What are some good topics for an essay on James Joyce's story "Araby"?

James Joyce's poignant story about a youth's romantic infatuation and delusions is almost a prototype for the other tales in The Dubliners. Certainly, it is a prime example of Joyce's employment of "epiphany" in his stories. It is also perceived by critics as an important step between the first two stories and subsequent ones in The Dubliners.

Here, then, are some ideas for topics with regard to "Araby":

• Epiphany as a literary technique


• Themes...

James Joyce's poignant story about a youth's romantic infatuation and delusions is almost a prototype for the other tales in The Dubliners. Certainly, it is a prime example of Joyce's employment of "epiphany" in his stories. It is also perceived by critics as an important step between the first two stories and subsequent ones in The Dubliners.

Here, then, are some ideas for topics with regard to "Araby":

• Epiphany as a literary technique


• Themes (see the link below)


• "Araby" as a bridge between the first two stories and the ones after it


• The interplay of point of view in "Araby." While the point of view is first person narrator, there are what have been called "multiple distances": first, there is the boy's perspective, then the older, maturing boy, and thirdly, there is the author's. 1) the child is unrealistic and emotional in his perspective; 2) the adult voice depicts the boy in a manner the boy would not comprehend; and 3) the author is able to insert subtly the issues of class, religion, romance, and emotions that extend beyond the first-person narrator. [This use of the authorial voice expands upon themes and sympathy for the boy.]


• The role of religious imagery


• Symbolism and literary illusions and their roles in the narrative

For more ideas, see the links below. There are numerous critical essays available. Good luck!

Hydrogen sulfide is composed of two elements, hydrogen and sulfur. In an experiment, 5.485 g of hydrogen sulfide is fully decomposed into its...

To solve, apply conservation of mass. It states that in a chemical reaction, mass is neither destroyed nor created. So the mass of the reactants at the beginning is equal to the mass of the products at the end of the reaction.

mass of  reactants = mass of products

In this problem, the chemical reaction is:

Hydrogen sulfide `->` Hydrogen  + Sulfur

Applying conservation of mass, the equation is:

mass of hydrogen sulfide = mass of...

To solve, apply conservation of mass. It states that in a chemical reaction, mass is neither destroyed nor created. So the mass of the reactants at the beginning is equal to the mass of the products at the end of the reaction.

mass of  reactants = mass of products

In this problem, the chemical reaction is:

Hydrogen sulfide `->` Hydrogen  + Sulfur

Applying conservation of mass, the equation is:

mass of hydrogen sulfide = mass of hydrogen + mass of sulfur

5.485g = 0.307g + mass of sulfur

mass of sulfur = 5.485g - 0.307g

mass of sulfur = 5.178g

Therefore, at the end of the reaction, 5.178 grams of sulfur is obtained.

A rocket is constructed on Earth with the following specifications: 96 m long, with a mass of 4.5 x 10^3 kg. a) On a trip to visit a nearby star...

Hello!

This question is about the special relativity theory. It states (and there are many experiments confirming it) that the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant, denoted `c,` regardless of the frame of reference. This gives some paradoxical results.

Denote the given speed of a rocket as `v.` Then the Lorentz factor `gamma = sqrt(1-(v^2)/(c^2))`  describes the changes in observed length, time and mass of a moving object. Namely, length is contracted,...

Hello!

This question is about the special relativity theory. It states (and there are many experiments confirming it) that the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant, denoted `c,` regardless of the frame of reference. This gives some paradoxical results.

Denote the given speed of a rocket as `v.` Then the Lorentz factor `gamma = sqrt(1-(v^2)/(c^2))`  describes the changes in observed length, time and mass of a moving object. Namely, length is contracted, time is dilated and mass is increased with this factor. In numbers it is `sqrt(1-(0.68)^2) approx0.73` (dimensionless).

Therefore

a) the length will be `96*gamma approx 70.4 (m),`

b) the apparent mass will be `(4.5*10^3)/gamma approx6139 (kg),`

c) the dilated time is given to be `15` years, so the time for astronauts will be less by `gamma,` i.e. `15*gamma approx 11 (years).` Note that it is a simplification, because to return a rocket must change its velocity.

In the book The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, what is the setting for most of Chapter One?

Most of the first chapter of the book takes place onboard the Dolphin, the ship that Kit takes from Barbados to Wethersfield.  The setting of the book is introduced to us in the first paragraph, where we are told what year it is, where Kit is, and where she is going.

ON A MORNING in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the Sound to the wide mouth of the...

Most of the first chapter of the book takes place onboard the Dolphin, the ship that Kit takes from Barbados to Wethersfield.  The setting of the book is introduced to us in the first paragraph, where we are told what year it is, where Kit is, and where she is going.

ON A MORNING in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the Sound to the wide mouth of the Connecticut River and into Saybrook Harbor. Kit Tyler had been on the forecastle deck since daybreak, standing close to the rail, staring hungrily at the first sight of land for five weeks.  (Ch. 1) 

All of this is significant to understanding the book.  First of all, knowing the year is obviously important to appreciating Kit’s situation.  Colonial Connecticut was much different from modern life.  Also, it is significant to know that it is mid-April, meaning that it is just the beginning of spring.  It is still pretty cold.  Kit has not seen land for over a month, and this is clearly a circumstance she is neither used to nor enjoys. 

Kit’s reaction to the first sight of land is also telling. 

She could just make out the row of unimpressive shacks and the Bash of raw new lumber. Her smile was admiring from pure relief. At least this grim place was not her destination, and surely the colony at Wethersfield would prove more inviting. (Ch. 1) 

This tells us that Kit has never been to Connecticut before, and that it is different from what she is used to.  It also tells us a lot about the colony.  Conditions were stark and bleak.  It wasn’t heavily populated, at least not in this part. 

In this chapter, therefore, we learn quite a bit about Kit and the colony of Connecticut before we even get to much plot.  While Kit is still on the ship we learn how different Barbados is from Connecticut, and how different Kit is from the Puritans.  One of the main ways this is illustrated is through Kit jumping in the water for the doll.  The Puritans are shocked.  Kit grew up around water, but in Connecticut it is unheard of for a woman to swim.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of teaching with worksheets?

Where I teach, at the college level, I have noticed an increase in the use of worksheets, something that, in my opinion, is not necessarily a good trend, although they do have utility in some situations.  The advantages and disadvantages of using worksheets depend on the content area and how they are being used, I think, in other words, a question of context. 

First, how useful worksheets are is a matter of the course being...

Where I teach, at the college level, I have noticed an increase in the use of worksheets, something that, in my opinion, is not necessarily a good trend, although they do have utility in some situations.  The advantages and disadvantages of using worksheets depend on the content area and how they are being used, I think, in other words, a question of context. 

First, how useful worksheets are is a matter of the course being taught.  In subjects such as math, physics, or chemistry, they offer the student a means of practicing problem-solving, either in the classroom or as homework.  In courses such as these, the students must have the opportunity to grapple with the problems presented, and this is a decided advantage.  However, in subjects such as English, history, or sociology, most of the worksheets I have seen tend to focus on specific details, rather than encouraging students to see the bigger picture or to think critically.  For example, if a worksheet includes questions on what character made what statement on what page, for an English course, I see that as a worksheet that is worse than useless, since it makes students believe that is what is important in studying literature.  So, while worksheets provide an advantage in some content areas, they provide a significant disadvantage in others.

Second, the efficacy of worksheets is to a large degree a function of how the teacher uses them.  If students spend all of their class time completing worksheets individually and the teacher sits at the desk, the disadvantages are many.  Students will often lose their focus in a very short time, and they are meant to grapple, not to struggle, with what they do not know or understand.  If this is what an occasional class consists of, with the teacher walking around offering individual student guidance, it could be fine.  But that is often not the case.  A better use of worksheets could be having students solving problems in groups, with the teacher walking around checking on progress and offering guidance.  Worksheets can also be gone over with the class as a whole, so that a few representative problems are solved as a class.  I do this when I teach accounting.  If worksheets are handed out as homework, handed in the next class, and never gone over at all, this does not help students all that much.  If they are making errors, they have no way of knowing until it's far too late for them.  When worksheets are given as homework, at least a few representative problems should be covered with the entire class, to get everyone on the right track.  I have also noticed that when teachers hand out worksheets, students infer that all that will be on exams will be the material reflected in the worksheets, and they tend to be quite offended when other material is on an exam. The worksheets have a decided negative effect upon student motivation to cover all the material in a course, focusing them on what they believe will be on a test.  A teacher who intends to cover only worksheet material on exams is being true to the implied "contract," but doing his or her students a great disservice by limiting the areas of study and learning.  It is far better to hand out a worksheet and tell one's students that the worksheet is meant to help them practice some of the material but that they are responsible for all material covered. 

This over-reliance on worksheets does not mean that they are an evil in and of themselves.  But we should always be aware of the context in which they are being used and our intentions in using them. 

What is Bob Ewell's testimony in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Bob Ewell testified that he saw Tom Robinson with his daughter Mayella.

Bob Ewell’s testimony is colorful and fanciful.  He tries to convince the jury that Tom Robinson raped Mayella.  However, he admits that no one went to get a doctor for her.  Atticus tries to establish that Mayella was never attacked at all by having Ewell demonstrate that he is left handed.

“Well, Mayella was raisin‘ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and...

Bob Ewell testified that he saw Tom Robinson with his daughter Mayella.

Bob Ewell’s testimony is colorful and fanciful.  He tries to convince the jury that Tom Robinson raped Mayella.  However, he admits that no one went to get a doctor for her.  Atticus tries to establish that Mayella was never attacked at all by having Ewell demonstrate that he is left handed.

“Well, Mayella was raisin‘ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I got distangled I run up to th‘ window and I seen—” Mr. Ewell’s face grew scarlet. He stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. “—I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (Ch. 17) 

Mr. Gilmer tries to show that Mr. Ewell saw Tom Robinson attack Mayella.  However, when Atticus questions him on cross-examination, he asks Bob Ewell if he went for a doctor.  Ewell says he never thought to. 

“Didn’t you think she should have had a doctor, immediately?”

The witness said he never thought of it, he had never called a doctor to any of his’n in his life, and if he had it would have cost him five dollars. “That all?” he asked. (Ch. 17) 

Atticus also has Mr. Ewell describe her injuries and point out that they were on the left side of her face.  He has Mr. Ewell write his name so that the jury can see that he is left-handed.  He is trying to show that Mayella’s injuries were caused by her father. Later, he will demonstrate that Tom Robinson has no use of his left arm.

Atticus hopes that people will understand that Bob Ewell was lying when he said that he saw the rape, because Mayella did have injuries, but not caused by Tom Robinson.  No one got her a doctor.  If she really had been raped, wouldn't a doctor have been called?

Identify the metaphor in the poem ''Oranges'' by Gary Soto.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two different or contradictory things that happen to share a common characteristic. It is also important to note that a metaphor is usually regarded as different from a simile. Similes make explicit comparisons using the terms "like" or "as," while metaphors make implicit or hidden comparisons. Gary Soto employs a metaphor toward the end of the poem when he compares the boy's orange to a...

A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two different or contradictory things that happen to share a common characteristic. It is also important to note that a metaphor is usually regarded as different from a simile. Similes make explicit comparisons using the terms "like" or "as," while metaphors make implicit or hidden comparisons. Gary Soto employs a metaphor toward the end of the poem when he compares the boy's orange to a fire in his hands. Soto writes,

"I peeled my orange / That was so bright [. . .] Someone might have thought / I was making a fire in my hands" (52-55).

Oranges and fire have little in common other than their bright color. The boy's orange looks bright against the dark setting and resembles a fire in his hands. Soto's metaphor implicitly compares the brightness of both the orange and fire. The orange also symbolizes young love throughout the poem. 

What is the message that Jerome wants to convey in his novel, Three Men in a Boat?

I believe that Jerome set out to write a fictional spoof of the traditional travel narrative. Such boating outings along the River Thames were becoming quite popular at the time. Why couldn’t someone write a fictional travelogue, set along a fairly tame and well-developed waterway, and infuse it with a lot of humor and storytelling? He succeeds at these goals. Critics could say that the book is hardly action-packed and that very little actually happens...

I believe that Jerome set out to write a fictional spoof of the traditional travel narrative. Such boating outings along the River Thames were becoming quite popular at the time. Why couldn’t someone write a fictional travelogue, set along a fairly tame and well-developed waterway, and infuse it with a lot of humor and storytelling? He succeeds at these goals. Critics could say that the book is hardly action-packed and that very little actually happens here, but real life is like this. What we see and do reminds us of past stories that we must share with those around us. Examples would be when we got mixed up with our daily schedules because we didn’t know what time it was, or when someone we know had a lot of difficulties doing simple tasks, like hanging a picture on the wall, or when we took care of a package for someone that turned out to be much more of a burden than we originally thought. I think Jerome shows that even seemingly commonplace experiences are worth telling. Our daily lives can be filled with humor, if we only allow ourselves the chances to see it.

What were the Pros and Cons of the American Revolution? (in point form)

Your question does not make it clear whether one should refer to the positive and negatives outcomes of the conflict or if the focus should be on the pros and cons of the war itself, i.e. whilst it was being fought.

There were major political, economic and social effects, both negative and positive, during, and as a consequence of, the Revolution:

Pros:

• 
  American Independence:The country was finally free of British rule. States could now...

Your question does not make it clear whether one should refer to the positive and negatives outcomes of the conflict or if the focus should be on the pros and cons of the war itself, i.e. whilst it was being fought.

There were major political, economic and social effects, both negative and positive, during, and as a consequence of, the Revolution:

Pros:

• 
  American Independence: The country was finally free of British rule. States could now work together and express their autonomy. They now had the opportunity for self-determination and could establish their own laws.


• 
  The drafting of the Constitution: This is one of the major results of the conflict since it drove the states to draw up a charter which expressed the fundamental rights of all of its citizens. This has become the cornerstone for governance.


• 
  The growth of American nationalism: Americans were unified in their fight against British domination. It was essential that they share a common purpose in order to defeat the British.


• 
  Unity: The states were unified and were determined to form a unitary government which eventually led to the formation of the United States of America.


• 
  The separation of church and state: These two institutions were inalienably linked prior to the revolution. Once independence had been achieved, it was decided that the they should be separated. One had no influence on the other. This separation became a fundamental tenet of the constitution.


• 
  Positive changes in the attitude to women: Women had to assume greater responsibilities during the conflict and this resulted in greater respect and regard for them after the war. They were deemed more the equal of men and respected for their significant contributions in winning the war. 


• 
  Positive effect on attitudes to slavery: Many of the northern states adopted anti-slavery legislation after the war. In a few of the southern states slaves were set free or allowed to buy their freedom. The revolution introduced more liberal thinking and the principles of emancipation found greater relevance in the minds of the populace.

Cons:

• 
  Division over the war: The revolution created much conflict within families, communities and between states about the purpose of the conflict. Many were loyalists whilst others were neutral and others, of course, were determined to fight for freedom. As a result, these differences of opinion led to dissension and dispute during, and even after, the war. 


• 
  Financial loss: The war had been an expensive venture for both sides. States had to make huge loans to finance the conflict and found themselves in huge debt after the conflagration. The immense cost would result in massive deflation and a valueless currency which would also lead to economic depression. 


• 
  Negative impact on commerce: America lost a major trading partner in Britain. Trade between the two countries came to a standstill. Even though America could freely trade with other countries, the economic losses were of such magnitude that it would result in depression.


• 
  Economic depression: Since Congress could not pay most of its debts, many individuals lost faith in their new government. Debtors were demanding the repayment of debts which forced Congress to demand dues from states which refused to pay. States raised taxes to pay their own war debts. Money all over the country was in desperately short supply.

What role does ethics play in social science research? What are some examples of research that presented ethical dilemmas for the researcher?

In considering this question, it is important to first consider the types of research commonly used in social science research: qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative research is exploratory. It investigates the reasons that things happen, the interactions between forces, the motivations between actors, and similar phenomena in order to develop hypotheses regarding the problems in society and possible solutions. Quantitative, on the other hand, relies on statistics and data to make determinations about these issues.

...

In considering this question, it is important to first consider the types of research commonly used in social science research: qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative research is exploratory. It investigates the reasons that things happen, the interactions between forces, the motivations between actors, and similar phenomena in order to develop hypotheses regarding the problems in society and possible solutions. Quantitative, on the other hand, relies on statistics and data to make determinations about these issues.

As these research methods require different research processes, they evoke unique ethical issues: qualitative research deals with the ethical treatment of subjects while quantitative research raises issues of the ethical treatment of data. I have briefly outlined the issues and provided sources for further information below:

In qualitative research, researchers have direct contact with human subjects and their stories. This raises issues of confidentiality as well as the manner in which the researcher interacts with the subjects. For more information, please refer to Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods by Michael Patton. For a more in depth analysis of the ethics of qualitative research, particularly the lines to draw in immersing oneself in their research and related issues, please refer to Every Twelve Seconds by Timothy Pachairat.

In quantitative research, researchers handle raw data in order to make determinations about the subject. In doing so, they frequently have the opportunity to mislead using seemingly concrete data. The researcher has a responsibility to only use data to illustrate the truth. For more information, refer to The Handbook of Social Research Ethics by Donna Mertens and Pauline Ginsberg.

For more information about ethics impacting both qualitative and quantitative research ethics including the ethical design of studies, please refer to Research Design by John Creswell.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how do Paris and Friar Lawrence influence Romeo and/or Juliet?

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence influences Romeo by agreeing to perform the marriage in act 2, scene 2, and then, in act 3, scene 3, by telling him to wait for news in Mantua while he figures out a way for him to be reunited with Juliet. Next, Friar Lawrence influences Juliet to take a drug that will help her fake her own death in act 4, scene 2, thereby giving her a chance...

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence influences Romeo by agreeing to perform the marriage in act 2, scene 2, and then, in act 3, scene 3, by telling him to wait for news in Mantua while he figures out a way for him to be reunited with Juliet. Next, Friar Lawrence influences Juliet to take a drug that will help her fake her own death in act 4, scene 2, thereby giving her a chance to escape to Mantua and finally be with Romeo.

Paris influences Juliet mostly because he has Lord Capulet's permission to marry her. If Paris had not wanted to marry her in the first place, there would not have been a need for her to fake her own death to avoid marrying him. Then, Paris forces Romeo to fight with him in act 5, scene 3 because he won't back down when Romeo tells him to leave with Juliet's body. Romeo even warns Paris by saying, "Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp'rate man" (V.iii.59) but Paris would rather fight to the death than save his life. 

In which rhyme scheme is "Woman's Constancy" by John Donne written?

The rhyme scheme in John Donne's "Woman's Constancy" changes in the middle of the poem. The first two couplets rhyme (the lines ending with "day" and "say" and "vow and "now"). The rhyme scheme of the first four lines is a/a/b/b. The scheme then changes with the line that begins "We are not." There are no rhymes for the next six lines, so the rhyme scheme is c/d/e/f/g/h. Then, the line ending in "justify" (line...

The rhyme scheme in John Donne's "Woman's Constancy" changes in the middle of the poem. The first two couplets rhyme (the lines ending with "day" and "say" and "vow and "now"). The rhyme scheme of the first four lines is a/a/b/b. The scheme then changes with the line that begins "We are not." There are no rhymes for the next six lines, so the rhyme scheme is c/d/e/f/g/h. Then, the line ending in "justify" (line 11) rhymes with line line 8, which ends with "untie," so this line can also be classified as "f." Starting in line 12, which begins with "For having," the poem returns to rhyming couplets, which end with "you," "true," "could," "would," "do," and "too." These last six lines have the rhyme scheme i/i/j/j/i/i, as "do" and "too" rhyme with "you" and "true." Therefore, the rhyme scheme for the whole poem is a/a/b/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/f/i/i/j/j/i/i. The disruption in the rhyme scheme is symbolic of the lovers' lack of constancy. 

What would be some good points to discuss in an essay on the theme "fair is foul and foul is fair" as it concerns Macbeth and Frankenstein?

Your general themes are appearance versus reality and good versus evil. Frankenstein and Macbeth approach these themes quite differently, so you might want to structure your essay to compare and contrast them.

Macbethshows the transformation of an admirable character into an evil one through a combination of the blandishments of the three weird sisters and his own ambition. Over the course of the play, Macbeth degenerates from a "fair" hero whose ambition, bravery, and...

Your general themes are appearance versus reality and good versus evil. Frankenstein and Macbeth approach these themes quite differently, so you might want to structure your essay to compare and contrast them.

Macbeth shows the transformation of an admirable character into an evil one through a combination of the blandishments of the three weird sisters and his own ambition. Over the course of the play, Macbeth degenerates from a "fair" hero whose ambition, bravery, and energy have caused him to be a powerful and admired supporter of King Duncan into a "foul" tyrant and murderer. Although Macbeth himself changes over the course of the play, readers are not asked to think about the nature of our own moral judgments. We are expected to share a moral stance that regards murder and treachery as evil. In the play, fair becomes foul and Macbeth's own perceptions distort.

In Frankenstein, we are confronted with the dilemma of whether, our perception of fair, as seen in the educated European Victor, and foul, as exemplified by the monster, should be reversed. We need to consider whether the fair and civilized scientist is in fact more foul than his monster, who appears hideous on the surface, but is really as much a mistreated innocent as a source of evil. The novel also asks us to question whether we should blame mistreated outcasts for lashing out at society or whether the society that has mistreated them is really the "foul" entity that is morally culpable.

Thinking about the poem "Fire and Ice", would you rather burn or freeze to death? Why? Has the idea of this question become desensitized over...

If some comic book villain were to offer you the choice of freezing or burning to death, one should choose freezing, as it is probably the less painful of the two choices. However, if you are studying the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost, you are not reading a comic book or watching a simplistic movie, and thus the choices on offer have nothing to do with the relative physical discomfort involved in two...

If some comic book villain were to offer you the choice of freezing or burning to death, one should choose freezing, as it is probably the less painful of the two choices. However, if you are studying the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost, you are not reading a comic book or watching a simplistic movie, and thus the choices on offer have nothing to do with the relative physical discomfort involved in two ways of dying.

The poem has to do with relationships, and the extremes of "burning" with lust, represented by Frost as death by fire or living with hatred, a colder emotion. Both extremes of emotion can be painful. What Frost is suggesting in the poem, though, is not that one should choose either one extreme or the other, but rather he is suggesting that emotional extremes in general are a bad thing, by their nature disruptive and painful, tearing apart individuals and nations. Thus just as physical comfort requires a moderate temperature, somewhere between that of fire and ice, so too emotional happiness requires moderation, neither fire nor ice. 

What is a contrast of the reactions of mother, father, and son to the paw with the progression of the narrative of "The Monkey's Paw"?

The Whites are a content family of father, mother, and adult son who live in the countryside. But, a visit from a friend changes their lives forever.

Before Sergeant Major Morris shows the monkey's paw to the Whites, they all three lean forward eagerly; however, Mrs. White is repulsed by its appearance. Herbert takes it and examines the paw, then his father reaches for it, and after examining it, he places it on a table. 

As the last one to own this talisman, the sergeant major explains that he has had his three wishes and tosses it into the fireplace of the Whites. Swiftly, Mr. White snatches it off the fire, and he refuses to be rid of it as the soldier suggests. When he asks how to make a wish, the soldier instructs him, but warns him of the consequences. Mrs. White says jokingly, 

"Sounds like the Arabian Nights....Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?"

Mr. White draws the talisman from his pocket, and all three family members laugh. But, the sergeant major is alarmed, grabs the arm of Mr. White and reiterates, "Wish for something sensible."

Mr. White replaces the paw in his pocket and the guest and the Whites eat dinner. Afterwards, their guest tells them more tales of his adventures in India. When he departs, Herbert cynically says that if the tale of the monkey's paw is anything like the others of the soldier, "we shan't make much of it." Then, he pretends to be horrified after Mr. White said his friend begged him to throw it away. He adds flippantly,

"Why, we're going to be rich, and famous and happy. Wish to be emperor, Father, to begin with; then you can't be bossed around."

His mother, having been so teased, chases Herbert around the table. Pulling the paw out of his pocket, Mr. White says that he does not know what to wish for. Herbert suggests that he wish for the amount that the Whites owe on their mortgage: "Wish for two hundred pounds, then; that'll just do it."
Somewhat ashamed of his credulity, Mr. White holds up the paw and makes this wish. There is a quick sound of piano keys struck; the father suddenly utters "a shuddering cry" and tells his wife and son that the paw moved and twisted in his hand. 

Herbert is unimpressed. He says that he does not see the money, and placing the paw on the table, he adds, "and I bet I never shall." Mrs. White is more anxious, and she tries to calm her husband, telling him it must have been his imagination that the paw moved. When the wind blows harder outdoors, Mr. White becomes nervous at the sound of a door banging upstairs. In fact, "[A] silence depressing settled upon all three."
After the parents go upstairs to bed, Herbert grasps the monkey's paw; he shivers slightly, releases the paw and wipes his hand upon his coat. Then, he, too, goes upstairs to his room, disturbed by what has just happened.

But, the next morning Herbert laughs at his fears of the previous night. Even the atmosphere of the rooms seems improved from the night before. Mr. White, on the other hand, yet shows some discomfort; he recalls that Morris said that things happen that might just be attributed to coincidence. But, Herbert jokes about the money that will soon arrive, and Mrs. White laughs as she follows him to the door.
At the end of the day, Mr. White returns to his fixation on how the paw moved while Mrs. White watches a man outside who pauses at their gate, then walks past it. After doing this three more times, he resolutely opens the gate and knocks on their door.

The Whites are informed that Herbert has been killed at work. The parents are given a check for compensation: £ 200, the amount for which Mr. White wished the night before. Horrified at the turn of events and the coincidence of the amount of the check, as well as devastated by the death of their only child, Mr. White faints as his wife shrieks.

Now, their lives are ruined; the Whites have buried their son and are alone. As the days pass, one evening Mrs. White realizes that they have two wishes left, and she demands that her husband wish for Herbert to be returned to them. Fearfully, Mr. White wishes, and collapses in a chair. After hours, there is a sound at their front door; "It's Herbert," his wife screams, running to open it. But, hearing some horrific sounds outside, the husband realizes that they forgot to wish that Herbert would be restored to life as he was before the accident, so he rushes for the paw and desperately makes his third wish. The horrible noises and rattling of a chain stop.

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, how does Marguerite's relationship with her mother compare to her relationship with "Momma"...

Marguerite, or "Maya," has a complicated relationship with her grandmother, who she refers to as "Momma." As a child, she often resents the fact that her grandmother is so strict and religious. It is also this super-strict adherence to religious beliefs, however, that allows Maya to find the dignity to rise above the racism and prejudice that she and her family face from the white folks who also live in their town of Stamps. She...

Marguerite, or "Maya," has a complicated relationship with her grandmother, who she refers to as "Momma." As a child, she often resents the fact that her grandmother is so strict and religious. It is also this super-strict adherence to religious beliefs, however, that allows Maya to find the dignity to rise above the racism and prejudice that she and her family face from the white folks who also live in their town of Stamps. She respects Momma, because she never sinks to the level of the petty white folks and instead tries to act with maturity and dignity. Because Maya often feels hatred toward herself, she needs someone like Momma to influence her to believe in herself and to see herself in  a positive light. Through her respect for Momma, she finds the strength to overcome that self-hatred, and this is an important life lesson for her.

By the time she moves to St. Louis to live with her mother, she has grown a lot as a person and is a young adolescent girl. Still, she is in need of a self-confidence boost, and that is where her mother comes in. Her mother is fun and adventurous, full of spirit, and very independent. Her kindness and passion for life is what really shapes Maya's transition into a teenager. When she feels lost because black people are not allowed to be train conductors, her mother gives her good advice that only a tough, strong woman would have learned: “Can’t Do is like Don’t Care. Neither of them have a home” (258). This means that nothing is impossible, and these phrases should not be in your vocabulary, if you believe in yourself.

In the beginning, however, her and her brother Bailey do not know if they can depend on their mother. Everything involving her is uncertain. They had been sent to live with her unexpectedly, and just as unexpectedly sent back to Stamps. At first, Maya's relationship with her grandmother proves the more solid and stable one. It is only after living with her mother for a few years that she starts to feel that she can depend on her.

What lessons does Holling learn that are directly related to Shakespeare and the stories he reads in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars?

Throughout Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars, Holling applies multiple lessons found in Shakespeare's plays to his own life. Two of those lessons concern better understanding his father and betrayal.

One of the first plays he reads with Mrs. Baker is The Merchant of Venice. After reading the play, Holling decides that Shylock "isn't really a villain"; he is instead a person trapped by his circumstances ("October"). Holling decides that Shylock had wanted to be a different person but could not because others in society around him "wouldn't let him. They decided he had to be a certain way, and he was trapped" ("October"). Later, Holling applies the lesson to his own father. Though Mr. Hoodhood acts like a villain by ignoring his children's needs and placing his business above all else, Holling begins to see that his father may not really be a villain after all. After his father gets the contract to design the new junior high school, Holling observes that his father gleefully thinks of how Kowalski and Associates will surely go out of business, which will place him in a good position to be given the Chamber of Commerce Businessman award next year too. He sees his father greedily rubbing his hands together, like Shylock, and stops to think if he is this way simply because it's what others expect of him:

I suddenly wondered if my father was really like Shylock. Not because he loved ducats, but because maybe he had become the person that everyone expected him to become. I wondered if he had ever had a choice, or if he had ever felt trapped. Or if he had ever imagined a different life. ("February")

Later, Holling challenges his father by saying that becoming a man has to do with becoming whom you choose to be.

Similarly, studying Romeo and Juliet helps Holling better understand human nature. Soon, Holling feels betrayed by Meryl Lee because her father presented to the school board the design Holling had shown her, the design his own father was working on. At first, Holling decides Shakespeare is trying to show through Romeo and Juliet that it is a part of human nature not to be trustworthy. However, he comes to realize that Meryl Lee had innocently shown her father Holling's drawing because she was proud of it, and her own father had betrayed her. This realization also helps Holling understand that Shakespeare's real message in the play is to show how much human beings struggle when they find themselves "car[ing] about two things at the same time" due to human nature being so very fragile ("February"). Human nature is so fragile that we struggle to figure out where to place our loyalties and trust, and incorrect choices concerning loyalty and trust can lead to tragic consequences. 

In Letter 7 of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, what is the cruel dilemma about whether the demons should conceal their existence?

In Letter 7, Screwtape writes that the demon race is faced with a "cruel dilemma." Here is the dilemma: "When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics."

In this letter, Screwtape talks about what he calls "Materialist Magicians," a reference to those who believe in a...

In Letter 7, Screwtape writes that the demon race is faced with a "cruel dilemma." Here is the dilemma: "When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics."

In this letter, Screwtape talks about what he calls "Materialist Magicians," a reference to those who believe in a vague spirituality but who disavow the existence of demons. While Screwtape relishes the idea of deceiving mankind about the existence of demons, he is irritated that doing so costs the demon race the inability to capitalize on and to take credit for acts of "direct terrorism."

Furthermore, when humans disbelieve in demons, the demon race cannot make more "magicians." These "magicians" are human beings who believe in spiritual forces but who refuse to accept the existence of either God or the Devil. In other words, "magicians" reject both traditional religion and secularism. Screwtape prefers people to believe in a vague, magical "Life Force" (a third alternative) so as to be unaware of the danger they're in: "I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us, (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy."

On the other hand, when humans believe in the existence of demons, they cannot be made "materialists and skeptics." This means that those who believe in the existence of demons are not so readily trapped in a materialist mindset and are more aware of the machinations of the demons.

To Screwtape, the solution to this dilemma is to get to a point where the people are divided into opposing factions. He relates this to the war effort: Screwtape doesn't care who becomes pacifists or patriots, as long as people forget all about God. He encourages Wormwood to work to create extremes, either from a right-wing or left-wing perspective. The only thing they must guard against is people practicing "extreme devotion to the Enemy" (God).

Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the “cause,” in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce in favor of the British war-effort or of Pacifism.

This is a difficult passage, but I hope that what I've written is helpful.

What are the intensive, physical, and chemical properties of matter?

Your question could be broken down into two categories: physical versus chemical properties, and intensive versus extensive properties.

Physical properties of matter have to do with features that can be measured and with the material by itself.  Some examples include melting and boiling points, color, density, state of matter at SATP (gas, liquid, solid), odor, conductivity, hardness, etc.  Chemical properties have to do with how the substance interacts with other substances.  Examples include combustibility or...

Your question could be broken down into two categories: physical versus chemical properties, and intensive versus extensive properties.

Physical properties of matter have to do with features that can be measured and with the material by itself.  Some examples include melting and boiling points, color, density, state of matter at SATP (gas, liquid, solid), odor, conductivity, hardness, etc.  Chemical properties have to do with how the substance interacts with other substances.  Examples include combustibility or reactivity with acids/bases. Notice that the chemical examples require another substance to be present to interact (or not) with the material you are studying.

Extensive and intensive properties are further sub-categories of physical properties.  Intensive properties do not depend on the amount of matter.  Things like hardness, color, odor, and density fit in here.  Extensive properties are dependent on the amount of the material.  This includes things like mass and volume.

What is the role of religion in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde?

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a play that satirizes many forms of Victorian conventions. Religion is no exception. For the upper class characters of the book, religion functions as a social convention, rather like serving tea. 

The main religious elements of the play involve The Reverend Frederick Chasuble, D.D., a clergyman in the Church of England, who is called upon to christen the two young men who desire to be named Earnest....

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a play that satirizes many forms of Victorian conventions. Religion is no exception. For the upper class characters of the book, religion functions as a social convention, rather like serving tea. 

The main religious elements of the play involve The Reverend Frederick Chasuble, D.D., a clergyman in the Church of England, who is called upon to christen the two young men who desire to be named Earnest. He is a stereotypical caricature of the English divine: celibate, of indeterminate age, obsessed with obscure scholarly questions about the Primitive Church, and unworldly in the sense that he is utterly impractical. He is almost obsessively concerned with the outward details of religious ceremony. He displays little of what might be considered genuine faith, and is quite flexible in his willingness to baptize and marry people with little regard for the spiritual suitability of the participants.

In his focus on the outward forms of religion, Reverend Chasuble functions as the spiritual equivalent of Lady Bracknell's obsession with the outward conventions of society. In the play, then, religion becomes reduced to social convention. 

Which of the following did NOT happen in the Second Industrial Revolution?Russia rapidly advanced to rival the gains of Western Europe...

Of the options that you have provided here, the first option is the best answer to this question.  All of the other options are true.

The first option is the correct answer because Russia was certainly not economically equal to the countries of Western Europe.  It most definitely did not rival them in terms of its economic strength.  Russia was the most backwards of all of the major countries of Europe.  It had a huge...

Of the options that you have provided here, the first option is the best answer to this question.  All of the other options are true.

The first option is the correct answer because Russia was certainly not economically equal to the countries of Western Europe.  It most definitely did not rival them in terms of its economic strength.  Russia was the most backwards of all of the major countries of Europe.  It had a huge land mass and a large population, but its economy was weak and fairly primitive.  The vast majority of its people were peasants who engaged in subsistence farming, not workers in industrial factories.  This economic weakness was one of the major reasons why Russia was not able to perform well in WWI (or in the Russo-Japanese War before it).  Since Russia was so poor compared to the major powers of Europe, the first option is not something that happened during the Second Industrial Revolution.

What is the reason Squeaky does not do chores in "Raymond's Run"?

Squeaky has a very important job in “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara, and it is not doing housework. Each member of the family has his or her own responsibilities. Her mother takes charge of the housework while Squeaky attends to her developmentally disabled brother, Raymond. This allows her mother to complete her daily chores, and allows Squeaky to continue with her running practice routine.

All I have to do in life is mind my...

Squeaky has a very important job in “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara, and it is not doing housework. Each member of the family has his or her own responsibilities. Her mother takes charge of the housework while Squeaky attends to her developmentally disabled brother, Raymond. This allows her mother to complete her daily chores, and allows Squeaky to continue with her running practice routine.

All I have to do in life is mind my brother Raymond, which is enough.

Caring for Raymond takes time, dedication, and loyalty. In order for Squeaky’s mother to care for the household, she requires her daughter to care for Raymond, who needs constant attention. In the past, George, Squeaky’s other brother, had the task of caring for Raymond but he was not as fierce at defending him as Squeaky is. Although Raymond is chronologically older than Squeaky, he is not as developmentally advanced. Squeaky takes her job seriously to the point of fighting with anyone who questions Raymond’s appearance or abilities. Sometimes she has to run interference for him when he upsets the people relaxing in the park. In order to keep him safe, she instructs him to walk closest to the buildings on Broadway so he does not run into the busy street or play in the puddles next to the street while pretending the curb is a tightrope.

And sometimes after a rain he likes to step down off his tightrope right into the gutter and slosh around getting his shoes and cuffs wet. Then I get hit when I get home. Or sometimes if you don’t watch him he’ll dash across traffic to the island in the middle of Broadway and give the pigeons a fit. Then I have to go behind him apologizing to all the old people sitting around trying to get some sun and getting all upset with the pigeons fluttering around them, scattering their newspapers and upsetting the waxpaper lunches in their laps. So I keep Raymond on the inside of me, and he plays like he’s driving a stage coach which is OK by me so long as he doesn’t run me over or interrupt my breathing exercises, which I have to do on account of I’m serious about my running, and I don’t care who knows it.

Caring for, and defending Raymond is difficult job which Squeaky performs with heartfelt diligence. This allows her mother to accomplish the household chores. Although taking care of Raymond is a constant job, Squeaky manages to practice her ever important breathing exercises.

How did J. come to understand that Montmorency was not angelic and was actually quite suitable for life on earth?

Near the end of Chapter II, narrator J. tells us the story of how Montmorency came to live with him. The dog is a fox terrier, which is a fairly small breed. He evidently has an innocent-enough looking face, most of the time. This is what gives people the impression that he is angelic and somehow belongs to the heavens. “He will be snatched up to the bright skies in a chariot, that is what...

Near the end of Chapter II, narrator J. tells us the story of how Montmorency came to live with him. The dog is a fox terrier, which is a fairly small breed. He evidently has an innocent-enough looking face, most of the time. This is what gives people the impression that he is angelic and somehow belongs to the heavens. “He will be snatched up to the bright skies in a chariot, that is what will happen to him,” J. reports people as saying.

Montmorency likes to chase cats, kill small animals, and fight with other dogs. Once J. takes ownership of him, he hears complaints from neighbors who claim Montmorency took part in 114 street fights, killed a dozen chickens, and trapped a man in his own tool-shed for several hours. J. had to pay the owner for the lost chickens, and he had to listen to a woman call him a murderer because the dog killed her cat. As we have already seen in Chapter I, J. tends to exaggerate for effect and humor. This is how he paints the first picture in our minds of what kind of dog Montmorency really is, so that we can use it for reference throughout the rest of the book.

How is Romeo and Juliet's love presented in Act 2, Scene 2, line 33?

That's a tough question, because line 33 is part of a sentence that extends from earlier lines and into later lines.  Using only line 33 is hard because it is being taken out of the overall context.  Line 33 is the following:

Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him

Too many questions surround that line.  Why are mortals falling?  Who is the "him" in the line?  

Let's look at the entire...

That's a tough question, because line 33 is part of a sentence that extends from earlier lines and into later lines.  Using only line 33 is hard because it is being taken out of the overall context.  Line 33 is the following:

Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him

Too many questions surround that line.  Why are mortals falling?  Who is the "him" in the line?  

Let's look at the entire sentence instead.  

O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art

As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,

As is a wingèd messenger of heaven

Unto the white, upturnèd, wondering eyes

Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him

When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds

And sails upon the bosom of the air.

Act 2, Scene 2 is the famous balcony scene, and the above lines take place before Romeo and Juliet start talking to each other.  Romeo is looking up at Juliet, and she doesn't know he is there.  You can decide if that is creepy or not.  

Line 33, and its surrounding sentence, is being spoken by Romeo about Juliet.  He is comparing her and her beauty to an angel of heaven.  He looks upon her with amazement and wonder, which is how he imagines that he would be looking at an actual angel of God sailing through the sky. 

Understanding the line in that context causes me to see their love for each other presented in a specific way.  Their love is being presented as cosmic, godly, angelic, glorious, and/or heavenly.  Line 33 shows that Romeo isn't quite certain that mere mortals are supposed to have these kinds of feelings, yet he is witnessing something (Juliet) that appears to be straight from heaven.   

What are examples of conformity and rebellion in Jackson's "The Lottery" that I could use for research paper prompts and thesis statements?

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," the village members largely conform to the practice of the lottery because the villagers have done so for generations. Characters like Old Man Warner are symbolic of the older generation that clings without question to practices that may not continue to be beneficial for the community. Tessie, however, is the outlier in the story: she arrives to the lottery drawing late, and she is ultimately the one who ends up...

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," the village members largely conform to the practice of the lottery because the villagers have done so for generations. Characters like Old Man Warner are symbolic of the older generation that clings without question to practices that may not continue to be beneficial for the community. Tessie, however, is the outlier in the story: she arrives to the lottery drawing late, and she is ultimately the one who ends up drawing the black spot that signifies her death. Tessie's rebellion prompts the reader to question the role of tradition and whether people should blindly follow traditional practices or revise them to suit the development of culture over time. Jackson's story may be read as an allegory, so research into the cultural practices of groups of people may provide a context for analyzing "The Lottery."

What does the following quote mean? "One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with the design, to give man in the heavenly bodies, the...

Just prior to this line, Ralph Waldo Emerson states that, in order to be truly alone (and to reap the benefits of solitude), a man has to go into nature; he should go and look up at the stars.  If he is in his room, reading or writing, then he is not truly experiencing solitude.  In the line you cite, Emerson seems to consider the possibility, based on appearances, that nature was actually designed for just this purpose: in order to allow us to view the celestial bodies and their movements and thereby render us capable of seeing that we are always in the presence of awe-inspiring beauty.  He says that if the stars only came out once every thousand years, we would adore them, but they come out every single night, and so this makes it look like we are all meant to see them, when really there is much to be gained in looking at them.

What is the mood of the story "The Cask of Amontillado"?

The narrative of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Poe generates a mood of dreadful suspense that leads to horror.

In this disturbing story of deranged revenge and terror, the reader is in suspense from the beginning because of the ambiguities of the offense that Fortunato has purportedly committed against Montresor, and of the "redress" that Montresor has outlined. These ambiguities are created by the circuitous plan of Montresor that prolongs any definitive action as he...

The narrative of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Poe generates a mood of dreadful suspense that leads to horror.

In this disturbing story of deranged revenge and terror, the reader is in suspense from the beginning because of the ambiguities of the offense that Fortunato has purportedly committed against Montresor, and of the "redress" that Montresor has outlined. These ambiguities are created by the circuitous plan of Montresor that prolongs any definitive action as he seduces his victim with psychological tricks and provokes him with perverse puns. 

The inebriated Fortunato is certainly no match for the devious Montresor. For, this man who prides himself as a connoisseur of wine is led deeper and deeper into the catacombs as he is deceived by Montresor who feigns concern that the niter is bad for Fortunato's cough. As they turn and twist through these chambers of the catacombs, the reader fears what will be the result of this subterranean venture. Furthermore, these winding movements of the men are often halted by Montresor's sinister puns such as the double meaning connected to the trowel and a mason as well as Montresor's agreeing with Fortunato that he will not die of a cough.

The dark and horrifying mood of Poe's psychologically disturbing story continues to the very end as Fortunato is walled in without the reader's ever having been informed of Fortunato's actual offense. Added to this, Fortunato foolishly laughs and incongruously urges Montresor, "Let us be gone," suggesting that Lady Fortunato and others are waiting for him. But, of course, Montresor has no intention of disassembling all the tiers of bricks that he has so carefully laid in what one critic calls "a profane rite." Perhaps, then, the real horror lies in what men themselves are capable of doing to others.

How does Shakespeare represent Macbeth as an ambitious man?

Shakespeare shows Macbeth is ambitious because he wants to be king even though he has no right to be. 

When Macbeth hears the witches make their prophecies, he has a very different reaction than Banquo does. The contrast between the two men shows how much more ambitious Macbeth is than Banquo. 

Banquo is told that his sons will be king, and he seems not to care. If anything, Banquo is wary of the witches....

Shakespeare shows Macbeth is ambitious because he wants to be king even though he has no right to be. 

When Macbeth hears the witches make their prophecies, he has a very different reaction than Banquo does. The contrast between the two men shows how much more ambitious Macbeth is than Banquo. 

Banquo is told that his sons will be king, and he seems not to care. If anything, Banquo is wary of the witches. Macbeth, on the other hand, takes the prophecies at face value and expects them all to come true once the first one comes true. 

When Macbeth is told that he is Thane of Cawdor, which was the witches' first prophecy, he seems to decide every other prophecy must be true, too. King Duncan seems to feel otherwise. He makes the perfectly logical move of naming his son Malcolm successor. Macbeth’s shows how ambitious he really is when he reacts by saying, 

[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires (Act I, Scene 4).

Macbeth is worried about killing King Duncan. You can be ambitious and still be a coward. Macbeth doesn’t have many positive character traits, actually. He goes down the list of reasons why he should not kill Duncan in a soliloquy. In the end, Macbeth determines the only reason he has is that he is ambitious enough to do so. 

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other (Act I, Scene 7). 

Once Macbeth is king, he will do anything to keep it that way. He kills Banquo first because he is worried about Banquo having witnessed the prophecies, including one naming Banquo’s sons king. He then has Macduff’s wife and children killed. There is no end to the bloodshed Macbeth is willing to cause. He brings war to his country just to satisfy his own ambition.

In A Walk in the Woods, what is Bill Bryson's longstanding impression of the woods?

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson spends a great deal of time meditating on the state of America's wilderness. He has many different feelings when faced with the vast woodlands of the Appalachian Trail, and it could be said that his longstanding impression of the woods is one mixed with fear, awe and admiration. At first, Bryson provides the reader with an extensive catalog of all the ways that the woods can...

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson spends a great deal of time meditating on the state of America's wilderness. He has many different feelings when faced with the vast woodlands of the Appalachian Trail, and it could be said that his longstanding impression of the woods is one mixed with fear, awe and admiration. At first, Bryson provides the reader with an extensive catalog of all the ways that the woods can kill a hiker. However, as he grows more familiar with the environment, the book becomes a love letter to the wilds of America, and his extensive description of the history and biology of the Appalachian wilderness exhibits his amazement and love of the region. As such, it might be most accurate to say that Bryson believes one should love the woods, but also be smart enough to maintain a healthy level of fearful respect for them. 

What are the advantages for Nepal being a member of the UN?

Being officially recognized as a member nation by the United Nations is a very important step for many countries to establish themselves as independent nation-states. It confers a number of benefits, but also carries many responsibilities.The benefits are particularly important for poor countries such as Nepal, because they include various forms of foreign aid, including development assistance and emergency aid for natural disasters. Rich countries such as the United States could probably do without...

Being officially recognized as a member nation by the United Nations is a very important step for many countries to establish themselves as independent nation-states. It confers a number of benefits, but also carries many responsibilities.

The benefits are particularly important for poor countries such as Nepal, because they include various forms of foreign aid, including development assistance and emergency aid for natural disasters. Rich countries such as the United States could probably do without such benefits (indeed usually pay out more in net aid than they receive), but for poor countries they can be a vital lifeline.

When earthquakes devastated Nepal last year, the UN and its member nations stepped in to provide $15 million in disaster aid, which Nepal would not have gotten if they were not a part of the UN.

UN membership also gives a country a vote in the General Assembly, which passes resolutions on a variety of international matters, ranging from trade to war to human rights. Getting one vote among over 200 may not feel like much, but it's much better than having no vote at all.

Being a UN member also provides many symbolic benefits; it establishes your country as an independent nation and projects a sense of openness to be a part of the international community.

Being a UN member carries responsibilities as well; member states must abide by the rules of the UN. They can be sanctioned if they violate these rules, especially with regard to human rights.

In Romeo and Juliet, how does fate lead to the demise of two title characters (Romeo and Juliet)?

Unlike in other plays (Macbeth, in particular), Shakespeare leaves no doubt that fate is at work in Romeo and Juliet. In the Prologue, the chorus tells the audience that by the end of the play, a pair of "star-cross'd lovers" will take their own lives, their love doomed to disaster. So in a way, every event in Romeo and Julietleads to this conclusion, and we impose this interpretation on the course...

Unlike in other plays (Macbeth, in particular), Shakespeare leaves no doubt that fate is at work in Romeo and Juliet. In the Prologue, the chorus tells the audience that by the end of the play, a pair of "star-cross'd lovers" will take their own lives, their love doomed to disaster. So in a way, every event in Romeo and Juliet leads to this conclusion, and we impose this interpretation on the course of the play. But even without this statement in the prologue, we can still point to several key events in the play to show how fate brings about the demise of the two young lovers. First, Capulet restrains Tybalt from attacking and possibly killing Romeo at the masque, a decision that makes it possible for Romeo to meet Juliet. Then, after Romeo and Juliet are married, Romeo kills Tybalt in the streets, an act that ends in his banishment. Perhaps most poignantly, Friar John fails due to plague to reach Mantua with a letter from Friar Laurence explaining that Juliet's "death" is a ruse, but Balthasar, who believes Juliet dead, does. So from the time Romeo and Juliet first meet, it seems that one thing after another goes wrong. Shakespeare makes it clear from the beginning of the play that this will happen, a dramatic decision that makes this play all the more tragic. 

`int (x^3 - 6x - 20)/(x + 5) dx` Find the indefinite integral.

`int(x^3-6x-20)/(x+5)dx`

Let's evaluate the integral by applying integral substitution,

Let u=x+5, `=>x=u-5`

du=dx

`int(x^3-6x-20)/(x+5)dx=int((u-5)^3-6(u-5)-20)/udu` 

`=int((u^3-5^3-3u^2*5+3u*5^2)-6u+30-20)/udu`

`=int(u^3-125-15u^2+75u-6u+10)/udu`

`=int(u^3-15u^2+69u-115)/udu`

`=int(u^2-15u+69-115/u)du`

Now apply the sum rule,

`=intu^2du-int15udu-int115/udu+int69du`

`=intu^2du-int15udu-115int(du)/u+69intdu`

Use the following common integrals,

`intx^ndx=x^(n+1)/(n+1)`

and `int1/xdx=ln(|x|)`

`=u^3/3-15u^2/2-115ln|u|+69u`

Substitute back u=x+5,

`=(x+5)^3/3-15/2(x+5)^2-115ln|x+5|+69(x+5)`

Add a constant C to the solution,

`=(x+5)^3/3-15/2(x+5)^2+69(x+5)-115ln|x+5|+C`

`int(x^3-6x-20)/(x+5)dx`

Let's evaluate the integral by applying integral substitution,

Let u=x+5, `=>x=u-5`

du=dx

`int(x^3-6x-20)/(x+5)dx=int((u-5)^3-6(u-5)-20)/udu` 

`=int((u^3-5^3-3u^2*5+3u*5^2)-6u+30-20)/udu`

`=int(u^3-125-15u^2+75u-6u+10)/udu`

`=int(u^3-15u^2+69u-115)/udu`

`=int(u^2-15u+69-115/u)du`

Now apply the sum rule,

`=intu^2du-int15udu-int115/udu+int69du`

`=intu^2du-int15udu-115int(du)/u+69intdu`

Use the following common integrals,

`intx^ndx=x^(n+1)/(n+1)`

and `int1/xdx=ln(|x|)`

`=u^3/3-15u^2/2-115ln|u|+69u`

Substitute back u=x+5,

`=(x+5)^3/3-15/2(x+5)^2-115ln|x+5|+69(x+5)`

Add a constant C to the solution,

`=(x+5)^3/3-15/2(x+5)^2+69(x+5)-115ln|x+5|+C`

Why are civilizations divided into social classes?

The answer to this question lies in human behavior and the fact that in most societies, there is a limitation of resources.  I am going to use the term "society," rather than "civilization" because I think "civilization" is too broad a term to address this question.

For better or worse, it seems to be part of human nature to want to feel superior to others. This is what motivates competition. It's wonderful if a person's self-esteem rests solely on his or her own accomplishments, but there is a side to us that likes to look down on others to feel good about ourselves. We cannot seem to help making comparisons. Of course, this drive to be better than others is also what clears land, builds buildings, and got people to the moon, so it might be fair to say we might not have civilization—as we understand it—at all if it weren't for this human inclination. That this is a trait that is evolutionary in nature makes a great deal of sense. You can see, though, that this need makes for winners and losers, so losers get relegated in one way or another to another "class."

Another aspect of human nature that is relevant here, I think, is our tendency to demonize the "other." This was a useful trait early in human history that allowed us to be wary of other tribes who might not mean well. Today, its use is far more malignant. Slaves imported from Africa were "the other" in a way African Americans have yet to recover from in American society. Each wave of immigrants to our shores creates a new underclass, as "No Irish Need Apply" was a common sign in New York City when boatloads of Irish fled famine. More recently, some Americans have been working hard on creating an underclass of Latinos, particularly Mexicans, and I would guess Muslim immigrants will be the latest iteration of this. 

If resources are finite, this also promotes some sort of class system. Without enough land, those who own the land there is will be sure to maintain their stronghold, resulting in a feudal or tenant class below. If water is a finite source, whoever controls water has the power to provide or not provide it, creating an underclass. Those who own diamond mines have become a powerful upper class, with people who are virtually slaves working the mines. The royal family of Saudi Arabia is at the top of the heap because it controls all the nation's oil. Who is at the top and who is at the bottom are sometimes an accident of history and sometimes the result of great brutality. Either way, it is difficult to persuade those at the top to cede one iota of control or assets to anyone below, as evidenced by the extreme reluctance of the wealthy to pay even the same percentage of taxes as those beneath them in the social order. 

There have been attempts to create societies in which there is no class system, but none of them has worked. Pure communism and pure socialism are fine as ideas, but once they are implemented, human nature ensures they will not work. The benefit of this is civilization, to be sure, but the down side is the ugliness that a class system inevitably engenders. If we could figure out a way to be just as motivated to build, invent, and improve, without stomping on others in the process, it would be a much better world.

Why does the minister's wife send Miss Emily's relations a letter in "A Rose for Emily"?

The ladies want to write to Emily’s relatives to intervene for her in the matter of Homer Barron.

Emily had a man, Homer Barron, who was not the marrying kind—so he said. The townspeople were not sure who was going to win. Emily was strange enough that she might have won him over, but Homer was stubborn enough that he might have held out.

The case of Emily and Homer was complex. The townspeople were concerned that Emily was going to kill herself when she bought arsenic. The women of the town felt that eccentric Emily was a bad influence on other young ladies because of her relationship with Homer.

No one knew how to proceed. The men wanted to leave her alone. The ladies convinced the Baptist minister, who was not of Emily’s religion, to talk to her.

He would never divulge what happened during that interview, but he refused to go back again. The next Sunday they again drove about the streets, and the following day the minister's wife wrote to Miss Emily's relations in Alabama.

We do not know what she said to this minister, but it must have been something that caused the minister's wife to write to her family. Miss Emily was peculiar, and not quite stable. Clearly the minister thought so, and so did his wife.

As a result, Emily had “blood-kin under her roof again.” However, Emily did not become a social butterfly after that, suddenly engaging with the town. The townspeople were not sure what was happening because she did not really communicate. She seemed to be preparing for a man, and then nothing happened. Homer was never seen or heard from again.

It was not until years later that they found out that Emily had killed Homer, and that he had been in bed next to her for years as a rotting corpse. She got to keep him after all, even though he was not the marrying kind.

The man himself lay in the bed.

For a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin. The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace . . .

Emily never left the house, so no one ever realized what was in the house. When there was a strange smell, they just sprinkled some lime because it would have been rude to ask. The townspeople were afraid to confront this lady about taxes, so there was no way they were going to find out about Homer.

Why did Donald Trump just replace some members of his campaign staff?

From the outside, at least, it appears that Donald Trump has shaken up his campaign staff largely because he felt that they were trying to push him in directions he did not want to go.  He appears to want campaign staff who will be happy to let him simply be himself rather than trying to make him appear to be more “presidential.”

During the primary campaign, Trump succeeded through acting however he felt like acting. ...

From the outside, at least, it appears that Donald Trump has shaken up his campaign staff largely because he felt that they were trying to push him in directions he did not want to go.  He appears to want campaign staff who will be happy to let him simply be himself rather than trying to make him appear to be more “presidential.”

During the primary campaign, Trump succeeded through acting however he felt like acting.  He did not really follow the advice of any political professionals but, instead, said what he wanted to say and did what he wanted to do.  By doing so, Trump defeated all the other Republican candidates fairly easily and became the GOP nominee.

After he became the nominee, many Republican leaders (both in and out of government) expected Trump to “pivot” toward the general election.  They expected him to, as most candidates do, start saying more things to appeal to moderates and to undecided voters.  They expected him to act more like a serious presidential candidate and less like a loose cannon who would say whatever came to mind.  One of the main people who was trying to get Trump to pivot was Paul Manafort.

Today, Manafort has been replaced at the head of Trump’s campaign (he has not been officially replaced, but observers believe that this is the actual effect of Trump’s move) by a man named Stephen Bannon.  Bannon runs a website that has been strongly pro-Trump.  He has urged Trump to stop trying to be “presidential” and to stop doing things to try to cater to moderates and to the people who donate big money to the GOP.  Instead, he wants Trump to be very combative and to continue acting like he did during the primaries.

Observers believe that Trump has made this change because he just wants to behave like he did during the primaries.  He apparently believes that he can win the general election in that way because that is how he won the primaries.  By making this change, he seems to be rejecting the advice of Manafort and other such advisors and going with people who will agree with his own instincts.

What are the most important quotations in "A Pair of Tickets," told by Jing-Mei Woo in The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan?

"A Pair of Tickets" is the final story in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, and, as such, it contains a lot of important thematic quotes. In this chapter, Jing-Mei Woo goes to China to meet her long-lost half-sisters, effectively bridging the gap between her mother's former life in China and her own identity as a Chinese-American woman.

Early in the chapter, Jing-Mei writes,

"I was a sophomore at Galileo High in San Francisco, and all my Caucasian friends agreed: I was about as Chinese as they were. But my mother had studied at a famous nursing school in Shanghai, and she said she knew all about genetics. So there was no doubt in her mind, whether I agreed or not: Once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel and think Chinese."

Throughout the novel, Jing-Mei and the other daughters of the Joy Luck Club have struggled with their identities as Chinese-American women, unable to completely reconcile what part of them is Chinese and what part is American. They often lean heavily into being more American until it becomes fashionable to be Chinese, always trying to escape their embarrassing mothers and cement their own unique identities. Here, Jing-Mei recalls her mother's words before she goes to China for the first time, wondering how she will be received by her Chinese extended family.

Until this point, Jing-Mei has avoided dealing with her heritage. Her mother's death encourages her to explore that part of her, and it makes her nervous--she compares this idea of feeling and thinking Chinese to turning into a werewolf, as though it's something she can't control. Over the course of the chapter, she discovers what being Chinese means to her.

Another important quote in this chapter is:

"And I whispered, 'They'll think I'm responsible, that she died because I didn't appreciate her.'

And Auntie Lindo looked satisfied and sad at the same time, as if this were true and I had finally realized it."

Here, Jing-Mei worries that her half-sisters will be angry if she tells them that their mother is dead because they will know she never really appreciated her. All of the daughters of the Joy Luck Club struggle with this, to some degree--between the mothers and daughters, there is often an effort to reshape each other into a more desirable form. When Jing-Mei speaks these words aloud, Auntie Lindo acknowledges them because she, like the other mothers, likely feels that she is not understood or appreciated by her children. That it takes until Suyuan Woo's death for her daughter to appreciate her makes her sad, likely because she thinks the same will be true of her own daughter.

Despite being her daughter, Jing-Mei doesn't know much about her mother. She knows some of her history in China, but it's not until later in the chapter that she learns from her father what exactly happened to her half-sisters and how important it was to Suyuan that she find them. Throughout the chapter, she comes to understand her mother better.

At one point in the chapter, Jing-Mei asks her father what her name means. When he explains that it is a combination of something's pure essence and the word for 'little sister,' that, combined with the meaning of her mother's name being, 'long-cherished wish,' sets her thinking about how she has measured up to her mother's expectations:

"I think about this. My mother's long-cherished wish. Me, the younger sister who was supposed to be the essence of the others. I feed myself with the old grief, wondering how disappointed my mother must have been."

Here, Jing-Mei further considers her relationship to her mother and her half-sisters. They, unlike Jing-Mei, are Chinese rather than Chinese-American; though she is called the pure essence, she feels a degree of guilt for never being as Chinese as she believes her mother wanted her to be. Even after her death, her mother's expectations affect her. She feels inadequate in comparison to the half-sisters she has never met because they represent the life Suyuan should have had rather than the one she really had.

Another important part of the chapter reads, "And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood. After all these years, it can finally be let go."

Jing-Mei has grappled with the fact that she's not certain what part of her is Chinese and what part of her is American, and, upon going to China and meeting her sisters, she is able to understand what unites them. She meets her sisters and immediately feels drawn to them despite the distance and despite their never having met before; they're united because they're family and because they're Chinese. Even though they were raised under vastly different circumstances, they both contain the essence and strength of their mother. It's not their way of thinking nor their birthplace that makes them Chinese, but rather their shared ancestry and the deep familial connection that brings them together.

Finally, the end of the chapter reads, "And although we don't speak, I know we all see it: Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, open in surprise to see, at last, her long-cherished wish."

Until this point Jing-Mei, along with her half-sisters, has felt that their mother is something of a mystery. But when they get together and look at each other in a photo, they're able to see her in their shared features. Like Jing-Mei's understanding of what it is about her that is Chinese, they come to see that their mother is part of them. While they may never fully know her, when together, they see that they are the long-cherished wish--the legacy of their mother, the sacrifices and hard work it took to ensure they lived and thrived. While they may not have felt the gratitude that Suyuan wanted in life, in this final scene they realize that what she wanted most was her family, alive, safe, and together, and they have finally realized that wish.

What song describes Gatsby's death in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald?

The Don McLean song "American Pie" might be a fitting song to describe Gatsby's death. For example, at the beginning of the song, the lyrics are as follows: "And I knew if I had my chance / That I could make those people dance / And maybe they'd be happy for a while." Gatsby tries to make party-goers at his house happy for a little while, so this line fits him. 

In addition, another part...

The Don McLean song "American Pie" might be a fitting song to describe Gatsby's death. For example, at the beginning of the song, the lyrics are as follows: "And I knew if I had my chance / That I could make those people dance / And maybe they'd be happy for a while." Gatsby tries to make party-goers at his house happy for a little while, so this line fits him. 

In addition, another part of the song is as follows: "Well, I know that you're in love with him." This could be a reference to Gatsby's awareness that Daisy will always still love Tom and stay with him, which is apparent to Gatsby by the time of his death. Finally, though there is still some debate about the meaning of McLean's lyrics "bye, bye, Miss American Pie," they could be interpreted as saying goodbye to the American Dream that Gatsby tried to pursue. Gatsby tried to live the dream of rising from humble origins to achieve wealth and status. When Gatsby died, his dream died with him. 

What is the diction of William Blake's poem, "Little Boy Found"?

Diction refers to the specific words we choose to express our ideas. Two words can have the same dictionary meaning, but have different connotations, or shades of meaning.

For instance, a believer might speak either of "God" or "the Lord." Both words indicate the same referent, but the meanings are different. "Lord" implies a rather distant, potentially authoritarian, master-servant relationship. "God" does not.

William Blake could have chosen to refer to God as "the Lord"...

Diction refers to the specific words we choose to express our ideas. Two words can have the same dictionary meaning, but have different connotations, or shades of meaning.

For instance, a believer might speak either of "God" or "the Lord." Both words indicate the same referent, but the meanings are different. "Lord" implies a rather distant, potentially authoritarian, master-servant relationship. "God" does not.

William Blake could have chosen to refer to God as "the Lord" in this poem, but he did not. His diction contributes to a more immediate and intimate picture of God—someone who is "ever nigh" (close) and who appears like the boy's own father.

What can we say about the diction of the entire poem? Some of the word choices—like that "nigh"—might seem literary or even unfamiliar to the modern reader, but those words were normal words to Blake's contemporary audience. Overall, these are simple, common words, the sort of words that a child from that time period would recognize.

This fits in with Blake's purpose: He is trying to write something reminiscent of a nursery rhyme. He published this in a volume called Songs of Innocence.

What was the role of women in Shakespeare's society? How would understanding this help us comprehend Macbeth?

In both Shakespeare's own period and in the medieval Scotland in which Macbethis set, the role of women was generally to be subordinate to men. Women were expected to marry at a fairly young age and bear many children. They also had an important role in the household, with women of the lower classes being responsible for cooking, cleaning, and making clothing and upper class women responsible for supervising a vast staff of household...

In both Shakespeare's own period and in the medieval Scotland in which Macbeth is set, the role of women was generally to be subordinate to men. Women were expected to marry at a fairly young age and bear many children. They also had an important role in the household, with women of the lower classes being responsible for cooking, cleaning, and making clothing and upper class women responsible for supervising a vast staff of household servants. In Macbeth's era (but not Shakespeare's), women might also become nuns, devoting themselves to a life of celibacy and religious devotion. Unmarried women could continue to live with their extended families as unpaid servants, but the only real alternatives to marriage for most women were either prostitution or domestic service.

The women in Macbeth are striking examples of the way society viewed those few women who transgressed what were considered the normal feminine roles. The witches, independent wise women with magical powers, were portrayed in the play as evil, probably instruments of the devil. To act in a strong fashion, Lady Macbeth, when she steels herself to murder, uses the phrase "unsex me here," suggesting that murder, like warfare, is naturally men's business and that she needs to cast aside her femininity to participate in it. 

What electron carriers function in the citric acid cycle?

Glucose is the fuel needed by cells for energy. During cellular respiration, several steps occur culminating in the production of 32 ATP from a molecule of glucose. At first, glucose undergoes the process of glycolysis and two molecules of pyruvate are produced. 

The citric acid cycle is also called the Krebs cycle. In this part of cellular respiration, pyruvate is oxidized to form carbon dioxide. The cycle culminates in the formation of 2 ATP, 6...

Glucose is the fuel needed by cells for energy. During cellular respiration, several steps occur culminating in the production of 32 ATP from a molecule of glucose. At first, glucose undergoes the process of glycolysis and two molecules of pyruvate are produced. 

The citric acid cycle is also called the Krebs cycle. In this part of cellular respiration, pyruvate is oxidized to form carbon dioxide. The cycle culminates in the formation of 2 ATP, 6 NADH and 2 FADH2 for two turns of the cycle.

There are 8 steps in the citric acid cycle. Following this cycle, the electron transport chain occurs which powers the synthesis of ATP.  NADH and FADH2 are the electron carriers which contain most of the energy extracted from the original energy source which was the glucose. This energy was obtained during the processes of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

The electron transport chain in the inner membrane of the mitochondrion is where electrons pass through various proteins eventually to oxygen in small manageable steps. The end product of this stage is the production of ATP.

To summarize, most of the energy in a cell flows from glucose to NADH, to the electron transport chain to a proton-motive force to ATP. The electron carriers are NADH and FADH2.

How does the theme of Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for death" compare to that of John Donne's "Death, be not proud"?

In their poems, Dickinson and Donne both express the idea that death is not something to fear or dread.  Their methods of expressing this theme, however, vary greatly.  Even though both personify death, they differ in their characterizations of death.  In Dickinson's poem, death is portrayed as a kindly gentleman who thoughtfully stops for the speaker, who was too busy with her daily affairs to stop for him.  He gently and slowly drives her to her final resting place, which is portrayed as a 

little house that seemed

A swelling of the ground;

The roof was scarcely visible.

The cornice, in the ground.  

Her grave is described as a house, certainly nothing to be afraid of.  But she also knows that this is the home where she will be forever.  The carriage holds Immortality, and the horses' heads "were toward eternity."  This poem, though seemingly a strong statement of faith in the afterlife, is somewhat ambiguous.  "Surmised" is an interesting word choice because it means to guess without sufficient evidence.  Perhaps the speaker only thought the horses were heading toward eternity and since she stepped into her carriage centuries ago has has only experienced a vast void. She does not mention heaven or really even the afterlife--only the slow journey to the end.  So, the reader is left to question whether Death is the kindly gentleman the speaker once thought he was and wonder whether what looks like a home is in actuality a cold, dark tomb where she will remain in limbo.  

Donne's sonnet personifies death as a pompous bully who truly has no power over any mortal.  Although many may fear death, death, like a bully, only blusters about with no true ability to harm.  Donne relies on paradox to prove his point: 

Death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

This paradox is resolved by Donne equating death to sleep, from which we awaken to eternal life.  When all people have died and reawakened, then death can be no more, and therefore we all can transcend death.  Even though Donne uses paradoxes throughout his poem, his message, unlike Dickinson's, lacks ambiguity.  Eternal life is clearly something to be desired; death is not to be feared.  It is instead something, like sleep, from which we derive much pleasure.

 . . our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones and soul's delivery.

In Dickinson's poem the speaker is compliant and perhaps duped.  In Donne's poem, the speaker, in the face of death, is defiant and victorious.  

Describe the Lilliputians' attire in Gulliver's Travels.

Gulliver describes the dress of the people of Lilliput in quite flattering terms in part because he found much to admire about them and in part because they were so small that everything about them seemed very fine (consider his encomiums on their perfect skin, etc.).  Gulliver describes the dress of the emperor of Lilliput as being "very plain and simple, the Fashion of it between the Asiatick and the European."  Gulliver means plain and ...

Gulliver describes the dress of the people of Lilliput in quite flattering terms in part because he found much to admire about them and in part because they were so small that everything about them seemed very fine (consider his encomiums on their perfect skin, etc.).  Gulliver describes the dress of the emperor of Lilliput as being "very plain and simple, the Fashion of it between the Asiatick and the European."  Gulliver means plain and simple to be compliments, as the emperor is dressed simply but smartly.  He wears a gold helmet, studded with many jewels, and crowned with a feather plume.  Gulliver says that both the male and female courtiers are dressed "magnificently," all embroidered with gold and silver, so that when they all stand in a group, it looks like a beautiful petticoat has been spread out on the ground. 

In Adrienne Rich's poem "Diving into the Wreck," what context encouraged Rich to write this poem? Who is the author directing her message toward?

There was a lot going on in the world which may have prompted Adrienne Rich to write "Diving into the Wreck." On a personal level, Rich went through painful problems in her marriage to her husband, Alfred Conrad, an economics professor at Harvard. Rich moved out of their shared house into her own apartment, and in 1970, Conrad killed himself. A few years later, Rich acknowledged her identity as a gay woman and moved in...

There was a lot going on in the world which may have prompted Adrienne Rich to write "Diving into the Wreck." On a personal level, Rich went through painful problems in her marriage to her husband, Alfred Conrad, an economics professor at Harvard. Rich moved out of their shared house into her own apartment, and in 1970, Conrad killed himself. A few years later, Rich acknowledged her identity as a gay woman and moved in with her female partner.

On a more public level, the United States was embroiled in turmoil in the early 1970s, with the Vietnam War, issues of race still topic on the tail of the Civil Rights Movement, and the fight for women's equality sparking across the country. As a feminist and political poet, Rich was very likely inspired to write this poem by the chaos around her, both in the private and public spheres. The poem deals with gender and sexual identity, encountering the "damaged" self, and the search for understanding the pain in our lives.

Rich likely wrote this poem to encourage those around her—Americans, particularly American women—to begin this journey into the self, which is, after all, an inevitable one. As Rich poignantly points out at the conclusion of the poem,

We are, I am, you are

by cowardice or courage

the one who find our way

back to this scene.

Why does Jimmy Valentine go to Mike Dolan's cafe in "A Retrieved Reformation"?

Jimmy’s safe-cracking tools are stored in a room in the café.

After Jimmy Valentine gets out of prison, he goes to the café of Jimmy Dolan, where he has a room “at the back of the house.” Here the proprietor has been keeping his tools safe for him. He returned to get them back.

Mike Dolan was alone there. After shaking hands he said, “I’m sorry we couldn’t do it sooner, Jimmy my boy. But...

Jimmy’s safe-cracking tools are stored in a room in the café.

After Jimmy Valentine gets out of prison, he goes to the café of Jimmy Dolan, where he has a room “at the back of the house.” Here the proprietor has been keeping his tools safe for him. He returned to get them back.

Mike Dolan was alone there. After shaking hands he said, “I’m sorry we couldn’t do it sooner, Jimmy my boy. But there was that safe in Springfield, too. It wasn’t easy. Feeling all right?”

Jimmy finds a small hole in the wall that doesn’t look like it is there. It is from this hidden hiding place that he produces a “dust-covered bag.” This is the bag that has his safe-cracking tools. They are valuable and he is clearly happy to see them.

He opened this and looked lovingly at the tools for breaking open a safe. No finer tools could be found any place. They were complete; everything needed was here. They had been made of a special material, in the necessary sizes and shapes.

Jimmy convinced the prison that he was reformed, but Ben Price, the police officer, was not convinced. He believed that Jimmy Valentine would return to his life of crime, and go back to cracking safes. He kept a careful lookout to make sure that he would be aware of any of this sort of activity as soon as it happened.

Jimmy kept his tools, and might have gone back to a life of crime. He had not lost his touch. He was able to open the safe to save the little girl. The irony is that he used his criminal skills for a good purpose. Ben Price decided to look the other way, feeling that Jimmy was a good person after all.