And Then There Were None Character Analysis

Emily Brent, part of And Then There Were None’s cast, is an older woman who is fixated on making sure the world adheres to her interpretation of the Bible. She was sent to Indian Island for the murder of Beatrice Taylor. Mr. Frankland, is a similar character from Doyle’s work. When his daughter marries an artist he does not like, the law-suit obsessed man decides to disown her. Both of the characters, who are of a higher social class, seem to find no fault in their crimes. Miss Brent reveals that Beatrice Taylor was a girl that used to work for her. Beatrice became pregnant outside of marriage, and, due to her strict religious ideals, Miss Brent fires her. The girl eventually drowned herself in a river (Christie 110-111). During her discussion with Vera, Miss Brent says, “I?

I had nothing with which to reproach myself” (Christie 111).

Brent thinks herself to be higher up, so the death of a girl who had sinned meant nothing to her. A similar situation occurs in The Hound of the Baskervilles. When Dr. Watson is questioning Dr. Mortimer about the initials “L.L.”, he tells Watson that they belong to Laura Lyons. She is the daughter of Mr. Frankland. However, after Laura married an artist without his consent, Mr. Frankland wanted nothing to do with her and disowned his daughter (Doyle 155). Mr. Frankland did not like the idea of his daughter marrying against his consent, much less marry someone who is of a low social

status. Frankland and Brent, who are higher up in Britain’s social hierarchy, committed unjust acts upon people that were of importance to them. They have a high status and strong beliefs that can not and must not be tarnished. Social class similarities do not exist between these too characters, though. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barrymore, the butlers of their respectable houses also saw the effect of Britain’s system.