setting Flashcards
a dense drizzly fog lay low”Chapter 3 - to Lyceum theatre
mystery, excitement
the alliteration ‘dense drizzly’ accentuates how eerie and dark london is presented throughout the novel. the powerful ‘d’ sounds indicates the extreme effects the gloomy and threatening atmosphere had on watson. by doing this doyle uses watson as a foil to Holmes as he is not deeply affected by the weather whereas watson is engulfed by the darkness and mystery of london. by covering the city in ‘fog’ and ‘steamy’ air implies that there are places of secrecy within london alluding to londons confusing and oppressive nature. the use of pathetic fallacy makes the case feal more realistic and reflects the uncertainty around the case in chapter 3.
“mud coloured clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets”
the personification used here suggests that London is a character within the sign of the four as the repetition of ‘mud’ implies that London is full of crime and mystery. everything is so unclear as it is covered by the selfish, evil greedy people who bring ‘mud’ to the streets of London. this dark imagery creates a gloomy mood. this darkness symbolizes holmes’ lack of clarity about marys case at this point.
“desolate grounds…all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner”Chapter 5 - Pondicherry lodge
mystery
the dark imagery used here creates uncertainty and reflects major Shotos immorality secrecy and selfish desire to hide the treasure. by creating such an unsettling mood in the rising action of the novella emphasizes how egregious the crimes were. Doyle builds suspense in chapter 5 by doing this leading to more fear and anticipation. this semantic field of horror creates a sense of foreboding as the ‘moonbeam’ tells us where Bartholomew’s body is. creating so many layers of suspense makes it more satisfying for the reader when holmes deduces and makes precise observasions.
“gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart” Chapter 5 - Pondicherry lodge
mystery
because the atmosphere creates a ‘deathly silence’ Watson is affected and he is portrayed as a scared child who ‘instinctively’ held hands with mary for comfort as the adverb ‘deathly’ has connotations of evil and deceit which reflect the atmosphere in Pondicherry lodge. Forbye, suggests that his emotions contribute to his flaws as the eerie atmosphere ‘struck a chill to the heart’
of Watson and as the narrator of the novella this effect is passed on to the readers which are further accentuated by the plosive ‘ck’ sounds to evoke a sinister tone which makes the reader feel engaged as he was unable to make some observations or deductions. But, holmes was able to inspect the crime and deduce that Bartholomew had been murdered. the mysterious layers cease to affect him reflecting its form as detective fiction as holmes seem to be the antidote for the fear instilled in this chapter and Watson is just less intelligent and needs Holmes to be there in order to obtain balance in the case. So, Doyle makes the reader see holmes as a hero because of the extreme levels of distress everyone else feels holmes manages to save the day and release so much tension even though, Bartholomew’s body is added to another layer of uncertainty.
“The furnaces roared, and the powerful engines whizzed and clanked, like a great metallic heart.”
excitement
the metaphors and similes used here create a sense of urgency and excitement. the Anthropomorphism ‘the furnaces road’ indicates that the amount of energy and excitement from the boat made it feel as though it was alive with a ‘great metallic heart’ making the reader imagine the thrilling experience. this passion and exhilaration from the boat reflect how holmes are excited when he is on the case as his sentences are short powerful and energetic just like the ‘powerful engines’ of the boat. this implies that they are due to catch the aurora and create more climax
‘something eerie and ghostlike in the endless procession of faces’
gothic genre, mystery
when Watson describes the crowded strand he uses pathetic fallacy, connecting the dismal scene with his own unease. he finds ‘something eerie and ghostlike in the endless procession of faces’ and the adjectives ‘eerie’ and ‘ghostlike’ suggest there is ‘endless’ - never-ending, too many to count- and ‘procession’ indicating a ceremonial orderly movement laking spontaneity. it’s a description that shows Watsons horrified reaction to the deadening effects of the city on human life
with every throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like a lving thing
excitement, justice
during the chase watson describes the sensation of being the boat. ‘with every throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like a lving thing’ the word ‘throb’ conveys the sense that the engines make a rhythmic sound but it also reminds us of the pounding sensation of blood pulsing through a living heart when it beats faster due to physical exertation and exhilleration. he develops the idea that the boat feels as if it is alive with verbs ‘sprang’ and ‘quivered’. he drives the point home in the simile’like a living thing’ it is as if the boat itself is alive and excited
