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Villains, Victims, and Violets: Agency and Feminism in the Original Sherlock Holmes Canon
Modern writers have reconsidered every subject under the sun through the lens of Sherlock Holmes. The overlooked subject is agency: the opportunities available to these women for independence and control. What we find all too often are the silences around them. And yet, these clients--villains, victims, and Violets--are pivotal in the world of Sherlock Holmes.
Perhaps more enigmatic than Holmes’ methods is what Watson sees: the woman in the shadows. Whether lady or lady’s maid, if she does speak, it’s often not recorded in her words. That was life for half the population of Victorian England. A woman’s role was written before she was born; it merely required her to don the starched white apron of a maid, or the rough, stained skirts of a "char"--who did the dirtiest of household jobs—or the fine silk gowns of a lady.
Enter Villains, Victims, and Violets to spy and report on these women in their darkest, most vulnerable moments. How does Irene Adler—pursued by a powerful king, and by Sherlock Holmes--outwit them both? Can Lady Hilda conceal the secret that only Holmes unravels? When Violet Hunter takes the last job offered before she loses everything, can Holmes free her and her doppelganger?
To understand Holmes’ world is to gaze unsparingly into the lives of its women: the villains and what drives them astray; the victims Holmes races to rescue; and the Violets, who make up the strongest characters from Holmes’ unforgettable cases. The authors pull back the curtain on their private spaces, revealing their "proper" place in a man’s world at the dusk of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th.
Perhaps more enigmatic than Holmes’ methods is what Watson sees: the woman in the shadows. Whether lady or lady’s maid, if she does speak, it’s often not recorded in her words. That was life for half the population of Victorian England. A woman’s role was written before she was born; it merely required her to don the starched white apron of a maid, or the rough, stained skirts of a "char"--who did the dirtiest of household jobs—or the fine silk gowns of a lady.
Enter Villains, Victims, and Violets to spy and report on these women in their darkest, most vulnerable moments. How does Irene Adler—pursued by a powerful king, and by Sherlock Holmes--outwit them both? Can Lady Hilda conceal the secret that only Holmes unravels? When Violet Hunter takes the last job offered before she loses everything, can Holmes free her and her doppelganger?
To understand Holmes’ world is to gaze unsparingly into the lives of its women: the villains and what drives them astray; the victims Holmes races to rescue; and the Violets, who make up the strongest characters from Holmes’ unforgettable cases. The authors pull back the curtain on their private spaces, revealing their "proper" place in a man’s world at the dusk of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th.
338 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2019
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September 22, 2019
This collection of essays examines a range of women in the Sherlock Holmes stories. All of the authors are women who are knowledgeable either through their fiction or non-fiction works about the Holmes Canon. Each article provides depth and insight into the stories, putting them in the social context of England at this period in history. When several authors explore the same characters such as Maria Gibson and Kitty Winter, the different perspectives are enlightening, demonstrating the complexity of the women. That a woman can be both a victim and a villain is convincingly demonstrated. Issues of gender and class are important as stories reflect both the specific time in which they were written and the unchanging aspects of some of these viewpoints. The different ways in which the women in the Holmes stories break out of the stereotypes is a class as well as a gender issue. The demands on upper class women may be different than those on the lower classes, but they are no less stringent. This study of women also reflects the rigid roles of the men whose power also limits them both in the way in which they perceive women and act towards them, but in what is acceptable for men as they also live out stereotypes. The way in which his cases modify both Holmes’ behavior and understanding is also indicated. This is a fascinating and absorbing study not only of interest to fans of Sherlock Holmes, but to those intrigued by those elements of gender prejudice and behavior over time that change and those that do not. Some of the sources the authors cite encourage the reader to learn more about the particular historical period. This is a volume to enjoy reading and to think about the persisting questions it raises.
Displaying 1 of 1 review