How and where do Julia and Winston meet?
- 1984
How and where do Julia and Winston meet?
Winston and Julia have noticed each other for a long time. He watches her and secretly hates her and all she stands for as a loyal Party member during the Two Minutes’ Hate. She watches him and…
3 educator answers
- ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
Uncertainty is one of the themes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. How far is it true?
Rosecrantz and Guildenstern spend almost the entire play in a state of uncertainty. Since the play is absurdist, the constant questioning of the two courtiers, who are at turns knowing and…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
Was Brutus truly the main character in the play? I get the feeling that he was.
When you “get a feeling,” it’s good to explore it by returning to the text. I am going to help steer you to defend your “feeling” (let’s call it an interpretation) by asking you some guiding…
1 educator answer
- SOCIAL SCIENCES
Let us make this world a better place to liveA Baby when born is soft and tender with no mind…
It is debatable whether the infant mind is the “blank slate” we used to assume. Any parent can tell you that an infant has an individual personality from the moment of birth, but how much does…
4 educator answers
- LORD OF THE FLIES
Does Ralph understand why he must be killed? Explain.
In a word, no. Samneric give him meat and tell him the Chief’s plans. And there’s no reason for those plans: “They hate you, Ralph. They’re going to do you.”“They’re going to hunt you…
2 educator answers
- LORD OF THE FLIES
How does Ralph learn of Jack’s plans for him?
Ralph learns of Jack’s specific plans for him from Sam and Eric. In chapter 12, when Ralph is on the run after Piggy was killed, he encounters the twins. They are terrified and they are in Jack’s…
2 educator answers
- LORD OF THE FLIES
How has Piggy’s role changed since Jack left?
When Jack was a part of their big group, Piggy was usually mocked by Jack, and the others followed him. Piggy never really had any say in the group’s decisions. When Jack left, Piggy became…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
Why doesn’t Simon believe in the beast?
In chapter 5, it has become apparent that order is vanishing among the boys on the island. A meeting is held to, among other things, determine what is the problem. Piggy suggests that fear among…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
How does Ralph assert his power in “Lord of the Flies”?
Although he at first is reluctant to accept power and to accept the symbolic conch, Ralph finally sees the conch as the way for him to explain the importance of “civilization” to the boys. He is…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In “Lord of the Flies”, why does Ralph say that he is in charge on the island, and why does…
“We’ll take you off. How many of you are there?”Ralph shook his head. The officer looked past him to the group of painted boys.“Who’s boss here?”“I am,” said Ralph loudly.A little…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
What comparison is implied at the end of “Lord of the Flies”?(Look at “end of innocence” line…
I think what your question is driving at is the comparison between the atrocities the boys commit on the island, and the continuing atrocities of war outside the world which surrounds them. We know…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
How does the denouement in Lord of the Flies affect the reader?What does this denouement effects…
The denouement of the novel occurs right after Ralph is rescued by the British Navy. The British naval officer rebukes the boys and says he would have thought they would do better. In retrospect,…
2 educator answers
- THE ODYSSEY
What are the suitors’ plans for Telemachus? How does Penelope hear of the plans?
While Telemachus is in Sparta speaking with Menelaus and Helen and asking them for advice or news of his father, the suitors back in Ithaca find out about his secret departure. Angry, the suitors…
3 educator answers
- DUBLINERS
What symbols are used in “Araby” by James Joyce?
Any physical item can serve as a symbol in a great literary work, since great authors choose those details that reflect and resonate with the whole of the work. So keep in mind the global question…
1 educator answer
- OTHELLO
When Iago stabs Roderigo in Act 5, where does he stab him?
The text doesn’t actually tell us. We know that Iago wounds Cassio in the leg from behind, when Roderigo fails to kill him: ROD: I know his gait; ’tis he. Villain, thou diest! CASSIO: That thrust…
1 educator answer
- FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON
Explain the statement, “The more intelligent you become the more problems you’ll have, Charlie.”…
In “Flowers for Algernon,” Charlie Gordon is a man with an IQ of 68. He is considered mentally retarded and is taking part in an experimental surgery to gain intelligence. The statement “The more…
4 educator answers
- THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
What is the relevance of the writer’s context in this story?
“There Will Come Soft Rains,” a short story by Ray Bradbury is a futuristic tale about technology and artificial intelligence becoming integrated into the everyday household in the form of a smart…
1 educator answer
- THE BET
Who are the characters in the short story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov?
There are only 2 characters in this story: A banker and a young lawyer.
1 educator answer
- OEDIPUS REX
What is the dramatic irony in the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles?
The dramatic irony in the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, is that through the soothsayer Teiresias, the audience becomes more aware and more convinced that Oedipus is the murderer of the late King…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How does Dolphus Raymond symbolize a mockingbird in “To Kill A Mockingbird”?
Dolphus Raymond, like the mockingbird, does no harm to anyone. In fact, in his encounter with the children during Tom Robinson’s trial, his words and actions imply that he is a gentle, wise, and…
2 educator answers
- AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE
In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” why does the scout suggest that Farquhar burn the bridge?
This scene is a subtle one in Part II of the story, which is a flashback. When the scout, dressed like a Confederate soldier, stops at the Farquhar plantation, Peyton asks for news about the front…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In “The Great Gatsby”, what is the moral of the story?
The novel is really too complex to be reduced to a single “moral of the story” analysis, but one compelling theme seems to be Fitzgerald’s assertion that romantic illusion cannot survive when…
2 educator answers
- THE MILL ON THE FLOSS
What is the complete summary of the novel The Mill on the Floss? Include details of the characters.
Mr. Tulliver owns a mill on the River Floss, and has a wife and two children. The children, Tom and Maggie, are different in appearance and character. Maggie is intelligent, wild, and dark; Tom…
1 educator answer
- MATH
Math teachers: what hardware or software would you buy for $10,000?My assignment is to survey…
I would seriously consider a SMART Board or similar technology. They cost in the neighborhood of $5000 and vastly enhance the teaching environment, especially if students are invited to work at…
3 educator answers
- CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
What is the significance of the scene during Absolam’s trial in Cry, Beloved Country,…
This chapter obviously relates to the key theme of justice within the novel. A central question is whether the judge discharges his role as judge corrrectly or whether he fails to carry it out. The…
1 educator answer
- THE AWAKENING
“Grab for too much and it slips away from you.”-Creole proverb. Discuss this proverb in relation…
In The Awakening, Edna is a woman reaching for things her society does not believe she should have – freedom, individuality, love, sex, equality. Over the course of the novella, she begins to…
1 educator answer
- A ROSE FOR EMILY
Style in A Rose for EmilySo, in this short story, what are your thoughts on style? Are there…
Clearly one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, William Faulkner employs figurative language throughout his “A Rose for Emily.” For instance, in the exposition, the…
2 educator answers
- LAW AND POLITICS
Is New Mexico an anti-deficiency state? What does anti-deficiency mean in real estate language?
New Mexico does have anti-deficiency laws; however, certain requirements must be met for a person to benefit from these laws.In general, anti-deficiency laws only apply to primary mortgages on…
1 educator answer
- ACROSS FIVE APRILS
What news did Wilse bring in Across Five Aprils?
Wilse brings “news of the Kentucky country where (Jethro’s mother) had been born, and of the relatives from whom she so seldom heard”. He also brings news of the feelings of the Kentuckians…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
How did the refrigerator make it easy for the women in 1860-1900?
Prior to the invention of the refrigerator, most families kept their food in iceboxes. An ice box was essentially a wooden box that was lined with zinc and insulated with sawdust. People placed a…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
Why is the play called Julius Caesar Why is the play called ‘Julius Caesar’ when Caesar…
A great question to explore! First, some historical context: growing up in Elizabethan England, Shakespeare most likely attended grammar school, where boys mastered the history of Ancient Rome. The…
3 educator answers
- THE GREAT GATSBY
Based upon the storyline of The Great Gatsby, who benefits the most from the story? How does it…
Of all the novel’s characters, only Nick experienced any personal growth or gained any moral insight as a result of what happened in New York that summer of 1922. By developing his friendship and…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What makes one Mennonite, according to Jem in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
A couple of pages into chapter 16, Jem explains Mennonites to Dill. People are making their way from the southern part of the county to the courthouse for the big trial of Tom Robinson. As people…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In The Great Gatsby, what is the major conflict?
The central conflict in the novel concerns Gatsby’s dream of winning Daisy back and repeating their past as if they had never been separated. Gatsby wants to wipe out the previous five years, an…
1 educator answer
- VIRTUE
In the poem “Virtue” what role do the symbols of the “day”, the “rose” and “spring” play in…
Herbert uses these three things to carry the theme of the transitory nature of life that his poem has. Day always ends; and “the dew shall weep thy fall”. Roses always fade; “thy root is ever in…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
What are some examples of verbal irony in Romeo and Juliet?
Verbal irony (saying the opposite of what you mean) occurs many times in Romeo and Juliet. The first example is in the Chorus’ opening speech: “Two households, both alike in dignity”. Of course,…
2 educator answers
- MACBETH
In Macbeth, how does the nocturnal setting of Act II, Scene 1, contribute to the scene’s overall…
As Act II opens, Duncan’s murder is at hand, soon to be accomplished while he sleeps. Shakespeare immediately establishes a dark and foreboding tone through Banquo’s opening dialog with Fleance…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
In the absence of Malcolm and Donalbain, who will become King of Scotland in Macbeth?
After Malcolm and Donalbain run away to protect their own lives after Duncan’s murder, Macbeth is named Duncan’s heir and goes to Scone to be crowned. As the Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor,…
2 educator answers
- A SEPARATE PEACE
In “A Separate Peace”, why does Gene feel that Finny’s funeral is his own?In Knowles’ novel ‘A…
Unlike popular Finny, Gene is a loner. His introvert nature and intellectual standoffishness put the other boys off, and it was only with Phineas that he experienced true friendship. Even when Gene…
1 educator answer
- A SEPARATE PEACE
How does the author complete the frame at the end of A Separate Peace?
The frame is completed in a subtle way on the final page of the novel with Gene’s three-paragraph coda which begins “I never killed anybody . . . .” Instead of ending the flashback by returning to…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
In Macbeth, what prompts people to think that Malcolm and Donalbain may be guilty of killing…
Suspicion falls on Malcolm and Donalbain for the murder of their father, King Duncan, because they run away after Duncan’s body is found. They run, however, because they realize that as Duncan’s…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
Whom do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan to blame for Duncan’s murder?
The MacBeths plan to set up the drunken servants by covering them with Duncan’s blood and leaving the bloody daggers with them so that when the scene is discovered, they are visually implicated….
4 educator answers
- THINGS FALL APART
How are both Things fall Apart and Death and the King’s Horseman examples of tragedy?
The Renaissance Shakespearean definition of a tragedy revolves around a good and moral hero who is much to be admired but who has an iner flaw in his character traits or who makes an unintended…
1 educator answer
- OF MICE AND MEN
What happens in Chapter 4 of “Of Mice and Men”?
Lennie goes out to the stable to visit with Crooks because George and the rest of the men have gone to town. At first Crooks tells Lennie to get out. As the only black man on the ranch, Crooks…
1 educator answer
- THE STRANGER
In the novel The Stranger, is Mersault a hero?
I actually *just* reread this book two days ago – one of my all-time favs. Meursault is complicated; he’d be a horrible protagonist if he wasn’t. Deciding whether or not you think he’s a hero will…
1 educator answer
- TREASURE ISLAND
What were two reasons why Dr. Livesey decided it was better to abandon the Hispaniola in the book…
In chapter sixteen we read about a decision that was made by Dr. Livesey in consultation with Captain Smollett for the honest hands to abandon the Hispaniola and move to a log house inside an…
1 educator answer
- THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER
What are the Indian woman doing in Sign of the Beaver? Why is Matt so interested? What is…
When Matt visits the Indian village for the second time, the women are busy preparing food. Although he knows that Attean is “scornful of…squaw work”, Matt is curious, because, unlike his Indian…
1 educator answer
- THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
What is Janie doing as Pheoby walks in?
Janie has just returned from the Everglades and is sitting on her back porch soaking her feet after her long walk home after just finishing filling her oil lamps and cleaning their chimneys. Pheoby…
1 educator answer
- HAMLET
What are two references to disease or decay in Act 1?
Act I Horatio says that the moon “Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse.” The ghost uses words in Act I associated with disease to describe his poisoning and death: The leperous distillment,…
1 educator answer
- BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER, A TALE OF WALL STREET
What does Bartleby represent to his employer?
Bartleby is a conundrum to his employer. As a successful lawyer, he is used his employees doing their work without question. When Bartelby “prefers not to” proofread his work, the lawyer is…