How does the use of this word impact the remainder of the text?
it foreshadows the revelation that the gorgons could turn people to stone.
it builds tension toward an unexpected event later in the text.
it provides a contrast for the description of the furies later in the text. -
it sets a tone of mystery about the origins of the gorgons.

to kill a mockingbird basically is about a lawyer who goes against everything in a racist society like at the time of this novel, to defend a black man accused of sexual abuse. in the bible there are cases like that of joseph, who was accused by the woman of potifar, for a crime similar to that of tim robbinson, of that novel (genesis 39: 1-20). at this point we see that god also provides the escape to joseph, who was accused unjustly, but in his time, and through his attitude, his faith was not shaken, and god provided the solution. the perspective of god also written in the bible and not pay evil with evil. (ephesians 4: 32, 1 thessalonians 5: 15, 1 peter 3: 9). atticus, the lawyer, demonstrated during this lee novel, empathy, love of neighbor, understood the situation of this accused man. he went against everything in that society, and stood in favor of that man, for the injustice committed. this shows the empathy, the love taught by christ, in some passages that speak of love and justice in the sermon of the beatitudes (especially verses 6 and 7 of matthew 5).

c. with one finger is the answer

21 balloons is the story of professor william sherman's travels.

in 1883, he set off from san francisco for a balloon ride over the pacific and was found a month later floating with 21 balloons in the atlantic ocean. this seemed an astounding feat and everyone wanted to know what had happened.    

professor sherman was loyal, however, and said he would tell his tale first to the western american explorers club in san francisco, of which he was a member. this built up suspense for several chapters before he began to tell of the wonders of his adventures and the amazing island of krakatoa, an island which had just been blown up by a volcano.  

the residents of krakatoa are all millionaires who live under a "gourmet government" of their own devising. we get to see all the incredible adventures that creative people with unlimited resources would create according to the author.