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Summary AQA GCSE English Literature 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four Chapter 12
AQA GCSE English Literature for 19th Century Novel - The Sign of Four by Arthur Conon Doyle CHAPTER 12
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Chapter 12 – The Strange Story of Johnathan Small Small threw the treasure into the river to stop Sholto’s and Morstan’s ‘kin’ from getting
it. He doesn’t think they have ‘any right’ to the treasure.
Jones accuses Small of ‘thwarting’ justice by throwing away the treasure, Small thinks
that it would be injustice if it went to those who had not ‘earned it’. Small believes that
he deserves the treasure because he spent ‘twenty long years’ as a convict for it.
Theme: Justice
This contrast highlights the message that people can have very different ideas about the
nature of justice.
To work out ‘how far justice’ was on Small’s side, Holmes asks Small to tell his story. He
wants all the facts, showing he is fair and non-judgemental.
Small outlines his difficult past. He joined the army as a young man, but while in India,
his leg was bitten off by a crocodile. This ended his army career and make him feel like a
‘useless cripple’. This increases the reader’s sympathy for him.
He found work on a plantation overseeing labourers and was ‘content’, but says that
India became a ‘perfect hell’ when the ‘great mutiny’ broke out. This makes him seem
unlucky.
The ‘great mutiny’ refers to the Indian Rebellion of 1857. This was a military revolt which
began when a group of sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British Indian army) rebelled
against British rule.
Small presents himself as a victim of violence. He describes the Indians, who took part in
the revolt, as ‘black friends’ who shot at him and brutally murdered people he knew.
Doyle’s Techniques
Small is an unreliable narrator. He only tells his side of the story, so the reader doesn’t
get a balanced view.
Small fled to the British fort at Agra, where he joined a volunteer group fighting the
rebels. He was put in command of two Sikhs who would become member of ‘The Four’ –
Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan.
The Sikhs gave Small an ultimatum – he could either help them kill a man for his treasure
or they would kill Small. Small portrays himself as a victim – he makes it seem like he
had no choice but to help them.
Achmet (the carrier of the treasure) came to Agra with Dost Akbar, the fourth member
of ‘The Four’ and was murdered by them. They hid the treasure and drew up four plans
showing its location.
The events in Small’s story suggest that he is not completely immoral.
Small made sure the fort would not be ‘endangered’ before he agreed to help the Sikhs.
This makes him seem selfless and patriotic, as he valued the safety of Agra over his own
life and the treasure.
Small swore an oath that he would always be loyal to ‘The Four’. He has kept this
promise, which shows that he is trustworthy.
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