A Study in Scarlet Study Guide Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Adapted by Ian Edginton Illustrated by INJ Culbard Directions: Carefully read each of the questions and prompts and answer them in complete sentences.

Part 1: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John Watson, M.D., late of the Army

Medical Department

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

1. Explain what Dr. John Watson was doing before he meets Sherlock Holmes. Be as detailed as possible.

2. How do Watson and Holmes meet?

3. Explain what Stamford means when he says, “I can imagine [Holmes] giving a friend a pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence but a spirit of inquiry, to have an accurate idea of the effects…To do him justice, I think he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge” (9-10).

a. What does this show you about Holmes’ character?

The Science of Deduction

1. Just as Watson does, itemize each of Holmes’ strengths and weaknesses.

a. Why do you think Watson does this?

b. What does Holmes do about information he considers unimportant and why?

2. What is ‘The Book of Life’? (Look carefully at all of the illustrations.)

a. Why does Watson initially think it is ridiculous?

b. How does this lead to Watson learning about Holmes’ profession?

3. How does Holmes demonstrate his skills of observation and deductive reasoning to a skeptical Watson?

4. When Watson compares Holmes to Dupin or Lecoq, why is Holmes unimpressed?

5. What does this quote, “Yet what is the use of having brains in our profession? There are no crimes or criminals these days” (25) show you about Holmes?

6. How do you think Holmes knows that his visitor is a retired sergeant of Marines? Extra credit Who are Dupin and Lecoq?

The Lauriston Gardens Mystery

1. Explain how Holmes was able to deduce his visitor’s status in the last chapter?

2. Who are Lestrade and Gregson?

a. How does Holmes describe them?

b. Initially, why is Holmes reluctant to help?

3. Why does Holmes say, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence” (32)?

4. Complete the chart. Detectives’ conclusions Clues Holmes’ conclusions

Blood spatter on the floor “Rache” written on the

wall in blood Ashes Woman’s wedding ring What are some other clues Holmes mentions in the next chapter?

5. Based on Lestrade and Gregson’s facial expressions in the last panel, how do they

feel about Holmes’ conclusions?

a. Explain the difference between the two.

Extra credit: What is the difference between deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning?

What John Rance Had to Tell

1. Who is John Rance and why do Holmes and Watson go to see him?

2. What makes Rance suspicious about Holmes?

3. What is the mistake that Rance makes?

Our Advertisement Brings a Visitor

1. What sort of advertisement does Holmes place in the newspaper?

a. Why is this important for his investigation?

b. Does his plan work? Explain. (There can be several answers for this.)

Tobias Gregson Shows What He Can Do

1. What new facts do Holmes and Watson learn about the victim, Enoch Drebber?

2. Who are the Baker Street Irregulars? (They aren’t called this in this book, so you need to infer the answer.)

a. Why are they better than regular police officers?

3. Why news does Gregson bring about Drebber and Stangerson?

a. Why does this please Gregson?

4. What news does Lestrade bring and how does this upset Gregson’s theory?

Light in the Darkness

1. How is this crime scene similar to the first? How is it different?

2. What important clue does Lestrade find?

a. How does Holmes demonstrate the clues’ importance?

3. Why do Lestrade and Gregson get angry at Holmes?

4. Who is Jefferson Hope?

Part 2: The Country of the Saints

On the Great Alkali Plain

1. Why does Jefferson Hope want to confess right away?

2. Who is John Ferrier and why is he in the desert?

a. Who is with him?

b. Who rescues them? On what condition? Extra credit: Who is Brigham Young? Who are the Mormons?

The Flower of Utah

1. Even though John Ferrier follows the religion of his rescuers, what is the one thing that he refuses to do?

a. How does this make the other members feel?

2. How does Lucy meet Jefferson?

John Ferrier Talks with the Prophet

1. Why does Jefferson describe this part of the story as “dangerous times” (98)? According to the story, what was happening?

2. Why does Brigham Young visit Ferrier?

3. How are Drebber and Stangerson connected to the Ferriers and Hope?

A Flight for Life

1. How do the other members of the community make Ferrier feel threatened? (There can be several answers.)

2. How does Jefferson Hope help the Ferriers?

The Avenging Angels

1. How do their enemies find the Ferriers?

2. Draw a timeline of all the events in Jefferson Hope’s life from the time the Ferriers are killed/kidnapped to his arrest. (Some of the information will be in the next chapter.)

A Continuation of the Reminiscences of John Watson, M.D.

1. What are the ways that Hope prepared for his meeting with the two men? (There are several answers.)

2. What made him deviate from his plan with Stangerson?

The Conclusion

1. What are the clues Holmes discovered from the very beginning that enabled him to act?

Extras

Brigham Young and Mormonism The Mormon faith is pretty misrepresented in this classic story. Do a little research into the background of Mormonism in order to answer the following questions.

1. Explain how the Mormon faith was originally founded.

2. Why were the Mormons persecuted?

3. What is polygamy? What is the Mormon Church’s current position on polygamy?

4. Why do you think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used these negative stereotypes in his novel?

Written response On page 122, Holmes says, “What one does in this world is a matter of no consequence! The question is what you can make people believe that you have done!” In a well-written essay, explain whether or not you agree with his statement. Use examples from other readings and/or your personal experience to support your thesis.