Character Analysis
Justice Wargrave (Sixth):
Accused: Swayed a jury to condemn someone who was probably innocent.
Vera Claythorne:
Accused: Was not watching a child who swam out to far and drowned.
Accused: He abandoned the tribal people, leaving them to die of starvation or dehydration.
Accused: Hasn’t confessed to anything yet.
General Macarthur: (Third)
Accused: Of sending a soldier to his death purposely during WWI.
Accused: Operating on an old lady while intoxicated, killing his patient in the process.
Accused: Ran over a couple with his car, killing both of them.
Accused: Sent a man to prison who should not have been their and the man died in prison.
Accused: They are accused of murdering their former employer in order to gain their inheritance.
Accused: Swayed a jury to condemn someone who was probably innocent.
- Retired Judge
- His aura demands respect
- Looks intelligent on outside (haven’t learned how smart yet)
- Invited as a guest
- Very organized (took control of the entire situation)
- There is the belief that he wrongly convicted someone of murder
- One of three people that is reminded about the murder they committed.
- He has come to terms with his actions and he lives in the present un-plagued by the homicide
- TAKES CONTROL OF SITUATION
- Nobody really suspects him
Vera Claythorne:
Accused: Was not watching a child who swam out to far and drowned.
- Killed a child in past and wants to get away from it, was cleared of blame
- Poem creeps her out (first time it is read in book), has profound effects on her
- Comes to be secretary to the Owens
- Feels extremely creeped out by the poem.
- When the recording is played she is scared
- She blames herself for the death of the child Cyril, but is constantly trying to justify it in her head
- Believes she is accused of murder and goes even more CRAZY
- Loses her head when Rogers dies, many people think she could be the murderer because she is so crazy
- Talking to herself
- Thinks she’ll get of the island
- She let Cyril swim out to the rock while she distracted his Mother, so that Henry would get money and they could run away
Accused: He abandoned the tribal people, leaving them to die of starvation or dehydration.
- Soldier in Africa
- Stays within the law, “You understand I can’t undertake anything -- illegal” (7)
- Invited as guest to soldier island
- He understands himself and can keep his head when all around him are losing theirs and blaming it on him
- Carries a gun
- Hired by Jewish man to come to Soldier Island and keep and eye out
- Poor
- His gun went missing and then it was returned after a murder
Accused: Hasn’t confessed to anything yet.
- EXTREMELY proper, non smoking, 65 years, etiquette matters
- Judges how people dress, act, and their posture and makes conclusions about their personalities
- Invited to island as a guest
- Refuses to admit to the murder she was responsible for
- The recording does not affect her
- Very private and secluded
- She is pretentious and does not talk with the other guests very much
- Extremely secluded and introverted after second death
- Carefree, seems like she does not care if there is a murderer, suspicious
General Macarthur: (Third)
Accused: Of sending a soldier to his death purposely during WWI.
- Semi-impatient
- Likes to tell stories and talk about the war with friends
- On the older side
- Sticks to his virtues
- Pessimistic
- Thinks that they are all going to die on the island
- He is at peace with dying on the island.
Accused: Operating on an old lady while intoxicated, killing his patient in the process.
- Very rich, earned his money
- Tired and stressed out from his practice
- Used to luxurious amenities
- Popular doctor, became popular via word to mouth from rich and prominent patients
- Recovering alcoholic
- Relieved he can come to the island
- Weak personality
- Cannot read others very well
- He is extremely knowledgeable in various fields of medicine
- Does not like Vera, she accused him of killing Mrs. Rogers
- Is suspected of being the murder because he disappeared and because of his drugs he brought in relation to the murders being mostly medical
Accused: Ran over a couple with his car, killing both of them.
- Fast paced and young
- Sees himself as being handsome and successful
- People admire him
- Judgemental
- Slightly alcoholic
- Glorifies himself
- Tall and proud
- Died - choked at the end of chapter 4 from drinking
Accused: Sent a man to prison who should not have been their and the man died in prison.
- Observant
- Judgemental
- Old and bland
- Claims to be a soldier in South Africa
- Had already been to the island
- Grumpy and holds the world in contempt
- Is discovered to be a private investigator by the general
- Is the first to accuse someone of being the murder.
- Tries to constantly rationalize the world around him.
Accused: They are accused of murdering their former employer in order to gain their inheritance.
- Were on the island before everyone had arrived
- Servants (Mr. Rogers: Butler; Mrs. Rogers: Maid type servant)
- Not much is known about them
- Mrs. Rogers faints when the recording is played, she dies in her sleep
- Mr. Rogers is undisturbed after his wife's death.
- Mr. Rogers notices that the figurines are missing.
- Mr. Rogers is always serving the guests, even when his wife died
- Still very good at his job
- Every character wonders who the Owens are and how each character knows them
- Very mysterious
- Do not show up to the island or the boat launch, nothing is known about them
- Initials seem to spell unknown (U.N. Owen)
- They seem to be fake
- There is the suspicion that one of the people on the island is U.N. Owen
- The belief is that the Owens are just one person.
- Only way off of island
- Can’t always get to them
- Not Important