What was stolen from Henry in the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles? - briefly
In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles," Henry Baskerville, the heir to the Baskerville estate, has a valuable boot stolen. This boot is later used by the novel's antagonist to train a vicious hound, which is intended to terrorize and ultimately kill Henry.
What was stolen from Henry in the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles? - in detail
In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the central character, Sir Henry Baskerville, experiences a series of unsettling events that heighten the mystery and tension of the narrative. Among these incidents, the theft of a boot is particularly noteworthy. This event occurs while Sir Henry is staying at Baskerville Hall, the ancestral home of the Baskerville family, which is shrouded in legend and superstition.
The theft takes place under mysterious circumstances. Sir Henry notices that one of his new boots, which he had worn only once, has gone missing. This discovery is made in the midst of his growing unease about the eerie surroundings and the ominous legends associated with the Baskerville family. The boot is not just any ordinary item; it is a new, custom-made boot that Sir Henry had recently acquired. The significance of the boot lies in its potential connection to the supernatural elements that pervade the story.
The theft of the boot is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of strange occurrences that Sir Henry encounters. These events include the sighting of a mysterious figure on the moor, the howling of a spectral hound, and the sense of being watched and followed. The boot, therefore, becomes a tangible piece of evidence that adds to the growing sense of danger and mystery.
The theft is later revealed to have been orchestrated by the cunning and malevolent Rodger Baskerville, who seeks to drive Sir Henry to madness and ultimately to his death. Rodger Baskerville uses the boot to train his hound, ensuring that the animal becomes familiar with Sir Henry's scent. This meticulous planning is part of Rodger's elaborate scheme to carry out the ancient family curse, which is said to involve a hellish hound that hunts down and kills the male heirs of the Baskerville family.
The theft of the boot serves multiple purposes in the narrative. It heightens the sense of foreboding and danger that Sir Henry experiences, making the legend of the hound seem more real and immediate. It also provides a crucial piece of evidence that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson use to unravel the true nature of the threats facing Sir Henry. Through careful investigation and deduction, they are able to expose Rodger Baskerville's plot and save Sir Henry from the intended fate.
In summary, the theft of Sir Henry's boot in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a pivotal element that contributes to the novel's atmosphere of suspense and intrigue. It is a tangible link to the supernatural legends that surround the Baskerville family and a key piece of evidence in the unraveling of the true plot against Sir Henry. The boot, along with the other mysterious events, underscores the novel's exploration of the interplay between the rational and the supernatural, a theme that is central to Conan Doyle's storytelling.