Both ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘A Speckled Band’ shares characteristics of classic detective fiction. With close reference to these two stories, compare Conan Doyle and Dahl’s different approaches to the genre

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Both ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘A Speckled Band’ shares characteristics of classic detective fiction. With close reference to these two stories, compare Conan Doyle and Dahl’s different approaches to the genre

‘A Speckled band’ and ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ are two stories about murderers. Lamb to the Slaughter challenges the stereotypical conventions connected a crime story whereas ‘a Speckled Band sticks to the conventions. In this essay I will compare the two stories about their approach to the narration, characters, setting, crime and how each story ends and show that even though ‘A Lamb to the Slaughter’ isn’t a typical murder story it works effectively

 ‘A Speckled Band’ is written in first person from the point of view of Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick. The reader finds out about the murder as the story goes along making it into a exciting classic ‘who done it’ Only the murderer knows who he has committed the murder and the detective is the only one with the skill to figure out the murder. Everyone else has to watch as the case unravels how the murder did it. This creates drama and tension. You don’t find out how until the very end and only when Sherlock Holmes explains ‘I had yet to learn of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes the next day’. You hear all the clues and get some red herrings to make the plot thicker ’the presence of gypsies and the use of the word band… I can only claim put me upon an entirely wrong scent.’ The story is written in the present but refers to the past ‘ it was early in April in the year 83’ you know you’ll get a conclusion to the case and the killer is caught or not.

‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is written in third person, this gives an objective view and not a character perspective. You feel involved in the story and can judge for your self whether the murder had a motive that could even justify the killing. You are already in on who, when and why the murderer killed but the tension and drama comes because you don’t know whether she (the murderer) will get away with it. You see and experience the murder and experience the emotions, you experience this in ‘a speckled band but you don’t really experience why Dr. Grimesby Roylott kills and tries to kill again. Narrative viewpoints work well in each story, they create tension, drama and prevent the stories from being boring and dragging on, they make the reader want to read on.

 

The characters in the two stories are totally opposite. The detective the ‘a speckled band’ Sherlock Holmes is logical ‘he uses rapid deductions as swift as intuitions’. He is cool, calm, collected, brave and very determined this is proven when Dr. Grimesby Roylott visits Sherlock and tries to intimidate him because he has heard about Sherlock and he is afraid that he will find out that he is the murderer. Holmes brushes off the comments that he is ‘Holmes the meddler’ and he replies ‘Homles the busy body.’ Also when the snake comes to bite Helen Stoner but Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have taken her place. Sherlock quickly spots the snake and moves out of danger. Holmes will only investigate unusual cases that other people can’t solve that show his deductive skills. You learn a lot about Sherlock Holmes’ personality and skills because he is featured all the way through the story. He gets a result catches the killer prevents him killing again and becomes a hero because he saves Helen Stoner’s life.

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Jack Noonan is the main detective in ‘a lamb to the slaughter.’ In this story there is a whole team of police officers whereas Sherlock Holmes solves the crime all by himself. The team of police officers are sloppy and don’t concentrate on their job, they drink on duty ‘why don’t you have one yourself… I might have one to keep me going’ and Mrs Maloney gets the police officers to eat the murder weapon. The officers come across ass stupid, and pick like by the way they eat and lack of manners ‘you must be terribly hungry… why ...

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