The Darwinian universe and the supernatural

Of all the great detectives, surely none is better known that Sherlock Holmes. There is something magnetic that pulls us toward his logical way of thinking, his ability to make sense out of the senseless. The Hound of Baskervilles is the third novel written by Sir Conan Doyle about Sherlock but is significant and different from his other books for several reasons. Although Doyle had already killed Sherlock Holmes (spoilers for a book that is over a century old?) in his previous novel and had taken an 8 year break to focus on other writings, Doyle decided to return to the narrative. Although he had originally intended to use other characters, he found that Sherlock fit too well, resulting in a structured and sustained narrative that most detective novels rarely achieve. 

The Hound of Baskervilles is a blend of the detective, Gothic, and even thriller novel. As we are taken outside of London into the Devonshire moor, far away from civilized society we feel a loss of order. The sweeping and gloomy landscapes present in Gothic novels adds to the tension as we can see primal nature exerting its influence over our small and insignificant lives. There is a clear contrast between the present danger of the hound and the timeless universe and sense of finality as all living things eventually die, creating a sense of a Darwinian universe. It also makes his characters more vulnerable and alone, in a way that could never be achieved while in a city like London.

Yet it is ultimately a careful and reasoned approach that is able to overcome the supernatural. We are shown through Watson that although it may be easy to dismiss the very idea of supernatural powers in the safe "modernized" world, when confronted with primordial nature far away from the warmth and safety of our own homes, it is easy to start wondering. This is something that still resonates with me today. All to often when we are frightened, alone, and in the dark, we forget science and reason and let our imaginations run wild. In our society we are insulated from most of the dangers of the natural world and it is easy to be detached. Yet there is still a primal part of our nature that is awakened when we are out and something goes bump in the night.

In the end, it is Sherlock's modern, empirical, and scientific mind are able to show us that our fears. When confronted with these tools, we are shown that our fears were nothing more than illusion. Order and security are returned as we are taken away from the moor, to London and civilization, and back to comfy chairs next to fireplaces to the backdrop of a busy city.

The Hound of Baskervilles by Sidney Paget is a public domain image.