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

Lamb to the Slaughter

by Roald Dahl

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Literary Devices in "Lamb to the Slaughter"

Summary:

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Roald Dahl utilizes various literary devices, including irony, foreshadowing, metaphor, and imagery, to enhance the story's depth and engage readers. Situational and dramatic irony play key roles, with the murder weapon being consumed by detectives. Foreshadowing is evident in Patrick's unusual behavior, hinting at forthcoming events. Metaphors, such as the title itself, depict characters' transformations and relationships. The limited third-person point of view and vivid imagery create a relatable and memorable narrative, subverting expectations with surprise and humor.

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What are some literary devices in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

The story "Lamb to the Slaughter" is filled with many literary devices. Two of these devices involve the element of irony. One type of irony seen in the story is situational irony, and another type is dramatic irony. The author also uses the literary device of limited third-person point of view to allow the reader to more deeply understand the main character. In addition, the author uses simile to help the reader better understand the main character's feelings and to enhance the reader's understanding of events in the story.

The use of irony is perhaps the most dominant literary element in the story. One type of irony in the story is situational irony. Situational irony is when the reader expects one thing but something unexpected happens instead. For instance, the story begins with a lengthy description of how much Mary loves her husband. She excitedly anticipates his...

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arrival home, describing their first moments together after he returns from work as a "blissful time of day." The story goes on to relay all the different things Mary adores about her husband. For example, it states that "she loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man." This is why the reader is shocked when Mary unexpectedly bludgeons her husband with a frozen piece of lamb.

Another instance of irony seen in the story is dramatic irony. This irony is when the reader knows something other characters in the story do not. For example, the reader knows that Mary killed her husband, but the detectives that visit her house are unaware of Mary's crime.

The author also uses the literary device of limited third-person point of view to allow the reader to see the story mainly from the thoughts of only one character. In this case, the reader's understanding is limited to the inner thoughts of Mary.

The author uses simile in the story. Simile is when an author makes a comparison between two things using the words like or as. This is seen in two instances in the story. For example, when Mary's husband is around, his presence fills her with happiness. This happiness is described as a feeling of intense pleasure "almost as a sunbather feels" when experiencing the warm and comforting heat of the sun. Another instance of the use of simile is when the detective says that the blow to Mary's husband's skull is "just like from a sledgehammer."

Through the use of these literary devices, the author makes the story an exciting read, one that is both entertaining and memorable.

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What are examples of foreshadowing, setting, and direct characterization in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," we can find an example of foreshadowing after Mary has murdered Patrick and is sitting in front of the mirror, trying to regain her composure:

"The smile was rather peculiar. She tried again…That was better. Both the smile and the voice sounded better now."

This line foreshadows the alibi which Mary creates (by going to the grocer's) and the lies that she tells to the police detectives who investigate Patrick's death. This is significant because it lets the reader know that Mary has no intention of admitting to the murder; instead, she plans on getting away with it.

As for the setting, the story takes place in the marital home of Mary and Patrick Maloney, a typical suburban, middle-class house in England. While the opening description of the home suggests that the setting is peaceful and idyllic (as Mary waits patiently for Patrick's return), the heinous murder which she commits turns this idea on its head. It becomes, instead, a place of violence and deceit. 

Finally, here is an example of direct characterization, employed by Dahl when describing Mary's physical appearance:

"Her skin--for this was her sixth month with child--had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger darker than before."

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An example of foreshadowing occurs when Patrick takes his drink:

"...as he spoke, he did an unusual thing.  He lifted his glass and drained it in one swallow although there was still half of it...He got up and went slowly over to fetch himself another...When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quantity of whiskey in it".

Patrick does not usually act like this.  He is obviously uneasy, most likely trying to work up the courage to do or say something unpleasant.  His actions foreshadow ominous things to come.

The author clearly describes the setting in the very first lines of the story:

"The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight - hers and the one by the empty chair opposite.  On the sideboard behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whiskey.  Fresh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket".

In introducing Mary Maloney, the author uses direct characterization, telling the reader plainly what she is like:

"There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did.  The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil...She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man...She loved him".

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How does Roald Dahl use metaphor in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

In this story full of ironies, Mary Maloney is introduced as a woman deeply in love with her policeman husband. She waits patiently for him to return home, fully expecting to metaphorically

luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel-almost as a sunbather feels the sun-that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together.

Patrick is the metaphorical sun around which Mary revolves before he tells her that their marriage is over.

The other metaphor in the story is the title, and it is a bit ambiguous. It could be interpreted that Patrick, while not innocent in his thought or actions—since, after all, he is planning to leave his adoring, pregnant wife—is innocent in the sense that he has no idea that Mary is upset enough to deliver a fatal blow while his back is literally turned. In this way he could be considered a lamb to the slaughter. Another way of interpreting the title is that Mary is an innocent, completely unaware of Patrick's true feelings about their marriage. Mary, the "lamb," turns to slaughter when she is confronted with an unacceptable truth: Patrick intends to leave her and their unborn child.

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Roald Dahl uses metaphor to better describe Mary Maloney in his short story "Lamb to the Slaughter." 

A metaphor makes a comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics. Working with that definition, a simile is a type of metaphor, because it also makes a comparison in the same manner.  A simile simply uses "like" or "as" to make the comparison.  

The following is a simile from "Lamb to the Slaughter." 

She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel – almost as a sunbather feels the sun – that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together.

Patrick's very presence is equivalent to the life giving solar energy of the sun for Mary.  She practically bathes in his glow.  

As for a standard metaphor, the title hints at the extended metaphor of the story.  Mary is meek and mild like a lamb.  When Patrick delivers his awful news, Mary is devastated.  In a way, she and her life have been completely slaughtered by Patrick's betrayal.  Then Mary, the lamb, brings an actual leg of lamb to a new slaughter.  Patrick's slaughter.  The lamb has now become the slaughterer.  

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Roald Dahl begins the story with a familiar domestic scene: a wife sits patiently sewing, waiting for her husband's return from work. When he arrives, the reader notes her loving and rather servile attitude toward him and his stereotypical "lord of the the manor" behavior as he pours a whiskey and fends off her offers of his slippers, cheese and crackers, or supper. The narrator makes us believe that Mary is nothing but a kind, gentle, and lovely pregnant young wife who loves her husband.

Readers become uneasy after Mary's husband informs her of his intention to divorce her, although he will still financially look after her and their child. Her reaction makes the reader feel sympathy for her stunned disbelief as she whispers, "I'll get the supper." 

Mary whacks her husband with a frozen leg of lamb. Mary had been so docile and sympathetic up to this point, and the gentle temperament of lambs is meant to underscore the humorous nature of Patrick's death.

Mary's quick calculation about how to pull off the murder surprises many readers. The sweet and docile housewife coolly concocts a convincing cover for the murder and outwits the very men trained to spot lies.  

The detectives are easily persuaded to consume the murder weapon/ evidence. When one detective urges the others to finish the lamb, he says they'll "be doing her a favor" as they dig in and speculate that the murder weapon must be close by, "probably right under our very noses." 

Dahl is able to engage readers by subverting their expectations of where the story will go and how the characters will behave.

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How does the author use foreshadowing, irony, and surprise in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

Much of the foreshadowing occurs when Patrick Maloney returns home from work. He is acting moody and drinking more heavily than he usually does in the evening. He goes to mix himself another drink and his wife Mary is a little dismayed to see how strong a highball he made.

When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quantity of whiskey in it.

The reader can sense that Patrick is getting ready to give his wife some bad news. From his short and cold responses, the reader can also sense that he expects his bad news to be painful to Mary.

The biggest irony in the story is in the fact that the investigating police officers are eating up the evidence they have been looking for. Mary has cooked the leg of lamb with which she killed her husband and has persuaded the officers to eat the whole thing.

There are other lesser ironies. For example, Mary Maloney is looking forward to having her husband come home, but when he gets home he tells her he wants a divorce. It is also bitterly ironic that Patrick wants a divorce when his wife is six months pregnant.

The biggest surprise in the story comes when the meek and mild Mary kills her husband.

At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.

Her choice of a weapon makes her action somewhat funny. Who ever heard of killing anybody with a frozen leg of lamb? But she happens to have the leg of lamb in her hand when she feels the irresistible impulse to strike her husband. It is not only the reader who is surprised by Mary's action. Patrick must have been surprised too. And even Mary might have surprised herself with her outburst of anger and her ability to swing the heavy leg of lamb so efficiently and bring it down right where she wanted it to go. She was like a baseball player hitting a home run. 

It might be considered foreshadowing when Mary takes the frozen leg of lamb out of the freezer.

When she walked across the room she couldn't feel her feet touching the floor. She couldn't feel anything at all--except a slight nausea and a desire to vomit. Everything was automatic now--down the steps to the cellar, the light switch, the deep freeze, the hand inside the cabinet taking hold of the first object it met. She lifted it out, and looked at it. It was wrapped in paper, so she took off the paper and looked at it again.

A leg of lamb.

Everyone knows that a frozen leg of lamb looks like a big club. The bone at one end makes a perfect handle. The reader might sense at this point, especially with the story being titled "Lamb to the Slaughter," that the lamb is going to become a lethal weapon.

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What literary devices does Roald Dahl use in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

The overarching literary device Dahl uses in the story is pun. A pun is a word or phrases that has two or more applicable meanings at the same time.

The title—and the most important act in the story—is a triple pun. "Lamb to the slaughter" is a phrase that means an innocent is being sacrificed for the needs of another. In this case, Mary is that lamb. Heavily pregnant and a devoted wife, her needs are being sacrificed to her husband's desire for a divorce. Mary is the one who is going to have to suffer because of his decision, and she has done nothing (as far as we know) to deserve this fate.

Yet the title of the story, lamb to the slaughter, is also literal. A leg of lamb is literally the weapon Mary uses to slaughter her husband. Much of the story turns on the police being unable to imagine this as they calmly eat the murder weapon she has cooked.

Finally, Mary is not only the lamb taken to be slaughtered, she is the lamb or innocent who goes "to the slaughter" of her husband.

Dahl also uses imagery to paint Mary with a Madonna-like glow, which builds reader sympathy for her. Further, he tells the story from her point-of-view, which makes her the most relatable character. Therefore, when she whacks her husband with the frozen leg of lamb, we are more likely to excuse what she has done than side with her murdered spouse.

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The first technique Dahl employs is contrast. He juxtaposes Mary Maloney's actions and words with those of her husband. The contrast is introduced when Mary pours him a strong drink and a weak one for her. This in itself symbolizes the difference at this point between the two. When Mary, obviously a doting and caring spouse, speaks to her husband, she uses a caring tone. She is practically servile in her approach and is insistent that she wants to do good. Her husband, on the other hand, displays a brusque, off-hand manner marked by short, terse expressions. It is evident that he has something on his mind and one expects that he is about to tell his docile, loving wife exactly what it is.

In this regard, Dahl also foreshadows what is to come. It is easy to ascertain from Patrick Maloney's manner that he has nothing good to share with Mary. Dahl creates this expectation and we are not surprised when he tells Mary that he is going to leave her.

There is irony in what Patrick does since Dahl has painted his wife as an innocent and harmless individual who needs protection. This aspect is emphasized by the fact that she is pregnant with his child. She is in an extremely vulnerable position and Patrick should, therefore, be more supportive of her. This is not only true because he is a husband, soon-to-be-father, but also because he is a detective. This means that he is there for the protection of the weak and should be selfless. Patrick is, however, uncaring and thinks only of himself.

The irony is extended throughout the story. Mary commits a most heinous criminal act. She clobbers her husband to death and then deliberately proceeds to cover up her crime. Her actions speak of one who is cold-hearted and vengeful, not one who would exude a look of peace and calm as described earlier:

...she was curiously peaceful. Her mouth and her eyes, with their new calm look, seemed larger and darker than before. 

Mary convincingly plays a charade and fools everyone into believing her. The visiting detectives and other officers literally eat out of her hand, so much so that she lets them ingest the murder weapon. In this instance, Dahl uses both verbal and situational irony as well as sardonic humor to make the point that appearance and reality are not always one and the same thing; we may be easily deceived. 

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In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Dahl uses a number of literary devices. For example, he uses foreshadowing to build suspense as the story progresses.

And as he spoke, he did an unusual thing. He lifted his glass and drank it down in one swallow although there was still half of it left. He got up and went slowly to get himself another drink.

This change in Patrick's usual behavior suggests something extraordinary is about to happen. As such, Dahl not only hints at Patrick's announcement of his decision to divorce Mary, but also at her violent reaction to the news.

In addition, Dahl uses irony towards the end of the story when the police are investigating Patrick's death. They eat the lamb, for instance, as they muse over the whereabouts of the weapon:

"Personally, I think the weapon is somewhere near the house."

"It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?"

The police have no idea that they are, in fact, eating the murder weapon. This use of irony adds an element of dark humor to the story which is not wasted on Mary, who is described as "laughing" in another room. 

For more information on Dahl's use of literary devices, please see the reference link provided.

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How does Roald Dahl convey the theme in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

In order to answer this question, we first need to establish what the primary theme of "Lamb to the Slaughter" is, and I would argue that it is betrayal. Patrick betrays his pregnant wife and unborn child by coming home and announcing that he is leaving Mary. Mary, who seems to have been a dutiful housewife up to this point, retaliates with the ultimate betrayal of her own.

By definition, betrayal is a violation of a trust that has existed between people. Mary trusted Patrick to be a loving husband and father. Patrick, to his detriment, trusted his wife not to murder him when she discovered that he was bringing their marriage to an end.

I would argue that, to Mary's way of thinking, it would be a betrayal of her child if he or she was to die because Mary herself was sentenced to death. This is why she thinks so quickly and so cleverly in the aftermath of beating her husband over the head with a leg of lamb. It is her primal need to not betray her child that leads her to place the murder weapon in the oven, head to the store for supplies, feign shock over her husband's death, and feed the murder weapon to the police.

Therefore the theme of betrayal presents itself in three forms: a husband's declaration that he no longer loves his wife, a murder, and a mother's desire to not betray her child.

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One of the major themes of Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” is that appearances can be deceiving. The story opens on what appears to be a scene of domestic bliss. Mary Maloney is six months pregnant and eagerly awaits her husband’s return from work.

"Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come.”

The appearance of a happy home is utterly shattered, however, when Mary’s husband abruptly announces that he wants a divorce. The reader instantly sympathizes with Mary, who appears to have been too blindly devoted to her Patrick to realize what was coming. Mary’s initial reaction is one of utter shock. Seemingly unable to even process what her husband has told her, she begins preparations for dinner, absentmindedly grabbing a leg of lamb from the freezer. When her husband rudely tells her not to bother with dinner, Mary snaps and clubs him over the head with the frozen leg of lamb.

“At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head."

To her husband, Mary Maloney probably seemed incapable of standing up for herself, and his belief in her devotion and weakness led him to drastically underestimate what she was capable of. Though she initially appears to be the metaphorical “lamb” of the title, she forcefully reverses roles and transforms Patrick into the unsuspecting victim.

The themes of appearance and deception are further explored as Mary attempts to get away with the murder. After quickly realizing that she needs an alibi, she attempts to compose herself before going out.

"Then she washed her hands and ran upstairs to the bedroom. She sat down before the mirror, tidied her hair, touched up her lips and face. She tried a smile. It came out rather peculiar. She tried again."

It’s clear that Mary understands her femininity to be her greatest asset in avoiding suspicion. Though her docile and cheerful disposition seemed to come naturally before, we see her deliberately practice it in the mirror. Her carefully crafted performance is a success and she is able to establish an alibi at the grocery store. She appears to all the world as her normal devoted self, even speaking to a clerk about what she will cook her husband for dinner.

"No, I’ve got meat, thanks. I got a nice leg of lamb, from the freezer." "Oh." "I don’t much like cooking it frozen, Sam, but I’m taking a chance on it this time. You think it’ll be all right?"

This scene is full of dramatic irony as Mary casually discusses cooking what the reader knows to be her murder weapon. Her ability to nonchalantly speak about it further illustrates the depth and skill of her deception. Her crafted persona continues to be of use as she convincingly plays a devastated wife to Patrick’s fellow police officers. The police quickly dismiss her as a suspect, in part because of her alibi and in part because she does not conform to their expectations of a cold-blooded killer. As she fusses over them, they discuss the peculiarities of the case, completely blind to the real identity of the murderer. In fact, their discussion betrays their unconscious assumption of a male suspect and reveals that suspicion of a woman doesn’t come naturally to them.

"It's the old story," he said. "Get the weapon, and you've got the man."

Ultimately, we see that Mary has successfully used her femininity to craft a false narrative. She takes care to present herself as innocent and, thus, is able to deceive everyone. Though it is easy to say that it was Mary’s cunning and deviousness that allowed her to get away with the crime, it’s important to note that she only succeeds because the people around her are so blinded by superficial appearances.

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I think one thing that Dahl wants us to feel is the emotional shift that the reader goes through.  When the story begins, the reader can't help but love Mary Maloney.  She's pregnant and very much in love with Patrick.  She's the stereotypical doting wife.  Then to have Patrick so coldly dismiss her gives the reader even more reasons to love Mary and side with her, not Patrick.  But then she kills Patrick, which isn't that big of an emotional shift.  What gets me to strongly reconsider my opinions about Mary are her incredibly calm and calculated steps to get away with the murder.  In some ways, she is just as cold as Patrick.  

I also think about justice and injustice when I read this story.  Did Patrick receive justice?  What about Mary?  Surely not.  She got away with murder, but were her actions justified?  Was she even in her right mind when she hit Patrick?  I think those are all questions that Dahl wants readers to wrestle over.  

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What literary devices does Roald Dahl use in "Lamb to the Slaughter" besides foreshadowing?

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Roald Dahl uses a number of literary devices. Here are a few examples:

  • Imagery: Dahl employs an auditory image to describe Patrick's return from work: Mary hears the car tyres on the stones, the car door closing, and his footsteps outside.
"...she heard the tires on the gravel outside, and the car door slamming, the footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock."
  • Mood: Dahl creates a dreamy and idyllic atmosphere in the first paragraph by referring to the drawn curtains and low lighting. The mood shifts and becomes tense, however, when Patrick tells Mary that he wants a divorce. This is reinforced by Dahl's references to Mary's "puzzled horror" and "slight sickness."
  • Irony: Mary loves that Patrick never complains about being tired but, in the next paragraph, he says that he is "thoroughly exhausted." There is also irony in the closing lines since the detective had no idea that they are eating the murder weapon. This is also an example of black (or dark) humour.
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Looking at this story, I see a simile towards the beginning, when Mary has first sat down to hang out with Patrick.  The narrator is talking about how sitting with Patrick makes Mary feel.  We are told

She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel-almost as a sunbather feels the sun-that warm male glow that came out of him

So "as a sunbather..." is a simile because it is directly comparing her to someone soaking up the sun's warmth.

I also think there's a bit of hyperbole in a couple of places.  One is where she can't feel her feet as she is going down to the freezer.  The other is where the one policeman says that Patrick's head was like it had been hit with a sledgehammer.

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What techniques does Roald Dahl use in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

One technique that R. Dahl employs in "Lamb to the Slaughter" is referred to as black humor:

Black humor is the use of the grotesque, morbid, or absurd for darkly comic purposes.

Mary Maloney is pregnant enough that she moves slowly. She welcomes her husband home, from work—a policeman—ready to wait on him hand and foot. Even though his wife seems to be in her latter stages of pregnancy, he decides that this is the best time to tell her that he is leaving her, in a very matter-of-fact way...worried more about himself than his wife, who is moving ever closer to giving birth to their child:

And I know it’s kind of a bad time to be telling you, but there simply wasn’t any other way...I’ll give you money and see you’re looked after.  But there needn’t really be any fuss...It wouldn’t be very good for my job.

Something in Mary snaps. She goes into the basement and brings up a leg of lamb, a common main course in the 1950s (when this story is written); he stands with his back to her—at the window—telling her he doesn't want anything to eat, but dinner is not what she has in mind: she brings the frozen meat down on his skull hard enough to kill him. 

This, however, it not the occurrence of black comedy. FirstMary cooks the meal. She has taken care of details to supply her with an adequate alibi, having visited the grocer for the rest of the things she needs for dinner, while her husband's corpse rests on the floor in the livingroom of their home.

Mary arrives home, as if the murder occurred while she was out, calls the police and they set to work. As the meal is finished, the policemen are tired and hungry, so she encourages them to have a drink and sit down to dinner. 

This is the moment of black humor: she feeds the murder weapon to the police. This is also an example of irony.

[I]rony of situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results.

Irony of situation is the other major technique Dahl uses. For certainly, the reader does not expect that the police would not only be consuming the murder weapon, but also the only piece of evidence that could possibly implicate Mary. So this segment of the story is not only ironic, but also serves to further the intent of the author's use of black humor. The murder weapon (as one policeman surmises) is right under their noses, though they are completely unaware.

One of them belched.

“Personally, I think it’s right here on the premises.”

“Probably right under our very noses.  What you think, Jack?”

And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle. 

This classic short story always seems to elicit a creepy kind of surprise, and perhaps that is why it is highly anthologized, even a favorite story in high school classrooms; in our district, it is on the final, and an excellent choice because it is so compelling—grabbing the reader's interest until the very end.

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What literary devices are used in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

“Lamb to the Slaughter” is a short story written by Roald Dahl. It deals with the murder of Patrick Maloney. Mary, Patrick's wife, kills him with a frozen leg of lamb, which had been intended to be their dinner.

The short story is written from the perspective of a limited third-person narrator. The narration includes descriptions of events and dialogues, and gives insight into Mary’s thoughts and feelings. Interestingly, the narrator does not have any knowledge of Patrick’s thoughts. This allows the author to make the reader feel more sympathy for Mary.

The mood of the story at the beginning is rather calm. The story appears to describe the life of an average family. However, tension soon begins to build, especially as the reader begins to realize that Patrick is contemplating to leave his heavily pregnant wife. This tension is underlined by the use of tense language, for example Mary is described as “watching (Patrick) with a kind of dazed horror.”

Another literary device used in this story is irony. At the end of the story, the policeman suggests that the murder weapon is “probably right under our very noses.” This is clearly ironic. The murder weapon is indeed right under their noses—they are in the process of eating it, and thus are unwittingly helping Mary to destroy the evidence.

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