The Man in the Queue · Theme
Obsession and Madness
How The Man in the Queue develops Obsession and Madness.
Mrs. Wallis's obsessive love for Sorrell drives her to murder, and her 'fair-minded' confession despite her madness raises questions about sanity, while Grant's own obsessive focus on the case nearly leads him to resign.
Where it surfaces
- VI: The Levantine
Grant's relentless pursuit and the Levantine's irrational flight into traffic suggest obsessive and desperate behavior.
- VII: Things Move
Grant's obsessive pursuit of clues, working through Sunday, and his surreal dream reflecting his fixation on the case.
- XIV: The Statement
Grant's thoughts become consumed by the case, recognizing it as an obsession that he resents but cannot escape.
- XV: The Brooch
Grant's persistent unease and determination to uncover the truth borders on obsession, as he pursues a hunch against Barker's advice.
- Solution
Grant's fixation on the brooch borders on obsession, as he repeatedly returns to it despite its apparent irrelevance, questioning his own sanity and competence.
- Conclusion
Sorrell's obsessive love for Ray Marcable drives him to murder and suicide; Mrs. Wallis's actions are described as stemming from a form of madness.