Are we freer than the people of the World State? Are there ways in which we are conditioned, too?

You ask two questions and it will be easier to answer them separately.
Are we freer than the people of the World State? Yes. Although there are many interesting similarities between modern life and Aldous Huxley’s fictional World State, the genetic predestination of embryos in Brave New World removes even the possibility of freedom.
In the two opening chapters of his novel, the fictional Bokonovsky’s Process is presented. In this scientific advancement, a single, artificially inseminated egg can produce up to 72 identical individuals. These babies are raised not in the womb but in test tubes. They are not born; they are “decanted.” The purpose of this process is described by the Director of Hatcheries as a major “instrument of social stability.” Bokonovsky’s Process enables social stability because it facilitates the creation of a genetic caste system, where an individual’s intelligence, aptitude, and even height are predetermined.
The World State in Huxley’s novel has become God by determining the fate of individuals before they are even conceived. There is little possibility of free will when only Alphas and perhaps some Betas even possess intelligence. The rest of Huxley’s fictional caste system are doomed to a life of drudgery and mindless entertainment because their genes do not allow for anything else.
In Huxley’s novel, propaganda conditioning is used to reinforce these genetic predispositions. Beginning in the test tube and continuing until death, the citizens of the World State are inundated with axioms that encourage sexual liberties, excessive entertainment, and abundant soma use. Lenina’s character is a particularly good example of this, as she cannot help herself from echoing mindless slogans such as “a gram is better than a damn.” Lenina retreats to these maxims in moments of stress or discomfort, which highlights the effect of the relentless propaganda machine created by the World State to eliminate individual freedom through pleasure.
The freedom of the citizens of the World State is so restricted by genetic predestination and conditioning that they are not capable of comprehending their own captivity. While entertainment and impulse-driven behavior dominate Western culture today, nothing approaches the loss of individual freedom depicted in Huxley’s novel Brave New World.
Are there ways in which we are conditioned, too? Yes. All humans are conditioned in some manner or another. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, psychological conditioning is the “process of training or accustoming a person or animal to behave in a certain way or to accept certain circumstances.” Children are conditioned to be polite. Students are conditioned to raise their hands when they want attention. Adults are conditioned to arrive at work on time. Conditioning is necessary; it certainly isn’t inherently evil.
However, Huxley suggests in Brave New World that the power of conditioning could be harnessed for nefarious purposes. He warns that the easiest way to condition a population to voluntarily surrender their freedom is to offer pleasure. Perhaps this is why so many consider Brave New World to be so thematically relevant today. As the media-driven culture of short-term satisfaction becomes increasingly all-consuming, Huxley’s novel forces us to examine our own lives and examine what freedoms we surrender voluntarily in the name of happiness. I hope this helps!

What is a summary and character analysis for John Steinbeck's "Flight"?

In John Steinbeck's short story "Flight," widow Mama Torres ekes out a living on a small California coastal farm with her three sons. She sends the oldest son, Pepe, on an errand in Monterey, trusting him for the first time to travel alone. Pepe has a bit to drink and knifes a man in a scuffle. When he returns home from the errand, his mother helps him pack as he flees from men whom he knows will come after him.
Pepe's pursuers catch up with him on the trail and shoot his horse. Pepe is wounded and gets away on foot but eventually loses his rifle. Ultimately, he is tracked by his pursuers' dogs, shot dead, and covered over by falling rock.
A character analysis of Pepe would focus on his short-lived rite of passage. He is able to only imperfectly finish the errand his mother sent him to complete. He says over and over again that he is a man, but he does not have the wisdom that comes with age and experience. Unfortunately, the mistake of knifing a man is an unforgiving one that he pays for with his life before he truly can become a man.

In the poem "Meeting at Night," where does the speaker arrive and what happens once he is there?

In Robert Browning's "Meeting at Night," the reader is given a number of clues as to where the speaker is going. In stanza one, the speaker describes "[t]he gray sea and the long black land" and "startled little waves" before stating that they "[gain] the cove with pushing prow." Through these descriptions, we can understand that the speaker has been traveling through a sea toward a specific cove and, by stanza's end, reaches the "slushy sand" within the cove.In stanza two, the speaker's journey takes them across land. In particular, they travel across "a mile of warm sea-scented beach," followed by "three fields to cross till a farm appears." Upon reaching the farm, the speaker taps at the pane of a window, and then within there is "the blue spurt of a lighted match," followed by "a voice less loud." Clearly someone within the house was anticipating the arrival of the speaker, and when they do arrive, the other person quietly comes to join them as the final line reveals "two hearts beating each to each!"To summarize: in the two stanzas, the narrator travels a fair distance across a body of water, another mile of beach on foot, and then across three fields in order to meet up with someone they love. The poem exercises discretion rather than explaining what happens when the two meet up, but the importance is not in the actual details of the meeting, but rather in the lengths to which the two will go in order to be together.

In "The Boy Who Drew Cats," why did the boy choose a small place to sleep?

Before the priest sends the boy from the temple, he gives him one last piece of advice. The priest tells the boy that he should, “Avoid large places at night—keep to small.” The boy doesn’t quite understand what the priest means.
Nonetheless, the boy trusts the priest, and so when it is time to go to sleep, and he finds himself in another temple, the boy remembers the priest’s advice and finds a “little cabinet” to sleep in. During the night, the boy hears terrible noises in the temple, and when he leaves the cabinet in the morning, he sees that the floors are “covered with blood.”
In the middle of the floor there is a huge “goblin-rat.” He supposes that the rat must have been killed by the cats he drew the previous night. He also recalls, with gratitude, the priest’s advice to “keep to small” places. The implication is that the priest knew that there were dangers lurking in the night and thus advised the boy to stay somewhere small to be better protected. This, of course, turned out to be life-saving advice.

How would you explain the essay prompt "power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely" in response to Orwell's Animal Farm and Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Great question. I think the best approach is to first consider the structure of your essay. You can have at the back of your mind an idea of how this idea applies to each story—who in Animal Farm is corrupted by power? Who is corrupted in Macbeth? What is the difference between power and "absolute" power, and where is the turning point at which the corrupted parties become corrupted "absolutely," if you feel they do? But remember, start with your introduction and your thesis statement.
In your introduction/thesis statement, you should lay out to the reader what your point of view is on this quotation and how it relates to the two texts. You can begin by identifying the source of the statement: Lord Acton, whose point was that a person's morality diminishes as his or her power increases. The most straightforward thesis statement would be to argue that this is shown to be true in both texts and then have the rest of your essay demonstrate how. However, you can also make counter-arguments, such as the fact that Duncan in Macbeth does not appear to have been corrupted by his power, and that Macbeth seems to have been corrupted not by power alone, but by pressure from those around him (e.g., Lady Macbeth and the witches).
You might want to argue one text first, then the other. This will help you organize your thoughts on the subject. So, if we start with Animal Farm, we can begin by arguing that Jones, who had absolute power over the animals, was corrupt and that Napoleon and the other pigs were, when powerless, very idealistic. However, over the course of the book, we see a change in the pigs as their power increases. Eventually, they begin to do the same things as the humans they once hated; at the end of the novel, they have symbolically become the corrupt overlords as it is "impossible to tell which was which" between the pigs and the men they are playing cards with.
In Macbeth, the person corrupted and destroyed by power is the title character. His ambition causes him to kill the sitting king, who has always been good to him, and eventually leads him to have his best friend killed too. Here, however, you can make some further arguments against the point. Was Macbeth corrupted by power itself, or by the desire for power? Or was it the desire to please his wife? Or fear of what the supernatural told him? How far are the witches, as well as Lady Macbeth, to blame?
At the end, you can draw together the points you have made and conclude as to how far this statement applies to the two texts.

What is the significance of Mr. Fitweiler's character?

Ulgine Barrows is obviously a monster. One of Thurber's problems in writing "The Catbird Seat" was to make it plausible that the company president Mr. Fitweiler would hire such a woman without knowing anything at all about her. He meets her by accident at a party and almost immediately hires her as his special advisor with unprecedented managerial powers.
In creating the character of Mr. Fitweiler for “The Catbird Seat,” James Thurber had to account for the fact that this president of a large firm would have acted so gullibly in hiring Ulgine Barrows as his special advisor without knowing anything about her qualifications and then supporting her when she began creating chaos within his organization. Throughout the story Thurber emphasizes that Fitweiler is getting old and possibly senile. The author describes him as “the aging gentleman,” “that old windbag,” “the old goat,” and “the old buzzard.” When Ulgine Barrows realizes she has been double-crossed by Martin, she completes her own destruction by shouting at Fitweiler, “Can’t you see how he has tricked us, you old fool?”
It is Fitweiler’s age and mental decline that explain why he hired Ulgine Barrows in the first place and then why he could not see that she was incompetent and destructive. His old age, which is subtly emphasized in various ways, also explains why he is taken in so easily by Martin’s plot. Martin understands his boss better than his boss understands himself. When Fitweiler explains why he is discharging his special assistant, he reveals that he has a psychiatrist named Dr. Fitch. No doubt he has been seeing a psychiatrist because he has been suffering from some sort of mental ailments, such as Alzheimer’s disease, connected with aging. He has just consulted Dr. Fitch about Ulgine Barrows on the telephone and had his own assessment of her substantiated by his psychiatrist. Fitweiler has picked up a lot of psychiatric jargon from Dr. Fitch. He explains the following:
“It grieves me to report that she has suffered a severe breakdown. It has taken the form of a persecution complex accompanied by distressing hallucinations.”
Thurber was the first prominent American humorist to incorporate neurosis and psychosis into his stories, essays, and cartoons, as can also be seen in his best-known story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Since Thurber's time, psychological humor has become a staple of humor and comedy.

Describe Jim's appearance.

After Della sells her hair and uses the money to purchase a beautiful watch chain for her husband, Jim, he returns home. The narrator tell us,

He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two—and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

In other words, then, Jim is rather slight. His physical thinness is, perhaps, a symptom of his salary being cut from $30 to $20 per week (which we learned early in the story). He also appears to be very serious, despite his relatively young age. This is likely also linked to his reduced salary, as this has clearly taxed his household (and his wife), requiring a degree of parsimony they never experienced when he earned more. The fact that Jim has a wife to support—a responsibility to her—seems to have taken its toll on him. In addition, important articles of winter clothing are either in bad shape or are missing completely: Jim seems to appear the way Della felt at the beginning of the story.

In "The Gift of the Magi" O. Henry doesn't describe Jim's appearance in that much detail, certainly not by comparison with his wife, Della. However, we are given some idea of what he looks like when he returns home after work on Christmas Eve. As Jim walks through the door he's described as being very thin. This could well be significant—a suggestion that perhaps he doesn't get enough to eat, what with his only making $20 a week.
It's notable that he isn't smiling, either. This could also be related to his low-paid job. Here's a young man of only twenty-two, and he has a family to take care of; the weight of the world appears to be on his shoulders. And those shoulders of his need to have a new coat on them, as the one he's wearing is way too old. From the scant information we're given, it's reasonable to infer that Jim appears prematurely aged by the privations that he and Della are forced to endure on a daily basis.

How did the hole disappear in "He-y, Come On Ou-t"?

The hole never disappears; at the end of the story, the first things that went into the hole come out of the sky and back into the city. There's no sign that the hole is gone.
The hole is first discovered after a typhoon. When someone shouts into it and then someone throws a pebble, they never hear the pebble hit the ground. Ultimately, nothing thrown into the hole fills it. When someone offers to fill it in, the mayor agrees. The man gets contracts to dump things like nuclear waste and government secrets into the hole. Everyone throws their trash—dangerous and otherwise—into the hole, thinking it'll be gone for good. No one knows how deep the hole is or how it gets rid of what's thrown into it.
However, one day a construction worker hears the first words shouted into the hole come from the sky. Then a pebble falls to the earth, though the man doesn't notice it. There is no indication that the hole itself is gone. However, the story implies that everything thrown into the hole will come back out, and the now-clean place will be more damaged than ever before.

Discuss in detail the literary component Ms. Maudie provides to the reader in To Kill A Mockingbird. Is it effective?

Miss Maudie is an important influence on the Finch children, especially Scout. She is a concerned neighbor who takes an active interest in the children’s activities and development. She also serves as a foil to Miss Stephanie: Maudie is a level-headed, tolerant person, whereas Stephanie tends to be excitable and racist. Maudie provides continuity in the novel, as she is part of the old Maycomb but looks ahead to a future with improved class and racial relations; in this regard, she stands for optimism. This quality is personally reflected after her house burns and she must press onward.
This character also serves the author’s purpose as a source of information. Because she is older and knows Maycomb society well—in part because she can maintain a confidence, so people tell her things—she can answer the children’s questions. She thus provides background on characters and historical information on the town to which Scout, as a child, would not otherwise have access. Maudie is particularly important in teaching Scout about the Radley family. Because Harper Lee takes the time to establish her as a credible person, using her both to provide the backstory and help the children is very effective.

Subject: Doubt Book: Adventure in missing the point by McLaren & Compolo. Should write about something in the reading that intrigued, challenge or inspire you and a question the reading raised for you or something that need clarification.

Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel is a nonfiction book by co-authors Brian D. McLaren and Tony Campolo.
The two authors share their own personal viewpoints regarding various topics within contemporary Christianity. Some of the topics discussed are homosexuality, Christianity within the postmodern era, salvation, interpreting the Bible, among others.
Based on each author's respective viewpoint, it is evident that Tony Campolo is the more philosophically and socially conservative of the two. Brian D. McLaren tends to offer a progressive viewpoint regarding each topic they discuss.
The format of the book or style of interaction between the co-authors is that McLaren would write an essay on a contemporary issue regarding Christianity, and Campolo would offer a rebuttal. Campolo's writing style is similar to the talks he gives on stage: insightful and at times humorous.
The section on homosexuality intrigued me. In particular, I was surprised by how much attitudes towards homosexuality have changed within the Christian community. The book was published in 2006, and it made wonder what Campolo's thoughts would be regarding homosexuality now, more than a decade after the publication.
McLaren's viewpoint on homosexuality and his argument that Christians should exercise more tolerance was not surprising. McLaren seemed to be the more progressive or "liberal" of the two authors. Campolo's current thoughts on the subject—as well as the other topics discussed in the book—would be more compelling to read or hear.
A question that comes to mind would be: Would the current liberal attitude towards homosexuality in the present-day change Campolo's original thoughts on homosexuality?

What do the early chapters tell you about the social, political, and religious environment of eighteenth-century Europe?

Even in Candide's early chapters, Voltaire presents Europe as a continent rife with injustice and cruelty. One might well treat it in language of the absurd (even though the modern concept of the absurd didn't really come into being until the twentieth century, I would suggest it applies here all the same). Fortune is arbitrary, and Europe itself is defined in terms of cruelty, hypocrisy, and superstition.
In the book's first chapter, Candide is driven from Thunder-ten-tronckh because he and the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde, have fallen in love with one another. Cast out, Candide finds himself (in the next chapter) tricked into conscripting into the Bulgar army, with Candide being beaten and brutalized during the military drills. In chapter 3, we see Voltaire tackle the subject of war and its pointless brutality. We are given a detailed account of the self-destructive slaughter and cruelty of war. First, we witness the Bulgars pillaging and slaughtering an Abar village, and then later Candide will find the same process being carried out against a Bulgar village by the Abars. The experience of war entails misery on both sides—from the perspective of the people caught in the middle, there is only suffering of the most brutal kind.
Religion is another key theme that arises within Candide, and it arises early on. In chapter 3, after he flees the Bulgar army, Candide arrives, impoverished, in Holland, expecting to be treated well, in accordance with Christian teachings. There is very little empathy for him, even among these supposedly good Christians. Later, he'll end up in Iberia, just in time for the Lisbon earthquake, where he'll experience the full cruelty and superstitious zealotry that can be found in religion. As we find out in chapter 6, in the wake of the earthquake, the Church determines to hold an auto-de-fé as a means of preventing another earthquake. Soon afterward, Candide will be reunited with Cunegonde, who will tell him her own story of what misfortunes have befallen her since the fall of her castle. From her, we learn how the Grand Inquisitor had been lusting after her and of his perverse arrangement with Don Issachar to divide ownership over her. His character is abominable and illustrates the depths of corruption which can be found in the Church.
This is a world where abuse, hypocrisy, and misery abound. That being said, we should be aware that this is a work of satire, so we should expect this absurdity to be a magnified and warped reflection of the reality of eighteenth-century Europe. However, Voltaire is clear in his conviction that there are very real problems that ought to be addressed, that there was something deeply dysfunctional within the world as eighteenth-century Europeans understood it. Candide represents an attempt at bringing that dysfunction to the surface and forcing these kinds of questions to be addressed and grappled with.

What is a central theme for a book group discussion of The Time of Our Singing?

The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers is an extremely powerful book about a mixed-race American family of musical geniuses. The family's story is a complex one, intertwined with historically violent and tragic racial struggles of the American past and present. The story takes the reader back and forth through three generations of racial turmoil in America, from the civil rights movement to the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. With race relations in America being an ever-pressing and growing issue, and as race is a major theme in The Time of Our Singing, I believe race to be a great jumping-off point for discourse within a book club setting. The Time of Our Singing was published in 2004, but what would the story have looked like if it had spanned closer to our present day? How would the ever-growing crisis of police brutality and extrajudicial killings of unarmed black men come into play in Powers’s telling of this story? In other words, how can this book be discussed in the present-day context of the deep systemic racism that is present in the United States?

Is there any identifiable, direct, divine intervention in the characters’ lives in Oedipus Rex?

Divine intervention in Oedipus Rex takes more of an indirect form than is often the case in Greek tragedy, and provides the background against which the action unfolds. Apollo has already deemed what must happen, and yet both Oedipus and his parents arrogantly seek to avoid the fate that the god of oracles has so decreed. In doing so, they insult Apollo, failing to pay due respect to both him and his power.
A glimpse of the gods' implacable wrath comes through Pythia, the so-called Delphic Oracle, priestess of Apollo. She tells Creon—sent to Delphi by Oedipus—that the deadly plague ravaging Thebes is an expression of divine displeasure over the murder of Laius, Oedipus's birth father. Little does Oedipus know it, but he's the murderer in question, and it's his actions that have inadvertently led to the gods' terrible vengeance. Everything that happens in the play has thus been triggered by divine intervention in the sense that the gods have decreed what must be, and yet a number of characters, most notably Oedipus himself, have sought to defy the express will of the gods and so are punished through their actions.

Why is Hazel's tone bitter at the beginning of the book?

As the story begins, Hazel is feeling incredibly bitter about her terminal cancer. To make matters worse, her mother's decided that she's depressed, as she's always hanging around the house, eating infrequently, and reading the same thing over and over again. Therefore, she takes Hazel to the see the doctor, who confirms her original suspicions and adjusts Hazel's medication accordingly. He also recommends that Hazel attend a support group for cancer survivors.
It's fair to see that Hazel's none too thrilled about the idea, and this merely adds to her sense of bitterness. What's particularly bad about attending the support group is that it's so incredibly depressing, as members of the group inevitably keep dying off. It's ironic that Hazel should feel this way given that attending the group is supposed to act as a cure for her depression, not make it worse. But, as Hazel points out, and which no one without the condition seems to understand, depression isn't a side effect of cancer; it's a side effect of dying.

In The Hate U Give, what does it mean when Starr refers to different versions of herself? Why does she need to be a different version of Starr in different settings, and why does she say "I have to keep them separate"?

Starr states numerous times throughout the text that she has one version of herself when she is at home in Garden Heights and another when she is at school at Williamson Prep.
The reason for this is because Starr lives in an all-black neighborhood, yet she attends a nearly all-white private school. Starr feels as though she has to keep these two identities separate in order to fit in with the people with whom she associates in either location.
For instance, Starr learns early in life that her friends at Williamson Prep do not fully accept her Garden Heights origins. Her friend Hailey was not allowed to go to Starr's house for a sleepover, because her parents said it was in the "ghetto."
Likewise, Starr doesn't feel comfortable sharing her Williamson self in Garden Heights. One detail that demonstrates this is that she is afraid to tell her father that her boyfriend Chris is white. Starr doesn't want to disappoint her father—who is a devout believer in black empowerment philosophy—by telling him she chose to be involved with a white boy at Williamson Prep.
Overall, Starr keeps these identities separate because she wants to be accepted in each community, and she fears that integrating her two selves will draw ire from those she wishes to accept her.

What is the difference of the writings and theories of these three men: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim?

With his writings, Marx sought to call for worldwide revolution against capitalism. Weber defended capitalism and argued that its rise is explained by Protestant Christianity. Durkheim is often considered the most important founder of sociology.
Marx argued that history is ultimately driven by economics: economy is the structure, culture only the superstructure or facade. This is called a materialist view, and part of it is the distrust of religion inherent in Marxism and later Communism. Marx argued that capitalism would destroy itself and that a conscious working class could seize the means of production and bring about a workers' paradise.
Weber argued that capitalism is inherently good. He claimed it arose because of what has since been termed the Protestant Work Ethic. Weber is thus strongly against Marx's materialist view, arguing that culture (Protestantism) preceded economics and created it. What Weber ignored, though, was that capitalism was created by the wealth stolen from the Americas. He also failed to note that the hardest workers in capitalist societies are usually not the wealthiest.
Durkheim was concerned with how societies remain strong when they are undergoing rapid change and stress. He was a functionalist, one who saw societies as having parts that needed to work together, espousing a different view from both Marx and Weber. He had little concern with promoting or defending either capitalism or communism. His founding of the discipline of sociology instead led to the use of government as a form of social engineering to strengthen societies.

What important information did the newspaper article omit about Mr. Westing? Why?

In The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, junior high student Turtle Wexler enters the mysterious Westing Mansion on Halloween night. Turtle has an agreement with teens Theo and Doug: they will pay her two dollars for every minute she stays in the mansion that is rumored to be haunted. After eleven minutes, Turtle runs out of the mansion screaming. She says she found the body of Samuel Westing in a four-poster bed, after what sounded like a "throbbing whisper, ‘pur-ple...pur-ple,’” led her to the second floor.
The next morning's newspaper headline reads "Sam Westing Found Dead." Turtle reads the article that is accompanied by a picture of the man whose corpse she found. The article reviews Sam Westing's life. He loved fireworks and kept them in his mansion to set off annually on his lawn. He staged Fourth of July pageants in which he would dress up as Uncle Sam. His estate is worth over two-hundred-million dollars. He lived alone, as he was divorced and his only daughter had drowned. In business he had been sued by another inventor. After a car accident left him injured and disfigured, he seemed to disappear.
The article does not say who found the body, or how it was discovered. The article also leaves out information regarding the mysterious objects in his room, such as the envelope reading "If I am found dead..."
There is also no mention of any evidence that teenagers had been in and around the mansion that night, although at the reading of the will, Westing's dead hands clutch a silver cross—Turtle's mother's cross that she had carried and dropped during her time in the mansion.
Why would the newspaper omit this information? Well, for one thing, Sam Westing is not really dead. Westing fakes his own death and creates a game, appearing to his family members in disguise. One of his disguises is Sandy McSouthers, who was part of the bet with Turtle, getting her to enter the house. Perhaps that is why there is no mention of their footprint tracks outside the house. In considering why the article would leave out info on how the body was discovered, we should also ask why Westing would fake his death and create this game at all. Do you think the missing information added to the mystery of it all? What questions was Turtle left with after reading the article?

What is the connection between Sherlock Holmes and C. Auguste Dupin?

In creating Sherlock Holmes, Doyle was deeply influenced by Edgar Allen Poe's description of what makes a great detective, such as Dupin, stand out. It is not merely analytic ability or a "retentive" memory, though those are helpful. Greatness lies, Poe says, in the acuteness of observation. The best detective is a high quality observer and knows what he should be looking for, as the narrator explains in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue":

He makes, in silence, a host of observations and inferences. So, perhaps, do his companions; and the difference in the extent of the information obtained, lies not so much in the validity of the inference as in the quality of the observation. The necessary knowledge is that of what to observe.

This in many ways sums up Sherlock Holmes. Like Dupin, he knows what to look for and what questions to ask. He is an acute observer, but more importantly, can pull together the correct conclusions from his observations.
That Dupin is the model on which Doyle built Holmes is evident from the methodical way Dupin, in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," determines that an "Ourang-Outang" was the murderer. It is also evident in his acute observations of the smallest details of the room where the murder took place, such as that a sailor from Malta must have left behind a hair ribbon because of the way it was tied.

Both nineteenth-century fictional characters are white, European, pipe-smoking men who are wealthy enough to support their avocation of private detective, although for Sherlock Holmes, it is close to a profession. Both men are highly intelligent and use the powers of deduction (“ratiocination”), while Holmes incorporates more scientific methods (to the extent available in their times). Proud of their intellects, they delight in solving crimes that their police counterparts cannot. C. Auguste Dupin is a French character invented by Edgar Allan Poe, an Anglo-American author, in the 1840s; Sherlock Holmes is an English character invented by Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish-Irish-English author, in the 1880s. Dupin operates primarily in Paris, and Holmes in London.
Not only was Conan Doyle aware of and influenced by Poe’s character, he even has Holmes and his friend and accomplice, John Watson, comment on the two detectives’ similarities. In A Study in Scarlet, Watson comments on the similarities, which Holmes dismisses, calling Dupin “very inferior.” Dupin has a sidekick as well, who remains unnamed.
https://www.academia.edu/29867462/Edgar_Allan_Poe_s_Chevalier_Auguste_Dupin_The_Use_of_Ratiocination_in_Fictional_Crime_Solving

Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, freely acknowledged his deep indebtedness to Edgar Allan Poe, whose tales of ratiocination featuring the amateur detective C. Auguste Dupin, were so well conceived, Doyle said, that nothing could be done to improve upon the conventions they established. In the opening paragraph of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Poe describes the possessor of a keen analytical mind in terms that would characterize literature's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

THE MENTAL FEATURES discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical ability, delighting in such exercises as call his muscles into action, so glories the analyst in that moral activity which disentangles. He derives pleasure from even the most trivial occupations bringing his talents into play. He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension preternatural. His results, brought about by the very soul and essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition.

Like Poe's amateur detective C. Auguste Dupin, Doyle's Sherlock Holmes "derives pleasure from even the most trivial occupations bringing his talents into play." This is the case in "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League," a story in which Holmes becomes involved with the comical Jabez Wilson, who hopes to get the famous detective to help him recover his job copying articles out of the Encyclopedia Britannica without charging Holmes for his services. Wilson is gratified when Holmes agrees to take on the case, not realizing that Holmes has almost immediately detected much deeper significance to the problem than either Wilson or Dr. Watson imagine.
Sherlock Holmes is constantly complaining that he needs problems to solve. His brain is always working, but it needs puzzles to analyze. His hyperactive brain is represented in his tall, ascetic physique and hawklike features, and it is responsible for his restlessness and bursts of energy, as well as for his quick, precise speech. He will spend hours examining an old hat, as he does in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," or creating a mental picture of the owner of an old walking stick, as he does in the opening of "The Hound of the Baskervilles."
What was important to Doyle was that his hero's interest in solving problems would enable the author to create stories involving all types of characters from the most humble to the most exalted, and all types of puzzles from the most trivial to problems involving fortunes in gold and issues threatening the balance of powers in Europe.
Holmes calls himself a "consulting detective." Today we would call him a "private eye." Most private detectives work for people who can afford to pay fees and expenses, but Holmes has a broader spectrum of clients and mysteries because he will only accept cases that challenge his brilliant analytical mind. Why should he take on a case that could be solved by a mediocre police detective like Inspector Lestrade? Holmes can also be motivated to help ladies in distress; innocent men wrongfully accused of serious crimes and threatened with disgrace, years in prison, and sometimes execution; and in some tales is motivated by patriotism when a case involves an issue of vital importance to the British government. Because Holmes sometimes receives enormous rewards from rich and prominent clients, he can live in comfort and devote most of his time to analyzing any problem that intrigues him, no matter how seemingly petty or arcane. This must explain what Poe meant about his own analytical genius C. Auguste Dupin when he opened "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" with the epigraph from "Urn Burial" by Sir Thomas Browne:

What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid himself among women, although puzzling questions are not beyond all conjecture.

What are the first two dangers the narrator faces in the story?

I think that most readers would probably say that the central pit in the room is the first danger, and the body slicing pendulum is the second danger. That makes a lot of sense as an answer especially when a reader considers that the title of this story is "The Pit and Pendulum." However, I don't think the pit is the first danger. I think the first danger is the complete and total darkness that the narrator opens his eyes to. He even admits that he fears opening his eyes; however, he doesn't fear seeing horrible things. He fears seeing nothing. The narrator then gets up the courage to open his eyes, and his worst fears are confirmed. The darkness is unbelievable.

It was not that I feared to look upon things horrible, but that I grew aghast lest there should be nothing to see. At length, with a wild desperation at heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes. My worst thoughts, then, were confirmed. The blackness of eternal night encompassed me.

The darkness is so oppressive that the narrator struggles for breath, and he finds it difficult to remain calm and use reason. This unbearable darkness is the first danger because of how it could affect him mentally and emotionally. Because he can't see anything, his imagination threatens to take over completely.

I felt nothing; yet dreaded to move a step, lest I should be impeded by the walls of a tomb. Perspiration burst from every pore, and stood in cold big beads upon my forehead.

The darkness could drive him insane. It could drive him to panic. It could drive him to give up. The darkness is a danger because it limits his ability to obtain information and process what is and what is not dangerous. If the room had even a sliver of light, then the pit itself is no longer dangerous. It would be visible and avoidable.

The first danger the narrator faces in the story is the existence of a large "circular pit." His dungeon cell is enveloped in a darkness so complete that the narrator can see nothing of his surroundings. He decides to try to map out the area by wedging a rag into the wall and then counting the paces around the room until he gets back to that spot. Luckily, the narrator trips on his robe and falls flat on the ground, just missing the pit, which seems to be very deep, with water at the bottom. He realizes that he was always meant to fall into that pit and, in that way, meet his slow and agonizing demise.
Soon after, he is drugged, and when he awakens, he sees that he has been bound to a wooden framework. Heavily-seasoned meat is within his reach but no water. Large rats come up from the well, tempted by the food. He realizes that there is a bladed pendulum above him and that it appears to be descending, comprising the second danger to his life.

In what way does Kurt Vonnegut use exaggeration to show us the tragedy of sacrificing our individuality in the name of equality at the end of the story?

At the end of the story, the attempt to enforce "equality" is taken out to an absurd degree. Harrison is so handsome and talented that he must wear a red ball on his nose, shave his eyebrows, and make his mouth look snaggle-toothed. He is also forced to wear many pounds of junk attached to his body to weigh him down, and headphones and spectacles that impair his hearing and seeing. Likewise, the ballerina must wear an ugly mask and "handicap bags" to keep her from dancing well.
This kind of exaggeration shows the absurdity and foolishness of trying to build a society that tries to keep everyone equal at all costs.
The response to Harrison tearing off all the items meant to handicap him and removing the ballerina's mask and bags is also exaggerated: they are both shot and killed with a rifle on live television by the Handicapper General. This exaggerated ending emphasizes the sheer waste of destroying talented people rather than allowing them to develop their gifts.

What happened during the Great Awakening?

During the Great Awakening there was a shift in religious thought among the colonists in America. This shift focused on experiential religion and common ground between various denominations. Rather than focusing on the formal aspects of most religious services, or on the conformance to established religious doctrine, the Great Awakening increased the focus on the need to be saved by Jesus in a personal manner. It also increased personal piety. However, much like Protestantism before it, the Great Awakening empowered individuals to interpret Christianity themselves. While Protestantism had focused on accepting individual interpretations of the Bible (instead of merely accepting the Catholic interpretation), the evangelicals of the Great Awakening focused on accepting individual interpretations of Christian doctrines based on personal experience. This caused concern in most churches as it was seen as an attack on the ordered nature of established churches.

What is the main point of the story "Idiot First" by Bernard Malamud?

In this story, Bernard Malamud poignantly shows the devotion of a father to his son. The limitless power of paternal love, overcoming all limitations, is amply displayed by Mendel's dogged efforts to provide for his son. As his own life races toward its finish line, his only concern is to move his son out of harm's way.
The specific episodes support the father's multi-track campaign to provide for his son after he is gone and show different facets of society that thwart his efforts. Money and belongings are needed for the son's trip, but those who traffic in such goods (e.g., the pawnbroker) cannot provide them. Rather, the people who immerse themselves in spiritual matters (e.g., the rabbi) are best equipped to help. This lesson is as much for Mendel's benefit, as his death approaches, as it is for the son who will survive him.
The son, who is intellectually challenged, needs special care; he is an innocent whose needs must take precedence as his father arranges for his last hours.

What feeling does Welty evoke in the reader with the use of short sentences and a quickened pace at the end?

Eudora Welty was a master of the short story, in part because she knew how to make every word, every sentence, every image count. At the end of her story, “A Visit of Charity,” she uses short sentences and sharp words to help us feel Marion’s adrenaline rushing as she manages to escape the Old Ladies’ Home and get back to the real world.
Marion, the main character of the story, is a young girl, and she doesn’t understand old people. As a result, what might be a normal rest home is described more like a witch’s dungeon, because in Marion’s eyes, that’s what it feels like. She enters through a “heavy door”; there’s a nurse who confuses her. She’s led to a “tiny room” that is “dark” and “enclosed.” The two women she’s been taken to see seem to have “claws” rather than hands. The women argue with one another irritably, and at one point the one in bed shrieks out. The entire scene is like a bad dream.
By this point in the story, Marion is absolutely terrified. She feels trapped, and she struggles to escape, as though she believes she is being held prisoner: “The claw almost touched her hair, but it was not quick enough.” Marion, runs now, down the hallway and out the door. Her pulse is racing, her heart beating out of her chest. The short sentences here – “Marion never replied,” for instance – help us to feel how scared and breathless she is. She doesn’t even have time to say goodbye to the nurse. Outside, she’s still so frightened she forces a bus to stop. Only once she is safely on the bus and away from the scary Home can she breathe a sigh of relief, taking a bite of her apple. In her mind, she has escaped, but just barely.

The story concludes with five brief paragraphs, three of them consisting of just one sentence. Some of the sentences are also short, simple sentences, such as the very last line: "She jumped on (the bus) and took a big bite out of the apple." The effect of these shorter paragraphs and simple sentences is to quicken the pace and reflect Marian's eagerness to escape the residential home. At the end of the story, Marian, the story's protagonist, feels flustered and a little bit scared, and the quicker pace evokes perhaps the quicker heartbeat and the shorter, quicker breathing of someone who is scared.
The last line of the story, quoted above, is also rather mysterious and cryptic, and the fact that it is a short sentence and its own paragraph helps to signify its importance. Indeed, the apple can be read as symbolically significant if we recall the meaning of the apple from which Eve took a bite in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. In the biblical story, the apple is taken from the forbidden tree of knowledge. Marian's "big bite out of the apple" could symbolize the knowledge that she acquired while visiting the old ladies in the residential home. This knowledge will perhaps have a big impact upon Marian's life, as Eve's bite from the apple in the Garden of Eden had a big impact on hers.

Why/how did the French Empire decline in North America?

In answering the question, it is good to have a standard for “empire” to compare. The standard for success is the British. There are many reasons the French were not as successful as their British counterparts in establishing a stable colony in America. Two reasons are especially important in understanding why the French were unable to sustain their colonization in America. Although some may argue the sale of the territories in the Louisiana Purchase was a great deal for the French!
The first reason is the French tended to settle further inland than other settlers. Transporting goods across uncharted and rough terrain made exporting the raw materials difficult. The French differed from the British in that the British were more interested in trading agricultural related products whereas the French were more involved in products like fur trading or essential mercantile items. The French were very good at developing mercantile type businesses that relied on settlers and indigenous people as their customer base rather than export back to Europe. By nature, the types of economic activities the French engaged were small in scale and independently owned. French traders did not rely on large investors to fund their operations like many in the British colonies. Investors expected a profitable return on their investment, and this required a stable financial and economic system which could only be accomplished by an established colony. Locating on the eastern coast and having to appease investors was a significant difference in the permanent settlement and desire to retain an interest in America by the British. The French did not have the financial investment in America to sustain their desire to maintain a colonial presence.
The second reason and most plausible is during the earliest times of exploration, and up to the late 1700s, the French were deeply involved in numerous expensive wars in Europe. When the French were not at war with a European neighbor, they were at civil war or revolution within the political boundaries of their own country. Wars and revolution took its toll on France and the French just were unable to sustain an interest in a continent thousands of miles away. The financial burden of wars in Europe and internally were too costly for the French to make a serious effort to colonize and maintain a significant presence in America.
Give the French credit. Though the French were unable to sustain a colony like the British, France sold the United States approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for fifteen million dollars. Though the French presence declined, the French still profited from their exploration.

In Tears of a Tiger, what happened when Andy visited the school counselor?

During his second visit to his psychologist, Andy recounts having visited the school counselor once for graduation requirements, and it was not a productive encounter for him. There was a significant disconnect between them as she was distant with the way she ended up giving a lecture on career goals without paying much heed to his personal goals. He mentions to his psychologist of how the counselor only responded with a look of shock when he mentioned to her that he intended to take up pre-law. Instead of encouragement, she went on convincing him instead to take advantage of his "athletic potential," as taking up pre-law was something that might be far too complicated for him:

"Why don’t you major in P.E., enjoy your college years, then maybe come back here in a few years and teach gym?"

We see here the condescending way she treats Andy with the way she dismisses his ambitions based on a belittling view of him. Andy himself is well-aware of this and how this is something that not only he experiences. He also notes how the same condescending behavior is something he experiences from the teachers as well:

"I guess she just assumes I’m another stupid black kid. So it’s easier to pretend to be stupid than to be bothered with all that grade-grubbin’ that the white kids do. Lotsa white kids, and some of the white teachers too, think all of us are sorta dumb. They don’t say it, but they do. The teachers ask us easier questions, if they ask us anythin’ at all, and they expect dumb answers. So I just give ‘em what they want."

Andy's psychologist is well aware of this reality, having experienced the same himself. He acknowledges Andy's recollection and responds in a way that is in sharp contrast to the disconnect Andy and the counselor had:

"It’s like the system is set up so you don’t succeed. I know. I’ve been there."

What is a biography of N. V. M. Gonzalez?

Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez, often known simply as N.V.M., was an internationally famed Filipino teacher and writer of novels, short stories, and essays. During his long and distinguished career, he received many awards. In 1997, near the end of his life, he was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines.
N.V.M. Gonzalez was born in Romblon, Philippines, on September 8, 1915, but soon after, when Gonzalez was five, his family moved to the town of Mansalay in the province of Mindoro. His father was a teacher and a school supervisor. From 1927 to 1930, Gonzalez went to Mindoro High School. He then studied at the National University in Manila but did not receive a degree. Later in life, he had a long teaching career at the University of the Philippines, and he was only one of two people ever permitted to teach there without first earning a degree.
In the 1930s, Gonzalez began publishing essays and poetry in the Philippine Graphic and Poetry. He also edited for the Manila Chronicle and the Evening News Magazine. Among his most renowned books are the novels The Winds of April and A Season of Grace, short story collection Children of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories, and the essay collection Work on the Mountain.
In 1948, Gonzalez received a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship that enabled him to attend Columbia University and Stanford University, where he studied writing under famous authors such as Katherine Anne Porter and Wallace Stegner. In the 1960s, he returned to the United States and taught at numerous universities, including U.C.L.A., U.C. Santa Barbara, U.C. Berkeley, California State University, and the University of Washington.
Gonzalez's books have been published in English, Filipino, Russian, Chinese, Indonesian, and German. The many awards he received included an honorary doctorate from the University of the Philippines in 1987, the National Artist Award for Literature in 1997, and the Centennial Award for Literature in 1998.
N.V.M. Gonzalez died of kidney problems on November 28, 1999, when he was 84 years old. Because he was a National Artist of the Philippines, he received a state funeral.
http://nvmgonzalez.org/styled-2/

What is the significance of Amitav Ghosh's work, The Shadow Lines?

The Shadow Lines, by Amitav Ghosh, looks at the existence of arbitrary physical boundaries between countries and between cultures. It examines how the culture of violence binds as it attempts to separate. Although the topic is thought-provoking, the book is written in simple language which allows the reader to understand the author’s point of view.
Through the narrator, the author examines how culture, families, and ideas can transcend the physical boundaries that form the borders of countries. His family life was changed when the border between India and Pakistan was altered, but it was also affected when he loses his friend and distant relative, Tridib, during a mob uprising. The story follows the narrator as he travels from India to London and back.
He begins to realize that Shadow Lines cannot divide or bind a people. It is the shared culture and history of people that brings them together in spite of lines of demarcation between them. Toward the end of the book as the family travels from Calcutta to their previous home in Dhaka, the grandmother inquires about the border. She wants to know how they will be aware of crossing the boundary if there are no physical demarcations. The narrator faces the realization that it is the only cultural differences, and family beliefs which transcend any physical boundary. The author is making the point the lines on the map between countries are simply Shadow Lines for political and geographic reasons.
The pervasive culture of violence during revolution is also examined in this book. Ghosh asserts that the acts of violence that are meant to separate people on either side of the Shadow Lines actually unite them in human emotions and feelings. People on both sides of the hard won borders feel hatred, loss, and sadness. He says,
They had drawn their borders, believing in that pattern, in the enchantment of lines, hoping perhaps that once they had etched their borders upon the map, the two bits of land would sail away from each other . . . What had they felt, I wondered, when they discovered that they had created not a separation, but a yet-undiscovered irony - the irony that killed Tridib: the simple fact that there had never been a moment in the four-thousand-year-old history of that map, when places like Dhaka and Calcutta were more closely bound to each other than after they had drawn their lines . . .
No matter how many lines are drawn on a map, the borders are simply shadow lines that cannot transcend memory or imagination, which are part of a person’s identity. In the story, the grandmother believes in these lines until the end, while the younger, well-travelled, Ila, mindlessly crosses borders every time she travels. The grandmother admonishes that nations draw their borders with the blood of those who fought for them. Any border can be crossed over and over again using your imagination. It is only in your memories and cultural beliefs that these borders truly exist.

Write a review of either Jordan Peele's Us: is this a good film or not such a great film? For example, is it more plot driven or more character driven? Does it have a strong theme? Is the theme obvious or is it a bit more subtle?

Reviews are based on your personal opinion and reaction to the film, but I am happy to help guide you in writing the review! Just like when reviewing a book, when reviewing a movie you will want to draw from specific examples in the source to support your opinion.
Opinions will differ on whether it is a great film or not, but here are some things to consider. "Good" is a subjective word, and instead you may want to speak in terms of effectiveness. Think about the genre. Is this an effective horror film? Does it fit in the genre, or is it lacking when compared to other films in this genre? What was the film setting out to do—scare the audience, entertain the audience, make the audience think, or some combination? Was the film effective in doing so? Films differ from books in that there are other elements we can evaluate, such as cinematography, special effects, and performance of the actors. You can take those factors in account when writing your review.
Before we can evaluate the theme, we must identify it. What do you think Jordan Peele is trying to say in this film? How does he explore the themes of family and identity? You will have to decide if the theme is strong or not.
Here are my personal thoughts: I thought this was an effective horror film because I was haunted by it even after I left the theater. I thought Lupita Nyong'o was a fantastic actress in portraying the anxious mother Adelaide, and Red. Identity is a theme I think he addressed, since the whole premise of the film is that the characters are dealing with their doubles. This is highlighted by the title, and by the actors playing two roles. I was surprised by the reveal at the end, and it made me want to watch the film at the end to look for clues that would have suggested the switch.

How is censorship good or bad in the book?

The reasoning behind the censorship in Farenheit 451 is best captured in a conversation between Beatty and Montag at the end of Chapter 1. This narrative by Beatty explains why they have limited citizens' access to information:

If you don't want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war. Peace, Montag. Cram [people] full of non-combustible data . . . Then they'll feel they're thinking. And they'll be happy . . . Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.

Beatty explains here that they keep their citizens "happy" by eliminating their access to anything painful, anything debatable, anything worth thinking about. Instead, they present history in a way that suits the government and that makes everyone feel comfortable with it and about themselves. Controversial ideas? Gone. Literature that some find offensive? Eliminated. History that was unflattering to the government? Changed.
Instead, the citizens are fed a steady stream of false reality and vapid programs to entertain them. There is no depth of thought, which Clarisse notices early in the book and before she disappears. (People who challenge the government's peaceful existence are simply eliminated, too.)
This shows how dangerous censorship can be. Who determines truth? Who writes history? Who decides which facts and books people have access to? Censorship takes away the ability of people to read, think, and change things for themselves by eventually masquerading lies and proclaiming those as the truth.

What is Padre Cristoforo's past secret?

Fra Cristoforo has a dark secret: once upon a time, he killed a man. Originally, his name was Lodovico, and he was the son of a rich merchant. One day he was out walking with his loyal, faithful servant Cristoforo when the two men got into an argument with a nobleman. In the ensuing fight, Cristoforo was killed by the nobleman, who in turn was killed by Lodovico. Immediately, Lodovico ran away to seek sanctuary in a monastery, where he took the name Cristoforo in tribute to his fallen servant. From that moment on, Fra Cristoforo has devoted himself to God, a devotion that manifests itself in his fatherly concern for the welfare of the two young lovers at the center of the story, Renzo and Lucia.

What are the 3 most significant literary devices used in the short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor? What are the effects of the techniques (on one or more aspects of the story like theme or overall message)?

Three literary devices featured in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony.
The violent ending of the story is foreshadowed by the grandmother's insistence that she dress well just in case "anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady." This is also a great way of setting up the grandmother's central problem: her superficiality and short-sightedness, which is redeemed when she sees the lowly Misfit as a fellow human being.
The biggest irony of the story is that the grandmother insists they go to Tennessee so they can avoid the Misfit — only for the whole family to run into the Misfit on the way there. This irony is what brings about the grandmother's redemption as well: she tries to avoid her spiritual awakening, only for it to find her.
One of the major symbols in the story is the car the Misfit and his cronies drive, which is described as resembling a hearse. When the family encounter this car, they are almost literally encountering death itself. Once again, in trying to avoid death (the Misfit) by going to Tennessee, the grandmother has instead run into it. Given O'Connor's strong Christian beliefs, the Scripture line about those who seek to preserve their lives losing it comes to mind.

Why do the other students feel so strongly about Stargirl’s cheering for the other team? How could Leo’s observation above help explain it?

Stargirl stands out because she cheers for everyone—even the other team. She gives the opposing team a welcome cheer, cheers whenever a basket is scored by either team, and even cheers for things in daily life that happen off the basketball court.
Stargirl's cheers for the opposing team are significant because the Electrons are performing extremely well this year. Their record last year was not so great, but the team spirit rises this year as the team is undefeated. Now that they are winning, the students have a stronger allegiance toward their team:

One day we were bored, indifferent, satisfied losers; the next we were rabid fanatics, stomping in the grandstand, painting our faces green and white, and doing the wave as if we had been perfecting it for years.

Since they are now "rabid fanatics," they are harsher toward their opponents. That is why the students feel so strongly about Stargirl cheering for the other team. They lose their sense of good sportsmanship and want to crush the opponents. By cheering for everyone, Stargirl does not share this sentiment and goes against the crowd.

In The Giver, what does Jonas learn about climate control?

When the Giver transfers the first memory of a sled ride to Jonas, Jonas experiences snow and hills for the first time. After receiving the memory, Jonas asks what happened to snow and the hills in their community and the Giver responds by telling him climate control dramatically changed the environment of their community. According to the Giver, leading scientists in their community used climate control to make treacherous, unfavorable weather like snow obsolete. The Giver explains to Jonas that snow limited agricultural periods and made it hard to grow crops. The severe weather also made transportation difficult, which is why unfavorable weather like snow became obsolete with the inception of Sameness. In addition to making severe weather obsolete, hills and other treacherous terrain were eliminated to make conveyance more convenient. Once Sameness was established, climate control significantly altered the community's weather and environment to make life easier and more convenient. Tragically, Sameness also eliminated the spontaneity and excitement of life as originally intended.

After experiencing an exhilarating memory of a sleigh ride, Jonas wants to know what happened to all the snow. The Giver tells him that society used the technology of climate control to get rid of it, as snow wasn't deemed practical. As society moved towards Sameness, it wanted to be able to rely on regular weather patterns to make it easier to grow crops and transport goods. Therefore, climate control was used to eliminate snow completely.
It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but getting rid of snow—indeed the whole idea of climate control in general—has simply made the society in which Jonas lives all the more boring and monotonous, just like many other alterations in their dystopian society.

What part of the New Testament was written first?

The apostle Paul, purported to be the first author in the New Testament, had numerous letters or epistles throughout the Bible. The New Testament, the basis for Christianity, brings together numerous documents that recount early founders and beliefs of the Christian religion.
Many believe that the New Testament was written 100-300 years after Christ was crucified, however, it was written before the end of the first century by followers who either knew Jesus personally or those who had personal encounters with Him.
The Acts of the Apostles, describes the missionary endeavors of Peter and Paul is believed to be one of the first writings of the New Testament and was written by Luke.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the first books of the New Testament, were actually written decades after the first letters written by Paul (Harris, 2014).

The epistles were the first pieces of the New Testament to be written. Chronologically, Paul’s epistles were written beginning in the mid-40s CE and continued for several decades. The Gospels were written around 70 CE and throughout that decade, while the epistles continued as the disciples aged, and John wrote his book of Revelation around 90 CE.
After Christ’s death and resurrection in roughly 30 CE, the gap of 15 years accounts for the spread of the Christian church, Paul’s conversion and commissioning as an evangelist. He spent several years studying and working with the disciples in Jerusalem and Judea before beginning his journey around the Mediterranean. His first letter was addressed to the Galatians, and the records of his writings gave the beginnings of the Christian New Testament canon.

Explain Macbeth as a “tragic hero.”

Macbeth as a tragic hero is visible in various aspects of the play. The play starts off with Macbeth depicted as a person of high stature having already acquired the title of Thane of Glamis. The title indicates Macbeth's political future and importance as he rises through the ranks of the Scottish nobility. In the second scene of the first Act, Macbeth is referred to as a "worthy gentleman" and "valiant cousin" by Duncan an Illustration the honorable and respectable nature of Macbeth. The character of Macbeth shifts towards violence and blood as he is blinded by his ambition to take the thrown. The variation in character depicts the format of a tragic hero. It is apparent that Macbeth suffers from various flaws in his character. The main flaws being ambition and impressionability. Macbeth's flaws are ignited by lust for power, leading him to murder King Duncan after persuasion from his wife. Once Macbeth sits on the throne he suffers paranoia leading him to kill anyone who he perceived as a threat to his power. Macbeth's sympathetic character hinders him from developing his thoughts. Thus he persuaded into chaos by the three witches and Lady Macbeth leading to his bloody path. Inevitably his route to power catches up with and sets him up for destruction as he is no longer perceived as a hero but rather as a tyrant, whom the Scottish move fast to remove him from power.

Macbeth is a tragic hero in that he's a fundamentally decent, noble man brought low by a character flaw. At the start of the play, Macbeth has just acquitted himself bravely on the field of battle. More than anyone else, he's responsible for the crushing victory over the Norwegians. King Duncan is so grateful for Macbeth's incredible valor that he rewards him with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Yet somehow this just isn't enough. Macbeth's head has been turned by the Weird Sisters' prophecy, his own ambition, and the machinations of his wife. He realizes that the throne of Scotland is within his grasp if only he can make that final, fateful step and murder Duncan.
But still he has to be persuaded of the rightness of this course of action. This is where the tragic dimension of Macbeth's character comes into play. Treachery and murder are not really a natural part of his personality. He's not an inherently evil man like Richard III, who positively revels in his diabolical wickedness. Macbeth still has a conscience, which is why he always appears so uneasy with the decision to murder Duncan and why he has to be cajoled and manipulated by Lady Macbeth into carrying out the dirty deed.
Even once he's established himself on the throne, Macbeth doesn't exactly luxuriate in his newly won power. He has come to see himself as almost the plaything of supernatural forces. He's a bit player in a gigantic cosmic drama in which the forces of good and evil are engaged in a titanic struggle for supremacy. Although Macbeth becomes more and more like a tyrant, violently lashing out at anyone he perceives as a threat to his rule, we sense that this isn't the real Macbeth, the brave and noble warrior who earned the undying admiration and gratitude of his former king. Instead, this is a man whose very soul has been corrupted by the forces of darkness, whose fatal flaw of ambition has been twisted to serve some very dark and diabolical ends. More than anything else, it is this complete transformation of character, from noble, valiant warlord to cruel and vicious tyrant, that makes Macbeth a tragic hero.

What was the real issue for opponents of the Constitution, especially in terms of a power struggle?

The United States Constitution came into force in 1789 after a lengthy ratification process that was opposed by the so-called "Anti-Federalists," who were motivated by a variety of issues. Chief among them, however, was concern that the Constitution would favor the power of a central governing apparatus, thereby threatening the sovereignty of the constituent states of the United States.
When supporters of ratification of the Constitution penned a number of evangelizing essays collectively called The Federalist Papers, opponents responded in-kind, describing their concerns about the predicted amalgamation of power in the federal government.
One important Anti-Federalist author was "The Centinel." The Centinel argued that the proposed government was overly complex and unbalanced and that the United States Senate was undemocratic and would be able to impose the will of small states upon the large; a free confederation of sovereign republics would be best, The Centinel argued. In his Letter I he explained,

... the all-prevailing power of taxation, and such extensive legislative and judicial powers are vested in the general government, as must in their operation, necessarily absorb the state legislatures and judicatories ... the senate ... is constituted on the most unequal principles. The smallest state in the union has equal weight with the great states of Virginia, Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania ... the President, who would be a mere pageant of state, unless he coincides with the views of the Senate, would either become the head of the aristocratic junto in that body, or its minion.

Another important Anti-Federalist writer went by the nom de plume "The Federal Farmer." The Federal Farmer argued that the proposed constitution would fail to preserve an equal division between the states and the center. In his Letter II, The Federal Farm wrote,

The constitution will give congress general powers to raise and support armies. General powers carry with them incidental ones, and the means necessary to the end.

The most prolific and important Anti-Federalist may have been "Brutus" who was possibly Robert Yates, a justice of the New York Supreme Court. Like the other Anti-Federalist writers, Brutus was concerned about the power that would be consolidated in the federal government at the expense of the states. Noting that the Constitution created itself the "supreme law of the land" Brutus caustically observed,

... it appears from these articles that there is no need of any intervention of the state governments, between the Congress and the people ... and that the ... laws of every stated are nullified and declared void ...
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-anti-federalists-and-their-important-role-during-the-ratification-fight

https://judiciallearningcenter.org/the-ratification-debate/

I need to do an essay on lovers partings in pre-1900 poetry. Any ideas please?

I am assuming you will be writing about English poetry. One approach to this essay could be to examine the themes of poetic narratives about lovers parting. How was life different before the twentieth century in ways that would make it necessary for lovers to part? Consider that telecommunications did not really exist, so the main way lovers could communicate at a distance was by letter. This placed more value on letters as forms of communication, but it would also be hard to feel close to someone without the ability to talk by phone.
There were many reasons lovers had to part prior to 1900. Sometimes families disapproved of a relationship, and young people were expected to obey their parents and to accept their fates, such as arranged marriages. Sometimes lovers had to be parted because of economic realities; for example, many young Irish men decided to emigrate to America during the famine years in order to make money to live and to support their families. Despite promising that they would return to their lovers, the harsh reality of travel and life abroad made this unlikely. There will be many examples in the poetry of this era that point to reasons why lovers had to part ways.

Why did anyone support Adolf Hitler during the atrocities of WWII?

Numerous factors contributed to the support of the German people for Adolf Hitler during World War II. In assessing the causes for this support, it's important to look back to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party following the economic crash of 1929. Germany was hit hard by the Great Depression. There was a drastic fall in industrial production and widespread unemployment. Hitler used this to his advantage in attaining power.
After his appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hitler suspended Democratic processes through a measure called the Enabling Act. This gave him virtually dictatorial powers. He used this to attack Jews, communists, gypsies, and political opponents. The existing bias against these minority groups allowed Germans to exploit them as a scapegoat.
After World War I, the terms of the Treaty of Versailles had left Germany deeply in debt and with its national identity shattered. Hitler restored pride in "Aryan" identity and prompted people to unselfishly serve the state.
One of the most important factors in German support of Adolf Hitler was the Nazi Party's propagation of the myth of the Fuhrer. Hitler was presented as a superhuman who could do no wrong. He came to represent the German nation and its ideals. Hitler had particularly strong support among the German upper classes, youth, churches, and military.
It's also important to note that not all popular support for Hitler was genuine. The Nazi secret police, known as the Gestapo, kept an eye on everyone, and dissidents were at risk of being killed. Many people, therefore, supported Hitler out of fear, not out of devotion.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nazi-party

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-hitler-happen

https://www.thoughtco.com/who-supported-hitler-and-why-1221371

What were the social consequences of industrialization in Britain?

Industrialization in Britain, as in other European countries, facilitated the rise of the middle class. A new class emerged from wealthy owners of businesses, factories, and trade. Industrialization led to an increase in population and urbanization in which vast numbers of people relocated to urban centers to find employment. While the new middle class enjoyed wealth and economic advantages, members of the lower class were subject to dangerous working environments, low wages, and overcrowded living environments. Children, in particular, were exploited and made to work in factories before the onset of child labor laws. The circumstances of industrialization and urbanization caused the public to demand better social welfare, education, labor rights, and the abolition of the slave trade. This would later translate into political landmarks, including changing the electoral system through the Reform Bill of 1832, extending voting rights to non-landowners (women excluded).

How does Dantes discover his limitations and unintended consequences of his revenge?

After being framed and spending years in an incredibly desolate prison, Dantes's humanity eventually seeps out of him. His thoughts are filled only with exacting divine justice on those who have wronged him and rewarding those that have helped him.
Dantes escapes from the prison and emerges as the Count of Monte Cristo. He is disconnected from human emotion and empathy and feeds only on his mission of revenge. As events unfold, Dantes realizes that his thirst for vengeance on those he deems guilty also has an impact on the innocent. Through his quest for revenge, Dantes learns is that divine justice has human limitations. It is too emotionally conflicting for a mere human to both punish evil and simultaneously reward the good. Dantes feels this type of justice should be left in the hands of God.
The more he deals with others, Dantes is reminded that he is human and susceptible to caring, understanding, and love. He learns this most through his elaborate scheme to save the fiancee of Maximilian, once the man has felt the depths of despair. Dantes's humanity returns and he is able to let go of his painful betrayal and fall in love again.

Explain what Aristotle means when he says that there must be an ultimate good or end at which all acts aim.

In undertaking any given action, human beings aim at some good. This good may either be instrumental or non-instrumental. Instrumental goods may serve non-instrumental ends. For example, if I go the store to purchase groceries, I am seeking to further the good of my health. My health is useful to me—hence, it is of instrumental value. But my health is also a good for the community—if I feed and take care of myself, the community will be spared the burden of using resources to take care of me. Health, as such, is a good in and of itself because it is worth making sacrifices for. Its contrary, sickness, is not a good in and of itself but only because suffering endured well may build character.
In the Aristotelian scheme, human beings act for the sake of some good at all times—we may not approve of the sought-after good, but we need to recognize that in the mind of the person undertaking the action, there is a good. Such goods may not comport with morality or the law. For example, a hungry thief may steal food to relieve his hunger. He is seeking the good of health no less than the person who legally purchased his food, but the means that he undertook (perhaps out of necessity) were not themselves good in the sense of being moral or legal.

How did the legacies of Watergate and the Vietnam War shape US politics?

Prior to Watergate and Vietnam, the American people had great faith in the American Presidency. Men like FDR and John F. Kennedy were trusted leaders. The Pentagon Papers exposed a failed Vietnam strategy and the inflation of monthly body count numbers by the Lyndon Johnson administration. Watergate exposed Richard Nixon as an obstructionist of justice and the secret bombing of Laos and invasion of Cambodia went against his Vietnamization policy. The secret dealings of these Presidents and our government caused distrust among the American people and fueled the antiwar movement. The American presidency would never be the same, as leaders would be forever scrutinized rather than blindly trusted. Respect of the President would not automatically come with the office.

The Vietnam War and Watergate were polarizing events that took place during a very volatile period of US history.
While during most of the twentieth century, Americans had been able to pull together despite deep ideological and political differences to tackle crises such as the Great Depression and World War II, this political consensus or center fell apart during the Vietnam War and Watergate period.
People didn't coalesce around the Vietnam war, for instance, as they had about World War II, which had extremely high support. Instead, the country split. Some supported the war as necessary to stop communism while some saw it as a mismanaged mistake and felt we had no reason to be so heavily involved in a tiny country halfway around the globe. As the debate over the war continued, there was no common ground. Emotions ran high and each side demonized the other.
This continued into the Watergate hearings. Those who opposed the war felt Nixon was a criminal who needed to be held accountable for continual lying and law breaking. To them, authorizing the break-in of the Democratic National committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel was of a piece with such acts as the secret bombing of Cambodia. This side of America felt Nixon should be punished. Those who supported Nixon thought the impeachment hearings were a witch hunt.
After things settled down, resentments lingering. They linger to this day. The worst legacy in terms of politics is the polarization. Government has been paralyzed, especially in recent years, because the two sides demonize each other. It is hard to work with people you disagree with if you think of them as evil incarnate. Arguably everyone still suffers because the wounds of fifty years ago have never properly healed.

How do Goneril, Regan, and Edmund view their respective parents?

Goneril and Regan do not hate their father, King Lear. This is what is a little eerie about their relationship with him and what makes them seem so inhuman. They care nothing about him at all. He is a non-person. It is very easy for them to lie about how much they love him, since they have no true emotions to hide. It is a little uncanny how they can express their love in such glowing terms without feeling a thing. Edmund is very much like Goneril and Regan with regard to his father, the Earl of Gloucester. Edmund does not hate the old man at all. He cares nothing about him. For him, Goneril, and Regan, Lear is only in the way, and his kingdom and property are things they expect and feel they deserve to acquire. This idea is expressed in the forged letter which Gloucester takes from Edmund and reads aloud:
This policy and reverence of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; who sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother, EDGAR (Act I, Scene 2).
This same cynical notion is expressed by the Duke masquerading as a friar in Act III, Scene 1 of Measure for Measure, where he is supposedly consoling the condemned Claudio:
Friend hast thou none; For thine own bowels, which do call thee sire, The mere effusion of thy proper loins, Do curse the gout, serpigo, and the rheum, For ending thee no sooner.

In the last scene, as Winston sits crying, it is inferred that Winston knows what his fate will be. Use direct evidence from the text to answer each question. Where was this EXACT scene foreshadowed earlier in the book? What will eventually happen to Winston, BASED on this scene? What is Orwell’s final warning to the reader with this scene?

Winston, in the last paragraph of the book cries "Two ginscented tears trickled down the sides of his nose" as he realizes he loves Big Brother. He is sitting in the Chestnut Tree Cafe, and his long struggle against the state, he thinks, is over. He sees Big Brother's smile and berates himself for "misunderstanding" Big Brother for so long.
From the foreshadowing, which I will discuss in a minute, we expect Winston will be rearrested and executed.
The scene which foreshadows this is one Winston witnesses much earlier, before his arrest, in the Chestnut Tree Cafe. He sees three men who had rebelled against the Party. The focus is on Rutherford, once a brilliant cartoonist and now a broken man. Winston observes all three men, saying that:

There was no one at any of the tables nearest to them. It was not wise even to be seen in the neighbourhood of such people. They were sitting in silence before glasses of the gin flavoured with cloves which was the speciality of the cafe.

This exactly foreshadows Winston's fate because at the end of the novel he is sitting apart at the same cafe drinking clove-flavored gin and watching the telescreen, just as they are. We learn the three were all rearrested and executed, which is how we can expect that same fate to befall Winston. Rutherford, like Winston, is a broken man:

He seemed to be breaking up before one’s eyes, like a mountain crumbling.

The warning is that rebelling against the Party leads to death, so we should resist totalitarianism and the propaganda that enables it before it is too late.

Who was in charge of the science fair in the book Rocket Boys?

Rocket Boys, the memoir of former NASA engineer, Vietnam War veteran, and now best-selling author Homer "Sonny" Hickman Jr., was published in 1998. It follows Hickman Jr.'s coming of age in a small mining town in West Virginia called Coalwood. Much of the book focuses on his pursuit, alongside his childhood friends, of amateur rocketry.
Inspired by the Russian satellite Sputnik, which achieved orbit in 1957, Sonny decides to pursue a career as a rocket engineer with the ambition of joining a team of American engineers known as the Missile Agency. Homer's first attempt ends in destroying his family's property. But he later gathers a team to help, which includes Quentin Wilson, Roy Lee Cooke, Sherman Siers, Billy Rose, and Jimmy Carroll. They call themselves the Big Creek Missle Agency (BCMA), but they come to be known as the Rocket Boys.
A lot of BCMA's work is guided by teachers who are sympathetic to their boundless curiosity. One of these teachers is Miss Riley, who manages the school's entries into the county science fair. Miss Riley convinces the boys they should channel the energy from their often mischievous endeavors into the county science fair. When the boys are accused of starting a forest fire, Miss Riley quickly comes to their defense.
Though originally reluctant, Homer decides to follow Miss Riley's advice and compete in the county science fair. (She warned him that he may regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't pursue his passion.) BCMA goes on to win the county fair as well as the National Science Fair, a country-wide competition. Without Miss Riley's help, the history of rocketry might have taken a far different course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufqeEJa1BIU

In Rudyard Kippling's "The Man Who Would be King," in Dravot's mind, who are the "sons of Alexander" and the "common, black Mohammedans"? Dravot says: Nobody is going to be shot or speared any more so long as he does well, and I know that you won't cheat me because you're white people—sons of Alexander—and not common black Mohammedans. You are my people and by God, says he, running off into English at the end—I'll make a damned fine Nation of you, or I'll die in the making. (pages 987-1011)

The words Kipling puts into the mouth of his protagonist, Dravot, are a reflection of racial and colonial attitudes at the time of his writing this story. Dravot has set himself up as a king, having entered into a contract with his friend, Peachey, according to which they will be joint kings and will rule together over the people they have taken as theirs.
Dravot lives according to a certain standard of Englishness, but he seems to equate this with a broader type of Western ideal which he associates with Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was held by many to be a god, both in his lifetime and afterwards. There are many stories suggesting that Alexander the Great and his men fathered children with the native peoples in many of the lands he conquered.
According to Dravot, the people of his Lodge—the people of whom he fancies himself king—are the product of these relations between Alexander and the natives. They are "sons of Alexander" in that they are not actually full-blooded natives of their own land but instead have the blood of Alexander and his men in their veins. This distinguishes them from the "common black Mohammedans," the Muslim people from other tribes in the area with whom there are constant and sometimes violent squabbles.
Of course, Dravot's belief is founded in racist ideas. He points to the way the people of the Lodge carry themselves, their noses, and their general attitude as evidence that they must be at least partially white, because he does not believe anyone other than white people can attain the ideals he believes in. Dravot feels that the people who follow him are "really" English as a result of their secret heritage. The only evidence he has for this, however, is simply his own perceptions and prejudices. The fact that they relate to and behave towards him in (what he thinks is) a correct way drives this belief.

What is the tone of the poem “On Another’s Sorrow”?

"On Another's Sorrow" is actually a poem with a tone shift.
The speaker begins the poem with a tone that is, well, sorrowful (borrowing the importance of the title). He notes that when we care about people, we feel their pain. When we see another in grief, we seek ways to alleviate that pain. When a father witnesses his child weeping, the father is filled with great sadness. When a mother hears her infant groan, her spirit groans, too.
The tone begins to shift in the fourth stanza to one of hope. Just as we feel the sorrows of those we love and seek to help them through the pain, "He"

[sits] both night and day,Wiping all our tears away.

The "He," then is God, who became a man (referenced later in the poem) through Christ who also felt these sorrows. And because of this, we can have hope that grief is temporary and that God sits beside us as a great Comforter through life's trials.

What is the relationship between Louisa and Tom in Hard Times?

In Charles Dickens's novel Hard Times, Louisa and Tom Gradgrind are sister and brother. The two siblings have very different responses to their difficult upbringing at the hands of Thomas Gradgrind Sr. and the passive, depressed Mrs. Grandgrind, their mother.
Louisa reacts to their unhappy home life by losing touch with her feelings. In one of the novel's most famous lines, we indirectly get a picture of the muffled, stifled quality of Louisa's emotional life through her comment on an industrial scene:

There seems to be nothing there but languid and monotonous smoke. Yet when the night comes, fire bursts out.

In contrast to Louisa, Tom responds to their cold, chilly home environment by drowning his sorrows in a futile search for pleasure and distraction.
Unfortunately, Tom and Louisa are unable to draw comfort from one another. Dickens's portrayal of the Gradgrind family's relationships reflects his sense that the philosophy of utilitarianism (to which Gradgrind Sr. adheres) has profoundly damaging effects on familial relationships, as well as individual prospects for happiness.

How does the theme of fear impact Mayella? Was it society, her father, Atticus, or all of them, and how did it impact her? What evidence do we have? What did fear do to her?

I think Mayella Ewell is primarily afraid of her father, which prompts her to lie about Tom Robinson raping her. Mayella is afraid that if she admits to having sexual interest in a black man that her father will abuse her, something that is already heavily implied in the text—Bob Ewell likely physically and/or sexually abused Mayella, therefore inspiring her fear of him. In her mind, it is easier to agree with her father’s assumption than to admit the truth.
However, one could also argue that society’s perception also inspires Mayella’s fear. Because this has already been made public, Mayella would be forced to admit that she pursued Robinson against his will. Interracial relationships during this time period were not only taboo but also illegal, and Mayella may not have been willing to admit that she wanted to have a romantic or sexual connection with a black man under the scrutiny of public opinion.
It is clear that Mayella manipulates racial and gender stereotypes to her advantage in this situation in order to avoid humiliation or abuse, and while it is tempting to paint her as a victim because of how much she fears her father, she is ultimately responsible for Tom Robinson’s death.

Explain Freud’s use of the term “illusion” in reference to religion; and respond to his claim that religion, which established the divine person as ‘father,’ has failed to satisfy the people.

Freud’s use of the term "illusion" in regard to religion occurs in his book The Future of an Illusion (1927). In this book, Freud classed religious thought as one of the chief assets in civilization’s “psychical inventory.” Religious thinking is an "illusion," a form of “wish fulfillment” at odds with reality, developed by man to deal with the harsh forces of nature and fate—“The gods retain their threefold task: they must exorcize the terrors of nature, they must reconcile men to the cruelty of Fate, particularly as it is shown in death, and they must compensate them for the sufferings and privations which a civilized life in common has imposed on them.”
Elsewhere in this book, Freud argues that religion curtails rational discourse and expresses the hope that reason will replace faith in God. In Civilization and Its Discontents, he associates religious feeling (an “oceanic” feeling, or sense of eternity) and the God-as-father image with wish fulfillment and the child’s need for its father’s protection. Freud’s own inability to find that “oceanic” feeling within himself perhaps leads him to dismiss religious feeling.

How does Mary Wollstonecraft define the rights of men, and how can this be analyzed?

Mary Wollstonecraft was an eighteenth-century liberal feminist philosopher who wrote Vindication of the Rights of Men in 1790. The work was issued as a political pamphlet and as a response to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution of France, and the purpose of Wollstonecraft’s work was to attack Burke’s aristocratic views and advocate republicanism and middle class values. While Burke was concerned with preserving established traditions and supported the concept of a ruling elite, Wollstonecraft attacked his ideas on hierarchy and class rights and asserted that people should be judged on their merits rather than their birthright. She advocated equality among the classes and envisioned a society where the underprivileged could compete with the “privileged” based on their skills and talents—and by “underprivileged” she meant all the people who were marginalized in society, including the middle class and women.

If you were to grow very tiny like the Lilliputians, what are the things you would like to do?

The Lilliputians didn't make the best use of their tiny stature, as they tended to be petty and spend their time squabbling and taking offense over silly things. I would hope not to do that if I shrank to six inches.
And, as the other answer says, you need to look into your own heart and soul to see what would most please you to do if very small.
For me, I might want to buy a doll house to live in. I'd want to stay away from predators, so, as much as I'd love to explore nature at six inches tall, I probably wouldn't. It might be fun, however, to travel abroad in a friend's pocket: free trips, and I'd probably have more space, relatively speaking, to move around in an airplane seat! I'd also love to slip into the White House or the Congress and eavesdrop!

In Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputians were six inches tall. For reference, use a ruler and cut it in half—that is the height of a Lilliputian. In this assignment your instructor wants you to use your imagination. My answers will be different than yours—I am sure that the answers of your classmates will be different than yours as well.
One thing that you should be concerned with is your own safety. The people of Lilliput could survive well since everything in their world was also scaled down to their height. I am not sure if you have this luxury. Some safe things I would like to do as someone who is six inches tall include looking for things lost under the sofa, winning multiple games of hide-and-seek with my children, and going camping in a shoe. Your list may involve more outside adventures or even fun activities with your pets, especially since you will be smaller than the average dog and cat. Use your imagination and give details about each activity. This should earn you a good score on the assignment.

What is the history of the Roman Republic as a political system from its foundation to its overthrow by Augustus?

With the overthrow of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the Roman Kingdom ended and the Roman Republic began. The rebellion against Superbus was undertaken by his privy council—known as the Senate—composed of the heads of families ennobled by the crown (known as patricians).
The Senate decided to abolish the monarchy altogether and, instead, vested executive authority into two co-equal consuls who would be elected by it for one-year terms. Within a few decades, the Senate itself was challenged in a plebian uprising and was forced to devolve some of its legislative authority to citizen assemblies whose support would be required to make law.
The consuls were limited in their power due to the dual nature of the executive, which required their mutual agreement to exercise the power of the state. (In the ancient world, other dual executives included the two co-equal kings of Sparta.) However, in times of war or emergency, full control could be vested in a dictator, temporarily elected for the duration of the exigency.
The Republic began to break apart following the consulship of Caesar. At the end of his term, Caesar was made a provincial governor and—upon his return to Rome—elevated to dictator for an unprecedented ten-year term. His assassination was followed by a seizure of power by Augustus and the start of the imperial period in Roman history.
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=public_law_and_legal_theory

https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Government/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Republic

Based on paragraph 1, how did Miss Brill feel?

In the first paragraph, Miss Brill seems quite cheerful on the whole. It's a fine, sunny day, with the bright blue sky adorned with pretty little spots of light. There's also a slight chill in the air, but that gives Miss Brill the opportunity to dust off her fox stole and wear it on her day out at the park. She seems to feel genuinely thrilled at the prospect of draping the fur across her shoulders once more. It's nice to feel the little creature again; and those eyes of his are so sweet as they stare at her.
Despite Miss Brill's apparent cheerfulness, we sense immediately that there's something empty, something lonely about the life she leads. In the first paragraph she talks about her fur as if it were some kind of pet, a living creature. And when she breathes, something light and sad—something gentle—seems to move in her bosom. It's as if the novelty of wearing the fur once more has suddenly worn off, and she's been forced to confront the chronic loneliness that characterizes her drab existence.

What are some important quotes from Keats's letters?

John Keats (1795-1821) was an English poet of the Romantic Era who, though not critically acclaimed in the very short span of his own lifetime, came to be recognized as a literary giant, not only for his poetry but also for the ideas expressed in his letters. His letters were published a half-century after his death in 1878 and remained relatively unrecognized in the literary world until the 20th century.
In an 1819 letter to his brother George, who then lived in the United States, Keats writes,

I am certain of nothing but the Holiness of the heart's affections and the truth of Imagination—what Imagination seizes as beauty must be truth—whether it existed before or not.

Here, we see the reason for the driving passion Keats has for capturing in words a transformative but ephemeral moment of beauty—a quest he so exquisitely accomplishes in his poetry, especially in two of the most celebrated and exquisite poems in the English language: "Ode to a Nightingale and "To Autumn."
In an 1819 letter to the poet Shelley, he writes, "My imagination is a Monastery and I am a Monk," revealing the intensity of his devotion to the inner world where thoughts are transformed into the written word.
In many of his letters, Keats deeply examines the very nature of poetry and of the poet, and he comes to the conclusion, in an 1817 letter to his brother George,

that the Poet is the most unpoetical of anything in existence—because he has no Identity—he is continually in for—and filling—some other Body—the Sun, the Moon, the Sea. . .

This quote reveals a great deal about the intensity of Keats's immersion into the natural world, which he depicts like a canvas in words, framed within the highly structured metrical forms that he employs.

Why is the grandfather's speech important?

The speech is also important in relation to W.E.B. DuBois's concept of "double-consciousness"—that is, having one's own sense of identity but also being obligated to behave according to the expectations of white supremacy. The narrator's grandfather encourages him to placate white people, to behave according to their expectations. Both the narrator and the grandfather know that this obsequious behavior is a ruse.
What is ironic about the speech is that the narrator's grandfather believes that the maintenance of this ruse is a part of "the good fight." The "fight," in other words, is the will to survive in a system that is bent on killing black men. Thus, the narrator's grandfather is telling him to satisfy white expectations, however demeaning, so that he can live.
The grandfather implies that he has been complicit in a system that has attempted to diminish his manhood. When he states that he has been "a spy in the enemy's country" ever since he put down his gun during Reconstruction, he offers a statement not only on losing the fight for full enfranchisement but also on losing out on the possibility to be regarded as an equal man. A gun is a symbol of masculine power and is sometimes regarded as a phallic symbol. Black men who asserted their masculinity, or any individual pride, were often lynched in the South.
The grandfather feels like "a spy" because he must observe white people constantly, knowing them better than they know themselves. In this way, he can anticipate their moods and actions for his own benefit. He feels that he's "in the enemy's country" because he must exist in a land that is bent on his destruction. Thus, he is at war, but it isn't a conflict in which he can assert his power directly.
The speech is important because it reveals the complex nature of being black in American society—even today. Black people who wish to acquire status or economic power within American society must make certain compromises, which may include being demeaned or insulted on account of one's race. They must then pretend not to be impacted by this, or perhaps not even to mind. This complicity with one's own oppression is reflected in the grandfather's direction to "overcome 'em with yeses" and "undermine 'em with grins." The narrator's grandfather presents the existential problem that has been central to black people's lives in the United States: should one compromise one's dignity and selfhood in order to live?

The narrator's grandfather tells him the following information in the section called "Battle Royal."

Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open.

The first reason that the speech is important is because it explicitly tells the narrator that he is a soldier in a war. There is a fight that exists, and it is centered around a deeply racist culture. The grandfather wants his grandson to keep fighting, because it is a good fight and worth fighting for. The second reason this quote is important is because the grandfather gives the narrator a strategy by which to fight. The grandfather doesn't believe that his grandson should fight via a head-on attack. Instead, the grandfather recommends being a spy in the enemy's camp, undermining the power from within. The narrator should essentially become an invisible man. That sounds like sage advice, but the narrator will definitely question its wisdom in the years to come.

The advice of the narrator's grandfather crops up at various points throughout the text. The most notable instance takes place during the grandfather's last few hours on earth. As he lies on his deathbed, he gives his grandson the benefit of his wisdom on the best way to deal with white people:

Overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open.

Essentially, what the grandfather wants the narrator to do is hunker down and try not to make himself too conspicuous in this deeply racist and prejudiced society. The best thing for him to do is just play along with the prevailing expectations of how a black man should behave. That means being as accommodating and as subservient as it's possible to be.
But as the years go by, the narrator starts to question the wisdom of his grandfather's well-meaning but inappropriate advice. Numerous experiences of racism have shown him that simply hunkering down and keeping a low profile doesn't make white people treat you any better; quite the opposite, in fact. The importance of the grandfather's speech is that the advice it contains, if followed, leads to African Americans becoming effectively invisible in white society, hence the narrator's describing himself as an invisible man.