Sherlock Holmes: Detective of London

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Sign of Four" uses the landscape and atmosphere specific only to London in order to create a setting with the tension and mystery necessary for his detective novel. The paper describes how Doyle parallels the reflective atmosphere of London weather and the busy yet romantic nature of the city with the nature of Holmes' and Watson's unraveling mystery.

From the Paper:

"Doyle parallels the reflective atmosphere of London weather with the nature of Holmes' and Watson's unraveling mystery; his use of pathetic fallacy is made possible only by London's temperamental weather, by its unpredictable gloom and sporadic spurts of sun. In the opening of the story, Holmes is without a case, and the weather is an instant reflection of Holmes' disposition. He is quick to moan about the bleak climate of London, saying "Stand at the window. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material?" (20 Doyle). Unoccupied by an unsolved puzzle, the Doyle uses London's weather to mirror Holmes' disheartening view of the world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Sign of Four. London: John Murray, 1926.
• Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings. London: Penguin Books, 2003.

More papers on Sherlock Holmes: Detective of London:

• Analytical Essay # 7391 : "Crime, Detection and Conan Doyle in 19th Century England"
• Analytical Essay # 8466 : "Sherlock Holmes - the Man and his Enemies"
• Book Review # 114861 : "Victorian Detective Genre and Sherlock Holmes"

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