Canon Discussion: The Lion's Mane

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

This week we’re having a look at The Lion’s Mane. As usual, I’ve typed up a few thoughts to get things going.

I had given myself up entirely to that soothing life of Nature for which I had so often yearned during the long years spent amid the gloom of London. Hmm… In CARD Watson says that “appreciation of nature found no place amongst his many gifts.” Though to be fair, I can immediately think of BLAC, in which Holmes suggests to Watson: “Let us walk in these beautiful woods… and give a few hours to the birds and the flowers.”

At this period of my life the good Watson had passed almost beyond my ken. An occasional week-end visit was the most I ever saw of him. As we saw last week in CREE, Watson apparently went back to being a full-time doctor. Is this and physical distance the only reasons for them drifting apart?

He and I were always friendly from the day I came to the coast, and he was the one man who was on such terms with me that we could drop in on each other in the evenings without an invitation. This is perhaps surprising. Holmes gets on perfectly well with other people, but he’s never been a sociable man. And yet, he and Stackhurst become friends immediately. Though it isn’t a close friendship maybe; Stackhurst does address him at the beginning as ‘Mr. Holmes’. But it all begs the question, is Holmes feeling lonely?

The man was dressed only in his Burberry overcoat, his trousers, and an unlaced pair of canvas shoes. Let’s take this from the top. McPherson had got into the water and been fatally stung by the jellyfish. The poor man was sopping wet and in excruciating pain. Then, in desperate need of help, not only did he decide to put his trousers back on first, he managed it.

And by the time he reached the top of the cliff and died, his skin, clothes and hair were apparently dry—so dry that Sherlock ‘Mr. Observing Machine’ Holmes couldn’t tell beyond doubt he’d been in the water. There’s something very rum going on here…

Then he had suddenly huddled on his clothes again… and he had returned without bathing, or at any rate without drying himself. It is so odd. Holmes accepts that McPherson had undressed, and you’d think the body must have appeared wet to some extent when Holmes examined it. Also, even though he asserts to himself that McPherson couldn’t have bathed because his towel was dry (pretty obvious bit of false reasoning), Holmes does briefly then seem to consider that McPherson has been in the water. But he doesn’t attach any importance to it and dismisses the idea. It would appear in this story that Holmes really has lost his touch.

“But for a year or more Murdoch has been as near to McPherson as he ever could be to anyone.” Isn’t this friendship surprising? Murdoch attacked McPherson’s pet, and they’re in love with the same woman.

Women have seldom been an attraction to me, for my brain has always governed my heart… An intriguing remark from Holmes. “Seldom”—in the past, have there been specific women he’s been attracted to?

Maud Bellamy will always remain in my memory as a most complete and remarkable woman… More evidence to counter Watson’s assertion that Holmes “disliked and distrusted the sex…”, whether he ever has romantic feelings for them or not.

That the dog should die was after the beautiful, faithful nature of dogs. That’s a curiously emotional statement—but as long as we’ve known him, Holmes hasn’t kept a dog himself. I know he was living in a flat in London but even Mrs. Hudson had that unfortunate terrier in STUD.

You will know, or Watson has written in vain, that I hold a vast store of out-of-the-way knowledge, without scientific system... My mind is like a crowded boxroom with packets of all sorts stowed away therein - so many that I may well have but a vague perception of what was there. Here Holmes pretty much contradicts what he told Watson all those years ago in STUD: “The skilful workman… will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work… and all in the most perfect order.”

'No, no, you won't draw me until I am ready,' said I with a smile.’ Why is Holmes being so enigmatic with the inspector? Is he frightened that his theory is wrong and he’ll look a fool? Surely not. It just seems it would be safest to say straight out there’s probably a dangerous jellyfish trapped in a pool on the beach.

Two to go for this round! See you next year, 4th January 2015, for Shoscombe Old Place!

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I think possibly the most charitable explanation for all these apparent anomolies is that Holmes too had been partaking in the consumption of brandy at the same rate as everyone else.

Apart from your excellent explanation as to why Holmes hasn't seen Watson recently I think he is being economical with the truth.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes... There's certainly a lot of brandy swigged down in this story ^_^ Though always for "medicinal" reasons. (Brandy almost seems to have magical powers in Holmes' world.)

And we're definitely not being told the true story...

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly sure brandy was a cure-all for emotional and social ills.

I also agree with this 'economy of truth' explanation.

But I do wonder if we underestimate the geographic factor in not seeing Watson. He returned to an out-of-the way place to commune with bees, and not everyone had the desire or inclination for so much travel, even if the time it takes to be Doctor Watson is not a factor.

Perhaps Watson simply preferred London. Or perhaps had a fear of bees?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the question we need to ask isn't "why didn't Watson visit Holmes?" but "why didn't Holmes go and visit Watson..?"

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid that might be too logical. Plus the bees could pine.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Frankles knows my explanation that Watson and Lestrade had retired to the West Country, so visiting Holmes would have been an irregular occurence, although as she says I am sure they would have welcomed him should he have chosen to visit them.

The other half of this is that Hopkins is still working in London and Holmes chooses not to mention this (for obvious reasons).

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Watson and Lestrade? Is there something more to this (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), or am I just too ensconced in slash?

But what prompted Holmes to leave the city?

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

My head canon is that Watson and Lestrade were together. This story may help explain it: The Oncoming Storm (http://archiveofourown.org/works/2605895)

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Lovely. I like the explanation Holmes offers to justify proceedings.

So, then Holmes feels like the third wheel?

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is where Hopkins comes in.

And if you're interested in what came after the War: Aftermath (http://sherlock60.livejournal.com/431614.html)

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Ah... clearly I have some reading to do...

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Just one more thing that struck me to support thesmallhobbit 's excellent phrase economical with the truth. Holmes claims McPherson's terrier is an Airedale. Now dog breed names might be one of the details with which Holmes refuses to clutter up his lumber room, but if one of the smaller breeds was thrown at a plate (an odd detail, altogether) glass window it would be more likely to break the dog than the window. On the other hand, most of the time Holmes talks as if it were a small animal. Though admittedly after the Hound even the largest Airedale wouldn't seem large.

But an Airedale can be quite a formidable aggressor; wiki claims they won fights against bull terriers. In short, not a cute little tyke, but a savage animal. Following Holmes' habit of learning about the master from the dog, McPherson wasn't as sympathetic a character as his victim-ness implies.

My own offering, admittedly not very convincing, is that Holmes spent the week trying to think up a story which would help his friend Stackpole escape scandal, and finding and transporting a cyanea to be discovered.

Of Holmes as dog owner, I have the feeling he felt about them as he did about women. He admired them, but didn't want one for himself.

edit: probably totally irrelevant detail, but I read in a Bulldog Drummond story flogging was the traditional punishment for white slaving, and presumably some other forms of pimping.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

You are so, so good at this ^_^ So many excellent points.

Though looking at the wiki article myself, I would query "savage". There is a quotation from the Kennel Club: "not aggressive but fearless." Which I think is an important distinction. They were bred as hunting dogs but it appears that a well-trained dog would a well-behaved and safe companion. (I gather that fight between an Airedale and a bull terrier would have been set up by humans.) I did also spot the positive description: "the dog is very intelligent, independent, strong-minded, stoic, and can sometimes be stubborn." If McPherson was indeed like his dog, that would make him quite a sympathetic character. Although, btw, I do wonder if he had trained his dog correctly - it did after all, keep "plaguing" Murdoch.

But it is an odd story, and maybe Holmes was trying to cover something up. And he might not have needed to go to the extremes of finding an exotic jellyfish. It might just have been an ordinary jellyfish - Holmes points at it, announces it's a Lion's Mane, and then he and Stackhurst immediately squash it with a boulder. It all happens so quickly - perhaps the inspector with them assumes he's seen a jellyfish like a lion's mane because that's what he's been told. Power of suggestion.

And I love that declaration of yours: "I have the feeling he felt about [dogs] as he did about women. He admired them, but didn't want one for himself." ^___^ Sounds exactly right.

That is an intriguing point about flogging as a punishment. Did McPherson have unpleasant plans for poor Miss Bellamy..?

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Not as good as you. Great suggestion, the unfortunate jellyfish being perfectly harmless. It also explains why Holmes doesn't worry about clearing its remains out of the water.

Holmes' encomium of Miss Belamy did strike me as a bit out of left field. She could have displayed great courage and self command, and earned such praise, under circumstances he felt bound to conceal.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

"Encomium" - what a great word ^^ (*discreetly looks up* :P)

I would absolutely agree with you. Holmes' extreme admiration for Miss Bellamy does just seem to come out of nowhere. She's certainly an admirable woman and bearing up well after the news of her fiancé's death, but for Holmes to say she'd always remain in his memory as a remarkable woman..? There must be more to it than he's telling us.

digressions

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

This is a slight digression, but "the dog Bartholomew," who features in the Jeeves and Wooster tales is depicted as an Aberdeen terrier (scottie dog), which is smaller than an Airedale and still manages to savage policemen and tree valets on top of wardrobes. So, I do believe that it's possible that an Airedale startled someone enough to toss it out a window.

Another digression: Flogging was also a punishment for beating your wife.

Re: digressions

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Digressing even further: have you read CB Poultney's charming dog stories? I think most of them were published in the '30s. My own Cold Noses was in 1943.

Re: digressions

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

No! I haven't. I did come across a tale by PG Wodehouse from the canine point of view, which seemed like a possibly entertaining read.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of Holmes thinking up a story that would help his friend; however, that seems a bit touchy-feely for him. I also wonder if he was simply not a bit out of practice with mysteries and observations, having turned his attentions to Nature and bees.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for both replies. I love that scene where Bartholomew is so Scottish, 'like an elder in the pulpit' and so on.

I'm really glad to now about the wife beating punishment for its own sake, since I didn't know it was illegal.

Holmes did still seem to practice detction in small things.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

It became more legal later.... very sad.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I have a meta-suggestion (I hope it's allowed) about the apparent anomalies: Conan Doyle had stopped keeping track of all these details by 1926 when he wrote this story, and he was writing somewhat under duress. He had clearly tired of writing Holmes and Watson stories when he killed Holmes, but the fas would have none of it.

Another suggestion, more internal to the tales, is that no matter how well two people know each other, hidden depths remain. Besides, Watson undoubtedly had some investment in describing Holmes as a sort of superhuman. Holmes would have fewer qualms about showing his own limitations, perhaps?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Meta-suggestions are very much allowed ^^ We may like to play the Game, but we do acknowledge ACD too ^^

To be honest, ACD never completely kept track of the details in the Holmes stories - right from the beginning. That's why playing the Game is so fun. And admittedly he tired of Holmes and killed him off and then bowed to public pressure and brought him back. But the quality of his post-hiatus stories is overall just as high as the pre-hiatus ones, I would say. The clunky aspect of the mystery in LION feels like an aberration. (Though having a jellyfish as the killer is an inspired idea.)

I would agree with you that Holmes might be more open about showing his limitations. (Though Watson doesn't always portray Holmes as perfect - there's YELL, for example.) But not noticing McPherson was sopping wet? Asssuming because the towel hadn't been used that McPherson hadn't bathed? Reading this story before the others would make you wonder how Holmes had ever become a famous detective ^^

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I completely agree that this story does cast a lot of doubt on the effectiveness of Holmes's detecting.

So, if we eliminate author fatigue as the cause of some of these anomalies, and we also consider that Holmes might only go so far in being honest about himself, what are we left with?

1. Holmes reports on a major flub.
2. Holmes is irritated with Watson for some reason and is setting out to show how much he embellished in his accounts.
3. Holmes visited Mycroft much more often that Watson was aware of, and if he'd seen Mycroft, Mycroft might have told him to loom for a jellyfish.

hmmm...