Analysis of the Character of Vera Claythorne in "And Then There Were None"

‘’The sea. . . So peaceful today – sometimes so cruel … The sea that dragged you down to its depth. Drowned … Found drowned … Drowned at sea … Drowned – drowned – drowned …’’

A quote that seems so little yet a deeper meaning. In the book And Then There Were None strengths and weaknesses have been shown such as guilt and strong consciousness also shown by a character named Vera Claythorne.

The name Vera means “faith” which is ironic because of how much guilt was on her shoulders. Vera was a schoolteacher who watched over kids and what happened had started the road to Veras death. Vera Claythorne had let a young boy, Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton, drown deliberately and has been guilty ever since. When she heard that she killed someone she couldn't stand it. The guilt that she had slowly lost has now battered her. “Vera Elizabeth Claythorne, that on the 11th day of August, 1935, you killed Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton. ” (page 47),” A lie-a wicked lie. . . we never did-neither of us. . . ” (page 64) This revulsion can prove that she doesn't want to go back to her old self where she was always worried and full of guiltiness. She tried her best to forget her delinquency. Obviously, this guilt has been shown to be a weakness.

Although her massive amount of guilt might have been a weakness, Vera had shown to start a great strength, strong consciousness and she was the last survivor afterall. In the situation they were in, she had to stay extra conscious, obviously so she wouldn't die. She was always expressed in the crime scenes, not trying to get involved too much, as well as watching her surroundings. All she wanted to do was escape and go back home. Although this was a power full strength, she just couldn’t escape from her mass amount of guilt.

Her guilt ended up killing her. When she shot lombard in the head, she thought it was effectively over and she could stop being so cautious. Vera had thought that she finally escaped and could be free. All she sang was the nursery rhyme about the 10 soldiers, but she couldn’t remember the very last line. All of a sudden she sees a one china figure and that one china figure had ticked her memory. “One little Soldier boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none. ” As soon as she remembered the last part of about the final soldier, she had went back to the living room where there was a noose alongside a chair.

There it was, Vera Claythorne had executed herself. It was stated in the manuscript that the person most guilty shall die last and suffer the most and that person was Vera Claythorne. The person who purposely let a young boy drown, the person who was the most ashamed, and the person who died last. Although Vera had many strengths, she had the way stronger weakness. The sociopath Justice Wargrave being the mastermind of all, merely using them as puppets, Vera had been manipulated and ended up dying alongside her guilt.