England Book Club: The Hound of the Baskervilles – Part 2
This week we’re going to read chapters 3 and 4 of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
In the beginning, Sherlock Holmes was presented with the legend of The Curse of the Baskervilles. He seemed to dismiss the story as a mere fairy tale, leading the reader to believe that Holmes does not believe in supernatural stories.
However, in the next chapter Holmes is told a story of something that had just happened recently that suggests the Hound of the Baskervilles might have some truth behind it.
Right away in the book Holmes shows us how his mind works – solving the mystery of who left a walking stick in his home. Dr. Watson, who is a smart man, explains his theories on the walking stick, but then Holmes shoots some of those ideas out of the water with his own ideas. The author did this on purpose to show you how Holmes comes to his deductions – now we’re going to see him figure out the mystery of the Baskerville’s curse and the mysterious hound.
At this point, the best thing you can do for yourself is get a better idea of the setting of the story. Most Holmes stories take place in the big city, but this one takes place in the English countryside – the moor. Research the moor. Find out what it is. Look at pictures of it.
The moor is almost a character in the story, because the way it looks, the way it feels, helps create the mood of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Here’s the assignment:
- Read the third and fourth chapters of the book, and try to picture the setting — the moor.
- Do a little research on the moor. In your own words explain how you think it may become an important part of the story.
Every student in our England group is required to participate. You must comment on this post with your thoughts, then come back and comment on what other people have said – you are required to make an effort to keep the conversation going by replying to at least 2 other students (more than just “I agree” or “you are right.” Give them reasons why you agree/disagree or what they said that was meaningful – make this a discussion).
Minooka TAP 
I think that the Moor will become an important part of the story for a couple different reasons. For one reason I think this is because of the whole idea of the hound, and it’s mysterious. Which would make Holmes want to investigate. But one thing that I found strange was that the Moor was very empty, and wild. Also, the fact that barely anyone lives there. It also sounds like it will become an important part of the story because of the way they have described it. Like they said in the book, “There rose in the distance a gray, melancholy hill, with a strange jagged summit, dim and vague in the distance.”
This made me visualize and just feel something really eerie and suspicious. And since the land looks as if completely untouched, especially light wise, it creates a very eerie feeling because at night the whole idea of the hound. And since I picture the hound as having a dark color to it’s fur, it would be chilling to be outside around that area, just getting more and more paranoid. I think Holmes will go more in depth into investigation and trying to find out what exactly the hound is.
Wow! that’s really good reasoning. If I hadn’t read the story I would definitely understand all of your reasoning.
I get it too. good job Maisie i wish i would have thought of that.
i agree with everything that you just said jade.
Masie, I really like how you used parts of the text to explain your feelings and thoughts. It reminds me of something Sherlock Holmes himself would do. The reason I think this is because he’s always looking for facts to back up his hypothesis. You preformed this really well.
I like the way you are decribing the moor,I also like the way that you have said that the moor dark ans eerie and how you related it to the hound and its fur.
I like that you gave many reasons 🙂
I agree on how you think that the moor is mysterious, just as the Hound is too.
i totally agree with you about how homles is going to still investigate because of the hound, and i didnt think of it like that until you said about how it would be if you were actually outside in that area.
I agree with you the moor is definetly a creepy and scary place that would give anyone a bad feeling.
i totally agree that holmes would want to search a place like this, i think that he’ll find something if he goes to this place.
I think the land does look empty also Holmes would investigate it because it looks weird and empty. But I dont think it looks that dark though in the pictures.
i agree it is a very suspicious and gloomy place.
I love how you described the senery of this. I never thought of it this way.
I really like how you see the land of the moor. I like how you discripe the color of the hound too.
Great reasoning! i would have never had thoughten of that
From what I’ve researched on the moor its a wide plain that is open for wild animals. Anything could live there. The moor will most likely be a VERY important place in this book because of many reasons. 1) because Charles always tried to avoid there as much as possible. 2) It can hide any animals from rabbit to wolf with out anyone spotting it or hunting it because barely anyone lives there, It’s the ideal hiding spot. No one can catch you. 3) Sir Henry was specifically told NOT to go there. He was told this as soon as he got to London. The note came from an anonymous source but they are tracking it down.
Jade, I like how you said that an anonymous note told him not to go there. This leads me to belive he might not be the only Baskerville left. Another thought that comes to mind is that maybe this man set up every Baskerville to die, and now his mission is almost complete.
Thanks and that’s an interesting idea too think about. That the person who wrote then letter might have been another Baskerville. That just makes someone think about all the possibilities there could be to someone being the mystery writer.
Good thought brooklyn. Now you have me suspecting the same.
What do you mean hide the animals? What do you mean avioded the place as much as possible. Why was he avioding there?Was there on eparticula reason?
I completly agree Jade i think It could be important becuase he was told not to go there.
EXACTLY! i think it will be very important especially since he was told not to go there.
I. Like how you compared rabbit to wolf ( smart :))
I was also thinking what you were thinking. The moor is a very good hiding spot for many animals, even the Hound.
i think he was told this so he didnt go their and get killed by the hound
i like your reasons but i dont think that one of the reasons of the moor being an important part of the story is because of charles reaction to it, although you made a point to the rest that changed much of my mind.
I agree with you there is a definet chance for hunting there and from the begining he was told not to go there.
I totally agree that this place is a very good hiding spot. Since no one ever goes or lives in the moor.
You are right no one can hide there also hard to play hide and seek there.
The moor, from what I read on the internet, is a open land that can hide any animal like the hound of Baskervilles in the book which I think Sherlok would investigate there to find it. But a lot of people said not to go there but I think that will not stop him at all. So I think he will find the hound there but I am not sure, this land is like the forest I go to but the moor is much bigger defitlly but has so open space more than the forest. It will be imporent in the story because he will exlore it for the hound I think so because it just seems it would happen in this kind of book which is mystery. So that is what I think of the moor in England. I hope to go there and play hide and seek but it seems hard for who ever is looking for you condsidering there isvso much space to hide there. So some day I want to go there.
This is a good explanation of the note and the description of the place.
I like how you said that anything could live there that its the best hiding spot in the world since no one lives there.
i agree with you because of all the reasons that the moor can possibly become important to the story.
I think that the moor will become an important part of the story for a few reasons. The first is because the hound is supposed to live in the moor. Because the moor is a large field, a ” hound” of some sort would be able to adapt perfectly there. Every time one of the Baskervilles died, it was while running from the house and towards the moor.
The second reason I think this is an important place is because since only one Baskerville left, I think Holmes will try to keep him away from there until he and Watson set up a trap to catch the hound. The moor will certainly become a very important place, for the best or the worse. I think it all depends on how Sherlock Holmes sets up his trap or if he gets there in time.
I like how in your first little paragraph you explain they died while they were running toward the moor, good thinking!
From the research that I did a moor is open wasteland covered in lots and lots of weeds and shrubs usally in very warm or hot climates. It is also for animals to roam freely. I think this would be important in the story because one they said thier has been sightings of a beast in the moor. Also because their are different curses that has been dicussed throught the book that might have something to do with the moor. Or even maybe when they are doing somemurder cases that involes victims their.
I think the Moor cound become very important for sevral reasons…
1. It will become important becuase it is where the hound killed Sir charles, and if that is where he died then i think that is where they will get most of their clues.
2. Also becuase It is where Sir Henry was told to stay away from. The letter he recived said if he wanted to stay alive then he must stay out of the Moor.
3. It is important becuase Sir Charles tried to avoid the Moor. This means there was something he was afraid of that must have been hiding there.
i agree with all three of your reasons for the moor being important. like where Sir Henry should stay away, it is where sir charles was killed and a place the sir charles tried to avoid.
Good idea on your last one where there is probably something in the moor and that’s why he didn’t want to go in it.(:
1) The moor is a narrow ally with hedges on both sides. It is here were Mr.Baskerville was murderer ( or hunted) . The moor is right by a jail and baskerville hall is in the center is it.
To enter the moor there is a gate about four feet high. Mr.Holmes thinks that Mr.Baskerville was running in panicky from something when he got attacked by the hound.
2) The moor could easily become a inportant setting in the story because Sherlock could want to come and see the murder scene. Or the setting for the tip of the climax could be the moor. Another prediction is that the hound could live in the moor. YOU COULD NEVER KNOW
i disagree about the moor being a narrow ally its a open field
The moor is a place that has many plains and grass areas. There are also village like aspects such as houses and shops but there more like cottages . From pictures it seems like a beautiful place with all of the green grass and wild flowers. I think this could be connected to the story in two ways. The first way is that this is where the hound could live there because moor is also seen as a hiding place for animals for hunting .Or there was someone attacked there and Sherlock holmes and Watson decide to investigate to find out more details on the hound .
I think the Moor is an important setting. The hound of Baskervilles is more likely to live in the country side then a populated city. It may become an important role in the story since the moor is very wide open, like a cornfield. This will make it a very important scene for Holmes to investigate in. Plus, many people around it say to be careful while in the moor. Since, many people are afraid of the moor, there has to be a reason or thing why it is so forbidden.
i think so too about the hound is more likely to be on the country side
Okay so Moor is a type of field. Holding a very quiet enough landscape for a bunch of animals to live on. The moor will be important because its a sinkhole. Nothing lives ther besides wildlife, it would be easy roam the moor and easy to find whos ever behind it, plus its a perfect hiding spot for a culprit. Plus many of the charecters have seen a bit like cautious of the moor like there is something there that Sherlock must see. Other than that maybe the moor is the reason why people say the hound is killing the baskervilles, when it may not be.
Maisie you have a really good explaination on your reaasons i didnt know for sure if it creates an eerie feel but after reading yours it sounds like it could~!
the moor is a field were any animals can live. a moor is kind of like the woods with out all of the trees.i have a feeling that the hound might be one of the animal like creaters that lives in this area called a moor. i think one of the baskervilles that are still alive might go their of suspision. this is the reason i think it might be important to the story.
i belive that the moor is, like masie said, wild and empty. But holmes will still want to investigate from the hound. The hound gives it a sort of scary/adventurous feeling, giving the entire place a spot especially for holmes to invgestigate. The whole way that they come in depth with the story about how the moor is, it makes me think that the hound is in the moor, putting me on the edge of my seat waiting for something to pop out. thats why i think that it will be so important, of its so intense feeling, or atg least thats what i think.
i agree it is very empty. there is like no one there till homes and the hound hide there
I agree with the hound giving off a scary/adventurous feeling. It’s like when we were little, and we thought about the monsters hiding under our bed or in our closet. Even though they weren’t real, they still scared us. That sort of reminds me of the hound in a way. I’m not so sure how to describe it though..
that makes so much sense i didnt understand how to explain it either and that was really goo thanks for explaining it :).
Yeah I’m kind of afraid now. It would be funny if the hound actually got sherlock and like killed him.. o-o Both books we’ve read so far have had a kind of scary movie part in it. This reminds me of when Mole was in the forrest and he was freaking out. Except sherlock isnt freaking .
I belive that the moor will become an important part of the story, because of “the hound of Baskervilles”. I belive that the hound will have to go or stay somewhere and i think the moor will be where it goes. A moor is a temperate grassland, or a hilly land. Witch lead’s me to belive that the moor will become an important part of the story. In the story the moor is kind of a creepy place, like the kind of place no one once to be in or by, in my opinion it is like a bare land. When something this interesting comes along holmes must investegate, so in a case like that holmes would go to grate distances to find out what “the hound of baskervilles” really is.
What i saw when i researched the moor. the moor is a wide open space for wild animals and nature. Its a habitat of mostly grasslands. Pretty much any animal could survive in a moor type of nature. Its important to the story because it seems like a very good hiding spot for the hound because no one goes out in places like that. I think that a place this mysterious would make Sherlock want to search this location. But he was told not to go to these place because it could be dangerous, but im pretty sure that he’ll go here anyways. I know that i would too if its a place where maybe the hound could be hiding.
I agree, Sherlock seems like he is going to go to the moor anyway.
I think that the Moor will be one of the main parts of the story. Its an open field and and that is where everyone seems to be dying. The huge hound lives there too, so they probably will look there majority of the time. All of the hard cold evidence and footprints will be there. They need to find out how this animal got and and how it started killing people. Another reason would be they need to find out where it satys most of the time and how it gets here. They might even have to kill it so it wont kill people anmore. I mean I would if it wee trying to kill me and the people of Baskerville.
I agree with you on how the Moor will probably become a main part pf the story. There’s so much mystery about the whole place that really makes me want to know what’s actually been happening/had happened there!
I agree with you on the fact that the Moor will become a major/main part of the story!(:
it made me feel really suspicious and excited to see what happens next. i picture it very dark. also pretty much vacated. like no one lives there. it also is very dark and gloomy.
the importance of the moor is that later in the story it will provide a hiding place for homes and the hound. it also completes the gloomy and dooming atmosphere.
1. I think the moor is like a open set of land where a huge amount of trees are and a very emty area with only one huge house. It looks really gloomy and haunting at the same time.
2. I think the moor would be a very good place to explor since it is a very weird place with the gloomy skys and gray clouds. I can see why Sherlock would like to explore it.
I agree, the moor seems like a very interesting place to explore. It’s suspicious all around and Sherlock is a detective so why wouldn’t he want to investigate?
I think the moor will become very important and useful. The moor stands out to Holmes, makes him curious. He wants to know what is inside. The moor seems to catch his eye, with a very empty yet crazy vibe. Since the moor is pretty much stranded, it might become an important spot throughout the book. And since the moor is deserted, people might start meeting there, like it is a secret hideout. The moor makes you feel mysterious and anxious. It is kind of like opening a present on Christmas, you want to know what is inside and explore what it does.
Yeah i bet Sherlock will sneak up and listen to a conversation of two sketchy characters meetin’ up to talk togather. Thats probably how he’ll get suspects soon. Also i like the child opening the present comparisin . I wish it was christmas.
I think the moor is going to become very important in the story. I think this because it’s a huge open field, and everyone seems to be dying there. Also the hound lives there. I think they will be spending a large amount of time there trying to solve this mystery.
This is exactly what I think! I think Holmes will probably be in the moor for the rest of the story!
I picture the moore to be a vast grassy plain. Kind of like the scene from Bambi when his mom got shot and killed. 😀 It is a large clearing and there might be a few dears there eating grass and such. (becuase it reminds me of bambi) The hound probably lives near by if there even is one, because i have a feelings someone else is doing the killing and blaming his pet dog.. But the cultprit probably lives nearby. This is where all the people were getting killed. It will be important because i think that is where sherlock will catch the criminal or whoever is doing this killing. All the evidence will be there.
Hmm, I don’t really see a moor as the place where Bambi’s mother was shot but… That’s a good idea! I do agree that the culprit, whether it be the hound or a human, lives by though.
I agree with Autumn , I thought of the Moor to b more dark. Not somewhere animals would like to be but I do agree with the cultprit.
Agreed. I had pictured the moor to be darker simply because I pictured the beast to be darker so it could easily blend into it’s surroundings.
I don’t see the moor as being green and grassy. I picture the moor as being gray and rainy and not really a good or safe place to be in.
I think that the moor will become an important part of the story for a few reasons. but first i think that the moor is an open field that is grassy. but i think that later on in the story it will provide a hiding place. not only for holmes but any creature… like the hound creature thing too. also, maybe a good amount of facts like evidence can be found there. such as important things, like foot prints, animal claw marks, hound poop, or even blood of some kind.
A moor is a habitat that is usually found in upland areas. It isn’t really suited for life due to small plants, acidic soil, and it’s foggy.
I believe that the moor in the story will become very important to the plot. Like others had said before, it’s the ideal hiding place for anyone or anything. It’s abandoned and out of sight. I think Holmes will have to stay there for a little while. While he does, I believe he’ll find evidence on the hounds whereabouts scattered around.
I like the thought of a hiding place, i never thought of it that way.
I agree with you I also found about how the moor isn’t suited for life, therefore making it a great place for hiding or crimes.
I also agree. If there were to be anything hiding there, it woulod have to probably be something that has to hide from its doings.
In conclusion of my research on the moor, I see it fit to be a large part of the story. Not only was it the place Sir Charles passed. It was also the spot of the latest mystery of The Hound of Baskerville. It is in the moor that Dr. Mortimer had found evidence of the hound. He had seen footprints, not of a human but of a gigantic hound. In my opinion I think the moor means something to the hound. So, yes the moor has a big role in The Hound of The Baskervilles in my perception.
What about the fact that the moor was empty? Just wondering(:
I think the moor will be an important part of the story because it takes place of the last deaths of the Baskervilles.The researsh I have found states that the Moor is kind of an eerie looking place. It has fog and not many places to grow plants. I think this makes a moor a place to comite crimes because it’s so out of place and basically abandoned. I think it will have a HUGE effect on the plot.
I completely agree with you on that. The plot has to go somewhere, doesn’t it? I think the climax will certainly end up taking place in the moor.
I think that the moor will become an important part of the story because it’s an area of open land that can hold animals easily. This is the perfect type of environment for the “hound” and it is most likely living in the area. Since there is only one baskerville left, Sir Henry, who got an anonymous note to stay away from the moor, it will come into play. Holmes must try to catch the hound and go to the moor and make sure the last and only baskerville stays away. All of this information leads me to conclude that the hound, or something that will kill him, is in the moor, and it’s up to sherlock to find out.
From my reserch i learned that The moor is a grassey open area habitat for wild animals. I think this could be important in the story because the hound and exmoor are wild animals and could live in an area like a moor.
true meghan, it would be a good hiding place for commiting a crime.
I Agree with you mkayla , i to beileve that later on it could be a hiding place.
I think that the Moor will become an important part of the story. I think this for a couple different reasons. One reason I think this is because of the whole idea of the hound, and it’s questionable. Which would make Holmes want to investigate. But one thing that I found strange was that the Moor was empty, and wild. Also, the fact that barely anyone lives there. It also sounds like it will become an important part of the story because of the way they described it. Like they said in the book, “There rose in the distance a gray, melancholy hill, with a strange jagged summit, dim and vague in the distance.”
This made me visualize and just feel something really eerie and suspicious. And since the land looks as if completely untouched, especially light wise, it creates a very eerie feeling because at night the whole idea of the hound. And since I picture the hound as having a dark color to it’s fur, it would be chilling to be outside around that area, just getting more and more paranoid. I think Holmes will go more in depth into investigation and trying to find out what exactly the hound is.
I agree with you on this. I pictured the hound to be dark as well, and I think that might be our assumption due to it’s residence in the moor. Especially because I picture the moor almost as a dense forest.
The moor as described is an oppen area. It is much like a plain or a field and anything really can live there. This could be important to the book because it is good for hiding, so then Holmes might stay there a later on find some suspicious things. Also, it could be where the hound lives or even hunts sometimes. Sherlock might also get a lot of clues or ideas from the moor, maybe he will figure out more than one hound exist and is killing that family.Or traces of something that will lead him to find something he wasn’t expecting.
The moor will be very important in the story. The moor from the very beginning comes as a feeling of dread because it is a wild place where you find no one but the creatures who reside in that area. It is a very dense area, and when the family hears the hound, it only becomes more dire when the situation escalates because the hound is nowhere in sight. It is also said to be foggy and unsettling. The moor is supposed to be known for the depression and terror it can provoke in many people. I pictured a swampy area. Not where crocodiles and alligators might reside, but like the ones you see in horror movies. The ones with lots of fog, and the scary music with sounds coming from every direction, but is almost impossible to pinpoint.
After I researched and read about the moor I think that this place will become an EXTREMELY important place in the book for a couple reasons. One is because the moor is just a big open space, and it would be super easy for this hound to live there. Another reason is because almost no one lives there so it would make sense that no one has ever seen the hound. Also because all the baskerville deaths have something to do with the moor. I think that Holmes will take this opportunity to go into depth with the investigation and finally put an end to these killings. But before he puts an end to it, there will most likely be some eerie and terrible things happening.
the reason i think the moor is going to be important is because that is where wild animals live. this is important because the dog could live there. also the moor is an open field. that is why i think the moor is going to be important