• FAHRENHEIT 451

In “Fahrenheit 451” who seemed to be directing Montag’s remarks at the fire station?

The last time that Montag is at the fire station, he says very little at all, because everything that he tries to say is either cut short by Beatty or Faber. Beatty is speaking directly to Montag,…

1 educator answer

• JULIUS CAESAR

What is the main conflict in Julius Caesar and how is it resolved?

In “Julius Caesar,” the main conflict resides within the tragic character of Brutus, whose idealism brings about the death of the man whom he loves, but loves less than he loves Rome. For Brutus…

2 educator answers

• ROMEO AND JULIET

In Romeo and Juliet, what conflict does Juliet feel when she hears that Romeo killed Tybalt?Why…

OK, two questions here. The conflict Juliet feels when she hears that Romeo killed Tybalt is quite complex. She realises, first, that Romeo might be something entirely different inside to the way…

1 educator answer

• REVELATION

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story “Revelation,” what is the turning point, the climax, the…

Almost certainly the key “turning point” in Flannery O’Connor’s short story titled “Revelation” is the moment when Mary Grace, boiling over with anger, literally throws the book at Mrs….

1 educator answer

• LITERATURE

African-American writersHave African-American writers introduced new themes, issues, and modes of…

African-American writers introduced new themes into American literature dating back to America’s inception as colonies of England. Take, for example, Oluadah Equiano–he brought the issue of…

2 educator answers

• THE GREAT GATSBY

Is Jordan Baker a good or bad person in The Great Gastby?

Jordan is Fitzgerald’s archetype of the 1920s “flapper,” the young woman of her day who came to represent the social freedom and rebellion of the Jazz Age. Jordan’s friendship with Daisy shows…

1 educator answer

• PAUL’S CASE

What type of fiction is Paul’s Case? Is it interpretive literature or escape literature?

Paul’s Case would be defined as interpretive literature, not escape fiction. Escape fiction generally aims only to entertain and bring amuse, providing escape from reality. Paul’s Case is deeply…

1 educator answer

• A JURY OF HER PEERS

Describe the character of Minnie Wright in “A Jury of Her Peers” as a young unmarried woman.

The young Minnie is a lively girl who loved singing in the church choir. Mrs. Hale spoke of how well she dressed and of how pretty her voice was when she sang. Her voice was easily picked out of…

1 educator answer

• GUIDE TO LITERARY TERMS

Where is the adverb is the following sentence? “Ansel Adams took beautiful pictures of…

Your dilemma is understandable; there is no adverb in the sentence as written above. Is anything missing? Ansel Adams = proper noun took = transitive action verb beautiful = adjective…

1 educator answer

• COLD WAR

InterviewsI am currently leading my students in a Jr. Research project. One of their required…

Just out of curiosity, what are the requirements or criteria for being the one interviewed? Must we have lived during the cold war? Or, does it just entail our thoughts on the events and…

4 educator answers

• THE GREAT GATSBY

In The Great Gatsby, what is the significance of the “owl-eyed” man?

This minor character contributes to the motif Fitzgerald introduces early in the novel through the presence of T.J. Eckleburg and his huge eyes on the billboard in the Valley of the Ashes. Like the…

2 educator answers

• SEEDFOLKS

What are Leona’s motives for planting in Seedfolks?

Leona decides to become involved in the community garden as a kind of act of homage in memory of her dead grandmother. Leona’s chapter begins by filling us in on her grandmother’s history, and in…

1 educator answer

• JULIUS CAESAR

What is the significance of line 130 of Act 3, Scene 1, of “Julius Caesar”?

The context of these words of Cassius in “Julius Caesar” is after the assassination of Caesar. Brutus suggests that all the assassins “bathe” their hands in the blood of Caesar up the the elbow…

2 educator answers

• SCIENCE

Will a 60-watt bulb produce a greater rise in temperature than a 25-watt bulb? If so why?I am…

Higher wattage will produce a higher temperature, if time remains constant. A lightbulb works because electrons flow through the wire, and through the thinnest part inside the bulb, called the…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

In Rome and Juliet, when Juliet speaks about “light love” or her light behavior, what…

“Romeo and Juliet” is full of light/dark imagery, which often contrasts the sun and the moon, day and night, or the idea of light as representing all things beautiful and wonderful, and darkness,…

1 educator answer

• ETHAN FROME

What does this simile mean? “The facts closed in on him like prison-warders handcuffing a…

The trick to understanding the simile or metaphor is to visualize it. Place yourself in the convicts shoes for instance. Imagine yourself surrounded by prison wardens, say four to gain a good…

2 educator answers

• THE CALL OF THE WILD

How old is the dog, Buck, in Call of the Wild ? How long has he been owned, and by whom?

In the opening chapter of Jack London’s novel, Call of the Wild, the reader is introduced to Buck, a large dog whose “realm” is the property owned by Judge Miller in the Santa Clara Valley. We…

1 educator answer

• THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

How successful do you feel Mark Twain is in making heavy use of dialect in Huckleberry Finn?List…

Twain has always used heavy dialect to capture the essence of his characters in his novels. The dialect creates a sense of setting and intellect of the characters. The advantage of this is for the…

2 educator answers

• THE NECKLACE

Sympathy for Madame Loisel?Do you think the author wants us to sympathize with Madame Loisel’s…

There is nothing in the story, beginning, middle or end, that elicits sympathy for me regarding Madame Loisel. She is unhappy because she is not rich like her friend. She wants to be a socialite,…

5 educator answers

• ANTIGONE

How does doing the right thing not, necessarily, lead to happiness in the play?By the end of the…

By doing the right thing for her brother, Polyneices, Antigone sacrifices her life, because she is put to death by King Creon. His behavior is not driven by what is right or morality, it is driven…

1 educator answer

• YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN

What are some similarities (and differences) between Young Goodman Brown and The Birthmark?What…

The main similarity between the two stories is the idealistic protagonists in each. In The Birthmark, Aylmer arrogantly believes that he has the skill to perfect in his wife what nature had left…

2 educator answers

• BLUES AIN’T NO MOCKINGBIRD

What does the author want the reader to think about when her grandparents reacted to the people…

In Blues Aint No Mocking Bird, filmmakers who who are making a documentary on the food stamp program intrude upon the privacy of Granny and Grandaddy Cain. In the end, Granny tells Grandaddy to…

1 educator answer

• PAUL’S CASE

In the story “Paul’s Case”, was he driven to his fate by the destructive values of America.

Since the story by Willa Cather is titled “Paul’s Case” instead of “Paul’s Life” or “Paul’s Situation”, we are instantly advised that the story that we are about to read is extremely unique and…

1 educator answer

• HAMLET

In “Hamlet” when the ghost appears, Horatio confronts it. What are the three traditional reasons…

The first one that is mentioned is that it is a bad omen, that some ill-luck is going to befall the country. Horatio says of it that it “bodes some strange eruption to our state” (I.i.69). He…

1 educator answer

• THE GREAT GATSBY

Discuss the motif of heat in The Great Gatsby. Daisy says that the heat causes her confusion….

The heat of the summer seems to make everyone behave in an illicit manner. There is more drinking and gambling at Gatsby’s parties, Daisy has always felt a certain heat for Gatsby. She is…

1 educator answer

• A MODEST PROPOSAL

What are three major points in “A Modest Proposal” that Swift advocates and was his plan met to…

To respond further to the satirical approach in “A Modest Proposal,” Swift suggests that the English and Irish landowners are literally killing the poor Irish by causing the poverty and misery of…

1 educator answer

• A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” what is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the entire story…

Yes, it’s an interesting question, and one to which we don’t really have a solid answer. It seems to have been a part of Elizabethan and Jacobean stagecraft that, before the play itself, the story…

1 educator answer

• THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

Where does Huck visit on the Mississipi River?At school we have to make a map of where Huck goes…

You’ve done very well, but keep in mind that the names of the places have been changed. Mark Twain used his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri as inspiration for St. Petersburg. Hannibal (Mark Twain’s…

1 educator answer

• THE LADY WITH THE PET DOG

How is Anna differnt in Oates’ The Lady with the Pet Dog than in Chekov’s The Lady with the Dog?

Joyce Carol Oates’ Anna in “The Lady with the Pet Dog” corresponds in many ways to Anton Chekhov’s Anna in “The Lady with the Dog,” but just like Oates added a word to the title, she added a thing…

1 educator answer

• THE LOTTERY

In what ways are the characters of “The Lottery” differentiated from one another? Does Jackson…

Jackson first groups the characters by gender and age. The beginning of the story deals with the school-age children, and then the author divides them by gender. The boys are playing in the dirt…

1 educator answer

• A SEPARATE PEACE

In A Separate Peace, when Gene puts on Finny clothes, he sees himself as Finny “to the life” and…

There are a couple of reasons why the clothing comforts Gene. First, he is far more humble and quiet than Finny is, and wishes he sometimes exuded the confidence and waggish ways of Finny himself….

2 educator answers

• THE BRONZE BOW

What is Rosh’s main requirement for those who wish to join his band in The Bronze Bow?

Of Rosh’s main requirement for those who wish to join his band, Daniel says, “Rosh asks of them all just one thing. They must hate the Romans, and be willing to go on fighting til the last cursed…

1 educator answer

• A SEPARATE PEACE

In A Separate Peace, what does the tree represent?

The tree could symbolize many things. One of the first things I can think of is that it symbolizes discipline. While some of the older students utilize the tree for military training exercises,…

3 educator answers

• FAHRENHEIT 451

How does the Captain Beatty lead Montag toward self-realization?

Beatty gives Montag what their society was so good at witholding: information, things to think about, and the truth of how they got there. He gives Montag an entire history of their society, and…

1 educator answer

• SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD

What is the plot summary of “Sizwe Bansi Is Dead”?

The play is about an African man who leaves his home to try to find work in another city; however, when he gets there he is unsuccessful and is told that he has 3 days to vacate the town. He stays…

2 educator answers

• HISTORY

What’s the difference between a Democracy and a Constitutional Republic? Which is the United…

A true democracy would be a state which is actually governed by its citizens. Ancient Athens was a democracy because major issues were decided in council by all of the eligible voters in the city….

1 educator answer

• THE GREAT GATSBY

What does Jordan means when she says, “And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small…

Although it sounds paradoxical, Jordan’s statement does, in fact, make perfect sense! Think about it this way–if you are in a room full of 100 people, and you are speaking to someone next to you,…

3 educator answers

• JULIUS CAESAR

Who convinces Brutus to join conspiracy in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

Cassius is the main conspirator who convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy, even though Brutus must come to the realization that while he loves Caesar, he loves his country (Rome) more before he…

1 educator answer

• THE MAGIC BARREL

What is the conflict in the story “The Magic Barrel”?

There are several conflicts in the story. One of the main conflicts is the ongoing struggle that Leo has within himself in regards to his own nature. The process of matchmaking has left him…

1 educator answer

• MATH

Calculate the length of the altitude through A of an isosceles triangle in which AB=AC=26 cm and…

Bisecting triangle BAC (drawing a line from A to the middle of line segment BC) creates 2 right triangles. For any right triangle, the sum of the squares of each side equals the square of the…

1 educator answer

• MATH

The altitude AD of a triangle ABC is 24 cm long. If BD=16 cm, DC=36 cm, prove that the angle is a…

I’m impressed! However, I’m guessing you don’t want to have anything to do with tangents! Fortunately, there’s no need for trigonometry. By definition, the altitude divides the triangle into two…

1 educator answer

• FAHRENHEIT 451

In what ways is our society similar to the one described in Fahrenheit 451?

Our society can be seen as comparable to the one described in Bradbury’s work in that there is an issue of censorship and social control evident even in the most “free” of countries. Consider the…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

Why is the Prince upset about the “ancient citizens” becoming involved in the feud?

I think the Prince is just generally angry that the Montagues and the Capulets have disturbed the peace for no good reason, and without any sort of obvious cause. It’s just an ancient grudge -…

1 educator answer

• JULIUS CAESAR

What reason does Brutus give in his soliloquy for killing Caesar in Julius Caesar?

Well, ominously, he starts without giving any reasons, but with a firm conclusion: It must be by his death The rest of the speech then works to justify that conclusion – that Caesar’s death is…

2 educator answers

• DEATH OF A SALESMAN

How do the themes of alienation and performance relate to Miller’s Death of a Salesman?

Consider Willy Lowman’s quote, discussing how a man isn’t an orange, where one eats the fruit and throws away the peel. Willy feels extremely used up and alone. He also tells his wife Linda that…

1 educator answer

• DEATH OF A SALESMAN

How do the themes of sex and maturity relate to Death of a Salesman?

Consider the way in which Happy “ruins” the fiances of the bosses for whom he works. Because he’s jealous of their success and his lack of relative stature within the company, he uses his skill…

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

How might the audience react in Act 2, Scene 6 of “Romeo and Juliet”?

Well, I think they’d be happy for the couple. It’s a short, but beautifully-written scene, and all three of the characters in it express themselves beautifully. Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy…

1 educator answer

• DEATH OF A SALESMAN

Why is Willy so touchy about being interrupted in Death of a Salesman?

Willy despises being interrupted, because he has been ignored and discounted for most of his life. His sons do not take him seriously, nor does his boss, Howard, and neither does Charlie, his only…

1 educator answer

• LORD OF THE FLIES

In Lord of the Flies, if Ralph is a tragic hero what is his flaw?

I would go out on a limb and say that Ralph’s confidence in humanity’s decision to do the right thing is his tragic flaw. Ralph is a good leader, and he is selected by his peers to be the leader…

2 educator answers

• RUDYARD KIPLING

Who owns the UK copyright for “Puck” and “Rewards and Fairies”? Also, is the copyright for Poland…

The UK has the same copyright law as the US – copyright terminates 70 years after the end of the author’s life. Here is the quote directly from the British regulations: The Duration of Copyright…