Why were the forces of World War I engaged in stalemate until 1917?

The stalemate on the Western Front of World War I occurred for a number of reasons. First, the Germans wanted to focus on defeating Russia in the East, and they chose a stalemate in the West. The stalemate was part of the larger military strategy of Germany. The weapons available for defense (artillery, repeating rifle, machine guns) favored this strategy. In addition, the strategy of the French and British for attacking this defensive strategy was outdated and did not account for the new technologies. The destructive nature of the new weapons also had an impact on the battlefield which hampered an offensive strategy. Artillery shells damaged no man's land between the trenches to the point that it was difficult to launch an offensive with heavy weapons.  Even movement of troops was also difficult. Communication lines were also ruptured by artillery and gunfire which caused communication breakdowns that made it difficult to launch offensives at effective times. The tank and the introduction of fresh American troops to the front helped to put an end to the stalemate.

What will happen to demand for pizza from a given shop if that shop faces new competition? Please see attached image for more.

When a restaurant that previously had no competition faces new competition, the elasticity of demand for its food will rise.  In the context of the scenario that your image presents to us, your new demand curve will have to go through Point Y, not Point Z. 

To understand why this is, we have to think about what will happen to the slope of your demand curve. The slope of a demand curve is determined by the price elasticity of demand for that product.  Price elasticity of demand refers to how much the quantity demanded of the product changes when the price changes.  If demand is elastic, a change in price leads to a greater change in quantity demanded. In graphic terms, what this means is that the more elastic the demand, the less steep the slope will be.  This is because the shallower (less steep) slope means that the quantity of pizza changes more with any given change in price.

Now we have to figure out whether demand for Theresa’s pizza will become more or less elastic. Demand for a product becomes more elastic when there are more substitutes for that product.  Your scenario specifies that the noodle and taco restaurants are acceptable substitutes for pizza. Therefore, demand for the pizza will be more elastic and the demand curve will be less steep.  A line that goes through Points A and Y will be shallower than one that goes through Points A and Z.

When a restaurant gets more competition, the elasticity of the demand for its food rises.  This is represented on your graph by a line that goes through Points A and Y.

In the novel The Outsiders, how did Sodapop react when Mickey Mouse was sold?

In Chapter 3, Ponyboy is having a conversation with Cherry, and he begins to talk about Sodapop's horse, Mickey Mouse. Pony tells her that Sodapop had a dark-gold buckskin horse that wasn't his but belonged to a guy who owned the stables where Soda worked. He explains to Cherry that Soda was absolutely in love with the horse, and Soda would visit him every day. Ponyboy says that Mickey Mouse was ornery and would continually kick the other horses. Even though Mickey Mouse belonged to someone else, he was still Sodapop's horse. When Cherry asks if Soda still has the horse, Ponyboy tells her that Mickey Mouse was sold. Ponyboy explains that Mickey Mouse was a valuable horse, and Sodapop was devastated when they came and took Mickey Mouse away. Pony says that all Sodapop ever wanted was a horse, and he bawled all night long the day Mickey Mouse was taken away. Sodapop kept his feelings to himself because he understood that his parents were not wealthy enough to buy Mickey Mouse back from the people who had bought him. 

Why does "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin start in a subway? What could the subway symbolize?

Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" opens in the subway as a way of setting a particular kind of scene, and it also acts as a symbol.  A subway is generally an urban form of transportation, and this tells the reader that the narrator is on a crowded subway in a city.  There is a certain kind of anonymity in being on a subway, I think, and I have always found it interesting that the narrator is in that state of anonymity as the story begins, and that the narrator remains anonymous--that is nameless--throughout the entire story. A subway runs beneath the ground, in the dark, and that darkness is a symbol of the darkness that runs through the lives of these characters, as African-Americans, dark in skin, as people suffering from poverty and prejudice, dark in their lives, and of course, the darkness of the blues that Sonny plays and suffers from in his drug addiction.  The subway also represents the trapped quality of the characters' lives, as the narrator describes himself as "trapped in the darkness that roared outside" (Baldwin 1), as good a way as I've ever seen to set the tone of a story.  

How does Shakespeare introduce tragedy in the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet?

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare indicates the tragic nature of the play in the fourteen line sonnet which makes up the Prologue. The word prologue comes from the Greek "prologos," which literally means before the word. The Greeks employed the Prologue, usually spoken by the "Chorus," in their dramas. Shakespeare does the same thing in Romeo and Juliet. In this case, the Prologue basically tells us both the conflict and the resolution as it uses tragic terms such as "grudge," "mutiny," "blood," "fatal," "piteous," and "strife." In fact, the Chorus comes right out and says that the two young lovers will wind up committing suicide:

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life

Moreover, the Prologue indicates the play would describe the "piteous overthrows" and "death-marked love" of Romeo and Juliet as they are doomed by the feud which rages between their families.

Most of the audience would have already known some of the plot of the story as they would be familiar with the English poet Arthur Brooke's "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet," published about thirty years before Shakespeare's version. They were there to hear Shakespeare's take on the story and would have been quite interested in the words as Shakespeare was virtually reinventing the English language. 

Audiences in Elizabethan times would also know the genre of a play by the color of the flag which would fly at the top of the theater on the day of the performance. White was flown for a comedy, red for a history and, for Romeo and Juliet, a black flag for tragedy.

How does Kit respond to jumping in the water in The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare?

Kit is surprised that people didn’t think she would be able to swim and annoyed at Nat for jumping in after her. 

When Prudence Cruff drops her doll in the water, Kit thinks nothing of jumping in after it.  She knows that the doll is valuable to the child, and she is not aware of how cold the water will be or how people will react.  She feels terribly foolish. 

The others stared at her in suspicion. As though she had sprouted a tail and fins right before their eyes. What was the matter with these people? Not another word was uttered as the men pulled harder on their oars. A solid cloud of disapproval settled over the dripping girl, more chilling than the April breeze. (Ch. 1) 

Embarrassed that Nat jumped in after her, Kit tells him that her grandfather taught her to swim at an early age.  He is baffled, because he had no idea that she could swim.  He is also irritated because he got the only clothes he has wet. 

Kit is annoyed and surprised when Nat tells her that Goodwife Cruff has been telling everyone she is a witch because “no respectable woman could keep afloat in the water like that.”  Kit had no idea that the Puritans usually do not swim in Connecticut’s frigid water, and women never do.  In Barbados, a tropical island, Kit swam all of the time. 

"How dare she!" Kit flared, indignant as much at his tone as at the dread word he uttered so carelessly. "Don't you know about the water trial?" Nat's eyes deliberately taunted her, "'Tis a sure test. I've seen it myself. A true witch will always float. The innocent ones just sink like a stone." (Ch. 1) 

This is Kit’s first introduction to the ways of the Puritans.  She soon learns that restrictions against women swimming are the least of her concerns.  When she lives with her aunt and uncle, there are many more rules and prejudices to keep track of.

What are self-help groups?

Introduction

A self-help group, also called a mutual help, mutual aid, or support group, is a gathering of individuals with a shared topic of interest, issue, or problem. Groups may be disease-related (for example, Alcoholics Anonymous or Parents of Children with Schizophrenia) or related to a situation such as bereavement or the stress of care-giving. Groups may be led by a mental health professional, but most self-help groups provide peer-to-peer support with a moderator who is a member of the group. Most self-help groups are free of charge to participants and are limited in size to facilitate enhanced interaction.

Groups provide social support by creating a shared community of experiences among members. Participants obtain experiential knowledge from peers who have gone through similar situations and, through trial and error, have determined the best action to take to address an issue. The ideal group is composed of experienced members who can assist newer members with expected challenges over time. The experienced members become role models for their peers, validating the social learning theory that learning can occur within a social context. Members who share experiences may feel a sense of normalcy within the group as it provides a sense of commonality that may not be present in their daily lives. Empathetic understanding occurs when experiences are shared. Comparing situations to those of others and finding them similar creates an environment of safety and security. Members who help others within the group find their self-esteem enhanced by the realization that their experiences are useful learning tools for other participants.

Self-help groups vary in success and effectiveness based on the members of the group and the skill of the moderator. There are many psychosocial processes that occur within self-help groups. Acceptance of others, catharsis, enhanced self-esteem, information sharing, learned coping strategies, openness, and self-disclosure are all examples of behaviors that may occur in healthy self-help groups. In less effective groups, members may have a sense of unrest, fail to recognize when a participant needs professional intervention, and learn bad behaviors from peers, leading participants to ignore professional mental health advice when needed. Selecting the appropriate self-help group is critical to obtaining benefits from the activity.

Selecting a Self-Help Group

To select a self-help group, a patient may seek the assistance of a physician or health care professional. Different types of groups are available in most communities. The most common types are weekly groups that meet in an easily accessible location and are free of charge for attendees, but fee-based groups conducted by professionals are also available in many communities. It is important to understand that self-help groups are not group therapy and cannot replace prescribed group therapy. Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous may be listed in the telephone book. Workshops with a specific focus may also be available on an interim basis and are often advertised in local newspapers or online. These are generally fee-based and focus on a particular topic such as smoking cessation. Self-help groups can also be found by contacting local or national agencies.

Once a self-help group is selected, an ongoing evaluation of the group interaction and applicability to the member is important. Attendance on a regular basis will benefit the participant, assuming that the group is a healthy and effective one. The group should have a sense of structure but not to the point that the format feels rigid, the environment should feel safe and secure, and members should be respectful to one another. Learning opportunities should exist, and members should leave the group on a weekly basis feeling better than when they arrived. If, at any point, participants feel uncomfortable in the group, they should discuss their feelings with the moderator and determine if leaving the group is necessary.

Alternatives to Traditional Formats

An alternative to attending a weekly group is an online self-help group. If a person’s community is too small to offer self-help groups, or if circumstances such as a disability or lack of transportation exist, then an online group may be an option. There are two types of online self-help groups: synchronous and asynchronous. A synchronous group allows participants to exchange comments in real time, similar to a chat room. An asynchronous group allows messages and responses to be posted, such as in an online forum, but no interactive dialogue occurs. Online groups are not difficult to find, but participants should verify the quality of the group. Online groups sponsored by reputable organizations tend to be of better quality and more effective.

Bibliography

Klein, Linda L. The Support Group Sourcebook: What They Are, How You Can Find One, and How They Can Help You. New York: Wiley, 2000. Print.

Kurtz, Linda Farris. Self-Help and Support Groups: A Handbook for Practitioners. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1997. Print.

MClay, Carrie-Anne, Jill Morrison, Alex McConnachie, and Christopher Williams. "A Community-Based Group-Guided Self-Help Intervention for Low Mood and Stress: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial." Trials 14.1 (2013): 1–20. Print.

Miller, James E. Effective Support Groups: How to Plan, Design, Facilitate, and Enjoy Them. Fort Wayne: Willowgreen, 1998. Print.

Mowat, Joan. Using Support Groups to Improve Behaviour. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2007. Print.

Nichols, Keith, and John Jenkinson. Leading a Support Group: A Practical Guide. New York: Open UP, 2006. Print.

Schulz, Ava, Timo Stolz, and Thomas Berger. "Internet-Based Individually versus Group Guided Self-Help Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial." BMC Psychiatry 14.1 (2014): 1–15. Print.

Seebohm, Patience, et al. "The Contribution of Self-Help/Mutual Aid Groups to Mental Well-Being." Health and Social Care in the Community 21.4 (2013): 391–401. Print.