Jingyao Shi Professor Lynda Haas Writing 37 2/2/2012

The Man Behind the Genius In mystery genre, a detective investigates and solves the crime based on logic and science. The genres change overtime as they change according to the time in history. Each genre basically goes through four stages of development: primitive, classical, parodic, and revisionist. During the Victorian Era, as the classical stage of the mystery genre, Arthur Conan Doyle was one of the pioneers establishing, inventing many of the conventions that people now expected in mystery fictions. The important sidekick is one of the conventions portrayed in Conan Doyles stories. In mystery genre, there is always an incredibly smart detective in a mystery genre novel who seems to know everything. However, at this genius side, there is always someone who only has average intelligence but rounds the other aspects of the genius. One of his novels The Sign of the Four published in 1890 tells about the story behind the pearl the client Miss Morstan received every year after her fathers death. In this novel, after hearing Mrs. Hudson talking about Sherlock Holmes weird movements at night, comparing to Holmes who was relatively indifferent and emotionless, John Watson acted more humanely. Also in Conan Doyles third novel called The Hound of Baskervilles published in 1902, after Watson found out that Holmes was the man on the tor, Watson was mad at Holmes mistrust, but Holmes calmly explained everything was for safetys sake of the whole case. The purpose of writing this essay is to emphasize one of the important genre conventions that is shown in Conan Doyles fictional detective stories: standing at Sherlock Holmes side is John Watson, the less intelligent and more

emotional character, who makes practical Sherlock Holmes more human and understandable throughout the story. Even though in Conan Doyles novels, Sherlock Holmes was usually emotionless and concentrated only on the cases, because of Watsons reveal of his own emotions, the readers could still feel that Holmes emotionlessness is understandable. For example, in the chapter A break in the Chain in The Sign of the Four, after Watson came back from visiting Miss Morstan, his conversation with Mrs. Hudson helped to portray the character of Holmes. As Mrs. Hudson said to Watson, I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turned on me, sir, with such a look that I dont know how ever I got out of the room(Doyle 118). Holmes could not observe that Mrs. Hudson was worrying about him and scared her away. On the contrary, Watson tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but [he] was [himself] somewhat uneasy when through the long night [he] still from time to time hear the dull sound of his tread(Doyle 118). Even with some uneasy feeling himself, Watson is still caring that he would smooth Mrs. Hudsons worries by lightly telling that Holmes just had something on his mind which made him restless. Representing the role of normal readers in the story, Watson spoke for and gave explanation to Holmes seemingly ruthless attitude towards Mrs. Hudson, so the readers feelings would easily resonate with Watsons, which causes the reader to understand Holmes character more accurately. Based on Watsons own emotions, Holmes character became more real to the readers. Lastly, in The Hound of Baskervilles, when Watson found out that Holmes was the man on the tor, Watson cried with some bitterness, questioned on the trust between he and Holmes, and accused Holmes of keeping secrets from him (Doyle 205). However, this time, even though Holmes answered to Watson, you would have wished to tell me something, or in your kindness

you would have brought me out some comfort or other, and so an unnecessary risk would be run, Holmes still appreciated and explained how important Watsons reports had been in helping him solve the crime (Doyle 205). Holmes even showed that because of the danger which [Watson] ran, he decided to examine the matter for [himself](Doyle 205). From this situation, the readers can imply that Holmes actually cared, not only the cases, but also his friend Watson. Watson had brought out the other side of Holmes, especially the emotional side in this case, that were not usually visible throughout the process of Holmes solving cases. In general, Watson played a significant role in Conan Doyles stories. Even though he does not have genius intelligence, he, as a companion of Holmes, has a desirable level of emotional intelligence. The conversations between Watson and Holmes usually filled the gap between Holmes and the readers, just like how Watson made readers understand why Holmes had been so practical when solving the cases, why Holmes reacted so badly to Mrs. Hudsons worry, and how Holmes actually was not careless to the people around him. The role of Watson has made the Holmes character more flawless and approachable. As it says in Twenty rules for writing detective stories, there must be but one detective in mystery genre, the character like Watson is essential too. Without Watson, Holmes might just be an eccentric genius who plays violin and addicts to cocaine.

Citation "Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories"(1928). Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories (1928) by S.S. Van Dine. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Hound of the Baskerville. United Kingdom: The Strand Magazine, 1902. Print. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Sign of the Four. United Kingdom: The Strand Magazine, 1980. Print.