The Lamb To Slaughter

`“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
Reading Questions
Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Restate the
question in your answer.
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. At the beginning of the text, how does Dahl describe Mary’s characteristics? What textual
evidence does the author use to describe Mary and her house in order to achieve this
effect?
In the beginning of the story, Dahl introduces Mary as she is waiting for her husband to come
home from work, later Dahl states the purity of her skin, as she was in the 6th month of her
pregnancy. In society, beauty is seen as innocence and purity. When her husband came home, she
took off his coat and gave him a glass of whiskey, reinforcing the standards of the 20th century of “a
good wife should tend to her husband’s needs”. “She loved to lubricate in the presence of this
man……...She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair“ (Dahl, 25). This signifies that she loved
him and had compassion for him. “The room was warm and clean, the curtain drawn, the two table
lighters and the one by the empty chair opposites.”(Dahl,1). The room is portrayed as a regular family
room, and it would not be predicted that a murder would take place in that same room.
2. Although the reader is not told specifically, what news do you think Patrick has for Mary?
Cite textual evidence to support your answer.
I believe the news Patrick wanted to tell Mary was that he wanted to divorce her.” “So there it
is,” he added. “And I know it’s kind of a bad time to be telling you, bet there simply wasn’t any other
way. Of course I’ll give you money and see you’re looked after. But there needn’t really be any fuss. I
hope not anyway. It wouldn’t be very good for my job.” “(Dahl, 80). In this excerpt you can see that it is
shown that Patrick promises to take care of Mary and give her money as if he is going to leave her. It
is also shown that if she has any fuss, that it won’t be “good for his job”, and as divorce statements
require legal approval, the concept of the news being of the divorce fits.
3. How does Mary’s behavior at the grocery shop contradict what has happened earlier in
the story? Why is her visit to the grocery shop an important piece of the story?
After brutally murdering her husband, Mary goes to the grocery store to get vegetables for
supper. Throughout the conversation she addresses her husband as if he was still alive and
addresses the lamb leg that is in the oven after he killed her husband with it saying it is still in the
freezer. She acts as the moments before did not occur and this sets the tone as when the police
officers come back in to pretend that she did not kill her husband. This also creates a narrative to how
the murder took place.
4. The police officers do not suspect Mary for the murder. How does her behavior play a role
in ensuring this didn’t happen? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.
“........ and through her sobbing she heard a few of the whispered phrases-”...acted quite
normal...very cheerful...wanted to give him a good supper... peas...cheesecake...impossible that
she...”(Dahl, 205). In the following excerpt it shows the cashier does not believe Mary was the murder
as her cheerful attitude made it seem less likely. She was sobbing and cooperating with the police that
made it seem impossible that she was the murder. This plays with the theme that people can be
different than one thinks.
5. What is ironic about the end of the story? Cite the evidence from the story that
foreshadows this event.
“Whoever done it, they’re not going to be carrying a thing like that around with them longer than they
need.” One of them belched. “Personally, I think it’s right here on the premises.” “Probably right under
our very noses.”(Dahl,86). This was said when the police officers were eating the lamb that she killed
her husband with.It is ironic as the murder weapons was literally under their noses. This was done as
Mary did not want the police officers to find the weapons as the police officers has stated that once
the murder weapon is found, the culprit would follow, foreshadowing the ending of the story”.“It’s the
old story,” he said. “Get the weapon, and you’ve got the man.” “(Dahl, 226).
Literary Analysis Questions
1. What is the narrative point of view of the story?

This short story is written in first person. It is written exposing the details in the same way Mary
experiences them. For example, we only learn about the news Patrick was to give Mary when Mary is
receiving it.
2. Describe the main conflict in the story. What type of conflict is this?
The main conflict is Mary’s inability to accept her husband wanting to leave her. She tries to solve this
problem by first killing him and then trying to hide the fact that she killed him. This problem is resolved
with the police officers eating the murder wepaon and the last evidence of the murder. The story ends
with her chuckling over the fact that the police officers are eating the murder weapon.This type of
conflict is self to self.
3. What is the theme of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

The theme of the story is that people can be unpredictable. From her husband leaving her pregnant
wife to Mary killing her husband, this story shows that people can be unpredictable. The police officers
believed Mary and her story of her husband unpredictably dying when she was at the grocery store.
This makes the idea that the lamb bone being the murder weapon out of the question. The police
officers were foolish to look for metal objects for the murder weapon and not common household
objects as the murder weapon. This is symbolic to the title of this short story as it portrayed Mary, who
is seen as a “lamb”, which is seen as innocent, pure, and naive, killed her husband. When the police
officers ate the lamb it was signifying that the last proof of the murder was gone.

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`“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

Literary Analysis Questions

1. What is the narrative point of view of the story?

3. What is the theme of “Lamb to the Slaughter”?

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