Vad är elementärt i Sherlock Holmes karaktär? – En komparativ analys av Arthur Conan Doyles karaktär Sherlock Holmes och adaptionen av karaktären i TV-serierna Sherlock och Elementary

This study analyses the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes, both in his original representation in the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and in two modern day televised adaptations, Sherlock and Elementary, both of which place the character of Sherlock Holmes in our day and time. The character of Sherlock Holmes is immensely popular to this day and the purpose of this essay is therefore to analyse the essential traits of the character, and to contrast them with the changes made in the adaptations, in order to find out how the character of Sherlock Holmes portrays the relationship between fiction and society. As a secondary purpose it discusses the pedagogical potential in such an analysis. Aided by the theoretical discussions of character by Seymore Chatman, Greger Andersson and Sten Wistrand, the analysis is conducted by the method of close reading and comparative analysis. The study shows that there are several traits of the Sherlock Holmes character that are elementary, such as his genius, his friendship with Watson, his drug-addiction and his status as an unconventional hero. It also maps the changes made to make the character viable in modern day society. The adaptations premier a focus on relationships and make the character into an anti-hero who is more psychologically complex, more sexualised, and co-dependent. Asserting the differences made in the character by the new adaptations, the study is highlighting how analysing the character can illustrate the relationship between fiction and society, and it is thus of pedagogical importance. Key words: Sherlock Holmes, fictional character, character analysis, Sherlock, Elementary, Arthur Conan Doyle