# What Madness vs. Rationality means in The Wrong Letter

> The theme contrasts the calculated cunning of the murderer with the irrational confessions of a madman, questioning the reliability of reason and the ease with which insanity is used to close cases without true resolution.

## Explanation

The theme contrasts the calculated cunning of the murderer with the irrational confessions of a madman, questioning the reliability of reason and the ease with which insanity is used to close cases without true resolution.

Jackson's history of asylum confinement and his delusional statement are contrasted with the rational skepticism of Collins and Sinclair.

Madness vs. Rationality is one of the patterns The Wrong Letter by Walter S. Masterman returns to. The chapter notes above are from this edition’s companions — open those chapters to see how the book stages the idea rather than treating the theme as a slogan.

## Links

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