And Then There Were None- Symbols Are Objects

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. There are many symbols that appear in this novel. In this novel some of the symbols are very recognizable others are not. For example the ten little Indians are recognizable. Judge Wargrave’s gunshot is not very recognizable as the mark of Cain.

One is the storm that kept them on the island. For most of the novel, a storm cuts the island off from the outside world. It both prevents anyone from escaping the island and allows the murderer to be unknown. At the same time, the violence of the weather symbolizes the violent acts taking place on Indian Island. The storm first stops when the men carry General Macarthur dead into the dining room symbolizing the guests’ realization that a murderer is loose on the island.

When Wargrave fakes his own death and then kills himself at the end of the novel. He leaves a red gunshot wound on his forehead. This wound, as he points out in his confession, symbolizes the brand that God placed upon Cain in the first murderer in the Bible. It symbolizes Wargrave’s links to Cain; both are evil men and murderers.

This novel was really good because there was no foreshadowing. The symbols that were visible didn’t give away the ending. Which kept you guessing until the very end, causing one not to want to put the book down. Overall this was a very good