1. The Landlady Andrew Way, Jessica Valley, Garian Leighton-Anderson, Sophie Bialostocki Sarah Keane Matt Munro

2. Plot Summary The story focuses on a young man named Billy Weaver who has just stepped into the world of work. “By the time he got to Bath it was nine o'clock in the evening and the moon was coming up out of a clear starry sky over the houses opposite station entrance. But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks.” This is the thing that starts off the plot because it tells of a “blade of ice on his cheeks.” The scythe of Death, ice cold to the touch, this mighty weapon grasped around poor Weaver's neck and the deadly cold breath of Death blowing around him as if it was just the breeze. Weaver arrives in Bath for a business trip and is in need of a place to stay, he asks the porter if there are any cheap hotels nearby and is recommended to the Bell and Dragon.

3. While on his way, he comes across a bed and breakfast sign which draws him in somehow and forces him to check out the boardinghouse. “BED AND BREAKFAST. Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay.” The eyes of Death, calling to him, whispering “come to the end, finish your game” but not telling him exactly. He presses the doorbell, and before he can lift his finger from the bell-button, the door opens and a middle-aged landlady appears. She treats him generously, giving him a floor of his own to stay on, and charging him much less than he expected. However, she also emits a sense of spookiness, which, though Billy does not notice, appears quite evident to the reader.

4. In the inn's guest book, he sees that only two other guests have stayed there – one older, the other younger, and both having arrived earlier than 2 years prior. 2 years space, this strikes Weaver as odd because the lodging is so cheap and appealing, why wouldn't anyone else take up the opportunity? Billy finds the names vaguely familiar from the newspaper, and on further reflection recalls that they “were both famous for the same thing” (going missing although he does not recall this much). Two people, famous for the same thing, and both in this guest book? This builds Weavers suspicions and gets him lingering on the thoughts, trying to make sense of it all. The landlady offers Weaver some tea and then makes a comment about one of the two boys in past tense to which Billy comments that they must have only left recently.

5. The landlady replies that both of the guests are still residing at the inn “They're on the third floor, both of them together.” Both of the other guests on the same floor that he was lodged? But where on that floor? He had not seen them. This is the climax of the story, everything building up to this point and then it is revealed that the other two were still in the house, revealed that something that should not be there is there, hiding somewhere. What had happened to the others? Billy then notices that the dog by the fireplace and the parrot he had noticed earlier were stuffed as he looks closer and touches the dog to examine it. She then tells him, “I stuff all my pets myself.” This might explain how the other two were still in the house, giving a hint of what has happened to them and perhaps what might happen to Weaver.

6. The landlady offers him more tea but he refuses because the tea “tasted faintly of bitter almonds” (a characteristic of potassium cyanide). This wraps up the story, saying how the other two got to be where they are now and how Weaver might end up like them. The story ends with Billy asking if there have been any other guests or visitors in the past few years, to which the landlady replies, “No my dear, Only you.” Once Death has you in his grip, you've pretty much finished your game.

7. Main Ideas Two main ideas within the story 'The Landlady' are: Things are not always what they seem to be/ If something seems too good to be true it probably is. From this I think that the writer wants us to learn to be more cautious of certain things if they seem much greater than expected, for instance the landlady offered an incredibly cheap price that seemed too good to be true A quote from the story 'The Landlady' to support this is “It was fantastically cheap. It was less than half of what he had been willing to pay.” The technique I think best shows this Idea is foreshadowing as we can decipher things that could effect him due to his actions, that he does not take into account

8. Second Idea Don't trust appearances I think that the writer wants us to learn that things may not always be as they seem, for instance the little old landlady was actually a murderer A quote from the story 'The Landlady' to support this is “He put out a hand and touched it gently on the top of its back. The back was hard and cold, and when he pushed the fur to one side with his fingers, he could see the skin underneath, greyish-black and dry and perfectly preserved” I think that this idea is best shown through dialogue between the two characters, showing that who they really are isn't actually a stereotype for their appearances.

9. Technique Summary Foreshadowing Foreshadowing uses other techniques, such as dialogue, to indicate something is going to happen. In the story The Landlady, Roald Dahl uses foreshadowing to tell us that there is something weird about the boarding house. “There were no other hats or coats in the hall. There were no umbrellas, no walking sticks – nothing.” This quote indicates that Billy should not trust the landlady. It tells the reader that there is something strange going on. Even though the landlady is slightly deranged, many people would still want to stay at the boarding house, mainly because the price of the boarding house is very cheap and the landlady is 'sweet'. This quote is used after Billy enters that house to show that there is something wrong.

10. Setting - Setting is the place or type of surroundings that the story is set in or an object is put. The setting in The Landlady is described as homely and inviting. “... all in all, it looked to him as though it wound be a pretty decent house to stay in.” In the beginning of the story, this quote is used to show the reader that the house does not look sinister. This is important because if the house was creepy, Billy would not want to go in at all. He would probably hurry past to the Bell and Dragon. However, since the house does not look evil, Billy believes there will be no harm in staying there. Needless to say, he was wrong.

11. Dramatic Irony - Dramatic Irony is when the words and actions of the characters have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters. This gives the reader more knowledge than a character. In the story The Landlady, she says “'I'm so glad you appeared,' she said, looking earnestly into his face. 'I was beginning to get worried.'” For the character, he is unperturbed and simply resumes unpacking. For the reader, alarm bells are sounding. The landlady never knows when her guests might show up. Why is she talking about him in particular?

12. Characterisation The Landlady The landlady is a lady in her forties or fifties living in Bath. She has gentle blue eyes with pale lips, on a round pink face. She owns a bed and breakfast but she only lets very specific guest stay at her bed and breakfast and they usually do not leave. The author portrayed her in the start of the story as a sweet, lovely and nice old land lady she was a bit weird but the tenant didn't mind until near the end of the story when she started to act suspicious and creepy towards him. Her character is the bad guy but we don't find this out until near the end of the story.

13. One of her weird aspects which we learn later on in the story is that she likes to preserve and stuff many things after they have past away, such as humans, and her pets. In order to stuff the things, she needs to kill them. She murders them with a poison which tastes 'faintly of bitter almonds'. Some quotes which describe her: “she was about forty-five or fifty years old” “she had a round pink face and very gentle blue eyes” “she seemed terribly nice. She looked like the mother of ones best school-friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays” “pale lips” “slightly off her rocker” “the old girl is lightly dotty,Billy told himself”

14. Quotes that describe her actions: “slightly off her rocker” “...was like a jack-in-the-box. He pressed the bell – and out she popped !” “oh I am, my dear, I am of course I am but the trouble is that im inclined to be just a teeny weeny bit choosy and particular- if you see what I mean... … but I'm always read, everything is always ready day and night in this house just on the off chance than an acceptable young gentleman will come along” “her blue eyes traveled slowly all the was down the length of Billy’s body to his feet and then up again” Action s

15. Dialogue Dialogue that reveals things about the Landlady “we have it all to ourselves 'she said “ “I'm so glad you appeared” she said looking earnestly into his face “I was beginning to get worried” “left?” she said, arching her brows. “but my dear boy, he never left. Hes still here. Mr temple is also here. They're on the third floor both of them together.” “not in the least” she said I stuff all the animals myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup of tea?” “because later on, if I happen to forget what you were called, then I can always come down here and look it up “

16. Billy Weaver Billy Weaver is a clean seventeen year old boy fresh out of London, who traveled to bath to start a new job. The reader, from some of what the narrator says, can imagine billy as a new graduate or a young business man that thinks critically and thoughtfully about most things. “He was trying to do everything briskly these days. Briskness, he decided, was the one characteristic of all successful businessmen.” He has decided on strategies and picked up on tips that more successful businessmen use and is incorporating them into his own style of life. This shows us that billy is a focused young man and uses initiative.

17. The author does a good job of portraying Billy as a very naive person. All of the aspects of the bed and breakfast point to something bad and mysterious happening, yet Billy seems completely oblivious to it. It is understandable that he would appreciate such hospitality in an unknown town, but the reader can not avoid wondering how one can be so blind. A few example of something slightly suspicious are: “ 'I should very much like to stay here.” “I knew you would. Do come in.' “ “ 'It's all ready for you my dear.' she said.” A quote that describes Billy: “Billy was seventeen years old. He was wearing a new navy-blue over coat, a new brown trilby hat, and a new brown suit, and he was feeling fine.”

18. Billy Weaver - Actions Quotes that show some of Billy's actions: -“Billy caught sight of a printed notice propped up against the glass of one of the upper pains.” -“He was in the act of stepping back and turning away from the window when all at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner.” -“ 'That's alright' Billy answered brightly.” -“He crossed the room slowly and sat down on the edge of the sofa. She placed the teacup infront of him.” -“Billy set down his teacup slowly on the table, and stared at his landlady.” -

19. Billy Weaver - Dialogue “He turned away from the dog and stared with deep admiration at the little woman beside him on the sofa.” Quotes of some of Billy's dialogue: “'five and sixpence is fine, I should very much like to stay here.'” “ 'Gregory Temple? Christopher Mulholland...' 'They sound familiar' he said.” “I'm almost positive I’ve heard those names before somewhere. Isn’t that queer? Maybe it was in the newspapers. They weren't famous in any way were they? I mean famous cricketers or footballers or something like that..”