Murder on the Orient Express takes place on a snowed-in train traveling from Istanbul to Paris. A murder occurs in the train's first class cabin. Detective Hercule Poirot is asked to investigate and uses small clues to solve the mystery. The victim, Mr. Ratchett, is revealed to be an American named Cassetti who kidnapped and murdered a young child. Poirot discovers that all of the passengers worked together to murder Ratchett, as each had been personally affected by the child's death. Though their actions were morally justified, they would still be found guilty by law. Poirot must determine how to resolve this complexity.
5. Murder on the Orient Express takes place on the Orient
Express, a train that goes to Paris. The murder takes place in
the Calias Coach, a first class section of the train. However,
the train is caught in a snow drift and is forced to stop. This is
when the murder takes place. The Calais coach is a very
popular part of the train, as shown when Christie writes, “[M.
Bouc said] ‘You are full up to-night I hear?’ ‘It is incredible,
Monsieur”’…
6. Detective: Hercule Poirot
This is shown when he is
• Hercule Poirot is a Belgian questioning the Count and
Inspector on the Orient Countess Andrenyi and Christie
Express. He is respected by writes, “[Poirot] was studying a
other passengers, and is grease spot on a Hungarian
very intelligent. When diplomatic passport” (pg. 113).
there is a murder, he is This quotation demonstrates
asked to help solve the Poirot’s attention to such small
mystery. Detective Poirot clues. As the mystery
is a clever man who can progresses, the reader learns
gather important that this grease spot becomes
information by small and important to solving the
unoticiable clues. mystery.
7. • . Poirot, the detective,
soon discovers that Mr.
Ratchett was involved
in the kidnapping and
murder a young child
of the last name of
Victim: M. Ratchett The reader discovers
this when Poirot says
Armstrong in to M. Bouc, “Do you
America. M. Ratchett, remember reading of
known in America as the Armstrong baby?
Cassetti, is a [M. Ratchett] is the
pseudophilanthropist man who murdured
who is very concieted
little Daisy
and molevelant.
Before he boarded the Armstrong. Casetti”
Orient Express, he had (pg. 64). This
received several reveals M. Ratchett’s
threatening letters real identity,
from various people. Cassetti, the man who
However, at the murdered a baby.
beginning of the book
he is murdered
8. Major Theme: Mystery
• In Murder on the Orient
Express, mystery is a major theme.
This is because there is a murder,
and Poirot must figure out who the
murderer, or murderers might be.
He must learn who is innocent and
who is guilty. Throughout this
mysterious novel, unexpected and
interesting things happen.
10. The Murderers
• The real murderers turned out to be all the
Co-Passengers because M. Ratchett
kidnapped and murdered a young child of
the last name of Armstrong in America.
11. Theme: Morality vs. Law
• In the end, it is
apparent that
the murder was
in some way,
self-defense.
However, by the
law, the
murderer(s)
would be
convicted.
Poirot is drawn
12. Literary significance and
reception
• The murder would have been “perfect” had
Poirot not been on the train, however,
"'The little grey cells' worked admirably,
and the solution surprised their owner as
much as it may well surprise the reader,
for the secret is well kept and the manner
of the telling is in Mrs. Christie’s usual
admirable manner.