The Dark Side of America

America has an eclectic mix of cultures: fast food, football... and a bit of the supernatural. It has been evident since the early years of this country that America has a profound fascination with the darkness. Even those affiliated with religion, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, has a piqued interest in the occult, as evidenced in his short story "Young Goodman Brown". Other famous authors have taken a fascination in this theme, such as Ray Bradbury in his novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Something Wicked This Way Comes follows the story of two friends Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, who encounter a mysterious carnival. They soon enough realize that there is something unnatural about it: a merry-go-round that reversed people's ages and a strange mirror maze. Soon, they are caught up in a utterly wicked situation, and must fight for their lives. Through laughter and happiness, the two boys eventually defeat Mr. Dark and the Dust Witch.

This evidently shows the culture of America: a fascination with the unknown, the consequences of darkness, and the power of love and happiness. Stories of odious wickedness provide us with escape of our ordinary lives, which may often seem a little too good. Evil interests us because it exists everywhere, and we wish to cling to the hope that it can be defeated. And finally, we like to believe that indeed, love and happiness can conquer all, and that it is the most powerful force of the universe.

America was partly founded as an escape from religious persecutions. It was a place where different people merged together. Often, its people experienced distrust and cynicism, such as the Salem Witch Trials. However, stories of darkness often brought relief to people as well-- that they weren't alone in there fears, and that there were things worse than what they experienced. Stories of supernatural events not only provided thrills and excitement, but sometimes, relief and comfort.

Sherlock and Ichabod Crane: the Unlikely Protagonist

Sherlock may be brilliant and attractive, but his admirable traits wane from there. He's rude and completely disregarding of other people's feelings. His empathy skills fall far below the norm. Although the audience may chuckle at his undermining comments, many of the characters in BBC Sherlock despise him. I mean, just imagine being told this constantly:

It's so bad to the point that even Sherlock himself, the pretentious jerk, admits his lack of social skills:

Such qualities make Sherlock an anti-hero, much like Washington Irving's Ichabod Crane. Both Sherlock and Ichabod are blinded by what they want. In Ichabod's case, it's his desire to be wealthy. He has no regard for Katrina, but rather the delectable life he longs to live.

In Sherlock, Sherlock himself points out that, "There was one feature, and only one feature, of interest in the whole of this baffling case, and quite frankly it was the usual. John Watson – who, while I was trying to solve the murder, instead saved a life." Indeed, Sherlock desires the thrill of solving crimes, not helping others out. To him, murders are a logic game, and nothing more. Therefore in that sense, both are extremely selfish.

Like Ichabod Crane, Sherlock also has little regard for morals. After Sherlock's staged fall, for two years, Mrs. Hudson, John Watson, and Greg Lestrade are left in the dark about Sherlock's survival. A single phone call or just a small sign could have sufficed, but instead, he let them grieve because he doesn't know any better. Likewise, outside of the classroom, Ichabod also seems to care very little about morals: he gluttonously consumes food of others and his only desire is to be wealthy. He only truly believes he is in love with Katrina when he finds out of her wealth, a sign that his intentions are wrong.

Finally, Sherlock is insensitive. He often says things that are incredibly harsh; most of the time, he is pretentious and condescending. Clearly, he could care less about the feelings of other people. As he so eloquently put it:

 Similarly, Ichabod is just as callous. All the time he spends wooing Katrina is simply for her affluence, showing he has little care for how she feels. He does not have any concern of her happiness, just to be good enough to secure his inheritance.

All in all, neither Sherlock nor Ichabod are conventional heroes: admirable and respectable. Of course, they have their positive attributes-- Sherlock, for his intelligence, and Ichabod, for his strict morals in his classroom and his honorable pursuit as a teacher. However, they are anti-heroes because their actions are not always righteous. They are not role models.

In essence, they are human, never really knowing what to do. Never really flawless, not always likable.

And now, I'm off to save the world. And by that, I mean to watch more of BBC Sherlock.

-Yue