Murder on Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express Thematic Essay. Justice; A fundamental theme of the American government comes into play in Murder on the Orient Express written by Agatha Christie. This crucial theme revels itself through the books interruption of trial by jury, capital punishment, and evidence contamination and corruption. The passengers interpretation of justice is present through out this book and is most prevalent in the end when the murder is revealed. The concept of justice is brought up when the “jury” of twelve passengers on the train unanimously decided Ratchett was guilty. It is no coincidence that the number of passengers is the exact same number used in a court room jury, 12. In section two chapter eight, Colonel Arbuthnot responds to Poirot’s interrogation with “ Well you can’t go about having blood feuds and stabbing each other like Corsicans or the Mafia. Say what you like, but trial by jury is a sound system” (Christie 131). This statement not only shows no remorse for the actions committed but also indicates that the passengers concept of jury was not inaccurate. The jury system is used in the United States is to not burden any single person with the responsibility of someone’s life. It takes every member for a guilty conviction just as it took all 12 train passengers to kill Ratchett. A court room jury has the power to induce capital punishment when seen fit by a judge but the law does not protect the train passengers for the same offense. These 12 people decided long before their interaction on the train that this man was to be killed. In section three chapter nine, Colonel Arbuthnot stated, “ We decided then and there- perhaps we were mad-I don’t know-that the sentence of death that Cassetti had escaped had got to be carried out,” (Christie 263). Once well known to Ratchett, these 12 people witnessed first hand the heinous murder Cassetti committed in previous years and watched him get away with it when it was clear what he had done. At