The Change of the Baskerville

The Hound of the Baskerville has changed since the original story by Arthur Conan Doyle in the early 1900's. In order to keep the attention of the people in the 21st century it had to be updated to appeal a time period of people who are more sophisticated. Some of the changes made were to evoke fears of the 21st century, there were also personality changes, and some other things changed and some stayed the same. Which I believe may be the change of the definition of 21st Gothic.

I think that one of the larges changes is how science has become the new supernatural. That science is something to fear it is part of the unknown to most of us, because we are not scientist. When the military is doing genetic testing and development on animals and humans. So now the hound of Baskerville is not simply a dog, but a genetically altered dog, and acronym for a group of scientist who had worked of chemical warfare. People worry everyday about what is being developed by the government where is the line drawn between the development for good and evil. There have been events in the passed when experiment have been conducted to unknowing individuals, that is why this line of thinking is frightening to the average person. Along with the science comes the science lab, which in the old text was a castle. However, most of us are not very afraid of castles. Yet being trapped in a science lab, especially where genetic altering is going on is a bit intimidating. The moor is not a place where the supernatural occurs but where you might step on a land mind, not to safe. The updates make this version brings more creep than the earlier ones.

There are also changes to Holmes and Watson. Holmes is clearly a man of genius, he appears to be a person with high functioning aspergers or some other disorder under the autisms umbrella spectrum. He is more sensitive to how his behavior effects Watson. Even though he still does things in the name of discovery. Like when he locks Watson in the lab and turns out the lights and makes hound noises to scare Watson, in the name of science, because science is scary. He hurts Watson feelings by saying that he has no friends and later explains that he only has one, we like the bromance in movies these days, which if you think about it, it is a bit Japanese. Holmes is younger, cuter, and cooler than in the past. With his black hero coat.  Watson on the other hand is a lot different in the way he challenges Holmes, the old Watson would have just followed Holmes' lead. Watson is more of a free thinker not just an obedient servant of the past. He is really laid back and casual. Which allows him to help balance the act of the Holmes/Watson dual.

Here are some character that have changed in one way or another. Henry is still haunted by the hound of the Baskerville, but it is not a family curse. Dr. Mortimer is still Henry's doctor, but is a beautiful woman. Barrymore still works at Baskerville but is a general not a butler. Stapleton is still studying species but is not a man or the villain. Franklin is still investigating things but he is the villain, trying to cause Henry to have a psychotic break.   

So I believe that science is the new supernatural causing the fears that were once presented by the unknown of the supernatural. There are so many things that are still a mystery to us that may be supernatural, which scienctist are searching for the answers to everyday. There are things done in the name of science that many take issue with due to the method in which the testing or discoveries are handled. So yes what was scary in the past is not the same as what strikes fear in the 21st century, yes Gothic is changing.




 

Holmes vs. Watson

In The Hound of the Baskerville, the hound strikes fear in the heart of the Devonshire residents and the Baskerville heirs. Watson narrates the story explaining how he and Holmes both deal with fear. Holmes' relationship with fear is not that of the average person, but Watson's fear is common placed. Holmes believes that fear is no more than an obstacle that simply needs to be analyzed in order to eliminate it.

Holmes knowing the curse of the Baskerville pretends that it truly may be something supernatural, by telling Sir Henry to stay away from the moor after dark. Yet, he is living on the moor in one of the decaying stone huts. Holmes is obviously not fearful of a legendary supernatural hound that is said to reside on the moor. Watson on the other hand claims not to be afraid of the superstition of the moor, but when he hear the howling of the unknown it chills him.

Both Holmes and Watson are men of action. Even when Watson knows that there is a reason for fear he approaches it. Watson attaches fear without thinking it through, a good example is when he finds the lair of the mysterious man of the moor. He enters the hut not knowing what he may encounter, fortunately it was only Holmes. Holmes on the other hand is very observant and thinks everything through and devises a plan. A great example of this is when Watson wants to charge in and take Stapleton, but Holmes explains that they must have evidence otherwise Stapleton will know that they are on to him. 

Although Watson is a charge through your fears and ask questions later kind of guy and Holmes is a work out the puzzle to eliminate fear type of guy the work perfectly together, like the two sides of  the brain, different functions by needed to make things work.