My Profile on Sherlock Holmes
To me, Sherlock Holmes has always been the one.
Every Sherlock Holmes fan has their own myriad reasons why they loved the character and stories so much. I, providentially, am a ready-made Sherlock Holmes fan through the steady and subconscious nurturing of my wonderful childhood. Sherlock Homles had always been a well-known household name with everlasting fame and popularity across the globe and through generations. I remember flipping through my father’s collection of Sherlock Holmes books at such an early age that I couldn’t possibly read nor comprehend the content, all I remember from then was the books were very well-read and the cover feathering the black Victorian silhouette of the magnificent detective in his iconic deerstalker hat and his tobacco pipe.
I asked my father many questions about the books and listened to him talking about the singular adventures of Sherlock Holmes with his comrade Doctor Warson with great enthusiasm and fascination. Lucky enough, there were also story readings in the evenings on the radio which captured my undivided attention. Those mesmerizing evenings sitting in the beautiful twilight with tea by my side watching the undulating diaphanous silk curtains caressed by the gentle wind and harking the magical sound waves vibrating in the air around me has left an indelible impression of the greatest detective ever existed in the fictional world on my young mind.
Through the years, I have read the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes books many times over, each time I read them is like a deja vu, a trip down the memory lane, a lucid dream that I could revisit in my own private comfort. From there, I read multitudinous tie-in stories by many pre-eminent writers in the same genre, watched many films and tv series and actively searched Holmes related content. Of all the tv adaptations, I loved the one portrayed by the inimitable British actor Jeremy Brett the most. In my mind’s eye, Jeremy was the embodiment and epitome of Sherlock Holmes characterization, his tall and handsome looks, his magnetic voice, the finesse of his elegant mannerism, everything was just right. If before Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes was just an idea, a mere concept or a wandering soul, then Jeremy had given him the very flesh and bones to materialize in this world for us mortals to adore in reality. In my opinion, no one else was able to surpass him ever since.
My childhood fascinations and endless admirations aside, as I age and become wiser, I constantly arrive at more and more revelations on my hero and my view of him has since become gradually more mature, objective and insightful. Anyone who read Sherlock Holmes books would know that early on in the series, Doctor Watson has produced an assessment on Holmes’ abilities in A Study in Scarlet and did not seem to refine or alter much in later stories. In case the reader needs a refresher, there are many resources on the internet, however, for reading convenience, I will nevertheless reproduce it verbatim below:
- Knowledge of Literature — nil.
- Knowledge of Philosophy — nil.
- Knowledge of Astronomy — nil.
- Knowledge of Politics — Feeble.
- Knowledge of Botany — Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
- Knowledge of Geology — Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
- Knowledge of Chemistry — Profound.
- Knowledge of Anatomy — Accurate, but unsystematic.
- Knowledge of Sensational Literature — Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
- Plays the violin well.
- Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.
- Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
I will not reiterate the list and henceforth shall elaborate my own profile and evaluation on Holmes.
Family Background:
On the occasion of introducing his elder brother Mycroft to Watson, Holmes briefly mentioned that his family background was a country squire. No names of parents or other family relations were mentioned thereafter.
My thoughts: What was the reason for Holmes to reframe from talking more about his background, was there too many skeletons? Shame? Trauma?
Sibling Dynamics:
Holmes openly acknowledged that his brother had more intellectual prowess than himself, especially in observation.
My thoughts: The direct result of such facts was the inferiority superiority complex which Holmes seems to possess. Assertive on his own, and only ask for help from Mycroft if absolutely necessary, however, felt glad and valued when Mycroft asked him for help. And he liked showing off his skills before people who he considered below himself.
Socialization:
Neither the Holmes sibling seemed to be properly socialized nor able to establish a steady bond with any member of the female sex. Apart from Watson, Holmes seemed to have difficulty forming intimate relationships with anyone else. Mycroft didn’t even seem to have an intimate relationship with anyone, rather, he seemed to indulge in epicurean and creature comforts and not even bothered to talk unless necessary in his peculiar club.
My thoughts: Nature and nurture could both be the cause, mostly I tend to infer authoritarian parenting style and lack of peer interaction. Holmes was not the easiest man to be friend with, however, Watson seemed a very kind, agreeable and supportive gentleman, he did what he was told. I think that’s precisely the reason why Holmes tolerated Watson despite he thought him as an imbecile, even so, Holme’s sardonic remarks often seemed callous and hurtful. One can only imagine what kind of husband Holmes will make. I wouldn’t recommend most women to take on such a project, nevertheless, there is hope through the intellectual route.
Sexual Orientation:
Holmes mentioned to Watson that he had never loved and thought the female sex fickle-minded. He emphasized that if he ever did get married he will not end up like many male victims from his domestic cases.
My thoughts: Holmes seemed very frigid sexually but despite his occasional benevolence toward women and Platonian warmness to Watson, I do not think he was necessarily homosexual but suspect his contempt toward women could be a reflection of the disgust he felt of his mother. Many suspected he was too cerebral to engage in animalistic instincts, but still, the two elements exist in all of us and do not necessarily mutually exclude one another. I speculate there is more than meets the eye on this topic, could be childhood sexual abuse, strict parenting, or he was in fact secretly sexual active, even an addict, there could be any number of reasons which we will never know.
Addiction:
Holmes had an addiction to opium and cocaine. He tried to convince Watson he had it all under control but anyone understands the cycle of an addict knows it is nigh on impossible to so casually manage such a habit with ease. His brother Mycroft was morbidly obese and probably had an addiction to food. Doctor Watson was reticent in interfering others’ affairs but his worries were rightly justified.
My thoughts: Based on the physical manifestations of addiction in both brothers in different ways, there could be a genetic component of addiction in the family that the brothers might or might not be aware of. Shame that Doctor Watson never accosted Holmes insistently enough to force out his supplier. I guess tailing Holmes and finding out what he was up to in those ungodly hours never even came across the mind of an upright gentleman like Watson either. Then maybe it’s all for the better, if Watson ever did find out the source of Holmes’ drug supply, he might find more than what he’s bargained for and become traumatized for life.
Personality:
Holmes was definitely narcissistic, Watson remarked that he was prone to flattery. He also seemed to have some psychopathic tendencies which were reflected in his Machiavelian behaviour toward women during his reconnaissance operations, the so-called ‘whispering sweet nothings for valuable somethings’ even to the degree of faking marriage engagement. He demonstrated some sadistic tendencies in his way of deriving joy from withholding information and taunting Watson and police personnel alike.
My thoughts: Nobody is perfect, on the contrary, an imperfect fictional character is more realistic and relatable. Besides his many foibles, Holmes no doubt appeared to be a highly disciplined individual with an astute intellect, intuition and judgement. His conducts are of an outstanding gentleman and he was able to execute decisions based on his own moral reasonings beyond the restriction of the legal and social norm.
Career:
Holmes career was both celebrated and despised by the public and law enforcement. Many people do not take his input seriously enough, some follow them religiously. He tended to choose cases purely based on intellectual complexity alone for the purpose of mental stimulation.
My thoughts: He was a hobbyist, a really good one but nevertheless a hobbyist. I don’t think he even registered his business legally, had a plaque, an accountant or even paid tax. He was not an official police detective, not even a private detective, he was a consulting detective, whatever that was. Kudos to him for creating a new career niche but his attraction to danger and the outré outweighed his progress toward financial stability.
Beliefs:
Holmes seemed to buy into the Victorian ideology of thinness reflects intellectual superiority. He practised ascetic rituals of starving himself during the intense periods of the mental assertions, believing he was directing his blood away from the digestive tract and toward the brain, therefore, he had an emaciated appearance. He also believed in the significance of phrenology, genetic characteristics could be tracked back and fro between parents and progenies, the influence of the owners over their pets’ temperaments. Holmes practised misogyny within the confines of his gentlemanly conducts.
My Thoughts: I think he had anorexia and suffered malnutrition which definitely do not contribute to higher mental processing power. His attitude toward women combined with his suave manners made him less sincere. Funny that Holmes believed only in science and ridiculed pseudoscience, with our hindsight, he probably will have to laugh at himself now for many of the stuff he believed to be unquestionably true but turned out to be rubbish too.
