Lamb To The Slaughter
Lamb to the Slaughter Conflict Analysis
Within Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” several different conflicts are addressed. The first and perhaps most evident of these struggles is the Man vs. Man conflict. As the story begins Mary Maloney waits for her husband, whom she lovingly describes as having a “warm male glow” (Dahl 11) to come home. Upon his arrival, Patrick Maloney breaks Mary’s heart with the suggestion of a divorce, promptly brushing off his actions with the phrase “there needn’t really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn’t be good for my job.” (Dahl 13). This second quotation abruptly changes both Mary’s and the reader’s perceptions of Mr. Maloney; a once shining figure of all that a 20th century husband should
Within Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” several different conflicts are addressed. The first and perhaps most evident of these struggles is the Man vs. Man conflict. As the story begins Mary Maloney waits for her husband, whom she lovingly describes as having a “warm male glow” (Dahl 11) to come home. Upon his arrival, Patrick Maloney breaks Mary’s heart with the suggestion of a divorce, promptly brushing off his actions with the phrase “there needn’t really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn’t be good for my job.” (Dahl 13). This second quotation abruptly changes both Mary’s and the reader’s perceptions of Mr. Maloney; a once shining figure of all that a 20th century husband should