Question
How does Conan Doyle use Gothic and sensation elements in The Sign of the Four? Use the Sholto murder scene or the river chase as a starting point. (30 marks)
Mark scheme guidance:
- Gothic: locked room murder; poison; the exotic Andaman Islander; the poisoned thorn.
- Sensation novel techniques: suspense, violent death, hidden secrets, sensation of horror.
- The river chase — London fog; darkness; the chase as contest between civilisation (Holmes) and savagery (Tonga's portrayal).
- Treasure as Gothic motif: cursed, brings death to all who touch it; lost to the river at the end.
- Context: Victorian sensation fiction (Collins, Braddon); Gothic tradition; the detective novel as rationalist response to Gothic irrationalism.
30 marks · take your time before peeking.
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Generated by TopMyGrade AI · cross-check official sources before relying on the mark-scheme phrasing.