• THE CANTERBURY TALES

What are the pilgrims using for transportation?

You don’t always get a description of the horse, but the pilgrims are riding on horseback to Canterbury. The General Prologue mentions the need for stables, and several of the pilgrims are actually…

1 educator answer

• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

What does this quote by Antony in “Julius Caesar” mean? “…let me not stir you up to such a…

In this quote Marc Anthony is speaking to the crowd at Caesar’s funeral. He has told the people how much Caesar loved them, he has told them that even though the men who killed him were…

2 educator answers

• ARTS

What is the meaning behind the Beatles song Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da ?

Although it is true that many songs represent periods in the artist’s lives which deal with their emotions and events at the time, I don’t believe that there is any deep meaning behind this song. I…

1 educator answer

• REFERENCE

What does ‘ample’ mean?It’s sort of peculiar!

‘Ample’ means ‘plenty’ with the idea of ‘more than enough.’

2 educator answers

• THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK

In W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, what was the author’s purpose?

We have to be careful when we begin to speculate about authorial intent or purpose ( this is called the intentional fallacy). We know a number of things about the Souls of Black Folk. First, it…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

What is Macbeth like at the start of the play and how do we feel about him?think about the…

Macbeth is a hero at the beginning of the play. He fought so bravely that King Duncan awarded him the title of Thane of Cawdor after the former Cawdor proved to be disloyal. The men talked of how…

1 educator answer

• A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS

How is the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” an example of “magical realism” and an…

The short answer is, only in a limited fashion. By that I mean, you can make allegorical connections between some elements of this wonderful story and reality. You can argue that the state of the…

2 educator answers

• LITERATURE

Is fair weather an inspirational awakening to the muse of poetry?

According to Greek mythology, the nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Four of these were directly related to poetry: Calliope – Goddess of epic poetry…

1 educator answer

• THE ODYSSEY

What do the police use today that is taken from “The Odyssey”? What do the police use today that…

An interesting question. I love the idea that they’re using one-eyed giants, but the only thing I can think of immediately is mentors. Mentoring is part of police work, as it is part of “The…

2 educator answers

• THE CRUCIBLE

In Act 4 of The Crucible, why does John Proctor decide to confess but refuse to sign a written…

Proctor does sign the written confession, but he tears it up after he signs it. He tells the judges that they have witnessed him signing it and that is enough, but they want to post the signed…

3 educator answers

• THE GREAT GATSBY

Why does the different areas like Valley of ashes, East Egg, West Egg, New York City are so…

Fitzgerald kept these settings separate for clarity. They all represent different things, and keeping them apart makes their differences more obvious. The West Egg represents the old money. These…

1 educator answer

• MATH

You can drive at a speed of 65 miles/hour whereas your spouse can drive at a speed of 35…

The easiest way to figure out this type of question without being confused is to use dimensional analysis. That means when you divide, the units that you don’t want will cancel, and what you want…

1 educator answer

• “MASTER HAROLD” . . . AND THE BOYS

Hally initially describes ballroom dancing as entertaining but not beautiful, emotional but not…

Hally’s description of ballroom dancing as entertaining but not beautiful, emotional but not intellectual posits the type of dancing in which Sam and Willie engage as “primitive.” Hally decides to…

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

Paul and DarryAccording to ponyboy, why do Paul and Darry hate each other?

Pony said that he thought Paul had nothing but contempt for greasers and the greaser life-style. He was in college, making something of himself while Darry was still at home trying to make ends…

2 educator answers

• LITERATURE

What is your opinion about science fiction?

Like other types of literature, science fiction can be written primarily to entertain readers or to examine serious themes. I prefer science fiction that raises important questions about ourselves…

4 educator answers

• THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

In The Taming of the Shrew, is the woman Katherina being tamed?

My first answer would be “Yes, but…” By that I mean, yes, Katherina is “tamed” to a degree. She modifies her behavior. Simply put, she isn’t as mean or loud, and she doesn’t fight everything and…

3 educator answers

• GIRL

What is the point of view in Kincaid’s “Girl”?

“Girl” is a unique piece of literature. It is a story, but there is no setting, description, or exposition. Characters are not named or identified. It is not a play or a poem, but there is…

2 educator answers

• TWILIGHT

Why doesn’t Stephenie Meyer continue writing books after “Breaking Dawn”?Not just any book, but…

Wouldn’t it be great if our favorite series went on forever? Sadly, they all have to end. In the FAQ section of her website, Meyer indicates she’s ending the series with that book because the…

5 educator answers

• OSCAR WILDE

What is the main theme of “The Nightingale and the Rose” by Oscar Wilde?

The story examines the nature of love. The student pines for the girl he loves, but his love has no depth or enduring passion. His feelings change abruptly to anger and disgust the moment he is…

2 educator answers

• A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

In what way is the attraction between Mitch and Blanche different from that between Stanley and…

If Mitch flutters around Blanche much as a moth to the light, he knows inasmuch that he might “get his wings burned.” Later in the story, Stanley even threatens Blanche to tell Mitch about the…

1 educator answer

• THE SWEET HEREAFTER

Based on the first 4 paragraphs of The Sweet Hereafter, what would you say that Dolores is trying…

The first four paragraphs of the novel, narrated by Delores, who had been driving the bus at the time of the accident, are set up as her explanation of what she experienced when the accident…

1 educator answer

• A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS

In “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings,” why are the old man’s wings covered with parasites? What…

As in all questions of representation, interpretation is required here. (There is no single, fixed answer.) However, that said, we can make some pretty solid interpretations. First, the people…

1 educator answer

• THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER

How did Attean help Matt learn new things about survival in the forrest in Sign of the Beaver?Why…

The first survival skill Attean teaches Matt is how to snare rabbit and other small game. He creates a simple noose out of roots and arranges it on a stand of forked saplings. Attached to the…

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

J.D.I want to know what a J.D. is in the book “The Outsiders”

J.D. I want to know what a J.D. is in the book “The Outsiders” J.D. stands for “juvenile delinquent.” You don’t hear this slang term now, but it used to be very common. It was a way of…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

I need help with a creativity theme to make a backboard for my History Fair project about Carl…

Carl Sandburg’s ashes are buried underneath ‘Remembrance Rock’ surrounded by a beautiful flower garden. I was thinking perhaps you might be able to use dried flowers and actual rocks to give the…

2 educator answers

• THE OUTSIDERS

Brumly boysWho are the boys from Brumly?

The Brumly boys are another gang that is a little more organized than Ponyboy and posse. They join our guys in the rumble scene in chapter 9 to help them fight the Socs and win. The actually have a…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

Why is John Brown so significant to the Civil War?

Before John Brown attempt at taking Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, the focus of abolitionists had been on debating and trying to change the laws to abolish slavery. After Harper’s Ferry, many…

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

BopperIn “The Outsiders” , what is a Bopper?

While the term bop or bopper has changed over the years, it is used in this story to reference one who fights. When the boys agree to a rumble and then begin fighting, they are said to be “bopping”…

1 educator answer

• MACBETH

Is the message of Macbeth one of despair, or one of hope?Is the message of Macbeth one of…

Even though this play is labeled as a tragedy, the final message is one of hope. The play is entitled the “Tragedy of Macbeth” and, indeed, Macbeth is a tragic figure. He is seduced by both greed…

2 educator answers

• MATH

For a linear function f, f(-1)=3 and f(2)=4 find an equation for fplease answer soon, I need…

Another way to answer this question is that you know any linear function can always be written y = mx + b, where m is the slope. Find m first, (4 – 3)/(2 – -1)=1/3. Then plug in one point to solve…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

Why is the Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” so titled?

Flies have long been associated with the devil and his evil. “Beelzebub,” a name for the devil, is Hebrew for “god of the fly,” “host of the fly,” or literally, “lord of the flies.” Stumblling…

1 educator answer

• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Can a Female Shakespearean Character be a Wooer?Though “wooing” seems associated mainly with male…

Good question. It’s actually a reasonably ambivalent verb, and one that can be ascribed either to a male or female wooer. More usually in Shakespeare you’ll find it given to a male but that’s…

4 educator answers

• THE LOVELY BONES

In The Lovely Bones, what are all of the objects Mr. Harvey collects from his victims?

In Chapter 11, readers learn that Mr. Harvey kept the bodies of animals he’d killed hidden in his crawlspace. In Chapter 14, readers see that he keeps an odd sketchbook. In Chapter 15, though, we…

1 educator answer

• A DOLL’S HOUSE

In A Doll’s House, why does Nora say that it is “fun” to take care of her children?

Nora tries to make Torvald understand what their relationship has been. She tells Torvald that he has played with her, which was fun, just as it has been fun for her to play with their children….

1 educator answer

• THE OUTSIDERS

What seems to give Johnny the most pain in his life in Chapter 6 of The Outsiders?

In Chapter 6 of “The Outsiders”, Dally comes to Windrixville to see Johnny and Ponyboy who have been hiding out in an abandoned church there. He goes out to lunch with them, brings Ponyboy a…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

How might one explain the phrase “something flittered there in front of his mind like a bat’s wing”?

Here’s the quote from the novel you need: “Smoke.” A strange thing happened in his head. Something flittered there in front of his mind like a bat’s wing, obscuring his idea….

1 educator answer

• ANIMAL FARM

Old Major had a dream about a new society in “Animal Farm”. Was it a realistic one? Were his…

I don’t think his dream was a realistic one for several reasons. After reading the novel, you can see some of the pitfalls he failed to see. He assumed, as many of the American Romantics did during…

1 educator answer

• 1984

What is the Party’s attitude toward love and marriage in 1984?

The novel 1984, by George Orwell, discusses the relation between the concepts of “Big Brother,” Comrads,” and the Party. The Party has specific guidelines for all of the people who live within its…

2 educator answers

• INTO THE WILD

In Into the Wild, how can McCandless’ feelings about his family be contrasted with his…

Chapter Twelve opens with a quote by Henry David Thoreau, McCandless’literary mentor: “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me the truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in…

2 educator answers

• THE OUTSIDERS

In The Outsiders, why do Johnny and Ponyboy go to Jay Mountain?

In Chapter 4 of “The Outsiders”, Ponyboy and Johnny “run away” from home and go to the park because Ponyboy got into an argument with his brother Darry. They never intend to actually leave…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

Which issues or question did the Buddha refuse to consider?

in a famous exchange recorded in the Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutra, Vacchagotta asks the Buddha whether he has opinions on a number of aspects of existence and the cosmos, for instance, the physical…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In “To Kill a Mockingbird” what does Mr.Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden?

The book doesn’t indicate that Mr. Nathan Radley knows anything about the kids being in the garden-he fired a shot into the yard because he heard a noise, but didn’t know it was them. Rather, it…

1 educator answer

• COLD MOUNTAIN

In Cold Mountain, what are the possible meanings of the title of the chapter “Ashes of Roses”?

In this chapter, Ada has a flashback where she was at a party, in a new dress that her father had given to her. She caught sight of a woman’s back in a mirror, and “the dress the figure wore was…

1 educator answer

• THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

In the story “The Gift of the Magi,” why does Jim use his middle name on his mailbox?

The story seems to indicate that he used that middle name, “Dillingham” on the box because it sounded official, formal, and proud, and when it had been put on there, Jim “was being paid $30 per…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

Im doing family tree searching my grandfather Pietro Caputi his name comes up under War Crimes…

This is a tough question to answer. You will need to know a bit more about his military service, what branch, where he enlisted etc. If you had a birth record or dog-tags, that would give you a…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

Compare Indra and Purusha.In what ways do they represent significant historical changes that were…

Indra and Purusha are both mentioned in the Vedas. Indra is depicted as a god of war and of storms and lightning. Purusha on the other hand is shown as a giant being whose sacrifice gives rise to…

1 educator answer

• BEOWULF

In Beowulf, what are the differences between Beowulf and Wiglaf?

Both Wiglaf and Beowulf are brave fighters. The young Wiglaf even reminds one of the young Beowulf. But Wiglaf does not seem to be as solitary as Beowulf. When Wiglaf loses his shield, he turns…

2 educator answers

• TWO KINDS

What do you gain/lose for each literary point of view and how does the reader’s perception of the…

It really depends on the story itself. For example, if “The Lottery” was written from a first person narrative, then the surprise purpose of the lottery would be revealed immediately at the…

1 educator answer

• A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

What is “A Man for All Seasons” about?

“A Man for All Seasons” is a play by Robert Bolt. It depicts the relationship between King Henry VIII of England and his Chancellor, Sir Thomas More. When Henry decided to divorce Katherine of…

1 educator answer

• THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

In “The Catcher in the Rye,” Holden wants to be the catcher. Explain how Holden can or cannot be…

Holden wants to be the “Catcher in the Rye” because he wants to enable children to stop growing up and having to face adult problems. However, Holden’s dream is unrealistic. No one can really stop…