How and why is Miss Maudie’s relationship with the Finches different than it is with the rest of the neighborhood in To Kill a Mockingbird by...

Miss Maudie is a down-to-earth woman who grew up with Atticus and Jack Finch. She treats Jem, Scout, and Dill like adults. She doesn't gossip about or to them. Miss Maudie allows the children to run around and play in her yard as long as they don't harm her azaleas. Scout also says the following in chapter five:

Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn't jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot (42).

The children don't want to upset Miss Maudie in any way, so they obey her rules and don't speak to her without being invited to do so. Miss Maudie also bakes the children little cakes when she is in the process of baking a bigger one. When she is finished baking, she calls all three kids over to eat their little cakes at her house.

Miss Maudie is also clever and witty when Uncle Jack asks her each year to marry him. She always responds by saying, "Call a little louder, Jack Finch, and they'll hear you at the post office, I haven't heard you yet!" (44). But what solidifies the friendship between Scout and the older woman is that she has these gold prongs clipped to her eyeteeth. When they were discussing those prongs one time, Miss Maudie popped them out and showed them to Scout. The little girl was so impressed that she claimed her a loyal friend for life. All of the other neighbors are either too grumpy or gossipy for the children's tastes, but they think Miss Maudie is trustworthy and a solid person.

Who was more superior, Athens or Sparta?

Athens and Sparta were two rival city states in ancient Greece who had the opportunity to settle the question of who was more superior when they faced off during the Peloponnesian War, which started in 431 BC and lasted 28 years.

While Sparta clearly was the superior army on land, Athens boasted a strong naval presence, which helped it continue to win victories during the course of the war. 

Both countries experienced glorious victories and significant defeats during the 28 years at war—which had frequent, albeit short-lived, periods of peace. For many years, neither army was able to obtain a significant advantage over the other. The war ultimately ended in 404 BC when Sparta was able to finally defeat Athens and subsequently overthrew the Athenian democratic government.

In the short story "Berry" by Langston Hughes, how did Berry decide to solve his problems?

Milberry had learned to solve problems through hard work. He had made a decision that he was not going to be bothered by other people's prejudices because he had suffered too much and was not prepared to go hungry again.

When he started work at Dr Renfield's Summer Home for Crippled Children, Milberry soon discovered that the white people there were prejudiced and exploitative. He had been appointed as a kitchen help but was gradually burdened with a variety of other tasks as well. Everyone took it upon themselves to delegate some of their tasks to him. He realized that they were taking advantage of him since he was black but, as the text states:

Still, he did everything and didn't look mad - jobs were too hard to get, and he had been hungry too long in town.

And so he continued working. He realized that the whole set up at the home was a fake, for his employer was only interested in making a profit and did not care at all for the disabled children they were supposedly taking care of during the summer holidays. Their middle class parents were only too glad to be free of them and were willing to pay good money for their care.

Milberry noticed how the children were fed poor quality food and that the best was only used when the parents came. He felt sorry for the poor children who unknowingly suffered abuse from both sides - their parents, who basically abandoned them, and the unscrupulous owner, Dr Renfield, who did not provide them with what they truly deserved. Milberry, knowing that he was reliant on the doctor for an income, obviously said nothing for fear of losing his job.

It came to be that his services were needed one day to help the nurses take the children back inside from the beach. Milberry was too glad to assist and he then became a regular. He would play with the children and tell them stories. He was affectionate and caring, unlike the nurses, and the children came to love him as he did them. They called him Berry and his interaction with them made his tasks seem so much easier.

Disaster struck when one of the children, after a long period of rain, was so excited to get to the beach when the sun was shining, that he could not wait and fell out of his wheelchair in an attempt to get to the beach sooner. Berry, in an attempt to save the child from harm, knocked over the wheelchair which broke. The child, obviously traumatized more by the fall than actually being hurt, cried and Berry was blamed for the accident. Dr Renfield, who feared legal action from the child's parents and obvious criticism of his institution, decided to dismiss Berry sans his last wages of eight dollars, which was to be used to fix or replace the broken wheelchair.

Milberry then went to Jersey City.

The story is rich in irony. Firstly, Milberry's hard work and dedication did not avoid him keeping out of trouble. It was, in fact, his commitment that led to his dismissal. Dr Renfield, and the white people who worked for him, were guided by their racist prejudice. In their estimation, because Milberry was a black man, he could never be right and had to, therefore, carry the blame. 

Secondly, Milberry was the only one who truly cared about the disabled children. All the others did not have an ounce of compassion for them and saw the children either as a burden or as a means to an end. The irony lies in the fact that the one who cared, was the one who was dismissed, leaving the children with very little to look forward to.

The story illustrates the dilemma so many blacks had to face as victims of others' prejudice. Their choices were limited to such an extent that even the good ones they made, as in Berry's case, eventually turned out bad, through no fault of their own. 

What are ovarian cysts?

Causes and Symptoms

Ovarian cysts may occur at any age, individually or in numbers, on one or both ovaries. The cyst consists of a thin, transparent outer wall enclosing one or more chambers filled with clear fluids or old blood that presents as thick brownish or jellylike material; in some cases tissue material may be present as well. Such cysts range in size from that of a raisin to that of a large orange. The normal ovary measures 3 centimeters by 2 centimeters; the cystic ovary requiring investigation is one which is enlarged to more than twice its normal size. Large cysts may cause a feeling of fullness in the abdominal area, cramping pain with various levels of severity, or pain during vaginal intercourse. Often, however, there are no apparent symptoms, and the cyst is discovered only during a routine gynecologic examination when the clinician, on bimanual examination, discovers that one ovary is considerably enlarged. At this point, it is important to rule out malignancy, because ovarian cancers in their early stages also have no warning symptoms and can occur at any age.

Polycystic ovaries (ovaries containing multiple cysts) causing significant enlargement occur in a variety of conditions. For example, polycystic ovaries can result from an enzyme deficiency in the ovaries that interferes with the normal biosynthesis of hormones, resulting in the release of an abnormal amount of androgen (a substance producing or stimulating the development of male characteristics).

More than half of all ovarian cysts are functional; that is, they arise out of the normal functions of the ovary during the menstrual cycle. These cysts are relatively common. A cyst can form when a follicle (a small, spherical, secretory structure in the ovary) has grown in preparation for ovulation but fails to rupture and release an egg; this type is called a follicular cyst. Sometimes the structure formed from the follicle after ovulation, the corpus luteum, fails to shrink and forms a cyst; this is called a corpus luteum cyst.

Another type of ovarian cyst, most often found in younger women, is the dermoid cyst, which contains particles of teeth, hair, or calcium-containing tissue that are thought to be an embryologic (developmental) remnant; such cysts usually do not cause menstrual irregularity and are very common. Dermoids are bilateral in 25 percent of cases, making careful examination of both ovaries mandatory. The cyst has a thickened, white, opaque wall and is more buoyant than other types of cysts.

Ovarian cysts cause problems when they become very large, when they rupture and cause severe internal bleeding, or when a cyst’s pedicle (a tail-like appendage) suddenly twists and cuts off its blood supply, creating severe pain and possibly gangrene. Rupture of a cyst is followed by the acute onset of severe lower abdominal pain radiating to the vagina and lower back. The most severe symptoms of pain and collapse are associated with rupture of a dermoid cyst, as the cyst contents are extremely irritating.

Torsion (twisting) of a cyst may occur at any age but most often in the twenties; it may be associated with pregnancy. A twisted dermoid cyst is the most common, probably because of its increased weight. The onset of pain often occurs in the umbilical region and radiates to one or the other side of the pelvis. Pain on the right is frequently confused with appendicitis. Hemorrhage may sometimes occur from a vessel in the wall of the cyst or within the capsule.

Treatment and Therapy

The diagnosis of an ovarian cyst is made with consideration of the patient’s age, medical and family history, symptoms, and the size of the enlarged ovary. In women under the age of thirty, clinicians, after a manual examination, will usually wait to see if the ovary will return to its normal size. If it does not, and pregnancy has been ruled out, a pelvic X-ray or a sonogram (the use of sound to produce an image or photograph of an organ or tissue), or both, can determine the exact size of the ovaries and distinguish between a cyst and a solid tumor. In women age forty and older, X-rays and sonograms may be done sooner. If uncertainty still exists, the physician may recommend laparoscopy, the visual examination of the abdominal cavity using a device consisting of a tube and optical system inserted through a small incision. The physician may also suggest the option of a larger incision and a biopsy.

In the case of the functional ovarian cyst, if no severe pain or swelling is present, the clinician may adopt “watchful waiting” for one or two more menstrual cycles, during the course of which this type of cyst frequently disappears on its own accord. Sometimes this process is hastened by administering oral contraceptives for several months, which establishes a regular menstrual cycle. Women already taking oral contraceptives rarely develop ovarian cysts.

In the case of torsion or rupture, surgical treatment is indicated, preferably the removal of the cyst only and preservation of as much of the normal ovarian tissue as possible. Sometimes, with a very large cyst, the ovary cannot be saved and must be removed, a procedure called oophorectomy or ovariectomy.

Bibliography:

Altcheck, Albert, Liane Deligdisch, and Nathan Kase, eds. Diagnosis and Management of Ovarian Disorders. 2d ed. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, 2003.

Ammer, Christine, et al. The New A to Z of Women’s Health: A Concise Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Checkmark Books, 2009.

Berek, Jonathan S., ed. Berek and Novak’s Gynecology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.

Kovacs, Gabor T., and Robert Norman, eds. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. 2d ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Leung, Peter C. K., and Eli Y. Adashi, eds. The Ovary. 2d ed. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, 2004.

Mahajan, Damodar K., ed. Polycystic Ovarian Disease. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1988.

"Ovarian Cyst." Family Doctor, August 2010.

Rosenblum, Laurie. "Ovarian Cyst." Health Library, September 10, 2012.

Vorvick, Linda J., Susan Storck, and David Zieve. "Ovarian Cysts." Medline Plus, February 26, 2012.

What moment might be called the climax in Act 5 of Shakespeare's Macbeth? What is clear to the audience and to Macbeth at this point?

The most climactic moment of Act 5 is when Macbeth and Macduff face off, and Macbeth realizes that he is doomed. 

Macbeth really takes an emotional roller coaster during this play.  He goes from really wanting to be king to killing Duncan and then worrying that he will be found out.  After that, he descends into a madness of guilt and paranoia.  By Act 5, his wife has died and soldiers are pouring at him from all angles.  

The witches told him that he needed to worry about the forest coming to him, and it turns out that, in a way, it does.  Malcolm has his men cut down branches to hide their approach.  He is also told that no man born of woman can hurt him in one breath and to beware Macduff in another.  Thus by the time he meets Macduff in battle, he is a mess. 

The climactic or most exciting and meaningful moment of the play is when Macduff confronts Macbeth, and clears up the mystery.

MACDUFF

Despair thy charm;
And let the angel whom thou still hast served
Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb
Untimely ripp'd.

MACBETH

Accursed be that tongue that tells me so,
For it hath cow'd my better part of man! (Act 5, Scene 8) 

It turns out that Macduff was born by some kind of Caesarean-section, so he technically was not born in the traditional sense.  There you go.  It is clear to the audience that Macbeth is completely deflated after hearing this. He feels betrayed and loses his fighting spirit.  It is not hard for Macduff to take him out.  He does so by beheading him. 

There is not much more to the play after that.  Malcolm’s soldiers make short work of whatever remains of Macbeth’s forces, and Malcolm declares the tyrant killed and the war over, taking his rightful place at the throne.

What are 3 quotes that support the thesis "social classes play a major role in human interaction in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird"?

Jem has a really great quote that I think that you could use.  The quote is found in chapter 23.  Jem says the following lines to Scout.  

"There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.”

The quote illustrates a bit of racism, which you are not going for based on your thesis, but the rest of the quote should work nicely.  The quote shows that Jem sees the people of the world divided into four distinct social classes.  People like his family, poor but honest people, poor and dishonest people, and Negro people.  The order that Jem provided is interesting to note as well.  His list is a ranked hierarchy and moves from "best" to "worst."  

The next two quotes you could use to further explain the difference between the Ewell and Cunningham social classes.  

“You, Miss Scout Finch, are of the common folk. You must obey the law.” He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them certain privileges by the simple method of becoming blind to some of the Ewells’ activities. They didn’t have to go to school, for one thing. Another thing, Mr. Bob Ewell, Burris’s father, was permitted to hunt and trap out of season.

The Ewells are members of the poor class that don't do anything to help themselves out of being poor.  They skip school and break laws.  That's contrary to the Cunninghams who are poor, but honest, hard working, law abiding members of society.  

 I thought I had made things sufficiently clear. It was clear enough to the rest of us: Walter Cunningham was sitting there lying his head off. He didn’t forget his lunch, he didn’t have any. He had none today nor would he have any tomorrow or the next day. He had probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in his life. 

 I tried again: “Walter’s one of the Cunninghams, Miss Caroline.” 

 “I beg your pardon, Jean Louise?” 

“That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the county folks after a while. The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back—no church baskets and no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it.”

What are the different methods of gathering data with surveys?

Surveys tend to fall into two broad categories--questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires require respondents to fill in forced-choice or open-ended questions either on paper or electronically. Questionnaires can be administered by the individual answering (in what was traditionally called the household drop-off questionnaire and in what today might be an online questionnaire); in some cases, questionnaires are given to groups, and the researcher administers the survey. The advantages of questionnaires are that they tend to be easy to administer and are not expensive; however, they do not result in a lot of high-quality or "rich" data.

The other type of survey is the interview. In the interview, the researcher interviews the respondent in person or by phone and is able to follow up with the respondent by asking additional questions. This type of survey allows the researcher to better understand the respondents' answers and to gather "rich," or descriptive, data. However, interviews can be time-consuming and expensive to conduct, and they may also involve a selection bias because only people who have phones (in some cases), permanent addresses (in some cases), or the time to be interviewed will be subjects.

In addition, surveys can follow respondents over time to see trends; these types of surveys are longitudinal in nature. Other surveys, called cross-sectional, collect information from respondents at one point in time.