|
|
| Plot Summary of Arsenic and Old Lace |
|---|
" Two elderly woman have been poisoning lonely, elderly old gentlemen and hiding their bodies in the basement of their house. They have three nephews. Teddy, who is a bit eccentric, thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt. Mortimer, a theatre critic, who seems to be normal, and Jonathan, a criminal whom they haven't seen for years. None of the nephews are aware of their aunt's murderous activities.
Confusion begins when Jonathan and an accomplice show up with a dead body of their own which they try to hide. Mortimer discovers what his aunts have been doing, and he tries to protect them, and get Jonathan out of the house. Jonathan also discovers the secret, but he has other ideas. He decides that Mortimer must be killed. He ties him to a chair, and at that moment the police arrive. Mortimer, however, still has a problem, how can he get the police to arrest Jonathan and still save his aunts.
"
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar
|
|
|
| Review Analysis of Arsenic and Old Lace |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- humorous
Time/era of story
- 1930's-1950's
Family, loving relations
Yes
Special relationship with
- aunt
Crime & Police story
Yes
Story of
- catching a killer
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 (some)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Is this a play?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- mostly dialog
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Joseph Kesselring Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Jack Goodstein
SCHOLARS:
| |
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Lori Wick
5:31:34 PM
Ellen Hopkins
4:56:21 PM
Teri Woods
3:52:40 PM
Robert Segarra
3:42:10 PM
Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer
3:08:59 PM
Nora Roberts
1:31:14 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun
11:58:30 AM
David Gerrold
10:41:17 AM
Deric Longden
8:34:00 AM
Suzanne Collins
7:47:38 AM
Mary Higgins Clark
3:41:53 AM
Eloise Jarvis McGraw
2:17:46 AM
Laurie Halse Anderson
1:29:18 AM
Alicia Appleman-Jurman
11:51:40 PM
David Pelzer
11:42:52 PM
Lorri Hewett
9:14:18 PM
George W. Bush
7:43:57 PM
J.K. Rowling
6:03:45 PM
Christina Crawford
5:33:22 PM
General Discussion (All Topics)
4:53:38 PM
More message boards
|
