What was the title “Middlesex” named for?
- MIDDLESEX
What was the title “Middlesex” named for?
I assume you are referring to the book by Eugenides? Middlesex is the name of the road in Grosse Point that the family moves to following the race riots in Detroit. In addition, in the context of…
1 educator answer
- THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY PHOENIX, ARIZONA
What human & social attitudes are needed by the reservation community to regain vitality in…
Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire intuitively rather than intellectually believe that the community needs to be restored to its old traditions if it is to be revitalized. One thing both agreed upon…
1 educator answer
- ESSAY LAB
Are there any good questions to answer when writing a paper about political criticism, a basic…
In terms of political criticism in literature, one can must strive to provide an explanation of the political implications or insinuations of a work. In doing this, I think there should be an…
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- THE CRUCIBLE
Can someone reword this thesis : In The Cucible Arthur Miller uses themes such as Religion…
This is a very fascinating topic. One can play it in a variety of ways. Initially, the thesis can be made to suggest the following: “In ‘The Crucible,’ Arthur Miller explores the manipulation of…
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- ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
What thesis could be used to bring an ethical, psychological, historical or economic approach to…
A massive question that is asked in many of the poems of Tennyson is about the value of life and in particular whether it is better for people to live pale imitations of life, even though they are…
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- THE CHERRY ORCHARD
In what theater space was the play “The Cherry Orchard” produced?
Anton Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard was first performed on 30 January, 1904 at the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstantin Staninslovsky(In the “Old Style” Russian calendar the date…
1 educator answer
- ANGELA’S ASHES
In “Angela’s Ashes,” why did the nuns move Frank to another room?
Frank catches typhoid fever and ends up in the hospital. He has his own room, and very few visitors. While there, the girl in the room next door begins talking to him through the wall. She is…
1 educator answer
- RULES OF THE GAME
How does Waverly use the rules to win at chess in Rules of the Game?
Waverly is told not to question the rules just figure it out on her own. Waverly uses the rules to make her own chess strategy.On a superficial level Waverly learns the rules of chess; however she…
1 educator answer
- ESSAY LAB
What is the difference between a speech and a presentation?What is the difference between a…
The main differences really boils down to the connotations of the words themselves. Speech is defined by Merriam-Webster as “something that is spoken,a usually public discourse.”A speech is a type…
3 educator answers
- THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
In “The Cask of Amontillado” what are 5 ways Poe uses foreshadowing to give you clues about the…
There are a few other possibilities. First of all, Montresor himself states that he had “vowed revenge” and that he would “punish with impunity.” Revenge, acted out with impunity, means pretty…
2 educator answers
- FRINDLE
How does Nick’s older brother make it hard for Nick to get out of homework in Frindle?
Nick’s parents have always had a rule in their family – “Homework First.” That means that right after school, both Nick and his brother James always have always had to finish their homework before…
1 educator answer
- HAMLET
What aspect of Hamlet’s concepts of the death/desire for death is revealed in Hamlet’s first…
In his first soliloquy of Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet,” the Prince of Denmark expresses his disillusionment with man: O, that this too too sallied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a…
1 educator answer
- A CHRISTMAS MEMORY
In “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, what does the reader know about Buddy? What is his…
In the short story “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, there are two characters named Buddy. One is the seven-year-old narrator of the story who is a distant cousin of and best friends with the…
1 educator answer
- FREAK THE MIGHTY
In Freak the Mighty, why did Max refer to Loretta as “a damsel who caused distress”?In the book…
This is a great question, and a great play on words. In chapter 10, Max and Kevin begin a “quest” after finding a purse in the storm sewer. Kevin decides it must belong to a “damsel in distress,” a…
1 educator answer
- SONG OF MYSELF
What is a summary of Part 11 of Song of Myself from Walt Whitman?
The gist of part 11, Song of Myself, goes something like this: Twenty-eight young men bathe by the shore,Twenty-eight young men and all so friendly;Twenty-eight years of womanly life and all so…
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- SAMUEL JOHNSON
What is the complete criticism on Paradise Lost by Samuel Johnson?
Your question seems incomplete. Samuel Johnson wrote a critical essay on Paradise Lost, the epic poem by John Milton, in 1779. What exactly are you asking about either the poem or the essay? One…
2 educator answers
- THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM—1963
Why is Chapter 3 of The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 called “The World’s Greatest Dinosaur War…
The chapter is called “The World’s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever” because in it, Kenny tells how he got cheated out of virtually his whole toy dinosaur collection when his conniving friend L.J….
1 educator answer
- ESSAY LAB
What would be a good thesis for a research paper on the topic swine flu?In the thesis I need to…
How about the susceptibility of pregnant women to swine flu? I have seen this possibility bandied about in the press, in newspaper articles and on television. You could investigate what the CDC and…
3 educator answers
- THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
What are some literary devices in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”?
Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a delightful story because of the comic ability and clever satire of its author, Washington Irving. The names of the characters in this…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How do the events in the final chapters of “To Kill A Mockingbird” explain the first sentence in…
In the first sentence of “Two Kill a Mockingbird,” the motif of learning experiences is introduced with the novel as Bildungsroman, or a novel of maturation.) With the allusion to Jem’s having his…
1 educator answer
- ENGLISH TEACHERS
speaking: intonation and stressI have difficulty in mastering the best intonation and stress…
Watch English-language television! Hearing native speakers is one of the best ways to learn a language. A news channel would be especially helpful because you will see the anchorperson as you hear…
5 educator answers
- MATH
What is the scientific notation of 204,500?
Scientific notation is geared through place value. There are couple of ways to approach solving this problem. I have always felt that the easiest thing to do is to make the number a decimal…
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- BEOWULF
Where does the dragon come from in Beowulf?
The poem gives no place of origin for the dragon, only an explanation of why it guards the hoard of gold. In an ancient time a prince’s thane hid it, as he was the last of his people and the…
1 educator answer
- SONNY’S BLUES
In “Sonny’s Blues,” is music a savior in Sonny’s life or his ultimate weakness?James Baldwin’s…
Maybe both. It is a known fact that musicians live an odd life, sleeping during the day and working at night. Their schedule and their association with “goodtime people,” as Sonny’s father had…
1 educator answer
- REFERENCE
The term “inaction” refers to not taking any action or the absence of action. It can be applied to any particular realm, but I like its political implications. “Inaction” could be a calculated…
1 educator answer
- A ROSE FOR EMILY
In “A Rose for Emily,” how does the town’s attitude toward Miss Emily change with the times?
Faulkner’s story is unusual and fascinating in several respects, and one of them concerns his treatment of the people of Jefferson. They are treated not as individuals but as a group: the town. The…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
In Julius Casesar, is Brutus the noblest Roman of them all? Frankly, I don’t think so. The…
It depends on what you mean by the word “noblest.” In your comments about Brutus, you describe why he is the most effective conspirator, not why he isn’t the noblest. His tragic flaw is his poor…
5 educator answers
- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Linguistic Features in Huck Finn?What are two linguistic features Twain utilizes through the…
Please see this link for a previously asked question and answer.
1 educator answer
- THE NIGHT THE GHOST GOT IN
What kind of figurative language is this? “She…picked up a shoe, and whammed it through a plane…
The line most closely resembles imagery which is language that appeals to the senses. “Tinkled” could be described as an example of onomatopoeia, which is the use of a word that sounds like what…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
What is Myrtle’s goal in The Great Gatsby?
Myrtle Wilson is unhappy with her life, to say the least. She detests her husband, feeling nothing but contempt for George and his economic circumstances. George was poor when she married him…
1 educator answer
- HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
I understood it to mean Harry himself! When as a baby he was struck by Voldemort, some of Voldemort’s power went into him (‘Highlander’ style!) at the same time. This is why the selecting hat at…
1 educator answer
- ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Why does Erich Maria Remarque focus on Paul Baumer’s inner feelings in the second chapter of All…
Remarque opens his narrative with a startling account of death and food and the realities of the front line. Although he spends a portion of that chapter reviewing how the characters came to be on…
1 educator answer
- ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
In the book, All Quiet on the Western Front, what point is the author making about the horror of…
The hospitalization and death of Kemmerich serves a number of purposes as Remarque illustrates the inhumanity of war. The first, of course, is the pain that Kemmerich felt as a post-surgical…
1 educator answer
- GUIDE TO LITERARY TERMS
What is symbolism, climax, and conflict in a literary work?
Symbolism: This is where an object or person (seems like it’s usually an object) in a story stands for or represents an idea or concept. For example, the American Flag represents America, freedom,…
1 educator answer
- THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
In “The Most Dangerous Game”, Rainsford manages to swim to the island despite the dark. How is he…
Rainsford fell into the ocean after a rope knocked his pipe from his mouth and he lost his balance reaching for it. The night was extremely dark and he stated near the beginning of the story that…
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- HISTORY
Why was race created? Did racism always exist? I am seeking help for a “The Beginnings of…
There is only one race, the human race. Genetically, all humans are fourteenth cousins or less in degree of relationship. Interestingly enough, the US Army did a study in the mid-1960s using the…
1 educator answer
- SPEAK
What does Melinda feel should be illegal in Speak? Why?
The answer to your question can be found in chapter 1 of Speak otherwise entitled “First Marking Period” and in the section deemed “Fizz Ed.” The title of the section actually contains the answer…
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- THE SCARLET LETTER
In The Scarlet Letter, what specifically is Dimmesdale’s plea to Hester?
Dimmesdale struggles with the inner torment of his secret sin. He knows that it will slowly kill him, eating at him from the inside out. He also knows that he does not have the strength to confess…
1 educator answer
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
In Book the Second, ch. 1 what further hint is given by young Jerry as to his father’s…
After a description of Tellson’s Bank in Chapter 1 of the Second Book of “A Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens describes “Mr. Cruncher’s private lodging in …Whitefriars.” There Jerry is asleep on a…
1 educator answer
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
In Book 2 Chapter1 of A Tale of Two Cities How does Dickens describe Mr. Cruncher’s business?
Jerry Cruncher’s “business stock” is a stool made up of a broken chair. Every day he took the stool and his young son to the financial district and found a place to sit and wait for someone to need…
1 educator answer
- HAMLET
Hamlet is named before he comes on stage; he is named after he is dead. When is he first named…
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (not to be confused with his deceased father, Hamlet, King of Denmark) is first mentioned by name at the end of Act 1, sc. 1, approximately line 176. Horatio, having been…
1 educator answer
- SPEAK
In the novel Speak by Laurie Anderson, what are some examples of Melinda portraying herself…
I edited down the original question. I think that one of Anderson’s primary motivations in constructing the character of Melinda in the way that she has is to show how the act of rape creates an…
1 educator answer
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
In A Tale of Two Cities (Book 2, Chapter 1), what observation does Dickens make on “Death is…
As Charles Dickens describes the old Tellson’s Bank, he likens it in many ways to the prison of London, Newgate. For, the young men who enter Tellson’s door “of idiotic obstinacy” (like England’s…
1 educator answer
- JUST LATHER, THAT’S ALL
What character qualities do the barber and Captain Torres have in the short story “Just Lather,…
Though Captain Torres and the barber are mortal enemies in the Hernando Tellez short story, “Just Lather, That’s All,” they both have similar character traits. Both are very serious about their…
2 educator answers
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How do the issues of racism and segregation affect the main character or protagonist in To Kill a…
The issues of racism and segregation comprise the central motif of the novel, & are the aspects by which all characters are defined. The society is split between people who fear and hate (such…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
What is Caesar’s opinion of himself?
Caesar conveys confidence and what some perceive to be arrogance. He wants the Romans to believe that he is acting in their best interest and that he is extremely loyal to Rome. He does this by…
1 educator answer
- NIGHT
How do the small joys and kindnesses that Eliezer describes illustrate the theme of human dignity…
The moments where Eliezer experiences small joys and acts of kindness help to prove Wiesel’s theme of human beings retaining a voice in all circumstances, regardless of how dire the situation may…
1 educator answer
- THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
What are some examples of mood and tone in “The Cask of Amontillado”?
The mood is psychologically disturbing as is made clear by Montresor’s choice to sit “down upon the bones” and listen to the lament of Fortunato’s “low moaning cry” and the “furious vibrations of…
2 educator answers
- THE CRUCIBLE
What is the significance of the scene between Herrick and the accused witches?
There are a few possible explanations for the scene that takes place between Herrick, Goody Good, and Tituba at the beginning of Act IV. The first possible explanation is that the two women are…
2 educator answers
- THE GARDEN PARTY: AND OTHER STORIES
What is the idea that Mrs. Sheridian does not want to put in Laura’s head from “The Garden Party”…
This is a good question, unfortunately, there is not one clue in the text to tell us what Mrs. Sheridan was actually thinking. However, based upon what we do know of Mrs. Sheridan’s attitude toward…