chapter 1

• what does the novel start with?

  sherlock reaching for cocaine bottle
• what does sherlock think should be an ‘exact science‘


  deduction
• what quote suggests Watson feels responsible or guilty for holmes

  ‘my conscience swelled nightly within me’
• why does watson feel responsible?

  ‘medical man’ - medic in the army
• in what way could Holmes be considered ’sublime’ (in his own sense)?

  ‘chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for i am the only one in the world‘
• what is Holmes the only one of?

  ‘the only unofficial consulting detective‘
• evidence Holmes doesn’t like publicity?

  ‘i claim no credit in such cases’

  and ‘my name figured in no newspaper’
• contrast in Watson and Holmes characters?

  rational vs emotional
• what could Watson be considered?

  • audience surrogate
  • unreliable narrator
  • idiot friend to Holmes (trope)
  • romatic
• what quality does Holmes have?

  didactic
• what are good qualities to be a detective?

  • observation
  • deduction
  • knowledge
• example of Holmes fascination with forensic science?

  ”extraordinary genius for minutiae”
• What does Watson give Holmes to test his deduction skills?

  old pocket watch
• why is Holmes bored at home?

  no cases to solve - lacks ‘brainwork‘
• why does watson get offended at Holmes about his deduction of the pocket watch?

  talks about his brother insensitively
• what does Holmes lack?

  empathy , understanding of emotion
• what can Holmes not live without?

  ‘brainwork’
• analyse quote “tinge with romantism”

  direct address, H ignores emotion and is purely logical
• analyse quote “I was irritated by the egotism“

  shows H arrogance, idiot friend trope
• analyse “i cannot live without brainwork”

  hyperbole, H needs brain stimulation