Historical Context

Historical Context: Victorian Police and Jack the Ripper

Arthur Conan Doyle had introduced Sherlock Holmes in 1887. This time coincided with the creation of the police force in England and the time of Jack the Ripper.

Holmes vs police

As Arthur Conan Doyle had introduced Sherlock Holmes (in 1887) as the perfect detective, readers may have felt that Holmes was able to do something the London police force was not.
- Holmes explored all evidence and all possibilities to draw clear conclusions, supported by solid evidence.

Jack the Ripper

As the number of murders by Jack the Ripper grew, Victorian readers may have become angrier and angrier with the police force.
- They appeared to be useless and unable to protect the people of London.

Evolution of the police

But the police force began to grow and develop its skills.
- They started to utilise new technologies.
  - E.g. photography and the birth of forensic analysis of crime scenes.
The Victorian public became more interested in detective fiction and in the work of the police force.

Athelney vs Holmes

In Sign of the Four, Inspector Athelney Jones fails to pay close attention to key details of the crimes or the crime scene.
- Conan Doyle uses him to show the idiocy and incompetence of the Victorian police force.
Conan Doyle uses Holmes to suggest that detectives could be successful if they did their jobs correctly and paid attention to evidence.

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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