5.1.2

Dialogue

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Dialogue

The novella relies heavily on the use of dialogue.

Uses of dialogue

Uses of dialogue

  • Dialogue is used to reveal relationships and connections, to divulge key information which moves the plot along, and for Holmes to explain his reasoning and investigative techniques to the reader.
Credibility of story

Credibility of story

  • Dialogue is actually very effective in establishing the credibility of the story and the reader’s trust in Watson.
    • The use of quotations suggests that Watson is recounting these comments exactly as they happened, which adds to the truth of his story.
    • As the narrator, Watson appears confident in his retelling of each characters’ mannerisms and speech, which develops our trust in him as our storyteller.
More realistic story

More realistic story

  • The use of dialogue also makes the story appear to be more realistic, making the characters and the story come to life.
Learn about characters

Learn about characters

  • We learn a lot about each character through their use of dialogue – how they communicate with one another is very telling.
    • We learn that Holmes can be insulting to Watson at times: ‘Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science’.
    • We learn that Inspector Jones is dismissive and disrespectful to Holmes: ‘Mr Theorist’.
    • We learn that Jonathan Small is very aggressive: ‘"Justice!" snarled the ex-convict’.
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1

Context

1.1

Victorian England & British Empire

1.1.1Author Background1.1.2Victorian Crime & Police1.1.3Historical Context1.1.4Victorian London1.1.5Women1.1.6The British Empire1.1.7End of Topic Test - Author & Victorian Police1.1.8End of Topic Test - Victorian London & Empire
2

Plot Summary

2.1

Chapter Summaries

2.1.1Chapter 12.1.2Chapter 22.1.3Chapter 32.1.4Chapter 42.1.5Chapter 52.1.6Chapter 62.1.7Chapter 72.1.8Chapter 82.1.9Chapter 92.1.10Chapter 102.1.11Chapter 112.1.12Chapter 122.1.13Chapter 12: Jonathan Small's Stories2.1.14End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-62.1.15End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-12
3

Characters

3.1

Key Characters

3.1.1Sherlock Holmes3.1.2Sherlock Holmes: Quotations3.1.3Dr John Watson3.1.4Mary Morstan3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Characters3.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Mary & Dr Watson
3.2

Other Characters

3.2.1Thaddeus Sholto3.2.2Jonathan Small3.2.3End of Topic Test - Thaddeus and Jonathan Small
3.3

Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.1Grade 9 - Key Characters3.3.2Extract Analysis - Tonga
4

Key Themes

4.1

Key Themes

4.1.1Corruption4.1.2Criminals & Victims4.1.3Victorian Fear4.1.4British Empire & Imperialism4.1.5Duality4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes
5

Writing Techniques

5.1

Writing Techniques

5.1.1Narrative Voice5.1.2Dialogue5.1.3Structure5.1.4Structure & Characters5.1.5Pathetic Fallacy5.1.6End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques
6

Recap: Main Quotes

6.1

Characters Quotes

6.1.1Sherlock Holmes - Quotations6.1.2Dr John Watson - Quotations6.1.3Mary Morstan - Quotations6.1.4Thaddeus Sholto - Quotations6.1.5Jonathan Small - Quotations
6.2

Text Structure - Quotes

6.2.1Chapter 1 - Quotations6.2.2Chapter 2 - Quotations6.2.3Chapter 3 - Quotations6.2.4Chapter 4 - Quotations6.2.5Chapter 5 - Quotations6.2.6Chapter 6 - Quotations6.2.7Chapter 7 - Quotations6.2.8Chapter 8 - Quotations6.2.9Chapter 9 - Quotations6.2.10Chapter 10 - Quotations6.2.11Chapter 11 - Quotations6.2.12Chapter 12 - Quotations

Practice questions on Dialogue

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  1. 1
    What is dialogue used for in _The Sign of the Four_?Fill in the list
  2. 2
    What do we learn about certain characters from their use of dialogue?True / false
  3. 3
    Importance of dialogue in _The Sign of the Four_:True / false
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Narrative Voice

Structure