A Study of Mrs. Hudson
One of the hallmark characters of the Sherlock Holmes fan world is that of Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of 221b Baker Street. However, her presence in the original canon is scarce and, despite his tendency to describe characters—particularly female ones—in great detail, Arthur Conan Doyle never gives a physical description of Mrs. Hudson. Nor is the character ever given a first name. However, in adaptations over the decades, as well as in fan work of all types, Mrs. Hudson has become one of the most recognizable characters. Her presence and relative importance grows from the canon, to the Alfred L. Werker 1939 film series adaptations starring Basil Rathbone, the Granada television series 1984 adaptation starring Jeremy Brett, and BBC Sherlock series which first aired in 2010, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. This growth in character importance may reflect an increasing desire for strong female characters and more equal gender representation in adaptations of the male-dominated Sherlock Holmes canon.
Many of the adaptations and fan works explore the spaces left unfilled in the canon literature, investigating that which remains unwritten. Mrs. Hudson’s story would certainly fall in this category as a character who receives little more than token mention in the canon but as been developed to the point that entire novels are dedicated to her character. In that way, the interest in the individual character of Mrs. Hudson appears to reflect the general desire of Sherlock Holmes fans to fill perceived gaps in the canon, both in the exploration of her character specifically and in the larger exploration of female characters in the world of Sherlock Holmes.
Discussion of "A Study of Mrs. Hudson"
Add your voice to this discussion.
Checking your signed in status ...