Lamb to the Slaughter
- What evidence is there in the beginning of the story that Mary Maloney has created a peaceful, homely environment inside the house?
She cleaned the house and prepared drinks for her husband.
2. What evidence is there that she cares deeply about her husband?
She talks about how she loves him so dearly and compared him to the sun while she’s sunbathing.
3. Find the imperatives that Mr Maloney uses on P2. What do these show about his state of mind?
He tells her to sit down multiple times because he doesn’t want her to get him anything because he’s about to have a conversation with her.
4. Why do you think the exact words Patrick uses to tell Mary he is leaving are not included in the story? What impact does this have on the story.
It adds something that the reader can infer and think about and it changes the way you think about the character. We don’t know much about Patrick and by not telling us how he says us makes us know less.
5. Why do you think Mary hit Patrick on the head with the leg of lamb?
She was extremely angry and her life was pretty much done for. Widowed woman and children without dads were not seen well back in that day. She didn’t know what would happen she just did it.
6. Why does Mary go to the shop? What do you think of this as a decision?
She wanted to get food for dinner and act like when she got back he was dead and she hadn’t seen or done anything.
7. In what way does Mary surprise the reader in the second half of the story? (an insightful response will refer to the specific ways in which she manipulates other characters).
She completely changes person, she loved Patrick dearly and then she turned into a murderer that covered their trails.
8. What is ironic about the comment made by Jack Noonan ‘it’s the old story, get the weapon and you’ve got the man’?
Because the murder weapon was eaten a few minutes later and it had been right in front of their nose.
9.Every word counts in a short story – so the title of the story is usually significant. Comment on the effectiveness of the title ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’
Lamb to the slaughter is a quote meaning a kamikaze or, someone put in a position where they can’t help dying. Patrick dies too a part of a lamb so its just an ironic saying.
10. Is Mary a hero or a villain? Justify your answer.
Murderer. Villain. Only feminists would say she’s a hero. It was murder, no matter what he did its still a crime.