READING WORKSHOP - English class

Rocío Padilla Huarte No.21 2ndB

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE SIGN OF FOUR

THE AUTHOR...SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

He was born in the 19th century in Scotland, the UK.He has worked as a doctor and a poet, but he’s more well-known for being the writer of Sherlock Holmes stories. When he was studying medicine, he started writing short stories such as The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe. But the first time that Sherlock Holmes appeared was at the story published in 1887, A study in Scarlet. He published other stories like The sign of four, in 1890. In 1893 he wrote “The final problem”, in this, he plunged Holmes and Professor Moriarty to their deaths, but the public outcry makes him to write another novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles.He finished writing short stories in 1927 and he’s dead in 1930.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Sherlock Holmes. He’s a so highly intelligent famous detective. He’s a very active man, working entertains him, while doing nothing makes him get bored. He’s sometimes a difficult man and he works in strange ways, but he never gives up. He likes music, he also plays the violin. He lives with his friend Watson at 221B Baker Street.

Dr Watson. He’s a middle-age strongly built man, with white hair, a thick neck and a small moustache. He’s Sherlock Holmes’ adventures partner. He becomes Mary Morstan’s husband.

Mary Morstan. She’s a young woman, small, with fair hair, a pleasant face and blue eyes. She’s serious and intelligent. She lives in Camberwell. She becomes Dr Watson’s wife.

Thaddeus Sholto. He’s a thirty-year-old man. He’s strange, small and bald. He’s a very ugly man with bad teeth and thin lips. He was one of Major Sholto’s son.

MAIN CHARACTERS

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Captain Morstan. He was an officer in the army in India and later he was sent to Andaman Islands. He has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He was Mary Morstan’s father.

Major Sholto. He was an officer in the army with Captain Morstan. He didn’t have much hair and he had a moustache. After he has retired, he was living in Norwood. He was Thaddeus and Bartholomew’s father.

Mrs. Hudson. She’s the housekeeper of the house 221B Baker Street.

Inspector Lestrade. He’s a man who works at the police. He physically looks like Dr Watson. He’s impulsive and he doesn’t believe much in Sherlock Holmes’ methods for finding the murderer.

Wiggins. He’s the leader of Baker Street Boys, he’s older and taller than the others. He and the rest of the boys have helped Sherlock Holmes many times.

Bartholomew Sholto. He was Thaddeus Sholto’s twin brother. He was found murdered at his room in Pondicherry Lodge.

MINOR CHARACTERS

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Jonathan Small. He’s one of the four men who wanted the treasure. He’s had a difficult life as he lost his leg. He’s been to prison.

Mordecai Smith. He’s a married man and he’s got a child. He works hiring steam launches in the River Thames. He has helped Small and his associate for hiding.

Tonga. He was a small, ugly man from Andaman Islands. He was saved by Small, and he became his associate.

ANTAGONISTS

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...SETTING

The story is set in the summer of 1888.It takes place in some places in London, the UK: 221B Baker Street, where Holmes and Watson live. Pondicherry Lodge, where Bartholomew Sholto has lived and where he was found dead.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...THEME

The story is principally about finding the Sign of Four treasure, that belongs to Miss Mary Morstan.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS...PLOT

When Mary Morstan received pearls along the last six years, she didn’t know that the man that has sent her the pearls, was Thaddeus. And more, she didn’t know that behind her father was a treasure, but Holmes had a feeling that it would happen because of a paper that Mary showed him. Thaddeus’ brother knew of the treasure existence, and when he was looking for it, he was killed by Tonga, a wealth owner’s associate. Holmes investigated the murder, and by thinking and practising other of his methods, he discovered that one of the treasure’s possessor was Jonathan Small.

OPINION...OF THE BOOK

I like the book because I like mystery books and I think they are interesting. I can’t say that I like this book at all, because I don’t really like Holmes, he is sometimes high-handed. But I think the story was OK. Although, for me, the final was incomplete, and I don’t know exactly why. In my opinion it was maybe a bit difficult to read because there were many characters and many stories at the same time.