Essay on Sherlock Holmes

How successfully does Conan Doyle create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery in the Sherlock Holmes short stories?

Conan Doyle’s’ short stories were written at the end of the end of the 19^th century. They were the first detective stories, which make Sherlock Holmes so famous today. Sherlock Holmes has become one of the most celebrated and famous fictional detectives the world has ever known. There are hundreds of websites, TV productions etc, that involve Holmes’.

At the beginning of each story, our impression of Sherlock Holmes is boosted by what his friend, Watson, says about him. For example, at the start of Reigate puzzle, it says, “ Europe was singing with his name”. This in one way shows that Holmes must have been very famous.

Conan Doyle maintains the suspense through out all the short stories in certain ways. Such as, strange behaviour, for example in The Musgrave Ritual, Holmes shouts out he’s going to be murdered and he faints. I think this is a way of making the readers guess and question Holmes. This creates suspense during the story and develops the reader’s interest as well. Also strange characters and objects also maintain suspense during the story. For example when the butler disappears before he is due to leave, the maid hysterically laughs when she finds out. This brings a bit of suspense to the scene because it leaves the readers wondering why the maid had done that. Also in this story, when the butler was looking through personal documents, this also brought more suspense, as we did not find out straight away what the documents were. The way the butler hid another piece of paper in his pocket was quite mysterious.

The use of the narrator, Watson, builds up suspense and brings you closer to the story and closer to Holmes. It feels personal, as if he’s talking to you. Using Watson makes it seem like you’re having a conversation and it seems more real, believable. Watson makes us interested, “I cannot recall any which presented more singular features than that which was associated with…” He uses good words such as death, terrible and secrecy and this excites us because it leaves us in suspense waiting to find out more. Watson sums up the way Holmes works as, “rapid deductions, as swift as society and yet always founded on a logical basis”.

Watson establishes interest in women, (wearing a black veil to hide herself) related to, “some haunted animal”. Her features and figure were, “those of a woman of thirty”, but her hair was short with premature grey restless frightened eyes, in a pitiable state. The way the face was drawn and her grey expression was weary.

Holmes develops images of life and scenarios, “ come by train this morning”, “good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads”. This helps us make a reaction, during the suspense that Conan Doyle has created and draws us in wanting to read more.

Conan Doyle tells us that the mystery in the story is with someone popular but not what its about, “well known surrey family of the Roylotts of stoke Moran”. He uses words such as secrecy, pledge, violence, horror and death and these are used to help build and create suspense.
The use of language on the woman’s description in The Speckled Band, keeps us tense, “she is shivering, dressed in black, and heavily veiled” in a wretched state, drawn and grey face, and restless frightened eyes. A simile is used, “frightened eyes, like those of some haunted animal”.

The women has premature grey hair, therefore you wonder what stress she’s been through as she’s grey at the age of thirty.

Another way in which Conan Doyle brings suspense to the story is the sense of danger. For example, in The Speckland Band, the storm and the darkness builds up suspense, because in realistic circumstances storms are powerful and the darkness is mysterious, as if anything could happen. This shows that there are some areas of suspense and leaves the reader questioning the scene.

Also, the structure of the story builds suspense. We watch Holmes’ behaviour & that and other strange happenings not revealed to the end. He doesn’t tell anyone what he is thinking. He keeps them to himself, he’s careful not to alert people of his way of thinking because it would warn people. Also his thoroughness, the fact that he’s always one step ahead of everyone else is quite fascinating. The demeanour gives you some clues to keep you guessing, there is always a moment before the end that reveals the secrets and not just an answer to who did it, but sharing the logic to which has reached the conclusion. The way everything adds together, it makes him appear intelligent and scientific. All this builds up suspense in the story because as he does not give any of his information away, we are left guessing and this creates suspense.
At points in the story, Holmes’ asks questions, attentions to detail and you know he’s up to something, however the readers are not aware of it. Holmes is described as, “face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing”, and this makes us feel different. Holmes rarely looses control and stays cool, therefore to see him in a state is shocking. As the story and solution to the band is revealed, it is very clever how each clue is linked.

Holmes is very particular in his methods. For example, in each room he checks every crack, in a board, every hinge, and every patch on the wall. He checks the lawn, the bed, and the furniture. Holmes creates a scenario out of clues and is always right. He is very observant and waits for proof to prove his allegations.

Also another way, in which suspense and mysterious atmosphere’s are built up is the way in which Holmes’ stands alone in his investigations, his obsession in solving crimes even though he’s delicate and ill. The way Holmes sorts out his files and documents at least once a year and needs time alone to go through his cases. In a way the inspector is brave because he may have an idea what is happening his cases, however he doesn’t exactly know what he’s going to do. Therefore he puts himself in dangerous and strange positions, where Holmes’ happens to be when he is investigating is quite mysterious. Also the way he puts himself in danger, yet with his strength and bravery he still does the job, as it’s what he loves doing. For example, in Speckled Band, Holmes lets out orders for what Helen should do and they are quite strange aspects.

Holmes has already decided what the investigation theory is, however he does not let it on, “perhaps I have…” and also, “ I should prefer…clearer proofs before I speak”. Many dangers are described here which we don’t know why, and our brains are anxiously trying to work it out. The doctor is violent to the boy driving the trap, “shock his clinched fists at him”. When Holmes finds out, he has already worked out more about the rooms than Watson and apparently us. Holmes starts collecting up his evidence, telling us, but does not let it all out, “does not that strike you”!

One of the stories I have been concentrating on is The Musgrave Ritual. In this short story, suspense and mystery is built up in many ways. One way in which Conan Doyle builds up suspense is when the butler is looking through some personal documents in Musgraves’ study and the man is standing by the door. This creates suspense because it leaves readers wanting to find out more and what is going to happen next. When the butler is caught and asked to leave his job, personally I think that the butler would want to gain revenge because he had just been sacked, therefore there would be an atmosphere of suspense because it would leave readers wondering what the butler is planning to do. Also Musgrave is “extreme natural diffidence” and lived in the “oldest inhabited building”. This puts suspense in as old houses are thought to be spooky and mysterious.

Another way, in which Conan Doyle creates suspense, is when Holmes is shown the ritual that the butler was looking at and he went and followed it and found a cellar. This was quite mysterious as it made that moment very interesting and left the readers in suspense wanting to find out more. When the readers find out that the butler was found there dead, this created an even more mysterious atmosphere and leaves the readers in suspense yet again.

When the maid locked the butler in the cellar and took the jewels and threw them in the river, I thought this was quite suspicious and puzzling, as it seemed eccentric how the maid threw them in the river.

Holmes kept real evidence for this case, such as a crumpled piece of paper, an old-fashioned brass key, a peg of wood with a ball of string attached to it and three rusty old dishes of metal. Another way in which Conan Doyle keeps mystery in this story is how he uses lots of descriptive words; Holmes only reveals what he knows, little by little. Holmes tells Watson it is one of the different cases it is “recherché!!” The evidence is described early on, however it keeps you guessing from then on. It is obvious that there was a death involved.

Another story I was concentrating on was The Speckled Band. Conan Doyle keeps the suspense and lets us know that something bad is about to happen by “every event of the dreadful night is seared in to my memory”. ‘The fatal night’ keeps the story interesting.

Holmes wants Watson to “slip your revolver into your pocket…is an excellent argument”. It makes you ask questions such as, “Will there be any danger?”

This makes the driver of “trap” think he is an architect or a builder of the improvements of Stoke Moran to, “stop his gossip”. Miss Stoner appeared as not aware that Dr. Roylott traced her journey this morning “he has followed me then”! Holmes talks us of how Roylott is “violent” and how Helen should “lock yourself up”.

When the house is being described, another simile is used, “ two curving wings, like the claws of a crab”. This makes the house spooky and sound mysterious. The building was grey, broken window, roof partly caved in “a picture of ruin”. This is similar to a description of a haunted house, which therefore makes it seem strange and exciting.

In one of the scenes, Helen has to sleep in her sisters’ room while ‘repairs’ were being done in her original room. However Holmes says, “Does not seem to be any...repairs at the end wall”. Therefore this makes readers wonder why can’t she be in her own room? This makes it appear strange and mysterious. There are a lot of clues that are given to the readers, however we know they must be linked yet we don’t know how. For example, in the late Miss Stoners room, her bed is clamped to the floor, there is a bell-rope and ventilator built at the same time, but the bell-rope is a red herring for it does not work. The ventilator branches to another room, rather than outside and leaves readers wondering why.

Another example, which seems quite mysterious in the story, is in Dr. Roylotts room, there is a cat dish on top of a cupboard of paper work and a small dog lash-but there is no dog or cat at that house, “your life may depend”. From this, violence and suspense is then crept into the story. As Holmes and Watson venture to stroke Moran, someone darts out of nowhere, which shakes us and leaves us in suspense. They slip off their shoes, and are noiseless as they creep in. When “your life may depend…have your pistol ready, do not go to sleep” is said, it appears very mysterious and leaves you in suspense. Everything is done silently, in the dark, which is the, ‘scariest’ time of day. Also the suspense Conan Doyle builds leaves us tense and nervous making us feel more involved.

Another way the atmosphere is much more tense is by the cries and whines from the animals outside. Most of the actions all happen so suddenly with silence in between, and this creates more tension and a more jumpy and uptight atmosphere. Conan Doyle keeps a feeling of mystery by, at first, hearing Holmes, an experienced detective, so interested in this case he breaks his routine two weeks early about what is going on. This keeps us mystified, as we are told nothing about the case until later. He keeps up a feeling of danger and violence mainly by the way the lady is shivering with fear, dressed to hide and speaking slowly. The violence is nearer when the stepfather is said to be mean as he injured the girls’ wrist. However, when he came down and threatened Holmes, Holmes remained very calm and polite. He never faltered or lost his temper, he let the man shout and sat listening, laughing “pray take a seat”. Holmes was also strong “steal poker…straightened it out again”.

To conclude, I think Conan Doyle does a good job of creating an atmosphere of suspense in each of his stories. Not only does he make each story singular and interesting but leaves readers wanting to find out more and read on till the end. Overall, in my opinion I think Holmes is a very clever, detailed and an intelligent detective. I have enjoyed reading these stories and have learnt much more about detective stories.