A comparison of Edgar Allen Poe's character C. Auguste Dupin with Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, with an analysis of why the latter is so much more famous than the former.
Abstract The paper identifies Poe as the inventor of the genre of detective fiction, with his character C. Auguste Dupin, who was introduced in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue". The paper compares Dupin's character with that of Sherlock Holmes, as Holmes is described by creator Doyle in "The Hound of the Baskervilles", and notes many similarities between the two fictional detectives. It then analyzes the claim that Sherlock Holmes was based on the real life doctor Joseph Bell, with whom Doyle was well acquainted. After returning to a comparison of Dupin and Holmes, the paper reviews the first person narrator of the Holmes stories, Dr. John Watson, and concludes that Doyle did not base his detective on Poe's work. The paper also reviews other early detective novels, going back to the Greek Herodotus and returning to 19th century Europe and America, before resuming its comparison of Poe and Doyle and finding the former to be a better writer. The paper quotes various Holmes stories, and discusses adaptations of those stories to stage and screen, noting Holmes' incredible popularity and lamenting the lack of same for Dupin. In conclusion, the paper finds Holmes to be Dupin's spiritual successor, if not actually drawn on him, and finds the similarities to be, in Holmes' words, "Elementary!"
From the Paper "In fashioning the detective story, Poe eschewed the very ideal of most writers that truth is not necessarily the object of literature. Truth was very much the object in the short stories of C. Auguste Dupin. So why do critics say that Poe "invented" the detective story? Surely, there were detectives working prior to 1841, and surely, some of the stories before Poe had been about crime and criminals. The reasons given include the creation of classic rules of detective fiction that has survived through Doyle and Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, the two men who write under the name Ellery Queen, to Dashiell Hammett and even Mickey Spillane."
Abstract This paper examines the primarily dialogue-driven style of writing that Irish novelist and dramatist, Roddy Doyle uses in the short story "The Dinner". The paper explains that Doyle chooses to create and develop his characters, contrasting some (like Larry and Ben) and assimilating others (like Stephanie and her sisters) primarily through dialogue rather than through narration, description, action, or conflict. The paper points out that by giving some of them distinct voices and giving others similar voices, Doyle effectively and humorously emphasizes and aggravates the primary conflict at hand, and clearly expresses his theme, or thesis, about racial prejudice in a way that is resonant and memorable.
From the Paper "While Larry displays his ignorance through dialogue with questions such as "What d'yis eat over in Nigeria, Ben?" (308), Ben is given a way of speaking that shows him to be diplomatic: "I have become used to these insults" (308). Moreover, Larry's constant use of contractions and slang also gives him an air of unsophistication: "D'yeh have spuds like them in Nigeria?" (308). Larry is also prone to swearing: "Get up yeh gobshite" (308). Contrastingly, Doyle carefully avoids using contractions, vulgarity or any form of slang when crafting Ben's dialogue. Rather, he chooses to give him a very formal tone: "I will not listen to this profanity. I find it most offensive" (309)."
Tags: slang, tone, profanity, offensive, development
Abstract This paper examines Howard Engel's "Mr. Doyle and Dr. Bell" and Laurie R. King's " A Letter of Mary", which both make attempts to add to the Sherlockian canon. This paper analyzes the narrator, protagonist and setting of each novel, comparing them to Doyle's template, and then discuss briefly which is the more meritorious addition to the repertory.
Abstract This paper compares the two works 'Antigone' by Sophocles and 'A Star Called Henry' by Roddy Doyle, as they define the failure of hierarchy within familial and governmental ideology. For Doyle, the basis of Henry Smart's rise to power as a leader within the IRA provides an individual sense of power, but one that is not applicable in the failure of the military institution to defeat the British. In this regard, Sophocles provides the familial hierarchy of the royal family of Thebes to illustrate the lack of solidarity in Creon's tyrannical rule.
From the Paper "The aim of this literary study will focus on the problem of solidarity within hierarchical systems of government in 'Antigone' by Sophocles and 'A Star Called Henry' by Roddy Doyle. In many ways, Doyle's novel reflects the growing separatism that existed within the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which Henry Smart eventually joins as an adult. He constant infighting within the IRA helps to diffuse the notion that this nationalistic Irish trend had solidarity, as one can also find within Antigone. While Creon has the same chaotically organized hierarchy through his stewardship as King of Thebes, Sophocles also provides the failed format of familial hierarchical institutions. "
A discussion on the Industrial Revolution and the multitude of changes in civilization that arose as a result of it, with particular reference to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation of Sherlock Holmes.
Abstract The following paper discusses how Doyle and "Sherlock Holmes" entertained generations of readers with the pure delight of escapist detective fiction, paired with the historical diaries and documents written by actual "bobbies" of the day. The writer examines how these famous detective stories give us a vivid picture of how both an author and his major character were shaped by the time, the conditions and the crime of their days.
From the Paper "When people moved from farming to city and industrial jobs, change came in the ways workers were compensated, in their levels of independence from, or interdependence on, their neighbors, and, probably most noticeable of all, in the sheer amount of space each man could call his own"or maybe more precisely, the lack of space. Many of the teeming crowds in London's streets in the nineteenth century were made up of people living in dire poverty. And all too many were far too familiar with the dark side to this new form of civilization: the rise of more, and different, forms of crime.?
Abstract This paper explains that the character Joey "The Lips" Fagan from Roddy Doyle's short novel "The Commitments" is not the main character but he is one of the most compelling because, without him, the novel and the band would be quite different and not as interesting. The author points out that his role seems like a mentor, but in the end, he acts more like a destroyer because he allows the women to come between the band and the music and he cannot take the pressure or responsibility of a real life with real commitment. The paper relates that his most important contribution, which he brings to the band, is their success; his leadership teaches them that they can be a success and that they can make more out of their lives.
From the Paper "Joey plays several different roles in the novel. He is a musician first of all, and a good one, so he acts as a teacher to the other band members, many of whom are just learning how to play or sing. He is a professional, and so the others want to be like him, so he is a type of mentor too. He has done what the teenagers want to do, and so he can show them the ropes and maybe make their lives a little easier. He is somewhat like a savior, creating something from nothing and watching it grow and mature, but he is also human, and he runs away when the going gets too tough. He is not honest, and he is odd, but he is also the reason the band was successful."
This paper examines two short stories: "The Murders at the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allen Poe and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 2 sources, 2005, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper explains that light and darkness are key focal points in learning the source and origins of the murders in these two short stories. The author points out that, by taking a logical and more scientific approach to diminishing superstition and hearsay, both of these authors offer an intelligible solution to the crimes they confronted in the 19th century. The paper relates that both Doyle and Poe use the almost gothic landscape of the English Moors to reflect the sinister evil of their plots.
From the Paper "This literary study examines the use of light and darkness that Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle use to solve various crimes in their short stories. By comparing the use of light and darkness within "The Murders at the Rue Morgue" by Poe and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Doyle, one can understand how logic and pseudo-science deduce the perpetrators of these crimes. In the short story "The Hound of the Baskervilles" we can learn how darkness and light are effective ways for the main perpetrator of the murders is revealed. Doyle, like Poe, uses the almost gothic landscape of the English Moors to reflect the sinister evil that the Hound presents in this tale, but ultimately the darkness is merely a cloak for a more logical explanation to the murders."
Abstract This paper reviews the literary work, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The paper presents the unique technique employed by the writer in writing this book. The story is more than a mystery, and it is more than a gothic tale; it is a wonderful combination of both. The paper explores how Doyle utilizes the sense of the mysterious and supernatural to work against Holmes's natural inclinations, which adds to the suspense of the novel. In addition, the paper explains how Doyle is making a social commentary about gender and class with the characters and situations presented. The paper contends that by merging these different elements in the novel, Doyle creates a fantastic adventure that keeps the reader engaged until the very end.
From the Paper "Doyle builds suspense in a traditional gothic style early in the novel with the tale of the family curse, the mysterious creature, and the setting of the story. In the document, we learn the mysterious creature is something almost completely indescribable. We read that it was "a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon" (Chapter 2). Doyle foreshadows the mystery of Baskerville with dark, mysterious surroundings. For example, we read that "Over the green squares of the fields and the low curve of a wood there rose in the distance a gray, melancholy hill, with a strange jagged summit, dim and vague in the distance, like some fantastic landscape in a dream" (Chapter 6). In addition, Baskerville Hall is described with an air of mystery."
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the famous fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and the belief, held by many critics, that the character of Holmes was based on an actual acquaintance of Doyle. Through an examination of some of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the method Holmes used to solve crimes, the antagonists in the stories and the character of Sherlock Holmes, the paper explains just why many critics believe that Doyle based the character of Sherlock Holmes on one of his true life doctor friends.
From the Paper "Sherlock Holmes, while not the first popular fictional detective (that honor surely goes to Poe's Arsene Lupin) was surely the character that has outlasted the Victorian times in which his adventures were first written by Arthur Conan Doyle. What makes the character still so viable, including the popular movies of the 1930s and 1940s with Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, and the popular British television series featuring the late Jeremy Brett as Holmes; is that this is not "find the murderer" as in the stories of Dashiell Hammett and Ellery Queen and Agatha Christie (among others), but a series of deductive reasonings, focusing on facts the police overlooked or disregarded. In Holmes stories, including "The Blanched Soldier", and "The Sign of the Four", Holmes is quoted as saying "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Unlike many modern mysteries there is neither a "red herring" nor what Alfred Hitchcock referred to as a "Maguffin"- a somewhat obvious but, in the end, misleading clue. There is seldom a twist or quirk in the Holmes stories. And, there is seldom even violence or confrontation between Holmes and "the guys who done it"."
Abstract This paper explains that poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe gave birth to the genre of mystery and detective story-telling, popularized through his character Auguste Dupin, who is considered the first detective character to demonstrate the disciplines of deduction and logical thinking in solving the mysteries and crimes that plague society; Conan Doyle's fictional detective character, the well-known Sherlock Holmes, exhibited similar characteristics. The author compares Poe and Doyle's literary works based on their use of stereotyping and pattern-formation (logos), ethos and establishment of pathos as rhetorical techniques in which they solve mystery cases. This paper relates that Dupin's character was portrayed in the most eccentric light as possible by Poe, perhaps giving him a single commonality with the readers through his poverty; in proving Holmes credible to solve the mysteries of English society, Doyle also utilized the character of eccentricity as the most salient points of Holmes' character.
From the Paper "Dupin's solution to the murders at the Rue Morgue was based on a stereotype and pattern found in the facts available about the case. Pattern formation was apparent in his analysis of the witnesses' accounts of the events before, during, and after the murder. His discovery that each witness's testimony reflected the fact that "[e]ach likens it (the voice heard)-not to the voice of an individual of any nation...but the converse," a point that led him to conclude that the murderer was of an 'alien' nature, someone who does not speak the language of any of the nationalities of the witnesses."
Abstract This paper explains that the father of the detective fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, provided the detective story model for nineteenth-century British novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation of one of the world's most famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The author reviews Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter" to illustrate the ways in which amateur sleuth Auguste Dupin was the pattern upon which Doyle created Holmes. The paper uses textual analysis and historical evidence to reveal that Doyle borrowed from Poe the logical method, the details of personal habits and personality and the narrator who purports to present the exploits of his brainy, withdrawn friend to the public.
From the Paper "Holmes is also influenced by Dupin and his peculiar attachment to a loyal companion who serves to document the successes of his brilliant mentor. Like Dupin's associate, Watson plays the part of the straight man in Doyle's tale. He essentially an observer whose sole purpose is to offer fumbling assistance to the detective, typically by way of inaccurate observations, suppositions, and conclusions that Holmes then corrects. It becomes very obvious that Doyle patterned the ineffectual and lovable Watson, directly after Dupin's friend."
Tags: genre model eccentric method, fumbling police
Abstract Victorian Detective Genre is formed around a criminal offensive, which includes a protector of justice (usually a detective), a motive produced by the criminal, clues which are left for the detective to examine, and a criminal. This paper discusses how a common example of this type of writing is that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a doctor at the time of the Victorian era who started writing small newspaper stories which were crafted to his audience with excellence. His main character was a master at solving crimes, a very well educated gentleman with a unique charm which pleased all of his clients. This man was the famous detective named Sherlock Holmes, created and based on Doyle's own medical knowledge. The paper compares some of the stories from the Sherlock Holmes collection to show how Doyle uses Victorian detective genre throughout while using historical references and various quotes from Sherlock Holmes books.
From the Paper "'The Speckled Band', 'Silver Blaze' and 'The Cardboard Box' were all stories where a murder had taken place. Both the stories 'The Speckled Band' and 'Silver Blaze' were based on murders which were both committed by animals, a snake and a horse. Both stories were in enclosed village areas, and both stories had many red-herrings which were tailored to each case along with the police who often believed these theories. Doyle used red-herrings to direct his audience along another route, while allowing Sherlock to investigate strange and often short explanations, for example 'Holmes walked slowly round and examined each and all of them with the keenest interest'. Doyle showed the audience the same clues as Sherlock saw, so they felt Holmes was more cleaver than them to a certain extent, as they had followed the red-herrings throughout the story. This effect was sewn into the clues so the audience could not tell truth from theory. "
Abstract This paper examines Roddy Doyle"s novel, "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha", a powerful and compelling story of life in 1960s Ireland through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, Paddy. It looks at how the book is purposely written almost entirely in dialogue, creating a fantastic range of slang, vulgarisms and colloquialisms. It analyzes how within the book, Doyle explores and deals with many issues, including Paddy and his hatred for his brother, peer group pressure and his mother and father's rocky and deteriorating marriage as well as many other themes. These include the loss of childhood innocence, the family, the marvellous nature of a child's imagination, the harshness of life and the cruelty of children.
From the Paper "The first techniques which one could mention, is the obvious slow change of the tone within the book. Doyle creates, for the first 200 pages of so, the dominant tone of happiness, delight and childish mischief. ?I had a book on my head. I had to get up the stairs without it falling off. If it fell off I would die.? Nothing is particularly serious, Paddy continues to harass his brother and play with his peers, and has yet to understand the seriousness of his mother and fathers continuous quarrelling. However Doyle cleverly changes the tone, towards the end of the novel, through Paddy's dialogue, not only to show that Paddy is growing up, as he most definitely is, but also to create a tone more serious, anxious and tense. "They were fighting all the time now. They said nothing but it was a fight"The silences were worst, waiting it to start again, or louder.? "
Abstract 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."
This paper compares and contrasts Anne Tyler's novel "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha", and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints".
Abstract The paper examines the family structure in Anne Tyler's novel "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha" and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints". The paper explains that because of a lacking or dysfunctional family structure, the children of the Tyler and Doyle novels become mired in loneliness and isolation. The paper contrasts this to Ricci's young protagonist who still manages to emerge as a resilient narrator, because he looks positively at the difficulties he experienced.
From the Paper "In Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Cody, Ezra, and Jenny are abandoned by their father and raised by a difficult mother, Pearl. Pearl finds it difficult to emotionally cope with her husband's abandonment, because of the financial stresses of her circumstances and the fact that she has no real friends or family members willing to help her survive. Her children grow up to become functional members of society, vocationally, but their family lives are fraught with difficulties. Even as Pearl lies on her deathbed, the family has difficulties communicating."
