Thursday, January 30, 2020
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Essay Example for Free
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Essay The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and published in 1927, three years before his death. They are the last stories recounting the adventures of the brilliant, enigmatic detective, Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr, Watson. Extremely popular in Victorian and Edwardian England, these crime mysteries have remained popular throughout successive generations and Sherlock Holmes himself is perhaps the most famous of all fictional detectives. In total, Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty- six short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, beginning in 1887 with his short story, A Study in Scarlet. He went on to write: The Sign of Four, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Valley of Fear and His Last Bow. Desperate to concentrate on more serious work, Conan Doyle had attempted to kill off Holmes in The Final Problem, but had revived him in 1904 with The Return of Sherlock Holmes and again in The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, so great was the Victorian publics desire to read more stories about Holmes with his cold, scientific approach to crime solving. The setting is Victorian England, primarily Victorian London and Holmess address of 221B Baker Street. The dialogue is formal, as Holmes mixes with the upper strata of society. The descriptions are vivid and detailed, often using metaphor or simile: A red-veined nose jutted out like a vultures head and two fierce grey eyes glared at me from under tufted brows (The Blanched Soldier) The first story is that of The Illustrious Client. Baron Adelbert Gruner was a cunning devil, who was planning to marry Violet De Merville, daughter of General De Merville. The illustrious client asks for Holmes to help prevent the marriage taking place. In his attempt to do so, he suffers a monstrous attack by Gruner. But, in the end, the handsome Gruner is horrendously disfigured and the truth of his wickedness disclosed. Watsons account of the attack is particularly harrowing: The vitriol was eating into it everywhere and dripping from the ears and chin The features, which I had admired a few minutes before were now like some beautiful painting over which the artist had passed a wet foul sponge. The passage vividly and grotesquely describes the transformation from beauty to monster. Gruner becomes physically the monster he is mentally. In The Blanched Soldier, James Dodd employs Holmes to find the whereabouts of his friend and former comrade, Godfrey Emsworth, with whom he had served in the Boer War. It is Holmes, and not Watson who, for once, tells the story of how by analysis and deduction, he locates the soldier: That process, said I [Holmes] starts upon the supposition that when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then what remains, however improbable, must be the truth Hence, the ghostly face at the window is actually the real Emsworth, protected by his parents, because of his suspected leprosy, which fortunately turns out to be only pseudo-leprosy or ichtbyosis. It is suggested that fear alone may have produced the white blotches his mental state had altered his physical state. It is the above process that defines Sherlock Holmess method of detection by deduction and is the forerunner of todays forensic science. The method of deduction stems directly from Doyles own experiences as a student under surgeon who employed similar techniques for diagnosis. So, Sherlock Holmes is the main protagonist in this, at times disturbing, selection of stories. He is the clear- headed, analytical detective; interested only in the cold facts of the case, however minor they seem. Hence, he wanted to know what newspaper was being read by the little man in the house in the grounds of Tetbury Old Park. He is always remarkably observant and objective. Watson, his friend, is very different and a more sympathetic character. But all the characters are believable, colourful and interesting within the settings of the stories. Unfortunately, the stories were difficult to actually become interested in, due to the slow start, which did not inspire me to continue reading. Initially I found the formal style of writing and the language somewhat difficult. Also, some are rather too grisly, but this obviously appealed to the Victorian mentality willing to be thrilled by the very worst crimes and intrigues. Undoubtedly, they are great crime mysteries and I did enjoy them.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Peter Paul Rubens :: essays research papers
Peter Paul Rubens was the painter of the first part of the 17th Century in Catholic Europe. How he became so is an interesting story. Â Â Â Â Â Rubens was educated to be a humanist but like all great artists choose his profession for himself. The combination of first-rate classical education with an innate visual genius made for an unprecedented combination in an artist. Â Â Â Â Â It has been said that no artist has ever been as well educated as Rubens. After training with three minor artists in Antwerp. Rubens set off for Italy to complete his education; a position at the court of the Duke of Mantua was quickly accepted and he stayed in Italy for eight years. His job was to travel to all the major artistic collections, especially Rome and Venice painting copies of famous works of art, especially paintings of beautiful women, for the Duke's collection. He was also sent to Spain where he had an opportunity to study the enormous collection of Titian masterworks in the Royal Collection in Madrid. Copying the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance especially and the recently unearthed sculptures of classical antiquity, Rubens sketched and painted and encompassed all that was best in Italian and Classical art. Rubens combined the lessons of Antique Sculpture with the vaunting ambition of the High Renaissance giants in an unprecedented way. He used the plastic less ons of sculpture as a composition model but insisted that flesh should look like flesh in a painting thus developing his breakthrough approach to the naked body. In this he never forgot the earthy luminous realism of the old Netherlandish tradition of the 15th and 16th century (Van Eyck, Van Weyden, Breughel). You won't appreciate Rubens the master of the female nude until you consider that he was the greatest influence on French painting from the 18th to the 20th century: Watteau, Fragonard, Delacroix, and Renoir were his among his loyal followers. Â Â Â Â Â Rubens was to develop a phenomenal ability to analyze the different styles of painting and sculpture and then synthesis them into whatever his clients wanted. His clients included just about every Catholic monarch, as well as Catholic leaning Protestants like King Charles I of England, and every major religious order in Western Europe. Not to mention every wealthy connoisseur of painting. To satisfy an ever growing demand Rubens opened the largest art workshop Europe has ever seen: he would paint an small initial oil sketch which when approved and contracted for would be given over to one or more of his students to paint the full length canvas, finally Rubens would add the finishing touches and sign it.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Analysis of the last scene in the play “The History Boys†Essay
Analysis of the last scene in the play â€Å"The History Boys†Introduction Critical analysis of the last scene in the play â€Å"The History Boys†           This extract captures the end of the play so well. The opening statement gives the impression that the play is coming to an end. Irwin is presented in his wheelchair. This is a reminder that the audience should not forget that Irwin had been involved in an accident. It is during the accident that he broke his legs. Presently, he can’t walk. He can only use a wheelchair to move around. In the opening statement, we are told that photographs of Hector as a young man were being displayed on the screen. Again, this is used to emphasize the fact that he is not alive at present. The audience is made to recall what sort of a person Hector was when several photographs of him as a young man are flashed on the screen. The demise of Hector is symbolically emphasized also by the song that the boys are singing: ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’. When they sing this song, it brings out a sad mood. The effects of the song cause melancholy to grip th e audience as they are made to feel the deep absence of Hector. By extension, the song also helps bring the message of sympathy towards Irwin, who is in wheelchair.            As the play in this extract begins, the Headmaster speaks about Hector. He praises him as a person who loved language and a person who molded his students to understand literature and language. But the tone that he uses captures his emotions has he remembers Hector. He seems to be in great pain and sadness because of Hector’s death. This is a good way of ending a play. It is worth showing the audience that the dead character had a significant contribution in the development of the story. In addition, flashing back connects the audience to the story in a solid manner. That is to say that the audience feels a part of everything that is happening in the play. In this case, when the Headmaster mentions Hectors’ past and how good he was, the audience feels the sadness that surrounds the fact that he died.            Furthermore, the mood of sadness brought to the surface by the Headmaster is propagated by some of the students. However, these students recall Hector by the way he did his things and the way he talked. For instance, Timmssays that he never understood some of the things that Hector said. Lockwood himself thought that Hector was an extraordinary teacher. He jokingly says that he realized that Hector was a human being when he heard him complain of being a teacher in that school. He had referred it as a ‘godforsaken school’. What Lockwood meant is that Hector loved to teach language and literature. He, therefore, didn’t expect to hear him complain at all. However, this attitude of Lockwood paints a better picture of Hector to the audience with regard to how his students viewed his teaching.            The past about Hector had its pitfalls. He messed severally and did some things that his students cannot forget. Crowther says that he had done many ‘unforgivable things’. Perhaps this utterance refers to the time that Hector had been found fondling with a boy. This brought him out as a homosexual. According to Crowther, this act was abnormal and thus refers to it as unforgivable. It is important to mention that the tone with which Crowther utters this statement reveals distaste. He appears to have developed a negative attitude on Hector perhaps on the grounds of his sexual orientation. He appears to feel less remorse for the fact that Hector is dead. He casually says, â€Å"Even his death was a lesson and added to the store†. This emphasizes the fact that he felt no sympathy upon Hector’s death. For purposes of ending this play, it becomes important to know how some students felt about Hector. And the feelings o f Crowther towards Hector cannot be ignored.            Furthermore, the Mrs Lintott, the History teacher, has her comments about Hector. She says that Hector never bothered with what he taught. In other words, MrsLintott means that Hector cared less about what he taught. The tone in her voice betrays her attitude towards Hector. She seems to have been bothered by the way Hector had been teaching. However, she remarks that his students ended up taking different careers in life. She simply and casually says that some became solicitors, others chartered accountants, others teachers among others. The students take different paths in life because Hector had been influenced them think beyond just passing exams. It can be said that he had a great impact on the lives of his students. This recounting of the lives of the students is a good marker to show that the play is coming to an end. It is important for the audience to know the lives of the characters as influenced by Hector, who appears to be the center of this passage. His contribution is being recalled.            Besides Mrs Lintott, students also take part in telling the audience what each of them becomes at the end of the play. For instance, Timms says that one of the students became a tax lawyer. He supports the claims that Mrs Lintott is making that Hector’s students succeeded in their lives. Dakin owns up to Timms’ claim to mean that he is the one being referred to as the tax lawyer.            As the discussion proceeds, Mrs Lintott humorously says that Hector had referred Irwin as a journalist instead of a history teacher. This is because of the view that Hector had on the way Irwin taught his History lessons. He did not teach history as was supposed to be taught. Instead, he taught students how to critically analyze the past. It is a claim that Irwin himself admits with a sense of humor. This is a way of further remembering what kind of person Hector was. He had a very different approach in teaching from that of Irwin. This is a nice way of bringing the story to an end because the audience feels that Hector had a significant position in the lives of those who lived with him.            Another positive impact of Hector in the lives of his students is illustrated by the mention of one of his students, Posner. Mrs Lintott humorously says that Posner remembers everything that he was taught by Hector in terms of language and literature. She supposedly says that Posner remembers the exact words of Hector. We find that this last part of the play is filled with what can be referred to as sweet memories of Hector. In the case of the Posner, there is a replica of Hector. Posner likes literature in the same manner that Hector did. He is ever present in the local library reading. This illustration is also contributing to a good ending of the story. It helps to further paint the picture of Hector.            Finally, Hector’s voice is used to utter the last words before the play ends. He is given this privilege to conclude what others have been implying about him. From the discussion held up by Mrs Lintott and others, we have realized that Hector was an exceptional person. To other teachers, Hector had a different approach to teaching. The students also felt the same. They felt that he made them understand what they were learning from a cramming point of view. However, they don’t make bad comments on him. Instead, they praise him. He has had contributions in the success of his students. They passed their final exams and are all successful people in life.            This passage explicitly talks about Hector, the English teacher who is not alive at the moment. We gather that he had died earlier on in an accident. Being a passage that is ending the play, it effectively captures the attitudes of the rest of the characters about Hector. The language used portrays a mix of moods; sadness and happiness. It is sad when everyone remembers the contributions that Hector had in the teaching fraternity and he is now dead. It portrays happiness when his sense of humor is recalled. In a nutshell, this passage is effective in the way it ends the play. The audience is left contemplating about Hector. It is nostalgic when his voice is given an opportunity to utter the last words before the end of the play. References Bennett, A. (2004). The history boys. New York: Faber and Faber. Source document
Monday, January 6, 2020
Managerial Competency - 1166 Words
Introduction ‘‘Competency-based strategic management is a relatively new way of thinking about how organizations gain high performance for a significant period of time. Established as a theory in the early 1990s, competence-based strategic management theory explains how organizations can develop sustainable competitive advantage in a systematic and structural way. The theory of competence-based strategic management is an integrative strategy theory that incorporates economic, organizational and behavioural concerns in a framework that is dynamic, systemic, cognitive and holistic (Sanchez and Heene, 2004). This theory defines competence as: the ability to sustain the coordinated deployment of resources in ways that helps an organization†¦show more content†¦An alternative would be to set a reminder that will alert one on what to do at a specific time. Teamwork Competency Accomplishing tasks through small groups of people who are collectively responsible and whose work is interdependent requires teamwork competency (Hellriegel Jackson, Slocum Amos Klopper, Louw Oosthuizen, 2007, Page 15). A united nation is a winning nation; teamwork is about working together to achieve a certain goal. Communities work together for example to fight the socio-economic problem which is crime, in turn making it a safer environment. In the same sense businesses work as a team to improve efficiency in the working environment. When it comes to designing a team, team-building strategies work best, as the strategy brings employees together creating a close relationship amongst them and making them work as a more united team. Relating teamwork competency to the author, a negative result will be the outcomes, as the author believes that working alone is more effective, but people have different opinions on the subject. Global Awareness Competency Carrying out an organization’s managerial work by drawing on the human, financial, information, and material resources from multiple countries. People watch the news to stay informed of what is happening around the world and in their communities. Researching what causes inflation is part of global awareness, when an individual decides they want to go work overseas they undergoShow MoreRelatedManagerial Competencies2341 Words  | 10 PagesQuestion 1. List the three managerial competencies that have led to your success so far in your job. List your strength and, for each strength listed, determine how that strength might get you into trouble and why is it so difficult to become and effective middle manager? Answer Managerial competencies is defined as sets of knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes that a manager needs in order to be effective in a wide range of managerial jobs and various organizational setting. There wereRead MoreCompetency Mapping4505 Words  | 19 PagesA lot is going on in recent times on the issue of competency mapping. A lot of resource is spent and consultants are invited to do competency mapping. Competency mapping is gaining much more importance and organizations are aware of having good human resources or putting the right people on right job. Competency mapping is important and is an essential exercise. Every well managed firm should have well defined roles and list of competencies required to perform each role effectively. Such listRead MoreHow Does the Development of Core Competencies Provide Both Advantages and Disadvantages for an Organisation?1642 Words  | 7 Pagesdevelopment of core competencies provide both advantages and disadvantages for an organisation? What steps can managers take to prevent core competencies becoming core rigidities?†In today’s world competition among firms becomes globalized and more intense. 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In order for the management to be effective in carrying out its functions of controlling, leading, planning and organizing which more often than not involve the participation of the non-managerial staff, it needs to be effective in managing the behavior of its employees. Effective motivation of employees and observation of ethics in dealingRead MoreIntegrated Family Wellness ( Ifw ) A Alternative Medicine Medical Clinic1584 Words  | 7 Pagesconjecture, at this point. Executive Summary The preliminary task analysis identified the key tasks, competencies and skills required to perform the job at the most efficient level. After consulting with the owner and key staff, the job descriptions were updated, taking each description, a skill analyses and outlining of competencies were identified for the positions mentioned in the handbook. These competencies are then used to discover specific training needs. This is particularly useful due to the factRead MoreManagerial Effectiveness: A Concise Definition803 Words  | 3 Pageseffective leaders at the helm so as to remain relevant. In this text, I concern myself with managerial effectiveness. Managerial Effectiveness: A Concise Definition In basic terms, managerial effectiveness can be taken to be the achievement of the desired organizational goals, results as well as objectives by taping on the unique abilities of the management. Indeed, as Certo Certo (2006) note, managerial effectiveness has largely got to do with the accomplishment of the prevailing organizational
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