Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British Empire and Detective Fiction History
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He studied medicine but was also interested in politics, spiritualism, logic, and reason. He had great success in writing, and his books are widely known. He is famous for creating Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The two characters first appeared in A Study in Scarlet, which was published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual. In 1890, the second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of Four, was published, firmly establishing Holmes and Watson in literary history. In The Lost World, he created Professor Challenger, who became a movie character. This book is thought to be based on political figures of the era. He was given the title ‘Sir’ for his work as a doctor in the Boer War. The French called him ‘The Good Giant,’ as he seemed to be working for the good of mankind.
A Brief History of the Detective Story
The detective story, also called ‘whodunit’ (who has done it), is one of the most popular forms of literature. Its inventor was Edgar Allan Poe, who also created the first significant sleuth: C. Auguste Dupin. Sherlock Holmes first appeared in a story called A Study in Scarlet. Holmes had a very particular look: he wore a hat called a deerstalker and a cloak. He also smoked a pipe and played the violin. Like Dupin, he lived a solitary life and only interacted with the world to solve crimes. Hercule Poirot, created by Dame Agatha Christie, is perhaps the world’s most popular detective. Poirot is also an eccentric, famous for his elegant appearance, his hair and mustache, as well as for his ‘little gray cells’ used to solve crimes. Most of these detectives had something in common: they were amateur detectives who solved crimes for the intellectual challenge and belonged to upper-class society. However, in the 1920s in the US, a new kind of detective was born: the hard-boiled detective, who solved crimes in the dirty world of the great American city. They spoke English full of jargon. Philip Marlowe, created by Raymond Chandler, lives in a totally dishonest and corrupt world. He is famous for his unshaven face, the ever-present Camel cigarette in his mouth, and his raincoat.
A Brief History of the British Empire
The origins of the British Empire date back to the late 1400s. In fact, it was King Henry VII of England who began the campaign through the Atlantic Ocean. The British Empire was tested in the eighteenth century because of several battles that ended with the independence of the Americas. Thereafter, the English Empire expanded in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. In 1815, they fought Napoleon’s France and were without major rivals. From that point until 1914, Britain added 400 million people to its empire, with 17% of the total world land area. However, the Second World War almost bankrupted Britain. The end of the Empire of Great Britain came in 1997 when Britain lost Hong Kong to China. However, British influence is still felt around the world. The Empire also resulted in a large migration of people. Some evidence of the influence of the empire includes sports like football, cricket, or golf, and the English language.
The British in India
The British Empire is the name given to the lands ruled by Britain from the 17th century to the mid-20th century. India was known as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the English Empire. Queen Elizabeth I of England gave permission for a new company to trade with the East Indies. At first, the rulers of India did not give permission, but later they had important commercial ports in major cities. The company soon wanted more than the right to trade in India; they wanted the land. They had their own army, and Robert Clive defeated the forces of his rival (the French East India Company). Then, the East India Company became the strongest European company trading in India and also the instrument of colonization. As you can imagine, the Indians did not like being forced to adopt the new religion and laws. A crisis came in 1857 when a new rifle cartridge was given to the Company. The cartridge was covered with lard and cow fat. The Hindu religion believes that the cow is sacred, and the Muslim religion believes that the pig is an unclean animal. So, in 1857-1858, the Indian soldiers killed their British officers, and the mutineers took other cities. The British forces recaptured Delhi in 1857, and the mutineers were defeated with great violence. In 1858, the Kingdom began in British India, and Britain’s Queen Victoria became ‘Empress of India’ in 1877. However, the Indians wanted independence. In 1920, Gandhi began a campaign for independence.
About the Author: Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins was born in London. After leaving school, he started legal training. In 1851, he met Charles Dickens and soon became good friends. Collins helped with Household Words, the magazine published by Dickens. Collins and Dickens wrote two plays and a book of comic prose together. In 1850, he wrote some stories, but it was not until the 1860s that he became the leading exponent of a new popular genre known as the sensation novel: The Woman in White (1860), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866), and The Moonstone (1868). These novels all contain elements of comedy, pathos (tragedy), and suspense. The sensation novel speaks directly to the feelings of the reader, arousing fear, excitement, and curiosity. They used suspense to keep the reader’s interest, since there is always a secret revealed in the end. Therefore, we can deduce that the sensation novel, the Gothic novel, and the detective novel are all part of the same family: popular fiction.