Similarities Between 'And Then There Were None And Hawthorne's'

In gothic literature, some things really are too good to be true. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Nathaniel Hawthorne´s ¨A Select Party,¨ the characters quickly realize that a seemingly perfect offer can have horrid consequences--for most, death. In both stories, the characters embark on an adventure to an unfamiliar place that sounds like it could be very beneficial. In Christie's story the guests travel to a secluded house that claims to hold their salvation. Conversely, in Hawthorne´s the guests are swept into a fantasy castle that is said to be the most lovely place in the world. The pieces of literature both share characters with esteemed positions, such as lawyers, doctors, celebrities, and famous inventors. And Then There Were None tells the tale of a mysterious and mad U. N. Owen hosting a party that ultimately ends in the high-society guests´ death. Similarly, ¨A Select Party¨ is about, unsurprisingly, a party of select guests hosted by the Man of Fancy. Both end with most of the guests dying …show more content…
U. N. Owen doesn't have to do anything but strike a bit of fear into their hearts to send them into a mutual panic. The widespread suspicion is what fuels the story and aids their host´s twisted game of childlike murder. On the other hand, the guests in ¨A Select Party¨ don't immediately notice anything wrong and indulge themselves in their heavenly surroundings. They don´t question for a moment how they're to leave the castle in the clouds until the time comes, and when it does they have no choice but to plummet to the ground helplessly. No one is suspicious at all, and at the end they don't seem too afraid of the certain death. They do, however, make note of how they should've been more careful when they accepted the party