Allusion

1
Allusion

• And Then There Were None

2
By definition

• Allusion - a passing or casual reference to a
  work of art, music, literature, or a particular
  time in history.
• Agatha Christie is a master of the art of
  allusion.
• Throughout her works she refers to many other
  works, adding depth, humor, and intelligence to
  her characters.
• And Then There Were None is filled with allusion
  to history and literature.

3
Examples of allusion

• The title of the novel is an allusion to the last
  line of the poem, Ten Little Indians.
• Agatha Christie frequently made use of allusions
  in her titles. For example A Pocketful Full of
  Rye One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Three Blind Mice,
  etc.

4
Can you identify these?

• The new contemporary house was a virtual Picasso.
  (artistic)
• The young lady realized the man at the door was a
  wolf. (literature)
• His best friend turned out to be a Benedict
  Arnold. (history)
• When Dave met Susan, he knew he had found his
  Juliet. (literature)

5
Find these in your text.

• my wife. Best woman in the world. Absolutely
  Caesars wife!
• (chapter 4,ii)
• Alluding to what?
• Caesars wife in ancient Rome was supposed to
  be not only virtuous but above suspicion.

6
Find these in your text.

• It was entitled Swan Song.
• (chapter 3,ii)
• Alluding to what?
• An old legend says that swans sing only just
  before their deaths. Thus, a swan song is a
  farewell.

7
Find these in your text.

• The brand of Cain.
• (Manuscript epilogue)
• Alluding to what?
• In Genesis, Adam and Eves son Cain murdered
  his brother, Abel, in a jealous rage and was
  thereafter banished to Nod (east of Eden). God
  put a mark on his forehead so that all men would
  know him. (Genesis 4)

8

• There is also another allusion to religion that
  occurs in the frequent mention of Judgment Day, a
  period when souls will be called to account for
  their actions.

9
Find these in your text.

• All of them suddenly looked less like human
  beings. They were reverting to more bestial
  types.
• (chapter 13,i)
• Alluding to what?
• By their behavior, the people referred to in
  the passage are becoming barbaric and inhuman. In
  classic stories, a change to beast-like behavior
  is associated with evil forces. In the last
  paragraph of chapter 15,I, Vera Claythorne
  reinforces that idea with her comments regarding
  the zoo.
• For example Beauty and the Beast, the
  werewolf, Circes changing of Odysseuss men into
  pigs, etc.