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Essay / Murder as metaphor in “And Then There Was None”
“He choked – choked badly. His face twisted, turning purple. He gasped, then slipped from his chair, the glass falling from his hands” (Christie 74). Thus begins the murderous machinations of Judge Wargrave on Soldier Island. In the novel And Then There Were None, Judge Wargrave's sociopathic tendencies allow him to have multiple personalities. His identity is active when he plans the murder of ten strangers, his superego is strongest when fighting for justice and the sanctity of the law, and his ego is on the line when he is with others guests, giving a “normal” facade. . These identities make him the ideal character to commit murders without fault and without remorse. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Id is typically “the psychic force that motivates the tendency to seek immediate gratification from every impulse” (Schacter 481). This is an apt description of Judge Wargrave's murderous tendencies, which were active even when he was a child. Once his dastardly plot was complete, he put a message in a bottle to describe his journey and truly explain how intelligent he was. In the letter, he admits: “I was born with traits other than my romantic fantasy. I get a certain sadistic pleasure from seeing or causing death. I remember experiences with wasps – with various garden pests… From an early age I experienced very strongly the desire to kill” (285). While he talks about justice and upholding the law, his deepest, darkest, truest thoughts are about taking pleasure in ending life. He mentions that he always wanted to commit murder. These thoughts are not typical of the average person's daily life. He has a unique connection with the Id within him in which he is comfortable indulging in his desires and dark fantasies. According to psychology, everyone has a part of their identity that influences their thoughts and actions, which could almost make Judge Wargrave a little more relatable to readers. However, the way his mind works differs significantly from that of the vast majority. Most would never act on horrible thoughts of murder. Due to his rare psyche, he is a cruel and heartless character towards anyone who does not empathize with him. The Superego “...can be considered as a type of conscience that punishes bad behavior with feelings of guilt” (Reber). This side of Judge Wargrave is visible when he makes judgments and upholds the law in all circumstances. His whole fascination with his murderous plot was bringing to justice people whose guilt could not normally be proven. He disapproves of the fact that the nine hidden criminals escape fate so easily. One of the ways he punishes their misbehavior is by playing mind games to bring out past guilt. At the start of their stay on the island, a recording is played throughout the mansion informing all the guests of each other's misdeeds. Their reactions bear witness to their past crimes and the guilt that followed: “The voice had stopped. There was a moment of petrified silence, then a resounding crash!...At the same moment, from somewhere outside the room, there was a scream and the sound of a thud” (48). Some guests react more calmly to the shocking accusations than fainting or dropping a tea tray, but nevertheless, each guest is affected by the fear that their troubled past may be discovered. In the midst of this chaos, the Judge relies once again, 1990.