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Summary AQA GCSE English Literature 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four Chapter 3
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AQA GCSE English Literature for 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four by Arthur Conon Doyle CHAPTER 3
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Chapter 3 – In Quest of a Solution Holmes returns to 221B Baker Street in ‘excellent spirits’ after discovering that Mary
received her first pearl less than a week after Major Sholto died.
Character: Sherlock Holmes
Holmes is surprised when Watson struggles to see the importance of this connection.
This shows that making links between facts comes much more naturally to Holmes.
Holmes believes that Major Sholto’s heir sent the pearls and the letter to Mary – he
suggests that the heir wants to ‘make compensation’ for something Major Sholto has
done. It seems as though the case is coming together easily.
Doyle’s Techniques
Doyle builds suspense to create a tense and eerie atmosphere. For example Holmes
takes a gun, which hints that there might be danger ahead. Furthermore, the setting
creates a gloomy, ominous mood. ‘Mud-coloured clouds’ hang ‘sadly’ over the ‘muddy’
streets, and the night is ‘dull’ and ‘heavy’.
Mary produces a ‘curious paper’ that was found in her father’s desk. It mentions ‘The
Sign of Four’ and names Johnathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan and Dost
Akbar. Holmes asks Mary to ‘preserve it’. This suggests that it is important but it is not
clear why.
The eerie mood makes Watson ‘nervous and depressed’, but Holmes is above the ‘petty
influences’ of the dreary atmosphere and the strangeness of events. Nothing can distract
him from the case.
From the theatre, a coachman takes them at a ‘furious pace’ to a ‘questionable’ area –
this adds to the sense of threat. However, Holmes can name all the ‘tortuous by-streets’
they take – he is still in control.
They are greeted by a servant at a ‘dark’ house, and a mysterious voice calls to them
from within. The reader has to wait to discover who the voice belongs to, which adds to
the suspense.
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