'Unknown U. N. Owen In And Then There Were None'

Emme Speicher

Mrs. Iannibelli

AP Literature

2/16/2023

Unknown U. N. Owen

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie follows the story of 10 unrelated people who are invited to a vacation on Soldier Island, and mysteriously all die in order of a poem left throughout their home. Throughout the story, characters are trying to figure out who of them is the killer and how to escape before they all die. In the novel And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie illustrates how the use of the character U. N. Owen contributes to the fear and suspicion of other characters throughout the story. Owen is both used to introduce the characters and set the atmosphere for the novel, and also is used to portray the suspicion and tension within the novel. Although,

N. Owen’s character creates at first trust in the characters when invited to the island, but later creates mystery and fear as the story unravels and people quickly gain suspicion of “Owen”.

First, the use of the character of U. N. Owen plays a significant role in the introduction to each of the characters and why they all travel to Soldier Island. Owen creates a sense of trust and nobility that the characters are intrigued and influenced by to go to the island, but also shows contrary because there is uncertainty as to who U. N Owen is, while many do not know what the initials stand for, which is an introduction to the mystery that Owen creates. U. N. Owen sent out letters to all of the 8 guests asking them to go to Soldier Island, all for different reasons. Unsure, none of the characters had met Owen, many wondered “Who were these Owens, he wondered? Rich and stinking, probably” (13). Because Owen had his own island and invited these people for a visit, many raised a few suspicions and accepted the free vacation with little hesitation. The characters quickly gained trust of Owen because of his writing and ownership of Soldier Island. However, the lack of information about Owen’s life sets the atmosphere for the rest

N. Owen is significant to the development of the plot and characters throughout the novel. Owen’s character is significant throughout the novel for different purposes, Owen helps to introduce the characters and they gain a sense of trust in Owen and his island. However, the mystery behind U. N. Owen and the lack of information about the character sets the mysterious tone for the rest of the novel. As the novel progresses, the characters gain more and more fear and paranoia towards Owen as they find he is the killer, and when the characters realize one of them is Owen, this character symbolizes the fear and paranoia the characters are facing. U. N. Owen plays an important role in the development of suspicion and mistrust between the characters, and how they deal with their fear and paranoia toward one