• THE AWAKENING

Help come up with an outline (key points of focus) for a research paper on Kate Chopin’s The…

A character with as many complexities as Edna Pontellier would suffice as a focal point in a feminist analysis of the novel The Awakening. Having Edna as your central point of analysis, you can…

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• REFERENCE

What is the difference between the Army and the Navy from a military standpoint?

Basically, the Army concentrates on providing ground forces for the United States military, while the Navy is tasked with fighting across the seas. The Army The Army is the oldest and largest…

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• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the reason that Scout is picking on Walter Cunningham…

In order to understand why Scout is picking on Walter Cunningham at the beginning of chapter 3 of To Kill A Mockingbird, the reader must first look at the events that occurred previously in chapter…

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• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why does Atticus say, “If there was Jem and eleven other boys like him on the jury, Tom would be…

In Chapter 23, Atticus discusses the Tom Robinson case with Jem. Atticus explains to Jem that rape is a capital offense in Alabama and that no jury in the South would have given Tom a partial…

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• SILAS MARNER

How would you describe the village of Raveloe, the setting for Silas Marner?

Raveloe is described directly and indirectly in chapter 1. It is first depicted as a place “where many of the old echoes lingered, undrowned by new voices” This is an indication that the town has…

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• THE BOOK THIEF

What is being compared in the following passage from The Book Thief? Late in February, she…

The passage you cite is in the chapter called “Thirteen Presents” from Part Six, which is called “The Dream Carrier,” and contains two comparisons. One is a simile and one is a metaphor….

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• LORD OF THE FLIES

What does the conch symbolize in “Lord of the Flies”?

The conch is one of the most significant, and arguably the most memorable, of the symbols utilized by Golding in Lord of the Flies. The conch represents order, rational thought and civilization….

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• THE ODYSSEY

Where was Odysseus before he landed at Phaeacia in The Odyssey?

Odysseus’s last land stop before getting home to Ithaca is the island of Phaeacia, where Alcinous is king and Arete is queen. Following the advice of their daughter, princess Nausicaa, Odysseus…

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• ONCE UPON A TIME

How is the use of the phrase, “Happily ever after,” in Nadine Gordimer’s short story, “Once upon…

Nadine Gordimer’s short story differs from the usual fairy tale in that her story commences with the phrase, ‘happily ever after’, whereas in traditional fairy tales this is normally only used at…

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• LITERATURE

What are some of Finnick Odair’s character traits in “The Hunger Games”?

Finnick Odair is first seen in Catching Fire, in the Remake Center before the opening ceremonies of the third Quarter Quell. He flirted with her, offering her a sugar cube that was supposed to be…

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• HISTORY

What did King Henry II say that prompted the knights to go to Canterbury?

The famous words uttered by King Henry II represent the final stage in the turbulent relationship between the king and his archbishop, Thomas Becket. While in a rage, Henry is reported to have…

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• THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH

According to Tolstoy, what is terrible about a simple and ordinary life in the novel The Death of…

Chapter 2 of the novel The Death of Ivan Ilych opens with one of the most famously-quoted phrases in Russian literature Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most…

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• LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM CITY JAIL

Describe the four basic steps for a nonviolent campaign as outlined by King in “Letter from a…

In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King argues that there are four basic steps in any nonviolent campaign: “[C]ollection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self…

3 educator answers

• THE HUNGER GAMES

What are some of Peeta Mellark’s character traits in The Hunger Games?

Peeta is, in a word, likable. Although he has many traits, you could say that the word “likable” describes each of them. In fact, throughout the book and then the series, it is difficult to dislike…

2 educator answers

• ANIMAL FARM

In Animal Farm by George Orwell, what happens to Snowball after he disappears?

In Animal Farm by George Orwell, Snowball proves to be a much better speaker than Napoleon, and if it had not been for Napoleon’s trained dogs, Snowball would have probably assumed leadership on…

2 educator answers

• HEALTH

Why do we have to have a brain and a heart to live? Why can’t we live without them?

To understand why humans and other animals need a brain and heart to live, and why we cannot live without them, one must look at the functions of both and how they are involved in the major…

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• THE ODYSSEY

Why didn’t the cyclops’ friends help him in The Odyssey by Homer?

In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus and his men arrive on the Land of the Cyclopes. There, they come across the cave where Polyphemus, the cyclops, lives and help themselves to his giant cheeses and…

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• LAW AND POLITICS

Is the United States’ system of liberal democracy working against American values and being…

As noted in the post above, socialism and communism haven’t exactly failed everywhere. It depends on how you look at the countries that have tried these systems and what you consider “success.” It…

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• MACBETH

In Macbeth, Macbeth is startled by a voice that says that he has murdered whom?

In Macbeth, when Macbeth enters the chamber to kill Duncan, he is startled by a voice calling out in the night. At first one of the voices calls out a blessing to which the other responds “Amen.”…

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• HISTORY

How did the horse change the way Plains Indians lived? 1 image

The impact of horses on the Plains Indians was rather dramatic. Horses were part of what is dubbed the Columbian Exchange–the goods, foods, animals, and diseases that were traded between the Old…

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• BLACK BEAUTY

What are examples of hyperbole in Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty?

Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker uses words in a non-literal way to create an exaggeration. Dr. Wheeler gives us the example, “His thundering shout could split rocks”…

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• WHIRLIGIG

What similes appear in chapter 5 of “Whirligig”?

A simile is a literary form that uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one thing to another. Writers use them to add depth to the narrative and to engage the reader in thinking about the…

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• THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

At the climax of the story, what does Sanger Rainsford have an epiphany about?

Rainsford realizes that the general is toying with him when he turns back, and he decides he will need to up his game and not lose his nerve. When Rainsford is first told by General Zaroff that he…

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• OTHELLO

What are examples of dramatic irony in Othello?

A great deal of the conflict in Othello is driven by what the audience knows but the characters, in particular Othello, do not know. The audience knows that Desdemona is perfectly loyal to Othello…

2 educator answers

• LANGSTON HUGHES

How do I go about examining the relationship between the ideas expressed in Langston Hughes essay…

One starting point in examining the relationship between the ideas expressed in both of Hughes’s works is to look at how he addresses African- American identity in the modern setting. In Hughes’s…

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• HISTORY

When did King Leopold II rule the Congo?

“I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.” –Leopold II of Belgium King Leopold of Belgium ruled the Congo between 1885-1908. He was granted…

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• HISTORY

Analyze the process of the decline of feudalism in Europe with special reference to role of trade.

Feudalism was the dominant social system In Europe for much of the Middle Ages but began to decline in the late 1400s. Historians have identified a number of reasons for this decline, beginning…

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• THE PIGMAN

Describe the party in Paul Zindel’s The Pigman.

The party starts in chapter 13, but Mr. Pignati is not there because he is in the hospital recovering from a minor heart attack. John and Lorraine really cross some lines by holding a party at his…

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• THE WAY TO RAINY MOUNTAIN

What does the image signify about the Kiowa culture?

I assume here that you are speaking of the sacred image of the Kiowa tribe in Momaday’s The Way to Rainy Mountain (as, apart from the literary imagery in Momaday’s work, that is the main image…

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• OF MICE AND MEN

Who is the leader in Of Mice and Men?

Well, that’s a great question, but that depends on the context of your question. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are a couple of people who could be classified as leaders, but for…

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• HISTORY

What was the name of the group of men who wrote the Constitution?

After America had gained independence from Britain, there was a need to form an effective central government. So, on May 25 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 states gathered in Philadelphia for the…

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• GREAT EXPECTATIONS

When do readers see evidence in Great Expectations that Pip is affected by child abuse, and how…

From the outset of Great Expectations, readers must suspect that Pip has a miserable existence in his sister’s home. After all, Pip first appears as a small child choosing to spend time in a…

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• HOLES

Can you help me identify the parallel stories in Holes (by Louis Sachar) and give a brief…

There are really three parallel stories happening in the book. The first is the one happening in the present day involving Stanley Yelnats IV. His story revolves around getting charged with…

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• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why do you think Atticus never mentioned his shooting ability to his kids?

By the lessons Atticus teaches Scout and Jem throughout the novel, I don’t think he feels it’s important to tell them about his ability to shoot. I also don’t think Atticus is particularly…

2 educator answers

• THE CHRYSALIDS

What is the main theme in the book The Chrysalids by John Wyndham Parkes and Lucas Beyn Harris?

I believe the main theme of The Chrysalids is the theme of conformity vs. change. That theme is a fairly broad stroke, and it definitely includes the sub-theme of “genoism” (the book’s version of…

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• THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

Do you believe Rainsford should be charged with murder?

Rainsford should not be charged with murder because he kills Zaroff in self-defense. Zaroff has been trying to kill him throughout most of the story. Rainsford has managed to escape up to the end,…

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• SCIENCE

Have we discovered more than 119 elements?

One of the first significant steps in understanding chemistry and the nature of matter was understanding the properties that defined an element. Once we learned that elements were based on the…

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• HISTORY

Why was Christopher Columbus a hero?

Some might consider Christopher Columbus to have been a hero because he had several traits distinctive of classic literary heroes. For one, he had the courage to cross an ocean most people believed…

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• THE BET

In “The Bet,” what impact did the lawyer’s letter have on the banker?

When the banker reads the lawyer’s letter, he is immediately overcome with relief and this is shown through his first physical reaction in which he “kisses the man on the head,” a sign of immense…

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• HISTORY

What did Teddy Roosevelt believe was the responsibility of the United States to underdeveloped…

Theodore Roosevelt believed the United States had a responsibility to help underdeveloped countries. He believed we needed to show underdeveloped countries how to govern themselves, how to develop…

1 educator answer

• A ROSE FOR EMILY

What are the common themes, with examples, in the stories “A Rose for Emily,” “The Yellow…

The primary common theme in the stories “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and the poem “Daddy”, by Sylvia Plath, is the feeling of…

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• SOCIAL SCIENCES

If I argue about the inability of government to protect its citizens, how should I start my…

The most important aspect when presenting any argument is to provide a clear and precise thesis supported by evidence. To support the premise the government is unable to protect the citizens, you…

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• MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

How is Midnight’s Children a postcolonial novel?

Salman Rusdie’s classic novel Midnight’s Children is a prime example of a postcolonial novel for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that Rushdie addresses British imperialism and…

1 educator answer

• FAHRENHEIT 451

Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a book about both willful ignorance and censorship. Explain how…

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, a futuristic society has willfully enforced ignorance and censorship upon its citizens in order to control them. The timeframe of the story is not specific; the…

1 educator answer

• SCIENCE

Why didn’t other scientists believe Alfred Wegener about the continental drift?

There were two reasons the scientific community rejected Alfred Wegeners theory of continental drift, which attempted to explain how the major land masses of the earth had drifted to their present…

1 educator answer

• HISTORY

Which nation was the world’s economic leader after World War 1?

After the chaos and destruction of World War One, it was America who emerged as the world’s strongest economy. Beginning around 1921, America experienced an economic boom in which the country’s…

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• THE RAVEN

What does the narrator begin to think about when he senses the presence of angels and the air…

For a time after the entrance of the raven into the man’s room, he is distracted from his grief for Lenore. To give himself a better view of the bird where it is perched, he wheels an upholstered…

1 educator answer

• LITERATURE

What is the common theme, with examples, in the stories “A Rose For Emily”, “The Yellow…

One common theme that I see is these texts is the domination and infantilization of women by males who drive them mad, in “A Rose for Emily” and “Daddy” by fathers, and in “The Yellow Wallpaper,”…

1 educator answer

• THE NUN’S PRIEST’S TALE

Who are Chanticleer and Pertelote from “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” by Chaucer?

In “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale,” Chaucer constructs both a fable and a humorous mock epic that infuses many elements of human drama into the daily life of a barnyard. At the center of the tale is…

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• SCIENCE

What are the uses of organic compounds? What are uses of inorganic compounds?

Organic compounds are compounds that contain carbon (and most often nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen). Organic compounds are compounds found within living (biological) things. All biomolecules…

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