StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle - Book Report/Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
The detective classic "The Valley of Fear " written by Arthur Conan Doyle has enthralled the admirers of the detective Sherlock Holmes for almost a century. At the same time, the book examines the conditions of life in the American coal mining region. The book starts with a mysterious coded letter received by Sherlock Holmes, the detective, which warns of some danger to one Mr…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.8% of users find it useful
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle"

Download file to see previous pages

.The second part of the book describes how Birdy Edwards brought the criminal nexus controlling the mining districts of Vermissa Valley to book. He describes the conditions in the mining districts of the U.S.A in the later part of the nineteenth century, where an organized group of criminals terrorized the citizens . Conan Doyle describes the Vermissa valley as a desolate place, with" great heaps of slag and dumps of cinders"(Conan Doyle 959) , but still a place with "hidden wealth" as evidenced by the long lines of trucks piled high with iron ore and coal.

This "hidden wealth" brought a "rude population and a bustling life" (959) to the place. The iron and coal fields of the Vermissa Valley were a stark contrast to the lush prairies and pastures of America. The din of the roaring furnaces and the clanking of the machinery added to the general air of gloom. "I guess hell must have looked something like this "'.says one of the policemen . (Conan Doyle 961) The year is 1875 and the Vermissa Valley is under the control of criminals and goons who are known to the local populace as "Scowrers".

Vanessa town is a typical bustling mining township which showed a "dead level of mean ugliness and squalor" (962) The rutted broad street, the uneven sidewalks, and the unkempt wooden houses added to the depressing effect. The city center is brightly lit, with stores, saloons and gaming houses where the miners spent their "hard- earned but generous wages," according to the author. Most of the miners belong to a secret organization called" The Eminent Order of Freemen", a secret society, which is spread all over the United States, although in the other states it is a benign organization devoted to charity and fellowship.

Its members who are feared and despised in Vermissa and the other mining districts , are known as "Scowrers." They are ruled by a "Bodymaster" or Boss, who , in turn answers to a District head. The society is run for the sole purpose of terrorizing, blackmailing and extortion of small traders and owners of the mines. There is co-operation among the bosses of different districts, and the criminal activities in a district is usually helped by villains from another district. This helps in escaping detection.

The "Bodymasters" hold positions of civic authority like councilor. Birdy Edwards who has taken the name of Jack McMurdo for this job, gains the confidence of the Bodymaster McGinty, who is the owner of a saloon and a town councilor .In a meeting, McMurdo is initiated into the society by being branded .One of the members urges them to stop their criminal activities. He says that by driving out the small traders, they would be inviting the big companies to take their place, and warns them that the big companies with their money and power would crush the organization.

But the advice falls on deaf ears and the Boss replies that the big companies would also "find it easier to pay." The author describes the rough men as sentimental. Those men who could kill and maim someone who had done no harm to them , and who did not have "any compassion for the weeping wife or helpless children" (984),

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Report/Review”, n.d.)
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Report/Review. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1501227-the-valley-of-fear-by-arthur-conan-doyle
(The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Report/Review)
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Report/Review. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1501227-the-valley-of-fear-by-arthur-conan-doyle.
“The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle Book Report/Review”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1501227-the-valley-of-fear-by-arthur-conan-doyle.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Scandal in Bohemia

‘A Scandal in Bohemia' was arthur conan doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories.... A Scandal in Bohemia Reaction Paper Author [Pick the date] ‘A Scandal in Bohemia' by Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Sir Arthur Ignatius conan doyle was a very famous Scottish physician and a well-known writer who was born on 22nd May 1859 and departed from this world on 7th July 1930.... conan doyle studied medicine at University of Edinburgh from 1876- 1870 during which he began writing stories; his earliest novels included works like ‘The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe' and ‘The Mystery of Sasassa Valey'....
3 Pages (750 words) Assignment

Sherlock Holmes and Detective Fiction

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author Arthur doyle and he is a famous and immensely successful fictional detective with many successful stories in his name.... … Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author Arthur doyle and he is a famous and immensely successful fictional detective with many successful stories in his name....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Features of multiculturalism in London

These hills were separated by the valley of the Walbrook, the upper parts of which remained marshland until reclaimed in the Roman period.... The distribution of certain pre-Roman coin types seems to indicate that some form of centre had been established in the lower Thames valley, west of London, in the early first century BC....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Tension and Atmosphere in Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Selected Short Stories

Webbing around language in first person narration, theme structure and context, Sir arthur conan doyle was able to create tension, define characters and set the mood and atmosphere.... hellip; Webbing around language in first person narration, theme structure and context, Sir arthur conan doyle was able to create tension, define characters and set the mood and atmosphere.... In all three detective fictions, conan doyle started with the characterization of the central figure, Holmes through the eyes of Dr....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Skill as a Detective Writer

The writer of the essay "Sir arthur conan doyle's Skill as a Detective Writer," suggests that arthur conan doyle knew how to develop a story in a way that would grab the interest of the reader while still leaving a great deal of information in literal shadow.... This application of the scientific method as a means of solving crimes was not doyle's only contribution to detective work, though.... What was perhaps most remarkable was that doyle instructed the world as to how forensic science could be used as a means of correctly deducing the nature of the crime and identity of the criminal through his entertaining short stories and novels featuring the now famous fictional Sherlock Holmes....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle

This essay describes “A Scandal in Bohemia," by arthur conan doyle.... Although narratives of all genres are ubiquitous in the day-to-day life, doyle's narrative does not leverage the aspects that separate narrative from expository discourse.... In the narrative discourse, doyle employs varied approaches that include the solution to the narrative.... doyle also uses suspense in the mystery story that leaves the reader to keep thinking about what happens next in the story....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Arthur Conan-Doyles Sherlock Holmes and the Modern-Day Interpretations

The modern day adaptations of Holmes captures these deductive powers and charisma, while putting their own interpretations and spin on the main characters.... These adaptations are different from one another, and are different from the novel, in various ways, from the quality of characters themselves to the way that each handle the homoerotic subtext of the two men....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

The Story Layout in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The writer of this essay seeks to analyze the book “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” written by arthur conan doyle.... Specifically, the aim of the essay is to examine the writing style of conan doyle that is visible in the character descriptions and plot narration in the book.... The way the plot is developed can fail to arouse the reader's interest and curiosity In “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, conan doyle uses a collection of twelve stories to engage the reader in the adventurous life of Sherlock Holmes as an investigator as narrated by his friend, former roommate, and associate, Dr....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us