Corre+S

Justice Wargrave: Justice is a judge that had wrongfully accused someone of death through persuading the jury to rule guilty. He is the antagonist of the story. While others on the island believe he is just another victim, he is actually the killer. Through being a judge, he developed a liking to seeing murder happen. Vera Claythorne: Vera is sent to the island believing she is going to be hired for a job. Throughout she is haunted by the drowning of a boy; she envisions the drowning several times throughout. Throughout the story she is delusional, maybe even seen as crazy. Dr. Armstrong: Armstrong is probably one of the more interesting characters in the story. When it is his turn to die in the poem, it is stated that he was to swallow “A red herring”. This gives the remaining three guests the scary thoughts that he may still be alive and be the killer. The story begins with the description of ten different people all on their way to “Indian Island”. The interesting thing about this, each person was invited for a different role as a job. As the guests meet in the house on Indian Island, they hear a recording of how each person has been responsible for the death of someone else. The entire house is on edge, everyone pleading that the deaths were of pure accident. As the guests finally settle in for the night they notice a writing of a poem on the mantle in each room. The poem was “Ten Little Indian Boys”, convenient knowing the name of the island. The poem tells of ten Indians and how each one will die, until there were none. Progressively each member of the house ends up dying the way the poem states. It is interesting how each death is symbolic to the character background. When Mr. Wargrave dies, the poem had stated “Five Little Indian Boys going in for law; one got in Chancery and then there were four”, (Chrisite,203). This is significant because Wargrave was a judge and was dresses up like one. Through reading the epilogue you find the letter Wargrave wrote that says he enjoyed murder. This story is predictable until the end. Vera is alone and could have easily left the island, but instead she fulfills the poem and hangs herself, leading to the title of the story “And Then There Were None”. “Ten Little Indian Boys went out to dine; one choked his self and then there were nine”, (Christie, 181). This quote is significant because it’s the poem the whole story is based around. Everyone in the house thinks it’s just a poem until someone actually chokes and dies. “Four Little Indian Boys going out to sea; a red herring swallowed one and then there were three”, (Christie, 225). This is significant because it made the remaining three guests skeptical to Dr. Armstrong being the killer. They believed it was him until they finally discovered his dead body. “One Little Indian Boy left alone; he went and hanged himself and then there were none”, (Christie, 244). This is the most important quote. It symbolizes all the deaths and how Vera felt so shameful for what she had done in the past. It is a truly sad ending to the story. The title “And Then There Were None” plays into the story very significantly. Just by reading the title it is hard to understand until the guests are settled on the island. Once the first guest dies the reader begins to realize all the guests will die. It is not until the end that reader hears the line in the “Ten Little Indian Boys” poem, “And Then There Were None”. The title is very symbolic of the poem and also how the poem impacts the guests. In the end no one is left alive. Mr. Wargrave had a background of wrongfully killing someone in the past. In the letter found several weeks after the deaths, he talks about the thrill of murder. It is weird to hear that a former judge thrives on murder. He plans all the murders and even the murder of himself, to make the guests believe he was innocent. It seems ironic that a judge wants to be innocent even though he is guilty of killing everyone in the house. When they first arrive to the Island they find out everyone has been linked to the death of someone else. This means that no one is off the hook when people start dying. Everyone is questioned. This makes the story interesting because it keeps the reader guessing. All their backgrounds make you believe that one person is the killer, until the end.
 * And Then There Were None: Agatha Christie **
 * Character List **
 * Plot Overview **
 * Important Quotes **
 * Study Questions **
 * How does the title significant to the plot of the story? **
 * What drove Mr. Wargrave to plot out the murders of all the guests, including even himself? **
 * How are all the guests on the Island similar? **

Christie, Agatha. //And Then There Were None//. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2006. Print
 * Sources **