• HISTORY

How did the growth of railroads foster the creation of new urban, financial and market centers…

The growth of American railroads saw its ‘Golden Age’ between 1869 and 1900. During that time the railroads not only linked the east with the west, in doing so it changed the landscape of the…

1 educator answer

• THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

In “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” what is the significance of the floating house of death?

In the house, Jim and Huck find a bunch of playing cards scattered about, whiskey bottles, and a lot of other random stuff. There is a dead man lying in the corner, who had been shot in the back….

1 educator answer

• TWILIGHT

Can someone please tell me what happens in “New Moon” from start to finish?Well i read the books…

Are you really sure that you wouldn’t rather re-read the second book. I think that this would be much better than having it regurgitated back to you in third person. I will tell you this, in New…

1 educator answer

• THE ROCKING-HORSE WINNER

What is the message in the stories The Rocking-Horse Winner and The Lottery, and how is it…

You will of course need to expand the brief analysis of the theme of these two fascinating stories by unpacking the style of the author in conveying the message. “The Rocking Horse Winner” is…

1 educator answer

• BUSINESS

According to Hernando De Soto, why does capitalism triumph in the West and fail everywhere…

The answer is more complex than the gist I am about to offer, but it all comes down to the sense of ownership that Western Civilization is accostumed to as opposed to the government-meddling thirld…

2 educator answers

• ROMEO AND JULIET

In “Romeo and Juliet”, how does Juliet feel about Tybalt’s death?

In Act III, scene II, Juliet is confused by the Nurse and her sobbing. At first she thinks that Romeo is dead. The Nurse does nothing to correct her at first. Then the Nurse says Tybalt’s name….

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Why is Simon described as a Jesus figure in “Lord of the Flies”?

Simon is typically seen as a Christ figure in “Lord of the Flies.” This is because he bears resemblance to Christ in the following ways: he is good with children (he is often described as picking…

1 educator answer

• ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH

What are some examples of corruption in “Anthills of the Savannah”?

The best place for you to start is with a character analysis of Sam. He is the major force of corruption and misuse of power in the novel. Sam is obviously someone who was untrained and unprepared…

2 educator answers

• THE GREAT GATSBY

What are the 3 most important events in the novel and why? How do these particular incidents…

Tough questions! There are a lot of good, major events you could choose to answer this question. My opinion is as follows: 1. Nick moving to West Egg. I would call this the inciting incident of…

2 educator answers

• LITERATURE

Name a word that refers to acts of nature (a stormy day, a bright sunny day, etc.) reflecting the…

You may wish to refer to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson who felt that Nature is in harmony with man. In such harmony, man and Nature commune; that is, there is a spiritual communion between…

2 educator answers

• SPECIAL EDUCATORS

ParentsHow do you handle parents who are unable to see the potential in their child and believe…

I am not a special educator, but I am the parent of two special-needs kids (both in college now), and I am a former school principal. I found it effective in parent meetings to talk to parents as a…

6 educator answers

• BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Social Skills InstructionWhat, if any, social skills instruction do you do at your school? In…

In my high school classroom, I use teachable moments. As an English teacher, I’m very conscientious about the use of labels and words. For example when my students say, “That’s retarded,” I…

8 educator answers

• TORTILLA FLAT

Should we see Pilon as a religious figure in Tortilla Flat? First let me say I can’t believe no…

Pilon does experience a moment of mysticism in the novel, where he is stripped of his greed and his pettiness. In this moment he is connected to the natural world. Steinbeck used this notion of…

1 educator answer

• INTO THE WILD

do you beleive the stories the people in this chapter tell Krakauer are true? why?its about the…

If you are referring to the chapters in which Krakauer discusses all of the other adventurers that encountered fates similar to that of McCandless, I’d have to say yes, I do believe they are true….

2 educator answers

• THE VELDT

if you were to design your own happy life-home, what automated conveniences you would put in it?…

Technology has become so advances that modern conveniences are limitless. I travel a lot so, one safety mechanism I would install would be security cameras within my home and around the perimeter…

1 educator answer

• SOCIAL SCIENCES

How would you describe your ideal city or town?

Great question, a tiny bit difficult to answer. I think that a person’s answer to this question would change as they mature and grow older. Someone in their early 20’s may want to live in a big…

4 educator answers

• JONATHAN SWIFT

Discuss the view that Swift was a misanthrope.

In “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”, Swift expresses through Gulliver that he deeply detests the human race. In fact, Swift himself was once quoted as saying that of all animals in this…

2 educator answers

• THE AWAKENING

I need help on how to write a research paper on Edna Pontellier from The Awakening and her…

I’ll be glad to help you! First of all, you already have something of a ready-made structure for your paper, because you can devote a section to your introduction, a section each to the three male…

2 educator answers

• AND OF CLAY ARE WE CREATED

How would you describe the relationship between Rolf and Azucena? How do you think Rolf’s…

This is an excellent question that arrives at the heart of this tale that stresses the inherent fragility of mankind. Examining the relationship between Rolf and Azucena reveals that Rolf…

1 educator answer

• THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

What does ‘…and noon a purple glow’ mean? Why purple?

Yeats is altering both midnight and noon into eerie images. “There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet’s wings.” Here Yeats gives evening a…

1 educator answer

• PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

In “Pride and Prejudice,” do you think Lizzy marries Mr.Darcy out of love or for money,…

While I get what you’re saying, I just can’t believe it to be true; Lizzy was a person who cared mostly for other people’s character and kindness, not their money. Her feelings changed after…

1 educator answer

• LYDDIE

Compare and contrast Lyddie and Ezekial in the book Lyddie.

The most obvious comparison between Lyddie and Ezekial is that both have experienced slavery. Ezekial, a black man, is a victim of the institution of slavery in the South. Lyddie, a poor white…

1 educator answer

• THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

Why does Holden say he is leaving Elkton Hills in Catcher in the Rye?

Holden says that he “didn’t exactly flunk out or anything” at Elkton Hills; he “just quit, sort of”. He says that one of his biggest reasons for leaving was because he was “surrounded by…

1 educator answer

• THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

Why are the chapters so short in “The House on Mango Street”?

It’s difficult to explain exactly why the chapters are so short. Yound adult novels sometimes have short chapters to make them more readable. The book is clearly not a typical novel or even a…

1 educator answer

• SPEAK

What do you think of Mr. Neck’s opinion about who a “real” American is in Speak, and why is his…

Mr. Neck believes that “real Americans” are people who, like his own family, have been in this country since the time of the American Revolution. He says, “My family has been in this country for…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

In what way is Duncan’s speech in 1.4.61-65 of “Macbeth” an example of dramitic irony?

DUNCAN: True, worthy Banquo! He is full so valiant, And in his commendations I am fed; It is a banquet to me. Let’s after him, Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: It is a peerless…

1 educator answer

• OZYMANDIAS

How does the use of euphony and cacophony in last three lines of Shelley’s “Ozymandias” hlep to…

The lines in “Ozymandias” to which you refer contain both euphony and cacophony. Nothing beside remains: round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,The lone and level sands stretch…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

What element of Shakespearean tragedy do the witches represent in “Macbeth”? What evidence is…

The witches represent the element of fate in the play. The evidence for this is that all of their predictions come true. However, Shakespeare leaves open the question of man’s role in his own fate…

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Why are the boys alone on the island in Lord of the Flies?

The boys are alone on the island because their plane crashed. They were a group of boys from a British Prep. School during a war and their plane was shot down. They were being evacuated for their…

2 educator answers

• COMMANDING HEIGHTS

Explain the “economic consequences of the peace” that John Maynard Keynes warned about as an…

Keynes believed the economic consequences of the Treaty for Europe would be disastrous, and create conditions leading to a general collapse of European economies and, eventually, another general…

2 educator answers

• THE CRUCIBLE

What is a significant gap or silence within The Crucible that can be used to write a monologue?

There is an opening scene between John and Elizabeth in Act II that would lend itself to monologue. John, who has been outside working on the farm, comes into the kitchen to speak with Elizabeth….

1 educator answer

• HAMLET

What happens in Act 1 of Hamlet that indicates that something strange is happening in Denmark?

Quite simply, I believe incest and supernatural appearances are enough to prove that “something strange is happening.” We are almost immediately told that Hamlet’s uncle has married Hamlet’s…

1 educator answer

• THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE

Compare and contrast the sense of battle found in Chapters 16 and 19 of The Red Badge of Courage.

The sense of battle found in Chapters 16 and 19 are similar in that the soldiers are detached from what is going on around them. There is an atmosphere of surrealism; the scene is called “a…

1 educator answer

• THE TWENTY-ONE BALLOONS

In “The Twenty-One Balloons”, where did the professor want to go to tell his adventure story?

It is nice to see someone reading one of my favorite books! In the first chapter, we are told that the professor insisted on telling his story to the Western American Explorers’ Club in San…

1 educator answer

• CINEMA

What are the discoveries made within the film Finding Forrester?can be by the audience or characters

There are a lot of discoveries. This is what makes this movie good and many others. Here are a few of them: 1. Everyone thought that William was dead, but they find out that he is alive and well….

1 educator answer

• DEATH OF A SALESMAN

In “Death of a Salesman”, how does Willy maintain his self-respect through what he feels has been…

This question can be answered in considering both Willy’s reality and fantasy life. In fantasy, Willy’s ideal self is revealed to the reader through flashbacks of people he has met and events that…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

In “Romeo and Juliet”, why does Benvolio think that there will be a fight in the beginning of the…

In Act 3, scene one, Benvolio and Mercutio are in a public place–on the streets of Verona. The weather is especially hot which creates tempers to flare a lot more easily than if it wasn’t so hot….

1 educator answer

• WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Does Edgar ever realized that Catherine never truly loved him? Or does he love her despite the…

You seemed to have jumped to a conclusion here – are you sure that Catherine does not love Edgar? Chapter 9 is a very key chapter for this discussion, where Catherine discusses her proposal from…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

From “To Kill a Mockingbird,” what is a foot-washing baptist according to Miss Maudie?

In chapter 5 of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Dill and Jem start hanging out together, which leaves Scout left out of the action. So, Scout spends a lot of time sitting with Miss Maudie on her front…

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” what dishes does Calpurnia cook throughout the novel?

What an interesting question! And, a tough one, because there aren’t very many mentions, and when they are mentioned, it is very brief. I found a couple. The first is in chapter 2 when Scout is…

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Where did the plane land in “Lord of the Flies”?

The plane actually seems to have crashed into the ocean, since the boys never mention any remnants of the aircraft being anywhere on the island. However, before it crashed, it did scrape alongside…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

In chapter 3, what was Elie’s first impression of Auschwitz after leaving Birkenau?

I am not precisely clear to which part of the novel you are referring to, but actually the first reference of the camp comes at the very end of Chapter two, when the Jews finally are able to leave…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

Why were land ownership and education so important to freed African Americans?

Essentially the same reason these things are important to anyone, that land ownership gives a sense of self-worth and stability, and that education enables one to improve oneself intellectually and…

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

What value does Ponyboy find in The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost?

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” is a poem by Robert Frost. Ponyboy learned this poem in English class. He remembers it when he is watching the sunrise with Johnny, while they are hiding out in the…

2 educator answers

• A RAISIN IN THE SUN

Mama tells Walter that something is eating him up, something that has to do with more than just…

Walter is caught in a world where he has a job, a wife and child and still lives with his mother who considers herself the head of the family. He believes that neither Ruth, his wife, nor Mama,…

1 educator answer

• LAW AND POLITICS

What three part test does the supreme court use to determine if government aid to parochial…

You are thinking of the 1971 case, Lemon v Kurtzman. In Lemon, the Supreme Court laid out a three part test for whether state government aid for secular activities in religious schools is…

2 educator answers

• NIGHT

Who is responsible for the holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?

While there are various groups that contributed to the over all destruction of the Jewish people (Hungarian Police), the German Nazi Party was the group responsible for the Holocaust. Hitler and…

1 educator answer

• THE GREAT GATSBY

In chapter one of “The Great Gatsby,” Nick asks Daisy about her daughter. What does Daisy say?

Nick has shared dinner with Daisy and Tom. Jordan Baker is also at the dinner. Tom has had a call from his “mistress” and this has upset Daisy. While walking into the house Nick attempts to ask…

1 educator answer

• SOCIAL SCIENCES

What is the cause and effect of single parenting in black families?What is the cause and effect…

This is a complicated issue and the causes and effects are multiple. Politicians and scholars have been trying to address the problem for many years. First, let’s look at some causes. One cause…

2 educator answers

• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

What will happen to Shylock if he takes too much or too little of Antonio’s flesh?

Shylock’s deal with Antonio is to take a full pound of Antonio’s flesh (no more no less)if he defaults on his loan. Shylock, of course, is hoping that Antonio defaults so that he can extract his…