A good detective story Essay

What makes the story of ‘The Speckled Band’ by ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’ a good detective story? â€Å"†¦ A story that tells of crime and the detection of criminals. † The dictionary definition of a detective story – but this isn’t all we expect from a detective story. We expect atmospheric settings, interesting characters, mysterious crime, suspense, an evil plot and a hero that saves the day right at the eleventh hour, accompanied by a faithful companion. These are a few factors that mould together to make a good story. In this essay I will explore some of these factors and decide whether ‘The Speckled Band’ has enough good features. Sherlock Holmes is the hero. He is the well-spoken detective that never ceases to amaze the reader with his extensive knowledge of the world he lives in. â€Å"The left arm of your jacket is splattered with mud†¦ the marks are perfectly fresh†¦ There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way†¦ â€Å". He is the perfect gentlemen and in my imagination is immaculately dressed in only the finest of clothes. However, I have seen illustrations of him that may have influenced this image. He doesn’t seem to fear anything; he handles the most dangerous situations with the calmest of attitudes. An example of his fearless attitude is when Dr Roylott confronted him and aggressively bent a poker out of shape. Holmes casually straightened it back out again and didn’t lose his temper in the slightest. He gathers clues and even though they are mentioned to us, his intelligence allows him to see perfectly ordinary objects in a way we can’t. For instance, a leash with a knot tied in it, or a saucer of milk. Holmes reveals that her knew they were part of the crime but how, we may never know. He seems to be able to piece together hidden clues and build up to the final picture before the reader has even had chance to fathom out the first set of clues! He’s quick, smart and can follows clues like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Helen Stoner is the sister of the victim. She goes to Sherlock Holmes in confidence that he will solve the mystery and let her live in peace again. The death of her sister, Julia Stoner, shook her up so much that she shivers in fear. She was in a â€Å"†¦ pitiable state of agitation†¦ † her face was â€Å"all drawn and grey† and her eyes looked like those of a â€Å"†¦ hunted animal†. The death had caused her visible stress and she had become restless which in turn had affected her health. She is in a dangerous position and if Holmes doesn’t act quickly, she too may suffer the same fate as her beloved sister. Dr Roylott is the father of Helen and Julia. His aggressive, violent nature does him no favours and if anything only confirms Holmes’ suspicions. An example of his frightful temper would be during his confrontation with Holmes: â€Å"see that you keep yourself out of my grip†. Holmes, undeterred, carried on his investigations later to find Dr Roylott victim of his own crime†¦ dead. Julia Stoner, the initial victim, was engaged to a half pay major of the marines. We do not learn anything about her fianci other than this information. However, it is made clear that Julia getting married would leave less inheritance for her father, Dr Roylott. This is the proposed motive. There is little information about Julia in the text but enough to start building ideas about the crime. The narrator, Dr Watson, an enthusiastic supporter and faithful friend of Sherlock Holmes, follows all Holmes’ investigations. He is quick to learn and very eager to do so: â€Å"me dear fellow, I would not miss it for anything†. We are not given much information about him in the story, because he is telling it. All these characters make the story an enjoyable read. As to the original question, what makes the story a good detective story, I think it is all the components such as the characters and their individual personalities; a motive; a crime; the suspense; and the settings. All these fit together to make the final picture, a good story!

Diamond International Co-Corporation Essay

I. Executive Summary Diamond International Corporation (DIC) is one of the leading suppliers in the country. It is a trading company that imports thermoplastic (PVC) pipes, values and fittings. By 1990, the company has already grown to more than 50 employees. The company has identified its three major marketing areas: projects and major accounts, branches and dealership. It is also the major competitor in selling high-precision screws and bearings needed by the semicon industry II. Point of View (POV) President of the Diamond International Corporation III. Time Context Around the time when the company placed Mr. Robert Cruz being in-charge of the over-all shop operation of the ABC Steel Company and was appointed as the new shop manager. The same time when the company’s production backlog has reached its proportions that will lead to the halt of businesses with other companies. From the point of view of the new shop manager, the company may go bankrupt in five months time if the company keeps paying penalties. IV. Statement of the Problem To determine present and future manpower requirements of the organization in coordination with planning and job analysis activities. V. Objectives 1.To address the fair and justifiable hiring and selection of the future employees of the company. 2.To improve the working behavior of the employees and increase coordination in every aspect of their work. VI. Areas of Consideration By 1990, the company has already grown to more than 50 employees. It is now one of the leading suppliers in the country. It imports thermoplastic (PVC) pipes, valves and fittings. DIC’s main clientele is the semiconductor industry. It included Splash Island in Laguna as one of its major projects. It has a standing inventory of Php 15m+ located at its warehouse in Las Pinas. DIC is also a major competitor in selling high-precision screws and bearings needed by the semicon industry. The sales from this area constitute 10 to 15 percent of the company’s profits. Opportunities 1.The company’s assurance of the maintenance of quality 2.Improved productivity Threats 1.Company backlogs 2.Shortage of skilled manpower VII. Assumption 1.The organizational structure of the management creates discord in the effective operations of the company. 2.No effective HR program is present to handle the company’s manpower. 3.No harmony is present within the management, operations, production and logistics of the company. VIII. Alternative Courses of Action (ACA) 1. Team Building – designed for improving team performance advantages: a. encourage both individual and team development and improvement. b. helps individual to focus on group goals to accomplish more beneficial tasks. c. helps individual in decision making process. d. helps each employees to assess their personal effectiveness and strengths. disadvantages: a. difficulty in assessing the performance of an individual’s role in a team. b. coordination costs are very high (team building as a management has to spend a lot of costs.) 2. Monitor the performance of each employee advantages: a. targeted staff development – good performance management system can be positive way to identify developmental opportunities. b. rewards staff for a job well done. c.allows employees growth d. provide an opportunities to discuss issues and clarify expectations with their managers. disadvantages: a. Time consuming b. Biases occur when it comes to performance evaluation that lead to difficulty in assessing one’s work performance. IX. Conclusion and Recommendations The management should develop a just and fair hiring of their employees. They should follow the appropriate guidelines for the recruitment process so that they can hire the best candidates having the right potential for a particular position. X. Plan of Action a. The HR Department should develop a new strategy that will help them to assess the work performance of each employees. b. Everyone should be aware of the recruitment process. Ensure all staff involved with the recruitment and selection of staff are trained and aware of your recruitment policy and have the skills to ensure its effective implementation.

Ethnic Marketing in Indonesia Essay

Indonesia’s national slogan  « Bhinneka ika tungat.  » that means unity and diversity, is a strong local motto that celebrates differences, specially the demographic one. This slogan was adopted at independence in 1945. This can indicate in a first approach a strongly united population, a country where people are allowed to practice and conserve their ethnic Identity. But this never was the general case in Indonesia. There is this insidious ordinary racism in the country that takes place in their everyday living. Because this sacred diversity is however limited to ethnic groups with claims to a territory: this includes the Javanese, the Sundanese and the Madurese. There are other local groups that are not as significant. For the other groups that can not have the same claims, it is another story especially when it comes to the Chinese Indonesian. Being migrants with powerful and strategic positions, they are often excluded by the population or they exclude themselves. If this is how the Indonesian society can be perceived, it isn’t the same when it comes to the marketing approach. It can be said that it is not that simple to talk about ethnic marketing in Indonesia when it is related to physical characteristics. If the comparison was made with Singapore, It is much easier to identify that a person belongs to a certain ethnic group when she is shown in an advertisement. It becomes more delicate when the ethnic groups have a lot of similarities. Even if Chinese, Indo or Arab origins Indonesians are not accepted everywhere or not recognized as true Indonesian by a part of the society, they still have their place and are represented for marketing purposes. We can give an example of Western Union: For the first Ad, adressed to the chinese Indonesian poulation, the person is an office working man, we would rather think that he has a good salary and is educated. The emphasis here is about the importance of the speed of the transaction. For the second Ad, more adressed to Indonesians with claims of territory, The main character is a little girl that due to the received money, could go to school. It shows the importance that is taking girls education in those groups. When it comes to the language, companies that operate at a national level generally use Indonesian or English for their advertisement campaigns. The use of a specific language related to a group is more likely to stay in the frame of small companies that operates in veryrestricted areas.

(Can the writer help me decide) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

(Can the writer help me decide) - Essay Example In â€Å"Bad Weather: Planetary Crisis,† Masco (2010) studies the development of and competition between two kinds of planetary crises- the nuclear war and climate change. The security state is linked to the concept of the planetary crisis because, on the one hand, it uses the latter when it advances the former’s development and growth in reach and control; on the other hand, it disregards the latter if it contradicts or hinders its ends. Ironically, another important link is that the security state, in its desire to control planetary crises, is only creating more of them, which can potentially lead to new planetary crises with long-term negative impacts on living things and the biosphere. The security state exploits the planetary crisis for its own gains and disregards it if it hinders its overarching goal of a â€Å"U.S.-centric world† (Masco 2014: 1). The security state uses the planetary crisis if it can be a platform for greater control over and outside its national boundaries. Masco (2014) explains that the first kinds of planetary crises that were of interest to the security state were usually threats to national security, such as the Cold War and national and global terrorists. He argues that the state uses these threats to magnify imagined horrific futures, in order to generate fear and terror that could justify what Cheney (2001) called as the â€Å"new normalcy† (qtd. in Masco 2014: 8). This new normalcy refers to the public’s acceptance of the state’s ever increasing incursions on civil rights and freedoms. These are changes that have â€Å"institutional, technological, and affective levels, reordering domestic politics and geo politics in a startlingly economical gesture† (Masco 2014: 8). They include scientific studies that expand military technology, covert operations that collect intelligence about national and other

Potential Role of The Yuan as the New Reserve Currency Essay

Potential Role of The Yuan as the New Reserve Currency - Essay Example These are large economic base, political stability, and a low rate of inflation (IMF, WB & World Bank Group, 2009). It should also be backed by a joint international monetary authority that is capable of asserting compliance among its member states, which must in turn comprise a significant number of nations in the world (Finance and Development, 2009). The currency must be sellable or tradable without limitation (Levine, 2009). Since the currency is supposed to be, according to Levine, a â€Å"safe haven† for other currencies, they should be able to have access to huge sums of it without restriction. This is because inadequate reserves of the currency would compromise the ability of that country to trade in that currency or participate in international transactions denominated in it. The international currency’s home economic and political systems must also be stable enough and fundamentally sound to support international transactions among countries. In order to engen der confidence in the reserve currency, the valuation of said currency must be transparent to all for them to consider holding that currency in significant quantities. Because the determination of value is for the most part subjective, the matter of the country’s governance may not be concealed from the world, and therefore the political ideology of the country must be supportive of full disclosure (Cohen, 2007). Recent developments that triggered the search for a substitute It has already been mentioned that the large current account deficit and huge public debt of the United States are primarily responsible for the weakness of the dollar as the primary medium of exchange. Ordinarily,...This paper presents a comprehensive analysis, that aims to determine whether or not the renminbi would provide a real substitute for the dollar as principal international reserve currency within the next ten years, and whether such a substitution will stabilize the global currency market and prevent further recurrences of financial crises as the world had experienced in the past. The international reserve currency performs three vital functions of money – that is, as medium of exchange, as unit of account, and as store of value. There are many reasons for the yuan to be considered as a possible alternative, the most important of which is its position as the top trading country in the world. It has amassed some 3 trillion dollars worth of international reserves, two-thirds of which is in U.S. dollars, thus this country is capable of exerting economic pressure on the U. S. Yearly it experiences record current account surpluses, compared to the U.S.’s accumulating current account deficit and public debt. Despite these positive factors, there are also serious concerns. China’s financial markets are still highly restricted, and its currency is still unable to trade in open market, let alone be freely converted into other currencies. Other than currency concerns, China’s economic and political infrastructure are in need of a fundamental change. Corruption must be addressed, and the system made more transparent, in order to afford investors and fund managers a clearer view by which to assess the political risks of the currency.

Cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cave - Essay Example The cave reveals that such people are trapped in the cave of confusion and misunderstanding. The Shadows symbolize the perceptions of people who believe that what we see in the world increases knowledge. When one believes that what he sees should be justified as truth then this happens to be the shadow of truth. The game illustrates how people believe that one individual can be a master. The escape prisoner symbolizes the philosopher who finds knowledge outside his senses and the cave. His intellectual journey revolves finding wisdom and truth. The return represents a different prisoner who desires to find philosophical truth. This essay seeks to discuss how we can use Plato’s allegory to understand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. In brief, the story of Ishmael Beah reveals a child’s journey through tribulations. At a tender age, Ishmael life was affected by the outbreak of the civil war. His parents and siblings died and left him in the world that was cruel and brutal. Soon after his family’s death, the young boy was recruited as a child soldier. In his assigned duties, Ishmael ensured that many people understood the devastating impacts of war on young children in his country Iran. Ishmael won a competition in his country for creating insights on the effects of war in Iran. In his life, the young boy spoke confidently about his experiences that eventually captivated many people’s attention on the aspect of child soldiering and the effect of war on children (Plato10). Ishmael spoke on different occasions on behalf of the Human Rights Watch and UNICEF. He created a strong ground for many people to promote children rights and end war since its effect cannot be underestimated. The story of Ishmael is of hope and redemption in that it revealed his passion in humanity. Now that we have discussed the meaning of the Allegory cave, let us now discuss how the Plato’s allegory helps us und erstand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. Ishmael Beah is like the prisoner described in the allegory in that he represents the dreamer who seeks knowledge outside of the senses and the cave (Beah 19). As previously mentioned, Ishmael’s journey represented a philosopher's journey of finding wisdom and truth. In a Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah narrates a riveting story that reveals his different realities before, during, and after his time as a soldier. Before being a soldier, the government army accused Ishmael of being capable of committing terrible acts. At this point, one would argue that the boy was in the cave of misunderstanding. The world around him was dark and filled with torments and pain. As argued by Plato (10), the people in the cave cannot air their thoughts since they can only see life as illusion. However, in the outer world there is light that makes an individual to identify everything that is happening around him. Based on this argument, one would argue that the young boy was inside the cave after the death of his parents and siblings. He could not comprehend why the world was so much cruel to the extent of killing his family members. During his time as a soldier, the young boy was in the outer world of the cave where everything was visible. He gradually began to identify everything that was happening around him and he realized that he was living in the real world. He

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Change Management - Essay Example Qatar Airways seeks to increase Qatar Airway’s profit through the initiation of changes and practising effective leadership. It has the most identifiable brands globally with over 80% of the present market share in the aviation industry (O’Connell, 2011). It also offers quality training to its employees globally. In analysing the Qatar Airways, the primary focus will be on McKinsey’s 7S model. The 7S are structure, strategy, style, shared values, system, skills and staff. A strategy is a plan developed to build and sustain competitive advantage. The structure of a firm determines the efficiency in communication. An organisation’s system is the daily activities that members of staff undertake (Rahul & Kainth, 2014). Shared values are the core values of a company present in the general work ethics and corporate culture. The leadership style adopted plus the employees with their general capabilities make up style and staff. Workers’ skills that a company possesses to keep it successful also forms the most crucial part of McKinsey’s 7S model analysis (Kedia & Lahiri, 2007). The model works on the basis of the theory that the seven elements must be united and mutually supporting to realise positive performance in the firm. It can also be used to assist in identifying wh at should be realigned to increase performance. As a strategy, Qatar Airways uses its achievement as the â€Å"Airline of the Year† to advertise itself to the travelers all over the world. It received this title after the voting that took place at the respected Skytrax industry audit (Kedia & Lahiri, 2007). Qatar Airways Inc. has a complex structure. The airline presently operates 110 aircraft and has over 250 aircraft on order.