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Is Mike an anarchist in *The Moon is a Harsh Mistress*?
In the later parts of Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, we find out that Manny and Prof are motivated by their anarchist political beliefs. They argue for these beliefs in the new parliment, and I think those beliefs took a big part…
b_jonas
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Interpretation of "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
In "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger, there are two topics that, in my opinion, are metaphors.
The first topic is the one of the ducks in the pond and where they go in winter. Looking on the web, it seems that there is some consensus on…
JackI
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Is Ari an unreliable narrator, or is he oblivious?
At the conclusion to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the title character Ari reaches the realization that he is romantically attracted to Dante -- where previously, he firmly rebuffed Dante's…
Standback
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What's the significance of the name Loyola?
As soon as I started reading Nalo Hopkinson's short story "The Reverse Cheshire Cat" (freely available to read online), the name "Loyola" jumped out at me. Surely this must be a reference to Ignatius of Loyola, a Catholic saint and the founder of…
Rand al'Thor
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Why is the colour of Caliban's girls important?
I recently read Nalo Hopkinson's short story "Shift", which is freely available online. The central character is a reimagining of Shakespeare's Caliban, a Caribbean black man who finds white women to turn him into whatever they want him to be. For…
Rand al'Thor
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Why are pronouns used in this way in Nalo Hopkinson's "Shift"?
I just read the short story "Shift" by Nalo Hopkinson, which is freely available online. It's a modern, Caribbean-themed story inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest.
One thing which confused me on the first reading was the use of pronouns. The story…
Rand al'Thor
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Was Pyotr Stepanovich in "Demons" really connected to the international?
In the noval Demons (by Dostoyevsky), there was a character, named Pyotr Stepanovich Verkhovensky, who claimed that he was connected to the international.
Did Dostoyevsky mention anywhere in the book that he really was?
Navid777
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Why did Everworld end so abruptly?
Everworld is a series of 12 books published by K. A. Applegate from 1999 to 2001. In the last book, Entertain the End, the main characters help a major god be freed, but the war isn't over. Yes, the kids have elected to stay in Everworld, but the…
DForck42
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8
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Oldest library in America?
What’s the oldest free public library in North America?
Abraham Ray
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Who wrote The Urantia Book?
According to the Wikipedia page about The Urantia Book, the author is unknown. On the website it's said the authors include universe beings (such as archangels, chief of Seraphim, etc.)
However somebody had to write the book. Is there any evidence…
kenorb
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Did Thomas Wolfe keep a diary?
For someone who wrote very autobiographical novels to the point of receiving death threats for his Look Homeward, Angel, I wonder whether he wrote a diary. Did he? If so, does it contradict any of his novels significantly?
Benjamin
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Trying to find a poem called "The Boaster"
At Junior School, in the mid-1950s, I came across a poem entitled "The Boaster".
IIRC it ran to several verses, each one ending in "I'm from our village, our village. I'm my father's son", and otherwise consisted of various silly boasts. One that…
Mike Stone
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Had Holmes previously encountered Charles Augustus Milverton?
The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton depicts Holmes' and Watson's encounter with Charles Augustus Milverton, a man who is, according to Holmes, "the worst man in London" (he even drives Holmes to burglary!). Given the criminals whom Holmes…
HDE 226868
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What is the source of the quote "Robust grass endures mighty winds..."?
To those familiar with Shakespeare, do you know where this phrase comes from?
Robust grass endures mighty winds; loyal ministers emerge through ordeal
peter5
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Was Atlas Shrugged set in the future or the present?
Francisco d'Anconia at one point claims that "There are seven million people in the city of New York, at present." According to Wikipedia, the 1930 population was 6.9 million, the 1940 population was 7.4 million, and the 1950 population was 7.9…
EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine
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