Theme: Natural & Supernatural
The
Hounds of The Baskervilles, had
supernatural elements to it. Most notable would be the gigantic hound
that has brought ill fortune to the Baskervilles for many
generations. Firstly a hound can't live for hundreds of years.
Secondly they depicted the hound much larger than would be possible
in real life, “...it was that, standing over Hugo, and plucking at
his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great black beast, shaped
like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye rested
upon. And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo
Baskerville, on which , as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping
jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life,
still screaming across the moor.” (Doyle, The Hound of The Baskervilles 17). Some key points are that
Doyle writes "shaped like a hound" 'like' being the key word, "larger
than any hound that ever mortal eye rested upon", shows it's
rareness, "turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them",
blazing eyes giving it unnatural characteristics, things that
couldn't happen in reality.
The
quote on page 17 was taken from the manuscript that Dr. Mortimer
presents Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson fairly near to the beginning
of the novel which is “of a certain legend which runs in the
Baskerville Family.” (12), as quoted by Sherlock Holmes. Is there
really a beastly creature that haunts the Baskervilles? The
manuscript has been passed down through generations, could the story
of been exaggerated? Is it so old that it can be questioned if it's
even a true story anymore? Holmes'
absence allows supernatural elements of the story to come through as
he is not there to provide a logical explanation for the goings-on.
The story is very Gothic-style, a brand of story telling that
highlights the bizarre and unexplained, "The
longer one stays here the more does the spirit of the moor sink into
ones soul. It's vastness, and also it's grim charm." (108).
It has Gothic elements including the ancestral family home,
supernatural beings, unexpected events, and an ancient family curse.
Sherlock Holmes is determined to figure out the case using scientific
theories, and methods as he does with all his other cases. Sherlock
Holmes a man so involved in the field of forensic science, doesn't
entirely believe in this ginormous hound, which has the instincts to
kill off family members of the Baskerville family. He's convinced
that there is more too it. He uses logic, and examines facts to find
the answer.
Check your spelling carefully before posting. You have a few errors here and in your first post.
ReplyDeleteCan you describe in more specific detail the type of logic that Holmes uses? Think back to your unit on logic you completed in grade 10, or consider the inductive or deductive nature of Holmes' investigation.