And Then There Were None Setting Essay

The setting in And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, is a very important part of the story. Since this book is a mystery, of course the setting has to be strange and mysterious. To make sure the plot makes sense, Christie had to think about other factors in order to choose the setting. The setting had to be a time period in which telephones, emails, and other forms of communication were not available. It also needed to be a place where the victims could not reach safety or help. Lastly, the setting had to create tension and confusion amongst the characters. The time period of this book was during the 1930s when there was very limited technological communications. One clue about the time period is the date of latest murder. As the characters

sat around the table, the gramophone read off the characters’ indictments, “Vera Elizabeth Claythorne, that on the 11th day of August, 1935, you killed Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton.” (Christie 47). This accusation shows the readers that the latest “murder” was in 1935. Therefore, the time period of this story probably takes place in the late 1930s.

Another clue about the time period is when Blore questions, “Motorboat ought to have been here nigh on two hours ago. It hasn’t come? Why?” (Christie 102-103) Clearly, if the house had a telephone, the characters would have used it to call the motorboat company. These two quotes prove to the readers that the story takes place during a time period when technological communications were not normally available. The setting of And Then There Were None takes place on an island (Soldier Island). Because the characters are staying on an island, the reader can infer that there is no way to reach the mainland other than by boat (which never comes). Inspector Maine states, “The Sticklehaven people are absolutely certain that no one could have left the island before the rescue boat got there.” (Christie 283) This quote shows the readers that there was no way for the characters to leave the island, making it the perfect place for the killer to murder the victims without having to worry about them escaping and finding help. Finally, the setting had to create tension and confusion between the characters. Every time one person was killed, the rest of the guests would quickly accuse other

guests. This created a lot of confusion and betrayal among the characters. They knew the killer had to be one of them because no one else was on the island and there was no way on or off the island. Philip Lombard exclaims, “For we are in a trap -- I’ll take oath on that! Mrs. Rogers’ death! Tony Marston’s! The disappearing soldier boys on the dinner table! Oh yes, Mr. Owen’s hand is plainly seen -- but where the devil is Mr. Owen himself?” (Christie 143) This quote shows the readers that the guests understand what’s going on, but they have no idea who the murderer is. Because of their location on an island, all of their ideas about who the killer might be aren’t possible. These three details show how Christie’s choice of setting is appropriate for her story. The setting that she used had the characteristics of a mystery setting and it played a big role in the plot.