The main detectives are ‘Holmes and Watson’ we learn that they have a kind of teacher and pupil relationship. Holmes is a person who always thinks he’s right and has very strong opinions. Watson however is the type of person who knows he is right but doesn’t speak up about it to Holmes, just to give him the glory and give him confidence; giving off the impression Holmes is a far better detective. Holmes thinks he’s special, and looks down at Watson. His skills are revealed – especially on page 9 because the walking stick initials are C.C.H ‘Charing Cross Hospital’ Where Dr Mortimer used to work. Also Holmes points out the teeth marks on the stick, although he only knows what dog they’re from because he seems the dog through the window, this helps show the reader that Watson believes Holmes knew the type of dog just from its teeth marks, when really it’s just because he can see the dog outside the window. ‘The dog’s jaw, as shown in the space between these marks, is too broad in my opinion to be a terrier and not broad enough for a mastiff. It may have been –yes, by jove it is a curly-haired spaniel’ (page 11).
The language used by the characters is some what different to the language used by people today. They don’t tend to use ‘slang’ and generally talk a lot posher. “Really Watson, you excel yourself” (Holmes to Watson – page 8, line 13) People now wouldn’t talk like that. Holmes also talks as if he is sort of top dog around, Watson does talk posh, however he doesn’t have the same was of speech as Holmes.
Conan Doyle also spends time in building tension and suspense by concentrating on the language of horror. In chapter two, he introduces us to the legend of the Baskervilles and the death of Sir Hugo. Doyle begins to set his tone for the reader by describing Hugo as a ‘Wild profane godless man’. This tells us that he is beyond the help of good and open to the forces of evil. As readers, therefore we are not surprised by this treatment of ‘maiden’ in the legend. Hugo is lusting after the young girl and ‘would that very night render his body and soul the Powers of Evil’.
As Sir Hugo and “the revelers” chase across, there are “thirteen in number” an amount which has an unlucky significants.
There are lots of single nouns and adjectives which overtones of alarm about them. “Black, cold, unhappy, white froth, staring eyes.” Conan Doyle uses his words carefully to build a picture of increasing terror. As the climax of the legend nears the full description of freight becomes apparent. The ‘hair upon the heads of the dare-devil roisterers is seen to be standing up.’ Hugo id discovered with a ‘black beast’ which Conan Doyle tells us is also ‘a foul thing – plucking at his throat’ Here the full idea of gothic horror is described ‘No mortal’ eye has ever seen it. This makes the hound appear to come from another world. It has a ‘blazing eye’ and ‘dripping jaws’. This is a creative sent from the devil himself.
At the end of chapter 2, Conan Doyle grips his audience further when Mortimer reveals that Sir Charles’ body has been found next to ‘the footprints of a gigantic hound.’
Dr Mortimer is a very smartly dressed middle aged man whose stick obviously has sentimental value to him. Which is why he was so glad to see it again. “I am so very glad, I was not sure whether I had left it here or in the shipping office. I would not loose that stick for the world” (page 11). When Dr Mortimer arrives to present the case, he is worried because he knows the legend behind the case and is probably worried that if he tells it, know one would believe him. They all know the myth of the family being cursed so he retells the legend of the frightening dog, he says that Sir Hugo B. was an unpleasant old man who was killed by the gigantic hound, and it also says he died a very horrible death. Sir Charles died from a heart attack but was at the time being chased by a gigantic hound. He was so shocked and terrified this caused him to have a heart attack.
Chapter 2 ends with Dr Mortimer explaining the strange circumstances of Sir Charles’ death, and how Barrymore, the butler found Sir Charles’ body and how when he got to the moor-gate there was a change given in footprints- there were no other footsteps except those of Barrymore. Barrymore said there were no traces upon the ground around the body. He did not observe any, but Mortimer did, some little distance off, but fresh and clear. From this Holmes assumes that they are human footprints, but Mortimer soon puts him right that they were ‘footsteps of a gigantic hound.’
This is dramatic because the last bit of information Mortimer had been keeping a secret as he didn’t want people thinking he was mad and believed in such a story.
In conclusion, chapters 1 and 2 help to set the novel in motion by explaining the main core of the story and introducing the main characters. It explains the curse of the family and tells a lot about the characters and the hound. It includes a lot of mysterious things, especially at the end of chapter 2 where it reveals that Dr Mortimer believes there really is a hound.
