‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Chapter One
Importance of the title of the first scene or the opening scene of the first chapter.
Ans. The title ‘Sherlock Holmes’ given to the first chapter of the novel is quite appropriate. After reading it, we come to know that Sherlock Holmes is going to play a pivotal (important) role in
the novel. This chapter also introduces us with another character whose name is Dr. Watson, who is an assistant to Sherlock Holmes. This character has been introduced here to highlight
the outstanding qualities of the main character, Sherlock Holmes. The situation is that a person, whose name they come to know in the later part of this chapter, visits their office in their absence. His stick is found in the office. Now they are to reveal the mystery of that stick.
They forward inferences according to their understanding. Dr. watson’s observations prove to be erroneous and Sherlock Holmes studies the case minutely and logically. Dr. Mortimer also
adds his comments to highlight the mental agility and his deep insight by calling him the “second highest” expert in Europe. But soon, he corrects himself by saying that “as a practical
man of affairs…you stand alone”
All this strikes the keynote that Sherlock Holmes is going to play a pivotal role in this novel.
The mystery of the walking stick and the inferences drawn by Dr. Watson from it.
Ans. Dr. Watson is the assistant of the crime detective Sherlock Holmes in this novel. A visitor, named Dr. Mortimer left his stick in their office in their absence. Now a sort of mystery was
about it. Both of them made their own observations about the left stick.
Dr. Watson looks at the stick very closely and finds something engraved on it. He draws the inference (conclusion) that the stick has been given as a gift to a person named James
Mortimer, M.R.C.S. by his friends of the CCH in 1884. He also believes that the owner of the stick is an old man and successful medical practitioner, who does practice in the countryside
and walks a lot. His stick is “dignified, solid and reassuring”. He reaches the conclusion that the medical practioner, Dr. Mortimer walks a lot in the contryside because the ferrule ( the upper
part of a stick) is worn down.
The stick was gifted to James Mortimer by his friends.
Sherlock Holmes’ reaction to Wason’s views about the stick and the visitor. Sherlock Holmes’ obervations about the stick and its owner are more accurate than those of his assistant Dr. Watson.
There is only one observation that is also made by Dr. Watson. That reveals the fact that the owner of the stick is a medical practitioner, who walks a lot in the countryside with the help of that stick.
Sherlock Holmes appreciates his assistant for this but calls the rest of his conclusions as “erroneous”
He is also able to decode the abbreviation ‘CCH’ as ‘Charing Cross Hospital’. According to Dr. Watson, James Mortimer was an old man, but Holmes observes that he is a young man of about thirty years “amiable, unambitious and absentminded”, having a spaniel dog in his possession. Holmes also predicts the breed of the dog by looking at several teeth marks made by the dog on the stick.
There is only one point on which Sherlock Holmes proves wrong , that is about the stick which he thought was presented to him at the time of his (Mortimer’s) marriage.
Thus Sherlock Holmes supersedes his assistant in the skill of making observation about a case.
Purpose of Dr. Mortimer’s visit to Sherlock Holmes’ office.
In the first chapter of the novel ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, the stick left by James Mortimer plays a very important role not only for Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, but also for the readers. It has been left in the office of Sherlock Holmes by a visitor, named James Mortimer. In the beginning of the chapter, the purpose of the visit is not clear, but towards the end of the chapter, it becomes clear.
In his second visit, James Mortimer is full of praise for Sherlock Holmes. He also considers Sherlock Holmes as the second highest expert in Europe next only to Monsieur Bertillon. But soon he corrects himself and adds by saying that Sherlock Holmes is the best. Thus it becomes very much clear that James Mortimer wants to get some problem solved by Sherlock Holmes.
Chapter One
Importance of the title of the first scene or the opening scene of the first chapter.
Ans. The title ‘Sherlock Holmes’ given to the first chapter of the novel is quite appropriate. After reading it, we come to know that Sherlock Holmes is going to play a pivotal (important) role in
the novel. This chapter also introduces us with another character whose name is Dr. Watson, who is an assistant to Sherlock Holmes. This character has been introduced here to highlight
the outstanding qualities of the main character, Sherlock Holmes. The situation is that a person, whose name they come to know in the later part of this chapter, visits their office in their absence. His stick is found in the office. Now they are to reveal the mystery of that stick.
They forward inferences according to their understanding. Dr. watson’s observations prove to be erroneous and Sherlock Holmes studies the case minutely and logically. Dr. Mortimer also
adds his comments to highlight the mental agility and his deep insight by calling him the “second highest” expert in Europe. But soon, he corrects himself by saying that “as a practical
man of affairs…you stand alone”
All this strikes the keynote that Sherlock Holmes is going to play a pivotal role in this novel.
The mystery of the walking stick and the inferences drawn by Dr. Watson from it.
Ans. Dr. Watson is the assistant of the crime detective Sherlock Holmes in this novel. A visitor, named Dr. Mortimer left his stick in their office in their absence. Now a sort of mystery was
about it. Both of them made their own observations about the left stick.
Dr. Watson looks at the stick very closely and finds something engraved on it. He draws the inference (conclusion) that the stick has been given as a gift to a person named James
Mortimer, M.R.C.S. by his friends of the CCH in 1884. He also believes that the owner of the stick is an old man and successful medical practitioner, who does practice in the countryside
and walks a lot. His stick is “dignified, solid and reassuring”. He reaches the conclusion that the medical practioner, Dr. Mortimer walks a lot in the contryside because the ferrule ( the upper
part of a stick) is worn down.
The stick was gifted to James Mortimer by his friends.
Sherlock Holmes’ reaction to Wason’s views about the stick and the visitor. Sherlock Holmes’ obervations about the stick and its owner are more accurate than those of his assistant Dr. Watson.
There is only one observation that is also made by Dr. Watson. That reveals the fact that the owner of the stick is a medical practitioner, who walks a lot in the countryside with the help of that stick.
Sherlock Holmes appreciates his assistant for this but calls the rest of his conclusions as “erroneous”
He is also able to decode the abbreviation ‘CCH’ as ‘Charing Cross Hospital’. According to Dr. Watson, James Mortimer was an old man, but Holmes observes that he is a young man of about thirty years “amiable, unambitious and absentminded”, having a spaniel dog in his possession. Holmes also predicts the breed of the dog by looking at several teeth marks made by the dog on the stick.
There is only one point on which Sherlock Holmes proves wrong , that is about the stick which he thought was presented to him at the time of his (Mortimer’s) marriage.
Thus Sherlock Holmes supersedes his assistant in the skill of making observation about a case.
Purpose of Dr. Mortimer’s visit to Sherlock Holmes’ office.
In the first chapter of the novel ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, the stick left by James Mortimer plays a very important role not only for Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, but also for the readers. It has been left in the office of Sherlock Holmes by a visitor, named James Mortimer. In the beginning of the chapter, the purpose of the visit is not clear, but towards the end of the chapter, it becomes clear.
In his second visit, James Mortimer is full of praise for Sherlock Holmes. He also considers Sherlock Holmes as the second highest expert in Europe next only to Monsieur Bertillon. But soon he corrects himself and adds by saying that Sherlock Holmes is the best. Thus it becomes very much clear that James Mortimer wants to get some problem solved by Sherlock Holmes.
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