• THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

How did you react to the masked figure’s first appearance in “The Masque of the Red Death”?

The author achieved an intense sense of foreshadowing as the masked figured entered the story by creating a gothic atmosphere of darkness and mystery. With it, the reader can almost see right in…

6 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Why is Simon the only one to doubt the existance of the beast? Is it significant? why or why not?

Lord of the Flies is a symbolic novel, and each of the boys is representative of some aspect of the human experience. Ralph is the physical, Piggy is the intellectual, Jack is the inherent sin…

1 educator answer

• THE CRUCIBLE

In “The Crucible” what advice do the doctors send back to Reverend Parris about Betty?

This answer can be found rather quickly in the first part of the play itself. Read the opening scene of Act One; in this scene, Betty is lying “sick” in bed, and her father, Reverend Parris, is…

1 educator answer

• SONG: TO CELIA

In Ben Jonson’s “To Celia,” what is his motive in sending her flowers: to honor he or to keep the…

In “To Celia,” the lover states in lines 9-12, I sent thee late a rosy wreath,/Not so much honoring thee/As giving it a hope that there/It could not withered be Thus, by his own admission, he has…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Where do the issues in To Kill a Mockingbird stem from; how do they manifest; and are they…

There are two primary themes in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, and they both eventually intertwine in the dramatic climax. One theme concerns the mysterious Boo Radley and how he is…

1 educator answer

• LITERATURE

How do the issues affect the main character and the protagonist?

There are a few things to address in the question. The first would be that for the most part, the main character and protagonist are one in the same. In seeing both as the same, it is important…

1 educator answer

• THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

In the old man and the sea how does the old man feel about the fish?

Santiago has great respect for all of nature’s creatures, except sharks. He refers to the fish (a marlin) as his “brother,” showing not only a certain biological connection between man and beast…

1 educator answer

• THE DEVIL AND TOM WALKER

In “The Devil and Tom Walker” how is Tom’s approach to religion similar to his approach to his…

Tom’s selfish, greedy approach toward religion also manifests itself in his financial decisions. When Tom barters away his soul to the devil and agrees to be a usurer for him, he immediately…

1 educator answer

• THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Did you know that the 100th anniversary of Gaston Leroux’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is almost…

I love this play! I can’t believe it’s been around for 100 years. Will there be celebrations all over? Is there a link besides through twitter where I can find out about related happenings? I…

2 educator answers

• OF MICE AND MEN

In Of Mice and Men, what is the plan in case Lennie gets into trouble on the ranch?

Steinbeck sets up the conflict in the story from the very first chapter. In it, we learn that Lennie and George have had to leave Weed in some haste because of an incident involving Lennie. From…

1 educator answer

• JUST LATHER, THAT’S ALL

In “Just Lather, That’s All,” how is the barber or Captain Torres a hero?

There are no heroes in Hernando Tellez’s short story, “Just Lather, That’s All.” Although Captain Torres’ visit to the barber shop could be considered an act of bravery, the captain’s many acts of…

1 educator answer

• THE HOBBIT

Why did Bilbo give away the Arkenstone to Bard?

Your question touches on a key point in the story and is another example of the heroic nature of Bilbo. We see when the company arrives at the mountain that Thorin in particular becomes obsessed…

1 educator answer

• THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

While Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield were walking, what did they see that reminded Mr. Enfield of…

The answer to this question about the door in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a very simple one: While Utterson and Einfield were on their usual Sunday walk in a neighborhood that…

1 educator answer

• ANTIGONE

In the Exodus of Antigone with what idea does the Choragos conclude?

The Exodus or closing lines of Antigone emphasize the play’s overall theme and stress the cause of Creon’s tragic downfall. The Choragos (in some translations also called “Leader” or simply…

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET LETTER

In what scenes of The Scarlet Letter are physical and emotional changes of the three main…

Chapters 9&10 give details of Chillingworth’s physical appearance, and how his countenance seems to reflect the evil that is within him. Chapters 11&12 give details of Dimmesdale’s failing…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

How did the maple tree adapt to its woodland environment?

There are many species of maple trees and they have a range through most of United State, Europe, and part of Asia. Most species of maples are deciduous trees, which means they shed their leaves…

1 educator answer

• THE CRUCIBLE

In The Crucible, Act Two, how does John Proctor’s behavior compare with his wife’s?

Act Two is the first instance in which we meet Elizabeth Proctor. We also get an intimate look into the Proctors’ home life and their marriage dynamics. At this point we are aware that John Proctor…

1 educator answer

• FAHRENHEIT 451

Fahrenheit 451 what were the workings of the toaster?

You must remember that this is a science fiction book about the future. The toaster is a combination of what we know today and some element of the future. So, the person puts the bread in the…

1 educator answer

• THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

What is the setting for the story, and how does this setting affect the plot ?

We find ourselves on an untamed, creepy, scary, uncivilized island. Do these words also describe one of the story’s major characters? Yes, they do. The setting, of course, reflects the uncivilized,…

1 educator answer

• OF MICE AND MEN

Please cite a quote directly from the novel describing how Curley thinks or feels.John…

In John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” the descriptions of the men are fairly terse as the author seems to seek to present the characters first as men, common men who may be representative of…

1 educator answer

• THE STRANGER

In the novel The stranger by Albert Camus, what is Mersaults idea of the after life?

Meursault, like Camus, is an absurdist and an atheist. Neither of them believe in God or the afterlife. This unnerves the magistrate and the priest to no end, both of whom want Meursault to…

1 educator answer

• WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS

In Where the Red Fern Grows, what did Billy learn about life from this relationship? (Between him…

William Rawls teaches a number of life lessons in Where the Red Fern Grows, including those directly related to Billy’s relationship with his dogs. Before he even has the dogs, he determines the…

1 educator answer

• OF MICE AND MEN

In Of Mice and Men, why do Lennie and George arrive late at the ranch?

As the novel opens, Lennie and George are walking through the woods near the river. We learn that they have come from the town of Weed, where Lennie was involved in an incident that required them…

2 educator answers

• ARABY

How about the protagonist in Joyce’s “Araby”?

Your question is not very specific, but please check out the previously asked questions about the protagonist at the links below:

2 educator answers

• GRAMMAR

Can you start a sentence with ‘then’?

Of course you can, especially for narrative effect (storytelling). Grammatically speaking, ‘then’ is a sentence adverbial – that is to say an adverb which describes a whole clause instead of just a…

1 educator answer

• INDEPENDENCE DAY

Who is the author of the Richard Ford biography, “Independence Day?”

Your question is somewhat confusing. Richard Ford wrote the novel “Independence Day.” He was the first author with a novel to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the Pen/Faulkner Award. This novel was…

1 educator answer

• ESSAY LAB

May I ask what is considered a good literature character essay introduction and conclusion?Hi…

An introduction needs to include a thesis. The thesis is the most important sentence in the paper, because the paper is built around it. It is one or two short succinct statements about your…

2 educator answers

• HARRISON BERGERON

What’s an example of characterization in “Harrison Bergeron”?

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. describes the main characters of “Harrison Bergeron” in his usual matter-of-fact and rather sarcastic way, from the perspective of the society that he creates. For example,…

2 educator answers

• THE LADY OF SHALOTT

Discuss the idea that “The Lady of Shalott” is a poem about transgression and punishment.”

“The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred Tennyson can be seen as a poem about transgression and punishment, which may have been how some readers in the Victorian era read it, especially those of a…

1 educator answer

• TO THE LADIES

In Chudleigh’s poem To The Ladies, how do I mrk syllables and seperate the feet with lines in…

When you are trying to decifer meter, you need to read the poem out loud and listen for where you naturally place emphasis on a word or syllable of a word. This poem is written with an iambic…

1 educator answer

• FRANKENSTEIN

Who is Robert Walton and what is his role at the start of Frankenstein?

Walton functions as a frame story narrator whose letters to his sister begin the epistolary portion of the novel. Mary Shelley had to have someone discover Victor out on the ice. So, she created…

1 educator answer

• EVELINE

In “Eveline,” what is the overwhelming characteristic of Eveline’s youthful memories?”Eveline”…

It might be said that the overwhelming characteristic, or tone, of Eveline’s youthful memories in james Joyce’s short story “Eveline” is mournfulness. There are bright spots, such as when as…

1 educator answer

• A LESSON BEFORE DYING

What does Grant want to do for Vivian and her kids?

In Ernest Gains’ ” A Lesson Before Dying,” Grant is in love with Vivian. She, however, is still married to another man. Vivian is in the process of getting a divorce, in order for she and Grant…

1 educator answer

• MATH

What is the equation of a line that passes through the point (3,-4) and has a slope of 2?

The equation for a line is y = m*x + b, where a point is represented by (x,y), m is the slope, and b is the y intercept (i.e. when x = 0, y = b). So plug in the information from your question, and…

2 educator answers

• THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC

Please explain the following characters from Devil’s Arithmetic – Yitchak, Chaya, Shmuel, Rivka,…

Yitchak is a butcher by trade, a neighbor of Shmuel and Gitl. He is a widower with two small children, and he would like to marry Gitl. During their time in the concentration camps, his children…

1 educator answer

• GAMES AT TWILIGHT

Discuss the theme of childhood as presented in “Games at Twilight” by Anita Desai.

In “Games at Twilight” Anita Desai has the ability to portray childhood in all of its excitement and exhilaration, innocence, vulnerability, and even heartached. The theme of childhood is one that…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

What are the moral and ethical dilemmas regarding Genetic Modification?

This will be a topic with much in the way of divergence of thought. One such challenge with genetic modification is the idea that the power to “play God” and assume a higher authority role is a…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

What is the ion in sulphuric acid which causes it to be acidic?

The answer to one of your questions is all we are permitted each day. Sulphuric acid is a very strong acid. This acid is a clear, colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is very corrosive. It…

2 educator answers

• WHIRLIGIG

How does Brent struggle to forgive himself for the accident in Whirligig?

After Brent kills Lea in the accident, he has this overwhelming guilt and need to know more about her. He shuts down physically and mentally, and refuses to go back to school and cannot function in…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 21.0 km/h in 5.6 s. Find the distance the car…

The motion of the car has a constant acceleration. In this case we will use the expression of the acceleration and the expression of distance for the uniformly varied movement. The acceleration is…

1 educator answer

• THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

Sites to find literary criticism on: A Son of the Circus, The World According to Garp, The Cider…

I am pleased to see someone interested in John Irving since he is one of my favorite contemporary authors. But sometimes it is difficult to find a great deal of literary criticism on contemporary…

2 educator answers

• AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE

What happens at the end of the story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”?

The entire story leads up to the tragic end where Farquhar dies. The story wanders rather slowly through different events in his life. Thus, the story is ultimately a flashback, because Farquhar…

2 educator answers

• HENRY VAUGHAN

Please analyze “The Retreat” by Henry Vaughan

Henry Vaughan, a metaphysical poet, celebrates a conservative, “pre-fall” Christian attitude in “The Retreate.” With most metaphysicals, Vaughan uses an elaborate conceit (a personified soul) that…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

What does Macbeth mean when he says, “I am in blood stepp’d so far, that should I wade no more,…

Macbeth has already killed Duncan, God’s holy vessel, and his best friend, Banquo. He tells his wife, after the banquet scene in which Banquo’s revenge ghost appears, that “blood will have blood.”…

1 educator answer

• BUSINESS

Explain to what extent the four management functions are related and similar.

The four management functions are as follows: 1) Planning, 2) Organizing, 3) Leading, and 4) Controlling. 1) Planning—Planning includes the steps necessary to be taken to formulate and create a…

3 educator answers

• ESSAY LAB

How can my essay be improved?Sample from my essay on homeschooling: The home becomes the entire…

I think that there are some significantly interesting points raised in your essay. If I could add one more element, it would be that instruction can be differentiated to the specific learning…

2 educator answers

• THE FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY

Erin Gruwell successfully engages a difficult group of at-risk students. Which of her teaching…

The teaching stragegy that I found most effective was her finding the bridge between education in the classroom and the realworld, connecting learning to life experiences. She didn’t teach in a…

2 educator answers

• THE STORY OF AN HOUR

Explain the theme of identity and self-wood based on the three stories “The Story of an Hour,”…

All three of these stories have women who, up to the point of the story being told, had most of their self-worth and image based on other people. It is being a wife that defines most of their…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Which two boys almost fight in chapter three or Lord of the Flies and why?

Ralph and Jack almost come to physical blows in their argument, which is about rescue and meat on the surface, but about civilization and savagery underneath. Ralph is upset because the other…

1 educator answer

• REFERENCE

What techniques have you developed to deal with “flakey” or hard to use software or hardware?

Speaking from the perspective of a Mac User, I think that being able to utilize the “Force Quit” option has helped out a great deal in addressing “flaky” software or programs. I learned early on…