free stuff/discounts for teachers?Hello, Im in the process of starting a new website for…
- TEACHERS
free stuff/discounts for teachers?Hello, Im in the process of starting a new website for…
Townsend Press has a number of free things for teachers and students. They also offer some great books for $1 each, which is great when you need a classroom set. http://townsendpress.com/free.aspx…
5 educator answers
- CLOUD NINE
What are the postmodern elements of Cloud Nine?Are there any challenges for actors/directors?
This play can be related to two “-isms” – postcolonialism and postmodernism. Both are related in the way that they challenge accepted norms and deconstruct relationships and suggest new possible…
1 educator answer
- ESSAY LAB
The Tempest Themes EsssayI am working on writing an essay on The Tempest by Shakespeare. I would…
I think that a comparison/contrast approach for the themes of beauty and virtue might work well. You could compare and contrast Miranda and Caliban. They are the two archetypal presentations of…
2 educator answers
- THE HOBBIT
What is a short summary of The Hobbit?
The Hobbit is an adventure story involving Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, Gandalf, a wizard and several other creatures including dwarves, elves, and a dragon. This book is the precursor and…
2 educator answers
- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
what message John receive in a dream?i need to know the message john receive in a dream? and if…
At the end of the story, John has a vision in which he sees New York as we know it, a busy, thriving city. Then he sees the destruction of the city through the terrible war that had taken place…
2 educator answers
- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
why is it forbiffen to go east?please i need to know this…
John and his people have been forbidden for generations to go east to “the place of the gods.” By the end of the story, however, we learn that “the place of the gods” is really New York City that…
2 educator answers
- THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
Is “The Wizard of Oz” considered ‘gothic’?I need some help on proving to my class that the Wizard…
I could agree that the story “The Wizard of Oz” does contain some Gothic elements. For example, there is the theme of confinement. Dorothy feels trapped within the confines of normalcy. She longs…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
Can you see any differences when you compare Ralph’s character at the beginning and the end of…
It is clear that at the beginning of the novel Jack represents the forces of civilisation, order and control. He is elected leader of the boys and is dedicated to maintaining control and being…
2 educator answers
- LORD OF THE FLIES
Why does the reader feel very close to Ralph through the novel “Lord of the Flies”?
Although Ralph has seemingly “perfect” physical qualities, and seems to have the directness and other qualities of a leader, the imperfections of Ralph are what the reader identifies with. He is…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In “Lord of the Flies”, does Ralph know how important that Piggy is for him?
At the beginning of the story, Ralph is just like any other typical boy that Piggy has encountered. Ralph judges Piggy on his outward appearance and makes fun of him. Ralph gives Piggy his…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In “Lord of the Flies”, why are the boys only afraid of the beast at night?
The boys on the island are just that – boys. They are children and it is not uncommon for children to fear the dark. On a deeper level, though, all people fear what they cannot see. Fear of the…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
Why are the other boys unable to understand Simon in “Lord of the Flies”?
To answer this question you need to think about the character of Simon, what he represents, and how he compares with the other characters in the novel. If you consider that Ralph and Jack…
1 educator answer
- THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK
What was risky about using excerpts from negro spirituals in Souls of Black Folk?This is a…
The Souls of Black Folks is a collage of essays that chronicles the living conditions of African-American in post-bellum America to the turn of the century. Du Bois is meticulous in his approach…
1 educator answer
- BUSINESS
What are the environmental factors that affect the automobile industry?
It would appear that these two industries are worlds apart. However, many people would agree that in many ways one indirectly affects the other. Consider all of the hybrid and energy efficient…
2 educator answers
- MENDING WALL
In “Mending Wall,” what is the meaning of line 43? How is this line symbolic or metaphoric?
The main idea behind a lot of Frost’s poem “Mending Wall” is that Frost really doesn’t see the use of fences between neighbors. He feels that if they are neighbors, friends, and kind to one…
2 educator answers
- SLAM!
Can anyone please tell me what can be the antagonist in Slam! by Walter Dean Myers?i am thinking…
An antagonist is a character who acts as an opponent to the protagonist, the central figure in a novel. The antagonist may be a person, or it may be a larger force, like the environment. There…
1 educator answer
- ITHAKA
Can somebody explain “Ithaka” stanza by stanza?
In “Ithaka,” the poet speaks directly to someone who is about to begin a long journey to Ithaka, one of the Greek isles. He offers the traveler both advice and good wishes and warns of possible…
2 educator answers
- LITERATURE
How one should write answers in one’s exams ?I am confused. I want to score good marks.
After having evaluated exams for 40 years, I can tell you what I’d like to see happen. First, make sure you take the time to understand the question. You’d be surprise how many students answer…
2 educator answers
- THE GIVER
What does this passage from “The Giver” tell us about Jonas? “Like the apple, the people in the…
At first, this is an example of foreshadowing. We do not fully understand the changes Jonas sees, because we have not been introduced to the fact that the people in Jonas’s community cannot see…
1 educator answer
- HAMLET
Summarize the “play within the play” that occurs in Act III, scene ii of Hamlet.
Hamlet uses the device of having some traveling players present a play to the court so that he can check for himself if Claudius is in fact guilty of having murdered Hamlet’s father. Hamlet…
1 educator answer
- THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
How does Poole explain to Mr. Utterson the things that are occurring behind the experimant…
In Chapter 8 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Poole goes to Mr. Utterson’s home with the plea that he believes “foul play” has been committed in Dr. Jekyll’s experiment cabinet. “Foul…
1 educator answer
- THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER
Analyze the character of Aunt Polly and her relationship to Tom in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Tom and Sid’s mother has died and Aunt Polly (their mother’s sister) brought them into her home to raise them. Aunt Polly is loving and sweet, but apparently she has difficulties raising two boys….
2 educator answers
- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
In which one of Shakespeare’s plays did this comment show up, “Warwick was a bug that sear’d us…
“Warwick was a bug that fear’d us all” can be found in the third part of act five of King Henry the sixth.
1 educator answer
- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
In “By the Waters of Babylon”, what message did John receive in a dream? Did he listen to his…
As part of his growth to manhood, John must go on a journey, a rite of passage, guided by the dream or vision he has had during the ceremony in the house of the priesthood. His father questions him…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
According to Atticus, what is the crime that has been committed in Chapter 21 of “To Kill a…
It was in Chapter 20 when Atticus mentioned the “crime”–however, he called it a “code” rather than a crime that was broken. “She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and…
2 educator answers
- THINGS FALL APART
In Things Fall Apart, how is Ibo society to blame for Umuofia’s collapse?
This is an odd question about Things Fall Apart. There seems to be nothing in Achebe’s text that would indicate he intends any blame to be attributed to Ibo society itself. In addition, by his own…
1 educator answer
- MY LAST DUCHESS
In “My Last Duchess” how would talking to the duchess about her smiling and blushing compromise…
In these lines, the Duke explains that in the first place, it is beneath him to talk of such matters; they are such petty and silly issues, really. He, as a duke, shouldn’t have to concern himself…
1 educator answer
- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
The story “By the Waters of Babylon” is set in the future. But people are living in forests and…
All modern civilzation has been wiped out. All technology, books, computers, houses, microwaves, heating, clothing, everything…gone. The survivors, those who were left, had to leave the areas…
1 educator answer
- HEART OF DARKNESS
What is the relevance of juxtaposing the rotting technology and the verdant jungle in “Heart of…
Conrad is trying to show the effect the jungle has on men. The technology on which the Europeans depend so much becomes useless and eventually rots away in the hot, humid jungle environment. The…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What are some outside quotes that relate to the themes of “To Kill a Mockingbird?”Mostly the…
Here are some quotes dealing with racism: “I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C. J….
1 educator answer
- MATH
What is the power rule that can be used to find the derivative of a function?
The power rule for differentiation states that for every real number n if: f(x) = x^n then: f'(x) = n*x^(n-1) Definitions real number — all real integers, negative or positive, and every…
1 educator answer
- A ROSE FOR EMILY
In “A Rose for Emily” what is the importance of Miss Emily’s hair changing color?
When someone goes through a very stressful or traumatic experience, sometimes their hair changes color. Documented cases of survivors from car wrecks, personal tragedy, and other losses show…
1 educator answer
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS
What are some internal or external conflicts that Gandalf faces in Moria? Specifically, what does…
Gandalf faces many challenges throughout the tale of The Lord of the Rings. The Gates of Moria pose a number of these. First, Gandalf faces the decision of entering Moria at all. The preferred…
1 educator answer
- THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band, what injury did Sherlock Holmes question Helen…
In the beginning of the story, Holmes senses that Helen has been frightened into a state of nervous exhaustion. She looks terrible. Her emotional state has made her old before her time. “Her…
1 educator answer
- ANTIGONE
According to the chorus of Antigone, what is considered a virtue?
In many places the chorus in Sophocles’ play, Antigone, speaks of yielding to sound council as a virtue and refusing to yield to authority as a vice. When Haemon tells his father that the people…
1 educator answer
- BUD, NOT BUDDY
What does Miss Thomas give Bud that he has been lacking?
Miss Thomas is the manager of the Band, The Dusky Devastators of the Depression. When Bud talks about her we have no doubt how he feels about her. “Bud realizes that Miss Thomas, with her ring…
1 educator answer
- SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER
In Summer of My German Soldier, what happens to Patty because i couldn’t finish the story?
Hopefully you got to the part where Patty decided to hide Anton in her father’s garage. After staying for a few days, Anton makes his escape. An investigation is begun and Patty is eventually…
1 educator answer
- TRIFLES
How does Mrs. Peters’s character develop throughout the play Trifles?
It is important to start with the function of Mrs. Peters as a character and how she, and her gradual change, are used in the play. Mrs. Peters is used to exemplify the kind of gender relations and…
1 educator answer
- ALAS, BABYLON
How is Ben Franklin shown to be a child of the Atomic Age?
I imagine that the connection exists in the understanding of what it means to be an child of the Atomic Age. Franklin was certainly a child of the Enlightenment, and many in his time began to…
1 educator answer
- SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER
In Chapter 7 of Summer of My German Soldier, after Patty hides Anton, how did she justify in her…
The thought process about which you are asking is actually outlined in Chapter 8 instead of Chapter 7. Patty justifies the fact that she is not a spy in her own mind by reasoning that she is not…
1 educator answer
- NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE
In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, who are the protagonists and the antagonists?
In literature the terms protagonist and antagonist are used to refer to, respectively, the main character of the text and the character who seeks to oppose the main character in achieving what he…
1 educator answer
- NIGHT
In chapter 8 of “Night”, can you explain how the father/son roles had been reversed between Elie…
In chapter 8 of “Night,” Elie’s father has already died. Up until the point of his death he became weaker and weaker during the imprisonment. Normally we assume that children should be taken care…
1 educator answer
- NIGHT
In Chapter 7 of Night by Elie Wiesel, describe the scene Elie witnessed between the father and son.
The Jewish prisoners have been on-board a train, crammed in crowded cars, with no food for over 10 days. They are starving and dying rapidly. When the train stops briefly some workers throw some…
3 educator answers
- NIGHT
In Chapter 7 of Night, how did Eliezer help his father when they were on the train?
The people were cold and crammed into the train car. When daylight came the soldiers ordered people in the cars to throw out any bodies of people who had died. Elie’s father was non responsive…
2 educator answers
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” what does Lee mean by “the secret courts of men’s hearts”?
Often, the way that people feel about an issue is different than the way that they behave about an issue. For example, consider the Tom Robinson case. He was found guilty, which means that the…
1 educator answer
- THE CALL OF THE WILD
What are four conflicts in Chapter 6 in Call of the Wild ?4 problems
BUCK DISCOVERS THE EMOTION OF LOVE. Although Buck had received attention and friendship while living on the Judge’s ranch, he had never experienced true love. It first comes from Skeet who, like…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” what is the irony of Atticus’s statement?Here’s the statement: “Don’t…
Here, in chapter 23, Atticus is referring to how “low-grade” white men “take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance.” He finds it absolutely despicable that “white men cheat black men,” and he thinks…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In “The Great Gatsby”, the weather is hot when Nick goes to meet Daisy. How might this be…
Weather is significant and symbolic throughout the entire novel. When Nick first comes to East Egg to meet with Daisy, Tom, and Jordan in the first chapter, the reader is told that it is the end…
2 educator answers
- TWILIGHT
Is Dakota Fanning going to be in the next Twilight movie cooming out in 2009?
According to People magazine, Dakota Fanning was offered the role of Jane. This appearnetly was being worked on back in January.
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
How does fear progress in Lord of the Flies? How does Jack use it to achieve his aims? What is…
Jack is afraid at the beginning. He isn’t quite sure about whether he can kill a pig and he is nervous at some points about the beast. But he starts to realize that fear is his best tool to bring…