Characterization in and Then There Were None
Katherine Quimbayo
Set 6
September 16, 2010
Characterization in And Than There Were None
Agatha Christie uses characterization to show the evil side of human nature, in her mystery novel And Then There Were None, through three important characters, which include Vera Claythorne, Philip Lombard, and Justice Wargrave. Christie shows characterization through Vera by making her a Dynamic character. Vera changes through the course of the work by influence of the life threatening situation that is going on around her. Furthermore, Vera changes from a proper and polite woman, to a woman who will do anything to survive. “Vera Claythorne, tired by some recent strenuous term at school, thought to herself-‘Being a games mistress in a third-class school isn’t much of a catch... If only I could get a job at some decent school.’” This quote shows Vera’s hardworking and stringent personality, its shows that Vera is a proper and educated woman (4). “...That is was Vera Claythorne. That she shot Lombard, took the revolver back to the house, toppled the marble block onto Blore and then-hanged herself.” The following quotation explains Vera’s endurance toward the end of the novel (258). Both of theses quotes symbolize Vera’s dynamic nature changing from a polite woman to someone determined to survive. In Christie’s novel she also shows the evil side of human nature in Philip Lombard. Christie shows characterization in Lombard by making him a round character. In the novel Lombard is depicted as a chivalrous and aplomb character, although toward the end of the book his chivalrousness turns out to be one of his weaknesses and causes him a fatal end. “Philip Lombard, that upon a date in February, 1932, you were guilty of the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African tribe.” This quote explains how Lombard is brought to Indian Island therefore showing more insight about his character than any of the other guests. This quote also symbolizes that although Lombard is a
Set 6
September 16, 2010
Characterization in And Than There Were None
Agatha Christie uses characterization to show the evil side of human nature, in her mystery novel And Then There Were None, through three important characters, which include Vera Claythorne, Philip Lombard, and Justice Wargrave. Christie shows characterization through Vera by making her a Dynamic character. Vera changes through the course of the work by influence of the life threatening situation that is going on around her. Furthermore, Vera changes from a proper and polite woman, to a woman who will do anything to survive. “Vera Claythorne, tired by some recent strenuous term at school, thought to herself-‘Being a games mistress in a third-class school isn’t much of a catch... If only I could get a job at some decent school.’” This quote shows Vera’s hardworking and stringent personality, its shows that Vera is a proper and educated woman (4). “...That is was Vera Claythorne. That she shot Lombard, took the revolver back to the house, toppled the marble block onto Blore and then-hanged herself.” The following quotation explains Vera’s endurance toward the end of the novel (258). Both of theses quotes symbolize Vera’s dynamic nature changing from a polite woman to someone determined to survive. In Christie’s novel she also shows the evil side of human nature in Philip Lombard. Christie shows characterization in Lombard by making him a round character. In the novel Lombard is depicted as a chivalrous and aplomb character, although toward the end of the book his chivalrousness turns out to be one of his weaknesses and causes him a fatal end. “Philip Lombard, that upon a date in February, 1932, you were guilty of the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African tribe.” This quote explains how Lombard is brought to Indian Island therefore showing more insight about his character than any of the other guests. This quote also symbolizes that although Lombard is a