And Then There Were None
In the book And Then There Were None, ten characters are invited to an island by an anonymous host. At the Island, there is a poem that tells a story about ten Indian boys who all die in unique ways. Coincidentally, there are ten figurines that are designed as Indian boys on a plate on the dinner table inside the only house on the island, a mansion. As the story progresses, the characters find out everyone who was invited to the island had committed murder but avoided the consequences by finding a loophole in the law. Determining to grant the victims of the guests’ acts the justice they deserve, the unidentified Mr. U. N. Owen commits murders of his own, killing each guest in correspondence with the Indian poem. Using mystery and murder, Agatha
…show more content…
Christie conveyed the different expressions of guilt in her suspenseful thriller, And Then There Were None.
All the characters are gathered in the drawing room of the mansion and a record is played on the gramophone, announcing the names of the guests and crimes they had committed. Emily being accused of the death of a girl named Beatrice Taylor. At first glance, Emily Brent seems like a normal old woman who knits and can get on by herself just fine. But as you see her reaction to the accusations against her, you will come to find she feels no remorse for leading a young woman to kill herself. Being questioned by the judge about any type of rebuttal against the accusation heard on the gramophone, Emily replied “There is no question of defence. I have always acted in accordance with the dictates of my conscience. I have nothing which to reproach myself.” implying she feels she did nothing wrong and simply trusted her conscience as usual (Christie 48). Later in the novel in a conversation with Vera Claythorne, Vera questions if Miss Brent felt guilty or sorry for what had happened to Beatrice Taylor trying to explain that Emily’s “hardness” drove Beatrice to do it. Emily argues “Her own action-her own sin- that was what drove her to it. If she had behaved like a decent modest young woman none of this would have happened.” (Christie 74). Emily Brent stayed strong until the very end, sticking with the idea that she was completely innocent and had nothing to do with the death of Beatrice Taylor.
Dr. Armstrong had been accused by Mr. Owen’s voice on the gramophone of deliberately killing a woman on the operating table. Although when first accused Dr. Armstrong did not feel guilty, in just a day’s time he was having a feverish dream about the very event, recalling how “Beautifully sharp [the scalpel] was…. Easy to do a murder with a knife like that. And of course he was doing a murder.” and acknowleging the fact that “sister was watching” and wondering, “Should he ask sister?” suggesting a nun had ordered the woman’s death (Christie 60). Guilt had changed Dr. Armstrong’s perspective on his crime. From calmly refuting he held any responsibility of it to having panic driven dreams about the murder he was ordered to perform.
Vera Claythorne was mentally affected by the guilt of the death of young Cyril Hamilton.
While babysitting him, Cyril had wanted to swim out to a rock in a lake Vera took him to visit. Usually, she would say no, that it was too far for him, but this particular day she had allowed him to. Cyril drowned and Vera swam out to try and save him, so she claims. In the beginning of the story, after the gramophone announcement and mention of Cyril, Vera explains herself by saying “I swam after him… I couldn’t get there in time…. It was awful…. But it wasn’t my fault… and his mother-she was so kind.” (Christie 44). As the tale progresses, it is revealed that Cyril’s father, Hugo, was having romantic relations with Vera. As Vera was climbing the stairs in the mansion, ready to finish the poem ending in “one lonely Indian boy [hanging] his little self”, she is convinced by her growing crazy conscience that Hugo is waiting for her. She opened the door to her room and thought at the sight, “A rope with a noose all ready? And a chair to stand upon-a chair that could be kicked away…. That was what Hugo wanted.” (Christie 184). Vera had lost her mind from the weight of the guilt. So with the idea in her head that she was truly fulfilling Hugo’s wishes and avenging Cyril, she kicked the chair away and hung her little
self.
To conclude, Agatha Christie demonstrated the different ways each character reacted to and was affected differently by the guilt of their murders. From Emily Brent determined she was innocent until the very end, to Dr. Armstrong quickly second guessing himself and his innocence, to Vera coming to terms with what she had done and serving justice by her own hand. After all was said and done, then there were none.
Christie conveyed the different expressions of guilt in her suspenseful thriller, And Then There Were None.
All the characters are gathered in the drawing room of the mansion and a record is played on the gramophone, announcing the names of the guests and crimes they had committed. Emily being accused of the death of a girl named Beatrice Taylor. At first glance, Emily Brent seems like a normal old woman who knits and can get on by herself just fine. But as you see her reaction to the accusations against her, you will come to find she feels no remorse for leading a young woman to kill herself. Being questioned by the judge about any type of rebuttal against the accusation heard on the gramophone, Emily replied “There is no question of defence. I have always acted in accordance with the dictates of my conscience. I have nothing which to reproach myself.” implying she feels she did nothing wrong and simply trusted her conscience as usual (Christie 48). Later in the novel in a conversation with Vera Claythorne, Vera questions if Miss Brent felt guilty or sorry for what had happened to Beatrice Taylor trying to explain that Emily’s “hardness” drove Beatrice to do it. Emily argues “Her own action-her own sin- that was what drove her to it. If she had behaved like a decent modest young woman none of this would have happened.” (Christie 74). Emily Brent stayed strong until the very end, sticking with the idea that she was completely innocent and had nothing to do with the death of Beatrice Taylor.
Dr. Armstrong had been accused by Mr. Owen’s voice on the gramophone of deliberately killing a woman on the operating table. Although when first accused Dr. Armstrong did not feel guilty, in just a day’s time he was having a feverish dream about the very event, recalling how “Beautifully sharp [the scalpel] was…. Easy to do a murder with a knife like that. And of course he was doing a murder.” and acknowleging the fact that “sister was watching” and wondering, “Should he ask sister?” suggesting a nun had ordered the woman’s death (Christie 60). Guilt had changed Dr. Armstrong’s perspective on his crime. From calmly refuting he held any responsibility of it to having panic driven dreams about the murder he was ordered to perform.
Vera Claythorne was mentally affected by the guilt of the death of young Cyril Hamilton.
While babysitting him, Cyril had wanted to swim out to a rock in a lake Vera took him to visit. Usually, she would say no, that it was too far for him, but this particular day she had allowed him to. Cyril drowned and Vera swam out to try and save him, so she claims. In the beginning of the story, after the gramophone announcement and mention of Cyril, Vera explains herself by saying “I swam after him… I couldn’t get there in time…. It was awful…. But it wasn’t my fault… and his mother-she was so kind.” (Christie 44). As the tale progresses, it is revealed that Cyril’s father, Hugo, was having romantic relations with Vera. As Vera was climbing the stairs in the mansion, ready to finish the poem ending in “one lonely Indian boy [hanging] his little self”, she is convinced by her growing crazy conscience that Hugo is waiting for her. She opened the door to her room and thought at the sight, “A rope with a noose all ready? And a chair to stand upon-a chair that could be kicked away…. That was what Hugo wanted.” (Christie 184). Vera had lost her mind from the weight of the guilt. So with the idea in her head that she was truly fulfilling Hugo’s wishes and avenging Cyril, she kicked the chair away and hung her little
self.
To conclude, Agatha Christie demonstrated the different ways each character reacted to and was affected differently by the guilt of their murders. From Emily Brent determined she was innocent until the very end, to Dr. Armstrong quickly second guessing himself and his innocence, to Vera coming to terms with what she had done and serving justice by her own hand. After all was said and done, then there were none.