Canon Discussion Post: The Blanched Soldier

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Welcome back, everyone! Let's have some canon Sherlock Holmes discussion, shall we? What did you all think of The Blanched Soldier? As always, I've written up a few of my own random thoughts and questions, which are behind the jump. Please add your own in the comments!

There is no Granada episode to discuss this week.


- After years of needling Watson about the quality of his writing, we've finally reached the point where Sherlock Holmes has conceded to try his hand at authorship himself. Can he do better than his revered biographer? I think he would agree, the answer is no. What's fascinating is that we actually see him come to this realization as he writes the story. At each important plot point, he sees how hard it is to artistically render a true event into an exciting reading experience that both explains enough yet leaves enough hidden for further revelations. But for its flaws, Holmes' first attempt has interest too: his first person descriptions of the machinations he uses to manipulate the world around him, from the initial set of inferences he deliberately uses to impress new client with his powers to staging a clumsy "accident" dropping his hat so he can smell Old Ralph's gloves, are fascinating in their way. Never before have we seen directly into Sherlock Holmes' mind as he works. For all that John Watson offers as a narrator, this is one thing he cannot give his readers.

- There are two cases of missing persons at the heart of this case, two people desperately missing dear friends lost to them. James Dodd is valiant in his efforts to uncover the fate of his beloved Godfrey, and Holmes is embittered about Watson leaving him for a wife. Both feel their lack deeply, and speak of the pain of it often. James is open about the strength of his feelings for Godfrey, and the lengths he is willing to go to find him. Holmes, on the other hand, tries to cover his hurt over being left behind by his friend with snide comments and compliments that are more like insults. But he never stops talking about Watson. For a case that does not involve the doctor at all, Watson is everywhere in this story, and clearly weighing heavily in Holmes' mind, not to mention his heart, no matter how much he would likely deny that.

- There are three truly great love stories in Sherlock Holmes canon, romantic or otherwise, depending on your view and persuasion. The first is the most obvious, and central to all but one of these cases: the powerful, decades-long relationship between Holmes and Watson. Their care for each other was real love. What kind of love it was is almost irrelevant, given the strength of their connection. The second great love story is a tragedy, the beautiful, doomed affair between Elsie and Hilton Cubitt in The Dancing Men. Never have two people deserved happiness together more, and when they are forbidden it, it is devastating. And the last great tale of true love is here, the unstoppable friendship (or more?) between James Dodd and Godfrey Emsworth. After forging an unbreakable bond in the fires of war, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that will prevent James from discovering Godfrey's fate. He will not be deterred, not by distance, not by time, and not by Godfrey's domineering, physically threatening father. His passion and drive are absolutely exquisite. James and Godfrey get a happy ending when their case winds down, surprising for a story about leprosy. What happened to them afterward? We can only imagine.

- "The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association. I was alone." - If Watson has been married twice before this (a very debatable point, but one we are going with for this reading with Baring-Gould's chronology), then those previous actions were not considered selfish by Holmes. Only this last one was. Why? Did Holmes think he deserved to be abandoned those other times? Did he like Watson's previous wives but not this one? Any other ideas?

Comment away, and join us next week for The Mazarin Stone, for real this time!

Comments

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

Does anyone else get the feeling that James suspects he is being kept away from Godfrey because their affair was found out? Maybe even that Godfrey really was sent away to Europe in order to get over this infatuation. Or is that just my slash goggles going into hyperdrive.

I'm just so pleased they get a happy ending.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I've only just realised that, though Holmes and Watson call each other by their surnames to indicate friendship, James Dodd and Godfrey Emsworth call each other "Godfrey" and "Jimmie". Times are changing I suppose. I take a mildly personal interest in this story because my grandfather, as a youngish man, fought in the Boer War. (My grandfather and I were born 99 years apart.) He would probably have been a bit older but he was pretty much a contemporary of Dodd and Emsworth.

It is interesting to see a story from Holmes' point of view but I find the experience a little uncomfortable too. I want to be slightly removed - seeing him through Watson's admiring eyes and being amazed by his abilities ^^ (I really missed Watson too.)

It was lovely to have a happy ending. Though I think (taking a step back) ACD was thinking more about having a twist at the end. We know he's not afraid of giving his readers an unhappy ending. I've been looking up leprosy - apparently it's not that contagious and most of humanity is immune to it. It's not pushing the boundaries of probability that Godfrey would have escaped being infected.

The friendship between Godfrey and James is very moving - James' tenacity, and the way Godfrey can't resist taking a look at his friend when he is so close by, even though he knows how risky that is.

I don't for one moment think that Watson was married more than once. But. Playing the game ^^: perhaps this time Watson has not only married but moved a significant distance away for some reason? He can't easily help out with cases. Or the third Mrs Watson has put her foot down about Watson helping with cases (because she's worried about him). Perhaps it's simply Holmes believes that a third marriage is a step too far: he's been understanding about Watson wanted to get married as a younger man but now they're both getting older, Holmes thinks Watson should be satisfied with their friendship.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

This is where my theory that Watson had actually moved in with Lestrade works so well. Holmes could hardly write about the relationship, since he wouldn't want them arrested, but it would be painful that the two of them had deserted him.

Sunday, 29 September 2013

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User thisprettywren referenced to your post from Sunday, 29 September 2013 (http://holmesian-news.livejournal.com/317129.html) saying: [...] by (BBC) + Misc Canon Discussion Post: The Blanched Soldier [...]

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like this interpretation. And you definitely don't have to have very strong slash goggles for this one, because if "Jimmie" isn't in love with Godfrey, then love doesn't exist at all.

And YES, thank goodness for the happy ending. I don't know if I could have dealt with sadness for this couple after what happened to Elsie and Hilton too.

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

I love the way you look at the story with the ACD lens and the Game lens. Really fun.

I agree with you on one marriage for Watson personally. He mentions Mary by name, but none of the others? Yeah, I'd think that was because they didn't exist. But you come up with some excellent theories if he did have three wives. All are perfectly plausible. I like your last one the best, though, because there is a really good angsty fic waiting to be written with it...

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Ah, that works! I like this theory too.

[chiapetzukamori.livejournal.com]

Did Holmes think he deserved to be abandoned those other times?

oh dear this sounds like quite the angsty fic! Maybe Holmes felt that the first marriage(s) was/were justifiable because he put Watson through too much or something. Then when they had grown old and all issues had been dealt with, Holmes was surprised that Watson left to get married again anyway.

I believe that if Watson did get married more than once it wasn't until after Holmes had retired to Sussex, and I'll chalk up all the other inconsistency's to Watson-as-unreliable-narrator. It's my one problem with the Baring-Gould chronology and why I ultimately can't subscribe to it. Ah well, it's the most popular chronology so I'll just have to politely ignore the marriage issue and just run with everything else :-)

Also, I just love the second and third points that you discussed. I want to highlight and star those entire paragraphs! ~*

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

D'you know, that makes an awful lot of sense... I suppose Holmes wouldn't have minded so much about Mary - a wife wouldn't be in direct competition with his friendship with Watson. But Watson being involved with Lestrade would feel more like a betrayal.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I'm slightly ashamed that I look at angst and see the comedic possibilities ^^" It would be quite amusing - every time Holmes thinks he's got Watson all to himself, Watson gets married again ^^ (I'm getting crueler as I get older ^^")