Comment on the setting and character of "The Fall of the House of Usher."How does setting act as a character?

Excellent observation, as it identifies how the settings
of Poe's stories reflect the characters of their protagonists. Whether it is the
catacombs in "The Cask of Amontillado" that reflect Montresor's disturbed and twisted
character of the House of Usher, whose dilapidation reflects the own mental instability
of its owner, Roderick Usher, Poe always uses setting to great effect in his gothic,
spine-chilling tales of horror. Consider what we are told about the House of
Usher:

Its
principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity. the discoloration of ages
had been great. Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled
web-work from the eaves. Yet all this was apart from any extraordinary dilapidation. No
portion of the masonry had fallen; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between
its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual
stones. In this there was much that reminded me of the specious totality of old woodwork
which has rotted for long years in some neglected vault, with no disturbance from the
breath of the external
air.

Note the overall
emphasis on rottenness and decay. The setting of course is a symbol that could be said
to represent the madness and mental disturbance at the heart of the owner of the house.
At first glance it appears to be of sound quality, but closer examination reveals issues
that could indicate serious structural problems. Remember, the narrator has journeyed
here, not out of choice, but because Roderick Usher, his childhood friend, has written
to him to come and be with him as he is suffering from a "nervous agitation" and a
"mental disorder". How mentally disturbed he is will only be revealed at the end of the
story... Your question correctly identifies that in a sense the house is a symbol of the
diseased and rotting character who owns it.

In "The Sniper", how would you format the summary below into a topic sentence?I need help on how to put this bit of the plot into this format topic...

I would have to say that the answer to this question
depends a lot on what you are actually trying to say. What is the point that you are
trying to argue? It seems you have started off the wrong way round - you appear to be
taking a summary of the story and then looking at how to include it in your essay. This
is a great way to ensure that you get low marks. What you need to do is work out your
thesis statement on this piece and then your points that go towards proving it. Then,
when you have done this, you can back up your thesis statements and your points by
referring to specific quotes that support your points. Then, lastly, you can comment on
those quotes, making it absolutely crystal clear how they support your
points.

For example:

In "The
Sniper", the author uses suspense as a key tool to maintain reader interest and convey
the life-and-death struggle of the rooftop battle that is progressing. For example, note
how the sudden shot from the opposing sniper is used to heighten the tension and
suspense as we wait desperately to find out what will happen to the
sniper:

readability="6">

Suddenly from the opposite roof a shot rang out
and the sniper dropped his rifle with the curse... He stopped to pick the rifle up. He
couldn't lift it. His forearm was
dead.

Note how the word
"Suddenly" quickens the pace as the author describes the shot, and also note the detail
given about the wound the sniper has received and the fact he is unable to use his
rifle. We are left wondering, just like the sniper, how on earth he is going to escape
this new threat alive.

Hopefully you can identify a
structure above - I call it point, proof and deduction, but you can use your topic
paragraph structure too. Good luck!

In Act IV of The Crucible, what is Hale's mission?

Hale's mission in Act IV is to ensure that innocent people
aren't put to death. By this point, he has seen enough spectral evidence to know that
the girls are faking it, and he has heard enough testimony in and out of the courtroom
to know that the people who are on trial are not deserving of the punishment they are
about to receive for the crime they did not commit.

This is
different because prior to his opportunity to get to know these people after their
duration in jail, he was just like everyone else, ready to see these people hung and
believe that they were witches just because someone else said so. Hale came to the town
as an expert in the field, and here he has had no success, and it changed
him.

Describe Burris Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Poor Burris Ewell.  He is definitely a product of his
environment.  He lives next door to the dump, has an abusive father, and there is very
little hope for a bright future.  He has taken on the qualities of his father; he is
mean, abusive, and ignorant.  Like his father, he has a nasty reputation with his peers
and intentionally makes Miss Caroline cry on the first day of school.  He comes to
school on the first day only because the law requires it. He is dirty and has a head
full of lice.  He has probably been abused like his other seven brothers and sisters,
and Burris must scavenge for basic necessities in the town dump.  Burris’ mother’s
whereabouts is unknown; she is either dead or has run off from her abusive situation. 
He has been raised by his sister, Mayella, and has probably not experienced much love or
affection.

In the novel, Burris Ewell and his family are
symbols of southern white poverty where the need to survive causes them to do desperate
things for respect and power. This is also shown through Bob Ewell's attack on Scout and
Jem, through his beating of Mayella, and through accusing Tom Robinson of rape.  Burris
is just following in his father's footsteps.

I need a quote on the scar in Lord of the Flies and its symbolism.Anything that has to do with the boys destroying the island is good but...

You are probably having a difficult time finding a quote
because the scar is not related to the boys destroying the island.  The scar is the path
of burned island made by the plane as it went down and the storm dragged it into the
ocean.  The boys destroy the island by fire.  The two ideas are somewhat related because
the destruction on the island is caused by humans--both human error and
malice. 

The scar made by the plane is a constant reminder
of why the boys are on the island.  They were being moved to safety, away from the world
war that made where they lived unsafe--most likely the German bombing of London during
World War 2.  The scar ties the violence that occurs on the island to that of the world
as a whole.  The boys' inability to get along on the island reflects the adults'
inability to get along as well. 

The first reference to the
scar is as follows:

readability="10">

"When we was coming down I looked through one of
them windows.  I saw the other part of the plane.  There were flames coming out of
it.""

He looked up and down the
scar.

"And this is what the cabin
done." 

How was popular sovereignty supposed to work?

In addition to the good information in the above post,
"popular sovereignty" was part of the compromise hammered out in 1850, largely by
Senator Henry Clay, which allowed Texas in as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. 
This maintained the balance in Congress between free and slave
states.

The westward movement and Manifest Destiny had
thrown a monkey wrench in the balance, and the old Mason-Dixon dividing line between new
free and slave states wouldn't work anymore after the Mexican-American War.  Almost all
of the new states from the Mexican Cession would end up being slave states that
way.

So popular sovereignty imagined that once a territory
reached 50,000 residents and qualified for statehood, an election could be held where
the majority rule of the new state could decide its slavery status.  This seems
democratic, and respectful of the culture and opinions of the territories that were to
enter.

Its authors did not foresee the large influx of
radicals from both pro and anti-slave forces that would bring so much violence to
Kansas.

What is the author's tone in Kaffir Boy, and how does he use language to achieve a specific tone? I need two examples.

In Kaffir Boy, the author Mark
Mathabane describes his experiences coming of age in apartheid South Africa. The tone of
the book ranges from fearful and angry to hopeful and
determined.

Through much of the story, Mathabane merely
describes the events from his perspective. In these sections, the tone is often fearful
or confused. In one section when Mathabane is a young child, his father is arrested for
failing to carry a proper pass, a kind of ID book that white South Africans used to use
to keep track of the whereabouts of black South Africans. Mathabane asks his
mother:

"How
come we won't be celebrating Christmas this year,
Mama?"

"Your father isn't here," my mother
said.

"But Christmas is here," I
said.

"Yes, I know," my mother said sadly. "But we don't
have the money to celebrate it
with."

In this segment,
Mathabane matter-of-factly portrays a scene of sadness and confusion, using details
important to a child to show how the absence of his father affected his
family.

In other sections, Mathabane is much more didactic.
Instead of merely relating the events of his life, he comments on them, making direct
points about his beliefs. For instance, he describes how he stood apart and refused to
debase himself as others sometimes did, even if it meant missing the opportunity to earn
money for food:

readability="11">

Throughout all the years that I lived in South
Africa, people were to call me a fool for refusing to live life the way they did and by
doing the things they did. Little did they realize that in our world, the black world,
one could only survive if one played the fool, and bided his
time.

Such passages help to
reinforce Mathabane's themes of the importance of trusting and respecting
oneself.

What are the mood and tone of The Scarlet Pimpernel?

The mood--what the author
makes you as the reader feel--is primarily one of suspense.
Orczy superbly creates an entangled plot which causes her readers to wonder if
Marguerite will ever know her husband's true identity as The Scarlet Pimpernel, or more
importantly, if she will ever see his truly brave character. Similarly, readers are
intrigued by Sir Percy's rather elaborate plots and disguises and question whether he
will be able to escape the snare set for him by
Chauvelin.

The tone--the
author's attitude toward his or her subject--of the novel is a little more complex.  The
Baroness Orczy was certainly judgmental of the treatment of
aristocrats during the French Revolution.  Her portrayal of most of the aristocrats as
innocent, sympathetic characters demonstrates this attitude. Orczy also presents a
tone of admiration toward those who defied the new French
regime and risked their lives to try to save the royalty and aristocracy. Sir Percy has
few negative qualities, and his heroic acts further Orczy's doting attitude toward a
British aristocrat who seeks to save others.  This is perhaps because she and her
husband were part of the British aristocracy, and she perhaps felt somewhat
defensive of her position in society after the French
Revolution's illumination of the aristocracy's many flaws.

What does the narrator think of the char women who ride the bus with him in To Sir, with Love?

The narrator is amused by the char women who ride the bus
with him, and looks upon them with respect, seeing in them "their own kind of dignity."
He describes them as

readability="16">

"thick-armed, bovine women, huge-breasted, with
heavy bodies irrevocably distorted by frequent childbearing, faces pink and slightly
damp from their early labors, the warm May morning and their own energy. There (is) a
look of indestructibility about them, from the tip of each tinted head in its gaudy
headscarf, tightly tied to expose one or two firmly fastened curls, to the solid legs
and large feet which (seem) rooted in the
earth."

The women remind the
narrator of peasants, even though they obviously live in the city. Their coarse and
earthy jokes are told without guile, and, as they "(josh) and (chivvy) each other and
the conductor in an endless stream of lewdly suggestive remarks and retorts," the
narrator is impressed with their openness and uncomplicated approach towards the world.
The narrator is charmed by "the essential naturalness of these folk whe (are) an
integral part of one of the world's greatest cities and at the same time as common as
hayseeds." In their lack of sophistication, the narrator senses a refreshing
genuineness; having lived "too intimately with poverty and danger and death," the char
women understand the things that are important and are not spoiled by the petty
prejudices of those who feel they must make an impression (Chapter
1).

solve x : x^4 -4x^2 -32 = 0

x^4-4x^2-32 = 0 To solve for
x.

Solution:

This is a
quadratic equation in x^2. So we solve it  by factoring as a
quadratic.

t^2-4t-32 = 0, where t=
x^2

t^2-8t+4t-32 =
0

t(t-8)+4(t-8) = 0

(t-8)(t+4)
= 0

t-8 = 0 or t+4 = 0

t-8= 0
gives x^2 = 8 , x = +or- sqrt8 = 2sqrt2 or -2sqrt2

t+4 = 0
gives x = sqrt(-4) = +or-2i

So the solution set is {
-2i,2i, -2srt2, 2srt2}

In A Raisin in the Sun, why does Beneatha attack Assagai's dream about Africa?

I believe that Beneatha does so for a couple of reasons. 
First Asagai makes Beneatha realize that she is self-centered.  While Asagai dreams of
returning to his homeland and making it a better place, Beneatha flits from one hobby
and college major to another, trying to find something that pleases her and disregarding
how she could use her intelligence and education for the benefit of
others.

Secondly, Beneatha's life experience had caused her
to be cynical.  She has watched her brother Walter struggle with his own dream.  She has
no respect for him and think that his goals are worthless and unattainable.  When
another male--Asagai--discusses his dream with Beneatha, it is natural for her to doubt
that he will accomplish his goals because she has not observed anyone else doing
so.

Does the ability to speak or reason lead to any of the vices that Old Major attributes to humans in Animal Farm?

Old Major's stirring speech in Ch. I reveals the vices of
human beings. They are:

1. Man is the only
creature that consumes without producing: Man according to Old Major is
lazy and exploitative and lives off
others.

2. The tyranny of human beings:
Man is cruel and heartless. After exploiting to the maximum the animals
he gets rid of them once they have  become
useless.

3. Man serves the interests of
no creature except himself: Man is selfish and he is not concerned about
the well being of the animals whom he exploits.

Nowhere
does Major say that these vices are a result of man's ability to speak or reason. But he
certainly implies that man has the ability to reason and argue to safeguard his own
selfish interests when he remarks,

readability="7">

No argument must
lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man
and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity
of the others. It is all
lies.

So,
although Old Major does not state explicitly that man's ability to speak and reason is
the reason why man is selfish, exploitative, greedy and tyrannical he certainly hints at
and warns his comrades  against man's ability to smooth talk the animals into believing
and accepting as truth whatever man  says.

Demonstrate that: 3^sqrt 5

We'll apply the 4th consequence of the Lagrange's
theorem.

In fact, we'll have to prove
that:

n^sqrt(n+2) < (n+2)^sqrt
n

We'll take natural logarithms both
sides:

ln n^sqrt(n+2) < ln (n+2)^sqrt
n

We've taken natural logarithms both sides, to have a base
of logarithms (the base is e = 2.7...) that is > 1 and the direction of the
inequality to hold.

We'll use the power property of
logarithms:

sqrt(n+2)*ln n < sqrt n*ln
(n+2)

We'll divide both sides by sqrt
n:

sqrt(n+2)*ln n/sqrt n < ln
(n+2)

We'll divide both sides by sqrt
(n+2):

ln n/sqrt n < ln (n+2)/sqrt
(n+2)

We'll take the function f(x) = ln x/sqrt x, where x
is in the interval [3 ; 5].

If we demonstrate that the
function is increasing over the interval [3 ; 5], the inequality is
true.

A function is increasing if and only if, for x =
3<x = 5, we'll get:

f(3) <
f(5)

Let's prove that the function is increasing. For this
to hapen, the derivative of the function has to be positive. We'll do the derivative
test:

f'(x) = (ln x/sqrt
x)'

We'll apply the quotient
rule:

(u/v)' =
(u'*v-u*v')/v^2

u = ln x, u' =
1/x

v = sqrt x , v' = 1/2sqrt
x

(ln x/sqrt x)' = (sqrtx/x - ln
x/2sqrtx)/x

(ln x/sqrt x)' = (2sqrtx -
sqrtx*lnx)/2x^2

It is obvious that (ln x/sqrt x)' >
0 over the interval [3 ; 5], so f(x) is increasing.

ln
3/sqrt 3 < ln 5/sqrt 5

Describe Macbeth's state of mind in scene 3 in Macbeth.

Concerning Shakespeare's Macbeth, you
don't identify which act you're asking about.  I have a hunch you mean Act 1.3, so I'll
answer accordingly.

First, whatever state of mind Macbeth
is in, it echoes the witches' state of mind, since he echoes their sentiment that foul
is fair and vice-versa.  This is a bad thing. 

Then he
starts, or flinches, when the witches hail him as Thane of Cawdor and king.  Banquo
laughs off the witches, but Macbeth takes them very seriously and is anxious to hear
more.  He appears to be motivated by ambition and to have becoming king on his
mind. 

His flinch at such welcome news might also indicate
that he is already aware of what becoming king means--he would have to kill Duncan to
get the crown.  Why else would he flinch?  The flinch is surprising to Banquo, which
suggests it is motivated by something Banquo is not aware of and does not comprehend. 
Macbeth may already be haunted by the thoughts that moments later horrify him--thoughts
of killing Duncan (see his aside starting at line 130).  Macbeth is already a mixture of
fair and foul.

Macbeth is already torn, then, in Act 1.3,
between what he wants and what he has to do to get it.  He's obviously excited about the
possibility of becoming king, but torn about what it will take to achieve the throne. 
He is not prepared to blindly go after what he wants, though.  He is aware how horrible
what he's thinking about is.

What roles were women expected to fill during the Gilded Age? Did this in anyway affect their choices?

The Gilded Age, historically speaking, is made up of a
social group that is  no different than the Georgian, Victorian, nor Edwardian England
in terms of the expectations of women's roles.

During this
time, as it is evidenced in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth
women obtain their benefits through marriage, and are expected to fulfill the
roles of doting wives. This, however, differs from the previous eras in that the Glided
Age does not have to deal with the financial inadequacies of the British rule. Instead,
the Gilded Age is the poster child of capitalism: Those who have,
are.

Hence, women in good marriages during the Gilded Age
are your typical socialites who enjoy their own or their husband's riches, enjoy
themselves in exquisitely sumptuous extravagances, and have no shame of enjoying their
sex lives outside of the marriage. In an age of excess anything is permitted as long as
it is kept secret. Therefore, the gilded age will expect women to fulfill the
traditional roles in the outside, yet it allows women to carefully exploit their goods
in the inside with the utmost delicacy.

Contrast and compare "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin to Trifles by Susan Glaspell.

In addition to the points above, it is important to note
that both stories discuss specifically what it feels like for a woman to be trapped in a
marriage. While Minnie Wright from Trifles is much more proactive
in escaping her "trap," Chopin makes it quite clear in "Story" that Louise Mallard has
felt trapped for many years in her marriage but was either unwilling or unable to take
action to escape.

Similarly, both works portray a natural
tension between the sexes. In Trifles, the men trivialize Mrs.
Hale's and Mrs. Peters' comments and abilities which causes them to completely
underestimate them. John Wright minimized his wife's needs and desires and probably
never suspected that she would be strong enough to present any danger to him. In "The
Story of an Hour," everyone pities and caters to Louise Mallard after her husband's
death, assuming that she is devastated by the loss of her provider and protector when in
reality she is overcome with joy at the thought.

What is the difference between using 'a' or 'an'?

The indefinite articles [a type of
adjective] a and
an indicate a noun that is one of
many. Some grammar books refer to them as "noun markers." That is, a common noun that is
not specified as a certain one is preceded by
a or
an. When, for example, a person asks
for "a pencil," it does not matter which pencil the person has, just as long as it is a
pencil that works, probably (one of many).  However, if a person asks for "the pencil,"
he or she refers to a specific pencil, not just any one.  The article
the, therefore, is termed a definite
article.

In determining the use of
an as opposed to
a, whenever the noun that the article
modifies begins with a vowel, or a vowel sound--e.g. an original idea, an
hourly rate--Standard American English calls for the use of
an. While there are some exceptions
such as in the phrase, a unique experience, the noun that the
indefinite article modifies begins with a cosonant or a cosonant sound, Standard
American English calls for the use of a--e.g. a
glorious sunset.

Analyze the conversation between Cassius and Brutus in Act I. sc. Indicate what it reveals about their characters and about the characters of...

We learn a great deal about the major players in
Julius Caesar in Act I, scene 2.

It is
clear that both Brutus and Cassius are concerned over Caesar's growing power.   Cassius
is sounding Brutus out as to his feelings and he questions how Caesar has gown so strong
when he himself has observed his weaknesses.  Cassius then compares Brutus to Caesar and
shows him that Caesar is no greater.  Brutus comes from an old and well respected
Patrician family.  The Republic is important.  Cassius needs Brutus for his plan to
work.

Brutus listens but does not commit himself to
Cassius.  He is cautious and has strong feelings for Caesar as a
friend.

Of the two, Cassius is the more ruthless.  He has
decided that the only solution to Caesar's growing popularity and power is to
assassinate him.

For his part, Caesar seems to enjoy the
adulation of the mob and Mark Antony seems like a young man who has curried favor with
Caesar.

Any ideas for a paragraph on "Where is the best place to relocate?"

A paragraph is short, of course, so you aren't going to
get to say very much.  That doesn't mean you should not have an organizational plan and
some interesting ideas.  You'll first have to choose where you think a good place to
relocate might be.  You should probably pick someplace you know well or at least have
been to so you can write with some firsthand knowledge and authority on the matter.  It
can be a big-picture choice, like a country, a region of the country or a state, or it
can be something quite specific, like a city or even a
neighborhood. 

Once you've chosen your dream destination,
decide on two or three reasons which make this place so appealing that one would want to
pack up everything to move there.  Perhaps the weather, the people, the sights, or the
geography would be attractive reasons to move.  Choose two or three of your strongest
reasons and be prepared to expand on them for at least a sentence or two.  This should
be fun once you decide on that perfect relocation destination!

What kind of economic system does the United States have?

There are a number of different types of economies
throughout the world.  Economic systems determine how the people of a country buy and
sell goods and how production processes are controlled.  The United States has a mixed
economy based primarily on principles of private ownership.  Individuals own the goods
and services that they make or provide.  Furthermore, private businesses control factors
of production.  This is known as a free enterprise system.
 

In addition, the United States' economic system is often
characterized as a 'market system' because it is controlled by the market.  The market
is where producers and consumers come together in the exchange of goods and services.
 This interaction drives prices in the United States, unlike in many other countries
where prices for certain goods are set by the government.
 

The reason that the United States' economic system is
considered to be a mixed system is because the government is involved in the regulation
and guidance of the United States' economy.  Although it is more 'hands-off' than in
some countries, the U.S. government still plays a significant role in the country's
economy.  There are a number of services which are provided by the government in the
United States in lieu of private business.  These services include:  education, roads,
postal systems, policing, the court system, and more.