Even on the fictional level, however, the contradictions which give rise to the mystery story are not fully resolved. The individualism and public service of the private detective both stem from his dedication to a personal code of conduct: he enforces the law without being told to do so. The private eye is therefore a moral man; but his morality rests upon that of his society. The basic premise of all mystery stories is that the distinction between good and bad coincides with the distinction between legal and illegal. Unfortunately, this assumption does not always hold good. As capitalism in the 20th century has become increasingly dependent upon force and violence for its survival, the private detective is placed in a serious dilemma. If he is good, he may not be legal; if he is legal, he may not be good. It is the gradual unfolding and deepening of this contradiction which creates the inner dialectic of the evolution of the mystery story.

With the advent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, the development of the modern private detective begins. Sherlock Holmes is not merely an individualist; he is very close to being a mental case. A brief list of the great detective's little idiosyncrasies would provide Dr. Freud with ample food for thought. Holmes is addicted to the use of cocaine and other refreshing stimulants; he is prone to semi catatonic trances induced by the playing of the vioiln; he is a recluse, an incredible egotist, a confirmed misogynist. Holmes rebels against the social conventions of his day not on moral but rather on aesthetic grounds. His eccentricity begins as a defense against boredom. It was in order to avoid the stuffy routine of middle class life that Holmes became a detective in the first place. As he informs Watson, ``My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so.'' Holmes is a public servant, to be sure; but the society which he serves bores him to tears.