Splash Biography

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notorious character has recently been reimagined in two television shows and a film franchise: it seems that there is no time more welcoming to Sherlock Holmes than the 21st century. Yet, in this class, we will examine how a modern Sherlock faces more challenges than his Victorian-era predecessor. Using Sherlock Holmes as a case study and jumping-off point, we will examine society’s attitudes towards technology and people who are technologically adept, the portrayal of characters with mental illness in modern media, and the association between autism and crime. We will conclude with some serious (and one intentionally amusing) responses by both experts and autistic individuals to the occasionally condescending attitude “neurotypicals” have towards people with autism.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notorious character has recently been reimagined in two television shows and a film franchise: it seems that there is no time more welcoming to Sherlock Holmes than the 21st century. Yet, in this class, we will examine how a modern Sherlock faces more challenges than his Victorian-era predecessor. Using Sherlock Holmes as a case study and jumping-off point, we will examine society’s attitudes towards technology and people who are technologically adept, the portrayal of characters with mental illness in modern media, and the association between autism and crime. We will conclude with some serious (and one intentionally amusing) responses by both experts and autistic individuals to the occasionally condescending attitude “neurotypicals” have towards people with autism.