The Man with the Twisted Lip by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: English Literature

The Man with the Twisted Lip by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle In ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used the disrespect of the Victorian public with regards to the Police to create his own successful amateur detective. The reason for this clear lack of respect is that the notorious Jack the Ripper was roaming the streets of London, and the police could do nothing to stop him. Indeed Jack the Ripper was never caught by the Police. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also uses the fear that Victorians had of the knowledge that Jack the Ripper was present on London streets. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses words such as, â€Å"lurking† and â€Å"sluggishly† to describe Upper Swandam Lane and the way the River Thames flowing, adding to the feeling of disquiet and revulsion within the reader. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also describes Upper Swandam Lane as being, â€Å"vile† All three of these words make the reader feel uncomfortable about the settings because the words represent life and creatures that are evil and dangerous. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also tells us of a, â€Å"low room thick and heavy with the opium smoke† In the Victorian period, opium was legal and was smoked by many people. The thick smoke in the room made it difficult to breathe clean air. The word, â€Å"sottish† is used to describe an opium smoker who clearly has no control over his mind and body. This could be a hint that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not approve of the smoking of opium that took place in that time. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also describes those opium smokers as being, â€Å"bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, bowed shoulders, bent knees, heads thrown back and chins pointed upwards, with here and there a dark, lack-lustre eye turned on the newcomer† This sentence gives the reader a further suggestion that the people in the opium den are intoxicated under the influence of opium, and also Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s dislike of the habit of opium smoking. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes the path down to the opium den as, â€Å"a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave† This could be likened to a descent into hell, reminding the reader of the dreadful descent into the railway cutting in ‘The Signalman’, and suggesting that the opium den is not a place where religious people could be found. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle manipulates the importance that Victorians placed on social values and respectability. The Victorians were very proud people, and knew that money meant respect. This is shown when the character of Neville St.