How are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Gregory House Alike?

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Recommended: Analysis of Sherlock Holmes

There are an abundance of similarities between detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Gregory House; many which are obvious and others that appear more subtly. Just like in almost every form of literature, when you have a main character that appears to have a “heroic” persona, there is a trusty sidekick next to them. Sherlock and Dr. House both share this characteristic, a friend who is not only a colleague that helps them professionally but a friend who supports them through everything.
For Sherlock Holmes, his partner in crime is Dr. John H. Watson. Not only is he a trusted friend, but also he is Holmes’ associate and the first person narrator of the Sherlock tales. The stories of Sherlock Holmes are a collection of short stories and fictional novels created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These stories are based on a famous and most notorious detective all throughout London, Sherlock Holmes. Along his side, Dr. Watson narrates his and Holmes’ detective cases and reveals Sherlock’s abilities and knowledge of solving cases and fighting deadly crimes. For the duration of the stories, Watson and Holmes share a particular relationship where Holmes verbally dominates Watson, “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is very clear” (Doyle 241). When he isn’t insulting Dr. Watson he talks about how much he relies on his partner, “I am lost without my Boswell” (Doyle 243).
Dr. Gregory House and Dr. Wilson share a fairly similar relationship with Watson and Holmes. Just like Holmes, House has a very narcissistic attitude on life and tends to shut people out of it. They enjoy just being on their own and feel as if they are better off that way; both share an erotic attentiveness to themselves. On the other hand, they both have only one ...

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Out of the countless similarities between these two forms of literature, the most significant comparisons are the ones between the best friends of the egotistical main characters. It shows that even though Holmes and House are the most arrogant, lazy, and brilliant protagonists; they still have just a little bit of hope for their humanity because they have one person in their lives that try to bring out the best in them.

Works Cited

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories. 1. New York, New York: A Division of Random House, Inc., 1986. Print.
"House and Holmes: A Comparison of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. House." Hubpages. N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 8 Feb 2014. .
Singer, Bryan, dir. "Pilot." House. FOX: 16 Nov 2004. Television.

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