First, the background of the birth of Sherlock Holmes
Great changes have taken place in Britain's political and economic position in the world, especially its geopolitical and strategic position. Economically, due to the industrial revolution and the great development of industrial production in the19th century, Britain became the "world factory", and its industrial product output occupied a monopoly position in the world. At that time, the old imperialism of Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands had declined, and the British Empire was in an indisputable position in the world. /kloc-During the Victorian period in the mid-9th century, Britain's foreign free trade policy and gunboat policy expanded everywhere, and its overseas rule spread all over Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia, so it was called "the sun never sets". However, by the end of19th century, the industrial revolution had spread to Western Europe, Central Europe and even Eastern Europe and North America. The industrial production of France, Germany and the United States rose sharply, and the export volume increased greatly. As a result, Britain's free trade policy became unsustainable and began to lose its advantage.
Economy determines politics. Politically, from 185 1- 1874 for more than 20 years, except for a short time, it was almost a period when the Liberal Party monopolized political power. During this period, Britain still maintained its position as the world's industrial hegemon, with relative uncertainty at home and a strong democratic atmosphere. The ruling class does not need a powerful state machine to maintain its rule. During this period, most of the British troops were stationed in overseas colonies, and there were few domestic troops and police. The liberal ruling style is naturally implemented. In the 1970s, with the loss of industrial hegemony, domestic stability was gone forever, and the British bourgeoisie changed the ruling style of liberalism and strengthened the state machine. The power of congress has been weakened, while the power of cabinet has been greatly enhanced. In the 1980s, there was a split within the Liberal Party, and the opposition of the Liberal Party was in Joseph? Under the leadership of Zhang, he turned to the Conservative Party, demanding to strengthen the state machine, establish an imperial economic system exclusive to Britain, protect the British market with high tariffs, prevent foreign competition, and maintain Britain's industrial monopoly position. In foreign policy, they advocated pursuing the imperialist aggression policy and expanding the colonies of the British Empire, while at home, they urged strengthening the suppression of the workers' movement. As a result, conservative forces have risen. 1874- 19 15 During the forty-one years, the Conservative Party was in power for 23 years and the Liberal Party was in power for 18 years. It was also during this period that the differences between the two parties were narrowing. In terms of internal affairs, the two parties are almost identical on major issues, but the Conservative Party demands to further strengthen centralization. In the policy of confrontation, especially in the colonial policy, the difference between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party mainly lies in the naked use of violence or the hidden use of violence. Since 1970s, the power of the leaders of the two parties has been greatly strengthened, which indicates that British politics has turned from democracy and freedom to autocracy and reaction.
It can be seen that the background of Sherlock Holmes' detective novels is a period of decline of British wealth, a period of rising crime rate caused by economic depression (the famous Jack the Ripper case happened in this period), and a period of strengthening autocratic rule by British state machinery. This period lasted until 19 1 1 year later, and a large-scale workers' movement broke out. Under this historical background, detective series novels, like China's martial arts novels after 1960s, have their own soil for occurrence and vigorous growth. A man like Holmes, who is thoughtful, upholds justice, and at the same time has gentlemanly manners and rational thinking, represents the British understanding of perfection at that time. Although he also smoked opium and relied on morphine to improve his excitement, he was even diagnosed as suffering from depression by later medical experts, but in the era when drugs were still in legal circulation, these shortcomings could be ignored and forgiven by future generations.
Second, analyze Holmes' life and personality characteristics.
Sherlock Holmes' character is quite contradictory, which can be summarized as positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, they are rational, fair, earnest, knowledgeable and gentleman. On the other hand, drug abuse, depression, lack of sensibility and arrogance. No one is perfect, even the characters in the novel must have some shortcomings if they want to be accepted by readers. What's more, for readers, those negative things can be ignored, and only the positive things of Sherlock Holmes are constantly mentioned, even myths. We can try to piece together a life story of Sherlock Holmes through various factors endowed by the novel, understand this person's personality in more detail, and then study the British complex of Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes's grandfather was several generations of squires (Greek translators), and his grandmother was Horace, a painter in Napoleonic France. Verne's sister grew up in an unknown environment, but judging from her brother's work (translated from Greek as a clerk of a securities broker), it shows that his family came down (gentlemen didn't work at that time). There is a man named Werner? Verne's distant relative as a doctor (architect in Norwood). Brothers are probably brought up by nannies. Holmes began to learn to play the violin in his teens and received a long-term tutor education (The Missing Bride). He/kloc-entered a university at the age of 0/8, which is said to be a famous Oxford or Cambridge university. At that time, he didn't like group sports activities, but liked fencing and boxing, majoring in chemistry (Gloria? The mystery of Scott) It seems to agree with the view that "literary knowledge is equal to zero" and has also been ridiculed by Watson. Last semester in grade one, I was arrested by Victor? Trevor's dog bit them and they got to know each other. Then one summer, Holmes was invited to Victor. Trevor's family was a guest, and under the reminder of Trevor's father, he realized that he had the qualifications to be a detective (Holmes's reasoning and observation ability was already very strong at that time). In the same year, Gloria was solved? Scott's mystery case. During the summer vacation, he spent most of his time indulging in chemistry time (Gloria? The mystery of Scott) In the last days of college, his reasoning method (Musgrave ceremony) was widely praised by his classmates.
Comparing the situation of Holmes when he was young with the social environment at that time, we can draw a conclusion that his family represents the traditional British gentleman class and has some rejection of modern concepts. For example, unlike other children, he didn't receive a popular aristocratic school education, but had to hire a tutor. At the same time, the decline of the gentleman class and the rise of the middle class are also well reflected in him. Therefore, he inherited the quiet and elegant manners of a gentleman and was only interested in fencing and other sports; His family has a certain social background, but it is not satisfied with the status quo, but has certain pursuits; He is knowledgeable, young and successful, and he is a natural detective material.
From 65438 to 0877, Holmes began to work as a detective at the age of 23, until he retired for the second time at the age of 58, and he was never heard from again. In the meantime, there are several things to pay attention to. First, under Watson's supervision, Holmes stopped using cocaine in his thirties. Everyone knows that it is not easy to get rid of drugs. Being able to voluntarily stop using cocaine under the supervision of friends shows that this person has strong perseverance and smart mind. In Sherlock Holmes' own words, cocaine, opium and morphine are all to help him improve his excitement and keep him from going crazy when there is no case. Second, Holmes has never been in love, and only has feelings for "that woman". "That woman" is Irene Adler, the heroine in Bohemia Scandal, the only woman who defeated Sherlock Holmes. Before meeting Irene, Holmes had never been in love and looked down on women. It was not until he met her and was defeated by her that he changed his view on women and fell in love with her deeply. Watson described Irene as talented and beautiful, while Holmes always respectfully called her "that woman". On the one hand, we can see Holmes' arrogance and prejudice, and at the same time we should pay attention to Irene, a married woman. In the eyes of traditional British people, married women are far more attractive than unmarried women. Many years later, some readers even asked whether the two men could be combined, which also showed that Holmes' love style was very suitable for readers, especially those in Britain. Third, Holmes' attitude towards police, criminals and friends. Holmes is a cold person. In all cases, he can't help laughing at the police who handle the case. Of course, he is polite to some "masters" or clever younger generations, but only a few. For criminals, he sometimes laments that "there are no gifted criminals in London", while for "gifted" criminals, Holmes even gives people a feeling of "appreciate each other". At the same time, in his eyes, criminals are not necessarily bad people, which is why he looks down on the police. For example, in the study of blood characters, criminals kill to avenge a father and daughter, and they kill evil people. For such people, Holmes did not despise them, but admired them. For example, in the Bohemian scandal, after the investigation, he showed obvious contempt for the Bohemian king as the client, but showed a good impression on Irene who was at large. The fourth is his feelings for Watson and Watson's evaluation of him. Does Holmes need Watson or not? Many people think it's the author Conan? Doyle really needs Watson, not Holmes. I agree with this view. Conan Doyle needs a narrator, and Holmes, like his brother, is as autistic as possible. But my other friend doesn't agree. He thinks that Holmes needs an object of narration, because narration is the best way to organize his thoughts. The following passage from a reptile illustrates this relationship: "In his later years, our relationship was very special. He is a man governed by habit. He has some narrow and deep-rooted habits, and I have become one of his habits. As a habit, I like his violin, tobacco, old pipe, old case index and other unseemly habits. Whenever he meets a difficult case and needs a companion who can rely on courage, my usefulness comes out. But I have other uses besides that. To his brain, I am like a grindstone. I can stimulate his mind. He is willing to organize his thoughts loudly in front of me. It's hard to say that what he said was addressed to me, and it's probably equally feasible for the wall, but anyway, once I get into the habit of talking to me, my expression and my exclamation will help him think. If we say that my persistent dullness sometimes makes him impatient, this uneasiness makes his inspiration more pleasant. This is my insignificant use in our friendship. " In other words, Holmes needs a friend. As far as the story itself is concerned, Holmes really has a crush on Watson. He repeatedly insisted that Watson stay for client interviews, and dragged Watson out of vacation to solve the case with him. Except Conan Doyle, Holmes really regards Watson as a friend. This friendship reveals a little humanity in Shylock's boundless coldness, and at the same time makes him more attractive.
Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that Sherlock Holmes' character is that he has a gentleman's demeanor and all due abilities, such as profound knowledge and even fencing in duels. At the same time, he has a natural rebellious character, which is reflected in his self-confidence, his persistence, his research and utilization of new knowledge and new ideas, and his view on love. Finally, he is a man who fights criminals and helps good people. This just caters to the British people's thoughts and is the perfect figure in their minds, thus producing the idol complex. This idol complex is manifested in the fact that this fictional character was knighted by the royal family and talked about by the Lebanese people. Some people even think that this person really exists. Go to Baker Street in London and look for it. We can observe from a small detail that when Conan Doyle wrote the last case, he was ready to let Sherlock Holmes die. After all, it is too difficult to mold a perfect person. Long-term story creation made him exhausted, and finally produced a way to let the hero die. However, different readers insisted on bringing Sherlock Holmes back to life and even threatened him with bad personal attacks. Both the difficulty of Conan Doyle's creation and the British people's demand for continuing to create Sherlock Holmes series show that this task is very popular with everyone, and one of the reasons for its popularity is that he is the perfect embodiment of the British and an example for everyone.
In other words, the appearance of Sherlock Holmes met the expectations of the British people for heroes and models. Holmes can represent many standards, such as wisdom standard, handsome standard, erudite standard, gentleman standard, success standard and so on. Sometimes you will find that the process of Sherlock Holmes is very simple, that is, putting all these standards together. Even the legendary British fictional character -007 is just a modern version of Sherlock Holmes. In modern times, when the British accepted the Enlightenment and gained a new understanding of reason, knowledge and emotion, the emergence of heroes became imminent. Because of this, the appearance of the image of Sherlock Holmes is completely inevitable, and it is only an inevitable accident that this image was later named Sherlock Holmes.
Third, the British "Sherlock Holmes" complex.
We can find the shadows of fictional characters in English literary works in different periods in Sherlock Holmes. As mentioned above, Sherlock Holmes is a standard, which combines the fine tradition and rebellious character that the British are proud of and makes it carry forward. At this point, we need to look at the appearance of Sherlock Holmes' novels.
First of all, from the perspective of the changes in the creative objects of English literary works. The early English aborigines did not leave any decent literary works until the invasion of three Germanic peoples in Northern Europe, leaving Beowulf. Since then, heroes have been the theme of English literature, and religious literature appeared at the end of the 6th century, such as Sir Gawaine and The Green Knight. This heroic literature left a deep impression on British humanistic spirit and literary line, so that all kinds of positive figures later were filled with chivalry (gentleman) spirit and principles and standards rich in religious tradition. /kloc-in the 4th century, ancient English literature reached its peak, and heroic deeds such as Robin Hood began to spread among the people. They are characterized by robbing the rich and helping the poor, being aboveboard and chivalrous. During the Renaissance, due to the discovery of new shipping routes and the development of overseas trade, the national strength of English literature was strong and nationalism was unprecedentedly high. During this period, Shakespeare was the most representative. In his works, we can clearly see the religious discrimination against other ethnic groups (the merchant of Venice), at the same time, we can also see the resistance and criticism of feudal ethics (Romeo and Juliet), and we can also see the praise of tragic heroes (Hamlet) and the profound reflection on the upper nobility (King Lear). 17, 18, 19 centuries, with the ups and downs of international status and the twists and turns of domestic revolution, English literature, on the basis of inheriting the essence of the previous generation, mainly embodies the feeling of hesitation and loss, and at the same time contains profound reflection on the social status quo and its own state, and draws on a large number of foreign literary essences (Kublai Khan of Coleridge). Of course, in general, The British people need such an image to inherit the literary works of the previous generation (or to inherit the national tradition and spirit that Britain is proud of). The appearance of Sherlock Holmes just met the requirements of the public, so it was quickly accepted.
Secondly, judging from the inheritance of English literature after Sherlock Holmes. The image of Sherlock Holmes has been deeply rooted in people's hearts and even become the object of imitation by many scholars in later generations. In 1962 Burgess's Orange with Clockwork, even Conan Doyle's handwriting is used for reference when describing the way gangsters deal with the government. Here, Holmes' contempt and rebellion against the government and his persistent pursuit of self-righteousness are reflected in a distorted way. A series of works by Lessing, a famous female writer, reflect the life of white women in South Africa, and also reflect and oppose the colonial system in Sherlock Holmes' series of stories.
Third, look at English literature and customs from the perspective of people all over the world. As a typical Englishman, Sherlock Holmes has always been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, wearing a hunting hat, smoking a pipe, holding a magnifying glass, gentlemanly and persistent. This is the British, or the British in the eyes of foreigners. Holmes' work is just for fun, completely spontaneous, physically and mentally demanding, and has no utilitarian purpose; It is also Holmes' style to keep a low profile, pay attention to dedication and not consider return. Many foreigners' memories of Britain are also locked in London in the era of Sherlock Holmes. Carriage, train, telegraph, pistol, tobacco, brandy, sunshine apartment in Baker Street .../KLOC-all kinds of fashionable things in the 9 th century. Sherlock Holmes lived a life full of petty bourgeoisie. Although Holmes can't live without London and his clients are mostly in Europe, his business covers the whole world. Opponents and customers include a variety of occupations and classes, including royalty, nobility, slave owners, farmers, capitalists, doctors, soldiers, professors and so on. Mao Mu, a famous British novelist, once said, "Compared with the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes written by Conan Doyle, no detective novel has ever enjoyed such a great reputation." It shows the pride of the British people in this work and the protagonist.