The Sign of the Four: Character Quotations (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “a just sense of proportion”

What the quotation means: Holmes tells Watson that it is necessary to look beyond obvious facts in order to analytically reason

Theme: Justice and crime

• Conan Doyle introduces his protagonist as an impartial, unemotional detective:

  • His detached manner of investigation is presented as rooted in objectivity

  • Here, he refers to a “just” attitude to information, suggestive of fairness

• The “sense of proportion” he applies to justice is depicted later with Jonathan Small:

  • Holmes does not want Small punished for a crime he did not commit

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “err” and “over-confidence”

What the quotation means: Holmes is keen to clarify all the details of his case before coming to any conclusions and tells Watson that it is a mistake to be excessively confident

Theme: Greed and obsession

• One of the characteristics of Conan Doyle’s detective is his self-assuredness which can, at times, veer towards egotism:

  • Watson, as narrator, points out Holmes’ extreme nature throughout

  • Watson worries about his cocaine habit and low threshold for boredom

  • Holmes works hard and then becomes very lazy, Watson says

• Conan Doyle’s detective is an enigma in that his work life and private life seem at odds:

  • Here, Holmes suggests that he carries out his work in a balanced way

  • He says here that being too confident about his case would be reckless

Key word or phrase to memorise:   “your own rope” and “That I did not know”

What the quotation means: After Jonathan Small has finished telling them his strange story about cannibals and tribal dances, Holmes appears unsurprised, and simply says that he did not know about the rope

Theme: Colonialism

• Holmes implies here that information he receives is seen only as part of his case:

  • His response to Small’s story about the “bloodthirsty” Tonga is detached

  • This may imply that he is less susceptible to fear-based discrimination

• The chapter is called “The Strange Story of Jonathan Small” to highlight the unusual nature of what will be told:

  • This juxtaposes Holmes’ nonchalant response to Small’s account and creates dry humour

  • Holmes’ understated reply (litotes) is ironic in its focus on small details

Key word or phrase to memorise:   “black reaction”

What the quotation means: Watson tells Holmes that when he takes cocaine his mood becomes dark, and that he thinks taking the drug is a gamble not worth the potential loss of his great powers

Theme: Greed and obsession

• Conan Doyle introduces the intimate relationship between Watson and Holmes: 

  • It is made clear that Watson knows Holmes well

  • He discusses his cocaine habit, and that they both know its effect on him

• Watson’s position as a doctor makes him more cautious than Holmes:

  • He suggests that Holmes is gambling with his talent by taking cocaine

  • The imagery of “black reaction” connotes to extreme bad moods

Key word or phrase to memorise:   “inhuman”

What the quotation means: Watson tells Holmes that his lack of emotion is not natural for a human being

Theme: Justice and crime

• Watson’s character is a foil for Holmes:

  • This highlights ideas about human nature and justice

  • Watson is emotional, but Holmes believes this skews the truth 

• Conan Doyle’s character, Watson, often comments on human nature:

  • Prior to this, he tells Holmes he is a “calculating-machine”, and an “automaton”

  • Watson believes emotion is natural, later referring to the spiritual and animalistic side of mankind

Key word or phrase to memorise: “Black or blue” 

What the quotation means: Watson tells the captain and the major that, regardless of the colour of their skin, he must discuss plans with his “comrades”, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, and Dost Akbar

Theme: Colonialism

• Conan Doyle’s characters often reflect racist attitudes which present ideas about imperialism:

  • Before Watson’s reply, the major comments, “What have three black fellows to do with our agreement?”

• Watson’s response suggests he is impartial:

  • His alliterative remark emphasises that he does not discriminate by skin colour or race

  • He describes the men as “comrades”, meaning friends, implying a lack of prejudice

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “more strange, more utterly inexplicable” 

What the quotation means: When Mary Morstan visits Holmes and Watson, she is distressed about the whereabouts of her missing father

Theme: Justice and crime

• Conan Doyle’s female character is presented as desperate about her situation:

  • Her distress is shown with anaphora

  • This emphasises her confusion

• Her virtuous character is typical of gothic damsel in distress characterisations:

  • She is the catalyst for the mystery and the victim of a crime

  • She is presented as in dire need of the detective’s help

Key word or phrase to memorise:   “Indian work” 

What the quotation means: Mary Morstan remarks on the beauty of the metal box that they believe contains the treasure, and she suggests that the box comes from India

Theme: Colonialism

• Mary Morstan is presented as disinterested in wealth and power:

  • Her description of the box suggests she is not preoccupied with its value

  • She appears more interested in its cultural history 

• The treasure is a symbol of imperialism:

  • Here, Mary comments on the origin of the box (it belonged to an Indian prince)

  • She later remarks that the box “alone must be of some value”

  • The novella equates the British Empire with wealth and power

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “greatest interest” 

What the quotation means: When Mary Morstan says that she would be interested in seeing the treasure, Watson narrates that she says this simply to be respectful of the great lengths taken to find it

Theme: Greed and obsession

• One of the novella’s key ideas is the conflict over ownership of the Agra treasure:

  • The obsessive quest for the treasure illustrates the capacity for greed

• Mary’s great interest in the treasure, Watson says, is not one of “eagerness”:

  • He explains that she understands the sacrifices involved in its discovery

  • Indeed, Watson says he is relieved to be free of the “golden barrier”

  • This suggests the treasure is seen as a problem for Mary and Watson

Key word or phrase to memorise: “twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury box”

hat the quotation means: Sholto explains he is certain he will be arrested for his father’s murder, and adds that when his servant believed him responsible, he knew he had no chance of justice from the general public

Theme: Justice and crime

• Conan Doyle’s novella depicts the fragility of the justice system in Victorian England:

  • Sholto implies that, as a gentleman of great wealth, he would be harshly judged by a working-class jury 

• Sholto is certain that the “quarrel” and the “blow” the servant overhears would be enough evidence with which to convict him

• This has the effect of confirming the need for a talented detective to deliver justice

Key word or phrase to memorise: “no outsiders”

What the quotation means: Sholto is suspicious of authority and the police, and would prefer to solve the crime without their involvement

Theme: Justice and crime

• In Victorian England, violent crime was rife, and generally went undetected:

  • Sholto portrays a distrustful attitude towards the criminal justice system

  • This highlights the pervasive desire for a detective like Sherlock Holmes

  • Holmes himself makes disparaging comments about the police as well

• His request for no external involvement conveys a fearful, suspicious state of mind:

  • Conan Doyle illustrates his anxiety in the broken voice

  • His need to clarify (“no police or officials”) suggests his mistrust

Key word or phrase to memorise: “Didn’t I tell you!” 

What the quotation means: Thaddeus Sholto exclaims his frustration at being arrested despite his innocence, as he had expected he would be

Theme: Justice and crime

• The novella can be considered a challenge to the authorities in Victorian England:

  • As a result of rampant crime, upper class society felt unsafe

  • This is one of the reasons the detective series became so popular

• Conan Doyle’s characters especially mistrust the efficacy of the police:

  • Sholto’s earlier suspicions that he would be accused are proven correct

  • The distress he feels at his arrest is conveyed in his indignant tone

  • The exclamatory words imply both his vindication and his anxiety