Exploring the Reasons Behind the Popularity of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Stories Although not a real detective, the character of Sherlock Holmes gave the general public a sense of security because in the stories he is seen to solve cases quite easily, such as in "The Man With The Twisted Lip." Watson says "I wish I knew how you reached your results" and Holmes replies, "I reached this one, by sitting upon five pillows and consuming an ounce of shag." This gives the readers a sense of security because it seems as if Holmes makes no effort to solve the crimes but they are still solved with the minimum of fuss. At the time of writing the concept of detectives was new, and when the stories were written there was almost no confidence in the police force. This point is brought up in "The Man With The Twisted lip," the police force caught a criminal and then proceeded to let him go. This is an unsatisfactory closure and only highlights the perceived inadequacy of the police force during that period of time. Holmes also brings this point to light in the "The Blue Carbuncle" when Holmes lets the criminal go and then he says "after all, Watson, I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies." This statement makes the reader more aware of the historical period in which the story was written due to the fact that the reader will know that the police force was not held in high regard in the historical period in which the story was written. The east side and west sides of London are clearly defined with the west being the more upper class part of London and the east being the more seedy side. Conan Doyle uses the east side and west ... ... middle of paper ... ...on allow the reader to envision themselves in the scene with Holmes and Watson, but as an observer. Also in "The Speckled Band" Conan Doyle uses lots of figurative language in the description of Dr Roylott. He uses phrases such as "He resembled "a fierce old bird of prey" and "…marked with every evil passion" these uses of figurative language add depth to the readers enjoyment and allow the reader a deeper sense of involvement in the stories by allowing us to more easily visualise the characters. The stories appeal to the modern reader because, due to Conan Doyle's masterful writing the reader finds themselves able to identify themselves with the characters and able to place themselves in the scene with the characters. Also due to the comic elements inherit in many of the stories the readers enjoyment is increased.
The main setting is Dr Roylot's house in the middle of a wild, stormy night. This immediately creates a sense of uneasiness in the readers mind. In his description of the storm, Conan Doyle uses sounds to very good effect. He talks about the howling wind and the rain beating on the windows. This language has a double impact because the words `howling' and `beating' are onomatopoeic.
Detective fiction always ends with a successful resolution because law and order is restored. Once moral and social order is restored this impacts the reader as they are still trying to figure out how it happened and how did Holmes solve the crime. The reader also feels relieved when a crime is solved especially if it was Victorian readers.
The Appeal of Arthur Conan Doyle's Stories Over 120 years ago the lived a fictional character called "Sherlock Holmes", who lived at 221B, Baker Street. Arthur Conan-Doyle created the character in 1887 and the stories are still popular today. In 1887 Doyle was going to stop writing the stories but he got death threats telling him to keep Holmes alive, he did what they asked. I am going to examine and write about three stories: "The Speckled Band" "Silver Blaze" "The Cardboard Box" "The Speckled Band" is a murder story set in the countryside and is about a man who kills his step-daughter because of the money she will inherit on her marriage.
The idea of a detective who solves every crime would appeal highly to a Victorian readership. Also, all the clues are given to the reader which invites them to solve the crime as well. To help me answer this question, I will refer to three Sherlock Holmes Stories; "The Speckled Band", "Silver Blaze" and "The Cardboard Box". These three stories are all very different, only two of them are murders. "
A detective story is a genre of fiction in which a person attempts to solve a crime. The detective may be a professional or an amateur, and generally has nothing to gain from solving the crime. However in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”, the main character Oedipus is not only determined to solve a crime, but he is also in pursuit to find his own identity. This is similar to Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” where Sherlock Holmes has been hired to work as a detective in return for monetary compensation. Both situations enable Oedipus and Sherlock to gain from unraveling the mysteries that sweep their towns hence making these stories different from most detective stories.
stories by Conan Doyle. Holmes is often described in the short stories with extended imagery, often like creatures and monsters. "His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank bird, with dull grey plumage and a black top-knot. " This imagery helps to reinforce the idea that his "sharp and piercing" eyes give the impression that he is very alert.
After concluding the role of Sherlock Holmes as a detective in the story of the Speckled Band, I know that he was one of the most famous detectives in the world, and he bought into the world of detectives different skills and abilities, also, bought his own natural talent and set some very high standards, which detectives these days find
Mysteries have always held great fascination for the human mind, not least because of the aura that surrounds them and the realm of the Unknown into which they delve. Coupled with the human propensity of being particularly curious about aspects which elude the average mind, the layer of intrigue that glosses over such puzzles makes for a heady combination of the literary and the popular. In the canon of detective fiction worldwide, no detective has tickled the curious reader’s imagination and held it in thrall as much as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The 221-B, Baker Street, London ‘amateur’ detective combines a rare blend of intellectual prowess and sharp wit to crack a series of baffling riddles.
has become one of the most popular and widespread authors and creators of all time. Doyle's early childhood years to his later years in life have allowed him to observe many
An examination of Sherlock Holmes' abilities and techniques. allied to his personal characteristics, enable him to solve crimes. There are many reasons to explain why Sherlock Holmes is one of the world's most famous fictional detectives. However, the main reason for This is that not only are the stories complex, but the actual character of Sherlock Holmes has extreme depth, with some subtle. elements of his character only becoming apparent when he is in certain situations.
The very essence of any detective story is the mystery. Unlike murder mysteries, which have a lot in common with detective stories, Holmes's problems are not invariably as severe as homicide. These mysteries are not usually insignificant though, and "Often they have to do with theft or murder" (Adventures). The first mystery may be an important and confusing conundrum, but there is often a more worthy case that presents itself after the first has commenced. This adds a level of intrigue to the tale because "The first story leads towards dissolution, the second towards restoring order" (Horsley). In each adventure, someone has been or is in danger of being wronged by another person, and comes to Sherlock for help. This creates "A clear and unambiguous triangle of characters - the investigator, the victim, and the transgressor" (Horsley). All of this is incorporated into the author's puzzle.
In the story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” the author Conan Doyle portrays many different narrative techniques. He uses these techniques to provide meaning for the audience as well as help them visualize the situation that was being described. The different techniques used are narrative discourse, suspense, conflict, close, and focalization in his story. Narrative discourses are events, to describe a series of events that are contingent one on another. Typically focuses on one or more performers of actions. Personal experience can influence narrative discourse due to the explaining of significant events in the life of the narrator. Narrative discourse is made up of setting, developing
... to wake up all the senses of children. When reading these stories children begin to feel, taste, see, smell, and hear the world that the author has created. These senses within the text make children long for more of what the enchanted world has to offer. The authors of these books try to put up a veil in their writing so that it will not show that the child reader’s desire for more is in reality the longing of the author.
Sherlock Characterization of Good Criminal Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the author of one of the mostly know detectives in writing, Sherlock Holmes. First, the thought of him being a criminal is not all that absurd. When he solves the crimes so well it must not be that hard to do the crime when you know how to solve one and you can just reverse the way the crime was done. Second, in the short story, “The Red-Headed League,” Holmes discovers an elaborate criminal plot to rob the Bank of London and set a trap to catch the criminals in the act of burglarizing the bank. Also, holmes says, “I have always had an idea that I could have made a highly efficient criminal…
The Sherlock episode “A Scandal in Belgravia” uses surveillance throughout the episode to show how Sherlock Holmes and the London police force interact with each other. They both have a common goal of protecting the British society from potential government and terrorist threats. Both Sherlock and the police have different methods of solving their issues, so each tends to take drastic measures that juxtapose each other. Sherlock remains very analytical and observes the whole situation before drawing a conclusion. By contrast, the police are very forceful and jump to conclusions to keep optimum safety.