2. Sherlock Holmes – Method and Character
2.2. Characteristic Traits of Holmes
A characterisation of Sherlock Holmes as an exemplary protagonist and investigator. With examples from selected original stories by A.C. Doyle.
The detective and his Method are, in fact, almost inseparably
linked: It naturally takes an extraordinary character to meet the many
demands of the Method itself and apply it correctly all through an
investigation.
From a critic's point of view, one might even go one step further:
Without his method, Sherlock Holmes, devoid of his eccentric traits,
would hardly qualify for a 'round' character. The method, on the other
hand, would merely appear to be the exaggerated invention of some
writer or other, had it not been presented through a charismatic genius
as the detective. (1).
Because of this interdependence, Sherlock Holmes is first and
foremost characterised by his intellectual skills. In the very first
texts of the Canon(2), it is
said that Holmes was above all an extremely scientific kind of
person, insensitive to most emotions, a man who "was, I take
it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has
seen, but as a lover […] would have placed himself in a false position."
(Watson):
Machinelike he is, indeed, in his deliberateness, accurateness and
reliability - also in his regular habits and his effectiveness. To
succeed in a case, Holmes is even able to minimise basic human needs
unknown to automates, like eating or sleeping(3) - just like an
enthusiastic artist, he is completely devoted to his work in itself (4). His
eminent gift restricts his views in many respects, guiding him thus
through the complex process of detection. (5)
This characteristic concentration on one aim places him in a very special position: As a rule, his contemporaries trust him to handle their affairs while at the same time, they are sceptical about this freak, whose ways are so very different from their own and who - on the top of all- seems to posses supernatural powers. (6) The detective - in turn- feels frequently bored by his surroundings: Life apparently has little to offer for a mastermind like him (7) and, at times, he feels nothing but contempt for his comparably slow-witted fellowmen (8) .
Nonetheless, in the Canon Holmes is far more then just the "observing
machine"
, he is commonly known to be: He is very dynamic in his
actions, has his own personal likes and dislikes and - above all -
expresses a slightly arrogant sense of humour. Most important to
critics and fans is the fact that he is anything but a cold nihilist:
Moreover, he can be most gentlemen-like and empathetic towards his
clients and proves highly responsible with most of his decisions (9) . The intellectual genius has
definitely
very human features as well, which makes the 'man' become alive - in
the imagination of devoted readers
