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Summary AQA GCSE English Literature 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four Chapter 5
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AQA GCSE English Literature for 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four by Arthur Conon Doyle CHAPTER 5
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AQA GCSE English Literature 19th Century Novel The Sign of Four Grade 9 Key Points & Analysis
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Chapter 5 – The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Pondicherry Lodge is like a fortress – the grounds are surrounded by ‘high’ walls topped
with ‘broken glass’, and there is only one ‘iron-clamped’ entrance. This makes the house
seem unwelcoming and emphasises that it conceals secrets.
The gatekeeper refuses to let them in at first, but he is very friendly once Holmes
reminds him that they have boxed together. This shows that Holmes has numerous
talents and can fit in with different types of people.
The grounds are ‘desolate’ and the house is ‘plunged in shadow’ and ‘deathly silence’.
This creates an unsettling mood.
Theme: Love
Mary and John’s romance develops in this chapter. They ‘instinctively’ hold hands when
they are scared, showing their natural attraction. They take stereotypical gender roles,
with Mary seeking Watson’s ‘protection’.
Doyle’s Techniques
Doyle gradually builds suspense in this chapter.
The housekeeper reveals that Bartholomew is locked in his room with ‘such a face on
him’, but she doesn’t give details. Her fear hints that something bad has happened.
Holmes leads the way upstairs to Bartholomew’s room very slowly, stopping to examine
‘mere shapeless smudges’. This delays their arrival at the room.
Holmes looks through the keyhole into the room and ‘instantly’ looks away. This builds
tension as the reader doesn’t know what he has seen to cause this reaction.
The suspense is resolved when Watson looks through the keyhole and sees
Bartholomew’s body.
Inside the room, Holmes inspects the crime scene and deduces that Bartholomew has
been murdered, but the circumstances are strange.
The door of the room was ‘locked on the inside’ when Holmes and Watson arrived. It is
not clear how Bartholomew’s killer could have left the room, which makes the mystery
seem impossible to solve.
There is a note near the body with ‘The Sign of Four’ on it, like the one that was found
on Major Sholto’s body. This suggests that the two deaths are linked, and adds to the
sense of fear by hinting that there could be more murders.
Holmes quickly uncovers the cause of Bartholomew’s death – a ‘poisoned’ thorn. This
unusual murder weapon adds to the mystery.
Doyle’s Techniques
Doyle holds back some deductions to create anticipation. Holmes says that he almost
has a ‘connected case’, but he doesn’t explain the links. This keeps the reader in
suspense.
Doyle’s Techniques
Doyle adds another layer of mystery at the end of the chapter – Bartholomew has been
‘robbed’ of the treasure. This builds suspense – just as the treasure seems to be within
reach, it is lost again.
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