‘The Sign of Four’ Chapter 5 The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Learning Objective Should: Read and understand chapter 5 of ‘The Sign of Four’ – The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Could: Understand the intricacies of the plot so far Might: Continue to interrogate Conan Doyle’s narrative style

This lesson you will need…

ignorant dramatic courageous understanding eager excitable eccentric Which adjectives describe Thaddeus Sholto? Write a sentence for each of your choices explaining why. Use a dictionary to help if you don’t know what the words mean. Language Alert! ignorant dramatic courageous understanding eager excitable eccentric needy nervous self-obsessed hypochondriac kind sensitive

Share your summary on Conan Doyle’s LO: Begin to understand Conan Doyle’s narrative style and his reasons for using it. Language Alert! “Conan Doyle employs a first-person narrator, but instead of seeing the story from Sherlock Holmes’ point of view, we read the mystery from the perspective of his devoted follower, Watson. This was done to sustain the suspense in the stories, as Holmes’ thoughts are not always revealed to us as they occur. If the reader arrived at solutions as quickly as the protagonist Holmes does, then the novel would lack mystery and end very abruptly. However, with Watson as our narrator, we trace the plot in the same was a reasonably intelligent and sensible person might, but without Holmes’ rapid genius. Many critics believe that Watson serves as a proxy for the reader and we are able to marvel at Holmes’ talents in a similar way to him.” Share your summary on Conan Doyle’s narrative with the person next to you. Then swap – person two use the words first person narrator, protagonist and proxy first person narrator a narrator who is usually one of the characters in the novel and writes about evens from a single perspective, using the pronoun ‘I’ protagonist the central character in the novel proxy a person who represents someone else

Chapter 5 The Tragedy at Pondicherry Lodge As we continue to read make sure you: Listen carefully Use your glossary to check any key words as we go along Put your hand up and ask if there are any extra words we need to add to our glossary Read to: “No wonder that the grounds look like a gravel-pit.”

LO: Understand the intricacies of the plot so far Key term – sub-plot A second plot, which runs alongside the main plot Think – pair – share What is the sub-plot of ‘The Sign of Four’? What evidence have we seen of this sub-plot so far? Why has Conan Doyle employed this sub-plot

What do these quotations tell us about the sub-plot? Ch 2 The Statement of the Case “I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts came into my head… What was I… that I should dare to think of such things?” Mrs Morstan has just discovered that she is worth a small forture. Ch 4 The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Watson: “Surely it was the place of a loyal friend to rejoice at such news; yet I am ashamed to say that selfishness took me by the soul, and that my heart turned as heavy as lead within me.” During their journey to Thaddeus Sholto’s home Ch 3 In Quest of a Solution “To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote as to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead of night…” Ch 5 The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge “now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other… there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection.”

Chapter 5 The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge As we continue to read make sure you: Listen carefully Use your glossary to check any key words as we go along Put your hand up and ask if there are any extra words we need to add to our glossary Read to: “No wonder that the grounds look like a gravel-pit.”

LO: Understand the intricacies of the plot so far ‘The Sign of Four’ is a detective novel. How many mysteries have there been so far? Note down all the mysteries that have been solved or are still on going. Another mysterious crime is about to be revealed. While we read, use the Detective Case Report to make a note of the crime and the clues as they are revealed.

Chapter 5 The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge As we continue to read make sure you: Listen carefully Use your glossary to check any key words as we go along Put your hand up and ask if there are any extra words we need to add to our glossary Read to: the end of the chapter

LO: Continue to interrogate Conan Doyle’s narrative style Think – pair – share What narrative techniques has Conan Doyle used in the first five chapters of ‘The Sign of Four’? Pick one and think of as many reasons as you can as to why he has used it.

Homework Should – Complete a chapter 5 summary Go on! Challenge yourself. Homework Should – Complete a chapter 5 summary Could – Repeat the plenary activity – with another narrative technique Might – Write a prediction for what you think happened to Bartholomew Sholto

‘The Sign of Four’ Chapter 5 The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Learning Objective Should: Read and understand chapter 5 of ‘The Sign of Four’ – The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Could: Understand the intricacies of the plot so far Might: Continue to interrogate Conan Doyle’s narrative style