The contrast between humans and nature and between civilization and elemental forces is a recurring motif in the book. This is particularly apparent when Watson likens various characters to animals. For example, Helen Stoner “was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal” (147). Holmes is also described as an animal whose lust for the hunt takes over. Such comparisons usually reveal a moment of weakness, as in Helen’s case, or highlight some personality trait, such as the detective’s single-mindedness.

In the Victorian period, men were seen as representative of the ordered, rational world, and women were often relegated to the irrational, instinctual, and emotional sphere. Equating women with nature, in this way, promoted the idea that they needed to be controlled and contained. Additionally, valorizing the human—or male—over the rest of creation helped solidify the racial theory underpinning the British colonial project. People of color were depicted as closer to nature, thus inferior to white Europeans.

Another underlying motif of the stories is the contrast between reality and the imagination, with reality offering a much more diverse and incredible repertoire of strange occurrences than anything made up.