lamb to the slaughter
Dahl, Roald. “Lamb to the Slaughter.” The Best of Roald Dahl. New York: Vintage Books Edition, July 1990. Print. Lamb to the Slaughter is a very powerful short story in that it is only nine pages, yet it still has the ability to get my brain flowing and creep me out completely. This story shows how a dedicated housewife can change into a cold blooded murderer and a psychopath in a matter of seconds. The strain to hold together a relationship is shown from the wife, Mary Maloney, in the first few paragraphs, but it’s incredible how fast one sentence can change someone into a psycho manipulator. It’s mindboggling to watch how Mary Maloney pieces together her murder and immediately covers her tracks so she isn’t a suspect in the murder. This story grasped my attention in the first paragraph and continued to keep me intrigued throughout the whole story.
1. What was the statement that Patrick made to make Mary want to kill him?
2. Why did Mary laugh and seem overwhelmingly giddy after her husband was dead?
3. Why did Mary seem so antsy when her husband dropped the ice or when he was dead silent?
4. Do you think Mary purposely used the leg of a lamb to kill her husband?
Answers:
1. I think Patrick told Mary that he wanted a divorce which is why she went crazy and killed him. Patrick obviously wasn’t happy in the home with her which we can see by the way he doesn’t even talk to his wife or even acknowledge her presence when she offers him dinner more than one time. Even more evidence of Patrick’s unhappiness can be found after he tells Mary the “news” and she still tries to make him dinner and he makes a rude comment to her and tells her that he is going out.
3. I think Mary was very antsy around her husband for three reasons. One, I think that because she was pregnant and was having so many hormonal issues she was a little more sensitive than usual which made her act weird. Secondly, I think that the wife sensed that something was going on with her husband so
1. What was the statement that Patrick made to make Mary want to kill him?
2. Why did Mary laugh and seem overwhelmingly giddy after her husband was dead?
3. Why did Mary seem so antsy when her husband dropped the ice or when he was dead silent?
4. Do you think Mary purposely used the leg of a lamb to kill her husband?
Answers:
1. I think Patrick told Mary that he wanted a divorce which is why she went crazy and killed him. Patrick obviously wasn’t happy in the home with her which we can see by the way he doesn’t even talk to his wife or even acknowledge her presence when she offers him dinner more than one time. Even more evidence of Patrick’s unhappiness can be found after he tells Mary the “news” and she still tries to make him dinner and he makes a rude comment to her and tells her that he is going out.
3. I think Mary was very antsy around her husband for three reasons. One, I think that because she was pregnant and was having so many hormonal issues she was a little more sensitive than usual which made her act weird. Secondly, I think that the wife sensed that something was going on with her husband so