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An Analysis of Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter”

An examination of the short tale "Lamb to the Slaughter" written by Roald Dahl

demonstrates that his work tackles the inherent tensions in divorce as well as marriage. The plot

illustrates the reaction of a faithful woman to her husband's treachery. All through the novel, she

disrupts the normalcy of the day by killing her spouse and skillfully trying to cover it up, leaving

no sign of proof. In the short tale, the populace is warned to treat others the way they want to be

handled, or face terrible penalties. Irony is heavily used throughout the poem, as are personality

and symbolism as important factors of selection when creating the poetry.

Mary Maloney's acts demonstrate irony. She arrived at the supermarket moments after

killing her spouse and pretended that nothing had occurred, giving the receptionist the

impression that nothing seemed to be wrong. "Perfect, she said he'll adore it," Sam remarked,

creates the appearance that her spouse was still breathing. This is ironic since the cashier believes

the spouse is at home and wait for food but, in fact, he is murdered and the clerk is chatting to his

murderer, his spouse. Another instance would be when the cops are feasting on the leg of lamb

and one of them adds, " Most likely right under our noses." This is ironic issue here is since the

information to investigate the murder is being consumed and they are unaware of it. It is also

happening right under their noses since they are eating the lamb.
 Characterization is a critical element of Ronald Dahl's novel that both intrinsically and

extrinsically builds the character. However, the use of oblique characterization is more effective

since it displays her behaviors and how she handles her dispute. At first glance, she appears to be

a typical housewife anticipating the emergence of her partner, but something seems strange.

about just this diligent day; " There was a languid smiling attitude about her, and everything she

did seemed strangely calm. Her eyes, with its new serene appearance, appeared wider and darker

than ever before." It was almost as if she was anticipating something out of the ordinary to

happen and was prepared for that specific time.

The lamb represents Mary Maloney, a lady who overcomes her weakness. A lamb is a

helpless creature that spends most of its time exploring a field. Mary Maloney is a stay-at-home

pregnant woman and does everything for her spouse, including making his supper and making

his beverages. It's also hilarious that Mary utilizes a very delicate animal, a leg of lamb, as a

weapon in her 'slaughter' of her husband. By doing so, she transcends her reputation as a fragile

lamb.

The author teaches the reader that victimizing individuals always results in negative

karma. Dahl's outstanding use of sarcasm leaves the reader perplexed while remaining focused

on her distinct style. By introducing the audience to each character's personality in a roundabout

way, the reader (you and I) eventually learns to recognize their personality characteristics.

Finally, Dahl's simple symbolism brilliantly binds Mary's character's flaws together. Overall, the

author's use of sarcasm, characterization, and symbolism is effectively portrayed all through the

short narrative.