7. FEBRUAR 2020 THE IMMORTAL SHERLOCK HOLMES FROM RELIC TO A MODERNISED RETELLING NADIA EMILIE VON RUMMELL NIELSEN AALBORG UNIVERSITY Nadia Emilie von Rummell Nielsen 7th February 2020 Aalborg University Master Thesis Abstract The following paper originates on a general interest in the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and how he continues to stay relevant in the present-day. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the BBC adaptation Sherlock, more specific the episode “The Reichenbach Fall”, portrays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “The Final Problem” in present-day. The primary analytic model used, is structuralistic, which means that this paper is not an ‘in-depth’ examination of a specific theme. Instead, it is a more general examination of how BBC’s Sherlock functions. More specifically, this paper seeks to identify the strategy used by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss to create their adaptation. In order to identify the strategy, this paper use Novel to Film (2004) by Brian McFarlane and Linda Hutcheon’s A Theory of Adaptation (2006) in combination with the structuralistic approach. By the use of cardinal functions and character functions, this paper’s results show that it is possible to make Sherlock Holmes relevant in the 21st century and a present- day figure, without compromising the fidelity towards the original short story. Besides the results of the cardinal functions and character functions, fan-created paratexts support this finding, as fans continue to vividly debate, speculate, analyse and share their theories. 1 Nadia Emilie von Rummell Nielsen 7th February 2020 Aalborg University Master Thesis Preface This dissertation is a revised version of the thesis, which I submitted for assessment in the summer of 2019. The theories used in the first thesis was found to be too ‘text-heavy’, with the result of difficulties in understanding them and thus use them in practice. Having come to the realisation, I changed course and ultimately discarded all the theories in favour of the theories by Brian McFarlane and Linda Hutcheon, which focus on adaptation instead of ‘secrets’. The realisation was a result of feedback and criticism received for the first submission. Though abandoning the original idea and theories, Sherlock Holmes remains the focal point of this thesis. More so, the material used in the first submission, the short story and adaptation, likewise remains the same. Furthermore, a change regarding the approach was naturally made, as this thesis changed course. 2 Nadia Emilie von Rummell Nielsen 7th February 2020 Aalborg University Master Thesis Tabel of Content ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 FILM AND TV-SERIES ADAPTATIONS........................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 RESEARCH TOPIC ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 2. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 COMPARING TWO DIFFERENT MEDIA ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.1 Limitations on screen and in literature............................................................................................................ 8 2.2 SELECTED THEORY ................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 SELECTED SHORT STORY AND ADAPTATION ............................................................................................................ 9 2.4 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 3. THEORY....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 THE THEORY OF ADAPTATION ............................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 APPROACH............................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.1 Different Approaches...................................................................................................................................... 15 3.2.2 Final Decision ................................................................................................................................................. 16 3.3 Forensic Fandom............................................................................................................................................... 17 4. ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 THE FRAME TALE ................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.1.1 Cardinal Functions ......................................................................................................................................... 20 4.1.2 Entering Moriarty ........................................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.3. Sherlock On the Run ..................................................................................................................................... 28 4.1.4 Leaving and Returning ................................................................................................................................... 30 4.1.5 The Death of Sherlock Holmes ...................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.6 Sub-conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 33 4.2 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS ...................................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.1 Character Functions ....................................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.2 The Hero ......................................................................................................................................................... 35 4.2.3 The Helper ...................................................................................................................................................... 35 4.2.4 The Dispatcher ................................................................................................................................................ 38 4.2.5 The Villain and False Hero ............................................................................................................................ 39 4.2.6 Sub-conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 39 4.3 FAN THEORIES ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 3 Nadia Emilie von Rummell Nielsen 7th February 2020 Aalborg University Master Thesis 4.3.1 The Short Story ............................................................................................................................................... 40 4.3.2 The Adaptation................................................................................................................................................ 43 4.3.3 Sub-conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 48 5. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................. 49 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 4 Nadia Emilie von Rummell Nielsen 7th February 2020 Aalborg University Master Thesis 1. Introduction Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have written no less than four novels and 56 short stories about his famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr John Watson. A Study in Scarlet (1887) was the first detective