CAM/Belsey Zero Draft

            According to Catherine Belsey the main theme in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton (CAM) is that the most heinous criminals deserve to die at the hands of their victims and that these acts of vengeance are above the law (Belsey 110). But are Doyle’s females characters really victims? The female characters in CAM are sexually driven, deceitful, and capable of murder. These qualities demonize the women and rank them in similar immoral character as Charles Augustus Milverton himself. It is because of the portrayal of these women as such deceitful figures with strong sexual urges that the ethical implication of Holmes’ allowing Milverton’s murder is actually quite ambiguous. With this in mind, is the true reason Holmes denies assistance to inspector Lestrade, not because the ethical implications of a criminal receiving his comeuppance at the hands of his victim, but actually that the household is familiar with both his and especially Watson’s appearance? The tale ends with Holmes and Watson running through the streets to where Holmes knows there is a picture of the murderer. As readers we are left to wonder whether Holmes intends to continue investigation, which furthers the ambivalence of the texts ethical question.

            The first of the female characters in CAM is the Lady Eva Blackwell, who appears as a damsel in distress hiring Holmes as her confidante and mediator in negotiations with Milverton. We are never given details of the content of letters being used against her by Milverton, but Watson’s curiosities are appeased by Holmes description of them as “imprudent, nothing worse”(Doyle 374). Milverton on the other hand describes them as “sprightly, very sprightly”(Doyle 375). Both men agree that the content of the letters would put an end to the Lady’s betrothal or else they would not be negotiating, “to avoid scandal in so delicate a matter”(Doyle 375). The content of the letters is reckless and vigorous, no doubt of a sexual nature, else the matter would not be “so delicate.” So the morality of the Lady’s character is compromised by both her sexuality and deceit of her fiancé.

            The second figure of female sexuality is Milverton’s housemaid, Agatha, whom Holmes becomes engaged to after only, “some days,” of acquaintance (Doyle 376). Holmes also says that he has been meeting with Agatha, “the last two evenings,” therefore the guard dog that roams the grounds at night will be locked up to, “give [Holmes] a clear run (Doyle 378)”. Aside from being sexually charged Agatha has performed all of the necessary benefactions for Holmes to plan burglary of Milverton’s home, without which his plan would be left entirely to chance and criminal trespass. Because of this Agatha’s character furthers the demonization of women.

            The third, and final, female figure is the most heinous. She is a creature of hysterical anger, meeting with Milverton in disguise and murdering him because he divulged adulterous correspondence to her husband who in turn died of broken heart (Doyle 381). This woman is the earliest victim of Milverton, one of many sexually charged women in the story. Milverton claims to have, “eight or ten similar cases maturing”(Doyle 375) and with every sexually charged woman in the tale the ethical claim is less significant.

            “The sexuality of these three shadowy women motivates the narrative and yet is barely present in it”(111)

            “The classic realist text had not yet developed a way of signifying women’s sexuality except in a metaphoric or symbolic mode whose presence disrupts the realist surface”(Belsey 115) This passage is important because the elusive metaphor surrounding the female characters is detrimental to the realist narrative.