Sherlock Holmes Critical Analyses

Keith Gruber
The story I chose to read for my Sherlock Holmes Critical Analysis Project
was the story A Case of Identity published in 1891. The story focuses on the
client Miss Mary Sutherland a wealthy woman who has money in a fund set up by
her mother who married a younger man by the name of Mr. Windibank. Mary
Sutherland hires Holmes because her fianc Mr. Hossmer Angel has gone missing
on the day of their wedding. Sherlock Holmes's meets with Mary Sutherland and
receives every piece of information needed to deduct who and why Hosmer has
gone missing.
Though Sherlock has an idea he needs evidence to prove that his theory is correct.
Watson does not seem to understand why the case is so rudimentary to Holmes but
Sherlock explains to Watson that he was looking in all the wrong places. Holmes
decides to write to the girls father and receives a typewritten note containing the
key evidence to prove that Mr. Hossmer Angel never really existed at all.
Holmes demonstrates in this story his amazing skills at deductive reasoning,
a presses of critically thinking about multiple true elements to create a highly
thought through conclusion. There were several instances in this case where

Holmes was able to look through the looking glass, literally, and conclude a logical
explanation.
One of the first times we see Holmes skills at use is when he studies Mary
Southland before she enters the building. Holmes notices that she is pacing outside
like a broken bell wire. From Holmess previous knowledge he knows that
women who oscillate are dealing with love affairs and want advice. So he deducts
that sense she in pacing but not oscillating that she has been seriously wronged by
a man; Sherlock was correct.
The next time we see deductive reasoning is when he is talking to Mary
Sutherland and studies her appearance for clues. Once She is gone Holmes
explains to Watson that she was clearly writing a letter before she came to the
meeting in a rush. Holmes concluded this from her outfit being nicely put together
except for her shoes that were buttoned in odd places. This leads him to think she
was in a rush, but why? He then looks for her reason to be rushed and sees that
there is an ink stain on her glove that is still wet that leads him to knowing that the
was writing a letter and dipped her quill too far in the ink.
The last instance of deductive reasoning I will mention is when Holmes
hears Mary Sutherland say that she only saw Angel when her father was in
France. This leads Holmes to question the fact that the two men have never been

in the same room. Thus one cannot rule out the fact they the men are two different
people. This final deductive reasoning leads Holmes to suspect that Mr. Hossmer is
Mary Sutherlands Father.
The case is solved when Holmes reads the typewritten response from Marys
father containing the same characteristics as the typewritten note from Mr. Hosmer
Angel. Looking at final evidence Holmes explains the reason that Mr. Hossmers
voice was low and why most of his face was either covered with glasses or facial
hair. It was because Marys stepfather disguised himself and impersonated his
stepdaughters lover so that she would not marry out of the family costing her
stepfather 100 a year. Holmes did not share this information with Mary Sutherland
because he did not think she would believe him.