Alsaedi 1 Mossab Alsaedi Professor Lynda Haas Writing 37 2 February, 2014 Conan Doyle In the series of books written

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes and his crime and mystery investigations, Holmes has always had his partner, John Watson. Holmes had always been the one with the knowledge and the intelligence needed to solve the crimes. But why did he need Watson? Is Watson always there to actually make Holmes seem smart? In The Sign of the Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes's skills in solving mysteries were evident, but that is because Watson is there to compare Holmes with. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writes about how Holmes goes about solving the crimes, but they all involve Holmes debating with Watson about Watson's ideas and how Watson thinks of a certain crime. Watson is an ordinary doctor, who served in the military. He only met Holmes because he was looking for someone who he could live with. Why would Holmes bring him to crime scenes and ask for his opinion and his rationale? Watson is there so that the reader could see how different Holmes's way of thinking and observing things than that of Watson. In The Sign of the Four, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle starts the novel by describing how Holmes and Watson were debating in their flat. "'Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or the habits of the late owner?' I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed" (Doyle 5). At this point, the reader can sense some challenge between Holmes and Watson. In the previous excerpt, Watson challenges Holmes, which makes the reader think that Watson is the one who is going to prove that he is as smart as Holmes and as capable as he. The reader starts believing this when Holmes tells Watson that there are no data on the watch that could infer who its previous owner is. "'Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,' He observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lack-lustre eyes" (Doyle 5). At this point, the reader senses a change

Alsaedi 2 and starts thinking that Holmes will outshine Watson in the lines that follow the previous excerpt. "'Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father'" (Doyle 5). Holmes later proves to Watson that the watch does belong to his brother by telling him how he used observation, knowledge and deduction. "I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart. 'This is unworthy of you, Holmes,' I said. "I could not have believed that you would have descended to this. You have made inquiries into the history of my unhappy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch!'" (Doyle 6). From the previous excerpt, the reader is assured that Holmes is smarter than Watson, for Holmes has thought of what Watson did not think was clear and Watson himself has stated that Holmes outshined him. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson is given the mission to go to the moor in Devonshire with Sir Henry Baskerville to investigate and report whatever happens there to Holmes, who would be staying in London. Watson starts going around the moor and writing reports to Holmes about what he encounters everyday. Although Watson makes some conclusions on who murdered Sir Charles Baskerville, Watson states in one of the reports he sent to Holmes that he doesn't want his theories to cloud Holmes's thoughts. "I do not trouble you with my theories, for you asked me to furnish you only with facts" (Doyle 99). The reader of the previous excerpt could confirm Watson's inferiority, when it comes to observation and deduction, to Holmes's. In the same book, Holmes reappears towards the end of the book and solves the mystery. "'I never was more glad to see anyone in my life,' said I, as I wrung him by the hand" (Doyle 148) Watson says that when he find Holmes on the tor. Watson might have been fearing the huge load he would be having on his back if he were the one to solve this mystery and go through more strange observations and encounters on the moor. That could be the reason why Watson was happy and delighted when he saw Holmes again. It could be inferred from this that Watson himself did not believe in his own abilities and that he wanted Holmes's help rather than just sending him reports. The fact that Holmes reappears and solves the mystery also proves that Watson is there to be outshines by Holmes. Readers might be thinking that in this story, Watson would play the role of the smart detective while Holmes is in London. But Holmes has been in the moor the whole time doing his own investigations and examination of the mystery.

Alsaedi 3 Although Holmes always outshines Watson, Watson is still important. Watson is the reason why Holmes appears so smart and intelligent. Because Watson is the narrator, Holmes could also be addressing the readers when he explains to Watson what the evidence and his observations were. It is as if Holmes were reaching the readers through Watson. Watson's role in the novels was not only as a partner and companion to Holmes. Watson was there to make the readers think about how Holmes would be different than any other person in solving mysteries. Watson is also a way of representing the public in approaching mysteries and crimes and showing how people usually think about the obvious and lack observation and deduction. Watson is an essential element in the novels that helps show how smart Holmes is and how he thinks abnormally.

Works Cited: The Hound of the Baskervilles. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Sign of the Four. Arthur Conan Doyle. http://bakerstreet.wikia.com/wiki/A_Study_in_Scarlet http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=100144