1

Khabra
Benjeet Khabra
Professor Haas
Writing 39B
4/30/14
Doyle Depicting the Victorian ra
Doyle!s "or#s on $herloc# Hol%es are a %irror of the late Victorian era &ie"s on social
class' the police' an( the racial an( cri%inal type) Doyle is able appeal to his a*(ience "ith the
attit*(e he *ses to e+press the Police' social class an( colonial ,n(i-ll these attit*(es are
represente(a in The Sign of Four, a story "hich re&ol&es is centere( aro*n(.yo* can!t /center
aro*n(0 so%ething1 the stolen -gra treas*re "hich is stolen fro% the $holto!s an( the %*r(er of
Bartholo%e" $holto is #ille( (*ring the theft) 2ater' it is re&eale( that $%all' along "ith three
,n(ian partners' the treas*re "as originally stole the treas*ren fro% a 3aj in ,n(ia )4 they "ere
then by $%all an( three ,n(ians "ho then get betraye( by 5ajor $holto an( 5orstan., (on!t
thin# 5orstan "as really in on the betrayal "as he6) D*ring athe boat chase at the en( of the
no&el' $%all an( his co%panion fro% the -n(a%an ,slan(s' 7onga' (*%pe( the treas*re in the
7ha%es) an( 7onga is #ille( an( no" lies in at the botto% of the 7ha%es "ith the treas*re) ,n the
en(' Watson is able to %arry 5ary 5orstan beca*se her class "as not change( beca*se she (i(
not get the treas*re) .. 7his is a &ery long s*%%ary888(o yo* thin# yo* nee( it all6 3e%e%ber
yo* sho*l( only s*%%ari9e the specific points that yo* "ill nee( to %a#e the rest of yo*r essay
clear:li#e the /Pre&io*sly $een ;n0 trailer before a 7V episo(e <otable scholars "ere able to
agree that Doyle!s no&els see% to %irror the sa%e attit*(e of the Victorian society "hen it ca%e
to the police' social class' an( the racial an( cri%inal type' %ainly "hen spea#ing of colonial
,n(ia) .this sentence (oesn!t really follo" fro% the s*%%ary of the no&el:the sentences aren!t
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connecte(888yo* nee( to transition fro% the s*%%ary into yo*r state%ent of controlling p*rpose)
5a#ing s*re the ele%ents of yo*r s*%%ary are all foc*se( on the things yo*!re "riting abo*t
"ill help "ith that7his %irror ga&e Doyle the ability to connect "ith his a*(ience an( pop*lari9e
the genre an( the $herloc# Hol%es series)
..yo* co*l( *se a bit %ore intro here' an( then an intro of Pane#888so%ething li#e= -n
i%portant ele%ent of the $herloc# Hol%es stories that beca%e a stan(ar( con&ention of the
%ystery genre is the character of the inco%petent police) -ccor(ing to literary scholar 2eroy 7he
Victorian attit*(e pre&alent in >onan Doyle!s no&els incl*(e( nglan(?s attit*(e to"ar( the
police (epart%ent an( class %ainly the %i((le8class) @irstly' the Police (epart%ent is (epicte( as
inco%petent an( Pane# in his boo#8length st*(y of the genre' Introduction to the Detective Story'
the inco%petent police characters "ere a (irect reflection of the general p*blic!s attit*(es to"ar(
the police at that ti%e) Pane# e&en clai%s that the reality of an inco%petent police force "as one
of the historical sit*ations that "as necessary for the %ystery genre to beco%e pop*lar Apage
n*%berB arg*es in /Beginnings0 that the Police (etecti&e (i(n!t beco%e accepte( as a hero'
"hich $herloc# "as' *ntil abo*t a h*n(re( years after their creation in 1C4D) ..go into so%e
(etail abo*t "hat Pane# says abo*t this topic888he is E*ite (etaile( in his (isc*ssion Hol%es says
in The Sign of Four, FGes': a E*eer %ongrel' "ith a %ost a%a9ing po"er of scent) , "o*l(
rather ha&e 7oby?s help than that of the "hole (etecti&e force of 2on(on)F Holmes basically
states that a dog is a better resource than the entire detective force in London. Doyle
essentially created a character that the public could see as a hero which wasnt too hard
because the public saw the police as inept).yo* can probably c*t this beca*se it!s j*st
repetition Hi&en the police force!s inability to close cases s*ch as the Whitechapel %*r(ers
co%%itte( by the infa%o*s Iac# the 3ipper abo*t t"o years before The Sign of Four "as
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release(' Pane# arg*e( that the nineteenth cent*ry rea(ers sa" the geni*s as the hero instea( of
the police).also %ostly repetition' e+cept for the Iac# the 3ipper part' "hich yo* co*l( e+plain
better88 go into %ore (etails of the (ifferent points Pane# %a#es abo*t the police4 Konni#o&a'
a*thor of How to think like Sherlock Holmes, agrees "hen says / 7o(ay' Hol%es ser&es an i(eal
%o(el for ho" "e can thin# better than "e (o as a %atter of co*rse'0 beca*se the "ay Hol%es is
able to sol&e the cases an( thin#s is the reason "hy he "as i(oli9e( as oppose( to the police of
the (ay) ..this see%s li#e a stretch to p*t *p for con&ersation abo*t the con&ention of the
inco%petent police888she isn!t really referencing that at all' so yo* ha&e to try to %a#e a
connection) ,t "o*l( be better if yo* co*l( fin( another of the scholars Aor Konni#o&aB
specifically a((ressing the police Doyle repeate(ly incl*(es the Victorian attit*(e to"ar( the
police e&en if it is s*btle' for e+a%ple' in /7he @inal Proble%0 $herloc# Hol%es says in a letter
for Watson' /He has been gi&ing %e a s#etch of the %etho(s by "hich he a&oi(e( the nglish
police an( #ept hi%self infor%e( of o*r %o&e%ents)0 Hol%es is spea#ing of 5r)5oriarty "ho is
a cri%inal that is able to e&a(e the inco%petent police an( is not i%prisone( e&en "ith $herloc#
Hol%es sol&ing the cri%e "hich sho*l( lea&e 5oriarty in prison) Hol%es is repeate(ly the hero
beca*se Doyle is able to *se this attit*(e to connect to the a*(ience' "hich is the %i((le8class)
.re%e%ber' "hate&er s*%%ary yo* gi&e fro% >D or any"here sho*l( all be in ser&ice of
(e&eloping the con&ersation of the scholars
7he %ain a*(ience of Doyle!s (etecti&e stories are %i((le8class %en) ,n /Doyle'0 Pane#
states that Doyle concentrates on the proble%s of the %o(est %i((le8class rather than aristocrats)
2a"s regar(ing e(*cation an( labor practices "ere enacte( in the late Victorian era an( an(
%any technological a(&ances create( %ore ti%e an( the ability to rea( these (etecti&e stories by
Doyle) ;ne e+a%ple of the %i((le class in Doyle!s "ritings is the Iabe9 Wilson fro% /7he 3e(8
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Hea(e( 2eag*e0 "ho "ants to #no" "hy he isn!t getting any %ore %oney fro% the 3e(8Hea(e(
2eag*e) the 7he fact that %ost of the these stories concentrate( on the %i((le8class sho"s the
pre&alent i(ea that the %i((le8class "o*l( relate the %ost to these stories "hich "as also sho"n
by the fact that the stories are narrate( by Watson' a typical %i((le8class Victorian gentle%an)
7he typical Victorian gentle%an is (epicte( in Watson "ith his /%oral selflessness as %entione(
by @arrell in Heroism, Culture, and Dread in The Sign of Four "here he (escribes Watson not
caring abo*t the treas*re an( j*st abo*t 5ary 5orstan) 5cBratney agrees "hen he says that
Doyle %a(e the character of Watson /settle into a con&entional %arriage0 at the en( of the The
Sign of Four an( he beco%es e&en %ore of the Victorian gentle%an) &en Keep steps in an(
%entions /the loss
of ,n(ian treas*re enables the co%e(ic %o&e to nglish betrothal / in or(er to state that
Doyle incl*(e( the typical Victorian relationship to his no&els) /@*rther%ore' Watsons /%oral
selflessness0 (i( not nee( to be teste( beca*se the -gra treas*re chest "as e%ptie( in the
7ha%es) 7he Victorian gentle%an is also (epicte( in The Sign of Four "ith Watson "ho "aits to
re&eal his feelings to 5iss 5orstan beca*se the -gra treas*re "o*l( ha&e (eter%ine( class an(
the o&erarching attit*(e in nglan( regar(ing class "as one "here the an in(i&i(*al sho*l(
%arry into his or her o"n separate class) 7his class attit*(e that Watson possesses than#s to
Doyle is sho"n "hen Watson says FBeca*se yo* are "ithin %y reach again)F <ot only (i( Doyle
%ention the stan(ar( attit*(e to"ar(s the %i((le8class b*t he also %entione( the attit*(e to"ar(
all the classes "ith Watsons Victorian gentle%an characteristic an( his relationship "ith 5ary
5orstan "hich helps connect to the a*(ience of the ti%e) .., (on!t thin# yo* clearly state( the
p*rpose of this paragraph early on' an( so it s*ffers thro*gho*t fro% being a little (isjointe() ,s
the point here that another attit*(e of the Victorian era %irrore( in the >D stories that the
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Khabra
scholars ha&e pointe( o*t is the Victorian i(eal of the /proper gentle%an06 -n( that this attit*(e
is %irrore( in Watson' "ho is the E*intessential proper gentle%an6 A, thin# soB888try to %a#e this
clear early in the paragraph an( get into ho" Pane# a((resses this) 7hen yo* (i( a si%ilar thing
"ith 5cBratney in this paragraph as in yo*r last:yo* ga&e a &ery short snippet fro% his article
an( then sort of shoe8horne( it into fitting yo*r point) , a% s*re that %any of the other scholars
a((ress Watson an( his characteristics as a proper gentle%an' so , thin# yo* can fin( stronger
an( (eeper connections to %ine for this con&ersation4 yo* %ight also consi(er j*st c*tting this
point o*t all together:it!s not E*ite li#e the others888the attit*(e to"ar( police an( the attit*(e
to"ar( /others0 or other races888 this one is %ore abo*t ho" they sa" the%sel&es' not others:
an( yo*!&e got too %any points any"ay:it!s %*ch better to ha&e fe"er points an( (eeper
(e&elop%ent "ithin those points than to ha&e %any points
Doyle ten(s to sho" ill feelings to"ar(s other types of people' for e+a%ple in /- $can(al
in Bohe%ia0 Doyle (escribes says /,t is the Her%an "ho is so *nco*rteo*s to his &erbs)0 ..Doyle
(oesn!t say this:Hol%es (oes:it is in #eeping "ith ho" he tal#s abo*t people888b*t it is also' as yo*!re
trying to point o*t' an instance of ho" the no&els %irror attit*(es abo*t race ) Go*r first sentence in this
paragraph o*ght to be so%ething abo*t ho" se&eral scholars ha&e foc*se( on the $ign of @o*r as a place
to tal# abo*t ho" racial attit*(es are %irrore( in >D!s stories Which is essentially an ins*lt to the
Her%ans) 7hey "ere also e+plicit in other "or#s as "ell li#e The Sign of Four -s 5cBratney clearly
(epicte( in his /3acial an( >ri%inal 7ypes= ,n(ian thnography an( $ir -rth*r >onan Doyle?s
J7he $ign of @o*r!'0 the racial types sho"n in "ritings s*ch as The Im!erial "a#etteer, "ere
*se( to (e&elop a g*i(ing force force for the "ritings of ti%e) .."hen yo* first intro a so*rce
yo* sho*l( gi&e a brief s*%%ary of the %ain point:is this the %ain point of the article6 Hol%es
E*otes an e+cerpt of The Im!erial "a#etteer in or(er to i(entify the s%all footprint fo*n( at the
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cri%e scene) /?7he aborigines of the -n(a%an ,slan(s %ay perhaps clai% the (istinction of being
the s%allest race *pon this earth' tho*gh so%e anthropologists prefer the B*sh%en of -frica' the
Digger ,n(ians of -%erica' an( the 7erra (el @*egians!0A>onan Doyle'130KB) 7his (irect E*ote
fro% The Im!erial "a#etteer in The Sign of Four sho"s the relationship bet"een the racial types
of the ti%e perio( an( Doyle!s "riting).yo* (on!t nee( to j*st repeat "hat yo*!&e alrea(y sai(
after this E*ote:yo* nee( to %a#e a sentence that ties "hat this E*ote says to the ne+t i(ea'
"hich is 5cBratney 5cBratney states that this E*ote contra(icts the %ost notable ethnographies
by in(i&i(*als s*ch as ("ar( H) 5an an( W,llia% H) @lo"er "ho ha&e both st*(ie( the
-n(a%anese ,slan(s) @arrell .is this the first intro of this so*rce6 ,f so' slo" (o"n an( pro&i(e
(etails888then a sentence abo*t ho" the so*rce agrees "ith 5cBratney essentially agrees "ith
5cBratney on ho" ,n(ia "as (epicte( in the no&el "hen he states /With its rebellio*s Fblac#
fien(sF Ap) D34B an( Fblac# (e&ilsF Ap) D3DB' %a#e s*re yo* get the 52- citations correct
colonial ,n(ia co%es to e+press the (ar# face of the nglan( i(eali9e( in the no&el0A@arrell' 34B)
Doyle contin*es to s*pport the British attit*(e to"ar(s the ,n(ians (*ring the boat chase "hen he
(escribes 7onga as an /*nhallo"e( ("arf0 "ith /hi(eo*s eyes)0 7his (escription is Doyle!s "ay
..be caref*l abo*t "hat yo* acc*se Doyle of (oing:he %ay ha&e ha( no i(ea of "hat he "as
(oing Are%e%ber "e s"i% "ithin o*r c*lt*ral an( historical ti%e perio( li#e a fish in "ater an(
"e often are not a"are of the "aterB it!s better to foc*s on "hat the te+t says than to #eep
clai%ing "hat Doyle "as thin#ing or (oing of s*pporting the attit*(e of the British %pire
(*ring the Victorian era an( it also sho"s the effect that the British %pire ha( on the "ritings
of the ti%e perio(
<ot only (i( the racial types help g*i(e the "ritings of the ti%e b*t the political actions
of those *n(er colonial r*le "ere either %isinterprete( or p*rposef*lly *se( to sho" s*pport for
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the British %pire) ..%a#e yo*r topic sentences be foc*se( on the lit re&ie" aspect:"hat the
scholars say abo*t the political actions' not j*st a clai% abo*t political actions >hristopher Keep
an( Don 3an(all arg*e that the British e%pire belie&e( they ha( a /p*tati&ely legiti%ate'
%ilitary a*thority)0 >hristopher Keep an( Don 3an(all ..the first ti%e yo* intro' gi&e f*ll
(etails:then j*st call the% by last na%e go on to *se ric $to#es arg*%ent that it "as %ore li#e
a /peasant re&olt0 ca*se( by the British go&ern%ent an( its transfor%ations to the local syste%s
of property) 5cBratney agrees an( says the British %pire (i( not sho" the %*tineers as
opponents of a political or(er "ith "hich they are j*stifie( in opposing b*t as /(ist*rbers of a
social (isor(er0 A5cBratney'10B) 7he attit*(e of the British %pire to"ar(s the ,n(ians is sho"n
in The Sign of Four "hen Ionathan $%all (escribes the rebels (*ring the ,n(ian 5*tiny as
/fierce (e&il8"orshipers0 an( /t"o h*n(re( tho*san( blac# (e&ils)0 Keep an( 3an(all then arg*e
that the British attit*(e to"ar(s >olonial ,n(ia "as that of an a((iction' /the British see%' as it
"ere' to ha&e conE*ere( an( people( half the "orl( in search of a fi+' a "ay of f*lfilling a (esire
that in t*rn only creates f*rther (esire' "hich a((icts its *ser to the &ery fact of (esire0AKeep'14B)
7his sho"s that the British %pire "as a((icte( to trying to ci&ili9e other parts of the "orl( that
they sa" as sa&age8li#e an( *nci&ili9e() Doyle e+presses this feeling "hen he i%plies the
Her%ans are sa&age8li#e in /- $can(al in Bohe%ia)0 Describing >olonial ,n(ian people as
sa&age an( beast li#e "as a co%%on i(ea (epicte( in the "ritings of the ti%e' s*ch as "hen
>onan Doyle (escribes the -n(a%ans or the %*tineers (*ring Ionathan $%all!s story in The
Sign of Four Hoo(:this paragraph has %ore /con&ersation0 than so%e of the others
7hro*gh all of these e+a%ples the rea(er can see that Doyle base( his "or# on the i(eals
of the Victorian era an( "as tr*ly a pro(*ct of his ti%e) His no&el "ere inten(e( for the %i((le
class %ale portion of society an( that e+plains "hy e+presse( the i(eas of the inco%petent police
8
force an( the typical Victorian gentle%an) @*rther%ore' j*(ging by the "ay he "rote abo*t
colonial ,n(ia it see%s as if Doyle "as s*pporting the British %pire!s stance on all things
political an( an( racial) Doyle!s "ritings connecte( to the %i((le class thro*gh e+pressing all of
the i(eas that the %i((le class of the ti%e hel( as "ell) ,t is clear that this is "hy the genre an(
$herloc# Hol%es series beca%e increasingly pop*lar)
Hoo( start' Dhr*&L , thin# yo* ha&e a soli( fo*n(ation to "or# fro%:,!( reco%%en( c*tting
the point abo*t Watson an( then foc*s on %a#ing the points yo*!re left "ith %ore clear Aan(
re%e%ber to also %a#e the s*b points clear in yo*r intro "hen yo* first %ention the%B an( then
a(( to the (etails of the con&erations
Wor#s >ite(..%a#e s*re yo* get the for%at correct:italics for na%es of boo#s an( jo*rnals
>onan Doyle' -rth*r) 7he $ign of the @o*r) $eattle= -%a9on Digital $er&ices' D013)
Kin(le eBoo#) ;nline)
@arrell' Kirby) /Herois%' >*lt*re' an( Drea( in 7he $ign of @o*r)0 $t*(ies in the <o&el
1M=1 A19C4B= 3D8K1) I$7;3) Web) 01/1K/D014)
Pane#' 2eroy) -n ,ntro(*ction to the Detecti&e $tory) Bo"ling Hreen' ;H= Bo"ling
Hreen $tate Nni&ersity Pop*lar Press' 19CO) Print)
Doyle' -rth*r >onan) F-(&ent*re 11= /7he @inal Proble%0)F 7he 5e%oirs of $herloc#
Hol%es) 2itDHo (ition) 1C94) Web) -pril DC' D014)
Konni#o&a' 5aria) 5aster%in(= Ho" to 7hin# 2i#e $herloc# Hol%es) <e" Gor#=
Vi#ing' D013) Print)
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Keep' >hristopher an( Don 3an(all) /-((iction' %pire' an( <arrati&e in -rth*r
>onan Doyle!s 7he $ign of @o*r)0 <;V2= - @or*% on @iction 3D=D A1999B=
D0O8DD1) I$7;3) Web) 01/1K/D014)
5cBratney' Iohn) /3acial an( >ri%inal 7ypes= ,n(ian thnography an( $ir -rth*r
>onan Doyle!s 7he $ign of @o*r)0 Victorian 2iterat*re an( >*lt*re 33=1
AD00KB= 14981MO) I$7;3) Web) 01/1K/D014)