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Death On the Nile question?

detectivepauljohn 10 Oct 08 at 4:58 a.m. GMT

What is Ms. Van Schuyler's relationship to Cornelia, cousin or niece?

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TheMole 25 Jun 09 at 2:33 p.m. GMT

Thanks! I never considered those possibilities before.

GKCfan 25 Jun 09 at 12:42 a.m. GMT

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Yeah, the adaptation skipped that point.  The book made it very clear that Jackie could've had enough money to travel if she cashed out her investments.  Poirot notes that at the rate she was spending it she'd be destitute before too long.  Of course, even if the adaptation skipped the point, in the Ustinov version Jackie could've sold her car (she drives one early on), and in the Suchet version she could've gone to a loan shark or borrowed from a friend, knowing she could've paid it back after the murder.  The possibility of Simon funding the trip still holds- it's clear, since Simon professes to have booked the Nile cruise on his own, that Linnet gave him some control over her pursestrings.

TheMole 24 Jun 09 at 10:07 p.m. GMT

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Thank you, GKC! You explained that very well.

But there is just one thing, mon ami, relating to the Suchet adapt & perhaps the Ustinov version, that doesn't include the book itself: Simon never told Poirot, or anyone, how Jackie was able to have the money to travel.

And in the Suchet version Linette tells to Joanna that "Jackie was left absolutely penniless." which, especially if you have never read the book before (I must have read it about three years ago) it seems as if Jackie has little to no money.

So does this mean that there is a discrepancy in just the adapt & not the book?

GKCfan 24 Jun 09 at 8:24 p.m. GMT

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I believe that Mrs. Van Schuyler is cousin once removed to Cornelia, because Cornelia's mother is Mrs. Van Schuyler's cousin.

Mole, when Poirot asks the same question, Simon theorizes that Jackie cashed out the principal on her income.  Jackie wasn't destitute, she'd come from a once-wealthy family that was almost wiped out in a crash.  In Linnet's world, "poor" means an income of a few hundred pounds a year, which is still way more than what most people got then.  Jackie must've had a trust fund or annuity set up with a base of several thousand pounds, carefully and safely invested.  Each year, she'd receive most of the interest on these investments to live on, which would be enough to squeak by on comfortably if you're frugal.  Unless there's some will or something to block it, you have the right to cash your investments and take the principal.

However, given what we know about the ending, and Simon's past for fudging accounts, it's possible that what really happened is that Simon stole the cash from his wife and gave it to Jackie.

TheMole 24 Jun 09 at 1:42 p.m. GMT

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I think  she was her cousin.

I have another question, Poirot & Linette & everyone else knew that Jacqueline was poor so how did they figure that she had the sufficient funds to travel to every destination that Simon & Linette went to!? Of course I realize that Simon was paying for all of this but why didn't it occur to anyone how she could afford all the expenses? Don't get me wrong it's a great story, & a wonderful plot, it's almost perfect, & I love it, but I just don't understand this part

detectivepauljohn 11 Oct 08 at 1:48 a.m. GMT

apolena

They why on earth Cornelia always say "Cousin  Marie..."?

apolena 10 Oct 08 at 8:39 a.m. GMT

I think that Mrs. Van Schuyler is Aunt of Cornelia.