Pauline Sheehan
eNotes Educator
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2448
Answers Posted
1631
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About
I tutor high school students in English and maths and work with children of primary school age with learning challenges. I'm also a contributing author to a series of English FAL (First Additional Language) textbooks for grade 7 in South Africa.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in John Keats
In Keats's short poem "I had a dove," the reader is aware that the speaker is devastated by the death of what he describes as his "pretty thing." The ownership of the bird is very pronounced, Keats... -
Answered a Question in Nikki Giovanni
The structure of Nikki Giovanni's poem Mothers can be described as free verse. The poem is a very personal account of Giovanni's relationship with her mother. This may explain why she uses free... -
Answered a Question in Iliad
The first line of Homer's Iliad references Achilles's anger which "brought countless ills" to all the parties involved in the Trojan War. Achilles fights his battles literally and figuratively... -
Answered a Question in Animal Farm
Old Major's speech in Animal Farm sets the scene for the animals' revolt. It also foreshadows the problems that will soon become evident as animals stray further and further away from his advice... -
Answered a Question in The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is a classic children's book and is able to continually inspire children with its abundance of adventures and Toad's escapades. Adults and older children... -
Answered a Question in The Miracle Worker
Helen Keller's life has been chronicled in various ways; Helen herself wrote several books, the most revealing being The Story of My Life. After an illness as a baby, Helen was left blind and deaf.... -
Answered a Question in Trifles
Trifles is the aptly named play by Susan Glaspell in which it is the seemingly inconsequential and trivial things that hold the most importance in potentially solving the murder of Mr. Wright in... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
In Lord of the Flies, there are stark differences between Ralph and Jack, but unfortunately, by the end of the novel, there is one overriding similarity that far outweighs their vastly different... -
Answered a Question in Canadian Drama
Billy Bishop Goes to War develops as a play with an atypical hero, Billy Bishop, a young Canadian, eager to serve on the British Forces in World War I. He is flippant to the point that “somehow it... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House remains a popular play, and even more than 100 years after Ibsen’s death, its topic still resonates with readers and play-goers alike. It questions the... -
Answered a Question in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is the well-known source of the popular metaphorical reference to an albatross used to suggest a terrible burden or a curse of some sort. The idiom "wear an... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird exposes many of the injustices that exist and the tragic consequences that result when people judge others and discriminate against them. Scout, Dill, and Jem have... -
Answered a Question in Kew Gardens
Virginia Woolf's short story called "Kew Gardens" is set in the iconic botanical gardens of the same name. Woolf may have chosen the gardens because they are so much a part of the past, present,... -
Answered a Question in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's classic plays and is recognized for its comedy. Various characters are happily wed, the wicked Shylock is effectively defeated, and Antonio... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird is mentioned right at the beginning of chapter one when Scout, the narrator, remembers the events of the summer that she and Jem became friends with Dill.... -
Answered a Question in The Portrait of a Lady
The Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh traces the phases of a boy's relationship with his grandmother while growing up. At first there is an inter-dependency which satisfies the needs of a... -
Answered a Question in Helen Keller
In chapter one of The Story of My Life Helen Keller talks about her life before she was left blind and deaf after a terrible illness as a baby. When she says "I came, I saw, I conquered"... -
Answered a Question in The Outsiders
In the aptly named novel, The Outsiders, Ponyboy points out, in chapter one, that the Greasers are the local gang of boys from "the East side." They know that they are frowned upon in their... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
A lot is changing for the Finch family in To Kill a Mockingbird. Jem is growing moody and even unpleasant. Aunt Alexander has come to stay, and does not share Scout's outlook on life. As Scout... -
Answered a Question in The Outsiders
Being a member of a gang is perfectly normal for Ponyboy and the boys in The Outsiders. It's also clear from Ponyboy's descriptions in chapter one that the boys are classified according to... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird exposes the small-town mentality of Maycomb County and its inability to move away from its prejudiced views. Reputation, real or imagined, and the protection of it,... -
Answered a Question in Othello
Loyalty and treachery are prominent themes in Othello. Treacherous characters manipulate loyalty and good faith—this is the ultimate betrayal of trust. Iago is treacherous, and he is so good at it,... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies may appear to have all the elements of a typical story about boys stranded on an island, and may even begin that way, that is, with an air of predictability. The boys struggle to... -
Answered a Question in The Merchant of Venice
In The Merchant of Venice, Portia must satisfy the terms of her father’s will and feels that she has been "curbed by the will of a dead father," as she says in Act I, scene ii. She struggles... -
Answered a Question in The Story of My Life
Defining characteristics help people identify traits that are particular, for example, to children, to animals, and so on. Specific characteristics then help to identify a specific person or thing... -
Answered a Question in Arms and the Man
George Bernard Shaw was a self-effacing man, never concerned with how his comments and outspokenness would affect him. His main aim was always to share his message, and, in doing so, he would point... -
Answered a Question in The Postmaster
In Rabindranath Tagore's short story "The Postmaster," the reader is first introduced to the postmaster, and it is clear from the beginning that he is, as the story says, "a fish out of water." The... -
Answered a Question in Literary Terms
Pronunciation, in any language, is crucial for good communication and understanding. Vowels and diphthongs are not unique to English speakers, and their use is always to ensure pronunciation in... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
An ethical dilemma occurs when what's morally right isn't necessarily clear. A person in an ethical dilemma might find him or herself in the midst of a potentially untenable situation, and any... -
Answered a Question in Araby
James Joyce wrote a series of short stories called "Dubliners, "of which "Araby" is one. Joyce is well-known for using real-life situations and personal experiences in his short story writing.... -
Answered a Question in The Story of My Life
Helen Keller, supported by her autobiography, "The Story of My Life" and other works, is a source of inspiration to many people, especially for those whom their daily struggles begin to outweigh... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
There are some obvious and glaring differences between Lord of the Flies and Romeo and Juliet. 1. There is a distinct lack of romantic love in William Golding's novel although the boys do... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
A scapegoat is a person who is unjustly held responsible for a deteriorating situation, or for problems created when things go wrong, often to make a more powerful and controlling person appear... -
Answered a Question in The Hiding Place
Corrie Ten Boom is renowned for her bestselling book, The Hiding Place, in which she relates her own personal story of the struggle to help Jews fleeing from Nazi persecution in Holland. It also... -
Answered a Question in Thank You, M'am
When analyzing Roger's character in "Thank You M'am" by Langston Hughes, it is important to consider the part he plays in the story and its development. After a brief introduction to Mrs. Luella... -
Answered a Question in The Diary of a Young Girl
"Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" contains the notes that Anne made to her "Dearest Kitty" (the name she gives to her diary) when her family has no choice but to go into hiding to escape... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
In A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, there are many themes that could be written about, and those themes are wrapped up in the larger topics which they explain. Although the words topic and theme are... -
Answered a Question in The Story of My Life
The name Helen Keller is synonymous with persistence, determination and an indomitable spirit. In "The Story of My Life," the reader gets a glimpse of the highs and lows of the first twenty-two... -
Answered a Question in The Miracle Worker
"The Miracle Worker" by William Gibson is based on Helen Keller's first discovery that words, and that most famous word of all for Helen Keller, "W-A-T-E-R," have the potential to release Helen... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
In "A Doll's House," there are certain conventions and expectations which are prevalent throughout. Nora would never be permitted to borrow money without her husband's consent and she would not be... -
Answered a Question in Once Upon a Time
In "Once Upon A Time," Nadine Gordimer relates a "bedtime story," which rather than sending the reader to sleep, serves as a warning to families who look for resolutions to problems without really... -
Answered a Question in Once Upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer's short story "Once Upon A Time" reveals the tragedy behind a family's attempts to protect itself from an unknown and unrecognizable threat. In South Africa, historically, it is not... -
Answered a Question in Once Upon a Time
In "Once Upon A Time" by Nadine Gordimer, Gordimer intends for the reader to learn that danger has many guises and is likely to be misunderstood, and, in this instance, misinterpreted unless... -
Answered a Question in Once Upon a Time
Mood describes feelings and emotions, and therefore, the mood at the beginning of "Once Upon A Time" by Nadine Gordimer, is one of frustration, confusion and for a brief instant, fear. This... -
Answered a Question in History
The influences from The Golden Age or Classical Period of Greek rule are indisputable and many are still visible today. Pericles, born in 495 BCE, an applauded Athenian statesman, ruled Athens... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Form refers to the way a story is written rather than the story that it tells. In "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," Bruno is the first person narrator so the story is told from his perspective... -
Answered a Question in The Story of My Life
Helen Keller's "The Story of My Life" gives an account of many of Helen's experiences up to the age of twenty two. It includes the highlights, such as Helen's first word- W-A-T-E-R and Miss... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is a story that has an impact on anyone who reads it. Although it is in danger of reducing a very devastating and real life tragedy to a fictional story, it is also... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
When comparing two texts, in this case the book version of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and the film version, look for the similarities between the two. Even though the film may not essentially... -
Answered a Question in The Merchant of Venice
In "The Merchant of Venice," Antonio has undertaken the repayment of a "bond" to Shylock and has accepted a forfeit of a pound of his "fair flesh" (I.iii. 145) if he does not repay the money in...
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