Elizabeth Vaz
English AP
February 26th, 2016
A Study in Scarlet in Class Essay
Often, the success of a piece of literature is not only dependant on that work’s
entertainment value, but also the relatability of it to it’s core demographic. In A Study In Scarlet,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used the issues of the Victorian era to make his novel applicable and
appealing to the people of his time period. Doyle, through the implication of the Mormon religion,
the development of Sherlock’s character and the display of moralities in the Victorian era,
creates the perfect atmosphere for not only entertainment, but also appeasement of the
masses.
Initially, when Doyle introduces Sherlock’s character, he generates the ideal, eccentric
detective, with nearly omnipotent deduction skills. He establishes Sherlock, and illustrates him
as a clever, quick-witted investigator. Rapid urbanization in the Victorian era meant that
anonymous crime was concentrated in populated cities and towns, such as London. Sherlock’s
position as a detective and his amazing ability to seemingly solve crime without the slightest
setback, allowed for the people of heavily populated London to feel supported and reassured of
the reduction of crime in the city. As noted by Watson at the beginning of the novel, Sherlock
also has great knowledge of modern sciences, especially chemistry and anatomy. The Victorian
era was a time period of great scientific advancement, with most of the population straying from
a dependance on religion and moving towards empiricism. Creating Sherlock’s character to be
methodical and scientific im habit produced a modern and academic hero for London’s masses
to put their faith in. Lastly, unlike many rogue, rebellious protagonists, Sherlock is of Britain’s
upper-middle class, and is graceful and elegant in his mannerisms. Ideology and moralities of
the Victorian era suggested that those of lower classes were seen as less respectable than
those of the middle class. By making Sherlock’s character an almost aristocratic individual, the
author’s demographic came to respect him as someone to be trusted and revered. Sir Doyle’s
precise and careful development of Sherlock created the ideal, trustworthy protagonist for his
novel.
The novel’s situation in the Victorian era also added to its relatability and subsequent
popularity. The novel portrays Lucy as innocent and domestic - the Victorian ideal for a lady.
During the Victorian era, it was quite important that women conform to society’s expectations for
them. They were to be extremely homely, familial individuals who were subservient to their
husbands or fathers. The correct portrayal of Lucy in the novel expresses these values of the
Victorian era perfectly. Watson also displays model values for the time period, because he
served in the war in Afghanistan. Another notable Victorian value, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
himself held dearly, was that of imperialism and nationalism. Watson’s valiant and courageous
background makes him the ideal narrator of the story. Watson’s career as a war doctor also
exhibited Victorian standards. In the Victorian time period, doctors were admired and held in
high esteem for their great knowledge and authority in society. They were known for their
integrity and heroism. Positioning Watson as a doctor created a reliable and honest narrator.
Many if the values of Victorian society were displayed through Doyle’s portrayal of characters.
A Study In Scarlet also contains descriptions of the Mormon community that serve to
promote Victorian values, while antagonizing the beliefs of Mormonism. Doyleś portrait of the
Mormons in the novel makes them seem like a cruel and punishing society, which could be
saved by being brought into the modern era of ¨the Empire¨. Even though America was fully
independent in the Victorian era, many Britons still viewed it as a colony that needed to be
developed and advanced into the contemporary world. The imperialistic attitudes of the
Victorian era are displayed through this, especially because of the conflict between Jefferson
Hope and the Mormons arises in the United States, but is settled in Britain, proving the
¨superiority¨ of the British system. Also, when the Mormons find John Ferrier and Lucy in the
desert, they tell them that they may join them on the dentition that John and Lucy both convert
to Mormonism. By creating this situation, Doyle labels the Mormons as a conformist religious
community. The importance of individualism was held in high regard in Victorian London. And
illustrating the Mormons as counter to this value automatically made their community and it's
ideals seem like the novelś antagonists. Their religion, which is based heavily on the strict
adhering to rules and guidelines also seems to contradict the ideals of the Victorian era. During
the Victorian period, people were beginning t0o abandon the idea of religion as a necessity and
instead turn to science in order to explain the nature of the world. The Mormon tendency to rely
on religion as the basis of life seemed to the Victorians ancient and obsolete, therefore
opposing the British Victorian value of empiricism. Doyle antagonizes the Mormon religion in
order to promote British Victorian ideology in his novel.
A Study In Scarlet, gives great insight into the values and ideals of the Victorian era. The
novel encompasses social issues and subject matter which was relevant to the Victorians who
read it, and so it´s popularity is not astonishing. Each of the character, conflicts and
communities in the novel refer to many of the morals shown by the British Victorian society at
the time. Even though the novel is fiction, Doyle manages to produce a seemingly non-fiction
novel out of fabricated characters and events.