Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band

Everybody takes risks in their lives. Some risks are worse than other risks. Someone driving a car down the highway at 120 mph is a major risk and someone walking down the street is a small risk. Risks are a common thing that everybody does, and it is inevitable to not do anything risky in that person's life. In literature, there are many risks, to make the story more interesting to read. In the three short stories “The Colomber”, “Contents of a Dead Man's Pocket”, and “Lamb to the Slaughter” the characters do a lot of risky things.

Fahrenheit 451 was introduced in 1953. The author is named Ray Bradbury. He shows imagery through the characters words and actions throughout the story.

“Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” are qualities of Gothic Literature. In “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” both start at a point of not happiness but clam and mystery. “Lamb to the Slaughter” quickly turns from that tranquilized mood into depressing and doubtful when Mary kills her husband. Then in “The Cask of the Amontillado” even when that grim mood was not enough, it had to be more depressing when Montresor gets Fortunato drunk and later kills him. Thus, both “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” has bites and pieces of Gothic literature. “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” both have twisted and gloomy thoughts, and actions.

In Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” , Mary Maloney murders her husband, a detective, after he declares that he is leaving her. Mary then has to cover her tracks or else she and her unborn child will be killed. Throughout the story, Mary’s character changes from loving wife to cold killer and back again based on her situation.

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.

going to leave her but Dahl does not make it clear what the bad news

Anti-Semitism is the hatred and discrimination of those with a Jewish heritage. It is generally connected to the Holocaust, but the book by Helmut Walser Smith, The Butcher’s Tale shows the rise of anti-Semitism from a grassroots effect. Smith uses newspapers, court orders, and written accounts to write the history and growth of anti-Semitism in a small German town. The book focuses on how anti-Semitism was spread by fear mongering, the conflict between classes, and also the role of the government.

Tim Winton’s heartfelt and intricate 1991 novel Cloudstreet centres around two families, the Pickles and the Lambs, as they flee to the urbanising city of Perth after separate tragedies to occupy number one Cloud Street, a dauntingly large old house with a history. Sam Pickles inherits the house after his cousin Joel dies, leaving Sam with Cloudstreet and two thousand pounds. However, due to Sam’s obsessive gambling, the Pickles soon become desperate for money, dividing the house in half and renting half of it to the Lambs. The two families are represented as contrasts of each other. The Pickles find meaning through luck; looking to the spinning knife, “Lady Luck” and “The Shifty Shadow”, while the Lambs find meaning through industry and

A woman’s only mission, in the 19th and early 20th century, was to get married, take care of her husband and have babies. Often, marriage was nothing more than a practical bond, in other words, a woman didn’t always choose a husband because she was in love. In the short story “The storm” by Kate Chopin and “Lamb to the slaughter” by Roal Dahl a contrast is created between the two main characters concerning the view of love and marriage. The view on the connection between marriage and love differs between Calixta from “The Storm” and Mary from “Lamb to the Slaughter” but coincide when it comes to the conception of marriage.

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

Writers and authors for centuries have used different strategies to compare living things with one another, as well as non-living things with one another. During the Romantics era, it was a time during economic destruction. People had little hope and writers and poets began to express their emotions as well as critiques on this time period. William Blake was a poet as well as a painter, who wrote works that addressed the social issues around the area in which he lived. The country dealt with several deaths, which caused the nation to go under depression. Furthermore, the essay, Blake's 'Self-annihilation': Aspects of Its Function in the Songs, with a Glance at Its History, by Harold C. Pagliaro, a professor as well as book writer, informs,

Initially, both writers in the story of Lamb to the Slaughter and The Signal Man are written in a gothic style and suspense is created through the use of language devices. In The Signalman written by Charles Dickens, the author himself uses sensory, effects and adjectives to build suspense likewise in The Lamb to the Slaughter written by Roald Dahl, the author uses figurative language, dramatic irony and most importantly insanity which bring in the suspense to the story. Both writers create suspense in Lamb to the Slaughter and The Signalman is also by the tension throughout the story where in The Signalman, it is a traditional literature where it tends to be more elitist while in the Lamb to the Slaughter, it is a contemporary literature where

Lamb to the Slaughter, by Roald Dahl, is a classic tale of suspense, tension and dramatic irony. In the novel, on page 2, it says, “This is going to be a big shock to you, I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘But I’ve thought about it a good deal, and I’ve decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately.’ And he told her. It didn’t take long, four or five minutes at most, and she sat still through it all, watching him with puzzled horror.” This quote is a good example of how the novel builds suspense and tension because the readers do not know what the character, Patrick, told his wife, Mary. Before this scene, Patrick was acting different, like something was wrong. The news he gives his wife upsets her so much that she murders him with a leg of lamb. The author leaving us barely any knowledge of why Mary killed Patrick adds a lot of suspense and tension for the

Roald Dahl’s brilliant works, “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Way up to Heaven,” are some of the spookiest short-stories read by teenagers in classrooms today. “Lamb to the Slaughter” is the story of the Maloney couple and the events that occur when Ms. Maloney hits her husband in the head with a lamb leg and kills him. “The Way up to Heaven” focuses on Mr. Forester, a very controlling man, and how the more submissive Mrs. Forester finally gets her revenge. These stories contain similarities in plot, tone and characters, yet there are many variations in their lifestyles and wealth.