And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None

Study Guide

Chapter 1:

List why the following people are going to Indian Island:

Justice Wargrave:

Vera Claythorne:

Phillip Lombard:

Miss Emily Brent:

General Macarthur:

Dr. Armstrong:

Tony Marston:

Mr. Blore:

1. Relate some of the rumors circulating about Indian Island.

2. What can you infer about the crime Vera Claythorne has been acquitted of?

3. Who is the “Jew” that Phillip Lombard refers to? What stereotype is related by Lombard about this person? How does this prejudice correlate to what you already know about Agatha Christies’ intolerance of minorities?

4. Characterize Tony Marston.

5. What does Mr. Blore know about Indian Island?

6. What is dramatic irony? Relate the instance of dramatic irony used by Christie at the end of Chapter 1.

Chapter 2:

1. Who is Davis?

2. What is Fred Narracott’s job? Who hired him, gives him his orders, and pays him? What contact has Narrocott had with Mr. and Mrs. Owen?

3. What do the guests learn about the island as they approach it?

4. Relate two things Vera learns about the Rodgers when Mrs. Rodgers shows her to her room.

5. Briefly describe the poem Vera discovers in her room. Relate how you think this poem may relate to the rest of the novel.

6. Where has Dr. Armstrong met Judge Wargrave before? What does Armstrong tell us about Justice Wargrave?

7. Relate the racist remark made by Justice Wargrave concerning the island? Relate what you think this statement may infer. How does this statement correlate to a previous title of the novel?

Chapter 3:

1. What is the centerpiece on the table at dinner?

2. Briefly describe what all of the guests’ indictments have in common.

3. Why had Mrs. Rodgers fainted?

4. What is significant about the title of the record, “Swan Song”?

(Some research will be required to answer this question!)

5. Wargrave calls for everyone present to make known why they are on Indian Island. What fact emerges from the various stories?

Chapter 4:

1. In what way does Wargrave admit to “murdering” Edward Seton?

2. Relate what Dr. Armstrong recalls about the verdict concerning the Seton case.

3. Briefly describe how the following people “explain”/ “justify” their accused crimes:

Justice Wargrave:

Vera Claythorne:

General Macarthur:

Phillip Lombard:

Tony Marston:

Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers:

4. What was the fate of Landor after he was convicted of his crime? How did Blore benefit from Landor’s conviction?

5. Does Dr. Armstrong claim guilt in the death of a patient named Clees? How or Why not?

6. How does Miss Brent defend herself?

7. Who is the one guest who does not agree to leave with Fred Narracott in the morning? What happens to this guest just after he vocalizes his disagreement?

Chapter 5:

1. How does Tony Marston die?

2. Briefly relate the description of the mansion given.

3. As Wargrave prepares for bed, he thinks about the Seton case. He ends his thoughts with “He’d cooked Seton’s goose all right!” Does Agatha Christie use this statement to incite suspense, foreshadowing, or dramatic irony? Explain your answer.

4. What is revealed about General Macarthur’s crime as he thinks about it before going to bed?

5. How would Vera’s Hugo benefit from the death of Cyril?

Chapter 6:

1. How does Mrs. Rodgers die?

2. Explain how General Macarthur feels about the realization that the boat isn’t coming and all the guests are stuck on the island.

3. Of what clue given after each of the murders does Rodgers share with Dr. Armstrong?

Chapter 7:

1. What is Miss Brent’s story?

2. What facts emerge as Lombard and Armstrong discuss the Rodgers?

Chapter 8:

1. What do Vera and General Macarthur discuss?

2. Why does Blore suspect Lombard?

3. What is the final conclusion after the search of the island and the house?

Chapter 9:

1. What does Lombard confess when being questioned by Blore and Armstrong?

2. Who is the third person to die? (Be sure to continue to fill-in the visual organizer of characters, how they die, and in what order.)

3. What is Wargrave’s assessment of the entire situation?

Chapter 10

1. Why does Lombard suspect Wargrave? Does Vera agree?

2. By tea-time, what two things have gone missing?

Chapter 11:

1. The next morning, Rogers is missing and so is Miss Brent. Where are they?

2. Who dies “chopping up sticks”?

3. Who discovers that the nursery rhyme is a clue as to how the next person might die?

4. Who is suspected of Rodgers’ death?

5. What does Blore confess to Lombard?

Chapter 12:

1. Who is the next person to die? Does the sixth little Indian die “playing with a hive”? How or how not?

2. It is decided that the remaining weapons and drugs should be locked up. Does this happen? Explain.

Chapter 13:

1. What happens when Vera goes to her room?

2. Does all of the party come to Vera’s room? Why or why not?

3. Explain how the missing items from the previous day have reappeared.

4. The next line of the nursery rhyme reads, “ Five little Indian boys going in for law; one got in Chancery, and then there were four.” What does it mean by, “One got in Chancery?”

Chapter 14:

1. What does Lombard discover as he goes to bed?

2. By the end of Chapter 14, who is missing and what “clue” is given to lead the others to believe he/she is dead?

Chapter 15:

1. At the beginning of Chapter 15, Vera reminds the others of the nursery rhyme. She says,” Four little Indian boys going out to sea; a red herring swallowed one, and then there were three.” She went on: “A red herring – that’s a vital clue. Armstrong’s not dead.” Explain what she means by the red herring indicating that Armstrong is not dead.

2. Which two guests are found dead by the end of Chapter 15? How did each die?

3. What does Vera confess to Lombard? What does Lombard assume drove her to this crime?

Chapter 16:

1. What is the most terrifying aspect of the discovery of Armstrong’s body?

2. In your opinion, was Vera the murderer and finished off her last victim, Lombard? Or was Lombard the murderer, and Vera saves herself from being the last victim of his mad game? Explain your answer.

3. What does Vera do with the remaining Indian figurines?

4. What does the memory of the final verse of the nursery rhyme suggest to Vera? What does she do as a result?

Epilogue:

1. What do the police discover about Mr. Owen’s agent, Isaac Morris? How did this happen?

2. Describe what is known about Morris’ past.

3. What had the investigation into the charges on the recording turned up?

4. Up to that point, all signs point to Vera having been the murderer. What evidence leads police to feel that it could not have possibly been her?

Manuscript from the Bottle:

1. From what point of view is the manuscript written? From what point of view is the rest of the novel written?

2. What is the content of the manuscript?

3. Who is the murderer?

4. Why did the murderer consider Morris his/her 10th victim?

5. Why was the murderer willing to die?

6. What determined the order of death?

7. In what sense was Armstrong the “red herring” of the nursery rhyme?

8. Describe the three clues the murderer purposely left.

9. Why does the murderer finish by duplicating his “murder” in a suicide?

10. Why does the murderer write a confession?

11. Do you think the murderer was justified in doing what he/she did? Why?