Death On The Nile

How do you interpret the repeated references to Jackie’s expressions of suffering and appeal in the days leading up to Linnet’s murder? Is Jackie acting, is her anguish genuine, or is it both? What in the text supports your view?

Is there a coherent message about class—in particular, about whether the Fergusons or the Linnets of the world have justice on their side—in the novel? What passages from Death on the Nile support your view?

Death on the Nile is set primarily in Egypt and was written in 1937, the year after Egypt gained independence from the United Kingdom, and is written by a British author. There are vague mentions of Richetti’s activities as an “agitator” in South Africa (another former British colony), and Ferguson is a loud, if not particularly effective, propagandist for communism. Please comment on the historical context and setting of the novel: what, if any, political subtext is present in Death on the Nile and what passages in the book support your view? What would (choose one) a Marxist or post-colonial theorist have to say about Death on the Nile?

Poirot describes Cornelia as an original woman and tells Simon that women often do behave rationally; Linnet is said to have an uncharacteristic talent for business. Jackie, despite her out-of-control emotions, is also presented as extremely rational and calculating (not traits traditionally associated with women and the feminine). Do any of the minor female characters in Death on the Nile display traits that are traditionally coded as masculine or unfeminine? Is Christie using typical female “tropes” or subverting them? To what extent do you think she endorses the stereotypes of women in which she trafficks? What in the text supports this view?

Although it is set in Egypt, there are almost no characters of color in Death on the Nile (and those who do exist are nameless “extras”). Choose one of the chapters in the novel and rewrite it from the perspective of one of these “extras.” Include a paragraph at the end explaining why you think your character would think, feel, and behave as you imagine.

Choose one of the crimes or subplots in the novel about which there are significant clues (Linnet’s murder, the theft of the pearls, Mrs. Otterbourne’s alcoholism, Pennington’s speculation and attempt at murder) and locate all the clues you can find about that crime or subplot. When do you think Poirot figured out the solution? What in the text supports your view?

Agatha Christie considered Death on the Nile her best mystery set in a foreign land. The “travel holiday mystery” is a popular genre; what are its main characteristics? What makes a mystery of this kind entertaining, satisfying, or a good escape from reality? Do you consider Death on the Nile a successful example of the genre? Why or why not? Cite specific passages from the novel in justifying your response.

Which character in Death on the Nile is the most dynamic? What passages from the text support your response?