the question of hercule poirot's sexuality has been a topic of discussion among fans of agatha christie's novels for many years. while christie never explicitly addressed the issue in her books, the belgian detective's lack of romantic interests and his meticulous personality have led some to speculate about his orientation.
examining representations of lgbtq+ characters in christie's work
it's important to note that overt representation of lgbtq+ characters was rare in literature during christie's time, due to social norms and legal restrictions.
one character often cited in discussions is raymond west's friend in "a caribbean mystery," who is described as gay but never appears directly in the narrative. this indirect mention reflects the limited visibility given to same-sex relationships at the time.
another possible instance is in christie's short play, "the rats," where a gay character is suggested to be motivated by unrequited love for a straight man.
however, this portrayal relies on potentially harmful stereotypes and highlights the challenges of interpreting older works through a modern lens.
in "the thirteen problems," raymond west makes a potentially coded reference to his friends as "queers," suggesting that miss marple might understand the implication.
again, this remains an indirect and ambiguous reference, reflecting the societal constraints of the era.
interpreting "intimacy" and coded language in christie's novels
the interpretation of "intimacy" between female characters, such as cora and miss gilchrist in "after the funeral," is another area of speculation.
the question arises whether christie intended "intimate" to simply mean close friendship or if there was an underlying implication of a lesbian relationship. the ambiguity reflects the common practice of "coding," where lgbtq+ characters and relationships were hinted at through subtle cues and stereotypes to avoid censorship and societal disapproval.
in "three act tragedy," the character of egg sparks conversation.
some wonder if her infatuation with the aging actor was genuine love, or a serious crush. her mother's approval of the match suggests a victorian perspective, while the actor's manipulation of egg highlights her immaturity, perhaps demonstrating that one could be modern, yet immature.
conversely, in "nemesis," the relationship between clotilde and verity has also drawn attention.
miss marple draws a parallel to a husband-wife dynamic in their relationship, hinting at a possible same-sex attraction. however, the book does not explicitly confirm any sexual attraction between them, portraying clotilde's feelings more as an obsessive, possessive love for a daughter figure.
obsessive love as a recurring theme
the theme of obsessive love, as seen in "nemesis" and other works like patricia wentworth's "the clock strikes twelve," reflects a darker side of human relationships.
these stories explore the destructive potential of love taken to extremes, showcasing a theme that christie frequently examined throughout her career.
hercule poirot: asexual or simply uninterested in romance?
regardless of whether there is truly any lgbtq+ representation in christie's novels, the speculation prompts the question of poirot's sexuality.
while christie never explicitly defines poirot's sexuality, he is generally considered to be asexual.
poirot shows no romantic interest in either men or women. his focus remains solely on solving mysteries, and his affections appear to be directed towards his "little grey cells" rather than any romantic partner.
while poirot does express appreciation for beauty in both men and women (for example, describing michael in "hallowe'en party" as "beautiful"), this is interpreted as platonic admiration rather than romantic attraction.
his disinterest in romantic entanglements is a defining characteristic that sets him apart from many other fictional detectives.
a playwright character in "mrs. mcginty's dead" states he wishes to age down christie's fictional stand-in, ariadne oliver, and give him a romantic subplot in the adaptation.
the playwright suggests, in homophobic language, that if the leading man has no girlfriend, the readership will assume he is gay. oliver makes no reply, but given her contempt for him and the fact that he turns out to be the killer, implies his attempts to heterosexualize her detective is meant to be wrong.
hollywood's portrayal of poirot and asexuality
the difficulty hollywood has had in accepting and portraying asexual characters like poirot and sherlock holmes is evident in adaptations that often introduce romantic subplots.
the 2022 film adaptation of death on the nile includes two supporting characters as a lesbian couple, who were not implied to be such in the original novel. this decision to explicitly portray a same-sex relationship, while potentially progressive, raises questions about staying true to the author's original intent and the nuances of character representation.
some fans have speculated that miss hinchcliffe and miss murgatroyd in a murder is announced were meant to be "coded", a common method for hinting at lesbian relationships during the time period.
however, christie's novels were never explicit in their portrayal of same-sex attraction.
christie's depiction of the playwright in "mrs. mcginty's dead" can be seen as a prediction of the "death on the nile" film. it underscores a lack of understanding of a character's sexuality or disinterest in having an asexual hero, leading to an adaptation that forces the character into heterosexuality.
conclusion: interpreting character sexuality in historical context
while it's impossible to definitively determine whether hercule poirot was intended to be gay or asexual, the lack of explicit representation and the social constraints of christie's time make it difficult to draw concrete conclusions.
it's more likely that poirot's disinterest in romance was a deliberate choice by christie to focus on his intellectual prowess and eccentric personality.
ultimately, the interpretation of poirot's sexuality, like that of other characters in christie's novels, remains open to individual perspective and is influenced by modern sensibilities and evolving understandings of gender and sexuality.
whether one views him as asexual, coded lgbtq+, or simply a character uninterested in romance, hercule poirot continues to captivate readers with his brilliance and enduring appeal.