Sherlock Is A Hero Essay

When viewers first watch the television series Sherlock, they expect Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist, to be the hero of the story, but this is not the case. Modern heroes are people who can be perceived as role models. They are people who deny their well-being and comfort in order to help another person, typically in a dangerous situation. Heroes are people who go out of their way to seek to protect someone without expecting anything in return. The show’s success is due to its ability to attract and engage viewers by having Holmes, who is uncompassionate and selfish, solve crimes with his closest friend, John Watson, the real hero of this show who is the opposite of Sherlock.

Viewers are inclined to think Sherlock is heroic in the series because

the show is named after him and because of his great intellectual abilities to solve complex cases; however, Sherlock’ selfishness and self-centered intentions are reasons why he cannot be considered a hero. A scene in the episode “A Study in Pink” perfectly captures Sherlock’s attitude towards his cases. When Detective Lestrade visits him in order to ask for help in a case involving a series of what appear to be suicides, Sherlock excitedly jumps in the air. He even describes how ecstatic he is when he says, “Brilliant! Yes! Ah, four serial suicides, and now a note! Oh, it’s Christmas!” He finds cases enjoyable and challenging; he thinks of them as games or puzzles that only he can resolve. When innocent lives are at stake, Sherlock is not capable of seeing the victims as people; instead, he sees them as mere pieces of an intricate puzzle that he cannot wait to crack. This is the reason why Sherlock cannot be a hero; he does not want to solve cases to help people. His selfish intentions are not the qualities of a hero.
Although it might seem counterintuitive, John is the true hero of the show. John’s attributes, like his benevolence and genuine care for others, make him heroic. Unlike Sherlock, John actually thinks about others and is always wanting to help them. Sherlock is typically thought of as a person with heroic traits because of his impressive ability to solve cases almost effortlessly, but even though John does not possess Sherlock’s admirable intellect, he does not need it to be a hero. John’s compassion and good heart can be seen in the episode “The Great Game.” In this episode, Moriarty, who is Sherlock’s enemy, straps bombs to people. The only way Moriarty will stop the bombs from detonating is if Sherlock manages to solve a puzzle in a certain amount of time. Sherlock obviously focuses only on the game aspect of this case, but John is always thinking about the innocent people who are involved and what he can do to save them. This great contrast between the way John and Sherlock think and act is what captures the viewer’s attention. It is exciting and thrilling to watch as these two characters, who have different intentions, work together to keep the bombs from going off. Their emotional differences can be seen in a scene that happens after a victim loses her life. Sherlock says, “Well, obviously I lost that round, although technically I did solve the case.” John, furious and appalled, replies to Sherlock’s heartless comment by saying, “There are lives at stake, Sherlock.” While Sherlock is thinking about how he was not fast enough to solve the puzzle, John is hurting and mourns the victim’s death. It is because of John’s genuine concern for others that he is the true hero of this story.
John is also a hero in a more intimate way by being concerned about Sherlock’s personality and character. Author April Toadvine explains that John is “affected by the thought of individuals in danger and by Sherlock’s seeming lack of empathy” (56), which shows John’s heroic behavior. Sherlock is a cold person who is often rude and indifferent towards others and their emotions. An example that shows Sherlock’s insensitivity and disconnection from human emotions can be seen in the episode “A Study in Pink.” The password to a victim’s email is the name of her stillborn baby. Sherlock does not understand why the victim would still be affected by this, which is why he says, “Yeah, but that was ages ago. Why would she still be upset?” After Sherlock notices John’s look of disapproval, Sherlock asks him if what he has said is not good, to which John replies, “Bit not good, yeah.” John is able to teach Sherlock that what he has done is incorrect and inappropriate behavior, and Sherlock is able to understand this and reflect on it. Sherlock clearly does not understand human emotions and interpersonal relationships, which is why John tries to explain this to him in order to make him a better person.
The episode “The Great Game” also shows how John acts as a moral compass for Sherlock. When Molly, who is Sherlock’s lab assistant, introduces her new boyfriend, Jim, Sherlock determines Jim does not like her and tells her to break it off before she gets hurt. John is disapproving of the blunt and harsh comment Sherlock makes, and when Sherlock genuinely asks him, “Just saving her time. Isn’t that kinder?” John replies, “Kinder? No, no, Sherlock. That wasn’t kind.” John fits the definition of a hero because he takes part of his time to guide Sherlock to act in a more humane way; John deeply cares about Sherlock, which is why he decides to help him. John is essential in Sherlock’s life, which is described in Francesca Marinaro(‘s?) and Kayley Thomas’ chapter, “‘Don’t Make People into Heroes, John’: (Re/De)Constructing the Detective as Hero,” they argue that John’s heroism and his influence on Sherlock are critical because they “enable Sherlock to register emotional context” (77). This means that, without John, Sherlock would never know when he is behaving inappropriately, and he would not be able to understand human emotions and learn to be more compassionate and kind to others. Even though Sherlock is not a hero, this does not mean that he cannot be one. In fact, his potential to be one depends on John’s influence (79).
The show’s success is partially due to the fact that viewers find it intriguing that the main character of the show, Sherlock, is not a hero, yet he has the potential to be one because of John.

For Sherlock to be able to be considered a hero, he must learn to be selfless and concerned about others; this is what John tries to accomplish. This does not mean that if Sherlock begins to have heroic traits, John will cease to be the show’s hero; instead, the show would have two heroes. John would stop being heroic in the sense that he would stop being Sherlock’s moral compass, but he would continue to care about others and try to protect them. The audience enjoys watching the dynamic this duo presents because the two characters need each other. Viewers can also recognize that the theme of greatness and goodness plays an important role in the series. Goodness, which refers to moral and ethical goodness, is a quality of John. Greatness, on the other hand, is simply the ability to do something of great skill; Sherlock possesses this attribute. The focus on goodness and greatness makes the show successful because this great duo only functions because of these two qualities. Both are necessary when solving crimes; John and Sherlock balance each other with these attributes, and viewers want to find out if Sherlock will ever be both great and good. The bond they share attracts viewers and makes them fall in love with these two characters who rely on one another in their daily and professional

lives.
The show has proven to be successful by displaying two main characters who need each other and work together so well that they are practically an invincible duo. Viewers are attracted by John’s goodness and Sherlock’s greatness, but more specifically, they want to know if Sherlock will ever learn to be good like John. The audience enjoys watching the series and keeps coming back to watching more episodes because they want to discover if Sherlock can be both great and good; if he does, he would be the hero the viewers have always expected him to be. By having the main character, Sherlock, be a hero in the making, and John, the real hero of the show, work and live together, the dynamic their friendship creates engages the audience and makes the show an outstanding one.