FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER

Answer the following in 4-5 sentences each.
1. How do your first impressions of the main character, Mary Maloney
drastically contrast with what we see later?

My first impressions about Mary Maloney drastically contrast as in the

beginning of the story Mary was a normal, loving and caring pregnant housewife
that loved and cared for her husband, Patrick Maloney, very much. Earlier at the
start of the story we see Mary was waiting for her husband to come home from
work. This shows her love and care towards her husband. But as the story
proceeds she changes from a loving caring wife to a murderer and this drastically
changes my impression about Mary.

2. Justify the title of the story.

The title of the story in literal sense, means that the object used to kill Patrick
Maloney is a frozen leg of lamb. Patrick is slaughtered/killed with a leg of lamb as
the murder weapon.

3. Why are we so surprised and shocked when Mary kills her husband? Did
you suspect what would happen? Why or why not

We are shocked by the murder because of our first impressions of Mary as

a serene, tranquil and a caring wife. There is nothing in the begning of the
story to warn us of what Mary is about to do.When she gets the leg of lamb
from the deep freeze, we believe she is going to make supper. Because
Mary is initially a example of a “perfect” wife and housewife, we cannot
foresee that she will murder her husband, and so we got shocked and
surprised when she murdered her husband.
 4. Do you think Mary really loved her husband? Support your answer by
quoting from the text.

Mary loved her husband because she would patiently wait for his return after
work glancing at the clock every now and then. She enjoyed the company of her
husband after the long hours of loneliness in the house. She loved the way he sat
in the chair. The way he came in a door and his mouth, eyes and every
movement. She is very kind and considerate and tries to satisfy his needs in all the
possible way. She repeatedly insists that she would prepare food for him as she
cannot bear the thought of letting him hungry. When she returned back from the
grocers and sees the dead body of her husband, she couldn’t control her tears.
This was not a pretention, And shows that her love was genuine.

5. Do you think that the murder of Mr. Maloney is a planned murder? Why?
Why not?
No, murder of Mr Maloney cannot be considered as a planned murder. It
was due to a sudden fit of the moment that she killed him. When he told
her that he was going out, she might have got the hint that he was leaving
her. The thought of killing her husband might not have occurred to her until
she took the lamb.

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