Compare and contrast the two short stories "The Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, and "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl, picking out techniques used which make it exactly, or exactly the opposite of a typical detective story/murder mystery.
In this essay, I intend to compare and contrast the two short stories "The Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, and "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl, picking out techniques used which make it exactly, or exactly the opposite of a typical detective story/murder mystery. When many people think of a murder mystery, they think of a dark and stormy night, a large forbidding house, a gunshot heard by everyone yet seen by no one, and the phrases "you're probably wondering why I called you all here", "The butler did it", and of course not forgetting "elementary, my dear Watson". In the end, the intelligent and very observant detective solves the case, and justice, sometimes through the courts and sometimes poetic, is served. Both "The Speckled Band" and "Lamb to the Slaughter" have ingredients for a detective story, i.e. they both have a murderer who is cold and calculating, and just that little bit mad. On the other hand, they are presented to us very differently, making one story very typical of its genre, and making the other very untypical of the murder mystery genre. Both Conan-Doyle and Dahl use various techniques to make their stories more interesting; for example, in Dahls "Lamb to the Slaughter" the story revolves around the character of Mrs Mary Maloney, loving housewife and psychopathic killer. Whereas many stories concentrate on the detective or sometimes the
Discuss the extent to which the characters and setting in Lambs to the Slaughter and the Speckled Band are typical of a horror story.
Discuss the extent to which the characters and setting in Lambs to the Slaughter and the Speckled Band are typical of a horror story. In defining horror stories it is possible to suggest that they include elements showing a fear of some thing or someone. Stereotypically they include victims, murders, detectives, gruesome scenes and twists in the plot. All of these factors usually add up to a successful horror story which shall leave the reader on the edge of their seat. However there are many different horror genres such as comic, gothic, mystical including witches and ghosts and psychological . In this case we are dealing with only one strand and it can be identified as murder-mystery horror. As we come up to the times twentieth and twenty-first century films include twists in the plot where possible for originality. Thus because people in these centuries have literally become immune to the gory and bloody effects of the horror and therefore want more out of it to interest them psychologically. The villain in Lambs to the Slaughter , Mary Maloney is very clear right from the start that she committed the murder. This is more psychological seeing as the reader is given the chance to think more about her character. However, the villain is not revealed until the end of the Speckled Band and this may lead the reader into feeling some fear and
Comparison of 'The Speckled Band' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and 'Lamb to the slaughter' written by Roald Dahl.
This essay compares two stories. 'The Speckled Band' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, written over a hundred years, and 'Lamb to the slaughter' written by Roald Dahl, over twenty years ago. These stories can be compared because there are many differences in the plot, structure and the time it was written. In fact, there are more differences than similarities. One way in which the two stories differ is the plot. 'The Speckled Band' has a pre-meditated murder but 'Lamb to the slaughter has a spontaneous murder. In, 'The Speckled Band', the murder is planned with great effort. Dr. Roylott had to move the victim to the middle of the three rooms. From there, he will let the snake out into the ventilator. The snake would slide towards the middle room; get down, onto the cord attached to the dummy bell. From there, it would go down to the bed, which is clamped to the floor, so the victim could not move the bed. However, In 'Lamb to the slaughter', Mary had not planned to kill her husband, Patrick. Her crime was based on her broken heart. She had dreamed that they would grow old together and have kids. However, her husband had shattered her dream. He had woken her from her beautiful dream, so she could not withstand the burden and killed him. Also, 'Lamb to the slaughter is left unsolved, whereas, 'The Speckled Band' is solved. In 'The Speckled Band' the detective is very smart.
Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band essay
Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band essay Roald Dahl, a twentieth century writer wrote the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' a murder mystery in 1954, shortly after the Second World War and rationing. The story I propose to compare it to is Arthur Conan Doyle's pre twentieth century murder mystery 'The Speckled Band' written in 1892. Although the two stories are in the same genre of murder mystery they are very different. The stories are different because Doyle's story is a conventional murder mystery with typical stock characters, whereas 'Lamb to the Slaughter' has detectives who aren't fully focused on the case in hand and the villain, the victim's wife does not fulfil the stereotypical character profile of the criminal in Noonan's mind. An indicator that these stories were written at different times is in Dahl's story cars are mentioned whereas in Doyle's story travel is by carts and by train. The scene at the start of Dahl's story presents the reader with a typical 1950's family scene where the pregnant wife makes her husband top priority in her life. At the start of the 'Speckled Band' the mood is very sombre and slow because Watson is looking back over all his past cases and is having flashbacks about a specific case. The way the story is told, in past tense and by him looking back lets the reader know that Watson survives this particular case. In
The detective genre. A comparison of two characters, settings and atmosphere and the endings in the two short stories, 'The Speckled Band' by Conan Doyle (pre 1900) and 'Lamb To The Slaughter by R. Dhal (past 1900).
The detective genre. A comparison of two characters, settings and atmosphere and the endings in the two short stories, 'The Speckled Band' by Conan Doyle (pre 1900) and 'Lamb To The Slaughter by R. Dhal (past 1900). In this essay I will be comparing the two short stories about murder. The first is 'The Speckled Band'. Conan Doyle wrote this story in the 19th century (1897). The second story 'Lamb To The Slaughter' was written later on, in the 20th century (1954). Out of both of the two stories 'The Speckled Band' had the traditional closing as we see in many detective stories, as the murder case was resolved, and the villain was killed. In contrast 'Lamb To The Slaughter' does not have a traditional in fact, the case was never solved so we never find out whether or not Mary Maloney gets away with the murder of Patrick Maloney. Rhald Dhal was born in Wales he served as a fighter pilot during the Second World War. His first book was published in 1943, called 'The Gremlins' for children, then continued writing short stories for adults. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, and soon became a doctor, a little while later he gave up medicine, and began writing. His first Sherlock Holmes story was published in 1887 and continued from there. He wrote all sorts of stories such as, detective, historical, novels and even science fiction stories. Doyle lived to the age of 71. In
Comparing short stories- lamb to the slaughter and the speckled band.
Comparing short stories- lamb to the slaughter and the speckled band Lamb to the Slaughter' was written by Roald Dahl in 1954 shortly after the Second World War. Roald Dahl is famous for writing children's stories, like Charlie and the chocolate factory and James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl also writes stories for adults. Lamb to the slaughter is a fine example of an adult murder mystery story. Lamb to the slaughter is about a housewife waiting for her husband to come. When he does return home, he gives her bad news. Dazed by this news, she goes to the freezer to cook lamb for their supper but without warning strikes her husband over the head with it. She then goes to her local shop to create an Alibi. When the police come round to investigate she offers them the lamb which she killed her husband with. And without knowing it is the murder weapon the police eat the leg of lamb, destroying the evidence. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 'The Speckled Band' in 1892. His stories are about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes set in late Victorian and early Edwardian England. The speckled band is about a man, Doctor Grimesby Roylott who tries to kill his stepdaughters using a poisonous snake to climb through a ventilator and down a bell rope so that he does not have to pay for their weddings with the inheritance that his late wife gave him. Sherlock Holmes and his companion
"The Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle and "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl both belong to the genre of murder/crime stories. In what ways are they similar and how do they differ?
Date: 26 September 2001 Assignment title: "The Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle and "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl both belong to the genre of murder/crime stories. In what ways are they similar and how do they differ? In my essay, I shall analyse two murder stories: "The Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle and "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl. These stories both belong to the genre of murder stories and I shall explain the ways in which they are similar and how they differ. The first crime novel was written by Wilkie Collins and was entitled "The Moonstone." At the turn of the century, Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the authors of my comparative stories, appeared and bought us the detective "Sherlock Holmes." This produced a 'recipe' for the writing of murder-mystery novels. The first thing to comprehend when comparing these two stories is what a murder/crime story actually is. The main ingredients of a murder/crime story are that it contains a murderer/criminal, a victim, a detective(s), a weapon and usually some sort of twist in the tale. "The Speckled Band" is the story of a woman called Helen Stoner, who goes to Sherlock Holmes when she hears the identical whistle she heard on the night of her sister's death two years ago. Julia's last words referred to "The speckled band!" as the cause of death. The famous detective, Sherlock Holmes and his
Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter & The Speckled band
Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter & The Speckled band First paragraph Roald Dahl wrote Lambs to the Slaughter in the nineteen-fifties, it was later published. This is an unusual story for Roald Dahl to write because he is better know as the children's author who wrote stories such as charlie and the choclat factory and other stories such as the BFG (big frendly Giant). In his stories for adults he writes about regular everyday people and their lives. Second Paragraph Sir Arthur Canan Doyle wrote the speckled band in the eighteen-eighty's it was later published. Sir Arthur Canan Doyle stories are well known for his famous characters such as the dective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidkick Dr watson they always solve their cases and they are always precedent. Third Paragraph Pactric Monly was the victim in Lambs to the Slaughter, Pactric Monly is acting odd so she knows something is wrong. He was drinking heavaliy so that's how she knows things are wrong he wants no dinner and theirs no communication between them. Forth Paragraph Julia stoner and Helan stoner are the victim in the speckled band because they are being victimsied by Roylott. Julia is already dead, Helen thinks she will be killed in exactally the same way. We first meet Helen when she goes to see Mr Holmes "its fear, Mr Holmes. Its terror" and another Quote "her face all drawn and Greay,
GCSE English Coursework - Wide Reading Assignment - 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl, and 'The Speckled Band'
GCSE English Coursework - Wide Reading Assignment In this wide reading assignment I have been looking at two stories, 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl, and 'The Speckled Band' by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. Both these stories are classed as murder mysteries, and I am intending to investigate and compare the motives of the killers in both stories. 'The Speckled Band' is written in first person from the viewpoint of Dr. Watson. The story starts with Watson looking over notes of the cases that he and Holmes have taken in the last eight years; one in particular comes to his mind, and from their Watson tells the story of 'The Speckled Band'. The killer in 'The Speckled Band' is Dr Grimesby Roylott. Roylott is a tall man who was well built. 'Lamb to the Slaughter' is written in a third person perspective, and the story starts with a description of a room, and then breaks into the characters, and follows them though the rest of the story. The killer in 'Lamb to the Slaughter is Mary Maloney, a gentle, petite housewife. The two stories, as previously said, are both classed as murder mysteries, however when comparing these two stories the styles of writing and the way in which the stories are presented is completely different. An example of this would be the chronological order of each of the stories. What I mean by this is the traditional order of murder mysteries would be body,
A Detailed Comparison Of two Murder mysteries "Lamb to the Slaughter" by R.Dahl and "The Speckled Band" by A.Doyle.
A Detailed Comparison Of two Murder mysteries "Lamb to the Slaughter" by R.Dahl and "The Speckled Band" by A.Doyle "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Speckled Band" are both Crime and Detection stories. But the two stories have their differences and similarities. In this essay I will compare the two stories about their approach to the narration, setting, characters, crime and their ending. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in 1859 and died in 1930, he was a trained doctor. "The Speckled Band" was one of the many short stories written by Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes and his friend and companion Dr. Watson. Of all the stories in 'the adventures of Sherlock Holmes' "The speckled Band" is probably, the one that most successfully combines all the quality's of a classic detective story. The horror was set in the Victorian era when Jack the Ripper was the main topic of conversation and fear amongst the public. At that time there were a large number of crimes taking place in the country and the police force had just been introduced, But they were no help to the community mostly because of their lack of experience. Sherlock Holmes on the other hand was an experienced man in solving crimes, and being a detective was his hobby. At the time in which this short story was written it was one of the first detective fiction stories. Roald Dahl was born in 1916 and died in 1990, Roald