Single Paragraph Outline (SPO) for “Lamb to the Slaughter”

What are the effects of the story and how they achieved?

T.S. (Topic Sentence): In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Roald Dahl conveys dramatic irony by
having the detectives eat the lamb leg while they say the weapon is right under their noses
1. Mary kills Patrick with a Lamb leg.
2. “Do you know anything in the house that could’ve been used as a weapon, for example a big
spanner or a heavy metal vase” -one of the detectives says to Mary.
3. “Please eat it” said Mary.
4. “Personally I think the weapon is right here on the premises” (A detective says)
C.S. (Concluding Sentence): When Mary offers the Detectives something to eat it was surprising
when she offered them the lamb leg . It becomes ironic when the detectives start to say that the
weapon was on the premises and right under their noses thinking it was some type of metal used
to kill Patrick but they were actually eating the weapon.

Note, your topic sentence should be a complete sentence that addresses the writer’s name and as
well as the name of the text. In this topic sentences, you are explaining how he uses techniques
(humor or dramatic irony) in “Lamb to the Slaughter.”
Your notes do not need to be in complete sentences. However, at least two of your notes should
have direct quotes from the text and it should be clear that they are direct quotes by the use of
your quotation marks.