From our discussions in class, one topic that stuck with me was exoticism because of how it was used in the Sherlock Holmes stories. An important factor in the relatability and enjoyment of these detective stories for this time period was because of the constant references to actual places in London. Although this is fiction, readers were able to imagine Sherlock Holmes walking the streets and solving these crimes like he was a neighborhood hero. On that same note, the references to foreign countries and people not like the average Londoner also enhanced the story. In “The Adventure of the Empty House”, while presumed dead Sherlock described his journey, “I travelled for two years in Tibet, therefore, and amused myself by visiting Lhassa and spending some days with the head Llama…I then passed through Persia, looked in at Mecca, and paid a short but interesting visit to the Khalifa at Khartoum…Returning to France I spent some months in a research into the coal-tar derivatives…” (Doyle 4). The mention of these new places Sherlock has been to not only piques the interest of the reader to see if they know them, but whether or not they will connect to the mystery at hand. This form of exoticism also creates a more compelling character in Sherlock because you wonder if Sherlock is a natural genius or because he goes to various places to intake knowledge. The purpose of this detective fiction is to see how he will solve mysteries no one else can which showcases the gap between him and the average person. This passage is a perfect example of this as it notes locations that readers during this time may have never heard or won’t travel to during their lifetime.
Looking at this through the lens of the fin de si´ecle, this is a time where many people are choosing to change their lives from the usual factory worker to newfound careers. All while being introduced to modern concepts like New Science and New Woman, even fresh genres like Detective Fiction. Picking up a story where the main character is from where you’re from, lives a life of excitement, and travels the world, could push anyone to want to do the same.
In terms of plot, it’s important to note that two foreign characters, Colonel Moran and The King of Bohemia, drastically propel the story forward in their designated stories. One ends up being the culprit and the other is the one asking for help, but the point is that they come from a different place and have different traits than the average Londoner. Of course, all of Sherlock Holmes stories could have been about pickpockets or arsonists who are from London but this variety of characters creates an intriguing story filled with exoticism. Detective fiction is sensationalized because anything can happen yet you never know what will happen so the use of exoticism brings more twists and turns to the story.
I agree that the introduction of exotic people and places makes the reader wonder if they will come into play. An implication of that is the worry that exotic things will be “criminal” and cause harm to our good Londoners, while also being enticing. Sherlock, as a worldly English gentleman written by someone like himself, also represents his time and place: by bringing someone like Moran into the picture, he brings the outside world to England and shows its ferocities and wonders but domesticates it. Like keeping a tiger in a zoo.
This is super interesting!! I wonder if you could call someone like Van Helsing from Dracula a type of detective like Sherlock in the way that he travels and investigates vampires. It is very interesting that they both are going after “exotic” things that seem like they will cause harm to the Londoners. However, Van Helsing is a foreigner whereas Sherlock is not and I wonder how Sherlock’s inherit Britishness plays into the detective narrative and perhaps makes him even more believable and not needing to be accompanied by multiple British people all the time.
You’ve definitely hit on something: if we had a broader selection of stories to read from, I think the correlation would be even more obvious, because SO often the conflict originates in a foreign place, especially India (though much of the same reasoning applies to Australia, which appears less frequently). Obviously, India was part of the British Empire at the time, so there’s an explanation for why so many British subjects would have spent time there, but more specifically it’s a more “savage,” less policed place. The villains are often acting on motivations born from some dark deed committed in India–the distant East, where it might be more palatable for Conan Doyle to suggest that passions are more inflamed, and crimes can simmer for years without justice intervening. However, as soon as the crimes do return home, Sherlock Holmes is waiting to solve the mystery and keep English soil safe.
This is an interesting connection between Sherlock Holmes and its affects on the reader and the change of norms/ideas being presented in the fin de siecle. A question I would pose though, is how do reference of other countries alone create a feeling of exoticism illustrated through Sherlock Holmes? Also, I think you are on to a good point in bringing up the changing ideals of New Science and the New Woman. Particularly to the concept of the New Woman, how does Sherlock Holmes inspire a generation of women? Though Holmes travels and lives a life of excitement, he is still a man, and women of the fin de siecle may have a hard time identifying with that.