And Then There Were None Group

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jay513
jay513
Student
High School - 12th Grade

How do the characters die in "And Then There Were None"?

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Posted by jay513 on Wednesday February 25, 2009 at 10:21 AM and tagged with agatha christie, and then there were none, characters, christie, deaths, indians, plot, song.


Answers:

  1. They die in accordance with the song. The play was originally called "Ten Little Niggers", but, for obvious reasons, was then renamed "Ten Little Indians". When that too became politically unacceptable the play was renamed "And Then There Were None".

    Here's the first bit of the song (full link below):

    Ten little Indian boys went out to dine
    One choked his little self and then there were nine
    Nine little Indian boys sat up very late
    One overslept himself and then there were eight
    Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon
    One said he'd stay there and then there were seven...

    Here's the deaths:

    Anthony Marston is poisoned with cyanide in his drink ("one choked his little self")
    Mrs. Rogers never wakes up rom her sleep ("one overselpt himself")
    General MacArthur dies from a blow to the back of the head, after he said he'd never leave ("one said he'd stay there)
    Thomas Rogers is struck with an axe in the woodshed ("one chopped himself in halves")
    Emily Brent dies from a lethal injection ("a bumblebee stung one")
    Judge Wargrave dies from a shot in the head ("one got into Chancery" - and then finally kills himself)
    Blore dies by being crushed by a clock ("a big bear hugged one")
    Armstrong is drowned in the sea ("a red herring stung one")
    Lombard is shot with his own revolver by Vera ("out in the sun" or "one shot the other")
    Vera then hangs herself ("one hanged himself").

    Hope it helps!

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    Posted by robertwilliam on Thursday February 26, 2009 at 6:46 AM