The Case of the Missing Marquess

In 2020, the Sherlock Holmes estate sued Nancy Springer. Using reputable sources, discuss this lawsuit and its outcome. Based on your reading of The Case of the Missing Marquess, do you agree or disagree with the court’s finding?

What are the restrictions that Enola faces because of her gender? What rhetorical devices or literary techniques does Springer use to explore The Underestimated Strengths of Women as a central theme in the story?

The novel has a strong feminist perspective. Does it uplift its female characters at the expense of male characters, or is the treatment of male and female characters balanced? How does this treatment either advance or detract from the novel’s themes?

How does Enola’s evolving understanding of her mother’s choices relate to her evolving understanding of herself and her world? How does this aspect of her thinking support the novel’s use of the coming-of-age arc?

Enola thinks of herself not as a detective but as a “perditorian.” From her perspective, what is the difference? Why might she want to distinguish herself from Sherlock in this way? Do Springer’s characterizations and plot support the idea that she is meaningfully different from Sherlock?

What do the ciphers and disguises in this novel have in common? Why might someone like Enola in particular be drawn to ciphers and disguises? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

The novel’s subplot about Eudoria contains traditional stereotypes about nomadic Roma communities. In what ways does the novel uphold or subvert these stereotypes? Based on research from reliable sources, argue for or against the novel’s proposition that Eudoria would be significantly more “free” living among the Roma of the Victorian era.

Compare and contrast Enola and Eudoria. How do their similarities and differences affect their choices across the novel? How does Springer’s characterization of these two women emphasize The Tension Between Independence and Obligation?