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'''''And Then There Were None''''' is a mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, described by her as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939, as '''''Ten Little Niggers''''', after the children's [[Ten Little Indians|counting rhyme]] and minstrel song, which serves as a major element of the plot. A US edition was released in January 1940 with the title ''And Then There Were None'', which is taken from the last five words of the song. All successive American reprints and adaptations use that title, except for the Pocket Books paperbacks published between 1964 and 1986, which appeared under the title '''''Ten Little Indians'''.''
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[[File:Ten little niggers book cover.jpg|thumb|250px|[https://images1.bonhams.com/image?src=Images/live/2018-02/16/94613987-1-1.jpeg&width=640&height=480&autosizefit=1 Ten Little Niggers, FIRST EDITION, Collins, for The Crime Club,1939]|left]]
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'''''And Then There Were None''''' is one of the classics. A mystery novel written by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie Agatha Christie]. It was first published on 6 November 1939, in the United Kingdom by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_Crime_Club Collins Crime Club] as '''''Ten Little Niggers'''''. The book was named after the children's [[Ten Little Indians]] and minstrel song.<ref>Peers, Chris; Spurrier, Ralph; Sturgeon, Jamie (1999). ''Collins Crime Club: a checklist of the first editions'' (2nd ed.). London, UK: Dragonby Press. p. 15. ISBN [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-871122-13-9 1-871122-13-9].</ref>
  
The book is the world's best-selling mystery, and with over 100 million copies sold is one of the best-selling books of all time. Publications International lists the novel as the sixth best-selling title.<ref>Davies, Helen; Dorfman, Marjorie; Fons, Mary; Hawkins, Deborah; Hintz, Martin; Lundgren, Linnea; Priess, David; Clark Robinson, Julia; Seaburn, Paul; Stevens, Heidi; Theunissen, Steve (14 September 2007). "21 Best-Selling Books of All Time". Editors of Publications International, Ltd. Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.</ref>
+
The book is the world's best-selling mystery, and with over 100 million copies sold is one of the best-selling books of all time. Publications International lists the novel as the sixth best-selling title.<ref>Davies, Helen; Dorfman, Marjorie; Fons, Mary; Hawkins, Deborah; Hintz, Martin; Lundgren, Linnea; Priess, David; Clark Robinson, Julia; Seaburn, Paul; Stevens, Heidi; Theunissen, Steve (14 September 2007). [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/21-best-selling-books-of-all-time.htm "21 Best-Selling Books of All Time"]. Editors of Publications International, Ltd. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090407002704/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/21-best-selling-books-of-all-time.htm Archived] from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.</ref>
  
== Plot and structure ==
+
==Plot==
The plot is structured around the ten lines of the children's counting rhyme "Ten Little Niggers" ("Ten Little Indians" or "Ten Little Soldiers" in later editions). Each of the ten victims – eight guests plus the island's two caretakers – is killed in a manner which reflects one of the lines of the rhyme. Also killed, but off the island, is the island's recent owner. In recent editions, the rhyme has been changed so that every occurrence of the phrase "nigger boy(s)" is replaced with "soldier boy(s)". This version of the song goes as follows:<blockquote>''Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.''
+
The novel is about a large murder mystery based on an infamous blackface minstrel song that describes a group of people who die one by one under a strange circumstances. The book was re-titled ''And Then There Were None'' in 1940 because of the original title was considered racist. In 1964, it was also published as Ten Little Indians.<ref>[https://www.biblio.com/ten-little-niggers-by-christie-agatha/work/290352 Ten Little Niggers by Agatha Christie]. ''biblio.com''. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021</ref>
  
''Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.''
+
Each of the victim in the book was killed in a way each line of the song rhymes.  
  
''Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.''
 
  
''Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.''
 
  
''Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.''
 
  
''Five little Soldier Boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four.''
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+Deaths described in the book vs the original rhyme
 +
!Character
 +
!Mode of Death
 +
!Original Rhyme<ref>[https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00026617/00001 The Ten Little Niggers] by M' Loughlin Bro's. New York Publishers.</ref>
 +
|-
 +
|'''Anthony James Marston'''
 +
|Choked after drinking poisoned whisky
 +
|"Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;
 +
One choked his little self and then there were Nine."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Mrs Ethel Rogers'''
 +
|Dies in her sleep of an unknown cause
 +
|"Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;
 +
One overslept himself and then there were Eight."
 +
|-
 +
|'''General John Gordon MacArthur'''
 +
|Killed by a heavy blow to the head
 +
|"Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;
 +
One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Thomas Rogers'''
 +
|Killed with an axe while chopping wood
 +
|"Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;
 +
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Emily Caroline Brent'''
 +
|Injected with poison
 +
|"Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;
 +
A bumble-bee stung one and then there were Five."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave)'''
 +
|Gunshot wound to the head, while dressed as a judge
 +
|"Five little nigger boys going in for law;
 +
One got in Chancery and then there were Four."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Dr Edward George Armstrong'''
 +
|Drowns after being pushed over a cliff into the sea
 +
|"Four little nigger boys going out to sea;
 +
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three."
 +
|-
 +
|'''William Henry Blore'''
 +
|Crushed to death by a marble clock shaped like a bear
 +
|"Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;
 +
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Philip Lombard'''
 +
|Shot by Vera on the beach
 +
|"Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;
 +
One got frizzled up and then there was One."
 +
|-
 +
|'''Vera Elizabeth Claythorne'''
 +
|Hangs herself
 +
|"One little nigger boy left all alone;
 +
He went and hanged himself and then there were None."
 +
|}
  
''Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.''
+
==Controversy==
 +
[[File:Ten little niggers.jpg|thumb|250px|Ten Little Niggers book cover]]
 +
The book cover is an image of “black” doll or golliwog, hanging. According to Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia website are “grotesque creatures, with very dark, often jet black skin, large white-rimmed eyes, red or white clown lips, and wild frizzy hair.”<ref>[https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/rethinking-agatha-christie/ Rethinking Agatha Christie: The strange and offensive history of Ten Little Indians]. ''rethinkingschools.com''. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021</ref>
  
''Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.''
+
The book was originally titled ''Ten Little Niggers'' coming from a highly racist lullaby back in the time. Having it inspired from the nursery rhyme, it was never Christie's intention to use the racial slur.  By the time the book was written, the language and word used was different. However, it still becomes a problem in current times.''<ref>[https://aldianews.com/articles/culture/literature/agatha-christie-under-anti-racist-spotlight-her-most-famous-novel Agatha Christie under the anti-racist spotlight: Her most famous novel changes titles]. ''aldianews.com''. August 27, 2020. Retrieved Jan 13, 20221</ref> ''Literary critic, Eric Naulleau'', ''mentioned that the title Ten Little Niggers'' "came from a time when such language was common."<ref name="rfi">[https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20200826-n-word-scrapped-from-french-edition-of-agatha-christie-novel-crime-negro-offence-black-lives-matter 'N-word' scrapped from French edition of Agatha Christie novel]. ''refi.fr''. Aug 26, 2020. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021</ref> ''
 +
However, due to the controversy, in the French translation of the book, the word "nègre" will be replaced with the word "soldat" or "soldier" in the latest translation.<ref name="rfi" />
  
''Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.''
+
==References==
 
+
{{reflist}}
''One little Soldier Boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.''</blockquote>
+
[[Category:Black-Targeted Racism in Mystery Novels]]
 
+
[[Category:Racism in Classics]]
= Publication history =
 
This novel has a long and noteworthy history of publication. It is a continuously best selling novel in English and in translation to other languages since its initial publication. From the start, in English, it was published under two different titles, due to different sensitivity to the author's title and counting-rhyme theme in the UK and in the US at first publication.
 
 
 
The novel was originally published in late 1939 and early 1940 almost simultaneously, in the United Kingdom and the United States. The serialization was in 23 parts in the ''Daily Express'' from Tuesday 6 June to Saturday 1 July 1939. All of the installments carried an illustration by "Prescott" with the first having an illustration of Burgh Island in Devon which inspired the setting of the story. The serialized version did not contain any chapter divisions. The book retailed for seven shillings and six pence.
 
 
 
=== The title ===
 
In the UK it appeared under the title ''Ten Little Niggers'', in book and newspaper serialized formats. In the United States it was published under the title ''And Then There Were None'', in both book and serial formats. Both of the original US publications changed the title from that originally used in the UK, due to the offensiveness of the word in American culture, where it was more widely perceived as a racially loaded ethnic slur or insult compared to the contemporaneous culture in the United Kingdom. The serialized version appeared in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' in seven parts from 20 May (Volume 211, Number 47) to 1 July 1939 (Volume 212, Number 1) with illustrations by Henry Raleigh, and the book was published in January 1940 by Dodd, Mead and Company for $2.
 
 
 
In the original UK novel, and in succeeding publications until 1985, all references to "Indians" or "Soldiers" were originally "Nigger", including the island's name, the pivotal rhyme found by the visitors, and the ten figurines. (In Chapter 7, Vera Claythorne becomes semi-hysterical at the mention by Miss Brent of "our black brothers", which is understandable only in the context of the original name.) UK editions continued to use the original title until the current definitive title appeared with a reprint of the 1963 Fontana Paperback in 1985.
 
 
 
The word "nigger" was already racially offensive in the United States by the start of the 20th century, and therefore the book's first US edition and first serialization changed the title to ''And Then There Were None'' and removed all references to the word from the book, as did the 1945 motion picture (except that the first US edition retained 'nigger in the woodpile' in chapter 2 part VIII). Sensitivity to the original title of the novel was remarked by Sadie Stein in 2016, commenting on a BBC mini series with the title ''And Then There Were None'', where she noted that "[E]ven in 1939, this title was considered too offensive for American publication." In general, "Christie’s work is not known for its racial sensitivity, and by modern standards her oeuvre is rife with casual Orientalism." The original title was based on a rhyme from minstrel shows and children's games. Stein quotes Alison Light as to the power of the original name of the island in the novel, Nigger Island, "to conjure up a thrilling ‘otherness’, a place where revelations about the ‘dark side’ of the English would be appropriate". Light goes on to say that "Christie's location [the island] is both more domesticated and privatised, taking for granted the construction of racial fears woven into psychic life as early as the nursery." Speaking of the "widely known" 1945 film, Stein added that "we’re merely faced with fantastic amounts of violence, and a rhyme so macabre and distressing one doesn’t hear it now outside of the Agatha Christie context." She felt that the original title of the novel in the UK, seen now, "that original title, it jars, viscerally."
 
 
 
=== Foreign-language editions ===
 
Many older translations were based on the original British text, although the word used to translate ''nigger'' was often somewhat less offensive, more analogous to English ''Negro'' or ''Negrito''. Languages where the most recent edition retains racial epithets include Spanish, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian and Hungarian, as well as the 1987 Russian film adaptation ''Desyat Negrityat''. Changes similar to those in the British edition in the 1980s were made to the German novel in 2003, after 2002 protests in Hanover against a stage version using the old title. Similar changes were made in Dutch in 2004, Swedish in 2007, Brazilian Portuguese in 2009, Polish in 2017, and French in 2020. In 1999, the Slovak National Theatre changed the title of a stage adaptation mid-run. The estate of Agatha Christie now offers it under only one title in English, ''And Then There Were None'', and translations increasingly use the equivalent of this as their title. European Portuguese translations have been titled ''Convite Para a Morte'' (1948: "An Invitation to Death") and ''As Dez Figuras Negras'' (2011: "The Ten Black Figures" — referring to the figurines, in this case minimally anthropomorphic).
 
[[Category:Black Racism in Literature]]
 

Latest revision as of 09:18, 15 March 2021

And Then There Were None is one of the classics. A mystery novel written by Agatha Christie. It was first published on 6 November 1939, in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club as Ten Little Niggers. The book was named after the children's Ten Little Indians and minstrel song.[1]

The book is the world's best-selling mystery, and with over 100 million copies sold is one of the best-selling books of all time. Publications International lists the novel as the sixth best-selling title.[2]

Plot

The novel is about a large murder mystery based on an infamous blackface minstrel song that describes a group of people who die one by one under a strange circumstances. The book was re-titled And Then There Were None in 1940 because of the original title was considered racist. In 1964, it was also published as Ten Little Indians.[3]

Each of the victim in the book was killed in a way each line of the song rhymes.



Deaths described in the book vs the original rhyme
Character Mode of Death Original Rhyme[4]
Anthony James Marston Choked after drinking poisoned whisky "Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were Nine."

Mrs Ethel Rogers Dies in her sleep of an unknown cause "Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were Eight."

General John Gordon MacArthur Killed by a heavy blow to the head "Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven."

Thomas Rogers Killed with an axe while chopping wood "Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six."

Emily Caroline Brent Injected with poison "Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;

A bumble-bee stung one and then there were Five."

Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave) Gunshot wound to the head, while dressed as a judge "Five little nigger boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were Four."

Dr Edward George Armstrong Drowns after being pushed over a cliff into the sea "Four little nigger boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three."

William Henry Blore Crushed to death by a marble clock shaped like a bear "Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were Two."

Philip Lombard Shot by Vera on the beach "Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was One."

Vera Elizabeth Claythorne Hangs herself "One little nigger boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were None."

Controversy

Ten Little Niggers book cover

The book cover is an image of “black” doll or golliwog, hanging. According to Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia website are “grotesque creatures, with very dark, often jet black skin, large white-rimmed eyes, red or white clown lips, and wild frizzy hair.”[5]

The book was originally titled Ten Little Niggers coming from a highly racist lullaby back in the time. Having it inspired from the nursery rhyme, it was never Christie's intention to use the racial slur. By the time the book was written, the language and word used was different. However, it still becomes a problem in current times.[6] Literary critic, Eric Naulleau, mentioned that the title Ten Little Niggers "came from a time when such language was common."[7] However, due to the controversy, in the French translation of the book, the word "nègre" will be replaced with the word "soldat" or "soldier" in the latest translation.[7]

References

  1. Peers, Chris; Spurrier, Ralph; Sturgeon, Jamie (1999). Collins Crime Club: a checklist of the first editions (2nd ed.). London, UK: Dragonby Press. p. 15. ISBN 1-871122-13-9.
  2. Davies, Helen; Dorfman, Marjorie; Fons, Mary; Hawkins, Deborah; Hintz, Martin; Lundgren, Linnea; Priess, David; Clark Robinson, Julia; Seaburn, Paul; Stevens, Heidi; Theunissen, Steve (14 September 2007). "21 Best-Selling Books of All Time". Editors of Publications International, Ltd. Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  3. Ten Little Niggers by Agatha Christie. biblio.com. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021
  4. The Ten Little Niggers by M' Loughlin Bro's. New York Publishers.
  5. Rethinking Agatha Christie: The strange and offensive history of Ten Little Indians. rethinkingschools.com. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021
  6. Agatha Christie under the anti-racist spotlight: Her most famous novel changes titles. aldianews.com. August 27, 2020. Retrieved Jan 13, 20221
  7. 7.0 7.1 'N-word' scrapped from French edition of Agatha Christie novel. refi.fr. Aug 26, 2020. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021