Canon Discussion: The Creeping Man
Dec. 21st, 2014 09:03 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60This week we’re having a look at The Creeping Man. As always, I’ve typed up a few thoughts to get the ball rolling.
…to dispel once for all the ugly rumours… Presbury was turning into a monkey! What in hell’s name could the rumours have been?
There were, however, certain obstacles in the way... Now we have at last obtained permission… This seems surprising. Presbury may have died but would any members of his family want this embarrassing story to come out?
The relations between us in those latter days were peculiar. In this story, there’s a certain melancholy to the way Watson describes his relationship with Holmes. But I have to say, to me their friendship seems the same as it’s always been. I think Watson very quickly became a “habit” with Holmes—he was his “conductor of light” pretty much from the beginning. And the affection and trust between the two men is still there in CREE.
…for half an hour he gave no sign that he was aware of my presence. You do have to wonder what poor Watson was doing for that 30 minutes.
…he became engaged to the daughter of Professor Morphy… As the inestimable![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
laurose8 has pointed out to me, the facts surrounding Presbury’s relationship with Miss Morphy don’t quite make sense. Holmes (relating what he has learnt from Bennett) says that Presbury is engaged. But then as he goes on, he seems to imply that he isn’t engaged—Presbury is still trying to gain Miss Morphy’s approval: “It was only age which stood in the way.” Has someone made a slip—either Holmes or Bennett? (Though you would think in that case Bennett would correct Holmes, or Holmes would query Bennett’s facts.) Perhaps Bennett did make a slip and meant to say that Presbury wishes to become engaged but hasn't yet. Or maybe Presbury is engaged but doesn't merely want Miss Morphy's grudging agreement to the marriage - he wants her to be passionately in love with him.
There is a third possibility: that the marriage has been arranged but Presbury is aware that Miss Morphy is still considering other suitors and worries that she might want to break the engagement off. But I assume that is less likely because of the social expectations of that time - Miss Morphy wouldn't agree to an engagement if she didn't seriously intend to go through with the marriage. A final very unlikely scenario is that Presbury took the drug first, then courted and won Miss Morphy, and then felt he couldn’t stop taking the drug. But that order of events doesn’t seem to be what is implied in the story.
…frantic planning and hurrying on my part, as my practice was by this time not inconsiderable. So Watson has definitely gone back to being a doctor full time, relatively late in life. Why? Has he got married again? He makes absolutely no reference to a wife.
“If we insist that we are there by appointment I think he will hardly venture to contradict us.” And yet Holmes doesn’t even attempt to put this plan into practice, saying instead that a “second person” had asked him to help Presbury.
“Mercer is since your time,” said Holmes. “He is my general utility man who looks up routine business. Any thoughts on Mercer?
“Always look at the hands first, Watson. Then cuffs, trouser-knees, and boots.” It seems rather late in the day for Holmes to be teaching Watson this. You’d think it would have come up earlier in their association.
“Consider, Watson, that the material, the sensual, the worldly would all prolong their worthless lives. The spiritual would not avoid the call to something higher. It would be the survival of the least fit. What sort of cesspool may not our poor world become?” Here we have Holmes philosophising again. “The call to something higher.” It’s interesting—it does suggest that Holmes believes in some kind of afterlife.
Next Sunday, 28th December, we’ll be having a look at The Lion’s Mane. Hope you can join us then.
And if you celebrate it, a happy Christmas to you!
…to dispel once for all the ugly rumours… Presbury was turning into a monkey! What in hell’s name could the rumours have been?
There were, however, certain obstacles in the way... Now we have at last obtained permission… This seems surprising. Presbury may have died but would any members of his family want this embarrassing story to come out?
The relations between us in those latter days were peculiar. In this story, there’s a certain melancholy to the way Watson describes his relationship with Holmes. But I have to say, to me their friendship seems the same as it’s always been. I think Watson very quickly became a “habit” with Holmes—he was his “conductor of light” pretty much from the beginning. And the affection and trust between the two men is still there in CREE.
…for half an hour he gave no sign that he was aware of my presence. You do have to wonder what poor Watson was doing for that 30 minutes.
…he became engaged to the daughter of Professor Morphy… As the inestimable
laurose8 has pointed out to me, the facts surrounding Presbury’s relationship with Miss Morphy don’t quite make sense. Holmes (relating what he has learnt from Bennett) says that Presbury is engaged. But then as he goes on, he seems to imply that he isn’t engaged—Presbury is still trying to gain Miss Morphy’s approval: “It was only age which stood in the way.” Has someone made a slip—either Holmes or Bennett? (Though you would think in that case Bennett would correct Holmes, or Holmes would query Bennett’s facts.) Perhaps Bennett did make a slip and meant to say that Presbury wishes to become engaged but hasn't yet. Or maybe Presbury is engaged but doesn't merely want Miss Morphy's grudging agreement to the marriage - he wants her to be passionately in love with him.There is a third possibility: that the marriage has been arranged but Presbury is aware that Miss Morphy is still considering other suitors and worries that she might want to break the engagement off. But I assume that is less likely because of the social expectations of that time - Miss Morphy wouldn't agree to an engagement if she didn't seriously intend to go through with the marriage. A final very unlikely scenario is that Presbury took the drug first, then courted and won Miss Morphy, and then felt he couldn’t stop taking the drug. But that order of events doesn’t seem to be what is implied in the story.
…frantic planning and hurrying on my part, as my practice was by this time not inconsiderable. So Watson has definitely gone back to being a doctor full time, relatively late in life. Why? Has he got married again? He makes absolutely no reference to a wife.
“If we insist that we are there by appointment I think he will hardly venture to contradict us.” And yet Holmes doesn’t even attempt to put this plan into practice, saying instead that a “second person” had asked him to help Presbury.
“Mercer is since your time,” said Holmes. “He is my general utility man who looks up routine business. Any thoughts on Mercer?
“Always look at the hands first, Watson. Then cuffs, trouser-knees, and boots.” It seems rather late in the day for Holmes to be teaching Watson this. You’d think it would have come up earlier in their association.
“Consider, Watson, that the material, the sensual, the worldly would all prolong their worthless lives. The spiritual would not avoid the call to something higher. It would be the survival of the least fit. What sort of cesspool may not our poor world become?” Here we have Holmes philosophising again. “The call to something higher.” It’s interesting—it does suggest that Holmes believes in some kind of afterlife.
Next Sunday, 28th December, we’ll be having a look at The Lion’s Mane. Hope you can join us then.
And if you celebrate it, a happy Christmas to you!
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Date: 2014-12-21 12:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 04:32 pm (UTC)Thanks for pointing out the way Holmes changes his cover story when he actually meets Presbury. I have a very vague idea Presbury looked a bit less out of it than Holmes expected, so Holmes went immediately to Plan B.
I'm glad the wolfhound wasn't shot. I think, myself, Presbury must have been unpopular with the servants. It's rather telling how the coachman knew the dog wuld get hium sooner or later, and does nothing about it. Without knowing enough about it, I still hope Alice didn't marry him.
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Date: 2014-12-21 06:37 pm (UTC)Again, a good point. Holmes is always thinking on his feet. As you say, once he meets Presbury, he might have realised the professor is not going to believe he made an appointment and forgot about it.
The wolfhound certainly didn't deserve to be destroyed - the attack wasn't Roy's fault. But I don't think the coachman didn't care about Presbury being attacked. I think it was more the case that Presbury had rather a forceful personality (and was Macphail's employer), and Macphail didn't feel he could just go and stop him when he was teasing the dog, even though he could see what the end result would be.
And I'm certain that Presbury didn't marry Alice Morphy. I think they probably weren't already engaged, and the dog attack will have brought Presbury to his senses over the situation. I'm sure Alice will marry one of her younger suitors.