Although Agatha Christie wrote "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook" in the 1920s, the Agatha Christie's Poirot TV series set their adaptation in the 1930s. Fans of the Downton Abbey series will remember this was a time of great societal change. The gentry could no longer employ large household staffs, and the common people were working in shops, factories, and offices instead.
With more free time, money, and independence, the way people socialized evolved. Young people frequented nightclubs, wore makeup, danced and drank, and explored sex outside of marriage. Agatha Christie charts this changing landscape in her Tommy and Tuppence mysteries. Her two young detectives, far more representative of this modern age in England than Hercule Poirot, stay up all night, and party hard.
Annie of Albert Mews, by English author Dee Williams, also shows this change occurring. At times the novel seems a little simplistic and preachy, as Annie's friend takes up the wild, loose living of the age. Her friend convinces her to try out this modern lifestyle, but Annie cannot help seeing it as decadent. Ultimately, Annie's friend completely loses her identity, and then her life, amid her soaring life of nonstop thrills.
Saddened, seeking direction, Annie looks for greater meaning in her life, For a time, she finds it by becoming a volunteer for the Salvation Army.
Thankfully, we have Hercule Poirot to rely on. Although some recent adaptations suggest differently, Agatha Christie's famous detective didn't need the instruction and guidance of religious authorities to navigate this new, modern age. He'd seen the horrors of the Third Battle of Ypres. He'd survived the devastation of his country. He was an old fashioned figure, exemplifying the values of a previous age. He practiced temperance and moderation. He dressed smart, and was kind and considerate. He served as a beacon of gentility to a generation in flux.
Sadly, in "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook," even Inspector Japp can't see that. He'd come to recognize Poirot's wisdom as time goes on. But in this first episode--like everyone else--he's all too ready to dismiss him as a funny little Frenchy.
Dragon Dave
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