Question

In this excerpt from The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell, what does the author mean by the sentence “The West Riding men are sleuth-hounds in pursuit of money”? The West Riding men are sleuth-hounds in pursuit of money. Miss Brontë related to my husband a curious instance illustrative of this eager desire for riches. A man that she knew, who was a small manufacturer, had engaged in many local speculations, which had always turned out well, and thereby rendered him a person of some wealth. The author personifies sleuth-hounds by comparing them to men of the West Riding area. The author compares the men from West Riding with animals, specifically hounds, by using hyperbole for comic effect. The author uses sarcasm to criticize the inability of men from West Riding to find anything. The author uses a metaphor to compare the West Riding men in their quest for money with hounds that pursue prey.

Answer 1

The author uses a metaphor to compare the West Riding men in their quest for money with hounds that pursue prey.
Sleuth hounds are determined and effective in pursuing prey. They use all their senses and knowledge to seek out their target, and usually are successful. She uses this comparison to indicate that the West Riding Men have a similar level of determination and success when it comes to seeking out money.