THE VICTORIAN ERA’S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION METHODS AS SEEN IN ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S A STUDY IN SCARLET: A NEW HISTORICISM APPROACH

Abstract

This research aims to (1) identify the criminal investigation methods employed by Sherlock Holmes in a novel entitled A Study in Scarlet and (2) explain its representation of criminal investigation applied in Victorian era. New Historicism theory was used to attain the objectives of this research. This research is a qualitative research and used content analysis technique to analyze the data. The main source of the data was a novel entitled A Study in Scarlet. The data was the expressions related to criminal investigation methods enclosed in the story of A Study in Scarlet. Non-literary texts such as newspaper articles, journals, and books were also used as the secondary data. The analysis of the data was conducted in six steps; reading and rereading, noting, identifying, categorizing, analyzing, and interpreting. To obtain trustworthiness, the researcher used triangulation technique. The findings of this research show that there are three kinds of criminal investigation methods employed by Sherlock Holmes as seen in the novel. They are the conventional methods, the scientific methods, and Sherlock Holmes’ invented methods. Two of the categories seen through the novel reflect the kinds of criminal investigation methods applied in Victorian era: the conventional methods and the scientific methods. Despite the fact that Sherlock Holmes’ invented methods have the basis of either conventional methods or scientific methods, they are not the reflection of the criminal investigation methods that were commonly used in Victorian era.

Keywords: criminal investigation method, Victorian era, Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet