Finishing a Story, and Also Marxism

To pick up where I left off, Watson is at 221B Baker Street, anxiously awaiting news of the elusive ship, the Aurora.  He soon finds himself in the company of Athelney Jones; the detective officially assigned the case. They are both surprised to find themselves suddenly in the presence of the one and only Sherlock Holmes, who was in the guise of a sailor. Then Holmes claims that, through many deductions, observations, surmising, and maybe just a hint of educated guessing (though he himself would likely never admit it); he has solved this tedious trek for treasure. The mystery is revealed, the culprits, at least those still breathing, are apprehended, and Watson is engaged. Oh sorry, did I forget to talk about that? Well it seems the good doctor had become infatuated with the young Miss Mary Morsten, and she with him. Truly the classic, storybook ending: full of love, concise summaries of crimes decades in the making, and just a hint of murder. What more could you ask for?

And now, time for the totally not mandatory, response section of the post. Today’s topic is Marxism so, you know, it’s got to be a good one, right? Throughout The Sign of the Four, author Arthur Conan Doyle displays several instances of Marxist ideals. I’m not saying they’re intentional, but I’m also not saying they’re not.  A good example of this is when Holmes uses his network of street urchins to find the lost ship the Aurora. Here, Doyle displays the cooperation of the classes towards a common goal, Holmes, representing the middle class, and the urchins the lowest and poorest class. At the same time, there is a distinct separation of these classes. Holmes reminds them that he wishes to only speak with the leader, rather than have them all running around the flat. Another example is the relationship between Doctor Watson and Miss Morsten. Through their adventure, Watson finds himself falling for her, but is apprehensive about it since she will be of a higher social order if the treasure is found. In the end it works out, however, once again displaying class cooperation. And lastly, the representation of the upper class: throughout the story, the rich and elite are portrayed as weak, selfish people who only care about money. I’m not saying this is totally inaccurate, but the broad stance of the author towards the rich does have an air of Marxism to it. And so, since I still haven’t thought of a good way to wrap these up consistently, this is goodbye…for now.

Further Summaries and a Discussion of Setting

When I posted about my reading before, I was in the process of reading A Study in Scarlet; I have since finished it (I only had about twenty pages left at the time). The ending was good and left no loose ends, which I guess is all you can really ask of a mystery. Moving forward, I have begun reading The Sign of the Four and have found myself enjoying it much more than the first. I will admit that I am slightly biased towards the first story as a watcher of the BBC’s Sherlock, but I found myself pleasantly surprised at the originality of The Sign of the Four.  It begins with some time having past since A Study in Scarlet. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes still live together in 221B Baker Street and their characters begin developing almost immediately. We are introduced to Holmes’ addiction to opiates and Watson’s strong disapproval of his partner’s usage of these mind-altering methods of escape from the boredom of life. Without giving too much away, we are introduced to Sherlock’s newest client, Mary Morstan. After agreeing to help solve a series of recent, mysterious happenings, Holmes and Watson find themselves embroiled in a vicious hunt involving a secret society and at least two dead bodies. Their chase takes them to various locations, like a mansion in the English countryside as well as a six mile trek across that countryside. And that is about where I stopped reading. Oh, there is also a slightly racist-ly described pygmy savage. So, you know, if that’s your thing then you should definitely read The Sign of the Four, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I will now describe the setting chosen by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the impact it has on the characters involved in his stories. I am totally not doing this as part of a homework assignment. Why would you even think that? Anyway, to get back to the assignmen—I mean personal and completely voluntary blog. The setting of these stories is, for those of you who didn’t already know, London. At the time the stories are set in (late 1800s to early 1900s), London was a time of polluted air and distinct classes. The over-use of coal resulted in a thick smog consuming the air and making breathing difficult. The rich lived in large mansions along the sprawling countryside, while the poor remained stuffed into slums. Holmes and Watson would have been considered middle class, likely upper-middle class. They had a business and were able to afford a relatively nice flat. But apart from their place of living, the setting also impacts the way they go about their adventures. Mostly by cab, or as I mentioned before, by foot, Holmes and Watson navigate their way through the ever-expanding city, solving the unsolvable and making detectives everywhere feel inferior.

Summary and Analysis of "A Study in Scarlet"

In Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, we are introduced to the world of Sherlock Holmes, as seen through the eyes of Doctor John Watson, Holmes' new flatmate. The story begins with Watson recently having returned home after being released from the British military due to injury sustained in the line of duty. He is now living in England, and in desperate need of a place to live. Luckily, he runs into an old acquaintance of his who just happens to know someone else in need of a flatmate. After meeting this stranger who introduces himself as Sherlock Holmes and somehow knows details of John's life (despite not having been told of him), the doctor gave into his curiosity and decides to move in with him; the address is 221B Baker Street. After living with Holmes and his unique personality traits, Watson is introduced to Holmes' equally unique line of work: as the world's only consulting detective. The reason of Holmes' current participation in an official murder investigation is, at first unclear to John Watson (who is convinced to tag along on the insistence of Holmes himself.), but later becomes obvious when he witnesses Holmes' approach to solving crimes. Although eccentric, Holmes' methods gets results, and Watson and his new friend soon find themselves completely embroiled in a web of lies and deceit that only Sherlock Holmes himself seems to understand. I will spare you the Spoilers in telling you the ending, but let me assure you that it does not disappoint (I can't believe I just said that *face meets with palm in an abrupt fashion*).


I will now discuss the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (not that kind of relationship. Sorry shippers!). Their relationship is certainly an interesting one, stemming, it seems, from a common appreciation for each others' talents. With Watson, the appreciation is apparent from the beginning. He is amazed when Holmes first deducts that he was in Afghanistan, and that amazement grows as the case unfolds. In Holmes' case, his appreciation of is less apparent, but no less strong. Watson offers Holmes a companionship he had never before experienced (stop it...). In addition to the friendship, Watson also gives Holmes a different viewpoint, allowing for new angles for Holmes to pursue in his investigating.

Why do we read?

We all read for different reasons, so what we read impacts each of us differently. That is not to say that every book, article, or blog post does not have its own unique personality and tone, simply that our interpretation of those traits differs from person to person. What someone reads as a scene depicting humor, someone else may read as pretentious. We all read for different reasons, some of us read to learn, some of us read because we have to, and some of us read to escape into a world other than our own.

 No matter your reason for sitting down to peruse the publication of your preference (ten points for alliteration!), one thing is guaranteed, you're sure to walk away different then when you began. Reading has a way of influencing us whether we realize it or not. In fact this influence may not be apparent at all, instead it may be a little voice in the back of your mind, quietly reminding your subconscious of that time you let your imagination wander into a world unknown; and of the wonders you experienced there.

Because that's what reading is: an experience. And this experience is unique to each and every one of us, constantly changing and never repeating. Say you read a novel two years ago, if you were to read it again today the emotions and thoughts you would take away from it would be completely different than those you took away two years before.

Seeing as this is my first official blog post, I'll trust you to disregard my lack of nifty sign-off such as, "You stay classy internet," or "Goodnight readers." In lieu of such a phrase please accept this epic, suspense-building pause followed by-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :)