
This might have been used by Doyle to entertain the reader by presenting them a character who is never wrong, which is seen in ‘The Red-Headed League’ and ‘The Blue Carbuncle’.Īs this presentation of Holmes is seen throughout the books, it would require specialist knowledge in order for one to truly understand him. Watson’s perspective who, like the average reader, does not share Holmes’ amazing skills, and so presents him as perfect. The Sherlock Holmes stories were written from Dr. This quotation shows us Holmes’ faultless ability to reason and observe, thus making him a better detective.

The use of the metaphor “machine” suggests that Holmes is perfect and constantly working to solve the crimes he is faced within the books. Holmes is described by Watson in ‘ Scandal in Bohemia’ as “the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen”. Holmes appeals to modern readers as well, as they try to understand his personality.Īt many different points in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Doyle presents Holmes as infallible. This meant that, for Victorian readers, Holmes’ methods were new to them, making him more captivating and unique. Famous for his deduction skills, he is an esoteric character, this making him more entertaining as the readers try to guess what his next steps will be.ĭuring the Victorian era, which is when the Sherlock Holmes stories were written, the Metropolitan Police had been founded, and using scientific methods to solve crimes was rare. Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
