Collection 5 Literary Terms Irony Verbal Irony Situational Irony Dramatic Irony Ambiguity

Lamb to the Slaughter By Roald Dahl

Vocabulary Anxiety Spanner Luxuriate Trifle Administered Blissful Premises Consoling Hospitality Placid Spanner Trifle Blissful Peculiar Exasperated

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate vocabulary word My grandmother, who died last month, usually had a (1)_____, calm outlook. She wouldn’t let (2)_____ about family problems trouble her. She often gave parties and was famous for her (3)_____. She invited family and friends to (4)_____ in the warmth of her home. We would walk around the (5)_____, from the front porch to the shed way in back. When I felt sad, I would go to the garden, because grandma’s flowers were always (6)_____ to me.

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) Born in South Wales Never went to college Served in WWII as a fighter pilot Began writing stories of wartime in 1942 Became interested in children’s stories The Gremlins(1943), James and the Giant Peach(1961), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(1964)

SETTING British or English setting: “Hullo” “Spanner” Around 5:00pm Wife waiting on husband to arrive home from work Same rituals happen every night-no conversation for awhile after husband gets home, both have drinks to unwind before dinner, go out on Thursdays

CHARACTERS Patrick Maloney- husband and senior policeman issues one word commands that are unusual to wife

Patrick Maloney Wants to leave his wife No reason in mentioned It is out of the blue Concerns: doesn’t want wife to make a big fuss over situation / he will give money and other financial benefits as long as she doesn’t make him feel bad or disturb his job

Mary Maloney Pregnant housewife who enjoys sewing Loves husband very much Very obedient Eager to please her husband Frightened by her husband’s odd behavior but will not ask because she doesn’t want to upset him

Police Know Patrick Maloney Very unscrupulous They eat and drink (alcohol) while they are working

Point of View Third-person-limited Readers know what Mary is thinking, but they must try to decide what police are thinking by what Mary sees and overhears.

IRONY Situational Irony Page 320 – Mary’s personality Why is Mary’s violent action so unexpected? We know that Mary loved her husband very much. She had always been a gentle person

IRONY Dramatic Irony Page 321 (Conversation between grocer and Mary) Readers know that Patrick is dead, but the grocer does not. He is suggesting much food and dessert for someone who is deceased.

IRONY Dramatic Irony Page 322, first full paragraph (conversation with police) Mary has told police where the murder weapon is, but they still do not realize this.

IRONY Dramatic Irony Page 324, second full paragraph (Mary’s request for police to eat the lamb) How are the policemen doing Mary “a favor”? They will be eating the murder weapon. There won’t be any proof of Mary’s crime.

Journal Entry Have you ever heard someone described as going “like a lamb to the slaughter”? The saying comes from the Bible, which describes many instances of lambs used as sacrifices. Roald Dahl chose that biblical allusion, or reference, as the title of his work. Why? Explain what the title means now that you’ve read the story.