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What are some new words from Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome? What do they mean? What are some synonyms?

Great question! This novel is a good one for learning more vocabulary. Whether or not every word on a particular vocabulary list will be "new," though, will depend on each individual student. For example, maybe you already know the word "malady," but your classmates don't. So, I'll suggest 40 good words from the novel that are likely to be new to most students--but they'll all be useful and worth knowing! For the definitions, I referred to the Oxford English Dictionary.  In most cases, the definitions themselves suggest the synonyms. When they didn't, I referred to Thesaurus.com for synonyms. In each entry below, you'll see the word followed by the sentence from the story, a definition from the OED, and finally the synonyms. 1. Malady "A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies." A specific kind of illness; an ailment, a disease. Illness. Disease. 2. Seedy "We were all feeling seedy, and we were getting quite nervous about i...

Where is Montresor bringing Fortunato?

Montresor brings Fortunato into the catacombs beneath his home. Montresor knows all his servants will be away enjoying the Mardi Gras celebrations, so his home is empty. Montresor leads the drunken Fortunato down a winding staircase into the dark, damp catacombs. Catacombs, or cemeteries the Romans built under ground, have ledges against the walls on which they put dead bodies, so they pass old bones. Their way is lit only by the two flambeaux or torches that they carry. A webwork of white mold lines the walls, causing Fortunato to cough. They pass under low arches, and the mold--or nitre--on the walls increases, making the walls look mossy. Finally, they enter into a crypt and at the end of it, a smaller crypt, lined on three sides with human bones. Beyond that is a small niche. This is the final destination, where Montresor chains Fortunato up and bricks him in to die. 

What does Fitzgerald try to emphasize at the end of chapter 7?

As chapter seven closes, the reader recognizes a series of ends. Myrtle Wilson's life has violently ended, and with it, her dream of escaping the Valley of Ashes. With Daisy back in the Buchanans' home, deep in conversation with Tom, it seems her relationship with Gatsby will end. Nick's disgust with Jordan's callousness in the wake of Myrtle's death suggests that their relationship is winding down. Nick notes that it is September, the end of the summer. And Nick's final observation of Gatsby at chapter's end is that he stood outside Daisy's house, "watching over nothing." If we look back to chapter one where Nick tells us that he returned to the Midwest from the East in the autumn, we realize that Nick's time in New York is also coming to the end. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby.  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925.

Dystopian writers see human love as the most effective weapon against the societies they depict. How can this relate to 1984 by George Orwell and...

Although he is struggling to maintain his humanity, in the opening of  1984  Winston Smith reflects the dehumanizing tendencies of his society. He goes to see a violent war movie and has violent fantasies towards Julia, though he does not even know her name. After he becomes involved with her and they fall in love, he begins to truly reclaim his humanity: he has someone to protect, love and be loyal to, someone he can share time and space with in the room above Mr. Charrington's shop. In this room, he and Julia replicate normal, loving human life before the Party took over. In the ruins of the post-apocalyptic world of  The Road,  it is the relationship of the father and the son and the love they share as they travel south with their shopping cart that keeps them human. When they see a group, including a pregnant woman, roasting a newborn baby on a spit, the contrast becomes clear: the father would never sacrifice the son that way, and so the two become an emblem of humanity in the...

How did Malcolm X's actions link to his religion?

When he was in prison, Malcolm X learned about the Nation of Islam and became what is historically known as a Black Muslim. The Nation of Islam emphasized a strict moral code and reliance upon other African Americans. Black Muslims did not work toward integration; rather, they aimed to open up their own schools, churches, and other community organizations. Malcolm X wanted black people to take pride in their heritage, which extended to a desire for African Americans to have their own state. He considered this state to be something African Americans had a right to, and was okay with violence being used as one means of achieving this state. This put him in contrast with Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated exclusively for non-violent protests.  Malcolm X softened on his stance later on, and eventually left the Nation of Islam in 1963. He continued to identify as Muslim, though, and made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964. Also in 1964, Malcolm X met with Martin Luther King, Jr. to discuss...

What was the effect of the Ottoman Empire on surrounding regions?

The expansion of the Ottoman state from a tiny principality in Anatolia into one of the largest empires of its time had a profound effect on early modern Europe, much of which endures to this day. Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453, marking the final end of the eastern Roman (or "Byzantine") Empire. Angered by the memory of the Crusades, and by the ongoing Reconquista of Muslim Andalusia by Spanish and Portuguese Christians, the Ottomans declared an embargo on European trade with Asia. European traders sought alternate routes to the Far East, beginning the Age of Exploration which led to the discovery of the Americas and of the Pacific Ocean. By that time, however, Ottoman rule in southeast Europe was already well established. The very word "Balkans" to describe the region between the Adriatic and Black seas originated with the Turks, who named it after Balkh (Bactria) -- a Persian province in what is now northern Afghanistan. Their expansion led to ...

In Tuesdays With Morrie, what is Morrie's mother's occupation?

The answer to this question can be found in Chapter 12: The Professor. In Chapter 11, we learn that Morrie's mother had passed away seventy years ago, and the pain of losing her is still fresh in Morrie's mind. Morrie was eight years old when he found out about his mother's death. The telegram had come from the hospital, and Morrie had been forced to read it aloud to his father, a Russian immigrant who could not read English. Morrie remembers how devastated he was on the day of the funeral. When an aunt wailed about Morrie's misfortune, Morrie had burst into tears. At the cemetery, he tried to remember all the tender moments they had shared before her death. Morrie's mother had operated a candy store until her illness had made it impossible to do so. Morrie recalls that the family had lived in a cramped and dismal-looking apartment behind the candy store. In due time, his father had remarried. Morrie's new stepmother was a gregarious and ebullient Romanian immig...

What is the difference between Minoan and Mycenaean art?

As Mycenaean art was heavily influenced by Minoan art, the differences are fairly subtle. The main difference is due to the Minoans being primarily a naval power and the Mycenaeans a land power. Thus while cities on the mainland were heavily fortified against land attacks, and had monumental defensive walls, the Minoans relied on their ships for defense.  Both societies used tholos or beehive tombs and chamber tombs for burial of the dead, often accompanied by various forms of grave goods, intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Gold funeral masks seem unique to Mycenaean society.  Two uniquely Minoan elements in art are what are known as "horns of consecration" (stylized bull horns) and pictures of bull-jumping. Both of these have some form of religious significance, with the first being ubiquitous in Knossos and other palaces. Women play a more prominent role in art works found on Crete and Thera than they do in mainland art, with both sculptures and frescoes...

In The Great Gatsby, why does Gatsby say “old sport”?

Gatsby uses the phrase "old sport"  to sound upperclass British, more like the "Oxford man" he claims to be. It's an English phrase, similar to "I say" or "I say, old chap," and it grates on the ears of Tom Buchanan, who is not for a moment fooled that Gatsby is anything but an upstart: "'Oxford man!" [Tom says]  "'Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.'" Tom shows his irritation when he says to Gatsby: "All this 'old sport' business. Where did you pick that up?" Later he snaps "Don't you call me 'old sport'!" Despite Tom's irritation, this a characteristic phrase that Gatsby uses all the time, to everyone he wants to ingratiate himself with: Nick, Tom, the policeman who pulls him over, guests at his parties. Nick understands it as way for Gatsby to feign intimacy without actually being intimate at all: "The familiar expression held no more familiarity than the h...

What did Frederick Douglass accomplish that gave him prominence in American history?

Frederick Douglass rose to prominence as a leading African-American voice in the nineteenth century abolitionist movement. Born into slavery, he escaped as a young man and met William Lloyd Garrison, a leader in the movement, in the 1840s. Douglass was by all accounts a very talented orator, and his thunderous speeches against slavery made him a celebrity in the North. His widely-read autobiography added to his fame, and by the time of the Civil War, he was a frequent correspondent with President Abraham Lincoln, who he constantly lobbied to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, to allow African-American men to fight to preserve the Union, and to push the Thirteenth Amendment through Congress. After the war, Douglass was an advocate for the rights of freedmen in the South, both during and after Reconstruction. He spoke publicly for the rights of African-Americans even as they were severely circumscribed under emerging Jim Crow regimes. In short, Douglass was a lifelong activist for the ...

`h(x)=1/(1-5x) ,c=0` Find a power series for the function, centered at c and determine the interval of convergence.

A power series centered at `c=0` is follows the formula: `sum_(n=0)^oo a_nx^n = a_0+a_1x+a_2x^2+a_3x^3+...` The given function` h(x)= 1/(1-5x)` resembles the power series centered at `c=0` : `(1+x)^k = sum_(n=0)^oo (k(k-1)(k-2)...(k-n+1))/(n!) x ^n` or `(1+x)^k = 1+kx +(k(k-1))/(2!)x^2+(k(k-1)(k-2))/(3!)x^3+(k(k-1)(k-2)(k-3))/(4!)x^4+...` To evaluate the given function `h(x) =1/(1-5x)` centered at `c=0` , we may apply Law of exponents: `1/x^n = x^(-n)` . `h(x)= (1-5x) ^(-1)` Apply the aforementioned formula for power series on  `(1-5x) ^(-1) or (1+(-5x))^(-1)` , we may replace "`x` " with "`-5x`  " and "`k` " with "`-1` ". We let: `(1+(-5x))^(-1) = sum_(n=0)^oo (-1(-1-1)(-1-2)...(-1-n+1))/(n!) (-5x) ^n ` `=sum_(n=0)^oo (-1(-2)(-3)...(-1-n+1))/(n!)(-5)^nx ^n` `=1+(-1)(-5)^1x +(-1(-2))/(2!)(-5)^2x ^2+(-1(-2)(-3))/(3!)(-5)^3x ^3+(-1(-2)(-3)(-4))/(4!)(-5)^4x ^4+...` `=1+5x +2/2*25*x ^2+(-6)/6(-125)x ^3+24/24*625*x ^4+...` `=1+5x +25x ^2+125x ^3+625x ...

How has the Republican Party transformed in values from Abraham Lincoln's era to current times?

In Lincoln's era, the Republican Party was newly formed by anti-slavery Democrats, Free-Soilers, and Whigs, which dissolved as a party in the 1850s. Their main concern at this time was the abolition of slavery. After that was achieved with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the Republicans focused on Reconstruction, but quickly ended this project with their concession to the South in the form of the Compromise of 1877, signed by Republican President Rutherford B. Hayes. Until the 1930s, most blacks either did not vote (black men did not gain the right until the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified in 1870; black women did not gain the right of suffrage until 1920) or tended to vote Republican, due to the party's association with abolition. Of course, voter intimidation was very common in the South, which was a stronghold for the Democratic Party. This affiliation persisted, even after the sweeping reforms created by the New Deal. Republicans, however, were opposed to Roosevelt...

`x=6t^2 , y=2t^3 , 1

The formula of arc length of a parametric equation on the interval `alt=tlt=b` is: `L = int_a^b sqrt((dx/dt)^2+(dy/dt)^2) dt` The given parametric equation is:  `x=6t^2` `y=2t^3` The derivative of x and y are: `dx/dt= 12t` `dy/dt = 6t^2`  So the integral needed to compute the arc length of the given parametric equation on the interval `1lt=tlt=4` is: `L= int_1^4 sqrt ((12t)^2+(6t^2)^2) dt` The simplified form of the integral is: `L= int_1^4 sqrt (144t^2+36t^4)dt` `L=int_1^4 sqrt (36t^2(4+t^2))dt` `L= int_1^4 6tsqrt(4+t^2)dt` To take the integral, apply u-substitution method. `u= 4+t^2` `du=2t dt` `1/2du=tdt` `t=1` ,  `u =4+1^2=5` `t=4` ,  `u = 4+4^2=20` Expressing the integral in terms of u, it becomes: `L=6int_1^4 sqrt(4+t^2)* tdt` `L=6 int _5^20 sqrtu *1/2du` `L=3int_5^20 sqrtu du` `L=3int_5^20 u^(1/2)du` `L=3*u^(3/2)/(3/2)`  `|_5^20` `L=2u^(3/2)`  `|_5^20` `L = 2usqrtu`  `|_5^20` `L=2(20)sqrt20 - 2(5)sqrt5` `L=40sqrt20-10sqrt5` `L=40*2sqrt5 - 10sqrt5` `L=80sqrt5-10sqrt5` `L=70sqrt5`...

Why does the Lees' house smell like cats in Freak the Mighty?

The reader has to use inference to answer this question because we are not specifically told exactly why the Lees' apartment smells like cats. Inference, of course, is a conclusion that is based solely upon reasoning and observation. The reader can infer that the Lees' apartment might contain unpleasant smells because the apartment is in a "seedy" apartment complex called the "New Tenements" where Max has been forbidden to go. Max goes there anyway (with his friend, Freak) and notices that the New Tenements are a “big, falling-apart place" that looks "busted up." As a result, the reader can infer that the apartments are not that clean. When Loretta opens the door for the boys, she is smoking a cigarette, which would lead to the apartment smelling like cigarette smoke—perhaps one of many foul odors to be found in the apartment. According to Max, another one of these odors is the strong smell of cats.

What would happen if we didn't have a military?

It would be wonderful to live in a world in which we did not need a military, but not having one would subject us and our allies to considerable risk, as well as some rather severe economic consequences. Sadly, often what prevents one country from attacking another country is simply the fact that the country can defend itself against attack, subjecting the attacking country to casualties and material loss, and that the attacked country can retaliate, with the same consequences. I would say that to a large degree, this is what has kept the world more peaceful than it otherwise would be. Without a military, we cannot properly defend our borders, nor can we help those allies to whom we have commitments to defend. Economically, not having a military is problematic, too. Military expenditure is about 4.35% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That might sound like a small number, but this year, this spending is over $600 billion. Contractors who supply the military with everything from weap...

Analyze the importance of the Government of India Act of 1935?

The 1935 Government of India Act was the longest act of British Parliament that had ever been enacted at that time. The purpose of the act was to give Indians greater representation within the Indian government. Due to a lack of Indian involvement in the act and a lack of specificity, those within India were mostly less than thrilled with the initial result. Conversely, the act was viewed as being too radical by many in Britain. Despite the rough start, the current constitution pulls many of the principles and administrative services from the 1935 Government Act of India. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the act was that it granted much more autonomy to the British Indian provinces—ending the dyarchy system that was established in 1919. 

Do human rights exist if no one is willing to protect or enforce them?

This is a very deep question, and it reminds me of the famous thought problem, "If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Our entire understanding of human rights (as an idea and as "things") is based on the fact that there have been times and places where human rights were not explicitly defined and people chose to abuse these otherwise naturally understood concepts. For example, we might feel that it's common sense that no person should be murdered or be forced to labor without adequate pay. When we look at the reality of our global history, both of these rights to life and livelihood have been violated a number of times. If we, as individual cultures and as a globally connected species, create a social contract regarding human rights, we can better try to prevent violations and have appropriate responses in place.  Even though we are such a highly connected global community, we still experience divisions on the basi...

What does Julia do to try and explain what the speckled band was?

In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," Julia is the deceased sister of Helen Stoner, a lady who seeks the help of Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Julia was killed at the family home just a few weeks before her wedding day and, in her last moment, cried out about the speckled band: 'Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!' As Helen did not understand what she meant by this phrase, Julia tried to explain with a physical gesture: "She stabbed with her finger into the air in the direction of the doctor's room." Unfortunately, Helen still did not understand and Julia could not explain any further because she experienced a convulsion, fell unconscious and then died. It takes the help of Sherlock Holmes to finally unravel the mystery of the speckled band and to reveal that it was, in fact, a poisonous snake which accessed Julia's room through a ventilator hole.

`lim_(x->oo)x/sqrt(x+1)` Evaluate the limit, using L’Hôpital’s Rule if necessary.

Given to solve `lim_(x->oo) (x/(sqrt(x+1)))` as `x-> oo` we get `(x/(sqrt(x+1))) = oo/oo ` form so upon applying the L 'Hopital rule we get the solution as follows, as for the general equation it is as follows `lim_(x->a) f(x)/g(x)= 0/0` or `(+-oo)/(+-oo)` then by using the L'Hopital Rule we get  the solution with the  below form. `lim_(x->a) (f'(x))/(g'(x))` so , now evaluating `lim_(x->oo) (x/(sqrt(x+1)))` =` lim_(x->oo) ((x)')/((sqrt(x+1))')` but , `(sqrt(x+1))' = (1/sqrt(x+1))(1/2) =(1/(2sqrt(x+1)))` so, `lim_(x->oo) ((x)')/((sqrt(x+1))')` =`lim_(x->oo) (1)/((1/(2sqrt(x+1))))` =`lim_(x->oo) (2sqrt(x+1))` by plugging the value of `x= oo` we get = `(2sqrt(oo+1))` = `2sqrt(oo)` =`oo`

Consider the following cell reaction: Mn(s) + 2 H+(? M) -> Mn2+(1.00 M) + H2(g)(1.00 atm)If the cell potential at 298 K is 0.881 volts, what is...

We can use the Nernst equation to determine the pH of the anode (which is the hydrogen electrode). The Nernst equation can be written as: `E = E^0 - (0.0592/n) log_10 ([H^+]^2/p_H_2)` We also know that hydrogen anode is the reference electrode and hence,  `E - E^0 = 0.881 V` Also, n = 2 and `p_H_2` = 1 atm. Thus, substituting the values in the equation, we get: `0.881 = -(0.0592/2) log_10([H^+]^2/1)` solving this equation, we get the concentration of protons as 1.313 x 10^-15 M. This can be converted to pH by using the following relation: `pH = -log_10[H^+]` That is, pH = -log(1.313 x 10^-15) = 14.88 A pH of 14.88 is not possible, as the range of pH is between 0 and 14. Kindly check the value of cell potential and try it using the example solved here. Suppose the cell potential is 0.511 V. Then, using the example case solved here, we can determine the anode pH to be 8.63. Hope this helps. 

How did Flannery O'Connor's life and beliefs influence her writings in "Good Country People?"

Flannery O'Connor is an American author whose writings were heavily influenced by her life and beliefs. O'Connor was a devout Catholic who expressed the tenets of her faith through many of her writings, including "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "Good Country People." Flannery O'Connor's Life O'Connor was raised in Savannah, Georgia until her family relocated to Milledgeville, Georgia when she was a teenager. She grew up in a well-known Roman Catholic family and remained Catholic throughout her life. Her father suffered from a serious medical condition that led to the family having to leave their home for his wife's small, rural hometown. These experiences, coupled with her own medical issues, led O'Connor to focus her work on themes of alienation, man's relationship with God, and salvation. "Good Country People" "Good Country People" is one of Flannery O'Connor's better known short stories and it not only ...

Is the Wade Davis Bill negative or positive? Why?

Whether the Wade-Davis Bill was a positive or negative is, of course, a matter of opinion. In any case, President Lincoln killed the bill by pocket veto. One thing that can be said for certain is that the bill's provisions were good for African-American men in the South, as they would have been allowed to vote. This step, viewed as remarkably radical in 1864, would not be fully undertaken until the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment over five years later. It would also have been a positive for the Republican Party, which would have benefited from the vote of newly-enfranchised freedmen. The group that would have certainly viewed it as a negative would have been Southern whites, fifty percent of whom in each state were required to take a loyalty oath to the Union before readmission of their state was possible. Lincoln ultimately refused to sign the bill because he favored a more conciliatory approach toward the readmitting the Southern states. The general spirit of the bill however,...

`lim_(x->oo)x^3/(x+2)` Evaluate the limit, using L’Hôpital’s Rule if necessary.

Given to solve, `lim_(x->oo) x^3/(x+2)` as `x->oo` then the `x^3/(x+2) =oo/oo` form so upon applying the L 'Hopital rule we get the solution as follows, If `lim_(x->a) f(x)/g(x) = 0/0` or `(+-oo)/(+-oo)` then by using the L'Hopital Rule we get  the solution with the  below form. `lim_(x->a) (f'(x))/(g'(x))` so , now evaluating `lim_(x->oo) x^3/(x+2)` = `lim_(x->oo) ((x^3)')/((x+2)')` = `lim_(x->oo) (3x^2)/(1)` by plugging the value `x=oo` , we get =` 3(oo)^2` = `oo`

What are some possible research questions regarding Australian women in WWII?

A research question is something you as the writer come up with to focus your essay. It should go beyond something like "explain your topic." You of course want to explain your topic as part of your essay, but the research question covers the overall argument you are making with your paper. The list you provided is a good starting point for research. Do some brief reading to find out information on the topic, such as jobs held, and figure out what subtopics provide you with plenty of research material. Once you find something that can be easily researched and also interests you, you can formulate your question. Think of every essay as a way to persuade your reader of something. What can you persuade someone about Australian women in World War 2? With this mindset, create a question that is narrow enough to focus on and argue. So instead of "what did women do in the war" try "what jobs did women take to help the war effort." The link provides more suggestio...

What are unbalanced forces?

Unbalanced forces occur when the net force on an object is not equal to zero.  When an unbalanced force occurs, a change in velocity is created.  That change in velocity might be that the object goes from not moving to moving. Alternatively, the unbalanced force may cause a moving object to speed up, slow down, or even turn.   A simple game of tug of war can be used to illustrate balanced and unbalanced forces.  If both teams pulls on the rope in opposite directions with exactly the same size force, the forces cancel each other out.  The net force is zero.  If team "A" pulls to the right with 10,000 Newtons of force, and team "B" pulls to the left with 10,000 Newtons of force, the resulting net force is 0 Newtons.  The forces are balanced.  If one team is pulling with a greater amount of force, though, the forces are unbalanced, and the rope begins to move in the direction of the greater force.  

In To Kill a Mockingbird, where in the book does Atticus show humility?

Atticus shows his humility by not mentioning or bragging about his expert marksmanship abilities to his children. At the beginning of Chapter 10, Scout laments about her father's age and lack of interesting talents. One day, a rabid dog named Tim Johnson staggers down the main road of Maycomb and Sheriff Tate arrives at the scene with a rifle. Sheriff Tate proceeds to give his rifle to Atticus and tells him to take the shot. Atticus reluctantly takes the rifle and shoots Tim Johnson right above his left eye, killing him in one shot. Both Scout and Jem are in awe of their father's amazing marksmanship abilities, and Miss Maudie says, " I saw that, One-Shot Finch! " (Lee 61). Atticus then tells Jem not to go near the dead rabid dog, and Jem is at a loss for words. Sheriff Tate says to Jem, " What’s the matter with you, boy, can’t you talk?...Didn’t you know your daddy’s— " (Lee 62). Atticus immediately says, " Hush, Heck...let's go back to town "...

What is one of the current topics of where social justice intersects with healthcare in the United States?

Many people believe the way healthcare is limited by income is fundamentally unjust. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms actually specifies that healthcare is a fundamental human right. Most developed countries have a national system of socialized medicine where every citizen has the right to health care. The main exception is the United States, where, for example, a baby that is born into a poor family will not get the same quality of healthcare as one born into a rich family, and a middle class family can be bankrupted by medical bills. People often find the link between wealth and lifespan even more unjust, with the wealthy living several years longer than people with a lower income. Although the Affordable Care Act was intended to remedy some of these injustices, the Republicans in Congress and state legislatures have worked hard to block it and to maintain the status quo, in which healthcare in the United States is restricted by income, inadvertently (they are not poorly i...

In Unwind, what is the significance of Risa's piano and the bracelet that Lev stole?

The piano is significant to Risa because it is symbolic of who she is.  She is a musician.  Music, especially piano music, is Risa's way to stay safely at the StaHo.  She knows that she must excel at piano to have a chance to stay in the StaHo and live until the age of 18.  Unfortunately, Risa is good pianist . . . not a great pianist.  The StaHo is being forced to reduce its population, so Risa is chosen to become an Unwind.  She manages to escape her fate, but the pianist in her never dies.  When she arrives at the Graveyard, she is asked what she is or can do.   "Tell us about yourself," says the boy on the right. Starboard Boy, she calls him, since, after all, they're in a vessel. "What do you know, and what can you do?" Risa answers that she plays piano because it is integral to her being.  The book even ends with Risa playing piano music to the new Unwinds arriving in the Graveyard.   Lev's stolen bracelet is less symbolic of Lev.  The bracelet is ...

Is Bassanio a selfish friend in The Merchant of Venice?

Much has been made of the friendship between Bassanio and Antonio in Shakespeare's  The Merchant of Venice .  Often, readers note that both Bassanio and Antonio go to great lengths to help each other. While this fact is true, it's also worth considering that Bassanio is, in fact, quite selfish. For instance, Bassanio convinces Antonio to fund his efforts to woo Portia (which, it's worth mentioning, Bassanio does because he's broke and thinks Portia's fortune will help him financially), thus forcing his best friend to go into debt. While it's true that Bassanio then rushes to Antonio's aid when things with Shylock go sour, it's hard to avoid thinking that it was Bassanio's self-interested desire for money and love that got his friend into such a sticky situation. As such, even if Bassanio is at times a good friend, it's entirely reasonable to also consider him to be selfish.  

How can you explain the hallucinations that Lennie has while he waits for George?

Of Mice and Men  is a novel-as-play as was Steinbeck's later effort,  Burning Bright.  The constraints of the stage may ultimately be the most effective explanation for Lennie's vision of a giant rabbit and his deceased aunt. Even so, the highly practical and persuasive explanation provided in the other post here can perhaps be supplemented by a more diegetic (inside the story) explanation of Lennie's hallucinations and by an additional reading of Lennie as a figure intended to be preyed upon in a system that roots out psychological weakness.  There is a temptation to see Lennie's hallucinations at the end of the story as emanations of the Freudian psyche. Specifically, Lennie's visions of his Aunt Clara and the giant rabbit seem to align well with the idea of the Super-Ego, the portion of Freud's tripartite psyche associated with morality and socialization.  The figures of Lennie's hallucinations chastise him and express the negative views that society wil...

How would you differentiate between a compound and a mixture?

Matter can be classified as element, compound, or mixture. An element is the purest form of matter and is composed of identical atoms. A compound is composed of two or more elements, mixed together in a certain fixed ratio. An example of a compound is water (chemical formula: H2O), which is made by combining the elements hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) in a 2:1 ratio. A mixture, on the other hand, is composed of two or more elements or compounds. Trail mix is a good example of a mixture. The constituents of a compound can be separated by chemical means, while those of a mixture can be physically separated.  A compound's properties are different from those of its constituents. Hydrogen is a fuel and oxygen aids combustion, however their compound- water, is used for fire extinguishing. The constituents of a mixture retain their properties. Hope this helps. 

The acceleration due to gravity on planet X is one fifth of that on the surface of the Earth. If it takes 3.4 s for an object to fall a certain...

The equation of the fall from rest under the influence of only gravity is `x = g*t^2/2` , where  x  is the height of the fall,  a is the acceleration due to gravity, and  t  is the time during which the fall took place.  For the object on the surface of the Earth, acceleration due to gravity is g = 9.8 m/s^2 and the time `t_E` of the fall from rest is 3.4 s. For the object on planet X, the acceleration due to gravity is g/5. Then, the time `t_x` of the fall from rest from the same height can be determined from `g (3.4)^2/2 = 1/2*g/5*t_x^2` From here, `t_x = sqrt(5)*3.4 s=7.6 s` . It would take `sqrt(5)` times longer for the object to fall on the planet where the gravity is five times weaker. On planet X, it would take the object 7.6 seconds to fall the same distance.

How did Dr. Bell help Helen? Why did she dedicate her book to Dr. Bell?

Alexander Graham Bell helped Helen by directing her father to the school that might best be able to provide Helen with a teacher, and indeed they did. Helen dedicated the story of her life to Bell because of his work with the deaf and because he was the first to start her on her journey toward communicating and learning.   To ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL WHO has taught the deaf to speak and enabled the listening ear to hear speech from the Atlantic to the Rockies, I Dedicate this Story of My Life. Helen's parents began their quest for a teacher for Helen when she was "about six" by going to Baltimore to consult the "eminent oculist" Dr. Chisholm. Although he could not help Helen's vision, he referred the family to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in Washington, D.C. as the one most likely to lead them to who could educate young Helen. Happy to have them come to him in Washington, Bell referred the Kellers to Mr. Anagnos, who was "director of the Perkins Institute in ...

`f(x)=1/sqrt(1-x^2)` Use the binomial series to find the Maclaurin series for the function.

Recall binomial series  that is convergent when `|x|lt1` follows:  `(1+x)^k=sum_(n=0)^oo (k(k-1)(k-2)...(k-n+1))/(n!)x^n` or `(1+x)^k = 1 + kx + (k(k-1))/(2!) x^2 + (k(k-1)(k-2))/(3!)x^3 +(k(k-1)(k-2)(k-3))/(4!)x^4+...` To evaluate the given function `f(x) = 1/sqrt(1-x^2)` , we may apply radical property: `sqrt(x) = x^(1/2)` . The function becomes: `f(x) = 1/ (1-x^2)^(1/2)` Apply Law of Exponents: `1/x^n = x^(-n)` to rewrite  the function as: `f(x) = (1-x^2)^(-1/2)` or `f(x)= (1 -x^2)^(-0.5)`  This now resembles `(1+x)^k` form. By comparing "`(1+x)^k` " with "`(1 -x^2)^(-0.5) or (1+(-x^2))^(-0.5)` ”, we have the corresponding values: `x=-x^2` and `k = -0.5` . Plug-in the values on the aforementioned formula for the binomial series, we get: `(1-x^2)^(-0.5) =sum_(n=0)^oo (-0.5(-0.5-1)(-0.5-2)...(-0.5-n+1))/(n!)(-x^2)^n` `=sum_(n=0)^oo (-0.5(-1.5)(-2.5)...(-0.5-n+1))/(n!)(-1)^nx^(2n)` `=1 + (-0.5)(-1)^1x^(2*1) + (-0.5(-1.5))/(2!) (-1)^2x^(2*2)+ (-0.5(-1.5)(-2.5))/(3!)(-1)^3...

How does the "pale-faced man" gain access to the Bacteriologist and his laboratory in "The Stolen Bacillus" by H. G. Wells?

In "The Stolen Bacillus," the "pale-faced man" is an anarchist who gains access to the Bacteriologist's laboratory by means of deception. He does this by forging a "letter of introduction" which purports to come from an "old friend" of the Bacteriologist. This ruse is successful because the Bacteriologist believes that he shares a mutual friend with the visitor. He also believes that this "pale-faced man" has a genuine interest in his research and in his profession, more generally, as we see from the text: "The fitful yet keen interest of his visitor were a novel change from the phlegmatic deliberations of the ordinary scientific worker with whom the Bacteriologist chiefly associated." In reality, however, the "pale-faced man" is an Anarchist intent on committing the mass murder of London, using one of the strains of bacteria grown in the Bacteriologist's laboratory. Cholera appears to offer the best chance o...

How does predestination relate to The Crucible?

This is a somewhat complicated question because Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible , was an historical drama. Miller was interested in the psychology of fanaticism, and wrote the play as a way to analyze the phenomenon of Joseph McCarthy's "witch hunt" for communists in the 1950s, which Miller saw as having parallels with the Salem witch trials. Miller himself saw the theocracy of Salem and the ideology of anti-Communism as both inevitably leading to certain types of injustice in the form of scapegoating and purging of heretics. While the events Miller is describing in The Crucible occurred in a deeply religious environment, Miller's version of the events focuses on the psychology of the characters; Miller himself was a non-observant Jew with no significant interest in Calvinist theology. Proctor's final choices echo Miller's own decision not to cooperate with McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Thus, while predestination was an impor...

`sum_(n=1)^oo 1/5^n` Use the Root Test to determine the convergence or divergence of the series.

To apply the  Root test  , we determine the limit as: `lim_(n-gtoo) root(n)(|a_n|)= L` or `lim_(n-gtoo) |a_n|^(1/n)= L`  Then, we follow the conditions: a) `Llt1` then the series is absolutely convergent . b) `Lgt1` then the series is divergent . c)` L=1` or does not exist  then the test is inconclusive . The series may be divergent, conditionally convergent, or absolutely convergent. We may apply the  Root Test  to determine the convergence or divergence of the  series  `sum_(n=1)^oo 1/5^n` . For the given series `sum_(n=1)^oo 1/5^n` , we have `a_n =1/5^n` . Applying the Root test, we set-up the limit as:  `lim_(n-gtoo) |1/5^n|^(1/n) =lim_(n-gtoo) (1/5^n)^(1/n)`  Apply the Law of Exponents:  `(x/y)^n =(x^n/y^n)` . `lim_(n-gtoo) (1/5^n)^(1/n)=lim_(n-gtoo) 1^(1/n)/5^(n*(1/n))`                       ` =lim_(n-gtoo) 1^(1/n)/5^(n/n)`                       ` =lim_(n-gtoo) 1^(1/n)/5^1`                       ` =lim_(n-gtoo) 1^(1/n)/5` Evaluate the limit. `lim_(n-gtoo) 1^(1/n)/5 =1/5 lim_(n-g...

Why is Mercutio so talkative in Romeo and Juliet?

Mercutio is Romeo's best friend and one of the most interesting characters in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . His Queen Mab speech in Act I, Scene 4 is fascinating for its combination of fantasy and word play. When this scene is performed it is usually suggested that Mercutio is improvising and reeling off words from the top of his head. He is a great entertainer and he has the Montague men intrigued by his story of a fairy who roams people's brains and makes them dream of everything from money to violence. Indeed, Mercutio is a great speaker, and when he is on stage Shakespeare gives him plenty of lines. The reason for his talkative demeanor is explained by Romeo in Act II, Scene 4: A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk and will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month. Mercutio, then, just tends to love the sound of his own voice and his wittiness and edgy attitude have had critics suggesting that his death was out of necessity becaus...

In "Ozymandias," what does the expression on the face of the sculpture convey about the king's personality?

First, what we have is a poet's retelling of a traveler's account (actually Diodorus Siculus, an historian, not a traveler) of a sculptor's vision of Ozymandias, and thus we are only getting a sense of what layered narrators want to convey about the personality of Ramesses II; as the pharaoh in question died some 1000 years before Diodorus wrote his history and nearly 3,000 years before Shelley wrote the poem, we can only derive information about the character of the pharaoh as portrayed in the poem, not his actual historical character.  The poem describes the expression on the head of the sculpture as follows: ...a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command... The word "frown" makes the readers assume that the model had a harsh, perhaps angry, disposition as does the phrase "wrinkled lip" which evokes sneering. The words "cold command" suggest a powerful autocrat who is emotionally cold and lacking empathy....

In "Shooting an Elephant," why was the narrator called for help when the elephant escaped?

The elephant was wreaking havoc in the town of Moulmein (now Mawlamyine, the fourth largest city of Myanmar), when the narrator was called for help. It wasn’t a wild elephant, but it was under the attack of “must.” It had broken the chains and fled the previous night. Since it reappeared in the town next morning, it had been causing damage to life and property.   Its mahout was the only person who could have brought it under control. But, while chasing the animal, he had taken the wrong direction, and was much away from the town when the elephant was causing havoc. The natives were scared and felt helpless as they didn’t know how to control the situation. Neither did they have guns nor any other means to subdue the giant creature, which had gone berserk.  “The Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it. It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut, killed a cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the stock; also it had met the municipal rubbish van...

How has gender played a part in the 2016 United States election cycles and campaigning?

Future historians will probably look back on the 2016 United States election as a landmark in bringing gender issues to the forefront in both campaigning and media coverage. The first thing we should note is an increasing gender gap in voting patterns, with women tending to support Democratic candidates and men supporting Republican ones.  Next, scholars have been noting over the past few decades that media coverage has been strongly biased in favor of male candidates. Men receive more coverage and are portrayed more positively. In candidate debates, women speak less and are interrupted more. In the presidential election, in particular, there has been far greater coverage given to Trump than to Clinton.  One can also look at descriptive words used to discuss political candidates. For example, negative terms such as ambitious, shrill, bossy, pushy or bossy are words applied to women seeking power in a negative way but rarely applied to men. This sort of language bias operates on an emot...

How does Jem show empathy in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

There are several scenes throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that portray Jem showing empathy. Early on in the novel, Jem displays empathy for Walter Cunningham Jr. by stopping Scout from beating him up on the playground. He tells Scout to let him up because Walter's smaller than she is, and then shows compassion by inviting Walter over for dinner. Another scene where Jem displays empathy takes place in Chapter 23 when Alexandra calls Walter Cunningham "trash." Jem can easily see that Scout is upset, and he displays empathy by grabbing her by the shoulders and leading Scout into his bedroom. When Scout walks into his bedroom, Jem tries to cheer his sister up by offering her a Tootsie Roll and showing Scout the barely visible hair on his chest. At the beginning of Chapter 25, Scout is poking a roly-poly bug and Jem says, " Don't do that, Scout. Set him out on the back steps " (Lee 319). Scout continues to play with the bug and is about to smash it w...

What is the significance of the gun in George Orwell's Animal Farm?

The significance of the gun changes throughout Animal Farm . In the first chapter of the novel, for example, the gun is a symbol of human oppression and the subjugation of the animals. We see this when Mr. Jones uses the gun to break up Old Major's meeting. Similarly, when Mr. Jones tries to retake his farm after the Rebellion, the gun symbolizes this idea of human authority, especially when it is used to murder a sheep. After this battle, the gun's significance changes. It becomes an object used by the animals in a celebratory and proud manner. It is decided, for instance, that the gun will be displayed next to the head of Old Major and will be fired twice every year as a reminder of the animals' victory. It is also fired in Chapter Eight to celebrate the expulsion of Frederick and his men from the farm. By Chapter Ten, the gun's significance has been turned on its head: it is now a symbol of the animals' subjugation of the humans. It also serves as a potent remind...

In "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," how does Mrs. Mitty’s personality trigger Mitty’s final daydream? Why is this dream appropriate, based on...

In Walter's last daydream, he defiantly faces a firing squad, confident in his ability to die courageously. He scornfully rejects the handkerchief or blindfold, preferring to face his fate with unflinching determination. Walter's final daydream is more than likely triggered by how his wife treats him. She constantly berates him and inundates him with a barrage of criticism. Spiteful and disapproving words often pour out of her mouth the way bullets would shoot forth from a gun. To Walter, facing her daily onslaught of criticism is akin to facing a firing squad. Mrs. Mitty leaves no room for her husband to disagree with her. For example, when she finds him sitting in a chair in the hotel lobby, she proceeds to complain about having experienced difficulty in locating him. Then, almost immediately, she interrogates him about whether he had managed to purchase the puppy biscuits. Next, she demands to know what he has in the box next to him. When Walter answers that it contains his ...

Based on Chapters 5-9 of Ian Haney López's Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle...

The "punch and parry" technique of dog whistle politics involves three distinct steps. First, in the punch, the practitioner of dog whistle politics injects or punches race into the political conversation by using references to "culture, behavior, and class" (page 130). Then, in the parry stage, the same person parries claims of racism by stating that there was no overt use of racial epithets or references to the biological basis of race. Finally, there is a kick phase in which the practitioner of dog whistle politics kicks up the racial debate by claiming that the person who has charged the practitioner with racism is the true racist. In other words, the person who has used racist appeals claims that his or her critics are the real racists because they have injected race into the conversation while it never before existed.  The example the author uses of this technique is the cartoon of Obama that had a picture of him as a donkey alongside watermelon and fried chic...

What does the phrase "the coarser realities of life" mean in H. H. Munro's "The Mouse"?

For Theodoric, the main character of "The Mouse," written by H.H. Munro (who was also known as Saki), anything that presents even the slightest bit of discomfort represents "the coarser realities of life." It is clear that his mother, "whose chief solicitude had been to keep him screened from what she called the coarser realities of life," raised him so that he did not need to deal with any discomforts or inconveniences. Therefore, after she dies, he struggles to deal with anything that presents the slightest difficulty, including harnessing the pony that will bring him to the train station. Mice certainly fall into the category of "the coarser realties of life" for Theodoric. As Munro writes, "Without being actually afraid of mice, Theodoric classed them among the coarser incidents of life." Theodoric feels that mice are dispensable and that Providence should have gotten rid of them a long time ago. Theodoric extricates a mouse from hi...

How can I differentiate between a mass and oratorio?

In order to distinguish between a mass and an oratorio it is important to examine their formats and subject matter. Both musical pieces deal with religious subjects, and can be performed in churches and cathedrals. The musical mass follows a set format, which is in sequence of the celebration of the liturgy of the Catholic, Lutheran, or Protestant faiths. Early masses were written for the Ordinary of Liturgy so that daily masses could have musical components. A mass can be sung a cappella , without musical accompaniment, or it can accompanied by instruments from a singular organ to a full orchestra. Throughout history the musical mass has changed to include choirs, modern instruments, and participation by those attending the service, instead of being sung solely by a choir. Although these changes occurred, the format and purpose, of presenting the liturgy through music, remains the same. The subject matter of oratorios is also religious—oratorios portray the lives of the saints or pass...

What are some important details from Mayella Ewell's testimony under Mr. Finch's questioning in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Uneducated and coerced into lying by her disreputable father, Mayella gives testimony that is so unsustainable that Atticus easily challenges its credibility. While Mayella is on the witness stand, Atticus begins by asking her if the day of the alleged rape was the first time Tom had ever been inside the fence of her yard, and she replies "yes." Her answer raises some doubt, of course, because within the setting of the Jim Crow South, it would have been outrageously bold for a black man to have dared to commit rape without having had some prior close contact with a white woman.  When Atticus asks Mayella what occurred, she hesitates. So, he asks her specifically if she recalls Tom's having beaten her about the face. She replies, "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me." Atticus asks her to verify her last statement: "Huh? Yes, he hit--I just don't remember, I just don't remember...it all happened so quick." Then, she...

What technique does Poe use in the second paragraph of The Premature Burial to build suspense?

Poe is using a characteristic (for him) rhetorical move in which he says how bad it would be to do a certain thing then goes on to do exactly that thing. In this story, he talks about horrible tragedies that “no romanticist” should discuss in fiction -- the black hole of Calcutta, the Plague of London, etc. -- then goes on to write a story about an even more horrible tragedy – being buried alive. It is a kind of rhetorical foreshadowing. In the second paragraph, Poe also makes another (for him) characteristic distinction between the kinds and degrees of horror certain events possess. Disasters in which many people are killed, he writes, are more diffuse in their terror than the singular even that happens to an individual. As he says, “I need not remind the reader that, from the long and weird catalogue of human miseries, I might have selected many individual instances more replete with essential suffering than any of these vast generalities of disaster.” Of course, this is exactly what...

Why did Populist Party want to have a monetary system based on both silver and gold?

Please note that I revised your question to make it accurate. The Populist Party wanted to have a monetary system based on both silver and gold. They wanted a bi-metallic money system. The Republican Party wanted a monetary system based only on gold. The Populist Party represented farmers. Farmers were suffering tremendously. The prices for their crops were very low. They also had to pay extremely high interest rates on the loans they received. If they couldn’t pay back their loans, they would lose their farm. One way to increase prices and bring interest rates down was to increase the money supply. When there is more money in the economy, prices tend to rise since people have more money to spend. This might help the farmers get higher prices for their crops. Additionally, if there is more money available, banks will have more money to loan to people. Since the money supply isn’t as tight, meaning more money is available for loans, the interest rates on the loans should drop. Another a...

How did railroads impact the settlement of the west around 1864?

Under President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, the Pacific Railway Act was approved.  With most of the nation focused on the Civil War, less attention was paid to westward expansion.  In previous decades, westward expansion had been an important focus in the United States.  People traveling west had gone by covered wagon or by horse.  This way of travel was slow and was filled with obstacles.  Wagons were made of wood and could break.  Horses and oxen could become ill and die.  The journey could take from four months to over a year. In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.  After this, travel from the East to the West was much quicker and more efficient.  People did not have to worry about feeding livestock or repairing wagons.  Instead, they paid a fare and boarded a train to go west.  By the year 1876, one particularly fast train had a direct route from New York City to San Francisco that took about four days.  This transformed westward expansion in the United States.  New imm...

I need help writing an essay for the following assignment: The pagan Germans, Greeks, and other ancient peoples believed that fame and glory...

Here, you may want to distinguish between the ancient Greek notion of reputation ( kleos ) which is the only thing that survives after the death of a person, other than a pale and miserable shade in Hades, and the more complex model of Beowulf , which blends pagan and Christian themes. At times Beowulf does invoke a Christian notion of Heaven and Hell, but at other points, the poem seems to reflect a notion of fame derived from the tradition of heroic epic.  Perhaps one of the more striking literary ways the poem emphasizes fame is through its use of boasting. Both when introduced to new people and situations, the heroes boast about their deeds and ancestry and before fights boast about how they will overcome their opponents. The verbal contest between Unferth and Beowulf before Beowulf's fight with Grendel is an example of this sort of aggression in establishing and defending reputation. The boasting is not superfluous, as it functions as a form of reputation management, as impor...

What are the major sociological differences between America and Canada?

1) In America, the role of government is seen as enabling/not getting in the way of: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" In Canada, the role is often described as: "Peace, Order and Good Government" This doesn't always happen, in either nation, but that is the mentality. The difference says a lot about how differently citizens view the government and what they expect it to do. 2) In Canada, liberal isn't a bad word. One of the main parties is called Liberal and you can't attack someone by saying they are 'too liberal'. To a Canadian, too liberal means too much in the center and not going out on a limb in either a conservative or progressive direction. 3) In Canada, our politicians don't talk about their religious beliefs...ever. It is seen as bad form and completely irrelevant. We've had quite a few Prime Ministers over the last 30 years who were Catholic, even devoutly Catholic all during the time we legalized abortion and gay m...

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

"A Pair of Tickets" is the final story in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club , and, as such, it contains a lot of important thematic quotes. In this chapter, Jing-Mei Woo goes to China to meet her long-lost half-sisters, effectively bridging the gap between her mother's former life in China and her own identity as a Chinese-American woman. Early in the chapter, Jing-Mei writes, "I was a sophomore at Galileo High in San Francisco, and all my Caucasian friends agreed: I was about as Chinese as they were. But my mother had studied at a famous nursing school in Shanghai, and she said she knew all about genetics. So there was no doubt in her mind, whether I agreed or not: Once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel and think Chinese." Throughout the novel, Jing-Mei and the other daughters of the Joy Luck Club have struggled with their identities as Chinese-American women, unable to completely reconcile what part of them is Chinese and what part is American. They...

How can a three-dimensional model of a house be useful to the people constructing the house?

The biggest thing is seeing the depth/spacing of the entire house. I use to be an engineer in the corporate world.  So, we had all kinds of 2-D drawings of all the parts and assemblies we had. However, it really wasn't the 3-D drawings and constructions where we could get a real "feel" of how everything was coming together, going together, etc.  For instance, something could be wrong with the drawings.  Try to build the model; that flaw would be seen and, thus, be able to be taken care of before the actual thing was built. For instance, a drawing might show a door to be 4 feet wide.  However, once built, it may be shown that the door can't be 4 feet wide, given other conditions like some piping or wiring.  If you are building the actual house, you are looking at some drastic and costly modifications.  However, if the 3-D model is constructed, then a flaw can be found a lot earlier and, thus, save a lot of money. It could also give the construction people where they wo...