And Then There Were None Guilt Essay

Aiden Ng Kathryn Beary English 8, Period 4 14 March 2024 Yuh From the looks of it, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie may seem like a battle of killers and power; however, the most salient battle is in the mind. Ten killers who escaped the law were invited to Soldier Island. At first, it looked peaceful and luxurious, with bright lights and plentiful space. Nonetheless, one by one they drop until all are gone. Furthermore, Armstrong murdered an old lady and Tony Marston murdered 2 kids. Both of them have little to no guilt and will never change. Emily Brent and General Macarthur, on the other hand, indirectly killed someone and had vast amounts of guilt, showing their potential to change. While some characters such as Armstrong and Tony Marston deserve death for their lack of guilt, others like Emily Brent and General Macarthur that are innocent or felt large amounts of guilt

When Armstrong was thinking about his murder, he thought, “Drunk- that's what it was-drunk.Poor devil-elderly woman-simple job if I’d been sober.” (Christie 71). Armstrong avoiding the old lady’s name illustrates his lack of attention for the old lady, and instead he places his attention on his public image. Subsequently, he manipulates others about not being drunk and escapes a murder charge when he should be on death row. To extend on that idea, when the characters were explaining their crimes, Tony Marston exclaimed, “‘The legal life’s narrowing! I’m all for a life of crime! Here’s to it!’” (Christie 74). Tony Marston screaming “life of crime is the way to go” reveals his enthusiasm for crime and lack of compassion towards others. His heartlessness proves his lack of will to improve as a person. Lack of guilt from these characters demonstrates the lack of change they would have if they were left to live. However, some people do not deserve death due to their showing of