The Speckled Band: Can Readers Relate To Holmes?

Can Readers Relate to Holmes?

Holmes in many cases behaves the way most people would behave, which further proves that he has emotions even though behavior does not always imply certain emotions. In "The Speckled Band," Holmes deduces that his client's stepfather has ill intent towards his stepdaughter. He killed his stepdaughter's sister, and had Holmes not intervened, his client would likely also have died. Holmes cautions Watson to arm himself. At the climax of the story, Holmes indirectly kills Dr. Grimesby Roylott. Holmes even admits to doing this, but he says that Roylott's death will probably not "weigh very heavily upon my conscience" (325). Most people would think this way. People do not usually sympathize with killers being killed.

Recall the old idea of "an eye for an eye." Holmes, like most people, essentially accepts killings could happen. It's highly likely that Holmes feels anxious in dangerous situations, but here he behaves objectively and shows little fear. He simply warns Watson to be alert and carry his revolver (34, 35, 322, 323).
There exist more times where Holmes behaves normally.

Commenting on Holmes as a roommate, Watson says, "Holmes was certainly not a difficult man to live with" (13). Later on, Holmes says he has no time to waste to Watson before he smiles and apologizes for being rude (20). He explains that he intended no malice, simply being frustrated since Watson accidently broke Holmes' train of thought. Most people would call this a perfectly normal response. Nobody likes interruptions during tasks or amidst conversations. Additionally, Holmes often smiles or chuckles when he figures out something, again perfectly normal (Doyle 10, 22, 25, 315). Holmes also cries out when something or someone surprises him, such as in A Study in Scarlet when he cries out: "It can't be a coincidence" Doyle (39, 48,

108).
Continuing with examples where Holmes shows emotions quite relatable to most people, readers see another example in "The Man with the Twisted Lip." When Mrs. St. Clair asks Holmes whether or not he thinks her husband lives, Holmes feels embarrassed, and says, "I do not" (Doyle 283). Then, Holmes completely flips out when Mrs. St. Clair tells him that her husband sent her a letter (Doyle 283). The first thing to analyze here: Holmes' reactions. Twice in a row, an action of another character evokes a reaction out of him. In addition, Holmes messes up here, since at the end of the short story, the husband remains alive. Thus, when Holmes' ability to reason gets challenged, he shows great emotions of surprise and embarrassment, although they do not get in the way of solving the case. If anything, his emotions here motivate him since things are heating up.
In "The Adventures of the Speckled Band," Holmes has emotions in an ironic fashion. When Dr. Grimesby Roylott, the evil stepfather, confronts Holmes, Holmes takes the doctor for a joke. The beginning of their verbal exchange has humor:
"I have heard of you. You are Holmes, the meddler."
My friend smiled.
"Holmes, the busybody!"
His smile broadened.
"Holmes the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!"
Holmes chuckled heartily. "Your conversation is most entertaining."
Based on this exchange, it appears that Holmes not only does not consider the doctor a threat, but also thinks of the doctor as an amusing fool, which reveals an emotion of humor from Holmes. Never before has an exchange like this happened between Holmes and another. Once the doctor angrily leaves, we see that Holmes does not regard the doctor as a threat, since Holmes says that he is quite physically strong himself and that he would have no problem showing the foolish doctor. To top it off, after such a hostile exchange, he simply tells Watson it's time to order breakfast. Holmes here has emotions, but the emotions perhaps do not line up with what most people would be feeling. As always, Holmes remains objective and does not let how he feels direct his actions.
Another normal thing about Holmes: he remains quite respectful and polite towards others, something everyone appreciates but also expects; thus, he cares enough to behave courteously. In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Holmes urges Watson to stay and introduces Watson as his "friend and colleague" (Doyle 191). When the client asks for Watson to leave, Holmes says that the client must either tell his story to both Holmes and Watson, or he must leave. Later on, in respect to the royalty of his client named Count Von Kramm, he calls his client "your majesty" (Doyle 192, 194). We see Holmes do the socially acceptable thing, even if he does not always do so. Customs say to give extra respect to those with social power, and Holmes does that here.
Even though Holmes gives it his all to solve cases for the mere challenge, he does perhaps desire to actually help out his clients as well. He appears genuinely concerned for his clients, wishing to bear good news as to what happened to his clients' loved ones. Hence the case in "The Man with the Twisted Lip," where Holmes says, "I hate to meet her, Watson, when I have no news of her husband" (282). This indicates that, just like a doctor or a cop being the reluctant bearer of bad news such as the death of a loved one, Holmes feels bad if he cannot for certain tell a client what happened to a loved one. We could even jump to the conclusion that Holmes wants to benefit society by investigating significant cases. If that is the case, there exists less evidence to say that Holmes has no emotions.
Does Sherlock Holmes Have Any Mental Diagnoses?
People have also tried to use mental diagnoses in order to assert that Holmes has no emotions.

Some people say Holmes has autism, even though this diagnosis didn't exist as Doyle wrote about Holmes; this would not matter if people regarded those with autism as equals, but alas, they like many people considered mentally ill remain dehumanized. Thus, Holmes constantly has his humanity questioned, even by his good friend Watson. According to the article titled "The Autistic Detective: Sherlock Holmes and his Legacy" written by Sonya Freeman Loftis, Watson represents "the neurologically typical reader" (Loftis, 2014). As I brought up earlier, readers always see Holmes through Watson. Thus, regardless of truth or falsehood, Holmes appears abnormal in Watson's point of view. Readers cannot assign fictional characters diagnoses. Using Holmes as an example of a person with autism causes big

problems.
Even without a specific standard of how a person with autism will act, people with autism still have negative associations via the media and popular opinion. Loftis explains how people with autism have false stereotypes of being "emotionless, lacking in empathy, and incapable of love" (Loftis, 2014). First of all, having autism does not make a person any less human. Also, the experiences of one person with autism often vastly differs from another's experiences. Limiting people with autism to a diagnosis compares to a college admissions office merely looking at applicants' test scores and not their unique educational upbringings. Words like autism, or pertaining to the test score example referring to one as having an IQ, remain part of merely socially constructed views of reality. It's the same as categorizing people for the color of their skins even though a dark and a light person may have almost identical physical characteristics.
Some people have also assigned Holmes the diagnosis of sociopathy, again with a very limited point of view of what this diagnosis entails since all sociopaths are not identical. Ragnhild Sollid in his article titled "A" High-Functioning Sociopath"? Sherlock Holmes (Psycho) Analysed" makes the case that Holmes lacks the traits of a sociopath. First of all, readers do not have enough information to say that Holmes had a traumatic childhood. Holmes behaves politely most of the time. Sollid argues that Watson makes an impact on Holmes, essentially softening Holmes' heart. Holmes has a conscience as well according to Sollid, and an example of this comes from the story of "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax," 'Good heavens, Watson, what has become of any brains that God has given me? Quick, man, quick! It's life or death- a hundred chances to one on life. I'll never forgive myself, never, if we are too late!' (Doyle pp 1195-1196). Finally, even if Holmes does have some similarities with sociopaths, most people do. As with the diagnosis of autism, an author must confirm a fictional character as a sociopathic person.
People dehumanize Holmes and say he has no emotions, aside from him seemingly having autism or being sociopathic in the modern sense, based on the way he behaves. According to Loftis, "Watson perceives Holmes as having intense interests, struggling in the social sphere, and displaying unusual body language" (Loftis, 2014). Thus, standing in for the average reader, Watson cannot fully take in Holmes's unique interests and therefore thinks of Holmes as exotic. Loftis goes on to explain that "what the other characters interpret as bluntness or rudeness could also be construed as a misunderstanding caused by fundamentally different ways of thinking" (Loftis, 2014). For example, Holmes conducts himself as a quiet person. He does not like wasting words on the likes of small talk. Because of this and more, many people don't understand Holmes.
Conclusion
Watson, and perhaps every other character inside the stories or outside of them never truly understood Holmes; thus, there remains a common misconception that Holmes does not have emotions. Something still up for debate: what reason does Doyle have for Holmes' obsession with solving crimes? Loftis suggests that Doyle tried to draw a link between the criminal mind and the mind of one who chases after criminals. People say that Holmes shows too much interest in crime, and this makes other characters weary of Holmes. Holmes himself claims that nobody "knows the higher criminal world of London so well as I do" (Doyle 559). Since Holmes has the capabilities to enact truly atrocious crimes, people understandably regard him with caution. However, one has to note that Holmes never used his powers in the wrong way. Also, reassuringly in the article titled "Think like a Sociopath, Act like a Saint," the author claims that "there is a framework for thinking like a paranoid without actually being or becoming one" (Mitroff 49). Thus, Holmes can think like a criminal without one day becoming one. Furthermore, if one had done society such a service in a perfect world, that would make him or her a hero. Therefore, why not regard Holmes as such?
Throughout this paper, I brought up several moments where Holmes has displayed that he has emotions in addition to his superior intellect. Holmes does not allow his emotions to control what he does. Holmes warns Watson "not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities," going on to explain that "A client is to me a mere unit, a factor in a problem" (Doyle 108). So, while Holmes may get some satisfaction from helping people, he does not allow personal feelings towards anyone get in the way of his cases, whether that be a victim or a victimizer. Holmes has a very unique but relatable personality. All in all, Holmes exists in Dr. Watson's skewed point of view as a fictional character. Therefore, Holmes cannot have a mental diagnosis or dehumanized portrayal. However, based on the limited picture readers have of Holmes, it would appear that he has emotions.