How do other characters see Dr. Jekyll?
- A&P
In “A&P,” by John Updike, what word would you use to describe Sammy at the beginning of the…
Although I would not attempt to convince you that the character of Sammy in John Updike’s short story “A&P” is so complex that only one word would not suffice, it is true that he cannot be…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
How do other characters see Dr. Jekyll?
Dr. Henry Jekyll is viewed, in general, as a respected doctor in the community. He is a known friend of Dr. Lanyon. He is a friend of a known lawyer, Mr. Utterson. Jekyll is viewed as a wealthy…
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- ARTS
What message lies behind Jean Leon Gerome Ferris’s painting called “The First Thanksgiving” dated…
Ferris’ “The First Thanksgiving” helps to illuminate the mythology and commemoration of the Thanksgiving Holiday. The Wampanog Native Americans of Squanto and Somerset are seated in the foreground…
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- YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN
What is the location for the story?
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s allegorical short story “Young Goodman Brown” is set in Salem, Massachusetts, the location of the famed witch trials of the late 17th century. Hawthorne himself was born in…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Explain the use of the allusion and the insight the reader gains from the author’s use of the…
In the United States, Prohibition, also known as The Noble Experiment, refers to the period from 1919 to 1933, during which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were…
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- HISTORY
What are the conditions that must be present in order for fads to arise in a regional sphere and…
In analyzing the historical value of fads and fashions, I would say that there are some specific conditions that have to be met. One should be that the fad has to be embraced on a large enough…
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- REFERENCE
I need help in English writing and maths.
When writing anything, one must first have an idea about what they want to write about. My fourth-graders are just now learning about the rudimentary steps to effective writing. Often they don’t…
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- BUD, NOT BUDDY
In Bud, not Buddy,what is the setting of the story?
Remember you are only allowed to ask one question, so I have edited your question to focus on the setting of this novel. Crucial to the action of the novel is the widespread poverty of the…
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- SOCIAL SCIENCES
What are some good films recommendations for a Sociology course?
I think that some of the best films for a Sociology course examine some aspect of the personal and collective biases held and how these represent conflict within both individuals and social group….
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- THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
How does the point of view of “The Cask of Amontillado” affect Montresor’s characteristics?Im…
Because the reader experiences the events of “The Cask of Amontillado” through third person point of view in which the narrator (Montresor) tells his tale to an unknown listener who obviously knows…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
Are there any suggestions that you can make to help improve my thesis statement about “The Great…
Wow. That’s a really interesting thesis to have come up with. I’d be curious to read your paper when it was finished! I think your thesis just needs to be “tightened up” a little bit. When it…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
Why does Finny refuse to lie about his height?
Knowles creates Finny as a separate and distinct personality in the novel, unlike Gene, Brinker, and Leper in several very significant ways. It’s not accidental that of the four boys, only Finny is…
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- BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH—
Can you state a theme for the poem “Because I Could Not Stop For Death…?”
Emily Dickinson’s well known poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” deals with an idealized vision of Death, who arrives by carriage and takes the narrator on a journey through the stages of…
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- THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
In Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (lines 582-90), what must the Mariner…
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the old seaman restrains a guest on the way to a wedding and relates his nautical tale of woe. On a voyage to the Antarctic, the…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
What was the event/device that sent Victor back to Geneva?
While Victor plans his return to Geneva for some time, he & Henry are forced to remain in Ingolstadt during the harsh winter. However, a letter arrives from Alphonse (Victor’s father)…
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- THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” what are the terms of the game?
The terms of “The Most Dangerous Game” are simple…you get a three hour head start to do with as you please. You also get a decent knife and some chow. If you evade being “hunted” for three days…
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- THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” where does Old Brouwer go one night?
According to Sleepy Hollow lore, Old Brouwer–who unwisely does not believe in ghosts–meets the Headless Horseman as he is returning from Sleepy Hollow one night. Together, they travel through…
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- THE PEARL
Describe the setting of John Steinbeck’s The Pearl.
The Pearl is set in La Paz, Mexico, a poor coastal town with racial problems which evolved from colonial domination. This setting provides the background for the conflicts that ensue from Kino’s…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
In “The Crucible” what makes Judge Danforth so unwilling to consider the girls could be pretending?
By the time that Mary Warren, in act three, comes forth with her testimony that the girls have been faking, there are numerous people in the jails, being condemned as witches, based on the…
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- DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Why do Linda’s stockings make Willy nervous?
In the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman, the aging Willy Loman had previously been engaged in an affair with The Woman, to whom he had given a pair of silk stockings. His teenage son Biff…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
Using chapters 8 and 9 of “The Great Gatsby,” describe the young James Gatz.
Not only does Jay Gatsby create his personage as an Oxford man of great wealth, but he recreates his childhood by not acknowledging his parents, poor farmers, as his own. In fact, he changes his…
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- FAHRENHEIT 451
In “Fahrenheit 451”, what does Mildred do to pass the time?
Mildred, in Fahrenheit 451, is really the shell of a woman. She is frail, sickly, and almost devoid of personality and vitality. Unfortunately, in the story, she is essentially beyond redemption….
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- ANIMAL FARM
What role do pigs take in the book “Animal Farm?” Why are they so important?
In the book “Animal Farm,” the pigs take a very important role: they essentially run the farm. The rationale for this is that the pigs are nominally smarter than the other animals, or at least…
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- BEOWULF
In the epic, Beowulf: Does the kenning “lone-goer” refer to Beowulf himself?
One of the marks of an epic hero is his leadership and humility. Beowulf traveled with his best men, and was quick to share praise with them. Beowulf, for all his pride, always kept his company…
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- THE RAVEN
In “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe, is the raven really talking to the narrator or is the…
Like any bird that “talks” or “speaks,” the raven is merely mimicking a word or sound that it has heard before. It does not carry on a conversation–“nevermore” is the only word it ever utters (at…
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- SPANISH LANGUAGE
How do you translate the following into Spanish?: “She likes to play the piano, guitar, drums,…
Well, since no-one else has ventured a guess, I think I’ll throw my hat in the ring!: ¡Ella tiene gusto de jugar el piano, la guitarra, los tambores, y los amores para cantar! That’s the best I’ve…
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- LITERATURE
What’s the theme of this poem?Can someone tell me the theme of this poem? Is it emotional…
I love analyzing poems so I will take a crack at it! I had to make a guess about where all the stanzas end, and I prefer to know the name of the poet before starting, but what the heck! To you…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
In “Of Mice and Men,” what are some quotes that detail George’s speaking for Lennie?I need a…
George spends most of the play either speaking for Lennie or defending him to others. An obvious example is the repeated dream of living in a house together and raising rabbits (Act I, Scene 1)….
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- HISTORY
What role did Jefferson Davis play in the Civil War in relation to Alabama history?
Jefferson Davis had a number of connections to Alabama, even though his home and plantation were in Mississippi, the state he represented in the US Senate. Montgomery was the first capital of the…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
What season of the year is it in Chapter 8 and 9? Explain how the passing of the season is a…
During chapters 8 and 9 we are getting toward the end of summer. Remember, the whole story takes place during the time in the summer during which Nick has rented the house. We know it is late…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Jem explains to Scout that Indian Head pennies are “real strong magic.” Is it a religious/moral…
In reference to Jem’s statement about the magical quality of the Indian Head penny in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, I believe that this was meant as nothing more than a childhood legend…
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- THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
To whom does Janie tells the story? What does that person learn from Janie’s experience?
In “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Janie is ostensibly telling the story to her best friend, Pheoby Watson. The two have not seen each other in quite some time, and Janie not only tells Pheoby the…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Explain the use of the allusions and the insight the reader gains from the author’s use of the…
An allusion is a brief reference to a specific person, place, thing, event or idea in a story, meant to imply a shared experience between the writer and reader. The result of a successful allusion…
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- HISTORY
List the reasons why Africans enslaved each other.
First, consider the fact that Africa is, even today, tribal in nature, and that many of these tribes were enemies or at least rivals. African slavery, though markedly less brutal than its European…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
What is unusual about Giles Corey from Act One of “The Crucible”?
Giles Corey is a very unique character, and we are introduced to him first in act one. He is good friends with John Proctor, and they leave together at the end of the act. You will learn more…
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- SPEAK
How does Melinda compare herself to Alice in Wonderland in the novel Speak?
There is a definite allusion (direct or indirect reference to another piece of literature) to Alice in Wonderland at the very beginning of “Fourth Marking Period” in Speak. Melinda feels pushed out…
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- THE SCARLET LETTER
What does Hawthorne say about evil in The Scarlet Letter, and how does he reflect the Christian…
Hawthorne belonged to a group of writers called the Dark Romantics. Essentially, this group–which includes Melville and Poe–believe that mankind in basically evil, and that more often than not,…
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- GREAT EXPECTATIONS
In “Great Expectations” how are Pip and Mrs. Pocket alike?
Both of these characters share the unfortunate trait of having expectations above their station in life. Mrs. Pocket was bred to be a gentlelady, a woman who married a rich man and thus was only…
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- LITERATURE
How is reading poems silently different from reading them aloud?Buffalo Bill’s and next to of…
Most poems are probably better served and understood when read aloud. For example, meter can often be better distinguished when audibly sounded (example: Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”); the same…
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- HISTORY
What were the major points or characteristic of the positions between the Federalist and…
The emergence of political parties was a critical element that arises in the administrations which follow Washington’s. In his farewell address, Washington warned against the factionalization…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
In “The Crucible” why does Parris try to stop Mary Warren’s testimony in court?Act III.
Mary Warren is about to reveal information about Betty and Abigail that might shed a negative light on him and his role as a minister of God in the town. Mary is going to tell the judges that they…
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- OTHELLO
How does Shakespeare use language and dramatic effect in the opening scene of Othello?Focus…
The play begins with Iago and Roderick’s conversation in Venice. Roderick listens intently as Iago rambles on about how he was overlooked for the position that Cassio has taken. Because of this…
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- YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN
Did Goodman Brown dream most of what happened in the woods in “Young Goodman Brown”?
This is a much-asked question concerning this short story, as Hawthorne deliberately leaves it unspecified as to whether Goodman Brown dreams what he sees as he takes his walk into the woods, or…
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- THE GUEST
What aspect of the situation was Camus principally interested in? What are some examples of irony…
Camus is interested in the existential choices of his principal characters. “Guest,” translated from French to English, can mean “guest” or “host.” In this way, each character is both a “guest”…
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- SOCIAL SCIENCES
What do you believe is a major world issue today?Give supporting information, who are their sources?
I would suggest that the international response to the rise of extremism is a potent issue that impacts many different nations in many different manners. Certainly, the events of September 11,…
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- 1984
I wonder how Room 101 could change Winston, to the extent he accepted 2+2=5?
Being confined to Room 101 forces Winston to confront his own isolation and helplessness. He begin to unravel mentally from the stress. He comes to realize that, being alone and helpless, he will…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
What are the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the Ancient Mariner? “Like one who, on…
Both were obsessed with their quests, Victor with creating life and the Ancient Mariner with his voyage. They become so blinded by their goals that they risk their own safety and others’. The quote…
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- THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Why was Katherina’s father putting off Bianca’s marriage in spite of excellent offers in The…
Good question, and I think there’s a good answer. Two things keep Baptista from marrying off Bianca despite the many excellent offers you mention. First, it would have defied the tradition of the…
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- THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
Why does Zaroff give Rainsford so much advice if he wants to hunt and kill him?
In Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” the Russian host Zaroff wines and dines Rainsford before their frank discussion on the art of the hunt. Before resettling on Ship-Trap…
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- AN EPISODE OF WAR
What is a summary of “An Episode of War” by Stephen Crane?
The short story “An Episode of War,” by Stephen Crane, describes an incident common to soldiers on both sides in the American Civil War: the wounding of a comrade. During a lull in the fighting, a…