And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None

Chapters 12 and 13(Pages 197-224)

“Another one acquitted too late!”

• After the group discovers Miss Brent’s body, even Lombard seems to be on edge. What weapon does Mr. Justice Wargrave think they still have to fight their unknown host?

– He says they have their reasoning powers!

Security

• What two steps does Wargrave want to take to ensure the safety of the five remaining guests?

– Collect all the weapons, including the drugs, and lock them away in a safe place.

– Each person submit to a search of his/her person and personal effects.

Added security

• Where does the group hide the drugs?

• What precautions does Wargrave make to keep the keys safe?

Next victim?

Five little soldier boys going in for law;One got into Chancery and then there were four. – Chancery= the high court of England.

What plan do the 5 agree on to ensure their safety?

• They are all sitting in the drawing room. Only one person at a time can leave the room.

The next verse of the rhyme-

“Four little soldier boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.”

– In what sense can the words “red herring” have a double meaning?

And Then There Were None

Chapters 14 and 15

Willing Suspension of Disbelief

• The deliberate putting aside of the audience’s or reader’s critical beliefs in order to accept the unreal world the author creates.

Physical evidence

• What evidence is there that Dr. Armstrong is probably dead? By what method will the next victim most likely be killed?– There are only three Soldier figures left.

Why does Vera suspect that Dr. Armstrong is not dead?

• Killed by a red herring…she thinks his disappearance is a red herring to throw them off the track of the real killer.

Support the Theme- “As people fight for their survival, civilized rules of behavior begin to erode.”

• TOPIC SENTENCE:

• Vera and Lombard, out on the cliffs, have given up trying to live like civilized humans.– SUPPORT SENTENCES:– They are both going to forego their meals. – Vera wants to sleep out on the cliffs.• CLINCHER SENTENCE:• Civilized humans eat regular meals and sleep indoors,

where as animals do without food when they need to, and they usually sleep outdoors.

And Then There Were NONE

Chapter 16 and Epilogue

How does Vera trick Lombard?

• Vera picks Lombard’s pocket when they are pulling Dr. Armstrong’s body away from the water. She uses his gun to shoot him through the heart.

• Why does their developing relationship break down at the end of the story?

Who is Isaac Morris?

• Morris is the one who arranged for Owens to purchase the Island. He is a criminal who understands how to cover up a business deal. He told the people in the City of Stricklehaven that there was an experiment on the Island to see who could live there for a week. He told them that they should ignore any strange signals coming from the Island.

Drawing Conclusions

• What conclusions does the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard make about the cases mentioned on the gramophone?– The A.C. comments that all of the cases are those

that the law cannot touch.• Why does he think they might have all been

invited to the island?– They are invited to the Island so they can be

executed.

Elements of Mystery Stories

• The story is like a puzzle with clues so the clever reader can unravel the mystery.

• A detective investigates the crime and theorizes about possible motives and suspects.

• The story builds suspense by casting suspicion on various characters and through unexpected twists in the plot.

• (One more element-we will discuss after you read “A manuscript document sent to Scotland Yard by the master of the Emma Jane fishing trawler.”pp. 285-300)

Mystery Guidelines:– The story is like a puzzle with clues so the clever reader can unravel

the mystery.– A detective investigates the crime and theorizes about possible

motives and suspects.– The story builds suspense by casting suspicion on various characters

and through unexpected twists in the plot.– The final solution to the puzzle must be believable and one that is

deduced from clues in the story.

• Does this novel measure up as a mystery?• Does it contain all of the required elements?

And Then There Were NONE

A manuscript document sent to Scotland Yard by the master of the

Emma Jane fishing trawler

WARGRAVE

• Why does Wargrave put his confession in a bottle? (page 285)– He describes himself as having a “incurable

romantic imagination.”• The idea of throwing a bottle in the sea with an

important document contained in it is thrilling for Wargrave.

Why does Wargrave commit the murders?

• Wargrave has secretly always wanted to commit a murder, but he was held back by his sense of justice.

• He did not want to see an innocent person suffer and die.

• He succumbs to his desire to commit murder when a doctor tells him he is dying.

• Wargrave decides to kill people who are themselves unpunished murderers.

• This way he satisfies his desire to kill and fulfills his need to be sure justice is served.

Fairly judged?

• How does Wargrave satisfy himself that all nine people on the Island are guilty?– Wargrave watches their faces when they listen to

the accusations on the gramophone. He believes his many years as a judge makes him able to determine their guilt or innocence just by looking at them.

Alliance formed

• Why does Armstrong help Wargrave pretend to be murdered?– Wargrave convinces Armstrong that if he were

thought to be dead, he would be able to move around the house freely and perhaps discover the identity of the murderer.

Pretty sneaky!

• Where does Wargrave hide the revolver during the search of the house?–He hides it in a tin buried at the

bottom of a pile of unopened tins.

Three Clues

• What are the three clues that, according to Wargrave, will help the police solve the mystery of the Island if they are clever enough?– CLUE ONE:– The police know that Seton was guilty. Therefore,

Wargrave is the only one invited to the island who is not an unpunished murderer.

CLUE #2

• The nursery rhyme says that Armstrong is killed by a red herring. – The police should be able to figure out that, at this

point in the mystery, Armstrong is deceived before he is killed.

Clue #3

• The mark of Cain in the Bible is a mark placed on Cain by God so that everyone knows not to kill him.– Wargrave’s fake death is from a shot to his

forehead, which he interprets as a mark of Cain.What is the literary term for the reference to the bible that Agatha Christie uses here?

Suicide

• How does Wargrave manage to kill himself?– There is elastic cord attached to Wargrave’s

eyeglasses. He is going to lay on his glasses, loop the cord around the door-handle, and then attach it to the revolver. He uses a handkerchief to hold the revolver when he shoots himself. When his hand drops the revolver, it recoils to the door and detaches itself from the elastic.

Wargrave’s Assumptions

• In his suicide, Wargrave assumes that . . .1. The handkerchief will be overlooked.2. He won’t continue holding onto the revolver.3. The revolver will detach from the elastic so that

it falls on the floor.