Characterisation of Jabez Wilson

Jabez Wilson is perhaps the most important character in the story “The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle, as his peculiar case is brought to the attention of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

Outer characterisation

The man’s outer characterisation is presented both directly (by Watson) and indirectly (through the way the man acts or speaks). He is “a very stout, florid-faced, elderly gentleman with fiery red hair”; as the rest of the story reveals, the man’s naturally-red hair with a “rich tint” sets the intrigue. Because he lacks the same power of deduction as Holmes, Watson describes Wilson as being quite an ordinary man:

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Inner characterisation

In terms of inner characterisation, the man initially comes across as filled with “discontent” because of the strange affair in which he was involved. He tells his story in detail and does not hide the fact that he is in need of some money: “an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy”.

Wilson is very surprised when Holmes “reads” him and reveals that he feels superior when it comes to Holmes’ work: “Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. “Well, I never!” said he. “I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was nothing in it, after all.””

When it comes to his business, Wilson seems to trust his assistant named Spaulding because the man does his job appropriately and works for half wages. This also shows that Wilson is naïve and maybe too trusting, because he completely trusts a man he has only know for about a month.

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