Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a self-proclaimed consulting detective. He has a gift for logical thinking and exhibits an unusual power of deduction. This he employs in service of the clients that visit him in his flat in London, regardless of their status and ability to pay him. He is extremely educated in areas he deems relevant to his work, most prominently chemistry (Watson describes his knowledge in this subject as "profound") and forensic science, while simultaneously remaining intentionally ignorant about subjects he cannot utilise. Furthermore, he is a skilled fighter and able to perform feats of physical strength that his "thin" frame does not suggest. His reasonable thinking does not, however, extend to his lifestyle which is a unique combination of puritan and decadent - Watson remarks that "his diet was usually of the sparest, and his habits were simple to the verge of austerity [...] save for the occasional use of cocaine". He requires constant occupation and shows irritable and impatient behaviour when he is not challenged.
The Adventure of the Yellow Face reveals an aspect of Holmes’ character that the reader rarely sees: the possibility of him reaching the wrong conclusion. It is one of few cases in which Holmes' deductions are not correct, something he acknowledges and uses to humble himself:
“ 'Watson,' said he, 'if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper ‘Norbury’ in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.' ”
Dr. John H. Watson
Dr. John H. Watson is Holmes' roommate, colleague and friend. His character has multiple key functions, all easily recognizable in The Adventure of the Yellow Face:
On a narrative level, he is the observer and chronicler of Holmes' cases. His occupation is founded within the narrative, as he often comments on his habit of writing everything down and keeping his papers safe. Within the story, Watson is also a more human counterpart to Holmes' character. He has the ability to express feelings that the detective sometimes lacks, and he has less obviously superior skills and more realistic flaws. This leads to his third function, which is Watson as stand-in for the reader, expressing his wonder and admiration concerning Holmes' "extraordinary gifts", as he usually calls them, and requests detailed explanations of Holmes' deductions towards the end of most short stories.
In The Adventure of the Yellow Face, Watson's and Holmes' dynamic does not change. He remains in the background and provides admiring commentary that accompanies the plot, while Holmes moves the plot forward with his deductions, always considering if Watson (and the reader) are engaged in the narrative:
"My friend threw out the information in a very offhand way, but I saw that he cocked his eye at me to see if I had followed his reasoning."
Grant Munro
The client in The Adventure of the Yellow Face, Grant Munro is described as a "well but quietly dressed" man in his mid-thirties, although he looks somewhat younger, and is a hop merchant. He approaches Holmes because of a sudden, inexplicable secrecy on part of his wife, Effie Munro. He claims to have demonstrated complete trust in her, but a random demand for money and the appearance of a yellow face shows that he is prone to jealousy and somewhat impulsive, as he soon breaks into the cottage where he had first observed the yellow figure. As the face reveals itself to be the secret, multiracial child of his wife however, he keeps his composure and
"lifted the little child, kissed her, and then, still carrying her, he held his other hand out to his wife and turned towards the door. 'We can talk about it more comfortably at home,' said he. 'I am not a very good man, Effie, but I think I am a better one than you have given me credit for being.' "
Watson's initial impression of him as a "a reserved, self-contained man, with a dash of pride in his nature" is revised as he is moved by this display of love and loyalty.
Effie Munro
Effie Munro's character is utilised as the key unknown factor in the case Holmes attempts to solve. For the vast majority of the story, she does not appear personally, but only in the account her husband gives of everything that has happened. He describes her as a "nervous, highly strung woman". The reader is oblivious, as are Grant Munro, Holmes and Watson, as to what her motivations are. She is a loyal and passionate mother, and her desire to be near her daughter and to see her protected drives her every action.
Effie's character also exemplifies contemporary anxieties surrounding race. She goes to great lengths to conceal her multiracial daughter from her husband, while knowing that this is not a long-term solution, because she cannot be certain of his loyalty and acceptance. This conflict has feminist undertones as well, as she depends financially on her husband and cannot risk their marriage even for a reason as fundamental as her daughter's well-being.
