“There is a fine line between genius and madness. I deleted this line” (“Oscar Levant Quotes”). Doctor William Chester Minor, protagonist of Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman, was an indisputable psychopath. His madness was confirmed by his deranged delusions and actions such as killing an innocent man and mutilating himself. Yet he still managed to be a highly regarded surgeon and an intelligent scholar. These three facets of Minor's life are strongly driven by his personality. Minor's story begins on the island of Ceylon, where he received an exceptional primary education, learned several indigenous languages, and fell in love with attractive local girls. For this reason, his parents took him away from temptation and sent him to America. In the United States, Minor studied medicine at the prestigious Yale University and eventually joined the Union Army as a surgeon. Dr. Minor witnessed, while fighting in the Civil War, terrible events; the most traumatic event occurred when he was forced to mark an Irish deserter. This experience sent Minor into a downward spiral. He began illegally carrying a gun, frequenting brothels, and showing signs of paranoia; the doctor was therefore dismissed from his position and sent discreetly to an asylum. After his release, Minor traveled to London where he shot a man due to his paranoid delusions. Minor was sentenced to the insane asylum, and he 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 quickly became close friends. Although Minor read religiously and acquired new knowledge, his mental state...... middle of paper ...... the Fool, 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 Dr. Minor” (Winchester 161). Yet he was able to find compensation by contributing to the Oxford English Dictionary. He discovered a sense of purpose in helping to create the work, while he was closeted, 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 from Oscar Levant”. Quotes from Oscar Levant (Author of Memoirs of an Amnesiac). Internet. 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.