The Image of the Returning Character in K. Doyle’s Detective Novels

Bobkov Nikita,

11th grade, «School №20»

 Ulan-Ude, the Republic of Buryatia

The Image of the Returning Character in K. Doyle’s Detective Novels

About Sherlock Holmes

Annotation: the article describes the "returning" character of Sherlock Holmes’s cycle, a symbolic figure in the English literature which embodies the everlasting passion of the human nature.

 Keywords: detective novels, the returning character, series of stories, a detective couple, the symbolic figure.

One of the indispensable characters of the novel's cycle is the returning character.  This character is Sherlock Holmes - the central protagonist of the series "Notes about Sherlock Holmes" by K. Doyle.  The writer once wrote himself: “I have always thought that regular publications with continuation rather impede than help, because sooner or later, the reader skips one of the magazine’s issues and thus loses further interest. Obviously, a permanent hero will be an ideal compromise and in each issue should be a finished story in order the reader knows exactly that he will be able to read the whole magazine "[4].

Until the end of the life Doyle was destined to bear the laurels of "the creator of the great detective”. All in all, the writer wrote 56 short stories and 4 novels about him. In the 20-s of the 20th century in England and America communities of this detective’s fans appeared. Sherlock Holmes was no longer a literary hero; he was regarded as a living character, who lived in the second half of the 19th century.  Stories and novellas about Sherlock Holmes are still screened more often than any other works of the world literature. According to the "Guinness Book" in the 20th century the famous detective appeared in 211 films.

Obviously, the most successful godsend of the writer could be considered the image of this detective, who lived in the time filled with interesting historical events, scientific achievements, which often became the basis for the storyline of the writer’s novels.    

Currently, according to researchers (X. Pearson), there are three characters in the English literature (Romeo, Robinson Crusoe, Shylock), who occupy the same place as the great detective does. Romeo means love, Shylock-parsimony, Crusoe-love for adventure.

 Who is S. Holmes for the readers? What is K. Doyle’s protagonist of the cycle like? What qualities does he possess, drawing the readers’ attention? What are the similarities with the heroes of the classical detective stories and what are the differences? Like all returning characters, Holmes is a symbolic figure, personifying the eternal nature of human passion:

1. He is unusual and original for his time, because he uses a logical way of crime investigation, called deductive.

2. He uses actively novelties of the scientific - technical progress, which appeared at the turn of the XIX - XX centuries. 

3. Readers see in this image a wandering knight’s features and a defender of "the weak" and the oppressed. 

4. He is a ranger and a hunter, searching for criminals.

 5. He likes to smoke a pipe. He has periods of "a sad thought." A sleuth refuses to discuss the matter, which he is thinking over, he continues aloud the thoughts of another person, lured a human who can tell something about the crime into the trap,. He places an ad in the newspaper, organizes a stir in the streets, managing to substitute letters.

 6. The author gives the protagonist a living human character.

7. He is a master in the perfect usage of the deductive method and meditation. 

8. Holmes is indifferent to fame and success. 

9. He is able to change his appearance beyond recognition. 

10. He is good in martial arts. 

11. Sherlock can work in tandem with a true friend and assistant Watson. 

12. He is lucky in dangerous and desperate situations. 

13. While investigating the matter, he based on his life principles and rules of honor. 

14. A resident of Victorian England, a homebody investigates cases in Mrs. Hudson’s living room without going out. 

15. Holmes has got constant habits. He is unpretentious and indifferent to the facilities and luxury.

Note: Through the image of S. Holmes other literary characters are seen, so familiar and loved by the readers. The prototype of the great detective is Dr. Joseph Bell, Conan Doyle's colleague, who works at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and is famous for the ability to guess the character and the past of a man by the smallest details. 

Like Don Quixote, S. Holmes - a wandering knight who saves people fighting alone against evil. He has got faithful Sancho Panza - Dr. Watson. 

Dupin like Holmes loves to smoke a pipe, there are also moments of a sad thought, when he refuses to discuss the matter, which he is thinking over.

Despite the enormous popularity of the books about Sherlock Holmes, the author considered the stories about him as "easy reading", and did not share the enthusiasm of the readers. That’s why in 1893 he decided to finish writing detective novels about the great detective and to start writing historical novels. The author made it so that the brilliant detective was killed in a battle with Dr. Moriarty at the Reichenbach waterfall. The readers’ reaction was unexpected. They called the writer a "murderer" and demanded the return the hero. During eight years the author did not respond to the readers’ demands and only in 1901 the novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles" appeared with the explanation that this story had happened before Holmes’s "death". And in 1903 he began a new detective series "The Return of Sherlock Holmes, in which he ultimately resurrected him. The last book "The Archive of Sherlock Holmes" was published in 1927.

"The expecting horizon" of the reader yearning for noble heroes who can catch and punish the criminal, restore justice and help the poor - is quite satisfied.

 Список литературы

1. Вольский, Н.Н. Легкое чтение. Работы по теории и истории детективного жанра [Текст] / Н.Н. Вольский-Новосибирск: Изд-во НГПУ, 2006.-200с.
2. Вулис, А. Поэтика детектива [Текст] / А. Вулис // Новый мир.-1978.-№1-С.244-258 с.
3. Ван Дайн, С.С. Двадцать правил для написания детективных романов [Текст] / C.С. Ван Дайн // Как сделать детектив. - М.: Радуга, 1990.- С.38-41.
4. Дойл, А.К. Записки о Шерлоке Холмсе: Рассказы. Повести [Текст] / А.К. Дойл // Кемеровское кн. Изд-во.- 1993-653 с.
5. Можейко, М.А. Детектив. Постмодернизм [Текст] / М.А. Можейко // Энциклопедия. - М.: Изд-во Интерпрес сервис, Книжный дом.- 2001.-С.140-144.