Cyril’s head, - Repetition Vera Claythorne is looking out of her carriage window, which reminds

bobbing up - Imagery her of Cyril’s death. This is the first indication of her mental instability,
and down, as she hallucinates a clear image of Cyril drowning. This quote is also
swimming to presented without context, the disjointed words makes the seemingly
the rock…up mellow character appear frightening and jarring, foreshadowing her
and down… descent into madness. The repetition of ‘up and down’ increases the
up and down ominous effect that further emphasises the magnitude of the guilt that
(4) Claythorne feels.
It had got its - Imagery The quote describes Soldier Island, the place that the 10 people are
name from - Motif trapped on. The island’s “resemblance to a man’s head” is reminiscent
its - Symbolism of Armstrong’s dead body in the sea, an orchestrated death. The
resemblance - Orchestrated unnatural imagery of the island also contributes to the ominous tone of
to a man’s and unnatural the novel and adds to the tension that is built at this point. It further
head (13) alludes to that fact that this gathering is an orchestrated farce, mirrored
by the engineered design of the island. Moreover, the head can
symbolise the arrogance and the self-righteousness of Wargrave, the
mastermind behind the murders, as he assumes that his romanticisation
of death and punishment is superior to the established judiciary system.
“Watch and - Foreshadowing The old fellow on the train sinisterly tells Blore to “Watch and pray. The
pray. The day - Motif day of judgement is at hand.” This unanticipated, prophetic message
of judgement Punctuation uses short, sharp, almost violent sentences to foreshadow the barbaric
is at hand.” deaths to come for the crimes that the residents of Soldier Island have
(14) committed. The reader notes this sentence as the rising action of the
plot as the tension builds. The motif of biblical and courtroom language
is also applicable, as it often foreshadows a death of a character. In this
instance, it forebodes the entrapment of characters, a spiritual and legal
judgement of the characters’ moral worth.
A tin of - Dental - Dental alliteration – sharp sound contributes to the tension and
tongue and 2 alliteration suspense at the dinner
tins of fruit - Accumulation - Metallic sound
- Mirrors their mental state and descent into insanity, they are fragile
 and stable.
- Growing tension, suspicion, and paranoia between the characters.

His hands - Truncated - Demonstrates his mental instability

were clammy. sentence - Disconnection between him and logic – no longer rational and
Difficult to coherent
hold the - Consumed by denying his guilt in the death of Louisa Clees
scalpel The author juxtaposes his poise to clammy hands and nervousness
firmly...
I must - I - Rep Positions audience to understand the criminal psychopathy of Wargrave.
must - I must - Accumulation Repetition increases the urgency and tension to commit a murder.
– commit a - alliteration Something stupendous is alliteration – desperation to separate him from
murder!... the crown. The “s” sound represents his sinister and twisted thinking.
something He places himself at a higher moral ground to others, as seen in his
stupendous - proclamation that he will be “ out of the common”, he is a king,
out of the something divine, while others are commoners.
common
reptilian - Symbolism Biblically evil
- Biblical Symbolises his shrewdness and mastery of the law
language Goes out of his way to condemn people.
- clue Clue as to who is guilty
…women are - Rhetoric Christie comments on gender roles  accepting women as part of the
not subject to - Personification workforce also means many other things, like considering them doing
homicidal unwomanly things.
mania? Homicidal mania as a person  women are SUBJECT to it, women still
being subservience
An act of god Brent is a conservative God-fearing person, often seen with and quoting
her Bible. For instance, she refers to Ethel Roger’s suspicious death as
“an act of God”, refusing to acknowledge the practical and logical
possibilities of a mortal threat/danger among the inhabitants of Soldier
Island. This is an appeal to the authority of religion, demonstrating her
 piousness and unyielding faith that God is omnipotent and omniscient.
Hence, He can and will deliver justice wherever necessary. This further
depicts that she is in denial about the possibility that she is guilty,
permitting the murders to continue without successful intervention.
“[he’d] stake - Dramatic irony As seen in Lombard’s proclamation that “[he’d] stake [his] reputation on
[his] her sanity”, the reader can observe Christie’s use of dramatic irony to
reputation on emphasise the fragile mentality of the characters. It is amusing as
her sanity Lombard stakes not only his reputation, but his life on the sanity and
subservience of Claythorne, which ultimately causes his death. It has
been clear since the introduction of Claythorne that she is not in a good
mental state, as demonstrated in the repeated inner monologue.
The food had - Emotive - Alludes to the untainted state of the characters
been good, language - Only instance of wine  symbolic of purity
the wine - Accumulation - Only liquor was drunken after this  dirty
perfect - Symbolism - Emphasises the decrescendo in mood at the death of Tony
- Allusion Marston
- The use of understatement is evident in this quote. While the
words "good" and "perfect" may seem relatively modest, they
convey a sense of satisfaction and excellence. By downplaying the
impact of the food and wine, the author subtly highlights their
exceptional quality without resorting to exaggerated language.
a bird that - Pathos Christie metaphorizes Claythorne as “a bird that has dashed its head
has dashed - Zoomorphism against glass… terrified…” The quote elicits a strong emotional
its head - Animalistic response through its zoomorphism. The image of a terrified and injured
against metaphor bird struggling against an unseen barrier evokes feelings of sympathy
glass… - Simile and compassion in the reader. It serves as a poignant reminder of the
terrified… vulnerability of living creatures and can symbolize the futile struggles
and challenges faced by individuals in their own lives. Furthermore, the
use of simile suggests that the bird's behavior is desperate, futile, and
filled with panic, mirroring Claythorne’s guilt and fragility invoked by the
murders on Soldier Island.
Q: How does the author present the themes of guilt and justice in the mystery novel, And Then There Were None?
“And then there were none” is a murder mystery novel written by Agatha Christie, an author considered to be a
critical contributor in the development of the genre. “And then there were none” details ten strangers lured to
Soldier Island, where they were accused of murder and begin to be killed off one by one in accordance to the “Ten
Little Soldiers” nursery rhyme. Christie invites readers to examine the themes of guilt and justice through symbolic
motifs and the juxtaposition of beliefs. The repetition of hallucinations and dreams represent the guilt and paranoia
that Claythorne and Armstrong experience. Justice is presented through the contrasting characterisations of
Wargrave and Brent.
P - Justice is presented through the juxtapositions of Wargrave and Brent’s idea of retributivism.
C – Wargrave’s experience in the judiciary system appears to validate his vigilante-like values regarding retribution,
while Brent believes in the divine intervention of the Christian God.
ETA - Brent is a conservative God-fearing person, often seen with and quoting her Bible. For instance, she refers to
Ethel Roger’s suspicious death as “an act of God”, refusing to acknowledge the practical and logical possibilities of
a mortal threat/danger among the inhabitants of Soldier Island. This is an appeal to the authority of religion,
demonstrating her piousness and unyielding faith that God is omnipotent and omniscient. Hence, He can and will
deliver justice wherever necessary. This further depicts that she is in denial about the possibility that she is guilty,
permitting the murders to continue without successful intervention. A further example of her strict principles is her
response to the accusations played at the first dinner. She says, “There is no defence” for the crimes the ten were
accused of as God will execute retributive justice. Brent is pragmatic in the sense that she believes no actions are
needed to ensure the punishing of the truly guilty, because God will always know.
ETA – Wargrave contrasts Brent by adhering strictly to the “Ten Little Soldiers” poem and his belief in Hegel’s
rendition of retributive justice. Wargrave considers fulfilling the punishments that the other nine people on Soldier
Island a moral act and he occupies the moral high ground. Positioned as the detective archetype in this novel, he is
member of the judiciary system that has a deep mastery of the law. This prompts him to take the situation in his
own hands and devise a plan to “go out with a bang”, both metaphorically and literally. Wargrave witnesses the
inability of the system to prescribe punishments to those that he believes are guilty. Wargrave further juxtaposes
Brent by romanticising justice, evidenced in his vigilante like approach towards justice, even going as far as calling
himself “an artist in crime”, hyperbolising his already extreme attitude towards justice. Christie positions the
reader to contemplate the different methods in which retributive justice can be delivered by juxtaposing Brent to
Wargrave.

P – Armstrong and Claythorne’s hallucinations are Christie’s most effective instances of representing the theme of
guilt via a motif.
C – The reader is positioned to perceive the hallucinations and dreams as an insight into the effect of guilt upon the
character, as many characters are inclined to lie and deny the accusations.
ETA – Both Armstrong and Claythorne present externally as a confident and mentally stable, despite their fragile
mentality. As seen in Lombard’s proclamation that “[he’d] stake [his] reputation on her sanity”, the reader can
observe Christie’s use of dramatic irony to emphasise the fragile mentality of the characters. It is amusing as
Lombard stakes not only his reputation, but his life on the sanity and subservience of Claythorne, which ultimately
causes his death. It has been clear since the introduction of Claythorne that she is not in a good mental state, as
demonstrated in the repeated inner monologue. Claythorne constantly is reminded of Cyril and Hugo Hamilton by
the coast and seas, demonstrated through her internal monologue, she pictures “Cyril’s head bobbing up and
down…up and down.”
Guilt
- Remorse
- Shame
- Self-reproach

Justice
- Fairness
- Equity
- Morality
- Righteousness
- Lack of prejudice

Mirrors
- Reflects
- Manifests
- Indicates
- Demonstrates
Reinforces
- Supports
- Cements
- Bolsters
- Promotes
"And Then There Were None" is a mystery novel written by Agatha Christie, an author considered to be a critical
contributor to the genre. This novel defies the formulaic plots that the genre often follows, as it details 10 strangers
are lured to Soldier Island under questionable circumstances, in which they are murdered one by one. Christie
employs many forms of symbolism in the novel to convey the mental and emotional state of the characters that
demonstrate the psychological burden that they suffer on the island. The deterioration of food mirrors the mental
state of characters as the plot progresses. The motif of animalistic imagery provides emotional cues for the reader
to interpret. Dreams and hallucinations serve as an insight into the character's guilt that is not outwardly
expressed.