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"The Speckled Band" and
"The Copper Beeches":
A Brief Comparison
Part 2 of 3
by Drew R. Thomas
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WARNING: Spoiler!
You may want to read "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches"
before reading this article.
(Both are found in
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes .)
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To continue our theme of Doyle's use of plot elements and devices in more than one instance, let us examine two short stories that are remarkably similar in structure, theme, and development. I consider the broad outline of each of these stories to be a skeletal framework, before the "meat" is put on to flesh them out.
I also find it fascinating that both stories appear in the same collection of short stories. With Doyle's masterful craftsmanship (and sleight of hand) I never realized how very similar they are until I took a closer look. In addition, a non-Sherlock Holmes story -- "The Brazilian Cat" (which you can read for FREE in the
Reading Room) relied on many of the same elements. In the two Holmes stories, the skeletal framework and the motivation are the same.
Similarities in Both Stories
In both cases, the villain is the step-father or father. It
is his responsibility to manage the estate's money appropriately. A considerable portion is to go to his step-daughter
(in "The Speckled Band") or daughter (in "The Copper Beeches") when she marries.
(This is stipulated in the wife's will.) But in both cases the villain has been living extremely well at the
young woman's expense, dipping into the money for his own selfish wants.
When the step-daughter becomes engaged or has a suitor, the villain's position is jeopardized. He will lose access to the money and be forced to reduce his lifestyle. Worse, still, he is threatened with exposure and may well be forced to give an account of his
financial mismanagement/embezzlement. He would likely be expected to settle accounts and may face jail time. (None of this is explicitly mentioned in the canon but one can well imagine the legal consequences.)
In both stories, a young woman brings the case to Holmes:
- In "The Speckled Band," Helen Stoner -- the step-daughter herself
-- brings the case to Holmes. The poor girl is frightened.
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Dr. Watson describes
Miss Stoner's interview with Holmes: "It is not the cold that makes me shiver, "
said the woman in a low voice....
"What, then?"
"It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror."
--"The Speckled Band"
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- In "The Copper Beeches," Miss Violet
Hunter brings the case to Holmes. Miss Hunter is a governess hired by the villain, ostensibly to take charge of the villain's young son. (The
man's daughter appears much later in the story.) The governess is not so much frightened as perplexed by the eccentric behavior of her employer. In fact, she initially comes to Holmes for advice on whether she should take a position with an individual who displays such erratic behavior.
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Miss Hunter describes the unusual and alarming
questions her potential employer puts to her:
"'My sole duties, then,' I asked, 'are to take charge of a single
child?'
"'No, no, not the sole, not the sole, my dear young lady,' he
cried. 'Your duty would be, as I am sure your good sense would
suggest, to obey any little commands my wife might give, provided
always that they were such commands as a lady might with
propriety obey. You see no difficulty, heh?'
"'I should be happy to make myself useful.'
"'Quite so. In dress now, for example. We are faddy people, you
know--faddy but kind-hearted. If you were asked to wear any dress
which we might give you, you would not object to our little whim.
Heh?'
"'No,' said I, considerably astonished at his words.
"'Or to sit here, or sit there, that would not be offensive to
you?'
"'Oh, no.'
"'Or to cut your hair quite short before you come to us?'
"I could hardly believe my ears. As you may observe, Mr. Holmes,
my hair is somewhat luxuriant, and of a rather peculiar tint of
chestnut. It has been considered artistic. I could not dream of
sacrificing it in this offhand fashion.
"'I am afraid that that is quite impossible,' said I. He had been
watching me eagerly out of his small eyes, and I could see a
shadow pass over his face as I spoke.
"'I am afraid that it is quite essential,' said he. 'It is a
little fancy of my wife's, and ladies' fancies, you know, madam,
ladies' fancies must be consulted. And so you won't cut your
hair?'
"'No, sir, I really could not,' I answered firmly.
"'Ah, very well; then that quite settles the matter. It is a
pity, because in other respects you would really have done very
nicely. In that case, Miss Stoper, I had best inspect a few more
of your young ladies.' --"The Copper
Beeches" |
In both stories, Holmes visits his client on the villain's
estate. In order to investigate, Holmes must synchronize his visit to a time when the villain is off the premises. When concluding his investigation, he advises his clients to send him a telegram if and when they need him.
In both cases this happens.
Both villains have animals that turn upon them in the end:
- Dr. Roylott has a cheetah, a baboon, and "the deadliest snake in India."
- Jephro Rucastle has a mastiff who is underfed in order to keep him vicious.
Differences Between the Two Stories
But there were differences between the villains, too, and this
contributes to the stories being so different
and so memorable.
- Dr. Grimesby Roylott was nasty all through. And he was
short tempered and extremely strong.
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The
following is from Helen Stoner's account to Holmes:
"In a fit of anger...he beat his native butler to
death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence....
"Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over
a parapet into a stream, and it was only by paying over all the
money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another
public exposure."
--"The Speckled Band"
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- Jephro Rucastle had a jovial veneer. But
his true colors would show through every once in a while.
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Miss Hunter describes her interview with Jephro
Rucastle: "'And my duties, sir? I should be glad to know what they would
be.'
"'One child--one dear little romper just six years old. Oh, if
you could see him killing cockroaches with a slipper! Smack!
smack! smack! Three gone before you could wink!' He leaned back
in his chair and laughed his eyes into his head again.
"I was a little startled at the nature of the child's amusement,
but the father's laughter made me think that perhaps he was
joking." --"The Copper Beeches" |
Jephro Rucastle's description of his son gives Holmes
immediate insight into Rucastle himself, as the following exchange between
Holmes and Watson demonstrates:
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"The most serious point in the case is the disposition of
the child."
"What on earth has that to do with it?" I ejaculated.
"My dear Watson, you as a medical man are continually gaining
light as to the tendencies of a child by the study of the
parents. Don't you see that the converse is equally valid. I have
frequently gained my first real insight into the character of
parents by studying their children. This child's disposition is
abnormally cruel, merely for cruelty's sake, and whether he
derives this from his smiling father, as I should suspect, or
from his mother, it bodes evil for the poor girl who is in their
power." --"The Copper Beeches" |
Rucastle's disposition and true nature burst through his
facade for a moment when he encounters Miss Hunter exploring a wing of the house
which he considers off limits. She describes the encounter, and what he says to
her, as follows:
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" 'Why do you think that I lock this door?'
" 'I am sure that I do not know.'
" 'It is to keep people out who have no business there. Do you
see?' He was still smiling in the most amiable manner.
" 'I am sure if I had known--'
" 'Well, then, you know now. And if you ever put your foot over
that threshold again'--here in an instant the smile hardened into
a grin of rage, and he glared down at me with the face of a
demon--'I'll throw you to the mastiff.' " --"The Copper Beeches" |
Recommendation: First Read the Stories for Fun
One wants to recommend reading the stories through in the
order they were published first.
A number of Sherlockians have attempted to put the cases into a chronological order.
Once you read through them one or more times, it is fun to try to follow such a chronology, for
these Sherlockians attempt to answer many questions arising from loose ends and slight inconsistencies
among the stories. (Doyle endeavored simply to tell a good story, and was not necessarily concerned with discrepancies.)
Finally, for those so inclined, it can be well worth your efforts to group stories as I have done in these two articles and to compare and contrast them to uncover their similarities and differences.
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