Hound Of The Baskervilles

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Explore how Conan Doyle’s language in chapter 6 of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” creates tension and atmosphere. Deal with the description, Watson’s narration and links to the rest of the novel.

The book “The Hound of the Baskervilles” was written in the 1900s and is set in the 1880s by Conan Doyle who wrote the Sherlock Holmes story in a magazine called “The Strand”. Because of this at the end of each instalment Conan Doyle would leave it on a cliff-hanger. The stories where always written as detective fiction and gothic horror which at the time people loved, especially the gothic horror.

Chapter Six is en titled “Baskerville Hall”, this tells us that Conan Doyle is switching from the urbanised London to the dark low populated countryside of Dartmoor. Also the title of Chapter Six reminds the reader of Chapter Two where the manuscript of the curse of the Baskervilles is explored when read by Holmes. This will cause tension for the reader, knowing that Watson, Dr Mortimer and Sir Henry are soon arriving at the place of the hound. Another way Conan Doyle creates tension is at the end of Chapter Five with Holmes saying “about sending you. It’s an ugly business, watson, an ugly dangerous business, and the more I see of it the less I like it” which is used to create a thought of danger ahead, and it is a cliff-hanger at the end  of one instalment so the reader would go out and buy the next one.

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The dialogue of Watson and Holmes at the beginning of Chapter Six shows tension first by Holmes disagreeing to eliminate the Barrymore couple from enquiries and suspicion and a lot later on as well when Holmes says “you have arms, I suppose?” to Watson. This is foreshadowing a future event of when Watson will need his revolver to save his life which again helps create tension and sucks the reader in and to read on. Additionally Conan Doyle includes a reminder of the legend from Chapter Two and the purpose of this is that it helps keep the reader roped ...

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