The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle (1892), :: English Literature

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle (1892), The Ostler by Wilkie Collins (1855), and The Signalman by Charles Dickens (1864). All of these are mystery stories How do the writers try to create excitement, mystery and suspense? Which of the stories you have read was the most successful and why? I have chosen to write about three stories – ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle (1892), ‘The Ostler’ by Wilkie Collins (1855), and ‘The Signalman’ by Charles Dickens (1864). All of these are mystery stories that have been written in a similar way, with classic ‘mystery and suspense’ techniques. These stories were all written in the nineteenth century, and reflect this period with the use of old language and settings. Also the use of horses & carriage and the disadvantage of there being no electricity. Many archaisms are used in all three of the stories and these reflect the period. Nobody would use such language today, which also helps to draw the reader into the story because the reader has to concentrate on the complicated language and long sentences. The narrative structure in ‘The Signalman’ and ‘The Ostler’ is very similar, with both narrators reliving the stories and telling them to the reader, where as, in the ‘Speckled Band’, the reader seems to be being told the story as it happens. In the ‘Speckled Band’ even though he is speaking from a time after the events of the story Dr Watson tells us the story as it happens so you feel included, as though you are there in the story with the characters. This also makes the story seem more believable – factual rather than fictional – that it actually happened and that Dr Watson was there. This allows us to share his thoughts and feelings to further include us in the story. For example ‘I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange.’ This shows us Dr Watson’s feelings. Sherlock Holmes is one of the main characters in this story and he is very well known for his success as a detective. He is visited by a young woman (Helen Stoner), who needs his help after the very sudden and unexplained death of her sister, as she is worried for her own safety. This character actually narrates the first part of the story (after Watson’s introduction), while she tells Sherlock Holmes of the unsolved mystery. Her story is told in first person narrative so the reader relives the time when her sister dies. Pathetic fallacy is again used to create an ideal setting for a murder.