"and then there were none” by agatha christie

In the novel “ And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie we learn about the characters more on how they interfere with survival. Christie’s decision to violate the standard rules of mystery makes it impossible for the reader to solve the mystery of ‘ And Then There Were None’ before the denouement. Suspense is a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. This novel shows it’s significance of solving mysteries and unsolved crimes that leaves the reader in suspense. At the same time as leaving the reader at the edge of their seat to find out what happens next . Agatha also creates a theme of irony, Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated.

The book discusses the justice system and whether those who were not punishable by law for their crimes, should be made to face up to their responsibilities. Throughout the novel, Agatha creates a suspenseful space right when we start reading the first chapter. We notice the suspense begins when there are mysterious deaths, the eerie poem, and the disappearing weapons create a frightening atmosphere. She builds suspense by creating a closed setting where one of the characters must be the murderer, by using the rhyme and the Indian boys to predict and mark each death. William Blore is one of the many who are also stranded on the island, he tells everyone “ What will happen next? Who in the right mind thinks this is okay? If nobody finds out who the murderer is, then I will find out myself.” Throughout the book, Agatha Christie always kept the reader on the edge of their seat. For example, the disappearing china dolls created an uneasy feeling for both characters and reader. This also provides more suspenseful feelings on what else will happen or who will go missing and makes us completely shocked in the next pages. Irony: In the beginning of the book Agatha Christie introduces the reader to the characters, each has been invited to the island under unusual circumstances, while each character seems to accept the invitation without question, the reader becomes suspicious of why this diverse group would be gathered together at the same time, to then eventually come to realization that they will face their death.

Agatha Christie really focuses on irony throughout the novel. When Anthony Marston says “ The legal life’s narrowing! I’m all for crime! Here’s to it.” Then ” he picked up his drink and drank it off at a gulp. Too quickly, perhaps. He choked badly. His face contorted, turned purple. He gasped for breath-.” This shows us the irony that he had just finished saying he was all for crime when he choked. Once he died from consuming poison this adds again to the suspense laid out on who killed him, and who else will be hinting irony at us. Justice: Justice Wargrave is a character in the book who wrote a letter/poem of confession that he had a fascination with death and justice and that he was responsible for the murders to provide justice for crimes that were under investigation and to show his way was the right way. whether the combination of guilt, stress, and the supernatural suggestiveness of the poem/letter it was enough to drive someone to suicide. He had also wrote “ All I have done is to protect the jury against the emotional effect of emotional appeals by some of our more emotional counsel.

I have drawn their attention to the actual evidence.” (Christie 301). As for the readers, whether the law is fair as it stands at the moment Wargrave is in the wrong for being so brutal. Justice is also explored in other ways, for example when Brent suggests that Mrs. Rogers’ death was God’s way of delivering justice this shows us that the deaths that did go on, where they fair or was it to satisfy the ones who wanted the worst? Therefore, Agatha provides us many factors on how each theme will, later on, appear in the novel. Conclusion: Moreover, we read more about the conflicts that went on to even survive without dying. It is scary to know how you will die and who is responsible for your death but in this case, we would never know who is up next on the list due to the irony, justice, and suspense that takes place. While reading the novel we get a clear understanding of how unfair and traumatizing it must have been to fight for your life just for the right of your own survival on the island. And to the readers, it leaves us thinking, what would we do if this happened to us? How would we survive?