These questions are from Chapter 16 of Into the Wild: Why was McCandless compared to Sir John…
- INTO THE WILD
These questions are from Chapter 16 of Into the Wild: Why was McCandless compared to Sir John…
In Chapter 17 of Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer addresses what some people perceive to be similarities between Christopher (Chris) McCandless and Sir John Franklin. According to what Krakauer…
2 educator answers
- CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
Whats the difference between just and justice in Cry, the Beloved Country and why was Jarvis…
It is the Judge’s job to uphold the law, and when he does, justice has been served. It is not up to him to determine whether the law itself is just or fair; the law is made by the society, and if…
1 educator answer
- A RAISIN IN THE SUN
What did Ruth find out at the doctor’s office in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
Ruth goes to the doctor’s office to confirm her pregnancy. It is critical to the development of the play for several reasons. The first would be that as the family is enduring challenges, there…
2 educator answers
- HISTORY
Are Thomas Paine’s writings THE AMERICAN CRISIS and COMMON SENSE propaganda? If you think they…
This is in some senses a loaded question because the term “propaganda” is generally pejorative… But yes, I’d say Paine’s writings, and the Declaration of Independence are both propaganda. I’m…
4 educator answers
- A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS
What is a good thesis statement for the short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by…
A most unusual story, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is classified as Magical Realism. This term of two words is indicative of the central idea of Marquez’s story….
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
Through 1920-1929, what roles did women and African Americans play in the military and how were…
As far as I am aware, there was no role for women in the military until WWII. The official army timeline for women in the Army does not start until then. African-Americans, on the other hand, were…
2 educator answers
- THE YELLOW WALLPAPER
I need help comparing and contrasting “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and…
This is an interesting question, because on the surface, these two stories seem completely different from each other. The contrasts will be easier to find, so let’s start there. For one, the…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What has Calpurnia taught her son to do in To Kill a Mockingbird?Chapter 12
Calpurnia has taught her son to read and write. In today’s world nobody would bat an eye at her son reading and writing, but at the time the story takes place, nobody cares whether…
1 educator answer
- THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
According to Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, how had Antonio insulted him in the past?
Antonio insults Shylock in several ways. He calls him a “cur” which is a dog, and he does it in public in front of other businessmen upon whom Shylock depends for his own livelihood. He curses…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In Lord of the Flies, what is the most important thing to be conveyed to all?
The most important thing to be conveyed is that man, ultimately, is evil. Given the chance and the circumstances, man will devolve into selfsish, primal, chaotic, uncivilized beings. We must…
1 educator answer
- THE JUNGLE
Why is Jurgis always optimistic about the prospect of work in The Jungle?
Part of the reason why Jurgis believes in the positive nature of work is that he genuinely believes in the American Dream. An essential part of this conception is the idea of the opportunity…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What errors did the American leaders make in creating the federal government under Articles of…
The major error of the Articles of Confederation is that they made the national government too weak. It lacked, among other things, a way to tax and a way to regulate trade between the states or…
3 educator answers
- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
What purposes does Huck’s (faked) death serve in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
In Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Huck fakes his own death by using the blood from a pig that he’s killed. He does this for two reasons: 1. Huck has always (in this book and…
1 educator answer
- A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO
When Grandma shot her gun while watching over the coffin, what did Joey do in A Long Way from…
Joey had been sitting “wedged in a corner, beginning to doze” at Shotgun Cheatham’s wake when the commotion began. The gauze that hung down over the open coffin lid inexplicably began to move….
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How does the illiteracy of African-Americans in To Kill a Mockingbird contribute to the novel’s…
Lee addresses the issue of education, and more specifically, literacy, in several parts of the novel. In regards to race, Lee includes the incident in Chapter 12 when Calpurnia brings the children…
2 educator answers
- HISTORY
How did cosmopolitan civilization (a time of widely shared cultures and lifestyles) develop in a…
I believe that this question refers to the Middle East during the late Bronze Age. This period occurs roughly around the dates 1500 to 1200 BCE. Cosmopolitan civilization emerged in that time and…
1 educator answer
- THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
In “The Pit and the Pendulum” why is the narrator scared of finding himself in a tomb?
This story is set during the Inquisition, where anyone that would not convert to Catholicism was labeled a heretic and captured. They were often tortured and killed. It was a brutal time period…
1 educator answer
- LORD OF THE FLIES
What are the characters’ main points in Lord Of The Flies?
If you were to break down the “point” or reason for each character in the novel, many critics have done so as follows: Ralph represents the idea of civilization, the idea that there must be law and…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
Why where the first 10 amendments to the Constitution added?
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, better known as the Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution to allay the fears of opponents of the Constitution, commonly known as…
2 educator answers
- MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
How has the theme of deception played an important part in the play Much Ado About Nothing?
Deception is an integral component of this play as are many of Shakespeare’s comedies. Some of the deceptions that occur in the play are: Don Pedro says he will woo Hero for Claudio in Act 1,…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
who was jay gatsby, his parents, his appearance, and his occupation before he reinvented himself
This question has already been answered. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/describe-james-gatz-how-does-he-compare-jay-gatsby-101259
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What are some complexities or any inconsistencies concerning President Thomas Jefferson?
The major inconsistency that one can see in President Jefferson is in his somewhat inconsistent attitude towards equality and liberty. Jefferson, of course, was the man who wrote the Declaration of…
3 educator answers
- THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
What is the setting in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”?
Throughout most of the story, Mitty is driving around town with his wife, then he drops her off at the hairdresser while he runs some errands. He first gets scolded at by his wife for driving too…
3 educator answers
- LITERATURE
What does it mean when a student is asked to analyze a poem such as “A Thousand Million…
I understand your frustration because it is one shared by many students. What normally happens when a reader studies a poem is that he/she looks for theme, poetic devices–such as metaphor,…
1 educator answer
- THE ODYSSEY
Based on Part 1 of The Odyssey, write a brief essay describing the character traits most valued…
We don’t write essays for students, but we can answer specific questions. To the Greeks, the “guest-host” relationship was sacred. Just as King Alcinous must give Odysseus shelter, food, and…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, what does the author mean by his statement that “the Salem…
Miller suggests several contradictions that existed and–to some extent–still exist today in American society. First, the Puritans who make up Salem Village came to the New World to separate…
2 educator answers
- GRAMMAR
Do you italicize or capitalize the whole names of stories, books, newspapers and magazines,…
You will need to refer to the sources listed below, but I will answer your specific example and give you some other basic guidelines. “His short story, “How to Die Young,” was included in the…
1 educator answer
- STARGIRL
Why do you think Leo decided to let Kevin bring Stargirl on Hot Seat?
At the time that Leo decided to let Kevin bring Stargirl on Hot Seat, her popularity was at its peak. Somewhere around Thanksgiving, the students, after laughing at her and tormenting her for…
1 educator answer
- HENRY
What is the conflict and twist to the short story “Heart and Hands”?
In O’Henry’s “Heart and Hands,” the conflict seems to be between Easton and Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild recognizes Easton while on the train; however, Easton is handcuffed to another man at the…
2 educator answers
- MACBETH
What insights into the characters of Malcolm and Macduff are provided by their long discussion in…
In this scene (Act 4, sc. 3) that takes place in England, Macduff has come to get Malcolm to return to Scotland to help overthrow Macbeth. Macduff tells Malcolm how bad things are in Scotland…
1 educator answer
- THE NECKLACE
What is the situational and dramatic irony in The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant?
Situational irony is, simply put, when the opposite of what one expects to happen occurs. In “The Necklace,” Guy de Maupassant relies once again on his dark situational irony to end the story and…
2 educator answers
- THE CRUCIBLE
Why did Arthur Miller write The Crucible?
Arthur Miller wrote his second play, The Crucible, as a response to his distaste of McCarthyism during the 1950s. Miller believed that people were getting worked up and blaming others without any…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
What themes are present in The Crucible by Arthur Miller that make it a universal and enduring…
Where to begin for this one? It is so difficult for me to narrow down the greatness of Miller’s work to a handful of resonant themes, but for sake of space, I have to do so. The most…
2 educator answers
- THE CALL OF THE WILD
What did John Thornton claim Buck could do? in chapter 5
John Thornton claimed that Buck would risk his own life on John Thornton’s demand. He demonstrated this when John signaled to Buck to jump into the river. By doing so, Buck risked his own life….
1 educator answer
- THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS
What are the motivations for fighting for Britain?
Historically, the war happened amidst a century of Anglo-French hostilities on the European continent. Very simply stated the war was a result over territory and the attempts to influence the…
1 educator answer
- THE STORM
Kate Chopin uses many different colors such as red, blue, white, and yellow in “The Storm”; what…
The colors in “The Storm” are seen in different situations, and represent different things, according to the scene. Some of the first mentionings of color are in describing Calixta’s appearance….
1 educator answer
- DOVER BEACH
Arnold’s Dover Beach as ‘a criticism of life’Arnold’s elegiac poem , ‘Dover Beach’ is a…
First of all, we need to establish what Arnold means by a “criticism of life,” an expression he uses in “The Study of Poetry.” At the time of writing, the old certainties of religious faith…
1 educator answer
- THE COLOR PURPLE
On the book The Color Purple — when and where was this book banned or challenged, and why was it…
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, is one of the books that most often faces banning, or attempts at banning. The most common reasons for wanting to ban this book sexual content (including the rape…
1 educator answer
- JANE EYRE
How does Bronte address the theme of loneliness in Jane Eyre especially in the soliloquy in…
In general, almost all of the main characters in Jane Eyre are lonely. How the characters respond to their need for human companionship is what causes the novel’s conflicts. Jane is obviously…
1 educator answer
- THE CITY OF EMBER
In City of Ember, Chapter 3, how far underground are the Pipeworks Doon works in and what advice…
The Pipeworks are about fifty feet underground, with “tons of earth and rock and buildings” up above. As he descends into the area withhis supervisor Arlin on his first day of work, Doon Harrow…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, what did Scout take a ride in?
Are you asking about when she was in the tire and bumped into the Radley house?
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
Who was the first King of Israel?
The answer to this question is a little bit problematic in that it has to rely on Biblical accounts that are, at times, not corroborated elsewhere. With that caveat in mind, the first king of…
1 educator answer
- TITANIC SURVIVORS FOUND IN BERMUDA TRIANGLE
How many people died during the Titanic wreck?
According to an historical essay entitled The R.M.S. Titanic, 2,201 people (passengers and crew members) were aboard the ship when it set sail from England. Only 711 survived the wreck; so 1,490…
1 educator answer
- THE CRUCIBLE
What is Rev. Parris’s attitude towards children in The Crucible?
Rev. Parris’s attitude toward children is typical of the Puritan attitude in general regarding children. The adage, “children are better seen than heard,” represents how most children were raised…
2 educator answers
- ROMEO AND JULIET
What is Friar Laurence’s reaction to Romeo in Act 2, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet?
In this scene (especially at first), Friar Laurence seems to think that Romeo is making a fool out of himself with regards to love. He knows that Romeo has felt like he is in love with Rosaline and…
3 educator answers
- THE CRUCIBLE
In The Crucible, does Abigail like John Proctor more than a friend?
Abigail has an affair with John Proctor which leads to her being kicked out of the Proctor household. She has sex with John Proctor in his barn where the animals live, so it is reasonable to…
1 educator answer
- AN IDEAL HUSBAND
How do you establish the acting motivation in the Oscar Wilde play An Ideal Husband?
To determine character motivation, analyze each character’s goals and conflicts. Ask: What is it that each character wants? The ask: What is it that prevents each character from attaining that…
1 educator answer
- LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI
What are the marxist elements in the poem ‘Two scavengers in a truck, Two beautiful people in a…
The simplest explanation would lie in the juxtaposition of the two “couples” – each defined in contrast to the other. The “grungy” workers symbolize a Marxist proletariat, while the beautiful…
1 educator answer
- DAISY MILLER
How does Daisy seek to ignore the claims of authority on her life? Family? Community? Custom?…
Daisy Miller is an independent character that chooses to ignore the social customs that limit her. In a sense, she is ignorant to the ways in which established society expects her to behave. Daisy…
1 educator answer
- FRANKENSTEIN
How are Caroline, Elizabeth and Safie from Frankenstein similar?
- All three women are extremely supportive of the men whom they love (almost to a fault). Caroline is indulgent with Victor and seemingly with his siblings, and she compassionately takes care of…
1 educator answer