Essay On And Then There Were None By Vera Claythorne

“You can go to the rock, Cyril….’ That was what murder was—as easy as that! But afterward, you went on remembering….” Vera Claythorne is a former governess who was brought to Indian Island to be a secretary. Back home she was a governess to a spoiled little boy named Cyril Hamilton. She was infatuated with his uncle, Hugo. Vera did some terrible things regarding this little boy's life, was it all for love or money? Her guilty memories of what she had done torture her throughout the novel. Although Vera Claythorne is clever I believe she is extremely blameworthy and judgmental.

Vera is blameworthy for many things throughout the book. She was accused of an awful crime back home. As you know, Vera cared for a young boy named Cyril. He loved to play, swim, and run around outside. Every time Vera would be around she would see his uncle, Hugo. As time went on she began to fall in love with him. Vera felt an attachment toward Hugo and she detected that attachment back. There was always something missing when Cyril was around. Hugo would forever pick his nephew over Vera in a situation, and she did not like that feeling. She created a prime plan to let Cyril swim past his aloud point, knowing that he would not be able to survive. Hugo would inherit money if his nephew passed away. Vera thought if Cyril was out of the picture then Hugo’s attention would be more on her, and they would get married with the money he would take over. The devious plan did not work and he knew why Vera put an end to poor, innocent, Cyril’s life. Hugo moved on and stranded her.

Vera is made out to be very judgemental to people on Indian Island. She is a middle-class woman who went after what she wanted. There are countless times when Vera focuses on the other characters' appearances or their personalities. She would quietly judge them. For example, Emily Brent made a comment that she thought they were invited by a Mrs. Oliver instead of a Mr. Owens. Vera thought to herself, “Funny how elderly people always get names wrong.” Vera is very observant, and she often utters remarks about how people on the island look in other words, the way they present themselves. For example, when Vera meets Mrs. Rogers she thought to herself, “What a white bloodless ghost of a woman!” Vera is judgemental but she does it in a mysterious way. She does it for her pleasure of herself because she is guilty and self-conscious.

Claythorne may be one of the most clever characters in And Then There Were None. Vera is the one that discovered the Indian characters on the kitchen table, with a single one missing. Everyone in the novel minimizes Vera, but she is exceptionally aware of every single thing that is going on throughout the house. She also misleads Lombard into making an effort to pull Dr. Armstrong’s body to the house with the rest of the diseased victims. As Lombard climbs the rocks to get to the body, she grabs his gun from his pants. Vera and Lombard were the only two left on the island, or so they thought. She was trying to protect herself from him leaping at her. Out of fear and protection, she shot Lombard through the heart. Whenever a victim is killed an Indian Figure goes missing throughout the story. Every time one is gone, she beats everyone in the house to it and finds it gone in the dining room. Vera shows her clever wits in a sneaky way.

Vera Claythorne is a very dynamic character. At the beginning of the story, she is a polite lady. She cared for a spoiled little boy back home, named Cyril. Towards the end of the book, she starts to become more selfish. She was trying to survive and not be murdered like the rest of her peers in this terrifying house. When you are in a life-threatening situation aspects of your attitude and actions will change. Vera Claythorne is clever but, extremely blameworthy and judgmental. I think that Vera played a great role in the novel and showed how you can decline mentally in a traumatic situation. “Do you like sitting here looking out at sea?” That was one of the sickening things Vera Claythorne said before she murdered an innocent little boy.