The Adventure of the Crooked Man; Sir Arthur Conan

Doyle
Finally Looking at "The Adventures of the Crooked Man" by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through a Formalist lens helps the
reader to better understand what is happening throughout
the story. This can also help the reader to understand the
reasons behind what is occurring and the reason why the
story is written the way that it is. The Crooked Man;
A Brief Description
The Adventure of the Crooked Man Form & Symbols Form
contributes to the meaning of the text giving the reader a
better understand of the contents and how to read it. It's
the fragmentation of a story line and of the timeline in
modern fiction is not only used to generate a sense of
urgency and chaos. Tone, Allusion &Affective Fallacy Tension
in Themes A symbol is when an image take on a meaning
beyond its objective self. Symbols aid the reader in
understanding hidden (or sometimes apparent) meanings
within a work of literature. Symbols reach beyond the work
and engage the world of value outside the work. Point of
View "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" changes
perspective throughout the novel, the story is being told by
Watson who has the story told to him by Sherlock. Though
later in the story Watson and Holmes go to find the suspect,
who gives them his first-person account of the situation,
which changes the perspective of the story.
"The Adventures of the Crooked Man" is an enthralling tale
in which Sherlock Holmes comes to the home of Watson
with the news that he has one of the strangest cases that
they have ever seen. A couple (Mr. & Mrs. Barkley) have
been happily married for quite some time. Mr. Barkley was a
member of the British army, and met Mrs. Barkley through
her father. On the night of the murder Mrs. Barkley had
gone to a charity event for her church with a friend (Miss.
Morrison). Upon arriving home, she has an argument with
her husband in the morning room, which is glass doors
facing the outside but solid walls on the other three sides.
The only door into the house was locked and the key cannot

be found. Sherlock then says that he had gone to the home

of Miss. Morrison who explained to him on the way home
from the charity event that they had run into someone who
had caused a shock to Mrs. Barkley. He could be easily
distinguished because of his hunchback, and the large box
he had slung over his back. Holmes and Watson go the the
home of Henry (the hunchback), he explains that he has
been a prisoner of war. Mr. Barkley and Henry had been in
war together both fighting for that hand of Mrs. Barkley,
Henry was winning. Because of this Mr. Barkley sent Henry
on a suicide mission so that he was captured by the
enemies. Many years later, Henry made his way back to
London, accidentally running into Mrs. Barkley, Henry in
surprise and overwhelmed by emotions tells her what her
husband did to him so many years ago. In a rage Mrs.
Barkley went home and confronted her husband, Henry
worried about what Mrs. Barkley would do appeared in the
windows of the morning room. Henry ran into the room
trying to stop the argument Mr. Barkley in surprise died of a
heart attack. Henry in shock picked up the key but decided
that he would not incriminate himself and left with the key.
Characters:
Sherlock Holmes
James Watson
Mrs. Nancy Barkley (Wife of Deceased)
Mr. James Barkley (Deceased)
Henry Wood (Old Family Friend)
Miss. Morrison (Neighbour of Barkley's)
Jane Stewart (The House Maid)
The Coachman
Teddy (The Mongoose)
The Key:
The Key represents the missing piece of the puzzle, it is the
reason that no one was able to enter the room and help Mr.
Barkley, this same key is also the 'key' in unlocking the
mystery to what had actually happened inside the room.
Sherlock unlocks the mystery of "The Crooked Man" only
after he has managed to find the key. The key is a symbol of

the solution to the problem at hand. Form:

The Adventure of the Crooked Man is written in Watson's
perspective, but the story is on large being told by Holmes,
which means there are breaks with in the story line that
generate urgency and an overwhelming sense of confusion.
First Person:
This is the view that we are given by Watson in the
beginning of the story. "I had risen from my seat and was
knocking out the ashes of my pipe when I suddenly heard
the clang of the bell.... To my astonishment it was Sherlock
Holmes who stood upon my step. "Ah, Watson," said he, "I
hoped that I might not be too late to catch you"" (Doyle 1).
This view is limited to what Watson see and chooses to tell
the reader, it is difficult to understand the points that
Watson is making because he is not sure of all the details
himself.
Total Objectivity:
This point of view is received briefly after Watson has
finished relaying the story that Holmes has told him,
Watson and Sherlock leave to interview the Crooked Man
(Henry Wood). There is no longer a reason for the story to
be written as though it is being relayed to the audience. The
story is then switched to present tense with each character
saying their own lines directly to the audience. ""Mr. Henry
Wood, late of India, I believe," said Holmes affably. "I've
come over this little matter of Colonel Barclay's death."
"What should I know about that?" "That's what I want to
ascertain. You know, I suppose, that unless the matter is
cleared up, Mrs. Barclay, who is an old friend of yours, will
in all probability be tried for murder." (Doyle 8)
Tone:
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories are short in nature which
makes the need to expand the story crucial. The ways that
this is done is by forcing the reader to slow down is by
adding passages of dense imagery making the reader pay
closer attention. "His eyes kindled and a slight flush sprang
into his thin cheeks. For an instant, the veil had lifted upon
his keen, intense nature, but for an instant only. When I

glanced again his face had resumed that red-Indian

composure which had made so many regard him as a
machine rather than a man." (Doyle 2).
Another tone used in "The Adventures of the Crooked Man"
is suspense. The tone of the story is suspenseful, as the
story progresses the reader becomes more aware that they
know less than the narrator, and even less than Sherlock
Holmes. For most of the story Watson is narrating in first
person, he draws attention to the things that he doesn't
know or understand. This bring attention to the pieces of
the story that are missing which builds suspense. "How do
you deduce that?" (Doyle 6) "But what had it to do with the
crime?" (Doyle 6).
Allusion:
At the end of "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" Sherlock
speaks of the name David, which the house maid overheard
Mrs. Barkley cry out twice while she was in the morning
room with her husband. This use of the name David is
explained slightly by Sherlock himself. 'David' was used as a
strong criticism against her husband; she is using the name
David to compare him to the Biblical king who has
Bathsheba's husband Uriah transferred to a zone with
heavy fighting so that he will be killed, leaving David free to
marry Uriah's wife. "Yes; David strayed a little occasionally,
you know, and on one occasion in the same direction as
Sergeant James Barclay. You remember the small affair of
Uriah and Bathsheba? My Biblical knowledge is a trifle rusty,
I fear, but you will find the story in the first or second of
Samuel." (Doyle 13).
Society & Class Appearances Respect & Reputation
The Mongoose:
"The Adventure of the Crooked Man" holds a twist that not
even Sherlock Holmes can unlock, how a dog ran up the
curtains. "Did you ever hear of a dog running up a curtain? I
found distinct traces that this creature had done so" (Doyle
5). This idea and puzzle is the symbol of confusion, which is
apparent though other symbols found in the story. The
missing key which can also be view as a more simplistic

symbol of confusion as Watson cannot figure out how a key

could possibly leave a locked room with only 2 people both
of whom remained in the room. The symbol of confusion is
very important to the Sherlock Holmes stories because
without it there would be no great mystery. There are many
different themes that are presented in "The Adventure of
the Crooked Man." These themes help the reader to
understand more of the hidden ideas within the story and
the mindset of the great detective Sherlock Holmes. Many
themes also include tension, its the idea that there are
elements to each theme that does not fit. The theme of
society and class is will represented in "The Adventure of
the Crooked Man" by the status of the different classes.
Although Holmes is shows belief in equality between classes
treating all people as equals. Even when speaking to Henry
Wood, who's disfigured he is polite when he addresses him
"Mr. Henry Wood, late of India, I believe," said Holmes
affably. "I've come over this little matter of Colonel Barclay's
death" (Doyle 10). Although Holmes does treat everyone
that he encounters with respect he is not blind to the class
system that is put in place.
Conan Doyle uses dialect, clothing, and physical
appearance to suggest a difference in each of the
character's classes. Miss Morrison is an example of a higherclass character who is judged purely on her status and
class. "Miss Morrison is a little ethereal slip of a girl, with
timid eyes and blond hair, but I found her by no means
wanting in shrewdness and common sense." (Doyle 7).
Although Holmes treats everyone equally and with respect
he still use's social status as a way of judging peoples
characters. Reputation is a large motivator of the plot in
"The Adventure of the Crooked Man", Holmes because he is
not a police officer retains the ability to choose what
criminals he gives to the police. In "The Adventure of the
Crooked Man" the police know that someone else must
have been in the room with Mr. & Mrs. Barkley. Holmes
manages to deduce who was in the room, and confront him.
Though already knowing that Mr. Barkley had died from

natural causes found no reason to turn Henry Wood into the

police.
They only way that they can convince Henry Wood to talk is
by telling him that the reputation of the woman that he
loves is on the line; and unless they receive the truth of
what happened in the morning room that Mrs. Barkley will
be tried for murder. Being tried for murder has a profound
effect on the reputation of the person being tried. Mr. Wood
as he is still in love with Mrs. Barkley speaks to Holmes out
of fear of ruining Mrs. Barkley's reputation. Appearance as a
theme ties into both reputation and societies class system.
Holmes spends much of his time analysing the people
around him, basing his initial assessments on the person's
inner character on their outward appearance. This
assessment can incorporate class gender, outward
appearance and even race in the initial stages.
Holmes uses the theme of appearance to make a
judgement on everyone he encounters, this can be seen in
"The Adventure of the Crooked Man" when Sherlock Holmes
enters the home of Watson making a judgement on who he
is based on his outward appearance. "You'll never pass as a
pure-bred civilian as long as you keep that habit of carrying
your handkerchief in your sleeve" (Doyle 1).
Affective Fallacy:
Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" is a
short story that should be taken as a piece of Affective
Fallacy, the work is judged by its effect on the reader.
Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" is a
mystery and is judged on the plot twist and shock value at
the end. Rather than being an Intentional Fallacy where the
reader is supposed to divorce other idea from the text. Due
to the fact that the Sherlock Holmes novels are written in
the first-person perspective of Watson we cannot take
anything from the stories other than what we are told.
The Pipe:
The tobacco pipe is a strong and apparent symbol in "The

Adventure of the Crooked Man", Holmes enters the home of

Watson and his first great deduction is the type of tobacco
that Watson is smoking. "You still smoke the Arcadia
mixture of your bachelor days, then! There's no mistaking
that fluffy ash upon your coat" (Doyle 1). Holmes then
invites himself to a pipe of Watson tobacco and excuses
himself from any food, claiming he just wants a pipe. This
excuse symbolizes a dependency on the tobacco pipe,
putting everything else secondary to smoking.
As Holmes continues to explain the case of "The Crooked
Man" and the Barkley family he says quite blatantly that he
has smoked many pipes over this case and has yet to come
up with a solution. This statement also shows the
dependency upon this substance. "I may even say
exceptional features of interest. I have already looked into
the matter over a few pipes, and have come, as I think,
within sight of my solution"