The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“‘Quite so’, he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair. ‘You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.’”

This quote is one of Holmes’s famous pronouncements, contrasting the acts of seeing and observing. While seeing is something most people do daily, it is an involuntary function requiring no thought. Observing and noticing things, which then leads to deduction, is more difficult. According to Holmes, observing can be learned, and Watson demonstrates his observation skills later in the book by recalling various details he has noticed. However, unlike the detective, his friend is yet to make the logical connection between the details he sees and what they imply. In this way, Watson, a representative of the reading audience, can come close to what Holmes does but never quite reaches that level of reasoning skill. 

“It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. What do you deduce from it?” 

Holmes’s words encapsulate one of empiricism’s main ideas: Knowledge should be based on information that can be logically connected. Forming an opinion without data to go on leads to mistakes, such as drawing the wrong conclusion or believing some occurrence is supernatural.

“As to the photograph, your client may rest in peace. I love and am loved by a better man than he. The King may do what he will without hindrance from one whom he has cruelly wronged. I keep it only to safeguard myself, and to preserve a weapon which will always secure me from any steps which he might take in the future.”

This is the only excerpt where the reader can hear Adler’s voice unfiltered through male perception. It also gives several clues about her personality and behavior. The king does not refute her accusation after reading the note, so the retired opera singer must have been mistreated by him and had good cause for her blackmail. She is also someone who values love, which is probably also part of her ire at the monarch. Finally, she clearly does not trust the king, suggesting that he has indeed behaved in an underhanded manner in the past and is far from an innocent victim in this case.

“It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won’t speak to me for fifty minutes.”

By referring to a number of pipes, Holmes somewhat humorously categorizes cases into more or less difficult ones. The more pipes it takes him to think through a problem, the more interesting and unusual it is. And the longer a puzzle takes to solve, the longer Holmes can go without feeling ennui and using cocaine to alleviate it. This quote also cements the stereotypical popular image of Holmes as a pipe smoker, although there are mentions of cigarettes in the text as well.

“A gash seemed to open and a hand appeared, a white, almost womanly hand, which felt about in the centre of the little area of light. For a minute or more the hand, with its writhing fingers, protruded out of the floor. Then it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared, and all was dark again save the single lurid spark which marked a chink between the stones.” 

The story collection uses a Realist style of writing, but it often employs Gothic tropes as well. This quote is one such instance. The description of the human hand crawling out of the floor creates the impression of some kind of supernatural event. It calls to mind the work of Edgar Allan Poe, who often focuses on body parts in his short stories. The uncanny image of a wriggling pale hand inspires mild horror. The fact that it is white and “almost womanly” also hints at the criminal’s high social status, as he would not need to perform manual labor.

“‘I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands,’ remarked our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists. ‘You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins. Have the goodness, also, when you address me always to say “sir” and “please.”’”

This is a quote from one of the more intriguing villains in the collection. The would-be bank robber is as patient and good at disguise as Holmes, as he willingly works as a shop assistant for months to dig an underground tunnel. However, he is not a real working-class man, but an aristocrat. Knowing that the law tends to be more lenient toward the rich, he immediately reveals his upper-class upbringing. This is the most versatile and resourceful villain depicted in the collection.

“‘It saved me from ennui,’ he answered, yawning. ‘Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so.’

‘And you are a benefactor of the race,’ said I.

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use,’ he remarked. ‘“L’homme c’est rien—l’œuvre c’est tout,” as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand.’”

This quote is a rare glimpse into Holmes’s mind unfiltered through Watson’s impressions. The detective is presented in a sympathetic light as his behavior is given a partial explanation. However, his allusion to Flaubert suggests that even his interest in solving cases is dictated by a theoretical appreciation of the art of deduction, rather than any true sympathy or empathy for the victims who come to him. The French quote also suggests that Holmes sees his work, or science as a whole, as more than a skill or a job. For him, observation and deduction are his life’s work. 

“‘My dear fellow,’ said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, ‘life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence.’”

These words allude to Holmes’s argument that life is more bizarre and diverse than any work of fiction. His opinion is ironic, as the cases he and Watson investigate are, in fact, fictional. This could be a sign of playfulness on the part of Conan Doyle. It also adds some humor to otherwise grim or serious plots. The idea that reality is too vast and unexpected to be contained within a work of fiction also prefigures the decline of the Realist mode toward the end of the 19th century and Conan Doyle’s later obsession with the occult.

“If I tell her she will not believe me. You may remember the old Persian saying, ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for who so snatches a delusion from a woman.’ There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world.”

This pronouncement made by Holmes reveals some of the intriguing contradictions of his character. On the one hand, he acknowledges the wisdom of non-Western thinkers. At a time when the British Empire dominated much of the world, such an attitude was not mainstream. It demonstrates that Holmes is not as biased as most of his contemporaries. On the other hand, however, his dismissal of women is very much in line with Victorian mores. The saying draws a link between women and animals, emphasizing their instinctual, and hence irrational, behavior. In this instance, the detective’s words imply that he will not even try to reveal the truth to Mary Sutherland and will let her go back to living with her despicable relatives.

“A lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking, was waiting for us upon the platform. In spite of the light brown dustcoat and leather-leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic surroundings, I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade, of Scotland Yard.”

This is a rare glimpse of inspector Greg Lestrade, who, like Irene Adler, has become a prominent character in recent TV adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Here and later in the book, he is not described sympathetically. The description of his outer appearance inspires mistrust rather than confidence, which in turn makes it easier to accept Holmes’s decision not to involve the police after solving the case.

“I walked down to the station with them, and then wandered through the streets of the little town, finally returning to the hotel, where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a yellow-backed novel. The puny plot of the story was so thin, however, when compared to the deep mystery through which we were groping, and I found my attention wander so continually from the action to the fact, that I at last flung it across the room and gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the day.”

This passage taken from Watson’s musings builds on the theme that reality is more interesting than fiction. From the doctor’s perspective, this is certainly true, as the cases he works on with Holmes are often almost fantastical in their nature and certainly unusual. The author, however, keeps emphasizing that real life presents such mysteries and bizarre occurrences that no fictional work can come close to imitating it. If that were true for the readers, the Holmes canon would not have become so popular. The daily life of a lower- or middle-class person in Britain was certainly not an endless chain of exciting and mysterious occurrences.

“Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this. Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of Baker Street would have failed to recognise him. His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. His face was bent downward, his shoulders bowed, his lips compressed, and the veins stood out like whipcord in his long, sinewy neck. His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal lust for the chase, and his mind was so absolutely concentrated upon the matter before him that a question or remark fell unheeded upon his ears, or, at the most, only provoked a quick, impatient snarl in reply.” 

This is a rare passage that adds details to Holmes’s outer appearance. Additionally, Watson reveals something unexpected about the detective: He is always in control, except for instances like this one when a rare emotion takes over. The doctor even likens Holmes to an animal on the hunt to emphasize his single-mindedness when pursuing a criminal. Victorian society drew a strong distinction between humans and animals, even as Darwin’s work was slowly blurring that distinction. When Watson compares a person to an animal, which he often does, it is usually to criticize the person. He thus reflects the Victorian principle that associated virtue with stereotypically-male rationality and self-control. This passage is ambiguous, however. Watson does not typically admire “purely animal lust,” and yet the highly-detailed depiction of Holmes’s appearance in this passage suggests that Watson is attracted to his emotional intensity.

“All day the wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows, so that even here in the heart of great, hand-made London we were forced to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life and to recognise the presence of those great elemental forces which shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilisation, like untamed beasts in a cage.” 

This description of the weather exemplifies the Victorian worldview. Scientific progress, combined with quick economic growth, solidified a belief in European, but especially British, middle- and upper-class superiority over both other nations and the natural world. “Hand-made” London is contrasted to the natural world and shown to be superior, as city-dwellers do not have to fear inclement weather. Watson’s description of the storm reveals that he believes humans to be in control—the same way a keeper is in control of a caged animal.

“‘I didn’t know what to do, so I came straight to you.’ That was always the way. Folk who were in grief came to my wife like birds to a lighthouse.”

This is one of the few mentions of Watson’s wife and an even rarer comment on her personality. Despite alluding to his spouse several times and even reporting a conversation of theirs, Watson never describes or even names her. In this excerpt, it becomes clear that the doctor’s wife is sympathetic, calm, and good in a crisis. This makes her a good fit for her husband’s profession and his hobby of assisting Holmes.

“I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be another thing; but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again; he is too terribly frightened. Send him to gaol now, and you make him a gaol-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward.” 

This passage illustrates Holmes’s peculiar brand of justice. While more merciful than the legal system, and often better suited to the cases he gets, this situation raises questions about the detective’s behavior. He decides to let the criminal go, not involving the authorities, and not intending to follow up later, depending entirely on his initial reading of the thief’s character. His proclamation that solving the puzzle is its own reward also suggests that he is thinking primarily of himself rather than anyone else, such as the jewel’s owner, the wrongfully accused plumber, or the dishonest maid.

“Some of the blows of my cane came home and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience.”

This is the only instance in the volume where Holmes comes close to killing someone, even if it is indirectly. Normally, causing another person’s death is the gravest crime possible. For a religious person, it is also considered a sin. Holmes, however, does not display any guilt. If anything, he is satisfied with the outcome, as it saves Helen from having to live through a scandalous trial and removes a very dangerous criminal from the world.

“‘I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society.’

‘No, I am descending.’”

This excerpt from the initial exchange between Holmes and St. Simon presents the aristocrat’s self-importance in a comical light. His preoccupation with social status makes him believe he is superior to other people, including Holmes. The detective, however, feels he is above such things, as testified by his answer. The word “descending” in this case serves to remind St. Simon that he might hold a title, but that there are others above him whom Holmes has helped, and that Holmes does not care about titles in the first place.

“‘In short, that she had become suddenly deranged?’

‘Well, really, when I consider that she has turned her back—I will not say upon me, but upon so much that many have aspired to without success—I can hardly explain it in any other fashion.’” 

This excerpt from the conversation between Holmes and St. Simon illustrates how self-centered the aristocrat is. In his mind, there is nothing more important than a title, and he cannot fathom a different opinion. A woman who does not desire social status must, by extension, be deranged. Such pronouncements, combined with his earlier attitude towards Holmes, serve to create a hostile or dismissive attitude towards the groom. The readers are not particularly upset on his behalf at the end of the story.

“Still, if I had married Lord St. Simon, of course I’d have done my duty by him. We can’t command our love, but we can our actions. I went to the altar with him with the intention to make him just as good a wife as it was in me to be.”

Hatty is one of the most positive female characters in the book. Here, she reveals her honorable character. Rather than depending solely on love to dictate her actions, she sees marriage as a contract and intends to fulfill her part in it. She demonstrates that women are not unthinking victims of their emotions.

“She is a sunbeam in my house—sweet, loving, beautiful, a wonderful manager and housekeeper, yet as tender and quiet and gentle as a woman could be.”

This opinion, voiced by the banker in “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet,” exemplifies the Victorian feminine ideal. Upper-class women were supposed to be quiet, well-behaved, and beautiful, but also satisfied to stay at home and take care of the household. Appearance was central to this image but could, as the story reveals, often be misleading. Mary, the seeming paragon of feminine virtue, is dissatisfied with her life and is capable of lying and committing theft. Since Hatty in the previous story demonstrates that women are not completely subject to their feelings, this implies that Mary chooses consciously to behave in this way, whether from fear of losing her lover or from a desire for a different life.

“I think that if anyone could have drawn him into the right path it would have been she, and that his marriage might have changed his whole life; but now, alas! it is too late—forever too late!” 

This pronouncement, also made by the banker, exemplifies a widely-held stereotype of women as saviors of men. Rather than discipline his son and expect him to act as a reasonable and responsible person, the banker prefers to place the burden of controlling him onto his niece. This passage presents a potential reason behind Mary’s behavior. Feeling pressured to marry and act as a mother to a dissolute young man, she is easily seduced by an older, suave person.

“It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

This is another of Holmes’s most recognizable pronouncements. These words could be taken as the detective’s acknowledgment that there are unknowable, supernatural, or divine forces at play. However, no other words of his substantiate such an interpretation. Rather, this quote is a comment on the limits of human knowledge and imagination. This ties in with the underlying motif of reality being more fantastical than fiction. Holmes is convinced that there is a logical explanation to everything, but he is also open-minded enough to be able to consider even improbable explanations. 

“The pressure of public opinion can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish. There is no lane so vile that the scream of a tortured child, or the thud of a drunkard’s blow, does not beget sympathy and indignation among the neighbours, and then the whole machinery of justice is ever so close that a word of complaint can set it going, and there is but a step between the crime and the dock. But look at these lonely houses, each in its own fields, filled for the most part with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law. Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser.”

Holmes’s reaction to the countryside is surprising at first. It goes against the common perception that the countryside is safe and beautiful. Because of his profession, however, Holmes values not the appearance of a place but its role in directing human behavior. His reasoning pre-figures some of the famous architects and urban planners of the 20th century, who theorized that the spaces people inhabit have a direct impact on their actions and ways of socialization.