Why does the World State infantilize its citizens?

To answer this question, think about what children are
like.  Children are interested only in their own immediate gratification (more or less)
and do not really think much about anything beyond that.  The World State wants its
citizens to be like this (especially in the lower castes) so that they do not become
unhappy and rebellious.

The World State wants stability
more than anything else.  To achieve stability, it wants to make sure that its citizens
are content and do not want to make any changes.  To do that, it infantilizes them
because that encourages them to think only of immediate pleasures (easily provided by
the state) and not of anything else.

Why is legend so important to the travelers in The Fellowship of the Ring?The is question is from the book the lord of the rings

In The Fellowship of the Ring, legend
plays an extremely important role.  The hobbits really have never traveled outside of
the Shire for them, so traveling through Middle Earth is a bit of a shock to them.  As
some of the more veteran, older travelers in the group, like Gandalf, Legolas, or
Aragorn, tell the Hobbits legends of the lands in which they travel, their story-telling
helps to give the hobbits an appreciation for the cultures and the possible dangers they
may encounter. 

Hearing the old legends also helped take
the travelers' minds off of their current woes.  A prime example of this is when Aragorn
sings the Lay of Luthien to the hobbits in the chapter "The Knife in the Dark."  All
four of hobbits were weary and frightened, and Aragorn chooses the tale of Tinuviel,
because "it is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and
yet it may lift up your hearts" (187).

What is the story of the famous tragedy play by William Shakespeare named Macbeth?

The plot concerns the rise to power (and the subsequent
demise) of a noble warrior (he's called a Thane, which is like a Lord) of ancient
Scotland, Macbeth.  He begins the play fighting a battle in the service of the current
king, Duncan.  Duncan has decided to silence once and for all by two rebellious Thanes. 
When Macbeth proves himself loyal and courageous in battle, Duncan decides to add more
glory to him by bestowing one of the titles that had formerly belonged to the slain
rebel upon Macbeth.

Meanwhile, Macbeth and his comrade,
Banquo have been waylaid by three mysterious witches, who prophesy that Macbeth will
become Thane of Cawdor (the title that the king has decided to give him) and then King. 
They also say that Banqo will beget kings.  Macbeth and Banquo do not know what to make
of these predictions, but Macbeth is later surprised to note that the first prediction
has come true when Duncan makes him Thane of Cawdor.

Upon
returning home to his wife, Macbeth makes the choice that changes the course of the play
for him.  He decides to take his wife's counsel and murder Duncan so that he might
fulfill the witches' prophesy and become King.  He does the deed and does become King,
but this only, ironically, deepens his troubles.

He finds
he must murder Banquo and his son to prevent Banquo's children from becoming kings.  He
succeeds with killing his friend, but Banquo's son escapes.  He then must face other
prophesies from the witches and, ultimately, an uprising against him led by Duncan's son
and other Scottish Thanes.

The culmination of the story
shows Macbeth's decline into a desparate killing machine, and ultimately ends in his
death at the hands of those more honorable characters that would rule in his place.  His
wife, Lady Macbeth, is also overcome with her own guilt and goes mad and kills
herself.

The play is considered a classical tragedy.
Macbeth is a tragic hero whose tragic flaw is his own ambition.  In the beginning, it
seems to be the thing that raises him up, but ultimately, it is the instrument of his
own demise.

You can find more detail about the play in the
links to the Entoes study guide given below.

Why is the sum of n terms of an AP equal to a relation that isconstant for all APs

The sum of n terms of an AP  Sn= {2a1+(n-1)d}n/2 is a
relation, connecting the  sum  Sn  with a1, the starting term, n the number of terms and
d the common difference.

The sum Sn is dependent on n the
variable , a1 , and d in the AP like:

Sn = {(2a1+(n-1)d}n/2
= (d/2)n^2 + (a1-d/2)n  is a  second degree  in n.

Here a1
is the first term , ar = a1+(r-1)d th term of the AP

The
relation is unique or constant.

Now let us
test:

Let  n= 1.

LHS S1 =1.
RHS = {2a1 +a1(1-1)d}*1/2 = (2a1+0*d}1/2 =a1.

S2 =
{2a1+a1(2-1)d}/2 = a1+a1+d = a1+(a1+d) = a1+a2 holds
good.

S3 = (2a1 +a1(3-1)d)3/2 = 3a1+2d = a1+(a1+d)+(a1+2d)
= a1+a2+a3 holds good.

S4 = {2a1+a1(4-1)d}4/2 = 4a1+3d =
a1+(a1+d)+(a1+2d)+(a1+3d) = a1+a2+a3+a4.

So  Sn =
( d/20n^2+(a1-d/2)n a second degree function (or relation) in n holds true for more than
2 values. So the relation is unique or an identity. Therefore the relation is
constant.

What's a good approach to describing how Shakespeare presents different types of conflict in Julius Caesar? What are the main themes of conflict?

The basis of Shakespeare's play Julius
Caesar is based upon the conflicts of those in his kingdom who, for one
reason or another, do not want Caesar to be crowned king.

I
can only answer one question, so I will identify the conflicts and related themes,
discussing only one in depth.

Themes in Julius Caesar are
whether it is justified for a king to be killed. This was an important moral debate, and
one that Shakespeare wrote about in other plays such as Hamlet and
Macbeth. Most people of Shakespeare's time believed it was a sin
against God to kill a king, and that it disrupted the natural order of the world,
causing terrible things to occur, for example, in
nature.

Ambition is another theme in this story. Caesar is
accused, after his murder, of being too ambitious, and this is the topic of Mark
Antony's eulogy, delivered at Caesar's funeral. Mark Antony argues that ambition is
hardly a crime if it refers to caring for others, as was the case with
Caesar.

Civil war or civil disorder is another theme,
something Elizabethans would have been quite familiar with, as England's history was
filled with long years devoted to civil wars between the royal houses grappling for
control and power, i.e. the War of the Roses (just to name one) [see Wikipedia
source].

The theme of ambition is central to judging those
in power that surround Caesar before and after his death. Caesar sees himself as
something of a "god," and Brutus is manipulated by Cassius to align himself with those
who want Caesar dead. The reasons Cassius provides Brutus with are not well-founded, but
self-serving for Cassius. One conflict that emerges here is man vs. self, as Brutus
struggles with whether or not he should help assassinate Caesar. Brutus' intentions are
well-founded, but his actions are not truly justified.

When
Caesar is accused of having been too ambitious, Mark Antony directs his remarks (at
Caesar's funeral) to this perception. He denies the truth of it. Ironically, where
Cassius and even Mark Antony are motivated by their own ambition, once again, Brutus is
not.

Brutus' actions are driven by his need to protect his
country's future, which he thought he was doing when he finally decides that Caesar must
die. However, after the murder of Caesar, Brutus must face the masses—the mob—who want
revenge for their leader's death. At this point, the conflict becomes man vs.
society.

Continuing on in this line, Cassius' own ambition
may be questioned, though it seems he was not as interested in furthering his own
ends—which would not happen with Caesar's death—as much as simply wanting to wrest the
power from Caesar's hands. This conflict is an example of man vs.
man.

Though Mark Antony defends the dead leader against
accusations of ambition—as if ambition were a horrific trait in Caesar (as Brutus
insists)—Mark Antony is just as ambitious as any of the other characters, and it is he
who will ultimately become one of the most powerful men in Rome after Caesar's death and
the conclusion of the civil disorder that arises when Caesar is killed. As mentioned,
this is ironic: Antony argues that Caesar was not ambitious in a destructive way and
questions the validity of such a charge to warrant the great man's death, and yet,
ambition serves him (Antony) well in the end. However, Antony is not a part of the
assassination, and his conflict is simply to restore power to Caesar's heir, Octavius,
and Antony himself (man vs. man).

If a two digit number increases by 54 when the digits are reversed, what is the number?

If a two digit number increases by 54 when the digits are
reversed, what is the number.

Let the 2 digits in order be
x and y.

Then the value of the number =
10x+y.

When the digits are reversed , the digits in order
are y and x.

So the valuse of the number is
10y+x.

Since 10y+x -(10x+y) =
54,

9y -9x = 54.

Or  y-x=
6.

Therefore y = x+6.

So the
digits in the solution are  when x= 1, y = 1+6 = 7.

When
x=2, y = 2+6 = 8.

When x= 3, y = 3+6 = 6 =
9.

Therefore there are 3 solutions : 17 ;  28 and  39
which, when reversed, become 71 ;  82 and  and 93 each increase by  54 after reversing
the digits.

Contrast Hamlet and Horatio.I need some examples as well. I can't find anything other than their involvement in the Claudius vs Hamlet situation??

Since you indicate that you are only interested in
contrasting Hamlet and Horatio, then I will assume that you are looking for ways in
which they are different, or moments when they come into conflict with each
other.

The first moment in which there is contrast between
them, is when Hamlet insists, in Act I, scene iv, upon following the Ghost wherever it
might lead.  Their (abridged) exchange goes like
this:

readability="26">

Hamlet

It
will not speak.  Then I will follow
it.

Horatio

Do
not, my
lord.

Hamlet

Why,
what should be the fear?

. . .I'll follow
it.

Horatio

What
if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,

Or to the
dreadful summit of the cliff. . .

And draw you into
madness?. .
.

Hamlet

Go
on, I'll follow thee. . . Hold off your
hands.

Horatio

Be
rul'd; you shall not
go.

Hamlet

By
heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me.

I say away
-- Go on.  I'll follow
thee.

In this scene, the two
characters can be contrasted by the rash, headstrong, and reckless way that Hamlet is
determined to follow the Ghost versus Horatio's cautious, more logical and somewhat
fearful warnings.

The other moment in which there is
obvious contrast between them is in Act V, scene ii, when Hamlet has received the
challenge from Laertes and determines to accept the wager.  Again, an abridgement of
their conversation:

readability="13">

Horatio

You
will lose, my
lord.

Hamlet

I
do not think so. . . Thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart; but it is
no
matter.

Horatio

Nay,
good my lord. . . .If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair
hither and say you are not
fit.

Hamlet

Not
a whit.  We defy augury. . .Let
be.

In this scene, Hamlet
senses some danger or potential treachery, but chooses to ignore it, or go forward, even
as he is aware of it.  Horatio, on the other hand, would have him play it safe and avoid
the potential danger, again operating from a more logical, reasonable and "safe"
perspective than Hamlet.

For more on how to create an essay
in which you compare and contrast characters, please follow the "how to write" link
below.  There is also a link to an essay comparing Hamlet and Horatio, for more on this
topic.

What are some good questions about the novel The Grapes of Wrath in chapters 17 through 21?

In looking for a means to review the important concepts
and events depicted in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, I
would expect there are several important questions one might ask him- or herself in
Chapters 17-21.

First, I believe it would be important to
ask, "How is the importance of family in evidence in these chapters?" Family here
applies not only to those related by blood, but also to the extended family made up of
people who have joined together to travel westward in hopes of finding a better
life.

Another important question would be directed to how
the lawmakers fail to create and follow laws that protect everyone: "How are the laws
followed by the police unlawful?" The laws established are only for the select few:
those with land and money.

Another question might be, "Who
would you describe as the "haves" and the "have-nots" in this story, and why is this
distinction important? Obviously those who "have" do not want to share with the migrant
workers (the "have-nots").

Another question might address
financial issues: "How do the wealthy and the bankers control the economy in California,
which directly affects the migrant workers who are trying to start a new life?" Keeping
wages low and costs high controls the economic progress of the migrant workers; these
issues also run small farmers out of business as well.

What are 3 similarities between Antigone and "Letter From Birmingham Jail" as far as genre of Literature?

I do not see these two as being of the same
genre, but their similarities, in general, may
be what your son's teacher is looking for. I hope the following
helps.

The definition of "genre" according to
dictionary.com is:

readability="9">

a class or category of artistic endeavor having a
particular form, content, technique, or the like: the genre of epic
poetry

When we
think of genres, we think of books that are similar in nature or topic: mystery,
romance, children's fiction, etc.

Perhaps the use of the
word "genre" is used here in a more general way: classifying these two pieces of
literature in what they have in common (I am unaware of the name of a genre that would
reflect this).

However, in reviewing Dr. King's "Letter
From Birmingham Jail," and Sophocles' Antigone, I find that the
commonality is not in the kind of literature it is, but in the common themes both pieces
present to the reader.

The plot of the play
Antigone reflects a woman (a minority at the time) controlled by
social, political, religious, and gender-related norms of the era who is struggling to
do what is ethically right. She is demanding that King Creon allow her to bury her
brother Polyneices (who has been judged a traitor); if she cannot do so, the Greeks
believed his soul would wander the Earth for a hundred years before finding its rest. As
a woman, she has no power or influence. If searching for discrimination, I would hazard
to guess that had she been a man, she might have had more success with the leaders of
the male-dominated society of which she was a part.

In
"Letter From Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr., also a member of a minority,
implores the political and social leaders of the 1960s, to do the ethical and moral
thing by allowing blacks equal rights under the law. His concerns would not only have
lifted up the unfair treatment of blacks in terms of prejudice and segregation, but more
seriously with the murder of civil rights activists and innocents killed due to the
color of their skin, and nothing more.

The similarities of
the content of the two pieces are what make me see them as products of a genre that
challenges the status quo and demands that appropriate actions take place regarding what
is decent, ethical and morally correct.

Antigone never gets
the answer she wants. Dr. King, however, continued to fight for equality, and his
"dream" was realized with the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which outlawed
discrimination and segregation against blacks—and
women.

For three similarities:
each piece centers around the endeavors of a member of a minority group; both central
figures are trying to find justice; both figures are at a disadvantage because they lack
power and credibility among those in control at the time they lived because they
were minorities.

I hope this is of
some assistance. Best of luck.