The Return of Sherlock Holmes Foreignness and 'the Other' Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Story.Paragraph) or (Story.Section.Paragraph) if applicable.

Quote #10

"My husband came to England with his ill-gotten gains and has lived in quiet ever since, knowing well that if the Brotherhood knew where he was not a week would pass before justice would be done." (Pince-Nez.161)

Anna gives a good description of how "foreign" vendettas and problems could make their way into England here. We see the same sort of ideas in the "Six Napoleons" case with all the references to the Mafia.

Quote #11

"I was brought up in the freer, less conventional atmosphere of South Australia, and this English life, with its proprieties and its primness, is not congenial to me." (Abbey Grange.27)

The idea of the Empire being a freer and less stuffy place is a running theme throughout these stories, though it's stated most clearly by Mary Frasier in the "Abbey Grange" case. She also raises some interesting gender issues here by implying that women have more freedom in Australia than in England.

Quote #12

"Mme. Fournaye, who is of Creole origin, is of an extremely excitable nature, and has suffered in the past from attacks of jealousy which have amounted to frenzy." (Second Stain.127)

The crazy French character is sort of a standard in English literature (check out the detailed plot summary of the "Second Stain" for more on this). It's interesting that this newspaper article felt the need to point out this woman's "Creole" heritage before explaining her actions. In this case, a person's foreign/racial status is the main reason behind their criminal actions.