Alarcon 1

Zelma Alarcon
Professor Matthew Harrison
Writing 39B
27 July 2014
Detective Character Traits: Holmes at?in his Finest
In a world where emergent emerging human technology and social
composition were are risingon the rise, Doyle created one of the most masterful
characters of the era, and marked the real beginning of the detective story
[that] [presents] real difficulties of the time (Panek 79). The creation of such a
masterful character was due to the new configuration of experience [that] was shaped by a large
number of factors, which were clearly dependent on the change in production marked by the
Industrial Revolution (Gunning 15). This rapid change also brought transformation to daily life
due to the growth of capitalism, urban growth, and advances in technology during the Victorian
Era. By developing a detective that is always mathematically correct and precise,
Doyle presented the world with the first crime-solving machine,, an actual
instrument of detection (Panek 81). All throughout Doyles stories, he
demonstrates Holmes powers of observation and analytical skills, -which are
the driving forces of a great detective and role model; numerous texts display
that Holmes characteristics are what make the detective genre (Panek 84).
Holmes constant outlandish and magical assertions, which he explains as a
simple routine is nothing more than the forwarding thinking of an emergent
class, a symbol (Panek 84). In many of Doyles stories Holmes is presented as
Comment [Z1]: The font needs to be size 12 and in Times New Roman for MLA Format. This has to be done all throughout the essay
Comment [Z2]: I dont knowif it really matters or not,but on the internet it says MLA needs to be in times newroman 12 font.
Comment [Z3]: emerging/ take out
Comment [MH4]: Verb forms dont match here. Also, can you be more specific about social composition, as this is something that emerges throughout history. What are the peculiar traits of the Victorian social composition? You might use Tom
Gunning to clarify.
Comment [Z5]: In this section I plan on following Professor Harrisons advice and will be adding and excerpt fromGunning to further explai n the Victorian Era.

The creation of such a masterful character was due to the newconfiguration of experience [that] was shaped by a large number of factors, which were clearly dependent on the change in production marked by the Industrial Revolution (Gunning 15).
This rapid change also brought transformation to daily life due to the growth of capitalism, urban growth, and advances in technology during the Victorian Era.
Comment [MH6]: Commas go inside quotation marks
Comment [Z7]: Throughout all of
Comment [MH8]: Try to make greater use of commas, too, to separate dependent and independent clauses
Comment [MH9]: Punctuation needed here
Alarcon 2

anti-social and superior, which demonstrated the growth of knowledge within
the middle. Holmes is a common man that is intellectually superior to any
authority figure within Doyles story, for example, when the police ask for
Holmes help on a case or collecting carcasses for experiments as presented in
the story A Study in Scarlet.
All throughoutThrough Conan Doyles many stories, he places distinctive
character traits of a detective such as in The Sign of Four. Sherlock Holmes was
Conan Doyles creation of a perfective authority figure because he was a
steadfast, honest, [and] trustworthy (Doyle 83). Holmes always used logic
and deduction to solve his mysteries which aided in his success as a detective;
it was thought that a detective should gain success through his knowledge and
mind during this time and not just by sheer luck, as mentioned by Leroy Panek
(Panek 3). Holmes demonstrates his skills of deduction in crime scenes such
as in the story Sign of the Four, written by Doyle, where he is with Watson
inspecting the crime scene murder of Sholto. Holmes tells Watson to sit in
corner before his footprints complicate matters and the police arrive. Holmes
forward thinking that all must be captured before the evidence with tampered
with reflects the advancement in photography, or at least its importance.
Doyle portrays Holmes as a man that is constantly led bmy logic rather than by
emotion, mainly because emotion would make his judgment biased as opposed
to fair (Doyle 2179). The path that led Doyle to create Sherlock Holmess
characteristics was mainly due to the time frame he was living in and the ideas
borrowed from Edgar A. Poes techniques which brought on the thought as
Comment [MH10]: The intro has potential, but at present does not provide a controlling idea of your own. You offer a summary of Panek as your personal claim. To begin to synthesize, you need to say more about your understanding of Holmes as
representative of an emergent Victorian character. Ask: howdo his characteristics reflect changing Victorian values. Powers of observation is not in itself peculiar and specific enough.
Comment [Z11]: I decided to include a bit more examples on the reflection Holmes has to society. And Ill further explain in detail in one of my body paragraphs.
Comment [Z12]: Throughout all of?

Comment [Z13]: Here I amgoing to add two more quotes that further define Holmes character. One being that he is superior to other detectives. And also the connection with the technological advancement in his field of detection
Comment [MH14]: Wrong word form
Comment [Z15]: Maybe talk a little more about the time frame since you mentioned it. Either in another paragraph or in this paragraph.
Alarcon 3

police versus the amateur, the detectives conceit; who was a symbol of the
common man and gain of power through knowledge (Panek 80).
In How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, written by Maria Konnikova , she
explains Holmess character in a way that standardizes him as a common man
that has tapped into his full potential of logic and mindfulness (Konnikova 4).
Holmes, a common man with stupendous knowledge, is human and has felt
emotions such as, annoyance, anger, chagrins and hes a person able to
admire a worthy adversary (Binyon 10). Sherlock Holmes unique character
allows him to see beyond the average mind. Konnikova makes a contrast
between seeing and observing, which is something that Holmes is automated to
do unconsciously (Konnikova 2). The major factor that makes Sherlock Holmes
a great detective is his unprecedented way of thinking, and if used in common
day, he would make a great role model for how we can think better than we do
as a matter of course (Konnikova 12). One way that Maria Konnikova, as
mentioned in her article, characterizes Holmes thinking is his skepticism and his
inquisitiveness toward the world (Konnikova 17). This in an overall summation
leads to the many great qualities of Holmes as model.
In a different article called "Murder Will Out: The Detective in
Fiction" written by T.J. Binyon, Binyon explains furthermore that Doyle [had]
taken the abstract idea of the detective provided by Poe, and [had] fleshed out
both the main figure and his surroundings (9). He goes more into detail,
stating that without Watson in Holmes' adventures, there would be no credibility
Comment [MH16]: Sentence structure is confusing. I suggest breaking into two sentences in order to more clearly get your point across. Also what, in your view, constituted the common man. More context is also needed for police versus the
amateur to make full sense here.
Comment [Z17]: In this paragraph I plan to synthesize two scholarly texts so that they agree with one another. I will be adding a quote fromMurder Will Out and talk about howhuman traits began to creep into Holmes character.
Example:
to create a pure detective who would be little more than animated reason. But almost immediately human traits began to creep in. Holmes can feel emotion: annoyance, anger, chagrin. He can admire a worthy adversary, as he admires Irene Adler for
outwitting himin A Scandal in Bohemia.
Comment [Z18]: Provide some examples of Holmes inquisitiveness

Alarcon 4

because Watson is the bridge between the average man and Holmes (Binyon
10). Yet even though Doyle hadnt wanted to make Holmes an emotional
character because it would make his judgment biased, he gradually did include
certain traits to make him more human (Binyon 10). Yet what Doyle hadnt
realized is that he had contradicted his original idea of Holmes. He created a
Holmes that was proud, [an] alienated hero, superior to and isolated from the
rest of humanity; who alleviates the deadly boredom of existence with
injections of cocaine and morphine (Binyon 10). Not only does he demonstrate
Sherlock Holmes isolation from the rest of the world so that his judgment may
not be biased, but by doing so he has made Holmes vulnerable to human faults.
This of course is not the emblematic figure that is considered a role model for
society, but it does make him appear more real to the reader just like how
Watson helps him bridge a connection as well. See, by creating Holmes to be
more in touch with his feelings, he can connect more with the reader and his
character traits are more approachable and empathetic. Like T.J. Binyon stated
in his article Murder Will Out: The Detective in Fiction, Holmes is the greatest
of them all, and certainly the best known. He has given society its popular
image of a detectiveyet, paradoxically, he is at the same time unique; his
creation broke the mold (Binyon 11). His creation did indeed break the mold
and it also led to different views about the topic.

Comment [Z19]: When you use not only it usually needs to be followed by but also. Also explain some of Holmes human faults

Comment [Z20]: Who is him
Comment [Z21]: Good paragraph and good use of 2 scholars to have themconverse. There is a little too many quotes though. Instead of focusing on a lot of quotes, try to talk more about each quote.

Comment [Z22]: Broke the mold and led to different views about the topic.

Alarcon 5

As indicated in another excerpt of the Theory and Practice of Classic
Detective, Fictionwritten by Delamater, Jerome and Ruth Prigozy stated that
Holmes was a popular detective during his time and was a great factor in the
cultural significance as society was gradually changing (1). In the Victorian
Era, society and technology began to expand and new ideas were created;
notions such as one can create solutions to problems, that man can create new
means of bettering himself and their environment (Oshkosh 1). Holmes
actually represented that change because the middle class man was now shown
be as more than a mere factor in society. Hhe [helped reassure [society] in
the belief that the universe, underneath it all is rational despite of the
disordered world they lived in (Prigozy 1). Unlike Binyon, in the Prigozy
excerpt it states that Holmes is eccentric and is even characterized by Watson
as emotionless, unable to love, [and] [possesses] a cold and detached mind
which again indicates his characteristics as someone not easily swayed by
emotion. Holmess knowledge is also another factor that is considered eccentric
because he demonstrates does demonstrate vast knowledge of chemistry,
poisons, and sensational literature, but he refuses to attain insignificant
knowledge of the world around him (Prigozy 22). By throwing away the clutter
in his brain attic he is creating space for what is needed and not over doing it
with useless information that doesnt pertain to him, (Prigozy 22). This idea of
de-cluttering is what makes him a great detective and brings about his unique
style; Holmes provides the [perfect] prototype for the British ratiocinative
detectives approach (Prigozy 22). This approach is his own style and
Comment [MH23]: written bystated doesnt work grammatically
Comment [MH24]: It might be better to include this paragraph earlier, as it is more specific about certain changes of social mood that informed the creation of SHolmes.
Comment [Z25]: Expand on this.

Alarcon 6

characteristic of a detective; Holmes unique contribution to the ultimate
detective is well known, but like Holmes stated, once you eliminated the
impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true (Prigozy 22).
His approach of deduction is by far the most distinct in history and as stated
before he has broken the mold with his supernatural power of detection
[which] make him so extraordinary (Mc Bratney 161).
Sherlock Holmes has proven to be the last and highest court of appeal in
detection during his time (Doyle 787). All through Doyles numerous stories
about Sherlock Holmes, he Doyle constantly displays Holmes as the ultimate
establishment figure (Amazon Digital Services 87) as mentioned before. In
tThe Holmes timeline, it is clear to see the gradual change that he has taken in
and exerted. In Doyles short stories such as A Scandal in Bohemia Holmes
reiterates that theorizing before one has data can be a grave mistake because
then one can twist fact to fit what one thinks instead of the theories fitting into
the facts that are displayed in the case (Doyle 3). Holmes This ultimate figure
demonstrates to society that in order to apply deduction one must observe and
not just see because there is an obvious distinction between the two (Doyle 3).
With a role model like Holmes, for society it is easily to understand that anyone
can try to achieve such perfection because it is like any other [art], the
Science of Deduction and Analysis [can] only be acquired by long and patient
study; unfortunately life is not long enough to reach the highest perfection, as
stated in A Study In Scarlet (Doyle 11). Even with his human faults, Holmes is
a symbol for striving perfection and continues to mold ourt society today.
Comment [Z26]: I will place this paragraph earlier as suggested by professor Harrison. It makes logical sense since it describes more about the time.
Comment [Z27]: Is he Holmes?

Comment [Z28]: Howdoes Holmes twist fact to fit in a scandal in bohemia

Comment [Z29]: What does this mean?

Comment [Z30]: Overall I think your essay is really good since you have so many quotes. I just personally think that you used too many quotes. Instead of using so many quotes, try to use about half and then add in more of your own insights into the
essay. Also, your 5
th
paragraph seemed to drag on for me. Instead of having such a long paragraph and all those quotes, split the paragraph into two different paragraphs.

Alarcon 7


Work Cited:
Binyon, T.J. "Murder Will Out": The Detective in Fiction. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1989. Print.
Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Sign of the Four. Seattle: Amazon Digital Services,
2013. Kindle eBook. Online.
Delamater, Jerome and Ruth Prigozy, eds. Theory and Practice of Classic
Detective Fiction. New York: Praeger, 1997. Print.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "Lit2Go." Adventure 6: "The Man with the Twisted
Lip Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education,
University of South Florida, 2006. Web. 24 July 2014.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "A Study In Scarlet." The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Study In Scarlet,
by Arthur Conan Doyle. Roger Squires, and David Widger, 12 July 2008. Web. 27 July
2014.
Konnikova, Maria. Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. New York:
Viking, 2013. Print.
Alarcon 8

McBratney, John. Racial and Criminal Types: Indian Ethnography and Sir
Arthur Conan Doyles The Sign of Four. Victorian Literature and
Culture 33:1 (2005): 149-167. JSTOR. Web. 01/15/2014.
Oshkosh. "Victorian England." Victorian England. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, n.d. Web.
26 July 2014.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH:
Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Print.

Zelma,
My comments above have not meant to edit your sentences line by line, but to highlight
issues that would benefit your writing as a whole. So, if I suggest that you check comma use in
one sentence, you should do so for the entire paper, too.
That said, this draft has a promising organization and is written with an engaging energy.
Your summaries of the scholarly texts are effective overall; however, you never quite move from
summary to synthesis. As a result, the paper reads as a kind of list of summaries that give
multiple perspectives on SHomes, but you dont bring any of these perspectives together under a
firm controlling idea, apart from suggesting, occasionally, that Sherlock characterizes some
emergent social changes. In sum, from the grading rubric, you need to work on building a more
Alarcon 9

specific controlling idea; on synthesis (review Dr. Haass recent handout on the difference
between summary and syntheses); and on applying ideas from the scholarly texts to your
personal readings of selected passages from the stories.
There is some awkwardness throughout with integrating quotations with your own
clauses. Ive revised some of these sentences as models for you to follow, but I encourage you to
review those documents in Materials that pertain to quotation/citation.
And as ever, do write with any questions you have!
MH