Holmes and Mrs. Hale

The first difference between the two detective stories is the motivations of the protagonist. Holmes is motivated "rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic"(142). In the Adventure of the Speckled Band, Holmes tells his client that "As to reward, my profession is its own reward"(142). Mrs. Hale, on the other hand, is drawn to her case because "Time and time again it had been in her mind, 'I ought to go over and see Minnie Foster' -- she still thought of her as Minnie Foster, though for twenty years she had been Mrs. Wright"(257). From this quotation, we can tell that Mrs. Hale had known Mrs. Wright long ago and feels some guilt for not visiting or being in contact with Mrs. Wright. Thus, the major difference between the two detectives is that Holmes has no relation to the victim while Mrs. Hale knows the victim and feels somewhat guilty. As we keep reading, another difference becomes evident. Mrs. Hale had already arrived at the conclusion of the crime when she went with everyone to Mrs. Wright's house. Throughout the short story, Mrs. Hale tries frame her hints and responses such that Mrs. Wright appears in a good light. When asked about whether the Wright family got along, Mrs. Hale quickly averted her gaze and hinted that Mr. Wright was in the wrong(265). Holmes on the other hand, approaches the conclusion by using evidence. From the sister's statement that she could smell the cigar of the doctor in such a shut room, Holmes came to the conclusion that the two rooms must connect. Holmes then checked the doctor's room and found the ventilator, and so on. One evidence leads to another and finally Holmes pieces the evidences together to form a conclusion. Perhaps, the most important idea to take from these two stories is that the Holme's story is actually a detective story while the Jury of her peers merely uses elements of a detective story. After all, I feel like the most important part of a real detective is that he should not be tied down by emotion.