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Sandy Segura

ENG 305-01

2/16/14

Express the Inexpressible

Author of A Study in Scarlet Arthur Conan Doyle does a very good job at concealing the

mystery of the novel. Doyle conceals the mystery by writing the narration in the perspective of

another character this way the reader is able to have a better view of the detective’s actions.

Although Sherlock Holmes is the significant character of the novel, the reader’s main source of

gathering information is given through the perspective of Dr. Watson. Writing the narration in

third person is important because the audience is not given too much information about the

detective himself. This is the convention used throughout the novel in order to give a small

perspective of Holmes and his detective strategy without revealing the mystery. If Doyle had

written it from Holmes’ perspective it would have been more difficult to keep the audience in the

dark.

The reader is given little access to the mind of Sherlock Holmes but that is what makes

the novel a mystery. Even though the reader does not have complete access to the mind of the

detective, there are other ways to make connections. For example, Watson’s character states, “I

had imagined that Sherlock Holmes would at once have hurried into the house and plunged into a

study of the mystery. Nothing appeared to be further from his intention. With an air of

nonchalance which, under the circumstances, seemed to me border upon affection, he lounged up

and down the pavement, and gazed vacantly at the ground, the sky, the opposite houses and the

line of the railings” (page 17). From this quote the reader is able make context clues about
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Holmes’ detective work. His ways of thinking are different. Instead of investigating the crime

scene so abruptly he decides to walk and make other observations that may have been missed.

Through Dr. Watson’s perspective of Holmes’ and his actions the reader is able to make

connections to his way of thinking.

Doyle allows few strategies within the text to giving the reader access to the crime

solving process. One strategy used is through the perspective of Dr. Watson. Watson’s character

is used as Holmes’ assistant, and through his perspective the reader is able to follow the details

of the investigation. Dr. Watson describes the scenery of the crime in complete detail he states,

“It was a large room, looking all the larger from the absence of furniture...Opposite the door was

a showy fireplace, surmounted by a stump of red was candle..All these details I observed

afterwards. At present my attention was centered upon the single, grim, motionless figure which

lay stretched upon the boards, with vacant, sightless eyes staring up at the discoloured ceiling”

(page 18). Through this description of the crime scene the reader is able to use imagery to follow

along with the crime solving process. Another strategy that can be used to follow the process is

through detective Holmes’ actions. For example, it states, “As he spoke, he whipped a tape

measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket. With these two implements he

trotted noiselessly about the room, sometimes stopping, occasionally kneeling, and once lying

flat upon his face” (page 18). This quote shows how observant Holmes is, and how important it

is to find clues during the process of solving a mystery.

Although this novel remains a mystery until the end, there are ways in which the reader

can collect information about the crime detective Holmes is trying to solve. For instance during
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the crime scene Holmes reveals an important clue about the victim. It states, “Sherlock Holmes

approached the body, and, kneeling down, examining it intently. ‘You are sure that there is no

wound?’ he asked, pointing to numerous gouts and splashes of blood which lay all round” (page

19). In this quote the reader is able to make connections with the clues provided that the victim

may have been hit with a blunt object causing the death. Another significant clue that was

provided was a personal item belonging to the villain. Holmes states, “The ring, man, the ring:

that was what he came back for. If we have no other way of catching him, we can always bait our

line with the ring” (page 28). This quote explains that the villain made a mistake in leaving

behind a ring and Holmes would use it to his advantage. This clue is very important because it

foreshadows the villain will be apprehended. Doyle does provide the reader with minor clues in

order to follow along with the novel, but he does not give clues as to the reason for the crime. It

is important not to give away too many clues because that is what gives the novel its mystery.

The overall text was very well written. Doyle used plenty of strategies with Watson’s

character to enable the reader with as much information as possible, but he did not reveal the

mystery. This reading was very engaging. I found myself asking questions and making

connections as the novel progressed. Doyle was able to leave the antagonist a mystery until the

very end.