The speckled band
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Transcript of The speckled band
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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
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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
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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
![Page 4: The speckled band](https://reader036.fdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022081420/555dbe27d8b42a63328b5863/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
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.
![Page 5: The speckled band](https://reader036.fdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022081420/555dbe27d8b42a63328b5863/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
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.
![Page 6: The speckled band](https://reader036.fdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022081420/555dbe27d8b42a63328b5863/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
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.
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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.
Bild durch Klicken auf Symbol hinzufügen
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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.
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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.
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- 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
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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.
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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