‘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 stck 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.
Importance of the title of the first scene or the
opening scene of the first chapter.
The mystery of the walking stick and the inferences
drawn by Dr. Watson from it.
Sherlock Holmes’ reaction to Wason’s views about the
stck and the visitor.
Purpose of Dr. Mortimer’s visit to Sherlock Holmes’
office.
Chapter two
The curse of Baskervilles
Detail: Baskerville had been under the effect of the
curse since the time when Hugo Baskerville (senior) had done a heinous deed. He
was a cruel and wicked type of person. Once he got obsessed with the idea of
possessing the daughter of a farmer, living there at some distance. She avoided
him as she already knew about the bad reputation of Hugo Baskerville, the
senior.
One day, he kidnapped the
girl and made her captive in an upper chamber, while, he along with his wicked
and idle friends, started singing, shouting and enjoying wine as usual.
The girl was so much
terrified that she found no way to escape. At last, she took a great risk and
climbed down from the room with the help of an ivy.
Hugo Baskerville was mad
with anger to find the room empty. He gave the scent of her handkerchief to the
hounds and let them loose on her. He also chased her on his black mare. His
thirteen friends also followed, who later found the dead bodies of the girl and
Hugo. They also found the most frightening and blood curdling thing there. They
saw that a hound like black beast tore Hugo’s throat. Since then the black
hound- like beast became a nightmare for the Baskervilles.
The circumstances that led
to Charles Baskerville’s death and some stories related to it.
Detail: Dr. Mortimer was
Sir Charles’s medical attendant. He knew that the latter suffered from poor
health and fits of nervous breakdown because of the constant fear of the legend
of the hound-like beast.
Sir Charles was habitual
of having a short walk near his residence after eating his dinner. One day
before he was to leave for London, he had come out of the main gate to have a
stroll. It was a horrible and last night for Sir Charles. His dead body was
found by a servant at some distance from the gate. This was published in a
newspaper.
As there was no mark of injury on his
body, it was concluded that he had died of heart failure.
But Dr. Mortimer had
noticed something strange at some distance from the dead body of Sir Charles.
He had seen the footmarks of a hound-like beast.
There was a different
story made about the footmarks of the beast. Barrymore remarks that Sir
Charles’s footprints had changed character near the moor gate. It seemed that
Charles had walked on his toes. Another story reveals that a drunken gipsy had
heard the cries of Sir Charles.
The facts
hidden or not revealed to police by Dr. Mortimer
Detail:
There were several facts that were not revealed to the police by Dr. Mortimer.
He reveals all these details to Sherlock Holmes. He tells him that Sir Charles
usually had the company of Mr. Frankland
and Mr. Stapleton, the only educated persons in that area. Dr. Mortimer also
explains to Sherlock Holmes as to how Sir Charles was obsessed with the fear of
the legendary hound. It always kept haunting his mind and, as a result of it,
he suffered from frequent nervous breakdown. Dr. Mortimer had consulted
Stapleton and decided to suggest Sir Charles to go to London so that he might
feel relaxed from the stress and depression caused by the fear of the hound.
Dr. Mortimer also reveals
another thing to Sherlock Holmes that it was only three weeks before his death
that Charles had given him the secret manuscript. He also adds that he had seen
the footprints of a gigantic (big in size) animal, a little distance away from
Sir Charles dead body.
Why did Sir Charles give the manuscripts to Dr.
Mortimer? When? What do you think about their relationship?
Detail: Sir
Charles gives the manuscript to Dr. Mortimer just three weeks before he died.
The text of the novel shows that he was under the constant fear of the hound.
Three weeks ago, Sir Charles saw a gigantic animal going when he was standing
at the gate of his mansion. He froze in fear to see the dreadful beast. It had
a very deep effect on Sir Charles’ mind. So Dr. Mortimer had to stay with him
that evening and it was the time when Sir Charles thought it wise to hand over
that manuscript to Dr. Mortimer. Since that day, the manuscript was under the
safe custody of Dr. Mortimer. This event also shows as to how Sir Charles
trusted Dr. Mortimer. It was a relationship of trust and friendship between
them. Dr. Mortimer kept the trust intact and he was now more worried about the
new heir Henry Baskerville’s safety.
The Hound of the
Baskervilles Chapter Three
Q1. Why does Sherlock Holmes quiz Dr. Mortimer about
the Yew Alley?
Ans. Dr. Mortimer reports
to Sherlock Holmes about the death of Sir Charles under unusual conditions.
Sherlock Holmes feels very much interested in the case and asks him several
questions to reach the right conclusion.
He comes to know from Dr. Mortimer that the Yew hedge was twelve feet high and
there was no chance for anyone to penetrate it. The space in the centre was
eight feet. There was a strip of grass about six feet broad. There was only a
small gate in the hedge leading to the moor. Dr. Mortimer also tells Holmes
that there was another entry to the Yew Alley and that was through a summer
house at the far end. Sir Charles’s body lay 50 yards away from it. Sherlock
Holmes asked Dr. Mortimer as to why he had not called him on the day when the
tragedy occurred. Mortimer replies that he did not want to tell the whole world
about the supernatural elements attached to the death. Sherlock Holmes rejects
all details about the supernatural reasons about Sir Charles’s death.
Q2. “There is a realm in which the most astute and
most experienced of detectives is helpless.” What does Mortimer mean by this
statement?
Or
What is the probable cause of Sir Charles’s death,
according to Mortimer? How does he substantiate it?
Ans. Dr. Mortimer tells
Sherlock Holmes that there is a hidden reality in this world that cannot be
explained by reason and logic. So, even the most acute and experienced of
detectives is helpless to solve the cases related to it. He also knew very well
that Sherlock Holmes is not going to believe in the supernatural cause of the
Sir Charles’s death. Therefore, he tries his level best to convince Holmes
about the mystery that surrounded Sir Charles death.
He says that he himself
had noticed the marks of a hound like beast, 20 yards away from the dead body.
No one, except he, noticed them. He also adds that he had enquired from certain
people (a farmer and a blacksmith) of that area, about the haunting of the
beast and they confirmed it.
Sherlock Holmes disagrees
with Dr. Mortimer and also chides him for believing in illogical things in
spite of being a man of science.
Q3. Who is Henry Baskervilles? Why is Dr. Mortimer concerned
about his utmost safety?
Ans. Sir Henry had two
more brothers. He himself was the elder one. The other two brothers had died.
Sir Henry was the son of Sir Charles’s second brother and, therefore, is the
only surviving kinsman of the Baskervilles.
Dr. Mortimer is very much
concerned about the safety of Sir Henry because Sir Charles had appointed him
the trustee of the whole property of the Baskervilles. He is worried about the
safety of Sir Henry because of the diabolic presence haunting near the Baskervilles’
estate. He also regrets the negligence shown by Sir Charles. If he knew the
presence of the demon, it must have talked to him.
Therefore, Dr. Mortimer
seeks the help and good advice from Holmes about what should be done at the
very moment when Sir Henry is approaching there from Canada after an hour and a
quarter.
Sherlock Holmes advised
Mortimer to take Sir Henry to Devonshire and not to reveal anything about the
facts.
Q4. Sherlock Holmes remarks, “The devil’s agents may
be of flesh and blood.” What does this remark suggest?
Ans. It has already been
cleared by the text of the novel that Sherlock Holmes is not an ordinary
detective. He does not believe in supernatural powers as Dr. Mortimer and some
residents at the moor believe in. Dr. Watson also asks him if he also believes
in what Dr. Mortimer says about the supernatural power operating at the
Baskervilles. Sherlock Holmes refuses believing so and thinks upon two possible
reasons about Sir Charles’s death. One reason is that Sir Charles might have
died a natural death by cardiac arrest. The second possibility may be that any
person might have a hand in Sir Charles death. He believes that sometimes human
vices also assume the level of devilish activities. In that case, ordinary
people fail to apply their reasoning to reach a logical conclusion. So they
start believing in supernatural powers. He decides to exhaust all the
possibilities in that case. If there is a human being behind the crime, then,
he would try to find out the motive behind it.
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter 4
Q1. What do you know about Sir henry Baskerville?
Main Points:
1. Sir Charles’s second
brother’s son
2. did farming in Canada
3. strongly built young
man of thirty years
4. small stature, dark
eyes with think and black eyebrows
5. lived in the open air
for the most of his time
6. some features of his
face of his show his quarrelsome nature
7. seemed to be a
gentleman.
Ans. Sir Henry Baskerville
was Sir Charles’s second brother’s son. He lived in Canada before coming to
London and did farming there.
Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry
Baskervilles reached Sherlock Holmes’s office on time.
Sir Henry Baskervilles was
a strongly built young man of thirty years having a small stature. He had dark
eyes with thick and black eyebrows. His face and appearance showed that he had
lived in the open air for the most of his time. Although some features of his
face were the proof of his quarrelsome nature, yet he seemed to be a gentleman.
He was wearing a red
coloured tweed suit when he came to meet Sherlock holmes in his office.
Q.2. What conclusions are drawn by Sherlock Holmes
after examining the letter that Sir Henry baskerville showed to him?
Ans. Sherlock Holmes draws
the following conclusions after reading the contents of the letter and the
address written on the envelope.
Someone must be tracking
Sir Henry Baskerville’s movements as he arived in London.
Sherlock Holmes observed
that the words cut from a famous newspaper The
Times of a previous day were pasted on a plain paper.
The address on the
envelope was not written smoothly in a natural way, rather the writer had
written it loosely to hide his own identity.
The writer was a well
educated person.
Sherlock Holmes also
concludes that the writer of the address was in a hurry and the ink spluttered
on the paper showed that the pen of a hotel was used to write the addres. It
meant that the message was prepared in a hotel.
In this way, the message
in the envelope and the way in which the address was written on it has created
a lot of interest and suspense for the readers. It has also given a new task to
Sherlock Holmes.
It was also concluded that
the man who left the message in the envelope for Sir Henry Baskerville was not
‘ill disposed’ to him.
Q3. What was the mystery around Sir Henry
Baskerville’s lost boot? Dr. Mortimer says that it has been ‘mislaid.’ Do you
agree?
Ans. Sherlock Holmes
continued enquirying from Sir Henry
Baskerville. He also asked him if anything special happened to him in London
since he arrived there. He told Sherlock Holmes in a light way that one of his
boots was missing. He had put the pair of tan boots outside his room for
polish. At this, Sherlock Holmes at once jumped to the conclusion that someone
had stolen the boot to give its scent to a hound. But Sir Henry said that the
pair of tan boots were new ans unused. He had purchased them to give himself a
new look of a squire. Then Sherlock Holmes remarked that his boot would soon be
returned.
But Dr. Mortimer
thought differently. He said that the
boot had been misplaced.
We do not agree with Dr.
Mortimer’s conclusion.
In this way, the incident
of the boot has created more suspense in the story.
Q4. What did Sherlock Holmes decide to do after Dr.
Mortimer and Sir Henry had left his office?
Ans. Sherlock Holmes was
an astute crime detective. His observations were par excellence. During the
discussion with Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer, he had concluded that someone had
been tracking Sir Henry Baskerville’s movements. Therfore he had looked outside
from the window of his office to see if anybody was wandering about there. The
secret of Sir Henry’s stay in a hotel was known to only Dr. Mortimer, Dr.
Watson and he himself.
As soon as Dr. Mortimer
and Sir Henry Baskerville left the office to walk the distance, he told Dr.
Watson to follow them to catch the person tracking Sir Henry.
After some time, Sir Henry
stopped and walked towards a shop to enter it. It was then Sherlock Holmes saw
a man sitting in a cab and he was looking at Sir Henry intently (with intention).
Sherlock Holme told Dr.
Watson about the the person in excitement. But as they tried to reach there
quickly, the man in the cab had disappeared. But Sherlock Holmes had noticed
the man’s bushy black beard and the number of the cab.
Q5. Did the man in the cab escape because of his good
luck or the bad management of Sherlock Holmes?
Ans. Sherlock Holmes
thinks that the man in the cab had advantage of sitting in a cab. They were
walking on foot. Al though Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson tried to chase him
with quicker steps, but it was of no use. So Holmes called it his own bad luck
as well as his bad management. The man in the cab had double advantage. One, he
was sitting in a cab, therrefore, he was not fully visible to others. Two, he
easily escaped with a speed because he was siting in a cab. Holmes should have
hired a cab at once to give the person a good chase. So he called it a bad luck
of himself and also his own mismanagement to face a situation.
The Hound of the
Baskerviles: Chapter 5
Remarkable qualities
in Sherlock Holmes of detaching his mind
from anything for hours together.
He can enjoy easily the
pictures of the meodern Belgian masters.
Sherlock holmes is going
upstairs to meet Henry Baskerville and then he also looks at the entries about
the visitors made by the clerk in the register of the hotel.
There are two names: one
is of Theophilus Johnson and the second one is of Mrs. Oldmore.
Sherlock Holmes reaches
upstairs and finds Sir Henry in extreme anger.
Reason: One of his black
shoes is missing. Previously it was a
brown one. In his anger, he calls the hotel ‘a den of thieves’.
A German waiter tries to
pacify Sir Henry by promising that he would surely make a search for his his
mising boots.
Sherlock Holmes finds the
case very much complex. He has handled 500 cases so far, but this cases seems
to be the most comlex for him.
Sherlock Holmes becomes
doubly sure now that Sir Henry Baskerville is being stalked by some evil doers.
So he tells Sir Henry clearly that he was being followed by someone who must
have very bad intention about him.
Dr. Mortimer is also
amazed to note that.
Sherlock Homes asks Dr.
Mortimer if there is a person with a black full beard as a neighbour or any
acquaintance.
Dr. Mortimer thinks a
little and then says that there is Barrymore, Sir Charles’ butler who has full
black beard. He also tells Sherlock Holmes that Barrymore and his wife live
together at Baskerville Hall.
After this Sherlock holmes
wants to confirm if Barrymore is living at Baskerville Hall at that very time
or not. So he sends a telegramme at that
address. He hopes to know the truth before evening. Another wire he sends to
the post master in which he instructs him that the telegramme must be returned
to the sender if the person in whose name it was addressed was not present
there to receive it.
Then he asks Dr. Mortimer
for more detail about Barrymore.
Dr. Mortimers says that he
is the son of the old caretaker, who is dead now. They have looked after the
Hall for four generations. He also adds that Barrymore and his wife are
respectable persons in that area.
After that Sherlock Holmes
asks Dr. Mortimer if Barrymore would be benefited by Sir Charles’ will.
Dr. Mortimer replies that
Barrymore and his wife would get five hundred pounds each.
Then Holmes asks Dr.
Mortimer if they knew about the profit by the will. Dr. Mortimer says that sir
Charles was very fond of discussing his will openly. Dr. Mortimer here jokingly
remarks that he himself also has one
thousand pounds by the will and , so, Sherlock Holmes should not become
suspicious about him.
He also tells Sherlock
Holmes that the residue of the wil was about seven hundred and forty thousand
pounds and it would go to Sir Henry Baskerville. The total value of the Baskerville estate was nearly a million pounds.
Topic 1: About Sir Charles’s Will
Sherlock Holmes wanted to
know from Dr. Mortimer about Sir Charles’s will. He wanted to find out if any
thread of suspicion is related to his will or not. Dr. Mortimer explains to
Sherlock Holmes that Sir Charles was the owner of a huge property. People did
not know about his being so much rich until his will was made open. The total
value of his property was around one million pounds.
Dr. Mortimer tells
Sherlock Holmes all bout his will and also that he was very fond of discussing
his will to others. Sir Charles had willed some of his funds to charitable
societies, five hundred pounds each to Barrimore and his wife, one thousand
pounds to Dr. Mortimer and the rest of the money i.e. seven hundred and forty
seven thounsand pounds goes in favour of the only surviving heir to his
property, who is Sir Henry Baskerville.
Sir Henry also explains to
Sherlock Holmes that Sir Charles was a philanthropist type of person. In an
indirect way, he hopes to restore and
maintain the glory of the Baskervilles with the money he gets from the
will.
Topic 2: The Three Threads
Sherlock Holmes has to
unravel the mystery about the person who had sent a note to Sir Henry in the
hotel he was staying.
Another mystery was about
the man who was sitting in the cab and watching intently towards Sir Henry
Baskerville.
Sherlock Holmes relates
the first thread to Sir Charles Butler Barrymore because he was going to be
benefited by keeping Sir Henry away from the Baskervilles estate. He is linked
to the person who was stalking Sir Henry as he also had dark black beard. But
soon Sherlock Holmes’ suspicion about the butler is cleared by a telegram. It
showed that Barrymore was at the Baskerville Hall.
The second thread also got
broken as Sherlock Holmes could not get the copy of Times from which the words
had been cut to make the note that was sent tp Sir Henry Baskerville.
Cartwright could not collect the copy of Times from any hotel.
The third thread was the
cab man who drove the spy with dark black beard. The cabman’s name was John
Clayton. He could not provide any other useful information except that the spy
called himself Sherlock Holmes.
Thus Sherlock Holmes felt
cheated by the man in the cab.
Sherlock Holmes was
disappointed and calls him a ‘cunning rascal.’
Topic 3: Why does Sherlock Holmes say the words to the
hotel clerk, “ Have you any objection to my looking at your register?”
Detail:
Sherlock Holmes reaches
the hotel in which Sir Henry Baskerville is staying. He is not able to solve
the riddle as to who had sent the note to Sir Henry.
So as he enters the hotel,
he asks the clerk if he can see his register in which the names of the visitors
are written.
He wants to know the names
of the person who have checked in the hotel after Sir Henry. He finds the names
of two persons who have checked after Sir Henry. The clerk tells Holmes that
these two persons were the regular visitors of the hotel.
Thus by looking at the
register, Sherlock Holmes wants to know about the recent visitors and also to check
their hand writing to find out if they had any link with the note sent to Sir
Henry Baskerville.
He also reaches the
conclusion that the person who was tracking Sir Henry was not staying in the
hotel.
Topic 4: Henry Baskervilles’s reaction when he found
one of his old dusty boots.
Detail:
Henry Baskervile lost two
boots, one each from his two pairs of shoes since he has stayed in
Northumberland hotel. Sherlock Holmes linked this incident to a dangerous
conspiracy against the Baskeville Hall and the death of Sir Charles
Baskerville.
As Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson reached upstairs, they found Sir Henry shouting in anger. They came to
know that another boot of his black pair
was lost. Sir Henry was shouting furiously at the waiter and he was unable to
speak properly. He also warns the waiter od bad consequences if his boots were
not found. He calls the hotel ‘the den of thieves’
He told Sherlock Holmes that he had only three pairs
of shoes. One shoe from his brown pair was lost last night and another from his
black pair was lost that day.
Sherlock Holmes call the
case as the most complicated of all handles by him so far.
Topic 5: The information given by the cabman, John
Clayton about the spy.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Chapter 6
Topic 1
Instruction given to
Watson by Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a
shrewd investigator who studies the situation very minutely to reach some
logical conclusion.
Therefore he does not
allow Sir Henry to go to Baskerville Hall unguarded. He deputes Watson to
accompany him and also remain there with Sir Henry for a few days.
Sherlock Holmes issues
some instructions to Watson. He advises him to remain vigilant and cautious
about Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore. He also adds some more names like Stapleton and
his wife, Dr. Mortimer and his wife, Mr. Frankland of Lafter Hall and also the
servants of the Baskerville Hall.
Surprisingly, he ignores
Mr. James Desmond, the next heir to the Baskerville Estate.
Finally, he advises him to
keep his revolver with him for 24 hours.
Sherlock Holmes tells
Watson to send him the updates of the present situation in real terms and the
rest he would efficiently handle.
In this way Sherlock
proves to be very vigilant professional in the field of crime investigation. He
foresees the coming dangers to Sir Henry
Baskerville and does everything to
provide him protection.
Topic 2 The description of the Baskerville Hall
Baskerville Hall is a huge
mansion, giving shade of gloom and somber atmosphere around itself.
It has big iron gates with
massive pillars on both sides. The heads of boars are placed on the pillars.
Some portion of the building is in bad shape. That’s why Sir Charles had
ordered construction work on it.
The passage that led to
the main part has old trees on both sides. They make a canopy-like look above
the passage that looks like a tunnel.
The inside of the building
seems to be fine but not so much modern. There is a fire-place of the ancient
type in there.
Sir Henry also notices
high windows fitted with old stained glass. The arms and the heads of the
hunted animals like stags were beautifully fixed to beautify the walls.
The central part of the
house is not so much decorated as the bedrooms are. The portraits hung on the
walls of the dining room cast a shadow of gloom over living beings of the
house.
Topic 3 Reasons given by Barrymore for leaving
Baskerville Hall
We know that Sherlock
Holmes has already some reasons for doubting Barrymore as he has some
resemblance with the person who was tracking Sir Henry while sitting in a cab.
So Barrymore’s decision to
leave Baskerville Hall increases doubt in the minds of Sherlock Holmes, Watson,
Sir Henry and the reader also.
He puts forward some
reasons for it.
He says that Sir Henry is
a young man and would like to enjoy the company of his people. So he might like
to keep new servants in the house, suiting to his lifestyle.
The death of Sir Charles
seemed to give them a shock as they were very much attached to him. Sir Charles
had also allotted them some amount in his will. They feel very much obliged to
him.
He says that his old
master lived a very simple life and they would also prefer such life to live in
some solitude and peaceful atmosphere.
There may be another
reason that Barrymore could not explain. He was worried about the way and the
conditions under which Sir Charles had died.
His own brother-in-law
Seldom might be the cause of the Barrymore couple.
The Hound of the
Baskervilles
Chapter 7
Summary in Detail
It is a beautiful sunny
morning that makes Dr. Watson and Sir Henry forget something about the sad
experiences of the previous day. Both of them were at the breakfast table.
Dr. Watson could not help
talking about the sobbing of a woman heard by them the previous night.
Barrymore was called for
explain about the woman’s sobbing at night. But he said there were only two
women there. One was his wife and he told them that it was not his wife who
could have sobbed at night.
But Dr. Watson happened to
meet Mrs. Barrymore after breakfast. He found that the lids of her eyes were
red and swollen. It proved that Barrymore had told a lie.
Now Watson was thinking
about the reason that made Barrymore tell a lie. Why did his wife keep weeping?
Several doubts come in Watson’s mind. It was Barrymore who had first to
discover the dead body of Sir Charles. He compared the man in the cab with
Barrymore. His face and dark beard were giving the impression of the man in the
cab tracking Sir Henry.
Then Dr. Watson went to
meet the Grimpen postmaster to ascertain whether the test telegramme was
received by Barrymore himself or by someone else. The postmaster told Dr.
Watson that the telegramme was received by his wife, not by Barrymore. She told
the postmaster’s boy that he was upstairs.
Thus Dr. Watson could not
reach the point as to where Barrymore was on the day when Sir Henry was being
tracked. It was the postmaster’s fault who could not ensure the delivery of the
telegramme in the right person’s hands.
Several other burdensome
thoughts about the case kept hovering Watson’s mind. So he yearned for the
return of Sherlock Holmes so that he could handle that complex case in his own
way.
As Dr Watson was praying
for the presence of Sherlock Holmes, his thoughts were interupted by the sound
of running feet which he heard coming from behind. He had expected to see Dr.
Mortimer, but he saw a man of between 30 to 40 years of age having a small and
slim staure with careful and clean shaven face. He was dressed in gray suit and
putting on a straw hat on his head.
He introduced himself as
Stapleton of Meripit House and a mutual friend of Sir Charles and Dr. Mortimer.
He was carrying a box hung over his shoulder and a green buterfly net in one of
his hands. It may tell about the nature of his job.
Topics on Chapter 7
Topic 1 :The incidents leading to Dr. Watson’s Suspicion about Stapleton
Sherlock Holmes had
already instructed Dr. Watson to remain very much alert at Baskerville Hall as
there was danger to Sir Henry’s life.
So Dr. Watson tried to
study each and every thing there during his stay. He also wanted to show to
Sherlock Holmes that he was also a very alert detctive.
Much of his suspicion was
focussed on Barimore couple.
At the breakfast time,
Barrimore was called by Sir Henry to explain as to who could be the woman that
kept on sobbing the previous night.
Barrimore showed his
ignorance to it, Dr. Watson’s sharp eyes were able to see Mrs. Barrimore’s
wife’s red and swollen eyes.
It confirmed the fact it
was she who was sobbing and weeping last.
After that, Dr. watson
went to meet the Grimpen post master to clarify from him whether the test
telegramme was received by Mr. Barrimore or someone else at the Baskerville
Hall.
The postmaster told him
that it was Mrs. Barrimore who had actually recived the telegramme saying that
her husband was upstairs.
Thus, Sherlock Holmes was
unable to find out whether Barrimore was in London on the day when Sir Henry
was being spied by the man in the cab having black beard like that of Mr.
Barrimore.
In this way, Dr. Watson’s
doubts about Barrimore couple were strenthened.
Topic 2
Watson’s doubts on Stapleton:
Dr. Watson has reasons for
doubting Stapleton. He shows extra concern in the case of Sir Charles’s death.
He also wants to know from Dr. Watson much very about Sir Henry.
He is very curious to know
about the course of action Sherlock Holmes is going to take in his
investigations about the causes of Sir Charles death. He alos offers his help
in the case.
Stapleton becomes so much
informal with Dr. Watson in his first meeting with him that he also invites him
to visit Meripit House.
Dr. watson accepts the
invitation because he wanted to know much about the place as wellas Stapleton
and his sister.
During the conversation,
Stapleton also warns Watson about the hdden dangers of the Moor, so he warns
the detective against moving here and there on the Moor.
Stapleton does not forget
to hint at the superstition of the curse on the Baskervilles. He aslo wants to
confirm from Watson if Sir Henry believes in superstions or not.
He also talks as to how
the family curse of the hound had affected Sir Charles’ already weak heart.
Stapleton firmly adds that Sir Charles must have seen something dangerous on
that fateful night. It had caused his tragic death.
As Stapleton runs after a
moth or a butterfly, Miss Stapleton arrives there. She mistook Dr. watson for
Sir Henry. Without mincining any word, she warns Watson to leave the place at
once for safety reasons.
Topic 3.
Meeting between Watson and Miss Stapleton
In the chapter 7, two
meetings take place between Dr. watson and Miss Stapleton. First, he meets her
when she appears all of a sudden in front of him as Stapleton runs after a moth
or a butterfly. She mistakes him for Sir Henry and without making any
formality, she tells him to leave Baskerville Hall at once. She also advises
him not to say anything about it to her brother Stapleton. He was coming
towards them.
When Stapleton calls Dr.
Watrson by name, then she realises her mistake of misidentifying him.
After that, Dr. Watson
leaves Meripit House to reach Baskerville Hall. But then Miss Stapleton finds
time to secretly meet Dr. Watson. She comes behind him tells him that her
warning was meant for Sir Henry, not him. She requests Watson to persuade Sir
Henry to leave the Moor and return to London as there was danger to his life
there.
Again she requests Dr.
Watson to keep it as secret from her brother that she had said anything to him.
Thus we see that these two
meetings between Dr. Watson are very much important for Sherlock Holmes. It
also helps Dr. Watson to reach the conclusion that there was solid reason
behind Miss Stapleton’s hiding of what she had said to Dr. Watson.
Topic 4. Mysteries of the Moor highlighted by
Stapleton.
Stapleton tells Dr.Watson
about the beauty as well as the hidden dangers of the moor.
If he calls it ‘a wonderful
place’, he also calls it ‘barren and mysterious.’ While telling about Grimpen Mire, Stapleton
tells Dr. Watson that ‘a false step yonder means death to man or beast.’
Then he refers to the
hills and calls them islands cut off on all sides, but he appreciates them for
the rare species of plants and butterflies.
The deep moaning sound
heard by Dr. watson also adds to the grim and mysterious atmosphere of the
place.
Stapleton interprets this
as the call given by the hound of Baskervilles for prey. Stapleton also points
towards a hillside and calls it the home of Prehistoric man.
In this way, Stapleton’s
purpose of filling a sense of chill and fear in Dr. Watson’s mind becomes
clear. He wants to scare the detective so that he fails in his mission and leave
the place in in fright.
But the irony is that it
is Stapleton who meets his death in the end as he fall into the mire and is
swallowed by it. His warning that ‘a false step yonder means death to man or
beast’ proves true on him.
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Topics on Chapter 8
Topic 1 : First Report of Dr. Watson to Sherlock
Holmes about the romantic relationship between Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton.
Dr. Watson sends his first
report to Sherlock Holmes about the developing romantic relationship between
Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton.
Dr. Watson is not happy
with this development between them because he is very much concerned about the
safety of Sir Henry, who is already at risk there.
Sir Henry is really captivated
by the beauty and charms of Miss Stapleton. According to Dr. Watson’s
observations, it is Sir Henry’s being young and his loneliness at the
Baskerville Hall which has made Sir Henry show a lot of interest in her.
Another thing that Dr.
Watson notices is that there is a lot difference between the temperament of Mr.
Stapleton and his so called sister.
Miss Stapleton also shows
very much interest in Sir Henry Baskerville.
Another thing worth
mentioning here is that Mr. Stapleton does not approve of such type of
relationship. Watson has seen Stapleton feeling irritated whenever he found Sir
Henry and his sister engaged in conversation.
Topic 2: Dr. Watson’s visit to the Yew Alley:
We come to know about Dr.
Watson’s visit to Yew Alley Through his report sent to Sherlock Holmes. Dr.
Mortimer, who had come to have lunch with Sir Henry and Dr. Watson, takes them
to Yew Alley. They watch the place where Sir Charles had met with his tragic
death.
The place seems to cast a
shadow of gloom on the place as they walk through the passage that seemed to be
like a tunnel because there were high walls of hedges on the both sides.
Dr. Watson observed very
minutely the place where Sir Henry seemed to have been waiting for someone. He
had dropped ashes from his cigar two times there.
It was the place where Sir
Charles seemed to have seen something frightful coming towards him, which had
made him run towards the moor.
Dr. Watson thinks that the
terror and fatigue must have caused Sir Charles’ heart failure.
This visit makes Dr.
Watson ponder over a few necessary points. He wonders as to what that
‘terrible’ object could be. It could be
a ‘sheep-dog’ of the moor or some phantom hound or something in human flesh and
blood.
In this way, Dr. Watson’s
visit to the Yew Alley proves to be very important. It makes his belief that
there must be some human being causing danger to Sir Henry’s life. The same
person also is responsible for Sir Charles’ tragic death.
Topic 3:
The reasons leading to Dr. Watson’s doubts on Mr.
Barrymore:
Not only Doctor Watson,
but Sherlock Holmes and even Sir Henry suspected on Mr. Barrymore at least up
to the middle of the novel.
There were certain reasons
for that. The first reason is that his face had also black beard on it like
that of the man in the cab stalking Sir Henry in London.
The second reason is that
Mr. Barrymore decides to leave Baskerville Hall at the arrival of Sir Henry
there. He gives unsatisfying reasons for his decision.
The third reason which
Makes Dr. Watson and even Sir Henry suspect him more strongly than before is
that he tells lie about the woman who kept on sobbing the previous night while
his wife’s eyes were red and swollen.
Dr. Watson also comes to
know from the Grimpen postmaster that the telegramme was received by Mrs.
Barrymore, not Mr. Barrymore.
Another reason that makes
Sir Henry and Dr. Watson confident in their suspicion on him is that Barrymore
was found walking at night with a burning candle in his hands and waving it to
and fro in an empty room.
These are the reasons that
make him a victim of suspicion.
Topics on Chapter 9
Q1. :Describe
the significance of the light upon the moor and how the mystery of the light is
solved.
Ans. The Chapter ‘The
Light Upon the Moor’ is very much important because it throws light on several
issues of the story.
The subplot of the novel
related to Seldon becomes clear to Dr. Watson, Sir Henry and also to the
readers. Both Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore were in the list of the suspects given to
Dr. Watson by Sherlock Holmes. Barrymore was constantly being suspected for
having his link with the person who was spying Sir Henry in London.
Dr. Watson and Sir Henry were curious to know
as to whom Barrymore was showing the candle light the previous night. So the
next night, Dr. Watson followed him to know about it. He noticed that Barrymore
waved the burning candle from the open window of an empty room. He seemed to
give a signal to somebody at a distance. Dr. Watson told all that to Sir Henry
and both of them decided to follow Barrymore at night.
It becomes clear that Mr.
Barrymore and his wife were protecting and helping Seldon, who was Mrs. Barrymore’s brother.
Barrymore was caught red handed while giving signals with the help of candle
light to provide him food.
Now this also becomes
clear that Barrymore had no love relationship with any country girl.
Q2. Why does Sir Henry go without Watson to meet Miss
Stapleton? Describe their meeting.
Ans. Dr. Watson knew that
Sir Henry was fascinated by the charms of Miss Stapleton. But he never knew
that he could risk his life by deciding to meet her alone on the moor. Dr.
Watson performed his duty to warn Sir Henry about his rash decision, but he did
not follow Watson’s advice and went to meet his lady love.
But still, Dr. Watson
followed both of them at a distance to provide Sir Henry a security cover.
Both the lovers met at the
fixed place at fixed time. They walked side by side slowly talking happily. It
seemed as if they were in deep discussion. Then Sir Henry tried to express his
love to Miss Stapleton, but it seemed that she was trying to resist it. She
also tried to press upon him to go away from the Baskerville Hall as there was
danger to his life.
After that Sir Henry
presented a marriage proposal to her, but at that very moment Stapleton reached
venting his anger on Sir Henry out of jealousy. Thus their meeting came to an
abrupt end.
Q3. Stapleton was rude to Sir Henry when he
interrupted them and vented his anger on him. But later on, he gives an
explanation to Sir Henry about his bad behavior and feels sorry for it. Are you
satisfied with his explanation?
When Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton were busy in
their conversation, Stapleton came running to them and started abusing Sir Henry. It was very rude of him.
Later on, Stapleton tried
to defend his rough behaviour with him. He apologized to him for his bad
behavior. He told him that he was very possessive of his only sister. He could
not bear the thought of losing his sister to anyone. Moreover he had no idea of
their being so close in a relationship. That was why; he could not control his
anger at that time. He also told him that it would be a good thing if his
sister got married to a neighbor like him. But he would have to wait for three
months for that.
But we do not agree with
the explanation Stapleton forwarded to assuage the hurt feeling of Sir Henry.
We know that he is the mastermind who has made a plan to kill Sir Henry and be
the owner of the whole Baskerville estate. So, how could a villain like
Stapleton be the well wisher of Sir Henry?
General
Questions on ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’
Q1. Character sketch or the role played by Sherlock
Holmes in the novel ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’.
Ans. Sherlock Holmes plays
a very important role in this novel. He is an astute crime detective with superb
qualities in him. He is the person who resolves all the tangled threads of the
major plot of the novel. He solves the mystery of the curse of the hound upon
the Baskervilles. This is the reason why he is considered ‘the greatest
detective of all time’.
We, the readers, are
wonderstruck at his observations, alertness and deductions throughout the
novel. In the very first chapter, he proves his supremacy over his assistant
Dr. Watson.
From the very beginning,
he is not ready to believe in the supernatural cause of Sir Charles tragic
death. Towards the end of the novel, he unravels the mystery of the hound. The
incidents of the missing shoes at once clarify to him the fact that some human
being behind the curtain is conspiring against the Baskervilles. So he deputes
Dr. Watson to provide safety cover to Sir Henry at Baskerville Hall.
He himself remains behind
the curtain to fill the missing gaps in the safety cover.
He is a true realist and,
therefore, he relates all the incidents to cause and effect theory. He does not
tell anything about his secret plans even to Dr. Watson.
His observation power is
par excellence.. When his sharp eyes fall on the portrait of Hugo Baskerville,
the evil incarnate, Stapleton’s face at once comes in his mind. This gives a sudden
twist to the events of the story.
Sherlock Holmes is not
only full of supreme intellect, but he is a true human being also. He feels
concerned about the safety of the people living on the moor when the criminal
Seldon is out of prison. He even regrets to Sir Henry that his safety was put
in danger to expose Stapleton.
Thus with very few
weaknesses as a human being, he is a superb detective.
2. Role/Character sketch of Dr. Watson
Dr. Watson also plays a
very important role in this novel. He is the narrator of the story and,
therefore, the readers
Ans. Dr. Watson also plays
very important role in this novel. He is the narrator of the story and,
therefore, the readers feel his presence almost all the time.
He is a doctor by
profession and not a trained detective, but, in spite of that, he successfully
proves his ability for this profession.
Sherlock Holmes assigns to
him several tasks, which he completes to Sherlock Holmes full satisfaction.
Sometimes Dr. Watson goes
beyond facts and reality. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes told him to report to him
about the facts, not theory when he was deputed at the Baskerville Hall to
provide a safety cover to Sir Henry Baskerville.
Sometimes he may be
tempted to believe in superstition, but Sherlock Holmes dissuades him to do so.
At Baskerville Hall, he
performs his duty very carefully and sends detailed reports to his boss,
Sherlock Holmes. At one or two occasions, he shows his carelessness regarding
Sir Henry’s security, but on the whole, he performs his duty very well.
Thus Dr. Watson assumes
the number two position in the novel with several of his positive and very few
negative points.
3. Describe the character of Jack Stapleton as the
villain of the story, who masterminds the entire plot and executes it till the
end. Or
Dr. Watson describes Stapleton as a “creature of
infinite patience and craft, with a smiling face and a murderous heart’.
Describe the character of Stapleton in the light of this remark. Or
Holmes remarks that “the devil’s agent may be of flesh
and blood” Describe the character of Jack Stapleton in the light of this
statement.
Or
Can Stapleton be called the hound of the Baskervilles,
who dogs Sir Charles to death and attempts to murder Sir Henry, too?
Ans. Jack Stapleton is the
third and one of the most important characters of this novel. He is the
mastermind who dogs Sir Charles to death and also weaves a very dangerous web
to entangle Sir Henry to plan his murder. In a way, he may be called the real
hound of the Baskervilles. He does all this villainy to become the sole owner
of the Baskerville estate.
The revelation that he is
the nephew of Hugo Baskerville surprises us. Although he tries his level best
to eliminate Sir Henry, yet all of his plans are foiled by the super mind
Sherlock Holmes.
Jack Stapleton is such a
clever mind that he befools the simple-minded people at the moor. He spreads
superstition in their minds by creating the myth of the curse of a hound upon
the Baskervilles.
We come to know that once
he had opened a school, but could not continue due to some problems. He is a
naturalist, intelligent and clever. He understands at once at Sir Henry’s
arrival at Baskerville Hall that Dr. Watson’s has been sent to accompany him by
Sherlock Holmes. That’s why, he intends to know Sherlock Holmes’ planning from
Dr. Watson. He is so much morally down that he uses his own wife to lure Sir
Henry to her charms. He keeps the identity of his wife a secret. Thus Jack
Stapleton proves himself the faithful nephew of his rogue and villainous uncle
sir Hugo Baskerville.
Q4. What is the role played by the hound in the theme
and action of the novel? Or What is the relevance of the title “The Hound of
the Baskervilles” to the theme and the action of the novel?
Ans. The myth of the hound
haunts almost throughout the novel. So it is very important for the theme and
the action of the novel. In the beginning, we come to know from Dr. Mortimer
about the hound when he was informing Sherlock Holmes about Sir Henry’s death.
But Dr. Mortimer believed in the supernatural hound that had become a legendary
curse upon the Baskervilles. He also believes that Sir Henry had also become
the victim of that legendary and supernatural hound.
Another hound in the story
is the real one and it belonged to Stapleton. In a way this hound had become an
accomplice to Sir Charles’ murder. This is the same hound that was let loose
upon Sir Henry to eliminate him.
Stapleton is the real
villain in this novel. He is not less than any hound. He was the master of the
real hound that he used to kill Sir Charles and Sir Henry. Sir Henry was saved
by circumstances as Seldon had worn his dress. Stapleton was also a Baskerville
and wanted to usurp the whole Baskerville estate. He was in search of an
opportunity to kill Sir Henry from the very time he came in London. He is such
a clever and cunning person that he spreads the story of the hound among the
people on the moor so that they do not suspect cause of Sir Charles death. He
took the help of the supernatural belied that is usually found in people’s
minds.
In this way, the hound
whether real or unreal haunts the readers’ minds throughout the novel.
Q5. What is the role played by the supernatural and
evil forces in ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’?
Ans. The novel ‘The Hound
of the Baskervilles’ written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is not without evil
forces. These are represented mainly by Stapletons, Stapleton’s real hound and
his greed to become the owner of the whole Baskerville estate, Seldon and even
the supernatural atmosphere built up by Stapleton. The interlude of Hugo
Baskervilles also adds to the dark and gloomy atmosphere in the novel. The
swamp on the moor and several other descriptions by the author enhance the
gloomy atmosphere.
The first victim of the
evil forces is the helpless daughter of a farmer on the moor. She was kidnapped
by Hugo Baskervilles and when she escaped from his clutches, the devil Hugo let
his hounds loose upon her.
Then Hugo’s nephew,
Stapleton made Sir Charles his victim. He wanted to get Sir Henry killed by his
hound, but Sherlock Holmes exposed him before that. Seldon, the absconding
criminal became his victim as he was killed by Stapleton’s hound. He spread
stories about supernatural beliefs of the curse upon the Baskervilles.
But in the general drama
of life, only the good forces win. Nature always takes its nemesis. Stapleton
falls into the swamp and gets swallowed by it.
Thus in this novel we find
a struggle between the good and the evil forces. The good forces win in the
last.
Over
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