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  • Essay / Literary analysis of “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie

    The murder mystery of the century! Unfortunately, the term, and perhaps the genre itself, has become so overused that it has lost its meaning to the general public. However, in 1939, Agatha Christie wrote a novel with such a gripping story and such complex characters that the now faded label "Murder Mystery" hardly does the book justice. Each of the characters and their corresponding actions highlight the human condition, its strengths and weaknesses. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Emily Brent, Vera Claythorne, and Dr. Armstrong—each of the storyline's important characters—in turn represent humanity's complacency, inherent need for connection, and blind faith in its leaders. Emily Brent was the fifth person to be murdered, drugged with chloral and given a fatal injection of cyanide. Her reason was behind the suicide of a young girl in her care. Unlike most characters left alive at that time, she had no remorse for her crime. She was religiously devout and believed that because committing suicide was a bad thing in God's eyes, she had no reason to feel guilty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This led to his commonly used justification when asked about the incident: "I have nothing to be ashamed of." "Her puritanical views further fueled her feelings of superiority over the other characters, as she used them to detach herself from her negative feelings about anything she might have done wrong. I believe that due to her actions and From her words in the novel until her death, Emily Brent represents humanity's complacency and tendency to justify its wrongdoings under the shield of religion Vera Claythorne, the last surviving person, except for the. Judge Wargrave, represents humanity's inherent need for communication and connection. This can be seen as a weakness in a life or death situation, as being too open can lead to your information being spread, thus making you murder. easier However, in And Then There Were None, this particular trait was portrayed as a strength. Vera's social nature caused those around her to trust and confide in her rather than playing her as a girl. too naive who ends up dead before the third chapter, she is played as an emotionally twisted young woman, wise beyond her years, who only murdered for love. She's stable and optimistic on the outside, but almost at her breaking point on the inside. Because of this, most characters, including Lombard, considered her harmless until it was too late. After shooting Philip Lombard in a moment of panic and fear, Vera is mentally exhausted and broken. Judge Wargrave sets the scene in her room and in a trance, she hangs herself. Both a blessing and a curse, the character of Vera Claythorne symbolizes humanity's need for connection and what that instinct can drive them to do. Dr. Armstrong, the sixth person to die, embodies man's blind trust in his leaders. He was killed by being pushed off a cliff after Wargrave convinced him to lean over the edge. Armstrong allied himself with the former beforehand, who always pretended to be an innocent guest. He helped fake Wargrave's death in a plot to get rid of the murderer. The judge said in his letter of confession: “He knew me by sight and reputation and it was inconceivable to him that a man of my position could.