The detective novel, The Hound of Baskerville, written by Conan Doyle, talking about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigates a mystery surrounding the legend of a supernatural hound, responsible for the deaths of the heirs in the Baskerville family. Long ago Hugo Baskerville had done a bad thing and killed a young woman. Since then the Baskervilles have been plagued. Sir Charles Baskerville recently died. Dr. Mortimer found a huge paw footprint of a hound near the dead body. Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles’ nephew, was the next kin to inherit the Baskerville wealth. Dr. Mortimer thought Sir Henry might be in danger and urged Sherlock Holmes to investigate this matter. Sherlock dispatched Dr. Watson to the Baskerville Hall to scrutinize the case and protect Sir Henry. With deductive reasoning, Sherlock found the murderer, Jack Stapleton, who killed Sir Charles. The truth is that Jack was the descendant of the Baskerville family and wanted to inherit the Baskerville wealth. Jack first used Laura to seduce Sir Charles and killed him with the hound. Jack then used Beryl to seduce Sir Henry planning to kill him under the hound. At the end, Sherlock Holmes killed the hound, and Jack Stapleton was drowned in the mire.
People should make use of their intellectual powers such as deductive reasoning and sharp observational skills to approach problems from a scientific standpoint. When solving problems, mysterious cases in particular, people should avoid making conclusions for unexplained occurrences based on superstition or religion. Jack Stapleton explained Sir Charles’ death as being caused by a supernatural occurrence, as it was rumored that the hound plagued the Baskerville family. Even Dr. Motimer believed in the supernatural hound because a huge paw footprint was found 50 yards near the dead body. Sherlock Holmes, on the other hand, overthrew this belief. He knew rationally that if the hound could leave the footprint then it must be a real thing, not related to the supernatural at all. Also, a hound will never be an iridescent, fire-breathing beast, given scientific explanations. The hound was embellished so people thought this was a supernatural event. While others believed superstition was responsible for Sir Charles’ death, Sherlock Holmes looked for clues and was certain that there were always some rational explanations. He used scientific thinking to look for the right evidence with deductive reasoning and analysis. Indeed, Sherlock Holmes’ rationality above all else was the main reason to solve the murder case. His success as a detective suggested that the power of science and deductive reasoning would always prevail over the supernatural, as everything is built on facts rather than myths. When people over believe paranormal phenomena or impractical things, not only they would feel uncertain and panic but also they would miss crucial details for solving the cases. Rationalism is the only way to find nothing but truth. Superstition, on the contrary, only worsens the situations, making people terrified.
Some negative personality traits, such as greediness, twisted love, and evil thoughts, could have people not only do harmful things but also commit crimes. When greed turns deadly led by evil thoughts, some people would take advantage of others who love them to help them do anything for money, even murder a person, to fulfill their endless selfish desires. Jack Stapleton was a Baskerville and greedy to claim the whole Baskerville inheritance. Jack Stapleton and Laura Lyons were lovers. Sir Charles had been acquainted with Laura Lyons, which Stapleton used Laura's love for him as a tool to lure Sir Charles out of the house and set up a trap to kill Sir Charles with the hound. Similarly, Jack Stapleton and Beryl were husband and wife. Sir Henry fell in love with Beryl, which Stapleton took advantage of Beryl’s love for him to seduce Sir Henry with intention for murder, but this time Sherlock Holmes stopped it in time. As described in the story, two Baskervilles with very evil hearts, Hugo Baskerville and Rodger Baskerville, Jr. (aka Stapleton). Even though most of the Baskervilles were modest men, the evilness occasionally can pass down, like Stapleton’s example. Stapleton is evil and greedy and wanted to inherit all of the Baskerville wealth and assets. He made Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton seduce their own respective love interests, and trick them into a date, which was used as a murdering chance. Greed is excessive selfishness. It is obvious that greediness is the motivator for criminal acts. While greed benefits one person, greed also is at the destructive expense of others. People need to learn to control their negative sides of human nature to stop making wrong choices of injuring others or commit crimes since those choices or crimes later would haunt them back in return.
By recognizing their power and using it, women realize they are actually strong enough to turn on the men in order to better their positions. Rather than being victims of twisted love or dominated by their men, women actually are capable of living independently and making sense things with rationality. At the beginning both Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton fell in love with Jack Stapleton. Their love for Jack motivated them to do actions, the seduction, that helped Jack close in on chances to kill Sir Henry Baskerville and Sir Chalres Baskerville. At the end, Laura Lyons and Beryl Stapleton had some conscience and turned on jack. They knew enough about Jack’s murder plans and enabled Sherlock Holmes to see the case through prosecution to arrest Jack. In the early 1900s during Vicrotian Era, women were most attracted to love, and became “love slaves”, where they would do anything for a particular person’s love. Some women would be easily fooled or had no morality just because of love. Mrs. Barrymore, Laura, and Beryl performed very important positions in the story. At some points, these women changed the situation and fooled the male. Mrs. Barrymore, the housekeeper, tried to hide her brother, Selden, the convict, and the master never knew about this matter. Dr. Wason was kind of confused, so did Mrs. Barrymore. Without Laura, Jack, the criminal, would not have the chance to kill Sir Charles. If Beryl cooperates with Jack, Sir Henry would not have chances to stay alive. Hugo and Jack were both bad toward women or took advantage of them, but these three women had strong minds and they were able, at the end of the story, to recognize the whole situation and make the right decisions. The three women in the story suggest that women no longer view themselves as appendages of men. They realize that breaking laws or morals for love is not worth it. Women actually can work and live independently without depending on men. Don’t underestimate the power of women! How people think and comment about women and how women view themselves should be reevaluated.
The Hound of the Baskerville, is a very engaging novel describing how well-known detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigated the death of Sir Charles. This novel illustrates the power of reason in conquering supernatural fear, the human natures of criminal minds, and the transformation of women. Specifically, the power of reasoning enables people to construct sensible conclusions about things that seem absurd to normal people. Don’t believe the superstitions. Instead, trust the facts from the scientific viewpoints. Also, don’t let the dangerous sides of human nature, greediness, evil thoughts, twisted love, make wrong judgements or even make a person become a criminal. One should restrict or control his selfish desires rigorously and stop taking advantage of vulnerable others to get what they want. Moreover, thoughts and opinions about women and how women regard themselves needs to be changed. Women are capable, even more than capable, as men to live independently, work professionally, and think rationally. Every woman should possess equal social status and equal rights in society and receive equal education. The more I read this novel, the more I am surprised and enchanted by Sherlock Holmes’s rationalism and observational skills. The Hound of the Baskerville, is a valuable and collectible novel worth reading again and again.
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