How Does Agatha Christie Use Red Herring In The Novel

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Often used in mystery novels, authors use red herrings to distract the reader from the important pieces of information that would contribute to the plot. Agatha Christie, author of, And Then There Were None, used red herrings to trick the reader into thinking that Dr. Armstrong killed everyone, but in the end it was Isaac Morris who had set everything up. Christie includes red herrings to serve as events leading to plot twists. The effectiveness of the use of red herring in the novel is successful because all the details and events contributed to the plot distracted the reader from the main issue. The way Christie uses red herrings creates a more developed mood that the reader to think more about the storyline, causes the reader to think differently about the characters, and changes the reader's thinking by adding more information and details about the characters that will make the reader change their mind about how the plot might turn out. In this novel, Christie uses…show more content…
In chapter 2, Christie described Anthony Marston on page 24 as “more than mortal” and the type that liked danger. This description made him look very strong and could withstand anything, but he ended being the first one dead. The readers would have thought that since he was young and reckless, he would be the character that could go through anything. In chapter 16 on page 238, when Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard are the only ones left on the island, Christie writes that Vera thought that, “Why did I never saw his face properly before. A wolf-that’s what it is- a wolf’s face. . . . Those horrible teeth. . . .” The way she negatively described how she thought of Lombard showed how she feared him. From this description of Lombard, the reader would believe that he was the murderer. The characteristics of how the guests describe each other can also lead the reader to
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