By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Setting: Surrey, a London suburb in 1883.
Characters: Grimesby Roylott, Sherlock Holmes, Julia Stoner, John H. Watson, Helen Stoner.
Plot:
Exposition. One morning Sherlock Holmes woke Dr. John Watson early because a client had arrived. She told them that her name was Helen Stoner, and that she lived with her stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott. She also explained that 250 pounds of the family's money would go to each daughter when they married. Not long after, Julia, his sister, became engaged and was found dead in her room. Helen also told them that her stepfather let some gypsies camp near the house. After leaving, Roylott appeared and threatened Holmes to stay away from her business.
Rising Action. Holmes and Watson traveled to Stoke Moran, exactly to Helen's house, to make observations in her room and in Roylott's. Helen revealed that her stepfather moved her into Julia's room after her death, and that it is now her bedroom. It is then that Holmes solves the case, and goes with Helen and Watson to a nearby inn to catch the murderer in the act.
Climax. That night, Holmes and Watson found a swamp viper snake trying to kill Helen, fortunately Holmes attacked back. The snake backed off and attacked the mastermind behind the case, as he was the first one the snake saw, and it resulted that the villain was Roylott, who was killed by his own weapon.
Falling Action. Holmes explained the case, which basically consisted of the doctor not wanting to lose the money because when his stepdaughters married, he didn’t have the opportunity to keep the money, so he decided to end their lives.
Resolution. Holmes admitted that he didn't feel too guilty because of Roylott's death, but he did feel kind of responsible.
Conflict:
Man vs. Man. Roylott throughout history had a selfish behavior and wanted to take over what was not his, which ended up costing him his life
Man vs. Society. The constant daring and selfishness among people. As for example, the government, which wants to take over what does not belong to it, benefiting itself but harming the people, as reflected in the story by Roylott and her stepdaughters. // also the insecurity.
Man vs. Nature. Snakes are mysterious creatures that have an undeserved bad reputation. During this story, the snake was used to try to execute Helen, but fortunately, it ended up killing the villain, its owner.
Man vs. Super-power. There's no man vs. super-power.
Theme: ‘’you are the owner of your actions, that's why you answer for them.’’
Voice: 1st person.
Mood: curious, interested and excited.
Tone: suspenseful, simple and precise.
Ending Changed
Helen put on quite a show for them to believe that her stepfather was responsible for everything, when in truth it was her. Her idea was to execute her sister to keep more money, but as her stepfather was becoming suspicious, she consulted Holmes and Watson so that everything pointed to the culprit being Roylett.
It all ends with Helen getting her way, her stepfather dies, and Holmes, without knowing the truth, closes the case.
By Isabella Botero, Step 8 Yellow
