Sherlock Holmes: a Comprehensive Theoretical Analysis

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SOWK 505—FALL 2012 Midterm March 3, 2013 Sherlock Holmes: A Comprehensive Theoretical Analysis Section 1: Case Description On November 26, 1919 William Scott Holmes was born to Sir Sheridan Holmes and Marie Claude. Two additional children were born to the couple and at the age of twenty-seven Sir Sheridan Holmes passed away of consumption. On July 12, 1845 William Scott Holmes married Violet Mycroft and on June 17, 1854 William Sherlock Holmes was born. Sherlock was the second child, coming seven years after his older brother Mycroft. There are some reports that suggest that Violet had experienced two miscarriages prior to the birth of Sherlock. Being a child born after a mother experiences such losses suggests that perhaps he was watched closely and was overly protected by his parents. It has been noted that his parents did worry about his mental and emotional development. (Rennison 2005, pp. 20-23) Sherlock’s family did well for themselves, with an ancestor who fought for the king in Civil War and conducted experiments in microscopy, which could account for Sherlock’s continued interest in the sciences (Rennison, p. 21). As a child and on into this adulthood, Sherlock would exhibit behavior in which he would suddenly withdrawal into silence and immobility, at times refusing to respond to the world around him. It has been suggested that perhaps he was exhibiting signs and symptoms of autism, but due to his lifetime accomplishments, this theory has been discredited. (Rennison, pp. 23-24). It is perhaps more likely that this was his way of exhibiting the anxiety he was experiencing at the hand of his parents. As W.L. Walker (1968) states, the anxious child may often present as a careful, but slow performer and great care is taken by him to ensure that the task is done correctly, at the expense of speed. As Walker states, this is a common

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