Slaughter and the Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

Slaughter and the Speckled Band Essay The Two works that I am comparing for this essay are Lamb to the slaughter by Roald Dahl and the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Speckled band is a stereotypical Sherlock Holmes murder mystery written in 1892 and Lamb to the Slaughter was written some 60 years later by Rhoald Dahl in 1954. We can therefore safely expect their to be many differences in plot and language and some themes, but both share the common themes of murder. Both texts are murder mysteries but there is a single important difference. In TSB we are encouraged to find the solution to the murder by assembling our evidence from the text and drawing conclusions as we see fit. There is, though, a red herring clue included to throw the reader, the most obvious example being the presence and the close association of the Gypsies with Dr Roylott. In LTTS we know who has committed the murder and the details, but the fun is in seeing if she will get caught. Both pieces of text have unusual murder weapons but this is a norm with murder mysteries which continues to this day; the Jonathon Creek series being a popular notable example. The characters in both texts are well worth a mention. In TSB the characters are predictable. The strong, brutal male, Dr Roylott is the murderer and the emphasis is less on who and more on how. I dont think that Sir Arthur Doyle would be allowed to get away with this in either the present day climate or the climate of 1954. Just as Dr Roylott is an obvious murder suspect Helen Stoner is the obvious damsel in distress. The dragged out description of her and her features describe a woman with a figure of thirty but starting to sprout premature grey hair. In TSB the characters are subject to a much longer introduction and time of description. Rhoald Dahl does not do this and hardly describes Mary Maloneys physical appearance at all leaving each individual reader to draw his or her image. The reader though cannot disagree on the mindset of Mary Maloney; she is obsessed with her husband and routines. Even though TSB is written in the first person I think we can still tell more about Mary Maloneys character. Sir Arthur Doyle has not delved too deeply into Dr Watsons thoughts and this is deliberate. The only think that Sir Arthur Doyle concentrates on in Dr Watsons subconscious mind is his admiration of Sherlock Holmes, after all they are the Sherlock Holmes series of books and Dr Watson is only a clever literary narrative tool. In LTTS the characters are less predictable. We know that Sir Arthur Doyle did once try to make his characters actions unpredictable to the extreme by killing off Sherlock Holmes but the pressure of public opinion forced him to resurrect his most famous character. The murderer this time is not the brutal male but the supposedly timid housewife. Notice also that the sex of the murderer has changed. It would be fair to say that this would mirror a change in the opinion of the role of women, there gaining of the vote and there rise to equals of the male sex. The feelings and sympathies we have with the murderers is also worthy of attention. We feel sorry for Mary Maloney up to a point in LTTS because she is six months pregnant and we sympathise with her shock and we recognise that her murder was more of a spur of a moment murder rather than a carefully constructed and well executed murder plot as is the case with DR Roylott. The point where I no longer feel sympathetic was when she laughed at the very end of the text. This displayed a deeper evil that had gone unnoticed before in the text. The feelings we feel for the victims are very different. In TSB we feel sorry for the victim in the text, Helen Stoners sister, who is in the prime of her life and is about to get married. This increases our hatred of Dr Roylott. The victim in LTTS is a man who is leaving his wife who is six months pregnant. His conduct up to the point of his death is rude and arrogant. He uses monosyllabic answers to firmly control his wife. Also when he leaves his wife he is more worried about the effect it may have on his job. We are not too sorry to see him go. The two pieces do have a number of similarities. They both have unusual murder weapons and they both remind us that even respectable, or in the case of Dr Roylott once respectable members of the community can kill, whether that is because of financial or personal reasons. They share common themes such as murder, murder mystery and deceit.

black cat Essay example -- essays research papers

The Effect of the Use of Irony on the Progress of Poe's Short Story, "The Black Cat" This Paper will interpret a short story, "The Black Cat", by Edgar Allan Poe. My Purpose is to show the effect of the use of irony on the progress of the short story. I Suspect that use of irony in Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Black Cat," is one of the main points which allows the hidden character of the Narrator, and the truth of the situation to be revealed and helps the reader to comprehend the story better. In Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Black Cat," the nameless narrator begins his horrifying tale by informing his readers that he is about to relate a "series of mere household events" (FN1). He then wonders if, in the future, when his morbid tale is discussed by others considering his case, they will find it to be "nothing more than an ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects" (FN2). Considering the terrible conclusion of the story, this very opening establishes an ironic tone that continues until the end of the tale. The fact that the Narrator would even wonder if his horrible story would ever be considered a "series of mere household events," and the casual, almost off-handed way he contemplates his actions immediately informs the reader that the opinion of the Narrator and the facts of the story he is relating may turn out to be something completely different from what is first presented. He tells us in the beginning of the story that "tomorrow I die." Obviously something extraordinary has taken place or he would not be in that fateful position. The reader quickly comprehends that the Narrator's opinion of the story and what actually occurred may be two very different versions of some gruesome event. The fact that the Narrator is in jail and has been sentenced to death only adds to the irony of his musings. He looks back on the events with "awe," yet thinks that others, sometime in the future, will understand and sympathize with him, finding what he did not odd at all. In the end we know he will die because in the beginning he has still, only hours before his death, come to terms and accepted responsibility for the consequences of his actions. In the very first paragraph of the story he points the finger of blame at "these events" whi... ... allowing the hidden character of the Narrator, and the truth of the situation to be revealed. The black cat may have been the agent that was instrumental in his downfall, but it is the man himself who is wholly responsible and Poe leaves little doubt of that. The black cat, hideous, hidden behind the wall, cemented in by the Narrator himself, is a striking symbol of the decay and corruption of the man's soul. His guilt, self-hatred, and need for punishment are all exposed when he bangs on the wall, prompting the black cat to howl, and revealing to the stunned policemen the secret hidden behind the wall. Notes 1. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Black Cat. Boston: Northeastern University Press. 1986. Pg.l. 2. Poe. Pg. 2. 3. Poe. Pg. 5. 4. Thompson, G.R. Poe's Fiction. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Pg.9. 5. Thompson, Pg. 9. 6. Thompson, Pg 9. 7. Poe. Pg 2. 8. Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. Boston: Twayne Publishing Company. 1977. Pg.79. 9. Poe. Pg.2. 10. Hoffman, Daniel. "The Marriage Group." Edgar Allan Poe. Modern Critical Views. Harold Bloom, Editor. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1985. Pg. 83. 11. Poe. Pg. 8 12. Thompson. Pg.72 13. Poe. Pg. 18. black cat Essay example -- essays research papers The Effect of the Use of Irony on the Progress of Poe's Short Story, "The Black Cat" This Paper will interpret a short story, "The Black Cat", by Edgar Allan Poe. My Purpose is to show the effect of the use of irony on the progress of the short story. I Suspect that use of irony in Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Black Cat," is one of the main points which allows the hidden character of the Narrator, and the truth of the situation to be revealed and helps the reader to comprehend the story better. In Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Black Cat," the nameless narrator begins his horrifying tale by informing his readers that he is about to relate a "series of mere household events" (FN1). He then wonders if, in the future, when his morbid tale is discussed by others considering his case, they will find it to be "nothing more than an ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects" (FN2). Considering the terrible conclusion of the story, this very opening establishes an ironic tone that continues until the end of the tale. The fact that the Narrator would even wonder if his horrible story would ever be considered a "series of mere household events," and the casual, almost off-handed way he contemplates his actions immediately informs the reader that the opinion of the Narrator and the facts of the story he is relating may turn out to be something completely different from what is first presented. He tells us in the beginning of the story that "tomorrow I die." Obviously something extraordinary has taken place or he would not be in that fateful position. The reader quickly comprehends that the Narrator's opinion of the story and what actually occurred may be two very different versions of some gruesome event. The fact that the Narrator is in jail and has been sentenced to death only adds to the irony of his musings. He looks back on the events with "awe," yet thinks that others, sometime in the future, will understand and sympathize with him, finding what he did not odd at all. In the end we know he will die because in the beginning he has still, only hours before his death, come to terms and accepted responsibility for the consequences of his actions. In the very first paragraph of the story he points the finger of blame at "these events" whi... ... allowing the hidden character of the Narrator, and the truth of the situation to be revealed. The black cat may have been the agent that was instrumental in his downfall, but it is the man himself who is wholly responsible and Poe leaves little doubt of that. The black cat, hideous, hidden behind the wall, cemented in by the Narrator himself, is a striking symbol of the decay and corruption of the man's soul. His guilt, self-hatred, and need for punishment are all exposed when he bangs on the wall, prompting the black cat to howl, and revealing to the stunned policemen the secret hidden behind the wall. Notes 1. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Black Cat. Boston: Northeastern University Press. 1986. Pg.l. 2. Poe. Pg. 2. 3. Poe. Pg. 5. 4. Thompson, G.R. Poe's Fiction. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Pg.9. 5. Thompson, Pg. 9. 6. Thompson, Pg 9. 7. Poe. Pg 2. 8. Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. Boston: Twayne Publishing Company. 1977. Pg.79. 9. Poe. Pg.2. 10. Hoffman, Daniel. "The Marriage Group." Edgar Allan Poe. Modern Critical Views. Harold Bloom, Editor. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1985. Pg. 83. 11. Poe. Pg. 8 12. Thompson. Pg.72 13. Poe. Pg. 18.

Balance Sheet and Customer Segments Essay

Exhibit 16 of the document showed DLJdirect’s income statement from 1994-1999 (in millions). Exhibit 17 showed DLJdirect key financial and operating performance. The revenue increased steadily from 1994 to 1997. The revenue increase $50 million in 1998 which is equivalent to 43% increase. In 1999 the revenue increased about $44 million. The income was stable prior to 1997 when the company experienced a loss and able to recovered the next year in 1998. In 1999, the company reached the highest income because of the huge commission increase in that year. Overall, the company is making good progress over the years with steady increment of commissions, total trades, average daily trades, total accounts and total customer assets. Does DLJdirect have the financial capability to address new segments, e.g. to do more advertising to attract new kinds of customers? DLJdirect does have the financial capability to address new segments in the market and increase advertising to attract new customers. However when compared to its competitors, they are spending more money on customer acquisition. For example, E*Trade customer acquisition budget was projected to be $300 million in 1999. That’s 50% less than DLJdirect’s total cost and expenses in 1999. For now, the company should build a steady and reliable reputation in the market before spending more money on advertising alone. Identify the ways DLJdirect’s trading service is differentiated from competitors Tiered services for accounts with high asset balances and speed of execution are the two ways DLJdirect differentiates itself from competitors. Customers with asset balance in excess of $100,000 are provided with access to DLJ research and greater access to DLK-manages IPOs. For customers who have more in $1 million or more assets, DLJdirect reduced certain fees, provided a personal service team, and offered more trading time. Exhibit 14 below shows the DLJdirect advantage in speed of execution. According to the stats, DLJdirect provide the fastest transaction speed and availability of each brokerage’s home page during business hours. The speed of transaction is at least 0.3 seconds ahead of it competitors. The company also leads the availability with 99.4%. What are the needs of each of the four customer segments? Which needs are well-matched to DLJdirect’s capabilities? Retirement by the Book (RBB), Portfolio Cruise Control (PCC), Aggressively Affluent (AA) and Get Rich Fast (GRF) are the four customer segments of DLJdirect’s market. RBBs are mass-market investors who tolerate moderate levels of risk and they require reliable trade execution, user-friendly interfaces, and a variety of financial offerings. This segment has a high assets and stability. PCCs averaged total assets in excess of $350,000 but they did not trade very frequently. AAs are the largest internet investor segment with high net worth individuals who averaged over $300,000 in asset and traded more than ten times a year. GRFs are young individuals who made frequent minute to minute basis small trades. They value speed of transaction which is suitable for online traders. AA and GRF segments probably are well-matched to DLJdirect’s capabilities. DLJd irect targeted self-directed online investors who on average have a higher account balances than other investors. AAs customers are aggressive more likely to buy large blocks of stock, trade on margin and own a diverse range of financial investments. Many of them were customers of DLJdirect competitors who seek a move to a higher end online broker. Meanwhile, GRF preferred to not pay for services but they traded more frequently than any other segments. Rank the customer segments according to the profit potential in serving them GRF segment is the most valuable segment as they traded frequently on a daily basis. This enables the company to gain profit quickly in short space of time. AA segment is the second highest because they traded quite frequently and paid food amount for services and information. RBB is the next segment because of its good standing in asset balance and brought interest in. PCC would be the last segment. Although they have an excess amount of average balances, they do not prefer to trade online which makes them has the least profit potential. Should DLJdirect target the Get Rich Fast (day trader) segment? Why? Since this segment traded more frequently than others, they value DLJdirect fast and reliable service that the company could offer. DLJdirect could provide the services that GRF segment sought which are low fees, transaction confidence and site performance. The company could attempt to target this segment but they should not spend a huge amount of money for this customer acquisition. Based on exhibit 10 in the document, it showed that the size of this market segment is reducing as the years go by. When compared to high-end customers, the company needs to assign a higher discount rate to this segment because they swing the health of the stock market. Another problem is that this segment consists of less affluent traders. Therefore, it is advisable for them not to go into this market because the company could not build a long-term profitability in this segment. In your opinion, are there other customer segments that DLJdirect should target? Why? In my opinion, DLJdirect should not target other customer segments besides AA and GRF. The reason is because the company has been doing well in AA segment which is proven by the company good financial standing. With AA segment is projected to dominate the market in the future, the company should continue focusing their customer acquisition in this market. By doing this, the company could steadily build a reputation and acquire a long-term profitability in this segment.

Other Peoples Children Cultural Conflict in the...

In 1995, Delpit published Other Peoples Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. Although the excerpt analyzed in this paper is from a larger work, it was written by Delpit (1995) as a self-contained speech. This excerpt includes many of the concepts Delpit believes to be the basic cultural conflicts in the classroom, which are stereotyping, child-deficit assumptions and student isolation and invisibility. Delpits goal is to remove the dynamic of oppression that are inherent in any classroom†¦that come together when (primarily white) teachers spend time with other peoples children (Delpit, 1995, pg.69). Through Other Peoples Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, Delpit lays the foundation for multicultural†¦show more content†¦Delpit believes teachers’ education usually focuses on research that links failure and socioeconomic status, failure and cultural difference, and failure and single-parent households (pg.71). She believes student teach ers who are exposed to descriptions of failure rather than models of success tend to assume deficits in their students, and this leads to them teaching down to children from communities that are different from their own. Delpit, believes most schools in America have become institutions of isolation. She argues education fosters the notion that students are the clients of professional educators who are met in the office of the classroom where their deficiencies are remediated and their intellectual illnesses are healed (pg.72). Delpit believes this isolated learning environment discourages teachers from learning about their students out side of the classrooms and keeps them from connecting with their students academically. Another problem Delpit has identified in education is the curriculum that is provided to teachers is Eurocentric. She believes that this narrow curriculum in the classroom is the result of teachers at the university level not being educated with the broad sto kes necessary to prepare them for the twenty-first century (pg.73). Interpretive Reading Lisa Delpit is a supporter of multicultural education is schools, and she has spent her career addressing the problems that arise as a result of theShow MoreRelatedSocio Economic Status Of The United States1443 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents, and families are race, socio-economic status, and divorce/single parents. a. i. Race – With our country being the land of the free, you will always have different races coming into your community. What a great way to teach your children about different people’s cultures.( Badger, 2012) ii. Socio-economic Status – After the recession a few years back, the socio-economic status of American has changed. People had to give up their houses and were fired because companies lost money. 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