“He had always been something of an outsider at the school, and if letting the other pupils copy his work got him tolerated, if not accepted, then he wasn’t going to raise any ethical objections.”

As the novel begins, Sherlock is describing his experience at boarding school. He is isolated and wants to be left alone by the other boys. In consequence, he is willing to let them copy his work as the price of peace. Sherlock shows no inclination to ingratiate himself with his fellow students. He uses his brain power to buy privacy.

“Mycroft patted Sherlock on the shoulder. ‘If there was an alternative I would take it, believe me. Now, do you need to say goodbye to any friends?’ Sherlock looked around. There were boys he knew, but were any of them really friends? ‘No,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’”

As in the preceding quote, this statement establishes Sherlock as a “loner” and an outsider. He is surrounded by boys his own age but shows no inclination to befriend any of them. This stance will change once Matty comes into his life. At this early stage, he doesn’t see any value in friendship.

“The sound of the ground beneath the horses’ hoofs changed from stone to hard-packed earth. He screwed his eyes more tightly shut, trying to put off the moment when he would have to accept what was happening.”

Sherlock and Mycroft are about to arrive at Holmes Manor. The boy expresses his denial by shutting his eyes. This suggests that observation is key to his understanding of reality. If he can remove sensory evidence, then he can trick his logical mind into believing that a particular set of conditions isn’t so.