Sherlock Holmes: The Sign Of Four
Mordechai Geiger
Mrs. Lesserman
3.3.2016
Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four
Sherlock Holmes is an enjoyable read. The plot is gripping, and the mysteries are solved brilliantly. Never-the-less, as the stories are short, it would seem that there is not quite enough time to develop all of the new characters. However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adeptly solves this problem in the short story The Sign of Four, by creating symbolisms between the physical attributes of the characters and their more hidden features. The most prominent parallelisms are: the heart to emotional well being, the mind to the intellect, and the spleen to anxiety or a short temper.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created a parallel between characters that are overflowing with negative …show more content…
When Watson tests Holmes's deductive and inductive reasoning, Watson had “some slight feeling of amusement” (pg 128) in his heart. Then when Ms. Mortsan depicts her father's return to England she says, “he came with his heart full of hope” (pg 132). Later, Watson reports that, even though there was a lot of stress in the Sholtos's house, “there was peace in our hearts” (pg. 153). Throughout the story, the author has placed the emotions of amusement, hope, and peace in the heart. It can then be deduced that in the world of Doyle, other emotions are also felt in the heart. Consequently, if emotions are felt in the heart, it would follow that if the heart is afflicted, there is something wrong on an emotional level as well. Given this evidence, is it a coincidence that Sholto specifies his worry about his heart? Does Mr. Mortsan stochastically die of a heart attack? Highly …show more content…
In fact, the reader does not actually get to meet him at all. Little is known of Sholto, except for what is told of him by others, specifically his son Theadduess. Again the author employs the use of symbolism in characterizing Sholto in this way by describing him as having “suffered for many years from an enlarged spleen” (pg.145). Modern science has revealed that the spleen filters blood, and one if the symptoms of an enlarged spleen is anxiety. Doyle nailed this symbol on the head. Thaddeus remarks that his father was constantly haunted with fear. In fact Sholto once shot a merchant, because he thought the merchant was one of his enemies. In addition it is revealed that Sholto kept a tight guard on the house because of his many fears. John Sholto was a nervous, anxious, and fearful man. His damaged spleen alludes to this, and helps draw the readers attention to this part of his
Mrs. Lesserman
3.3.2016
Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four
Sherlock Holmes is an enjoyable read. The plot is gripping, and the mysteries are solved brilliantly. Never-the-less, as the stories are short, it would seem that there is not quite enough time to develop all of the new characters. However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adeptly solves this problem in the short story The Sign of Four, by creating symbolisms between the physical attributes of the characters and their more hidden features. The most prominent parallelisms are: the heart to emotional well being, the mind to the intellect, and the spleen to anxiety or a short temper.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created a parallel between characters that are overflowing with negative …show more content…
When Watson tests Holmes's deductive and inductive reasoning, Watson had “some slight feeling of amusement” (pg 128) in his heart. Then when Ms. Mortsan depicts her father's return to England she says, “he came with his heart full of hope” (pg 132). Later, Watson reports that, even though there was a lot of stress in the Sholtos's house, “there was peace in our hearts” (pg. 153). Throughout the story, the author has placed the emotions of amusement, hope, and peace in the heart. It can then be deduced that in the world of Doyle, other emotions are also felt in the heart. Consequently, if emotions are felt in the heart, it would follow that if the heart is afflicted, there is something wrong on an emotional level as well. Given this evidence, is it a coincidence that Sholto specifies his worry about his heart? Does Mr. Mortsan stochastically die of a heart attack? Highly …show more content…
In fact, the reader does not actually get to meet him at all. Little is known of Sholto, except for what is told of him by others, specifically his son Theadduess. Again the author employs the use of symbolism in characterizing Sholto in this way by describing him as having “suffered for many years from an enlarged spleen” (pg.145). Modern science has revealed that the spleen filters blood, and one if the symptoms of an enlarged spleen is anxiety. Doyle nailed this symbol on the head. Thaddeus remarks that his father was constantly haunted with fear. In fact Sholto once shot a merchant, because he thought the merchant was one of his enemies. In addition it is revealed that Sholto kept a tight guard on the house because of his many fears. John Sholto was a nervous, anxious, and fearful man. His damaged spleen alludes to this, and helps draw the readers attention to this part of his