How Does Sherlock Holmes Relate To America In The 21st Century

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The manner in which humans find entertainment in art such as, books or movies often correlate to the degree to which they relate to the art form. The acclaim for a The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a series of short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Victorian era and the motion picture Sherlock Holmes from America in the 21st Century reflect the standing morals and society of the time periods. Both the novel and movie are a product of the current society, world and values of their time. Throughout time, society has viewed drugs and alcohol as an escape for adults. Relating to the alienated people of the Victorian era, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes states that Holmes, “[alternates] from week to week between cocaine and ambition” which prove that he distances himself from society and invests in the study of crime to escape from reality, where he doesn’t connect with those around him (Doyle 1). In Sherlock Holmes, the motion picture, Holmes is often found drunk …show more content…

In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes refers to Irene Adler as “the woman” because she is unique and is the only woman that he believes can outfox him (Doyle 20). This is a sign of disrespect to all other women, because it implies he believes all other women are inferior to him with the exception of one. This was a common perception of women in the eyes of men at this point in time. Furthermore, the motion picture, Sherlock Holmes displays Irene correcting Holmes’s perception of female ability as he states, “you’re in over your head Irene” while she is in the midst of watching him drink the poison she mixed into his wine, leading him to be shocked on her abilities to outwit him (Ritchie 1:04:30). This signifies the women of the 21st Century woman taking a stand to prove their

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