What is a critical analysis of the poem "Touch and Go" by Stevie Smith?

This is a poem about how mankind, represented by the "Man" of the poem, tries to free himself from a wasteful, unfulfilling life, a life led in pursuit of money, and a life characterized by conflicts and bigotry. Stevie Smith, of course, lived through both world wars and so would understandably have become disillusioned with the plight of mankind. Stevie Smith herself indicated that this was what the poem was about in one of her novels, The Holiday, which you can read a little bit about in the article linked below.
This unfulfilling, wasteful life from which "Man" tries to escape is represented by the mountains in the poem, perhaps because mountains symbolize the barriers mankind has, metaphorically, built for itself.
The speaker in the poem has a sympathetic attitude toward "Man," almost as if the speaker is God: "Is there no one to help my creature / Where he languishes?" The possessive pronoun here ("my") implies that the speaker feels also a sense of responsibility toward "Man."
The last two stanzas suggest how difficult it will be for mankind to free itself from the old way of living and move into another. The "Man" in the poem stumbles and falls and "lies with his head in the rubble." And the speaker concludes with the question, "Will he come out of the mountains?" and the answer, "It's touch and go." The phrase "touch and go" means that it is uncertain and that the chances change from moment to moment. The poem finishes with this uncertainty, but Smith's sympathetic portrayal of "Man" encourages us, as readers, to hope that "Man" does indeed manage to free himself from the mountains and from a life which has made him "bowed by sorrow and fret."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/jan/09/thebeautifulmelancholyofst

How many Native Americans were killed by the colonists?

In the 169 years between the founding of Britain's American colonies and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, colonists killed thousands of Native Americans. At the start of colonization, an estimated eighteen million natives inhabited the areas north of the Rio Grande. By the beginning of 1900, that estimate was less than 300,000. In the beginning, most of the deaths caused by the colonists were caused indirectly through disease.
Experts estimate ninety percent of the Native American population died from the illnesses brought from Europe, such as measles, smallpox, and the flu. Another indirect cause of tribal deaths occurred from starvation and the harsh conditions of enslavement.
Violent conflicts between the natives and colonists lead to the remaining deaths. For example, King George II of England put a bounty on scalps, paying settlers for each Native American killed.
Some of the most notable battles between the two groups include:
French and Indian War, 1754–1763
Powhatan Wars, 1610–1646
King Philip's War, 1675–1676
Pequot War, 1636–1637
Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763–1768
These are just some of the most well-known wars in history. There were dozens of small conflicts throughout the areas surrounding the colonies. There were also many Native American casualties during the Revolutionary War, with different tribes aligning themselves with both sides.
http://endgenocide.org/learn/past-genocides/native-americans/

http://www.wvculture.org/history/archives/indians/indland.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American/Native-American-history

How do the words describing nature in lines 12–14 contribute to the tone of the passage?

Lines 12–14 read as follows:

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:

Here, the poet is referring to the effect that the daffodils had upon him on that wonderful day when the golden host of flowers fluttered before him, putting an end to his loss of inspiration and his lonely wanderings. Although there were sparkling waves next to them, the daffodils seemed much more alive than the water as they swayed in time to the breeze, almost as if they were dancing. The mood of these three lines is one of immense joy. The dancing of the daffodils perfectly matches the emotions of the poet. He remembers just how inspired he was upon seeing the daffodils and how much they fired his poetic imagination. That's what Wordsworth means when he refers to the "wealth the show to me had brought."

As well as joy, there is gratitude in these lines. The daffodils rekindled the poet's artistic imagination, and if he ever finds himself short of inspiration, all he has to do is recall the memory of those lovely daffodils; once more he is sent into transports of delight:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45521/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud

What are some of the most important themes in Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper?

The Straight Life, published in 1980, was co-written by Pepper himself and his third wife, Laurie Pepper (who recorded his memories and then transcribed them for the book). The novel's twenty-four total chapters are divided into three parts. The memoir is narrated by Pepper himself as well as by others who knew him. Themes include addiction, fame, and relationships. Pepper (himself the child of alcoholic parents) was plagued by addiction to drugs and alcohol (especially heroin). Pepper spent many years in prison (including the high-security San Quentin facility) on several different occasions, owing to his drug use.
His addiction affected his personal relationships deeply. Just as Pepper describes his father beating his mother, he has several relationships fall victim to his drug use. Many of the women in his life have their own chapters (such as "Diane," his second wife, and "Laurie," his third). Ultimately, the book is a reminder of Art's perpetual struggle with drug use, and his abiding love of music that occasionally buoyed him up.

What were Elizabeth the First's strengths? Weaknesses? What did she do that merits praise? Condemnation?

Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) was the regnant Queen of England through the second half of the 16th century.
During her reign, Elizabeth was known for her pragmatic and moderate religious policy, her openness to counsel and guidance from her courtiers tempered by her ability to take decisive action when needed, and her masterful command of foreign languages. At the same time, however, she was known for her personal vanity.
Elizabeth I's achievements included: the promulgation of the Poor Laws, England's first comprehensive welfare scheme; the preparation and successful leadership of the defense of England from Spain; and the suppression of several Irish rebellions.
Her greatest failing was the fact that she did not bear children which, in the law of succession, meant that she produced no heirs to the throne of England. The result was the extinction of the House of Tudor and, after her death, the Crown passed to James of Scotland.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-I

What would be an exposé on Saki (H. H. Munro), referring to biographical information, his other works ("The Interlopers," "Mrs. Packletide's Tiger"), his accomplishments, and his fundamental beliefs in his writing? This should be done in conjunction with the settings, themes, and literary elements used in his writing.

H. H. Munro (1870–1916), generally known by his pen name, Saki, originally wrote as a journalist, then turned to short fiction and novels—often satirical—as well as nonfiction. Born into an English military family in Burma (now Myanmar), he grew up in England and Europe. Munro briefly served in the military police in Burma before returning to England and, as a foreign correspondent, began what became a successful writing career. After volunteering for service in World War I, he was killed in France.
In both stories, as he often does, Munro primarily uses irony. He also chooses settings distant from England and, with few words, creates characters who resonate with the reader’s knowledge of human nature.
In “The Interlopers,” George and Ulrich are two men who have long been feuding over ownership of a piece of property in the Carpathian mountains. Meeting in the woods to fight over the land, each plans to dominate the other. After being trapped by a fallen tree, however, they reconcile their differences. Unfortunately, as they call for help, their shouts attract wolves.
In “Mrs. Packletide's Tiger,” after her rival, Loona Bimberton, gains fame by flying in an airplane, Mrs. Packletide decides to outdo her by shooting a tiger in India. Recruiting help from some villagers, they find an old tiger and tie up a goat as bait. Unfortunately, the lady is a bad shot and kills the goat. The elderly tiger does die, however, of an apparent heart attack. Bribing her companion, Miss Mebbin, and the others not to reveal the truth, Mrs. Packletide gains her desired fame.
Saki’s pointed but usually mild rebukes of human nature earned him success in his lifetime and enduring popularity. He accurately dissects people’s foibles and usually arranges for their comeuppance but sometimes allows the undeserving—like the tiger “hunter”—their modest triumphs, as often happens in real life. At other times, however, they get eaten by wolves.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3688/3688-h/3688-h.htm

In Brave New World, why is unorthodoxy worse than murder?

In the context of Brave New World, one must remember that the "World State" does not value individualism. The society does have any laws in place that secure civil liberties or courts that would protect individuals abuse of power from government officials. The people's liberties do not matter and neither do their lives. They are a collective groups of units in castes that work as a whole. The loss one does not effect the whole, but unorthodoxy would affect others and could incite change. Something novel, different, or exciting is not only new, but is dangerous to society that does function on innovation. The society in Brave New World works because it is static. They have found that it works and that the people are satisfied. It is kin to the story that of the people who walk away from Omelas. There is murder, abuse, and pain. However only if you recognize it as injustice and value individuals will you leave.

In chapter 10, the Director tells Henry that "no offense is so heinous as orthodoxy of behaviour" and that "Murder kills only the individual and, after all, what is an individual?" The implication here is that unorthodoxy of behavior has a wider impact than does murder. The Director, gesturing towards rows of test-tubes, microscopes, and incubators, says that "We can make a new (life) with the greatest ease," and thus murder, in the grand scheme of things, is not especially inconvenient. Unorthodoxy of thought, however, as the Director says, "threatens more than the life of an individual; it strikes at Society itself."
Later in chapter 10, the Director makes a public example of Bernard's unorthodox behavior. He accuses Bernard of holding "heretical views on sport and soma," and highlights the "scandalous unorthodoxy of his sex life." This unorthodox behavior, the Director says, makes Bernard "an enemy of Society, a subverter . . . of all Order and Stability, a conspirator against Civilization itself."
In short, unorthodoxy of behavior is worse than murder, from the perspective of the Director, because it has the potential to spread, and infect others. Unorthodoxy also is an indication of the individual's supposed ingratitude, and it raises the possibility that there might be something to be ungrateful for and to rebel against. Unorthodoxy threatens the carefully constructed illusion of the infallibility of the State. The murder of an easily replaceable individual does not.