How does Arthur Conan Doyle create an atmosphere of mystery and build suspense in 'The Speckled Band'? To what extent are his methods typical of all the other stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?

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English Coursework: Sherlock Holmes

Ali Hlaiyil – 11/06/2002

How does Arthur Conan Doyle create an atmosphere of mystery and build suspense in 'The Speckled Band'? To what extent are his methods typical of all the other stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?

The story ‘The speckled band’ was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1982 and is one of the many stories in the large Sherlock Holmes series of stories. As known the stories are based on inquiries and investigations, because of course Sherlock Holmes is an investigator, this in itself gives a sense of excitement to the story because you know that there will e a constant thrill throughout the story, especially seems as it is likely that it will be based on something like a murder, or an affair, etc.

As soon as the story starts, Holmes gets straight into the action, as a poor victim comes round to his home and asks him for help. She is portrayed to the reader as being in a very poor and vulnerable position by “her face (being) all drawn and grey, with restless, frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal”, she is also shivering from fear and so now the reader knows that there is a vulnerable victim, that something is wrong, and that something unjust will be done against her, and so it builds the excitement and suspense in the readers mind. This same scenario is presented in A case of Identity when Miss Sutherland comes to Sherlock Holmes in a similar vulnerable state, frightened. As usual straight away Holmes picks up on all the little details, such as the mud stains on the victim’s clothes, and manages to create a clear picture in his mind of the situation.

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The victim is called Miss Helen Stoner.  When she first came into the story she was wearing black, veiled and grey haired.  She was shivering and terrified, which creates a scary if not intriguing scene leaving the reader asking “why is she in this state?!”, the lady also gave a violent start, by saying “It is fear Mr Holmes, It is terror.”

The story then goes on and Holmes is told about the lady’s step father, who instantly Holmes recognizes as the murderer.

We can make out from the story, that her step father Doctor Grimesby Roylott was a violent ...

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