‘The Sign of the Four’ Assessment Preparation

DO IT NOW! Answer the revision questions in the space provided.

1. What is the keyword of the quotation "unofficial consulting detective"? ___________

2. What does that keyword suggest?
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3. Who creates a sense of rivalry with Holmes and tries to outwit him?
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4. What does the contrast between Sherlock Holmes and Athelney Jones highlight about
the police and justice during the Victorian era?
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5. Why does Conan Doyle include the biased newspaper report in chapter eight? What
does it reveal? _________________________________________________________
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Assessment Information

The Sign of the Four exam is the second part of your English Literature Paper 1 (the other half is
on Macbeth) There will be one question for you to answer. You will be given an extract from the
story and one question. The question will ask you to discuss the presentation of a particular
theme, character, or idea in the extract and in the novel as a whole. The question is worth 30
marks and is half of the available marks in the English Literature exam, so 45 minutes would be a
good amount of time to spend on this question.
Here is an example of the questions:

Starting with this extract, explore how Conan Doyle creates a sense of mystery. Write
about:

 how Conan Doyle uses places to create a sense of mystery in this extract
 how Conan Doyle creates a sense of mystery in the novel as a whole.

Remember, there is no specific right answer here. So long as you explore and analyse the extract and bring
in your wider knowledge of the novel, you will be fine. The examiners want to read the work of people who
have clearly read the book carefully and have interesting ideas to share. You should use the knowledge
organiser to help you.
On the next page, you will find an example of a student’s exam answer. We will look through it carefully
together to see where they have done well, and where they could improve. Make sure you make notes
around the example as we go.
Explore how Doyle present Sherlock Holmes as an interesting and unusual investigator?

Within Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four, a novella written by him in the 1890s, the main character
Sherlock Holmes is presented as an extremely unusual, interesting and unique character who Doyle uses to
juxtapose and highlight the inadequacies of the Victorian police force.

In this particular extract, ‘with his long thin nose only a few inches from the planks and his beady eyes
gleaming and deep-set like those of a bird’ shows us that Holmes is undeniably unique – at least when
compared to the typical detectives of the time, who are more similar to Athelney Jones in nature. ‘Only a few
inches from the planks’ is a wonderful use of imagery as it accurately represents Holmes’ well known attention
to detail, with him examining every single inch of the crime scene before coming to a conclusion. Because of
this, it’s clear that Athelney Jones is our main character’s antithesis, ‘Facts are more important than mere
theories’ is an avid example of this, showing us how ignorant and unprecise Jones is. He looks at what is in
front of him, does not deduct or investigate in a detailed way and generally is a bad detective. He is ignorant
as he does not note that Sherlock’s ‘theories’ are deducted from facts that have been accurately detailed and
have evidence supporting them. Saying that though, the word ‘mere’ seems as if Jones is trying to widely
exaggerate Sherlock’s methods, most likely because of a possible desperate jealousy – with him possibly
realising that Holmes is a better detective.

The motif of animal imagery also enforces the idea that Holmes is a better detective than Athelney Jones.
‘deep-set like those of a bird’ as well as ‘hawk-like features’ portray Holmes as a master hunter, carefully
observing his prey from afar and deducing the best (most direct and efficient) plan of attack. Like Holmes,
animal imagery is also used to describe Jones’ style of detective work. Unlike Holmes, however, Jones’ style is
portrayed in a negative (but accurate) way. Whilst Holmes considers and plans, taking out specific prey in
coordinated ways, Jones is described by himself as having ‘a web around Thaddeus Sholto’. Webs are created
by spiders and the purpose of them is that any creature who flies into it, whether guilty or not, is trapped by it.
Jones’ decision to arrest everybody in Pondicherry Lodge is evidence that proves this to be true. He is the
epitome of an 1890s detective as at that time police detectives were fat, inefficient, untrained and mostly
drunks with them being violent and corrupt with the targeting of the working class and people of colour –
simply so that they could call it a day and have at least someone arrested. Holmes is the direct opposite of
those ideals which makes him unconventional for a detective of that era, instead acting as an allegory of true
justice as well as logic and intelligence. He in fact states in the first chapter of the play that he is the ‘only
unofficial consulting detective’ as if he was part of the police force – he would be disliked and seen as corrupt
by the late Victorian audience.

He is also an unconventional detective as he actually enjoys his work and the process of finding the truth
(unlike many police detectives at the time). In fact he apparently ‘lives for’ it and ‘craves mental exaltation’,
with him having to turn to drugs (which also makes him unconventional) for mental work if he is not working
on a case. This ‘addiction’ to solving mysteries drives him in a way that makes him a fun and interesting
character, even if he is quite emotionally hollow and is a stagnant character which in turn makes The Sign of
Four a cyclical story.

WWW:

EBI:
‘The Sign of the Four’ – Knowledge Organiser Page 1

‘The Sign of the Four’ – Knowledge Organiser Page 1

Knowledge Organiser Quiz!
Using the KO, come up with five questions to test somebody else with and write them below,
leaving space for answers.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

You are now going to start preparing for your assessment question. The focus of the question is
Watson. Using the space below, create a mind-map which draws together all the knowledge you
have about this character. Remember to consider all of the AOs in your notes – AO1= inference
and quotes; AO2 = methods and meanings/effects; AO3 = context and messages.

Assessment Question
Below you will see your assessment task. This exactly how it will look in the exam. Follow the steps:

1. Read all the instructions, extract and question.

2. Read the extract again.
3. Start to annotate the extract – remember you need: adjectives that say how Watson is presented
linked to quotes (AO1), methods (words/techniques) and meanings/effects (AO2), and links to
context (AO3) and the rest of the novel (AO1). Aim for at least three points and make sure you have
all of these for each one!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Sign of Four

Read the following extract from Chapter 1 and then answer the question that follows.

In this extract Holmes and Watson are discussing Mary Morstan.

"What a very attractive woman!" I exclaimed, turning to my companion.

He had lit his pipe again, and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. "Is she?" he said, languidly. "I did not observe."

"You really are an automaton,—a calculating-machine!" I cried. "There is something positively inhuman in you at times."

He smiled gently. "It is of the first importance," he said, "not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. A
client is to me a mere unit,—a factor in a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that
the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most
repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor."

"In this case, however—"

"I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule. Have you ever had occasion to study character in
handwriting? What do you make of this fellow's scribble?"

"It is legible and regular," I answered. "A man of business habits and some force of character."

Holmes shook his head. "Look at his long letters," he said. "They hardly rise above the common herd. That d might be an
a, and that l an e. Men of character always differentiate their long letters, however illegibly they may write. There is vacillation
in his k's and self-esteem in his capitals. I am going out now. I have some few references to make. Let me recommend this
book,—one of the most remarkable ever penned. It is Winwood Reade's 'Martyrdom of Man.' I shall be back in an hour."

I sat in the window with the volume in my hand, but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. My
mind ran upon our late visitor,—her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life. If
she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now,—a sweet age, when youth
has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts
came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology. What was I, an
army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking-account, that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit, a
factor,—nothing more. If my future were black, it was better surely to face it like a man than to attempt to brighten it by mere
will-o'-the-wisps of the imagination.
1 3 Starting with this extract, explore how Conan Doyle presents the character of Watson
Explore how Conan Doyle presents Watson in this extract ad in the rest of the novel.
Write about:

 How Conan Doyle uses language to show the character of Watson in the extract.
 How Conan Doyle presents the character of Watson in the novel as a whole.
(30 marks)
END OF QUESTION
 Question: Explore how Conan Doyle presents Watson in this extract ad in the rest of the novel.

Introduction: What is the main function of Watson? What are the most important things about Watson? Are there any key ways that Doyle uses to create Watson?

Quote from extract Adjective for Analysis of language Development – another Link to context Link to rest of novel
Watson meaning/ word focus/
quote

Conclusion: Why is Watson such an important character in the novel? How does this character help Doyle to show us the themes of the novel?
Answer:

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and meaning & effects / AO3 context and messages

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