Conor Brown
Eng 2200
Dr. Carlson
4/14/13
Detective Criminal Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave the world one of the best known literary characters in history with Sherlock Holmes and in doing so readers were thrown into the world of the greatest detective ever. It was not the crimes that captivated readers or even the interesting criminals but rather the unorthodox approach the private investigator gave to solving crimes. What makes Holmes so unique is his ability to defy the morals and standards that regular officers of the law are held to. He often says how he does not get emotionally invested in cases and this is true for the most part. What he does get emotionally invested in is seeking out the truth. Holmes’ willingness to push the ethical boundaries of detective practice shows his emotional attachment and addiction in seeking the truth. This addiction to the truth and unethical approach to solving crimes shows exactly why readers are captivated by Conan Doyle’s stories. Nowhere is this shown better than in the short story entitled, “A Scandal in Bohemia.”
Sherlock Holmes is often shown as being emotionless and completely tuned out of anything else except for the case he is working on at the time. Jack Siegel even writes in his article entitled “The First Citizen of Baker Street” that, “Sherlock Holmes was completely devoid of emotion. In this lay his success” (53). What Siegel and other readers fail to realize is that, while Holmes’ lack of social skills is evident, he still has emotions that help him solve each case he comes across. Siegel explains that brainpower is the only thing Holmes worries about and detection is simply used to stimulate and strength the brain (53). This may be so but the fact of the matter is that a detective so devoted to his work cannot be completely unattached emotionally to his cases. He uses different ways to express his feelings because when all is said and done he simply wants to find the...