Holy Trinity University

PAASCU ACCREDITED
Puerto Princesa city
PALAWAN
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Final Requirement in
Creative Writing:
“Murder at the Orient Express”
& “Double Act”

Submitted by:

Stiffanie Joy A. Alvior

HUMSS (Peace Advocate)
 Review on Murder at the Orient Express

Characters:
 Flat Characters
- M. Bouc; The director of the Compagnie Wagon Lits and formerly worked for the
Belgian police force with Poirot. Traveling on the Orient Expres. Portayed as a
comical jester.
- Princess Dragomiroff; An older Russian Princess, however she’s been called
‘ugly’. She owned the handkerchief at the victim’s compartment. She is also
Daisy’s Godmother.
- Hildegarde Schmidt - Has a kindly face set in an expression of "placid
stupidity." Hildegarde is rather slow-minded and unquestioningly carries out the
ugly Princess's orders. Hildegarde pretends to be Princess Dragomiroff's maid,
but is truly the Armstrong's cook.
- Sonia Armstrong- Mother of the kidnapped/murdered child named Daisy, she
and her unborn child died during labour. Her husband commited suicide due to
grief of losing them.
- Dr. Arbuthnot – Served in the army with Daisy’s father.
- Daisy Armstrong- A child that has been kidnapped and killed by John Cassetti.
The root of all these events.

 Round Characters
- Hercule Poirot ; The protagonist of the story, the no nonsense Belgian detective
who is famous for solving different mysteries (This character appears in more than
30 books of Agatha Christie.) And also has a sense of presentiment (instinct), an
intuition of a smart detective .
- Edward Ratchett/John Cassetti- a Businessman, posing a double life as crime boss
and murderer, he even kidnapped and killed young Daisy Armstrong. The
Armstrong family murders Ratchett because he escaped punishment in the U.S.
- Caroline Hubbard/Linda Arden; A Talented actress, she is also the grandmother
of the kidnapped/murdered Daisy Armstrong. Throught the story, she is just using
the alias “Caroline Hubbard”. She made a setup to catch the murder to avenge her
granddaughter’s death by involving 11 closest people.
 - Mary Hermoine Debenham; An attractive governess of the Armstrong household.
She is a stock character (means typical) of an unhappy young lady, but also quick
witted and a passionate character. Her character is an unusual blend of a cool, plain
governess and femme fatale.
- Hector MacQueen; is Mr. Ratchett's secretary. And also a conspirator, who knows
inside jobs. (Like telling Poirot, that his master doesn’t speak french)
- Gerhard Hardman/Cyrus Bethman Hardman; . Cyrus is a detective with a well-
known detective service in New York City.A traitor initially helps Poiriot in the
case.
- Pilar Estravados- I pious woman, but broken inside.
- Pierre Michel - Father of the suicidal nursemaid of Daisy Armstrong, is the
Conductor of the Orient Express. Pierre, like the other servants does not initially
receive much scrutiny—he is not a top suspect. However, as the novel progresses,
his involvement in the murder is proven essential.
- Count Rudolph Andrenyi; A very defensive man who tries to conceal the true
identity of his wife, Countess Andrenyi. The Count takes his wife's place in the
murder.
- Countess Helena Andrenyi/Helena Goldenberg - The sister of Sonia Armstrong.
Because the Countess is closest to the Armstrong case, she attempts to conceal her
identity by dropping grease on her passport and smudging the name label on her
luggage. The Countess is quite young, dark haired and beautiful.

Setting:
• Time and place:
Year 1934, The first scene is in Jerusalem. The rest of the story takes place inside the train
of Orient Express. (there are also flashback scenes that are set in the US)
• Sociological, cultural, religious:
The Justice of a Jury; since there are 12 suspects who must have killed Ratchett, the jury
may represent that numbers. The Law was insufficient in that time period where ratchet
lived (US) and since he is rich he started a new life in Europe despite of his crimes in the
US. The Morality of Murder; Since the family grieved for the loss of daisy and her parents,
they didn’t seem to care about morality at all, they want to avenge that.
Plot
• Exposition
In 1934, famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot solves a theft at the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The obsessive-compulsive—who seeks balance in life, and
considers his case-solving ability to see a lie amid truth to be a curse—wants to rest in
Istanbul, but must return to London for another case. His friend Bouc, director of the Orient
Express, offers a room aboard the train.
Businessman Edward Ratchett offers to hire Poirot as his bodyguard during the three-day
journey, as Ratchett has received threatening letters from an unknown party, but Poirot
refuses. That night, Poirot hears strange noises coming from Ratchett’s compartment, and
later sees someone in a red kimono running down the hallway. An avalanche derails the
train's engine, stranding the passengers
.• Rising Action
The next morning, Poirot discovers Ratchett was murdered during the night after having
been stabbed a dozen times. Poirot and Bouc investigate the passengers as repairs begin.
Evidence indicates that Ratchett was murdered by one person, and Caroline Hubbard, a
fellow passenger, claims that a man had been in her compartment in the night. Poirot
discovers a partially burned note connecting Ratchett to the kidnapping of Daisy
Armstrong, a child who was abducted from her bedroom and held for ransom. After the
ransom was paid, Daisy was found murdered. Ratchett's true identity is revealed: he was
John Cassetti, Daisy’s kidnapper and murderer. Her death caused her mother Sonia to die
after giving premature birth to a stillborn baby; her father, Colonel Armstrong, then
committed suicide. The family’s nursemaid Susanne was arrested and hanged herself while
in police custody, but was posthumously exonerated.

• Climax
More evidence is found, including a bloodstained handkerchief, and, in Mrs. Hubbard’s
compartment, the button of a conductor’s uniform. The uniform is later found, as is the red
kimono—in Poirot’s own suitcase. Hubbard is stabbed in the back; she survives but cannot
identify the culprit. Poirot discovers many of the passengers have direct connections to the
Armstrong family. While interviewing governess Mary Debenham, John Arbuthnot shoots
Poirot in the shoulder, claiming that he is the murderer, but Bouc stops him from killing
Poirot. Poirot realizes that Arbuthnot—a medical doctor and former army sniper—never
meant to kill him.
Poirot meets the suspects outside the train, offering two theories of how Ratchett died. The
first is simple: A murderer disguised as a conductor boarded the train, murdered Ratchett,
and fled. The second is more complex: every suspect is connected to the Armstrongs,
Susanne, or her trial in some way—including those who had pretended otherwise—and
had motive to kill Ratchett/Cassetti. Hubbard is revealed to be Linda Arden, a former stage
actress, and Sonia Armstrong's mother.
• Falling Action
Hubbard admits that she planned the murder and hired everyone else to help her. All the
other passengers and the porter, Pierre (Susanne's brother), took turns stabbing Ratchett.
Arbuthnot stabbed Hubbard without endangering her life to convince Poirot of a lone killer.
Poirot challenges the passengers to shoot him with Arbuthnot's gun, since he is the only
one who can expose their plot; Bouc can lie, but Poirot, obsessed with truth and balance,
cannot. Hubbard grabs the gun and tries to kill herself, but it is not loaded; Poirot wanted to
see how the suspects would react.
• Resolution
With the train back on track, Poirot concludes that justice is impossible in the case, as
Ratchett deserved death; for the first time, Poirot will have to live with a lie, and imbalance.
He presents the lone killer theory to the Yugoslavian police, allowing the others to leave on
the train. As he disembarks, a messenger asks him to investigate a death on the Nile. Poirot
takes the case.
POINTS OF VIEW:
• 1st Person
- Poirot tells the story in his own perspective.
THEME:
• Moral
- Morality is absent in this story, because the victim is a killer and almost all of the
supporting cast, which is 12 of them are behind in that murder. The12 did everything to
kill that man; they did succeed and avenged the death of Daisy.

• Dramatic Premise, Tragedy-

- Daisy is been kidnapped for ransom by then John Cassetti. Casetti asked the parents
$200,000 to set her free. They did give him the money and it turns out that he killed the
child for ‘fun’.
- Daisy’s mom is pregnant, she had a premature labour due to the pain she endures
and dies with her unborn child.
- Mr. Armstrong killed himself due to the grief and depression that he is suffering.
- The nursemaid of the child hanged herself because of guilt.

• Insight:
- I didn’t see it coming.. This is my first comment on the story. From watching a crime
story or detective stories murders involved only 1-2 persons or also a syndicate for
a larger group, but this 12 civilian associates of an influential family could a person
by taking turns? This is so unusual to me. And even the victim is not innocent, at all!
And this is my very first Agatha Christie story that I have been encountered and It
may open my ideas to the next pocketbook I’ll buy. (Maybe Detective Poirot will
appear again)

Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson

Characters:
Protagonists: Ruby and Garnet Barker

Flat Characters:
Garnet Barker, The 10 year old, Timid Twin, also the mild mannered aka the “good twin”.
The partner /follower of Ruby’s tricks and demands. Later goes to the Boarding school
alone.
Miss Debenham- The teacher from the new school (only appeared at the school scene)
The Twins grandmother- Only appeared at beginning and the end of the story, since she’s
been transferred to a nursing home.
Opal Barker- The twins’ late mother (only mentioned)

Rounded Characters:
Ruby Barker, Also age 10. The fierce Twin, also the outspoken aka the “bad twin”. She
dominates Garnet and she promised to her that they would act the same. She may be
considered as an “anti-hero” since she is an antagonistic character of the storyShe is also
ambitious and full of herself, which leads to the wacky events of the story. . Ruby becomes
independent and spunky at middle of the story.

Jeremy Blob- The big boy who bullies the twins but eventually befriended by Ruby and
even call each other mates.

Rose- Richard’s weird girlfriend; an airhead and a trying hard stepmum in the beginning
till at middle of the story. She is also mean, cruel and selfish to the twins and she love’s
Richard. She did change a bit in the middle and her personality fleshed out (initially biased
to Garnet.) And in the falling action, she tried to support Ruby and became friends with her.

Richard Barker- The Twins father, fun loving and a selfish dad.. Madly in love to Rose
(He’s longing for a partner since Opal died) and he became broke and went to a
Birmingham to have a bookshop and a home for girlfriend and the twins.
Setting:

 Time and place:

Before summertime in their house in London and they moved into Birmingham in
summertime, they lived in a small house within their father’s doomed bookshop. There are
scenes in the country school, the television centere in London, Marnock heights the
potential boarding school for the twins. And also at the playground which the place where
the boys hangout.

 Sociological, cultural, religious:

The story discusses about how the twins live and act the same every time and also seeing
the individual personalities of the twins. It also dealt of having a completely new lifestyle
from living from a bustling city of London to Birmingham. They also had experience
burdens of twinhood and the difficulties of forging independent identities. On Garnet she’s
that she has a bossy older sister/twin. On Ruby, that she delt being the motormouth and
forces Garnet to stay twinning all the time. Ruby worked hard to succeed but she’s always
being misinterpreted by her dad and Rose. The story is set in England, so expect more
British references in the story.

Plot
 Exposition
(The book takes the form of the twins alternately narrating the story of their life in a Red
“Accounts” book.)
Ruby and Garnet are ten-year-old identical twins living with their father and grandmother
since their mother, Opal, died. The two have always been close despite their differences-
Ruby is social, and keen to let her opinions be heard, while introverted Garnet is content to
let Ruby dominate their relationship.
 Rising Action
When their father gets a new girlfriend (Rose) and a new job, their once stable relationship
is thrown into turmoil, as the relationship leads to feelings of betrayal from their father to
their late mother, and it comes with a big price- leaving their grandmother behind for a
house in the country. As Ruby is very dominating, she insists that the girls shouldn't stand
for their new lifestyle. She and Garnet start off well in school, but once Garnet makes a new
friend, Ruby sulks and Garnet quickly changes to stop her feeling upset. After this, they do
not behave properly in school and do not talk to anyone else.

 Climax
The twins find an article about auditions for a TV adaptation of The Twins at St. Clare's, and
Ruby is keen to go ahead and audition, even though Garnet and their father do not agree.
Surprisingly, Rose is supportive, although her efforts are for nothing, as Garnet and Ruby
have to run away to London to audition. Although Garnet isn't keen on the idea, she is
about to deliver a good audition but the twins father appears just as she is about to begin,
making her feel terrible for messing up the audition.

Near summer, Ruby, realizing that the school where the TV movie is being filmed at is a
prestigious boarding school for girls, Marnock Heights, decides that the pair ought to sign
up for scholarships- of which there is only one. Despite their father's early hesitation to the
idea, he encourages Garnet to go ahead with the school after it is revealed that she won the
scholarship. (Ruby was confident that she would win it if they both couldn't 'wangle one'
together).
 Falling Action
Garnet is torn between pleasing her sister and doing something different, for once.
Meanwhile, Ruby refuses to talk to her, and often wanders off on her own. She is
determined to be different from Garnet, and ends up cutting off her hair.
She does not let herself be around Garnet for the whole summer, and even though they
both feel as though they are missing something, Ruby is too proud to apologize while
Garnet wishes she was able to. At this point in the novel, Garnet is no longer narrating-
Ruby has changed the "book" to a Memorandum, which she continues writing in until the
end of the book. After making friends with someone she previously considered rather a
bully, Ruby starts to realize that she and Garnet don't need to be the same, and don't have
to do the same things, to be happy. She also realizes, alternately, that being together would
have helped Garnet feel better about leaving. Ruby finds a friend in Rose, also, who
encourages her to say sorry to Garnet.
 Resolution
In the end, Ruby apologizes to Garnet, and they both realize that they can still be together
while apart, as long as they remember each other. Garnet leaves for school, and writes a
letter about how much she is enjoying it.

POINTS OF VIEW:
  1st Person

- Yes it is, because even though two character perspectives seen in this book. It is

written in a first person form.

- As if Ruby and Garnet take turns on writing the story of their lives. If you read

the book it may look believable because you’ll notice one of the twins’ are

writing a part when you saw the illustration on the events in their perspective.

- Ruby in the falling action on the book writes the story’ continuation in a notepad rather

than the “account” book since Garnet is in charge of that book.

- Ruby’s point of is being drawn by Nick Sharatt and written in a regular text. While

Garnet’s is being drawn by Sue Heap and written in a italic form of text.

THEME:

 Moral

- Celebrate Individuality. Do not force yourself to be act the same way like your twin or

your sibling.

- First Impressions didn’t last at all, like Rose an airhead and mean stepmum can be very

bad at the beginning, but she does care about the twins, especially Ruby. (Ruby hates

her so much)

- Remember not all twins are exactly the same, there will be odds and quirks that can

distinguish the two (It may be their attitude).

- It takes time to be free from grieving.

- People change, so thus bullies may change way if you befriended them instead of

fighting them back.

- It’s OK to change, but for the better.

 Dramatic Premise :Tragedy (trainwreck) at the beginning

- The twin’s mom, revealed that she died three years ago before the events of the story

due to illness (probably cancer).

 - The Twins had a bad stepmum that seduces their father in front of them. And also has a

tacky sense of fashion. And later on lives with them.

- Their father became broke, so he decided that their granny would stay in a Home for the

elderly (which is sad).

- And they left London for Birmingham, that the twins’ father have a new life by having a

bookshop just beside their new home.

- The twins are having a hard time living in a new kind of place.

 Insight:

- I’m a reader of Jacqueline Wilson’s books since I was 13 and collecting 5 of them and

already read 8 stories of hers. Her Books are meant to be designed for ‘preteen’ girls,

but it’s a guilty pleasure for me that I’m hooked on her style of writing stories. Most of

her stories are varied from: dysfunctional families (The Bed and Breakfast Star, Candy

floss, Double Act and Cookie), a fierce protagonist (Tracy Beaker, Ruby of Double Act,

Jodie from My Sister Jodie, Vicky from Vicky Angel and many more) and most of all are

just tragic and miserable (Lola Rose, Dustbin Baby). She dealt stories that are not so

sweet in life,

- I picked this story since this is the best Jacqueline Wilson book I read, it’s complex and

realistic for 10-11 year olds that are coping those problems. I’ll be looking forward to

get another book from the same author at Booksale in the future.