
Susan Woodward, M.A.
eNotes Educator
Achievements
9
Educator Level
339
Answers Posted
113
Answers Bonused
About
I am a proud mom of five and grandmother of nine who has taught Pre-AP English 9, Regents English 10 and 11 in Webster, NY. I am a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Buffalo State College, where I also earned my Master of Arts degree in English Literature. I studied Theatre at Thames Valley University in London as part of a summer exchange program. I am currently an associate of the Joseph Campbell Foundation as his work has had a tremendous influence on me. I served as a presenter at the 2012 Symposium on Mythology in Santa Barbara, CA and as Programs Director for the Celebrating the Mythical Life conference held in New Paltz, NY commemorating the 50 year passing of Joseph Campbell.
Earned Badges
-
eNotes Educator
This badge is awarded to all eNotes Educators. Only official Educators can answer students' questions on our site. Educators are teachers, professional researchers, and scholars who apply to our... -
10K Points Earner
Educators earn points for every question they answer. This Educator has earned over 10,000 points. -
Expert
An expert badge distinguishes Educators who demonstrate strong knowledge in a particular topic, such as Hamlet or Math. It is awarded when an Educator has posted more than 25 answers on a given topic. -
Scholar
The scholar badge recognizes Educators who are especially knowledgeable about a particular author. This badge is awarded once an Educator has posted more than 50 answers on works by a specific author. -
Literature Whiz
Bonuses are awarded when an Educator has gone above and beyond and impressed the editorial team by offering an especially lengthy, nuanced, or insightful answer. This badge is given to an Educator...
Recent Activity
-
Answered a Question in Romeo and Juliet
Mercutio accuses Benvolio of being hot-tempered and willing to fight, especially when the temperature climbs. Mercutio's name alone suggests that, like the element mercury, he is the one with... -
Answered a Question in Langston Hughes
This poem is written in dimeter, which means that there are two main beats per line. As for the individual lines, though, the poetic feet change in order to accommodate the number of... -
Answered a Question in And Then There Were None
General Macarthur accepts that his guilt for sending his wife's lover to his death has finally caught up with him, and he resigns himself to his fate. All of the others on the... -
Answered a Question in The Hobbit
I think that the songs are a chief characteristic of all these works. I also think that it is important to remember the massive influence of Norse and Anglo-Saxon Mythology on Tolkien, and thus... -
Answered a Question in The Hobbit
Gandalf arrives in Spring, which symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. For Bilbo, he is about to be reborn into his "Took" nature. During the summer, while the company is journeying,... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
John is the son of a priest in his village. Because he touched the metal handed to him by his father "and did not die", by his people's laws, John was then destined to become a priest... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
Carlson shot Candy's dog with his luger. The dog was not only old, blind, and could barely walk, but the men in the bunkhouse kept complaining about how badly the dog smelled. ... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
The Ghost of Christmas Past has taken Scrooge back into his childhood so that he might see where his loathing of Christmas originated. Scrooge's father was apparently a mean man,... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
Scrooge is referring to the image of himself as a young boy, alone in the boarding school for Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Past has taken him back into Scrooge's childhood so that he... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
When Scrooge first sees the spirit of his partner, Jacob Marley, he cannot believe his eyes. He mutters that the vision must me caused by "an undigested bit of beef or an old potato". ... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
Brutus believes that the men should march to Philippi to meet Antony and Octavius' army, but Cassius believes that it would be better for the enemy to come to them. For the moment, Brutus'... -
Answered a Question in Oedipus Rex
Although Athene, Artemis, and Apollo are called upon in this Ode to help the people of Thebes, it is ultimately Zeus who is called upon to slay the murderer of King Laius. Father Zeus, whose... -
Answered a Question in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
It's Harry's first Quidditch match against Slytherin. He tries to prepare by reading a book Hermione had gotten from the library, but Snape takes the book away saying that the books aren't... -
Answered a Question in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
A package arrives for Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000, and a note telling him to meet Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. When Harry meets Oliver, the captain explains... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck is setting the scene for George and Lennie before they enter. Actually, each chapter begins with Steinbeck's use of sensory imagery. This brings the reader into the scene... -
Answered a Question in Stephen Vincent Benét
Ou-dis-sun is a mispronunciation of the Hudson River. It is a clue to the actual setting of the story, which is New York City after a terrible bombing. The short story takes place many,... -
Answered a Question in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Jonathan Edwards is using imagery here. He paints a picture in the listeners' minds that is intended to instill fear in their hearts. God is painted as full of wrath and set to destroy... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
In "By the Waters of Babylon", the Place of the Gods is really what is left of New York City after it was bombed. Man's technology eventually led to the destruction of the modern world, and... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
I answered this question once before, but here it is again... Zeus sending the storm that blew Odysseus and his crew to the Land of the Lotus Eaters, leading him on a ten year journey to get... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
In "By the Waters of Babylon", John seeks knowledge in the Place of the Gods. While on his way, he first tries to determine whether or not his is a "good" journey. When he sees the... -
Answered a Question in The Most Dangerous Game
The island is only referred to as Ship-Trap Island when Whitney tells Sanger Rainsford the legend about ships going in and never returning. The legend is very similar to the tale of the... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
Mathilde Loisel in Guy DeMaupassant's "The Necklace" does not appreciate all that she has and wishes for more. She thinks she is poor, but she has a maid who comes to clean the house, and she... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
Zeus sending the storm that blew Odysseus and his crew to the Land of the Lotus Eaters, leading him on a ten year journey to get home was a bit extreme for a bit of over-zealous after war partying... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
In "By the Waters of Babylon", when John enters the Place of the Gods, he notices that "everywhere in it there are god-roads, though most are cracked and broken." This shows that some... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
A major conflict in this novel could be loneliness. Steinbeck uses Candy, Curley's wife, Crooks, and Curley to demonstrate this theme. Candy is lonely because his dog that he'd raised... -
Answered a Question in The Cask of Amontillado
There are several clues that Montressor has nothing good plannned for Fortunato. For one thing, he mentions his family motto, which translates into "No one attacks me with impunity (freedom from... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
Only three characters in The Alchemist are given names. The boy's name is Santiago. The old man's name is Melchizedek, and he is the King of Salem. Santiago's love interest... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
Santiago's family wanted him to be a priest, and so they went him to seminary school. The boy, however, longed to see the world, and so he decided to become a shepherd so that he could... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
The point of Melchizedek's story is that “secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” What he means is that when the boy in... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
What Paulo Coelho means is that through erosion ("the force of flowing water"), whatever is buried may be brought to light (like finding gemstones such as the emerald underground). Time... -
Answered a Question in The Cask of Amontillado
The reason for his actions that Montressor offers the reader is that Fortunato insulted him in some way. Although the nature of the offense is never disclosed, apparently Montressor believes... -
Answered a Question in The Lottery
The most prevalent literary device is irony at the end of the tale. Throughout the story, the lottery taking place seems to be a sort of annual game in which there is a winner. Tension... -
Answered a Question in Life of Pi
If you think about the animals in the boat as a microcosm of society, then you can see the various social roles that are played. The hyena represents the ruthless of society who play by the rule... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
Approved behaviors include treating guests with honor and respect, acting as a good guest when one in in another's home, honoring the gods, and standing up for what one believes is... -
Answered a Question in The Most Dangerous Game
In one instance, the word "game" can mean a competition. As it relates to the story, General Zaroff is playing a "dangerous game" in hunting humans. Actually, hunting in itself is... -
Answered a Question in Hamlet
Hamlet pretends to go mad in an effort to buy himself some time to prove the guilt of the new king and to find out if his mother was in on the plot to murder his father. Had he not adopted... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
At the beginning, Santiago is afraid to trust his dreams/intuition and so he seeks the aid of a gypsy woman to interpret a dream for him. Her words are actually a confirmation of what... -
Answered a Question in The Invalid's Story
The narrator of Twain's tale believes that the box he is transporting contains the body of an old friend that he is excorting home. What he does not know is the the box containing the body... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
In "The Alchemist", Fatima is a woman of the desert. According to the definition of that term in the novel, a woman of the desert accepts life as it comes, and she waits for her man who has... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
I would have to say that trusting one's intuition would have to be Santiago's greatest lesson. He trusted that the life of a priest was not for him, and he become a shepherd. This made... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
John believes that it is his destiny to go to the Place of the Gods to gain knowledge. The preparation rituals he goes through with his father and the other priests prepare John for his Rite of... -
Answered a Question in Life of Pi
Richard Parker represents all that Pi fears, as well as how he overcomes those fears. Pi must learn how to face his greatest fear of death, especially by a wild beast (he'd been told by his... -
Answered a Question in The Alchemist
At the beginning, Santiago is afraid to trust his dreams/intuition and so he seeks the aid of a gypsy woman to interpret a dream for him. Her words are actually a confirmation of what... -
Answered a Question in Dracula
I like "Enter freely and of your own free will" to Jonathan Harker as he enters Castle Dracula for the first time. Although he is being hospitable, he is inviting Jonathan to more than a... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
The fact that the courthouse was to "preserve...the past", that would include the racist/prejudiced attitudes of many of its citizens. A courthouse is where justice is supposed to be handed... -
Answered a Question in The Raven
As the narrator of "The Raven" is sitting in his room, "suddenly there came a tapping,/As of someone gently rapping, rapping at [his] chamber door". At first he thinks that it is some late... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
At the end of Julius Caesar, Brutus observes the ruination of his country through civil war. He had joined in a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar because he allowed Cassius to convince him... -
Answered a Question in Dracula
There are many themes woven throughout Bram Stoker's novel, but the prevelant is probably that of good vs. evil. I know it sounds cliche, but most works in the Gothic genre use this as a main... -
Answered a Question in Hamlet
It is Hamlet who calls the play within a play The Mousetrap because he intends to use it to catch a rat (Claudius). The play in Act III is about a king who falls asleep in his garden,... -
Answered a Question in The Most Dangerous Game
The title "The Most Dangerous Game" has a dual meaning. First, it can refer to the most dangerous competition one can partake in. This could be General Zaroff's hunting "game" that he...
Showing 1-50 of 140