As human beings, in many cases, it is our nature to put things together, make sense of them and find the pieces of a puzzle if they disappear . Based on evidence and factual information, we collect and develop logic in the form of events, proceeding little by little, step by step. However, the fragility of the reasoning process is something that humans do not fully understand. We often overlook information for the sake of our own comfort or for the sake of gaining a sense of “wholeness” or “completeness.” “We, as human beings, regardless of our experience, have a weakness in automatically enacting things that should not happen. In Agatha Christie's novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, this idea is abundantly evident. Through a point of illusory view, inaccurate conclusions drawn by characters throughout the book, and initial accusations that turn out to be wrong, Christie demonstrates the deceptive nature of assumptions and suspicions, as well as the importance of clear logic. Say no to plagiarism on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay By narrating the book through Dr. Sheppard's point of view, Christie places a certain amount of faith in him as he casually reads the book by assuming that the lovable character and Sheppard's affectionate ways are thorough, without realizing or even considering the possibility that he is Ackroyd's murderer. For example, Sheppard's neighbor constantly refers to him as a "friend" from the first meeting. This characterization of Sheppard shows the audience that he is a people person and would never come close to committing a horrendous crime. Christie plays with the minds of her audience by going against the norm of many other books where the expectation for the antagonist is usually someone other than the narrator, who in fact is normally portrayed in a more positive light. By making the audience run with this assumption throughout the book, Christie shocks them with the real killer and demonstrates to her audience the importance and validity of reasoning rather than assumptions. The danger of implementing one's belief in a critical situation, rather than applying scientific method or logic, is another way in which Christie advances his theme. For example, the only reason Dr. Sheppard killed Ackroyd was because he suspected that Mrs. Ferrars' suicide letter to Ackroyd might reveal him as her blackmailer. Although Sheppard failed in his attempt to force Ackroyd to read his message with him, he had no choice but to take responsibility. Integrating the idea of assuming into her characters' lives helps Christie establish a broad sense of dramatization that shows the devastating effects of making assumptions. By making her characters, and not just her audience, assume, Christie once again highlights the immense impact that making assumptions can have on society, like a devastating murder in this case. Ultimately, the reader is able to realize and appreciate the fact that taking things for granted can completely alter the course of action and thus result in faulty logic and a wrong decision. The concept of correlation versus causation plays another key role in deceiving the best. Given the circumstances, many characters in the book begin to take things for granted. As Raymond speculates about her dating Dr. Sheppard, "so Parker is the suspect, right?", one can see that, based on just a few clues the police have stumbled upon previously, people have begun to weave mental stories and to connect dots in order.
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