Canon Discussion: His Last Bow
Jan. 3rd, 2016 08:01 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60Thank you so much to the guest editors from the MMI for taking charge of things last week ^_^ This week we’re back to normal and having a look at His Last Bow. I’ve typed up a few thoughts and questions to get the discussion going—please leave your own ideas in the comments!
First of all, this site gives some useful information about LAST—especially the historical situation.
Secondly, the story is told in third person. Who’s the author? Watson? Holmes? Someone else? In Watson’s preface to the collection of short stories that take their name from LAST he states: The approach of the German war caused [Holmes], however, to lay his remarkable combination of intellectual and practical activity at the disposal of the government, with historical results which are recounted in His Last Bow. Several previous experiences which have lain long in my portfolio have been added to His Last Bow so as to complete the volume. The fact that LAST is included in the collection does suggest it’s Watson’s work. But he does use the passive “are recounted”, instead of straightforwardly saying “I have recounted”...
“...window-breaking Furies…” Whilst looking into the Suffragettes and the Suffragists for my 60, I was somewhat startled to be told that in 1914, as well as no women be allowed to vote, forty per cent of British men didn’t qualify to vote either: Representation of the People Act 1884: All men paying an annual rental of £10 or all those holding land valued at £10 now had the vote. (Wikipedia). I wonder if Holmes used his vote—when Watson made his infamous list in STUD he said that Holmes’ interest in politics was “feeble”. (Obviously, in LAST he’s doing government work but even then: “Strong pressure was brought upon me to look into the matter.” He wasn’t automatically interested in helping.) But Holmes was young when Watson made the list and anyway, in later stories his knowledge and interests often appear to contradict what it says.
"That is Martha…” I know there is a theory Martha is Mrs. Hudson but I really can’t believe that this is correct. Holmes and Watson both have their true identities eventually revealed by the author, so why wouldn’t Mrs. Hudson have been given the same courtesy? It’s possible that Holmes could have started calling Mrs. Hudson by her Christian name (but highly unlikely I feel) because of changing times and because they would be friends now, rather than landlady and tenant. But Martha addresses Holmes as “Mr. Holmes” and “sir”. It seems an unequal relationship. Not to mention that Holmes refers to Martha as “old Martha” when talking to Watson. I can’t help but feel that would be downright impolite if Martha were indeed Mrs. Hudson.
And what exactly is Martha’s profession? Is she truly a housekeeper—doing her bit for Britain? Or is she a government agent? Is she only in Holmes’ employ? “You can report to me to-morrow in London, Martha, at Claridge's Hotel." What does Martha go on to do after this?
He was a tall, gaunt man of sixty… Is Holmes sixty in 1914? Or is it just his persona Altamont who’s sixty? We’ve just had Holmes doing his older and wiser act on MacDonald in VALL in the late ‘80s when he should only have been about 35, and in SCAN he refers to Irene Adler as a “young person”—she would only have been four years younger than Holmes if he was indeed born in 1854.
“How have the years used you? You look the same blithe boy as ever. " Holmes and Watson definitely haven’t seen each other for the past two years, as Holmes has been undercover. But “how have the years used you?” rather implies they haven’t seen each other for many years. Why did they drift apart? Was it just down to living a significant distance from each other?
“When I say that I started my pilgrimage at Chicago, graduated in an Irish secret society at Buffalo, gave serious trouble to the constabulary at Skibbareen, and so eventually caught the eye of a subordinate agent of Von Bork, who recommended me as a likely man, you will realize that the matter was complex.” Any thoughts on Holmes’ undercover work?
"It was I who brought about the separation between Irene Adler and the late King of Bohemia when your cousin Heinrich was the Imperial Envoy.” Odd thing for Holmes to say regarding Irene Adler—has he truly forgotten the exact details of SCAN?
“As to you, Watson, you are joining us with your old service, as I understand…” Really? Watson is an elderly man now, no matter how skilled a doctor he is.
“...so London won't be out of your way.” That phrasing rather suggests to me that Watson isn’t living in London any more. What is his situation at the moment? Where is he living? Did he remarry? Is he working as a doctor?
“Start her up, Watson, for it's time that we were on our way.” So what happens after the war? I don’t like to think of this being the end for Holmes and Watson. Certainly we know that both Holmes and Watson had stories published in the 1920s—the last of Watson’s being in 1927.
Next Sunday, 10th January, we’ll be having a look at The Mazarin Stone. Hope you can join us then.
First of all, this site gives some useful information about LAST—especially the historical situation.
Secondly, the story is told in third person. Who’s the author? Watson? Holmes? Someone else? In Watson’s preface to the collection of short stories that take their name from LAST he states: The approach of the German war caused [Holmes], however, to lay his remarkable combination of intellectual and practical activity at the disposal of the government, with historical results which are recounted in His Last Bow. Several previous experiences which have lain long in my portfolio have been added to His Last Bow so as to complete the volume. The fact that LAST is included in the collection does suggest it’s Watson’s work. But he does use the passive “are recounted”, instead of straightforwardly saying “I have recounted”...
“...window-breaking Furies…” Whilst looking into the Suffragettes and the Suffragists for my 60, I was somewhat startled to be told that in 1914, as well as no women be allowed to vote, forty per cent of British men didn’t qualify to vote either: Representation of the People Act 1884: All men paying an annual rental of £10 or all those holding land valued at £10 now had the vote. (Wikipedia). I wonder if Holmes used his vote—when Watson made his infamous list in STUD he said that Holmes’ interest in politics was “feeble”. (Obviously, in LAST he’s doing government work but even then: “Strong pressure was brought upon me to look into the matter.” He wasn’t automatically interested in helping.) But Holmes was young when Watson made the list and anyway, in later stories his knowledge and interests often appear to contradict what it says.
"That is Martha…” I know there is a theory Martha is Mrs. Hudson but I really can’t believe that this is correct. Holmes and Watson both have their true identities eventually revealed by the author, so why wouldn’t Mrs. Hudson have been given the same courtesy? It’s possible that Holmes could have started calling Mrs. Hudson by her Christian name (but highly unlikely I feel) because of changing times and because they would be friends now, rather than landlady and tenant. But Martha addresses Holmes as “Mr. Holmes” and “sir”. It seems an unequal relationship. Not to mention that Holmes refers to Martha as “old Martha” when talking to Watson. I can’t help but feel that would be downright impolite if Martha were indeed Mrs. Hudson.
And what exactly is Martha’s profession? Is she truly a housekeeper—doing her bit for Britain? Or is she a government agent? Is she only in Holmes’ employ? “You can report to me to-morrow in London, Martha, at Claridge's Hotel." What does Martha go on to do after this?
He was a tall, gaunt man of sixty… Is Holmes sixty in 1914? Or is it just his persona Altamont who’s sixty? We’ve just had Holmes doing his older and wiser act on MacDonald in VALL in the late ‘80s when he should only have been about 35, and in SCAN he refers to Irene Adler as a “young person”—she would only have been four years younger than Holmes if he was indeed born in 1854.
“How have the years used you? You look the same blithe boy as ever. " Holmes and Watson definitely haven’t seen each other for the past two years, as Holmes has been undercover. But “how have the years used you?” rather implies they haven’t seen each other for many years. Why did they drift apart? Was it just down to living a significant distance from each other?
“When I say that I started my pilgrimage at Chicago, graduated in an Irish secret society at Buffalo, gave serious trouble to the constabulary at Skibbareen, and so eventually caught the eye of a subordinate agent of Von Bork, who recommended me as a likely man, you will realize that the matter was complex.” Any thoughts on Holmes’ undercover work?
"It was I who brought about the separation between Irene Adler and the late King of Bohemia when your cousin Heinrich was the Imperial Envoy.” Odd thing for Holmes to say regarding Irene Adler—has he truly forgotten the exact details of SCAN?
“As to you, Watson, you are joining us with your old service, as I understand…” Really? Watson is an elderly man now, no matter how skilled a doctor he is.
“...so London won't be out of your way.” That phrasing rather suggests to me that Watson isn’t living in London any more. What is his situation at the moment? Where is he living? Did he remarry? Is he working as a doctor?
“Start her up, Watson, for it's time that we were on our way.” So what happens after the war? I don’t like to think of this being the end for Holmes and Watson. Certainly we know that both Holmes and Watson had stories published in the 1920s—the last of Watson’s being in 1927.
Next Sunday, 10th January, we’ll be having a look at The Mazarin Stone. Hope you can join us then.
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