“There is a fine line between genius and madness. I deleted this line” (“Oscar Levant Quotes”). Dr. William Chester Minor, protagonist of Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman, was an indisputable psychopath. His madness was confirmed by his crazy delusions and actions such as murdering an innocent man and mutilating himself. Yet he still managed to be a highly regarded surgeon and an intelligent scholar. These three aspects of Minor's life are strongly motivated by his personality. Minor's story begins on the island of Ceylon, where he received an exceptional primary education, learned several indigenous languages, and became infatuated with seductive local girls. For this reason he was removed from temptation and sent to America by his parents. In the United States, Minor studied medicine at the prestigious Yale University and eventually joined the Union Army as a surgeon. Dr. Minor witnessed terrible events while fighting in the Civil War; the most traumatic event occurred when he was forced to brand an Irish deserter. This experience sent Minor into a downward spiral. He began illegally carrying a gun, visiting brothels, and showing signs of paranoia; therefore the doctor was discharged from the army and discreetly interned in a mental hospital. After his release, Minor traveled to London where he killed a man due to his paranoid delusions. Minor was sentenced to an asylum and spent most of the next thirty-eight years secretly reading and volunteering for the Oxford English Dictionary. James Murray, editor of the dictionary, eventually discovered Minor's identity and they soon became close friends. Although Minor read religiously and gained new knowledge, his mental condition...... middle of paper...... the Madman, I learned that redemption is possible, even in the most desperate circumstances. After Minor committed a horrible crime, he fell from grace and lost his integrity. The once highly esteemed surgeon was reduced to being called “Poor Doctor Minor” (Winchester 161). Yet he managed to find reward by contributing to the Oxford English Dictionary. He discovered a purpose, in helping to create the work, while locked away, isolated and discouraged. The story of Doctor Minor is not only a story of murder and madness, but also a message of hope and redemption. Work cited "Quotes by Oscar Levant". Quotes by Oscar Levant (author of Memoirs of an Amnesiac). Network. November 19, 2013.Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman: A Story of Murder, Madness, and the Creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. Print.