# Epigraph explained — The Benson Murder Case

> Chapter companion for The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine.

## What happens

The epigraph presents a dialogue between Mr. Mason and an unnamed speaker, where the speaker thanks Mason for saving his life, and Mason responds that he had no interest in the man's life itself, only in the adjustment of his problem. This sets a tone of detached intellectual engagement with human dilemmas.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice, Morality, and the Law

The epigraph introduces a theme of moral detachment in the pursuit of justice, where the 'correction of destinies' is prioritized over personal sentiment.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Mason

Quoted in the epigraph, expressing a detached, problem-solving attitude toward a life-and-death situation.

## Key lines

> Mr. Mason, I wish to thank you for my life. Sir, said Mason, I had no interest in your life. The adjustment of your problem was the only thing of interest to me.

A man thanks Mason for saving his life, but Mason replies that he cared only about solving the problem, not about the man personally.

_This exchange encapsulates the epigraph's emphasis on intellectual problem-solving over emotional involvement._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_benson_murder_case_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_benson_murder_case_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_benson_murder_case_se/chapters