The Adventure Of The Crooked Man 5x2k6x

The Adventure of the Crooked Man; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Finally Looking at "The Adventures of the Crooked Man" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through a Formalist lens helps the reader to better understand what is happening throughout the story. This can also help the reader to understand the reasons behind what is occurring and the reason why the story is written the way that it is. The Crooked Man; A Brief Description The Adventure of the Crooked Man Form & Symbols Form contributes to the meaning of the text giving the reader a better understand of the contents and how to read it. It's the fragmentation of a story line and of the timeline in modern fiction is not only used to generate a sense of urgency and chaos. Tone, Allusion &Affective Fallacy Tension in Themes A symbol is when an image take on a meaning beyond its objective self. Symbols aid the reader in understanding hidden (or sometimes apparent) meanings within a work of literature. Symbols reach beyond the work and engage the world of value outside the work. Point of View "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" changes perspective throughout the novel, the story is being told by Watson who has the story told to him by Sherlock. Though later in the story Watson and Holmes go to find the suspect, who gives them his first-person of the situation, which changes the perspective of the story. "The Adventures of the Crooked Man" is an enthralling tale in which Sherlock Holmes comes to the home of Watson with the news that he has one of the strangest cases that they have ever seen. A couple (Mr. & Mrs. Barkley) have been happily married for quite some time. Mr. Barkley was a member of the British army, and met Mrs. Barkley through her father. On the night of the murder Mrs. Barkley had gone to a charity event for her church with a friend (Miss. Morrison). Upon arriving home, she has an argument with her husband in the morning room, which is glass doors facing the outside but solid walls on the other three sides. The only door into the house was locked and the key cannot

be found. Sherlock then says that he had gone to the home of Miss. Morrison who explained to him on the way home from the charity event that they had run into someone who had caused a shock to Mrs. Barkley. He could be easily distinguished because of his hunchback, and the large box he had slung over his back. Holmes and Watson go the the home of Henry (the hunchback), he explains that he has been a prisoner of war. Mr. Barkley and Henry had been in war together both fighting for that hand of Mrs. Barkley, Henry was winning. Because of this Mr. Barkley sent Henry on a suicide mission so that he was captured by the enemies. Many years later, Henry made his way back to London, accidentally running into Mrs. Barkley, Henry in surprise and overwhelmed by emotions tells her what her husband did to him so many years ago. In a rage Mrs. Barkley went home and confronted her husband, Henry worried about what Mrs. Barkley would do appeared in the windows of the morning room. Henry ran into the room trying to stop the argument Mr. Barkley in surprise died of a heart attack. Henry in shock picked up the key but decided that he would not incriminate himself and left with the key. Characters: Sherlock Holmes James Watson Mrs. Nancy Barkley (Wife of Deceased) Mr. James Barkley (Deceased) Henry Wood (Old Family Friend) Miss. Morrison (Neighbour of Barkley's) Jane Stewart (The House Maid) The Coachman Teddy (The Mongoose) The Key: The Key represents the missing piece of the puzzle, it is the reason that no one was able to enter the room and help Mr. Barkley, this same key is also the 'key' in unlocking the mystery to what had actually happened inside the room. Sherlock unlocks the mystery of "The Crooked Man" only after he has managed to find the key. The key is a symbol of

the solution to the problem at hand. Form: The Adventure of the Crooked Man is written in Watson's perspective, but the story is on large being told by Holmes, which means there are breaks with in the story line that generate urgency and an overwhelming sense of confusion. First Person: This is the view that we are given by Watson in the beginning of the story. "I had risen from my seat and was knocking out the ashes of my pipe when I suddenly heard the clang of the bell.... To my astonishment it was Sherlock Holmes who stood upon my step. "Ah, Watson," said he, "I hoped that I might not be too late to catch you"" (Doyle 1). This view is limited to what Watson see and chooses to tell the reader, it is difficult to understand the points that Watson is making because he is not sure of all the details himself. Total Objectivity: This point of view is received briefly after Watson has finished relaying the story that Holmes has told him, Watson and Sherlock leave to interview the Crooked Man (Henry Wood). There is no longer a reason for the story to be written as though it is being relayed to the audience. The story is then switched to present tense with each character saying their own lines directly to the audience. ""Mr. Henry Wood, late of India, I believe," said Holmes affably. "I've come over this little matter of Colonel Barclay's death." "What should I know about that?" "That's what I want to ascertain. You know, I suppose, that unless the matter is cleared up, Mrs. Barclay, who is an old friend of yours, will in all probability be tried for murder." (Doyle 8) Tone: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories are short in nature which makes the need to expand the story crucial. The ways that this is done is by forcing the reader to slow down is by adding ages of dense imagery making the reader pay closer attention. "His eyes kindled and a slight flush sprang into his thin cheeks. For an instant, the veil had lifted upon his keen, intense nature, but for an instant only. When I

glanced again his face had resumed that red-Indian composure which had made so many regard him as a machine rather than a man." (Doyle 2). Another tone used in "The Adventures of the Crooked Man" is suspense. The tone of the story is suspenseful, as the story progresses the reader becomes more aware that they know less than the narrator, and even less than Sherlock Holmes. For most of the story Watson is narrating in first person, he draws attention to the things that he doesn't know or understand. This bring attention to the pieces of the story that are missing which builds suspense. "How do you deduce that?" (Doyle 6) "But what had it to do with the crime?" (Doyle 6). Allusion: At the end of "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" Sherlock speaks of the name David, which the house maid overheard Mrs. Barkley cry out twice while she was in the morning room with her husband. This use of the name David is explained slightly by Sherlock himself. 'David' was used as a strong criticism against her husband; she is using the name David to compare him to the Biblical king who has Bathsheba's husband Uriah transferred to a zone with heavy fighting so that he will be killed, leaving David free to marry Uriah's wife. "Yes; David strayed a little occasionally, you know, and on one occasion in the same direction as Sergeant James Barclay. You the small affair of Uriah and Bathsheba? My Biblical knowledge is a trifle rusty, I fear, but you will find the story in the first or second of Samuel." (Doyle 13). Society & Class Appearances Respect & Reputation The Mongoose: "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" holds a twist that not even Sherlock Holmes can unlock, how a dog ran up the curtains. "Did you ever hear of a dog running up a curtain? I found distinct traces that this creature had done so" (Doyle 5). This idea and puzzle is the symbol of confusion, which is apparent though other symbols found in the story. The missing key which can also be view as a more simplistic

symbol of confusion as Watson cannot figure out how a key could possibly leave a locked room with only 2 people both of whom remained in the room. The symbol of confusion is very important to the Sherlock Holmes stories because without it there would be no great mystery. There are many different themes that are presented in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man." These themes help the reader to understand more of the hidden ideas within the story and the mindset of the great detective Sherlock Holmes. Many themes also include tension, it´s the idea that there are elements to each theme that does not fit. The theme of society and class is will represented in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" by the status of the different classes. Although Holmes is shows belief in equality between classes treating all people as equals. Even when speaking to Henry Wood, who's disfigured he is polite when he addresses him "Mr. Henry Wood, late of India, I believe," said Holmes affably. "I've come over this little matter of Colonel Barclay's death" (Doyle 10). Although Holmes does treat everyone that he encounters with respect he is not blind to the class system that is put in place. Conan Doyle uses dialect, clothing, and physical appearance to suggest a difference in each of the character's classes. Miss Morrison is an example of a higherclass character who is judged purely on her status and class. "Miss Morrison is a little ethereal slip of a girl, with timid eyes and blond hair, but I found her by no means wanting in shrewdness and common sense." (Doyle 7). Although Holmes treats everyone equally and with respect he still use's social status as a way of judging people’s characters. Reputation is a large motivator of the plot in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man", Holmes because he is not a police officer retains the ability to choose what criminals he gives to the police. In "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" the police know that someone else must have been in the room with Mr. & Mrs. Barkley. Holmes manages to deduce who was in the room, and confront him. Though already knowing that Mr. Barkley had died from

natural causes found no reason to turn Henry Wood into the police. They only way that they can convince Henry Wood to talk is by telling him that the reputation of the woman that he loves is on the line; and unless they receive the truth of what happened in the morning room that Mrs. Barkley will be tried for murder. Being tried for murder has a profound effect on the reputation of the person being tried. Mr. Wood as he is still in love with Mrs. Barkley speaks to Holmes out of fear of ruining Mrs. Barkley's reputation. Appearance as a theme ties into both reputation and societies class system. Holmes spends much of his time analysing the people around him, basing his initial assessments on the person's inner character on their outward appearance. This assessment can incorporate class gender, outward appearance and even race in the initial stages. Holmes uses the theme of appearance to make a judgement on everyone he encounters, this can be seen in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" when Sherlock Holmes enters the home of Watson making a judgement on who he is based on his outward appearance. "You'll never as a pure-bred civilian as long as you keep that habit of carrying your handkerchief in your sleeve" (Doyle 1). Affective Fallacy: Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" is a short story that should be taken as a piece of Affective Fallacy, the work is judged by its effect on the reader. Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" is a mystery and is judged on the plot twist and shock value at the end. Rather than being an Intentional Fallacy where the reader is supposed to divorce other idea from the text. Due to the fact that the Sherlock Holmes novels are written in the first-person perspective of Watson we cannot take anything from the stories other than what we are told. The Pipe: The tobacco pipe is a strong and apparent symbol in "The

Adventure of the Crooked Man", Holmes enters the home of Watson and his first great deduction is the type of tobacco that Watson is smoking. "You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then! There's no mistaking that fluffy ash upon your coat" (Doyle 1). Holmes then invites himself to a pipe of Watson tobacco and excuses himself from any food, claiming he just wants a pipe. This excuse symbolizes a dependency on the tobacco pipe, putting everything else secondary to smoking. As Holmes continues to explain the case of "The Crooked Man" and the Barkley family he says quite blatantly that he has smoked many pipes over this case and has yet to come up with a solution. This statement also shows the dependency upon this substance. "I may even say exceptional features of interest. I have already looked into the matter over a few pipes, and have come, as I think, within sight of my solution"