Steve Harmon's struggle to be viewed as an individual by his family, his attorney, and the judicial system, instead of a stereotyped young African American thug or "throwaway" person.  

Steve's diary and screenplay reveal that he understands the odds are against him, and his recollection of a discussion with his teacher, Mr. Sawicki, about predictability is meant to deliver this truth home about how empowered individuals consider his demographic.  Because Steve does not recount the details of the crime in his notes, there is ambiguity about his actual role in the robbery/murder, but readers are meant to understand that Steve might have been forced to act as a look out for the robbery, if he was involved at all. His own attorney is skeptical of his innocence and turns away from him at his acquittal. 

Steve's humanity is denied by almost everyone who surrounds him.  His father communicates his disappointment and distances himself emotionally and physically.  The perpetrators of the crime attempt to implicate him to shift blame from themselves. The judge is portrayed as mostly disengaged, as if this type of trial has become so routine and predictable that it is of little interest to him.  Steve emerges from the novel, not as a monster, but as a victim of the disinterest and dismissal of the people that surround him.

What aspects of Greek and Etruscan cultures can be seen in ancient Rome?

Because the Etruscans were influenced by the Greeks, it can be difficult to separate out the Greek and Etruscan influences on ancient Rome. However, there are certain distinct areas in which Etruscan influence can be seen. First, although we tend to think of gladiatorial displays as Roman, they actually were originally an Etruscan practice. Next, much of the engineering and technological prowess we associate with the Roman Empire had its origins in Etruscan practices. The...

Because the Etruscans were influenced by the Greeks, it can be difficult to separate out the Greek and Etruscan influences on ancient Rome. However, there are certain distinct areas in which Etruscan influence can be seen. First, although we tend to think of gladiatorial displays as Roman, they actually were originally an Etruscan practice. Next, much of the engineering and technological prowess we associate with the Roman Empire had its origins in Etruscan practices. The Etruscans pioneered the development of road and bridge networks, use of vaults and arches in architecture, and underground sewer systems. 

The Greek influence on Roman culture was equally pervasive. This was famously expressed by Horace in the line:

Conquered Greece took captive her savage conqueror

and brought her arts into rustic Latium. (II.i: 156-157)

The Roman gods were, to a large degree, assimilated to the Greek pantheon and mythology. Roman students studied the Greek language and learned Greek literature, rhetoric, and philosophy in schools. Roman theater originally consisted mainly of adaptations and translations of Greek plays and similarly Roman art, especially sculpture, imitated Greek models. 

In the New York City Police Department (NYPD), 1) Why is it good to get a college degree when you are in the police academy? 2) What skills...

It is beneficial for police academy students to get a college degree because a college education provides future officers with critical thinking and communication skills that will help them on the job. Officers who have college degrees can often write and speak better and with more clarity, and these skills are useful in communicating with people in the community and writing incident reports. In addition, the critical thinking skills provided by a college education help...

It is beneficial for police academy students to get a college degree because a college education provides future officers with critical thinking and communication skills that will help them on the job. Officers who have college degrees can often write and speak better and with more clarity, and these skills are useful in communicating with people in the community and writing incident reports. In addition, the critical thinking skills provided by a college education help officers think about incidents from more than one perspective. Studies have found that police officers without a college degree have a higher rate of disciplinary actions taken against them than officers without a college degree, suggesting that officers with a college degree learn skills in college that help them communicate with others and diffuse difficult situations in appropriate ways. In addition, police officers with college degrees might earn more respect from members of the community and might earn more respect for the profession as a whole.

Which of the pigs proves the best writer?

In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, it at first seems as if Snowball is the best writer.

Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) ...

He is the one who alters the name Manor Farm to Animal Farm and writes it on the gate. He also writes the initial commandments. Furthermore, Snowball institutes classes in reading and writing for all the animals except for the pigs who can read...

In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, it at first seems as if Snowball is the best writer.

Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) ...

He is the one who alters the name Manor Farm to Animal Farm and writes it on the gate. He also writes the initial commandments. Furthermore, Snowball institutes classes in reading and writing for all the animals except for the pigs who can read and write perfectly. The text, however, suggests that Minimus the poet is the best writer, as the following quote from chapter 5 suggests:

Minimus, who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems ...

Also, Minimus is the one who, in chapter 7, composes a new anthem to replace Beasts of England. The new anthem begins:

Animal Farm, Animal Farm,
Never through me shalt thou come to harm!

He later, in chapter 8, writes a eulogistic poem entitled Comrade Napoleon in which he expresses the general feeling on the farm and sings the praises of their leader. 

Squealer cannot be considered in this regard, for all he does is alter the original commandments that Snowball has already written on the barn wall.

What is Hamlet's hamartia? |

Hamartia, also referred to as a tragic flaw, is a personal error in a protagonist's personality which results in their unfortunate downfall. One could consider Hamlet's indecisiveness and inability to act upon his instincts to be his hamartia. Following Hamlet's interaction with his father's ghost, he begins to contemplate his revenge. However, Hamlet is a sensitive, insightful, perceptive individual, who struggles to act violently. Despite the fact that Hamlet utterly detests Claudius—and his mother's...

Hamartia, also referred to as a tragic flaw, is a personal error in a protagonist's personality which results in their unfortunate downfall. One could consider Hamlet's indecisiveness and inability to act upon his instincts to be his hamartia. Following Hamlet's interaction with his father's ghost, he begins to contemplate his revenge. However, Hamlet is a sensitive, insightful, perceptive individual, who struggles to act violently. Despite the fact that Hamlet utterly detests Claudius—and his mother's decision to marry his father's killer—he cannot bring himself to murder Claudius. Unlike his foil Fortinbras, Hamlet delays taking action until he can prove that Claudius murdered his father. Even after witnessing Claudius' reaction to the play, Hamlet does not murder him while he is praying. Hamlet talks himself out of killing Claudius by saying,

"Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven" (Shakespeare, 3.3.69-80).

Hamlet also contemplates committing suicide several times but decides against it out of fear that his soul would be doomed. Hamlet's indecisiveness—directly and indirectly—leads to the deaths of Ophelia, Laertes, Gertrude, and Claudius. In the end, Hamlet's revenge does not go as planned, and nearly all the important characters in the play tragically die. The audience can sympathize with Hamlet's hamartia, which makes him one of the most well-rounded, enigmatic, and complex characters in all of literature.

Why is reviewing the field useful in sociology?

In this context, reviewing the field means becoming familiar with the existing scholarship on a problem and summarizing or analyzing it before putting forth one's own ideas.

The first reason for doing this has to do with beginning to think about your potential audience. Although as a student you write for professors who are paid to read your work whether they find it interesting or not, once you graduate, you are writing for people who...

In this context, reviewing the field means becoming familiar with the existing scholarship on a problem and summarizing or analyzing it before putting forth one's own ideas.

The first reason for doing this has to do with beginning to think about your potential audience. Although as a student you write for professors who are paid to read your work whether they find it interesting or not, once you graduate, you are writing for people who have no obligation to read what you have to say. You will need to convince an audience that your work is worth reading. 

Given that many sociologists have written about your general topic, there is no reason for someone to read your writing unless you can show that you are adding something original to the existing body of scholarship. If you have not read the existing scholarship, an idea that might strike you as interesting and original may already have been thoroughly discussed and either proven or disproven. 

By reviewing existing scholarship, you can find good topics to write about by either find a small gap in existing scholarship and offering to fill it or arguing that some new type of evidence shows that an existing theory needs to be updated or corrected. By situating your research within the field this way, you communicate to your audience why your work is worth their time. 

Why do you think eating disorders are on the rise in both men and women? What does society say about body image, how does this dictate our...

The question about eating disorders is an opinion question. It states that eating disorders are on the rise, and it asks you to provide a reason as to why you think this is. There are plenty of variables that could contribute to a rise in eating disorders. Feel free to state which factor is most to blame. The key is going to be defending your opinion.  

It's possible that eating disorders are on the...

The question about eating disorders is an opinion question. It states that eating disorders are on the rise, and it asks you to provide a reason as to why you think this is. There are plenty of variables that could contribute to a rise in eating disorders. Feel free to state which factor is most to blame. The key is going to be defending your opinion.  

It's possible that eating disorders are on the rise because parents are encouraging kids to eat less or in unhealthy ways. It's possible that eating disorders are on the rise because people are not being educated well enough to understand what healthy eating is. It's possible that eating disorders are tied with other mental/emotional disorders that are also on the rise.  

Personally, I think one of the biggest contributors to eating disorders is having a warped view of body image, and I think the media images that inundate society create that warped body image. This is a topic that I go through with my health class every year, and I always provide statistics on the average height and weight for women in the United States. That is 5'6" and 140 pounds. The average female model gracing the cover of magazines and billboards is 5'9" and 117 pounds. Women and girls are frequently presented with an almost unattainable body shape and size. Additionally, multiple fashion, health, and fitness magazines constantly stress the importance of being thin, looking fit, and losing weight. Many of those magazines contain more pages showing ultra thin women than they contain actual magazine content. The media is selling people the idea that their current body type isn't good enough. People can't strive to be what they can't see; therefore, if all that people are seeing is unrealistically thin or muscular people, they will strive to be that. Eating disorders are attempted mechanisms to become that unrealistic body type.  

This negative view of a natural body image is toxic to adults and kids alike. I love showing the statistic from the Representation Project that three out of four young girls feels "depressed, guilty, and shameful" after only three minutes of paging through a fashion magazine. Body image is a part of mental and emotional health. Eating disorders are a likely symptom of that warped body image that leads to shame and depression. Having an unhealthy view of ourselves is toxic because it contributes to so many other mental/emotional disorders.

At the end of the story, when Jane is crawling around the room and she "creeps" right over her husband who fainted, she says "I've got out at...

We know that the narrator first loathed the wallpaper and then attributed consciousness and intention to it; then, she begins to ponder it; then, she actually comes to think it is helping her to feel better.  Near the end, she begins to feel that there is a woman trapped in the wallpaper, behind the bars that form the outermost layer.  The narrator says, "Through watching so much at night, when [the wallpaper] changes so, I have finally found out.  The front pattern does move—and no wonder!  The woman behind shakes it!" 

Keep in mind that, by the end of the story, the narrator's husband has confined her—essentially imprisoned her—in this house and this room.  She has not been allowed to see friends, to read or write, and so forth. Moreover, it is clear that this is a highly intelligent and creative woman.  There are bars on her windows, a gate at the top of the stairs, "rings and things" in the wall (perhaps to chain her and keep her still?), and the bed is nailed down.  Her husband's intentions may be good, but make no mistake: she is a prisoner.  She knows it.  She trusts him less and less, and by the end, she says, "He asked me all sorts of questions, too, and pretended to be very loving and kind.  As if I couldn't see through him!"

Throughout the story, the narrator is not always able to recognize herself as responsible for the ravages she sees in the room.  She talks about the "even smooch" around the walls, down by the mopboards, but she does not realize that she is the one who made it.  She talks about the bed being "fairly gnawed," blaming it on the children she thinks lived there before, only to tell us later that she "got so angry [she] bit off a little piece at one corner."  

When the narrator makes up her mind to help the woman in the wallpaper, it seems to empower her in a way that she is not able to help herself.  She says,

As soon as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern, I got up and ran to help her.  I pulled and she shook, I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper.

The narrator may not be able to free herself from her prison, but—in her mind—she can free this other woman.  Therefore, it is not so surprising when, toward the end of the story, she says, "I don't like to look out of the windows even—there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast.  I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did?"  Throughout the story, the narrator, Jane, seems to have done things that she does not realize she did, paving the way for this total break in her identity. She begins to identify as the woman she believed she freed from the wallpaper.  This woman, from the wallpaper, is free; she was not.  She becomes the wallpaper woman in order to be free. 

On one hand, she believes herself to be free (which is good), but it is only because her mental health has degenerated to such a significant extent that she does not know who she really is (which is bad).  Jane achieves independence but only through a complete mental break.  Ultimately, I do not think Gilman wants us to be happy for Jane; a bright and vibrant woman has completely lost herself as a result of the backwards thinking and condescending treatment of her husband and doctors.  

What are Nick Allen's favorite music and book in Andrew Clements' Frindle?

There are no direct references to Nick Allen's favorite book or music in Andrew Clements' Findle. However, we certainly do learn that Nick loves both music and reading in general.

When Nick first begins forming his idea to invent a new word, he reflects that he invented his own word as a toddler. When he was a toddler, his mother "bought him one of those unbreakable cassette players and a bunch of sing-along tapes"; Nick absolutely loved every single tape and "played them over and over and over and over" (p. 32). Whenever he wanted either one of his parents or his big brother to play a tape for him, he would say, "Gwagala, gwagala, gwagala" because he didn't know the word music (p. 32). Therefore, gwagala became the word he invented himself to mean music. Later, once he entered preschool, he realized he would need to start calling music by its actual name if he wanted people to understand what he was talking about. This little story shows us that Nick is a very creative person, creative enough to think of solutions to his own problems such as inventing his own word for music to express himself. Not only that, it shows us that he developed a love of music starting at a very young age.

While describing Nick's research for his report on the origins of words and the development of the dictionary, the narrator explains how much Nick loves words and reading, though Nick never looks at dictionaries:

He liked words a lot, and he was good at using them. (p. 14)

Instead of using dictionaries, he felt he expanded his vocabulary "just by reading, and he read all of the time" (p. 14). This passage tells us that, though still too young to appreciate the dictionary as a valuable tool, he already values words and reading. By the end of the story, he has come to value the dictionary because he has come to see how even the dictionary can be influenced by creative thought. Therefore, the reader might deduce that if he has come to value one book above all others, it might be the dictionary, just as the dictionary is Mrs. Granger's favorite book.

How do national security and the Patriot Act protect the United States?

The history of the world is, unfortunately, the history of war. Since the evolution of man—or, the dawn of man—there has been conflict. There have been conflicts over scarce resources like food, water, and oil, and there have been conflicts over clashing political systems and religious differences. Mankind has rarely known peace, and when it has occurred, it was more a prelude to yet another war. Countries have gone to war over resource-rich plots of land, and they have battled each other over god-forsaken stretches of barely-habitable land in regions like the Ogaden Desert separating Somalia and Ethiopia (1977-78). Russia and China fought battles over disputed land along their common border, China and India have battles over disputed land along their common border, India and Pakistan have fought several wars over the disputed region of Kashmir. Wars have raged across virtually every continent at one time or another. Within individual countries, civil wars and insurgencies have occurred with a similar regularity. Afghanistan has been the site of territorial and ethnic conflicts for hundreds of years, and the Arab countries of the Middle East regularly engage in armed conflict for one reason or another.

In short, war is a part of man. The United States has been engaged since its founding in wars and continues to partake in armed conflicts across the globe, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Philippines, the Balkans, Somalia, Syria, and numerous other locales where small numbers of U.S. military advisors and special operations forces carry out sensitive military missions unbeknownst to the American public on a daily basis. 

So, how does "national security" and the USA Patriot Act enhance American security? The phrase "national security" is immensely broad and covers a wide range of activities and capabilities from the thousands of nuclear-armed missiles and bombs that are meant to serve as a deterrent against foreign use of such weapons against the United States to the laws and regulations that prohibit American companies from selling militarily sensitive technologies that could wind up in the wrong hands. "National security" encompasses the training and equipping of hundreds of thousands of men and women in the armed forces, and it includes efforts by the United States Department of the Treasury and by the United States Secret Service (previously part of the Treasury Department but today, since the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, a part of the newly-established Department of Homeland Security) to prevent attempts by rogue regimes such as those in North Korea and Iran to subvert the U.S. financial system through the production of counterfeit American currency. The Department of the Treasury further contributes to national security by protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial services industry, especially, banks, by monitoring for indications of money laundering (the criminal process of injecting ill-gotten gains into the formal financial system for the purposes of concealing the source of the funds) and, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for the abuse of American banks by terrorist organizations seeking to raise and move money for the purpose of funding future attacks.

This barely skims the surface of the totality of what constitutes "national security." The Department of Defense operates the largest intelligence-gathering network in the country, if not the world, for the purpose of providing the American public, through its elected leaders, the best information available on the intentions and capabilities of America's adversaries. The U.S. Coast Guard patrols our borders to prevent against terrorist infiltration from the sea as well as to intercept as many illegal drugs from entering the United States as possible--a task of monumental proportions that has, arguably, failed. 

Diplomacy is an essential component of national security. Through diplomatic negotiations with other countries, the United States has forged and sustained a series of alliances and partnerships that help safeguard the American public while ensuring allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East of our commitment to help them defend themselves against outside attacks. The most important of these alliances is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. This alliance was a reaction to concerns about the military intentions of the Soviet Union following the end of World War II. Mutual defense agreements with countries like Japan, Australia, Jordan, and Israel (with Pakistan a far more problematic case of a quasi-ally with whom the United States has very serious differences regarding the India-Pakistan conflict and the role Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency has played in supporting Islamic fundamentalist movements like the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

How does all of this contribute to the security of the American people? By maintaining a large, modern, technologically-sophisticated and well-trained military, the United States has, to date, been able to deter major threats our security such as existed prior to World War II. By scrutinizing commercial transactions between American companies and foreign governments that we fear may divert American technologies for nefarious purposes, this country's national security structure helps to minimize the ability of foreign militaries to develop weapons as technologically sophisticated as those in the American arsenal. By monitoring the financial system for indications of abuse by hostile countries or terrorist or criminal organizations, the national security structure of the United States protects the economy on which we all depend from destructive influences. By negotiating agreements with countries with whom the United States has shared interests, such as in the protection of the integrity of the global financial system, stemming the proliferation of technologies used in the development of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and working secretly with other nations' intelligence services and militaries to combat terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime, the national security structure of the United States is making America much, much safer than would otherwise be the case.

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, known more popularly as the USA Patriot Act, was a direct response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist acts. Many of its provisions were individually supported by various members of Congress and by officials in the national security community before those tragic events occurred. The political climate that followed immediately in the wake of the attacks provided the atmosphere in which these proposals for strengthening law enforcement tools and forcing closer cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies (previously blocked by laws that resulted from the excesses of the Nixon Administration years earlier) could be passed into law with minimal opposition.

Did the Patriot Act strengthen U.S. security and better protect the public? There are differences of opinion, but, on the whole, the answer is yes. By breaking down institutional barriers between various federal agencies, they were able to better share sensitive information so that more complete pictures of what potential threats existed could be constructed. Law enforcement, mainly the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was given more tools to conduct surveillance inside the United States, and it was these "reforms" that have been so controversial with regard to excessive use of such methodologies to monitor American citizens who should be protected against unwarranted invasions of their privacy by virtue of provisions of the Constitution of the United States. In fact, the revelations of Edward Snowden, a former government contractor who exposed tens of thousands of highly sensitive documents to the public on the surveillance activities of the National Security Agency, did shed light on potential government excesses or abuses of power. Snowden's methodology, however, no matter his actual intentions, and no matter the importance to the public of some of his revelations, seriously undermined American security by allowing hostile governments and terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda and Islamic State, to see the extent of American intelligence-gathering capabilities and to, subsequently, take measures to change the way they communicate among each other so as to avoid U.S. surveillance.

NSA overreaching aside, the Patriot Act has enhanced US security by virtue of the role it played in facilitating much greater cooperations among the myriad components of the US national security structure, especially between the FBI, the NSA and the CIA. Additionally, Title III of the Patriot Act, the International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act, helped immeasurably in monitoring the flow of money terrorists use to fund their operations. While the problems of tracking terrorist money remains difficult, it is an essential part of the war on terror, and has made America a little bit safer.

What do the female characters in Regeneration represent with regard to culture, gender, and sexuality in British society in 1917?

Sarah Lumb, Prior's girlfriend, represents the "New Woman" who developed in World War I and in the 1920s. She works in a munitions plant and enjoys greater freedom than women had in the past. She becomes involved in a sexual relationship with Billy Prior, though they are not married--something that is still considered taboo in some circles.

Her mother, Ada Lumb, wheedles this information out of Sarah and criticizes Sarah for allowing herself to be...

Sarah Lumb, Prior's girlfriend, represents the "New Woman" who developed in World War I and in the 1920s. She works in a munitions plant and enjoys greater freedom than women had in the past. She becomes involved in a sexual relationship with Billy Prior, though they are not married--something that is still considered taboo in some circles.

Her mother, Ada Lumb, wheedles this information out of Sarah and criticizes Sarah for allowing herself to be taken advantage of. When Sarah protests that the relationship is her business, her mother angrily answers, "Would be if you were gunna cope with the consequences" (page 193). Ada advises her daughter to "put a value on herself" and "keep your knees together" (page 194). While Sarah is venturing into the world of the new and sexually freer woman, her mother reminds her that the culture of 1917 is still very repressive with regard to gender and sexuality. Women are still expected to remain virgins until marriage, and women like Ada feel that their daughters have to refrain from premarital sex to coerce men into marrying them.

Although Sarah makes some strides towards being a freer woman than her mother, she and her fellow female munitions workers are still subject to their husbands' and boyfriends' desires and wishes, particularly in relation to the war. For example, the husband of Lizzie, another munitions worker, threw "her into a state of shock by announcing, in his last letter, that he was hoping to come home on leave soon" (page 110). The war has given Lizzie some freedom, and she hopes that her husband does not return. She says about the beginning of the war, "Peace broke out. The only little bit of peace I've ever had" (page 110). Lizzie celebrates the war as an opportunity to live in peace and independently from her husband, who has a drinking problem. In addition, another munitions worker tries to give herself an abortion with a coat hanger, which shows that women are still subject to harsh judgments and realities if they choose to have sex outside of marriage. While the war provides some economic and sexual freedom for the female characters in the novel, they are still ruled by strict gender roles.

Why may Puck be considered the protagonist in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare and not Bottom?

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare does not have a traditional protagonist. Normally, a protagonist is both the most important character in a play and the person whose desires, needs, or situation drives the plot of the play. The main conflict of the play is usually concerned with how the protagonist struggles against obstacles to reach a goal or resolve a problem, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.

The main conflicts in the play are...

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare does not have a traditional protagonist. Normally, a protagonist is both the most important character in a play and the person whose desires, needs, or situation drives the plot of the play. The main conflict of the play is usually concerned with how the protagonist struggles against obstacles to reach a goal or resolve a problem, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.

The main conflicts in the play are among the two sets of young lovers and Titania and Oberon. In the case of the young lovers, we have a fairly conventional narrative trajectory in which Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius but there are obstacles to their happy unions; after a few plot twists, both young women end up with the men they love. Thus in this sense we have a very traditional comic plot arc in the lovers' stories, and in some ways the young lovers are the closest characters to traditional protagonists.

The Titania-Oberon conflict over the changeling is also resolved, but we do not have a fully fleshed out narrative arc, meaning that they do not function as protagonists.

Bottom, as one of the rustics, functions as comic relief, and although he is part of Titania's story, his role, and that of the play within the play, are comic diversions; he has no major narrative of his own about his own aspirations and goals.

Puck is a more important character in the play than Bottom, but carries out his deeds at the behest of Oberon. We don't really get a sense of Puck as having motives and a story of his own, but merely acting in and recounting the stories of others. In a way, he is like the playwright, a creator and facilitator of other people's stories rather than the protagonist in his own story.  

`sum_(n=1)^oo 1/n^(1/2)` Use the Integral Test to determine the convergence or divergence of the p-series.

The Integral test is applicable if f is positive and decreasing function on the infinite interval `[k, oo)` where` kgt= 1` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=1)^oo a_n` converges if and only if the improper integral `int_1^oo f(x) dx` converges. If the integral diverges then the series also diverges.

For the given series `sum_(n=1)^oo 1/n^(1/2)` , then `a_n = 1/n^(1/2)` then applying `a_n=f(x)` , we consider:

`f(x) = 1/x^(1/2)` .  

As shown on the graph of `f(x)` , the function is positive on the interval `[1,oo)` . As x at the denominator side gets larger, the function value decreases.

Therefore, we may determine the convergence of the improper integral as:

`int_1^oo 1/x^(1/2) = lim_(t-gtoo)int_1^t 1/x^(1/2) dx`

Apply Law of exponent: `1/x^m = x^(-m)` .

`lim_(t-gtoo)int_1^t 1/x^(1/2) dx =lim_(t-gtoo)int_1^t x^(-1/2) dx`

Apply Power rule for integration:` int x^n dx = x^(n+1)/(n+1)` .

`lim_(t-gtoo)int_1^t x^(-1/2) dx=lim_(t-gtoo)[ x^(-1/2+1)/(-1/2+1)]|_1^t`

                               `=lim_(t-gtoo)[ x^(1/2)/(1/2)]|_1^t`

                                `=lim_(t-gtoo)[ x^(1/2)*(2/1)]|_1^t`

                                `=lim_(t-gtoo)[ 2x^(1/2)]|_1^t`

                             or  `lim_(t-gtoo)[ 2sqrt(x)]|_1^t`

Apply definite integral formula: `F(x)|_a^b = F(b)-F(a)` .

`lim_(t-gtoo)[ 2sqrt(x)]|_1^t=lim_(t-gtoo)[2sqrt(t) -2sqrt(1)]`

                            `=lim_(t-gtoo)[2sqrt(t) -2*1]`

                           `=lim_(t-gtoo)[2sqrt(t) -2]`

                          `= oo`

Note: `lim_(t-gtoo)( -2) =-2` and `lim_(t-gtoo)2sqrt(t) = oo ` then `oo-2~~oo` .

The` lim_(t-gtoo)[ 2sqrt(x)]|_1^t = oo` implies that the integral diverges.

Conclusion: The integral`int_1^oo 1/x^(1/2) ` diverges, therefore the series `sum_(n=1)^oo 1/n^(1/2) ` must also diverge.

Explain why the French were forced to leave Vietnam?

The French controlled Vietnam as part of French Indochina since the 1700s. In that time, the French colonial officials ran the area with their own interests in mind, treating the natives there like second-class citizens and mandating the use of French and the Roman Catholic Church.  During WWII, the area fell into the hands of imperial Japan, and the Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh fought a guerrilla war against these new invaders from 1940 until...

The French controlled Vietnam as part of French Indochina since the 1700s. In that time, the French colonial officials ran the area with their own interests in mind, treating the natives there like second-class citizens and mandating the use of French and the Roman Catholic Church.  During WWII, the area fell into the hands of imperial Japan, and the Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh fought a guerrilla war against these new invaders from 1940 until the war's end in 1945.  The Vietnamese, hoping that the war would bring them more self-rule, were disappointed when the United Nations awarded the land back to the French government.   An organization that would later be called the Vietcong waged attacks against French garrisons in the country and France, severely weakened by WWII, could not fight back effectively even with American military aid.  The final battle in France's attempt to hold on to the colony was at Dien Ben Phu at which the Vietnamese resistance hauled howitzers up narrow mountain passes in order to shell a French fort.  This 1954 battle demonstrated to the French that the former colony was too hostile to own and France finally gave it up.  The United Nations divided the country into the North which received aid from the Soviet Union and the South which received American aid.  The two countries were supposed to be joined in an election in 1956, but the American-backed Ngo Diem did not allow this.  

What does Mansfield's "The Doll's House" tells us about attitudes towards social class in the early twentieth century?

In Mansfield's "The Doll's House," the Burnell children are not allowed to associate with the Kelvey girls. The Burnell girls are members of the upper-class and a family friend (Mrs. Hay) has sent them a beautiful dollhouse. First the girls tell everyone at school about the house. Soon they are invited to invite girls over. However, the Kelvey girls cannot take part in anything associated with the toy for they are not only of a lower class, but they are also especially ostracized because their mother is washerwoman and it is believed that their father is in jail.

At the start of the story, the dollhouse is delivered, freshly painted, to the Burnell household. When it is unlatched, it swings open to reveal the beautifully wallpapered and decorated interior. There is a sense of openness and honesty as the narrator describes how amazing it is to watch the toy swing open. The narrator's description points to the story's main theme of class distinction as it describes how every house should be opened for all to see—much like a welcoming gesture:

Why don't all houses open like that? How much more exciting than peering through the slit of a door into a mean little hall with a hat-stand and two umbrellas! That is—isn't it?—what you long to know about a house when you put your hand on the knocker. Perhaps it is the way God opens houses at dead of night when He is taking a quiet turn with an angel…

While the Burnell girls are transported with joy in seeing such an amazing toy, it is part of a world that is closed off to the Kelvey girls because of their low station within society. The author seems to ask why there is such a distinction. Why cannot every home be open to the company of others, not restricted because of how much money a family makes or the work they do? The narrator notes that perhaps God sees a house wide open in this way as He enters with an angel in the deepest hours of the night. Certainly, if God does not recognize such a division, why should human beings?

Class distinction itself is not what Mansfield singularly struggles with as much as the heartlessness displayed by the upper-class toward the lower one.

The central theme in Katherine Mansfield’s story is the cruelty of class distinctions.

When Kezia, the younger of the Burnell girls, asks her mother if the Kelveys might come to see the house, her mother is very clear that this is unacceptable.

"Mother," said Kezia, "can't I ask the Kelveys just once?"
"Certainly not, Kezia."
"But why not?"
"Run away, Kezia; you know quite well why not."

The reader observes here that the separation of the classes is not something children are born knowing, but something they learn from their elders. This is clearly shown as the children meet Kezia Burnell one afternoon—and Kezia invites Lil and Else to see the dollhouse:

Lil gasped, then she said, "Your ma told our ma you wasn't to speak to us."

Kezia says it does not matter, but Lil refuses to enter the yard until Else, who hangs on her sister's skirt without a word, tugs at her sister's dress indicating that she wants to see the dollhouse.

Even in this situation, we note the difference between the sisters of the different households, perhaps also the result of class distinction. While Isabel is bossy and gets her own way with Kezia, Lil shows her love for Else and rather than insisting they leave, she gives in to her younger sister's unspoken request.

So Kezia draws the Kelvey children into the yard to see the magnificent dollhouse. Kezia throws it open to let her guests feast not only on the sight of the toy, but also to experience the inside of a grand house—something we can assume they have never seen. However, at that very moment Kezia's Aunt Beryl comes outside. She has had a horrible day, having received a nasty letter from a young man she knows that demands she meet him; he threatens to show up at her front door if she does not. This deeply alarms her. Ironically, it would seem that Aunt Beryl is subject to some social restrictions as well. The reader can infer that if Willie Brent shows up at the front door, this will spell disaster for Beryl. There must be something about him and his "terrifying and threatening letter" that will not be well received at the Burnell home, but the irony is lost on Beryl and she screams at the children to leave. It is extremely unsettling to note:

But now that she had frightened those little rats of Kelveys and given Kezia a good scolding, her heart felt lighter. That ghastly pressure was gone. She went back to the house humming.

There is, however, a positive note at the end of the story. Shamefaced and frightened, Lil and Else run away. Nearby, they sit down and Else speaks.

"I seen the little lamp," she said, softly.

Literally, Else sees the wonderful lamp that Kezia found so special. Her delight cannot be quenched by Aunt Beryl rampage. On the other hand (figuratively), Else has also been able to see something of a beautiful world hidden from her because of her reduced social standing: a light in a world that is otherwise very dark for her, her family and others like them.

What is a republic government?

A republic form of government is when people elect leaders to represent them in the government. In the United States, the people elect leaders at the local, state, and national levels to represent them in the government. These leaders are supposed to listen to the concerns and wishes of the people they represent. Then, based on the will of the majority, the elected representatives should vote accordingly. The advantage of this form of government is...

A republic form of government is when people elect leaders to represent them in the government. In the United States, the people elect leaders at the local, state, and national levels to represent them in the government. These leaders are supposed to listen to the concerns and wishes of the people they represent. Then, based on the will of the majority, the elected representatives should vote accordingly. The advantage of this form of government is that it is easier to get things done. If all of the citizens had to directly vote on every proposed idea, it would be a very difficult and cumbersome process. With this method of government, people elect leaders, and these leaders then should reflect the wishes of the majority of the people that they represent.

How does the Chief Elder describe Jonas's assignment?

The Chief Elder describes Jonas's assignment as a selection, unique from all the other assignments given that day. He has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. This is a very rare selection since the current Receiver of Memory will only have one successor.

She notes that the rule states that Jonas's training cannot be overseen or changed during the process by her or her colleagues on the Committee. Jonas will be set...

The Chief Elder describes Jonas's assignment as a selection, unique from all the other assignments given that day. He has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. This is a very rare selection since the current Receiver of Memory will only have one successor.

She notes that the rule states that Jonas's training cannot be overseen or changed during the process by her or her colleagues on the Committee. Jonas will be set apart from the community while the current Receiver trains him to be the next Receiver. While training and becoming the Receiver is extremely painful, Jonas will be the most honored person in the community if he succeeds.

The chief Elder ends by detailing the five essential qualities a Receiver must have: intelligence, integrity, courage, the ability to acquire wisdom, and the Capacity to See Beyond. The Chief Elder is unable to describe the Capacity to See Beyond because she does not understand it, but she says that the Receiver has identified Jonas as someone who has this capacity.