Summary

At the end of his initial period in solitary, he asks for an extension. This is such an unusual request that the governor questions him personally. Paul confesses that he finds it interesting to be in solitary. The governor, Sir Wilfred, prides himself on his forward-thinking approach to the treatment of prisoners and decides to further his experiments on Paul. He makes Paul the subject of an exclusive experiment, in opposition to the treatment prescribed by “Standing Orders.” By a series of progressive steps, he forces Paul to spend time with specially selected peers and talk on subjects that would improve their minds.

In Chapter 3, the experiments go several steps further in defiance of traditional methods. Paul enters another phase of his rehabilitation, but his companion in the experiments changes to a burly, snarling individual who has crossed the line into delusional insanity. Sir...