Group leader Sherlock Holmes and his obedient minion Doctor Watson – the unequal power structure in Doyle’s The Final Problem from a psychological perspective
The Final Problem written in 1893 was originally planned to be the very last story featuring Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had intended to finally kill Holmes so that it would allow to “save his mind for better things” (Lellenberg, Stashower, and Foley). He felt that he – as an author, at least - had been making a massive step in the wrong direction and his development as a writer had been non-existent and stagnant. However, knowing that killing the hero who single-handedly took his popularity to new heights would result in him recveiving heavy backlash from outraged readers,
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Moriarty is also occasionally mentioned in five different stories, but he does not make a direct appearance in any of them. This rather oblique and vague portrayal of Holmes’ arch rival has resulted in a plethora of theories concerning the real identity of Moriarty. In this paper we shall return to one of them, but the main goal of this essay is to examine the relationship between Holmes and Watson basing on social psychology. I will refer to some concepts of this particular branch of psychology in order to explain Watson’s lack of trustworthiness in connection with the idea of hierarchy in groups. In this paper I will also try to outline the instances in the story when Watson and his narration are deeply flawed as far as objectivity is …show more content…
(Szczepański) However, it seems that this argument does not appear to be particularly convincing. Two people are able to engage in long-lasting interactions; then they can also form a clearly defined goal. Furthermore, a pair can establish a very complex system of group norms. Lastly, they usually create a structure when, for example, one of its members wields power over the second one, or when one person is more liked by the other. (Mika)
In the light of the above I am inclined to believe that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson do form a psychological group. The Final Problem is set in 1891, therefore there has been a decade since Watson was introduced to Sherlock, as the very first interaction between the two took place in 1881. The fact that their partnership has been active for these ten years doubtlessly signals that this cooperation was rather
The classic mystery novel, Sherlock Holmes, features a murder-mystery detective Sherlock Holmes, and his army doctor colleague Dr. John Watson. The story revolves around the main character, Sherlock Holmes, and his unique method to solving crimes. The story is mainly all about Sherlock and his abilities, which then rises the question about the importance of the character of Dr.Watson, both to the chaarcter of Sherlock Holmes, and towards the readers.
Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, the U.S, 1924) depicts a cinema projectionist and janitor who’s studying and dreaming about becoming a detective like Sherlock Holmes. The main character, Sherlock Jr. falls in love with a beautiful girl but another man shows up as his competition while he’s trying to win the girl’s heart. His rival intrudes on one of Sherlock Jr.’s dates with the girl and makes the girl’s father think that Sherlock stole a watch. Feeling tired and depressed at work, Sherlock falls asleep during showing of Hearts and Pearls, and dreams of his girlfriend as the heroine, and his rival as the thief who steals the pearls. Sherlock himself becomes a detective to solve the case. Though short compared to modern feature films, this
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a British physician and writer, mostly well known for his stories “Sherlock Holmes”, which are generally in the field of crime fiction. He was a prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction.
The main character in the story is Sherlock Holmes; he is the hero of the book, a very important factor in a mystery book. The Victorians would have loved this character because he was not a part of the police force; he was a character that could be relied on, when the police force was so corrupt. Holmes’s life was his job, as the reader gets further into the story; they see that Holmes works for personal satisfaction, ’my profession is its own
“…and to listen with a mocking smile to the general chorus of misplaced congratulation.”(The adventure of the Devils foot)
According to Exodus 20:13 “you shall not murder,” however the world consists of countless people who disobey this command. Murderers are especially horrific if they are serial killers because it is awful enough to kill one person, but to murder repeatedly is sickening. It is extremely depressing to know that some murderers never get caught. One of the most infamous serial killers whose identity was never uncovered is Jack the ripper. Numerous people have different theories relating to who Jack the ripper was, but none have been proven. One main theory is that America’s first serial killer, H. H. Holmes was London’s Jack the ripper. To find evidence to prove the theory of whether or not H. H. Holmes was Jack the ripper; crucial evidence to look at are the similarities between the killers.
Sherlock Holmes, a creation of Scottish Author and Physician Sir Author Conan Doyle, is a fictional detective famous for his prowess at using logic and astute observation to solve cases. Sherlock is a very unique individual and he is so realistic that many people believe he was a real man existed in the late 19th century. In fact, Sherlock possesses a very interesting set of personality and his distinctive characteristics plays a big role in captivating the heart of the audience. So, who is Sherlock? What kind of person could draw many people’s attention?
In Conan Doyle’s short story “A Scandal in Bohemia” (1888), Sherlock Holmes can tell that the stranger possess great wealth before he speaks a single word. Sherlock Holmes analyzes everything when it comes to people. He uses their appearance, how they carry themselves, and what kind of objects they have on them. The author uses descriptive words to describe the way the stranger looked. This essay will prove that Sherlock Holmes is so observant of everyone, that he can tell who you are before speaking to you.
In the Sherlock Holmes stories “The Red-Headed League” and “A Scandal in Bohemia” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle explores mysteries through the eyes of Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’s assistant. Holmes is able to amaze the people around him with his deductive abilities and can quickly determine aspects of a person’s life by just looking at them. This allows him to solve mysteries that others cannot wrap their heads around. He uses his skill to first help the King of Bohemia recover a picture of him with a former lover. Next, he investigates the disappearance of the Red-Headed League. In both of these mysteries he experiences a unique challenge due to the intelligence of his opponents and the unusual situation surrounding the case. The cunning and cleverness of Holmes, Irene Adler and the conspirators of the Red-Headed League are shown in the stories “The Red-Headed League” and “A Scandal in Bohemia”.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle utilizes literary elements such as dialogue, tone, vocabulary, a different format of narration and perspective, along with chronology to construct the adventures of the eminent fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. John Watson. The creative use of dialogue assists in telling the story fluently and vividly, while a suspenseful and occasionally humorous tone maintains interest from case to case. Long winded descriptions and complex vocabulary are infused into Doyle’s writing to fit his knowledgeable characters as well as fuse them into the setting of traditional Britain. Lastly, these features are accompanied by both Holmes and Watson’s different perspectives alongside each other. the tales of
Psychologists have been focused on observing and understanding human behavior for centuries, dating back to the Greek philosophers when psychology and philosophy were considered one.Today, Psychology is the study of human behavior, beginning before birth and lasting until death. It is clear that the observance human behavior is a vast and profound source of data for psychologists. Early philosophers relied on methods of observation and logic. A physiologist named Wilhelm Wundt in the 1800’s began using scientific research methods in his study of mental processes. However, the situation was totally different in the beginning of 20th century when psychology still struggled to be regarded as a separate discipline with practical value(Mastering,2011). Psychologists had only begun to be accepted as a science. It was John B. Watson who established the school of Behaviorism and inspired many other psychologists to study patterns of human behavior and their mechanisms. Watson 's contribution to psychology is important not to underestimate; he studied animal and human behavior to come up with a methodology that would give Psychology a respected status among other scientific disciplines. This essay will focus on the biography and works of John B. Watson with a purpose to show why his works are important for Psychology today(Hergenhahn & Henley, 2013).
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle utilizes many detail-oriented literary elements to develop the many adventures of the famous fictional British detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, John Watson. Long winded description and complex vocabulary are infused into Doyle’s writing to accentuate Holmes’s great intelligence. By incorporating such a heavy, educated tone upon the mysteries, the tales of Sherlock Holmes are expressed as very complicated stories that challenge readers in comprehension as well as encourage curiosity through puzzling cases.
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
In his third of four novels The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, to demonstrate the theme of practical control opposed to supernatural power; he does this symbolically through British culture by discovering, investigating, and resolving mysteries.
When someone mentions the occupation of detective, a single image usually comes to mind, a man wearing a cape and deerstalker, holding a magnifying glass and smoking a pipe. This entire image can be contributed to one character: Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is considered by many to be the greatest detective to ever exist, even if he only exists in the pages of books and on movie and television screens. It is impossible to escape the influence of Holmes. Countless references are made to him in all types of media and he is used as an inspiration to may more fictional characters we have all grown to love. The cultural impact of Sherlock Holmes has spread to more than just fiction; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s