Lamb To The Slaughter

Describe the relationship between Mary and her husband. How does their marriage reflect the values of 1950s society? What is the author’s overall message about traditionally assigned gender roles?

What impression does the reader have of Mary Maloney at the beginning of “Lamb to the Slaughter”? How does that perception change as the story progresses? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Third-person narrators are often used to provide the perspective of more than one character. Why is the third-person narration of “Lamb to the Slaughter” limited to Mary Maloney’s viewpoint? How does this affect the reader’s reaction to the events in the story?

Much of the action in “Lamb to the Slaughter” revolves around eating and drinking. What do food and drink symbolize in the story? How do they relate to the themes of domesticity and ascribed gender roles? Give examples from the text to support your answer.

Why does the narrator omit Mr. Maloney’s dialogue when he tells his wife he is leaving her? What is the effect of this omission? What do you think he says to her? Use the text to support your argument.

The story’s title has several layers of meaning. What is your understanding of the phrase “lamb to the slaughter”? What associations does it have? Explain who or what the phrase refers to as the story progresses.

Define the difference between situational and dramatic irony. Give examples of how Dahl uses both techniques in “Lamb to the Slaughter.”

Mr. Maloney, Mary Maloney, and the investigating police officers all commit betrayals of one sort or another. In your opinion, who commits the greatest act of betrayal? Support your argument with evidence from the text.