Mary genuinely loved and cared for Patrick and would never intently plan to kill him with hatred. When she returned from the store and saw her adored husband dead on the ground, despite how Patrick mistreated her, “no acting was necessary” when
This show that Mary, wants the police offices to think that when she returned for the shop, Patrick was killed well she was gone and that she did not kill him. Another reason in the end part of the story why I found Mary interesting was when she offered the police detectives the leg of lamb that she killed her husband with. “Why don’t you eat up that lamb that’s in the oven. It’ll be cooked just right by now”. This show also that Mary is turning to not think that she killed her husband.
Officers also concluded Mary asked peculiar questions that night. For instance, Mary oddly asked for her and the other detectives to indulge in a fine glass of whiskey. In addition, she begged the officers to consume the leg of lamb in the oven. Both occurrences demonstrate the unconventional behavior based on Mary’s pure anxiety. Overall, Mrs.Maloney’s unorthodox questions and behavior signify she had slaughtered Patrick
Mary Maloney is waiting for her husband to come home from work.and has made everything just right, after he comes home Mary offers him supper be he refuses saying he needs to tell her something. Mary’s shock grows after his husband tells her that she will be leaving him.. She gets a frozen lamb leg from the freezer for “dinner”. Then, she swings the lamb leg at the back of his head instantly killing him. She pretends everything is normal as she comes back from the grocer and in “surprise” calls the police mentioning that her husband “Patrick” is dead. As they come and investigate they are confused but try to comfort Mary.
Incidentally, Patrick Maloney could also be seen as another interpretation of a lamb. An innocent lamb usually never expects the fate of their death, so in this case, Patrick never had suspected that his loving wife could commit such a dramatic sin, murder. Moreover, this reveals Mary’s violent side because she assassinates her unborn child’s father. Her cruelty has left her child unable to ever experience a life with her father. The interpretation of the title spotlights Mary’s malicious side finally being exposed.
I’m defending Mary in the short story, “The Lamb to Slaughter,” written by Roald Dahl. I am pleading for my client, Mary who is not guilty in the murder of Mr. Maloney. Mary would have never murder her husband, because she is six months pregnant. She couldn’t lift the heavy weapon used to kill him while carrying a baby. Mrs. Maloney was at the neighborhood grocery store at the same time the murder happened.
In “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, Mary Maloney is not the innocent wife of Patrick Maloney as she seems to be; but instead, is a woman, capable of murder. Mary was tired of being treated like a second class citizen when it came to Patrick. For instance, when Patrick Maloney was giving his wife one-word answers like, “yes”, or “I’m tired”, it hurt Mary. Mary was at the end of her rope; she was losing her husband. Although Mary had murderous intent, one of her strongest characteristics is thinking of the consequences; not for her, but for her unborn child.
Whenever they would find the body, she would act all surprised saying that she had been in bed at the time of the murder. She wanted to wash all the sins away before anyone else found them so that they would look innocent. “ Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us And show us to be watchers. Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts ” (Act II Scene
He did not take off his jacket, to begin; he immediately moved to pour a glass of whiskey after walking into the house, kissing Mary as he did so. He told his wife that he needed to tell her something, that she might want to sit down when he did so. The news he requested Mary listen to was this: he wanted to leave Mary for another woman’s love, he wanted to divorce her. Not being able to believe this statement, Mary retreated into a state of shock, saying she would fetch the meat to cook dinner. She hoped that if she acted as if nothing happened, the information wouldn’t be true, the suddenly serious tone of the night would lift.
Even though she is previously portrayed as loving and kind, she begins to change considerably when she acts on impulse and commits murder. Soon after her husband’s arrival, he tells her that he is leaving her and wants a divorce. Needless to say, she is shocked. Due to this