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Channel Firing Essay Samantha Daniel April 18, 2011 While I was browsing through our British Victorian Literature anthology I stumbled upon Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyal. I was initially surprised to find it within these pages having not realized that it was a Victorian piece. Sherlock Holmes is an extremely well recognized name, but I think it is not as widely read. People understand that he was a fictional detective but they know little else. The writing and characterization of Holmes as well as Watson are punchy and entertaining and provide an interesting look into the Victorian period. I would like to see Sherlock Holmes added to the syllabus. Sherlock Holmes would provide an interesting discussion on religion versus science as well as insight into Victorian ladies and gentlemen because of its content. In addition some interesting one-liners, that possibly are a challenge to the way things were at the time, are ripe for discussion. The relationship between Watson and Holmes is an interesting one. At the very beginning of “A Scandal in Bohemia” Watson tells us that since he got married the two men see very little of each other. Perhaps there are some implications there, but even outside of that fact the two men are interesting contrasts of one another and might suggest the aspects that are highly regarded in gentlemen of the Victorian age. Watson is a respectable Doctor, who is married, and he questions ethics more than Holmes does. Holmes is brilliant, though chatty, withdrawals from society for long periods of time, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to solve a case. The two men read very differently as well; Watson remains more reserved than Holmes who readily shares his thoughts and opinions. The two men could prompt a discussion on what the people found to be pros or cons of each character, and what the implications are for ideal traits in Victorian men as a whole. Students could read the two men differently, and discuss what implications that it could have. The two men could be read as transitions from the old traditional family values (Watson’s) to newer more, independent values (Holmes’.) Students could also read the two men together as a switch from the old to the new. Early in the semester our heroic men were aristocrats, who did very little other than rent their lands off. Now these two men, Watson and Holmes, are both working professionals. Holmes is obviously a detective, and Watson helps him out but is also a doctor who has to provide for his family. Gone are the days of men who can just sit around and go to parties and get in trouble with women. Now these two men are working to do something that they have to do to make money. Along with the discussion of the gentlemen the syllabus could include an examination of Victorian ladies, specifically the portion on the elevation of Irene Adler above Sherlock Holmes. Initially Holmes believes he can trick Adler, and thinks he successfully does, but it turns out that she has the last laugh. The author, Sir Author Conner Doyle, does not diminish her standing as others might have in earlier times. In the end Holmes walks away with her picture, saying it is more valuable then the prince’s ring. Holmes admires her intellect for figuring the deception out, a quality that we have seen to be quite rare in this time period. You could also have a discussion on science and religion around Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a very scientific man, and likes to know things as fact. At one point Watson is asking Holmes to make an assumption, and Holmes refuses, because he does not know it to be true. This could be a challenge towards religion, because there is no concrete evidence that there is a God. The author could almost be positioning Holmes as above the influence of religion. He doesn’t assume that God is real but knows that science is real, and that’s what Holmes trusts. Conan Doyle has a one liner that says when Holmes changed into his disguise he came out looking like a “simple minded, Nonconformist clergyman.” (1477) which might imply a disdain for religion. Sherlock Holmes would provide an interesting end to the class. It is a longer piece of work, so people who are not quite as into poetry, or who like prose a bit better, could burrow through this and find some interesting bits of information. Sherlock Holmes provides an interesting look into a Victorian male’s lifestyle that we rarely got to see this semester, the workingman. His relationship with Watson, and reading the two men in contrast with each other, as well as against other men we have seen could provide an intriguing wrap up discussion for the class, much like we had with Tennyson, and Browning. You can also read religion and science into “A Scandal in Bohemia”, and other students might be able to find some really interesting material within this context. I highly recommend Sherlock Holmes as an enjoyable and beneficial addition to the syllabus!

Word Count-880 Works Cited

1. Doyal, Aurthur Conan. “A Scandal in Bohemia.” The Longman Anthology, British Literature. Volume 2. Ed. David Damrosch and Kevin J.H. Dettmar. Pages 1467-1482.