I was watching the first episode of ‘Sherlock’ recently. I think it’s obvious from the name itself that it’s an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ’Sherlock Holmes’ series. The difference is that the events in this miniseries occur in modern London. Now, whatever you just read is most probably going to elicit a skeptical thought about the series unless you’re a ‘Lockcroft’ as I like to refer to a Holmes fanatic (similar to ‘Fanboy’, ‘Trekkie’ etc.). Let me just say that the skepticism is absolutely justified psychologically but I am also quite confident that it will be dispelled and for good reasons for it’s a good series and though it’s a partial adaptation, the partial originality nullifies the feeling of a dull deja vu in the borrowed portions.
Moving on, what intrigued me about the character ‘Sherlock Holmes’ was how he is a loner or at least that’s what he tries to show. Here’s what I think – Holmes is an extremely private person but I would not give him the label of a ‘loner’. The character is shown to have no friends. I am convinced that the general coldness that Holmes is greeted with is simply a consequence of pure jealousy. Wait, just stating that ‘I am convinced’ is a gross reduction of magnitude. Instead, I should say that ‘it is obvious’.
Now, Homo sapien is a social animal and I am inclined to divide him into the following 5 categories :
1. Sociopathically Social - People who compulsively need company for anything and everything they do and wherever they go. Even if they simply need to go to the adjoining room, they need someone to accompany them. They just stop short of asking people to accompany them when they go for a shower or when they need to use the loo, and that too with great reluctance and pain.
2. Simply Social - People who like company but it is not a clinical necessity for them. They love the presence of a companion. In a way, they need company but if a person doesn’t have a companion at some moment, he is content with the thought that there are people out there who are willing to accompany him and though he’s alone at the moment, he’s not lonely.
3. Indifferent Recluse – This person doesn’t care if he has company or not. He does enjoy it and when he’s alone, he may sometimes have a yearning for company but it’s very low in intensity and lasts for just about a fraction of a minute before the person gets back to some work. If the person has company, he will enjoy it but only to a certain limit. The limit is usually in terms of time spent. There is a threshold attached. When it is crossed, the person starts getting irritable and impatient for the ‘jolly company’ to leave.
4. Abandoned Recluse - This person has been shunned upon by society, probably because of the person’s uncommon habits (He stands out unique in the crowd) but more commonly out of pure jealousy. Now this person might have been born into one of the first three categories but society turned him into what he is now. He himself alienates himself from people simply to prove a point to everyone else that he doesn’t care but he may sometimes be caught in vulnerable situations and can even be exploited then.
5. Paranoid Loner - This person has fears and doesn’t trust anyone. He never lets anyone get close to him. The person being caught in a vulnerable situation is rare and quite improbable.
There are some people who fall in between categories 2 and 3, 3 and 4, and 4 and 5. Let us number these as categories 6, 7 and 8 respectively. I would like to clarify that these categories are completely independent of a person’s sex or sexual orientation.
I think, Holmes falls under category 7. He has been shunned by everyone but he doesn’t seem to care but when Dr. Watson arrives, he can’t hide his delight.
In the end, all I will say is that go ahead and watch the series. I am quite sure you’ll like it. ADIOS!!!
