preview

Character Analysis Of Mary Maloney In Lamb To The Slaughter

Decent Essays
Is it possible for a loving wife who is six months pregnant, to love her husband with all her heart, but then moments later is found to be the wife that murders her husband? Lamb to the slaughter written by Roald Dahl features Mary Maloney, a caring, loving women, who is the wife of detective Patrick, an alcoholic man that comes home from work only to see his wife that he no longer loves. One day, when Patrick is not sober, he attempts to deliver some upsetting news to Mary about a divorce. Sadly, she does not believe it and carries on with her life, but after having to believe it, Mary takes revenge on Patrick by taking his life from him. Mary Maloney is extremely intelligent and is a very deceiving female protagonist. Throughout this story, her character traits do not just portray how she is an effective murderer, but a strong actress as well.

Firstly, by using her intelligence, she kills her husband without leaving a trace, showing that she is a sufficient murderer. For example, Mary kills her husband when she “[swings] the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and [brings] it down as hard as she [can] on the back of his head” (Dahl 4). Obviously, knowing that the police is going to appear and search for the murder weapon, Mary kills her husband with a frozen piece of lamb because she can dispose of the evidence very easily. When Mary kills her husband with an edible item, she acknowledges that it can later serve as a delicious meal. Mary choosing a murder weapon that
Get Access