Why couldn't the horse have anything to do with Maurad, Aram, or any other member of their family in "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse"?

The horse could have nothing to do with the Garoghlanian family because they have a reputation for honesty.
When Mourad shows up with the white horse, Aram is stunned. He believes that the horse couldn't have anything to do with his cousin, himself, or his other family members. This is because the reputation of their family is one of poverty but honesty. He says the family is first proud, then honest, then believes in right and wrong. It's what they're known for. No one would ever think that any of the Garoghlanians would steal a horse.
When the horse's owner sees the horse with the Garoghlanian family, he believes in their honest reputation so much that he accepts that it's a different horse. He says that he looks with his heart instead of his eyes.

While the beautiful white horse showed up mysteriously, there was never an assumption that anyone had stolen it or done anything nefarious to acquire it. The Garoghlanian family is extremely poor, but it is still never assumed that they had done anything unlawful to get the horse with them. They are well known for their honesty and trust, and because of this, the whole region has confidence in them and would trust them if they said they did not take the horse. Additionally, the parents of the family knew nothing of the horse, it was the boys who brought it to their attention, and so people rightfully assume that the horse was not stolen and had simply wandered off. It was a fortunate accident that the horse ended up on their property.

To what extent do women in Duffy’s poems conform to or challenge gender stereotypes?

Carol Ann Duffy's poems touch on awareness and its searing effects on love and the personal spaces they inhabit. Through her poetry, these realities come to life where they would otherwise remain hidden, allowing readers to crawl into the tight, uncomfortable spaces of thought and feeling. These are made possible by her faithful use of monologues. The women in Duffy's poems exist very well within the gender constraints of their time. As such, they are already steeped in their own conformity. It is their very awareness of their reality that makes their subversions gain power.
The poem, "Woman Seated in the Underground, 1941," was written after a sketch of Henry Moore where a woman sits in a tunnel separate from a line of people far behind. It is a scene from a World War II bombing raid. Duffy dives straight into this confined, smoke-filled space and makes the persona speak as she seeks freedom from the situation through her assessment of her immediate reality:

I forget. I have looked at the other faces and found / no memory, no love.

She is still recoiling from the blast and could not remember whether she was married or alone. She could not even remember her own name. All she could grasp is the fact that she is with child. Here, we see how she is very much in touch with her gender role as a mother, despite failing to remember anything else, even her own identity. This way of presenting the psyche of the woman reflects how internalized her gender role is, and how it exists superior to her own sense of self (her own name).
We see more of her feeling lost inside as she clings to the memory of things that define her (and define women within the virgin-whore dichotomy, in general):

I have either lost my ring or I am / a loose woman.

In trying to gather 'pieces' of herself, she inadvertently gathers what defines a woman during her time for everyone to see: a husband, a child, the memory of knitting, a home. She then wills herself to act and decides to emancipate herself from her situation. Here, we see her attempt at agency, however, she is still very much trapped within the small space created by gender stereotypes:

In a moment, I shall stand up and scream until / somebody helps me.

In contrast to this, the poem, "Standing Female Nude" opens with the persona's terse grasp of her work as a nude model:

Six hours like this for a few francs.

Immediately, we are brought into the perspective of the female on a pedestal. From the moment she speaks, she asserts power—despite her constraints. This is a powerful image in itself, as it reflects the double standards placed on women in upholding beauty and purity, and how easily they can 'fall from grace' with so much as a misstep. The male painter's eyes are on her as he directs her only to recreate her:

Belly nipple arse in the window light,he drains the colour from me. Further to the right,Madame. And do try to be still.

In a way, the persona aware of being under scrutiny is a direct commentary on the female experience under the light of the male gaze. It touches on the role of woman as muse, the object of scrutiny, and visual pleasure subject to control and consumption. The persona then goes on to mention that much will happen beyond her, beyond this moment:

I shall be represented analytically and hungin great museums. The bourgeoisie will cooat such an image of a river-whore. They call it Art.

This is where Duffy juxtaposes concern over the technical aspects of art and its bureaucracies with the female model's immediate, basic concern:

He is concerned with volume, space. / I with the next meal.

The power of the woman in this poem lies in her possession of her own gaze. Her wanton disregard for art and its trifling details strips it of its power over her. Even as she is subjected to the demands of the painter, her thoughts remain untouched, uncontrolled. Moreover, beyond her work as muse on a pedestal, she leaps over the stiff notions of female virtue and purity as she "fill[s] [her]self with wine and dance[s] around the bars.”
In the end, she reclaims power over her own likeness when, seeing the man's finished work, she opines:

It does not look like me.

The work of the Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy frequently subverts stereotypes about traditional gender roles by encouraging readers to approach topics in new ways.
For instance, in "Anne Hathaway," Duffy takes up the point of view of William Shakespeare's wife, speaking about the bed she shared with her husband, which he referred to in his will as his "second-best bed." In Duffy's account, Hathaway has an active, rich imagination and contributed to the inspiration for Shakespeare's work, but her contribution was devalued by men.
In Duffy's poem "Valentine," she subverts the romantic expectations about love between men and women. The speaker of the poem gives her lover an "onion," which brings tears, instead of a symbol of love like a red rose or a satin heart, and describes her love as being "lethal" and stinging like a knife. Instead of being passive and courted, the speaker of the poem is active, threatening, and even violent.
In poems like these, Duffy challenges conventional attitudes about gender, as well as traditional beliefs about love and relationships.

How does Kincaid use humor to indicate conflict in “Girl”?

This story by Jamaica Kincaid, published in The New Yorker in 1978, consists mainly of a monologue from mother to daughter (presumably), though the daughter does respond twice to her mother's litany of admonitions.
The admonitions are a stream of consciousness of what to do and what not to do; the overall lack of organization of the thoughts and the unnecessarily rough language do add elements of humor. The mother clearly wants her daughter to both acquire life skills that a woman needs to navigate the world successfully and maintain a reputation as a proper woman; this is humorously obvious when she intersperses her instructions with multiple warnings to avoid being "the slut I have warned you against becoming." There are gentler ways to make the same point, but the mother's blunt language could be read as creating humor.
The daughter's interjection, "but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?" is answered in a harsh yet humorous way when her mother demands to know, "you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?" It is the mother's way of trying to instill confidence and agency into her daughter, and the words she chooses are challenging. The daughter will have to be tough to live up to her mother's expectations.

First, it is important to identify the conflict in Jamaica Kincaid's essay-monologue, "Girl." The monologue is written from the perspective of a mother and is addressed to her young daughter.
The tone of the monologue is meant to be austere, because it is a lecture. However, Kincaid uses humor to show the awkwardness of the mother discussing the topic of sex, which is a theme that dominates the monologue. Therefore, the conflict is a clash of generational principles. The mother represents conservative values from her generation.
The young daughter represents the newer generation, which, according to the mother's opinion, is prone to promiscuity. However, when the narrator tries to articulate the topic of sex and becoming a proper, respectable woman, she uses euphemisms to offset the awkwardness of discussing such topics with a young daughter. This is one of the comedic effects of Kincaid's chosen style of narration. The humor also shows the intimate but complex dynamics between a parent and a child.

How much of his father, Heathcliff, is in Linton's personality?

On the face of it, Linton doesn't seem to have much in common with his old man. He's weak, irritable, effeminate, and with his pallid complexion looks more like his Uncle Edgar than Heathcliff. It's certainly hard to imagine that such an unimpressive specimen could ever have been the fruit of Heathcliff's over-active loins.
Nevertheless, Linton is Heathcliff's son whether he likes it or not (and he clearly doesn't). Having forcibly taken him to be raised at Wuthering Heights, he proceeds to treat him abominably, making it clear to this "puling chicken" that he's singularly unfit to be his son. For most of us, it's difficult to imagine what goes through the mind of someone who'd treat their own flesh and blood this way. But what seems to motivate Heathcliff's cruelty is a kind of jealousy towards Linton for having the kind of secure, mollycoddled upbringing that he never had. And so Heathcliff intends to give Linton a taste of the harshness that he himself endured during his own abusive childhood.
The fact that there's virtually nothing of Heathcliff in Linton illustrates one of the book's themes: the importance of environmental factors in raising children. Heathcliff had a short, nasty, and throughly brutish childhood, and look how he turned out. Whereas Linton grew up in a sheltered, overprotected environment which has created the kind of delicate boy that Heathcliff dismisses contemptuously as no son of his.

How is Poe similar to and different from Wordsworth?

The two authors certainly have their artistic differences, so let's start there.
Edgar Allan Poe's tone in his works is almost always dark, and he almost always touches on death in some way. In "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator witnesses the death of an old childhood friend at the hands of his sister, who has possibly been buried alive—or returned from the dead. In "The Raven," the narrator longs for the presence of his deceased Lenore. In "Annabel Lee," the speaker lies at the side of his beloved's grave since he can no longer be with her. In "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe creates an unreliable narrator who conveys the details of why he murdered an old man. The stories and poems are chilling, often reflecting a side of humanity that is unstable or dangerous.
In contrast, Wordsworth mostly focuses on things of beauty and lasting significance. In "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," the speaker conveys how a simple field of daffodils brightens his mood on challenging days. In "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge," Wordsworth praises the tranquil beauty of London in the early morning. In "My Heart Leaps up when I Behold," Wordsworth conveys the delight that a rainbow brings him. Although he does touch on other emotions in his poetry, overall the feelings are real and sincere, unlike the shocking sense of horror that Poe often elicits.
Both men contributed to the Romantic movement. Poe focused on the ideas of the supernatural, love, evil, and loss; Wordsworth is considered the father of the movement and chose nature, childhood, memory, and the power of the mind in his content. However, both reflect a movement away from the rational thinking of the Age of Enlightenment. Both men sought, instead, to explore the imaginative powers of the human mind and the emotional responses that varying topics could elicit.

What Techniques Does Hemingway Use to Tell This Story?

As early as the 1920s, motion pictures had an strong influence on novelists and short story writers. Some of Ernest Hemingway’s stories are like movies—which explains why so many were adapted to movies. The same was true for Dashiell Hammett, who wrote in an objective way and relied heavily on dialogue to convey exposition. His novel The Maltese Falcon was made into movies three times. When a movie opens—that is, when the camera "fades in"—there is usually no explanation of the problem, the setting, or anything else. There may be a so-called “establishing shot.” For instance, if the story takes place in Paris you will see the Eiffel Tower and know you are in Paris. If it takes place in New York you are likely to see a lot of skyscrapers. Movies usually can only show people doing things in outdoor or indoor settings and talking to each other. The viewer has to pick up information from the actors’ dialogue. Sometimes there is a "voice-over" narrator, which is equivalent to prose exposition in a story; but movie makers do not like voice-over narrators. "Hills Like White Elephants" opens with the equivalent of an "establishing shot":
The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun.
This is description, not exposition. Hemingway tried to avoid straight prose exposition because it makes the author intrusive and at the same time distances the reader from the characters.

Why does Amanda save Maniac from Mars Bar and his gang?

I recommend starting to look for the answer to this question in chapter 10. Maniac has just escaped from McNab and his goons by running into the East End, but Maniac is hardly safe. Mars Bar confronts Maniac, and the scuffle that ensues leads to a page being torn out of the book that Amanda loaned to Maniac a bit earlier. Maniac isn't sure what to do about the book, so he begins to wander around. Mars confronts Maniac again, but this time he has backup.

"Hey, fishbelly!" He stopped, turned. This time Mars Bar wasn't alone. A handful of other kids trailed him down the sidewalk.

Fortunately for Maniac, Amanda shows up, and she immediately sees that her book has been defaced. She asks who tore her book, and Mars Bar tries to blame Maniac. Amanda doesn't believe it for a second.

Mars Bar pointed at Maniac. "He did."Amanda knew better. "You ripped my book."Mars Bar's eyes went big as headlights. "I did not!""You did. You lie."

Amanda is so enraged that Mars tore her book and one of her favorite pages that she starts kicking Mars Bar in his favorite shoes. She must be something fierce to watch because Mars Bar bolts out of there, and everybody laughs at his expense. I don't really believe that Amanda saves Maniac because she saw him in trouble. I believe that she confronted Mars Bar out of anger, and saving Maniac happened to be a fortuitous coincidence.

She grabbed the book and started kicking Mars Bar in his beloved sneakers. "I got a little brother and a little sister that crayon all over my books, and I got a dog that eats them and poops on them and that'sjust inside my own family, and I'm not—gonna have nobody—else messin'—with my books! You understand?"

Amanda rescues Maniac from Mars Bar for two main reasons. First, she already knows him from their earlier meeting, when she loaned him one of her books. During that meeting, Maniac showed excitement about Amanda's books, which are her most prized possessions. That shared excitement toward books made her trust Maniac enough to lend him a book. Although she wasn't sure what she should think about a white boy on the black side of town, she felt she could trust Maniac.
The second and main reason she rescues Maniac from Mars Bar is that Mars Bar tore the book she had loaned Maniac. While she interrupts the moment because she sees Maniac, she becomes angry when she notices a page has been torn out of her book. She knows Mars Bar tore the page, and she kicks him, saving Maniac—not just because she wants to save Maniac, but because she refuses to let anyone harm her books.

What is the significance of the view from Gregor’s window?

In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, protagonist Gregor Samsa famously wakes up as a giant beetle. On the first day that Gregor wakes up, he looks out the window and both sees the rain and hears it on the metal window ledge. He notices the dreary view from the window before he even notices his transformation. As he looks out the window, Gregor also thinks about how he fears his boss and hates his job. The metal fixture on the window represents the post-industrial age that Gregor inhabits and corresponds to the fact that he feels alienated and exploited at his job.
The view from the window is one which features a gray sky and gray earth, which is symbolic of Gregor’s pre-transformation disposition. After he becomes a beetle, Gregor notices that he can no longer look out the window with the same perspective (i.e., he cannot stand up). This suggests the uniquely tragic circumstance in which Gregor finds himself; he never particularly enjoyed the view outside, though now, as a beetle, Gregor is robbed even of this despondent view. Nevertheless, he continues to look out the window, which is symbolic as a means of escape (if only a mental escape).
Affirming the window’s symbolism as an escape is that Gregor’s family members flock to it at various points in the novel. In particular, Gregor’s mother runs to the window when she is in his room, despite the fact that it is cold out. Likewise, Gregor’s sister opens the window to prevent herself from feeling suffocated. Both are trying to cope with Gregor’s transformation, and the window is a crutch for them. The fact that Gregor only looks out of the window while the others open it symbolizes Gregor’s extreme level of entrapment. He is physically trapped and demoralized in his condition as a beetle.

Please explain the difference between primary sources, secondary sources, and tertiary sources. Please explain the advantages and disadvantages of using each of these types of sources. Please explain why many historians do not use tertiary sources in their research.

Primary and secondary sources are essential to capturing the spirit of an age and understanding the dynamics that were at play during a certain period of time. However, as historians, we avoid the use of tertiary sources, as they simply do not tell the full story.
Primary Sources
A primary source is what it sounds like - the primary or first source. For instance, when you read the diary of a Civil War soldier, written on the battlefield, you are reading a primary source. Other primary sources include speeches, government documents, research notes, memoirs, works of art, and even song lyrics.
Primary sources benefit historians because they are not polluted by anyone's interpretation of the document. For instance, the Declaration of Independence, read straight from the source, has no one else's opinion attached to it. It is simply the primary source and can offer valuable information regarding the time in which it was written, the selection of the words, and - if you've ever seen it - the true scale of John Hancock's signature.
The disadvantage of a primary source is that it can be difficult to understand what is being said and what the writer meant by their choice of words. If you are unfamiliar with the time period or the author, it can be difficult to understand everything that's going on in the document.
Not only that, but primary sources may be in a language you are unfamiliar with (German, French, Latin, Greek, etc.) or may be difficult to read even if they are written in your native language. People's handwriting was so different even a couple of centuries back that some people find it nearly impossible to read the script.
Secondary Sources
A secondary source analyzes primary sources and often restates what we know from primary sources. Essentially, someone has done the hard stuff for you: translating, interpreting, and referencing other works to support the ideas of the secondary source's author, which are the largest benefits of using secondary sources.
The biggest disadvantage of a secondary source is that it has been interpreted by someone else. Their ideas might be biased in order to support their previous research, or they may have missed an important detail found in a primary source.
Some examples of secondary sources include biographies, literature reviews, historical studies, and scientific reviews of studies that don't include new research.
Taken together, primary and secondary sources make for a fantastic combination in historical research - they offer direct-from-the-source information (primary sources) and interpretation that allows us to see what other people have discovered before us (secondary sources).
Tertiary Sources
Examples of tertiary sources include textbooks, almanacs, or encyclopedias. Historians do not tend to use these sources because they do not tell the whole story. Instead, tertiary sources provide an overview of information that's convenient, easy-to-read, and accessible to just about any education level.
While tertiary sources are essential to classroom settings, they don't add information to the body of research - one of the main goals for historians.

A primary source gives you a firsthand account of an event, subject, or person. It can also refer to a piece of art or time period. A primary source can be a document or piece of writing, like a journal or diary. It can involve an interview, a letter of correspondence, or even an email. A primary source is created by a person that experienced the topic you are researching. We were not there when the Declaration of Independence was signed, but we have records of those who were so we know what it was like based on their experience. An advantage of using a primary source is that you’re getting a firsthand account of someone who lived during that time. A disadvantage would be that they have a narrow view of the event because they haven’t had time to study it from different angles. If you choose to use primary sources, make sure you use a wide variety so that you know you have a complete outlook of your topic.
A secondary source uses primary sources to discuss, analyze, and evaluate the topic discussed in the primary source. A historian can use multiple primary sources to show an interpretation of how and why that event occurred. They can analyze who was there, why they were there, and what their thoughts were on the topic. A secondary source uses primary sources to interpret an event, person, or subject. An advantage to using secondary sources is that you can see a broader outlook on the topic. The secondary source can give you multiple views from multiple primary sources, which allows you to see a bigger picture. A disadvantage to secondary sources is that they often only use parts and pieces of primary sources, meaning that they may miss a fact or counterargument, which would then change their entire interpretation.
Tertiary sources bring together a wide range of reference materials, including primary and secondary sources. They summarize topics and can include directories, encyclopedias, as well as manuals and dictionaries. Many historians use tertiary sources to find a preliminary point of reference, but they won’t site them because tertiary sources do not credit their authors and therefore, can’t always be proven. As a historian, you can use tertiary sources to help you find other primary and secondary sources, but once you get going on your topic, you tend to leave tertiary sources behind.

Primary sources offer empirical evidence concerning various historical events. One advantage of primary sources is that they help readers to be empathetic because they analyze heuristic accounts of events. Furthermore, primary sources are useful in developing critical thinking skills, as they need one to examine them thoughtfully and make inferences. A disadvantage of primary sources is that the information provided is not analyzed and it can be time-consuming to interpret it. In addition, primary sources can have a one-sided view of a particular event. Scholars who lack the first-hand experience of historical events create secondary sources.
Secondary sources come in the form of books, articles, and encyclopedias. An advantage of secondary sources is they are resource-efficient because information has already been collected, analyzed, and compiled in different formats. Moreover, secondary sources give one a chance to evaluate different types of information and arguments on the same topic. The disadvantage of using secondary sources is that they can be expensive. Even more, there could be quality concerns if the person analyzing the information does not agree with the data collection methods.
Tertiary sources organize, compile, and summarize other reference materials. Examples of tertiary sources include dictionaries, directories, and manuals. One the advantages of tertiary sources is that they are less time-consuming to analyze as they summarize both secondary and primary data. Even more, tertiary sources are mostly free and available online. One disadvantage of using tertiary sources is that authors are not credited, which makes it difficult to determine the credibility of the resources. Also, tertiary sources can have limited information regarding a particular subject. Many historians do not use tertiary sources because they do not advance specific arguments, and most of the information provided must be verified using primary and secondary data.

What is the theme of Number the Stars?

Bravery is an important theme in the story, both individual bravery and collective bravery. Over the course of the book, Annemarie matures considerably, growing into a strong, courageous person able to stand up for what she believes. At first, she's somewhat fearful, as we can well imagine. Life under Nazi occupation was hard at the best of times, but Annemarie has an additional reason to be worried on account of her friendship with a Jewish girl called Ellen. If the Nazis discover that Annemarie's family is harboring a Jew then they'll find themselves in serious danger. Yet despite this, Annemarie knows that protecting Ellen is the right thing to do, and she digs deep within herself to find the necessary courage to help Ellen and her family escape from the Nazis.
The collective bravery of the Danish people is also much in evidence throughout the story. Numerous people risk their lives to protect Jewish folk from the Nazis and help them escape. Uncle Henrik uses his fishing boat for just such a purpose. It's a hugely risky business, and he could be caught at any time, but like Annemarie, he knows it's the right thing to do and carries on regardless.

What are the themes in The War of the Worlds?

Nineteenth-century science fiction often focuses upon man's ability to achieve things beyond the scope of what had been thought possible in the pre-technological, pre-industrial age. Jules Verne, for instance, presents fantastic scenarios that extend both outward, to space (in From the Earth to the Moon), inward (Journey to the Center of the Earth), and everywhere, so to speak, in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. H. G. Wells's fiction, while continuing these predictions of achievement, generally has much darker themes than that of Verne. In The War of the Worlds, the principal idea is that of humanity's vulnerability, his weakness in the face of a "futuristic" technology, but one in the hands of ruthless and (at first) seemingly all-powerful aliens.
The message in Wells is not only one focusing on the possibility of humanity's destruction, but also one that debunks the traditional notion of humanity as the "center" of the universe, presumably the only intelligent being in creation. The implication, although a secondary one, is that humanity can destroy itself if it eventually comes to possess the kind of technology the aliens have. Within less than twenty years of his writing The War of the Worlds, poison gas came to be used by the European powers in World War I. This is essentially the same thing as the "black smoke" Wells depicts the Martians using to wipe out humans. Much has been discussed about Wells's novel as an allegory of European imperialism, and there is some truth in this. However, in my view, it is more the general theme of the exposed, essentially defenseless nature of any beings that his novel centers upon. The aliens herd and feed off of humans in the same way humans herd and feed off of animals.
Though Wells's emphasis is different from that of his predecessor Verne, the earlier writer also expresses the darker concept of the potential ruthlessness and amorality that seems to go hand in hand with intelligence and technology. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Captain Nemo is a megalomaniac, viewing himself as possessing a kind of godlike power over other men. In The War of the Worlds, it's the aliens who appear to have the godlike power until they are brought down by nature, by the microorganisms to which they have no immunity. It is a completely random outcome, perhaps meant by Wells as emblematic of the overall randomness that governs the world, in spite of humanity's pretensions to being in control of our fate.

What were the prevailing ideas of American freedom at the end of the last century?

Understandings and views of freedom change over time, and sometimes it is difficult to speak of a "prevailing" concept of freedom, because the concept is identity-based as well. By the end of the twentieth century, individual, personal freedoms were paramount for many Americans.
Late in the twentieth century, this was expressed in many different ways. Reagan-era conservatism was steeped in the rhetoric of individualism and focused on the ability of a person (or a business) to work and spend and invest their money in any way they saw fit. Government interference and regulation was portrayed as a violation of these freedoms.
On the other hand, many people historically deprived of opportunity—women and minorities in particular—demanded that the government establish regulations in order to level the societal playing field. For them, only the government could protect their fundamental freedom as an economic actor. For many people, freedom consisted in equality of access to education and other institutions. Without access, they argued, there could be no meaningful freedom. So, at the end of the twentieth century, a longstanding debate continued placing individual liberty against a freedom based on equality of opportunity. Freedom at the end of the twentieth century was, as it has always been, a contested proposition.
http://digitalhistory.hsp.org/pafrm/essay/contested-history-american-freedom

The idea of freedom means different things to different people, but most Americans would agree that freedom is the ability to do, think, act or speak however one likes, as long as doing so does not cause harm to others. I believe the prevailing ideas of freedom at the end of the last century would be very similar to today's idea had it not been for the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Since then, many politicians have told the public that it is necessary to give up some of our personal freedoms in order to protect the country as a whole. In fact, some law makers go so far as to speculate that the real reason for the war on terror is to protect American freedom. This argument has since been used to justify any number of bad decisions, such as increased border security and American involvement in conflicts in other nations, such as Afghanistan.

What is the theme of the poem "The Whorehouse in a Calcutta Street," written by Jayanta Mahapatra?

The most significant theme of this poem, I think, has to do with its depiction of sex workers as individuals with identities that exist outside of the work that they do. There is a temptation for those who visit brothels to think of the women who work there as existing only for their pleasure, as though these women simply wait, naked and willing, for them to arrive so that they can come to life. The speaker seems to mimic, even mock, these thoughts in the first few lines:

Walk right in. It is yours.Where the house smiles wryly into the lighted street. Think of the women you wished to know and haven't.

However, the speaker points out the "secret moonlight of the women" and the fact that their conversation with clients is "false chatter" because they are really thinking of their children, their homes, and their own lives rather than the sexual pleasure they will provide for the men who pay them. The women may feign pleasure, but they are really concerned with other, more mundane, things. These men "miss them in the house's dark spaces" and fail to see these women as individuals, as people with dignity and hope. This is perhaps symbolized by "the far edge of the rainbow" that they feel "faint[ly]" in the centers of their beings.

In "The Whorehouse in a Calcutta Street" Mahapatra challenges the dominant notion in society, which sees prostitutes as somehow subhuman. Mahapatra wants us to realize that, although the women portrayed in the poem may be society's outcasts, they're still human beings, with all the same hopes, dreams, fears, and emotions as anyone else.
The prevailing double standard permits men to seek sexual pleasure with prostitutes but damns prostitutes for providing that pleasure. Those men who cross the threshold of the bordello are only thinking of themselves and their needs; they don't stop to consider that most of the prostitutes they visit are mothers, eager to return home and be with their children. Indeed, the women who work at the brothel are only able to give pleasure to the men precisely because they have left their families at home to go out to work.
In portraying women who sell themselves as living, breathing human beings, Mahapatra is generating an alternative narrative to the one created by society, which licenses men to treat prostitutes as nothing more than pleasure-givers.

What does the tear in Sir Patrick's eye reveal in "Sir Patrick Spens"?

The tear reveals that Sir Patrick is not happy or optimistic about the mission he's been asked to undertake.
When Sir Patrick Spens first reads the letter from the King, he laughs. The notion of sailing to Norway in a dangerous season for such a voyage is ridiculous to him. After he has a moment to process the request, his eyes are blinded with tears. He's sure that the mission won't be good for him; he doesn't believe he'll make it home safely.
He wonders who suggested him for the trip and wishes they hadn't done so. Still, he decides that he has to do as the King of Scotland requests. He's going to sail to Norway and retrieve the daughter of the Norwegian King. The winter sea may be dangerous, but he will not refuse the royal command.

How does The Great Gatsby reflect or challenge the argument from Steinbeck's essay "Paradox and Dream"? Provide quotes from The Great Gatsby for support.

"Paradox and Dream" is an essay by John Steinbeck in which he points out the contradictions in the beliefs and behaviors of Americans. He discusses politics, gender roles, belief systems, money, and self-reliance. The Great Gatsby is a novel about a man who exemplifies the American spirit of individuality, risk, and wealth as well as the ability to rise from a place of poverty to power.
Gatsby is a romantic who is sure he can recreate the past just as it was—who thinks he can control outcomes but who can't enjoy his own parties. He is a paradoxical character who is ruthlessly ambitious yet soft-hearted. He is tied to the past but careening toward to the future in a new age of jazz, liquor, fast cars, and possibly independent women.
Steinbeck's assessment of Americans as paradoxical—claiming self-reliance but losing the ability to do things for themselves each decade—is supported by the carefree but pointless lives of Jay Gatsby's friends in The Great Gatsby. Examples of how Gatsby contradicts himself also show up in his mysterious dealings, his facade of respectability that hides shady commerce, and his discomfort in portraying himself honestly. He seems to be pretending, but he does believe in a dream and in possibilities. He is making it up as he goes along, but he clings to a philosophy that sounds reasoned.
Gatsby often uses the phrase "old sport" to portray himself as someone from old money, while it is clear to Nick (the narrator) and the reader that he has gotten his wealth in recent years. In this way, he creates a pretense, but Nick can't tell what Gatsby's motivation is. Like Americans, Gatsby has it all but still wants more: he wants a reputation, a tradition, and a connection with the past.
Gatsby shows Nick a medal to prove he fought in the war, but Nick still finds it odd and wonders if it's true. As Gatsby hands the medallion to Nick, he says, "That's the one from Montenegro." The evidence of the metal still doesn't quite convince Nick.
Like the Americans Steinbeck dissects, Gatsby is future-oriented and believes he can make dreams come true. He watches a green light across the water (symbolizing love, money, or Daisy, depending on the interpretation) and Nick comments,

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then.

Steinbeck is commenting on Americans in the 1940s, but not much has changed since the setting of The Great Gatsby in the 1920s. Americans still put on a show that they seem to deeply believe in, flout their practicality while running after money and status. There is a mythical quality in the American imagination, in being better than we actually are. Gatsby embodies this myth and suffers the consequences when the dream is overtaken by reality.

In "Remember," what is the effect of compressing such a heavy topic (death and remembrance) into a sonnet?

In Christina Rossetti's sonnet "Remember," the speaker asks the addressee of the poem to remember her after she is dead, unless remembering should be too painful. It is a sad poem about two lovers being separated by death and about the pain consequent of their separation. This is indeed a rather profound topic to explore in just fourteen lines.
One effect of writing about this subject in just fourteen lines is that the language is rather simple and direct. The speaker doesn't digress or indulge in unravelling complex images, but, because she only has fourteen lines, expresses herself simply and directly. For example, the opening line, "Remember me when I am gone away," is at once plain and plaintive, in large part because of its simplicity.
Because the poem is so short, the imagery that Rossetti employs is also simple and suggestive. For example, in the third line, we have the image of the two lovers holding hands, and in the second line we have the metaphorical image of "the silent land," which serves as a euphemism for death. The simplicity of the first image derives from the fact that it is also a universally recognized image that everybody can easily and quickly empathize with. The second image is less immediately accessible, but is still nonetheless a rather simple, suggestive image which immediately connotes the emptiness and desolation of death.
Also, because the poem is only fourteen lines, it is more accessible and thus more widely read than it might otherwise have been. It is likely, for example, that more people have read "Remember" than have read one of Rossetti's other famous, much longer poems, "Goblin Market." Thus, one effect of writing such a short poem is simply that it has become more widely read than it might otherwise have been.

What symbolism is shown in Venus and Adonis by Shakespeare?

The most important symbol in William Shakespeare’s poem is the purple-and-white flower that is mentioned in the fourth stanza from the end. This flower stands for Adonis’s blood and skin, as Venus explains. The poem is a retelling of the classical myth that explains the origin of this flower, traditionally considered to be the anemone. Most of the other symbolism is closely related to this specific one. Flowers figure throughout the poem. Color symbolism of white and red or purple is also consistently applied. Birds also appear with symbolic associations, sometimes in conjunction with color; this is especially the case for white doves. Whiteness, in addition to purity, may stand for the pallor of death. The wounds of love are also associated with death.
The final flower association, to which the others lead, is:

And in his blood that on the ground lay spill'd,
A purple flower sprung up, chequer'd with white,
Resembling well his pale cheeks and the blood
Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood.

From the poem’s beginning, Shakespeare clearly establishes the precedent for the symbolism of the purple and white flower, and of the flower and color symbolism more generally. In the first lines, he refers to sunrise as the sun’s purple face, and he mentions Adonis’s rose-colored cheeks. Upon first seeing Adonis, Venus calls him the best flower in the field, saying his complexion is whiter than doves and redder than roses.

Even as the sun with purple-colour'd face
Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,
Rose-cheek'd Adonis hied him to the chase;
Hunting he loved, but love he laugh'd to scorn;
Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him,
And like a bold-faced suitor 'gins to woo him.
'Thrice-fairer than myself,' thus she began,
'The field's chief flower, sweet above compare,
Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man,
More white and red than doves or roses are.

Venus is intent on having Adonis as her lover, but he only wants to hunt. The poet draws a parallel between her pursuit of the youth and his of the boar, but the hunt does not strictly speaking symbolize sex. Both are manifestations of strong passion. In describing Adonis’s appearance as he flees from Venus, the poet again uses the white and red color symbols.

Still is he sullen, still he lours and frets,
'Twixt crimson shame and anger ashy-pale:
Being red, she loves him best; and being white,
Her best is better'd with a more delight.

Venus’s unfulfilled passion is symbolized by the clashing colors in her complexion: white, which is a common symbol of purity, or pale; and red, for passion, here symbolized by fire. His cheek, as she touches it, is white as snow.

To note the fighting conflict of her hue,
How white and red each other did destroy!
But now her cheek was pale, and by and by
It flash'd forth fire, as lightning from the sky.
Now was she just before him as he sat,
And like a lowly lover down she kneels;
With one fair hand she heaveth up his hat,
Her other tender hand his fair cheek feels:
His tenderer cheek receives her soft hand's print,
As apt as new-fall'n snow takes any dint.

His association with virginity or lack of sexual desire is emphasized by repeated use of white as different shades and manifestations: lily, snow, ivory, alabaster, and the closely associated silver. The flower association is present in calling him a lily. Here the birds are doves or love birds.

Full gently now she takes him by the hand,
A lily prison'd in a gaol of snow,
Or ivory in an alabaster band;
So white a friend engirts so white a foe:
This beauteous combat, wilful and unwilling,
Show'd like two silver doves that sit a-billing.

When she tempts him to love, he disdains it and compares it to death.

“My love to love is love but to disgrace it;
For I have heard it is a life in death,
That laughs and weeps, and all but with a breath.”

As he continues resistant and is determined to hunt, she warns him that it will prove fatal. Indeed it does; the “angry chafing boar” kills him. The color and flower associations, including the white lily, appear in describing his dead body and blood after the boar gores him. Her eyes “threw . . . light,” or saw

Upon the wide wound that the boar had trench'd
In his soft flank; whose wonted lily white
With purple tears, that his wound wept, was drench'd:
No flower was nigh, no grass, herb, leaf, or weed,
But stole his blood and seem'd with him to bleed.

These also prefigure the final mention of the white and purple flower, quoted above. She picks the newly sprung flower and swears to kiss it every day, thinking of him. They she flies off with her silver doves, now symbolizing the dead youth’s spirit.

Thus weary of the world, away she hies,
And yokes her silver doves; by whose swift aid
Their mistress mounted through the empty skies
In her light chariot quickly is convey'd.
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/Poetry/VenusAndAdonis.html

What role does Cassandra assume in the play Agamemnon?

Cassandra is the daughter of the Trojan King Priam. She was a priestess of Apollo and Apollo gave her the gift of true prophecy but when she refused to sleep with him, cursed her so that even though she always spoke the truth, she would never be believed. When the Greeks conquered Troy, she was taken as a war prize (i.e. seized and raped) first by Ajax and then by Agamemnon.

She has two roles in the play. First, her presence inflames Clytemnestra's sense of mistreatment. After Agamemnon killed their daughter Iphigenia and spent ten years away at Troy, he now returns home accompanies by a pretty young woman, Cassandra, something his neglected wife does not appreciate. Second, in a dramatic scene with the chorus, Cassandra foretells the death of Agamemnon and her own death, and suggests that the death of Clytemnestra with avenge both of their deaths.

From a literary perspective, Cassandra 's prophecy heightens the dramatic tensions and sense of impending horror in the play. Her intense response to her visions adds to the sense of horror at murders which the audience will not see performed onstage. She becomes a vicarious witness to the two deaths even before they happen and her vivid description and reaction evoke the fear and pity that Aristotle sees as the essence of tragedy.

Is the Oedipus trilogy actually a trilogy?

The term "Oedipus trilogy" is actually incorrect. In antiquity, a trilogy was a group of plays performed together at a festival. The standard format was three tragedies followed by a satyr play. The three tragedies could either be on related topics, forming a true "trilogy" (e.g. Aeschylus' Oresteia) or on unrelated themes. Sophocles' Theban plays were written and performed at different times and thus do not constitute a trilogy, despite being thematically linked.

What do you think the long-term effects of the Bantu Education Act were regarding education, etc.?

The Bantu Education Act further enforced apartheid within education. All universities were declared to be tribal. Almost all missionary schools were shut down. Little money went to Black or "Colored" schools or to teacher training—less than a tenth of what went to white schools. Yet education was not free, discouraging poorer families from sending their children to school.
The long-term effect was that white students got Western-style standards of education while nonwhites were openly prepared for few options beyond manual labor. Minister Hendrik Verwoerd openly said there was no point in teaching nonwhites math when they would never be allowed to use it.
The law made for harsher divisions between races. It became a central focus of discontent, which anti-apartheid activists rallied against.

How would you characterize the business practices of Time Safari, Inc., in "A Sound of Thunder"?

There is a moment in the book where Mr. Travis, who works as a safari guide at the company, says that Time Safari, Inc., is a "finicky business." This is not far from the truth. Time Safari, Inc., is a company that enables people to go back in time via a time machine and hunt dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals for recreational purposes. They operate under one condition: all hunters must obey the guide; if they don't, they will pay $10,000 as punishment, which is a suspicious thing in itself.
Considering that the government doesn't support the company—as they fear that the hunters might alter the timeline if they touch anything or accidentally/purposefully disobey the rules—I believe it's safe to assume that Time Safari, Inc., runs a "finicky" business. In fact, I'd even go as far as to describe their business as dangerous and potentially risky.

What is the Wife in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" suggesting women want by the end of her tale? Is it really "sovereignty" or autonomy, or is there something else?

The Wife of Bath appears to indicate that women want it all. She certainly does. And she has no hesitation in projecting her own wishes, wants, and desires onto the rest of womankind.
Sovereignty only has meaning if it's exercised over others. In this case, that means men. By the same token, autonomy means the freedom to live your life the way you want to, irrespective of what other people think. And again, it's freedom from men's wishes and desires that seems to be pertinent here.
In medieval England, sovereignty and autonomy were held to be the exclusive preserve of men, so we can see how radical the Wife of Bath's notions really are. What she's advocating is nothing less than a complete role reversal within male-female relationships.

The interesting thing about "The Wife of Bath’s Tale" is that she doesn’t seem to provide a clear-cut answer to the question the knight must discover in his quest.
While the hag suggests that what women really want is for their husbands to trust their judgment, the last stanza of the story seems to suggest something different.
The Wife of Bath asks that Jesus send “Us husbands meek and young and fresh in bed,/ And grace to overbid them when we wed.” This quote suggests that women really just want someone they can control (“overbid”) who can also satisfy their sexual appetites. This is further confirmed when she wishes death upon those men “who won’t be governed by their wives.” This means that any husband unwilling to do whatever his wife wants is unworthy of living. Her final prayer implies that women really just want superiority and absolute authority in their lives.

What did Gatsby learn from Dan Cody?

Dan Cody was a wealthy copper mogul, who happened to befriend a young Jay Gatsby one day on Lake Superior. After meeting Gatsby, Dan Cody ended up offering him a job and he became his steward, mate, skipper, secretary, and even jailor as they sailed around the world. Dan Cody essentially introduced Jay Gatsby to a life of luxury and wealth as they traveled throughout the world for five years on his expensive yacht. Despite Cody's business expertise, he had two significant weaknesses. Dan Cody loved to drink and allowed unscrupulous women to take advantage of him. When Dan Cody was drunk, Jay Gatsby was given the task of watching over him and preventing Cody from harming himself. After his experiences with the drunk Dan Cody, Jay Gatsby learned to stay away from alcohol, which is why no guest ever see him drinking at his own magnificent parties. Dan Cody also lost his fortune to a woman named Ella Kaye, who successfully separated Cody from his money and stole Gatsby's inheritance shortly after Cody passed away. Tragically, Gatsby never learned to avoid materialistic, superficial women.

What separates "Because I Could Not Stop for Death—" from Dickinson's other poems?

As can be seen in her other poems exploring death and dying—e. g., "I heard a Fly buzz"—Dickinson rarely speculates on life after death. "Because I could not stop for Death—" is unique in her canon in that a kind of afterlife appears as a journey of centuries, but as she does in other death-related poems, Dickinson gets to the point of death but does not take a step farther. In "Because I could not stop for Death—" we see Dickinson use familiar conventions (a carriage ride, a social meeting with a kind stranger) and familiar settings (a schoolyard, fields of grain) to pave the way to a territory unfamiliar to us all: death. Though Dickinson offers vivid descriptions of life, the journey ends short of offering any further resolution. The influence of the Transcendentalists—and her own view of God and Nature—may have made a conventional conception of life after death impossible for Dickinson to articulate.

What are the factors that determine what is produced in an economy?

There are a number of factors that determine what a particular economy produces. These are commonly known as factors of production. The most central factors of production are often the natural resources which are readily available. Minerals, metals, oil, and so on can all be extracted, refined, and used for export or local manufacturing or consumption. Related to natural resources, the land itself is a significant factor of production if there is readily usable real estate on hand for industrial and commercial utilization.
A labor force is also a factor of production. Having a trained and sizable workforce means that there are more opportunities available to increase economic output. Economies without much in the way of a workforce often do not grow or prosper, even if they have access to natural resources.
Technology also has a role in determining what is produced in an economy. Advances in manufacturing mean that more products can be produced quickly and cheaply. Economies without access to the latest manufacturing technologies may find themselves overlooked on the international market. On the other hand, advanced economies can take better advantage of their manufacturing technologies to produce more products or products of higher quality and value.
Finally, investment capital is an important factor. There is always a cost to business and production. Often a significant investment is required, especially when an economic venture is in its early stages and has yet to produce a significant profit. Having investors willing to support certain economic enterprises goes a long way in determining what is produced in an economy.
http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/production/factors-of-production-land-labour-capital-and-entrepreneur-national-income/541

One of the factors of production is land and natural resources, such as water and natural habitat. Land resources are useful because they are used as raw materials during production. These resources can either be renewable or nonrenewable.

“While the land is an essential component of most ventures, its importance can diminish or increase based on industry” (Hayes, 2019)

Another important factor is labor. Labor is the human resource needed in production. These resources are categorized into different professions such as engineering and medicine. Labor resources are compensated through wages.
Capital is another crucial factor in determining what is produced in an economy. Capital depends on the type of production being done. Examples of capital include buildings, machinery, and computer systems.
Entrepreneurship is also a key factor. An entrepreneur is a person who utilizes natural resources, labor, and capital to make a profit. Successful entrepreneurs are innovative and find efficient ways to produce goods and services.

What is stealing as per the opinion of Aram and Mourad?

In this story, Aram and Mourad have their own unique definition of stealing. For a start, their definition of stealing only relates to high-value commodities, such as money. Anything of less value, like a horse, cannot be considered an act of theft.
Secondly, Aram and Mourad believe that stealing involves selling the stolen item to somebody else. In other words, if they decided to sell the horse to somebody else, that would make it an act of stealing—not the act of taking the horse.
As a result of their unique definition, the boys do not believe that taking John Byro's horse constitutes an act of stealing. After all, they are "crazy" about horses and fully intend to return the horse to Byro after they have learned to ride. So, in their opinion, they have simply borrowed the horse and cannot be portrayed as criminals.

Aram does know, really, that Mourad, having taken the horse from its owner, has stolen the horse. This is his first thought, although he then tries to justify it because:
He wants to be able to ride the horse, and;
He knows that his family is renowned for honesty and therefore could not possibly have stolen anything.
As such, he determines to himself that it isn't really stealing if, like he and his cousin, a person is "crazy" about the thing that has been stolen. Because Aram and Mourad only want to ride the horse and have fun with it, they haven't stolen it, in his mind. He determines that taking something like a horse is completely different from stealing money from someone, and what they have done could only be construed as stealing if they tried to sell the horse for money. In other words, stealing entails some kind of profit or financial gain from another person's property.

What is the tone and mood of "Night Women" by Edwidge Danticat?

The tone of Edwidge Danticat's short story "Night Women" is somber and introspective. The narrator, a prostitute, observers her young son as he sleeps or pretends to sleep. The mood in the setting of the story—a small interior space—is lonely. Although the mother and son are spending intimate time together, at least for a short while, the mother misses her son's father, who was a former lover of hers and possibly a client. Although she sees countless men every night, her character seems to have a consistent mood of longing. She possibly wants to find true love or longs for a new life for her and her son. The tone of the story is also reminiscent of old folklore, as she tells her son various mythologies. As with other mythologies, the story of the prostitute mother and son has the mood of a tragedy. While she hopes for a brighter future for her son, she knows that her lifestyle will continue to be cyclical. When she says, "Darling, the angels have themselves a lifetime to come to us," she is talking about both men and actual angels. This makes it clear that she believes she will always be a "night woman" but is optimistic that a miracle will lift them from their circumstances.

I need study notes on "To a Butterfly" by William Wordsworth. (Not the one with the yellow flower and the orchard—the other one.)

William Wordsworth was one of the Romantic poets. Accordingly, many of his poems were written as celebrations of the beauty and of the healing power of the natural world. Romantic poets also wrote nostalgically about the innocence of childhood. All of these themes are evident in Wordsworth's "To A Butterfly."
In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker implores a butterfly not to fly too far away from him. The opening line, "Stay near me—do not take thy flight!" is phrased as an imperative sentence, meaning that it begins with a verb and is phrased as an order. It is also an exclamatory sentence, as are five of the lines in this opening stanza. Thus, the tone is demanding and forceful rather than gentle or playful, and this implies that the speaker is somewhat desperate for the butterfly to stay close.
In the third line of the first stanza, the speaker says that he finds "Much converse" in the butterfly. To "converse" with someone or something means to talk and communicate with them, so the speaker is suggesting here that the butterfly speaks to him—not literally, of course, but in a figurative sense. The following line, "Historian of my infancy!", offers some clarity. The butterfly "converses" with the speaker in the sense that it reminds him of or speaks to him of his past and, more specifically, of his childhood or "infancy." The speaker says that "Dead times revive" in the butterfly, meaning that the butterfly reminds the speaker, or seems to bring back to life for him, memories of his childhood. At the end of the stanza, the speaker suggests that these memories are "solemn." We find out in the second stanza that the memories themselves are not "solemn" but rather the fact that they are gone, or "Dead," is "solemn."
The second stanza begins with the speaker seemingly fully immersed in the memories of his childhood. The exclamation "Oh!" as the opening word suggests that the speaker is perhaps a little overwhelmed with how "pleasant, pleasant were the days." The specific memory from his childhood that the butterfly evokes is a memory of his sister, Emmeline, and himself chasing a butterfly. The energy and vitality of childhood is evoked when he describes how they chased the butterfly "with leaps and springs . . . from brake to bush." The poem concludes with an image connoting the delicacy and beauty of the butterfly, as the speaker remembers that his sister was anxious not to hurt the butterfly or "brush / The dust from off its wings." It seems appropriate that the poem should conclude with an image connoting the butterfly's beauty and delicacy, because the butterfly is itself a symbol of the beauty and delicacy of the speaker's childhood memories. These memories are beautiful because they are full of energy and, like the butterfly, color. They are delicate because, now that he is an adult, those memories are perhaps faded and more difficult to grasp.
Most of the poem is written in iambic tetrameter, meaning that there are eight syllables to most lines and that the syllables in those lines follow a pattern of alternating stresses. For example, in the line "A little longer stay in sight!", there are four iambs, or pairs of syllables, and in each, the second syllable is stressed. This creates a kind of lilting rhythm. The final syllable in each of these lines is always stressed, which creates a rising meter. In other words, because the final syllable is stressed, one reads the lines with a rising intonation. Altogether, the iambic tetrameter creates an upbeat, lilting rhythm, which echoes the positively soothing nature of the speaker's memories of his childhood.
Occasionally there are lines which break the pattern of iambic tetrameter, such as "Dead times revive in thee" and "My father's family." These lines are still iambic, but they consist of just three iambs, meaning that they are iambic trimeter rather than iambic tetrameter. When occasional lines break a pattern as these lines do, they stand out as slightly rhythmically dissonant. The fact that these two lines appear at the end of the first stanza perhaps reflects the slight feeling of solemnity that intrudes upon and interrupts the otherwise happy and sentimental mood of the speaker. His mood is disrupted by a slightly darker mood at this point in the poem, as he remembers how these memories are "Dead" and never to be revived. This disruption to his mood is reflected in the rhythm of the poem also being slightly interrupted at the same point.

Why is the brother named Chapter Eleven in Middlesex?

Chapter 11 is a shorthand term for a form of bankruptcy. It's named after Chapter 11 of the US bankruptcy code and is normally used by companies in serious financial trouble who wish to be given time to restructure their debts.
In Middlesex, "Chapter 11" is the nickname given to Cal's brother by Cal himself, retroactively, in the act of writing the book. It's a sly reference to the complete mess he makes of running their father's hot dog stand franchise, Hercules Hot Dogs. Cal doesn't go into the details immediately, but by calling his brother Chapter 11, he's giving us a hint that this is someone who doesn't have much of a head for business. And so it proves, as Chapter 11 shows himself to be much more interested in the delights of self-love than in the daily grind of running a business. In that sense, he's not just a financial bankrupt but a moral one too.

What does the main character look like and what does he wear?

The first description of the main character in The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti comes right at the beginning of the novel. The main character's name is Helmuth, and the narrator describes him through a flashback of a memory:

Helmuth is three. He is wearing short black pants and brown ankle boots that lace up.

When the flashback ends, the speaker describes Helmuth's clothing as a "drab gray prison smock." These are the only physical descriptions that we get of Helmuth in the novel. However, if you are working on a character analysis, make sure you delve into his traits, views, attitudes, and any changes he goes through as a result of the events in The Boy Who Dared.

Explain the properties of magnets.

Magnets are interesting things. Their most noticeable property is that they are attracted to certain metals. The metals to which magnets are most strongly attracted are described as ferromagnetic. Iron, nickel, cobalt, and neodymium are ferromagnetic. These substances can be made into permanent magnets.
While magnets always attract ferromagnetic materials, they sometimes attract and sometimes repel other magnets. Attraction or repulsion occur depending on the orientation of both magnets. Magnets have two distinct ends, known as the north and south poles. The north pole of one magnet will attract the south pole of a second magnet, but the north poles of two magnets repel one another, and the south poles of two magnets also repel.
When a magnet is cut or broken into two pieces, each piece will have a north and a south pole. It is not possible to separate the poles of a magnet.
A magnet’s ability to attract or repel objects in the region near it is referred to as its magnetic field. The magnetic field is often represented by a series of lines originating at the north pole and curving through space to the south pole. These magnetic field lines represent the force on a north pole of a magnet at any point in space. It is possible to visualize the field lines of a magnet by placing a sheet of paper immediately above it and shaking some iron filings onto the paper. With a little gentle shaking, the iron filings orient themselves so as to line up with the magnetic field lines, allowing us to “see” the magnetic field. This occurs because the filings are themselves tiny magnets. Their south poles are attracted to the north pole of the larger magnet, and their north poles are attracted to the south pole of the larger magnet, with repulsive forces between the like poles. The small, lightweight filings orient themselves to maximize attraction and minimize repulsion. In other words, they rotate into place parallel to the magnetic field lines.
This illustrates another property of magnets: in a magnetic field, they orient themselves parallel to the field lines. A familiar instance of this is when a compass is placed on a level surface, it swings around to point to magnetic north. Magnetic North is actually the south pole of the Earth’s magnetic field, and the north end of an earth magnet is attracted to it.
At the microscopic level, ferromagnetic materials are said to be made up of “domains," small regions that have their own north and south poles. These are oriented in random directions, so the forces exerted by a nearby magnetic field are canceled out by the differently oriented domains. Such a ferromagnetic material can be magnetized or turned into a permanent magnet by application of strong magnetic force, which causes the domains to align themselves all in the same direction. Then the effects of all of the domains are added together, and the substance acts like, and is, a permanent magnet.

One last property: a charged particle moving through the field associated with a magnet will experience a force and will be deflected from its course. This principle is used to steer particles in cyclotrons.
As you can see, there are a lot of properties of magnets. I suggest you take a look at your notes to find out which properties your instructor has mentioned during class.
The image linked below shows the magnetic field lines of two magnets arranged so that they repel.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTgzk4wm4hnoObb733JuAx5Y_DbEFmpiRMs37mD2T9ofa8aFHlz

Write an argumentative response asserting what you see as the most significant barrier that immigrants face in attaining a successful, comfortable, and/or peaceful existence in the US. Race? Class? Ethnicity? Gender? Age? Stubbornness? Bad luck? What solutions, if any, does the author of the text present in aiding immigrant characters from whom successful, comfortable, and/or peaceful existences in the US are withheld?

Socioeconomic gaps, along with their political elements, are rooted in class warfare, or class struggle. Social constructs (concepts that were invented by humans during our development as a civilization) such as race, religion, and gender roles have been used as a weapons of societal divisions by the powerful elite, but the struggle of humans in attaining higher levels in the socioeconomic ladder is rooted in class warfare.
This can be seen in the caste system of ancient and, to a lesser extent, contemporary India. Examples of controlling the distribution of wealth, land, and power can also be seen in Europe with the feudal system, or serfdom. This hierarchical structure can be seen in modern-day America, in which lower-class and lower-middle class immigrants and non-immigrants alike play respective roles in the social and economic systems.
In the novel, the author explores the extreme and realistic forms of these social and economic dynamics. The author does not provide concrete solutions, such as those you would find in a suggestion section of a peer-reviewed thesis, but paints the complexities of physical and political borders and the concept of unrestricted human migration.

Suppose that a particular human trait is caused by a recessive x-linked allele. The frequency of this recessive allele is 0.02 in a given population. Assume that the dominant and recessive alleles are in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and that the population consists of an equal number of males and females. What percent of the population will exhibit the recessive trait?

Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium is a formula linking frequencies of genetic traits to frequencies of affected individuals within a population. The general formula is
p^(2)+2pq+q^(2)=1
where "p" is the frequency (between 0 and 1) of the dominant allele in the population, and "q" is the frequency (between 0 and 1) of the recessive allele in the population. In order for this equation to remain valid, there must only be two alleles in the population. This is mathematically stated as p + q = 1.
In this equation, p² represents the proportion of people who are homozygous for the dominant allele, 2pq represents the proportion of people who are heterozygotes, and q² represents the people who carry the recessive trait.
In this answer, we are told the frequency of the recessive allele is 0.02. This means the frequency of the dominant allele is 0.98 (or 98%).
For the rest of this problem, I will refer to Xp and Xq as the dominant and recessive alleles, respectively.

The full Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium equation is applicable to females, since they have two X-chromosomes. In this case, the frequency of females that will exhibit the trait is q², or .0004 (0.04%).

Since males only have one X-chromosome, the frequency of affected males will be equal to the frequency of the recessive trait in the population. In this case, this frequency of affected males is 0.02, or 2%.

To combine affected female frequency and male frequency to calculate a population frequency, we multiply each population by their fraction of the total population. In other words, (frequency affected females)*(fraction of population that is female) + (frequency affected males)*(fraction of population that is male) is the total population frequency of affected individuals. For this problem, this becomes (0.0004)*(0.5)+(0.02)*(0.5) = .0102, or 1.02%.

The answer to your question is that 1.02% of the population will exhibit an X-linked recessive characteristic when the frequency of the recessive X-allele is 0.02.

Are William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison related?

Yes, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison are related. William Henry Harrison is the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison.
William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States, and Benjamin Harrison was the twenty-third president. Benjamin Harrison's father, John Scott Harrison, was William Henry Harrison's son. John Scott Harrison was a congressman representing the state of Ohio, so Benjamin Harrison came from a long lineage of political forebears.
William Henry Harrison was voted in as president in 1840, while his grandson was elected to the same office in 1888. They are the only grandfather-grandson pair ever to have become presidents of the United States. William Henry Harrison is also notable for having had the shortest presidency in US history, lasting only 31 days before he died of illness.

How are satire and irony contextualized in the Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene?

Graham Greene, who had worked for MI6, Britain’s intelligence service, locates his satire of the espionage novel in pre-Castro Cuba. During the 1950s, the popular image of the British spy as a dashing figure had been well established by the James Bond character in Ian Fleming’s novels. One key feature of Greene’s satire is that James Wormold, the title character of Our Man in Havana, is the polar opposite of James Bond. The mild-mannered Wormold is a reluctant spy who runs a vacuum-cleaner dealership and is a single father to a teenage daughter, not a jet-setter who frequents casinos. Rather than having serial relationships with glamorous women who find him irresistible, Wormold develops a relationship with a serious female agent who is sent to supervise him.
At the broadest level, Greene satirizes the goals and methods of the Cold War intelligence efforts. Wormold makes up information to satisfy his handlers’ demands for proof of Communist activity, as he has no real leads. The irony largely consists of his being rewarded rather than punished for his duplicity. Not only do the higher-level authorities praise him to the skies, he is even knighted. Saving face rather than unearthing real information is shown as the driving force behind MI6 activities.

What were the bird and the speaker singing about in "The Rivals" by James Stephens?

In the poem "The Rivals" by James Stephens, a bird at dawn is singing sweetly in a tree about the dew on the lawn and the wind on the lea. But the speaker's not listening to the bird, because the bird isn't singing to him. At the same time, the speaker's also singing, which would make it difficult for him to listen to the bird even if the bird actually were singing to him. And what is the speaker singing about that prevents him from listening to the bird at dawn singing sweetly in a tree about the dew on the lawn and the wind on the lea? Why, the exact same thing as the bird! And he is singing "just as prettily."
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/rivals-9

In Out of the Dust, who was the man Billie Jo met in the boxcar? What was his name?

Billie-Jo has hitched a ride aboard a train headed out West, hoping to put her traumatic past behind her and start a new life. During the long, hard journey, a stranger gets on board Billie-Jo's boxcar. It's immediately obvious that the man, like Billie-Jo's family and so many others in Depression-era America, is down on his luck. He looks just like a tramp; his clothes are all disheveled and dirty and he could definitely do with a bath and a shave.
But it turns out that the unnamed traveling man has quite a lot in common with Billie-Jo. He too has been forced to leave his land due to the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression. Like so many people in rural America, the man found that nothing would grow on his land and so it ended up being repossessed. He couldn't handle the stigma and shame that this traumatic experience brought him, so he had no choice but to leave his home and family behind and look for work elsewhere.

In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, what is one argument about how the relationship between two of the play's characters allows for development of the theme of love?

It could be argued that the initial relationship between Hermia and Lysander allows for the development of the theme of love. Hermia escapes from Theseus and her father because she is resistant to her father's insistence that she marry Demetrius. Understanding that, in the context of the play, refusing her father's demand could mean death, this act of defiance with Lysander does lend itself strongly to the theme of love. However, the thematic presentation of love in A Midsummer Night's Dream is quite often one that shows love as being petty and dark. After the events in the forest, Demetrius and Helena are wed by Theseus and move on to enjoy a presumably happy marriage at the end of the play, completely oblivious to the fact that their affection for one another has been entirely manipulated by the fairies. Whether this is a happy or darkly bitter end for the two is left up to the audience.

Describe how the poet will live in "The Lake Isle of Innisfree."

William Butler Yeats wrote the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" about a pleasant island he remembered from his youth. In the poem, the poet imagines leaving the city and going to live in nature on the island. He imagines building a rustic home to live in using wattle and daub construction. In this method, clay is used to bind sticks, twigs, or other wood together to form the walls. It is a primitive construction method that one person could probably accomplish single-handedly.
He intends to raise bees for honey and grow his own vegetables: "nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee." The poet believes this simple lifestyle will bring him great contentment as he appreciates the wildlife, the vegetation, and the reflection of the sun and moon glinting off the lake water. The sounds of bees, birds, and "lake-water lapping with low sounds by the shore" will be company enough for him. He plans to live alone. He apparently needs no one else with him; he only wants to satisfy his deep longing to return to the place of so much beauty and childhood pleasure.

Music and Film essay question: What are the differences between an original score, an adapted score, and an arranged score? Why would a director choose one score over another for a particular film or scene? Additionally, what business issues are involved in are 3 types?

In music terminology, an original score is music that is written for a specific film. An adapted score, on the other hand, is based on music that already exists. It is used to accompany a film, but instead of being written specifically for that film, a substantial part of it is borrowed from an existing composition that was written for another purpose. The music remains recognizable, but it is adapted, or changed, to suit the context of the new film. An arranged score, or an arrangement, is the addition of instrumentation to a written composition. Like an adapted score, an arranged score is a modification of an original composition. Often, the arranger modifies the original composition to suit the instrumentation, to create certain effects, or to convey certain moods. If the instruments used to play the music are different in different arrangements, the melody might change significantly. Musical arrangements typically contain a variety of musical styles to achieve different effects.
Choosing a film score is the responsibility of the director. A director wishing to use an original score will work with a composer, describing exactly what the music should achieve in terms of effect and message. Adapting or arranging a previously composed score will require the director to obtain permission from the copyright owner, which is usually the publisher.

Is there irony in Waterland?

Irony appears in Waterland primarily as an illustration of the long-term affects of the events Tom describes in his history lessons, specifically his relationship to his wife, Mary. Tom's reaction to the students' disinterest in history is to begin telling tales of local history based on his knowledge and memory. This is Tom's attempt to save his job and the history department at his school; however, by doing so, he is undermining the idea of historic accuracy, as his own inherent bias creates a story that cannot be supported with primary and secondary sources. It is ironic that Tom's actions to save his job teaching history involve him teaching subject matter that cannot be considered historically objective.Ironies exist within the overall plot as well. In the past, Mary is pregnant with a child that could have been fathered by Tom or his brother, Dick. In order to protect Tom, Mary tells Dick that neither of the brothers is the father. Mary and Tom go to a local woman to get an abortion, leaving Mary unable to have children. This trauma ultimately causes her to steal a baby, the resulting publicity of which gives the school enough reason to force Tom into retirement; Mary is sent to a mental institution. The action taken by Mary in her youth to protect herself and Tom ironically leads to Tom losing his job and Mary being institutionalized.

After reading the discussions on gender socialization, gender and coping and gender and aggression, assume the role of a professional trainer for child welfare workers. You are presenting on the intersection between gender roles and aggression in teen boys. Discuss what points you would highlight that reinforce aggression in boys and also discuss what prevention strategies can be used to challenge the gender differentiation of young boys and girls.

The gender based stigma that is placed on children from a young age has been proven to lead to later issues, particularly misogyny and aggression in men as well as timidity and self-esteem issues in women, though this is certainly not always the case.
With regards to aggression that is pervasive in teenage boys, there are many clear examples. For one, teenage boys are more prone to violent, angry outbursts when compared to girls. This violence and aggression seems to be a learned trait that comes from not having an alternative outlet for their emotions. It is common to hear young boys being told that boys don't cry or that they're not allowed to show emotions other than anger. This leads to aggressive tendencies, with violence being the only socially accepted, "masculine" outlet for emotion.
An additional example of teenage male aggression is the proclivity for violent hazing rituals in athletics. There are countless stories of violent abuse, sometimes even sexual in nature, among teenage males when incorporating younger boys into their team or organization. Clearly, there is a correlation between the physicality of these hazing rituals and the distinctly physical quality of boys' emotional development.
In order to prevent situations like this from arising, it is vital to stop many forms of gender differentiation at a young age. There can be benefits to socializing children according to their gender, but there are also clear benefits to cross-gender relationships and play at a young age. For instance, young boys and girls prove to have similar emotional responses if they have no external pressure on them. This should be encouraged—meaning boys should be allowed to express emotions other than anger.
In addition, stereotypical gender roles in child play should be encouraged to be more interchangeable. An activity such as playing house should include both genders (which promotes an interest in cooking, cleaning, working, and raising children), because those are vital lessons for everyone. Additionally, it encourages respect in both genders for those activities and promotes cooperation. Moreover, it presents other possibilities for developing interests that prescriptive gender-roles typically prohibit girls or boys from participating in.
In the end, the prevailing idea is that boys and girls need to be treated the same at a young age so that they grow up feeling equal and being able to express the same emotions as well as exhibit confidence. The idea that "boys will be boys" lends itself to the concept that boys can be reckless and get away with things. All children should be taught dignity and respect, and all children need appropriate outlets for their emotions. This will create more responsible and respectful adults while preventing aggression throughout adolescence.
At the same time, if boys and girls are encouraged to participate in fields that they have been traditionally restricted from, it will foster mutual respect for the capabilities of all genders in all capacities.

How is Mr. Antolini's advice ironic?

During their late-night conversation, Mr. Antolini offers Holden Caulfield some advice that is ironic in view of the fact that the inebriated teacher is not following any of it himself. Quoting Wilhelm Stekel, he says, "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." Mr. Antolini has given up on life. His form of living humbly for a cause is staying drunk on whiskey highballs and being married to an older woman who has a lot of money and is keeping him as a companion and escort. He stays up late because he does not want to get in bed with her while she is still awake. He may have recently lost his teaching job at Elkton Hills, a boys' prep school, because he was showing the same interest in boys that he shows in Holden. He is currently teaching English at NYU. He could not go from a boarding school to an important post at a big university; he is most likely a part-time instructor in an introductory English class and may only teach one course per semester. His advice is not really worth taking seriously since he is not even trying to follow any of it himself. It is the advice of a man who has sold out for security and comfort. He is a "kept man" of an older woman who is "lousy with dough." He is more useful to Holden as a bad example than as a mentor.

What tone, or attitude, does the automated voice use to address the missing inhabitants?

The voice or tone of the automated home system in addressing the "inhabitants" is neutral and not conscious of the situation. The inhabitants—two adults and two children—have died a long time ago during a nuclear explosion. However, the robotic home system does not know this, as the system is not an artificial intelligence system that can analyze situations and "think."
The neutral, non-human tone of the automated home system is meant to convey the separation of man and machine. Humans, such as those who once inhabited the house, have become dependent on technology, but they can never have an intimate relationship with it the way humans and animal pets can interact.
In fact, the family's dog is the only member of the household that survives. In this context, the automated house represents one form of human-nonhuman dynamic, and the pet dog represents a different kind of human-nonhuman dynamic.
The automated system's language and monotonous tone is out of place in a house that has experienced tragedy—that is, the death of the family—and it shows technology as machines out of touch with the human condition.
The neutrality of the system's tone and automated activities also epitomizes the old saying "life goes on." In this case, life literally moves on after the death of the human occupants, until the dog and the system itself die.

What are the main themes in Hamlet?

Uncertainty: Hamlet wishes to avenge his father and punish both his mother and uncle, but he does not know the moral or proper way to achieve justice.
Fortune or Chance: Hamlet could not save his father. No matter how carefully he plots his revenge, chance events lay waste to his plans. In Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet believes his uncle is hiding behind the curtains in his mother’s room. In fact, however, the person who is hiding is Polonius, Ophelia’s father. Hamlet kills him and sets off an unanticipated chain of events.
Mortality: Hamlet is grief-stricken by the loss of his father. When he comes upon Yorick’s skull, Hamlet realizes the permanency of death. He thinks of all the great men who have come before him and not a single one has escaped death.
“Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth / into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam; / and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might / they not stop a beer barrel? / Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay / Might stop a hole to keep the wind away”

Why is the quality of mercy "twice blessed"?

Portia, disguised as a lawyer, gives a speech about mercy in The Merchant of Venice in which she states that the quality of mercy is twice blessed: She says:

It is twice blessed: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes

She notes that the recipient of mercy is blessed. This is understandable. If you are expecting the death sentence, for example, and the state shows mercy and sets you free, you would most likely feel blessed.
However, Portia says that the person who grants mercy is also blessed. This is because mercy is a characteristic of God, and the person who grants it is acting with the spirit and majesty of God. Thus mercy is twice blessed: it blesses the one who gets the merciful treatment and the one who grants it.
Portia goes on to say that the more powerful a person is, the more mercy stands out in him. It stands out, for example, in a king, because a king has tremendous power and could easily behave cruelly. Nevertheless, we admire a king who is merciful because his mercy shows strength of character and empathy: all of us should recognize that when it comes to divine judgment we are in need of mercy rather than justice. We should therefore practice the mercy we hope to receive from God.
This is a very Christian speech, yet it appeals to Shylock's vanity in implicitly comparing him to a king as Portia tries to persuade him to be merciful.

In the novel of The Left Hand of Darkness, does the female gender actually have a role in the novel? Also, does it depend too heavily on the fantasy of a truly progressive league of worlds that respects cultural difference as expressions of the diversity of nature?

The Left Hand of Darkness is a 1969 science fiction novel by Ursula Le Guin. While it is not her first novel, and it is the one largely considered her first major success as a writer. It coincided with second-wave feminism, and, as it's primary setting is a remote planet full of androgynes (half men-half women). It was well-received upon publication.
The protagonist, Genly Ai, is an envoy from the planet Terra. He is on a mission (via interstellar ship that allows him to experience shortened time) to the planet Gethen, where he first tries to convince the king of the nation Karhide to join a confederation of planets, Ekumen. Gethen, in addition to being extremely cold, is populated by androgynous humans. Sexual intercourse is called kemmering, and its participants kemmerers (there being no appropriate or necessary name for males or females). Individuals play the male part and the female part in the same lifetime (resulting in a humorous scenario of a pregnant Gethenian King). Not having convinced the king, Genly Ai goes to the neighboring planet, Orgoreyn. This nation seems more agreeable, but is run by secret police who drug and imprison Genly Ai. He is rescued by former prime minister of Karhide, and his estranged friend, Estraven.
Ultimately, both nations join Ekumen, accomplishing Genly Ai's mission, but Estraven, pronounced an enemy of the state, is killed.
If this is a feminist novel, it is only in the sense that the planet Gethen is devoid of gender. Genly Ai, while shown sufficient hospitality at most major exchanges during his mission to Gethen, is marginalized for his perpetual maleness, by which all are fascinated, and which no one understands. The novel does not portray the androgynous race as superior. On the contrary, while little is shown of it first-hand in the course of the novel, it is suggested that Genly Ai's planet, Terra, is socially more advanced and first-world. Thus, Le Guin does not seem to suggest that gender equality solves all societal problems on the planet Gethen.
The novel does not rely too heavily on a utopian fantasy, insofar as science fiction is a genre in which, with respect to setting, nearly anything goes. Le Guin redeems the fantastical setting by discussing her characters' interior emotions and emotions surrounding interpersonal relationships (such as love, guilt, jealousy, betrayal, etc.).

How is the Golden Rule illustrated in chapter 11?

Chapter 11 in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent example of the Golden Rule, to treat others as you want to be treated.
In chapter 11, the children's relationship with their neighbor Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose is explained. Mrs. Dubose is quite racist and often yells mean things at Scout and Jem when they walk by her house. She also believes strongly in the Confederate government and is believed to keep a pistol hidden in her shawl whenever she sits on her porch.
Despite the racist comments and yelling that Mrs. Dubose uses as her greeting to the Finch family each time they walk by her house, Atticus Finch teaches his children to treat her with respect because she is "just a sick, old lady." Atticus always tips his hat to Mrs. Dubose and wishes her a good day, even after she calls him horrible names and even though their opinions on most topics are very different. Atticus believes so strongly in the importance of treating others how he would want to be treated that he requires Jem to spend time reading to Mrs. Dubose.
Atticus understands the importance of kindness in a world full of so much hatred, and he encourages his children to live by the Golden Rule as well.

The Golden Rule states that you should treat others the way you would want to be treated. In chapter eleven, Jem becomes furious after his racist neighbor makes derogatory remarks about Atticus, and he retaliates by destroying her beautiful camellia bush. Despite the fact that Mrs. Dubose is an unapologetic racist who verbally abuses the Finch children on a regular basis, Atticus utilizes the Golden Rule by making his son read to her for two hours each day for an entire month in order to help her conquer her morphine addiction. Atticus could have easily dismissed his son's actions and argued that Jem's behavior was justified; however, he chooses to exercise tolerance and compassion by helping Mrs. Dubose. Atticus tells his children that they should sympathize with Mrs. Dubose because she is old and ill. He then demonstrates the Golden Rule by helping her conquer her morphine addiction before she passes away. By treating Mrs. Dubose with the kindness and compassion that he would want to be treated with, Atticus makes use of the Golden Rule in chapter eleven.

What would be a good thesis statement with regards to courage in To Kill a Mockingbird written in the ” in and of itself” format?

It is important to note that there are many ways to write a thesis; while the wording "in and of itself" can be used, there are many formats that may present your idea in a stronger way. Follow the reference link below to find more information on how to build a thesis statement. Whatever format is used, a thesis statement should clearly convey the writer's position and set up the purpose for the paper.
Courage is a theme that is prevalent throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. The actions and observations of Atticus demonstrate to the reader that courage is a moral, not a physical, act. This idea could be phrased in the following way: Courage in and of itself is not a physical act, but a moral one, as is demonstrated by Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Atticus's commitment to seeking justice in Tom Robinson's case is a moral act, and one that requires great courage, as many of the townspeople become hateful toward Atticus and his family. One of the difficult lessons the reader learns in To Kill a Mockingbird is that, despite his devotion to exposing the truths of the case throughout the trial, Atticus is not able to spark the change that the Finch family longs to see within the town. This lesson could also translate to a thesis statement in the following way: Courage in and of itself is not enough to change the minds of those who are ignorant.
Whichever thesis statement is chosen, it is necessary that the thesis be supported by evidence from the text.
http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/thesis/

In chapter 1 of part 5 Richard of the Lea recounts his plight to Robin and his band after they stop him on the road. What parts of Richard’s story work best to convince readers that he and his family have been wronged? How does Richard’s story help readers understand the corruption of the Church in the novel?

During a joust, Richard of the Lea's son killed Sir Walter of Lancaster. A splinter of his son's lance pierced Sir Walter's visor and went through his eye to his brain. Because Sir Walter had powerful friends at court, his relatives felt they could safely go after Richard of the Lea, apparently accusing the son of murder. To protect his son from prison, Richard has to pay a ransom of six hundred pounds. To raise needed money, he pawns his lands to the Priory of Emmett, which, knowing Richard's desperate situation, drives a hard bargain. He still owes this religious house four hundred pounds.
The story of his son being persecuted after accidentally killing Sir Walter raises our sympathies. We also feel for Richard because he is concerned for his wife's suffering in the event that he loses his lands.
We see the corruption of the Church in its willingness to take advantage of a man who desperately needs money to defend his son. It seems the Church, if not corrupt, would refrain from driving a hard bargain with a person in such a vulnerable situation. A purer church would perhaps give Richard money for his son rather than put him in a position where he might have to forfeit his estate to them.

How does the death of Ophelia affect the plot and the character development, and how does it lead to the final tragedy in the last scene of Hamlet?

In act 4 scene 7, the Queen reports that Ophelia has drowned. While it seems that initially this began as an accident (she was in a willow tree overhanging a brook and decorating it with flowers when the branch snapped and fell into the water), it seems that her recent madness creates a suicidal motivation for the accident. While her clothes held her up for a while:

She chaunted snatches of old lauds,As one incapable of her own distress,Or like a creature native and induedUnto that element; but long it could not beTill that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious layTo muddy death. (7.7.195–201)

Upon hearing the news, Laertes doesn't really place the blame on anyone, simply stating that he will not cry because sister has already had enough water.
Act 5, scene 1, is Ophelia's burial scene, and Hamlet is completely unaware of her tragedy until Laertes shows up and refers to "[his] sister" in a conversation with the priest. Hamlet becomes distraught watching his mother scattering flowers onto the grave and then sees Laertes leap towards Ophelia's grave for one final embrace. Hamlet decides to jump into the grave himself, which creates quite a conflict between the two men.
It is at this point that Hamlet declares, "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love / Make up my sum." Is this character development? That's debatable. Hamlet has feigned madness up to this point and has rejected and insulted Ophelia time after time, undoubtedly leading to her madness. But are these words reflective of a Hamlet who has seen the error of his ways and is emerging with clarity toward his goal of killing Claudius? Or is he simply stricken with grief for Ophelia's tragedy and is spouting more words without meaning? There is textual evidence for both.
Laertes works more under the direction of Claudius than out of revenge for Ophelia. He is aware of the poisonous rapiers with which they fight, and he thus knows that he is dying when Hamlet grabs the "wrong" instrument and wounds him. Before the fight, both Hamlet and Laertes offer hospitable exchanges of forgiveness and Ophelia is never specifically mentioned.
In short, the death of Ophelia is not directly linked to the ensuing fight which is (deceptively) organized by Claudius. Hamlet and Laertes have been at odds for much of the play over both Hamlet's treatment of Ophelia and because of Hamlet's murder of Polonius, but Ophelia's death near the end is presented as almost an aside. She is used as everyone's pawn during the play; while her death brings sadness to those who loved her most, even in death she doesn't seem to fuel enough passion that would lead to revenge.

Ophelia's death is a major plot point in Hamlet. It must be remembered that her death could be seen as partially Hamlet's fault: she goes mad after Hamlet kills Polonious and this madness leads to her accidental drowning/suicide. Ophelia's brother Laertes is heartbroken by her death, insisting she be buried in sacred ground despite the dubious nature of her end, and he grows to hate Hamlet even more. While Laertes was already furious because Hamlet's murdered his dad, Hamlet's hand in Ophelia's demise is the final straw. Laertes conspires with Claudius to murder Hamlet in a duel, which is the climax of the play. So in terms of how it leads to the final tragedy of the play (i.e., everyone dying during the duel gone wrong), Ophelia's death is the catalyst.
As for how Ophelia's death affects Hamlet's character development, the answer is more ambiguous. Audiences and scholars are divided on the nature of Hamlet's feelings for Ophelia: namely, did he love her? He could have loved her before the play began, then fallen out of love with her after his father died. He could have loved her until he learned she was working with Claudius and Polonius to spy on him. Or he could have remained in love with her the entire time, the disdainful "get thee to a nunnery" speech intended to be genuine advice for how to live pure in a corrupt world that Hamlet only finds more and more disgusting.
But let's examine Hamlet's conduct at her funeral: he is shocked when he learns who is being buried and throws himself into her grave with protestations of love. However, he doesn't throw himself into the grave until after Laertes does so and examining his exaggerated declarations of romantic grief, one might argue Hamlet is simply trying to outdo Laertes or possibly already going insane. His conduct in the next scene, where he mocks Osric in a light manner, undercut the idea that Hamlet is grieving Ophelia or that he feels much, if any, guilt over his part in her demise. He also never mentions Ophelia again after the funeral. These things do not necessarily mean that Hamlet doesn't care; he could be repressing his grief to focus ever more intently on his revenge mission.
So, there are two possible ways to interpret Hamlet's behavior: A) He represses what he feels about Ophelia. While he never speaks of her again after her burial, her death drives him further into madness and his own desire to die. B) Hamlet never cared/fell out of love with Ophelia and had no reaction to her dying at all.