VoF Part 1 Chapter 5 - Part 2 Chapter 3
August 29, 2017
Sir Doyle provides suspense and shock in the second part of “Valley of Fear”. He begins Chapter 5 with MacDonald and White, the local police officers and detective, interviewing Cecil Barker and Mrs. Douglas. Initially, the tone is complimentary toward Mrs. Douglas, a supposedly grieving widow. “She entered now, a tall and beautiful woman of thirty, reserved and self-possessed to a remarkable degree, very different from the tragic and distracted figure I had pictured. It is true that her face was pale and drawn, like that of one who has endured a great shock, but her manner was composed, and the finely moulded hand which she rested upon the edge of the table was as steady as my own” (Doyle 214). Watson, the narrator, describes her as “beautiful”. “Beautiful” has the positive denotation of being aesthetically pleasing (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary), with the connotation of being self-assured and confident. Watson is surprised at Mrs. Douglas’s composure in the wake of her husband’s supposed death, which would typically be viewed as a tragedy. Watson’s use of the word’s “pale” and “moulded” dehumanize Mrs. Douglas. “Pale” has the denotation of being fair-skinned, with the connotation of being fearful or nervous. “Moulded” is a word not typically used to describe a human being, rather a statue that has been meticulously sculpted. As a result, upon her first interrogation, Mrs. Douglas does not appear to be expressing the typical humanistic emotions of a grieving widow. Instead, from Watson’s choice of descriptors, it appears that Mrs. Douglas is void of empathy about the “loss” of her husband, due to the fact that one would typically be more distraught over the death of a loved one. Was she plotting to kill her husband with Cecil Barker, the Douglas’s family friend, who may or may not be her lover? Otherwise, why would Mrs. Douglas appear stoic and unemotional about the loss of her husband? As a result, Sir Doyle’s characterization of Mrs. Douglas causes the reader to question her involvement and level of knowledge in Mr. Douglas’s disappearance and “murder”; it seems unlikely that she is completely innocent and unknowing about the details of her husband’s “death” or whereabouts.
Sir Doyle provides suspense and shock in the second part of “Valley of Fear”. He begins Chapter 5 with MacDonald and White, the local police officers and detective, interviewing Cecil Barker and Mrs. Douglas. Initially, the tone is complimentary toward Mrs. Douglas, a supposedly grieving widow. “She entered now, a tall and beautiful woman of thirty, reserved and self-possessed to a remarkable degree, very different from the tragic and distracted figure I had pictured. It is true that her face was pale and drawn, like that of one who has endured a great shock, but her manner was composed, and the finely moulded hand which she rested upon the edge of the table was as steady as my own” (Doyle 214). Watson, the narrator, describes her as “beautiful”. “Beautiful” has the positive denotation of being aesthetically pleasing (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary), with the connotation of being self-assured and confident. Watson is surprised at Mrs. Douglas’s composure in the wake of her husband’s supposed death, which would typically be viewed as a tragedy. Watson’s use of the word’s “pale” and “moulded” dehumanize Mrs. Douglas. “Pale” has the denotation of being fair-skinned, with the connotation of being fearful or nervous. “Moulded” is a word not typically used to describe a human being, rather a statue that has been meticulously sculpted. As a result, upon her first interrogation, Mrs. Douglas does not appear to be expressing the typical humanistic emotions of a grieving widow. Instead, from Watson’s choice of descriptors, it appears that Mrs. Douglas is void of empathy about the “loss” of her husband, due to the fact that one would typically be more distraught over the death of a loved one. Was she plotting to kill her husband with Cecil Barker, the Douglas’s family friend, who may or may not be her lover? Otherwise, why would Mrs. Douglas appear stoic and unemotional about the loss of her husband? As a result, Sir Doyle’s characterization of Mrs. Douglas causes the reader to question her involvement and level of knowledge in Mr. Douglas’s disappearance and “murder”; it seems unlikely that she is completely innocent and unknowing about the details of her husband’s “death” or whereabouts.
In addition, I found it interesting how Sir Doyle uses the word “dark” to personify the Birlstone Manor House. By dictionary definition, dark means to “devoid of light” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). In addition, dark has the negative connotation of concealment and fear. “Slowly the shadows darkened over the long sombre face of the old house… There was a single lamp over the gateway and a steady globe of light in the fatal study. Everything else was dark and still” (234). Doyle depicts the manor as rundown, evident through his choice to call the house “old”. “Old” has the connotation of faded and run-down, with the denotation of being aged. In addition, the word “sombre” means to be “dismal and gloomy” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary), with the connotation of giving up. The house is personified as being aged, and worn out. As a result, Doyle’s description of the setting of the murder creates a sense of mystery and wonder among the reader. Are the “shadows”, reflections which obscure light and truth, covering up secrets hidden in the house? Therefore, Doyle’s personification of the house continue to cause the reader to question what is true about the testimony provided by Mrs. Douglas and Cecil Barker. The personification of the house and lack of credibility ascribed to the characters provides a transition into Part II, where the reader begins to learn the truth about Mr. Douglas’s past in America, and reasons for his disappearance and staged murder.
I love your analysis of the diction Doyle uses! I really grew angry with Mrs. Douglas because of Watson's description of her! Your questions are profound... I agree though! All of the ominous diction really builds suspense throughout the whole novel.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of the diction Doyle employs is very interesting. I did not think about the way he described the house and the effect it had on reader's attitudes toward the "murder" and the involvement of Mrs. Douglas and Baker. The diction really does have a great impact on the views of the events which occurred!
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