The Hollow -- Question about A Particular Scene (will contain "Spoilers")

In Chapter 29 of the book, we find out that Gerda killed her husband John Christow:

Gerda said, "But you can't know… John wasn't-he wasn't-" She stood there, dumb and strangely pathetic. She raised her eyes suddenly to Henrietta's face. "It was all a lie --everything! All the things I thought he was! I saw his face when he followed that woman out that evening. Veronica Cray! I knew he'd cared for her, of course, years ago, before he married me, but I thought it was all over."

Henrietta said gently:

"But it was all over."

Gerda shook her head.

"No. She came there and pretended that she hadn't seen John for years but I saw John's face… He went out with her. I went up to bed. I lay there trying to read-I tried to read that detective story that John was reading. And John didn't come. And at last, I went out…"

Her eyes seemed to be turning inwards seeing the scene.

"It was moonlight. I went along the path to the swimming pool. There was a light in the pavilion. They were there --John and that woman…"

Henrietta made a faint sound.

Gerda's face had changed --it had none of its usual slightly vacant amiability. It was remorseless, implacable.

"I'd trusted John. I'd believed in him- as though he were God. I thought he was the noblest man in the world-I thought he was everything that was fine and noble… And it was all a lie! I was left with nothing-nothing at all. I-I'd worshipped John!"

Henrietta was gazing at her fascinated.

For here, before her eyes, was what she had guessed at and brought to life, carving it out of wood. Here was The Worshipper-blind devotion thrown back on itself, disillusioned-dangerous. …

Gerda said, "I couldn't bear it! I had to kill him! I had to --you do see that, Henrietta?"


But the question I have is when Gerda heads towards the pavilion and finds her husband there with Veronica Cray, what is that she sees in there that makes her decide to kill him? What is John and Veronica doing in there? In the film, the scriptwriter thought it appropriate to have John and Veronica in a "compromising, sensual" position and I don't think this is what Agatha Christie envisioned in her mind when Gerda saw them both in there.. . or did she? What do you think John Christow and Veronica Cray were doing? Agatha Christie doesn't go into any detail at all. All she says through Gerda's lips are: "It was moonlight. I went along the path to the swimming pool. There was a light in the pavilion. They were there --John and that woman." That's it. Anyways, it's a question that's been on my mind for quite some time now and I wanted to hear what you all think. 

Comments

  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    ***SPOILERS***

    Well, it's strongly implied that Gerda saw John and Veronica in a compromising position.  Christie tends to be very subtle with matters of sex, but it is made clear that John is an adulterer with Henrietta, so it might have been like in the film, though they could just have kissed or something less blatant.  One thing's for sure.  It was enough to make Gerda feel betrayed, so I personally read it as something unquestionably adulterous.
  • @GKCfan, Gerda said, "I'd trusted John. I'd believed in him- as though he were God. I thought he was the noblest man in the world-I thought he was everything that was fine and noble… And it was all a lie! I was left with nothing-nothing at all. I-I'd worshipped John." 

    Gerda seemed to have thought her husband as one who can do no wrong. It's possible that what she saw in the pavilion was just her husband and Veronica talking and laughing. It could have been something as small as that. What would a man be doing with another woman in the middle of the night in a pavilion laughing and appearing to have a good time? Gerda must have thought along those lines and saw the truth of what her husband really was. To see her husband as one who can do no wrong, elevating him to God, seeing him as perfect and worshipping him, I think anything small that appears to involve another woman would have set Gerda off. 
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    Yes, there's great foreshadowing with the statue "The Worshipper": a woman worshipping a false god.
  • Here is a link to an interesting assessment and observation of 2 characters from The Hollow. The title of the article is: Are Gerda Christow and Henrietta Savernake Representations of Christie Herself? 

    https://jaclynhollandstrauss.com/agatha-christie-and-the-hollow-1946-are-gerda-christow-and-henrietta-savernake-representations-of-christie-herself/

  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    That's a very interesting article.  I often get the sense that Christie put a lot of herself into some characters.  Thanks for sharing that!
  • You're welcome @GKCfan! I think writers, whether consciously or subconsciously put a little of themselves into their stories. And though Agatha Christie was never outspoken with her life and was often a mystery, I think we get glimpses of her beliefs, thoughts, and personality and temperaments through her characters and stories. The characters don't fully reflect Christie 100% but there are some characters that have a little bit of Christie in them. Ariadne Oliver is a perfect example. Ariadne Oliver isn't Agatha Christie but there are some facets of Ariadne that reflect Christie. 
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    Exactly!  Ariadne Oliver is more of a self-parody than a perfect self-portrait. 
  • Back to the scene in "The Hollow" - when I read Gerda's words, I imagined some light in the background - maybe a low moon or a distant road light - and in between, seen only as silhouette, a man and a woman in close embrace and kissing. At that period, that would have been more than enough for a married woman to come to the same conclusions (though not to the same actions) as Gerda's.
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