“It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the sleepers from their beds” (Doyle 150).
This passage is taken from page 150 of Arthur Conan Doyle’s, The Speckled Band. To start, a small phrase that stood out to me was “that cry raised the sleepers from the bed.” This dark imagery allows the reader to fully understand how loud Doctor Roylott’s scream was. (When I closely read this passage, it instantly made me think of Disney Pixar’s, Monster’s Inc, and how sleeping robots would vertically sit up due to the intensity of the Monster’s screams.) But what is Sir Doyle’s purpose for even including the villagers reaction from the distance? This might be crazy, but I think Doyle wanted the readers to believe that everyone in the village was afraid of Doctor Roylott, not just his two step-daughters. When it raises the sleepers from their bed, it portrays the trauma everyone has from his evil crimes. The author wants us to know that Doctor Roylott was evil enough to traumatize people outside of his family. This relates to the plot of the novel as a whole, because it adds the question of whom the scream may be from? There is a chance it is from the man who deserves to die, and that would give a thrill to the reader. That thrill is the exact purpose Conan has when writing a sensational novel, thus his reason for including the villagers awakening.
Another interesting part of this excerpt is the way the word “anger” is being used. There was anger in the Doctor’s scream right before he died. Doyle’s decision to sneak in this word helps the reader to better understand Doctor Roylott’s short-tempered personality throughout the story. There were several other instances where Roylott lost his mind quickly. For example, when he finds out Holmes and Watson are investigating Miss. Stoner, he flips instantly. Anger is included in this description, and matters, because it amplifies the grand finale on the Doctor’s demise. As a reader, Conan writes this story to make out Roylott to be the antagonist, with flawed morals, and an evil fixation with killing people. The reader starts to hate him, because who wouldn’t? The author includes that one final lengthy scream because when it finally stops, and the reader realizes the evil man is dead- they feel a sense of relief! This excited feeling the reader now gets along with Roylott’s noticeable anger from his failure boosts the “sensation” we get as readers seeing the antagonist fall.
I found your inclusion of the readers reaction to the deserved death of Dr. Roylott to be fascinating and very well thought out. Dr. Roylott is an example of the monstrous and the mad, and when the villagers gained a sense of relief from his death, especially the blacksmith who he attacked one day I would believe, our reactions were not only that of a shared relief, but of righteousness. A wrong was righted, in what we could also understand as a monstrous way to die. Is our satisfaction from a death like that reflective of our monstrous tendencies as well? That I think is up to the individual and their motivations when seeking justice.
I am glad that you noted the anger behind Dr. Roylott’s cry. I failed to note this part as I read through for the first time. This cry being heard throughout the town reminds me of the wilderness. When it’s very quiet, you can hear any sort of noise. And usually at night, the only things making noise are animals. I believe that this connects to the post about Xenophobia. Even as he’s dying, Roylott continues to act as if he was an animal. He is angry until his last breath, displaying his inherent anger.
I think effectively captures the intensity and impact of Doctor Roylott’s scream. The vivid imagery of the cry raising the sleepers from their beds creates a sense of terror and showcases the magnitude of his scream. I also find it fascinating how Conan Doyle really layered this scene. To be more specific, By including the villagers’ reaction from a distance, Doyle adds a layer of fear and trauma associated with Doctor Roylott. It suggests that his evil actions have affected not only his step-daughters but also the entire village. This broader impact contributes to the suspense and intrigue of the novel, as it raises the question of who could be responsible for such a scream. It adds to the thrill and sensationalism that Doyle aims to create in his writing.
I really like the quote you chose from this short story because to me it exemplifies the importance of description in gothic fiction. The scene with this scream embodies what I think of horror and it is almost as if I can hear it as I read. This relates to what you talked about with having more people in the village fear the doctor and having people fear you also creates and isolated image of him in my head. A person everyone fears is seen as an outcasts and outcasts are also typically perceived as monstrous.
I agree with the idea that Doyle is using dark imagery here to really express how loud and dangerous Dr. Roylott is. It does feel like Doyle is really trying to show how scared the people of the town are of Dr. Roylotte, and the use of the word “anger” helps convey that fear. The world to me, helps illustrate that Dr. Roylotte is not a person that anyone should mess with, which adds a level of anxiety for the reader.