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Sherlock Holmes Essay

One of the most debatable aspects of Sherlock Holmes stories concerns his relationship with the police. His attitude is ambivalent which is similar to the publics view. Holmes doesn’t have a great deal of time for the police in general. He thinks they are amateurs. However, he has a different attitude towards individual officers. What makes him successful as a crimefighter though in that he is willing to take the law into his own hands because his methods are more professional than theirs.

Holmes’s relationship with the police is not as you’d expect it to be. You would have thought that Holmes would call in or try and help the official police force but it is the total opposite of this. Holmes doesn’t trust the official police force and he insulted when he is compared to them for example, in “The Speckled Band”, Dr Grimsby Roylott describes him as, “Holmes the Scotland Yard jack in office.” Holmes’ response is, “Fancy his having the insolence to confound me with the official detective force!” Holmes seems amused more than annoyed about what was said but it does show that he doesn’t want to be a part of the official police force.

In the Sherlock Holmes stories sometimes the police are involved and sometimes there not. In two stories where they are involved, Holmes is called in by them, for example “Silver Blaze” and “The Cardboard Box.” Alternatively, he can be approached by someone who needs help, for example in “The Speckled Band” or “The Last Bow.” In their stories, there are no policemen.

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As I have already shown Holmes does not like the official police force but his attitude is different towards individual officers. There are two officers that Holmes respects; their names are Lestrade and Gregory. Lestrade is described by Holmes as, “obtuse but resolute.” By this Holmes means although Lestrade is not very sharp, he is firmly determined. Also Holmes says, “Inspector Gregory…is an extremely competent officer.” But also states “Were he but gifted with imagination, he might rise to great heights in his profession.” In all of the Holmes stories these two officers are the only ones that Holmes ...

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