Complicated Masculinity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock ...Sherlock Holmes Short Stories! New...

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“The Most Perfect Reasoning and Observing Machine”: Carolyn Braganca Elon University ‘15 Dr. Janet Myers Complicated Masculinity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

Transcript of Complicated Masculinity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock ...Sherlock Holmes Short Stories! New...

Page 1: Complicated Masculinity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock ...Sherlock Holmes Short Stories! New Historicism “Crisis of Masculinity” The feminist movement sought to challenge the

“The Most Perfect Reasoning and

Observing Machine”:

Carolyn Braganca Elon University ‘15 Dr. Janet Myers

Complicated Masculinity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories  

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New Historicism

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“Crisis of Masculinity” The feminist movement sought to challenge the previously accepted gender roles embodied in the ideal of separate spheres. Men were forced to renegotiate and adapt the definition of masculinity in response.

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It’s Complicated In The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (1890-91) and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1891-92), Sherlock Holmes epitomizes rationality to a hyperbolic extent, which subsequently complicates his adherence to other qualities of the ideal Victorian man.

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Rationality  Scouting for Boys “One of the most important things a scout has to learn, whether he is a war scout or a hunter or a peace scout, is to let nothing escape his attention; he must notice small points and signs, and then make out the meaning of them . . .” (66)

“The Man with the Twisted Lip” “Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, who when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind would go for days, and even for a week, without rest, turning it over, rearranging his facts, looking at it from every point of view, until he had either fathomed it, or convinced himself that his data were insufficient,” (90).

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Chivalry Scouting for Boys “A scout’s honor is to be trusted . . . A scout’s duty is to be useful and help others. And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives up his own pleasure, or comfort, or safety to do it . . . A scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other scout . . . A scout is courteous . . . A scout obeys orders . . . without questions. Even is he gets an order he does not like he must do as soldiers and sailors do, he must carry it out all the same because it is his duty . . .” (44-45).

“The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet” “Sherlock Holmes pushed him [Alexander Holder] down into the easy-chair, and sitting beside him, patted his hand, and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ,” (152).

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Fitness and Endurance Scouting for Boys “Knights’ honor is sacred. Knights are loyal to God, their king, and their country . . . are courteous and polite to all women, children, and infirm people . . . are helpful to everyone . . . are charitable and give any money they can spare to those who need it . . . are practiced fighters and are familiar with weapons so they can protect their religion and country against enemies . . . are strong and healthy and active so they can better do these things,” (23).

“The Adventure of the Yellow Face”  “Sherlock Holmes was man who seldom took exercise for exercise’s sake. Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen, but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy, and he seldom bestirred himself save where there was some professional object to be served,” (214).

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Patriotism Scouting for Boys “Therefore, in all that you do, remember to think of your country first; don’t spend the whole of your time and money on games and tuck shops merely to amuse yourself, but think first how you can be of use in helping your empire, and when you have done that you can justly and honestly sit down and enjoy yourself in your own way,” (28).

“The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual” “. . . Holmes in one of his queer humours would sit in an arm chair, with his hair-trigger and a hundred Boxer cartridges, and proceed to adorn the opposite wall with a patriotic V.R. done in bullet-pocks,” (248).

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Conclusion Holmes has a paradoxical relationship to Victorian masculinity. He demonstrates the impossibility of fully adhering to the ideal qualities of Victorian masculinity.