THE SPECKLED BAND

a Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Canon Doyle

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Anglistisches Seminar Proseminar I Literaturwissenschaft Contemporary British and American Crime Fiction WS 2012/2013 Leitung: Alexander Schindler, M.A. Referentin: Lea Matuschka Datum: 24.10.12

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES

• born 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh,

Scotland• mostly known for his

Detective series surrounding Sherlock

Holmes• developed crime fiction

into a series• as such he is the

developer of the “epic single-hero short-story

series”

- Was published in Strand Magazine, a very influential Newspaper at the time, from 1892 – 1927

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES

• born 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh,

Scotland• mostly known for his

Detective series surrounding Sherlock

Holmes• developed crime fiction

into a series• as such he is the

developer of the “epic single-hero short-story

series”

- Was published in Strand Magazine, a very influential Newspaper at the time, from 1892 – 1927

- Was illustrated by Sidney Paget

Sherlock Holmes By Sidney Paget

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES

• born 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh,

Scotland• mostly known for his

Detective series surrounding Sherlock

Holmes• developed crime fiction

into a series• as such he is the

developer of the “epic single-hero short-story

series”

- Was published in Strand Magazine, a very influential Newspaper at the time, from 1892 – 1927

- Was illustrated by Sidney Paget- Doyle stuck to a very similar build-up within all of

his stories – he used a fixed structure.

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES

• born 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh,

Scotland• mostly known for his

Detective series surrounding Sherlock

Holmes• developed crime fiction

into a series• as such he is the

developer of the “epic single-hero short-story

series”

- Was published in Strand Magazine, a very influential Newspaper at the time, from 1892 – 1927

- Was illustrated by Sidney Paget- Doyle stuck to a very similar build-up within all of

his stories – he used a fixed structure.- Holmes is a eccentric mastermind of a detective

who uses his transcendent analytical abilities and rational thinking to solve his cases.

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES

• born 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh,

Scotland• mostly known for his

Detective series surrounding Sherlock

Holmes• developed crime fiction

into a series• as such he is the

developer of the “epic single-hero short-story

series”

- Was published in Strand Magazine, a very influential Newspaper at the time, from 1892 – 1927

- Was illustrated by Sidney Paget- Doyle stuck to a very similar build-up within all of

his stories – he used a fixed structure.- Holmes is a eccentric mastermind of a detective

who uses his transcendent analytical abilities and rational thinking to solve his cases.

- Doyle himself has referred to „The Speckled Band“ as his favorite story.

PLOT

- Helen Stoner approaches Sherlock Holmes

- Miss Stoner is in fear of her life as she is experiencing the same circumstances as her late twin sister shortly before her death

- Holmes investigates but is warned off by her violent stepfather

- Holmes and Watson investigate and soon find the cause of her sisters death and eliminate the threat to her.

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NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE

- Homodiegetic Narration- A homodiegtic narrator is a

character in the narrated world that s/he describes.

- > The stories are told by Watson in a first-person narration.

INTERESTING PARADIGMS

- Holmes and the villain of the story, in this case Roylott, as opposing forces

Roylott twists the poker, Holmes straightens it out

Holmes is countering and reversing Roylotts actions

- This is typical for detective stories.

THIS MAN STRIKES

EVEN DEEPER,

BUT I THINK,

THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO

STRIKE DEEPER

STILL.

- The other paradigm is the notion of retaliation by repetition (tit-for-tat)

- Roylott is killed by his own snake and dies a death he had chosen for both of his step-daughter

This is very different to contemporary crime fiction, where instead of retaliation the criminals are handed over to the law.

VIOLENCE DOES IN

TRUTH RECOIL

UPON THE

VIOLENT, AND THE

SCHEMER FALLS

INTO THE PIT HE

DIGS FOR ANOTHER

INTERESTING PARADIGMS

CRITICAL ASSESSMENT

The Snake:- The so calles Swamp Adder does

not exist- No animal could survive in an

airtight safe- Snakes can only climb up solid

surfaces, climbing a rope would be virtually impossible

- Snakes don’t have ears – calling the snake back through a low whistle is not possible

Critical Assessment of this story is very interesting because the Holmes stories are in general built on a very deep foundation of knowledge and the scientific facts are usually correct. It is astounding that in his self-proclaimed favorite story Doyle would have such a lapse in information.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Speckled Band. Manchester, England: World International, 1986. Print

- Hodgson, John A. (Hg.) Sherlock Holmes: The Major Stories with Contemporary Critical Essays. Boston et al.: Bedford of St. Martin’s Press 1994

- Sklovskij, Viktor. “Die Kriminalerzählung bei Arthur Conan Doyle” Der Kriminalroman: Poetik: Theorie: Geschichte. By Jochen Vogt. München: W. Fink, 1998. 143-153. Print

- Strasen, Sven und Wenzel, Peter. “Die Detektivgeschichte im 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhundert”. In: Arno Löffler und Arberhard Späth (Hgg.). Geschichte der englischen Kurzgeschichte. Tübingen et al.: Francke 2005, 84-105