This literary analysis addresses social themes in the detective novels of the world-famous author Agatha Christie. In particular, the focus is on the social structures of Britain between the world wars and the 1950s.
The issue of social matters has not been a widely depicted one in the literary analysis of Agatha Christie’s work. Early getting fame and being characterized as Queen of Crime, of course it is the detective fiction which is in the foreground of Christie’s work. However, social issues do even play a significant role in her work.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- British Society: Interwar Period and Post-War Years
- Conclusion and outlook: Christie's own social position
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper investigates how social issues of Agatha Christie's lifetime are reflected in her novels. It examines two novels, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962) and Death on the Nile (1937), to compare how social characteristics are portrayed through different detectives and settings. The analysis focuses on the subtle ways Christie depicts the changing social landscape of Great Britain and its empire.
- The reflection of British social structures in Agatha Christie's novels.
- The impact of the interwar period and post-war years on British society and its portrayal in Christie's work.
- The changing role of class and servants in British society.
- A comparison of social commentary in novels set in different time periods and locations.
- Christie's evolving perception of social structures and its manifestation in her writing.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces the paper's objective: to analyze how social issues are reflected in Agatha Christie's novels. It argues that while Christie is primarily known for her detective fiction, her works subtly reflect the changing social landscape of Britain. The author selects two novels, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962) and Death on the Nile (1937), for comparison, noting the differing detectives and settings allow for a more expressive analysis of social themes. The introduction highlights the limited existing scholarship on the social aspects of Christie's work and positions this research as a significant contribution to the field. The choice of novels is justified based on the author's prior experience and the expectation that contrasting detectives will reveal a greater range of social commentary.
British Society: Interwar Period and Post-War Years: This chapter provides a historical overview of British society during the interwar period and the post-war years, focusing on class structures and their transformations. It discusses the rigid class system of the 1930s and debates the extent to which World War II impacted this structure. The chapter emphasizes the significant decline in the number of domestic servants between the 1930s and 1950s, particularly female servants finding alternative employment, impacting upper and middle-class households. It further analyzes the crucial role and impact of the English middle class, highlighting their resilience and the strengthening of middle-class identity in the post-war era despite significant challenges. The chapter concludes by outlining the significant societal changes of the 1960s, particularly the "Swinging Sixties" youth culture, which marked a shift towards individualism and influenced Christie's later works.
Keywords
Agatha Christie, social class, British society, interwar period, post-war Britain, domestic servants, class structure, 1930s, 1960s, social change, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Death on the Nile, Miss Jane Marple, Hercule Poirot.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Social Themes in Agatha Christie's Novels
What is the main focus of this research paper?
This paper investigates how social issues of Agatha Christie's lifetime are reflected in her novels. It examines two novels, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962) and Death on the Nile (1937), to compare how social characteristics are portrayed through different detectives and settings. The analysis focuses on the subtle ways Christie depicts the changing social landscape of Great Britain and its empire.
Which novels are analyzed in this paper, and why were they chosen?
The paper analyzes The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962) and Death on the Nile (1937). These novels were selected because they offer a comparative study of social themes across different time periods (pre- and post-World War II) and with differing detectives (Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot), enabling a richer analysis of social commentary. The differing settings also contribute to the analysis.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include the reflection of British social structures in Christie's novels; the impact of the interwar period and post-war years on British society and its portrayal in Christie's work; the changing role of class and servants; a comparison of social commentary in novels set in different time periods and locations; and Christie's evolving perception of social structures and its manifestation in her writing.
What historical context is provided in the paper?
The paper provides a historical overview of British society during the interwar period and the post-war years, focusing on class structures and their transformations. It discusses the rigid class system of the 1930s, the impact of World War II on this structure, the decline in the number of domestic servants, and the rise and resilience of the middle class. The significant societal changes of the 1960s, particularly the "Swinging Sixties" youth culture, are also analyzed.
What are the key findings or arguments presented in the paper?
The paper argues that although primarily known for her detective fiction, Christie's novels subtly reflect the changing social landscape of Britain. By comparing two novels set in different eras, the research aims to highlight Christie's nuanced depiction of shifting class structures, the decline of the servant class, and the evolving social dynamics of British society.
What is the structure of the research paper?
The paper is structured into an introduction, a chapter on British society during the interwar and post-war periods, and a conclusion. The introduction outlines the research objective and methodology, while the main chapter provides the historical context and analysis of the chosen novels. The conclusion summarizes the findings and offers an outlook on Christie's own social position.
What are the key words associated with this research?
Key words include Agatha Christie, social class, British society, interwar period, post-war Britain, domestic servants, class structure, 1930s, 1960s, social change, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Death on the Nile, Miss Jane Marple, and Hercule Poirot.
- Quote paper
- Franziska Sittig (Author), 2020, Social Issues in Agatha Christie's novels, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1195213
