In what ways is Okonkwo a good or a bad father in Things Fall Apart?

Okonkwo is a good father in that he is an extremely hard-working man that is able to financially provide for his family. He is a respected member of the community, and he embraces his leadership roles. Okonkwo also recognizes traits in his own father that he doesn't like, and he works at not emulating those behaviors. All of these things are positive traits that Okonkwo models for his children.
Unfortunately, for every good fatherly trait that he has, a reader can find an equally bad fatherly trait in Okonkwo. It's not that Okonkwo only doesn't want to be like his father. Okonkwo genuinely fears becoming that. He genuinely feels that his father was too feminine, and Okonkwo tries to compensate by being hyper-masculine. He beats his wives and doesn't have a good handle on his emotions. He is driven by fear, and that leads to destructive behavior, like killing Ikemefuna and disowning his oldest son. Okonkwo holds his children to high standards. That is a good thing; however, he can't figure out how to show that he loves them, and that is a bad thing.

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo displays dominance among his family and clan, and he is well respected. He is famous for his personal achievements, such as defeating the Cat in a wrestling tournament, and holds many titles. He is a hardworking and successful farmer, which results in his wealth. However, Okonkwo also fears failure, rules his household with a heavy hand, and displays a great amount of anger.

"Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength." (pg. 28)

Although he admires his children, he does not often show them affection, because he believes showing affection is a sign of weakness. Many of Okonkwo's actions could be used to justify the idea that he is a "bad" father. He threatens his adopted son with a big stick when the son refuses to eat, he threatens to break the jaw of his oldest son for the way he cuts yams, and he openly beats his wives in front of his children. Okonkwo's involvement in the killing of his adopted son and the lack of attention towards and respect for his oldest son, Nwoye, ultimately results in Nwoye's conversion to Christianity, partially to get away from Okonkwo.
No matter the lack of affection he shows, Okonkwo does instill in his children a good and solid work ethic, which could be considered a trait of a "good" father. His favorite child, Ezinma, whom he wishes was born a boy, does not whine or question any job given to her; she does it with a good attitude. Despite his departure from the clan and family, Nwoye always shows respect for others' differences. However, regardless of the morals he instills in his children, Okonkwo's violence, threats, and lack of attention and affection give grounds for him being labeled a "bad" father.

Okonkwo is a good father in that he provides for his family and protects them when necessary. He is also a successful man who demonstrates to his children the importance of hard work and motivation. He teaches Ikemefuna and Nwoye necessary skills to become successful farmers and even travels to the Oracle of the Hills and Caves in order to protect Enzima. However, Okonkwo is a callous, strict man who does not express his feelings of admiration to his children. Okonkwo believes that any form of positive emotion or communication makes him look weak. For this reason, he does not tell Enzima how much he admires her or lets Ikemefuna know that he is proud of him. Okonkwo is also intolerant and insensitive. He neglects his son Nwoye because he feels like Nwoye is too feminine simply because he does not share any of his "masculine" interests. Although Ikemefuna is not his son, he takes part in his murder despite being told not to participate. Nwoye ends up resenting his father and Okonkwo's children never develop a healthy relationship with their father because of his insensitive disposition. 

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Chapter 9, 9.3, Section 9.3, Problem 8

This equation can be solved by the separation of variables. This means, we can rewrite this equation in a way that all y-containing terms are on the left side and all theta-containing terms are on the right side.
To do this, we can multiply both sides of equation by y and d(theta) :
ydy = e^y * (sin^2(theta))/sec(theta) d(theta)
We can also divide both sides of the equation by e^y :
(ydy)/e^y = (sin^2(theta))/sec(theta) d(theta)
Next, we can simplify both sides of the equation using the rule of exponents:
1/e^y = e^(-y)
and the reciprocal identity: 1/sec(theta) = cos(theta) .
ye^(-y)dy = sin^2(theta)cos(theta)d(theta)
Now we can take the integral of the both sides of the equations.
int (ye^(-y)dy) = int (sin^2(theta)cos(theta)d(theta))
On the left side, we have a product of an exponential function and a polynomial function (y), so this integral will have to be taken by parts.
Let u = y and dv = e^(-y)dy
Then, du = dy and v = int e^(-y)dy = -e^(-y)
According to the integration by parts procedure,
int udv = uv - int (vdu)
Thus, int (ye^(-y)dy = -ye^(-y) - int (-e^(-y))dy = -ye^(-y) - e^(-y)
This will be the left side of the equation after the integration.
On the right side, we have the trigonometric integral which can be solved by substitution. Let u = sin(theta) . Then, du = cos(theta)d(theta) .
Plugging this into the integral, we get
int sin^2(theta)cos(theta)d(theta) = int u^2 * du
This is a power function, integration of which results in u^3/3 + C , where C is an arbitrary constant.
Substituting the expression for u in terms of theta back, we see that the left side after the integration becomes
1/3 sin^3(theta) + C
So, the equation is now
-ye^(-y) - e^(-y) = 1/4 sin^3(theta) + C
We cannot express y(theta) explicitely from here, but we can solve for theta(y) . First, isolate sin^4(theta) :
sin^3(theta) = 3(-ye^(-y) - e^(-y) - C)
Than, take 4th degree root:
sin(theta) = root(4) (-4(ye^(-y) + e^(-y) + C))
Finally, take the inverse sine of both sides:
theta = arcsin(root(3) (-3(ye^(-y) + e^(-y) + C)))
This is the solution of the given equation. Note that it will be defined, depending on the value of constant C, only for restricted values of y.

What is the plot construction in Far from the Madding Crowd?

The plot of Far From the Madding Crowd is constructed on surprising, sometimes melodramatic plot twists, dramatic irony, and a strong female protagonist.
Surprising plot twists include the dramatic stampede of the up-and-coming Gabriel Oak's flock of sheep over the side of a cliff. This shocking occurrence ruins him financially, and he is forced to work as a humble shepherd for Bathsheba Everdene, the woman he once asked to marry him.
Another surprising plot twist is Bathsheba's idle and impulsive decision to send the serious and older Mr. Boldwood a teasing Valentine that says, "Marry Me." She thinks of it as a joke and regrets her act almost immediately, but it sets in motion Boldwood's dogged pursuit of her hand in marriage. Throughout the novel, these random-seeming plot twists keep the action moving forward in surprising ways, keeping the audience guessing what will happen next.
Dramatic irony is when the reader or audience knows something the characters in the novel don't. For example, most of the characters don't know, as the reader does, that Gabriel is in love with Bathsheba. And while the characters in the novel think Troy has been drowned, the reader knows this is not true. We feel a certain edge-of-the-seat dread that, for example, Bathsheba will remarry while Troy is still alive.
Bathsheba is the strong female character about whom the plot revolves. Unlike the usual retiring Victorian heroine, this woman stands up for herself and runs her own farm with admirable success, and yet, in the realm of love, she makes disastrous decisions, such as marrying Troy. It takes her far too long to realize that Gabriel is the right man for her. We feel for her and also never know what she will do next.
The title of this work is taken from Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard," a poem that celebrates the simple lives of unknown rural people. The dramatic plot of Hardy's novel also celebrates the lives of obscure rural folk and shows there is more drama in these lives than we might suspect.

What does Oberon realize when he sees Hermia and Demetrius together in act 3, scene 2?

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play about the difficulties of romantic love. These difficulties are made worse through the interference of the king of the fairies, Oberon, and his servant Puck. In act 3, scene 2, Oberon realizes that his servant Puck has used the love potion on the wrong person. Oberon wanted Puck to place the love potion in Demetrius’s eyes to make him fall in love with Helena. Instead, Puck, through mischief or mistake, places the potion in Lysander’s eyes, causing him to turn away from his true love, Hermia, and chase Helena. When Oberon sees Hermia and Demetrius arguing, he realizes his servant’s mistake.

“What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight: Of thy misprision must perforce ensue Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true.”

Once Oberon realizes Puck’s mistake, Oberon orders him to bring Helena there. Oberon then anoints Demetrius’s eyes to make him fall in love with Helena.
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/midsummer.3.2.html

What is the overall tone in Hurston's essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me"? How does Hurston use description to establish her tone and central impression? Which descriptive phrases are especially strong?

In "How It Feels to be Colored Me," Hurston's tone is upbeat and even defiant. She uses a number of fresh, vivid descriptions to relate how she feels about her identity and her uniqueness. Though other people insist that being black presents overwhelming difficulty, Hurston writes in a particularly strong descriptive passage, "No, I do not weep at the world—I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife." She uses the metaphor of eating oysters to imply that she is enjoying life, as oysters are a delicacy. By creating the image of sharpening her knife, she injects a note of defiance into the metaphor.




At the end of the essay, she creates the strong vivid image of herself as a brown bag:

But in the main, I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall. Against a wall in company with other bags, white, red and yellow. Pour out the contents, and there is discovered a jumble of small things priceless and worthless.

By creating the image of a bag filled with miscellany that is both priceless and worthless, she suggests that she an individual, like all other people. The brownness is just the color of the bag, or skin, that coats her on the outside. Inside, there is a jumble that represents her individuality. By using strong, vivid descriptions, Hurston insists that she is unique, an individual, who is not defined by the color of her skin.

Hurston's essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" conveys strength, empowerment, and pride. 
Throughout "How It Feels to Be Colored Me," Hurston uses descriptive language to help send her message. For example, toward the middle of the essay, she states: 

But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a low-down dirty deal and whose feelings are all hurt about it. 

Hurston is comparing herself to other "colored" people. Other people might be angry or depressed at their status in life; Hurston refuses to have those thoughts and feelings. Instead, she is determined to show a quiet pride in herself because, ultimately, there is nothing wrong with her. 
Another strong moment where Hurston uses descriptive language is when she is at the music club with a white friend. In that part, she states:

I am in the jungle and living in the jungle way. My face is painted red and yellow, and my body is painted blue. My pulse is throbbing like a war drum.

It shows exactly how Hurston experiences the music in the club, giving the readers a vivid description so they can easily put themselves in her shoes and feel right along with her. It's a direct contrast to how her white friend hears the music:

...find the white friend sitting motionless in his seat, smoking calmly...He has only heard what I felt.

Just as she knows the white people don't understand her, she is explaining how she doesn't understand them, either. It baffles Hurston that someone can hear music of that caliber and still be so calm and collected. She's trying to prove that people aren't so different, after all.
Through her words and descriptive language, Hurston's tone in "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" is one of quiet strength, empowerment, and pride in herself.

What are the most interesting things that happened during the Salem Witch Trials?

Belief in superstition, the supernatural and of the power of "witches" to bring evil upon victims using powers granted them by the devil was widespread in colonial New England. It was against this backdrop, that, in 1692, a group of young girls living in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to have been possessed by the devil and accused several area women of practicing witchcraft. Colonial life could be harsh and unpredictable. The area around Salem Village (what is today Danvers, Massachusetts) had just suffered through a smallpox epidemic; was still experiencing deprivation as a result of recent fighting between the French and the British; and residents were often suspicious and mistrustful of outsiders.
The first two girls to exhibit strange symptoms were 9- and 11-year-old sisters who experienced violent fits and bouts of screaming and were diagnosed as "bewitched" by a local doctor. Later, five other village girls began exhibiting similar symptoms, and the girls accused three women—Tituba, one of the affected family's Caribbean slave; Sarah Good, a local beggar; and a poor, elderly woman named Sarah Osborn. Although the latter two denied any involvement with witchcraft, Tituba confessed, likely in an effort to win better treatment by incriminating the others. Her dramatic descriptions of invoking the devil helped induce a witch hysteria that swept through the community, as more and more witches were accused until the influx could no longer be handled by the small town's justice system.
Ultimately, the Massachusetts governor convened a special court to hear the cases, and 19 women were hanged for witchcraft, while another 7 died in prison. Thankfully, by 1693, cooler heads prevailed, and the hysteria died down; all people remaining in prison on suspicion of witchcraft were pardoned. 

Compose a well-substantiated argument about Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in terms of the problems presented by marriage and agency in an acquisitive society and Austen’s Persuasion as embodying a new sense of the evolution of society and of marriage and agency. Substantiate the answer with apt references to the texts.

I am not sure what is meant by "agency" in this context, but I will assume it means a woman's sense of empowerment in making her own choices about marriage. 
Both these novels are complex, but Pride and Prejudice can be understood as a debate on the reasons for marrying. Charlotte Lucas stands for complete pragmatism in marriage: she accepts Mr. Collins, an awkward man (he steps on Elizabeth's toes while dancing) who the Bennet sisters (and father) laugh at as a buffoon. Mr. Collins lacks social skills, flatters and kisses up to people in power in a shameless way, and turns cruelly on the Bennets when Lydia gets in trouble. Charlotte cannot know what Mr. Collins will do in the case of Lydia when she agrees to marry him, but she knows full well he is a buffoon. She marries him to have an "establishment": he offers her a good, secure income, the assurance that he will inherit the Bennet family estate, and, all importantly, the status in society that comes with being a wife. Charlotte, age 27, fears being the dependent sister of brothers who might resent supporting her. For her, the house, the income, the security, and the status are all far more important than the personal appearance or characteristics of the man she marries. To her, marriage is a financial and status transaction, and she reasons that she has as much chance of happiness in it as anyone else.
Elizabeth, in contrast, represents, at least in her own mind, the idea of marrying for love. She avows very decidedly that she could never marry a man like Mr. Collins. She says could only marry a man she esteems. 
Here is where we have to stay focused on Austen's actual text and not the hunky movie Darcys that fill the movie Elizabeths with repressed sexual passion. In the text, Elizabeth is not in love with Darcy; he piques her interest when he insults her, and she uses her wit to get back at him. This unwittingly ensnares him, but she does not love him. She also does not like him until near the end of the novel. After all, he makes her utterly furious when he proposes to her like an arrogant jerk (or, as my students call him, a buzzkill). Darcy says he is doing her a great favor by marrying her given how important he is, how little money she has, and what idiots her family members are. He really is no charmer.  She softens toward him when she gets a letter explaining his version of the Wickham story, but she still does not love him. It is only while she is touring Pemberley, his estate, that the thought crosses her mind that it could be something to be the mistress of such an extraordinary place. We must note that this is a very acquisitive thought. Does she fall in love with Pemberley or Darcy? In any case, we know that Darcy does rise in her esteem when he bails outs Lydia (again, money talks), and they do achieve a marriage based on mutual respect. However, it certainly seems as if money comes first in the marriage game. One of Austen's ironies in the novel is that Elizabeth, in the end, is not that much different from Charlotte: both achieve a increase in money and status by marrying socially awkward men.
In Persuasion, money again initially rules the roost. On the advice of her mentor, Lady Russell, Anne turns down Wentworth's marriage proposal because his financial prospects are so uncertain. However, we see growth in Austen's outlook. Anne comes to regret that decision and to feel she should have trusted her own heart over the well-meaning pragmatism of her friend. She suffers for turning down a marriage offer for purely financial reasons. 
When Wentworth comes back, he is wealthy, but Austen makes it clear, especially from Anne's body language, that she is love with the man, not his money. He is not the route to some equivalent of Pemberley. In the end, Anne loves and marries him for himself. This is an evolution over Pride and Prejudice.

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Chapter 7, 7.3, Section 7.3, Problem 29

Take the integral int x sqrt(1 - x^4) dx
substitute u = x^2
u = x^2
du = 2x dx
to get 1/2 int sqrt(1 - u^2) du
now make u = sin(t) so:
du = cos(t)dt
1/2 int sqrt(1 - sin^2(t)) cos(t) dt
and since 1 - sin^2(t) is the same thing as cos^2(t) this can be simplified to:
1/2 int cos^2(t) dt
This can be written as
1/2 int 1/2 cos(2t) + 1/2 dt
taking the integral of this we get
1/2 (1/4 sin(2t) + 1/2 t) + c
or 1/8 sin(2t) + 1/4 t
in order to get this back to using x, we need to get sin2t to be in terms of just sin(t)
We can use sin(2t) = 2sin(t)cos(t) and the fact that cos(t) = sqrt(1 - sin^2(t))
to get:
t/4 + 1/4 sin(t) sqrt(1 - sin^2(t))
using u = sin(t), and t = sin^-1(u) we get
(sin^-1(u))/4 + 1/4 u sqrt(1 - u^2)
now sub back in x^2 = u
(sin^-1(x^2))/4 + 1/4 x^2 sqrt(1 - x^4)
This is the final answer.
int x sqrt(1 - x^4) dx =(sin^-1(x^2))/4 + 1/4 x^2 sqrt(1 - x^4)

Which process copies instructions from DNA onto mRNA?

The process in which mRNA is made from DNA is called transcription. Transcription is the first part of the process of Protein Synthesis. Protein Synthesis consists of Transcription and Translation.
In Transcription double stranded DNA is used as a template to create a complementary single stranded mRNA. mRNA is created so it may leave the nucleus, as DNA cannot.
Once mRNA has left the nucleus it attaches to a ribosome starting the process of Transcription. In Transcription this mRNA is taken, and read to create a chain of amino acids and ultimately create a specific protein.

The process through which instructions are copied from the DNA to the mRNA is referred to as transcription. Transcription is the first part of the two-step process of protein synthesis that takes places in the nucleus of a cell. The second step is known as translation. During transcription, genetic instructions are copied from a DNA strand to produce a complementary mRNA strand. This strand is then transported to the ribosome where translation takes place, and a protein is made.
The process of transcription is further broken down into three steps, initiation, elongation, and termination. Initiation is the first step in which the enzyme RNA polymerase binds itself to a part of a gene and signals the DNA strand to unwind in readiness for the transfer of genetic codes. Elongation is when the RNA attaches to the DNA strand after it unwinds and the genetic information is replicated to form the mRNA molecule. The final step in this process is termination, which occurs when the mRNA strand detaches itself from the DNA.

What are some contrasting elements between Gatsby's parties and the funeral?

In contrast to the descriptions of Gatsby's parties, which are sprawling affairs, full of people and lively activity, Gatsby's funeral is described as quiet and attended only by Nick, Gatsby's father, the minister, and "the man with owl-eyed glasses" who liked Gatsby's books.
The loneliness of Gatsby's funeral as compared to his parties enhances the superficial quality of the parties; no matter how many people claimed closeness to Gatsby as a way to improve their own social standing, the rarity of Gatsby's actual friendships is undeniable. As well, Gatsby's funeral takes place in a moody setting of rain and "soggy ground." The imagery of rain suggests tears, tears shed only by nature as few humans appear to care that Gatsby has died. The atmosphere of the funeral is solemn, uncomfortable, and cold, an atmosphere that contrasts the excitement and heat of Gatsby's parties, generated by energetic dancing and drinking.

Beginning Algebra With Applications, Chapter 5, 5.3, Section 5.3, Problem 60

Suppose $A, B$ and $C$ are all positive numbers. Does the $y$-intercept of the graph of $Ax + By = C$ lie above or below the $x$-axis? Does the graph slant upward to the right or downward to the right?

If we rewrite the equation in slope intercept form, we get


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

Ax + By =& C
\\
\\
By =& C - Ax
\\
\\
y =& \frac{C - Ax}{B}
\\
\\
y =& \frac{-A}{B}x + \frac{C}{B}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$


The value of $\displaystyle \frac{C}{B}$ the $y$-intercept, since $B$ and $C$ are both positive numbers. Then the $y$-intercept must be a positive number and does lies above the $x$-axis. Next, the value of $\displaystyle \frac{-A}{B}$ determines the slope of the line, it also determines if the line slant upward to the right or downward to the right. Since $A$ is a negative number and $B$ is a positive number then the slope must be positive making the graph slant upward to the right.

Why did her husband keep her locked in the room?

At first glance, it appears that John, the protagonist's husband, keeps her confined for her safety. She is deemed ill by her husband, who also happens to be a physician, and told to remove herself from stimulus, like completing household tasks, caring for her baby, and writing, in order to get better. However, it quickly becomes apparent through the narrator's descriptions of the room that this rest is doing more harm than good. The narrator's grasp on reality begins to slip the longer she is isolated. She begins to see a woman who is trapped in the wallpaper and becomes obsessed with the thought of setting her free.
On a symbolic level, readers can analyze the woman in the wallpaper as the narrator. Although John has not literally locked her away, she is trapped in his rules. He does not listen to her when she expresses her concerns and often laughs off her worries. Readers may also consider that this woman in the wallpaper is the narrator's reflection since by night "she creeps". By freeing the woman in the wallpaper, she is freeing herself and defying her husband. 
 
 

Our protagonist's husband keeps her locked in her room to prevent the risks and heal the ailments that make up his misguided, and likely disingenuous, assessment of the protagonist's welfare. There is further suggestion that his intentions are less than honorable as enjoys the uplifting company of the female neighbor. He is professing to act in name of helping his wife by sheltering her from overexertion and stress, but his actions are absurd. There is no logical rationale for locking someone in a room to cure them of despondence and exhaustion. Perkins Gilman uses the arrangement to represent the absurdity of gender dynamics at the time. The husband, a medical professional, has created a diagnosis and treatment plan that is disempowering and ineffective, serves only his agenda, and ultimately makes things worse. The husband says he locks her up to cure her, but it seems more like he wants some space and freedom. Symbolically, the husband locking her in represents the efforts of a patriarchal society to oppress and diminish women.

The protagonist's husband doesn't keep her locked in the room, exactly. Rather, he prevents her from working or finding any positive way to spend her time because he believes she is ill with depression. Though he isn't literally locking her in, John locks her in metaphorically by denying her work, stimulation, or even the choice of her own room.
The protagonist explains that sometimes she wants to work, write, or go out, but her husband, John, believes it wouldn't be good for her. As a physician, he makes decisions about what his wife should and should not do. Both he and her brother—also a doctor—decide she needs less stimulation and stress.
As the protagonist spends the summer bored, isolated, and frustrated with her husband, she develops a fixation on the wallpaper of her room. John refuses to replace it, even though it makes her unhappy. She says,

At first he meant to repaper the room, but afterwards he said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies.

The narrator herself locks the door at times so she can creep around the room. John never locks her in physically—but emotionally, he traps her in the house and the room. Even though she wants a different room, he believes that he knows what is right for her more than she does.

Hello Tutor. It would be great if I could get help for my assignment in Texas Government. Thank you in advance. Question: You are going to write a letter to the editor of a Texas publication. (Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly etc). Discuss the following about immigration in Texas in the text of your letter. 1. Your stance on the issue-agree or disagree & why? 2.What you believe should be the appropriate response from the Texas Legislature. 3.How you believe the issue affects the citizens of Texas-positively or negatively.

Concerning my stance on immigration pertaining to Texas Law.  First let’s take a look at the word “immigration”.  The word immigration means “the movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle concerning the country”.  Regardless of the physiological awareness meaning what is being felt, a “movement” concerning a group individuals coincide with a word that’s called “migration”.  So the word migration is the natural order of all walks of life.  My feelings would be supported based on that idea alone meaning what would be the essence of the word “migration”.   It may be considered an atrocity to prevent migration from happening.
Pertaining to Texas law in this article the passed bill regardless of any biasness or truth it still would be considered a travesty against amnesty because basically again as I stated this would be an interruption against the world “migration”.  The appropriate response would be an elite form of “integrations” meaning a reaffirmation of a group of race.
The effects of course pertaining to Texas residents would be a “damning” however a positive reaffirmation pertaining to a group of people would have to take place.  I say this with great conviction concerning the evolution of the human race meaning, in order for the dawn of human awareness’s to keep evolving we must socially interact with all walks of life.
 
Montgomery, Dave, and Manny Fernandez. “Texas Immigration Bill Draws Protesters to the State Capitol.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 May 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/us/texas-sanctuary-bill-protest.html.

Whether you are arguing for or against immigration, your starting point should always be facts. You might begin by thinking about the history of immigration into Texas. The original inhabitants of Texas, some 11,000 years before the arrival of the Europeans, belonged to such tribes as the Apache, Comanche, Wichita, Coahuiltecan, and Tonkawa. The first European immigrants were the Spanish, who arrived in the sixteenth century. When Mexico became independent from Spain, Texas was part of Mexico, and Anglo settlers, as well as the independence of Texas and its assimilation into the United States, were nineteenth-century phenomena. Thus the first problem in discussing immigration is that any inhabitant of Texas who is not a Native American is descended from immigrants, and that of these immigrants, Hispanic ones arrived considerably earlier than Anglo ones. To be logically and morally consistent, any argument concerning immigration must take into account the fact that the European immigrants, from whom both Anglos and Hispanics descended, were, after all, foreign invaders routinely guilty of rape, murder, theft, and genocide. 
In looking at contemporary immigration, at good starting point is looking at economic issues. On the one side, one could argue that immigrants put a strain on public resources, especially since Texas is a low-tax state in which residents are often politically unwilling to support public services through tax revenue. On the other side, one can argue that immigrants are a major factor in the economic boom in Texas and that without their availability for low-wage jobs in industries such as agriculture and construction, the Texas economy would suffer. Most economists believe that immigration has, overall, had a positive effect on the Texas economy as most immigrants contribute more in taxes than they get back in public services (especially in the case of payroll taxes). On a civic level, though, issues such as violent people, such as drug-smugglers, can make the border seem like a war zone, disrupting the lives of local residents. 
 
https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/native-americans

What do the swallows symbolize in The Devil's Arithmetic?

In the book, swallows are mentioned seven times. The swallows fly around the death camps as the smoke rises from the ovens. This is actually a disturbing image, but it highlights an important fact: tragedy is as much a part of life as beauty is. So the swallows symbolize life in all its complexity.
In some cultures, swallows symbolize freedom, salvation, or even the souls of the dead. Certainly, these are meaningful interpretations and can be relevant to The Devil's Arithmetic.
First, let's discuss the swallows and their connection to the complexity of life. In the book, we read about swallows hunting insects while the smoke rises from the death camp ovens. The swallows are "raucous," focused only on catching their main meal of the day. They are oblivious to the suffering in the camps, and they have no knowledge of tragedy. While the birds fly freely in the sky, human beings are cruelly incarcerated and killed in horrific conditions on earth. This juxtaposition of freedom and enslavement highlights the complexity of life.
Interestingly, the ancient Egyptians associated swallows with the souls of the dead. In light of the death camps, this interpretation is ominously accurate. From the text, we read that it is the practice of the swallows to dip down in search of insects and then to soar back up above the barracks. The smoke from the ovens signifies that many innocents have been sacrificed to achieve Hitler's vision of Aryan perfection. Hence, the swallows also symbolize the souls of the dead.
In the book, Hannah concludes that this image of swallows flying freely is incongruous with the suffering that she sees. She thinks that the swallows should be "mourning by the smokestacks" instead. Yet after Hannah returns to her world, she notices that talk and laughter dips and soars like swallows at the dining table. Her observation again highlights the complexity of life, where death exists side by side with human existence. In her present life, there is freedom and hope. In the past, the one she has just come from, there was only death. Our memories consist of experiences that speak of both tragedy and hope. We must trust, as the swallows apparently do, that evil will never vanquish freedom.

How are the animals characterized?

All of the animals are given human characteristics, but none are fully fleshed out into three-dimensional figures.
First, certain types of animals are grouped together and given only one or two major characteristics. The sheep, for example, are very unintelligent and easily brainwashed and led by the pigs. The hens, on the other hand, have more intelligence and are fiercely protective of their eggs (their unborn children), even standing up to Napoleon to try to protect them, although to no avail. The dogs are fierce and loyal to the pigs.
A few of the animals do get individualized. Mollie, for instance, is a horse who loves to wear ribbons and eat sugar: she is silly and would rather have her material comforts than be free. Moses is a sly liar of a raven who will weave false tales about Sugarcandy Mountain in return for food so that he doesn't have to do any real work. Squealer is a slimy, smooth-talking pig with a curly tail who is always jumping from side to side. He would creep out anyone with half a brain, but most of the animals lack that level of intelligence. Snowball is a very intelligent and dedicated pig who nevertheless is willing to grab privileges for his own kind, such as all the windfall apples. Napoleon is a power-hungry, ruthless, and shrewd pig who is not particularly bright.
A hero of the book is Boxer, the workhorse who truly believes in the rebellion and, later, in Napoleon. He represents the person of sincere heart who always goes the extra mile, only to be betrayed and cheated for his efforts. However, even Boxer is not very developed: we know him only as a caring and trusting horse who always works hard.

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the animals are portrayed as having human characteristics. The novel is an allegory about the causes and effects of the Russian Revolution, and the animals each represent different segments of Soviet society. In the beginning, all of the animals are subjected to the tyranny of their master, Farmer Jones, and the differences between the species are minimized. However, once the animals gain their freedom, their differences become more apparent and determine their place on the farm. For example, after an idyllic period in which the commandment is adopted that “all animals are equal,” the pigs quickly use their superior intelligence to rule over the other animals. The horses, Boxer and Clover, are the exploited working class and accept the pigs’ rule unquestioningly, while the dogs protect the pigs and use force and intimidation to quell any dissension. The hens try to rebel against the tyrannical rule of the pigs but are starved out, and their rebellion is quashed. Idealism gives way to “human nature,” and the animals trade one form of tyranny for another.

Why is Reverend Hale considered a dynamic character?

In literature a dynamic character is one who experiences profound change. In the case of the Reverend Hale we see someone radically different at the end of the play from what he was at the start. It is this dynamism that makes him arguably the most complex and interesting character in The Crucible.
At the beginning of the play Hale is a single-minded, fanatical hunter of witches. It is his passionate conviction that Salem is a veritable den of iniquity, infested by those who practice the foulest of black arts. Ominously, Hale sets a great deal of store by outward appearances:
"The devil is precise-the marks of his presence are as definite asstone."
And he is determined to prosecute anyone who shows (in his mind at least) the slightest visible sign of conforming to his notion of what a witch looks like.
Yet Hale's outward confidence in the moral rectitude of his mission is shattered as the play progresses. For one thing, his overriding belief that there are witches round every corner leads to his being duped by the slanderous machinations of Abigail Williams. Ironically, it was Abigail who encouraged Tituba to cast a spell on Elizabeth Proctor. If anything, she is more of a witch than anybody in Salem. And with her lies and false accusations she casts a spell over Hale, though one that is eventually broken.
Although Hale is a changed man by the end of the play he's also a broken man. In a last desperate attempt to bring justice to the accused he pleads with them to confess in order to avoid execution. But by fighting lies with more lies he is simply contributing further to the toxic climate of untruth that has gripped the town. Ultimately, Hale is trapped. He wants to do the right thing, to bring justice; but he cannot truly do so without challenging the very foundations of the practice of witch-hunting to which he's devoted so much time and energy.
 

36^(5x+2)=(1/6)^(11-x) Solve the equation.

To evaluate the given equation 36^(5x+2)=(1/6)^(11-x) , we may apply 36=6^2  and  1/6=6^(-1) . The equation becomes:
(6^2)^(5x+2)=(6^(-1))^(11-x)
Apply Law of Exponents: (x^n)^m = x^(n*m) .
6^(2*(5x+2))=6^((-1)*(11-x))
6^(10x+4)=6^(-11+x)
Apply the theorem: If b^x=b^y then x=y , we get:
10x+4=-11+x
Subtract x from both sides of the equation.
10x+4-x=-11+x-x
9x+4=-11
Subtract 4 from both sides of the equation.
9x+4-4=-11-4
9x=-15
Divide both sides by 9 .
9x/9=-15/9
x=-15/9
Simplify.
x=-5/3
Checking: Plug-in x=-5/3 on 36^(5x+2)=(1/6)^(11-x) .
36^(5(-5/3)+2)=?(1/6)^(11-(-5/3))
36^(-25/3+2)=?(1/6)^(11+5/3)
36^(-25/3+6/3)=?(1/6)^(33/3+5/3)
36^(-19/3)=?(1/6)^(38/3)
(6^2)^(-19/3)=?(6^(-1))^(38/3)
6^(2*(-19/3))=?6^((-1)*38/3)
6^(-38/3)=6^(-38/3)         TRUE
Final answer:
There is no extraneous solution. The x=-5/3 is the real exact solution of the equation 36^(5x+2)=(1/6)^(11-x) . 

What did phosphorus have to do with the mystery?

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson work to solve the mystery surrounding the death of a man called Sir Charles Baskerville, and save his relative Sir Henry from the same fate. In the second chapter, aptly titled "The Curse of the Baskervilles," Dr. Mortimer shows Holmes and Watson a manuscript which tells the tale of Sir Charles's villainous ancestor Hugo Baskerville and the creature that killed him hundreds of years ago, referred to as the Hound of the Baskervilles. The hound is described as such:

...standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon.

The last paragraph of the manuscript says that the beast has "plagued the family so sorely ever since," and many of the Baskervilles have died "sudden, bloody, and mysterious" deaths. While Sir Charles took the legend seriously, and Dr. Mortimer has good reason to believe in the possibility of the mythical hound being responsible for Charles's death, Watson and Holmes are able to get down to the truth and debunk this supernatural theory by the end of the story.
Sir Henry, Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade do eventually have an encounter with "an enormous coal-black hound," out on the moors. Watson tells us that the beast was "not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen," and that:

Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame.

Luckily, Holmes is able to shoot and kill the hound before it gets the chance to hurt anyone or literally scare Sir Henry to death. Upon inspection of the the animal's body, they can see that the hound seemed to be on fire because someone covered it in a "cunning preparation" of phosphorus, an element that glows when it is exposed to oxygen. And so, this hound is not an immortal, devilish beast, but an uncommonly large dog that Stapleton, the true villain, made to look impossibly, supernaturally terrifying in order to use the legend to his advantage.

Analyze the rhetorical strategies and audience appeals Cassius uses to discredit Caesar and persuade Brutus to take Caesar's place in act 1, scene 2: "I know that virtue to be in you. . . . The torrent roar'd and we did buffet it."

In this speech in act 1, scene 2, Cassius uses a variety of rhetorical methods to discredit Caesar and encourage Brutus to think of taking Caesar's place. First of all, Cassius attacks Caesar on a personal level in an attempt to make Caesar look bad to Brutus. Secondly, Cassius employs personal appeals to Brutus to coax Brutus toward his way of thinking. Additionally, Cassius asks rhetorical questions, ones that do not really require an answer in order to be effective in impacting the workings of Brutus's mind.
Cassius makes a personal attacks on Caesar's character when he mentions an incident to Brutus during which Caesar apparently suggested he and Cassius swim in the stormy Tiber. This action endangered them both before Caesar grew too weak himself and required Cassius to rescue him. Somehow, this story is supposed to persuade Brutus that Caesar is unfit to lead. Cassius follows this episode immediately with a description of Caesar's experience in Spain with a fever that impacted his ability to speak. Both of these tales are intended by Cassius to make Caesar appear unqualified, but they do not actually relate very closely to Caesar's true leadership abilities.
Cassius also attempts to woo Brutus by complimenting him and comparing him to to Caesar. This kind of emotional appeal is manipulative, and Cassius tries to ingratiate himself with Brutus, tricking Brutus into thinking Cassius is trustworthy. Cassius seems to sincerely appreciate Brutus's sense of honor, which makes Cassius's direct comparison of Brutus to Caesar all the more effective when Cassius tries to cast Caesar in a dishonorable light.
Finally, Cassius uses rhetorical questions, asking Brutus to ponder with him the reasons behind the needless elevation of the name Caesar. Cassius wants to know what makes the name "Caesar" any more special than "Brutus." Additionally, what sort of food is Caesar eating that makes him so great? These rhetorical questions do not require answers from Brutus, as they are meant simply to plant seeds of doubt in Brutus's mind about Caesar's worthiness.

What was Fitzgerald's purpose for writing The Great Gatsby?

Only F. Scott Fitzgerald himself can answer this question with any certainty at all. According to the forward of Scribner's The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald desired his novel to be "a consciously artistic achievement," which suggests that Fitgerald's purpose in writing The Great Gatsby was to create a work of art.
Fitzgerald wrote many letters to his friends and editors, and in this correspondence, Fitzgerald reveals what he may have meant by an artistic achievement. He writes in some of his letters of how long it took him to write the novel (about one year), and in others, he claims that everything he had left out of The Great Gatsby would be enough to create another book entirely. The dedication and the restraint that Fitzgerald must have practiced to create the book is representative of successful artists of all types; as a writer, Fitzgerald set his vision down in words, and the artistry is evident in the book's great beauty and enduring popularity.

Ultimately, we cannot determine the answer to this as it would require being able to see inside the mind of Fitzgerald and assess his inner feelings and motives, something that is not possible. 
We do know that Fitzgerald, starting as a teenager, longed for literary success, wanting both to create great works and to become well-known and well-respected. Part of this may have stemmed from his family background, which existed at the fringes of the elite society of Minneapolis; as a student a Princeton Fitzgerald also found himself on the margins of an east coast elite. He was strongly ambivalent about the elites he both wished to join and despised for their insularity, materialism, and self-centeredness. Thus to some degree we can assume that among Fitzgerald's motives was a desire to work out some of his own ambivalence to upper class society.
Finally, Fitzgerald was a professional writer who was attempting to earn a living by writing and who was motivated in part to write because it was how he supported himself and his wife Zelda.  

What is the theme of "Journey" by Joyce Carol Oates?

Reading Joyce Carol Oates's short story "Journey," one is reminded of Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Less Traveled":

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

In Frost's poem, his narrator experiences both the uncertainties and the learned experiences of veering off one's charted course into the unknown. Note the final line in this poem: "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." As with Frost, Oates is contemplating the potential visceral experiences of veering from one's safer, known path. "Journey" uses the narrator's description of another individual's decisions to consistently reject the safe and boring for the potentially dangerous but ultimately rewarding. Her human subject is on, obviously, a "journey" to a certain but unspecified destination, via a safe, well-paved and traveled road. It is, as the narrator informs us, a familiar destination: "...your destination is already in sight—a city that you have visited many times." The human—"you"—grows bored with the "excellent highway where the sun shines ceaselessly" and veers off the safe path into more forbidding terrain. As the journey continues, albeit on a different path, the destination remains constant but somehow becomes more vague, less concrete. Observe in the following passage the growing uncertainty about the nature of the journey: 




"The road leads deep into a forest, always descending in small cramped turns. Your turning from left to right and from right to left, in a slow hypnotic passage, makes it impossible for you to look out at the forest. You discover that for some time you have not been able to see the city you are headed for, though you know it is still somewhere ahead of you."

As the journey continues, the protagonist continues to veer off onto more uncertain roads, clearly a metaphor for the possible rewards of thinking outside of the box despite the risks such a strategy entails. Eventually, the protagonist is on foot and descending into ever more forbidding terrain, the obstacles encountered representing opportunity:







"A faint path leads through a tumble of rocks and bushes and trees, and you follow it enthusiastically. You descend a hill, slipping a little, so that a small rockslide is released; but you are able to keep your balance."




Just as the "journey" itself is a metaphor, so is the map to which the narrator repeatedly refers. As the journey into ever more uncertain terrain progresses, the map ceases to offer guidance, becoming "a blank sheet of paper, which can tell you nothing." 



As Oates's story comes to its conclusion, the author emphasizes the rewards inherent in diverging from the easy, known path. Note in Journey's conclusion the author's observation that, had the protagonist stayed on that "excellent highway," he or she would have certainly reached his or her destination, but at the cost of experiencing less of life: "If you had the day to begin again, on that highway which was so wide and clear, you would not have varied your journey in any way: in this is your triumph." Just as Frost's narrator is rewarded by his decision to take the road less traveled, so is Oates's protagonist. The theme of Journey is the emotionally and spiritually rewarding experience of stepping off the known into the unknown.

"Journey" is a short story about a trip told in the second person, "you." It can be interpreted in a metaphorical way. The narrative of the story talks about a journey that starts on a road that is "broad and handsome, constructed after many years of ingenious blasting and leveling and paving." The person traveling has a map at this point, and his or her destination is in sight. However, the person grows bored with the monotony of this trip and veers off onto smaller and more winding roads until he or she is traveling by foot. In the end, the person is lost but decides that he or she would not have altered the trip in any way.
The theme of this story is that it is the journey itself that is important and rewarding, not reaching one's destination. When the traveler knows where he or she is going, he or she is bored. It is only when the journey becomes arduous and involves losing one's way that the person becomes more interested in the trip. The metaphor of the journey can be applied to life, in that the process of becoming and learning is more interesting than achieving success, even though many people are eager to reach success without enjoying the journey along the way.
 

How does act 1, scene 2, display a mood of melancholy, anxiety, and suspense in The Merchant of Venice?

In her first appearance in act 1, scene 2, of The Merchant of Venice, Portia's beauty and evident intellect are of little avail against encroaching melancholy. An unmarried young woman of noble birth, her choice of husband has been circumscribed by the terms of her late father's will: it stipulates that she must marry the man who chooses the correct one of three caskets, each bearing a cryptic question.
Anxious that she'll never be married under such conditions, she bemoans such a fate to her waiting-maid Nerissa after mocking a series of highly unsuitable suitors who have already refused the casket lottery:

If I live to as old as Sibylla, I will die aschaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the mannerof my father's will. (1.2.106–108)

Nerissa, who has previously advised her mistress to have faith in the wisdom of her father's test, reminds Portia of a young Venetian soldier who:

...of all the men that ever myfoolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving afair lady. (1.2.118–120)

Portia, indeed, has a favorable memory of this man and recalls his name: Bassanio. The audience knows, from act 1, scene 1, that Bassanio is in love with Portia and has borrowed 3,000 ducats from his friend Antonio to compete with what he knows are numerous "Renowned suitors" for her hand in marriage. So, although Portia knows nothing of his love, the audience is in a state of suspense over the fate of Bassanio's marital quest: will he submit to the casket lottery, and if so, will he pass the test?

As Act I Scene 2 opens, Portia sighs and in the lugubrious tones of melancholy tells her waiting woman Nerissa that she is weary of the world because she feels that her life is still controlled by her father even though he is no longer alive. This melancholy has been caused because her father has arranged that suitors for Portia must go through a lottery involving three chests--one gold, one silver, and one lead. The man who selects the correct chest gets to marry Portia. Portia bemoans,

O me, the word “choose!” I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike—so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? (1.2.22-25)

Nerissa attempts to console her by saying that Portia's father has arranged his lottery so that only a man who would be capable of truly loving her should make the correct choice. But, Portia expresses her anxiety over her potential husband as she evaluates the suitors who have come by so far. Then she tells Nerissa:

If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana unless I be obtained by the manner of my father’s will (1.2.95-96)

Since many potential suitors have come and gone, Portia is beginning to worry if she ever will find a suitor that she likes. Then, Nerissa reminds Portia of a certain Venetian scholar and soldier, and Portia exclaims, "Yes, yes, it was Bassanio." Nerissa tells Portia that Bassanio is the "best deserving a fair lady." This conversation creates some suspense as the audience wonders who Bassanio is and if he will appear since Portia obviously approves of him. 

In Act 1, Scene 2 of The Merchant of Venice, Portia and Nerissa discuss the various suitors which have traveled to Belmont and attempted to marry Portia. Portia begins the scene by lamenting the fact that she essentially has no say in who she will marry because of her father's will. Portia tells Nerissa that it is unfair and says that she is weary of the world. Portia's hopeless comments depict her melancholy attitude. Nerissa then lists the names of the suitors which have already visited Belmont and Portia negatively describes each of them. Portia displays her anxiety to find a favorable suitor and fears that she will die a virgin if no suitor is able to woo her according to her father's will. At the end of the scene, one of Portia's servants says that a messenger has arrived on the behalf of the Prince of Morocco. The audience is left with a feeling of suspense because they do not know whether or not the Prince of Morocco will be a favorable suitor or upset Portia like the others have.

How does Charlie's attitude change after his operation?

After his operation, Charlie becomes much more intelligent. We see his vocabulary change and his spelling improve. However, he also becomes much less gullible. He realizes, as he did not before, that he has been used as a lab rat, as the subject of an experiment, just like the mouse Algernon. His attitude towards the other adults around him becomes less worshipful and respectful as he realizes they are just ordinary human beings who might not necessarily have his best interest at heart. For example, he writes:

Dr. Nemur said that Dr. Strauss was nothing but an opportunist who was trying to ride to glory on his coattails.
When I left afterwards, I found myself trembling. I don't know why for sure, but it was as if I'd seen both men clearly for the first time. I remember hearing Burt say that Dr. Nemur had a shrew of a wife who was pushing him all the time to get things published so that he could become famous. Burt said that the dream of her life was to have a big-shot husband.

He experiences loneliness because of his high intelligence, and begins to feel much greater kinship for Algernon. He records:

People don't talk to me much any more or kid around the way they used to. It makes the job kind of lonely.

His attitude toward Miss Kinnian also changes. Where he once thought of her as a genius much older than him, he now realizes that she is only 34. He realizes he can date her. His attitude changes from seeing her as unattainable to falling in love with her.

What is the history of bioterrorism?

Bioterrorism is the use of toxic biological organisms (as opposed to synthetic, man-made chemicals and other agents) to commit acts of terrorism. While chemical warfare is a relatively recent development, bioterrorism has been around for millennia—at least since 600 BCE.
Ancient people may not have understood the science behind it, but it was apparent that rotten food, decaying corpses, fecal matter, and other contaminants could make an enemy sick. In the Middle Ages, armies would hurl the bodies of their dead soldiers over the enemy’s walls. (This was particularly effective during outbreaks of plague, as the bodies carried the disease as well as normal bacteria.)
A famous example occurred in the 1700s, during the French-Indian War in North America. An outbreak of smallpox among the French troops provided them with the opportunity to infect the Native Americans with a “gift” of infected blankets.
In the twentieth century, bioterrorism techniques became a sophisticated science. Nations raced to develop dangerous, deadly toxins. Thousands of prisoners died as medical researchers used them as test subjects for newer, stronger versions of bacteria and viruses.
In 1972, 103 nations signed the “Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction” (or BWC) treaty, in which they agreed to stop using or producing biological weapons. Though this has not completely eliminated the danger (some countries did not sign the treaty, and others who did have since been found in violation), the practice of bioterrorism is grounds for severe repercussions among most of the global community today. 

What myth are they referring to in chapter 15?

In chapter 15 of The Lightning Thief, Ares asks Percy, Annabeth, and Grover to retrieve his shield from a ride called "The Thrill Ride O' Love" at the Waterland water park. When the three arrive at the park and find the ride, they enter to retrieve the shield. They travel through a tunnel and find a pink and white boat in the middle of an empty pool, surrounded by Cupid statues. The shield is inside the boat. Percy and Annabeth enter the pool to retrieve it. When Percy tries to grab it, he touches a substance that is like a cobweb, setting off a trap. The heads of the Cupid statues fall off, revealing cameras, and a voice comes over the loudspeaker saying that they will be filmed and broadcast to Olympus in one minute. As they try to escape, the Cupid statues begin to fire arrows, and then small mechanical spiders begin to fill the pool.This trap is based on a trap that Hephaestus set up to catch Aphrodite, his wife, when he found out she was cheating on him with Ares. Hephaestus was told about the affair by Helios, the god of the sun, who had seen Aphrodite and Ares in bed together. Hephaestus, a master craftsman, created a trap for the two. He made an unbreakable net that would spring up from the bed and trap them. The next time Aphrodite and Ares were in the bed together, they triggered the trap and the net closed around them. Hephaestus then entered the bedroom, along with some of the other Olympian gods, to the embarrassment of the two lovers. Eventually Hephaestus released the two, and they fled in disgrace.It is clear that Rick Riordan had the above myth in mind when he crafted chapter 15, "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers." In Riordan's version, Ares somehow knew about the trap and sent Percy and company in so that he would avoid the humiliation that he experienced in ancient Greek mythology.

What duties did Baldeo perform?

Very early in the story, readers are told that Baldeo is a "watchman." We are also told that his watchman duties come with a "station." The station is nothing more than a small shack by the railroad tracks in a thick part of the jungle right before a tunnel. The following paragraph then gives readers a few more specifics about exactly what Baldeo's watchman duties are. His main job is to ensure that trains can safely pass through the tunnel. This means that Baldeo must inspect the tunnel for obstructions. Whether there is an obstruction or not, Baldeo has to use a manual signal to tell the trains that it is safe to go or whether they have to stop and wait. Baldeo must also make sure that the nighttime signal lamp stays burning.

Baldeo was responsible for signalling whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction, and his manual signal stood before the entrance. At night it was his duty to see that the lamp was burning, and that the overland mail passed through safely.

Baldeo does have other duties as a husband and father. It is up to him to protect his family and provide for them. This is one reason he has the job. It supplements the minor income he receives from operating his own small rice field.

Their small rice fields did not provide them with more than a bareliving and Baldeo considered himself lucky to have got the job of Khalasi at this small wayside signal stop.

Baldeo has some very important duties to perform. As a railway watchman, his job is to protect government property from thieves and intruders. He's a kind of security guard, with all the duties such a job normally entails. The railway is an eerie place at night, with all kinds of strange noises emanating from the darkness. Baldeo is genuinely in fear as he begins his new job. At the same time, he's also an incredibly brave man, as his subsequent encounter with the tiger clearly demonstrates. As well as his formal employment duties, Baldeo is forced to take on the role of protector of the village. There's a tiger on the loose; it's a man-eater and represents a threat to the villagers' safety. If Baldeo runs away, then he's exposing them to serious danger. But he stands and fights and does his duty, not just as a railway watchman, but also as a man.

What are some major battles in Beowulf?

As is typical of heroic epic, the main theme of Beowulf is that of a hero proving his virtue and his valor by defeating enemies in battle. The first battles in Beowulf's life were actually with the sea monsters he encountered during a swimming contest with his childhood friend Breca.
Next, the monster Grendel attacks the mead hall Heorot routinely over a period of twelve years. Beowulf comes to the aid of King Hrothgar and has an epic fight against Grendel in which he manages to rip off Grendel's arm, a wound that proves fatal. 
Grendel's mother, angered and grief stricken by the death of her son, then attacks the mead hall. Beowulf manages to follow her back to her lair and kill her.
The final battle of the poem is the one against a dragon. Beowulf kills the dragon but takes a mortal wound and dies in the process. 

How long was Ralph on the island in Lord of the Flies?

Marking the passage of time is ubiquitous among cultures, but the boys on the island in Lord of the Flies don't seem to think about it. Only Piggy considers making a sundial, but he abandons the useless idea. The boys function extemporaneously—they eat when they are hungry and sleep at night. They hold meetings on an ad hoc basis. They don't have any special days, like Sundays, to punctuate the sameness of their activities. Jack appears to establish a rotation among the boys who tend the fire, but that isn't enforced. Perhaps the reason Jack's feast is so attractive—besides the meat—is that it is the first celebration or event they have held.
Golding doesn't mar this lack of attention to time with any authorial intrusion. He doesn't tell readers how much time has passed. Since the island is tropical, no seasonal changes give readers a clue to how long the boys have been stranded. The only clues Golding gives readers are the mentions of the boys' hair and clothing. Ralph's growing hair bothers him at several points. In Chapter 7, Ralph longs to "have a pair of scissors and cut this hair—he flung the mass back—cut this filthy hair right back to half an inch." At this point, the boys have been on the island long enough for Ralph's hair to grow from half an inch to a "mass" that he can fling back. In chapter 11, it is long enough for Piggy to suggest that he could "tie your hair back." Ralph responds, "Like a girl!" His hair is long enough to tie back in a ponytail. Hair grows at various rates, but for hair to grow from half an inch to ponytail length would take months. A good estimate is that when the naval officer appears, Ralph has been on the island for several months.

William Golding never gives readers this information; however, readers can make somewhat of an educated guess about how long the boys were on the island. The narrator doesn't tell readers about any significant changes in the season, so it is likely that the boys are on the island for less than one year. The island is a tropical island, so looking for a change in season will be somewhat negligible. The start of chapter 3 has some important information about the passage of time. Jack's hair and skin are described in the second paragraph.

His sandy hair, considerably longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn.

Already by chapter 3, the boys have been on the island long enough for their skin to darken by tanning. Jack's hair has become bleached out from all of the sun. These two things don't happen quickly. Guaranteed, it has been a couple of weeks; however, the information about Jack's hair length suggests to readers that it has been longer than a few weeks. His hair is "considerably longer." That is somewhat of a relative description. "Considerably" could mean something different for different readers, but I would surmise that it has been at least 3-4 months by this point. That would be long enough to have a boy's hair be noticeably longer.

What are the key facts about Bruno from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

The innocent and unsuspecting son of a Nazi officer, nine-year-old Bruno is a German boy who finds himself unexpectedly uprooted from a civilized and comfortable life in an upper-class section of Berlin where he has friends and grandparents. 
After arriving at Auschwitz, Bruno is surprised by the isolation of the place and the inferiority of their new house when compared to the one in Berlin. He finds it "the loneliest place in the world," and he cannot find anything “to laugh at and nothing to be happy about.” There are no other children with whom he can play; there is no park, no interesting buildings and no museums to visit. He does not like the young lieutenant who comes to his father's office.
After several weeks at what Bruno calls "Out-With," Bruno makes an effort to amuse himself since he has no friends. When he notices a tree with a sturdy lower branch, Bruno goes outside after locating rope in the basement. He approaches Lieutenant Kotler, who talks with Bruno's sister, Gretel, and asks the young officer if there are any tires that he can use for a swing. Kotler harshly calls Pavel, an older man who prepares the evening meals for the family. Later, Bruno falls out of his swing and injures himself. Pavel comes to Burno's rescue by carrying the boy inside where he administers to the gash in his leg. Afterwards, Pavel explains to a worried Bruno that he used to be a physician, and he knows how to care for wounds. When Bruno's mother returns, the boy tells his mother what happened. As he heads to his room, Bruno wonders why his mother instructs Pavel that she will tell the Commandant that it was she who tended to the wound on Bruno.
One day, Bruno decides to explore the large, desolate area that is fenced and tries to discover what it is that makes the people in striped "pajamas" different from the other men who seem to herd them around the area. When he reaches the fence, Bruno walks along the perimeter, but he sees no one and no place where he can enter. Finally, he encounters a small boy with "an enormous pair of sad eyes” who sits on the ground. Bruno talks with this boy named Shmuel, who is also nine and has the same birthday as Bruno. As they talk, Bruno naively asks Shmuel why so many people are inside the fence and what they are doing.
One evening Bruno discovers Shmuel in his kitchen. Shmuel tells Bruno that he was brought in to clean inside the glasses because he has small fingers. It is then that Bruno notices that Shmuel’s fingers look like “dying twigs” and he finally begins to think that whatever goes on at Out-With is “a very bad idea.” When he pulls out some pieces of chicken from the refrigerator, Bruno notices the intense watchfulness of Shmuel, so he offers the thin boy the meat. Unfortunately, Shmuel is observed eating the chicken by Kotler. When he is interrogated, Shmuel tells the lieutenant that Bruno gave it to him, but, out of fear of Kotler, Bruno denies that he has done so.
Ashamed of his behavior, Bruno apologizes to Shmuel at the fence when he next sees the frail boy. Shmuel tells him it is "all right," but he has bruises all over his face. Bruno feels terrible. It is not long before Bruno learns that he, along with his mother and Gretel, is to return to Berlin. When he next talks with Shmuel, Bruno learns that Shmuel cannot locate his father. Wishing to be together, Bruno and Shmuel come up with a plan. Shmuel finds an extra pair of striped "pajamas," and Bruno climbs into them. He crawls under the fence, and they search for Shmuel's missing father. Bruno begins to feel a strange presentiment that something is wrong—and he wants to go back—but suddenly there is a whistle sound. The boys are then pushed into the center of a mob, and they are all moved into a stifling room. Bruno takes Shmuel's hand, telling him that he is Shmuel's "best friend for life." They die together in a gas chamber.

How does Henry James influence Flannery O'Connor?

I’m assuming you are referring to O’Connor’s essay “The Nature and Aim of Fiction,” in which she discusses the various goals and characteristics of writing.
O’Connor mentions James by name, relating a story she heard about James’s repeated comment on any story he didn’t like. O’Connor states: “he would return it [to its author] with the comment, ‘You have chosen a good subject and are treating it in a straightforward manner.’” O’Connor explains that James’s remark is the ultimate insult to a fiction writer, because a true artist should be able to take the same subject that has been written about ad nauseam and address it in a fresh way.
Based on O’Connor’s body of work, it becomes clear that she agreed with James’s ideas about storytelling. For instance, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” one of her most anthologized stories, wrestles with themes of family, sin, and forgiveness (oft referred to as grace in O’Connor’s case). While these are common literary themes, the author weaves a tragic, haunting tale full of humor and wit that is unique to this story alone.
Overall, James’s opinion of what makes a story “good” is reflected in O’Connor’s writing.

What are some examples of Scout being loyal?

Scout shows incredible loyalty to her father. When Atticus agrees to represent Tom Robinson in court, his decision doesn't go over well with many of the townsfolk and even members of his own family. But Scout won't hear a word said against her father, even if she has no real comprehension as yet of what racial prejudice entails.
When Cecil Jacobs calls Atticus a "n—— lover," Scout doesn't quite understand what this insult means. But she does know that it's an insult, and that's the main thing. It's the same with her cousin Francis. When he comes out with the exact same taunt as Cecil Jacobs, Scout shows her loyalty to Atticus by giving Francis a good hard smack in the mouth. Of course this isn't how Atticus would want Scout to show her loyalty to him, but at least it shows sincerity.
As well as Atticus, Scout is also loyal to her good friend Dill. When Dill runs away from home and hides out under Scout's bed, she doesn't even think about revealing his whereabouts. Jem, however, does, and Scout is pretty cross with him for betraying Dill's hideaway.

Find the line of intersection between the two planes z-x-y=0 and z-2x+y=0 .

First, know that the vector that is in the direction of the line of intersection (r) is the cross product between the normal vectors of the planes since it is perpendicular to each of them. A plane in the form ax+by+cz=0 has a normal vector n=lta,b,cgt .
Let z-x-y=0 be plane 1 and z-2x+y=0 be plane 2 . Then the two normal vectors are n_1=lt-1,-1,1gt and n_2=lt-2,1,1gt .
r=n_1 xx n_2=(-1*-1)i-(-1+2)j+(-1-2)k=-2i-j-3k=lt-2,-1,-3gt
A line has the parametric equation
L(t)=(a,b,c)-t*r
Where point (a,b,c) is any point on the line in the direction of r. So all we need now is a point on the line. The vector r has a z component of -3 which means at some value of t it must go through the plane z=0 . Therefore, we can set z=0 in the plane 1 and 2 equations then solve for the x and y coordinates.
(1):-> 0-x-y=0
(2):-> 0-2x+y=0
Solving these equations gives x=0 and y=0 . So a point that the plane goes through is (0,0,0) . Then an equation has for the line must be
L(t)=(0,0,0)-t*r
L(t)=-t*lt-2,-1,-3gt
L(t)=t*lt2,1,3gt
The explicit parametric equations are:
X(t)=2t
Y(t)=t
Z(t)=3t

Why was the Colombian exchange important?

The Colombian Exchange was very important in the sense that it increased the biodiversity of both North America and Europe. Thanks to the Colombian Exchange, Europe received many vegetables from the New World such as potatoes and squash. The increase of vitamins into the European diet led to an increased European population, thus creating more settlers wanting to leave Europe for a hopefully better life in the Americas. Native Americans also benefited somewhat from some imported species. The horse made the Sioux one of the strongest tribes on the North American Plains and facilitated their buffalo hunts. This in turn led to an increase in the population of Sioux.
Some aspects of the Colombian Exchange were quite tragic, however. European diseases such as smallpox and dysentery wiped out entire tribes. These diseases helped Cortes defeat the Aztec empire with only a handful of conquistadors and Indian allies. European animals also disrupted the native habitat as well. The Europeans did not see native agriculture as intentional when in reality gardeners today would see it as companion planting. The Europeans turned their livestock into what they thought were weeds, thus creating tension between the natives and the settlers. European animals also transmitted diseases to native animals—all of this at a time before vaccinations. This mixing of biology had ramifications for the societies of both Europeans and Americans.

How do you know Valentine has given up safe-cracking for good?

The story “A Retrieved Reformation” starts with James Valentine’s release from prison. He had been sentenced for a four-year period but has been set free after only ten months. The story suggests that his friends outside the prison could have assisted him to get the early release.
After leaving prison, Valentine gets back to safe-cracking. He is so good at it that he is not caught. However, there is a policeman called Ben Price who is highly skilled at catching safe-cracking criminals. He vows to catch Valentine and to make sure that he serves his full time in prison afterward.
Fortunately, Valentine turns a new leaf on relocating to the town of Elmore. He meets, falls in love with, and even plans to marry Annabel Adams, whose father owns the town bank. Valentine goes by the name “Ralph D. Spencer” in Elmore. He also starts a highly profitable shoe shop in the town. At the end of his first year in Elmore, he is so successful and happy that he decides to completely let go of his safe-cracking “business.”
We know that he really wants to quit his safe-cracking habits for good because he writes a letter to one of his old friends asking his friend to meet him on a certain day when he will gladly give away all of his safe-cracking tools to him. He states in the letter that he has achieved a better life with the woman of his dreams and wants to totally do away with his criminal past. Note that Valentine has not done any safe-cracking since he moved into Elmore. However, a few days later during a small occasion where a new safe is being unveiled at the bank, a baby is locked in the new safe. Valentine is forced to break open the safe so as to save the baby. This he does in the presence of many people, including the policeman Ben Price.

Why did Jimmy go to Elmore? What happened to him there?

Jimmy went to Elmore because he was looking for a new location from where he could carry on with his safecracking business. Note that Jimmy has a habit of moving out of places where he has already committed a crime, perhaps so he can evade the police. Also, new places probably offer him the anonymity he needs to organize his safecracking escapades without arousing the suspicion of people. In fact, the policeman Ben Price, states that Jimmy’s “long jumps and quick getaways” among other habits, enables him to be a “successful dodger of retribution." Before Jimmy’s move to Elmore, a series of safe burglaries that bore his trademark safecracking style had taken place in Richmond, Logansport, and Jefferson City.
When he arrives at Elmore, Jimmy starts a shoe business to use as a front for his burglaries. The shoe business thrives and offers Jimmy a stability that he finds desirable. He also makes the acquaintance of the beautiful Miss Annabel Adams and falls in love with her. The two are even engaged to marry. Socially, he is well-liked and respected by many of the townspeople. He then decides to quit safecracking in order to settle down with Annabel Adams, whose father owns the Elmore bank. He is so contented with his life in Elmore that he does not crack any safes for over a year. However, a few days before Jimmy and Annabel’s wedding, an incident occurs that disturbs Jimmy’s life. At the bank, a new vault is unveiled, a ceremony to which many people are invited, Jimmy included. At the ceremony, one of Annabel’s nieces is accidentally locked inside the vault. This forces Jimmy to crack the safe to rescue the trapped girl. Through this single act of kindness, Jimmy exposes his safecracking skills to the assembled group of people.

Why is The Tempest viewed as Shakespeare’s farewell to the theater?

Whether or not The Tempest can be construed as Shakespeare's farewell to the stage is a matter of considerable dispute. However, both in chronological and thematic terms, the play could indeed be interpreted in such a light. For one thing, The Tempest is generally accepted as being the last full play that Shakespeare ever wrote by himself; he subsequently collaborated on two further plays before his death. Thematically speaking, it is noteworthy that the play consists of a magician giving up the practice of his art. Much scholarly attention has been focused on the highly suggestive words spoken by Prospero in act 4, scene 1:

And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself—Yea, all which it inherit—shall dissolve, And like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. [Emphasis added].

Some have suggested that Shakespeare could be referring here to the Globe Theatre, built by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Just as Prospero is turning his back on the things of this world, so the argument runs, so too is Shakespeare preparing himself to say farewell to the profession in which he has excelled for so long.

To what degree is modern American culture an outgrowth of the philosophies of the Founding Fathers? How can I write an essay synthesizing some of these sources to answer the question? Source A (Jefferson -- The Declaration of Independence) Souce B (Henry -- Speech to the Virginia Convention) Source C (Paine - The Crisis) Source D (Franklin - The Autobiography) Souce E (Longfellow- The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere) Source F (Benjamin Franklin - Poor Richard's Almanac) Source G (Robert Fulgham - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten)

I can't write your essay for you; however, I can get you started with an idea or two.  
The first thing that you have to decide is whether or not you think modern culture is or is not "an outgrowth of the philosophies of the Founding Fathers." I teach a modern media popular culture studies class, and I link a lot of modern culture's myths, values, and beliefs to early American history.  I very much believe that modern culture is an outgrowth of early America and the Founding Fathers.  
If that is your belief as well, then the next step is to pick beliefs and values that you feel were present in the late 1700s and are still present today.  The value that I chose is called "redemptive violence."  Redemptive violence is violence that is seen as “okay” or “right” to use because it is defending a core belief or value.  In other words, the world is redeemed and made better through violence.  Might makes right.  In a nutshell, the myth works like this.  Diplomacy and talking have failed to rid the city/country/world of evil; therefore, a violent and armed hero is needed to do violence upon the "bad guy" in order to restore order. 
The next step is to provide evidence, from the sources listed, that the Founding Fathers adhered to a belief in redemptive violence.  The three sources that I would use are The Declaration of Independence, "Paul Revere's Ride," and "Speech to the Virginia Convention." 
In each of those sources, there are lines that indicate that the colonists have tried to go through legal, diplomatic channels in order to address problems.  Those have failed, and the document then suggests a call to arms.  
For example, there is this section from Henry's speech.  

We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the tyrannical hands of the ministry and parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!

Henry clearly states all of the legal avenues that have been pursued.  He says that they have all failed, and the only course of action is violence. 
Jefferson writes the same thing in his document. 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.... We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" is a more poetic call to arms than the other two, but it also shows how Revere called the colonists to arms in order to fight against the British.  It's not a poem about diplomacy.  It's a poem about coming violence and how that is necessary.  
As for how redemptive violence works in modern culture, you only have to look to the plethora of comic book movies that are popular right now.  In just about every single case, the hero or heroine character is needed because standard law enforcement and political figures are unable to combat the new threat.  The hero character then comes in and defeats the "bad guy" through violence.  Batman and the Avengers are not called in to talk the bad guy down.  Peace is restored through copious amounts of violence.  If you need a quote from a movie, I would use the line that Frank Castle speaks from the 2004 film The Punisher. 

In certain extreme situations, the law is inadequate. In order to shame its inadequacy, it is necessary to act outside the law. To pursue… natural justice. This is not vengeance. Revenge is not a valid motive, it’s an emotional response. No. Not vengeance. Punishment.
http://www2.goshen.edu/~joannab/women/wink99.pdf

What do the people of St. Antoine do when the wine spills? Curse and kick others to get as much as possible or weep with desperation or join hands and dance, a dozen together or all of the above?

The answer to your question can be found in Chapter Five of the First Book: The Wine Shop. 
The text tells us that the people of St. Antoine ultimately joined hands and danced. Here's the quote:

A shrill sound of laughter and of amused voices—voices of men, women, and children—resounded in the street while this wine game lasted. There was little roughness in the sport, and much playfulness. There was a special companionship in it, an observable inclination on the part of every one to join some other one, which led, especially among the luckier or lighter-hearted, to frolicsome embraces, drinking of healths, shaking of hands, and even joining of hands and dancing, a dozen together. 

When the wine first spilled, the people rushed to drink as much of the wine as possible. They did not weep with desperation, nor did they curse and kick others to get as much as possible. Instead, some men bent down and scooped up the wine to their mouths. Others assisted women so that they could drink of the sweet wine as well. Meanwhile, men and women came from everywhere to scoop up wine in "mutilated earthenware." Enterprising women even used handkerchiefs from their heads to soak up the wine, which they then squeezed into thirsty infant mouths.
Still others made mud-embankments to "stem the wine as it ran" and a few devoted themselves to licking the wine off the "sodden and lee-dyed pieces of the cask." In all, the spilling of the wine gave great happiness to the people of St. Antoine.

What important fact do we find out about the grandfather in the first three lines of the poem "Grandfather" by Oliver Shelley?

In the poem "Grandfather" by Oliver Shelley, the poet makes great use of visual imagery. The first three lines establish the relationship between the narrator and the subject. On line one, the narrator refers to the grandfather as "Our grandfather," showing that the narrator is directly related to the subject. The use of "our" also reveals that the narrator has a sibling or a cousin. The poet uses visual imagery to present the grandfather as sitting "by the sea" on "[h]is deck chair." The chair is atop a rug belonging, at least in part, to the speaker, as it is referred to as "our rug" which the grandfather's chair is settling into "the stones" by the sea.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the grandfather is revealed to be blind, which helps to explain why "his face takes sunlight like thirst." Throughout the remainder of the poem, the narrator shows that the grandfather absorbs and appreciates his experiences in ways that don't require sight. Somewhat ironically, Shelley does a great job of using visual imagery to show how one can appreciate the world without being able to see it.

What are the signs that Tom and Daisy have a bad marriage?

One of the first signs that Tom and Daisy have a bad marriage comes in chapter 1, when Nick visits Tom and Daisy for dinner. Daisy shows Nick her little finger, which is black and blue at the knuckle, and claims that Tom hurt it. The only way someone can cause another to bruise, especially the pinkie finger, is to grab the hand extremely hard. Tom never hurts Daisy physically through the rest of the novel, but he does not hesitate to break Myrtle's nose in chapter 2, so the audience can conclude that he is at least capable of such violence.
It is also in chapter 1 that the audience learns that Tom has a mistress, because she calls during dinner and he takes the call, in front of not only his wife but also Nick and Jordan Baker. Tom does not try to hide his mistress, and in chapter 2, he shows her off to Nick in New York.
Daisy is not shy about showing off her own affair with Gatsby in chapter 6, which causes Tom to investigate Gatsby and where he attained his wealth. But that affair is probably the only one Daisy has had up to this point in the story. Tom has had many affairs, even during his honeymoon with Daisy—in chapter 4, Nick recounts how Tom was in a car accident with a chambermaid as his passenger. In chapter 7, Daisy even mentions an affair in Chicago, which is why they left and moved to New York.
So, Tom and Daisy's marriage is bad from the beginning, and it never seems to improve through to the end of the novel. However, they are destined to stay together in misery.

What are the major stylistic and thematic differences between John Donne and John Dryden? 500 to 1000 words

Donne is, and has been since Samuel Johnson's evaluation of him in the 1770's, considered one of the "Metaphysical" poets. Like his contemporaries and successors Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, and Abraham Cowley (and many others), Donne wrote a type of intellectual, subtle, and "difficult" verse, the most obvious feature of which is the use of "conceits." These are extended comparisons between unlike things in which Donne uses all his poetic power to show that the things being compared really are similar, though no one would have thought so to start out with. In "A Valediction: of Weeping" he begins

Let me pour forth
My tears before thy face, whilst I stay here,
For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear,
And by this mintage they are something worth,
For thus they be,
Pregnant of thee.

Here we have two striking metaphors probably no one but Donne would have thought of. A lover's tears, reflecting the image of his woman, are first likened to coins (and because they are coins, they have monetary value!), and then are likened to pregnant women. It could be incredible, but Donne presents it so lucidly and realistically that it makes perfect sense. This technique is used everywhere in his work. I would divide his poetic work into three categories: love poetry, satire, and devotional or religious verse. He frequently is concerned with sexuality and uses sexual imagery even in the religious poems, such as Holy Sonnet 14, "Batter my Heart, Three-Personed God." There is a tension everywhere in his work between sacred and profane and despite his piety, an impudent flouting of authority. He also has been considered by some critics such as C.S. Lewis to have had a rather derogating attitude to women, even by the standards of the early 1600's.
John Dryden was born in 1631, the year of Donne's death. By the time of Dryden's early adulthood England had gone through enormous turmoil with the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and the Restoration. Poetry changed enormously as well. Two minor poets of the mid 1600's, John Denham and Edmund Waller, have often been given credit for spearheading the use of the heroic couplet, rhymed iambic pentameter in which each couplet generally expresses a single thought or sometimes a tension between a duality within one thought. Dryden acknowledged the influence of these men and became the first great poet of the English neo-classical or "Augustan" age. Dryden's ideals were those of elegance of language and metrical form, proportion, balance, and a generally restrained manner of expressing emotion. All of these qualities are quite different from the hallmarks of Donne's poetry. Donne's use of conceits, by Dryden's time, was considered eccentric, and Donne's language and meter were considered lacking in smoothness or even "harsh," so that Dryden's successor Alexander Pope re-wrote two of Donne's Satires in order to "smooth out" the "rough numbers." In addition the similarly "rough" explicitness of Donne's love poetry was considered unrefined by Dryden's time.
Regarding content and theme, Dryden and Donne have more in common. Both men wrote satires concerning religion: Dryden's "The Hind and the Panther" is a satirical allegory In which animals represent the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Churches. But the age of the fervent devotional poetry of Donne and others was over by the late 1600's. England had been exhausted by religious warfare. After the Restoration, partly encouraged by the rather hedonistic Charles II, a somewhat more secular orientation began, though Dryden and other writers cointinued to express their Christian beliefs in a less personal way. Usually this was done in the form of satirical works such as the one mentioned above, and another of Dryden's, "Absalom and Achitophel." Increasing emphasis was placed on literary and political disputes in Dryden's work. His satiric poem "Mac Flecknoe" is an attack on his contemporary, the poet Thomas Shadwell. And, as a part of his (and others') finding inspiration and models in the poetry of antiquity, especially that of Emperor Augustus's period--hence the term Augustan--Dryden translated Virgil's Aeneid into English. This was then a model for Pope's similar translations of Homer several decades later. Both Dryden and Pope established the heroic-couplet form as a standard, making their era's poetry instantly recognisable to succeeding generations.
In summary, Donne's poetry deals with sex, religion, and satire in a highly intellectual form with complex metaphorical devices we call conceits. He uses a variety of metrical forms and styles. Fifty to 75 years later Dryden uses a more restrained, emotionally controlled, and formally uniform (the heroic couplet) style, focusing increasingly on satire and a self-conscious referencing of the poets of antiquity, especially those of the period of Augustus (27 BC- AD 14), such as Virgil and Horace.

How is the American man manipulative and selfish in "Hills Like White Elephants"?

In Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," the American man is selfish because he has no interest in understanding the woman's point of view. The abortion probably needs to be discussed, and one could claim that by pointing out that the hills look like white elephants, the woman is just trying to avoid the subject, but the man's only objective is to persuade or manipulate her to go through with the operation.

"You've got to realize," he said, "that I don't want you to do it if you don't want to. I'm perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you."
"Doesn't it mean anything to you? We could get long."
"Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want anybody else."

The woman has to make a show of anger before he finally admits his true feelings.

"Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?"
He did not say anything but looked at the bags against the wall of the station. There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights.
"But I don't want to," he said, "I don't care anything about it."

It is at this point the reader can fully understand the woman's point of view. She knows that the abortion will mean the end of their relationship and that she will probably have nowhere to go. From this short story, for example, the reader can see that the woman relies on the man to order the beer in Spanish and know that the train is coming in five minutes. How would she cope alone in what is apparently an alien culture?
From this perspective, the man's attempted manipulation of the woman is odious. He holds all the power in the relationship and can afford to think that only his opinion and view on life matters. It seems that as far as he and only he is concerned, one should always be in control of themselves. At the end of the story, he states that the other people "were all waiting reasonably for the train."

Much of “Hills Like White Elephants” consists of dialogue between the man and the woman. What makes this particularly remarkable is that the woman repeatedly insists that she does not want to talk to the man—she eventually goes so far as to ask him if he would “please please please please please please please stop talking?” But the man persists, ignoring her needs as he often does in the story.
Throughout the story, the man only has one objective, which is to persuade the woman to agree to an abortion (although this is never explicitly stated, it is strongly implied). When, in the opening moments of the story, she tries to discuss the scenery, he is withdrawn and refuses to engage. He ignores what is interesting to her and pushes the conversation to a topic that she does not want to discuss. What makes this behavior even more selfish and manipulative is that he first frames it around her desire and their wellbeing as a couple:

If you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple.

Later, the man switches tactics, trying to draw sympathy as the victim of the situation, telling her that it will help him to stop worrying if she will follow through and have the procedure. His behavior focuses on his needs to the point where he ignores even her most basic request: for silence.

Why is Don Abbondio not celebrating the marriage of Lucia and Renzo?

As the local parish priest, Don Abbondio is naturally expected to preside at all church wedding ceremonies. The forthcoming betrothal of Renzo and Lucia is no exception; or at least, it shouldn't be. However, on the eve of the wedding, Don Abbondio is accosted in the street by a couple of thugs as he makes his way home. They tell him in no uncertain terms that he must not go ahead with the wedding ceremony; those are the express orders of Don Rodrigo, a powerful local baron.
Don Abbondio is, among other things, a complete physical coward, and so it doesn't take much persuasion from Don Rodrigo's goons to get him to call the wedding off. Indeed, he's so much of a coward that he can only bring himself to tell Renzo that the wedding has been postponed. But Renzo eventually gets the truth out of the hapless prelate. It turns out that Don Rodrigo wants Lucia for himself.

Single Variable Calculus, Chapter 3, Review Exercises, Section Review Exercises, Problem 72

The equation $x = \sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}, t \geq 0$ represents a particle that moves along a horizontal line where $b$ and $c$ are positive constants.

a.) Determine the velocity and acceleration functions.


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

\text{velocity } = \frac{dx}{dt} =& \frac{d}{dt} \sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2} = \frac{d}{dt} (b^2 + c^2t^2)^{\frac{1}{2}}
\\
\\
\frac{dx}{dt} =& \frac{1}{2} (b^2 + c^2 t^2)^{\frac{-1}{2}} \cdot c^2 (2t)
\\
\\
\frac{dx}{dt} =& \frac{\cancel{2} c^2 t}{\cancel{2} \sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}}
\\
\\
\frac{dx}{dt} =& \frac{c^2 t}{\sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}}
\\
\\
\text{acceleration } = \frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& \frac{d}{dt} \frac{c^2 t}{\sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}}
\\
\\
\frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& \frac{\displaystyle \sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2} \cdot c^2 \frac{d}{dt} (t) - (c^2t) \cdot \frac{d}{dt} \sqrt{b^2 + c^2t^2}}{(\sqrt{b^2 + c^2t^2})^2}
\\
\\
\frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& \frac{\displaystyle \sqrt{b^2 + c^2t^2} \cdot c^2(1) - (c^2 t) \cdot \frac{\cancel{2} c^2 t}{\cancel{2} \sqrt{b^2 + c^2t^2}} }{b^2 + c^2 t^2}
\\
\\
\frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& c^2 \frac{\displaystyle \left[ \sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2} - \frac{c^2 t^2}{\sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}} \right]}{b^2 c^2 t^2}
\\
\\
\frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& c^2 \frac{\displaystyle \frac{b^2 + c^2t^2 - c^2 t^2}{\sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}}}{b^2 + c^2 t^2}
\\
\\
\frac{d^2 x}{dt^2} =& \frac{b^2 c^2}{(b^2 + c^2t^2)^{\frac{3}{2}}}


\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



b.) Show that the particle always moves in positive direction.

The particle is moving in a positive direction if $v(t) > 0$ that is $\displaystyle \frac{c^2 t}{\sqrt{b^2 + c^2 t^2}} > 0$. Sinc the denominator is always positive, recall that the square root function is defined only for positive solution. Therefore, the sign of the velocity function is affected only by the sign of the numerator. But we know that the function is defined only for $t \geq 0$ and we have $c$ as positive constant. Hence, $v(t)$ is always positive and the particle always moves in the positive direction.



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}


h'(x) =& \frac{1}{2} \left[ \frac{f9x)}{g(x)} \right] ^{\frac{-1}{2}} \cdot \left( \frac{g(x) f'(x) - f(x) g'(x)}{[g(x)]^2} \right]
\\
\\
h'(x) =& \frac{g(x) f'(x) - f(x) g'(x)}{\displaystyle 2 \sqrt{\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}} [g(x)]^2 }
\\
\\
h' =& \frac{gf' - fg'}{2 \sqrt{fg^3}}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Chapter 6, 6.3, Section 6.3, Problem 34

y= x^3-x+1
y = -x^4+4x-1
The graph of the two equations are:

(Green curve graph of y=x^3-x+1 . Blue curve graph of y = -x^4+4x-1 .)
Base on the graph, the curve curves intersect at x~~0.421 and x~~1.23 .
To solve for the volume of the solid formed when the bounded region is rotated about the y-axis, apply method of cylinder. Its formula is:
V= int _a^b 2pi *r * h*dx
To determine the radius and height of the cylinder, refer to the figure below. Base on it, its radius and height are:
r = x
h = y_(upper) - y_(lower)
h=(-x^4+4x-1) - (x^3-x+1) = -x^4-x^3+5x - 2
Plugging them to the formula of volume yields:
V=int_0.42^1.23 2pi *x *(-x^4-x^3+5x-2)dx
V=2pi int_0.42^1.23 (-x^5-x^4+5x^2-2x)dx
V= 2pi (-x^6/6 - x^5/5+(5x^3)/3-x^2)|_0.42^1.23
V=2pi [ (-1.23^6/6-1.23^5/5+(5*1.23^3)/3-1.23^2)-(-0.42^6/6-0.42^5/5+(5*0.42^3)/3-0.42^2)]
V=2pi*0.5048
V=3.1717
Therefore, the volume of the solid formed is 3.1717 cubic units.