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1 of 1- Yitzock
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Watson Was a Woman (1941)
I saw a video today linking to this (frankly, kind of ridiculous) article that was published in March of 1941 by someone who argued (possibly in a tongue-in-cheek way, I suspect) that Dr. Watson had to have been a woman and Sherlock Holmes' wife. As I read this, I honestly wasn't sure if it was good enough to share, but I read the whole thing just because I wanted to see what this person would pull out next, so here it is. This entry only has the first couple of pages, and then to read the rest you have to click on "Entire Issue" at the top of the page to go to the table of contents and select the article that includes the page of the continuation.
I find the discussion of the dialogue between the characters as being similar to those between a husband and wife a little reminiscent of some fans' (conspiracy) theories, often quite a stretch, that I sometimes read back in the day. I don't think it's meant to be taken too seriously, or at least that's not how I'm taking it, but it is fun to think of how the two characters could have been like a married couple, if perhaps simply to show how close and familiar they came to each other, and the ways in which their differences in personality collide.
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- Liberty
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Re: Watson Was a Woman (1941)
Thank you for sharing! Not sure I agree with it, but it's an interesting argument. I do think they come across as a married couple sometimes! The writer doesn't seem to consider the possibility that they could be a gay couple: I suppose because of the time when it was written.
- Yitzock
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Re: Watson Was a Woman (1941)
Yeah, I think it does speak to the time period (and that particular author's potential gaps in what they know or consider). On the video where I originally saw this referenced, someone considered the possibility that by the 1940s the way people conceived of affection and friendship between men was evolving from where it might have been in the 19th century (with reference to how men were more likely to have their arm over a friend's shoulder in a photo, for exmaple -- I don't know if this is entirely true as I haven't looked farther into it, but I think it's possible), though I also know ideas of straight vs. gay, and the negative connotations of the latter, were forming in the 19th century as well. So I think it's a complex topic if you want to delve into it.
Last edited by Yitzock (July 6, 2025 3:06 pm)
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Thread Starter- Liberty
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Re: Watson Was a Woman (1941)
I was thinking a bit about this recently in the context of Lord of the Rings, and the different ways men express affection there. Obviously written quite a bit later.
- besleybean
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Re: Watson Was a Woman (1941)
I was pondering on these things yesterday, mainly in regard to Elementary...so I possibly should post there.
But, seeing as you raised this subject:
took me a while to get into Elmentary.
I accepted Watson as a woman.
I am finding it difficult to consider Irene Adler as Jamie Moriarty.
Anyhow, central to the Sherlock Holmes stories to me, is the close male friendship between the two leads.
That is how Conan Doyle wrote it and it's a beautiful thing.
I understand the wanting to bring in more female characters or give the existing females stronger roles.
Even do the Sherlock thing of introducing Molly.
But please, don't mess with the original.
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