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Carolina Rojas Dr. Lynda Haas Writing 37 13 February 2014 The Detectives Eccentricity Similar pieces of literature are often grouped into categories called genres. Each different genre has some recurring aspects which have come to be expected; these are called genre conventions. An important genre convention in the mystery/detective genre is the eccentric detective. In Conan Doyles stories, the eccentric detective is Sherlock Holmes. Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is possibly the most popular character ever introduced in the history of fiction. Residing in London at 221B Baker Street, Holmes' character and personality set him apart from all others.(mystery.net) We are first acquainted with Sherlock Holmes interesting character in Conan Doyles novel A Study in Scarlet. In this story, Watson and Holmes move in together and we see many examples of Holmes eccentricity through Watsons eyes. He has very specialized knowledge, he goes through periods of depression during which he does some questionable things, and he claims to be the worlds first detective, taking on cases which the police are unable to solve through his own guiding principle. As the main character, Holmes strange personality and quirky behavior give Sherlock Holmes a motive for solving the crimes and give the readers a person to idolize. First of all, he is very particular about the things he learns. When talking about Holmes, Watson remarks, his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded

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me. (9 ASIS). Holmes is an expert in everything he chooses to learn, he even writes books on certain topics which he has studied in depth. He knows a lot about anatomy, chemistry, and past crimes. On the other hand, His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. (10 ASIS) He also knew nothing about the Copernican system. However, he justifies his odd collection of knowledge by explaining that a persons brain is like an attic that can become too crowded if you put in the wrong things. When Watson told him about it, he replied What the deuce is it to me? you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work. He impresses people both with his extensive knowledge of certain topics and his almost defiant determination not to collect useless knowledge. This makes others see him as a unique almost inhuman individual who is above all others. Furthermore, he alternates between a lethargic and an energetic state depending on the circumstances. Nothing could exceed his energy when the working fit was upon him; but now and again a reaction would seize him, and for days on end he would lie upon the sofa in the sitting-room, hardly uttering a word or moving a muscle from morning to night.(9 ASIS) When he is solving a case, he gets so energetic that at times he does not sleep, however he is also the victim of melancholia which attacks him whenever he is unoccupied with a case. (2 Auden). "My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession,or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." (2 TSOTF). When the bouts of depression hit him, he

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relieves them by reading, playing the violin, and taking drugs. This serves two purposes; it gives him a flaw which brings him back down off his pedestal and makes him seem more human so that the readers can sympathize with him, and it gives him a motive for solving crimes, to distract his mind and get him out of the passive state. In conclusion, Holmes eccentricity is a central part of Arthur Conan Doyles novels. It makes him a character that other characters as well as the readers can look up to and it gives him a reason to be a detective. Being one of the first detectives, Holmes set the standard for modern day detectives who also share some unique, eccentric traits. It is now a detective fiction staple which readers know and love.

Works Cited Doyle, Arthur Conan. A Study in Scarlet Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Sign of the Four Auden, Wystan Hugh. "The Guilty Vicarage." Harper's Magazine May 1948: n. pag. Web. <http://harpers.org/archive/1948/05/the-guilty-vicarage/2/>. http://discuss.mysterynet.com/scripts/discuss/community/mystery-greats/holmes/ http://www.mysterynet.com/holmes/