# Fate and Desperation in The Canary Murder Case

> Theme guide for The Canary Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine.

The murderer is described as a fatalist driven by 'desperate and tragic despair,' and the crime is portrayed as the result of a man backed into a corner, willing to kill to avoid ruin, echoing themes of passional melodrama and the tragic consequences of one's own actions.

## Where it surfaces

- [XXIII: The Ten O'Clock Appointment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxiii-the-ten-o-clock-appointment): The tense wait for Skeel and the shocking discovery of his murder underscore a sense of inescapable doom.
- [XXX: The End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/chapters/xxx-the-end): Spotswoode describes his actions as a desperate gamble forced by circumstance, accepting the outcome as the 'fortunes of the game'.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/themes/fate_and_desperation
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canary_murder_case_se/themes