This thesis examines the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and
how they relate to the late-Victorian Sensation Novel. First, a brief introduction to the Sensation
novel is made. It makes a study the character of Sherlock Holmes, his habits, and his cases to
show the sensationalism of his character. It considers the setting of late-Victorian England and
its connections to the world created by Conan Doyle. Finally, it takes into account the
significance of Victorian class structure within the stories. All these come together to confirm
that the Sherlock Holmes stories belonged within the sensation genre.
The research materials include critics such as Philip Davis, author of The Victorians,
Russell Goldfarb, author of Sexual Repression and Victorian Literature, and Steven Marcus,
author of The Other Victorians: A Study of Sexuality and Pornography in Mid-Nineteenth-
Century England. Other sources also include the 1898 Poverty Map created by Charles Booth,
works by Dr. William Acton, and articles from the Penny Illustrated Paper. These sources help
to form conclusions about the Sherlock Holmes stories as sensational stories providing detailed
descriptions and examinations of Holmes' character, sexuality, and lifestyle and how they pertian
to the Sensation genre. The thesis will also take into account different interpretations of Holmes'
character as it has evolved through the 20th and 21st centuries thus far. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of English.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:WICHITA/oai:soar.wichita.edu:10057/3947 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Cook, Kimberlee S. |
| Contributors | Zoller, Peter T. |
| Publisher | Wichita State University |
| Source Sets | Wichita State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | viii, 59 p. |
| Rights | © Copyright 2011 by Kimberlee S. Cook. All rights reserved |
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