From the opening chapter of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward there is little doubt that Ward's "mental disturbance" has been caused by Joseph Curwen. Ward's ignorance of his own life and times is a dead giveaway. The fun of the novel lies in its fantastic imagery, the dark and mysterious happenings that surround Ward, and the battle of wits between Ward on one side and his father and Dr. Marinus Bicknell Willett on the other. Willett represents knowledge tempered by courage and ethics. Suspense is maintained by the inevitability of a confrontation between Dr. Willett and Joseph Curwen.