The Problem Of Cell 13, By Jacques Futrelle - 1156 Words

Everybody has something they love and are committed to. Unquestionably, in the short story, â€Å"The Problem of Cell 13,† by Jacques Futrelle, Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen is not an exception. The Thinking Machine, as he is colloquially known as, is challenged by associates Dr. Charles Ransome and Mr. Alfred Fielding to escape from a high-security prison cell using only his mind. Being as passionate as he is about logic, he accepts. In the story, Futrelle conveys the human experience of commitment by using descriptive literary devices, and emphasizing the dynamic character Dr. Charles Ransome. One indisputably evident theme infused into â€Å"The Problem of Cell 13† is if you believe in something, you should go to great lengths for it.†¦show more content†¦Another example on page 249 reads, â€Å"You might treat me precisely as you treated prisoners under sentence of death, and I would leave the cell† (Futrelle). This shows that The Thinking Mach ine is claiming to be able to think his way out of a cell in order to document his claim. Because he is so passionate about logic, he is willing to spend a week in this cell, and eventually succeeds at escaping. Therefore, Dr. Charles Ransome is a dynamic character. In the story, Dr. Ransome is a scientist who strongly believes The Thinking Machine cannot escape a high security prison. An early attribute Dr. Ransome carries is his doubtfulness - â€Å"giving rise to uncertainty† (â€Å"Doubtful†). In fact, on page 249, Dr. Ransome reasons, â€Å"No man can think himself out of a cell† (Futrelle). Although The Thinking Machine says he can escape, Dr. Ransome still doubts the possibility of The Thinking Machine living up to his name and thinking his way out of a cell. A conversation takes place on page 249 between The Thinking Machine and Dr. Ransome: â€Å"You might treat me precisely as you treated prisoners under the sentence of death, and I would leave the cell.† â€Å"Not unless you entered it with tools prepared to get out,† said Dr. Ransome. (Futrelle) Again, Dr. Ransome questions The Thinking Machine by arguing he could only escape prison using tools. He plainy does not believe The Thinking Machine’s theory of anything being possible. Because Dr. Ransome is a dynamic character, heShow MoreRelatedIsolation in Detective Fiction Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pageselements to support common themes that are woven into many different works of detective fiction. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s â€Å"The Adventure of the Speckled Band†, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Jacques Futrelle’s â€Å"The Problem of Cell 13† each support the theme of isolation in detective fiction. Throughout detective fiction, isolation instills the silent chaos and fear of separation into society. One element of detective fiction that authors use to create