And Then There Were None

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is the family name of the unknown millionaires who invite people to their island?

2. What island are the characters in the novel invited to?

3. What is the poem discovered above Vera’s mantlepiece?

4. What are the figurines on the table in the dining room?

5. What crime does the voice on the gramophone accuse each of the characters of having committed?

6. What is the name of the record on the gramophone?

7. What role is William Henry Blore to play?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What do the characters who are traveling to the island have in common?

2. What does Dr. Armstrong remember about Justice Wargrave?

Paired Resource

Swan Song

• This 8-minute video describes the concept of a “swan song” and the origin of the phrase.
• What is a swan song? What is the origin of the term? Is this origin story entirely accurate? What famous people have used references to swan songs in their writings? How is the swan song used in And Then There Were None to support the themes of The Effects of Guilty Conscience on Behavior and Death as the Ultimate Act of Justice?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. How did Anthony Marston die?

2. What does Mr. Rogers notice is missing?

3. Who is the second victim on Soldier Island?

4. What do Lombard and Blore suspect will not come to the island?

5. How many soldier figurines does Mr. Rogers report to Dr. Armstrong?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the contrasting descriptions of Anthony Marston before and after his death? What effect does this contrast have on the reader?

2. Why did General McArthur intentionally put Arthur in harm’s way?

3. Why is the doctor important to the plot of the novel?

Chapters 7-10

Reading Check

1. What action do Lombard, Blore, and Dr. Armstrong decide to take concerning Mr. Owens?

2. What does Lombard admit to having in his possession?

3. Where is General McArthur when the men conclude he has lost his mind?

4. What was given to Lombard to lure him to the island?

5. Who is the third victim on Soldier Island?

6. What does Mr. Rogers discover to be missing?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why did Emily Brent commit her alleged murder?

2. What connection does Lombard make to the two deaths and the soldier nursery rhyme?

3. How is Justice Wargrave described by Dr. Armstrong and Lombard?

4. Who does Justice Wargrave suggest the murderer of “Mr. Owen” must be?

Paired Resource

“What Is Guilt and How Do You Manage It?”

• This article describes guilt, where it comes from, and how to cope with it.
• Why do people experience guilt? What are the forms of guilt and their subtypes? What are the consequences of an overactive conscience? What types of guilt arise in the novel? Are there any signs of guilt or remorse so far among the characters in the novel? How does this article help to point to the novel’s themes of The Effects of Guilty Conscience on Behavior and Death as the Ultimate Act of Justice?

“Women in 1900”

• This article describes the role of women in Britain during the 1900s.
• What occupations did women typically hold in the early 1900s? Why were women’s rights activists detrimental to their cause? What stigmas existed for unmarried women (so-called “spinsters”)? How did Queen Victoria impede the expansion of women’s rights? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of The Role of Gender Stereotypes?

Chapters 11-13

Reading Check

1. How does Mr. Rogers die?

2. What does Vera suspect will be the cause of death for the victim after Mr. Rogers?

3. Who does Blore believe is the murderer?

4. How does Emily Brent die?

5. What is Lombard missing?

6. How is Justice Wargrave killed?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What can the reader conclude about Emily Brent based on her response after Vera asks her if she is afraid?

2. What does Justice Wargrave propose to prevent the murderer from using the characters’ possessions as weapons?

Paired Resource

“Six Common Ways People Justify Unethical Behavior”

• This article describes rationales used to justify unethical behavior.
• What are self-serving justifications and why do people create them? What are the ways people make justifications for immoral behavior? How do the characters in the novel justify their immoral behavior? How does Christie combat gender stereotypes in her novel? What ideas in this article parallel the novel’s theme of The Effects of a Guilty Conscience on Behavior?

Chapters 14-Manuscript

Reading Check

1. What does Lombard find in his room after Justice Wargrave is killed?

2. Who does Vera suspect may have known about what happened between her and Cyril?

3. Who is not in his room when Blore and Lombard search for the killer?

4. What does Vera believe Dr. Armstrong’s death is?

5. Where is Dr. Armstrong’s body discovered?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Vera take Lombard’s gun?

2. Why does Vera commit suicide?

3. What does Maine suspect is Mr. Owen’s motive?

4. Who was the red herring in the novel and how did he get away with his crimes?

Paired Resource

“What is a Red Herring”

• This 11-minute video explains the definition and origin of the term “red herring,” as well as use of red herrings in film and literature.
• Where does the term red herring come from? What are the five techniques used to create red herrings? How does Agatha Christie make use of red herrings in And Then There Were None? How is the device of a red herring related to the novel’s theme of Death as the Ultimate Act of Justice?

Recommended Next Reads

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

• This novel is about a detective who must discover the murderer of an American tycoon.
• Shared topics include murder mysteries, investigations, and motives for murder.
• Shared themes include The Effects of Guilt and Conscience on Behavior and Death as the Ultimate Act of Justice.
• Murder on the Orient Express on SuperSummary

The Dry by Jane Harper

• This novel is about a man who returns to his small hometown in Australia to investigate the murder of his best friend.
• Shared topics include murder mysteries, investigations, and mistrust.
• Shared themes include The Effects of Guilt and Conscience on Behavior and Death as the Ultimate Act of Justice.
• The Dry on SuperSummary; includes Teaching Unit