The Problem of Cell Thirteen

by Jacques Futrelle

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

The fifth man in Jacques Futrelle's "The Problem of Cell Thirteen" refers first to Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, who disguises himself as an electrician to escape Chisholm Prison. Four...

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

The warden is confused because he does not know how Van Dusen gets the paper or pen and ink. It turns out that there is a hole in Van Dusen's cell wall, creating an airway between Cell 13 and the...

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

In "The Problem of Cell Thirteen," The Thinking Machine gathers supplies to create a mannequin by exploiting a drainpipe in his cell. He attaches a message to a rat, which delivers it outside. A boy...

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

Besides the prison cell, the key elements of the setting in "The Problem of Cell 13" include Van Dusen's home and laboratory, the era (1905), and Chisholm Prison in Beaufort County, South Carolina....

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

Two red herrings in "The Problem of Cell Thirteen" include Van Dusen's notes and the ghostly voice. The notes mislead the wardens into thinking Van Dusen is plotting escape with outside help, while...

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The Problem of Cell Thirteen

In "The Problem of Cell 13," Jacques Futrelle explores two social struggles. The first is the envy and resentment ordinary individuals feel towards those with extraordinary deductive abilities,...

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