Sherlock Holmes
My wife grew up reading Sherlock Holmes and is a militant purist.
That means the recent Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey,
Jr. and Jude Law are anathema in my home. For this reason, I am keeping
this analysis in the "Book" category and I am using my wife's copy of
"The Complete Sherlock Holmes" as a reference, primarily looking at "A
Scandal in Bohemia" and "A Case of Identity."
Holmes teaches us two lessons in mind, body, and spirit characters. First, the body character isn't always self-absorbed and concerned with "wine, women, and song." The body character can be concerned with "the body." Doctors (Bones in Star Trek), coroners (Davis in Tru Calling), or nurses can also be body characters.
The second lesson Holmes teaches us is that a mind, body, or spirit character may not necessarily be a "character." While this is much more difficult for a writer to pull off, it is possible, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle illustrates.
When Sherlock Holmes meets someone, he often takes pride in telling them where they are from, how they have traveled, or what their profession is. These statements are based on observation and deduction and are never wrong. When the King of Bohemia comes in disguise, Holmes becomes weary of his guest's dodging of the issue, and doesn't hesitate to show it.
"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.
When Holmes' guest finally agrees to reveal his identity, Holmes reveals it for him.
This particular peculiarity is only one clue toward Holmes' complete disregard for relationships. Holmes toys with Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson repeatedly, showing his superior intellect. Many times he makes them look dim-witted while simultaneously making them feel good about themselves. His relationship with Watson is more teacher and mentor than friend or even colleague.
The only thing that matters to Holmes is the puzzle. Even when things appear dull to Watson, as in the story Miss Mary Sutherland relates, Holmes is listening with the "greatest concentration of attention." The reverse is also true. Many times, especially with Lestrade or Gregson, Holmes becomes amused or bored with the very things they find most interesting.
Watson is a doctor, a surgeon. This by itself points us toward identifying him as the body character. In addition, Watson is the one who brings firepower - his service revolver - when Holmes requires it for a case. He is a sucker for adventure and will gladly leave his practice to go out on a case with Holmes.
In London, after returning from the army, he enjoyed being as "free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be." He counted himself among the "loungers and idlers of the Empire." When this lifestyle ran its inevitable course, Watson sought lodgings and was eventually paired with Holmes. Later, Watson gets married. Holmes does not need the affections of a woman, but Watson does.
Watson reaches a certain level of knowledge in the science of observation and deduction, but will never reach the mental acuity of Holmes.
The thing that drives Holmes and Watson is always the case, the mystery. The characters and the circumstances change, but the mystery is always there. Like Mrs. Which in A Wrinkle in Time, the mystery never appears physically, but it interacts with the characters, giving them life and meaning.
When there is no mystery, no puzzle to solve, Holmes loses interest in almost everything. His life has no meaning. When there is an interesting case to be solved, his life has both meaning and purpose - just the things a spirit character injects into the story.
Holmes teaches us two lessons in mind, body, and spirit characters. First, the body character isn't always self-absorbed and concerned with "wine, women, and song." The body character can be concerned with "the body." Doctors (Bones in Star Trek), coroners (Davis in Tru Calling), or nurses can also be body characters.
The second lesson Holmes teaches us is that a mind, body, or spirit character may not necessarily be a "character." While this is much more difficult for a writer to pull off, it is possible, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle illustrates.
The Mind Character: Sherlock Holmes
When Sherlock Holmes meets someone, he often takes pride in telling them where they are from, how they have traveled, or what their profession is. These statements are based on observation and deduction and are never wrong. When the King of Bohemia comes in disguise, Holmes becomes weary of his guest's dodging of the issue, and doesn't hesitate to show it.
"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.
When Holmes' guest finally agrees to reveal his identity, Holmes reveals it for him.
This particular peculiarity is only one clue toward Holmes' complete disregard for relationships. Holmes toys with Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson repeatedly, showing his superior intellect. Many times he makes them look dim-witted while simultaneously making them feel good about themselves. His relationship with Watson is more teacher and mentor than friend or even colleague.
The only thing that matters to Holmes is the puzzle. Even when things appear dull to Watson, as in the story Miss Mary Sutherland relates, Holmes is listening with the "greatest concentration of attention." The reverse is also true. Many times, especially with Lestrade or Gregson, Holmes becomes amused or bored with the very things they find most interesting.
The Body Character: Dr. John Watson
Watson is a doctor, a surgeon. This by itself points us toward identifying him as the body character. In addition, Watson is the one who brings firepower - his service revolver - when Holmes requires it for a case. He is a sucker for adventure and will gladly leave his practice to go out on a case with Holmes.
In London, after returning from the army, he enjoyed being as "free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be." He counted himself among the "loungers and idlers of the Empire." When this lifestyle ran its inevitable course, Watson sought lodgings and was eventually paired with Holmes. Later, Watson gets married. Holmes does not need the affections of a woman, but Watson does.
Watson reaches a certain level of knowledge in the science of observation and deduction, but will never reach the mental acuity of Holmes.
The Spirit Character: The Mystery
The thing that drives Holmes and Watson is always the case, the mystery. The characters and the circumstances change, but the mystery is always there. Like Mrs. Which in A Wrinkle in Time, the mystery never appears physically, but it interacts with the characters, giving them life and meaning.
When there is no mystery, no puzzle to solve, Holmes loses interest in almost everything. His life has no meaning. When there is an interesting case to be solved, his life has both meaning and purpose - just the things a spirit character injects into the story.
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