THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES SIR ARTHUR CONAN

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE • BORN MAY 22, 1859 IN EDINBURGH SCOTLAND • STUDIED AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY • BECAME A DOCTOR • BECAME AN EYE SPECIALIST • DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN SPIRITUALISM • WROTE 60 STORIES/NOVELS ABOUT SHERLOCK HOLMES

SHERLOCK HOLMES • “BORN” IN 1887 WHEN CONAN DOYLE WROTE HIS FIRST FULL-LENGTH DETECTIVE STORY A STUDY IN SCARLET TO SUPPLEMENT HIS INCOME • KNOWN FOR HIS ACUTE POWERS OF OBSERVATION • BELIEVED IN REASON ABOVE ALL • SCIENTIFIC RATIONALISM WAS THE ORDER OF THE DAY

• “…DOYLE BRILLIANTLY POPULARIZED THE CENTURY’S CONFIDENCE IN THE UNIFORM OPERATION OF SCIENTIFIC LAWS THAT ALLOWED THE TRAINED OBSERVER TO DEDUCE CAUSES FROM EFFECTS…” • HOLMES WAS INTELLECTUALLY SUPERIOR TO THE ORDINARY MAN…ECCENTRIC BUT ELEGANT, BRILLIANT BUT FREQUENTLY BORED • HE OFTEN INJECTED HIMSELF WITH DRUGS (THEN LEGAL) BECAUSE HE HATED TO HAVE A DULL EXISTENCE • MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT HE WAS A REAL PERSON

DR. WATSON • DR. WATSON CREATED AS A FOIL TO HOLMES --ORDINARY PERSON HOLMES MUST EXPLAIN HIS REASONING TO • WATSON HAD STRONG RESEMBLANCE TO CONAN DOYLE

GOOD-BYE HOLMES • CONAN DOYLE ATTEMPTED TO KILL HOLMES SO HE COULD WRITE “SERIOUS” FICTION • WROTE THE FINAL PROBLEM IN WHICH HOLMES’ NEMESIS SENDS HIM TO HIS DEATH • PUBLIC OUTCRY INCLUDED NEWSPAPER OBITUARIES AND PEOPLE WEARING MOURNING GARB IN THE STREETS • HOLMES WAS RESURRECTED IN THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES…NOVEL SET RETROSPECTIVELY

• HOUND WAS WRITTEN IN 1920 • BEST KNOWN HOLMES TALE • INSPIRED TO WRITE THE STORY AFTER HEARING OF A LEGEND WHICH MAKES THIS NOVEL MORE GOTHIC IN NATURE • CONAN DOYLE DIED IN 1930 • SHERLOCK HOMES STILL RECEIVES MAIL EVERY DAY AT 221 B BAKER STREET

JOURNAL # 1 Why are people so fascinated with mystery and detective stories? Why are we so fascinated with crime and murder? List as many reasons as you can. Who/what are some of your favorite detectives and or shows? Write specifically about what you like about the main character and the show itself.