illustrated tablesetting with a plate containing a large lamb-leg roast resting on a puddle of blood

Lamb to the Slaughter

by Roald Dahl

Start Free Trial

Give your first impression of Mary Maloney.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Do you mean right at the beginning of the story -- before we know what happens?

I suppose that if that is the question I would say that she seems like a stereotypical old time housewife.  She is pregnant, she seems devoted to her husband.  All she is doing is waiting for him to come home so she can see if he needs her to do something for him.  She has all the stuff ready so he can have a drink right away.  She is happy with every minute that passes because it means he will be home sooner.

So I would say that she seems like something out of a 1950s TV show like Leave It to Beaver.

See eNotes Ad-Free

Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial Team