In The Hound of the Baskervilles (HOB) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are immersed in a setting that seems to transcend the known limits of the physical world. A demonic hound roaming the Devonshire moors is said to have been responsible for the death of the wealthy Sir Charles Baskerville, a family friend, has no choice but to recruit the famous detective and his partners to investigate the case. The narrative, told through the perspective of Doctor Watson, soon abandons the familiarity of Baker Street in exchange for the horror of Baskerville Hall and its surroundings. Upon Watson's arrival, Dartmoor proves to be just as disturbing as it was in the past. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses the precious tool of localization to leave open the possibility that crimes exist that are beyond the reach of rational analysis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't". 't Be Banned'? Get an Original Essay The setting is first established when, in the midst of presenting the details of the case to Holmes, Doctor Mortimer reads aloud the myth of the Curse of Baskerville. One could easily have confused the piece with an excerpt from a Gothic novel, because it is full of elements of the genre. The reader learns that Hugo Baskerville of Baskerville Manor has ruthlessly kidnapped a small farmer's daughter. After she attempted to escape from the upstairs bedroom one night, Baskerville and others chased her onto the moor. Eventually, she and Hugo were both found dead. Beside the latter's body was, to the astonishment of the other men, "a great black beast, shaped like a hound, but larger than any hound upon which ever mortal eye rested" (Doyle 9). The connection between plot and setting of the myth is important. As mentioned, they are both rooted in the Gothic tradition and therefore play off each other. The gloomy estate and the damsel in distress are both common elements of Gothic fiction. The degree to which Baskerville is alleged to have been infatuated with her is also indicative of the genre. Furthermore, the hound who lurks at night and the dark moor he inhabits are intentionally depicted as demonic and supernatural, suggesting the possibility that the “father of evil” could very well be Sir Charles' attacker. Holmes – the embodiment of the Enlightenment – ​​is, notably, more skeptical than the others, but even he does not completely exclude the possibility that “forces outside the ordinary laws of Nature” may be at work (19). Furthermore, the dark, gothic setting established in the exposition matches the description Watson later gives of Dartmoor when he and Sir Charles actually arrive there. Suddenly, it seems less likely that the mystery can be solved in the physical world through deductive reasoning. The great Grimpen Mire, capable of sinking into its depths, evolves into a macabre metaphor for mystery itself. Not surprisingly, it is navigable only by the naturalist Mr. Stapleton, the perpetrator of the crime, and was eventually discovered to be the location of the hounds' fortress. Watson, after observing the swamp's capabilities, says, "Life has become like that great Grimpen Mire, with little green patches everywhere you can sink into, and without a guide to point the way" (54). This confrontation expresses the imminent danger and apparent desperation of their situation, which adds to the suspense of the gothic atmosphere. He also describes Watson as an ill-equipped assistant in the absence of Holmes' analytical mind. One might imagine that Doyle added this add-on specifically to evoke desperation. As will Watson.