Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Example for Free

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Sir Arthur Conan Doyles style of making the reader want to read on is a world apart from Dahls efforts, although the actual plot hooks you immediately in any Sherlock Holmes story. Doyle focuses on the man himself to ensure the readers full attention to the story. He uses Holmes superb character, a man sharper than a knife, more cunning than a fox and an untouchable track record to reel in the readers. The way he talks, he acts and follows out investigations and eventually solving them gives the reader an air of unpredictability around Holmes. Questions roll through your mind as you advance through a story featuring the famous detective, of how he ever unveiled something so sealed from view, its beyond belief, how he cheated death in the most frightening circumstances. Sherlock Holmes intelligence as a detective is matched by none and its this that Doyle uses to keep the reader entertained and on the edge of his/her seat throughout all of his Sherlock Holmes novels. Which proves that characters in a book, not always its plot make a story memorable. The endings of the two stories were an underlining big factor in what set them apart. Lamb to the Slaughter saw Mary Maloney murdering her husband spontaneously with a bizarre object, which proved much to her advantage as the story ended with the local police, who were investigating the murder, eating the only evidence to actually put Mary Maloney away for the ultimate crime. And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle. As I read this, my feelings towards Mrs Maloney suddenly doubled back and began moving in the opposite direction. From the point when Mr Maloney sternly gave his loving wife the cold shoulder early on in the story, I had been resentful to him and a supporter of Mrs Maloney. Even when she had murdered her cold husband and proceeded to pull the wool over everyones eyes with her guilty conscience, I remained faithful, but as I read that last sentence, Marys crime came into perspective and it repulsed me to see her get away with such a terrible crime and be smug about it. This however, in my opinion was intended by Dahl. In a clever twist he had been playing with our emotions throughout and had left it until the last moment to cease his spell over the reader. This ending was certainly unexpected and made the story twice as enjoyable and successful as it already was. The Speckled Bands ending, as mentioned earlier is immensely diverse from that of Lamb to the Slaughters. From the outset, the result of Holmes investigation was clearly obvious. No case goes unsolved when Sherlock Holmes takes it by the horns. The point of reading Holmes stories is in order to experience Sherlock himself, as explained earlier this is Sir Arthur Conan Doyles way of making the reader want to read on. Once again, Holmes didnt disappoint us by solving the case. He picked up on the detail much forgotten by myself, the fact that Dr Roylott, Miss Stoners father had a collection of animals inspired by his work in India. Once Sherlock had studied the room in which the death of Helen Stoners sister had taken place, he had it in mind that a venomous snake was the culprit. This was in fact the reality of the matter and Sherlock had saved the day again. The way in which Holmes solved the case, as always provided the superb story we have come to expect from Doyle. Some of the blows of my cane came home, and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr Grimesby Roylotts death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience. These final sentences of the story, not only demonstrate Holmes renowned intelligence, but wit as he printed a smile on my face with the final quip about the doctors death weighing on his conscience. The ending had me imagining a film adaptation of the story, Sherlock stepping from view, leaving a bemused Watson to follow, trusty notepad in hand, as credits rolled across the screen. To say what my favourite ending was would be unfair as I am evidently a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, but both stories were fantastic and worth the hour or so I spent on each. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Ibsens A Dolls House being Dated Essay -- A Dolls House Henrik Ibse

Ibsen's A Doll's House being Dated To answer the above, one needs to be aware of when the drama was first written (1879) and how audiences were shocked at Ibsen's radical perception of the social roles of husband and wife in middle class society at that time. The role of middle class women at that time was simple, they bore children and kept house in a very clear manner, albeit with the aid of a housekeeper or maid. They were subservient to men and were considered accoutrements and playthings. This comes across very strongly in the manner that Torvald Helmer addresses Nora. The main thrust of the play has a lot to do with gender relations in modern society. It offers us, in the actions of Nora, a strengthening of the view of women struggling to overcome a society governed wholly by men resistant to change. Although this has changed dramatically since, there are still many corners of society nowadays that still cling to this belief and ethic. What was radical the case of this play was that Ibsen chose to bring this into the open. My first impression of Nora was that she was a shallow figure, that she was a selfish, self indulgent manipulative person with not a care in the world. We see as the play progresses that this is not the case and her personality changes to reveal someone very different. The will to 'do right' by her husband becomes evident as the play unfolds. We learn that life then was very much the same as today, in that middle class life was, in the main, affluent and agreeable, but only for those that could operate within it successfully. For those who couldn't life was brutal and unforgiving. We see that the Helmers are looking forward to life being even more comfortable once Torv... ...n truly happy, she had only experienced fun. That she had finally lost her love for him because of his reaction to Krogstadt's letter outlining the dishonesty in obtaining the loan. 'No man can be expected to sacrifice his honour, even for the person he loves' he exclaims. 'Millions of women have' she retorts. She leaves, the play closes. What I gather from the play, the only clue to the age is that of some of the dialogue. I don't think the theme is dated at all. Consider, the need for social standing, still as potent today as then. Consider the political manoeuvrings, surrounding position in the workplace, very much still in place today. Consider the power of seduction and finally, the strength of character a woman needs to stand up for what she feels is right even to her own detriment. Very powerful, very thought provoking and very, very enjoyable.

Monster Mash Essay

Everyone loves a good scare. The rush we feel when our worst nightmares are realized, and yet that small inkling in our minds reminds us, this isn’t real. It’s fun. First we clench and scream and our hearts pop out of our chests. Then, we smile, laugh, and say â€Å"wow, that scared me† escape our lips, and we again move on with the rest of our average everyday lives. It’s exciting, and to some, arousing. But the concept of horror raises an all too common inquiry. What if you could become one of those famous monsters of the silver screen? Would you choose to be the seductive vampire, the gnarly werewolf, the ghastly ghost, or the ravenous Frankenstien? Now I know what you’re thinking. What about Jason Vorhees, or Freddy Kruger? What about Leatherface, or the Pinhead? Those are all excellent horror film identities. They are however, latter day principals that have all been crafted from the inspiration of the age old favorites. We couldn’t possibly begin to appreciate Jason Vorhees or Leatherface without first acknowledging the colossal juggernaut that was Frankenstien. So for this paper, I’ll only be focusing on the primary figures of horror. Let’s kick this off with an all-time classic. This horror figure amassed not only one of the largest fan bases in film, but directly influenced its own underground culture. Bela Lugosi donned the crimson cape in 1927 as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, where he was talent-spotted as a character actor for the new Hollywood talkies, appearing in the first Dracula film with sound. It would be four years later, with the movie adaptation of that play that vampires would become a public icon. Here we are almost ninety years later, vampire lore has erupted into many renditions, many new ideals. There has been games, and music inspired by their sultry image. These being thrive on the lust and temptation of man, the sexiness of evil. They indulge in blood, and ritual. Only ever able to enjoy their immortality at night, as sunlight invariably reduces them to dust and ash. They are dexterous, equally cunning, using sleight of hand and a quick tongue t o gain your every allegiance. They are connected into every faà §ade of regular, and have either allies, or brethren in powerful social circles. The older the vampire, the more attuned to the gift. On the darker side of this coin lies the cold hard fact that you are completely vulnerable to fire, sunlight, and according to EVERY SINGLE vampire movie, the inevitable betrayal of those closest to you. Which for me begs the ultimate question, â€Å"what good is immortality, if you have no one to share it with†. One a cold dark night, when the moon is full, can you hear the howling of their kind. They are excellent hunters, and even better combatants. They are supernaturally strong, fast, and almost impossible to fend off. All it takes is a simple scratch and your fate is sealed. The werewolf is a tragic Monster. There is nothing sexy or fun about this curse. Every four weeks, when the moon is full, your body reconstructs itself. Breaking bones, and rearranging them. Stretching muscle mass, and skin. I don’t recommend watching someone turn if you are squeamish or faint of heart. The mind goes into an instinctive mode, where you can only process hunger, and anger. You’re compelled not by your humanity, but by the beast within. No matter how you shake it, or which rendition of this monster you look at, werewolves are awesome and sad. Immense power, and raw animal agility, but without a single ounce of control. The concept of man becoming beast has been around for a long time. Ancient Celtics used to believe the spirit of the earth created them to protect her forests from all dangers. It wasn’t until 1941 that the â€Å"wolf man† would see the silver screen, and forever change the way we looked at secluded romantic ventures in the wood. Speaking of silver, nothing but, can truly bring this monster to peace. Ghosts are a funny ideal. They scare the daylights out of us, yet never even threaten us with imminent danger. Most of the time, they are the remnants of someone looking to warn us or tell us something they didn’t get a chance to while they were alive. Yet, like the others, they manage to drive us crazy, and inspire multimedia frenzies. Personally, I hate all these darned ghost hunting shows on TV nowadays. They never seem to really grasp the concept. Its like I’m watching the ghost of Seinfeld, trying one last time to do a horrible stand up monologue. Still the imagery of being there, but not there, and subsequently affecting your surroundings with how you feel, sounds like horror gold. For as much literature is out there on these monsters, very little is actually known. There are a lot of myths about spirits, so it’s hard to decipher what is truth from what is fiction. Some sources say they cannot cross running water, others say that salt naturally repels them. Most say that wrought iron, or cold iron will disperse them quickly. Last but not least, the awesome Frankenstein monster. The twisted dream of an eccentric medical school dropout. A being brought to life with the grotesque remain of the dead. The feeble attempts of a mad man to play god. This monster is as powerful as he is awe-inspiring. Unnaturally super strong, and equally impatient, he towers over the other monsters. He is remarkably resilient, and can repair himself but using new parts. A horrific machine of flesh and bone. Having to accept the weight of being the only of his kind, is the only solace he will ever hope to achieve. At least not until bride of Frankenstein, and we all know how that ends. Mary Shelly gave birth to this horrific story in 1818, originally adapted to be a drama that focused on Dr. Frankenstein as tortured soul, looking for repentance from his monolithic creation. This would fade in 1931, when Boris Karloff donned the neck bolts and platform boots. Becoming an instant classic on the silver screen, Frankenstein would later be seen taking care of Dracula’s coffin in the daytime and feeding the wolf man on the full moon. Never saying much, as to forego the myth that reanimated brain tissue results in a zombie state of mind, Frankenstein does most of his communication in gestures. I would like to believe that the incredible HULK is somehow inspired by him. Choosing an archetype of horror can be taxing. But knowing not only what you stand to gain, but what you stand to lose is paramount. Everyone focuses so on the merit of being a monster. As much as they are powerful, they are weak. To truly choose means to condemn yourself to a live of horror. Would you sacrifice the sun for immortality? Or are you more privy toward the animalistic freedom in exchange for your sanity. Or maybe you’d remain human, and use this hypothetical as tactical advantage. Knowing is half the battle, right? References: IMDB.com Copyright  © 1990-2013 IMDb.com, Inc. Bela Lugosi – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000509/bio The Wolf Man – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/?ref_=sr_3 Frankenstein- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/?ref_=sr_6 Monsters An Investigator’s Guide to Magical Beings Creators: John Michael Greer Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. Sept. 2001

Smooth Talk Essay - 1096 Words

Giving Justice to the Original: Smooth Talk and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Ideas for the story lines of many motion pictures get their inspiration from other works of writing often. Books are usually a main source of inspiration for movies, for instance, the movie Smooth Talk was based off of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. Most of the time however, you hear that the movie did not give justice to the book. Smooth Talk is an exception to this common conception. By keeping the main thematic issues of teenage ignorance and arrogance, and same symbiotic relevance throughout the movie gives the movie the same impact as the book, even though it has additional occurrences.†¦show more content†¦In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? You don’t get a sense of Connie and any of her family members and how the live together, all you get is that her father isn’t involved, her mother is jealous of her looks, and her sister is accepte d by her family, though she’s dull compared to Connie. The movie enhances these miniscule explanations of Connie’s family life. It shows how they all used to be so close, and she used to look up to her sister. Also how her mother does sincerely care about her and is worried about what she is getting into. Though it shows the sincere and loving side, it shows also how her mother is very hard on her, calls her rude names, and has crude speculations of her daughter. By showing more into the relationship Connie has with them gives the story more of an understanding of why she breaks out like she does and why she has to live her â€Å"double life† with the different clothes, body image, etc. Having a common threatening, horrifying occurrence and antagonist is also how Smooth Talk can give justice to a great short story by Joyce Carol Oates. Arnold Friend or â€Å"an old fiend† if you remove the R’s represents the outcome of irresponsible teenage behavior. By his character being inspired by a serial killer you get the horror struck feeling when he is around youth, more specifically the tactless Connie. The character of Arnold Friend, like how the review by Joyce M. Wegs, is one that represents a symbiotic Satan. The factShow MoreRelatedComparison of Smooth Talk to â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?†1028 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of Smooth Talk to â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Joyce Carol Oakes’s short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† was written in 1966 and twenty years later was made into a movie entitled Smooth Talk, winner of the 1985 U.S. Film Festival for best dramatic picture. The writing by Oates is loosely based on a true story described as â€Å"the tale of Charles Schmid, a twenty-three-year-old who cruises teenage hangouts, picking up girls for rides in his gold convertible†Read MoreAnalysis Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been And Smooth Talk1249 Words   |  5 Pagesof ways. Consequently, the entire interpretation of a story is based on the ending. This concept is expressed in the intricate and intriguing plots of the short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates and the movie Smooth Talk. 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This change meant relocating to Baltimore, and taking Oprah out of the only true home she had known. Again Oprah endured separation, but this time her transition was not smooth. Once there, an older cousin sexua lly molested Oprah, and then she suffered repeated molestation by others throughout her youth. Oprah then turned to a life on the streets. She was pregnant by the age of fourteen; she miscarried and was left feelingRead MoreYou Just Don t Understand By Deborah Tannen Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesoccurred. She writes â€Å"It may be that one person grew up in a home where conversation was constant and all offers of food overlapped ongoing talk, while another grew up in a home where talk was sparse and good was offered only when there was a lull in the conversation,† (p. 192). Tannen notes that some conversations involve overlap where multiple people talk over each other. Some may consider this to be interrupting, but others may not. 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Expressions like Really?(Melody, 52), heh heh(Melody, 126,132), and Umhm(Melody, 121) made the conversation more vivid and non-stop. Therefore, as I was reading my words in the transcript, I agreed to what Nelson said in class, IPC is the