The Innocents left behind

MarcWatson-Gray

Hi.Does anyone ever wonder what became of some of the characters in Miss Marple's stories (Or any Agatha Christie novel for that matter) For example: The Moving Finger...With Mona Symmington dead.Richard Symmington hanged (presumably) and Megan married to Jerry....I often wonder what became of the twins ??

Did they move away permanently to Boarding school ?

Did they grow up blindly blaming Megan and their mother for their father's behaviour ?

And did they return to Lymstock as adults to wreak revenge ??

Does anyone have any thoughts on other characters ?

taliavishay-arbel

I wondered how Michael Rafiel got along in real life - he was described as a weak character, always tending towards the crooked road, but after many years in prison I wondered whether he would manage to rehabilitate himself.

MarcWatson-Gray

A good one.... Yes.....It's almost as if these people were alive.....somewhere.......

Griselda

I think the boys in The Moving Finger were different ages; Elsie told Mr Symington that Colin was a bit young still to go away to school, for another year, although the elder one could. But, you know, I thought the very same thing. What would happen to them? What stigma. Elsie went to another post. you would think that Jerry would pay for her to stay on, not go to the dentist - but in a small village, she'd be like Aimee Griffiths - embarrassed of - in her case - unwittingly, causing such a tragedy. They would have gone to school, and probably have blamed Elsie - the governess. 

Did you read, Marc (if I might call you that, pls) Mrs McGinty's Dead? There is a reference to an historic murder case, the real-life inspiration for which will become clear on reading  GKCFan's erudite article posted on this forum. It involved a governess and a husband who fell for her charms and murdered his wife. SPOILER ALERT . One of his children pops up in the novel seeking revenge, and so your instinct seems to have been uncannily prescient: I'm sure the boys, likewise, might have sought a revenge. It would seem that AC would imagine such feelings highly natural. Notably, AC is at pains to point out via Jerry's comments that Elsie Holland was innocent of any scheming, just a nice beautiful girl. Casting the beautiful Kelly Brook in the tv version of The Moving Finger did seem very appropriate, such is her extraordinary good looking'ness'.

I so would have liked romance for Michael Rafiel, Tali. I hope someone writes a mystery novel including a happy ending for him.

MarcWatson-Gray

Of course !!! I remember that now....It was one of the stories of "Where Are These Women Now"That was printed in the Sunday Comet.........Just reading a handful of posts tonight has made me realise that Agatha Chrsitie's stories give us so much more fun and thought than just the drama that is printed between book covers !!!!

Griselda

Yes, definitely!  The way the characters had such a fine sense of decorum, and what would be right puts our age to shame, for one thing! You can really imagine how the characters would have developed in later life - because they are so true to life. 

GKCfan

***SPOILERS***

Great question!  You know, someone else wondered about the boys years ago– since they obviously weren't taken in by their sister, it seems like they must have either been sent to distant relatives (like Carla Lemarchmant in Five Little Pigs, and possibly sent out of the country, too), or they became wards of the state and sent to boarding schools until they grew up, which doesn't seem fair or nice to them...  

And Michael Rafiel might have received a huge inheritance from his father, so he'd have a good start.  It wasn't all that clear in the book, but it was made clear in the Joan Hickson adaptation.

MarcWatson-Gray

For some unknown reason,i had it in my head that Colin and Brian were twins,but as Griselda noted,there was a difference in         their ages mentioned.

I also wonder what became of Alexander Bonaparte Cust in The ABC Murders......I always hoped that he would go on to marry his Landlady Mrs Marbury.......I can't remember a husband being mentioned and i got the distinct impression that she was a widow.....

He deserved some luck.....

MarcWatson-Gray

P.S. I Should have put a ***SPOILER ALERT*** On my discussion topic... I .Apologise.....i,m new to this.....

Griselda

I definitely agree about Alexander Bonaparte Cusp. I think he might well have married Mrs Marbury. He was going to charge a lot of money for his memoirs, so he would have been comfortably off. He like dominoes, so maybe would have taken to that and other board games with a bit of, as he says,  'play' in them - I like that term! He might have set up a bridge school, or maybe become a professional poker player.

I think it was mostly widow who took to landladying. In the books about 'Paddington Bear' there is a Mr and Mrs Brown (the 1960s) but I have the impression generally that literature teaches us that, historically, it is slightly distressed widows who take up this income source.

Tommy_A_Jones

I think the Oldest Symmington boy will go to Boarding School aqnd to Megan and Jerry in the Holidays and will be joined by the other one when he is Old enough, The Younger one will have his nose put out of joint when the Couple's soon arrives as it will as things in Agatha Christie books only happen a short time before, like Servant's employment, Death's of people who die just before a book starts etc and he will go on to be a Killer unless that is if the baby is a Girl, that is the only chance he has of escaping a give it to the Government for people who are on Witness ProtectionRecord.

Lavinia Glynn and Anthea will leave the House for it to be Purchased by the young Couple who turn it into a B & B or it will be bought by Professor Wanstead who will Give it to the Government and turn it into a Home for someone on Witness Protection.

I would like to think Rhoda Dawes Learns to play Bridge and becomes a Teacher for people who want to learn to Play The Game to Occupy her time while Major Despard takes Groups of people on Explorations.