Murder on the Orient ExpressAgatha Christie

Learning Target

Identify the genre of mystery

Analyze Plot and Theme

Genre – category of literature

Agatha Christie wrote fictional mysteries Mysteries are usually based on a crime

committed that needs to be solved. Mysteries contain suspense. There are usually no obvious answers in a good

mystery.

One of her series of mysteries used the protagonist Detective Hercule Poirot

About the author

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Agatha Christie Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, England on September

fifteen, 1890.

She was the youngest of three children in an upper-middle class home.

Agatha was schooled at home by a governess and tutors—a lifestyle later reflected in her novels.

She was married in 1914 to Archie Christie, a W.W.I fighter pilot. While he was at war, Christie worked as a nurse. She first worked with patients, but was eventually transferred to the dispensary where she gained an extensive knowledge of poisons.

Before Agatha married Archie, Agatha had discussed writing a murder mystery with her sister Madge, but Madge thought it would be too difficult her. Agatha devoted her downtime at the dispensary to proving her sister wrong.

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Plot Overview

Hercule Poirot, private detective and retired Belgian police officer, boards the Taurus Express train to Stamboul (Istanbul).

During the course of the train ride, a murder takes place and Poirot will have to find out who is the murderer.

Narrated by a 3rd person narrator – omniscient

Possible themes

Justice and Judgment: Is it important to follow law or have revenge? Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality,

law, religion, or equity. Judgment is the evaluation of evidence and making a decision

Logic and reasoning to discover the truth - The main character, Hercule Poirot uses insight into human nature, powers of observation, and the deductive method to discover the truth.

Strength is not always seen with muscle.

Things are not always as they seem

The Orient Express

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Route of the Orient Express

Chapter 1 - Vocabulary

Hercules Poirot is a French detective and uses many French expressions in his dialogue.

French expressions

Mais oui – of course

Comme Ça – like that

Eh bien – well then

En voiture, monsieur – your car, sir

Enfin – finally

Voila – “a-ha!”

Merci – thanks

Jolie femme – pretty woman

Partner Read and Activity

Read chapter 1, pages 3 – 15 with a partner.

Write the vocabulary words in your journal.

Find the definition for the word and write it in your journal.

Find the word on the page in chapter one and then rewrite the sentence in your own words (do not use the vocabulary word in your sentence.

Example: Poise – p. 9, Definition: a dignified self-confident manner Sentence: She had a dignified and self-confident

manner.

Vocabulary –With a partner, find the words in chapter one. Look up the definition. Rewrite the sentence using your own words.

Partner 1

Aceding p.4

Delegated p.5

Surrreptitious p.5

Valise p.8

Sallied forth p.9

Eminently p.9

Efficiency p.9

Partner 2

Burnished p.9

Peremptory p.10

Susceptible p.11

Repressive p.11

Tyrannical p.12

Governess p.12

Teeming p.12