Sherlock Holmes Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes Essay The dialogue and narrative probably the clearest and most noticed contrast between both stories.  In the story Silver Blaze, the narrator is Dr. Watson who tells the events within the story as he interprets it. Although this story is written in first person, the first person isnt the main character. Watson describes the moment tells the reader about the surroundings, the mood and anticipating thoughts from Watson. Due to Watsons sideline he is always telling us Holmes expressions trying to give understand what he is thinking. It is because Holmes is not the narrator that we do not find out what he is thinking at the moment, the reader finds out when Watson finds out. This is because as Sherlock Holmes discovers information, or forms a theory, Dr. Watson only finds out what Holmes knows when Holmes tells Watson, consequently to this, you as a reader will always have restricted access to the thoughts of Holmes and whats happening in the story. In Finger Man the narrator is Phillip Marlow, the difference being that in this story hes the main character of the story, so the reader experiences what he does and knows where his is going or what he is thinking. In a certain view you are interacting with the character and are told everything during the moment. It gives the reader a feeling of trust between you and the narrator (Phillip Marlow), this adds to the enjoyment of the story. Unlike Silver Blaze where the narrator isnt the main character, where Holmes does most of the thinking, and the only purpose of Watson is to record what Holmes is doing. Finger man is in a completely different to Silver Blaze in terms of narrative style. These two stories differ in plot as well. Silver blaze is much more straightforward; theres an introduction, middle and end. Its set out very simply you are given all the information on a plate, where as in Finger man, the action starts from the beginning. You start right in the middle of all the action when you start reading. Finger Man has many twist and turns, but Silver Blaze is just one straight line, where all the information comes together with an unpredictable ending.  Sherlock Holmes and Phillip Marlow are very different characters. Holmes is intelligent, analytical, methodical and private. Marlow also speaks his mind, but hes more ruthless, independent, a risk taker, and very streetwise. Holmes and Marlow are very intelligent, and always solve the case, but they solve them in very different ways. Holmes uses his mental/intellectual strength. Hes very calm, but tackles his problem with mental skills and will only resort to violence if it necessary. Marlow is an opposite. He takes risks that he has studied and thought about considerably before acting on it, but occasionally he acts on instinct making his behaviour unpredictable. Holmes is polite and sticks to the rules of the law. Holmes also cant resist explaining things, and he only speaks when hes ready, but when he speaks, he makes a long explanation. Marlows conversations are fast, brief, and to the point. He speaks what is on his mind and doesnt care what other people think. Marlow seems more like a tough guy, than a calm, composed detective like Holmes. Bending the rules is one thing Marlow doesnt really mind doing, hell do what he has to do, to solve the case. If it means hitting another person, or shooting someone, hell do it. The setting within the stories suggest stereotypical views of the surroundings and atmosphere giving the reader a whereabouts and extra dimension to the story. In Silver Blaze I imagined a dreary setting in the countryside, where it rains often and there isnt much form of transportation or communication. In Finger Man I in vision open top cars at daytime with the hot sun, but in the evening it is raining giving an eerie sense of things taking place.  our rate at present is fifty three and a half miles an hour. The telegraph posts upon this line are 60 yards apart, and the calculation is a simple one