Understanding 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' | English

Starter quiz

In which era are the 'Sherlock Holmes' stories set?
- the Elizabethan era
- the Georgian era
- the Victorian era ✓
- the Edwardian era
What role does Sherlock Holmes have in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories?
- police detective
- journalist
- private detective ✓
- doctor
Which of these were new innovations in the Victorian era?
- electric street lights ✓
- the London Underground ✓
- horse and cart
- tunnels under the River Thames ✓
Which of the following are features of slums?
- lots of houses crowded together ✓
- many wealthy people
- many poor people ✓
- very large houses
Which of these crimes were common in Victorian London?
- mugging
- pickpocketing ✓
- murder
- garrotting ✓
From whose perspective is 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' told?
- Peterson's
- Sherlock Holmes'
- Dr Watson's ✓
- James Ryder's

Which is the best definition of 'deduce'?
- work out based on evidence ✓
- guess
- do scientific experiments
- ponder
Match the words to their definitions.
- carbuncle
  
  ⇔
  
  jewel ✓
- ruckus
  
  ⇔
  
  fight ✓
- slight
  
  ⇔
  
  slim ✓
- vendor
  
  ⇔
  
  seller ✓
Match the words to their definitions.
- tremulous
  
  ⇔
  
  trembling ✓
- distinctive
  
  ⇔
  
  unique ✓
- inscrutable
  
  ⇔
  
  impossible to read ✓
- evident
  
  ⇔
  
  clear or obvious ✓
Put these events from 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' in order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr Baker is attacked in the street.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Peterson ends up with the hat and the goose.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Peterson brings the hat to Holmes.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Peterson finds the carbuncle inside the goose.
Put these events from 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' in order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr Baker visits Baker Street.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Holmes realises Mr Baker did not know about the carbuncle.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Holmes and Watson visit the market.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Holmes and Watson confront James Ryder.
From whose perspective is the following account written? 'I couldn't believe it when the police came to my house. I was innocent! I'd never even seen the jewel before!'
- James Ryder
- John Horner ✓
- Sherlock Holmes
- Dr Watson

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'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' is a Sherlock Holmes short story first published in 1892.
The story is told in the first person from the perspective of Dr John Watson.
When you deduce something, you are arriving at a conclusion by logical reasoning.
One of Holmes' key character traits is his ability to deduce information from small clues.

Pupils may find the plot confusing, particularly the idea that Ryder 'framed' Horner.

Model your own 'reader talk', talking through the process of how you connected up information to work out what has happened in the story.

Deduce - work out by logical reasoning or thinking based on evidence
Perspective - point of view
First person - the point of view where the speaker or narrator of the story is the 'I' character, providing a personal account of events or experiences