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Cornelia Robson
Ferguson is a dark-haired young man who looks like he wants to pick a fight with everyone around him. Poirot first meets him and Signor Richetti during an excursion near their hotel. An avowed communist, Ferguson is vocal about his dislike of capitalist “parasites” like Linnet, Louise, Mrs. Otterbourne, and Miss Van Schuyler—even though he himself is actually a wealthy lord who is only pretending to be a poorer man named “Ferguson.” He argues intensely with Cornelia, and even tries several times to propose to her, but she resists all his advances. Ultimately, Ferguson fulfills the archetype of the whodunnit character who is so vocal about his motives that he can’t possibly be the real criminal. His supposed hatred of the rich theoretically makes him a candidate to be either Linnet’s murderer or the agitator Colonel Race is tracking, but it is clear early on that Ferguson is more interested in talk than action. Ferguson is also a figure of satire in the novel, a member of the aristocracy who claims to hate the rich but in fact can’t escape his own sense of privilege or superiority and so makes himself ridiculous.
Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish) Quotes in Death on the Nile
The Death on the Nile quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish) or refer to Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter Thirty-One
Quotes
Lastly the body of Linnet Doyle was brought ashore, and all over the world wires began to hum, telling the public that Linnet Doyle, who had been Linnet Ridgeway, the famous, the beautiful, the wealthy Linnet Doyle was dead.
Sir George Wode read about it in his London club, and Sterndale Rockford in New York, and Joanna Southwood in Switzerland, and it was discussed in the bar of the Three Crowns in Malton-under-Wode.
And Mr. Burnaby said acutely: “Well, it doesn’t seem to have done her much good, poor lass.”
But after a while they stopped talking about her and discussed instead who was going to win the Grand National. For, as Mr. Ferguson was saying at that minute in Luxor, it is not the past that matters but the future.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish) Quotes in Death on the Nile
The Death on the Nile quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish) or refer to Mr. Ferguson (Lord Dawlish). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter Thirty-One
Quotes
Lastly the body of Linnet Doyle was brought ashore, and all over the world wires began to hum, telling the public that Linnet Doyle, who had been Linnet Ridgeway, the famous, the beautiful, the wealthy Linnet Doyle was dead.
Sir George Wode read about it in his London club, and Sterndale Rockford in New York, and Joanna Southwood in Switzerland, and it was discussed in the bar of the Three Crowns in Malton-under-Wode.
And Mr. Burnaby said acutely: “Well, it doesn’t seem to have done her much good, poor lass.”
But after a while they stopped talking about her and discussed instead who was going to win the Grand National. For, as Mr. Ferguson was saying at that minute in Luxor, it is not the past that matters but the future.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
