And Then There Were None

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes gender discrimination.

Gender plays a significant role in the novel. There are only three women on the island, Emily Brent, Vera, and Mrs. Rogers, all of whom are subject to constant exclusion and judgment from the men. The men in the novel make it known through both their inner dialogue, as well as through their conversations, that they view women as the weaker sex, often prone to hysteria. In the beginning of the novel, when the characters are sizing each other up before arriving at the island, a few of the men reduce Vera to her physical appearance alone, judging her on a subjective scale of their personal standards. When Lombard is first introduced, his initial thoughts about Vera are that she is “quite attractive—a bit schoolmistressy perhaps” and that “he’d rather like to take her on” (4-5). Similarly, Fred Narracott describes her as “nice-looking young lady—but the ordinary kind, not glamorous—no Hollywood touch about her” (23). Both Lombard and Narracott describe Vera as attractive enough for their standards but emphasize that she is slightly plain in their eyes. Meanwhile, Justice Wargrave‘s thoughts about the women upon first meeting them are less-than-flattering. He calls all women “undependable” and describes Emily Brent as “the tight-lipped old maid” and Vera as a “cold-blooded young hussy” (31). He thinks Mrs. Rogers is an “odd creature” who “looked scared to death” (31). Granted, Justice Wargrave‘s opinions are also informed by his knowledge of their crimes, especially Vera. His clear disdain for her is evident early on, a clue that Justice Wargrave is the murderer because at this point, it is unusual for Justice Wargrave to call her a “cold-blooded young hussy” (31) without a reason.

The men in the novel often describe women as fragile and prone to emotional outbursts or irrational fits of nerves. Dr. Armstrong thinks on the carriage, “These women and their nerves! […] Half the women who consulted him had nothing the matter with them but boredom” (10). Blore is a harsh critic of the opposite sex, often referring to them as annoying, fragile, or unstable. He theorizes, for instance, that Mr. Rogers killed his wife because Mrs. Rogers “cracks—she goes to pieces” (81). He says that “ten to one, the woman will give the show away. She hasn’t got the nerve to stand up and brazen it out” (81). He later suspects Emily Brent, whom he calls “mad as a hatter” and claims that “lots of elderly spinsters go that way […] queer in their heads” (155). His claim that older unmarried women lose their minds implies that a woman is unable to function without a husband. Lombard, on the other hand, doubts that “Mr. Owen” could be one of the women, falsely assuming that women are not likely to commit murder. He tells Judge Wargrave, “I suppose you’ll leave the women out of it,” to which the judge responds, “Do I understand you to assert that women are not subject to homicidal mania?” (126). Justice Wargrave, of course, is fully aware of what women are capable of, especially Vera, who intentionally allowed a child to drown.

The men in the novel reduce the women to stereotypes, but they don’t realize that the women are constantly breaking those stereotypes. Lombard chooses Vera as an ally because he doesn’t see her as a threat. She arranged for a child to die to fulfill her own selfish desires and turned the stereotype of the “female caretaker” on its head. Lombard is the most stereotypically “male” as the character, always taking charge and smiling in the face of danger. Yet Vera disarms Lombard and kills him with his own revolver. Blore and Dr. Armstrong also take the lead with Lombard, but they prove that they are not as clever as Vera. Judge Wargrave easily tricks Dr. Armstrong into helping him fake his own death, which ultimately leads to Dr. Armstrong’s death and helps Judge Wargrave fulfill his grand plan. Blore constantly suspects the wrong people. He makes it easy for Justice Wargrave to murder him because he walks back into the house alone simply because he wants lunch. Vera quickly figures out the “red herring” because she paid attention to the nursery rhyme, unlike Blore and Lombard, who waste time arguing with each other over the revolver. By the end of the novel, Vera is the only one left, partly because Justice Wargrave wanted her to be last; partly because she was able to outsmart Lombard who underestimated her, just as all the men do throughout the novel with the female characters.