• THE OPEN WINDOW

Who are the central characters in “The Open Window” and how does the author develop them?

The main characters are Vera, who tells the false story of how her uncle was killed, and Framton Nuttel, the young man with a nervous condition who believes Vera’s story and then is horrified when…

2 educator answers

• THE SOLITARY REAPER

Please explain the last stanza of the poem, “The Solitary Reaper.”

“The Solitary Reaper” is a pastoral poem, typical of the English Romantics and their glorification of nature and the common man. In the opening stanza, the speaker has seen a Highland girl reaping…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

What is the most important historical date in China during the Middle Ages?

The most important event in China during the Middle Ages was the Tang Dynasty take over. China had become disjointed and unorganized before Tang. Tang unified China was again and with unification…

1 educator answer

• GREAT EXPECTATIONS

When did Pip meet the pale young man (Herbert) before? How is he related to Miss Havisham and to…

Pip first met Herbert at Miss Havisham’s house in the garden, where they fought as Estella watched from the bushes where she was hiding. Herbert is Matthew Pocket’s son, Matthew Pocket being Pip’s…

1 educator answer

• HAMLET

Broadly describe what conclusion the king and the queen draw about the madness of Hamlet.

In general terms, by the end of Hamlet neither the King nor the Queen really think Hamlet is mad (crazy). As noted above, Gertrude does seem to think he’s only upset by his father’s death and her…

1 educator answer

• THE ROCKING-HORSE WINNER

How would you or what would you write about the prompt below?This is the prompt: Discus how irony…

You have a very good question there to respond to. Obviously the central irony of this short story is the fact that when the mother begins to receive money from Paul’s gains, it is obviously not…

1 educator answer

• REFERENCE

What does ‘semi-desert vegetation’ mean?

A “semi-desert” is determined by both climate and geographical conditions. It is a hot and arid expansive area and resembles a real desert except that it sustains a vigorous ecosystem of plants and…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

What is a quote or many lines in Romeo and Juliet that show passion?

[For goodness sake! This is Romeo and Juliet! There are about a million quotes that show passion! That being said, there are many different types of passion, so let me choose a couple of good…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

What does the design of the Roman villa have to do with the best leisure time for the owners?

Roman villas for the upper class were often built with the rooms facing an inner courtyard, often embellished with trees, flowers and even fountains. This gave people the privacy they wanted while…

2 educator answers

• ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS

Why does Karana destroy the village in Island of the Blue Dolphins?Please put it in detail.

Karana destroys the village because it reminds her “of all the people who (are) dead and those who (are) gone”. She burns it down so that she will no longer hear “their voices speaking”, and so…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

Why were Americans susceptible to McCarthyism? Is the America of today immune to this kind of…

People will never be immune to the pressure of fear, we just had eight years of it. It was fear that made people susceptible to McCarthy: fear of communism; fear of another world war; fear of…

5 educator answers

• THE WASTE LAND

Please explain the passage, “Unreal city…weekend at the Metropole” from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste…

This passage comes in the third section of Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” which he entitled “The Fire Sermon”. In this passage, Eliot is referring to being in a city (to which he also referred to in…

1 educator answer

• THE GLASS MENAGERIE

The Glass Menagerie In scene 1, Tom says that he will give the audience “truth in the pleasent…

Well, Amanda is clearly living in the past as she prepares for Laura’s evening with her gentleman caller. She wears a dress much too young for her, one she wore as a young girl in the midst of her…

1 educator answer

• THE CANTERBURY TALES

What is the lesson of Canterbury Tales? What is the influence of Canterbury Tales in literature?

The influence of Canterbury Tales in literature expands to many different aspects. First, this was one of the first complete works written in the English language as opposed to Latin. Hence, it…

2 educator answers

• LITERATURE

Getting kids to read assigned booksOver the past few years, my colleagues and I have been…

I feel the same way. I sometimes think that the Accelerated Reader program that is so popular has taught young people to read quickly through a book by skimming to answer 5 questions about plot in…

11 educator answers

• ROBERT BURNS

What is a full critical analysis of “John Anderson My Jo” by Robert Burns? Please provide some…

The poem (like most of Robbie Burns’s works) uses figurative language to represent the reality of aging, love, sex, and death. It also has a perennial theme of devotion and eternal love. In the…

3 educator answers

• HEALTH

What complications can occur when mixing crack cocaine with an anti depressant such as paxil?

The issue here is the neurotransmitter serotonin. Paxil and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) drugs work by preventing the brain from breaking down serotonin, which results in an…

1 educator answer

• THE CRUCIBLE

In “The Crucible” how does conflict cause people to act irrationally?Scenario: Journalist writing…

I’m not sure that I completely understand the assignment or the question, but let me assume that you have to pretend that you are a journalist writing an article for a pretend newspaper, about how…

2 educator answers

• THE GREAT GATSBY

Daisy’s fundamental flawI need help describing Daisy’s fundamental flaw and how it reinforces…

Daisy’s fundamental character flaw is that she is weak. She lacks strength or determination, choosing instead to let circumstances–and stronger people–shape her life. When Gatsby goes to war,…

2 educator answers

• THE SWIMMER

What is Cheever’s purpose in delaying the revelation about Neddy’s family and home?

The purpose of delaying the revelation about Neddy’s family and home is to provide a shock factor after we see all the things he was doing to deflect his reality. It is more fascinating for the…

1 educator answer

• TWILIGHT

In New Moon, did Bella ever open the present Edward gave her for her birthday?

Yes. When they get back to her house, they open up the presents from Carlisle and Esme, and Edward. Carlisle and Esme gave her the plane tickets to Florida so she can take Edward to visit Renee…

1 educator answer

• 1984

What does Julia mean by “talking in installments”?

Winston and Julia are living in an environment that forbids them to have a relationship. They must sneak around to meet and when they do meet they only have a limited amount of time. When they…

1 educator answer

• THE GREAT GATSBY

In “The Great Gatsby”, how does Jordan make Nick overlook her bad side (dishonesty) and pursue a…

Jordan is charismatic. She is also new to Nick who has just moved to New York from the more placid midwest. She provides excitement. It doesn’t hurt that she is very pretty and Daisy’s best…

1 educator answer

• A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

In A Streetcar Named Desire, describe the story Stanley tells Blanche about his cousin in Scene…

When Stanley is having a confrontation with Blanche while Stella is at the hospital delivering her baby, the story of his cousin functions as evidence of Stanley’s animal, bestial nature. Stanley…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Who was the man in the corner in chapter 28 of “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

Well geez, I don’t know if I should answer this question because the answer is just so hugely neat-o and a really cool surprise…have you read chapter 29 yet? In chapter 29, it gives the answer,…

2 educator answers

• GREAT EXPECTATIONS

In what chapter does Estella tell Pip that she has no heart and that she wants nothing to do with…

It is in Chapter 29 that Estella tells Pip that she has no heart. We see in this Chapter that Pip’s feelings of seeing Estella and being in Satis House again are a strange mixture of pain and…

2 educator answers

• LANGSTON HUGHES

In “As I Grew Older” by Langston Hughes, what is the structure of the poem and what is the…

The entire poem’s literal meaning is that because Langston Hughes is black, he cannot achieve his dreams. Racism, prejudice, limited opportunities and discrimination keep him back from achieving…

1 educator answer

• WINTER DREAMS

How is the idea of the American Dream different from Dexter’s “winter dreams” in “Winter…

I think there are many similarities between the American Dream and Dexter’s “winter dreams” in this great short story. Notice how in the second section of the story, he, in spite of his…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

“What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee” was…

This quote was uttered by Tybalt to Benvolio in Act I Scene i of the play. Tybalt is of the Capulet household (Juliet’s family) and Benvolio is of the Montague household (Romeo’s family) and this…

2 educator answers

• BEN JONSON

Please explain to me more about the poem “To Celia” by Ben Jonson.

“Song: To Celia” is an extremely rhythmical love song. It has a very definite meter that alternates between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. All lines of trimeter rhyme within each stanza…

1 educator answer

• A TIME TO KILL

Compare and contrast Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill with Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Jake and Atticus are similar in that each is a white attorney who accepts the unpopular role of representing a black defendant in a small, primarily white Southern town. Jake and Atticus both…

1 educator answer

• ANIMAL FARM

Why do the excutions take place? What message do these events send to the animals about their…

Napoleon starts executing animals to create an environment of fear to keep any further thoughts of rebellion or revolt from the minds of the animals. The hens who were responsible for the revolt…

1 educator answer

• CINEMA

What are traits that describe Shrek, Fiona, Gingy, Lord Farquaad and the donkey in the movie and…

I think your teacher is asking you to write a compare/contrast type of essay. Begin by asking yourself some questions: How are these characters alike? (Make a list for each character) How are they…

2 educator answers

• LAW AND POLITICS

What are the statute of limitations in Georgia regarding how long medical records should be…

It depends on where the medical records were generated. In Georgia(USA) medical records should be kept on file at a physicians office for at least 10 years after the last visit. In a hospital…

1 educator answer

• THE LOTTERY

How is Mr. Graves’ name significant? Explain, using 2 quotes.

Mr. Graves is the town postmaster and one of the most powerful men in the village and in the running of the lottery, second only to Mr. Summers. His name, “graves,” provides a dark counterpart to…

2 educator answers

• THE GOOD EARTH

What is the most significant line of Chapter 24 in The Good Earth and why is it significant?

This is certainly subjective, and readers will argue for the significance of multiple quotations depending on the interpretive reading that they have given the chapter. That said, in my reading,…

1 educator answer

• THE GOOD EARTH

What is the significance of Chapter 24 in The Good Earth?

I believe the significance of Chapter 24 is that it illustrates so clearly how the way to the peace and happiness Wang Lung longs for throughout his life is there all the time, right before his…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

How was the Truman Doctrine applied differently in Asia compared to Europe? Why was this…

The Truman Doctrine was first applied as a rationale for military and economic aid to Greece immediately after WW II, when communist pressure from Albania threatened the outbreak of another large…

1 educator answer

• THE LOVELY BONES

In “The Lovely Bones,” does Jack Salmon allow himself to be swallowed up by his grief?Should he…

In my opinion, Jack Salmon is an ordinary father who is grieving over a daughter who died in an extraordinary way. He can’t get “closure” because her body has never been found; only an elbow was…

2 educator answers

• TO BUILD A FIRE

How is the relationship between the man and the dog discussed at first?ANOTHER QUESTION: How does…

The dog is clearly described as being a product of nature and a creature familiar with the conditions, one that knows it shouldn’t be traveling at this point but willing to put up with the…

1 educator answer

• ARTS

How would you write an introduction about: Compare and contrast various ways that artists have…

To effectively introduce a topic like this, it is very important to have particular examples in mind. You could certainly use your first sentence or two to introduce the topic on a broader level,…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

In chapter 9 of “Night”, what happened on April 5th?

In chapter 9 of Elie Wiesel’s “Night,” he states: “On April 5, the wheel of history turned.” It was late afternoon. We were standing inside the block, waiting for an SS to come and count us. He…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

In Chapter 5 of Night, what advice was Elie given to pass the selection process?

In Chapter 5, in order to pass the selection process, Elie is advised to move about so that he will have “a little color” before the selection. He should also be careful not to walk slowly, in…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

In Chapter 5 of Night, why didn’t Elie fast on Yom Kippur?

In Elie Wiesel’s novella “Night” there were many Jewish Holiday’s spent in the Nazi Concentration camps. The incident you are asking about occurred after he and his father had been moved to Buna….

3 educator answers

• THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

What type of language does Petruchio use to describe Katherine during his discussion with…

As part of his plan to marry rich, Petruchio determines to marry Katherine, the shrew. He understands he must convince both Baptista and Kate that he will not be moved by any antics or outbursts…

2 educator answers

• NIGHT

In Chapter 4 of Night, describe the scene with the soup cauldrons.

One Sunday morning in the camp at Buna, the air-raid sirens begin to sound – the camp is being bombed. The SS take refuge in the shelters, while the prisoners assemble in the barracks. The camp…

2 educator answers

• NIGHT

In chapter 4, what happened when Elie refused to give his crown to Franek? What was the result?

In chapter 4 of “Night,” Franek demands that Elie give him his crown and Elie refuses. He tells him several different reasons that he can’t give up the crown including the excuse that he wouldn’t…

2 educator answers

• THE GOOD EARTH

What does O-lan’s name in The Good Earth mean in English? All the other girls have names like…

The word “lan” in Chinese refers to “orchid.” So O-lan’s name is likely a derivative of this idea (which would go along with Lotus and Pear Blossom referring to flowers). It is ironic here that…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

In Chapter 4 of Night, whom did Elie meet years later on the Paris Metro?

At the warehouse in Buna, Elie often works next to a young French girl. They never speak, because she apparently knows no German and Elie does not understand French. She is a forced labor…

2 educator answers

• NIGHT

In Chapter 4 of “Night”, how did Elie initially avoid losing his gold crown?

After work one day Elie is ordered to report to the dentist after he finishes his meal. Elie tells the guard that he “doesn’t have a toothache.” He has to report to the dentist anyway and when he…

2 educator answers