The Five Orange Pips Essay

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short story, “The Five Orange Pips”, Sherlock Homes and his sidekick Watson prove the mystery behind the deaths of the Openshaw male family members. Holmes is presented details within the story that lead John Openshaw to believe his family is cursed. However, through logical reasoning Holmes and Watson reveal the mysteries to the Openshaw family deaths.
The narrator introduces the reader to a gentleman named John Openshaw, who fears that his family has a mysterious death upon them. John seems to feel this is responsible for the death of his uncle, father and now he fears him too. It begins with the arrival of a letter, which is the one for his uncle that contains a foreign stamp. Even more baffling was the letter contained “…five little dried orange pips, … I began to laugh at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared at the envelope which he still held in his trembling hand, 'K. K. K.!' he shrieked, and then, 'My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me'” (52). Orange pips were a warning sign, the reality was the K.K.K. was coming after him. This may be strange to the
As Holmes explains,” We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a shattered stern-post of a boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave, with the letters "L. S." carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star” (59). In the days of Late Victorian London, at a time when science is becoming more advanced, Holmes can use his knowledge to logically explain these deaths. However, this mystery and the evidence will forever be lost at sea. He will never confirm this mystery and we will be left forever wondering. One thing for sure, this mystery was