In all stories the writer must create tension to make people want to read on. This is especially appropriate for a detective story. Of course in a detective story there needs to be a victim of the crime as well as the suspect. In Speckled Band the suspect is Dr Roylett and the victims are Helen and Julia Stoner. In the Twisted the Lip the suspect seems to be the tramp but at the end of the story we find out that Neville St Clair is the suspect because he was the tramp, the victim is Neville St Clair as well. To make the whole story complete there needs to be the inspector and in this case it is Sherlock Holmes.
The mood at the start of each story is different. The mood at the start of the speckled Band is of people being scared, not knowing what may happen, reflecting on what may happen if they do not get help. It shows that something is going to happen and that the only way it will be solved is for Sherlock Holmes to step in.
At the beginning of the story all the information about the case, which Arthur Conan Doyle is writing about, tells us what is going to happen in the story. This makes us become aware of what is going on and try to predict what is going to happen in the story. When Arthur Conan Doyle tells us about the crime, Dr Watson is telling Sherlock Holmes of the crime. It makes us become a detective and look at each clue carefully and think about what may be happening. This makes our experience of reading the storey that much more exciting. At the start of the story it is located in London whereas the story takes place in the countryside. This gives us a sense of urgency because the character Helen has to come into London early to see Sherlock Holmes.
The mood at the start of The Man with the twisted lip is more mysterious and strange. This is because it all starts to take place in the dark allies in the back streets of London. It tells us that if something may happen it normally goes on with out anyone noticing. The disappearance of a man would only be discovered if someone who cared for them wanted to know. This person is his wife and the only way she is going to find out where her husband is, is to get Sherlock Holmes involved.
At the beginning of the story we are not told all the information for the case as we were in the speckled band. We are told very little about what is happening. Although we are told many clues which are not needed in the story. I think that the beginning of the story does not prepare us for what happens later on in the story. This is manly because at the start of the story we are just led into the opium den and not told what the actual crime is. I think that The Speckled Band has a much better start to the story then The Man with the Twisted Lip.
The setting at the beginning of the book is in London this is the same setting throughout the story except when Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go into the countryside to see his wife.
Write about the different descriptions of London and the countryside in each story. What atmosphere does Conan Doyle create through these descriptions?
In the Man with the Twisted Lip the story is set in London, whereas in the Speckled Band the story is mainly set in the countryside although Helen does visit London to speak to Sherlock Holmes for the first time. The crime takes place in London in The Man with Twisted Lip and so Arthur Conan Doyle writes in a sinister way then the countryside, whereas in the Speckled Band the crime takes place in the countryside so Arthur Conan Doyle writes in a sinister way then London.
In the Man with the Twisted Lip the crime is set In Upper Swandom Lane this is descried as ‘a vile alley lurking, behind the high wharves which line the north side of the river.’ P53 This conveys that Swandom Lane is not a pleasant place day or night. This helps us think of the worse that may have happened to Neville St Clair. This adds a sense of terror and dread. ‘Lurking’ conveys that the place is secretive. To bring forward the atmosphere of dark and mysterious Arthur Conan Doyle writes ‘by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave,’ this makes us think that if someone goes into the cave they may never be seen again. This gives a sense of mystery and intrigue about what may happen throughout the play. It starts to bring us into the story.
The atmosphere is very different in both books at the start of the story. In the Man with the twisted lip the story starts being very mysterious and we do not know what the crime is going to be about. The atmosphere is very confusing because we not know what is going to happen throughout the story. In Speckled Band the atmosphere is more tense and frightening. It starts of being like this and carries on throughout the story also bringing out an added bonus of mystery with the house and the characters.
When Sherlock Holmes start to begin to solve the mystery the sky starts to become lighter and the atmosphere starts to get less mysterious and more relaxed. Although in the Speckled Band the atmosphere becomes more serious because Sherlock Holmes knows that Helen is in grave danger of dieing like her sister did.
Write about how Conan Doyle uses light and dark, and sounds and silence, in each story. What atmosphere does he create thought these descriptions?
In “The Man with the Twisted Lip Arthur Conan Doyle uses a lot of light and dark, sounds and silence in the way in which he writes his story. Out of the black shadows there glimmered little red circles of light as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowels of the metal pipes. This creates a mysterious atmosphere. This is because there is no light and noise from drunken men. Then suddenly a glow of red lit up the room. Different points in the room where people are sitting. It makes it look unnatural in that room. The light comes from the opium pipes. The shadow is from the smoke of the opium pipe. The waxed or waned is the fire in the pipe having more or less oxygen from the smoker. “ The most lay silent, but some muttered to themselves, and others talked together in a strange, low monotonous voice, their conversation coming in gushes, and then suddenly tailing off to silence..(p54) The room gets bursts of sound. It creates a frightening almost threatening atmosphere. It sounds like a mad place where the men know very little about what they are doing and saying. The sound is very different from in the speckled band because Arthur Conan Doyle says very little about sound and light in the Speckled Band he mostly writes it in the Man with the twisted Lip. Of course there is some suggestions of sound and light in the Speckled Band but there is also not as much as the other books. Another example of light used in the story is “In the dim light of the lamp I saw him sitting, there … silent, motionless, with the light shining on his strong – set aquiline features(p69) This shows how Sherlock Holmes thinks about his case. The dim light shows that although he nearly knows what is happening he is unsure of the actual story. He is unbothered by the outside but is deep in his own thought. He has started to have feelings of what is going on around him the atmosphere is tense because everyone is anticipating Sherlock Holmes decision on what has happened ion the case although Sherlock Holmes seems relaxed in his smoke screen waiting to uncloud his memory. This is common with Sherlock Holmes stories. For Sherlock Holmes to discover the solution he covers himself in a smoke screen. He never tells anyone his solution, he just shows that it is right. He is good at observing most things that happen. About nine o’clock the light among the trees was extinguished, and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House.’ This makes us think that something is going to happen soon because the light of hope has gone out and all is left is darkness in the world. It shows that the investigation is coming to a close that the light has gone and all is left is darkness.
‘-a very gentle , soothing sound, like that of a small kettle.’ This makes the Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson become aware of what was happening. This was the beginning of a few minutes when they would find out what had killed Helen’s sister. This brings a lot of tension into the story because this is what the whole story is based on.
Out of both stories I enjoyed ‘The Man with Twisted Lip’ better than the ‘Speckled Band’ because it was more mysterious and you got to get actually into the story. You had to start at the beginning when Sherlock Holmes started and had to take all of the clues as and when Sherlock Holmes did and you had to work out was going on at the same time as Sherlock Holmes.