The+Red+Headed+League

Christopher Munoz Zachary Kallus Nicholas Gurciullo Gunner Eden

**//__The Red-Headed League __//** By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (p. 96) Published 1891 (republished 1892)

 LIFE IN Late 19TH CENTURY England  The year 1890 was an important year in England. It was a time when England was going through their industrial revolution. It was a point where dark events occured such as The Royal Baccarat scandal, an English gambling scandal that involved future King Edward VII. This decade was also when Russian Jews were being tortured, and they were escaping to not only America, but to England as well. There was also the releasing of the first edition of the Daily Graphic, a British picture paper, and of the completion of the Forth Bridge, the longest bridge in Britain, opening for the first time. Another thing that happened in 1890 was the Southampton Dock strike. This year was also the death of Joseph Merrick “The Elephant Man.” Another that happened that year was Scotland Yard Head quarters of the metropolitan police service moves to a building on London’s Victoria Embankment as the New Scotland Yard. This was also the year of the publication of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and The Sign of the Four. In general, this decade for England was quite similar to what was happening in America at this decade.

For more information on the 19th century in general, [|click here]   This Story's Setting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's //The Red-Headed League// is set in this 1890s era in London. The story specifically starts in the living quarters of Holmes and Watson, 221b Baker Street. This type of setting would be considered an integral setting since the plot revolves around that time period and that city.

Plot Diagram **Exposition-** Watson decides to go over to Sherlock Holmes’s house, but he sees that he has a visitor, Mr. Wilson. Watson turns to leave but Sherlock stops him. Sherlock Holmes and Watson talk to Mr. Wilson for a little while, and then Mr. Wilson tells why he is there. Wilson’s assistant Vincent Spaulding had pointed out to Wilson a job notice in the newspaper. It was a job sponsored by the Red-Headed League, and only men with red hair need apply. Spaulding convinced Wilson to go to the interview, and because of the bright color of his hair, Wilson was hired. His job was to copy the __Encyclopedia Britannica__ from 10 A.M. until 2 P.M. He was not to leave the room at all, or he would lose his job. Wilson enjoyed the extra money he made but one Saturday, when he showed up at work, he saw a sign that said the League was dissolved. Wilson set out to discover what had happened to the League, and his well-paying job, but could learn nothing. Spaulding advised that he wait until the League got in touch with him, but Wilson came to seek the advice of Sherlock Holmes.

They arrive at the shop. Holmes thumps upon the pavement with his walking stick and knocks on the door. A young man, possibly Spaulding, answers the door, and Holmes asks directions of him. However, Holmes is most interested in observing the knees of the shop’s assistant’s trousers; he sees what he expected to see. Holmes and Watson walks away, proud of what they found. They then walk around the block to see what shops are behind Mr. Wilson’s shop. There is a tobacco shop, newspaper store, restaurant, a carriage-depot, and The City and Suburban Bank. Holmes tells Watson that a serious crime is about to be committed and that he needs Watson’s help with it when it happens in the evening. The two men then split apart until it’s time for their plan to unfold. Watson returns to Holmes’s house at ten in the evening, where police officer Peter Jones and Mr. Merryweather of the City and Suburban Bank, are already gathered. Holmes explains that they will meet the master criminal John Clay later in the evening. The four men take a carriage to the bank and wait in the vault for the crime to happen. Merryweather realizes that Clay is about to attempt to steal a large amount of gold from the bank.
 * Rising Action-** Sherlock Holmes asks a few questions to Mr. Wilson about Spaulding and finds out that he has been with Mr. Wilson for only three months, that he works for half wage, he develops photographs in a pawnshop’s cellar, and that he has a mark upon his forehead. At the last bit of information, Holmes gets a little excited because it seems he recognizes Spaulding. He sends Mr. Wilson home, saying that he will give him advice and information at a later date. After Watson and Holmes reflected on the information Mr. Wilson gave, they head out into the streets of London and head to where Mr. Wilson’s shop is located.


 * Climax-** After around a hour of waiting, one of the stones on the floor begins to move and a hole opens up in the floor. John Clay then emerges from the hole in the floor, there to steal the large reserve of gold. But John Clay reaches back into the hole and pulls out his partner, a man with fiery red hair, up after him. Holmes springs out from his hiding spot and knocks Clay’s gun from out of his hands using his hunting crop. The accomplice dashes back into the hole and escaped. Luckily, Holmes warned Jones to station guards in front of Wilson’s house, where the tunnel leads to. Holmes then leads Clay outside to take him to the police station.


 * Falling Action-** In the early hours of morning, Holmes explains to Watson how he solved the crime. Holmes then realized immediately that Wilson’s job of copying the encyclopedia was simply a reason to get him out of the pawnshop for several hours a day. Holmes figured that Spaulding, who spent so much time in the pawnshop’s cellar, was digging a tunnel down there to a nearby building. By thumping his walking stick on the pavement, Holmes determined Wilson’s basement stretched behind the house, so he walked around the block to see what building were nearby. When he saw the bank, Holmes knew that it was obvious the tunnel was going there. He also looked at Spaulding’s knees to see that they were dirty and worn from hours of digging the tunnel. He knew Spaulding would rob the bank in the evening, on Saturday, because he would then have an extra day before the robbery would be discovered and he could escape. After solving what will happen, Holmes contacted Jones and Mr. Merryweather to help catch the thieves.


 * Dénouement-** Watson openly applauds Holmes for solving the case, but Holmes merely says that solving the case saved him from boredom. A boredom that is already coming back to him. He says that his life is simply an attempt to escape from the commonplace of existence. Watson points out that he helps people as well. Holmes agrees, noting that man himself is nothing, but that his work and everyone else’s is everything.

__**//Mood //**__ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave his readers the feeling of suspense and kept them in question. At certain points of the story, he gave questions to readers all while keeping the plot in a historical/ realistic fictitious world in which nowadays is almost impossible. Of course, Doyle answered these questions in the falling action, but on the way from the rising action to the climax, he gave moments that made readers get to the edge of their seats. Conan Doyle also added some small bits of comedy to the story, such as the constant bantering between Mr. Merryweather and Holmes in the vault while waiting for John Clay to arrive. Another bit of comedy was the part when Watson and Holmes had laughed at Mr. Wilson about the fact that he found out that the Red-Headed League was so to say "dissolved." By mixing up suspense and the enlightening feeling of comedy into the story, Doyle left readers wanting more of Sherlock Holmes.

in the story to be slim, having thin knees and nothing else. Sherlock is round because he has many different mental aspects to himself but he is static since he does not change any of his ways at the end of the story. Sherlock is very intelligent and usually relies on deductions to solve his crimes. But what also makes him so great at solving crimes is his keen ability to see small details within his world. In his case, he sees clues. This great detective of his time is known to have a quick-eye for things, to be understanding in certain situations, and also to be observant of everything. In this story, he must solve the mystery of why his recent client has had his temporary job as a copier for the Red Headed League literally disappear. He lives with his partner, John Watson, at 221b Baker Street.
 * //__Characters __//**
 * Sherlock** **Holmes:** Sherlock Holmes is the protagonist of the story who is (in literary terms) a very round and static character that is described
 * Dr. John Watson:** The famous companion of Holmes', John Watson, is the narrator of all the Sherlock Holmes stories including this one. He is a round and static character just like Holmes and in appearance, he is more husky as he is described in other stories. He is round in the sense that he has many behavioral aspects to his being, but for the same reasons as his companion, he is static as well. He usually doesn't see the clues that Holmes sees as though oblivious to the details and is then surprised that Sherlock notices them. Dr. Watson in the story has the mentality of the common gentleman of his era as well as Holmes. He is polite, trusting, and understanding to an extent, but not to the extent that Sherlock is.


 * Mr. Jabez Wilson:** Sherlock Holmes' current clinet in the story is a man named Jabez Wilson. He is described by Conan Doyle to be a "...very stout, florid-faced, elderly gentleman with fiery red hair." This elderly gentleman has an assistant named Vincent Spaulding that aids him in his pawnbroker's business that is located in Coburg Square. This man is considered a round character since he has a few of his behavioral traits and all of his physical traits displayed in the story. Mr. Wilson is known in the story to be humble for the reason that he calls most of his gestures small. He is static for the fact that his methods don't change at the end of the story as well as Holmes and Watson.
 * **pg.97**


 * John Clay a.k.a. Vincent Spaulding**: The antagonist of the story, John Clay was disguising himself as the flat and static character, Vincent Spaulding, who was first known to be the smart assistant of Mr. Wilson with the fault of liking photography. John Clay is described as "....a young man....remarkable...." and that "....his brain is as cunning as his fingers." He is described as a very stout individual in appearance, but nothing else. John Clay himself is a round character because in the story, he described really well by Holmes and the police officer Peter Jones as a very clever individual. Clay is flat, just like the other characters so far because he too doesn't change any of his habits at the end of the story.
 * pgs. 110-111**


 * Peter Jones:** Police Agent Peter Jones is a flat and static character since he isn't truly described in any way and he doesn't change any of his ways. He is only at the end of the story to arrest John Clay and his three partners but it seems as though he has been after Clay for a long time.


 * Mr. Merryweather:** Mr. Merryweather is the chairman of directors to the bank John Clay is robbing that seems to be more of a round character than of a flat character though he doesn't play no major role to the plot. He is round for the reason that he is described by his actions to be a nuisance but in appearance, he is a "....long, thin, sad-faced man with a very shiny hat and respectable frock coat." This character is a static character for the same reason as all the other characters that have been described so far.
 * pg. 110

Duncan Ross a.k.a. Archie (presumed to be):** Duncan Ross and his alias Archie are both flat and static characters since the author does not describe them at all in appearance, mentality, or behavior. As Duncan Ross, he was the boss of Mr. Wilson's part-time job as a copier,as Archie he is partner of John Clay's. 

The point of view for the story is first person view. The person that is telling the story is Sherlock Holmes' famous companion, Dr. John Watson. Watson has been the narrator in every story since he is around Holmes the majority of the time.
 * __Point of View __**

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle __** Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in May 22, 1859 in Edinsburgh, Scotland. He and his mother were average Irish-Catholic citizens. They were fairly well off for themselves, his mother was a master story teller and his father was a chronic drunk. After his ninth birthday, some of his more wealthy family members payed for him to go to Jesuit boarding school where he spent seven years of his life. After graduating he spent some time studying medicine at the University of Edinsburgh. Later in his life, he married Louisa Hawkins in 1885 who sufferd of tuberculosis and died on July 4, 1906, after having three children. He then remaried in 1907 to Jean Elizabeth who he had admired in the past but stayed with his first wife. Jean Elizabeth died on June 27, 1940 in London, England where they had two children. But while his first wife was still living in 1893, Arthur Conan Doyle decided to stop writing the Holmes novels because he wanted to divert more of his attention to his history novels. He sent a letter to his mother asking for her opinion. She answered to him thinking that the public would not like it. He then ended the series with his last Sherlock Holmes novel entitled "The Final Problem".
 * __

[|Click Here] for more information on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


 * __Excerpts from Arthur Conan Doyle's The Red-Headed League__

Examples of Imagery**  If You Liked //The Red-Headed League//, Then You Will Like These By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
 * "....his blazing red head," pg.98, describing Mr. Jabez Wilson
 * "....and there he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird." pg.107, describing what Sherlock does after Mr. Wilson leaves.
 * Examples of Suspense**
 * " I am sure that you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him." " Not him." "What then?" "What I expected to see." "And what did you see?" "The knees of his trousers." --This short part of the conversation that Holmes has with Watson is very full of suspense since in this part, Holmes isn't very specific as to what he is looking for in particular with Vincent Spaulding's knees.
 * " It read in this fashion: THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED. October 9, 1890." --Once Mr. Wilson states this, at this point, the conflict is introduced. Readers are left saying to themselves, "What just happened?" or "Why did the League leave like that?" You alos get to see the comical side of Holmes when he bursts into laughter over a serious situation for his new client.
 * Quotes **
 * "Never was such a fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera when he ought to be improving his mind, and then diving down into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures. That is his main fault, but on the whole he's a good worker. There's no vice in him." --This quote is important and crucial to the plot because Sherlock uses this as a clue to find out the culprit of the crime. Ironically, Vincent Spaulding, the man that Wilson is describing is the criminal John Clay and so he //does// have "vice" in him.
 * "He is, in my judgment. the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have known something of him before."--This is another important quote because many of the things Sherlock observes, he sees things that are out of place. In this case, he probably thinks of why Mr. Wilson's assistant is so smart. If you were to just take the phrase, the meaning of this quote is that Spaulding might one of the brightest men Holmes has met.
 * "John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He's a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on any criminal in London." --At this point, readers ask about what John Clay has to do with the disappearance of the League. This is also a part of the climax that should be looked upon.
 * "I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr. John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund, but beyond that I am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways unique, and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the Red-headed League." --This quote being the beginning of the falling action is important because of the knowledge that Clay has been a prime interest to Holmes for the longest.
 * " 'L'homme c'est rien -- l' oeuvre c'est tout,' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand." Holmes' and the story's last quote is important because it shows what Holmes is truly doing all this detective work for. What he means by that French phrase is that man isn't everything, but the work, and knowledge is everything.

The Mystery of Sasassa Valley 1879 J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement 1883 The Mystery of Cloomber 1889 The Captain of the Polestar 1890 The Firm of Girdlestone 1890 The Doings of Raffles Haw 1891 Beyond The City 1892 Round the Red Lamp 1894 The Parasite 1894 The Stark Munro Letters 1895 Rodney Stone 1896 A Duet 1899 The Great Boer War 1900 The Adventures of Gerard 1903 Through the Magic Door 1907 The New Revelation 1918 The Vital Message 1919 Tales of Terror and Mystery 1923 A Visit to Three Fronts 1916 The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard 1896 The Green Flag 1900 The Last Galley 1911 The Tragedy of The Korosko 1898 The History of Spiritualism Vol I 1926 The History of Spiritualism Vol II 1926

Poems
Songs of Action 1898 Songs of the Road 1911 The Guards Came Through 1919 The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle. Collected edition 1922

Historical Novels
Micah Clarke 1889 The White Company 1891 The Great Shadow and Other Napoleonic Tales 1892 The Refugees 1893 Uncle Bernac 1896 Sir Nigel 1906

Professor Challenger Books
The Lost World 1912 The Poison Belt 1913 The Land of Mist 1926 The Disintegration Machine 1927 When the World Screamed 1928

Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories
Sherlock Holmes - A Study in Scarlet 1887 Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of the Four 1890 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia 1891 Sherlock Holmes - A Case of Identity 1891 Sherlock Holmes - The Man with the Twisted Lip 1891 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle 1892 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Speckled Band 1892 Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 1894 Sherlock Holmes - Silver Blaze 1892 Sherlock Holmes - The Yellow Face 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Stock Broker's Clerk 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Gloria Scott 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Musgrave Ritual 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Greek Interpreter 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Naval Treaty 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Final Problem 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles 1902 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Empty House 1903 The Return of Sherlock Holmes 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Priory School 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of Black Peter 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Abbey Grange 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Second Stain 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Valley of Fear 1904 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge 1908 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Red Circle 1911 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Cardboard Box 1893 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans 1908 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Dying Detective 1913 Sherlock Holmes - The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax 1911 Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Devil's Foot 1910 Sherlock Holmes - His Last Bow 1917 The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1927 The Adventure of the Illustrious Client 1924 The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier 1926 The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone 1921 The Adventure of the Three Gables 1926 The Adventure of the Three Garridebs 1924 The Problem of Thor Bridge 1922 The Adventure of the Creeping Man 1923 The Adventure of the Lions Mane 1926 The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger 1927 The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place 1927 The Adventure of the Retired Colourman 1926

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Books in French
La Grande Ombre 1891 Nouveaux Myst貥s et Aventures 1910 Jim Harrison, boxeur 1910