Discussion Post: A Case of Identity

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Hello again, all! How did you find A Case of Identity? As always, here are a few thoughts and questions to get things rolling. Please add your own and discuss away!

- Quite a comedown from the terrific Hound of the Baskervilles to this. Can't say this was one of my favorites, personally. Between the extremely obvious case (oh, look, stepfather's conveniently in France again! Time to get married!), the absurdly dense client, and the deplorable Victorian gender politics, IDEN frustrates me. What did you all think?

- We have to address the ending of this case and Holmes' reasoning for doing what he chooses to do. Despite him telling James Windibank that "there never was a man who deserved punishment more", Holmes still allows him (and the girl's mother!) to continue taking advantage of Mary Sutherland. The easiest way for the stepfather to be punished is to tell the truth to the daughter. The law might not be able to touch Windibank, but armed with knowledge, Mary could, by leaving his house and taking her money with her. Yet Holmes keeps what he knows to himself, damning this woman to years of continued exploitation and hopeless pining for a man who never even existed. Even if Mary is "vacuous" and "vulgar" (as Watson says), doesn't she deserve better, both as a client and as a human being?

- Let's end on a high note: Don't you just love the romantic (in all senses of the word) notion of Holmes and Watson soaring over London, hand-in-hand, exploring the curiosities and wonder of the city and the humanity of her residents? It's voyeuristic, to be sure, but both of them are keen and incisive observers of mankind already. It is simply taking that concept one leap forward -- and out the window.

A Case of Identity - Cure

[methylviolet10b]

Author: methylviolet10b
Rating: PG
Character(s): Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Summary: Watson prescribes a cure for Mary Sutherland.
Warnings: Spoilers aplenty for IDEN, so if you haven't read that...well, you're still not missing much. One of my least favorite of the Holmesian stories, but still worth reading.
Word Count: 60
Author's Notes: 60 words of my own inspired by one of the canon stories.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.

IDEN -- A Case of Identity

Holmes might have caviled at risking a woman’s wrath, but we both hated injustice. A break-in at a certain office, a letter written on the self-same typewriter used by Miss Sutherland’s villainous stepfather, a consoling consultation, and a subscription ticket to the policemen’s ball: a prescription that resulted in a much happier and more satisfying conclusion to this ‘petty affair.’

A Case of Identity: Quite Contrary, PG

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

A Case of Identity
'Quite Contrary'
Author:tweedisgood
Rating: PG for implications
Summary: James Windibank is not a nice man.


Mary, Mary. How contrary of you to be so determined to fall in love. How convenient for your well-provided-for, stupid, ancient mama and myself.
How much more convenient that I established a precedent for frequent "trips to France". In fact, decadence flourishes as near as Hackney.
The truth is you would have been far too old for my tastes, Mary dear.

A Case of Identity: Forgot

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Case of Identity
Title: Forgot
Author: spacemutineer
Rating: G

"I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks," Holmes said demurely. I swallowed my laughter.

'Twas mere coincidence he was that day wearing an ostentatious diamond on a normally unadorned finger and wielding a jewel-encrusted snuff box instead of his preferred simple pipe.

Holmes forgot baubles don't impress me. He accomplishes that well simply being himself.

A Case Of Identity

[flawedamythyst.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Case Of Identity
Author: flawedamythyst
Rating: PG
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
A/N: 60 words, and then a quote from the story which I haven't included in the word count.

It is with great shame that I admit my first reaction to Holmes's comment that he considered me his spouse in every way that was important, was to lose my temper and then avoid him for several weeks. When I finally returned, and the matter was settled to the satisfaction of us both, I commented how peculiar our situation was.

"My dear fellow," said Holmes, "life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”


*

A Case of Identity: A Recurrent Dream

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Case of Identity
Title: A Recurrent Dream
Author: thesmallhobbit
Rating: PG

If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city

Hand in hand they flew over the city, peering in windows and watching the activities of the inhabitants, Holmes deducing so much from the seemingly insignificant.  Nothing escaped his notice, no-one went unobserved, no crime unpunished.  Then hand in hand they would fly home.  And Dr Watson would wake to discover they were in bed still lying hand in hand.

A Case of Identity: Wagnerian

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Case of Identity
Title: Wagnerian
Author: Castiron
Rating: G

I have admired the works of Wagner ever since I first heard Tristan und Isolde performed. However, after the sad case of Miss Sutherland, I fear I will never be able to enjoy Der fliegende Holländer as I did in the past.

Faithful unto death -- an admirable quality, but only if the object of fidelity is admirable. Windibank is not.