The Exotic and the Foreign in the Sherlock Holmes Canon
The Exotic and the Foreign in the Sherlock Holmes Canon

Narratives of Displacement

Author(s): Jacek Mydla
Subject(s): Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Theory of Literature, British Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Sherlock Holmes; exotic; displacement; vampirism; racism
Summary/Abstract: In the Sherlock Holmes canon of 60 stories, we find various representations of the exotic and the foreign, which, arguably, is a reflection of Britain’s geopolitical position as well as sentiments current in the period in which the stories were written. In view of this, it is intriguing to see how easily Conan Doyle exploited his readers’ prejudices concerning the non-British, from belief in cannibalism among savages, vampirism to racism. Given the genre which the stories represent, worth exploring are the ways in which the exotic and the foreign are used to construct mystery plots. This analysis focuses on the assumptions that Conan Doyle makes concerning his readers’ knowledge of the exotic and the foreign, or, more to the point, their ignorance. These assumptions have allowed him to ascribe a great number of outlandish or sensational features to human characters, animals, artefacts, and substances. The paper examines a selection of the stories which feature culturally displaced characters.

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