Madeleine Wells
eNotes Educator
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Answers Posted
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About
I am an educator, writer, editor, and K-12 teacher contributor/ lesson plan creator. My areas of expertise are literature and history. I have also taught Algebra I and II and very much enjoy helping students. I aim to give my best to every student I teach. To all the students who have given me upvotes and sent me thank you messages, you have my eternal gratitude. I may not be able to reply, but I want you to remember that you make my work worthwhile! May the wind always be at your back.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in Macbeth
In act 1 scene 2, Macbeth's courageous battle exploits are described in gory detail by a wounded captain. Here, we see Macbeth as he originally was: Duncan's loyal soldier and a Scottish patriot.... -
Answered a Question in Ernest Hemingway
In both short stories, Hemingway uses direct and indirect characterization to highlight his personal convictions about masculinity and femininity. As a writer, Hemingway tended to favor traditional... -
Answered a Question in Pamela
Ever since the publication of the novel, those who laud Pamela's virtue have contended with those who say she is merely practical. So, is Pamela virtuous or practical? That's a question you must... -
Answered a Question in The House on Mango Street
In The House on Mango Street, the role of women is focused in the home. In the chapter "Alicia Who Sees Mice," we read that a woman's place is to go to bed so that she can rise early to make... -
Answered a Question in Kindred
The quote here comes from Dana's conversation with her husband, Kevin, about slavery on the Weylin estate. The two are headed to the woods to spend some time together. As they walk, they pass a... -
Answered a Question in Literature
The poem "The Three Fates" tells the story of a man who must relive his life in reverse order after petitioning the three fates for everlasting life. In the poem, the "three sisters" are an... -
Answered a Question in Romanticism
Romanticism was a literary movement that lasted from the late eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century. The Romantics rebelled against the conventions of neoclassicism and... -
Answered a Question in The Man in the Black Suit
The main character in the short story "The Man in the Black Suit" is Gary. Often, a main character and protagonist are one and the same person. At other times, they are two separate individuals. In... -
Answered a Question in Wang Anyi
Through the stories of individual characters in Baotown, Wang Anyi explores the idea that the ancient Chinese traditions the peasants of Baotown must adhere to are as restrictive as the new rules... -
Answered a Question in Mrs. Dalloway
Modernist literature was popularized post-World War One, and is generally thought to have lasted between the early 1900s to the early 1940s. Generally, modernist literature is a departure from the... -
Answered a Question in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
There are several examples of satire in chapter 6 of Huckleberry Finn. Satire is the use of humor, exaggeration, irony, or ridicule to expose the flaws in governments, institutions, social... -
Answered a Question in Romeo and Juliet
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet dies by stabbing herself with Romeo's dagger. In act 5 scene 3, we see Romeo entering the Capulet tomb with his servant Balthasar. Romeo tells Balthasar... -
Answered a Question in The Pilgrim's Progress
In The Pilgrim's Progress, two characters physically incapacitate Christian: the Flatterer and Giant Despair. The Flatterer leads Christian (and his companion, Hopeful) into a net. Meanwhile, Giant... -
Answered a Question in Love Medicine
In the beginning of the novel, June Morrisey Kashpaw dies in a snowstorm. Despite this, her character remains central to the book. June's story is deeply intertwined with the lives of the other... -
Answered a Question in Young Goodman Brown
In "Young Goodman Brown," we see Sigmund Freud's personality theory being applied to the short story. In Freud's personality theory, the personality or psyche consists of three parts: the id, ego,... -
Answered a Question in Atonement
In part 1, chapter 7, of Atonement, we find Briony "slashing nettles." The act itself is cathartic, a means of releasing pent-up frustration and anger. To Briony, there "was work to do, and she set... -
Answered a Question in Thomas McGuane
Often, a character's journey may serve as a metaphorical representation of life, self-discovery, struggle, or transformational growth. In "Cowboy" by Thomas McGuane, at least one of the characters... -
Answered a Question in Into the Wild
Chris McCandless's desire for anonymity impacted his friends and family in varying ways. His parents (Walt and Billie McCandless) and sister (Carine), for instance, were frustrated at his lack of... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
As this question usually references the conversation between George and Lennie in chapter 1, I will answer the question accordingly. Note, however, that the observations below are true even when... -
Answered a Question in Julius Caesar
Here, it would appear that Cassius's true intentions are to overthrow Caesar. Cassius, of course, believes that he must persuade Brutus to join in the conspiracy to depose Caesar. To do this, he... -
Answered a Question in Samuel Selvon
In The Housing Lark, Gallows belongs to a group of West Indian immigrants who pool their money to buy a home. The group is led by a character named Battersby ("Bat" for short). Interestingly... -
Answered a Question in History
To explain how the persona of the monarch changed during the reign of King Henry VIII, you will want to talk about his changes in personality as well as public perception of the role of the... -
Answered a Question in Jane Austen
There are several ways to approach comparing and contrasting Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. You can compare themes, character arcs, major symbols, or settings. First,... -
Answered a Question in Footnote to Youth
Villa's short story "Footnote to Youth" contains several literary devices, including symbolism, sensory imagery, and code switching or mixing. The story is set in the Philippines. In it, Villa... -
Answered a Question in The Lion and the Jewel
It looks like you're looking for a short note on Baroka the Ensnarer. If so, I recommend a description and brief analysis of the character. Here are some questions that will provide material for... -
Answered a Question in King Lear
In the play, Kent is King Lear's faithful servant. He speaks out in act 1, scene 1, when King Lear marginalizes Cordelia and grants favor to Regan and Goneril. In keeping with his blunt nature,... -
Answered a Question in Tex
In chapter 3, Lem stops by Mason and Tex's home. Tex is home for the day because he drank too much the night before. While the two brothers try to eat dinner (Tex doesn't have much of an appetite),... -
Answered a Question in The Vendor of Sweets
As the story progresses, we learn that Jagan sets great store in the philosophy "Conquer taste, and you will have conquered the self." On the surface, Jagan prizes the minimalist principles that... -
Answered a Question in Tuesdays With Morrie
In the book, Mitch takes one last class with Morrie before the older man's death. During this time, Mitch learns things about himself that he's not proud of. After college, Mitch puts all of his... -
Answered a Question in Wonder
According to the text, the fifth graders of Beecher Prep enjoy a three-day stay at Broarwood Nature Reserve in Pennsylvania every spring. One of the highlights of the stay is Big Movie Night, when... -
Answered a Question in The Man He Killed
In the poem, the speaker talks about the soldier he killed. He begins by saying that, if they had met at some ancient inn, he would have shared many drinks with the man. But, since they are both in... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
In chapter 23, Atticus laments that the law gives juries, not judges, the absolute right to deliver a death penalty verdict. In his conversation with Jem, Atticus is of the opinion that only the... -
Answered a Question in Whirligig
You'll find Alexandra and Stephanie's story in the chapter "Weeksboro, Maine." In that chapter, Stephanie and Alexandra head out to a point at Weeksboro. There, Alexandra uses a guided imagery... -
Answered a Question in The Color of Water
At the beginning of the book, James talks about growing up in a family with twelve children. James's biological father, Andrew McBride, died when James's mother was pregnant with him. After his... -
Answered a Question in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
In "A Good Story," Sherman Alexie highlights the diversity of the Native American experience. In the beginning, the narrator's mother gently points out that the narrator's stories are too sad. She... -
Answered a Question in Freak the Mighty
In Freak the Mighty, we learn that Killer Kane (Max's father) is out on parole and has returned for his son on Christmas Eve. He kidnaps Max and initially seeks shelter at Iggy and Loretta Lee's... -
Answered a Question in H. E. Bates
This short story provides a snapshot of how two unhappy people meet. Henry, the youth in the story, is with his parents as they travel with his father's choir group to a competition. Henry's... -
Answered a Question in The Westing Game
In the story, we are told that Barney Northrup (who is really Sam Westing in disguise) manages to rent all of the spaces in Sunset Towers in one day. Apartment 2C is rented to Flora Baumbach, a... -
Answered a Question in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
When Percy arrives in the Underworld, he must face an angry Hades. The god of the Underworld insists that Percy stole both Zeus' thunderbolt and his helm of darkness. Percy fights and just barely... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
To answer this interesting question, we must go back to Boo's history. In the book, we learn that Boo's real name is Arthur and that he was the younger of two sons in the Radley family. Boo took up... -
Answered a Question in The Silver Sword
In the story, we learn that Bronia, Ruth, and Jan are hesitant about setting out for Switzerland without Edek. So, the three children decide to look for him. Upon their arrival in Posen, they head... -
Answered a Question in Walk Two Moons
Sal is upset when she suspects that her father may have formed a romantic attachment to Mrs. Margaret Cadaver. The text tells us that Sal is "particularly ornery" during her first meeting with Mrs.... -
Answered a Question in Nadine Gordimer
The short story "The Moment Before The Gun Went Off" is about appearances and how they can deceive. Gordimer uses dramatic irony to offer insight into the realities of the story's central tragedy.... -
Answered a Question in Hatchet
In chapter 13, we see Brian exulting in his ability to transcend his challenges in the wild. He is thrilled that he has mastered the art of spearing and catching fish for food. With his newfound... -
Answered a Question in Sing Down the Moon
In the story, Bright Morning and her tribe are ordered to leave their canyon home. American soldiers (called Long Knives) announce that they will escort Bright Morning's Navajo tribe to Fort... -
Answered a Question in Bud, Not Buddy
In the story, we learn that Bud used to live at an orphanage called the Home. After his experience with the Amoses as a foster child, Bud decides to leave the orphanage. He shares that the Home... -
Answered a Question in History
The American War for Independence faced challenges on many fronts. First and foremost, the colonists themselves had reservations about seceding from the mother country. They were Englishmen, after... -
Answered a Question in Heart of Darkness
In telling his story aboard the ship on the Thames, Marlow reveals how he got his job as the captain of a steamship. Accordingly, he had just returned to London after several assignments in the... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Chapters 5 and 6 are two of the most important chapters in The Great Gatsby. In chapter 5, Gatsby finally meets with Daisy. Their initial encounter is awkward, but they soon become quite... -
Answered a Question in Walk Two Moons
In chapter 29, Mr. Birkway reads the Longfellow poem "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls." The poem is deeply distressing to Phoebe. It calls to mind her mother's disappearance, and she begins to...
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