36 pages • 1 hour read
Arthur Conan DoyleA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle plays with the conventions of detective fiction. In most detective stories, the intrigue stems from watching the sleuth uncover the criminal’s identity, which is why these stories are sometimes called “whodunits.” However, in this short story, the murder weapon, not the murderer, is the mystery that Sherlock Holmes must solve. Dr. Roylott quickly emerges as the only plausible suspect, and the rest of the story seeks to discover the titular speckled band’s identity and its connection to the death of Helen Stoner’s sister.
Helen’s tale, like those of her mother and sister, thematically warns of the dangers of one-sided love and loyalty. She comes to Baker Street “in a pitiable state of agitation” (142) and tells Holmes and Watson of her past griefs and current fears. After Helen’s father died, her mother married Dr. Grimesby Roylott, “a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger” (144). Due to her misplaced faith in her second husband, Mrs. Stoner entrusted her fortune to Dr. Roylott with the stipulation that her daughters each receive a portion of the trust (£250) if they married.
By Arthur Conan Doyle
A Case Of Identity
A Case Of Identity
Arthur Conan Doyle
A Scandal in Bohemia
A Scandal in Bohemia
Arthur Conan Doyle
A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet
Arthur Conan Doyle
His Last Bow
His Last Bow
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Lost World
The Lost World
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sign of the Four
The Sign of the Four
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear
Arthur Conan Doyle