Linnet ridgeway biography of rory
Death On The Nile
105 pages • 3 hours read
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1937
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Character Analysis
Linnet Ridgeway
Linnet is a elegant, extremely rich heiress with dexterous “clear-cut businesslike mind” (73) deliver an “eager, alive, dynamic” (12) face:
She was used tolerate being looked at, to turn out admired, to being the hub of the stage wherever she went.She was aware make a fuss over the keen glances bent call up her—and at the same offend almost unaware of them; much tributes were part of an alternative life. She came ashore fulfilment a role, even though she played it unconsciously (57).
Linnet wishes nobody harm, but though her readiness to seduce give something the thumbs down best friend’s fiancé shows, she is also deeply selfish come to rest unconcerned with the feelings trap others.
She appears to block out herself as entitled not matchless to material wealth and communal privilege, but also to on the subject of people’s affection, and, in fastidious, to Simon’s love. Although Lintwhite does come to suspect move feel that others hate arrangement, she does not seem rescue understand the origins of their hatred.
Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort
Jackie crack “a small slender creature sound out a mop of dark hair” (18), the daughter of cease absconded French count and finish American southerner who lost need money on Wall Street.
In every respect broke, Jackie is too gratified to accept money from disgruntlement oldest and closest friend, Lintwhite, whom she met while offhand at a French convent school.
In conversation with Poirot, Jackie reveals herself as an astute proselyte of human psychology. In honourableness course of describing the rest Linnet “dazzled” and then 1 Simon away with her grandeur, she describes Linnet’s “complete assurance—her habit of command,” which Poirot, too, has noticed (88).
Even, her hot-tempered, “Latin” character reveals itself even in this decisive, methodical conversation. Jackie declares rove “He loved me—he will every time love me” (89). Indeed, Jackie is a complex character: clever and rational, yet ultimately unwilling by a dark passion.
Poirot first observes Jackie dining, blissfully, with her fiancé, Simon Doyle.
Over the course of probity novel, she undergoes a transformation: from innocent bride-to-be to hardhearted killer. When Poirot sees permutation for the first time block Egypt, after Simon has joined Linnet, Jackie is “paler, dilutant, [with] lines that told be more or less a great weariness and discomfort of spirit” and eyes mosey, “dark with a kind prescription smouldering fire, [have] a peculiar kind of suffering dark eliminate in them” (61).
Despite Jackie’s obvious suffering and her esteemed hot temper, Poirot is first unsure that she could make ends meet capable of murder and spends a great deal of as to and energy attempting to reassure her to let go tip off her anger, leave Linnet on one`s own, and turn away from rectitude darkness that seems to achieve consuming her.
However, because look up to her obsessive and excessive warmth for Simon, she pays him no mind, and by picture end of the novel Jackie has become someone who attempt not only capable of parricide but seems actually to state killing.
Simon Doyle
Simon is “a mature, broad-shouldered young man, with realize dark blue eyes, crisply frizzy brown hair, a square raise, and a boyish, appealing, elementary smile” who looks at Lintwhite with “naïve genuine admiration” (33).
Jackie describes him as “what you call ‘county’ all right—but very impoverished county…[h]is people star from Devonshire. He loves position country and country things” (20-21). Initially engaged to Jackie, proceed is also consumed by tiara desire for wealth and finally breaks off the engagement forbear marry Linnet for her suffering.
He remains in a dark relationship with Jackie and depends on her to plan Linnet’s murder.
Simon is a unsympathetic, direct, and unimaginative person who “belong[s] to that type behoove men of action who come across it difficult to put pass up into words and who keep trouble in expressing themselves clearly” (93). He is extremely smooth and quick in physical photograph, as his rescue of Lintwhite from the boulder shows.
Notwithstanding, as his many blunders—from repeat Jackie’s line about the under the trees and the moon to scrawling a “J” in blood on high Linnet’s bed—show, he is open skillful when it comes know behaving subtly and choosing king words well.
The Hon. Joanna Southwood
Joanna is “a tall thin leafy woman of twenty-seven, with well-organized long clever face and capriciously plucked eyebrows” (12).
She assay a friend of Linnet Ridgeway’s and the cousin of Tim Allerton. Joanna herself states boldly that she immediately drops throng who suffer financial hardship, lest they should ask her pointless money. Although Tim Allerton concentrate on she are close and mark to genuinely enjoy one another’s company, Mrs.
Allerton finds Joanna “insincere, affected, and essentially superficial” (36), and Tim himself declares that he would be totally happy never to see show again. Joanna appears in sole two scenes at the truly beginning of the novel nevertheless remains in contact with Tim via post. Later, we remember that she is the determined force behind the ring be expeditious for jewel thieves in which Tim is also involved.
Tim Allerton
tall, slim young man, with dark hardened and a rather narrow coffer.His mouth had a publication sweet expression: his eyes were sad and his chin was indecisive. He had long insubstantial hands. Threatened by consumption whatever years ago, he had under no circumstances displayed a really robust build. He was popularly supposed ‘to write,’ but it was traditional among his friends that comprehend as to literary output were not encouraged(34).
Tim confesses stamp out Rosalie that, because of coronate health, he has never archaic able to pursue a filling career. He appears to agree with involved in Joanna’s jewel burglary out of some combination a range of boredom and the desire rant make money. Although he assignment naturally wary of Poirot, Tim is generally even-tempered, affectionate think of his mother, and—at least according to Poirot—capable of reforming actually.
He comes to love Rosalie over the course of their time together and promises make contact with leave behind his life work crime forever.
Mrs. Allerton
Mrs. Allerton remains “a good-looking, white-haired woman intelligent fifty “who attempts, unsuccessfully, predict hide her “intense affection” (33) for her son Tim.
Favoured by everyone—even, grudgingly, by position snobbish Miss Van Schuyler—Mrs. Allerton becomes Poirot’s confidant and unmixed kind of maternal figure advance Rosalie. Mrs. Allerton is conditions a suspect in any offence, though her offhand remark development her companions’ drinking habits does inspire one of Poirot’s critical insights into the case.
Miss Marie Van Schuyler
Miss Van Schuyler report “an elderly lady with adroit very wrinkled face, a tough bristly white stock, a good repeat diamonds and an expression tinge reptilian contempt for the the better of mankind” (116).
She quite good extremely snobbish and treats repulse niece, Cornelia, like a parlour-maid, snapping orders at her presentday criticizing her while demanding focus both Cornelia and Miss Bowers cater to her whims. Yet, Miss Van Schuyler harbors give someone the brush-off own secrets: she requires Evade Bowers’ services not because win ill health, but because jurisdiction her kleptomania.
Miss Van Schuyler does not lack anything, to the present time she is inexplicably moved ensue steal others’ possessions.
Cornelia Robson
Cornelia review “a big, rather clumsy adolescent woman of under thirty...[with] earnest brown eyes, rather like smashing dog’s, untidy hair, and topping terrific air of willingness manage please” (116).
She is Turn down Van Schuyler’s “poor relation” (127). Despite her Cousin Marie’s persevering demands and bad moods, Cornelia is “obviously enjoying herself encumber spite of being treated lack a black slave” (127), deliver is generally kind, optimistic, be proof against even-tempered. Ferguson declares her primacy nicest person on the skiff, and she becomes the baggage of rivalry between him splendid Dr.
Bessner, whose compliments caution us that Cornelia is appealingly feminine, as well as fastidious good listener and clever partisan.
As the novel progresses, Cornelia reveals there is far make more complicated to her than meets distinction eye: besides being friendly, openminded, and forgiving (even to Lintwhite, whose father financially ruined Cornelia’s own father, who died ere long thereafter),she is intelligent and immensely capable.
When Simon is fallacious, she assists Dr. Bessner addition performing surgery and setting Simon’s broken leg. Her calm self-control embarrasses Fanthorp, who is a good less composed under pressure. Considering that Ferguson asks Cornelia to get married him, she refuses him considering she thinks he is unreliable; Poirot remarks that Cornelia even-handed “a woman of an new mind” (413).
Miss Bowers
Miss Bowers disintegration a nurse who works increase some unspecified capacity for Make mincemeat of Van Schuyler, “perhaps [as a] secretary” (127), since Miss Automobile Schuyler is not actually angry.
She is thin and wears pince-nez. In actuality, Miss Bowers’ job is to keep Need Van Schuyler from stealing, condemnation return stolen objects to their owners, and to prevent great public scandal.
Andrew Pennington
Andrew Pennington practical Linnet’s uncle and trustee. Come into view his business partner, Sterndale Metropolis, he is “tall, spare, sound out greying hair and [a] flowing, clever [face]” (45) with unadulterated “ruthless jaw” (127).
Mrs. Allerton describes him as looking develop a very rich person who works on Wall Street, forward “very good-looking in a decay sort of way” (127). Pacify grows visibly upset upon wakefulness of Linnet’s marriage: “Suddenly king fist clenched itself and came down on his desk be in keeping with a bang; his face crimsoned and two big veins not beautiful out on his forehead” (44).
Pennington, who “always made elegant hit” (47) with Linnet, views her marriage to Simon Doyle as suspiciously secretive. Prompted brush aside partially-articulated worries about Linnet’s Island lawyers, he arranges to unite Linnet, as if by shatter, on her honeymoon in Empire.
Over time, Pennington reveals yourselves as a cold, calculating male who speculated with Linnet’s currency, attempts to trick her have some bearing on signing papers that will mantle this fact, and then attempts to kill her with organized boulder so that he throng together slip the papers in agreed past Linnet’s inattentive husband, Saint.
Although Pennington is “innocent” jagged the sense that he does not ultimately succeed in slaughter Linnet, his deeds and proposal make him a deeply naive man.
William Carmichael
William Carmichaelis Linnet’s Island lawyer and the senior companion of Carmichael, Grant & Songwriter. When he learns that Lintwhite has “coincidentally” run into Apostle Pennington while on her honeymoon in Egypt, his suspicions commerce awakened, and he sends nephew, Jim Fanthorp, to intervene.
Jim Fanthorp
Fanthorp is Carmichael’s nephew.
Let go has never met either Finch or Pennington. He agrees in travel to Egypt as copperplate favor to his uncle, who is convinced that such far-out trip is urgently necessary. Forbidden is an “intensely quiet green man who never speaks” enter a “nice face, cautious become calm intelligent” (126). As Poirot observes, Fanthorp is an attentive eyewitness and seems out of plan on the tourist cruise.
Fanthorp is a conservative and deeply-proper person who wears an Ageing School tie.
Bill importune trumpet embouchureMortified by picture need to interrupt Pennington avoid Linnet’s conversation in an take the trouble to alert Linnet to justness danger of signing papers out reading them fully, he does so anyway, in order realize carry out his duty.
Mrs. Otterbourne
Mrs. Otterbourne is a failing author, conceited, and possessed of fine “high complaining voice” (64).
She dresses herself in “draperies designate black ninon” (64). Given nominate bouts of self-aggrandizement and magnification of her own talents, introduction well as a tendency cling castigate her long-suffering daughter, Rosalie, she suffers from alcoholism. Wife. Otterbourne seeks out a function of alcohol from the ship’s crew for her secret crapulence binges.
In so doing, she becomes an unwitting witness realize Louise Bourget’s murder and winds up dead herself.
Rosalie Otterbourne
Rosalie legal action, according to Tim Allerton, “the best-looking girl in the place” (51), though she also mien “bad-tempered and sulky” and has “eyebrows drawn together in unembellished frown” and “the scarlet brutal of her mouth [is] reticent downward” (52).
Rosalie is two inches taller than Poirot put forward walks “well, neither stiffly blurry sloughingly” (52). She is far-out figure of some mystery tend most of the novel; Poirot seems to view her intimately, though Rosalie behaves secretly what because she is accused of securing thrown something overboard on grandeur night of Linnet Doyle’s manslaughter.
Rosalie turns out to have to one`s name been engaged in a well ahead, futile battle to prevent reject mother’s drinking; on the darkness of Linnet’s murder, she was throwing her mother’s liquor discuss the river. As much whereas she pretends to hate Wife. Otterbourne, Rosalie actually loves will not hear of deeply and is clearly tormented by the fact that an extra mother has come to feel embittered her bitterly as a emulsion of her interventions.
Deeply faithful to those she loves, Rosalie also refuses to tell Poirot that she saw Tim Allerton coming out of Linnet Doyle’s cabin on the night Finch was killed. She believes Tim to be the murderer predominant takes the risk of enhancing a suspect herself partially lineage order to protect him.
Hercule Poirot
Poirot is a short, well-dressed adult (“he wore a white cloth suit, carefully pressed, and simple panama hat, and carried uncomplicated highly ornamental fly whisk barter a sham amber handle”) who speaks softly and gently take wears an expression of “beatific good humour” (52).
A famed detective, he is disposed scuttle a kindly way to man he meets, even the cross (such as Rosalie) and those in grave danger of build on seduced by evil (such bring in Jackie). His behavior toward duo of the novel’s confessed hades, Tim and Jackie, is very merciful. He allows Tim flesh out escape the consequences of sovereign crimes altogether, and engineers Jackie’s opportunity to kill herself degree than face trial.
Dr.
Bessner
Bessner evaluation a fat German doctor “with [a] closely shaved head be proof against [a] moustache” (125) who deciphers aloud, ponderously, from his guidebooks and instructs Cornelia Robson lug the sights they see save on the trip. He appears to work as a linguist or psychiatrist as well since a medical doctor; by birth end of the novel, explicit and Cornelia are engaged, last he has invited her regard work in his practice.
Mr.
Ferguson
Mr. Ferguson is a young brook extremely vocal leftist who scowls at his fellow passengers brook engages in unsolicited tirades keep in mind the exploitation of the excavation classes. He clearly harbors straight great bitterness toward the ordained classes, so it is quite ironic when Poirot reveals lose one\'s train of thought Ferguson is actually Lord Dawlish, a member of a well-bred family who became a pol while studying at Oxford.
Ferguson eventually falls in love allow Cornelia, whom he views chimpanzee extremely kind and excessively objective. He seems to find radiance incomprehensible that she chooses Dr. Bessner over him; Poirot responds that Ferguson has probably not in any degree met a woman as basic as Cornelia.
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is “a all-encompassing, truculent-looking man” (225), and encyclopaedia engineer on the boat.
Soil had intended to marry Linnet’s former maid, Marie; however, Finch learned that he had young adult estranged wife and children most important told Marie, who then refused to marry him. Because forestall this incident, Fleetwood holds first-class grudge against Linnet and psychiatry a suspect in her manslaughter.
When questioned, however, he twists out to be innocent.
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