How is Frankenstein a gothic novel?
- FRANKENSTEIN
How is Frankenstein a gothic novel?
This is obviously a big topic, but here are a few pointers to get you started. 1. One characteristic of gothic novels is that they have multiple levels of narration. They do this by using a framing…
1 educator answer
- LAW AND POLITICS
A request for a speedy trial has been submitted 4 times with no response. How long can they keep…
This is an unfortunate situation but quite common. “Speedy” means different things to different people. The Bill of Rights gives us the guarantee of a “speedy trial”, but does not set a time frame….
1 educator answer
- THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
How do ducks represents isolation for Holden apart from his thinking about them while talking to…
Twice Holden makes inquiries about where the ducks in Central Park’s lagoon go in the winter (Chapter 9 and Chapter 12). Both times Holden asks cab drivers where they think the ducks go in the…
2 educator answers
- THE CLOUD
With refrence to Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Cloud” state examples of its lyrical quality.
Shelley gives his poem “Cloud” a lyrical quality mainly through the use of rhyming patterns that make it read like a ballad, or a song that is told almost as a story. Throughout most of his poem,…
1 educator answer
- THE OUTSIDERS
In Chapter 2 of The Outsiders, why does Dally look sick now?I can’t find the answer anywhere!
Dally looks sick because he has just seen that Johnny, the one person he cares about in the whole world, has taken a horrible beating. When Johnny is beaten by a gang of Socs, the Greasers find him…
2 educator answers
- JULIUS CAESAR
How are storms and sleep used in a symbolic way in this play and what is their significance?
The brooding storm referred to in Act I Scene 2 and Act II Scene 2 act as a symbol of the brooding unrest in the Republic and also hint at the catastrophe to come. Sleep, and in particular dreams,…
1 educator answer
- THE TELL-TALE HEART
In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” what is your explanation for the “heartbeat” noise that drives the…
I love the idea that one of the previous posts suggested referring to the “death watch beetles” that may have been mating in the walls of the house, thus making the ticking sound. (The poster was…
1 educator answer
- THE CLOUD
Desrcibe how P.B. Shelly describes the following using his skill of sensous description of…
The main thing that Shelley does to make his poems more sensuous is use personification. This is where you take an inanimate object-like a rainbow or the moon-and give it human-like traits. That…
1 educator answer
- OF MICE AND MEN
Why did Steinbeck decided to name his book “Of Mice and Men”?
The title of John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” comes from a Robert Burns poem entitled “To A Mouse”. The poem’s speaker is talking to a mouse, basically explaining to him why he…
1 educator answer
- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Describe Shakespeare’s childhood.How many sibling did he have? What did he do in his spare time?
Shakespeare would have lived a rather charmed childhood. He was the son of a wealthy merchant; most believe that his father was a leatherworker who was involved in town leadership. Because…
2 educator answers
- THE OPEN WINDOW
In “The Open Window”, why do you think Mr. Nuttel reacts so intensely to the appearance of the…
Mr. Nuttel is in the country for rest due to his nervous condition. He is a very sensitive man who is easily agitated. Vera, Mrs. Sappleton’s niece, has told him a very convincing story that is…
2 educator answers
- AFTER APPLE-PICKING
Give any 3 examples to suggest that apple picking is not yet over in Frost’s poem.
The poem “After Apple Picking” by Robet Frost contains many hints that the apple harvest is not yet completed. Here are three to get you started… The first lines state: My long two-pointed…
1 educator answer
- CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
What major themes of the novel are developed by Sibeko’s reluctance to approach Kumalo directly?
The fact that Sibeko felt he could not approach Stephen Kumalo directly highlights the theme of segregation within the novel. Even though Sibeko was a native as well, he did not belong to Stephen…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What were the typical methods of progressive reformers? (US history: era of progressive reform…
The progressive movement was born out of the emerging middle class in America. Reform by definition is to make something better. In this case rais the quality of life for many Americans. The…
1 educator answer
- CANDIDE
Is it possible for Candide to find happiness with only his friends in the end or would anyone…
While to Voltaire the main purpose was of course to communicate the importance of doing work and being productive rather than speaking vain philosophies and doing nothing, and this purpose could…
2 educator answers
- ROMEO AND JULIET
In “Romeo and Juliet”, why does Romeo think that banishment is worse than death?
Romeo has just gotten married to the woman/girl that he thinks that he is completely and totally in love with. Immediately following this he is in a street brawl with Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt,…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
List and explain the different types of conflicts encountered by each character in “The Crucible”.
In “The Crucible,” there are both internal and external conflicts experienced by the protagonist, John Proctor, the antoganist, Abigail Williams and many of the supporting characters. John Proctor,…
1 educator answer
- LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI
In “La Belle Dame sans Merci”, what is the significance of the knight’s dream regarding the…
In Keats’s poem, the dream may have multiple meanings, especially in terms of the knight’s fate. First, there are class implications. The other men he dreams of share similar elevated positions in…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
Can you give me a character analysis of Mark Antony in Julius Caesar?
Interestingly, the character of Mark Antony is a minor one at the beginning of Julius Caesar, but he rises in prominence, especially in Act III. Other characters regard him as a bit of a “lad” or a…
2 educator answers
- TEACHERS
Appropriate AssignmentsI just got done responding to a high school student who was apparently…
Beyond unreasonable I would say. I got bored stupid with it and I was an interested party. Seems to me that a lot of teachers these days don’t seem overly interested in making education interesting…
10 educator answers
- THE OUTSIDERS
Any suggestions to write a eulogy for Johnny in Ponyboy’s voice?Any suggestions to write a eulogy…
Ponyboy would not write something typically expected in a eulogy, so he would probably not talk about their friendship. He might focus on what a gallant person Jonny was. Possibly he might discuss…
1 educator answer
- CANDIDE
Can a person have faith without suffering or endure suffering without faith? Voltaire is…
Definitely. For most people, suffering serves as a trial for our faith, and reveals whether or not we have faith in something that is able to sustain us. I think Voltaire is showing that faith in…
2 educator answers
- REFERENCE
What is your philosophy of education? Discuss your views, goals, and mindset of education and its…
This is a big question, and one that many college students would have a hard time with. Maybe the word “philosophy” is scaring you a bit, too. Let’s think how to attack this question. What if you…
7 educator answers
- THE CRUCIBLE
In the beginning of Act II, how does the playwright show the audience the strain in the…
From the very beginning scene, it is apparent that both John and Elizabeth are uncomfortable. She appears cold and untrusting. He leans in to kiss her, but she simply receives it and doesn’t kiss…
2 educator answers
- BEOWULF
Describe Grendel physically using quotes from Beowulf.
Grendel, as described in Beowulf, is horrible indeed. A clawed monster of great strength and cunning, he can move quickly and quietly in the night, as he did when he invaded Herot to carry off…
3 educator answers
- HAMLET
Does Shakespeare attempt to use the Gravedigger as a means of carrying on a character of antic…
Shakespeare’s tragedies tend to include comic relief in them at some point and to some degree. These instances of comic relief often occur right before a major plot twist or development. In…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What is the relation between Marxism and New Historicism?
New Historicism is a theory that argues that any text must be studied from the context of the author and the text itself – the historical forces that influenced the work must be analysed. New…
2 educator answers
- AFTER APPLE-PICKING
What are the various activities of the apple picker?
In the beginning he is just finishing up his apple picking. He says that he may have left a few in the tree, and the barrel isn’t quite full, but he is finished. And there’s a barrel that I…
1 educator answer
- WAITING FOR GODOT
What are the themes of Waiting for Godot?
This play is full of so many possible themes – you could have a complete field day in answering this question as an essay. But one overarching question seems to link all of these possible themes…
1 educator answer
- A MODEST PROPOSAL
Which other 5 ideas does he suggest, other than eating children as a solution and why?
Towards the end of his essay, after he has made his “modest proposal” and done his best to support his claim by a variety of rhetorical techniques, he then presents his “real” ideas for…
1 educator answer
- A MODEST PROPOSAL
What is Swift suggesting in “A Modest Proposal”?
Jonathan Swift’s suggestion in “A Modest Proposal,” is presented as a real solution to a problem that is occurring in Ireland. There is an imbalance of trade between England and Ireland, and the…
1 educator answer
- A MODEST PROPOSAL
In “A Modest Proposal”, who is Swift directing his proposal too?
The proposal is directed at both the Irish, who appear to have more children than they can properly care for, with regard to feeding them and clothing them. And he is also directing his suggestion…
1 educator answer
- A MODEST PROPOSAL
What was the problem in Ireland at the time?Context for Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal.”
The ‘scarce years’ during Swift’s lifetime do not refer to the Great Potato Famine in Ireland per se – that had happened about a century beforehand. More specifically, Swift points a finger at…
1 educator answer
- THE OUTSIDERS
In The Outsiders, who are the Socs and what are their values?
The Socs occupy the highest rung in the teenage society of the novel. They are the cool, popular rich kids who wear good clothes, drive nice cars, make good grades, and receive preferential…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
Compare and contrast the character of Romeo in one of the original film versions of Romeo and…
Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s fateful character Romeo is most often compared to Franco Zeffirelli’s film version of Romeo and Juliet from 1968 in which the character of Romeo was…
1 educator answer
- FRANKENSTEIN
Who is accused of committing the murder and why?
Justine Moritz who had been adopted by the Frankenstein family after being abandoned by her mother, was accused of killing William, Victor’s younger brother. A locket that William had was found in…
2 educator answers
- LES MISÉRABLES
What do you think Eponine and Cosette sacrificed for Marius that showed each girl loved him?
Wow — that’s a lot of detail. Let me start back at the original question: What Eponine has sacrificed for Marius. In essence, Eponine puts aside her own feelings so that Marius may pursue the…
3 educator answers
- LAW AND POLITICS
What are the claims that I will be entitled if my employer will terminate me from my work?What…
Hello, The answer to this question depends on what state you live in. Generally, if you are terminated through no fault of your own, you are probably eligible for unemployment compensation. If…
1 educator answer
- SOCIAL SCIENCES
Feudalism is a term applied to the type of social and governmental structure associated with the Medeival period. People were divided into three broad ranges of class: 1) the nobility; 2) the…
1 educator answer
- THE LADY OR THE TIGER?
What is the king’s method of accusation?
I assume what you’re asking is what is the king’s method of punishing criminals in “The Lady, or the Tiger?” This semi-barbaric king has established an arena, open to the public, which is the seat…
1 educator answer
- MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Benedick tells Don Pedro to get himself a wife. What kind of wife would he require? Would he…
BEATRICE: Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes every one to the world but I, and I am sunburnt. I may sit in a corner and cry ‘Heigh-ho for a husband!’ DON PEDRO: Lady Beatrice, I will get you…
1 educator answer
- A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO
What happened once everyone was settled in the living room with Shotgun’s body in the story A…
Traditionally, People “sat up with a corpse through the final night before burial”. Grandma is a formidable figure, however, and since Shotgun’s body is on display in her living room, most of the…
1 educator answer
- THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
What does Wilde satirize in The Importance of Being Earnest?
The most obvious satire is about love and relationships. Wilde uses the characters of Gwendolen and Cecily who only fall in love with men because of their names (Ernest). Cecily has even created…
3 educator answers
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In The Great Gatsby, please compare and contrast Tom and Jordan, explaining how she acts as his…
As Tom’s literary foil, Jordan shares some significant personal characteristics with him. Like Tom, Jordan is independently wealthy, arrogant, cynical, strong willed, dishonest, self-centered,…
1 educator answer
- THE LOTTERY
Please explain the symbolism of the following in “The Lottery”: black box, black spot on paper,…
The short story, The Lottery is a combination of ordinary, simple life events, like washing the dishes, and the annual horrific ritual killing of a member of the community that appears to be…
1 educator answer
- A ROSE FOR EMILY
A Rose For Emily SymbolismHow does Faulkner indicate that Emily is bizarre and crazy through the…
In “A Rose for Emily”, Emily’s bizzare behavior can be attributed to her inabilty to let go of the past (including letting go of the dead.) Ms. Emily is also bizarre because she uses death to keep…
5 educator answers
- FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER
After Claudia and Jamie read the letter from the museum, what did Claudia do in From the Mixed-Up…
After Claudia and Jamie read the letter from the museum, Claudia is so disappointed that all she can do is cry. The letter from the museum is very polite. In it, the museum acknowledges that they…
1 educator answer
- MISS BRILL
What common work (written by a different author) can I compare “Miss Brill” by Katherine…
This is a very interesting question. Whenever I think of Katherine Mansfield I often associate what she is able to achieve by giving us an insight into the psyche of women with the work of Kate…
1 educator answer
- THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE
Give three examples in Chapters 7 and 8 that show Beetle is smarter than the Midwife thinks in…
The Midwife sees Beetle as free labor, someone of whom she can take advantage to take care of the more odious and mundane aspects of her livelihood. She has no idea of how intelligent and…
1 educator answer
- CREATIVE WRITING
special ocassionweddings and funeral and many more special ocassion play a big role in literature…
Of course they do. Anything that is regularly part of life that people deal with daily will show up in literature. It is how people deal with pain, loss, grief, greed, family relationships, joy,…