Author Background

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in 1859 and had a difficult life, although he went on to become a doctor and a successful novelist.

Conan Doyle's father

Conan Doyle's father struggled to earn a living for the family, and then later became an alcoholic.

Dr Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle became a medical doctor but didn’t practice medicine for long.
- He soon became a writer instead.
This gave him an in-depth knowledge of medicine, which he used in his stories, making his character, Dr Watson, a medical doctor as well.

Dr Watson

Dr Watson was able to use his understanding of medicine to try to advise Sherlock Holmes about the dangers of drug use.
- Holmes ignores him anyway.

The Beginning of Sherlock Holmes

The Sherlock Holmes stories were first published in 1887 as a series in magazines. Victorians loved the character and his use of scientific methods.

Publishing

The Sherlock Holmes stories were first published in 1887 in small sections in magazines.
- They were not published as whole novels at first.

Fans

In 1893, Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes. But, after outrage from fans of the stories, he decided not to.
- Victorians loved the character because he represented a heroic fictional detective (during the rise of the detective genre).

Science

During a time when scientific discovery was becoming more and more prevalent, Holmes used scientific methods to examine evidence closely.
- During a time when the Victorian police were unable to catch Britain’s first recorded serial killer, Sherlock Holmes used evidence to solve every case.

Example of Holmes using science

For example, Holmes looks closely at the evidence in Chapter 5, determining that the suspect ‘had the misfortune to tread in the creosote. You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here’.

1Context

1.1Victorian England & British Empire

1.1.1Author Background

1.1.2Victorian Crime & Police

1.1.3Historical Context

1.1.4Victorian London

1.1.5Women

1.1.6The British Empire

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Author & Victorian Police

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Victorian London & Empire

2Plot Summary

2.1Chapter Summaries

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.1.2Chapter 2

2.1.3Chapter 3

2.1.4Chapter 4

2.1.5Chapter 5

2.1.6Chapter 6

2.1.7Chapter 7

2.1.8Chapter 8

2.1.9Chapter 9

2.1.10Chapter 10

2.1.11Chapter 11

2.1.12Chapter 12

2.1.13Chapter 12: Jonathan Small's Stories

2.1.14End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-6

2.1.15End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-12

3Characters

3.1Key Characters

3.1.1Sherlock Holmes

3.1.2Sherlock Holmes: Quotations

3.1.3Dr John Watson

3.1.4Mary Morstan

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Characters

3.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Mary & Dr Watson

3.2Other Characters

3.2.1Thaddeus Sholto

3.2.2Jonathan Small

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Thaddeus and Jonathan Small

3.3Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.1Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.2Extract Analysis - Tonga

4Key Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Corruption

4.1.2Criminals & Victims

4.1.3Victorian Fear

4.1.4British Empire & Imperialism

4.1.5Duality

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Narrative Voice

5.1.2Dialogue

5.1.3Structure

5.1.4Structure & Characters

5.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

5.1.6End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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