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The Sign of the Four

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The Sign of the Four The Sign of the Four *Image adapted from Wikimedia Commons Introduction The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle Created by: Erik Carlson, Holly Richard, Patty Chavez, Galen Hawthorne, Armand Ashby Spring 2011 *Unless otherwise noted, all citations come from: Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Sign of Four. London: Spencer Blackett, 1890. Google Books. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. Table of Contents #Biography #Indian Rebellion of 1857 #Map of India #Topics for Discussion #Form is Content #Plot Summary #Characters #The Publication of The Sign of Four #The Legacy of Sherlock Holmes #Resources and Links #Additional Materials #Image Gallery Biography Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born the third of ten siblings on May 22 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was an Irish artist living in England who suffered from alcoholism and his mother, Mary Foley, was also Irish. Arthur Doyle during his childhood lead a street gang who would later inspire Sherlock Holmes's youthful allies, the Baker Street Irregulars. In 1868 however, funded by his wealthy uncles, Arthur would attend Hodder preparatory school for two years before then attending Stonyhurts College from 1870 till 1875. Continuing his education, Arthur Doyle entered into Edinburgh University as a medical student. During his time here he was heavily influenced by his mentor, Joseph Bell. Bell was a master of deduction from minutiae of evidence, such as gravel on a shoe conveying a patient's route to work, the better to impress the patient and his own attendant students. During his studies Doyle writes his first short story, "The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley" in 1879, along with a non-fiction piece called, "Gelseminum as a poison", which was published in the British Medical Journal. Arthur also serves as a doctor's assistant for a time on a whaling ship, the Hope before graduating in 1881. Arthur Conan Doyle's life is then seemingly split down two paths, one of writing and one of his medical career. Doyle writes many journals, thesis, articles, and other non-fiction works for his medical career. As well as running a few different clinics during his early life that did not take off. Later in his life he becomes involved in politics, such as supporting the cause of Home Rule for Ireland. Later he also serves as a military correspondent and historian for World War I, publishing a number of volumes. On the other hand of course, and for what Doyle was most known for was his fictional writing career. Most notably for his character Sherlock Holmes though Doyle also wrote several other fictional pieces as well. The first Holmes and Watson story, "A Study in Scarlet", was published in 1887. "The Sign of Four" is published in 1890 and in 1893 Doyle attempts to kill off Sherlock Holmes in, "The Adventure of the Final Problem" as is rumored that Doyle was unable to keep up with readers' insatiable demands and because, " He (Sherlock Holmes) takes my mind from better things. But of course in 1902, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is published as a prequel to Holmes and Watson which revives the character into further publications. Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle lived a robust life, heavily active in areas he took interest in. He lived till the age of 71 an died of a heart attack in 1930, 7th of July in his home, Windlesham, in Sussex. Portrait Source: Wikimedia Commons #Back to Top Indian Rebellion of 1857 Many works of fiction have their stories embedded with their era's current social events. Be it through the events themselves, or how the events have shaped the people. Sign of Four leans on the Indian Rebellion of 1857 as its foundation for the whole novel. The mutiny, so titled by the British at the time, lasted around three years from 1857 to 1859. Though there are numerous small events that accumulated into the outbreak of the war, the mutiny of the sepoys (an Indian soldier in the service of the Crown) is considered the focal point for the start of the war. The push that caused this focal point was a religious one. From worry of the indigenous population of mass conversation, to British military customs in opposition with Indian religious practices, all lead to the sepoys rebellion. The rebellion turned into a more fractured rebellion however as the British Empire began to gain ground. For people native to India, there was not unification as they were fractured by political, cultural, and ethnic groups. The war took place mostly in the north and central India as other uprising occurred against native rulers because of internal politics. On the side of the British, the army was often considered the "Army of Retribution" and with heavy imperialistic outlook caused horrific, pointless actions towards the native people. Rape, mass executions, and even "blown from cannon" in which captured rebels were tied over the mouths of cannons and blown to pieces as the cannon was fired. These vicious acts were born from the racial viewpoints the British had on other cultures. And the mutiny was an act of these lesser people pushing against the Crown. No other event during the 19th century took such hold on the British imagination. The Sign of Four was just one of many works of literature to have the Indian Rebellion of 1857 be an influence for the work. The details of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 within the Sign of Four can be more explained within the sections of Topics of Discussion and Form is Content. Map of India Source: Wikimedia Commons #Back to Top Topics for Discussion There are several themes upon which Doyle focuses in The Sign of the Four: Indian Rebellion of 1857 within Sign of Four: It is important to note that while Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Sign of Four" is a detective / adventure novel it also is a look into the imaginative colonial mindset of the time. What shapes the plot, and more noticeably the antagonists within the novel, are the events of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The most notable character effected by the event is Jonathan Small. But in general, it is interesting the comment the novel makes on the men who return from India. All of the men who return from India in the novel have been warped in their greed with the stolen treasures which systematically leads to their deaths. Again, these actions were no stranger for actual events that transpired during the rebellion as looting was a common practice by the English soldiers, among other things. Of note however, is the corruption that seems to be taking place on those touched by the Orient. Imperialism and non- English races: Starting on page 156 there is an interesting passage in which Holmes and Watson ruminate over, among other bits of evidence, a set of “Diminutive footmarks” they had seen previously. Watson’s first guess as to their owner is as follows: “’A savage!’ I exclaimed. ‘Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small.’” Running with this idea, Holmes begins to detail the ways in which the footprints of various “savage” races differentiate from each other, as easily as he rattles off the differences between types of tobacco ash. When they meet their “savage” adversary later on, Watson can only say, “Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty” before he and Holmes shoot him to death. Female Gender Roles: In the male-heavy world of Sherlock Holmes, Miss Mary Morston is an interesting character indeed. While Holmes tells Watson, “Women are never to be entirely trusted” (163), she is still described in nothing but the brightest light at all times. Watson frequently remarks at how well she handles tense or uneasy situations, musing that, “She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness…”(37) or saying on 110, “After the angelic fashion of women, she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was someone weaker than herself to support,”. Still, however, Watson is always there to “rescue” her with a glass of water when she falls faint. In fact, Watson’s biggest hurdle in the book is in trying to find a way around class and gender roles that would peg him as a “mere vulgar fortune-seeker” (110) if he attempted to woo her from his low financial standing. Drug Use: The very first scene of the book is Holmes using cocaine to keep his mind stimulated in between cases. We can learn a few things about the current views on the usage of drugs from his discourse with Watson during this portion. From the point of view of a very proper medical man such as Watson, who finds a glass of wine with lunch something to note for change in character, cocaine is nothing but another way to hurt the body. On the other hand, Holmes, a well-read man who is still prone to fist fights, finds its mental effects a more than adequate reward. At the end of the book, when Holmes and Watson are once again back at Baker street relaxing after solving the mystery, Watson asks Holmes what his reward is for doing “all the work” he merely replies, “For me, there is still the cocaine- bottle.”(283) #Back to Top Form is Content “The richest and glossiest of curtains and tapestries draped the walls, looped back here and there to expose some richly-mounted painting or Oriental vase. The carpet was of amber and black, so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a bed of moss.
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