And Then There Were None Theme

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Can you imagine being surrounded by murderers for an entire week? In And Then There Were None, a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, all the characters are murderers and abandoned on an island for a week; none of them make it out alive. They all realize that someone is slowly eliminating them one by one. And Then There Were None, first published on November 6, 1939, is mostly about isolation, guilt, and blame. This book is also related to a poem known as Ten Little Soldier Boys, by Frank Green. At first, all ten characters get a letter from a mysterious person, who claims to be Ulick Norman Owen, that is either offering him or her a job or indicating that his or her friend will be there. Each letter is inviting them to an island named Soldier Island. Soldier island is a fictional place, but it is based on a real island, Burgh Island on the South Devon coast of England. Soldier Island is completely open; there are no caves or crevices on the island. The characters …show more content…

Everyone wanted to be isolated from each other since they could not trust each other. Soldier Island is also isolated from the mainland. “I beg your pardon sir, but there’s no boat on the island.” Many lies circulated around Soldier Island. Mr. Owen denies murdering someone. “A lie—a wicked lie… we never did—neither of us…” Most of the characters in this book blame themselves for murdering someone. “Drunk, that’s what it was—drunk… And I operated! Nerves all to pieces—hands shaking. I killed her all right. Poor devil—elderly woman—simple job if I’d been sober.” Dr. Armstrong knows exactly how he killed someone. General Macarthur sent someone to their death on purpose. “Yes he’d sent Richmond to his death and he wasn’t sorry. It had been easy enough. Mistakes were being made all the time, officers being sent to death needlessly.” The conflict is that an incognito person invited them all to Soldier Island, and, as punishment for their past crimes, kills

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