http://calitreview.com/283 An arts and culture magazine. Wed, 23 May 2012 07:58:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://calitreview.com/283/comment-page-1#comment-253260 Six Sorts of Sherlock, or, “Facets of Holmes” « quiteirregular Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:30:32 +0000 http://calitreview.com/2007/11/13/gentlemen-and-players/#comment-253260 [...] I’ve argued elsewhere that the detectives of the Golden Age were created out of a need to provide an officer class for the forces of law and order.  However, Sherlock’s insistence that he is “a consulting detective” has more the defensiveness of the professional middle class.  His training in anatomy and his interest in precedents slot him in alongside the classic “professions” of law and medicine, as does his interest in individual cases in as examples of general principles.  A good chap, Holmes, with a lucrative private practice, a keen interest in the theory of his profession and the ambition to publish.  He enjoys the liberty to decide which cases he takes on, and is anxious for the approval of his peers, hence the publishing, which is problematic since his ego won’t admit that he has any.  He claims to be the only member of his profession and perhaps that’s a good thing too, since it’s debatable how well some of his activities would stand up before any Standards and Ethics Committee. [...] [...] I’ve argued elsewhere that the detectives of the Golden Age were created out of a need to provide an officer class for the forces of law and order.  However, Sherlock’s insistence that he is “a consulting detective” has more the defensiveness of the professional middle class.  His training in anatomy and his interest in precedents slot him in alongside the classic “professions” of law and medicine, as does his interest in individual cases in as examples of general principles.  A good chap, Holmes, with a lucrative private practice, a keen interest in the theory of his profession and the ambition to publish.  He enjoys the liberty to decide which cases he takes on, and is anxious for the approval of his peers, hence the publishing, which is problematic since his ego won’t admit that he has any.  He claims to be the only member of his profession and perhaps that’s a good thing too, since it’s debatable how well some of his activities would stand up before any Standards and Ethics Committee. [...]

]]>