Editor's Choice
Is Mary Maloney from "Lamb to the Slaughter" sane?
Quick answer:
Mary Maloney appears sane in "Lamb to the Slaughter," exhibiting rational behavior and deep affection for her husband prior to his shocking news. Her impulsive act of murder with a frozen leg of lamb could be seen as a moment of temporary insanity, but she quickly regains clarity. Mary devises a clever plan to cover her crime, demonstrating clear thinking and determination to protect her unborn child. Her actions suggest calculation rather than insanity.
To consider Mary Maloney's mental state, consider her actions and thoughts before her husband delivers his bombshell:
For her, this was always a blissful time of day. She knew he didn’t want to speak much until the first drink was finished, and she, on her side, was content to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house. 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. 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. She loved the intent, far look in his eyes when they rested in her, the funny shape of the mouth, and especially the way he...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
remained silent about his tiredness, sitting still with himself until the whiskey had taken some of it away.
These are not the reflections of an insane woman. This is a devoted wife who carefully plans her quiet evenings with her husband. She respects his need to sit quietly and knows his favorite drink. She simply longs to sit in his presence after being apart all day and finds this time "blissful."
The news her husband delivers simply shocks Mary beyond measure. She cannot fathom that a man whom she adores and whose baby she is carrying could possibly be planning to leave her. As she tries to process this sudden change, her husband delivers one final insult and Mary reacts almost reflexively:
All right then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, holding the thin bone-end of it with both her hands, and as she went through the living-room, she saw him standing over by the window with his back to her, and she stopped.
“For God’s sake,” he said, hearing her, but not turning round. “Don’t make supper for me. I’m going out.”
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.
It is important to note that Mary didn't pause in this series of actions. This wasn't a premeditated action. Further, it is clear that Mary reacted in shock by the clarity that returns as her husband's body hits the ground:
The violence of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped bring her out of he shock. She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, and she stood for a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece of meat tight with both hands.
When Mary realizes what she's done, she becomes quite calculating in her next steps. Fearing that she will suffer death for her murderous reaction, Mary decides to take immediate steps to save not herself but her unborn baby. She is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure she is not killed before her baby is born.
Mary devises a thorough plan to cover her actions, generating a solid alibi with the grocer, and then feeds the murder weapon to the detectives who come to investigate.
Mary's actions are not those of an insane woman but of a calculating woman who effectively covers her crime in order to save her unborn child. Though her actions certainly don't prove her a virtuous woman, they do prove that she is thinking quickly and effectively in the aftermath of her crime.
In "Lamb to the Slaughter," is Mary Maloney sane? Why or why not?
Mary Maloney succumbs to a fit of rage and kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb which she happens to have in her hands.
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.
This might be called temporary insanity. But on the other hand, perhaps most of us are capable of doing something comparable in extraordinary circumstances. And most of us, presumably, are sane. Otherwise, Mary Maloney seems completely sane. She is a good homemaker and loves her husband. She is looking forward to having a baby. After she has done the deed and her husband is dead, she shows perfect rationality in looking out for herself and her unborn infant.
It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast.
The omniscient third-person narrator frequently goes inside Mary's mind and never discovers any evidence of insanity. Mary establishes an alibi and gets the investigating policeman to destroy the murder weapon by eating it. All of Patrick Maloney's colleagues, who have known his wife for a long time, regard her as a perfectly normal woman and a law-abiding citizen. She has always been such a loving and devoted wife that no one could suspect her of murdering her husband.