Chapter 6 - Quotations

English Lit: AQA GCSE The Sign of the Four, topic 6.2.6

Key Quotations for Chapter 6

Here are three key quotations for Chapter 6:

‘My case is, as I have told you, almost complete (Sherlock Holmes).
Holmes' use of the possessive pronoun, ‘my’, shows that he views this case as entirely his own piece of investigation – he does not even include Watson as a real intellectual partner.
Alternatively, he could be using it to separate himself from the police force – he is possessive over his own ideas as his conclusions are based on factual evidence, unlike the police forces'.

‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’ (Sherlock Holmes).
Holmes tries to teach Watson about his investigative methods.
He encourages Watson to draw his own conclusions, using the phrase ‘however improbable’ to encourage him to think outside the box.
The italics suggest that Holmes is emphasising the need to carefully consider all of the evidence, even if it doesn’t seem to lead to the most logical conclusion.

‘Theorist’ (Inspector Jones).
By using the common noun ‘theorist’, Jones implies that Holmes has no real skill or investigative ability.
He argues that Holmes just guesses his conclusions, with no solid evidence to base his ideas on.
Ironically, it is Inspector Jones who gives wild theories with no actual evidence.

What is 'my' an example of in the following quotation from Sherlock Holmes?

‘My case is, as I have told you, almost complete
What words should be italicised in this quotation from Chapter 6?

‘When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’
Who calls Sherlock Holmes a 'theorist' in Chapter 6?