5 Best American Short Stories?What are your favorites? Which ones are the staple of your…
- GREAT AMERICAN SHORT STORIES
5 Best American Short Stories?What are your favorites? Which ones are the staple of your…
For teaching, I love a story that has some kind of hook to it, so I chose these 5 for my post: 1. I love all of Flannery O’Connor’s stories. I can’t pick just one, but I’d put her up there at the…
3 educator answers
- AMERICAN POETRY
What are your 5 favorite American poems??Which ones do you feel MUST be taught in high school??…
- “Harlem” by Langston Hughes 2. “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden 3. “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman 4. “The Wasteland” by T.S. Eliot (though he might not claim himself as…
2 educator answers
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, what was the name of Simon’s homestead?
‘Finch’s Landing’ was the name of land bought by Simon Finch, the Finch family’s ancestor. He came to settle in the Maycomb area and had been a trapper by trade. The word ‘landing’ means ‘a place…
1 educator answer
- OTHELLO
What advice does lago give to Cassio in “Othello”?
After playing on Cassio’s vices, Iago tells him he would be better off advancing himself and his reputation through Desdemona, Othello’s recent bride. Iago tells him that I’ll tell you what you…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
In Macbeth, how does Macbeth describe Duncan’s wounds, and what is significant about his…
Macbeth describes the sight of the murdered Duncan in this passage: Here lay Duncan, His silver skin laced with his golden blood, And his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature For…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
In Macbeth, what does Macduff say to Lady Macbeth when she asks what the alarm is about? What…
When the alarm is sounded after the discovery of King Duncan’s body, Lady Macbeth appears, seemingly anxious to know what terrible thing has happened. Macduff replies: O gentle lady, ‘Tis not…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
In Macbeth, how is killing a king sacrilegious, and how does it highlight the parallel between…
In earlier centuries, it was believed that kings ruled by “divine right.” In other words, they ruled because it was God’s will that they occupied the throne. When King Duncan uses the first person…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, what are the differences between the Cunninghams and the…
The main difference between the Cunninghams and the Ewells is the difference between what is known as “poor white” and “white trash,” or, as Mammy in “Gone with the Wind” termed them: “buckra.”…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Where is Scout called a “nigger lover”?
In Chapter 11 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” Scout asks her father ‘Atticus….what exactly is a n____-lover?’ Atticus’s face was grave. ‘Has somebody been calling you that?’ ‘No sir, Mrs. Dubose…
2 educator answers
- ANIMAL FARM
In “Animal Farm”, name at least four ways in which the pigs’ lives were different from those of…
The pigs at Animal Farm quickly adopted habits which were supposedly forbidden since they exemplified typical human behaviour: They wore clothes. They slept in beds. They drank alcohol. They did…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
What allusion is made in chapter 2? Why is it referenced?
The allusion in Chapter 2 is to a novel called Coral Island, an adventure story for boys of boys stranded on a coral island. It is clear that in this chapter this allusion excites some of the boys…
2 educator answers
- THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE
What does Mattie learn about life from Miss Eva? And what is Eva’s ultimate gift to Mattie?
Miss Eva is a strong independent woman who encourages Mattie to save her money. Due to Miss Eva’s advice, after the elderly woman dies, Mattie has enough money to buy Miss Eva’s house.
1 educator answer
- THE HOBBIT
In “The Hobbit”, which character dies in the battle of the five armies?Its either a.) Beorn…
Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the band of dwarves hoping to regain the treasure under the mountain, is killed in the Battle of the Five Armies. He doesn’t die during the battle, but succumbs…
1 educator answer
- THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Give evidence of the old man’s poverty in The Old Man and the Sea.
The old man clearly is very poor. He lives in a “shack”; the mast of his small boat is “nearly as long as the one room of (his) shack”, the walls of which are made of “the tough budshields of the…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In Ch. 28 where and how does HL emphasize the darkness into which all children will eventually…
Lee is, of course, referring to the loss of innocence in childhood, the knowledge that must come to all of us that there is evil in the world. She skillfully uses the physical setting in the…
1 educator answer
- ACROSS FIVE APRILS
How does the battle at Antietam affect Shad?
In the fall of 1862, many men in the community have come together on the Creighton property to help re-build the barn which was burned. Not long after the raising of the barn the Creightons…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
Benvolio, Lord Montague and Lady Montague discuss Romeo’s mood. What are three things that they…
Yes, it’s an odd little conversation – the only time Romeo’s parents really appear in the play before his death! The Montagues are a lot less important than the Capulets to Shakespeare’s design….
1 educator answer
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
What do you think Carton’s plan is?
It is clear as the novel reaches its climax with the imminent execution of Darnay, that Sidney Carton is going to use his striking physical resemblance to Darnay to switch himself for Charles and…
1 educator answer
- THE OUTSIDERS
At the church, Pony and Johnny are unable to watch the sunset.What symbolic meaning might this have?
While walking home after the movie, Ponyboy admits to Cherry that he likes to watch sunsets. He says: “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back…
1 educator answer
- ANTIGONE
In Antigone’s final scene, what is the chorus’ reaction to her plight?
The Chorus reacts by stating that all who are meant to have died, have died. They remain unnaffected by the deaths and state that Antigone’s motivations will never be known.
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What is the relation between Bob Ewell and rape, and Dolphus Raymond and drunkenness?
Dolphus Raymond explains to Scout and Dill that he acts drunk because it gives people a “reason” for his choosing to marry a black woman and to live with the black people. The rest of the white…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, what are two examples of how Tom Robinson shows finesse with language…
When Tom testifies in his trial, he realizes the fine line he must walk. He must tell the truth, but because of the strong and entrenched racism in which he lives, he must be very careful to stay…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Explain why Harper Lee weaves the following analogy into To Kill A Mockingbird: Bob…
Bob Ewell lies about Tom Robinson’s raping Mayella just as Dolphus Raymond lies about his drunkenness. Each lie is rooted in the racism of Maycomb’s society. Mayella’s transgression in acting on…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” how do Jem and Scout walking home from the pagaent make them represent…
This is an interesting angle on the mockingbird symbolism in the book. Classically, it is Tom Robinson who is compared to the mockingbird, because, as Atticus says earlier in the book, “It’s a sin…
3 educator answers
- THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
How can I get quotes on honeybees?
I am assuming that you are looking for quotations that are not in The Secret Life of Bees, since these would be quite easy to find in every chapter, at the beginning, and all through the chapters…
2 educator answers
- ADVENTURE OF THE GERMAN STUDENT
In “Adventures of a German Student” how is the ending of the story foreshadowed in the first…
In this short story by Washington Irving, the protagonist Gottfried Wolfgang is sent to Paris as a “cure” from a bout of depression. He is known to be given over to melancholy and doted with a wild…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
May someone explain to me why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird?Just got done reading To Kill a…
Your best bet is to reread chapter ten and look at what Miss Maudie is explaining to Scout. By extension, you should be able to see that causing harm to harmless creatures is a sin. In this novel…
1 educator answer
- SEABISCUIT: AN AMERICAN LEGEND
Explain Hillenbrand’s use of rhetorical appeals in Seabiscuit: An American Legend to connect…
According to Aristotle, there are three types of rhetorical appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos. In Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand employs these three appeals to connect her reading audience to…
1 educator answer
- A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO
In A Long Way from Chicago, why was the celebration called the Centennial Celebration?
The term Centennial indicates a hundred, so it would make sense that the Centennial Celebration is a celebration to commemorate a hundred years. The billboard announcing the event says, “Welcome…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
What conflicts does Brutus have in Act 1 and Act 2 of Julius Caesar?
Cassius approaches Brutus in Act I to express concern over Brutus’ lack of friendship. In response, Brutus tells Cassius that his behavior has nothing to do with his friend, but with an inner…
1 educator answer
- REFERENCE
Is possible for a Catalan English teacher go to London and visit a school with SmartBoards in…
SmartBoards, ActivBoards and Starboards are expanding all over. You may be surprised to find many schools even closer to you than London already using these boards as a best practice. I am in…
2 educator answers
- OCTOBER SKY
Why did the boys first rocket not fly in a straight path?
In “October Skies,” a small group of boys decided to build and launch their own rocket. With encouragement from their teacher they began the task with a lot of enthusiasm. However, when designing…
1 educator answer
- TILL WE HAVE FACES
Where is the theme of faith vs. reason incorporated in Till We Have Face? I’ve found Fox as…
Faith is represented by the character of Psyche and reason is represented by the character of the Fox, Lysias. The result of the tension between the two is simply that reason can not sufficiently…
1 educator answer
- NIGHT
Why was the prisoner in charge of Elie’s block removed from this position in Chapter 3 of Night?
The prisoner in charge of Elie’s block at Auschwitz was removed from his position because he was considered “too humane”. He was replaced by a new head who “was savage, and his assistants were…
2 educator answers
- NIGHT
What “compulsory formality” was at all camp entrances in Chapter 3 of “Night”?
The “compulsory formality” at the entrance to all the camps were the showers. Elie, who had been in both Birkenau and Auschwitz in a very short period of time, observed that “even if you were…
2 educator answers
- BUSINESS
What are the pros and cons of receiving new over the internet compared to coventional newspapers?
Internet news tends to be current and updated almost in real-time. Conventional newspapers used to be a way to get more detailed and in-depth information and analysis about a topic, but in an…
3 educator answers
- ROMEO AND JULIET
Act 3 scene one, explain how the events in this scene are simlar to the events in Act 1 scene 1
The above answers are correct in citing the main similarity between these two scenes is the fact that these are the two main scenes of physical fighting between the Capulets and the Montagues. What…
1 educator answer
- WINTER DREAMS
How is Dexter a dynamic character in “Winter Dreams”?
Dexter Green changes in several very significant ways in the story. As a boy, he lives a working-class life in a working-class community, one that provides services for the wealthy people who live…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Where is superstition used in the book To Kill a Mockingbird?HELP BADLY NEEED THEM TODAY.
In Chapter 4, Dill, Jem and Scout discuss “Hot Steams” and how to avoid one walking through one. They also give the childhood rhyme said to make it so the Hot Steams can’t suck people’s breath….
1 educator answer
- YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN
What is the plot, setting and symbolism in “Young Goodman Brown”?
Although it is hard to nutshell YGM, you can summarize the plot as a man’s journey from good through evil, the question of WHAT is good and evil, and the realization of one’s own feelings towards…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
“Against the fence, were six jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for tenderly. People…
I’m assuming that you are wondering about the importance of this quote in regards to the book. The Ewell’s are considered “white trash”. They live behind the garbage dump and sift through the…
1 educator answer
- PICTURE BRIDE
What are the motifs in the Picture Bride?
Picture Bride deals primarily with the motifs of cultural isolation and, eventually, attempted assimilation. Hana’s isolation from Japanese culture is exemplified in differences such as clothing,…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In “Lord of the Flies”, how do the boys in Jack’s tribe protect Castle Rock?
Castle Rock is a huge rock boulder that is attached to the rest of the island by a narrow rock bridge which is located well below the level top of the rock, as described in chapter 6. Jack notes…
1 educator answer
- A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
in “Street Car Named Desire,”what is Blanche’s attitude about money? How does she react when…
Since Blanche’s family fell from the upper crust of Southern society, her nostalgia over times gone by has turned her into a money-hungry and calculating woman who uses sex to attract possible rich…
1 educator answer
- A SEPARATE PEACE
What quotes support the themes of jealousy, irresponsibility, denial, and insecurity in A…
You are going to be able to find a lot of these quotes in the opening chapters of the book. For example, look a few pages into chapter 2. Gene says of Finny wearing the pink shirt, “I couldn’t…
1 educator answer
- DRACULA
Why was Stoker’s Dracula so revolutionary for its time and why did he write it?
Bram Stoker, like many other Victorian-era writers, reflected the behaviors and beliefs of London society as a way to let society see itself through an alter mirror, and to cast his own arguments…
1 educator answer
- THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
What is the mood in Rorbert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken?”
The narrator admits that he will recount the story of the fork in the path with a certain wistful nostalgia, perhaps in wondering where life would have taken him had he made other choices (taken…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” what is deeply ironic about the sentence “The kitchen table was loaded…
There are several ironies to this occurrence in the novel. The reason that there is so much food at the Finch household is because the black community of Maycomb are expressing their gratitude and…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
According to Dill, what is wrong with his life when he chooses to run away in “To Kill a…
His mother has remarried and Dill feels that he no longer has a place in his mother’s life since her new husband seems to have taken up his “space.” He doesn’t feel rejected but simply ignored, so…
1 educator answer
- MEDEA
What is the character of Glauce/Creusa like in Euripides’ Medea?
In Medea, the character of Glauce is rather flat and almost stereotypical. Jason marries Glauce for her status and wealth; as the daughter of Creon, Glauce provides Jason with opportunities for…