Themes In The Hound Of The Baskskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles
In the novel, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the reader is quickly introduced to many of the key characters, the curse of the Baskervilles, and the mystery of Sir Charles Baskerville’s death. The full theme, tone and mood of the mystery; however, takes some time to fully materialize. Most of the information provided to develop the story’s plot is delivered relatively clear and uncomplicated. This is a mystery or suspense novel so obviously there is the element of foreshadowing and the introduction of some disruptive or alternative theories. What is most puzzling to me is not who stole Sir Henry’s boot or if the beast is real or even who may have committed the murder of Sir Charles but what role the moor really has in the creation of the story and why it was chosen for the setting. In this essay, I will provide contextual information that will illuminate the author 's selection of the moor for the story 's setting and how it adds to the intrigue, trepidation and allure of the plot and

To have a creature go unseen for generations the land would have to be expansive, treacherous and uninhabited. A moor is defined as: “A tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath”(Moor). Moors are also often marshy, foggy and have some rock formations. It is pretty clear that setting a suspenseful story in a dark, dreary, gloomy, large location adds fear and uncertainty to an already tense situation. Sir Doyle certainly understood that moors also have a deep history of legend and folklore that he could leverage to build credibility to his plot. The lore of the English moors goes back centuries and many tales still exists today. One moor was even said to have been visited by the Devil himself during the Great Thunderstorm of 1638(Dartmoor). Sir Doyle made the most of the history of the moors to set the tone and mood for the