"Its elementary my dear Watson". These words echo in my ears as frequently as does the reality of their being ficticious. The world of words have many decorated characters that have absolved themselves from the test of time. Every individual has his favorite character based on his proximity to a subject. My favorite is Sherlock Holmes and his eloborate and extremely lovable chronicler Dr.Watson.
When you write about them, you tread a very perilious path. A path that has been walked by such illustrious owners of quills and pens that my attempt may never see the light of a critic's censure. I have read the adventures of this legendary duo since my childhood, but to this day they are my favorite sleeping pill. Dont get me wrong ! They alone have the capability to send me into a dream of that aristrocatic and stiff upper lipped and orderly british society that does exists ever so scarcely today.
I will try to tell you today what I think of these sleuths who upheld the law with reasons as varied as day and night. With due respects to Sir Arthur, this whimsical piece of litreature will pen my thoughts of them.
For an retired medical surgeon of the British Army, who has seen the war in Afghanistan and has seen a jazail bullet pierce his body, what could Sherlock Holmes offer? You must remember that the best of partnerships in any trade is formed between the most unlikely of individuals. John.H.Watson is a practical man. He worries about his finances but scarcely mentions them after his illustrious association with Holmes begins. Does it mean that Holmes cared for him from the monetary credit he received for his adventures? Its a debateable topic when seen with the eyes of a economist. But you need different an different eye for this kind of friendship. Forget not that its the good doctor who has been his life saver in many occasions. He is the fuel to Holmes's genious. He asks some simple questions. These questions give way to the author to unleash the immense power of Holmes's grey cells.
Dr. Watson draws upon his reserviours of medical knowledge to warn Holmes of the dangers of opium. Holmes considers them as stimuli on dull days. " The London criminal is certainly an unenterprising fellow", he remarks. This forms an excuse to consume the harmful drug when the great sleuth is out of work. Our dear Doctor's remonstrances have a slow but deciding effect as it manages to wriggle our hero out of the clutches of that dreaded drug.
Inspite of being a medical man, he is seen as a man of action. Often in combats with hideous villians whom Holmes desires to append to his list of criminal trophies. In the "Three Garidebbs" he takes a scratch from a bullet. " The adventure of the Empty House" is another shining example of how he instantly falls into Holmes's symphony after a long hiatus. This and many other demonstrations help me understand the deep loyalty that Watson possesed towards Holmes and in no uncertain measures. There have been umpteen number of times when i so wished to be transported into that era and gain an entry as an apprentice to the great sleuth. For my inspiration is found to a slightly greater extent in Watson than in Holmes.
Our dear Watson is also at the end of many a humourus tirades by Holmes. Holmes wakes him up one morning saying - "The young lady knocked on Mrs. Hudson, She knocked on me and I retorted on you !! " He bears all those harmless tomfoolery with such diginity as can a character of Watson alone can. He makes you subtly smile without making you laugh. This ingenunity is rare to find in all the Detective duo epics that encircle the world of litreature. Holmes often nudges him for the slowness in his methods when entrusted with some detective work. But there is absolute accuracy of execution of directions by Watson as shown in the final adventure of Sherlock Holmes when facing a vary adversary called Professor Moriarty.
About Sherlock Holmes to pen is blasphemy itself. Rarely has a character won such public acclaim as has Sherlock. He has been depicted in numerous reels of cinema and in umpteen reproductions in print. Still his aura lives on. When you read his adventures today, you often are left eliminating the modern era equipments which would have helped him immensly. If he had the benefit of their use, then I may safely say that atleast the greater part of England would be fairly be rid of crime. For a pre ameature penner like me, I find his behaviour extremely fascinating. He loathes the commonalities that are abundant. He seeks the extra ordinary, his powers of deduction and observation are exemplary. In a famous extract, he ventures to unveil the truth about the life and character of Dr.Watson's brother by the sheer examination of his watch. When you read them, you are often left wondering how it would be to see him in action.
Of his abilities there is enough foolscap to last a man's lifetime. There is one aspect that I felt has been subtly over shadowed by his other prowesses. That is his true passion for the art of detection and absolvement of crime. He is shown as a person who is willing to work purely for the sake of art. He does not insist on credit when he solves another of those baffling mysteries. However, as Sherlock as he is, he too is human. For Dr.Watson, rightly observes on one occasion - " Holmes was accessible on the side of flattery". Can we not concede that? This super sleuth has one chink in his armour and its harmless enough not to come in the way of upholding the law.
I wish to end this epilouge with my personal homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for having introduced to us a character which will stand the test of time. Even if this script is read another 100 years from now on a mobile screen when you are on a flight from here to Mars on a family occasion.
Will we ever forget him?
