What are some important details about the middle of the novel Hoot?

Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot consists of twenty-one chapters and an epilogue. Therefore, the middle of the book would cover chapters eight through fourteen. Here are some important details from those chapters:

• In chapter eight, Curly hires Kalo, a dog trainer who owns Rottweilers, to guard the construction site. There has been continued vandalism on the site, and Chuck Muckle, the vice president, has threatened to fire Curly if anything else goes wrong. 


• Roy refuses to back...

Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot consists of twenty-one chapters and an epilogue. Therefore, the middle of the book would cover chapters eight through fourteen. Here are some important details from those chapters:

• In chapter eight, Curly hires Kalo, a dog trainer who owns Rottweilers, to guard the construction site. There has been continued vandalism on the site, and Chuck Muckle, the vice president, has threatened to fire Curly if anything else goes wrong. 


• Roy refuses to back down or cower in Dana Matherson's presence. He stands up to Dana's threats and is rewarded with two punches in the head. 


• In chapter nine, Kalo takes his dogs from the site because there are snakes on the property. Kalo says, "each of dogs is vorth three thousand U.S. dollars. Zat iss twelve thousand bucks barking here in za truck. Vhat happens, dog gets bit by snake? Dog dies, yah?" The snakes are cottonmouths and have sparkly tails. 


• Garrett warns Roy that Dana is planning to ambush him after school. Dana grabs him and puts him in a janitorial closet in order to beat him up. The chapter ends with Roy escaping the closet and starting to run. The last line is: "He almost made it, too." 


• In chapter ten, Beatrice Leep rescues Roy from Dana by tying him to the flagpole and stripping him down to his underwear. Roy and Beatrice go to his house and tell Roy's mother they are working on a science experiment. They take medical supplies to treat Mullet Fingers, aka Napoleon Leep, who is Beatrice's stepbrother.


• Mullet Fingers is suffering from an infected dog bite. He learns Mullet Fingers has been vandalizing the construction site in order to save the owls. 


• In chapter eleven, Officer Delinko sees Roy waving at him for help, but then being pulled away. Mullet Fingers is getting sicker by the minute, but Beatrice disagrees with Roy's method of solving the problem. She does not want police involvement. Officer Delinko goes to the Eberhardts' home to tell them that he thinks he saw Roy. He asks for a recommendation from them for the time he took Roy home. 


• In chapter twelve, Beatrice and Roy get Mullet Fingers to the emergency medical clinic. They lie about Mullet Fingers's name, telling Dr. Gonzalez his name is Roy. Roy calls himself "Tex." The doctor questions the truthfulness of their story, which is that Beatrice's stepbrother got attacked by dogs at soccer practice and they brought him right to the clinic. She says the bites are eighteen to twenty-four hours old. Roy's parents show up at the clinic with Officer Delinko. There is confusion because of the fake name given to the patient, and Mullet Fingers escapes the clinic, causing further confusion. 


• In chapter thirteen, Roy's father talks to him about the owls. He tells Roy that the people in charge of construction most likely got the proper permits and the owls will find new homes. Roy divulges some of Mullet Fingers's story to his mother. The chapter ends with Roy in a dilemma about whether to follow his heart or his brain. 


• In chapter fourteen, Roy visits Dana's house to try to reason with him. There is no reasoning with Dana, however, and he just continues to try to harm Roy. He talks with Mullet Fingers about what his dad said, that the Mother Paula's people have every right to build on the land. Mullet Fingers tells hims he has to start "thinking like an outlaw." Roy says he's not an outlaw and refuses to go along with Mullet Fingers's tactics. Mullet Fingers shows him how he got his nickname, catching a mullet fish with his bare hands.

Before starting the experiment, what does Dr. Heidegger remind each of his guests?

Dr. Heidegger's experiment is conducted with four willing participants: the Widow Wycherly, Colonel Killigrew, Mr. Medbourne, and Mr. Gascoigne.  All are of an advanced age and eager to try a substance he identifies as fluid from the Fountain of Youth. Because all four have made poor choices in their past and suffered negative consequences, Dr. Heidegger counsels them to use the wisdom gained from their life experience and "become patterns of virtue and wisdom to...

Dr. Heidegger's experiment is conducted with four willing participants: the Widow Wycherly, Colonel Killigrew, Mr. Medbourne, and Mr. Gascoigne.  All are of an advanced age and eager to try a substance he identifies as fluid from the Fountain of Youth. Because all four have made poor choices in their past and suffered negative consequences, Dr. Heidegger counsels them to use the wisdom gained from their life experience and "become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age!" Because Dr. Heidegger believes he understands human nature and expects that the four participants in his experiment will make the same mistakes, he offers this advice.

The four find his advice "ridiculous" and unnecessary; the implication is that anyone given the chance to relive their past would naturally sidestep their youthful mistakes and missteps to avoid trouble and regret.

How is Manfred a Romantic hero?

Manfred is almost the epitome of a Byronic hero. He scorns society's rules, showing utter contempt for the mores and social codes that respectable people impose on individuals of great character like himself. Manfred lives by his own moral code, his own standards. And so he stands apart from society, leading a life of great loneliness, but one in which at least he can feel free. A Byronic hero like Manfred may not be the...

Manfred is almost the epitome of a Byronic hero. He scorns society's rules, showing utter contempt for the mores and social codes that respectable people impose on individuals of great character like himself. Manfred lives by his own moral code, his own standards. And so he stands apart from society, leading a life of great loneliness, but one in which at least he can feel free. A Byronic hero like Manfred may not be the most likable person you will ever come across but he is clearly an intelligent, charismatic, and deeply fascinating personality.

But beneath the heroic self-image, Manfred, like his progenitor, is still human. Manfred broods extensively over his sister's death and the part he may have played in it due to his having an incestuous relationship with her. Beneath all the posturing bluster, he really does have a conscience after all. But what he does not yet have is the ability to take responsibility for his actions. So he tries to avoid his sins and their ruinous consequences by wandering desolate mountaintops, summoning spirits, and shutting himself off in his castle. He does not want to deal with his profound guilt; he wants to forget about it completely.

He ultimately comes to recognize the good within himself. But it is his own inner good, the product of his nature as a unique individual set apart by genius from others, not the outer good conferred upon him by the approbation of society. He dies on his own terms without the comfort of the church or the aid of any other human authority. This man bows before no power, earthly or supernatural. In other words, Manfred remains a true Byronic hero right to the very end.

Discuss the significance of animals in Celtic folklore and mythology.

Since the Celts were an agrarian people, animals were central to Celtic life. Thus, animals such as the wild boar, deer, wolf, and raven figured prominently in Celtic mythology and folklore.

For example, the raven was said to be a symbol for Morrigan, the goddess of war. It was believed that she often frequented the fields of battle disguised in the form of a raven. In Celtic lore, the raven was a symbol of death...

Since the Celts were an agrarian people, animals were central to Celtic life. Thus, animals such as the wild boar, deer, wolf, and raven figured prominently in Celtic mythology and folklore.

For example, the raven was said to be a symbol for Morrigan, the goddess of war. It was believed that she often frequented the fields of battle disguised in the form of a raven. In Celtic lore, the raven was a symbol of death and destruction; it was considered a bad omen to see a flock of ravens fly across the sky on the eve of a battle.

In the aftermath of battle, however, ravens or carrion birds were a familiar sight to warriors; indeed, the Celts were a war-like people. They also practiced what was called ornithomancy, where ravens were used by priests to divine the future. So, the raven figured prominently in Celtic folklore and mythology because it was central to the warrior culture of the Celts.

Another animal that figured prominently in this war-like culture was the boar, a symbol of physical strength, courage, and prowess in battle. In fact, boar meat was preferred by Celtic warriors during celebratory feasts. The symbol of the boar was engraved onto helmets, vests, shields, and swords. In all, the boar was the Celtic emblem of warfare. It was also connected to legends of the Otherworld or Spiritworld, where it was associated with Druid worship. According to Druid beliefs, humans could connect with animals (like the boar) in the Spiritworld through the medium of their dreams and their unconscious.

Within that unconscious realm, Druids also believed that they could connect with the salmon, the repository of wisdom. As the oldest animal in the Celtic tradition, salmons were said to be central to the pursuit of knowledge.

Meanwhile, the wolf was another revered creature in Celtic lore. Known for its resilience, the wolf was said to rule over the winter months. It presided in ceremonies from Samhain (Halloween) to Imbolc (the festival of Saint Brigid and of purification). The Celts knew February as Faoilleach, the month of the wolf, and February was a time of rebirth, purification, and renewal. Interestingly, the goddess Morrigan was said to have taken the form of the red-furred wolf when she pursued Cu-Chulainn, the legendary Celtic hero.

What is the limit of (1+1/x)^(x+1/x) as x -> infinity ?

This is an interesting limit. Lets define a variable y as:

`y=lim_(x->oo) (1+1/x)^(x+1/x)`

Lets take the logarithm of both sides.

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) ln[(1+1/x)^(x+1/x)]`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+1/x)`

Now I am going to make a quick substitution in the logarithm on the right hand side.

`u=1/x`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+u)`

Now I will use a common taylor expansion, `ln(1+u)=sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^(n-1)*(u^n)/n=u-1/2u^2+1/3u^3-...`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+u)`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) (u-1/2u^2+1/3u^3-...)`

Back substitute in to get in terms of x.

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) (1/x-1/(2x^2)+1/(3x^3)-...)`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo)...

This is an interesting limit. Lets define a variable y as:

`y=lim_(x->oo) (1+1/x)^(x+1/x)`

Lets take the logarithm of both sides.

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) ln[(1+1/x)^(x+1/x)]`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+1/x)`

Now I am going to make a quick substitution in the logarithm on the right hand side.

`u=1/x`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+u)`

Now I will use a common taylor expansion, `ln(1+u)=sum_(n=0)^oo (-1)^(n-1)*(u^n)/n=u-1/2u^2+1/3u^3-...`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) ln(1+u)`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) (u-1/2u^2+1/3u^3-...)`

Back substitute in to get in terms of x.

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) (x+1/x) (1/x-1/(2x^2)+1/(3x^3)-...)`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) [x (1/x-1/(2x^2)+1/(3x^3)-...)+1/x(1/x-1/(2x^2)+1/(3x^3)-...)]`

`ln(y)=lim_(x->oo) [(1-1/(2x)+1/(3x^2)-...)+(1/x^2-1/(2x^3)+1/(3x^4)-...)]`

Now take the limit, every term that has an x in the denominator will go to zero leaving just one term.

`ln(y)=1`

Give both sides a new base e

`e^ln(y)=e^1`

`y=e`

Remember our original definition of y.

`y=lim_(x->oo) (1+1/x)^(x+1/x)=e`

This limit is equal to e.

In The Things They Carried, why does the lieutenant burn the letters he has been carrying?

In the first chapter, O'Brien recalls how Lieutenant Jimmy Cross would carry around letters from Martha, a woman he loved, and describes how Jimmy would daydream about her while he was out in the jungle leading his troops. One day, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his men are clearing a tunnel when he begins to daydream about Martha. He cannot help himself and becomes utterly lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, Ted Lavender gets shot in the...

In the first chapter, O'Brien recalls how Lieutenant Jimmy Cross would carry around letters from Martha, a woman he loved, and describes how Jimmy would daydream about her while he was out in the jungle leading his troops. One day, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his men are clearing a tunnel when he begins to daydream about Martha. He cannot help himself and becomes utterly lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, Ted Lavender gets shot in the head on his way back from taking a pee. Lieutenant Cross feels guilty and responsible for Ted Lavender's death and ends up burning Martha's letters and photographs at the bottom of his foxhole. Lieutenant Cross feels that Lavender's death was due to his negligence and believes that thinking about Martha keeps him from staying focused on the safety of his men. He is also upset at the fact that Martha does not love him back. Burning her letters and photographs is Lieutenant Cross's gesture of attempting to forget about Martha and focusing on his job. 

Why do you think William Sydney Porter built the character of Mister Behrman as a pathetic old artist?

O. Henry was was gifted with a rich imagination. In his story "The Last Leaf," he may have built the whole plot around a single ivy leaf he noticed still clinging to a vine on the side of a brick wall. If so, he would have had to invent characters to suit the needs of his plot. He probably felt he had to introduce the painter who would eventually paint an ivy leaf on the wall of a nearby brick building in order to keep a girl from dying. O. Henry might have considered it too obvious to invent a young painter who was in love with Johnsy and sacrificed his life for her. The author quite intentionally dispels that possibility in the conversation between the doctor and Sue.

"Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice—a man, for instance?”

“A man?” said Sue, with a jew's-harp twang in her voice. “Is a man worth—but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind.”

So there is "nothing of the kind" in Johnsy's life--but still the author needs a painter. So he introduces a man he calls Old Behrman. The reader will not suspect that this character would risk his life to paint an ivy leaf on a wall. For one thing, he is too old to climb a twenty-foot ladder. He hasn't painted anything in years. He is drunk on gin all the time. And most of all he pretends not to be sentimental and dismisses the notion that anybody could die just because a leaf falls from a vine.

“Vass!” he cried. “Is dere people in de world mit der foolishness to die because leafs dey drop off from a confounded vine? I haf not heard of such a thing. No, I will not bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead. Vy do you allow dot silly pusiness to come in der prain of her? Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Yohnsy.”

It would spoil O. Henry's ending if the reader suspected that this funny old man might get the idea of painting a leaf on a wall. The fact that Old Berhman speaks such heavily accented English also helps to disguise his thoughts and intentions. But the factors that would appear to work against his deciding to paint a last leaf for Johnsy could also work in favor of his actually doing it. He is too old--but his life is all behind him, so what has he to lose? He is a heavy drinker--but being drunk might explain why he gets such a wild idea. He says Johnsy's idea is foolish--but his language is so hard to understand that he could be saying the opposite of what he really feels. He tells Sue, "No, I will not bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead" when he has every intention of posing for her. The reader is effectively surprised when it turns out that it really was the old German immigrant who dragged a tall ladder over to the nearby building in the dead of night and a howling storm, and created his masterpiece at the cost of his own life.

But, lo! after the beating rain and fierce gusts of wind that had endured through the livelong night, there yet stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf. It was the last on the vine. Still dark green near its stem, but with its serrated edges tinted with the yellow of dissolution and decay, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.