The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Essay Example

The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Paper In my essay, I shall analyse two murder stories: The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. These stories both belong to the genre of murder stories and I shall explain the ways in which they are similar and how they differ. The first crime novel was written by Wilkie Collins and was entitled The Moonstone. At the turn of the century, Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the authors of my comparative stories, appeared and bought us the detective Sherlock Holmes. This produced a recipe for the writing of murder-mystery novels. The first thing to comprehend when comparing these two stories is what a murder/crime story actually is. The main ingredients of a murder/crime story are that it contains a murderer/criminal, a victim, a detective(s), a weapon and usually some sort of twist in the tale. The Speckled Band is the story of a woman called Helen Stoner, who goes to Sherlock Holmes when she hears the identical whistle she heard on the night of her sisters death two years ago. Julias last words referred to The speckled band! as the cause of death. The famous detective, Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson investigate and manage to prevent the murder of Helen. They discover the culprit as her violent father Dr. Grimesby Roylott and the cause of death for Julia as an Indian swamp adder poisoning her. Lamb to the slaughter tells the story of a pregnant, devoted housewife, Mary Maloney. Her husband Patrick, a police officer, arrives home one evening and tells Mary some bad news. Out of anger, Mary whacks him across the head with a frozen leg of lamb. We will write a custom essay sample on The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The investigating police officers, who are good friends of Mary and colleagues of her deceased husband, are persuaded by Mary to eat the lamb, hence leaving no evidence of Marys crime. There are many ways these crime stories are alike and different. The first important detail would be the manner in which the crime carried out. In The Speckled Band, the murder had been planned carefully so it was premeditated, whereas in Lamb to the Slaughter, it was an unplanned, spur of the moment, impulse murder. As well as this you will see that The Speckled Band follows the main features of a crime story. It contains an introductory beginning, a middle where the mystery and clues are investigated and an ending where the crime is solved and the murderer discovered. In contrast, Lamb to the Slaughter has hardly any of these qualities as the murderer is discovered at the beginning and the main mystery is whether Mary is caught. The settings that the writers have created, among other things, reinforce the atmosphere and let the reader picture the situation and the locale that the characters are in. In Lamb to the Slaughter, the first three paragraphs contribute a great deal to the description of the setting. Mary and Patricks house is described as warm and clean. This is probably created in order to throw the reader away from the crime that is about to take place. The writer makes their house seem homely and calm. The writer uses words such as tranquil, blissful, and placid to create a peaceful atmosphere which is not a typical murder story opening. On the other hand, the writer in The Speckled Band creates a contrasting setting reiterating the phrase sinister quest to create a very eerie setting for the home of Dr. Roylott. Other phrases such as strange contrast cancel out other admirable descriptions like perfect day, bright sun and pleasant smell. The descriptive writing in The Speckled Band is there purposely to create a dark and sinister feeling of the murderers life. Although, the murderers are portrayed as having very different lifestyles, they do have some similarities. Dr. Roylott and Mary Maloney are both angry people. This is shown when Dr. Roylott In a fit of anger beat his butler to death and when he confronted Watson and Holmes by screaming furiously. Marys act of murder was also due to her fit of anger after her husband told her some bad news. When trying to cover up the crimes they were both persistent; Mary when attempting to get the detectives to consume the leg of lamb and Dr. Roylott when he let the snake through the hole every night for an extensive period. They were both also very clever in the way in which they tried to cover up their crimes. Mary got the detectives to consume the evidence and Dr. Roylott utilised his medical knowledge to make sure that the poison would not be recognised. He also trained the snake carefully. Other than this, they are very dissimilar. Dr Roylott is very anti-social and is described as a fierce old bird of prey with bile shot eyes and a thousand wrinkles. In contrast, Mary is a very devoted and loving wife to Patrick and is very affectionate. This is displayed in the conversation that she has with the shopkeeper, Sam, after she kills Patrick. Another important factor when comparing these two stories, are how the crimes were carried out and the motives. The similarities are that they were both carried out against members of their own family and were both committed in the murderers, and victims, home. However, the murderers motives differ considerably. Dr. Roylotts motive is one of greed. This is because when his step-daughters marry, they can legally claim i 250 from their mothers will, which is now worth i 750. This would result in the doctor only having i 250, which was described as a mere pittance. Dr. Roylott wanted all i 750 to himself. Marys motive was unclear, as the writer, Roald Dahl, did not tell exactly what news Patrick had broken to Mary. It was left to the readers imagination, although, it indicated that Patrick was going to leave Mary. In these stories, there were two leading detectives. They were Jack Noonan in Lamb to the Slaughter and Sherlock Holmes in The Speckled Band. However, Sherlock has an assistant, Dr. Watson. In The Speckled Band, Sherlock and Watson are main characters whereas Jack Noonan from Lamb to the slaughter is not. A well as this, another difference is the fact that Sherlock and Watson are private detectives compared to Noonan who is not. Sherlock Holmes is renowned for his intuitions and logic. A fine example of this is when he notices that Helen Stoner travelled by train, then dogcart, having observed the return ticket in her hand. This makes the reader admire Sherlock and have faith in him to solve a difficult case. In contrast, Jack Noonan from Lamb to the Slaughter is not as open-minded as Sherlock Holmes. He says, youve got the man, which shows that he didnt think of suspecting Mary, as she was a woman. The reader would have probably have thought that if Sherlock was investigating this particular crime, he probably would have suspected Mary sooner or later. Jack, however, is very kind and caring towards Mary as he regularly talks to her to make sure she is ok. Jacks first sign of being unprofessional is when he breaks police regulations by drinking a drop of whisky, which Mary offered him. This eventually led to him, and his colleagues, eating the leg of lamb and unintentionally helping Mary to dispose of her weapon. His foolishness is amplified when, while eating the lamb he ironically says, I think its right here on the premises and a colleague replies with probably right under our noses. The writer does this to contrast Marys intelligence with Noonans stupidity thus creating a feeling of an incapable police force. The ways the crimes were solved are quite different. This is because the crime had not been solved in Lamb to the Slaughter, due to the murder weapon being destroyed. In The Speckled Band, Sherlock Holmes, like the reader, suspected the gypsies of killing Julia Stoner. However, he then explained that this was only due to insufficient data. After seeing the ventilator that did not ventilate and the bell that did not ring as well as the fact that the bed was clamped to the floor, he came up with the idea of a snake. Sherlock guessed that the rope was there as a bridge for something to pass through the hole, and coming to the bed. After putting his theory to the test by sitting the middle of the night in the bedroom, in pin-drop silence with his colleague Watson, he discovered he was right. The snake then returned through the hole and attacked Dr. Roylott, which resulted in the snake killing him. They also discovered that the Speckled Band! Julia had referred to before she died were the spots on the snake and not related to the gypsies as has been previously thought. As well as this, the whistle Helen had heard was in fact Dr. Roylotts. He used this to call the snake back in to his room and avoid suspicion. The structure of these two stories help with the way in which is told. Lamb to the slaughter is narrated in the third person whereas in The Speckled Band Dr. Watson narrates in the first person. The Speckled Band is quite a long story compared to Lamb to the Slaughter and this is because The Speckled Band uses flashback in order to give the character a history and to add depth. As well as this, unlike Lamb to the Slaughter, The Speckled Band is not told in chronological order. Additionally, Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of The Speckled Band uses Watson as a narrator for numerous reasons. Firstly, Holmes is very much a cool and calm character, whilst Watson is an emotional character who is like the go-between of Holmes and the reader allowing Watson to ask, and answer, questions that the reader is probably asking themselves. Conan Doyle allows Watson to give his own opinions without making it seem as though he is undermining Holmes authority. In Lamb to the Slaughter, Dahl tries to shock the reader by deliberately not following the normal murder mystery blue-print and not making his characters stereotypical. He does this to make it harder for the reader to predict what is going to happen next. Also, both the stories contain twists. In Lamb to the Slaughter, you wouldnt expect Mary to kill her husband, and then for her to get away with it. The weapon in The Speckled Band is not what anyone would expect it to be (i. e. a snake). The language in which these two stories are written differ due to the periods in which they were written. The Speckled Band is a pre-twentieth century story and so is written in Victorian English. In comparison, Lamb to the Slaughter uses more formal, modern English. An obvious example in The Speckled Band is the usage of words such as pittance, aperture, gaiters, dogcart and phrases such as pray, take a seat and said he. There is a lot descriptive writing of the characters in The Speckled band compared to Lamb to the Slaughter, where the appearance of the characters are left to the readers imagination. The Speckled Band also makes use of similes. This is shown in Watsons description of Dr. Roylott when he compares him with a fierce, old bird of prey. Lamb to the Slaughter uses short sentences and is very economical while The Speckled Band uses long, complex sentences, which are broken up using semi-colons. The effectiveness of the stories and the endings are just as important as any other part of the stories. This is the point where the authors get to use bias and put their views across on the situation. In Lamb to the Slaughter, the last words refer to Mary as she giggles. This shows that the writer does not condemn Mary for her crime but suggests his relief at the fact that she got away as she did not deserve it. However, the readers interpretations of Mary change dramatically as the story approaches the end. This is because Mary is not as nice and sweet as she was at the beginning. This shows that Mary has the signs of a split personality. In comparison, when the writer for The Speckled Band uses his character, Sherlock Holmes, to give his views, Holmes appears quite calm and even callous as he says, I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience. The issue of orals and ethics is bought up at the end of both the stories and, in some ways, debates if murder is acceptable in certain situations. The answer to this from Dahls point of view is that Mary was essentially a sweet and nice woman who was provoked into committing a crime that she didnt mean to commit and so should not be punished. Conan Doyle thinks that Roylott was a nasty and evil man who got what was coming to him and that justice had been served in the form of his death. This means that both the stories had effective endings. In conclusion, this essay shows that these two stories had many similarities and differences which all contributed to the way in which the stories are interpreted by different readers and make them what they are.

Make Case Study Writing Manageable

Make Case Study Writing Manageable Make Case Study Writing Manageable Case studies are one of the most difficult things to write. There are very specific formats to be followed. Sometimes they can be complicated for people that have never attempted this type of writing. Research needs to be documented so it can be confirmed by someone else at a later date (if necessary). All graphics need to be checked for potential typographical errors and consistency. Writing even a small case study can be challenging, and why so many new writers can benefit from the help of an academic writing service. Writing a case study has several steps. First, gather all relevant information, sift and organize it to make a convincing case. In a pre-digital era information could be spread out over a huge physical area with note cards, books, reports, and folders. One advantage of using laptops and desktops is that all that information can be scanned in and kept in a single thumb drive or in the cloud. Not only can you work on a case study wherever you wish, it keeps your workspace organized. The next step is to start organizing in a clear and coherent way. This can be facilitated by a renaming and sorting files, or dividing resources into a few physical piles. By classifying sources into different categories, a better narrative can be developed. Better yet, your directories and files can later be digitally shared with others, giving them easy access to the information. Once this has been done the writing itself can take place. Using an academic writing assistance service can be a huge help in this endeavour. A professional writing service can teach you how to create any necessary graphics, adding a little extra panache to the study and better organizing information that may have been merely input into a plain-looking table. They can also check for typographical and factual errors. This makes the effort much easier for any person in charge of a case study. All told, a academic writing assistance service can save a lot of stress and time, making it well worth the investment. For those looking to make an impression on readers, this service is well worth the investment. For those more concerned with the research, help with writing is a welcome relief. Contact Master’s Essay today to get started.

What Does It Take to Get into the University of Massachusettsâ€Amherst?

Located in picturesque Western Massachusetts and ranked as one of the top public universities in the country, the University of Massachusetts—Amherst is known for attracting bright students who pursue rigorous research and academics. Notable alumni include Jack Welch, Catherine â€Å"Cady† Coleman, Bill Pullman, Natalie Cole, and many others. One unique facet of the university is that it participates in the Five College Interchange, which allows you to take courses at nearby colleges including Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, and Mount Holyoke. What does it take to get into Massachusetts’ flagship public university? Read on to find out. You will apply to UMass Amherst via the Common Application unless you fall into one of the following categories: Students in the above categories can find the appropriate application links here . As part of your application, you will need to submit your: * In this case, you should submit scores for the essay portions as per the university’s recommendation. UMass Amherst discourages submitting other supplementary materials. There are some special procedures for individual programs such as art and architecture. UMass Amherst requires the following high school academic work (number indicates units): College of Engineering, School of Management, and computer science major applicants must have completed an advanced math course, such as precalculus, trigonometry, or calculus. College of Engineering applicants must have taken chemistry and physics as well. Last year, UMass Amherst had a 59% admissions rate, with 41,612 applicants and 5,010 matriculating freshmen. The average combined SAT score for the class of 2021 was 1268, and the average GPA was 3.89. Keep in mind that despite the seemingly high acceptance rate, you are still facing stiff competition and will need to set yourself apart, especially if you intend to pursue a particularly rigorous program; for individual colleges and programs, such as Commonwealth Honors College, the acceptance rate is much lower. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Emphasize innovation. UMass Amherst boasts a student body of â€Å" bright, bold, unconventional thinkers.† With rigorous yet rewarding opportunities, the school promotes intellect and creative thinking. Demonstrate your leadership experience and commitment to learning through work beyond the classroom. As with most prestigious colleges, you should show extracurricular activities in your area of interest, such as independent research for science majors. Know your strengths. UMass Amherst has 11 colleges and schools for undergraduates including: You should apply to the school that is best suited to your talents and interests, not the one that has the highest admissions rate. Your application should demonstrate leadership, extracurriculars, and strengths in areas associated with the college. For example, if you apply to the college of engineering, you should have a strong math and science background and extracurriculars in those subjects as well. You will need to put down a first- and second-choice major on your application. This is not set in stone, but you will be accepted to a specific school, so it should be the one most aligned with your strengths. Also, remember to meet the minimum coursework requirements for your intended major. Have a hook . UMass Amherst emphasizes diversity. This is exemplified in Campus Pride rating the university as one of the best campuses for LGBTQ students and its status as a top school for veterans, currently serving over 400. You don’t have to be part of a minority group to be accepted to UMass Amherst, but you should have something that sets you apart. Are you a nontraditional student with a unique story to tell? Explore that in your essay. Do you have a special talent, such as playing an interesting instrument? Make sure to include any extracurriculars in which you’ve participated or honors you’ve been awarded to that end. Being denied admission to any college, particularly one of your top choices, is disappointing. Still, it’s important to take a step back and regroup. If you get rejected from UMass Amherst, here’s what you can do: Take a gap year or transfer in. If you had your heart set on UMass Amherst or received bad news from the other colleges on your list, one option is to take a gap year and reapply next admissions cycle. If you do decide to go this route, make sure you have a productive plan for the year. You might undertake a research project, volunteer, study to improve your SAT scores, or take classes at a local college. Do know, however, that this path is risky, as taking a gap year won’t ensure your acceptance the second time around. You could also begin your studies at another institution with the hopes of transferring. UMass Amherst accepted more than 1,300 transfer students in 2016, meaning acceptance isn’t out of the question. Keep it in perspective. Even if UMass Amherst was your top choice, chances are, you’ll find a way to make a college that did accept you work. College really is what you make of it, and if you put effort into adjusting to another school by joining clubs, working hard in your classes, and cultivating a social life, you’ll likely find that you can make a fulfilling college experience for yourself, even if you end up at a college that wasn’t your top choice. When you sign up for our program, we carefully pair you with the perfect admissions specialist based on your current academic and extracurricular profile and the schools in which you’re interested. Your personal application specialist will help you with branding, essays, and interviews, and provide you with support and guidance in all other aspects of the application process.

Write an essay in which you discuss the impact of feminism in the 20th

Write an in which you discuss the impact of feminism in the 20th century. What 3 accomplishments by feminists do you think have contributed most to changes in womens roles from 1870 to the present - Essay Example That is why after they were enlightened on their rights they choose to fight for equality and remove the biases, which dominated against women. This essay expounds on the on the impact of feminism in the 20th century and lastly the accomplishments that have contributed to changes in women roles from 1870 to the present. In the 20th century, women have impacted greatly on the area of political leadership. This is because women have been given the opportunity to vote and stand as candidates during general elections. For instance, in the United States of America the right to vote was granted to women according to the 19th amendment of the constitution. At the congress, women were able to improve all aspects of their lives by bringing out their grievances. As a result of the political impact, women are able to join the labor market impacting positively to the growth of the economy. In addition, in the job market, women are not excluded from certain industries. Due to this, different organizations fought for the rights of women to ensure that they joined the job market. This was done by ensuring that, they received the required education. Feminist focused on fighting for their rights and advocating for equality (Sheffield, 2006). In 19th century especially during the First World War, the National Women Party marched outside the White house with banners, which accused the government for unequal democratic rights especially in the area of rights to vote. Women were not allowed to publicly declare want they wanted their role was to meet the needs of the husband and the children. If any woman was found displaying masculine behaviors publicly, she was defined as rude and unable to yield to the customs of the land (Sheffield, 2006). Because of this, if a woman was found addressing people publicly she was ignored because they claimed that, she had a biological weakness hence she could not rule or address people in public. As a result of this biasness feminist

Stress response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Stress response - Essay Example His personal history was also significant. He was a chronic smoker and had smoked 20 cigarettes per day for many years. On admission, general examination of the patient revealed that he was anxious and agitated, but orientated to time and place. His skin was pale and cool to touch. Heart rate was 116 beats per minute and irregular, blood pressure was 140/95mmHg, temperature was 37.8 C (cool peripheries), respiratory rate was 28 per minute, abdominal pain score was 6/10 and approximate weight was 68kg and height 163cm. Disruption of homeostasis through physical or physiological stimuli is known as stress. The normal homeostasis is defined by the range of certain blood parameters. These include pH of 7.36 to 7.45, bicarbonate of 21- 27.5 m mol per liter, oxygen saturation of >97% and glucose concentration of 3.6 to 6.8 m mol per liter. During a stressful condition, the body takes some measures to restore normal homeostasis and these are called the physiological effects of stress (Tortora & Derrickson, 2006). There are many stimuli which can cause physiological stress in a person. These can be either physical (trauma, pain, extremes of temperature, disease, dehydration, infection and excessive physical activity), psychological (deep emotions, anxiety, apprehension and fear) or physiological (pregnancy, delivery, post-partum, lactation, sexual activity, menstruation and pre-menstrual tension) or chemical (excessive intake of alcohol, drug abuse and drug over-dose). These stimuli can either cause immediate effects, or delayed effects or even chronic effects on the body. When the body is exposed to a stressful condition, the hypothalamus situated in the brain secretes adrenocorticotrophic releasing hormone (CRH). Hypothalamus is concerned with the secretion and control of the different hormones of the body. The CRH which is released is a peptide and is produced by the neurons in the paraventricular nuclei in the

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Wife of Bath - Feminist or Anti-feminist?

In view of the fact that the Wife of Bath herself does seem to behave in the manner women are accused of behaving by the anti-feminist writers, it is not impossible that the Wife of Bath's Prologue could be considered a vehicle for the anti-feminist message under the guise of a seeming "feminist" exterior, since her confession is frequently self-incriminating (e.g. her treatment of her husbands, her tendency to "swere and lyen") and demonstrates the truth of the claims made by the anti-feminists even while she is disparaging them and making them look bad -- as in her claim that anti-feminist writers (specifically the "clerks", i.e. learned scholars) are revenging themselves on women because of their own sexual impotence that prevents them from enjoying "Venus werkes", which is rather acute psychological analysis on her part, and extremely persuasive, until one remembers that the clerks are right about her at least, if not about other "wives". Her arguments in favor of marriage, though demonstrating a hearty common sense, are also suspect -- while it is true that marriage peoples the earth and replenishes existing stocks of "virginitee", her own marriages do not seem to have produced any offspring, and while it may be "bet [...] to be wedded than to brinne", her marriages, despite her claim that "in wyfhod I wol use myn instrument", do not seem to have prevented her from "goon a-caterwaw[ing]" and by inference engaging in fornication ("I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun / But evere folwede myn appetit, / Al were he short, or long, or blak, or whit") [good], which is after all what marriage was, according to her, supposed to prevent. Moreover, from the account she gives of her marriages, it becomes increasingly obvious t... ... usual folk stereotypical anti-feminism is shown to be justified in at least her case, the absurdity of the more virulent breed of anti-feminism is made clear by Jankin's book of "wikked wives", an erudite, if rather motley, collection of what are mostly homicidally-inclined females (Clytemnestra, Livilla etc.) that he seems to regard, or at least claim to regard, as the norm. As a result, the Wife of Bath's Prologue should not be dismissed simply as "merely an attack on women and married life"; there is much more ambiguity involved, and it would be inadvisable to ignore the fact that it is primarily a brilliant character-study of an individual rather than a didactical anti-feminist treatise in disguise. Work Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed Mack, Maynard et al. W. W. Norton and Co. New York, NY. 1992.

A world without laws

Now, Imagine a world without any laws. No rules, no commands and Just your rules to be followed. It's also crazy Isn't To have a world without any laws means not only to be free but also to be In a world with chaos. For example, the traffic rules, Without any traffic rules, how can we determine whether we are on the go signal or not? Can you Imagine It? A car being smashed by another?What result would that supposed to be? Focuses! What else? It's accidents. Yes I can say that every person has his/her rights to wish for his/her freedom however, this freedom should be limited. In this case, I can also say that even though they can do anything what he/she wishes for, he/she can never wish what a government wishes to have in its institution, to have peace and order. Yet, people wish for their own interest and it doesn't help each other. Imagine the people peeing in different places, different streets? Or how about people who throws garbage anywhere? Do you think it's healthy?A big NO for me because these things exults into floods, typhoons and other natural calamities being held not constant or even worse deceases.. This makes the lives of others to be in danger. What about buildings making their goods at higher price or shall we say doing the act of overpricing? Is it helpful to us? I say, no. How can people with little income buy food with too expensive goods? How can they live their lives without buying it? The tendency would be robbery. They will be forced to rob food shops because they can't afford a high price of goods because they are poor.They will be forced and in such ease would make it a hobby because of that high prices of goods. Imagine the world without any law enforcers; do you think we can live peacefully? To those who have lost their innocent member of the family, do you think without the law enforcers, can they claim their right for injustice? No they can't. What about drugs, a world full of dangerous drugs, do you think it molds people to what ou r present professionals are doing right know? Again, I think not. These things we can imagine if we create a world without laws.A world full of accidents, harassment and such cases that a man can o without making himself or herself put Into Jail. Are you willing to have a world Like that? I guess not. Therefore, Imagine a world with laws. Laws that protects human life, a law that makes a person free with Its Limits, Isn't It wonderful? And Peaceful? We need laws to guide us, we need them because we do. Live a world with laws to be guided, secured and to be protected. A world without laws By Paraphrases Imagine a world without any laws. No rules, no commands and in fact we only follow rules of our own. Try to think of it. Fun! Isn't it?Now, imagine a world without any laws. No rules, no commands and Just your rules to be followed. It's also crazy isn't To have a world without any laws means not only to be free but also to be in a determine whether we are on the go signal or not? Can you imagine it? A car being they claim their right for injustice? No they can't. What about drugs, a world full of do without making himself or herself put into Jail. Are you willing to have a world like that? I guess not. Therefore, imagine a world with laws. Laws that protects human life, a law that makes a person free with its limits, isn't it wonderful? And Peaceful?