Comment on the old man's attitudes toward the sea, its creatures and his own life.

Santiago loves everything about being a fisherman.  He has
great respect for the sea as well as the creatures that inhabit it.  He does not, of
course, love every one of the creatures of the deep (as we see when he battles the
sharks); he does, however, have respect for them.

We know
he respects these things because he understands them and knows their habits intimately. 
He knows the taste and qualities of tuna; he knows each kind of shark by name and
description; he knows the patterns of a fish which has been hooked; he knows the signs
of the weather and the tides.  Even in his worst moments, being dragged out to sea and
waiting interminably for the fish to surface, he is never angry at the creation for
doing what it was created to do.

The most compelling
element of the novel which demonstrates Santiago's love for these things is the fact
that he calls this great fish his brother.  Though he is on a mission to catch (and
thereby kill) this fish, he treats it in his mind with dignity and respect.  And, since
he calls it brother, he must feel as if he, too, is somehow like that
fish. 

Santiago has lived a long time being good at what he
does; the fish, too, has lived a long time to have evaded capture and grown to such a
size. The fish is free, but he is also a creature of habit--just like Santiago.  They
are both destined for this fate: Santiago to fish and his brother to be
caught.

It's clear Santiago is a man who is more at home on
the water than in his actual home.  Both are places which provide little in the way of
comfort, yet he is more alive and happy when on the water seeking his elusive
brothers.

What role(s) does the conversation between lady catherine de bough and elisabeth in volume 2 chapter 6, plays in the novel?

This very poignant moment in the story is a battle of the
wills: The totally opposite and opposing Lizzie and Lady Catherine go mano a mano on
making their point supersede the other one's all over Mr.
Darcy

Lady Catherine had promised her daughter that Mr
Darcy would be her husband. Then she hears that Darcy was going to propose to Lizzie.
She confronts Lizzie, and Lizzie shows what she is made
of.

Some additional roles of this conversation
are:

To show the signs of changing
times: The story is actually set in changing times in England. While the old
traditions were still kept abreast, the reality is that Lizzie's society was approaching
the Victorian era, in which more and more independent women would talk like her and have
the same opinions. Lizzie is Austen's own mind and mouth in
print.

To establish the lack of wit of the
aristocracy: This show of words showed that Lizzie, the common, red-blooded,
middle-class, simpleton that Lady Catherine looked down on was more intelligent and
equipped for life than Lady Catherine.

To
entertain like the previous poster said, Elizabeth's wit was deserving of a
show of force of this magnitude. In a time when the aristocracy was viewed with the same
fanaticism as Mr. Collins would express, what Lizzie did was something thought of almost
unreal and socially unthinkable- to diss her out like
that.

To voice the opinions of the
audience: Jane Austen was sincere in voicing out what everyone else thought:
That the aristocracy was an idle and clueless class of people with no touch with
reality; that not enough opportunities of expression were given to women and other
social classes, and that society was itself wrong in its rules and antiquated
regulations against women, and people without means.

What are covalent substances?

Covalent substances contain covalent bonds. For example,
H2, HCl and H2O contains covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are formed by sharing a pair of
electrons, inorder to become stable. They are held together by strong electrostatic
forces between the nucleus (which is positively charged) and the electron pair which is
negatively charged. Covalent bonds are often showed by dot and
cross diagrams.

What is an example of dramatic, verbal, and situational irony in the short story "The Cask of Amontillado"? Use exact quotes if you could please.

The Cask of Amontillado, perhaps the most famous of Edgar
Allan Poe's short stories, is not only the horrific tale of a man immured alive, but
also a tour de force of the use of irony. Poe provides the raison d'etre for this when
he writes from the outset that "it must be understood that neither by word nor deed had
I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will." From the beginning to the end of this
tale of deception, therefore, various kinds of irony are on
display.

Verbal irony - saying one thing but meaning the
opposite - appears in the greeting Montresor has for the doomed Fortunato: "you are
luckily met"; in Montresor's feigned concern for his friend's hacking cough in his damp
catacombs: "Your health is precious...You are a man to be missed"; and in Fortunato's
reply: "The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I will not die of a
cough."   

Situational irony - when events turn out the
opposite of what ought to have been expected - appears when Montresor, on the night of
carnival, orders his servants not to leave in his absence, thereby ensuring they would
do the opposite; when the non-existent cask of amontillado turns instead into the
'casket' for the unfortunate conoisseur; and when premeditated murder remains unpunished
even after fifty years.  

Dramatic irony - when readers
know more than the characters - is present in the very name of Montresor's 'enemy', a
most unlucky man; is present in Fortunato's doomed fool costume of "tight-fitting
parti-striped dress, and [...] head...surmounted by the conical cap and bells"; and is
present in the trowel Montresor reveals, sign of Masonic brotherhood to Fortunato,
but tool of immurement to Montresor. 

Why were the Africans portrayed as caricatures in the movie Amistad (1997)?I barely even understand what this question is asking so please help.

I can see how you would have problems with this, and my
first impression is to ask your instructor to define caricatures. From the Webster
definition, "deliberately exaggerated features to produce a comic or grotesque effect,"
I would say that the correct answer is that they were not caricatured at all. The movie
provides a disturbing reenactment of the Middle Passage which is difficult to watch. The
Africans were portrayed as typical Africans, not understanding the culture or the
language of the country into which they had been forcibly delivered. Their response to
the prayers of the Abolitionists was somewhat amusing, but certainly understandable, as
they had no concept of Christianity. To state that they were caricatured at all is
Euro-centric at best, racist at worst. Shame on anyone who suggests
otherwise.

What does it mean to comment on a character's masculinity in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?My english teacher recently assigned my class an essay...

This is a fairly challenging element.  Part of the reason
why it is challenging is because you have many ideas floating around that are
interestingly compelling in thought, but have difficulty being executed on their own. 
In the final analysis, the decision is going to have to be yours with some input from
your instructor as to how to progress with the paper.  Without actually seeing the
assignment, I think that part of what has to be done with it is to investigate how the
incident with the White men at the dam impacts the notion of masculinity that Chief
possesses.  Part of what might be effective is for you to comment on how this particular
scene fits into the masculine notion of construction of one's identity in the novel. 
Chief's primary purpose is to indicate that part of what defines one state of being in
the novel is being able to exercise autonomy in the construction of self.  Chief is
unable or unwilling to do this until he befriends McMurphy, and through this, he is able
to move through "the fog" that is both in the hospital.  Perhaps, linking the incident
at the dam with both "the fog" as well as his being able to clear it would help to
explore the notion of masculinity that is presented throughout the
novel.

While presidents can exercise the veto to influence Congress, does the use of veto power signal executive weakness or undermine relations w/congress

I don't think it signals weakness, because the veto is so
often effective.  It is very difficult and often impossible for both houses of Congress
to amass the 2/3 vote needed to override a Presidential veto.  So in this way, a veto
signals strength.  We also must remember that Congress is often controlled by a party
other than the one that controls the White House.

A veto is
stronger if used more rarely, because the threat of a veto is often
more effective at moving votes in Congress the way a President wants them to move, or
will  allow him to get changes into the legislation before the vote.  Once the veto is
used, Congress has no more incentive to negotiate with the President about the bill.  In
this way, it can undermine relations with Congress.