• MACBETH

What are some questions that you could ask the character of Macbeth?For example, why he did…

This is a fascinating assignment. I would pose the following questions and exploring Macbeth’s answers would truly be interesting: 1) What was it like to kill someone? What went through your…

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What lesson(s) do you feel Scout has learned in chapter 24 about what it is to be a lady?

In Chapter 24 of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Scout learns the deeper meaning of what it is to “act like a lady.” For, the ladies of the Ladies Missionary Society do, indeed, act. This drama is…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In Chapter 24,why is Mrs.Grace Merriweather a hyprocrite?Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”

At Aunt Alexandra’s tea, Mrs. Grace Merriweather and the others make insuiation about each other and pretend to be so interested in some the African tribes while, at the same time, they criticize…

1 educator answer

• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In The Merchant of Venice, does Portia’s praise of mercy have any effect on Shylock?

Portia’s speech about mercy in Act IV, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice has two effects on Shylock. The first is to declare that his deeds will stand as they are before God and he will not plead…

1 educator answer

• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In The Merchant of Venice, what did Bellario write to the duke in his letter, and who was…

In league in trickery with Portia, Bellario writes to the Duke that he is ill and unable to attend the Duke’s court. He also writes that at the time of receiving the Duke’s letter, he was being…

1 educator answer

• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In The Merchant of Venice, what did Portia do after receiving Doctor Bellario’s reply to her…

The reader is not precisely told what Portia does after receiving Bellario’s reply to her letter. This is because we are not with her when the reply comes. Shakespeare jumps forward in time to the…

1 educator answer

• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In The Merchant of Venice, who is Doctor Bellario?

In Act III, Scene 4 of The Merchant of Venice we learn that Doctor Bellario, a prestigious Doctor of Law, is Portia’s cousin. We also learn that he is so devoted to his cousin that Portia has no…

1 educator answer

• BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON

Find a place in the story where John achieves a breakthrough, and explain what he discovers.How…

The most significant breakthrough that John achieves in this story is the discovery that the “gods” were not actually gods, but mere men. This comes at the end of the story after John as seen his…

1 educator answer

• THE READER

“What should our second generation do with the knowledge of the horrors of extermination of the…

The quotation above is asking how individuals can walk the tightrope between evaluating the crimes of history while actively participating in ensuring that it does not happen again. One of the…

1 educator answer

• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

What is the context of Shakespeare’s sonnet “A Consolation”?

The context of Shakespeare’s sonnet “A Consolation” is that the speaker has fallen on disfavor from his fellow man–and apparently not for the first time. The cause of the disfavor is not stated….

1 educator answer

• REFERENCE

Describe the threats posed by hackers, viruses, spyware, frauds and scam and methods of defending…

As far as I’m concerned, my computer is a sacred place. It’s where I store some of my most prized documents, pictures, files, and my daily personal journal. Therefore, anybody getting into my…

1 educator answer

• THE LISTENERS

How does the poet create atmosphere using suspense and drama?

The mere opening of the poem creates a sense of suspenseful drama as the speaker comes across a home with no one there. The opening words of “Is anybody there?” implies a great deal. The reader…

1 educator answer

• THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Who is “I” in the poem refers to? What do you think the poet means by the statement…

There is considerable question as to whom the “I” refers. Some argue that the speaker is Frost’s walking partner, who always wondered about taking another path. Some suggest it is Frost, itself….

1 educator answer

• ROMEO AND JULIET

I want to know how the balcony scene would be different in alternate places and timesFor example:…

It sounds like the test question is asking you to imagine this scene in different historical periods and cultural settings. Performing Shakespeare with so-called ‘modern dress’ has a long-standing…

4 educator answers

• LITERATURE

What makes good literature?What makes good literature?

This is a good question, and while I imagine you will get a variety of responses, they are likely to have some elements in common. For me, good literature is timeless and placeless. By that I mean…

2 educator answers

• SONNET 18

What is a summary of Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18”?

This is one of Shakespeare’s sonnets in which he gives “advice” to a young man, one he is apparently mentoring. In various sonnets he gives him advice on love, money, etc. This particular sonnet…

1 educator answer

• HAMLET

What is the significance of the grave diggers scene in Hamlet?

In the gravedigger scene, Hamlet returns home and changes. This scene is where the madness leaves Hamlet and he embraces the seriousness of the situation. First, we have the symbolism and…

1 educator answer

• COMING OF AGE IN MISSISSIPPI

I would like to know where is Anne today and what is she doing?

Moody has seemed to embrace a life away from the prying eyes of others as a result of her activism and her experiences in the Civil Rights Era. Certainly, one can sense the level of raw emotion…

1 educator answer

• CINEMA

How does the director of the 1995 movie Sense and Sensibility use film techniques to explore the…

Because space is too limited to enable a discussion of all three themes, I had to shorten your question to just one theme.One technique used to show Edward’s emotional betrayal of Elinor is…

1 educator answer

• SOPHIE’S CHOICE

What are the similarities/differences of deception/self-deception in Sophie’s Choice and The Reader?

Indeed, the levels of comparison between Sophie and Hanna are rather compelling. Both characters engage in a level of deception about themselves and their roles in their Holocaust experiences….

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

How does Scout make sense of an earlier remark of Atticus’s as she stands on the Radley…

At the conclusion of the novel, after Scout has walked Boo home and seen him safely inside, she stands for a moment on the Radley porch and looks at her street from a new viewpoint. As she pauses,…

2 educator answers

• ENGLISH TEACHERS

Pursuing National Board CertificationTo those of you who are already NBCTs, congratulations. To…

I have not been through this process, but I have long considered it and have gotten advice from many. The main thing seems to be to choose an area of your teaching that you feel is strong, and…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why does Scout’s question upset Jem? Is there a simple answer, or any answer, to the question?…

In Chapter 26 of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Scout’s question upsets Jem when Scout mentions Miss Gates’s words as she came out of the courthouse, saying that it’s time somebody taught’em a lesson,…

1 educator answer

• LOVELIEST OF TREES, THE CHERRY NOW

What technique did the writer used while composing “Loveliest of Trees”?

Much of the techniques Houseman uses in the poem concerns his playing with imagery. The opening stanza depicts a tree in full bloom with language that illuminates this such as, “the cherry” hung…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says “we don’t believe in persecuting anyone.” What seems odd…

The obvious irony of this charitable remark by Miss Gates is apparent when Scout relates to Jem what she has overheard Miss Gates say to another citizen as she descended the courthouse stairs…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Explain the contrast Scout draws between the court where Tom was tried and “the secret courts of…

The passage implied in the question is found in Chapter 25: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case….

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What does Atticus tell Jem about why the jury took so long to convict Tom?Chapter 23 o “To Kill a…

Deeply affected by the testimony and outcome of the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem discusses the death sentence for Tom, the selection process of a jury, and its decision with Atticus in Chapter 23 of…

1 educator answer

• THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

How is a king suppose to behave?

The clues from the text are fascinating, but since so much about the Sumerian culture that produced Gilgameshis still poorly understood, we can only make conjectures about what a king in Uruk in…

2 educator answers

• LITERATURE

Why is it important to study literature?

This question has been discussed multiple times. Please see the links below, and thank you for using eNotes.

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET LETTER

How do the following statements show that Hawthorne had psychological insights that were far in…

We now understand what is often called the “Mind-Body Connection,” which explains how our physical conditions might be affected by our emotional or spiritual states. Even though Hawthorne did not…

2 educator answers

• A SEPARATE PEACE

In A Separate Peace, what is Finny’s theory about the war? How did his injury affect his feelings…

Gene’s flashback begins in the summer of 1942, about six months after the United States entered World War II with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The boys in the summer session at Devon are very aware…

1 educator answer

• OLIVER TWIST

What is/are the main conflict(s) in Oliver Twist?

In Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, the classical theme of Good vs. Evil undergirds the main conflict of Oliver’s quest for identity and a place in the world: the boy against the world. The good…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the target of Atticus’s final plea at the close of Tom’s trial?

In his summation at the close of Tom’s trial, Atticus addresses the jury and makes his last attempt to save Tom’s life. After briefly reviewing the evidence, he deals directly with the issue of…

2 educator answers

• A SEPARATE PEACE

In A Separate Peace, what two remarks does Finny make in the context of sports which have other…

When Finny invents blitzball, he makes up the rules as he goes along, even as the game is furiously underway. This leads to confusion among the other boys. At one point, Finny tells Gene to tackle…

1 educator answer

• THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY

Why did Mr Ripley deceive others and himself about his identity?

Ripley’s main reason for deception stems from his wanting to live the life of someone other than himself. He is full of self-loathing and so mimics others to create a new persona so he can break…

1 educator answer

• A SEPARATE PEACE

Why is the “suicide” part of “Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session” appropriate?

The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session is the name that Gene and Finny create together in the course of jumping from the tall tree by the river, an activity that Gene deeply fears and…

2 educator answers

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

In Chapter 17, who do you think planted the one bright spot, “brillant red geraniums”, and why?

Mayella Ewell plants the geraniums. Even though she lives in abject poverty, she still tries to create and to incorporate beauty into her life and the life of her family. Clearly, living with Bob…

1 educator answer

• GREAT EXPECTATIONS

What devotes Pip to Estella against her cold blooded manipulation?Given Dickens’s portrayal of…

From the very first meeting between Pip and Estella in Chapter 8, it is clear that Pip is fascinated by Estella, and associates her with his “great expectations”. It is his meeting with Estella…

1 educator answer

• THE SCARLET LETTER

Describe how Dimmesdale has changed since Hester’s public punishment.This question is asked…

Arthur Dimmesdale stands by wordlessly and watches Hester bear the shame and humiliation of pubic punishment for the sin for which he was as responsible as she. His guilt for having violated the…

1 educator answer

• THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

Do the different personas who tell parts of the story tell the truth or lie? Why?

Over the course of this classic Thurber story, the main character imagines himself as a variety of heroic characters: a medical expert called in to consult in a difficult case involving a famous…

1 educator answer

• GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL

How did environment determine the time line of the development of man?Provide bullet points or…

According to Diamond, the strength and development of man was directly connected to the geography and environment of that culture. One of the main questions of the growth and strength of a culture…

1 educator answer

• THE PEARL

Write any important lesson that you have learned from the novel The Pearl.

My absolute favorite moral lesson from The Pearl is as follows: When one depends upon materialism/wealth/money for happiness, true happiness can never be obtained. The tragedy within The Pearl…

2 educator answers

• WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Why does Heathcliff name his son “Linton” in the novel Wuthering Heights?

Actually Heathcliff does not name his son. His wife, Isabella, leaves Heathcliff before the baby she is carrying is born and goes into hiding. She names the boy Linton after her maiden name, her…

2 educator answers

• FAHRENHEIT 451

What is the significance of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451?

Ray Bradbury, the author of “Fahrenheit 451” said, You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture, all you have to do is get people to stop reading them. In Nazi Germany, Hitler ordered his SS…

1 educator answer

• COLD SASSY TREE

Where can you find Miss Love’s age in Cold Sassy Tree?I need to find her age or something that…

At the end of the first chapter, Mary Willis says “Sir, Love Simpson’s young enough to be your daughter! She’s not more’n thirty-three or -four years old!” This is the only reference to Love’s…

1 educator answer

• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Aunt Alexandra thinks Scout is “dull” (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right?

Aunt Alexandria thinks Scout is dull because she doesn’t have the basic knowledge of “society” that Alexandria feels she should. She doesn’t always speak correctly, she gets in trouble at school,…

3 educator answers

• HISTORY

What is the historical significance of the movie “The Mission”?What does it have to do with U.S….

The film deals with a Spanish Jesuit priest who enters the South American jungle in the hope of establishing a mission to convert the indigenous people of the region to Christianity. The priest,…

2 educator answers

• LORD OF THE FLIES

What are the cultural, historical, personal and literary influences of Lord of the Flies?Please…

One of the largest influences on Golding and in turn on the book was WWII and his experience in it. As he saw the brutality of war and the way that men could turn into unthinking and absolutely…

1 educator answer

• NIGHT

Why are the warning of “horrible things to come” from Moshe the Beadle not taken seriously? Are…

One of the reasons why Moshe’s warnings are not taken seriously is because of the community’s indifference to Moshe. He is not entirely respected by the community, despite his role as a spiritual…

2 educator answers

• GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL

Chapter 7: Why is it important to understand when and why people became farmers?This answer MUST…

“Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond is a history of “fates of human societies.” In chapter 7, Diamond discusses the process of domestication of wild plants, farming and the reasons farmers…