Chapter One
1.
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.
2.
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 practitioner, Dr.
Mortimer walks a lot in the countryside because the ferrule ( the upper part of
a stick) is worn down.
The stick was gifted to James
Mortimer by his friends .
3. Sherlock
Holmes’ reaction to Watson’s views about the stick and the visitor.
Sherlock Holmes’ obervation 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.
4.
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.
1.
Importance
of the title of the first scene or the opening scene of the first chapter.
2.
The mystery
of the walking stick and the inferences drawn by Dr. Watson from it.
3.
Sherlock
Holmes’ reaction to Watson's views about the stick and the visitor.
4.
Purpose of
Dr. Mortimer’s visit to Sherlock Holmes’ office.
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