A Samba for Sherlock - Essay Example

?A Samba for Sherlock: Critical analysis Introduction ‘O Xango de Baker Street’ is a novel written in 1995 by d Brazilian and comedian, JoSoares. The story is set in the final decades of the nineteenth century in the sprawling city of Rio de Janeiro. The plot begins with a performance by famous actress Sarah Bernhardt in the city’s municipal theater that was based on French influences. The entire audience, including the reigning emperor Pedro II, was enthralled by her performance. During a rendezvous upon the show’s conclusion, the emperor confides in Sarah about the mysterious disappearance of a Stradivarius Violin that he had once gifted to his mistress (Krueger, 2006). Meanwhile, the city was also shaken by the news of a prostitute’s brutal murder, which had been orchestrated in a rather peculiar manner. The killer targeted beautiful ladies and would tie the string of a violin around the intimate portions of their bodies. In response, Dom Pedro requests the services of famous British detective Sherlock Holmes to help nab the culprit. The novel is an uncanny adaptation of Sir Arthur Canon Doyle’s masterpiece although the protagonist introduced in the story is nothing like the Sherlock Holmes popular among European readers (Pitts, 2004). As a corrupt and distracted person, the Sherlock Holmes seems mesmerized by an attractive actress and indulges in trading drugs for cigarettes. Based on extensive insight of nineteenth century Brazil, the author has woven a thrilling and suspenseful story that combines the genius of an intellectual detective with the marvel of carnival revelry (Brown, 2009). This paper analyzes the ways in which ‘O Xango de Baker Street’, or its English adaptation titled ‘A Samba for Sherlock’, have transcended cultural and historical boundaries. It also describes the adaptation of western characters such as Sherlock Holmes in an emerging Latin American culture and the changes adopted by the author to reflect an intelligent and humoristic character of the protagonist. The paper also traces instances of carnivalesque arguments that serve to question the authority of traditional social hierarchy through chaos and humor. In addition, it also identifies certain British and Brazilian stereotypes that have contributed to the development of the story and the characters. Primary analysis As mentioned above, the story begins with a performance by famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt in Rio de Janeiro. A vivid insight of Brazilian culture and architecture is provided through the depiction of the Camille and Fedora operas. The author also describes the Brazilian political climate during that era and a fondness for theater and drama among the royal elite (Voltolini, 2006). In fact, the emperor Pedro II had travelled all the way from his summer capital, Petropolis, just to witness this impressive performance. The modus operandi of the serial killer suggests a very brutal end for all his victims. As is common in most suspense thrillers, the culprit also appears intent at leaving his mark by placing clues on the bodies of all his victims. It is evident that the theft of the precious violin and the clues left on the victims are connected. However, catching the perpetrator seems a distant thing even for a person of Holmes’s caliber. There is an element of mocking humor and disgust from the very beginning and it is evident that Soares has concocted a highly unusual story out of historical facts and fictional characters. While this wry depiction is largely subtle, it is nevertheless keenly felt, such as in the case of the following quote by the character Alberto Fazelli (Riley, 2009): “What do you think of Brazilian men?” The character had posed this question to Sarah Bernhardt as if he was a tabloid reporter. However, his expression was quite lustful and seemed to exceed the boundaries or propriety. Soares also relies on psychological perspectives in his portrayal of Inspector Pimenta, who throughout feels the pressure of bringing the serial killer to justice given the culprit’s rising notoriety. It is also surprising to note the lack of detail in certain aspects of the story, which are generally insignificant within the primary plot. For instance, Holmes and Watson simply discard everything upon receiving a telegram from Brazil for help and set sail the following day. It appears that the author did not indulge in broader subtlety by going to lengths at explaining the reasons that could have inspired the detective due to embark on their new mission, setting everything else aside (Meyer, 2006). A major portion of humor can be attributed to the deviation of a reader’s general mental perception of Sherlock Holmes – intelligent, accurate, polite and restrained – and the inconclusive Englishman who uses his meticulous skills to arrive at admirable, but completely inaccurate conclusions. In one instance, he observes a young man wearing a stained coat and concludes that his brother might have suffered from Tuberculosis. However, it turns out that the lad was an only child and that the cause of the stains was totally different. Soares also casts Holmes in a negative light by projecting him as a conceited Englishman who boats of his successes back home and mistreats his Brazilian assistants (Dali and Dilvenko, 2011). Holmes is also shown as someone unwilling to accept his mistakes when pointed out by his subordinates. When confronted with the real cause for a pattern, Holmes simply exclaims that he was aware of the answer all along and was simply testing his assistants. The author further swerves from the usual parody of detective novels where the protagonist is merely expected to solve a case based on preceding events. The fact that the culprit had committed for murders and had exhausted the strings of the violin by placing them on his victims seems to raise the expectation of another possible theft of a similar violin. It also raises suspicions whether the perpetrator would stick to his modus operandi or would alter his strategy. Thus, Holmes seems confronted with having to perceive the killer’s motives in addition to solving the case using the clues available. Thus, the usual norm of repetitive murders in similar styles seems fairly nascent (Watt, 2003). Soares also adopts a highly rare form of detective fiction by combining elements of horror and humor into the story, reminiscing of Rubem Fonseca, who is noted for his depiction of violence, sex and high art in almost all his writings. In following the popular characterization of Holmes as a clumsy and ‘Bohemian’ individual in terms of lifestyle, the author toes a line similar to Sir Arthur Canon Doyle and does not make an effort to cast his main character in better light for Latin American readers (Ferreira, 2012). In fact, both Holmes and Watson are lampooned in the novel for being unobservant and stupid. By describing how Holmes knocked over an expensive porcelain gift of Napoleon Bonaparte, Soares has taken liberty at degrading Holmes’s sense of etiquette. In one case, Holmes pulls a thread from a window. To the unassuming reader, this showcases Holmes’s keen observation skills, although in reality, the detective was simply looking at his bleeding thumb. Soares’ humorous style sometimes turns more gruesome and does not seem to care about the sensitivities of readers (Collins, 2006). In one of the scenes, the coroner had just finished extracting the liver of a victim for further forensic analysis when the latter’s father enters the room. In order to spare the father this gruesome sight, the coroner and the detectives pass the organ around behind their backs. Thus, Sherlock Holmes was developed as an alternate-story in Soares’ adaptation. The author relies on Holmes’s popular quality of being able to deduce anyone merely by observing them and being capable of revealing anything about them and their family background. Holmes is also shown to base all of his conclusions on sound logical arguments, although the end result is depicted to be incorrect on virtually all occasions. Thus, Soares does not intend to project Holmes as a complete fool, but strives to achieve the right balance between stupidity, intelligence and humor. Sherlock arrived in Brazil still a virgin and develops an addition for Cannabis (he preferred Cocaine previously). The element of sexuality and lust is evident throughout the plot and is particularly characteristic of Holmes in the story. In fact, Soares takes a deep interest in exploring Holmes’s sexual urges by describing his rampant desire for an actress named Anna Candelaria, and has a deep urge to make love to her. He goes to great lengths just to get intimate with her and indulges in things, which would be considered outrageous back in England. Yet, the author does not yield to this urge and introduces obstacles at every situation where Holmes seems likely to consummate his relationship. The detective finds himself helpless and overwhelmed by his feelings towards Anna so much so that he finds funny and extraordinary ways to be with her. Holmes is described as sexually inexperienced and befuddled who behaves like an impatient adolescent hungry for sex (Davies, 2008). In one particular scene, Holmes is aroused to such an extent that he tries to make love to Anna in a park, only to be arrested for indecent behavior. Important attributes that characterize Brazilian beliefs and stereotypes are introduced at several places in the story. The tantalizing influence of Shamanism in Brazilian culture was appropriately used to introduce a Brazilian perspective to the story. For instance, an evil spirit possesses Watson at the ‘temple of the high priest’ (Yoruba Nago). The devil manifests itself through Watson’s body and makes preposterous demands besides responding to queries in uncertain terms (Wagner, 2006). Soares takes pleasure at exploring the fun inherent in Brazilian culture and uses his imagination to construct an atmosphere of pompous joy. He portrays Brazilian men as too eager to emulate western fashion by wearing heavy menswear. Brazilians are also shown to have high appreciation for drama and theater as they swoon over the voluptuous actress who was performing in Rio de Janeiro. Soares also casts his attention towards the perception of Latin America as a region plagued with disease. He describes how Holmes sought to dive into the local culture by trying local delicacies only to suffer from acute diarrhea. He also believes that Brazilians are crazy about European fashion and concludes that they prefer to wear black clothing despite the hot tropical weather. He then decides to distinguish himself from the local crowd by wearing a white dress that merely serves to make him the subject of ridicule. The author has also emphasized on the carefree attitude of Brazilian people (Smith, 2009). His depiction of Watson willing to abandon his European wear seems to suggest the passion and revelry of Brazilian culture that seems to encompass everything else. Nevertheless, Soares leaves no stone unturned at making fun of his European characters by suggesting that they were the subjected to boisterous ridicule whenever they attempted to amalgamate with the local people (Steiff, 2011). While there is constant humor interspersed between crime and horror, Soares style seems to go overboard towards boredom. Its rather cartoonish and childish depiction does indeed entertain at several places, although the content could have been more precise and delicate when borrowing what is perhaps the most famous character among British suspense novels. Soares has done considerably well at highlighting some of Brazil’s social issues, such as slavery, that dominated the late nineteenth century (Riley, 2009). He introduces the famous Brazilian feminist, Chiquinha Gonzoga, very early on in the book, to symbolize her campaign for the abolition of slavery in Brazil and uses her as inspiration throughout the novel (Meyer, 2006). Very little has been done in terms of describing the overwhelming persona of Sherlock Holmes as an internationally acclaimed detective. In fact, Soares has depicted Holmes as an average person who is equally vulnerable to the pressures of society. The reader is thus in a better position to develop a clearer image of the protagonist given his human, flawed character. Anyone with a fair knowledge of Holmes would simply assume that the story always concludes with Holmes solving the case successfully. Such readers would be shocked to find that not only is Sherlock unable to solve the murder mystery, but is also accompanied by the antagonist undetected during his voyage back to England (Dali and Dilvenko, 2011). Thus, Soares deviates from the typical stereotype symbolic of European suspense novels where the mystery is always resolved successfully. Conclusion The elegance of the novel does not lie in the plot, but relies instead on a number of coincidences and confluence of cultures. The story reflects on the stiffness of an Englishman against the delightful and sensual nature of the tropics. Every major characteristic of Brazilian life, be it the royal elegance of the realm of Dom Pedro, the sensual flair of fabulous Bernhardt, the chaos in the Bourgeois or the happiness in Rio’s poor neighborhoods, has been meticulously incorporated into the story. Soares also introduces the religion of Yoruba, practiced widely in Brazil, to his English readers along with some of its unique elements such as Capoeira (a martial art native to Africa) (Collins, 2006). The civil discontent and changing political climate in Brazil towards a republican framework are also vivid throughout the novel. Clearly, the character of Sherlock Holmes developed by Soares is anything but the agile sleuth popularized by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. It also differs from the Holmes adapted by other novelists. The Sherlock Holmes in this story is a buffoon, lusty, stupid and gluttonous Englishman who is careless even when present among important dignitaries such as the emperor of Brazil himself. He is also vulnerable to tropical diseases and does not bother about indecency in his attempts to get close to an attractive lady. Readers who relish the stories penned by Doyle would be flabbergasted at this entirely different portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, who is anything but agile, observant and a male chauvinist (Davies, 2008). In his vision to devise a humorous and satirical experience, the author seems to have ignored quality in the investigative and criminal parts of the story. Perhaps, allowing Holmes to solve the murder despite his inadequacies would have better served in popularizing the novel. It could even have elevated the stature of Holmes as a fictional international detective. Nevertheless, Soares does devote enough space to portray Brazilian life, culture and society from several perspectives although his style sometimes turns ridiculous. He also emphasizes on conveying the joke within the situation and maintains a brisk pace throughout the story. Other jokes such as the invention of a Brazilian national drink by the detective duo appear far-fetched and could inhibit interest among some readers. The author has undoubtedly borrowed Sherlock Holmes as a subject for his satirical writings. He does not display any admiration or respect towards his protagonist nor does he cast him as an entirely dubious and funny character. It seems that Soares has not done enough research prior to embarking on this novel and it is surprising why he chose Holmes to pen a suspense thriller within a Brazilian setting (Smith, 2009). It also seems unfair that an internationally renowned detective would always be wrong in his deductions. Thus, the novel is recommended for someone who wishes to perceive Sherlock Holmes away from popular notions and experience a humorous internationalization of the character. References Brown, M., 2009. Informal Empire in Latin America: Culture, Commerce, and Capital. New York: John Wiley. Collins, J., 2006. Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Detective Fiction: Essays on the Genero Negro Tradition. New York: McFarland. Dali, K., and Dilvenko, J., 2011. Contemporary World Fiction: A Guide to Literature in Translation. London: Routledge. Davies, D., 2008. Shadows of Sherlock Holmes. London: Woodsworth Classics. Ferreira, C., 2012. Identity and Difference. London: Routledge. Krueger, C., 2006. Functions of Victorian Culture at the Present Time. Ohio University Press. Meyer, J., 2006. Sherlock Holmes in Rio. Dekonstruktion ima Roman O XANGO DE BAKER STREET von Jo Soares. Berlin: GRIN Verlag. Pitts, M., 2004. Famous Movie Detectives. New York: Scarecrow Press. Riley, D., 2009. The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Sherlock Holmes. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Smith, E., 2009. The Baker Street Journal: an irregular quarterly of Sherlockiana. London: Baker Street Irregulars. Steiff, J., 2011. Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy. Toronto: Open Court publishing. Voltolini, A., 2006. How ficta follow fiction: a syncretistic account of fictional entities. University of California. Wagner, E., 2006. The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases. New York: John Wiley. Watt, P., 2003. The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies, and Copies. Boston: Ashgate Publishing. Read More