The Body in the Library

Miss Marple’s more “feminine” perspective and outlook give her unique insights into the case. What clues and/or character details does she notice, owing to her experience as a woman, that the male detectives overlook?

Miss Marple says that her long residency in the quiet village of St. Mary Mead has given her a close familiarity with “evil.” Cite at least three examples from The Body in the Library of “village parallels” that help her to solve the murder mystery by relating its particulars to her own experience. How do these anecdotes inform her understanding of human nature?

Using examples from the novel, discuss the role of chance in the story and in the resolution of the mystery. What role does chance play in bringing the true killers to light? How does Miss Marple account for the operation of chance?

Inspector Slack suggests that the village-bred Miss Marple will be out of her depth in the more cosmopolitan Danemouth. Compare the provincial village of St. Mary Mead, including Gossington Hall, to the Majestic Hotel in Danemouth, considering such things as social mores, cultural ambience, residents, etc. How does Christie use these differences to comment on society as a whole?

Speculating about Conway Jefferson’s infatuation with Ruby Keene, Miss Marple says, “I don’t think her qualities entered into it” (95). How does she explain Conway’s “outpouring of affection” for the teenage dancer? How does this relate to class and to Conway’s complicated family life?

After the body is found in the library, the villagers of St. Mary Mead seem more eager to suspect the “quiet” Colonel Bantry of the murder than (for instance) the decadent, noisy Basil Blake. What does this suggest about the nature of gossip and the town’s social attitudes?

Basil Blake and Mark Gaskell share some surface traits: Both are brash, often foolish young men who take delight in shocking others. Compare and contrast their characters, including the differing reasons for their secret marriages. Discuss the role their impulsive words and/or actions play in the exposure of the murder plot.

Miss Marple’s modest, unassuming nature often leads others to underestimate her. In The Body in the Library, how does this play to her advantage? Cite examples from the text.