Across books · Theme
Obsession and Madness
Boldwood's unrequited love for Bathsheba descends into obsessive fixation, leading to mental instability and tragic violence, illustrating the destructive power of unchecked passion.
Obsession and Madness appears as a literary theme in 7 works in the BetterReads curated set. Each book develops the idea in its own plot, voice, and historical moment — the links below open the book-scoped theme guide beside the text.
Boldwood's unrequited love for Bathsheba descends into obsessive fixation, leading to mental instability and tragic violence, illustrating the destructive power of unchecked passion.
Prokop's relentless pursuit of his invention and his fixation on a mysterious woman drive him into feverish delusions, hallucinations, and psychological breakdowns, blurring the line between genius and insanity.
Characters are driven to obsession by supernatural forces or objects, such as O'Brien's fixation on the crystal and the 'Crystal Circe,' leading to madness, loss of self, and tragic transformation.
Hatteras's single-minded pursuit of the Pole borders on madness, leading to reckless decisions and his eventual mental breakdown, symbolizing the destructive power of unchecked ambition.
Characters like Mr. Longvale are driven by obsessive hero-worship of his executioner ancestor, leading to homicidal delusions, while Sir Gregory Penne's eccentricities and cruelty suggest a dangerous, obsessive personality.
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.
In each book
far_from_the_madding_crowd_se
Boldwood's unrequited love for Bathsheba descends into obsessive fixation, leading to mental instability and tragic violence, illustrating the destructive power of unchecked passion.
Open theme guide →
krakatit_se
Prokop's relentless pursuit of his invention and his fixation on a mysterious woman drive him into feverish delusions, hallucinations, and psychological breakdowns, blurring the line between genius and insanity.
Open theme guide →
short_fiction_27_se
Characters are driven to obsession by supernatural forces or objects, such as O'Brien's fixation on the crystal and the 'Crystal Circe,' leading to madness, loss of self, and tragic transformation.
Open theme guide →
the_adventures_of_captain_hatteras_se
Hatteras's single-minded pursuit of the Pole borders on madness, leading to reckless decisions and his eventual mental breakdown, symbolizing the destructive power of unchecked ambition.
Open theme guide →
the_avenger_se
Characters like Mr. Longvale are driven by obsessive hero-worship of his executioner ancestor, leading to homicidal delusions, while Sir Gregory Penne's eccentricities and cruelty suggest a dangerous, obsessive personali
Open theme guide →
the_man_in_the_queue_se
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.
Open theme guide →
the_nebuly_coat_se
Martin Joliffe's fixation on proving his lineage and the organist Sharnall's descent into alcoholism illustrate how obsession can lead to ruin, with the nebuly coat serving as a symbol of consuming delusion.
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