Sherlock Holmes

Blog Prompts

1. Discuss, using references to specific moments in the written stories, Sherlock's relationship with the professional world, namely police officers/police detectives and trained medical doctors. Incorporate reference(s) to an adaptation as well.

2. What do you think of Guy Ritchie turning Sherlock Holmes into an action figure? What does it say about his particular interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle's literary character? What elements of the written work did he extract in order to create his film version? Reference the written work and the film.

3. Some literary critics have commented on the notable lack of female characters in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. This isn't to say that having stories with a mostly male cast is inherently bad, but what is worth examining is what type of role those few women portray when they do enter the scene. Consider Arthur Conan Doyle's portrayal of women by discussing the female characters that have come up in what we read. Further, how do the adaptations handle this?

4. Discuss genre in relation to the written stories and their translation to screen. This is some of the original "detective fiction" which is a massively popular genre today. However, in some instances, Doyle draws from older traditions of Gothicism. Also, what about modern genres, in which terms like 'bromance' is considered a genre? In what way do the stories interact with and portray genre, and how is this played out in adaptation?

5. Sherlock Holmes, the character: explain him. Reference the written work and the adaptation(s).

6. Science, logic, deduction VS the inexplicable, supernatural, superstition. Again and again, Doyle depicts a face-off between these forces. Referencing the written work and at least one adaptation, discuss how Doyle interprets each realm and portrays the ultimate victory of 'the science of deduction.'