In “Les Miserables,” why does Marius leave home?
- SCIENCE
It is difficult to know what you are looking for with so little information. IED can stand for Interactive Essential Dynamics, which is a way of analyzing molecules. The most common current use of…
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- LES MISÉRABLES
In “Les Miserables,” why does Marius leave home?
In Victor Hugo’s classic, “Les Miserables,” he writes in Volume II, 6, One day there was brought to his [M. Gillennormand’s] house in a basket, something like an oyster bastket, a big boy,…
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- THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
When the narrator meets Usher in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” what startles him about his…
First of all, the ominous setting of decay in the surroundings of the Usher mansion itself, unnerves the narrator as he approaches the home of the friend from his youth. Then, as the narrator…
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- LORD OF THE FLIES
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, how has Jack’s appearance changed by the last chapter?
By the end of the novel, Jack has adopted a mask to hide behind. He paints his face and has become one with the “kill or be killed environment” in which he lives. He reminds one of remote tribes…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
How does Romeo take Tybalt being mad at him?
Very well, actually. But Romeo is the only person on stage who knows that Romeo and Juliet are now married – and Romeo is very aware that their marriage has been undertaken by Friar Laurence with…
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- A SUMMER TRAGEDY
How does marginalization play into”A Summer Tragedy” by Arna Bontemps?
The idea of marginalization can be seen in a couple of ways in Bontemps’ story. On one hand, there is a social marginalization of the Pattons that has happened. Being of color, relatively poor,…
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- FAHRENHEIT 451
What is an example of social commentary in Fahrenheit 451?
The censorship aspect of Fahrenheit 451 is only one facet of Ray Bradbury’s intent for the book. His initial idea was to satirize the expansion of television as a news and entertainment source in…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
What are some similarites and differences between Crooks and Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men?
Crooks and Curley’s wife occupy very different social stations in the novel. Crooks is the African-American stable hand who lives on the lowest social rung at the ranch. He has the least power and…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
In the book, Of Mice and Men, 1)in what ways is George protective of Lennie? 2) How does George…
Whenever Lennie unknowingly does something that ends up hurting another person or living thing, George covers for him and moves him out of the line of fire. George also stands up for Lennie when…
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- THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL
What are 10 main events in pages 40-57 of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl?
The answer really depends on which version of the book you are reading. This is from the hardback version copyrighted in 2001. The September 27, 1942 entry deals with Anne’s constant arguments with…
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- LAW AND POLITICS
What New York City commission was created in 1970?
This is taken from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website: On April 22, 1970-the first Earth Day-legislation was signed creating the New York State Department of…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
What are some examples showing that Victor allowed passion to overule his responsibilities?
The first example of Victor’s passion leaping over his sense of responsibility is the fact that he created the monster in the first place. His passion for science and he desire to pursue the…
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- THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Watson says that when Holmes laughed, “it has always boded ill to somebody.” What does this…
This statement occurs in Chapter 13, when Holmes is convinced that he has the villain Stapleton. “Exactly. This chance of the picture has supplied us with one of our most obvious missing links….
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Who is Burris Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird?
Burris Ewell makes his appearance in Chapter 3, when a louse crawls off his head and horrifies Miss Caroline, his teacher. Scout observes that “he was the filthiest human being I had ever seen…
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- THE AWAKENING
How do Mlle. Reisz and Mme. Ratignolle function in relation to Edna and the novel’s view of…
Mme. Ratignolle shows the society’s view of women as mothers. Her advice to Edna is to “remember the children.” Ratignolle is loving and nurturing, but devoid of independence or personality. Mlle….
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- A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
What social statements does A Clockwork Orange make and how does it relate to violence?
A Clockwork Orange challenges the ideas of free will and power in society. On the one hand, Alex and his friends choose freely to exert their will upon others. They are incredibly violent towards…
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- LITERATURE
What makes up a modern/contemporary style of writing?how do Hemmingway, sherwood anderson,…
All the authors write under the paradigm of Modernism, a movement that encompasses all the arts and whose undercurrents were felt at the turn of the twentieth century. What the modernist movement…
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- GREAT EXPECTATIONS
What coincidences occur in the third stage of Great Expectations?
The novels of Dickens are full of coincidences, and one of the great abilities of Dickens is his ability to make us as readers believe in them and not to think that he has stretched the realms of…
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- MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
In Much Ado About Nothing, what are Benedick’s physical obstacles in Act I Scene 1?
In Act I, Scene 1 of Much Ado About Nothing, the scene is set in front of Leonato’s house and a messenger is telling Leonato, Beatrice and Hero that guests are coming. Soon the guests, Don Pedro,…
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- FIFTH BUSINESS
Why was Dunstan Ramsey’s life more valuable than Percys?What I am wondering really is what are…
That’s an interesting question, bringing up the idea of what “valuable” means. Certainly to the reader Dunstan (formerly Dunstable) Ramsay’s life seems more valuable simply because he is more…
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- ESSAY LAB
I need help writing a persuasive paragraphthat tries to convince a student audience of the value…
First of all, you may wish to read from the how-to topics at enotes about how to write a persuasive essay (listed as an argumentative essay). On this page is a list of the things to do, one of…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
In A Separate Peace, what does Gene discover about Finny’s new lifestyle after he returns to…
After Finny’s leg has recovered enough for him to return to Devon School, he appears to be different in several ways. First, he seems to be solidly against the war. Before his injury, he…
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- THE SCARLET LETTER
Why did Hawthorne chose Puritan New England as the setting for The Scarlet Letter? Does that…
Puritanism is characterized by the advocation of purity, piety, and conservativism. The Puritans held strong religious beliefs, especially in regards to sexuality, which amplifies the depth of the…
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- BRAVE NEW WORLD
Do you think Huxley’s prediction about artificially producing human-beings will ever become a…
I’m not sure if we’ll get to the point where we artificially create various classes of humans through a conveyor belt system or through genetic manipulation. We can artificially inseminate and…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How do Scout and Jem’s way they think of their father change from the beginning of Chapter 10 to…
Well, look at the very first sentence of the chapter to ascertain some of their feelings regarding Atticus before the gun incident. It states, “Atticus was feeble.” So, they thought he was old…
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- A&P
In the Story “A&P” by John Updike, what is the theme being expressed throughout the story?
The main theme that runs through A & P is the idea of choices and consequences. There is also a commentary in the story about freedom and rules. Sammy works at a supermarket where he views all…
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- BRAVE NEW WORLD
Why do you think culture, history and customs are important for us? And what would be the effect…
“Those who forget the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat it.” —Unknown The world is made up of thousands of different cultures. Each with its own unique history, traditions, beliefs,…
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- SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS
Based on the poem “Not marble, nor the gilded monuments” by Shakespeare, what is your…
William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 55 explores the immortality of the subjects of poetry through the power of verse. Shakespeare uses precise diction to paint a destructive image of time. Phrases like…
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- THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
What is it that Holden does not like about the Pencey Prep advertisement and about Headmaster…
Holden feels that the advertisement for Pencey Prep is phony, presenting a false image, he says: “They advertise in about a thousand magazines, always showing some hot shot guy on a horse jumping…
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- LAW AND POLITICS
How has the federal government tried to limit campaign spending?
The bipartisan campaign Reform act of 2002, better known as the McCain – Feingold Act regulates the financing of political campaigns in the United States. It limited the major political parties…
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- LAW AND POLITICS
What was the new england woman’s suffrage association?When I research this topic it comes up as…
I couldn’t find an exact reference to the New England Woman Suffrage Association. But, here is a quote from Wikipedia (Women’s Suffrage in the United States) giving the impression that this might…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
In what month did “Romeo and Juliet” take place? I know the year is 1303 but I don’t know if a…
There is no specific month mentioned in the play. The fact that much of the action takes place outdoors indicates that it is not wintertime. Traditionally, “a young man’s fancy turns to love” in…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
In “The Crucible” what is Hale’s reaction when John tells him that Abigail and the girls had…
He is stunned. He can’t believe it. John tells him that Abby was the one to confess that it had “naught to do with witchcraft”, but it is Abby who is the one who is leading most of the charges….
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- STEPHEN CRANE
Explain the ending of “A Mystery of Heroism” by Stephen Crane.
The ending of this excellent story is one of the most perfect moments of situational irony in literature. Consider what has happened: Fred Collins has risked death by going to get water for his…
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- JULIUS CAESAR
What is the irony of an assassination to stop a dictatorship and the rule of the triumvirs?
In an ideal sense, the purpose for the assassination of a political leader, particularly a leader who is perceived to be dangerous to the social and political order (a tyrant), is to remove that…
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- A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
What does the symbol eyes stand for in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Eyes certainly are a dominant recurring motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We can even find many references to eyes in the first scene alone. There are a few things that eyes symbolize; two of…
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- TAR BABY
Where can I find the book Tar Baby?
I do not know how quickly you need this book, but there are some ways to get a copy fairly quickly. You can find used copies at Amazon and at the Barnes and Noble website. By paying a bit more,…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
In “Frankenstien”, how does the writer use language in chapter 5 to develop the atmosphere?
The first paragraph of Chapter 5 describes Victor “switching on” the monster. Although not the lightning storm night as depicted in the movies, Shelley makes generous use of adjectives and adverbs…
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- JULIUS CAESAR
Describe one character’s internal conflict and how it affects what they do.
Brutus struggles with the greatest internal conflict of all the characters in Shakespeare’s play. Cassius plays against Brutus’ love of Rome and his love of Caesar. Although the evidence against…
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- BUSINESS
Explain the effect of a sales volume increase on the total fixed costs, unit fixed costs, total…
Total fixed cost refers to costs that are incurred by the business regardless of the number of products or services that it produces. One such cost might be the rent paid for the business’s…
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- THE TELL-TALE HEART
What happens in “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart” is a short story about what happens when murder is committed and what happens in the mind of the murderer. It is a classic psychological story. The narrator is driven to…
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- THE ODYSSEY
In setting up the test of the bow for the suitors, how is Penelope really saying that she is…
Odysseus is the only mortal man strong enough to string the bow. Penelope has been told that Odysseus is alive; by setting up the challenge of the bow, she is giving him an opportunity to shed his…
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- LORD OF THE FLIES
Can “Lord of the Flies” be used to support the notion of tabula rasa, that everyone is born with…
Quite the opposite. Golding’s intention was to show that mankind, left to himself without regulation, would descend to a state of savagery. His father was an ardent humanist, who firmly believed…
2 educator answers
- HISTORY
Describe the Alliance system which existed among European powers before 1914.I am studying for my…
Bismarck, Chancellor of the Second Reich, had isolated France from other European powers after the Franco-Prussian War in the belief that if France had no allies there could not be a general war….
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
Why is this book so awesome?why is this book so awesome?
Those who admire this novel find it awesome for many different reasons–some of them personal–but critics often mention these remarkable strengths. Fitzgerald captures the time period, the Roaring…
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- LITERATURE
What do you think of when you see/hear the words life and death?What can life or death be…
This is certainly an interesting and thought-provoking question. And, the answer is going to be completely different for everyone, based on their own personal experiences with life and death. For…
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- ESSAY LAB
argumentative topicHELP, I have to write an agumentative essay and my professor picked the…
I have no idea what your professor wants you to write on, but suppose you look at where/why the mortgage crisis came from/started. I know one point of view that would be interesting to research….
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- SONG OF MYSELF
In what way are the first four lines of section 14 of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”…
In the first 4 lines of section 14 of “Song of Myself,” Whitman describes looking up at the sky and seeing geese fly overhead. When a goose cries out, Whitman feels a connection to it, like the…
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- FAHRENHEIT 451
How do Beatty and Granger use fire?
The two characters use fire in opposing ways. Beatty, the captain of the 451 fire department, uses fire to destroy. The firemen burn books and people’s homes, and in the case of the woman who…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
Myrtle’s sisterDescribe Myrtle’s sister.
According to Myrtle, her sister Catherine is very beautiful, and regarded as such by “people who ought to know.” Fitzgerald’s description of her bears this out, with one odd exception: [Catherine]…
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