The Hound of the Rodger Ackroyd

Sir Arthur Conan Doyles novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, is a classic 1800s novel about two detectives that go by the name of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, both of superior intelligence. Meanwhile, in another novel, The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd created by Agatha Christie, she uses another detective, Hercule Poirot, who is also a man of remarkable wit. Although the novels are different in the means of plot, the type of characters, and imagery, they share many components that are used in exemplary mystery novels. As one of the essential pieces to a murder mystery, the plot in both novels is the same in the structure, such as the expedition, climax, and so on, but are also different in the means of how everything is put together and plays out in the end. They both include an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and in some cases, a denouement. Since both novels share the genre of mystery writing, the way that their structures are set up are very similar. The two both start out with the detective being introduced to the case. The detectives then either travel to get to the place they need to be or they stay where they are, for that is where the crime happened. Many times the author will have the detective start out at the crime scene to minimize the amount of extra writing that the reader has to read. After they appear at the crime scene, they begin to investigate the scene itself and around it for any clues they could use towards solving the mystery. One of the most significant clues that was found at the crime scene in both The Hound of the Baskervilles and the Murder of Rodger Ackroyd is about boots. Sir Henry, one of the main characters in The Hound of the Baskervilles, lost his boot, which they then found out that Stapleton, the murderer used to get the scent of Sir Henry to the hound (Doyle ). Meanwhile, Dr. Sheppard, the murderer in The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd, which

was also cleverly the narrator, left some boot prints at the crime scene, which Poirot then traced back to him(Christie ). Soon after the detectives find important clues, they begin to think of a back story

or a motive as to why the murderer would have done it. At last, the detectives take all of their information and either give it to the officials and/or talk over the conclusions with the family, friends, or anyone that is closely related to the victim, convict, or

partners. Many mysteries, after the author has completed the falling action, will then end in a denouement, which summarizes everything that happened in the story given. It summarizes the whole story creating an easier understanding for the reader. Although the structures that mystery writers use are often very similar, the way that everything plays out is quite different. For example, the detectives in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes and Watson, are not only looking for a murderer, but also a hound to see if the rumors are true about the legend regarding the existence of the hound. Although plot is one of the most important aspects of the world of mystery literature, the types of characters that are put in the novels are both important parts of amazing writing. Both stories include a protagonist and an antagonist. These are the two types of characters that make up the conflict of the story. While the protagonist is the one that is trying to reach a goal, the antagonist steps in their way. In mystery writing, the antagonist is either the murderer, convict, or the thing/character which will uncover the outcome of the story. Throughout many mystery novels, the protagonist is someone such as a close family member or friend of the victim or the detective. The two novels, the Hound of the Baskervilles and the Murder of Rodger Ackroyd both include a protagonist and an antagonist. In the Hound of the Baskervilles, the protagonist is most often taken as Holmes and Watson. The goal that they are trying to reach is the answer to Sir Charles death. Their case is most often interrupted by Stapleton, who is taken to be the antagonist. One of the ways that Stapleton made it hard for Holmes and Watson to crack the case was using the hound as the weapon. For example, Holmes when talking to Watson on a raw and foggy night (Doyle, 211), he says, It would be almost impossible to make a case against the real murderer. His only accomplice was the one that would never give him away, and the grotesque, inconceivable nature of the device only served to make it more effective (Doyle, 216). This proves that even Holmes, a great detective even felt, although he was all knowing of the answer, it would be nearly impossible to pin the crime on Stapleton. While The Hound of the Baskervilles includes Holmes and the Watson as the protagonists and Stapleton as the antagonist, The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd has the similar types of characters as the protagonists and antagonists, but the characters that fill the role are quite different. Hercule Poirot is

used as the protagonist, for the goal that he is chasing is the key to the mystery of Rodger Ackroyds death. The antagonist in the story is the narrator and murderer, Dr. Sheppard. Every time that Poirot finds another clue, Dr. Sheppard is sure to but in and change his opinion. If Poirot is one step closer, he is prepared to step in and change their opinion. Most people let the detectives go to work, but Dr. Sheppard knows that the closer Poirot is to finding the answer to the mystery, the closer he is to being caught. Although many of the great writers are focusing on the types of characters that set up the plot and mood, the idea of imagery also plays a significant part in the backbone of the story. Authors use imagery to establish mood in their writings by sculpting a visual in the readers mind. Many mystery writers create an eerie and cold environment for their readers until the end to build suspense. One of the authors that uses this is Sir Conan Arthur Doyle, the author of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Many of the places in the book are described as eerie, murky, and very unwelcoming. Once Doyle gets near the end of the falling action and denouement, he begins to describe Baskerville Hall and the area around it as a more welcoming and safe environment. He does not say that the area is a golden meadow, but it is clear that there is almost a weight lifted o ff the shoulders of the characters and in some cases, the reader. On the other hand, the Murder of Rodger Ackroyd, maintains a constant mood throughout the story. While Doyles novel only has a slightly mysterious feeling near the denouement, Christies novel preserves that slight feeling of mystery throughout the whole book. The mood stays the same because it is in the perspective of the murderer. Dr. Sheppards opinion stays at a constant speed, not very many ups or downs. The key to many aspects of all of the books that mystery writers have written is the mood, which, as seen, has been brought across through the concept of imagery. In conclusion, multiple characteristics for superb mystery writing, such as plot structure, protagonists and antagonists, and the mood created by imagery, are used in many similar and differing ways. The ways that these are used in the Hound of the Baskervilles and the Murder of Rodger Ackroyd can both be interpreted as similar, or different because the authors use the base of what these aspects of literature are meant to convey not only by nature or definition but also the

authors bend these aspects in order to convey what they themselves are trying to portray in their individual novels.

References Christie, Agatha. The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd. New York: Harper Collins, 1926. Print.

Doyle, Arthur Conan. Hound of the Baskervilles. New York: Bantam Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1959. Print.