Mark Rerick
eNotes Educator
Achievements
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Educator Level
450
Answers Posted
48
Answers Bonused
About
I currently teach grades 9, 10, 12 English in addition to serving as the school's athletic director, head football coach, and assistant baseball coach. I have an MS in educational leadership and will probably soon cross over to the "dark side". Most of my time, though, is spent with the little guys in my avatar!
Earned Badges
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eNotes Educator
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Literature Whiz
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in Literature
If we're throwing out Shakespearean examples of ambition, we'd better include Julius Caesar, both for Caesar and for Cassius. It was Caesar's ambition to become king that leads to his... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
"Ralph took the conch from where it lay on the polished seat and held it to his lips; but then he hesitated and did not blow. He held the shell up instead and showed it to them and they... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
I'm going to disagree with those last two posts based on the very nature of children. Because of the security and protection that Jack almost certainly had at home, he has to believe that at... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
Sticking with the idea of free will vs. destiny, one of my questions has always been where Shakespeare himself would have argued that issue. Did he believe that Macbeth was motivated by the... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
What makes this such a strong novella is the depth of characterization that Steinbeck achieves so quickly. By the end of the novel, you will truly feel like you've come to know and understand... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
In the end, Simon has a pretty good grasp on what the beast really is. He has a first hand witness of what the nature of the boys is allowing them to do to each other. He alone will be... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
Simon is unable to convince the boys that the beast isn't an actual, physical thing, so the pigs head on the stick becomes his physical representation of the beast. Because it is placed in an... -
Answered a Question in A Wrinkle in Time
Surprised? - no. Disappointed? - yes. As a novel that pits good against evil at every turn, the overly happy ending suggests that all evil can be overcome, complete with joyous... -
Answered a Question in The Canterbury Tales
Two possible reasons for this depending on what you want to believe about the nature of our pilgrims and their pilgrimage. The nice version is that he led them because of his ability to play the... -
Answered a Question in The Grapes of Wrath
Great reference to the phalanx which experienced great success as the preferred military formation of Alexander the Great. Often formed in squares of 20 men by 20 men, the closeness of... -
Answered a Question in The Grapes of Wrath
The idea of hope is, in my opinion, by far the most important theme in this novel. Everytime Steinbeck presents something bad or some great challenge to the Joad family, he provides a small,... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
I think the problem with this issue is that it's easy to forget that George is human also. We spend our time recognizing Lenny as someone who needs help and George as the provider for that... -
Answered a Question in Don Quixote
Satire is the use of irony or sarcasm to illuminate the flaws of humans and humanity. Don Quixote calls into question the whole idea of chivalry and the actions of knights in general. ... -
Answered a Question in A Wrinkle in Time
In chapter four we see a very stark contrast in the idea of good versus evil. The children are presented with some beautiful examples of "good", the visual beauty of the the planet, Mrs.... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
...those siblings at home is not absolute. In fact, when a strong figure presents an opinion, Simon tends to "clam up" and finds it difficult to present his thoughts and opinions to the... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
I don't believe we're ever given Simon's exact family history, but I think there are certainly some family life things we can infer from the actions of his character. I think we can safely... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
This is a tough question to answer considering diction is in part defined as the sound and pattern of speech, but we can also focus on word choice. 1. I like Golding's paragraph prior to the... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
This is Golding's way of allowing you, the reader, to enter Simon's mind and read his thoughts. Simon's conversation with the LOTF is nothing more than the thought stream that Simon has been... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
You have to be careful in how you define leadership, though. Successful leadership could simply mean the ability to get people to follow you. In that manner, Jack would be an excellent... -
Answered a Question in Animal Farm
This comes from Old Major's first speech: "...Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human... -
Answered a Question in History (General)
There's no way to understand where you can or should go unless you know where you've been. How could students ever completely "get" why the world around them is the way it is unless they're... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
There is a lot of social truth in the adult world, also. Every one of the characters represents some aspect of the adult world. I'm sure you can think of someone you know who acts like... -
Answered a Question in Romeo and Juliet
The Friar is one of the most trustworthy characters you'll find in the play, second only to Balthasar, most likely. He is certainly Romeo's confidant, and eventually becomes Juliet's when she... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
He actually entertains three possibly escapes. He thinks about climbing a tree, which he dismisses because it's "putting all his eyes in one basket". Then, he thinks about breaking... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
Because of the power of a group and the need to be accepted--parents and teachers usually bag it all together and call it peer pressure, but it's probably much bigger than that. Humans have a... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
"He came at last to a place where more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go for light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
I would go the other way and say I was impressed with the importance that Brutus carries about him. Even though we really aren't given much about Brutus, it is apparent that he is a man of... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
The real problem with siding with Jack at the vote was that they would have to say no to Ralph. This is a big deal for two reasons. First, up until this point, Ralph is their voice of... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
In my opinion, they're buddies that were driven apart by conflict. Here's the best way I can describe it. I played on a pretty good football team in college. We should have... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
The other way to view Brutus as the tragic hero is giving him the role of central character according to the Elizabethan 5 Act Play Format. Brutus is introduced to us as an important... -
Answered a Question in The Grapes of Wrath
Just being in the situation together is enough to draw people closer. I'd relate this to many athletic teams. Coaches tend to put their team through difficult tests and trials in... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
There are two reasons Shakespeare includes the scene. The first is to show the mentality of the mob following Antony's speech. This group of people is so intent on burning down houses... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
It's also important to note the Brutus doesn't quite understand the ghost's message to him. When the ghost says it will speak to Brutus again at Phillipi, Brutus interprets this to mean that... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
It may also be important to note that those contents of the will may not have been entirely truthful, just a mechanism that Antony used to get the people to support his cause. We are supposed... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
By the end of each speech, they are completely behind the speaker. Brutus has the crowd so enthralled with him that they threated Antony before Antony has a chance to say anything. ... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
With a handshake and an assurance that if the conspirators can effectively show why Caesar had to die, Antony will support their actions. What he doesn't say, though, is that he really... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
This is one of the historical inaccuracies of the play. In real Scottish history, Banquo and Fleance didn't exist; they aren't real people. The crowning of Malcolm to end this play was... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
Depends on how you feel, really. Let's ignore the decision regarding Cicero and focus on the disagreement on whether or not to kill Antony. Cassius recognizes for strategical purposes... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
There are tons of examples of suspense in this act. 1. Caesar had to be manipulated by the conspirators to go to the Capitol against Calpurnia's wishes. 2. The soothsayer, who has... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Ibis
Old enough to be an independant big brother, but young enough to not know the limitations of youth. The narrator is able to ignore the warnings of the doctors and his parents regarding Doodle... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
No matter what decision Brutus makes, he's going to be turning his back on somebody. Brutus believes that disposing of Caesar is the best decision for Rome, so if he kills Caesar, he has... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
Macbeth has begun to realize that his time as king is limited. He knows that the witches proclaimed a long line of succession to Banquo, and his failure to dispose of Fleance has him worried to the... -
Answered a Question in The Grapes of Wrath
This speech shows that Tom has recognized the importance of Casy's work. Tom has realized that in order for things to change for the Okie's, actions must be taken. The one thing that... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
You really need to look at scene three to get the true picture of act one. The first two scenes are excellent introduction scenes, but mood certainly isn't a focal point. As scene three... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
They don't need an oath because they're already in it together. Brutus is saying that this is an important enough discussion without an oath. They are already tied together to this plan... -
Answered a Question in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
I answered this question in the Q&A, but it's an interesting one to me so I wanted to expand on it here as well. I don't believe we can call Twain a racist. The language he uses is... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus..." Cassius has noticed Caesar's growing power and believes that he could be dangerous if given absolute power. Cassius is... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
Casca tells the events that occurred following the races. Antony offered Caesar the crown three times and watched as Caesar denied it all three times, although each time a little more gently... -
Answered a Question in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Pyramus and Thisbe were lovers whose parents wouldn't let them marry. Their parent's properties were adjoining, and there was a crack in the wall between the two where the lovers could talk... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
There are several items of interest pertaining to this quote. First, Gatsby is admitting to Daisy that he not only knows where she lives but that he's been keeping tabs on her. He knows...
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