Difference between revisions of "And Then There Were None"

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'''''And Then There Were None''''' is one of the classics. A mystery novel written by the English writer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie Agatha Christie]. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_Crime_Club Collins Crime Club] on 6 November 1939, as '''''Ten Little Niggers''''', after the children's [[Ten Little Indians]] and minstrel song, which serves as a major element of the plot.<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>
+
[[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]]
 +
'''''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). [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>
 
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 ==
+
==Plot==
The novel is centered around a large murder mystery based on an infamous blackface minstrel song that describes a group of people who die under strange circumstances one by one. Due to the racist original title (1939), the book was re-titled And Then There Were None in 1940, and it was also published as (also overtly racist) Ten Little Indians in 1964.<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>
+
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>
Each of the ten victims – eight guests plus the island's two caretakers – is killed in a manner that reflects one of the lines of the rhyme.
+
 
 +
Each of the victim in the book was killed in a way each line of the song rhymes.  
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Modes of death of the victims vs the wording of the rhyme
+
|+Deaths described in the book vs the original rhyme
!No.
 
 
!Character
 
!Character
!Accusation
+
!Mode of Death
!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>
!Original rhyme, early UK editions<ref name="OriginalRhyme">Christie, Agatha (1963). ''Ten Little Niggers'' (Paperback ed.). Collins/Fontana. pp. 24–25.</ref>
 
!Current version of the rhyme<ref>Christie, Agatha (March 2008). And Then There Were None. Harper-Collins. p. 276</ref>
 
 
|-
 
|-
| -
 
|'''Isaac Morris (deceased)'''
 
|[Recent owner of the island. Sold illegal drugs to a woman who became an addict and later committed suicide]
 
|Accepts a lethal cocktail of drugs to treat his imagined ailments
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|1
 
 
|'''Anthony James Marston'''
 
|'''Anthony James Marston'''
|Knocked over and killed two young children while recklessly speeding
 
 
|Choked after drinking poisoned whisky
 
|Choked after drinking poisoned whisky
|Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;
+
|"Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.
+
One choked his little self and then there were Nine."
|Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine;
 
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|2
 
 
|'''Mrs Ethel Rogers'''
 
|'''Mrs Ethel Rogers'''
|Allowed herself to be persuaded by her husband into withholding a former employer's medicine in order to collect an inheritance
 
 
|Dies in her sleep of an unknown cause
 
|Dies in her sleep of an unknown cause
|Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;
+
|"Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.
+
One overslept himself and then there were Eight."
|Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late;
 
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|3
 
 
|'''General John Gordon MacArthur'''
 
|'''General John Gordon MacArthur'''
|Ordered a younger officer to undertake a mission where he was almost guaranteed to be killed
 
 
|Killed by a heavy blow to the head
 
|Killed by a heavy blow to the head
|Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;
+
|"Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven.
+
One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven."
|Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon;
 
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.<ref>Christie, Agatha (1944). And Then There Were None: A Mystery Play in Three Acts. Samuel French. This line is sometimes replaced by ''One got left behind and then there were seven''.</ref>
 
 
|-
 
|-
|4
 
 
|'''Thomas Rogers'''
 
|'''Thomas Rogers'''
|Induced his wife to withhold a former employer's medicine in order to collect an inheritance
 
 
|Killed with an axe while chopping wood
 
|Killed with an axe while chopping wood
|Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;
+
|"Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.
+
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six."
|Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks;
 
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|5
 
 
|'''Emily Caroline Brent'''
 
|'''Emily Caroline Brent'''
|Dismissed her teenage maid for becoming pregnant out of wedlock, the dismissal causing the maid to drown herself
 
 
|Injected with poison
 
|Injected with poison
|Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;
+
|"Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;
A bumble-bee stung one and then there were Five.
+
A bumble-bee stung one and then there were Five."
|Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive;
 
A [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee bumblebee] stung one and then there were five.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|6
 
 
|'''Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave)'''
 
|'''Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave)'''
|Improperly influenced a jury to bring in a guilty verdict against a man many thought to be innocent; and sentencing him to death
 
 
|Gunshot wound to the head, while dressed as a judge
 
|Gunshot wound to the head, while dressed as a judge
|Five little nigger boys going in for law;
+
|"Five little nigger boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.
+
One got in Chancery and then there were Four."
|Five little Soldier Boys going in for law;
 
One got in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Chancery Chancery] and then there were four.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|7
 
 
|'''Dr Edward George Armstrong'''
 
|'''Dr Edward George Armstrong'''
|Responsible for the death of a patient whom he had operated on while drunk
 
 
|Drowns after being pushed over a cliff into the sea
 
|Drowns after being pushed over a cliff into the sea
|Four little nigger boys going out to sea;
+
|"Four little nigger boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.
+
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three."
|Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea; A [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring_(narrative) red herring] swallowed one and then there were three.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|8
 
 
|'''William Henry Blore'''
 
|'''William Henry Blore'''
|Gave [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perjury perjured evidence] in court resulting in an innocent man being convicted,  sentenced to life imprisonment, and dying shortly afterwards
 
 
|Crushed to death by a marble clock shaped like a bear
 
|Crushed to death by a marble clock shaped like a bear
|Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;
+
|"Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.
+
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two."
|Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo;
 
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|9
 
 
|'''Philip Lombard'''
 
|'''Philip Lombard'''
|As a soldier, caused the deaths of a number of East African tribesmen, after stealing their food and abandoning them to their fate
 
 
|Shot by Vera on the beach
 
|Shot by Vera on the beach
|Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;
+
|"Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.
+
One got frizzled up and then there was One."
|Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun;
 
One got frizzled up and then there was one.<ref>Note: In some versions the ninth verse reads ''Two little Soldier boys playing with a gun/One shot the other and then there was One.''</ref>
 
 
|-
 
|-
|10
 
 
|'''Vera Elizabeth Claythorne'''
 
|'''Vera Elizabeth Claythorne'''
|As a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governess governess], allowed her young charge to drown so that his uncle could inherit the family estate and marry her
 
 
|Hangs herself
 
|Hangs herself
|One little nigger boy left all alone;
+
|"One little nigger boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were None.
+
He went and hanged himself and then there were None."
|One little Soldier Boy left all alone;
 
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.<ref>Christie, Agatha (March 2008). And Then There Were None. Harper-Collins. p. 276. </ref>
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
== References ==
+
==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>
 +
 
 +
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" />
 +
 
 +
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Black Racism in Mystery Novels]]  
+
[[Category:Black-Targeted Racism in Mystery Novels]]  
[[Category:Black Racism in Classic Books]]
+
[[Category:Racism in Classics]]

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