In the story "The Man With The Twisted Lip", by Doyle I sense 2 prevailing themes throughout the tale. One subtle underlying theme is that of urgency, and the other is the idea that nothing is what it
seems. In dealing with the first theme, I gathered this impression from the text when Watson is describing Holmes' habits of mentally rearranging facts for a case for sometimes days at a time with no sleep.
This description helped me to understand the urgency Holmes' had for the cases in which he was involved in, by him not sleeping and going over every possible scenario of a given case it better prepares
him to solve the crime. This also showed me Doyle did make Holmes' out to be a man of very strong character and dedication. With Watson, the theme of urgency also plays a role, this is shown in his
willingness, and apparent eagerness, to follow Holmes anywhere at any given time, leaving behind his life as a successful Doctor and husband. When Sherlock Holmes tells Watson to accompany him, he
seems all to eager to follow and be of any assistance he can to his old friend. These 2 separate but equal actions show to me the dedication and urgency Doyle tries to tie in with his characters, thereby in a
sense making them heroes and legends of their time.
Things are not always what they seem. This statement is perhaps the most prevalent theme in the story, from the beginning of the story with Watson's description of Whitney being a broken man with
an appearance no one could have ever imagined, to the ending of the story with the homeless vagrant being none other than Neville St.Clair. This theme lends to the story that outward appearances are not
to be taken as fact until proven. I read the story once and was just as surprised as anyone else as to the outcome with St.Clair once thought to have been a murdered man, now found as a professional
beggar. However, upon closer examination and a more th
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