Thesis & Outline
Agatha Christie wrote “Murder at the Vicarage”.
Agatha Christie utilizes several elements in her writing to captivate audiences and create intriguing mysteries. These include her engaging plots, clever detective characters, and the serene ambiance of her settings. Together, these components contribute to the creation of the perfect mystery.
1. Plots
According to William Rose Benet, Miss Christie possesses exceptional technical expertise and storytelling skills. Additionally, she has a keen understanding of how many clues to provide regarding the actual culprit.
B) The New York Times Book Review describes Agatha Christie as renowned for her detective stories, which are recognized for their clever storylines and psychological hints.
C) “Agatha Christie is renowned as the ‘Queen of Crime’ and the ‘Mistress of Mystery’ – Anthony Burgess”
According to Julian Barnes, Agatha Christie’s main interest lies in the creation of crime plots rather than the often unpleasant outcome. As a result, she is considered to be the greatest among modern crime writers when it comes to constructing plotlines.
E) Ralph Partridge suggests that only someone with a strong sense of impending failure would have crafted a plot like that of Ten Little Niggers.
F) “As Agatha Christie’s skills developed, a pattern started to emerge that could be referred to as the typical Christie plot form” – The New York Times Book Review
G) According to Julian Symons, Raymond Chandler believed that plotting was a tedious task that had to be done, while the actual writing provided enjoyment for the author. In contrast, Agatha Christie had completely different feelings about this.
According to Agatha Christie, the statement “They say all the world loves a lover” can be applied to murder, resulting in an even more undoubtable truth. (Source: 33)
B) “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth… death. Here endeth the lesson.” – Agatha Christie 67
C) “Murder is not a simple matter. It would be unwise and foolish to dismiss any potential possibilities.” – Agatha Christie 111
2. Detectives
A) “Christie excels at creating intricate plots, prioritizing them over character development,” as stated by Margot Peters.
B) “Hercule Poirot’s apartment, with its geometric design, showcases his reverence for uniformity, accuracy, and organization. He experiences utter contentment when square scones are created for his tea. His arrogance stems from a strong sense of self and male dominance. He praises rationality, a trait associated with males, while condemning intuition.” – Margot Peters
C) According to Agate Nesaule Krouse, Miss Marple, the detective created by Christie, achieves her success mainly through her intuition and nosiness. She works on the belief that human nature is universal.
“Miss Marple holds the belief that there is a physical presence of wickedness or evil in the world,” as described by Agate Nesaule Krouse.
E) “She is the creator of Hercule Poirot, one of literature’s most beloved detectives. Poirot, a retired Belgian, utilizes his sharp intellect to unravel mysteries. Additionally, she introduced other notable characters including the savvy sleuth Miss Jane Marple, an unmarried woman, and the dynamic duo Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, who are married.” – The Times Literary Supplement
F) “The reveal of Jane Marple, who is one of the most astute assessors of human behavior and the most celebrated and renowned female detective in all of fiction.” – Will Cuppy
According to Agatha Christie, intuition is similar to reading a word effortlessly, without the need to spell it out. However, a child lacks this ability due to their limited experience. On the other hand, an adult can recognize a word easily because they have encountered it frequently.
B) “Not instinct, Lettice. Instinct is a negative word. It is my knowledge, my experience that informs me that there is something amiss with the letter” – Agatha Christie 188
According to Agatha Christie, murderers can be detected through the pricking of the thumbs. (Source: 165)
D) “You see, when living alone like I do, one must have a hobby. My hobby has always been studying Human Nature. I categorize people in the same way one would classify birds or flowers.” (Agatha Christie 121)
Setting: 3.
Robert Kee describes how Agatha Christie expertly sets the stage for her mysteries in her fictional town, St. Mary Mead, where Miss Jane Marple, the spinster detective, lives.
B) In St. Mary Mead, Christie was able to introduce residents who embodied jealousy, adultery, greed, lust, pride, and deceit. To combat this negative influence, Christie injected Marple into the village. – New York Times Book Review
C) According to the New York Times Book Review, her travels with him in the middle East later inspired several of her novels, including Come Tell Me How You Live, which is a personal account of these expeditions.
D) “Appointment With Death” and “Murder in Mesopotamia” were both influenced by archaeology. Both books featured Max’s archaeological friends and assistants.” – Matthew Prichard
A) “Anyone who murders Colonel Protheroe,” declared the parson, while brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, “would be performing a service to the world at large.” – Agatha Christie 55
B) “The only road of significance passing through the village was High Street. Here were the well-established purveyances of Mr. Petherick, the solicitor; Mrs. Jamieson, the hairdressers; Mr. Thomas’s basket-weavers; The Blue Boar Pub; and Mr. Baker’s grocery shop. The little-trafficked railway station.” – Agatha Christie 3
C) Agatha Christie called the village “quaint” and “somnolent,” making it her home.
