How Conan Doyle Perceives a Victorian Gentleman in Sherlock Holmes

How Conan Doyle Perceives a Victorian Gentleman in Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a hero, he is also a typical Victorian gentleman. A

very important fact about the books is that he was the first

detective. This brought him much attention and many people loved this

idea. He set the standard and has been copied by others many times.

Detectives nowadays are still perceived to be just like Sherlock

Holmes. They still have the same mannerisms: for example

Sherlock Holmes Detectives nowadays

* High Moral Yes.

* Money - Rich Usually.

* Women Not many of the detectives favour women.

* Very clever Yes.

* Loner Not many friends

* Has a drug problem Many drink, and abuse alcohol etc.

This table shows how many detectives nowadays are still very much like

Holmes.

Holmes was very popular too many people in the Victorian era. He was a

brake from normal life, an escape from reality. Many of the men had to

perfect and where find it too difficult so would take a break and read

Conan Doyle's stories on Holmes. Victorian people needed a break from

the hustle and bustle of the streets and daily life so turned to the

stories of Sherlock Holmes.

At this time in the Victorian era the police didn't have much control.

There were many people on the streets and there was a lot of crime.

Jack the Ripper was also on the loose and people didn't feel safe.

They turned to Holmes to reassure them and comfort them.

There was also a rise in middle class educated people. This meant more

people were reading so would be more interested in finding good books.

As more and more people enjoyed them the word spread, so many more

people would by his stories, of Holmes.

The first story that I am going to talk about is The Speckled Band.

The Speckled Band

This is a story about heartless widower, Dr Roylott. He returns with

his twin step-daughters to Stoke Moran, to his family's old and

country house, where wild animals and gypsies wander on its grounds.

One of the girls, Helen, visits Holmes after the death of her sister.

She comes to Holmes and tells him the story. She exclaims to Holmes

that she came out of the room screaming "the band, the speckled band."

Holmes notices livid spots and marks on Helen's wrists made by her

stepfather, and agrees to go with Watson to Stoke Moran to

investigate. They occupy the bedroom of her dead twin which is located

next to Dr Roylott's. Late at night they hear a noise which proves to

be a speckled snake going down the bell-pull from Roylott's bedroom.