The Mousetrap (Historical Context)

Historical Context

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap opens in theatres during a period marked by post-World War II rebuilding, a new monarchy, food shortages, and the threat of communism. The giddiness that greeted the end of the war has been replaced by the realities of rebuilding the country. Whole sections of the nation have been destroyed in the bombings of the war, and London, in particular, is undergoing a rebirth. In England, the king who has guided Great Britain through the war years dies on February 6, 1952. His daughter, Elizabeth, ascends the throne replacing George VI to become only the second Elizabeth to wear the crown. Food is in such short supply in England that 53,000 horses were consumed for food in the previous year to feed a population that now exceeds fifty million people. And in London, a four-day smog kills more than four thousand people. Meanwhile, the threat of communism hangs over everyone. The war that humbled Germany has loosed the threat of communism on the world, and this is particularly noticeable in the United States where congressional inquiries into the “Red Threat” continue for a third year.

In contrast to the difficult realities outside the theatre’s door, inside the Ambassadors Theatre the atmosphere is decidedly different. On stage, the only concern about food is that caused by the snow storm, and Giles is confident that if the store of tins in the cupboards should prove inadequate, the hens in the outbuilding will meet any need. No one will go hungry, and indeed, the conversation frequently focuses on food, the preparation of meals, and the guests satisfaction with what is offered at the table. Monkswell Manor is entirely satisfactory according to at least one guest. The house is untouched by the bombing that destroyed London only thirty miles away. The furniture is comfortable and stylish and although the house is difficult and expensive to heat (a universal complaint about British homes), Giles keeps piling on the coal.

Of course a short distance away in London all that burning coal added to the growing problem with automobile emissions is causing smog that endangers the health of its urban population. Nevertheless, at Monkswell Manor smog is not a problem. A snow storm that has reached blizzard proportions may prove to be more of a danger to those inside the house than the smog that exists in London.

In fact, the stage setting of The Mousetrap effectively removes the audience from the real world outside. Christie creates an escape from the problems that plague England. At a time when other writers are lamenting the lost innocence of a world and creating a literary tradition that reflects the ruins of London, Christie is still offering an escapist literary journey for her fans. In a discussion that examines a new post-war literary tradition, Andrew Sanders maintains that Christie’s play “tells us something about the resilience of certain theatrical conventions and styles.” These conventions, Sanders argues, “have been selected so as not to offend the sensibilities of audiences happy with a pattern of light-hearted banter.” Theatre patrons who want to escape the troubles that plague the country will keep Christie’s play on the London stage long after John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger has completed its run.

Compare & Contrast

• 1952: Elizabeth II succeeds her father George VI to the throne. During her reign the British Empire will decline from forty nations to no more than twelve with Elizabeth having a voice only in England.
  Today: Elizabeth II is celebrating twenty-five years as England’s queen. For the monarch, the scandals of her royal children have caused many of her subjects to question the expense of maintaining a royal household.
• 1952: Britain tests an atomic bomb on October 2, thus joining the United States and the Soviet Union as a nuclear power.
  Today: Testing of nuclear weapons has been banned by most developed countries, and a greater awareness of the ecological damage and health risks inherent in testing leads to increasing pressure on the remaining nations who still test nuclear bombs to cease their testing.
• 1952: Jonas Edward Salk tests a vaccine designed to combat the epidemic of polio. Salk’s live virus vaccine will eventually be replaced by Albert Bruce Sabin’s oral vaccine.
  Today: Polio has been almost completely eradicated in first-world countries such as Britain and the United States. Now the controversy focuses on whether to continue with a vaccine that has the potential of causing the disease in a small number of recipients of the vaccine.
• 1952:Singing in the Rain is the big Hollywood musical released this year. It spoofs Hollywood in the twenties and provides a musical score that will be nominated for an Academy Award.
  Today: Hollywood releases few large musicals. Disney Studio’s animated film musicals have largely replaced big-budget productions. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita is a notable exception but has only moderate box office success.
• 1952: Playwright Lillian Hellman defies the congressional committee investigating communism and refuses to supply information that might lead to further “witch hunts.”
  Today: A movie version of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, written as a condemnation of the communist witch hunts, is a box office failure. Reviewers argue that the topic appears dated.