Kim 1

Eunice Kim
Professor Lynda Haas
Writing 37
November 6, 2014
Formulaic Plot and Structure of the Detective Genre
During the Victorian Era, the detective genre had flourished in Britain. There were
qualities in this genre that helped with the rising popularity during this time period. One of the
qualities was the limited structure. This convention played a big role in this genre. It paved the
way for authors in this genre to write in a certain way for these stories. At the time this genre
blossomed, Conan Doyle was the famous author who wrote these novels and short stories. His
stories structurally were all the same, but thematically were different. In his novel, The Hound of
the Baskervilles, the structure of the plot was just like any other story he wrote, but the story
itself was different. Many scholars wrote about how these stories had this convention. Panek,
Dove, Binyon, Delamater, and Prigozy wrote about the structure and plot of the detective story
was a convention for this genre. These detective stories contain a formula and have structure that
made a pavement to a new direction for the genre itself.
The detective genre contains a formula that adds interest to the stories. According to
Dove, in The Reader and the Detective Story, he explains that the genre adds interest to the
play activity by choosing some rules upon it (Dove 5). The stories in this genre are relatable to
crossword puzzles because there is a type of structure and a set of rules that they both follow
along. According to Panek, in An Introduction to the Detective Story, the formula of the
detective genre also contains a requisite literary form which later writers would then apply to
the detective novel (20). Also according to Panek, the form that the detective stories follow is

Kim 2
1) the surprise ending, 2) the presentation within the body of the story of all or most of the facts
which explain the surpriseor give the illusion of having done so, and 3) the manipulation of
narrative elements (20). In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Doyle uses the rules of a surprise
ending. Sherlock Holmes realized that Stapleton is part of the Baskerville family line and this
was a huge shock to the readers. Watson was so surprised that the face of Stapleton had sprung
out of the canvas (loc. 3080). The resemblance between Hugo and Stapleton was such a shock
and Watson and the readers came to this realization at the end. Both Panek and Doyle state that
there is a certain set of guidelines that the detective stories go by. The genre gained its popularity
during the Victorian Era because of the fact that these stories brought fun and interest. It wasnt
hard to follow and people didnt have to think too hard to figure out what happened. It only
stimulated the brain, so the readers would have some fun. The structure of the story follows these
rules so that they can create an interest with the audience.
The detective story has a pattern that lies in a double and duplicitous plot, according to
Delamater and Prigozy, in Theory and Practice of Classic Detective Fiction. Watson narrates
the story, even though the protagonist is Holmes himself. Delamater and Prigozy stated that the
story is first narrated as it appears to the bewildered bystanders who observe the crime and are
to some extent threatened by it but who cannot arrive at its solution (1). Also, according to
Binyon, having Watson as the narrator brings reality (9), to all of us, since we are similar to
him. Holmes is so different and special, that it makes it harder for the readers to relate to him.
But having this structure of always having Watson narrate added a deeper connection between
the readers and the stories themselves. People in the Victorian Era were able to relate to Watson,
since Watson represented a normal person. Hes not as detail-oriented, like Sherlock. In The
Read-Headed League, Watson is also the narrator. He said, I had called upon my friend, Mr.

Kim 3
Sherlock Holmes, one day in the autumn of last year and found him in deep conversation with a
very stout, florid-faced, elderly gentleman with fiery red hair. With an apology for my intrusion,
I was about to withdraw when Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door
behind me. The excerpt just showcases the structure of the story, where Watson is the narrator
and explains everything in his own terms of how things went. According to Binyon, in Murder
Will Out: The Detective in Fiction, Watson was in fact, a stroke of genius (9). Structurally,
having Watson as a narrator benefitted the popularity for this genre as well. The stories that
didnt have Watson as the narrator, according to Binyon, were considered the weakest (9). The
structure of the detective stories always had a nameless character that narrated story, and for the
Holmes stories, it was Watson. Having a nameless character for the narrator became so apparent
that it shaped the structure of the story. Without it, the story wouldnt be as successful.
The detective story must reflect some formulas that make the detective genre the way it
is. According to Dove, in The Reader and the Detective Genre, the limited structure came from
tradition and that the story must conform to certain formulas that the detective story
commits its vision to a set conventions and attempts only to meet the requirements of those
conventions (Dove 7). One of the conventions that shaped the convention of the genres
structure is the character of Sherlock Holmes himself. His eccentricities created his character
and, according to Delamater and Prigozy, they became the certain formula and expectations of
the traditional detective genre (22). The eccentricities that Holmes obtained formed the
structure of this genre. Without his eccentricities, Sherlock wouldnt be Sherlock, and the
structure of the genre would be different. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes
asks Watson to get some tobacco. He says, No, my dear fellow, it is at the hour of action that I
turn to you for aid. But this is splendid, really unique from some points of view. When you pass

Kim 4
Bradley's, would you ask him to send up a pound of the strongest shag tobacco? Thank you. It
would be as well if you could make it convenient not to return before evening (loc. 1218). It
shows that he uses tobacco to help him with solving his crimes. During the Victorian Era, using
tobacco was a trend and at the time, Holmes had this similarity with them. It was a popular trend
that many people did and since people found out that about him, there was a higher chance of the
people being more attracted to his stories.
All in all, the structure and plot became a huge importance to the genre. This convention
became the new standard for this genre. It shaped the way of how the stories were created. This
convention not only helped with the story itself, but also, it helped with the popularity of the
genre during the Victorian Era. Conan Doyle helped lead the detective genre to a new direction.
His novels and short stories became so well known that people began to base off their detective
stories off of his. Because of Conan Doyle, the detective genre faced new ideas. Doyle
revolutionized the genre, which affected the genre in a positive way.

Kim 5
Works Cited
Binyon, T.J. "Murder Will Out": The Detective in Fiction. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1989. PDF File.
Delamater, Jerome and Ruth Prigozy, eds. Theory and Practice of Classic Detective
Fiction. New York: Praeger, 1997. Print. PDF File.
Dove, George N. The Different Story. The Reader and the Detective Story. Bowling Green,
OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1997. PDF File.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. Adventure 2: The Red-Headed League. The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes. Lit2Go Edition.1892.Web.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Hound of the Baskervilles. Sharon, MA: Higher Read, LLC 20143.
Kindle eBook. Online.
Panek, Leroy. Beginnings. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH:
Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. PDF File.