The Sign of Four Chapter 5 The Story

‘The Sign of Four’ Chapter 5 The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Learning Objective • Should: Read and understand chapter 4 of ‘The Sign of Four’ – The Story of the Bald-Headed Man • Could: Begin to understand the character of Thaddeus Sholto • Might: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it

This lesson you will need…

Who lives in a house like this? . . Starter – How many adjectives can you think of to describe these pictures Challenge – What would someone who owned these objects think of themselves?

Starter Create another character profile in your book Appearance Relationships Thaddeus Sholto Important events Important quotes

Thaddeus Sholto In the centre of your character profile double page draw a picture of the strange looking Thaddeus Sholto. …in the centre of the glare there stood a small man with a very high head, a bristle of red hair all round the fringe of it, and a bald, shining scalp which shot out from among it like a mountainpeak from fir-trees. He writhed his hands together as he stood, and his features were in a perpetual jerk, now smiling, now scowling, but never for an instant in repose. Nature had given him a pendulous lip, and a too visible line of yellow and irregular teeth, which he strove feebly to conceal by constantly passing his hand over the lower part of his face. In spite of his obtrusive baldness, he gave the impression of youth. In point of fact he had just turned his thirtieth year. "Your servant, Miss Morstan, " he kept repeating, in a thin, high voice. "Your servant, gentlemen. Pray step into my little sanctum. A small place, miss, but furnished to my own liking. An oasis of art in the howling desert of South London. "

‘The Sign of Four’ Chapter 5 The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Learning Objective • Should: Read and understand chapter 5 of ‘The Sign of Four’ – The Story of the Bald-Headed Man • Could: Begin to understand the character of Thaddeus Sholto • Might: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it.

LO: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it. • As we read the next section write down any questions that are raised in the story which Thaddeus Sholto tells. • Think – pair – share: Why does Conan Doyle raise so many questions?

Chapter 4 The Story of the Bald Headed Man As we continue to read make sure you: • Listen carefully • Use your glossary to check any key words as we go along • Put your hand up and ask if there any extra words we need to add to our glossary • Read to: “I shall try and give it to you in his own very words. ”

LO: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it. What questions did you come up with? Think – pair – share: Why does Conan Doyle raise so many questions? Who are we like in the narrative? Where does this place us – the reader – in the story. What role do we take on? Summarise the outcome of this discussion in your books in 20 words or less. Extension – add a further 20 words… Conan Doyle has done this because…

LO: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it. We are about to hear Major Sholto’s death bed story/confession. We will hear it through Watson’s words, writing the story – Watson is repeating Thaddeus Sholto’s words – Thaddeus Sholto is repeating Major Sholto’s words. Think – pair – share: Why such a complicated narrative? WHY has Conan Doyle done this?

Chapter 4 The Story of the Bald Headed Man As we continue to read make sure you: • Listen carefully • Use your glossary to check any key words as we go along • Put your hand up and ask if there any extra words we need to add to our glossary • Read to: the end of the chapter.

Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it. Langua ge “Conan Doyle employs a first-person narrator, but instead of seeing the story from Sherlock Holmes’ point of view, we read the mystery from the perspective of his devoted follower, Watson. This was done to sustain the suspense in the stories, as Holmes’ thoughts are not always revealed to us as they occur. If the reader arrived at solutions as quickly as the protagonist Holmes does, then the novel would lack mystery and end very abruptly. However, with Watson as our narrator, we trace the plot in the same was a reasonably intelligent and sensible person might, but without Holmes’ rapid genius. Many critics believe that Watson serves as a proxy for the reader and we are able to marvel at Holmes’ talents in a similar way to him. ” Alert! first person narrator a narrator who is usually one of the characters in the novel and writes about evens from a single perspective, using the pronoun ‘I’ protagonist the central character in the novel proxy a person who represents someone else

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‘The Sign of Four’ Chapter 5 The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Learning Objective • Should: Read and understand chapter 4 of ‘The Sign of Four’ – The Story of the Bald-Headed Man • Could: Begin to understand the character of Thaddeus Sholto • Might: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it.

Homework Go on! Challenge yourself. • Should: Complete chapter summaries for all four of the chapters read so far. • Could: Draw or print an image you associate with each chapter. • Might: Pick out two important quotes from each chapter and add them to your summaries.