The Sherlock Holmes stories were originally published in The Strand magazine towards the end of the nineteenth century, where they became extremely popular, with a monthly circulation of over half a million copies each month. Most of the success of the stories is attributable to the fact that many of the concerns and issues raised in the stories were shared by the audience of the time; for instance: Holmes opinion of the then newly founded metropolitan police force was that they were mostly inept and incompetent at solving crimes; ““See the value of imagination” said Holmes “It is one quality that Gregory lacks””. Holmes satirical tone and the way that he says “one quality”, implies that there are in fact many more, and thus he is criticising the police. At the same time he is making himself seem superior in his ability as a detective. This reflects opinions of the time since the police force were relatively new and lacked experience, so people had very little faith in their abilities. A true to life example of the police force’s incompetence is that the case of ‘Jack the Ripper’, that was never solved.
Holmes has a decidedly inferior view of women. In ‘The Speckled Band’, when Holmes first encounters Miss Stoner, he treats her in a very patronising way; ““I shall order you a cup of hot coffee””. This shows that women are inferior to men, since Holmes is treating her as though she were incapable of getting herself a cup of coffee. Holmes is also higher in terms of his social status. This is common of the Victorian era, as men were seen to be more powerful, not just physically, but also intellectually.
On the other hand, Miss Stoner is also portrayed as being brave and independent; she risks the wrath of her step-father in order to go and meet with Holmes and avenge her sister’s death. Furthermore, she is well educated since, despite her apparent terror, she is eloquent and fluent in using long and complex sentences, featuring advanced and complicated language. This could be evidence that Conan Doyle supports the Suffragette movement and the of establishment women’s right
Conan Doyle has created a character that is so intriguing, complex and believable, that Holmes has become the archetypal representation of a detective; the stories have inspired many modern day crime fiction novelists who still use the basis that Conan Doyle created; Agatha Christie’s Poirot famously features many ideas first used and created by Conan Doyle, such as the use of a secondary character to serve as a comparison to the main protagonist. His appearance also, with his pipe and deerstalker, has become a widely accepted depiction of a detective. Many detectives since Sherlock Holmes have copied his basic appearance, also being depicted as wearing a cloak and deerstalker, and smoking a pipe.
Conan Doyle uses the aspect of Holmes appearance to reflect his character; Watson describes him as having a “hawklike nose”. This comparison to a hawk suggests that Holmes is powerful, strong, and inescapable; Holmes is predatory, and he is hunting his prey. Further symbolism as to the depiction of a hawk is that large birds of prey are revered for their immense skill at catching prey, in a similar way to Holmes. Their speed and power, is that of Holmes. The United States of America use a bald eagle as their national bird and as part of the great seal of national congress; the eagle, as a bird of prey, symbolizes power.
Throughout the Holmes stories, he exhibits an intelligence that goes beyond the traits of a common investigator. His powers of observation and deduction are most apparent when he meets his client Helen Stoner; “”There is no mystery, my dear madam," said he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver."” This shows how superior Holmes ability to observe and deduct information really is. This superiority is emphasised by Watson; serving as a filter between Holmes’ himself and the reader, Watson is able to emphasise Holmes’ abilities and to make him appear even more admirable.
Conan Doyle creates the character of Dr Watson, whom we learn about as we read through the stories, as Holmes's companion. He is always there with Holmes and assists him when he is in trouble. He occasionally helps Holmes solve elements of different cases and is reasonably good at working things out, however his powers of deduction are not nearly as powerful as Holmes’; ““You reasoned it out beautifully," I exclaimed, in unfeigned admiration. “It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true."” Doyle uses this sense of inferiority to subtly elevate Holmes ability. Watson is always there for Holmes and he makes the stories more interesting by serving as a comparison to Holmes; Watson is a person who has a romantic, less practical imagination than Holmes. This contradictory attitude serves to exalt Holmes and the abilities of his concentrated mind.
Watson is also used as a filter; “Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson — which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs.” Through Watson we see only what Conan Doyle wishes us to see, this then means that when the mystery is revealed, it is even more awe-inspiring, since the reader, along with Watson, were oblivious to what was such an elementary conclusion.
Holmes has a very prominent duality that is obvious to us as a reader; “"It saved me from ennui," he answered, yawning. "Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so."” Holmes took drugs on a regular basis while he was not working; he used them to help him relax. Holmes detests being unable to occupy his ceaseless mind and reverts to drugs to give himself a distraction from his boredom.
Since first appearing in the Strand magazine, the Holmes stories have been enjoyed by many readers. These stories appealed to the Victorians because they offered an escape from the crime ridden society they lived in. Holmes never failed to solve a crime and offered them moral certainty. Although in current society we are more competent at solving crimes, Conan Doyle's stories are still enjoyed as they are an entertaining, easy read for many modern day readers. I, for one, enjoy the old-fashioned, formal language used.
