Dialogue

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Dialogue

The novella relies heavily on the use 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

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

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

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’.

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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