Ways of the Eccentric Detective Sherlock Holmes, known as a famous detective with peculiar abilities of observation possesses a contrary side that makes him notably original. In “The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is an eccentric character because of the double attributes he shows throughout the story. Foremost, the narrator, Dr. Watson observes at a concert that while Holmes was “gently waving his long, thin fingers in time to the music”, “his gently smiling face and his languid dreamy eyes are unlike those of Holmes, the sleuth hound”. Imagery paints the picture of Holmes, seemingly dominated by music and in a poetic mood. This contrasts the “brilliant reasoning power” he has that makes Holmes the successful detective he
In “The Red-Headed League,” several clues helped Mr. Holmes find out what crime was being contemplated and when the crime was going to be committed. Throughout the story, the criminals leave clues like where their crime was planned to take place, how they would proceed with the crime, and who would be partaking in the event. There were five specific clues that pointed to what crime was being contemplated in “The Red-Headed League.” The Red-Headed League was, in fact, the first clue that helped solve this mystery. The whole purpose of the Red-Headed League was to distract the pawnbroker from their operation.