Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

by

Agatha Christie

Mrs. Salome Otterbourne Character Analysis

Though Mrs. Otterbourne is portrayed as a ridiculous, out-of-touch old British lady, even going so far as to wear a turban blend in with the local culture while on vacation, she ends up playing a crucial role in the story, almost revealing the name of the murderer before she herself is suddenly killed by a bullet to the head. She is the mother of Rosalie Otterbourne and a great admirer of the detective work of Hercule Poirot. Poirot himself is familiar with Mrs. Otterbourne’s romantic novels (which are perhaps similar to the novels of the real-life writer Elinor Glyn) although his interest in her work seems to be mostly out of politeness. Other characters are less diplomatic; for example, when Rosalie compliments Tim Allerton’s mother Mrs. Allerton, Tim is unable to return the favor. Mrs. Otterbourne’s big secret, which Rosalie keeps for most of the story (although it may in fact be an open secret), is that she’s an alcoholic. Rosalie suffers under the specter of her mother’s alcoholism. Though Christie herself has been justifiably accused of deploying racist tropes in her work, Mrs. Otterbourne is an example of self-awareness, showing just how ridiculous some Britons looked while vacationing in foreign countries.

Mrs. Salome Otterbourne Quotes in Death on the Nile

The Death on the Nile quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Salome Otterbourne or refer to Mrs. Salome Otterbourne. 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:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three  Quotes

Poirot signalled to a passing waiter.

“A liqueur, Madame? A chartreuse? A creme de menthe?” Mrs. Otterbourne shook her head vigorously.

“No, no. I am practically a teetotaller. You may have noticed I never drink anything but water-or perhaps lemonade. I cannot bear the taste of spirits.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Rosalie Otterbourne
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven  Quotes

“A telegram for me.”

She snatched it off the board and tore it open.

“Why—I don’t understand—potatoes, beetroots—what does it mean, Simon?"

Simon was just coming to look over her shoulder when a furious voice said: “Excuse me, that telegram is for me,” and Signor Richetti snatched it rudely from her hand, fixing her with a furious glare as he did so.

Related Characters: Linnet Doyle (speaker), Signor Richetti (speaker), Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne
Page Number: 127
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen  Quotes

“People think I’m awful. Stuck-up and cross and bad-tempered. I can’t help it. I’ve forgotten how to be-to be nice.”

“That is what I said to you; you have carried your burden by yourself too long.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Rosalie Otterbourne (speaker), Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Signor Richetti
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Three  Quotes

The body of the dead woman, who in life had been Louise Bourget, lay on the floor of her cabin. The two men bent over it.

Race straightened himself first.

“Been dead close on an hour, I should say. We’ll get Bessner on to it. Stabbed to the heart. Death pretty well instantaneous, I should imagine. She doesn’t look pretty, does she?”

“No.”

Poirot shook his head with a slight shudder.

The dark feline face was convulsed, as though with surprise and fury, the lips drawn back from the teeth.

Poirot bent again gently and picked up the right hand. Something just showed within the fingers. He detached it and held it out to Race, a little sliver of flimsy paper coloured a pale mauvish pink.

“You see what it is?”

“Money,” said Race.

“The corner of a thousand-franc note, I fancy.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Colonel Race (speaker), Linnet Doyle, Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Rosalie Otterbourne, Tim Allerton, Louise Bourget, Dr. Bessner
Related Symbols: Pearls
Page Number: 246
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Four  Quotes

Mrs. Otterbourne continued: “The arrangement was that I should go round to the stern on the deck below this, and there I should find the man waiting for me. As I went along the deck a cabin door opened and somebody looked out. It was this girl-Louise Bourget, or whatever her name is. She seemed to be expecting someone. When she saw it was me, she looked disappointed and went abruptly inside again. I didn’t think anything of it, of course. I went along just as I had said I would and got the-the stuff from the man. I paid him and-er-just had a word with him. Then I started back. Just as I came around the corner I saw someone knock on the maid’s door and go into the cabin.”

Race said, “And that person was—?"

Bang!

The noise of the explosion filled the cabin. There was an acrid sour smell of smoke. Mrs. Otterbourne turned slowly sideways, as though in supreme inquiry, then her body slumped forward and she fell to the ground with a crash. From just behind her ear the blood flowed from a round neat hole.

Related Characters: Colonel Race (speaker), Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (speaker), Hercule Poirot, Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Louise Bourget, Dr. Bessner
Page Number: 263
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mrs. Salome Otterbourne Quotes in Death on the Nile

The Death on the Nile quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Salome Otterbourne or refer to Mrs. Salome Otterbourne. 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:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three  Quotes

Poirot signalled to a passing waiter.

“A liqueur, Madame? A chartreuse? A creme de menthe?” Mrs. Otterbourne shook her head vigorously.

“No, no. I am practically a teetotaller. You may have noticed I never drink anything but water-or perhaps lemonade. I cannot bear the taste of spirits.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Rosalie Otterbourne
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven  Quotes

“A telegram for me.”

She snatched it off the board and tore it open.

“Why—I don’t understand—potatoes, beetroots—what does it mean, Simon?"

Simon was just coming to look over her shoulder when a furious voice said: “Excuse me, that telegram is for me,” and Signor Richetti snatched it rudely from her hand, fixing her with a furious glare as he did so.

Related Characters: Linnet Doyle (speaker), Signor Richetti (speaker), Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne
Page Number: 127
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen  Quotes

“People think I’m awful. Stuck-up and cross and bad-tempered. I can’t help it. I’ve forgotten how to be-to be nice.”

“That is what I said to you; you have carried your burden by yourself too long.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Rosalie Otterbourne (speaker), Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Signor Richetti
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Three  Quotes

The body of the dead woman, who in life had been Louise Bourget, lay on the floor of her cabin. The two men bent over it.

Race straightened himself first.

“Been dead close on an hour, I should say. We’ll get Bessner on to it. Stabbed to the heart. Death pretty well instantaneous, I should imagine. She doesn’t look pretty, does she?”

“No.”

Poirot shook his head with a slight shudder.

The dark feline face was convulsed, as though with surprise and fury, the lips drawn back from the teeth.

Poirot bent again gently and picked up the right hand. Something just showed within the fingers. He detached it and held it out to Race, a little sliver of flimsy paper coloured a pale mauvish pink.

“You see what it is?”

“Money,” said Race.

“The corner of a thousand-franc note, I fancy.”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Colonel Race (speaker), Linnet Doyle, Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Mrs. Salome Otterbourne, Rosalie Otterbourne, Tim Allerton, Louise Bourget, Dr. Bessner
Related Symbols: Pearls
Page Number: 246
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twenty-Four  Quotes

Mrs. Otterbourne continued: “The arrangement was that I should go round to the stern on the deck below this, and there I should find the man waiting for me. As I went along the deck a cabin door opened and somebody looked out. It was this girl-Louise Bourget, or whatever her name is. She seemed to be expecting someone. When she saw it was me, she looked disappointed and went abruptly inside again. I didn’t think anything of it, of course. I went along just as I had said I would and got the-the stuff from the man. I paid him and-er-just had a word with him. Then I started back. Just as I came around the corner I saw someone knock on the maid’s door and go into the cabin.”

Race said, “And that person was—?"

Bang!

The noise of the explosion filled the cabin. There was an acrid sour smell of smoke. Mrs. Otterbourne turned slowly sideways, as though in supreme inquiry, then her body slumped forward and she fell to the ground with a crash. From just behind her ear the blood flowed from a round neat hole.

Related Characters: Colonel Race (speaker), Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (speaker), Hercule Poirot, Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle , Louise Bourget, Dr. Bessner
Page Number: 263
Explanation and Analysis: