Give and explain 3 sayings/parables/examples that Jesus preached in The Bronze Bow.

1) Let us start with one of the most significant actions
of Jesus as described in Chapter 15. His healing of the daughter of Jairus clearly shows
his mastery over death and is a symbol of the new life that is possible through a
relationship with him.

2) In Chapter 21, Daniel has an
incredibly significant personal interview with Jesus, where Daniel tells Jesus about the
guilt he feels over Samson's death. Note what Jesus tells Daniel about his desire for
vengeance as a method of repaying Samson's heroism:

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He did not give you vengeance. He gave you love.
There is no greater love than that, that a man should lay down his life for hsi friend.
Think, Daniel, can you repay such love with
hate?

Jesus thus slowly
teaches Daniel about the limits and evils of vengeance, and how superior forgiveness is.
As Jesus tells Daniel, "The only thing stronger than hate is love." This is the lesson
that Daniel finally is able to master at the end of the story when he invites the Roman
soldier in to eat with him and his sister.

3) You also
might like to look at what Jesus reads out in the synagogue in Chapter Four and what
this tells us about his mission. One part of the scripture he reads says: "The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, because He has annointed me to preach good news to the poor." This
makes clear the focus of Jesus' mission as being not based on the rich and those with
power, but being a kind of bottom-up revolution that glorifies those who are scorned by
society.

In Animal Farm, how does Boxer fit into the exposition?

Boxer fits into the exposition established in the first
chapter because he represents everything that Old Major is discussing.  When Old Major
talks about how the animals' labor is being exploited by the humans, he is typifying the
condition of Boxer.  The old cart house is an impeccable worker, struggling for hours on
end with little, if anything, to show for all of his labor.  Old Major actually makes
pointed reference to this by saying that when Boxer has outlasted his usefulness, he
"will be sent to the Knacker's."  This condition is one where Boxer is a direct
reflection of Old Major's vision of how things are.  Boxer also serves as a direct
benefactor of Old Major's vision of how things will be under his idea of "Animalism." 
The idea of being able to be in a position whereby animals like Boxer will be able to
benefit from their labor is something that reflects Boxer because he will be able to
actually benefit from his extreme level of work and work ethic.  It is in this way where
the opening or exposition as articulated in Old Major's speech is something that
reflects Boxer's state of being in the farm.

Consider the imagery and the host/guest motif in Act I scene 6 of Macbeth.

The importance of this short scene lies in the way that
the imagery and the host/guest motif allows Lady Macbeth to show that she is following
her own advice that she has just given to her husband in the previous scene. Let us
remember her words to him in Act I scene 4, where she counsels him
to:

...look
like th'innocent flower,

But be the serpent
under't.

This of course
relates to the key theme of appearance vs. reality, that is so ubiquitous in so many of
Shakespeare's plays. Act I scene 5 shows that this is something Lady Macbeth herself is
an expert in. Consider the way that even the presentation of the castle lures in Duncan
whilst concealing something much more sinister:

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This castle hath a pleasant seat; the
air

Nimbly and sweetly recommends
itself

Unto our gentle
senses.

Both Banquo and
Duncan comment upon the "pleasant seat" of the castle, which is of course a great
example of irony, because something extremely unpleasant awaits Duncan
there.

Likewise, Lady Macbeth, as hostess, presents a
perfect image of a loyal and faithful hostess to her guest, protesting that Duncan does
her and her husband a great honour by staying with them in their
house:

All
our service,

In every point twice done, and then done
double,

Were poor and single business, to
contend

Against those honours deep and broad,
wherewith

Your Majestly loads our
house...

Everything conspires
to make Duncan believe that there is nothing wrong and nothing being plotted, whereas
all the time, we know as an audience that Lady Macbeth and her husband are plotting to
kill Duncan in their own home. The dramatic irony heightens our appreciation of this
scene.

In Romeo and Juliet, what is Friar Lawrence's special area of knowledge?

The answer to this question can be found in Act II scene 3
of this excellent tragedy, which is of course the first time we are introduced to Friar
Lawrence in the play. His introductory speech, before Romeo enters, makes it clear his
expert knowledge of the world of plants, herbs and flowers and their usage. Note what he
says in these lines:

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O, mickle is the powerful grace that
lies

In plants, herbs, stones, and their true
qualities;

For naught so vile that on the earth doth
live

But to the earth some special good doth
give;

Nor aught so good but,strained from that fair
use,

Revolts from true birth, stumbling on
abuse.

In these lines Friar
Lawrence thus indicates the power that lies in knowing the "true qualities" of plants
and herbs. He says that everything on earth has some importance or special quality.
Friar Lawrence's skill and knowledge lies in knowing the "true quality" of such herbs
and plants and how to use them to help man. This knowledge of course becomes critical
for the plot of the play when he gives Juliet a potion that will put her in a death-like
state but without killing her.

What is the genre and theme of Soldier's Heart?

Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen, is
in the genre of a historical war novella. The novella
follows Charley Goddard through three main phases of his
life.

First, Charlie makes the decision to join the Union
Army at the age of fifteen. He believes that joining the war effort will make him a man.
As a man, he believes that he should be able to take care of his mother and the money he
makes from joining will be money he can send home.

After
Charlie gets to Fort Snelling he realizes that he may not have what it takes to stick
out his decision to join the Union Army. The conditions, for Charlie, are deplorable.
The clothing, food, and weaponry are far from even being sub-standard. During his
enlistment, Charlie matures a lot. He sees the truths behind war- the deaths, loss of
life, and the fear of dying himself.

After the war is over,
Charlie (like many young soldiers) believes that he has experienced and seen too much
for his young life. Even though the war is over, Charlie is traumatized by what he saw
and experienced. Charlie will never be the same.

Basically,
the theme of the novel is a boy's coming of age. The
movement of the novel speaks to the generations of boys who have seen the outcome of war
and, at the same time, gives current generations a look at what life is like on the
lines.

What is the function of the inner chapters in grapes of wrath?

These are there for some preaching.  After showing us
something, Steinbeck tells us about it.  It's part of a difficulty many novelists have
... getting information into a novel.  There are a couple other famous examples of
this.  In Brave New World, Huxley needs to tell us about how the people live and why
they live that way, so he introduces the book with the story of the hatchery.  It
doesn't have much to do with the story, but we need the background information to help
understand the rest of the book.  The same is true in 1984.  Orwell wants us to
understand "The Theory of Oligarchical Collectivism" and they only way he can get it in
the book is by having Winston read it in bed; that scene also functions to show the
difference between Winston and Julia's "war" with the government.  The "inner chapters"
do the same thing ... we get information/discussion about topics clearly related to
what's happening in the novel; it adds breath to the novel that might not be that
obvious otherwise.

What are the culture and customs of the "Nubia" African Society?

The Nubians are one of the many ethnic groups found in
Africa. Orginally from Sudan, the modern day group also inhabits parts of Egypt and
Northeast Africa, and they speak a variety of dialects of their own Nubian language. The
dark-skinned Nubians were famed for their talents with the bow and arrow during ancient
times. The last Nubian kingdom was swallowed up by the Arabs during the 16th century,
though they became a part of British Sudan and Egypt during the late 19th century
until it was annexed by the two nations in the 1950s. Many Nubians were forced out of
their native land upon the construction of the Aswan Dam near Lake Nasser, and Nubians
relocated to such diverse places as Elephantine Island and large cities such as
Cairo. Most of the present-day Nubians have converted to Islam, but they have managed to
maintain some of their old customs--particularly their native dress, dances and music.
The Tim Rice-Elton John Broadway musical, Aida, features a
storyline about a Nubian princess enslaved by the Princess of
Egypt.