6.2.1

Chapter 1 - Quotations

Test yourself

Key Quotations from Chapter 1

Here are three key quotations from Chapter 1:

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Chapter title

  • ‘The Science of Deduction’.
    • The chapter heading immediately tells us that we will read about the art of putting clues and evidence together to draw one’s own conclusions.
    • This is presented as a science, a factual method for Holmes to solve problems.
    • In this chapter, Holmes demonstrates how detection and deduction really work, showing the reader exactly how his brain works and how intelligent he is.
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Cocaine

  • ‘Hence the cocaine. I cannot live without brain-work’ (Sherlock Holmes).
    • Holmes makes it clear that he needs something to keep his brain going. He needs problems to solve and interesting things to engage his mind, or he feels that he cannot cope with life itself.
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Shocking habit

  • ‘I never guess. It’s a shocking habit’ (Sherlock Holmes).
    • This is perhaps a direct reference to the incompetency of the Victorian police.
    • Holmes seems disgusted by the idea of just making guesses to solve problems – instead, throughout the story, he highlights the importance of basing inferences and ideas on solid facts and evidence.
    • By referring to guessing as a bad ‘habit’, he suggests that those who begin to use guesswork are doomed to failure forever, as their incompetence, like their guessing, also becomes a routine.

Jump to other topics

1Context

2Plot Summary

3Characters

4Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

6Recap: Main Quotes

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