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Summary AQA GCSE English Literature 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four Chapter 4
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AQA GCSE English Literature for 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four by Arthur Conon Doyle CHAPTER 4
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Chapter 4 – The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Holmes, Watson and Mary meet Thaddeus Sholto, Major Sholto’s son. He says that he
can give Mary ‘every information’ and that he can get her ‘justice’. This suggests that
Holmes’ theory about Major Sholto’s heir might be true.
Thaddeus carelessly mentions that Mary’s father is dead – this resolves the initial
mystery of why Captain Morstan disappeared.
Major Sholto came back to England from India with ‘considerable’ wealth. However,
some ‘mystery’ and ‘danger’ hung over him – he was ‘very fearful of going out alone’
and scared of a wooden-legged man.
Six years ago, the Major got a letter from India that gave him such a ‘great shock’ that he
‘sickened to his death’. Thaddeus and his brother Bartholomew, never found out what
was in the letter.
Major Sholto and Captain Morstan acquired a ‘considerable treasure’ in India. They
argued over how to share it, and Morstan collapsed and died.
Fearing that he would be blamed for Morstan’s death, Sholto hid the body and took
Morstan’s share of the treasure for himself.
Major Sholto asked his sons to give Mary a ‘fair share’ of the treasure. He realised that
he had wrongly kept the treasure out of greed, which makes the reader more
sympathetic towards him.
Major Sholto was about to reveal the treasure’s location when he became frantic with
terror after seeing a man with ‘wild cruel eyes’ at the window. The shock of this, killed
Major Sholto.
The next morning, the brothers discovered that Major Sholto’s room had been
ransacked and a note had appeared on Major Sholto’s chest with ‘The Sign of Four’
written on it. This suggests that Major Sholto is linked to the paper from Captain
Morstan’s desk, which deepens the mystery.
Doyle’s Techniques
Major Sholto’s story is reported third hand (through Thaddeus and Watson). This makes
it less reliable, as the chance that one of the narrators is misremembering is higher.
Holmes and Watson are not present when Major Sholto dies, but it reminds the reader
that they are involved in something dangerous.
Thaddeus and Bartholomew searched the family home (Pondicherry Lodge) for the
treasure, but they couldn’t find it.
However the mystery of the pearls is solved – Thaddeus explains that the he convinced
Bartholomew to let him send Mary a pearl at ‘fixed intervals’. He wanted to stop her
becoming ‘destitute’, but Bartholomew didn’t want to give any way of the pearls.
Thaddeus claims that Bartholomew has their ‘father’s fault’ (greed).
Character: Thaddeus Sholto
The ‘difference of opinion’ between the brothers caused Thaddeus to move out of
Pondicherry Lodge. He was prepared to sacrifice his home for his principals, which
showed he is moral and strong-willed.
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