Theoretical Analysis: Feminist Criticism

When people think of the normal characteristics of women, they may think meek or mild, but seldom do they immediately think murderer. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None not only challenges the gender norms of the time, but often breaks them in her female characters. In looking at the novel, it is clear that the women in the novel break the stereotypes of their sex and that they are capable of murder. 

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In terms of femininity, Christie’s novel examines different types of women to break their stereotypical roles of womanhood at the time. The three women in the book are Vera Claythorne, Emily Brent, and Mrs. Rogers. These women each bring a different portion of the understanding of a woman to light, however Claythorne and Brent specifically break their stereotypical roles of being a woman. Miss Claythorne is arguably one of the strongest characters in the novel despite her instability when it comes to her guilt. The expectations of her as a former governess would have been to nurture and provide tender care for a child. However, Claythorne breaks this idealized narrative of womanhood by being the one who actually kills the child. Apart from this stereotype, Claythorne breaks the norm by being extremely clever and strong. She goes as far as to take the gun from Lombard, her one trusted fellow guest, to kill him. In the midst of men who take it upon themselves to be leaders and investigators, Vera’s character, “... breaks every construction of masculinized reason, rationale and action – and asserts that she is just as active, capable and dangerous,” (Kaul, 2019). Her cunningness and brutality contrast what most early twentieth century female characters in literature represent. In looking at Miss Brent, it is clear that on the surface her devotion to faith would seem natural for a woman. However, a deeper look at her character also shows her frequently vocal opinions of what she believes and her disapproval of others. While it may be expected for her to be passive and dependent on a man, by being so outspoken, “...Christie smashed that regressive mindset with this character,” since she stands her own ground (Kaul, 2019). Both women stand to revalue the understood experiences of women as a whole. They challenge the representation of women because they redefine what being a woman means with their strength, vocality, and independence. 

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Christie additionally breaks the understanding of womanhood by making it clear that women can murder too. Typically, murder and violence are attributed to men since men usually are deemed more physical and capable of lashing out. While there are many men among the women who are just as guilty as them, the women prove that dangerousness is not a male-specified quality. In looking at Claythorne specifically, it becomes abundantly clear that women are equally as dangerous as men since she is the only guest to kill a fellow victim. Furthermore, in his confession, the murderer makes it known that he was killing in order of who he believed to be the most guilty, or who committed the worst crime. This is clear when he says, “The order of death upon the island had been subjected by me to special thought and care. There were, I considered, amongst my guests, varying degrees of guilt. Those whose guilt was the lightest should, I decided, pass out first…” (Christie, 292). With this in mind, it is Claythorne who outlived all the other “murderers”. She was the most guilty and therefore had to withstand the, “...fear that the more cold-blooded offenders were to suffer,” (Christie, 292). Not only does Claythorne break the gender norm by being a killer, but she is the worst among many men as well, thus her strength and danger is not limited by her sex.

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Ultimately, And Then There Were None uses women and their experiences to break the gender expectations of the time. Their strength, independence, and dangerousness is not confined because they are women. Christie’s development of these characters not only drives the plot forward, but it makes a point to show how murder and mystery are not solely a man’s world.