Sherlock Holmes is one of if not the most popular and well known fictional detective of all time. His powers of observation and expertise in his field of work - investigation of crimes, led him to great popularity in the late 19th to early 20th century. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, shot to fame with his first published Sherlock appearance in, "A Study in Scarlet," which was printed in "Beeton's Christmas Annual," in 1887.
Sherlock Holmes lived at 221B Baker Street, London. He wore a deerstalker cap, smoked a hooked pipe, carried a large magnifying glass and was known for his subliminary addictive catchphrase, "elementary, my dear Watson," used every time he solved a case. His image was formed from the early magazine illustrations of the stories.
But of course, where would any good detective be without their trusty sidekick? The sidekick in question being Dr. Watson, Sherlock's helpful and shrewd sidekick or "partner in crime." Watson plays a major role in every one of the stories although at first it seems he doesn't. His main purpose in the stories is to be the narrator, rather than expecting the reader to understand the situation themselves. All the stories are in first person, i.e. "I" "We", and this is because it is as if Watson is telling the reader the story directly, which is a very clever technique used by Doyle to try and make the reader feel that they are part of the story.
Sherlock however is the main character in all the stories. He manages to solve every crime he is presented with in a variety of ways. He is extremely observant, which is believed to have come from his earlier medical background, mentioned in one of the earlier stories.
The Sherlock stories, along with other fiction in the detective genre, were one of the main forms of entertainment in late Victorian times and were extremely well known throughout Britain at the time. The audience that the stories appealed to were, and still are, all classes and ages. The main reason for this was because he was portrayed as a hero. England was full of crime at the time but Holmes solved and stopped crime in his fictional world.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock stories, knew he had to add the key elements of detective fiction into his stories, crime, suspense, murder, clues, victim, perpetrator, false trails, a villain and of course, a hero with a trusty sidekick. In this case, Sherlock and Watson. Two of the techniques Doyle was particularly good at in the Sherlock stories was adding suspense and incorporating false trails into the story. These where the two key ingredients which many believe shot Doyle, and Sherlock, to fame. Even from just the title to one of the Sherlock Stories, ...
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock stories, knew he had to add the key elements of detective fiction into his stories, crime, suspense, murder, clues, victim, perpetrator, false trails, a villain and of course, a hero with a trusty sidekick. In this case, Sherlock and Watson. Two of the techniques Doyle was particularly good at in the Sherlock stories was adding suspense and incorporating false trails into the story. These where the two key ingredients which many believe shot Doyle, and Sherlock, to fame. Even from just the title to one of the Sherlock Stories, "The Speckled Band", Doyle manages to add suspense. Looking at this the first thing that comes to mind is a bracelet of some sort. However, we do not know what it is, yet we want to, because we know this is what the story is about but we don't know what is symbolises. But there was one other key component to the Sherlock stories, language. There are countless metaphors and similes within the Sherlock stories, which add atmosphere and excitement to the Sherlock stories.
Doyle was also very descriptive in his stories. A good example of his descriptiveness is his description of Upper Swandam Lane in "The Man with the Twisted Lip," "Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east of London Bridge. Between a slop-shop and a gin-shop, approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave, I found the den of which I was in search." From this short description of Swandam Lane, Doyle sets the scene, a dark and dismal alley, with a shabby, murky opium den.
A few of the stories didn't actually involve a crime being committed, one of which is "The Man with the Twisted Lip." There is no murder of any kind, just a missing person scenario. The missing person in question, Isa Whitney, is an opium addict, who disguises himself as a poor beggar on the street, and goes missing for days on end. His reason for the begging is that he is in debt and makes more money a year begging than his original job. He also wears dishevelled clothes and dirty like make-up to fool people into thinking he is really a beggar. He is thought dead until a letter arrives saying that he is alive and well. Watson is asked to find Isa, but finds Sherlock in disguise, on another case, at the opium den to where Watson goes.
One of the stories which does actually involve a crime is "The Speckled Band." A young woman, Helen Stoner, seeks the help and investigative powers of Sherlock. Her sister is mysteriously murdered whilst in her room which has a barred window and a locked door at night. There is no way in nor out yet she is murdered. There are false trails within the story to try and trick the reader into thinking that something else happened rather than the truth of what happened. Helen's uncle, Dr Roylott, with whom she lives with on their estate, allows gypsies to camp on the land, "the wandering gypsies, and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate" leading the reader to think that they are responsible. Another of the false trails is the fact that Dr. Roylott keeps exotic animals on their estate, a cheetah and a baboon, "and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon, which wander freely over his grounds," which lead the reader to believe that one of these animals was responsible for Helen's sisters death.
The actual culprit is a venomous Swamp Adder, or "The Speckled Band." Helen's sister, Julia, actually cries out just before she dies, "Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!" which shows she actually saw the snake before it bit her, and poisoned her, but with this clever little trick from Doyle, it adds suspense to the story because the reader knows what killed Julia, a speckled band, but doesn't actually know what the speckled band is.
Dr. Roylott kept the snake in a safe in his room, next door to Julia's, and he sends it through a very small vent connecting the two rooms, and climbs down a fake bell pull, which lands on the right hand pillow of Julia's bed. Roylott's motive for the murder was that he gets £1000 a year from the girl's late mother's inheritance. But if one of the girls were to marry, then he would have to pay up a section of it to them every year as well. Julia was just about to marry, so this is why he killed her so he didn't have to play up.
Dr. Roylott appears for the first time in Holmes' doorway, "So tall was he that the top of his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway, and his breadth seemed to span across it from side to side." This shows he is very tall and well built. He is described as having, "A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow from the sun, and marked with every evil passion," and he is also said to have "deep, bile shot eyes" and a "high, thin fleshless nose" which resembled "a fierce old bird of prey." This make the reader believe he is not a very attractive man. From this and an earlier description of him by his stepdaughter, from which the reader learns that he has killed two people already, the reader realises that he has particularly violent tendencies. Suspense is created by the description of Roylott as such a dangerous character, and because of this the reader fears for the safety of Holmes, Watson and Miss Hudson. The picture of Roylott as a dangerous and violent man is reinforced when he bends the poker with his bare hands and then hurls it into the fireplace 'snarling' at Holmes before leaving.
Sherlock is very good at observing and acknowledging clues, as in "The Speckled Band," he notices how Miss Helen Stoner travelled to their home by train and dogcart and set off early in the morning, "I observe that the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove...," and also, "The left arm of your jacket is splattered with mud in no less than seven places...There is no vehicle save a mud cart that throws up mud in that way." In less than a few seconds he illustrates fully her mode of transportation to Swandam Lane and then even sees that she sat on the left side of the driver, "then only when you sit on the left hand side of the driver."
It is known that Holmes enjoys his work but a quote to prove this is, "my profession is my reward." This shows that Holmes enjoys his job more than the money he earns, showing that he is committed to his job and thoroughly enjoys it.
Watson very much admires Holmes and a quote which shows his attitude toward Holmes is, "I rapidly threw on my clothes, and was ready in a few minutes to accompany my friend down to the sitting room." He uses the word "friend" rather than "college" or "partner". This shows that he admires Holmes and is glad to be with him.
Crime is so captivating because it is fascinating how people wish to "do wrong." Why do people want to do the opposite of what we are supposed to do in a civilised community? Is it the buzz? The thrill? The excitement? I believe it is all of these. But why can't these people just do the right thing like the very few in the world that do? But of course, there are crimes which are accidental and aren't purposely committed, such as manslaughter.
There still are the same factors of detective fiction in non-fiction crime today, a villain (or an offender), a victim, evidence and false trails. Sidekicks may only be in fictional detection, but the other aspects are all real in the world of detection today.
Karl Moores English Coursework 1
