“Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band”
And pointed towards, her stepfather’s room, Doctor Roylott. Before, Miss Julia Stoner could say anything more, a fit choked her words, and she died.
Miss Helen Stoner tried to give every detail possible about the whole ordeal of her sister’s death, and in doing so; Miss Helen Stoner went on to describing the house to say:
“The manor house is, as I have already said, very old, and only one wing in now inhibited”
This creates the atmosphere of eeriness; I say this because if the building is very old, it must have many secrets and hidden annexes of some sort, and because one wing is only in use, what has happened to the rest of the house? Why is only one wing inhibited? This is how the description of the house creates an atmosphere of eeriness.
To help Sherlock Holmes solve this case, Helen Stoner went on to further detail to explain, what things Julia would tell Helen, things such as the noises and smells she kept sensing:
“my sister was troubled by the smell of the strong Indian cigars”
The smell of Indian cigars, give of the sense of a smoky and masculine atmosphere. This is because at the time of Sherlock Holmes it was very rare to find a wealthy woman to smoke. Therefore, smoking was male dominated, and seen as a manly thing to do. It also gave a feeling of not being comfortable, because if Julia did not smoke, she would not be accustomed to the smell cigars either. This gives me the image that she was not at ease whenever she smelt the smell of cigars. She had no choice, but to put up with the smell.
Helen then goes on to describe how unsafe she felt in the house:
“the doctor kept a cheetah and a baboon. We had no feeling of security unless our doors were locked”
From talking security, we can also see that the area that the house was located at must have been a large area, so that it could support a large community of gypsies as well as animals. If the doctor kept a cheetah and baboon, the imagery I get from that is, that the setting must chaotic and unorganized. And that the animals could roam around freely.
For young girls to live their, they must not have been very secure or safe, if dangerous and wild animals could roam freely, how would they be able to feel relaxed and open in their own house. Being a young girl living, in that house, life must have been very restricted, with very little privacy. For them to feel secure when they lock their doors ironic because behind locked doors, is where Julia’s death occurred in the only place both girls felt safe. This adds to the atmosphere of relentless security.
After, attaining as much details as possible, Holmes was very keen to make a visit to Stoke Moran, the house in which now Miss Helen Stoner and her stepfather, Doctor Roylott lived in. Sherlock Holmes and Watson were very keen to travel up to Stoke Moran: ““Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?”
“By no means.””
We also see that they were very happy and enthusiastic to travel up to Stoke Moran, I can tell this because of the way they describe their journey to Stoke Moran:
“It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens”
The setting creates a breezy and cheerful atmosphere, because Holmes sees the investigation as an interesting case, he sees things in a positive light. That is how setting helps creates atmosphere, atmosphere of happiness.
As Holmes and Watson arrive at the mansion, the first impression of the building was that:
“The building was of grey, lichen – blotched stone”
This tells us that the age of the building must be very old, as Holmes and Watson see the building as grey, the colour that marks the ageing of time, creating a very dull, dismal and depressing atmosphere, creating a complete contrast to the mood of the journey to Stoke Moran.
“with two curving windows, like the claws of a crab…the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards,”
The writer compares the building to the crab, to tell the audience, us, that the house is enclosed, private and lethal like a claws crab. The writer, Arthur Conan Doyle, is trying to suggest that the house is alive with a predatory atmosphere, suggesting that evil will take place in that house. The story is set in a dilapidated, run down and uncared for house. This prepares us for violent activity that will take in place in a hostile area, for the two men who approach to investigate the death of the character late Miss Julia Stoner.
When Holmes, Watson and Miss Helen Stoner enter the house to inspect the bedrooms. Holmes walks past a corridor, of which he describes as “whitewashed corridor”. Which gives of an eerie and blank atmosphere, because the corridor, is white, it makes the corridor seem empty, as if it has no history, there is no evidence to show that there was people living in this house, not even a tiny stain, to show a mark that a family once lived there. That is how an eerie blank atmosphere is created through “whitewashed walls”.
Holmes, Watson and Miss Helen Stoner, next went into the room, where Miss Julia Stoner met her end, and where Miss Helen Stoner was made to sleep, as her room was being altered. When walking in to the room, it has been described as
“A brown chest of drawers stood in one corner, a narrow white – counterpaned bed in another and a dressing table on the left… these articles, with two small wicker – work chairs, made up all the furniture”
To stand in this room, it would feel very large and spacious, but at the same time very empty and not at all welcoming, because a bedroom is to be like your own personal quarters, and for your room to be so plain, does not seem to be a room, more like a place where you sleep and that’s it. The atmosphere in that room would be quite empty and cold.
They then all walk into the next bedroom, which belonged to Doctor Roylott, to see: “A camp – bed, a small wooden shelf full of books, mostly of technical character an armchair beside the bed, a plain wooden chair against the wall, a round table and a large iron safe”
This room, just as the one described before, is very plainly furnished, and with not enough objects to decipher the character of whom occupied this room, apart from, the books on the shelf. From which we can learn Doctor Roylott had a thirst for knowledge. However, apart from the books, there is nothing else in the room that would help picture the type of person who used this room. Again a very plain and bare atmosphere.
After Holmes and Watson, inspected the two rooms thoroughly, they decided on their next move, which was to spend the night in Miss Helen Stoner’s room, while she slept in her own room for the night. In the meanwhile Holmes and Watson, would stay in an Inn, in the local village, and would only then return to Stoke Moran, when Miss Helen Stoner, flashed a light through the window. To signal that Doctor Roylott has gone to sleep and that it will be safe for Holmes and Watson, to stay in her room, so they could carry out their investigation. While she retired in her own room for the night. When Holmes and Watson, saw the signal being given off, they walked back from the Inn to Stoke Moran:
“we were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowing in our faces, and one yellow light twinkling in our faces”
The setting gives a feeling of nervousness, I say this because it is dark on the roads, and cold wind blowing into the two men’s face, would hardly make them feel comfortable, rather the opposite quite anxious and nervous to see what it was that caused Miss Julia Stoner’s death. This builds to the tense atmosphere that something inauspicious is going to occur, because like before when Holmes was describing the journey to Stoke Moran, he was describing it very pleasantly, because he was looking forward to solving the case. However, when they are walking towards Stoke Moran, they do not seem very happy; in fact, they are quite cautious and wary. This is how atmosphere hints that something is going to happen, because the way setting is described.
When entering on the premises on Stoke Moran, Holmes and Watson see:
“out from a clump of laurel bushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distorted child”
From this, we learn that the garden is huge, huge enough to have a clump of bushes in an unpredictable setting, with things darting about. This suggests another suspect and deepens the story, as the child could be a servant’s child. It also shows a lack of care, because if a child was to be let out at night in a big garden the first thing it would to, would be to run around. Showing un- organization, this adds to the tense atmosphere of unpredictability.
As they enter into the actual premises, they now are in the room of where Miss Julia Stoner met her end. They stay in that room, in complete darkness, waiting for something to happen. While waiting they hear: “Far away we could hear the dark tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter hour.”
From this, we learn that, everything now to the two men sounded gloomy, “dark tones of the parish clock”, making them to feel as to move as far away from the haunting noise as possible creating a depressing atmosphere.
As they stayed awake, suddenly a noise was heard. Holmes shouted out to Watson, whether he saw something, and then he instantly struck a match, and picked a cane that he bought with him, and continuously lashed at the bell rope, until they heard a hideous and disturbing scream. They both looked at each other, Holmes instructed Watson to bring his revolver to Doctor Roylott’s room. As they entered his room, they saw, Doctor Roylott sitting in his chair and his eyes staring in to a corner. As they moved closer to him, they saw something on his head move. It was a snake, a swamp adder. Of whose bite would kill instantly.
Holmes then explained to Miss Helen Stoner about all the noises and things she heard, and how it connected to the death of Miss Julia Stoner. For example, the metallic clanging noise was the noise of Doctor Roylott, slamming shut his iron safe. Julia smelt cigars, because of the ventilators, which allowed communications between both rooms. This is how the snake managed to enter Julia’s room. The whistling that Julia and Helen heard was the whistle, to try to bring the snake back to the safe, and the saucer of milk was another attempt to try to coax the snake back into the safe. After explaining all this to Miss Helen Stoner, they sent her to her aunt, in Harrow. And informed the county police of what happened. This is how setting adds to the atmosphere in one of Sherlock Holmes story – The Speckled Band.
The story – The Man with the Twisted Lip is very different from The Speckled Band, because this story is a mystery story, but has no real murder. However there are some similarities with the two stories for example, these two stories both use different settings to create different atmospheres, and both stories change the amount of tension they use at different times to create the aimed atmosphere.
In the beginning of the story, a character, Kate Witney, a friend of Watson and his wife, enters the Watson home. And asks for help because her husband has gone astray. The setting in the Watson home is as Watson describes:
“I sat up in my chair, and my wife laid her needle work in her lap”
The setting and atmosphere here is that, it is a cosy and comfortable place, a big contrast to the next location. We also see that Victorian domesticity is very safe and predictable.
Watson then went out to find Mrs. Kate Whitney’s husband, Mr. Isa Whitney, with the information Kate Whitney gave Watson. That if she were correct Isa Whitney would be in the opium den, found in: “the farthest east of the City”. As Watson goes out on his search to find Isa, he describes the setting:
“Upper Swandom Street is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharfes”
The phrase creates an antisocial, unsafe and perverse feeling. I say perverse because of the word “lurking”, for me connotes a person creeping up on some one ready to attack. This adds to the atmosphere of danger and mystery, because an alley is a dark and dreary place to be, where danger could be anywhere. The darkness creates an atmosphere of mystery because in the dark nothing can be seen that is why an atmosphere of danger and mystery is created.
Watson arrives at the opium den to find Isa, as he enters he sees: “Between a slop shop and a gin shop approached by a steep flight of stairs leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave”
This setting creates the impression that some places are not accepted in Victorian society, a very dangerous and unsociable place. Adding to the dirtiness and seediness to the opium den. Creating a scene where mystery takes place. The imagery of the opium den makes it seem like a black hole. Trying to imply once sucked in, you are never then seen again, which connects to the drug opium. Once you use it, you are hooked. Also giving the story a very sinister feel.
Inside the opium den, Watson sees opium users in the most strangest of positions, people talking in low deep voices. Not even making any sense, or listening to each other. On entering the room Watson, is greeted by thick and heavy brown wafts of smoke. “Out of the black shadows glimmered little red circles of light”
This gives of the atmosphere of disillusioned lights flickering here and there, like light is not permanent and keeps glittering on and off, so that you can only see things, but not clearly. Trying to make things seem like a mirage, intangible and unreal. The colour of red also makes you think of Hell because in June, the weather is hot, and the hot weather makes you think of Hell, because Hell is hot. In addition, because it is dark and dim, it is unnerving and disorientating. It is like being enveloped in a fog.
Watson finds Isa and sends him home in a cab, back to Kate. While leaving the den, Watson finds Holmes in the opium den investigating a case; they leave a carriage and set off out of London. While leaving London, they: “had driven several miles and were beginning to get on the fringe of the belt of the suburban villas”
The atmosphere the setting gives of is that, they are entering new land, as if they are on a new voyage or journey. It like there entering on a new mission, because the setting sounds very adventurous.
Holmes and Watson visit Mrs. St Clair’s house to find out what has happened to Neville St. Clair. When they reach Mrs. St Clair’s house, they see that: “She stood with her figure outlined against the flood of light”.
From this we se that like Watson’s house at the beginning, civilisation is at her house, space, comfort and most importantly light. Light is important because it will make things appear in the dark, so you can no longer be unaware if what is in front of you. Creating an atmosphere of enlightenment, safety and security.
They decide to stay at Mrs. St Clair’s house, because they are both exhausted from a hard night of travelling.
“A large and comfortable double-bedded room had been placed at out disposal… collecting pillows from his bed and cushions from the sofa and armchairs”
This setting creates an exotic atmosphere to the Victorian bedroom so that it seems that there is almost a mystical process.
Holmes and Watson get up early to travel back to London as Holmes has solved the puzzle. “the lines of the villa on either side were as silent and lifeless as some city in a dream”
This setting makes the villa have an atmosphere of being desolate and isolated from communication. Like being stranded in the middle of nowhere.
As they travel back to London, they go to the police station to see Hugh Boone who is really Mr. St Clair
“He led us down a passage, opened a barred door, passed down a winding stair and brought us to a whitewashed corridor”
The setting gives of an atmosphere and feeling of mystery, like this place dies not want to be found, that is why you have to through so many obstacles to reach the cell, of Neville St Clair, who disguised himself as Hugh Boone.
The Speckled Band is about a murder, whereas The Man with the Twisted Lip is just a puzzle with no real crime.
The most tense part in the story of The Speckled Band was when Holmes and Watson was waiting for something to appear in Miss Julia Stoner’s room, and when they found it, what happened to Doctor Roylott was the most tense part I believe in the story of The Speckled Band. In the story The Man with the Twisted Lip, was the part, when, Mrs. St Clair saw her husband from a window, when she went to see him there, she only found his clothes. I believe that was tense apart in the story because if she saw Mr. St Clair there, then the story would loose its edge.
