essay topics for lamb to the slaughter

Lamb To The Slaughter

32 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

How does Dahl establish an atmosphere of domestic calm at the opening of the story? What clues does he give that the harmonious mood is soon to be shattered? Make reference to foreshadowing in your answer.

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.

Related Titles

By Roald Dahl

Beware of the Dog

Boy: Tales of Childhood

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Danny, the Champion of the World

Fantastic Mr Fox

George's Marvelous Medicine

James And The Giant Peach

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The Landlady

The Magic Finger

The Way Up To Heaven

The Witches

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More

Featured Collections

Loyalty & Betrayal

View Collection

Lamb to the Slaughter

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Gender and Marriage

Throughout the short story, Mary Maloney is firmly situated in a patriarchal society—that is, a system in which men hold more power than women politically, socially, and economically. Historically, women have been often consigned to the private sphere of domestic life, as they were deemed by men to be intellectually and emotionally unfit for the public sphere outside of family and home life. Men, on the other hand, were able to move through both spheres…

Role Reversals

Dahl subjects his characters to various reversals in their traditional roles. Most prominent of these role reversals is that of Mary Maloney , whose act of murder defies the policemen’s assumptions about her and about the culprit. By physically attacking her husband, with a club-like weapon no less, Mary subverts gender stereotypes and takes on the traditionally male role of violent attacker and murderer. Her quick thinking and ability to deceive others causes the policemen…

Food/Consumption

Much of “Lamb to the Slaughter” is occupied with eating and food. At the beginning of the story, food is closely linked to domesticity and marriage. Mary ’s repeated attempts to feed Patrick demonstrate not only her affection for her husband but also the role she plays as homemaker and housewife. Similarly, Patrick’s refusal to eat Mary’s food is a rejection of that affection and foreshadows his rejection of the domestic life Mary has built…

Patrick ’s betrayal of his marriage drives the rest of the story’s plot, leading to both his wife’s betrayal and that of his colleagues. When he leaves his wife, Patrick betrays not only the love Mary has for him but also the unborn child she is carrying and their private domestic life together. At the sudden breakdown of her marriage and the world she built around Patrick, Mary commits her own betrayal by killing her…

A Summary and Analysis of Roald Dahl’s ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is a 1953 short story by Roald Dahl (1916-90), which was initially rejected for publication but was later adapted for television on several occasions. Included in Dahl’s collections Someone Like You (1953) and Tales of the Unexpected (1979), the story is about a wife who murders her unfaithful husband with a frozen leg of lamb before hatching a plan to ensure she isn’t caught for her crime.

Before we offer an analysis of ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, it might be worth recapping the plot of Dahl’s story.

Plot summary

Mary Maloney is waiting at home for her husband, Patrick, to get home from work. He is a detective. She is six months pregnant with their child. When he gets home, she pours them both a drink and notices that Patrick has drained his glass more swiftly than he usually does. He pours himself another whisky before revealing to his wife that he plans to leave her.

Mary is stunned by this revelation, and initially wants to act as though it hasn’t happened. She decides to go and get some food from the freezer that she can cook for their dinner. She finds a leg of lamb in the freezer, and when her husband announces he’s going out, she strikes him on the back of the head with the lamb leg, killing him.

Immediately she starts to think about how to cover her tracks so she won’t be caught. She puts the meat in the oven to cook. After rehearsing what she will say to the nearby grocer, she goes out to his shop and buys some potatoes and peas to go with the roast lamb. When talking to the grocer, Sam, she acts as though everything is all right and her husband is waiting for her back home.

When she returns home, she talks herself into believing her husband is still alive, so she is genuinely shocked when she sees his body lying on the floor. She phones the police to report that he has been murdered, and a group of detectives – who knew Patrick from work – show up to investigate his death.

The detectives make a thorough search of the house, believing that Patrick was murdered by a heavy metal implement. So they search for something that could have been used as the murder weapon. They remain in the house for so long that Mary offers them all a drink. They reluctantly accept and, when she is reminded of the lamb cooking in the oven, she suggests that they eat it since they must be hungry.

Again, they agree, and as they sit around the table eating the leg of lamb which killed their former colleague, they remain oblivious to the fact that they are, in fact, destroying the evidence themselves. In the next room, Mary giggles.

Dahl’s story was suggested by his friend Ian Fleming, who created James Bond. Dahl adapted Fleming’s Bond novel You Only Live Twice for the big screen; he also co-wrote the screenplay for the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , which was also based on a Fleming novel. And it was Fleming who suggested the idea for ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, telling his friend that he should write a story about a woman who murders her wife with a leg of mutton (not lamb) which she then serves to the investigating officers.

‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ can be categorised as a horror story (although given the lack of any supernatural element, ‘thriller’ is perhaps a more apposite label), although we should also pay attention to the darkly humorous elements of the tale: features in keeping with Dahl’s writing as a whole.

The story reflects – but then subverts – a common trope of the early 1950s: namely, the wife as the faithful homemaker while the husband goes out to work. At the beginning of ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, Mary Maloney cannot do enough for her husband, waiting patiently and eagerly for him to arrive home, fetching his drink, asking him about his day.

But when the stability of her world crumbles in a few minutes, when Patrick tells her that he is leaving her (although it isn’t mentioned, we assume he has met someone else), she changes very quickly – and easily – from dutiful wife to cold-blooded murderer.

In other words, once the role she has settled into over the years, that of being ‘Mrs Patrick Maloney’, is taken away from her, she finds herself able to switch in and out of that role with ease. After a brief rehearsal at home, she is able to convince the grocer that she is still the dutiful wife once again: an act she performs again for the policemen.

Dahl makes it clear that she doesn’t murder her husband out of fear of being penniless without the money from him, the breadwinner of the family: he makes it clear he will continue to provide for her financially. Instead, her motive is more complex. Does she kill him out of jealousy or spite, or resentment at having conceived the child of a man who doesn’t even intend to hang around long enough to see it born?

Dahl leaves these questions open for us to discuss. Note how, in the moments preceding that decisive moment when she strikes her husband with the leg of lamb, her movements become automatic, as if she is being guided by some other force. Her unconscious? The concentrated righteous anger of ‘a woman scorned’? Dahl tells us that she ‘simply’ walked up to her husband and struck him with the lamb.

It is as if she is performing some perfunctory task, almost as though the mundane and automatic business of housework has been extrapolated to incorporate the business of murder. She doesn’t appear to lash out in a moment of fury, cold or otherwise. It is almost as if she feels she has no other choice.

There is obviously a grim irony in the method she uses to dispatch her husband. The roast joint cooking in the oven is the symbol par excellence of the good 1950s housewife, feeding her husband after a long day at work. There is also symbolism in the fact that this food, meant to be an offering from wife to husband, is used instead to kill the husband, with the deadly weapon being given instead to a host of other men (who, as policemen, are also stand-ins for the dead husband in some respects).

In the last analysis, then, ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is a short story about how easily the meek and loving housewife can transform into a cold and calculating killer. It is Mary’s sudden change that makes the story so unsettling, and the lack of remorse she shows for her crime; but her choice of murder weapon and method of disposing of the evidence make this story as much black comedy as out-and-out horror tale.

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.

Type your email…

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Entertainment
Environment
Information Science and Technology
Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Literature

Essay Samples on Lamb to The Slaughter

“Lamb to The Slaughter” opens with Mary Maloney, a devoted housewife eagerly awaiting her husband’s return from work. However, her idyllic domestic life is shattered when her husband delivers devastating news that sends shockwaves through her world. In a moment of sheer desperation, Mary’s emotions spiral out of control, leading her to commit an impulsive and unthinkable crime. What follows is a brilliantly crafted tale of suspense, deceit, and the lengths one can go to protect themselves.

How to Write “Lamb to The Slaughter” Essay

To write an impactful “Lamb to The Slaughter” essay, we recommend starting with a compelling introduction that sets the stage for the story’s central themes. Dive into the dynamics of the characters, exploring their motivations and the web of deception that unfolds. Discuss the elements of irony and dark humor that Dahl expertly weaves into the narrative, enhancing its overall impact.

In your essay’s body paragraphs, you can explore various “Lamb to The Slaughter” essay topics such as:

the theme of betrayal within relationships
the societal expectations of women in the 1950s
the power dynamics between individuals
the narrative techniques employed by Dahl, including suspenseful pacing, vivid descriptions, and skillful dialogue, to create a tension-filled reading experience.

For the conclusion, reflect on the lasting impact of “Lamb to The Slaughter” and its ability to engage readers across generations. Consider the timeless themes of betrayal, guilt, and the consequences of impulsive actions. Highlight the story’s relevance in prompting discussions about human nature, the complexity of morality, and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator.

Lamb to the Slaughter: Dissecting Literary Devices Used in the Story

Similes are quite often used within the short story, “Lamb to the Slaughter”. An example of this can be identified in the title, which can also be interpreted as: “Like a lamb to the slaughter” the lamb in the story is used as a symbol...

Lamb to The Slaughter
Short Story

Analysis of the Elements of Fiction in the Novels The Mark of Cain, Lamb to The Slaughter and The Tell-Tale Heart

Summary The Mark of Cain by Roxane Gay The short story is about a young unnamed woman who is married to a man called Caleb, Caleb has an identical twin, Jacob. They both switch places for days. The woman knows about their actions but does...

The Tell Tale Heart

Antagonist And Protagonist In “Lamb to the Slaughter”

“Lamb to the Slaughter” is a short story written by Ronald Dahl. it is about two people who love each other, but the love is one-sided. One day, the man wants to get a divorce from the woman while she is six months pregnant. She...

Protagonist

"Lamb to the Slaughter": Comparison of the Story and the Movie

In the three makings of Lamb to the Slaughter, they all tell their story in a different way. In the text comparison to the 1979 film color, one of the main differences was that Mary had a flashback of her killing Patrick instead of her...

My Adaptation to 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl

The text I am adapting is a short story called “Lamb To The Slaughter” by Roald Dahl. In this text, there were a lot of things that interested me. In the story, Roald Dahl uses the themes of death and murder. Patrick Maloney is one...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

100% unique papers
3 hrs deadline option

The Character of Mary Maloney In “Lamb to the Slaughter”

Mary Maloney is the protagonist of Roald Dahl’s short story, “Lamb to the Slaughter”. She is introduced as a typical middle class housewife who is six months pregnant and is devoted to her husband, Patrick Maloney. She is described as beautiful woman, with soft skin...

Best topics on Lamb to The Slaughter

1. Lamb to the Slaughter: Dissecting Literary Devices Used in the Story

2. Analysis of the Elements of Fiction in the Novels The Mark of Cain, Lamb to The Slaughter and The Tell-Tale Heart

3. Antagonist And Protagonist In “Lamb to the Slaughter”

4. “Lamb to the Slaughter”: Comparison of the Story and the Movie

5. My Adaptation to ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ by Roald Dahl

6. The Character of Mary Maloney In “Lamb to the Slaughter”

Sonny's Blues
William Shakespeare
A Raisin in The Sun
Hidden Intellectualism
A Place to Stand
A Separate Peace
A Jury of Her Peers

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

study guides
lesson plans
homework help

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Define “black comedy” and discuss how black comedy applies to the story “Lamb to the Slaughter.” What elements in the story are funny? Why are they funny? Do you think the author intends for the reader to find the story humorous or frightening?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the setting of “Lamb to the Slaughter” and the time period in which the short story was published. What literary movements took hold in America and Europe during the Post-War period? What qualities defined these movements? How is the setting of the 1950s evident in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Define “narrative point of view” and discuss the point of view of “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Is the story related in the past, present or future tense? Is the story told from a first, second, or third person point of view? How limited is the narrator’s perspective? Why do you...

(read more Essay Topics)

(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)

FOLLOW BOOKRAGS:

Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Books / Lamb to The Slaughter

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Examples

The grotesqueness in everything lamb to the slaughter analysis.

Oppression and betrayal ignite the ruling flame of aggression – reflecting iniquity and the fragility of identity. Road Dahl's Skin and Other Stories embellishes humans as fundamentally malicious and brutish characters capable of precipitate and repulsive actions. The story centers around Mary Maloney and the...

A Closer Look at "Lamb to the Slaughter": Literary Analysis

“For nothing is more deadly than a woman scorned”, is a saying uttered throughout pop culture today, but this phrase was really brought to life with the story “Lamb to the Slaughter” written by Roald Dahl. After agonizing minutes of silence the main character’s husband,...

Lamb to the Slaughter: Compare and Contrast Analysis of the Original Story and the Film Adaptation

Generally, short stories and movie adaptations are known for their variations and adapted storylines. The short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' Roald Dahl and the movie version by Alfred Hitchcock have some variations complementing the similarities. The film 'Lamb to the Slaughter' demonstrate a greater...

"Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Possibility of Evil": Defining the Worst Protagonist

The short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl and the short story “The Possibility of Evil” show us how two female protagonists commit evil acts upon people. Which character is worse? Both authors discuss how two women commit malicious acts towards other people....

The Result of Betrayal in Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl

Betrayal is the act of disloyalty from a person to another, breaking their relation and replacing it with hatred. It can begin from jealousy, anger, or frustration which can lead to several consequences. In the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' written by Roald Dahl,...

Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results?

Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help!

About Lamb to the Slaughter

horror (with elements of black comedy)

Its literal meaning refers to the time when humans used to slaughter animals for meat. It conveys the idea that a lamb is innocent and does not ask questions. You can easily lead it anywhere and it follows, not knowing that it could be walking into a trap. It also implies that someone is about to sacrifice something.

The symbol of the story is the leg of lamb which represented Mary Maloney's weak status.

The main themes in “Lamb to the Slaughter” are gender, identity, and justice and complicity.

Mary Maloney is six months pregnant and devoted to her husband, Patrick. Patrick Maloney is Mary's husband and a beat policeman. Sergeant Jack Noonan is a policeman at Patrick's precinct.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->