Character sketch of Dr Sheppard and Caroline.

The narrator of the story, Dr. James Sheppard, is a clever and discreet doctor, who
cares deeply for his sister. He would do anything for her, but give up the kind of
gossipy information that she lives for. Dr. James Sheppard becomes oirot!s
uno"cial assistant in the murder investigation, following him around town looking
for clues and discussing suspects and motives. James is intrigued by oirot!s
investigative skills and keeps a written account of the case throughout the
investigation. James! secret hope is that one day he will publish this manuscript as
one of oirot!s failures. James does not reali#e that oirot is more clever than James
gave him credit for. $n the end, oirot solves the case and %nds James guilty of
murder. &lthough James is a murderer and blackmailer, he ends his story with an act
of love for his sister.
Dr. Sheppard's voice is ideal for telling the story. He's calm, not prone to gossip, a
bit wry and the trusted town doctor. $n less able hands, these traits may have made
him more suspicious than others, but Christie never let on that $ should look at the
doctor with anything less than a trusting eye.
The action of the novel is presented through the eyes of Dr. Sheppard, an unreliable
narrator. The narrative voice is a masterful touch in the novel, fully appreciated
upon a second reading of it. Christie knows that readers will be reminded of another
famous doctor(narrator when reading this novel. )ike
Dr James Sheppard is the narrator of the story and therefore possibly even more
important to the plot than oirot himself* after all, the entire plot is narrated as seen
through his eyes. He is a deeply intelligent and apparently caring man who wants
nothing more than to %nd the murderer of his close friend, +oger &ckroyd. However,
there is a great deal more to Dr Sheppard than initially meets the eye. The following
attributes are particularly obvious,
)ove for his sister
Dr Sheppard lives with his sister, Caroline, who keeps house for him. Caroline is a
real gossip who knows everything there is to know about her neighbours, which
drives the doctor to distraction at times. -evertheless, he cares for his sister very
deeply* in fact, it is .uite possible that she is the only person for whom he really
cares. Certainly, when the story comes to an end and he is forced to decide on his
ne/t move, he comes to his decision to save his sister from as much
embarrassment as possible. 0f course, had he avoided his actions in the %rst place,
he would have saved her from any embarrassment, but as the reader comes to
understand, Dr Sheppard thinks far more of himself than anyone else.
$ntelligence
Dr Sheppard is highly intelligent and not 1ust because he is medically2trained, but
because he is able to read people in a very astute way. His narration shows that he
has a deep understanding of people's words and actions and, because of this, he
therefore knows e/actly how to manipulate them so that they do e/actly what he
wants 3 often without them even realising. He is also able to react very .uickly, so
that when he is forced into a corner, he always knows the best way to e/tricate
himself without looking remotely
&t %rst glance, Dr Sheppard is a kind, helpful man who will do what he can to solve
other people's problems. However, there is a layer to him that he keeps successfully
hidden. He knows e/actly how to use people's weaknesses to feather his own nest.
He perpetuates the myth that he hates his sister's gossiping tendency, but he
secretly listens with glee and, whenever possible, he uses what he learns for
%nancial gain. $nitially, his blackmailing of a woman who has committed murder
doesn't seem too serious 3 the more heinous crime, after all, is not his. However,
the actions that he takes to cover up this blackmail highlight his deviousness. )ack
of compassion
Just as Dr Sheppard manages to cover up his crimes, he also hides his lack of
compassion for other people. His love for his sister is apparent and is possibly his
only redeeming feature. &ny feelings that he shows for anyone else are either made
up, or are simply to ensure that he eventually gets his own way. 4or e/ample, his
decision to hide +alph aton in a nursing home is ostensibly in aton's interest, but,
as eventually becomes clear, it is to ensure that aton continues to be a ma1or
suspect, simply because of his inability to proclaim his innocence.
5ltimately, Dr Sheppard is a character who highlights &gatha Christie's ability to
hoodwink the reader. She presents him as a rather ordinary, but intelligent person,
who would do no harm to anyone. However, his ini.uity eventually comes to the
fore, thanks to the ability of Hercule oirot to see beyond everyone's super%cial
characteristics. Dr James Sheppard is a character who any reader will %nd hard to
forget.
C&+0)$-6 SH6&+D
Caroline Sheppard is a middle2aged woman, presumably never married, who lives
with her brother, James, and acts as housekeeper. 7hereas a spinster living in a tiny
village doesn't sound particularly interesting, there is a lot more to Caroline
Sheppard than is immediately obvious. She is a very realistic and colourful
character who has a number of attributes* most of which are positive ones.
-osiness
erhaps because she doesn't have a spouse or children, Caroline's main interest lies
in the comings and goings of her friends and neighbours. She has the uncanny
ability to sni8 out any gossip that is going and will not rest until she has found the
answers to .uestions she may have. She thinks nothing of going out of her way to
spy on people or overhear their conversations, even though she often 1umps to
conclusions before she works out the whole truth. 0nce she has her gossip,
however, she doesn't necessarily pass it on to all and sundry 3 often her news stops
with her brother, who does not approve of her gossiping tendencies.
erspicacity
Despite an occasional lack of understanding of the full situation, Caroline is an
intelligent woman and often manages to work out the truth before anyone else. $n
some ways, she is more astute than her brother and she provides Hercule oirot
with a lot of tips. He often has to look at the information from a di8erent angle
before %nding out what really happened, but Caroline presents a great starting
point. &gatha Christie herself has suggested that Caroline Sheppard was a precursor
to 9iss 9arple and there are certainly some similarities* for e/ample, both are nosy
spinsters who use their local knowledge to ensure they know e/actly what is going
on around them.
:indness
Caroline initially appears to be a nosy middle2aged woman with a desire to interfere
in everyone's a8airs. However, this is not strictly true. She is actually a very kind
woman who likes to know everything predominantly for her own interest. 7hen
5rsula ;ourne goes to oirot and Sheppard for help, she is distraught and it is
Caroline who is the %rst to comfort her. This is another similarity between Caroline
and 9iss 9arple* neither are portrayed as 1ealous of other people's lives 3 they
simply want whatever is best for those who deserve it. Caroline, for e/ample, is
delighted by the idea of a love a8air between +alph aton and 4lora, despite her
single status.
)oyalty
0ne of Caroline's strongest traits is her loyalty to her brother. She occasionally
pumps James for gossip, but would never consider gossiping to others about his
private life. $t is probably this loyalty that blinds her to his faults. She does not
appear to be aware, right up to the end of the book, that the murderer is her own
brother. She has, after all, lived with him all her life, is proud of the fact that he is a
medical man and that she can support him in his career. This loyalty and love is
reciprocated. 0ne of James' saving graces is that he loves his sister and wants to
cause her as little harm as possible.
Caroline Sheppard can be an infuriating character, especially when she is %rst
introduced to the reader, but there is little doubt that The 9urder of +oger &ckroyd
wouldn't have been as interesting without her presence. -osiness is often
considered to be an unpleasant trait, but in Caroline, &gatha Christie shows that it
can be a positive thing, provided it is well2meant. $t is perhaps a shame that
Caroline Sheppard didn't appear in future &gatha Christie books.