Why would someone want to join the Junior Anti-Sex league in 1984?

In
Oceania, the totalitarian regime controls every aspect of society, and Big Brother requires
complete observance from all Party members. The threatening, intimidating nature of the Party is
a significant incentive to behave completely orthodox and stay on Big Brother's good side. Young
women likewho have joined the Anti-Sex League...

After viewing the video of Professor Brene Brown's presentation on "The Power of Vulnerability," ...

Brene
Browns presentation on The Power of Vulnerability is a reiteration of earlier theories of
human association that emphasize the importance of openness to the formation of strong personal
relationships.  Brown stresses the importance of human connections to our own physical and
mental well-being, and the importance of allowing ones vulnerabilities to be visible as the key
element in developing those connections.  No man, she is arguing, is an island unto himself.  We
all need human contact, and the quality of that contact can be as high as we need it to be only
when we are willing to expose our most personal sense of inadequacy €“ in short, to be open
about that which we feel embarrassed or ashamed, whether it is a visible physical
characteristic, or a deeply-hidden feeling of shame regarding a hidden physical or emotional
characteristic or about past actions or thoughts that, exposed to the light of day, might
diminish our stature in the eyes of others.  Again, Brown is not breaking new ground when she
suggests that personal relationships born of hidden feelings of jealously, embarrassment, or
resentment would provide a very fragile foundation upon which to build human connections.  
While her underlying thesis is hardly novel €“ books like Brad Blantons Radical
Honesty have tread the same territory €“ the impact of her presentation does not
suffer from its lack of originality.  Only through openness and honesty can meaningful
relationships be constructed and sustained.

How one answers questions
regarding lessons learned from Dr. Browns presentation is dependent upon the individual
student.  Everybodys experiences are different, and everybodys upbringing is unique to each
individual.  Obviously, answering these questions requires the very willingness to expose ones
vulnerabilities that are at the core of the presentation.  Unless one has led the perfect
existence €“ and such perfection in the realm of human development is nonexistent €“ then each
student should be capable of relating personally to the points Dr. Brown makes, particularly
with regard to feelings of inadequacy or shame the concealment of which has influenced
relationships.  Feelings of intellectual inferiority or physical inadequacy can influence an
individuals entire life, from personal and professional ambitions unrecognized to relationships
undermined by the emotional burden of concealing feelings.  The sense of ones value as a human
being directly impacts the course ones life takes.  

The real world, of
course, does not always allow for the prescriptions for happiness set forth in the
presentation.  It is unrealistic to assume that one can walk into a job interview, especially in
management, and expect success through a complete purging of ones soul.  Similarly, many
professions, law and medicine to name two, do not allow for the kind of intimacy among
colleagues that The Power of Vulnerability suggests.  Displays of weakness are not
considered an attribute in much of the professional world.  Ones high school football coach
probably doesnt want to hear about a prospective players emotional wounds; he is more likely to
remain focused solely on the students ability to read a zone blitz.  That is the unfortunate
reality in which most of us live.  Such experiences, though, are not the stuff from which the
relationships that will last well-beyond the high school years are
forged. 

How has the author succeed in writing Kindred so that the reader could feel history as well as learn about the facts of it?

Part of the brilliance
of this novel is the way in which we see history through the eyes of the modern day Dana. The
author develops the description of the former world to such an extent that it is right to say we
can "feel" the history and the reality of such a different life and such a different
world. Often the first person narration helps us to see the absolute bewilderment of Dana as she
faces the reality of the past and struggles to come to terms with the very different reality.
Consider, for example, the following quote:

There was a
stocky middle-aged woman stirring a kettle that hung over the fire in the fireplace. The
fireplace itself filled one whole wall. It was made of brick and abote it was a huge plank from
which hung a few utensils. There were more utensils off to one side hanging from hooks on the
wall. I stared at them and realised that i didn't know the proper names of any of them. Even
things as commonplace as that. I was in a different world.

It is often the expression of Dana's ignorance that helps us feel the historical period
that she has so abruptly entered. Dana's lack of ability to identify and understand what she
sees only serves to reinforce this feeling as often she has to have other characters explain
what is going on to her. Just a little after this quote, for example, whilst Dana is trying to
swallow some corn mush, Luke tells her that they get better food later on after the whites have
finished eating. Dana then comments: "Table scraps, I thought bitterly. Someone else's
leftovers." However, what helps us to feel the historical period is her comment that she
would eat them and be glad of them in spite of her bitterness. Being faced with the reality of
slavery and having your 21st century values and principles are shown to be two very different
things.

In Things Fall Apart, how is Okonkwo's life determined by his past and his traditional beliefs?

's life
is a direct result of his past experience as a child and adolescent. When Okonkwo was young, he
feared becoming like his inept father, , who was effeminate and title-less. Okonkwo desperately
tried to distance himself from his father by behaving hostile, callous, and resolute. While
Okonkwo's fear of being viewed as weak like Unoka led to early success, his rigid, intolerant
personality contributed to his demise. Okonkwo ends up disturbing the Week of Peace by beating
his wife, plays a significant role in 's death, and accidentally kills a young man during a
warrior's funeral. Okonkwo is exiled for seven years after the accidental murder, and he loses
his titles.

When Okonkwo returns to his homeland of Umuofia, he cannot accept
the new culture, which has transformed as a result of European influence. Christianity, trading
outposts, and schools have significantly transformed Umuofia and Okonkwo feels that his tribe is
losing their traditional ways of life. Okonkwo's intolerance and hostility motivate him to
decapitate a court messenger. Rather than be arrested and embarrassed by the white men, Okonkwo
decides to hang himself from a tree on his compound.

Overall, Okonkwo's
callous, aggressive personality is directly related to his past experiences with Unoka and his
rigid, intolerant beliefs influence his hostile reaction to Umuofia's changing
culture.

In The Scarlet Letter, how does the Beadle personify Puritan values?

The town
beadle is the living embodiment of Puritan society and its values. A stern, unbending character,
he rigidly maintains public order, ensuring that the foundations of society are protected from
the corrosive effects of sin. It's important to remember that, for the Puritans, the law and the
Word of God are synonymous. So in carrying out his responsibilities, the beadle isn't simply
upholding the law; he's doing the Lord's work too.

When people believe that
they have God on other side, they're capable of doing pretty much anything. Although the beadle
doesn't do anything outrageously wicked, there's still something decidedly unpleasant about his
locking up a pregnant woman in prison for committing adultery, not to mention his forcingto take
to the scaffold and stand humiliated in front of the whole town. But the beadle doesn't care
about any of this. As far as he's concerned, he's only obeying God's orders.

What are the similarities and contradictions between Winston and Julia in 1984 and Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet?

There are
a lot of similarities between these two ill-fated couples, the first being that they are in fact
ill-fated.  That means that both of their romances end badly, either in the death of their
bodies or souls.

A second similarity is that their loves were forms of
rebellion, forbidden in their society at the time.  They had to meet in secret, love in secret,
and fear discovery at the hands of those who forbade their relationships.

A
third similarity is that their initial attraction was mostly physical; Romeo is struck with
Juliet's beauty and thinks he is in...

What is the mood of the short story "The Necklace"?

I believe
that the mood ofis a cautionary tale, warning the reader against materialism.  Madame Loisel has
lived a superficial life up until she attends the party, then her life is dominated by hardship
because of her belief in the superiority of material possessions and that they make people
superior to others. 

The lesson learned dominates the mood of this
story.