A Study In Scarlet Essay, Research Paper
A Study in Scarlet was written in 1887 by Sir Arthur Doyle.
It was a mysterious case of love, murder, and revenge. Mr.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson used the science of deduction
to solve this mysterious case and catch the killer.
The first section of the book took place in 1878 in London,
England. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson shared an apartment
together on 221b Baker street. The first murder was held in
Lauriston Gardens. The second murder took place in Hallidays
Private Hotel.
The second part of the book occurred in the western part of
the United States. It was a Mormon community in Salt Lake City,
Utah. This was the promised land for Mormons. All around the
Mormon community were mountains and desert.
Mr. Sherlock Holmes was a very intelligent man. He was
strong, thin and over six feet tall. He possessed a hawk-like
nose, a square, prominent chin, and his hands were strong, but
delicate. He played the violin and was a good swordsman. He had
no knowledge of literature, philosophy, and astronomy. He had a
good, practical knowledge of British law, but knew little of
politics. His knowledge of poisons and chemistry was extensive,
as were his powers of observation and deduction. He had the
mental power to take the least amount of data and obtain
information from it that the average person could not detect.
This ability enabled him to help the police solve the case.
Dr. John Watson was very thin and dark skinned. He was a
Doctor of Medicine of the University of London. He served as
Assistant Surgeon in the British army. He was very severely
wounded in Afghanistan and also contracted enteric fever which
ruined his health. He returned to England having no friends or
family. Due to his lack of finances he was forced to seek
lodging at a lower price. By chance he met an old crony who
introduced him to Sherlock Holmes, who was also look for lodging.
This was how their relationship began. Dr. Watson was also a
very nervous and lazy man. At first he doubted Holmes’
intelligence, but he soon converted and became one of his
greatest admirers and staunchest supporter.
Jefferson Hope was a strong, young, hard working
frontiersman. He was a tall and savage-looking young man. He was
prospecting for silver in the Nevada Mountains. On his way to
Salt Lake City he met Lucy Ferrier and fell in love with her.
After a series of unfortunate events which ended Lucy’s life, he
became a bitter, angry man who sought only revenge and justice.
The case began when Holmes was summoned to a murder scene at
the Lauriston Gardens. The police found the body of Enoch J.
Drebber, an American from Cleveland. Sherlock Holmes started by
inspecting the scene of the murder. First, he observed carriage
tracks and footsteps leading to the house. Next, he inspected
the body. He saw splashes of blood which lay around, but no
wounds on the body. Then, he examined the body, sniffed the dead
man’s lips, and looked at his boots. When the body was removed,
they found a woman’s wedding ring.
Detective Lestrade found the word “RACHE” scrawled in blood
in the darkest corner of the room. After Holmes examined the
word upon the wall, with glass and tape, he related his findings
to the two detectives. He deduced that the murderer was six feet
high, in his prime of life, wore squared toe boots, had small
feet and smoked a Trichinopoly cigar. He came to the scene in a
four wheeled cab. He also presumed that in all probability his
face was florid and he had long finger nails. Also, he
discovered that the word “RACHE” was German for revenge.
Sherlock Holmes also spoke to the police officer who had been
first on the scene. He told Holmes that he talked to a drunk in
front of the house. Holmes deduced that the drunk was the
murderer coming back for the ring.
Sherlock Holmes took the ring and advertised it in the
newspaper. He did this to lure in the murderer. He used Dr.
Watson’s name in the advertisement. Sherlock Holmes then made a
copy of the ring. An old woman came to claim the ring. Dr.
Watson gave her the ring. When she left, Holmes followed her,
but somehow she disappeared from the carriage. Holmes reasoned
that it was not an old lady, but a young man who had tricked him.
Sherlock Holmes employed the services of the Baker Street
division, composed of the dirtiest and most ragged kids in
London. Holmes used the kids to help locate the murderer.
The police believed that the murderer was Arthur
Charpentier. However, Holmes believed otherwise. Next, the
police found Mr. Joseph Strangerson, a companion of Enoch
Drebber, murdered at Halliday’s Private Hotel. At the scene
Strangerson had been stabbed in the heart and they found a small
box with pills in it. Over Strangerson’s head was written in
blood the word “RACHE.” Also, there was a telegram in his pocket
that read: “J.H. is in Europe.” Holmes tested the pills, finding
out one pill was poisoned.
Sherlock Holmes then knew without a doubt who the murderer
was. Wiggins came and told Holmes that the cab was ready. The
cab driver came up and helped Holmes get his boxes and Holmes put
the handcuffs on the cab driver. He told the police that this
was the murderer, Jefferson Hope.
Jefferson Hope, an American prospector, had come to London
seeking to enact justice on Enoch Drebber and Joseph Strangerson.
He had been hunting them for twenty years because they had killed
his fiance, Lucy Ferrier, and her father, John Ferrier. He told
the story of how he tried to escape from the Mormons with Lucy
and her father. However, they captured Lucy and killed John
Ferrier.
Jefferson Hope then told Sherlock Holmes that he gave
Drebber and Strangerson a chance to take one of the two pills and
let God decide their fate. Drebber agreed to taking the pill. He
picked the poisoned pill and was killed. However, Strangerson
grabbed Hope and tried to kill him. Hope had to stab him in
order to save himself from being killed. Jefferson Hope told Dr.
Watson to feel his chest. Dr. Watson discovered that he had an
aortic aneurism. The next night, Jefferson Hope died.
The theme of the story is love and revenge. Jefferson Hope
loved Lucy so much that the only thing that he wanted was revenge
on Enoch Drebber and Joseph Strangerson, the men who killed her.
Jefferson Hope could not marry Lucy because he was not a Mormon.
Lucy’s father pleaded with the Mormon leader to let his daughter
go. He was turned down, so Lucy and her father tried to escape
with Hope. The Mormons captured Lucy and killed her father.
Lucy was forced to marry Enoch Drebber. Jefferson Hope killed
both Joseph Strangerson and Enoch Drebber before he died himself.
The book was a mystery as well as a story about love and
revenge. Sherlock Holmes proved, by using the science of
deduction, that he could solve the crime. The story was well
written by the author. This book showed how love can affect a
person’s mind. The book was also exciting and suspenseful.
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