"Sherlock Holmes: Just a Plain Old Detective?" by Shravan B Nair

We all know Sherlock. He is the "greatest detective of all time", after all. His actions fill countless books and movies. Most people regard him as a static character because he never changes at the end of a story; it seems that only the people he helps and the cases he solves are changed. But is this really true? Let’s take our magnifying glasses out and take a look, shall we? (*crying* Sherlock, I hope you are proud of me.)

 

First, let us look at his intrapersonal relations (i.e. the relationship he has with himself). Sherlock appears to be very comfortable in his own skin. He can usually detect whether he is happy or not, and displays quite a strong self-awareness. For example, let us take his hobby: listening to music. He listens to music solely when he feels stuck on a particular case or when he needs to have a break from his detective work. 

Furthermore, his motivation for solving cases comes from the thrill of the process, and this might explain why he only takes serious cases. Serious cases usually have more octane than less serious ones. In most cases, he also displays absolute stolidity, unlike his fellow detective, Hercule Poirot. This may seem to be a bad trait, but there is always a method in his madness. He might be doing this because he thinks it may play a role in helping the criminal abscond and go Scot-free. Alternatively, it could also come from his lack of confidence in his own deductions.

 

Moving on to his interpersonal relations, we can immediately see that he has an ability to be very professional and brisk. This might have come from his wish not to be too artificial when comforting other people. Otherwise, it might be a result of his penchant for thinking. He likes to think, and this makes him less likely to talk and increases the chances of him being brisk. Furthermore, he has quite good relations with the police, and this might be the end product of his humbleness and modesty. He knows that he needs the law to be with him; he’s just a “plain, old detective who is powerless without the police force. We can also infer that he likes mentoring people since he maintains a good bond with Dr. Watson. Last, but not the least, Sherlock is a very popular personality in his country. This might seem like it makes him over-rated, but we need to understand that Sherlock himself does not think he is that great. It is society that makes him have the air of arrogance, and that is not his fault.

 

Sherlock seems like a normal detective, especially considering his quiet and reflective nature. But beneath that skin of normalcy is a person with flair, gusto, and panache.