“The Blue Geranium” and “Yellow Iris”: two stories by Agatha Christie in comparative discussion

The article analyses two works by Agatha Christie – “The Blue Geranium” from the cycle about Jane Marple and “Yellow Iris” about the adventures of Hercule Poirot. The author of the article comes to the conclusion about their significant similarity, which is revealed primarily in the general “flower code” of the stories, the method of murder [poison], the disguise of the killer [impersonation of another individual], the gender of the victims [women], the presence of a love line. Thus, “Yellow Iris” is a variation of “The Blue Geranium” served under a different “sauce” where the action is moved to a more suitable setting for Poirot. Although A. Christie had already introduced floral symbolism into other crime stories, it was “The Blue Geranium” where the writer first used the “language of flowers” common in the East, which she could have learned about during her Eastern travels. The story was influenced among other things by Agatha Christie's interest in classical opera and her fascination with railway themes.