Thursday, October 31, 2019

What do you consider is the function of metamorphosis in the Angela Essay

What do you consider is the function of metamorphosis in the Angela Carter collection (The Bloody Chamber) - Essay Example In other words, metamorphosis functions to transform fairy tales from a male oriented reading to that of a female oriented reading. Fairy tales have notoriously depicted male dominance over women. Carter resorts to gender metamorphosis in that she liberates women and stresses the female sexual liberation and desire and reverses conventional feminine and masculine roles. In doing so, Carter unveils repressed female sexuality and sexism and the male dominated construction of the female self (Makinen 1996, p. 41). The Bloody Chambers The Bloody Chamber is based on the fairy tale Bluebeard. The original tale, Bluebeard did not give voice to the female protagonist’s own feelings and thoughts relative to her own tumultuous marriage (Roemer and Bacchilega 2001, p. 94). In Carter’s metamorphic retelling of Bluebeard in The Bloody Chamber, Carter’s female protagonist comes across as poignantly informed and instructed by the experience of her marriage (Carter 1993). Not on ly is this purely female perspective told in the first person narrative, but delivered in a direct and informative manner. Carter’s The Bloody Chamber immediately informs that the narrator is a female whose metamorphosis from girl to woman has resulted in an informed and mature woman with a voice and feelings. The short story opens with the female protagonist’s reflection of her journey to womanhood. She recalls with â€Å"excitement† that is likened to: The train that bore me through the night, away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother’s apartment, into the unguessable country of marriage (Carter 1993, p. 7). Carter masterfully, lets the female protagonist narrate the fairy tale from her own perspective and by taking this approach, she is transformed into a sympathetic character. The original tale may have conjured up images of the perpetuated image of the female as the biblical Eve: an object of temptation (Roemer and Bacchilega 2001, p. 94). Carter’s metamorphic depiction, allows for a revisionist version of conventional perspectives entrenched in Christian presentations of the Eve myth. Carter presents a strong female and invites a more positive perspective on the Eve myth. As Roemer and Bacchilega (2001) puts it: Carter’s literary revision of Bluebeard undercuts the Christian doctrine of original sin. Her heroine’s agonizing ordeal, so similar to Eve’s, is portrayed as a necessary and bold initiation into self and worldly knowledge rather than as an act of foolish disobedience (p. 95). In the original fairy tale, Bluebeard’s female protagonist marries an older man who subsequently takes a leave of absence. Before leaving he gives his bride the keys to the palace and instructs that she may have access to all the rooms in the palace, save for one. The bride however, soon gives into temptation and enters the forbidden room. In doing so she finds the corpses of her husband’s previous wives. Despite the fact that the bride is shaken by the discovery, the tale presents her as inconsequential and disobedient. She apparently experiences no self-growth as a result of this experience (Roemer and Bacchilega 2001, p. 96). In Carter’s metamorphic depiction of Bluebeard, the female protagonist has a voice and is not inconsequential. Carter’

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Organizational Behavior Analysis Proposal for McDonald's Essay

Organizational Behavior Analysis Proposal for McDonald's - Essay Example McDonald is not living up to its stated set of vision and values. The company allegedly uses unethical methods to make increased profits at the expense of customers’ health and social condition of the employees. McDonald has also been criticized for targeting children with their advertisements by exposing them to unhealthy eating habits. This has contributed to the high levels of obesity and other health complications. The company has also been accused of passing their French fries as vegetarian, whereas they add beef broth. The company has failed to provide nutrition information about its food products to the public. The company has also contributed to environmental degradation. An organization named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has accused the company of using cruel means when slaughtering chicken (Derdak 107). The analysis also involves analyzing organizational factors that have an influence on individual behaviors. The big five personality trait can be used to analyze individuals within the organization. The big five personality traits include extraversion, which refers to a person who is talkative social and assertive. Agreeableness describes a cooperative, trustworthy and accomplished person. Conscientiousness refers to a person who is responsible, orderly, and dependable. Neuroticism describes a person who is anxious and is prone to depression and worries. Openness means a person is imaginative and independent minded. Personality in organization analysis refers to individual and group level performance. A personality trait such as cooperative or deviant behavior and performance affects the overall performance of an organization.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Classifications Of Business To Consumer Information Technology Essay

Classifications Of Business To Consumer Information Technology Essay Emergence of internet over the past few years has changed the trends of business world at exponential rate. Now world has become a Global Village which means what used to be a single physical market place located in one geographical area has now become a border-less marketplace, attracting customers and businesses from all over the world. It provides businesses with many advantages for instance setting up an online business is less costly since it doesnt require physical infrastructure for a shop, a business can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, these long working hours helps businesses generating more profits. It also offers businesses to try new product lines and marketing strategies in cost effective way. The biggest advantage of online business is that even small businesses can compete with international corporations since consumers cannot figure out the actual size of firm. E-commerce can be defined in different ways: E-commerce refers to various online commercial activities focusing on commodity exchanges by electronic means, internet in particular. Zheng Qin (2009) , Introduction to e commerce, Page 7 E-COMMERCE refers to the paperless exchange of business information using electronic data interchange, electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, electronic funds transfer, world wide web, and other network-based technologies. E-COMMERCE, The Cutting Edge of Business , Second Edition (2005) by Kamlesh K Bajaj and Debjani Nag E-COMMERCE is the use of telecommunications and computers to facilitate the trade of goods and services E-commerce by S. Pankaj (2005) page 3 Types of E-commerce There are Four Main Types Of E-commerce Model: 1) Business to Business (B2B) B2B can be define as commerce transactions between businesses, such as transactions between a wholesaler and retailer. 2) Business to Consumer (B2C) As discussed in class lecture, B2C refers to a commerce transaction between business and individual rather then a company or Businesses selling to the general public for example Dell computer which sells directly to general public through website. 3) Consumer to Business( C2B) C2B is a reverse form of business to consumer, in C2B the commerce transaction take place between consumer and business, for instance Elance.com, which allow individuals to place their requirements on a website within hours companies review the project and make bids on a project then consumer review the bids and select the company with most suitable bid. 4) Consumer to Consumer (C2C) C2C is simply a commerce transaction between consumer to consumer, manay auctions webistes allow consumers to interact with other consumers to buy and sell all sort of items for example Ebay.com, Amazon.com. Above mentioned types of E-commerce clearly shows that electronic commerce is becoming the back bone of transactions at every level for both businesses and consumers. The impact of this emerging trend has changed the fundamentals of supply chain management by redefining the way in which consumers select, purchase and use products and services. E-commerce has also provided companies with opportunity to work more closer to customers what we call consumers intimacy which allow companies to shape their innovation process with changing demand of consumers. Classifications of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce: As described by Deborah Morley Charles S. Parker(2010) With the business to consumer model, businesses sell goods or services to individual consumers. The B2C model was one of the first major types of e-commerce business models to be defined and implemented using the Web. Some example of B2C businesses include Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Overstock.com, and BestBuy.com. There are two main types of B2C E-Commerce: 1) Direct Sellers Direct Sellers are those companies which provide products or services directly to consumers. The important factors that contribute towards the success of B2C e-commerce are Direct Selling experience and consumers database. There is a limit to amount of information that can be communicated through catalogs but internet offers a powerful medium by which direct sellers can provide consumers with thousands of products with detailed description and high-quality visuals. Example: Dell Computers 2) Online Intermediaries Online intermediaries are companies that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers and receive a percentage of the transactions value. For examples Internet Service Providers( ISP). Supply Chain Management An electronic alternative to the traditional paper chain, providing companies with a smarter, faster, more efficient way to get the right product to the right customer at the right time and price. Combines the power of the Internet with the latest technology, enabling participating suppliers to access up-to-date company information and enabling companies to better manage and track supply and demand http://www.geemultimedia.com.au/glossary.asp IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE ON AIRLINE INDUSTRY: The blessings of Internet have been observed the most by Airline Industry and as a result of it Airline ticket sales now comprise of the largest portion of all product sales made online. This is because e-ticketing is beneficial for both the airlines as well as the travelers. Traditionally the only options available to a passenger were either to buy tickets from a travel agency or from airport. But now with the advent of Internet, airlines have used tool like e-distribution system. An airlines costs can be divided into following two parts: Direct Operating Costs- which includes aircraft, its fuel and salaries of the staff Indirect Operating Costs- which is the distribution cost. The direct operating cost will remain more or less fixed while there is room for saving on indirect cost. This is where e-commerce can play an important role by integrating all business units and efficiently managing logistics. The major components of indirect cost for airline industry includes Sales office, Reservation system ,Travel agent fees,Ticketing fees Promotion and advertisements. Previously, airlines payed commissions to travel agents for selling their tickets, in addition money was also spent on setting up of sales office and staff salaries. Extra capital was used for printing and issuing of tickets. To cut down the operating cost airlines had to turn to e-ticketing to limit their sales offices and reduce their dependency on sales agents. Every airline has now setup their own website offering online booking facility. This also allow Airlines to promote different marketing strategies through web site which gives them more chance to attract new customers. Through the use of e-commerce and development of websites airlines has integrated all the parties involve in a business process for instance tourism business industry can link up with airline website using the integrated information system so that they can get the real time data through share database about the customers booking for their hotel along with the airline tickets. Online sells has also extended the business hours for airlines since customers can do online bookings round the clock and thus throughout the year. While passengers have the luxury of scheduling their own flight in a matter of few clicks saving both time and money. Conclusion: E-commerce has revolutionized the business models. Trading online enables businesses to reach much wider audience while cutting the costs of traditional retailing methods. It also provide businesses with long working hours and minimum human capital. E-commerce allows businesses to better understand and meet the demands of customers, working more closely with them by managing databases, resulting in better supply chain management activities and efficient logistics. E-commerce has also changed the way customers learn , select, purchase and use products and services, providing them with more personalized experience ever and by cutting the middle man out businesses have provide consumers with fast processing and close interaction with company.

Friday, October 25, 2019

America’s Schools Need Character Education Essay -- Education Reform Es

A question that often finds itself as the focus of curriculum debates and school planning discussions is that of moral and character development. Does character development have a place in our schools? Should public schools take the responsibility of educating students on morality? The answer is complex and has a multitude of sides and opinions. In a way, however, schools already educate students on what to believe and how to behave. By excluding the history of the "other" Americans, such as people of color, women, and homosexuals, and focusing instead of the failures and successes of those of European descent, our schools already instill a distinct vision of who and what we are supposed to be. The white Protestant male’s vision of history and view of the world tends to be placed into the text -books and overall teachings of public schools in the United States. A very real example of this bias can be seen in the teaching of Thanksgiving. A holiday celebrated universally through all religions gives educators in public schools the opportunity to discuss and rejoice in the day with classroom activities and parties. Neglected from the Thanksgiving lesson, however, is the plight of the Native American who lost land and life when the Puritan settlers landed. Although moral education differs from multicultural education, they have points that intertwine. To me, the goals of character and moral education are to open up the minds of children and encourage an acceptance of others different from themselves. One of the most important pieces to moral education is fostering respect. Through development of respect and understanding of difference and humanity in general, perhaps much of the hate and intolerance that occurs in our society pres... ...dence Institute [on-line]. http://i2iorg/Publications/Op-Eds/Education/itselementary.htm Petrovic, J.E. (1999). Moral Democratic Education and Homosexuality: Censoring Morality.[Electronic Copy] Journal of Moral Education: 28, 201-210. Pierce, K. (1999). It’s Elementary: The New Gay Public Education Outreach. NLJ On-Line. http://www.liberty.edu/chancellor/nlj/July1999/Gay1.htm. Simonds, F. (2001). CEE Strategy. Citizens for Excellence in Education [on-line]. http://www.webcom.com/webcee/ceestrategy.htm. Stoltenberg, J. (1989). Refusing to Be A Man: Essays on Sex and Justice. London: UCL Press. Teaching Tolerance Project. (1997). Starting Small: Teaching Tolerance in Preschool and the Early Grades. Montgomery, Alabama: Southern Poverty Law Center. Teaching Tolerance. (2001). Ten Ways to Fight Hate. [on-line]. http://www.Tolerance .org/10_ways/teach/index.html

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Gender Identity Disorder

Gender Identity Disorder/Gender Dysphoria Gender identity disorder (GID) or transsexualism is defined by strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one’s own assigned sex. (â€Å"Psychology Today†) Due to a recent change to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, â€Å"Gender Identity Disorder† will be replaced with â€Å"Gender Dysphoria†. For the purpose of this paper those two terms will be interchangeable.This paper will explore the symptoms that lead to a gender identity disorder diagnosis as well as the treatment process and obstacles a person with this disorder may face. It is a difficult process and is not something somebody would endure unless they truly believed they were meant to be the opposite sex. Symptoms of a person with gender dysphoria can vary from person to person but there is certain criterion that must be met in order to obtain that diagnosis from a licensed pr ofessional.Some of the criteria in children includes; Repeated expressed desire to be the opposite sex or that they are the opposite sex, discomfort and/or disgust of own gentiles, cross-dressing for boys or masculine attire for girls, prolonged preference for cross-sex roles in play and games or fantasies of being the opposite sex, desire to only have friends of the opposite sex and belief they will grow up to be the opposite sex. The symptoms for an adult with gender dysphoria is somewhat different because they are of age and able to effectively communicate thoughts and desires.Some of these symptoms include persistent discomfort with current sex, stated desire to be the opposite sex, frequent attempts to pass as the opposite sex, desire to get rid of gentiles, social isolation, depression and anxiety. The only way for a proper diagnosis is to be evaluated by a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in gender identity issues. Once a diagnosis is reached what is treatment l ike? Treatment includes counseling, group and individual, hormone therapy, and if chosen, gender reassignment surgery. Individual, group, family, and couples counseling can ll be necessary to help not only the GID patient cope and come to terms with the person they feel they were always meant to be. There is also a network of people that surround that person that will also be affected by this diagnosis and decision. Individual therapy is suggested for the person who is gender dysphoric and mandatory if they want to take further steps in treatment (hormone therapy, reassignment surgery). Group counseling has also been found to be of great benefit. It gives the GID patient the ability to explore the diagnosis in a safe environment with peer’s similar situations.Family counseling for family members that are involved in that person’s life, and if in a relationship couples counseling could also be a useful tool. Hormone treatment is used to enable a safe gender transition, both physical and emotional. It is usually part of a multi-stage process that can also include Real Life Experience (cross dressing), hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery. But it must be noted that some individuals opt to stop with hormone therapy and not go on to change their anatomy permanently.Hormone therapy is when sex hormones are administered to bring out secondary sexual characteristics. For example a male who desired to be female would be administered estrogen and a female who desired to be male would be administered testosterone to enhance sexual characteristics of the opposite sex Sex reassignment surgery, gender reassignment surgery is a procedure that changes a person’s external genital organs from those of one gender to those of the other. (Frey, 2006) A person must be deemed a transsexual with gender dysphoria before reassignment surgery is even considered.A transsexual is a person with gender identity disorder who has overwhelming desire to change a natomic sex. (Ford-Martin, 2011) Other criteria may include recommendation by 2 mental health specialists trained in gender identity issues or sometimes a team of specialists, undergone hormone therapy successfully for at least one year, living â€Å"real life†/ cross-dressing for a minimum of a year, deemed emotionally stable and medically healthy or at least existing conditions being treated and controlled. Whatever treatment is chosen is just the beginning of the journey.There are many ramifications a person with gender dysphoria faces; psychological, social, and religious. According to local psychologist Dr. Gerald Ramsey, Ph. D. in his book â€Å"Trans-Sexuals Candid Answers To Private Questions† he states â€Å"Transsexuals from some religious backgrounds have grown up with the admonition that homosexuality is a mortal sin, punishable by fire and brimstone. These individuals believe they are putting at risk the future of their souls – facing not just the loss of family and friends, but the ultimate judgment of God, which may include spiritual annihilation.To confront, explore and challenge such beliefs takes incredible personal energy and faith. † (Ramsey, 1996) As you can see a diagnosis of gender dysphoria affects all aspects of life from potential loss of friends and family to learning to interact and live as the â€Å"real you†. In this paper we discussed the symptoms of a person with gender identity disorder or gender dysphoria. We also went through the different courses of treatment related to this disorder as well as the potential obstacles encountered.The process is life changing and isn’t something taken lightly. Bibliography Gender identity, disorder diagnosis dictionary. (2005, 10 24). Retrieved from http://www. psychologytoday. com/conditions/gender-identity-disorder Frey, R. (2006). J. Polsdorfer (Ed. ), Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (3rd ed. ). Ford-Martin, P. (2011). L. Fundukian (Ed. ), Gale Encyc lopedia of Medicine (4th ed. , Vol. 3). Ramsey, G. (1996). Tras-sexuals- candid answers to private questions. (p. 80). Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Novel of Daily Experiences and Environment

Charles Dickens was an influential writer born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. His father, John Dickens, was a minor clerk in the navy offices, a friendly man with a large family (Charles was the second of eight children) and they did not receive a very high income. The family drifted from one poor home in London to another, each worse than the last one. Soon Charles' father and family ended up in the Marshalsea Prison because they were deep in debt. This left young Charles working in a dirty, broken-down warehouse, living in a garret, visiting his family in prison on Sundays if he could, and feeling that his life was shattered before it had ever even begun. Then an unexpected inheritance, that had finally come after a long time, restored the family to an average lifestyle, and Charles had a few nice, quiet years at a private school. Charles later made his father into one of the characters in a book he wrote. His father was represented as Mr. Micawber. Charles did this because of the great love and affection that he held for his father. When his own rising fortune and fame made Charles in charge of a great newspaper, he put his father on the staff to have control over the dispatches and bought him a small country house. Dickens' mother ,however, was unsympathetic and unconscious of his genius. She meant much less to him than his father, and it didn't help when she strongly disapproved of his leaving work to go to school. He made her into the character of Mrs. Nickleby. A few years of secondary school was Charles' only education where he was actually in a classroom reading books taught to him by a teacher. His real education came from his reading, observations, and daily experiences. Except for the English novels of the 18th century, he knew hardly anything of great literature. And he knew practically nothing about history and foreign politics. His novels all deal with his own day's experiences, his surroundings, and they take place in his own time. There are only two exceptions, his two historical novels ‘A Tale of Two Cities' and ‘Barnaby Rudge. These two novels were set in the recent past of the French Revolution and the Gordon Riots. By teaching himself shorthand, Dickens obtained the position of court reporter in the old Doctors' Commons. This experience gave him a peculiar dislike of law that never left him. He also went to other cities and towns to report election speeches, transcribing his notes on the palm of his hand. This experience gave him a detailed and sometimes cynical view of government. He often put such feelings of his into his works. Charles Dickens was drawn to acting. He loved the stage, the acters, the plays, and everything else that went with it. For many nights he would sit awake almost mesmerized by the dramas he had seen that day in the London theatre. He was very interested in all of the love, treachery, and battles in the plays. These melodramas affected Charles deeply, and he never forgot them for the remainder of his life. His intense concentration and curiosity on the subject of acting helped to give him that quality in his writing, which is known by some to be almost hypnotic, that so many people enjoy. As we all know, Charles Dickens never did follow his passion and become an actor, but fate led him in a different direction to that of a writer, his other talent and passion. He turned in stories under a false name, â€Å"Boz†, to an editor. When one finally was published, Charles was overjoyed. He sent in more and soon had an agreement where he would be payed about seventy dollars for each monthly installment of his humorous literature. This was called the ‘Pickwick Papers'. The week they were released Charles was married to one of the daughters of a newspaper associate of his, named Catherine Hogarth. They did not love each other very much, for although Charles was a genius, he was also a bit self-conceited. The ‘Pickwick Papers' did not do well at first, but as Charles added more and more unique characters, new scenes, and twisting plots that were all based on his imagination, they started to sell. â€Å"Boz† was rising in the world to the height of success in only a few years because of the ‘Pickwick Papers' and the books that followed, such as ‘Oliver Twist', ‘Nicholas Nickleby', ‘Old Curiosity Shop', and ‘Barnaby Rudge. ‘ He was no longer a poor boy, but a wealthy, famous, married man. He had conquered England. Now there was America, a whole new land who had never heard of Charles Dickens and was just waiting to be subjected to his writings and works. So Charles started to let them know. America had welcomed his books from the start, mostly because of the lack of international copyright that permitted American publishers to print his novels without paying him. One other reason that he wanted to move on to America was that Charles was, in his youth, a radical who hated Toryism and aristocracy. Therefore, he longed to study America and its freedom first hand. Leaving their four children at home, he landed with his wife in Boston in January 1842. The town welcomed him with open arms, and he attended many parties, dinners, and receptions. Many thrilled people were often praising him, and he loved the adulation and admiration. Here he made many friendships that he never lost, even when he found out that America wasn't as great as he had thought it to be in the beginning. After Boston, he traveled on to New York, then Philadelphia, and then Baltimore and Washington. In all places he was treated as royalty, receptions and crowds waited to meet him at every stop. He even met the President and the Congress. Always ready to raise his voice in defense of a cause he believed in, Charles spoke everywhere of the need for an international copyright agreement that would protect the rights of both American and British writers. He felt that it was unfair and unjust that American publishers should print and sell his or anyone else's books without permission from him and without paying him any royalties. Charles Dickens, although, did not speak of himself as the only victim of this practice. He pointed out that all British writers deserved this right. Also he acknowledged that American writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe, suffered from the illegal selling or reproducing of their works in England. The newspapers in America were appalled by these statements and accused Charles Dickens of bad taste and of abusing American hospitality. In time Charles' view of America as a great country faded. One of his writings, called the ‘American Notes', revealed his views on this and showed his disgust of America. Everything he had seen before of America now seemed different, his views changed on everything he laid eyes on. In Charles' new viewpoint, Americans all seemed to chew tobacco. And they kept slaves, whom he was constantly comparing with the factory slaves of England. To him the American Government seemed to be full of nothing but fraud, trickery, and cheating. Then he traveled West, traveling as far as Cairo, Illinois. His vision of the West contained nothing but foul and reeking canal boats, dank swamps, loud bullfrogs, and that horrible tobacco juice. He refused to see the beauty of America, the hard work that settlers had done to make it what it had become, to give it it's government and to produce the goods that came rom it's factories. He had become impatient, irritable, and cross. No one could please him. After spending a short time in Canada with his friends, he left headed back to England where he would damage the credit and reputation of America in his writings. The years that followed Charles' return from America were filled with more activity, fame, and success than in the early stages of his life. In 1851 he made a grand home at Tavistock Square and lived in great style. His friends were the leading artists, authors, and actors of the day. Later on, he purchased a large country house at Gad's Hill. This had been a dream of his ever since his childhood. His novels, which now were appearing in continual monthly episodes, were very popular. Their success, when looking like it was about to be diminished, only rised to fame once again. Most people think that ‘David Copperfield' was the best of his works at this time. Through all of Charles Dickens' works of sadness and those of joy, people saw the difference between the ones when he was young and carefree, to those of his more serious middle aged years. Soon, Charles became dissatisfied with his writing. He wanted more. He decided that what he wanted to do was become a newspaper editor. This way, he could reform all of England. When he told his friends of the idea, they enthusiastically took their money and founded the Daily News. In January of 1846 gave himself the job of editor, but after only nineteen days of the work, he quit. In 1850 he started a weekly journal, called Household Words, and then a magazine in 1859, called All the Year Round. In this magazine he published many of his famous works, such as ‘Christmas Stories', ‘A Tale of Two Cities', and ‘Great Expectations. ‘ During this time Charles Dickens began to remember his passion for the theatre. He started to do amateur theatricals, which was made possible by his management, energy, and enthusiasm. He also added public lectures and readings from his works to his theatricals. Charles even made a few tours in Ireland, England, and in Scotland that were very successful for him. Charles got seperated from his wife, Catherine, in 1858. Her younger sister, named Georgina, had lived with the couple for many years. She remained with Charles until his death, and his will provided for both sisters. The public were always curious about his personal life, and Charles found relief and refuge in the excitement of his work. He traveled to America again in order to tour, and it turned out to be very successful, but also very tiring for aging Charles. Once he returned home to England, he continued on with his lectures, and made his last appearance in March of 1870. During his retirement, he put great effort and strife into finishing his last work, ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood. ‘ The book, a tale of murder, was left unfinished on June 9, 1870, the day that England's most remarkable and creative writer, Charles Dickens, died.