A Study in Scarlet

Does study in Scarlet protray crime as individual problem or a larger

is crime the act of a sigle person?

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I think this ties in with the larger theme of revenge. Is the act of revenge societal or an individual response. I think both. We can seldom issolate the two. Sherlock Holmes eventually comes to the conclusion that it is either politics or love that motivates the murderer of Drebber and Stangerson. Indeed, Jefferson Hope is motivated by love, but a more apposite way of characterizing his motivation is revenge. As a solitary, reticent, strong, and independent man, he does not take well to the fates of Lucy and John Ferrier. He decides that he will devote his life to bringing their killers to justice. This passion for revenge motivates him for decades. Nothing, including a lack of money or information concerning the whereabouts of his chosen victims or having to travel all over Europe in pursuit, will deter him. He refers to himself as the judge, jury, and executioner. He has no faith that God or the law will be able to hold the men accountable for their actions. This desire for revenge is near primal in nature; it is utterly consuming and more than likely directly results in Hope’s deadly aortic aneurism.

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http://www.gradesaver.com/a-study-in-scarlet/study-guide/major-themes/