Connor Reese

J. Tolson
English IV
10/29/17

1. Sherlock Holmes has a very inquisitive mind, and not simply in the way the term usually
finds itself used, nowadays, in that he’s assumed to simply ask questions; Holmes finds a
way to extract meaning from his surroundings without relying directly on what the
opposition, or, other party, might happen to say. In the opening stages of The Hound of
the Baskervilles, Holmes and Watson sit about, and contemplate Dr. Mortimer’s cane,
and manage to, with startling accuracy, make assumptions about his occupation, and
working history.
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2. 19 Century diction allows for a greater degree of precision when referring to in-period
matters than modern, out-and-about language does. To Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this was
the way people spoke; Doyle was simply writing in the everyday language of the times he
lived in. Generally, there’d have been no other way for Doyle to write the book, save in
this sort of manner. However, there’s also no need for a modern re-write, as it would
simply degrade the work, and make many of the common turns of phrase and statements
of the time seem very forced, and the entire feel of the novel would be changed in the
process.
3. Almost all of Henry Baskerville’s problems stemmed from money. Or, rather, his
inheritance. Most notably, his estranged cousin, Mr. Stapleton, legitimately made
multiple attempts on his live in an effort to have the late Charles Baskerville’s fortunes
come to him, as opposed to Henry, through being the last surviving relation, as his father
had been Rodger Baskerville, Charles’ brother.
4. Sherlock Holmes, as a character, and a franchise, is likely still popular today due to his
infinitely entertaining deductive method, and his sporting attitude towards his
investigations. It isn’t so much that we like detective stories any more or less than at the
turn of the previous century, when Arthur Conan Doyle first penned the series, but that
Sherlock Holmes investigative style remains entertaining, to a modern audience, just as
much as an antiquated one.