Representations of Sherlock Holmes: A Study of Sherlock Holmes' New Trademarks as a Sex symbol, Action hero, and Comedian in the 21st Century
Author
Jensen, Louise
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-10-02
Pages
53
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan Sherlock Holmes er blevet ændret fra Arthur Conan Doyles første roman A Study in Scarlet (1887) til nutidens film- og tv-udgaver. Fokus er på tre nyere kendetegn ved figuren – hvordan hans seksualitet fremstilles, hvordan han gøres til en actionhelt, og hvorfor han kan fungere som komisk figur – samt på, hvorfor et moderne publikum stadig har brug for en rådgivende detektiv. Analysen sammenligner Doyles tekster med fire populære adaptationer: Guy Ritchies film Sherlock Holmes (2009) og Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), BBC-serien Sherlock (fra 2010) og serien Elementary (fra 2012). Til at forstå, hvordan betydninger skabes, bruges Stuart Halls teori om repræsentation (fremstillinger står for personer og ting; skuespillere og instruktører skaber versioner af figuren), Ferdinand de Saussures semiotik (tegn består af et udtryk og et indhold), og Roland Barthes’ skelnen mellem denotation (det man direkte ser) og konnotation (de kulturelle og personlige betydninger, man læser ind i det). Om seksualitet viser studiet, at Elementary fremstiller Holmes som heteroseksuel, mens Sherlock ofte fremstiller ham som aseksuel og bruger gentagne jokes, der antyder et muligt forhold mellem Sherlock og John. Ritchies film betoner en tæt venskabsrelation, ofte kaldt bromance. Irene Adler optræder i alle adaptationer, men med forskellige roller: som dominatrix i Sherlock og som en figur, der forenes med ærkefjenden Moriarty i Elementary, så Jonny Lee Millers Holmes forelsker sig i sin modstander. Moriarty omformes også ofte med mere feminine træk, men forbliver manipulerende. Som actionhelt fremstilles Holmes især i Ritchies film næsten som en superhelt: hans skærpede deduktion og observation bruges til at afværge store trusler. Med udgangspunkt i Kateryna Shadrinas krav til superhelte argumenteres der for, at Holmes opfylder disse. Som komisk figur skaber hans overlegenhed både spydigheder og ufrivillig humor, blandt andet fordi han har svært ved at afkode sociale signaler – et tilbagevendende greb i Sherlock. Samlet set fremstår Holmes som et fleksibelt kulturelt ikon. Moderne versioner bevarer mange oprindelige træk fra Doyle og illustratoren Sidney Paget, men tilføjer nye, som publikum accepterer. Afhandlingen slutter med at diskutere, hvorfor det 21. århundrede har brug for en rådgivende detektiv: Holmes symboliserer det, læsere ikke er eller kan være – et genkendeligt menneske med ekstraordinære evner, der tager verdens farer én sag ad gangen.
This thesis examines how Sherlock Holmes has changed from Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet (1887) to today’s film and television versions. It focuses on three newer hallmarks of the character—how his sexuality is portrayed, how he becomes an action hero, and why he can work as a comedian—and on why modern audiences still need a consulting detective. The analysis compares Doyle’s texts with four popular screen adaptations: Guy Ritchie’s films Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), the BBC series Sherlock (from 2010), and the series Elementary (from 2012). To explain how meanings are built, it uses Stuart Hall’s theory of representation (portrayals stand in for people and things; actors and directors create versions of the character), Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiotics (a sign combines a form and a meaning), and Roland Barthes’s distinction between denotation (what you literally see) and connotation (the cultural and personal meanings you read into it). On sexuality, the study finds that Elementary portrays Holmes as heterosexual, while Sherlock often presents him as asexual and repeatedly jokes about a possible relationship between Sherlock and John. Ritchie’s films emphasize a close friendship often described as bromance. Irene Adler appears in all the adaptations but in different guises: as a dominatrix in Sherlock, and merged with the arch-enemy Moriarty in Elementary, which makes Jonny Lee Miller’s Holmes fall in love with his nemesis. Moriarty is also frequently reimagined with more feminine traits but remains manipulative. As an action hero, Holmes is especially in Ritchie’s films framed almost like a superhero: his heightened deduction and observation are used to avert major threats. Drawing on Kateryna Shadrina’s criteria for superheroes, the thesis argues that Holmes meets them. As a comic figure, his superior intellect produces sharp put-downs and unintentional wit, partly because he struggles to read social cues—a recurring device in Sherlock. Overall, Holmes emerges as a flexible cultural icon. Modern versions preserve many original traits from Doyle and illustrator Sidney Paget while adding new ones that audiences accept. The thesis closes by asking why the 21st century needs a consulting detective: Holmes symbolizes what readers are not or cannot be—an ordinary-seeming person with extraordinary abilities who faces the world’s dangers one case at a time.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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