Arthur Conan Doyle(1859-1930) Study Objectives: 1.Understand the dominant features of a detective story. 2.Learn the literary knowledge of plot. 3.Appreciate Arthur Conan Doyle's horror story. Understanding the Author: 4ca84 Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson,1894 Arthur Conan Doyle is a Scottish writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes,who is partially modelled on his former university teacher Joseph Bell. Originally a physician,he published A Study in Scarlet in 1887,the first of four novels about Holmes and Dr.Watson.In addition,Doyle wrote over fifty short stories featuring the famous detective.The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) Study Objectives: 1. Understand the dominant features of a detective story. 2. Learn the literary knowledge of plot. 3. Appreciate Arthur Conan Doyle’s horror story. Understanding the Author: Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle by George Wylie Hutchinson, 1894 Arthur Conan Doyle is a Scottish writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes, who is partially modelled on his former university teacher Joseph Bell. Originally a physician, he published A Study in Scarlet in 1887, the first of four novels about Holmes and Dr. Watson. In addition, Doyle wrote over fifty short stories featuring the famous detective. The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction
Doyle was a prolific writer;his non-Sherlockian 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. Inspired by Sir Walter Scott,Robert Louis Stevenson,Edgar Allan Poe,Guy de Maupassant, and Emile Gaboriau,Arthur Conan Doyle's now-iconic mastermind sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr.John H.Watson redefine the detective genre.Conan Doyle's medical training under Dr.Joseph Bell and practical experience as a doctor in several locales and as ship's doctor are the foundations for Holmes's methods of deductive reasoning.Besides 4 Study in Scarlet, Conan Doyle wrote fifty-five more stories and four novels starring Holmes.He wrote many other notable fiction and non-fiction works including The Stark Munro Letters (1895),The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard(1896),The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902),The Lost World (1912),The Coming of the Fairies (1922),and Memories and Adventures(1924-30),many which have been translated to dozens of languages and are still in print today. The non-Sherlockian short story "The Case of Lady Sannox"was first published in The /dler magazine in November,1893.It is a finely written horror story which shows Doyle's deft handling of his usual themes of sex,jealousy,revenge and horror. Understanding Plot: Plot is the arrangement of the events in a story according to a pattern devised by the writer and inferred by the reader.Often the plot develops when characters and situations oppose each other,creating conflicts that grow and eventually reach a climax,the point of highest intensity of the story.After this climatic turning point,the action of the story finally declines,moving toward a resolution of the conflict. Although the typical fictional plot has a beginning,a middle,and an end,authors may also vary their patterns of narration.A story's events may unfold in the order in which they took place, but some episodes happening afterwards may be told first.Sometimes suspense creates a sense of anticipation and curiosity about what the characters will do next.Many stories also use foreshadowing,providing details and hints about what will happen next.Fictional devices such as
Doyle was a prolific writer; his non-Sherlockian 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. Inspired by Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, and Emile Gaboriau, Arthur Conan Doyle's now-iconic mastermind sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. John H. Watson redefine the detective genre. Conan Doyle's medical training under Dr. Joseph Bell and practical experience as a doctor in several locales and as ship's doctor are the foundations for Holmes's methods of deductive reasoning. Besides A Study in Scarlet, Conan Doyle wrote fifty-five more stories and four novels starring Holmes. He wrote many other notable fiction and non-fiction works including The Stark Munro Letters (1895), The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard (1896), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), The Lost World (1912), The Coming of the Fairies (1922), and Memories and Adventures (1924-30), many which have been translated to dozens of languages and are still in print today. The non-Sherlockian short story “The Case of Lady Sannox” was first published in The Idler magazine in November, 1893. It is a finely written horror story which shows Doyle’s deft handling of his usual themes of sex, jealousy, revenge and horror. Understanding Plot: Plot is the arrangement of the events in a story according to a pattern devised by the writer and inferred by the reader. Often the plot develops when characters and situations oppose each other, creating conflicts that grow and eventually reach a climax, the point of highest intensity of the story. After this climatic turning point, the action of the story finally declines, moving toward a resolution of the conflict. Although the typical fictional plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end, authors may also vary their patterns of narration. A story’s events may unfold in the order in which they took place, but some episodes happening afterwards may be told first. Sometimes suspense creates a sense of anticipation and curiosity about what the characters will do next. Many stories also use foreshadowing, providing details and hints about what will happen next. Fictional devices such as
flashback and foreshadowing do not operate in isolation but rather work together with characterization,setting,point of view,style,and tone to create a unified effect
flashback and foreshadowing do not operate in isolation but rather work together with characterization, setting, point of view, style, and tone to create a unified effect
Lead-in Questions: 1.How much do you know about Arthur Conan Doyle?Do you know any other detective story writers? 2.Are you familiar with the Sherlock Holms stories?What do you think are the typical features of a detective story？ The Case of Lady Sannox (1893) 1 The relations between Douglas Stone and the notorious Lady Sannox were very well known both among the fashionable circles of which she was a brilliant member, and the scientific bodies which numbered him among their most illustrious confreres. There was naturally,therefore,a very widespread interest when it was announced one morning that the lady had absolutely and for ever taken the veil,and that the world would see her no more.When,at the very tail of this rumour,there came the assurance that the celebrated operating surgeon,the man of steel nerves,had been found in the morning by his valet,seated on one side of his bed,smiling pleasantly upon the universe,with both legs jammed into one side of his breeches and his great brain about as valuable as a cap full of porridge,the matter was strong enough to give quite a little thrill of interest to folk who had never hoped that their jaded nerves were capable of such a sensation. 2 Douglas Stone in his prime was one of the most remarkable men in England. Indeed,he could hardly be said to have ever reached his prime,for he was but nine-and-thirty at the time of this little incident.Those who knew him best were aware that famous as he was as a surgeon,he might have succeeded with even greater rapidity in any of a dozen lines of life.He could have cut his way to fame as a soldier, struggled to it as an explorer,bullied for it in the courts,or built it out of stone and iron as an engineer.He was born to be great,for he could plan what another man dare not do,and he could do what another man dare not plan.In surgery none could follow him.His nerve,his judgement,his intuition,were things apart.Again and again his
Lead-in Questions: 1. How much do you know about Arthur Conan Doyle? Do you know any other detective story writers? 2. Are you familiar with the Sherlock Holms stories? What do you think are the typical features of a detective story? The Case of Lady Sannox (1893) 1 The relations between Douglas Stone and the notorious Lady Sannox were very well known both among the fashionable circles of which she was a brilliant member, and the scientific bodies which numbered him among their most illustrious confreres. There was naturally, therefore, a very widespread interest when it was announced one morning that the lady had absolutely and for ever taken the veil, and that the world would see her no more. When, at the very tail of this rumour, there came the assurance that the celebrated operating surgeon, the man of steel nerves, had been found in the morning by his valet, seated on one side of his bed, smiling pleasantly upon the universe, with both legs jammed into one side of his breeches and his great brain about as valuable as a cap full of porridge, the matter was strong enough to give quite a little thrill of interest to folk who had never hoped that their jaded nerves were capable of such a sensation. 2 Douglas Stone in his prime was one of the most remarkable men in England. Indeed, he could hardly be said to have ever reached his prime, for he was but nine-and-thirty at the time of this little incident. Those who knew him best were aware that famous as he was as a surgeon, he might have succeeded with even greater rapidity in any of a dozen lines of life. He could have cut his way to fame as a soldier, struggled to it as an explorer, bullied for it in the courts, or built it out of stone and iron as an engineer. He was born to be great, for he could plan what another man dare not do, and he could do what another man dare not plan. In surgery none could follow him. His nerve, his judgement, his intuition, were things apart. Again and again his
knife cut away death,but grazed the very springs of life in doing it,until his assistants were as white as the patient.His energy,his audacity,his full-blooded self-confidence ------does not the memory of them still linger to the south of Marylebone Road and the north of Oxford Street? 3 His vices were as magnificent as his virtues,and infinitely more picturesque. Large as was his income,and it was the third largest of all professional men in London,it was far beneath the luxury of his living.Deep in his complex nature lay a rich vein of sensualism,at the sport of which he placed all the prizes of his life.The eye,the ear,the touch,the palate,all were his masters.The bouquet of old vintages, the scent of rare exotics,the curves and tints of the daintiest potteries of Europe,it was to these that the quick-running stream of gold was transformed.And then there came his sudden mad passion for Lady Sannox,when a single interview with two challenging glances and a whispered word set him ablaze.She was the loveliest woman in London and the only one to him.He was one of the handsomest men in London,but not the only one to her.She had a liking for new experiences,and was gracious to most men who wooed her.It may have been cause or it may have been effect that Lord Sannox looked fifty,though he was but six-and-thirty. 4 He was a quiet,silent,neutral-tinted man,this lord,with thin lips and heavy eyelids,much given to gardening,and full of home-like habits.He had at one time been fond of acting,had even rented a theatre in London,and on its boards had first seen Miss Marion Dawson,to whom he had offered his hand,his title,and the third of a county.Since his marriage his early hobby had become distasteful to him.Even in private theatricals it was no longer possible to persuade him to exercise the talent which he had often showed that he possessed.He was happier with a spud and a watering-can among his orchids and chrysanthemums. 5 It was quite an interesting problem whether he was absolutely devoid of sense,or miserably wanting in spirit.Did he know his lady's ways and condone them,or was he a mere blind,doting fool?It was a point to be discussed over the teacups in snug little
knife cut away death, but grazed the very springs of life in doing it, until his assistants were as white as the patient. His energy, his audacity, his full-blooded self-confidence ------does not the memory of them still linger to the south of Marylebone Road and the north of Oxford Street? 3 His vices were as magnificent as his virtues, and infinitely more picturesque. Large as was his income, and it was the third largest of all professional men in London, it was far beneath the luxury of his living. Deep in his complex nature lay a rich vein of sensualism, at the sport of which he placed all the prizes of his life. The eye, the ear, the touch, the palate, all were his masters. The bouquet of old vintages, the scent of rare exotics, the curves and tints of the daintiest potteries of Europe, it was to these that the quick-running stream of gold was transformed. And then there came his sudden mad passion for Lady Sannox, when a single interview with two challenging glances and a whispered word set him ablaze. She was the loveliest woman in London and the only one to him. He was one of the handsomest men in London, but not the only one to her. She had a liking for new experiences, and was gracious to most men who wooed her. It may have been cause or it may have been effect that Lord Sannox looked fifty, though he was but six-and-thirty. 4 He was a quiet, silent, neutral-tinted man, this lord, with thin lips and heavy eyelids, much given to gardening, and full of home-like habits. He had at one time been fond of acting, had even rented a theatre in London, and on its boards had first seen Miss Marion Dawson, to whom he had offered his hand, his title, and the third of a county. Since his marriage his early hobby had become distasteful to him. Even in private theatricals it was no longer possible to persuade him to exercise the talent which he had often showed that he possessed. He was happier with a spud and a watering-can among his orchids and chrysanthemums. 5 It was quite an interesting problem whether he was absolutely devoid of sense, or miserably wanting in spirit. Did he know his lady's ways and condone them, or was he a mere blind, doting fool? It was a point to be discussed over the teacups in snug little