• RICHARD III

Is Richard III a beast or a human?

Definitely a human. Otherwise, it surely wouldn’t be a tragedy. And I don’t think Shakespeare believed that anyone was born bad. That’d just be dramatically boring. Right from the word go,…

1 educator answer

• THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Can I have a character sketch of Isabel Archer in The Portrait of a Lady written by Henry James?

Isabel Archer is the protagonist in the novel and the “Lady” of the title. She is a young woman from Albany, New York, who travels to Europe with her Aunt, Mrs. Touchett. One of the central…

2 educator answers

• THE SOLITARY REAPER

As you read the second stanza of “The Solitary Reaper” what pictures do you see in the mind?

Wordsworth’s use of imagery and language helps the reader to imagine all of the sights that he is talking about. In the second stanza of the poem, he is saying that this woman who is singing in…

1 educator answer

• A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

How does Helena explain Demetrius’ sudden shifting of affections from herself to Hermia in her…

She’s a sad character, really, I think. Her actual explanation comes at the very end of the soliloquy, and, like just about everything else in this play to do with love, it focusses on the eye as…

1 educator answer

• ODE TO THE WEST WIND

I need an explanation of the 2nd and last sections of “Ode to the West Wind”

In the second section, here is a breakdown of each stanza: 1. Here he declares that the wind breaks the clouds up “like earth’s decaying leaves” that are shaken from the tangled boughs of Heaven…

1 educator answer

• JULIUS CAESAR

Why does Caesar react as he does when he finds Brutus among the conspirators?

At the heart of the play Julius Caesar is the inner conflict that Brutus feels when he is asked to murder his trusted confidant for the good of Rome. Shakespeare spends a great deal of the early…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

I need suggestions for my essay topic: Foreign policy between the presidencies of McKinley and…

The Spanish-American War 1898 was fought between the U.S. and Spain while McKinley was president. Often referred to as ‘A spendid little war’, it was clearly motivated by the U.S. desire to expand…

3 educator answers

• ESSAY LAB

Compare and Contrast literary paper !Hey Ive never written a literary paper and I am doing one on…

Is your assignment to compare AND contrast or to compare OR contrast? Makes a BIG difference! compare=find similarities contrast=find differences So, in examining the poems in terms of…

3 educator answers

• THINGS FALL APART

If you were to write a letter to Ikemefuna’s mother, what would you write? How would you write…

I think I would say something like Hello, mother and then explain how well I had been treated in Umuofia. I would be especially grateful to Okonkwo for taking me in to his family and I would…

1 educator answer

• ENGLISH TEACHERS

Censorship vs. EducationSo in my high school library, we have this “Crank” series of poetry books…

Here’s a question to consider: If we as educators are going to advocate literature that exposes our children to the negatives of society, then why don’t our school libraries include publications…

6 educator answers

• LITERATURE

Why did Mrs. Pan in the story “The Good Deed” want to arrange a marriage for Lili?

There are a number of reasons why Mrs. Pan wants to arrange a marriage for Lili. First of all, that is the way it is done in China. In China, it is the responsibility of the parents to arrange…

1 educator answer

• LITERATURE

Why did Lili Yang visit old Mrs. Pan in the story “The Good Deed”?

Lili Yang visits Mrs. Pan because she is asked to do so by her friend Sophia Pan, who is Mrs. Pan’s daughter-in-law. Sophia and her husband are concerned about Mrs. Pan because she is very…

1 educator answer

• ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH

What are the themes in “Anthills of the Savannah” by Achebe?

The difficulty of overcoming a system of political unrest is one of the central themes of the novel. Under a rule driven by power as opposed to respect, the people are unable to figure out how to…

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

In my opinion, in several scenes Ralph does not seem to behave much better than Jack. Is he also…

The key at the heart of you question is “Is Ralph as bad as Jack / Does he also support the chaos that Jack brings to the island?” The answer is that Golding wanted to portray these boys as REAL as…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Is the novel against dictatorship? But why? I think a very strict government is the most…

Here’s a quote from William Golding: The theme (of Lord of the Flies) is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

In “Lord of the Flies”, how can you see Simon as a Jesus Christ figure?

Simon understands, when the others don’t yet, that the real beast to be feared is inside of each of them. In chapter 5, when all the littluns fear beasts and Ralph holds a vote to determine whether…

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

In “Lord of the Flies”, is Jack or Roger the stronger beast within?

Jack has the stronger beast within him and he has less ability to keep that beast inside. When Jack fails to kill the pig at the end of the first chapter, he vows that he won’t fail again. The…

1 educator answer

• THE LUCK OF ROARING CAMP

What can you say about Stumpy in “The Luck of Roaring Camp”?

Stumpy is the good-hearted surrogate father of “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” Stumpy is hiding out in Roaring Camp and because he is a bigamist, it is decided that he has more experience dealing with…

1 educator answer

• IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES

If our morals tell us what to do, are we free?It is kind of based on the book “In the Time of…

Morals are tricky concepts to explore. Let us think about the opposite situation. Although the sisters would have lived long lives if they had not opposed Trujillo, would they have been free in…

1 educator answer

• BREAK OF DAY IN THE TRENCHES

Write a critical appreciation of “Break of Day in the Trenches”.

Great poem, isn’t it? Paul Fussell writes an excellent, long critical appreciation of it in his book “The Great War and Modern Memory”, some of which is quoted at the site below. It’s in far more…

1 educator answer

• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Do you think William Shakespeare was real?Of course “his” works were real, but there has been…

Yes, Shakespeare was a real person. No, it was not a pen name for Edward de Vere. Twenty years ago scholars were convinced that Francis Bacon was the “real” Shakespeare. Just as many scholars claim…

4 educator answers

• THE LOTTERY

How has Shirley Jackson changed the term “lottery” from being associated with good luck? From…

Jackson starts the story on a positive note which lulls the reader into thinking that the lottery is going to be a lucky event: ‘The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth…

1 educator answer

• 1984

What is the universal theme in Orwell’s writing?Is this theme represented in his work of 1984?

It is difficult to say that there is a single universal theme in any author’s work, but the closest one could have for Orwell is the relationship between freedom and social organization. This…

1 educator answer

• JOHN STEINBECK

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, how is George a dynamic character?

A dynamic character is defined as one who makes a change in his character from the beginning of the story to the end. In “Of Mice and Men” George seems to make this type of change if we compare…

2 educator answers

• SOCIAL SCIENCES

Children of artificial insemination and donar eggsShould children concieved by donor artificial…

I absolutely believe that we need to be as honest with our children as possible for their own piece of mind. To me this quetion is much the same as the one that adoptive parents ask themselves. In…

7 educator answers

• LITERATURE

What is important to look at in postmodern literature? I’m doing an analysis

The most basic thing to look at in postmodern literature is what it is. This means starting any discussion by looking at shared characteristics, and then by examining how it is different from what…

2 educator answers

• THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND

Where did Kit flee to in “Witch of Blackbird Pond”?

When Kit is banished from teaching the dame school with Mercy, and the future of the school itself is in jeopardy because of her actions, she flees blindly down the roadway, “past the Meeting…

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET LETTER

In The Scarlet Letter, what business did Hester have at Governor Winthrop’s house in Chapter 12?

Hester has been sitting at Governor Winthrop’s deathbed, sewing a burial shroud for him. When she and Pearl are returning home late at night, they find Dimmesdale standing on the scaffold. It is at…

3 educator answers

• HISTORY

Most Important Single Day in modern World HistoryWhat do you think is the single most important…

That depends on one’s worldview. As a student of history, I would have to pick August 6, 1945, the day the United States dropped the first atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Suddenly, for the first…

7 educator answers

• ARTS

Have any artists painted a picture within a picture within a picture? It can be any media and any…

Sure, that’s happened. It is fairly common in some genres, especially popular genres. The easiest examples can be seen in the work of M. C. Escher or the cartoonist Charles Adams. Escher created…

5 educator answers

• A&P

In John Updike’s “A&P,” Why does Sammy compare the girls to bees? What do bees…

Sammy is trying to figure out how a girl’s mind works. When these three girls come into the store improperly dressed, or undressed, he is stunned with joy watching them walk around the store. His…

1 educator answer

• THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

How would you characterize Jim’s predictions in chapters 8-11? Does the reader get any sense of…

Most of the things Jim predicts are superstitions. For example, he says that if a person has hairy arms and a hairy chest, he’ll be rich. Since Jim has both hairy arms and legs, he expects to be…

1 educator answer

• JULIUS CAESAR

Who was the Roman praetor in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”?

When, in Act 1, Scene 3, Cassius gives Cinna some letters, he tells him …look you lay it in the praetor’s chair, Where Brutus may but find it; and throw thisIn at his window. Brutus is one…

1 educator answer

• BEARSTONE

What is the book Bearstone about?

Bearstone is written by William Hobbs. The main character is Cloyd. He and his people, the Utes, have always had a strong relationship with the bears. Cloyd is sent to work for a man named…

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

How do we know Dally felt partially responsible for Johnny’s fate?What advice did Dally give to…

In chapter nine of “The Outsiders,” Dallas is driving to the hospital with Ponyboy. They are on their way to see Johnny and tell him that they had run the Socs out of the Greasers territory….

2 educator answers

• GULLIVER’S TRAVELS

What is a good quote from Gulliver’s Travels that includes satire?

You might like to think about this last quote that comes as Gulliver concludes his narrative and how he struggles to reintegrate into his home life after being with the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms:…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Scout say that cards are fatal?

When Jem shows up before a gathering of the neighbors without his pants, Dill makes up the excuse that he lost his garment playing strip poker. When Atticus, suspicious, asks if they were playing…

4 educator answers

• HAMLET

In “Hamlet” did Hamlet really love his father and what are some examples?

Yes, he did. The fact that he is so upset about his mother’s marrying his uncle so quickly is one indication that he loved his father. He feels completely insulted for his father’s sake; the fact…

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In chapter 7 of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, what hints are given that Boo sewed up Jem’s pants?

First of all, the pants are folded nicely across the fence, something that only a friendly individual who knew the habits of the children would have done. Jem is creeped out a bit by this, saying…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, why did Jem & Dill wait until the end of summer to spy on Boo…

They probably waited so long simply because they had been slowly progressing in their bravery in regards to the Radley place throughout the summers. The first summer, they were brave enough to…

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET LETTER

In The Scarlet Letter, why does Dimmesdale seem to be hiding something during his conversation…

Dimmesdale has developed the habit of holding his hand over his heart and pressing it. He does this while speaking with Chillingworth. Later, Chillingworth looks under Dimmesdale’s shirt while the…

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Reverend Sykes make it possible for the children…

It is in Chapter 16 that Reverend Sykes invites the children to sit with him upstairs in the “Colored balcony” because all the seats are taken downstairs where the white people sit. He asks them if…

1 educator answer

• TOAD’S MOUTH

In the story “Toad’s Mouth” what is the author arguing?

In the short story “Toad’s Mouth” by Isabel Allende a British couple control a business called Sheepbreeders LTD.. They are insensitive toward the land, culture, and the people of Chile. Allende…

1 educator answer

• PERSUASION

Who are the major characters in Persuasion? Describe the characters who change from the beginning…

Since the novel’s title, “persuasion”, implies that people are being persuaded, or made to change their opinion or actions by others, the development of characters is the major preoccupation of…

1 educator answer

• TWO KINDS

In the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, how does the point of view affect the reader’s…

Since the story is told in first-person point of view by Jing-mei, we seem to understand and sympathize with her frustration and anger more than we do the mother’s expectations and hope for her…

3 educator answers

• FAHRENHEIT 451

What are examples of irony in part one of Fahrenheit 451?

In Ray Bradbury’s novel, “Fahrenheit 451” the irony in part one is that Montag is introduced to the reader as a fireman. As the reader we naturally think of firemen as people who put out fires….

2 educator answers

• INTO THE WILD

Identify a specific detail or examples from Chris McCandless’ childhood that seem to predict…

In high school, instead of going out to football games and dances on Friday night, McCandless would buy hamburgers and hand them out to homeless people. His great concern and respect for those in…

1 educator answer

• HAMLET

How do the images of rot, disease, and decay that occur throughout Hamlet serve as extended…

Perhaps it helps to think of rot, disease and decay as recurring motifs in Hamlet that inform one of the major themes of the play–the poison of humankind’s baser nature seeking to contaminate or…

1 educator answer

• LAW AND POLITICS

As the owner of a Convienient Store in Texas can I sell it by having a raffle.

I would say no. Texas gambling laws appear to prohibit a raffle. Chapter 47 of Texas Statutes has this definition of lottery: “Lottery” means any scheme or procedure whereby one or more prizes…

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET IBIS

In the short story called “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, what does the scarlet ibis symbolize?

Hurst gives us a clue that the ibis is very important in the story by naming the story “The Scarlet Ibis.” The title refers to the tropical bird that was blown off course and landed in the…

1 educator answer