Compare And Contrast Lamb To The Slaughter

Murder, one of the worst crimes a human could commit, is not taken lightly and most times the primary suspect is a male. In the 2 stories, “Lamb of the Slaughter”, and “The Landlady”, the reader learns just how murderous man’s counterpart can be. Roald Dahl, the author of these 2 stories, wrote “Lamb of the Slaughter” from the perspective of Mary Malony a loving housewife who gets terrible news, and wrote“The Landlady” from the perspective of Billy Weaver, a 17 year old businessman who stumbles across a Bed and Breakfast run by our next “Mistress of Death”. The reader will learn that even though these 2 stories are different in many ways, they still have plenty of similarities.

When she enters the bedroom, her voice changes from present to past tense and she starts to reminisce and begins to talk about her mother and aunts. She seems happy to remember her mother’s room and introduces her aunts to the audiences. Mary delivers her dialogue saying that the dressing table and the small elephant statue figures are all same. When Mary gently touches her mother’s photo, she delivers a sad tone. Her performance conveys to the audiences that she misses her mother. The tone of her voice represents that she is a gentle, innocent and a loving child. Her verbal and non-verbal interactions conveyed the viewers with a message that she is an orphan.

Mary begins the story as a doting housewife going through her daily routine with her husband. She is content to sit in his company silently until he begins a conversation. Everything is going as usual until he goes “ slowly to get himself another drink” while telling Mary to “sit down” (Dahl 1). This shocks Mary as she is used to getting things for him. After downing his second drink, her husband coldly informs her that he is leaving her and the child. This brutal news prompts the first change in Mary, from loving wife to emotionless and detached from everything.

In "The Miller's Tale," the character of Alison is introduced as the 18-year-old wife of a carpenter who is much older than the woman. The author's description of the young wife seems to suggest that she was so wild, beautiful, and desirable that the old man had a difficult time containing his jealousy.

The spooky outdoor setting is made to prepare the reader for the appearance of a cozy indoors, whereas the landlady’s scary features on the inside are covered up by her warm but deceitful personality. She tricks unsuspecting young men with her generous and very motherly personality.

Lamb to the Slaughter, written by Roald Dahl is a short story which explores certain issues within society which were initiated during the 1950s and are still present today. The themes of stereotypical gender roles, betrayal and destroyed innocence are all common within the story as well as society. These issues were enhanced through the techniques of dialogue, foreshadowing and symbolism/metaphors. Lamb to the Slaughter is a short story which explores common societal issues that were present during the 1950s and are still found in today’s culture.

In the short story Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl the husband that comes home early one day with bad news. He told his pregnant wife something. It was really shocking to her, and in the story it said that she got really sad. He then says that he would give her money and see that she is looked after. When she heard the news she went downstairs to the basement and got a frozen lamb to cook him. When she came up, he heard her and could tell that she wanted to make him supper. So he told her that he was going out so she doesn’t have to make it, but he said it in quite a rude manner and she seemed bothered by this because right after he said that she hit him in the head with the frozen lamb and he died. After she seen what she has done,

Characterization is an important component in short story writing. In the short story "Lamb to the Slaughter" written by Roald Dahl, we are introduced to Mary Maloney, a pregnant housewife who recently found out that her husband is going to leave her. Mary develops into a very complex character as the events of the short story unfold. Mary is a typical housewife, waiting on her husband hand and foot. She loves him dearly, but as the short story unfolds, we see that he does not share the same feelings. Mary, unable to handle the rejection, lashes out and kills her husband. We then see Mary’s character transform before our eyes and the once loving, dutiful housewife becomes a very devious, manipulative and cold hearted character. She manages

“Charles” and “Lamb To The Slaughter” are quite comparable. Both main characters were very similar on a few levels. Laurie and Mary Maloney both prove victims can be culprits. In “Charles” and “Lamb To The Slaughter”, both stories show that you should never underestimate anyone.

Authors use characterization to develop the actions of the characters. Like Mary’s actions in ‘The Lamb to the Slaughter’ by using different kinds of literature devices. Roald Dahl in "The Lamb to the Slaughter" uses characterization, imagery, and irony to develop the character of Mary so that the reader can understand what has occurred during the murder.

that it is not normal for her to look this way and there is a false

The narrator and her husband, John, are renting a beautiful mansion for the summer; however, she is constantly under the supervision of her husband and his sister Jane. With her husband being a male and a doctor, the narrator automatically assumes that he has authority over her and decides to not deny his conclusion on her sickness. The narrator is insistent on controlling every element of the narrator's life, and she blindly complies. Amy Hudock

“Lamb to Slaughter” vs “Storyteller” In the “Lamb to Slaughter”, Dahl portrays the theme that sometimes the people you love can end up hurting you both emotionally and physically. Mr. Maloney decides he wants to leave his wife and she does not take this information well because this emotionally hurts her feelings. She had so much love towards him and the negative information he shares with her causes her to act out and hurt him. Dahl says, “ She swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head. She might have as well hit him with a steel bar (Roald Dahl 2)”.

She is not able to be satisfied with life without maidservant, luxurious house or elegant clothes, either. Growing up alone in a world full of shallow materialism, Mary, like her mother, also has “devotion to material needs and desires”. In addition, Mary shows her indifference to the other people and the outside world, like Burnett emphasizes, “ as she

When old ladies are mentioned most people think of sweet, polite and innocent. However some old ladies are not what you think they are. The Landlady a character in “The LandLady” By Roald Dahl, is a lonely lady. She is desperately lonely , kind and a psychopathic character that manipulates her victims minds.