Help Notes

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

Stephen Hawking is widely accepted as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists of all time. His early work gave us our best understanding of the make-up of black holes; by defining the heat loss from the edges of black holes—dubbed Hawking Radiation—and shows how black holes degrade over time.  One of the difficulties Hawking had to overcome was his own brilliance and the laxness that came with being an undergraduate who feels he or she already knows everything. As an undergraduate, Hawking did not have to study or work very hard to understand concepts, causing him to be bored much of the time. He was also younger than many of his classmates, as he began his undergraduate program at 17. He combated this by joining the school rowing team as their coxswain, which gave him an opportunity to be 'one of the boys'. The biggest challenge Hawking has dealt with is his degenerative nerve disorder ALS. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is where the neurons that control...

Though Romeo bought his own poison and Juliet stabbed herself, in a sense, many are responsible for their deaths. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt and Romeo’s friend Mercutio set off a chain of events that destroys the young lovers. In spite of the prince’s ruling against fighting, Tybalt seeks to quarrel with Romeo. Mercutio immediately offers to duel with Tybalt, who quickly takes him up on it: TYBALT: Gentlemen, good e’en: a word with one of you. ... Though Romeo bought his own poison and Juliet stabbed herself, in a sense, many are responsible for their deaths. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt and Romeo’s friend Mercutio set off a chain of events that destroys the young lovers. In spite of the prince’s ruling against fighting, Tybalt seeks to quarrel with Romeo. Mercutio immediately offers to duel with Tybalt, who quickly takes him up on it: TYBALT: Gentlemen, good e’en: a word with one of you. MERCUTIO: And but one word with one of us? couple it with something; make it a word and a blow. TYBALT: You ...

In Kira's society, women are second-class citizens, and they live very separate lives from the men for the most part. Women seem to be primarily in charge of child-rearing, gardening, tending chickens, washing, and weaving. Although women are in charge of the "tykes" for the most part, there is no education to speak of, and nurturing seems rare. Most mothers let their children run around wildly and don't attempt to teach them manners or values.... In Kira's society, women are second-class citizens, and they live very separate lives from the men for the most part. Women seem to be primarily in charge of child-rearing, gardening, tending chickens, washing, and weaving. Although women are in charge of the "tykes" for the most part, there is no education to speak of, and nurturing seems rare. Most mothers let their children run around wildly and don't attempt to teach them manners or values. They discipline them by yelling at them and hitting them. Women...

The witches embody the supernatural in the play. One of the most prominent themes in the play is the supernatural world versus the natural world. The supernatural world is characterized in terms of mystery, dark forces, and abnormality.  Many critics agree that the witches are not necessarily the representatives of evil. Instead, they serve to highlight the dark forces in Macbeth's heart, and they motivate him to seek those forces so that they could help... The witches embody the supernatural in the play. One of the most prominent themes in the play is the supernatural world versus the natural world. The supernatural world is characterized in terms of mystery, dark forces, and abnormality.  Many critics agree that the witches are not necessarily the representatives of evil. Instead, they serve to highlight the dark forces in Macbeth's heart, and they motivate him to seek those forces so that they could help him destroy himself. After all, Macbeth is the one who decides to act o...

In any animal that undergoes sexual reproduction, their cells will divide one of two ways. Somatic cells, or body cells, divide through a process called mitosis. Gametes, or sex cells, undergo meiosis to make more of themselves. These processes each create a different number of 'daughter cells' with a different number of chromosomes. Mitosis is used for a multitude of different purposes, including repairing a wound, helping an organism grow, replacing old/worn-out cells, and asexual... In any animal that undergoes sexual reproduction, their cells will divide one of two ways. Somatic cells, or body cells, divide through a process called mitosis. Gametes, or sex cells, undergo meiosis to make more of themselves. These processes each create a different number of 'daughter cells' with a different number of chromosomes. Mitosis is used for a multitude of different purposes, including repairing a wound, helping an organism grow, replacing old/worn-out cells, and asexual repro...

Upon arriving at her new home in Wethersfield, Kit explains to her Puritan family how she got there and why she came alone. Kit describes how her grandfather's health had been gradually failing, worsened by the thievery of an overseer named Bryant who had sold off their crops and disappeared with the money. After her grandfather died, Kit was forced to sell off all of his land, his house, his furniture, and his slaves. Even... Upon arriving at her new home in Wethersfield, Kit explains to her Puritan family how she got there and why she came alone. Kit describes how her grandfather's health had been gradually failing, worsened by the thievery of an overseer named Bryant who had sold off their crops and disappeared with the money. After her grandfather died, Kit was forced to sell off all of his land, his house, his furniture, and his slaves. Even then, she still did not have enough money to pay for her passage to Connecticut, and so she was forced to sell off her personal slave...