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Who Is Mrs. Doloney A Dynamic Character

Decent Essays

In the short story “Lamb To The Slaughter” written by Roald Dahl, the protagonist Mrs. Maloney, shows change in many aspects of her life. These aspects include her overall feelings toward her husband, main motivations to keep living and moving forward, social status, and her outward appearance. By undergoing these changes, Mrs. Maloney can be identified as a dynamic character.
When the story begins, Mrs. Maloney is characterized as the epitome of the obedient and devoted wife that many people dream of. Though as the plot continues to develop, she undergoes events that change her into a woman whose internal devotions and actions are practically unrecognizable as she both kills her husband, and and realized that her true devotion is to herself and the safety of her and her unborn child, not to her husband. A pair of oppositional quotes that illustrate Mrs. Maloney’s difference of feelings related to her husband are, “For her, this was always a wonderful time of day. She knew he didn’t want to talk much until the first drink was finished, and she was satisfied to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house,” …show more content…

Maloney continues to change in a more external form, including her appearance and social status. After the murder, she has trouble regaining her composure and personality of old, and she goes from being a beloved and treasured wife to a widow as a result of one hasty decision. A piece of textual evidence that sheds light onto one of Mrs. Maloney’s outward appearance and personality changes is, “She sat down before the mirror, tidied her hair, touched up her lips and face. She tried a smile. It came out rather peculiar. She tried again. ‘Hullo Sam,’ she said brightly, aloud. The voice sounded peculiar too. ‘I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas.’ That was better. Both the smile and the voice were coming out better now. She rehearsed it several times more,” (Dahl

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