What is the figure of speech in the poem “Harlem”?
- HARLEM
What is the figure of speech in the poem “Harlem”?
Langston Hughes employs many examples of figurative language in the poem. The overwhelming use of imagery, or mental pictures, populate the poem in helping the reader understand the implications…
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- HAMLET
I need help to write an assessment of the character Hamlet in Hamlet in which I must look at his…
Hamlet has some major strengths and weaknesses you will want to touch on. First, his strengths: -He wants to be absolutely sure that his uncle killed his father before taking revenge. Morally,…
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- THE MINISTER’S BLACK VEIL
Can you explain the quote “An unsought pathos came hand in hand with awe” from The Minister’s…
The context of the quote, “An unsought pathos came hand in hand with awe,” is the occasion of an exceptional sermon delivered by the Reverend Mr. Hooper from behind his black veil. The narrator…
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- WUTHERING HEIGHTS
highlights the pain of heathcliff in letter to catherine?pains of heathcliff
In addition to mkcapen1’s points, I would add something about the destructive nature of the relationship of Heathcliff and Catherine. Remember, their relationship can never be described as a…
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- THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
I need a really good description of all the traps Rainsford puts up for Zaroff in “The Most…
Rainsford does indeed set all three of the traps you mention in Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” The Malay Man Catcher is apparently not a real trap but only a term…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
How does Steinbeck present the barn in Chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men, and why is it important to…
Steinbeck’s description of the barn in Chapter 5 is significant for several reasons. First, Chapter 4 is also set in the barn, but it occurs at night in Crook’s small room. The author’s…
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- THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF
What is the turning point of “The Ransom Of Red Chief”?
In short stories, the turning point is the most dramatic moment — the one where what has been a crisis or conflict is about to be resolved. In “The Ransom of Red Chief,” the turning point occurs…
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- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
What position does John hold among the hill people? What privileges and responsibilities arise…
John is the son of a priest in his village. Because he touched the metal handed to him by his father “and did not die”, by his people’s laws, John was then destined to become a priest himself. As…
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- THE UPTURNED FACE
Is it favorable to bury the commander in the short story “The Upturned Face” on the same day in…
Good question. The impromptu burial under fire in Stephen Crane’s short story “The Upturned Face” was made during the most trying of circumstances by two officers who were personally affected and…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
Discuss how Juliet is unusual for a girl of her time in Act I, scene 5. Would Elizabethan…
Act One, Scene Five of Romeo and Juliet is important because it marks the divergence from traditional protocol that sets up the ill fated relationship between the young lovers and it establishes…
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- LAW AND POLITICS
My school is imposing extra duties like staying after school until the whole premise is…
I think a few things need to be cleared up before an answer can be posed. The first would be that if the school is asking teachers or teaching staff to remain present until all students have left,…
3 educator answers
- ROBINSON CRUSOE
How is Robinson Crusoe and Friday’s relationship symbolic of imperialist ideology?
I assume your question refers to the relationship between Crusoe and Friday and have edited your question accordingly… When Great Britain ruled its extensive empire, it did so with the…
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- AS YOU LIKE IT
In Act IV, Scene II of As You Like It, how does the reconciliation between Orlando and Oliver…
Orlando’s and Oliver’s reconciliation in Act IV, Scene III of As You Like It may be revelatory of some of their character strengths and weaknesses. At the time of the reconciliation, we learn that…
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- ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Who were the influences on the Ezra Pound’s, Gertrude Stein’s, and Ernest Hemingway’s writings?
Ezra Pound’s advice to young poets includes items that seem to describe Hemingway’s later writing: Use no superfluous word, no adjective which does not reveal something. and Don’t be…
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- HENRY
Does “The Last Leaf” present a clear point of view? How?
The story, “The Last Leaf,” by O. Henry, is a prime example of the third person omniscient point of view. Through the use of this type of narrator, Henry clearly shows us each of the characters…
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- THE PIECE OF STRING
What is a good topic for an essay about “A Piece of String”?”A Piece of String” by Guy de Maupassant
One direction that you can follow is that of the author’s attitude toward his characters in “A Piece of String” and the effect that it produces upon the narrative. Having served in the…
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- THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
What are the main literary influences on Hemingway and his writing and how they influenced…
Most critics contend that Hemingway influenced more than he was influenced by. He is one of those pivotal writers who has a legacy more than a pre-history. For instance, many European writers…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
How is Victor Frankenstein a symbol of the new replacing the old? Refer to chapter five in…
At the point of chapter 5 in the novel, Victor’s endeavors represent a change in perception from old to new. The fact this is the moment when he finishes his creation is a symbolic instant of…
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- PETER PAN
Discuss the ending of Peter Pan.
Barrie’s story ends with a small level of twist, but fairly telling ending. The Darlings wait for the children to return. Despite his earlier request and desire to keep the children believing…
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- THE BEST OF O. HENRY
In “After Twenty Years,” what is the motivation of each of the characters in posing as a person…
The story “After Twenty Years” by O. Henry involves two main characters Jimmy and Bob or “Silky Bob” as we come to know him. Silky Bob is dressed in fine clothes with diamond jewelry. The…
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- RUDYARD KIPLING
Please give the summary of the poem ‘If’ by rudyard kippling.i also need the theme and…
In this poem, Kipling is praising the (what he saw as) masculine values that made the British Empire (he thought) great. First stanza: you need to have the self-confidence to just do what you do…
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- THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
Why did Ray Bradbury write “There Will Come Soft Rains”?
It’s good to know Bradbury’s inspiration for this short story, for once you know it, you have a better sense of what is being related… the depths of the story’s melancholy poetic exposition:…
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- BROWNIES
List and expain 3 examples of irony in Brownies.
In my mind, the ironies in Brownies seem to revolve around the idea of race and social interaction. It seems a bit ironic that while the girls feel “victimized” by the comments of the White girls…
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- PIED BEAUTY
What is the theme of “Pied Beauty”?
With the title and all its implications as a clue to theme, the speaker moves from praising the dappled things to praising those of “original, spare, or strange” natures. Since God has made…
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- THE SHIELD OF ACHILLES
What does the Shield of Achilles’ central allusion reveal about the relation of modern poet to…
The central allusion of the poem is to a passage in Homer’s Iliad, which describes the making of the beautiful pastoral scenes on Achilles’ shield. However, in a series of contrasting stanzas, the…
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- NIGHT
In chapter 9, What did the prisoners do when they were freed?
Once the ordeal at Buchenwald had come to its close and the Nazis were on the run, the prisoners think only of food as they find freedom and liberation from the camp. They do not think of anything…
2 educator answers
- THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND
How does the work ethic of the Puritans affect Kit, and help her grow in The Witch of Blackbird…
One of the really interesting historical aspects of this novel is the way that the author describes the hard work that life involved in those days just to survive. For Kit especially, arriving from…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
In “The Great Gatsby” are there a examples of irony?Verbal, Situational, and/or Dramatic irony….
This question has been asked and answered in eNotes–please see the below link.
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- NIGHT
What horrible realization did Elie come to concerning Rabbi Eliahou?
The horrible realization that Eliezer comes to is more of a statement of what is as opposed to what should not be. In the factory, after evacuating Buna, Eliezer and his father take turns sleeping…
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- BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
What three things in “By The Waters of Babylon” symbolize hope for democracy?
John discovers books and writings in the City of the Dead. The priests and their offspring can read and write the old language. Now that John has been to the city and not been killed by the gods,…
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- THE STORY OF AN HOUR
To what extent is this story a journey?
Louise Mallard begins a journey, albeit a very short one, in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour.” When the news is broken to her–carefully, because of her weak heart–concerning her…
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- AMERICA: PATHWAYS TO THE PRESENT
What tactic did Gen. Robert E. Lee use to win a brilliant victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville?
At the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1863), Robert E. Lee and General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson, were able to defeat a numerically superior Union force, led by Gen. Joseph Hooker. Because the…
2 educator answers
- THE HADJ
Why is the journey of Hadj consider a spiritual journey instead of a physical one?
The Hadj is a physical journey, but there are several reasons as to why it can be considered a spiritual one. The primary reason would be the difficulty that accompanies it. This pilgrimage is…
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- SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT
What is Orwell’s message to the audience in “Shooting an Elephant”?
Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is concerned mainly with imperialism. Orwell was writing in the 1930s, at a time when Great Britain still controlled India as well as colonies in Southeast Asia,…
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- THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
How does the author of “The Most Dangerous Game” use each of the two minor characters, Whitney…
Whitney and Captain Nielsen are also travelling on the yacht with Sanger Rainsford when he falls overboard near Ship-Trap Island in Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Whitney…
2 educator answers
- EX-BASKETBALL PLAYER
What symbol does the author use in the first line and what is the meaning of that line?
Updike’s poem uses the first stanza as a type of exposition to help the reader gradually obtain the feel of the story being told. The symbol of the road that runs “past the high school lot” allows…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
What are the strengths and weakness of Jay Gatsby platonic vision in The Great Gatsby?not sure
Plato’s Theory of Forms states: The only true being is founded upon the forms, the eternal, unchangeable, perfect types, of which particular objects of sense are imperfect copies. In this sense,…
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- THE MONKEY’S PAW
What are Mr. White’s motivations, traits, actions, and reactions in the story “The Monkey’s Paw?”
This is actually a pretty big question with a lot of parts…what you are really asking for is a character analysis of Mr. White. I’ll try to point you in the right direction, but you are going to…
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- THE SCARLET LETTER
Analyze Hawthorne’s syntax in the first chapter of the Scarlet Letter.
The opening sentence, which is also the opening paragraph of the story, not to be confused with the opening of the lengthy prologue found in the beginning of the novel, which is the historical…
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- THE GIVER
Why was Jonas so careful in his use of language?In Lois Lowry’s story ‘The Giver.’
At the beginning of the novel, Jonas is what his society has produced. The society in which Jonas was living was very closely monitored and regulated. Families were not meant to be close and…
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- PAUL’S CASE
In the story “Paul’s Case,” is Paul a tragic figure?
This is a fascinating question that goes to the very heart of this excellent and moving short story about a young man who prefers the world of illusion to the world of reality. Certainly, overtly…
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- WASHINGTON SQUARE
Besides needing permission to marry, how are women oppressed in Washington Square by Henry…
Besides needing permission to marry, two other instances of the way in which women are oppressed in Henry James’ novel Washington Square involve who controls the money in a family. The first…
2 educator answers
- THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
Holden is often hypocritical—he says one thing but does another. Analyze three examples of him…
Holden says that he is the “most terrific liar he ever met” in the beginning of Chapter 3. But he spends a great deal of time talking about how much he hates “phonies”! This is a central…
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- DOVER BEACH
In “Dover Beach,” consider the tides here and how the speaker dwells primarily on the ebb tide….
The ebb tide is the tide that is receding, or the water that is being pulled back into the ocean. It is getting lower in its level, and withdrawing back and away from the shores of the beach….
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- A ROSE FOR EMILY
In “A Rose for Emily” explain”lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons…
This descriptive phrase serves two purposes–to describe the actual physical appearance of Miss Emily’s house, years after its prime time has passed, and to serve as symbol for Miss Emily’s…
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- TWO KINDS
What is the good conclusion for the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan?
I think the conclusion to the story actually fits well. The idea that the experience of mother and daughter regarding piano ends in a sort of stalemate is appropriate. Both realize that there is…
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- THE GUEST
Explain this phrase in the short story, “The Guest,” by Albert Camus.”Daru felt a sudden wrath…
Daru is assigned the “official” responsibility to escort a prisoner, an Arab, to the nearby jail. The Arab has been arrested and is to be taken to jail for judgment, sentencing and incarceration….
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the physical appearance of Calpurnia?
The answer to this question can be found in the first chapter of the book, a few pages in, when Scout describes Calpurnia in detail. Cal is like a mother to Scout, because her mother died when she…
2 educator answers
- HENRY DAVID THOREAU
What is the meaning of Thoreau’s quote “There is no odor so bad as that which arises from…
In this passage, from the first chapter of “Walden,” Thoreau is talking about how bad it is when people try to *do* good (especially for others). Instead of trying to *do* good, we should try to…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
Why do John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse speak out against Reverend Hale coming to Salem?Simple one…
Both characters are singularly strong willed individuals in their own right, and both would have abhorred the intrusion of an outsider.