Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Sign of the Four in 1890. It is a Victorian detective novel, the second to feature the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson. The book begins with Miss Mary Morstan visiting Mr Holmes at 221B, Baker Street. Mary needs help finding her father who vanished 10 years ago. She has also received the gift of a pearl every year in the post. The final pearl included a letter claiming she is a "wronged woman" and asking for a meeting.
Doyle's book explores the social and moral issues of his time, presenting a vivid picture of Victorian Britain. This article will explore the key themes in his novel, including empire and imperialism, Victorian fear, justice and greed. We will give examples from the plot and key quotes to revise. It is aimed at GCSE English Literature students preparing for their AQA exam.
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Empire and imperialism
Doyle wrote The Sign of the Four when the Britain Empire was approaching its peak. The novel reflects on the attitudes towards colonies in the Victorian era, particularly in India.
The Agra treasure in the plot is taken from India by Major Sholto. It represents imperial greed and the wealth that Britain extracted from its global empire. The treasure leads to betrayal, murder and imprisonment as it captivates the characters, Major Sholto and Jonathan Small in particular. For example, Mary's father Captain Morstan dies from a heart attack when he quarrels with Sholto, demanding half the treasure. Sholto hid the body and the treasure, fearful he would be accused of murder.
Jonathan Small discovers the treasure while he is imprisoned in India. He describes how it consumed him, showing how the treasure is a symbol of imperial plunder as well as obsession and self-destruction:
"It was a moment of madness. I cannot bear to feel that I have paid this price only that another may enjoy it."
The treatment of the native islander Tonga further reflects Victorian attitudes towards colonised people. Tonga assists Jonathan Small, yet he is called a "savage, distorted creature". The loyalty he shows to Small is compared to that of a pet, implying the British empire was also a means to control people and reduce them to stereotypes. The use of the word "little" below implies the childlike, inferior view of colonial people:
"He was staunch and true, was little Tonga."
The home of Thaddeus, Sholto's son, is displayed with exotic items. This includes "two great tiger-skins", reminding readers that the luxury provided by the material riches of the empire are tainted by stolen treasure, broken alliances and lost lives.
Victorian fear
Fear was pervasive in Victorian society, such as crime and the collapse of social order. In particular, Victorian society feared other races and cultures that acted differently from British people. Tonga is described as a "savage, distorted creature, with a face like a fiend" and responsible for violence. This includes the murder of Bartholomew Sholto, who Tonga mistakenly believed Small wanted him to kill.
The attitude to Tonga was common in Doyle's time, reflecting the belief that other parts of the world were uncivilised and therefore dangerous. The quote above strips Tonga of individuality, turning him into a thing to be feared.
The majority of crime and violence happens at night-time. Watson and Holmes find Bartholomew slumped in his chair at Pondicherry Lodge:
"His features were set, and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare."
Watson notes that Bartholomew had a "horrible smile – a fixed and unnatural grin." They force themself through the door and find him in a state of rigor mortis, with a poisonous thorn above his ear. The fear is increased by the use of a blowpipe weapon, which was unfamiliar to Victorian society. It also taps into a Victorian fascination with mysterious, seemingly impossible-to-solve crimes.
Social insecurity is a more subtle fear. Watson is reluctant to express his feelings towards Mary Morstan who is searching for her father. Watson believes she will inherit a fortune and Mary will think she is far above his station:
"What was I, an army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking account, that I should dare to think of such things?"
He says "Thank God!" when she won't receive the treasure, as he will be eligible to court her. It implies the rigidity of the class system and social expectations in Victorian England.
Justice and morality
Justice is a complex theme in The Sign of the Four that is not black and white. Sherlock Holmes represents "official justice", while Jonathan Small pursues justice in the form of personal revenge.
As a detective, Holmes solves his cases using logic and evidence. He works in coordination with the police and never seeks revenge. When he solves the mystery of the Agra treasure and the theft by the "Sign of the Four" (Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, Jonathan Small, Dost Akbar) and the corrupt police officers Sholto and Morstan, Holmes ensures Small is arrested, not killed.
In contrast, Jonathan Small hunts down Major Sholto, who betrayed him, taking the treasure and escaping to England. To him, justice is personal and emotional. Small defends himself in the quote below, believing he was in the right despite his actions including murder, threats and lawbreaking. Ultimately, he becomes a vigilante:
"It was a sign of the four. We all swore together… I have acted all through as I thought"
Doyle implies that justice can involve remorse and redemption. Small regrets his actions and acknowledges that the treasure brings nothing but bad luck: death to Achmet and Bartholomew, fear and guilt to Major Sholto, and prison for Small:
"There are two who are in one grave, and two who are out of it. And yet it lies, and waits."
He throws the treasures into the River Thames, showing that wealth gained through betrayal and violence is worthless.
Greed and obsession
Greed is a driving force in The Sign of the Four, creating obsession and resulting in the tragedy that affects many of the key characters.
Most characters who come into contact with the Agra treasure are tempted by it. Major Sholto hides it from his children and lives in fear of being called a murderer after his confrontation with Captain Morstan. Jonathan Small turns to violence in his desperation to claim the fortune. He acknowledges his greed, which affects his morality and leads him to commit crimes he regrets:
"It was a moment of madness… I cannot bear to feel that I have paid this price only that another may enjoy it!"
Greed leads to the deterioration of Major Sholto's relationship with his fellow soldiers. Small tells Sholto of the treasure and arranges for Sholto to recover it and pick up Small, Morstan and the Sikhs so they can share it. However, Sholto steals the treasure and the relationship with his friends collapses. Holmes can see the damage of this obsession when he compliments Mary's indifference to the lost gems:
"You are certainly a model client. You have the correct intuition."
The treasure is lost by the end of the novel: Small scatters the gems into the Thames while being chased by the police, Holmes and Watson. He would rather the gems be lost to all than surrender them. Mary Morstan doesn't mind the loss of the treasure. Watson is relieved and narrates that there is no "golden barrier" between them now, implying that personal happiness matters far more than wealth:
"There is nothing in it to which duty binds me. It is for your sake I am glad. There is no longer a golden barrier between us."
Another obvious example of greed in the novel is British colonialism. India was a colony of the British Empire and this theft of the treasure represents the real-world exploitation during this period of history. Victorians often viewed the empire as pride and profit. In reality, the quest for fortune can lead to betrayal, crime and misery.
Conclusion - Themes in Sign of the Four
The Sign of the Four is an intriguing look at the fear, values and tensions of Victorian Britain. Conan Doyle uses the key themes of empire and colonialism, Victorian fear, justice and greed to explore how we respond to power, loss and temptation. Each theme is interwoven and tied back to the central mystery of the plot.
For further reading, this BBC Bitesize article on the British Empire provides historical context to Doyle's novel. You can read about general observations about Victorian literature in this article by Study.com. It includes the style of prose and major events in the Victorian era of literature.
As with many of the Sherlock Holmes novels, the plot is complex with many twists and turns. In preparing for your GCSE examination, make sure you have a good grasp of the plot. It would also help to prepare a synopsis of the book that you can use in your answer. Finally, memorising a few key quotes is crucial.
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This post was updated on 30 Nov, -0001.
