Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Sign of the four
- Themes
- The awful police force
- In the Victorian era the police force was known as corrupt and relatively
unestablished as there were somany people and a small police force. This combined
with cerial killers such as Jack the Ripper meant that the police force was very
untrusted. This gave connan doyle the chance to create a advanced and intricate
character that could act as an advanced and smart hero almost someone the public
could find comfort and safety in
- Victorian London and the fears
- In this novel, a number of Victorian fears are presented. We see the fear of 'the other'
or 'foreignness' presented through the character of Tonga, who is depicted as savage
and inherently evil. Conan Doyle also shows fear of darkness - much of the novel is set
at night-time when murder, theft and betrayal occur. The Victorian preoccupation with
social class and the fear of overstepping social boundaries is also evident and is
represented by Watson's concerns about Miss Morstan's potential inheritance.
- mystery
- Empire and empirialism
- This novel is set against the backdrop of the Victorian Empire. The treasure that is
stolen repeatedly through the novel comes from India, which at the time of the story
was under British rule. Through the treasure and the luxurious decorations of Sholto's
house, Conan Doyle associates luxury with the empire. There is also a sense of threat
to the empire that is conveyed through the mention of the uprising of 1857. In addition
to this, the appearance in London of Tonga, the islander, could be perceived as
threatening.
- Evil and injustice
- Evil presented through the crime and murder
- Injustice is present for many of the story
through the fact that many characters like
Sholto is denied of the treasure that is
apparently rightfully his
- Context
- The Sign of the Four" follows Holmes as he solves a two-fold mystery. One, what has happened to
Mary Morstan’s father, Captain Arthur Morstan? Two, who has been sending her mysterious pearls in
the mail? Holmes of course solves both, with the assistance of his associate Dr. John Watson. This
story is likely best known for two things. One is arguably the most famous Holmes quote, which is
“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever
remains,however improbable, must be the truth?” The second thing is that it introduces Mary
Morstan. Ms. Morstan is John Watson’s love interest and eventual wife. In this story, she brings the
case to the attention of Holmes and Watson and Watson proposes to her by the end of the story.