Nov 16, 2009

Lamb to the Slaughter | Lamb to the Slaughter

At a glance:

Author: Roald Dahl
First Published: 1953
Type of Plot: Suspense
Time of Work: The mid-twentieth century
Setting: A town or city, probably in England or the United States
Principal Characters: Mary Maloney, Patrick Maloney
Genres: Short fiction, Suspense
Subjects: Murder or homicide, Police, Pregnancy, Divorce

The Story

This story begins with the most innocent of domestic scenes. Mary Maloney, a housewife in her sixth month of pregnancy, is waiting for her husband to return home. It is a Thursday night, and they usually eat out. When Patrick Maloney does come home, he is strangely moody and takes a stronger drink than usual. Mary tries to divert him with the usual domestic comforts but to no avail. Patrick asks her to sit down, announcing that he has an important matter to discuss with her. Though the reader is never told, it is clear that Patrick is going to divorce Mary. He ends...

[The entire page is 1434 words long]

Lamb to the Slaughter | Lamb to the Slaughter

At a glance:

The Story

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