A STORY BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Theme:
Fate and justice, another way to put it is that evil will be punished by fate if not by man's instruments of justice. The story demonstrates karma. The doctor commits evil actions, those actions cause the way for him to destroy himself.
Setting: London
Inner Conflict
Man vs Self : Helen’s internal fear of her stepfather (Grimesby Roylott) trying to kill her but being unable to prove it
External Conflicts
Man vs Man : Sherlock’s tension with Dr. Gramesby Roylott (danger)
Man vs Society: Miss Helen Stoner not being able to prove her suspicions and situation.
Man vs Nature: The snake attacking intentions (snake is part of the natural environment)
Rising actions: Holmes and Watson begin investigating the alarming story Miss Stoner tells about her concerns and about the death of her newly engaged twin sister two years earlier. Her situation now holds so much resemblance to her sister's situation that she turns for help to Holmes. The worst is the threat of visiting her stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott. He stands darkly in the doorway, an imposing figure, and demands in a loud voice that Holmes refrain from any interference with his family affairs. To prove his point that he is a dangerous man, he invades the room and bends a fire poker with his bare hands.
Climax: When Holmes attacks the snake and it turns on its master and kills him.
Falling Actions: Holmes asks Watson to take his gun as they go down the hall, knock at the door, and enter to meet with Roylott's still body, with the speckled band snake around his head.
Resolution: Holmes ends the case by capturing the snake and locking it back in the safe. more specifically when Holmes throws the still living snake back into the iron safe.
Voice: the speaker's voice seemed to create excitement and intrigue in every scene.
Mood: Urgent and exciting. Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson expected a client with an interesting and melancholic story.
Figures of speech we can find in the story:
Irony
Metaphor
Allusion
Alternative Ending:
Since Julia’s death Helen had become lonely and depressed, she had lost her only companion and had also begun to suspect that something else may have been involved in her sister’s death.
After asking Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson for help, the clues led to Miss Stoner’s step father, Mr. Grimesby Roylott, the head behind her sister’s death and her possible murder. The moment Holmes and Watson discover the passage connected to Miss Stoner’s bed they discover how Julia died and now how could Miss Stoner have died. This time Holmes and Watson decide they should go to Mr Roylott’s room and discuss, mainly why he does it and every detail about it. Watson took his pistol just in case Mr. Roylott wasn't in the mood to talk.
They went down the hall and struck the door twice but with no response. There weren't options left, so Mr Holmes turned the handle and entered the room. To their surprise Mr Roylott was sitting near a dark lantern, he seemed to be meditating but he finally realized what was happening and turned around. Before his eyes were Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson who looked ready for an interrogation. Mr Holmes proceeded and told him that they already knew what he did to poor Miss Julia and also what he was planning to do with Miss Helen.
Eccentric, Mr. Grimesby Roylott Denies everything, but Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson made him realize that pretending wasn’t necessary anymore, they knew it all. With despair Mr. Grimesby Roylott confessed to be involved in his step daughter asassination but denied trying to kill her last step daughter now. But Mr. Holmes reminded him that he had proof of everything which finally led to him, so something shocking happened… Mr. Grmaesby Roylott asked for a chance to talk, he affirmed to know something no one else did.
He confessed that a year ago his stepdaughter, Miss Helen Stoner started to look over what happened to her sister, at the end she discovered her stepfather was the killer. She started to drown in her own pain, blinded by her anger and sorrow. One day she went to see her step father, she claimed him, she claimed to know the truth, but he declined it all and she refused to believe him. Even if she tried to inform anybody no one would believe her, then she started to have an episode, she was screaming and crying...it was awful, and something horrifying occurred, she seemed to be laughing now, so loud someone could listen in Japan. Her face was rataning a lot of emotions at the same time, that wasn't like her, at all.
Suddenly she got violent and threaten him with a knife but somehow Mr. Roylott got out of that situation. It wasn't her but she swore to return back what he had brought her. He didn't really care about her, but something inside of him told him to look up for what had happened to her. He finally discovered that because of all that sorrow and pain she had developed a kind of personality disorder. Despite what happened, now he knew that after what he discovered and had seen, her twisted stepdaughter was a real threat.
Mr Holmes asked him why didn't he say anything and that's when Mr. Gramesby told him that for the first time he felt guilt and grief.
With all the pieces now, Holmes and Watson figured out that she planned her own murder just to prove who her sisters murderer was. She tempted her stepfather to kill her giving him unconscious ideas, and reasons why he should kill her now, messing with his head. But this time she wouldn't waste any time. she contacted Holmes and Watson, the best detectives there were they.
She was capable of everything. And that's when it happened, the speckled band was off its cage because by the time Mr Roylott started meditating he freed it to kill her stepdaughter , such a sharp snake wasn't easy to handle, somehow the snake was back and was thirsty for blood, the gentlemen tried to go out of the room as fast as they could but the snake wasn't slow either, Mr. Roylott hesitated, now that he was able to koe the truth he felt even worse so by time he wanted to react the snake had bit him and was choking him. At the last seconds being alive he showed nothing but a look of regret. By the time the gentlemen could enter the room again Mr. Roylott was dead. Holmes captured the speckled band and solved the case.
By Sofía López, Step 8 Yellow.
