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The Metamorphosis
What is the moral of The Metamorphosis?
The moral of The Metamorphosis is that being made to bear an outsize burden of obligation lead to alienation and dehumanization. Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman who works to support his...
To Kill a Mockingbird
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus says, "Serving on a jury forces a man to make up his mind and declare himself about...
People often like to live in a world of "gray," avoiding decisions that are "black and white." It often makes them uncomfortable to consider that something is right or wrong, and instead they...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Why has the author chosen to conclude her text in the way she does in "The Yellow Wallpaper"?
By the end of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator has descended into madness. Her husband has taken her for a relaxing vacation at a country estate so that she can...
Les Misérables
Who is Eponine in love with?
In Les Misérables, Éponine falls in love with Marius Pontmercy, her neighbor in Paris, and she eventually confesses her love for him with her dying breath. Éponine is initially an unsympathetic...
Les Misérables
What is the name of the innkeeper in Les Misérables?
The innkeeper in Les Misérables is named Monsieur Thénardier. He is a petty crook who emerges as one of the major antagonists of the novel, and, along with his equally corrupt wife, is perhaps the...
World War I
Why did the US enter World War I?
As World War I began, the United States voiced its intention to remain neutral, a policy which held widespread support among the American people. Yet in April of 1917, the United States would enter...
The Declaration of Independence
In the Declaration of Independence, what is the purpose of the first paragraph?
The first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence introduces the topic at hand. Similar to an essay one may write for a literature or history class, this paragraph serves to ensure that the...
The Canonization
Elaborate on the blending of erotic love and spiritual love in Donne's “The Canonization.”
The very first line of Donne's “The Canonization” would appear to indicate that there's nothing particularly spiritual about the love between the speaker and his beloved: For God's sake hold your...
Social Sciences
Discuss the relationship between homelessness and mental health in Canada.
There is a great deal of research on the overlaps between issues of homelessness and mental health in Canada. Now, not all people who experience homelessness struggle with mental health issues or...
A Modest Proposal
Write a satirical essay proposing a solution to what you see as a problem in the world today.
This assignment is more difficult than it appears. This is because Swift has already taken the most shocking example imaginable in A Modest Proposal, and it would be a mistake to try to outdo him...
Math
What is the least possible value of (xy - 1)^2 + ( x + y ) for real numbers x and y?
The least possible value of `(xy - 1)^2 + ( x + y )` has to be determined. The least value of `(xy - 1)^2` is 0, as the square of both negative as well as positive numbers is positive. If either x...
The Metamorphosis
How does each family member react to Gregor's transformation?
The protagonist of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is a traveling salesman named Gregor Samsa. Gregor works hard every day to support his parents and sister. He hates his job and the loneliness and...
The Story of My Life
What were the problems faced by Helen Keller in The Story of My Life?
An illness when she was very young left Helen Keller unable to see or hear. As a very young child, she adapted to this situation, but as she got older and her brain continued to develop, her...
Harrison Bergeron
Irony In Harrison Bergeron
Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron" is full of irony. Perhaps the most glaring irony is the idea of imposing complete equality on a population through state power. Anyone who has the...
Dante's Inferno
What does "canto" mean?
The generally accepted understanding of "canto" is that it is a single unit in the separation of a poem into sections. The word is derived from the Latin word cantus, meaning “song,” and...
London
What does "chartered" mean in William Blake's poem "London"?
In his poem "London," William Blake refers to the streets of London, and to the river, as being "charter'd." This could have several meanings: first of all, a chartered street is one that has been...
Self-Reliance
What does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean by "Whoso would be a man must be a noncomformist"?
In "Self-Reliance," Ralph Waldo Emerson follows his statement that "whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist" with an illustrative anecdote which tends to shock religious readers. When he was...
Animal Farm
Who does Squealer represent?
There is some debate over precisely who Squealer is intended to represent. Some of the characters in Animal Farm represent specific historical individuals. Mr. Jones, for instance, is intended to...
Dante's Inferno
Who is the narrator in Dante's Inferno?
The historical Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) was a Florentine poet of the early Renaissance and the author of a variety of works, including his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. Dante was a student of...
Dante's Inferno
What is the message of Dante's Inferno?
Dante Alighieri's three-part epic poem, the Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia)—composed of Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise or Heaven)—is intended to convey the message,...
Dante's Inferno
When was Dante's Inferno written?
Dante's Inferno was published in 1314, during the early Renaissance. As such, it is a masterpiece of Christian humanism, merging Christian theology with classical literature and thought. Dante...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What are the three major elements that separate the world's haves from the have-nots?
Jared Diamond argues that the three major factors that separate the haves from the have-nots in world history are the development of agriculture, the accident of geography, and resistance to...
Anne of Green Gables
How does Marilla come to meet Mrs. Blewett in Anne of Green Gables?
Marilla comes to meet with Mrs. Spencer to tell her there is a mistake about the child and that she and Matthew can't keep Anne. Mrs. Spencer says that's fine because Mrs. Blewett needs a girl, and...
Animal Farm
In Animal Farm, what advantages or privileges have the pigs given themselves that the other animals don't have? How...
In chapter 3, the pigs decide to take all of the milk and apples for themselves. This, they argue, is a privilege that they deserve because milk and apples "contain substances absolutely necessary...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What does Jared Diamond argue gave Europeans an advantage to be able to conquer people in the Americas?
Diamond lists a number of reasons why Europeans were able to conquer Native Americans. One, surprisingly, is the more sophisticated written culture that Europeans had developed. For example,...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What is Yali's question in Guns, Germs, and Steel?
In his prologue, Jared Diamond recounts being sent to study birds in New Guinea in 1972. While there, he met a curious and charismatic New Guinean politician named Yali. Yali, like everyone else,...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What does "cargo" mean in Guns, Germs, and Steel?
"Cargo" refers to all the material goods a society develops and produces. Early on in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond is questioned by a New Guinean named Yali. He asks why Western society...
A Separate Peace
In what ways is Devon a microcosm in A Separate Peace?
Based upon Phillips Exeter School in New Hampshire, Devon School is an elite boarding school where "Boys Come to Be Made Men." At first, Devon is described as a calm and relaxed place, especially...
Half a Day
How does "Half a Day" present a link between the distant past and the present?
The link between the distant past and the present is most visible in the personal interactions which bookend this short story. As the narrator arrives at school, he clings to his father's hand, not...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What is Jared Diamond's theory of geographic luck?
Jared Diamond posits that certain societies had a distinctive advantage based on geography. A first, extremely fortunate aspect of Middle Eastern geography was the existence in the Fertile Crescent...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What is the main thesis of Guns, Germs, and Steel?
The book Guns, Germs, and Steel was written in answer to an important question: why is it that the West became more advanced (e.g., has more technology) than places like New Guinea? Diamond's...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Why did crops spread easily in Europe and Asia? Why did this spread not happen in the Americas?
The reasons for the easy spread of crops between Europe and Asia and why this easy spread did not occur in the Americas are explained in chapter 10, "Spacious Skies and Tilted Axes," of Guns,...
Romeo and Juliet
In Romeo and Juliet, what is meant by the phrase "from forth the fatal loins of these two foes"?
The word "fatal" is an interesting one in this play. It's connected to another phrase that always brings it to mind: "star-crossed." In modern parlance, the word "fatal" is often used as if it...
Mother to Son
Why does Langston Hughes use bad grammar and drops the ending of words?
This poem is a great example of a writer who separates himself from the speaker of the poem. Langston Hughes was a Black man who wrote during the Harlem Renaissance; this poem is one of his many...
To Kill a Mockingbird
Describe what happened to Tom Robinson at the end of chapter 24 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Where did it happen? What...
In chapter 24, Atticus interrupts his sister's missionary circle and breaks the news of Tom Robinson's tragic death to Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, Alexandria, and Scout in the privacy of the kitchen....
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What were the Incas most skilled at growing?
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, author Jared Diamond explains how the Incas were very skilled at growing and cultivating corn and potatoes. The latter crop was particularly important for the Incas, and...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Is Guns, Germs, and Steel accurate?
Accuracy is a difficult issue to tackle when it comes to a book like Guns, Germs, and Steel. Diamond is painting with what is called a broad brush: he is covering a vast amount of history over the...
The Great Gatsby
Describe Mr. Wilson and his wife Myrtle in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, George and Myrtle Wilson are the most significant non-rich characters. They live in what is known as the Valley of Ashes above the automobile repair shop...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What was great about the Fertile Crescent in Guns, Germs, and Steel?
The Fertile Crescent is a geographic area comprised of such places as present-day Egypt, southern Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria: a region we today call the Middle or Near East,...
Lyddie
How does Mrs. Bedlow contrast to Mistress Cutler in Lyddie?
It's difficult to imagine two people more different than Mrs. Cutler and Mrs. Bedlow in Lyddie. Mrs. Cutler is a thoroughly unpleasant piece of work, a mean, nasty individual who makes poor...
Harrison Bergeron
2. Does our culture have difficulty with difference, with those, say, with a very low or a very high IQ or with...
U.S. culture has been noted both for its tolerance of individualism, at least on paper, and its conflicting tendency to value conformity. Despite high minded writers, such as Thoreau and Emerson,...
Science
A box stands on a wooden plank. You increase the slope the plank makes until the box falls over. Explain why the box...
The presence of the term slope places this question in the context of slope stability. This concept deals with gauging the stability of a given object—like a rock or, say, a box—on a slope. Within...
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, compare Bruno's old home to his new home.
When Bruno and his family arrive at their new house, Bruno immediately considers it to be the polar opposite of their old home in a variety of ways. While the old house had been in proximity to...
The Custom of the Country
If we were to analyse the last two pages of chapter 26 of custom of the country, what are the themes , literary...
At the end of Chapter 26 of The Custom of the Country , the Spraggs go to Europe. Page numbers vary by edition. The text discussed here pertains to their vacation, beginning “After a moment of...
Leonard Cohen
Analyze Leonard Cohen's “Anthem,” discussing themes and poetic devices used.
The themes in Leonard Cohen’s song/poem “Anthem” center on ongoing corruption and persistent hope. The nefarious parts of society are addressed in the first verse when Cohen remarks that wars will...
History
Discuss how Jane Addams was able to motivate extremely wealthy people to donate and support Hull House. Provide three...
Jane Addams co-founded Hull House and introduced the settlement movement to the United States in 1889, the same year that the fabulously rich industrialist Andrew Carnegie published his influential...
Animal Farm
In Animal Farm, in what chapter does Napoleon take the puppies, and is there another way that he has power over the...
It's in chapter 3 of Animal Farm that Napoleon appropriates the “nine, sturdy puppies” belonging to Jessie and Bluebell. As with any dictator, Napoleon understands the overriding importance of...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What are the foods that the New Guinean horticulturalists eat?
In chapter 15 of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond compares some of the different developments that occurred in New Guinea and Australia. While native Australians maintained a hunter-gatherer...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
What is the significance of Jared Diamond titling his book Guns, Germs, and Steel?
Guns, germs, and steel are three factors which, according to Jared Diamond, have enabled Europeans to colonize other civilizations which were less geographically fortunate. Guns and steel are...
Guns, Germs, and Steel
How did horses give the Europeans an advantage over the Incas?
When the Spanish came to Latin America, the Inca people had never seen horses before. This gave the Spanish an immediate psychological advantage: the man riding a horse appeared to be some...
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