Canon Discussion: The Man with the Twisted Lip

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

This week we’re having a look at The Man with the Twisted Lip. As always, I’ve typed up a few thoughts to get the discussion started.

…a lady, clad in some dark-coloured stuff… …clad in some sort of light mousseline de soie, with a touch of fluffy pink chiffon at her neck and wrists. To be flippant for a moment: Watson on several occasions appears to notice what women are wearing and to be able to confidently describe their outfits. Is the good doctor a frustrated dress designer? Did he go into medicine purely because it seemed a steadier career?

“Or should you rather that I sent James off to bed?” Ah, the infamous ‘James’ incident. Any thoughts as to why Mrs. Watson should make this slip? And why Watson should choose to immortalise it in his published story? I did wonder (in a previous 60) if calling Watson ‘James’ had something to do with Mrs. Whitney’s presence. That perhaps she had got it into her head that Dr. Watson was called James, and neither of the Watsons wanted to embarrass this ‘young and timid woman’ with an indirect correction. Unlikely I know.

This article runs through the most common explanations for ‘James’ and this one suggests ‘James’ was the surname of a female servant. I suppose the most famous explanation is Dorothy L. Sayers’ theory that the ‘H.’ in Watson’s name stands for ‘Hamish’, and so ‘James’ is a reference to that. (Hamish being an Anglicisation of the vocative form of Seumas, which is the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of James.)

“I was wondering what I should say to this dear little woman to-night when she meets me at the door.” This strikes me as evidence against Holmes disliking women. In DYIN Watson states clearly: [Holmes] disliked and distrusted the [female] sex, but he was always a chivalrous opponent. And Holmes is always polite to women face to face. But here he’s alone with a good friend. Surely there’s no need for any pretence or politeness. Yet he refers to Mrs. St. Clair as a ‘dear little woman’. Tiny bit patronising perhaps, but it demonstrates sympathy and warmth I think.

“But I understand that all the other clothes were found in the room. Would the body be dressed in a coat alone?” I do wonder about the fact that Holmes doesn’t find it odd that the body appears to have been stripped. I mean, what would have been the order of events? St. Clair is partially dressed when his wife sees him in the window (Holmes asks her to confirm later: “Your husband, as far as you could see, had his ordinary clothes on?” She answers: “But without his collar or tie.”), then he’s murdered as his wife tries to get up to him. Holmes says: “[Boone] has little time, for he has heard the scuffle downstairs when the wife tried to force her way up, and perhaps he has already heard from his Lascar confederate that the police are hurrying up the street.” So surely Boone wouldn’t have started stripping the body immediately after death—he would have just have got rid of the body as it was.

“I have seen too much not to know that the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner.” Holmes may have been impressed by Irene Adler’s intelligence but apparently he still doesn’t believe a woman and an analytical reasoner can sometimes be the same person…

“Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still.” My dear wife knew that I had business in the City. She little knew what. I do wonder about the future of St. Clair’s marriage. His wife patently loves him, but his income is about to drop dramatically…

Next Sunday, 10th August, we’ll be taking a look at The Speckled Band. Hope you can join us then.

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Maybe Holmes is aware that whilst he himself prizes analytical reasoning that there is also something to be said for 'gut reaction', which one couldn't delicately credit a woman with, whereas 'an impression' would be quite acceptable.

But on the whole, probably not.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

That certainly is a good point - perhaps Holmes is comparing gut reaction with analytical reasoning, rather than men with women. But on the whole I do think he's implying women can't be logical ^^"

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

I am totally convinced by the second link, and hope James had a long and happy employment with them. Thanks for a great read!

I do wonder, myself, if St Clair will find it that easy to get the sort of job he left. Would he be able to - ah, gloss over - what he'd been doing for the last few years? Could he get a living in the theatre? His talents do seem to run that way. He must have been a pretty good make up man, anyway.

edit: since posting, I've decided he'll probably try writing exposes or novels set in London's slums. Perhaps Watson can help with the contacts.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I love the idea that St. Clair became a novelist ^_^ After all, he wouldn't then need any references or to account for his past - he'd just have to show his work to an agent or a publisher.

[vaysh]

I didn't know the "James" was infamous. :) I haven't read the argument yet that James is supposed to be another person, but surely Mrs Whitney answer rules out that possibility. ("... Or should you rather that I sent James off to bed?” – “Oh, no, no! I want the doctor’s advice and help, too.") There can be no doubt that she takes Mary's "James" to refer to her husband, the doctor. :) Perhaps it's a nickname between the couple. (I call my gf "Holmes" all the time. ;))

One thought that occupied my mind after I read the story is the depiction of begging as this job where you can make the fortune of a gentleman. I assume this is part of why "The Man With the Twisted Lip" has become one of the more well-loved Sherlock Holmes stories - it caters horribly to middle-class prejudice about the urban poor. I have no statistics, but I am sure begging in 1889 was no fun at all and definitely didn't make you rich.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Oh, people are always banging on about "James" ^__^ But I have to admit it's only in recent years that I realised how much that mistake in the text has been discussed.

I'm with you - Mrs. Whitney's response does seem to clearly indicate that "James" has been a reference to Watson. And "James" could be a nickname but it just seems such an odd choice as an nickname. I mean, I assume you call your girlfriend "Holmes" after Sherlock Holmes and it's nothing to do with her real name. But "John" and "James" are so close to each other... Just feels odd ^^

St. Clair does take pains to point out: "I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London could earn £700 a year... but I had exceptional advantages in my power of of making up, and also in a facility of repartee..." St. Clair is putting on an act and is manipulating his "audience" - he's never truly poor, disabled and desperate. He's not meant to be a representative of what begging was really like. I think that comes across in the story - but I don't know how the contemporary readers would have interpreted things.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

I've heard the Sayers argument before, and as fanwank goes, it's pretty damn wonderful.

But ee, I dunno. Maybe Mary just has brain farts? Both names start with J, right? Stranger things have happened.

True story: I met my future husband K at the same time as his best friend M, and I used to mix their names up for absolutely no reason other than that. Yes, I am very bad with names, can you tell Even after I married K, I would - very rarely, and only when I was very tired - address him as M. *blush*)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would agree that people do just make these slips. It does make you wonder though why Watson (and his publishers) decided to immortalise the slip in the finished story ^__^ Some marital teasing, or an in-joke?

I suppose we do tend to store groups of names together. I used to automatically respond to my sister's name because my late father would often call me that. But I think all parents mix up their children's names. And I sometimes call my nephew by his father's name because both names begin with the same letter.

Some associations can be amusing. My sister was trying to recall the name of a character in a radio comedy and she came up with "Lavinia Wimbledon". The name was actually "Magnolia Badminton".

Calling your husband by his friend's name is a new one on me though ^^ But there's a thought - forget "William Sherlock Scott", perhaps Holmes' first names were: "James Sherlock"... ^^