Sugar plantations were Hell because of the endless labor they demanded from slaves. They were Hell because of the many dangers and the injuries that they caused. They were Hell because the slaves who labored without end got nothing for their work—except to live another day, to work more. But none of these miseries was the true reason the plantations were so evil. The plantations were Hell because the masters and overseers were treated as gods—which turned them into devils. The English historian Lord Acton famously said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That is a perfect description of sugar Hell. Men with absolute power over their slaves acted like creatures we would otherwise meet only in nightmares. Their cruelty had no limit—they preferred to kill their slaves rather than fear them. As Equiano explained, the island of Montserrat “requires 20,000 new Negroes annually, to fill

Read the excerpt from pat mora’s essay "the leader in the mirror." i hoped that most of the students were going to enroll in college. the confetti would be for their private celebrations, those solitary moments when they had passed a test that worried them, finished a difficult paper at 2 a.m., found a summer internship. sometimes, even when no one else is around, it’s important to celebrate when we have struggled and succeeded—to sprinkle a little confetti on our own heads. what is the author’s purpose in using confetti as a symbol? the confetti represents celebration. the author uses confetti to encourage her audience to celebrate success. the confetti represents celebration. the author uses confetti to teach the students how to plan a celebration party. the confetti is a symbol of college graduation. the author uses the symbol to reward college graduates. the confetti is a symbol of summer internships. the author uses the symbol to encourage signing up for summer internships.

Read this excerpt from "birdfoot's grampa.” but, leathery hands full of wet brown life, knee deep in the summer roadside grass, he just smiled and said they have places to go to too. why does the author use the words "wet brown life” in this excerpt? a to show that the grass is still alive and growing b to indicate that the mud is all over everything c to signify how wet the night has become d to point out that the toads are living things

What effect is created by the plaque posted on the gate at the entrance to the family's home in nadine gordimer's "once upon a time"? the words written on the plaque offer readers a foreshadowing of the story's outcome without revealing the actual conclusion, the author's use of flashback allows readers to understand what is at the heart of the issues of encroachment in the suburban neighborhood the repetition of the words written on the plaque presents an oxymoron because readers already sense that the plaque has been ineffective in warding off intruders. the author introduces a paradox in which readers are presented with a warning notice when no actual infraction has taken place.