“Lamb to the Slaughter” This is only a guide to help you understand the story.

1. “Lamb to the Slaughter”This is only a guide to help you understand the story.

2. Who is the author? • Roald Dahl For what else is Roald Dahl known? • James & the Giant Peach (1961) • Charlie & the Choc. Factory (1964) • Screenplay for Fleming’s James Bond novel You Only Live Twice (1967).

3. What is Mary Maloney doing when the story begins? She is anxiously awaiting her husband Patrick’s return home from a day’s work as a local police officer.

4. What is Patrick Maloney’s reaction to his wife’s attentative behavior when he gets home? He is preoccupied and appears to be aggravated at something. He responds to her questions in an irritated, matter-of-fact manner.

5. What can we assume that Mr. Maloney’s tells his wife? He is leaving her.

6. What is her initial reaction to the news? She is in such disbelief that she pretends that he didn’t speak at all and says that she will start making dinner.

7. What does she decide to cook? She goes to the basement and gets a frozen leg of lamb to put in the oven.

8. When Mrs. Maloney returns upstairs with the frozen meat, what does she do? She hits her husband over the head and kills him.

9. At this point after the murder, what is her primary concern? She is most concerned about her unborn child.

10. How does Mrs. Maloney establish an alibi? • She places the meat in a pan and puts it in the oven. • She then primps in the mirror and goes to the grocery story.

11. In your opinion, when Mrs. Maloney returns home and “finds” her husband dead on the floor, are her tears real? • No. One might say she rehearsed the whole act on the way home from the store. • Yes. One might say that Dahl writes, “All the old love and longing for him welled up inside her, and she ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry her heart out.  It was easy.  No acting was necessary.”

12. How does Mrs. Maloney manipulate the police? • She lies about the murder. • She pretends to be sick so she doen’t have to get up and leave the room. • She offers them alcohol to make them feel relaxed. • She uses her husband’s friendships with the officers to her advantage.

13. What is the most important aspect of Mrs. Maloney’s manipulation. She asks the police officers for a “favor” - she invites them, the friends and co-workers of Patrick, to eat the dinner that she was cooking – leg of lamb!

14. Does Mrs. Maloney get away with murder? ABSOLUTELY! The police officers eat the only piece of evidence!