Jill Patterson
eNotes Educator
Achievements
8
Educator Level
318
Answers Posted
71
Answers Bonused
About
I was born and raised in the Boston area. I did my undergraduate studies at Brandeis Umiversity where I majored in History and Medieval studies. I also took 28 credits in Eng. Lit. Did Graduate work in Medieval Hitory at KU in Lawrence, KS. I currently live in Prescott Valley, AZ and teach at a classically oriented Christian School.
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. -
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... -
History 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 History
Each of the first four Presidents faced circumstances that could have led to United States involvement in a war. For Washington, the French Revolution pressed on the U.S. for involvment. The French... -
Answered a Question in A Wizard of Earthsea
The true antagonist in A Wizard of Earthsea is the dark side of Ged's nature. One of the greatest themes of the book is the balance of power and the balance between good and evil. When Ged allows... -
Answered a Question in Gilgamesh: Man's First Story
Dreams are very important as prophecy in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh has a dream that foretold the coming of Enkidu, and he dreamed again portending the the defeat of Huwawa. After Enkidu was... -
Answered a Question in The Epic of Gilgamesh
The friendship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh reveals much about the role of friendship in Sumerian society: a true friend is a most precious commodity and is even more... -
Answered a Question in History
According to the United Nations, the definition of genocide is as follows: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
Unlike many books today which encourage young people to pursue their “passions,” Golding’s book looks at passions as evil—so pursuing them is an evil pursuit. Lord of the Flies is Golding’s... -
Answered a Question in Bolshevik Revolution
There were really two different Russian Revolutions and there were several causes of discontent that lead to each stage of the Revolution. The longterm discontent felt by a growing middle class who... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
I think that Golding has a deeper dimension to the character of Piggy which further explains why the other boys do not listen to him. As is obvious from the depiction of Piggy, he is a boy who is... -
Answered a Question in The Bronze Bow
There are many characters who influence Daniel in The Bronze Bow, from the soldiers who killed his father to his grandmother and Leah to Joel and Malthace, but the ones who influence him the most... -
Answered a Question in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The main conflict in the story is, as said by the other educator, the conflict between Kit and her new family and the culture within which they live. Kit has lived a certain way during her life and... -
Answered a Question in History
I am assuming that you are asking about Napoleon Bonaparte, also known as Napoleon I. Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon overcame his backwater birth to become one of the greatest... -
Answered a Question in Literature
Throughout the history of the world there has been an ongoing conversation of the ideas and values that shape our society and have shaped each successive society. If you want to take... -
Answered a Question in History
Since most of the delegates to the Convention had travelled to the get there, they most likely ate most of their meals in taverns where they would continue to discuss the issues of the Convention... -
Answered a Question in US History (General)
The U.S. is not truly a democracy, we are a federal republic, specifically we are a democratic federal republic because our officials are elected by all the people. The term federal refers to the... -
Answered a Question in History
Turkey was a part of the Ottoman Empire, which for various political reasons entered WWI in November of 1914 on the German side of the War. The Ottoman Empire had recently had some major... -
Answered a Question in History
The Enlightenment brought about major changes in Western attitudes towards faith, reform and reason because the movement was based on the triumph of reason. The men of the Enlightenment... -
Answered a Question in World War I
Most people in the United States initially did not want to get involved in World War I but several factors pushed the country into the war. First, most Americans were sympathetic to the... -
Answered a Question in American Revolution
Yes and no really. In the beginning the men who helped to begin the revolution did not mean for it to be as radical as it became. They wanted the British to give them the same rights... -
Answered a Question in Slavery in the Nineteenth Century
Popular Sovereignty was appealing as a solution to the very emotional and controversial debate about slavery before the Civil War because it was a compromise approach that allowed each state to... -
Answered a Question in The Crucible
The confession that Elizabeth makes to John in Act IV is that she realizes that she herself played some role in the marital difficulties that led John to commit adultery with Abigail. She... -
Answered a Question in The Crucible
Proctor's goal in bringing Mary Warren to court is to get the truth out, end the witchcraft madnes, and clear his wife, Elizabeth, of the accusations. He does not even care that his... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
From the description of the courthouse in chapter 16, we know that the columns on the courthouse were all that remained of the original courthouse that had been burned down in 1856. Those... -
Answered a Question in Shoeless Joe
In Shoeless Joe, the author goes more deeply into the background of Ray Kinsella and his relationship with his father. In delving into the Kinsella family past we are also... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
Athena wants Odysseus to disguise himself because she knows that it is in his nature to want to know the exact attitudes and crimes of those who took advantage of his disappearance. She wants... -
Answered a Question in Don Quixote
It is difficult to say who Cervantes influences were because much of the literature that influenced him was anonymous. He was probably familiar with many of the Medieval legends and tales... -
Answered a Question in The Bronze Bow
Daniel finally makes the break from Rosh when Joel is captured while doing what Rosh has ordered and Rosh refuses to do anything to try to rescue Joel. In fact Rosh shows absolutely no... -
Answered a Question in A Tale of Two Cities
I think that the choice of the Cathedral as the meeting place for Jerry and Miss Pross to continue their escape at the end of A Tale of Two Cities is part of a motif that connects goodness with... -
Answered a Question in A Tale of Two Cities
The mood of chapter 2 is dark and uncertain. It is late at night and the roads are muddy. There is a mist rising and the coachman is filled with fear of robbers. This mood of darkness and fear... -
Answered a Question in Guns, Germs, and Steel
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond says he wrote the book in response to a question from a New Guinean named Yali. Yali's question was this: "Why is it that you white people... -
Answered a Question in A Tale of Two Cities
The dialect of Jerry Cruncher is a dialect of the lower classes of London society and in Victorian England, class was often associated with moral or ethical standards. Thus someone who spoke... -
Answered a Question in A Tale of Two Cities
Sydney's lack of ambition as well as his coarse manners and alcoholism which make any ambitions he may have ever had dubious, are the reason he is content to remain an employee of Stryver. ... -
Answered a Question in History
Wow, this answer could be a book, but I will try to give a short summary here. The effect of the Reformation was crucial in creating a New World Order. First, the Reformation broke the... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
it is certainly not pure luck that Nausicca helps Odysseus. It is mostly the work of Athene combined with Nausicca's own character and Odysseus' wisdom. First the reason that Nausicca... -
Answered a Question in History
The French and Russian revolutions were really very similar in their natures. Both began as a revolution led by the bourgeoisie against a despotic monarchy and degenerated into a bloody... -
Answered a Question in In the Time of the Butterflies
I am not familiar with the book you are reading but an allusion to a "crown of thorns" is usually an allusion to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. When Christ was on the cross, a crown of... -
Answered a Question in The Elephant Man
The central character of The Elephant Man is John Merrick. He suffers from a condition called Proteus Syndrome and he is hideous to behold with large growths growing out of his head. ... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
I think two of the biggest influences on William Golding's life and writing was the fact that he was English and the fact that he served his country in World War II. The English often felt... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
Here are ten words that I would use to describe Tom Robinson: Noble: because he did not portray any bitterness about his situation on the stand and because he helped Mayella when he did not... -
Answered a Question in Uncle Tom's Cabin
The book was probably one of the most controversial publications in American history. Indeed, the historic importance of the book rather than its literary merits are reason it is still read today.... -
Answered a Question in Johnny Tremain
Johnny has been terribly hurt by Dove. His hand no longer works properly and the injury has taken his livelihood from him. It also took his ability to create beauty and as a result, his... -
Answered a Question in World War I
I do not believe that World War I was avoidable by the turn of the 20th century. The term "powder keg" is often used to describe the situation in Europe at the time and since Europeans had... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
Many would say that Brutus and Cassius do not share any characteristics as Brutus is "noble" and Cassius is not. However, there are some characteristics that the two share. First, they... -
Answered a Question in Black Death
Because of the lack of good demographic information it is very difficult to say which country was most affected by the black death. It came to Europe through Sicily and moved quickly to... -
Answered a Question in The Hiding Place
Since Corrie Ten Boom was a strong Christian woman, this comes through in the themes in the book. The major point of the book is to do what is right no matter what the consequences. To... -
Answered a Question in The Hobbit
The Master of Lake Town does not speak very often or say anything of substance. The reader can see the weakness and selfishness of his character through his words or lack of them. When the... -
Answered a Question in History
If you are talking about Western Europe during the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, there are several ways that the people of the times managed to maintain some sense of... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
Telemachus visits Nestor in Book Three of The Odyssey on the first step of his journey to find news of his father. Nestor considers himself an old friend of Odysseus and wants to tell Telemachus... -
Answered a Question in The Return of the Native
Hardy has a very pessimistic philosophy of life as can be seen in his characters who seem to have little control over their own lives. Hardy saw external circumstances and uncontrollable... -
Answered a Question in The Crucible
The relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor is very strained at the beginning of the play because of John's recent infidelity with Abigail. John complains that he has "gone tiptoe"... -
Answered a Question in Briar Rose
It has been a while since I have read this book, but I truly love it. I think major events that lead to the climax are Gemma's deathbed confession that the stories are true, Stan's decision...
Showing 1-50 of 112