The structure of “And Then There Were None” is a countdown. Each death follows the "Ten Little Soldiers" nursery rhyme, and with each death, one of the ten china figurines on the dining table disappears.
Chapter 1: The Gathering
Eight people, all from different walks of life, travel to Soldier Island off the coast of Devon. They have been invited by a "Mr. U.N. Owen" or "Mrs. Owen."
* Key Moment: As they travel, they notice each other's eccentricities. They are met by the butler and cook, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who inform them the host is delayed.
Chapter 2: The Arrival
The guests settled into their rooms. In each room, a framed nursery rhyme about "Ten Little Soldier Boys" hangs on the wall.
* Key Moment: They gather for dinner and notice ten small china soldier figurines on the center of the table.
Chapter 3: The Accusation
After a polite dinner, a booming voice from a gramophone (titled "Swan Song") accuses every person in the room—including the servants—of a specific murder they "got away" with in the past.
* Key Moment: Mrs. Rogers faints. The guests discover "U.N. Owen" is a play on "Unknown."
Chapter 4: The First Death
The guests defend themselves, claiming their "murders" were accidents or justified. Anthony Marston, the most reckless, takes a drink, chokes, and dies instantly.
* Death 1: "One choked his little self and then there were nine." (Cyanide in his drink).
Chapter 5: The Morning After
The guests realize Marston’s death wasn't a suicide. In the morning, Rogers notices there are now only eight figurines on the table. Mrs. Rogers is found dead in her bed.
* Death 2: "One overslept himself and then there were eight." (Fatal dose of chloral hydrate).
Chapter 6: The Boat Doesn't Come
The guests wait for the supply boat, but it never arrives. They realize they are trapped. General Macarthur sits by the sea, lost in a trance of guilt.
* Key Moment: The survivors start to suspect that "U.N. Owen" is hiding on the island.
Chapter 7 & 8: The Search
Lombard, Armstrong, and Blore search the island with a revolver and a rope. They find no one else. When they return, they find General Macarthur dead.
* Death 3: "One said he'd stay there and then there were seven." (Bludgeoned from behind).
Chapter 9 & 10: The Mastermind
Justice Wargrave declares that the killer is one of them. Paranoia sets in. The next morning, Mr. Rogers is missing. They find him in the woodshed, his head split open.
* Death 4: "One chopped himself in halves and then there were six." (Axe to the head).
Chapter 11 & 12: The Bee Sting
After breakfast, Emily Brent remains in the dining room. She is found dead with a needle mark in her neck. A bumblebee is buzzing against the window.
* Death 5: "A bumblebee stung one and then there were five." (Potassium cyanide injection).
Chapter 13: The Ritual
The remaining five lock themselves in the drawing room. When Vera goes to her room, she screams because seaweed hanging from the ceiling feels like a cold hand. In the chaos, Wargrave is found shot in the head, wearing a scarlet curtain as a robe and a wool wig.
* Death 6: "One got into Chancery and then there were four." (Shot in the forehead).
Chapter 14: The Disappearance
That night, Dr. Armstrong leaves the house and vanishes. The others assume he is the killer.
* Key Moment: Blore, Lombard, and Vera are left in a standoff.
Chapter 15: The Red Herring
Blore goes back to the house for food and is crushed by a bear-shaped marble clock dropped from Vera’s window. Vera and Lombard find Armstrong’s body washed up on the beach.
* Death 7: "A red herring swallowed one..." (Armstrong drowned).
* Death 8: "A big bear hugged one..." (Blore crushed).
Chapter 16: The Final Two
Vera, believing Lombard is the killer, steals his gun and shoots him dead. She returns to her room to find a noose hanging from the ceiling. Overwhelmed by guilt and the island's "game," she hangs herself.
* Death 9: "One got frizzled up..." (Lombard shot).
* Death 10: "He went and hanged himself and then there were none." (Vera’s suicide).
The Epilogue (The Manuscript)
Scotland Yard is baffled until a confession in a bottle is found. Justice Wargrave admits he was the killer. He wanted to punish the "unpunishable," faked his death with Armstrong's help, and then killed Armstrong. He ended his own life in a way that would leave the crime an "unsolvable" mystery.
Key Themes
1. The Nature of Justice and Law
The central conflict explores the gap between legal justice and moral justice.
• Every guest on the island is technically "innocent" in the eyes of the law because their crimes were accidental, indirect, or lacked evidence.
• The killer believes that because the law failed to punish them, a "higher" (and much more violent) form of justice is required.
2. Guilt and the Human Psyché
Christie examines how different people carry the weight of their pasts:
• The Remorseless: Characters like Anthony Marston feel no guilt, viewing their victims as mere inconveniences.
• The Haunted: Characters like Vera Claythorne and General Macarthur are consumed by their memories. The island acts as a pressure cooker, turning their internal guilt into external hallucinations and eventual madness.
3. Paranoia and Isolation
Isolation is the killer’s greatest weapon. By removing the possibility of outside help (the storm, the cut-off boat service), Christie shows how quickly civilization crumbles.
• The characters stop being "ladies and gentlemen" and revert to animalistic instincts.
• The "Soldier" Motif: The guests are treated like toys in a game, dehumanized by a killer who views himself as a god-like judge.
4. Class and Social Deception
Despite being accused of murder, the characters initially cling to social etiquette—dressing for dinner and maintaining "proper" manners. This highlights the theme of appearances vs. reality: even the most "respectable" members of society (a judge, a doctor, a general) can harbor the darkest secrets.
Comments
Post a Comment