The Sign of Four

  

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer, who created the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887, he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and more than fifty short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. Doyle was a prolific writer; other than Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels. One of Doyle’s early short stories, ‘J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement’, helped to popularise the mystery of the Mary Celeste.

   The Sign of Four is the second novel of Arthur Conan Doyle in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the mystery of the hidden treasure and murder.

Characters:

Sherlock Holmes: He is the story’s protagonist. He is the famous detective. He has a supremeor almost superhuman intelligence that allows him to solve the difficult cases.

Mary Morstan: A young woman who needs Holmes’ help. Miss Morstan comes to SherlockHolmes to see if he can help her find out what happened to her father, Captain Morstan, whodisappeared a few years previously.

Thaddeus Sholto: Thaddeus Sholto is one of Major Sholto’s sons. He is the brother ofBartholomew Sholto. He is an unusual character. Thaddeus is the one who decides to contactMiss Morstan and asks her to meet him.

Toby: Trained Dog

Dr.John Watson: He is the narrator of the story and Sherlock Holmes’ loyal assistant. He is adoctor by profession.

Tonga: He is a native of the Andaman Islands who was helped by Jonathan Small whensuffering from ill health. So, he is loyal to Small. (Criminal)

Jonathan Small: He is the wooden-legged man who seeks revenge on Major Sholto for thetheft of the Agra treasure. He is one of “the four” original men who acquired the treasure. A wooden legged man, criminal

Captain Morstan: Captain Morstan was an officer in the British army who served in India. He is Mary Morstan’s father, and his unexplained disappearance is the catalyst for the novella’s plot. He was a friend of Major Sholto.

Major Sholto: He is the father of Bartholomew and Thaddeus Sholto. He was a friend ofCaptain Morstan, with whom he served in India.

Abdullah Khan: He is an Indian man and one of the signatories of “the sign of the four” and theman who told Jonathan Small about the Agra treasure.

Dost Akbar: He is an Indian man and one of the signatories of “the sign of the four.” He luresthe merchant—the man who is carrying the Agra treasure—into the trap set by the other men.

Mahomet Singh: He is an Indian man and one of the signatories of “the sign of the four.” He colluded with Jonathan Small, Abdullah Khan and Dost Akbar to seize the Agra treasure.

Plot of the novel -

The novel has a complex plot involving service in India, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a stolen treasure, and a secret pact among four convicts (‘the Four’ of the title) and two corrupt prison guards.According to Mary, in December 1878, her father had telegraphed her upon his safe return from India and requested her to meet him at the Langham Hotel in London. When Mary arrived at the hotel, she was told that her father had gone out the previous night and not returned. Despite all efforts, no trace was ever found of him. Mary contacted her father’s only friend, Major John Sholto who was in the same regiment lived in England. But he denied knowing her father had returned. The second puzzle is that she has received six pearls in the mail from an anonymous benefactor, one per year since 1882 after answering an anonymous newspaper query inquiring for her. With the last pearl she received a letter remarking that she has been wronged and asking for a meeting. Holmes takes the case and soon discovers that Major Sholto had died in 1882 and that within a short span of time Mary began to receive the pearls, implying a connection. The only clue Mary can give Holmes is a map of a fortress found in her father’s desk with the names of Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah KhanandDostAkbar.

Holmes, Watson, and Mary meet Thaddeus Sholto, the son of the late Major Sholto and the anonymous sender of the pearls. Thaddeus confirms the Major had seen Mary’s father the night he died; they had arranged a meeting to divide a priceless treasure Sholto had brought home from India. While quarrelling over the treasure, Captain Morstan—long in weak health—suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to bring attention to the object of the quarrel—and also worried that circumstances would suggest that he had killed Morstan in an argument, particularly since Morstan’s head struck the corner of the chest as he fell—Sholto disposed of the body and hid the treasure. However, he himself suffered from poor health and an enlarged spleen (possibly due to malaria, as a quinine bottle stands by his bed). His own health became worse when he received a letter from India in early 1882. Dying, he called his two sons and confessed to Morstan’s death and was about to divulge the location of the treasure when he suddenly cried, “Keep him out!” before falling back and dying. The puzzled sons glimpsed a face in the window, but the only trace was a single footstep in the dirt. On their father’s body is a note reading “The Sign of the Four”. Both brothers quarrelled over whether a legacy should be left to Mary Morstan, and Thaddeus left his brother Bartholomew, taking a chaplet and sending its pearls to Mary. The reason he sent the letter is that Bartholomew has found the treasure and possibly Thaddeus and Mary might confront him for a division of it.Bartholomew is found dead in his home from a poison dart and the treasure is missing. While the police wrongly take Thaddeus in as a suspect, Holmes deduces that there are two persons involved in the murder: a one-legged man, Jonathan Small, as well as another “small” accomplice. He traces them to a boat landing where Small has hired a steam launch named the Aurora. With the help of dog Toby that he sends Watson to collect from Mr. Sherman, the Baker Street Irregulars and his own disguise, Holmes traces the steam launch. In a police steam launch Holmes and Watson chase the Aurora and capture it, but in the process end up killing the “small” companion after he attempts to kill Holmes with a poisoned dart shot from a blow-pipe. Small tries to escape but is captured. However, the iron treasure box is empty; Small claims to have dumped the treasure over the side during the chase.Small confesses that years before he was a soldier of the Third Buffs in India and lost his right leg in a swimming accident to a crocodile. After some time, when he was an overseer on a tea plantation, the Indian Rebellion of 1857 occurred and he was forced to flee for his life to the Agra fortress. While standing guard one night he was overpowered by two Sikh troopers, who gave him a choice of being killed or being an accomplice to waylaying a disguised servant of a Rajah who sent the servant with a valuable fortune in pearls and jewels to the British for safekeeping. The robbery and murder took place and the crime was discovered, although the jewels were not. Small got penal servitude on the Andaman Islands and, after 20 years, he overheard that John Sholto had lost much money gambling and cannot even sell his commission; therefore, he will have to resign. Small saw his chance and made a deal with Sholto and Arthur Morstan: Sholto would recover the treasure and in return send a boat to pick up Small and the Sikhs. Sholto double-crossed both Morstan and Small and stole the treasure for himself-after inheriting a fortune from his uncle. Small vowed vengeance and four years later escaped the Andaman Islands with an islander named Tonga after they both killed a prison guard. It was the news of his escape that shockedSholto into his fatal illness. Small arrived too late to hear of the treasure’s location, but left the note which referred to the name of the pact between himself and his three Sikh accomplices. When Bartholomew found the treasure, Small planned to only steal it, but claims a miscommunication led Tonga to kill Bartholomew as well. Small claims the Agra treasure brought nothing but bad luck to anyone who came in touch with it—the servant who was murdered; Sholto living with fear and guilt; and now he himself is trapped in slavery for life—half his life building a breakwater in the Andaman Islands and the rest of his life digging drains in Dartmoor Prison.Mary Morstan is left without the bulk of the Agra treasure, although she will apparently receive the rest of the chaplet. John Watson falls in love with Mary and it is revealed at the end that he proposed to her and she has accepted.

Theme of the novel :

The theme of the novel revolves around the Agra treasure. Throughout the story, the appearance of the treasure leads to a direct and often tragic change in the lives of the characters. Because of this, it is important that the removal of the treasure would cause the characters to return to their previous position. In the case of Small, a convict, the re-emergence of the treasure leads him down a path that ends in murder; with the removal of the treasure, he is a prisoner once again. Mary Morstan is a charming young woman whom Watson contemplates marrying. With the prospect of Mary becoming an heiress, however, this possibility is removed. When it is discovered that the Agra treasure is gone, Mary returns to a position in which Watson can comfortably propose marriage. The shallowness of wealth and the destruction that can come through it is also seen prevailing throughout the novel. As the Agra treasure directly and adversely affects almost everyone. In the course of the story, the Sheik’s emissary and Bartholomew are both murdered for the treasure, Tonga is killed while fleeing with it, and Small is sentenced to life imprisonment. Additionally, both Thaddeus and his father spent their lives constantly paranoid about wooden legged men, and about strangers in general. The Agra treasure even provides a “romantic conflict” for Dr. Watson, who feels that he cannot marry Miss Morstan for fear that he will appear to be after her money.

             

🟣 Arrange the following  incidents in correct sequence as per their occurence in the extract from the novel ' The Sign of Four' ( Hsc sept 2021) 

A) Miss Morstan showed Holmes the pearls & Letter

B) Miss Morstan discussed her problem with Holmes and Watson.

C) They planned to meet the writer of the letter.

D) Miss Morstan met Holmes & Watson at their house.

➡️ 1. Miss Morstan met Holmes & Watson at their house.

2. Miss Morstan discussed her problem with Holmes and Watson.

3. Miss Morstan showed Holmes the pearls & Letter

4. They planned to meet the writer of the letter.

🟣  Elaborate the following line in the light of the novel ' The Sign of Four '    ( Hsc Sept 2021)

" You  really are an automaton - a calculating machine "

➡️  These words are said by watson to Holmes when Mary Morstan had left after discussing her case Watson is attracted to her and full of admiration to her. When he voices his admiration, Holmes says that he had not notices if she is attractive or not.  Watson is indignant and calls him a calculated machine.

🟣  The reception of six pearls helps the story to move forward by providing some connection with the other happenings. Illustrate.

➡️ The reception of six pearls gives a breakthrough the story ' The sign of four'. Mary Morstan, major character in the story has received six pearls from an unknown person. With the last pearl there was a note for meeting. She approached the detective Holmes to get help. Holmes and Doctor Watson agreed to accompany her. The story moves forward and unfolds the secret of pearls received by her.

🟣  Write the character sketch of Sherlock Holmes as a professional detective.

➡️ The main character in the novel is the private detective, Sherlock Holmes. He is presented through the viewpoint of his friend, Dr John Watson, the narrator of the story. Watson describes him as a sharp and highly intelligent individual.Holmes takes great pleasure in solving mysteries and outwitting others. Sherlock has the unique ability to draw broad conclusions from minute observations and is thus able to solve the most difficult cases, which baffle others.

🟣 Compare the thought process of Holmes and Dr. Watson in handling the case.

➡️ Homles is of the opinion that the judgement  should not be biased by Personal qualities. He observes the handwriting and draws conclusion. For Holmes there is no mystery in the case. To watson the handwriting seems legible and regular.

🟣 Narrate the case of Miss Morstan in your words.

➡️ Mary Morstan's father disappeared on 3rd of December, 1878 from a hotel. She was about to meet him at the hotel. She complained about the missing of her father at the police station. She advertised about it. She met her father's friend Major Sholto. But he was not found. Then in 1882 she found an advertisement for her address. She responded to the advertisement and she received a pearl. Since then she received such pearls for six years. With the last pearls she had a letter with a message - She was wronged and should have justice.

🟣 Sherlock Holmes deduced facts from the back files of the times. Justify by providing few details.

➡️ Sherlock Holmes found after consulting the back files of the timesMajor Sholto died upon the 28th of April 1882. Within a week of his death,Mary Morstan receives a valuable present repeatedly. In a letter with the last pearl, she is described as a wronged woman. Sherlock Holmes deduced that it was about her father.