• WAR

What is the effect of not giving any names to the characters in the short story “War” by the…

Luigi Pirandello does not use names in the short story “War” so that the ideas and dialogue of the characters are at the forefront instead of the setting. In addition to leaving the characters…

1 educator answer

• THE GIVER

In The Giver, what are the top government rules?

The main rule is that you never do anything to make anyone uncomfortable. The community has many rules. There is a rule governing almost all aspects of behavior. All of the major rules have to do…

1 educator answer

• TUCK EVERLASTING

How does Angus Tuck react when he meets Winnie Foster in Tuck Everlasting?

Tuck is thrilled to see Winnie because he hasn’t seen a child in a long time. The Tuck family is immortal. They do not get many visitors, because they try to keep hidden. If someone found out…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

Is this a monologue, aside or soliloquy? “Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!” Why?

Shakespeare’s characters often deliver three different types of dramatic speeches. A soliloquy is a lengthy speech in which a character alone on stage tells the audience what he or she is thinking….

1 educator answer

• THE BRONZE BOW

In Chapter 5 of the novel The Bronze Bow, to what does Herzon feel the Jews owe their loyalty?

In Chapter 5, Daniel is invited to eat with Herzon and his family. During the meal, Daniel and Herzon begin to talk about the Roman occupation of Capernaum. Daniel loses his temper when Joel…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

What problem does the servingman have in Act I of Romeo and Juliet?

In Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Capulet’s servingman is tasked with delivering invitations to the party being held at Capulet’s house. Lord Capulet says, Go, sirrah, trudge…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

How can I write a hook for an essay on on coming of age for the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

A hook is a catchy beginning that is included at the beginning of an essay to catch the reader’s attention. A hook is used to introduce the theme of the essay and to make the essay interesting….

2 educator answers

• ROMEO AND JULIET

What is the theme of Friar Lawrence’s speech in the beginning of Act II, Scene 3 of Romeo and…

In Friar Lawrence’s opening soliloquy/monologue of Act II, Scene 3, he presents his philosophy of life. The speech is a soliloquy in the first 22 lines as he is alone on stage, and from lines 24-31…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

How was trade viewed through mercantilist eyes?

Trade was viewed through mercantilist eyes as something that was a zero-sum game. In this game, those who exported more than they imported won while those who imported more than they exported…

1 educator answer

• A CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER

“Conversation with My Father” analysis.

“A Conversation with My Father” is a story-within-a-story. The one story, of course, is about the relationship of the daughter and her dying father; the other is a story composed by the daughter…

1 educator answer

• THE INTERLOPERS

In “The Interlopers,” how does the natural setting, particularly the fallen tree, affect Ulrich…

The setting plays a key role in this story. The feud between the two families is over a narrow piece of land. So, part of the setting itself is the subject of the feud. This is a piece of land that…

1 educator answer

• THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

In The Swiss Family Robinson, what was the father’s purpose in teaching his sons through object…

The father in The Swiss Family Robinson spends a lot of time instructing and training his sons. It is clear that he was in the habit of doing so well before the family was shipwrecked. From the…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

Why were the later New Deal reforms unsuccessful?

As the New Deal entered the mid-1930s to the late-1930s, there was less support for more New Deal programs. However, it would be a stretch to say these programs weren’t successful. Some people…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

A sled is being pulled to the left by 5 dogs, each dog pulling with 6 Newtons of force find the…

Since the five forces applied are all in the same direction with the motion of the sled, to solve for the net force, add the five forces together. ∑F=F1+F2+F3+F4+F5∑F=F1+F2+F3+F4+F5

1 educator answer

• THE STORY OF AN HOUR

Why does Mrs. Mallard really die in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”?

At the end of Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour,” the doctors say that Mrs. Mallard died from a heart attack caused by the “joy” of seeing her husband alive. She was known to have…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, what are some quotes that would explain why Dill and/or Tom…

Mockingbirds are symbolic of innocent individuals throughout the novel. Similar to mockingbirds, innocent individuals do nothing to harm others; they bring joy to the people they encounter. At the…

1 educator answer

• THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

What does Rainsford say about the hunters and the hunted in the short story “The Most Dangerous…

Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game” is about a twisted hunting contest between two men. Sanger Rainsford, a famous big game hunter, is shipwrecked on a remote island where he…

1 educator answer

• THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC

The Devil’s Arithmetic opens with what event, and why is it important to Hannah’s family?

Passover Seder is important to Hannah’s family because it is about remembering people they lost during the Holocaust. The novel opens with Passover Seder, and this is an important Jewish holiday….

1 educator answer

• THANK YOU, M’AM

In “Thank You, Ma’m” by Langston Hughes, why does Mrs. Jones take Roger home?

At the very beginning of “Thank You, Ma’m” by Langston Hughes, we are introduced to a tough woman named Mrs. Jones. Roger, a 14- or 15-year-old boy, attempted to steal her purse. Since the…

1 educator answer

• NUMBER THE STARS

Who is King Christian in Number the Stars and why do people look up to him?

King Christian X is the king of Denmark, and his people love him because he acts like everyone else and because he stands up for his country against the Nazis. King Christian was well-respected and…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

What does Jack’s hesitation to kill the piglet show in Lord of the Flies?

Through the character of Jack, a reader is able to witness the complete abandonment of morality. Or you could say that Jack provides the reader with evidence as to how evil tendencies arise with…

1 educator answer

• HEALTH

If 10mg of drug “x” exerts the desired pharmacological effect, but 160 mg of “x” is a fatal dose,…

The therapeutic index of a drug is also known as the therapeutic window or safety window, and compares the therapeutic effect of a drug with the amount related to toxicity or adverse side effects….

1 educator answer

• THE GREAT GATSBY

Is it weird that Nick Carraway thinks that Gatsby “turned out all right in the end?” Give the…

Nick’s statement that Gatsby “turned out all right in the end” certainly does seem odd and is ironic given the fact that Gatsby ends up dead at the end of the novel. We might expect that someone…

1 educator answer

• BUD, NOT BUDDY

How does Bud change in Chapter 4?

In chapter 4, Bud has been victimized by the Amos family with cruel treatment for some time. As an orphan, he has been taught to be grateful and passive at this new home so that the family will…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What are some examples of cowardice in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Bob Ewell, the novel’s antagonist, does several things that can be considered cowardly throughout the novel. Throughout the trial of Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell was exposed as an alcoholic liar who…

1 educator answer

• MANIAC MAGEE

In Maniac Magee, what did Amanda discover about the confetti and what did Maniac do about it?

The confetti incident happens right after Maniac Magee successfully unties the infamous “Cobble’s Knot.” Once he drops the untied knot to the ground, the crowd surrounding him begins to cheer and…

1 educator answer

• ELIE WIESEL

How does the importance of family help the reader connect to the story Night by Elie Wiesel?

Family is something that most people have experience with and strong feelings about. Even if we have disagreements or suffer hardships with our parents, grandparents, and siblings, we are bound to…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

Is it true that direct current changes direction, flowing back and forth at regular intervals?

There are two types of electrical current: direct current (also known as DC) and alternating current (also known AC). Direct current is unidirectional. That is, it flows in only one direction and…

1 educator answer

• ANIMAL FARM

What types of persuasive techniques are in chapter 7 of Animal Farm?

In chapter seven, Napoleon asserts his power more cleverly and brutally than ever before. In an effort to gain more power and control over his comrades, he seeks to change what they remember as…

1 educator answer

• LYDDIE

In Chapter 15 of Lyddie what about the boarding house rules make it hard for Lyddie to have…

Lyddie worries about keeping Rachel at the boarding house because children are not allowed. Lyddie works at the Lowell factory because she needed a job to pay off her family’s debts. Her main…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

In what act and scene does Macbeth try to wash Duncan’s blood from his hands?

In Act II, Scene 2, when Macbeth enters still holding two bloody daggers and with both hands covered in blood, Lady Macbeth directs the audience’s attention to the daggers and blood: Go, get some…

1 educator answer

• THE BET

Why did the banker and the lawyer make the bet?

The banker and lawyer make the bet for the same reason that most people make a bet. They each believe that their opinion is right and best, and they are willing to risk something to prove it….

1 educator answer

• ONCE UPON A TIME

In the story “Once Upon A Time,” what things does the family do to protect itself and what are…

Nadine Gordimer’s short story “Once Upon A Time” reveals the tragedy behind a family’s attempts to protect itself from an unknown and unrecognizable threat. In South Africa, historically, it is not…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

What are the pros and cons of a manned mission to Mars? Would you go on the Mars One mission?

There are both advantages and disadvantages of a manned mission to Mars. On the positive side, such a mission will enable the scientists to study life in extreme conditions. We can also expect to…

1 educator answer

• 1984

In 1984, does Julia truly love Winston?

This is an interesting question. 1984 is told from Winston’s point of view so that we never really get inside Julia’s head. How do we even know what love means to her? What we know is that she is a…

1 educator answer

• ANIMAL FARM

Examine the topical nature of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in world politics.

If the question refers to the topical nature of Animal Farm during Orwell’s own time, then the answer is pretty clear. There are direct, clear, unambiguous parallels between Animal Farm and the…

2 educator answers

• THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

I have a Literary Analysis Essay to write for my American Literature class on The Catcher in the…

I would say that one example of irrational thought is Holden’s impulsive decision to go and spend two days alone in Manhattan. This is an example of the things a lot of adolescent males do. Holden…

1 educator answer

• THE LOTTERY

Author Shirley Jackson does not include the year in which “The Lottery” takes place, or the name…

Shirley Jackson leaves out the name of the town and the year “The Lottery” took place for a couple of reasons. First, the town could be any town, and the year could be any year. The act of leaving…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

What is the significance of Romeo’s speech (lines 106-113)?

Please note that when you are asking about specific lines from a Shakespearean play, it is very important to name the act and scene number as well. Lines 106-113 appear multiple times (in different…

1 educator answer

• A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

What did the Elizabethans’ view on marriage represent? Who made the decision about getting married?

To the Elizabethans, daughters were considered the property of their fathers. This was not just an attitude. This was accepted, legal fact. It was the prerogative of fathers to choose a marriage…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

What is the difference between a gene and a chromosome?

A gene is a stretch of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), that codes for one or more traits in an organism. DNA is composed of four chemical bases whose sequences direct the production of specific…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

On what pages of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird can good passages be found about education,…

Throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout the narrator frequently comments on the inadequacies of Maycomb County’s public education system. The first time Scout realizes the inadequacies…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

How does the ear function to maintain equilibrium?

The ear maintains equilibrium by detecting the position and the motion of the body. The sacculus and utriculus are found just above the cochlea. They are interconnecting chambers that are each…

2 educator answers

• OTHELLO

Why does Roderigo hate Othello?

Roderigo hates Othello because he has won Desdemona away from him. In fact, Roderigo has even paid Iago to help him in his pursuit of this woman he loves. In Act I, Scene 1, Roderigo learns from…

1 educator answer

• THE ODYSSEY

What line in The Odyssey does Penelope ask for death?

Penelope wishes for death in Book 18, lines 202-204, of Homer’s masterpiece, the Odyssey. Specifically, she laments: How I wish chaste Artemis would give me a death so soft, and now, so I would…

1 educator answer

• LANGUAGE

Discuss the following terms: word, lexicon, vocabulary, and dictionary.

Below are the definitions to the following terms: word, lexicon, vocabulary, and dictionary. Word- A word is a unit of language that has a discrete meaning. Words are put together to make…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Calpurnia take the children to the church? What do…

In Chapter 12, Atticus leaves for Birmingham because the state legislature was called into an emergency session. Calpurnia decides to take the children to her church, First Purchase African M.E.,…

1 educator answer

• WALK TWO MOONS

What does Sal see on the roof of Mary Lou’s garage? Why does she say, “It made me feel peculiar”?

When Sal is visiting Mary Lou Finney’s house, she looks out the window and sees Mrs. Finney lying on top of the garage. Mr. Finney joins her and lies next to her. He puts his arm around his wife…

1 educator answer

• LITERATURE

What does the phrase “in the dark” mean and what are some examples?

“In the dark” is an idiom that means you are unaware of something, usually because someone deliberately kept it from you. An idiom is a commonly used figure of speech. It is a simile or…

1 educator answer

• HOMOSEXUALITY

Compare and contrast homosexual and heterosexual relationships.

The first thing you might emphasize in your paper is that there are many different types of both homosexual and heterosexual relationships, ranging from loving marriages which endure for a lifetime…

1 educator answer