47 pages • 1 hour read
Agatha ChristieThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1926A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Gossip
The gossip motif in the novel works in conjunction with the theme of Ethics and the Law. Sheppard does not believe that Caroline’s gossip is a meaningful approach to discovering information. He regularly informs Caroline and Poirot that he does not credit the town’s rumors, even when they prove true. Poirot, on the other hand, appreciates the knowledge that gossip can bring. He uses methods with varying levels of ethics to discover the truth of his cases, as when he goes directly to Caroline for information. Since the novel is from Sheppard’s perspective, the reader is never present when Poirot talks to Caroline. By keeping Sheppard out of the scene, Agatha Christie allows Caroline to contribute knowledge without the seeming voice of reason interfering. Without Caroline’s knowledge, Poirot would not have come to the truth, which gives credibility to the information gossip can provide.
Marrow
Hercule Poirot retires and pursues a hobby—growing the zucchini-like vegetable called marrow. However, Poirot finds in his retirement that “he yearns for the old busy days, and the old occupations that he thought himself so glad to leave” (19). He cannot be fully content idly growing vegetables because he misses the excitement of his career. Therefore, the marrow becomes a symbol of disappointment that comes from retiring.
Like the marrow, which appears in a single chapter of the book, Hercule Poirot’s retirement and desire to be idle lasts for a single chapter. The next time we see him, it takes little to convince him to leave his vegetables and his retirement behind to take on a new case. His marrows also reveal the passion that his retirement hobby lacks—seeking the truth.
The Wedding Ring
Ursula (Bourne) Paton, throws her wedding ring into the goldfish pond at Fernly Park. The ring, and its position throughout the story, serve as a symbol for Ursula and Paton’s relationship. The wedding ring is a common symbol of marriage—an unbreakable, circular piece of metal that represents the unbreakable bond of marriage. When it is with Ursula Paton, it demonstrates Paton’s love for her and their ability to overcome class differences.
However, the relationship between the two does not last, and Ursula casts the symbol of their marriage away. It is discarded into the goldfish pond and represents their broken bond. The fact that it is hidden and discovered by Poirot reflects Poirot’s discovering the truth about the relationship between Paton and Ursula.
Related Titles
By Agatha Christie
