George Good

George Good

George Edalji (that's Ay-dal-ji, by the way, since Parsee names are always stressed on the first syllable) is the son of a Staffordshire vicar of Indian origin and his Scottish wife. George is thus a half-cast, to use the language of his late-Victorian and Edwardian age. He's a diligent, if not too distinguished a scholar. He is uninterested in sport, is of small stature and doesn't see too well. He sleeps with his father behind a locked door, is in bed by 9:30, becomes a small town solicitor who develops an interest in train timetables and, by way of outlandish diversion, publishes a traveller's guide to railway law.

Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir Arthur) is born in Edinburgh, completes medical school and generally accomplishes whatever task he sets himself, including becoming a world famous writer. Despite the fact that he kills off his creation, the detective Sherlock Holmes, ostensibly to devote time to tasks of greater gravity, popular demand insists that he raise the character from the dead. He does this and proceeds to generate even greater success than before. He marries happily twice and pursues and interest in spiritualism, amongst other good causes.

Perhaps because of who they are, the Edalji family become the butt of the campaign of poison pen letters. When they complain, all they accomplish is the focusing of further unwanted attentions on themselves. When a series of ripping attacks on animals remains unsolved, George, somehow, becomes the prime suspect. Convinced of his villainy, police, judicial system, expert witnesses, jury and press see him convicted of the crime and sent down for seven years. Good conduct sees him released after three.

Sir Arthur wishes to do good and takes up George Edalji's case. He researches the facts, analyses the possibilities, tracks down neighbours and officials who have been involved. He creates an alternative explanation of events and presents it to officialdom, seeking a pardon and compensation for George, who by this time has transferred to London to start a new life. The two men meet and the incongruity of their assumed expectations of life are as irreconcilable as they are irrelevant to their joint focus on George's case. After official review, however, the Home Office Committee eventually concludes in an ambiguous manner. Edalji was convicted of the crime and the conviction is declared unsound; but crucially he is not declared innocent. He is therefore found not guilty but then not innocent either and so not worthy of compensation. When, years later, Sir Arthur dies and his associates stage a spiritualist gathering in his honour in the Royal Albert Hall, George is invited and attends, complete with binoculars lest he miss a detail of the proceedings. The illusion of the event draws him in and at one stage he feels himself to be the centre of attention, only to find that it is a near miss. Most of the detail refers to himself and his father, but the reality then points to another who is immediately identified.

But, paradoxically, the quiet George Edalji and his Parsee (not Hindoo) father, Shapurji, were always the centre of attention simply by being who they were. Even Sir Arthur, the son's eventual champion, states this in one of his letters when he writes that it was perhaps inevitable that a dark-skinned clergyman taking a station in central England would attracts other's attention of a kind that would seek to undermine him, vilify him and attempt to oust him. The message is clear, that to be different from an assumed norm is to invite hatred, envy, discrimination and eventually ignominy. It is presented as a universal assumption, an unwritten element of universal common sense. Thus, as an intruder, the usual rules of justice will never pertain, a reality alluded to late in the book when George, scanning the Albert Memorial with his binoculars, discovers a statuesque embodiment of the concept of justice that is not wearing a blindfold.

What is eventually so disturbing about Arthur and George, however, is the realisation that both characters are outsiders. George is set apart from his Staffordshire peers by his skin colour and perceived race. Arthur, however, lives no humdrum life. He attends private schools, qualifies as a doctor and then becomes an international celebrity by virtue of his writing. He takes up minority causes and identifies with them but, despite his obvious separateness from mainstream society, in his case his position is never interpreted as a threat or a handicap, obviously because the separateness of privilege has a different currency from the separateness of even relative poverty.

Now an enduring memory of my own school history lessons was a textbook reproduction of a mid-Victorian cartoon of the universal pyramid of creation. It had God at the apex, immediately in touch via the saints with the Empress of India and then, layered beneath in widening courses were the gentry and aristocracy, the members of government and civil service, the professional classes and merchants. The working classes could perhaps temporarily ignore their poverty in the solace offered by knowing that they are a cut above members of all other races who, themselves, were just one up from the apes. It was not many more layers down to the low animals, most of which slithered or crawled. Arthur and George ostensibly tells us much about racism and racial discrimination in a society that was portrayed as the apex of a worldwide empire, a heavenly focus for aspiration. It also tells us about the power of presumption and has much to say very quietly and by suggestion about social class and its ability, especially in Britain, to legitimise difference as originality or eccentricity in some areas, differences which elsewhere would be threats.

Philip Spires
Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk

George $9.99 Founding father George Washington’s boyhood defined our first president—see how in this picture book biography. As a boy, with the help of his teachers, George Washington created a list of the values of civility that he wanted to live by: 1. When another speaks, be attentive yourself and disturb not the audience. 2. Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company. This richly illustrated picture book is based on that little-known historical document and chronicles George Washington’s life from boyhood to his extraordinary leadership position as the first President of the United States of America.

Good Money By Selgin, George $29 Author: Selgin, George/ Goodhart, Charles A. E. (FRW) Subtitle: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage, 17751821 Publication Date: 2011/10/01 Number of Pages: 345 Binding Type: Paperback Language: English Depth: 1.00 Width: 6.00 Height: 9.00

Good $71.7 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Good Evil is a situation comedy which was broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1991 fall lineup. Good Evil starred Teri Garr as the evil sister, Denise Sandler, and Margaret Whitton as the good sister, Genny. Denise was out to steal both her mother Charlottes (Marian Seldes) cosmetic empire and her sisters boyfriend, Dr. Eric Haan (Lane Davies). Other characters included George (Mark Blankfield), a blind psychiatrist in love with Genny, and Charlottes feisty Southern boyfriend, Harlan Shell (Lane Smith), who was the current president of the cosmetics company. Denises plans to seize the company from Harlans control began with her invention of a facial creme in which she was sure would hit it big in the market (that is, if it didnt end up peeling off the faces of consumers). Eventually, she plotted murder against Harlan. Her fellow employees and allies at the company were Mary (Mary Gillis) and her dumb assistant Roger (Sherman Howard). Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 80 Publication Date: 2010/08/04 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.19 inches

A Good American By George, Alex $29 The Meisenheimer family struggle to find their place among the colorful residents of their new American hometown, including a giant teenage boy, a pretty schoolteacher whose lessons consist of more than just music and an spiteful, bicycleriding dwarf. 150,000 first printing. Author: George, Alex Publication Date: 2012/02/07 Number of Pages: 387 Binding Type: Hardcover Language: English Depth: 1.25 Width: 6.25 Height: 9.25

A Good Story $34.99 George Goodwin Kilburne A Good Story - Giclee Print

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK BY CLOONEY,GEORGE (DVD) $24.77 Good Night and Good Luck chronicles the reallife conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow and his dedicated staff headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist witchhunts. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental. Artist: CLOONEY,GEORGE Genre: Drama Rating: PG Release Date: 14MAR2006

Curious George Good Night Book $16.44 It`s a wonder if George will ever get sleepy when there`s so many things to do at bedtime, such as cleaning up, taking a bath, telling stories, and more, in Curious George`s first bedtime board book with tabs. 150,000 first printing.

A Good Year For The Roses $6 A Good Year For The Roses - George Jones

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A Good Joke' or 'Oh George, You are a One!' - a Laughing Donkey! $24.99 A Good Joke' or 'Oh George, You are a One!' - a Laughing Donkey! - Photographic Print

GOOD KING BAD BY BENSON,GEORGE (CD) $22.3 Artist: BENSON,GEORGE Genre: Jazz Music Release Date: 5JUN2007

For the Good of All by Fessenden, George [Paperback] $16.24 One hot August afternoon, Jake and Maggie are swept off the beach at Semiahmoo Bay by a fierce menacing vog and didnt return for three days. A call from the higher power changed their lives forever as they soon discover they are destined to undertake an extraordinary, adventurous, dangerous, unknown journey, for the good of all. The evolution of their skills, talents and intellect open new and exciting doors, as well some real shocks, surprises and paranormal experiences occur along their journey. Simultaneous to Jake and Maggies disappearance off the west coast, the Eagles Nest, which is in charge of satellite surveillance security for America, spots two rogue satellites mysteriously appearing on their computer monitors. They start experiencing black out conditions breaching the security of the nation as well as the balance of the world. A potential worldwide catastrophic situation develops at a rapid pace with the President and his military might working tireless to solve the blackout crises, determine who is behind this plot and strategize against multiple potential threats that develop. Jake and Maggie search feverishly to solve the worlds mystery and finally succeed in an odd way, using an unusual recruit, in arming the President with valuable information to ensure Americas enviable position of worldly power. Author: Fessenden, George Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 232 Publication Date: 2009/09/01 Language: English Dimensions: 5.51 x 8.50 x 0.48 inches

Good Conduct by Birmingham, George A. [Paperback] $29.97 This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. Author: Birmingham, George A. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 262 Publication Date: 2010/09/04 Language: English Dimensions: 7.44 x 9.69 x 0.55 inches

Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye $6 Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye - George Strait

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Good Ones And Bad Ones $6 Good Ones And Bad Ones - George Jones

Kiss An Angel Good Morning $6 Kiss An Angel Good Morning - George Canyon

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You Look So Good In Love $6 You Look So Good In Love - George Strait

George Straight : Here For A Good Time $24.67 No Information Available

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Executive Shouting Good News $24.99 George Marks Executive Shouting Good News - Photographic Print

Poor George $31.58 When George Mecklin, a schoolteacher in Manhattan, catches a boy breaking into his house, he decides to become his mentor rather than turning him in, but the results of his good deed are not what he expected. POOR GEORGE is Paula Fox`s first novel.

Good Night, and Good Luck $82.85 Good Night, and Good Luck is a 2005 film directed by George Clooney. The film was written by Clooney and Grant Heslov and portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, especially relating to the antiCommunist Senators actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 120 Publication Date: 2010/12/09 Language: English Dimensions: 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.29 inches

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