Where does the term “bokanovsky” come from?
- TAWFIQ AL-HAKIM
When did Tawfiq Al-Hakim write Unshudat Al-Mawt?
(I thought I had read this question in French and then in English- here it is in both (just in case) This website has the entire works of the Egyptian author and dramatist T. Al-Hakim. I did not…
1 educator answer
- IN COLD BLOOD
Who are the main characters in “In Cold Blood”?
In Truman Capote’s jounalistic novel “In Cold Blood” the Clutter family–particularly the farmer, Herb Clutter–is victimized by Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock, two ex-cons who…
1 educator answer
- SCIENCE
What challenges did life on land present to plants that their algal ancestors didn’t have to…
- Avoiding dehydration. Plants on land would have developed roots to acquire water from the soil. They also developed stomata on the underside of their leaves to reduce water loss. Adaptation…
1 educator answer
- HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS
How can I write an eassy on “Hills Like White Elephants”?introduction, character, setting, plot…
It appears that you have been given a choice of elements to analyze. So, for instance, regarding style– Hemingway’s story has long been used as an example of symbolic literature. In addition to…
2 educator answers
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, what does Scout learn about the black people from Calpurnia’s account…
Scout learns that First Purchase doesn’t have hymnals. They all “line” when they sing. Most of them can’t read anyway, but they couldn’t really afford the hymnals like her church has. The other…
1 educator answer
- THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Is The Handmaid’s Tale utimately a feminist work of literature, or does it offer a critique of…
You can argue either way on this one. Offred does mention a couple times in the novel that the society that they have is all a result of a freakishly overdone attempt to respect women and give…
1 educator answer
- MICHAEL CRICHTON
What periodicals contain reviews of Michael Crichton’s novel Next?I already have some info from…
Your first step should be to find the trade magazine Publisher’s Weekly in your local library. PW reviews most new fiction, especially books by established authors. I did a search and found out…
1 educator answer
- ALICE WALKER
Alice Walker is still very much alive. The self-proclaimed feminist is best known for penning the novel “The Color Purple” which she won a Pulitzer Prize for in 1983. Since that time, Walker has…
1 educator answer
- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
What was the people’s attitude towards supernatural appearances in Shakespeare’s works, and what…
People’s attitudes toward the supernatural (paranormal, ghosts, mysterious happenings, witches, etc.) would have been the same (or perhaps much more intense given their lack of understanding of the…
1 educator answer
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES
What is the crowd’s response to the verdict of the first trial against Darnay?Please be descriptive.
Five years after arriving in London where his daughter hopes to restore his sanity and health, Dr. Manette and Lucy and Mr. Lorry are called as witnesses in a trial at Old Bailey. Their former…
1 educator answer
- OTHELLO
What news does Michael Cassio bring when he enters?
Cassio comes to find Othello to tell him that the Duke and the Venetian senate needs to speak with him. He says that the Duke has received several messages from Cyprus (presumably about the…
2 educator answers
- A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND
Although “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” begins with comedy, ultimately it shocks many readers. Did…
This is an answer that you yourself need to decide-were you shocked? I know that I was. You are right; it started off as kind-of funny. You have the whiney grandmother, the family vacation in…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In The Great Gatsby, how do the motifs of violence, colors, race, and sports relate to Jay Gatsby?
In the novel the motif of violence would relate to Gatsby in that he has an underlying violent side to him throughout the novel that he does not actually show to the reader until he has the…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
Describe a place you know, it might be your home, the place you work, a citypark, a club or…
There are several ways to approach this. The most needed element is the place. Obviously, you will be selecting this. Once you have finalized a location, I think that you will need to identify…
1 educator answer
- PARADISE LOST
In John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, how does Eve respond to Adam’s judgment of her after…
In Paradise Lost, Eve, having sinned and having also encouraged Adam to sin, responds in different ways to Adam’s criticism of her in two different sections of the poem. Shortly after Adam has…
1 educator answer
- A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Are there any other themes in A Raisin in the Sun?
The play develops several important themes, most of them related to the ignorance and destructive nature of racism in American society. These themes are developed through the daily life of the…
1 educator answer
- A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA
How does Sherlock Holmes solve the mystery of “A Scandal in Bohemia?” How is the case closed and…
Holmes solves the mystery of the whereabouts of the “compromising” photograph by faking a fire to provoke the owner to rush to retrieve it before leaving her house. He even hires a whole “cast” of…
1 educator answer
- OTHELLO
Can somebody give me feedback after reading Othello?
William Shakespeare’s Othello explores the foibles of human nature and reveals the complexities of many kinds of relationships. Marriage, the bond between men (in friendship), the bond between…
1 educator answer
- HAMLET
How did Hamlet discover the death of his father and how did he avenge?
Hamlet actually discovers the death of his father before the play begins, while he is away at school in Wittenberg. Maybe you mean to ask how Hamlet discovers the nature of his father’s death….
1 educator answer
- SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL
Who are the characters of Richard Sheridan’s comedy of manners, School for Scandal?
Richard Sheridan’s play, School for Scandal, was one of the most popular comedy of manners during the latter half of the 18th century. Major characters include: Sir Benjamin Backbite. Rude suitor…
1 educator answer
- ROBERT FROST
Comment on intellectual elements of Frost’s poetry.
One intellectual element of Frost’s poetry is that of naturalism. While his work may not be the blatant celebration of mankind’s bond with nature like other authors (Emerson, Thoreau, etc.), his…
1 educator answer
- THE SHADOW LINES
Comment on the title of The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh.
The title of this fascinating work relates to a key concern of postcolonialism – that of borders and boundaries and how they are created and sustained but also how they are easily ruptured and…
1 educator answer
- ANIMAL FARM
In Animal Farm, when the Major speaks of the dream, what narrative technique does Orwell use?
In the Old Major’s speech in Chapter I of Animal Farm, he declares early in the speech that he had a dream the night before. While he refrains from referencing it directly throughout the remainder…
1 educator answer
- KING LEAR
What are the parent/child relationships in “King Lear”?
The major characters involved in parent/child relationships are King Lear and his three daughters, Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia (the true one), and then Gloucester and his two sons, Edgar, the…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
Why is learning about the fall and rise of China important?Why is learning about the fall and…
The obvious answer is the same reason it is important to learn about any culture in history, to learn the universal issues that have always faced every culture, and to learn from both the mistakes…
2 educator answers
- MACBETH
Is the ghost of Banquo in Act 3 real?Is the ghost of Banquo in act 3 real?
In scene 4 of Act III to Macbeth the ghost is real, but no one else sees him. Perhaps the reason that only Macbeth sees this ghost of Banquo is the fact that it is Macbeth’s conscience which is…
3 educator answers
- LITERATURE
How do authors use the length of a story to re-enforce or enhance the theme or action?How do…
This depends entirely on the author and the period. The short story is a relatively new genre that originates in the oral tradition (story telling) and was originally designed to be published in…
2 educator answers
- THE OPEN BOAT
In “The Open Boat,” what do the boat, the sea, the shark, and the waves symbolize?
“The Open Boat” is a work of naturalism, which basically seeks to represent the ultimate futility of man’s existence. Here are the central aspects of Naturalism: · Man is a helpless…
1 educator answer
- FEMINIST LONG FICTION
I am looking for a feminist and/or post colonial interpretation of the movie “Casablanca”. Any…
In his book, The Making of Casablanca, Aljean Hurmetz writes that the movie has been viewed as an allegory of America’s movement from neutrality to war. “casa” means house and “blanca” white…
1 educator answer
- FREAKY FRIDAY
Predictions Might I suggest how Annabel (in her mom’s body) might have to make instant coffee for…
What predictions would you make if you were in YOUR mom’s body? What would you do about her fashion sense? Her hairstyle and makeup? What do you notice about how she conducts her life that you…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
What are the themes of Guilt / Honor / Ambition in the play? What are the relating quotes/parts…
Guilt is an interesting concept in the play “Macbeth.” Immediately following the murder of Duncan, there is much textual evidence to suggest Macbeth is wracked with guilt, such as his belief that…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
Critics have speculated about the identity of the third murderer,with some thinking that it may…
I find it difficult, personally, to accept Macbeth as the third murderer. He was at home the whole time entertaining, and then he was surprised to learn that Fleance had not been killed along with…
1 educator answer
- THE CANTERBURY TALES
Would you like traveling with this group of people? Why or why not? The travellers in…
Given the conditions of the trip and the time period, I’m sure this pilgrimage would be quite difficult, but if it were to be done, I’d just as soon be with this group of people than anybody else….
5 educator answers
- ROMEO AND JULIET
What are 4 other items that Romeo would keep as a memory of anyone?I am doing this for an english…
Probably something to remind him of Mercutio, his friend–the mask from the dance they attended together? He might include something to repent and remind him of the deaths of Tybalt and Paris. What…
3 educator answers
- LORD OF THE FLIES
In Chapter 4, why does Roger throw stones around and near the small boys on the beach instead of…
Roger, who is the most sadistic boy on the island throws the stones around and near the boys because there is in him still enough conditioning from his British society to prevent him from harming…
1 educator answer
- MACBETH
What is the significance of each passage from “Macbeth”: 1)Fair is foul and foul is fair 2) What…
The first quote is from the very short Act 1, sc. 1, and the second quote is from Act 1, sc. 3. The first quote is spoken by the witches at the end of the scene. The significance of the quote is…
1 educator answer
- BRAVE NEW WORLD
How can I start a literary response that is based on this book?
Aldous Huxley himself wrote, The theme of Brave New World is not the advancement of science as such; it is the advancement of science as it affects human individuals….This really revolutionary…
1 educator answer
- THE GREAT GATSBY
In The Great Gatsby, where is Gatsby buried and when does Nick head west?
Gatsby is buried in a cemetery in or near West Egg. Its location is not identified specifically. When nobody comes to Gatsby’s house for the funeral service, Nick asks the Lutheran minister to wait…
1 educator answer
- THE TIME MACHINE
What were the Time Traveler’s reasons for traveling through time?
The Time Traveller’s goal for travelling through time and the reasons why he built it are one and the same. The book was written in the late 19th century, 1895, when H.G. Wells observed that…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
During 1950, how were businesses and conformity are shown and viewed in the United States nation…
Conformity was the watchword in the ’50s, partly because of the experiences of so many Americans regimented by the military during the Second World War, partly by a sense of how America had…
1 educator answer
- WARRIORS DON’T CRY
In Warriors Don’t Cry, who accused the eight of “seeing things”?
It is Mrs. Huckaby who accuses Melba of “seeing things…being too sensitive”. Mrs. Huckaby’s attitude is especially demoralizing to Melba because, through the months of harrassment and torture…
1 educator answer
- THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
In The Catcher in the Rye, how does Allie’s baseball mitt represents isolation for Holden?
Holden used Allie’s glove as a reminder of Allie himself. Allie had been one of the few people that Holden was close to. The only person he had showed the glove to was Jane Gallegar. Holden still…
2 educator answers
- THE GREAT GATSBY
What do you anticipate learning about Gatsby after Chapter 2 – “The man who gives name to this…
The line you reference is from the first chapter where we learn very little about Gatsby. We know that despite what Jay seems to represent, Nick admires him in retrospect. We also know that…
1 educator answer
- HISTORY
What did the USSR do to spread communism from 1945 until 1960?
At the end of WW II the USSR seized the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), which had succeeded in separating themselves from Russia in 1917-19. The USSR also put into power governments…
2 educator answers
- THE GREAT GATSBY
Which couple does Tom introduce Nick to first in chapter 2, George and Myrtle Wilson or the Mckees?
Tom takes Nick on a visit to New York. On the way, he stops for gas at Tom and Myrtle’s garage. He introduces Nick to them and then picks up Myrtle. the three of them go to a hotel where Tom then…
2 educator answers
- THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
What characteristics do Janie’s three husbands share?
Although each marriage is very different, I would argue that there are a few commonalities between the men. Each man dominates Janie in some way. Logan sees her as another hand to help work the…
1 educator answer
- THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE CRICKET
What is the meaning of this fable?
Actually, the fable is about the grasshopper and the ant. “On the Grasshopper and the Cricket” is a poem by John Keats. The first line of that poem says it all: “The poetry of earth is never dead.”…
1 educator answer
- BRAVE NEW WORLD
What is the theme of “Brave New World”?
As with most novels, there are several themes. Huxley wrote a satire of a totalitarian society where the values of his day were totally reversed. Probably the most important theme is the idea of…
2 educator answers
- THE GREAT GATSBY
Compare and contrast the two social occasions in Chapters I and II of The Great Gatsby, including…
The contrast between the party in Chapter I and that of Chapter II is striking and not accidental. These two social occasions show very clearly both sides of Tom Buchanan’s life and two very…
1 educator answer
- JULIUS CAESAR
Caius Ligarius is one of the conspirators against Caesar. He doesn’t like Caesar because he was embarrassed by Caesar for Ligarius’s positive statements about Pompey. In Act II, Metellus tells…