As Watson heads down Upper Swandam Lane to retrieve Isa Whitney from the opium den, many aspects of the East End of London are described. Upper Swandam lane is described as a “Vile alley lurking behind the wharves”. The vile alley conveys the dark and rough area. “Lurking”, gives a sense of crime and unsafety. The alley is a backstreet which suggests it may be off the beaten track. “Vile”, suggests the area is filthy, foul, nauseating and repulsive. To emphasize the lack of money in this repulsive area of London, it is mentioned that there are “a slop shop” and “a gin shop”. Both shops are very stereotypical of a poor area; the slop shop sells scruffy ragged clothes and gin was very cheap which shows two traits of a typical rough and lower class area. When describing an a setting writers use all of the five senses; sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The next of these which Conan Doyle addresses is the sights, or more specifically light, as it says that lanterns on cart “throw out two golden tunnels of yellow light” through the “gloom”. The gloom is probably due to the smog that was all over East London, making it a filthy and depressing place. The dimness and lack of light suggest danger and provide a creepy atmosphere. The sounds of Upper Swandam lane are then emphasized in such examples as “Holmes’ shrill whistle” and “the clink of hooves”. These alarming noises help to convey the eerie atmosphere because they are so unnoticeable and startling in an area which is mostly silent and shadowy. The rich people of the Victorian era would tend to remain quiet and proper while the ruffians of the area are loud and often drunk and riotous. The depressing nature of the area is then presented as “an endless succession of sombre and deserted streets”. This suggests a very monotonous area with nothing standing out and everything dark and moody. A few years earlier Jack the Ripper was at work and the people here are still tense, filled with horrific memories of the past. Next Conan Doyle describes the River Thames, which although it was the heart of London’s East End and provided some form of employment for many, was a “murky river” moving along “sluggishly”. The river at that time was very polluted and foul. The words “murky” and “sluggishly” reflect the dirtiness of the area and give the effect of describing the river as a gluey, viscous liquid.
As Watson enters the “The Bar Of Gold”, the attention then turns to the many sights, sounds and smells in the opium den. The entrance to the den is described as “a steep flight of steps down to a black gap”. This portrays a fear of not being able to see where the path goes, just walking into the darkness; in other words a fear of the unknown. “Black” is a colour usually associated with fear and death, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead adds to the fear. Not much can be made of the light in the opium den, as just “a flickering oil lamp” illuminates the den. The oil lamp is a typical object from Victorian London. It casts moving shadows that seem more like people and doesn’t provide a warm glow but a cold chilling one. The shadows seem menacing and mysterious, and play with people’s mind. Conan Doyle then describes the actual room as “a long, low room, thick and heavy with the brown opium smoke” full of “vile, stupefying fumes”. The room is very closed in and oppressive. The fumes are so thick that it is almost possible to touch and feel them. Due to the oppressive gloom, picking out Isa Whitney isn’t the easiest task for Watson as he can only “dimly catch a glimpse of the bodies”, making them seem like ghosts as they are enveloped by the smog. The darkness of the den makes everything a lot more scary and disorientating as not being able to see a person’s face makes people feel more threatened. Conan Doyle moves on to mentioning the temperature of the room as there is “a small brazier of burning charcoal” and “there glimmered little red circles of light”. There is very little light in the room but the use of “red” and “burning” make the room seem hotter and more dangerous. The story is set in June so it would already be humid and sweltering in the opium den. The sounds of the drugged people in the opium den convey a nightmarish image; some of them “muttered” or “mumbled” in “low monotonous voices”, some were “silent” and some sudden “gushes” of conversation would tail “off into silence. The “low monotonous voices” provide a spooky atmosphere; nothing stands out and everything is the same. It makes it seem like hell, people are too drugged to talk properly and they act kind of possessed. The silence adds to the atmosphere as no noise almost always feels sinister and eerie. A touch of typical Victorian racism is added by Conan Doyle when he describes the “sallow Malay attendant”. Englishmen found foreigners sinister and intimidating. It was less common to see a foreigner in London in those days so seeing one in the opium den adds to the alien atmosphere. Although it is undoubtably their own fault, the drugged people are treated like slaves as the opium den is “terraced with wooden berths like the forecastle of an emigrant ship.” Being placed like that is degrading them from upper class Englishmen to African slaves.
The atmosphere of Mrs St Clair house and Doctor Watson’s house are both sharp contrasts to that of Upper Swandam lane and the Opium den. For instance Conan Doyle describes the residence of the St Clair’s as “a large villa” in “it’s own grounds” with “floods of light”. This gives a sense of wealth and high society, a far cry from the handling of the “slaves” in the opium den. Here is civilization, space, comfort and most importantly light; not a dark, cramped room full of drugged men. The story opens in Watson’s house and “armchair”, “needlework” and “cheery sitting room” gives the impression of a warm and relaxed room. It is very late and Watson is getting ready to sleep, or to be more precise “the hour when a man gives his first yawn”. The comforting civilization is the opposite to where Watson is heading next. When Holmes solves the case, he takes himself away from Victorian England and into a more exotic place, like he is meditating. The “eastern divan” and the pipe making “blue smoke” makes the atmosphere relaxed and mystical; as he finally comes to realise the fate of Neville St Clair.
The setting chosen by Conan Doyle very much suited the era in which the story was written; the East End and opium dens was a topical and current news issue then especially due to the recent crimes of Jack the Ripper. In all I think that the setting was good and the contrast between the St Clair’s “large villa” and the unsettling description of Upper Swandam Lane and ‘The Bar Of Gold’ worked well to emphasise the difference between the civilization and comfort that Neville St Clair was used to- and the completely different life he led as Hugh Boone. It’s quite ironic that someone as rich and smart as that would transform into the lowliest person in the poorest part of London to earn more money. But as always it is Sherlock Holmes who solves the case.
