The Speckled Band Essay

One character that is physically strong and commanding, also with some knowledge, is Dr. Grimesby Roylett, who appears in the story â€Å"The Speckled Band†. Unlike Irene Adler, he doesn’t outwit Sherlock Holmes in the end, but he does make life difficult for him to actually solve the case. For one, he has some strange pets that he keeps, and he is made out to be the bully. For another, he makes Holmes go to the extremes to solve the case. The characters that are introduced in these stories have different characteristics, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses, but deciding if they appeal to the modern day reader could be down to a matter of opinion. I think that if somebody who was interested in all the high-tech gadgets and latest technology would not find the characters in this very appealing and attention-grabbing, as they, especially Holmes, do not use any gadgets to do things or solve the case. Likewise, the characters may also not appeal to a modern audience because they would not be considered â€Å"cool† by the public. This may be the case, but I believe that a great deal of people would find these characters appealing; because of the way they do things. For example Sherlock Holmes would definitely be appealing because he doesn’t use any gadgets to solve his cases, he uses his brain power. London at the time of Sherlock Holmes was made out to be a rough, crime riddled place, where men where more superior than women. The description of London that is anticipated by the reader makes Sherlock Holmes stands out, as he is a successful person who doesn’t resort to crime; he fights against it. This was unlike any other detective in those days, as they were known to be unintelligent and ineffective with cases, most predominant being the police force. Detectives in the past didn’t have any technology to solve crime, so they had to rely on two main concepts: The brain power and the will power. In the time many considered that the police force were failing because they didn’t have either. Sherlock Holmes used both to solve his crimes, and he always prevailed, excluding â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia†.  These factors may have an impact on today’s reader, because as people are becoming consumed with the usage of modern technology, I believe that many people would adore somebody who does not need such equipment; only his brain. In conclusion, to the question â€Å"Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories were written over a hundred years ago. They are antiquated and out dated and have nothing to offer a modern day reader.† I think that for some aspects of the story it is true, but for some aspects it isn’t true. The stereotypes that are used in the stories have changed as time has gone by so the same effect cannot be created, and also because of the lack of technology a modern day reader may not be interested. Despite of all this, many still believe, including myself, that the Sherlock Holmes stories can still be relevant to a modern day audience. The techniques that are really the foundations of the techniques that are used in today’s detective stories, arguably even better. One thing that many people ask to themselves is† would a modern Sherlock Holmes story be better than the original one?† My answer to that: No.