# Obsession and Madness in The Man in the Queue

> Theme guide for The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/vi-the-levantine): Grant's relentless pursuit and the Levantine's irrational flight into traffic suggest obsessive and desperate behavior.
- [VII: Things Move](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/xvii-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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/xviii-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.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/themes/obsession_and_madness
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/themes