Notes

The three men – J., George, and Harris – are discussing their own health issues. No one suffers from any real disease or crucial ailment. They’re all just feeling “seedy” or listless. J. launches into a story about his own tendencies toward hypochondria, although he doesn’t use this term. He once paged through a medical reference book and imagined that he had nearly every malady listed in it. In the present day, the friends also agree that they are overworked. We find out later that George works in a bank six days a week. But we never learn what J. and Harris do to make money. How could any one of them be stressed out from too much work? Already, their motivations are suspect. They seem to merely need to get away from the city for a short while, and to get a change of scenery. No, it’s doubtful that their problems are truly genuine. But the stage is set. Thus begins their humorous travelogue.

A strong case can be made that Marxist ideology played a critical role in shaping European culture, society, and politics. There can be a variety of answers to an open-ended question like this one. I believe that Marxist ideology played a vital role in shaping institutions in 19th century Europe because it caused people to reconsider capitalism.  As the 1800s began, capitalism was on the rise. Nations like England had taken to the factory system, clearly marking the shift from governmental Mercantilism and the cottage industry philosophy of economy. Governments started to embrace an approach that favored liberal economic growth. As a result of capitalist expansion, urbanization began to take hold of European societies. Cities became a consolidation of wealth and poverty, promise and blight. The very rich were set apart from the majority of the poor, as the class structure became an embedded part of 19th century European society.  Marxist ideology insisted upon examining these social, p...

Hamlet opens with an atmosphere of of gloom and foreboding. Not only has King Hamlet, Hamlet's father, died recently, the guards on duty at the castle are discussing  disquieting events with Horatio. The guards have seen the ghost of the dead King Hamlet, a disturbing enough situation, but beyond that, Marcellus notes that cannons are being made and shipwrights are building ships in "sweaty haste." Horatio informs Marcellus and the other guards that the rumor is that young Fortinbras, "of unimproved mettle, hot and full," is preparing to march on Denmark to regain the lands his father, who was slain in battle, lost to King Hamlet. Therefore, Denmark is readying itself for war. If being faced with an invading army were not enough, the Danish court itself is corrupt. People serve their own interests rather than the larger good of the country. Claudius, for example, has murdered his brother so he can become king, and courtiers like Polonius are more concerned with...

The conversation between Rikki-tikki and Chuchundra isn't long or deep, but I think it reveals two specific things about Rikki-tikki. The first thing the conversation reveals about Rikki-tikki is that he is a picky predator. In reality, a mongoose hunts a variety of prey, but in Kipling's story, Rikki-tikki is only concerned about hunting snakes. I believe Rikki-tikki hunts snakes in the story because he sees them as a threat to himself and his friends. Chuchundra isn't a threat to Rikki-tikki, so Rikki-tikki thinks Chuchundra's fears are unwarranted.   "Don't kill me," said Chuchundra, almost weeping. "Rikki-tikki, don't kill me!" "Do you think a snake-killer kills muskrats?" said Rikki-tikki scornfully. The second thing the conversation reveals about Rikki-tikki is that he is not afraid to use physical pain to extract information. "I didn't—so you must tell me. Quick, Chuchundra, or I'll bite you!" Rikki-tikki ju...

One way that readers understand the danger posed to Jerry at the "wild and rocky bay" is through Lessing's word choice. Once Jerry gains some independence from his mother and goes to his own beach, he spies "inlets of rough, sharp rock," and says the choppy surface of the water looked like "stains of purple and darker blue." Words like rough and sharp sound painful, and stains of purple and blue sound like a description of bruises, which are also painful. As Jerry swims out further, he sees "rocks [that] lay like discolored monsters under the surface," and "irregular cold currents from the deep water shocked his limbs." The simile that compares rocks on the bottom of the ocean floor to strange monsters is certainly ominous and concerning, conveying a sense of the danger here. Further, that Jerry's body can be "shocked" by unforeseen cold currents also implies a danger and lack of predictability on this beach.

In Chapter 11, Scout asks her father what the term "nigger-lover" means. Atticus tells Scout that it is a term that really doesn't mean anything, similar to the term "snot-nose." Atticus goes on to say that ignorant people use it when they feel that somebody is favoring Negroes over themselves. Atticus also says it is never an insult to be called something that somebody thinks is a bad name because it says more about the person and doesn't hurt you. I would agree with Atticus' statement concerning derogatory comments and insults. I do believe that insulting comments are a reflection of the person who says them. In regards to racial slurs, I believe that they significantly reflect the person's character when spoken. I also agree with Atticus when he says that ignorant individuals use derogatory terms. However, I do not agree with his assessment that insults do not hurt others. Insults can be hurtful and many people take offense to them. 

After World War II, the communists, led by Mao Zedong had many advantages. They controlled the important areas of eastern China and around a quarter of the land.  A very important strategy that Mao Zedong utilized was to win favor with the peasants, which were an overwhelming majority of the population.  He promised that he would create reforms that would improve their lives.  For this reason, Mao was extremely popular.  Unemployment and other economic difficulties in Nationalist-controlled areas were making their leader, Chiang Kai-Shek equally unpopular.   So with popular sentiment on the side of Mao, he planned and coordinated a very cautious strategy to win the war.  He would concede land to the nationalists in instances where his forces were outnumbered.  In this way, he was able to preserve the number of troops fighting for him rather than wasting them in battles they could not win.  Support, in the form of weapons from the Soviet Union, was also an important advantage that Mao h...