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Examples Of Mary Maloney In Lamb To The Slaughter

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Harsh winds, lush scenery, broiling heat, crisp air. We are as ever changing as the seasons. Some of us more drastically and quickly than others, like Mary Maloney in Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Mary’s character development reveals the theme of, “Seemingly “perfect” people have a dark side.” In the beginning of “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Mary portrays a very “perfect” wife image. For example, according to the author, “She took his coat and hung it in the closet. Then she walked over and made the drinks…” (Dahl, p. 318) The quote is explaining the things Mary does for her husband as soon as he comes home. This quote includes an example of how selfless and kind Mary is. This makes her appear as the “perfect” woman. In addition, the text directly states, “‘But you must have supper. I can easily do it here. I’d like to do it. … Anything you want.” (Dahl, p. 318) The quote is saying that despite Mary’s husband, Patrick, constantly saying no to dinner, Mary willingly insists she can easily make it. …show more content…

The author claims that, “All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.” (Dahl, p. 320) The quote is reinforcing the idea of Mary realizing that she has killed her own husband. An examination of this quote reveals that because Patrick wanted to leave her, while Mary wanted things to stay the same, she acted irrationally. This is a change from her innocent, perfect image to a guilty, more knowledgeable self, which will cause her to showcase her dark side. As stated by the author, “Did they kill them both- mother and child?” (Dahl, p. 320) In this quote, the author clarifies why Mary is worried about the penalty of Patrick’s murder- her child might be killed. This quote demonstrates how Mary adjusts from tranquil to worried. This conflict of Patrick wanting to leave her has snapped Mary out of her utopian world. Once out of this delusion, she develops further away from the amiable Mary we began with

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