Universidade Federal De Santa Catarina Centro De Comunicação E Expressão Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Inglês
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UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SANTA CATARINA CENTRO DE COMUNICAÇÃO E EXPRESSÃO PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM INGLÊS Elisa Silva Ramos From Literature to Videogames: The Case of Sherlock Holmes Florianópolis 2020 Elisa Silva Ramos From Literature to Videogames: The Case of Sherlock Holmes Dissertação submetida ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina para a obtenção do título de Mestre em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários. Orientador: Prof. Daniel Serravalle de Sá, Dr. Florianópolis 2020 Ficha de identificação da obra elaborada pelo autor, através do Programa de Geração Automática da Biblioteca Universitária da UFSC. Elisa Silva Ramos From Literature to Videogames: The Case of Sherlock Holmes O presente trabalho em nível de mestrado foi avaliado e aprovado por banca examinadora composta pelos seguintes membros: Prof. George Alexandre Ayres de Menezes Mousinho, Dr. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) Profa. Renata Correia Lima Ferreira Gomes, Dra. Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB) Certificamos que esta é a versão original e final do trabalho de conclusão que foi julgado adequado para obtenção do título de mestre em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários. ____________________________ Coordenação do Programa de Pós-Graduação ____________________________ Prof. Daniel Serravalle de Sá, Dr. Orientador Florianópolis, 2020 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following people who have helped me in many different ways throughout this arduous process: My family, especially my parents, for supporting me throughout the most difficult times, for always believing in me and for allowing me to follow my dreams; and my grandparents, José da Silva (in memoriam) and Maria Francisca da Silva, for having helped my parents raise me: the part you played in my upbringing will never be forgotten, and neither will the kind words and support with which you have always provided me. My boyfriend and life partner, Carlos Eduardo Schultz Xavier da Silveira, for the best (almost) eight years of my life and for the many years still to come. Words shall never be enough to express my gratitude for all your help and support. You have helped me overcome the toughest challenges, and celebrate the sweetest victories. My passion for literature and videogames is only rivaled by my love for you. My friends from UFSC, both from my undergraduate and postgraduate years. The moments we have shared shall remain deep within my memories and my heart; as well as my friends from other places, especially the ones which share my passion for videogames. For every minute spent studying, a minute of leisure is needed. The memories we have shared, both online and in real life, have helped me keep my much needed sanity. As I continue to write about videogames, I shall always think of you. My past, present and future advisor, Daniel Serravalle de Sá, for your availability, your guidance and your friendship over the past few years and, fortunately, the years to come. More importantly, for having shown such remarkable interest in my research, and having allowed me to follow my vision. Finally, I would like to thank the CAPES program for the financial support throughout the last two years. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. RESUMO Este estudo consiste na investigação dos principais elementos relativos ao contexto, aos personagens e à estrutura narrativa do imaginário Sherlockiano em duas de suas adaptações para os videogames, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened e Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, ambos criados pela desenvolvedora Frogwares. Arthur Conan Doyle desenvolveu o imaginário Sherlockiano por meio de uma série de romances e contos, nos quais alguns elementos marcantes são recorrentes – os personagens Sherlock Holmes e Dr. John Watson; o apartamento situado em 221B, Baker Street; a cidade de Londres durante o final do período Vitoriano; o gênero ou formato narrativo da história de detetive; a composição literária em serialização. No contexto dos videogames, esse imaginário ou conjunto de elementos narrativos (contexto, personagens, estrutura), compõe o heterocosmo, i.e. o mundo alternativo, o outro universo (HUTCHEON, 2013, p. 14). Portanto, o foco deste trabalho é em determinar como esses elementos narrativos e literários foram representados por Doyle e, em seguida, verificar e analisar como eles foram adaptados para o meio digital e interativo dos videogames, debatendo as implicações dessa transposição. Da literatura para os videogames, esta investigação das histórias de Doyle parte da análise de passagens dos textos literários, buscando verificar como seus elementos são incorporados pela construção da narrativa dos videogames (adaptação do audiovisual, da história e da jogabilidade). Em outras palavras busca-se investigar as maneiras diferentes às quais as duas adaptações abordam as mesmas fontes, principalmente em relação à estrutura dos seus enredos e às suas mecânicas de jogo, resultando em experiências contrastantes para os jogadores. Palavras-chave: Adaptação. Jogos digitais. Sherlock Holmes. Heterocosmo. Narrativa. ABSTRACT This study consists of an investigation of the main elements concerning the setting, characters and plot structure of the Sherlock Holmes imagination in two of its videogame adaptations, Frogwares‘ Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened and Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter. Arthur Conan Doyle developed the Sherlock Holmes imagination in a series of novels and short stories, in which some striking elements are recurrent – the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson; the 221B, Baker Street apartment; the late Victorian city of London; the detective story genre or format; the literary composition via serialization. In the context of videogames, this imagination, or set of narrative elements (setting, characters, structure), make up the heterocosm, i.e. the alternate world, another universe (HUTCHEON, 2013, p. 14). Therefore, the focus of the study is on determining how these literary and narrative elements were represented by Doyle, and, sequentially, on verifying and analyzing how they were transposed into the interactive, digital medium that is the videogame, debating the implications of this transposition. From literature to videogames, this investigation of Doyle‘s stories sparks from passages of the literary texts, aiming to verify how its elements are incorporated by the construction of narrative in videogames (adaptations of the audiovisual, story and gameplay components). In other words, the study aims to investigate the different ways in which the two adaptations approach the same sources, especially concerning their plot structure and gameplay mechanics, resulting in contrasting experiences for the players. Keywords: Adaptation Studies. Videogame Studies. Sherlock Holmes. Heterocosm. Narrative. LIST OF FIGURES Figures 1 and 2 – Holmes and Watson as they are portrayed in The Awakened (left) and in The Devil's Daughter (right). ............................................................................................ 16 Figures 3 and 4 – The streets of London as represented in The Awakened (left) and The Devil’s Daughter (right). ............................................................................................ 17 Figure 5 – An illustration of the 221B, Baker Street apartment by Ernest H. Short for The Strand Magazine, published in 1950. ......................................................................... 36 Figure 6 – Holmes and Watson receive the King of Bohemia in their own apartment in A Scandal in Bohemia. ................................................................................................... 38 Figure 7 – An illustration by Sidney Paget for The Strand Magazine, referring to the passage quoted above............................................................................................................... 39 Figures 8 and 9 – Holmes disguised as an old seaman (left) and an illustration of the Baker Street Irregulars (right). .............................................................................................. 42 Figure 10 – An illustration of the detective by Paget. .............................................................. 44 Figure 11 – Watson is represented on the left of the image by Paget. ..................................... 47 Figure 12 – An illustration of Miss Mary Morstan. ................................................................. 48 Figure 13 – A visual representation of Priestman‘s scheme. ................................................... 53 Figures 14 and 15 – Comparison shots of the detectives‘ work desks in The Awakened (above) and The Devil's Daughter (below). ............................................................................ 59 Figures 16 and 17 – The chemical laboratory (above), and a piece of fiber being analyzed under the microscope (below). ................................................................................... 61 Figure 18 – A photograph being cleaned with solvent. ............................................................ 62 Figures 19 and 20 – The range of encyclopedias found within the archive (above) and a Sherlock Holmes with no hair, glasses and a full beard (below). .............................. 63 Figures 21 and 22 – The streets outside apartment 221B in The Awakened (above) and The Devil’s Daughter (below). .........................................................................................