In The Giver Asher gets a job called Assistant Director of Recreation. What does that job mean?

August 25, 2018 Educator

SCIENCE

What is the difference between covalent substances and molecular substances?

The terms covalent and molecular are often used interchangeably to describe the same type of substance. However, there is a distinction between the two. The term covalent refers to a type of…

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MACBETH

The Weird Sisters state in Act 1, Scene 1, of Macbeth, “fair is foul and foul is fair.” In what…

In many ways, Macbeth begins the play relatively “fair” and ends the play quite “foul.” The Weird Sisters discuss him in Act 1, Scene 1, but the very next time his name is spoken is in reference…

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SOCIAL SCIENCES

Can the process of gentrification help everyone? Does it tend to help only the people moving in?…

By definition, gentrification is the process of changing an area from low-income standards to middle-class standards. To state whether it is good or bad depends on one’s perspective. Low-income…

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THE CRUCIBLE

Why should Abigail’s escapades worry Reverend Parris?

From the beginning of The Crucible, Arthur Miller makes it clear that Reverend Parris is concerned about his reputation above all else. If it is found out that his niece, Abigail, was dancing in…

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A ROSE FOR EMILY

In “A Rose for Emily,” what was the significance of Emily’s father in her life?

In “A Rose for Emily,” the father acts as an isolating force in Emily’s life. The townspeople “remember[…] the young men her father had driven away” and it is only after her father’s…

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ARTS

What is the main idea of The Wednesday Wars?

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt is a fantastic book. I’m partially biased though since the author was my adviser in college. At the book’s core is the story of Holling Hoodhood’s coming of…

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1984

Is Big Brother good or bad for Winston and the other residents of Oceania?

While the party maintains that it operates for the good of society, Winston and the people of Oceania suffer at the hands of the party on a daily basis. In the opening paragraphs of the book, for…

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DIGGING

In “Digging,” why does Seamus Heaney use the simile “as snug as a gun?”

The simile “snug as a gun” is startling when it appears in the poem “Digging.” After just a line and a half, Heaney has already created an image of a writer sitting down to quietly reflect and…

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THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

Why do all the boys hate Willie Mufferson in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?

Willie Mufferson is only mentioned one time in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This mention comes at the beginning of Chapter V. There, we find that the boys hate Willie Mufferson because he always…

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THE OPEN BOAT

Why does “The Open Boat” start off with the line “None of them knew the color of the sky”?

Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” begins with the following passage: None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them. These…

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“I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH

What are examples of parallelism in the “I Have a Dream Speech…”

There are a number of examples of parallelism in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech. When examining a piece of literature for parallelism one looks for words or phrases…

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SCIENCE

Give 5 differences between 1) metals and water, and 2) metals and oxygen.

Metals and Water: Metals are elements, while water is a compound. Each metal is made up of identical atoms. Water is made up of identical water molecules (each of which is made up of hydrogen and…

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HISTORY

What happened in World War I?

World War I started in 1914 when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Austria-Hungary was upset that a group of Serbian nationals had killed Franz Ferdinand, the next King of Austria-Hungary….

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SCIENCE

How does increased temperature affect rate of dissolving?

An increase in temperature increases the rate of dissolution of a solute in a solvent. We can notice this at home by doing simple experimentation. Try dissolving some sugar in a glass of cold…

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HISTORY

What are myths about the American West between 1845-1900s?

The American West has been heavily romanticized in popular culture. However, life in the West was not quite so exciting or appealing as it was depicted in John Wayne movies. Here are three…

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THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF

What opinion do the other characters have of Bill in the “Ransom of Red Chief?”

Because of the detached first person narration of O. Henry’s story “The Ransom of Red Chief,” determining any opinions that characters have for each other is more a matter of assumption than…

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ROMEO AND JULIET

How does Shakespeare present Juliet as being a strong woman in the play Romeo and Juliet?

Please see the links below that show different interpretations of Juliet. I tend to disagree with most of those readings. Of course, any analysis of a work of literature is totally subjective. It’s…

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CHARLES

What parts of the story demonstrate the theme of appearance versus reality?

An appearance versus reality theme is one of the more common themes in literature. It challenges the reader to consider the characteristics of the text just as a good versus evil theme would. The…

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PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

What is the central meaning of Shelley’s “Stanzas Written in Dejection”?

The central meaning of “Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples” by Percy Bysshe Shelley seems to be a contrast between his own “despair” (ln. 28) and the relative comfort he finds in nature. To…

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THE CRUCIBLE

How does Hale confuse Tituba? What is the significance of their conversation?

I think Tituba feels somewhat confused by Mr. Hale’s treatment of her because he is so kind. When she is first questioned by Hale, and she denies bewitching the children, Mr. Parris — also a…

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LAW AND POLITICS

Mrs. Jones hears a knock at the door. She opens the door and finds 3 police officers asking if…

I assume that you are asking whether this arrest is legal. If so, the answer is yes, it is perfectly legal. A police officer can arrest anyone at any time if he or she has probable cause to…

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THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS

What positive outcome did the study of the HeLa cells have?

Henrietta Lacks’ cells were taken and used without her knowledge or consent. In addition, among the many ethical problems with the way in which her cells were obtained, her privacy was not very…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, how is prejudice shown when it comes to the character Boo…

The word “prejudice” can be defined as any preconceived notion about someone or something, and can be either positive or negative. Generally, when people hear the word they apply a negative…

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HISTORY

How does President Kennedy want his audience to respond to this difference in his inaugural speech?

President Kennedy was an excellent public speaker. In his inauguration address, President Kennedy was trying to inspire the nation, especially younger Americans, to become more involved in helping…

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SOCIAL SCIENCES

Discuss whether health care is a public or a private good.

In economic terms, there is no question that health care is a private good. People who are not thinking in economic terms may see it as a public good, but it does not meet the criteria for such a…

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THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS

Why is Lieutenant Kotner forced to leave the Auschwitz camp in the novel The Boy in the Striped…

Lieutenant Kotner had befriended Gretel and Bruno’s mother during their stay at Auschwitz. Consequently, he was invited to dinner with the family. During dinner, Bruno complains about the…

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FREAK THE MIGHTY

What is the behavior of Kevin in Freak the Mighty?

Kevin, also known as Freak, has a small crippled body with an enormous brain. He speaks as if he already has a PhD in science and sometimes acts like a knight in King Arthur’s court. He has so much…

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HISTORY

Compare and contrast encomienda and mita.

Both the encomienda and mita were forced labor systems with deep historical roots that underwent change during the Spanish Colonial era. Prior to Spanish colonization, the mita system was…

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SCIENCE

How do we find valency of an element?

Valency of an element gives us an idea of the number of electrons required to completely fill the outer shell. It is also a measure of number of electrons involved in bond formation. The simplest…

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THE CAY

In The Cay by Theodore Taylor, do you think Timothy really believed that he and Phillip would be…

In The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Timothy always tried to stay positive about a rescue for Phillip’s sake, and though I think he also remained hopeful, I do not think Timothy thought there was much…

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SCIENCE

In the explosion of a hydrogen filled balloon, .10 g of hydrogen reacted with .80 g of oxygen….

The equation for this reaction is: 2H2+O2−>2H2O2H2+O2->2H2O When given masses of the two reactants you must determine if one reactant is in excess of the amount needed. If so, the limiting…

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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In The Merchant Of Venice, what is the duke’s opinion of the matter between Antonio and Shylock?

The duke is clearly compassionate. He feels pity for Antonio and states the following when he appears before him: I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answerA stony adversary, an inhuman…

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A POISON TREE

How is Blake’s “A Poison Tree” a parable?

A parable is a short symbolic story that teaches a moral lesson. Blake’s “A Poison Tree” is a parable about the dangers of suppressing anger. The poet explains the point he is trying to make in the…

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EMILY DICKINSON

Who is the “purple Host” in Emily Dickinson’s poem “Success is counted sweetest”?

In “Success is counted sweetest,” Dickinson writes: Not one of all the purple Host Who took the Flag today Can tell the definition So clear of victory In this context, “purple Host” refers to a…

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HISTORY

Do you agree that Congress of Vienna was a success?

For many years, historians have been debating about the “success” or “failure” of the Congress of Vienna. In order to form an answer to that question, it is vital to look at the context…

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HISTORY

How does Shays’ Rebellion compare to recent economic events that have happened in the United…

It is exceedingly difficult to objectively compare the economic situation surrounding Shays’ Rebellion with the economic problems that the US faced in 2008 and afterwards. At the time of Shays’…

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THE KITE RUNNER

In The Kite Runner by Khlaled Hosseini, how has Amir’s relationship with Baba changed from the…

Throughout Amir’s childhood, he had a rather negative relationship with Baba. Baba would continually ignore Amir and never seemed to give him any of his time. Baba was also ashamed and disappointed…

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BURIED ONIONS

What time period is the setting for the novel Buried Onions?

The first copyright listed for Gary Soto’s novel Buried Onions is 1996 and that is precisely the year in which the protagonist Eddie goes through his travails in the barrio of southeast Fresno….

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THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS

How does John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” begin?

The story begins in the Salinas Valley, which is pretty common in several of Steinbeck’s stories. Elisa is planting her beloved chrysanthemums when her husband comes to speak with her after he made…

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OF MICE AND MEN

Imagine George 5 years after the death of Lennie. Write a short scene (300-500 words) in which we…

A few miles south of St. Helena the rows of grapevines stretched as far as the eye could see. Bundles of deep purple grapes hung heavy on the vines. It was harvest time in the Napa Valley. A warm…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why does Scout quiz Atticus about his visit to the Radley house in To Kill a Mockingbird? How…

In Chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Radley, Boo’s mother, dies. Atticus goes to pay his respects to the family since they are his neighbors. Scout and Jem can’t wait to hear all about…

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AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE

Explain what leads to Farquhar’s capture when attempting to destroy the bridge.

We do not understand why Farquhar is being hanged until we get to Part 2 of the story, which contains most of the exposition. Part 2 is a flashback. Farquhar is at his plantation with his wife when…

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AN EPISODE OF WAR

What are some examples of impressionism in An Episode of War?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines literary impressionism as ‘the depiction (as in literature) of scene, emotion, or character by details intended to achieve a vividness or effectiveness more…

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MATH

The first term of a geometric progression is 25 and the sum of the first three terms is 61. Find…

Hello! If we denote the common ratio as r,r, then the second term is 25r25rand the third is 25r2.25r2. The sum of the first three terms is 25(1+r+r2)25(1+r+r2) and it is given to be 61.61. So we obtained the…

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THE WASPS

What is Cleon’s influence in The Wasps?

Cleon (ca. 475-422 B.C.) was an important historical figure in classical Athens. He served as an Athenian general during the Peloponnesian Wars and was distinguished by a strongly populist bent,…

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1984

What are the important pages of George Orwell’s book, 1984? With important, I mean the main…

The novel, 1984, is split into three parts and each of these parts contains important events. In the first part, for example, Winston’s internal fear of the party begins to dissipate and he…

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AFTER TWENTY YEARS

Provide a description for the policeman on the beat.

The policeman on the beat is made to appear like a typical beat cop in a NYPD uniform. His actions are described, but there is no description of his physical features. O. Henry is adroitly…

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THE SOLITARY REAPER

What does the poet tell us about the reaper’s songs in “The Solitary Reaper?”

The poet, rambling about in the Lake District of northern England, hears the song a woman reaping in a field by herself. He tells us it is a “melancholy” song, and that no nightingale ever sang a…

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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

What is the relationship between Shylock and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice?

The relationship between Antonio and Shylock is contentious; Antonio is heroic, but Shylock is villainous. Certainly, they are rivals in their moneylending: Antonio is kind and generous while…