The Romance of Sherlock Holmes

The Romance
of Sherlock Holmes

An Essay by E. Grimes

Author's Note: If the title above seems contradictory, or even sacrilegious to
you more devout Sherlockians, I encourage you to keep reading. ~E.G.

~

The Sherlockian Canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle abounds with Sherlock Holmes'
singular personality traits. However, one of the most noted---and most disputed---is
The Great Detective's attitude toward the opposite sex.

"...he had a remarkable gentleness and courtesy in his dealings with women," observed Dr.
Watson in The Dying Detective, adding that Holmes "disliked and distrusted the sex,
but he was always a chivalrous opponent." It was indeed true that in spite of his dislike
(though not hatred) of women, his behaviour toward them was always kind and courteous.

Women had few (if any) rights during the Victorian period. However, the strict code of
behaviour of the time nonetheless affected their treatment, and men were expected to be
gentlemen. In this instance, Holmes may well have been a man ahead of his time; for he
displayed a gallantry toward females---both young and old---that would have put many
men to shame, in an era when women were virtually considered property.

But just why did Sherlock Holmes "dislike and distrust" women? Countless Sherlockian
scholars and devotees have discussed the reasons, with many and various theories
emerging.Which if any are true, we may never know.

One possible explanation is that Holmes' negative feelings toward the opposite sex had to
do with his mother. The Great Detective made little mention of his relatives, except for brief
references to his ancestors, his French grandmother, and his brother Mycroft. Yet he never
spoke of his parents at all, even to his closest friend, Dr. Watson. His reluctance to discuss
his kin, coupled with his emotional upheavals, seem to suggest that Holmes' family was a
dysfunctional one. Additionally, some Sherlockians believe that Holmes' mother had an
adulterous affair---some even suggest with Professor James Moriarty (which would not
only explain Holmes' distrust of women, but his long-standing war with Moriarty).

It has even been argued that Sherlock Holmes may have been homosexual, and that he and
Watson were, perhaps, "more than friends". Others strongly believe that The Great Detective
simply led an asexual lifestyle, whether or not for religious reasons (Holmes' beliefs are not
exactly known, though it is thought that he leaned toward Eastern religions). It was also
suggested that Holmes, for whatever reason, failed to attract girls in his youth and became
disillusioned toward women as he grew older.

Yet another theory is that Sherlock Holmes had an unhappy love experience at some time in
his life---perhaps even a tragic one. In Steven Spielberg's 1985 film, Young Sherlock Holmes,
the youthful Holmes actually has a sweetheart. But she is eventually murdered by a criminal he
is pursuing; though the young man avenges her death, he feels he can never love again and tells
Watson that thereafter he will spend his life alone. Although Spielberg's film (which is sadly
underrated) was merely a fantasy and in no way reflected Doyle's works, the premise makes
sense---and it is not impossible that Holmes' negative views of love and romance may have
stemmed from a loss of some kind.

Whatever The Great Detective's reasons for remaining a bachelor, what is certain is that Sherlock
Holmes wanted no emotional attachment to interfere with his work. Even his friendship with Dr.
Watson had its share of tension, as the long-suffering doctor often testified in the Canon. Rex
Stout, author of the famous Nero Wolfe mysteries, once theorised that Watson might actually
have been a woman, but was depicted in the Canon as a man.

Stout also defers to the famous speculation regarding Holmes and the actress Irene Adler from A
Scandal in Bohemia. Opinions are divided to this day as to whether or not there was any romantic
involvment between the two---Holmes always referred to Ms. Adler as The Woman, and admired
rather than resented her cleverness even when he himself was deceived by the actress. Nero Wolfe,
the eccentric and overbearing detective of Stout's novels, is claimed to be the son of Holmes and
Adler. Indeed, the theories and speculations about the love life (or not) of The Great Detective
seem to be without end.

Even certain offshoots of Doyle's works seem to play around with the many ideas. Basil of Baker
Street , a children's book series by the late Eve Titus (author of the famous Anatole stories), is the
charming tale of an English mouse named Basil who lives under Sherlock Holmes' flat. Basil is, indeed,
"The Sherlock Holmes of the Mouse World"; with his friend Dr. Dawson (a mousey Dr. Watson), they
share many harrowing adventures. Basil even meets the opera singer Irene Relda (Adler)---and while
they aren't exactly dating, he is very much enthralled with Ms. Relda's mousey charms. Yet in the 1986
Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective (based loosely on Ms. Titus' books), Basil's regard of women
seems closer to that of his human counterpart. The mouse detective's only major female encounters in
the film are a little girl mouse named Olivia Flaversham (whose name Basil constantly mispronounces),
and later on a lady mouse seeking his help in search of a lost emerald ring. In fact, Basil is one of very
few Disney heroes to have no love interest whatsoever.

However, Japanimation producer Hiyao Miyazaki took a much different approach with The Great Detective
in his 1981 series, Meitantei Holmes (a.k.a. Sherlock Hound ). In this series, the principal characters of
Doyle's works are depicted as anthropomorphic dogs, in adventures loosely based on the Canon mysteries.
Moreover, Miyazaki transforms the elderly Mrs. Hudson into an attractive 19-year old widow, which rather
complicates life for Holmes (who actually has a crush on his pretty housekeeper, but tries to be secretive
about it---despite a dubious rivalry with Dr. Watson).

In the Canon itself, however, Holmes in fact tells Watson: "I have never loved..." (The Devil's Foot, from
HIS LAST BOW). Whether that statement was true---if only for the time being---is yet another question
in the minds of Sherlockians.

And indeed, the questions remain: did Holmes ever love anyone at all? Was he somehow discouraged
from seeking the attentions of women---whether by way of family scandals, disappointment, or tragedy?
Did he seek affection elsewhere, or did he sublimate his emotions in some manner? Did Holmes ever
have any romantic feelings toward Irene Adler, or perhaps even Mrs. Hudson? Was Watson in
fact a woman? Did Holmes find a mate later on in his life---or was he simply a man married to
his work?

These are questions that will certainly always be asked, and their answers most likely went to the
grave with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Yet he would doubtless be proud that his creation may be the
most debated, most theorised and most adapted character in literature. One cannot help but wonder
how Holmes himself would react, if it were possible.

And it is no small irony that Sherlock Holmes, who shunned both women and romance, has become
a romantic figure after all. ~

Rose clip art c/o Pat's Web Graphics.

Home