The Effects Of Guilt In And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known to be one of the best-selling novelist in history. She has written over 60 detective novels and 14 short story collections. She holds the record for world's longest running play - The Mousetrap. Christie's first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, began as a bet with her sister who said she didn’t believe Christie could write a good detective novel. John Lane of The Bodley Head published the novel in 1919 and created a contract for Christie to produce five more books. This is when Christie’s career as an author took off. And Then There Were None is Christie’s most well known novel. Published in 1939, the novel sold more than 100 million copies and is also Christie’s best selling novel and the world's
Having created a story where every character has committed an unspeakable crime, Christie is able to show the different approaches people have on dealing with their guilt. After the recording plays on the first night on the island, the characters react very differently to the announcement of their crimes. Those who denied the accusations publicly are deeply bothered by the guilt in private. Dr. Armstrong denies the charges to the other guests, but that night has a dream about the woman he killed during surgery. After denying his crimes he thinks to himself, “Drunk-that’s what it was-drunk... And I operated! Nerves all to pieces-hands shaking. I killed her, all right.” (48) Others who admit to their crimes, suffer from less guilt. Tony Marston confesses to hitting two children with his car and displays no sense of remorse or guilt. “I’ve just been thinking - John and Lucy Combes. Must have been a couple of kids I ran over near Cambridge. Beastly bad luck.”
However, the narrator is also able to see into individual characters thoughts at certain moments throughout the story. This writing is third person omniscient, which helps readers understand the grief and guilt the characters are feeling inside their heads. For example, the reader views inside General Macarthur mind when he is recalling the story of his murdering of his wife's lover. Inside his head he expresses the hate he has built up, “ Leslie-Leslie and Arthur! Liar and hypocrite! Stealer of another man’s wife!”(55) It allows readers to have sympathy for characters but does not give enough insight into who the real killer is. This technique enhances the suspense of the