Study in Scarlet: Key Characters & Summary
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ScribdTranslationsStudy in Scarlet: Key Characters & Summary
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ScribdTranslationsLeonardo Sparascio class ILt
READING SHEET 'A STUDY IN SCARLET'
Autore:Arthur Conan Doyle
Epoca di pubblicazione (1°edizione):1887
Genre: detective novel
Historical context: England at the end of the 1800s, contemporary to that of the author. Furthermore, part of
the story takes place in Utah, America.
Key characters and their function: Sherlock Holmes, private detective and consultant of
London police, John Watson physician and roommate of Holmes, Lestrade and Gregson, officials of
high-ranking police, Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson, victims, Jefferson Hope, murderer.
Riassunto:Il romanzo inizia con la presentazione del dottor Watson, medico e reduce
from Afghanistan, who finds themselves in London with little money and is looking for an apartment to share with
another person. Thanks to the knowledge of his London friend, he meets Sherlock Holmes with whom
he will share a small study on Baker Street. He defines himself as a consulting detective since the
his earnings also come from the help he gives to the police. Days go by and Watson gets to know
more and more his friend. At first seeming presumptuous, he understands instead that his pride is only
apparent, derived from the fact that he possesses extraordinary observation and deduction in
practical matter. One afternoon, Gregson, a London policeman, sends a letter to Holmes.
telling him about a murder in an uninhabited house. Watson and Holmes immediately go there. The
the victim is Enoch Drebber, of American origin, and the misleading clues found are the writing
"Revenge" and "J.H. is in Europe" is a faith of a woman. Initially, two investigators from Scotland Yard,
Lestrade and Gregson (the sender of the letter) think that a woman was responsible for killing Drebber.
but Holmes explains that, according to his calculations and based on the traces left
from the murderer, the killer is a man. Moreover, from the acrid smell coming from the lips of the dead,
Holmes realizes that he has been forced to ingest poison and suspects that the murderer will strike.
again. The main accusations fall on Drebber's secretary, Joseph Stangerson. But he
will instead reveal the second victim. Here too, Sherlock Holmes understands what killed Drebber: a
poisoned pill while Stangerson shows signs of struggle. During this event
Watson sets a trap for the killer by placing an advertisement in the newspaper.
the discovery of a ring. Here an old woman appears who does not convince Holmes, who decides to
Follow her. In reality, the elderly lady turns out to be an acrobatic boy and easily escapes the eyes.
of the investigator. Returning to his study, the latter, thanks to a team of young people from
Scotland Yard, here attracts the coachman Jefferson Hope who is handcuffed only after a scuffle between the
guilty and the investigators. In the second part of the story, it discusses the history that led to
to the murders, or how John Ferrier and his adoptive daughter Lucy are welcomed into the community
of the Mormons who founded the city of Salt Lake City. Ferrier proved to be a capable entrepreneur,
becoming very rich, while Lucy gradually attracted the attention of the young men in the city.
Unfortunately, during that time, there began a repression of the Mormons against the Gentiles, that is, the
non-Mormons. Moreover, Lucy falls in love with Jefferson Hope, a young gold seeker, well regarded.
from Ferrier since his father was an old friend of his. To prevent Lucy from being married.
against his will, Ferrier and Hope organize an escape through the Salt Lake Mountains, which
will conclude with the murder of Ferrier and Lucy's marriage to Drebber, one of her suitors.
besides Stangerson. However, Lucy will die a few months later, and Hope, having appropriated her faith,
he will lead a wild life, trying to kill Drebber and Stangerson, until their exit
from the Mormon community. Hope will then hunt them down, sustaining herself with odd jobs.
London will fulfill its plans of revenge, giving Drebber a chance to
survival by making him choose a pill between the two found by Lestrade, and killing
Stangerson who had attacked him instead of taking one of the pills, writing in both
crimes the word Rache (in German "vengeance") with blood to divert the investigations. After being
Captured state Hope declares to be suffering from an aortic aneurysm and consequently dies.
a few days later the arrest. Holmes, despite his immense contribution to the investigations, does not come out
on the newspaper that talks only about the already renowned skill of the Scotland Yard investigators. Watson
however, reassure the friend that through his notes everyone will know about his
skills in investigations.
Writing style: Arthur Conan Doyle uses a very fast pace despite the particular nature.
descriptions, represented by Dr. John Watson, that make the characters appear unique in their
features.
Elements, significant phrases: the most important sentence of the novel is the one that explains the origin of the
title used by the author: -In the colorless tangle of life, the red thread of crime runs through it and our
the task consists in unraveling it, isolating it, exposing every inch through the study of
clues and events-(S. Holmes)
