Olivia expects to be fired any minute, and in truth Merritt doesn’t seem very supportive. What did you think of Olivia as a detective? What strengths did you see, and what weaknesses? Do you think she was, indeed, “just okay”? Do you agree with Merritt’s “final grade of C plus”? (p.378)
I thought Olivia for her first attempts at sleuthing did a good job. She was always looking for clues and tie-ins. I thought Merritt was a bit harsh - but that was a good foil to Olivia’s attempts because it helped her develop her skills. I’d have given her a B-
I did like Merritt’s retort that “your generation has been overpraised” and that “a C is basic competence with a plus for hope”. I would agree that she certainly was “learning on the job’ - something we knew right from the beginning so I think it is probably a fair grade. But I could relate to Olivia’s need to feel that she had done better.
I’d have given her a B. I think Olivia was working hard at making connections and was learning as the case progressed. I thought Merritt needed to be much more supportive.
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