Monica Henson
eNotes Educator
Achievements
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732
Answers Posted
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About
I am a former National Board Certified Teacher who is currently an independent educational management consultant and freelance writer and editor. My teaching experience is in English, History, French, and education coursework. I have taught everything from 7th grade through college undergraduates.
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eNotes Educator
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in The Crucible
Any thesis statement on any piece of literature should be "proveable." In other words, the thesis should be stated in such a way that the paper can provide textual evidence and support of the... -
Answered a Question in American Revolution
Suffering certainly compels people to rebel out of desperation. Nevetheless, revolutions have occurred for reasons that might not be characterized as "suffering," although the argument could be... -
Answered a Question in Literature
Literature is an excellent means of training a person to perform a variety of tasks in many different career areas. Being able to identify a theme and provide examples of it is a skill that is... -
Answered a Question in Globalization and Technological Advancements
The Information Revolution has made it possible for the world literally to be viewed on a laptop screen. One example of the impact of the Information Revolution has been on international... -
Answered a Question in Marbury v. Madison and the Marshall Court
I agree with brettd that much of the Constitution was written in reaction to the colonists' experience with the British monarchical system of government. In particular, the creation of a tripartite... -
Answered a Question in The Aftermath of World War II
The entry of the United States into World War II required the creation of an economic machine in order to drive the war. Factories had to produce machinery and equipment to be exported to military... -
Answered a Question in History
Prior to the Scientific Revolution, much of "authority" in Western civilizations lay within the Church and within historical figures and their pronouncements, as pohnpei397 correctly points out.... -
Answered a Question in History
I do believe that it would have been possible to accomplish the abolition of slavery without warfare, but it would have been extremely difficult. Had the North put the South under an economic... -
Answered a Question in History (General)
Written language is a means by which the history of a civilization can be passed down to future generations. The ancient Romans were quite cognizant of the importance of the written word for this... -
Answered a Question in Prohibition
My understanding has always been that the driving force behind Prohibition was the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The WCTU's campaign against the legal sale of alcohol was fierce and... -
Answered a Question in Literature
I think of film as visual text and used it frequently when I taught high school literature classes. O Brother, Where Art Thou? visited several classical Greek myths, including Odyssyeus's journey,... -
Answered a Question in A Streetcar Named Desire
The first post is a great explanation of the use of white as a symbol of the ideal of Southern purity. I'd go a bit further and state that white fades into ivory and then almost beige, perhaps with... -
Answered a Question in Literature
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was an excruciatingly difficult read for me. I'd never have selected this novel as leisure reading. I had to read it for an English major class. Normally I... -
Answered a Question in Literature
Tony Soprano is the essence of the antihero. He has few redeeming qualities and no remorse for his crimes. His love for his family notwithstanding, Tony Soprano is a thief, a liar, and murderer. He... -
Answered a Question in History
The current situation of education accountability K-12 is a classic instance where federal oversight and participation is spurring reform and better behavior by the states. Public education of... -
Answered a Question in American Revolution
One essential factor was the support of France. The assistance of the French was absolutely key in the victory by the Americans. The French support provided the American forces with generals who... -
Answered a Question in Othello
Iago's jealousy of Othello's imagined affair with Iago's wife, along with Iago's envy of being excluded from the highest levels of military and political influence, serve as a primary motivating... -
Answered a Question in History (General)
History is a very interesting subject to study. I have had many students who did not do that well in English, math, or science, but they loved history. History is the ultimate "real world" class.... -
Answered a Question in The American Scholar
I agree that you might feel a bit sheepish if you know inside that you didn't do your best, yet others compliment you on an achievement. However, consider that you might have a natural talent for... -
Answered a Question in William Shakespeare
Shakespeare has achieved the amazing feat of standing at the pinnacle of Western literature. As an English major, I treasured my semester-long Shakespeare course and could have gladly taken more,... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
I would focus my questions for Nora, because she is the star of the play and is the character that Oprah's female viewers would most identify with. Here are the questions I would pose to Nora: How... -
Answered a Question in Literary Criticism
Learning to read critically and to write your opinion and analysis are skills that are applicable to many situations in life, especially in the workplace. Critical reading skills help you to read... -
Answered a Question in Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)
Dr. Seuss is eminently quotable, and his works are deceptively simple, dealing with timeless themes in a way that young children and mature adults alike can embrace. We wouldn't... -
Answered a Question in Literature
Literature is a wonderful way to learn, to enjoy, to escape, and "see the world," all from the vantage point of a reading chair. It's possible in the U.S. to read pretty much any book you want for... -
Answered a Question in Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America
I think that the answer to the question depends on which demands are being made. One example where there is a woeful lack of government support is maternity/paternity leave and child care. In many... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
Your question has been argued for centuries, so my answer is certainly not absolute. What I will do is offer some evidence on both sides of the argument. In favor of Macbeth’s being the more... -
Answered a Question in Literary Terms
An ode is a formal lyric poem with a lofty theme. The style of language is elevated in order to glorify the subject. The earliest versions of odes were poems that were sung; in fact, the term “ode”... -
Answered a Question in Literature
The first saying that comes to my mind is "What goes around, comes around." I also think of the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The saying that you cite is a... -
Answered a Question in Literature
Preceding posters have defined the term, so I will comment on what I believe it means. Literature is anything that requires reading/hearing/viewing by an audience. Most people think of print items... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
The eNotes discussion of Julius Caesar offers an excellent analysis of this very quotation: http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/noblest-roman-them-all I shall offer my thoughts on the... -
Answered a Question in Essays
A speech is an event where a speaker stands before a group of listeners and transmits information by no other means than speaking to the group. The audience listens passively and may or may not be... -
Answered a Question in Night
The people in Sighet were educated, rational adults. The very idea of government-sanctioned mass murder was beyond their ability to comprehend, much less accept. In order to understand the horror... -
Answered a Question in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
One of the classic examples of satire is Twain's description of Emmaline Grangerford and her obsession with writing weepy confessional poetry. Huck is utterly flummoxed by Emmaline and her... -
Answered a Question in The Masque of the Red Death
I first read “The Masque of the Red Death” in high school English. It made such an impression on me that it became one of my favorite short stories and one of my “go to” assignments when I became a... -
Answered a Question in The Declaration of Independence
I have pondered this issue on several occasions, actually. On the one hand, I can see that given the times, it was perfectly normal for a group of white men to declare the “rights of men” and mean... -
Answered a Question in Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff is an archetypal character who represents the very essence of revenge. As such, he cannot be described as realistic. While the reader may sympathize greatly with Heathcliff’s humble... -
Answered a Question in Greek Drama
High school students respond to Greek tragedies such as Antigone because they deal with timeless themes that never lose their relevance. What teenager hasn’t chafed against the rules and edicts of... -
Answered a Question in Pride and Prejudice
My experience as a high school English teacher has been that students find certain texts “boring” because of the language they are written in. P & P was written long ago and is in quite formal... -
Answered a Question in History (General)
The first person who comes to my mind is Margaret Sanger and the campaign for safe and effective birth control. It wasn’t until I had my own children that I realized the magnitude of how children... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
I’d never characterize “The Necklace” as humorous; rather, I’d describe it as invoking pathos before I’d call it funny. The supreme irony of the ending is the reason why this story is selected year... -
Answered a Question in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
I believe that all three characters, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, all had what they needed. They just didn’t realize it, because all three of them lacked self-confidence.... -
Answered a Question in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
My favorite episode in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is when Tom decides to take Becky’s punishment and save her from a spanking by the schoolmaster for spilling ink across the page of his book. The... -
Answered a Question in Rifles for Watie
I believe that the majority of slaveowners would have kept their slaves until some other development forced a change. The South was almost completely dependent economically on slave labor and would... -
Answered a Question in Antigone
Antigone makes specific reference in the opening scene to the prophecies of the doom that would befall the house of Oedipus. She also makes it crystal clear to Ismene that she understands exactly... -
Answered a Question in Remember
“Remember” is an elegiac poem, focusing on the themes of death, remembrance, relinquishment, and forgiveness. The speaker is Rossetti pondering her impending death and releasing her lover from the... -
Answered a Question in A Rose for Emily
The two stories share a theme of isolation. Sarty is isolated from the other children in the town because of his father’s reputation as well as his father teaching him that other people are not to... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
Act I, Scene iii is the first appearance of the “weird sisters,” called the Witches. Banquo and Macbeth encounter them in the woods. The Witches address Macbeth as “Thane of Cawdor” and... -
Answered a Question in The Declaration of Independence
Among the three inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, I consider the right to life to be paramount. The right to life protects one from birth to the grave and ensures... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter can be a difficult read even for advanced students, due to the vocabulary level and the allegorical nature of the story being told in the novel. If I were an average 10th grader... -
Answered a Question in The Masque of the Red Death
"Masque of the Red Death" is a masterpiece of Gothic horror fiction. The story is filled with symbolism and literary references and is tightly woven around a terrifying plot, leading up to a...
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