And Then There Were None Respect and Reputation

Let’s all put on our hats and sit up a little bit straighter, because this is England in the 1900s, and we’ve got our reputations to think about. Like Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess, the characters in And Then There Were None still want to keep their feathers unruffled and their demeanors gentlemanly even when everything is going haywire. So how do our little murderers and murderesses react under pressure? Do they keep calm and carry on, or do they decide that civility is a luxury best saved for situations that don’t involve a crazed murderer?

Questions About Respect and Reputation

1. Why doesn’t Emily Brent want to tell the men in their party about the servant girl whose death she caused? Why does she tell Vera instead?
2. How does Mr. Rogers react when his wife dies? What is Christie suggesting with this reaction?
3. Does Justice Wargrave count on the characters reacting the way that they do? Why or why not?
4. Why doesn’t Justice Wargrave broadcast what each character did to the rest of the world? Why is death a better punishment than public shame?

Chew on This

For many of the characters, losing their reputations would be even worse than losing their lives.

Mr. Rogers cares so much about his reputation that he carries on as the perfect butler rather than mourning the loss of his wife.