Question

How is Patrick Maloney, the husband, acting when he arrives home? How is this different from his normal behavior, and what does his strange behavior indicate/foreshadow?

Answer 1

Answer:

Patrick Maloney drinks heavily when he arrives home. He is not as communicative as he usually is. This behavior foreshadows that he has some news for his wife, which she will not be happy to hear.

Explanation:

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which the author gives the readers certain clues about what will happen later in the story.

In "Lamb to the Slaughter", Patrick Maloney returns home and everything seems as usual, until he starts to drink a lot of alcohol. He barely talks to his wife, giving short answers to what Mary says. This behavior indicates that Patrick has certain news to share with his wife, and that he expects that she will not be happy when she hears it. He wants to leave his pregnant wife, and is aware that there is a difficult conversation in front of them.