Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sherlock Holmes'

This thesis examines Sherlock Holmes texts (1886–1927) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and their recreations in the television series Sherlock (2010) and Elementary (2012) through a postcolonial lens. Through an in-depth textual analysis of Doyle’s mysteries, my thesis will show that his stories were intended to be propaganda discouraging the British Empire from becoming tainted, ill, and dirty through immersing themselves in the “Orient” or the East. The ideal Imperial body, gender roles, and national landscape are feminized, covered in darkness, and infected when in contact for too long with the “Other” people of the East and their cultures. Sherlock Holmes cleanses society of the darkness, becoming a hero for the Empire and an example of the perfect British man created out of logic and British law. And yet, Sherlock Holmes’ very identity relies on the existence of the Other and the mystery he or she creates. The detective’s obsession with solving mysteries, drug addiction, depression, and the art of deduction demonstrate that, without the Other, Holmes has no identity. As the body politic, Holmes craves more mystery to unravel, examine, and know. Without it, he feels useless and dissatisfied with life. The satisfaction with pinpointing every detail, in order to solve a mystery continues today in all media versions. Bringing Sherlock Holmes to life for television and updating him to appeal to today's culture only make sense. Though society has the insight offered by postcolonial theory, evidence of an imperial mindset is still present in the most popular reproductions of Sherlock Holmes Sherlock and Elementary.

By using adaptation theory and Linda Hutcheon’s depiction of adapters in the process of adaptation as “first interpreters and then creators” (18), this article argues how the original Sherlock Holmes illustrations, penciled most notably by Sidney Paget, are both a canonical element of the Holmes legacy and themselves an adaptation. This creates a means of exploring why and how the television show Sherlock Holmes (1984-1994), developed by Granada Television, uses the original Holmes illustrations as a source of adaptation to create the appearance of fidelity to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Being faithful to the Holmes stories is not a common adaptation practice. Granada’s Holmes chooses to be faithful to the original illustrations and to the Victorian era, not so much to be unique among Holmes adaptations but to be similar to the 1980s heritage cinema trend of faithfully adapting English literature. Heritage cinema, as Andrew Higson states, is a “potent marketing of the past” (1), and through its propensity to adapt literature faithfully to a past time period, heritage cinema reflects a cultural desire for national nostalgia in 1980s Britain. In the case of Granada’s Holmes, this tactic turns Sherlock Holmes into both financial and cultural capital. By being seemingly faithful to the original illustrations, Granada’s Holmes is left vulnerable to the kinds of fidelity or comparative criticisms that adaptation scholars often denounce. Adaptation studies criticizes efforts to compare the source text to the adaptation, saying it will inevitably lead to privileging the source text. Through my investigation, however, I argue that there is a need to use forms of fidelity criticism in order to more fully explore the reasons why Granada’s Holmes hinges its success around fidelity to the original Holmes illustrations.

This book of interdisciplinary essays serves to situate the original Sherlock Holmes, and his various adaptations, in a contemporary cultural context. This collection is prompted by three main and related questions: firstly, why is Sherlock Holmes such an enduring and ubiquitous cultural icon; secondly, why is it that Sherlock Holmes, nearly 130 years after his birth, is enjoying such a spectacular renaissance; and, thirdly, what sort of communities, imagined or otherwise, have arisen around this figure since the most recent resurrections of Sherlock Holmes by popular media? Covering various media and genres (TV, film, literature, theatre) and scholarly approaches, this comprehensive collection offers cogent answers to these questions

This thesis examines the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and how they relate to the late-Victorian Sensation Novel. First, a brief introduction to the Sensation novel is made. It makes a study the character of Sherlock Holmes, his habits, and his cases to show the sensationalism of his character. It considers the setting of late-Victorian England and its connections to the world created by Conan Doyle. Finally, it takes into account the significance of Victorian class structure within the stories. All these come together to confirm that the Sherlock Holmes stories belonged within the sensation genre. The research materials include critics such as Philip Davis, author of The Victorians, Russell Goldfarb, author of Sexual Repression and Victorian Literature, and Steven Marcus, author of The Other Victorians: A Study of Sexuality and Pornography in Mid-Nineteenth- Century England. Other sources also include the 1898 Poverty Map created by Charles Booth, works by Dr. William Acton, and articles from the Penny Illustrated Paper. These sources help to form conclusions about the Sherlock Holmes stories as sensational stories providing detailed descriptions and examinations of Holmes' character, sexuality, and lifestyle and how they pertian to the Sensation genre. The thesis will also take into account different interpretations of Holmes' character as it has evolved through the 20th and 21st centuries thus far.
Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of English.

This thesis joins a lively field of Victorian cultural studies to examine the construction and re-presentation of personal and national identity in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, concentrating on three tales: ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’, ‘The Adventure of the Creeping Man’ and The Sign of Four. Employing Mikhail Bakhtin’s concepts of dialogism and heteroglossia, it argues against the view of detective fiction as literature which merely confirms and reflects the normative middle-class values, positing instead that the effects of excessive textuality at work in the Holmes stories exceed the task of simple hegemonic reinforcement. It proposes a new method for reading Doyle’s narratives, termed ‘syndromatic’, which understands the stories in a reciprocal and dynamic intertextual relationship with the historical, socio-cultural and literary milieu of their emergence. This approach supposes an irreducible density of 'textual' weave on either side of the traditional text/context divide, and allows us to trace the conflictual and polyvocal interplay across it. Rooted in and inspired by a particular genre and an inimitable, if much imitated, author, the thesis none the less makes an oblique argument for a renewed urgency of literary-cultural analysis in general. Working with the formalistic as well as content requirements of detective fiction and actively engaging The Great Game of Sherlockian scholarship alongside a theoretical study, this research negotiates the intellectual and the emotional involvement with its object to explore, as participant-observer, the addictive joys of reading detective fiction.

This thesis is a study of the ways in which readers actively and collaboratively co-produce fiction. It focuses on American Sherlockians, a group of devotees of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. At its centre is an analysis of geographical and travel writings these readers produced about Holmes’s life and world, in the later years of the twentieth century. I argue that Sherlockian writings indicate a tendency to practise what I term ‘expansionary literary geography’; that is, a species of encounter with fiction in which readers harness literature’s creative agency in order to consciously add to or expand the literary spaces of the text. My thesis is a work of literary geography. I am indebted to recent work that theorises reading as a dynamic practice which occurs in time and space. My work develops this theoretical lens by considering the fictional event in the light of encounters which are collaborative, collective and ongoing. I present my findings across four substantive chapters, each of which elucidates a different aspect of Sherlockians’ expansionary literary geography: first, mapping, where Sherlockians who set out to definitively map the world as Doyle wrote it keep re-drawing its boundaries outside of his texts; secondly, creative writing, by which readers make Holmes move while ensuring he never wanders too far from the canon; thirdly, debate, a popular pastime among American Sherlockians and a means for readers to build Holmes’s world out of their own memories and experiences; and fourthly, literary tourism, used by three exemplary readers as a means of walking Holmes into the world. I conclude with a call for literary geography as a discipline to continue to broaden its horizons beyond the writers and readers of self-consciously literary fictions. The kinds of reading practices I discuss here can take us closer to demonstrating the role that literature and encounters with fictions play in the wider production of space in everyday life.

In this study, I aim to point to the marginalised position of the female characters in the original Sherlock Holmes stories. I then examine the development of the female characters in two adaptations Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock, taking in consideration the cultural context affecting the adaptation of the characters. I concentrate on two female characters in particular; Mary Morstan and Irene Adler. I study how they are represented and portrayed, and subsequently, what ideals and attitudes those portrayals and representations reflect. I also analyse the position of the female characters more generally. I conclude that the original Sherlock Holmes stories distinctly reflect patriarchal social structures. In Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the female characters’ position is deteriorated as a result of the prevailing ideals in the 1980s–1990s. Lastly, in Sherlock the female characters are more fully developed, although the means of developing might in some cases be ineffective or misguided. Nonetheless, the development of the female characters in the more modern adaptation helps undo the patriarchal structures reflected in the original canon
Tässä tutkielmassa käsittelen Sherlock Holmes tarinoiden naishahmojen marginalisoitunutta asemaa. Tutkin myös näiden naishahmojen kehitystä kahdessa adaptaatiossa, Sherlock Holmesin seikkailut ja Uusi Sherlock, ottaen huomioon kulttuurillisen kontekstin vaikutuksen adaptoinnissa. Keskityn erityisesti kahteen naishahmoon: Mary Morstaniin ja Irene Adleriin. Tutkin kuinka heitä kuvataan ja mitä he edustavat, ja seurauksena, millaisia ihanteita ja asenteita he heijastavat. Lisäksi analysoin naishahmojen asemaa yleisemmällä tasolla. Johtopäätökseni on, että alkuperäiset Sherlock Holmes novellit heijastavat selkeästi patriarkaalisia sosiaalisia rakenteita. Sherlock Holmesin seikkailut -sarjassa naishahmojen asema heikkenee 1980–1990-luvun vallitsevien ihanteiden seurauksena. Lopuksi, Uusi Sherlock sarjassa naishahmoja on kehitetty kattavammin, vaikka tavat, joilla hahmoja on kehitetty, saattavat joissain tapaukissa olla tehottomia tai ajattelemattomia. Siitä huolimatta, naishahmojen kehitys uudemmassa adaptaatiossa auttaa patriarkaalisten rakenteiden purkamisessa, joita alkuperäisessä teoksessa esiintyy

Sherlock holmes est l'un de ces rares personnages de fiction a avoir atteint une popularite universelle et une dimension mythique. La these recherche l'origine a travers le temps du succes et de l'universalite de l'oeuvre policiere de conan doyle moins dans des procedes d'ecriture que dans sa dimension historique et culturelle. Sherlock holmes, et avec lui le roman policier, est en effet un produit culturel qui apparait a un moment clef de l'histoire occidentale: celui ou, au lendemain de la "revolution industrielle", l'angleterre comme les autres pays occidentaux s'enracine dans la modernite, par l'abandon ou le rejet d'anciens modes de vie et de pensee, ou par adhesion a de nouvelles normes et valeurs. Le mouvement ne fut cependant ni uniforme ni lineaire. Les changements structurels comme les changements culturels s'accompagnerent de resistances, de reactions a la nouveaute qui rendent impossible toute analyse globalisante de la periode dite victorienne et edouardienne. La finalite de cette etude est de montrer que, par l'adaptation de mythes tres anciens a un contexte moderne, le cycle holmes reproduit la courbe sinusoidale decrite par ce mouvement de transition qui s'etend de la fin de l'ere feodale a nos jours. Roman de la transgression par excellence, mais aussi de la reintegration du deviant, le roman policier classique est en effet, dans le domaine esthetique, le plus apte a recevoir et a reproduire la redefinition des notions de norme et de deviance qui signale le passage de l'ere pre-moderne a l'ere moderne
Sherlock holmes is one of the very few fictional characters whose popularity is universal, and whose dimension has become mythical. The thesis tries to evolve through time and space the origins of the success and universality of conan doyle's detective fiction. Rather than to mere original writing processes, the rules of which the author himself is the first to break, these origins can be traced back to the historical and cultural dimension of the work. Sherlock holmes and the detective novel are both cultural products which came out at a key moment in western history -- the moment when, in the period following the so-called "industrial revolution", great-britain, like other western countries, was taking root in modernity, giving up or rejecting former living and thinking modes, or adhering to new norms and values. Yet this evolution was neither uniform nor linear. Structural as well as cultural changes met counteractive reactions which make it difficult for the historian to analyse the victorian and edwardian period in global terms. The aim of this study is to show that, by adapting very ancient myths to a modern context, the sherlock holmes saga reproduces the sinusoidal curve described by this transitional period, which runs from the feudal to the modern times. For indeed, as the novel of trangression par excellence, but also as a novel which prompts the final reintegration of the deviant character, the classical detective novel is, in the aesthetic realm, the most likely to bring in and reproduce the new definitions of the notions of norm and deviancy which mark the transition from the pre-modern to the modern era

The aim of this paper is to examine the British television series Sherlock with a genre and narration analysis and to examine how the classic detective genre has developed in terms of narration and to connect it with changes in the contemporary society. The main questions are how the material coincide and differentiate with the original genre the classic detective story as well as the postmodern genre the conspiracy thriller. The methods used are genre and narrative analysis in an attempt to position the narrative of the material within the detective story genres traditional narrative. The analysis is based on functionalist theory about the functions of media texts, genre and narrative theory as well as postmodern theory. The premise is the view on texts as symbolic actions, and the hermeneutic task to disclose that symbolism. The findings of the paper is that Sherlock contain a high amount of intertextuality and join both the classic detective and the conspiracy thriller. The evolution of the genre can be accredited to changes in society’s conflicts and ideals, which in the modern era of the classic detective were questions of class society, a new judicial system and the decline of organized religion and in contemporary society are questions of globalization, infinite networks and conspiracies.

Le mythe holmésien ne cesse de prendre de l'ampleur. Le phénomène du grand détective repose, en partie, sur ses considérations narratologiques. Une stratégie narrative réunissant intrigues, personnages, narrateur et lecteur s'allie à des techniques littéraires caractéristiques du genre du nouveau détective. L'évolution du mythe de nos jours se traduit par des adaptations "fidèles" des adventures of Sherlock Holmes diffusées à la radio et à la télévision
The myth of Sherlock Hholmes is still growing. This phenomenon has its origins, in part, in the narrative technique of conan doyle which combines a commercial strategy covering plot, character, narrator and reader with literary devices typical of the detective story. Beyond the written text the myth is furthered by recent faithful radio and television adaptations of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the first series of twelve short stories

Le rayonnement de Sherlock Holmes dépasse de loin celui de son créateur (Arthur Conan Doyle) ou du roman qui l’a vu naître (Une étude en rouge, 1887) : ce personnage avalisé par ce que Cornelius Castoriadis appelle le « collectif anonyme » est ainsi devenu un mythe moderne. L’imaginaire collectif en fait l’incarnation même du détective et de l’Anglais : il habite Londres, voyage en hansom cab, prend le thé et porte son fameux deerstalker sur la tête. Son appartenance à l’identité nationale britannique est toutefois plus problématique qu’on ne serait spontanément porté à le croire. Effectivement, Conan Doyle s’est inspiré de deux personnages à la fois marginaux et représentatifs de l’identité nationale française pour imaginer son héros tout aussi marginal et représentatif de sa propre identité nationale : le chevalier Dupin d’Edgar Allan Poe (« Double Assassinat dans la rue Morgue », 1841) et monsieur Lecoq d’Émile Gaboriau (L’Affaire Lerouge, 1863). Mais il y a plus. Sherlock Holmes est non seulement né grâce à la France, mais a à son tour donné naissance à des personnages français, dont le gentleman cambrioleur de Maurice Leblanc, Arsène Lupin (« L’Arrestation d’Arsène Lupin », 1905), et le journaliste de Gaston Leroux, Joseph Rouletabille (Le Mystère de la chambre jaune, 1907). Tout se passe ici comme si la création de personnages incarnant l’identité nationale devait d’abord passer par la recherche de modèles paradoxaux liés à l’autre puissance nationale. Ancrés dans une période où chaque nation tente de définir son identité, les personnages du corpus incarnent le discours social de l’époque, tout en ayant été créés, paradoxalement, grâce à des personnages issus de la nation voisine. Balisée par le Second Empire et la Belle Époque, la présente thèse se divise en quatre chapitres, portant chacun sur un personnage français. La première partie, intitulée « En amont », se concentre sur Dupin et Lecoq, les deux figures françaises ayant mené Conan Doyle à créer son héros, alors que la seconde partie, « En aval », explore les personnages nés de l’influence de Sherlock Holmes, soit Lupin et Rouletabille. En adoptant une approche entre la socio et la mythocritique et en se basant sur l’herméneutique de la question et de la réponse proposée par Hans Robert Jauss, cette thèse cherche à objectiver les questionnements auxquels la société aurait trouvé des réponses au travers les corpus étudiés, permettant ainsi l’enracinement de Sherlock Holmes et d’Arsène Lupin dans l’imaginaire social et leur survie dans l’imaginaire collectif, et expliquant l’effacement progressif, voire l’oubli, des autres personnages.

The aim of this thesis is to introduce, justify, and apply a better framework for analysing Sherlock Holmes, one of the most adapted characters of all time. The project works to resituate the focus of those involved in studying adaptations of Sherlock Holmes from an examination of the discrete transition of a text from page to screen, to the evolution of the character as it changes across various intertexts and through time. The purpose is to show that it is the character specifically, and not the literary text with its narrative, genric, and aesthetic qualifications, that is being adapted, and that with this in mind, studying adaptations of Sherlock Holmes should involve a study of the various processes, pressures, and mechanisms that shape, change, and define the character throughout its hundreds of screen afterlives. This thesis then analyses many of these processes with the aim of contributing to our understanding of how a character like Holmes is moulded through remediation. It takes into account how the character’s indices shift and accumulate as they are variously performed. It also considers how the mechanisms of selection function to privilege certain incarnations of the character, and how that privileging becomes a part of future readings. Finally, it addresses how reception and perception by audiences influence how the character is read, and thus how it is understood. By considering all of these aspects of the evolutionary process, and by avoiding a chronological or even a linear organization of the texts under scrutiny, this work seeks to offer a more complete answer to the question of how a single source can support a multitude of varied, even contradictory adaptations and remain relevant and interesting through the years.

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente
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Esta dissertação de mestrado investiga a representação da história e identidade nacional em recriações da personagem Sherlock Holmes no Brasil e na Inglaterra. No Capítulo 2, analiso dois romances e um filme que retratam Sherlock Holmes no Brasil, respectivamente, Noturno, 1894 ou paixões e guerra em Desterro, e a primeira aventura de Sherlcok Holmes no Brasil (1997), de Raimundo C. Caruso, O Xangô de Baker Street (1995), de Jô Soares e O Xangô de Baker Street (2001), filme de Miguel Faria. Esses romances e filme são inseridos em um contexto brasileiro. As imagens de Sherlock Holmes no Brasil trazem à tona noções acerca da identidade nacional brasileira versus inglesa. No Capítulo 3, analiso três contos escritos por Conan Doyle sobre Sherlock Holmes e três filmes que ambientam Holmes em sua terra natal, a Inglaterra. Os contos são "A Scandal in Bohemia" (de Julho de 1891), "The Red-headed League" (de Agosto de 1891), e "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" (de Fevereiro de 1892). Os filmes são Dressed to kill (1946) e The Woman in Green (1945), ambos de Roy William Neill, além de The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), de Terence Fisher. Meu objetivo é analisar como noções de história e identidade nacional são projetadas nas imagens do detetive inglês, além de investigar como essas imagens e narrativas são problematizadas em produções culturais recentes, em especial pelo uso da paródia pós-moderna. Este estudo também trata das convenções e histórias dos gêneros cinematográficos de detetive e histórico, avaliando como as recriações de Sherlock Holmes no Brasil e na Inglaterra respondem aos contos originais de Conan Doyle. This master thesis investigates the representation of history and national identity in recreations of Sherlock Holmes in Brazil and in England. In Chapter 2, I analyze two novels and one film that set Sherlock Holmes in Brazil, respectively, Raimundo C. Caruso's Noturno, 1894 ou paixões e guerra em Desterro, e a primeira aventura de Sherlcok Holmes no Brasil (1997), Jô Soares's O Xangô de Baker Street (1995), and Miguel Faria's film O Xangô de Baker Street (2001). These novels and film are inserted within a Brazilian context. The images of Sherlock Holmes in Brazil foreground notions of Brazilianess versus Englishness. In Chapter 3, I analyze three original short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and three films that set Holmes in his homeland, England. The stories are "A Scandal in Bohemia" (July 1891), "The Red-headed League" (August 1891), and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" (February 1892). The films are Roy William Neill's Dressed to kill (1946) and The Woman in Green (1945), and Terence Fisher's The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). My aim is to analyze how notions of history and national identity are projected onto the images of the English detective, and how these images and narratives are problematized in recent cultural productions, especially through the use of postmodern parody. This study also draws on the conventions and histories of the detective film and historical film genre, as it assesses how filmic recreations of Sherlock Holmes in Brazil and in England respond to the original stories by Conan Doyle.

Cette these a pour but d'isoler les mecanismes de fonctionnement du mythe qu'est devenu sherlock holmes dans les cinquante-six nouvelles et les quatre romans originaux d'arthur conan doyle, une etude narratologique et structurelle du texte montrera de quelle facon le mythe est inscrit dans le langage, et se construit autour d'un discours initiatique qui bouleverse le schema temporel : le texte accede ainsi a un present continu, et gomme efficacement la frontiere entre la realite et la fiction. Une typologie des symboles recurrents dans l'oeuvre montrera que doyle poursuit dans le fond le meme but que dans la forme, a savoir faire echec au temps qui passe. Un premier mouvement consiste a prendre les armes contre le temps nefaste, et a faire de sherlock holmes un heros ascensionnel immortel : ce regime diurne de conflit contre les forces du mal, versant normatif du texte, repose sur des structures schizomorphes qui provoquent une pathologie generalisee de nevrose obsessionnelle. Parallelelement, doyle developpe pourtant un regime nocturne dissident, une autre scene, ou le conflit contre le temps s'inverse en absorption, ou le clivage se dissout dans une osmose generalisee, dans un melange des genres qui engendre une perte, pathologique mais jubilatoire, de toute sensibilite differentielle. Apres avoir ete reduit par la force, le temps chronologique laisse donc place a une " cinquieme saison " absolument privee d'histoire, archetypique de la quietude prenatale, et transforme rituellement le recit en mythe
The aim of this ph. D thesis is to isolate the mechanism that is at the origin of the sherlock holmes myth, in the original 56 stories and 4 novels by arthur conan doyle. A narrative and structural study of the text will show how the myth is born in the langage, and is built around an initiatic discourse that totally upsets the temporal sequence : the text spins out a continuous present, and erases the frontier between reality and fiction. A typology of recurrent symbols will prove that the same aim informs the form and the content of doyle's work, i. E. Winning the battle against mutability. Afirst movement consist in taking up arms against dreadful time, and in turning sherlock holmes into an immortal climbing hero : such a conflict against the forces of evil, which constitutes the acknowledged norm of the text, lies on schizomorphic structures that bring about a general pathology of obsessional neurosis. Through the looking-glass, doyle develops a dissident structure, an other scene,in which conflict becomes absorption and osmosis, through a melting of the different reigns of nature that creates a pathological but euphoric loss of any differential sensitivity. After being subjected by sheer force, chronological, transient time disappears for a <> that is absolutely non historic, archetypal of antenatal quiet, and brings about a ritual transmutation of langage into myth

This study examines changes over time in 40 different Sherlock Holmes films and 39 television series and movies spanning from 1900 to 2017. Quantitative observations were mixed with a qualitative examination. Perceptions of law enforcement became more positive over time, the types of crime did not vary, and representation of race and gender improved over time with incrementally positive changes in the representation of queer, mentally ill, and physically handicapped individuals. The exact nature of these trends is discussed. Additionally, the trends of different decades are explored and compared. Sherlock Holmes is mostly used as a vehicle for storytelling rather than for the salacious crimes that he solves, making the identification of perceptions of crime in different decades difficult. The reasons for why different Sherlock Holmes projects were created in different eras and for different purposes are discussed.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur kvinnorna i BBCs serie ”Sherlock” representeras och förhåller sig till traditionella könsroller. Då serien är en nytolkande version som utspelar sig på 2000-talet till skillnad från originalen som utspelar sig drygt 100 år tidigare blir det intressant att undersöka hur mycket som förändras från originalen av Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Karaktärerna har genomgått stor förändring genom denna nytolkning, och även nya karaktärer har skapats för serien. I analysen kommer bland annat Connells teorier om genus att användas för att definiera genus och fastställa hur en man och kvinna bör vara enligt samhällets normer, detta kompletteras med D.H Meehans definierade stereotyper. Två avsnitt av serien kommer att användas i analysen, med fokus på tre kvinnliga karaktärer: En som återfinns i originalen, samt två nya. Dessa karaktärer kommer att analyseras genom att undersöka utvalda scener där de samspelar med Sherlock Holmes. Analysen sker genom en semiotisk analys, samt kvalitativ textanalys. Jag använder mig av Roland Barthes begrepp denotation och konnotation vid scenanalysen, detta för att undersöka vad som utmärker kvinnorna i serien. Egenskaperna dessa kvinnor besitter kommer sedan att ställas mot mina valda teorier, detta för att fastställa hur väl karaktärernas genusmönster överensstämmer med stereotypiska tolkningar, slutligen kommer de valda avsnitten att analyseras och jämföras bredvid originalen av Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. En kvalitativ textanalys kommer att göras av två utvalda texter om serien i fråga, en som anser att serien är sexistisk och mansdominerad och en som talar mot detta. Textanalysen görs för att undersöka publikens tolkningar och för att förstå varför serien väckt debatt. I mitt resultat har jag funnit vissa egenskaper för karaktärerna som stämmer överens med den teoretiska ramen, även om alla egenskaper inte kunde appliceras på karaktärerna i fråga. Kvinnorna framställs ofta som känslosamma, emotionellt splittrade och även beroende av männen omkring dem. De nya karaktärerna identifieras ofta som känslosamma och genom sitt förhållande till männen, medan Irene Adler som uppgraderats från originalen portträtteras som en emotionell och känslostyrd kvinna som behöver mannens beskydd. Jag har funnit gränsöverskridande i vissa karaktärer, där manliga och kvinnliga egenskaper blandats. Slutsatsen blir att det finns mönster för hur genus porträtteras i serien som återfinns i mediestereotyper. Även textanalysen bidrog till att stärka denna teori, då det varit viktigt att förstå vilka frågor serien väckt och varför. Nyckelord: BBC Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Semiotisk analys, textanalys

This thesis is a queer masculinity reading of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894). The analysis focuses on the dissonances, tensions and queerness that reside within the text itself. This has been done from my problem statement: How is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson’s sexuality and masculinity portrayed within the boundary of the text? What is being said, what is hidden, and what is dealt with silently? To reveal these queer parts this analysis has been focused around five themes: the late Victorian male, the Woman, countertypes and decadence, the homosocial sphere and sexuality. The thesis has two major theoretical perspectives: masculinity theory, and queer theory. For the masculine analysis I have used Jørgen Lorentzen and Claes Ekenstam’s concept of manly/unmanly, character, and the citizen from the book Män i Norden: Manlighet och modernitet 1840-1940 and George L. Mosse’s countertype. For the queer theoretical I have used a queer resistant reading combined with Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s concept of homosexual panic, and Judith Butler’s gender melancholia. Professor Joseph A. Kestner’s Sherlock’s Men has guided the reading of the short story collection. This thesis aims at showing that the improbable might well reside within the text, not least in the relationship between the two main characters Holmes and Watson. At first glimpse this world of Holmes’s seems devoid of desire, but in a closer reading cracks appear. There are silences, and unnecessary explanations, which have little to do with the adventures themselves, not to mention silent looks, and the association with the domestic. These threaten to effeminize their masculinity, especially Holmes who is a bachelor and suffers from repeated nervousness. Disease of the nerves was associated with effeminacy and homosexuality during the Victorian era. Also, the relationship between Holmes and Watson do at times parody the heterosexual. It’s hard however to find any conclusive evidence of any sexuality in the text, least of all homoerotic, which is hardly surprising considering the forbidding laws that were in place.

This thesis works to establish a literary theory and cultural studies as a theoretical lens with which we can view harmful emerging pop culture phenomena like the so-called alt right. The premise is supposed in three parts, with the first being a simple introduction to the Pepe character and how he is grounded in literary studies through a comparison of Sherlock Holmes and his early fandom. The second part is a survey of the legacy of Jim Crow and I present the evidence that Pepe is very much Crow’s spiritual successor in their shared preoccupation with white anxiety. The third is a discussion of language in which I bridge the use of memes as language with how that language effectively communicates. Ultimately, Pepe the Frog is able to tap into the pop culture collective through a democratizing of language facilitated by digital spaces on the internet, and his proliferation is made readily viral by the racist language he speaks through ala Jim Crow era anxieties.

Introduction Evolutionary psychology (EP) is a discipline born between evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and physical anthropology. It's both a theoretical and practical scientific discipline which principal purpose is to study human behavior, in order to understand the biological and evolutionary causes that generated it. Evolutionary psychology finds its roots in the Darwinian theory, considering human behavior as the product of adaptations to recurring problems in the ancestral environment, which evolved as functional results of natural or sexual selection forces. A branch of this discipline, Evolutionary forensic psychology, is a burgeoning fieldwhich explores the application of science and the profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to the law and legal systems. It make use of empirical methodologies, as fieldwork, the method mutually exclusive of multiple hypotheses, and the deductive investigative logic, which allowsto create psychological profiles. These profiles are based on objective data from the analysis of the cases, and aim to predict and understand biological motives that led people to commit violent behavior. Evolutionary forensic psychology promise to be a useful tool to study and analyze the variables of different situations, in order to assist and direct police and defensive investigations. In this PhD research I addressed different aspects and applications of this discipline. In the specific, during my research period at Philippe-Pinel research institute of Montrèal, Canada, I have explored the application of evolutionary psychology in the study of presence, a psychological state akin to perceptual illusion, first identified by cognitive and cyber psychology, and here analyzed as sexual presence. However , my research has mainly concentrated on the study of the adaptive value of maternal infanticide, with a special focus on the phenomenon of maternal neonaticide, here meant as "reproductive disinvestment", and its social and legal implications. Following this line of research, as part of the Evolutionary Forensic Psychology Laboratory, I experienced the role of the investigative psychologist, attending as defensive consultant a case of suspected maternal infanticide. Applying the methodology of evolutionary forensic psychology, I conducted, with my supervisor, an interdisciplinary research between forensic psychobiology and legal medicine, aiming to verify the validity of tympanic and rectal temperature in estimating the time of death. I suggest that the results of this research had relevant consequences both in medico-legal and investigative domain but, above all, our outcomes brought to light a number of methodological errors, that are systematically made in our country during the crime scene investigation and the rescuing in outdoor conditions. According to these findings, I have analyzed the European Guidelines for resuscitation in wild conditions, and I took in exam what happens in the practice in our country. Finally I present representative cases, where the time of death was a crucial data, but its erroneous interpretations led to controversial verdicts. The sexual presence model Introduction to the concept of presence Presence is defined as a psychological state or subjective perception causing an individual to give into the illusions created by a computerizing system., it’s a real feeling of been immersed in a virtual environment, mediated by emotional states and biological predispositions. In the practice, it is very important to define and measure the feeling of presence, since Virtual Reality is used to for a large number of purpose. Most recent research show how useful virtual reality is in medical context, both in diagnosis and treatment assessments. According to this, here is presented a special kind of the feeling of presence, the sexual presence, which describes the particular psychological cognitive and physical feeling generate by the experience of sexuality through different media, as erotic movies or chat-line. Aim of the theory To define and understanding sexual presence is crucial to maximize and recall this feeling in an experimental context. In fact, virtual reality is a powerful tool to assess sexual fantasies and interests in individual. Especially with child molesters, and sexual offenders. To get the highest level of presence, which integrates, the users need as much identification as possible inside the virtual system, which should be provided by the developer through a convincing and controlled motor and perceptual illusion. For all these reasons, this work aims to identify the features of sexual presence, and how to induce it in an experimental situation. Main aspects of the sexual presence model Sexual presence is an evolutionary phenomenon featured by motivational emotional and physical feelings, that an individual experiences when exposed to internal or external stimuli, like erotic movies, on-line erotic chat and most of all, sexual fantasies. Sexual presence arises from an adequate combination of form and contents, and is strictly related to sexual arousal and sexual behavior. Following Riva and colleagues (2011) this work identified three sub-processes of sexual presence: proto, core and extended presence, which are deeply connected, and represent both in conscious and in unconscious behaviors and in intents that features sexual presence, and they differ from male and female. This three level model should be well-known when we need to induce sexual presence in experimental context. Thus to maximize sexual presence it is important to identified the erotic imagery features for each participant, and to develop a virtual environment which is significant to the participant. Conclusion This model could be particularly useful in the study of paraphilias and sexual behavior disordered using virtual reality system. In fact, at the present time, the research team I worked with at the Philippe-Pinel Institute, is applying this model in the study of evolutionary hypothesis on rape. Mothers Who Kill Their Offspring: Testing Evolutionary Hypothesis in a 110-case Italian Sample Introduction and aim The killing of a child by own biological mother has occurred in our species since its origin, most probably in every culture and every population. According to evolutionary theory, the killing of offspring by its own mother may, under certain conditions, represent an evolved behavioural pattern that increases the reproductive fitness of the mother. This research aimed to identify incidents of mothers in Italy killing their own children, verifying if neonaticide (killings of children within the first day of life), infanticide (killing of children within the first year of life), and filicide (killing of children after the first year of life) can be objectively distinguished by psychobiological profiles that might help to prevent them, and testing an adaptive evolutionary hypothesis to explain their occurrence. Methods 110 cases of mothers killing 123 of their own offspring from 1976 to 2010 were analyzed. Each case was classified using 13 dichotomic (yes/no) variables. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed both for cases and variables, and significant differences between clusters were analyzed. Results: The Italian sample of neonaticides was found to satisfy most evolutionary predictions for an evolved behavioral, emotional and motivational pattern to increase fitness, showing a consistent profile for the offending mothers. All neonaticide cases fall in a single cluster, distinct from all other cases. Infanticide and filicide, on the contrary, do not significantly differ according to the variables measured (marital status, conditions of the body, mothers age, violent killing, other sons, psychopathology, economical condition, suicide, nationality). The common profile of mothers who have committed infanticide or filicide includes psychopathology, suicide or attempted suicide after killing their children, violent killing of their victims, and no attempt to conceal the victims’ bodies. These results suggest that maternal infanticide and filicide represent an improper functioning of adaptation, and their profile are much more variable than those of neonaticide offenders. Conclusion: Our study confirms that only neonaticide is an adaptive reproductive disinvestment, possibly evolved in the remote past, to increase the biological fitness of the mother by eliminating an unwanted newborn and preserving resources for future offspring born in better conditions. I here show that Neonaticide is clearly distinct from infanticide and filicide and therefore should be approached, prevented, and judged differently in penal assessment. Why mothers kill newborn: a focus on Italian sample Introduction and aims In the light of the results just presented, it has been defined deeply the phenomenon of neonaticide in our country. In line with the literature, our previous outcomes show that neonaticidal mothers are young women, in bad socio-economical situation, who can’t grow their offspring, due to a so defined “reproductive comprehensive instinct”. The socio-biological profile of these women seems very similar to those who decide to have an abortion: renounce to a pregnancy, in this case, doesn’t mean to go against the reproductive instinct, but preserveenergy and resources for a future pregnancy. Here we compared the profiles of neonaticidal mothers and women who decide to interrupt their pregnancy, in order to identify risk factors and contribute to the prevention of this phenomena. Methods 35 cases of neonaticide were analyzed. Each case was classified using 7 main dichotomic variables. To analyze possible risk factors, all data have been normalized, based on the actual frequency of the reference populations, in order to have comparable values, according to ISTAT 2002. Results This study shows that neonaticide and abortion share similar traits, especially concerning the young age of the women. The profile of these women “at risk” suggests that they are 1) normally at their first birth, 2) usually very young with 3) a great residual reproductive potential and (4) immigrated from another country. Conclusion The results here presented might have important implications in therapeutic assessment, as the identification of risk factors, to offer and promote adequate socio-psychological support to at risk future mothers. Evaluation of tympanic and rectal temperature measurements to estimate the time of death in accidents in cold water Introduction and aims The reliable measurement of core deep body temperature is fundamental to estimate the time of death (TOD) in Hessnge nomogram. The golden standard is measuring through rectal or oesophagus probe. Recently infrared tympanic thermometers (ITT), have substituted in some cases the golden standard. We assisted, as defense consultants, a case of suspect maternal infanticide, where the emergency service revealed a deep temperature of 24.9° C with ITT on a female victim of 2 years old, immersed in a 18° C river. The ITT estimated time of death, which seemed to be the only strong evidence against the mother, was in contrast with the predictions from most other biological and thanatological evidences (bloodgas analysis and myocardium electric activity). I could ascertain that according to the psycho-biological profile, the mother had no motive to kill her daughter. To validate the TOD evidence, this work aimed to provide a reliable correlation between the golden standard and infrared tympanic temperature to be eventually used in this and future cases of TOD measurements in accidents occurring in cold water. Methods To compare the ITT and the rectal probe temperature measurements, we tested laboratory rats, in three different conditions: dry alive, immersed alive in 18C° water, and immersed dead (by cervical dislocation) in 18°C water. To sample infrared temperature, we used 3 infrared thermometers. Genius 3000 A (used in this forensic case, 2 samples) and Genius 2 (the most popular at present in Italian emergency services). The rectal temperature was assessed using a rectal probe connected to a monitor Propaq. We also tested the accuracy of ITT, recording body temperatures on a human volunteer before during and after exposing its right ear to 3 minutes running water at 18°C and subsequently dried. Results The Genius 2 stopped registering at 33°C and never resumed recording following the first measurement after the rat was submersed in water. This observation was a posteriori confirmed in the user manual, which stated that this thermometer stopped reading below 33°C. When the rats were submerged in the 18°C running water, the rectal temperature began to decline steadily. The tympanic temperature recorded with Genius 3000A, in contrast, dropped sharply from 34°C to 24°C after the rats were submerged alive in the water. After their deaths, the rectal temperatures continued to decline steadily without major variations, while the tympanic temperature fluctuated above water temperature. On the human volunteer ITT measures immediately fell under 19C°, while the whole body temperature, remained unchanged at 36.5C°. ITT measurements recovered the subject correct body temperature after 33 minutes from water exposure. Conclusion In water-related accidents, such as near drowning, infrared ear thermometry is not a suitable method to measure the actual deep body temperature. Further, confirming these results, the temperature readings of the ITT device provide unreliable measurements of the core temperature. This inaccuracy could lead to inappropriate medical decisions, and thus, we suggest ITT measurements should not be utilised for such cases. Moreover, the use of the ITT Genius 2 is not recommended in emergency settings, especially in case of hypothermia due to his its incapacity to register under 33 C°. Errors, Guidelines and Remarks: what happens in the practice? Introduction and aims The results of previous study left a lot of unanswered questions. The bulk of knowledge necessary to diagnosis of the time of death, known as thanatology, is a multidisciplinary field of study, that includes forensic pathology to biology, through chemistry, physics and also forensic entomology., Assessing the victims time of death is a crucial point in forensic practice: it allows investigators to clarify the last hours alive of the victims, it also helps to point out the causes of death and, moreover, it’s crucial to substantiate suspicious alibis. Nevertheless, before becoming a crime scene, the environment and setting where a body is found, is a place where someone need to be rescued and treated by medical assistance, and this interferes with thanatological requirements. Here we aim to analyze what happens in the forensic and medico-legal practice in our country. Methods We have analyzed the European guidelines for resuscitation in wild conditions as hypothermia and drowning in cold water, with a focus on what are the suggestions for estimating the core temperature, both for the resuscitation procedure and the estimation of the time of death. Then we took in consideration what happens in Italian emergency services and which procedures, if any, they implement in the described conditions. Those data were found on the Hospital’s websites, in our Country. Finally, we have examined some relevant cases, taken from the analysis of specialized books and from the archives of major newspapers that have followed the penal processes reported, where the investigation of the crime scene and the estimation of the time of death were decisive to solve the crime. Results The European guidelines for resuscitation are very precise concerning the treatment for a patient affected by injuries due to hypothermia or drowning. But they are not that specific for what concern the use of a particular method to register the core temperature. In the forensic practice the methodology to estimate the TOD is heterogeneous. In Italy, the guidelines to resuscitation are provided just at local level, and it’s not even mandatory to have a temperature recording device on the ambulance. Conclusion We found out that procedural mistakes and lack of univocal rules in the practice have led to controversial outcomes in legal processes. Our work urges further studies regarding the techniques to estimate the post- mortem period, and suggests an adequate training for the rescue teams members, to provide the best care and to preserve such important evidence as TOD. General Conclusions In this thesis I’ve explored the applications of evolutionary psychology in the forensic practice, outlining the role of the investigative psychologist. The research outcomes might have both theoretical and practical implications. First, It has been described for the first time the sexual presence, which is a phenomena which might be involved in the assessment of paraphilias and violent behavior with virtual reality. Second, it has been found that maternal neonaticide, in our species, has an evolutionary cause, and the neonaticidal woman profile is different from infanticidal and filicide ones. These suggestions have relevant effects in the investigation phase, in correctional assessment, and also in the definitions of preventive measurement targeted to at-risk future mothers. Third, collaborating as consultant in a case of suspect infanticide, I found that the tympanic temperature, very used in the practice, is not a valuable measure to assess the time of death in extreme outdoor conditions, where the body core temperature is essential. In light of these results, it has been noticed the lack of regulations in our country about the estimating of TOD, and I provide suggestions to improve medico –legal and resuscitation actions in the forensic practice. These studies show the versatility and the practical value of evolutionary psychology in the forensic domain. In fact, the most important outcome of this work is to demonstrate how the techniques and theories learned and explored during three PhDs years, have important applications in the clinical, criminological and forensic practice, and how it could be important to carry on researches in evolutionary forensic psychology, due to its social implications.
Introduzione La psicologia evoluzionistica è una disciplina che proviene dall’incontro tra diverse materie, quali la biologia evoluzionistica, le scienze cognitive e l’antropologia fisica. E’ una disciplina basata sull’approccio scientifico, il cui principale obbiettivo è comprendere le cause biologiche ed evoluzionistiche che hanno generato il comportamento umano. La psicologia evoluzionistica affonda le radici nella teoria Darwiniana, che considera il comportamento umano come un prodotto dell’evoluzione dei diversi adattamenti a problemi ricorrenti che i nostri antenati hanno dovuto risolvere in un ambiente ancestrale, presumibilmente plio-pleistocenico. Questi comportamenti si sono evoluti sotto la spinta della selezione naturale e sessuale. Una branca di questa disciplina, la psicologia evoluzionistica forense, è un settore di studio in grande espansione, che studia l’applicazione della scienza e il ruolo di psicologo nell’analisi di aspetti forensi e legali. Questa disciplina si avvale dell’approccio empirico, come lo studio sul campo, il metodo delle ipotesi multiple mutuamente esclusive, e il ragionamento logico-deduttivo, che consente di creare profili psicologici basati su dati oggettivi provenienti dall’analisi dei casi, con lo scopo di comprendere e predire i moventi biologici che portano le persone a commettere comportamenti violenti. Per questi motivi la psicologia evoluzionistica forense si appresta ad essere un valido strumento nell’analisi delle diverse variabili in situazioni differenti, così da assistere e guidare l’operato delle forze dell’ordine e delle indagini difensive. Durante il mio dottorato, ho potuto esplorarediversi aspetti e applicazioni di questa disciplina. Nello specifico, durante il mio periodo di ricerca all’estero, presso l’Istituto di ricerca Philippe-Pinel di Montrèal, in Canada, ho applicato le teorie della psicologia evoluzionistica nello studio del concetto di “presence” uno stato psicologico derivante dall’illusione percettiva, originariamente identificato dalla cyber psicologia cognitiva, e qui analizzato come “sexual presence”. Tuttavia, la mia ricerca si è principalmente concentrata nello studio del valore adattivo dell’infanticidio materno, con particolare attenzione al fenomeno del neonaticidio, qui inteso come “disinvestimento riproduttivo”, e le sue implicazioni sociali e legali. Grazie a questi studi, in collaborazione con il laboratorio di psicologia evoluzionistica, ho collaborato come consulente della difesa, in un caso di sospetto infanticidio materno. Applicando le metodologie della psicologia evoluzionistica forense, ho condotto, in collaborazione con il mio supervisor, il Prof. Andrea Camperio Ciani, un ricerca interdisciplinare a cavallo tra la psicobiologia forense e la medicina legale, il cui obiettivo è stato quello di verificare la validità delle temperature rettali e timpaniche nella stima dell’ora del decesso. Il risultato di questi esperimenti potrebbero avereconseguenze rilevanti sia dal punto di vista medico legale che medico investigativo, ma soprattutto, ha mostrato come, nel nostro paese, vengano commessi diversi errori durante l’analisi della scena del crimine e nelle fasi del salvataggio in situazioni estreme. Alla luce di questi risultati ho preso in esame le linee guida per la rianimazione in situazioni estreme, osservando quello che succede nel nostro Paese, portando come esempio dei casi rappresentativi in cui la stima del decesso era un dato fondamentale, ma la cui erronea o incompleta interpretazione ha portato a risultati controversi. Il modello della sexual presence Introduzione al concetto di presence La presence è un stato psicologico, una percezione soggettiva che fa sì che un individuo sperimenti l’illusione creata da un computer, definibile come una sensazione reale di essere immersi in un ambiente virtuale mediata da stati emotivi e predisposizioni biologiche, nella pratica è molto importante definire e misurare la sensazione di presence, in quanto la realtà virtuale ha diverse applicazioni. Recenti ricerche hanno mostrato l’importanza della realtà virtuale nel contesto diagnostico e trattamentale, per questo motivo, in questa tesi viene presentata uno speciale aspetto della presence, la sexual presence, che descrive la sensazione psicologica, cognitiva e fisica generata dall’esperienza della sessualità tramite diversi media, come ad esempio i film o le chat-line erotiche. Scopi della teoria Comprendere e definire la sexual presence è fondamentale per massimizzare e richiamare questa sensazione nel contesto sperimentale. Infatti, la realtà virtuale è uno strumento efficace per testare le fantasie e gli interessi sessuali degli individui, in particolarecon i molestatori sessuali e i pedofili. Per raggiungere il massimo livello di presence, gli utenti o i soggetti in esame,hanno bisogno della massima identificazione possibile all’interno del sistema virtuale, che dovrebbe essere fornita dai programmatori, attraverso un’illusione percettiva e motoria controllata e convincente. Per tutte queste ragioni, questo studio si pone l’obiettivo di identificare le caratteristiche della sexual presence e di come indurla in una condizione sperimentale. Principali aspetti del modello La sexual presence è un fenomeno che ha delle basi evolutive, caratterizzato da sensazioni motivazionali, emozionali e fisiche, che un individuo sperimenta quando esposto a stimoli, esterni o interni, come film erotici, chat-line erotiche e, soprattutto, le fantasie sessuali. La sexual presence è generata da una combinazione adeguata di forma e contenuto, ed è strettamente connessa all’eccitazione e al comportamento sessuali. Seguendo le nozioni di Riva e colleghi (2011), questo lavoro identifica tre sub-processi che sottostanno alla sexual presence: la proto la core e la extended presence, che sono strettamente connessi e rappresentano comportamenti ed intenti sia consci che inconsci, e che si differenziano tra maschi e femmine. Questo modello a tre livelli dovrebbe essere ben noto, nel momento in cui si vuole indurre la massima sensazione di presence in un esperimento. Quindi, per massimizzare la sensazione di presence è importante identificare l’immaginario erotico di ogni partecipante e sviluppare un ambiente virtuale che sia significativo per il partecipante. Conclusioni Questo modello potrebbe essere particolarmente utile nello studio delle parafilie e dei disturbi del comportamento sessuale tramite realtà virtuale. Infatti, attualmente, il gruppo di ricerca a cui ho partecipato al Philippe- Pinel Institute, sta applicando questo modello nello studio delle ipotesi evoluzionistiche sullo stupro, tramite realtà virtuale. Madri che uccidono: studio su un campione di 110 casi in Italia Introduzione e obiettivi L’omicidio di un bambino da parte della madre biologica accade nella nostra sin dalle origini, in ogni cultura e popolazione. Secondo la teoria evoluzionistica, l’omicidio materno della prole può, in alcune circostanze, rappresentare un comportamento adattivo che si è evoluto per aumentare la fitness riproduttiva della madre. Questa ricerca si pone l’obiettivo di identificare l’incidenza delle madri che uccidono i loro figli nel nostro paese, verificando se il neonaticidio (l’omicidio dei neonati entro le 24 ore dal parto), l’infanticidio (entro il primo anno di vita) e il figlicidio (dopo il primo di vita), possono essere oggettivamente distinti in profili psicobiologici che possono aiutare a prevenirli, e testare le ipotesi evoluzionistiche adattive per spiegarne le dinamiche. Metodi Sono stati analizzati 110 casi di madri che hanno ucciso 123 bambini, dal 1976 al 2010. Ogni caso è stato classificato utilizzando 13 variabili dicotomiche. Sul campione sono state effettuate analisi statistiche descrittive e una analisi per cluster, sia per casi che per variabili, analizzando poi le differenze significative tra i gruppi. Risultati Il campione italiano dei neonaticidi ha soddisfatto tutte le ipotesi evoluzionistiche, per un pattern di comportamenti emozioni e motivazioni volte ad aumentare la fitness riproduttiva, mostrando un profilo consistente per madri neonaticide. Tutti i casi di questo tipo sono stati raggruppati in un unico cluster, diviso dagli altri casi. Infanticidio e figlicidio non differiscono significativamente per nessuna delle variabili prese in esame (stato civile, condizioni del corpo, età della madre, modus operandi, psicopatologia, suicidio e nazionalità). Il profilo della madre che ha commesso infanticidio e figlicidio è caratterizzato da psicopatologia, suicidio o tentato suicidio, modus operandi violento e nessun tentativo di nascondere il corpo della vittima. Questi risultati suggeriscono che il figlicidio e l’infanticidio siano due comportamenti maladattivi, e il loro profilo sia molto più variabile di quello delle neonaticide. Conclusioni Questi studio conferma che solo il neonaticidio è un disinvestimento riproduttivo adattivo, evolutosi in un passato remoto, con lo scopo di aumentare la fitness riproduttiva materna eliminando un figlio non voluto e preservandole risorse per una prole future, in condizioni migliori. Il neonaticidio si è dimostrato essere chiaramente distinto dall’infanticidio e come tale dovrebbe essere affrontato, prevenuto e giudicato in tribunale. Perchè le madri uccidono I neonati: focus su un campione italiano Introduzione e obiettivi Alla luce dei risultati appena presentati, è stato analizzato più in profondità il fenomeno del neonaticidio nel nostro paese. In linea con la letteratura, i nostri precedenti risultati mostrano che le madri neonaticide sono donne giovani, in condizioni socio-economiche difficile, che non possono crescere i propri figli, a causa di un cosiddetto “istinto riproduttivo complessivo”. Il profilo socio-biologico di queste donne sembra essere molto simile a quello delle donne che decidono di abortire: ovvero rinunciare alla gravidanza in questo caso non significa andare contro all’istinto riproduttivo, ma conservare le energie e le risorse per una gravidanza futura. In questo lavoro ho confrontato il profilo della madre neonaticida e della donna che decide di interrompere la propria gravidanza, con lo scopo di identificare i fattori di rischio e contribuire alla prevenzione del fenomeno. Metodi Sono stati analizzati 35 casi di neonaticidio, ogni caso è stato analizzato utilizzando 7 variabili dicotomiche. Per comparare i possibili fattori di rischio tutti i dati sono stati normalizzati sulla base delle frequenze della popolazione di riferimento, secondo i dati forniti dall’ISTAT 2002. Risultati Lo studio ha messo in luce come il neonaticidio e l’aborto abbiano aspetti simili, soprattutto per quanto concerne la giovane età delle donne. Il profilo di queste donne a rischio suggerisce che esse sono 1) alla loro prima gravidanza 2) solitamente molto giovani con 3) un grande potenziale riproduttivo residuo e 4) immigrate da un paese straniero. Conclusioni I risultati riportati hanno significative implicazioni nellavalutazione terapeuticoa, e nella definizione dei fattori di rischio, per indirizzare, promuovere ed offrire un adeguato sostegno socio-psicologico alle future madri in difficoltà. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Valutazione delle temperature timpaniche e rettali nella stima dell’ora del decesso in incidenti in acque fredde. Introduzione ed obiettivi La corretta rilevazione della temperature profonda del corpo è fondamentale nella stima dell’ora del decesso (SOD) nel nomogramma di Hengge. Lo standard è la misurazione rettale o esofagea. Recentemente però, i termometri timpanici ad infrarossi hanno sostituito, in alcuni casi, lo standard previsto. Come parte del Laboratorio di Psicologia Evoluzionistica Forense, ho assistito come consulente della difesa, un caso di infanticidio materno, dove il Pronto Soccorso ha registrato sul corpo della vittima di due anni, immerso nell’acqua corrente di fiume fredda a 18C°, la temperatura timpanica di 24.9C°. L’ora del decesso stimata tramite termometro timpanico ad infrarossi, è risultata essere la sola evidenza contro la madre nel processo, e sembrava essere in contrasto con molte delle prove tanatologiche e biologiche rilevate (emogas analisi e attività elettrica miocardica). Secondo il profilo psico-biologico, la madre non aveva alcun movente per uccidere la figlia. Pertanto, per verificare la correttezza della SOD, abbiamo studiato la correlazione tra la temperature rettale e quella timpanica, in caso di ritrovamento di cadavere in acque fredde. Metodi Per confrontare le due temperature, sono stati utilizzati 3 ratti da laboratorio, in 3 diverse condizioni: vivo, immerse vivo a 18°C, e immerso, sempre alla medesima temperature, ma deceduto tramite dislocazione cervicale. Per la temperatura timpanica abbiamo utilizzato 3 termometri ad infrarossi, il Genius 3000 A (2 campioni, usato nel caso in oggetto) e il Genius 2 (il più utilizzato nei Pronto Soccorsi italiani). La temperatura rettale è stata registrata tramite una sonda rettale connessa ad un monitor Propaq. Abbiamo inoltre testato l’accuratezza della temperatura timpanica, misurandola sia prima che durante che dopo, su un volontario maschio adulto umano, il cui orecchio è stato esposto per 3 minuti sotto acqua corrente a 18C° e successivamente asciugato. Risultati Il Genius 2 ha smesso di registrare la temperatura a 33C° e non è mai ripartito, dopo la prima misurazione sul ratto immerso in acqua. Questa osservazione è stata poi confermata anche dal manuale, che riportava appunto l’incapacità dello strumento di registrare al di sotto dei 33C°. Una volta immersi in acqua movimentata a 18 C° la temperatura rettale dei soggetti cominciava a scendere molto lentamente. La temperatura timpanica, registrata tramite Genius 3000°, al contrario, precipita da 34C° a 24C° non appena immersi. Dopo la soppressione, la temperatura rettale continua a scendere senza particolari variazioni, mentre la temperatura rettale si arresta fluttuando poco al di sopra della temperatura dell’acqua. La temperatura timpanica del volontario umano, dopo l’esposizione all’acqua fredda, precipita sotto i19C°, mentre la temperatura corporea rimane invariata intorno ai 36.5C°. La temperatura timpanica è ritornata a misurare la corretta temperatura basale dopo 33 minuti dall’esposizione. Conclusioni In incidenti avvenuti in acque fredde, come nel caso degli annegamenti, il termometro timpanico ad infrarossi risulta essere un metodo non corretto per misurare la temperatura corporea profonda. Questa in accuratezza può portare a decisioni mediche imprecise, e le conclusioni di questo lavoro suggeriscono che la temperatura timpanica non venga utilizzata in casi come questi. Inoltre, l’utilizzo del Genius 2, è sconsigliato nei Pronto Soccorsi, specialmente in casi di ipotermia data la sua incapacità di registrare temperature inferiori ai 33 C°. Errori, Linee guida e suggerimenti: cosa succede nella pratica? Introduzione ed obiettivi I risultati dello studio precedente hanno lasciato aperte diverse questioni. La diagnosi dell’epoca della morte, conosciuta come tanatologia, è un campo multidisciplinare, che include la patologia forense, la biologia, la chimica, la fisica e addirittura l’entomologia forense. Infatti, la SOD è un punto fondamentale nella pratica forense: permette agli investigatoti di fare luce sulle ultime ore di vita della vittima, chiarisce le cause della morte, e soprattutto, permette di confermare gli alibi dei sospettati. Tuttavia, prima di diventare una scena del crimine, un luogo in cui viene ritrovato un corpo esanime, è prima di tutto un posto in cui qualcuno ha bisogno di assistenza medica, e questo puòinterferire con la corretta ricostruzione dell’ora della morte. Ho quindi osservato cosa succede nella pratica medico legale nel nostro Paese. Metodi Sono state analizzate le Linee Guida europee per la rianimazione in condizioni estreme, come l’ipotermia o l’annegamento in acqua fredde, con particolare attenzione a quelle che sono le norme per la stima della temperature profonda, sia nel caso della rianimazione sia nel calcolo dell’ora del decesso. E’ stato analizzata la procedura nei Pronti Soccorsi e nei dipartimenti di medicina legale. Questi risultati sono stati trovati nei vari website degli ospedali dei nostri paesi, e 9 dipartimenti sono stati direttamente contattati per avere le informazioni richieste. Infine sono stati osservati alcuni casi rilevanti dove l’investigazione della scena del crimine e la stima dell’ora del decesso erano fondamentali per la soluzione dei casi. Risultati Le linee guida Europee per la rianimazioni sono molto precise per quello che riguarda il trattamento di pazienti affetti da ipotermia o annegamento. Ma non sono state altrettanto specifiche per quello che riguarda l’uso dei termometri nei casi di annegamento. Nella pratica forense, la metodologia per stimare l’ora del decesso è eterogenea. In Italia le linee guida sono fornite solo a livello locale e addirittura non è obbligatorio avere un termometro per la misurazione della temperatura all’interno dell’ambulanza. Conclusioni I risultati mostrano che errori procedurali e la mancanza di norme univoche portano a risultati controversi nei procedimenti penali. Si suggerisce quindi la necessità di ulteriori studi nello studio delle tecniche per la stima dell’ora del decesso ed è necessario un training adeguato per i team di ricerca e pronto soccorso, con l’obiettivo di fornire le migliori cure possibili e preservare importanti prove come la temperatura per la stima dell’ora del decesso. Conclusioni Generali In questa testi ho esplorato le applicazioni della psicologia evoluzionistica nella pratica forense, sottolineando il ruolo dello psicologo investigativo. I risultati della ricerca hanno implicazioni sia teoretiche che pratiche. Prima è stato descritto epr la prima volta il modello della sexual presence, applicabile allo studio delle parafilie e del comportamento violento tramite realtà virtuale. Poi è stato evidenziato come il neonaticidio materno nella nostra specie abbia una causa evoluzionistica, e di come il profiling della madre neonaticida si differenzi da quello della madre infanticidia e figlicida. Questi risultati hanno effetti rilevanti sia nella fase investigative sia nella fase di definizione della pena e del trattamento, ma soprattutto nella realizzazione di misure preventive rivolte alle future madri a rischio. Infine, collaborando come consulente in un caso di sospetto infanticidio materno, è stato trovato che la temperatura timpanica, usata spesso nella pratica, non sia una misura utilizzabile per stimare l’ora del decesso in condizioni estreme, dove la temperatura profonda è essenziale. Alla luce di questi risultati, sono state riportate le linee guida per migliorare l’intervento dei medici legali e dei team di rianimazione sul posto, nel nostro paese. Questi studi hanno dimostrato la versatilità e il valore pratico della psicologia evoluzionistica nelle scienze forense. Infatti il risultato più importante di questa tesi è stato dimostrate come le tecniche e le teorie apprese durante questi anni di dottorato abbiano importanti applicazioni nella clinica, nella criminologia e nella pratica forense, e di come possa essere importante proseguire le ricerche nella psicologia evoluzionistica forense, a causa delle sue rilevanti implicazioni sociali.

This thesis has conducted an extensive character analysis of Sherlock Holmes by comparing the original, authentic detective, as he appears in a corpus consisting of Conan Doyle’s collected works about Holmes, to the characterisation in three select period pastiches. The aim was to analyse to what extent the true characterisation of the famous sleuth has survived in contemporary adaptations, more specifically in the three texts, Sherlock Vs. Dracula (1976), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes (1979) and Sherlock Holmes and the Angel of the Opera (1994), where the detective encounters equally well-known fictional characters. The novel approach of combining corpus stylistic quantitative methods of characterisation with a qualitative literary approach of identifying similar stylistic and narratological features of characterisation efficiently facilitated an illustration on how Conan Doyle’s round and complex character has endured through adaptations and reimaginings. The corpus investigation on the Sherlock Conan Doyle Corpus supplied an encompassing image of the character, and revealed characteristics absent from the inherent cultural perception. The subsequent cross-comparison between the original in contrast to contemporary characterisations presented clear deviations to the character and further demonstrated a tendency to exaggerate select, generic features that complement the narrative and plot of the integrated novels. Overall, this study concludes that Sherlock Holmes remains the character who travels over time and genres, albeit with a reduced complexity as the respective characterisations in each of the pastiches to various degrees have modified core characteristics significant to the mind-modelling process. That is, through the process of adaptational alterations, the detective has become a flat character. Enough features persist for him to be recognisable and compelling, yet Sherlock Holmes in his entirety subsists merely as a caricature of his original self.

As histórias de Sherlock Holmes cativam inúmeros leitores desde que o primeiro romance foi publicado em 1887 pelo autor escocês Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As aventuras vividas pelo grande detetive Sherlock Holmes e seu companheiro Dr. John Watson têm sido adaptadas para outras mídias desde 1890, e épocas diferentes apresentam diferentes interpretações das personagens. Duas das mais recentes adaptações televisivas, Sherlock (2010 –), da BBC, e Elementary (2012 –), da CBS, se passam na contemporaneidade, inspirando uma reconfiguração das personagens, principalmente a de John Watson, considerando o fato de que ele não é mais o principal narrador das histórias na mídia audiovisual – o narrador fílmico é quem cumpre esse papel –, abrindo novas possibilidades para os papéis da personagem. Tais possibilidades motivam esta dissertação, que propõe um estudo da caracterização da personagem literária nos romances Um estudo em vermelho (1887) e O cão dos Baskerville (1902), para então considerar sua nova caracterização nas duas séries televisivas mencionadas acima. O trabalho, portanto, está dividido em quatro capítulos. O primeiro apresenta uma introdução ao autor e a relação com sua própria obra, além de um panorama histórico das adaptações fílmicas e televisivas, enfatizando as caracterizações de Watson nelas. O segundo apresenta as teorias que alicerçam a análise, particularmente a narratologia literária de Mieke Bal (2009), a narratologia fílmica de Peter Verstraten (2009), e as considerações de Jason Mittell (2015) acerca da personagem televisiva. Os capítulos três e quatro trazem as análises dos romances e séries de televisão respectivamente, focando nas (re)configurações da personagem Watson. Ao final deste trabalho, esperamos ter contribuído para um aprofundamento e diversificação dos estudos de personagem a partir de referenciais narratológicos, linha de estudos pouco desenvolvida, especialmente no Brasil. Da mesma forma, pretendemos demonstrar como adaptações televisivas exploram e amplificam o papel de personagens-narradoras, dando a elas e a outras personagens mais autonomia na obra audiovisual.
The Sherlock Holmes stories have captivated innumerous readers since the first novel was published in 1887 by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The adventures lived by the Great Detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. John Watson have been adapted to other media from as early as 1890, and different times present different portrayals of the characters. Two of the latest television adaptations, BBC’s Sherlock (2010 –) and CBS’s Elementary (2012 –), are set in contemporary times, inspiring a reconfiguration of the characters, especially John Watson, considering the fact that he is not the main narrator of the stories in the audiovisual medium – the filmic narrator fulfills that function –, opening new possibilities for the character’s roles. These possibilities motivate this thesis, and we propose a study of the characterization of the literary character in the novels A Study in Scarlet (1887) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), so that we can consider the new Watson’s characterization in the two television series aforementioned. Therefore, the thesis is divided into four chapters. The first presents an introduction to the author and his relation to his own work, along with a historical overview of film and television adaptations, emphasizing Watson’s characterization. The second presents the theoretical framework of the analyses, particularly the literary narratology as proposed by Mieke Bal (2009), film narratology as proposed by Peter Verstraten (2009), and Jason Mittell’s (2015) considerations about television characters. Chapters three and four are dedicated to the analyses of the novels and television series respectively, focusing on Watson’s (re)configurations. By the end of this work, we hope to have contributed to the further development and diversification of character studies with the use of narratological references, an undeveloped line of studies, especially in Brazil. In addition, we hope to demonstrate how television adaptations explore and amplify the role of character-narrators, giving them and other characters more autonomy in the audiovisual work.

This essay focuses on the city of London as it is presented in three Sherlock Holmes stories, and how its society is changed by the Other. The Other here refers to a product or person which has origins in the Orient, as the term is defined by Edward W. Said in his Orientalism. It is quite clear that the Other influences the plots and characters, and the claim of this essay is that the Oriental Other is a negative influence in the three analyzed stories, since the issues that are depicted in the stories would not have existed without the Other. The stories that are analyzed are A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four and The Man with the Twisted Lip, in that order.

Created at the end of the nineteenth century, Sherlock Holmes has remained a regular feature of popular culture for now more than a century. However, versions of the detective that have appeared in recent years are strikingly different from the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, while some characteristics remain similar. This dissertation examines the persistence of Holmes as a function of copyright management that matched shifting literary expectations, following this with an exploration of three categories of discourse in which contemporary Holmes texts participate: feminism, postcolonialism, and neurodiversity. It first locates Holmes's difference from prior detectives in his humanist characteristics and then demonstrates that a restrictive character management strategy shared by Conan Doyle and his sons, the subsequent rights-holders, constructed a base version of the character. When the copyright passed out of their hands, the new owners' more permissive attitudes toward using Holmes matched popular interest in deconstructing characters and ideas, allowing for a variety of new approaches to the detective. The second half of the dissertation explores some of these new approaches, beginning with critiques of Holmes's masculinist, misogynist science that are exposed and repaired through new texts. Following that, a pair of postcolonial texts demonstrates contrasting styles of handling the detective's imperial associations, and a final discussion of Holmes as a neurologically different individual brings him to both neurodiversity and disability studies. Authors' deployment of the detective can contain complex narratives, and while these texts are fascinating the dissertation will conclude with a note of concern regarding their continuing popularity.

De produkter och tjänster som syns ute på marknaden är oftast resultatet av en lång berättelse i entreprenörskapets rum. I entreprenörskapsrummet sker ett samspel mellan människor vilket gör att varje inblandad person har en egen förståelse för vad som har hänt i denna utvecklingsprocess. Den här studien ämnar undersöka och öka förståelsenför de händelser som har utspelat sig innan ett erbjudande har blivit redo för marknaden, detta genom att de involverade personerna får återge sin egen berättelse. Studien undersöker ett nystartat fallföretag som håller på att utveckla sin affärsidé. I uppsatsen presenteras studien och dess utförande i form av en berättelse där Sherlock Holmes och dr Watson har huvudrollerna. Vi utgår från ett konstruktionistiskt synsätt och ett abduktivt angreppssätt har tillämpats. Vi ser att människor identifierar möjligheter utifrån deras unika bakgrund som även formar deras motiv. Motiven ger oss en inblick ivarför och hur samspelet mellan idé och människor sker.
The products and services available on the market are often the result of a long story in the entrepreneurship discourse. When practicing entrepreneurship people interact with each other, thus every person involved has its own understanding of what has occurredduring the development process. The aim of this study is to examine and deepen our understanding of the events before an offer is ready for the market; this by letting the involved persons tell their own story. The study examines a case of a startup company which is currently developing its business idea. In the thesis the study and its execution is presented in the form of a story starring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Constructionism and an abductive method are applied. Finally we can see that people identify opportunities based on their unique background which also forms their motive. The motives give us an insight in why and how the interaction between idea and people is played out.

Denna studie syftar till att se vilka skillnader som går att urskilja mellan tre olika svenska översättningar av Arthur Conan Doyles A study in scarlet. Vidare syftar studien också till att se hur dessa skillnader förhåller sig till den så kallade nyöversättningshypotesen, som menar att varje ny översättning blir allt mer lik källtexten, samt de olika översättningsideal som varit norm under respektive tillkomsttid. Genom dels en kvantitativ analys och dels kvalitativ närläsning studeras språkliga, kulturella och övriga faktorer. Studien visar att nyöversättningshypotesen främst går att verifiera gällande språkliga faktorer och att samtliga översättningar till stor del speglar sina respektive samtiders översättningsideal. Det gör att lärare i de flesta fall kan välja översättningar efter hur bra deras respektive samtidsideal passar läsningens didaktiska syfte. Studien visar också på olika aspekter i A study in scarlet som i översättning försvårar läsarens förståelse av texten, vilket också är nyttigt för lärare att vara medvetna om i val av utgåva.

Cette etude s'attache a trois genres specifiques dont le point commun est le questionnement d'un auteur qui engendre non seulement la recurrence de certains themes mais egalement une dynamique dans lareflexion et la creation. Doyle tente ainsi une exploration de l'inconnu grace a trois modes d'ecritures qui se croisent et se recoupent mais tentent tous d'approcher l'autre sous toutes ses formes. L'ecrivain commence a ecrire des recits fantastiques des 1883, c'est-a-dire quatre ans avant la publication de la premiere nouvelle holmesienne. En outre, c'est au moment ou holmes est au faite de sa gloire que doyle le precipite du haut des chutes du reichenbach. Cette execution sommaire entraine une augmentation tres marquee de la production de textes fantastiques. On a alors le sentiment qu'entre 1893 et 1903, une ecriture mettant en scene le desordre et l'irruption de l'inadmissible prend possession de la plume d'un auteur qui s'aventure des lors dans un inconnu de loin plus vertigineux et tenebreux. D'une alterite exterieure a soi, et qui, dans les recits policiers, pouvait etre transcrite dans l'architecture urbaine, dans la construction d'un espace geographique ou sociologique, nous passons a un affrontement direct et a une plongee dans la geographie intime de l'etre humain. Cette exploration des strates internes au sujet n'a cependant qu'un temps, et des 1912, l'auteur se tourne vers la fiction speculative qui lui permet d'eloigner des espaces interieurs revelant peut-etre des abimes trop vertigineux pour que l'explorateur s'aventure plus avant. Aussi doyle ecrit-il, a partir de 1912, des recits de fiction speculative dans lesquels l'inconnu devient en quelque sorte domestique et inscrit dans des espaces geographiques et ideologiques precis. Toutefois, l'alterite et l'inconnu ne se laissent pas evincer aussi aisement. Des fissures que le detective tentait de colmater enigme apres enigme aux fragments fantastiques qui resurgissent dans la fiction speculative, doyle n'en finit jamais vraiment avec un inconnu qui fait inlassablement retour
This study focuses on three specific genres which have in common a constant questioning of the author which, in turn, creates the recurrence of a number of themes as well as a dynamic movement of reflection and creation. Thus doyle attempts an exploration of the unknown through three modes of writing which overlap and intersect but all tend to approach otherness in its different forms. The writer starts writing fantastic tales as early as 1883, that is four years previous to the publication of the first holmes tale. Besides, doyle chooses the moment when holmes is at the height of his fame to hurl him down the reichenbach falls. This summary execution triggers a decisive increase in the production of fantastic tales. We then have the feeling that between 1893 and 1903, a mode of writing picturing disorder and the irruption of the inadmissible take hold of the author's pen. He then steps in unknown regions which are by far breathtakingly deeper and more tenebrous. From an external alterity which, in detective tales, could be translated in urban architecture, in the construction a geographical or sociological space, we pass on to a direct facing and a dive down intimous regions of the human being. This exploration of internal strata does not last and as early as 1912, the author writes speculative fiction which allows him to put at a distance an laterity too breathtaking for him to dare further exploration. From 1912 onward, doyle writes tales in which alterity and the unknown are as if domesticated and circumscribed to precise geographical and ideological spaces. However, alterity and the unknown are not easily let aside. From the cracks which the detective tried to plaster enigma after enigma to the fragments of the uncanny which reappear in speculative fiction, doyle is forever haunted by an unknown which endlessly comes back to him

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the use of Gothic elements in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle&rsquo
s Sherlock Holmes stories. It begins with an overview of Gothic and detective fiction, pointing out the Gothic novels published in the late Victorian period, and referring to the Gothic influence on Poe, Dickens, and Collins who are important writers in the development of detective fiction. In this way, it is revealed that the presence of Gothic elements in the Sherlock Holmes stories is part of the writing fashion of the era. The thesis then analyses the Holmes stories which present significant Gothic elements in terms of terror, horror and the supernatural. In addition, it examines the whole Holmes canon in an endeavour to find out the Sherlock Holmes character&rsquo
s similarity to the Byronic hero who often appears in Gothic fiction. As a result, this study shows that Gothic elements contribute to the Sherlock Holmes stories in two ways. Firstly, they add to the depiction of minor characters, the setting, and the atmosphere of these stories. Secondly, they manifest themselves in the portrayal of the character of Holmes himself. Thus, the use of Gothic elements enables Doyle to create suspenseful and surprising stories with a strikingly memorable detective figure.