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Jun. 10th, 2014 02:51 pmI want to talk about John Watson’s career. Or careers, actually.
So. Watson is a:
Doctor
Soldier
Author
He doesn’t have a choice about leaving his career as a soldier. Once he is wounded he’s lost that. But it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t his main occupation or identity. He went to Netley for training in 1878 and was shot in 1880; he had barely two years in the army altogether and then he didn’t have anything else to do with it until 1914. And he doesn’t like war (CARD).
(This was something I found interesting about BBC John. Because he IS a soldier, probably career military, and this IS a major part of his identity, and the BBC unlike Doyle keeps bringing it up. Which is a valid thing to explore, but not necessarily supported by the original canon.)
His being a doctor is more important to the stories. He takes advantage of medical knowledge on cases (BOSC), saves lives (STOC), and uses his occupation to relate to people (RESI). Eventually (possibly twice) he leaves Baker Street altogether to start a medical practice.
But that isn’t primarily about his profession. He leaves when he marries, once it is socially required that he have an independent living situation and income beyond his army pension. And it isn’t his focus (just as his marriage isn’t his focus). As soon as Watson moved out (c. 1888) he started publishing. He wrote STUD while living with Holmes, but very little else, either in the ‘80s or '90s. But once he was supposed to be practicing medicine, suddenly he writes SIGN (1890), the Adventures (91-92) and the Memoirs (92-93).
(This is also what happened to Doyle: he set up as an opthalmologist, got exactly zero patients, and wrote the short stories to have something to do.)
(I am ignoring the heartbreaking thought of Watson publishing all those stories after Holmes’ death. Memoirs. Oh god.)
But the point is these writings aren’t about medicine. They aren’t about the army or India. They’re not focused on himself, and they’re not fiction. (well, not exactly)
The stories are about Holmes. He writes them especially when he doesn’t have Holmes(/the adventures) in his daily life. And as soon as Holmes is back Watson quits his medical practice again.
Watson very quickly sees himself as an adjunct to Holmes, and values the aspects of his identity that are useful to Holmes’ profession. Holmes uses “us” whenever he can; I think he only says “my” cases when Watson actually wasn’t present for them.
Basically, Watson’s profession is “consulting detective’s assistant.” That’s his identity, that’s his main source of income, that is what he prioritizes in his life.
So. Watson is a:
Doctor
Soldier
Author
He doesn’t have a choice about leaving his career as a soldier. Once he is wounded he’s lost that. But it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t his main occupation or identity. He went to Netley for training in 1878 and was shot in 1880; he had barely two years in the army altogether and then he didn’t have anything else to do with it until 1914. And he doesn’t like war (CARD).
(This was something I found interesting about BBC John. Because he IS a soldier, probably career military, and this IS a major part of his identity, and the BBC unlike Doyle keeps bringing it up. Which is a valid thing to explore, but not necessarily supported by the original canon.)
His being a doctor is more important to the stories. He takes advantage of medical knowledge on cases (BOSC), saves lives (STOC), and uses his occupation to relate to people (RESI). Eventually (possibly twice) he leaves Baker Street altogether to start a medical practice.
But that isn’t primarily about his profession. He leaves when he marries, once it is socially required that he have an independent living situation and income beyond his army pension. And it isn’t his focus (just as his marriage isn’t his focus). As soon as Watson moved out (c. 1888) he started publishing. He wrote STUD while living with Holmes, but very little else, either in the ‘80s or '90s. But once he was supposed to be practicing medicine, suddenly he writes SIGN (1890), the Adventures (91-92) and the Memoirs (92-93).
(This is also what happened to Doyle: he set up as an opthalmologist, got exactly zero patients, and wrote the short stories to have something to do.)
(I am ignoring the heartbreaking thought of Watson publishing all those stories after Holmes’ death. Memoirs. Oh god.)
But the point is these writings aren’t about medicine. They aren’t about the army or India. They’re not focused on himself, and they’re not fiction. (well, not exactly)
The stories are about Holmes. He writes them especially when he doesn’t have Holmes(/the adventures) in his daily life. And as soon as Holmes is back Watson quits his medical practice again.
Watson very quickly sees himself as an adjunct to Holmes, and values the aspects of his identity that are useful to Holmes’ profession. Holmes uses “us” whenever he can; I think he only says “my” cases when Watson actually wasn’t present for them.
Basically, Watson’s profession is “consulting detective’s assistant.” That’s his identity, that’s his main source of income, that is what he prioritizes in his life.