And Then There Were None Direct Characterization

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Great characters are the glue to keeping readers hooked on a book. Books with great character development are the ones that stick out in peoples’ heads. Without characterization characters in books are boring. The best authors use indirect characterization to allow the reader to come up with the personality traits for characters. In Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, the characters are brought to life through indirect characterization. Emily Brent is a pretentious old hag, often thinking highly of herself and degrading others in the lower class. When the characters are first being introduced to one another, Emily portrays herself to a higher standard. In her bedroom, Emily Brent, dressed in black silk ready for dinner, was reading her…show more content…
Vera is often influenced by her emotions. She acts according to her emotions and not rational with her brain. Vera has several outbreaks in which she is influenced by solely her emotions. “Don’t stare like that! As though you thought I was mad. It’s sane enough what I’m asking.”.... “And that’s why I’m asking- do they keep bees on this island- isn’t it funny?- isn’t damned funny…?” (Christie 169). Vera has a sudden outburst while she and the other guests are outside upon finding the dead body of Mr. Rogers. Vera is suddenly reminded of the poem that hangs in her bedroom. The next person will apparently die of a bee sting. Instead of rationally asking if there were bees on the island, Vera goes on a long harangue about them. Vera does not act sensible in this scene and is smacked by Dr. Armstrong to knock some sense into her. Vera also acts in a very hysteric manner when she is touched by seaweed in her bedroom. She screamed and screamed- screams of the utmost terror- wild desperate cries for help (Christie…show more content…
Ethel Rogers is perceived as a very timorous woman. Mrs. Rogers seems as if she is afraid of everyone and everything around her. “She looks frightened of her own shadow.” Yes, that was it- frightened! She looked like a woman who walked in mortal fear…. (Christie 29). Mrs. Rogers acts as if she is frightened of everything around her. The other guests got the sense that she was fearful of not only them but the whole world. Agatha Christie indirectly characterizes Mrs. Rogers as a timorous woman by her looks. What a white bloodless ghost of a woman! Very respectable looking, with her hair dragged back from her face and her black dress. Queer light eyes that shifted the whole time from place to place (Christie 29). Mrs. Rogers appears to be a ghastly woman. She looks like a shy and fearful woman. By her looks she appears to be a shell of a woman. She is portrayed as an empty woman, afraid of her own shadow. Mrs. Rogers walks as if there is nothing to her. Her feet moved noiselessly over the ground. She drifted from the room like a shadow (Christie

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