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The Catcher in the Rye
How many schools did Holden get expelled from in The Catcher in the Rye?
Three schools that Holden has left are mentioned in The Catcher in the Rye. The first school that Holden mentions is Pencey Prep. He starts his story on the day he left the school which is...
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Why did Mary poison the family in We Have Always Lived in the Castle?
The novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson describes the life of three family members of the Blackwood family who have been isolated from their Vermont community. The novel is...
A Christmas Carol
Figurative Language In A Christmas Carol
In Stave 1, the narrator employs a simile when he says that "Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail." This is a common expression that the narrator sort of plays with on the first page, suggesting...
My Financial Career
What happens to the narrator at the bank in "My Financial Career"?
As soon as he sets foot in the bank, the narrator feels incredibly nervous. Everything about banks makes him feel jittery: the clerks, the sight of money, the little windows at the counters. All in...
Antigone
Why Does Antigone Kill Herself
Other Educators have explored the various reasons that Antigone might have committed suicide, and the extent to which her suicide reflects her beliefs and ideals. Antigone makes no mention of...
A Christmas Carol
Compare and contrast Fezziwig and Scrooge as bosses in A Christmas Carol.
After observing the entire evening's dance and the festivities at old Fezziwig's, Scrooge tells the spirit, He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome;...
The Outsiders
Why does Cherry say she could fall in love with Dally?
In Chapter 3, Cherry Valance says that she could fall in love with Dallas Winston. Despite the fact that Cherry is a Soc from an affluent family and Dally is a poor Greaser, Cherry is attracted to...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
What are examples of alliteration in Jonathan Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?
Alliteration is the repetition of the sounds at the beginning of words. It is frequently used to add weight and strength to certain words and emphasize thoughts and feelings. The use of repeated...
The Great Gatsby
Why is "Biloxi" mentioned in Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby?
The significance of Biloxi lies in the fact that he has certain parallels to Gatsby. As the conversation in the broiling hot apartment develops, the various participants each add a little something...
Oliver Goldsmith
Describe the village schoolmaster's characteristics and the reaction of students and villagers.
The Village School master was a man who could easily be identified as an "old stone face", or a man with a strong gaze and expression that inspired the respect and seriousness in students. A man...
Henry Miller
What narrative techniques and plot devices are used in Henry Miller's Black Spring?
A word that has often been used to describe Miller's style is anarchic. I would agree; although this description is not an original one, it does convey what Black Spring and other novels by Miller...
The Crucible
What does John Proctor's statement "God is dead" mean in act 3 of The Crucible?
In The Crucible, John Proctor speaks the line in response to a question from Judge Danforth. Already convinced that Proctor is in league with the devil, Danforth is demanding that he confess....
Bliss
How is marriage represented in the story "Bliss"?
In Katherine Mansfield's "Bliss," Bertha Young is portrayed as a contented, happy homemaker. She is secure in her life with her husband, her child, a lovely home, and preparing for a perfect...
Viktor Shklovsky
Explain the concept of Defamiliarization as highlighted in Viktor Shklovsky's "Art as Technique".
Shklovsky wrote his essay "Art as Technique" in 1917, a significant year in Russian history. In this essay, he discusses defamiliarization or estrangement, which is a form of writing that...
The Diary of Anne Frank
What does Anne mean in her diary when she says, "Paper is more patient than people?"
The Diary of Anne Frank, also known as The Diary of a Young Girl, was written by a young Jewish girl who was hiding with her family from Nazi persecution. She kept the diary from June 1942 until...
The Nightingale and the Rose
What is the moral of Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose"?
"The Nightingale and the Rose" shows us that sometimes it's necessary to make sacrifices for love. But at the same time, it also shows us that such sacrifices are often in vain. Love is a very...
History
Were Presidents Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt related?
Yes, these two presidents were related, though the relationship was not a very close one. Franklin Roosevelt was the 5th cousin of Theodore Roosevelt. Interestingly enough, Franklin Roosevelt was...
Shooting an Elephant
Why did Orwell ultimately decide to shoot the elephant three times?
Orwell was a sub-divisional police officer of the British Empire in Burma when it was a colony under British rule. He was hated by the Burmese, who understandably resented his imperial presence....
The Hunger Games
What quotes from The Hunger Games illustrate conflict?
If there's one thing that the impoverished Katniss Everdeen has in abundance, it's tenacity. She simply does not ever give up. I'll provide three examples to prove the point. In the aftermath of...
Paradise Lost
What is the main theme of Paradise Lost?
The epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton tells of the casting out of paradise of Satan and other rebellious angels. Satan and his demons devise a plan to retaliate against God by corrupting his...
The Scarlet Ibis
Imagery In The Scarlet Ibis
James Hurst's 1960 short story, "The Scarlet Ibis," is rich with imagery. Imagery is a literary device in which the author uses figurative language and word choice to create word pictures that...
Riders to the Sea
What is the significance of the title "Riders to the Sea"?
In Irish folklore, supernatural horsemen and horses are recurring motifs. It's not surprising, then, that two of the apocalyptic horsemen from the Book of Revelation should appear in Maurya's...
Common Sense
What are some differences between Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence are both works calling for independence and unity among the American people, and they were precursors to true separation from the...
The Rape of the Lock
How does "The Rape of the Lock" reflect 18th century society?
In one sense, the answer to this question is fairly straightforward: Pope's The Rape of the Lock (1714), which he subtitled "An Heroi-Comical Poem in Five Canto's"—that is, a mock epic—was written...
The Sniper
What are some examples of figurative language in "The Sniper"?
One example of figurative language in "The Sniper" is the line "machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms." This is an example of simile...
The Open Window
What does the title "The Open Window" signify in the story?
Saki’s short story “The Open Window” concerns a nervous young man called Framton Nuttel who has been given a letter of introduction by his sister to Mrs. Sappleton, a woman he has never met. As the...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
What are five similes in Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?
A simile is a comparison that uses the words 'like' or 'as.' Edwards uses vivid, frightening imagery, including similes, to convey to people the great danger they are in from the wrath of God if...
Restart
What are the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in Restart by Gordon Korman?
The exposition In Restart occurs when the protagonist, a teenage boy named Chase Ambrose, discovers that, following an accident, he has no memory of the past and will have to rediscover who he is....
Through the Tunnel
In "Through the Tunnel," why is Jerry determined to swim through the tunnel?
In Doris Lessing's short story "Through the Tunnel," Jerry keeps his swimming accomplishment to himself perhaps because he doesn't want his mother to know what he has been doing (so she doesn't...
The Necklace
What is the conflict of the short story "The Necklace"?
There are two primary conflicts in Guy De Maupassant's short story "The Necklace," which are the individual versus the self and the individual versus society. Mathilde Loisel's internal and...
Essays
Would you rather be a city, beach, mountain, or desert, and why?
I just moved to the mountains in the South from the flat prairies of the Midwest, and I find the mountains stunning to look at but a bit claustrophobic. Love the idea, though. Oceans fascinate me,...
The Scarlet Letter
Is it necessary to read "The Custom House" introduction to The Scarlet Letter and what is it about?
It is true that "The Custom House" is an autobiographical short story in itself, where Hawthorne looks back in time and narrates some of his memories. However, this introduction adds substance to...
The Great Gatsby
What evidence suggests that Tom is cheating on Daisy in The Great Gatsby?
In the first chapter of the novel, Nick visits his second cousin, Daisy Buchanan, where he reunites with her arrogant, unscrupulous husband, Tom. Tom Buchanan is portrayed as a pompous, ignorant...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's concept of a good poet?
This is an often misunderstood notion of Coleridge and Wordsworth. Their oft-quoted description -- “the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion, recollected in tranquility” – from the “Preface to...
The Declaration of Independence
What is the thesis of the Declaration of Independence?
The thesis of the Declaration of Independence was that the colonies deserved their independence, since the right to three basic things—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—came from a power...
Macbeth
Explain this quote from act 5, scene 3 of Macbeth in detail:
Macbeth shouts for his servant Seyton to bring him his armor. He is anticipating the battle he is about to face against Malcolm and Macduff. He is sick in his heart. While he is believing the...
The Kite Runner
What is the significance of the following quote from The Kite Runner?
This quote from The Kite Runner occurs in the pivotal chapter of the novel, chapter 7, in which Amir and Hassan have just won the kite-fighting tournament and Hassan goes to run the second-place...
I think continually of those who were truly great
What does the poem "I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great" mean?
Stephen Spender in “The Truly Great” shows reverence to those who have fought to enlighten the world. The speaker discusses people who “remembered the soul’s history” and “whose lovely ambition”...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
What are five examples of imagery in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?
In this sermon given during the Great Awakening, Edwards employs a stern tone combined with vivid imagery to shock his congregation into repenting of their sinful lives and instead choosing to...
The Outsiders
What is Cherry's view on the difference between Socs and Greasers in The Outsiders chapters 2 and 3?
Chapter 2 has Ponyboy and Cherry meeting and talking at length about fairly deep topics. Ponyboy even goes so far as to share what happened to Johnny that makes him so skittish. Cherry shares with...
Night
What is tattooed on Elie's arm in the book Night?
Elie's serial number tattoo is A-7713. Towards the end of chapter 3, Elie describes how he was assigned to work in Block 17 and was tattooed on his left arm as a form of identification shortly...
Literature
How is humor used in Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's "Birthday"?
The use of humor that Basheer employs in "Birthday" is to present a reality diametrically opposed to the conventional understanding surrounding one's special day. The opening to the story where...
Sailing to Byzantium
Discuss the spiritual journey toward perfection and immortality in "Sailing to Byzantium".
The classic poem "Sailing to Byzantium" by William Butler Yeats tells of a man's journey from a country of the young, in which old people are not welcome, toward a holy city called Byzantium. In...
"The Four Freedoms"
What does Roosevelt say is currently happening to democracy worldwide?
Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms" speech of 1941 described the grave danger that a victory for Nazi Germany and fascist Italy would pose for all democratic countries: Every realist knows that the...
Ursula K. Le Guin
What are the themes of Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Wife's Story"?
One of the themes in "The Wife's Story" is loyalty. Early in the story, the wife falls in love because of her beloved's personality traits, which she believes will make him a good father and...
The Tell-Tale Heart
What is the climax of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Near the end of the story, it appears that the narrator is going to get away with his crime of murdering the old man. He is welcoming to the police and never loses his cool as they question him and...
Thank You, M'am
What does the first sentence in Langston Hughes' "Thank You, M'am" mean?
Langston Hughes’ story “Thank You, M’am” is filled with creative language and interesting metaphors. Let’s look at the metaphor in the quotation to help you understand it. The narrator tells us...
Macbeth
What does the quote "There the grown serpent lies. The worm that's flead hath nature that in time will venom breed,...
Macbeth wanted both Banquo and his son, Fleance, dead due to the prophecies of the witches. They foretold that Macbeth would be king, but not his sons and that Banquo would not be king, but his...
Still I Rise
What does "I dance like I've got diamonds" signify in "Still I Rise"?
In this poem, the speaker expresses her confidence in herself, despite those who might "want to see [her] broken" with "Bowed head and lowered eyes." Instead of acting ashamed or embarrassed about...
The Necklace
In "The Necklace," how did Mathilde's life change after losing the necklace?
Mathilde's life took a change for the worst after the loss of the necklace. Namely, because instead of swallowing her pride, owning to this fact and confess to her friend, she decides to take...