STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PLOT IN ENGLISH DETECTIVE FICTION BASED ON ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES
Keywords:
Detective fiction, crime literature, genre theory, English literature, Victorian literature, comparative literature, plot architecture, narrative structure, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, text segmentation, formulaic writing, reader psychology, abductive reasoning, cognitive stability.Abstract
Why do we keep reading Sherlock Holmes when we already know exactly how he thinks? The secret isn't just his genius, it is the comfortable, familiar setup of the stories themselves. This paper looks at how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle builds his plots. Instead of using heavy academic jargon, we break down his formula into four simple steps: the cozy chat at Baker Street, the messy hunt for clues, the quick trap at the climax, and the final breakdown where Holmes explains everything. Our study shows that no matter what the crime is, Doyle uses the exact same math for his plots. This predictability was crucial for Victorian readers. It gave them a sense of safety and order at a time when the real world was changing way too fast.
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