Help Notes

Great question! In the book The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor eventually realized that his family saved some money. Before his transformation, Gregor worked long hours to completely provide for his family’s financial needs. Although Gregor did not enjoy his job and wished he could quit, Gregor continued to work until he no longer could (due to his transformation). As the text reveals: "Gregor later earned so much money that he was in a position... Great question! In the book The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor eventually realized that his family saved some money. Before his transformation, Gregor worked long hours to completely provide for his family’s financial needs. Although Gregor did not enjoy his job and wished he could quit, Gregor continued to work until he no longer could (due to his transformation). As the text reveals: "Gregor later earned so much money that he was in a position to bear the expenses of the entire family, expenses which he, in fact, did ...

Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican-American activist who advocated for the rights of people of African descent around the world, especially in Jamaica and the United States. While he remained in Jamaica for most of his life, he is most known in the United States for his political activities in Harlem, the predominately black neighborhood in New York that had become a major hub of African-American culture by World War I. He advocated what many historians... Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican-American activist who advocated for the rights of people of African descent around the world, especially in Jamaica and the United States. While he remained in Jamaica for most of his life, he is most known in the United States for his political activities in Harlem, the predominately black neighborhood in New York that had become a major hub of African-American culture by World War I. He advocated what many historians have called "black separatism," claiming that African-Americans needed to cultivate...

An allusion is a reference made to someone or something that the reader, or a character, might know or understand. This helps to extract familiar knowledge about a topic and apply it to the story at hand to understand a specific point or theme more profoundly. For example, in Chapter One of  A Separate Peace , Gene walks down Gilman Street and describes it for the reader. He says the following: "The houses were as handsome and as unusual as I remembered. Clever modernizations of old Colonial manses, extensions in Victorian wood, capacious Greek Revival temples line the street" (10). The above passage alludes to three different historical time periods in an effort to describe the setting and what the houses look like.  Next, when Gene finds the infamous tree from which he and Phineas jumped so many times that summer of 1942, he says the following: "It had loomed in my memory as a huge lone spike dominating the riverbank, forbidding as an artillery piece, high as the beans...

In Chapter Four, most of the men on the ranch have gone into Soledad on a Saturday night, leaving behind Lennie, Crooks and Candy. Because he has seen Crooks's light in the barn, Lennie enters the black man's room. Crooks is hesitant to let Lennie in but soon warms to the company. Candy, who has been "figuring" about Lennie's rabbits, also enters the room, and the conversation turns to the farm which George, Lennie and... In Chapter Four, most of the men on the ranch have gone into Soledad on a Saturday night, leaving behind Lennie, Crooks and Candy. Because he has seen Crooks's light in the barn, Lennie enters the black man's room. Crooks is hesitant to let Lennie in but soon warms to the company. Candy, who has been "figuring" about Lennie's rabbits, also enters the room, and the conversation turns to the farm which George, Lennie and Candy plan to buy, mostly with money contributed by Candy, who received money when he lost his hand in a ra...

Part Two of The Book Thief truly cements the meaning behind the title. I can understand why it is difficult to understand this part because, just like in many parts of this book, Death does not tell his tale chronologically. First, Death tells us what happens at the end of Part Two: Liesel steals a book set on fire by the Nazis. Death then returns to events before the Christmas holidays in order to tell... Part Two of The Book Thief truly cements the meaning behind the title. I can understand why it is difficult to understand this part because, just like in many parts of this book, Death does not tell his tale chronologically. First, Death tells us what happens at the end of Part Two: Liesel steals a book set on fire by the Nazis. Death then returns to events before the Christmas holidays in order to tell the story in full. Hans continues to teach Liesel to read and gives Liesel two more books for Christmas:  Faust the Dog  and  The Lighthouse.  Unfortunately, things get a bit harder ...

In the story, Eveline and her siblings used to play with other children in the field, but her father created a constant sense of fear: Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick. In other words, it was the fear of their father's violence which bothered them during their play. It was as though he cast a shadow over their lives, one characterized by violence and cruelty.  Despite these fears, Eveline remembers that they were still "happy" when they played. Her father's aggression, however, would continue throughout her life, particularly after the death of her mother.  This worry is important in the story, not only because it helps to characterize her father, but because it gives an insight into Eveline's desire to escape. Sadly, however, Eveline will never escape her life in Ireland. It is as though her father's shadow has never left her.

William Butler Yeats’s father read to him as a child. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond was among their favorites. References to this American classic are made in this poem, especially in the first stanza of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Readers must use their imaginations in this poem because that is what the poet does as he writes about a place he aches to go. Standing in the middle of a bustling, lively place (probably... William Butler Yeats’s father read to him as a child. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond was among their favorites. References to this American classic are made in this poem, especially in the first stanza of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Readers must use their imaginations in this poem because that is what the poet does as he writes about a place he aches to go. Standing in the middle of a bustling, lively place (probably Dublin in 1893) seems to drive him all the way to Innisfree. The speaker desires to be someplace other than where he is. These feelings are not...

This story uses the first person point of view. Brother, a character in the story, is the narrator. Using first person narration, Brother is able to tell the story from his own perspective and personal experience. So, the reader gets the events from Brother's own memory. Although this is not a series of diary entries, Brother does recall these events in a similar way. This story is Brother's confession about how he treated and mistreated... This story uses the first person point of view. Brother, a character in the story, is the narrator. Using first person narration, Brother is able to tell the story from his own perspective and personal experience. So, the reader gets the events from Brother's own memory. Although this is not a series of diary entries, Brother does recall these events in a similar way. This story is Brother's confession about how he treated and mistreated his younger brother, Doodle.  So, it is similar to a story like Edgar Allen Poe's "The C...

When the story opens, Gortsby is sharing a bench with an elderly gentleman who has "a drooping air of defiance." His appearance in the story at all seems to be to serve as the rightful owner of the cake of soap Gortsby eventually discovers on the ground. There is nothing distinctive about this old man. He is a nobody. The author gets rid of him quickly. This shows that the old man has no immediate function in the story. When he reappears at the end, however, the reader will remember him and that he had been sitting there. As he rose to go Gortsby imagined him returning to a home circle where he was snubbed and of no account, or to some bleak lodging where his ability to pay a weekly bill was the beginning and end of the interest he inspired. Why would the old man buy a cake of soap? He is obviously poor and can't afford luxuries. It must be because he lives in a place where soap is not provided. The narrator suggests that he might live in "some bleak lodging," s...

The speaker admires the river. Note that he calls the Nile "Chief" of the pyramids and the crocodiles. That is to say, the Nile is the leader or guiding force of culture (pyramids) and nature (crocodiles). The Nile has been the "nurse" of many African nations. Here, the speaker notes how the river has helped civilization develop along its banks. Without this great river, these civilizations would not have developed so well or they would... The speaker admires the river. Note that he calls the Nile "Chief" of the pyramids and the crocodiles. That is to say, the Nile is the leader or guiding force of culture (pyramids) and nature (crocodiles). The Nile has been the "nurse" of many African nations. Here, the speaker notes how the river has helped civilization develop along its banks. Without this great river, these civilizations would not have developed so well or they would have developed elsewhere. Being along a large river or a body of water help...

This quote describes Curley's general posture and attitude. He is small and he is totally insecure. He's always chasing his wife around the ranch. This shows that he has little control over her and is easily made jealous. Because of his small stature, he tries to compensate by behaving in an aggressive way. He tries to intimidate others. Shortly after this quote, Curley leaves and the swamper describes his personality to George:  Curley’s like alot... This quote describes Curley's general posture and attitude. He is small and he is totally insecure. He's always chasing his wife around the ranch. This shows that he has little control over her and is easily made jealous. Because of his small stature, he tries to compensate by behaving in an aggressive way. He tries to intimidate others. Shortly after this quote, Curley leaves and the swamper describes his personality to George:  Curley’s like alot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big g...

Farmers were struggling during the Gilded Age. Many farmers were in debt and in danger of losing their farms. Prices of crops were also low. Loans were expensive, and railroad companies didn’t offer farmers benefits that other businesses received. Farmers wanted the government to change our monetary policy. They wanted the government to put more money into circulation. This would lead to higher prices and make it easier for farmers to pay their debts. The... Farmers were struggling during the Gilded Age. Many farmers were in debt and in danger of losing their farms. Prices of crops were also low. Loans were expensive, and railroad companies didn’t offer farmers benefits that other businesses received. Farmers wanted the government to change our monetary policy. They wanted the government to put more money into circulation. This would lead to higher prices and make it easier for farmers to pay their debts. The farmers wanted to have a bi-metallic money supply. They wanted the government...

The lieutenant ultimately has his arm amputated. As in so many of Stephen Crane's works, the Naturalistic theme is strong in "An Episode of War" as the soldiers are depicted as just so many creatures manipulated by indifferent universal forces. In particular, the lieutenant who so precisely divides the coffee with his sword, a symbol of the authority that he believes he wields, catches a wild bullet in his arm, and with this random act... The lieutenant ultimately has his arm amputated. As in so many of Stephen Crane's works, the Naturalistic theme is strong in "An Episode of War" as the soldiers are depicted as just so many creatures manipulated by indifferent universal forces. In particular, the lieutenant who so precisely divides the coffee with his sword, a symbol of the authority that he believes he wields, catches a wild bullet in his arm, and with this random act his illusion of authority is ended.  His arm, then, becomes symbolic of his loss of autho...

Every generation defines itself in relation to the generation that came immediately prior. The young people of the 1960s were children of parents who survived the Great Depression in the U.S. and they sought to create lives that contrasted with the lives of their parents. The older generation had gotten young men (mostly) engaged in a war that seemed to be a fruitless waste of human life and some of that older generation resisted the changes brought along by the Civil Rights Movement. Fashions of that period of time, the music, and other forms of popular culture reflect these conditions and more. For example, young men began wearing their hair long as a contrast to the clean cut look of both the 1950s and the Armed Services. Protest songs reflected social conditions during the time, as did rock and roll, particularly as rock became more avant garde. Television and movies were more conservative but they still responded to the youth movements, whether through expressing support, bewilder...

Odysseus is a good leader because he is clever, brave, and he cares about the men whom he leads.  When his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody"; that night, he gets the monster really drunk and then the crew blinds the monster when he's passed out.  Then, when the other Cyclopes rush to his aid, he calls to them that Nobody is hurting him.  So they... Odysseus is a good leader because he is clever, brave, and he cares about the men whom he leads.  When his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody"; that night, he gets the monster really drunk and then the crew blinds the monster when he's passed out.  Then, when the other Cyclopes rush to his aid, he calls to them that Nobody is hurting him.  So they leave!  It is a good plan, and Odysseus is very cunning in his execution of it. Further, Odysseus bravely goes to the Underworld to find the prophet, T...

The female body in  Hamlet  is viewed primarily through male eyes and seen primarily as site of sexuality or potential sexuality, and the sexual female body is represented most often as diseased, corrupt, or as the body of a whore.  Hamlet views his mother through a sexual lens, which has led more than one critic to an Oedipal reading of the text, in which Hamlet is reluctant to kill Claudius because Claudius has enacted Hamlet's... The female body in  Hamlet  is viewed primarily through male eyes and seen primarily as site of sexuality or potential sexuality, and the sexual female body is represented most often as diseased, corrupt, or as the body of a whore.  Hamlet views his mother through a sexual lens, which has led more than one critic to an Oedipal reading of the text, in which Hamlet is reluctant to kill Claudius because Claudius has enacted Hamlet's own unconscious desire to murder his father and marry his mother. In any case, Hamlet represents his mother as a loose, u...

This is a tough question, because ultimately Herman Calloway is  not  Bud's father.  Bud will never be able to prove that Mr. Calloway is his father.   I'd like to suggest something like a DNA test, but that technology was not around during the Great Depression.  Bud could hope for a blood typing match, since that was invented in 1900 by Karl Landsteiner.  The problem with blood typing though is that it doesn't always prove... This is a tough question, because ultimately Herman Calloway is  not  Bud's father.  Bud will never be able to prove that Mr. Calloway is his father.   I'd like to suggest something like a DNA test, but that technology was not around during the Great Depression.  Bud could hope for a blood typing match, since that was invented in 1900 by Karl Landsteiner.  The problem with blood typing though is that it doesn't always prove a family relationship.  It's genetically possible to have a completely different blood type than your parents.   ...

It would seem that the United States caused the Cold War from the eight documents associated with this project.  The first document suggests a certain amount of naivete on the part of Franklin D. Roosevelt in trusting the intentions of Joseph Stalin for Eastern Europe after the war.  This miscalculation could infer that actions should have been made to prevent the Iron Curtain from descending on Eastern Europe after the war ended.  The third and... It would seem that the United States caused the Cold War from the eight documents associated with this project.  The first document suggests a certain amount of naivete on the part of Franklin D. Roosevelt in trusting the intentions of Joseph Stalin for Eastern Europe after the war.  This miscalculation could infer that actions should have been made to prevent the Iron Curtain from descending on Eastern Europe after the war ended.  The third and sixth documents are written by the Soviet leadership.  They blame the United States and Britain f...

This is a very interesting question. Both novels deal with a central idea that humanity is a somewhat fluid concept, that can be redefined and recontextualized based upon a number of different considerations. In Mary Shelley's  Frankenstein , Victor Frankenstein decides to create life from dead flesh and human body parts, and creates a being who resents his very creation and his creator. Frankenstein's "monster" is human in every sense of the word, with human... This is a very interesting question. Both novels deal with a central idea that humanity is a somewhat fluid concept, that can be redefined and recontextualized based upon a number of different considerations. In Mary Shelley's  Frankenstein , Victor Frankenstein decides to create life from dead flesh and human body parts, and creates a being who resents his very creation and his creator. Frankenstein's "monster" is human in every sense of the word, with human emotions, thoughts and desires, b...

Igneous rocks are one of the three types of rocks, the other two being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools down and solidifies. The interior of Earth is very hot and temperatures are high enough to melt rocks. These molten rocks (known as magma) rise upwards and cool down either above the surface of Earth or below the surface. When the magma cools down below the surface of Earth, it has... Igneous rocks are one of the three types of rocks, the other two being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools down and solidifies. The interior of Earth is very hot and temperatures are high enough to melt rocks. These molten rocks (known as magma) rise upwards and cool down either above the surface of Earth or below the surface. When the magma cools down below the surface of Earth, it has plenty of time to do so and hence the cooling process is very slow. This allows sufficient time for crystal growth and hence these rocks have large...

Although I'm not sure that Shakespeare intended this result, all of the incestuous undertones -- as well as the actual incest between Claudius and Gertrude, a brother and sister-in-law -- help to show the way women are viewed as sex objects in Hamlet's society.  Laertes, for example, talks pretty explicitly to his sister, Ophelia, about sexual intercourse and female genitalia (via the worm/flower metaphor), sexually objectifying her at the same time that he advises her... Although I'm not sure that Shakespeare intended this result, all of the incestuous undertones -- as well as the actual incest between Claudius and Gertrude, a brother and sister-in-law -- help to show the way women are viewed as sex objects in Hamlet's society.  Laertes, for example, talks pretty explicitly to his sister, Ophelia, about sexual intercourse and female genitalia (via the worm/flower metaphor), sexually objectifying her at the same time that he advises her of the importance of remaining ch...

I suppose that you could interpret the quote in a way that shows fishing and religion are equal in status.  I don't think it is necessary to think that way though.  I believe that the quote isn't meant to have the reader think the two are equal.  I think the quote is meant to highlight their similarities .   The narrator explains that both religion and fly fishing are life long endeavors.  Neither is ever... I suppose that you could interpret the quote in a way that shows fishing and religion are equal in status.  I don't think it is necessary to think that way though.  I believe that the quote isn't meant to have the reader think the two are equal.  I think the quote is meant to highlight their similarities .   The narrator explains that both religion and fly fishing are life long endeavors.  Neither is ever totally mastered, but both are practiced daily, weekly, monthly, etc.  To be a devout religious person, it involves study, emotional desire, and practice.  Metapho...

Since Ezra Pound is the only American on this list, the answer is simple. Pound was born in Idaho but spent most of his life in Europe, first in London, then Paris and for most of the second half of his life, in Italy. He was indeed most influential to the modern poetic movement in both England and the United States. He was influential in promoting the work of several of the most famous literary... Since Ezra Pound is the only American on this list, the answer is simple. Pound was born in Idaho but spent most of his life in Europe, first in London, then Paris and for most of the second half of his life, in Italy. He was indeed most influential to the modern poetic movement in both England and the United States. He was influential in promoting the work of several of the most famous literary figures of the era including the Americans T.S. Eliot and Robert Frost, as well as the Irishmen James Joyce and William Butler Yeats. He even worked for Yeats as a secretary during World War I. Pound...

You are referring to the skipper who rescues passengers off the drifting wreck of a steamship. The skipper is portrayed as a courageous hero: I understand the large hearts of heroes, The courage of present times and all times, How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the steamship, and Death chasing it up and down the storm, How he knuckled tight and gave not back an inch, and was faithful of days and faithful of nights, And chalk'd in large letters on a board, Be of good cheer, we will not desert you; How he follow'd with them and tack'd with them three days and would not give it up, How he saved the drifting company at last, How the lank loose-gown'd women look'd when boated from the side of their prepared graves, How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the sharp-lipp'd unshaved men; All this I swallow, it tastes good, I like it well, it becomes mine, I am the man, I suffer'd, I was there. The skipper’s courage is expressed...

The moon cycle refers to the moon's orbit around Earth. As the moon orbits the planet, we observe changes it its appearance; however, no real change happens on the moon! In fact, our observation of the moon's appearance is related to the changing alignment of the sun, the earth, and the moon. When the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun, we experience the moon as a new moon which looks as if... The moon cycle refers to the moon's orbit around Earth. As the moon orbits the planet, we observe changes it its appearance; however, no real change happens on the moon! In fact, our observation of the moon's appearance is related to the changing alignment of the sun, the earth, and the moon. When the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun, we experience the moon as a new moon which looks as if no moon is in the sky at all. On the contrary, the moon is in the sky, but it not lit by the sun on the side that faces Earth (the opposite side is lit). During a...

There are, I'm sure, differing opinions on this, but most people see the central idea of "The Lottery" as the idea that blind adherence to tradition and to authority is a very bad idea, for individuals or for communities.  This is a story in which people participate in a ritual that ends in the certain death of one of their own, and no one in the story even knows why! Yet they all happily follow... There are, I'm sure, differing opinions on this, but most people see the central idea of "The Lottery" as the idea that blind adherence to tradition and to authority is a very bad idea, for individuals or for communities.  This is a story in which people participate in a ritual that ends in the certain death of one of their own, and no one in the story even knows why! Yet they all happily follow Mr. Summer's instructions, to the bitter end.  I have read that Jackson had Nazi Germany in her mind as she wrote this story, as an answer to the question of how in th...

In Three Men in a Boat , it appears as though George is the only one in the group who holds a “real” job. At the beginning of Chapter II, J., the narrator, brings this fact to light and makes fun of his friend at the same time: (George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two.) Here,... In Three Men in a Boat , it appears as though George is the only one in the group who holds a “real” job. At the beginning of Chapter II, J., the narrator, brings this fact to light and makes fun of his friend at the same time: (George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two.) Here, J. implies that George doesn’t do anything worthwhile at the bank, either. But we learn more about George in other parts of the book, too. In Chapter IV, he packs the food hamper with Harris. In Chapter XI, we hear the story of what once happened when his watch stopped and...