Character Analysis Of Sherlock Holmes: The Hound Of Baskervilles

It’s elementary to see that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels are highly successful and make for a great read. In one of the numerous books of the series, Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of Baskerville, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. James Watson must solve the case of the sudden and mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville before a similar fate befalls the newest heir to Baskerville Manor, Sir Henry. The plot begins with a country doctor, Dr. James Mortimer, from Baskerville and reveals to the protagonists the legend of the Hound of Baskerville. He tells Holmes and Watson about a spectral hound that inhabits the Moors of Devonshire near Baskerville Manor, and is said to kill members of the family for their ancestors misdeeds. From

James Watson’s character can most be revealed when he shows his insightfulness through his detective work, his heroic mentality when he storms out into the rain to capture a dangerous criminal, and when he shows how understanding he is by taking on the burden of the investigation while Holmes stays in London for other duties. Watson’s insightfulness as a detective can immensely be seen throughout the book, but towards the novel’s beginning he displays it greatly for readers being newly introduced to his character. During this event, Sherlock has Watson examine a walking stick left at the Holmes residence by James Mortimer M.R.C.S. After a short period of observing the stick, Watson concludes that “Dr. Mortimer is a successful, elderly medical man, well-esteemed … I also think that the probability is in favor of him being a country practitioner who does a great deal of his visiting on foot” (Doyle 10), and within the next several pages Dr. Mortimer appears and confirms all of these deductions. As a result of this interactaction of Watson’s being the first the reader receives in this book,this scene immediately shows that he is a worthy detective. That conclusion is based on his inferencing and perceptive abilities which shows that he

Doyle shows how Watson is insightful, like at the beginning where he uses his detective skills to high degrees of success, heroic, like when he displays exemplary efforts to capture a dangerous felon with little regards for his own potential well being, and understanding, by taking section to show how compassionate towards other’s plight, new friends and old alike, even if he is personally disgruntled by the results of his sympathy. A reader of any Sherlock Holmes novel should understand these key elements of Watson as a character for several reasons. A main of which is that while Sherlock is usually the main focus, the narrator and protagonist is Watson, so learning about who he is and what that means for the narrative is just as important, if not more so, than understanding or knowing about Holmes in order to fully comprehend and enjoy the work. This paper is meant to outline some of these important trait of Watson’s that Doyle takes the time and effort to make noticeable and important for the reader. By giving examples of how this is accomplished within the novel this writing becomes an important tool to be utilized when thinking about what Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of Baskerville reveals about Watson’s