Author's Note: I wrote this on a particularly slow day, and I was having trouble relating almost anything to the book, or at least anything that I could actually write a significant paragraph or two about. Anyway, this is what I came up with...
A while ago, I read "The Five Orange Pips" in the Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes. There are many reasons that this mystery can relate to a real life mystery. As we've seen on the news and in reality tv news shows, people are murdered all too often. Sometimes the person who was murdered even tried to warn someone and get help to try to stop someone else from hurting them. In real life, we don't always see the evidence unfold the way it does in this mystery story, but there are still many similarities between this story and real life murders.
In the story, a man is afraid that he will be killed, just like his father and grandfather. The only problem is, we don't really know how they died, so the man can't prevent it. The only evidence that Sherlock and his client have is a letter from mysterious person and five orange pips (five seeds from an orange). In real life there are times that a person feels they are being threatened by someone they know, or even stalked by a stranger. Sometimes they even receive a note or threat from the person that they feel is trying to hurt them. I can't even imagine what it would be like to feel your life is in danger, but I'm sure it's horrible!
In this story, Sherlock ends up solving the case, but not before the man ends up getting pushed off of a bridge. Holmes then avenges his client by sending a letter along with five orange pips to the leader of the gang that killed the man. Days later, the captain's boat is seen in a shipwreck out at sea. This case is similar to real life crime scenes because often times, if the murderer is smart, they'll make the crime look like an accident, and get rid-of all of the evidence as well. It takes a very careful analysis of the crime scene, and in depth investigation to solve these types of cases. When the victim has sought help prior to their death, it helps the police and detectives to narrow down who may have committed the murder. In the Sherlock Holmes story it was lucky that his client came to Sherlock when he did. Otherwise, Sherlock never would have caught the leader of the gang, and never would have avenged the man that had to die such a sorrowful, wrongful death.
Your essay was pretty good and I had a hard time relating to the book, too. I ended up doing the same story, and I was coincidentally going to do the same topic, but then I changed it to the K.K.K. instead of the murders. The only thing is that last conference Mr. J told me to do a fictional narrative so just as a suggestion maybe you should try it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really nice essay. Your ability to place an authentic voice to the prompt is a real strength. It's important if we are to be real writers, that we are able to be honest with our message, learning how to say things well, clearly, and accurately. This is never a challenge if our message is overly simple, or predictable.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote this really well. You used good vocabulary and you were very clear with what you were saying. I also like the honesty in you author's note.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the time I saw that national treasure movie with Nickolas Cage. The main character actually warned the museum that they were going to get robbed but then they just wrote off the man as a joker. Days later they museum was robbed. I wonder how bad the men must have felt for not believing the message. It also reminds me of those stupid criminal articles in the National Geographic Kids magazine. One time I read that a man who robbed his neighbor put up one of the stolen blankets to hide the evidence in the window. They make me wonder.
ReplyDeleteThis was a well writen piece. You really related the story to real life crime and even related it to fictional crime. Sherlock Holmes is a very good dectective and you did a well gob describing that.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well said piece. It had good vocabulary and a strong voice. But.. I have one question..why did they send the man orange seeds??
ReplyDeleteNice job Evan and I agree the Five Orange Pips was one of the hardest to connect anything to especially when we have to connect it to real life. The only critique I had is that maybe you could split the last paragraph because I didn't know where the body ended and the conclusion began but over all I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand it either,but I think the reason they sent the man orange seeds was to confuse him.
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