The Questions

1. The author did create different moods throughout the novel. In the
beginning of the book the mood was calm and curious to why they were
being invited to the island. They were all getting to know each other and
were excited to what was going to happened. Words such as, “The food
had been good, the wine perfect. Rogers waited well. Everyone was in
better spirits. They had begun to talk to each other with more freedom and
intimacy.” set the mood. The other mood that was prevalent throughout
the book was suspicious, paranoia, and guilt. After people started dying out
of the blue and they knew one of them was the murderer, the people left
were starting to feel that their guilty past has to do with all of this. They
were suspicious of each other, driving each other mad. Words such as,
“What’s next? What next? Who? Which?.... It’s crazy-everything’s crazy. I’m
going crazy. Wool disappearing-red silk curtains- It doesn’t make sense.”
Set the suspicious and paranoid mood.

2. The author makes many points about guilty conscience. Almost all the
characters have had a guilty past that makes them feel very suspicious of
each other that drives everyone crazy. Specifically Vera, who on purpose
let a little boy drown to let her boyfriend inherit all his money so they can
be together. Her guilt drives her so paranoid and mad that she kills
someone and then ultimately hangs herself. “A broad ribbon of wet
seaweed was hanging down from the ceiling. It was that which in the
darkness had swayed against her throat. It was which she had a taken for a
clammy hand, a drowned hand come back from the dead to squeeze the
life of out of her!” Some of the other characters though had no remorse for
what they did and were the ones to ultimately die first.
3. The main characters faced mostly one problem as a whole: To find out who
the murder was on the island. None of them wanted to die and were
becoming anxious as each one was dying a more gruesome death. Sadly, in
the end no one found out who the killer was because they all died. In the
end of the book, you do find out who the murder was in a letter they wrote
to the people trying to solve the case after everything. Also, individually,
some of the characters faced internal problems dealing with the guilt that
they murdered people unpunishable under the law. They were trying to
hide their guilty past from the other to not face suspicion.

4. Foreshadowing and symbolism are literary techniques that I found in the

novel. As Mr. Blore travels by train towards the Oakbridge Station, an
elderly man who shares his car warns Mr. Blore that a storm is headed their
way. As he prepares to leave the train, he turns to Blore and says, 'I'm
talking to you, young man. The day of judgment is very close at hand.' Mr.
Blore views it as an odd incident and does not think about his warning. This
foreshadows the event that happens to Mr. Blore as he dies a tragic death
in the end of the book. For symbolism, the book states there are 10 little
china figures that represent the 10 guests. As each guest is murdered,
mysteriously the china figures disappear. Quotes: 'It's those little figures,
sir. In the middle of the table. The little china figures. Ten of them, there
were. I'll swear to that, ten of them,' sputters Mr. Rogers as he realizes that
after the deaths of Marston and Mrs. Rogers' deaths, the number has been
reduced to eight. The disappearance of the china figures build suspense
and show how crazy and childish the manic is.