LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

The “Red -Headed League” written by Arthur Conan Doyle is a faithful representation of Victorian era literature, since it includes some characteristics like realism since it develops themes closer related to daily life, describes average person and it reflects its practical problems and interests. Also it is characterized by idealism, so it is emphasized ideals like truth and justice. Other characteristic is social status and social changes, in this way it is reflected the importance of work and economic prosperity in an industrial society. In relation to this characteristic it is also reflects the transformation of traditional ways of life and the last characteristic is moral purpose, it leads a moral message to instruct the world.

The first characteristic presents in this story is realism, so it`s described the case of an average man with red hair called Jabez Wilson. He was a pawnbroker who was cheated by a false organization called “the Red-Headed League” which offered a job with a salary of four pound a week to only red-headed male applicants.

The second characteristic is idealism, so it portraits difficult lives in which hard work and perseverance win out in the end; in the same way virtue would be rewarded and wrongdoers are suitably punished to do justice. And at the same time, Sherlock Holmes is a kind of hero with superior qualities whereby he is able to face a master criminal and to get justice in solving the case.

The third characteristic is social status and social changes, it is evident the importance of a public appearance of propriety and a working middle class who is in search of Economic Prosperity and progress. Also it is presented the transformation in the ways of life; among these changes are alterations in the class structure, Britain’s rise as a world economic power, and urban growth which has transformed the traditional ways of life for example people who make a living by robbery, so crime rate rises. Besides, it is evident the working exploitation in the fact that Mr Jabez Wilson hires Vincent Spaulding because he comes cheap, so he works at half-wages, this fact shows the working exploitation in that society.

The last characteristic is moral purpose; it makes a contrast between knowledge and ignorance, good and evil. Thus Sherlock Holmes represents the values of intelligence, knowledge of crime and ability to reason which turns into a powerful tool in order to solve a serious case. In contrast, it is ignorance which is represented by Mr. Jabez Wilson, an ambitious pawnbroker who was deceived by his employee. In relation to intelligence and reason, at the end of the story it is quoted a phrase of Flauber “L’homme n’est rien, l’oeuvre tout”, this can be a critical comment about the significance of thinking well in order to act well. In the same way, the contrast between good and evil, it is represented

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