About the Author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer, who
created the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet,
the first of four novels and more than fifty short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock
Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. Where did Sherlock
Holmes come from? Was there a real man behind the fictional detective?
The Royal College of Surgeons has the answer. In its archives is a collection of letters between
Arthur Conan Doyle and a Dr. Joseph Bell, who was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh’s medical
school. Stephen Kerr, the college’s librarian, is responsible for these precious documents. He reveals
that one letter in particular offers conclusive proof that Bell was the real-life inspiration for Sherlock
Holmes. Conan Doyle wrote to Bell in 1892: “It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes.”
Conan Doyle met Bell when he was studying to be a doctor at the university, in 1877. Bell’s
powers of diagnosis were very impressive, and he often used to demonstrate the importance of close
observation in medical practice. He did this by selecting a stranger, and then deducing his or her
occupation and recent activities by simply observing them. Stephen Kerr points out that this diagnostic
ability is “a great attribute” for both a detective and a doctor to have, giving Conan Doyle a starting
point for Holmes’s finely tuned powers of observation. This is confirmed in the author’s letter to Bell: “…
round the center of deduction and inference and observation which I have heard you inculcate I have
tried to build up a man.”
Joseph Bell was a well-respected medical practitioner as well as an accomplished teacher. Kerr
recounts a story of Bell’s work as a pediatrician, involving a child with diphtheria. In an effort to remove
harmful mucus from the child’s windpipe, he inserted a tube and sucked out the mucus, but in the
process caught diphtheria himself.
Bell also “quite enjoyed” being the real life Holmes, according to Kerr. He tells of an occasion at
a dinner party where a lady asked if he had read the Sherlock Holmes novels, to which he replied: “I AM
Sherlock Holmes!”
However, the letters between Conan Doyle and Bell also reveal that Bell’s influence only went so
far. Kerr says that Bell often wrote to wrote to Conan Doyle with “suggestions for stories”, but his
former student had to put his foot down. He was the author, after all.

Genre
The genre is about crime fiction and mystery because the book involved a mysterious death or a
crime to be solved. Often with a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a
credible motive and a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime.
 A STUDY IN SCARLET CHARACTER LIST

1.) Sherlock Holmes

A brilliant and eccentric "consulting detective," Holmes is a rather enigmatic figure.
His knowledge is specialized yet diverse. He is a talented violin player and chemist, and is
well-versed in sensational literature. It is implied that he is involved in some drug usage,
although this is never explicitly stated. His success in solving crimes stems from his ability to
observe and deduce. He has a tendency to be moody and he sometimes experiences
profound depression; he is also very solitary.

2.) Dr. Watson

A military doctor who is wounded during the second Afghan war. He is sent to
recover in London, upon which he is introduced to Holmes and becomes his roommate. He
is intelligent, rational, calm, and steadfast.

3.) Stamford
An old war friend of Watson's who introduces Watson and Holmes when both
mention they are looking for a roommate.

4.) John Ferrier

A traveler heading West who joins the Mormon faith when the Mormons, led by
Brigham Young, rescue him from the desert. The adopted father of Lucy Ferrier, he comes
to recognize the danger of the Mormons and tries to escape Salt Lake City with Lucy and
Jefferson Hope.

5.) Lucy Ferrier

The beautiful and charming adopted daughter of John Ferrier, Lucy falls in love with
an outsider and a Gentile -Jefferson Hope. She is eventually forced to marry one of Elders'
sons, Enoch Drebber. Unfortunately, she dies within a month of a broken heart.

6.) Enoch Drebber

The son of one of the Mormon Elders, Drebber is awarded Lucy Ferrier's hand in
marriage. He is pursued to the death by Jefferson Hope. His body is found in an abandoned
home in Lauriston Gardens, thus beginning the mystery.

7.) Joseph Stangerson

A son of one of the Mormon Elders, Stangerson also vied for Lucy Ferrier's hand but
lost to Drebber. He eventually became Drebber's private secretary and traveled with him to
Europe. He was also murdered by the vengeful Jefferson Hope.

8.) Brigham Young

The charismatic, powerful, and brutal chief of the Mormons. Claiming to speak for
Joseph Smith and deemed himself a Prophet himself, Young ruled over the Elect with an
iron fist. He refused to let Lucy Ferrier marry a Gentile and sent his Avenging Angels after
the Ferriers when they escaped from Utah.

9.) Lestrade
A detective of Scotland Yard who consults Holmes on cases. He and Gregson have a
bitter rivalry.

10.) Gregson
A Scotland Yard detective who is not particularly fond of Holmes but is considered
by him to be the best of the Yard detectives. He and Lestrade have a bitter rivalry.

11.) Jefferson Hope

A young, strong, and capable hunter. He meets Lucy Ferrier, falls in love with her,
and tries to help her and her father escape. Hope later hardens into a revenge-obsessed
man who tracks Drebber and Stangerson, the two men responsible for the Ferrier's deaths,
to London. He eventually murders both of them but dies peacefully and satisfied within a
few days of his capture from an aortic aneurism.

12.) John Rance

The constable on duty the night of the murder; he discovered Drebber's dead body
within the empty house on Brixton Road.

13.) Madame Charpentier

The proprietress of the boardinghouse where Drebber and Stangerson stay in London.

14.) Arthur Charpentier

The son of the proprietress of the boardinghouse where Drebber and Stangerson
stay in London. He is initially suspected of murdering Drebber because he threatened him
for speaking lasciviously to Alice Charpentier, his sister.
 (SUMMARY) PLOT

Part I

A Study in Scarlet begins with Dr. John Watson, the narrator, settling in London to recover from
a wound and illness he sustained while acting as a military doctor during the Second Afghan War. One
day he runs into an acquaintance, Stamford, while at a bar. Watson confides in his friend that he needs a
new living arrangement, as his previous one was too expensive. Stamford responds that another friend
of his has also expressed this desire, and takes Watson to the university laboratory where his friend –
Sherlock Holmes –is working on an experiment.
Stamford gives some background information on Holmes, such as the fact that his true
profession is unknown, that he is eccentric and brilliant, and that his knowledge is specialized but
diverse. After discussing their personal idiosyncrasies, Holmes and Watson decide to live together.
Watson watches the enigmatic Holmes and notes his strange behavior and interests. The living
arrangement proves itself pleasant for both men.
One morning Watson notices an article about the art of deduction based on observation. The
tiniest detail can yield a multiplicity of information. Watson scoffs at this theory, but is surprised to learn
that Holmes was the article's author. Holmes explains that he is a consulting detective; his powers of
rational, reasoned observation and deduction allow him to help clients and even solve crimes. He
laments that there have been very few good cases of late.
However, a good case soon drops in his lap when he is asked by Scotland Yard
detective Gregson to assist him in solving a crime just recently committed. Holmes asks Watson to
accompany him and they travel to an empty house in a London neighborhood. There they observe a
crime scene that includes cab prints in the street and footprints in the yard, a dead man who has been
poisoned but not robbed laid out in a room, and the word RACHE (the German word for revenge) in
blood on the wall. A woman's wedding ring falls off of the body when it is lifted. The dead man's name
is Enoch Drebber, and he was from Cleveland. There was a note to his secretary, Joseph Stangerson.
Over the next couple of days Watson watched more pieces of the puzzle fall into place for
Holmes. He informed Watson how he determined the murderer's age and height from his observations,
as well as his complexion. An interview with the constable on duty that night revealed that a drunken
man in the street was actually probably the murderer returned for the ring. In the middle of the
investigation, another Scotland Yard detective on the case named Lestrade, whom Holmes respected,
bursts into the Holmes’ and Watson’s apartment announcing that Stangerson had also been killed. This
turned out to be a result of a stabbing, not poison. In Stangerson's room was a box of the pills that
Holmes identified as the method of death for Drebber. With this piece of information Holmes excitedly
announces that his investigation is complete. Moments later, a cab driver that Holmes called for arrived
to pick him up. Holmes burst out that this man, Jefferson Hope, is the murderer of Drebber and
Stangerson. With the help of Watson and the detectives, the man was subdued. This is the end of part
one.

Part II

Part two begins with a vivid description of the wild, isolated, and dangerous great American
desert. There were two travelers struggling to survive after the deaths of their companions –the tall and
gaunt John Ferrier, and his tiny and lovely adopted daughter Lucy. They were rescued from starvation by
a massive caravan –the Latter Day Saints on their exodus. Their leader Brigham Youngallowed Ferrier to
travel with them if he converts; the latter agreed. The caravan continued to Utah.
 The subsequent years saw the population and wealth of the Mormons' chosen site of Salt Lake
City explode. Ferrier grew prosperous amongst the Mormons, but refused to marry. Lucy grew up
beautiful and independent. One day she was saved from near death in a herd of stampeding cattle by
the handsome, solitary, and industrious hunter/miner Jefferson Hope. The two fell in love and Ferrier
gave them his permission to marry when Hope returned from a few months' journey.
This was unacceptable to Brigham Young, who personally visited Ferrier and commanded Lucy
to marry one of the sons of the Elders, Enoch Drebber or Joseph Stangerson. He gave Ferrier a month for
her to decide. Young's behavior was typical of the manner in which the Mormons had been conducting
themselves; they were once persecuted but had now turned persecutors. Their community was
secretive, violent, controlling, and exclusive. Ferrier had long hated the Mormons and promised his
daughter she would not have to marry either of the sons and that they could escape.
Drebber and Stangerson arrogantly visited Ferrier's house to talk to him about Lucy, but he
threw them out. This egregious act of disrespect increased the surveillance and threats levied upon
Ferrier and his daughter. Finally, the night before the month was up, Jefferson Hope arrived at their
home in the middle of the night and the three escaped into the mountains. Unfortunately, when Hope
went off to hunt game to feed to famished escapees, he returned to an empty campsite –Ferrier had
been murdered and Lucy abducted for marriage.
Hope made his way back down to Salt Lake City and learned that Lucy had been married to
Drebber a few days before. Within a month she died from heartsickness. Hope swore that he would
spend his life exacting revenge for the murders (he deemed Lucy's death a virtual murder). Taking her
wedding ring off her dead finger before she was buried, Hope fled Utah to concoct a plan and raise
money.
He tracked Drebber and Stangerson all over Europe. The two men had been part of a fringe
group of Mormons that had broken away. They were also aware that Hope had been dogging their steps
for many years, and always managed to be a step ahead of him. Hope finally learned they were in
London and set in motion his plan to murder them.
At this point the narrative returns to Holmes, Watson, the detectives, and their detainee. Hope
was taken to the police station but asks to tell his tale because he would not be going to be able to have
a trial or go to prison. The men learned this was because Hope had an aortic aneurism that could burst
any day. He was allowed to finish his narrative.
Hope explained how he got a job as a cab driver and tracked Drebber and Stangerson. He caught
Drebber drunk one night and killed him with poison. He tried to do the same with Stangerson but had to
stab him in self-defense when the latter fought back. He remained driving the cab for a few days so as to
not appear suspicious. The next day Hope was discovered dead of the aneurism, a peaceful smile upon
his face.
Holmes spoke with Watson about his ability to reason backwards; this method helped him solve
the case. He further elucidated the ways in which he figured out certain aspects of the case, especially
that it was about a woman. The novel ends with Holmes and Watson reading a newspaper article about
the end of the investigation; it only mentions Holmes as an amateur detective who helped but gave
primary credit to Lestrade and Gregson.
Setting of the Story
- Afghanistan
- London
- American West – part II
*The story was set in Mormon Utah
* Some of its most dramatic parts are set in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah

-Conflict-

Internal Conflict
Sherlock Holmes is struggling with the notion that he is not going to get any credit for his
detective work. Then, when he believed he had solved the case, the other detectives didn't believe him
because he didn't have enough evidence. Lastly, Sherlock's partner was trying to grasp how Sherlock
was finding and piecing together all of these clues.

External Conflict
Someone has been murdered and Sherlock is expected to figure it out. He believes that he has
already solved the case and figured out who the murderer is. However, the problem is finding the
murderer and arresting him.

-Theme-

1.) The main and most prominent theme is revenge.

As is often the case in many detective novels and narratives, the motive of the killer often serves
as a strong indicator of what the theme of the narrative shall be, and ‘A Study in Scarlet’ is no exception
to that rule. In the case of ‘A Study in Scarlet’ the writing in on the wall, and quite literary so; at the
crime scene, Holmes, Watson and the two inspectors from Scotland Yard find the German word for
revenge, ‘Rache’, written on the wall in blood. Although Jefferson Hope would later in the narrative
come to deny it, revenge for the murder of John Ferrier and death of Lucy Ferrier served as both his
primary drive for survival for the past twenty and motive for murder.

2.) Friendship
Friendship played a large role in theme for it developed during the course of the story.   Sherlock
Holmes and Dr. John Watson are not only crime-solving partners but they are also best friends.
The Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson duo is the most famous duo in literature. Although there are
several differences between them such as Sherlock depicted as eccentric while Watson is depicted as
calm, they become close as if they are brothers.  Their friendship is an achievement for the pair
because Sherlock wouldn’t have many friends due to his eccentricity and Watson was a lone wolf.

3.) Deductive/abductive reasoning

Holmes' success in solving crimes stems from his ability to analyze small pieces of evidence and
draw inferences from them. Deductive/adductive reasoning is one of the few successful
methods Holmes uses in order to solve crimes. Adductive reasoning, according to A Study in Scarlet, is
described as a type of method where logical inference (more accurate way of describing) is used instead
of guessing. This method is described by Holmes as reasoning backwards instead of forwards.
4.) The ineffectiveness of the police
The ineffectiveness of public protection somewhat plays a large role in A Study in Scarlet. While
Holmes admits that he does indeed respect Lestrade and Gregson as the best of the Scotland Yard
detectives, overall the official law enforcement does not seem particularly effective. This theme is
present in many other works in the Sherlock Holmes canon but gets its start in the first novel, A Study in
Scarlet. Lestrade and Gregson make precipitous conclusions and erroneous assumptions. In addition,
they arrive with preconceptions, finger the wrong man for the crime, and miss the nuances of the crime
scene. They are often disdainful and jealous of Holmes; their own pride sometimes gets in the way of
their acknowledgment that Holmes is actually far better at their jobs than they are. The constable  John
Rance, who was the one who discovered Drebber's body in the house, completely misses the fact that
the drunk man in the street was Jefferson Hope, the murderer. Holmes has no tolerance for his limited
abilities. Thus, this novel demonstrates that Holmes's keen intellect and unique abilities exalt him far
above the regular police force.
WHY DO WE LOVE THE BOOK?

We love the book because it is worth reading, the book will take you to a beautiful world of
deduction and reasoning. The Sherlock Holmes story is advanced even though the language is too deep
and complicated, the ending, deduction and revelations will always make more sense.

Another one is we love the book because, it is consisting of mysteries, clues, suspense, murder
and some revelations where it will help you think logically too. Sherlock Holmes is an interesting
character because he inspires us to be more observant and mysteries are fun to read.

WHY STUDY IN SCARLET IS CALLED “A STUDY IN SCARLET?” (1886)

Answer #01
The exact quote, Holmes talking to Watson:

I must thank you for it all. I might not have gone but for you, and so have missed the finest study I ever
came across: a study in scarlet, eh? Why shouldn't we use a little art jargon. There's the scarlet thread of
murder running through the colorless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and
expose every inch of it.

Holmes is saying that ordinary life is colorless to him, but the exposure of a murder is like a thread of
scarlet in that otherwise uninteresting landscape. This is a theme that will be repeated in other stories:
Holmes’ lassitude when not confronted by a problem worthy of his attention.

Answer #02
Well apparently a scarlet candle was burning on the fireplace, which is what Jefferson Hope used to
keep the room lit while he played his little game-of-chance with Enoch J. Drebber, which is thought to be
where the title comes from.

There are also some who think it refers to the “scarlet thread of murder” (as you said) and some who
think it refers to the “RACHE” written in blood on the wall.

QUOTES

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgement”

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence, the question is, what can make people
believe you have done.” (Part 2, Chapter 7 – The Conclusion)
 Holmes is trying to say or interpret that the reports of your deeds matter more than your actual
deeds. In other words, what people say and believe you’ve done will matter more to your reputation
and how you are seen by others than what you’ve actually done. There will always be people who won’t
know and wouldn’t even want to know what actually happens.
WRAP-UP IDEAS & OUR IMPRESSIONS

RATINGS & “WHAT DO YOU LIKE AND DISLIKE IN THE BOOK?”

Gwyneth
I would rate it 5, "A Study in Scarlet" is interesting, and it was really nice to see the introduction
of Sherlock Holmes and introduce his ability, but I agree that the whole side story about the Mormons is
interesting, but actually distracts you from the crime and its investigation. It's thrilling because for every
chapter there are some revelations. The Theiter uses deep vocabulary words that is actually new to us
which also helps us enhance our knowledge about it and which also helps us think logically.

Steffanie
I would rate it 4 stars,