Sherlock Holmes reread: The Yellow Face
Dec. 17th, 2024 09:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vivdunstanGoing to discuss big spoilers with this one, so
This is a rare case where Sherlock Holmes gets things wrong, very wrong. So much so that at the end he tells Watson to whisper the word "Norbury" to him if he gets overly confident again.
More importantly it includes a positive depiction of a marriage between a white British woman and her black American first husband, and their daughter, whose skin is darker in colour than her late father's. And while the mother of the child feared that her second husband would not accept the child or this history, he welcomes the little girl into the family with open arms. This is remarkably progressive for its original publication date in 1893. And is honestly very refreshing. There are still some concerning elements in the depiction here, but overall it is very positive, and includes a powerful and moving ending.
A better story than I remembered. And one which should be better known.
This is a rare case where Sherlock Holmes gets things wrong, very wrong. So much so that at the end he tells Watson to whisper the word "Norbury" to him if he gets overly confident again.
More importantly it includes a positive depiction of a marriage between a white British woman and her black American first husband, and their daughter, whose skin is darker in colour than her late father's. And while the mother of the child feared that her second husband would not accept the child or this history, he welcomes the little girl into the family with open arms. This is remarkably progressive for its original publication date in 1893. And is honestly very refreshing. There are still some concerning elements in the depiction here, but overall it is very positive, and includes a powerful and moving ending.
A better story than I remembered. And one which should be better known.