Lies In The Hound Of The Baskervilles

In current day news, it seems to happen like clockwork every 24 hours - one lie after another, coming directly from the person the public is supposed to trust; after all, he is the leader of the United States. Lies and deceit have been a constant throughout the history of mankind; whether it be for personal gain or otherwise, it can be found around every corner. Literature embodies the facts of the time it was written in, and is often studied for its relevance to current times as well. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, is still studied today due to its relevance in terms of its major theme, lies and deceitfulness.

Specifically, certain lies can be formed in order to either gain knowledge about a situation, or

In one instance, Miss Stapleton mistook Watson for Sir Henry, and upon seeing him at the moor, promptly told him, ““Go back!” she said. “Go straight back to London, instantly.” I could only stare at her in stupid surprise. Her eyes blazed at me, and she tapped the ground impatiently with her foot. “Why should I go back?” I asked. “I cannot explain.” She spoke in a low, eager voice, with a curious lisp in her utterance. “But for God’s sake do what I ask you. Go back and never set foot upon the moor again”” (Doyle 120). Through this exchange, it is very clear that Miss Stapleton is withholding information from the presumed-to-be Sir Henry. She, thus, in formulating not so much of a lie, but not telling the whole truth, is attempting to scare away Sir Henry from the moor. This could potentially link her to the myth of the hound, but also make her slightly suspicious in general. Further into the text, Watson uses a suggestive lie to gain knowledge from a local resident of the moor, implying that “"...it was much more likely that it was the son of one of the moorland

In one instance, Holmes and Watson are in pursuit of a man that was watching them from within in a cab, and upon interviewing the cabbie, they learn the man has told the cabbie his name, and the following exchange occurs; “Holmes cast a swift glance of triumph at me. “Oh, he mentioned his name, did he? That was imprudent. What was the name that he mentioned?” “His name,” said the cabman, “was Mr. Sherlock Holmes.” Never have I seen my friend more completely taken aback than by the cabman’s reply. For an instant, he sat in silent amazement. Then he burst into a hearty laugh. “A touch, Watson - an undeniable touch!” said he. “I feel a foil as quick and supple as my own. He got home upon me very prettily that time. So his name was Sherlock Holmes, was it?” (Doyle 85-6). In this scene, the idea that this man lied about his name and claimed to be Sherlock Holmes himself caused Watson and Holmes to be thrown off trail slightly, thus displaying that this lie was used for personal gain. In another scene, when Watson asked Mr. Barrymore about the wailing noises he heard at night, he had claimed that he had heard no such noises. Soon after, the following scene occured; “And yet he lied as he said it, for it chanced that after breakfast I met Mrs. Barrymore in the long corridor with the sun