Pathetic Fallacy

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Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic fallacy is when the weather is used to reflect the mood of the story or the characters.

Confusion and lack of clarity

In the novella, Conan Doyle uses pathetic fallacy several times to indicate a sense of confusion and lack of clarity, especially for Dr Watson.

Lyceum Theatre (Chapter 3)

A key example of pathetic fallacy is during Holmes, Watson and Mary’s trip to the Lyceum Theatre in Chapter 3.
- Watson notes: ‘dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. Mud-coloured clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets’.
- At this early point in the story, the mystery itself is quite unknown to the characters. They have been given some basic ideas but nothing much else – all they know is that Captain Morstan is missing and that Mary has been receiving expensive pearls.

Lyceum Theatre (cont.)

The ‘fog’ and the ‘mud-coloured clouds’ here symbolise the lack of clarity around the case. The characters’ minds are clouded to the truth.
As we see the scene through Watson’s eyes, the reader shares this sense of being lost in the case. But Holmes opposes Watson and the reader, as he does not seem to feel the fogginess of the case.

Clearness and clarity

In Chapter 10, when they have uncovered the key facts of the case and are chasing Jonathan Small and Tonga down the River Thames, Watson notes several times that the evening is ‘clear’, which echoes the clarity of the case for them.

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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