In detective fiction, authors create chaos, which they balance with a sense of structure and reason. They implement many elements to entice the reader to continue the detective in his quest to solve the riddle and defeat the chaos, which can be divided into two sections: the visible chaos and the silent chaos. Notable chaos includes elements such as murder and theft, obvious aspects of detective fiction that make the reader cringe. Quiet chaos, on the other hand, includes locked rooms and settings; things that make the reader shudder because they have no idea why it affects them so much. Authors use these different elements to support common themes that are woven into many different works of detective fiction. “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Problem of Cell 13” by Jacques Futrelle each support the theme of isolation in detective fiction. Throughout detective fiction, isolation infuses silent chaos and fear of separation into society. One element of detective fiction that authors use to create isolation and implement quiet chaos is the locked room element. In many detective stories, characters are placed in locked rooms or locations where there appears to be no way of entering or exiting. One of society's greatest fears is being alone or alone; the element of the locked room exacerbates this fear in readers and characters, making them feel like nothing good is happening in the locked room. A locked room that readers are introduced to is Dr. Jekyll's laboratory in The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. While Dr. Jekyll is in his laboratory, he is separated from everyone, a...... middle of paper...... in each person's heart. Whether it's a locked room, an animal personality, or a setting that takes the reader away from reality, isolation is used to embody silent chaos. The theme of isolation is prevalent in many works of detective fiction and it imprints on the reader the silent fear that arises in the dead of night and does not go away. Works Cited Doyle, Arthur Conan. “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”. Detective fiction: crime and compromise. Ed. Dick Allen and David Chacko. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974. 101-120. Print.Futrelle, Jacques. "The Cell 13 Problem". Detective fiction: crime and compromise. Ed. Dick Allen and David Chacko. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974. 122-150. Print.Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mineola: Dover Publications Inc., 1991. Print.