And Then There Were None Essay over Theme

Ella Figueroa

Amber Beauchamp

H World Literature and Comp.

11/18/2021

In the book And Then There Were None Agatha Christie has three different themes that

help the killer hide their disguise. The three themes are Isolation, Deception, and Justice. Each

theme was a key point to why the murder killed, how the murder killed, and how they didn’t get

caught until the end of the book by giving himself away.

Isolation is one of the themes of the book, because they were all invited to an island

called Indian island. Indian islands are isolated from the mainland. For a week or more, but they

are further isolated by being in their own rooms in a very large house (ch. 1). They can not leave

Indian island furthermore because the boat that dropped them off did not return (84). No boats

could get to the island due to a storm that occurred and the waves were too bad to go through

when the storm was over. No one could trust anyone, but you can’t leave your partner (ch. 9).

Philip Lombard and Vera Claythorne were isolated when it was just the two of them left,

everyone else had died (208). The maid Ms. Roger and the butler Mr. Rogers were both killed,

so no one took care of the generator. It turned off leaving Justice Wargrave, Vera Claythorne, Dr.

Armstrong, Mr. Blore, and Mr. Lombard in the dark not knowing if the killer would get them

(ch. 13).
 Deception is another theme which is how all of the victims were lored to Indian Island.

They were all given a letter and told different reasons why they were sent to the island. Justice

Lawrence Wargrave is the first person to be invited to the island. His invite was from Constance

Culmington (4). Then Vera Claythorne’s invite was from Una Nancy Owen (5). Next Philip

Lombard was invited by Isaac Morris (7). After Emily Brent was invited by U.N. who she thinks

is Oliver (8). Last but not least General John Macarthur, Dr. Edward Armstrong, Anthony Tony

Marston, Mr. Davis, Ethel Rogers, and Thomas Rogers were all invited separately but by a man

named Owen (9-11). The reason they are there were all fake reasons the real reason was revealed

in a gramophone recording (35). Mr. Davis is deceiving everyone because his name is not Mr.

Davis, his name is William Blore (14). “Lombard thought: “Awkward, this - am I supposed to

have met them or not?” He said quickly: “ There’s a wasp crawling up your arm. No - keep quite

still.” He made a convincing pounce. “There. It’s gone!”(16).” The murder is decieving everyone

by acting like they are an innocent guest (ch.9). The killer used seaweed hanging from the roof

as a diversion. The seaweed is also foreshadowing (172-173). Dr. Armstrong and Justice

Wargrave deceive Lombard, Blore, and Vera by faking Wargrave’s death. “It worked perfectly.

Miss Claythorne screamed the house down when she found the seaweed which I had

thoughtfully arranged in her room. They all rushed up, and I took up my pose of a murdered

man.” (229)

Justice is the last theme which is why the killer murdered all of the victims. In the

beginning of the book they were all enjoying the night when a gramophone recording plays. On

the gramophone it is announcing the guest and the people they killed by name (35). After Tony

Marston and Ethel Rogers died Emily Brent thinks that justice is being served. Ms. Brent thinks
that she did not do anything wrong because who she accused of murdering committed suicide

(ch. 7). The murder uses a nursey ryhme “Ten Little Indians” as the way to kill each of the

victims (29-30).

Worked cited

Christie, Agatha. And Then There Were None. Collins Crime Club. November 6, 1939.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R2a5P_ezprgKGxbDGgmXUbm7SE1BNNi3/view