Complicity and Moral Ambiguity

Where it surfaces

• Chapter VI

  Mrs. Bunting's internal denial and her relief that the police have no clues suggest her complicity in protecting the lodger, despite her suspicions.

• VII

  Mrs. Bunting's determination to serve the lodger herself, despite her fears, suggests a troubling complicity in protecting him.

• Chapter X

  Mrs. Bunting's search of the lodger's room and her concealment of the accident reveal her growing complicity in protecting a potential murderer, torn between duty and fear.

• Chapter XI

  Mrs. Bunting's secret knowledge about Mr. Sleuth and her efforts to deflect suspicion (e.g., insisting the killer is a sailor from the Docks) place her in a morally ambiguous position.

• XII

  Mrs. Bunting feels self-loathing for hoping the Avenger has committed another murder, revealing her complicity in her thoughts.

• Chapter XIII

  Mrs. Bunting is torn between her suspicion that Mr. Sleuth is The Avenger and her protective loyalty, deciding she would never betray him even if proof emerged.

• XV

  Mrs. Bunting chooses not to wake her husband or confront the lodger, prioritizing the financial security he provides over her moral duty.

• Chapter XVI

  Mrs. Bunting's guilt over keeping her suspicion from her husband and her acceptance of the lodger's money highlight her moral compromise.

• XVII

  Mrs. Bunting's secret plan to attend the inquest, while pretending to see a doctor, shows her growing entanglement in the investigation and her moral conflict.

• XVIII

  Mrs. Bunting's secret attendance at the inquest, driven by suspicion of the lodger, places her in a morally ambiguous position as she deceives her husband and seeks information about the murderer.

• XIX

  Mrs. Bunting feels remorse, hinting at her complicity in harboring the lodger.

• Chapter XX

  Mrs. Bunting lies to her husband about the doctor and protects Mr. Sleuth's secrets, torn between pity and horror.

• XXI

  Bunting lies to the lodger about what he felt, choosing to protect him rather than confront the evidence.

• XXII

  Mrs. Bunting's concealment of information and her conflicted feelings about the lodger's possible guilt reflect moral ambiguity.

• XXIII

  Mrs. Bunting's secret burden and her sharp defense of the lodger, combined with Bunting's silent dread, show how both are complicit in protecting the lodger despite mounting evidence.

• Chapter XXIV

  Bunting grapples with his moral complicity as an 'accessory after the fact,' torn between duty and self-preservation.

• XXVI

  Mrs. Bunting's silent complicity in protecting Mr. Sleuth despite knowing his guilt; Mr. Hopkins accepts a bribe to facilitate the escape.

• XXVII

  The Buntings decide not to report the lodger's madness or his possible crimes, choosing to protect him and themselves.