How might “The Open Window” be different if Framton were the narrator?
- JULIUS CAESAR
In Act IV Scene iii, what does Brutus mean by saying – “And sell the mighty space of our large…
Brutus is accusing Cassius of having accepted bribes under his office. We’re not sure whether or not Cassius actually has done it, but that’s certainly what Brutus seems to think: and, as usual,…
1 educator answer
- THE OPEN WINDOW
How might “The Open Window” be different if Framton were the narrator?
In “The Open Window” young Vera controls the story, and as such spins a tall tale, a ghostly tale, that she conveys very convincingly to the susceptible Framton Nuttel. He is easily convinced that…
1 educator answer
- THE TEMPEST
In “The Tempest,” what are Prospero’s strengths and weaknesses?
One of Prospero’s major strengths is that he can do magic. We don’t know precisely why—not all humans do magic, obviously, even those on a magical island—and he seems to be able to do so…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
How do Brutus, Cassius, and Caesar resemble people in power today?
The brilliance and enduring quality of Shakespeare is that the tales he tells through his plays transcend his own time — the themes are still applicable to our own, 400 odd years later. Although…
1 educator answer
- OF MICE AND MEN
How does the socio-economic reality of the late 1920’s manifest itself in Of Mice and Men?
California in the 1930s was not representative of the entire United States. California only had a population of around two-and-a-half million at that time, compared to over 35,000,000 million now….
1 educator answer
- GOOD COUNTRY PEOPLE
How does O’Connor view Southern women in “Good Country People”?
It would appear as if she sees them as very true to their faith, simplistic, and narrow-minded. This is especially true of Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman. However, Joy, or Hulga, as she prefers,…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
Did the producer need a large budget for costumes and special effects for “The Crucible” to be…
No, the producer did not need a large budget for either costumes or special effects for “The Crucible.” There are two reasons for this, one historical and one literary. The historical reason is…
1 educator answer
- BUSINESS
Ecommerce1.Discuss why internet marketing is changing the lives of people and organizations. 2….
For one thing, the internet allows for a greater audience to be reached (depending on successful search engine results) on a 24-7-365 basis. You have lower overhead, less cost for manpower, and…
2 educator answers
- HISTORY
Define and explain ‘social reform’.
Individuals that involve themselves in social reform seek to raise the quality of life for others. Throughout America’s history there have been many social reform movements,…
1 educator answer
- GREASY LAKE
What is the significance of “Greasy Lake”?
On its surface, “Greasy Lake” is a story concerned with one night in the lives of three teenage buddies out of school for the summer, cruising around their small town, feeling pretty dangerous and…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
When Gatsby realtes his version of his past to Nick, does Nick find it believable?its in chapter…
Nick does not believe Gatsby when Gatsby relates his version of his personal history to Nick in chapter 4. First, Gatsby starts out with the words, “I’ll tell you God’s truth,” which immediately…
1 educator answer
- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
In “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” why doesn’t Jim just escape after Huck and Tom dig the…
I have asked myself that very question, many times. He’s a grown man letting these two kids mess around with him, keeping him in a miserable shanty and torturing him with various-and…
1 educator answer
- THE GLASS MENAGERIE
What does the moon represent in “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams?
The moon for Amanda represents reminiscence and nostalgia about her youth; she also sees in it the possibility of romance and love for her daughter Laura. For Laura, it represents the inaccessible…
2 educator answers
- A WHITE HERON
Why is Sylvia initially frightened by young ornithologists?
It is late in the afternoon and Silvia is bringing a cow back to her grandmother’s. She has never been out this late and begins to think of a boy back home who she was afraid of. “. . .the…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
Does Macbeth just deceive Duncan by acting like an innocent flower while being the serpent under…
You’re not missing anything, you’ve just not read far enough into things. Of course, the MacBeths deceive King Duncan by inviting him to their castle and planning regicide.They pretend to be nice…
1 educator answer
- LITERATURE
What is the meaning of this proverb? Boast during the day; be humble at night.
The Book of Common and Uncommon Proverbs by Clifford Sawheny translates this proverb as meaning (and this is my paraphrase from this book), If we are on home turf (territory where one feels…
1 educator answer
- THE ALCHEMIST
Comment on The Alchemist as a comedy.
There are many aspects which make this play a comedy – the theme of “gulling” or deceiving was very popular in Johnson’s times and the audience is able to enjoy the “fleecing” of the central…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
How does Mary respond when Danforth asks her to explain the “crying out”?
In Act 3 of “The Crucible”, John Proctor brings Mary Warren to the court and judges to testify that the girls were in fact lying that that when she and the girls “cried out” that people…
2 educator answers
- THE CANTERBURY TALES
I need help withthe Pardoner from “The Canterbury Tales”. Does he have a physical defect? If so,…
Although it is not fact that the Pardoner has a physical defect, our Host certainly hints at it. The Host passes judgement in this line from “The Prologue”: “I judge he was a gelding, or a mare.”…
1 educator answer
- WALDO
What is the plot overview of the essay “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson? Just explain the main…
Emerson discusses the harmony and unity between man and nature throughout this essay. He believes that the world is divided into two parts: the self (the soul) and the outside world (which he…
1 educator answer
- JOHN STEINBECK
In Of Mice And Men Lennie & George, Candy, Crooks and Curleys wife all had the American dream…
Lennie and George have a dream about having their own place;’a little house and a couple of acres’. This would mean that they would be self-sufficient and beholden to no-one. Candy has a similar…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
Do you know anything on the history of euthanasia and what do you think about it? i’m doing an…
Euthanasia is the ending of life to prevent further suffering. “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel” Hippocrates 400 B.C. The Hippocratic Oath taken by…
2 educator answers
- ABORTION AND BIRTH CONTROL IN LITERATURE
How did abortion start and who was the first person to get an abortion?i’m doing an essay on…
Abortion is not a contemporary issue. It is impossible to discuss the first woman to undergo this procedure. Women as far back as the 5th century have undergone methods to terminate pregnancies….
2 educator answers
- LITERATURE
If you are the kind of reader that enjoys bone -chilling tales of things that go ‘bump’ in the night, gothic literature may be your cup of tea. Gothic Literaturedates back to the 18th and 19th…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What have you learnedI have recently been studying the history of the Papacy (for no particular…
I read your topic an hour ago, timbrady, and found it an intriguing question that I really had to think about. Thanks! The most important lesson I have learned from studying history is that…
7 educator answers
- HARLEM
What is the contrast and comparison of “Harlem” and “A Raisin in the Sun”?
You can break the poem down line by line and see how characters and events play out just like the poem. Examine each key verb in the poem for its connotations, and you will find powerful parallels…
2 educator answers
- ANIMAL FARM
Do you think Squealer is/was free?Do you think Squealer is/was free?
This is a gigantic question … is anybody free? What does that mean? How would we know? If you take the viewpoint of the determinists, authors such as Theodore Dreiser, none of us are free; we…
2 educator answers
- DEATH OF A SALESMAN
How is Death of a Salesman a modern tragedy that links to the post-World War II era and modern…
Willy Loman does not fit the classic profile of the tragic hero, but there are some tragic elements in his character. Willy was not a great, well respected man who held a high place in society, as…
1 educator answer
- ROBINSON CRUSOE
Is Robinson Crusoe a picaresque novel?
Very interesting question. The earliest novels were called picaresque in that they involved a roguish main character who travelled widely, survived by means of their wits alone, and preyed on those…
2 educator answers
- ROBINSON CRUSOE
Discuss the Crusoe-Friday relationship in the novel Robinson Crusoe.
Robinson Crusoe was uncomfortable in the presence of “savages” until his experience with Friday. After Crusoe rescues him, Friday becomes a competent and loyal servant to Crusoe.While he…
2 educator answers
- THE KITE RUNNER
What examples in Chapters 20-25 show the theme of loyalty and betrayal in the novel The Kite…
These final six chapters describe the action that takes place between Amir’s return to Kabul and his return to California with Sohrab. They primarily focus on Amir’s show of courage on such an…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, what “trick” does Atticus teach Scout about getting along with people?
Atticus taught her that you never really know a person until you “climb into their skin” and walk around in it. In other words, you’ve got to climb into their shoes and see things from their…
2 educator answers
- JOHN DONNE’S SONGS AND SONNETS
What were some meanings of the word “wit” in John Donne’s day, and how are those meanings…
The word “wit,” in John Donne’s day, had many more connotations than it tends to have today. Whereas we tend to think today of “wit” as mental or verbal cleverness, in the time of Donne…
1 educator answer
- AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE
At what point in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” does the reader get the first hint that the…
There are two hints in Part I of the story that Peyton’s mind is playing tricks on him seconds before he dies. Standing on the bridge, his hands tied and the rope around his neck, Peyton looks down…
2 educator answers
- 1984
O’Brien says to Winston, “You are the last man!” Is this your view of him?
When Winston say that he believe he is a man, O’Brien says if you are a man, you are the “last man.” He then orders Winston to undress and look into the mirrors. Winston sees a “skeletonlike…
2 educator answers
- DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Comment on the symbolic significance of seeds in Death of a Salesman.
If we think about seeds for one moment, they clearly represent growth and potential. Therefore, it is particularly relevant that Willy spends so much of his spare time working with seeds. Through…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
What is Eagleton’s view on the witches in Macbeth?Is it an agreeable view?
Eagleton has a surprising and novel “take” on the witches in Macbeth. He argues that “the positive value of Macbeth lies with the three witches” and the witches come out of the play as the…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
In Act 4 Scene 2, after Juliet agrees to marry Paris, what change does Capulet make in the…
It’s an unexpected twist in the play. Juliet thought she had a whole day (i.e. Wednesday) to get ready for the wedding (today is Tuesday, and the wedding is set for Thursday). But Capulet gives…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
Describe the Friar’s plan, explained in Act 4, Scene 1 of “Romeo and Juliet”, to reunite Romeo…
Well, it relies on a magic potion, probably of the Friar’s own making. Here’s what he says: Go home, be merry, give consentTo marry Paris. Wednesday is to-morrow. To-morrow night look that thou…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
In Act IV, Scene i of “Romeo and Juliet”, what reasons does Paris give Friar Lawrence for the…
Remember that Capulet has just – for no apparent reason – agreed to let Paris marry Juliet, and then set the date for the wedding on Thursday: he does this on Monday. This is Paris, with Friar…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
What does Act 3 reveal about the depth of Romeo and Juliet’s love? What are some examples?
Act III shows that the love these two have for one another has now become more intense than any other allegiance. To be specific, Juliet is more upset when she thinks Romeo has been killed than…
1 educator answer
- TWELFTH NIGHT
What points signify that Twelfth Night is a festive comedy?
“Twelfth Night”, the title of this play, refers to the feast of the Epiphany on 6th January, when the wise men were supposed to have given Jesus his gifts. The feast of “Twelfth Night” also had…
2 educator answers
- THE CANTERBURY TALES
Whould you like traveling with this group of people? Why or why not?Whould you like traveling…
Absolutely! What a fascinating experiment in human nature. I would love to be part of it except for the fear of what Chaucer would see and expose in my own human nature. None of us are perfect,…
2 educator answers
- THE MIRACLE WORKER
How do Annie and Helen feel about each other at the end of The Miracle Worker? How is this made…
How do the two main characters feel on the final page of one of the most emotional exchanges in a play ever? For the first time, love exists between them. Helen is desperately thankful, and Annie…
1 educator answer
- THE MIRACLE WORKER
In The Miracle Worker, what is the dramatic question (what decision must be made) in the first…
The dramatic question in this first scene with the whole family is to convince Captain Keller to write to Dr. Chisholm from Baltimore in regards to Helen. Actually, it is Aunt Ev who asks the…
1 educator answer
- ROMEO AND JULIET
Tybalt is a Capulet, Juliet’s cousin and Capulet’s nephew. So it’s a fair assumption that his friends will be the Capulet clan. But the text never actually says who’s with him! You might think…
1 educator answer
- TWILIGHT
Was that Yosemite National Park in the backdrop when the Cullens were playing their baseball game…
The wooded backdrop that you remember seeing in the movie was not Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is located in California and Twilight was filmed primarily in Portland, Oregon and areas of…
1 educator answer
- LITERATURE
Describe a summary of the poem “Joy and Pleasure” by William Henry Davies.
The poem “Joy and Pleasure” compares the difference between pleasure and joy, and can be summed up with the conclusion that joy is the better of the two, because it is more lasting, pure,…
2 educator answers
- HEART OF DARKNESS
What moment is Marlow referring to and what does he mean by complete knowledge?When Marlow asks…
Marlow here refers to the moment just before Kurtz’ death. At this moment, Marlow reports a “change that came over [Kurtz’] features” that he had “never seen before.” What exactly Kurtz saw at that…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How does the book To Kill a Mockingbird show hypocrisy?
It shows hypocrisy through some of its characters. 1. Bob Ewell. This man is the lowest scum of the earth, who beats his children, is a drunkard, is racist and ignorant, and yet he claims to be…