You can easily read summaries on the internet but it won’t as fun and as helpful in answering

questions for sem 3 as English hons students.

Also, the questions that are set for your 3rd semester seem to be more demanding of detail- therefore
it becomes very important to read the book at least once. We’ll also discuss these questions in our
googlemeet class.

After you read the summary of the first part I have made for you, I invite you to start reading the
book to find out what happens.

The murder of Roger Ackroyd summary till the murder. Chapter 1- chapter 5

The beginnings and the premise of the murder mystery/detective fiction

The narrator of our murder mystery is Dr. James Sheppard who is a village doctor in a small village
named Kings Abbot.
We find in the very beginning that a wealthy widow named Mrs. Ferrars has just died. Almost a year ago
Mrs Ferras’s husband died and it is rumored that it was Mrs. Ferras herself who killed her husband by
poisoning him. Although there is no evidence of this, CAROLine who is Dr. Sheppard’s SISTER
speculates that Mrs Ferras must have killed herself overcome by guilt of poisoning her husband.
In chapter 2 We are introduced to Mr. Roger Ackroyd who is also the titular character is a wealthy
manufacturer who lives in the house named Fernly Park in Kings Abbot village. Since Kings Abbot is a
small village rumors go around very quickly and affairs of the rich are quite sought-after in times where
there is no facebook for social entertainment.
It is rumored that Mrs. Ferrars and Mr. Roger Ackroyd are in love and about to get married since its going
to be a year that Mrs Ferras’s husband has died.
Mr Roger Ackroyd, we learn in chapter 2, was married before to a woman named Paton who was five or
six years his senior. Paton was herself a widow when Ackroyd married her and had a son (Ralph Paton)
form her earlier marriage. After Paton died due to alcohol abuse, Ackroyd adopted her son, Ralph Paton
as his own.
We also learn about Ms. Russel who is a housekeeper at Fernly Park who was also rumored to get married
to Roger Ackroyd.
Then we learn that Mr. Ackroyd had a brother who died. His brother had a wife and daughter. The wife is
Mrs.Ackroyd and daughter is Flora Ackroyd both of whom live at Fernly Park with Roger Ackroyd.

In Chapter 3 we are introduced to Dr. Sheppard’s peculiar neighbor who has recently come to Kings
Abbot Village. This neighbor we learn is our detective Hercule Poirot who also happens to be the
protagonist of the book. He has come to live in the village as he is now retired form his work. Nobody in
the village seem to know what work he had before and Caroline(Dr. Sheppard’s sister) and Dr. Sheppard
believe that he must have been a barber. We are told that Hercule Poirot is a short man barely 5’4”
extremely well dressed, with black moustache and an egg-shaped face and an almost always cherry and
excited demeanor.
In chapter 4, Dr. James Sheppard is invited to Mr. Roger Ackroyd’s house for dinner. Roger Ackroyd as
our narrator Dr. Sheppard describes is very nervous and beside himself that evening. The others who are
there for dinner that evening are- Mrs Russel, Mrs Ackroyd (Roger’s sister in law), Flora Ackroyd, Mr.
Blunt and Mr. Raymond. After dinner Roger Ackroyd invers Dr. Sheppard to his study where he confides
to the latter that Mrs. Ferrars who has just died, was infact engaged to get married to Roger Ackroyd.
Mrs. Ferrars had recently confessed to Roger Ackroyd that she had poisoned her husband the year before.
There was one person who knew about the poisoning and had been blackmailing her for the past year and
extorting money from her. She had been driven to suicide in the end.
Roger Ackroyd says this to Dr. Sheppard and also tells him that he is determined to find the blackmailer
who was troubling Mrs. Ferrars.
Parker, who is the Ackroyd’s butler just then enters the study with the letter from Mrs. Ferrars to Roger
Ackroyd, one she had written before she killed herself.
As Roger reads the letter he asks Dr. Sheppard to leave as he wishes to read the letter alone.
Dr. Sheppard leaves the room and finds Parker the butler standing close to the door to whom he curtly
instructs not to disturb roger.
Dr. Sheppard goes home and on the way he meets with a young man who wants directions to Fernly Park.
Once at home Dr. sheppard meets his sister Caroline who wants to hear everything about the dinner, as
they are retiring to bed the telephone rings and Dr. Sheppard is told that Roger Ackroyd is murdered.

Dr. Shepprd rushes to Fernly Park where he meets a very surprised butler Parker who says that he did not
make the telephone call and has no idea about any murder. They both find the door of the study locked
from inside and both of them open it to find roger Ackroyd murdered with a dagger behind his neck.

The initial suspect of the murder is Ralph Paton who is known to always quarrel with his step-father,
Roger Ackroyd. Ralph Paton is dependent on his step-father for money- he is described to us as a
reckless youth who is not always responsible, but is however liked by the people of the village and is a
handsome young man. He is also engaged to be married to Flora Ackroyd- which is a little strange- since
although not blood-related they are technically cousins. We learn that Roger Ackroyd wished his step-son
and his niece flora Ackroyd to marry and inherit his fortune. The Step-Fther and Son are however not
always in good terms since the Roger does not approve of many of Ralph Paton’s young and reckless
ways. Which is why Ralph Paton is usually in towns and cities does not live in his Step-Father’s house or
in Kings Abbot village. But it is discovered that at the time of Roger Ackroyd’s murder Ralph Paton is in
the Village Staying at some inn.
All Suspicions point towards young Ralph Paton since he had the most to earn from his Step-Father’s
death. On top of that he disappears from the village after the murder making things even more suspicious.
Flora Ackroyd, Roger’s niece who is engaged to marry Ralph does not believe that Ralph killed his own
Step-father. Therefore, she goes to Hercule Poirot for help and requests him to privately investigate the
murder of her uncle.

Suspicions also fall on Parker the butler; on Ms. Russell, the young stranger Dr. Sheppard met. However,
anybody with a motive could have murdered the rich Roger Acroyd.
Hercule Poirot, is an eccentric little man from outside, who is underestimated by most of the inspectors
and people of the village, was masterful insight into the psyche of people quickly finds out that everybody
who was present in Ferly Park has something to hide.

Now the characters:

1: Dr. Sheppard: Dr James Sheppard is the narrator of the book, The murder of Roger Ackroyd. Agatha
christie follows the tradition of many famous detective fiction works- like Sherllock Holmes books are
narrated by Dr. Watson. Much like Dr. Watson to Sherlock, Dr. Sheppard to an extent plays the right
hand man to the main detective, in this case Hercule Poirot.
2. Hercule Poirot: is the detective at the center of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as many other
Agatha Christie stories, novels, and plays. This is the third book that features Hercule Poirot. It is
interesting that Agatha Christie chooses a retired Belgian policeman as her Detective. Although he does
speak a lot, his grammar is often incorrect and he supplements his reactions with many French words. He
also proves to be a little irritating to people around him usually due to his dramatic and flair-ful presence.
While Sherlock uses deductive reasoning to solve his cases, Hercule usues his ability to measure his
suspects psychologically with an eye for detail that misses almost nothing. As opposed to many heros,
Hercule Poirot is obsessed with his own intelligence and “grey-brain-cells”. His immodest and often
boastful perception of himself make him at once comical, repulsive and loveable to his readers. I hope
you become a fan of this man who thinks no end of himself too 😊.
3. Caroline Sheppard: meet Dr. Sheppard’s super gossipy and curious as a cat sister. Dr. Sheppard and
Caroline live together and are neighbors to Hercule Poirot.
4. Ralph Paton: he’s the young and handsome son of Roger Acroyd’s first wife, who Ackroyd adopts as
his own son. He disappears after his afthers murder which makes hime the prome suspect. He is also
engaged to flora Ackroyd who is his cousin by relation but not by blood.
5. Flora Ackroyd: she’s a young woman known for her beauty, roger ackroyd’s niece and
Mrs. Ackroyd‘s(Roger’s sister in law) daughter. She and her mother have come to live with Roger
Ackroyd after her father died and both women are financially dependent on roger Ackroyd.
6.Mrs. Ackroyd. Roger Ackroyd’s Sister-in law, who was married to Cecil Ackroyd- roger Ackroyd’s
brother.
7. Ms. Russel: Miss Elizabeth Russell is Fernly Park’s housekeeper who is rumored to be Roger
Ackroyd’s lover. She’s a suspect since it is speculated that she is jealous of Roger Ackroyd’s affair with
Mrs. Ferrars.
8. Major Hector Blunt: A friend of roger Ackroyd who comes to live at Fernly Park occasionally. Seems
to be quite enamored by Flora Ackroyd.

9. Geoffrey Raymond: another young man usually admired by his peers for his competence and energy
and bright presence. He’s also a suspect since he was in debt when Roger Ackroyd was murdered.
10. Ursula Bourne: She is a parlour maid at Fernly Park who is suspected of stealing money and also
murder since it is discovered that she wanted to leave her job just before Roger Ackroyd is murdered.

The twists:

Caroline Sheppard hears Ralph Paton talk to a woman in the wood just before Roger Ackroyd is
murdered

Dr. Sheppard leaves Fernly Park at ten to nine pm and meets a stranger who heads for the house
as the clock strikes nine

Everybody seems to know what time they were doing what they are doing

Flora Ackroyd does not come into the study at half-past nine but stands in front of it holding the
door handle but reports to the police that she met her uncle.

The young stranger is Ms. Russel’s son who is addicted to cocaine

Roger Ackroyd buys a dictatone from the salesman a few days before he dies, but he doesn’t tell
his accountant.

Parker the butler tells Poirot that the chair in front of the grandfather clock in the study has been
pulled out when he comes back into the room after ringing up the police

Ralph Paton is secretly married to Ursula Bourne

Hector Blunt is in love with Flora Ackroyd

And of course, Dr. Sheppard was blackmailing Mrs. Ferrars for poisoning her husband and he
murders Roger Ackroyd when the latter is about to find this out.

Clues-

“To tell the truth, I was considerably upset and worried. I am not going to pretend that at that
moment I foresaw the events of the next few weeks. I emphatically did not do so. But my instinct
told me that there were stirring times ahead.”

“ I was startled by seeing the figure of Parker close at hand. He looked embarrassed, and it
occurred to me that he might have been listening at the door.”

“When had I last seen her [Mrs. Ferrars]? Not for over a week. Her manner then had been normal
enough considering- well- considering everything.”

“The letter had been brought in at twenty minutes to nine. It was just on ten minutes to nine
when I left him, the letter still unread. I hesitated with my hand on the door handle, looking back
and wondering if there was anything I had left undone. I could think of nothing. With a shake of
the head I passed out and closed the door behind me.”

Reading materials for further reading

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/23/books/who-created-roger-ackroyd.html

agatha christie, an autobiography

Wikipedia for about the author.

General context of the novel- (a little background on detective fiction)

The Golden Age of Detective Fiction

The golden age of detective fiction lies in between the 1920’s and the 1930’s with Edgar Allen
Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle and Dickens being some if the early writers of this age. Agatha
Christie is celebrated as one of the most popular writers of this golden age and much of her
writings and literary devices have inspired and characterized the genre of detective fiction . Poe,
Doyle and Dickens laid the foreground for a class of detectives who often with the help of a
sidekick/partner solved crimes that were seemingly impossible to solve.

The detective fiction of the golden age basically had the following characteristics-

“a plot that was believeable and characters grounded in the real or at a realistic world
a crime that seemed unsolvable by everyday police, or is "impossible" (for example, a door
locked from the inside)
a criminal presented to readers early in the narrative, among other ordinary characters
events and suspicious behavior that provide misdirection
use of stereotypical characters to fill out the cast
unsympathetic murder victims
a brilliant detective (amateur or professional) whose powers of deduction far exceed those of
ordinary detectives
a solution that does not introduce new clues but often focuses on insignificant details the reader
easily passes over
a presentation of the case that concludes the narrative in a satisfying way, leaving no clue
unexplained”

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows many of the conventions of Golden Age detective fiction.
The crime occurs in the beginning of the novel, and the first police officers on the scene are
clearly picturing the wrong solutions. There are a lot of secondary characters who fill the
storyline and in a way derail the reader from the actual perpetrator or in this case the murderer-
like the butler and maids and unnamed strangers. The important clues to the solution of the crime
are mentioned throughout the story but they do not attract readers' attention, while secret
relationships and schemes unrelated to the murder provide misdirection. An ingenious detective
with a different perception of things Hercule Poirot is able to notice these unimportant details,
fit them together like the pieces of a puzzle, and present the solved case to characters and readers
at the end of the story.
Symbols

Letters and Manuscripts

It seems like the written word- as in word written on paper is what can tell actual truth. First, the letter
written from Mrs. Ferrars to Roger Ackroyd represents writing's ability to reveal secrets, as it
identifies her blackmailer and solidifies her own confession of murder and suicide. Yet the secrets
contained in the letter are easily hidden again by destroying it. Second, the book itself is a
manuscript written by Dr. Sheppard, which he intended to publish at some point "as the history of
one of Hercule Poirot's failures" and which becomes his confession and suicide note. In the final
chapter Dr. Sheppard demonstrates how his written words could misrepresent the truth. He notes
the sentence "I did what little had to be done!" which is included in the original account of finding the
body. The reader is meant to assume he did what doctors do—examine the body. But in his
confession he explains how these words are misleading. He actually did what needed to be done to
execute his plan for murder, which "was quite little—just to shove the Dictaphone into my bag and
push back the chair against the wall in its proper place."

The game of Mah Jong

This game is more than just a scene of gossipy speculation and banter between the characters. The
game of mah jong requires strategy to win and this mirrors one, Poirot’s methodical process of
solving the mystery and also Dr. Sheppard’s calculative and strategic committing of the murder.

Motifs

Eavesdropping

We have the cast listening to each other speak throughout the novel. An this creates more
misdirection and confusion and suspicion. Parker is eves dropping outside the room where the
murder takes place. Or to reveal truths like how Dr. Sheppard and Hercule Poirot learn about
Blunt’s affection for Flora Ackroyd.

Gossip

Its how we learn about the characters or what is thought of them. It becomes a narrative device in
the story to gain information about each other and happenings that are directly or indirectly
related to the murder. Poirot also learns important details from gossip.
Justice and truth

It seems that our detective hero is more inclined towards discovering the truth rather than
disclosing the murderer to the world.

There are a lot of implications on truth being a dangerous thing – when he’s about to learn the
truth about mrs ferrars Roger is killed.

Flora is asked time and again if she really wants to learn the truth.

Some characters are shielded from truth, like Flora and in the end Caroline Sheppard.

It is almost as if there is a price to pay for truth .

Finally, the truth can be a weapon against the secretive and guilty. Once Poirot knows the truth,
he uses it to force the murderer to confess and even encourage the murderer to end his own life.
Gathering all the suspects together in Chapter 24, he announces, "Tomorrow the truth goes to
Inspector Raglan." And when he confronts Dr. Sheppard with the whole truth, Dr. Sheppard sees,
as Poirot puts it, there is only "one way out." Ultimately the truth Poirot discovers leads the way
to justice.

The idea of morality

There are characters making mistakes and wrong choices throughout the novel, starting with
Mrs. Ferrars. Then our Dr. Sheppard and also Roger Ackroyd.

There is a stress on ralph Paton haveinga weak character which easily makes him a suspect but it
is only a few who indicate that ralph may be wear but not of an immoral character.

Dr. Sheppard, too, shares this moral weakness, which leads to his becoming a blackmailer, then a
murderer. Caroline brings up her brother's weakness when she tells Poirot the doctor is "weak as
water, if I weren't about to look after him." Later in that chapter, Poirot poses a hypothetical
situation revolving around this kind of moral weakness—describing it as a tendency to give in to
temptation when one is placed in certain situations. He tells a little story about an ordinary man
with no "murder in his heart" but with a "strain of weakness—deep down." If that man faced
difficulties or came upon a secret, he might realize his opportunity to make a great deal of money
and so become a blackmailer. Of course, Poirot's hypothetical story is not hypothetical at all: it is
Dr. Sheppard's own story.
The ending of the novel:

The ending of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is different from the conventional ending of a
Golden Age detective story, which ends when the detective had solved the case and relays it to
all the characters. In this novel Poirot has solved the case and he knows who the murderer is but
he does not name the murderer. It is only in seclusion with the murderer himelsf that the solition
to the case is revealed. It is the narrator, who has been describing events to the readers much like
Watson or Hastings who is actually the murderer. This is her brilliant ending and the final twist
that sets a milestone in crime fiction writing. Where the device used by christie to misguide the
readers is that of the narrator himself, an individual or a voice that readers are more likely to trust
and feel closer to. We later learn that the novel readers have been reading is a manuscript
carefully written to pass over the narrator's true involvement in the crime. We have our
unreliable narrator

The ending of the story is unexpected but brilliant. The curtain has fallen on the part of the
murderer ‘…I am willing to give you the chance of another way out. There might be, for
instance, an overdose of sleeping draught. You comprehend?…’ He adds: ‘the truth goes to
Inspector Raglan the next morning.’

Things to think about:

What questions do you have about the novel and it’s ending? Why and whats.

The relationship between Dr. Sheppard and his sister, Caroline.

The character of Dr. Sheppard what are the tell-tale clues that points to him as the murderer?

Hercule poirot’s decision tat the end of the story? What matters more truth or justice?