Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie Essay Example for Free

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie Essay Hickory Dickory Dock is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on October 31, 1955[1] and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in November of the same year under the title of Hickory Dickory Death[2][3]. The UK edition retailed at ten shillings and sixpence (10/6)[1] and the US edition at $3.00[3]. It features her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The novel is notable for featuring Poirot’s efficient secretary, Miss Felicity Lemon, who had previously only appeared in the Poirot short stories. Plot introduction An outbreak of apparent kleptomania at a student hostel is not normally the sort of crime that arouses Hercule Poirots interest. But when he sees the bizarre list of stolen and vandalized items including a stethoscope, some lightbulbs, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack, some boracic powder and a diamond ring later found in a bowl of a soup he congratulates the warden, Mrs Hubbard, on a unique and beautiful problem. It is nevertheless not long before the crime of theft is the least of Poirot’s concerns. Explanation of the novels title The title is taken, as are other of Christie’s titles, from a nursery rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock. This is nevertheless one of her most tenuous links to the original nursery rhyme, consisting of little more than the name of a road. Plot summary Poirot’s solution of the petty thefts is unsubtle but effective: once he has threatened to call in the police, Celia Austin quickly confesses to the pettier amongst the incidents. She denies specifically: stealing Nigel Chapman’s green ink and using it to deface Elizabeth Johnston’s work; taking the stethoscope, the light bulbs and boracic powder; and cutting up and concealing a rucksack. Celia appears to have committed the lesser thefts in order to attract the attention of Colin McNabb, a psychology student who at first regards her as an interesting case study, and then – almost immediately – becomes engaged to her. Celia makes restitution for the crimes and is seemingly reconciled with her victims, but when she is discovered the following morning dead from an overdose of morphine it does not take the investigators long to see through attempts to make her death seem like suicide. Several of the original incidents have not been solved by Celiaâ€⠄¢s confession. Inspector Sharpe quickly solves the mystery of the stolen stethoscope during his interviews with the inhabitants of the hostel. Nigel Chapman admits to having stolen the stethoscope in order to pose as a doctor and steal the morphine tartrate from the hospital dispensary as part of a bet to acquire three deadly poisons. He claims that these poisons were then carefully disposed of, but cannot be sure that the morphine was not stolen from him while it was in his possession. Poirot turns his attention to the reappearance of the diamond ring, and confronts Valerie Hobhouse, in whose soup the ring was found. It seems that the diamond had been replaced with a zircon and, given the fact that it was difficult for anyone but Valerie to have put the ring into the soup, Poirot accuses her of having stolen the diamond. She admits to having done so, saying that she needed the money to pay off gambling debts. She also admits to having planted in Celia’s mind the entire idea of the thefts. Mrs. Nicoletis has been behaving very nervously, as if she were losing her nerve. One night someone gets her drunk and kills her. Poirot focuses his attention now on the cutting up of the rucksack. By comparing an example of the rucksack type destroyed with others, he identifies an unusual corrugated base, and suggests to the police that the rucksack may have been part of a clever international smuggling operation. The rucksacks were sold to innocent students, and then exchanged as a means of transporting drugs and gems. Mrs. Nicoletis had been bankrolling the organisation, but was not the brain behind it. When the police visited Hickory Road on an unconnected issue, the murderer had cut up the rucksack to avoid its being found and removed light bulbs to avoid being recognised. Patricia Lane comes to Nigel an d admits that, in an effort to keep a dangerous poison safe, she has taken the morphine from the bottle in his drawer and substituted for it bicarbonate of soda. Now, however, the bottle of bicarbonate of soda has been taken from her own drawer. While they are searching for this bottle Patricia mentions that she is intending to write to his father in order to reconcile the two. Nigel tells her that the reason for his estrangement from his father is that he discovered that his father had poisoned his mother. This is why he changed his name and carries two passports. Nigel comes to Inspector Sharpe and tells him about the missing morphine, but while he is there, Patricia telephones to say that she has discovered something further. By the time that Nigel and Sharpe get to the house, Patricia has been killed by a blow to the head. Mr. Akibombo comes to Sharpe and says that he had taken Patricia’s bicarbonate to ease a stomach complaint; when he took a teaspoonful of the bicarbonate, however, he had stomach pains and later discovered that the white powder was in fact the boracic powder. By the time Patricia had substituted the bicarbonate, the morphine had already been substituted by the stolen boracic powder. Poirot, whose suspicions about Valerie Hobhouse’s role in the smuggling operation have been proved correct by a police raid on her beauty shop, now closes the case. The murderer has been the most obvious person, Nigel Chapman, who was known to have the morphine in his possession. He killed Celia because she knew about his dual identity and also knew that Valerie travelled abroad on a false passport. He killed Mrs. Nicoletis because she was sure to give the smuggling operation away under pressure, and killed Patricia because she was likely to draw to his father’s attention the recent events. When Poirot outlines to Nigel’s father’s solicitor the case against Nigel, the solicitor is able to provide final proof. Nigel’s mother had been poisoned, not by his father, but by Nigel himself. When the father discovered this he forced him to write a confession and left it with his solicitor together with a letter explaining that it should be produced were there any evidence of further wrongdoing by his son. Valerie confirms Poirot’s solution further. She has placed the call to the police station, apparently from Patricia, after Nigel had already killed her. The green ink was a double-bluff intended to divert suspicion away from him. Valerie is willing to incriminate Nigel fully because Mrs. Nicoletis was actually her mother. Characters in Hickory Dickory Dock †¢ Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective †¢ Inspector Sharpe, the investigating officer †¢ Miss Felicity Lemon, Poirot’s secretary †¢ Mrs. Christina Nicoletis, the owner of the student hostel at Hickory Road †¢ Mrs Hubbard, Miss Lemon’s sister and the warden of Hickory Road †¢ George, Poirot’s valet †¢ Celia Austin, chemist in the dispensary at St. Catherine’s Hospital †¢ Colin McNabb, a psychology student †¢ Nigel Chapman, a History student, a resident at Hickory Road †¢ Valerie Hobhouse, a resident at Hickory Road and partner in a beauty shop †¢ Sally Finch, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Elizabeth Johnston, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Patricia Lane, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Genevieve, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Leonard Bateson, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Mr. Chandra Lal, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Mr. Akibombo, a student resident at Hickory Road †¢ Maria, the cook at Hickory Road †¢ Geronimo, Maria’s husband

Character, Morals, Integrity Essay -- Values Argumentative Essays

Character, Morals, Integrity Morals, character, integrity, what do these words mean†¦.actually, the question is, do you have them. A man named Dwight Moody once said, â€Å"Character is what you are in the dark.† You cannot see your morals, character, or integrity, these are only shown as your values. Someone could only show their own values, which are very important to themselves and everyone else. Integrity is the firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. The way you show your integrity, character, and morals or how they are effect you in either a negative or positive way. There are many causes to how your values are. So as you know, integrity is very important and it is important to have it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, people may ask, â€Å"What are morals, character, and integrity,† but they should know that they are mainly the same thing. Character means moral or ethical strength, or as H. Jackson Browne once said, â€Å"Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.† John Wooden said that everyone should, â€Å"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.† Morals are rules or habits of conduct with reference of standards of right and wrong. Socrates once said, â€Å"Moral philosophy is hard thought about right action.† Paul Tillich stated that, â€Å"Morality is not a subject, it is a life put to the test in dozens of moments.† Integrity is the...

What Problems Did Hispanics Blacks Women Face 1940-60

What problems did Hispanics, Native Americans and women face in 1945 and how far had these been overcome by 1968 World War Two has often been described as a turning point in the battle for equality between men and women. From the beginning, women were always struggling to gain status, respect, and rights in their society. Prior to World War Two, a woman's role in society was seen as someone who cooked, cleaned, and gave birth. The years during and following the war marked a turning point in the battle for equality.Women, for once, were being seen as individuals with capabilities outside the kitchen, and we're for the first time given a chance to prove themselves. On December 7, 1942, Pearl Harbour was bombed and FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) declared war. This marked the entry of the US into World War Two, a war which has been going on in Europe for almost 2 years prior. The start of World War II opened a new chapter in the lives of women living in America. From coast to coast, husband s, fathers, sons and brothers were shipped out to fight in Europe.With the entry of the US and the absence of large quantities of men, the demand for supplies increased, and women were called out of the kitchen and into the workforce. Posters, banners, and jingles were all aspects that helped encourage women's entrance into the workforce. Millions marched into factories, offices, and military bases. The demand for labour was so great, that a poll taken that year showed that only 13% of the population opposed females entering the workforce. Women's occupations varied from war nurses and cooking for the army, to making bombs and making weapons.Other occupations flourished, as well. Women photographers, writers, and reports were for once given a chance. The war offered women opportunity never given to them before. The war has given women a chance to show what they can do in the world, and they have done well. Women were given freedom and a chance to live the American dream. However the Allies' final push in the summer of 1945 brought World War II to a close. With the end of the war, came the pressure for females to return to where they belong. All the women who took jobs during the war were now all expected to make room for the returning men.The returning veterans were all unemployed and in need of work. The government's solution to the problem was to force women out of their jobs in order to make room for the men. The same as they were encouraged into the labour force, they were encouraged out of it. Posters, movies, and articles were posted to help push females to leave their jobs and return to their homes. Despite the pressure, women were not so quick to return to the kitchen. They were for the first time, given freedom, and allowed a chance. Women across the nation were less than willing to give it back and return to their old way of life.Women began questioning the role they played in society, and began demanding equal opportunities. The 1960s was a major pe riod of gaining equality for women. Various acts were passed in order to help the woman’s cause. Through various struggles and battles, the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, which prohibited wage discrimination based on one’s sex. In addition, the Civil Rights Act was passed the following year, which further extended the laws prohibiting one’s occupation due to sex, by also prohibiting wage discrimination, job classification, promotion, and training.Women’s battle for equality also existed outside the workforce. During the late 1960s, women fought for equal rights anyway they knew how. They wanted to end discrimination not only at work, but at home, and in every part of their society. To accomplish this, women began to take place in marches and spoke out against inequality. Individual women worked hard to achieve their goal. Esther Peterson, director of the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor, with the help of President John F. Kennedy, helpe d approve the Equal Rights Amendment.Also, other activities helped the fight for equality. Betty Friedan, the first President of NOW (National Organisation for Women), became one of the most influential activists of her time. She led a highly publicized campaign in order to pass an amendment to guarantee equal rights for both men and women. In addition, Friedan was the author of The Feminine Mystique, a book that spoke of the idea that women could find happiness outside their homes, and within their careers. By the 1970s, women achieved some victories, but the fight was far from over.Today, almost 64 million women, almost 16 and over, and about 46% of the workforce is composed of women. Hispanics came home from World War II to a different struggle. A Medal of Honour for bravery didn’t guarantee service in certain restaurants and a soldier’s body in a coffin with an American flag for his widow didn’t merit admission to some funeral homes. Hispanics weren’t segregated in the service, as African Americans were. The Hispanics earned 13 of the 301 medals of honour awarded. But still Hispanics did face discrimination.Back home in Texas, two of those medal recipients were denied service in restaurants. Returning veterans also found public swimming pools, schools and housing segregated in some communities, especially in the Southwest and California. They did not face as harsh a living as African Americans but still fought substantial racism. Fast-forward to 1965, since the end of the war Hispanic children fail to gain as good an education as your average white boy, many grew up in extreme poverty with parents working in the Californian farming industry.The California farming business was worth over $4 billion at the time. Hispanics working in this field were only able to work around 134 day every year during the harvest period and when they weren’t working they weren’t getting paid. They gained a false reputation for being laz y from white Californians, when the actually worked very hard making the best out of what they had. The problem was farming unions had no legal protection at the time and so their fight against injustice was at a standstill.The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) was formed in 1962 by Cesar Chavez, this union became very popular and it organise ‘La Huelga;’ this was a mass walk out from the farms that involved 10000 Hispanics. Unfortunately it took 5 years (1970) to achieve anything, but it was a start. Some 44,000 Native Americans served in the United States military during World War II. American Indian veterans encountered varying degrees of success in re-entering civilian life after World War II. Some returned to the reservation, where economic opportunities were bleak. World War II changed both the Indians and the reservation.Following the war, veterans returned unwilling to accept the secondary status assigned to them by the larger society. They faced discrimi nation in housing, employment, education, land rights, water rights, and voting. In many states, it was illegal for Indians to purchase or consume alcohol. Yet many of the veterans had found that while in the military they were able to purchase and consume alcohol with no legal difficulties both on the bases and while on furlough in foreign countries. Many returned home wanting this same freedom as civilians in the United States.Veterans received readjustment checks of $20 a week for 52 weeks while unemployed, and were eligible for G. I. Bill benefits, including free high school and college education, and low-cost mortgages. Veterans moved to cities; the Indian population in urban centers more than doubled (from 24,000 to 56,000) from 1941 to 1950. Some veterans, like Abel in the novel House Made of Dawn, moved to California cities only to experience little success there. More than three thousand Indians each lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles after the war; fewer than five hund red, or a sixth of them, were able to find steady jobs.Tellingly, the median income for urban male Indians was $1,198 a year, in contrast to $3,780 for the white male population. Native Americans joined the United States' call to fight Communism and participated in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Between 10,000 to 15,000 Native Americans served in the Korean War, while approximately 14,500 Native Americans served in the Vietnam War. Once again Native Americans returned from these wars to find discrimination with regards to finding a job and trying to earn a fair wage.In conclusion both Women, Hispanics and Native Americans had made strides towards overcoming their post-war problems by 1968, but some were more successful than others. Women were more common place in the work place by 1968 but nothing like today, they still faced discrimination with regards to wages and opportunity’s. Even though they were helped by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banning discrimination in the work pl ace, there were loopholes and statistically you were still more likely to get a job if you were male. An act to guarantee equal rights for women was not passed until 1972, it was called ‘The Equal Rights Amendment. The Feminine Mystique is a nonfiction book by Betty Friedan first published in 1963. It is widely credited with sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States. This phenomenally popular book may have been the inspiration for Women all over America to leave their kitchen and become more independent. Hispanics and Native Americans were helped massively with the civil Rights Act of 1964 which ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public.Unfortunately there was still a learned racist attitude towards ethnic groups in America, however it cannot be measured how many years this attitude took to wear off. In 1968 we saw America learning i ts newer more modern stance on different ethnicities and women which we can see today. This was Mainly due to the approval of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 witch was probably the most important act passed in American history with regard to equality.

Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay

In Arthur Millers play The Crucible Abigail Williams, an unmarried orphan in the Massachusetts town of Salem, incessantly grows more jealous, her desire for vengeance only grows stronger, and her selfishness escalates. She repeatedly lies to save herself by denying her involvement in witchcraft. Abigails Jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor intensifies in attempt to realize her desire for Elizabeths husband John Proctor. In order to save herself she accuses the innocent, without any sense of ethical violation. Abigail proves to be a selfish antagonist in The Crucible that shows no sense of right and wrong. Abigail is a liar. She immediately rejects all association between herself and witchcraft. When Abigails uncle, reverend†¦show more content†¦In sum Abigail is a conniver willing to lie to get herself out of trouble. Abigail is a highly jealous character, concentrating her jealousy on Elizabeth Proctor. This jealousy is driven by lust and her desire for John Proctor. Abigail served as a servant in the Proctor household and after an affair with her husband John, Elizabeth fired her. She still resents Elizabeth for this as she is still in love with John. She clearly says to John, You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! Abigail is still in love with John and she assumes the converse. Her love for John only causes her resentment for Elizabeth to strengthen. She hates John Proctors wife and in her conniving ways she attempts to inspire the same views of Elizabeth in Johns mind. Saying things to him such as, She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me, She is a cold, sniveling woman. Abigail fabricates stories in attempt to steel John from Elizabeth. She is a manipulative liar that does and says as she pleases in order to get what s he wants. Abigail is not only a liar she is selfish. She tells lies that hurt others in order to help herself and she is devious. In the court room she announces, I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil, I saw him, I wrote in his book, I go back to Jesus, I kiss His hand. I saw SarahShow MoreRelatedAbigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay1710 Words   |  7 PagesAnalyse the ways in which Miller presents the character of Abigail Williams? During this essay I will introduce the main points involved in answering the proposed question. I will explore the certain aspects of Abigail’s personality and how it is an important role in portraying her reasons for her actions. I will also analyse the ways in which Abigail’s personality changes through the progression of the play. I will sum up which points have a bigger effect on her intentions and motivations andRead MoreEssay on Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller822 Words   |  4 PagesArthur Millers play, The Crucible, is about the persecution of people falsely accused of being witches or believing in witches in Salem. Many people die in the village after a series of lies and unjust practices. Abigail Williams, after having had an affair with Proctor, begins this cycle of lies to make her feel more important in Salem. Her character includes both superiority and resentment throughout the play so far and the way she does it shows that she is rebell ing against the compressed societyRead MoreAnalysis Of Abigail Williams In The Crucible By Arthur Miller886 Words   |  4 PagesArthur Miller’s timeless play, The Crucible, is based off the Salem witch trials that took place in the 1600’s. 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Miller wants to make the point that the theme of Lies and Deceits makes people lie to benefit themselves