"The Sign of Four"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how "The Sign of Four" is a novel that exemplifies many of the conventions of the classical detective genre. The paper looks at how, the latter passage of Jonathan Small's confession, inparticular, is effective because it represents many of these conventions. Of these, this paper addresses the conventions of the denouement, the deductive method of discovery, the 'villain' and morality, and the setting. It also analyses the effectiveness of the passage, and of the novel as a whole, in relation to Conan Doyle's use of classical detective fiction conventions.

From the Paper:

"Sherlock Holmes' comment in the passage of "there is nothing at all new to me" implies that Holmes' was fully aware of the particulars of the case, despite not being the one to present the denouement. It appears apparent that Holmes knew the particulars of the case when he held the feast with Dr. Watson and Athelney Jones, though he did not divulge this at the time (80). This is an example of the ratiocinate nature of the detective. Holmes claims to know all about the specifics of the case, through what the reader can only assume is from deduction. This adds to the 'puzzle' convention of the detective genre, where the reader is invited to try to solve the puzzle before Holmes does. Holmes' great powers of deduction and reasoning are highlighted early on in the novel when he deduces that Dr. Watson had taken a trip earlier to the post office (9). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Sign of Four. 1890. London: Penguin, 2001.
• Grella, George. "Murder and Manners: The Formal Detective Novel." NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction 4.1 (1970): 30-48. Jstor. 20 July 2006 <http://www.

More papers on "The Sign of Four":

• Analytical Essay # 148429 : "The City in Modernist Literature is More Than Just a Setting"
• Book Review # 101182 : "Sherlock Holmes: Detective of London"
• Research Paper # 58967 : "The Influence of Culture on Learning Styles"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: