Essay Questions

How does "His Last Bow" differ from the traditional Sherlock Holmes story, and in what ways is it similar?

"His Last Bow," the last short story in His Last Bow, is quite different from the rest. It bears an unusual subtitle: "An Epilogue of Sherlock Holmes." In this story, Doyle notably departs from many of his usual tropes. The narration is, for the first time, not from the perspective of the faithful Dr. Watson. It is instead from a third-person limited point of view, watching all characters in the drama in a detached and objective manner. The opening scene is another departure: it is perhaps the first scene in the Sherlock Holmes compendium in which neither Watson nor Holmes is present; the drama rather begins with Van Bork and his associate, a rare view of the villains of the story. The subject matter is yet another matter of difference: rather than private and personal issues, Holmes has involved himself in a problem of national security, dealing in the name of the British government with German spies and subterfuge.

The narrative is, however, in many respects in keeping with Doyle's usual style. Holmes, as he does with great frequency in other stories, disguises himself with clothing and accent in order to fool a criminal. Furthermore, after the criminal has been apprehended, Holmes engages in a bit of lively dialogue with Watson, discussing the elements of the case with his usual sagacity and odd humor.

Using evidence from at least one of the stories in the collection, mention one way besides his brilliance in which Sherlock Holmes is an unorthodox detective.

The morality of Sherlock Holmes does not closely align with that of a typical detective, especially one consulting with the constabulary. Rather than apprehending all criminals equally with reference to the law as the judge of their guilt, he allows some to walk free despite their crimes, as is the case with the famous explorer in "The Devil's Foot." When the perpetrator's story is reasonable enough, Holmes occasionally takes the law into his own hands and declares that the debt, if ever existent, has already been paid. This tendency reflects the value system of Holmes: the law is not infallible, and it can be made subject to one's subjective judgments (when one is an egocentric genius, at least).