‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ starts off extremely different to the other two stories. ‘To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.’ This story does not start with speech such as in ‘Silver Blaze’, or with a description like ‘The Red-Headed League’. No, this story starts with Watson informing us about something, Holmes’s feelings and his relationship with this woman. The reader is intrigued as to why Holmes refers to her as ‘the woman’, why ‘the’ is written in italics and why Watson is mentioning her to us. Also we want to know this woman’s name, which when the reader reads on finds out is Irene Adler. She is described by Watson as ‘of dubious and questionable memory.’ We wonder why he illustrates her this way and what the connection is between Holmes and Miss Adler. Watson tells us that in Holmes’s ‘eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.’ So we are now asking why this is, what could she have possibly done to make Holmes think this of a woman. Also, the reader thinks she must have done something as the title of the story indicates a scandal. However, Watson continues to explain and the reader is captivated to read on.
All of Doyle’s stories are structured in a similar way, meaning he begins with a detailed account of the crime that has happened or will happen, and then Holmes and Watson investigate the scene of the crime, and finally right at the end of the story the solution is supplied by Holmes and all becomes clear. This structural technique keeps the reader guessing for the majority of the story, leaving the reader in suspense until all is revealed at the end. Also, it creates a sense of stability because the readers know that the stories follow a certain order and that all will be revealed. This is excellent since the reader is (typically) given all of the clues and has a chance to play the part of the detective to try and unravel the crime, generally without success, which makes it more exciting, and the reader is kept in suspense for most of the story.
Doyle uses language that seems relatively old to us but was normal for him in the 1880’s, and this proves to be very effective because the words and general language are strong and varied, with a wide range of vocabulary used. The language is very formal yet easy to understand, apart from some words that had a different meaning from what they mean now, for example in ‘Silver Blaze’ Doyle uses the word ‘drag’ which was a private horse-drawn coach in the time that this story was written, whereas today we use the word ‘drag’ to describe pulling something.
In ‘Silver Blaze’ Doyle makes Holmes tell Watson about the crime and what he finds peculiar about this case. Watson listens carefully until he notices something and says ‘Did the stable-boy, when he ran out with the dog, leave the door unlocked behind him?’ Holmes replies, ‘Excellent, Watson; excellent!’ This emphasises Watson’s use as a plot device. Watson will ask the questions that the reader is thinking and Holmes will answer the questions giving clues along the story and making the reader feel like they are working alongside the detective to solve the crime.
In ‘Silver Blaze’ there is a paragraph on page 18 (“Why should he take the horse out of the stable?...”) where Holmes is asking a lot of questions, this makes the reader understand Holmes’s intelligence, that he does not overlook the things that we may consider small. In addition, it also makes the reader ask themselves the questions and try to work it out for themselves. Once again they feel like they are working beside the detective. Something that builds tension in the story is how Holmes and Watson are always talking about the case but never about the actual conclusion itself, more like dodging around the issue and never really reaching the conclusion until the end.
Also, Holmes will know something that Watson and the reader don’t, but he doesn’t reveal it until he feels it is the right time. For instance when Holmes goes to see Silas Brown and ‘Holmes leaned forward and whispered something in the trainer’s ear. He (Silas Brown) started violently and flushed to the temples.’ We do not know what was whispered in Brown’s ear, yet we know whatever Holmes said must be shocking as Brown was very surprised and went red in the face. Watson, and the readers, are ignorant in regard as to what happened. It is quite irritating, yet full of suspense, as we have been given all of the clues and still cannot find out the conclusion of the crime. Later, we find out that Holmes knew he took the horse, Silver Blaze, and this makes Holmes’s intelligence even more apparent. Silas Brown was so shocked that Holmes knew of his crime that ‘he is convinced that I (Holmes) was watching him.’ This all builds suspense within the story as the reader does not know why something is happening but continues to read on in order to find out.
‘The Red-Headed League’ is full of suspense as Mr Jabez Wilson explains his problem to Holmes. Mr Wilson has an assistant, Vincent Spaulding, who is willing to work for ‘half wages’ which is rather odd if he knows he can get full wages. Also it was Spaulding who gave the advertisement to Mr Wilson in the first place, which is asking about The Red-Headed League who no one has ever heard of before, and Spaulding even took him to the interview. And it was strange when he introduced him to Duncan Ross ‘“This is Mr Jabez Wilson...and he is willing to fill a vacancy in the League.”’ Furthermore, it is once again odd that he got the job straight away and the reader wonders why Ross would ask Wilson if he has a family. The actual job is most peculiar as he must copy out the encyclopaedia and bring his ‘own ink, pens, and blotting-paper’, as well as not being allowed to leave the building for four hours. And Spaulding has promised that he will look after Wilson’s business whilst he is doing his job during those four hours. Finally, it is extremely unexpected how the League ‘dissolved’ abruptly and was no more which is very suspicious. Moreover, Ross is using two names; Duncan Ross and William Morris. He would only do that if he is hiding from someone or is hiding something himself.
An additional very good example of suspense in ‘The Red-Headed League’, is just before the main resolution is about to take place. They are left to sit in ‘absolute darkness’, highlighting their use of other senses, for instance ‘the smell of metal’ and ‘the cold, dank air of the vault’. The writing is slowed down by a lengthy description by Watson of the atmosphere and what he was feeling and experiencing; ‘My limbs were weary and stiff, for I feared to change my position’. Then the word ‘suddenly’ stresses a sudden transformation in the surroundings and although the writing doesn’t really speed up in the next paragraph the tension and feeling of suspense seems to amplify by something happening. The use of language is effective with powerful words emphasising the actions, like when Watson sees a ‘lurid spark’. The word ‘gash’ is used and it makes the action seem forceful, and when the ‘writhing fingers’ appear from the ground it seems creepy and surreal. This descriptive writing makes the tension build up to a climax until Sherlock Holmes jumps from his hiding place and ‘seized the intruder by the collar’, confirming his clever theory correct. After this the writing slows down again as safety is certified.
In ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ there are many themes such as romance, scandal and suspense. The title of the story prepares the reader for action and a lot of suspense. It is the King of Bohemia that explains the problem to Holmes and as he is explaining the reader can tell that Holmes is one step ahead; ‘“I was aware of it,” said Holmes dryly.’ and ‘“I was also aware of that,” murmured Holmes’ and he was ‘closing his eyes’ which indicates he is bored as he already knows all of this information.
There is a lot of interesting vocabulary that is used to indicate a scandal such as; ‘most extreme importance’, ‘secrecy’, ‘immense scandal’, ‘great delicacy’, and ‘seriously compromise’. This intrigues the reader to carry on reading and to find out the answers to all of the questions going on in their minds like why is this King asking for Holmes’s help, what is his case, what does Irene Adler have to do with this story and so on.
The tension builds up as the reader continues reading, and when Holmes cleverly finds out where the picture is hidden. Then we are all in for a shock when we find out that Holmes has been out-witted, especially by a woman. When he goes to her house and the maid informs him ‘My mistress told me that you were likely to call,’ Holmes is extremely taken aback and he even ‘staggered back, white with chagrin and surprise’. The reader would usually expect another character to be shocked as Holmes is usually one step ahead all the time. Holmes tells the King that ‘from what i have seen of the lady she seems indeed to be on a very different level to your majesty.’ Here Holmes is saying that even though Irene Adler is of a different status to the King and Holmes, she is very clever and has out-witted Holmes and also she is smart for keeping the photograph for future use.
‘The Red-Headed League’ and ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ contrast as Holmes knew what was going to happen before the crime was even committed in ‘The Red-Headed League’ whereas he was outsmarted in ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’.
Conan Doyle’s style of writing is particularly sophisticated, humorous, perplexing and successful. Even though the structure of the stories is very similar, the storylines differ greatly and in spite of using the same technique of structure throughout, his stories do not become boring. In conclusion, his techniques of generating suspense are effective, with tension being built into sections and into the structure of the stories and only broken at the end, and this suspense in his stories makes them appealing and enjoyable to read.