Valerie Guempel

The Sexuality of Sherlock Holmes

The Sherlock Holmes stories have fascinated people for years. The famous detective

holds a world record, in fact, for being the most portrayed literary human character in film and

television. Even now, one hundred twenty-nine years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyles first

Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet was published, audiences still enjoy watching new

adaptations of the narratives. Each adaptation is notably different, for they each emphasize

specific aspects of the original stories and offer new perspectives on the canonical characters.

BBCs Sherlock, for example, portrays a modern-day Sherlock Holmes whose brother is said to

be the British government and a Dr. John Watson whose sister Harriet was once married to a

woman. The show also includes the original character Molly Hooper, a pathologist who works at

St. Bartholomews Hospital. CBSs Elementary, on the other hand, portrays Sherlock Holmes

and Dr. Joan Watson, a female version of John Watson, living in modern-day Manhattan.

Meanwhile, the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes begins with the famous detective

turning down the romantic advances of a ballerina, using the excuse of his relationship with Dr.

John Watson.

I intend to examine the differences among the three adaptations and their divergences, if

any, from the original Sherlock Holmes stories through the lens of how each portrayal depicts

gender and sexuality. I will begin by examining a variety of the original Sherlock Holmes stories

and the historical context during which they were written. This time period--the late 19th century

to the early 20th centuryis particularly significant in terms of peoples views on gender and

sexuality. The Victorian era is known for its social norms--particularly among the middle to

upper classes--of strict gender roles and aversion to sexual activity. Sexology and the laws at this

time also paid a significant amount of attention to homosexuality, or rather peoples engagement
in homosexual acts. Utilizing scholarly texts which discuss the historical context of the late 19th

to the early 20th century, I will examine how Doyles Sherlock Holmes stories consider gender

and sexuality, before turning my focus to the three adaptations The Private Life of Sherlock

Holmes, Sherlock, and Elementary. I am interested in determining how much these texts reflect

the values and normsin terms of gender and sexuality--of their time periods in which they

were produced. I also want to evaluate the degree to which the adaptations either resemble or

attempt to break away from the original stories depictions of gender and sexuality, particularly

with how the different characters are portrayed, and analyzing these particular choices of each

adaptation. Finally, I want to ascertain the relationship, if any, each of these three adaptations

have with each other and their considerations of sexuality. Through analyzing any relationship

the adaptations may have on each other, I may be able to gain a better understanding of how each

adaptation is a product of its historical context, its creators wishes, and the influence of Doyles

original stories.
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Gatiss, Mark and Steven Moffat, creators. Sherlock. Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, and WBGH,

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The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Billy Wilder. United Artists, 1970.

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