by Nomad
The Curious Incident
In his short story, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, literary father of Sherlock Holmes, first utilized one of the most enduring plot "hinge."
Holmes and a Scotland Yard detective are discussing a case of a stolen racehorse, Silver Blaze, and the murder of the horse's trainer.
Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."
At the core, as Sherlock Holmes explained, it is a question of an unaccountable deviation from normal or expected behavior. The dog didn't bark because the "midnight visitor" was a person it obviously knew very well. As a plot device, the silence of the guard dog has most likely worn out its usefulness.
Yet, on the political stage, the Republican Party has lately been breathing new life into this tired motif.
Yet, on the political stage, the Republican Party has lately been breathing new life into this tired motif.