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JulietaDiaz
ProfessorHaas
Writing37
25November2014
SuperheroHolmes
MostpeopleintodaysworldhaveheardoftheinfamousSherlockHolmes.Many
ofusevenuseallusionsthatreferbacktoHolmes.Ifthisdetectivewascreatedinthe
VictorianerabyArthurConanDoyle,whatmadeitpossibleforthischaractertoprevail?
ManyscholarssuchasLeroyPanekandGeorgeN.Dovehavedigestedthereasonsas
towhythedetectivegenrecouldcontinuethroughgenerations.Inotherwordsits
conventionsoneofthemanyconventionsthathelpedthisphenomenonblossomis
Holmesplayinghero.Onlynow,moderndaySherlockHolmeshastakenonmoreofthe
superherostatus,thisisshownina2009filmSherlockHolmesandinaBBCshow,
Sherlock.However,HolmesinSherlockHolmesismorelikeasuperherothanHolmes
inSherlock.HolmesfromSherlockuseshismindashismainweaponnot
demonstratinghisphysicalpowerasmuchasHolmesformSherlockHolmesdoes
throughthefilm.
SherlockHolmesisofcoursealwaysplaysthehero,butintodaysworlditisnot
enoughforhimtojustbeaheroheshouldbeportrayedmorelikeasuperhero.In
originalSherlockHolmesstories,Holmesisalwaystheherowhichisacriticalelement
accordingtoawardwinningliteraryscholarLeroyPanekwhereheproclaimsinhis
chapterBeginnings,Ifoneisdiligent,anddetectivestoryfansarenothingiftheyare

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notdiligent,onecanunearthexamplesofrigorousthinking,theuseofevidence,and
theheroastheunravelleroftheantagonist'sartificeinvirtuallyeveryepochorclime
(5).WhatPanekissayingisthatitisrequiredforthereadertocareaboutthesolving
thecrimeinorderforthemtoinvestthemselvesinit.Theymusttrytosolveit
themselveswiththinkingandputtingevidencetogetherthattheywillnotbeableto
solve,thisiswhenthedetectivebeingtheherocomesintoplay.Becausetheaudience
caredenoughtotryandsolveitthemselves,butwereunsuccessfultheyrelyonthe
detectivetosolveit,whichhedoes.Thedetectivenotonlysolvesthecrimeforthe
readermakinghimtheirhero,buthealsoplaysherointhestorybysavingtheday.
Thisisstillverynecessaryinthe21stcentury,howevertodaybeingintellectuallyabove
theaverageisntenough,moderndayaudiencesliketoseesomeonewhoismorelike
asuperhero.Theynotonlywantsomeonewhoissmarterthanmostpeople,but
someonewhoisalsophysicallyabovetheaverageaswell.
InGuyRitchies2009filmSherlockHolmesAsstatedfromSherlockHolmesin
the21stCenturyinchapterfivebyFrancescaM.MarinaroandKayleyThomas,Robert
DowneyJr.sSherlockHolmescharactertakestheroleofasuperhero,Forovera
century,readershavetakentheircuefromWatsoninconstructingHolmesasaheroic
figuremostrecently,RobertDowney,Jr.,whoplaysthedetectiveinGuyRitchies2009
and2011filmadaptations,echoesthischaracterizationindescribingHolmesasthe
firstsuperhero(qtd.inLevypara.1)(57).Duringafightsceneinthefilm,Holmesis
inabrawlwherehenotonlyuseshismindtocalculatewhatpunchesheshouldthrow,
butheuseshisagilitythatseemstobeabnormaltomove,dodge,anddefeathis

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opponent.Inthisscene,thecinematicelementwhippan(wherethecamerafollows
quickmovements)isbeingusedtocapturehismovements.Thereasonthiselement
waschosenistoillustratehowquickHolmesisnotonlymentally,butphysicallyaswell.
ItisimportantthatHolmesbecameadaptedintothismoderndayherobecausetodays
audienceisintriguedbyactionthatcanonlybebroughtonbysomeonewhocan
physicallysurpassmostpeople.However,notallSherlockHolmescreatedinthe21st
centuryarenotveryclosetobeingsuperheros,likeRobertDowneyJr.isinhisfilm.
WhileplayingsuperherohasbecomeadaptedintomoderndaySherlockHolmes,
somedontincorporateasstronglyasGuyRitchiesfilm.Originally,Holmesismeantto
onlybementallysuperiorsotheaudiencecouldbeassuredthathisdetectiveskillswill
giveexplanationsasexpressedinchapteroneTheDifferentStorybyliteraryscholar
GeorgeN.Dove,Oneoftheelementsthatmakethereadingofthedetectivestory
differentfromthatofanyotherfictionisthatthereaderapproachesthenarrativeatthe
outsetwithmuchofthecontextalreadysuppliedbeforeturningtothefirstpage,for
example,thereaderisalreadyassuredthatthisstorywilldealwithamysterythatisnot
onlydeeplybutdoublywrappedandveiledandthatitwillbesolvedbythe
detectiveprotagonistbeforethestoryends(30).WhatDove,issayingisthatreaders
areleftguessing.Theyknowthatwhentheystarttoreadthesestoriesitinvolvesa
mysterythatseemsimpossibletosolve,buttheyhavetheirgeniushero(Holmes)who
theyarecertainwillsolvethemysteryforthem.Thisisstillveryprominentinmodern
dayHolmes,exceptnowpeoplealsolookforthatthrillthatviewerscanonlyreceive
throughphysicalobstacles.

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Nevertheless,BBCsSherlockHolmesplayedbyBenedictCumberbatchhe
combinesbothofthesecharacteristicsofahero.WhileDowneyscharacterseemedto
gooffonmorephysicalapproaches,Cumberbatchscharacterstillseemstostay
connectedwiththeoriginalHolmeswherehisbrainwashisweaponofchoice.The
reasonIbelievetheytriedtokeepCumberbatchsHolmesawayfromthissuperhero
detectiveisbecausegoingintothatpathyouarestartingtodriftawayfromthedetective
genre.Authorofmanydetectivenovels,S.S.VanDine(pseud.forWillardHuntington
Wright)discussesthestepsyoushouldfollowinadetectivestoryinhisarticleTwenty
rulesforwritingdetectivestorieswherehestatesTheproblemofthecrimemustbe
solvedbystrictlynaturalisticmeans.Suchmethodsforlearningthetruthas
slatewriting,ouijaboards,mindreading,spiritualisticse'ances,crystalgazing,andthe
like,aretaboo.Areaderhasachancewhenmatchinghiswitswitharationalistic
detective,butifhemustcompetewiththeworldofspiritsandgochasingaboutthe
fourthdimensionofmetaphysics,heisdefeatedabinitio(1).HereDineisclaimingthat
inorderforittobeadetectivestorythecrimesbeingsolvedmustbedonenaturally.
Thereforenosuperstrengthoranythingsupernatural,whichHolmesfollowstheserules
inSherlock,byoutsmartinghisenemiesinsteadofbeingabletophysicallyoverpower
them.IntheepisodeTheGreatGame,Holmesdemonstratestheperfectbalanceofa
geniusheroandasuperhero.HefollowsDinesrulethatoneshouldnotsucceed
throughunnaturaladvantages,butstillmanagestoembellishamodernheroby
involvingaction.ThisisshowninascenewhereHolmesisconfrontingMortiarty,atthe
topofabuilding.ThewholetimeMortiartybelieveshehastheupperhandinthe

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situationandthatheblindsidedHolmes,butinrealityHolmeshadthoughtofevery
possiblethingthatcouldhavehappenedandhadplannedoutmanydifferentscenarios.
Thisshowshowhementallydefeatshisproblems.TheactionsideofHolmescame
whenhehadtoplayouthisplan.MortiartyendedupkillinghimselfandHolmeshadto
dosoaswellorallofhisfriendswouldbekilled.Holmesjumpsfromthebuildinglet
peoplebelievehehadjustcommittedsuicidewheninrealityhedidnot.Hejumpedbut
wascaughtbypeopleheaskedtohelphim.Thispartofthescenedisplayshis
superherosideandgivesthethrillthatmoderndayaudiencesliketosee.One
cinematicelementthatwasusedhereiscrosscutting.Crosscuttingiswhenthe
cameraisswitchingbackfromdifferentviews.Inthisscenetheviewgoesfrombeing
onHolmesbacktobeingonWatson.Theeffectofthiselementistokeeptheviewersat
thesamepageasWatson.HolmesjusttrickedWatsonintobelievinghejustcommitted
suicidecrosscuttingwasusedtomaketheaudiencebelievethesame,butinrealityit
wasallpartofHolmesplanandhedidnotreallycommitsuicidehejustneededWatson
tobelieveitwasreal.
Inconclusion,thedetectivegenrehasmanyconventionsthatnotonlyhelpedit
ariseduringtheVictorianera,butalsohelpedittriumphtothe21stcentury.These
conventionsjusthadtoadapttomoderndaypreferences.Oneoftheconventionsthat
didsowastheconventionthattheherobeagenius.Intodaysworlditisnotenoughfor
theherotojusttobegenius,buttoalsoincorporatesomesuperherocharactertraits.
DowneyscharacterleanedmoretothesuperheroversionwhileCumberbatchs
characterstillportrayedthegeniusheroonlynowwithmorephysicalaspects.

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WorksCited
Dine,S.S.Van."TwentyRulesforWritingDetectiveStories."AmericanMagazineSept.
1928:n.pag.Web.<http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/vandine.htm>.

Dove,GeorgeN.TheDifferentStory.TheReaderandtheDetectiveStory.Bowling
Green,OH:BowlingGreenStateUniversityPopularPress,1997.PDFFile.

Panek,Leroy.Beginnings.AnIntroductiontotheDetectiveStory.BowlingGreen,
OH:BowlingGreenStateUniversityPopularPress,1987.PDFFile.

SherlockHolmes.Dir.GuyRitchie.Perf.RobertDowney,Jr.andJudeLaw.2009.Film

Marinaro,FrancescaM.,Thomas,Kayley.DontMakePeopleintoHeroes,John.
SherlockHolmesforthe21stCentury.ed.LynettePorter.Jefferson,NC:
MacfaralandCompany&Company,2012,5783.Print.