The Sign of the Four

 

*Image adapted from Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

Created by: Erik Carlson, Holly Richard, Patty Chavez, Galen Hawthorne, Armand Ashby

Spring 2011

*Unless otherwise noted, all citations come from: 

Conan Doyle, Arthur. . London: Spencer Blackett, 1890. . Web. 15 Apr. 2011.The Sign of Four Google Books

Table of Contents

#Biography#Indian Rebellion of 1857#Map of India#Topics for Discussion#Form is Content#Plot Summary#Characters#The Publication of The Sign of Four#The Legacy of Sherlock Holmes#Resources and Links#Additional Materials#Image Gallery

Biography

            Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born the third of ten siblings on May 22 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was an Irish artist living in England who suffered from alcoholism and his mother, Mary Foley, was also Irish. Arthur Doyle during his childhood lead a street gang who would later inspire Sherlock Holmes's youthful allies, the Baker Street Irregulars.  In 1868 however, funded by his wealthy uncles, Arthur would attend Hodder preparatory school for two years before then attending Stonyhurts College from 1870 till 1875.  

            Continuing his education, Arthur Doyle entered into Edinburgh University as a medical student. During his time here he was heavily influenced by his mentor, Joseph Bell. Bell was a master of deduction from minutiae of evidence, such as gravel on a shoe conveying a patient's route to work, the better to impress the patient and his own attendant students. During his studies Doyle writes his first short story, "The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley" in 1879, along with a non-fiction piece called, "Gelseminum as a poison", which was published in the British Medical

. Arthur also serves as a doctor's Journalassistant for a time on a whaling ship, the Hope before graduating in 1881.

            Arthur Conan Doyle's life is then seemingly split down two paths, one of writing and one of his medical career. Doyle writes many journals, thesis, articles, and other non-fiction works for his medical career. As well as running a few different clinics during his early life that did not take off. Later in his life he becomes involved in politics, such as supporting the cause of Home Rule for Ireland. Later he also serves as a military correspondent and historian for World War I, publishing a number of volumes.

            On the other hand of course, and for what Doyle was most known for was his fictional writing career. Most notably for his character Sherlock Holmes though Doyle also wrote several other fictional pieces as well. The first Holmes and Watson story, "A Study in Scarlet", was published in 1887. "The Sign of Four" is published in 1890 and in 1893 Doyle attempts to kill off Sherlock Holmes in, "The Adventure of the Final Problem" as is rumored that Doyle was unable to keep up with readers' insatiable demands and because, " He (Sherlock Holmes) takes my mind from better things. But of course in 1902, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is published as a prequel to Holmes and Watson which revives the character into further publications.

            Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle lived a robust life, heavily active in areas he took interest in. He lived till the age of 71 an died of a heart attack in 1930, 7th of July in his home, Windlesham, in Sussex. 

Portrait

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Indian Rebellion of 1857

Many works of fiction have their stories embedded with their era's current social events. Be it through the events themselves, or how the events have shaped the people. Sign of Four leans on the Indian Rebellion of 1857 as its foundation for the whole novel.The mutiny, so titled by the British at the time, lasted around three years from 1857 to 1859. Though there are numerous small events that accumulated into the outbreak of the war, the mutiny of the sepoys (an Indian soldier in the service of the Crown) is considered the focal point for the start of the war. The push that caused this focal point was a religious one. From worry of the indigenous population of mass conversation, to British military customs in opposition with Indian religious practices, all lead to the sepoys rebellion.The rebellion turned into a more fractured rebellion however as the British Empire began to gain ground. For people native to India, there was not unification as they were fractured by political, cultural, and ethnic groups. The war took place mostly in the north and central India as other uprising occurred against native rulers because of internal politics. On the side of the British, the army was often considered the "Army of Retribution" and with heavy imperialistic outlook caused horrific, pointless actions towards the native people. Rape, mass executions, and even "blown from cannon" in which captured rebels were tied over the mouths of cannons and blown to pieces as the cannon was fired.These vicious acts were born from the racial viewpoints the British had on other cultures. And the mutiny was an act of these lesser people pushing against the Crown. No other event during the 19th century took such hold on the British imagination. The Sign of Four was just one of many works of literature to have the Indian Rebellion of 1857 be an influence for the work. The details of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 within the Sign of Four can be more explained within the sections of Topics of Discussion and Form is Content.

Map of India

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Topics for Discussion

                There are several themes upon which Doyle focuses in The

:Sign of the Four

Indian Rebellion of 1857 within : It is Sign of Fourimportant to note that while Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Sign of Four" is a detective / adventure novel it also is a look into the imaginative colonial mindset of the time. What shapes the plot, and more noticeably the antagonists within the novel, are the events of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The most notable character effected by the event is Jonathan Small. But in general, it is interesting the comment the novel makes on the men who return from India. All of the men who return from India in the novel have been warped in their greed with the stolen treasures which systematically leads to their deaths. Again, these actions were no stranger for actual events that transpired during the rebellion as looting was a common practice by the English soldiers, among other things. Of note however, is the corruption that seems to be taking place on those touched by the Orient. 

Imperialism and non-English races: Starting on page 156 there is an interesting passage in which Holmes and Watson ruminate over, among other bits of evidence, a set of “Diminutive footmarks” they had seen previously. Watson’s first guess as to their owner is as follows: “’A savage!’ I exclaimed. ‘Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small.’” Running with this idea, Holmes begins to detail the ways in which the footprints of various “savage” races differentiate from each other, as easily as he rattles off the differences between types of tobacco ash. When they meet their “savage” adversary later on, Watson can only say, “Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty” before he and Holmes shoot him to death.

Female Gender Roles: In the male-heavy world of Sherlock Holmes, Miss Mary Morston is an interesting character indeed. While Holmes tells Watson, “Women are never to be entirely trusted”(163), she is still described in nothing but the brightest light at all times. Watson frequently remarks at how well she handles tense or uneasy situations, musing that, “She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness…”(37) or saying on 110, “After the angelic fashion of women, she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was someone weaker than herself to support,”. Still, however, Watson is always there to “rescue” her with a glass of water when she falls faint. In fact, Watson’s biggest hurdle in the book is in trying to find a way around class and gender roles that would peg him as a “mere vulgar fortune-seeker”(110) if he attempted to woo her from his low financial standing.

Drug Use: The very first scene of the book is Holmes using cocaine to keep his mind stimulated in between cases. We can learn a few things about the current views on the usage of drugs from his discourse with Watson during this portion. From the point of view of a very proper medical man such as Watson, who finds a glass of wine with lunch something to note for change in character, cocaine is nothing but another way to hurt the body. On the other hand, Holmes, a well-read man who is still prone to fist fights, finds its mental effects a more than adequate reward. At the end of the book, when Holmes and Watson are once again back at Baker street relaxing after solving the mystery, Watson asks Holmes what his reward is for doing “all the work” he merely replies, “For me, there is still the cocaine-bottle.”(283)

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Form is Content

“The richest and glossiest of curtains and tapestries draped the walls, looped back here and  there to expose some richly-mounted painting or Oriental vase. The carpet was of amber and black, so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a bed of moss. Two great tiger-skins thrown athwart it increased the suggestion of Eastern luxury, as did a huge hookah which stood upon a mat in the corner” (Doyle 48).

    This passage perfectly reflects one of the major fears concerning the empire; that is, the fear that foreign culture was insinuating itself into traditional English culture. One of the main goals of the empire was to spread what was considered to be the sophisticated English culture throughout the world, and this passages demonstrates the fact that, in many cases, the exact opposite was happening. Though Thaddeus Sholto is an English man, his home is made up entirely of foreign goods and decor, demonstrating the influence that his father’s time in India had on the entire family. The fact that the influence that foreign culture has had on the Sholto family is ultimately a criminal one demonstrates the Victorian fear that while a foreign decor may seem harmless, the temptations of places like India and the Orient can be incredibly detrimental to English society.

"In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature.  I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation" (22).

In a number of ways, this quote illustrates the conventional mindset of gender roles of Europeans during this time period.  By nonchalantly mentioning his travels and his vast knowledge of women across the world, Watson emphasizes the freedom men have within the society to experience things that he assumes women are and must be shielded from.  Also, by comparing Ms. Morstan to women from other cultures he establishes European women as the assumed calm and knowable centers of return for men of the Empire which contrasts with their experiences abroad.  The last sentence of this passage also shows that the assumed ideal woman is one who is docile and in need of protection or guidance.  Ms. Morstan is portrayed as a woman who can barely contain her emotion.  Even though she is attempting to hide her vulnerability, she is simply incapable of doing so.          

“Detection is or ought to be an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner”(6)

This quote sets up what becomes a bit of a long-term dissonance between the minds of Watson and Holmes; While Holmes finds mysteries emotionally stimulating, he sneers at Watson’s way of relating them to the public with , thinking that the romanticizing of his work was useless and A Study in Scarletunimportant. Over the course of this book and the others, Holmes frequently reminds Watson that, above all else, remaining logical and impassive is the best way to solve a case. In a way this mimics the social conventions of the time, with people attempting to remain politely disengaged from each other through their well-kempt appearances and manners which Holmes, at times, bucks in order to get a closer look at the mystery.

"My mind... rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abtruse pictogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artifical stimulents, But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation" (Conan Doyle 50).

This quote references the recurring theme of Holmes' cocaine addiction which is referenced several times throughout the series. The plant used for cocaine originated in South America, a psrt of the world mostly foreign to the Victorians, and arrived in Europe mid-century, soon becoming popular all over the Empire. Cocaine was widely used for medicinal purposes such as to cure morphine addiction and for eye surgery, of which Arthur Conan Doyle was familair since he was a physican himself, but soon became looked down upon due to its side effects and the fact that it was from a foreign nation which the Victorians gave reason for it having the side effects as well. In the story, Holmes uses the cocaine to stimulate his mind and nervous system as he thrists for worthy intellectual problems as there is few to none on a regular basis, despite the damaging side effects involved. Conan Doyle seems to examine both sides of the cocaine debate at the beginning of the story.

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Plot Summary

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEADChapter One

The novel opens with Dr. John Watson watching as Sherlock Holmes injects himself with a seven percent solution of cocaine. Watson chides him for this practice, warning him about the detrimental physical and mental side-effects. Holmes explains that only uses cocaine when he does not have a case, as he finds everyday life boring and cocaine gives him the mental stimulation he needs. He and Watson eventually get into a debate over how Holmes makes his deductions, leading Watson to give him a challenge. He hands Holmes his pocket watch and asks him to deduce details about its previous owner. Holmes deduces that it belonged to Watson’s oldest brother, who eventually succumbed to alcoholism. Watson is insulted, as he assumes that Holmes must have looked up information about his family. Holmes apologizes, explaining that he had forgotten that Watson would have a personal connection and promising that he simply deduced it from the watch. Mrs. Hudson enters, announcing the arrival of a woman seeking Holmes’s services, Mary Morstan.

Chapter Two

As Mary Morstan explains her case to Holmes and Watson, Watson finds himself infatuated with her. She explains that after her mother died, her father, a soldier in India, sent her to a boarding school in England. He did not return to England until she was seventeen, but when she traveled to London to see him, he had disappeared without a trace. He had only one friend in England, a Major Sholto, but when asked he said that he was not even aware that Morstan had returned to England. Five years later, she saw an ad asking for her address. She published it in the paper, and was soon sent a large pearl. Every year for the next five years she received an identical pearl on the same day. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she received a note that read, "Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to-night at seven o’clock. If you are distrustful bring two friends. You are a wronged woman and shall have justice. Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain. Your unknown friend" (Doyle 28). Holmes and Watson agree to accompany Mary to the meeting that night, and she departs. Holmes leaves to investigate before the meeting, leaving Watson thinking about Mary.

Chapter Three

Holmes returns and explains to Watson that Mary Morstan started receiving the pearls a week after her father’s friend, Major Sholto’s, death. He explains that this whole matter must have something to do with Major Sholto’s heirs. Mary arrives, and Holmes and Watson join her in her carriage. She gives Holmes a piece of paper found among her father’s belongings. It appears to be the layout of a building along with “3.37 from left” written in the corner. It is signed, “The sign of the four – Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar” (Doyle 38). Holmes can derive no meaning from the paper, but says that it may be of great importance. At the Lyceum Theatre, they are immediately greeted by a coachman who quickly ushers them into a four-wheeler. They drive out for so long that Watson eventually loses track of where they are, though Holmes is able to name every street they pass. They eventually pull up to a house, where the door is answered by an Indian servant. As he explains that his master, who he calls “sahib,” is waiting for them, they here a voice from within telling him to lead Holmes, Watson, and Mary straight in to see him.

Chapter Four

Holmes, Watson, and Mary are led to a room that is completely decorated in extravagant Oriental decor. They are greeted by a man who introduces himself as Thaddeus Sholto, the son of Major Sholto. Sholto proceeds to talk about various subject, requiring much prodding to finally get to the point of his invitation. Eventually, as he smokes from a hookah, he explains that he, his twin brother Bartholomew, and his father used to discuss Arthur Morstan’s disappearance quite freely, and that he and his brother never suspected that their father had anything to do with it. He also mentions that his father had always had a dislike for men with wooden legs, though he never understood why. However, in 1882, his father received a letter that caused him to sicken to his death, though he never allowed either of his sons to see it. Their father’s health decreased rapidly, and he eventually called them into his room to share a final message. He admitted that he had been involved in the death of Arthur Morstan. He explained that during their time in India together, they had agreed to split the Agra treasure. However, they had a disagreement over it, and Sholto never saw him again until he returned to England. He explains that Morstan came to the house, where they fought. Morstan had a heart problem, and the fight caused him to have a heart attack, and he fell, slamming his head on the treasure chest in the process. Sholto, afraid that everyone would believe that he had murdered Morstan, chose to hide the body. He told his sons that, since that incident, he has felt terribly guilty about cheating Morstan’s daughter out of the part of the fortune that was rightly hers, but could not bring himself to part with the treasure. He made his sons promise to send her her part of it after his death, and just as he was about to share the treasure’s location, he was suddenly struck silent. Thaddeus turned to see the face of a bearded man in the window, who immediately ran off. When the brothers returned to their father the following morning, they found that there was a note on his chest that read simply, “The sign of the four.” Their father dead, the two brothers spent the next five years searching for the treasure. Thaddeus’s brother, Bartholomew, was not very willing to share with Mary, but Thaddeus convinced him to let him send her a pearl every year. However, Bartholomew has finally found the treasure, which prompted Thaddeus to ask Mary for a meeting. Bartholomew had measured every inch of both the inside and the outside of the house, and found that there was four feet unaccounted for. He found that there was a secret garrett between the ceiling and the roof in which the treasure chest. The story fully explained, the four travel to the Sholto estate, Pondicherry Lodge, to meet with Bartholomew.

Chapter Five

Holmes, Watson, Mary, and Thaddeus knock on the door to Pondicherry Lodge, but Bartholomew’s guard, McMurdo, refuses to let them in, as he was not told that Thaddeus would be bringing guests. However, Holmes recognizes McMurdo from a fight they had, and McMurdo immediately lets them in. Although Bartholomew was expecting them, there is no light coming from his rooms, and McMurdo informs them that he has not left his rooms all day. Thaddeus decides to talk to the housekeeper, but when they hear her crying, he runs up to talk to her alone. He soon returns, obviously frightened, stating that she is concerned because not only has Bartholomew has not come out of his rooms all day, but he also has not given any orders. Upon looking through the doorknob, Watson is frightened to see Bartholomew’s face staring back at him in an unsettling smirk. He and Holmes break down the door, only to find that Bartholomew is dead. On him lies a piece of paper that reads, “The sign of the four,” and there is a poison thorn in his neck. Thaddeus also notices that the treasure has been stolen. He explains that he left Bartholomew the night before, and worries that the police will think that he murdered him. Holmes tells him not to worry and tells him to go tell the police.

Chapter Six

While Thaddeus goes to the police, Holmes and Watson look around Bartholomew’s room. They find the imprint of a wooden leg on the windowsill, and establish that the man could not have gotten over the outdoor wall without an ally. Additionally, Holmes deduces that they must have come in through the hole in the ceiling, and when they climb up into the garret, they find a trap door in the roof. They also see the footprints of the wooden legged man’s partner, though Watson is appalled to see that they are half the size of an ordinary man’s, and assumes that it is the work of a child. Holmes tells him that this is not so, though he does not give the true explanation. They climb back down into the room and determine that the poison in the thorn is foreign. Just then, Thaddeus returns with a detective, Athelney Jones. He and Holmes soon clash over theories as to the murder, and Jones arrests Thaddeus despite Holmes’s evidence to the contrary. Holmes tells Watson to take Mary Morstan home and, afterward, to go pick up a dog named Toby. Meanwhile, Holmes attempts to get information from the Indian servant.

Chapter Seven

Watson drops Mary off at home, and frets over the fact that once she inherits her part of the treasure, she will never be interested in a poor doctor like himself. He then goes to the address Watson gave him to pick up the dog, but the man refuses to give it to him until Watson mentions Holmes’s name. Watson takes Toby back to Pondicherry Lodge, where he discovers that McMurdo has also been arrested as an accessory. While Holmes tries to trace the route of the murderers on the roof, Watson waits on the ground with Toby. When Holmes comes down to them, he has a cigarette case full of the same types of thorns that killed Bartholomew. The case is covered in creosote, and Holmes assumes that the killers must have stepped in it as well. Holmes allows Toby to sniff the case, and he begins to lead them eastward. As Toby leads them through London, Holmes shares his theory on the case. He believes that Sholto and Morstan had heard about the treasure and that the map that was found in Morstan’s possessions was drawn for them by a convict, Jonathan Small. He and the other three members in “the sign of the four” entered an agreement with Morstan and Sholto to split the treasure, however, Sholto stole it and returned to England before anything could be done. Meanwhile, Small and his associates were locked up. The letter Sholto received in 1882 was a letter telling him that Small had escaped. He made a contact within the Sholto household, and when the treasure was found, he immediately came to retrieve it. However, his associate killed Bartholomew against his will, greatly altering matters. Holmes breaks off his narrative here, as he believes that Toby is very close to leading them to the criminal’s lair. However, Toby leads them proudly to a barrel full of creosote, causing Holmes and Watson to burst out laughing.

Chapter 8

Holmes brings Toby back to the place where he followed the wrong scent, and gets him to follow the right one. He brings them to a small wharf on the Thames. Holmes realizes that the two men have taken a boat and decides to talk to the boat’s owner. He talks to the owner’s wife instead, who informs him that her husband left on the steam launch yesterday morning and has not returned. She informs them that the man who hired him had a wooden leg. When Watson asks what they’re going to do next, Holmes tells him that they are going home to get some sleep. On the way back, Holmes stops at the post office to send a telegraph to the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of street kids who gather information for him. As they’re eating breakfast back at Baker Street, Watson reads in the paper that Jones has also arrested the housekeeper and the Indian servant. Just then, the Baker Street Irregulars arrive, and Holmes gives them the description of the boat that the killers are on. After they leave, Holmes finally explains who Jonathan Small’s associate is – a native of the Andaman Islands, whose average height is under four feet. Watson then goes to sleep, thinking of Mary Morstan.

Chapter 9

When Watson wakes up, Holmes informs him that the Irregulars have not seen the boat and that there’s nothing else they can do for the time being. Watson goes to visit Mary Morstan, though he does not give her any details of the murder. When Watson returns home, he finds that Holmes is gone. He asks Mrs. Hudson if he has gone out, but she explains that he is in his room and that he has been agitated all afternoon. Watson tells her not to worry, as he is just consumed by the face. The next morning, however, Holmes does not look well, and tells Watson that he could not sleep. For the rest of the day they still don’t hear any news about the boat, and Holmes once again stays up all night, this time doing chemical analysis. The following morning Holmes informs Watson that he is going down the river, but that Watson must stay behind as his representative in case news of the boat comes in. After he leaves, Watson reads in the paper that both Thaddeus Sholto and the housekeeper have been released. In addition, Holmes has placed an ad in the paper asking for the whereabouts of the missing boat owner. Watson spends the rest of the day thinking about the case until Athelney Jones shows up. He explains that Holmes sent him a telegram telling him to come to Baker Street, as he is close to finding the killers. An old man suddenly shows up, claiming to have information, but he refuses to tell Watson. He and Jones are able to make him sit down, however, and when they turn back to him, they discover that it was Holmes in disguise. Holmes tells Jones that they need to rent a steam launch.

Chapter Ten

Holmes, Watson, and Jones head out to the launch. As they travel down the Thames, Holmes tells Watson that he figured out that Small would realize that his associate would draw attention, meaning that they could only move around at night. Therefore, they could only travel at night, meaning that Small had no choice but to keep the launch and its owner with him. In order to hide the launch, he gave it to a repairman, who put it in his shed. When Holmes finally found the boat, he found the boat’s owner with it who, being very drunk, proclaimed that two men needed to use the boat at eight o’clock. As they pass the shipyard, Holmes sees one of his Irregulars, whom he stationed as a lookout, giving the signal that Small is leaving. They soon spot the other launch and give chase. As they catch up to the boat, they spot the Small’s associate, and Holmes and Watson both take out their guns. When they see the associate raise a round piece of wood to his lips, they both shoot, killing him instantly. At that moment, Small runs his launch into the bank and attempts to escape on foot. However, he gets stuck in the deep mud, and they are able to catch him. On the deck of the other launch they find the treasure chest.

Chapter Eleven

Holmes talks to Small in the cabin of the police launch. Small briefly explains that the death of Bartholomew Sholto was indeed an accident, as he had no ill-will towards Major Sholto’s son. He also claims that he also has a right to the treasure and says that he threw the key to chest into the Thames. Jones enters and tells them that he will take Small back to Baker Street while Watson brings the chest to Mary Morstan. Watson does so, and opens it in her presence with a fire poker. When they open it, however, they are shocked to discover that it is empty. Watson admits to Mary that he is glad that she is not rich, as it means that he can marry her. He tells her that he loves her, and she returns his feelings.

Chapter Twelve

Back at Baker Street, Watson shows the empty chest to Holmes and Jones, and Small explains that he emptied the entire treasure into the Thames. He explains that if he could not have the treasure, than neither would anyone else, and says that no one else who is living has any claim to it. Holmes convinces Small to tell his story. He explains that he was originally sent to India as a soldier, but that after losing his leg to a crocodile he was forced to become a slave overseer. When the Indian mutiny broke out, Small’s employer was killed, and he fled to the city of Agra. There he joined a volunteer corps and was given command of two Sikh troops, Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan. The three of them had a shift at the central guardhouse and got along well until, one night, Khan and Singh attacked Small. They explained that a rajah from the northern provinces had attempted to save his fortune by giving it to a merchant, Achmet, to travel with. He was coming to Agra and a friend of Khan’s, Dost Akbar, had promised him hiding in the fort. When he got there, they planned to kill him and divide the riches among themselves. They told Small that he must either help with their plan and get a share of the treasure, or be killed. Small agreed to join them, and stood by and watched as Achmet was killed. Unable to divide the treasure immediately, they hid it behind some bricks in the wall of the fort, and Small drew up four maps and signed them, “the sign of the four.” However, the rajah had sent another servant to follow Achmet that night, and his murder was soon brought to the attention of the authorities. The four were all found guilty and sentenced to penal servitude for life. Eventually, Small was transferred to a convict settlement run by Morstan and Sholto. Overhearing one night that Sholto was in great debt due to gambling, Small approached him and told him the story of the treasure. He met with Sholto and Morstan later that night and told them that if they helped him and the other members of the four escape, they would get a fifth share in the treasure. They plotted a plan that involved Sholto traveling to Agra to find the treasure, then Morstan going out to meet him so that the division could be made. However, once Sholto found the treasure, he stole it and returned to England. Small eventually met his associate, Tonga, when he was found dying of fever in the woods. After Small saved his life, Tonga was devoted to him, and Small used him to help him escape. It took years for them to get back to England, but when he finally did, he never had a chance of getting at Sholto, as he was always under guard. Then, when Sholto died, he went to the house to get the treasure, but could not find it in time. However, Small’s source in the house (who he refuses to name) informed him when the treasure had been found. However, Tonga got into Bartholomew’s room before he did, and he was appalled to find that Tonga had killed him. He had paid off the launch owner to help them escape, though the owner had no knowledge of what they were involved in. Back at Baker Street, Watson informs Holmes that he and Mary Morstan are engaged. Holmes does not congratulate him, explaining that he cannot allow the distraction of feelings such as love to bias his brain. Watson comments that it seems unfair that Jones gets the credit and he gets a wife and asks what Holmes gets out of it. Holmes replies that he gets the cocaine syringe.

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Characters

Sherlock Holmes- Genius detective, constantly preoccupied with mental stimulation. When he has no case to investigate he injects himself with cocaine because he can’t stand being bored. When he is on the case in The Sign of Four, as a means for further distraction when he is waiting for news on the case he distracts himself with chemistry experiments. Holmes is generally only interested in the facts of a case and is constantly telling Watson that one needs to look at every case in an objective way. Has severe mood swings from manic happiness and inspiration to depression, partly caused by his drug usage. An intimidating man in his mental and intuitive capabilities.

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“You are an automaton---a calculation machine,” I cried. “There is something positively inhuman in you at times” (31) --Watson to Holmes

“Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner” --Holmes (6)

John Watson- Narrator of the story. Friend, roommate, and essential side-kick of Holmes. Was a surgeon in the army and self-professed “medical man” (50). Has a bullet wound in his leg from his time in the army that occasionally flares up. Serves as a more empathetic and human counter-part to Holmes. Where Holmes sees facts and clues, Watson sees the potential emotional implications for those involved in the situation/case, especially, in this book, for Ms. Morstan. Watson is portrayed as more idealistic and romantic than Holmes. He is intelligent yet always bested by Holmes.

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“My mind ran upon our late visitor---her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life” (32). --An example of Watson’s romantic constitution and his ability to idealize Ms. Morstan just after meeting her.

Ms. Mary Morstan- Brings the case of her missing father to Holmes because she has been receiving pearls from an unidentified source but in the year of the case she has received a mysterious note instead of the usual pearl. Love interest and eventual fiancé of Watson. She is idealized by Watson and described as putting up a strong front but of really needing protection. She is disinterested in the potential fortune she could receive and when they find the treasure chest empty, she says that she is happy because it means she can then be with Watson. Governess for Mrs. Cecil Forrester. 27 years old.

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“She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means” (21).

Captain Arthur Morstan- Ms. Morstan’s father. Was a senior captain in his regiment and disappeared on December 3, 1878 in London when he was on a 12-month leave to visit his daughter. He had been an officer in Hope Town on Blair Island when Jonathan Small is sent there to serve his time for the murder of Achmet. One of the original collaborators Small tells about the hidden fortune in order to get his freedom. Described by Small as a better man than Sholto. Along with the “Four” he is cheated of the treasure by Major Sholto. When he returns to England he confronts Sholto for his share of the treasure. The two come to heated words and his bad heart gives out, causing him to fall, crack his skull open and die.

Major Sholto- Officer on Blair Island along with Captain Morstan. Of the officers that gamble together, Sholto is the hardest hit. Because of this Small approaches him about the treasure, knowing that his greed would most likely corrupt his judgment and make it more likely that he would make a deal with Small for his freedom in exchange for a portion of the treasure. Sholto is trusted to go retrieve the treasure but does not hold up his end of the deal and takes the entire treasure for himself, cheating Morstan out of his portion and Small out of both his money and his freedom. When Morstan confronts him later in London there is a disagreement and Morstan suffers a heart-attack, falls, hits his head and dies. Sholto hides the body so that he will not be charged with murder and keeps the entire treasure for himself, not even providing for Morstan’s now orphaned daughter. For the rest of his life Sholto is plagued by guilt and fear of Wooden-legged men. He falls ill partially from an enlarged spleen and partially from fear after he is told that Small has escaped. He dies right before he is able to tell his sons where he has hidden the treasure from the shock of seeing Small’s face at his window.

“’The villain Sholto went off to India, but he never came back again” (270).--Small

Mr. Thaddeus Sholto- Major Sholto’s son, sends Ms. Morstan the curious letter concerning her father. Disappointed in his own father’s actions concerning the treasure and his abandonment of Major Morstan’s orphaned daughter, sends her pearls annually to try and rectify this. Thaddeus implies that his brother was must less willing to part with the treasure and share the information of her father’s death with Ms. Morstan. He is an unsettling man who is in poor health and is constantly twitchy and nervous. He is arrested as a suspect at the discovery of his brother’s death because it was known that they had visited and fought together the night before his death but is later released.

“He writhed his hands together as he stood, and his features were in a perpetual jerk---now smiling, now scowling, but never for an instant in repose. Nature had given him a pendulous lip, and a too visible line of yellow and irregular teeth, which he strove feebly to conceal by constantly passing his hand over the lower part of his face” (46).

Bartholomew Sholto- Major Sholto’s son, Thaddeus Sholto’s twin brother. Thaddeus implies that his brother Bartholomew was less keen than himself in sharing wealth and information with Ms. Morstan or anyone else. Killed by a poison dart shot by Tonga.

“It seemed to me that not only his features, but all his limbs, were twisted and turned in the most fantastic fashion” (85). --Watson’s initial observation on the appearance of Bartholomew Sholto’s corpse.

McMurdo- Bartholomew Sholto’s strict doorman that doesn’t let Thaddeus’ guests into the house until Holmes reveals himself. Arrested with other members of the household for the murder of Bartholomew only to be later released.

Mrs. Cecil Forrester- Ms. Morstan’s employer. Holmes helped her once with "a little domestic complication” (22).

Jonathan Small- One of the group marked by the “sign of four”. Has a wooden leg due to a run in with a crocodile. At Agra, during the time of the Indian mutiny, he is put in command of two Punjabis, Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan, and they work as guards to Agra. He is convinced by Singh and Khan to attack Achmet for the treasure. Small is the only one of the original four that ever obtains freedom after their imprisonment for their murder. Small seeks the treasure and thinks that only him and the other three are entitled to it. When he is about to be captured by Holmes on the river, he dumps the treasure so that no one else can have it.

“He was a sun-burned, reckless-eyed fellow, with a network of lines and wrinkles all over his mahogany features, which told of a hard, open-air life. There was a singular prominence about his bearded chin which marked a man who was not to be easily turned from his purpose” (207).

Mahomet Singh- One of the group marked by the “sign of four”. Punjabi Sikh who is on guard-duty with Small at the time of mutiny. One of the originators of the plan to steal the treasure. Sentenced to life in prison.

Abdullah Khan- One of the group marked by the “sign of four”. Punjabi Sihk who is on guard-duty with Small at the time of mutiny. One of the originators of the plan to steal the treasure. Sentenced to life in prison.

“Listen to me, Sahib,’ said the taller and fiercer of the pair, the one whom they called Abdullah Khan…” (239).

Dost Akbar- One of the group marked by the “sign of four”. Traveling companion to Achmet, foster brother to Abdullah Khan. Devises the original plan to get the treasure. Small often marvels at his large size in describing him.  He is a Sikh like Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan.  Sihks were, and to some extent still are, stereotyped as being highly violent which is probably the reason Doyle makes them the original creators of the violent plot to gain the treasure.

 Source: Wikimedia commons“The first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund. Outside of a show I have never seen so tall a man” (248).

Achmet- Servant of the rajah who is entrusted with the treasure for safe keeping until the mutiny is over. Disguises himself as a merchant to deliver the treasure to Agra but is ambushed by the Four and murdered.

“The other was a little fat, round fellow, with a great yellow turban and a bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl. He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear…” (248). --Small

Athelney Jones- Police sergeant publicly in charge of Bartholomew Sholto’s murder but who is clearly inferior to Holmes in deduction even though he takes every chance he can to try and discredit Holmes as merely lucky. Even his physical description makes him out to be the type of person who uses a loud voice rather than reliable argument to get a point across.

“He was a red-faced, burly, and plethoric, with a pair of very small twinkling eyes which looked keenly out from between swollen and puffy pouches” (100).

Toby- Bloodhound that Holmes regularly uses to hunt down suspects in his cases.

Mr. Sherman- Dog keeper

Wiggins- Leader of the Baker St. Irregulars who help Holmes to patrol for Smith’s boat

"That wire was to my dirty little lieutenant, Wiggins, and I expect that he and his gang will be with us before we have finished our breakfast"(148). --Holmes

Mordecai Smith- Boat keeper who rents and drives boat for Small. He is paid well and told little by Small so that he stays quiet and will not be able to be held accountable for his accompanying role in the robbery/getaway.

Mrs. Smith- Mordecai’s wife who tells Holmes about her husband’s absence that is longer than normal. From this information Holmes is able to connect Smith’s ship to Small.

Jim Smith- Smith’s oldest son who is on the boat when Holmes and the police chase them down.

Dr. Somerton- Surgeon on Blair Island from whom Small learns some basic medicine.

Abel White- Indigo planter who hires Smith as an overseer of his “coolies” before the start of the mutiny.

Dawson- Book-keeper for Abel White. He and his wife become victims of the mutiny and are “cut to ribbons”. Small sees them in a ditch and knows not to return to the plantation and make his way to Agra.

Tonga- “a little Andaman Islander” (271) who is devoted to Small after Small nurses him back to health in Hope Town. Helps Small escape, break into Sholto’s house to obtain the treasure, and shoots Bartholomew Sholto with a poison dart to the displeasure of Small. Tonga is often depicted in animalistic terms and clearly shows the inherent racist view of Europeans at the time. When Small is back in London, searching for news of the treasure, he even uses Tonga to earn a living through exhibiting him “at fairs and other such places” (276)

“It straightened itself into a little black man the smallest I had ever seen with a great, misshapen head and shock of tangled, disheveled hair. Holmes had already drawn his revolver, and I whipped out mine at the sight of this savage, distorted creature…Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty” (202).

Lal Chowdar- Major Sholto’s khitmutgar. Hears the noise of Cpt. Morstan falling and hitting his head, assumes Major Sholto has killed him, and suggests hiding the body.

John Holder- Small’s company Sergeant who saves Small from drowning when his leg is bitten off by a crocodile.

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The Publication of The Sign of Four

             first appeared in the February 1890 edition of as , originally selling for a The Sign of Four Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine The Sign of the Fourshilling in England and twenty-five cents in the United States. Today, surviving copies are worth thousands of dollars. This is due to the fact that The

was published simultaneously with Oscar Wilde’s novel . The two were both commissioned to write for the Sign of Four The Picture of Dorian Graymagazine by one of its agents, J.M. Stoddart, at a dinner that they attended.

The novel was first published in book form in October 1890 by Spencer Blackett, this time as . Like the first Holmes novel, The Sign of Four A Study in , it was not particularly successful, and the Holmes stories would not become wildly popular until the first short story, “A Scandal in Bohemia,” Scarlet

was published in in July of 1891.The Strand

Source: Sherlock Holmes Crime Scene Sketches

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The Legacy of Sherlock Holmes

In 1891 Conan Doyle wrote to his mother, “Sherlock Holmes seems to have caught on,” making one of the great understatements in literary history. In the almost 125 years since his first appearance in , Sherlock Holmes’s influence has not faded. From the beginning, Sherlock Holmes A Study in Scarlethas been a beloved part of popular culture, and his influence can be felt all around the world.

After Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Final Problem,” twenty thousand people cancelled their subscription to The . When Conan Doyle brought him back in , the magazine’s circulation rose by thirty thousand over night.Strand The Hound of the Baskervilles

Source: The Chronicles of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

According to Guinness World Records, he is the most-portrayed movie character, having been portrayed by seventy-five actors in 211 films. Source: Crime Circle

Numerous other characters in both literature and television were inspired by him, most notably Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe, and ’s Dr. Gregory House.House

There have been hundreds of adaptations for film, television, theater, literature, graphic novels, and games. Most recently, the Conan Doyle estate commissioned writer Anthony Horowitz to write a new, authorized Sherlock Holmes novel.

Source: Anthony Horowitz News Centre

There are multiple museums dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. London has two notable museums.  The has an exhibition of Holmes’Sherlock Holmes Pubs apartment that was originally put together for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The , meanwhile, is located at 221b Baker Sherlock Holmes MuseumStreet. There is also a in Switzerland which also has a recreation of Holmes’s apartment, along with numerous Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes Museumheirlooms.

There are Sherlock Holmes statues in London, Edinburgh, Crowborough, Sussex, Meringen, Switzerland, and Moscow. Source: Sherlock Holmes

In Meringen, where Holmes famously defeated Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, there is a museum devoted to Sherlock Holmes, a statue, and a plaque written in English, German, and French. The plaque reads, “At this fearful place, Sherlock Holmes vanquished Professor Moriarty, on 4 May 1891.”

Source (Photo): Wikimedia Commons

In 2002 the Royal Society of Chemistry presented Sherlock Holmes with an honorary fellowship for his use of forensic psychology.

Source: BBC News

In 2011, bank robbers in Russia used the same tactics as the robbers in the Holmes story “The Adventure of the Red-Headed League.”

Source: Daily Mail

There are numerous Sherlock Holmes societies worldwide, though the two most well-known are the and New York’s Sherlock Holmes Society of London Baker Street

, both formed in 1934.Irregulars

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Resources and Links

The Sign of Four on Google Books

Conan Doyle, Arthur. . London: Spencer Blackett, 1890. . Web. 15 Apr. 2011.The Sign of Four Google BooksThe Foreign and the Female in Arthur Conan Doyle: Beneath the Candy Coating

Favor, Lesli J. "The Foreign and the Female in Arthur Conan Doyle: Beneath the Candy Coating." 43.4 (2000): 398-409. English Literature in TransitionA Web. 1 Apr. 2011.cademic Search Elite.

Dreaming the Medusa: Imperialism, Primitivism, and Sexuality in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Sign of Four'

Frank, Lawrence. "Dreaming the Medusa: Imperialism, Primitivism, and Sexuality in Arthur Conan Doyle's ‘The Sign of Four.’" 22.1 (1996): 52-85. Signs. Web. 1 Apr. 2011.JSTOR

Writing the Urban Jungle: Reading Empire in London from Doyle to EliotMcLaughlin, Joseph. . Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 2000. . Writing the Urban Jungle: Reading Empire in London from Doyle to Eliot Google BooksWeb. 9 Apr. 2011.

Ritual and the Liminality of Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles

Oak Taylor-Ide, Jesse. "Ritual and the Liminality of Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles." English Literature in 48.1 (2005): 55-70. . Web. 1 Apr. 2011.Transition Literature Online

Additional Materials

Film/Television:

Sherlock Holmes Solves The Sign of Four (1913)

 (USA) Directed by Lloyd Lonergan

 Starring: Henry Benham, Charles Gunn, and Mignon Anderson

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272844/

The Sign of Four (1923)

 (UK) Directed by Maurice Elvey

 Starring: Eille Norwood, Isobel Elsom, and Fred Raynham

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014468/

 

The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (1932)

(UK) Directed by Graham Cutts

Staring: Arthur Wontner, Isla Bevan, and Ian Hunter

http://www.hulu.com/watch/103268/the-sign-of-four

"Sherlock Holmes" TV series: The Sign of the Four (1968)

 (UK) Directed by William Sterling

 Starring: Peter Cushing, Nigel Stock, and Ann Bell

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093971/

"Das Zeichen der Vier" TV Movie (1974)

 (France/West Germany) Directed by Jean-Pierre Decourt

 Starring: Rolf Becker, Gila Von Weltershausen, and Hans Elwenspoek

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284679/

"Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four" Animated Movie (1983)

 (Australia) Directed by Ian Mackenzie and Alex Nicholas

 Starring: Peter O' Toole, Ron Haddrick, and Earle Crosshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxPhzYoDztw

 Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sokrovishcha Agry (1983)

(Soviet Union) Directed by Igor Maslennikov

Staring: Vasili Livanov, Vitali Solomin, and Rina Zelyonaya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13VMwKZOUNQ

"The Sign of Four" TV Movie (1983)

(UK) Directed by Desmond Davis

Starring Ian Richardson, David Healy, and Thorley Walters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgpLr5U0Cho

Granada Television's "The Sign of Four" (Feature Length Episode) (1987)

(UK) Directed by Peter Hammond

Starring Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, and Robin Hunter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK5r68RpYmw&feature=related

Hallmark Entertainment's The Sign of Four (2001)

(Canada) Directed by Rodney Gibbons

Starring: Matt Frewer, Kenneth Welsh, and Sophie Lorain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crV10tOMSA0&feature=player_embedded

 

Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century TV Show "The Sign of Four" (1999)

(US) Directed by Robert Brousseau

Starring: Jason Gray-Stanford, John Payne, and Akiko Morison

http://vbox7.com/play:5cd4299b

Radio:

Image from www.thebookdepository.com

Copyright BBC Radio 2002.

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