The Empire

The British Empire was at its prime during the Victorian Era. They were
prospering in wealth, power, and were one of the leading nations in the world
due to their advancements in science, medicine, military, and technology.
However, amidst all the power and success, the British Empire began to
develop a skewed view of those who were considered different from them.
In the novella, The Sign of Four, Doyle clearly demonstrates the Victorians
great pride in their empire, their obsession with imperializing the foreign, and
their negative perception of the Indians.
Doyle reveals how the Victorians looked down on the Indians by
characterizing Tonga, who is the Islander that helped Jonathan Small kill
Bartholomew Sholto as a little black manwith a great, mishappen head
and a shock of tangled, disheveled hair (Chapter 10). This barbaric and
savage-like description of Tonga demonstrates how the British feared those
who appeared different from them and believed that they were the
embodiment of evil. In McBratneys text Racial and Criminal Types, he
states how many writers such as Doyle were influenced by the flawed works
of English anthropologists who stereotyped the Indians by basing their worth
and status on their appearances. For example, physical anthropology was
very popular during the Victorian Era and led to the belief that external
qualities determined internal qualities (Page 152). Additionally, because the
Indians had characteristics that were different from those of the British,
people believed that they were inferior and believed they imposed a threat
to the purity of the English. Because this idea was so widespread, it greatly
impacted Doyles writing in The Sign of Four through his description of Tonga.
Doyles stereotypical and racist portrayal of the Indians demonstrate how
strong of an impact the anthropologists made on his work.
Additionally, in Randall and Keeps text Addiction, Empire, and
Narrative, they claim how the British was obsessed with the idea of staying
pure and differentiating themselves from the foreign. Specifically, the fourth
puncture that they mention, which is the death of Tonga, marks how the
British once again restored [their] spatial and ontological integrity of the
imperial centre (Page 216). In other words, Keep and Randall are asserting
how the British Empire gained back their superiority by eradicating what they
considered to be evil and impure. Not only does Tongas death in The
Sign of Four emphasize the Victorians negative attitude towards the
colonies, but it also demonstrates how much pride they hold in themselves.
Because the British constantly obsessed over the idea of the others and
imperialism, it led them to develop a whole culture that centered around
India. According to Keep and Randall, the economy began to manufacture
goods such as house items, food packaging, and novels that depicted
colonial heroes conquering the orient (page 207). Doyle demonstrates this
culture through the description of Thaddeus Sholtos house. In the novella,
Thaddeus displays this concept by having his house decorated with a
plethora of items imported from India and even having Indian servants work
for him (Chapter 4). The fact that Sholto ornamented his house with Indian
items further reveals the Britishs growing curiosity and obsession with them.
The source of the Britishs fascination with the orient stems from the fact
that they believe the Indians are so distant and uncivilized in comparison to
themselves.