Notes

Mary is no victim. She is obviously a very resourceful and clever woman who was put in a very challenging situation. She may not be a victim, but her circumstances definitely made her react as if she were a cold blooded killer. In all, Mary would definitely be considered someone who could have become a victim of circumstances but, in a radical way, she chose not to become one.  The epithet "cold blooded" has its origins in the way that psychologists approximate the behavior of psychopaths  to that of someone who cannot be human-like. Since all of us are warm-blooded, a "cold blooded" individual would be, by definition, not normal; he or she is someone who stands out negatively. In the case of a psychopath, this cold blooded type of person has no empathy, or ability to bond, sympathize, or connect with others no conscience, or capacity to understand the rightness or wrongness in actions.  no mercy; a psychopath will hurt anyone, at any given time, without any care in...

Wang Meng is a prolific author who faced exile and censorship during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. His story, "The Kite Streamers," explores a variety of themes within this context, but personal identity and love are perhaps the strongest. The Cultural Revolution and Identity "The Kite Streamers" is a tale about the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The main characters struggle to come to terms with the various ways in which their beloved country has changed after the political revolution. While Mao promised progress at the beginning of the revolution, they soon feel the effects of violence, censorship and authoritarianism. Through the lens of the main characters, Wang explores the nature of the Chinese Cultural Revolution as it relates to personal identity. The author himself was exiled as a result of the revolution and forbidden to write during most of this time, which gives the story an intensely personal feel. Set against the backdrop of a nation in...

In the opening chapter of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, we learn that Brian is traveling in a Cessna 406, a type of bushplane, also spelled bush plane , to Canada to visit his father for the summer. Bush planes are private planes used to transport passengers and cargo to remote, rugged areas such as to the wilderness areas of Canada, Alaska, Africa, or Australia. They are great for landing on rugged terrain because they are designed for durability, to be able to land without long runways, and to be able to land on snow or water. Brian is traveling to Canada because his parents have recently divorced, and the judge has granted Brian's father "visitation rights" during the summers, whereas Brian would be staying with his mother during the school years. Brian was specifically heading to Canada because his father worked in the oil fields of Canada, having just developed a new drill bit: His father was a mechanical engineer who had designed or invented a new drill bit for ...

There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict Scout as a "tomboy." At the beginning of Chapter 3, Scout displays her tough, "tomboy" attitude by physically punishing Walter Cunningham for getting her into trouble earlier in the day. Scout says, " Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop " (Lee 16). Scout's decision to beat up Walter Cunningham was certainly not "ladylike" and displayed her "tomboy" personality.  In Chapter 4, Dill returns to Maycomb for the summer. Scout mentions that they were already bored the first day of summer and began to think of things to do. Scout says to Jem, " Let's roll in the tire " (Lee 24). After Scout gets the old car tire from under the house, she drags it to the front yard and says, " I'm first " (Lee 24).  Scout's suggestion and enthusiasm to roll in th...

In this poem, the speaker recalls a trip on a stagecoach. He explains how a young girl catches his attention. He wonders why she doesn't look outside and admire the scenery as a child typically would. She informs him that she is blind, and he finds this incredibly mournful. The girl's mother then explains how the girl simply lost her sight in the middle of the day. Depending upon your interpretation, the last two lines could apply to the child, the mother, or both. The sun shines on the mother as she relates this tragic tale, but her eyes receive no light. This would be metaphoric, meaning that she is so sad that her eyes cannot take in light, warmth, or solace. In the other case, the meaning is literal and/ or metaphorical. The sun shines on the girl as she speaks but her eyes receive no light because she is blind and cannot see the light. Metaphorically speaking, like the mother, the young girl gets no light, comfort, or warmth from the outside world. She might get comfort fr...

It is a pity that Piggy's attempts at being a leader are largely unsuccessful firstly, because of his appearance - he is overweight and wears glasses, secondly, he suffers from asthma and thirdly, he had been made fun of from the outset when the boys heard his nickname. Especially Jack's derision towards him encouraged the other boys and they mocked him. No one could respect him after that and even his most sincere attempts were seen as snivelling gripes only. As a leader, Piggy would have used a common-sense approach. He is clearly practical in his thinking. He is, for example, the one who, at the start, recognizes the practicality of the conch and suggests that Ralph use it to summon whoever else might be on the island. He also insists that it be respected and puts forward rules to that effect, as such, it becomes a symbol of order and discipline. Since Piggy is orientated towards rules and discipline, he would have formed a more functional society than the one Ralph and Jack...

The rude mechanicals plan to perform a play to entertain the duke and duchess before their wedding. Peter Quince insists that they meet in the woods in order to keep their play and aim secret. They have a difficult time with the rehearsal, dealing with incompetent actors and the transfiguration of the lead actor, Bottom, whose head turns into a donkey’s. He then disappears for the whole night. However, Bottom appears just in time and tells them, “our play is preferred.” The players are one of many groups to submit their act before the nobles. Theseus is eager to get into bed with his new wife and asks for some entertainment to distract him from his impatience: “Is there no play, / To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?” Philostrate gives a list of revels that Theseus can choose from. Theseus is unimpressed with most of the selection, but the actors’ bizarre description of their play catches his eye: “A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus / And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.” ...