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Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

by Jennifer Bouchard

Content Synopsis

“And Then There Were None” tells the story of eight men and women from varied backgrounds who have been invited to holiday on Indian Island by a mysterious old friend. Many rumors surround Indian Island and the most recent suggests that a famous film producer owns the island. As the boatman delivers the guests from the mainland to the island, he says ominously, “The day of judgment is very close at hand” (Center for Learning). In addition to the eight guests, there are two servants, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, making ten people on the island. As the characters dine together on the island and get to know one another, they are interrupted by a haunting voice on a gramophone. The voice lists all of the people on the island and accuses them of killing specific people who are also named. After discussing their invitations by a U. N. Owen, the guests realize that the name can be interpreted as “unknown.”

Many of the characters feel obligated to defend the murderous accusations. Anthony Marston confesses to running down two people accidentally while speeding in his car. Philip Lombard admits to abandoning some natives while in Africa but justifies it because of their race. Justice Wargrave proposes that they all leave the island but a boat will not be on shore until morning. Without a method for getting in touch with the mainland, they must wait the night. Later in the evening, Anthony Marston chokes on his drink and dies. Dr. Armstrong determines that Marston was poisoned with cyanide. After the guests go to bed, some of them think about the deaths they have been blamed for on the gramophone. General Macarthur admits to himself that he sent his wife's lover into harm's way during the war. Dr. Armstrong dreams about his patients dying. As Vera Claythorne thinks about a child, for whom she once nannied that drowned, she notices the “Ten Little Indians” poem on her wall. She observes that Marston's death mimics the line “one choked his little self” in the poem. In the morning, Rogers learns that Mrs. Rogers has died in her sleep. He also observes that two of the ten china figurines that were on display in the house are now missing. As the guests start to piece together their predicament, General Macarthur declares his prediction that none of them will leave the island alive (Center for Learning).

No boat from the mainland arrives, and the guests separate to explore the island and ponder their situation. Emily Brent admits to Vera that she once had a young woman as a servant who became pregnant. After Brent fired her for her condition, the woman killed herself. Philip Lombard, Mr. Blore, and Dr. Armstrong decide to search the island for U. N. Owen after determining that he plans to kill them all. During their search, the men find General Macarthur who says he wants to be alone because there is “so little time” (Center for Learning). After the search, which turned up no one, General Macarthur is found dead and there are now only seven china figurines in the house. The guests are forced to acknowledge that U. N. Owen must be one of them.

The next morning, Rogers is found dead out by the woodpile; his death mirrors another line in the poem, “one chopped himself in halves and then there were six.” After breakfast, the guests find Emily Brent dead in the dining room and Lombard's gun is missing. The guests grow more suspicious of one another. When Vera goes to her room, she feels something touch her neck and screams. It is a piece of seaweed hanging from the ceiling which reminds her of the child who drowned. The other guests, excluding Justice Wargrave, appear to assist her. When they return downstairs they find Wargrave dead, dressed in judge's attire.

That night the four surviving guests go to bed, locking their doors up tight. Armstrong is later discovered to have left his room. Assuming him the killer, Blore and Lombard search for him and discover that only three china figures remain. Vera notices that the poem says, “Four little soldier boys going out to sea/A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.” After finding Mr. Blore dead and knowing that a red herring means a misleading clue, Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard assume Armstrong is the killer and that he is still alive (Center for Learning). Their theory is soon disproven, however, after they discover Armstrong's dead body on the beach. Since Vera and Lombard are the only two left, they naturally assume the other person is the killer. Vera steals Lombard's gun and shoots him. She goes back to her room at the house to rest and sees a noose hanging from the ceiling where the seaweed had been. Overcome by guilt and exhaustion, she hangs herself.

The epilogue of the story follows a Scotland Yard inspector who is relating these unsolved crimes to one of his peers. Later a letter is discovered explaining the crimes, signed by Justice Wargrave, who admits to faking his own death. He explains that he has always wanted to know what it was like to kill someone. Upon receiving the news that he is dying, Wargrave decides to carry out his fantasy and die having undertaken the ultimate act of justice. He selected victims that he knew had committed an act of murder in one form or another and killed them in the order of the severity of their crimes. For example, because Tony Marston did not mean to kill the kids in the road, he was let go first. Vera Claythorne, on the other hand, was responsible for the death of a child, thus she was the last to die and had to endure the terror of the island's events. Wargrave's letter then explains his plan to kill himself, after everyone else had been killed, by rigging a gun to go off so that his death does not appear to be a suicide.

Symbols & Motifs

The poem “Ten Little Indians” plays an important role in the novel. The story is set on Indian Island and the murders mirror the deaths in the poem. As the deaths occur, the symbolic china figurines in the house disappear one by one.

Secrets are an overarching theme of “And Then There Were None,” as each one of the guests has secrets that they wish to keep hidden. When U. N. Owen exposes the guests’ secrets, they are forced to relive the memories and guilt of their terrible deeds.

Guilt affects the characters in different ways. Some characters like Marston and Lombard feel no remorse for their actions. For others, such as General Macarthur and eventually Vera Claythorne, the guilt causes them to accept their deaths as just punishment. It is suitable then that a judge is the murderer—the one handing down punishment for each of the characters’ crimes.

Historical Context

The setting of “And Then There Were None” is Indian Island, which is based on the fashionable resort spot, Burgh Island, off the coast of Devon, England (Center for Learning). This destination was close to where Christie was raised.

The plot of “And Then There Were None” was based on the song, “Ten Little Indians” by American songwriter Septimus Winner (Sanders and Lovallo). The poem was then adapted to the minstrel theatre in London where it became a popular hit with children (Center for Learning). The novel was originally titled, “Ten Little Niggers” but when published in the United States, the publishers decided to change the title to the less offensive, “And Then There Were None” (Center for Learning). Later, some editions were published under the title “Ten Little Indians.”

During World War I, Christie volunteered as a nurse for the Red Cross. There she gained extensive knowledge in drugs and poisons, which were often used as murder weapons in her novels (Sanders and Lovallo).

Societal Context

Mystery novels often reflect the social attitudes of the times in which they are set. Christie's work is no different. She managed to capture the 1930's attitudes towards gender and social status. The characters in “And Then There Were None” reflect a wide spectrum of social classes related to birth, education, profession, and financial status. The young and reckless Tony Martson represented the old money class; admired but lacking in morality. Justice Wargrave held a high position in society because of his prestigious career. General Macarthur was respected because of his high military rank. Characters like Philip Lombard were lower on the social scale because he was hired help and often resorted to criminal activities in order to make a living. Vera Claythorne represented the lower class single woman. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers were at the bottom of the social ladder; working as servants and sleeping in the attic. Mr. Rogers’ status is fully portrayed when he must continue to serve the guest their meals on the day his wife dies.

Religious Context

“And Then There Were None” does not have a specific religious context.

Scientific & Technological Context

“And Then There Were None” does not have a specific scientific or technological context.

Biographical Context

Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890 in Torquay, England to a British mother and wealthy American father (Sanders and Lovallo). Her father died when she was a child. She was home-schooled with her older siblings and spent much of her time with the hired help (Sanders and Lovallo). Her affection for the maids and cooks in her family's household is reflected in her gentler portrayal of the servant class in her novels (Sanders and Lovallo).

Christie, while quite famous in her lifetime, was a very private woman (Sanders and Lovallo). In 1914 she married Archie Christie, an army officer, and in 1919 her daughter Rosalind was born. In 1926, Archie Christie left her for another woman after which Agatha disappeared for ten days (Sanders and Lovallo). Her mysterious disappearance was never explained nor discussed in her lifetime.

In 1930, Christie married Max Mallowan, who was an archaeologist (Sanders and Lovallo). They were married happily for the rest of her life, during which time they travelled to many places. This theme often resurfaces in her novels. She died on January 12, 1976.

Christie was a prolific author, writing 95 books in her lifetime. She is quoted as saying that she did not consider her work important but her goal was simply to entertain (Sanders and Lovallo). Her work has sold over one billion copies and has been translated into more languages than Shakespeare (Sanders and Lovallo).

Works Cited

1 

Christie, Agatha. “And Then There Were None.” New York: St. Martin's Press, 1939.

2 

“Murder on the Orient Express ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie: Curriculum Unit.” Westlake, OH: Center for Learning, 1992.

3 

Pitcock, Scott. “St. Martin's Press Teacher's Guide: “And Then There Were None.” 3 June 2008. www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/images/Books/TeachersGuides/0312979479TG.pdf

4 

Sanders, Dennis and Len Lovallo. “The Agatha Christie Companion.” New York: Berkley Books, 1989.

Discussion Questions

  1. 1. Who do you think was the most moral character and why?

  2. 2. Who do you think was the least moral character and why?

  3. 3. What are some examples of foreshadowing in the novel?

  4. 4. What were some examples of red herrings in the novel?

  5. 5. What are the main themes present in “And Then There Were None”?

  6. 6. How does the time in which the story was written play a role in the story's overarching themes?

  7. 7. What is the role of the poem in the novel?

  8. 8. The narrative of “And Then There Were None” seems to become more detailed as it nears the end. Why do you think Christie chose to focus on more details at this point in the story?

  9. 9. In what ways does the setting play a key role in the story?

  10. 10. What did you think of the ending of the novel? Is it satisfactory? Is it believable?

Essay Ideas

  1. 1. Write obituaries for two of the characters that die on the island. Refer to their background, career, accomplishments, etc. Include birth and death dates.

  2. 2. Decide whether the guilty party in the novel was justified in murdering the victim. Support your opinion with your own ideas as well as evidence/examples from the text to support your argument.

  3. 3. Describe and analyze Christie's literary style. Focus on the structure of her narratives, characters, dialogue, and common themes.

  4. 4. Write an essay in which you analyze the elements of mystery writing in the novel using examples from the story to illustrate your points.

  5. 5. Analyze the role of men and women in “And Then There Were None.” Give examples of the social customs and attitudes that characterize the time in which the novel was written.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Bouchard, Jennifer. "And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie." Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature,Salem Press, 2014. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=LCWorld_0035.
APA 7th
Bouchard, J. (2014). And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Bouchard, Jennifer. "And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie." Introduction to Literary Context: World Literature. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2014. Accessed September 18, 2025. online.salempress.com.