Describe Mary Maloney's feelings towards her husband. How do her different actions demonstrate the emotions and feelings that she has for her husband?
Answer: Mary seems to be happy with her husband, at least at the beginning of the story.
Explanation:
Roald Dahl's 'Lamb to the Slaughter' tells a story about Mary Maloney, a pregnant woman who murders her husband Patrick when he announces that he will leave her.
Mary Maloney seems to be satisfied with her marriage, at least at the beginning of the story. As stated in the text, Mary's world seems to be centered around her husband:
"She [...] was content to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house."
Mary is portrayed as a woman who loved her husband for different reasons:
"She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair, for the way he came in a door, or moved slowly across the room with long strides..."
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 foreshadow (hint at)?
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.
