In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle presents familial, social, and historical relationships as especially significant. While the family relationships among the Baskervilles are the most obviously important, those between Selden and his sister also play key roles in the plot. The social relationship of friendship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is crucial both for advancing the detective work and the two men’s mutual support of one another. Historical relationships shape the overall background of the novel, as the legend of the infernal hound extends back to Sir Hugo’s supposed curse in the 1700s.

The primary motivation of the murder that Holmes uncovers is family related: because Stapleton is actually a Baskerville, he wants to kill Henry in order to inherit the family estate. In addition, the family connections between the escaped prisoner Selden and his sister are important but also are not immediately revealed. Selden is roaming around the moors, and Mrs. Barrymore is his sister and can feed him.

The strong and long-lasting friendship between Holmes and Watson is the most significant social relationship in this novel, as in many others by Conan Doyle. The bond between the men is founded in mutual professional respect—though Watson tends to defer to Holmes—and have been strengthened by the numerous difficult situations through which they have helped each other. In this case, Holmes’s trust in Watson motivates the doctor’s serving as the advance man, which enables the detective to roam the moor in disguise.

The historical dimensions play a crucial role in Stapleton’s strategy. He takes advantage of the long-standing local legend that a fiendish hound roams the moors and kills the Baskerville men. Because this legend has become firmly established since its mention in a letter from the 1740s, Stapleton turns superstition into reality with a real, but painted dog.