1. Lamb to the Slaughter By Roald Dahl 1953 – Short Story 1 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

2. Literary Analysis Lamb to the Slaughter Brief summary of story This story is about how a distraught pregnant wife murdered her husband, who had wanted to divorce/leave her, and how she ‘cleverly’ covered her tracks. 2 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

3. Plot Structure Introduction We were introduced to a docile, pregnant wife, Mary Maloney, who was anticipating her husband’s return from work. 3 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

4. Rising action Her husband returned home and refused any offers from her. He finally broke the news to her, informing her, his decision to divorce her. 4 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

5. Conflict Elements (External and Internal) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The protagonist/leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing her – Mary Maloney – husband abandonment, divorce, single motherhood 5 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

6. Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people and the laws of a society – Murder, social stigma of divorce, and a single mother raising a child circa 1953, daily life sustainability – food, clothing, shelter Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, choices- divorce, vows of marriage, 6 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

7. Climax Mary Maloney killed him with a leg of lamb. Falling action She covered her tracks, by putting the leg of lamb in the oven, by going to the grocery shop to get an alibi, and called the police. The police came to investigate. 7 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

8. Denouement Mary Maloney offered the leg of lamb to the sergeants and they literally ate/destroyed the evidence/ murder weapon. 8 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

9. Settings Place: A warm and clean room, with drawn curtains, 2 table lamps alight, a sideboard and some chairs. A cellar with a deep freeze where the leg of lamb was kept. 9 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

10. Settings Continued Place: A grocery shop where Mary bought some potatoes, peas and a slice of cheese cake. The kitchen, where the sergeants had the leg of lamb for supper. 10 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

11. Time: Evening, 5.00 p.m. when Patrick returned home from work. Before 6.00 p.m., when Mary reached the grocery shop. Nearly 9.00 p.m. when Mary offered the sergeants the whiskey. 11 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

12. Symbols The lamb, signifies Patrick, who naively thought he could divorce his wife without any repercussions and was slaughtered as a result. The lamb may also symbolize Mary who is regarded as a timid and meek housewife before she murders her husband 12 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

13. Character Mary Maloney, protagonist, Main character, a round character, a docile wife who turned into a cruel murderer and a manipulator who tried to cover her tracks. Patrick Maloney, antagonist, Main character, an irresponsible husband who wanted to divorce his pregnant wife who was already pregnant. 13 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

14. Character continued Sam, the grocer, a minor character. Jack Noonan, a minor character, a police sergeant, who was negligent in carrying his duties, as he drank whiskey and had supper at the crime scene, an unsuspecting person. 14 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

15. Point of view 3rd Person Narrator, limited omniscient, Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view. 15 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

16. Author (Dahl) moves from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters, and he introduces information where and when he chooses. the whole story was seen via Mary Maloney’s point of view and thus “limited” 16 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

17. Literary Tone Ironic- the lamb that was supposed to be served as supper to nourish Patrick was in the end, the weapon to be used to kill him. 17 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

18. Tragic- how a couple, who is expecting their first child, end up hurting each other. Comical – how at the end, the sergeants who were supposed to capture the murderer, unknowingly cooperated with her to destroy the evidence by eating up the murder weapon. 18 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter

19. Theme We should not reject the love shown to us, as rejection can lead to anger and bitter retaliation. (Love and revenge) 19 ENG1D - Literary Analysis - Lamb to the Slaughter