Preparation Stpm free essay sample

FourThe Boscombe Valley Mystery Synopsis Sherlock Holmes arrives in Boscombe Valley with Mr Watson from London to investigate the horrid death of Mr Charles McCarthy, who was supposedly murdered by his son, James. Charles McCarthy is an Australian, who later settles in Boscombe Valley. Charles McCarthy’s family lives on the estate of Mr John Turner, in Boscombe Valley, near Ross-on-Wye. No one knows anything much about Turner, who is also from Australia and had come to England twenty years before. Turner has an eighteen-year-old daughter, Alice, and Charles has a son, James. Both McCarthy’s wife and Turner’s wife are dead. Charles wants his son, James to marry Alice. Although James loves Alice, he cannot marry her as he is already married to a barmaid. However, John Turner does not want his daughter to marry James. He becomes very ill after the murder of Charles and does not have long to live. We will write a custom essay sample on Preparation Stpm or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page James is arrested as he is the main suspect in the murder of his father, Charles. Inspector Lestrade thinks James is guilty but Alice thinks he is innocent. Alice sends Holmes a telegram asking for his help in proving James’ innocence. Holmes and Watson go to Boscombe Valley to investigate the murder. Holmes visits James in prison to find out his version of the story. Then, Holmes and Watson meet Inspector Lestrade at Boscombe Pool the following day to look for more clues. Holmes is sure that Charles knew his murderer. He finds two sets of footprints which he thinks belong to James and the gamekeeper, Me Moran. The third set of footprints is very unusual because†¦ . The rest of the story describes how Holmes solves the mystery and discovers who the murderer really is. Based on The Boscombe Valley Mystery written by Arthur Conan Doyle, write on an important theme. Give evidence from the text to support your answer. One of the important themes in the story The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the virtue of loyalty to friends. Loyalty to friends includes being truthful and honest to friends as well as being true to our words. James’ problem in his relationship with Alice lies in his reluctance to be truthful to her. He does not reveal his marriage to a bar lady to Alice. This causes a lot of heartache between them. Charles McCarthy promises to keep the secret about Turner’s past but breaks his promises and blackmails him instead. His tragic end was the result of his failure to be true to his words. Holmes in the other hand, highlights the theme of loyalty between friends. Though he was a mere acquaintance to Turner, he promises him to destroy the letter where Turner confesses his crime if James is acquitted. Write a summary of the story The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Watson and Holmes go to Boscombe Valley to investigate a murder. The victim is Charles McCarthy. The son of the victim, James, is in prison as he is the main suspect. While the police think James is guilty, Alice Turner is sure he is innocent. Holmes interviews people and searches for clues to help him solve the case. Holmes finally finds the real murderer and James is released. Write about an important lesson you have learnt from the story The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Support your answer with evidence from the text. The lesson I have learnt from The Boscombe Valley Mystery is that crime does not pay. A person who commits a crime will eventually be found out and brought to justice, just like John Turner. I have also learnt that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Another important lesson from the story is that we must be persistent and determined in the search for the truth. Sherlock Holmes interviewed many witnesses and searched for clues in order to help him solve the case. Without his help, James Turner would has been found guilty of a crime that he did not commit. Write about a character that you find most interesting. Support your answer with evidence from the novel. The character in the Boscombe Valley Mystery I find the most interesting is definitely Dr. Watson. He is a loyal companion of detective Sherlock Holmes. He agreed to help Sherlock Holmes although he had a lot of patients to see. He is also very punctual. Although he had only half an hour to get ready, he was at the station on time. Apart from that he is very observant. He notices some unusual footprints at the pool. Watson’s notes about the injury the murder victim had sustained which is a blow to the left side of the head actually prompted Holmes to realise that the killer was left-handed, which allowed him to narrow the list of suspects. He is also a concerned man. He asks Alice about her father’s condition. He is also helpful. He brings the pen and paper for John turner to write the confession. Do you think the ending of the story is appropriate? Give reason for your answer. The ending in the story The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle is appropriate. At the end of the story John Turner realizes that it is wrong to take matters into his own hands. However evil Charles McCarthy was, he should not have committed the crime of killing him and he realized that crime does not pay. In his confession to Holmes, John Turner admits that he and Charles were enemies since they were in Australia. He explains that he was a member of the Ballarat Gang, a group of robbers in Australia. He and his gang had robbed a gold convoy in which Charles was the wagon driver. At that time, he had spared Charles’ life. Turner became rich and moved to England and turned over a new leaf. Unfortunately for him, he bumped into the driver of the stage coach he robbed, Charles McCarthy, who knew his past and the man blackmailed him. Henceforth, Turner has no peace because Charles continues to demand for money. He threatens to reveal his identity if Turner refuses to give in to his demands. Charles even demands the marriage of James and Alice so that James would inherit Turner’s wealth. Unable to withstand it any longer, Turner kills Charles. After committing the crime, he becomes very ill. Seven month later, Turner dies. The ending shows that although Turner resolves to leave his past behind and start a new life, he cannot escape from his misdeeds. Retribution comes in the form of Charles McCarthy. He commits yet another crime when he kills Charles. In order to save James, he leaves a latter with Holmes confessing his crime. Synopsis A man named Charles McCarthy has been murdered. McCarthy was killed by a blow to the back of the head while standing next to Boscombe Pool. Witnesses saw McCarthy walking towards the pool, followed quickly by his son, James; they also saw the two of them fighting violently. James is found near the body of his father with blood on his hands. Inspector Lestrade, the Scotland Yard officer who loves giving Holmes a hard time, is sure that James is guilty. But Holmes keeps defending James: after all, he notes, â€Å"Cooee† is an Australian cry, and McCarthy’s last words weren’t â€Å"a rat† but â€Å"Ballarat,† an Australian city name. Fortunately, James’s case is dismissed due to lack of evidence, James marries Miss Turner, and John Turner takes his secret to the grave seven months later.