What is the lesson of Freak the Mighty?

August 22, 2018 Educator

HISTORY

What is Lexington and Concord and why was it important?

Lexington and Concord were two small towns not far to the northwest of Boston at the time of the Revolutionary War. There were small battles in each of these towns on April 19, 1775. These…

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THE TELL-TALE HEART

In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” what prevents the narrator from killing the old man during one of the…

The narrator says that his reason for killing the old man is that he does not like the old man’s “pale blue eye, with a film over it” – he calls it a “vulture eye” and an “Evil Eye”. For the first…

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HARRISON BERGERON

in “Harrison Bergeron”, what does the author assume about the attitudes of the audience in this…

In “Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut assumes the readers all have a positive attitude about the word “equality” and a similar image of what that would look like in action. So when the story…

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THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC

What are some examples of metaphors in chapters 10 and 11 of The Devil’s Arithmetic?

A metaphor is an unlikely comparison that does not use the words “like” or “as.” In chapters ten and eleven of The Devil’s Arithmetic, there are quite a few metaphors. These two…

MARTIN EDEN

I need help finding a specific example when Martin Eden was an outcast or outsider in Martin Eden…

I think, perhaps, you are making this question seem harder than it actually is. Some of Martin Eden’s simple statuses in life lead to his being an outcast or an outsider. For example, Martin Eden…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What is the significance of the quote, “Matches were dangerous, but cards were fatal”?

Technically, Scout thinks that there is more harm to be had, in the form of punishment that is, in playing cards than in playing with matches. Two factors inform her opinion: she’s very young and…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What songs relate to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird?

Since a dominant theme in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird concerns racism, any song with a racist theme will also relate to the novel. Many songs have been written throughout the decades about…

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SCIENCE

Can two o+ parents have an a+ baby?

For humans, blood type is determined by three possible alleles which are A,B, and O. The child’s blood type is dependent on which two alleles are inherited by the offspring from the parents’…

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SOCIAL SCIENCES

What are the physical features of the USA?

The United States has many physical features. We have several mountain ranges. These include the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Cascade Mountains….

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RIP VAN WINKLE

What is different when Rip Van Winkle wakes up that was not there before he fell asleep?

There are many differences in Rip Van Winkle’s small town after he awakens from his 20 year nap! Since Rip falls asleep right before the Revolutionary War and wakes up in the years after, so much…

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SCHINDLER’S LIST

How does the film Schindler’s List portray the Holocaust in general? How, for example, is the…

The movie version of Schindler’s List was directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1993. If you have any doubts about how good this movie is, consider the Academy awards it won: best picture,…

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FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH

What is the meaning of the vacuum story that Nicodemus tells Mrs. Frisby in the book Mrs. Frisby…

The aim of the vacuum story was to inform Mrs. Frisby about the risks of taking the easy way out. This was with regards to the stealing culture of the rats. Nicodemus realized that by over-relying…

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SCIENCE

Explain what happens to light when it travels through air and water.

When the light travels through the boundary between the air and water, it changes direction. This phenomenon is called refraction. It can be easily observed by filling a glass with water and…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why does Dill’s explanation of Jem’s state of dress almost land him in trouble?

I think you’re talking about the episode where Jem sneaks into the Radley yard and tries to peek through the back porch window to see if he can see Boo. Jem gets scared when he sees a shadow…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What did Scout learn in Chapter 11?

In Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learned what true courage looks like. After Mrs. Dubose insulted Atticus to the children, Jem “simply went mad” and beat the tops off of her…

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1984

Who from Winston’s life is thrown into the cell with him?

In Part Three, Chapter One of 1984, there are two people from Winston’s life who are thrown into his cell. The first is Ampleforth, a poet and co-worker of Winston’s, who worked in the Records…

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SCIENCE

How do you balance a chemical equation?

Chemical equation need to be balanced in order to extract stoichiometric information from it. A balanced chemical equation has equal number of atoms of each element on both sides of the chemical…

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THE GIVER

Why does The Giver have all of the memories instead of the community in The Giver?

Generations back, when the community went to Sameness, they decided that individuals in the community did not need individual memories of their communal past. While they do contain memories of joy,…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

How was the burning down of Miss Maudie’s house a symbol in the story?

Miss Maudie is a morally upright character throughout the novel. The fire that consumes her house utterly destroys the structure. Typically, an individual who experiences such a catastrophic loss…

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THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

What types of characterization are used in “The Most Dangerous Game”?

In his short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” Richard Connel uses indirect characterization to describe the two main characters in the story. The reader also finds that by the end of the story the…

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THE ODYSSEY

What are three instances from book 12 of the Odyssey that proves Odysseus is being a hero?

There are many instances throughout The Odyssey where Odysseus acts heroically. A hero, according to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, is “a person admired for bravery, great…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What are three characteristics of the Ewells as described in Chapter 17 in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird, we get a good description of the Ewell’s background and living conditions during their testimony at the trial and through Scout’s narration. As Scout is…

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DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

What does Dylan Thomas mean in line 17 of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night?”

The speaker of the poem (Thomas) implores the reader to fight and resist death even if it is inevitable. “Wise men” and philosophers will rage against death because their wise words may not have…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What is the significance of gender roles in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Most of the gender roles in To Kill a Mockingbird are very traditional for the timeframe the book is set. In other words, most of the characters fulfill the expectations of traditional gender…

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THE COLOR PURPLE

How does Harpo know Sofia isn’t coming back?

Harpo and Sophia are, perhaps, the couple most truly in love in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. They are also the two characters who most exhibit swapping gender roles in a traditional…

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RIP VAN WINKLE

What cautionary messages is Washington Irving sending through Rip Van Winkle’s mishaps?

The message or moral presented in “Rip Van Winkle” is that if you don’t work while you are young and don’t make something of yourself, you will wake up one day and find that you have grown old, you…

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A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

Who is Buddy’s best friend?

In Truman Capote’s short story, “A Christmas Memory,” Buddy’s best friend is actually a distant cousin who lives in the same family home that he does. In spite of their age difference,…

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SOCIAL SCIENCES

Can you explain the theoretical models used to discuss sensitivity to difference, such as the…

There are several different models used to understand how people perceive cultural differences and how culturally sensitive they are. Cultural sensitivity is the acceptance of differences among…

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LAW AND POLITICS

What was wrong with the No Child Left Behind Act?

There were many problems with the No Child Left Behind Act. In theory, the law sounded like a good idea. No child should get a poor education. Every child should be proficient in learning. Poor…

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HISTORY

Why did the Fertile Crescent fail where Europe prospered in long term food production?

I do not know if your class is currently studying Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, but this is a question that Diamond addresses in his book. He concludes that the Fertile Crescent, which…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What is the meaning of the incident between Atticus and Robert Ewell at the post office?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Robert (Bob) Ewell confronted Atticus Finch outside of the post office, following the trial that, incidentally, Bob was on the winning side of. The confrontation consisted…

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THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

What beliefs about the “sentience” of matter does Usher express to the narrator in The Fall of…

“Sentience” is a term used to describe having feelings or emotions. While plants are alive, they are not believed to have feelings. While animals seem to have reasoning skills, they are also not…

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LITERATURE

What do lines 7-9 of Canto 23 of Dante’s Inferno mean?

In Canto 23, Dante worries that the demons will come after him and his companion, Virgil. While he ponders their fate, he is reminded of the soul of Navarre in the previous Canto and all that the…

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THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS

What is the effect of the alliteration the author uses in “There Will Come Soft Rains”?

The most impressive thing about “There Will Come Soft Rains” is that the author makes it look easy. The story is essentially characterless and conversation-less, and, with one minor exception, it…

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I, TITUBA, BLACK WITCH OF SALEM

I need to talk about sexuality and women in the book I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse…

The book I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Boucolon is loosely based on an historical figure, Tituba, a woman possibly of Native American, African, or mixed descent. She was a slave owned…

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ATONEMENT

How does catastrophe provoke misinterpretation in the book Atonement?

In Atonement, the moment of catastrophe is brought about because of Briony’s immaturity, fear, and confusion. At thirteen, Briony is on the cusp of womanhood, becoming slowly aware of her own…

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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, who says the following sentences and to whom? ‘I hope we…

This kind of question asks you to consider what you know about the characters. Even though there are a lot of characters in Pride and Prejudice, by looking at any snippet of dialogue, you can often…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Cite a quote and page number in Chapter 9 that portrays Aunt Alexandra’s disapproval of Scout’s…

In Chapter 9, on page 108, Scout describes her Aunt Alexandra as being fanatical on the subject of her attire. Scout says, “I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I…

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SCIENCE

Find the resultant of a 52 N force acting due East and a 33 N force acting due South.

The forces are vectors and have both, a direction and a magnitude. In this case, the forces are acting due East and due South and hence, are at an angle of 90 degrees to each other. We can use the…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird,” how old are Tom Robinson’s children?

I do not believe we are ever told the ages of Tom Robinson’s children in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom is 25 years old, and is married to a woman named Helen. They have three children. One is named…

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THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

In “The Cask of Amontillado,” how does Montresor interact with the other characters?

There are not many characters in Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, but there are a few: aside from Montresor, there is Fortunato, Luchesi is mentioned by name only, and Montresor’s absent servants. I…

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL

What does the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come teach Scrooge?

The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge several scenes — stock exchange members discussing the death of a rich man; pawnshop owners buying someone’s belongings from shady vagabonds; a…

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THE OUTSIDERS

Who comes to see Johnny and Dally in the hospital?

In Chapter 6, Pony is sitting in the waiting room waiting to hear news about how Johnny and Dally are doing when Sodapop and Darry walk in the hospital. Pony is elated to see Soda and is indignant…

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WATERSHIP DOWN

What are the months covered during Watership Down?

Watership Down is the epic tale of Hazel and his group of rabbits that have left their comfortable warren in search of a new place to call home. While it seems like a lifetime for the rabbits, the…

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MACBETH

Are Macduff and Malcolm foils in Macbeth?

In The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, 3rd edition, editors Ross Murfin and Supryia Ray define “foil” as follows: “A character whose contrast with the main character (protagonist)…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

In chapter ten of The Lord of the Flies, the tiny assembly still uses the conch. Why?

Chapter ten is titled “The Shell and the Glasses” for good reason. The chapter opens with Piggy squinting to see through the one good lens in his spectacles. Ralph approaches both Piggy and the…

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HISTORY

Name 3 major Enlightenment figures who influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence?

Issued on July 4 1776, the Declaration of Independence a turning point in U.S. history which paved the way for the end of British rule. When Thomas Jefferson wrote this document, he not only used…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how did Miss Maudie react to the events of the trial?

Miss Maudie, who does not attend the trial because she knows too well the prejudices of her town, is, nevertheless, impressed with the defense which Atticus offers on behalf of Tom Robinson. Not…

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SCIENCE

What happens to the angular velocity and hence the angular momentum of the disk before, during,… 1 image

If we apply a torque we will produce an angular acceleration. This follows from the fact that torque = moment of inertia x angular acceleration. So before the torque there is no angular momentum of…