And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1939

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-10

Chapters 11-13

Chapter 14-Manuscript

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

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Symbols & Motifs

Soldier Figurines

The soldier figurines represent the “Ten Little Soldiers” nursery rhyme and symbolize the death of each guest on Soldier Island. After the first death on the island, that of Anthony Marston, Mr. Rogers notices that one of the soldier figurines has gone missing. The guests quickly realize that it is no coincidence that after each murder on the island, another figurine disappears. Justice Wargrave writes in his confession at the end of the novel that he wanted his murders to be theatrical and spectacular. In choosing to mimic the death of each soldier in the rhyme, as well as use the soldier figurines as a symbol, Wargrave adds flair to his crimes. Death is a major theme in the novel that is emphasized through the gradual disappearance of each soldier figurine.

After Vera kills Lombard, she believes that she is the only person left on the island. There are three soldier figurines still left on the dining room table in the house, and she throws two of them out the window, a symbol of what she believes are the final two deaths on Soldier Island. Vera triumphantly clutches the final soldier figurine in her hand, a symbol of what she believes is her victory. She drops the figurine when she finally sees the noose on her ceiling, causing the figurine to break. The shattering of the final figurine symbolizes that Vera‘s victory was short-lived since death still came for her after all.

The Mark of Cain

Justice Wargrave writes in his confession that the mark of his fatal gunshot wound on his forehead is symbolic of Cain. Cain is the first murderer in the biblical book of Genesis. In the Bible, Cain was a farmer and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. Cain murdered his brother Abel, a shepherd, in a fit of jealous rage after God favored Abel’s sacrifice, the firstborn of his flock of sheep, over Cain’s sacrifice. God banished him to a lifetime of restless wandering. Cain feared that whoever came upon him would kill him, so God granted him a mark of protection that would be a sign to anyone who came across him that he was not to be slain. The Bible does not provide more detail about the mark, but it has been suggested the mark was on Cain’s forehead.

The remaining guests who discover Justice Wargrave’s body, except for Dr. Armstrong, who is in on the plan, believe that he was murdered by a gunshot wound to the head. Wargrave’s mark on his forehead, however, is a clue that Christie provides to readers that Wargrave is in fact the murderous “Mr. Owen.” Furthermore, in the book of Genesis, Cain is born into a world of sin and corruption due to Adam and Eve’s broken promise not to eat from the Garden of Eden. Justice Wargrave believes it is his purpose as a legal professional to eradicate the world of corruption by sentencing the guilty to their death, symbolic of the sinful world into which Cain was born.

The Storm

The violent storm that sweeps through the island symbolizes the impending danger and violence the guests will endure on Soldier Island. In the first chapter of the novel, an old man in Blore’s carriage cryptically warns him that a storm is coming, even though it is sunny outside. He advises Blore to watch and pray, a foreshadowing of both the literal and symbolic storm that will soon wreak havoc on Soldier Island.

The storm first breaks as they carry General Macarthur’s body to his room. General Macarthur is not the first guest to die, but his murder confirms for the guests that the killer must be one of them. The outbreak of the storm symbolizes the beginning of their troubles and forebodes a worsening fate for the guests. The storm also cuts the guests off from the outside world, preventing them from leaving the island, so it acts as a symbol and as a plot device in the novel.

Animalistic Features

The characters in the novel are often described using animalistic features that symbolize specific character traits. These animalistic descriptions act as subtle clues to readers about who may be the murderer on the Soldier Island. Justice Wargrave, who is revealed as the murderer in his confession letter at the end of the novel, is often described as having reptilian features. Over the course of the novel, the narrator describes Judge Wargrave as having “decidedly reptilian” eyes (30), “hooded reptilian eyes,” (53), and “a reptilian smile” (177). Judge Wargrave’s likeness to a reptile, often a symbol for evil, provides a clue into the judge’s true nature. Reptiles are cold-blooded hunters that are often able to blend in with their surroundings, ready to strike, and the judge is a cold-blooded murderer who hides in plain sight.

Lombard is frequently described as having wolf-like features, which Christie may have done intentionally to trick readers into thinking Lombard is the murderer. Wolves are highly intelligent, natural hunters, typically associated with danger. Lombard is described on multiple occasions as having a “curious wolf-like smile” (149). When Lombard and Vera Claythorne believe they are the only two left on the island, Vera wonders, “Why did I never see his face properly before? A wolf—that’s what it is—a wolf’s face.…Those horrible teeth….” (217). Christie purposely confuses readers by not explicitly stating whether Vera or Lombard is the killer. Neither one of them is the killer, though readers don’t know that yet. Vera’s description of Lombard’s sharp wolf-like features in their final showdown acts as a red herring because even though he may look dangerous, Lombard is not the killer after all.