THE LANDLADY BY ROALD DAHL

SYNOPSIS
In this story, Billy Weaver, a seventeen-year-old young man from London goes to
Bath to report for work. As he looks for accommodation, he is drawn to a house where a
landlady seems to be expecting him. The house and landlady seem friendly and
welcoming, and he looks forward to staying there. He is surprised that there is no other
guest in the house. When she asks him to sign in the guest book, his attention is caught
by two other guest names written in the book. He tries to figure out where he had seen
the names and finally recalls that the names were in the newspaper. He then notices that
the last entry was written two years before him. As he tries recalling more about the two
names, Christhopher Mulholland and Gregory W.Temple, she informs him that the two
guests are still in the house, on the third floor. As he picks up his teacup, he realizes that
the beautiful parrot and dog in the sitting room are not alive but beautifully preserved.
The landlady says that she preserved the animals.

CHARACTERS

The Landlady
 Forty-five or fifty years old
 Round pink face and gentle blue eyes
 Has small, white hands and red finger-nails
 Warm, welcoming, pleasant and friendly
 Lonely
 Sinister looking
 Absent-minded (forgets his name)
 Cunning and scheming (the way she decorated the living room to attract her
guests)
 Mentally ill

Billy Weaver
 Seventeen-year-old young man
 Tall and handsome with beautiful looking teeth
 Dressed in rather old-fashioned way
 Inquisitive
 Easily trusting and naive
 Observant

THEMES

Preservation of Beauty
Loneliness

POINT OF VIEW

Third person narrative

SETTING
England in 1950s
- City of Bath
- Landlady’s house

ISSUES
Looks can be deceptive
Poisoning
Insanity
Being cautious

ACTIVITIES

1. Pair Work – Make a list of things that seemed to indicate that Billy was expected
in the house.

2. Compare and contrast The Landlady with the fairy tale, Hensel and Gretel.

3. Identify textual evidence to show that the landlady is a little bit crazy, according
to Billy.

PLEASE SCAN FROM ‘The Landlady – Roald Dahl’ - Brit Lit

Pg.1 – The Landlady – After Reading One

QUESTIONS

a. “On carpet in front of the fire …a pretty decent house to stay in.”
Why did Billy say that “it would be a pretty decent house to stay in”? (5m)

b. “It’s all ready for you, my dear.”

With close reference to the text, describe the preparations made by the landlady
for her guest. (8m)

c. How has the reading of the story taught you that one must cautious and not too
trusting. Discuss with close reference to the text. (12m)