1.
In the book, "The Unexpected Guest", there are two main themes. The main themes are revenge, and love and hate. Revenge is a very important theme to the plot because Mr. Richard Warwick, the man killed, had ran over the little boy of a man who later comes back to kill him. Love and hate is also a theme. In this book, many people had a motive for murdering Warwick, but these people were his family and friends. The line between love and hate is broken when accusations arise.
2.
The main character in this book is Michael Starkwedder. In the beginning Starkwedder seems to be an innocent bystander caught up in a horrific murder scene. He is a very quiet man who has imagined being a detective all his life.
When he realizes the situation at hand he is shocked, but also extremely intrigued. He wants to know every detail of the murder, all of Mr. Warwick's background, and any other information the dead man's wife will offer him. Starkwedder is a very intelligent man with an over active imagination. With his personality he cannot help himself from becoming involved in this very difficult scenario.
Starkwedder begins to see Laura, Mr. Warwick's widow, in a new light. He finds her very attractive and intriguing. His efforts to court her come with no reward to him. At this point, Starkwedder becomes very uncooperative. He is throwing hints to the police that he knows more, but cannot say. He becomes threatening, dangerous. The people in the Warwick household trust him so when they tell him who they believe is the murderer he becomes a double agent. Starkwedder begins to show his manipulative side by trying to coax accusations from the family of Warwick.
By the end of the story Starkwedder's true ambition is out in full force. By never being expected to be anything more than an innocent bystander, Starkwedder shows how dangerous he is and that he has changed into a true monster, a threat to society.
3.
The main conflict in this story is one of person vs.