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Sherlock Holmes: A Timeless Victorian Creation Essay

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Arthur Conan Doyle’s legacy rests heavily on one Victorian creation: the character of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes's attitude of intelligence and originality continues to keep fans inclined and fascinated ever since the Victorian era. Holmes persists as remakes and reincarnations of the Sherlock character keep the mastermind relevant. While the modernization of Sherlock creates a personal connection between the reader and Sherlock in “A Scandal in Belgravia,” the BBC adaptation dilutes Sherlock’s character from a distinguished genius to a mere detective. In the story “A Scandal in Bohemia,” we get a glimpse of Holmes’s character, a natural mastermind, through John Watson's narration. As with any narrated scene, our perception of Holmes …show more content…

The BBC Sherlock harnesses advancements such as cell phones, blogs, social media, and cars that were not heard of in the horse-and-buggy age of Doyle. While some critics argue technology creates a Holmes no longer dependent on his own ability, the episode is clear of Holmes's faithfulness to Doyle's portrayal in respect to his detective spirit. Scholars claim the "BBC Sherlock...reactivated engagement with Sherlock Holmes within digital contexts, and yet Holmes has been with us all along" (Stein and Busse 9). Still, it seems the digital context defines Sherlock more than aiding him. Stein and Busse claim "Sherlock's knowledge is no longer located in his [brain] but in the digital cloud"; however, the BBC episode reveals the opposite (11). Technology brings out the original characteristics we have come to know of Holmes in a more precise approach on screen. The homicide scene introduces Holmes's incredible reasoning processes. In a search to figure out the answer to a death, the local detectives call in Holmes. The man, who had a boarding pass for a flight that crashed the day before, appears suspiciously dead in the trunk of a car. Within thirty seconds of investigation, Holmes's observations lead him to over four conclusions. As Holmes searches through the contents found on the dead man's body, the point of view is placed directly through Sherlock's eyes. His eyes focus on intricate

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