Victorian London

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Victorian London

Sherlock Holmes was introduced in 1887 to a Victorian society experiencing a great deal of change.

Changes in Victorian society

The Victorians saw a rise in industry, exploration, scientific and technological discovery, as well as the beginnings of forensics and detection.

Empire and cultural exploration

Victorian Britain was also concerned with the growth of the British Empire and making England prosper through trade and colonisation.
Conan Doyle used his characters to explore new cultures, many of which his readers would have never previously encountered.

Poverty and poor health

Despite all of the growth in society, there was a lot of poverty and poor health.
The rise of industry caused a huge amount of smog in the London air, meaning it was dark, dreary, and people developed a number of health issues.
Crime, prostitution, murder and drug abuse were all common in Victorian England.

1870 Education Act

In 1870, the Education Act was introduced in England.
- This meant that education was made compulsory for all children.
This meant that by the time Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Sign of the Four in the 1880s, there would have been a huge increase in the number of lower-class people who were able to read.

Drug Use in Victorian London

Although Sherlock Holmes takes numerous drugs (‘there still remains the cocaine-bottle’), we cannot judge him by the same rules we live by today.

Buying drugs

In early Victorian Britain, it was possible to buy cocaine, arsenic, and other drugs from the local chemist.
They were not illegal and the dangers of them were generally unknown.
Opium (a highly-addictive narcotic drug) was sold on market stalls.

No proof of the dangers of drugs

Some medical professions (like our fictional Dr Watson) suspected that some drugs were dangerous, but there was no solid proof in early Victorian Britain.

1868 Pharmacy Act

There were no restrictions on the sale of drugs until the Pharmacy Act in 1868.
- The Pharmacy Act limited the sale of poisons and dangerous drugs to qualified chemists/pharmacists and druggists.
- But it is important to note that these people could still supply dangerous drugs to people if they felt that they needed them.
- The Act also meant that all poisonous substances (e.g. those with cyanide in them) had to be regulated carefully – but they could still be sold.

Drug usage

Drug use was common, especially amongst working-class people.
People used drugs for enjoyment, as well as for home remedies.

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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