In the opening and concluding sentences of "A Scandal in Bohemia," Watson refers to Irene Adler as the woman. This wording—with an italicized emphasis on the definite article—is a quotation of Holmes, and it becomes a motif that frames the short story. The initial sentences of the first part introduce Irene Adler without naming her:
TO SHERLOCK Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.
This opening passage is interesting for a number of reasons. In the position of witness, close confidant, and narrator, Watson reproduces Holmes's own diction and syntax when introducing one of the story's main characters. The first three sentences are all about Irene Adler—she is even the grammatical subject of the story's very first sentence. However, she remains unnamed until the fourth sentence. The reader understands from this diction that the story will be about a woman, but that it won't follow her perspective. Irene Adler's character is shrouded in mystery, an aura that remains through to the end. Holmes's fascination is transferred to the reader by way of Watson's narration. This opening passage also foreshadows later events in the story, as the reader comes to expect that Irene Adler will do something capable of impressing Holmes.
On the one hand, Irene Adler lacks agency and remains inaccessible to the reader. The reader always engages with her either through the filter of Watson's perspective or Watson's reiteration of Holmes's perspective. On the other hand, she holds a great degree of power, as her intelligence and deftness evidently destabilizes and preoccupies Holmes. Watson underlines this point in the final sentences of the third part:
He used to make merry over the cleverness of women, but I have not heard him do it of late. And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable title of the woman.
Watson only refers to Irene Adler as the woman twice. Throughout the story, he and those he quotes evoke the character by her name. This is because Holmes only begins to call her the woman after the story's events have taken place. Watson mostly narrates in the past tense, but he begins and ends the story in the present tense. Thus, a majority of the story is a flashback that is sandwiched between two portions of reflection from his time of writing. When Watson comes back to his opening thought at the very end, Doyle cements "the woman" as a motif.
In addition, this moment indicates that the entire short story essentially serves as an anecdote to explain why Holmes refers to Irene Adler in these terms. In his eyes, she is singular. Unlike many other Sherlock Holmes stories, "A Scandal in Bohemia" is less aimed at following Holmes as he solves a complicated crime in an impressive way and more aimed at showing how he was upstaged by his feminine match. While this experience doesn't change his opinion of women overall, it does throw him off balance and awaken his fascination for this striking woman, Irene Adler.
In the opening and concluding sentences of "A Scandal in Bohemia," Watson refers to Irene Adler as the woman. This wording—with an italicized emphasis on the definite article—is a quotation of Holmes, and it becomes a motif that frames the short story. The initial sentences of the first part introduce Irene Adler without naming her:
TO SHERLOCK Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.
This opening passage is interesting for a number of reasons. In the position of witness, close confidant, and narrator, Watson reproduces Holmes's own diction and syntax when introducing one of the story's main characters. The first three sentences are all about Irene Adler—she is even the grammatical subject of the story's very first sentence. However, she remains unnamed until the fourth sentence. The reader understands from this diction that the story will be about a woman, but that it won't follow her perspective. Irene Adler's character is shrouded in mystery, an aura that remains through to the end. Holmes's fascination is transferred to the reader by way of Watson's narration. This opening passage also foreshadows later events in the story, as the reader comes to expect that Irene Adler will do something capable of impressing Holmes.
On the one hand, Irene Adler lacks agency and remains inaccessible to the reader. The reader always engages with her either through the filter of Watson's perspective or Watson's reiteration of Holmes's perspective. On the other hand, she holds a great degree of power, as her intelligence and deftness evidently destabilizes and preoccupies Holmes. Watson underlines this point in the final sentences of the third part:
He used to make merry over the cleverness of women, but I have not heard him do it of late. And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable title of the woman.
Watson only refers to Irene Adler as the woman twice. Throughout the story, he and those he quotes evoke the character by her name. This is because Holmes only begins to call her the woman after the story's events have taken place. Watson mostly narrates in the past tense, but he begins and ends the story in the present tense. Thus, a majority of the story is a flashback that is sandwiched between two portions of reflection from his time of writing. When Watson comes back to his opening thought at the very end, Doyle cements "the woman" as a motif.
In addition, this moment indicates that the entire short story essentially serves as an anecdote to explain why Holmes refers to Irene Adler in these terms. In his eyes, she is singular. Unlike many other Sherlock Holmes stories, "A Scandal in Bohemia" is less aimed at following Holmes as he solves a complicated crime in an impressive way and more aimed at showing how he was upstaged by his feminine match. While this experience doesn't change his opinion of women overall, it does throw him off balance and awaken his fascination for this striking woman, Irene Adler.
