• A ROSE FOR EMILY

What are the fifteen different objects that contain symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”

There is plenty of symbolism in “A Rose for Emily,” not so much through objects, as the characters in the story. Here is what I found. Miss Emily is referred to as a Fallen Monument. She was a…

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• THE GREAT GATSBY

In chapter 7 of “The Great Gatsby” Fitzgerald uses the oxymoron “unfamiliar and vaguely…

To be precise, I’m not sure it is an oxymoron in context, because the entire phrase is “at once definitely unfamiliar and vaguely recognizable, as if I had only heard it described in words.” In…

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• HISTORY

What effects did slavery have on Europe?

Slavery existed in Europe long before the Crusades and the resulting trade that they encouraged; it existed in Europe during Roman times and probably predates that era. Throughout history, where…

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• OEDIPUS REX

Do you think that Oedipus as a fatal flaw of pride that leads to the play’s terrible consequences?

I hate it to break it to you – and I’m sorry if you’ve heard me say it on enotes before, but the origin of the “tragic flaw” myth is not, as commonly thought, Aristotle’s “Poetics”. Aristotle, as…

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• THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

I need a summary for “The Taming of the Shrew”.

We have two sisters, Katherine and Bianca. Both are beautiful and very wealthy, but Bianca is considered more lovely as she is also kind and obedient. Katherine is the older, and being unmarried…

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• THE PEASANTS

finding the series of booksI found a copy of Autumn at a thrift store for $1.00.Anybody know…

Have you tried Amazon.com or Half.com? Also, if there are any second-hand bookstores in your area, that’s always a good bet. Ebay sometimes also has books in this series for sale. Good Luck!

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• FRANKENSTEIN

Compare and Contrast the novel Frankenstein by MARY SHELLEY to the film Blade Runner by Ridley…

I’ll get you started. This is a great question and I might use the link in my own teaching. Similarities (Compare): 1. Both have creatures which are “created” or manufactured by humans. 2. Many of…

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• THE ODYSSEY

Help with a better topic than “hero” for “The Odyssey”what is a better topic to write a 5…

Of those factors you mention, you could include them all if you bunched them—and in any case, you’d need to make sense of the ones you reject. To spell that out in more detail, Odysseus clearly…

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• ROMEO AND JULIET

Could there be an alternate ending to “Romeo and Juliet”?Could there be an alternate ending to…

It depends on what you believe in. The prologue is very clear that these to kids are going to die–it’s written in the stars. So, according to that, no, there is no alternate ending. It has to…

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• THE PIECE OF STRING

Compare and contrast the main characters of “The Piece of String.”

There is only one main character in “The Piece of String,” and his name is Hauchecome. The other characters are very minor to the story except for M. Malandain, his arch enemy who watches him pick…

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• ESSAY LAB

How to write a thesis statment with these points; the effects on the family, health issues with…

To create a thesis statement, you want to create an argument that succinctly combines those three points. I would begin with finding what you think they have in common. For example, all relate to…

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• LORD OF THE FLIES

Is “Lord of the Flies” a dystopian novel?

I don’t think so, no. A utopia is a society in which everyone is happy, everything goes wonderfully, everything is fair – a dream world! A dystopia is the opposite: a society with awful conditions,…

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• LORD OF THE FLIES

How would you describe the atmosphere of Lord of the Flies?

Golding’s island, I would have said, is presented as a natural paradise, with extreme weather conditions, but, most significantly of all, it is regularly seen through the eyes of the boys…

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• LORD OF THE FLIES

In Lord of the Flies, which scene shows the boys’ lack of self-discipline. Ralph’s vision of…

There are several instances of Ralph’s inability to lead, but one that is clear is in chapter 3. Ralph’s group of boys is in charge of building huts so that the boys have protection from the…

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• GUIDE TO LITERARY TERMS

“Shout at”, “look at”, “point at”, “listen to”, “depend on”, “ask for”, “look for”. Are these…

No, they’re not all phrasal verbs. A phrasal verb is a multi-word verb, consisting of a verb and a preposition (or sometimes an adverb) which modifies its meaning. So, for example, “give” means…

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• LITERATURE

What is a classic book where a young boy is ruler or king, but, due to his age, is not able to…

Two classic books that discuss young characters who are unable to rule as king are Hamlet (Shakespeare) and The Odyssey (Homer). Although both Prince Hamlet and Telemachus have reasons other than…

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• OEDIPUS REX

In Oedipus Rex, is there anything Oedipus could have done differently that would have saved the…

The curse placed on Oedipus is a hereditary curse. In the play “Antigone”, Oedipus’ sons die by killing each other, Antigone kills herself and Creon (the only one left of the family line now) is…

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• FAHRENHEIT 451

In Fahrenheit 451, what is Clarisse’s definition of being social? What does it mean when…

Clarisse says it’s not being social to get people together and then not let the people talk to one another. She says that schools put people together but then they get those people occupied with…

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• OEDIPUS REX

In Oedipus Rex, is Teiresias the one who sees, right from the start, the cause of the plague?What…

Teiresias is, indeed, the one who knew from the start that Oedipus was the cause of the plague on Thebes. Teiresias does not want to tell Oedipus for fear that it will bring Oedipus great shame…

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• THE MINISTER’S BLACK VEIL

In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, what are two passages that are good examples of Hawthorne’s style…

If you are referring to style I think you need to be aware of the context within which Hawthorne was writing and why he is referred to as a Dark Romantic. Dark Romantics, or…

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• FAHRENHEIT 451

What is Montag doing at the beginning of Fahrenheit 451?

As the story opens, Montag and his fellow firemen are burning books. Montag enjoys the act of burning and at this point in the story, he has not given any real thought to what the act of burning…

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• MATH

Ray makes an array that has 4 rows of 4 counters. He wants to make two more arrays using the same…

First, figure out how many counters Ray has. 4 rows of 4 equals 16 counters. You can then either decide ways of making new arrays that use that total, or you could take Ray’s starting array and…

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• THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

Can anyone give examples as to how Ellen Olenska is a powerful individual?

Hi danomitex — see my answer in the Q and A. In addition to the things I brought up in answer to your question, consider Ellen as a character. Specifically, consider her in comparison to the…

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• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In To Kill a Mockingbird, does Scout apply or reject Atticus’ definition of compromise?Please…

Scout has great respect for her father. He says that she will concede the necessity of going to school, and he’ll still read to her every night. From what we read in the rest of the book, Scout…

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• HISTORY

I need help writing an essay about how democratic Jacksonian democracy really was.I need help…

What made Jackson democratic was that he made being president cool again. He was popular, and surrounded himself with whoever he wished rather than picking from the elite. He was not an insider…

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• THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF

Please explain the conflict and the turning point/climax of “The Ransom of Redchief.” How is the…

In “The Ransom of Red Chief,” the humor arises out of the conflict: instead of the kidnapped child being afraid, he terrorizes Sam and, especially Bill, who is threatened with scalping and ridden…

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• ANGELA’S ASHES

In Angela’s Ashes, what happens with the boys shoes and their father?

In chapter 3 of “Angela’s Ashes” the family is on the “dole” again but the income is still not enough. Mrs. McCourt has been going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for extra food and help in…

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• FAHRENHEIT 451

In “Fahrenheit 451” how do firemen “keep everyone happy.” ?

According to Beatty, firemen keep everyone happy because they burn books. And, according to him, books make people sad. This is shown later on as Montag reads the poem “Dover Beach” to Mildred’s…

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• ANGELA’S ASHES

What is the McCourt’s bathroom like in Angela’s Ashes?

The squalor and filth in which the McCourt children have to live is unbelievable. I suppose you are referring to the incident in the book where the bottom floor gets flooded out, so the family…

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• ANGELA’S ASHES

In Angela’s Ashes, why does Frank get angry at his father after Eugene’s death?

Near the end of Chapter two, of “Angela’s Ashes,” Franks younger brother, Eugene dies from pneumonia shortly after they have lost Oliver the same way. On the day of the funeral Frank’s father…

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• ANGELA’S ASHES

What does IRA stand for in Angela’s Ashes?

IRA stands for Irish Republican Army. it was created in 1919 with Michael Collins at the head.The IRA was a militant nationalist group whose purpose was to end British rule in Ireland, replacing it…

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• THE COLLECTOR

I am wondering what the name Piero has to do with the book “The Collecter”?My homework for my…

That is a good question. It sounds like you’ve looked to literature for the meaning of Caliban. I’m going to suggest that the name “Piero” may find its meaning in history and art, rather than…

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• ANGELA’S ASHES

Who is Setanta in Angela’s Ashes?

Setanta is the name that Cuchulain, a mythological Irish hero, had when he was a boy. Frank McCourt first learns the story of Cuchulain, or Setanta, from his father while the family is living in…

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• THE GREAT GATSBY

In The Great Gatsby, who is Meyer Wolfsheim?

Meyer Wolfsheim and Gatsby are associated through their business affairs. Wolfsheim is clearly involved in the ‘rackets’ (illegal business deals) a is also a gambler. A great glimpse of his…

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• FAHRENHEIT 451

In “Fahrenheit 451” how can Guy get back in the good graces?

If he wants to get back into the good graces of Beatty, he needs to take Beatty’s advice. He says, “we let the fireman keep the book twenty-four hours. If he hasn’t burned it by then, we simply…

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• JULIE OF THE WOLVES

What is a good quote in Julie of the Wolves? I also need the page numbers.

Although I am not sure what kind of quote you are looking for, I will give you a few that relate directly to one of the central themes in the book – Miyax’s search for her cultural identity. Since…

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• THE GIVER

In The Giver, give an example of a detail in chapter 6 that tells you about the cultural setting…

In chapter 6, we learn that anyone who feels they do not fit in with the community can apply for release, and be sent “Elsewhere.” At this point in the story, Jonas thinks that that means the…

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• THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

In Chapters 15-18 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, what are the differences between Huck…

When you say “the hunters,” I am assuming you mean the two men looking for runaway slaves from “The Rattlesnake-skin Does Its Work:” “Right then along comes a skiff with two men in it with guns,…

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• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Please explain “the baleful influence of the past” and “cultural degeneracy” in To Kill a…

“Baleful influence of the past and culture degeneracy” basically refers to the ideals of whites being supreme over all other races. In times of slavery in the south (which is where this takes…

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• THE NYMPH’S REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD

What culture is represented in “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”?

Certainly this poem is indicative of the culture of the urbane, educated man of the early 17th century that its writer, Raleigh, was. The language and style is exactly of its time, and is in fact…

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• FAHRENHEIT 451

4- What are the best parts of the book? Why? What are your least favorite parts of the book?…

I am a high school English teacher who (honestly) never got around to reading that book until last week, when I picked it up off the shelf and decided to give it a try. To be completely frank, I…

3 educator answers

• ARABY

What is Mangan’s sister’s role in “Araby”, and how does she affect the narrator?

The narrator has a crush on Mangan’s sister. She has no idea about how the narrator feels about her, however, so when the two of them discuss the bazaar that is coming to town, she is only being…

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• THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

In “The Cask of Amontillado” do the choice of words, concrete images, and figures of speech aid…

The simple answer is of course! Those techniques are what writers use to creat not only atmosphere, but suspense, plot, character, and conflict. If you look at specific examples from the story,…

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• MATH

What is the equation for this word problem?A recent debate between two political candidates…

The total number of people is 3540. We’ll call candidate #1 “X” and candidate #2 “Y” We know X + Y = 3540. We also know that X = 3(Y) – 524 So, 3540 = [3(Y) – 524] + Y This can be simplified: 3540…

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• GULLIVER’S TRAVELS

What are some themes in “Gulliver’s Travels”?I have to write a three page paper on gullivers…

You’ll find a discussion of the themes in this wonderful book in the section of the eNotes study guide focusing on the themes (http://www.enotes.com/gullivers-travels/themes ). However, let us…

2 educator answers

• FAHRENHEIT 451

In “Fahrenheit 451” how do the minorities play a role in the dumbing down of America?

The minorities were offended by certain content in books; so, in order to not offend people, the books were censored and banned. Pretty soon, all of the books were completely changed so as to not…

1 educator answer

• BUSINESS

Is management an art or a science?

People ask that question about management at regular intervals. That’s because it is both—but people who think it is just one or the other, or want it to be just one or the other, re-open the…

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• SOCIAL SCIENCES

What is the difference between Rule utilitarianism and Act utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism tries to overcome the problems of using egoism as a moral guide by making the basis for decision making what will produce the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest amount of…

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• ALL MY SONS

In All My Sons, why does Sue Bayliss hate the Kellers?

Sue Bayliss, the wife of next door neighbor Jim Bayliss, resides in the house that used to belong to Joe’s partner, Steve Deever. She dislikes the Kellers because she thinks Chris really knows…

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• MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

In Much Ado About Nothing, compare Benedick’s two soliloquies in Act II Scene 3. Do they reveal a…

Benedick’s first soliloquoy consists of two main parts — the humorous ridicule of Claudio’s change from soldier to lover, and the explanation of how he, Benedick, is immune to the blandishments of…

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