Report this resourceto let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. She prepares a weak cocktail for herself and a stronger one for Patrick who, uncharacteristically, downs the drink quickly, then pours and consumes a more potent second drink. Patrick attempts to prepare Mary for some shocking news, claiming he has thought about it a lot and that he thinks it best to simply blurt it all out. Description of lamb to the slaughter vocabulary pdf. Your PLUS subscription has expired. She takes in snatches of hushed conversation regarding the investigation, including notations from a brief interview with Sam, the grocer. Hollowed and stupefied, Mary descends the steps to the cellar, retrieves a leg of lamb from the freezer, and carries it upstairs to prepare a meal.
Lamb to the Slaughter Summary & Study Guide Description. Mary Maloney is a homemaker sitting alone and working on her sewing in her quiet, orderly house as she waits for her husband Patrick, a police detective, to come home from work. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch. Please wait while we process your payment. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! When he does so, he makes an abrupt but unspecified statement to Mary, the upshot of which is that he intends to leave her. The title of this story by Roald Dahl may have a clever double meaning. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. She carries the meat into the kitchen, turns on the oven, and places the leg of lamb inside. Paragraphs could be laid out more clearly to make note-taking on structural features easier but the text is all there for you. Mary is six months pregnant. As Noonan accommodates her request, she proposes that perhaps he and the few remaining investigators might also be restored by a small drink. Noonan points out that the leg of lamb is still cooking and offers to turn off the oven.
The laconic suddenness of the events, as Dahl tells them, creates an experience of shock for the reader, an effect which no doubt accounts for the popularity of this frequently anthologized and reprinted story. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. But her repeated offers of affectionate attention are all rebuked by clipped and dispassionate responses from Patrick. The police officers who quickly arrive at her house are Sergeant Jack Noonan, whom Mary knows well, and another named O'Malley. This study guide contains the following sections: Initially rejected, along with four other stories, by The New Yorker, "Lamb to the Slaughter" eventually appeared in Collier's in 1953, after Knopf published its first collection of Dahl's short stories and established his American reputation. 1 page at 400 words per page). This section contains 242 words. One code per order). Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! She decides that if she behaves as if nothing has happened, she can perhaps undo the damage. Dahl had been making headway as a professional writer with a spate of tales which, like "Lamb to the Slaughter, " reflect aspects of human perversity, cruelty, and violence.
His body undulates as if in slow motion, then drops dead to the floor, overturning a small table. They sweep through and around the house, asking Mary questions and inspecting the crime scene. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Already have an account? Sometimes it can end up there. Many erroneous versions of the story online -- this one does not contain any of those errors, hurrah!
View all Google Scholar citations. Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial. Eventually, Noonan suggests Mary find a place to stay and offers to let Mary stay in his own home with him and his wife. On the one hand, we have a woman who uses a lamb, or rather a frozen leg of lamb, to kill her husband. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. In it, Dahl relates how the idea for the story came from fellow author Ian Fleming of James Bond series fame after they were both served a tough leg of lamb at dinner. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. The police believe it must be a large, heavy metal object that is likely still somewhere on the premises. Without any direct verbal response to what he has said, she tells Patrick that she is going downstairs to get the meat for dinner, and he does not deter her.