In Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, why do the three friends think that they are unwell?

The three friends think that they are unwell because they appear to be exhibiting certain symptoms of malaise. For example, Harris and George both claim to be experiencing "extraordinary fits of giddiness," which leaves them at a great disadvantage. Meanwhile, Jerome is convinced that his liver is out of order.

Eventually, the three friends decide that they are unwell because they are overworked. Harris suggests that a vacation of some sort is in order, while...

The three friends think that they are unwell because they appear to be exhibiting certain symptoms of malaise. For example, Harris and George both claim to be experiencing "extraordinary fits of giddiness," which leaves them at a great disadvantage. Meanwhile, Jerome is convinced that his liver is out of order.

Eventually, the three friends decide that they are unwell because they are overworked. Harris suggests that a vacation of some sort is in order, while George pipes up that a change of scenery is what they need. He maintains that such a change will "restore the mental equilibrium."

Jerome agrees with George, and he suggests that they should "seek out some retired and old-world spot, far from the madding crowd" to go to for a week. However, Harris wants to have a "sea trip." For his part, Jerome doesn't like the idea at all, due to the fact that his brother-in-law and friend had bad experiences on their respective sea trips.

After much arguing about the possibility of one or all of them getting seasick on a sea trip, the three friends agree to go up the river for their vacation.

How can I write an essay that argues that "The Damnation of a Canyon" by Edward Abbey shows that dammed rivers can help human beings?

One of the central themes of Edward Abbey's work has been his staunch opposition to the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River that created Lake Powell, destroying stunning scenery and wildlife habitat, endangering many rare species of fish and animals, and also irreparably destroying many important archaeological sites which provided information about the early inhabitants of the United States.

The original benefits claimed for Glen Canyon Dam were twofold, first providing clean and inexpensive...

One of the central themes of Edward Abbey's work has been his staunch opposition to the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River that created Lake Powell, destroying stunning scenery and wildlife habitat, endangering many rare species of fish and animals, and also irreparably destroying many important archaeological sites which provided information about the early inhabitants of the United States.

The original benefits claimed for Glen Canyon Dam were twofold, first providing clean and inexpensive hydropower and second providing regular supplies of water to cities downstream. Trying to write a paper justifying building the dam on the basis of these benefits will be quite difficult, as history has proven Abbey correct in his assessment of the dam's impracticality.

Although the dam did provide water and power for a few decades, the continued shrinkage of Lake Powell, due to leakage and evaporation, has made it unprofitable in recent decades as a source of power, and more water is lost by these mechanisms than is saved by having Lake Powell as a reservoir. While some dams in places such as Quebec do provide clean power with minimal environmental damage, the Glen Canyon Dam is not really a good example of the positive benefits of dams.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, what are the obstacles to Lady Macbeth's plan?

One major obstacle to Lady Macbeth's plan is Macbeth himself.  She initially fears that he is "too full o' th' milk of human kindness" to consider killing the king in order to take the throne (1.5.17).  She turns out to be wrong -- he is willing to consider it -- but after Macbeth has had time to consider all the reasons he has not to kill Duncan, he tells her, "We will proceed no further...

One major obstacle to Lady Macbeth's plan is Macbeth himself.  She initially fears that he is "too full o' th' milk of human kindness" to consider killing the king in order to take the throne (1.5.17).  She turns out to be wrong -- he is willing to consider it -- but after Macbeth has had time to consider all the reasons he has not to kill Duncan, he tells her, "We will proceed no further in this business" (1.7.34).  Lady Macbeth must then convince him to overcome his scruples.

Lady Macbeth's own scruples and feelings present another obstacle to her plan.  She actually prays to be "unsex[ed]" because she wants to rid herself of any "remorse" she might have; likewise, she wishes to squash any compassion or womanly feelings that might prevent her from acting brutally (1.5.48, 1.5.51).  Then, when she goes to kill Duncan, she cannot.  Alone on stage, she says, "Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done 't" (2.2.16-17).  So, it seems that Lady Macbeth is not quite as hard-hearted as she'd like to be, and her compassion -- however small -- presents another obstacle to her plan.

What do these four quotes mean and how are they relevent throughout the drama, Antigonê? 1. "God moves Swiftly to cancel the folly of stubborn...

The quotes featured reflect traits of Creon and Antigone that play a formative role in the drama's resolution.

"The folly of stubborn men" is the Chorus's way of expressing Creon's error in judgment. The Chorus suggests that Creon's error lies in his inability to see past his own point of view.  Several people, including Teiresias, had warned Creon had already warned him of this danger.   Despite repeated requests for Creon to abandon his insistence...

The quotes featured reflect traits of Creon and Antigone that play a formative role in the drama's resolution.

"The folly of stubborn men" is the Chorus's way of expressing Creon's error in judgment. The Chorus suggests that Creon's error lies in his inability to see past his own point of view.  Several people, including Teiresias, had warned Creon had already warned him of this danger.   Despite repeated requests for Creon to abandon his insistence on being right, he refuses to budge.  When the Chorus says that "God moves swiftly to repudiate stubbornness, it foreshadows the ending to the drama, where Creon's hubris is punished through the death of his loved ones.  

Creon's stubbornness is rooted in his attitude towards those who question him.  When he says, "The toughest iron cracks first," it reflects how Creon does not acknowledge dissent productively.  He sees people who disagree with him as obstacles that will eventually be overcome.  He communicates this to Antigone when she is brought in front of him.  He tells her that eventually, she will submit to his will.  Creon's quote shows a massive underestimation of Antigone, something he will eventually end up realizing as the drama unfolds.

I think that the Sentry's thoughts when he brings Antigone to Creon reflects the difference between passionate belief and pragmatic action.  The Sentry is pragmatic in the way he approaches his job of delivering Antigone to Creon. He knows that the king is angry.  While he does not want to increase Creon's wrath, the Sentry has empathy for Antigone.  He recognizes the authenticity with which she carries out her actions.  He tells this to Creon when the Sentry says that Antigone did not deny breaking the law in burying her brother.  The Sentry calls her a "friend" as he presents her to Creon. However, in saying,   "There is nothing so comfortable as your own safe skin," the Sentry is saying that he would rather be safe in doing his job and following orders than taking a chance on convictions and intense beliefs.  His desire for "safe skin" is much different than Antigone, who lives for her convictions.  The Sentry's idea reflects the difference between Antigone and most everyone else.  It shows how many people would sacrifice ideals for practical reality, foregoing convictions in exchange "for being safe in their own skin."

Ismene's quote is one of saddest in the drama.  She speaks about the impact grief has on the individual.  Despite the power of Antigone's and Creon's convictions, Ismene's quote reminds us how grief causes destabilization. Grief and sadness make us "waver" in our beliefs because it strikes at our weakness.  When Creon sees the body count that results from his stubbornness, it is clear that he wavers in his supposedly "steady" approach. Ismene reminds us that no matter how confident we appear to be, grief and sadness increase the tendency to doubt. 

What are some places important to the story in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie?

There are three major places of importance in the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The first place that is important to understanding the story is the Rez, or the Indian reservation where the protagonist Junior and many of the main characters live. This is a place which is essential to the story, because it symbolizes the struggle of Junior's tribe but also of Native Americans in general, as they work to find a place to fit in in a country which has attempted to cast them aside to make it easier to ignore them. Junior, the main character, is very aware of this fact, and thus views the Rez as both a blessing and a curse. He sees it as a place which prevents him from finding a better life and a better opportunity for happiness. In Chapter 2, on page 13, Arnold says, "But we reservation Indians don't get to realize our dreams. We don't get those chances. Or choices. We're just poor. That's all we are."

However, he also sees the Rez as a place where he finds a lot of support and unconditional love, which are necessary ingredients for living a full life and growing into a well-rounded person capable of dealing with adversity. There, he sees a lot of bad things; he witnesses racism, violence, death, self-destruction, and the consequences of living in extreme poverty. He also sees people come together in beautiful and moving ways as a community, and this is something that Alexie wants us as the readers to take into account. To see both sides of the Rez is to understand the duality of the experience of being Native American in a country which can be cruel and unforgiving. 

The second important place is Junior's school on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This school is important because it is where Junior has two of the most profound experiences of his young life. The first is when he attempts to be positive about his studies and open his extremely old textbook, only to discover that it was the same textbook that his mother used when she was his age. Rather than be happy about this, Junior realizes the implications of being forced to use such an outdated textbook. He realizes that he is not getting the best education possible on the reservation and he feels very bitter about that. In Chapter 4, he says "My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world."

In a fit of anger, he chucks the book at his teacher, Mr. P, and breaks his nose. This is the second important thing which happens to him and influences his actions for the rest of the book. Because of the talk which occurs between himself and Mr. P about leaving the reservation and the opportunities that would be available to him if he did, he decides to attend Reardan High School, a white school which is located outside of the reservation: "Son," Mr. P said. "You're going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad reservation" (43). 

Reardan is the third important place that Junior visits. This place is important to our understanding of the story because it is a place in which Junior learns to both appreciate the Rez and to realize how his own assumptions about the world were serving to hold him back more than just the assumptions of others about him. It is also a place where he feels "too Indian," just as the Rez is now a place where he feels too "white": "Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other" (143). 

What are some of the foreshadowed events in "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flanner O'Connor?

The main foreshadowed event in this story is the family's--and most particularly--the Grandmother's encounter with the Misfit, who is mentioned by the Grandmother in the first paragraph of the story. The family's death is another event foreshadowed by the mention of the Misfit. The Grandmother will mention him a second time--quite a lot for a story of this length--when the family stops for lunch at the diner while traveling toward their vacation destination. By the...

The main foreshadowed event in this story is the family's--and most particularly--the Grandmother's encounter with the Misfit, who is mentioned by the Grandmother in the first paragraph of the story. The family's death is another event foreshadowed by the mention of the Misfit. The Grandmother will mention him a second time--quite a lot for a story of this length--when the family stops for lunch at the diner while traveling toward their vacation destination. By the time the car ends up in a ditch in a deserted area and the Misfit and his men appear, we as an audience are not surprised to see him, unsettling as this may be, and not surprised that his intentions are malevolent. Further, since the Grandmother has been the one most obsessed with him, we are not surprised that they have the most interaction, and at the very end, a brief moment of connection. 

How are a molecule of hydrogen and a molecule of oxygen similar ?

Both hydrogen and oxygen molecules are made up of a fixed number of atoms which are joined together by covalent bonds. Both molecules are diatomic, which implies that each molecule is made up of two atoms joined together by a covalent bond.

A covalent bond is formed between two atoms when each shares one or more electrons previously orbiting the individual atoms. The electrons shared in a covalent bond are always in pairs and it...

Both hydrogen and oxygen molecules are made up of a fixed number of atoms which are joined together by covalent bonds. Both molecules are diatomic, which implies that each molecule is made up of two atoms joined together by a covalent bond.

A covalent bond is formed between two atoms when each shares one or more electrons previously orbiting the individual atoms. The electrons shared in a covalent bond are always in pairs and it is the mutual attraction of the nuclei of both atoms for the shared electrons that hold the bond together. Covalent bonds confer stability on the molecules and will not normally react with other similar molecules.

Both molecules are non-metals and are colourless gases at room temperature. They are both found in the air we breathe and they both play important roles in human life and survival.

Who wrote the United States Constitution?

No one person wrote the United States Constitution all by himself.  We do not even know who wrote any particular section of the document.  If your instructor expects you to actually give a name, it is likely that you are supposed to give James Madison as your answer.  Madison is often called the “father of the Constitution,” but this does not mean that he actually wrote the document.

As you can see in the link...

No one person wrote the United States Constitution all by himself.  We do not even know who wrote any particular section of the document.  If your instructor expects you to actually give a name, it is likely that you are supposed to give James Madison as your answer.  Madison is often called the “father of the Constitution,” but this does not mean that he actually wrote the document.

As you can see in the link below from the US government archives, no single person is credited with writing the Constitution.  People sometimes say Madison did and sometimes say that Governor Morris did.  However, experts are not convinced.  As the link says,

The actual literary form is believed to be largely that of Morris, and the chief testimony for this is in the letters and papers of Madison, and Morris's claim. However, the document in reality was built slowly and laboriously, with not a piece of material included until it had been shaped and approved. The preamble was written by the Committee of Style.

So, we have to say that no single person wrote the US Constitution.  If you do have to give a name, I would suggest that you check to see if your textbook gives an answer to the question.  If so, that is probably the name your instructor expects you to give.

In Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, what does "work hard enough and assert themselves and use their minds and imagination to...

This quote comes at the end of Section I of the fifth chapter in Outliers, titled “The Three Lessons of Joe Flom.” The whole paragraph reads:

The most important contribution of the miracle of the garment industry, though, was what happened to the children growing up in those homes where meaningful work was practiced. Imagine what it must have been like to watch the meteoric rise of Regina and Louis Borgenicht through the eyes...

This quote comes at the end of Section I of the fifth chapter in Outliers, titled “The Three Lessons of Joe Flom.” The whole paragraph reads:

The most important contribution of the miracle of the garment industry, though, was what happened to the children growing up in those homes where meaningful work was practiced. Imagine what it must have been like to watch the meteoric rise of Regina and Louis Borgenicht through the eyes of one of their offspring. They learned the same lesson that little Alex Williams would learn nearly a century later – a lesson crucial to those who wanted to tackle the upper reaches of a profession like law or medicine: if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.

Gladwell’s topic in this chapter is the garment industry of New York City, and its close ties with the Jewish immigrants who ran it. He maintains that the reason why so many children of garment workers later became lawyers, was because they had the Jewish experience; they came of age in the 1930s and 1940s; and they saw through the actions of their parents and ancestors the benefits of meaningful work. One of the key stories here centers on the Borgenichts, who started making and selling aprons in New York in the 1890s, and who branched out into other related clothing deals. Their diligence showed that the three qualities of “autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward” were vital not only to enjoying the work, but also to becoming successful. “Work that fulfills those three criteria is meaningful,” Gladwell says. This is important. And people like the Borgenichts passed – and continue to pass -- this work ethic on to their children. It translates into the kind of dedication needed to study law. This reality becomes a perpetual pattern of success.

The Earth is a 5 billion year old rock in the middle of a middle age solar system with a mid-tier dying star. Our sun/solar system is one of what...

Your question is one of the great questions of life and one philosophers have pondered for centuries.  What is the meaning or purpose of life?  Based on how the question is related there is a very important aspect of the argument that is not properly addressed.  Although the universe is immeasurably large, the scope of influence must be applied to properly analyze human behavior.  The question assumes the scope of human influence includes stars, planets and galaxies outside our...

Your question is one of the great questions of life and one philosophers have pondered for centuries.  What is the meaning or purpose of life?  Based on how the question is related there is a very important aspect of the argument that is not properly addressed.  Although the universe is immeasurably large, the scope of influence must be applied to properly analyze human behavior.  The question assumes the scope of human influence includes stars, planets and galaxies outside our own.  That premise is incorrect.  The scope of human influence is relegated to Earth.  Humans have explored outside of Earth, but there is no evidence of intentional influence that has altered the course of anything.  For example, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon it did not alter, influence or otherwise change the moon or how it interacts with the Earth.  Interaction does not equate to influence.

The scope of influence is limited to Earth and even then the scope is further limited by actual influence versus interaction.  It can be impossible to determine on an individual basis the difference between actual influence and interaction.  If you meet someone on the street and each say hello, that may be an interaction.  However, if that meeting causes the person to not commit suicide then it is influence.  Such connections can be difficult to analyze.  These are connections on the micro level of human connection.

Connections at the macro level include world leaders, inventors and other infamous characters whom have had a measurable impact on society.  George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Ford and Al Capone have influenced society because of their exploits.  Did any of their actions affect a large portion of the universe? No.  Did it have an impact on their scope of influence? Yes.

The point is simple.  One person cannot influence the universe because the scope of influence is too large.  One person can alter the course of human history.  Does it matter in the universe whether you are a decent person? No.  Does it matter to your family or a stranger? Yes.  The individual scope of influence varies according to the actions you take and the connections you make.  There is a point where nothing you do matters on a universal level.  The flip side is that all those billions upon billions of stars don't have influence over you either.  

In Cofer's "American History," what story details reflect the writer's background?

Judith Ortiz Cofer is from Puerto Rico and so is her protagonist, Elena. Some details in the story that reflect this common heritage revolve around music, language, food, and certain behaviors. First, the music played in El Building comes from Puerto Rico. The following passage demonstrates the writer's experience with how Puerto Ricans use music to help them cope with the struggles of life:

"El Building was like a monstrous jukebox, blasting out salsas from...

Judith Ortiz Cofer is from Puerto Rico and so is her protagonist, Elena. Some details in the story that reflect this common heritage revolve around music, language, food, and certain behaviors. First, the music played in El Building comes from Puerto Rico. The following passage demonstrates the writer's experience with how Puerto Ricans use music to help them cope with the struggles of life:

"El Building was like a monstrous jukebox, blasting out salsas from open windows as the residents . . . tried to drown out whatever they were currently enduring with loud music."

Next, the use of language can reflect an individual culture. For instance, slang terms can help to identify one person with a particular group. Elena's mother tells her that she is "Enamorada," which is a term used to identify a Puerto Rican girl who is "stupidly infatuated." An equivalent turn of phrase akin to "enamorada" for today's teens might be that Elena is "crushing" on Eugene. Since the writer understands the language and slang used in the Puerto Rican culture, such words or phrases are used in her story about a girl not unlike herself.

Third, Cofer must know what it is like to go to a high school where African-American girls joke about a person's background. They tease Elena about eating rice, beans and pork chops. Specifically, the mean girls yell at Elena, "Pork chop, pork chop, did you eat your pork chop?" Cofer also mentions specifically how jealous Elena is that the African-American girls can skip rope better than she can. These deep feelings of inferiority seem to connect Cofer to her protagonist in specific ways only known to one who could have experienced the same.

Finally, when Elena walks home after hearing that President Kennedy was assassinated, Cofer explains how Puerto Ricans show respect for the dead in El Building. First, there is no music spilling out of the building; next, the unemployed men aren't out front complaining about life; then, Elena's mother asks her to go to church with her that evening to show respect for the fallen president. This behavior of the Puerto Rican people show respect for the president they loved. Through Elena, Cofer demonstrates the intricacies of life as a Puerto Rican immigrant in the 1960s. 

What are ideas for a short story, which revolves around the symbols/ ideas in To Kill a Mockingbird?

An idea would be to choose a minor or secondary character from the story to write about. This could be Dill, Mayella Ewell, Miss Maudie, or another character. From there, you could write a story from this character's point of view. It could take place in the same time frame but be told from a different perspective. If you prefer, it could also take place before or after the years described in To Kill a...

An idea would be to choose a minor or secondary character from the story to write about. This could be Dill, Mayella Ewell, Miss Maudie, or another character. From there, you could write a story from this character's point of view. It could take place in the same time frame but be told from a different perspective. If you prefer, it could also take place before or after the years described in To Kill a Mockingbird.

One of the most famous ideas in the novel is walking in another person's shoes. Atticus sometimes challenges his children to walk or stand in someone else's shoes to understand that person's perspective. For example, when Bob Ewell threatens Atticus and spits on him, Jem and Scout want their father to fight back. Instead, Atticus tells them to consider Bob Ewell as a person:

See if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with (Chapter 23).

By writing from the perspective of another character, you would be doing exactly what Atticus recommended. You would be "standing in their shoes" as you wrote from their point of view.

Justice is another important idea in the novel. Atticus fights hard to defend Tom Robinson. He thinks Tom is innocent, and he works hard to give him a chance at justice. You could write a courtroom scene also based on a lawyer defending an innocent man falsely accused.

The main symbol in the novel is the mockingbird. The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. For example, Boo is compared to a mockingbird. You could also write a short story about innocence with a mockingbird to symbolize it.  

Good luck!

What happens between Assef/Wali/Kamal and Amir/Hassan? What does Assef threaten?

If you are referring to Assef's threat to Hassan, your answer lies in Chapter Five. The first mention of Assef, Wali, and Kamal occurs in that chapter. Amir tells us that Assef is the son of an Afghan father and a German mother. Blond, blue-eyed, and tall for his age, Assef is described as the terror of the "Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul." With his stainless-steel brass knuckles, Assef savages anyone who dares to...

If you are referring to Assef's threat to Hassan, your answer lies in Chapter Five. The first mention of Assef, Wali, and Kamal occurs in that chapter. Amir tells us that Assef is the son of an Afghan father and a German mother. Blond, blue-eyed, and tall for his age, Assef is described as the terror of the "Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul." With his stainless-steel brass knuckles, Assef savages anyone who dares to thwart his schemes. He is a sociopath, and he delights in hurting others. In the story, Wali and Kamal are Assef's faithful sidekicks. Assef is like a 'god' to his boy henchmen.

As the story continues, we discover that Assef is a bigot who thinks that only Pashtuns have a right to exist in Afghanistan; he considers Hazaras like Hassan unworthy of citizenship. When he gets ready to beat up Amir for being friends with Hassan, Hassan readies his slingshot in Amir's defense. Because Hassan is a good shot, Assef decides to pull back from gratifying his immediate desires. However, he threatens Hassan and Amir, promising future repercussions for their actions. For Amir, Assef ominously announces that, someday, they will face each other one-on-one. For Hassan, Assef promises that they are not finished with each other. This sinister proclamation foreshadows Hassan's rape at Assef's hands in Chapter Seven.

In Chapter Seven, Hassan is ambushed by Assef, Wali, and Kamal when he goes to retrieve the kite on Amir's behalf. When Hassan refuses to hand the kite over to Assef, all three boys corner Hassan and overpower him. While Kamal and Wali hold Hassan down, Assef rapes Hassan mercilessly. With this despicable act, Assef brings to pass his earlier threat from Chapter Five.

Who is Crooks in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

Crooks is an African-American stable hand who lives by himself, isolated from the other ranch hands, in the harness room. Crooks was born in California, where his father had a chicken ranch. Though he grew up playing with white children, his father liked to maintain his distance from white families, as he knew that they would treat him in discriminatory ways. Crooks is used to being the only African-American person around, including on the ranch....

Crooks is an African-American stable hand who lives by himself, isolated from the other ranch hands, in the harness room. Crooks was born in California, where his father had a chicken ranch. Though he grew up playing with white children, his father liked to maintain his distance from white families, as he knew that they would treat him in discriminatory ways. Crooks is used to being the only African-American person around, including on the ranch. He is called Crooks because he is crippled and has a crooked spine. Steinbeck describes Crooks as "a proud, aloof man."

After years of experiencing racial discrimination, he keeps away from others and expects that they will treat him in the same way. He is lonely and occupies himself reading books because he can't play horseshoes with the other men. Lennie befriends Crooks one day when the rest of the men are in town, and while Crooks is at first unfriendly, Lennie's simple manner wins Crooks over. Crooks becomes excited about Lennie's dream of owning his own land one day.

Through his use of juxtaposition, Fitzgerald contrasts two worlds--East Egg and West Egg, and, consequently, the lifestyles of Daisy and Myrtle,...

Nick first describes the division between East and West Egg in the following way: "Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay, jut out into the most domesticated body of salt water in the Western hemisphere" (page 5). East and West Egg are identical physically, and the water that separates them, tame in nature, is described as a "courtesy bay" because the two identical areas of land want little to do with each other. In the immoral and snobbish 1920s society that Fitzgerald describes, the old money of the East Egg was not eager to touch the new money of the West Egg, so it's almost as if the bay is doing East Egg a favor by keeping them apart from West Egg. Nick says that the physical similarities between the two eggs "must be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead" (page 5). However, to the "wingless," by which he means people, the two Eggs are remarkably different. The fact that birds cannot tell them apart means that the differences between the two Eggs are stem from fine distinctions that the snobbish society of the 1920s drew between people like Tom and Daisy, who had inherited wealth, and people like Gatsby and Nick, who didn't. 

In Chapter Two, the land between West Egg and New York City is described as a barren area known as the "valley of ashes" (page 23). As Nick describes it, this is "a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat" and where "men...move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air" (page 23). This is a kind of no man's land where Myrtle Wilson lives at the gas station her husband owns and where "a small foul river" flows (page 24). The imagery describing the valley of ashes is in great contrast to the sparkling waters of East and West Egg, which abut the glistening Atlantic. Instead, the lifeless, ashen world is similar to hell. This landscape represents the barren hopes of working-class people like George and Myrtle Wilson, who simply wait for the passing cars of the rich who travel back and forth from the Eggs to New York City. In the unfair society of the 1920s, they were shut out, physically and financially, from the opulent lifestyle of the rich people who lived in places like the Eggs.

The immorality of the 1920s is reflected in the differences between the two Eggs because old money people like Daisy and Tom don't try to bridge the gap between themselves and others. They rely on the "courtesy bay," which has deeper metaphorical meanings, to keep themselves separate from other people and their troubles. This bay stands for the way in which the old money rich, like Daisy and Tom, don't consider in the ways in which they are connected to other people. For example, Daisy leads Gatsby to think that she is again in love with him, but then she quickly retreats to East Egg and Tom, leaving Gatsby bereft. Tom, for his part, has a meaningless dalliance with Myrtle, who clearly wants Tom to help her escape from the valley of ashes, but he doesn't try. The people of East Egg separate themselves from the needy, much as the society of the 1920s celebrated wealth without truly trying to affect social or economic change in society. Instead, the 1920s celebrated people who could be successful in society, such as the rich, without reforming society to help the poor or otherwise needy. 

What are the three periods of development of federalism, the influential leaders of the time, and the future of federalism?

There have been more than three periods of federalism, so there are different ways to answer this question. However, there are some important milestones and divisions in the practice of federalism in the U.S.

• During the period called "dual federalism" (1836-1933), states and the federal government vied for power. There was tension between the power of the states and power of the federal government, which came to a head in the Civil War of 1861-1865....

There have been more than three periods of federalism, so there are different ways to answer this question. However, there are some important milestones and divisions in the practice of federalism in the U.S.

• During the period called "dual federalism" (1836-1933), states and the federal government vied for power. There was tension between the power of the states and power of the federal government, which came to a head in the Civil War of 1861-1865. However, Lincoln led the federal government to have more power through his role in using the government to expand the country economically; for example, he funded the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.


• During the period of "cooperative federalism" (1933-1961), the states and the federal government worked together cooperatively. The federal government developed the authority to regulate the states and other government agencies. An example is the New Deal agencies established by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Many of these agencies worked through the states to provide relief and jobs to people.


• There have been different periods of federalism since 1961. One period was "New regulatory federalism" (1981-1989) under Ronald Reagan, in which the role of the federal government was cut back. 

The future of federalism might continue along the current track, in which states are given some latitude to implement federal programs. While Obama has pushed certain initiatives, states have continued to have some degree of latitude in implementing policies. Especially because many states have been financially ailing, the federal government has at times used the "carrot and stick" approach to try to get states to do what they want by offering funding in return. For example, the states were tasked with implementing Obama's new healthcare law. 

How are the characters in The Crucible responsible for the witch hysteria?

The Putnams bear some responsibility for the witch hysteria because, in Act I, they are eager to believe a witch is to blame for the deaths of seven of their eight children. They repeat their suspicions again and again, fueling rumors of witchcraft in the town, and express their immediate certainty of the guilt of the women Tituba names.

Tituba and Abigail Williams are partially to blame for the hysteria as well because Abigail first...

The Putnams bear some responsibility for the witch hysteria because, in Act I, they are eager to believe a witch is to blame for the deaths of seven of their eight children. They repeat their suspicions again and again, fueling rumors of witchcraft in the town, and express their immediate certainty of the guilt of the women Tituba names.

Tituba and Abigail Williams are partially to blame for the hysteria as well because Abigail first names Tituba as a witch to shift blame away from herself, and then Tituba confesses and names two others as witches to save her own life. At this point, Abigail confesses to witchcraft, too, and she and her cousin Betty Parris go on to name many others as witches.

The group of girls consisting of Abigail, Betty, Mercy Lewis, Ruth Putnam, and their friends are also to blame because they continue to accuse people they know are innocent. We must include Mary Warren in this group because she initially participates, though she tries to tell the truth later. When she fears being accused, Mary then accuses her employer, John Proctor, of being a witch and tempting her away from God.

We must even fault Proctor for the hysteria because he knew the girls were lying early on—Abby told him herself—and he kept this information to himself until it was too late. Likewise, we can blame Mr. Hale because he knew the court was corrupt and failed to speak out against it soon enough, to stay in Salem and try to prove the innocence of those accused. What he did was too little, too late. For obvious reasons, we can blame Judges Danforth and Hathorne because they choose to believe the girls' accusations, seeming to enjoy the immense power their position enabled them to wield over others, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Really, very few, if any, characters are without blame.

What are some interesting words from Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli?

There are a lot of interesting words in Milkweed, including the title word itself, "milkweed." Some others are Jackboot, Stawki Station, Stopthief, runt, strawberry babka, lopped-off, resettlement, deportation, ghetto, locomotive, dried herring, flamethrowewr, cannibals, nickered (a soft breathy whinny from a horse) and cuckoo (an Eastern Hemisphere songbird immortalized in cuckoo clocks). I'll discuss some of these and explain their interest.

First is milkweed. Its Latin name is Asclepias syriaca. It is a herbaceous...

There are a lot of interesting words in Milkweed, including the title word itself, "milkweed." Some others are Jackboot, Stawki Station, Stopthief, runt, strawberry babka, lopped-off, resettlement, deportation, ghetto, locomotive, dried herring, flamethrowewr, cannibals, nickered (a soft breathy whinny from a horse) and cuckoo (an Eastern Hemisphere songbird immortalized in cuckoo clocks). I'll discuss some of these and explain their interest.

First is milkweed. Its Latin name is Asclepias syriaca. It is a herbaceous perennial with 140 species and is native to North America, among other places. Most interestingly, milkweed is the chrysalis ground for Monarch butterflies, the population of which is recently cut down by 90%. Several movements to save the Monarch request that people plant milkweed, having very lovely blossom clusters, in their gardens to give Monarchs shelter. Also interesting is that milkweed is poisonous, as are the butterflies that feed upon them.

Stawki Station was an actual train station just to the east of Warsaw, Poland, where Jews were boarded onto trains for their "resettlement," or transportation out of Poland to resettlement camps, which we now know as extermination camps or forced labor concentration camps.

Strawberry babka is a traditional sweet Polish coffee cake. Babkas are generally made with orange peel for orange babka, but strawberry babka is a common variation on orange babka. Other ingredients in this sweet, raised-dough coffee cake are raisins, rum and almonds. Coffee cake is so named because it is traditionally served for breakfast or morning visits along with coffee; hence, coffee cake: cake served with coffee.

What are 6 important differences between Tybalt and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet?

For one, Tybalt is Juliet's cousin, and he hates Romeo and all the Montagues.  Mercutio is Romeo's best friend, though not a Montague.

Mercutio is related to Prince Escalus, which means he must be from a fairly powerful family, even more so than the Capulets and Montagues.

Tybalt is particularly violent, saying, in the first scene, that he hates even the word "peace"; Mercutio is essentially peace-loving, though he will employ violence in order to...

For one, Tybalt is Juliet's cousin, and he hates Romeo and all the Montagues.  Mercutio is Romeo's best friend, though not a Montague.

Mercutio is related to Prince Escalus, which means he must be from a fairly powerful family, even more so than the Capulets and Montagues.

Tybalt is particularly violent, saying, in the first scene, that he hates even the word "peace"; Mercutio is essentially peace-loving, though he will employ violence in order to protect his own or his loved one's honor.

Mercutio is fairly intelligent, philosophizing about the nature of dreams and so forth, while Tybalt is really all about honor and strength and beating others. 

Mercutio also likes to make really juvenile jokes, they're pretty crude and lewd, but he does have a sense of humor.  Tybalt, not so much -- he really doesn't seem to have a sense of humor at all. 

Finally, Mercutio has friends.  He clearly hangs out with people whom he likes and who like him; Tybalt seems to inspire loyalty, but only, perhaps, out of fear.  He doesn't have any "friends," per se.

Tort Law: In the following scenario, what framework should I go about using in identifying business/legal issues to identify, explain and provide a...

The key question in this tort case will be who was at fault in the incident, and therefore who must pay for the damage and injuries caused. This is more important in some states than others; in "no-fault" states such as Michigan, insurance is required to provide certain coverage for everyone regardless of a determination of fault, while in "fault" states such as California each person's liability is strongly dependent upon who is considered at fault.

Key concerns for determining fault include negligence, intent, and strict liability.

Strict liability is the simplest; if you are defined by law or contract to have liability, then you have liability, even if you did everything right. This would likely be the case if the driver was carrying some hazardous substances that are strictly regulated, but it is unlikely otherwise.

Intent means that the harm was caused on purpose, making this a form of assault; that doesn't appear to be the case here.

That leaves only negligence. Was the driver or the pedestrian careless? Was either one violating the law at the time, in such a way that contributed to the injury?

This one could actually be argued both ways. The pedestrian was walking against a red light, suggesting that their negligence might make them at fault. (The saying "pedestrians always have the right of way" is not strictly true.) But if the driver was in any way careless about watching for them and failing to yield, the driver or the company that they were working for could still be held liable. The result of this tort would depend on very precise details of the circumstances. But from what was given, it sounds like it is probably not the driver's fault, and thus neither the driver nor the company they work for would be held liable.

What does this essay prompt for The Outsiders mean? "An individual identity of a person is determined by their external influences. Discuss this...

This essay prompt wants you to address how events in the book influenced Ponyboy.

Ponyboy’s life is greatly influenced by external forces.  This just means factors outside of himself that he cannot control.  In writing your essay, these are the points you will want to include.

One of the biggest external factors is that he is a greaser, in a town where the greasers and Socs are always at odds.  This influences most of his life and all of the events in the book.

Greasers can't walk alone too much or they'll get jumped, or someone will come by and scream "Greaser!" at them, which doesn't make you feel too hot, if you know what I mean. We get jumped by the Socs. (Ch. 1) 

Pony is proud of the fact that he is a greaser, but it is a source of shame and worry too.  He worries that the Socs will jump him, but he is also aware that everyone is judging him.  He likes being a greaser because it gives him a sense of belonging, but he doesn’t like the fighting. 

The biggest external event is when Johnny and Pony get attacked by Bob and Randy.  This fight is a result of Johnny and Pony making friends with the Socs’ girlfriends, Cherry and Marcia, while at the movies.  The Socs find them later in the park, where Pony ran away from Darry when he hit him for coming home late. 

Randy, Bob, and three other Socs find Johnny and Pony in the park and begin hassling them.  Johnny is frightened, because these Socs have jumped him before.  He pulls out a switchblade, but Pony has no weapon.  When Bob is drowning Pony in the fountain, Johnny intervenes. 

Bob, the handsome Soc, was lying there in the moonlight, doubled up and still. A dark pool was growing from him, spreading slowly over the blue white cement. I looked at Johnny's hand. He was clutching his switchblade, and it was dark to the hilt. My stomach gave a violent jump and my blood turned icy. (Ch. 4) 

Pony is a good person, and so is Johnny. They were trapped by circumstances.  Because the Socs relentlessly targeted them, Johnny felt like he was in deadly peril.  Johnny and Pony had to go on the run because they did not think the police would believe a couple of greasers.

You can see how external influences can affect a person.  Pony and Johnny were not violent by nature.  The fact that they were greasers, and they met two Soc girls, resulted in Johnny killing Bob and the two of them running away.  This of course also directly led to the events of the church fire, where Pony was hurt and Johnny later died as a result of his injuries.

Why is Earth's inner core made up of solid iron despite of its temperature reaching to 5000 degrees celsius?

Planet Earth has 3 layers: the outer crust, the middle mantle and the innermost core. The core is further divided into the inner core and the outer core. The inner core of Earth is made of (mostly) solid iron and has a temperature of more than 5000 degrees Celsius. Interestingly, the melting point of iron is about 1538 degrees Celsius. Yet the inner core is solid. The reason for this is the high pressure on...

Planet Earth has 3 layers: the outer crust, the middle mantle and the innermost core. The core is further divided into the inner core and the outer core. The inner core of Earth is made of (mostly) solid iron and has a temperature of more than 5000 degrees Celsius. Interestingly, the melting point of iron is about 1538 degrees Celsius. Yet the inner core is solid. The reason for this is the high pressure on the inner core of Earth. At high pressure, molecules are forced together and hence cannot exist as either liquid or gas. The decrease in intermolecular spacing causes the inner core material to exist as a solid.

In general, as temperature increases (while keeping the volume constant), the molecules move faster and have more collisions with each other. This causes higher pressure and forces molecules together. Higher pressure causes the change of state of materials.

Hope this helps.

How should I write a bed time speech for children?

I think that bedtime speech means the same thing as bedtime story.  You can prepare your speech in the same way that you would prepare any other speech.  Before beginning, you must consider two main things -- your message and your audience.  As the question mentions, your audience is children.  Next is your message.  It's a story, but what is the story about?  If the child is a girl, perhaps something about a princess.  It...

I think that bedtime speech means the same thing as bedtime story.  You can prepare your speech in the same way that you would prepare any other speech.  Before beginning, you must consider two main things -- your message and your audience.  As the question mentions, your audience is children.  Next is your message.  It's a story, but what is the story about?  If the child is a girl, perhaps something about a princess.  It doesn't have to be a princess, but I would make the protagonist a female.  If you are speaking to a boy, then make the main character a male.  If the child is young, then the story line is going to have to be short and simple.  They simply do not have the attention span to last for much beyond ten minutes.  Based on my own three children, the story should be exiting, but not scary.  Remember, the child is hearing this before bed.  You don't want your story to cause the child to lay awake in fear for the next hour.  Keep your language simple, and use a lot of color in your narration because it will help with visualization.  Some people feel differently about this last part, but I like to end bed time stories with an actual ending.  Bring the story to a close rather than leaving it with a cliffhanger.  Again, you want the child relaxed and ready for sleep.  You don't want them continuing to think about the story until very late at night.    

How are gender and race for inmates studied using the interpretive and critical framework?

Interpretive and critical analysis is a type of qualitative framework that asks people to make sense of what they are going through. Traditionally, studies in criminology have been more quantitative in nature. An interpretive and critical analysis allows researchers to study inmates in a more in-depth way and to understand the social, emotional, cultural, and other aspects of their experiences. 

For example, Miller and Glassner (2004) conducted a study of female gangs using this type of...

Interpretive and critical analysis is a type of qualitative framework that asks people to make sense of what they are going through. Traditionally, studies in criminology have been more quantitative in nature. An interpretive and critical analysis allows researchers to study inmates in a more in-depth way and to understand the social, emotional, cultural, and other aspects of their experiences. 

For example, Miller and Glassner (2004) conducted a study of female gangs using this type of approach. To conduct their study, they used the interactionist technique of interviewing, which looks at the intersubjectivity between the researcher and interviewee to enhance the authenticity of interviewees' responses. Examining intersubjectivity means making the researchers' biases explicit to reduce their biases. Miller and Glassner (2004) also advocate treating participants' reactions as meaningful, even if they seem to go against cultural norms or ideas. For example, in their study, they regarded female gang members as intelligent, though this is contrary to cultural stereotypes. These types of studies, as Miner-Romanoff (2012) writes, are important because they implement carefully thought-out methodologies for interviewing and collecting data, as well as for interpreting data. 

To establish the researchers' trustworthiness in this type of study, participants are chosen to maximize variation with regard to race, gender, and other variables, such as type of offense and sentence. For example, Miner-Romanoff's study (2010) about inmates' understanding of their assignment to adult court included a demographic questionnaire that asked participants' race and gender, along with other variables. 

References:

Miller, J., & Glassner, B. (2004). The “inside” and the “outside”: Finding realities in interviews. In D. Silverman (Ed.), Qualitative research: Theory, method and practice (pp. 125-139). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Miner-Romanoff, K. (2012). Interpretive and Critical Phenomenological Crime Studies: A Model Design. The Qualitative Report 2012 Volume 17, Article 54, 1-32 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR17/miner-romanoff.pdf

Miner-Romanoff, K. (2010). Incarcerated adults sentenced in adult criminal court while juveniles: Knowledge, understanding, and perceptions of their sentences. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Walden University, Minneapolis, MN. UMI No. 3412128. 

How was Jesus betrayed, tried, crucified, and resurrected according to the New Testament?

First, we should note that the New Testament includes four Gospels each of which give slightly different accounts of these events. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, known as the synoptic gospels, are not completely consistent with the Gospel of John. Also, these accounts lack detailed corroboration by independent sources, and thus we cannot be absolutely certain of their historicity with respect to specific details, although it is unlikely that they were pure fabrications.

...

First, we should note that the New Testament includes four Gospels each of which give slightly different accounts of these events. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, known as the synoptic gospels, are not completely consistent with the Gospel of John. Also, these accounts lack detailed corroboration by independent sources, and thus we cannot be absolutely certain of their historicity with respect to specific details, although it is unlikely that they were pure fabrications.

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve original disciples of Jesus, betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper, by identifying Jesus to the soldiers. He did this in exchange for 30 silver coins.

Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate who was prefect of the Roman province of Judaea. Although Pilate himself as portrayed in the New Testament considered Jesus relatively harmless and did not wish to execute him, in the Bible the crowds, especially the Jews, insisted that Jesus be condemned to death. 

Jesus was crucified on a cross between two thieves were were also being crucified at Golgotha. According to the New Testament, he died on the Cross, was buried, and then returned to life, not as a ghost or spirit, but as a physical presence, met with his disciples, and eventually ascended into Heaven. 

What page is the quote "Besides, I don't think the children've suffered one bit from her having brought them up. If anything, she's been harder on...

Page numbers differ from edition to edition, so giving the exact page number is going to be tough. I do know where the quote is, though, and I can give you the location by providing the chapter and paragraph numbers. The quote can be found in chapter 14, paragraph 30. I found an reference that says the quote is on page 137, but I do not know for which book edition that is.

Regardless...

Page numbers differ from edition to edition, so giving the exact page number is going to be tough. I do know where the quote is, though, and I can give you the location by providing the chapter and paragraph numbers. The quote can be found in chapter 14, paragraph 30. I found an reference that says the quote is on page 137, but I do not know for which book edition that is.

Regardless of edition and page number, the quote is important to the story. Aunt Alexandra is petitioning Atticus to fire Calpurnia because she thinks Calpurnia is not a good influence on Scout and Jem. Atticus defends Calpurnia, claiming she is every bit as good as a birth mother would be to Scout and Jem. The quote is another example of how Atticus continually shows his ability to judge people based on their actions and not their skin color.  

What do we mean by "Neoliberalism?"

Neoliberalism is a political ideology that is rooted in laissez-faire, or free-market economics. Proponents of neoliberalism believe that the private sector is more adept at fueling economic growth and should, therefore, be left with the responsibility of creating jobs. Government interference, they believe, hampers free markets. Economist Friedrich Hayek believed that interventionist measures to redistribute wealth would lead to totalitarianism.

Neoliberalism is related to the free-market ideas espoused by classical liberal theorists, particularly those...

Neoliberalism is a political ideology that is rooted in laissez-faire, or free-market economics. Proponents of neoliberalism believe that the private sector is more adept at fueling economic growth and should, therefore, be left with the responsibility of creating jobs. Government interference, they believe, hampers free markets. Economist Friedrich Hayek believed that interventionist measures to redistribute wealth would lead to totalitarianism.

Neoliberalism is related to the free-market ideas espoused by classical liberal theorists, particularly those from the Austrian school of economic thought, including Ludwig von Mises. Classical liberals, like today's neoliberals, disliked protectionism and thought that economic growth would be best facilitated through free-trade.

Certain politicians from recent decades have come to be associated with neoliberal ideas, including Margaret Thatcher and her contemporary, Ronald Reagan. Thatcher, like many neoliberals, disliked labor unions. One of the most controversial policy measures during her time as prime minister involved privatizing the coal industry in 1984. Thatcher's argument was that the coal industry was in great decline and would be better managed by private firms.

Neoliberalism remains politically controversial, particularly due to its association with the idea of unfettered, unchecked capitalism. Since the economic crisis of 2008, brought on by the irresponsibility and excesses of the financial industry, many people have become skeptical about the efficacy and soundness of neoliberal ideas.

How would you contrast Portia in The Merchant of Venice with Portia in Julius Caesar?

Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Portia in Julius Caesar are both admirable female characters who display many of the same traits of courage, intelligence, loyalty, and ingenuity. They are some of the more attractive female characters in Shakespeare and seem intended as positive role models for women. Both are members of the upper classes. There are, however, several differences between them:

• The women lived in different eras. The Merchant of Veniceis set...

Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Portia in Julius Caesar are both admirable female characters who display many of the same traits of courage, intelligence, loyalty, and ingenuity. They are some of the more attractive female characters in Shakespeare and seem intended as positive role models for women. Both are members of the upper classes. There are, however, several differences between them:

• The women lived in different eras. The Merchant of Venice is set in Renaissance Venice; Julius Caesar, in ancient Rome. Thus, although both plays were set in what would eventually become Italy, a region Shakespeare never visited, The Merchant of Venice is set in Shakespeare's own period (around 1600 CE) and Julius Caesar over 1,500 years before he was born.


• 
  Julius Caesar's Portia is the wife of Brutus and mother of his children, while The Merchant of Venice's Portia is initially an unmarried young woman being courted by various suitors. Thus, The Merchant of Venice's Portia is likely much younger than the already married Portia.


• Although both show a strength of character thought to be unusual for women in their time periods, in The Merchant of Venice Portia acts in a far more unconventional fashion by dressing up as a man and arguing a case at court.

How is language being used in a figurative manner in the poem "They Flee from Me" by Sir Thomas Wyatt?

The most obvious metaphor that governs the poem "They Flee from Me" by Thomas Wyatt is the comparison of women (or lovers) to animals, and perhaps more specifically to deer.  In this unrequited love poem, the speaker--obviously a male--describes how women who formerly slept with him willingly now run away from him, much like deer who venture close to a human bearing food and later flee.  Here taking bread becomes a euphemism for sex.  Words such as "gentle," "tame," "meek", "wild," "range," apply both to women and to deer.  

The first stanza speaks of women (or deer) in the plural, but the second clarifies  the fact that this poem is really about one specific lover.  Here we have sultry imagery describing the woman who initiates the relationship with the speaker.  

When her loose gown from her shoulders did fall,

And she caught in her arms long and small . . .

She asks the speaker "Dear heart, how like you this?" The words "dear" and  "heart" are particularly effective here because they serve as puns.  "Dear" and "heart" are homophones for "deer" and "hart," respectively.  These puns reinforce the deer metaphor and tie the woman's seduction of the speaker to the first stanza by giving a specific example of how he was "stalk[ed]." Somewhat ironically, it is the woman who is the aggressor, the stalker, while the man is her willing victim.

In the last stanza, specific word choices indicate the woman's rejection of the speaker and his resulting bitterness.  His "gentleness" is now unappreciated.  She has moved on to "newfangledness," quite possibly suggesting new lovers. The word "kindly" is ironic in referring to how he feels she has treated him, and the speaker closes with wondering what she now deserves.  

How does George Eliot make Silas Marner an interesting novel?

George Eliot, the nom de plume of Mary Ann Evans, has, indeed, created an interesting novel in Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe. For it touches the hearts of her readers and piques their interest with elements of betrayal, mystery, villainy, solitude and eccentricity, dark secrets, love triangles, drug addiction and destitution, innocence, and redemption. It is also notable for its social realism in its treatment of religion, human relations, and industrialization.

In the beginning of the novel, the main character named Silas Marner has friends and a woman he loves. However, he becomes a victim of a mysterious plot in which he is accused of stealing the church funds while watching over a very ill deacon. Silas is devastated by his misfortune because there is strong evidence that his friend, William Dane, has implicated him by denying that he borrowed Silas's pocket knife, which was found in the drawer where the money bag was and the empty bag is found in Marner's home. To add to his miseries, the woman to whom Silas is engaged breaks with him and later marries Dane. 

Devastated by the betrayals, Silas leaves Lantern Yard and the city. He moves to the Midlands and settles in Raveloe where he becomes a reclusive weaver. Rarely does he associate with any one except to deliver his linen. He becomes obsessed with saving gold, and he keeps it buried in his cottage. Superstitious beliefs abound about Marner because he once treated an ailing woman who came to him but refused others, so the townspeople believe he consorts with the devil. After this superstition develops about Marner, he is completely alienated.

As a subplot, Eliot develops a narrative about the Cass family. The Squire is the most important and wealthiest man in the area. But, his wife has died and his two sons are irresponsible and reckless. Godfrey, the older brother, has hastily and secretly married a girl from a lower class who has become an opium addict; she also has given birth to a girl. Aware of this secret marriage, Godfrey's shiftless brother Dunstan continually blackmails Godfrey. Having already given Dunstan rent money he has collected for his father's property, Godfrey must sell his horse to cover his debt and repay his father. However, the irresponsible Dunstan rides this horse in a chase and fatally injures it. As he walks home, Dunstan considers asking Silas Marner if he can borrow some money, but when he finds the cottage unlocked and empty, he searches the cottage and discovers Silas's gold, which he then steals. After the poor-sighted Silas later discovers his gold is gone, he rushes to town in the hope that the thief can be caught.

Seeing the devastated Silas and hearing his pitiful account, the villagers at the inn become sympathetic to Silas and discard their belief that he consorts with the devil. Silas's misery has made him human and a neighbor; so, Dolly Winthrop and others try to help him. But, Silas sinks into a black gloom. On New Year's Eve, however, Godfrey's hidden wife named Molly tries to reach the squire's house with her two-year-old girl to seek revenge against Godfrey. However, she passes out from having taken opium and dies in the snow. Her baby wanders into the cottage of Silas Marner. 

This golden-haired angel of a child changes Silas Marner's life from one of loneliness to one of love. Silas and the little girl, whom he names Eppie (Hepzibah) develop a deep, loving relationship. Years later, Godfrey wants to reclaim his daughter, but Eppie refuses to leave Silas. 

After Dunstan's body and Silas's gold are found at the bottom of a dried well, Silas and Eppie travel to Lantern Yard where Silas hopes to be vindicated of the theft of which he was accused so long ago. But the village is not as it was; the chapel has been replaced by a factory. Disappointed, Silas and Eppie return home. Nevertheless, Silas agrees with Dolly Winthrop that there is still reason to have faith. 

In the end there is a touching resolution to the novel: Eppie marries Dolly's son Aaron, and her hair looked like "a dash of gold on a lily." The cottage has been expanded and there is a lovely garden. Eppie tells her father, "...what a pretty home ours is! I think nobody could be happier than we are."

This encouraging ending in a pastoral setting points to the grimness of Lantern Yard, where now a factory and all its smoke and lifelessness stand in stark contrast to Raveloe with its fresh air and friendly inhabitants. This scene underscores the deprivation and unwholesomeness of industrialization, one of Eliot's motifs.

In "Aner Clute," a poem from Edgar Lee Masters's Spoon River Anthology, what hypothetical story does she tell?

The story of Aner Clute is the story of a woman whose reputation came undone due to a few bad choices. Her choices became known, which led to social opprobrium and, ultimately, ostracism. The hypothesis posed by this poem is, What would happen if people, particularly women, were allowed to err without being marked for life by one error in judgment? 

Aner's life is marked by simultaneous redundancy and instability:

Over and over they used to ask me,

While buying the wine or the beer,

In Peoria first, and later in Chicago,

Denver, Frisco, New York, wherever I lived. . .

Her buying of wine and beer is an allusion to her association with leisure. She started in a small town (Peoria), then goes on to larger cities, moving from one to another. The tone of the poem conveys world weariness because her use of the indefinite pronoun "wherever" expresses no attachment to any of these cities.

Everyone wonders "how [she] happened to lead the life, / And what was the start of it." They take a voyeuristic interest in her transgression, but no interest in her specifically, only the "start of it." 

She tells us how she explained her behavior.

Well, I told them a silk dress,

And a promise of marriage from a rich man--

(It was Lucius Atherton).

Lucius's poem directly succeeds Aner's in the anthology. His is the story of a vain playboy—a man who relied on his money and looks, though mostly his looks, to curry favor. He becomes a sad joke in old age. Unlike Aner, Lucius's flaw was not bad judgment, but a lack of self-awareness and wisdom.

She told others what they wanted to hear: that she was a woman easily fooled. She tells us, though, "that was not really it at all." She provides an allegory to explain what went wrong for her:

Suppose a boy steals an apple

From the tray at the grocery store,

And they begin to call him a thief,

The editor, minister, judge, and all the people—

"A thief," "a thief," "a thief," wherever he goes.

And he can't get work, and he can't get bread

Without stealing it, why the boy will steal.

It's the way the people regard the theft of the apple

That makes the boy what he is.

From Aner's telling, it is unclear whether or not she is an actual prostitute. She is clearly a woman who lives off of men. She embraced this lifestyle and its accompanying reputation because she could not escape it. She could not find work doing anything else because people would not allow her to do anything else, just like the boy who steals the apple in her story. Instead of lashing out and blaming her community for what she became, she allows them their myth of the "fallen woman." Their distant and disapproving regard for her, and whatever they believe her life to be, makes them feel good and righteous in comparison. This was her gift to Spoon River, and her burden.

What are 2 rules that are positive in their nature, and how do they help the community; also, what are 2 rules that are negative and...

The rules of the dystopian society of The Giver are meant to keep life controlled and predictable so that life will be made easier and safer. 

Here are two rules that are positive in nature.
These rules are not as restrictive as many of the others, and are, therefore, not so damaging to individuality:

1. "The evening telling of feelings" with the family (Chapter One)

Whereas many feelings are controlled and certain words are not permissible, the discussion of emotions with one's family provides the members of a family a time in which they are relaxed together and share their thoughts and feelings. Even though they are restricted from using words that are considered too harsh or strong in feeling, the family members, at least, are in the safety of their own home. There they need not be embarrassed, as they often are otherwise if they say something that is not within the parameters drawn by their controlled society.

2. The morning "ritual" of telling of dreams (Chapter Five)

Again, because the expression of certain feelings are controlled through vocabulary and pills (e.g. "stirrings"), when the family members discuss their dreams, there is some outlet for individual expression. After all, much of the meaning that people find in their lives comes from the sharing of emotions and ideas. In addition, when they are out in the community, people must control themselves so much that they need outlets for voicing their feelings such as the family discussions.  

Here are two rules that have negative aspects:
These rules are extremely restrictive and even deny people's humanity.

1. Assignments

That the Elders assign what role in the community each person will play is a denial of personal freedom of choice. This custom is extremely oppressive and denies individuality and personal expression. Each person should have the right to pursue whatever goals in life he or she desires. The Assignments handed out by the Elder are like receiving a life sentence from a judge except for not being considered a punishment.

2. The pills for "stirrings"

This rule also denies the humanity of the individual. In the community people are essentially neutered and are not permitted to procreate. To deny people their sexual feelings and the ability to have physical relationships and give birth to their own children is to deprive them of their essential natures.

The need for rules and laws

While no civilized society can be without rules and laws, these regulatory restrictions are usually made to protect citizens from those who would do harm were it not for such rules and laws. They are not designed to overly-control and restrict lives as is the case in the society of The Giver.

How does Atticus view human nature in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? Does he think people are fundamentally good or fundamentally bad? What...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus most definitely holds the belief that people are fundamentally good. One of the clearest moments in which he asserts his belief is the morning after facing the lynch mob. Scout feels confused by the reality that Mr. Walter Cunningham might have attacked Atticus to get what he wanted--to see Tom Robinson lynched--since she had believed Mr. Cunningham to be a friend of the Finches. In his reply to Scout's question, "I thought Mr. Cunningham was a friend of ours," Atticus reveals his belief in the fundamental goodness of mankind:

Mr. Cunningham's basically a good man ... he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us. (Ch. 16)

Later, after the children are attacked by Bob Ewell, Atticus further displays his belief in the fundamental goodness of mankind by being unable to believe that anyone could willingly attempt to take the lives of innocent children for the sake of revenge. When Sheriff Tate points out that Scout's ham costume helped save her life, Atticus's response is to say the only reason Ewell could have willingly taken Scout's life is if "he was out of his mind" (Ch. 29). In other words, in Atticus's view, no sane person would willingly take the life of a child because a sane person can only be fundamentally good.

Sheriff Tate blatantly contradicts Atticus. Tate asserts that Ewell was "mean as hell," but not insane (Ch. 29). He further asserts, having been in law enforcement for so long, he has become well aware that there are some men on this earth who are simply evil, as he explains in the following:

Mr. Finch, there's just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to 'em. Even then, they ain't worth the bullet it takes to shoot 'em. Ewell 'as one of 'em. (Ch. 29)

Atticus's view of mankind certainly is the more forgiving view. However, in light of the fact that men like Ewell certainly do exist, we have to accept that there truly are some men in this world who are fundamentally more evil than good.

How can I argue that Pride and Prejudice is an analysis and criticism of traditional class and social distinctions? What mode of organizing society...

Pride and Prejudicehelps us to see that a society based on structures that privilege money over integrity and status over intelligence is a faulty one.  Just because a woman is a lady of great fortune does not mean that she deserves to be lauded and sought after as though she is a great prize.  On the other hand, a woman of lesser means who possesses superior intelligence and wit should, perhaps, be considered more...

Pride and Prejudice helps us to see that a society based on structures that privilege money over integrity and status over intelligence is a faulty one.  Just because a woman is a lady of great fortune does not mean that she deserves to be lauded and sought after as though she is a great prize.  On the other hand, a woman of lesser means who possesses superior intelligence and wit should, perhaps, be considered more of a catch rather than a temptation to be avoided.  Privileging certain members of society based on arbitrary distinctions such as status -- something conferred upon those who happen to be born into the right families -- instead of privileging those who exercise good judgment, be they high or low, unjustly creates misfortune for those deserving of respect and admiration. 

For example, Lady Catherine de Bourgh takes serious issue with Elizabeth's classification of herself as on a level with Mr. Darcy, though Elizabeth -- due to the force of her intelligence, wit, and sound judgment -- is certainly more deserving of respect than someone like Caroline Bingley or Mrs. Hurst.  In a more just society, Elizabeth would be considered far superior to either of them.  Austen seems to offer the qualities that Elizabeth (or Jane) possesses as a better way of determining which members of society should have the most value.  Someone like Miss Bingley ought to be classed lower than Elizabeth because she lacks good judgment and good manners, integrity and wit.  And despite Elizabeth's relative poverty (and unfortunate relations), in a just society, she would be raised up.

How does culture shape identity in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, culture is defined as the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular society, group, place, or time. These factors play an important role in shaping the identity of individuals that is depicted throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict young children using derogatory, racially charged comments. Cecil Jacobs announces to the schoolyard, "Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers" (Lee 48)....

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, culture is defined as the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular society, group, place, or time. These factors play an important role in shaping the identity of individuals that is depicted throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict young children using derogatory, racially charged comments. Cecil Jacobs announces to the schoolyard, "Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers" (Lee 48). Francis Hancock tells Scout, "He’s nothin’ but a nigger-lover!" (Lee 52). Even Scout is subjected to Southern culture when she says, "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro" (Lee 122). Their negative beliefs and feelings towards African Americans are greatly influenced by the prejudiced society they grow up in. Children are not inherently biased towards race, but are influenced by their surrounding culture, which shapes their identity. Cecil Jacobs and Francis Hancock were raised to believe that African Americans were inferior, which is expressed in their comments towards Scout. Scout continually hears racial slurs throughout her community and asks her father what terms such as "nigger-lover" mean. Atticus is concerned about how his children will react following the trial. He tells his brother,

"You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease" (Lee 56).

Atticus mentioning "Maycomb's usual disease" refers to the community's prejudice against African Americans. He is worried that his children will become racist individuals like the majority of the citizens in Maycomb. Without experiencing a moral upbringing from their father, Scout and Jem could easily become prejudiced individuals because of the cultural influences from their community. 

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the main character (Macbeth) receives a prediction about his future in Act I, Scene 3. Describe this prediction.

In Act 1, Scene 3, the three witches (also known as the Weird Sisters) prophesy that Macbeth will first become the Thane of Cawdor, and then will be crowned King of Scotland. They then claim that, though Banquo himself won't be king, he will be father to a line of kings and, in some sense, will be greater than Macbeth. 

This prediction is important for two reasons. First, it plants the seed in Macbeth's brain...

In Act 1, Scene 3, the three witches (also known as the Weird Sisters) prophesy that Macbeth will first become the Thane of Cawdor, and then will be crowned King of Scotland. They then claim that, though Banquo himself won't be king, he will be father to a line of kings and, in some sense, will be greater than Macbeth. 

This prediction is important for two reasons. First, it plants the seed in Macbeth's brain that ultimately leads him to murder his way to the throne of Scotland. Second, it alludes to Macbeth's tragic downfall. For example, we learn that, though Macbeth will become king, his reign is doomed to failure, as it is Banquo's line, not Macbeth's, that will last as royalty. As such, through this prediction Shakespeare quickly signals that Macbeth will become king, but that his inevitable failure also looms ominously on the horizon. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what caused the fire in Miss Maudie's house?

In Chapter 8, Miss Maudie's house catches on fire and Atticus wakes his children to tell them to stand in the Radley yard as a precaution. Scout and Jem watch as Maudie's neighbors attempt to save her furniture and belongings from the flames. Eventually, Maudie's house collapses from the fire. The next day, Scout and Jem are surprised to find out that Miss Maudie is in a rather pleasant mood. Maudie tells the children that...

In Chapter 8, Miss Maudie's house catches on fire and Atticus wakes his children to tell them to stand in the Radley yard as a precaution. Scout and Jem watch as Maudie's neighbors attempt to save her furniture and belongings from the flames. Eventually, Maudie's house collapses from the fire. The next day, Scout and Jem are surprised to find out that Miss Maudie is in a rather pleasant mood. Maudie tells the children that she is glad her old house burned down and says that she always wanted a smaller house anyway. When Jem asks Miss Maudie how the fire started, she says, "I don't know, Jem. Probably the flue in the kitchen. I kept a fire in there last night for my potted plants" (Lee 46). Miss Maudie was attempting to keep her plants from freezing because of the cold weather and left the stove on. A kitchen flue is a type of exhaust system that ventilates the kitchen area. Miss Maudie believes that the kitchen flue was probably clogged which allowed the smoke to accumulate and caused the fire to spread. 

What quotes in Shakespeare's Macbeth relate to inner journeys?

Perhaps one of the most famous scenes in Shakespeare's Macbethis Act 5, Scene 1, in which Lady Macbeth's guilty conscience has driven her mad. During this scene, she exclaims "Out, damned spot!" (33), and in this quote we can see that Lady Macbeth is obsessing over the need to get rid of her sin (the "spot" in the quote), but is finding the task difficult. This quote represents an inner journey for Lady Macbeth,...

Perhaps one of the most famous scenes in Shakespeare's Macbeth is Act 5, Scene 1, in which Lady Macbeth's guilty conscience has driven her mad. During this scene, she exclaims "Out, damned spot!" (33), and in this quote we can see that Lady Macbeth is obsessing over the need to get rid of her sin (the "spot" in the quote), but is finding the task difficult. This quote represents an inner journey for Lady Macbeth, as it presents us with a remarkably different personality for the queen. Prior to this moment, Lady Macbeth regarded her crimes with cool indifference and chided her husband for his paranoia and guilt. Now, however, it seems that Lady Macbeth's sins have caught up with her, and it's apparent that it's more difficult to get rid of the past than she originally anticipated. As such, the inner journey here is Lady Macbeth's progression toward an important realization: one is not able to easily rid oneself of past crimes. In marked contrast to her prior calm in the face of evil, Lady Macbeth's inner journey results in a dramatic personal change that ultimately leads to her demise.

What does Blake mean by "To See The World in a Grain of Sand"? How can we see the world in a grain of sand?

Blake’s opening line is a way of saying that every part of the natural world is important, and that we humans are connected to all of it. The foundations of our planet are rock and water. Sand represents both entities. These grains are tiny bits of rock that have been worked upon by the centuries-long action of water. So, yes, they are indeed representative of the world, in the physical sense. And if you look...

Blake’s opening line is a way of saying that every part of the natural world is important, and that we humans are connected to all of it. The foundations of our planet are rock and water. Sand represents both entities. These grains are tiny bits of rock that have been worked upon by the centuries-long action of water. So, yes, they are indeed representative of the world, in the physical sense. And if you look at a handful of sand, you can see variety and diversity in the size and shape and origin of the particles – mirroring the range of people who populate our earth. Yet from a distance, the sand on a beach looks like a solid surface made up of only one color. The individual and unique grains coalesce to form that whole. This is an apt metaphor and lesson for us. We ARE the grains of sand. I see us here. Do you?

In "The Custom House: Introductory," what is Hawthorne's attitude towards the community of Salem?

Toward Salem itself, the narrator of this introduction, who seems to be Nathaniel Hawthorne, professes to have something like affection, despite the fact that the town seems rather haphazardly planned and its people leave something to be desired. He believes this good feeling toward the place probably arises from the fact that his ancestors came to Salem so long ago, so he has roots there.

Hawthorne seems to find some of his peers to be...

Toward Salem itself, the narrator of this introduction, who seems to be Nathaniel Hawthorne, professes to have something like affection, despite the fact that the town seems rather haphazardly planned and its people leave something to be desired. He believes this good feeling toward the place probably arises from the fact that his ancestors came to Salem so long ago, so he has roots there.

Hawthorne seems to find some of his peers to be in their prime and interesting, but the vast majority as "wearisome old souls, who had gathered nothing worth preservation from their varied experience of life." Near the end of the introduction, he says the "good townspeople will not much regret me," and it seems like he finds them somewhat small—perhaps a bit provincial. While they toil away, he is drawn to write this story, a story he seems to believe they cannot appreciate; Salem is not the "genial atmosphere which a literary man requires, in order to ripen the best harvest of his mind." Thus, he feels relatively unneeded by the people of Salem (as he's lost his job anyway), and admits the people of Salem hold him back intellectually anyway. 

In Frindle by Andrew Clements, how does the frindle help Nick and the community of Westfield?

When the novel begins, Nick is a discontented teen looking for ways to cause minor trouble in his Language Arts class. He finds a way by calling a pen “frindle,” never imagining how far this small word would travel. Nick gets the result he wanted, interrupting his class, but as the frindle craze escalates into a national obsession, Nick begins to feel it is spinning out of control.

Nick learns many lessons because of the...

When the novel begins, Nick is a discontented teen looking for ways to cause minor trouble in his Language Arts class. He finds a way by calling a pen “frindle,” never imagining how far this small word would travel. Nick gets the result he wanted, interrupting his class, but as the frindle craze escalates into a national obsession, Nick begins to feel it is spinning out of control.

Nick learns many lessons because of the frindle. He realizes that things may seem one way at first look, but be very different underneath. A common phrase for this is ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ He eventually learns from Mrs. Granger’s letter that she was angry because she valued the English language so much, not because she disliked Nick. Indeed later she stands behind him, even making extra effort to talk with him when he becomes upset about the growing popularity of the frindle.

Nick and the people of Westfield also learn that ideas can expand and become something greater than ever intended when they are left to grow on their own. In a practical sense, the frindle helps Westfield because of the national publicity showered on the town. Bud Lawrence makes money selling frindle pens. From the profits Nick is able to establish a trust fund for his parents and a scholarship in honor of Mrs. Granger. He also leads change to the school lunch program.

Besides the economic gain to Nick and the town, they also learn to appreciate the enormous effect of language. One small word transformed lives and taught far reaching lessons.

Why does Scout not bother Jem when he goes "behind the car-house" in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In the opening chapter of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout the narrator explains a bit about her family and family history. One thing she explains is that their father, Atticus, married later in life a woman who was 15 years younger than him. Jem was born in their first year of marriage, and Scout was born 4 years later. Scout further explains that 2 years after Scout's birth, their mother "died from...

In the opening chapter of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout the narrator explains a bit about her family and family history. One thing she explains is that their father, Atticus, married later in life a woman who was 15 years younger than him. Jem was born in their first year of marriage, and Scout was born 4 years later. Scout further explains that 2 years after Scout's birth, their mother "died from a sudden heart attack," and that heart illness "ran in [their mother's] family."

The above would mean that Jem was 6 when they lost their mother, whereas Scout was only 2 years old. Since Scout was so young, she really doesn't remember their mother at all, whereas Jem remembers her very well and often misses her. Though the two children never talk about their mother, Scout speculates Jem misses her due to his behavior sometimes, as we see in the following passage:

I did not miss her, but I think Jem did. He remembered her clearly, and sometimes in the middle of a game he would sigh at length, then go off and play by himself behind the car-house. (Ch. 1)

While we don't exactly know why Jem gets gloomy thinking about their mother in the middle of games, we can speculate that something happens to trigger his memories. We might speculate that, since their games involve acting out the stories of children's books they know, something in the plot of one of their books reminds him of her. Perhaps he remembers her reading to him. Or, perhaps Scout behaves in a way that reminds him of her. Regardless of being uncertain of exactly what triggers Jem's gloomy memories of his mother, we do know based on Scout's narrative that the reason why he goes off by himself behind the car-house is because he feels sad since he misses their mother. Hence, one reason why Scout does not bother Jem when he is by himself behind the car-house is because she know he is feeling sad. In addition, based on snappish behavior he exhibits towards Scout all throughout the book, we can speculate that Scout is aware he will snap at her if she tries to bother him when he is in his sad state of missing their mother.

What is the theme of "The Listener" by Billy Collins?

This appears to be a poem about death, or specifically, the thoughts of someone remembering and thinking of someone who has died. It is a subtle poem, so one must read it closely and examine the imagery to understand it is full of metaphors and symbols, even though it seems fairly straightforward.

For example, there are several images referring to carved stone: a granite counter, a marble floor, and a white stone building of silence....

This appears to be a poem about death, or specifically, the thoughts of someone remembering and thinking of someone who has died. It is a subtle poem, so one must read it closely and examine the imagery to understand it is full of metaphors and symbols, even though it seems fairly straightforward.

For example, there are several images referring to carved stone: a granite counter, a marble floor, and a white stone building of silence. These could all be said to conjure the image of a tombstone, especially the first two images, which are also connected to the person the speaker is thinking of: their wineglass set down on the granite counter, their cut hair falling to the marble floor. The white stone building of silence is a powerful image that also describes a tomb.

The poem is also about sounds and silences. It describes soft sounds made when the speaker (the listener) makes efforts to be quiet, such as turning down the jazz on the radio, or sitting and waiting for the poem's subject to wake from their dream. The domestic sounds described portray an intimate relationship (a cough from the bedroom, the rustle of a blanket), and this further reinforces the idea that the poem describes a loved one—a family member or spouse, perhaps—who has died. In the last line, the speaker said he will listen to an ant who beats his dead comrade across the floor, the "noble sounds of his tread and his low keening," and we know this signifies the speaker's attempt to identity with the ant, who is also mourning a loss ("keening" being a word that refers specifically to the intentional sounds made during mourning).

How would I create a dialogue between Laurie’s parents when his mother comes home from the PTA meeting in "Charles" by Shirley Jackson?

Laurie’s parents would probably talk about how much trouble Laurie has been in at school, and why he created Charles to tell them about his antics. 

A dialogue is a conversation between two people.  In this case, Laurie’s parents have thought he was a normal boy, despite the trouble he got into at home.  Both are busy with the new baby and their lives, and they did not really notice.

Laurie has told his...

Laurie’s parents would probably talk about how much trouble Laurie has been in at school, and why he created Charles to tell them about his antics. 

A dialogue is a conversation between two people.  In this case, Laurie’s parents have thought he was a normal boy, despite the trouble he got into at home.  Both are busy with the new baby and their lives, and they did not really notice.

Laurie has told his parents that there was a little boy at school who was causing a lot of trouble. 

“What did he do?” I asked. “Who was it?”

Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made him stand in a corner. He was awfully fresh.” 

I imagine the dialogue would go something like this.

“You will never believe what I found out at the PTA Meeting!” Laurie’s mom exclaimed as soon as she came in the door.

“What? Did you meet Charles’s mother?” Her husband asked absentmindedly.

“You could say that.”  She paused.  “I am Charles’s mother.”

This got his attention.  “What?”

“There is no Charles.  Laurie made him up.  Everything he told us happened.  It was Laurie.”

“Wow.  I wonder why he would make up a story like that?” Laurie’s father looked puzzled and amused.

“I guess he had a little more trouble settling into kindergarten than we thought.”

You can imagine how the conversation would go.  Basically, his parents were clueless, but there were plenty of signs.  Laurie was trouble at class, and was happy to come home every day and report on Charles’s behavior.

Make sure you include a lot of details in your dialogue.  I have included a link on proper computation of dialogue.

How does Shakespeare compare his friend's beauty with the summer's day in "Sonnet 18"?

"Sonnet 18" is a Shakespearean sonnet, a genre typically used for love poetry. It is usually structured to set up a major theme in the first three quatrain and then to have a surprising or paradoxical twist in the couplet.

Shakespeare begins by arguing that his lover is in every way superior to a summer day. One should note that the poem is set in England, which tends to have cool, rainy summers. The narrator...

"Sonnet 18" is a Shakespearean sonnet, a genre typically used for love poetry. It is usually structured to set up a major theme in the first three quatrain and then to have a surprising or paradoxical twist in the couplet.

Shakespeare begins by arguing that his lover is in every way superior to a summer day. One should note that the poem is set in England, which tends to have cool, rainy summers. The narrator points out that summer days are inconsistent; they can be windy or hot and humid or cloudy. The beloved's characteristics are more constant, though. Also,  the summer will eventually fade into autumn.

In the third quatrain, the narrator suggests the beauty of the beloved is eternal, suggesting: "But thy eternal summer shall not fade." At first, this statement appears paradoxical, as all humans are mortal, but the couplet resolves the paradox by saying that as long as people continue to read this sonnet, the lover will be remembered.