How were Buck's feelings for Thornton different from his feelings for his previous masters?

Buck feels a strong connection with Thornton, his final master, and is deeply devoted to him. This is new for Buck: toward his previous masters, Buck had felt a kind of angry revulsion. If Buck obeyed his previous masters, it was because he had to. But Buck obeys Thornton out of a genuine wish to please him and protect him.

As Buck's first real masters after he was kidnapped from the Judge's house, Perrault and...

Buck feels a strong connection with Thornton, his final master, and is deeply devoted to him. This is new for Buck: toward his previous masters, Buck had felt a kind of angry revulsion. If Buck obeyed his previous masters, it was because he had to. But Buck obeys Thornton out of a genuine wish to please him and protect him.

As Buck's first real masters after he was kidnapped from the Judge's house, Perrault and Francois are reasonable with Buck. Still, they're the reason for Buck's harsh new lifestyle, and even if he holds a thin respect for these men, Buck certainly doesn't love or admire them.

Compared to Perrault and Francois, Hal and Charles are terrible masters: cruel and greedy, with unrealistic expectations of how far the dogs should run and how little they should eat. Toward these inexperienced and vile men, Buck feels only irritation and outrage. His entire experience with them leaves Buck more jaded and exhausted than ever:

Late next morning Buck led the long team up the street. There was nothing lively about it, no snap or go in him and his fellows. They were starting dead weary. Four times he had covered the distance between Salt Water and Dawson, and the knowledge that, jaded and tired, he was facing the same trail once more, made him bitter. His heart was not in the work, nor was the heart of any dog. The Outsiders were timid and frightened, the Insiders without confidence in their masters.

You can tell that things will be different with John Thornton when he steps in rescue Buck from the beatings that the cruel Hal and Charles are inflicting:

The last sensations of pain left him. He no longer felt anything, though very faintly he could hear the impact of the club upon his body. But it was no longer his body, it seemed so far away. And then, suddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club.

Buck even licks John's hand on that day, a rare sign of affection. It doesn't take long for the bond between the dog and this man to grow into genuine love:

Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time. This he had never experienced at Judge Miller's down in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. With the Judge's sons, hunting and tramping, it had been a working partnership; with the Judge's grandsons, a sort of pompous guardianship; and with the Judge himself, a stately and dignified friendship. But love that was feverish and burning, that was adoration, that was madness, it had taken John Thornton to arouse.

Are war and violence the only options to removing bad leaders?

It depends on the type of system in place and the circumstances between the people and their leader/s. War and violence are not the only options available to remove bad leaders, but sometimes such action is necessary.

In The Caucasian Chalk Circle, the Fat Prince staged a coup and murdered the governor. However, the coup was reversed, and the Grand Duke regained control. The story suggests that the governor was legitimately in authority, however,...

It depends on the type of system in place and the circumstances between the people and their leader/s. War and violence are not the only options available to remove bad leaders, but sometimes such action is necessary.

In The Caucasian Chalk Circle, the Fat Prince staged a coup and murdered the governor. However, the coup was reversed, and the Grand Duke regained control. The story suggests that the governor was legitimately in authority, however, the prince, yearned for power leading to the violent takeover.

In a monarchy system of governance, authority and power are inherited. In a democracy, the people participate in selecting their leader. Public participation in republics reduces chances of war and violence because there is due process outlined in universally binding agreements such as the constitution. The agreement would generally provide the people with an opportunity to exercise their preferences by selecting another leader through a free and fair election.

In monarchies or dictatorial regimes, such opportunities are not available to the people forcing them to rise up in arms when faced with bad leaders. An example of such scenarios would be the French, American and English Revolutions.

Why is Meimei annoyed by her mom at the end of her second tournament in "The Rules of the Game"?

Waverly is annoyed because her mother associates success with how many pieces she loses, regardless of whether she wins or not.

When the family got a used chess set for Christmas, Waverly had no idea that chess would become so important to her.  She learned how to play chess, and it turned out she had a knack for it.  Waverly was surprised when her mother let her participate in a tournament, but her mother was...

Waverly is annoyed because her mother associates success with how many pieces she loses, regardless of whether she wins or not.

When the family got a used chess set for Christmas, Waverly had no idea that chess would become so important to her.  She learned how to play chess, and it turned out she had a knack for it.  Waverly was surprised when her mother let her participate in a tournament, but her mother was focusing on how many pieces she lost.  She tried to explain to her mother that it wasn’t about pieces.

At the next tournament, I won again, but it was my mother who wore the triumphant grin. "Lost eight piece this time. Last time was eleven. What I tell you? Better off lose less!" I was annoyed, but I couldn't say anything.

Waverly is frustrated because no matter how successful she is, her mother wants more.  She can win, even in a tournament, and it is not enough for her mother.  Her mother wants her to win by losing fewer pieces.  Waverly also feels as if she knows more about chess than her mother, because she is the one who is playing, but her mother still insists on micromanaging.

Waverly feels the pressure of her success.  The neighborhood celebrates her and she is on magazine covers.  She feels that her mother is too focused on her winning.

But I found it difficult to concentrate at home. My mother had a habit of standing over me while I plotted out my games. I think she thought of herself as my protective ally. Her lips would be sealed tight, and after each move I made, a soft "Hmmmmph" would escape from her nose.

This is what leads to the fight between Waverly and her mother, when she yells at her mother in the street for showing her off.  Waverly loves chess.  She is very good at it.  However, the game is tainted by her mother’s controlling nature, and she doesn’t know how to tell her.

Why did Uncle Judah bring Rachel to Lyddie?

Uncle Judah brought Rachel to Lyddie because he wished to relinquish responsibility for Lyddie's little sister. He claimed that the responsibility of caring for Mrs. Worthen and Rachel was too heavy for his wife, Clarissa. As a result of their joint decision, Uncle Judah and Aunt Clarissa decided to commit Mrs. Worthen to a mental asylum in Brattleboro. To finance Mrs. Worthen's care, Lyddie's uncle put the Worthen family farm up for sale. Uncle Judah...

Uncle Judah brought Rachel to Lyddie because he wished to relinquish responsibility for Lyddie's little sister. He claimed that the responsibility of caring for Mrs. Worthen and Rachel was too heavy for his wife, Clarissa. As a result of their joint decision, Uncle Judah and Aunt Clarissa decided to commit Mrs. Worthen to a mental asylum in Brattleboro. To finance Mrs. Worthen's care, Lyddie's uncle put the Worthen family farm up for sale. Uncle Judah informed Lyddie of his intentions in Chapter 15.

Distressed at the news, Lyddie implored her brother, Charles, to do everything he could to prevent Uncle Judah from selling the family property. However, Charles (being only thirteen years old) was unable to prevent Uncle Judah from fulfilling his desires in the matter. Unexpectedly, Lyddie later received a letter from Quaker Stevens informing her that Charles had approached him to represent the Worthen family interest. Meanwhile, Lyddie suddenly found herself fully responsible for her sister's care and well-being. However, Mrs. Bedlow allowed Lyddie to keep Rachel at the boarding house for more than a fortnight, due to her own sense of compassion for the beleaguered sisters. Later, Mrs. Bedlow made arrangements for Rachel to work as a doffer at the factory.

In Chapter 18, we learn from Luke Stevens's letter that his father had purchased the farm from Lyddie's Uncle Judah. In the letter, Luke shyly asks Lyddie for her hand in marriage. In that same chapter, we also learn that Charles and Rachel were adopted by the Phinneys. So, despite Uncle Judah's actions, Lyddie and her siblings managed to overcome tragedy in their lives.

What are Freud's psychosexual stages and what are their implications for various age ranges?

Freud was well known for his theory of psychosexual stages. This theory is a model for human development. Freud was motivated to biologically explain the psychology of humans. The model consists of five stages: oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital. Each of these phases represents a stage in human development. This model is designed around the concept that humans are driven by the gratification of desire. Fixation, or "stuckness" in any one of these stages represents a stunting of normal development.

Stage One: Oral

The oral stage represents the age range from birth to two years old. In this phase, the mouth is the focal point of pleasure. Infants gnaw on things to interact with them, and breastfeed or drink from a bottle. Those who become fixated in this stage may experience nervous tics around chewing, such as gnawing on the end of a pencil. 

Stage Two: Anal

The anal stage represents the ages from two to four years old. In this phase, the anus is the focal point of gratification. During this phase of life, humans learn to control their bowels and their bladders. Fixation in this stage can result in anal retentiveness (Freud's model is the origin of this phrase). One who is anal retentive obsessively holds on to order, such as organization and neatness. 

Stage Three: Phallic

The phallic stage represents the ages from four to seven years old. In this phase, the penis or clitoris is the focal point for gratification. In this phase, humans begin to identify with their mother or father and become sexually motivated as individuals. The relationship to the parent of the opposite sex is central to this stage, and fixation in the phallic stage may lead to a fascination with one's mother or father in an Oedipal or Electra complex, respectively.

Stage Four: Latency

The latent stage represents ages seven through puberty. In this stage, individuals focus on repressing, or making latent their earlier desires. Individuals fixated in this phase may be sexually unfulfilled.

Stage Five: Genital

The genital stage represents the adulthood of the individual. In this stage, humans mature sexually and fulfill their desire to procreate. Individuals who are fixated in this stage may be unsuccessful sexually or frigid to sexual partners. 

Freud's theory of psychosexual stages is one of many models of human development. Like all models, it can attempt only to generally describe a pattern.

What is the reaction of the lover when he is rejected by his beloved in the poem "The Last Ride Together" by Browning?

The lover in "The Last Ride Together" knows that his relationship with his beloved is over, but his reaction is to ask for one last ride with her. He knows that he has failed to secure a future with her and says, "Since all, my life seem’d meant for, fails," (line 4) (in other words, everything he wants in life has met with failure), he wants the memory of one last ride with her.  As...

The lover in "The Last Ride Together" knows that his relationship with his beloved is over, but his reaction is to ask for one last ride with her. He knows that he has failed to secure a future with her and says, "Since all, my life seem’d meant for, fails," (line 4) (in other words, everything he wants in life has met with failure), he wants the memory of one last ride with her.  As he waits for her answer, he thinks that "life or death [was] in the balance" (line 16). His beloved relents and goes on a ride with the narrator.

The narrator's reaction to this ride is to live for the day, or carpe diem. He says, "So, one day more am I deified. Who knows but the world may end to-night?" (line 16). In other words, he decides to make the most of every moment because he does not know what the future holds. In several stanzas that follow, he decides that he is better able to live than a solider, a poet, a sculptor, or a musician because he lives in a world in which "the instant [is] made eternity" (line 108). The narrator is content to live in the perfection of the moment with his beloved.  

How would I write an essay on the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre?

An essay needs to be researched and present a thesis which is defended throughout the body of the work.  The internet provides a wealth of information concerning the tragedy which occurred in 1989.  Many of the news articles from the time period are available online.  Libraries often have older publications on microfilm or microfiche as well.  The research portion of the work (tracking down reputable sources) often takes the longest.  Sources such as Wikipedia or blogs should not be used as direct references, but can point towards additional leads of interest.

The Ecole Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, occurred in December 1989.  Marc Lepine entered the engineering school and began killing women.  Lepine killed fourteen young women at the school because they dared to attend the school.  He ended the spree by killing himself.

The essay should introduce the incident and present the thesis of the work.  There are several arguments surrounding the event which mirror similar events that occur today.  You could argue Lepine created the blueprint for school mass shootings or address the similarities between that attack and those that still occur.  Why haven't more safety measures been put into place?

The body of the essay needs to provide additional details of the event.  A brief biography of Lepine can be included to help the reader understand his motives.  The body is where you support your thesis with facts.  A well-rounded essay will also present information contrary to the thesis in a paragraph with a counterargument.  Finally, the essay should be concluded with a paragraph summarizing the argument with a decisive statement.  The statement should be a confirmation of the thesis.

Some questions you may want to address in the essay include:

• Who was Marc Lepine?


• What were his motives?


• Compare/contrast the massacre with others (Columbine, Virginia Tech)


• How could it have been prevented?  Did law enforcement learn anything about school safety?


• What do survivors think about it?


• What failures led to the massacre?  Could it have been prevented?