Sarah Cushing In The Adventures Of The Cardboard Box

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Recommended: Depiction of Victorian age in literature

n ‘The Adventures of the Cardboard Box’, there are many characters, of varying complexity and influence to the story. The Main Characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, are two of the most iconic characters from the western world. Iconic because of how well written and fascinating they are. Besides a choice few, most of the characters they encounter through their adventures of inquiry aren’t as riveting, but they play their roles perfectly in the drama the companions must unfold. Such is the case with “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box’ character, Sarah Cushing. Sarah Cushing is a flat character, who remains static throughout the story. Her nature never changes, described throughout the story as by her family as “meddling”. Her sister Susan calls her “hard to please”. Her appearance is described by her brother-in-law as “...a fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce, with a proud way of carrying her head, and a glint from her eye like a spark from a …show more content…

The story begins with Sarah coming to live with her sister, Mary, and her sister’s husband, John Browner. She fell in love with the husband, and upon rejection, she seeked revenge. She did so by convincing her sister, over time, that he was cheating on her. His job as a ship steward made it easy for suspicions to sneak in, and the fighting caused him to break his sobriety, making things worse. Not only this, but a gentleman friend of Sarah’s, named Alec Fairbairn, became the subject of Mary’s affections, no doubt encouraged by her sister. When John found this out, he threatened Sarah, telling her “...if Fairbairn shows his face here again I’ll send you one of his ears for a keepsake.” She was frightened by this and moved into another house in Liverpool, then back to Croydon for work. John indeed murders Fairbairn and his wife, and sends their ears to Croydon, causing her to “fall ill” in grief and

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