Agatha Christie is known for her mysterious settings throughout her pieces. She places her characters in crazy situations which intensifies the tone throughout. To add on to her strong tone, and unique setting she makes her thinking very clear to the readers. Her side of imagery throughout her novels make her pieces more engaging and entertaining to read.
Christie does a fantastic job at setting up her mysteries. In “Murder on the Orient Express' ' and “Death on the Nile' ' she places her characters on a train and boat stranded in the middle of nowhere. The setting highlights the conflicts among the characters making them an important piece to her stories.
To continue she uses a distinctive tone throughout her pieces. The tone ranges from very observant and sort of has a dark humor side as well. The tone shifts from lighthearted to moments of intense drama beyond the characters. The two sides of tone intensify the complexity of her mysteries.
On the other hand she dives deeper into her writing by providing strong imagery throughout. She uses details to paint the bigger picture of her setting within her stories. This allows the readers to really picture themselves in the character’s shoes, and relate to the way they are feeling. Christie’s use of imagery brings the locations to life and allows the readers to feel like they are in the book.
The grand Ravenwood Manor stood among the hills of the countryside, the walls casted long shadows in the fading daylight of dusk. The air was becoming thicker and smelled of earthy decaying leaves. The manor is lightly lit, and shadows are swaying back and forth in the farthest corner of the room. The antique furniture was furnished with red velvet cloth and heavy drapes were weeping over the windows. A crackling fire was casting eerie shadows of the faces and silhouettes from the guests who gathered inside.
The clock had struck midnight, and silence approached the room. Creaking footsteps are approaching down the unlit hallway. Lady Bella, mistress of Ravenwood Manor, says to the guest in a firm but timid voice.
“I inform you that almost all most crime has been committed under this roof”, the guests look at her with glossy glazed eyes.
“One in front of us is a murder, and I intended to uncover the truth before the night is over.”
The room illuminates from the spark of lighting outside. The storm is raging beyond the hills. The emotions from the guest have intensified causing chaos. The guests are looking at each other with nervous glances, and their eyes bouncing from one eye to another. Hercule Poirot, the detective, reaches the room and is here to solve the mystery.
“I assure you, the truth will soon be revealed,” declared Poirot with his Belgian accent.
His eyes wander the room with curiosity. He is looking at everyone, and his brain is putting pieces together.
“But first, we must examine the evidence surrounding us.”
Lady Bella in a trembling voice, “I saw nothing out of the ordinary. How could someone be murdered under my roof, and I have not a single idea of how or who did this terrible thing.”
“Appearances can be very deceiving. You have to look much deeper,” replied Poirot. “There is more to the puzzle than seen at the eye, I suspect the key lies between the shadows.”
“Please help. My fear is the murderer will strike again,” Lady Bella says anxiously.
“I would like a fine list of names of the guests in the last 24 hours of the murder. I will be in this room creating an extravagant list of descriptions about each guest. I will find the murderer. I just need some time.” Poirot remarks.
Setting:
The use of setting in the piece I wrote creates an intense world that the characters have been placed in. I placed the characters “beyond the hills” because this isolates them from everyone else, just like Agatha’s books. By incorporating detailed descriptions of the setting the piece is similar to the mystery and overall storytelling similar to her work.
Tone:
The use of tone in the piece I wrote is crucial for setting the mood, building suspense, and establishing relationships between the characters. The tone creates a style similar to Agatha’s classic mystery novels. It draws the reader into a world of secrets and betrayal. “One among us is a murder” resembles how the murders in her pieces are right in front of them.
Imagery:
The use of imagery in the piece I wrote is crucial to create vivid experiences while reading. It enhances the way that reader’s comprehend what is going on, and really allows the reader to understand how the characters feel. By painting a picture for the readers it adds depth and visuals that allow the reader to capture every moment. The “lightly lit room”, “lightning strike”, “antique furniture” really help visualize the setting, and even what is going on throughout the piece.