Several facts about Stoke Moran, the Roylatt’s domicile, are both inexplicable and alarming. First is the sounds heard on the night, as well as the nights leading up to Julia’s death. Late at night a metallic clunking sound could be heard in addition to a low whistling sound. The sounds were initially thought to be the animals that Dr. Roylatt keeps in his gardens, or the gypsies that Roylatt keeps on the estate as well. In addition, over Julia’s bed was a bell cord, which did not have a bell on the other end, confusing everyone. Miss Stoner has already made her assumption, which is that it must have been the gypsies that killed Julia, but surely this would not explain Julia’s last words but did Sherlock agree with this surmise?
Sherlock Holmes is always deducing the important parts that he requires. Sherlock Holmes also shows that he is a great observationalist because he observes Miss Stoner and by just looking at her he can tell many things. Firstly, he observes that she has come on a long journey because of the train ticket in her hand, secondly, he can tell that she has come on a dog cart, Victorian transport, due to the mud marks on her dress and thirdly, that she has come to 221B Baker Street, where Holmes lives, secretly due to her being heavily veiled and clearly not wanting to be seen.
Sherlock Holmes had gathered and processed all the information that he required to work out this case. After arranging for Helen Stoner to spend the night somewhere else, Holmes and Watson sneak in her room that night without Dr. Roylett’s knowledge. They hear the whistle, and Holmes also sees what the bell cord is really for, although Watson does not. Julia's last words about a “speckled band” were in fact describing a “swamp adder, the deadliest snake in India”. This was what killed Julia and now the swamp adder had been sent again to kill Helen. Holmes then attacks the snake, bravely, sending it back up the rope. It goes back through the air vent leading to the next room and bites Dr. Roylott instead, killing him.
The relationship between Dr. Watson and Holmes’ is evident to see. Firstly the two are clearly very close friends; they share a ‘bachelor pad’ with each other. I think that living together increases the intensity of the relationship making it stronger, for example in ‘The Speckled Band’ where the intimacy of the relationship is clear, when Sherlock wakes Watson from his slumber ‘sorry to knock you up.’ This also shows the change in language from the nineteenth century. In modern times if this phrase were used it would insinuate that Holmes had just made Watson pregnant, obviously not what Doyle would have wanted it to sound like.
In another story where we see the strength of this relationship is in ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ where in which we see the hazardous problem with Holmes, an opium addiction. The man who decides to comfort Holmes during this moment of need is Watson, showing just how strong the relationship is between the two. This also shows that Sherlock is not this law abiding man everyone thought he was, showing vulnerability in Holmes’ persona.
In the stories, Watson is the archetypal sidekick of Holmes. In every story that I have studied, Watson acts as a catalyst to Holmes’ thinking, commonly Watson grasps on to Holmes’ way of thinking. Watson plays an important part as a means for Sherlock’s mental processes. From Doyle’s point of view, Watson acts as an enigmatic sidekick, frequently making unfathomable remarks, which can lead to the case facts becoming concluded, not until the time is right though. This is why it is common to hear that in detective stories the partner is described as ‘Watson’
As Watson is the narrator of the stories, we hear things from his point of view, referring to Holmes as his friend, for example in the introduction to “The Blue Carbuncle,” ‘I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes.’ This is an inclination of just how close Watson believes his relationship to be with Sherlock Holmes. Often in Doyle’s stories he will prelude his stories with a short piece from Watson, regularly introducing the story, describing the time and setting in which the story is based. The inclusion of this preface means that the reader can see the development of Watson’s affections to Holmes.
A point about Holmes is that it seems that Watson is his only friend due to his independent and single mindedness. Holmes does have associates though but as Watson can manipulate the views of Holmes, they have become friends.
The historical setting in the story is Victorian, the 19th century. In many of the stories there are references to years, such as ‘between the years ’82 and’90’ found in ‘The Five Orange Pips’. The Victorian era had the longest living monarch Britain had ever seen, Queen Victoria; during her reign there were many changes because of the industrial revolution. An example of this is in ‘The Five Orange Pips’ where to elude Holmes’ investigation, the perpetrators caught a ship to America ‘Lone Star,’ such was the availability of sea travel.
Another interesting fact about this story was that it is one of only a few stories that Holmes did not catch the offenders of the crime, managing to escape before the case was resolved. Although you could say that the crime caught up to them as the story finished with the criminals dead. In the story it is evidently clear that it is Watson who is narrating for the reason that of the use of the pronoun ‘we.’ ‘We waited long’ and ‘we shall never know.’ The use of ‘we,’ created upon the assumption made by Conan Doyle that the reader realises that ‘we’ refers to Holmes and Watson. This also shows the intimacy of the relationship of the two; Watson speaks of the two as a partnership not Sherlock and me.
Watson could be seen as Holmes’ close biographer, recording both important and low points of his life. This relationship with Watson the biographer means that Watson often observes Holmes and the things he does, for instance Watson narrates in ‘The Blue Carbuncle’ ‘He was lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing-gown, a pipe-rack within his reach upon his right, and a pile of crumpled morning newspapers, evidently newly studied, near to hand.’ This quote tells the reader that Watson strongly admires Holmes but also that Watson is highly observant and studies him, in just as much detail as if Holmes were deducing.
The stories by Arthur Conan Doyle clearly plays on the relationship between Watson and Holmes but only Watson can express his views because he is the narrator, but Sherlock commonly patronises Watson in the plays but no reaction from Watson which clearly shows that Sherlock and Watson have a strong relationship.